Best Varun Rajan Podcasts (2025)

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From War Zones to Work Culture: Julia Levina’s Journey of Resilience and Renewal 1:29:14

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5d ago1:29:14

1:29:14

Today I speak to Julia Levina about her multifaceted career journey. Julia shares her experiences as a counseling psychologist in Ukraine, a CFO of a family-owned pharmacy chain, a business consultant, and now a behavioral scientist and business intelligence analyst at Headversity in Canada. She delves into the challenges she faced during the war i…

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Finding the Right Fit with your values 15:22

12d ago15:22

15:22

Today I discuss my thoughts on the concept of “fit” between employer and employee. Gallup found in 2023 that disengaged employees cost the world $8.8 trillion in lost productivity annually. I introduce Andre Martin's book 'Wrong Fit, Right Fit,' which emphasizes the importance of finding the right fit at the point of hire rather than adjusting orga…

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From Consulting to Law School and Back with Ashwin Aravind (pt. 1) 1:09:36

19d ago1:09:36

1:09:36

In this episode, I reconnect with Ashwin Aravind, Head of Operations at Lightyear. Ashwin has been a high-octane performer all his life, spanning school and career. Starting with his undergrad years at UC Berkeley, where Ashwin majored in Molecular and Cell Biology as well as Business Administration, we follow his forays into consulting and law sch…

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I Didn’t Want to Leave. I Just Wanted to Grow. 19:30

26d ago19:30

19:30

Today I discuss my personal journey of leaving prior jobs in search of greater fulfillment. I compare my experience to what I learned in 'Job Moves' by Bob Moesta, Ethan Bernstein, and Michael B. Horn, highlighting how people's motivations for staying in or leaving jobs often go beyond compensation and job features. This book deftly expands to the …

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Episode 11: The Great Detachment 12:13

1M ago12:13

12:13

In this episode, I delve into the emerging concept of the “Great Detachment.” We discuss the impact of team dynamics, job longevity, and fulfillment on employee engagement and performance. Referencing recent Gallup surveys, I highlight issues like disruptive changes in organizations, hybrid and remote work challenges, and declining employee engagem…

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Episode 10: Omar Dinar (pt. 2) 40:46

1M ago40:46

40:46

In this episode of the Push Pull podcast, we continue our conversation with Omar Dinar, diving deeper into his career journey. Omar shares his experiences transitioning from aerospace engineering to finance, joining Lehman Brothers during the financial crisis, and later getting integrated into Barclays post-acquisition. He details his ascent into a…

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Episode 9: Annalyn Cruz 1:16:25

2M ago1:16:25

1:16:25

Today I interview Annalyn Cruz, a dream life and embodiment coach and the CEO of Grounded in Wisdom, LLC. We discuss Annalyn’s career journey from higher education in student affairs to learning and development in the corporate world, and back to higher education. With each transition, we revisit her commitment to empowering others, and the role of…

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Episode 8: Omar Dinar (pt. 1) 46:37

2M ago46:37

46:37

In this episode of the Push Pull podcast, we explore the fascinating career journey of Omar Dinar, currently a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. Omar transitioned from an engineer working on military helicopters to working in financial services, starting his finance career in the aftermath of the subprime mortgage crisis at Lehman Brothers. Omar …

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Episode 7: Varun starts reading Job Moves 10:45

2M ago10:45

10:45

I just picked up the book 'Job Moves' by Ethan Bernstein, Michael B. Horn, and Bob Moesta! I haven’t gotten far into it yet but my bells are already ringing. Listen to me appreciate how much I already love the message. Also hear me betray my mixed feelings about how people smarter and more famous than me have concurrently came to the same conclusio…

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Episode 6: Varun talks about why Push Factors matter 11:07

2M ago11:07

11:07

Today I reflect on some key lessons learned from my initial work on this podcast. In particular, I’ve received feedback about how challenging it is to detail push factors for three reasons: They’re often emotional before we place logic to them They may not be flattering to share publicly, and Reframing them diplomatically feels disingenuous I give …

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Episode 5: Marshall Robins 1:03:12

3M ago1:03:12

1:03:12

Such a pleasure to reconnect with Marshall Robins after several years. Starting off in construction, pivoting to finance and then tech sales, to come all the way back around to financing construction projects — Marshall’s story is a master class in taking chances on something new and committing fully to seeing it through. We had an honest discussio…

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Episode 4: Shalini Chander 1:08:36

3M ago1:08:36

1:08:36

Today I interview my cousin Shalini Chander, Director of Product at Align Technologies. Shalini shares her journey from consulting in pharmaceutical manufacturing to becoming a software product leader. We track her career progress through process, storytelling, relationship-building, and advocacy. Shalini also emphasizes the importance of building …

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Episode 3 - Rajan Trivedi 1:08:15

3M ago1:08:15

1:08:15

In this episode, I interview Rajan Trivedi, a seasoned product leader who has made significant transitions across various industries. Rajan shares his unique framework for career transitions, focusing on the utility of making switches focused on either industry or function. He delves into his journey from consulting to the public sector, a startup …

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Episode 2: Theresa Freet 1:16:53

3M ago1:16:53

1:16:53

In this episode, I interview Theresa Freet, a Strategy & Operations leader with over 12 years of experience in the ed-tech field. Before her rise as an operator, she traveled internationally and immersed herself in the food industry, exploring the world and ruling out alternative career paths. Theresa emphasizes the importance of finding the right …

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Episode 1: Samir Jain 59:58

3M ago59:58

59:58

In this episode, I interview Samir Jain, Sr. Director of Product at Medidata Solutions, discussing his career journey and key transitions. We discuss how relationships, sales skills, and increasing levels of responsibility factor into career growth. We also explore what informed Samir's transitions: emphasizing the importance of mission alignment a…

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Episode 0: Push Pull Intro 2:11

4M ago2:11

2:11

Introducing the Push-Pull Podcast! I'm Varun Rajan, a Product Manager and Career Coach. I'll be interviewing mid- to senior-level professionals about their careers to share their stories. If you’re looking to make a meaningful change in your professional life — contemplating a switch in your role, company, or industry — or if you’re just curious ab…