Episode Details

If your career path feels like a loop instead of a launchpad, this candid convo is your blueprint for building something smarter on purpose. Jay Schwedelson and Monique Ruff-Bell - Chief Program & Strategy Officer, TED - get into how to stop waiting for permission, add new lanes to your skill set, and turn curiosity, courage, and "how can I help?" into real leadership opportunities.

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Connect with Monique on LinkedIn and use her Linktree to dig into her talks, leadership insights, and ways to learn from her work.

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Best Moments:

(01:09) Monique traces a 25 year journey across events, media, and fintech into a TED leadership role created specifically for how she operates.

(02:57) The lightbulb moment where she rejects a single lane career and starts intentionally stacking cross functional skills to become executive ready.

(06:09) A playbook for embedding with sales, joining calls, shaping packages, and becoming the revenue partner everyone wants on their side.

(09:01) How offering help first naturally turns senior relationships into real mentorship and sponsorship without the cringey formal ask.

(14:30) The story of jumping too fast for a new role, why it backfired, and how it reshaped how she evaluates growth and red flags.

(16:32) Behind the scenes at TED on why powerful talks are built around one sharp idea, supported by story, rigor, and serious coaching.

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Check out Jay’s YOUTUBE Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelson

Check out Jay’s TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@schwedelson

Check Out Jay's INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/

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Pre-order Jay Schwedelson’s new book, Stupider People Have Done It (out April 21, 2026). All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research—let’s kick cancer’s butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206