What if climbing the corporate ladder isn’t about working harder, but about learning the rules no one ever taught you?

In this episode of the Career Slay Podcast, Kelly Poquiz Burke sits down with Kendall Berg, founder of That Career Coach and author of Secrets of the Career Game, to unpack the unspoken rules that shape real career growth.

From sneaking into job fairs and telling a CFO his strategy was flawed (at 19), to earning five promotions in six years, turning down a C-suite role, and building a nationally recognized coaching platform, Kendall shares the highs, lows, and hard-earned lessons that reshaped how she thinks about success.

This conversation dives deep into self-advocacy, managing up, building influence as well as your own brand, and redefining success as your life evolves. Whether you’re ambitious, burned out, or questioning what “next” really means, this episode offers practical wisdom for navigating your career with intention.

Key Topics & Takeaways

Why being great at your job isn’t enough as you move up
The importance of educating your boss about your impact
How self-advocacy and personal branding accelerate promotions
Turning down a C-suite role and trusting your gut
Balancing a demanding corporate role with entrepreneurship
The mental load behind content creation and visibility
Why success eventually becomes about owning your time
Learning when to push forward and when to pivot

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction
01:18 – Growing up driven, entrepreneurial, and type-A
02:56 – Studying math and economics without a clear path
04:21 – Sneaking into job fairs and landing a career-defining role
06:03 – Telling a CFO the hard truth (and getting hired anyway)
08:27 – Rapid promotions, tech leadership, and learning soft skills
11:58 – Turning down a C-suite role and redefining ambition
15:00 – What a Chief of Staff role really looks like day-to-day
17:38 – Balancing corporate leadership and That Career Coach
20:42 – Content creation, controversy, and building thick skin
26:45 – Writing Secrets of the Career Game
28:14 – “Your boss has no idea what you’re doing”
30:15 – Advocacy, promotion strategy, and managing up
34:44 – How Kendall defines success today
38:05 – Advice to her 20-year-old self
39:27 – Career in three words
39:56 – Where to find Kendall

Guest Resources

Follow Kendall: @ThatCareerCoach (LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube)
Website: thatcareercoach.net
Get Kendall’s Book: Secrets of the Career Game https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Career-Game-strategies-workplace/dp/1804091111

Keywords

career growth, career coaching, self advocacy at work, managing up, promotions, leadership development, personal branding, career pivots, women in leadership, content creation, work life alignment, executive communication, influence at work, career strategy, Career Slay Podcast

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Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

Website: careerslay.com
LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
Instagram: @careerslay