The fantastic Jen Saarbach and Kristen Kelly from “The Wall Street Skinny” podcast join me today for a candid and super fun crossover episode on the challenges women face breaking into and growing their careers in the male-dominated industries of Tech and Finance.

Jen and Kristen tell us how they started “The Wall Street Skinny” to democratize access to the world of high finance via their incredible podcast and lighthearted but value-packed social media posts. Turns out there’s more to the industry than we see in the movie The Wolf of Wall Street with Leo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie! Who knew?!

We all shared some of our career horror stories, including Jen’s (which she turned into a hilarious viral video) about how being a few minutes late to an interview can completely derail your shot at a big job. They also share that Wall Street is actually accessible to…English majors?!

But it's not just the hurdles of getting your foot in the door. Once you're in, we all face ageism (either levied against the young or the old, depending on the industry - we’ll reveal what we mean here!) and sexism through microaggressions, lack of mentorship opportunities, and assumptions. We dive into these realities and highlight the importance of age diversity in both industries.

We also discuss AI’s double-edged sword—its potential to both automate away jobs and also revolutionize fields like gene editing.

So whether you're well-established in your career or just getting started, our chat has you covered. Did I mention we had a lot of fun? Join us for our wide-ranging but impactful conversation.

"We have structured society so differently than it was historically so that you aren't hitting the same milestones. You aren't necessarily graduating from college at 22, going to business school at 25, getting married at 30, having kids by 35, retiring at 65. Those milestones have all shifted and are no longer fixed points."

- Jen Saarbach

In This Episode:

-Challenges and opportunities for women in finance

-Ageism in the tech industry

-Women representation and role models in finance and tech

-The challenges of starting a career in the finance industry

-The apprenticeship model in finance and its impact on career paths

-Challenges of entering finance later in life

-The importance of age diversity in finance and tech

-The role of venture capitalists in guiding founders

-The impact of AI on career paths

And much more!