Aleutian Trail Talks

22 Finding Your Edge with Aria Taylor: Leveraging Unexpected Skills in Your Career

Wed, 13 May 2026 03:27:34 +0000

Not every career path is linear—and not every valuable skill comes from a traditional background. The skills you think don’t count might be the ones that set you apart

In this episode, we talk with Aria Taylor, who transitioned from a career in vocal performance to accounting (recently going back to school and completing her master’s degree) and initially questioned whether she belonged in a field where she didn’t have the “typical” background.

What she discovered is something many professionals overlook: the skills you gain outside your career path may be the ones that set you apart.

We explore how to identify transferable skills, build confidence in nontraditional paths, and reframe your experience as a strength rather than a limitation.

If you’ve ever felt behind, different, or unsure how your past fits into your future—this conversation is for you.

21 Active Questioning: Don't have the Answers? Ask Better Questions

Tue, 05 May 2026 13:19:44 +0000

Most early-career professionals think they need to have the right answers to stand out. But the truth is—your impact isn’t defined by what you know. It’s shaped by the questions you ask.

In this episode of Aleutian Trail Talks, we break down the skill of Active Questioning—how asking thoughtful, open questions can deepen understanding, spark better conversations, and elevate the ideas around you.

If you’re in your first 10 years of your career, this is a game-changer. You may not have authority yet—but the right questions can help you build influence, accelerate your learning, and establish credibility faster than you think.

Because the professionals who grow fastest aren’t the ones with all the answers—they’re the ones asking the questions others aren’t.

20 Upward Mobility: Building Fair Access to Opportunity in Early Careers Part 2 of 2

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 03:54:08 +0000

If hard work were the only factor in career growth, upward mobility would look very different.

In this episode, we move from awareness to action, exploring the practical steps young professionals can take to shape access to opportunity. Because advancement isn’t just about effort—it’s about access to information, relationships, and the moments that influence who gets seen and supported.

Through real examples, we discuss how small actions—like speaking up, asking for feedback, or recommending others—can compound over time to create meaningful career momentum.

You’ll learn how to:

Make your work more visible
Advocate for your growth
Create opportunities for others

Because influence doesn’t start later in your career—it starts with the choices you make today.

19 Upward Mobility: Building Fair Access to Opportunity in Early Careers Part 1 of 2

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:47:00 +0000

Who gets access to opportunity at work—and what shapes that path?

In this first episode of our three-part series on upward mobility, we explore how workplace cultures influence who is heard, who is developed, and who advances. Because upward mobility doesn’t happen by accident—it’s shaped by everyday interactions, systems, and decisions that determine how talent is recognized and rewarded.

Grounded in the idea that everyone deserves a fair shot at economic success, autonomy, and a sense of dignity and belonging, this conversation unpacks what “fair access to opportunity” really looks like in early careers—and why it matters.

18 Career Pauses in a Fast-Track World: How to Slow Down Without Falling Behind

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:23:56 +0000

Early careers are often expected to move fast — but real life doesn’t always follow that pace. After a break from recording our podcast, we reflect on career slowdowns: the seasons where priorities shift, energy changes, or progress looks less visible.

We discuss how to maintain skills and relationships during a professional pause, how to frame slow periods constructively, and how to restart without feeling behind. A practical, honest conversation for anyone in the first decade of their career navigating changing momentum. If you’re in the first decade of your career and have ever worried that slowing down might mean falling behind, this conversation is for you.

17 Owning Your Expertise: Turning Knowledge into Confidence and Impact

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 03:30:00 +0000

You know your stuff — but do you own it?

In this episode, we explore what it really means to be a subject matter expert — not by title, but by trust. We break down how younger professionals can grow beyond just “knowing” things and start applying their knowledge with confidence, clarity, and credibility.

Turn self-doubt into self-trust and start showing up as the expert you already are.

Whether you’re a few years into your career or just stepping into more responsibility, this episode will help you close the gap between what you know and how you show it.

Tune in to learn how to own your expertise — and use it to make a real impact.

Between Peaks 03: Women's Voices, Power and Value in the Workforce

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 03:30:00 +0000

In this episode, we dive into the hidden gender biases shaping modern workplaces — from why men’s voices are automatically valued to why women often feel they must “earn” the right to speak. Through real stories from corporate and academic settings, we unpack the emotional labor, credibility gaps, and career costs women face when stepping into leadership or advocating for themselves.

If you’re a young professional navigating early-career growth, workplace equity, or finding your voice at work, this conversation offers insight, validation, and practical perspective on how change really happens.

16 Invisible Habits that Build Visible Careers Part 2

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 03:22:25 +0000

Career success isn’t just shaped by big wins or bold moves—it’s often built on the small, consistent habits that colleagues and leaders quietly notice over time. In Part 2 of this episode, we explore the “invisible” daily practices that signal reliability, professionalism, and leadership potential long before a job title does. From the ability to reflect on lessons learned, mindsets of generosity to setting boundaries and creating space for reset, these micro-habits compound into lasting career capital. Join us as we unpack the subtle actions that make a visible difference in how you’re perceived—and in the opportunities that come your way.

15 Invisible Habits that Build Visible Careers Part 1

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 03:32:55 +0000

Career success isn’t just shaped by big wins or bold moves—it’s often built on the small, consistent habits that colleagues and leaders quietly notice over time. In this episode, we explore the “invisible” daily practices that signal reliability, professionalism, and leadership potential long before a job title does. From showing up prepared, to recognizing others, to practicing direct and clear communication in small situations daily, these micro-habits compound into lasting career capital. Join us as we unpack the subtle actions that make a visible difference in how you’re perceived—and in the opportunities that come your way.

Switchbacks 01: From Single Mom to Signing Director: How Jen Craver Became an EA and Built a Big-Firm Career

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 04:07:05 +0000

In this first episode of our Switchbacks series, Elise sits down with her best friend and colleague, Jen Craver, to trace a career path that was anything but linear. Jen shares how she became a mom before finishing college, returned to school as a single parent, and ultimately built a thriving tax career that led to an Enrolled Agent credential and a principal-equivalent role at a national firm.

Jen opens up about the emotional weight of stepping away from the traditional CPA path, the mentors who helped her carve out a new route as an Enrolled Agent (EA), and the skills she quietly built long before she had a formal leadership title—things like time management, process design, feedback, and inclusion. Along the way, she and Elise unpack what it really looks like to grow a career while honoring family priorities and personal limits.

Whether you’re a student, an early-career professional, or a working parent wondering if you’ve “fallen behind,” Jen’s story is a powerful reminder that you can take a non-traditional route and still reach the top of the org chart.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

How Jen went from young mom to college grad to tax professional
Why she chose the Enrolled Agent path instead of the traditional CPA route
How she built leadership credibility through process improvements and internal relationships
The time management and feedback habits that support both her clients and her family life

Tune in to hear how career “switchbacks” can lead exactly where you’re meant to go.

Jeopardy-Style Career Lessons 01: Passion, Bad Bosses, and Big Leaps

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 00:40:00 +0000

Feeling stuck, curious, or ready to pivot? In this Jeopardy-style episode of the Aleutian Atlas Podcast, Annie and Michelle play with categories like Workplace Survival Skills, Bad Manager Habits, Allies & Advocates, Mentor Moments, and Take the Leap—using real stories to map the messy, non-linear terrain of modern careers. If you’re plotting a pivot, craving meaning where you are, or simply need permission to try something new, this conversation offers tools, encouragement, and a few great metaphors for the road ahead. Sit back and enjoy stories that highlight: *Passion is a skill multiplier (and contagious). *Public shaming kills learning; psychological safety fuels it. *Advocacy in action: building community and visibility for women in accounting. *Meetings that share the mic: small facilitation tweaks, big inclusion gains. *“Run fast and light”: momentum, agility, and the power of letting go. *Reinvention is normal: pause, pivot, and try again. *Bold moves rarely make sense on paper—and often change everything. Annie mentions a mentor in this episode named David Warren that you can follow here: www.linkedin.com/in/cdavidwarrenjr/

14 The Resilience Reset: Turning Setbacks into Skills: The Value of Lessons Learned From Failure

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 02:30:00 +0000

Every career has its bumps—missed promotions, failed projects, or tough feedback that stings. But what if those setbacks are actually the building blocks of your professional growth? In this episode, we reframe failure not as an ending, but as feedback (and a step on the path to success!). We’ll explore how challenges develop resilience, adaptability, problem-solving, and even empathy—the very skills that define strong leaders. With practical tools and real-world examples, you’ll learn how to turn setbacks into stories of growth and skills that fuel long-term success.

Between Peaks 02: Childcare is Infrastructure

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 02:30:00 +0000

Childcare is one of the biggest challenges for working parents — especially for professionals navigating demanding careers while raising young kids. In this episode, Elise and Michelle, two moms also working professionally, share their candid experiences exploring childcare options in both major U.S. cities and suburban areas. We dive into the real differences in cost, accessibility, and quality of care across these environments, and how those factors influence professional families’ choices. Elise and Michelle also open up about the financial and emotional weight childcare places on young professionals — particularly those early in their careers, when salaries are lower but career demands are high. Whether you’re considering starting a family, already navigating child-care waitlists, or just curious about how childcare impacts workplace equity, this conversation offers practical insights and honest reflections for professionals balancing ambition and parenthood.

13 Unspoken Leadership Skills Part 6 of 6, Storytelling as Strategy

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 02:58:36 +0000

Facts inform, but stories inspire action. In this episode of our Unspoken Leadership Skills series, we explore how storytelling can be one of the most powerful tools for emerging leaders. From enhancing collaboration to creating buy-in for new initiatives, stories help ideas travel, stick, and motivate others to act. We’ll share practical ways young professionals can use storytelling to clarify vision, strengthen relationships, and build leadership presence—long before they hold a formal title.

12 Unspoken Leadership Skills Part 5 of 6, Uncovering and Developing Others' Strengths

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 03:00:00 +0000

Great leaders don’t just maximize their own talents—they uncover and develop the strengths of others. In this fifth episode of our Unspoken Leadership Skills series, we explore the shift from “fixing weaknesses” to building on what people do best. You’ll learn why a strengths-based approach leads to greater engagement, faster growth, and stronger teams, and how to balance that with addressing critical gaps. Through practical strategies and relatable stories, we’ll show you how to spot hidden strengths, affirm them in meaningful ways, and create opportunities that help colleagues thrive. Whether you’re leading a team, mentoring a peer, or simply learning to see potential others might miss, this episode will equip you to elevate the people around you—and in turn, your own leadership impact.

11 Unspoken Leadership Skills Part 4 of 6, Giving and Receiving Feedback

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 03:00:00 +0000

Feedback is one of the most powerful—and most overlooked—leadership tools. In this episode of our Unspoken Leadership Skills series, we explore how to give feedback with clarity and empathy, and how to receive it with openness and resilience. Whether you’re navigating your first peer-to-peer conversation, learning to accept critique from senior leaders, or guiding others as a new manager, feedback is where growth happens. Join us as we share practical strategies, real-world scenarios, and actionable takeaways to help you turn feedback into a catalyst for influence, trust, and leadership—no matter your title.

Between Peaks 01: Strategies for Professional Women Starting a Family

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 03:31:46 +0000

How do you balance the desire to grow a career with the decision to start a family? In this debut episode of Between Peaks, we dive into the real stories of women who’ve navigated this question in different ways.

You’ll hear real stories from and about women who:

Chose to start a family first, and then pursued their careers.
Built career experience and timed family planning around career development milestones.
Took things as they came—embracing the unpredictability of timing.

Through these candid conversations, we explore what each path looks like in practice—the challenges, the unexpected wins, and the lessons learned along the way.

Our message is simple: there isn’t one “right” order. Whether you lead with family, career, or simply figure it out as you go, it’s possible to find success and fulfillment on both fronts.

Listen as we tackle the question When is the right time? and discuss the encouraging answer: your time can be the right time.

10 Unspoken Leadership Skills Part 3 of 6, Influence Without Authority

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 03:41:41 +0000

Leadership isn’t about titles, org charts, or who signs the paychecks—it’s about impact. In this episode of Unspoken Leadership Skills, we explore how to guide, inspire, and create change even when you don’t hold formal authority. From building credibility to strengthening relationships, from telling the right story to practicing reciprocity, we’ll unpack the subtle but powerful tools that help leaders influence in any direction—across teams, upward to senior leaders, or within complex networks. Along the way, we share practical strategies, real-world examples, and common pitfalls to avoid. Whether you’re leading a project without direct reports, collaborating across teams, or simply trying to move an idea forward, this conversation will give you actionable ways to expand your influence and make a difference—without waiting for permission.

9 Unspoken Leadership Skills Part 2 of 6, The Power of Presence (Before the Title)

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 02:37:46 +0000

You don’t need a title to lead. In Part 2 of our Unspoken Leadership Skills series, we explore how presence — the way you communicate, carry yourself, and earn trust — shapes your influence long before you step into a formal leadership role. We break down what presence really means (beyond confidence or charisma), why it matters in your 20s and early 30s, and how it can open doors to new opportunities. From making an impact in meetings to building credibility with peers and senior leaders, this episode offers practical strategies for young professionals who want to grow their influence and stand out as future leaders.

8 Unspoken Leadership Skills Part 1 of 6, Navigating Ambiguity: Turning the Unknown into Leading Innovation

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 03:00:00 +0000

Many professionals in their 20s and 30s are entering roles where expectations aren’t clearly spelled out, projects lack neat roadmaps, and decisions must be made with incomplete information. Ever been handed a project and felt pressure to “just figure it out”? Welcome to ambiguity—the crucible where modern leaders are forged. In this episode, we break down how navigating the unknown isn’t just a challenge; it’s an unspoken leadership skill that can accelerate your career. From decision-making with incomplete data to keeping your team grounded when answers aren’t obvious, we’ll explore the strategies, mindsets, and small daily habits that help leaders thrive in the gray. Ambiguity is here to stay. The question is—how will you lead through it?

7 Growth Without Burnout: How to Grow Your Skills Without Draining Your Energy

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 04:29:07 +0000

If you’ve ever felt like you’re sprinting on the career treadmill — constantly pushing to level up while running on empty — this episode is for you. Hustle culture can feel motivating in the short term, but when the pace isn’t sustainable, burnout is inevitable.

Elise, Annie, and Michelle get real about what it takes to thrive in your career and life. They share lessons learned from navigating high-intensity seasons of work, and why it’s equally important to honor slower seasons where growth looks different.

You’ll hear strategies for:

Recognizing when hustle is crossing into burnout territory
Giving yourself permission to downshift without guilt
Balancing ambition with rest, health, and personal priorities

The takeaway: growth isn’t about grinding endlessly — it’s about building a rhythm that keeps your energy, creativity, and career moving forward for the long run.

6 Skills, Not Titles: Building a Career That Fits You

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 04:10:09 +0000

The Aleutian Atlas ladies debunk the idea that job titles and promotions are the only measures of success. In this episode, Annie, Michelle and Elise share personal stories about stepping off prescribed career tracks, discovering transferable skills, and finding more fulfilling paths.

Listeners will get practical advice on how to identify skills worth investing in, use current roles to grow for future opportunities, and navigate the identity fears that come with career pivots. Visit AleutianAtlas.com for more resources and events.

5 Chaos to Clarity - The Productivity Upgrade: Project Management

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:53:00 +0000

Project Management Tools You Can Implement Today Individually or As a Group. Stay Organized and Work Smarter

Episode Links

The Design Squiggle

Forbes: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in Project Management

Forbes: What is Agile Project Management? The Ultimate Guide

4 Think Fast, Speak Smart: Sharpening Your Verbal Communication Edge

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 14:56:35 +0000

In professional environments, your ability to think on your feet and articulate ideas clearly can make or break opportunities. In this episode, we dive into the practical side of developing sharp verbal communication skills—especially when you're put on the spot. Whether you're navigating unexpected questions in meetings, pitching ideas to leadership, or contributing to high-stakes discussions, you'll learn strategies to stay composed, speak with clarity, and sound confident (even when you're not totally sure what’s coming next). We'll share some examples of learning these skills through trial-and-error that will give you the confidence to try, knowing that even missteps along the way can grow verbal communication skills.

3 Skills & Professional Networking through Volunteer Work

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 14:30:24 +0000

How To Intentionally Identify Opportunities for Specific Skills and Relationship Building

When most people set out to build a professional network, they imagine awkward mixers, stiff small talk, and collecting LinkedIn contacts that end up forgotten by the time a month passes. But here’s the truth: some of the best connections you’ll ever make don’t come from formal events—they come from rolling up your sleeves and doing meaningful work. Volunteering is one of the most underrated ways to grow your professional network while actually doing something that matters.

Resources

2 Remote Work

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 06:31:25 +0000

Elise and Michelle, with guest Annie, discuss both leading and participating professionally on a remote team.

The ability to lead a team into a sense of unification and shared goals might seem elusive, or appear to be a set of personality traits someone is innately born with. But that type of leadership is skill based and can be learned. Even if you aren’t a formal leader, developing these leadership skills will help you perform at a higher level and grow your career in a production role within a company. You’ve interacted with groups – even if you don’t have a lot of work experience yet. You might have been on a dance or sports team, student council, or been part of a student-lead group in college. Even a high school class or family relationship usually has a leader that drives the energy of the group and can – sometimes with what looks like little effort to an outsider – shift the direction of an activity or inspire others in the group to give more. This type of leadership is professionally valuable to traditional face-to-face teams, and it is even more crucial to remote teams. In this episode, we discuss skills that create successful remote leaders:

Skills - Caring, Organization, Communication, Creating Professional Team Rituals, Building Intentional Group and Private Communication Channels, Delivering Highest Quality Work

1 This is Us

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 06:19:01 +0000

Introduction to Aleutian Atlas's podcasters - Annie, Elise and Michelle as well as the mission of Aleutian Atlas.