Career Downloads
Manuel Martinez hosts the Career Downloads podcast where he interviews a different guest each episode to learn about their individual and diverse backgrounds, job history, and techniques they use to manage their career. So plug in and download the knowledge.
Episodes
January 6, 2026 • 67 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesBreaking into a major tech company requires more than submitting applications online. Chelsey Bonilla shares how strategic networking, intentional preparation, and genuine curiosity helped her land an account executive role at Gartner, despite not having a traditional technical background.Guest Background:Chelsey Bonilla is an Account Executive at Gartner, one of the world’s leading...
Mark as Played
December 30, 2025 • 75 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesWhat happens when you stop planning your career and start asking better questions?Ruben Sarino didn’t set out to co-found an AI security company. The path from military kid bouncing between six countries to RiskHorizon AI co-founder included selling car parts, packaging California honey, working Apple retail, cold calling at CrowdStrike, and several stops in between.None of it was p...
Mark as Played
December 23, 2025 • 68 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesSometimes the best careers are the ones you never planned.
Aakin Patel went to school for geology. He spent years studying plate tectonics and doing computational modeling. The plan was academia.
But grad school revealed something important. The academic life he imagined wasn’t the reality he wanted.
So he pivoted. He took his Unix skills from graduate research and landed a job as...
Mark as Played
December 16, 2025 • 83 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesFrom Age 7 to MSP Owner: Simon Robert’s IT Journey
Simon Robert’s IT career started earlier than most, at just 7 years old, he was already fixing computers his father brought home. Now, as President of Novbox in Las Vegas, Simon runs a managed service provider that helps businesses stay secure and operational.
In this episode, Simon shares the honest reality of running an IT busin...
Mark as Played
December 9, 2025 • 77 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesTechnical skills land you the job. People skills determine everything that comes next.
Yvette Durazo brings conflict resolution expertise to Silicon Valley tech companies. As a professional mediator and coach, she helps technical professionals navigate the transition into leadership roles. She teaches at universities and works with companies to build conflict intelligence throughou...
Mark as Played
December 2, 2025 • 73 mins
Episode Information
Show Notes
What happens when you combine curiosity, willingness to take chances, and genuine interest in people? You get Bob Leek’s career story – a journey from a small town in North Carolina to becoming CIO of Clark County, Nevada.
Bob didn’t start with a master plan. He got an accounting degree, landed in retail finance, and complained about IT systems so much they moved him to technology. His path through ...
Mark as Played
November 25, 2025 • 83 mins
Episode Information
Show Notes
Episode Summary:
Vika Nevmyvakova’s career path looks nothing like she planned.
She arrived in the US from Ukraine at 20 with law school dreams. No resources to make it happen. No network. No connections.
She took whatever jobs paid bills. Call centers. Customer service. The work most people see as stepping stones, she turned into skill-building.
That’s where she discovered she loved talking to pe...
Mark as Played
Episode Information
Show NotesJazmin Diaz’s career story dismantles the myth that you need perfect credentials to succeed in technology. Her path from middle school administrative assistant to Chief of Staff at a cybersecurity company demonstrates how curiosity, authenticity, and strategic relationship-building can accelerate professional growth.Episode Highlights:Jazmin shares her unique background growing up b...
Mark as Played
September 2, 2025 • 86 mins
Episode Information
Show Notes
Episode Highlights:
Join host Manuel Martinez for an inspiring conversation with Rishma Khimji, the pioneering CIO of Harry Reid International Airport. Her story begins with constant movement – nine cities across two countries – and leads to managing technology systems that serve millions of travelers annually.
Rishma’s career trajectory breaks conventional wisdom about climbing corporate ladders. S...
Mark as Played
August 26, 2025 • 78 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesEpisode OverviewAngie Cosca’s career journey challenges every assumption about traditional tech career paths. Starting with no formal computer science education, she taught herself HTML using Notepad, worked her way up through help desk support, and eventually became CIO of a major healthcare organization – all while staying with the same company for 23 years.Her story demonstrates ...
Mark as Played
August 19, 2025 • 78 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesIn this episode, Manuel Martinez interviews Dr. Doreen Galli, Chief of Research at TBW Advisors, about her remarkable career journey through the technology industry. Dr. Galli shares candid insights about her path from academic overachiever to holding senior executive roles at companies like IBM, Microsoft, AT&T, and DHL.Guest Background: Dr. Doreen Galli is currently Chief of Resea...
Mark as Played
August 12, 2025 • 91 mins
Episode Information
Show Notes
Clinton Lee’s career journey reads like a masterclass in adaptability. What started as dreams of becoming a teacher transformed into a successful path through IT infrastructure, customer-side technical roles, and ultimately sales engineering leadership.
Currently serving as a Director of Sales Engineering, Clinton shares the pivotal moments that shaped his career, from his first encounter with VMwar...
Mark as Played
August 5, 2025 • 75 mins
Episode Information
Show Notes
Jeramie Brown’s career journey proves there’s no single path to technology leadership success. Starting as a radio and television broadcaster in the Air Force, Jeramie spent 24 years learning storytelling, communication, and adaptability while gradually building technical expertise. Today, he serves as Chief Information Officer for a Nevada public agency and President of the Las Vegas AITP chapter.
E...
Mark as Played
July 29, 2025 • 68 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesWhat does it take to go from a curious kid tinkering with an Apple IIe computer to leading cybersecurity at a major university? Vito Rocco’s journey offers a masterclass in career development, strategic thinking, and the power of continuous learning.Currently serving as Chief Information Security Officer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Vito brings a unique perspective shaped...
Mark as Played
July 22, 2025 • 34 mins
Episode Information
Show Notes
What happens when the interviewer becomes the interviewee? In this special episode, John MacGugan flips the script and puts Manuel Martinez in the hot seat to uncover the real story behind Career Downloads.
Episode Summary:
Manuel gets candid about building a podcast from zero experience – sharing everything from his early days relying on a professional studio (the “production limo” era) to learning...
Mark as Played
July 15, 2025 • 83 mins
Episode Information
Show NotesWhy it matters: John MacGugan built a 25-year satellite technology career without a college degree, proving that curiosity and initiative can overcome traditional barriers.The journey: Starting in a phone company mail room in 1989, John worked his way up through voicemail systems, satellite installation, and business ownership before landing at DirecTV as a traveling engineer.Key tu...
Mark as Played
Episode Information
Show NotesWhat if moving 18 times before your 18th birthday could become your greatest career asset? In this conversation, Jessica Parker reveals how early life challenges shaped an unshakeable approach to career resilience that’s kept her employed for over three decades.Jessica’s path from aspiring computer scientist to elementary educator to tech consultant illustrates the power of strategi...
Mark as Played
Episode Information
Show Notes
What does it take to transform from a farm girl in rural Mexico to a cybersecurity solutions engineer at a leading tech company? In this episode, Estela Baca shares her remarkable journey of defying expectations, overcoming setbacks, and building a thriving career in technology.
Estela’s story begins in Teziutlán, Mexico, where she grew up with her grandmother in a family where education wasn’t expe...
Mark as Played
Episode Information
Show NotesIn this episode of Career Downloads, host Manuel Martinez interviews Paola Mendiola, a promising digital forensics student at CSN who shares her journey into technology and cybersecurity.Episode SummaryPaola takes us through her tech journey, beginning with the transformative moment when her father brought home their first computer. This experience allowed her to connect with family...
Mark as Played
May 13, 2025 • 69 mins
Episode Information
Show Notes
Episode Summary
In this enlightening conversation, Manuel Martinez sits down with Jason Frame, Chief Information Officer at Southern Nevada Health District, to explore his remarkable journey from typing code from magazines as a child to leading critical technology initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jason shares candid insights about career progression in technology, developing leadership skill...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com