In this episode of [radically candid], Ava Hinds, Marketing Manager sits down with Bill Schomburg, Workplace Development Advisor as she prepares to hand over the mic to him as the new host for Season 4.

Tracing her two-year journey from recent college graduate to Advertising Operations Analyst to Marketing Manager, Ava reflects on how [cognition]'s culture of psychological safety and continuous learning allowed her to shape her own career path.

Who's This Conversation For? 

This conversation is for marketers, HR leaders, and recent college graduates who want an inside look at building a supportive workplace culture to encourage continuous professional growth.

What You'll Learn By Listening

1.) CreatingInitiative to Drive Internal Growth Ava shares how transitioning from operations to marketing required more than just expressing interest. 

• By taking on responsibilities and showing eagerness every day, she demonstrated her readiness to earn her spot and step into leadership.

2.) Psychological Safety Empowers Employees to Fail Overcoming the fear of failure is essential for personal and organizational growth. 

• Ava discusses how an environment grounded in psychological safety allows team members to communicate openly, take risks, and view failure as a necessary step in the learning process.

3.) Intentional Weekly Meetings Build Stronger Teams Ava shares how her team structures every week with themes, such as Leadership Tuesdays, Book Club Wednesdays, and Friday Highs/Lows. 

• She shares that this maintains momentum, encourages continuous personal development, and strengthens team alignment.

4.) Care and Curiosity Define Success Technical skills can be taught, but genuine curiosity and care for the work cannot. 

• Startup environments thrive when employees bring high commitment, alignment with core values, and a shared passion for making a real impact.