Around the Ladder
Around the Ladder
Podcast Description
Welcome to Around the Ladder – the podcast where we explore the twists, turns, and unexpected detours of career journeys. Many of us are familiar with the phrase ”climbing the corporate ladder,” but what happens when your path doesn’t follow a straight line?
I became fascinated by the idea of going around the ladder – carving out a different kind of career path. My own journey took this route. After 25 years as an employee, I stepped away for a year and emerged as a consultant and business owner. And along the way, I realized I’m not alone. There are so many people out there whose careers have taken unconventional, surprising, and inspiring directions.
In this podcast, you’ll hear conversations with people who have traveled paths of all shapes and sizes. Sometimes you backtrack or move sideways; other times, you need someone to lift you up or simply sit with you right where you are.
No matter where you are on your journey, you’re not alone.
So, whether you’re rethinking your next step or just curious about the many ways a career can unfold, you’re in the right place.
This is Around the Ladder – let’s explore the journey together.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers themes of career development, personal growth, and entrepreneurship, with episodes discussing topics such as career pivots illustrated by Anne Ryan's transition from tech to coaching, the importance of reframing resumes, and creating supportive environments for personal development.
Welcome to Around the Ladder – the podcast where we explore the twists, turns, and unexpected detours of career journeys. Many of us are familiar with the phrase ”climbing the corporate ladder,” but what happens when your path doesn’t follow a straight line?
I became fascinated by the idea of going around the ladder – carving out a different kind of career path. My own journey took this route. After 25 years as an employee, I stepped away for a year and emerged as a consultant and business owner. And along the way, I realized I’m not alone. There are so many people out there whose careers have taken unconventional, surprising, and inspiring directions.
In this podcast, you’ll hear conversations with people who have traveled paths of all shapes and sizes. Sometimes you backtrack or move sideways; other times, you need someone to lift you up or simply sit with you right where you are.
No matter where you are on your journey, you’re not alone.
So, whether you’re rethinking your next step or just curious about the many ways a career can unfold, you’re in the right place.
This is Around the Ladder – let’s explore the journey together.
In this episode, Raychel explains how growing up in a small coastal village, feeling out of place, and craving something bigger led her to apply to Barry University in Miami almost on a whim, and how that bold move reshaped her life. She describes the early career false starts, visa struggles, and financial stress that left her washing dishes in a bathroom sink and rummaging for gas money before a single LinkedIn message opened the door to legal journalism at Law.com.
Raychel and Erika dive into imposter syndrome, especially when entering elite-feeling spaces like law and journalism without the “right” credentials, and how not knowing the lingo became Raychel’s superpower as a reporter. By insisting on simple language and telling stories that real people want to read, she turned her outsider status into a strength and eventually became managing editor, winning recognition for impactful coverage of issues like affordable housing and climate change.
Now at Reputation Ink, Raychel works with law firms across the U.S. to build visibility and credibility through thoughtful PR and marketing tied directly to business goals, not “random acts of marketing.” She shares how focusing on client problems (instead of bragging about the firm), building long-term visibility, and investing time, not just money, leads to the most memorable results. Erika and Raychel also talk about legal marketers as “professional nudges,” the importance of culture-building around marketing, and why there is always an interesting story to tell, even for practice areas that feel “boring.”
Throughout the conversation, Raychel emphasizes the power of being yourself at work, letting your quirks and voice come through, and questioning the “made up rules” about what a career is supposed to look like at a certain age or stage. She reflects on how mentors who took a chance on the “unconventional” candidate changed her trajectory, and why, as her career grows, she is committed to doing the same for others who don’t fit the traditional mold. The episode closes with a reminder that you’re only here once, there is no single “right” ladder to climb, and it’s never too late to pivot toward the work that actually fits who you are.
Connect with Raychel
LinkedIn: Raychel Lean
Website: Reputation Ink
- Newsletter: Rep-Ink Newsletter
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