The Exit Interview | On Air

Carol Lin - Official Site & Book (https://www.carollinnow.com/) CNN anchor Carol Lin broke the news of 9/11 live. 25 years later, she reveals what happened when the teleprompter went blank — and why she walked away to reinvent her life. Emmy-winning journalist Carol Lin was at the anchor desk in Atlanta on September 11, 2001, when she had to tell the world what was happening with no script and no context. In this episode of The Exit Interview | On Air, Carol shares what that morning was really like inside the CNN newsroom, how 9/11 became the inflection point that led through widowhood, single motherhood, and leaving broadcast journalism, and how she rebuilt identity after success. If you're navigating career reinvention, burnout, grief, or asking what's actually worth it after achievement — this conversation is for you. In this episode: Breaking 9/11 live when the teleprompter went blank Inside the CNN newsroom as the second plane hit The cost of detachment for women in journalism Leaving the anchor desk and navigating identity Windowhood and single motherhood Grief, ego, and rebuilding identity 25 years later Featuring: Carol Lin, Emmy award-winning former CNN anchor and author Subscribe for weekly conversations on career pivots, identity, and the future of work. New long-form every Sunday + daily Shorts from each episode. #911Anniversary #CareerReinvention #WomenInJournalism Guest: Carol Lin | Emmy Award-Winning Journalist | Former CNN & ABC News Anchor | Author, When News Breaks IG: https://www.instagram.com/carollinnow/ Hosts: Shana Ayabe x Kisha Imani Cameron IG: https://www.instagram.com/theexitinterview_onair/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/shana_onair/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/cameroncareercoaching/ Produced by: Grace Media Digital The Exit Interview | On-Air — Real conversations. 25 years after 9/11, the anchor who broke the news breaks her own story. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:47 9/11: Breaking the News That Changed Everything 00:09:16 The Personal Cost: Loss, Grief, and New Motherhood 00:17:53 Discovering Innocence: Motherhood After Loss 00:20:08 The Swimming Pool Moment: Confronting Failure and Fear 00:22:07 The Career That Defined Her: Journalism as Identity 00:24:50 Early Messaging: The Immigrant Daughter's Burden 00:32:21 The Exit: Leaving CNN and Letting Go of the Anchor Desk 00:38:57 Getting Over Herself: Teaching, Entrepreneurship, and Reinvention 00:47:28 Finding Meaning in Grief: The Biology and Spirituality of Healing 00:55:11 Being Asian in the Newsroom: The Connie Chung Effect 01:05:10 Redefining Success: Risk, Curiosity, and Liberation

18% vs 80%: The Hidden Truth Inside The Music Business | Marc E. Bassy What does a $1.5M major record deal really cost? Hit songwriter turned independent label owner Marc E. Bassy breaks down the real music business, music royalties, and why owning your masters beats chasing a major label. On this episode of The Exit Interview | On Air with Shana Aya, Marc reveals the code behind the music industry — from how a record deal actually pays, to how he walked away from a major and kept 80% of 170M streams instead of 18%. If you’re an independent artist, creator, or entrepreneur navigating ownership vs. access, this is the blueprint for understanding the through line between creative and business that runs on politics. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: ✓ The real math behind a record deal: 18% vs 80% and how music royalties work ✓ Why Marc E. Bassy left a $1.5M major label deal to go independent ✓ The hidden code of the music business most artists never learn ✓ How to think like a label head: “client services” and building around the artist ✓ Ownership, leverage and longevity — from songwriter to CEO and father ABOUT MARC E. BASSY: Bay Area singer-songwriter Marc E. Bassy with hit songs Morning and You & Me ft. G-Eazy. He has co-written on hits for CeeLo Green, Sean Kingston, and more. Marc built his career on major labels before betting on independence. As founder of New Gold Medal, he’s amassed 170M+ independent streams — and kept the ownership. Listen to Marc E. Bassy: Spotify Follow Marc: Instagram ABOUT THE SHOW: The Exit Interview | On Air with Shana Aya unpacks career reinvention, identity shifts, and the future of work. From boardrooms to creative industries, we go behind the pivot with leaders who chose purpose over title. Hosts: Shana Ayabe x Kisha Imani Cameron SUBSCRIBE for weekly deep dives on bold career moves. #musicbusiness #musicindustry #marcebassy #theexitinterview #careerreinvention

He had everything Wall Street could buy — money, status, a seat at the table. It still wasn't enough. Something was missing. Sam Polk was a millionaire trader on wall street by his late twenties. On paper, he'd won the game. But the more he earned, the emptier it felt — until one moment forced him to ask the question so many professionals are afraid to ask: if I have everything and I'm still not fulfilled, what am I actually chasing? This is a career pivot story told from the inside. Sam walked away from the golden handcuffs to build Everytable, a company feeding underserved communities — and in the process, redefined what success means for himself. In this episode we unpack: Why money and status stop delivering fulfillment — and what replaces them The psychological cost of the golden handcuffs, and how to break them How Sam turned a personal exit into a mission-driven business model Generating financial success creating a business with impact The uncomfortable question every high-achiever eventually faces: what's actually worth it? If you're mid-pivot — or just wondering whether the ladder you're climbing is the right one — this conversation is for you. 📌 Have a career pivot question? Drop it in the comments. Guest: Sam Polk | Ex- Wall Street Trader | CEO & Founder, Everytable LinkedIn: Sam Polk (https://www.linkedin.com/in/polksam/) Everytable Web: https://everytable.com/ Hosts: Shana Ayabe x Kisha Imani Cameron IG: https://www.instagram.com/theexitinterview_onair/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/shana_onair/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/cameroncareercoaching/ Produced by: Grace Media Digital The Exit Interview | On-Air — Real conversations. Giving up a successful financial career for entrepreneurship anchored in purpose. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro - The trader who left Wall Street 00:01:24 Why he walked away from the money 00:05:54 The golden handcuffs dilemma 00:07:41 When money stops making you happy 00:10:13 Why he felt lonely at the top 00:12:54 Why not just volunteer instead? 00:17:47 The year-long exit & first nonprofit 00:19:26 Building Everytable: mission + scale 00:24:19 Handling criticism for leaving 00:31:50 Resilience as his superpower 00:40:29 What an authentic successful life looks like 00:45:50 Learning to trust his own decisions 00:47:04 Lesson from Elon Musk 00:48:08 Why he never went back 00:53:33 Everytable's COVID-19 pivot & growth 00:57:00 How he's raising his kids differently 01:00:45 45 The real fear: walking away from status 01:01:44 His definition of success today

What happens when the one skill standing between you and career resilience isn't your expertise, your credentials, or your network — but your willingness to show up imperfectly, consistently, and publicly in a world that rewards the confident over the competent? In this episode of The Exit Interview | On Air, hosts Shana Ayabe and Kisha Imani Cameron sit down with Goldie Chan, the original OG of LinkedIn personal branding, LinkedIn Top Voice, author of Personal Branding for Introverts, and motivational speaker who has built an empire by teaching people how to stand out in an AI saturated world. From posting 800+ consecutive daily videos to negotiating offers most people leave on the table, Goldie shares the exact personal branding strategy she used to stand out when no one believed LinkedIn video would work. This episode explores: Why the person in personal branding matters more than the persona and how to avoid AI slop blandness The three golden keywords every professional needs to optimize for LinkedIn engine optimization How to record videos without watching yourself and why out of sight, out of mind is the best technique for perfectionists Why confidence comes from an internal source and ego requires constant external validation The brutal reality of month three when hate comments flood in and how to survive Cringe Mountain Why leading with curiosity instead of bitterness is the only way to layoff proof your brand How to ask for help publicly without shame and why your community matters more than your audience The difference between building a personal brand online versus offline and why introverts thrive on the internet Why sharing your health journey, career struggles, or personal life is about work life balance, not oversharing How to start when you're terrified, practice when you're uncomfortable, and keep going when results don't come immediately Whether you're an introvert trying to build visibility, a professional navigating a layoff, someone who feels paralyzed by perfectionism, or a leader trying to figure out how to stand out in an AI saturated market, this episode offers unfiltered truth about what it actually takes to build a personal brand that translates across industries, job titles, and life crises. Because at the end of the day, your personal brand is not about being perfect. It's about being persistently, imperfectly you. Guest: Goldie Chan | Personal Branding Expert | LinkedIn Top Voice | Author, Personal Branding for Introverts LinkedIn: Goldie Chan Book: https://www.goldiechan.com/book Hosts: Shana Ayabe x Kisha Imani Cameron IG: https://www.instagram.com/theexitinterview_onair/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/shana_onair/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/cameroncareercoaching/ Produced by: Grace Media Digital The Exit Interview | On-Air — Real conversations. Climbing Cringe Mountain and building a personal brand that endures in an AI era. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:59 The Original LinkedIn Video Pioneer: How It All Started 00:08:02 Breaking the LinkedIn Mold: Standing Out on a Professional Platform 00:10:19 Negotiating Your Worth: Resources, Money, and Job Titles 00:16:10 The Three Golden Keywords: Optimizing Your Personal Brand for LinkedIn 00:19:21 From Digital Marketing to Personal Brand: Goldie's Career Journey 00:23:00 Overcoming Perfectionism and Fear: Getting Out of Your Own Head 00:30:41 The Flaws Are Where the Audience Lies: Embracing Imperfection on Camera 00:34:57 Personal Branding for Introverts: Teaching Others to Find Their Voice 00:39:17 From Social Anxiety to Stage Presence: The Blue Bottle Experiment 00:42:57 Acting Classes, Producer's Guild, and Finding Your Zone 00:47:28 Practice Makes Nearly Perfect: The Dorky Conference Room Strategy 00:51:09 Climbing Cringe Mountain: The Cliff of Opportunity 00:52:05 Sharing Your Health Journey: Work-Life Balance as Part of Your Story 01:07:20 Ego vs. Confidence: Month Three and the Flood of Haters 01:10:56 Building Resiliency Through Persistence: Why She Kept Going 01:12:16 Common Personal Branding Mistakes: Person vs. Persona 01:21:21 Layoff-Proofing Your Brand: Identity Beyond Your Job Title 01:27:29 Community Over Audience: The People Who Care About You 01:30:40 Advice for the First 30 Days: When You're Not Getting Results 01:32:44 Redefining Success: From Linear Dreams to Fluid Parameters

What happens when you realize that the one thing standing between you and six figures isn't your expertise, your credentials, or your work ethic — but the seven seconds it takes for someone to decide whether they're going to keep listening or walk away? In today’s Expert Corner episode on The Exit Interview | On Air, hosts Shana Ayabe and Kisha Imani Cameron sit down with Marina Stamos, pitch expert and founder of The One Minute Talk method, to break down the anatomy of a pitch that actually converts. From networking events to closing calls, Marina unpacks the exact formula she uses to help coaches, consultants, and service providers hit six figures without burning out, without overwhelming complexity, and without worrying that AI is coming for their business. This conversation goes deep into the uncomfortable truth that most people avoid: sales is a skill you have to learn, scripts are not the enemy, and if you want to run a business, you're going to have to do things that make you wildly uncomfortable. Marina shares the four emotions every profitable talk must inspire — hope, curiosity, trust, and action — and why leading with your story, not your process, is the only way to stand out in a market flooded with AI generated expertise. Kisha opens up about her own journey working with Marina, including the brutal two months where she closed zero deals despite 30+ sales calls, and how she pushed through to convert nearly every call in January. The lesson? Mastering failure, stacking goals, and treating every conversation as practice is what separates those who quit from those who break through. This episode explores: Why the first seven seconds of your pitch determine everything and how to nail them The four emotions every profitable talk must inspire and how to structure them Why leading with story instead of process is the only way to differentiate from AI slop The brutal reality that sales will never feel authentic at first and why you have to do it anyway How to turn a coffee meeting into a closing call without being pushy Why scripts are non negotiable and every successful entrepreneur uses them The difference between warm leads and cold networking rooms and how to approach each How to test what's working, overcome objections, and avoid coaching people for free Why mastering failure and pushing through 30+ no's is the real business education The one thing you should practice before walking into any room where you need to pitch Whether you're a coach trying to land your first client, a consultant navigating sales conversations, an entrepreneur building a service based business, or someone who just needs to get comfortable asking for money, this episode offers unfiltered truth about what it actually takes to sell yourself, close deals, and build a six figure business without losing your mind. Because at the end of the day, if you're in business, you're in the business of sales. Guest: Marina Stamos | Stamos Consulting | Pitch Expert | The One Minute Talk Web: https://theoneminutetalk.com Hosts: Shana Ayabe x Kisha Imani Cameron IG: https://www.instagram.com/theexitinterview_onair/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/shana_onair/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/cameroncareercoaching/ Produced by: Grace Media Digital The Exit Interview | On-Air — Real conversations. Mastering the pitch, closing the deal, and building a six figure business without burning out. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:49 The Seven-Second Rule: Nailing Your First Impression 00:03:13 The Pediatric Nurse Story: A Before and After Transformation 00:05:52 The Four Emotions Every Profitable Talk Must Inspire 00:07:49 AI Can't Tell Your Story: Differentiating Yourself in a Saturated Market 00:09:16 Authenticity vs. Sales: Embracing the Script Without Losing Yourself 00:10:55 Business Skills Are Not Your Day Job: Learning to Sell 00:13:43 Coffee Talks Should Be Closing Calls: Warm Leads vs. Cold Networking 00:14:49 The Thirty-Five No's: Keisha's Story of Persistence and Breakthrough 00:20:32 Mastering Failure and the Power of Practice 00:22:08 Context Matters: Understanding Your Audience and Their Commitment Level 00:24:33 Your One Takeaway: Plan the Cycle and Capture the Lead 00:27:05 How to Work with Marina and Final Thoughts