Side of the Mic
by AB SoBizze
Welcome to Side of the Mic, your dedicated thought partner for the drive, the walk, or the quiet moments in your incredibly busy schedule. This is the space where we question the obvious, unpack the complicated, and figure out what we can actually do about it.Through the lens of a career coach, educator, and fellow lifelong student, we break down the silos of learning, business, and personal growth.Reflect. Adapt. Take intentional action. I'm not here to tell you what to think. I'm here to give you something worth thinking about.
Episodes
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SOTM 4 | The Job Description is a Wish List & Stop Rejecting Yourself From Opportunities You Deserve
Newsletter - Stop Gatekeeping Yourself From Opportunities You Deserve: The Job Description is a Wish List What if the biggest barrier between you and your next opportunity isn't your experience, your degree, or your resume? What if it's the way you're reading the job description? In this episode…
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SOTM 3 | Managing Up Without Losing Yourself
Your boss is not your project. The relationship is. And the goal isn't to teach listeners how to “handle” difficult bosses. It is to help them become better at reading priorities, translating their work, communicating strategically, challenging appropriately, and protecting their own agency. The...
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SOTM 2 | Who Taught You How to Be a Professional?
We expect people to “be professional.” But…who actually taught them how? Who taught you how to disagree with your boss? How to ask for clarification without feeling incompetent? How to recover after making a mistake? How to say no professionally? Because you don't have to know everything to be...
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SOTM 1 | The Student Isn't Always Right. Neither Is the Professor.
Is it the professor's fault? The student's fault? The system's fault? In this piece, I unpack the messy middle of accountability. We'll explore why "failing" isn't a badge of honor for an educator and why "blaming the ATS" isn't a job search strategy. Learn how to shift from a victim mindset to a...
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CCE50 | Accountability and Responsibility: Stop Waiting to Be Asked
There is a difference between being busy and being dependable. That difference matters in classrooms, workplaces, families, organizations, friendships, and relationships. It matters because people are not just remembering what we say. They are remembering whether we follow through, whether we...
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CCE49 - Design Your Own Career Curriculum
Your career does not have to be something you passively “go through.” You can curate it like a syllabus: choose the core skills you need, add electives that keep you energized, and build in assessments that help you reflect, adapt, and grow. This episode connects naturally to career adaptability,...
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CCE48 - Repeatable + Strategic Interactions
RSI helps you: Build social capital (people who advocate for you) Increase career adaptability (you learn how to navigate systems) Create access to hidden opportunities (research, internships, recommendations) Students Bring goals, questions, follow-through, and willingness to learn. Faculty &...
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CCE47 - Are You Networking, or Are You Connecting?
In this Commuter Chronicles episode, we are talking about what it really means to show up as a job seeker with purpose. Networking is not just collecting contacts. It is building repeatable, strategic, and professional interactions that help people remember you for the right reasons. We will…
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CCE46 - Is Your Resume a Biography or a Brochure?
Control the Scan: Why Your Resume is a Billboard, Not a Diary In this Commuter Chronicles episode, we are talking about the one-page resume, but not in a rigid, outdated way. This is about strategy. Your resume is not your whole story; it is your first signal. Your application is your details.…
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CCE45 - Build a Life That Can Handle Change
Life rarely follows the script we wrote in our heads. Plans shift, timelines move, opportunities change, and sometimes the path we expected simply is not the path that shows up. In this episode of Commuter Chronicles, we talk about building the adaptability muscle, why having a second option is…
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CCE44 - Redefining Failure, Rebuilding Momentum
Sometimes the hardest part of growth is not failure itself. It is the silence that follows. The missing applause. The delayed results. The moment when you start wondering whether what you are doing even matters. In this episode of Commuter Chronicles, we talk about redefining failure, protecting...
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CCE43 - Stop Waiting to Feel Ready: How to Gamify Your Grind and Build Real Confidence
A lot of people are waiting for confidence to show up like a notification, a sign, or a perfect moment. But confidence is not something you find; it is something you build through action, repetition, reflection, and small wins. In this Commuter Chronicles episode, I break down how to start before...
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CCE42 - Busy Is Not the Same as Effective: How to Tell the Difference Before Burnout Wins
You ever end a day feeling like you ran a marathon but somehow ended up exactly where you started? That's the "Busy Trap." In this installment of the Commuter Chronicles, we're shaking the tree on one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves: that a full calendar equals a meaningful life. As a…
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CCE41 - Too Many Choices, Too Little Energy
In this 40th installment of the Commuter Chronicles, we’re pulling over to talk about why you’re so exhausted and it’s not just the work. It’s the choices. If you’ve ever ended a day feeling like you’ve run a mental marathon simply because you had to answer emails, pick a project direction, or...
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CCE40 - The Decision Compass: A Smarter Way to Weigh Pros and Cons
We’ve all made a pros and cons list. But let’s be honest, most of them leave us just as stuck as before. Why? Because a simple list doesn’t account for what actually matters: your values, your energy, your future self. In this Commuter Chronicle, I’m sharing a framework for decision-making that...
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CCE39 - The Energy Audit: What’s Quietly Draining You?
You can manage your time like a pro and still feel completely drained by noon. Why? Because we’ve been taught to obsess over calendars while ignoring our most precious resource: energy. In this Commuter Chronicle, we’re doing an Energy Audit. We’ll identify the people, habits, and obligations…
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CCE38 - Don't Match Negative Energy: How to Stay Grounded When Everything Falls Apart
Laptop dies. The car dies. Insurance runaround. A wedding to attend. Grading to do. And a two-hour commute staring you in the face. In this Commuter Chronicle, I take you behind the curtain of a week that tried to break me and why I refused to let it. We're talking about the power of choosing…
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CCE37 - Reframing Rejection: Building Tactical Resilience for Job Seekers
Rejection is part of the job search, but it does not have to become the end of your momentum. In this Commuter Chronicles episode, we talk about how to reframe rejection as information, how to diagnose what feedback is really telling you, and how to build tactical resilience without burning out....
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE36) - Career Fairs: How to Build Your Personal Board of Directors
Rethinking Networking: The Personal Board of Directors We need to reframe how we view these events. "Networking" has a PR problem, it sounds transactional, like passing out business cards and hoping for the best. Instead of networking, I want you to think about recruiting for your Personal Board…
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE35) - Stop Looking for a Mentor: Build Your Personal Board of Directors Instead
Most people think mentorship looks like one wise person handing down advice. In practice, careers are messy. You need a small committee, a personal Board of Directors, each member bringing a different kind of help. Here’s how to build one that works. Define the four essential roles: cheerleader,...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE34) -The Laptop, The Power Outage, and the Power of "This Too Shall Pass"
Ever have one of those days where everything that can go wrong, does go wrong? In this Commuter Chronicle, I’m sharing a real-time brain dump about a 24-hour period where my laptop died, the warranty process became a maze, the power went out, and deadlines were looming. But this isn't a pity…
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE33) - Practice vs. Policy: How to Stop Doing Things "Because We’ve Always Done Them"
Ever been told you can't do something because "that's just how it's done"? In this episode of the Commuter Chronicles, we are shaking the trees and asking the quiet questions out loud. We break down the massive difference between a practice (a habit) and a policy (a vetted rule). If you want to…
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE32) - Silos Are Skills: Why Independent Work Isn’t Anti-Team
A lot of people hear “working in silos” and think isolation, missed collaboration, or poor teamwork. I want to flip that script. In this Commuter Chronicles episode of Side of the Mic, I make the case that the ability to work independently is actually a high-value skill employers want. The key is...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE31) - Keep Going: Momentum, Measurement, and the Messy Middle
Welcome to Commuter Chronicles episode 31. Today we're talking about The Messy Middle, that long, unglamorous stretch between starting strong and finishing well. The part no one posts about on social media. The part that doesn't make it into the highlight reel. But here's what I've learned: The...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE30) - Pause → Process → Plan: How to Use Feedback Without Taking It Personally
Welcome to the Side of the Mic podcast, where I help people learn how to grow while they are still figuring it out. Today's topic is something we all experience but very few people actually learn how to use effectively. Feedback. More specifically, how to actually use criticism to grow without...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE29) - Academic Freedom: What It Is, What It Isn't, and Why It Matters to You
Academic freedom is important, but it’s often misunderstood. In this Commuter Chronicles episode I untangle what academic freedom actually protects, what it does not protect, and how that interacts with curriculum, syllabi, and intellectual property. I’m recording as both an instructor and a…
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE28) - March 1 Mental Upload
A handful of topics and future episodes briefly mentioned. Decision Fatigue: Navigating the "Too Many Options" Trap The "Good Enough" Trap: When Perfectionism Kills Progress The Feedback Loop: How to Actually Use Criticism to Grow The "Quiet Quitting" Conversation: Boundaries vs. Burnout The Art…
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE27) - AI is the Tool. You're the Talent.
Artificial Intelligence isn't coming, it's here. And if you're a student or professional navigating the job market, how you use AI might soon be a line on your resume. Welcome to Commuter Chronicle 27. I'm recording this brain dump as a career coach who watches students and professionals grapple...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE26) - Be a Funnel, Not a Cup: How to Stop Letting Your Week Overflow
Ever feel like everything is pouring in at once? Emails, deadlines, projects, proposals, life, and you don’t even know where to start. That’s what this week felt like for me. In this Commuter Chronicles episode, I riff on the idea of “Be a funnel, not a cup.” If a cup gets too full, it overflows.…
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE25) - From Orientation to Offer: The Real Role of Career Centers
The 30-Day Career Center Reset Week 1: Resume or LinkedIn review Week 2: Attend one employer event or workshop Week 3: Mock interview or career conversation Week 4: Reflect + update your resume with what you learned The 3-Question Career Check-In (use every semester) What skill did I build this...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE24) - From Daily Posts to Better Posts: Why I’m Switching to Every-Other-Day
The Myth of "Winging It" We’ve all had those moments where we "wing it" and succeed. Maybe it’s an interview you didn't prepare for or a project you finished at the last second. While it feels great to win on pure talent, that’s just your baseline. If you want to drop your "time" (whether that’s…
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE23) - From Syllabus to Success: How Faculty Can Power Student Career Readiness
Here's something we don't talk about enough: Your professors are walking career libraries, and most students only check out one book. Think about it. You show up to class, take notes, complete assignments, maybe ask a question about the exam. Then you leave. And somewhere in that building (or on...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE22) - Who Does What? The Student’s Role in Career Readiness
Career readiness works best when three players collaborate: students, faculty, and career centers. In this Commuter Chronicles episode I focus on the most important player, you. Students who treat career readiness like a course they own get better outcomes, faster. Below are clear, practical...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE21) - Gratitude Is a Career Skill (Follow Up Before You Need To)
Gratitude isn’t just a feeling; it’s a practice that compounds. In this Commuter Chronicles episode, I talk about reviewing old emails from students who circled back with updates after landing interviews or job offers. Those messages matter. They close the loop, strengthen relationships, and…
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE20) - Diamonds or Burst Pipes: The Procrastinator’s Guide to Personal Branding
Let’s say the quiet part out loud: Some of us actually work better when we’re running out of time. We call it procrastination, but in the heat of a deadline, it feels more like a superpower. You know the feeling, the hyper-focus kicks in, the world falls away, and you produce a "diamond" just as...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE19) - Who Do You Make Time For? (Making Space for You in a Busy Life)
We’re always scheduling for work, school, family, and the little fires that pop up but when do you get scheduled? In this Commute Chronicles episode I ask a simple but important question: what do you do for yourself, and when do you actually make time for it? I’m honest here: I’m great at making...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE18) - Fail Forward: Practical Steps to Make Trying Less Scary
Let’s say the quiet part out loud: We are all terrified of looking stupid. We stay in jobs we hate, avoid learning new tech, and pass on opportunities because we’re afraid the "Failure Monster" is waiting for us. Trying and failing aren’t opposite things, they’re partners. In this commuter...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE17) - C.A.R.D. Framework for Resume and Professional Summaries
Stop using the R.A.R. method (Responsibility, Action, Result). It implies you just followed orders. Introducing C.A.R.D. (Challenge, Action, Result, Deliverable/Distinction) This proves you are a change agent, not a seat filler. Challenge: There was a problem. Action: You did something about it....
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE16) - The 24-Second Handshake: Turning Your Resume & LinkedIn Into a Unified Brand
The "24-Second Commercial": The Professional Summary The Objective Statement is dead. It’s selfish ("I want a job where I can learn..."). The Professional Summary is selfless ("I have these skills to solve your problems"). Sentence 1 (The Who): "Results-driven [Title] with [Number] years of...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE15) - Not Complaining: Small Actions That Change Your Day
This Commuter Chronicles brain dump is a reframe. I'm unpacking my most quoted mantra, "I can't complain" as an active, intentional, forward-moving strategy. Not toxic positivity. Not denial. Not performative gratitude. But a deliberate choice to stop allocating energy to things that don't grow...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE14) - Stop Chasing Balance: Tune the See-Saw Instead
Welcome to Side of the Mic: Commuter Chronicles (Ep. 14) your brain-dump companion for turning insight into action. We’re kicking things off by tackling one of the most talked-about but misunderstood concepts: balance. Real balance isn’t a static state you achieve; it’s the dynamic, conscious act...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE13) - You Don’t Know What They Want. Here’s What You Do About It.
Welcome to Side of the Mic, Commuter Chronicles (Ep. 13). Today we’re talking about the unknown: the things we know, the things we don’t know, and the things we know we don’t know. I use hiring realities such as Applicant Tracking Systems, interview questions, and employer timelines, as a lens…
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE12) - Creativity: Make Space & Make Stuff
Welcome to Side of the Mic: Commuter Chronicles (Ep. 12). Today we talk about creativity, not as a mythical gift, but as a practical muscle you can train in tiny, sustainable ways while you’re still figuring it out. If you’re a student juggling classes, a professional wearing many hats, or…
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Shaking the Tree: How to Be a Positive Disruptor Without Burning Bridges (S1E01)
In this Side of the Mic episode, I expand on my December 2024 LinkedIn piece Shaking the Tree and turn ideas into action. If you believe the status quo isn’t always right but you’re not sure how to push for change without burning bridges, this episode is for you. I share practical, low-risk ways…
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE11) - How to Stop Wasting Energy on Things You Can’t Change
Episode 11 is where the "honeymoon phase" of a new project usually ends and the real work begins. I’m starting to hit that wall where "busy" becomes an excuse, and I shift toward Energy Management over Time Management. Today’s reflection centers on energy and the small choices that compound into...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE10) - Do the Work: How Repetition Builds Confidence, Not Just Skill
In this Commuter Chronicles episode of Side of the Mic: Strive & Develop, I unpack something I’ve been living lately: practice and repetition aren’t punishment, they’re the muscle memory of progress. Recorded between stops and chapters of my life (teaching, advising students, and writing my...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE09) - Upgrade Your Interactions: From Golden to Platinum
In this Commuter Chronicles episode of Side of the Mic: Strive & Develop, I reflect on a principle that shapes how I coach, teach, and communicate every day: The Platinum Rule - treat others the way they want to be treated. We grow up hearing the Golden Rule, but the reality is that not everyone...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE08) - Micro-Wins, Macro-Momentum
Episode 8 of Side of the Mic (Commuter Chronicles) is a short mental upload about momentum, micro-wins, and the quiet proof that you’re moving in the right direction. I reflect on a pleasant 10-stream milestone, the relief and learning of cold-emailing and securing a dissertation chair and...
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE07) - Access is earned, not assumed
In this Commuter Chronicles episode of Side of the Mic: Striving & Developing, I share a busy weekend pivot, an urgent rewrite of Chapter 1 after a powerful conversation with my potential dissertation chair, and the lesson that followed: access matters. Today’s episode centers on two ideas…
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Commuter Chronicles (CCE06) - Success Isn't a Destination, It's a Direction
What is success to you? Is it a title on a door? A number in a bank account? Or is it a goalpost that keeps moving every time you get close to it? In today’s Commuter Chronicle, I’m diving into the psychology of achievement. We often say we want to be "successful," but we rarely stop to define…
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About this show
Welcome to Side of the Mic, your dedicated thought partner for the drive, the walk, or the quiet moments in your incredibly busy schedule. This is the space where we question the obvious, unpack the complicated, and figure out what we can actually do about it.Through the lens of a career coach, educator, and fellow lifelong student, we break down the silos of learning, business, and personal growth.Reflect. Adapt. Take intentional action. I'm not here to tell you what to think. I'm here to give you something worth thinking about.
Hosted by
AB SoBizze
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