How To Survive Your Boss

In this episode, Kiana and Tara sit down with former Google and Amazon manager Jasper Seldin to crack the code on workplace success. Drawing from over a decade of experience in big tech and people leadership, Jasper shares actionable strategies for navigating office politics, managing difficult bosses, and accelerating your career. They discuss how to identify a rational manager, why your boss's boss is the most important person to impress, and how to advocate for your work so effectively that others promote it for you. Whether you're feeling stuck, misunderstood, or just ready to level up, this conversation is packed with tactical advice for working smarter and building a career that thrives.Key Takeaways:🎯 Reframe your manager as a human ally, not a corporate obstacle. Success comes from aligning your work with their goals.📈 Master the art of the 2–3 sentence "win." Package your accomplishments so clearly that your boss can't help but share them upward.⚠️ Learn to spot an irrational manager—poor communication, disorganization, misplaced priorities—and develop a plan before it derails your growth.🫅 Your real job is to make your manager look good to their boss. Always tie your work to the organization's top-tier objectives.🔒 Audit your social media like a hiring manager would. Your digital footprint can be the difference between a promotion and a pink slip.Timestamps:0:31 Intro & Jasper's background4:50 Core advice: See your boss as human & align with their goals7:47 Rational vs. irrational managers16:33 What the boss's boss cares about & how to align19:08 Advocating for yourself: situation-behavior-impact format24:51 Specialize early & balance menial vs. strategic work28:17 Why the boss's boss strategy works (even for introverts)36:27 Work-life balance & finding purpose beyond the grind43:35 Social media & career risk54:13 Tech overhiring & STAR interview format