In this episode of Career Flair: Are You Business Ready?, host Ryan Foland sits down with Miguel Caballero, a software engineering manager at the AI startup Harmonic, to explore what it really means to build a career across big tech and entrepreneurship.

Miguel shares his journey from competing in the Microsoft Imagine Cup to landing an internship that moved him from Spain to Ireland and eventually the United States. He reflects on working on products like Office, Visual Studio, and Skype and why he ultimately felt pulled back toward the startup world.

The conversation moves beyond titles and into mindset. Miguel opens up about building his own travel app, the mistakes he made by skipping validation, and how the lean startup approach reshaped how he thinks about risk, ownership, and execution.

They also unpack what startup hiring actually looks like today. Miguel explains why culture alignment, attitude, and ownership often matter more than raw technical skill — and how candidates can use storytelling, vulnerability, and clarity to stand out in interviews.

Whether you're aiming for big tech, curious about startups, or figuring out how to grow without getting stuck in one lane, this episode offers a grounded look at what it takes to build something meaningful — including your own career.

In this podcast interview, Benan Yuceer discusses his experience working as a Talent Acquisition Leader at Taco Bell to founding BeYu Wellness, a holistic coaching practice.

In this episode, we'll explore what emotional intelligence really means, how culture and mindset influence it, and practical ways you can develop it whether you're preparing for interviews, leading teams, or stepping into entrepreneurship. He defines emotional intelligence as a critical leadership skill comprised of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.

Throughout the conversation, Benan shares how his upbringing in German and Turkish cultures shaped his early emotional suppression and how he eventually utilized neurolinguistic programming to improve his decision-making. He encourages students to prioritize networking and authentic storytelling, while warning against the "trap" of making assumptions.

So grab your coffee, settle in, and get ready to learn how emotional intelligence can help you not just get the job, but enjoy the journey.

In the debut episode of Career Flair: Are You Business Ready, hosts Ryan Foland and Jennifer Ellinger pull back the curtain on why this podcast was created and what it means to be "business ready." They share real-world networking tips, stories from campus and beyond, and why your next opportunity is more likely to come from a conversation than a job board. Tune in to learn how to build authentic connections that open doors and shape your career journey.