Season 6 closes with no guest, just Vanessa Iloste and Vanessa Teo, talking honestly about what six seasons of conversations have actually taught them. They revisit the sparks from this season's guests, name the tensions they never resolved (should you go inward or just move), and then get into the real conversation: the meaning crisis hiding inside every AI transformation, why transition capability is becoming the defining professional advantage, and why leadership is turning into a daily practice rather than a fixed position. Expect genuine disagreement, unfinished thoughts, and a first look at where the podcast is headed in Season 7.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)

What does it take to lead a 250-year-old brand across eight Southeast Asian markets in an era of TikTok commerce, agentic AI, and fragmented consumer journeys? In this episode, we sit down with Evelyn Chua, Managing Director for Southeast Asia and Oceania at Birkenstock, who brings 15 years of retail leadership across luxury fashion, beauty, wines and spirits, and e-commerce.

Evelyn shares how she has navigated some genuinely distinct career transitions: from DFS and the world of travel retail, to the fast-moving world of e-commerce at Synergy, to her current role shaping Birkenstock's regional strategy. Her career is a masterclass in what it means to build breadth without sacrificing depth.

In this conversation, we explore:

• How the consumer journey has fundamentally shifted, and why there is no longer one dominant channel
• How Birkenstock protects its premium positioning in a region as fragmented and fast-paced as Southeast Asia
• Why AI reinforces rather than replaces the importance of brand clarity and consistency
• The hybrid skills that retail leaders need today compared to five years ago
• What Evelyn tells her team when they are afraid to say "I don't know"
• Her three pieces of advice for anyone navigating a career in retail: stay positive and adaptable, build breadth, and stay grounded

Whether you are a seasoned retail professional wondering how to stay relevant, or an early-career leader figuring out which moves to make next, Evelyn's perspective is grounding, practical, and genuinely generous.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)

What if the feeling that your job isn't fulfilling enough isn't a sign you're in the wrong place — but an invitation to build meaning where you are?

In this Season 6 episode of the Career Transitions Podcast, we sit down with Winnie Jiang, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD Singapore, whose research sits at the heart of what this podcast is all about: how people make sense of their careers, find meaning, and navigate change.

We explore why the "perfect job" myth can do more harm than good, and why meaning isn't something a job gives you — it's something you actively construct. Winnie introduces us to the concept of job crafting: the everyday, practical choices we make about tasks, relationships, and mindset that can transform how we experience our work right now, without changing roles.

We also dig into the difference between meaning and purpose (and why it's okay not to have a grand "why"), the deeply social nature of career transitions — including what it really takes to claim a new professional identity — and how AI is reshaping meaning at work in ways that are more nuanced than the headlines suggest.

Winnie's research on dancers navigating AI disruption offers a striking window into what meta agency looks like in practice: the shift from reactive adaptation to actively choosing how and where you grow.

When was the last time you actively crafted your job — rather than waiting for it to feel more meaningful on its own?

Connect with us on LinkedIn and let us know.

Read more of Winnie's work:

• A Search for Daily Meaning: Building a Purpose-Driven Career
• Three Lessons From Tech Layoffs on Building Career Agility
• Is Working Yourself "To The Bone" Ever Worth It?
• Perceiving Fixed or Flexible Meaning: Navigating Occupational Destabilization (Administrative Science Quarterly, 2023)
• From Boundaryless to Boundary-Crossing: A Friction-Based Model of Career Transitions (Research in Organizational Behavior, 2024)

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)