Anna Lohkemper didn't grow up dreaming of a career in tech. She grew up dreaming of Broadway.

At 18, Anna moved to New York for musical theatre school, chasing a career in performance. After two years of auditions against hundreds of girls fighting for the same roles, the dream didn't work out. She moved home to Atlanta feeling like a complete failure, and started over.

In this episode, Anna takes us through her honest, non-linear path from performer to Solutions Consultant at Workday, and how the skills she built on stage, reading a room, adapting on the spot, staying calm under pressure, are the exact skills carrying her through boardrooms across Europe and the Middle East today.

We cover:

• What a Solutions Consultant actually does day to day
• Why the "5% of the job is the demo, 95% is the prep"
• How she juggles 25-30 live opportunities at once
• Becoming the trusted advisor in the room, and why that matters more than being the salesperson
• How she uses AI to manage note-taking, follow-ups and RFP responses
• The real cost of the role: travel, always being "on," and switching off
• Why she believes nothing she learned chasing her dream was ever wasted

This one's for anyone who feels like their path took a detour it wasn't supposed to. Especially the students, parents and mid-career professionals who think their old skills don't count for anything, they usually do.

Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday.

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🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.

What does a digital marketer actually do all day? Danni Russell started out studying science at university, then left after realising a lab job wasn't for her. She eventually found her way into digital marketing — and now runs her own digital marketing agency.

In this episode, Danni breaks down digital marketing careers in plain terms why it's less about clever captions and more about data, testing, and numbers.

What you'll learn:

• The difference between SEO and AEO (AI engine optimisation), and why it matters now
• How AI has quietly shaped marketing for years, long before ChatGPT made it obvious
• Why a scroll-stopping ad still won't save you if your landing page has a broken button
• What a day in the life of a digital marketer really looks like
• The skills that will matter most as AI takes over the busywork
• What it's like running your own marketing agency, including the lifestyle trade-offs

If you're a student considering a marketing career, or you think digital marketing is just clever captions and pretty ads, this conversation will change your mind.

Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday.

🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer
📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer
🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.

Josh Nicholls left school in Year 10, started his electrical apprenticeship at 15, and by 22 had launched his own business with nothing but a van and a plan. Twenty-five years later, he's the founder of two national companies, Platinum Electricals and Jet Black Plumbing, and he's already stepped back from the day-to-day.

In this episode, Josh breaks down what it actually takes to go from apprentice to business owner: why you don't need to be the best tradesperson to succeed, how to build a business that can run without you, and why he believes EQ will matter more than any technical skill as AI reshapes the workplace.

This one's for any student weighing up a trade, an apprenticeship, or starting their own business one day. Josh proves the traditional path isn't the only path to success.

In this episode:

• Starting an apprenticeship at 15 with zero understanding of electrical work
• Why "focus on your strengths, delegate your weaknesses" changed everything
• Building two national businesses without sacrificing family time
• Why trades won't be replaced by AI
• His advice to his 20-year-old self

Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday.

🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer
📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer
🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.