Off the Path with Sam and Steve
Off the Path with Sam and Steve
Sam Ladner and Steve Portigal
In this limited series, Sam Ladner and Steve Portigal talk about what a research career looks like, even when it goes "off the path."
Episode 6: Making Mistakes
A great episode to end the year! Spend some time with Sam and Steve as they look at their own mistakes and consider how they came to be. Reflect on your own mistakes and how they can be moments to savour and even love. Happy New Year to everyone!
Dec 11, 2025
46 min
Episode 5: Why aren't you a big shot
Steve is not some big shot. He is not the vice president of Google Cheese, a totally made-up division that probably needs a VP. In this episode, Sam and Steve talk about what success means and how they've defined it on their own terms.
Dec 11, 2025
54 min
Episode 4: Impact without Authority
In this episode, Sam and Steve talk about the times they influenced senior stakeholders without having a senior title. How do you know you've done it? What kind of mindset do you need to make it happen?
Dec 11, 2025
47 min
Episode 3: Good interviewing
Sam and Steve do a deep dive into interviewing. What makes a good interviewer even better? What's the difference between a journalist and a researcher? Two expert interviewers interview each other about interviewing!
Sep 25, 2025
53 min
Episode 1: The Good Enough Career
In the first Episode of Off the Path, Sam and Steve talk about what makes a good enough career. How much do you really need to be satisfied? What makes something good enough? We like to call this the "wire monkey mother" episode because what makes a good enough mother is inspiration for what makes a good enough research career.
Sep 25, 2025
48 min
Episode 2: What you do when you want to grow
In this episode, Sam and Steve talk about how they try to grow their skills. What kinds of strategies work early in your career? What works later in your career? We call this the "get over it" episode.
Sep 25, 2025
1 hr 12 min