Summary: Flora Brunetti and Lisa Hokins-Newell are both professors at Columbia College Chicago with backgrounds in marketing, business, and fashion. Floras and Lisa's goal for this podcast are; to connect with students beyond the setting of a classroom, to share their experiences, to motivate one another and to find the benefits of human connection. This podcast is supposed to serve as a foundation for Flora and Lisa to share their experiences to motivate student outside the classroom.

As times change, they morph the methods one can employ to achieve success. What worked for past generations of entrepreneurs may no longer work for the present generation. In this episode of The Career Class, Columbia College Chicago’s Flora Brunetti and Lisa Hopkins-Newell discuss the art of carving an individualistic path to success. They observe static concepts like networking as well as distinguishing pathways individuals may take to form their own business methods.

Conversation is one of the most fundamental building blocks to entrepreneurial success. Small talk and first impressions can lead to networking connections that yield support and success in business. For this week’s episode of The Career Class, Columbia College Chicago’s Flora Brunetti and Lisa Hopkins-Newell discuss the art of conversation and connection. They share their personal experiences in meeting new people, utilizing small talk to develop professional relationships, and understanding when conversation is appropriate and beneficial.

Sometimes we fall into a slump where it becomes habitual to feel defeated. Finding a focus for our efforts without a clear target is a formidable struggle. In this episode of The Career Class, Columbia College Chicago’s Flora Brunetti and Lisa Hopkins-Newell answer the question, “What do you do when you don’t know what to do anymore?” They discuss strategies of perseverance, recognize natural emotions that deter our concentration, and share personal experiences on overcoming these hurdles.

Our most valuable resource, time, slips through the cracks very easily, and we often find ourselves unable to take on endeavors that could yield success and subsequent joy. Understanding why we take on certain tasks builds necessary perspective for what percentage of our time is worth dedicating to them. When we ask for others’ time, we need to understand the value of what we ask of them. In this episode of The Career Class, Columbia College Chicago’s Flora Brunetti and Lisa Hopkins-Newell discuss the importance of efficient time management, as well as their personal experiences on building a healthy time-management system for their lives.

As seasons come and go, we desire to change as well. Thinking about change can seem like a simple task, but implementing the necessary strategies to make change can yield hesitation and struggle. In this episode of The Career Class, Columbia College Chicago’s Flora Brunetti and Lisa Hopkins-Newell discuss our inherent desire for change as well as their personal techniques for maintaining a successful, adaptive mindset.

Mentors help mold the character we build in our careers, personal lives, and endeavors. From the expertise of others, we can absorb knowledge that grants us the abilities to succeed, both personally and vocationally. Meanwhile, we build connections with those individuals that withstand the test of time. In this episode of The Career Class, Flora Brunetti and Lisa Hopkins-Newell discuss the role these individuals play in our development as well as the tactics one can engage to build these relationships.

This week's them is to be open minded. Seeing through a different lens other than your own in order to complete your goals. It's important to embrace other ideas so you can expand your understanding of the world. In doing that you can discover something else about yourself. You can learn your strengths and weaknesses when your challenge yourself by changing your surroundings and the people you associate yourself with.