Roadtrip Nation

>>Narrator: How do I know which path is best for me?

Is it possible to take on these challenges and obstacles?

Where do I even start?

What should I do with my life?

Sometimes, the only way to find out is to go see what's possible Since 2001, we've been sharing the stories of people who ventured out and explored different career paths and different possibilities for their futures.

This is one of those stories.

This is Roadtrip Nation.

>> Avery: I'd say the experience so far has been incredible.

>> Petra: We are on the second week of our road trip.

We're in Orange County, California.

So we've already done some interviews.

It was amazing.

>> Garrett: I'm really looking forward to meeting the other leaders.

We're gonna be be meeting Terrence Cummings.

>> Petra: And then each we're gonna go back to our hometowns and do some more interviews based off our own careers.

>> Garrett: So right now as a society, we're told that you have to take a specific step to progress your career.

You have to go to college, you have to get your degree.

There's a lot of gatekeeping >> Petra: So we're talking to people who are shifting, how we think about skills.

>> Garrett: I'm hoping I can ask them what their struggles were, gaining skills in a non-traditional way.

>> Avery: Things like certifications, internships, or mentoring, things like that.

We're capable of more, yeah.

And we all want to figure out what that more is.

[MUSIC] >> Garrett: So I completed 200 applications, which is a lot.

And I'm still unemployed, that's been frustrating.

So, being able to meet these industry leaders, I'm definitely hoping I can learn more about redefining our skills.

>> Petra: I just feel like I can spread my joy in another way besides in the restaurant industry.

>> Avery: I'm looking for a career, but I just want to do all the options.

And that's just not realistic, there's only like so much time.

In my mind I'm thinking like, level up.

>> Petra: Yeah, level up, level up's good, on 3, 1, 2, 3, level up.

[LAUGH] >> Garrett: We're at Roadtrip Nation HQ.

I'm super excited to meet Terrence.

He is Chief Opportunity Officer for Guild Education.

>> Terrence: This is a society that is built for a group of people that are sometimes not who you are.

You gotta make them see you.

I'm Terrence Cummings, the Chief Opportunity Officer at Guild, and my team's purpose is to eliminate the wealth gap.

So if you look at wealth in this country and you look at folks that come from just to keep it simple, identify as white and you have people that identify as Latino, Latina, Latinx, people that identify as Black, African American.

The wealth gap looks like this.

There's an 8x difference in wealth between those populations, and that isn't sustainable as a country, as a democracy, or as a people.

And so it's helping people to see that there is a path.

And so we help people to think about the next best step how learning fits into that.

And then we have a network of learning providers that will work with you to get that, that certification and then go on with your career.

>> Avery: Did you always have like that idea that you wanted to like help people in that way?

>> Terrence: Probably not in this way, but it's been a long time in the making.

And there are a few moments in life that have helped me to get to this point.

So if I had to break down what some of the barriers were, I'd say I was at a burger restaurant that shouldn't really have led anywhere.

Couldn't figure out how to get back into school, but it happened.

I was at a school that doesn't feed into the job I ended up having.

One other barrier that's kind of just, I was born with it.

I'm a Black guy.

A Black guy who was growing up in an abusive household, without a lot of money.

Dad in jail.

You see that story many times and it like writes itself.

So how do I not go down the path like that, the world has told me is your path.

So that's a big barrier.

It's not even a barrier, it's really an accelerant.

And those two sometimes can be two sides of the same coin.

Like these could all be barriers.

But I'm learning how to make it into an accelerant, and so I've gone through the process of learning how to be a leader, and then learning how to be a Black leader.

[MUSIC] >> Terrence: We're asking about why the system is kinda built the way it is, why is it so hard to navigate some of these things?

What it brings up for me with skills is when I had my company and I was helping people with like resumes and everything is one of the biggest things in creating bullets is I would read a bullet.

And I'd say how many people do you think could write that exact bullet?

And a lot of times it's a lot of people, because it's generic enough and I said what's the version of that bullet that only you could write?

That's your unique like voice that you have, and it'll be the same for skills.

You want someone to look at the resume and see your story.

So they want to be able to see you in it.

And the more specific you can be, the more it's possible for them to see you and that story.

[MUSIC] >> Garrett: Terrence was super cool talking about using barriers as accelerates and that's your jumping point from there.

It filled me with a lot of confidence, filled me with a lot of hope.

[MUSIC] >> Avery: He really knows what he's talking about.

He's been through it and now I feel like a lot more comfortable with making myself like uncomfortable.

We're powerful.

We can switch things up if we want to, like if something makes us unhappy, we're gonna genuinely just change and like do something else.

>> Petra: I really enjoyed the message that he's trying to get across, like eliminating the wealth gap, excited to see how I can maybe close that gap for myself a little bit.

[MUSIC] >> Petra: So Garrett, Avery, and I have been together for the past few days and now we get to go to our hometowns to interview people with our own interests in mind.

[MUSIC] >> Petra: We are in Placentia, California.

This is home.

So growing up I was raised by my mom and my grandmother.

My dad passed away when I was about nine years old.

My mom was my absolute best friend.

From day one to her last day on this earth, I have my mom here on the mantle with me all the time.

This is a picture of her right after we took a shot of tequila and it's my favorite picture because of that face.

She was my everything.

And so I feel like that was showing me how to be with my kid.

It was really hard to raise a baby by yourself, but luckily my mom didn't let that happen.

She was my rock through all of it.

And seeing that life is short, it's kind of made me think of what is it that I wanna do?

And I want my son to see me be successful, and I want him to see me happy.

And in a few short years, he's gonna go off to college.

I'm gonna be left alone in an empty nest.

And my resume is very limited.

It's all restaurant based and trying to leave that industry and discover myself.

And I don't know what it is I have to offer them, but I just can't help but feel like there's something more.

Which is why I'm excited to meet the leaders.

Because I want to know what else I can do with my skills.

[MUSIC] >> Petra: We're in San Francisco, California, off Hayes Street.

I just, I like the city vibes.

The hustle bustle.

I love how busy it is, how many people are there.

I get to interview Rose Sikder.

She's a sales development rep over at Okta.

Moving from the restaurant industry into something totally different in this tech company.

What's your tattoo say?

>> Rose: It's my mom's name.

>> Petra: What's her name?

>> Rose: It's Costa.

>> Petra: What's her last name?

>> Rose: Costa, like C-O-S-T-A.

>> Petra: My last name's Acosta.

>> Rose: No way.

>> Petra: And I have a tattoo right here.

She passed away three years ago on Sunday.

>> Rose: Is it the same arm?

>> Petra: Yeah, mine's my right.

>> Rose: Okay, mine's on left.

>> Avery: Yeah, that's weird though.

>> Rose: That is weird.

[LAUGH] >> Petra: [LAUGH] Yeah, so can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

>> Rose: My name is Rose.

I'm a sales development rep at Okta.

So that means going out and finding interests and showing value of a product.

I was born and raised in New York City.

I was there until 18, and then my mum passed away.

And then I had to move out to California to UC Irvine.

During COVID, my family kind of faced some financial hardship.

So I did drop out, and then from there I did support myself so I had many, many jobs predominantly in the service industry.

And then I eventually found a BDA program.

So BDA is a Business Development Associate, and so basically they gave me that chance even though I didn't have a degree.

So went into that program, and then I've been with Okta for about two years.

And I got promoted almost three times within the last two years.

In terms of pay, I'm doing really well.

Once I get that account executive role, it's like you you're already making over six figures, right?

Why would you go back to school?

>> Petra: Right.

>> Rose: I think coming back from the service industry definitely played a very strong background in my success in getting promoted in three years.

And I've sold so many different things, I've worked at the Cheesecake Factory, I've worked at Nordstrom's, Chili's, Victoria's Secret, so many random jobs.

I had no tech background, I didn't even know what the cloud was.

>> Petra: Yeah, so what kind of skills do you think that you attained from the service industry and brought it into this different industry?

>> Rose: I think the service industry in general is so similar to what I do.

I would argue that the service industry is ten times harder than what I do.

If you were to go into it, you'd kill it, honestly, you'd kill it so big.

>> Petra: [LAUGH] >> Rose: It's just from the service industry, there's so many aspects to what I do on a daily basis or in sales.

You're navigating almost, what?

Six tables a night?

We'll get water for this table, whatever it is, large parties, and just prioritizing those tasks will come a long way when you're in sales.

Cuz same thing, I probably support about 1,500 accounts.

>> Petra: Wow.

>> Rose: You have to just go.

Do I send emails out?

Do I go calls?

All that, right?

Just being like you have that grit, you have the tenacity, yeah, you'd be amazing.

But also just knowing that you don't come from a traditional background is gonna mess with your head a lot.

You just can't let it, you just kind of have to stick it out.

Just know, hey, I'm confident in my qualities and my abilities to do the job.

I think your experience goes a long way.

>> Petra: Thank you.

She gave me a lot of confidence, she immediately was, well, you would kill it in this industry.

It definitely inspired me because I would be reluctant to even try for those jobs because I know absolutely nothing about tech.

But now that I had that little insight from her, okay, maybe I could change completely into a different line of work.

[MUSIC] >> Petra: There were little things that happened with Rose that made me feel like I was supposed to be where I was.

We both have a tattoo to commemorate our mothers.

And I know my mom always wanted more for me.

And I just can feel how proud she is of me and it bums me out that she's not here to share that joy with me and share this journey with me.

But I don't know, I owe it to her, for some reason I felt like she did this for me.

[MUSIC] >> Garrett: Right now we're in Corvallis, Oregon.

My partner and I just moved here, it's got small town energy.

It's big open fields, everything's really just pleasant and green.

Things I like to do, I'm a huge nerd, I love being at home, I love to play video games.

I love playing board games, having friends over for a movie night and making dinner.

But I also love to just be outside, just go out and explore a little bit, love to go for a hike.

[MUSIC] >> Garrett: I was working for computer repair and cell phone repair and stuff like that.

Got certifications within the Apple world and got a ton of them.

And at the time I was the only technician within a hundred mile radius.

And so when you would get, say a college student come in, like I cracked my screen and knowing that you're providing for your community, that dopamine hit is such a cool feeling.

But right when I got my Google Data Analytics certification is when IT layout happened, so immediately the job market was flooded with are other people also looking for jobs and I was unemployed and I'm still unemployed.

Completed 200 applications, which is a lot, just getting those rejections, that's been frustrating.

So ideally I wanna find something that's local or is for a good cause, bettering someone's life.

Having something that is fulfilling would instantly change everything, yeah.

So I'm meeting with Wes Bernegger, he's the director of data at Periscopic.

They're a socially conscious data visualization firm, super excited to learn more about what they do.

>> Wes: We're a data visualization studio, you can do data work, and it can be very superficial, it can be very commercial, or consumers, that sort of thing.

But the science projects that we've done are climate change specific stuff, conservation related.

A lot of, this has been a big multiyear thing all salmon conservation.

>> Garrett: That's cool.

>> Wes: Salmon data and salmon analysis, very detailed.

How much time is supposed to be this conference.

>> Garrett: So how did Periscopic come up for you?

How did you see that as a route you wanted to go?

>> Wes: I would say it was trying to find my way mostly.

I went to college but didn't end up going further with that and say I wanna go to grad school.

It's not a big enough draw.

>> Garrett: Yeah.

>> Wes: I did not anticipate going into computer science, data science.

I definitely questioned how much training do I need to do to start doing this?

>> Garrett: Yeah.

>> Wes: Do I need to go back to school?

Do I need a real credential?

I settled on well, I'm just gonna do this edX course learning R, learning programming language.

And so I pursued an internship at Periscopic and ended up here.

>> Garrett: Would you say that the way the system or society is set up right now, it leans towards college education as like, hey, this is kind of the starting point or are we moving away from that?

Where it's, no it's skill based, it's let's showcase what you can actually do.

>> Wes: I feel like it's skill-based.

>> Garrett: Yeah.

>> Wes: I do, I mean, that's what matters to me, interviewing people who are applying for some positions at Periscopic.

It's the sense I get from the person, it's how do they approach a problem.

Everything else has been stuff that, yeah, you pick up from others.

>> Garrett: Just doing stuff.

>> Wes: Yeah, from experience, from certifications, from the little courses you take.

I think the kind of stuff that it sounds like you're doing >> Garrett: Yeah.

>> Wes: But also with that perspective of being a lifelong learner, even if it's a topic or project that you might not think is that interesting to you.

There's something cool there to get from it.

>> Garrett: Yeah, that's a good way of looking at it, when you're uninspired by something.

It's like, well, there can be an aspect that can inspire me.

>> Wes: It might be really hard to find.

If you're kind of looking at it and you feel like, I got nothing from that, there's something from that.

And if you can show that, if you're somehow putting it out there, I think that's what can set you apart.

[MUSIC] >> Garrett: Wes was awesome, and he was showing me a project about the salmon in Northwest Canada that was way more detailed than I thought it would be.

And it's a multiyear thing, and that was really cool to have perspective.

For me, it's like having this weight or anxiety of just the clock is ticking or something like that.

But it doesn't matter if it's late, as long as that's what's happening in your life and giving you that joy that you need.

And it's gonna be a learning journey, becoming a forever learner, is really cool.

[MUSIC] >> Avery: So right now I'm gonna take apart my laptop and check out the battery.

So IT is Information Technology.

Basically what I do on a daily basis is fixing either the motherboard or battery, helping people with email, troubleshooting mainly.

The big part of it that I love is being able to help people.

I'm from D'Iberville, Mississippi, and I recently moved up here with my friends to Delhi, New York.

Very cute, if you've ever seen the show Gilmore Girls, it kind of reminds me of that.

[MUSIC] >> Avery: I mean, I can live without the A button, it just wouldn't be as fun.

I am interested in the technology field, but I'm also interested in the medical field or the customer service field, even video game development.

That'd be super cool.

I feel like that sounds more dreamy at the moment.

I just want to do all the options and that's just not realistic cuz there's only so much time.

I've got sickle cell anemia so my life expectancy is shorter than others.

So I actually need to pick a career and stay with that career, and so I'm scared that man, what if I pick the wrong thing?

[MUSIC] >> Avery: I'm gonna be meeting and interviewing Steven Flenory.

He is the vice president of platform technology at WB Games.

WB like Warner Brothers, that's insane.

I'm so excited [LAUGH].

You know how many people are depressed out there and a good video game is just a good break away from that.

>> Steven: [CROSSTALK] So I'm Steven Flenory, I've been running this team here now for almost 16 years, been a long time.

We've had a lot of success, we have five franchises that have brought in over a billion dollars.

DC, Mortal Kombat, LEGO, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, they're all very different titles.

So the game you're playing right now it's a brawler game.

So some of the work that we did here was we built all the online systems, we worked on all the matchmaking, we worked on the player stats, tracking.

>> Avery: This is amazing.

This is actually one of my favorite types of games, platformer slash brawler.

Could you explain to me more about your background?

How'd you grow up?

>> Steven: I was actually born in Cleveland, Ohio.

I was a very sick kid, so I couldn't do a lot of sports.

I had a lot of different illnesses that I didn't get over until I was maybe 13.

So, to sort of keep me motivated, my parents, who didn't make a lot of money, they got me a computer.

I learned how to make games from start to finish, I learned the basics of programming and computer science and as I got into about 11th grade, I needed to to work as well.

So I actually ended up getting a job as a package loader at at UPS and I was also able to move up at UPS in my leadership to eventually operations management there.

I went to college for computer programming, but getting into the game industry was really hard.

Because you had to have game industry experience.

And you're like, well, how do I get into the game industry if I don't have game industry experience?

What am I supposed to do?

So what I started to do was make my own games.

And I started taking those.

I started putting those on my resume and that helped a lot.

And then the last thing I did was I started talking to people who were where I wanted to be.

And one of them, he was like, look, I'm going to be honest with you.

He said, you're not a good game designer.

He said, but what I do think you should focus on is I think you have everything it takes to be a really great leader.

He said, so I think that if you take your technology and your leadership skills and really combine those, he told me right then, I think you are going to excel.

And that one conversation, that's when I actually really started to find my groove and where I excelled and a great opportunity brought me here to upstate New York.

>> Avery: Okay, wow, thank you for answering.

You talked about how you grew up and you were kind of sickly.

>> Steven: Yeah.

>> Avery: I feel I relate to that because I have sickle cell anemia and I've always been interested in video games.

Me and a friend actually did a boot camp program and that's how I got the IT skills that I have.

What would you tell me or someone who would be interested in this build now?

>> Steven: Depending on what you're trying to do, sitting down and making a game today.

It is, I don't wanna use the word easy, but it's very accessible.

If you're a student, for example, you can download the same game engines that we use for free as a student.

And honestly, if you're committed, you can go make a game tonight.

This can't be a passive thing.

This is a very sort of active effort that you have to invest in.

And you have to consider this to be an important part of your career development.

>> Avery: That is so cool.

>> Steven: Yeah, the other thing I would highly recommend is that you think about the skills that you have now and think about how you can use those for those sort of like entry level jobs in the industry, right?

So, I came from a package loading company, right?

And I thought about how do I take these skills and apply them into my industry.

Doing that work, when you see the truck driving around, deliveries happening, and those trucks take thousands of packages.

The complexities of getting your toaster, from Texas to your door, it is an incredible amount of work.

So same thing with us, right?

You have to make sure that all the logistics are in place, the technology.

What's gonna be that fan experience?

How are we gonna make sure they get it on time?

How are we gonna make sure that when it launches that it's stable.

It sounds like you've done some certifications, your skills, IT.

We need IT here at WB Games and every other game company as well.

So don't just like think about, I gotta be a programmer.

>> Avery: Yeah.

>> Steven: To get in there.

It's not true.

>> Avery: Putting myself in that box.

>> Steven: No, yeah.

Making the games that we make, it takes thousands of people doing lots and lots of little jobs and bringing all of that together to get a game out the door.

There's so many other ways to sort of get your way into the game industry.

[MUSIC] >> Avery: Steven Flenory worked at UPS.

Those were skills that he actually uses now in his current position.

He gave me advice to be like, we already have skills that we're not even aware that we actually do have.

So not only was I a customer service manager, I was also an event coordinator.

I literally have done these things and I just did not even realize that, I'm so capable of this, this, this, and this, and I'm only saying this one thing.

So applying that more, believing in myself more, that I already have what I need.

Just go out and do it.

[MUSIC] >> Avery: I am a little sad that it's all ending.

I'm gonna miss Garrett and Petra.

I feel my main fear has been the options and choosing the wrong one.

I feel after now speaking with the leaders that I was nervous and fearful for nothing.

I'm valuing my own skills more.

And in the future going forward, I'm gonna put myself out there more.

[MUSIC] >> Garrett: I do feel a lot more confident after this.

I feel kinda like what Wes said of just being able to take from work that you're doing that you don't necessarily enjoy or finding purpose in, but still realize that there's skills that you're pulling from it, that you can lift those skills and apply it somewhere else.

>> Petra: I always thought there were unattainable things.

I always thought I was gonna be 70 years old still serving pasta.

There's nothing wrong with that, but I always felt I was meant for more.

After speaking with so many leaders, I didn't realize that I actually was that skilled.

>> Rose: Talent is everywhere and that's true without a degree.

Talent is literally everywhere.

>> Wes: I think that more so than what's like on your resume or what's on paper, are the things that you demonstrate that you can do.

>> Steven: And it opens the doors to lots of different types of candidates, right?

From lots of different types of backgrounds, and cultures, and experiences.

>> Sho: So you guys got skills in the very hot industries.

You're already saying, I have the transferable skills already, and you show up as that person.

So it's all about skills, right?

>> Rita: You need to basically learn how to tell the story of who you are and not what you have done, but what you can do.

>> Terrence: I would not waste your time waiting.

I'd waste your time trying.

And try as many things as you want.

>> Petra: There's more to life like go out, figure out what else you want to do, don't be scared.

[MUSIC] Wondering what to do with your life?

Well we've been there and we're here to help Our website has some awesome tools to help you find your path And you can check out all our documentaries, interviews and more Start exploring at roadtripnation.com