This is a recap of Episode 2 of The Next Episode with Terry Hollimon — available now on Apple Podcasts and wherever you listen.
I talk to a lot of people about career growth. It’s literally what I do — I help professionals communicate, lead, and perform at their best. But every once in a while, you sit down with someone and you think, “This person doesn’t need coaching. I need to be taking NOTES.”
That’s how I felt after my conversation with Jesse Rhodes Jr.
If you don’t know Jesse, you should. The man has built a career that reads like a masterclass in strategic ambition. Deloitte. Amazon. Target. Walmart. He hasn’t just worked at these companies — he’s navigated them with a level of intentionality that most people only dream about. And now he’s putting everything he’s learned into a book called Leadership Unlocked: Harness Your Ambition.
This episode was a CONVERSATION. Capital C. The kind where you finish recording and realize you could’ve talked for three more hours.
The Art of the Career Pivot
One of the things that stood out most about Jesse’s story is how deliberate he’s been about his career moves. In a world where most people are either staying too long in jobs they’ve outgrown or jumping ship every 18 months because they’re chasing a title, Jesse has found the sweet spot.
He talked about something that I think is absolutely critical: the difference between running FROM something and running TO something. Too many professionals make career moves because they’re unhappy where they are. They’re running from a bad boss, a toxic culture, or a role that doesn’t excite them anymore. And there’s nothing wrong with leaving a bad situation. But Jesse’s approach is different. He doesn’t leave situations — he moves toward opportunities. There’s a HUGE difference.
When you’re running from something, you’ll take the first thing that looks better. When you’re running toward something, you make strategic, intentional moves that align with where you want to go. Jesse has done this his entire career, and the results speak for themselves.
Mentorship Is Not Optional
We went deep on mentorship in this episode, and Jesse said something that hit me right in the chest: “The people who refuse to seek mentorship are the same people who wonder why they’ve plateaued.”
I’ve seen this over and over in my coaching work. Talented professionals who have all the skills, all the drive, all the potential — but they’re trying to do it alone. And look, I understand the instinct. Especially if you’re someone who’s always been self-reliant. Asking for help can feel like admitting weakness. But Jesse framed it perfectly: mentorship isn’t about weakness. It’s about leverage. It’s about having someone who’s already walked the path give you a map so you don’t waste time going in circles.
As someone who has benefited from incredible mentors throughout my career — coaches at UW, producers in broadcasting, community leaders in Seattle — I couldn’t agree more. Nobody gets to the top alone. Nobody.
Owning Your Story
The part of our conversation that might resonate the most with people is when Jesse talked about ownership. Not ownership in the business sense — ownership of your narrative. Your identity. Your ambition.
Jesse doesn’t apologize for being ambitious. He doesn’t shrink himself to make other people comfortable. And he doesn’t pretend that he got where he is by accident. He got there through strategic thinking, hard work, and a willingness to take risks that most people would talk themselves out of.
That kind of self-ownership is rare. And it’s contagious. Listening to Jesse talk about his journey will make you want to grab a notebook and start mapping out your own next move. That’s the energy this episode brings.
Listen Now
Whether you’re early in your career, in the middle of a pivot, or looking for that next-level push, this conversation with Jesse Rhodes Jr. is one you need to hear. He’s the real deal — and his book Leadership Unlocked: Harness Your Ambition is going to be a must-read when it drops.
Listen to The Next Episode with Terry Hollimon on Apple Podcasts.
