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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."

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  • 6 episodes
  • Avg 54 min
  • English

Episodes 6

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  • Dec 11, 2025 · 46 min

    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 · 54 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 · 47 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?

  • Sep 25, 2025 · 53 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 · 48 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 · 1 hr 12 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.

Showing 1–6 of 6 episodes