Turning Experience into Opportunity with Katie Fortunato

·30 min·3 clips

Katie Fortunato explains why 70% of jobs are never posted publicly, exposing the hidden network that controls hiring.

The episode begins with host Katana Abbott introducing the theme of leveraging midlife experience for new opportunities. Guest Katie Fortunato shares her unconventional career path from acting to corporate roles at MTV, AOL, and the Wall Street Journal before joining her family business, Higher Innovations. Katie emphasizes the value of mentorship, describing her 83-year-old mentor who navigated multiple business cycles. They explore the hidden job market, where 70% of roles are filled through referrals due to distrust of job boards and fraud concerns. Katie details her Jobstream platform, which provides career coaches with a vetted network of real job postings, rewarding them when clients apply. The discussion turns to AI's role in hiring, with Katie advising listeners to learn AI skills to remain relevant. She introduces the 'talent market index' from her company Talivity, which tracks real-time job demand in sectors like healthcare. Katie uses a whale migration analogy to advocate for multi-generational skill transfer, addressing the 'nepo baby' stigma. She explains how parents naturally network to help their children's careers, similar to professional mentoring. The episode concludes with Katie encouraging curiosity and continuous learning, and sharing how listeners can access Jobstream.

As heard by us

A grounded conversation about turning midlife experience into clearer career possibilities.

Midlife career uncertainty gets a practical, humane reframe as Katie Fortunato makes the case that accumulated experience can translate into influence, meaningful work, and fresh opportunity.

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Why you'd press play

If your experience feels underused, Katie Fortunato offers a sharper way to look for the next opening.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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