Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy
I’m Samorn Selim. Welcome to the Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy Podcast. I’m a lawyer turned career coach on a mission for us to take our careers from dread to joy. Growing up as the daughter of poor Lao refugees, I was the underdog. Against all odds, I made it to a top 10 law school and landed a job in Big Law. As an outsider, I was told that I was lucky to even be there and that I had to pay my dues. After coaching over 1,000 clients, I now realize that the idea that you have to pay your dues and work in a toxic place is a myth. We can face our challenges head on, do work we are passionate about, and work with good people to make a big impact. So even as we struggle, we can find a sense of belonging.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 45 minutes
- Episodes
- 101
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
Episode 106: Repost: How to build your network from scratch with Dyanna Volek (Government Affairs Executive featured on New York Times and CNN)
Are you a first generation professional who wants to build a great reputation and strong network? In this episode with Dyanna Volek (Government Affairs Manager featured on New York Times and CNN…
Episode 105: Repost: How choosing the untraditional path can lead to your dream career with Frankie Reed (Former ambassador of Fiji and the surrounding regions)
Do you know you have a dream in mind, but have been told it’s not possible? In this episode with Frankie Reed (former Ambassador of Fiji and the surrounding region and career member of the U.S. F…
Episode 104: Being intentional with your career, making big career changes, and bouncing back from the techsession with Stephanie Kiman (Sr. Marketing Programs Manager at SAP)
It’s Career Unicorns - Spark Your Joy podcast 2 year anniversary.
For this special occasion, we’re doing a deep dive with one of Samorn’s clients, Stephanie Kiman (Sr. Marketing Programs Manager …
Episode 103: Letting go of someone else’s dream, finding your purpose, and creating an inclusive culture for Black women with Watchen Nyanue (Founder & CEO of I Choose The Ladder)
Are you living someone else’s dream? And you’re not sure how to find your own path? In this episode with Watchen Nyanue (Founder & CEO of I Choose The Ladder), we discuss: - How growing up as …
Episode 102: From the Bronx to Chief Legal Officer: how to embrace your identities, take risks, and build your dream career with Shana Simmons (Chief Legal Officer at Everlaw)
Are you wondering when is the right time to make a career move? And what if the next role isn't exactly a promotion? What do you do? In this episode with Shana Simmosn (Chief Legal Officer of Ever…
Episode 101: You are not the problem, unlearning silence, advocating for yourself, letting go of suffering, and healing from toxic workplaces with Elaine Lin Hering (speaker, facilitator, and writer)
How many of us have been told to suffer in silence because we shouldn’t burn bridges? But that silence is violence and trauma. In this episode with Elaine Lin Hering, we discuss: - AAPIs in …
Ep. 100: Repost: Being a Black DEI consultant and setting healthy boundaries with Janice Gassam Asare (Founder of BWG Business Solutions)
Do you want to embrace the intersectionality of your identities and build your dream career? But you’re not sure where to start? In this episode with Janice, we discuss: - How she built her D…
Episode 99: Repost: Being Asian and gay, recovering from a toxic workplace, creating cultural competent therapy for AAPIs with Dr. Noel Ramirez (Founder & Director of Mango Tree Counseling & Consulting)
The pandemic and the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes has been devastating for AAPI communities. How do we heal ourselves from individual, institutional, and systemic traumas? In this episode wit…
Ep. 98: Repost: Finding your voice, working with allies, building your dream career, and creating a culture of inclusion with Mita Mallick (Chief Diversity Officer at Carta and Co-host of The Brown Table Talk Podcast)
If you’re looking for resources on how to create inclusion, order Mita’s book (out today!) “Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths To Transform Your Workplace” on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/R…
Episode 97: Repost: How to rebuild your life and career with a mental illness with Rohan Kallicharan
September is suicide prevention month. I know firsthand how tough it is to have suicidal ideation, and I hope anyone who is experiencing this knows that they are not alone. They can get help and…
Episode 96: Repost: How to rebuild your life after addiction with Leigh Steinberg (real-life inspiration for Oscar-winning Jerry McGuire & Chairman of Leigh Steinberg Sports and Entertainment Holdings)
Have you struggled with addiction? And you know this is how you want to live, but you’re not sure how to make a change? Leigh Steinberg (real-life inspiration for Oscar-winning Jerry McGuire &…
Episode 95: Repost: How taking a risk can lead to your dream career with Alex Su (Head of Community at Ironclad)
Are you in a career that is a bad fit with your skills? But you’re not sure how to transition to something that is a better fit? In this episode with Alex Su, we discuss:
- How he used out of t…
Ep. 94: Repost: Finding your authentic voice and speaking truth to power with Jill Wesley (Founder of Science + Soul of Speaking and Head of Speaker Coaching for TEDxSanFrancisco)
We often hear that we should be “authentic.” But how do you do that when you know you’ll be attacked when you’re the victim or you have to keep your job to pay the bills despite toxic leadership?…
Ep. 93: Repost: Growing up as a Black Man and a descendant of slaves in America, fighting for social justice, and finding hope in dark times with Antonio Ingram II (Assistant Counsel at NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund)
The recent Supreme Court rulings against affirmative action are huge setbacks for marginalized communities and communities of color. During these challenging times, it’s easy to lose hope. And…
Ep. 92: Being a named plaintiff for marriage equality, advocating for justice, and having life unicorns adventure with Stuart Gaffney (marriage equality activist, filmmaker, and public health researcher)
The recent Supreme Court rulings against the LGBTQAI2+ community is heartbreaking. Sometimes, I feel hopeless during these dark times. And in these times, it’s even more important for us to sur…
Ep. 91: Breaking into leadership while identifying as a Lao refugee, LGBTQIA2S plus, and nonprofit professional of color with Matthew Rizzie (Executive Director at GLCU Foundation for Financial Empowerment)
Do you feel your passion is to make the world a better place? But you’re unsure of how to build a career out of it? In this episode, we discuss: - How the intersectionality of our identities …
Ep. 90: Repost: Meditation to find peace and restore faith in humanity during challenging times with Samorn Selim (CEO of Career Unicorns and Career Coach for BIPOC, Women and first-generation professionals)
As some of you may know, I was attacked by a man walking in my neighborhood park around 9:45 am. The man made no attempt to steal anything; his only goal was to hurt me by tackling me like a footb…
Ep. 89: Repost: Stopping anti-Asian hate, speaking up about discrimination, and choosing joy with Lisa Mak (Attorney at Minami Tamaki andPresident of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area)
As some of you may know, I was attacked by a White man walking in the park around 9:45 am. This is a park where they hold summer camps and many kids were around. I bring my kids here on the weeke…
Ep. 88: Making big career changes: driving Lyft, going to a bootcamp, and becoming a software engineer at a Fortune 50 company without a college degree with Vincent Robinson (Software Engineer at State Farm)
Do you want to make a big career change? But you haven’t taken action because you’re afraid of failing?
In this episode, we discuss:
- How to make a big career change going from dropping out of…
Ep. 87: Getting into the C-suite, creating a culture of belonging, and building allies with Yusuf Z. Zakir (Chief Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Officer at Davis Wright Tremaine)
This episode was recorded before the Supreme Court made its decision to gut affirmative action. Knowing the make up of the Justices, we had a bad feeling about the ruling. Unfortunately, we were…