Season 1 | Episode 6
Pivot Like a Professional
An Interview With
Tiffiny Lai
Founder, Plantiful and Co.
Tiffiny Lai is the founder of Plantiful and Co., a passion project which sprouted during and because of the current global pandemic. It is both an online, social-media based plant boutique and a plant styling service that aims to “bring more life to life.”
Prior to taking this pivot in her career path, she worked for the National Basketball Association for over four years. She started working on social responsibility projects for the NBA and eventually became an associate manager for merchandising and events, among other roles. She is currently working on her orthomolecular health practitioner nutrition certification.
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Overview:
In this week‘s episode, Jon and Tiffiny discuss what it is like to pivot or change directions in your career trajectory and the importance of being genuine while doing so. How do you get ahead? Simply put, Tiffiny recommends you “know yourself genuinely and your strengths and really communicate that to your manager.”
As a self-titled “jack of all trades,” Tiffiny shares the wisdom she has gained by being inquisitive and using straightforward, honest communication as a way to grow both personally and professionally. If Covid-19 has made your career goals “moving targets,” if you’ve ever wondered how to move up in an organization without burning bridges, if you want some positive advice on how to cope with being flexible during a pandemic, this episode of the Job Talks Podcast can’t be missed.
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
[01:39] How did you get – what many would consider a dream job – in a major sports association, the NBA? And how did you move to different positions within it?
[03:54] Talk about the ideal relationship between a manager and an employee.
[04:51] Talk about some of the lessons you learned working for the National Basketball Association.
[07:26] How many things can you do really well at once?
[08:12] What is your career growth philosophy? Do you have a set of guidelines for your career and life?
[11:40] What are your thoughts on having a five-year plan?
[14:34] How many people have you met that have benefitted you relationship wise or career wise through the process of volunteering?
[17:45] You lost your job because of Covid-19. What was that like? Did you see it coming and did you already know what you were going to do next?
[21:21] What is Plantiful and Co.? What is the concept and how did you arrive at it?
[23:48] What plants do you recommend that are easy to take care of?
How to Keep Your Plant Baby Alive:
“Don’t over water, just let it do its thing, you can water it in the sink […] If you think about it like a sauna or a hot yoga room, if you don’t air it out it’s gonna cause mould […] It’s going to cause a lot of [...] build up – so let it breath, let it water, let it flow and you’re gonna be good to go!”
Resource Links
Plantiful and Co.