Ep 142 – Abdul Rastagar, GTM Leader, marketing author, and career coach

podcast May 30, 2022

In episode 142, Erik and Kerel talk with Abdul Rastagar, GTM Leader, marketing author, and career coach. Abdul hosts a quick 5 minute LinkedIn podcast called Up Your Game where he interviews marketing executives to give career advice for those who are looking to get into the marketing field. He has also written a book called Up Your Game based off of the many interviews he’s completed. Growing up in many different places in his childhood – from Afghanistan and throughout Europe – Abdul eventually made it to the US and now resides in California. He received his degree in organic chemistry and became a pharmaceutical scientist until realizing that he wanted to do something else, something that he would love. He bridged the gap between pharmaceuticals and marketing and made it fully over to the technology marketing field and fell in love with the ways of thinking and fast paced environment.

Abdul shares his unique perspective of being an uncommon person in the United States and how he was met with kindness and empathy from the most unexpecting people. He also offers his experience on how to best jump career paths, why he has been called for more balance in his personal and professional life and he gives advice for people who are looking to get into the marketing field whether right out of college or as a career transition.

“The other thing that really inspires me is the idea of helping people. I like to think that success, my measure of success, is not how much I know or accomplish, it’s how much knowledge I can pass on to other people.”

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rastagar/
Up Your Game: The Definitive Guide to Acing Your Marketing Job Interview: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VHKZG3S/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk

Timestamps:
:30: Abdul Rastagar, GTM leader, marketing author, and career coach, shares the many different places he moved around to and grew up in

1:49: How moving around to so many different places and being introduced to so many different people has shaped and defined Abdul and his perspective and outlook

4:49: Moments where Abdul was impacted by the kindness of humans around him during really dark times as he lived the US

6:40: Abdul shares the inspiration he got to create his podcast and book, Up Your Game, which provides people with career and marketing advice

9:15: The journey Abdul took from studying organic chemistry and becoming a medicinal chemist to moving into marketing and why he loves it so much

11:12: The biggest thing Abdul has learned since being in marketing and what marketers are missing and how they can do better to serve their customers

12:31: How Abdul bridged the gap going from chemistry to marketing and the mindsets he had to let go of in the transition

15:51: What is currently inspiring Abdul in his personal and professional life

18:11: The importance of mentors in Abdul’s life and what he learned from others as he continued to gather mentors for himself

20:02: What books Abdul is reading these days

20:51: Career advice for those who are looking to get into the marketing field and those who are interested in switching careers and go into marketing

23:02: Abdul’s top three apps he uses on his phone to stay connected with others and stay informed

24:03: The best way to stay in touch with Abdul Rastagar