2B Bolder Podcast : Career Insights for the Next Generation of Women in Business & Tech

Want a masterclass in credibility, change communications, and career resilience without the fluff?  I had the opportunity to sit down with senior communications leader Elaina Dulaney to unpack how strategic storytelling, trusted relationships, and a servant leadership mindset can carry you from small software gigs to agency depth and into the halls of Big Tech on episode #152 of the 2B Bolder podcast. Elaina shares the early principle that shaped her career arc, build experience before kids to create future choice, and the unexpected phone call that turned into an agency, Microsoft work, and eventually a corporate leadership role right before the world shifted.

She and I get candid about today’s market: how budgets are tighter, rates are pressured, and job boards can feel like a black hole. Elaina breaks down a practical system for job seekers, 10% applications, 25–30% AI upskilling, 25–30% brand building, and the rest on targeted networking, plus the one constant that still moves mountains: relationships. We talk through “overqualified” bias, why great managers hire strategic doers, and how to spot roles where scope expands but recognition lags. You’ll hear real tactics to surface referrals, maintain momentum, and protect your mindset when you face rejections, even though you are quite capable of the role.

For leaders, we dig into the communication blind spots that quietly sink trust: last-minute reviews, skipped rehearsals, and messages that forget the audience. Elaina outlines a change comms playbook built on consistency across stakeholders, durable truth, and live Q&A that shows transparency under pressure. And because AI is changing the craft, we frame it as a copilot, not the pilot, so strategy, ethics, and empathy stay human. We also explore executive presence on LinkedIn, balancing authenticity with professionalism without slipping into performative posts.

If you’re building a career in communications, marketing, or tech, or you lead teams through complexity, you’ll leave with a sharper toolkit and renewed conviction that reputation and community are your edge. If this conversation sparks ideas or you want more on these topics, connect with us on LinkedIn, share the episode with a friend, and leave a quick review so we can keep the conversations you care about coming.

Tune in as Mary and Elaina talk openly about today's job market and share how they both face it with grace and optimism.

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Connect with Elaina Dulaney on LinkedIn

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