View From the Summit

About View From the Summit

View from the Summit is a podcast to help teens identify potential careers and unlock passions. I’ve always loved talking to people about how they’ve shaped their careers and built their lives from the ground up because it motivates and inspires me that I can do the same. I started this podcast as a means to share these conversations with my peers. Each episode taps into the mindset and worldview of leaders across industries, bringing their perspectives on how to break into an industry, what skills are valued and needed to excel, and advice they wish they had learned sooner. I hope to offer perspective to help my peers find fields that resonate with them.

Publisher

James Jedlic

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 May 2026

Latest episode

26 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

7 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Sept 2026

   Ep 07: John Anderson, Entrepreneur, Ebay, Facebook, PayPal

   In this episode of View From the Summit, I sit down with John Anderson, former Senior Vice President and General Manager of Consumer at PayPal, who also spent a decade at Facebook and founded and sold his own company along the way. John traces his path from taking apart computers in Milwaukee, to rowing at Cornell, to becoming the single largest buyer of internet keyword traffic on the web at twenty-two — before Google existed. He talks about losing his job when the dot-com bubble burst and spending six months cashing unemployment checks and learning to ski in Tahoe, the eBay seller whose autograph request reframed what work was for, how a thank-you note to a retiring professor accidentally became a company, and what happened when Facebook sent him to fix the one country in the world where it wasn't working. We close on AI — what it means for school, for hiring, and why he argues a college degree matters more now, not less. I hope you enjoy this conversation about non-linear paths, the people who shape them, and knowing when to ride the chairlift and when to skin up.

2. 

   11 Sept 2026

   Ep 06: Peter Phillips, Managing Director at Medley Partners

   On View from the Summit, Peter Phillips, Managing Director at Medley Partners, shares how ski racing shaped his approach to risk, resilience, and consistency, and how those lessons carried into finance. He describes growing up in Minneapolis balancing a non-ski-academy workload with racing, taking a post-grad year in Steamboat to improve before walking onto Middlebury’s ski team, and the impact of mentor Neil Atkinson on his work ethic. Peter recounts learning investment banking at Deutsche Bank, switching from CMBS to leveraged finance during the 2008–09 turmoil, and joining Medley for the chance to build an investment framework in a small, high-trust team across private equity, venture, real estate, and credit. He discusses what makes candidates stand out, the compounding value of networks, fulfillment through leadership opportunities and family balance, and favorite Sugar Bowl memories of teaching his kids to ski, including “skiing” Fuller's Folly with them. Chapters: 00:00 Ski Racing Setbacks 00:27 Meet Peter Phillips 01:19 Sugar Bowl Connection 02:14 Teen Years Ski Focus 03:53 PG Year And Middlebury 07:39 Breaking Onto The Team 09:05 Mentors And Work Ethic 10:43 Balancing School Sport Family 14:27 Deutsche Bank Internship Grind 19:04 Ski Lessons For Work 21:32 Leadership And Mentoring 26:03 Standing Out And Passion 29:35 Crisis Pivot To Medley 37:10 Building A Network 41:28 Fulfillment And Balance 46:09 Favorite Sugar Bowl Memory 47:30 Closing Thoughts

3. 

   28 Aug 2026

   Ep 05: Bridget Legnavsky, CEO of Sugar Bowl Resort

   Bridget’s Path from New Zealand Ski Instructor to Sugar Bowl CEO Bridget, CEO of Sugar Bowl for four years and a resort resident, recounts growing up in Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, working in her father’s scenic flying business and developing operations skills early. She began skiing at Mount Dobson, quickly advanced into instructing and certification, earned a physical education degree while doing back-to-back seasons in Japan and Colorado, and competed in what was then called extreme skiing. At Cardrona, unplanned promotions took her from events manager through leadership roles to general manager, where she built instructor training and competitive programs, expanded ski days, and pursued an online MBA culminating in the Soho master plan, alongside acquiring Treble Cone. She describes COVID impacts, China initiatives, and how centralized corporate work felt less fulfilling, leading her to Sugar Bowl after connecting with its board. She contrasts New Zealand and U.S. business culture, outlines Sugar Bowl’s multi-business operations and current capital projects, and shares a favorite memory: a May 5, 2023 powder day during the Donner Summit event. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:39 New Zealand Roots 03:17 Teaching and Racing 04:06 Degree and Seasons Abroad 07:41 Cardrona Career Ladder 09:55 Teams Mentors Values 12:50 Scaling Cardrona Up 14:42 Growth vs Sustainability 17:37 Big Moves and COVID 21:23 Global Expansion China 22:17 Why Sugar Bowl Called 28:25 NZ vs California Culture 32:55 Networks in Tahoe 34:20 Projects and Daily Work 36:32 Favorite Powder Memory 38:07 Closing Thoughts

4. 

   4 Aug 2026

   Ep 04: Matt Paul, Founder of Loose Cannon Pictures

   In this episode of View From the Summit, I sit down with Matt Paul — Sugar Bowl Academy alum, former U.S. Navy SEAL, and founder of Loose Cannon Pictures. Matt got cut from his college ski team junior year and calls it the best thing that ever happened to him. What he did next took him through Hell Week, an infection that nearly ended it, two deployments, and eventually into a room with an Oscar-winning director who threw him out before she let him in. He's since mortgaged his own home to finance a film, and has another premiering at TIFF this September. We talk about failure as a redirector rather than a terminator, why leaving the military was hard for reasons he didn't expect, and how you build a tribe on purpose instead of by accident. Here are some notable chapters to listen for in the episode: 00:35 Introduction 01:40 What's your connection to Sugar Bowl? 02:30 The old Caltrans lodge, firewood, and a class of three 05:10 Bates, Maine ice, and getting cut from the D1 ski team 08:20 Theater over thesis 11:30 Enlisting, Hell Week, and Class 287 16:10 "To thine own self be true" — handling the naysayers 20:50 The camera, the intel department, and looking for work 23:00 Why you can't multitask 24:35 Cold-messaging his way into Hollywood 26:30 Shadowing Kimberly Peirce 29:45 Loose Cannon Pictures, Violet, and Breakwater 31:30 Skin in the game 33:30 How to build a community on purpose 34:45 What running a film set actually feels like 37:30 Malibu, San Francisco, and what's next 41:00 Life after the military 44:00 One skill, one mindset

5. 

   24 Jul 2026

   Ep 03: Nadia Costa, Founding Partner, GVR

   Nadia describes her family’s long connection to Sugar Bowl through her son’s academy and racing, their move from the Bay Area to Truckee, and why the community remains meaningful even after their kids left the academy. She recounts a difficult high school experience, starting at junior college, working at a crisis nursery, studying sociology at UC Santa Barbara, earning a funded master’s opportunity at the University of Chicago before transferring to UCLA, and working in residential drug treatment and then as an emergency response worker for Children’s Protective Services. Encouraged to pursue law, she attended UC Berkeley (Boalt) and entered land use after transferring from commercial litigation. She details seven and a half years of pro bono work on Debbie’s case, firm pressures, leaving big law for Miller Starr in Walnut Creek, building client relationships, and later launching the land use firm GVR. She emphasizes mentorship, networking through reciprocal consultant relationships, recognizing luck, and advice against hyper-curated overachievement. Favorite Sugar Bowl memories include early racing-era weekends and freeride competition community. Here are some chapters: 00:00 Sugar Bowl Roots 02:12 High School Struggles 03:40 Finding Purpose in College 06:21 Grad School and Frontline Work 11:47 From Social Work to Law 12:26 Accidental Land Use Career 15:08 Debbie Case Pro Bono Fight 19:17 Big Firm Reality Check 21:31 Mentors and Team Culture 26:04 Networking and Client Trust 30:51 Launching GVR Together 35:37 Luck and Advice for Youth 40:14 Favorite Sugar Bowl Memories

6. 

   4 May 2026

   Ep. 02: Jason Bogardus, 545 group, Morgan Stanley

   The conversation covers Jason's early life, career exploration, college experience, the importance of networking and persistence, creating your own luck, the ingredients of success, career progression, overcoming challenges, networking and creating opportunities, and Jason's career at Morgan Stanley and success factors. The conversation delves into the themes of resilience and overcoming adversity, navigating career challenges, and the importance of curiosity and continuous learning. It emphasizes the value of persistence, adaptability, and the pursuit of knowledge in personal and professional growth. Takeaways Career paths and opportunities have evolved significantly over time Creating your own luck is a key factor in career success Resilience Curiosity Chapters 00:00 Early Life and Career Exploration 06:02 The Importance of Networking and Persistence 11:55 The Ingredients of Success 17:54 Overcoming Challenges and Persistence 23:57 Career at Morgan Stanley and Success Factors 29:40 Overcoming Adversity and Resilience 37:11 The Importance of Curiosity and Learning

7. 

   4 May 2026

   Ep. 01: MaiLy Pham Kopasty, Senior Vice President, Global General Manager at Fenty Beauty

   In this episode of View From the Summit, I sit down with Mai-Ly, Senior Vice President and Global General Manager of Fenty Beauty at LVMH. Mai-Ly shares her unconventional path from engineering school in France to the top of the global beauty industry. From interning at Chanel on Avenue Montaigne to falling in love with the fast-paced retail world at Sephora, and ultimately stewarding one of the most culturally significant beauty brands in the world. She opens up about the power of noticing what fills your cup, how to find mentors who genuinely have your best interest at heart, and what she actually looks for when hiring. I hope you enjoy this candid, wide-ranging conversation about passion, grit, and building a career that feels like your own. Key topics: The importance of paying attention to what activities make you lose track of time How early interests in art, math, and fashion influenced her career trajectory The role of family influences and cultural background in career choices Navigating internships, networking, and persistence in landing coveted roles The value of mentorship, curiosity, and authenticity in career growth Strategies to identify personal strengths and areas of genuine interest Embracing lateral moves and setbacks as part of professional development Tips on self-awareness, visualization, and aligning work with personal fulfillment Recognizing toxic environments and knowing when to say no Practical advice for young professionals on job selection and growth Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Starting points and early passions 02:19 - Recognizing what makes you lose yourself in activities 05:02 - Childhood interests in ballet, makeup, and numbers 08:32 - Transition from engineering to fashion and luxury 11:37 - Educational journey and lucky breaks in career 14:10 - Finding mentors and building your network 17:54 - The importance of following what you love in your career 21:32 - Breaking into the luxury industry through boldness and persistence 24:48 - Lessons learned from high-end retail roles 30:37 - How authentic customer relationships drive success 36:43 - Overcoming industry challenges and toxic environments 43:33 - Climbing the career ladder: promotions, lateral moves, and setbacks 50:07 - Visualizing success and setting clear goals 54:24 - Traits to look for in hiring and team building 56:41 - What fills your cup: personal fulfillment and work-life balance 57:25 - Managing ADHD and leveraging rapid bursts of focus in training 58:24 - Predicting trends in economics and understanding macro impacts 61:14 - Future educational plans and broadening horizons 62:24 - Final thoughts: continuous learning and connecting with well-informed individuals

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Spotify

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.