70% of college seniors with student debt say looming repayments will impact their career plans.

The average graduate and oftentimes, their parents will endure 17 to 20 years of loan payments in efforts to become free from student debt.

Our emerging workforce will comprise 75% of the workforce by 2025 making student debt a majority issue. Student debt isn’t just a financial burden, but it’s one of the biggest barriers to wealth creation in the modern workforce.

In this episode, we’re joined by Laurel Taylor, founder and CEO of Candidly, to explore how addressing student debt is no longer optional. Laurel shares how her personal journey with debt led to a mission that’s already wiped out nearly $2 billion in liability and opened new pathways to first-time wealth.

• Why student debt is now a business issue, not just a personal one
• How shame around debt stops employees from engaging in benefits
• The ROI companies are seeing when they address financial stress
• How Candidly helps employers reduce turnover by up to 76%
• Laurel’s philosophy on risk, resilience, and the real cost of pride
• What it means to lead during wartime—and how her team stays agile
• How AI is powering the next phase of financial wellness

00:00 – Laurel’s personal student debt story

01:28 – Why she founded Candidly

03:24 – The shame around student debt—and how it affects families

05:33 – Why debt is a workplace issue and not just a personal one

06:54 – What employers are missing in their benefits stack

07:46 – The staggering ROI of Candidly’s solution for employers

09:44 – Tax-free employer contributions and new retirement match rules

11:57 – How the sales cycle for Candidly evolved from 2016 to today

13:32 – Distribution through major financial services firms

15:01 – Laurel’s story of quitting Dell after one day

17:53 – “I have nothing to lose but my pride”: Laurel’s mindset shift

19:52 – How loss shaped Laurel’s perspective and mission

23:07 – Her framework for overcoming fear and taking risks

27:16 – Leading through chaos: student loan reform and AI adoption

29:40 – The real-time complexity of student loan programs

31:10 – Wartime CEO: how her team thrives through rapid change

32:36 – A three-week offsite to prototype AI-powered personalization

34:41 – Candidly’s next wave: AI + wealth creation at scale

36:47 – How to run a purposeful, high-impact team retreat

39:04 – Why ignoring student debt is no longer an option for CEOs

41:51 – Student debt and the retirement gap

42:56 – Candidly’s mission for the next decade: from debt to wealth

Laurel Taylor is the CEO and Founder of Candidly. Laurel previously led a global business unit at Google and holds her MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an undergraduate degree from Texas State University.

Laurel has experienced, first hand, the impact of missing out on two decades of compounding interest on wealth while paying down debt, between she and her highly educated mother. Thus, her path and purpose to solve the student debt, savings, and retirement savings crisis was born.

As the market-leader, Candidly has generated over $1.2B of student debt impact as a workplace benefit, serving thousands of employers with an average population of 22,500 employees, distributed by the largest financial services companies in the world.

• Learn more about Candidly: https://getcandidly.com
• Connect with Laurel on LinkedIn:

What happens when your lifelong career ends overnight? Most people panic. Steve Delsohn got to work.

After 16 years at ESPN, multiple journalism awards, and a career-defining body of investigative work, Steve found himself laid off, just one day after winning two prestigious honors. In this episode, Steve opens up about the emotional and professional toll of being let go, how he transitioned into the world of PR without sacrificing his values, and why saying “no” to big opportunities is sometimes the most powerful move you can make.

Whether you're facing a layoff, rethinking your next move, or trying to lead with more integrity, this conversation is a masterclass in reinvention, resilience, and doing meaningful work.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Steve went from journalism to building a purpose-driven PR firm
• The secret to pitching powerful stories that get noticed
• How to ask better questions (for interviews or leadership)
• What sports journalism taught him about truth, ethics, and standing firm
• Why networking is your greatest career asset
• His best advice for anyone transitioning careers

Timestamps:

00:20 – Winning two awards… then getting laid off the next day

03:40 – The identity crisis after leaving ESPN

05:04 – Grieving the loss of a career you loved

07:45 – Ageism, niche jobs, and what really blocked new opportunities

09:39 – The almost-job at a PR firm repping Harvey Weinstein

11:42 – Launching Delsohn Strategies

12:19 – The ethical line Steve refuses to cross in business

14:22 – Why he turned down work with Daniel Snyder

16:01 – Where Steve’s values came from—and why he won’t compromise

18:06 – The biggest transferable skill from journalism to PR

20:55 – How Steve builds trust with high-profile clients

22:43 – The art of asking the right question

24:11 – What interviewers and leaders can learn from Joe Paterno

27:42 – Steve’s first book deal with John Matuszak

28:50 – The wild inside stories of Emmitt Smith and Jerry Jones

31:15 – Co-authoring a book about Sam Kinison

32:34 – How Steve prepared for investigative stories on giants like Penn State and UNC

36:18 – Stories of institutional betrayal and survivor justice

39:18 – Social media, journalism, and the danger of speed over truth

41:07 – Did he ever regret a published story?

42:05 – The Joe Paterno text message Steve caught on camera

47:14 – Advice for having difficult conversations

48:51 – Who Steve will and won’t work with at his PR firm

50:43 – Purpose, values, and building a client roster you’re proud of

51:02 – The underestimated power of networking

54:02 – Is he happier now than at ESPN?

About Steve:

During his 30-plus years in journalism and communications, Steve Delsohn has built a national reputation as a network television reporter, nonfiction author, documentary producer, and strategic communications consultant.

Steve worked 16 years as an investigative reporter for ESPN TV’s Outside the Lines, the news magazine show which examines substantial issues in the sports world. In 2013 he won a Peabody Award for a story on the concussion crisis in the NFL. In 2009 he earned an EMMY nomination for a story on Joe Paterno’s morally-decaying Penn State football program.

He did other high-profile investigations of improper medical care in high school football; the dangers of 15-seat passenger vans which transport small-college athletes;

When host Damon Lembi quit drinking, it had nothing to do with hitting rock bottom. Instead, it had everything to do with the future he wanted to create.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Damon gave up alcohol (without hitting a dramatic low)
• The moment he realized he wasn’t showing up as the person he wanted to be
• A 5-step framework for making lasting change in your life
• How to handle discomfort in social situations after a big change
• What life felt like two weeks, two months, and nine years after quitting
• How letting go of one habit helped Damon become a sharper leader, father, and author

Timestamps:

00:00 – Damon’s personal story: why he quit drinking without a rock-bottom moment

01:00 – The role alcohol played in his personal, professional, and social life

02:00 – The turning point: noticing the impact on his health, energy, and finances

03:00 – Reflecting on family: longevity, legacy, and leadership

04:00 – Step 1: Get curious—books, conversations, and quiet exploration

04:50 – Step 2: Journal—getting fears and hopes onto the page

05:30 – Step 3: Tell someone—why accountability changed everything

06:00 – Step 4: Commit—picking a date and making it real

06:45 – Early challenges: awkward parties, AA meetings, and finding his own path

07:50 – Step 5: Lean into discomfort—navigating social pressure and anxiety

08:45 – What changed: sleep, clarity, confidence, and sharper decision-making

09:30 – Why alcohol used to be a coping mechanism—and how Damon replaced it

10:00 – The long-term impact on his career, health, and creativity

10:45 – A final challenge for listeners: what’s holding you back?

Connect With Us:

• Uplevel yourself and your team with our trainings: www.learnit.com
• Email us: podcast@learnit.com
• Follow Damon on LinkedIn and Instagram