Caroline Wanga on the Career Path No One Tells You About

Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel

It’s easy to feel lost in your career, especially as the world around us keeps shifting. Whether you’re starting over, seeking purpose, or just unsure what your next move is, this episode is for you.

This week, Jessi Hempel sits down with Caroline Wanga, president and CEO of Essence Ventures and co-founder of Wanga Woman. Caroline is a dynamic leader and an unapologetic champion of authenticity. She joins Jessi to share her approach to building a career map – not just once, but continuously throughout your life.

Before leading Essence, Caroline spent 15 years at Target, rising from intern to C-suite executive. Today, she’s focused on democratizing authenticity through her personal purpose, her leadership, and her new memoir, I’m Highly Percent Sure.

Jessi and Caroline dig deep into:

• Why your “next right move” may not look like anyone else’s

• Why playing with your career map, not perfecting it, leads to clarity

• How, and when, Caroline has created her own career maps

• The role of authenticity in leadership and life

• What it really takes to live and work with personal purpose

• Tools and mindsets for building a meaningful career in today’s world

Don’t miss Caroline’s practical wisdom on shaping a professional life that evolves with you.

This episode was filmed live in-studio. LinkedIn Premium subscribers can watch the full video version here.

Want to keep the conversation going? Join us at Hello Monday Office Hours, live on the LinkedIn News page this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.