Nectaria Metrakos joins host Karina Jimenez to share the career journey that took her from Chicago to Athens and Brussels, through two decades at The Coca-Cola Company, and into launching her own consulting firm. She reflects on the courage it took to leave a stable path in the United States, navigate international moves with her family, and pursue work aligned with her values. Nectaria also opens up about the self-doubt that sometimes held her back, particularly as a woman in leadership, and why learning to recognize her own accomplishments helped her embrace new opportunities.
Nectaria and Karina also explore the importance of human connection as AI changes the workplace, why problem-solving, empathy, and curiosity will remain essential skills, and how supportive communities can help women challenge limiting beliefs. Drawing on her experience co-creating a Lean In circle in Athens, Nectaria shares how encouragement from other women helped her pursue a global leadership role she nearly turned down. For the next generation, her advice is to seek mentors, explore unfamiliar opportunities, stop tying self-worth to external achievements, and define success on your own terms while appreciating the ordinary moments along the way.