The Product Director+ Challenge

FREE | March 31 - April 2

Replays available through April 10

For the Mid-Career Woman in

Product-Related Fields

Host:

Lisa Kostova, CEO and Founder,

CareerClimb®

Diagnose and overcome Career Monsters™, break through to the next level of your career
with the Director+ Challenge, and create
powerful momentum
, even in a tough market

The Live Challenge is now over, but you can sign up to receive the Challenge replays (Available through April 10)

What is the Product Director+ Challenge?

The Product Director+ Challenge is a free LIVE 3-day focused "career sprint" designed to help you diagnose precisely what is blocking your career progress, and get crystal clear on the next steps to reignite your career, no matter how stuck you may feel.

Prior Challenges (The Product VP Challenge) have been taken by hundreds of mid-career and senior women in tech since 2020, producing breakthroughs and creating powerful career momentum.

The Director+ Challenge is designed specifically for the unique challenges faced by women transitioning from strong IC and new manager roles to more experienced senior roles like Director, Senior Director, or even VP.

You will get the best benefits by attending the calls live, where Lisa can coach you, even if you skip some of the sessions.

Your Host

Lisa Kostova

I’m Lisa Kostova, former VP of Product, coach and advisor to more than 100 women in tech, and your guide on the Product Director+ Challenge adventure.

I've always worked and trained hard - in mountaineering and in tech. After accomplishing some pretty big professional milestones, like being listed as a thought leader in the Harvard Business Review, and personal ones, like climbing Mt. Denali, I started CareerClimb® with the vision of guiding women in tech to their highest career potential.

My experience coaching, mentoring and managing hundreds of talented women in Product, as well as my own career climbing the career mountain the hard way has taught me a lot about what works and what doesn't. It has helped me identify the main Career Monsters™ that trip up talented women on their way to more senior roles.

The good news is that I'm about to download all that experience to you. I'll show you how to get unstuck, how to avoid the most common and hidden traps in your career and how to identify the path forward to your next role.

And most importantly - how to fall in love with the career mountain you're climbing!

Because YOU have an important responsibility to the communities you represent to NOT quit and to be as successful as you can be. So that little girls can one day say: "If she did it, so can I!"

Special Guests to be Announced Soon!

Image

Special Guest 1

Image

Special Guest 2

"The Challenge is right for women who want more in their career and from themselves but are not yet sure what it takes to get there."

Rosa Gonzalez Welton

Director of Product Management, Intuit

"The Challenge

created a tight community for women who are willing to support each other and lift each other up.

The advice and coaching from Lisa was hugely helpful and I was able to come up to speed much faster in my new role."

Christine Rhinehart

Senior Product Manager, Netflix

"The Challenge made me realize that I'm not alone in my experiences. I would recommend the Challenge to mid-career professionals who are eager to learn, feel stuck and want to get unstuck."

Evelyn Chou

Product Operations, Coursera

Host Featured In:

Who is the Director+ Challenge for?

Image
Feature Headline

Any woman in a tech function who has at least 5 years of work experience and who feels she needs more direction and momentum in her career.

Image
Feature Headline

This Challenge is designed for those whose next step is Director or Senior Director, (and in some cases, VP)

Image
Feature Headline

The Challenge is open to any tech professional but will be most relevant to those in Product-related fields, such as Product, Program Mgmt, Project Mgmt, Business Analytics, Data Science, Design, etc.

Image
Feature Headline

You can be employed, looking for a job, on leave or on a sabbatical.

All are welcome!

By The End Of This Challenge You Will:

Image
Feature Headline

Diagnose and understand how to overcome your top Career Monster™

Image
Feature Headline

Get clear on the root cause of your biggest career challenge and what to do about it

Image
Feature Headline

Assess the most critical component of your career success that most people ignore at their peril

Image
Feature Headline

Understand the requirements for your next role as a senior manager and how to build trust and relationships to get to that next level

Image
Feature Headline

Identify the next steps for your career

Image
Feature Headline

Get inspired by Lisa and the women who will be taking the Challenge with you. You're not alone!

Agenda and Schedule:

[Calls take place on Zoom. Recordings are available through April 9, so you can catch up if you miss a live session. You will get the most benefit if you attend sessions live, where Lisa can live coach you.]

Day 1 (Friday, March 31) at 12 pm PST / 3 pm EST:

40-60 min: The first 3 Career Monsters™ - how to recognize each one on your journey. Which one has got you?

20-30 min: Live coaching + Q&A

Homework: 15-30 min

Day 2 (Saturday, April 1) at 12 pm PST / 3 pm EST:

40-60 min: Career Monsters™ 4 - 6: how to recognize each one. Which one is your secret BFF?

20-30 min: Live coaching + Q&A

Homework: 15-20 min

Day 3 (Sunday, April 2) at 12 pm PST / 3 pm EST:

30 min: Your plan to tackle each Career Monster™

30 min: Overview of the Denali Executive Accelerator (the monster-tackling bootcamp)

20-30 min: Live coaching + Q&A

Homework: 15-20 min

You will be able to submit your homework for feedback and connect with other participants in a private LinkedIn group.

What participants of previous Challenges have to say...

"The tactical toolboxes were very useful to me. Thank you!"

"Brilliant"

"Life-changing"

FAQ's

What happens if I miss some sessions of the live Challenge?

The Challenge is designed to benefit you even if you skip some of the sessions and even if you watch the sessions as recordings (available for one week). One of the things we'll work to break during the Challenge is your perfectionism, so show up for as much of the Challenge as you can. You'll get out of it what you put in.

How can I get the most value of the live Challenge?

Participants who are able to attend even one of the calls live get the most breakthroughs and the best results because they're able to be coached by Lisa and are able to interact with other participants live.

Can I attend if I'm in (Product Marketing, Program Management, Analytics, Design, etc)?

The Challenge is perfect for any mid-career female professional in Product or Product-related fields. And that means Marketing, Program Management, Analytics, Design, Data Science, etc.

Will I benefit from this Challenge if I've attended the Product VP Challenge before?

The Product Director+ Challenge is going to present a lot of new content for you if you've attended the Product VP Challenge in the past. The Product VP Challenge was aimed at general career advancement principles that were applicable across all levels, all the way to VP.

The Director+ Challenge is designed specifically for strong Individual Contributors and new managers (managers who have had only a few direct reports for less than 2 years). The goal is to give you the tools and a head start on getting to the next level of a senior manager (Director, Senior Director, etc).

What people are saying about working with Lisa and CareerClimb®

"Knowing the goal that you are trying to reach makes working towards it easier because you know what steps you need to take towards that goal.

Lisa provided us with a safe place to build trust in a surprisingly short time frame.

Hearing Lisa and other participants talk about their challenges resonated with me. It sounded so similar to what I was struggling with and I saw that there is a path out of these challenges."

Aparna Hargunani

Program Management, Google

"This program taught me how to have a vision in my career. I am able to visualize where I want to go. I am now looking at career opportunities. When recruiters reach out to me, if I don't see what they're envisioning for this role (aligned to my vision), I actually reject their offer the opportunity presented. That was not something I had ever done before!

I learned how to interview a company and make them sit in the hot seat. Now that I’m able to move to the next level, and have proven that I’m a visionary leader, I'm actually starting to ask for more money and without guilt, or a lack of confidence. Lisa gave me the tools to be able to do that!"

Vibhu Mahajan

Senior Product Manager

“The Challenge and the Denali Executive Accelerator were life-changing for me. At the time I took the Challenge, I had spent 14 years at the same company and had been passed over for a VP promotion twice.

If you are a woman in tech and are at a crossroads, if you don't know where to go next, please take the Challenge and the Denali Executive Accelerator program that Lisa's team has put together. They will definitely point you in the right direction, even if the final decision is still with you."

Tania Bonamico

Sr Product Manager overseeing a team of 54, Amazon

"I found Lisa to be a fantastic coach. I really liked her energy, her vibe, her personality. She is very generous and definitely leads with generosity. I could relate to a lot of things that were shared during the Challenge and the Denali Executive Accelerator Program.

Lisa presented a solid framework for how to climb your career ladder. The fact that it was specifically geared for Product and related functions was very actionable and useful."

Debarati Goswami

Product Lead at eBay.

“At the time I took the Challenge, I felt stuck and my career trajectory had stalled. I was also concerned about leaving my job and taking a step down.

Through the Challenge, and subsequently, through the Denali Executive Accelerator, I gained a lot of confidence in myself. I was able to evaluate my career, which led to the hard decision to leave my current position and start my own company. This is something I have always wanted to do!”

Evelyn Chou

Product Operations, Coursera

"Having someone experienced to lead and cultivate a unique community among a truly amazing group of female product leaders was an inspiring and empowering journey to be part of.

"One piece of advice I got from Lisa that gave me that aha moment to fight off self-doubts is "Don't focus on yourself or what others may think of you, but focus on the problems you are trying to solve or the product you are trying to build."

You are not alone in this journey. Invest in yourself and accelerate your growth."

Xunjing Wu

Director of Product, Comcast.

Your results will vary and depend on many factors … including but not limited to your background, experience, and work ethic. All career success entails risk as well as massive and consistent effort and action. If you're not willing to accept that, please do not join the challenge.


Contact Us: lisa@careerclimb.co // 35 SE Laurelhurst Pl, Portland, OR 97214
Copyright Product VP Challenge - All Rights Reserved - Privacy Policy