S2 Episode 10: The Secret to Perfect Project Timing with Claudia Wright Artwork

Project Zero

From first steps to best practices — stories that shaped project leaders.

Project Zero is a podcast for project managers — and the PM-curious — who want more than frameworks and certifications. Each episode features a project leader, highlighting first projects and the pivotal lessons that shaped their approach to leadership, collaboration, and delivery.

From unexpected missteps to breakthrough moments, these conversations reveal what it really takes to grow into a confident, competent project manager. It’s honest, insightful, and designed to help you lead better — whether you're managing your first task or your hundredth milestone.

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Project Zero

S2 Episode 10: The Secret to Perfect Project Timing with Claudia Wright

April 16, 2026 • Alex Tuck • Season 2 • Episode 10

0:00 | 30:17

Host Alex Tuck welcomes IT program and project manager Claudia Wright to Project Zero season two. Wright shares her 25+ year path from data entry and administrative work at the EPA to database management, then coding (COBOL/DB2) at BellSouth, where frustration with “work thrown over the cubicle wall” pushed her toward business analysis and requirements. She became a project manager at a global grocery retailer, where her “Project Zero” involved enterprise work supporting store planograms and related systems, learning end-to-end delivery (resource planning, production turnovers, failback plans, signoffs) under a mentor, Cindy, who helped standardize templates and lessons learned. Wright’s key PM skill is “know your place,” adapting to organizational perceptions and leadership priorities, and she views AI as helpful for efficiency (e.g., note-taking) but not a “magic pill,” requiring planning and verification.

00:00 Season Two Kickoff

00:34 Claudia Career Origins

04:01 Finding Project Management

05:42 Sewing Meets Structure

07:02 From Coding to Leading

12:07 Technical Edge and Estimates

15:08 Project Zero Story

18:59 Mentorship and Lessons

20:50 Know Your Place

26:19 AI Is Not Magic

29:37 Wrap Up and Connect

Connect with Claudia Wright