What if the work you're meant to do isn't something you find—but something you build?
In Part II of Transit Unplugged's special Find Your X Factor series, Paul Comfort talks with two transportation leaders whose very different careers reveal how our experiences, abilities, and passions can eventually come together into something bigger.
Mike Heidkamp spent his career working his way through nearly every level of public transportation. As a teenager on his own after losing his mother, the 41B bus in Pittsburgh was his lifeline to a job. Years later, he would go from auto mechanic to bus operator, instructor, manager, and ultimately Chief Transportation Officer at what is now Pittsburgh Regional Transit.
Mike talks with Paul about realizing that being good at something isn't necessarily the same as finding your purpose—and how his own experiences taught him to build a career around serving people.
His leadership philosophy is just as simple: never forget where you came from. Mike explains why frontline employees and passengers remained at the center of his thinking even as he moved into senior leadership, and why gaining a bigger voice also means gaining a responsibility to use it for others.
Then, Rudy Salo shares a very different path to finding his X Factor.
A municipal bond lawyer with lifelong interests in creativity and public transportation, Rudy realized there were important parts of himself that his day job wasn't exercising. Improv, acting, stand-up comedy, writing and podcasting helped him rediscover that creative side—and eventually helped reshape his professional career.
When the transportation work Rudy wanted wasn't coming to him, he didn't quit his job. He started creating opportunities outside of it. Through writing, speaking, podcasting and becoming part of the transportation community, he built a reputation around something he genuinely cared about. Eventually, his passion and his profession began to intersect.
Together, the conversations offer two paths toward the same idea: your X Factor can emerge from the experiences that shaped you, but you can also take an active role in creating the opportunities that bring it to life.
In this episode:
- How public transportation became a lifeline—and eventually a calling—for Mike Heidkamp
- Why great leaders never forget what it's like on the front line
- The difference between being good at something and finding meaningful work
- Why Rudy Salo considers creativity essential to both his happiness and professional success
- How interests outside your day job can create new career opportunities
- Why you don't necessarily have to quit your job to pursue the work you really want
- How to recognize the intersection between your interests, abilities, and purpose
00:00 Welcome and X Factor Series
00:55 Meet Mike and Rudy
02:33 Mike Saved by Transit
03:35 41B Bus Lifeline
05:50 Mechanic to Purpose
07:03 Operator Years Serving Riders
08:12 Never Forget Frontline
10:12 Management Calling and Union
11:31 Leading with Voice
18:09 Rudy Creativity Awakens
26:20 Punk Rock Lifeline
27:08 Scene and Belonging
27:57 Politics Through Lyrics
28:42 Finding Municipal Finance
30:51 Library Moment Click
32:48 Creativity in Bond Law
35:12 Beyond One Box
35:58 Transit Roots and Hustle
39:03 Side Projects Create Luck
45:56 Final Takeaways and Wrap
Credits
Host and Producer: Paul Comfort
Executive Producer: Julie Gates
Producer: Chris O’Keeffe
Production Assistant: Desmond Gates
Editor: Patrick Emile
Associate Producer: Cyndi Raskin
Brand Design: Tina Olagundoye
Production Assistant: Desmond Gates
Transit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo, passionate about moving the world’s people.
For more information, visit: www.Transit Unplugged.com
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Modaxo Inc., its affiliates or subsidiaries, or any entities they represent (“Modaxo”). This production belongs to Modaxo, and may contain information that may be subject to trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property rights and restrictions. This production provides general information, and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. Modaxo specifically disclaims all warranties, express or implied, and will not be liable for any losses, claims, or damages arising from the use of this presentation, from any material contained in it, or from any action or decision taken in response to it.
