Mary Celeste Beall’s life drastically changed in 2016, when she lost her husband Sam in a tragic ski accident. Just weeks later, her professional life also changed, when she was asked to step into the role of proprietor of the legendary Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain resorts, a role Sam had occupied for years. We spoke to Mary Celeste about her experience becoming a leader, while also navigating her grief.  

In this episode, Mary Celeste shares: 

• The conversation that led to her becoming proprietor 
• How she gained the team’s trust
• What it was like to have her work and her life completely integrated 
• The motto that gets her through 
• Her tips for being a great host 

Kristin Cavallari created the archetype for the reality-TV star-turned-mogul. She was on the OG reality show, Laguna Beach, when she was in high school. And she turned that fame (and notoriety) into a business empire. She’s now the owner of a jewelry and skincare brand and a New York Times bestselling author. And she made the jump from TV to the boardroom by following her instincts and leaning into her personality. 

In this episode, Kristin shares: 

• Her best tips for negotiating 
• Why she cried when she watched the first episode of Laguna Beach
• What she’s like as a boss
• Why she decided to own 100% of her business
• Her advice for the Vanderpump Rules cast

Two-time entrepreneur Jessica Rolph is embracing what she calls “micro failures” at work. You know, when you say the wrong thing to a team member, make a mistake on a project, or you don’t communicate about something. These moments can feel small, but they can take a big toll on us. But Jessica believes it doesn’t have to be that way. As the co-founder of baby food biz Happy Family, which sold to Danone in 2013, and as the current co-founder of the child development company Lovevery, Jessica’s learned to push through the shame and lean into those moments to become a better leader. 

In this episode, Jessica shares: 

• Why she scaled back on her friendships when she was working at Happy Family 
• How she thinks about “micro failures” 
• Why she was sad when they sold Happy Family 
• A moment where she felt lost at work
• When she decided to launch Lovevery

Thasunda Brown Duckett, the President and CEO of TIAA, had a “meteoric rise” in the world of finance. As the former head of Chase Consumer Banking, and now as one of two Black women who currently leads a Fortune 500 company, she realized early on that “work-life balance” was a myth. Instead, Thasunda lives her life like it’s a diversified portfolio, allocating time and shifting her investment in different areas. So over time, she always outperforms. Tune in to learn how. 

In this episode, Thasunda shares: 

• How to live your life like “a diversified portfolio” 
• Her secret to building relationships at work
• What it means to “rent your title, own your character” at work
• Why she almost turned down her dream role
• What you need to know to prep for retirement

Kaitlan Collins, co-anchor and chief correspondent for CNN This Morning, is no stranger to sleeping four hours a night, or packing up to travel at a moment’s notice. Which is great if you love the news…but it’s not so great if you love your boundaries. This week, we spoke to Kaitlan about how she’s learned to set boundaries – from the anchor desk to the White House Briefing Room. 

In this episode, Kaitlan shares: 

• The moments where she’s had to keep her composure on live TV 
• Her public speaking advice 
• How she’s dealt with public scrutiny – and political landmines 
• Her advice on dealing with change in the workplace

Debra Lee was the chairman and CEO of BET, where she worked for over three decades. But even though she was a leader in the entertainment world, Debra said her biggest career weakness was being “too nice”. This week, we sat down to talk about Debra’s new memoir, I Am Debra Lee, and how she stepped into her power as a leader – from taking back control of her senior staff meetings, to literally finding her voice. 

In this episode, Debra shares…

• How she dealt with getting denied a raise
• Why men are promoted based on potential, and women are promoted based on experience 
• How she took her power back as an executive 
• The celeb who left her the most starstruck 

And PS: There’s so much Debra shares in her new memoir – including some things we weren’t able to get to in our interview. You can find her book here. 

Bozoma Saint John is one of the most celebrated marketing execs out there. She’s worked for Apple, Uber, Endeavor, Pepsi, and Netflix…just to name a few. But while those big names are on her resume, Boz told us about the other titles that have influenced her and her career. Like ‘single mom.’ And ‘widow.’ This week, Boz explains how her story of love, loss, and survival has made her live “urgently”, especially when it comes to work.

In this episode shares: 

• What it means to live urgently at work 
• Why you need to take the credit for what you do   
• How we can better show up for our colleagues that are grieving 
• Why grief has made her a better leader
• The hardest part of writing her memoir, The Urgent Life

Chantel George had a plan to go to law school. Then, she found out she was good at sales. Really good. In fact, she became one of the best sellers in the tech world. Chantel’s experience learning how to turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’, asking tough questions, and challenging the status quo convinced her she needed to start her own sales community. So in 2017, she started Sistas in Sales, the largest global organization for women of color in sales. In today’s episode, Chantel told us how she saw opportunities everywhere – even when they seemed out of reach or hard to spot. 

In this episode, Chantel shares: 

• The earliest lessons she learned about entrepreneurship
• Why she’s not afraid of having tough conversations 
• The advice she got that made her a better manager 
• Who would play her in a movie

For Amy Griffin, being one of the most successful venture capitalists actually has a lot in common with being a college athlete. Amy played volleyball at the University of Virginia, and now as the founder and managing partner of G9 Ventures, she helps early-stage startups perform their best in a different kind of arena. And some of the companies she’s coached include Goop, Athletic Greens, and Bumble. This week, we ask Amy about the secret to her coaching magic. Which, spoiler, is all about relationships. 

In this episode, Amy shares: 

• How her mentality as a college athlete stayed with her throughout her career
• Her experience stepping out of, and stepping back into, the workforce 
• How she supports founders through the good times – and the bad 
• Her approach to relationship-building 
• How founders can prepare for an uncertain economic environment 

From navigating war zones to negotiating with affiliates of terrorist organizations, Emily Hikade lived for the thrill of working as a CIA officer. But a near death experience at work made her realize: it was time to try a different kind of adventure. While in East Africa, Emily worked nights to start her luxury sleepwear brand, plume.com/">Petite Plume. Today, Emily shares how working in diplomacy prepared her for the challenges of being a founder and CEO.

In this episode, Emily Hikade shares:

• Why she knew she’d have an international career from an early age
• The moment she started feeling vulnerable in her CIA career 
• What a near-death experience put into perspective for her
• How she started her business while working full-time and being a mom of three 
• Advice on how to know which investors are worth working with