Join us as we discuss the challenges faced at the intersections of being female and a person of colour. Michelle highlights the alarming funding disparities, revealing that institutional investment in female founders is a mere 2%, dropping even lower for female minorities. It's time to amplify diverse voices and bridge the gap in entrepreneurial support.

Michelle touches on her personal experiences of the impact of perceptions on Asian Americans in leadership, the significance of names, and the inspiration behind Tiger Collective, a venture she co-founded with Ling Zhao.  

This really is an episode you won’t want to miss. Tune in to gain insights, challenge perceptions, and be inspired by Michelle Tran's commitment to reshaping the landscape for leaders of all backgrounds. 

This episode covers:

• Leadership challenges as a woman of colour
• Empowering women in fintech
• Challenges faced by Asian female leaders in various industries
• Diversity and inclusion in leadership roles
• Leadership, networking, and mentorship

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

This is such an important episode for all leaders - from D&I strategies to the power of listening and alignment, this episode is filled with indispensable value. 

Sheree Atcheson is a multi-award winning diversity and inclusion executive, Group Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion at Valtech, keynote speaker and published author. It’s fair to say that Sheree knows her stuff…

We discussed her experiences of leading global teams, why the discovery process is so critical for new leaders in a business and the significance of alignment and collaboration.

This episode covers:

• Leadership, diversity and inclusion in the tech industry
• Global diversity and inclusion strategies 
• Collaboration and data-driven approaches in D&I work
• Leading in a global environment with a focus on listening & empowerment 

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Dan has been the first executive hire at several startups, pushing him to develop small businesses FAST, and he’s now a driving force as VP of Product & Engineering at The Rounds.

It’s a pleasure to hear from Dan as he shares first steps after joining a startup, his four principles for working with Founder-CEOs, the three types of product leader, and so much more.

This episode covers:

• Leading for the first time with lots of eyes on you
• The issue with an ‘outcomes over outputs’ approach
• What makes an ideal, successful roadmap
• The three types of product leader, and their specialities
• Keen advice for first time executives

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

It begs expertise where you may have none, to become a cross-functional manager, and Edwina Johnson’s tenure at Alloy had seen her thrive in achieving exactly that

Edwina, now thriving as GM of MoneyGram Online International, joins us for this episode of Leaders Unscripted, as we dive into the art of building, leading and growing teams outside of your expertise.

This episode covers:

• Edwina’s grounding as a business builder wearing many hats
• How unexpectedly early businesses can bring in an operational role
• Overcoming the inner self-doubt of hiring experts as a jack of all trades
• Prioritising which hires should come first
• The challenges and rewards of managing a cross-functional team

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Griffin’s decision making method has seen an overhaul in ways which they carve their path forward, and as VP of Engineering, James Trunk has been at the forefront of this vital process.

James joins us on Leaders Unscripted to take us through the values underpinning business decisions, why reflection trumps perfection, and the art of early feedback.

This episode covers:

• How decision making was done before Griffin’s new framework
• Griffin’s early feedback model instils agency, autonomy and pride
• Why James’ daily reflection practice is an essential for any leader
• Democratising decisions without a feeling of dereliction of duty

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Culture is a living organism, and curating that culture at Netflix is firmly within Shweta Saraf’s sights, in her role as Director of Platform Networking.

She’s worked within companies like Cisco, Digital Ocean and Equinix, and shares with us on the Leaders Unscripted podcast just how those experiences have shaped her leadership approach today.

This episode covers:

• How Shweta helps people do the best work of their lives
• Avoiding a one-and-done approach to culture
• Guiding culture vs letting it happen naturally
• Helping leaders understand their impact on culture

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

He’s been a startup Founder and large enterprise leader, embarking on a notable transition between the two and embracing the modernized culture of a centuries-old organization.

We catch up with David as he talks about the tension between the leader you want to be vs the company’s style, what it means to do the right thing, and how you stick the landing between startup and super-sized business.

This episode covers:

• How David carved his path to the NYT through several influential roles
• The gray area between the leader you want to be and the leader your company needs
• Transitioning between startups and larger corporations
• Why ‘why’ is the most important word for budding leaders

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Once a Founder & CEO, now investing in technical founders as Partner at ‘boldstart ventures’, Ellen Chisa’s enlightening story covers a seldom spoken topic - transitioning out of leadership.

Her perspective is a fascinating one; join us on Leaders Unscripted to discover how the CEO role has shaped Ellen’s wise perspectives.

This episode covers:

• Common issues for first time CEOs
• Particular challenges in startups
• The compromises you make with yourself, and implicitly with your team
• Transitioning into a VC role
• Management vs leadership
• Suzan & Ellen’s childhood experiences in Michigan

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

INTO University Partnerships marked a vital role in her journey, getting comfortable with the unteachable nature of the CPO position. She’s also the Founder of Women in Product UK. 

She joins us on Leaders Unscripted to uncover how CPOs become change agents, which unexpected aspect of strategy is hardest, and embracing the transformational nature of the job.

This episode covers:

• How Namrata developed naturally into the CPO role
• Why nobody can truly teach you how to become a successful CPO
• Picking your battles
• The unexpected, hardest aspect of strategy, and a need to be flexible with it
• Advice for other CPOs finding themselves as a change agent

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

As GitHub’s Anjuan Simmons can attest, burnout is an equal opportunity force, which affects teams, managers, VPs and CEOs alike.

His advice on spotting and dealing with burnout within yourself and your team is absolutely inspired, and makes for an incredibly powerful episode of Leaders Unscripted.

This episode covers:

• How Star Trek influenced Anjuan’s career
• Spotting the signs of burnout, and how it happens
• Leaders’ experiences with burnout
• The art of ‘self-arresting’
• How to build burnout-resilience
• Using human relationships to work through periods of stress
• Recognising signs of your team burning out

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

In her 8 year tenure, she’s become VP of Engineering, tackled a pandemic, and stayed her course while her house burned down.

It’s the staggering story of a remarkable leader and a resilient human, one which we delve into on episode 26 of the Leaders Unscripted podcast.

This episode covers:

• Jenn’s ‘zigzag’ path to leadership
• Leadership lessons learned from Etsy’s culture
• Our ‘nonsense buckets’, and how to make space in them
• Taking time to breathe, do nothing, and be self-empathetic
• Advice for leaders tackling headwinds, both external and personal

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

At least that was my experience, as I found my way into a COO role. What I seldom share on Leaders Unscripted is the path I paved to get there.

In this episode the tables are turned on me, as Extrology podcast host Lee Cooper steps in to interview me on my own journey, uncovering my formative experiences, philosophies and morals.

This episode covers:

• My early challenges and formative experiences
• How the ‘bushwhacking’ career path organically evolved into a COO role
• Career influences and books that have guided my journey
• The superpower of seeing the world through different perspectives
• Listening to instincts and trusting your path

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Pleo’s Meri Williams has been through the reinvention of her leadership style after her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome diagnosis, cementing her role as a self-empathetic CTO.

Meri joins me on Leaders Unscripted to discuss the balance of her CTO role with her diagnosis, and her wisdom for those finding themselves newly diagnosed while leading.

This episode covers:

• The notable challenges of a CTO role
• Balancing logistics with emotions
• Harnessing the collective excellence of an engineering team
• Meri’s numerous medical conditions, and changing her leadership style to suit
• Offering a more valuable version of yourself less frequently
• Making a mental change to handle pain & suffering

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

18 years strong into her tenure at Google, Madleina Scheidegger is a Software Engineering Manager whose lessons on leading software teams is absolutely golden.

From staying flexible and balancing internal vs external stakeholders, to building partnerships and setting your North Star, this episode of Leaders Unscripted is a masterclass in leadership longevity.

This episode covers:

• Madleina’s freedom to move around within Google
• The importance of building partnerships with your team, rather than giving orders
• Using a North Star to inform smaller decisions
• Management vs leadership
• The invaluable ability to be flexible

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

That’s why Christie Williams has seized those opportunities, culminating in her current role as Softdocs’ VP of Employee Success.

With such an intriguing job title, it’s hard not to see how Christie’s multidisciplinary experience feeds into her insightful approach to people leadership - an approach that we learn more about in episode 22 of Leaders Unscripted.

This episode covers:

• Why Christie likes being the first people leader in a business
• Preferring gradual shifts over complete overhauls
• Holistic approaches to a company’s tech stack
• The importance of leadership buy-in for people leaders

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

It’s a very real danger, and we’re all more aware of it thanks to growing awareness of mental wellbeing, but Vimeo’s Vaidehi Joshi knows first hand how to overcome leader burnout.

Vaidehi joins Suzan for this week’s Leaders Unscripted, taking us through the battle against perfectionism, managing a team alongside your mental health, and what makes a great management experience.

This episode covers:

• The expectation vs reality of management
• Why perfectionism in leadership can be deadly
• Trauma from burnout, and how it takes time to overcome
• How different environments demand differing management experiences

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Mindaugas Petrutis, who was suddenly thrust into the CEO role at Coho, leads with a transparency and honesty which he was never able to exhibit in his previous roles.

Sharing the areas of focus that any new CEO should prioritise, Mindaugas details his bold and brilliant leadership style in this week’s episode of Leaders Unscripted.

This episode covers:

• How Mindaugas follows his instincts as a CEO
• People’s re-evaluation of their relationship with work
• The role of honesty and transparency in leadership
• Building resilience, and how it repays you in the long run

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

A visually impaired CEO who’s gained the confidence to be open about his disability, John is creating opportunities for greater equity and inclusion in business.

His impactful story and charming optimism made for a rousing conversation in the latest episode of Leaders Unscripted.

This episode covers:

• John’s experience of vision loss and navigating the working world
• The dangers of contorting ourselves to others’ perceptions of leaders
• Leadership being inclusive to all
• Founding Ablr and embodying its key principles
• John’s biggest leadership challenges
• How other leaders can contribute to the growing need for DEI

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

As leaders, we’re tasked with the impossible in navigating that change and to bring our teams with us. 

While in her role at Blackboard, Ashley Hunsberger held several Director roles throughout her 17 year tenure, and has found some fantastic ways to guide your team through the choppy waters of change.

Ashley joins me on Leaders Unscripted to share her ‘structures for reflection’, an ideal approach to feedback, and finding your balance as a leader.

This episode covers:

• Developing consistent feedback loops
• Finding your balance as a leader
• Navigating constant change
• The power of collective goal-setting
• Time management & being protective of your space

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

For leaders, this dilemma scales up immensely - first-time Founder Kirk Fernandes has learned the tools first hand that help to manage the unmanageable.

With three family members sick in the same year, and his business Merit in relative infancy, Kirk’s story is an unmissable tale of resilience, strength in numbers, and honest leadership.

This episode covers:

• The need for networks in employees’ growth
• Founding a company amid multiple health challenges for family members
• How to keep the wheels turning whilst allowing time to grieve
• Bearing humanity to your team
• The true value of a network
• Managing self-talk

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Between Co-Founding Cable and parenting two children, Natasha Vernier’s first CEO experience is about as intense as you could ask for.

With a noble mission to create global impact in anti-financial crime, we hear from Natasha about leaders as ‘stress absorbers’, the unique CEO challenges, and balancing the financials against family life.

This episode covers:

• Natasha’s background in financial crime through her role at Monzo
• The huge amount of laundered money that inspired Cable’s mission
• Having an outsized impact on your team as a Founder and CEO
• Balancing parenthood, business ownership, and postnatal depression
• A more holistic approach to businesses’ values and operating systems

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

All the challenges that we’ve faced, he’s already grappled with, and having held leadership roles in a remote-first, scaling startup, Pipe, he brings his expertise to such a challenging business environment.

Since recording this episode of Leaders Unscripted, Kainar has taken yet another step in his leadership journey, putting his skills into practice as a new Co-Founder, but you can join us now for his masterclass on leading a team in ten time zones.

This episode covers:

• How scaling is a challenge, balancing new team members with drop in productivity while onboarding
• An essential focus on team structure
• Pipe’s flat structure and clear communications
• The hardest aspect of remote-first teams and how to overcome it
• Differing experiences in companies who have and haven’t found their product-market fit

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Some of the most invaluable skills to help COOs navigate any challenge come from working with people, a transition that Jessica Zwaan has made look effortless.

Currently COO at Whereby, she uncovers the deepest aspects of such a fluid leadership role, your culture as a subscription product, and leading a team through huge business pivots.

This episode covers:

• The remarkable fluidity of the COO role
• Making challenging pivots within the business
• How surprisingly often leaders face ‘trolley problems’
• An outlook on culture as your team ‘subscribing to it’
• The lesser-spoken downsides of a COO role and promotion 

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

As Director of Engineering at Mailchimp, having worked through the ranks throughout her career, she’s perfectly placed to weigh in on the unique nature of the role.

Sonal shares her wonderful perspective with me on Leaders Unscripted, a must-listen for any budding first-time Directors.

This episode covers:

• Sonal’s transition into a director role, and how the experience is akin to parenthood
• The result of no longer ‘being in the weeds’ of day-to-day work
• Managing high stakes and expectations
• The balance between leaders’ and workers’ emotions, and staying level in the face of that
• How to build the essential tenet of trust

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Engineering Director at Spotify, Nivia Henry, leads her team through innovation of the highest level, but with a mother in care she’s elegantly balancing these two worlds.

Join us on Leaders Unscripted as we share how you can manage the demands of leadership alongside the needs of aging family members, and look after yourself in the process...

This episode covers:

• Coming to terms with parents’ mortality
• Recontextualising your worldview and applying it to your leadership style
• Creating space for your emotions away from your team’s
• Being present with self-care and dignity
• Advice for leaders caring for parents when they can’t shift down a gear at work

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Packet was a startup founded by brothers, Zac & Jacob Smith, operating with speed at its core. That said, they’ll attest to the mindset shift that came with their merger with innovation juggernaut, Equinix.

Join us on Leaders Unscripted as we dissect the ins and outs of acquisition, bringing your team on the journey, and how to ‘encourage serendipity’.

This episode covers:

• The origins of Packet’s creation
• Aligned goals between Packet and their now-parent-company, Equinix
• Bringing your old company’s team on your new journey
• The change of mindset from speedy startup survival to scaleable impact

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Griffin’s inception was born of CEO David Jarvis’ entrepreneurial ambitions, and he leads with a wonderful sense of honesty and authenticity.

In this episode of Leaders Unscripted, we hear the hefty challenges that the startup has overcome so far, what values are essential in those joining the team, the necessity for leaders with honesty & authenticity, and much more.

This episode covers:

• Griffin’s inception and how David brought it to life alongside his Co-Founder, Allen
• Turning entrepreneurial aspirations into a first-time CEO role in a startup
• The ideal values in new hires
• Solving long standing, systemic problems
• Lessons from ‘sandbox’ leadership roles before becoming CEO
• Leading with honesty and authenticity

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Her first experience in leadership shows us that the questions you ask yourself lead you to become a better leader for others. 

We caught up with Lilly on Leaders Unscripted this week, summing up her Facebook years, chronic illness recovery, and passion for lifting others.

This episode covers:

• Dealing with chronic illness young, and finding her path in a monastery
• Working at Facebook, and balancing job fulfilment with financial gain
• Becoming a first time leader in an exciting startup
• Whether the CEO role is a blessing or a curse
• A company culture of moving work around your life, rather than the inverse
• Asking yourself what kind of leader you want to be

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

The challenges of a scaling startup are many, and it’s in that challenge that Michelle O’Connor thrives as VP Brand & Global Communications at TaxBit.

In the latest episode of Leaders Unscripted, Michelle takes us through how to maintain the mission & culture through rapid growth, why you should slow down to speed up, and her love of the thrilling startup environment.

This episode covers:

• Michelle’s stellar career trajectory, from receptionist for a badass CMO to becoming a specialist scale-up VP
• Why she’s most fulfilled by the startup setting, and how the environment impacts the employee
• Retaining your culture and mission as a growing brand
• How a culturally ill-fitting employee can tank a team

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Formerly VP of People at Griffin, before taking up the COO role after recording this episode of Leaders Unscripted, Maria Campbell’s journey is brimming with positive culture and work fulfilment.

Tune in this week to hear how Maria makes her mark on teams and the wider industry!

This episode covers:

• Maria’s progression into the people-focused role that she loves
• Finding fulfilment in helping others to have an enjoyable job 
• Positive culture and values being key in the financial services sector
• The huge potential impact of a financial infrastructure product

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

One of the marvels of leadership, however, is that you can grow at an accelerated rate - that much is clear from Laruen Nagel’s remarkably varied career, now residing as VP of Product at StackHawk.

Tune into this week’s Leaders Unscripted, where Lauren shares the trials and tribulations that leadership brings, how to overcome them, the value of support networks, recognizing your impact, and much more.

This episode covers:

• Recognizing the impact on those around you as a leader
• Bearing the weight of people’s expectations, particularly for product leaders
• Flexible leadership styles, and how to adapt to different personalities and situations
• The positive impact you can make beyond your own comprehension

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Now CTO at TaxBit, he’s at the forefront of digital assets and continues to show the product of his remarkable journey.

We hear from Tramale in this episode of Leaders Unscripted, where he discusses the art of introspection, making outsized impact, and creating opportunities for underrepresented voices.

This episode covers:

• Tramale’s staggering career to date, with huge brands like Nintendo & volkswagen
• Being a leading Black male voice in an industry where such representation is seldom seen
• How leaders model the way through introspection
• Finding comfort in the learning and development to be found outside one’s comfort zone
• Creation of opportunities for underrepresented voices, and a legacy that endures beyond him

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

With decades of leadership experience as a VP of Engineering at brands like Basho, DigitalOcean and Equinix, he’s learned from successes and boldly admits his missteps - signs of truly honest leadership. 

Dizzy’s story is nothing short of inspirational; learn how he’s thrived in the face of his medical challenges on this week’s Leaders Unscripted…

This episode covers:

• The staggering discovery of Dizzy’s chronic health condition
• Learning first-hand the impact of culture within your team
• Adapting to the longer feedback loops that come with management roles
• Managing yourself before you manage your team
• The fine balance between vulnerability, openness and strength

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Leading a team to create an entirely new remote voting platform for MPs was the challenge bestowed on the Head of Software Development, Matt Stutely.

Matt shares how he took on an impossible task, earned an OBE, and reinvented the voting system on this fascinating episode of the Leaders Unscripted podcast.

This episode covers:

• Creating a system for Parliament to vote remotely for the first time in history
• The huge accessibility and cybersecurity challenges faced
• Pressure and personal struggles as a leader, where nobody is looking out for you
• Advice for leaders with a seemingly impossible deadline

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Now VP of Engineering at Range, having taken the role mid-pandemic, Jean is the perfect person to share the joys and drawbacks of working within early stage startups, and why you should question your assumptions about them.

She joins me on episode 2 of Leaders Unscripted to detail her route into tech, the value of a trust bank within your network, and how the VP role evolves in unique ways.

This episode covers:

• Jean’s route into tech and development experience at Google before the startup life
• How the VP role drastically differs from the manager role with a big picture outlook
• The value of a trust bank with your network
• Assumptions on life within early stage startups, and whether they align with reality

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Humanity in a CEO is a side that’s difficult to get right, but Beck Sydow managed that as a trailblazing CEO at StickerGiant, even with Covid shining a light on the business’ most challenging areas.

Beth joins me to kick off this series with a look at culture and gender identity in work, having a plan with room to be flexible, the need for leaders to understand the human condition, and so much more!

This episode covers:

• Beth’s remarkable multi-industry background
• The value of flexibility in a plan
• Navigating the challenges of uncertainty
• A CEO’s need to care about both business acumen and human nature
• Authenticity, diversity, and gender identity in the workplace

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/