Podcast
CEOs and ABCs
Hosted by Kevin Rice · EN
CEOs & ABCs is the podcast for high performers who lead at work and show up at home.
Hosted by Kevin Rice, this show features candid conversations with executives, founders, and rising leaders about how they’ve advanced their careers while staying present for the moments that matter most... raising kids, building strong partnerships, and prioritizing their health.
Each episode dives into executive career advice, leadership development, work-life balance, and the realities of parenting while managing demanding professional lives. Whether you’re navigating promotions, team growth, toddler tantrums, or time management, you’ll find insights and inspiration to lead with intention - both at work and at home.
️ New episodes weekly
Topics: Career growth, executive mindset, parenting, burnout prevention, productivity, and more
For working parents, driven professionals, and leaders building meaningful lives
Subscribe now and join the journey from "boardrooms to bedtime stories."
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Jennifer Kattula (Microsoft, Meta, & America Express) A Conversation on: Spearheading AI at Work and at Home, Bringing Workplace Systems into the Home & Creating an Intentional Life #38
6d ago00:54:13Tap to summarizeIn this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Jennifer Kattula, Global CMO of Microsoft Advertising, to explore what happens when a systems thinker applies the same rigour she uses to lead AI transformation at scale to the way she designs her family life at home. Jennifer's path to one of the most senior marketing roles in tech started in chemical engineering, wound through the early days of Meta, and landed at Microsoft, where she is now leading one of the most ambitious AI adoption programmes in enterprise marketing. But the more interesting story is what happened when she became a mother. She did not plateau. She accelerated. And she has a clear theory about why. Kevin and Jennifer dig into how she is building AI agents that save her team hundreds of hours a week, why she never starts her morning in email, and what it actually means to spend your time only on the things only you can do. Then the conversation turns to something equally ambitious: the family brand. Jennifer and her husband wrote a one-pager before they even got married, run a yearly family visioning session with wine and spreadsheets, and have built five house rules their kids can actually recite. She has since turned that entire framework into an application called House Rules, designed to help any family build their own manifesto with intention. This is a conversation about AI, ambition, design thinking, and what it looks like to treat your family with the same strategic seriousness you bring to work. In This Episode, You'll Learn: - Why the only thing that prepares you for AI disruption is getting your hands dirty with the tools now- How Jennifer is leading AI transformation at Microsoft Advertising and what enterprise adoption actually requires beyond usage numbers- What it means to spend your time only on what only you can uniquely do, at work and at home- Why becoming a mother made Jennifer more focused, not less, and how ambition and parenthood can compound- How she and her husband built a shared family vision before they got married and why they still revisit it every year- What a family brand actually is and how to build one using the same frameworks that make companies great- How the House Rules app works and why the people who have used it say they feel seen- Why structure and frameworks create more freedom, not less, especially at home- How Jennifer thinks about AI and kids: what she is protecting, what she is introducing, and what she does not have figured out yet- What robots cannot replace and why leaning into your weirdness is a genuine competitive advantage Key Takeaways: - Spend your time on what only you can uniquely do. Everything else is a delegation or outsourcing decision.- AI adoption does not equal AI effectiveness. Role-specific solutions and clean data underneath are what make it actually work.- Becoming a parent forced a focus that ambition alone never did. Constraints, used well, are a creative advantage.- Families need a brand: a mission, values, operating principles, and a shared sense of how you show up in the world.- Structure is not the enemy of presence. It is what makes presence possible.- You cannot lead a transformation you are not personally inside of. Model the behaviour, do not just mandate it.- The best question in any interview right now: what are you building? About Jennifer Kattula:Jennifer Kattula is Global CMO of Microsoft Advertising, where she leads brand, demand generation, and AI transformation across one of the world's largest advertising platforms. Before Microsoft, she spent nearly 12 years at Meta, building and scaling marketing functions from the ground up across a range of disciplines. A trained chemical engineer turned marketer, Jennifer brings systems thinking to everything she touches, including her family life. She is the creator of House Rules, an AI-powered app that helps families build their own mission, values, and manifesto. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and two young children. Connect with Jennifer Kattula: Family Manifesto App (https://www.house-rules.co/) For early access to the House Rules app (jenniferkattula.substack.com) Jennifer's Website (https://jenniferkattula.com/) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkattula/) A personal product Jennifer loves! A french pharmacy products if you’re travelling to France. (pharmacie-beauty.com)
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Becca Chambers (LinkedIn Top Creator & Scale Venture Partners), A Conversation on Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, Creating Safe Team Environments & Supporting Children's Unique Values &
2w ago00:53:48Tap to summarizeIn this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Becca Chambers, Chief Marketing Officer of Scale Venture Partners and one of LinkedIn's most followed voices on authentic leadership, to explore what happens when you stop trying to fit a mold that was never made for you.Becca opens with a story most high-performers will recognise but rarely say out loud: she started her career with a failed startup, a falling out with her co-founder, and a chip on her shoulder that quietly became her fuel. From there she built some of the highest-retention teams in the industry, not through metrics and mandates, but through psychological safety, a no-assholes rule, and the willingness to absorb the hard stuff so her team never had to.What makes this conversation different is where that instinct came from. Becca went to a progressive Bay Area elementary school that invented the concept of EQ and taught emotional intelligence from kindergarten on. That foundation shaped everything: how she leads, how she parents a neurodivergent son who is now one of the most self-aware kids you will ever meet, and how she thinks about building environments where people can actually show up as themselves.Kevin and Becca also get honest about the season she is in right now: too much on her plate, not enough in the tank, and still finding the pockets of presence that will actually matter. No tidy resolution. Just real.This is a conversation about authenticity, emotional intelligence, and the quiet power of building a world where round pegs do not have to apologise for being round. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why imposter syndrome is a signal that you are in exactly the right place How psychological safety gets built in practice, not in theory What a no-assholes policy actually looks like when it gets tested Why emotional labour is a leadership skill that rarely gets named or credited How one progressive elementary school taught EQ from kindergarten and why it changed everything What to do when your child's struggles force you to rethink how you define success Why neurodivergent kids, and leaders, often outperform when the environment finally fits them How to give your team and your kids autonomy without losing the guardrails Why context switching is one of the most underrated skills you can teach a child How to stay present as a parent when you are in a grinding season professionally Top Takeaways: Imposter syndrome means you are learning while doing. That is the goal. When it goes away, it is time to go bigger. Functional teams do not show up for shareholder value. They show up for each other. The shareholder value follows. Psychological safety is not a feeling. It is a decision you make every day about what you allow and what you absorb. Emotional intelligence starts with knowing yourself. Everything else is downstream from that. Your kid is not who you want them to be. They are who they are. Your job is to help them become the best version of that. Presence is not about volume of time. It is about the quality of the pockets you protect. When I say no, they know it means something. That only works if you are not saying no all the time. About Becca Chambers:Becca Chambers is Chief Marketing Officer of Scale Venture Partners and a LinkedIn Top Voice known for candid, high-engagement content on authentic leadership, psychological safety, and showing up as your whole self at work. She has built and led some of the highest-retention marketing and communications teams in the industry across cybersecurity, enterprise tech, and venture. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband and two kids, and is a vocal advocate for neurodivergent employees and children.
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Shachar Orren (Co-Founder EX.CO & Playbuzz) The Personal and Professional Sacrifices of Building a Start-Up & Choosing To Delay Family
3w ago00:50:13Tap to summarizeIn this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Shachar Orren, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of EX.CO, to explore what it really costs to build something from nothing and what becomes available when family arrives after you have already built yourself. Shachar spent over a decade growing EX.CO from six people to a 115-person global company, helping publishers and media companies survive and grow in an industry being reshaped by AI. That journey required years of pivots, a full rebrand, and the kind of relentless focus that leaves little room for much else. She describes EX.CO as her first child and means it. But the story behind the story is harder to tell. A marriage, a divorce, a move back to Tel Aviv, a new relationship, becoming a bonus mother to a seven-year-old, and then having her son Max at 40 while navigating a company at full tilt and a war breaking out in Israel the day after she flew home from receiving a Working Mother of the Year award.Kevin and Shachar trace the real cost of ambition, why the hustle years actually gave her something, what maternity leave forced her to confront about her leadership, and what it means to build a life on your own timeline when the world has a different plan in mind. This is a conversation about reinvention, timing, and the unexpected gift of doing things out of order. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why building a startup and building a family require the same emotional infrastructure What years of searching for product-market fit actually does to a leadership team How to know when to pivot, when to adjust, and when to stay the course What maternity leave reveals that no leadership audit ever will Why becoming a mother later gave Shachar something earlier motherhood could not have How to lead with vulnerability without losing your team's confidence What bonus motherhood teaches you about earning trust that biology does not automatically grant Why the best version of yourself as a leader and as a parent is often the same version How to carry something difficult at work without making it everyone else's problem What it looks like to build a family that does not follow the expected sequence and still works Top Takeaways: Product-market fit announces itself. When 80 to 90 percent of your calls end in yes, you have found it. Until then, keep moving. Hustle years get a bad reputation. For some people, they build the career and the confidence that makes everything else possible. A great manager makes themselves unnecessary. If everything falls apart when you leave, that is not leadership. That is dependence. Maternity leave is the most honest executive audit you will ever have. You find out what only you can do, what others can handle, and what never needed to exist. Vulnerability in leadership is not about falling apart. It is about giving people context so they can trust what they are seeing. Doing things out of order is not failure. For some people, it is the only order that was ever going to work. Confidence is what makes presence possible. Shachar could enjoy motherhood more because there was less fear underneath it. About Shachar Orren: Shachar Orren is co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of EX.CO, a video and revenue platform helping publishers and connected TV companies grow in an AI-driven media landscape. She joined the company as employee number six and helped lead the pivot and rebrand that defined its current identity. Before a decade in tech, she was a senior journalist at two of Israel's largest newspapers. She was recently recognized as Working Mother of the Year by She Runs It and splits her time between New York and Tel Aviv.
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Matt Eisenacher (First Watch, The Piada Group, Abbott Nutrition): Modelling Priorities for Your Team, Embracing Adversity & Individualized Leadership and Parenting #35
4w ago00:51:52Tap to summarizeIn this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Matt Eisenacher, Chief Brand Officer at First Watch, to explore what it actually takes to become a leader of leaders and why the hardest part isn't learning new skills, it's letting go of old ones. Matt opens with a story most high-performers will recognise: the moment you realise your presence in the room is the problem. From removing himself from creative meetings to learning when not to give the answer, Matt shares how the leap from operator to executive demands a fundamentally different relationship with control, credit, and trust. He explains why the strongest vision is the one that makes your team feel empowered enough to fail and why stepping back is sometimes the most powerful leadership move you can make. But this conversation goes deeper than the boardroom. Matt and Kevin trace the same instinct across parenting three kids at wildly different stages, a cross-country move that upended a near-perfect life in Ohio, and a spouse who, more than once, saw what he couldn't. Whether it's reading a 17-year-old's need for space or a direct report's need for acknowledgement, Matt's core insight is the same: the people around you need different things, and your job is to figure out what that is before you try to lead them. This is a conversation about presence, permission, and the quiet discipline of knowing when to speak and when to listen. In This Episode, You'll Learn: - Why removing yourself from creative decisions is one of the most powerful leadership moves you can make- How to build psychological safety without losing accountability- The difference between setting a vision and steering the outcome- What the Florida move taught one family about adversity, resilience, and what comfort really costs- How youth sports becomes one of the best leadership classrooms available- Why the same DISC framework that shapes your team management applies directly to parenting- What modelling behaviour actually looks like and why your team is watching more closely than you think- How to read what your kids need versus what they're asking for- Why the 9 o'clock conversation is the one that matters most- What it means to let someone fail, at work and at home, and when to step in anyway Top Takeaways: - When you become a leader of leaders, your job is enabling, not doing. Most people know that. Few make the change.- If you constantly step in, the problem is usually your vision, not your team's capability.- Hide your own failures and your team has no permission to have theirs.- Your team won't follow your words. They will follow your choices.- Observe before you act. The parent and manager who does this will always outperform the one who leads with solutions.- Adversity is a gift you can give your kids. Comfort has a cost that doesn't always show up until later.- At home, efficiency is a liability. The conversation your child needs to have will not happen on your schedule.- Hard limits and guardrails are not the same thing. Knowing which one a moment calls for is most of the job. About Matt Eisenacher:Matt Eisenacher is Chief Brand Officer at First Watch, the daytime dining brand he has helped grow from 200 to over 500 locations, including through a successful IPO. Before First Watch, Matt held senior marketing and brand roles across the restaurant and food industry, building high-performing creative teams grounded in trust, clarity, and culture. Known for his directness, his instinct for talent, and his commitment to family, Matt brings the same values to his team in Bradenton that he brings home to his wife Brooke and their three children.
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Eliot Hamlisch (Amtrak, AMC Theatres & Wyndham Hotels) How To Be Promoted Every Two Years, The Cost of Comfort Zones & Staying Connected with Family During Travel Seasons
May 2600:49:59Tap to summarizeIn this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Eliot Hamlisch, Chief Commercial Officer at Amtrak, to explore what it really means to lead with humanity, at work and at home. From transforming customer experience at some of the world’s biggest brands to raising two children while balancing a demanding executive career, Eliot shares the mindset shifts, rituals, and values that have shaped both his leadership and fatherhood. Together they unpack why success without happiness isn’t success at all, how to compartmentalize work to become more present with family, and why some of the best leaders are simply great listeners. Eliot also reflects on career-defining moments that pushed him far beyond his comfort zone, including being unexpectedly asked to lead teams and functions he’d never managed before. This conversation is a masterclass in leadership, optimism, parenting, resilience, and building a life you actually enjoy living. In this episode: Why customer experience starts with understanding human psychology The surprising rituals Eliot uses to stay connected to his children while travelling How to compartmentalize work and be fully present at home The importance of helping children build resilience through adversity Why making your boss’s life easier accelerates career growth Lessons from leading transformation at legacy brands like Amtrak The power of optimism and choosing happiness as a measure of success How ambitious professionals can pursue balance without sacrificing family Key Takeaways: The work will always be there. Presence with family won’t. Happiness may be the most important definition of success. Growth often comes from saying yes before you feel fully ready. Children learn values less from what we say and more from what we consistently model. Leadership at home and leadership at work require many of the same skills: listening, patience, empathy, and resilience. About Eliot Hamlisch:Eliot Hamlisch is the Chief Commercial Officer at Amtrak, where he is leading a customer experience transformation rooted in hospitality and human connection. Throughout his career, including leadership roles at American Express, Wyndham, AMC Theatres, and Deloitte, he has built a reputation for understanding consumer psychology, driving growth, and leading through change.
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Rachel Wallis Andreasson (PepsiCo. & Wallis Companies) A Conversation on: Generational Business, A New Age of Leadership & The Sixth Level #33
May 1900:51:29Tap to summarizeWhat if the future of leadership isn’t about control, authority, or climbing higher… but about creating environments where people genuinely feel seen, trusted, and valued? In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Rachel Wallis Andreasson, former CEO of a multi-billion-dollar family business, leadership expert, and author of The Sixth Level. Rachel shares her extraordinary journey from working outside her family company at PepsiCo, to eventually leading Wallis Companies, a business founded by her father that grew from one gas station on Route 66 into a billion-dollar enterprise. Rachel opens up about the realities of succession in family business, navigating grief after losing key leaders, stepping into the CEO role, and ultimately making the difficult decision to step away for the greater good of the company’s future. Together, Kevin and Rachel explore why traditional command-and-control leadership is failing, how trust and transparency create resilient organizations, and why the same principles that build thriving workplaces also create stronger families and deeper parent-child relationships. This conversation is filled with wisdom on leadership, parenting, legacy, emotional capacity, and the simple human skills we often forget matter most. If you lead a business, a team, or a family, this episode will challenge how you think about success. In This Episode: Why Rachel chose to work outside her family business before joining leadership The surprising lessons she learned cleaning bathrooms and mopping floors at Taco Bell Growing a family business from one gas station to over $1.5 billion in revenue The emotional reality of stepping into, and stepping away from, the CEO role How family business succession impacts leadership and legacy The four conditions behind Rachel’s Sixth Level leadership framework Why psychological safety, transparency, and trust create stronger organizations How leadership principles apply directly to parenting and family life The importance of emotional capacity and filling your own bucket first Building cultures, at work and home, where people want to stay Key Takeaways: Great leadership starts with connection, not control. People thrive when they feel trusted, cared for, and heard. Transparency creates resilience during uncertainty and change. The same principles that build exceptional teams also strengthen families. Leadership is stewardship, whether at work or at home. Sometimes protecting a legacy means having the courage to step away. About Rachel Wallis Andreasson: Rachel Wallis Andreasson spent over two decades in leadership roles at Wallis Companies, a family-owned fuel and convenience business founded by her father. After rising through multiple roles across the organization, she became CEO in 2017. Today, Rachel is an author, speaker, and advocate for a new leadership paradigm focused on trust, care, mutuality, and human potential through her framework, The Sixth Level.
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Camille Hymes (Smoothie King, Starbucks, Jack In The Box, ExxonMobile) The Power of a Career Pause, How to be a Better Leader & Creating Presence at Home #032
May 1100:51:43Tap to summarizeIn this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Camille Hymes, former Chief Operating Officer of Smoothie King and former executive leader at Starbucks, Jack in the Box, and ExxonMobil, to explore what it means to lead with intention, both at work and at home. Camille shares how a deeply personal mission statement became the compass for her career: “to live in peace and bliss and to help others succeed beyond what they ever imagined.” From navigating executive leadership roles at some of the world’s most recognizable brands to raising a family through constant relocations, career transitions, and personal tragedy, Camille reflects on the moments that reshaped her definition of success. Now in what she calls a “power pause” between roles for the first time in her career, Camille opens up about learning to slow down, reconnect with her family, and become more intentional about the opportunities she says yes, and no, to. Kevin and Camille also discuss executive coaching, building a personal board of advisors, the importance of presence, and how leadership rooted in humanity creates stronger teams, cultures, and families. This is a conversation about ambition, grief, service, leadership, and the courage to align your life with what matters most. In this episode• Camille’s journey from ExxonMobil to the C-suite at Smoothie King• How her personal mission statement guides her decisions• Why she chose to take a “power pause” between leadership roles• Learning to say no to opportunities that don’t align with purpose• The role executive coaching played in her growth as a leader• Building a personal “board of directors” for support and guidance• Navigating motherhood while leading at major global brands• How the loss of her daughter transformed her understanding of presence Key takeaways• A clear personal mission statement creates clarity in both life and career• Leadership is less about authority and more about service to others• Presence is a practice and small rituals can create meaningful connection• Executive coaching can accelerate both personal and professional growth• Great cultures are built through humanity, not just performance metrics• You don’t have to do everything alone, it truly takes a village• Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is pause and reflect• Saying no becomes easier when you know your purpose About the guestCamille Hymes is a transformational executive leader and former Chief Operating Officer of Smoothie King. Over her career, she has held senior leadership roles at Starbucks, Jack in the Box, and ExxonMobil, leading large-scale operations, culture transformation, and organizational growth. Known for her people-first leadership style, Camille is passionate about helping others succeed beyond what they imagined possible. She also serves on the boards of Reading Is Fundamental and Blessings in a Backpack, supporting children’s literacy and nutrition initiatives. Charitable Organisations that Camille Supports: https://secure.rif.org/page/97851/donate/1 https://www.blessingsinabackpack.org/category/donating/
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Karen Robinovitz (SlooMoo Institute, & Digital Brand Architects) Overcoming grief, loss and disappear and creating businesses built for joy #031
May 500:49:12Tap to summarizeIn this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Karen Robinovitz, co-founder of Sloomoo Institute, to explore a journey that moves from pioneering the creator economy to rebuilding a life through something as simple and powerful as play. Karen was early to everything, journalism, digital media, and influencer marketing, helping shape how brands and creators work together today. But behind that success was a period of profound personal loss that left her unable to function for over a year. She shares how an unexpected moment—sitting on the floor playing with slime, became a turning point. What started as a small escape turned into a path back to joy, presence, and ultimately, purpose. That moment became the foundation for Sloomoo Institute, an immersive experience designed to reconnect people to play, creativity, and emotional wellbeing. Kevin and Karen explore the deeper meaning behind play, why so many adults lose access to it, and what it actually costs us personally and professionally. They also connect it to leadership, parenting, and performance, showing how joy, creativity, and presence aren’t distractions, they’re advantages. This is a conversation about grief, reinvention, and the courage to build something meaningful from the most unexpected place. In this episode• How Karen went from journalist to building one of the first influencer agencies• Spotting the future of digital, creators, and commerce before it existed• The hidden personal struggles behind outward success• Navigating profound loss, grief, and a complete life reset• How a moment of play sparked healing and a new business idea• The origin and rapid growth of Sloomoo Institute• Why play isn’t just for kids and what adults lose without it• The science behind sensory experiences, joy, and nervous system regulation• Building a brand rooted in purpose, inclusion, and emotional wellbeing• Expanding Sloomoo into a full-scale universe (products, storytelling, and more) Key takeaways• Success doesn’t follow a straight line, but patterns make sense in hindsight• Innovation often looks like “crazy” before it becomes obvious• You can be thriving professionally while struggling deeply personally• Joy and play are not indulgences, they’re essential for wellbeing and performance• Sensory experiences can be powerful tools for healing and emotional regulation• The best businesses don’t just sell products, they create transformation• Reconnecting with your inner child can unlock creativity, presence, and clarity• Sometimes the smallest, simplest moments (like play) can change everything About the guestKaren Robinovitz is the co-founder of Sloomoo Institute, an immersive, sensory experience designed to deliver joy through hands-on play. Before Sloomoo, Karen was a journalist and co-founded Digital Brand Architects (DBA), one of the first influencer marketing agencies, helping shape the creator economy as we know it today. Her work sits at the intersection of storytelling, brand building, and cultural insight, but her most meaningful work came from turning personal healing into a mission-driven business focused on joy, inclusion, and mental wellbeing.
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Joe Cannon (Sports Studio & Hyperice) Navigating Tough Job Markets, High Intensity Travel & Fatherhood. #030
Apr 2700:45:36Tap to summarizeWhat does it really look like to build a career from nothing, and what happens when you finally get there? In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Joe Cannon, SVP at Hyperice, shares the full arc of his journey, from graduating into a brutal job market with no clear path, to piecing together freelance work, sleeping in his car, and chasing any opportunity that could get him in the room. Joe opens up about the uncertainty and pressure of those early years, applying to hundreds of jobs with little response, and the resilience it took to keep going when nothing seemed to be working. That period didn’t just shape his career, it shaped how he sees people, opportunity, and leadership today. Now at Hyperice, Joe sits at the center of one of the fastest-growing brands in wellness, helping drive partnerships, cultural moments, and global expansion. From the Super Bowl to SXSW, he’s been part of building a brand that’s redefining how everyday people think about recovery, performance, and health. But this conversation goes far beyond business. Joe reflects on what it means to navigate a high-performance career while raising two young children and the constant tension between ambition and presence. He shares the realities of modern fatherhood, the guilt, the trade-offs, and the small intentional choices that matter most. At the heart of it all is a simple but powerful truth: your kids don’t care about your job title, your deals, or your wins. They just want you. This is a conversation about hustle, perspective, identity, and redefining success, not just by what you build, but by who you show up as along the way. In This Episode From post-college rejection to breaking into the industry Sleeping in his car and saying yes to any opportunity How Craigslist hustles led to career-defining moments Building Hyperice through partnerships and cultural activations The explosion of the wellness industry and consumer behavior Lessons from early struggle that shaped his leadership style The reality of balancing a demanding career with two young kids Why being present matters more than being perfect Key Takeaways Hustle creates opportunity, but relationships sustain it Early career struggles build resilience and perspective You don’t need a perfect path, just momentum Success at work means less if you’re absent at home Kids don’t care about your title, they care about your presence Being a parent is a constant evolution, not a perfect game Curiosity and humility are superpowers in business The best leaders remember what it felt like to be overlooked About the Guest Joe Cannon is the Senior Vice President at Hyperice, a global leader in recovery and wellness technology. He has played a key role in scaling the brand through major partnerships, cultural activations, and experiences across events like the Super Bowl, The Masters, and SXSW. Before Hyperice, Joe built his career through unconventional paths, freelance work, startups, and sheer persistence. Joe brings a unique perspective to leadership, growth, and opportunity.
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Charisse Hughes (Estee Lauder, Pandora, Kellogg, Kellanova) A Conversation on: Alignment in the Workplace, The Relationship Between CMO & CFO & Choosing Presence #029
Apr 2100:54:29Tap to summarizeWhat happens when a high-achieving career is working on paper, but no longer feels aligned in real life? In this episode of CEOs and ABCs, Kevin sits down with Charisse Hughes, a senior marketing and growth executive who has led at some of the world’s most iconic consumer brands, including Estée Lauder, Pandora, Kellogg, and Kellanova. But this conversation goes far beyond titles and career highlights. Charisse opens up about being raised by a single mother and grandmother who instilled in her the values of education, independence, faith, and community. She reflects on the years she spent on the fast track, getting promoted, traveling the world, and building an impressive career, while realizing that work had quietly become her entire identity. She shares the pivotal decision to step away from a successful role without another one lined up, the fear that came with it, and the clarity she found on the other side. Kevin and Charisse also talk about leadership, ambition, bonus motherhood, and why presence is not something anyone gives you. It is something you have to choose. This is a conversation about success, identity, reinvention, and building a life that reflects what truly matters. In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Charisse’s mother and grandmother shaped her values around education, independence, faith, and service • Why starting in finance gave her an edge as a marketer and business leader • What she learned from moving into beauty, luxury, and global brand leadership • The hidden cost of life on the fast track and how achievement became her whole story • Why she left a successful role without another job lined up and what that season taught her • How Pandora and Kellogg helped shape her leadership and confidence at the highest levels • What becoming a bonus mom taught her about love, values, and showing up for family • Why clarity, balance, and presence are not given to us, they must be chosen Key Takeaways • Success on paper is not always the same thing as success in alignment with your values • Career momentum can become addictive if you do not stop to ask what it is costing you • Taking a step back is not always career suicide. Sometimes it is the clearest move forward • A background in finance can make marketers stronger, more commercial, and more influential leaders • Leadership is not just about functional excellence. It is about adaptability, conviction, calm, and the ability to influence others • Children reflect back what matters most and can keep us grounded in what is real • You do not need to stay locked into a path just because it once made sense • Nobody is going to hand you the clarity or balance you want. You have to choose it Guest Links/Show Notes Virtuosi League (https://virtuosileague.com/), Equal Justice Initiative (https://eji.org/) Howard University (https://giving.howard.edu/ways-give) About Charisse Hughes: Charisse Hughes is a senior marketing and growth executive who has held leadership roles at some of the world’s most recognized consumer brands, including Estée Lauder, Pandora, Kellogg, and Kellanova. She has served as Chief Marketing Officer, led major brand and business transformations, sat on the board of Crocs, and was named CMO of the Year by Consumer Goods Technology in 2022. Known for combining commercial rigor with bold leadership, Charisse brings a powerful perspective on career growth, reinvention, and leading with purpose.
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