Podcast Summary: The Leadership Dance | Ep. 6: Dancing in the Corner Office with Carla Vernón

Introduction and Background

In Episode 6 of The Leadership Dance, host Alissa Hsu Lynch welcomes her longtime friend and esteemed business leader, Carla Vernón. Carla is the CEO and board director of The Honest Company, renowned for her prowess in strengthening business models, driving innovation, and fostering inspiring team cultures. Her impressive career includes pivotal roles at Amazon and General Mills, where she led significant growth and initiated groundbreaking commitments to organic food and regenerative agriculture. The episode delves into Carla’s journey from a world-class dancer to a global business executive, exploring her leadership style, personal background, and the lessons she draws from her dance heritage.

Honest Company and Leadership Transformation

Carla Vernón discusses her role at The Honest Company, a personal care brand known for its clean ingredients and sustainable products across various categories, including baby care, facial products, and household cleaning. Taking the helm two years prior, Carla oversaw the company’s transition post-IPO, focusing on a comprehensive turnaround strategy.

“When Honest was founded 13 years ago, many people know about Honest because it was founded by a group of founders, including actor Jessica Alba. When Honest was founded, it was really something different in the market.” [05:12]

Under Carla’s leadership, the company has launched new products, expanded its brand recognition, and maintained its commitment to sustainability. Alissa praises the innovative ageless products and highlights the brand's resonance with modern consumers.

Building a Diverse and Effective Board of Directors

Carla emphasizes the intentionality behind reshaping The Honest Company’s board of directors to align with the company’s strategic vision. She collaborated closely with board chair James White to introduce members with expertise in consumer packaged goods (CPG), technology, and artificial intelligence (AI), while also prioritizing diversity and representation.

“Our board is actually 66% female and 56% people of color, which is very remarkable in the public sector.” [09:51]

This shift not only brought fresh perspectives but also ensured that the board mirrored the diverse consumer base the company serves, fostering a more inclusive and innovative governance structure.

Personal Background and Upbringing

Carla shares insights into her upbringing in Buffalo, New York, highlighting the strong emphasis her immigrant parents placed on education. Her father, a Panamanian immigrant and PhD in mathematics education, and her mother, a native New Orleanian and PhD in microbiology, instilled in Carla the values of hard work and academic excellence.

“Education has always been so important in my family culture because my father emigrated to this country from Panama in his 20s.” [14:16]

This foundation of resilience and independence shaped Carla’s approach to both her personal and professional life.

Career Transitions and Lessons from Dance

Carla reflects on her diverse career path, which she likens to improvisation rather than a meticulously planned choreography. Starting with a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton, she worked with The Nature Conservancy and Senator Carol Moseley Braun before pivoting to the corporate sector with over two decades at General Mills and later Amazon.

“My career is more improv than a lot of great, well-rehearsed choreography.” [17:46]

Drawing parallels between dance and business, Carla underscores the importance of practice, vulnerability, and resilience. Her experience as a dancer, facing rejection and striving for perfection, translates into her leadership style—embracing failures as learning opportunities and fostering a collaborative environment.

Overcoming Barriers as a Woman of Color CEO

As one of the few Afro-Latine CEOs of a publicly traded company, Carla addresses the unique challenges and biases she has encountered. She discusses how her visible difference has both set her apart and provided her with a unique perspective that serves as a strategic advantage in leadership.

“Being different means that I'm resilient in corporate America, or I'm used to people not expecting my stuff to be, you know, whatever, as outstanding.” [24:30]

Carla highlights the importance of representation and the strength that diversity brings to a leadership team, turning personal experiences of bias into a superpower that drives innovation and inclusivity within her organization.

The “Sister in the Corner Office” Persona

Carla introduces her alter ego, “Your Sister in the Corner Office” (sitco), a persona she crafted to provide candid, tough love advice on social media. This initiative aims to bridge the gap created by remote work, offering mentorship and practical advice to professionals navigating the modern workplace.

“I invented a nom de plume and a version of myself and alter ego that is that tough love voice that's going to tell you things that are loving, that come because I care about you, but that might not be easy to hear.” [30:19]

Through sitco, Carla shares actionable insights, such as prioritizing foundational skills before pursuing passions, thereby empowering her audience to build robust career foundations.

Balancing Career and Personal Life

Carla discusses the challenges of balancing her demanding role as CEO with her responsibilities as a mother. Drawing inspiration from her working parents, she emphasizes the importance of planning, setting boundaries, and fostering open communication with her family.

“We make every career decision as a family. So I always check in. Even when the kids were little, it was like, mom's going to have to travel a lot. This is what this is going to mean. Are you okay with that?” [43:49]

Her approach underscores the significance of flexibility and prioritizing family time, ensuring that her children feel supported and valued despite her professional obligations.

Lessons from Dance Applied to Leadership

Carla connects her dance background to her leadership philosophy, highlighting how the principles of practice, teamwork, and resilience are integral to both disciplines. She emphasizes the necessity of vulnerability in leadership, encouraging open communication and collaborative brainstorming.

“The higher you go, the more you have to be very clear. Are you giving direction or are you just brainstorming.” [37:56]

This analogy illustrates how improvisation and structured practice in dance inform her adaptive and inclusive leadership style, fostering an environment where creativity and strategic thinking thrive.

Final Thoughts and Advice to Younger Self

In a heartwarming conclusion, Carla reflects on her journey and offers advice to her younger self. She emphasizes the importance of perseverance, embracing friendships, and trusting that life holds unexpected and wonderful surprises.

“Life has more wonderful surprises for you. So just stick with it. Give everything all you've got, including your friendships, because in the end, your friendships will outlast everything.” [47:36]

Conclusion

Episode 6 of The Leadership Dance provides an inspiring look into Carla Vernón’s multifaceted career and personal life. Through candid conversations and reflective insights, Carla illustrates how her background in dance has profoundly shaped her leadership style, enabling her to navigate the complexities of corporate America with grace, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to diversity and sustainability. Listeners gain valuable lessons on overcoming barriers, balancing professional and personal responsibilities, and the importance of embracing both structured practice and improvisation in their career journeys.

Notable Quotes:

• “Life has more wonderful surprises for you. So just stick with it. Give everything all you've got, including your friendships, because in the end, your friendships will outlast everything.” – Carla Vernón [47:36]

• “Our board is actually 66% female and 56% people of color, which is very remarkable in the public sector.” – Carla Vernón [09:51]

• “My career is more improv than a lot of great, well-rehearsed choreography.” – Carla Vernón [17:46]

• “Being different means that I'm resilient in corporate America, or I'm used to people not expecting my stuff to be, you know, whatever, as outstanding.” – Carla Vernón [24:30]

• “We make every career decision as a family. So I always check in. Even when the kids were little, it was like, mom's going to have to travel a lot. This is what this is going to mean. Are you okay with that?” – Carla Vernón [43:49]