In our final episode of the Season, we share and celebrate what we've learned along the journey of deciding to create this podcast to the lessons of our wonderful guests! We also celebrate our work and staying power - most podcasts don't even make it to 10 episodes! Most importantly, we recap the themes around leadership - how many of us came to positions of leadership by accident - personal and professional growth, not asking for permission, and standing in our own power, all of which came through so many of our conversations.

We also thank you, our listeners, for coming on this journey with us. We hope you'll stay with us, and share the podcast with others who might enjoy it!

Next Season Preview:

We're dropping this episode the day before the US Presidental election, and as a result of what we're seeing and experiencing, have decided to focus on women in leadership for Season Two!

We'll be back on 13 January with Episode 1 of Season Two!

Closing:

Thank you for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review our podcast.

You can reach Juliet directly at julietClothier@gmail.com, and follow her on socials:
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Instagram
Her website is www.JulietClothier.com

You can reach Susan directly at Susan@SusanASutherland.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.SusanASutherland.com

Secrets of the C-Suite is both a podcast AND a leadership consultancy. You can learn more about our offerings here.

In our final guest interview of Season 1, we delve into the inspiring journey of Melissa Hurrington, an unapologetic leader who has mastered the art of balancing personal and professional life. When her company turned to her for guidance during the pandemic in 2020, Melissa realized that no one truly has all the answers. This pivotal moment allowed her to show up authentically and highlight the often-unrecognized leadership roles women take on in times of crisis.

Today, Melissa is a sought-after speaker and panelist, an influential voice on LinkedIn, and continues to inspire others through her work with the Bold Leaders Collective and as President of the Omaha Chapter of the CFO Leadership Council. As a mentor, she empowers emerging leaders to embrace their potential.

Melissa's journey illustrates her belief that skills learned in dance—such as discipline, teamwork, and creativity—translate seamlessly into the business world. Her commitment to fostering a culture of lifelong learning stems from her own experiences, driving her to continuously grow and encourage others to do the same.

Next Episode Preview:

Join us in two weeks when we wrap up the season and we talk about our plans for 2025! We're pretty excited about what's ahead.

Closing:

Thank you for tuning in! We hope you found inspiration in Melissa’s story and insights. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review our podcast

You can follow Melissa on LinkedIn and can read more about her in this article.

You can reach Juliet directly at julietClothier@gmail.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.JulietClothier.com

You can reach Susan directly at Susan@SusanASutherland.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.SusanASutherland.com

Secrets of the C-Suite is both a podcast AND a leadership consultancy. You can learn more about our offerings here.

In this episode, we sit down with Charles DeSantis, a passionate advocate for community wellness and humanitarian efforts. Charles shares his inspiring journey and motivations, emphasizing his commitment to his family, community, and those in greatest need. As Georgetown University’s Chief Benefits Officer, he leads initiatives that enhance employee wellbeing and support the university's mission of service.

Charles reflects on a transformative year when he and his husband adopted four siblings, expanding their family from two to six. He discusses his leadership roles at Georgetown and on various boards and advisory councils, using these platforms to drive positive change. Charles emphasizes the importance of meeting employees where they are and showing up for them, underscoring that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to successful leadership.

He also shares insights on his recent accolades, including the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for Service, highlighting the significance of giving back.

Charles is the author of two books:
•Smart, Beautiful and Important: Teaching Art to AIDS-Affected Orphans in Africa’s Largest Slum
•Lucas and Lilly Go to Kindergarten

We had a great time talking with Charles and learned so much - I know you'll enjoy listening!

You can reach Charles directly at ced33@georgetown.edu, and follow him on his socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook

You can reach Juliet directly at julietClothier@gmail.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.JulietClothier.com

You can reach Susan directly at Susan@SusanASutherland.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
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Her website is www.SusanASutherland.com

We are so pleased that Sonali Joshi, Chief Operating Officer at Cell-Ed, could join us for this episode! With more than 25-years of operations, marketing, finance, organizational development, and social innovation experience, her career has spanned private, nonprofit, and the public sectors. She has worked at start-ups, non-profits, Fortune 500 companies, and a range in between!

Sonali has dedicated her career to bringing business acumen to organizations working to alleviate poverty around the world. As a founding C-Suite member of Cell-Ed a social enterprise dedicated to connecting vulnerable communities to the information, education, and resources they need to thrive, she helped to grow the company from a $200,000 organization to a $20M corporation with projects in more than a dozen countries.

Down to earth, smart as whip and easy to laughter, we hope you'll enjoy our conversation with Sonali!

You can reach Sonali directly at SonaJoshi@gmail.com, and follow her on socials:
Instagram
LinkedIn

You can reach Juliet directly at julietClothier@gmail.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.JulietClothier.com

You can reach Susan directly at Susan@SusanASutherland.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.SusanASutherland.com

Information about Susan's 'Meant For More Mastermind' - The group coaching program for senior leaders and executives age 45+ can be found HERE

In Episode 7, we welcome Beth Cobert, someone both Susan and Juliet worked with when Beth chaired the Board of the United Way of the Bay Area (Susan was a fellow Board member and Juliet was the CFO).

At the time, Beth was a partner at McKinsey & Company here in San Francisco, where she had a lengthy career as a consultant and leader. She went on to serve in two Senate-confirmed positions in the Federal Government in the Obama Administration: first as Deputy Director for Management and the U.S. Chief Performance Officer at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and then as the Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

After leaving Government service, she became the President of the Markle Foundation. In this role, Beth led Markle’s work to expand access to quality jobs and create a more equitable labor market through initiatives including the Rework America Alliance (Alliance), Rework America State Network, and Skillful. She helped create these strong national coalitions of government, business, education and training, and non-profit stakeholders focused on transforming our country’s approach to skills development and access to career opportunities.

Both Juliet & Susan have always been energized and inspired by Beth, and it was a lot of fun to catch up with her live. We trust that you - like us - will enjoy hearing her talk about the work she's been doing, particularly her desire to bring her leadership in service to the country, and, we'd add, to the potential for being a better country for all.

You can find and follow Beth on LinkedIn

You can reach Juliet directly at julietClothier@gmail.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.JulietClothier.com

You can reach Susan directly at Susan@SusanASutherland.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.SusanASutherland.com

Information about Susan's 'Meant For More Mastermind' - The group coaching program for senior leaders and executives age 45+ can be found HERE

In Episode 6, we talk to Scott Miller, Executive Recruiter, who shares with us his journey from working in the office of Presidential personnel at the White House (yes, that White House!) through his time in large recruiting organizations and then for the past 15 years as CEO of his own firm. Scott provides advice to both clients and candidates for successful recruiting experiences. We learn about generational differences and diversity in recruiting as well as changes that have happened in the industry since moving through the pandemic years.

Scott has built a stellar reputation for consistently delivering high-caliber candidates, helping organizations achieve their goals and fulfill their missions. Clients repeatedly turn to Scott for his exceptional ability to identify and secure top talent, making him a trusted partner in the executive search process. I know you’ll learn something, give a listen!

You can reach Scott at: https://www.scottmillerexecutivesearch.com/

You can reach Juliet directly at julietClothier@gmail.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.JulietClothier.com

You can reach Susan directly at Susan@SusanASutherland.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.SusanASutherland.com

Information about Susan's 'Meant For More Mastermind' - the group coaching program for senior leaders and executives age 45+ can be found HERE

In Episode 5, we speak with Mark Cederborg, who shares with us his extensive experience in the construction industry, particularly Ecological Restoration Construction in Northern California. Mark started in the industry by doing and learning ALL the jobs and - using his words - ending up as CEO! His views of leadership are evident and articulate, and we loved our conversation.

Mark is now CEO of Outset Advisors, a company focused on improving the relationship between construction and nature, and ensuring the right people and information get input to major construction projects We could also have titled this episode "the one where we learn about the difference between green and grey infrastructure!" You'll know why when you give it a listen.

You can reach Mark at m.cederborg@outsetadvisors.com

You can reach Juliet and Susan at SecretsofTheCSuite@gmail.com.

You can reach Juliet directly at JulietClothier@gmail.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.JulietClothier.com

You can reach Susan directly at Susan@SusanASutherland.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.SusanASutherland.com

Information about Susan's 'Meant For More Mastermind' - the group coaching program for senior leaders and executives age 45+ can be found HERE

Episode 4 with Carole Peters, CEO of United Way NEXT: The One Where We Learn About 4H and Leadership

In this episode, Juliet and Susan speak with Carole Peters, CEO of United Way NEXT, the alumni organization for United Way leaders. Carole brings her special brand of leadership, enthusiasm and her open heart to this conversation, as she does to all her endeavors. We learned about her early experiences with 4H and how much she learned about leadership, setting her path to where she is now.

We hope you enjoy the episode, and if you do, we’d be grateful for a 5 Star review! And please subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

You can reach Carole at Carole.Peters@uww.unitedway.org, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
or visit the website at https://www.unitedwaynext.org/

You can reach Juliet and Susan at SecretsofTheCSuite@gmail.com.

You can reach Juliet directly at JulietClothier@gmail.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.JulietClothier.com

You can reach Susan directly at Susan@SusanASutherland.com, and follow her on socials:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Her website is www.SusanASutherland.com