Best Boss Ever

Leveraging powerful personalities

In Episode 61 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine speaks to Lule Demmissie, who is the U.S. CEO of eToro. 

Lule shares her experiences with a number of leaders whose influences have been formative to her career growth and have shown that the best bosses elevate their unique qualities to help their teams shine. 

She speaks to the importance of being generous with knowledge, how to build someone up while also delivering tough feedback, how strong personalities can complement one another, and why being a great boss is about so much more than the work you do.

The impact of safety

In Episode 60 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine connects with Naomi Titleman, founder, and principal of Collaborativity Inc., and co-founder of future foHRward.  

Naomi shares her experience with one of her first bosses, Chuck, whom she started working with after moving to New York City. 

As a brand-new consultant, she felt lost, but Chuck quickly took her under his wing and made her “part of his posse.” Chuck helped her find her footing, grow her confidence, and learn how she wanted to learn. He was the type of leader Naomi never felt she had to be fearful of, which impacted the entire team. Even managers reporting to Chuck followed his example, leading in a motivating, empowering, and firm-but-fair way. 

Learn how Chuck created so much safety in a large organization, and why he’s continued to influence Naomi’s own leadership style.

A guy named Guy

In Episode 59 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine talks to Joanna Track, founder of content marketing consultancy, Good Eggs & Co.

A serial entrepreneur, Joanna has had an incredibly successful career, and she attributes a lot of her success to one of her very first bosses, Guy. In this episode, Joanna shares why Guy has had such an effect on her professional path and how he continues to impact the way she runs her business today.

Progress is progress

In Episode 58 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine talks to Atsushi Yasuda, president of AAM Revenue Strategy Consultants. Atsushi recalls some of the most important life lessons he learned from his “best boss ever”: his dad, Yoshitaka. 

Even after 30+ years in the workforce, and countless great bosses, Atsushi says it’s still the lessons he learned at 17 when he worked with his dad at a sawmill in small town British Columbia that have stuck with him throughout his career. 

Atsushi and Christine discuss the importance of hard work, humility, and why it’s critical to consistently look for opportunities to add value.

Wisdom from Joe

In Episode 57 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine chats with Brent Currie, SVP & Managing Director, Investment Distribution & Partnerships at Scotiabank. 

Brent speaks to his experience working with Joe Brandt who, 15 years later, continues to have an impact on his team. 

Brent and Christine talk about the “The 10 Rules of Managing People” that Joe created over the course of his career. They dive into the importance of expecting the unexpected, reading between the lines when communicating with team members, and how feedback that covers “the stuff around the edges” builds trust. 

They also talk about another great boss Brent worked with through the tumultuous times of the COVID-19 pandemic, who exemplified the importance of leading with authenticity and living by your values.

The best antidote to imposter syndrome

In Episode 56 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine connects with Monica Stewart, Founder & CEO, 5ive Limes Consulting. 

Monica shares her experience with the boss who hired her for her first sales role when she was fresh out of college. Early in her career, Monica was invited to attend a conference alongside her boss and was given a piece of advice that she describes as “the best antidote to imposter syndrome.” Rather than trying to impress, her boss told her to spend her time connecting. This experience changed how Monica saw herself as a professional in an irreversible way and has continued to guide her throughout her career.

She and Christine also dive into why professionals need to be challenged, how bad work habits are formed in toxic environments, and why drawing a line between work and your personal life is critical.

It’s okay to be imperfect

In Episode 55 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine speaks with Jon Cogan, a marketing veteran who is now Principal of Sephrina Strategy.

Jon shares the career-shaping experiences he had working with two outstanding bosses who believed in him, challenged him, and allowed him to make mistakes without fear of judgment. They talk about the impact of a boss that encourages ownership of ideas, the invaluable learning that takes place when leaders give their teams the go-ahead to act as the experts they are, and why we don’t have to be experts in everything to succeed.

Creating a fear-free workplace

In Episode 54 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine connects with Matt Stone, President & CEO at BehavioralOS®.  

Matt works with executives to improve both their performance and the performance of their teams through high-growth conversations. He reflects on an amazing boss he had at the Oregon Department of Justice–one who stood out to him immediately and is someone he still uses to this day as a model for exceptional leadership.

They talk about the impact of an always-authentic leader who had the ability to elevate vastly different types of personalities by creating a safe environment that allowed for shame-free communication and conflict resolution. They also dive into how the potential for success skyrockets when leaders demonstrate kindness, grace, and respect even in the most difficult moments.

Unlocking potential through allyship

In Episode 53 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine chats with Vasie Papadopoulos, VP, Corporate Communications at Argyle.

Vasie shares the experiences she had with an amazing leader from her last role, who championed allyship in a male-dominated industry. 

Motivated to make positive changes within the company, Vasie was challenged to accomplish this in an environment where there was limited representation. Fortunately, Vasie’s boss actively listened and advocated for her to expand her breadth of experience and knowledge. Not only did this enable her to grow as a leader, but helped create a culture change within the company, where more women could see themselves leading. 

They discuss the necessity of consistency, the powerful combination of self-advocacy and a network of champions, how male leaders can make small shifts to elevate diversity, and the priceless return on investing in your employees. 

The competitive advantage of holistic wellness

In Episode 52 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine speaks with Serena Quaglia, VP, Strategy at TCS Marketing Systems. 

Serena shares how the entire C-suite and management team of a major Las Vegas production show implemented holistic wellness policies, which gave every employee confidence and security in their well-being so that they could do their best work. 

They discuss the competitive advantage that comes with a 360-degree approach to wellness, the power of communication and ownership, and how this environment unified teams and fostered a strong sense of purpose.