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Annie Riley
Best Manager Ever reveals the secrets of successful management and empowers leaders to build winning teams. Join a community dedicated to sharing insights and stories from the most successful and beloved leaders in the startup world. All guests have been nominated as the “best manager ever” by a recent direct report. Before each interview, we go behind the guest’s back to collect feedback and stories from their team about what they’re *actually* like to work for. Then we sit down with the guest to unpack that feedback and to dig into their leadership playbook and lessons learned. Tune in, learn from the experts, and enhance your management skills while building meaningful connections throughout your career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Total 6 episodes
1
Best Manager Ever: Doug Hanna
Doug Hanna, President & COO at Kustomer and former President and COO at Grafana Labs, is renowned for his expertise in customer service and operational excellence, having significantly contributed to the growth of companies like Help.com and Zendesk. During his tenure, he helped scale Grafana Labs from a team of 70 to over a thousand employees. Doug's direct reports praise his hyper-rationality, exceptional context-switching abilities, and a balanced approach to management that marries analytical rigor with empathy.In this episode, Annie Riley, founder of Fort Light, sits down with Doug to discuss his strategies for addressing system failures during scaling, his approach to effective delegation and building scalable structures, and the art of maintaining responsiveness and understanding team motivations in a fast-paced environment. Tune in for a deep dive into Doug's dynamic leadership techniques and operational insights that drive success at Kustomer.Connect with Doug HannaConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
40:5620/11/2024
Best Manager Ever: Lauren Werner
Lauren Werner is the COO of Shop Shops, a live stream shopping app with a talented team of 50-60 employees across five countries. She is an experienced operations executive with a record of piloting, scaling, and managing new businesses and marketplaces.Lauren is lauded by her direct reports as a stabilizing force with an unflappable presence, known for her empathy, clear communication, and methodical approach to managing and scaling distributed teams.In this episode, Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light, sits down with Lauren to discuss her leadership strategies, the importance of maintaining composure and stability in high-pressure startup environments, and effective communication and prioritization in managerial relationships. Tune in to explore Lauren's experience in navigating multicultural leadership and her journey as a woman leader in tech.Connect with Lauren WernerConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
36:3213/11/2024
Best Manager Ever: Sean Twersky
Sean Twersky is Head of Business Operations at Even Up, and previously Instacart. He has 15+ years of experience that thrives on bringing structure to even the most chaotic situations and scaling for long term success. Sean’s direct reports across various companies describe him as a bright, adaptable leader and a great equalizer who successfully manages diverse teams.On this episode, host Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light, explores Sean's methods for helping direct reports grow in ambiguous environments, his approach to effective feedback, and how he maintains a motivating and fun team culture. Tune in to learn from Sean’s playbook on how to draw out strengths from team members, turn ambitious tasks into enjoyable challenges, and ask for feedback in a structured and actionable way.Connect with Sean TwerskyConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Sean’s blog General PractitionerCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouThis is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
39:1606/11/2024
Best Manager Ever: Brittney Hall
Brittany Hall is the Head of Customer Experience at ReMatter, a series A startup. She is also known for her notable work at companies like GoGuardian, People.ai and DataGrail. Over the past decade, Brittney has built a reputation for her outstanding ability to build and scale customer-facing teams from scratch. Brittany's direct reports describe her as an exceptional leader who is clear, honest, and genuinely caring. They highlight her ability to build high-performing teams and manage early-stage company challenges. In this episode Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light, sits down with Brittney, to discuss the framework for hiring non-traditional candidates, her strategy for timely feedback and team communication, and her approach to self-advocacy and prioritizing tasks. Tune in to learn how Brittany's leadership style and execution mindset drive startup success.Connect with Brittney HallConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
39:1230/10/2024
Best Manager Ever: Zayd Badwan
Zayd Badwan is a founding team member and VP of Enterprise at Uplimit. Before joining Uplimit, Zayd scaled the Customer Success team at Coursera. With 15+ years of experience in learning and development startups, he brings insights from working closely with global governments and nonprofits, and industry-leading companies including Google and Salesforce. Zayd is described by his direct reports as a positive leader with a knack for building trust, making work fun, and bringing relentless energy in the face of challenges. In this episode, Annie Riley sits down with Zayd to discuss the highs and lows of building teams from scratch, prioritizing learning as the best way to win in early stage company-building, and managing burnout and building emotional resilience. Zayd also highlights the importance of authenticity and candor in work relationships, and shares strategies for communicating across the company. Tune in for valuable insights on leadership, especially in very early-stage startup environments.Connect with Zayd BadwanConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
38:4223/10/2024
Best Manager Ever: Morgane Palomares
Morgane Palomares is the VP of Marketing at Vercel, and is known for her significant roles at GitHub, Zendesk and Change.org. Morgane's direct reports praise her exceptional leadership, high standards, and ability to create a trusting and safe environment. They describe her as 'superhuman,' 'aggressive,' and 'a winner,' highlighting her unique ability to balance high demands with personal care for her team. In this episode, Annie Riley, the founder of Fort Light, talks with Morgane about strategies for setting high expectations, creating space for emotions, and fostering team camaraderie. Learn about Morgan's approach to continuous learning, her unique lingo, and her emphasis on early career coaching. Morgan also talks about balancing work-life commitments, organizing her time effectively, being proactive about personal growth, and the importance of sharing information openly with her team.Connect with Morgane PalomaresConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
37:2216/10/2024