10 Min CxO Clip- Todd Siegler
CXO Conversations
In “Focus on Impact, Not Money,” shares candid lessons from a career spanning nearly every C-suite role—CFO, COO, CAO, CDO, General Counsel, and eventually CEO of his own company. A Princeton and Tulane Law graduate, Todd reflects on the differences in executive roles across organizations, the dynamics of C-suite interactions, and how managing direct reports effectively builds trust and results. His message is clear: the best leaders aim to create impact, not just chase titles or compensation. For aspiring executives, his story is both an insider’s view of the C-suite and a roadmap...
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10 Min CxO Clip- Jamey Seely
CXO Conversations
In “Being a Blue Collar LGBTQ Executive,” Chief Legal Officer at Gates at time of recording and now General Counsel for Crusoe, shares her journey to the C-suite and what it means to lead authentically in traditionally blue-collar industries like energy, manufacturing, and nuclear. Named one of Denver Business Journal’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business, Jamey reflects on her career path, the two common legal career tracks, and why inclusivity, resilience, and curiosity have shaped her leadership. She also discusses the importance of mentorship, board interactions, and building...
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10 Min CxO Clip- Michelle Anastasi
CXO Conversations
In “Pros & Cons of Long Tenure at Same Company,” shares how she built an HR organization from scratch and the lessons she learned across leadership roles at ASAP Software, Dell, GiveForward, and CompPsych. A graduate of Indiana University and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Michelle reflects on the advantages and challenges of staying with one company for 16 years, the importance of aligning HR with business needs, and why self-advocacy, curiosity, and developing others are essential for long-term success. Her perspective offers valuable guidance for HR leaders and...
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10 Min CxO Clip- Bill Wosilius
CXO Conversations
In “CEO Bill Wosilius, Why and How to Prepare for CEO Chair,” , who was CEO of NexusTek at the time of recording, shares candid insights on declaring your career goals, assessing situations with clarity, and making the tough executive calls that define leadership. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Bill served eight years before moving into executive roles at InFlow, Sungard, Healthgrades, CoreSite, and Optiv, ultimately preparing him for the CEO role. He emphasizes why the best job is the one you have right now, how every experience builds toward the moment of leadership, and...
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2 Min CxO Clip- Steve Joanis
CXO Conversations
What does it take to get noticed by both venture capitalists and C-suite recruiters? In this episode of CXO Conversations, Steve Joanis—CEO of PlanetIQ and veteran of more than $200M in venture fundraising—shares how his career path from Army combat aviator to consultant, investor, and CEO shaped his leadership style. Drawing on decades of experience scaling startups and serving on 20+ boards, Steve highlights why relationships matter more than résumés, how to present yourself authentically to investors, and the strategic decisions that define a CEO’s success. His advice is invaluable...
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10 Min CxO Clip- Steve Joanis
CXO Conversations
In “CEO Steve Joanis, Getting Noticed for C-Level & by VCs,” , the CEO of PlanetIQ (at time of recording, now a PE Managing Director), shares lessons from 25+ years in management consulting, venture capital, and executive leadership. A West Point graduate, decorated Army aviator, and Wharton MBA, Steve has served as CFO, President, board member, and investor across more than 20 companies with multiple successful exits. In this episode of CXO Conversations, he explains how to stand out to venture capitalists, what personality traits the most successful C-suite candidates share, and how...
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2 Min CxO Clip- Carlos Perez
CXO Conversations
What does it take to build a high-performing sales organization from scratch? In this episode of CXO Conversations, Carlos Perez, CRO of Simuwatt, shares lessons from leading revenue teams at startups, global enterprises, and everything in between. He talks about the changing nature of sales leadership, the importance of aligning marketing and sales under a unified revenue vision, and why adaptability is critical in a post-COVID world. From closing his first $25M outsourcing deal to scaling SaaS organizations, Carlos offers actionable advice for leaders building sales orgs designed to last....
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10 Min CxO Clip- Carlos Perez
CXO Conversations
In “CRO Carlos Perez, Building a Sales Org from Scratch,” shares how he’s grown revenue organizations across startups and billion-dollar companies alike. From his early consulting days to CRO roles at Wowza and now Concept3D, Carlos reflects on the evolving role of the Chief Revenue Officer, aligning sales, marketing, and customer success to accelerate growth. He also discusses how sales has changed post-COVID, why trust and creativity matter more than ever, and how to build scalable sales teams from the ground up. For executives and entrepreneurs, this episode is packed with insights...
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2 Min CxO Clip- Heather Callender-Potters
CXO Conversations
What does it take to know when to step aside and hire the right CEO? In this episode of CXO Conversations, Heather Callender-Potters—global investor, co-founder of PharmaJet, and experienced board member—discusses the lessons she’s learned from founding companies, navigating leadership transitions, and serving on boards. From her international upbringing to launching one of the first private equity funds in Eastern Europe, Heather’s journey offers a unique perspective on resilience, cultural awareness, and executive selection. Her advice for aspiring leaders and board members...
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10 Min CxO Clip- Heather Callender-Potters
CXO Conversations
In “Heather Callender-Potters, Founder and Board Member. Hiring a CEO and Board Member Perspectives,” shares lessons from a remarkable career that began in Poland just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, bringing access to capital during a time of historic transformation. Now co-founder of PharmaJet and a seasoned board member, Heather reflects on the challenges of handing over leadership to a CEO, the importance of cultural fit versus just résumé credentials, and why resilience and trust are critical in executive roles. She also offers candid advice for first-time board members on...
info_outlineToday Jamey Seely joins the show to talk about being a Chief Legal Officer — which most people refer to as being your own counsel — the two usual legal career paths, being an executive and LGBTQ in blue-collar industries and working in nuclear.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Jamey was named by Denver Business Journal as one of 2020’s Top 25 Most Powerful and Influential Women in Business; she is a Trailblazer in Business honoree by Aspioneer for 2019, an Outstanding Women in Business Award winner in 2017 and a 2018 Out and Proud Corporate Counsel Award winner by the national LGBTQ bar association — and that’s just since she’s arrived in Denver.
GET IN TOUCH WITH JAMEY ON LINKEDIN
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
Podfly Productions: Podfly.net
Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org
OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[1:52] Michael introduces Jamey and asks her to share an interesting tidbit about herself — marathoning and cycling worldwide as well as racing cars are just one of the few things this adrenaline junkie likes to do!
[4:44] Jamey explains what Gates is and what they do — they’re everywhere and they have vulcanizers!
CLO OR GENERAL COUNSEL [8:17] What does a CLO do in terms of helping a company be healthy? And Jamey shares the really awesome thing about being on the legal side of a corporation.
BECOMING GC/CLO [13:00] Jamey knew from high school that she wanted to be a CLO — even not fully knowing what that meant. She also speaks to paying her dues and the importance of mentorship.
[17:14] GC used to require corporate securities and M&A, if not, you could be a number two. Jamey touches on the trends today.
[19:19] Jamey speaks to the most common reasons people aim for that role, as well as what makes a good GC.
PEER AND BOARD INTERACTIONS [20:54] A GC serves multiple roles; Jamey shares a professional story that explains the breadth of interactions a GC needs to maintain. She touches on how a board should behave.
WHY JAMEY GOT THE JOB [25:22] She explains why she joined Gates and what her job was from the get-go — make the company public. She talks about how she did it, as well as getting to the big day and ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
LGBTQ [30:52] Jamey touches on being LGBTQ in business. She shares some advice and talks about how she got a feeling for the culture of diversity at Gates — and how you can get a good feeling for this in any company. Ask if they have a diversity and inclusion initiative both internally and externally!
NUCLEAR [40:28] Jamey talks about working with the brightest minds and running huge fun projects from a legal perspective. She shares her experience of Fukushima which happens right as she had landed an enormous nuclear project.
ADVICE FOR ASPIRING GC/CLO [45:01] Be prepared for the breadth and for being the trusted advisor for the C suite. Jamey breaks down some key experience you should work at getting. Also, keep an open mind!
WHEN JAMEY SET HER SIGHTS [47:54] Jamey speaks to when she decided she was going for the C suite in earnest — after having left law, which became a career asset.
BEST WORST JOB JAMEY EVER HAD [49:46] Litigation was never a match for Jamey — also, waiting tables, it’s brutal. Michael shares his own horrible job!
[53:29] Michael thanks Jamey for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.
We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.
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