Ep. 6: Dancing in the corner office, with Carla Vernón
Release Date: 12/16/2024
Ep. 19: From fired to fearless & leading boldly, with Sarah Robb O'Hagan
The Leadership Dance
In this energizing conversation, powerhouse leader Sarah Robb O’Hagan—former executive at Nike, Gatorade, and Equinox, and author of Extreme You—shares insights from her bold career journey. Sarah opens up about the tough lessons she learned from early career failures, the power of resilience, and how embracing her authentic, “extreme” self led her to unlock new levels of leadership. Together, Alissa and Sarah explore what it means to lead with courage, create inclusive high-performance cultures, and why doing “hard things” is essential for growth. Whether you’re just starting...
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Ep. 18: Embodying boldness, trust, and love, with Sheila Lirio Marcelo
The Leadership Dance
Tune in for this dynamic discussion about leading boldly, trusting in yourself, and living with intention featuring Sheila Lirio Marcelo, the trailblazing founder of Care.com and now the visionary leader behind Ohai.ai, a virtual assistant for families. Sheila shares her remarkable journey from her entrepreneurial upbringing in the Philippines to building one of the most trusted caregiving platforms in the world. Throughout the conversation, Sheila opens up about the challenges of balancing young motherhood while attending college, underestimating herself, and operating in traditionally...
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Ep. 17: Redefining Asian American leadership, with Anna Mok
The Leadership Dance
Episode 17 features trailblazer Anna Mok — the first Chinese American woman promoted to Partner at Deloitte and the visionary co-founder of Ascend, North America's largest network for Pan-Asian business professionals. From growing up in San Francisco and working in her family’s Chinese restaurant as a little girl to becoming a prominent global business leader, Anna shares how her immigrant roots, cultural identity, and deep belief in community shaped her path. We talk about breaking the bamboo ceiling, navigating leadership as an Asian American woman, and why redefining success on your own...
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Ep. 16: From NFL underdog to entrepreneur, with Ryan Nece
The Leadership Dance
Episode 16 features Ryan Nece—Super Bowl champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and now an entrepreneur, venture capital leader, and philanthropist—in a heartfelt conversation about purpose, resilience, and reimagining success. Ryan opens up about his unique journey from growing up as the son of Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott to carving out his own path on and off the field. He shares lessons learned from his time as a professional athlete and talks about how these translate into business, including the value of leadership, teamwork, and bouncing back from failure. Ryan also reflects on his...
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Ep. 15: Dancing through the decades, with Alessandra Ferri
The Leadership Dance
Delve into this fascinating conversation with Alessandra Ferri, Prima Ballerina Assoluta and Artistic Director Designate of the Vienna State Ballet. Alessandra shares her extraordinary journey in the world of ballet, from her early passion for dance in Italy to becoming the youngest principal dancer at The Royal Ballet at age 19. After subsequently being recruited by Mikhail Baryshnikov to join American Ballet Theatre, she has sustained an incredibly long and successful performing career over 4 decades with the world’s top companies, dancers, and choreographers. In this revealing...
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Ep. 14: Navigating leadership in uncertain times, with Christina Hennington
The Leadership Dance
In this inspiring episode of The Leadership Dance, Christina Hennington, EVP & Chief Strategy and Growth Officer for Target, discusses her journey from her Scandinavian roots to her rise in the retail industry. Christina reflects on the influence of her upbringing on her global perspective, the lessons she learned as a newly promoted executive during the pandemic, and her journey of embracing what makes her unique. She discusses the power of having a "rookie mindset," finding comfort with ambiguity, and how innovative technologies like AI enhance both customer experience and operational...
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Ep. 13: How to build a career you love, with Lindsay Trout
The Leadership Dance
Season 2 of The Leadership Dance kicks off with an illuminating conversation with Lindsay Trout, Partner at Egon Zehnder, a global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Throughout the episode, Lindsay shares her expertise and insights on leadership, career development, and the challenges facing CEOs and boards today. She discusses how courage and curiosity have become essential leadership traits, and offers practical advice for positioning yourself in the marketplace by focusing on competencies and potential rather than just experience. Lindsay also discusses growing up in Charleston,...
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Ep. 12: Top 5 lessons learned from trailblazers, with Alissa Hsu Lynch
The Leadership Dance
In this special solo episode, host Alissa Hsu Lynch takes 5 minutes to reflect on the 5 biggest insights she’s gathered from her inspiring conversations with 10 trailblazing leaders in Season One. These incredible guests have shared their journeys of resilience, overcoming self-doubt, and forging their own paths. Alissa reveals the top lessons learned and how they can help you navigate your own leadership journey. ______________________________________________ 💡Top 5 Takeaways: Choreographing Your Career Takes Creativity Resilience is a SuperpowerLeadership Means Opening Doors for Others...
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Ep. 11: How to step up and be the best boss, with Sabina Nawaz
The Leadership Dance
In this episode of The Leadership Dance, Sabina Nawaz, Executive Coach and Author, and former advisor to Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer at Microsoft, shares her journey from growing up in Calcutta to achieving success in the United States in the tech and business worlds. She discusses the complexities of career transitions, the challenges of leadership, and how pressure and power can derail even well-meaning managers. In introducing her new book, “You’re the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need),” Sabina reveals the leadership secrets and strategies of highly successful...
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Ep. 10: Breaking the ballet mold, with Calvin Royal III
The Leadership Dance
Episode 10 of The Leadership Dance features Calvin Royal III, Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre and a prominent figure in the dance world. In this inspiring conversation, he shares his breakthrough journey from discovering dance at the late age of 14 to becoming only the third African American principal dancer in ABT’s 85-year history. He discusses the importance of leadership, mentorship, and representation in ballet, as well as the challenges he had to overcome along the way. Calvin also highlights his recent project, UNITE, which celebrates the beautiful array of artistry and...
info_outlineIn this episode of The Leadership Dance podcast, host Alissa Hsu Lynch sits down with Carla Vernón, CEO of The Honest Company and one of the only Afro-Latine CEOs of a public company. During their conversation, Carla shares her journey from a rambunctious dancer raised in Buffalo, New York, to corporate CEO, touching on the importance of representation, dealing with failure, and what she’s learned from her dance background. Carla also reveals her alter ego as “Your Sister in the Corner Office” (SITCO), reflecting on her role as a first-time CEO and sharing advice for the next generation of leaders. She discusses the mission of The Honest Company, the value of building a diverse board of directors, and how she relies on a network of mentors, family, and friends to keep her moving forward.
You won’t want to miss this fun episode, chock-full of wisdom from a true trailblazer!
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💡Key Takeaways:
Resilience comes from navigating spaces where you’re not the norm—it’s a skill and a superpower.
Being a dancer involves a lot of rejection and failure. Learning to embrace failure, rather than fearing it, is crucial for growth, whether in dance or leadership.
Success isn’t linear—careers are often choreographed through improvisation, experimentation, and adaptation.
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To learn more about Carla and The Honest Company:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlainspired/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlainspired/
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