On this week’s show, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg chats with two recently minted NOSH Notables – Chris Lansing, CEO of Health Ade, and Miguel Leal, co-founder and CEO of Somos Foods. Reflecting on their decades in the industry, these two CPG executives share the advice (good, bad and even ignorable) that has shaped their leadership styles today and recount important lessons any emerging business builder can learn from. 

Show Highlights:

06:12: Early experiences set the foundation for what comes next, including the development of these two CEO’s leadership styles. While Chris claims to bring clarity to her team, Miguel said he prioritizes calm. Find out why both believe it’s integral to develop your own approach. 

11:53: How do you develop a cross-functional team and what’s the value? When it comes to CPG, Miguel and Chris said common goals are particularly valuable when it comes to motivation, but creativity is fostered when employees spanning a range of functions work together. 

35:03: Within big companies you have politics, and within small ones you have personalities. Chris shares why this advice has stayed with her throughout her CPG career and how it continues to influence the way she approaches nearly every new project.   

“Creating a vision that everyone can anchor to and see how all their work fits into it can add tremendous clarity to the organization. Ultimately, my job is to create an environment to allow people to be successful, to put just enough structure and just enough data [in place] and then strive for collaboration across all the groups… working towards achieving these goals.”

-Chris Lansing 

“You have to find a leadership style that works for you…it's not only going to drive the success of what you do, but it's gonna make you a lot happier. [By] finding your place and finding what works, all the other stuff takes care of itself.”

-Miguel Leal

About The NOSH Podcast

The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to podcast@nosh.com.

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