Episode Description

Join host Aransas Savas as she reconnects with Alex Stried, former Chief Product Officer at Cerebral who left her executive role to co-found Poppins, a revolutionary 24/7 pediatric care and parent coaching platform. In this candid conversation, Alex shares how the Surgeon General's declaration of parent stress as a public health crisis became her wake-up call to build the company she wished existed as a working mother. From managing teams of hundreds to starting from scratch, Alex reveals the data-driven approach that helped her raise courage capital and turn overwhelming parenthood into a scalable solution.

What You'll Learn

• How to transition from corporate executive to entrepreneur without losing momentum in your career
• Parent stress management strategies that address both behavioral and medical needs
• Fundraising tips for female founders pitching to investors who may not understand your market
• Work-life balance techniques for high-achieving parents juggling career pivots
• Building courage capital through evidence-based decision making and strategic risk-taking
• Startup validation methods using personal pain points to identify market opportunities
• Leadership strategies for downsizing teams and making difficult business decisions with empathy
• Career change advice for professionals feeling called to solve problems they've experienced firsthand

Time Stamps

00:00 - Introduction and reconnecting after years at Weight Watchers

03:15 - The Surgeon General's parent stress crisis declaration as a catalyst

06:30 - What Poppins offers: 24/7 pediatric care and parent coaching

09:45 - Making the leap from CPO to founder: financial and personal considerations

14:30 - Overcoming intimidation through "listening tours" and data collection

18:15 - Pitching investors who don't understand the parenting market

22:45 - Building courage through preparation and power posing

25:30 - Advice for managing fear of failure and career setbacks

28:15 - Self-care strategies for high-achieving working parents

32:45 - Guest nominations: Hillary Manger, Haley Barna, Emily Green

35:00 - How listeners can support Poppins and connect with Alex

Key Takeaways

✅ Turn frustration into fuel: Your biggest parenting challenges might be pointing toward your next business opportunity

✅ Build evidence-based courage: Create compelling data to support both investor pitches and major life decisions

✅ Practice the "listening tour" approach: Gather perspectives from multiple stakeholders before making intimidating moves

✅ Reframe failure as temporary: Remember that careers are resilient and setbacks are learning opportunities

✅ Prepare to be spontaneous: Practice presentations until you can deliver them authentically and confidently

Resource Links

• Poppins - Alex's 24/7 pediatric care and parent coaching platform
• Amy Cuddy's research on power posing
• BJ Fogg's behavior change work from Stanford

Guest Bio

Alex Stried is the co-founder of Poppins, a comprehensive parenting platform offering 24/7 pediatric care via text and parent coaching services. Previously, she served as Chief Product Officer at Cerebral, a telehealth mental health company, where she led product strategy and team management during rapid scaling and restructuring phases. Alex's career spans over a decade in product leadership at companies including Ellevest, where she helped build the women-focused financial platform from startup to established company. She began her career at Weight Watchers (now WW International) during the Points Plus era, contributing to significant company growth and innovation. Alex holds expertise in behavioral science, product development, and creating evidence-based solutions for complex human challenges. She lives with her partner Scott and their two daughters, ages 5 and 7.

Connect with Alex:

• Poppins Platform: heypoppins.com
• LinkedIn: Connect with Alex Stried for professional updates

Host Bio

Aransas Savas is a Wellbeing and Leadership Coach, researcher, and host of the award-winning Uplifters Podcast. For over two decades, she has conducted behavioral research and design for companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, Best Buy, and US Bank. Aransas has coached thousands of women through transformative group and individual programs, helping them build what she calls "courage capital" - the renewable resource that grows each time we face our fears and take brave action. She's the author of dozens of journals and workbooks, including materials used on Oprah Winfrey's 2020 Vision Tour, and is currently writing "Courage Capital: How 100 Inspiring Women Do Big, Brave Things and How You Can Too." As a Board Member of 826NY, she helps young people discover their voices through storytelling.

Connect with Aransas:

• Instagram: @aransas_savas
• Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast
• TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast
• Facebook: Aransas Savas
• Website: theuplifterspodcast.com
• YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast
• LinkedIn: Aransas Savas

Keywords

parent stress management, working mother entrepreneur, chief product officer career change, startup founder journey, pediatric care platform, parent coaching services, female founder fundraising, work life balance tips, courage capital building, career pivot strategies, telehealth parenting solutions, executive to entrepreneur transition, behavioral science applications, evidence based parenting, startup validation methods, leadership during downsizing, fear of failure overcome, power posing confidence, listening tour strategy, compelling investor pitch, parenting overwhelm solutions, working parent support system, 24/7 pediatric care, parent stress public health crisis