In the debut episode of Next Gen Builders, join product leader and host Francois Ajenstat in a fun and inspiring conversation with Sarah Franklin, the CEO of people management platform Lattice and former CMO at Salesforce.

Sarah shares her guiding principles, favorite stories, and oh-sh*t moments from throughout her career shattering the glass ceiling as a female executive in tech. 

You’ll hear her colorful stories, like founding the infamous “trailblazer” campaign at Salesforce or the out-of-this-world risk she took in an early job interview. Her conversation offers an entertaining take on career growth that’s invaluable to anyone wanting to elevate their own career. 

Throughout the interview, Sarah underscores the significance of fearless pursuit and authenticity. This mindset, she argues, is crucial for breaking through career barriers and propelling oneself from individual contributor roles to executive leadership. 

The conversation also delves into overcoming challenges and leveraging one's network for growth and support, highlighting the essence of building a strong community. Sarah reflects on her path to becoming a trailblazer, attributing her success to not only her ability to envision and execute change but also to her relentless pursuit of passion and purpose. 

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Guest Bio

Sarah Franklin is the Chief Executive Officer of Lattice. She brings 25+ years of experience leading and scaling companies in tech and has a unique blend of technical knowledge, business acumen, and marketing expertise. Prior to joining Lattice, She spent over 15 years at Salesforce in a variety of executive leadership roles including President Advisory Board, Chief Marketing Officer, EVP Platform and Trailhead. Before Salesforce, she worked at a variety of companies ranging from scaled businesses to scrappy startups.  She holds a dual degree in chemical engineering and biochemistry from Virginia Tech and has been awarded many accolades including Forbes’ Most Influential CMO, “CMO to Watch” by Business Insider, and recipient of the Brand Genius Award from Adweek.

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Guest Quote

“The lesson is believe in yourself, have passion for your mission, don't accept no for an answer, and have a purpose behind what you do. And when you do that, all of the money, success, everything will follow. But the most important is you'll be happy in your job and that is something that money cannot buy.” – Sarah Franklin

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Time Stamps 

*(05:05) Mapping Sarah's journey and goalsetting

*(08:15) Lean into your conviction

*(12:55) Overcoming the critics

*(15:35) Why relationships should be a CEO's number one priority 

*(20:23) What Sarah would tell her younger self

*(22:10) Authenticity, courage, and well-being

*(27:00) Sarah's Oh Sh*t Moment

*(29:24) Being a trailblazer

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Links

• Connect with Sarah Franklin on LinkedIn
• Check out Lattice
• Connect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedIn
• Check out Amplitude