Product Rising

Julie Wenah joins Carmen Palmer for the second episode in our monthly series, In The Lead. Julie is an incredible storyteller. She shares her experience on building Civil Rights into products from the beginning and why that is critical in the era of AI. She also shares her experience of creating sustainable ambition and redefining success. 

In The Lead is a monthly series on Product Rising sharing thought provoking conversations with a wide range of industry leaders hosted by Carmen Palmer, CEO of Women In Product. 

00:41 Meet Julie Wenah

01:51 Owning Every Identity

04:50 Redefining Success

08:43 Sustainable Ambition

10:22 When Products Miss

13:27 Carrying The Weight

15:50 Who Thrives In Tension

20:15 Embedding Civil Rights

22:56 AI Fairness Window

24:51 Access And Accountability

28:31 Access And Human Stories

29:37 Releasing Productivity Metrics

33:58 Boundaries And Time Blocking

36:21 Patience Brick By Brick

38:06 Why Storytelling Grounds Us

41:40 Justice At Scale Dilemma

43:38 Ask And Listen Within

47:44 Morning Pages And Resources

📚Resources:

• The Artist’s Way - Book by Julie Cameron 

• Digital Civil Rights Coalition - https://www.digitalcivilrights.com, @digitalcivilrights on Instagram, 

✨Where to find Julie:

• On LinkedIn

💫 Where to find Carmen:

• On LinkedIn 

🙋🏻‍♀️Where to find Women in Product:

• On LinkedIn 

• Website https://womenpm.org/

• Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/
  

In this episode of Product Rising, we look back at Cassie Campbell’s interview with Tami Reiss, an experienced product leader, speaker, author, trainer, and coach. Elizabeth Ames walks us through a number of clips from the interview that highlight the value of coaching, from early management and leadership roles through the highest levels of leadership. Tami shares what changes as leaders advance, where their time and attention must change. She also has some great advice on building and deploying influence and empathy skills to achieve business objectives, and key skills in communication and using the language of business that are required as you advance. She closes with some great advice on networking and it’s value in finding great opportunities.

The original episode was published on May 27, 2025. You can listen to the full episode from that date as well.

00:00 Welcome and Series Setup

01:48 Why Coaching Matters

03:11 Transitioning to Executive

04:35 Strategy vs Execution Pendulum

06:53 Influence and Empathy Skills

10:01 Speaking Investor Language

12:25 Networking for New Roles

13:34 Wrap Up and Where to Listen

✨Where to find Tami Reiss:

• On LinkedIn

• Tami’s Website - My Leader Within (with booking link)

💫 Where to find Cassie:

• On LinkedIn 

• At Cassie Camp - Learn more about product leadership coaching and fractional product leadership

🙋🏻‍♀️Where to find Women in Product:

• On LinkedIn 

• Website https://womenpm.org/

• Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

There is a lot of debate about the state of the job market today. We definitely hear a lot about layoffs in the big tech companies and also about AI eliminating positions. But AI may be having a bigger impact in the requirements for specific roles and even perhaps new types of roles. We will be having periodic conversations with leading recruiters, hiring managers, and others about the evolving job market and what it takes to get hired/noticed. 

Our first conversation is with Sally Thornton, CEO & Founder of Forshay, a firm that combines Executive recruiting with interim experts across Finance, HR, and Operations, and by aligning culture and leadership development skills to optimize team performance.

02:17 Forshay Firm Overview

03:27 Job Market Reality Check

06:09 Entry Level Pipeline Crunch

07:44 Where Hiring Is Growing

08:33 What Employers Want Now

09:56 Proving Curiosity in Interviews

11:34 Influence as a Core Skill

12:38 AI Transparency and Flatter Teams

14:47 Fractional Leadership Explained

19:36 How Orgs Are Reshaping for AI

22:43 The Rise of the AI Scout

24:55 Building an AI Experiment Team

25:43 Choosing Tools That Fit

27:16 AI in Hiring and Resume Filters

29:19 Beating the Rejection Machine

31:36 Community as Career Support

32:14 AI as Reflective Hiring Partner

34:37 Gut Instinct Versus Data

37:40 Future Proofing Through Community

39:56 Give More and Experiment Often

41:16 Tools That Reduce Overwork

43:42 Wrap Up and Where to Follow

📚Resources:

• To Sell is Human, Daniel Pink

🌟 Where to find Sally:

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallythornton/

• Forshay: https://forshay.com

🙋🏻‍♀️Where to find Women in Product:

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/ 

• Website https://womenpm.org/

• Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

Building Community & Becoming a Super Connector

In this episode Ha Nguyen, Founder and Managing Partner of NextStep Advisory & Consulting, shares the work and life experiences that have led her to being an exceptional community builder and super connector. She joins host, Surbhi Gupta, to share the value of being a go-giver, and how visibility and being able to speak up has powered her career and can do the same for yours. 

🎧 Episode Highlights:

01:47 Ha’s Product Origin Story: eBay in 2000 to Product Leadership

03:00 From Introvert to Speaking Up: HBS & Finding Your Voice

05:20 Becoming a Super Connector: Community Building & VC Brand

08:49 Visibility Isn’t Automatic: Ask for What You Want (Promotion Stories)

14:05 When Leadership Isn’t Moving Fast Enough: Timing, Titles & Leaving

17:12 Create Your Own Luck: Habits, Confidence, and Taking Risks

20:58 Build a Personal Board of Directors (and Nurture Relationships)

25:19 Finding Sponsors in Big Companies: Skip-Level Relationships & Persistence

27:19 Make Better Asks: Follow-Ups, Value, and Time-Bound Requests

28:29 Make the Ask Easy: Be Specific and Respect Their Time

28:51 Add Value First: The Go-Giver Mindset (and Why Karma Works)

30:13 Building Relationships with Your Skip: Do Great Work + Lead with Empathy

33:40 Create Visibility Beyond Your Role: Coaches, Boards, and Career “Hacks”

36:04 Personal Brand That Pays Off: Writing, Speaking, and Staying Top-of-Mind

39:53 The Hidden Cost of Visibility: Too Many Asks & Setting Boundaries

42:56 Who You Are Outside Work: Mission Alignment, Family, Hobbies, and Health

45:55 Balancing It All: A 2x2 Framework for Goals vs. Joy + Daily Habits

49:47 Visibility Skills That Scale: Speak Business/Finance + Customer Obsession

52:19 Resources, Recommendations, and How to Connect (Final Wrap)

Resources

📚Resources:

• Books

• Go-Giver book - https://thegogiver.com

• Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - https://www.franklincovey.com/courses/the-7-habits/

• Podcasts

• 20VC - https://www.youtube.com/@20VC

• This Week in Startups - https://thisweekinstartups.com

🌟 Where to find Surbhi 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/

💫 Where to find Ha 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanguyen-spero/

• NextStep Advisory & Consulting Website https://nextstepfwd.com

🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/

• Website https://womenpm.org/

• Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/
  

Deb Liu joins Carmen Palmer for the first episode in our monthly series, In The Lead. Deb shares insights from her year away from titles and company affiliations - what she did, what she learned and the clarity she is carrying forward in 2026. As always, Deb has great insights and advice.

In The Lead is a new monthly series on Product Rising. It will share thought provoking conversations hosted by Carmen Palmer, CEO of Women In Product, with a wide range of industry leaders. It uses a revolving set of questions to get an engaging combination of hot takes and deep insight into the current state of product, working and leading in today’s technology industry, and building effective organizations.

00:45 Meet Deb Liu: Tech Executive and Author

02:28 Defining Success in the New Year

03:03 The Blank Name Tag Club

04:58 Navigating Career Transitions

09:27 Overcoming Failure: The Facebook Marketplace Story

14:08 Building Perseverance Through Adversity

18:43 The Evolving Role of Product Managers

22:07 Understanding Customer Needs in AI Startups

23:26 Understanding Customer Needs

24:01 The Role of Product Managers

25:14 Strategic Positioning in Companies

26:09 Adapting to Technological Changes

28:35 Leadership and Empathy

29:33 Opportunities for Product Leaders in AI

33:07 Personal Experiences and Insights

36:07 Challenges in Corporate Life

43:15 Future of Leadership and Technology

45:59 Closing Reflections

📚Resources:

• Perspectives Newsletter On Substack

• TEDxSanDiego talk - Deb Liu

✨Where to find Deb:

• On LinkedIn

• Perspectives Newsletter On Substack

• Deb’s  Website

• TEDx Talk

💫 Where to find Carmen:

• On LinkedIn 

🙋🏻‍♀️Where to find Women in Product:

• On LinkedIn 

• Website https://womenpm.org/

• Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/
  

Nik Sharma, CEO of Sharma Brands and one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 has a lot to say about visibility. In this episode he joins host, Surbhi Gupta, to discuss how the playbook he has developed for building visibility for big brands can also work for regular people. 

While Nik isn’t shy he also isn’t hung up on being perfect or creating the perfect content. What he is hung up on is delivering value. He is constantly thinking about how to provide value in the content he posts. Something many product leaders are familiar with! 

He also believes in putting in the work. Visibility doesn’t happen overnight, it takes effort and commitment but it can pay big dividends. 

🎧 Episode Highlights:

00:00 Introduction to Visibility

02:29 Nick's Background and Expertise

03:08 Defining Visibility

04:51 Nick's Career Journey

06:00 Building Personal Visibility

11:42 Overcoming Hesitations and Myths

15:58 Celebrating Wins and Company Culture

17:58 Leveraging Social Media for Visibility

22:40 Persistence and Authenticity in Content Creation

24:26 Insights on Podcasting

27:03 Professional Setup Tips for Content Creation

27:49 Balancing Short-term and Long-term Visibility

28:19 Building a Community and Setting Goals

30:27 Impact of Small Tweaks on Visibility

31:56 Lessons from the Director of Performance Marketing

32:35 Visibility Strategies for Tech Professionals

34:53 Overcoming Shyness and Building Confidence

37:15 The Importance of Showing Up

45:26 Crafting and Sharing Your Story

48:00 Handling Negative Feedback and Staying Authentic

49:16 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

📚Resources:

• Ship 30 for 30 Digital Writing Course - https://www.ship30for30.com

• Write of Passage - https://writeofpassage.com

🌟 Where to find Surbhi 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/

💫 Where to find Nik 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrniksharma/

• Website https://www.nik.co

• On X @mrsharma

• Sharma Brands - https://sharmabrands.com

• Newsletter - https://sharmabrands.com/blogs/newsletter

🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/

• Website https://womenpm.org/

• Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/
  

”Visibility is how clearly our work, our impact, our leadership, are being recognized by our teams, our peers, the wider organization and broader community.  it's not about being seen, it's about ensuring that the value you add is acknowledged and understood,” Marily Nika, Ph.D

In this episode Marily joins host, Surbhi Gupta, to discuss how she has built her visibility to include work inside and outside of where she works. Marily has built a reputation as a product leader broadly by educating through courses, books, a substack newsletter and a LinkedIn profile filled with information. Her work is followed by over 124K people on LinkedIn and her courses on Maven have been taken by over 8,000 people. 

🎧 Episode Highlights:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

02:06 Defining Visibility

03:10 Marilee's Journey to Visibility

05:22 Building Technical Visibility

07:05 Taking Risks and Early Success

08:41 Overcoming Shyness and Anxiety

09:58 Advice for Women in Tech

12:01 The Importance of Networking

17:09 Debunking Myths About Visibility

20:17 Leveraging LinkedIn for Visibility

27:49 Balancing Multiple Roles

28:37 Creating and Teaching Courses

31:39 Final Advice and Encouragement

Resources

• 🌟 Where to find Surbhi 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/

• 💫 Where to find Marily 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynika/

• On Substack https://substack.com/@marilynika?

• On Maven https://maven.com/marily-nika/ai-product-management

• 🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/

• Website https://womenpm.org/

• Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/
  

Visibility can help leaders be in touch with their audience and deliver value to them. Megh Gautam has been writing and speaking about a range of product and business challenges for years. He has represented his products and the companies that he has worked for while building an authentic brand as a product leader. 

On this episode, Surbhi Gupta, host of The Visibility Equation and seasoned product leader, talks to Megh about how he has gone about building professional visibility and how it has helped the companies he’s been a part of while staying authentic to who he is.

🎧 Episode Highlights:

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:12 Biggest Career Risk and Lessons Learned

03:40 Crunchbase's AI Evolution

05:29 Building Professional Visibility

08:40 Writing and Consistency in Professional Growth

11:58 Personal Branding and Career Insights

17:01 Engaging with Audiences and Public Speaking

27:54 The Dynamics of Real-Life Presentations

30:21 Key Takeaways for Professional Visibility

31:48 Balancing Humor and Education

39:20 Navigating Introversion in Professional Settings

42:36 Leveraging AI for Professional Growth

45:35 Recommended Reads and Podcasts

48:33 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Resources

• 🌟 Where to find Surbhi 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/

• 💫 Where to find Megh 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghbartma/

• During the conversation Megh mentioned the following resources

• 7 Rules of Power: Surprising--but True--Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career - Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer
• Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV - Emily Nussbaum

• AI And The Future of Work - Podcast with Dan Turchin

• Smart Venture Podcast with Grace Gong

• The Economist Podcast

• 🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/

• Website https://womenpm.org/

• Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

Visibility is a superpower for leaders—but building it authentically can feel challenging. On this episode, Surbhi Gupta, host of The Visibility Equation and seasoned product leader, sits down with Lauren Weinstein, Executive Coach and Founder of Resonate Consulting , to explore how each of us can own our narrative and communicate with expertise and a grounded flow.

Lauren shares practical strategies and tactics to speak with expertise and authenticity in every situation. Together, they dive into inspiring stories and the realities of finding your authentic voice.

🎧 Episode Highlights:

02:53 Journey to Strategic Communication

04:31 Pivotal Career Moments

06:33 Achieving Flow State

10:14 Overcoming High-Stakes Pressure

11:43 The Power of Breath Work

16:13 Connecting with Your Audience

28:51 Storytelling and Effective Communication

34:45 Making Communication Concrete and Vivid

35:01 The Power of Stories and Examples

35:28 Summarizing Effective Communication

35:56 The Razorfish Example

37:10 Uber Eats Pricing Algorithm

37:31 The Importance of Storytelling

39:00 Myth-Busting Visibility Strategies

41:33 The Role of Authenticity in Networking

48:54 The Impact of Positive Thinking

50:28 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

01:02:54 Practical Tips for Building Visibility

Resources

• 🌟 Where to find Surbhi 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/

• 💫 Where to find Lauren 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/weinsteinlauren/

  Her website - https://www.elevateyourhappiness.us/

• During the conversation Lauren mentioned the following resources

• The Happy Secret to Better Work, TED Talk by Shawn Achor

• The Charisma Myth, by Olivia Fox Cabane

• Made To Stick, Chip Heath & Dan Heath

• Man’s Search For Meaning, Viktor Frankl

• Think Fast Talk Smart (podcast), Matt Abrahams

• Give And Take, Adam Grant

• Don’t Believe Everything You Think, Lauren Weinstein TEDx Talk

• 3 Truths You Need to Hear: The Best Expert Advice to Unlock Your Potential, Mel Robbins Podcast with James Doty

• 🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/

• Website https://womenpm.org/

• Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/
  

Visibility is a superpower for leaders—but building it authentically can feel challenging. On this episode, Surbhi Gupta, host of The Visibility Equation and seasoned product leader, sits down with Lexy Franklin, CEO & Founder of Sidebar, to explore how leaders can own their narrative, amplify their impact, and connect with their authentic selves.

Lexy shares practical strategies on building visibility, overcoming public speaking anxiety, nurturing relationships, and navigating the leadership journey. Together, they dive into inspiring stories, actionable insights, and the realities behind professional growth at leadership levels

🎧 Episode Highlights:

02:28 Key Skills for Success and Visibility

03:26 The Importance of Learning and Mentorship

05:16 Embracing Failure as a Path to Success

08:17 The Power of Asking for Help

18:22 Owning Your Story and Wins

27:00 The Necessity of Visibility

30:52 Embracing Uncertainty and Positive Energy

31:50 The Art of Decision Making

36:56 Building Blocks of Visibility

42:24 The Power of Books and Personal Growth

52:42 Celebrating Success and Leadership

53:55 Final Thoughts and Book Recommendations

Resources

• 🌟 Where to find Surbhi 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/

• 💫 Where to find Lexy 

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexyfranklin/

• During the conversation Lexy mentioned the following books

• Crossing the Unknown Sea, David Whyte

• Let My People Go Surfing, Yvon Chouinard

• 🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:

• On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/

• Website https://womenpm.org/

• Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/