Raising a CEO

If you’ve ever wondered, “What would Martin Luther King do if he had a Twitter account?”, you won’t want to miss this. Emma sits down with 4 time CEO (and her boss), Kennan Beasley, for the 4th episode in Season 1 of Raising a CEO to talk about his vision of normalizing black excellence and how the internet helps that vision scale up. He outlines the key to his success and the core principle that a CEO’s role is service; finding ways to help. He’s the first to admit that he can’t do everything, but what he can do is create a plan to prioritize the work and protect the resources. In this episode, Keenan also opens up about imposter syndrome and offers his guidance on ways to combat it.

Have you ever thought about changing your career trajectory? If so, then listen up! For episode 3 of Season 1, Emma sits down with Sharon Reynolds, CEO of DevMar Products LLC, to get her greatest tips for pivoting careers into entrepreneurship. Sharon was a mainstay in the Nashville real estate market when the housing industry crashed in 2008 and sent her reeling. Her amazing comeback story begins there and ends with the foundation of a cleaning supply company that would grow to more than 200,000 SKUs and a global reach. Sharon also details how she created a lasting legacy for her children and shares her advice for coping in uncertain times.

For this episode of Raising a CEO, Emma gets a fresh take on leadership from Chris Goode, Founder of Ruby Jean’s Juicery. His business plan has its roots in social impact by providing healthy nutrition choices in the middle of “food deserts.” His story is one of experiencing great loss but turning it into the key to his mission - to create truly healthy beverages and snacks in an environment, which is welcoming and all-inclusive to its customers. Listen in to learn how to do good business by doing good for your community.

In the first episode of Season 1, Emma does a deep dive with underwater archeologist turned CEO, Kate Goodall. She shares how humanism has been the real throughline for her impressive career and gives tips for blazing your own path by following your own North Star. As her own path led from museum support to the CEO of Halcyon, whose mission is to fuel the entrepreneurs and artists whose ideas drive the world forward, Kate has stayed true to the passion that drove her to study archeology in the first place. Additionally, she gives insightful advice on how principles of diving translate to guidance when you feel like you’re overwhelmed. Spoiler alert: just breathe. Learn more about this talented woman who’s putting the human spirit at the forefront of her rise to the top on this episode of Raising a CEO.

While the image of an infant coming out of the womb in a Brooks Brothers suit with a cellphone and laptop seems legit - this is not where CEOs come from. In fact, the good ones are often the result of years of nurturing and discipline from those who surround them.

Fair warning: This podcast is not for the faint of heart.

In each episode, Emma Willis cuts to the core of what it takes to make it to the big office; and more importantly what it takes to make a difference once you get there. It’s a conversation that explores the growth cycle of CEOs with guests ranging from other C-Suite execs of Fortune 500 companies to Board Members of national nonprofits.

Join us each week for insight and step-by-step instructions on how to put on your big girl or boy pants, and do the work of becoming a CEO.

Elliot Holmes/Shark Disco/courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com