In this deeply moving episode of Stare Down the Bull, host Susan Hunt sits down with longtime friend Trish Straine as the country approaches the 25th anniversary of September 11. Trish shares her experience of losing her husband, Jimmy in the World Trade Center attacks just days after giving birth to their second child. Together, Susan and Trish reflect on grief, resilience, motherhood, faith, community support, and the long arc of healing. Trish also discusses co-founding Stephy’s Place, a free community-based grief support center, and how loss shaped her strength, perspective, and purpose.

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What does it really take to scale businesses, shift venture capital norms, and create opportunities for underrepresented founders?

In this episode, Susan Hunt sits down with venture capitalist, former Obama Administration advisor, and ImpactX co-founder Eric Collins for a wide-ranging conversation on capital access, inclusive investing, AI-driven growth, and what happens behind the scenes in venture capital. 

From living in Washington D.C.’s historic Watergate to advising the Small Business Administration, building venture-backed companies across the U.S. and UK, and presenting awards at Buckingham Palace, Eric shares rare insights on power, proximity, and how doing good and doing well can coexist.

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In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, I’m joined by Jack Meek, former GoDaddy executive and founder & CEO of AI-centric CX. We explore what leadership-first culture really looks like, how great leaders build change readiness from the bottom up, and why traditional websites are rapidly losing relevance in an AI-driven world. 

Jack shares practical insights on preparing organizations for AI adoption, managing digital reputation beyond SEO, and anticipating change instead of reacting to it. This is a must-listen conversation for leaders navigating transformation, AI, and the future of business.

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In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, host Susan Hunt sits down with Norma Krayem, a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, and public policy. Drawing on her experience as a presidential appointee, senior federal executive, and trusted advisor to Fortune 100 CEOs and global leaders, Norma breaks down how cybersecurity and AI are actually viewed in Washington, and why the gap between technology and policy creates real national security risk. 

From nation-state cyber threats to AI moving faster than regulation, this conversation reveals what leaders are worried about behind closed doors, how real policy progress still gets made in DC, and what it truly takes to stare down the bull in a high-stakes, hyper-partisan environment.

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Van Scoyoc and Associates 

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Susan Hunt sits down with Shaun Hervey, founder of Arkham Talent and a brutally honest (and hilarious) voice in recruiting, to unpack why hiring gets so weird, especially in sales. Shaun shares how his comedy-first LinkedIn videos built a business, why leaders cling to outdated hiring “rules,” and what really needs to change: stop wasting candidates’ time and start having direct conversations. They also dig into the role of sales assessments, the reality of startup OTEs, why sales training has disappeared, and what AI may (and may not) replace in the sales process.

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Susan Hunt is joined by Lauren Nardone, Chief Legal Officer at CB Insights, known as the “Velvet Hammer”, for a candid conversation about how sales and legal can work together to close deals faster and smarter. Drawing from years of enterprise SaaS and AI negotiations, Lauren shares why legal should be viewed as a strategic partner, not a deal blocker, when to bring legal into the deal cycle, and how trust, transparency, and shared ownership transform negotiations. This episode is a must-listen for sales leaders navigating complex, high-stakes deals.

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CB Insights

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In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, I sit down with Joseph

We talked about his early start in coding at age six, his path through Intel and ASAP, how he built one of the strongest AI engineering teams in the industry, and why enterprise AI adoption keeps failing.

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Surge

In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, I sit down with Dr. Judy Spitz, AI pioneer, former Verizon CIO, and founder of Breakthrough Tech. We explore Judy’s groundbreaking early work in speech recognition, her rise through the executive ranks, her leadership philosophy, and her mission to change the face of tech by unlocking opportunities for overlooked talent. We also dive into AI ethics, algorithmic bias, and why who’s in the room matters more than ever.

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LinkedIn

Surge Growth Consulting 

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LinkedIn

Break Through Tech

In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, I sit down with Steve Chambers, an early pioneer in speech recognition, AI, and robotics, to explore how innovation, resilience, and reinvention shape both business and life. From scaling Nuance to a multibillion-dollar company to surviving cancer and earning his PhD at Harvard, Steve’s story is a powerful reflection on technology, transformation, and the human spirit.

Episode Highlights:

In this special episode of Stare Down the Bull, Susan Hunt switches seats as guest host Steve Chambers interviews her about the drive, resilience, and bold leadership that define her career. From her fearless start at Motorola to building lifelong professional relationships, Susan shares how she learned to “stare down the bull” in business, leadership, and life and why she’s determined to make space for women’s voices in tech and AI.

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⁠Website⁠

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⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠Website⁠