Stepsero

Some children learn that performing is the safest way to stay connected, and that pattern follows them into adulthood.

Dr. Caroline Böttiger, psychotherapist and neuroscientist, explores how childhood trauma shapes the way we behave at work, why high achievers often struggle when they're asked to lead people, and what trauma awareness could mean for how we build healthier workplaces.

A rare and honest conversation about attachment styles, psychological safety, and the patterns most organisations never talk about.

Our Guest: Caroline Böttiger

Dr. Caroline Böttiger holds a PhD in Neuroscience and works as a psychotherapist and business coach in her office “Das Mitte Institut” in Berlin. She also runs a neurofeedback training method to improve mental health, focus and emotional regulation in the brain.

In 2019 she published the book “Das Hungertier in Dir” about emotional eating and the connection between mental and physical health.

Being an expert in mental health, burnout, leadership, team building and psychological safe communication skills, she provides workshops and coaching for multiple companies in Germany and Europe.

References:

www.mitte-praxis.de

www.mitte-institut.de

www.emotional-mind.com

Dr Caroline Böttiger Linkedin profile

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Konstanty Sliwowski has spent over two decades in hiring, interviewing more than 12,000 candidates along the way.

In this conversation we explore what a broken hiring process actually costs, why mass applying rarely works, and what both candidates and companies get fundamentally wrong. A practical and honest conversation for anyone navigating the job market or responsible for building a team.

Our Guest: Konstanty Sliwowski

Konstanty Sliwowski is a 3x founder with 2x exits, and Oxford-educated practitioner who has spent over twenty years advising leadership teams across Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East on the decisions that shape organisations. He has conducted more than 12,000 interviews, facilitated over 1,000 hires, and today runs School of Hiring, where he works with founders and people leaders on the questions that keep them up at night: Should we hire? Should we promote from within? Should we invest in training? Or is AI now the smarter answer? His argument is simple. Most leaders treat these as separate problems. They are not. They are one decision, and most organisations are making it without a system.

References:

Konstanty Sliwowski LinkedIn profile

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One in four employees has considered quitting because of what work is doing to their mental health. The conversation about workplace mental wellbeing has never been more relevant, or more urgent.

In this episode, Mark Debus, clinical manager of behavioural health services at Sedgwick, shares his clinical perspective on what is really happening to people at work. We discuss quiet cracking, resilience, and what managers can do to genuinely support their teams before burnout sets in.

A candid and practical conversation for anyone who manages people, or works alongside them.

Our Guest: Mark Debus

Mark Debus as Clinical Manager of Behavioral Health at Sedgwick, leads a team of master’s level behavioral health specialists. His team consults with claims examiners and clients on complex recovery or psychiatric injury claims. They also work with injured employees who are struggling with the aftereffects of a workplace trauma or who are experiencing other types of psychosocial stressors in their lives. His team helps injured workers overcome barriers to treatment and improve motivation for successful return to work outcomes. In addition, he provides subject matter expertise on mental health issues as they relate to the workplace and management practices. Prior to Sedgwick, Mark worked in employee assistance (EAP) and the mental health field in crisis response services. Mark has a BA in psychology and communications from Marquette University and an MSW from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Illinois.

References:

Mark Debus Likedin profile

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In this episode, Sarka Risch shares her journey to become a LinkedIn expert, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, mindset, and strategic relationship-building for personal branding success. Discover practical tips to unlock your confidence and grow your presence on LinkedIn. 

Our Guest: Sarka Risch

Sarka Risch is a LinkedIn coach, trainer, and speaker. She joined LinkedIn in 2012 and started as a lurker, afraid of what to share, how to use the platform, and how to talk to people.In 2021, she started investing in her development, LinkedIn, copywriting, and sales skills – and found her purpose, vision, and mission. To date (April 2026), she has helped over 300 leaders find their voice on LinkedIn and build a strong community to realize their goals with the platform. A big part of her journey is her work on a growth mindset, meditation, and learning Kabbalah. She speaks six languages, was born in Czechoslovakia, and has been living in Switzerland since 2007. Her unique LinkedIn‑coaching method was featured in Forbes in 2025.In 2026, she was recognized as the No. 1 LinkedIn growth female expert in Czechia and the No. 2 LinkedIn growth expert in Switzerland.In her 2024 TEDx talk, Sarka inspired the audience by sharing how embracing imperfection has changed her life. In her talks, she loves inspiring audiences about her LinkedIn and entrepreneurial journey.Passionate about personal development and leadership, Sarka continues to invest in her growth and LinkedIn expertise – because she believes that strong connections and authentic voices create lasting impact.References:Sarka Risch Likedin profile 

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The connection between wellbeing and performance is often overlooked. Many think that working harder is the key to achieving high performance. In this episode, we will explore how prioritizing health can actually enhance productivity and overall performance. Laurel Long, an expert in performance optimization, shares invaluable insights that can help professionals recognize and leverage this connection.One of Laurel's key strategies for enhancing productivity is the concept of the "optimal day". Understanding your personal sleep-wake cycles and energy levels throughout the day is crucial for maximizing productivity, without neglecting your health.

Our Guest: Laurel Long

Laurel is a cognitive performance expert and behavioral scientist with a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology who challenges conventional thinking about human potential and develops evidence-based strategies that translate into real, lasting change. Her career spans U.S. Military Special Operations units, where she optimized elite warfighters for high-stakes, high-pressure environments, to CoachHub, where she led innovations in coaching technology and embedded behavioral science into an AI Coach that drove real behavior change at scale. She is currently building a performance coaching program at Xsolla, focusing on the intersection of human capabilities, innovation, and technology to unlock peak potential across a global organization. Driven by curiosity and scientific rigor, Laurel partners with forward-thinking organizations committed to closing the gap between who people are and who they're capable of becoming.References:Laurel Long Likedin profile 

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In today’s fast-paced world, work-life balance seems more elusive than ever. Are you finding it challenging to juggle your personal and professional life? In this post, we’ll explore insights shared by Costas, a seasoned professional with decades of experience, on how to navigate the complexities of work-life integration.

From understanding the importance of mental resilience to effectively managing your energy levels, you’ll learn actionable strategies to improve your work-life harmony.

Our Guest: Costas Kalisperas

Costas is the Founder & CEO of In Tune Executive Coaching. His focus is on helping leaders to be in tune with themselves and their environment, tap into their inner resourcefulness and manage their interactions with others more effectively. To know more about Costas, please visit any of the links below.

References:

Costas Kalisperas Likedin profile

www.intune-exec.com

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In this episode, Matteo sits down with Patricio (Pato), a Madrid-based compliance expert and vocal remote work advocate. Despite a career spent at legacy tech giants like Microsoft and a background in the often-rigid world of compliance, Pato shares how his "lightbulb moment" during the pandemic shifted his perspective on professional output and personal well-being.

Our Guest: Patricio Roffo

Operations leader shaped by both big-tech complexity and scale-up velocity. Thrives where ambition meets ambiguity, building clarity, accountability, and performance into organizations navigating growth across time zones.

Remote-first by design, not by trend. Designs teams that execute across borders with ownership, and measurable impact.

Recognized for turning strategy into sustained results.

References:

Patricio Roffo Linkedin profile

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In the fast-paced world of B2B, standing out can be a challenge. Many professionals wonder, "How can I make a real impact in my field?" In this post, we’ll explore insights from Robin Daniels, who not only has an impressive career but also embodies the qualities that help him connect with others authentically. By the end, you’ll learn how to harness your energy and authenticity to drive your own success.

Our Guest: Robin Daniels

Robin is the Chief Business Officer at Zensai. Robin is an experienced growth executive holding 3 x CMO positions and with more than 25 years experience in marketing and growth leadership roles at Salesforce, Box, LinkedIn, Matterport, and WeWork. He's done 2.5 IPOs, acquisitions, and led companies through hyper-growth to become epic. Robin is now an advisor, speaker, and motivator to fast growth companies around the world. Robin’s passion is to create winning teams that do epic work.References:Robin Daniels Linkedin profile 

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In today’s fast-paced work environment, many professionals feel stuck in their careers, struggling to climb the elusive corporate ladder. But what if the concept of corporate ladder was outdated? In this post, we explore insights from leadership expert Simone Schiassi on how to navigate your career jungle effectively, embracing a more fluid approach to growth and influence.

Our Guest: Simone Schiassi

Simone Schiassi spent over 15 years at Google, growing from an early hire in Europe to a Global Director working across the US and international teams. After interviewing hundreds of leaders and participating in promotion decisions for years, he developed a deep understanding of what actually gets people promoted at senior levels. Today he helps senior leaders become the obvious choice for executive roles by building trust, influence, and followership. Daily Edge is a daily newsletter where Simo shares short lessons on leadership, influence, and career strategy for senior leaders aiming for executive roles.References:Simone Schiassi Linkedin profilesimoschiassi.kit.com/dailyedge 

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Felix Hoffmann, CEO of 7Learnings, discusses how AI-driven decision automation is transforming retail and the workplace. He explains the practical applications of AI in pricing, marketing, and decision-making, emphasizing the benefits of reducing decision fatigue and enhancing transparency.

Our Guest: Felix Hoffmann

Felix Hoffmann, born in 1984, is co-founder and CEO of 7Learnings. With 7Learnings, he has set himself the task of offering brands and retailers the best method for optimizing prices, marketing, and purchasing decisions in order to increase their profitability.

7Learnings offers an AI- based solution that can predict alternative pricing scenarios and thus proactively find the ideal price. Until now, rule-based pricing ("if-then") has mostly been used. Predictive pricing, on the other hand, incorporates numerous internal data points such as product data, price history, costs, marketing and inventory data, as well as external data such as weather, seasonality, and competitor prices. As a result, 7Learnings achieves average sales increases of ten percent for its customers.

The 7Learnings solution can also be applied to other processes in retail, optimizing purchasing and marketing, for example, by linking data points and optimizing costs. Felix Hoffmann has been working on price and marketing optimization for more than 15 years. Before founding 7Learnings, Felix Hoffmann was responsible for the global algorithm for price optimization as product owner at Zalando. Prior to that, he worked as a pricing consultant at A.T. Kearney for six years. Felix Hoffmann lives in Berlin and enjoys playing beach volleyball in his free time.

References:

Felix Hoffmann Linkedin profile

7learnings.com

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