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Why This Billion-Dollar Leader Learns Languages Daily with Charles Stucki,Neeve
Ever wonder what it looks like to lead with both data and deep humanity across decades of tech evolution?
Today, Charlene sits down with someone who's not just led multi-million and billion-dollar businesses—he's guided thousands of humans through waves of technological change that reshaped entire industries. Charles Stucki is the Head of Marketing at Neeve, former VP at Cisco, and ex-McKinsey partner. But what sets him apart isn't the titles—it's how he calls himself "the Forrest Gump of tech" and speaks six languages just to connect deeper with people around the world.
They chat about everything from Charles's "get it right this time" philosophy to why he thinks ChatGPT is disrupting marketing in ways no one's talking about yet, to how watching Mary Poppins taught him to be a better father to four daughters.
If you've wondered what it means to stay humble while navigating constant change, this conversation is for you.
Meet Charles Stucki — In 5 Fun Facts
- Witnessed PCs the Size of Suitcases - Used laptops that were literally suitcase-sized at Arthur Andersen doing audits with scissors and brass brads before computers changed everything.
- Learned Italian for a Cruise - Decided he wanted to talk to locals on a 12-day Italy trip, so he taught himself Italian in two months. Now speaks six languages total.
- Swears by Mary Poppins for Parenting - Tells every father to watch this Disney movie to understand how to raise kids. Used it as his guide for raising four daughters successfully.
- Practices Languages Every Single Day - Has a daily routine where he practices one language every day and cycles through all six every week. It's his version of staying human while working.
- Thinks ChatGPT Broke Marketing - Believes AI replacing Google search will destroy everything marketers know, but admits nobody has figured out how to game ChatGPT rankings yet.
"I want to do the right thing in the right way, and rather than trying to have been right all along, I want to get it right this time."- Charles Stucki
Topics Covered[00:02:15] - The goldfish athlete philosophy: Charles's core principle of learning from the past but clearing your mind to focus on present reality.
[00:06:30] - Treating people as partners, not competitors: How viewing colleagues and clients as neighbors rather than threats transforms leadership.
[00:12:45] - The art of selective listening: Why Charles won Cisco's collaboration award and how to listen to understand, not confirm.
[00:18:20] - Leading on two teams simultaneously: Managing up to boards while leading down to thousands of employees.
[00:25:40] - The Forrest Gump of tech: How Charles witnessed every major tech wave from PCs to AI without being the cause.
[00:32:15] - Navigating waves of change: Three principles for staying informed during rapid technological transformation.
[00:38:50] - The ChatGPT marketing disruption: Why search replacement threatens everything marketers know about reaching customers.
[00:44:25] - The Groundhog Day language philosophy: How watching Bill Murray led to learning six languages and becoming a better human.
[00:48:30] - Mary Poppins parenting wisdom: What every father can learn about structure, affection, and adventure from a Disney classic.
3 Key things you can apply today
- Listen to understand, not confirm. Before any important decision, ask yourself: "Am I listening to validate what I already think, or am I genuinely trying to understand something new?" Seek out people who challenge your assumptions, not those who agree with you.
- Get it Right this time. Learn from the past but don't get stuck there. Clear your mind like a "goldfish athlete" and focus on the current reality and challenges you're actually facing right now, not what worked before.
- Choose your Groundhog Day growth. Since you'll be working for decades anyway, pick one thing that will make you a better human being in 10-20 years. Practice it daily, whether it's learning languages, music, or any skill that brings meaning to your repetitive work days.
Connect with Charles Stucki
- Company: https://neeve.ai/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-stucki/
Connect with Charlene Ormo
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleneormo
- LEADX Media: https://www.leadxmedia.co/
View all episodes
Ever wonder what it looks like to lead with both data and deep humanity across decades of tech evolution?
Today, Charlene sits down with someone who's not just led multi-million and billion-dollar businesses—he's guided thousands of humans through waves of technological change that reshaped entire industries. Charles Stucki is the Head of Marketing at Neeve, former VP at Cisco, and ex-McKinsey partner. But what sets him apart isn't the titles—it's how he calls himself "the Forrest Gump of tech" and speaks six languages just to connect deeper with people around the world.
They chat about everything from Charles's "get it right this time" philosophy to why he thinks ChatGPT is disrupting marketing in ways no one's talking about yet, to how watching Mary Poppins taught him to be a better father to four daughters.
If you've wondered what it means to stay humble while navigating constant change, this conversation is for you.
Meet Charles Stucki — In 5 Fun Facts
- Witnessed PCs the Size of Suitcases - Used laptops that were literally suitcase-sized at Arthur Andersen doing audits with scissors and brass brads before computers changed everything.
- Learned Italian for a Cruise - Decided he wanted to talk to locals on a 12-day Italy trip, so he taught himself Italian in two months. Now speaks six languages total.
- Swears by Mary Poppins for Parenting - Tells every father to watch this Disney movie to understand how to raise kids. Used it as his guide for raising four daughters successfully.
- Practices Languages Every Single Day - Has a daily routine where he practices one language every day and cycles through all six every week. It's his version of staying human while working.
- Thinks ChatGPT Broke Marketing - Believes AI replacing Google search will destroy everything marketers know, but admits nobody has figured out how to game ChatGPT rankings yet.
"I want to do the right thing in the right way, and rather than trying to have been right all along, I want to get it right this time."- Charles Stucki
Topics Covered[00:02:15] - The goldfish athlete philosophy: Charles's core principle of learning from the past but clearing your mind to focus on present reality.
[00:06:30] - Treating people as partners, not competitors: How viewing colleagues and clients as neighbors rather than threats transforms leadership.
[00:12:45] - The art of selective listening: Why Charles won Cisco's collaboration award and how to listen to understand, not confirm.
[00:18:20] - Leading on two teams simultaneously: Managing up to boards while leading down to thousands of employees.
[00:25:40] - The Forrest Gump of tech: How Charles witnessed every major tech wave from PCs to AI without being the cause.
[00:32:15] - Navigating waves of change: Three principles for staying informed during rapid technological transformation.
[00:38:50] - The ChatGPT marketing disruption: Why search replacement threatens everything marketers know about reaching customers.
[00:44:25] - The Groundhog Day language philosophy: How watching Bill Murray led to learning six languages and becoming a better human.
[00:48:30] - Mary Poppins parenting wisdom: What every father can learn about structure, affection, and adventure from a Disney classic.
3 Key things you can apply today
- Listen to understand, not confirm. Before any important decision, ask yourself: "Am I listening to validate what I already think, or am I genuinely trying to understand something new?" Seek out people who challenge your assumptions, not those who agree with you.
- Get it Right this time. Learn from the past but don't get stuck there. Clear your mind like a "goldfish athlete" and focus on the current reality and challenges you're actually facing right now, not what worked before.
- Choose your Groundhog Day growth. Since you'll be working for decades anyway, pick one thing that will make you a better human being in 10-20 years. Practice it daily, whether it's learning languages, music, or any skill that brings meaning to your repetitive work days.
Connect with Charles Stucki
- Company: https://neeve.ai/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-stucki/
Connect with Charlene Ormo
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleneormo
- LEADX Media: https://www.leadxmedia.co/