Best Manager Ever reveals the secrets of successful management and empowers leaders to build winning teams. Join a community dedicated to sharing insights and stories from the most successful and beloved leaders in the startup world. All guests have been nominated as the “best manager ever” by a recent direct report. Before each interview, we go behind the guest’s back to collect feedback and stories from their team about what they’re *actually* like to work for. Then we sit down with the guest to unpack that feedback and to dig into their leadership playbook and lessons learned. Tune in, learn from the experts, and enhance your management skills while building meaningful connections throughout your career.
Annie Riley interviews Seif Salama, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Fanatics, about his journey as a first-time manager. They explore the challenges and surprises of leadership, effective hiring practices, and how to set high standards while fostering a positive team culture. Salama shares insights on competency-based hiring, adapting to different team dynamics, and the importance of authenticity in leadership.
Hank Taylor is Head of Marketing at Laravel. Hank has been on the ground floor of Marketing and Rev Ops functions at Vercel, Lambda School, GitLab, Neo Technology, and more. He has also been an advisor and fractional marketing leader at several companies through his company, GrowthSprint. Hank’s direct reports describe him as an unconventional leader who cares deeply for his people, encourages creative risks, and invests in his team’s development. In this episode, show creator and Fort Lig...
Jully Kim is the Senior Director of Technology Excellence at Autodesk and was previously the Senior Director of Engineering Practices at Zendesk. Jully has a track record of excellence in technology enablement and engineering program management. Jully’s direct reports describe her as unique, action-oriented, extremely transparent, and deeply caring. In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Jully, and they cover: How Jully builds a unique a...
Anthony Sottile is the VP of Partner Success at Freewill, a startup that enables free estate planning and has helped individuals commit more than $11B to charity. Anthony's direct reports describe him as down-to-earth and accessible, and emphasize his ability to lead through humor and celebration. In this episode, Annie Riley sits down with Anthony to discuss his insights on creating a transparent and honest workplace culture, celebrating team successes, and the importance of approac...
Best Manager Ever shares the secrets of building and leading winning teams from the most successful and beloved leaders in the startup and tech worlds. All guests have been nominated as the “best manager ever” by their direct reports. Before each interview, we collect feedback and stories from their team about how the guest *actually* shows up as a leader. Each episode unpacks that feedback and explores the guest’s leadership playbook and lessons learned. Our goal is honest, actionable...
Amanda Richardson is the CEO of CoderPad, a technical interview and assessment platform. Amanda built her career in Product, and previously led the product teams and played a critical role in scaling the company at HotelTonight and Prezi. Amanda has built a reputation as a dynamic and direct leader. Her direct reports describe her as transparent, authentic, and someone who fosters trust and vulnerability within her teams. In this final episode of season one (!), Annie Riley, Founder of For...
Namrata Ganatra, is the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Pipe. She has a notable career in tech and startups, including roles at Facebook, Coinbase, BloomTech Lambda School, PayPal, and Microsoft. Namrata's direct reports praise her for balancing technical expertise with empathetic leadership, and highlight her as a hardworking and inspiring leader with a strong focus on accountability and growth. In this episode, Annie Riley, founder of Fort Light, sits down with Namrata to discuss...
Mari Nazary is the CEO of App Academy, and brings a strong background working at the intersection of product, operations, and learning science at several ed tech companies across different stages. Her team praises her as the best leader they’ve ever had, citing her strengths in systems, process, and talent development. In this episode, Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light dives into Mari’s unique approach to building trust and rapport quickly, and how she seamlessly blends high expecta...
In this special New Year's episode of Best Manager Ever, Founder of Fort Light, Annie Riley dives into self-management for leaders. Drawing from personal experience and past interviews with top managers, Annie shares insights on how to set yourself up for success in 2025. Key strategies include taking necessary breaks to avoid burnout, identifying daily activities that bring joy and recharge you, preparing for inevitable workplace chaos, and investing in healthy work relationships. This bonus ep...
In this special holiday spoof episode of Best Manager Ever, Annie Riley, host and founder of Fort Light, chats with the one and only Santa Claus! Known for spreading holiday cheer and managing a diverse team at the North Pole, Santa gives a rare interview about life behind the scenes. His direct reports, including elves and reindeer, praise Santa for his leadership, though they note he's their only manager ever. We dive into Santa's leadership style, the secrets behind the naughty and...
Alan D'Souza is the Director of Analytics at Credit Karma, and formerly led teams at Lending Club and Upgrade Inc. Known for fostering a culture of fun, hard work, and results, Alan's direct reports recall his empathetic and direct feedback style, along with his ability to inspire and motivate with humor. In this episode, Annie Riley, founder of Fort Light sits down with Alan to discuss his transition from startups to larger organizations, the distinction between managing small and l...
Sara Romero-Heaps is the Chief Product Officer at Seesaw Learning. She has built her career at the intersection of education and technology, and previously led product and content at Nearpod. Sara is known for aligning her team's individual aspirations to business goals, and her direct reports describe her as a visionary and empathetic leader. In this episode, Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light, discusses with Sara the importance of discovering where employees want to grow and identifying how th...
Thianh Lu is the Chief Product Officer at Autograph and is a 3x founder, with one company acquired by WordPress and another by Blockchain.com. He has a unique and well-rounded perspective on leadership, having been in the roles of early employee, later-stage executive, and founder/CEO. Thianh's direct reports praise his empowering and collaborative style, and remember him for building high-trust teams with a rapid tempo of learning and development. In this episode, Annie Riley, Found...
Katie Corder-Paul is a beloved leader. She’s currently building a portfolio career, as the Head of Operations and Customer Success at early-stage startup levelheaded and the first-ever Executive in Residence at Fort Light. Previously, KCP was an early employee at Guild Education and held leadership roles in ops and customer success at Proof, Nomad, and Sondermind. Katie’s past direct reports LOVE her, and we think you will too. They praise her for being a fierce advocate for her team,...
Doug Hanna, President & COO at Kustomer and former COO at Grafana Labs, is renowned for his expertise in customer service and operational excellence, having significantly contributed to the growth of companies like Help.com and Zendesk. During his tenure, he helped scale Grafana Labs from a team of 70 to over a thousand employees. Doug's direct reports praise his hyper-rationality, exceptional context-switching abilities, and a balanced approach to management that marries analytical ri...
Lauren Werner is the COO of Shop Shops, a live stream shopping app with a talented team of 50-60 employees across five countries. She is an experienced operations executive with a record of piloting, scaling, and managing new businesses and marketplaces. Lauren is lauded by her direct reports as a stabilizing force with an unflappable presence, known for her empathy, clear communication, and methodical approach to managing and scaling distributed teams. In this episode, Annie Riley, Founder of F...
Sean Twersky is Head of Business Operations at Even Up, and previously Instacart. He has 15+ years of experience that thrives on bringing structure to even the most chaotic situations and scaling for long term success. Sean’s direct reports across various companies describe him as a bright, adaptable leader and a great equalizer who successfully manages diverse teams. On this episode, host Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light, explores Sean's methods for helping direct reports grow in ...
Brittany Hall is the Head of Customer Experience at ReMatter, a series A startup. She is also known for her notable work at companies like GoGuardian, People.ai and DataGrail. Over the past decade, Brittney has built a reputation for her outstanding ability to build and scale customer-facing teams from scratch. Brittany's direct reports describe her as an exceptional leader who is clear, honest, and genuinely caring. They highlight her ability to build high-performing teams and manage...
Zayd Badwan is a founding team member and VP of Enterprise at Uplimit. Before joining Uplimit, Zayd scaled the Customer Success team at Coursera. With 15+ years of experience in learning and development startups, he brings insights from working closely with global governments and nonprofits, and industry-leading companies including Google and Salesforce. Zayd is described by his direct reports as a positive leader with a knack for building trust, making work fun, and bringing relentless en...
Morgane Palomares is the VP of Marketing at Vercel, and is known for her significant roles at GitHub, Zendesk and Change.org. Morgane's direct reports praise her exceptional leadership, high standards, and ability to create a trusting and safe environment. They describe her as 'superhuman,' 'aggressive,' and 'a winner,' highlighting her unique ability to balance high demands with personal care for her team. In this episode, Annie Riley, the founder of Fort Light, talks with Morgane ...
Best Manager Ever reveals the secrets of successful management and empowers leaders to build winning teams. Join a community dedicated to sharing insights and stories from the most successful and beloved leaders in the startup world. All guests have been nominated as the “best manager ever” by a recent direct report. Before each interview, we go behind the guest’s back to collect feedback and stories from their team about what they’re *actually* like to work for. Then we sit down with the guest ...
Oct 08, 2024•2 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
