The Ballerina turned CEO at Purl Advisors ft. Shannon Plumb
Episode description
In this episode of the She’s So Suite Podcast, Kristi Faltorusso sits down with Shannon Plumb, CEO of Purl Advisors, to discuss resilience, reinvention, leadership, and empowering women in revenue.
Kristi shares her unconventional journey from dancing professionally at BalletMet to breaking into enterprise sales, navigating the SaaS boom in Boulder, Colorado, and ultimately stepping into the C-suite. She opens up about losing her identity after a career-ending ballet injury, navigating tech as a woman without role models, leading through mergers and acquisitions, getting laid off unexpectedly, taking the leap to launch her own advisory firm, and building and mentoring women in revenue.
This conversation is honest, empowering, and packed with leadership insight for ambitious women, founders, and revenue leaders.
Timestamps
0:00 - Preview & Introduction
1:11 - Meet Shannon Plumb
2:30 - Being A Paasionate Dancer
4:45 - Losing Identity & Rebuilding from Scratch
6:48 - Choosing College & Studying Interior Design
8:50 - Breaking into Sales
10:30 - The Power of Real Sales Training
13:35 - Moving to Boulder & Discovering SaaS
16:20 - Why SaaS Changed Everything
18:30 - The Challenge of Leading as a Woman in Revenue
20:33 - Navigating Authenticity in Male-Dominated Spaces
25:45 - Coaching Women Differently in Sales
29:00 - Leading Through an Acquisition & Keeping 100% of Her Team
32:10 - Getting Laid Off & The Emotional Impact
35:20 - Launching Purl Advisors
36:31 - Women in Sales & Techstars Mentorship
40:20 - The Myth of Work-Life Balance
43:00 - Don’t Wait to Be Empowered
Connect with the guest:
Shannon Plumb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonplumb/
Connect with Kristi Faltorusso:
Website: https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/
Follow the Podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvmKTIOWzy8e3kbzHr4f9VMr1oGfK5Qc_
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499
To learn more about Wednesday Women check out their
Website: https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/
LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wednesday-women/
Connect with the Show Producer:
Manali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manalibhat/
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About She's So Suite Podcast:
Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depths of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.