x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Best Manager Ever

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

business careers

All Episodes

42:19

Best Manager Ever: Lauren Rhode - Grit, Teamwork &...

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/06/04

Lauren Rhode is the VP of Sales at Webflow, and she’s had several interesting chapters to her career. Lauren got her start in public service, working at the Department of Defense. She also played on the national rugby team, and traveled around the world competing for Team USA. She started her tech career in product, before discovering her knack for sales. She has held prior roles at Bablestreet (formerly Vertical Knowledge) and Anaplan.Lauren's direct reports describe her as a hardworking and

en

44:08

Best Manager Ever: Leanna Nazzisi - From Part-Time to...

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/05/28

Leanna Nazzisi is the Senior Direct of Customer Experience at Victoria Beckham Beauty, a clean beauty, cruelty-free, digital-first makeup and skincare brand. Leanna launched her startup career as a seasonal contractor with Birchbox, where she rose through the ranks to become a senior CX leader as the company scaled. She also had a chapter as a customer success leader during Zendesk’s growth stage.Leanna's direct reports praise her for fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and

en

47:53

Best Manager Ever: Amit Shah - Harnessing Energy,...

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/05/21

Amit Shah is the COO of Virta Health, where he’s built the company from ~30 team members to over 800 colleagues working to reverse obesity and diabetes. Amit has 10+ years of experience in building and scaling entrepreneurial and high-growth healthcare organizations, with a focus on delivering financial and operational results while aligning on mission and values.Amit’s direct reports praise his ability to balance the needs of Virta’s members, business, and staff, describing him as incredibly kind,

en

44:03

Best Manager Ever: Liz Ludwig - Leading with Momentum...

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/05/14

Liz Ludwig is the co-founder of Takes, a game for sports fans. Liz started out working in Fortune 500 companies, before moving into the startup world. She had a successful career building and scaling marketing functions at Sungevity, OhmConnect, and more.Liz’s direct reports describe her as a high-energy manager who builds momentum, trusts her team quickly, empowers them, and balances results with human connection. They appreciate her transparent communication, ability to align teams, and

en

42:56

Best Manager Ever: Luis Duarte - Build Your Own Mold

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/05/07

Luis Duarte is the CEO and co-founder of Amoofy, an AI-guided storytelling platform. Luis has a rich background as a three-time entrepreneur, and a leader in philanthropy and impact investing.Luis's direct reports describe him as an amazing listener, who is able to bring a sense of calm to chaos. They praise his willingness to take on short-term challenges for long-term gains and his focus on building trust.In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Luis,and they

en

43:34

Best Manager Ever: Carol Mahoney - Human First...

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/04/30

Carol Mahoney is a seasoned Chief People Officer. She’s well known for her work operationalizing the famously beloved company culture at Gainsight. She’s also served as the SVP of People and Culture at Zoosk and SVP of HR at LivingSocial, among others.Carol's direct reports praise her ability to get things done, while creating a positive culture and showing up as her authentic self. She is recognized for setting high standards and being a strong yet supportive leader, and for adapting to the needs

en

44:01

Best Manager Ever: Helen Min - Scaling Impact Through...

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/04/23

Helen Min is a venture partner at True Ventures, and an investor and advisor to over 50 early-stage enterprise software and fintech companies. Helen has a notable background leading global marketing and communications at companies like AngelList, Plaid, and Quora and was an early marketing leader at Dropbox and Facebook.Helen’s direct reports highlight her genuine care for the team, her support for their growth and development, her polished approach to communication, and her ability to involve the

en

40:29

Best Manager Ever: Seif Salama - Mastering Your First...

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/04/16

Seif Salama is the Senior Director of Product Marketing at Fanatics. Seif previously held marketing roles at Carta, AngelList, Affirm, and more.Seif’s direct reports praise his ability to maintain high standards while ensuring the team's morale and his talent for building a diverse and talented team dynamic. They describe him as a leader who, through authenticity and open communication, created an environment where team members felt proud, motivated, and connected.In this episode, show creator and

en

31:49

Best Manager Ever: Hank Taylor - Unconventional...

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/04/09

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 Light founder

en

46:02

Best Manager Ever: Jully Kim - Influencing, Building...

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/04/02

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 and memorable personal

en

46:46

Best Manager Ever: Anthony Sottile - Embracing...

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/03/26

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 approachability in

en

2:35

Welcome to Season 2 of Best Manager Ever

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/03/19

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 conversations

en

41:01

Best Manager Ever: Amanda Richardson

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/01/22

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 Fort Light sits

en

49:45

Best Manager Ever: Namrata Ganatra

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/01/15

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 her

en

35:44

Best Manager Ever: Mari Nazary

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/01/08

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 expectations with

en

15:21

Best Work Self Ever in 2025

Best Manager Ever ·

2025/01/01

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

en

13:19

Best Manager Ever: Santa

Best Manager Ever ·

2024/12/23

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 nice lists, and

en

39:11

Best Manager Ever: Alan D'Souza

Best Manager Ever ·

2024/12/18

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 large teams, and

en

39:01

Best Manager Ever: Sara Romero-Heaps

Best Manager Ever ·

2024/12/11

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 that

en

40:46

Best Manager Ever: Thianh Lu

Best Manager Ever ·

2024/12/04

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, Founder of Fort Light

en

44 results

Similar Podcasts

TaxTalent.com The Golden Rule Podcast

Adam Golden

TaxTalent.com Podcast

Tony Santiago

Handelsblatt Crime - spannende Streitfälle der deutschen Wirtschaft

Ina Karabasz, Solveig Gode, Sönke Iwersen

Deffner und Zschäpitz – Der Wirtschafts-Talk von WELT

WELT

Black Box - La scatola nera della finanza

Guido Brera e Gian Luca Comandini -...