Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

434: Why Nobody Actually Wants you To Succeed at Work & How To Use Your Introvert Skills To Do It Anyway

Jul 16, 2025

Michael Cerda, a startup veteran and former executive at MySpace and Facebook, shares insights on navigating career pivots and influencing without authority. He discusses the power of writing as a leadership tool, especially for introverts. The conversation also delves into the importance of cultural fit during hiring, where everyday behaviors matter more than formal communications. Cerda emphasizes the need for meaningful work, transparent leadership, and taking risks to foster innovation and engagement in the tech industry.

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ANECDOTE

Threadbox Messaging Startup

Michael Cerda created Threadbox, a startup that combined messaging forms before Slack was popular.
Threadbox was sold to MySpace and became its messaging layer, integrating different communication methods.

ADVICE

Socialize Ideas with Drafts

Share your product ideas in drafts called 'request for comments' to invite open feedback.
Sociable collaboration ensures stakeholders feel invested and want the ideas to succeed.

ADVICE

Find Your Voice Through Writing

Find your voice through writing, especially in product briefs, by being open and seeking feedback.
This establishes leadership, builds confidence, and sets collaborative relationship rules.

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Ever wonder how some leaders always seem to be in the right room at the right time—leading the charge during pivotal moments?

In this episode, we speak with Michael Cerda—startup veteran, former MySpace and Facebook exec, and author of Build Something—about navigating career pivots, influencing without authority, and building culture from the middle out. If you're a leader or specifically a product manager struggling to find your voice or get buy-in, this is for you.

By the end of today’s conversation you’ll know:

🎯How to communicate with cross-functional teams when you have no formal authority.

✍🏻The true power of writing as a leadership tool for introverts

🔑The overlooked signals that reveal whether someone’s a true culture fit—or just saying the right things.

To chat with Laura to see if her Executive Presence Mastery System is right for you click here.

If you want practical, battle-tested insight into becoming a more confident and strategic leader, hit play now.

To lead with more confidence, clarity, and connection—especially when stakes are high and it's a pressure cooker, get your copy of my Executive Presence Self-Assessment here. My compliments. It goes through the 10 qualities that make up executive presence that are essential for success as a senior executive.

For more information visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. Our Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning

About our guest:

Michael Cerdá is a veteran product and technology leader who has served as Chief Product Officer and executive at several of the world’s most influential companies. As VP of Product for Disney Streaming, he helped launch Disney+ to over 100 million subscribers.

Previously, he was Chief Project Officer at Goldman Sachs’ Marcus division, Chief Experience Officer at Live Nation/Ticketmaster, and Director of Product at Facebook. He has also founded multiple venture-backed startups and holds two technology patents.

His new book, Build Something: Building Products, Business & Culture – A Journey of Hard-Won Lessons and Impactful Outcomes (Feb. 20, 2025), reveals the untold true stories behind some of the most transformative technologies of our time. Learn more at www.build-something.com.

In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities.

By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.