This VP of Growth Quit Her Dream Role (and got her life back) (Mallory Contois)

In this episode, Mallory Contois, VP of Growth at Maven and founder of The Old Girls Club, traces her path from hypergrowth operator to community builder. She reflects on the “up, down, up” rhythm of her career, from Pinterest’s rocket ship years to rediscovering fit after leaving Metafy, and shares what she’s learned about ego, feedback, and identity along the way.

Mallory opens up about being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and how that reframed her communication, leadership, and approach to feedback. She explains why no one is an “A-player everywhere,” how environment shapes performance, and what it takes to design work that truly fits your strengths.

Now leading growth at Maven while scaling a 2,000-member community, Mallory gets practical about following momentum, hiring for energy, and coaching the edges. She also reframes mentorship, arguing that small, intentional peer communities can be more powerful than chasing a single mentor, and offers practical advice for giving and receiving feedback without losing your voice.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

- How to identify your fit Venn diagram (subject matter × work style × company size) and use it to choose roles that compound

- A 3-part coaching framework to channel “bulldozer” energy into clear, respectful collaboration

- Why building a peer community can be the highest-leverage “career hack” you control

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro

(03:31) First tech job

(06:11) Hypergrowth lessons at Pinterest

(10:12) Thank you to our sponsor, Navattic

(14:37) Realizing no one is an A-player everywhere

(17:49) ADHD in the workplace

(28:23) Coaching and neurodiversity at work

(31:39) Leaving Metafy and its aftermath

(43:08) Mallory’s advice to her younger self

(47:18) Trusting instincts and following momentum

A huge thanks to this episode’s sponsor:

Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value

Resources:

Connect with Mallory:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorycontois/

Mallory’s official website: https://www.mallorycontois.com/

The Old Girls Club: https://www.jointheogc.com/

Connect with Andrew:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/

Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co

Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

Join Growth OS: https://deliveringvalue.co/growth-operating-system