How She Does It Ep 50: Debby Soo on Leading OpenTable, Landing Impossible Reservations & Owning Your Ambition
Whether it’s brunch with your crew, a romantic anniversary dinner, or a buzzy new opening downtown, chances are you’ve tapped OpenTable to lock in that perfect reservation. This week on How She Does It, host Karen Finerman sits down with the woman behind the platform that seats 1.8 billion diners a year: OpenTable CEO Debby Soo.
In a wide-ranging and refreshingly candid conversation, Debby opens up about everything from navigating corporate leadership during a pandemic to what drives her relentless ambition. (Hint: It’s not just about power—it’s about freedom.)
🎧 Listen in as Debby shares:
- How growing up the only child of immigrants shaped her, including learning how to code-switch and work harder than anyone else in the room.
- The clever way she landed the CEO gig at OpenTable
- Why she struggled in her early days in banking, and how she overcame it
- How her approach to fixing problems has changed now that she’s a CEO
- The game-changing advice from her executive coach that reshaped her leadership
- The funny moment from the first date with her now-husband when she knew he was the one
- What she told her 6-year-old after he bragged, “Both my parents are CEOs.”
- And yes—how to actually score that impossible reservation
🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode.
Resources:
Follow How She Does It on Instagram: @hsdipodcast
Follow Debby Soo on Instagram and LinkedIn
Keep up with the latest on OpenTable via Instagram and TikTok
Explore great restaurants on OpenTable online and the app.
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