The Executives' Exchange Episode 004 - Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods
Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, shares her journey of becoming the youngest woman CEO of a publicly traded company at just 27 in 2002. It’s a journey that taught her many lessons along the way about the power of family, wellbeing, and staying true to who you are. Listen to hear more about Julie’s story and how she finds meaning outside of work to contribute to a safer, more equitable society.
Host of this episode: Margaret Mueller, CEO & President of the Executives' Club of Chicago
1:09 – original career path in psychology and social work//lessons learned 4:20 – behavioral economics and marketing 6:45 – how Julie got her start as CEO, personal journey 11:45 – Pivotal decisions to grow the business exponentially – labelling, hiring, networking 15:00 – training others to take your job/delegating 15:47 – COVID impacts on the business 22:45 – self care and investing in the wellbeing of your workforce 30:15 – Modeling leadership from the top down and customizing wellness for employees 34:00 – CEO Burnout 38:45 – Chicago as a business partner – positive 42:08 – Chicago as a business partner – challenges/changes 45:25 – something not everyone knows about Julie 47:20 – Julie’s life hacks 50:27 – forecasting, intriguing future things 53:15 – proudest moments
Host of this episode: Margaret Mueller, CEO & President of the Executives' Club of Chicago
Producer: Eva Penar, Chief Content & Communications Officer, the Executives' Club of Chicago
Follow Julie on Instagram @juliesmolyansky and Lifeway at @lifewaykefir
Check out Lifeway's website.
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