Best Manager Ever

Katie Corder-Paul is a beloved leader. She’s currently building a portfolio career, as the Head of Operations and Customer Success at early-stage startup levelheaded and the first-ever Executive in Residence at Fort Light. Previously, KCP was an early employee at Guild Education and held leadership roles in ops and customer success at Proof, Nomad, and Sondermind. Katie’s past direct reports LOVE her, and we think you will too. They praise her for being a fierce advocate for her team, a warm and empathetic leader, and a champion of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. In this episode, Annie Riley and Katie discuss her methods for fostering a strong team culture, and her strategies for driving success. Tune in to learn more about Katie's impact on her team and the broader organization.If you want to learn more from Annie and Katie, check out Fort Light’s group coaching programs at www.fortlight.com Connect with Katie Corder-PaulConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doug Hanna, President & COO at Kustomer and former COO at Grafana Labs, is renowned for his expertise in customer service and operational excellence, having significantly contributed to the growth of companies like Help.com and Zendesk. During his tenure, he helped scale Grafana Labs from a team of 70 to over a thousand employees. Doug's direct reports praise his hyper-rationality, exceptional context-switching abilities, and a balanced approach to management that marries analytical rigor with empathy.In this episode, Annie Riley, founder of Fort Light, sits down with Doug to discuss his strategies for addressing system failures during scaling, his approach to effective delegation and building scalable structures, and the art of maintaining responsiveness and understanding team motivations in a fast-paced environment. Tune in for a deep dive into Doug's dynamic leadership techniques and operational insights that drive success at Kustomer.Connect with Doug HannaConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lauren Werner, COO of Shop Shops, shares her wisdom on leading multicultural teams in a fast-paced startup environment. Known for her empathy and clear communication, she chats about maintaining composure under pressure and the balancing act of effective management. Discover her strategies for preparing and multitasking, as well as the importance of mastering communication and managing relationships within diverse teams. Lauren's experiences highlight the significance of stability in leadership, especially for women in tech.

Sean Twersky is Head of Business Operations at Even Up, and previously Instacart. He has 15+ years of experience that thrives on bringing structure to even the most chaotic situations and scaling for long term success. Sean’s direct reports across various companies describe him as a bright, adaptable leader and a great equalizer who successfully manages diverse teams.On this episode, host Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light, explores Sean's methods for helping  direct reports grow in ambiguous environments, his approach to effective feedback, and how he maintains a motivating and fun team culture. Tune in to learn from Sean’s  playbook on how to  draw out strengths from team members, turn ambitious tasks into enjoyable challenges, and ask for feedback in a structured and actionable way.Connect with Sean TwerskyConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Sean’s blog General PractitionerCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouThis is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brittany Hall is the Head of Customer Experience at ReMatter, a series A startup. She is also known for her notable work at companies like GoGuardian, People.ai and DataGrail. Over the past decade, Brittney has built a reputation for her outstanding ability to build and scale customer-facing teams from scratch. Brittany's direct reports describe her as an exceptional leader who is clear, honest, and genuinely caring. They highlight her ability to build high-performing teams and manage early-stage company challenges. In this episode Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light, sits down with Brittney, to discuss the framework for hiring non-traditional candidates, her strategy for timely feedback and team communication, and her approach to self-advocacy and prioritizing tasks. Tune in to learn how Brittany's leadership style and execution mindset drive startup success.Connect with Brittney HallConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zayd Badwan is a founding team member and VP of Enterprise at Uplimit. Before joining Uplimit, Zayd scaled the Customer Success team at Coursera. With 15+ years of experience in learning and development startups, he brings insights from working closely with global governments and nonprofits, and industry-leading companies including Google and Salesforce. Zayd is described by his direct reports as a positive leader with a knack for building trust, making work fun, and bringing relentless energy in the face of challenges. In this episode, Annie Riley sits down with Zayd to discuss the highs and lows of building teams from scratch, prioritizing learning as the best way to win in early stage company-building, and managing burnout and building emotional resilience. Zayd also highlights the importance of authenticity and candor in work relationships, and shares strategies for communicating across the company. Tune in for valuable insights on leadership, especially in very early-stage startup environments.Connect with Zayd BadwanConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morgane Palomares is the VP of Marketing at Vercel, and is known for her significant roles at GitHub, Zendesk and Change.org. Morgane's direct reports praise her exceptional leadership, high standards, and ability to create a trusting and safe environment. They describe her as 'superhuman,' 'aggressive,' and 'a winner,' highlighting her unique ability to balance high demands with personal care for her team. In this episode, Annie Riley, the founder of Fort Light, talks with Morgane about strategies for setting high expectations, creating space for emotions, and fostering team camaraderie. Learn about Morgan's approach to continuous learning, her unique lingo, and her emphasis on early career coaching. Morgan also talks about balancing work-life commitments, organizing her time effectively, being proactive about personal growth, and the importance of sharing information openly with her team.Connect with Morgane PalomaresConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 unpack that feedback and to dig into their leadership playbook and lessons learned. Tune in, learn from the experts, and enhance your management skills while building meaningful connections throughout your career.Connect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouThis is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.