Anatomy of a Leader with Maria Hvorostovsky

Ceanne Fernandes-Wong, the CEO & co-founder of Cocoon, a luxury handbag subscription service, is smart, unassuming and so humble. In this episode, we talked about doing impossible things like leading the way in creating circularity in fashion, starting a business just before a pandemic and yet securing a powerful investor like Kering - a global luxury giant. We talked about vulnerability in leadership, having great advisors that open your mind and the differences in hiring between established companies like Net-a-Porter and startups. We also discussed balancing motherhood and running a business and how it’s only women that get asked this. WE DISCUSS: 00:00 - Intro 03:25 - Why Ceanne founded Cocoon 08:42 - Concept of ownership and circularity in fashion 14:05 - Investment from Kering and impact of great advisors 24:31 - Vulnerability in leadership, gender penality & balancing motherhood and career 39:25 - Relentless working culture, time off and modelling the right culture 44:59 - Hiring for a startup 52:44 - Startups and dealing with uncertainty 58:50 - The hardest decision Ceanne had to make 01:03:48 - Ceanne’s biggest fear 01:06:58 - Biggest failure 01:09:04 - Three pieces of advice to younger self 01:13:02 - The Impossible question CEANNE FERNANDES-WONG: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceannefernandes/ Instagram: @ceanne https://www.instagram.com/ceanne/?hl=en Cocoon: https://www.cocoon.club/ EPISODE #11: You can also WATCH the episode on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-YIz5pEMM9vigbYOxK2Kw MARIA HVOROSTOVSKY: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/ Instagram: @MariaHvo - https://www.instagram.com/mariahvo/?hl=en Clubhouse: @MariaHvo - https://www.clubhouse.com/@mariahvo Get in touch if you need help HIRING your senior leadership team LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts make sure to Subscribe, Rate, and leave a REVIEW. The best review will get a mention in the next episode!

“The adoption of circular business models, widespread by the industry, has to happen.” In Episode #11, I spoke with Ceanne Fernandes-Wong, the CEO & co-founder of Cocoon, a luxury handbag subscription service. We talked about doing impossible things like leading the way in creating circularity in fashion, starting a business just before a pandemic and yet securing a powerful investor like Kering - a global luxury giant. We talked about vulnerability in leadership, having great advisors that open your mind and the differences in hiring between established companies like Net-a-Porter and startups. CEANNE FERNANDES-WONG: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceannefernandes/ Instagram: @ceanne https://www.instagram.com/ceanne/?hl=en Cocoon: https://www.cocoon.club/ EPISODE #11: You can also WATCH the episode on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-YIz5pEMM9vigbYOxK2Kw MARIA HVOROSTOVSKY: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/ Instagram: @MariaHvo - https://www.instagram.com/mariahvo/?hl=en Clubhouse: @MariaHvo - https://www.clubhouse.com/@mariahvo Get in touch if you need help HIRING your senior leadership team LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts make sure to Subscribe, Rate, and leave a REVIEW. The best review will get a mention in the next episode!

Riccardo Sciutto, the CEO of Sergio Rossi, which has recently been acquired by Fosun Fashion Group, is bold and unwavering and has managed to balance traditional shoe maker values with modernity by embracing technology and digital. We talked about how to act in a crisis, how to surround yourself with intrapreneurs even in big organisations, and the secret sauce to making a heritage brand modern. We discussed Audacity, making big moves as well as big mistakes and the double job of securing investment whilst running a company. WE DISCUSS: 00:00 - Intro 04:12 - What is Leadership? 05:22 - How to make vision a reality 07:09 - How to be ready for so many possibilities 10:45 - Riccardo’s early years 16:24 - Secret sauce to making heritage brand modern 19:30 - Biggest challenge 22:38 - How to surround yourself with great people, startup mindset 25:55 - Biggest mistake 28:24 - On having Audacity 34:31 - Purpose of the office now and use of technology 38:43 - Hardest thing about looking for investment 41:55 - 3 pieces of advice to others embarking on the same path 44:38 - Building a great team RICCARDO SCIUTTO: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riccardosciutto/ Instagram: @riccardosciutto - https://www.instagram.com/riccardosciutto/ Sergio Rossi: https://www.sergiorossi.com EPISODE #10: You can listen to the full episode here OR WATCH it on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-YIz5pEMM9vigbYOxK2Kw MARIA HVOROSTOVSKY: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/ Instagram: @MariaHvo - https://www.instagram.com/mariahvo/?hl=en Clubhouse: @MariaHvo - https://www.clubhouse.com/@mariahvo Get in touch if you need help HIRING your senior leadership team LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts make sure to Subscribe, Rate, and leave a REVIEW. The best review will get a mention in the next episode!

“Think Heritage, Play Digital” In Episode #10 I spoke with Riccardo Sciutto, the CEO of Sergio Rossi, which has recently been acquired by Fosun Fashion Group. We talked about how to act in a crisis, how to surround yourself with intrapreneurs even in big organisations, and the secret sauce to making a heritage brand modern. We discussed Audacity, making big moves as well as big mistakes and the double job of securing investment whilst running a company. RICCARDO SCIUTTO: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riccardosciutto/ Instagram: @riccardosciutto - https://www.instagram.com/riccardosciutto/ Sergio Rossi: https://www.sergiorossi.com EPISODE #10: You can listen to the full episode here OR WATCH it on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-YIz5pEMM9vigbYOxK2Kw MARIA HVOROSTOVSKY: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/ Instagram: @MariaHvo - https://www.instagram.com/mariahvo/?hl=en Clubhouse: @MariaHvo - https://www.clubhouse.com/@mariahvo Get in touch if you need help HIRING your senior leadership team LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts make sure to Subscribe, Rate, and leave a REVIEW. The best review will get a mention in the next episode!

Dr. Mark Goulston is a storyteller with a psychic ability to read minds. He coaches many women (including me) and he is a master of scripts for life - there’s several in this episode but many more in his book "Just Listen".    In this episode, I had a huge honour of speaking with Dr. Mark Goulston, psychiatrist for over 40 years, Marshall Goldsmith 100 top coaches and author of many books including "Just Listen", "Get Out of Your Own Way", "Trauma to Triumph" and many others.    We talked about becoming a first-class noticer, how to tune in to what other people are Listening FOR and how to turn tables when pitching to investors.    We talked a lot about mistakes and failure with some great examples and whether Steve Jobs (who was an abusive boss) was actually a good leader. WE DISCUSS: 07:00 - Early experience, importance of listening into people’s eyes   14:43 - Conference with Daniel Kahneman, Mark’s talk on Change Everything you Know about Communication   20:00 - What Mark is listening for in this podcast   22:32 - Be a first class noticer   23:25 - Be a big sister, like Mark is like a big brother to the women he coaches  26:28 - What to do when you are afraid to empathise with people as a woman   34:13 - How to win friends and influence bosses / team members   38:54 - How to turn tables when pitching to investors script  47:18 - What is leadership?  54:20 - Was Steve Jobs a good leader?  58:27 - Failure and how to fail better   01:02:55 - Mark’s mission   01:05:04 - ‘What happened to you’ script   DR. MARK GOULSTON: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgoulston/  Instagram: @MarkGoulston - https://www.instagram.com/markgoulston/?hl=en  Twitter: @MarkGoulston - https://twitter.com/MarkGoulston?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor   Facebook: https://facebook.com/drmarkgoulston/  RESOURCES: Mark's website - https://markgoulston.com/   Defeating Self Defeat Audiocourse - https://www.himalaya.com/defeat My Wake Up Call Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/my-wakeup-call-with-dr-mark-goulston/id1439752757    BOOKS: "Just Listen" by Dr. Mark Goulston - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Listen-Discover-Getting-Absolutely/dp/0814436471 "Get Out of Your Own Way" by Dr. Mark Goulston - https://amzn.to/3etUItF "Noise" by Daniel Kahneman - https://amzn.to/3wG3n2l “What Happened to You” by Oprah Winfrey - https://amzn.to/3rj6TPo EPISODE #9: You can also WATCH it on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-YIz5pEMM9vigbYOxK2Kw MARIA HVOROSTOVSKY: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/ Instagram: @MariaHvo - https://www.instagram.com/mariahvo/?hl=en Clubhouse: @MariaHvo - https://www.clubhouse.com/@mariahvo Get in touch if you need help HIRING your senior leadership team LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts make sure to Subscribe, Rate, and leave a REVIEW. The best review will get a mention in the next episode!

"Here is what you need to know. Investors when they smile, it's not a 'yes'"  In this episode, I had a huge honour of speaking with Dr. Mark Goulston, psychiatrist for over 40 years, Marshall Goldsmith 100 top coaches and author of many books including "Just Listen", "Get Out of Your Own Way", and "Trauma to Triumph". We talked about becoming a first-class noticer, how to tune in to what other people are Listening FOR and how to turn tables when pitching to investors. DR. MARK GOULSTON: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgoulston/ Instagram: @MarkGoulston - https://www.instagram.com/markgoulston/?hl=en   Twitter: @MarkGoulston - https://twitter.com/MarkGoulston?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Facebook: https://facebook.com/drmarkgoulston/ RESOURCES: Mark's website: https://markgoulston.com/    Defeating Self Defeat Audiocourse: https://www.himalaya.com/defeat My Wake Up Call Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/my-wakeup-call-with-dr-mark-goulston/id1439752757      "Just Listen" by Dr. Mark Goulston - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Listen-Discover-Getting-Absolutely/dp/0814436471 Newsweek Expert Forum: https://forum.newsweek.com/profile/Mark-Goulston-Design-Thinking-Leadership-inventor-Surgical-Empathy-Mark-Goulston-M-D-Inc/fae96fe0-6bca-46e1-a351-0c5954f60f2d  Mark's TEDx: What Made You Smile Today? https://www.ted.com/talks/mark_goulston_what_made_you_smile_today DOCUMENTARIES: Stay Alive: An Intimate Conversation about Suicide Prevention - https://www.stayalivevideo.com/  Tell My Story - https://www.chooselife.org/film Teen Mental Health Webinar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqZmDLTFntI EPISODE #9: You can listen to the full episode here OR WATCH it on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-YIz5pEMM9vigbYOxK2Kw MARIA HVOROSTOVSKY:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/ Instagram: @MariaHvo - https://www.instagram.com/mariahvo/?hl=en Clubhouse: @MariaHvo - https://www.clubhouse.com/@mariahvo Get in touch if you need help HIRING your senior leadership team LEAVE A REVIEW:  If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts make sure to Subscribe, Rate, and leave a REVIEW. The best review will get a mention in the next episode!

Whitney Hawkings is determined, head strong and laser focused.  After spending 18 years working with Tom Ford at Gucci, Whitney took the plunge and founded FLOWERBX, growing it to become the first global flower brand.   Working with (and shopping from) luxury brands online she observed that everything was branded except for flowers and this became her mission: to deliver fresh, quality flowers with the same consistent service as any top luxury brand.    With Whitney’s Pink Avalanche Roses as the backdrop, we talk about her lacking confidence but discovering that he is the best CEO of her company, what it’s like to be a woman in business, her role models and what she learnt from Tom Ford.    WE DISCUSS: 04:43 - What is leadership? 06:38 - Doubting yourself as a leader 10:18 - Growing up in Dallas, Texas, drive to succeed 13:12 - Working with Tom Ford 14:36 - Why Whitney founded FLOWERBX 17:45 - Hard work, drive, not being able to stop 19:02 - Switching off, family time 21:39 - Having a great partner and people that have your back 22:44 - What she is most proud of 23:47 - 2 most important things Whitney wished she knew, which would have saved her a lot of hassle 25:53 - Hiring great people 28:12 - Hardest thing about being a CEO 30:33 - Biggest failures 31:56 - Covid giving a clean slate 33:00 - What’s next for FLOWERBX, closing series A funding 34:16 - 3 pieces of advice to younger self WHITNEY HAWKINGS: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-hawkings-643a3317/ FLOWERBX Instagram: @TheFLOWERBX - https://www.instagram.com/theflowerbx/?hl=en Whitney on Instagram: @TheFlowerBMB - https://www.instagram.com/theflowerbmb/?hl=en Pink Sweet Avalanche Roses: https://bit.ly/3imwd2E EPISODE #8: You can also WATCH it on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-YIz5pEMM9vigbYOxK2Kw MARIA HVOROSTOVSKY: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/ Instagram: @MariaHvo - https://www.instagram.com/mariahvo/?hl=en Clubhouse: @MariaHvo - https://www.clubhouse.com/@mariahvo Get in touch if you need help HIRING your senior leadership team LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts make sure to Subscribe, Rate, and leave a REVIEW. The best review will get a mention in the next episode!

"Fail fast is advice I would give my former self"  Whitney Hawkings founded FLOWERBX with the mission to to deliver fresh, quality flowers with the same consistent service as a top luxury brand. Whitney is determined, head strong and laser focused.   We talk about her lacking confidence but discovering that he is the best CEO of her company, what it’s like to be a woman in business, her role models and what she learnt from working with Tom Ford for 18 years. WHITNEY HAWKINGS: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-hawkings-643a3317/ FLOWERBX Instagram: @TheFLOWERBX - https://www.instagram.com/theflowerbx/?hl=en Whitney on Instagram: @TheFlowerBMB - https://www.instagram.com/theflowerbmb/?hl=en Pink Sweet Avalanche Roses: https://bit.ly/3imwd2E EPISODE #8: You can listen to the full episode here OR WATCH it on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-YIz5pEMM9vigbYOxK2Kw MARIA HVOROSTOVSKY: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/ Instagram: @MariaHvo - https://www.instagram.com/mariahvo/?hl=en Clubhouse: @MariaHvo - https://www.clubhouse.com/@mariahvo Get in touch if you need help HIRING your senior leadership team LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts make sure to Subscribe, Rate, and leave a REVIEW. The best review will get a mention in the next episode!

Nir Eyal the bestselling author of “Hooked” and “Indistractable” is a force, with incredible insights and practical tips on how to get into flow and break bad habits.  After some technical difficulties we managed to sit down and talk. We discussed email management, time-boxing, most toxic work environments, and the 3 things that make organisations productive.    I discovered that time management is pain management, that technology isn’t to blame and that everything comes down to CULTURE which filters down from the top.    Make sure to listen to the parts where Nir talks about what leadership means to him and what he himself slips up on.     WE DISCUSS: 06:49 - Being a robot, inbox 0 and why Nir wrote the book 11:02 - Definition of Distraction and if there a benefit to being distracted 13:11 - Internal & External triggers, avoidance of pain 17:10 - Impact of distraction on companies and management, Toxic Company Cultures 20:50 - 3 things for making workplaces Indistractable 23:29 - Skills we need in our leaders 25:00 - Time-boxing 26:06 - Saying ‘no’ is the worst advice 27:52 - What saved his marriage (4 strategies to become Indistractable) 32:46 - More on time-boxing, the feedback loop 36:35 - Difference between an Indistractable and a distracted person 39:54 - What Nir himself slips up on 44:27 - What Nir left out of the book 45:30 - What is leadership? 47:54 - Leaders’ most important job NIR EYAL: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/ Instagram: @Neyal99 - https://instagram.com/neyal99?utm_medium=copy_link  Twitter: @NirEyal - https://twitter.com/nireyal?s=21    RESOURCES:  Indistractable Book: http://geni.us/Indistractable  The schedule maker tool: https://nirandfar.com/schedule-maker/  Why schedules are better than to-do lists: https://www.nirandfar.com/todo-vs-schedule-builder/  Indistractable summary article: https://www.nirandfar.com/skill-of-the-future/  Distraction guide here: https://www.nirandfar.com/distractions/ Habits vs routines article here: https://www.nirandfar.com/habits/ EPISODE #7: You can also WATCH it on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-YIz5pEMM9vigbYOxK2Kw MARIA HVOROSTOVSKY: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/ Instagram: @MariaHvo - https://www.instagram.com/mariahvo/?hl=en Clubhouse: @MariaHvo - https://www.clubhouse.com/@mariahvo Get in touch if you need help HIRING your senior leadership team LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts make sure to Subscribe, Rate, and leave a REVIEW. The best review will get a mention in the next episode!

"One of the biggest problems we have in management and leadership is leaders almost no have no idea what their staff is doing. And they're too afraid to ask because they don't want to micromanage them." Nir Eyal the bestselling author of “Hooked” and “Indistractable” is a force, with incredible insights and practical tips on how to get into flow and break bad habits. We discussed email management, time-boxing, most toxic work environments, and the 3 things that make organisations productive. NIR EYAL: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/ Instagram: @Neyal99 - https://instagram.com/neyal99?utm_medium=copy_link Twitter: @NirEyal - https://twitter.com/nireyal?s=21 Indistractable Book: http://geni.us/Indistractable EPISODE #7: You can listen to the full episode here OR WATCH it on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-YIz5pEMM9vigbYOxK2Kw MARIA HVOROSTOVSKY: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/ Instagram: @MariaHvo - https://www.instagram.com/mariahvo/?hl=en Clubhouse: @MariaHvo - https://www.clubhouse.com/@mariahvo Get in touch if you need help HIRING your senior leadership team LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts make sure to Subscribe, Rate, and leave a REVIEW. The best review will get a mention in the next episode!