Hey Sue

My friend Vlada Bortnik — CEO of Marco Polo and host of the Heartful Wonders  podcast — recently had me on her show, and she asked me a question I wasn't fully prepared for: What if the emotion you think is your heart is actually fear? It's a good one. Decisions rooted in shame or self-doubt can feel exactly like intuition. The difference, I've come to believe, is direction: whether...

In this inspiring episode, Sue sits down with renowned architect EJ Meade of Arch11 to explore the journey of building a meaningful career, the power of authentic client relationships, and the courage it takes to be selective about your work. EJ shares stories from his 30+ years in architecture, the lessons learned from both awards and challenges, and his vision for the next chapter. Whether you’r...

In this episode, Sue talks with Amit Shah, Chief Operating Officer of Virta Health, to explore how passionate leadership and evidence-based nutrition can transform metabolic health. Amit shares about Virta’s goal of reversing diabetes and obesity by centering its core values—putting people first and trusting evidence-based science—across every team at the company. The ways that this passion and co...

Sue Heilbronner calls Leah Pearlman her “best friend.” Leah calls Sue “one of her best friends.” For some time, that bummed Sue out, but she got over it. For the last 15 years, all of Sue’s best decisions have been influenced by Leah’s wisdom, and the book dedication in Sue’s new book reflects that gratitude. In this episode of the HeySue podcast, Sue and Leah peel back the layers of Sue's mi...

In this episode, Sue dives deep with Ian MacGregor, co-founder and CEO of Skratch Labs , to explore a radical approach to building a business that refuses to compromise its values for market share. From pro cycling to creating a revolutionary sports nutrition brand, Ian shares how staying committed to the company’s core customer can be the most powerful growth strategy. We explore: The radical dec...

Join Sue Heilbronner as she sits down with master metalworker and jewelry designer Todd Reed to explore a revolutionary approach to selling that transcends transactions. Todd shares how he built a brand rooted in creativity, emotional connection, and authentic design.  We talk about: Why emotional needs matter more than price points in creating meaningful customer relationships How downsizing his...

In this episode, Sue sits down with Ellen Kindelsperger – sports chiropractor, strength coach, and founder of ChiroLab in Boulder – to talk about selling with a focus on customer satisfaction, loyalty, and scale.  Ellen shares how she’s built a thriving practice without pushing packages or locking people into long-term commitments. Instead, she leads with generosity, grounded confidence, and what...

Welcome to the first episode of a special new focus for the HeySue Podcast: the Never Ask for the Sale Series. These new episodes are inspired by the September 2025 launch of Sue Heilbronner’s newest book, Never Ask for the Sale: Supercharge Your Business with the Power of Passionate Ambivalence . Never Ask is based on the philosophy or sales technique Sue calls “passionate ambivalence,” the freed...

Sarah Climenhaga is a writer and facilitator of Byron Katy’s The Work. She is also a self-professed attention hog who loves to talk! But in this live coaching session with Sue and Leah, she brings her secret worry: “Does anyone actually care about what I have to say?” In this episode of the HeySue podcast, Leah and Sue inquire about the two competing voices in Sarah’s mind, the one who loves to ta...

Fernanda Bertrand is a business coach and the host of her own podcast. She came to the session with Sue and Leah wanting to better understand the “darker side” of her – a judgmental voice – that keeps intruding on her thoughts. She admits that she has been judging herself and others her whole life... and she judges herself for that!  In this live coaching episode of the HeySue podcast, Sue and Lea...

Nick Smith is the CEO and Co-Founder of Hauska, which uses AI to make home remodeling easier. But the real challenge in his life right now is how to raise a house full of teenage girls. Sue and Leah dive into what that responsibility means to Nick, as well as his core belief that “you either pay now and play later, or you play now and pay later.” The session investigates how to use anxiety as an i...

Dominique Aubry-Morgan is a high-achiever who is on a quest for more ease. In this episode, Sue and Leah engage with Dominique about how her desire to find a new cadence is in tension with her ambitious nature. They dive into her familiar cycles around all the competing desires she has for her life. What would happen if she did a trust fall into life? At the heart of this episode is the issue of h...

Rachel Pickett comes to this coaching conversation with Sue and Leah with a pretty common problem: figuring out how to get her organization to grow. Rachel is the Founder and Executive Director of The Thinking Project, which also makes her the first non-profit leader on the HeySue podcast. Her organization (and her passion) is focused on bringing Byron Katy’s The Work to children in educational se...

Sue and Leah welcomed the first anonymous guest “Ryan” to the HeySue podcast! He kicked off the conversation by explaining that he is in the market for a coach who can help him get out of a funk. Sue and Leah invited Ryan to reflect on different parts of himself – from the achievement-oriented “higher self” to the cheese-loving slacker “Gary.” Ryan’s curiosity and self-reflection shine through in...

David Secunda is a successful serial entrepreneur who has big ideas ranging from tech solutions for talent management at companies to what may be the best adventure summer camp for kids in the US. In this live coaching episode of the HeySue podcast, David opens his heart and mind, sharing the deep questions he wonders about in his leadership. He talks about a recurring worry that he is “too much.”...

Robin Izsak-Tseng is the VP of Revenue Marketing at G2. She is a leader with a lot of expertise to offer, but having so many young tech dudes around makes her feel like an imposter. She wonders if she is holding herself back from the next level of leadership. In this bold and revealing session, Robin, Sue, and Leah Pearlman talk about the perks of being self-effacing, the desire to be more punk ro...

Shawna Barnhart is a seasoned product leader in tech who loves team building, cross-functional project orchestration, and deep, revealing client conversations. Like many leaders in tech, she was recently a part of a reduction in force. Shawna is trying to balance “holding on” and “letting go” in the midst of that transition. During this honest and joy-filled conversation, Shawna, Sue, and Leah dig...

Rachel Beisel is a seasoned executive who has achieved a lot of her goals and feels like she’s at her next phase of growth. She climbed all of Colorado’s 14-ers, ended her marriage, rang many professional bells, and wrote a book. She’s looking at rewriting her bio in a literal and metaphorical sense.  In this live coaching session, Rachel shares the questions she’s facing as she is looking at the...

Ajay Manglani, an exec in the generative AI space, joins Sue Heilbronner and Leah Pearlman for another episode of live executive coaching. Ajay, who brings a warmth, relatability, and sensitivity to this podcast and, seemingly, his leadership, raises two issues we hear often from company leaders. First, he discusses his effort to strike what he sees as the right balance around how much information...

Pull back the curtain on conscious leadership executive coaching with a new leader every episode. In this episode, Yong Kim, CEO of Wonolo , joins Leah Pearlman and Sue Heilbronner for a deep and vulnerable live executive coaching session. Yong, who describes himself as the "Chief Empathy Officer" of Wonolo shares his concerns about a miss on quarterly numbers and opens the door to a won...

Real Leaders takes a break from speaking with founders and leaders at technology startups to talk to the founders of Yogapod , a dynamic brick and mortar business in the heart of the yoga haven of Boulder, Colorado. But wait for it. Yoga Pod founders Nicole and Gerry Wienholt have an even wider range than their 120-class weekly yoga schedule might have reflected, and they rose to the challenge of...

Jim Dethmer and Diana Chapman – co-founders of the coaching and consulting business Conscious Leadership Group – are working to shift the mindset and level of self-awareness in global companies and organizations. Jim and Diana have been at the forefront of this movement, launching their bestselling book 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership in 2015 with Kaley Klemp . In this episode of the Real L...

Chapter 2 in our series Conscious Leadership AMA ("Ask Me Anything") with Sue Heilbronner , CEO of MergeLane Fund and Leadership Camp. Conscious Leadership AMAs are open to alumni of MergeLane programs and camps at Leadership.camp . Leaders ask about their challenges and opportunities in implementing conscious leadership into their daily work and life. This episode features a heavy focus...

First episode in our series Conscious Leadership AMA ("Ask Me Anything") with Sue Heilbronner , CEO of MergeLane Fund and Leadership Camp.  Hear from MergeLane portfolio fund CEOs and previous attendees of Leadership.camp about their challenges and opportunities in implementing conscious leadership into their daily work and life. Part of a new, occasional series from the Real Leaders Pod...

Mat Vogels is an extremely zestful CEO. And it's no surprise that he's founded a high-momentum startup called Zestful -- which is setting the standard for the next generation of employee perks -- with the tagline "live full." Because Mat Vogels lives fully. And behind his extraordinary attitude, full-time smile, and easy way of being stands a tenacious startup founder committed...