Leading By Example: Executives Making An Impact

What separates leaders who fold under pressure from the ones who turn a setback into the best story they'll ever tell? This episode pulls together the most unforgettable moments from an entire season of conversations with nine remarkable leaders, distilled into a four-part playbook: leading yourself, leading your people, leading through change, and leading with purpose. You'll hear from leaders at...

What does it really mean to understand your own influence as a leader? In this episode, host and Emmy Award-winning journalist Jessica Chen sits down with Ben Walter , CEO of JP Morgan Workplace Solutions and former head of Chase for Business — the arm of Chase Bank serving over seven million small businesses across the U.S. Ben's leadership philosophy didn't start in a boardroom. It started...

In the fast-paced world of corporate communications, Meredith Seacrest Leach found it difficult to stop, slow down, and reconnect with her 'why.' Now, as the CEO and Executive Director of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, her mission is front and center: connect children's hospitals with resources for media production, to keep kids entertained during their stay. The journey wasn't always easy, but tog...

The future of work isn't about competing with AI — it's about doubling down on the skills technology can't replace. As CMO of LinkedIn, Jessica Jensen sits at the forefront of workplace research that explains what's really going on with the decline of entry level jobs, the rise of Gen Z entrepreneurs, and why a strong professional network matters now more than ever. In this conversation with...

When Raj Seshadri moved from science to the C-suite, she realized the two weren’t really that different. Leadership requires problem solving — and the scientific method she practiced as a physicist now shapes how she drives innovation as Chief Commercial Payments Officer at Mastercard. Raj shares practical leadership strategies for building high-performing teams, making confident decis...

Since she was a teenager, Shellye Archambeau knew she wanted to be a CEO. And with unapologetic ambition—she got there—becoming the leader of MetricStream, a software company focusing on government risk and compliance.  But her path to power wasn't easy — there was loss, uncertainty and even a global recession that tried to stop Shellye in her tracks, but she was always one...

Health-Ade Kombucha went from a stall at the Farmer's Market to a multi-million dollar company over the course of just five years — which pushed co-founder Vanessa Dew to re-examine her leadership style in order to adapt. In this episode, Vanessa is revealing what she learned, and why vulnerability in leadership is key for scaling a business. You'll also hear her tips for overcoming imposter...

After helping scale Dell from $100 million to a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse alongside Michael Dell, Joel Kocher thought he had leadership figured out — until success forced him to relearn humility. Now the founder and CEO of Humann , Kocher reveals why adaptability is make-or-break in leadership, especially when transitioning fields. He also shares why he left an early retirement to buil...

For Taskrabbit CEO Ania Smith, a professional gap year was exactly what she needed to rediscover purpose-driven leadership. She was feeling stuck in the Silicon Valley grind, losing sight of her "why." So she and her family packed up all their things and moved to Argentina — somewhere they'd never been before — to focus on anything but work. Upon her return, Ania was confident that thi...

What does it take to turn a simple idea into a $100 million brand? In the Season 2 premiere of Leading By Example, host Jessica Chen sits down with Grace Lee Chen, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Birdy Grey, the direct-to-consumer company reshaping how people shop for weddings. Grace shares how she transformed a personal frustration as a six-time bridesmaid into a thriving business built on...

What sets remarkable leaders apart? In Season 2 of Leading By Example, Emmy Award winner and global communication expert Jessica Chen uncovers how today’s executives inspire trust, navigate change, and lead with purpose. From bold decision-making to everyday empathy, these conversations pull back the curtain on the communication skills, mindset shifts, and human stories behind impactful lead...

In this special in-between-seasons bonus episode of Leading by Example, host Farnoosh Torabi is joined by supervising producer Nakia (Kia) Swinton to reflect on standout leadership lessons from Season One. From authenticity and inclusion to empathy, expertise, and the power of introspection, Farnoosh and Kia revisit powerful moments and behind-the-scenes insights from their conversations with indu...

Ryan Serhant has built a real estate empire by doing things differently. As the CEO of SERHANT.—a brokerage, media company, and tech platform all rolled into one—he’s redefining what it means to sell in the modern market. In this dynamic conversation, Farnoosh and Ryan talk about launching a company during the pandemic, building a brand that scales, and why “always in, all...

Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg have lived every chapter of theSkimm’s story—from scrappy startup to multimillion-user platform to their recent acquisition by Ziff Davis. In this candid conversation, Farnoosh sits down with the co-founders to explore resilience, leadership, and how they’ve stayed deeply connected to their audience of millennial and Gen Z women. They open up abo...

Marisa Thalberg has made a career out of smart pivots—and bold bets. As Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Catalyst Brands, she now oversees some of retail’s most iconic names, including JCPenney and Brooks Brothers—brands with deep roots and fresh potential. In this dynamic conversation, Farnoosh and Marisa dive into the art of leading with both confidence and humility, the...

What does it mean to actually lead with empathy? In this candid, energizing episode, Farnoosh sits down with Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, to explore how emotional intelligence, radical transparency, and kindness can shape corporate culture. From redefining empathy as “riding shotgun” on someone’s journey to building an award-winning workplace from the inside...

From Microsoft dropout to moonshot entrepreneur, Naveen Jain joins Farnoosh as he share's his quest to revolutionize healthcare through AI. From his humble roots in India to becoming the CEO of Viome, serial entrepreneur and visionary Naveen expands on his remarkable journey of resilience and innovation. The former Microsoft executive challenges conventional wisdom about entrepreneurship, revealin...

Kathleen Griffith, the mastermind behind the bestselling book "Build Like a Woman," sits down with Farnoosh for an inspiring conversation about becoming a corporate burnout to building an empire. Kathleen reveals her transformative journey from feeling trapped in corporate advertising to becoming a serial entrepreneur and founder of Grayce & Co, where she has directed more than $500M in market...

In this timely and thought-provoking episode, we're joined by Shannon Schuyler, Chief Purpose & Inclusion Officer at PwC. Shannon brings her wealth of experience from three decades and over fifteen different roles within the global consulting firm. As organizations grapple with evolving federal policies around diversity initiatives, Shannon offers invaluable insights on creating lasting, authe...

In our premiere episode, Farnoosh Torabi sits down with Will Pearson, President of the iHeart Podcast Network, to uncover how his personal journey and core beliefs guided his path from college entrepreneur to podcast industry pioneer. Pearson reveals how his early experiences—launching a company from his Duke University dorm room—instilled leadership principles that still drive his dec...

Welcome to 'Leading By Example: Executives Making An Impact,' from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio. What shapes a leader's core beliefs about building and guiding successful organizations? In this series, host Farnoosh Torabi ('So Money' podcast and CNBC) sits down with today's most influential executives and entrepreneurs to uncover the pivotal life experiences that define their leadership approach. Th...