The Innovation Meets Leadership Podcast

How can organizations create a more equitable pay structure and what impact does this have on innovation and business success? In this insightful episode, host Natalie Born engages with Sally Loftis, Managing Director at Loftus Partners. They delve into the intricate relationship between human resources strategy and business innovation, focusing on the pivotal role of pay equity in fostering a thr...

How can leaders navigate the challenges of being 'asleep at the wheel' and transform their organizations into thriving, purpose-driven entities? In this insightful episode, host Natalie Born engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Chris Green, a managing partner at Arch and Tower. They delve into the intricacies of leadership, the art of transforming organizations, and the signifi...

In a world where innovation is constantly redefining possibilities, how does one navigate the intricate balance between creativity, technology, and the human element to drive meaningful change? In this captivating episode, host Natalie Born engages with Ian Bergman, a partner at Alchemist Accelerator, in a deep dive into the realms of innovation and corporate change. Bergman shares his unique jour...

How can organizations leverage customer experience as a strategic advantage in the dynamic SaaS landscape? This episode features Bill Mahoney, the Chief Customer Officer at Comply, to unravel the intricate relationship between customer experience and business growth in the SaaS sector. He shares his expert insights on adapting customer success strategies to various business sizes, utilizing AI in...

How can we shift workplace culture to empower employees and unlock their full potential? In this episode of the Innovation Meets Leadership podcast, Natalie interviews Nancy Lyons, CEO and founder of Clockwork Interactive, about her mission to "make work better." They discuss breaking down workplace hierarchies, overcoming learned helplessness and fear, and creating psychologically safe environmen...

How can tapping into collective wisdom lead to superior outcomes than relying solely on individual insight? In this episode, we speak with Ebenezer Ikonne, AVP of product and engineering at Cox Automotive. He shares his leadership journey, from starting as a software engineer to understanding the importance of values and mindset when transitioning into a leadership role. He talks about his experie...

What works for one student won't necessarily work for another, so it's important to constantly innovate to meet their needs. In this episode, Ashley Born explores the importance of resilience in career goals and how innovation can create effective change in education. She tackles the need to differentiate instruction for students and emphasizes how businesses need to be aware of opportunities crea...

"Owning the room means you're not always the first to speak, but you're the first to listen." - Cameron Singh In this episode, host Natalie Born interviews Cameron Singh, author of the book Navigation and Discovery . They discuss Cameron's background in the aviation industry, his journey to leadership roles at a young age, and his passion for helping others navigate their car...

"Every company has to start to become an AI company right now. If you're not skilling up, you're going to seriously be left behind the people that are ." - Matt Swalley The rapid evolution of technology has made Artificial Intelligence a crucial player in transforming our wildest dreams into reality and pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible. On today’s episode, N...

"Mentorship and just community around entrepreneurship is so vital... It just can't happen by yourself ." - Callie Murray From accidental entrepreneurship to mindful innovation, explore the journey of turning a quirky idea into a thriving business and the lessons learned along the way. In today’s episode, Callie Murray joins us to discuss her entrepreneurial journey, from founding Th...

"Focus on the strengths of your partnerships, of your relationships, and then work to build this up. And while you're doing that, I promise you, you will find ways to be innovative.” - Shane Mishler Navigating chaos, identifying unique opportunities, and igniting innovation: Shane Mishler, Chief Operating Officer of SD Tech, shares insights on transforming challenges into opportunities an...

“If you're going into freelancing as a way to escape something that you don't like with what you're doing, you may discover that that same thing is in freelancing or entrepreneurship, and it sometimes may even be more severe." - Jason Montoya Have you ever wondered if freelancing is the future of work? Clearly, the landscape of employment is evolving, and the world of freelancing...

“The most basic skill you need is to be able to read. And I think if you can do that, if you are willing to put in the time and the work, you can learn almost anything.” – Eli Packouz From ideation to realization, embark on a journey of ingenuity as Eli Packouz shares the challenges, triumphs, and the ultimate success of bringing Instafloss to life! Eli, a two-time founder, shares the story of his...

"You don't have to be a writer to be an author.” – Dave Sheets   In this episode of Innovation Meets Leadership, host Natalie Born and publishing industry expert Dave Sheets delve into the transformative power of publishing. With a captivating hook, they explore the question: "Why should someone publish a book?" Dave's extensive background in the industry sets the stage as h...

" A realistic outlook will keep you moving toward your desired future. A limiting belief will prevent you from moving forward.” – Dr. Clint Ladine In this episode of Innovation Meets Leadership, host Natalie Born engages in a captivating conversation with Dr. Clint Ladine, a leadership success coach and former professional basketball player. They explore the power of coaching, emphasizing the...

“Covid has taught me that remote workers can actually deliver great results.” - Alex Svinov In this episode, we explore the founding story of Insquad – a platform that helps to build remote teams. Alex Spinoff discusses how remote work can help companies attract talent, increase productivity, and conserve resources. He also highlights the importance of understanding and respecting cultural norms w...

"Fund what matters and fund it well. Innovation is not just a buzzword; it's an investment in the future of your company.” – Scott Ritzheimer   In this episode of Innovation Meets Leadership, host Natalie Born dives deep into the world of scaling businesses and the crucial role of innovation. Joined by Scott Ritzheimer, CEO of Scale Architects, they explore the power of finding a profitab...

"Healthcare seemed like a place where we could really make an impact because I think that was part of the goal – to have purpose to what we were doing.” – Matt McBride In this episode of Innovation Meets Leadership, host Natalie Born talks with Matt McBride, the CEO and Co-founder of MEND, an enterprise patient engagement telehealth platform designed to help healthcare organizations scale the...

"Automation is not just automation just for automation's sake. Automation has to be meaningful." – Andrew Cohen In this episode of Innovation Meets Leadership, host Natalie Born talks with Andrew Cohen, the CEO and Managing Partner of Evoke, an award-winning digital transformation company specializing in modern workplace solutions. Andrew discusses how to help small businesses scale...

"It's possible to achieve both fulfilling career and happy life, and it's what I want for people. So, go for it. You deserve it." – Randi Roberts In this podcast episode, Innovation Meets Leadership host Natalie Born interviews executive and career life coach Randi Roberts. Randi shares her journey from corporate to coaching, emphasizing the importance of introspection and self-a...

"Experience transformation is the next frontier of digital transformation for companies." – Satyam Kantamneni In this podcast episode, Innovation Meets Leadership host Natalie Born talks to Satyam Kantamneni, Chief Experience Officer of UX Reactor. He joins us to discuss the importance of being user-centric in business. Satyam emphasizes understanding user pain points and suggests techni...

"Facilitation is a key leadership skill." – Marsha Acker In this podcast episode, Innovation Meets Leadership host Natalie Born talks to Marsha Acker, a skilled facilitator can identify hidden dynamics in conversations and guide participants towards actionable outcomes. Marsha emphasizes that following good facilitation principles in meetings is crucial for success, even without a facili...

"Our peace self in us knows that we are always loved, always learning. It's always a constant". – Amy Balog Looking to unlock your true potential as an innovator or leader? In this podcast episode, Innovation Meets Leadership host Natalie Born talks to Amy Balog about the concept of 'peace over performance': how inner peace can be the catalyst for true and lasting success. Am...

“It's not only listening to the customer. It's really taking action, being proactive to talk to your customers, inviting them for specific interviews where the agenda is really to talk about their needs. That is really important for innovation”. – Stefan Debois In this episode of the podcast, Innovation Meets Leadership host Natalie Born invites Stefan Debois, the founder, and CEO of Point...

“ "Don't take goal setting in your life too seriously. Goals are guideposts along the journey.” – Matteo Grassi In this episode of the podcast, Innovation Meets Leadership host Natalie Born interviews Mateo Grassi, co-founder and CEO of the funded startup Popup. Through his remarkable journey from street performer to successful entrepreneur, Mateo shares his experience bootstrapping a business unt...