Supersonic Leaders & Teams

Nicole Nimmons is the Associate Vice President of Student Services at Boise State University. A well-respected and goal-oriented executive with extensive leadership skills, Nicole has spent the past 16 years leading teams to support students and operations at BSU, including managing the logistics for a highly successful visit by President Obama in 2015, where he noted the innovative culture of the university.Tune in as she shares her journey as a leader and how her innovative ideas have been proven to enhance the Boise State student experience.

A well-respected, ambitious, dedicated, and goal-oriented executive with extensive leadership skills proven with 15 years in innovative leadership positions. Passionately creating and delivering strategic visions and missions through collaborative engagement, transparency, with a sense of urgency with an affirmative, and proactive positive lens.Always guiding others to perform through personal strengths, amidst competing priorities and deadlines. Strong values aligned with integrity, compassion, and sound judgment. Continuously creating positive relationship-oriented agile cultures, with the capacity to navigate sensitive and complex work through listening, patience, tolerance for ambiguity, and most of all sense of humor.

Eric Karpinski has been on the cutting edge of bringing positive psychology tools to workplaces across North America for nearly 10 years. In his programs, he shares powerful psychology and neuroscience research that shows that happiness leads to success, not the other way around. He’s helped tens of thousands of people find more happiness at work and helped managers and executives lead with positive emotions to drive team productivity, engagement and performance.Eric has been a key member of Shawn Achor’s GoodThink team since 2012 as a keynote speaker and a master trainer with Shawn’s Happiness Advantage-Orange Frog corporate training. He developed and implemented the Orange Frog in-house certification program and has trained over 100 facilitators to lead Orange Frog at their organizations.Eric trained as a scientist at Brown University and has an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. He spent a 15-year career as a management consultant, venture capitalist, and executive in the biopharma industry. He was at the juncture of business and medical science translating complex research to non-scientists in an accessible, dynamic, and thought-provoking way.For more details, http://thehappinesscoach.biz/

Francis Ebong supports teams at X (formerly Google X), where he focuses on scaling early stage projects to solve some of the world’s hardest problems. Previously, he was Director of Global Operations & Partnerships at Facebook, where he oversaw consumer operations for Emerging Services, a global team responsible for the launch and engagement of new and emerging businesses (including FB Live, Marketplace, Messenger, ‘M’ Artificial Intelligence, & Workplace).Before joining Facebook, Francis held key leadership roles in operations and business development at Apple and Postmates. Prior to Apple, Francis worked as a management consultant for both public and private sector clients at Deloitte, where he focused on go-to-market strategy & operations. Francis started his career living in Japan, East Africa, and Washington D.C. serving as a Naval Supply Officer.In this episode, we discuss his leadership journey from the military to the tech industry, and the importance of "gentle candor" for leaders in their roles as truth-tellers.

Dr. Karen Y. Wilson-Starks, the President of TRANSLEADERSHIP, INC.®️, has more than 30 years of experience as a trusted advisor for executives in corporations, the US Military and Federal Government, and non-profit leaders in faith based organizations and Foundations.In these tough times, executive leaders must successfully identify their next best steps to create and/or restore a winning culture and to put the communication and feedback systems in place to get the desired business results. Tune in to discover what good leadership looks like for Dr. Karen Wilson-Starks.To learn more about Dr. Karen, go to her website www.TransLeadership.com

John Brown is an experienced technology client manager and operations leader. He is the COO of ParkMobile LLC. Prior to ParkMobile, John served as Vice President of Customer Operations at Clutch Technologies, a software startup acquired by Cox Automotive. Previously, John held several roles in the fintech space, including President of US Operations for Cardlytics and leading a business unit at Fiserv. In addition, John was a consultant at McKinsey & Co. He began his career as an officer in the U.S. Navy aboard a nuclear submarine. In this episode, John shares his experience in years of leading operations and how he dealt with leadership setbacks.

Scotty Perkins has held leadership positions in numerous roles throughout his career, including product innovation, operations, compliance, IT, and business development. He is now the Senior Vice President of Product Innovation for Quisitive, where he is the head of their LedgerPay product company. In this episode, Scotty shares his leadership journey and the key insights that brought him to where he is today. We start where it all began, with the key principles he learned from his high school football coach, Kevin Carroll. Join us as we discuss how he still utilizes those principles today, and how he has evolved and grown as a leader throughout his successful career.

Lee Ellis is a retired United States Air Force Colonel, award-winning author, speaker, and leadership consultant. As a fighter pilot in the Vietnam War, he was shot down, captured, and spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war. He's authored several books, including Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, which was published in 2012 and shares his POW experience and the leadership principles that helped him and his compatriots resist, survive, and return with honor. Ellis is now an international speaker and consultant on leadership and human performance, organizational integrity, and operational effectiveness. Tune in to hear his remarkable story.

MK Palmore, a Naval Academy graduate, former Marine Corps officer, and retired FBI agent, joins the Supersonic Leaders & Teams podcast to share his experience and insights. MK recently published the book, Leadership for Youngsters, which is an excellent introduction to leadership for children and plants the seeds of leadership potential with an approach that speaks directly to young teens in a relatable way. Tune in to hear MK and Loree discuss the difficulties of leadership during COVID-19, the importance of communication, and the keys to learning from failures in order to adapt and evolve as a leader. MK explains that there isn't a cookie-cutter approach to leadership that will work for everyone; your leadership style needs to grow and evolve over time to be successful.

After serving in the U.S. Navy for over 25 years, Gene Moran founded Capital Integration. His company helps defense and security companies secure billions in federal funding. In addition, Gene is a #1 Amazon best-selling author and recently published his new book Pitching the Big Top: How to Master the 3-Ring Circus of Federal Sales. Tune in to hear Gene and Loree discuss his approach to leadership as well as the differences in leadership in the military versus the civilian world. Their conversation evolves as they cover topics on how leadership has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the surprisingly important role that fear plays in any kind of leadership position.

Lieutenant Colonel Rob Waldo Waldman is a decorated Air Force fighter pilot, New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author, motivational speaker, and leadership consultant. His book, Never Fly Solo, is an essential guide on how to build strong, effective teams. Tune in to hear Loree and Waldo discuss the importance of having a strong, supportive team in both business and life. They also discuss the new territory of how to build business relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Mary Kelly, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, spent over 20 years in intelligence and logistics roles and retired from the Navy as a commander. She's written 13 books on business, economics, and leadership. Dr. Kelly was selected as Instructor of the Year at the Air Force Academy, and was recently inducted in the Speaker Hall of Fame. Tune in to hear Dr. Kelly's insightful approach to leadership as well as discussions on how to approach longterm success in a company and the ways leadership is changing during the pandemic. Learn more about Dr. Kelly at https://productiveleaders.com

Mike Bufano is a long-time friend of Loree. They met in business school where they were head writers for the Wharton Follies, a musical comedy about business school life. Since business school, Mike has blazed a unique path filled with leadership roles and valuable team-leading experience, most recently serving as Chief Financial Officer of Panera Bread Company. Before joining Panera, Bufano served nine years at PepsiCo in numerous leadership roles. In this episode, the tables are turned as Mike serves up questions for Loree pop-quiz style so listeners can learn a bit more about Loree and enjoy some laughs, too!

Jessica Jensen worked at Facebook in the global business marketing organization and is now the Chief Marketing Officer at OpenTable. Prior to leading teams at Facebook, Jess was also a marketing guru at Apple and Yahoo, as well as a management consultant at BCG. Her expertise in marketing, leadership, and building and managing teams is top of the line. She leads with humor and compassion, with a penchant for emphasizing the importance of giving and receiving constructive feedback in a positive way that facilitates growth. Tune in to hear Jessica's sage insight and advice she offers from her years of managing and leading successful teams.

With 20+ years in leadership roles, at FedEx and now as the Head of Consumer Lending at USAA, Renee Horne knows exactly what it takes to learn, grow, and thrive as a leader in an ever-changing environment. Renee's leadership style values authenticity with employees while also remaining mindful of not just what you say but how you say it. Tune in to hear Renee's insight on how to succeed as a leader during these virtual-focused pandemic times so you, too, can harness the skills needed to be the successful dynamic leader that can take your team to the next level.

Alison Cormack joins the show to share and discuss her leadership roles, how she got to where she is today, and what she has learned along the way. Alison has held leadership roles at Hewlett-Packard and Google, served as President of the Palo Alto Library Foundation, and now serves on the Palo Alto City Council. Tune in to hear Alison's leadership values and learn what she discovered while at Google that forever changed her outlook on leadership roles and collaboration.

Over a lifetime of business-building and leadership positions, Bill Higgs has become a master of culture development for all types of businesses. It doesn't matter the industry or the size, when it comes to curating company culture, Bill's practices and values have proven consistently successful for decades. As a distinguished graduate from West Point and an Army Ranger, Bill took the lessons he learned on leadership and culture to found Mustang Engineering; for two straight years, it was the top engineering firm of the "Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies in America." Now a published author and business thought leader, Bill's passion for team-building and his applicable methods of culture development have impacted businesses and organizations worldwide. Tune in to hear Bill's expertise, insight, and winning approach to cultivating culture in a way that draws qualified workers clamoring to apply.

This week on 'Supersonic Leaders & Teams,' Loree welcomes Anne Dwane to share her unique background and strategies for leadership. Anne is a successful business leader with a varied background of experience, including tech company founder, CEO, and investor, to name a few. She is passionate about developing leaders and teams in a way that activates and inspires every member's best potential. Tune in to hear Anne talk about how leadership today is changing, and that "we're cusping on a new era where caring, empathy, and vulnerability, is accepted." Hear how Anne describes caring as a 'competitive advantage' in today's ever-evolving business landscape.

In this episode, retired Brigadier General Thomas V. Draude, also known to Loree as 'Dad,' joins the show to share his valuable insights from decades of leadership experience in the Marine Corps. When he served as the Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Marine Division during the first Gulf war, his Marines gave him the call sign 'Sage' because they so valued his advice and guidance. His 34 years of service included three tours in Vietnam, which doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the extent of Draude's accomplishments, and the leadership legacy he created during his career. One of the keys to Draude's leadership success regards the importance of praise to your team; a single word from a leader can make or break a person's day. He also focuses on demonstrating to your team that you truly care in a way that humanizes: "You can pretend to care, but you cannot pretend to be there." Tune in to hear impactful insight from a true leadership expert, not only in the military but also highly acclaimed for his incredible leadership roles in the civilian world. "I don't care what you know, as long as I know that you care." - Brigadier General Thomas V. Draude, USMC (ret)

In this episode, Loree welcomes friend and retired 8th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Vince Patton, to the show. Vince served as the principal advisor to the Commandant of the Coast Guard. His role focused on career development, work environment, quality of life issues, and personnel matters affecting over 36,000 enlisted military service members. Loree worked with Vince at Military.com, where he had a profound effect on the development of Loree's leadership style; she learned first-hand from Vince about the importance of positivity while in a leadership role. Tune in to hear Vince and Loree discuss the core values of leadership that led Vince to achieve the highest level possible in the military for an enlisted Coast Guardsman. He also provides profound insight into how he learned the value of building the foundation of his leadership style around communication, with a deep, intentional focus on listening. Loree and Vince also dive deep into an eye-opening discussion about diversity in leadership and its crucial role in the conversations surrounding racial inequity in America.

In this episode, Loree welcomes an extraordinary leader, Councilwoman, and businesswoman, Giselle Hale. Giselle spent nine years at Facebook and rose to executive leadership roles supporting product and partnership teams. She then went on to run for office and currently serves on the City Council of Redwood City, serving as a leader who stands up for what she believes in and collaborates with community leaders to get things done. Tune in to hear Loree and Giselle discuss their leadership styles and vulnerabilities, as well as what being a female leader involves and what has recently changed for leaders in the public sector. Giselle reveals her powerful strategies and insight into what leaders need to do to make the proper adjustments to rise to the challenge of leading in this unique environment that 2020 has brought upon us. Don't miss out on this powerful, compelling interview from a leadership powerhouse!

In this episode, Loree welcomes long-time friend, fellow Navy veteran, and successful serial entrepreneur, Chris Michel. Chris started his career in naval aviation as a naval flight officer. After earning an MBA at Harvard Business School, Chris started two successful companies Military.com and Affinity Labs, both of which were acquired by Monster.com. He's served on many boards for private and public companies, as well as nonprofits. In addition to being a successful businessman, Chris is also an incredibly talented photographer, whose photographs have been used by National Geographic, the Smithsonian, The New York Times, and the BBC. Tune in to hear Chris and Loree exchange insight and wisdom on leadership, start-ups, and business culture development.

In this episode, Loree welcomes successful entrepreneur, speaker, and author, Sandra Shpilberg, to the show. After great success with her first startup and its acquisition by the leading provider of global services to the life science industry, Sandra is now building her second startup, Adnexi. Earlier this year, she published her bestselling book, 'New Startup Mindset,' which introduces a novel approach and mindset to starting and building a new company. Shpilberg demonstrates that the traditional Silicon Valley startup formula is broken; she provides readers with insights and practical tools to follow her approach to startups, engaging a new mindset for making a profound impact with a new company. Tune in to hear Sandra's sage insights and advice on her approach to leadership, entrepreneurship, and how aspiring startup founders and entrepreneurs should be adjusting their priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For those who don't know this about the Marine Corps, being selected to serve as the Commandant of an elite military force like the Marine Corps means that General Krulak is at the pinnacle of leadership; the highest leadership position in the USMC. What's even more admirable about this man is what he did after serving the country for 36 years. He continued his service in the public sector, first as the chairman and CEO of an International Bank, and then later as the president of Birmingham Southern College. His distinguished leadership doesn't stop there. General Krulak serves as co-chair of the national effort to disrupt the business of modern-day slavery and human trafficking, as well as co-chair of a group of 100 Senior Flag and General Officers opposing enhanced interrogation techniques, also known as torture. Tune in to hear General Krulak's extraordinary answers to questions about his approach to leadership, which involves respect and the humanism of genuine caring to inspire and develop teams of every type, no matter the skill level or background.

In this episode, Loree welcomes Supersonic Leader Jen Grant. Jen is the CEO of Turbo Systems, a Silicon Valley startup that enables businesses to easily build custom applications that can be rapidly and seamlessly deployed to any user. From a marketer at Google to growing and leading teams for two very successful Valley companies, Box and Looker, Jen brings her profound expertise and insight to leadership and teambuilding. Tune in to hear Jen's leadership journey and what it means to develop teams in such a way that allows the team members to have ownership of what they do while feeling safe to be themselves in the team environment. Also, hear how Jen 'celebrates the crooked path' in potential candidates as a way to diversify her teams. 'Leadership is so much about putting yourself in the shoes of other people.' -Jen Grant

Why Loree Draude? She certainly is not your average Navy pilot. After serving 10 years in the Navy flying jets on and off aircraft carriers worldwide, Loree went on to develop and lead teams at Google, Facebook, and several startups. Loree's leadership approach draws from supporting teams of sailors in her squadrons, coupled with her multi-faceted experience working with some of the brightest minds and inspiring leaders in Silicon Valley. So why a podcast about leadership and teams in 2020? From COVID-19 to racial injustice struggles, it's clear that strong leadership is needed now more than ever. Loree Draude, along with the expertise of her brilliant guests, creates space for conversations around leadership, delving into what it really means to be a 'dealer of hope' - and to exude leadership in such a way that inspires people to feel hopeful not only about the work they're doing but also about their future.