The She-Suite Podcast

We will always face challenges across life, big or small. If you're looking for some motivation, or another perspective to approach a tough spot in your life... this episode is for you. Anne Mahlum is an entrepreneur, innovator, and inspiring public speaker. Most recently, she founded [solidcore] - a boutique fitness company with over 70 locations. Listen in as Anne shares her story, what motivates her, and how she overcame several challenges that tested her belief system. You don't want to miss this final episode of Season 3. 

Now more than ever, being socially present is a challenge for all of us. Which is why Jeanine W. Turner, Ph. D. joins us as a guest today, to discuss her knowledge and research on communications, presence, and why it's more than simply just putting your phone away.

Episode 8 is live, and Dr. Priya Agrawal, Global Lead for HPV Vaccines at Merck, joins Melissa to talk through why she strives to be an authentic leader, the power and energy that she finds in vulnerability… and why we all need to stop worrying so much about what others think.

Sidoney Samuels-Buckridge, Head of U.S. R&D Employee Engagement at AstraZeneca and newly minted author joins Melissa to share her story.  Deeply passionate about people, Sidoney loves to mentor young professional women, especially women of color. Listen in as Sidoney and Melissa get deep on topics around truly discovering your identity, moving through life with purpose, and using your own story to impact others. Sidoney published her first novel, Pain to Purpose: My Journey to Redemption, in January 2021.

Episode 6 is live, and we are so thrilled to have Tunde Oyeneyin - Motivational speaker, Peloton instructor, Founder of S.P.E.A.K. and newly minted author, join us as a guest on The She-Suite Podcast! Tunde sits down with Melissa to share her life story, ways that she found strength, and how she moved from times of hardship... to triumph. Tunde's brand new book, Speak, is out now. You don't want to miss this epidsode; Tunde's authenticity and energy are sure to inspire!

Janina Lundy, Head of Emerging Audience Development at Amazon Studios & Prime Video, joins Melissa in Episode 5 of Season 3, to share her story. Originally from the same alma mater at Northwestern University, Janina's passions and career direction shifted as she grew, always drifting back into the entertainment marketing industry.  Now with Amazon Studios for slightly over a year, she shares how she navigated her strengths and weaknesses as a leader, all the while sustaining and building into her community that supports her through it all.  

Antonia Hock, the Global Head of The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center, joins Melissa to share all about career,  life journey, and challenges that she has faced.  She also digs into her own personal leadership style, and how she sees herself as an innovator in the midst of our ever-changing world.  

Supporting women and lifting each other up is what embodies The She-Suite Sisterhood, and is exactly why Melissa invited Jana Rich to join the podcast for Episode 3. CEO of Rich Talent Group, Jana founded her company almost 8 years ago. Rich Talent Group's mission is to recruit and find diverse talent within the digital industry, specifically supporting women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community, to get on both leadership teams, as well as boards. Tune in to hear Jana's story, struggles and lessons along the way, and her advice and thoughts on how to go about joining a board. 

Guest Oguchi Onyewu joins Melissa in Episode 2, to share his story, struggles, and mindset as a leader. A Nigerian-American soccer player born and raised in the Washington DC area, 'Guch' attended Clemson University in 2000, before deciding to pursue a professional football career in France in 2002.He currently resides in Belgium and oversees all club activities at R.E. Virton, a professional soccer club that currently operated in the 2nd division. His career journey has led him to leverage various opportunities and create his own path as an athlete, carving out his own space and brand. 

We're back! Season 3 of The She-Suite Podcast has officially kicked off, and episode 1 is rich with advice and inspiration. Dana Rixter, Director of DEI Culture and Retention at BAE Systems, Inc., joins Melissa to talk about her own career journey, but more important, how she has gone about creating her own prescription for well-being - and how you can do the same. 

Lisa Gable's career journey began when she was 19 years old, as a political appointee during the Reagan Administration. Fast forward to current-day, and she's now an author and successful CEO of FARE, Food Allergy Research & Education. Tune in to this final episode of Season 2 to learn more about Lisa's brand new book, Turnaround: How to Change Course When Things Are Going South, and hear more on her thoughts and insights on navigating her own career and life journey. 

Johnny C. Taylor. Jr., The President and CEO of SHRM, joins Melissa to talk all about his new book, The Wall Street Journal Best Seller, RESET: A Leader's Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.  The two discuss how professionals and their teams can shift and reset their mindset to embrace the changes that 2020 and the pandemic has brought, and how we can focus on continued, forward progress through the practice of resetting. SHRM is the Society for Human Resource Management, and the largest HR professional association in the world, impacting the lives of over 115 million workers. 

You shouldn't have to work endless hours behind your desk in order to be recognized, and advance yourself as a leader. Which is exactly why Jamie Lee joins me in this final episode of Season 2 of The She-Suite Podcast, to share her wisdom and guidance on the topic. For over five years, she's worked as an executive coach for smart women who hate office politics.Ready to learn more? Let's jump into Episode 10. 

I'm so excited to share this newest episode with you. My guest for Episode 9, Yuri Brown-Cruzat, is not only an inspirational leader, but a dear, long-time friend of mine. Listen in as Yuri and I talk through how to go about designing an authentic life, connecting the dots between both the personal, and the professional - and juggling a family in the process. It's a topic that is near and dear to both of us, and I have no doubt that you'll enjoy our tidbits and advice.  Finding clarity across all aspects of life can be challenging, and my hope is that this episode leaves you with some takeaways and food for thought. 

What's your side hustle? What's that one hobby, or passion that you wish you could give more time to, and grow? Tune in as guest Kate Dreyer talks through exactly how she went about building her own creative side hustle after her second child was born. Since starting her side gig, Kate Decorates, her decorating work has been featured in the press more than 30 times, with appearances in The Cottage Journal, on HGTV.com and on Washington, DC area news programs.

This week, Melissa sits down to break down the topic of performing under pressure, and how hard times can actually build you into a more resilient leader.  Listen in as she shares three tips for performing through pain, and ways that you can become a more future-ready leader. 

My guest this week, Iliette Frontera, is the Vice President of Operations for the Boston Scientific (BSC) Dorado (Puerto Rico) manufacturing site, which oversees over 1,100 employees in the manufacturing of Rhythm Management and Neuromodulation devices.Listen in as Iliette shares her career journey and lessons learned, from realizing the importance of listening to those close to her, to stepping into new roles to help her become a stronger, more rounded leader. All the while, how she balances her role as a mother of two young daughters, and a wife.

Self reflection is a powerful tool that any of us can implement. And when done effectively, it can help you create that change that you wish to see across your own life. This topic (and more) is exactly what Christen Smith joins me to chat about in this episode. Christen is the Vice President of Federal Health and Civilian Market for LMI, a mission-oriented consultancy that provides management and advisory services, logistics strategy and support, and digital and analytic solutions to federal government agencies. Listen in to hear her story, and her own personal transformation through self reflection. 

Dealing with adversity is often what drives us to greatness. Nothing could be more true for Laurinda Rainey, United Airlines CoBrand General Manager at JPMorgan Chase.  Tune in to hear how her strength in the face of serious health challenges provided her with the opportunity to live a more authentic, transparent life; on her own terms one hundred percent of the time. 

It's no surprise that leadership success follows when passion drives your purpose. In this episode, I'm joined by Sheri Shapio, SVP and Chief Strategy Officer at Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Listen in to hear about her passion for healthcare, her leadership “leap of faith” moments and how moving through change has shaped her leadership style. Sheri has managed her journey to the c-suite through commitment to continuous learning and staying true to her core values and beliefs. 

This episode has heart! I sit down with Elizabeth Adefioye, SVP and CHRO for Ingredion, a Fortune 500 company located in the suburbs of Chicago. Elizabeth is a forward thinking leader whose success is characterized by her ability to turn challenge into strengths and adversity into opportunities. Join us to hear about her amazing journey, how she embraced changed as a platform for her own growth. Her career has been a global adventure and her passion for helping others find their purpose is inspiring!

Welcome back to Season 2 of The She-Suite Podcast, I'm so excited to be back at it! For this first episode, my friend Laurin Mills joins me to talk about one of everyone's favorite things... food! Laurin is the CEO and Founder of The Dinner Daily, and most recently of Grocery Cart IQ. Listen in to hear all about her journey, how she wound up where she is now, and what has worked for her to successfully go about launching and marketing her self-funded, personalized meal planning service. Her story will leave you feeling inspired. 

For our final episode of Season 1 of the She-Suite Community podcast,  Anitra Marsh joins our host to talk about work life blend and balance, her career journey, and the many passionate and delicate pieces that surround it.Anitra is the Vice President of Global Sustainability, Citizenship and Brand Communications with Procter & Gamble Beauty. She and Melissa have been friends for over 20 years now, and have some heartwarming stories to share as they talk through topics such as finding common ground, building authentic relationships, and truly prioritizing your time and life. 

True leadership is a skill that is rare to come by, but can be both learned and refined with time.  This week, President & CEO of Logitech Bracken Darrell joins me to talk about his journey, how he has gone about leading many amazing businesses across his career,  and why learning by doing is key. When Bracken first stepped into his role with Logitech, he had to approach it with a very strategic, design-drive mindset on how to turn the direction of the company around, and what the long-term visions and goals would look like. Tune in as he walks through how he did just that, and took Logitech through a very strategic shift towards success, with a company that is now worth 15 times more than when he first started.

This week, Lucy Puttergill joins Melissa from London, England to share her story, and why she chose to step away from her successful job in finance last year. After stumbling upon an inspiring article that Lucy wrote and shared, Melissa invited Lucy to join the podcast, share her thoughts, and put words to what so many women struggle with. Her story is both fascinating and insightful, and has something for every women to walk away with. 

This week, guest Emily Chang joins me from across the World in Shanghai, China. Emily is the CEO of McCann Worldgroup, China, and has quite the story to share in regards to how she got where she is, and how that time has shaped her own leadership and life identity. Prior to accepting her CEO role, she took a year off to write a book called The Spare Room, the topic of her first TEDx Talk. The newly published book The Spare Room provides inspiring yet practical guidance on how to live a richly purposeful life by defining your Social Legacy, which you can learn more about here.  This energetic episode is full of ideas surrounding both purpose and intention; tune in to learn more about how you can start defining your own social legacy.  

My sorority sister, friend, and CEO of Sundial Brands - Cara Sabin joins me to tell her story and journey, how she moved into leading Sundial Brands, and has truly defined down her sense of purpose as a woman in business. With over 20 years of general management, business strategy, consumer marketing, digital and innovation experience, Cara is currently the CEO of Sundial Brands (owner of brands Shea Moisture, Nubian Heritage, Nyakio and Madame CJ Walker Beauty Culture). Prior to her current role, she held management positions in prestige beauty, leading Global Marketing for Clinique $1B Makeup and Fragrance portfolio as well as Marketing for NARS Cosmetics' Americas business.

The journey of getting in shape, and staying in shape, can feel intimidating and hard - especially this time of year! Today's guest specializes in this topic, fully understands it, and has build her own personal niche brand within the fitness industry. Kim Dolan Leto is a Best Selling Author, Brand Founder & Developer, Host of the Strong.Confident.His.Podcast, and so much more. She joins me to share her story and tips around developing your OWN brand on your terms, no matter what that might look like. Kim has followed her faith to create space in the world, leaving her own mark.  Listen in to learn more, and be encouraged to take your own leap of faith! 

My guest this week is Diane Dietz, previous colleague and now the CEO and President of Rodan + Fields. When it comes to leadership, and growing your personal brand... Diane is a wealth of deep, dynamic knowledge that you won't want to overlook.  Since stepping into the CEO position with Rodan + Fields, the company has seen unprecedented growth, exceeding $1 billion in sales. Listen as we talk through Diane's leadership and personal brand journey, how she grew to develop her own authentic voice in the corporate environment, and learned to be comfortable, being uncomfortable. 

There aren't many things more personal than a woman's bank account, and her love life. This week, we cover both, with guest William Alfred Simkins III, a wealth advisor and more importantly... my husband! Will has over 20 years of experience in financial services spanning retirement, business planning, life insurance, and more, helping many clients with their long-term financial strategy. He joins me to discuss the challenges and the joys of life partnership, and the struggles that we have endured as a couple. Not only that, but we dig deep into what it means to have a vision for your value, and how to make investments now that will pay it forward with future stability. 

Does this year have you struggling with organization, or feeling overwhelmed with clutter across your workspace, home - or even your mind? Then listen on, this episode is for you! My friend and Organizing Expert, Rachel Rosenthal, is rooted in the belief that organization can be achieved by all, and she has the tips and systems to back it up. She's the founder of Rachel & Company, a wife, mother of identical twins, and is here today to help you uncover the power of organization, across your life. 

Almost everything in life is a negotiation; so how are your negotiating skills? Today's guest, Ron Shapiro, is an Expert Negotiator, Attorney, Sports Agent, Educator, New York Times Bestselling Author, and Civic Leader. He joins me in Episode 3 to share his simple playbook on how to negotiate for exactly what you want. Listen as we break down some tips on how you can get your worth, and never sell yourself short. Ron's four award winning books have received an array of accolades, including recognition on the New York Times, Business Week and the Wall Street Journal's best seller lists. He is frequently referred to by parties representing each side in a negotiation as the ultimate “Win-Win” negotiator. 

In episode 2 of the She-Suite Community podcast, Julie Spencer Washington of Trinity Health joins Melissa to talk about discovering her voice as a woman of color, creating her own story to define a path of success, and how her and her husband bet on her career as she took a risk to pursue her next level.

In this first episode of the She-Suite Community podcast, the host, Melissa Dawn Simkins, introduces herself, and shares her history as an entrepreneur, wife, mom, and woman of faith. She also walks through her vision for the podcast, and why establishing your personal brand journey can be one of the most important things that you do for yourself, today.