Executives Unplugged
Step outside your daily bubble and learn from CEOs, product leaders, and bold decision-makers across industries - from tech leaders to sports coaches, Broadway show producers and restaurant owners. Executives Unplugged goes beyond typical 1:1 interviews, featuring deep-dive case studies, coaching sessions, and dynamic discussions on high-stakes leadership challenges.
🎙 Subscribe now and get tactical insights, battle-tested playbooks, and leadership perspectives you won’t find elsewhere.
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Episodes
From Ballet to Scalpel to CEO: Reinvention, Resilience & Hiring Unconventionally
Ready to ditch the resume buzzwords and hire for true potential? Struggling with your own career pivot or leading teams through change? Join Keith Cowing on Executives Unplugged with Dr. Susan Lovelle, a former professional ballet dancer turned plastic surgeon, now founder & CEO of Balanced Performance, and her long-time colleague Tonya Sook, a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner.
Discover Dr. Lovelle's unconventional approach to hiring – prioritizing inner skills over years of experience – and how it built a thriving practice. Hear her incredible story of multiple reinventions, driven by passion and necessity, and learn how to navigate your own transformations. Tonya shares the ground-level view of building a culture of trust and excellence. Learn practical strategies for assessing talent beyond the resume, fostering team alignment, managing your energy to avoid burnout, and applying the "Listen, Let Go, Live" method for peak performance.
Guests:
Dr. Susan Lovelle: Former professional ballet dancer (17 years), plastic surgeon, and now Founder/CEO of Balanced Performance, helping executives optimize their health and leadership. Learn more at https://balancedperformance.pro
Tonya Sook APRN-C, FNP: Certified Family Nurse Practitioner specializing in medical aesthetics, hormone therapy, dermatology, and functional medicine, dedicated to holistic patient well-being.
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From Big Company to AI Startup, a product, and revenue in 12 Months: How Fast Execution Beats Perfect Planning with Uday Chakravarthi
In this episode of Executives Unplugged, Keith Cowing sits down with Uday Chakravarthi, former head of product at Atlassian and current CEO of Clinch AGI, an agentic AI company revolutionizing how companies sell and grow. Uday shares his journey from idea to his first $100K in revenue in just 12 months, revealing the strategies that fueled his success: ruthless prioritization, weekly sprints, and a customer-first mindset. From managing a costly API glitch in the middle of the night to leveraging advisors for go-to-market mastery, Uday’s story is packed with actionable insights for CEOs, founders, or anyone looking to accelerate team performance and growth.
Key topics include:
The zero-to-one journey: How Uday refined his idea, assembled a core team, and got first customers quickly.
Time-zone challenges: Strategies for async communication, “bat phone” emergencies, and using Loom/WhatsApp for round-the-clock collaboration.
Surrounding yourself with expertise: Building advisory boards, the difference between “cheerleader” advisors and hands-on experts, and how to get real-time coaching on your sales calls.
Fast execution: Why shipping weekly sprints and labeling “deal-breaker” features help close deals and energize the team.
Real-world examples: How a coding error led to thousands of dollars in AI API charges—and why having rapid response processes in place was critical.
From the Mat to the Boardroom: Iron Mike Steadman on Grit, Branding & the Power of Action
What does it take to get back up when life knocks you down? In this episode of Executives Unplugged, Iron Mike Steadman - collegiate boxing champion, veteran, entrepreneur, and business coach - shares his journey from the boxing ring to the boardroom, revealing hard-earned lessons on resilience, branding, and the power of action.
Mike takes us inside one of his toughest leadership moments: running a nonprofit boxing gym in Newark, NJ, when COVID shut everything down overnight. With his back against the ropes, he found a way to pivot, reinvent, and build something even stronger. Now, as a sought-after business coach for veteran entrepreneurs, he helps others define their brand, find their market, and take decisive action in the face of uncertainty.
🔹 Key Takeaways:
•How to turn adversity into momentum—even when you feel stuck
•Why action builds confidence
•The power of niching down and owning your brand identity
•How to battle imposter syndrome and step into leadership with clarity
•What it really takes to sell yourself and your business with conviction
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or someone looking for the mindset to push through tough times, this episode delivers practical lessons and real-world insights that will get you off the mat and back in the fight.
🎧 Listen now and take your leadership to the next level!
Mike Steadman: ironmikesteadman.com
Black Veteran Entrepreneur: Validate your business model, build your brand, and step into greatness
References:
Incentives, Truth and Selling the Right Way with Wayne Morris
In this episode of Executives Unplugged, Keith sits down with Wayne Morris, founder of RVNU and seasoned Chief Revenue Officer for multiple Silicon Valley startups. Wayne shares his transformative insights on go-to-market strategies, building sustainable sales teams, and the critical role of truth in creating long-term success.
💡 Key Topics Covered:
• How to diagnose product-market fit and go-to-market fit.
• The truth-driven approach to selling and why it builds trust and success.
• Structuring sales team incentives for long-term growth and customer success.
• Leadership lessons from Silicon Valley and beyond.
• Wayne’s wild journey from London to Silicon Valley.
Whether you’re a founder, sales leader, or just curious about what it takes to thrive in high-growth startups, this episode is packed with practical advice and compelling stories.
📍 Take Wayne’s Free Go-to-Market Assessment: RVNU.co
If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who might find it valuable. Don’t forget to leave a review to help others discover Executives Unplugged!
How to Lead From Growth Stage to IPO with Nayya President and COO Sarah Liebel
Join us for a candid conversation with Sarah Liebel, President and COO of Nayya, who shares her invaluable insights on maintaining a founder's mindset while empowering teams.
Learn about the art of empathetic yet decisive leadership and how to build trust with founders, making swift decisions with limited data in high-stakes environments.
Tune in for a treasure trove of practical advice and strategies that provide a roadmap for navigating the complexities of high-growth environments.
From Self-Taught Developer to CTO and Inspiring Leader with Danielle Leong
Join us as Danielle Leong shares her inspiring journey from marketing to becoming Twilio's first female engineer and on to senior leadership roles at companies such as Github and FireHydrant. Danielle opens up about her experiences managing former peers, building self awareness and confidence, communicating transparently and holding people accountable.
Danielle also shares some of her management templates and playbooks that she has open-sourced to the world in the form of a GitHub repository.
Tune in to gain a wealth of insights on effective leadership, communication strategies, and continuous learning from one of the industry's most dynamic leaders.
From Open-Heart Surgery and Mom's Ginger Teas to Beverage Entrepreneur with Siwat Siengsanaoh
From open heart surgery and Mom's ginger teas, to selling ginger-based beverages in grocery stores across the country, Siwat's story is one of passion and resilience. The episode delves into pivotal moments that shaped Siwat’s leadership style, from teamwork in a hospital, to launching a series of businesses, to inspiration from great coaches such as Carlo Ancelotti and Phil Jackson. This episode is packed with insights on resilience, developing a brand, and leading with purpose.