Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable and Leading with Strategic Speed

Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable and Leading with Strategic Speed

In this episode, Leslie Vickrey and Lesly Cardec sit down with Ursula Williams, President of Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), to explore what it means to step into big corporate moments with strategic speed and undeniable authenticity. Ursula shares: * How her upbringing by immigrant entrepreneurs gave her the foundation to be bold, * Why getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is a prerequisite for leadership breakthroughs * The critical moment an unexpected ally changed her career trajectory.  Together, they also tackle the staffing industry’s historical blind spot—underinvesting in marketing—and explain why treating marketing as the technology-driven growth engine it is can yield a massive 10% growth advantage. Connect with Ursula Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ursula-williams-b79a54/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ursula-williams-b79a54/] Connect with Leslie Vickrey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvickrey/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvickrey/] Connect with Lesly Cardec: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslycardec/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslycardec/]  Listen to Ursula’s episode of TheEdge: https://meetclearedge.com/podcast/ursula-williams-evp-of-staffing-industry-analysts-says-if-you-can-see-it-you-can-be-it/ [https://meetclearedge.com/podcast/ursula-williams-evp-of-staffing-industry-analysts-says-if-you-can-see-it-you-can-be-it/]  Explore the full episode details and key takeaways: https://meetclearedge.com/podcast/comfortable-being-uncomfortable/ [https://meetclearedge.com/podcast/comfortable-being-uncomfortable/] Episode Chapters 00:10 - Believing in Your Own Story First 5:44 - Ditching the Traditional Career Script 8:13 - Meet Ursula Williams 10:42 - Rapid Fire: Turbo Speed, AI Notes, and Strict Coffee Rules 15:09 - Built to Be Bold 17:55 - The Unexpected Ally 22:18 - What Keeps the President of SIA Up at Night? 26:54 - The Architecture of a High-Achieving Life 33:29 - The Staffing Industry’s Blind Spot: Marketing as a Growth Engine 37:40 - Take Three: Small Acts of Allyship, Huge Career Trajectories About Honestly, We’re Learning Join ClearEdge’s CEO and founder, Leslie Vickrey, and CMO and SVP of Recruiting, Lesly Cardec, for a raw look at the career turning points that make or break a person. Together, they speak with guests who have handled it all—from successes to roadblocks to pivots—for a candid, witty, never-judgmental exploration of their journey. Focus not just on their wins, but the messy middle—failures, pivots, and lessons learned. As leaders of a marketing agency that also helps place marketers in roles where they thrive, Leslie and Lesly bring a unique perspective to every conversation—one grounded in both building great brands and great careers. Between guest episodes, they dive into what’s happening in marketing and talent today: the trends reshaping how brands connect, the shifts redefining hiring, and what makes truly impactful marketing happen. The banter is warm. The coffee is hot. And there’s no need to pretend you have it all figured out because, honestly, we’re all still learning. Learn more about ClearEdge: https://meetclearedge.com/ [https://meetclearedge.com/]

Balancing Head and Heart to Unlock Potential

In this episode, Leslie Vickrey and Lesly Cardec sit down with Jennie Dede, Head of Sales, Search and Staffing, North America at LinkedIn, to explore the intentional career pivots and human-centric leadership lessons that have defined her journey. They discuss the profound professional validation of leading with an impact so meaningful that your former team actively recruits you to be their boss, and the delicate balance of head and heart required to manage organizational change. Jennie also shares how her time coaching youth athletes shaped her competitive drive, proving that instilling unwavering confidence is the ultimate foundation for unlocking potential and taking big career risks. Connect with Jennie Dede: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniedede/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniedede/]  Connect with Leslie Vickrey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvickrey/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvickrey/] Connect with Lesly Cardec: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslycardec/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslycardec/]  Episode Chapters 1:23: The AI Exhaustion Loop 14:00: Jennie’s Level 12,00 Morning Routine 16:33: Taking Risks and Embracing Change 21:01: Learning to Balance the Head and the Heart 22:16: Unlocking Potential to Find Someone’s Superpower 24:45: Being Excited By and Tackling New Technology 28:06: The Power of Great Parents 34:40: Top 3 Takeaways  About Honestly, We’re Learning Join ClearEdge’s CEO and founder, Leslie Vickrey, and CMO and SVP of Recruiting, Lesly Cardec, for a raw look at the career turning points that make or break a person. Together, they speak with guests who have handled it all—from successes to roadblocks to pivots—for a candid, witty, never-judgmental exploration of their journey. Focus not just on their wins, but the messy middle—failures, pivots, and lessons learned. As leaders of a marketing agency that also helps place marketers in roles where they thrive, Leslie and Lesly bring a unique perspective to every conversation—one grounded in both building great brands and great careers. Between guest episodes, they dive into what’s happening in marketing and talent today: the trends reshaping how brands connect, the shifts redefining hiring, and what makes truly impactful marketing happen. The banter is warm. The coffee is hot. And there’s no need to pretend you have it all figured out because, honestly, we’re all still learning. Learn more about ClearEdge: https://meetclearedge.com/ [https://meetclearedge.com/]

Unlearning the Rules of Leadership and Building a Better Culture

In this episode, Leslie Vickrey and Lesly Cardec flip the mics on themselves to explore the personal turning points and candid leadership lessons that have defined their partnership and the evolution of ClearEdge. They discuss the necessity of unlearning the rigid divide between personal and professional life to lead with authenticity, the difficult transition from "ruinous empathy" to radical candor during seasons of high growth and turnover, and the unwavering discipline of focus and execution required to navigate the "messy middle" of building a values-driven business. Connect with Leslie Vickrey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvickrey/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvickrey/] Connect with Lesly Cardec: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslycardec/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslycardec/]  Explore the full episode details and key takeaways: www.meetclearedge.com/podcast/unlearning-leadership-rules/ [http://www.meetclearedge.com/podcast/unlearning-leadership-rules/] Episode Chapters 3:38 - Learning genuine connection from each other 6:52 - Unlearning old leadership and workplace habits 13:25 - The hardest chapter in ClearEdge’s growth  19:03 - What “Honestly, We’re Learning” really means 20:13 - Three words shaping the rest of the year About Honestly, We’re Learning Join ClearEdge’s CEO and founder, Leslie Vickrey, and CMO and SVP of Recruiting, Lesly Cardec, for a raw look at the career turning points that make or break a person. Together, they speak with guests who have handled it all—from successes to roadblocks to pivots—for a candid, witty, never-judgmental exploration of their journey. Focus not just on their wins, but the messy middle—failures, pivots, and lessons learned. As leaders of a marketing agency that also helps place marketers in roles where they thrive, Leslie and Lesly bring a unique perspective to every conversation—one grounded in both building great brands and great careers. Between guest episodes, they dive into what’s happening in marketing and talent today: the trends reshaping how brands connect, the shifts redefining hiring, and what makes truly impactful marketing happen. The banter is warm. The coffee is hot. And there’s no need to pretend you have it all figured out because, honestly, we’re all still learning. Learn more about ClearEdge: https://meetclearedge.com/ [https://meetclearedge.com/]

Why Great Leaders Don’t Need To Have All the Answers

We often put leaders on a pedestal, assuming they arrived at the C-suite with a finished blueprint for every crisis. But behind every successful success story is a leader who is still learning. In this special episode of Honestly, We’re Learning, we’re looking back at a leadership lesson that has come up again and again: trusting yourself and trusting your team enough to delegate and learn from each other, and the impact it can have on a career. We’ve pulled together the most candid moments from five powerhouse leaders who prove that leadership isn't about having all the answers—it’s about being a facilitator of the right outcomes. Explore the full episode details and key takeaways: https://meetclearedge.com/podcast/leaders-dont-have-all-the-answers/ [https://meetclearedge.com/podcast/leaders-dont-have-all-the-answers/] Featured in this episode: * Joanie Bily [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joaniebily/] * Ben Eubanks [https://www.linkedin.com/in/beneubanks/] * Jon Grosso [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-grosso-28a412/] * Mike Smith [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljohnsmith/] * Leslie Snavely [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lsnavely/] Episode Chapters 1:23 - 3:17: Joanie Bily on not having all of the answers 3:18 - 8:23: Ben Eubanks on trusting and delegating 8:24 - 11:07: Jon Grosso on a defining moment of trust  11:08 - 13:47: Mike Smith on vulnerability-based trust 13:48 - 21:05: Leslie Snavely on listening as a leadership tool About Honestly, We’re Learning Join ClearEdge’s CEO and founder, Leslie Vickrey, and CMO and SVP of Recruiting, Lesly Cardec, for a raw look at the career turning points that make or break a person. Together, they speak with guests who have handled it all—from successes to roadblocks to pivots—for a candid, witty, never-judgmental exploration of their journey. Focus not just on their wins, but the messy middle—failures, pivots, and lessons learned. As leaders of a marketing agency that also helps place marketers in roles where they thrive, Leslie and Lesly bring a unique perspective to every conversation—one grounded in both building great brands and great careers. Between guest episodes, they dive into what’s happening in marketing and talent today: the trends reshaping how brands connect, the shifts redefining hiring, and what makes truly impactful marketing happen. The banter is warm. The coffee is hot. And there’s no need to pretend you have it all figured out because, honestly, we’re all still learning. Learn more about ClearEdge: https://meetclearedge.com/ [https://meetclearedge.com/] Connect with Leslie Vickrey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvickrey/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvickrey/] Connect with Lesly Cardec: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslycardec/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslycardec/]

Build Trust Through Listening and Intentional Leadership

In this episode, Leslie Vickrey and Lesly Cardec sit down with Leslie Snavely, CEO and President of CHG Healthcare, to explore the unconventional journey from finance and marketing to the corner office. They discuss the "20% rule" for active listening and transparent communication that sustains a values-driven culture at scale, the critical importance of connecting every departmental function back to business results, and the courageous decision to pivot your career to build a life you love. Connect with Leslie Snavely: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lsnavely/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lsnavely/]  Explore the full episode details and key takeaways: https://meetclearedge.com/podcast/building-trust-through-listening/ [https://meetclearedge.com/podcast/building-trust-through-listening/] Episode Chapters 02:10: The 10-10-10 decision model 4:00: Being present and disconnecting for family time 10:53: From Marketing to CEO by learning the business 17:20: Building a culture through listening and engagement 24:40: Building the life and career you want 29:09: Leading a tough decision with empathy and courage 33:27: Key takeaways from the conversation About Honestly, We’re Learning Join ClearEdge’s CEO and founder, Leslie Vickrey, and CMO and SVP of Recruiting, Lesly Cardec, for a raw look at the career turning points that make or break a person. Together, they speak with guests who have handled it all—from successes to roadblocks to pivots—for a candid, witty, never-judgmental exploration of their journey. Focus not just on their wins, but the messy middle—failures, pivots, and lessons learned. As leaders of a marketing agency that also helps place marketers in roles where they thrive, Leslie and Lesly bring a unique perspective to every conversation—one grounded in both building great brands and great careers. Between guest episodes, they dive into what’s happening in marketing and talent today: the trends reshaping how brands connect, the shifts redefining hiring, and what makes truly impactful marketing happen. The banter is warm. The coffee is hot. And there’s no need to pretend you have it all figured out because, honestly, we’re all still learning. Learn more about ClearEdge: https://meetclearedge.com/ [https://meetclearedge.com/]  Connect with Leslie Vickrey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvickrey/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvickrey/] Connect with Lesly Cardec: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslycardec/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslycardec/]