“It Took a While to Get to 5K.” Content Creator on How to Build a Personal Brand While Working a 9–5

“You’ve Run Out of Dreams.” On Leaving Corporate, Purpose & Building Multiple Income Streams

Getting what you thought you wanted doesn’t always mean finding the fulfillment you expected. In this episode, Sweta Govani shares her journey from corporate high-achiever to entrepreneur after being unexpectedly terminated from what she believed was her dream job. We talk about the heartbreak of unmet expectations, why so many ambitious people feel guilty for wanting more, the impact of cultural expectations on career choices, and what happens when the path you worked toward no longer feels aligned. Sweta also introduces the concept of building a “Wealth Garden” and how giving yourself permission to explore new possibilities can lead to more intentional work, entrepreneurship, and fulfillment. Sweta Govani is a corporate-dropout-turned-entrepreneur and the founder of the Happy Paying Customers™ System, where she has helped 110+ first-time founders turn their ideas into businesses with paying customers. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she spent 15 years building technology and social impact startups from pre-revenue stages through IPO, generating $85 million in revenue throughout her career. Today, she is building her own “Wealth Garden” — a mix of active and passive income streams, including real estate, designed to create more flexibility and opportunity beyond the traditional career path. For more from Sweta and to learn about her Wealth Garden movement, visit: https://www.yourwealthgarden.com/ [https://www.yourwealthgarden.com/] Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: J2KRHRJYZJCODIHB

“The Person Who Shunned Me Ended Up Letting Me Go" On How to Function with Bipolar at Work

Functioning at work often requires people to separate who they are from how they’re expected to show up. In this episode, I sit down with retail executive Shannon Flanagan to explore what that separation looks like in practice when you’re navigating Bipolar Type II. We talk about the day-to-day reality — the pressure to perform consistently, the experience of self-editing in the workplace, and the tradeoffs that come with deciding how much of yourself to disclose at work. Shannon also shares how these dynamics have shaped her leadership journey, including moments where being open about her diagnosis led at work came with both connection and consequence. Shannon is the founder of Retail Women in Tech (RWIT), a global nonprofit focused on increasing access, representation, and leadership pathways for women across retail and technology. Prior to RWIT, she spent her career in leadership roles at Gap Inc., Macy’s, Accenture, and Slalom, where she has led large-scale transformation and organizational change. She is also a mental health advocate and serves on the Global Mental Health Taskforce, working to reduce stigma and expand access to care across industries. Read Shannon’s new book here: https://a.co/d/024f1jG1 [https://a.co/d/024f1jG1]

“It Took a While to Get to 5K.” Content Creator on How to Build a Personal Brand While Working a 9–5

Building a personal brand online rarely happens the way people think it does. In this episode, Tamara Jacko shares what it actually looks like to create content while maintaining a full-time marketing career. We talk about the slow reality of building an audience from scratch — learning your voice, the grind of reaching your first 5K followers, turning a hobby into a business, and staying consistent long enough for things to start clicking. Tamara also challenges common myths around content creation and monetization, including why virality isn’t always the goal and why community matters more than follower count. Tamara Lashae is a content creator and marketing professional based in San Diego. Known online as the "overdressed bestie," she has spent the last five years building a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brand that has grown to more than 21,000 followers across social media. Alongside her work as a creator, she has built her career in marketing across real estate organizations including CBRE and Wannebo Real Estate Group, giving her a unique perspective on both corporate and creator-driven approaches to building audiences and brands. For more from Tamara, follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamara_lashae/ [https://www.instagram.com/tamara_lashae/]

“My Brain Tends to Be Easily Distracted” Growth Expert on ADHD, Autism & Why He Struggled at Work

What if the way you’ve been describing yourself at work isn’t fixed at all, but just one interpretation of what’s going on underneath? In this episode, Rob Gotlieb shares what it looks like to rethink the labels we use at work and what changes when those same traits are reframed through the lens of a late ADHD and autism diagnosis. He takes us inside the lived experience of masking in professional environments, the internal tension between structure and restlessness, and the moment those patterns start to make sense in a new way. What emerges is less about fitting into a category, and more about understanding how much of what we call “personality” is shaped by context, pressure, and perception. Rob is a growth marketing leader and consultant with experience across subscription, entertainment, and digital businesses. Prior to going out his own, he held senior roles at companies including Harry Potter, Napster, and Bossa Games. For more on Rob’s work, connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgotlieb [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgotlieb] And for brands and retailers listening, you can access free tickets to The Lead Summit here: https://thelead2026-registration.personatech.com/form/initiate?fId=NzRmMzk0N2ItZmFh [https://thelead2026-registration.personatech.com/form/initiate?fId=NzRmMzk0N2ItZmFh]

“I don’t want to be a salesperson.” Retail Expert on Becoming a Board Member & Advisor

Breaking into your first board role rarely happens the way people expect it to. In this episode, Renee Hartmann pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to get, and why most of the conventional advice misses the mark. We unpack the real path in, from why board roles almost never come from job listings, to how early advisory work often starts informally (and sometimes unpaid), to the role your network actually plays in opening doors. Renee also breaks down the differences between boards, and shares what founders get wrong when building boards. Renee is a top retail expert, consultant, and advisor working with startups and growth-stage companies. As an advisor, she serves as a non-executive director and board member across public, private, and nonprofit organizations spanning retail, technology, and consumer businesses. She previously founded and ran her own company and held early roles at Ogilvy and Putnam Investments. She holds an MBA from Duke University, a BBA from Emory University, and is a CFA Charterholder. For more on Renee’s work, connect with her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/reneehartmann/ [http://linkedin.com/in/reneehartmann/]