CEOs and ABCs

Kevin Rice
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CEOs & ABCs is the podcast for high performers who lead at work and show up at home. Hosted by Kevin Rice, this show features candid conversations with executives, founders, and rising leaders about how they’ve advanced their careers while staying present for the moments that matter most... raising kids, building strong partnerships, and prioritizing their health. Each episode dives into executive career advice, leadership development, work-life balance, and the realities of parenting while managing demanding professional lives. Whether you’re navigating promotions, team growth, toddler tantrums, or time management, you’ll find insights and inspiration to lead with intention - both at work and at home. ️ New episodes weekly Topics: Career growth, executive mindset, parenting, burnout prevention, productivity, and more ‍‍‍ For working parents, driven professionals, and leaders building meaningful lives Subscribe now and join the journey from "boardrooms to bedtime stories."

  1. 1d ago ·  Video

    Douglas Zarkin (Take 5 Oil Change, Pearle Vision, Avon & Victoria's Secret) Notebook Not Playbook: What Brand Love Teaches You About Leadership and Fatherhood #46

    In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Doug Zarkin, former CMO of Pearle Vision and Take Five Oil Change, to explore what happens when you stop arriving with a playbook and start arriving with a notebook, and why that shift matters just as much at home as it does in the boardroom. Doug has led transformational marketing agendas at some of the most recognisable brands in America. Avon. Victoria's Secret Pink. Pearle Vision for over a decade. The through line across all of it is the same: understand the people before you draw the strategy. You cannot run a pass offense without a quarterback. You cannot parent a sixteen-year-old the same way you parented a six-year-old. And you cannot build brand love by treating every customer like a transaction. Doug also gets honest about navigating life after a restructuring, working harder than he ever has, and still carving out barbecues and Sunday brunches because his daughter and son are only home for the summer and the clock is moving fast. This is a conversation about brand love, leadership, the 80/20 rule applied to parenting, and why there is no right or wrong way. There is just a way. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why coming in with a notebook instead of a playbook builds better teams and better brands The exact difference between a manager and a leader in one sentence How Doug transformed Pearl Vision from transactional to relational and why it became a Harvard Business Review case study What becoming a father did to the pressure Doug put on himself professionally Why the 80/20 rule is one of the best frameworks you can bring from business into parenting How humour becomes the entry point for the serious conversations as your kids get older What entitlement looks like in practice and how to counter it before it sets in Top Takeaways: Come in with a notebook, not a playbook. You cannot know the strategy until you know the people. A manager requires. A leader inspires. The difference is whether someone learns while things get done. Brand love is built between purchase cycles. The same is true for family connection. There is no right or wrong way to parent. There is just a way. Give yourself grace to be a work in progress. Small moments are what your kids will remember. Gratitude, recognition, showing up without being asked. Take your me time. It is not selfish. It is what makes every other version of you possible. About Doug Zarkin: Doug Zarkin is a transformational marketing leader and the author of Moving Your Brand Out of the Friend Zone. He has served as CMO at Pearl Vision, where his work became a Harvard Business Review case study, and as the first-ever CMO of Take Five Oil Change. Earlier in his career he helped grow Victoria's Secret Pink nationally and reinvented direct selling at Avon. He is a TED speaker, keynote speaker and proud husband and father to his wife and two children. If this episode made you rethink leadership, career growth, work-life balance, or working parenthood, subscribe to the CEOs & ABCs Podcast for more conversations with CEOs, founders, and global executives. Share this episode with a colleague navigating work-life balance, and comment below with the biggest lesson you took from Douglas Zarkin. Follow Douglas Zarkin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougzarkin/  Website: https://www.dougzarkin.com/ Book: https://www.dougzarkin.com/ Follow our host Kevin Rice on: LinkedIn: LinkedIn/KevinMRice Website: ceosandabcs.com Instagram:

    Douglas Zarkin (Take 5 Oil Change, Pearle Vision, Avon & Victoria's Secret) Notebook Not Playbook: What Brand Love Teaches You About Leadership and Fatherhood #46

  2. Aug 11 ·  Video

    Jennie Magiera (Google, US Department of Education & Chicago Public Schools) A Conversation on: Balancing IVF in the Workplace and Transforming Education with AI #45

    In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Jennie Magiera, Global Head of Education and Impact at Google, to explore the six years she spent trying to become a mother while ascending through some of the most demanding roles in education technology, and what that journey taught her about presence, purpose, and raising children in an AI world. Jennie went through multiple rounds of IVF across three different jobs, cancelling keynotes for egg retrievals, writing substitute lesson plans every night not knowing if she would need them, and fielding questions from colleagues who did not understand why she could not reschedule a surgery. When Lucy was finally born, Jennie had to write apology letters in her head to every parent she had ever dismissed as overreacting. She finally understood what was at stake. The conversation also goes somewhere harder. Jennie shares the postpartum depression she experienced with her second daughter Nora, the years she felt she was looking at someone else's baby, and the therapy and one-on-one time that eventually brought them to where they are now. Besties. Kevin and Jennie also get into what intentional presence looks like when you spend a hundred nights in hotels a year. Broadway shows on a Tuesday with Lucy. Nail salon trips with Nora. IHOP at 3am in pyjamas because nobody can sleep. And the moment Lucy told Jennie she was not upset about the travel because when her mum is home, she does more than other mums who never leave. This is a conversation about IVF, postpartum, AI for kids, and what it means to be fully present in the pockets you actually have. In This Episode, You'll Learn: What IVF actually does to your career across six years and three different jobs How becoming a mother reframed every parent Jennie had ever dismissed as overreacting Why being transparent about IVF at work created safety for other women at Google How Jennie uses Gemini with her seven-year-old, always supervised, always debriefed What happened when Lucy asked Gemini to explain crucifixion The four safeguards every parent should put in place before introducing AI to their kids Why social emotional capacity is the skill AI will never replace How to apply an ROI lens to your time at home the same way you would at work Top Takeaways: You cannot have it all and that is not failure. Make peace with what you are prioritising now. Presence is not volume of time. It is what you do inside the pockets you have. Supervised, purposeful, and debriefed is the only responsible way to introduce AI to young children. Technology is a tool, not the answer. Knowing when to use it is the skill worth teaching. Social emotional capacity is what separates humans from machines. Build it early. If you have the capital to name what you are going through at work, use it. You create space for everyone around you. About Jennie Magiera: Jennie Magiera is Global Head of Education and Impact at Google, leading a team that supports educators and students across the world. A former classroom teacher, school district CTO, and contributor to the US Department of Education's Education Technology Plan, she was recognised with the Obama White House Champion for Change Award. She is the author of Courageous Edventures and a TEDx speaker. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters, Lucy and Nora. If this episode made you rethink leadership, career growth, work-life balance, or working parenthood, subscribe to the CEOs & ABCs Podcast for more conversations with CEOs, founders, and global executives. Share this episode with a colleague navigating work-life balance, and comment below with the biggest lesson you took from Jennie Magiera. Follow Jennie Magiera: LinkedIn:

    Jennie Magiera (Google, US Department of Education & Chicago Public Schools) A Conversation on: Balancing IVF in the Workplace and Transforming Education with AI #45

  3. Aug 4 ·  Video

    Cameron Herold (1-800-Got-Junk? & COO Alliance) Mastering Work-Life Balance, Healing from Extreme Burnout & The Bucket List Mindset

    In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Cameron Herold, the COO who helped scale 1-800-GOT-JUNK from $2 million to $106 million, to explore what happens when someone who built their identity around business finally decides to build a life instead. Cameron did not slow down quietly. He left 1-800-GOT-JUNK and spent four months not returning a single email. He journaled every day, made lists of everything he was good at and everything he was not, and came out the other side knowing exactly what he loved. Five years ago, he and his wife sold the house, the cars, and the furniture, packed two carry-on bags each, and have been living as nomads across 80 countries ever since. But the more honest part of this conversation is what came before all of that. The stress score of 435 on a scale where 250 means a 90 percent chance of a heart attack. The second son he barely connected with in the early years because a toddler was easier to take skiing than a newborn. The long road back to a relationship where that same son now texts him every few hours and spent the whole day with him in London this week. Kevin and Cameron also get into the moment Cameron realised he did not want his kids to describe him by what he did to make money. He wanted them to talk about his hobbies, his cooking, his travels, his sense of adventure. That reframe changed everything. This is a conversation about burnout, bucket lists, building real relationships with your kids, and why your business is not your hobby. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why Cameron scored 435 on a cardiac stress scale and what it forced him to confront How four months of journaling after leaving a hyper-growth company clarified the rest of his life What it cost him to prioritise his older son over his youngest and how they rebuilt Why being the first executive with kids changes a company's culture for everyone who follows How Cameron uses visualisation to transition out of work mode before walking through the front door What a Vivid Vision is and how to write one for your life, not just your business Why your kids will not want to spend time with you if work is your only hobby Top Takeaways: Your to-do list does not have your name on it. Delegate, automate, or stop doing it. You do not have to take care of your kids tonight. You get to. No kid wants to be friends with a parent whose only identity is their job. Build a bucket list now. Do not wait until you have earned the time to live. Reframe everything. Crumbs under the table mean your kids are still home. Presence is a practice. Phone away, transition ritual in place, eyes on the people in front of you. About Cameron Herold:Cameron Herold is the founder of the COO Alliance, a global community of second-in-commands operating across 17 countries. As COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK, he helped scale the company from $2 million to $106 million. He is the author of seven bestselling books including Vivid Vision and Second in Command, and has been paid to speak in 30 countries over 800 times. He lives nomadically with his wife, travels with a bathroom scale in his carry-on, and wants his sons to describe him by his hobbies. Share this episode with a colleague navigating work-life balance, and comment below with the biggest lesson you took from Cameron Herold. Follow Cameron Herold: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronherold/ ⁠ Website: ⁠https://cameronherold.com/about/⁠ Books: ⁠https://cooalliance.com/camerons-books/⁠ Company: Chapters (00:00:00) - Cameron Herold on Ambition and Boundaries(00:01:21) - Former 1-800-Got Junk CEO Cameron Herold on Life(00:07:37) - The Importance of Fun in Life(00:09:06) - Tim Ferriss on Running Companies in His 20s(00:14:28) - Teaching Skills to Your Leaders(00:18:48) - While at 1-800-Got Junk, You Had Your First(00:20:17) - How To Get Through A Period of Burnout(00:23:49) - Having a Child Made Me a Parent(00:26:27) - Fathers Reflect On The Relationship With Their Kids(00:30:26) - George Clooney on Chores For Kids(00:34:17) - How to Transition From Professional Mode to Parenting Mode(00:40:00) - Cameron Herald: On Intentionality(00:43:29) - What If Your Life Ends Tomorrow?(00:45:06) - How Do You Want Your Kids To Describe You?

    Cameron Herold (1-800-Got-Junk? & COO Alliance) Mastering Work-Life Balance, Healing from Extreme Burnout & The Bucket List Mindset

  4. Jul 28 ·  Video

    Jeanniey Walden (Liftoff Enterprises, Rakuten, Rite Aid) The Sole Breadwinner Who Quit Her Job on a Gut Feeling and Why the AIR Method Works at Home Too #43

    In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Jeanniey Walden, CEO of Liftoff Enterprises, bestselling author of The Trust Threshold, and TV host reaching 81 million households, to explore what a substitute teacher turned CMO learned about earning attention, building trust, and why the same principles that grow businesses are the ones that keep families together. Jeanniey's career defies a straight line. From JCPenney to email marketing pioneer to CMO at Mercer, Rite Aid, and Rakuten, she kept jumping toward whatever was new, uncomfortable, and unproven. She did not have a business degree. She had a teaching credential and the instinct that if you can earn the attention of a room full of kids who do not want to listen to you, you can earn it anywhere. That instinct became the AIR framework: authenticity, inspiration, relatability. And she applies it everywhere including at home with a blended family of five. The stories in this episode are the ones that stick. Her eight-year-old raising her hand at a packed industry conference to tell the room she had no idea what her mom just said, but she was really proud of her. The Walden Weekends, built to turn ordinary Saturdays into adventures worth remembering. The birthday chair. The red plate. The dollar store scavenger hunts. And the moment she came home as the sole breadwinner and told her family she was quitting her job to try something she had never done before. This is a conversation about traditions, trust, and the quiet belief that when you open yourself up to good things, good things tend to come. In This Episode, You'll Learn: What the AIR framework is and why authenticity, inspiration, and relatability build trust faster than any strategy Why Jeanniey's teaching background became the foundation of every campaign, keynote, and leadership decision she has ever made How she brought her kids into her work world and what it gave them both Why she quit her job as the sole breadwinner to chase an opportunity she was not sure would work What Walden Weekends are and how one family turned ordinary time into lasting tradition How to stay connected with kids across distance, different ages, and unpredictable schedules Why empathy and strategic thinking are the two skills that will matter most in an AI-driven world What it looks like to take risks when you have a family counting on you Top Takeaways: Trust builds belief and belief builds business. That sequence does not change whether you are selling a product or raising a kid. Your kids are not an excuse. Make thoughtful commitments at work and honour them. Ask for support at work before you desperately need it. Most people want to help. Do not let having a family talk you out of a risk worth taking. The world opens up when you do. Traditions are not just rituals. They are proof that your family is worth showing up for, every single time. It does not get easier when your kids get older. It gets better. And they still need you. Take the adventure path. Turn the ordinary thing into the one they will talk about for years. About Jeanniey Walden: Jeanniey Walden is CEO of Liftoff Enterprises, host of Liftoff with Jeanniey Walden reaching 81 million households, and bestselling author of The Trust Threshold. She has held CMO roles at Mercer, Rite Aid, and Rakuten, and has spoken at the World Economic Forum and TEDx. She lives in New Jersey with her husband Vince and is mom to a blended family of five, grandmother to one, and celebrates every weekend with a Walden Weekend. If this episode made you rethink leadership, career growth, work-life balance, or working parenthood, subscribe to the CEOs & ABCs Podcast for more conversations with CEOs, founders, and global exe... Chapters (00:00:00) - Build Trust, Not Fear(00:00:12) - CEO of Liftoff Enterprises Jeannie Walden on(00:01:27) - Tim Ferriss on His Disciplined Career(00:04:03) - Exploring the Air Method(00:07:58) - The Importance of Working Mom(00:12:16) - How to Cope Through a Difficult Moment(00:17:47) - What Does Life Look Like For Your Daughter When She's Grown(00:23:14) - How to Balance a Career and Family Life(00:25:28) - How to Manage the demands of Motherhood(00:28:59) - How to Stay Connect with Your Child During Hectic Times(00:30:44) - Walden Weekends(00:35:11) - Five Family Traditions(00:39:20) - Employee Traditions(00:42:15) - How to Prepare Your Kids for(00:46:32) - Jeannie On Working Motherly Style

    Jeanniey Walden (Liftoff Enterprises, Rakuten, Rite Aid) The Sole Breadwinner Who Quit Her Job on a Gut Feeling and Why the AIR Method Works at Home Too #43

  5. Jul 21 ·  Video

    Linda Bethea (PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Danone) The Leadership Style Used to Build High Performing Teams, Work-Life Integration & Starting a Business with your Daughter #42

    In this episode, Linda Bethea shares her journey of balancing a successful executive career with motherhood, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, vulnerability, and intentionality in leadership and parenting. She discusses her experiences with work-life integration, supporting working parents, and fostering strong relationships with her daughter. From Frito-Lay to PepsiCo to Diageo to CMO of Danone, Linda built one of the most decorated careers in food and beverage marketing while navigating divorce, single motherhood, and the quiet pressure to keep her personal life out of the office. She refused. She became the role model she never had, openly leaving early for school pickups, bringing her daughter to the office when childcare fell through, and taking a three-month sabbatical at the height of her divorce because her daughter needed her more than the business did. She also went through fertility treatments to have that daughter. Then spent 133 days on the road the year she turned one. The reckoning was inevitable. And when it came, it changed how Linda led, how she built teams, and how she thought about what success was actually for. Now she and her daughter Finley co-host a podcast together, speak on stages together, and just got back from Cannes. This is a conversation about work-life integration, asking for help before you desperately need it, and what it looks like when vulnerability stops being a risk and starts being the point. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why work-life integration outperforms work-life balance for ambitious parents How vulnerability became Linda's greatest leadership asset What it cost her to keep her divorce private and why she eventually stopped How bringing her daughter into her work world built their relationship Why parental leave and flexibility policies need to change and what leaders can do now What the four burners theory gets wrong about how to think about a full life Top Takeaways: Vulnerability is a superpower. Hiding your struggles does not make you look stronger. Ask for help early. People want to help you. Let them. Your kids mirror your behaviors. The standards you hold yourself to are the ones they will absorb. Think in seasons, not balance. Priorities shift and that is not failure. Work-life integration made Linda a better marketer and a better mom at the same time. About Linda Bethea: Linda Bethea is a former CMO of Danone and has held senior marketing roles at Diageo, PepsiCo, and Frito-Lay. Named a Forbes Top 50 Entrepreneurial CMO in 2025, she sits on the board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and co-hosts the Brand New Perspectives podcast alongside her daughter Finley. If this episode made you rethink leadership, career growth, work-life balance, or working parenthood, subscribe to the CEOs & ABCs Podcast for more conversations with CEOs, founders, and global executives. Share this episode with a colleague navigating work-life balance, and comment below with the biggest lesson you took from Linda Bethea. Follow Linda Bethea: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-bethea/  Brand New Perspective Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@brandnewperspective3 Follow our host Kevin Rice on: LinkedIn: LinkedIn/KevinMRice Website: ceosandabcs.com Instagram: Instagram/ceosandabcs Follow the CEOs & ABCs Podcast and stay updated: Newsletter: CEOs and ABCs Newsletter LinkedIn: Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction & Guest Background(00:04:16) - Work-Life Integration: A New Approach(00:07:02) - The Journey to CMO: Lessons Learned(00:10:02) - The Velvet Hammer: Balancing Empathy and Decisiveness(00:12:54) - Parenting and Leadership: Building Trust and Communication(00:15:43) - Vulnerability as a Strength(00:18:29) - Commitments During Divorce: Prioritizing Family(00:23:25) - Navigating Life's Transitions(00:24:28) - The Emotional Toll of Divorce(00:27:22) - Support Systems in Parenting and Work(00:29:03) - Corporate Support for Working Parents(00:31:49) - Shifting Perspectives on Success(00:33:36) - Intentionality and Presence in Parenting(00:37:48) - The Impact of Technology on Parenting(00:38:09) - Creating a Podcast Together(00:42:08) - Balancing Vulnerability and Professionalism(00:43:49) - Lessons Learned in Parenting and Career(00:44:38) - Life as a Marathon, Not a Sprint(00:46:34) - Hopes for the Next Generation

    Linda Bethea (PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Danone) The Leadership Style Used to Build High Performing Teams, Work-Life Integration & Starting a Business with your Daughter #42

  6. Jul 14 ·  Video

    Isabelle Brenton (IPG Media Brands, Meta & Razorfish) A Conversation on: How to Navigate Professional Growth While Embracing Personal Identity and Resilience.

    In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Isabelle Brenton, former Chief Communications Officer at IPG Mediabrands and recipient of the 2026 Working Mother of the Year award from She Runs It, to explore what it actually costs to hide a part of yourself at work and what becomes possible when you finally stop. Isabelle spent the early years of her career in fast-paced agency and media environments, motivated by external validation and driven to prove herself at every level. When she became a mother, she did not slow down. She had two children 20 months apart, returned from both maternity leaves as quickly as she could, traveled to Asia when her son was five months old, and spent years removing her wedding ring before job interviews and moving family photos out of her background on calls so no one could tell she had children. She was not hiding her family because anyone told her to. She was hiding them because of a story she was telling herself about what ambition was supposed to look like. The shift came slowly, then all at once. A culture change at Meta where colleagues openly led meetings by talking about their kids. Then COVID, which put her children literally in the background of every Zoom call and made concealment impossible. Then a layoff, right after receiving one of the most meaningful professional honors of her career, which forced a different kind of reckoning entirely. Kevin and Isabelle trace the full arc: from people-pleaser to senior executive, from compartmentalized mother to someone who told her kids she was laid off the same night it happened, cried through the conversation, and made it a lesson in resilience. This is a conversation about identity, the hidden cost of not bringing your whole self to work, and what it means to model the things you most want your children to learn. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why high-achieving women often feel pressure to conceal their identity as parents and what that concealment actually costs How external validation drove Isabelle's early career and why the shift to intrinsic motivation changed everything What it was like to step into one of the most senior roles of her career at the same moment she was becoming a mother Why the culture at Meta became a turning point in how she saw herself as a working parent How COVID made it impossible to keep her two identities separate and why that turned out to be a gift What she told her children the night she was laid off and why her husband told her she did not have to How she is using her career transition to model resilience, self-worth, and healthy decision-making for her kids Why being present is not about being available, it is about actually listening when you are in the room What she is looking for in her next role now that she is no longer willing to leave her whole self at the door Why parenthood became her greatest professional asset once she stopped treating it as a liability Top Takeaways: Hiding your identity as a parent does not make you look more committed. It just means you are carrying the weight alone. The shift from external to intrinsic motivation is when careers stop feeling like performance and start feeling like purpose. Parenthood made Isabelle more ambitious, not less. Embracing it is what accelerated her career, not what slowed it down. Your kids do not need you to be perfect. They need to see you navigate something hard and come out the other side. Being present is a choice you make in the small moments. Your daughter knows whether you heard what she just read to you. A layoff is not just a professional event. It is a parenting moment. How you handle it is what your kids will remember. Culture change happens in the opening of a meeting. When l... Chapters (00:00:00) - Navigating Career and Motherhood(00:12:42) - The Pressure of Professional Expectations(00:23:44) - Embracing Authenticity at Work(00:25:37) - Navigating Career Changes During COVID(00:28:59) - Recognition and Resilience in Parenting(00:34:54) - Intentional Parenting and Community Engagement(00:37:37) - Criteria for Career Advancement(00:39:50) - Being Present with Children(00:42:06) - Parenthood as a Career Asset

    Isabelle Brenton (IPG Media Brands, Meta & Razorfish) A Conversation on: How to Navigate Professional Growth While Embracing Personal Identity and Resilience.

  7. Jul 6 ·  Video

    Anthony Valletta (Bartaco, Birdcall, Del Frisco's) The Cost of Travelling 240 Nights a Year and What It Cost Him to Come Back Home #40

    In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Anthony Valletta, CEO of BarTaco, to explore what two decades in hospitality taught him about making people feel like a priority, and how long it took him to bring that same thinking home. Anthony has built his career across Michelin-starred dining rooms, fast casuals, and everything in between. Today he leads BarTaco with a single filter: does this decision make the guest feel like we're thinking about them first? It is a deceptively simple question that runs through every menu decision, every hire, and every conversation in the business. But getting here cost something. Anthony spent two years as a COO living in hotels 240 nights a year, missing his son's first steps, and coming home to a five-year-old who had learned not to get too excited when dad walked through the door. He describes standing in his own driveway on the verge of tears before driving back to the airport, knowing something had to give. Kevin and Anthony trace what it actually took to rebuild that connection, one blocked calendar entry, one bedtime affirmation, one bouquet of flowers at a gymnastics meet at a time. They get honest about the Disneyland Dad trap, the impossibility of disciplining kids you barely see, and why presence is not about volume of time. It is about not being in two places at once when you are in one of them. This is a conversation about career ambition, the cost of getting it wrong, and the small rituals that quietly add up to a life. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why the guest-first filter works as a decision framework in business and why a version of it belongs at home What 240 hotel nights a year actually does to a family and how long repair takes Why the Disneyland Dad dynamic is unfair to everyone, including you How to use your calendar as a values document, not just a logistics tool Why Anthony deletes and rebuilds his entire calendar every three months What it means to coach your own kids and what six-year-olds in full lacrosse pads will teach you about leadership Why the five minutes before a child goes to sleep are the most impressionable of their day How working for someone who does not share your values about family will quietly shape the choices you make Why time is not something you find, it is something you design What return on time means and why it matters more than return on investment Top Takeaways: Every yes is a no to something else. The clearer you are about that trade-off, the better your decisions get. Your kids are going to grow whether you're present for it or not. That window does not wait. Being physically home is not the same as being present. If you are on your phone, they see it. The moments that matter most are not the big ones. They are the repeated small ones your kids start to expect and protect. Working for someone who does not value what you value will cost you more than a better title or a bigger salary is worth. Discipline is not punishment. It is teaching. And you cannot teach a child you are not connected to. Return on time is the only metric that actually compounds in both directions. About Anthony Valletta: Anthony Valletta is CEO of BarTaco, a fast-casual hospitality brand known for its guest-obsessed culture. He has spent two decades in the industry spanning Michelin-starred dining to fast casuals, building a career around the belief that a guest-first business is the only sustainable kind. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and three kids, coaches all three of them across multiple sports, and is still working on leaving the calendar blank long enough to think. If this episode made you rethink leadership, career growth, work-life balance, or work... Chapters (00:00:00) - Career Journey in Hospitality(00:03:09) - Traits of a Successful CEO(00:05:55) - The Challenge of Leadership(00:08:18) - Guest-First Philosophy in Business(00:10:53) - Balancing Family and Career(00:13:48) - Coaching and Parenting Dynamics(00:16:18) - Navigating Career Demands and Family Life(00:21:44) - Navigating Parenting Challenges(00:24:41) - The Shift from Executive to Parent(00:29:42) - Balancing Work and Family Life(00:34:38) - Intentionality in Parenting(00:38:48) - The Importance of Reflection and Adaptation(00:43:06) - Valuing Time with Family(00:45:17) - Creating Memorable Moments with Kids

    Anthony Valletta (Bartaco, Birdcall, Del Frisco's) The Cost of Travelling 240 Nights a Year and What It Cost Him to Come Back Home #40

  8. Jun 30 ·  Video

    Desiree Motamedi (Meta, Shopify, Google & Salesforce) How to Implement AI into your Business and Home Life & How to Create AI Safety for your Children at Home #39

    In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Desiree Motamedi, Chief Marketing Officer of Salesforce's NextGen platform, to explore what happens when AI stops being a work tool and starts becoming a way of life, at the office and at home. Desiree has built her career across Adobe, Google, Meta, and Shopify before landing at Salesforce, where she now oversees a 12 billion dollar portfolio and is building the infrastructure to scale AI agents safely across her entire organisation. She walks Kevin through what AI maturity actually looks like beyond a chat interface: governance, hosting, access controls, and the discipline required to keep experimentation from becoming chaos. But the real heart of this conversation is what happens when that same curiosity comes home. Desiree built her own personal operating system, uploading her bloodwork, her finances, and her calendar into an AI agent that nudges her to drink water and caught a missing beneficiary on her retirement accounts. Her 12-year-old son built a paper trading agent with a college mentor and turned 100,000 dollars into 168,000. Together they are building an AI-generated YouTube channel about cereal box characters. Kevin and Desiree also get honest about the harder parts: the early-career fear of stepping away during maternity leave, the boundaries she had to learn the hard way, and the one thing she insists AI will never replace, the simple act of looking another person in the eye. This is a conversation about curiosity, governance, and what it means to raise kids who are fluent in AI and still deeply human. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why "are you a doctor, are you saving lives" became the mental model that changed how Desiree set boundaries at work What she wishes she had done differently during her second maternity leave, and the advice she now gives her own team How Salesforce is building governance, hosting, and feedback loops to scale AI agents safely across a large organisation Why context, not the prompt itself, is what separates a generic AI output from a genuinely differentiated one What it looks like to build a personal AI operating system for your health, finances, and calendar How a 12-year-old built a real paper trading agent with a college mentor and grew it 68 percent Why human connection is the one skill Desiree is most deliberate about protecting in her sons How becoming a parent made her more structured at work, not less ambitious What the shift to headless platforms and natural language interfaces means for the future of marketing work Simple ways any marketer can start building real AI skills beyond a chat window Top Takeaways: You are probably not saving lives. Most things can wait until tomorrow, and treating everything as urgent only trains your team to expect the same from you. The advice Desiree gives every parent on her team now: take the time. The work will still be there. The moments with a newborn will not. AI is only as good as the context you give it. A two-paragraph prompt with real history will always outperform a generic brief. Building governance and infrastructure before scaling is what separates safe experimentation from real exposure. A personal AI operating system can catch what busy humans miss, from hydration to unassigned retirement beneficiaries. Curiosity-led learning, whether it is a trading agent or a YouTube channel, builds skills no curriculum can replicate. No amount of technology replaces eye contact, a handshake, and genuinely asking how someone is doing. About Desiree Motamedi: Desiree Motamedi is Chief Marketing Officer of Salesforce's NextGen platform, where she leads a 12 billion dollar portfolio and is building the company... Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction and Personal Background(00:01:33) - Career Journey and Leadership at Salesforce(00:37:12) - Lessons Learned from Parenthood and Career(00:43:02) - Innovative Projects with Kids and AI(00:47:43) - Preparing Kids for an AI-Driven Future(00:49:29) - Getting Started with AI for Marketers(00:51:20) - Closing Remarks and Future Outlook

    Desiree Motamedi (Meta, Shopify, Google & Salesforce) How to Implement AI into your Business and Home Life & How to Create AI Safety for your Children at Home #39
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5
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About

CEOs & ABCs is the podcast for high performers who lead at work and show up at home. Hosted by Kevin Rice, this show features candid conversations with executives, founders, and rising leaders about how they’ve advanced their careers while staying present for the moments that matter most... raising kids, building strong partnerships, and prioritizing their health. Each episode dives into executive career advice, leadership development, work-life balance, and the realities of parenting while managing demanding professional lives. Whether you’re navigating promotions, team growth, toddler tantrums, or time management, you’ll find insights and inspiration to lead with intention - both at work and at home. ️ New episodes weekly Topics: Career growth, executive mindset, parenting, burnout prevention, productivity, and more ‍‍‍ For working parents, driven professionals, and leaders building meaningful lives Subscribe now and join the journey from "boardrooms to bedtime stories."

Information

  • Creator
    Kevin Rice
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    46
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    CEOs and ABCs