Leadership Variations: Unfiltered

Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC
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Season 1: Cracking the Code – From Underestimated to Undeniable spotlights senior women in STEM who’ve broken barriers and redefined success. If you’re a woman in science, tech, engineering, or math—or you lead teams in these fields—this series offers real stories, bold leadership, and hard-won insight you won’t hear anywhere else. These candid conversations go beyond inspiration—they offer career insight, leadership lessons, and visibility strategies for STEM women leaders navigating executive paths. Each episode features unfiltered stories from women who’ve risen to executive roles in industries that weren’t built for them. We unpack how they navigated bias, burnout, reinvention, and visibility—without apology and without a playbook. Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is a limited-series podcast exposing the messier side of leadership—the parts no one talks about, but every leader lives. Each series explores a different high-stakes topic: rising without apology as a woman in STEM, redefining success after burnout or reinvention, busting leadership myths that don’t hold up in the real world, making bold talent decisions without a clear playbook, and leading when the politics are real—but the guidance is vague. If you’re leading through complexity, developing leaders others overlook, or navigating visibility at the top—this podcast is for you. Hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto—a leadership strategist and executive coach with 25+ years of experience advising senior leaders and developing talent in high-growth and Fortune 100 companies Learn more at www.leadershipvariations.com

Episodes

  1. 4D AGO

    Cracking the Code: From Underestimated to Undeniable with Pilar Baltar, Perlexity AI & Various Top Tech Firms

    In this episode of Leadership Variations: Unfiltered, Amy Bladen Shatto sits down with Pilar Baltar, Business Fellow at Perplexity AI and former senior executive across global Microsoft partner organizations, to explore what it truly takes to lead at the intersection of AI, revenue, and executive power. With over 20 years leading large-scale tech transformations across EMEA and the U.S., Pilar shares her journey from computational linguistics to AI strategy, and what women in technology must understand to rise — and stay — at the senior table. This episode dives into: How AI is disrupting hiring, resumes, and executive recruitmentWhy companies are flipping interviews in the age of generative AIThe shift from technical expert to leader-of-leadersNavigating executive power as a woman in male-dominated techWhy “likability vs. gravitas” is a false binaryThe commercial truth women must understand to reach the C-suite If you're a woman in STEM, AI, tech consulting, or executive leadership — this is a must-listen. 🎧 Listen now and subscribe for science-based leadership insights that drive real business value. ___________________________________________________ Chapters: 02:50 – From English Major to AI Leader 04:00 – The AI Resume Disruption 08:30 – Will Resumes Survive AI?  10:20 – AI Maturity in Organizations 14:20 – The Shift to Leader of Leaders 16:50 – Delivering Through Others 19:00 – Gender & Executive Perception 21:00 – Gravitas vs. Likability 24:00 – Feedback Deficit for Women in Tech 25:35 – The Undeniable Take Support the show Watch & Subscribe 🎥 Watch this conversation and explore more Unfiltered leadership content: www.youtube.com/@leadershipvariations Work with Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto 📈 Tired of being underestimated? Partner with a coach who specializes in helping leaders in STEM break barriers and accelerate impact. Book a consultation → https://calendly.com/abladenshatto/30min 🌐 Learn more → https://www.leadershipvariations.com 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybladenshatto 🔗 Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadvarunfiltered/ 🔗 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvarunfiltered/ About the Host Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC, BCC — an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience helping organizations make faster, smarter leadership decisions. She specializes in science-based assessment, executive coaching, and leadership development strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.

    27 min

  2. FEB 10

    Cracking the Code: From Underestimated to Undeniable with Biliana Veleva-Rotse, Amicus Therapeutics

    In this episode of Leadership Variations: Unfiltered, host Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC, BCC sits down with Dr. Biliana Veleva-Rotse, Global Medical Director for Fabry Disease at Amicus Therapeutics, to unpack what leadership really looks like for women in STEM who rise without the recognition they deserve. Biliana shares her non-linear path from neuroscience PhD and academic research to global leadership in biotech—revealing how credibility, influence, and impact are built without positional power, perfectionism, or having all the answers. Together, Amy and Biliana explore: - Why being the smartest person in the room can actually limit leadership - How trust, vulnerability, and cross-functional thinking unlock innovation - The hidden cost of “earning the right to speak” as a woman in STEM - How inclusive leadership becomes a strategic advantage—not a soft skill - What it truly takes to move from underestimated to undeniable This conversation is essential listening for senior women in STEM, biotech leaders, medical affairs professionals, and executives navigating technical-to-leadership transitions. 🎧 If you’ve ever felt you needed one more credential before claiming your seat at the table, this episode is for you. 🎧 Available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms  📌 Subscribe for unfiltered conversations on leadership, credibility, and real behavior change _________________________________________ Highlight Chapters: 00:40 – About Biliana 02:20 – Leadership Beyond the Resume 04:50 – The Myth of the Clear Leadership Path 06:30 – Leaving Academia 08:55 – Credibility in Male-Dominated Spaces 11:40 – Subject Matter Expert vs. Leader 15:30 – Trust as a Leadership Accelerator 16:20 – Leadership at Home 17:50 – The Career Identity Crisis 23:50 – The Undeniable Take #LeadershipVariationsUnfiltered #WomenInSTEM #WomenInLeadership Support the show Watch & Subscribe 🎥 Watch this conversation and explore more Unfiltered leadership content: www.youtube.com/@leadershipvariations Work with Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto 📈 Tired of being underestimated? Partner with a coach who specializes in helping leaders in STEM break barriers and accelerate impact. Book a consultation → https://calendly.com/abladenshatto/30min 🌐 Learn more → https://www.leadershipvariations.com 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybladenshatto 🔗 Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadvarunfiltered/ 🔗 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvarunfiltered/ About the Host Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC, BCC — an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience helping organizations make faster, smarter leadership decisions. She specializes in science-based assessment, executive coaching, and leadership development strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.

    25 min

  3. JAN 20

    Cracking the Code: From Underestimated to Undeniable with Tara Hernandez, MONGODB

    What if the most important parts of leadership never show up on a résumé? In this episode of Leadership Variations: Unfiltered, Amy Blaydon sits down with Tara Hernandez, Vice President of Developer Productivity at MongoDB, for a candid conversation about what leadership in STEM actually demands—beyond credentials, titles, and technical brilliance. With a career spanning Netscape, Mozilla, Pixar, Google, and MongoDB, Tara reflects on why leadership success is less about solving technical problems and more about navigating people, alignment, credibility, and influence at scale. This conversation explores the invisible work of leadership:  • Developing others as your true legacy  • Transitioning from expert to people leader  • Navigating credibility and bias in senior roles  • Why sponsorship—not confidence—is the real accelerator  • What senior leaders should optimize for as scope and complexity grow If you lead in STEM, manage senior talent, or are building leadership pipelines, this episode offers grounded insight into what actually moves organizations forward. 🎧 Available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms  📌 Subscribe for unfiltered conversations on leadership, credibility, and real behavior change ________________________________________ Highlights 00:10 – About Tara 02:10 – From Technical Expert to People Leader 04:19 – Leadership Is a People Problem 08:41 – Aligning Smart, Opinionated Teams 10:57 – Credibility and Perception in STEM Leadership 15:29 – Mentorship vs. Sponsorship 18:07 – The Readiness Trap 20:11 – What Senior Leaders Should Optimize For 20:59 - Are You Ready Enough For The Role? 23:33 – The Leadership Legacy That Matters Most Support the show Watch & Subscribe 🎥 Watch this conversation and explore more Unfiltered leadership content: www.youtube.com/@leadershipvariations Work with Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto 📈 Tired of being underestimated? Partner with a coach who specializes in helping leaders in STEM break barriers and accelerate impact. Book a consultation → https://calendly.com/abladenshatto/30min 🌐 Learn more → https://www.leadershipvariations.com 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybladenshatto 🔗 Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadvarunfiltered/ 🔗 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvarunfiltered/ About the Host Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC, BCC — an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience helping organizations make faster, smarter leadership decisions. She specializes in science-based assessment, executive coaching, and leadership development strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.

    26 min

  4. 12/09/2025

    Cracking the Code: From Underestimated to Undeniable with Dr. Natalie Crawford, DVM, Veterinary Pathologist, Operations EXEC, & Coach

    Leadership Variations: Unfiltered | Series 1, Episode 4  Leadership Challenges & Growth with Dr. Natalie Crawford, DVM, Veterinary Pathologist, Operations EXEC, & Coach In this powerful episode of Leadership Variations: Unfiltered, Dr. Natalie Crawford shares the unfiltered truth about leadership growth, identity, and resilience as a woman of color in STEM. With 20+ years across animal health, pharma, and medical devices—and a rare blend of scientific rigor, operational leadership, and DEI expertise—Natalie reveals what real leadership looks like behind the résumé. She opens up about: Shifting from subject-matter expert to global leaderLearning to lead without being the “expert in the room”Navigating identity, visibility, and underrepresentation in STEMWhy feedback, coaching, and a personal “board of directors” changed everythingHow she overcame self-doubt, isolation, and high-stakes leadership pressureAnd the one undeniable truth for women ready to rise into senior roles This episode is raw, insightful, and deeply grounding—a masterclass in leadership maturity for anyone advancing in STEM or navigating complex career transitions. Podcast Chapters: 00:31- Meet Dr. Natalie Crawford 02:01 - Leadership Skills You Don’t See on Resume 03:54 - Leading During Difficult Moments 07:26- From STEM Specialist to People Leader 08:54 - The Identity Crisis of Leadership Advancement 12:17 - How to Advocate for Your Own Coaching 13:26 - Women of Color in STEM 15:21 - Holding Identity Strong While Breaking Barriers 18:20 - What She’d Do Differently (Or Not) 20:07 - The Undeniable Take Subscribe & Stay Connected 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@leadershipvariations 📰 Join The Brief newsletter for unfiltered leadership insights: http://bit.ly/unfilteredbrief 🌐 Support the show Watch & Subscribe 🎥 Watch this conversation and explore more Unfiltered leadership content: www.youtube.com/@leadershipvariations Work with Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto 📈 Tired of being underestimated? Partner with a coach who specializes in helping leaders in STEM break barriers and accelerate impact. Book a consultation → https://calendly.com/abladenshatto/30min 🌐 Learn more → https://www.leadershipvariations.com 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybladenshatto 🔗 Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadvarunfiltered/ 🔗 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvarunfiltered/ About the Host Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC, BCC — an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience helping organizations make faster, smarter leadership decisions. She specializes in science-based assessment, executive coaching, and leadership development strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.

    23 min

  5. 11/11/2025

    Cracking the Code: From Underestimated to Undeniable with Jennifer Wipf, Ginko Bioworks

    Leadership Variations: Unfiltered | Series 1, Episode 3 Leading Through Change & Authentic Leadership in STEM Join us for an inspiring conversation with Jennifer Webb, General Manager of the Biosolutes Business Unit at Ginkgo BioWorks, a pioneer in synthetic biology transforming diverse industries worldwide. With 7 years of leadership experience at Ginkgo, Jennifer shares her journey navigating massive organizational growth, restructuring, and the challenges and opportunities of leading in a high-change environment. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Jennifer leveraged her technical and leadership strengths to succeed in a new general manager roleThe complexities of guiding teams through disruptive change with empathy and excitementStrategies for rebuilding trust with new and existing teams post-restructuringThe importance of authenticity in establishing leadership credibility and managing former peers who now report to youA candid look at a difficult plant closure abroad - the leadership lessons it offered and how those challenges were turned into growth opportunities for her teamCareer advice on embracing bold moves and recognizing that leadership trajectories are rarely linearEmpowering words for women leaders who feel underestimated and need help “cracking the code” for senior leadership success Podcast Chapters: 00:19 Meet Jennifer Webb 01:01 STEM Journey & Leadership Background 02:25 Company Restructuring & New Role 03:19 Navigating Change Management 05:29 Building Trust with New Teams 08:42 Authentic Leadership & Credibility 12:48 Managing Plant Closure Abroad 16:06 Empowering Teams Through Transition 19:29 Career Growth & Bold Moves 21:27 Advice for Underestimated Women Leaders Subscribe for more unfiltered leadership stories and practical insights from women breaking barriers in STEM and beyond. #WomenInSTEM #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching Support the show Watch & Subscribe 🎥 Watch this conversation and explore more Unfiltered leadership content: www.youtube.com/@leadershipvariations Work with Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto 📈 Tired of being underestimated? Partner with a coach who specializes in helping leaders in STEM break barriers and accelerate impact. Book a consultation → https://calendly.com/abladenshatto/30min 🌐 Learn more → https://www.leadershipvariations.com 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybladenshatto 🔗 Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadvarunfiltered/ 🔗 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvarunfiltered/ About the Host Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC, BCC — an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience helping organizations make faster, smarter leadership decisions. She specializes in science-based assessment, executive coaching, and leadership development strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.

    23 min

  6. 10/14/2025

    Cracking the Code: From Underestimated to Undeniable with Ana Hooker, Exact Sciences

    Leadership is more than charisma — it’s about clarity, resilience, and authenticity. In this episode of Leadership Variations Unfiltered, host Amy Bladen Shatto — leadership development consultant and executive coach for women in STEM — sits down with Ana Hooker, Senior Vice President and Chief Laboratory Officer at Exact Sciences. Ana leads a global team of 2,000+ professionals while mentoring the next generation of STEM leaders. Together, they dive deep into the leadership challenges no one talks about: What’s not on the résumé: the unseen human side of executive leadershipWhy imposter syndrome is real (for women and men) and how to manage it under pressureThe role of authenticity, strategy, and kindness in building your leadership brandLessons from failures, lightbulb moments, and recalibrating when your message doesn’t landWhy resilience and self-promotion are non-negotiable for women stepping into senior roles If you’re an executive, STEM professional, or aspiring woman in leadership, this conversation is filled with actionable insights to help you lead with confidence and impact. Highlights: 00:00 – Introduction to Leadership Variations: Unfiltered Podcast 00:35 – Meet Ana Hooker, SVP & Chief Laboratory Officer at Exact Sciences 01:04 – Ana’s passion for mentoring and guiding emerging STEM leaders 02:00 – What’s Not on the Resume 03:34 – Path to Leadership 04:05 – Ana shares her experience and tools to manage self-doubt 07:00 – Authentic Leadership & Personal Brand 10:34 – Using Data Over Emotion 12:16 - Learning Through Mistakes 15:45 - Final Advice & Closing Reflections Support the show Watch & Subscribe 🎥 Watch this conversation and explore more Unfiltered leadership content: www.youtube.com/@leadershipvariations Work with Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto 📈 Tired of being underestimated? Partner with a coach who specializes in helping leaders in STEM break barriers and accelerate impact. Book a consultation → https://calendly.com/abladenshatto/30min 🌐 Learn more → https://www.leadershipvariations.com 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybladenshatto 🔗 Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadvarunfiltered/ 🔗 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvarunfiltered/ About the Host Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC, BCC — an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience helping organizations make faster, smarter leadership decisions. She specializes in science-based assessment, executive coaching, and leadership development strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.

    18 min

  7. 09/09/2025

    Cracking the Code: From Underestimated to Undeniable with Laura MacDonald

    Leadership Variations: Unfiltered — Limited Series 1, Episode 1 Cracking the Code: From Underestimated to Undeniable with Laura MacDonald What does it take to go from underestimated to leading global teams in STEM? In this debut episode, Laura MacDonald, Chief Growth Officer at Hotwire (ROI·DNA), shares the mindset shifts, leadership strategies, and career moves that helped her break barriers and accelerate her impact in high-growth, high-pressure environments. In the first episode of Leadership Variations: Unfiltered’s limited series Cracking the Code: Senior Women in STEM, host Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto talks with Laura MacDonald about the realities of leading at the highest levels in STEM. Laura reveals her journey from being underestimated to becoming a high-impact executive, the role radical candor plays in shaping team culture, and proven strategies for thriving in complex, competitive industries. You’ll hear candid insight on: Navigating bias and building influence in male-dominated industriesLeading diverse, global teams across culturesMaking career ambitions visible at the right time to the right people If you’re a female executive in STEM, an emerging leader, or a decision-maker shaping leadership development, this conversation delivers practical strategies you can apply now to break barriers and lead with influence. Support the show Watch & Subscribe 🎥 Watch this conversation and explore more Unfiltered leadership content: www.youtube.com/@leadershipvariations Work with Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto 📈 Tired of being underestimated? Partner with a coach who specializes in helping leaders in STEM break barriers and accelerate impact. Book a consultation → https://calendly.com/abladenshatto/30min 🌐 Learn more → https://www.leadershipvariations.com 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybladenshatto 🔗 Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadvarunfiltered/ 🔗 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvarunfiltered/ About the Host Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC, BCC — an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience helping organizations make faster, smarter leadership decisions. She specializes in science-based assessment, executive coaching, and leadership development strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.

    19 min
  • 7 Episodes

About

Season 1: Cracking the Code – From Underestimated to Undeniable spotlights senior women in STEM who’ve broken barriers and redefined success. If you’re a woman in science, tech, engineering, or math—or you lead teams in these fields—this series offers real stories, bold leadership, and hard-won insight you won’t hear anywhere else. These candid conversations go beyond inspiration—they offer career insight, leadership lessons, and visibility strategies for STEM women leaders navigating executive paths. Each episode features unfiltered stories from women who’ve risen to executive roles in industries that weren’t built for them. We unpack how they navigated bias, burnout, reinvention, and visibility—without apology and without a playbook. Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is a limited-series podcast exposing the messier side of leadership—the parts no one talks about, but every leader lives. Each series explores a different high-stakes topic: rising without apology as a woman in STEM, redefining success after burnout or reinvention, busting leadership myths that don’t hold up in the real world, making bold talent decisions without a clear playbook, and leading when the politics are real—but the guidance is vague. If you’re leading through complexity, developing leaders others overlook, or navigating visibility at the top—this podcast is for you. Hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto—a leadership strategist and executive coach with 25+ years of experience advising senior leaders and developing talent in high-growth and Fortune 100 companies Learn more at www.leadershipvariations.com

Information

  • Creator
    Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Leadership Variations: Unfiltered
  • Show Website
    Leadership Variations: Unfiltered