Not All Business

Blakely Graham + Heather Cooper

Because at work, it's not all business. We're Heather Cooper & Blakely Graham, two rival tech CEOs turned friends, hosting real conversations about the messy reality of leadership. Think of us as Sex Ed for Leadership—discussing the topics and answering all the questions professionals are too afraid to ask, with occasional reality checks from our brilliant producer, Clay. Join us for serious insights. Slightly less serious hosts. New episodes every week!

  1. 5d ago

    Frozen at Work: What to Do When Someone Crosses the Line

    Boundaries at work are complicated. Setting them is hard. Getting them crossed is harder. And knowing what to do when something happens faster than your brain can process? That's what this episode is about. This week on Not All Business, it's a Casual Friday sticky situations episode — no guest, just Heather, Blakely, and Clay diving into your real workplace dilemmas. The theme is boundaries, and it gets real fast. A listener wants to know how to stop their very kind, very enthusiastic boss from hugging them every single day. Then a story comes in about a French diplomat who received his award — and helped himself to something that was absolutely not on the table. Heather shares her own experience with workplace harassment and what she wishes she'd known then about freezing, self-blame, and what to do next. Key Takeaways: Why freezing in the moment is not a character flaw — it's neurological How to deflect unwanted physical contact at work without making it weird (and when you do have to make it a little weird) What to do when the moment has already passed — because it's never too late The signals women have to navigate at business dinners that men don't Office vs. remote, gut vs. data, boardroom vs. bar — where do the real decisions get made? Please consider sharing this episode & subscribing to the show for more unfiltered conversations about leadership, growth, and the messy human side of business. Submit Your Sticky Situations & Workplace Dilemmas: Got a sticky situation for Not All Business? Send a voice recording to podcast@notallbusiness.com or drop your question in the comments. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Arcadia Leadership Experience — Three days on a Montana ranch outside Bozeman for senior GTM leaders. July 27–30. Application only. https://www.ArcadiaLeadershipExperience.com Keep exploring the stories that power Not All Business. Every episode opens the door to fresh insights on what it really means to be a Female Executive or Female CEO, navigating the highs, lows, and unexpected turns of leadership. From real-world workplace dilemmas to candid conversations about breaking barriers, this podcast gives you the tools, inspiration, and perspective to thrive in your own career. So don’t stop here, dive into more episodes, learn from other women in business, and stay connected to the conversations shaping the future of work. Your next breakthrough might be just one episode away. Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about the messy reality of leadership, professional growth strategies, and the real talk about work with new episodes every week. #Female CEOs, #Female CEO Podcast, #Female Executive, #Female Executive Podcast, #Women in Business, #Women in Business Podcast, #Women Entrepreneurs, #Business Podcast, #Real Talk about Work, #Workplace Dilemmas, #Heather Cooper, #Blakely Graham, #Sticky Situations,  #Boundaries #WorkplaceHarassment #Leadership

    49 min

  2. May 21

    The Problem With Imposter Syndrome

    What happens when the very thing that got you to the top — perfectionism, over-preparation, the need to prove yourself in every room — becomes the thing you have to unlearn? This week on Not All Business, Bridget Winston, a 3x Chief Revenue Officer with over 20 years of experience scaling companies from early-stage disruptors to global brands, gets into all of it. From growing up in all-girls schools to being the only woman in every boardroom, Bridget has built a career by out-preparing everyone around her. But somewhere along the way, she had to start letting that go. She also went to Italy. Then walked the Camino de Santiago alone. In the rain. Without AirPods. And came back knowing exactly who she was. Key Takeaways: Why the Over-Preparation Habit That Got You Here Might Be Holding You Back Imposter Syndrome Is an Environmental Problem (a Hot Take Worth Hearing) The "Shrink the Change" Strategy That Works for Teams and for Yourself Why Courage Is a Muscle, and the Only Way to Build It Is to Do It Scared One-Way Doors vs. Two-Way Doors: How to Stop Treating Every Decision Like It's Final Please consider sharing this episode & subscribing to the show for more unfiltered conversations about leadership, growth, and the messy human side of business. Follow Bridget: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgetwinston/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briwin8 Links & Mentions: Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath: https://heathbrothers.com/switch/ CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder): https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths Chief — Private Membership Organization for Senior Executive Women: https://chief.com Camino de Santiago: https://www.caminodesantiago.gal/en Submit Your Sticky Situations & Workplace Dilemmas: Got a sticky situation for Not All Business? Send a voice recording to podcast@notall.biz or drop your question in the comments. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Arcadia Leadership Experience — Three days on a Montana ranch outside Bozeman for senior GTM leaders. July 27–30. Application only. https://www.ArcadiaLeadershipExperience.com Keep exploring the stories that power Not All Business. Every episode opens the door to fresh insights on what it really means to be a Female Executive or Female CEO, navigating the highs, lows, and unexpected turns of leadership. From real-world workplace dilemmas to candid conversations about breaking barriers, this podcast gives you the tools, inspiration, and perspective to thrive in your own career. So don’t stop here, dive into more episodes, learn from other women in business, and stay connected to the conversations shaping the future of work. Your next breakthrough might be just one episode away. Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about the messy reality of leadership, professional growth strategies, and the real talk about work with new episodes every week. #Female CEOs, #Female CEO Podcast, #Female Executive, #Female Executive Podcast, #Women in Business, #Women in Business Podcast, #Women Entrepreneurs, #Business Podcast, #Real Talk about Work, #Workplace Dilemmas, #Heather Cooper, #Blakely Graham, #Sticky Situations,  #Organizing, #FengShui, #Declutter, #HomeOrganizing, #LeslieVanDerven

    1h 14m

  3. May 14

    The Real Reason Your House Is Always a Mess

    Your space isn't just where you live. It's shaping how you think, how you lead, and how you feel the moment you walk in the door. This week on Not All Business, we sit down with Leslie VanDerven, founder of Welcome Home Organizing, Staging & Feng Shui. Leslie is a certified feng shui practitioner, decluttering coach, professional organizer, and home stager with 18 years of experience — and she's been voted top 3 in personal consulting services in northern Colorado five years running. She doesn't just tidy up spaces — she helps people retrain the way they think so the change actually lasts. Heather knows this firsthand. The very first thing Leslie ever did was help her move a piano — and what changed wasn't just the furniture. Key Takeaways: What Feng Shui Actually Is (And What It Isn't) Why Clutter Is Really a List of Decisions You Haven't Made Yet The Questions That Help You Let Go of Stuff You Think You Need How to Create Lasting Change vs. Just Shifting Things Around What Your Bedroom Setup Might Be Saying About Your Love Life Please consider sharing this episode & subscribing to the show for more unfiltered conversations about leadership, growth, and the messy human side of business. Follow Leslie: Website: welcomehomeorganizing.com Instagram: welcomehomeorganizing Facebook: Welcome Home Organizing Links & Mentions: Atomic Habits by James Clear — atomichabits.com Marianne Williamson quote referenced by Leslie: "You must learn a new way to think before you can master a new way to be" Depop — resale app mentioned in episode Curtis Wiklund — illustrator and photographer, Clay's childhood friend; his book Us is available worldwide. Follow him at @curtiswiklund Submit Your Sticky Situations & Workplace Dilemmas: Got a sticky situation for Not All Business? Send a voice recording to podcast@notall.biz or drop your question in the comments. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Frances Walsh Coaching — certified Wayfinder Life Coach working with women navigating bold career moves, rebuilding after time away, or just ready for a clearer sense of direction. Start with a free intro consultation or join her upcoming 4-week Own Your Path spring workshop. Find her at franceswalshcoaching.com. Keep exploring the stories that power Not All Business. Every episode opens the door to fresh insights on what it really means to be a Female Executive or Female CEO, navigating the highs, lows, and unexpected turns of leadership. From real-world workplace dilemmas to candid conversations about breaking barriers, this podcast gives you the tools, inspiration, and perspective to thrive in your own career. So don’t stop here, dive into more episodes, learn from other women in business, and stay connected to the conversations shaping the future of work. Your next breakthrough might be just one episode away. Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about the messy reality of leadership, professional growth strategies, and the real talk about work with new episodes every week. #Female CEOs, #Female CEO Podcast, #Female Executive, #Female Executive Podcast, #Women in Business, #Women in Business Podcast, #Women Entrepreneurs, #Business Podcast, #Real Talk about Work, #Workplace Dilemmas, #Heather Cooper, #Blakely Graham, #Sticky Situations,  #Organizing, #FengShui, #Declutter, #HomeOrganizing, #LeslieVanDerven

    1h 8m

  4. May 7

    The CEO Who Went From IPO to Pie

    What does it actually take to say yes when you're not qualified, not expected, and not invited? This week on Not All Business, we sat down with Ginger Graham — former President and CEO of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, former interim CEO at Walgreens Boots Alliance, Harvard Business School faculty, and founder of Ginger and Baker in Fort Collins, Colorado. Ginger has spent a career being the first and only woman in the room, and she is here with the hard-won wisdom to prove it. From running the world's largest angioplasty company at 37 to launching the first GLP-1 to building a food hub inside a historic grain mill, Ginger's through-line is simple: say yes, own your choices, and lead people to better behavior — you can't command them there. Key Takeaways: Trying to Fit In Is a Crazy Idea — and Why Being Different Is Actually Your Edge Say Yes to Everything: What Happens When You Take the Jobs Nobody Else Would You Can't Command People Into Better Behavior, But You Can Lead Them to It Do You Need to Be Right, or Do You Need to Be Effective? How Ginger and Baker Became More Than a Pie Shop and What Communities Actually Need Please consider sharing this episode & subscribing to the show for more unfiltered conversations about leadership, growth, and the messy human side of business. Follow Ginger: Ginger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginger-graham-8195813aa/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gingergraham4021/  Ginger and Baker: Website: gingerandbaker.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gingerandbaker/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gingerandbaker348  Submit Your Sticky Situations & Workplace Dilemmas: Got a sticky situation for Not All Business? Send a voice recording to podcast@notall.biz or drop your question in the comments. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Frances Walsh Coaching — certified Wayfinder Life Coach working with women navigating bold career moves, rebuilding after time away, or just ready for a clearer sense of direction. Start with a free intro consultation or join her upcoming 4-week Own Your Path spring workshop. Find her at franceswalshcoaching.com. Keep exploring the stories that power Not All Business. Every episode opens the door to fresh insights on what it really means to be a Female Executive or Female CEO, navigating the highs, lows, and unexpected turns of leadership. From real-world workplace dilemmas to candid conversations about breaking barriers, this podcast gives you the tools, inspiration, and perspective to thrive in your own career. So don’t stop here, dive into more episodes, learn from other women in business, and stay connected to the conversations shaping the future of work. Your next breakthrough might be just one episode away. Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about the messy reality of leadership, professional growth strategies, and the real talk about work with new episodes every week. #Female CEOs, #Female CEO Podcast, #Female Executive, #Female Executive Podcast, #Women in Business, #Women in Business Podcast, #Women Entrepreneurs, #Business Podcast, #Real Talk about Work, #Workplace Dilemmas, #Heather Cooper, #Blakely Graham, #Sticky Situations,  ##eadership #SayYes #GingerGraham #GingerAndBaker #FortCollins #Healthcare #CareerGrowth

    1h 21m

  5. Apr 30

    Win The Room vs Lose The Room (Do This and You'll Win Every Time)

    Most leaders think they're communicating. Their teams think otherwise. The gap isn't about words. It's about environment. This week on Not All Business, we sat down with Brittany Hart, Founder & CEO of Communiscape, a communication consulting and coaching firm built on the belief that most leadership failures aren't strategy failures - they're communication failures. After 15+ years in the tech implementation world, Brittany developed her proprietary 5-Scape Model to help leaders communicate in ways that are human, clear, and built to actually get results. Key Takeaways: The 5 Scapes of Communication and Why Tips Alone Don't Work How to Speak Fluently in Every Temperament in the Room The Voice Mechanic Most Leaders Have Never Thought About Why Impact Is the One Scape You Don't Control How to Architect a Meeting or Presentation to Reach Everyone Please consider sharing this episode & subscribing to the show for more unfiltered conversations about leadership, growth, and the messy human side of business. Follow Brittany: Brittany on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyhart/ Brittany on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/communiscape/ Communiscape: communiscape.com Links & Mentions: Built to Communicate — Chicago panel event, May 19, 2026: https://luma.com/e5qgb3zl Submit Your Sticky Situations & Workplace Dilemmas: Got a sticky situation for Not All Business? Send a voice recording to podcast@notall.biz or drop your question in the comments. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Frances Walsh Coaching — certified Wayfinder Life Coach working with women navigating bold career moves, rebuilding after time away, or just ready for a clearer sense of direction. Start with a free intro consultation or join her upcoming 4-week Own Your Path spring workshop. Find her at franceswalshcoaching.com. Keep exploring the stories that power Not All Business. Every episode opens the door to fresh insights on what it really means to be a Female Executive or Female CEO, navigating the highs, lows, and unexpected turns of leadership. From real-world workplace dilemmas to candid conversations about breaking barriers, this podcast gives you the tools, inspiration, and perspective to thrive in your own career. So don’t stop here, dive into more episodes, learn from other women in business, and stay connected to the conversations shaping the future of work. Your next breakthrough might be just one episode away. Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about the messy reality of leadership, professional growth strategies, and the real talk about work with new episodes every week. #Female CEOs, #Female CEO Podcast, #Female Executive, #Female Executive Podcast, #Women in Business, #Women in Business Podcast, #Women Entrepreneurs, #Business Podcast, #Real Talk about Work, #Workplace Dilemmas, #Heather Cooper, #Blakely Graham, #Sticky Situations,  #Communication, #Leadership, #Communication Skills, #Brittany Hart

    1h 9m

  6. Apr 23

    Try This One Thing To Become A Better Listener

    You think listening is about trying harder. It's not. It's about building the right habit. And Allison O'Brien is here to show you how. This week on Not All Business, we sat down with Allison O'Brien, a leading expert on LQ™ Listening Intelligence. Allison works with organizations of all sizes — from nonprofits and startups to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies — helping leaders understand why poor listening is costing them more than they realize, and what to actually do about it. Key Takeaways: Why Listening Is Physiological, Not a Willpower Problem The Four Listening Filters That Shape Every Conversation You're In Why Your Brain Processes Faster Than People Speak (and What Goes Wrong in That Gap) The Real Cost of Miscommunication — and a $15,000 Example The One Practice That Will Make You a Better Listener Starting Tonight Please consider sharing this episode & subscribing to the show for more unfiltered conversations about leadership, growth, and the messy human side of business. Follow Allison: Allison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-o-brien1/ Email: allison@lq-listeningintelligence.com Instagram: @allisono585 Submit Your Sticky Situations & Workplace Dilemmas: Got a sticky situation for Not All Business? Send a voice recording to podcast@notall.biz or drop your question in the comments. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Frances Walsh Coaching — certified Wayfinder Life Coach working with women navigating bold career moves, rebuilding after time away, or just ready for a clearer sense of direction. Start with a free intro consultation or join her upcoming 4-week Own Your Path spring workshop. Find her at franceswalshcoaching.com. Keep exploring the stories that power Not All Business. Every episode opens the door to fresh insights on what it really means to be a Female Executive or Female CEO, navigating the highs, lows, and unexpected turns of leadership. From real-world workplace dilemmas to candid conversations about breaking barriers, this podcast gives you the tools, inspiration, and perspective to thrive in your own career. So don’t stop here, dive into more episodes, learn from other women in business, and stay connected to the conversations shaping the future of work. Your next breakthrough might be just one episode away. Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about the messy reality of leadership, professional growth strategies, and the real talk about work with new episodes every week. #Female CEOs, #Female CEO Podcast, #Female Executive, #Female Executive Podcast, #Women in Business, #Women in Business Podcast, #Women Entrepreneurs, #Business Podcast, #Real Talk about Work, #Workplace Dilemmas, #Heather Cooper, #Blakely Graham, #Sticky Situations,  #Listening #ListeningSkills #Leadership #Communication #AllisonOBrien #LQ #ListeningIntelligence

    1h 9m

  7. Apr 16

    The Woman Who Built Women's Sports From NOTHING

    At 23, Amy Snider stood up in a room full of men and corrected the record on women's soccer. Nobody asked her to. She did it anyway. This week on Not All Business, we sit down with Amy Snider, Cornell soccer alum, co-founder of one of Colorado's longest-running women's semi-pro franchises, and the woman who was in the stands recently when 63,004 people showed up for the Denver Summit FC home opener — the first women's professional soccer team in Colorado. She watched it go from 20 people in a stadium to sixty-three thousand. That's not luck. That's decades of refusing to quit. We also get into the NIL debate, the transfer portal's effect on team culture, what coaches Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley's sideline confrontation really revealed, and why the women's sports moment we're living in right now isn't a rise — it's a correction. Key Takeaways: Why Women's Sports Were Never Behind What Amy Said Out Loud in a Room Full of Men at 23 (And What Happened Next) Why the Denver Summit FC Home Opener Was 30 Years in the Making NIL and Transfer Portal Problems The Pay Gap in Women's Sports Is Still Shocking Please consider sharing this episode and subscribing to the show for more unfiltered conversations about leadership, growth, and the messy human side of business. Follow Amy: Cups Community Coffee: @cupstafthill Support Cups with a patio brick: buy.stripe.com/aFa8wP69Y18e8OK6NT6Zy00 Links & Mentions: Denver Summit FC: denversummitfc.com Togethxr (Everyone Watches Women’s Sports): togethxr.com NIL State-by-State High School Policy Map: biz.opendorse.com/blog/nil-high-school Geno Auriemma & Dawn Staley Final Four Confrontation: https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48390619/geno-irate-ridiculous-officiating-confronts-staley-sideline-loss Submit Your Sticky Situations & Workplace Dilemmas: Got a sticky situation for Not All Business? Send a voice recording to podcast@notall.biz or drop your question in the comments. Thank You to Our Sponsors: Frances Walsh Coaching — certified Wayfinder Life Coach working with women navigating bold career moves, rebuilding after time away, or just ready for a clearer sense of direction. Start with a free intro consultation or join her upcoming 4-week Own Your Path spring workshop. Find her at franceswalshcoaching.com. Keep exploring the stories that power Not All Business. Every episode opens the door to fresh insights on what it really means to be a Female Executive or Female CEO, navigating the highs, lows, and unexpected turns of leadership. From real-world workplace dilemmas to candid conversations about breaking barriers, this podcast gives you the tools, inspiration, and perspective to thrive in your own career. So don’t stop here, dive into more episodes, learn from other women in business, and stay connected to the conversations shaping the future of work. Your next breakthrough might be just one episode away. Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about the messy reality of leadership, professional growth strategies, and the real talk about work with new episodes every week. #Female CEOs, #Female CEO Podcast, #Female Executive, #Female Executive Podcast, #Women in Business, #Women in Business Podcast, #Women Entrepreneurs, #Business Podcast, #Real Talk about Work, #Workplace Dilemmas, #Heather Cooper, #Blakely Graham, #Sticky Situations,  #Womens Sports, #Women In Sports, #Everyone Watches Women’s Sports, #Sports Culture, #Amy Snider, #NIL, #Transfer Portal

    1h 10m

  8. Apr 9

    Sticky Situations: Bad References, Broken Accountability, and Kale

    What do you do when your manager asks you to be their reference and the nicest thing you can honestly say is... fine? This week on Not All Business, it's Casual Friday with Heather, Blakely, and Clay. No guest, no filter, and definitely no shortage of opinions. Two listener sticky situations: one is a workplace reference dilemma with no clean exit, and the other is from an educator asking a question that applies to every workplace: how do you hold people accountable when accountability doesn't actually exist at the top? Then rapid fire gets spicy. Hot takes on friending your boss, mandatory fun (Heather has strong evidence in favor), and the surprisingly divisive topic of whether to tell someone they have food in their teeth. Also: Heather has been failing her eye test at the DMV for years. Strategically. Key Takeaways: How to Give a Reference You Can Stand Behind (Without Lying) A Trick for Getting Your Manager to Write Their Own Reference Soundbites When to Be the Change vs. When to Protect Your Energy Hot Take: Should You Friend Your Boss on Social Media? Why Mandatory Fun Is Actually Just... Fun, With Waivers Please consider sharing this episode and subscribing to the show for more unfiltered conversations about leadership, growth, and the messy human side of business. Submit Your Sticky Situations & Workplace Dilemmas: Write a note: https://notall.biz Leave a voice memo: https://notall.biz/home#situations Send an email: podcast@notall.biz Thank You to Our Sponsors: The Trade Agent — AI-Powered Bidding & Invoicing for GCs and Subs https://www.thetradeagent.com/ Keep exploring the stories that power Not All Business. Every episode opens the door to fresh insights on what it really means to be a Female Executive or Female CEO, navigating the highs, lows, and unexpected turns of leadership. From real-world workplace dilemmas to candid conversations about breaking barriers, this podcast gives you the tools, inspiration, and perspective to thrive in your own career. So don’t stop here, dive into more episodes, learn from other women in business, and stay connected to the conversations shaping the future of work. Your next breakthrough might be just one episode away. Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about the messy reality of leadership, professional growth strategies, and the real talk about work with new episodes every week. #Female CEOs, #Female CEO Podcast, #Female Executive, #Female Executive Podcast, #Women in Business, #Women in Business Podcast, #Women Entrepreneurs, #Business Podcast, #Real Talk about Work, #Workplace Dilemmas, #Heather Cooper, #Blakely Graham, #Sticky Situations,  #Accountability, #WorkplaceCulture, #Leadership, #MandatoryFun, #CasualFriday

    37 min
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Trailer

4.7
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Because at work, it's not all business. We're Heather Cooper & Blakely Graham, two rival tech CEOs turned friends, hosting real conversations about the messy reality of leadership. Think of us as Sex Ed for Leadership—discussing the topics and answering all the questions professionals are too afraid to ask, with occasional reality checks from our brilliant producer, Clay. Join us for serious insights. Slightly less serious hosts. New episodes every week!

Information

  • Creator
    Blakely Graham + Heather Cooper
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Blakely Graham + Heather Cooper
  • Show Website
    Not All Business

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