What if the emotion you think is your heart is actually fear?Sue Heilbronner has been a federal prosecutor, startup founder, venture capitalist, executive coach, and now author of Never Ask for the Sale. She's followed her heart more times than she can count. And she's also followed her fear, thinking it was her heart.In this conversation, Sue gets honest about what it actually takes to follow your heart — including the parts nobody talks about. The disappointment. The self-doubt. The moments where you still don't believe you're enough, even after decades of building.She also introduces a framework that I believe is helpful: passionate ambivalence. Care deeply about what you're creating. Run experiments. But don't tie your worth to whether they work out.Because disappointment is the most common thing that happens. But it doesn't mean you can't come out optimistic on the other side of crying your eyes out. This is a conversation about courage, honesty, and what it looks like to keep showing up after things don't go the way you hoped.Key Takeaways1. Fear and following your heart can feel the same. Decisions rooted in shame or self-doubt can feel like intuition. The difference is direction: moving toward something vs. away from discomfort.2. Following your heart doesn’t require a leap. Sue made bold moves in a way that felt safe to her — starting her company at night and testing her book before self-publishing. You can follow your heart and manage risk.3. Passionate ambivalence is a practice. Care deeply, but don't be attached to the outcome. When your identity isn’t tied to the outcome, you show up more freely.4. Disappointment sucks and it's common and survivable. Disappointment hurts. But Sue knows from experience that she’ll come out the other side. Trying many things keeps any one disappointment from defining you.5. The best agenda is flexible. Structure creates safety; letting go creates magic. Real listening means being present enough to follow what’s actually happening.👤 About Sue Heilbronner:Sue Heilbronner is a CEO, leadership coach, and advisor who helps founders and executives navigate growth, decision-making, and change. She is the co-founder of MergeLane, a venture fund investing in diverse teams, and the creator of Leadership Camp for high-potential leaders. She has led and scaled companies across digital marketing, e-commerce, and technology, and now works closely with founders through coaching, teaching, and mentorship, including with Techstars and the University of Colorado. Sue began her career as an attorney, serving as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She holds a BA from Oberlin College and a JD and Master of Public Policy from Duke University.💻 Sue can be found:Website: www.heysue.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueheilbronnerNever Ask for the Sale – Sue Heilbronner: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Ask-Sale-Sue-Heilbronner/dp/059353936X✨ About Vlada Bortnik:Vlada Bortnik is the CEO and co-founder of Marco Polo, the video messaging app designed to help people feel close without sacrificing time, privacy, or wellbeing. A Ukrainian refugee who arrived in the U.S. at 11, she built the company alongside her husband Michał while raising two young children, guided by her belief that technology should strengthen human connection, not exploit it. Today, she leads Marco Polo as a profitable, mission-driven company and speaks candidly about balancing parenthood and entrepreneurship while building ethical technology that scales.💻 Vlada can be found:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladaSubstack: https://heartfulwonders.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vladabortnik📎 Resources mentioned:Conscious Leadership Group: https://conscious.isThe 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership – https://conscious.isEnneagram: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com
