She's So Suite Podcast

Kristi Faltorusso
  • 5.0 (4)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.

  1. MAY 5

    The Marine Biologist turned Chief Product Strategy Officer at Kantata ft. Sarah Edwards

    In this episode, I am joined by Sarah Edwards, Chief Product Strategy Officer at Kantata who shares how a psychology degree led to Oracle's graduate scheme, coding, consulting, living abroad twice, and ultimately landing in the C-suite. She opens up about navigating male-dominated boardrooms, the confidence gap holding women back, negotiating compensation, balancing motherhood with executive travel, and why AI is reshaping the entire industry. Key takeaways: → You don't have to be the loudest in the room to lead → Take the leap even when you only check 50% of the boxes → Protect your "me time" — it's not selfish, it's survival → Flexibility attracts the best talent — full stop → AI is breaking the "grow headcount = grow revenue" model Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 0:43 - Meet Sarah Edwards, Chief Product Strategy Officer at Kantata 2:10 - How AI is changing her job daily 315 - The hardest part of AI innovation 4:20 - Career aspiration growing up 7:14 - Career switches, working abroad & pushing past the comfort zone 13:05 - Which roles she loved most (and least) 14:05 - Leading a global team of 20 15:09 - Why vertical beats horizontal in the AI era 16:40 - Navigating culture across orgs & countries 18:51 - The compensation gap for women in tech 21:52 - Retaining talent through remote work & flexibility 26:04 - Proudest career moments 30:29 - Breaking the "loudest in the room" stereotype 33:15 - Balancing C-suite demands & family 39:05 - The guilt every working mom feels 41:23 - Staying sharp: networking & research 44:00 - Have confidence & push yourself Connect with the guest: Sarah Edwards : https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahedwards3/ Connect with Kristi Faltorusso: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the Podcast YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvmKTIOWzy8e3kbzHr4f9VMr1oGfK5Qc_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠ To learn more about Wednesday Women check out their Website: ⁠https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/⁠ LinkedIn page: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/wednesday-women/⁠ Connect with the Show Producer: Manali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manalibhat/ _____________________ About She's So Suite Podcast: Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.

    46 min

  2. APR 21

    The National Geographic photographer turned Founder at Verbatim ft. Brianna Doe

    She dreamed of shooting wildlife for National Geographic. Instead, she built a top-ranked influencer marketing agency from scratch. In this episode, Brianna Doe — founder and CEO of Verbatim — gets raw about burnout cycles, getting laid off, and the career coach call that changed everything. From filling notebooks as a kid to writing The Unapologetic Professional, Brianna breaks down how she stopped chasing someone else's version of success and started building her own. Plus: the Bumble photo that almost ended her love story before it started. Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 1:25 - Meet Brianna Doe, The Unapologetic Professional & Verbatim overview 5:50 - Childhood dream to become a Nat Geo photographer 8:03 - Film degree & friends' nonprofits 10:20 - Career journey 14:10 - Pivoting from freelancing to tech 16:00 - Influencer marketing explained 21:12 - LinkedIn content creation pivot 24:40 - Working with a career coach & launching Verbatim 29:00 - Layoff, burnout story & working with a co-founder 34:30 - Celebrating success 36:39 - The mentor manager, mom's role & the Bumble date story 39:36 - Empowering women 43:12 - Work-life balance philosophy 46:15 - Final takeaway: embrace pivots Connect with the guest: Brianna Doe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-doe/ The Unapologetic Professional: https://www.briannadoe.com/the-unapologetic-professional Connect with Kristi Faltorusso: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the Podcast YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvmKTIOWzy8e3kbzHr4f9VMr1oGfK5Qc_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠ To learn more about Wednesday Women check out their Website: ⁠https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/⁠ LinkedIn page: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/wednesday-women/⁠ Connect with the Show Producer: Manali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manalibhat/ _____________________ About She's So Suite Podcast: Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.

    49 min

  3. APR 7

    The Hotel Management Aspirant turned Founder of Running Mate ft. Dena Lewis

    In this episode, I sit down with Dena Lewis to discuss career pivots, entrepreneurship, resilience, and the personal story behind Running Mate, an on-demand app that matches runners with verified companions for safer runs. Dena discusses her early interest in hotel management, a 20-year career in medical device sales, three earlier businesses, the trauma that pushed her to rethink runner safety, and the challenges of building a mission-driven tech startup. Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 0:42 - Meet Dena Lewis & Running Mate Overview 3:10 - Runners' Safety Matters 10:35 - What Defines a Runner 12:45 - From Cornell Dreams to Med Device 16:30 - Handling Rejection 21:25 - Finding Purpose & Leaning Into Strengths 26:24 - Building Her First 3 Companies 34:00 - The Story Behind Running Mate 43:27 - Startup Challenges 48:31 - Living With Purpose Connect with the guest: Dena Lewis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dena-lewis-a9546a24/ Running Mate: https://www.getrunningmate.com/ Connect with Kristi Faltorusso: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the Podcast YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvmKTIOWzy8e3kbzHr4f9VMr1oGfK5Qc_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠ To learn more about Wednesday Women check out their Website: ⁠https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/⁠ LinkedIn page: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/wednesday-women/⁠ Connect with the Show Producer: Manali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manalibhat/ _____________________ About She's So Suite Podcast: Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.

    51 min

  4. MAR 24

    The Spy turned CCO at People.ai ft. Natalie Wolf

    Kristi Faltorusso sits down with Natalie Wolf, CCO at People.ai, to explore her journey from consulting to the C-suite and the leadership lessons she had to unlearn along the way. Natalie shares how growing up in a competitive consulting environment shaped her early leadership style, and why she later realized that being “tough” wasn’t enough. She dives into the importance of empathy, adapting leadership to individuals, and redefining success beyond traditional career paths. This episode is a candid reflection on growth, resilience, and becoming the kind of leader your team actually needs—not just the one you were taught to be. Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 1:10 - Meet Natalie Wolf 2:30 - Fitness Journey & Side Hustle 5:25 - Career Aspirations vs Reality 10:45 - Career Pivots & Key Moments 15:35 - Transition from Consulting to Tech 18:20 - Leading as a Woman in Male-Dominated Environments 28:10 - Career Reflection & Proud Moments 31:24 - How Difficult Leaders Shape You & Your Career Success 34:10 - Empowering Women 37:00 - Work-Life Harmony 41:00 - You Don’t Need Permission to Lead Connect with the guest Natalie Wolf: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmwolf/ Connect with Kristi Faltorusso Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the Podcast YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvmKTIOWzy8e3kbzHr4f9VMr1oGfK5Qc_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠ To learn more about Wednesday Women check out their Website: ⁠https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/⁠ LinkedIn page: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/wednesday-women/⁠ Connect with the Show Producer: Manali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manalibhat/ _____________________ About She's So Suite Podcast: Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.

    44 min

  5. MAR 10

    The President turned CRO at Vanta ft. Stevie Case

    In this episode of She's So Suite, host Kristi Faltorusso sits down with Stevie Case, Chief Revenue Officer at Vanta, to explore one of the most unconventional journeys to the C-suite. Stevie shares her remarkable story—from aspiring politician, to professional esports gamer, to video game designer, and ultimately becoming a top enterprise salesperson and then becoming a CRO leading a 500+ person revenue organization. The conversation dives into the power of leaning into discomfort, proving doubters wrong, building high-performing teams, and leading with vulnerability. Stevie also opens up about navigating career challenges, raising a daughter as a single mother while building her career, and the leadership lessons that helped her scale Vanta during hypergrowth. If you're interested in career pivots, sales leadership, building elite teams, or breaking traditional career molds, this episode delivers powerful lessons and inspiration. Timestamps 0:00 - Preview 1:08 - Meet Stevie Case & Vanta's Overview 2:25 - Scaling a Hypergrowth Company 4:30 - The Secret to Execution in Startups 6:40 - Childhood Dream: Becoming U.S. President 8:15 - Becoming a Professional Gamer & an Early Internet Celebrity 10:28 - Transitioning from Gaming to Game Development 11:25 - The Unexpected Career Pivot into Sales 15:00 - Parents' Reaction to Stevie's Gaming Career 18:30 - Leaning into Discomfort 21:30 - Joining Twilio and Proving the Critics Wrong 23:07 - The Mentor Who Changed Her Career 28:30 - Raising a Daughter as a Single Mom While Building a Career 30:25 - Betting on Yourself 35:25 - Building the Team at Vanta 38:15 - Hiring Secrets for High-Performing Teams 41:03 - Final Leadership Advice Connect with the guest: Stevie Case: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steviecase/ Connect with Kristi Faltorusso: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the Podcast YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvmKTIOWzy8e3kbzHr4f9VMr1oGfK5Qc_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠ To learn more about Wednesday Women check out their Website: ⁠https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/⁠ LinkedIn page: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/wednesday-women/⁠ Connect with the Show Producer: Manali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manalibhat/ _____________________ About She's So Suite Podcast: Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.

    43 min

  6. FEB 24

    The Ballerina turned CEO at Purl Advisors ft. Shannon Plumb

    In this episode of the She’s So Suite Podcast, Kristi Faltorusso sits down with Shannon Plumb, CEO of Purl Advisors, to discuss resilience, reinvention, leadership, and empowering women in revenue. Kristi shares her unconventional journey from dancing professionally at BalletMet to breaking into enterprise sales, navigating the SaaS boom in Boulder, Colorado, and ultimately stepping into the C-suite. She opens up about losing her identity after a career-ending ballet injury, navigating tech as a woman without role models, leading through mergers and acquisitions, getting laid off unexpectedly, taking the leap to launch her own advisory firm, and building and mentoring women in revenue. This conversation is honest, empowering, and packed with leadership insight for ambitious women, founders, and revenue leaders. Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 1:11 - Meet Shannon Plumb 2:30 - Being A Paasionate Dancer 4:45 - Losing Identity & Rebuilding from Scratch 6:48 - Choosing College & Studying Interior Design 8:50 - Breaking into Sales 10:30 - The Power of Real Sales Training 13:35 - Moving to Boulder & Discovering SaaS 16:20 - Why SaaS Changed Everything 18:30 - The Challenge of Leading as a Woman in Revenue 20:33 - Navigating Authenticity in Male-Dominated Spaces 25:45 - Coaching Women Differently in Sales 29:00 - Leading Through an Acquisition & Keeping 100% of Her Team 32:10 - Getting Laid Off & The Emotional Impact 35:20 - Launching Purl Advisors 36:31 - Women in Sales & Techstars Mentorship 40:20 - The Myth of Work-Life Balance 43:00 - Don’t Wait to Be Empowered Connect with the guest: Shannon Plumb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonplumb/ Connect with Kristi Faltorusso: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the Podcast YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvmKTIOWzy8e3kbzHr4f9VMr1oGfK5Qc_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠ To learn more about Wednesday Women check out their Website: ⁠https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/⁠ LinkedIn page: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/wednesday-women/⁠ Connect with the Show Producer: Manali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manalibhat/ _____________________ About She's So Suite Podcast: Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depths of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.

    46 min

  7. FEB 10

    The International Spy turned Founder & Principal at Cultivate CX ft. Kathleen Rouse

    In this inspiring episode, I, Kristi Faltorusso, sit down with the remarkable Kathleen Rouse, founder and principal of CultivateCX. Kathleen opens up about the pivotal moments, hard-won lessons, and bold decisions that shaped her career—from her childhood dreams of becoming an international spy to her reality leading teams across continents and founding her own impactful business. Together, Kristi and Kathleen dive deep into the exciting and challenging world of entrepreneurship, discussing everything from business failures and resilience to the unique challenges of balancing life in the “sandwich generation,” supporting both her daughter and aging parent. Tune in to hear how Kathleen Rouse continues to create space for herself and other women to rise, and why she believes compassion and courage will define the leaders of the future. Timestamps 0:00 - Preview 0:40 - Meet Kathleen Rouse 2:45 - Early career aspirations and personal backstory 5:15 - Early business failure and the lessons learned 6:42 - Critical shift during the 2020 pandemic at FinancialForce (now Certinia) 8:02 - Personal life changes influencing career moves 9:15 - Rise of solopreneurs and content creators 16:00 - How losing a first business built resilience and focus 17:15 - Balancing pragmatism with ambition 18:30 - Navigating work and family pressures 20:04 - Caring for children, aging parents & self-care 25:00 - Go-to karaoke songs 27:30 - Stopping to reflect & celebrate 31:11 - Launching grassroots movements within organizations 32:11. - Building empowered teams & achieving significant business outcomes 33:42 - Recent accomplishments at CultivateCX 37:15 - Empowering other women 41:10 - Relocating to Paris and expanding business to Europe 43:55 - Closing remarks Connect with the guest: Kathleen Rouse: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenrouse/ Connect with Kristi Faltorusso: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the Podcast YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvmKTIOWzy8e3kbzHr4f9VMr1oGfK5Qc_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠ To learn more about Wednesday Women check out their Website: ⁠https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/⁠ LinkedIn page: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/wednesday-women/⁠ Connect with the Show Producer: Manali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manalibhat/ _____________________ About She's So Suite Podcast: Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.

    47 min

  8. JAN 27

    The NFL Cheerleader turned Founder & CEO at GrowthQ ft. Esther Iyamu

    In today’s episode, I, Kristi Faltorusso,  sit down with Esther Iyamu, founder and CEO of Growth Q. Esther shares her incredible story as the self-declared "pivot queen," taking us through the major shifts in her life—from immigrating to the US, switching college majors, being an NFL cheerleader, climbing the ranks at Cisco, and finally launching her own company. Tune in as Esther Iyamu reflects on the power of community, the importance of calculated risks, and the value of learning from both successes and setbacks. Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction 0:45 - Meet Esther Iyamu 6:00 - Life in Dubai 9:45 - Career Aspirations Growing Up 11:31 - Being The NFL Cheerleader 14:55 - Reflecting on Career Pivots and Major Decisions 19:07 - The Role of Community in Professional Growth 21:02 - Struggles with Hiring Fast & Firing Slow 27:50 - Celebrating Esther's Successes 33:27 - Raising Capital as a Female Founder 37:10 - Advice for Younger Self & Listeners 42:00 - Outro Connect with the guest: Esther Iyamu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamestherayorinde/ Connect with Kristi Faltorusso: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the Podcast YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvmKTIOWzy8e3kbzHr4f9VMr1oGfK5Qc_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠ To learn more about Wednesday Women, check out their Website: ⁠https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/⁠ LinkedIn page: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/wednesday-women/⁠ Connect with the Show Producer: Manali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manalibhat/ _____________________ About She's So Suite Podcast: Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.

    43 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.

Information

  • Creator
    Kristi Faltorusso
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kristi Faltorusso
  • Show Website
    She's So Suite Podcast

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