Best Manager Ever

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Best Manager Ever: Doug Hanna

Best Manager Ever

11/20/24 • 40 min

Doug Hanna, President & COO at Kustomer and former COO at Grafana Labs, is renowned for his expertise in customer service and operational excellence, having significantly contributed to the growth of companies like Help.com and Zendesk. During his tenure, he helped scale Grafana Labs from a team of 70 to over a thousand employees.

Doug's direct reports praise his hyper-rationality, exceptional context-switching abilities, and a balanced approach to management that marries analytical rigor with empathy.

In this episode, Annie Riley, founder of Fort Light, sits down with Doug to discuss his strategies for addressing system failures during scaling, his approach to effective delegation and building scalable structures, and the art of maintaining responsiveness and understanding team motivations in a fast-paced environment. Tune in for a deep dive into Doug's dynamic leadership techniques and operational insights that drive success at Kustomer.

Connect with Doug Hanna

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Introducing Best Manager Ever

Best Manager Ever

10/08/24 • 2 min

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

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Best Manager Ever: Amit Shah - Harnessing Energy, Gratitude & Learning

Best Manager Ever

05/21/25 • 47 min

Amit Shah is the COO of Virta Health, where he’s built the company from ~30 team members to over 800 colleagues working to reverse obesity and diabetes. Amit has 10+ years of experience in building and scaling entrepreneurial and high-growth healthcare organizations, with a focus on delivering financial and operational results while aligning on mission and values.

Amit’s direct reports praise his ability to balance the needs of Virta’s members, business, and staff, describing him as incredibly kind, caring, driven, and a fierce protector of his team. He is celebrated for his passion, structured thinking, dedication to his own growth and development, and continuous improvement in leadership.

In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Amit, and they cover:

How to build a gratitude practice that supports your team– and yourself
The importance of emotional awareness and regulation in leadership
Energy management habits and practices
A process to take charge of feedback, learning, and growth
The relationship between execution and strategy in startups

Join us on Substack

Connect with Amit Shah

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Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

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Best Manager Ever: Thianh Lu

Best Manager Ever

12/04/24 • 40 min

Thianh Lu is the Chief Product Officer at Autograph and is a 3x founder, with one company acquired by WordPress and another by Blockchain.com.

He has a unique and well-rounded perspective on leadership, having been in the roles of early employee, later-stage executive, and founder/CEO.

Thianh's direct reports praise his empowering and collaborative style, and remember him for building high-trust teams with a rapid tempo of learning and development.

In this episode, Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light sits down with Thianh to discuss the importance of specific feedback, fostering a culture of learning, and balancing speed with thoughtful decision-making. Tune in to learn how Thianh's unique blend of curiosity and rigor drives both personal and team growth in dynamic startup environments.

Connect with Thianh Lu

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Connect with Carol Mahoney

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Best Manager Ever: Carol Mahoney - Human First Leadership

Best Manager Ever

04/30/25 • 43 min

Carol Mahoney is a seasoned Chief People Officer. She’s well known for her work operationalizing the famously beloved company culture at Gainsight. She’s also served as the SVP of People and Culture at Zoosk and SVP of HR at LivingSocial, among others.

Carol's direct reports praise her ability to get things done, while creating a positive culture and showing up as her authentic self. She is recognized for setting high standards and being a strong yet supportive leader, and for adapting to the needs of her team and org.

In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Carol,

and they cover:

What human first leadership actually means
The importance of co-creating mutually beneficial working relationships
Operationalizing values and intentions into a consistent culture
Fostering a safe space for concerns and doubts

Join us on Substack

Check out Carol’s new venture, élan Talent Management

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best Manager Ever: Zayd Badwan

Best Manager Ever

10/23/24 • 38 min

Zayd Badwan is a founding team member and VP of Enterprise at Uplimit. Before joining Uplimit, Zayd scaled the Customer Success team at Coursera. With 15+ years of experience in learning and development startups, he brings insights from working closely with global governments and nonprofits, and industry-leading companies including Google and Salesforce.

Zayd is described by his direct reports as a positive leader with a knack for building trust, making work fun, and bringing relentless energy in the face of challenges.

In this episode, Annie Riley sits down with Zayd to discuss the highs and lows of building teams from scratch, prioritizing learning as the best way to win in early stage company-building, and managing burnout and building emotional resilience. Zayd also highlights the importance of authenticity and candor in work relationships, and shares strategies for communicating across the company. Tune in for valuable insights on leadership, especially in very early-stage startup environments.

Connect with Zayd Badwan

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Connect with Morgane Palomares

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Best Manager Ever: Morgane Palomares

Best Manager Ever

10/16/24 • 37 min

Morgane Palomares is the VP of Marketing at Vercel, and is known for her significant roles at GitHub, Zendesk and Change.org.

Morgane's direct reports praise her exceptional leadership, high standards, and ability to create a trusting and safe environment. They describe her as 'superhuman,' 'aggressive,' and 'a winner,' highlighting her unique ability to balance high demands with personal care for her team.

In this episode, Annie Riley, the founder of Fort Light, talks with Morgane about strategies for setting high expectations, creating space for emotions, and fostering team camaraderie. Learn about Morgan's approach to continuous learning, her unique lingo, and her emphasis on early career coaching. Morgan also talks about balancing work-life commitments, organizing her time effectively, being proactive about personal growth, and the importance of sharing information openly with her team.

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with Brittney Hall

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Best Manager Ever: Brittney Hall

Best Manager Ever

10/30/24 • 39 min

Brittany Hall is the Head of Customer Experience at ReMatter, a series A startup. She is also known for her notable work at companies like GoGuardian, People.ai and DataGrail. Over the past decade, Brittney has built a reputation for her outstanding ability to build and scale customer-facing teams from scratch.

Brittany's direct reports describe her as an exceptional leader who is clear, honest, and genuinely caring. They highlight her ability to build high-performing teams and manage early-stage company challenges.

In this episode Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light, sits down with Brittney, to discuss the framework for hiring non-traditional candidates, her strategy for timely feedback and team communication, and her approach to self-advocacy and prioritizing tasks. Tune in to learn how Brittany's leadership style and execution mindset drive startup success.

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills