She's So Suite Podcast

Hosted by Kristi Faltorusso

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Jun 2026

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About the show

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.

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June 16, 2026Episode 6346 min

The Doctor turned Founder & CEO at Quantum Networks Group ft. Charlene Li

Charlene Li dreamed of being a doctor. She became a serial disruptor instead. The New York Times bestselling author and Quantum Networks Group founder joins Kristi Faltorusso on She So Suite. Charlene traces her path from Harvard neurobiology to the early internet to founding Altimeter. She shares how she built an analyst firm that beat Gartner by giving research away free. She talks managing people, knowing when to stop, and disrupting with a smile.Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction0:50 - Meet Charlene Li2:45 - Childhood dream: becoming a doctor like dad3:25 - The pivot from medicine to social sciences at Harvard6:10 - "Everyone in business is tall, white and male"7:55 - Monitor Group, HBS, and betting on the internet9:10 - A career in disruption and finding superpowers11:30 - Why she stopped wanting to manage people17:00 - Working at Forrester20:13 - Researching and Experimenting22:51 - AI's ability to shift powers26:30 - Challenges in setting up the company28:30 - A painful layoff and the shame around failure30:56 - Lessons from selling the company33:55 - Building Altimeter & The free-research disruption strategy40:30 - Empowered women empower women43:15 - Be honest with yourselfJoin over 16,000 professionals who have signed up to hear real and relatable stories, expert advice from a c-level executive, and gain access to resources to help make them better CS professionals and leaders at https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/the-journey-cs-newsletterConnect with the guest: Charlene Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleneli/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/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: ⁠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.

June 2, 2026Episode 6248 min

The Children's Book Author turned CCO at Point of Reference ft. Alison Bukowski

Allison Bukowski wanted to be a children's book author at age five. Today she's the Chief Customer Officer at Point of Reference. And the through-line between those two things is storytelling. In this episode, Allison walks KristI through a career built on writing, advocacy, and a fierce belief that customers deserve a seat at the table and not just a mention in the mission statement.Reflecting on her career journey, Allison shares the real talk: the years she slowed her own climb by refusing to self-promote, deprioritising the the VP title she worked really hard after her second daughter was born, and the moment she finally realized that advocating for customers and advocating for herself were the same skill. She also gets candid about women competing instead of collaborating, the guilt of being a traveling mom, and why imposter syndrome is actually a green light and not a stop sign.Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction0:30 - Meet Alison Bukowski, CCO at Point of Reference and a mom2:52 - Childhood dream of becoming a children's book author5:07 - Changing writing style in the light of AI writing6:45 - First job out of school and career waves9:12 - Alison's Mission to take customer advocacy from a single role to an organization-wide discipline12:00 - Moving from execution to influencing strategy and speaking CFO language13:50 - Lessons from the career journey16:50 - The challenge of not being good at politics and learning to advocate 19:22 - How she started advocating for herself22:55 - VP before 30 and Titles matter, but so does timing27:57 - Being asked for mentorship and watching someone she mentored get promoted29:00 - You can have it all, just not all at once30:10 - Empowering women: Collaboration over competition38:17 - How Alison balances work and life40:26 - Phone boundaries and being present for the "last firsts"43:15 - Imposter syndrome means you're readyConnect with the guest: Alison Bukowski: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-a-bukowski/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/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: ⁠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.

May 19, 2026Episode 6142 min

The Accountant turned Chief Marketing & AI Officer at 2X ft. Lisa Cole

Lisa Cole didn't plan to be a marketer. She started college as an accounting major, landed a sales job, and discovered a broken relationship between sales and marketing that would shape her entire 25-year career. Now Chief Marketing & AI Officer at 2X, Lisa shares what it really takes to transform marketing from a "make things look pretty" function into a company's primary growth engine.In this episode, Lisa and I dig into her path from retail cell phone sales to the C-suite, including the mentor who named her successor, a CEO who told her to "find her swagger," and the moment her team accepted an award in front of 4,500 CMOs. She also gets candid about managing layoffs of former peers, finding work-life integration as a mom of three, and why every CMO needs to personally get their hands dirty with AI.Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & introduction1:15 - Meet Lisa Cole, her current role at 2X & an overview of 2X 4:45 - From 12-year-old aspiring accountant to marketing major7:40 - First job as an account executive & discovering the sales/marketing divide11:20 - What does sales really do? And why the future is bright for marketing13:40 - Deciding to own the outcome & her first CMO role15:02 - Biggest pivotal decisions: owning outcomes and driving disruptive change16:20 - The CEO who said "find your swagger" & learning to say no18:20 - Becoming a business leader, not just a functional leader21:33 - Eliminating former peers & inheriting a broken operating model25:20 - Advice for leaders navigating layoffs with empathy28:38 - Bagging the Sirius Decision award33:00 - Pulling other women through the door — mentorship as a commitment33:55 - The "find your Sarah" story; writing The Limitless CMO35:31 - Work-life integration & setting boundaries39:20 - Don't outsource AI to your team — understand it yourselfConnect with the guest: Lisa Cole: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisacole01/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/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: ⁠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.

May 5, 2026Episode 6046 min

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" modelTimestamps 0:00 - Preview & Introduction0:43 - Meet Sarah Edwards, Chief Product Strategy Officer at Kantata2:10 - How AI is changing her job daily315 - The hardest part of AI innovation4:20 - Career aspiration growing up7:14 - Career switches, working abroad & pushing past the comfort zone13:05 - Which roles she loved most (and least)14:05 - Leading a global team of 2015:09 - Why vertical beats horizontal in the AI era16:40 - Navigating culture across orgs & countries18:51 - The compensation gap for women in tech21:52 - Retaining talent through remote work & flexibility26:04 - Proudest career moments30:29 - Breaking the "loudest in the room" stereotype33:15 - Balancing C-suite demands & family39:05 - The guilt every working mom feels41:23 - Staying sharp: networking & research44:00 - Have confidence & push yourselfConnect 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/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: ⁠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.

April 21, 2026Episode 5949 min

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 & Introduction1:25 - Meet Brianna Doe, The Unapologetic Professional & Verbatim overview5:50 - Childhood dream to become a Nat Geo photographer8:03 - Film degree & friends' nonprofits10:20 - Career journey14:10 - Pivoting from freelancing to tech16:00 - Influencer marketing explained21:12 - LinkedIn content creation pivot24:40 - Working with a career coach & launching Verbatim29:00 - Layoff, burnout story & working with a co-founder34:30 - Celebrating success36:39 - The mentor manager, mom's role & the Bumble date story39:36 - Empowering women43:12 - Work-life balance philosophy46:15 - Final takeaway: embrace pivotsConnect with the guest:Brianna Doe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-doe/The Unapologetic Professional: https://www.briannadoe.com/the-unapologetic-professionalConnect 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/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: ⁠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.

April 7, 2026Episode 5851 min

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 & Introduction0:42 - Meet Dena Lewis & Running Mate Overview3:10 - Runners' Safety Matters10:35 - What Defines a Runner12:45 - From Cornell Dreams to Med Device16:30 - Handling Rejection21:25 - Finding Purpose & Leaning Into Strengths26:24 - Building Her First 3 Companies34:00 - The Story Behind Running Mate43:27 - Startup Challenges48:31 - Living With PurposeConnect 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/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: ⁠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.

March 24, 2026Episode 5744 min

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 & Introduction1:10 - Meet Natalie Wolf2:30 - Fitness Journey & Side Hustle5:25 - Career Aspirations vs Reality10:45 - Career Pivots & Key Moments15:35 - Transition from Consulting to Tech18:20 - Leading as a Woman in Male-Dominated Environments28:10 - Career Reflection & Proud Moments31:24 - How Difficult Leaders Shape You & Your Career Success34:10 - Empowering Women37:00 - Work-Life Harmony41:00 - You Don’t Need Permission to LeadConnect with the guest Natalie Wolf: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmwolf/Connect with Kristi FaltorussoWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠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/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: ⁠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.

March 10, 2026Episode 5443 min

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 - Preview1:08 - Meet Stevie Case & Vanta's Overview2:25 - Scaling a Hypergrowth Company4:30 - The Secret to Execution in Startups6:40 - Childhood Dream: Becoming U.S. President8:15 - Becoming a Professional Gamer & an Early Internet Celebrity10:28 - Transitioning from Gaming to Game Development11:25 - The Unexpected Career Pivot into Sales15:00 - Parents' Reaction to Stevie's Gaming Career18:30 - Leaning into Discomfort21:30 - Joining Twilio and Proving the Critics Wrong23:07 - The Mentor Who Changed Her Career28:30 - Raising a Daughter as a Single Mom While Building a Career30:25 - Betting on Yourself35:25 - Building the Team at Vanta38:15 - Hiring Secrets for High-Performing Teams41:03 - Final Leadership AdviceConnect 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/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: ⁠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.

February 24, 2026Episode 5545 min

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 & Introduction1:11 - Meet Shannon Plumb2:30 - Being A Paasionate Dancer4:45 - Losing Identity & Rebuilding from Scratch6:48 - Choosing College & Studying Interior Design8:50 - Breaking into Sales10:30 - The Power of Real Sales Training13:35 - Moving to Boulder & Discovering SaaS16:20 - Why SaaS Changed Everything18:30 - The Challenge of Leading as a Woman in Revenue20:33 - Navigating Authenticity in Male-Dominated Spaces25:45 - Coaching Women Differently in Sales29:00 - Leading Through an Acquisition & Keeping 100% of Her Team32:10 - Getting Laid Off & The Emotional Impact35:20 - Launching Purl Advisors36:31 - Women in Sales & Techstars Mentorship40:20 - The Myth of Work-Life Balance43:00 - Don’t Wait to Be EmpoweredConnect 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/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: ⁠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.

February 10, 2026Episode 5447 min

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 - Preview0:40 - Meet Kathleen Rouse2:45 - Early career aspirations and personal backstory5:15 - Early business failure and the lessons learned6:42 - Critical shift during the 2020 pandemic at FinancialForce (now Certinia)8:02 - Personal life changes influencing career moves9:15 - Rise of solopreneurs and content creators16:00 - How losing a first business built resilience and focus17:15 - Balancing pragmatism with ambition18:30 - Navigating work and family pressures20:04 - Caring for children, aging parents & self-care25:00 - Go-to karaoke songs27:30 - Stopping to reflect & celebrate31:11 - Launching grassroots movements within organizations32:11. - Building empowered teams & achieving significant business outcomes33:42 - Recent accomplishments at CultivateCX37:15 - Empowering other women41:10 - Relocating to Paris and expanding business to Europe43:55 - Closing remarksConnect 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/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjP⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499⁠⁠⁠⁠To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: ⁠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.