99 Humans

What does it take to lead yourself—before you can lead anyone else? You start by knowing yourself, being yourself, and showing up as yourself.

From scaling startups to stepping away for a “blank canvas” sabbatical, Nish Patel has spent his career reimagining what leadership can look like in an age of rapid change. In this episode, he shares how living with a rare neurological condition became his greatest teacher—shaping his perspective on resilience, perspective, and the human side of innovation.

We talk about reframing limitations as circumstances, why friction is the new optimization, and how...

What does it take to lead with courage—when you’re the only one in the room who looks or sounds like you? You advocate for yourself, open the door for others, and build the future one brick at a time.

From growing up in a 300-square-foot apartment in India to becoming a global tech executive, Vidya More has built a remarkable career at the forefront of AI and innovation. In this episode, she shares the winding journey that took her from soldering broken radios to leading data and AI strategy at Capgemini—and the quiet resilience it too...

How do you lead in crisis when every protocol breaks down? You listen, adapt—and bring the volleyballs.

From night landings in sandstorms to leading sailors mid-pandemic, Navy pilot (and Jeff's personal hero/brother!) Patrick Lakusta shares the messy, human side of leadership in high-stakes environments. In this episode, Patrick opens up about taking command of a Joint Strike Fighter Squadron, the emotional complexity of military transitions, and the unexpected ways transparency and humor sustained his team through COVID isolation.

With wisdom forged in flight simulators, quarantine gyms, and desert skies, Patrick reflects on prioritizing wh...

How do you lead with humanity in the face of uncertainty? You ask for what you need.

From door-to-door sales in Texas to leading national teams in the luxury skincare space, Alessia Todde’s leadership journey is one of grit, transformation, and heart. But behind her impressive résumé lies a deeper story—one of learning from management mistakes (like all of us!), navigating the chaos of working motherhood, and most recently, facing a breast cancer diagnosis with courage and clarity.

In this episode, Alessia opens up about the evolution of her leadership style—from microman...

From playing collegiate soccer on a scholarship to leading global teams at Google, Juan Vallejo’s journey is defined by grit, heart, and an unshakeable commitment to his values. But behind the polished résumé lies a story of resilience—from rebuilding his life after losing a job and visa sponsorship, to facing major knee surgery and recovery with optimism and discipline.

In this episode, Juan shares how his guiding values—passion, growth, and legacy—shape not just his leadership style but his entire life. He opens up about navigating setbacks, the importance of taking action to honor your...

Life can change in an instant. One moment you're planning a future, and the next, you're navigating a whirlwind of life-altering events.

Raman Khanna, VP at IPG media brands, shares his powerful and deeply personal story of facing a cancer diagnosis while his wife was pregnant with their second child and his mother was passing away. From the shock of a life-threatening illness to the joy of new life and the pain of loss, Raman reveals how these experiences reshaped his perspective on leadership, career, and what truly matters.

Tune in to hear how Raman...

People talk about work addiction like it's a badge of honor. Like grinding yourself into the ground somehow makes you worthy of success.

Leadership coach Nicky Brown shares her powerful journey from corporate success to self-discovery, revealing how she broke free from work addiction and redefined achievement on her own terms. From her early influences in human-centric leadership to the pivotal moment she realized her worth wasn’t tied to accolades, Nicky offers deep insights on balancing ambition with well-being. 

Tune in to learn how to lead with purpose, break unhealthy patterns, and create lasting imp...

Can you remember a moment in your career that changed everything?

Nancy Hall, CEO of Mindshare North America, shares her remarkable journey—from faxing her first job application to becoming one of the most respected leaders in digital marketing and advertising. She opens up about the challenges of being a female leader in a male-dominated industry, the power of lifelong learning, and the importance of fostering diverse teams that encourage debate and creativity.

Nancy also reflects on the lessons learned from her early entrepreneurial venture in fashion-tech, the struggles of balancing career and motherhood, and ho...

When you want something, sometimes it requires taking a leap. What are you leaping to next?

From small-town India to the executive boardroom, Nandeeta Seth shares her journey of resilience, risk-taking, and redefining success. She opens up about moving to the U.S. with nothing but ambition (and a mountain of student debt), the challenges of leadership in a fast-changing world, and how being a mom actually makes her a better executive. 

Tune in for candid insights on career growth, emotional regulation, and setting boundaries—both in business and in life.

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Who are the toughest negotiators in your world?

From navigating high-stakes decisions at Google and Facebook to advocating for her neuroatypical child, Alexis Hochleutner shares candid lessons on trust, resilience, and why four-year-olds might just be the toughest negotiators of all. 

Tune in for a refreshingly real take on leadership, advocacy, and embracing the chaos. Alexis Hochleutner dives into the messy, human side of leadership—both in the boardroom and at home. 

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99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta inte...

Who's your closest partner? What makes that partnership work?

Dive into the dynamic partnership between Sandra Muoio and Ryan Blum, two advertising leaders whose decade-long collaboration has weathered high-stakes challenges, heated debates, and plenty of laughter. From a fateful conversation on a stuck Chicago L train to transforming major client strategies, their story is a masterclass in trust, empathy, and authentic leadership.

Hear how they navigate disagreements, build creative solutions, and inspire their teams—all while staying true to themselves and each other. This is a conversation about the human side of leadership, where mutual re...

You’re the CEO of your own narrative. So, what’s your next chapter?

Kay Munday, a communications coach, NLP practitioner, and creative business leader at Google shares her journey from being a self-proclaimed “terrible communicator” to becoming a sought-after expert in helping people and brands own their narratives. Through her personal story of transformation, she reveals how overcoming her fear of communication taught her the importance of aligning your internal story before mastering external expression.

Kay’s relatable anecdotes and actionable insights make this episode a masterclass in reinvention, vulnerability, and the art of storytelli...

How do you do it all and ENJOY THE RIDE?!

Max Traylor, a fourth-generation entrepreneur and independent consultant, shares his journey of redefining success. From the pressures of running a marketing agency to discovering a business model that puts personal life first, Max reflects on the lessons he’s learned about work-life balance, mental health, and building a fulfilling life.

Max offers practical insights for consultants and entrepreneurs on simplifying work, focusing on impact, and, above all, enjoying the ride. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about prioritizing what truly matters.

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Trust and collaboration. Every team needs it, but how do you create it?

Alexia Palau started a new role on March 20, 2020 just as things began unravelling for COVID. Alexia shares how the next few years challenged her with building trust and collaboration in her multi-national team. Applying lessons learned from startups and past roles, Alexia shares how she nurtures relationships that avoid the echo chamber and keep her grounded with what the team needs to succeed.

For Alexia, success is a constant process of iteration, requiring a team of people who will tell you what...

How often do you say no? It may be getting in your way.

Dustin Riechmann is a serial entrepreneur, and since he's always juggling multiple businesses, he's had to learn the importance of letting things go. A 6-month deadline to make a profitable side business became the opportunity to give notice and pursue his passions.

Dustin shares tricks of the trade from successes and failures of starting companies, now coaching other founders on making the 7-figure leap.

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99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on...

Companies are not families, but the people we work with can be lifelong friends.

Mailine Swildens helps the largest companies in the world reimagine their digital marketing. Mailine shares how she learned that companies are not families without becoming disillusioned or pessimistic by their profit-driven nature.

Mailine thinks that when leadership comes from a good place, it changes the world. Hear how she keeps a realistic perspective on corporations while still creating a fulfilling experience for herself and her teams.

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99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on...

The best way to grow is to get uncomfortable.

From Taiwan to tech, Annica Lin's journey is a testament to the power of a growth mindset. In this inspiring episode, Annica reveals her secrets for overcoming challenges, building resilience, and achieving her goals. As the head of growth for Nagish, Annica interweaves her passion for challenge with her leadership in and out of the workplace.

Annica shares how she's transformed her life through running marathons, speaking on the TEDx stage, and leading multiple technology companies. Listen and discover what it takes to embrace discomfort and...

Discover how to balance a demanding career with personal passions.

Giorgio Suighi, a successful entrepreneur and corporate leader at Mindshare, shares his strategies for making time for what you love. From leveraging AI to cultivating personal discipline, Giorgio's insights offer practical tips for achieving a fulfilling work-life balance.

Tune in to learn how to design your life around your unique interests and find the energy for both your career and personal pursuits.

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99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta...

Tired of L&D initiatives (your own or your team's) falling flat?

Join us as we chat with Pete Fullard, Founder & CEO of Upskill People, a company that has thrived in the learning space for nearly 30 years. Discover why measuring outcomes and building actionable plans are the keys to successful L&D.

Pete shares his personal journey to becoming a CEO and offers practical advice for individuals and businesses looking to level up their learning and development strategies. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and actionable tips!

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What does it take to lead with purpose?

In this episode of 99 Humans, EJ Kim, Co-Founder & CEO of NNABI, shares her inspiring journey from corporate life to bootstrapping a wellness startup laser-focused on perimenopause. Guided by her passion and purpose, EJ is forging her own path with what she calls a “portfolio career.” Her drive to change how women experience perimenopause—with support, clarity, and community—makes this a must-listen for anyone looking to create meaningful impact.

EJ dives into the unique challenges of perimenopause, how she’s transforming the conversation, and what it means to pursue...

When life changes in an instant, how do you build resilience to see the positive?

Cristina Nuti is a marketing executive at Dell, an IronMan finisher, Paralympic Triathlete, and a Marathoner. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of thirty-six, Cristina shares her inspiring journey to building a rich life, which includes being one of the first ever IronMan finishers with MS. She is an inspiration, with a life perspective centered on acceptance and hard work which fuels incredible achievements and makes her a powerful example of being so much more than a disease.
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"Climb the ladder!" How do you foster the courage and self-awareness to get what you want out of your career, instead of what's obviously next?

Jing Suk has held leadership roles in huge multinational corporations and smaller companies, most recently CEO at Skyrocket Studios. Jing shares stories about overcoming career inertia with deliberate steps to "move the ladder to a different wall" instead of just climbing to the next rung.

From Computer Science to Digital Marketing, big corporations to smaller and back again... Jing shares what it feels like to take risks and be intentional...

How do you foster creativity at the core of yourself and your company?

Valerio Cometti is Founder and Creative Director at Valerio Cometti+V12 Design, the home of Deep Design Thinking. Product design is such a creativity-forward business, and yet as founder of the studio Valerio shares how he has built a mix of skills (and people!) who make the company thrive.

From the beginning where he studied Mechanical Engineering, Valerio was intentional in building a mixed skillset to help him pursue his childhood dream to run a design studio. With clients ranging from 6 to 160...

Why are you a people manager, and how do you react when the going gets tough?

Ted Fernandez is the Global Head of Product Marketing at TikTok, with an illustrious career across Tech Companies in the social, video, and education space. Ted shares a specific time when the perception of his team's work was not what he wanted it to be, and how he navigated the situation by customizing messages to all angles: personal, stakeholder and individual contributors.

Ted is a powerhouse of authentic leadership, beloved for his effectiveness and adaptability building high performance teams...

You probably know that less than 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. What's going on? Why isn't this changing despite it being a known inequity?

Jennifer McCollum is a trailblazing leader, currently CEO at Catalyst Inc, she is making her life's work emulating authentic, human leadership while raising awareness and lifting women up through the leadership ranks. Women face a double (or triple!) bind when it comes to leadership positions, contorting themselves to fit surrounding perceptions and systems.

How can women succeed in leadership, and what can allies do to help? Jennifer shares personal experience and...

What could one new habit do for you?

Morris has a knack for building new habits... waking up early (4am!), going to the gym, months fasting from alcohol and social media, studying leadership, and more! Morris uses discipline to design a dream life filled with family, friends, and career while staying humble enough to talk openly about lessons he's learned from mistakes along the way.

As a Marketing Intelligence & Science Executive, Morris has held leadership positions at some of the largest ad agencies in the world (Wavemaker and Publicis), embodying how much discipline can matter...

What's the secret to expressing your personal genius?

Tom Burke has coached TED speakers, C-suite execs, authors, Broadway singers and Hollywood actors for over 20 years as speech-language pathologist and voice coach. His job is to help people tap their passions, quirks, and sense of humor to find their voice, the raw ingredient for gorgeous language.

Tom demonstrates human leadership as he unpacks his entrepreneurial journey and shares stories of the process he uses to help his clients find their authentic voice.

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expressyourgenius.com

99 Humans is a...

Service is selfless, but what's the most important ingredient in any meal?

Pasquale Martinelli is the Founder and Executive Chef at Alloro New York Private Dining, brining authentic Italian experiences to his clients. It takes less than ten seconds to feel Pasquale's passion, an incredibly attractive leadership quality, amplified by his love for serving people.

Pasquale shares his journey from Puglia to NYC, overcoming hardships to find success creating transcendent dining experiences. This is a human leader with a love for life, for people, and for good food, and it's a joy to hear how...

AI! It's everywhere, but how do you position yourself to take advantage of career opportunities?

Enrico Santus has worked on, or advised for, AI work at companies like Bloomberg, Bayer, Hospitals, and the Women's Brain Project. So to say that his career is "having a moment" is an understatement. Enrico shares his story from a small Italian town to journalism to advising household names on the future of AI and human-AI collaboration.

What does leading (people) "in AI" even mean? Hear Enrico's tips for positioning your career at the forefront of AI while learning what...

Do you give trust up, down, and sideways in your organization? What about to yourself?

Kathrin Holzfurtner has been a Director of Talent Acquisition for companies like iDeals and Microsoft, making a career out of her ability to find, hire, and support high performance teams by leading them herself. Every high performance team wants to drive impact and to innovate, and Kathrin tells a powerful story about the role of trust in success.

Employees trusting leaders; leaders trusting employees; earning vs. giving trust; the role of trust in motivation. Kathrin provides a masterclass in the...

What's the last decision you made to drive your own career?

Nils Vinje is the Founder of Leadership MBA, which helps people get promoted faster, save time, and build stronger teams. Before Nils could help others he first had to help himself, and that's the story he shares in this episode.

From StengthsFiner to being the CEO of your own career, Nils shares what it was like to go from the "passenger seat"  to the "driver seat" of his career. From there he became a successful founder and CEO and it all started with realizing t...

Ever been laid off? Led a team through layoffs? This episode reveals the raw emotions and tough decisions behind those moments and how to make them less devastating.

Natasha Davidson, currently CMO at Group GTI, has an incredible background of executive leadership positions. Among amazing career highlights, Natasha shares an incredibly challenging moment managing reorganizations that lead to layoffs.

Hear how Natasha navigated her personal journey managing layoffs, communicating them in the most human way possible, and helping those who weren't laid off process the changes and focus on the future. Incredible insight into the...

What motivates you?

Alfonso De Gaetano has succeeded in leadership positions at Consulting firms, at Google, and as a Founder of CRURATED. He credits this success to learning along the way... how to work hard; how to lead; and how to create. Alfonso shares how he creates a vision for where his life (and company) are going -- not necessarily how to get there.

With a resume many strive to achieve, Alfonso opens up about the pros and cons of ambition. What's it like to look at the world, succeed, and want more? A fantastic...

After learning that she hated law, Julie Saxon started her illustrious career as a temp Secretary at an Ad Agency. Since then, she's been the CRO at The Weather Company, VP at Verizon, and most recently followed her own advice to be Head of Consumer Sales at X where she is working with a mentor and people she loves.

What you see is what you get, a mantra for authenticity tested by Julie's husband's cancer diagnosis. Juggling kids, a high visibility job, and her own journey Julie shares the choices she made in what authentic leadership can...

Covid + School Districts = Complexity. How does human leadership help?

Harold S. Henry, Jr. is the Chief of Schools at Baltimore Curriculum Project and spent six years as a principal in Baltimore City Public Schools. He's experienced the brunt of misperceptions about what leadership in school districts, and shares a powerful story of leadership through Covid to exemplify how empathy and human leadership made all the difference.

Teachers, principals, and administrators in public school face a unique challenge re-humanizing leadership, but it resonates across all industries. In this episode, Harold shares how purpose was a secret...

What do you really want? You won't get it if you don't spend time prioritizing your authentic goals.

Paola thrives in difficult environments -- from influencing the Italian economy as one of few women in the space, to executive leadership in Big Tech. How? Resilience - having and focusing on the bigger picture, the bigger goal. 

Paola shares how human leadership principles/platitudes like "knowing yourself," actually helped her succeed in challenging times and thrive over the longterm. A masterclass in human leadership, Paola is fascinating to listen to and empowering to learn from.

You've heard of a non-profit, but what about a Zero Funds organization?

Enter Neel Ghose, the kind of "human leader" who takes the challenge of leading in the philanthropic world to a new level. Neel created Robin Hood Army, a Zero Funds organization connecting what would be "food waste" to those in need, a fully volunteer led effort that has grown to 237,197 "Robins" (volunteers), 403 cities, and 133,963,731 meals.

Hear Neel describe how a purpose-driven organization (with all this success, Robin Hood Army sees their job still only 1% done) sparks his personal passion and allows him to...

What is leadership without language?  What about leadership in language?

Milena Koralczyk is founder and CEO of the language school, "L'Ecole Parisienne de Langues," a premiere language school based in Paris teaching French to executives and ex-patriots seeking to find their place in French culture. Milena shares why language is important but also what made it important to her.

From AI's impact on language, to language's impact on leaders, Milena brings a fresh perspective to human leadership in her company and the people she teaches.

99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing l...

What would it take to reinvent yourself? What things would you need to lose in order to gain?

Craig Siegel spent thirteen years as a gladiator in the wrong arena, pouring his energy and time into Wall Street before finally cutting the cord and becoming an entrepreneur. It was then that his passion for reinvention caught fire , he founded Cultivate Lasting Symphony (CLS) and inspired millions through his bestselling book, podcast, and speaking engagements.

Hear Craig's tips for how to reinvent your career and your life. Find what lights up *your* soul. Set goals, because...

Do you cringe thinking about name tags and awkward conversations at “networking” events?

Kurt Schmidt, Author and President of The Foundry, one of Inc Magazine’s fastest growing companies, shares how walking in ill prepared for one of his employee’s performance reviews sent him on a journey to sharpen his leadership toolset. Hear how he practices confidence in the face of natural uncertainty, by building an intentional network around him.

Networking isn’t a personality trait, it’s work that pays back with personal growth and mutual value. That’s at least what Kurt says, and he l...