She Leads with Carly

Andrea Popova and Val Parker Bodurtha are the co-creators of Ask a F*ck Boy, the viral live comedy show where comedians present their most unhinged dating stories to a panel of self-described f*ck boys. The two met in Off Off Campus, UChicago's improv and sketch comedy troupe, became best friends and roommates, and turned a question about a guy who ghosted Andie, into a show that has sold out every performance since day one. In this conversation, Andie and Val trace their creative childhoods, Andie's detours through a bubble tea cocktail pop-up, CPGD, and Meta, and Val's path from a teen stand-up showcase at Gotham Comedy Club to comedy full-time. They also discuss the economics of live comedy, the mental toll of running social media, and how they protect their friendship as co-founders. Referenced:Andrea Popova: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-popovaAsk a F*ck Boy: https://www.askafuckboy.com/August: itsaugust.coCPGD: cpgd.xyzDave Portnoy: x.com/stoolpresidenteDynasty Typewriter: dynastytypewriter.comGotham Comedy Club: gothamcomedyclub.comMeta: meta.comNielsen: nielsen.comOff Off Campus: offoffcampus.orgSTFU: stfuagency.comThe Second City: secondcity.comUniversity of Chicago: uchicago.eduVal Parker Bodurtha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/val-parker-bodurtha-b6bb22113/WeWork: wework.com Timestamps:2:12 Living apart after years as roommates4:19 Lessons from scrappy parents9:11 Starting stand-up at 1311:55 Joining Off Off Campus15:56 Val's path to stand-up22:19 Andie's college years24:13 The bubble tea cocktail business26:32 Choosing tech over a startup28:30 Dating in New York31:45 How Ask a F*ck Boy started34:19 Pitching comics on the panel38:36 The economics of live comedy40:17 The mental cost of social media43:20 Andie's Meta journey47:12 Starting a company with your best friend54:06 Breaking comedy show conventions55:35 Who's to blame for f*ck boy behavior?56:55 How dating apps changed dating59:56 The future of Ask a F*ck Boy

Dr. Amy Muise, an Associate Professor of Psychology and York Research Chair in Relationships and Sexuality at York University, directs the Sexual Health and Relationships (SHaRe) Lab, where she studies how couples build and sustain desire over time. In this episode, Dr. Amy breaks down why sexual desire declines even in happy relationships, the data behind planned versus spontaneous sex, and what actually predicts romantic chemistry. She also covers the surprising link between household labor and desire, and how to think about first dates without over-relying on "the spark."References:Art Aron: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_AronDr. Amy Muise: https://discover.academics.yorku.ca/Amy.MuiseEric Tu: https://erictu.ca/Lorne Campbell: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/people/faculty/Campbell.htmlSHaRe Lab: https://www.amymuise.comYork University: https://www.yorku.caTimestamps:00:00 Introduction01:40 How one undergrad thesis led to a career studying relationships02:46 Why sexual desire, specifically, became her research focus05:43 The myth that desire stays high in a "healthy" relationship08:00 Familiarity, novelty, and the self-expanding experiences that sustain desire10:00 Is there a normal amount of sex to have12:38 The gender gap in desire, and why it exists13:32 How an unequal household load quietly lowers desire20:58 The overwhelming, mostly false belief about spontaneous sex22:44 Rebranding planned sex like planning a vacation26:58 Should more couples be planning sex?28:57 The five ingredients of real romantic chemistry32:45 Why 40% of happy couples felt no spark at first34:44 What a first date can, and can't, predict36:52 Why relationship scientists struggle to predict compatibility39:00 Beyond small talk: the "fast friends" questions that build closeness46:50 Destiny vs. growth beliefs, and why growth wins49:34 The craft Amy is spending a lifetime honing

In today's conversation, Carly sits down with SONNI co-founders Eliana Field-Marsham and Megan Black, who share the journey they took to start the SPF brand. Eliana and Megan share how bad sunburns and a family member's melanoma scare plus a frantic business-school text between each other led them to starting SONNI. They also unpack the realities of founder life, why 24/7 grind isn't effective, and how they navigate leading a company together with clear, clean division.We also discuss:The health scares that led to SONNI being createdWhy "You can't be everything to everybody" in CPGWhy daily SPF was a product experience problem, not an awareness issueFundraising, bootstrapping, and when founders should pay themselvesThe case against the 24/7 founder grindReferences:Beauty of Joseon: https://beautyofjoseon.comCheryl Strayed: https://www.cherylstrayed.comEstée Lauder Companies: https://www.elcompanies.comFactfulness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factfulness_(book)Hans Rosling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_RoslingHeyday: https://www.heydayskincare.comKellogg School of Management: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.eduKIND Snacks: https://www.kindsnacks.comLittle Spoon: https://www.littlespoon.comMcKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.comStanford University: https://www.stanford.eduThrive Market: https://thrivemarket.com"Tiny Beautiful Things": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiny_Beautiful_ThingsTimestamps:00:00 Introduction01:40 Growing up as family friends in Toronto06:10 Eliana's path: sociology, McKinsey, and a love of operating08:10 Megan's consumer obsession, from USC to Estée Lauder11:35 The sunburns and a sister's melanoma behind SONNI13:20 Finding a formulator who starts with metal, not powder16:45 Eliana's business-school panic and reaching back out to Megan21:00 "Best text to ever receive": hiring her co-founder25:05 Right brain, left brain: splitting the company cleanly32:55 What no one warns you about building a CPG brand35:15 Mineral vs chemical: what does the FDA actually back?39:15 How the name, brand, coloring, packaging was born41:05 Learning to bask in the wins, not just the lows45:15 Fundraising vs bootstrapping, and just paying yourself50:25 What 24/7-grind startup culture gets wrong

Dr. Yuthika Girme took one undergrad course on interpersonal relations, which completely altered the trajectory of her career and led her down the path of researching relationship science. In this episode, Dr. Yuthika unpacks the science behind close relationships and singlehood. She also covers the impact of online dating, how social scripts impact relationships, and how to build a balanced relationship with yourself before—and during—a romantic one.References:- Dr. Yuthika Girme: https://www.sfu.ca/psychology/about/people/current-faculty/ygirme.html- SECURE Research Lab: https://secureresearchlab.com- SECURE Research Lab on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/securelab.sfu/- Simon Fraser University: https://www.sfu.ca- University of Auckland: https://www.auckland.ac.nzTimestamps:00:00 Introduction01:15 From clinical psych to relationship science03:48 What relationship science actually explores05:50 Predictors of lasting relationships08:50 How communication changes depending on relationship type10:15 Does dating change as you get older?11:55 The biggest misconception in dating13:18 How social media distorts our perception of relationships14:48 What singlehood science examines16:33 Validating singlehood without devaluing partnership20:09 The toll of singlehood22:42 How different generations approach marriage23:59 Does the biological clock impact dating?25:48 How online dating impacts connection 33:46 The science behind partner selection36:32 Balance between self and relationships42:55 Dating scripts and gendered norms

Inbal Shani dropped her PhD for a job offer she never expected to recieve, and it set off a career spanning Amazon, AWS, Microsoft, GitHub, and now Twilio, where she serves as CPO and Head of R&D. In this episode, Inbal explains how curiosity is really a leadership trait, why introverts can be the most connected leaders in the room, and how the future of product management is being rewritten.References:AWS https://aws.amazon.com/Github: https://github.com/Inbal Shani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inbalshani/Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/Technion: https://www.technion.ac.il/en/Tel Aviv University: https://english.tau.ac.il/Twilio: https://www.twilio.com/Uber: https://www.uber.com/Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:47 Inbal's childhood: introversion and learning to build06:00 Being one of six women in aerospace engineering07:06 Fostering a strong belief in yourself09:36 Why Inbal dropped out of her PhD13:27 Learning to lead others as an introvert15:24 Why curiosity is a core leadership trait16:45 Two books that shaped Inbal's career18:27 What determines a great team member22:40 Empathy is a prerequistie to success26:36 How Inbal made her career choices28:31 Advice to younger women navigating their career31:14 Inbal's journey to CPO at Twilio34:04 The future of product management39:42 Could the app era be over already?

In today’s episode, Carly sits down with Scarlett Leung, Chief Brand Officer and Co-founder of Pretty Tasty, a collagen tea company. Scarlett shares her unconventional path from accountant, to turnaround CEO, to CPG founder, and how growing up around intense family entrepreneurship shaped her views on work. This conversation covers Scarlett’s experiences navigating parental expectations, making big career pivots without a rigid 5-year plan, and the stripped-back, unglamorous reality that is founding a consumer brand.References:AllSaints: https://www.allsaints.com/Carolina Herrera: https://www.carolinaherrera.com/Deepak Chopra: https://www.deepakchopra.com/Deloitte: https://www.deloitte.com/global/en.htmlEstée Lauder: https://www.esteelauder.com/FreshDirect: https://www.freshdirect.com/Gucci Group / Kering: https://www.kering.com/Honest Tea: https://www.honesttea.com/L’Oréal: https://www.loreal.com/en/Lancôme: https://www.lancome-usa.com/LVMH: https://www.lvmh.com/MIT: https://www.mit.edu/Philip Morris International: https://www.pmi.com/Pretty Tasty: https://www.prettytasty.com/PwC: https://www.pwc.com/Sugarbreak: https://www.sugarbreak.com/Target: https://www.target.com/Uniqlo: https://www.uniqlo.com/University of Waterloo: https://uwaterloo.ca/Virgin Group: https://www.virgin.com/Waterloo Sparkling Water: https://www.drinkwaterloo.com/Timestamps:(01:17) Growing up with an entrepreneurial family(06:59) The decision to study accounting(09:47) Should you choose a risky career path?(13:39) Unpacking Scarlett’s unique career journey(18:12) Lessons learned from a travel-heavy role(22:51) Why you need to advocate for yourself(23:39) Why Scarlett went to MIT business school(26:11) Scarlett’s superpower in business(31:10) Pretty Tasty’s culture manifesto(32:55) The journey to founding Pretty Tasty(36:16) Developing the collagen product(38:44) The one thing most CPG founders miss(40:05) Advice for someone starting a company(42:15) Scarlett’s scariest founder moment(44:41) How to navigate a quarter-life crisis

Carly sits down with Swati Vauthrin, co-founder of Recess, a new parenting app built by two former Instagram leaders. Swati shares how growing up in New Jersey with early access to computers led her to computer science, how she navigated being one of the few women in engineering, and what she learned building and leading teams at Disney, ESPN, BuzzFeed, and Instagram. She opens up about career pivots, motherhood in intense tech environments, and the decision to leave big tech to build Recess.References:Amazon: https://www.amazon.comBuzzFeed: https://www.buzzfeed.comESPN: https://www.espn.comGeorge Washington University: https://www.gwu.eduInstagram: https://www.instagram.comRecess: https://therecess.app/Swati Vauthrin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swativauthrin/The Cobalt Group: https://cobaltgroup.comThe Walt Disney Company: https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.comTimestamps:(01:40) Swati’s childhood introduction to computers(04:25) Developing a natural sense of curiosity(06:19) Being a woman in a STEM field(09:25) Working for the Cobalt Group(12:57) The shift from building product to leadership(15:32) Advice for job switching in your late twenties(17:45) How to build a strong company culture(20:57) The reality of being a working mother(24:02) Swati’s journey to starting Recess(30:03) Surviving the “un-sexy” startup moments(32:55) Being the only female founder in the room(35:25) How Recess was pitched(37:56) What every young woman needs to hear

Michelle Zatlyn is the Co-founder and President of Cloudflare, a global internet infrastructure that keeps the world safe and secure online operating 20% of the global web with over 4,000 employees.Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada, Michelle began her career studying chemistry, aiming to become a doctor. But a pivotal turning point during a hospital internship set her on a new path - one that eventually led to Silicon Valley.In this episode, Michelle shares the formative experiences that shaped her, the unexpected pivots in her career, and dives into the tough decisions she’s had to make. She also unpacks the gritty realities of early-stage startup life, the challenges of scaling, and what it really takes to lead a high-growth tech company.For a deeper dive into the episode, check out Carly's Substack: https://carlymalatskey.substack.com/Referenced:Cloudflare: https://www.cloudflare.comHarvard Business School (HBS): https://www.hbs.edu/Lee Holloway (Cloudflare co-founder): https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-holloway-159152/Matthew Prince (Cloudflare co-founder & CEO): https://www.linkedin.com/in/mprince/Project Honey Pot: https://www.projecthoneypot.org/Toshiba: https://www.toshiba.com/tai/WIRED Article about Lee Holloway: https://www.wired.com/story/lee-holloway-devastating-decline-brilliant-young-coder/Timestamps:(1:46) Growing up in Saskatchewan(6:04) The decision not to pursue medicine(9:51) Falling into business and technology(13:39) The first taste of entrepreneurship(16:27) Finding community and clarity at HBS(17:28) The “essay line” that guided her(19:28) Turning down LinkedIn to start Cloudflare(25:05) How to improve your decision-making(29:15) Choosing a meaningful mission(32:18) Being the non-technical founder(34:33) Early team challenges(38:24) The grind from 1 to 100M(41:32) Getting product-market fit(44:23) The slow burn of success(47:49) Being a founder impacts personal life(51:52) Raising up the next-gen tech leaders(54:12) The power of small teams and shared purpose

Jess Rosen is the Co-founder and Creative Director of Raw Generation, a leading wellness brand known for its juice cleanses and plant-based products. Jess launched the company with her father in 2012, after watching both her grandmothers battle cancer.With a background in architecture and a certification in holistic health, Jess has grown Raw Generation into a multimillion-dollar brand while also launching spinoffs such as Little Sippers (children’s nutrition) and Functional Mother (for postpartum women). In this episode, she discusses how her personal health journey, entrepreneurship, and motherhood all intersect.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsSpotifyWebsiteYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)SubstackWhere to find Carly:LinkedInInstagramWhere to find Raw Generation Juices:WebsiteInstagramReferences:Gary Vaynerchuk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyvaynerchuk/Hippocrates Health Institute: https://hippocrateswellness.org/Institute for Integrative Nutrition: https://www.integrativenutrition.com/Jess Rosen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-rosen-raw-generation/Lisa Testa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-testa-m-s-16514036/Raw Generation: https://www.rawgeneration.com/Timestamps:(01:13) Childhood creativity and early ambition(04:10) Growing up in an entrepreneurial family(05:00) Quitting architecture after just 9 months(09:37) How cancer shifted Jess’s view on food(19:17) Raw Generation was a family affair(21:30) Burning out and battling Lyme disease(24:55) Advice for stuck 20-somethings(27:32) Why Jess ditched social media(28:25) Balancing business and Instagram(30:19) Raw Generation’s slow early days(31:22) The Skinny Cleanse breakthrough(35:58) Pivoting fast during COVID(42:43) How Little Sippers was born(47:45) Motherhood’s impact on her work(56:01) Learning to listen to her body

Margueritte Aozasa is the head coach of the UCLA Women’s Soccer Team and a  star in collegiate coaching. In just three seasons, she’s led the team to a historic national championship in her rookie year and two conference titles.A former assistant coach at Stanford during their championship runs, and a standout player and captain at Santa Clara University, Margueritte brings a rare mix of tactical brilliance and emotional intelligence to her leadership.In this episode, she reflects on her journey, from being a competitive 10-year-old to coaching on the biggest stage in college soccer.For a deeper dive into the episode, check out Carly's Substack: https://carlymalatskey.substack.com/Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)SubstackReferenced:Albertin Montoya: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albertin_MontoyaAndi Sullivan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andi_SullivanMargueritte Aozasa: https://uclabruins.com/staff-directory/margueritte-aozasa/6961Maricarmen Reyes: https://uclabruins.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/maricarmen-reyes/8929Paul Ratcliffe: https://gostanford.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/season/2022/staff/paul-ratcliffeSanta Clara University: https://www.scu.edu/Stanford University: https://www.stanford.edu/UCLA: https://www.ucla.edu/University of North Carolina (UNC): https://www.unc.edu/Timestamps:(1:44) Growing up with lots of personality(6:16) The source of a competitive streak(9:33) Being a student of the game(10:57) The impact of a great coach(13:59) Playing for Santa Clara University(14:48) The path from athlete to coach(17:15) A career without a 5-year plan(19:48) Growing out of competitive perfectionism(24:49) Joining Stanford: Holding people to high standards(31:25) Why coaches should read the room(41:30) Starting the UCLA chapter(47:41) Building culture with a new team(57:40) Winning a national championship(1:14:22) What does success mean to Marg?