Sustainable Ambition And The Power Of Storytelling With Julie Wenah

Julie Wenah joins Carmen Palmer for the second episode in our monthly series, In The Lead. Julie is an incredible storyteller. She shares her experience on building Civil Rights into products from the beginning and why that is critical in the era of AI. She also shares her experience of creating sustainable ambition and redefining success. In The Lead is a monthly series on Product Rising sharing thought provoking conversations with a wide range of industry leaders hosted by Carmen Palmer, CEO of Women In Product. 00:41 Meet Julie Wenah01:51 Owning Every Identity04:50 Redefining Success08:43 Sustainable Ambition10:22 When Products Miss13:27 Carrying The Weight15:50 Who Thrives In Tension20:15 Embedding Civil Rights22:56 AI Fairness Window24:51 Access And Accountability28:31 Access And Human Stories29:37 Releasing Productivity Metrics33:58 Boundaries And Time Blocking36:21 Patience Brick By Brick38:06 Why Storytelling Grounds Us41:40 Justice At Scale Dilemma43:38 Ask And Listen Within47:44 Morning Pages And Resources📚Resources:The Artist’s Way - Book by Julie Cameron Digital Civil Rights Coalition - https://www.digitalcivilrights.com, @digitalcivilrights on Instagram, ✨Where to find Julie:On LinkedIn💫 Where to find Carmen:On LinkedIn 🙋🏻‍♀️Where to find Women in Product:On LinkedIn Website https://womenpm.org/Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

In this episode of Product Rising, we look back at Cassie Campbell’s interview with Tami Reiss, an experienced product leader, speaker, author, trainer, and coach. Elizabeth Ames walks us through a number of clips from the interview that highlight the value of coaching, from early management and leadership roles through the highest levels of leadership. Tami shares what changes as leaders advance, where their time and attention must change. She also has some great advice on building and deploying influence and empathy skills to achieve business objectives, and key skills in communication and using the language of business that are required as you advance. She closes with some great advice on networking and it’s value in finding great opportunities.The original episode was published on May 27, 2025. You can listen to the full episode from that date as well.00:00 Welcome and Series Setup01:48 Why Coaching Matters03:11 Transitioning to Executive04:35 Strategy vs Execution Pendulum06:53 Influence and Empathy Skills10:01 Speaking Investor Language12:25 Networking for New Roles13:34 Wrap Up and Where to Listen✨Where to find Tami Reiss:On LinkedInTami’s Website - My Leader Within (with booking link)💫 Where to find Cassie:On LinkedIn At Cassie Camp - Learn more about product leadership coaching and fractional product leadership🙋🏻‍♀️Where to find Women in Product:On LinkedIn Website https://womenpm.org/Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

There is a lot of debate about the state of the job market today. We definitely hear a lot about layoffs in the big tech companies and also about AI eliminating positions. But AI may be having a bigger impact in the requirements for specific roles and even perhaps new types of roles. We will be having periodic conversations with leading recruiters, hiring managers, and others about the evolving job market and what it takes to get hired/noticed. Our first conversation is with Sally Thornton, CEO & Founder of Forshay, a firm that combines Executive recruiting with interim experts across Finance, HR, and Operations, and by aligning culture and leadership development skills to optimize team performance.02:17 Forshay Firm Overview03:27 Job Market Reality Check06:09 Entry Level Pipeline Crunch07:44 Where Hiring Is Growing08:33 What Employers Want Now09:56 Proving Curiosity in Interviews11:34 Influence as a Core Skill12:38 AI Transparency and Flatter Teams14:47 Fractional Leadership Explained19:36 How Orgs Are Reshaping for AI22:43 The Rise of the AI Scout24:55 Building an AI Experiment Team25:43 Choosing Tools That Fit27:16 AI in Hiring and Resume Filters29:19 Beating the Rejection Machine31:36 Community as Career Support32:14 AI as Reflective Hiring Partner34:37 Gut Instinct Versus Data37:40 Future Proofing Through Community39:56 Give More and Experiment Often41:16 Tools That Reduce Overwork43:42 Wrap Up and Where to Follow📚Resources:To Sell is Human, Daniel Pink🌟 Where to find Sally:On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallythornton/Forshay: https://forshay.com🙋🏻‍♀️Where to find Women in Product:On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/ Website https://womenpm.org/Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

Building Community & Becoming a Super ConnectorIn this episode Ha Nguyen, Founder and Managing Partner of NextStep Advisory & Consulting, shares the work and life experiences that have led her to being an exceptional community builder and super connector. She joins host, Surbhi Gupta, to share the value of being a go-giver, and how visibility and being able to speak up has powered her career and can do the same for yours. 🎧 Episode Highlights:01:47 Ha’s Product Origin Story: eBay in 2000 to Product Leadership03:00 From Introvert to Speaking Up: HBS & Finding Your Voice05:20 Becoming a Super Connector: Community Building & VC Brand08:49 Visibility Isn’t Automatic: Ask for What You Want (Promotion Stories)14:05 When Leadership Isn’t Moving Fast Enough: Timing, Titles & Leaving17:12 Create Your Own Luck: Habits, Confidence, and Taking Risks20:58 Build a Personal Board of Directors (and Nurture Relationships)25:19 Finding Sponsors in Big Companies: Skip-Level Relationships & Persistence27:19 Make Better Asks: Follow-Ups, Value, and Time-Bound Requests28:29 Make the Ask Easy: Be Specific and Respect Their Time28:51 Add Value First: The Go-Giver Mindset (and Why Karma Works)30:13 Building Relationships with Your Skip: Do Great Work + Lead with Empathy33:40 Create Visibility Beyond Your Role: Coaches, Boards, and Career “Hacks”36:04 Personal Brand That Pays Off: Writing, Speaking, and Staying Top-of-Mind39:53 The Hidden Cost of Visibility: Too Many Asks & Setting Boundaries42:56 Who You Are Outside Work: Mission Alignment, Family, Hobbies, and Health45:55 Balancing It All: A 2x2 Framework for Goals vs. Joy + Daily Habits49:47 Visibility Skills That Scale: Speak Business/Finance + Customer Obsession52:19 Resources, Recommendations, and How to Connect (Final Wrap)Resources📚Resources:BooksGo-Giver book - https://thegogiver.comSeven Habits of Highly Effective People - https://www.franklincovey.com/courses/the-7-habits/Podcasts20VC - https://www.youtube.com/@20VCThis Week in Startups - https://thisweekinstartups.com🌟 Where to find Surbhi On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/💫 Where to find Ha On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanguyen-spero/NextStep Advisory & Consulting Website https://nextstepfwd.com🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/Website https://womenpm.org/Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

Deb Liu joins Carmen Palmer for the first episode in our monthly series, In The Lead. Deb shares insights from her year away from titles and company affiliations - what she did, what she learned and the clarity she is carrying forward in 2026. As always, Deb has great insights and advice.In The Lead is a new monthly series on Product Rising. It will share thought provoking conversations hosted by Carmen Palmer, CEO of Women In Product, with a wide range of industry leaders. It uses a revolving set of questions to get an engaging combination of hot takes and deep insight into the current state of product, working and leading in today’s technology industry, and building effective organizations.00:45 Meet Deb Liu: Tech Executive and Author02:28 Defining Success in the New Year03:03 The Blank Name Tag Club04:58 Navigating Career Transitions09:27 Overcoming Failure: The Facebook Marketplace Story14:08 Building Perseverance Through Adversity18:43 The Evolving Role of Product Managers22:07 Understanding Customer Needs in AI Startups23:26 Understanding Customer Needs24:01 The Role of Product Managers25:14 Strategic Positioning in Companies26:09 Adapting to Technological Changes28:35 Leadership and Empathy29:33 Opportunities for Product Leaders in AI33:07 Personal Experiences and Insights36:07 Challenges in Corporate Life43:15 Future of Leadership and Technology45:59 Closing Reflections📚Resources:Perspectives Newsletter On SubstackTEDxSanDiego talk - Deb Liu✨Where to find Deb:On LinkedInPerspectives Newsletter On SubstackDeb’s  WebsiteTEDx Talk💫 Where to find Carmen:On LinkedIn 🙋🏻‍♀️Where to find Women in Product:On LinkedIn Website https://womenpm.org/Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

Nik Sharma, CEO of Sharma Brands and one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 has a lot to say about visibility. In this episode he joins host, Surbhi Gupta, to discuss how the playbook he has developed for building visibility for big brands can also work for regular people. While Nik isn’t shy he also isn’t hung up on being perfect or creating the perfect content. What he is hung up on is delivering value. He is constantly thinking about how to provide value in the content he posts. Something many product leaders are familiar with! He also believes in putting in the work. Visibility doesn’t happen overnight, it takes effort and commitment but it can pay big dividends. 🎧 Episode Highlights:00:00 Introduction to Visibility02:29 Nick's Background and Expertise03:08 Defining Visibility04:51 Nick's Career Journey06:00 Building Personal Visibility11:42 Overcoming Hesitations and Myths15:58 Celebrating Wins and Company Culture17:58 Leveraging Social Media for Visibility22:40 Persistence and Authenticity in Content Creation24:26 Insights on Podcasting27:03 Professional Setup Tips for Content Creation27:49 Balancing Short-term and Long-term Visibility28:19 Building a Community and Setting Goals30:27 Impact of Small Tweaks on Visibility31:56 Lessons from the Director of Performance Marketing32:35 Visibility Strategies for Tech Professionals34:53 Overcoming Shyness and Building Confidence37:15 The Importance of Showing Up45:26 Crafting and Sharing Your Story48:00 Handling Negative Feedback and Staying Authentic49:16 Conclusion and Final Thoughts📚Resources:Ship 30 for 30 Digital Writing Course - https://www.ship30for30.comWrite of Passage - https://writeofpassage.com🌟 Where to find Surbhi On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/💫 Where to find Nik On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrniksharma/Website https://www.nik.coOn X @mrsharmaSharma Brands - https://sharmabrands.comNewsletter - https://sharmabrands.com/blogs/newsletter🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/Website https://womenpm.org/Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

”Visibility is how clearly our work, our impact, our leadership, are being recognized by our teams, our peers, the wider organization and broader community.  it's not about being seen, it's about ensuring that the value you add is acknowledged and understood,” Marily Nika, Ph.DIn this episode Marily joins host, Surbhi Gupta, to discuss how she has built her visibility to include work inside and outside of where she works. Marily has built a reputation as a product leader broadly by educating through courses, books, a substack newsletter and a LinkedIn profile filled with information. Her work is followed by over 124K people on LinkedIn and her courses on Maven have been taken by over 8,000 people. 🎧 Episode Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Welcome02:06 Defining Visibility03:10 Marilee's Journey to Visibility05:22 Building Technical Visibility07:05 Taking Risks and Early Success08:41 Overcoming Shyness and Anxiety09:58 Advice for Women in Tech12:01 The Importance of Networking17:09 Debunking Myths About Visibility20:17 Leveraging LinkedIn for Visibility27:49 Balancing Multiple Roles28:37 Creating and Teaching Courses31:39 Final Advice and EncouragementResources• 🌟 Where to find Surbhi On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/• 💫 Where to find Marily On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynika/On Substack https://substack.com/@marilynika?On Maven https://maven.com/marily-nika/ai-product-management• 🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/Website https://womenpm.org/Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

Visibility can help leaders be in touch with their audience and deliver value to them. Megh Gautam has been writing and speaking about a range of product and business challenges for years. He has represented his products and the companies that he has worked for while building an authentic brand as a product leader. On this episode, Surbhi Gupta, host of The Visibility Equation and seasoned product leader, talks to Megh about how he has gone about building professional visibility and how it has helped the companies he’s been a part of while staying authentic to who he is.🎧 Episode Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Background02:12 Biggest Career Risk and Lessons Learned03:40 Crunchbase's AI Evolution05:29 Building Professional Visibility08:40 Writing and Consistency in Professional Growth11:58 Personal Branding and Career Insights17:01 Engaging with Audiences and Public Speaking27:54 The Dynamics of Real-Life Presentations30:21 Key Takeaways for Professional Visibility31:48 Balancing Humor and Education39:20 Navigating Introversion in Professional Settings42:36 Leveraging AI for Professional Growth45:35 Recommended Reads and Podcasts48:33 Final Thoughts and ReflectionsResources• 🌟 Where to find Surbhi On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/• 💫 Where to find Megh On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghbartma/During the conversation Megh mentioned the following resources7 Rules of Power: Surprising--but True--Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career - Professor Jeffrey PfefferCue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV - Emily NussbaumAI And The Future of Work - Podcast with Dan TurchinSmart Venture Podcast with Grace GongThe Economist Podcast• 🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/Website https://womenpm.org/Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

Visibility is a superpower for leaders—but building it authentically can feel challenging. On this episode, Surbhi Gupta, host of The Visibility Equation and seasoned product leader, sits down with Lauren Weinstein, Executive Coach and Founder of Resonate Consulting , to explore how each of us can own our narrative and communicate with expertise and a grounded flow.Lauren shares practical strategies and tactics to speak with expertise and authenticity in every situation. Together, they dive into inspiring stories and the realities of finding your authentic voice.🎧 Episode Highlights:02:53 Journey to Strategic Communication04:31 Pivotal Career Moments06:33 Achieving Flow State10:14 Overcoming High-Stakes Pressure11:43 The Power of Breath Work16:13 Connecting with Your Audience28:51 Storytelling and Effective Communication34:45 Making Communication Concrete and Vivid35:01 The Power of Stories and Examples35:28 Summarizing Effective Communication35:56 The Razorfish Example37:10 Uber Eats Pricing Algorithm37:31 The Importance of Storytelling39:00 Myth-Busting Visibility Strategies41:33 The Role of Authenticity in Networking48:54 The Impact of Positive Thinking50:28 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs01:02:54 Practical Tips for Building Visibility Resources• 🌟 Where to find Surbhi On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/• 💫 Where to find Lauren On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/weinsteinlauren/Her website - https://www.elevateyourhappiness.us/During the conversation Lauren mentioned the following resourcesThe Happy Secret to Better Work, TED Talk by Shawn AchorThe Charisma Myth, by Olivia Fox CabaneMade To Stick, Chip Heath & Dan HeathMan’s Search For Meaning, Viktor FranklThink Fast Talk Smart (podcast), Matt AbrahamsGive And Take, Adam GrantDon’t Believe Everything You Think, Lauren Weinstein TEDx Talk3 Truths You Need to Hear: The Best Expert Advice to Unlock Your Potential, Mel Robbins Podcast with James Doty• 🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/Website https://womenpm.org/Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/

Visibility is a superpower for leaders—but building it authentically can feel challenging. On this episode, Surbhi Gupta, host of The Visibility Equation and seasoned product leader, sits down with Lexy Franklin, CEO & Founder of Sidebar, to explore how leaders can own their narrative, amplify their impact, and connect with their authentic selves.Lexy shares practical strategies on building visibility, overcoming public speaking anxiety, nurturing relationships, and navigating the leadership journey. Together, they dive into inspiring stories, actionable insights, and the realities behind professional growth at leadership levels🎧 Episode Highlights:02:28 Key Skills for Success and Visibility03:26 The Importance of Learning and Mentorship05:16 Embracing Failure as a Path to Success08:17 The Power of Asking for Help18:22 Owning Your Story and Wins27:00 The Necessity of Visibility30:52 Embracing Uncertainty and Positive Energy31:50 The Art of Decision Making36:56 Building Blocks of Visibility42:24 The Power of Books and Personal Growth52:42 Celebrating Success and Leadership53:55 Final Thoughts and Book RecommendationsResources• 🌟 Where to find Surbhi On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi7/• 💫 Where to find Lexy On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexyfranklin/During the conversation Lexy mentioned the following booksCrossing the Unknown Sea, David WhyteLet My People Go Surfing, Yvon Chouinard• 🙋‍♀️ Where to find Women in Product:On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-product/posts/Website https://womenpm.org/Join the Community https://womenpm.org/wip-community/