Meredith Meyer on Letting Go, Coaching & Leadership (the Workaround)

“You spend the first half of your life building up — and it's then a really interesting moment to let go of trying to prove things and figuring out what you're really capable of — just recognizing and reflecting.” Meredith Meyer is a people and talent leader — as CEO + Lead Consultant of Infinite Potential, LLC, where she provides strategy and talent consulting services. Meredith has also served as a fractional Chief Talent Officer at more than a dozen orgs - partnering with executives & HR teams to create strategic talent plans and tackle tough business problems. Meredith also served as VP of Global Workplace for Veeva Systems, a leader in cloud-based software for the global life sciences industry, and previously held senior roles from CMO to VP of Talent at KnowledgeWorks, a leader in personalized, competency-based learning for kids. Meredith started her career at Procter & Gamble in brand management on brands like Tide and Oral-B globally. You’ll enjoy this insightful conversation between two old brand management buddies - focused on lessons learned from coaching people.This conversation is from P&G Alum Bob Gilbreath’s podcast & newsletter “The Workaround” — Bob is a repeat startup founder with two exits. Bob’s stories and conversations — from a career in tech startups and corporate innovation — are here to make you think, smile, and discover a shortcut to success or a trap to avoid. You can subscribe at behearty.substack.comThis is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s frequently published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode - reach out at [email protected]

“ ​ I had a manager who taught me the notion of servant-based leadership — to be someone who genuinely wants to help — not only solve a problem, but someone who wants you to grow.”Bob is the Media Innovation lead for Media Lab, the internal media team for Google marketing — responsible for ideating new media innovations, developing and scaling them across all of Google marketing.  Prior to Google, Bob was an early veteran of digital marketing. He spent 3 years at Kellogg’s as Director of Digital and Social strategy for North America, leading the digital marketing and social media practice. Bob got his career start at P&G, in roles responsible for the global digital strategy across the Home Care, Feminine Care and Oral Care. Bob studied at the University of Cincinnati, and lives in San Francisco with his wife, who he also happened to meet at P&G. Beyond stories and perspectives from some of the earliest days of digital marketing and making sense of AI’s impact on our future, you’ll enjoy this candid conversation on how servant leadership has become a core pillar of Bob’s approach to management and work.This episode is hosted by P&G Alum Sudha Ranganathan, who’s spent over 19 years in diverse Marketing leadership roles at companies like P&G, PayPal, and LinkedIn where she’s honed her passion for customer-centric marketing and talent development.

“ Very often we forget to ask, who do we really want to serve? We have to actually interact to change their perspective, to improve their lives.”Ayu Kartika Dewi is Managing Director for Indika Foundation, which focuses on peacekeeping efforts in Indonesia. She also serves as Special Staff to the President of Indonesia. Ayu’s career is the most fascinating mosaic of unique experiences. While she started at P&G Indonesia, working in Consumer Insights, she left after 5 years to dedicate herself to teaching in a remote island community. From there Ayu moved into leadership roles in the nonprofit sector and government, serving as Special Staff to the Governor of Jakarta, and now as Special Staff to the President of Indonesia. Ayu is an avid scuba diver, a passionate meditator, and a devoted dog lover.You’ll enjoy this candid conversation and be touched by Ayu’s commitment to making the world a better place and her belief that kindness and tolerance can be taught, even in communities with deeply held beliefs.This episode is hosted by P&G Alum Sudha Ranganathan, who’s spent over 19 years in diverse Marketing leadership roles at companies like P&G, PayPal, and LinkedIn where she’s honed her passion for customer-centric marketing and talent development.

What's the legacy you want to leave — what values are most important to you? We're all made differently, so it’s always important that people show up at work who they are.”Adam Antoniewicz is Nike China’s VP of Mens Marketing, leading groundbreaking campaigns that redefine consumer engagement. Previously, he served as Apple’s Head of Marketing Communications for Greater China, overseeing all customer-facing communications in Apple’s $44B market - spearheading iconic campaigns, launching the company’s first social media in the region, and navigating complex challenges like the China Cybersecurity Law and U.S.-China trade tensions. Adam’s earlier roles include leading Nike Basketball in Greater China, where he led the Rise (打出名堂) campaign and launched the House of Mamba - the world’s first reactive LED basketball court. Adam also drove key marketing partnerships for the NBA and helped build the NFL’s presence in China. You’ll enjoy the candid conversation about how we can enhance our team by learning from sport, and the importance of a pregame before work! This is part of our Chinese leaders series - hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at [email protected]

“What makes for a good entrepreneur? Grit, perseverance. if you feel passionate about a problem or want to  create something you're passionate about — you need that grit and staying power. “Rashmi is the Co-founder and COO of FlexiBees, a company that connects women returning from career breaks with flexible roles. Before FlexiBees, Rashmi spent 8 years at P&G Singapore in Consumer Insights, first in the feminine hygiene category and later in digital marketing, eCommerce, and Media strategy. What you will find most insightful in this conversation is how anybody can elevate themselves to a trusted business partner regardless of their function in an organization, and how sometimes frustration at an unsolved problem can be the perfect fuel to fire your entrepreneurship journey, even more so when that unsolved problem resonates at a human level. Don't be fooled by her joyful, almost disarming style, Rashmi has the most impressive and relentless obsession with driving tangible impact through her work and she breaks it down into applicable concepts.This episode is hosted by P&G Alum Sudha Ranganathan, who’s spent over 19 years in diverse Marketing leadership roles at companies like P&G, PayPal, and LinkedIn where she’s honed her passion for customer-centric marketing and talent development.

“ There was trust - the mission was very clear. The problem isn't the idea. The problem is choosing. It starts with being purpose driven.”Eric Tholomé is a former Google product leader and tech CEO. At Google, Eric led product initiatives in Switzerland and the US - including the launch of Gmail themes and YouTube internationally in 10 countries. At Google Eric was the first ever Product Manager ever promoted to Director outside the US. Eric also spent one year as the CEO of European telecom company 1&1 IONOS. Prior to these experiences, Eric had early professional experiences at tech companies like Handspring, Palm, Schlumberger, and Nortel Networks, and is a Stanford Graduate. This conversation is from from P&G Alum Stefan Homeister’s top podcast “LEITWOLF” - for more inspirational conversations on leadership subscribe to Leitwolf wherever you get your favorite podcastsGot an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at [email protected]

“Giving back connects me to a new generation of people . It's important that people are curious and ask bold questions. It's about not giving answers, but enabling people to find their own answers.”Falk Fuhrmann is an award-winning creative strategist with over 25 years of experience, in growing businesses of local, regional or global scale. Falk currently leads HuíLüè — a strategy consultancy he founded in Shanghai specializing in brand strategy, cultural insights, and business innovation. Falk has also been teaching at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou since 2020… empowering the new generation of Chinese creatives to bridge cultural differences and embrace strategic innovation that resonate locally and globally. While Falk has invested his impressive career on the agency side with leaders like TBWA, DDB, and Saatchi & Saatchi, he also led strategy for multiple P&G’s categories across CEEMEA, APAC and Greater China. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on the fun of liquid collaboration, comparing Chinese and German cultures, and learning about the importance of getting from weird to wonder.This is part of our Chinese leaders series - hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at [email protected]

“ At the end, marketing is about connection. What makes it magical is the perfect convergence of creativity, the connection to human behavior, the unpredictability, and all the analytics.”Raul Murguia leads Integrated Marketing at LinkedIn Sales Solutions, driving brand narratives and campaigns that resonate with sales professionals. Previously, Raul led integrated marketing and later focused on product marketing at Meta for Messenger, orchestrating go-to-market strategies for Messenger and earning a Clio and two Shorty Awards for the "That Close" campaign. Raul’s passionate about integrated marketing communications — focusing on brand growth, product adoption, and delivering impactful campaigns. Raul’s career is a story of pivots - from Latin America to the US, across integrated and product marketing, from CPG to Tech — working across companies like Zespri, Pharmavite, Pepsico, Sara Lee, and seven years in brand management at P&G. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on adaptability and transitions across industries and cultures. This episode is hosted by P&G Alum Sudha Ranganathan, who’s spent over 19 years in diverse Marketing leadership roles at companies like P&G, PayPal, and LinkedIn where she’s honed her passion for customer-centric marketing and talent development.

“To create content — it's got to give you pleasure, it can't be a chore. Be honest with yourself. If you're putting goodness out into the world consistently, something's going to hit — trust that process.”Whether you've got a corporate job, a side hustle (like a podcast or three), or are even a full-time entrepreneur or entertainer, the idea of ‘content creation’ has become increasingly important. But what if the act of marketing content becomes more work than the actual act of making actually good content? Inspired by a recent NY Times article, P&G Alums Drew Tarvin (Humor That Works) + Bob Gilbreath (the Workaround) got together to discuss and debate their own approaches to all that is creating content. This is a special “topic-driven” episode where we bring together P&G Alum experts to share their personal learnings. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out [email protected] MOREnytimes.com/2024/12/31/arts/television/netflix-comedy-marketing.htmlBob Gilbreath newsletters "the Workaround" -behearty.substack.comDrew Tarvin:drewtarvin.com/

“ What we need is meaning, purpose, something to wake up in the morning and go do that matters. You're living life to the fullest when you're doing something you believe in that matters, that makes a difference.” Gerry Preece is a 22-year veteran of P&G leading agency strategic sourcing and marketing operations —building  purchases/procurement organizations around the globe in areas such as media, advertising agencies, promotions, commercial production, digital marketing, and public affairs. After retiring from P&G, Gerry served as  Executive Director at The Matthew Kelly Foundation,. He's also consulted with the 4As, GSK, and many other industry leaders. Gerry received his Bachelors in Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point In this far-ranging conversation between a longtime mentor and his mentee, fellow alum Rajiv Satyal - from years past - the two compare notes on their own learnings of purpose, work, life, politics, and family. You’ll enjoy this timely conversation between two old friends reconnecting - and not necessarily agreeing on everything, but learning from each other.  This episode is hosted by P&G Alum Rajiv Satyal, the Los Angeles-based comedian, host, and speaker - from his own podcast. You can learn, see, and hear more at RajivSatyal.com