How to Handle Crisis Management with PR Expert Megan Paquin

Megan built an agency that kept running while she was out for surgery; that is the job. The CEO Accelerator is officially open, now with an AI layer that turns our CEO playbooks and your real numbers into your custom operating system. Enroll before October 2 and get $500. → https://bit.ly/TheCEOAccelerator--Your reputation is the one asset you cannot buy back, and most founders only start thinking about it after it is already on fire. This week on the CEO School Podcast, Suneera sits down with Megan Paquin, the crisis and reputation strategist that Fortune 100 brands and Supreme Court cases call on during the worst week of their lives.Megan breaks down how to build reputational equity before you ever need it: claim your owned media, run the PESO model in the right order, and stop pouring money into paid ads before the rest is working. She and Suneera get honest about the relationship habit costing women founders deals they never see coming, and what it actually takes to build a business that keeps moving when you step away. If visibility and trust are on your 2026 list, start here.-----------------------------------------------------------Time Stamps:(00:00) Meet Megan Paquin, the crisis call top-tier CEOs make(04:40) From MGM and hotels to running crisis PR(07:15) What actually counts as a crisis for your business(09:05) The wildest reputation messes a crisis pro has managed(13:35) Building your PR Swiss Army knife of specialists(18:58) Why chasing Forbes can miss your real buyer(19:56) What a crisis expert does in the first hour(21:42) Claim every profile and build reputational equity early(24:53) How women burn bridges and pay for it later(34:04) The PESO model and why owned media comes first(39:05) The 3 reputation mistakes most founders make under pressure(41:24) Stepping into CEO mode so business runs without youConnect with Megan:Website: https://paquinpr.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paquinpr/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megpaquinapr/Share this with a founder who swears a crisis will never come knocking.Megan is one of our Millionaire Founders Club members, and she said it best: the room "makes you feel a lot less alone and a lot more capable." If you are a 7-figure CEO ready for that table, apply to the MFC here: https://bit.ly/MFCApplication---Only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue. We’re on a mission to change that. Subscribe to the CEO School and join the movement.Watch and listen to us at:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1525261018 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money: Website: https://theceoschool.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-schoolTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theceoschoolLearn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for powerhouse female CEOs like you to take center stage, not just in your industries but in your whole life. Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/ This episode was produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/.-----------------------------------------------------#CEOSchool #FemaleFounders #WomenInBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #FounderToCEO #WomenWhoLead #BusinessPodcast #PublicRelations #CrisisManagement #ReputationManagement #PRStrategy #OwnedMedia

Elena became the CEO in her head before the proof ever arrived. CEO Week is where you build the operating system to back it up: 5 FREE days of live training to get you out of the execution seat and into the role. Save your seat: https://accelerator.theceoschool.com/ceo-weekWelcome back to CEO School! In this powerful and deeply inspiring episode, Suneera Madhani sits down with billionaire entrepreneur, mother, and visionary leader Elena Cardone for a candid conversation about mindset, partnership, success, and the journey from founder to CEO. Elena Cardone built a billion-dollar empire alongside Grant, raised two self-determined daughters, and did it by deciding who she was long before the bank account caught up. She hands Suneera the actual mechanics: how to assume the beingness of the CEO you're becoming, why your reactive brain keeps rerunning old survival decisions, and the be-do-have order most founders get backward.We also get into the rules that protect an empire: why you stop venting about your partner and your team, how "one team, sky is black" keeps a marriage and a company aligned, and how to raise kids who own their own choices. Grab a pen. This one moves fast and hits identity, money, and motherhood in the same breath.Time Stamps:(00:00) Sitting down with a rare billion-dollar powerhouse(05:27) Punk rock, loss, and leaving New Orleans behind(11:35) Marrying at 30 and unlearning "I need no one"(15:04) Why old survival decisions secretly still run you(24:19) Surviving 2008 by turning marriage into one team(27:23) "Sky is black": having your partner's back publicly(31:45) Redefining success beyond your own accomplishments(37:56) Be, Do, Have: living from your future self now(47:47) The three freedoms every founder is really chasing(51:45) Why you stop venting about your partner and team(58:35) Firing fast and making decisions like a CEO(1:10:36) Raising self-determined kids who own their choicesShare this with a founder who's still waiting for her bank account to give her permission to act like a CEO.Connect with Elena at:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elenacardone/Website: https://elenacardone.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenacardone/-----------------------------------------------Elena built 10X Ladies because women kept getting left out of the rooms where the real bonding happens. That's exactly why the Millionaire Founders Club exists: a high-proximity room of 7-to-8-figure women who get the whole picture, not just the P&L. Apply: https://bit.ly/MFCApplication---Only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue. We're on a mission to change that. Subscribe to the CEO School and join the movement.Watch and listen to us at:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1525261018 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money: Website: https://theceoschool.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-schoolTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theceoschoolLearn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for powerhouse female CEOs like you to take center stage, not just in your industries but in your whole life. Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/ This episode was produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/.----------------------------------------------SOCIAL Hashtags:#CEOSchool #FounderToCEO #FemaleFounders #WomenInBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #The2PercentClub #ElenaCardone #BuildAnEmpire #BeDoHave #CEOMindset #WomenWhoScale #OneTeamOneDream

You can have it all, but not while you're the one answering every question and fixing every problem. CEO Week is 5 free days of live training where Suneera hands you the playbooks, the growth strategies, and the full AI C-suite to build a business that runs without you. Save your free seat: ⁠https://accelerator.theceoschool.com/ceo-week--How does every mom become a millionaire? Cait Scudder built a seven-figure business through three pregnancies, with a fourth baby on the way, and she did it by refusing the rule that says ambition and motherhood have to compete. This week she joins Suneera to get honest about mom guilt, the trade-offs you don't see coming, and the moment she stopped shrinking her ambition to make everyone else comfortable.If you've ever cried in a hotel room missing your kids while chasing the work that lights you up, this one is for you. You'll hear why the guilt isn't a flaw to fix, how to build your business around what you actually want instead of what looks impressive, and the reframe that lets you have it all without doing it all.Time Stamps:(01:24) Meet Cait Scudder and the Millionaire Mother brand(04:26) From Bali laptop dreams to a coaching business(07:45) Pregnant, terrified, and sure the business would stall(09:23) Crossing seven figures the year she became a mom(11:12) The birth story that rewired how she works(14:46) The sacred third between grinding and giving up(17:58) The mom guilt talk that refuses to gaslight you(20:18) The camera analogy that reframes every hard trade-off(25:15) Giving yourself permission to want success for YOU(27:25) Trading the martyr operating system for the matriarch(38:54) Why corporate America still fails working mothers(44:38) Reverse-engineering the business your real life wantsConnect with Cait:Website: ⁠https://themillionairemother.com/⁠Born for Both Book: ⁠https://bornforboth.com/⁠Instagram: ⁠@themillionairemother⁠ /  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/themillionairemother/⁠Share this with a mama who thinks she needs permission to want it all for herself.---------------------------------------------------Cait's advice for building something big: resource yourself with a village. The Millionaire Founders Club is that village for founders; the room where seven- and eight-figure women scale together. Come find yours. Apply here: ⁠https://bit.ly/MFCApplication⁠---Only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue. We're on a mission to change that. Subscribe to the CEO School and join the movement.Watch and listen to us at:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1525261018 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money: Website: https://theceoschool.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-schoolTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theceoschoolLearn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for powerhouse female CEOs like you to take center stage, not just in your industries but in your whole life. Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/ This episode was produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/.----------------------------------------------SOCIAL Hashtags:#CEOSchool #FounderToCEO #FemaleFounders #WomenInBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #The2PercentClub #ElenaCardone #BuildAnEmpire #BeDoHave #CEOMindset #WomenWhoScale #OneTeamOneDream

You can have it all, but not while you're the one answering every question and fixing every problem. CEO Week is 5 free days of live training where Suneera hands you the playbooks, the growth strategies, and the full AI C-suite to build a business that runs without you. Save your free seat: https://accelerator.theceoschool.com/ceo-week -- How does every mom become a millionaire? Cait Scudder built a seven-figure business through three pregnancies, with a fourth baby on the way, and she did it by refusing the rule that says ambition and motherhood have to compete. This week she joins Suneera to get honest about mom guilt, the trade-offs you don't see coming, and the moment she stopped shrinking her ambition to make everyone else comfortable. If you've ever cried in a hotel room missing your kids while chasing the work that lights you up, this one is for you. You'll hear why the guilt isn't a flaw to fix, how to build your business around what you actually want instead of what looks impressive, and the reframe that lets you have it all without doing it all. Time Stamps: (01:24) Meet Cait Scudder and the Millionaire Mother brand (04:26) From Bali laptop dreams to a coaching business (07:45) Pregnant, terrified, and sure the business would stall (09:23) Crossing seven figures the year she became a mom (11:12) The birth story that rewired how she works (14:46) The sacred third between grinding and giving up (17:58) The mom guilt talk that refuses to gaslight you (20:18) The camera analogy that reframes every hard trade-off (25:15) Giving yourself permission to want success for YOU (27:25) Trading the martyr operating system for the matriarch (38:54) Why corporate America still fails working mothers (44:38) Reverse-engineering the business your real life wants Connect with Cait Website: https://themillionairemother.com/Born for Both Book: https://bornforboth.com/Instagram: @themillionairemother /  https://www.instagram.com/themillionairemother/ Share this with a mama who thinks she needs permission to want it all for herself. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cait's advice for building something big: resource yourself with a village. The Millionaire Founders Club is that village for founders; the room where seven- and eight-figure women scale together. Come find yours. Apply here: https://bit.ly/MFCApplication --- Only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue. We’re on a mission to change that. Subscribe to the CEO School and join the movement. Watch and listen to us at: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1525261018 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money: Website: https://theceoschool.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-school TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theceoschool Learn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for powerhouse female CEOs like you to take center stage, not just in your industries but in your whole life. Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/ This episode was produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOCIAL Hashtags: #CEOSchool #WomenInBusiness #FemaleFounders #WomenEntrepreneurs #WomenWhoLead #MillionaireMother #AmbitiousMoms #MomGuilt #WorkingMom #MotherhoodAndAmbition #FounderMom #HaveItAll

Ready to actually make the shift instead of just nodding along? Suneera is hosting CEO Week: a FREE five-day workshop where she'll walk you through four pillars of her CEO Operating System and hand you the playbooks (plus her entire AI C-suite) to plug straight into your business. Be one of the first in the room, and go VIP for the deeper AI sessions. Register here: https://accelerator.theceoschool.com/ceo-week -- Welcome back to CEO School! In this solo episode, Suneera tells the story of the day the business crossed eight figures. She thought she'd feel unstoppable, but instead, she felt trapped. She was the founder who built the whole thing, walking in every morning to firefight for 400 people and realizing she'd become the reason it couldn't grow. And she learned it the hard way: the skills that get you to a million are not the skills that get you to ten. This is the operating system she used to scale Stax to a billion dollars and CEO School right alongside it: her 6P framework for going from founder to CEO. Power, product, pitch, people, profit, process. Six systems, each one a skill you can learn, and your business only ever grows as far as your weakest one. If you're capped, doing all the work, and more hustle keeps landing you back where you started, consider this your personal playbook. Grab a pen and let's go! Time Stamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:00) The day eight figures started to feel like a trap (02:53) Founder mode: The Tuesday that runs you ragged (05:31) Power: Lead the day before it leads you (10:00) Product: The clarity everything downstream depends on (14:30) Pitch: One clear message for the right buyer (18:37) People: Hire owners who own the outcome (23:18) Profit: Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity (25:45) Process: Build the machine that runs without you (31:38) Your business grows only as your weakest pillar (34:10) CEO Week: five free days to make the shift Share this with a founder who's playing whack-a-mole all day and calling it leadership. ------------------------------------------------------------- Suneera said it straight: No one can scale alone. The Millionaire Founders Club is the room where we build together: application-only, curated for women building at +7 figures, operating at the same level, and ready to scale. A few spots are left for new members at the MFC Retreat in New York. Apply before September 7 to join us.  https://bit.ly/MFCApplication --- Only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue. We're on a mission to change that. Subscribe to the CEO School and join the movement. Connect with our Guest at: Website: https://technologymatch.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyacoxturrell/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyaturrell/ Watch and listen to us at: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1525261018 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money: Website: https://theceoschool.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-school TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theceoschool Learn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for powerhouse female CEOs like you to take center stage, not just in your industries but in your whole life. Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/ This episode was produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/. ---------------------------------------------------------------- SOCIAL Hashtags:#CEOSchool #FounderToCEO #WomenInBusiness #FemaleFounders #WomenEntrepreneurs #ScaleYourBusiness #SmallBusinessGrowth #Foundermode #CEOMindset #BusinessSystems #ProfitFirst #WomenWhoLead

Lions don't own the jungle alone; they run in a pride. The Millionaire Founders Club is that room: application-only, built for fearless, seven-figure women operating at the same level and ready to move together. We're opening 30 spots for new members at the MFC Retreat in New York. Apply to see if you're a fit. https://bit.ly/MFCApplication--How do you actually go OOO without your business falling apart?In this episode of the CEO School Podcast, entrepreneur and CEO Suneera Madhani shares powerful leadership and business lessons from spending three weeks completely unplugged in Africa and discovering that her businesses could continue thriving without her.Suneera breaks down three unforgettable leadership lessons inspired by the African wilderness: what a lion, an elephant, and a leopard named Dai Dai teach every CEO about building a business (and a life) that can actually hold. Lions rest 20 hours a day and still own the jungle. Elephants move slowly and carry the force to knock down anything in their path. And Dai Dai spent a whole evening stalking one zebra with perfect patience and total precision. Three animals. Three rules for leading without burning out.If you're an entrepreneur trying to transition from founder to CEO, build scalable business systems, improve your leadership mindset, prevent burnout, and create a company that can operate without your constant involvement, this episode is for you.Time Stamps:(00:00) The Triumphant Return(04:59) Your Vision Should Keep Evolving(06:39) Three Weeks Unplugged in Africa(07:50) Building a Business That Runs Without You(09:50) Returning to Tanzania With Family(13:45) Business Lessons From the African Wilderness(14:21) Lesson #1: Build a Business That Lets You Rest(15:35) The Lion Lesson: Rest and Still Rule the Jungle(17:20) The Elephant Lesson: Slow Down Without Losing Power(20:28) The Leopard Lesson: Focus Before You Strike(25:10) Bringing the Lessons Back Into Business(26:20) Why Fall Is the Season to Accelerate(27:20) Millionaire Founders Club NYC Retreat(28:18) The New AI-Powered Founder to CEO Accelerator(31:19) Rest, Focus & Rule Your JungleBecause your next level doesn't require you to chase everything. Sometimes it requires you to rest like the lion, move like the elephant, and focus like the leopard.Share this with the founder who hasn't taken a real vacation in years. ------------------------------------------------------------------------Suneera left for Africa for three weeks and came back to a business that never missed a beat. Her CEO Operating System made that possible. If yours can't run without you for a week, let alone three, that's your sign to become a CEO. Take the FREE quiz and find out exactly where you're still running your business instead of leading it:  https://bit.ly/FounderOrCEOQuiz---Only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue. We're on a mission to change that. Subscribe to the CEO School and join the movement.Watch and listen to us at:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1525261018Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigUYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money: Website: https://theceoschool.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-schoolTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theceoschoolLearn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for powerhouse female CEOs like you to take center stage, not just in your industries but in your whole life. Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/ This episode was produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/.------------------------------------------------------------------

Tonya said it best: "You've curated this community where you can see every possibility and be inspired in any direction." That's the Millionaire Founders Club. And this October,  we're taking that to NYC for our fall retreat. Only 20 spots open for new members. Apply here: https://bit.ly/MFCApplicationWelcome back to CEO School! In today's inspiring episode, Suneera Madhani sits down with powerhouse entrepreneur Tonya Turrell, founder and CEO of Technology Match. With nearly 30 years of experience revolutionizing how technology is bought and sold, Tonya shares the highs, lows, and pivotal moments of her journey, including building and selling two companies, landing on the Inc. 5000 and Female Founder 250 lists, and overcoming bankruptcy. We dive deep into her story of resilience, the challenges and advantages of being a woman in tech, scaling with AI, and her game-changing insights into building successful sales machines. Plus, hear how Tonya prioritized family and freedom after her first business exit, embracing worldschooling with her kids for five years.Get ready for actionable advice, honest conversations, and a behind-the-scenes look at building businesses (and lives) on your own terms.Time Stamps:(00:00) Meet Tonya Turrell: Two-Time Founder and Inc. 5000 CEO(04:00) AOL Came Calling, and She Said Yes With No Contract Signed(10:39) Losing 80% of Her Revenue the Week Before Christmas(12:50) She Shut Down on a Friday and Launched Again on Monday(13:43) How a Team of 6 Outperformed a Team of 60(16:00) Making the Inc. 5000 and Selling the Company Anyway(19:04) Pulling the Kids From School and Worldschooling for 5 Years(27:03) No Pretty Privilege in Tech: What Sexism Actually Looks Like(32:12) You're Not Too Much. You're Just Too Much for Them(39:44) How to Break Out of Founder-Led Sales and Build a Real Engine(43:52) Same Leads, Two Clients: One at 0%, One at 50%(49:12) What Happened When She Finally Stepped Into the CEO SeatShare this with a founder who is still closing every deal herself. This episode is the wake-up call she needs.Connect with TonyaWebsite: https://technologymatch.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyacoxturrell/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyaturrell/------------------------------------------------------Tonya's biggest unlock this year was finally putting on her CEO hat, and new business ideas immediately followed. If this episode hit close to home, it's time to find out in which areas you are still operating like a founder. Take the quiz: https://bit.ly/FounderOrCEOQuiz---Only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue. We're on a mission to change that. Subscribe to the CEO School and join the movement.Watch and listen to us at:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1525261018 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money: Website: https://theceoschool.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-schoolTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theceoschoolLearn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for powerhouse female CEOs like you to take center stage, not just in your industries but in your whole life. Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/ This episode was produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/.

You just spent 17 minutes learning why the decision you keep avoiding is the one that will take you to the next level. The MFC Fall Retreat in New York is that decision. Get in the room with women building at the level you're working toward, and who will hold you accountable for actually moving. 👉 https://bit.ly/MFCApplication--Every successful entrepreneur eventually realizes one truth:Avoidance is costing you more than failure ever will.In this episode of CEO School, entrepreneur and founder Suneera Madhani breaks down why founders stay stuck; not because they lack strategy, but because they're avoiding the conversations, decisions, and uncomfortable actions that create real business growth.Whether you're avoiding firing an employee, raising your prices, asking for help, making a difficult leadership decision, or finally launching the business you've been dreaming about, this episode will help you identify what's really holding you back.You'll discover:✔ Why avoidance drains your mental energy✔ The psychology behind procrastination and perfectionism✔ How fear keeps entrepreneurs stuck✔ Why CEOs are paid to make decisions (not perfect ones)✔ Five common areas founders avoid, and how to overcome them✔ A simple framework for making faster, better business decisionsIf you're building a business, leading a team, or growing as a founder, this conversation will challenge you to stop waiting and start leading.Follow for weekly conversations helping entrepreneurs build profitable businesses, stronger leadership skills, and lives designed with intention.Time Stamps:(00:00) Why Avoidance Is Costing Your Business More Than You Think(02:28) The Hidden Energy Tax Every Founder Pays(04:37) Name the Fear That's Really Holding You Back(07:57) Why Decisions Create Momentum (Not Perfection)(10:19) CEOs Get Paid to Decide, Not to Wait(10:49) 5 Things Founders Avoid Most(11:15) 1. Difficult Conversations With Your Team(12:20) 2. Raising Your Prices With Confidence(13:21) 3. Letting Go of What's No Longer Serving You(13:51) 4. Asking for Help Isn't Weakness(14:26) 5. Investing in Your Own Growth(15:11) The 5-Step Framework to Stop Avoiding and Start Leading(17:00) Your Next Level Starts With One DecisionShare this with a founder who has a pile of decisions sitting on her desk right now.------------------------------------------------If the decision you've been avoiding is what to do next with your business, start here. Take the free Founder or CEO Quiz to get clarity on where you are and what move comes next. 👉 https://bit.ly/FounderOrCEOQuiz---Only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue. We’re on a mission to change that. Subscribe to the CEO School and join the movement.Connect with our Guest at:Website: https://technologymatch.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyacoxturrell/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyaturrell/Watch and listen to us at:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1525261018 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money: Website: https://theceoschool.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-schoolTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theceoschoolLearn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for powerhouse female CEOs like you to take center stage, not just in your industries but in your whole life. Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/ This episode was produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/-----------------------------------------------

Are you operating like a founder or leading like a CEO? Take the quiz, find out where you stand, and get a custom workbook to start fixing the area that's holding you back. → bit.ly/FounderOrCEOQuizWelcome back to the CEO School Podcast!This week, we flipped the script. Lisa Morel puts Suneera in the hot seat... and takes you all the way back. The immigrant household in Dallas. The sticker gun that taught her care scales. Getting laughed out of the room at 25. And the family dinner where her dad asked the question that built everything: why not you?Then we get into the part nobody prepares you for: building a billion-dollar company with her brother Sal, and doing it without torching the relationship. Suneera shares her approach to dividing and conquering, staying out of each other's lanes, and having the conversation you're avoiding before it hardens into resentment. If you've ever been told "never go into business with family," consider this your permission slip to do it right. Because less than 2% of women founders ever cross a million, and nobody should have to make that climb alone.No one’s journey is perfect, especially in family business; but with humble courage, clarity, and intentional communication, you can create something truly lasting. Time Stamps: (00:00) The co-founder rule that protects a billion-dollar partnership (01:04) Plot twist - Suneera takes the hot seat (01:44) The immigrant household that was secretly an MBA (08:21) The sticker-gun lesson: why care in the small things scales (10:47) Eldest daughter, first to college - the weight of expectations (16:00) How Fattmerchant started: the problem she couldn't unsee (18:59) Laughed out of the room at 25 (21:06) The family-dinner question: "Why not you?" (24:18) $5M in year one to a billion-dollar exit — the receipts (26:36) Building with your brother: divide, conquer, trust the outcome (33:12) The third-founder move that breaks the stalemate (44:28) The tab-keeping trap: how resentment actually starts (53:37) Her real relationship to money, and the fear underneath it (1:04:25) Lisa's playbook: run the business like a business, the family like a familyConnect with Lisa at: Website: https://www.openwithlisamorel.com/ Share this with your favorite co-founders!-------------------------------------------------------------- As Suneera said, entrepreneurship is too hard to do alone, and the best thing she has is partners who care as much as she does. If you're a 7- or 8-figure woman founder who's done climbing solo, this is THE table: a vetted room of women CEOs who refuse to play small. Pull up a seat: https://bit.ly/MFCApplication--- Only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue. We’re on a mission to change that. Subscribe to the CEO School and join the movement. Watch and listen to us at: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1525261018Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigUYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more moneyWebsite: ⁠https://theceoschool.com/Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-schoollTikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@theceoschoolLearn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for powerhouse female CEOs like you to take center stage, not just in your industries but in your whole life.Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/This episode was produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/.------------------------------------------------------ SOCIAL Hashtags: #CEOSchool #SuneeraMadhani #WomenFounders #FemaleFounders #FounderToCEO #WomenInBusiness #EntrepreneurMindset #FamilyBusiness #SiblingCofounders #BuildingWithFamily #GenerationalWealth #CoFounderGoals #ImmigrantFamily

PE introductions, C-suite connections, companies exiting because of one conversation; that's what happens inside the MFC. We're opening spots for ambitious women at the 7-figure mark who are ready to be in the room where the best deals happen. Apply here: https://bit.ly/MFCApplication--Welcome back to the CEO School podcast!In today's episode, our host Suneera Madhani sits down with powerhouse executive and proud Latina mom, Vivian Gonzalez. With nearly 30 years in executive search—20 of which were spent deep in private equity—Vivian brings a wealth of insider knowledge on scaling companies, strategic exits, and the art of assembling world-class leadership teams.Together, they dive into the realities of selling to private equity, what it takes to build truly exitable enterprises, and the unique challenges and opportunities for women in the male-dominated world of finance and leadership.Plus, Vivian shares actionable insights on retention, hiring, and the mindset shifts women founders need to unlock the next level of growth. Whether you're building your first company or preparing for a big exit, this episode is packed with must-know strategies and inspiration for ambitious women in business.Time Stamps:(00:00) Introducing Vivian Gonzalez: 30 Years Placing C-Suite Talent in PE-Backed Companies(05:20) From Law School Dropout to Running a Firm at 25(07:44) Private Equity 101: What It Is, What It Isn't, and Why It Got a Bad Rap(12:17) The Gender Gap in PE: 15% on Deal Teams, 2% as Operating Partners(13:45)  Vivian's Rule: No Woman on Your Deal Team? No Introduction.(19:49) No Is a Gift: How Rejection Builds Better Founders(23:50)  What PE Buyers Actually Grade You On: Retention, Scalability, and Letting Go(25:50) The Mindset Shift: If the Business Can't Run Without You, It's Not Sellable(28:00) "I Can't Afford to Hire"... Here's How to Think About It Instead(33:47) The $1M, $5M, and $10M Inflection Points And What Breaks at Each One(39:17) The Case Study Hiring Method That Removes Risk and Gets You to Yes(44:19) The 30/60/90 Framework: Why Hires Fail Without It(46:00) — Where to Find Vivian and the MFCFollow Vivian and discover her ventures:Instagram: @viviangonzales.parkcapitalLinkedIn: Vivian GonzalesRemember, every "no" is just a step closer to your "yes". Keep building businesses that create wealth and impact!--------------------------------------------------------------------Vivian just told you the business that can't run without you isn't sellable. The 6P quiz will show you exactly which pillar is holding you back. Take it, get your weakest area, and get the custom workbook to fix it → https://bit.ly/FounderOrCEOQuiz---Only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue. We're on a mission to change that. Subscribe to the CEO School and join the movement.Watch and listen to us at:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1525261018 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money: Website: https://theceoschool.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-schoolTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theceoschoolLearn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for powerhouse female CEOs like you to take center stage, not just in your industries but in your whole life. Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/ This episode was produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/.------------------------------------------------------------------SOCIAL Hashtags:#PrivateEquity #ExitStrategy #WomenInBusiness #FemaleFounders #WomenInLeadership #FounderToCEO #CSuiteRecruitment #BusinessGrowth #CustomerRetention #HiringStrategy