Leadership is more than charisma — it’s about clarity, resilience, and authenticity.

In this episode of Leadership Variations Unfiltered, host Amy Bladen Shatto — leadership development consultant and executive coach for women in STEM — sits down with Ana Hooker, Senior Vice President and Chief Laboratory Officer at Exact Sciences. Ana leads a global team of 2,000+ professionals while mentoring the next generation of STEM leaders.

Together, they dive deep into the leadership challenges no one talks about:

• What’s not on the résumé: the unseen human side of executive leadership
• Why imposter syndrome is real (for women and men) and how to manage it under pressure
• The role of authenticity, strategy, and kindness in building your leadership brand
• Lessons from failures, lightbulb moments, and recalibrating when your message doesn’t land
• Why resilience and self-promotion are non-negotiable for women stepping into senior roles
  
  
  

If you’re an executive, STEM professional, or aspiring woman in leadership, this conversation is filled with actionable insights to help you lead with confidence and impact.

Highlights:

00:00 – Introduction to Leadership Variations: Unfiltered Podcast

00:35 – Meet Ana Hooker, SVP & Chief Laboratory Officer at Exact Sciences

01:04 – Ana’s passion for mentoring and guiding emerging STEM leaders

02:00 – What’s Not on the Resume

03:34 – Path to Leadership

04:05 – Ana shares her experience and tools to manage self-doubt

07:00 – Authentic Leadership & Personal Brand

10:34 – Using Data Over Emotion

12:16 - Learning Through Mistakes

15:45 - Final Advice & Closing Reflections

Watch & Subscribe
🎥 Watch this conversation and explore more Unfiltered leadership content: www.youtube.com/@leadershipvariations

Work with Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto
📈 Tired of being underestimated? Partner with a coach who specializes in helping leaders in STEM break barriers and accelerate impact. Book a consultation → https://calendly.com/abladenshatto/30min
🌐 Learn more → https://www.leadershipvariations.com
🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybladenshatto

About the Host
Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC, BCC — an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience helping organizations make faster, smarter leadership decisions. She specializes in science-based assessment, executive coaching, and leadership development strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.

Leadership Variations: Unfiltered — Limited Series 1, Episode 1
Cracking the Code: From Underestimated to Undeniable with Laura MacDonald

What does it take to go from underestimated to leading global teams in STEM? In this debut episode, Laura MacDonald, Chief Growth Officer at Hotwire (ROI·DNA), shares the mindset shifts, leadership strategies, and career moves that helped her break barriers and accelerate her impact in high-growth, high-pressure environments.

In the first episode of Leadership Variations: Unfiltered’s limited series Cracking the Code: Senior Women in STEM, host Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto talks with Laura MacDonald about the realities of leading at the highest levels in STEM.

Laura reveals her journey from being underestimated to becoming a high-impact executive, the role radical candor plays in shaping team culture, and proven strategies for thriving in complex, competitive industries. You’ll hear candid insight on:

• Navigating bias and building influence in male-dominated industries
• Leading diverse, global teams across cultures
• Making career ambitions visible at the right time to the right people
  
  
  

If you’re a female executive in STEM, an emerging leader, or a decision-maker shaping leadership development, this conversation delivers practical strategies you can apply now to break barriers and lead with influence.

Watch & Subscribe
🎥 Watch this conversation and explore more Unfiltered leadership content: www.youtube.com/@leadershipvariations

Work with Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto
📈 Tired of being underestimated? Partner with a coach who specializes in helping leaders in STEM break barriers and accelerate impact. Book a consultation → https://calendly.com/abladenshatto/30min
🌐 Learn more → https://www.leadershipvariations.com
🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybladenshatto

About the Host
Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC, BCC — an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience helping organizations make faster, smarter leadership decisions. She specializes in science-based assessment, executive coaching, and leadership development strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.