In this "unplugged" episode, Juliet and Susan dissect what happens cognitively, emotionally, and physically when a crisis presents to better understand what drives action (or lack of action!) in humans facing an urgent challenge.

From compensating for others in a systemic response - how team dynamics bring out different sorts of responses depending on who else is and how they are responding - to appreciating the influence of our own inner wiring and needs, our conversation is quite rich, instructive, as well as personal.

** Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Subscribe and leave us a 5-star rating to help others discover the podcast. We’re so grateful to each and every listener!

——— Connect with your hosts ———

Email Juliet: julietclothier@gmail.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.julietclothier.com

Email Susan: susan@susanasutherland.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.susanasutherland.com

Secrets of the C-Suite is both a podcast AND a leadership consultancy. Learn more about our offerings.

Roya Platsis, executive coach and leadership consultant, talks with Juliet and Susan about her career journey, which has unfolded hand in hand with her personal one.

She also reflects on her early years in HR doing what can only be described as a "shit role” (something Susan especially related to) and how she learned to stop settling for positions that didn’t offer her satisfaction or room to grow.

Roya is also co-founder of LadyCulture, a membership service offering support and community for women navigating midlife across work, home and self.

You can find Roya on LinkedIn and at her website.

** Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Subscribe and leave us a 5-star rating to help others discover the podcast. We’re so grateful to each and every listener!

——— Connect with your hosts ———

Email Juliet: julietclothier@gmail.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.julietclothier.com

Email Susan: susan@susanasutherland.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.susanasutherland.com

Secrets of the C-Suite is both a podcast AND a leadership consultancy. Learn more about our offerings.

In another Unplugged episode of Secrets of the C-Suite, Juliet and Susan get into the conversations most of us would rather avoid.

From workplace tension and gossip to boundaries, emotional intelligence and knowing when to let something go, they explore why uncomfortable conversations are such an important leadership skill, and why avoiding them can create bigger problems.

They also talk about triangulation, staying in your lane, and the difference between speaking up to create change and speaking up simply because something is bothering you.

** Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Subscribe and leave us a 5-star rating to help others discover the podcast. We’re so grateful to each and every listener!

——— Connect with your hosts ———

Email Juliet: julietclothier@gmail.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.julietclothier.com

Email Susan: susan@susanasutherland.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.susanasutherland.com

Secrets of the C-Suite is both a podcast AND a leadership consultancy. Learn more about our offerings.

Listen agin to this powerful episode with Teja Smith, CEO and Founder of Get Social, a Los Angeles–based digital strategy and social media agency specializing in advocacy, culture, and impact-driven storytelling. With more than a decade at the intersection of social justice, politics, and pop culture, Teja shares how her upbringing, her grandmother’s legacy, and her commitment to equity shaped her mission to amplify underrepresented voices through digital media.

From her early work on the Schools Not Prisons campaign to founding Get Social during the pandemic, Teja reflects on leading through chaos, motherhood, and the ongoing fight for representation. She also gives listeners a first look at her newest project, the Digital Justice Lab, a nonprofit focused on teaching digital literacy, combating misinformation, and helping young people harness social media for good.

This conversation dives deep into the evolution of digital activism, the power of women—especially Black women—in driving social change, and the real behind-the-scenes realities of entrepreneurship, leadership, and balance. If you want to be inspired by how purpose, strategy, and social impact collide to create meaningful, lasting change, this episode’s for you.

Reach Teja Smith through her website www.getsocialwithteja.com and find her on LinkedIn.

Teja's TED Talk: Cooking Up Change: Social Media's Role in Modern Activism

** Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Subscribe and leave us a 5-star rating to help others discover the podcast. We’re so grateful to each and every listener!

——— Connect with your hosts ———

Email Juliet: julietclothier@gmail.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.julietclothier.com

Email Susan: susan@susanasutherland.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.susanasutherland.com

Secrets of the C-Suite is both a podcast AND a leadership consultancy. Learn more about our offerings.

What does great leadership have to do with luck, communication and knowing when to say yes?

In this episode, Juliet and Susan sit down with Phil Grosse to explore his winding career, from wholesale distribution to occupational injury prevention, nonprofit leadership and community organizing.

Phil shares lessons from decades of leadership, including how commitment-based communication can transform teams, why a small group of people often drives meaningful change, and how hard work, preparation and relationships can create your own kind of luck.

** Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Subscribe and leave us a 5-star rating to help others discover the podcast. We’re so grateful to each and every listener!

——— Connect with your hosts ———

Email Juliet: julietclothier@gmail.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.julietclothier.com

Email Susan: susan@susanasutherland.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.susanasutherland.com

Secrets of the C-Suite is both a podcast AND a leadership consultancy. Learn more about our offerings.

In this unplugged episode, Susan and Juliet explore why we’re often waiting to feel ready before taking the next step — and why readiness might actually be a decision, not a feeling.

They talk about creating space to pause, finding perspective when everything feels urgent, and how the skills we use to navigate work can also help us navigate the messy realities of life.

Plus, Susan shares what’s evolving with her 2026 South Africa Leadership Retreat and why sometimes the next step is simply to take the action and trust that you’ll figure it out along the way.

More about the Retreat: www.susanasutherland.com/retreat

** Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Subscribe and leave us a 5-star rating to help others discover the podcast. We’re so grateful to each and every listener!

——— Connect with your hosts ———

Email Juliet: julietclothier@gmail.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.julietclothier.com

Email Susan: susan@susanasutherland.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.susanasutherland.com

Secrets of the C-Suite is both a podcast AND a leadership consultancy. Learn more about our offerings.

Listen back to this episode with Mark Cederborg, who shares with us his extensive experience in the construction industry, particularly Ecological Restoration Construction in Northern California. Mark started in the industry by doing and learning ALL the jobs (using his words) and ending up as CEO! His views of leadership are evident and articulate, and we loved our conversation.

Mark is now CEO of Outset Advisors, a company focused on improving the relationship between construction and nature, and ensuring the right people and information get input to major construction projects We could also have titled this episode "the one where we learn about the difference between green and grey infrastructure!". You'll know why when you give it a listen.

You can reach Mark at m.cederborg@outsetadvisors.com

** Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Subscribe and leave us a 5-star rating to help others discover the podcast. We’re so grateful to each and every listener!

——— Connect with your hosts ———

Email Juliet: julietclothier@gmail.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.julietclothier.com

Email Susan: susan@susanasutherland.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.susanasutherland.com

Secrets of the C-Suite is both a podcast AND a leadership consultancy. Learn more about our offerings.

Leadership is rarely about having all the answers. More often, it's about creating space for better conversations and focusing on what really matters.

In this episode, Juliet and Susan are joined by leadership strategist and consultant John Newsome, founder of Public Equity Group. Drawing on decades of experience advising nonprofits, foundations and social impact organisations, John shares his perspective on leadership, organisational culture, equity and what it really takes to create lasting change.

Together, they explore leading with love, navigating complexity, focusing on meaningful outcomes and why everyone deserves a seat at the table.

Whether you're leading a team or simply curious about leadership, this episode offers plenty of thoughtful insight and practical wisdom.

Find Public Equity Group at www.publicequitygroup.org

** Enjoyed this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Subscribe and leave us a 5-star rating to help others discover the podcast. We’re so grateful to each and every listener!

——— Connect with your hosts ———

Email Juliet: julietclothier@gmail.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.julietclothier.com

Email Susan: susan@susanasutherland.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.susanasutherland.com

Secrets of the C-Suite is both a podcast AND a leadership consultancy. Learn more about our offerings.