The Girl from the Town of Twenty Thousand

Before the podcast, before the platform, before she had words for any of it, Charlene knew something was wrong. This episode goes back to where that knowing started: a small town, a business career that took her from internal audit to the C-suite, and a moral bind she tried to ignore for thirty years while working in chemicals, plastics, and industries she knew in her bones were doing damage.

She stayed longer than that moral bind wanted her to. The bonuses were good. The system eventually collected its debt anyway, in the form of a health crisis that cost her more than half of everything she'd built.

This is the story of what she found when she came back up with nothing left to lose by listening to what she'd always known. First in a three-part close to season four.

The 5Cs Podcast connects forward-thinking executives who are building sustainable competitive advantages while driving positive impact. Think of it as an exclusive network of leaders who understand that stewardship isn't just good ethics - it's good business. Becausing addressing business stewardship climate risk and leadership together is in the highest good for all.

Connect with Charlene Norman on LinkedIn, find her at her website, subscribe to our Substack for strategic insights, or download the full series on Spotify and Apple.