Real Leaders: Recent Episodes
Real Leaders with Sue Heilbronner
Real Leaders brings you the story behind the story of some of the most innovative, authentic leaders in business -- from startups to enterprise.
Sue Heilbronner is the CEO of MergeLane, an accelerator for startups with at least one female in leadership. Sue also is a seasoned startup leader, advisor to CEOs of growth companies, Tedx speaker, professor of entrepreneurship, active angel investor, and mentor to many.
Welcome to the first episode of a special new focus for the HeySue Podcast: the Never Ask for the Sale Series. These new episodes are inspired by the September 2025 launch of Sue Heilbronner’s newest book, Never Ask for the Sale: Supercharge Your Business with the Power of Passionate Ambivalence. Never Ask is based on the philosophy or sales technique Sue calls “passionate ambivalence,” the freedom to be as passionate as you are about a possible sale and equally unattached to whether you close any specific business. Sue argues in Never Ask that executing on this mindset will propel the success of solopreneurs, startup founders, service providers, company account executives, and anyone who is selling or influencing in a context that depends primarily on themself.The Never Ask series will focus on sellers, founders and CEOs Sue believes exhibit features of passionate ambivalence in their approach to selling and growing their companies. Kevin Brown left corporate America and cofounded (with Keah Kalantari) a sports chalk company called Friction Labs a decade ago. There is a lot of talk these days about category creation. Friction Labs didn’t create the category of chalk for, say, rock climbing, but it did create the notion that professional and amateur climbers alike could have better climbing chalk. Friction Labs took a generic category and made it differentiated through pure innovation in both the product, branding, and positioning.In the pod, Kevin talks about how he started this journey, by offering a risk-free way for influential climbers to literally get their hands on Friction Labs chalk. It worked. Climbers loved the product, and sponsored athletes quickly led to a major full-chain rollout of the product line at REI followed by a number of global retailers. A key to the company’s growth is Kevin’s full alignment between this product category and his love of climbing (Kevin is a serious climber and bouldering club owner). He is as passionate an entrepreneur as I’ve ever met. His ambivalence shows up in the money-back guarantee he has used since Day 1. He has told climbers, gymnasts, golfers, tennis players, and major retailers that if they don’t like the product, or if the product doesn’t sell, he will offer a full no-questions-asked refund. He’s had to do this almost not at all.If you love sports. If you love sweating outside. If you love from-the-heart selling, you’ll love this episode, here and on YouTube.You can order Never Ask for the Sale at www.heysue.com/preorder.Get chalked for your next sweaty adventure at www.frictionlabs.com.You can see this and future episodes of the HeySue podcast on YouTube at www.youtube.com/sueheilbronner
Sarah Climenhaga is a writer and facilitator of Byron Katy’s The Work. She is also a self-professed attention hog who loves to talk! But in this live coaching session with Sue and Leah, she brings her secret worry: “Does anyone actually care about what I have to say?”In this episode of the HeySue podcast, Leah and Sue inquire about the two competing voices in Sarah’s mind, the one who loves to talk and the one who thinks Sarah takes up too much space. This internal contradiction is likely familiar to anyone who is a creator – it certainly resonates for Leah and Sue. What competing messages do you experience?You can learn more about Sarah’s work at https://sarahclimenhaga.ca.And those nifty boots Leah mentioned at the top of the episode? Those are available here.
Fernanda Bertrand is a business coach and the host of her own podcast. She came to the session with Sue and Leah wanting to better understand the “darker side” of her – a judgmental voice – that keeps intruding on her thoughts. She admits that she has been judging herself and others her whole life... and she judges herself for that! In this live coaching episode of the HeySue podcast, Sue and Leah lead Fernanda to consider what those judgmental thoughts mean, for her sense of self-worth, as a type of gift, and as an internal radio station of judginess. As you listen, hear the openness in Fernanda and hear how your own internal patterns are echoed. We invite you to tune in. You can learn more about personas in Sue’s new co-authored book, Leader Coach: Scaling Conscious Leadership at Work. If you want to go deeper on Leah’s suggestion that your thoughts are not your fault, she recorded a teaching inspired by the session with Sue and Fernanda. You can hear more from Fernanda on her podcast, The Higher Self Project.
Nick Smith is the CEO and Co-Founder of Hauska, which uses AI to make home remodeling easier. But the real challenge in his life right now is how to raise a house full of teenage girls. Sue and Leah dive into what that responsibility means to Nick, as well as his core belief that “you either pay now and play later, or you play now and pay later.”The session investigates how to use anxiety as an invitation to get curious about your priorities. For Nick, that means leaning into what he knows is most important to him and discovering his own tricks for spending more time doing things he loves with the people he loves.If you find yourself staring at a full calendar wondering what you need to do to be happier, we recommend this piece by Sue on being “full” and this meditation by Leah on the tension between doing and rest. If you are also a golfer, you may enjoy this post where Sue gets some timely coaching during one of her worst games ever.
Dominique Aubry-Morgan is a high-achiever who is on a quest for more ease. In this episode, Sue and Leah engage with Dominique about how her desire to find a new cadence is in tension with her dominant identity. They dive into her familiar cycles and the anxiety that surfaces around all the competing desires she has for her life. What would happen if she did a trust fall into life?At the heart of this episode is the issue of how to navigate — and eventually release — the complex emotions, diligence, and “doing” that often accompanies (and can forestall) learning and change.To dig into these ideas a bit more, you can read about Sue’s strategy for shifting core patterns and listen to Leah’s exploration on not knowing.
Rachel Pickett comes to this coaching conversation with Sue and Leah with a pretty common problem: figuring out how to get her organization to grow. Rachel is the Founder and Executive Director of The Thinking Project, which also makes her the first non-profit leader on the HeySue podcast. Her organization (and her passion) is focused on bringing Byron Katy’s The Work to children in educational settings. This conversation becomes an exploration of how love for something – an idea, a product, a cause – can be the key to unlocking growth. If you are not yet familiar with Byron Katy and The Work, you can visit thework.com. And if this is an entirely new tool to you, then this episode will certainly spark some curiosity!
Sue and Leah welcomed the first anonymous guest “Ryan” to the HeySue podcast! He kicked off the conversation by explaining that he is in the market for a coach who can help him get out of a funk.Sue and Leah invited Ryan to reflect on different parts of himself – from the achievement-oriented “higher self” to the cheese-loving slacker “Gary.” Ryan’s curiosity and self-reflection shine through in this conversation that spans creativity, self-worth, quantified-self journaling, and Miyazaki’s Fujimoto from Ponyo.This is a great listen for anyone (i.e. everyone) familiar with patterns of “productivity” and “laziness.” To go deeper, here is an exploration about how to allow yourself to rest. If you want to explore Ryan’s pop culture references, listen to some Sufjan Stevens or watch the 1983 movie Wind in the Willows.
David Secunda is a successful serial entrepreneur who has big ideas ranging from tech solutions for talent management at companies to what may be the best adventure summer camp for kids in the US. In this live coaching episode of the HeySue podcast, David opens his heart and mind, sharing the deep questions he wonders about in his leadership. He talks about a recurring worry that he is “too much.” The inquiry around that worry unlocks a conversation about wanting to be liked as a leader, the upper limits he encounters as a visionary, reacting to internal and external critiques, and a persona named “Tiny” who is trying to protect David.
Robin Izsak-Tseng is the VP of Revenue Marketing at G2. She is a leader with a lot of expertise to offer, but having so many young tech dudes around makes her feel like an imposter. She wonders if she is holding herself back from the next level of leadership.In this bold and revealing session, Robin, Sue, and Leah Pearlman talk about the perks of being self-effacing, the desire to be more punk rock, and a tension between leading and belonging. You will hear about personas and why they show up, as well as how to stay with feelings of insecurity as you grow and move to the next level.
Shawna Barnhart is a seasoned product leader in tech who loves team building, cross-functional project orchestration, and deep, revealing client conversations. Like many leaders in tech, she was recently a part of a reduction in force.Shawna is trying to balance “holding on” and “letting go” in the midst of that transition. During this honest and joy-filled conversation, Shawna, Sue, and Leah dig into the issue of “selling yourself” on the job market by simply showing up with your passion and genius. This episode in particular showcases guest coach Leah Pearlman’s coaching technique of “welcoming.” You can learn more about it at www.welcomingway.com.
Rachel Beisel is a seasoned executive who has achieved a lot of her goals and feels like she’s at her next phase of growth. She climbed all of Colorado’s 14-ers, ended her marriage, rang many professional bells, and wrote a book. She’s looking at rewriting her bio in a literal and metaphorical sense. In this live coaching session, Rachel shares the questions she’s facing as she is looking at the next chapter of her life and career with a hope of shifting some of her core patterns of planning, goals, and checklists for achievement.In this episode, Leah takes Rachel through an exploration to tune into her inner seven year old, finding a place of not knowing and opening to wonder.
Ajay Manglani, an exec in the generative AI space, joins Sue Heilbronner and Leah Pearlman for another episode of live executive coaching.Ajay, who brings a warmth, relatability, and sensitivity to this podcast and, seemingly, his leadership, raises two issues we hear often from company leaders.First, he discusses his effort to strike what he sees as the right balance around how much information (about board meetings, future company decisions, etc.) to share with his direct reports and larger team. He asks Leah and Sue for insights on how to think of that balance in a way that works best for him and for his team, and the coaches provide some thoughts you might find useful if you’ve wondered about this.Second, he asks how he might create more connected relationships with his colleagues. Leah does a bit of welcoming around his true motivations for wanting both more and less connection at once.As we do more of these episodes, we’re grateful for the willingness of our leader guests to share what’s really on their minds. We are game to talk to more leaders who are interested in this live coaching experience on the Hey Sue podcast. Find Sue on Linkedin, connect or follow, and send a message. We’ll be in touch.
Pull back the curtain on conscious leadership executive coaching with a new leader every episode. In this ep, Yong Kim, CEO of Wonolo, joins Leah Pearlman and Sue Heilbronner for a deep and vulnerable live executive coaching session. Yong, who describes himself as the "Chief Empathy Officer" of Wonolo shares his concerns about a miss on quarterly numbers and opens the door to a wonderful conversation about 100% responsibility, the inner critic, and the many sides of empathy in leadership.This episode offers great insights on leadership pressures at any time, and surely during difficult macroeconomic conditions. It also offers wonderful perspective on optimizing a nurturing, compassionate relationship between CEO, venture investors, and company Boards of Directors.
Real Leaders takes a break from speaking with founders and leaders at technology startups to talk to the founders of Yogapod, a dynamic brick and mortar business in the heart of the yoga haven of Boulder, Colorado. But wait for it. Yoga pod founders Nicole and Gerry Wienholt have an even wider range than their 120-class weekly yoga schedule might have reflected, and they rose the challenge of Covid-19 closures days before the fast-moving municipalities mandated shutdowns. Today's yogapod is, for now, a tech company first.
This is a winning story of two entrepreneurs who skipped over the five stages of grief in just one weekend, taking action to ensure the longevity of their vibrant business in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yogapod--home to teachers and students who have been loyal since the business opened a decade ago--was live-streaming yoga classes before we knew the hashtag #flattenthecurve, and their loyal client base (I'm included) stayed the course, having a chance to meet live with their favorite teachers and community members from the shag-carpet "studio" of home.
Yoga pod 's team watched the data and decided to make increasing investments to upgrade their technology to ensure a world-class streaming experience. A new microphone here, a second monitor so teachers could see themselves and also see the students. In the process, the founders realized that people well beyond the bounds of what we call the "Boulder Bubble" would enjoy practicing with leading teachers, no matter where they call home. So Yogapod is investing in streaming for good, regardless of when the city and state officials permit the reopening of yoga studios.
This is my favorite kind of entrepreneurial story--packed with every stage of the lean startup process: from hunch, to experimentation, to learning, to leveraging that learning by taking informed risks.
Join Sue Heilbronner and Nicole and Gerry Wienholt for a pivot story that is as vision-focused as it is P&L-focused.
Jim Dethmer and Diana Chapman – co-founders of the coaching and consulting business Conscious Leadership Group – are working to shift the mindset and level of self-awareness in global companies and organizations. Jim and Diana have been at the forefront of this movement, launching their bestselling book 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership in 2015 with Kaley Klemp.
In this episode of the Real Leaders podcast, Sue Heilbronner leads an intimate interview with her long-time friends and fellow Conscious Leadership advocates Jim and Diana about why, how, and when they co-founded CLG. Combining their individual experience, skills, and resources, Jim and Diana decided to join forces to increase their impact. Jim’s passion for continued growth in consciousness and Diana’s practical approach to communication are what enable them to make change happen for their clients and coaches-in-training. CLG now comprises a talented group of coaches, trainers, and consultants who work with thousands of leaders and companies interested in bringing more conscious practices to their companies.
Learn more about how Jim and Diana have built a rapidly growing international business through a mindset of abundance, transparency, and personal alignment on this engaging episode of the Real Leaders Podcast.
Visit www.conscious.is to find upcoming events and more information about the Conscious Leadership Group.
Real Leaders is brought to you by www.Leadership.Camp, a home for open Conscious Leadership coaching, events, and forums.
Chapter 2 in our series Conscious Leadership AMA ("Ask Me Anything") with Sue Heilbronner, CEO of MergeLane Fund and Leadership Camp.
Conscious Leadership AMAs are open to alumni of MergeLane programs and camps at Leadership.camp. Leaders ask about their challenges and opportunities in implementing conscious leadership into their daily work and life.
This episode features a heavy focus on unconscious commitments, including how to spot clearly the patterns that we are using in our leadership and how those patterns can make us more and less effective.
Raw, real and revealed inquiries and live executive coaching from Conscious Leadership Coach Sue Heilbronner on the Real Leaders Podcast.