Host: Carrie Tuttle Guest: Zahid Junejo

In this episode, I sit down with Zahid Junejo, a seasonedfinancial consultant with over 30 years of international experience. He held roles such as Vice President at Mashreq Bank and Citigroup Samba. He has also served as SVP of Sales at Saudi Home Loans.

Zahid shares how he connected with his team on a personal level and has “re-launched” himself multiple times. He explains his experience building a new team from scratch at Western Union in Calgary, achieving full-year targets within eight months. He led by example with his feet on the ground and mentored his team to achieve their goals.

Imagine moving to Dubai without knowing a word of Arabic! Yes, he did that. Not only that, but he went on to build a team of diverse cultural backgrounds and grew their cash management book size to $250 million. He’s a master networker and has maintained many of his overseas and localrelationships with clients, his leaders and direct reports over the years.

Zahid is a big believer in continuous learning and growth. He is incredibly generous with his time and energy, as evidenced by his current projects. Zahid teaches at the Toronto School of Management and advises career development with The Career Foundation.

QUOTE-WORTHY MOMENTS:

"Always be in learning mode. Adapt and upgrade.""Leaders must always ask: Why am I doing this? How may I help you? And how can this be improved?"

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Zahid emphasizes the importance of adapting and upgrading oneself in a career.
• He believes in the power of teamwork and collective success.
• Supporting struggling team members is crucial for overall team performance.
• Cultural understanding enhances team dynamics and business success.
• Networking is essential for building relationships andopportunities.
• Mistakes are valuable learning experiences that shape career paths.
• Inspirational leaders can have a profound impact on personal and professional growth.
• Continuous learning is vital, regardless of one's position.
• Helping others leads to mutual support and success.
• Zahid's commitment to nonprofit work reflects his desire to give back to the community.

LINKS FROM EPISODE:Zahid Junejo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahidjunejo/

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Host: Carrie Tuttle
Guest: Phil Putnam

The theme of this episode is leading cross-generationally. With four generations currently in the workforce, everyone needs to be aware of how to influence and motivate the people we work with. You don’t want to miss this!

Phil Putnam, speaker and author of 'Desired Based Leadership' is on the cusp of Gen X and Millennial groups. In his 20 years as a team member and executive leader within world-class tech organizations including Apple and Adobe, he now shares his most valuable lessons.

He talks about the importance of prioritizing employee desires to drive business results, because the investment has a multiplier effect in productivity and loyalty. By contrast, the cost of attrition is crippling and he explains the math. Phil's experiences and understanding of the evolving workforce dynamics highlight the need for leaders to adapt their strategies to build safety and satisfaction among employees.

Phil gives a short historical background of why each generation has a different relationship with work, different motivators and different way of viewing hierarchy. He calls out how positional power is changing and emphasizes the necessity for empathy and adaptability in leadership.

How we work is changing, particularly as the workforce majority shifts from Baby Boomers to the Millennial / Gen Z group. In this conversation, we discuss how understanding the needs and values of different generations can lead to better workplace engagement and results. Listen in to understand how this applies to your world!

QUOTE-WORTHY MOMENTS:

“A leader’s function is to drive results through people.”

"You don't get results by putting the employers' needs first. You get the results you want by putting the employees' needs first and… what they want for their life.”

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Leaders should prioritize employee desires to drive results.

• Desire-Based Leadership focuses on what employees want in life.

• The cost of employee attrition is significant.
• Generational differences in their relationship with employment impact leadership and motivation strategies.
• Toxic loyalty in Gen X-ers can hinder employee satisfaction and retention.
• Effective leadership requires understanding and adapting to generational needs.
• Leaders must navigate their styles based on audience and context.
• Appealing to self-focused loyalty yields better results.
• GenZ-ers are open to a patchwork of income sources.
• Boomers value authority and title more than younger generations.
• Work-life balance is a significant concern for younger generations.
• Millennials and Gen Z prioritize their time over loyalty to employers.
• Communication styles differ greatly across generations.
• Generational trauma influences work attitudes.

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LINKS FROM EPISODE:

Phil Putnam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philputnamspeaks/

Website: https://www.philputnam.com/

Book:

Desire-Based Leadership: A Manager’s Unexpected Key to Driving Top Performance https://amzn.to/3EUROhP

Note: We use affiliate links for recommended resources and might receive a few pennies if you choose to buy something.

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Host: Carrie Tuttle
Guest: Tracey Nyholt

Tracey Nyholt, founder and CEO of TechJutsu Inc., a cybersecurity company celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025. With her small but mighty team, she has established a "professional on top, party on the bottom" remote work culture and shares her thoughts on building a company without boundaries.

Tracey’s open heart is humbling. She shares about experiencing and supporting her team through the loss of a team member and the impact grief had. From handling profound leadership challenges to supporting team members in pursuing their dreams, Tracey shares the details of stories from her journey and how a personalized approach creates loyal team members.

She gives some great examples of the kind of candid conversations Tracey has with her team about performance and how the team sometimes surprises her – like one who asked to be punished! This episode offers valuable insights for leaders managing remote teams and building company culture while scaling an award-winning technology business.

QUOTE-WORTHY MOMENTS:

• “No mistake, no bad decision is so bad that you can't fix it, adjust or change. So don't beat yourself up too much.”
• "Everyone has a ‘performance love language’.”

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Leadership requires adapting to the diverse needs of team members
• Creating a sense of belonging enhances team loyalty and performance
• Supporting employees' personal dreams is more achievable than you think
• Coping with loss is a shared experience that can strengthen team bonds when you talk openly
• Fostering creativity and problem-solving is essential in a tech environment
• Empowering women in technology is a key focus
• Setting clear objectives and checking in regularly is vital for team alignment
• Remote work can be productive if managed effectively
• Building personal connections within a team enhances overall morale

LINKS FROM EPISODE:

Tracey Nyholt on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracey-nyholt-226b2115/

TechJutsu Website:https://www.techjutsu.ca/

CallerVerify:https://www.callerverify.com/

Resources:

Canadian Cybersecurity Network: https://canadiancybersecuritynetwork.com/

Women in Communications & Technology: https://wct-fct.com/

Books Mentioned:

Unapologetically Ambitious – Shellye Archambeauhttps://amzn.to/4gBqNgc

The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace - Gary Chapman and Paul Whitehttps://amzn.to/4jQJWxM

The 5 Love Languages – Gary Chapmanhttps://amzn.to/40T0mwP

Note: We use affiliate links for recommended resources and might receive a few pennies if you choose to buy something.

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Host: Carrie Tuttle
Guest: Michael Gaudet

Michael Gaudet is a 20-year veteran marketing leader andself-professed data guy. He has held senior leadership roles with brands like Getty Images, Swoop Airline, Benevity, and Neo Financial in critical functional areas of digital marketing and media, analytics, and performance marketing.

In his experience leading teams, he emphasizes the importance of aligning marketing and sales, understanding key metrics, and fostering empathy within teams. As he progressed through leadership, he found a couple of books to be valuable resources to him. Listen in to hear his recommendations.

Mike points out that investors are looking for results and accountability is the way to get them. He shared insights on motivating team members through ownership of their own goals how building accountability can change culture.

I appreciated how he reflects on his experiences, includingchallenges faced in leadership and the lessons he took away from those. It’s all about learning. Mike takes a lot of pride in his team's achievements and the things they have gone on to do since he worked with them. Tune in to hear from an inspired leader who believes in accountability and is still a nice guy!

QUOTE-WORTHY MOMENTS:

“It’s a big transition from individual contributor to leader. It’s not about you. It’s about the collective footprint of your team what they were able to do.”

"The highs of leadership are higher. And the lowers are lower than as an individual contributor.”

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Performance marketing is about driving revenue directly.

Fractional CMOs can integrate deeply with their teams.

Key metrics include annual recurring revenue and lead pipeline.

Marketing and sales must collaborate closely.

Empathy is essential in understanding client needs.

Accountability in teams fosters ownership and success.

Leadership requires a shift from individual to team focus.

Effective communication is crucial for team dynamics.

Motivating teams involves setting their own goals.

Learning from mistakes is vital for growth.

LINKS FROM EPISODE:

Michael Gaudet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcgaudet/

Michael’s Website: https://www.eightytwentycmo.com/

Course: Launch Your Successful Fractional Leadership Consultancy in 7 weeks:

https://maven.com/michael-gaudet/launch-your-successful-fractional-leadership-consultancy-in-7-weeks

Books Mentioned:

Fierce Conversations – Susan Scott https://amzn.to/3CzQ3FP

The Coaching Habit – Michael Bungay Stanier https://amzn.to/4hy6O2U

Note: We use affiliate links for recommended resources and might receive a few pennies if you choose to buy something.

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Host: Carrie Tuttle

What's Coming to Suits and Sneakers: Leadership Unfiltered in 2025?

The Raw Truth… We're bringing you stories that business school never prepared you for. Our upcoming guests will share those jaw-dropping moments that tested their leadership skills to the max. No fluff, just authentic leadership gold.

This show is for you whether you're stepping into your first management role or you're a seasoned executive looking for fresh perspectives.

Looking ahead to 2025, listeners are invited to share their own stories in comments and anonymously through this link: https://tally.so/r/mZPQ2a

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Host: Carrie Tuttle

In this episode, Carrie reflects on the incredible year of leadership conversations on Suits & Sneakers. She expresses gratitude for her guests and the community that has formed around sharing real stories of leadership challenges.

Carrie emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, communication, and self-advocacy in leadership, sharing valuable lessons learned from her guests:

• Leadership requires advocating for yourself and your team.
• You own your own brand as a leader and professional.
• What you have to share is valuable to others.
• Great leaders care about their team members as human beings.
• Communication takes time and thought.
• Consistent messaging is crucial for effective communication.

Looking ahead to 2025, listeners are invited to share their own stories in comments or anonymously through this link: https://tally.so/r/mZPQ2a

Happy New Year everyone!

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Host: Carrie Tuttle
Guest: Michael Dargie

Michael Dargie, the author of 'Brand Jitsu' and someone I call the ‘Professor of Brand’, shares insights on branding, storytelling, and leadership. If you have sensitive ears, find earmuffs! He doesn’t hold back the raw truth of what you need to know to find your brand DNA, which is everything below the surface.

I was so happy he referenced specific examples of how leaders he works with got really clear on why they do what they do and how that translates into purpose and meaning for their teams. In over 20 years working with companies to find their brand essence he has boiled the process down to the four fundamental questions you need to ask to find the truth that lies underneath the outward expression of a brand.

Michael discusses common mistakes entrepreneurs make, the transformative power of branding, and the role of silence in effective communication. He also reflects on his creative process and the challenges of writing, while offering valuable advice for aspiring leaders. Listen for the very cool metaphor he shares from scuba diving.

QUOTE-WORTHY MOMENTS:

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

LINKS FROM EPISODE:

Michael Dargie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldargie/

Michael’s Website: https://www.michaeldargie.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldargie/

Make More Creative website: https://www.makemorecreative.com/

Podcast: https://www.therebelrebelpodcast.com/

BrandJitsu™ "Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable" https://brandjitsu.com/

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