99 Humans – Details, episodes & analysis

Who are the toughest negotiators in your world?

From navigating high-stakes decisions at Google and Facebook to advocating for her neuroatypical child, Alexis Hochleutner shares candid lessons on trust, resilience, and why four-year-olds might just be the toughest negotiators of all. 

Tune in for a refreshingly real take on leadership, advocacy, and embracing the chaos. Alexis Hochleutner dives into the messy, human side of leadership—both in the boardroom and at home. 

linkedin.com/in/alexishochleutner/

99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta interview a group of cross-industry leaders, seeking stories about the human side of leadership. Join us and share your story:

www.99Humans.com | linkedin.com/company/99-humans

Who's your closest partner? What makes that partnership work?

Dive into the dynamic partnership between Sandra Muoio and Ryan Blum, two advertising leaders whose decade-long collaboration has weathered high-stakes challenges, heated debates, and plenty of laughter. From a fateful conversation on a stuck Chicago L train to transforming major client strategies, their story is a masterclass in trust, empathy, and authentic leadership.

Hear how they navigate disagreements, build creative solutions, and inspire their teams—all while staying true to themselves and each other. This is a conversation about the human side of leadership, where mutual respect and a no-BS approach make all the difference.

Sandra:
linkedin.com/in/sandra-muoio

Ryan:
linkedin.com/in/nothingsaid/
ryanblum.com

99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta interview a group of cross-industry leaders, seeking stories about the human side of leadership. Join us and share your story:

www.99Humans.com | linkedin.com/company/99-humans

What does it take to lead with purpose?

In this episode of 99 Humans, EJ Kim, Co-Founder & CEO of NNABI, shares her inspiring journey from corporate life to bootstrapping a wellness startup laser-focused on perimenopause. Guided by her passion and purpose, EJ is forging her own path with what she calls a “portfolio career.” Her drive to change how women experience perimenopause—with support, clarity, and community—makes this a must-listen for anyone looking to create meaningful impact.

EJ dives into the unique challenges of perimenopause, how she’s transforming the conversation, and what it means to pursue a career fueled by both passion and purpose. If you’ve ever wondered how to discover your own path, pursue a personal mission, or embark on a journey of self-discovery, this episode is for you.

Tune in to hear EJ’s insights on authentic leadership, honest self-reflection, and the transformative power of living your purpose.

linkedin.com/in/ej-kim/
about.me/EJKim

99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta interview a group of cross-industry leaders, seeking stories about the human side of leadership. Join us and share your story:

www.99Humans.com | linkedin.com/company/99-humans

When life changes in an instant, how do you build resilience to see the positive?

Cristina Nuti is a marketing executive at Dell, an IronMan finisher, Paralympic Triathlete, and a Marathoner. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of thirty-six, Cristina shares her inspiring journey to building a rich life, which includes being one of the first ever IronMan finishers with MS. She is an inspiration, with a life perspective centered on acceptance and hard work which fuels incredible achievements and makes her a powerful example of being so much more than a disease.

Cristina's story celebrates the power of the human spirit, peeking behind the curtain of accomplishments to see her energy, sense of humor, and a wonderfully human leader.

linkedin.com/in/cristinanuti/
instagram.com/cristinanuti/
On TEDx

99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta interview a group of cross-industry leaders, seeking stories about the human side of leadership. Join us and share your story:

www.99Humans.com | linkedin.com/company/99-humans

"Climb the ladder!" How do you foster the courage and self-awareness to get what you want out of your career, instead of what's obviously next?

Jing Suk has held leadership roles in huge multinational corporations and smaller companies, most recently CEO at Skyrocket Studios. Jing shares stories about overcoming career inertia with deliberate steps to "move the ladder to a different wall" instead of just climbing to the next rung.

From Computer Science to Digital Marketing, big corporations to smaller and back again... Jing shares what it feels like to take risks and be intentional in pursuing what's right for her. With emotional storytelling, Jing's vulnerability brings clarity to these relatable moments about getting more out of life than what's in front of you.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jingsuk/

99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta interview a group of cross-industry leaders, seeking stories about the human side of leadership. Join us and share your story:

www.99Humans.com | linkedin.com/company/99-humans

How do you foster creativity at the core of yourself and your company?

Valerio Cometti is Founder and Creative Director at Valerio Cometti+V12 Design, the home of Deep Design Thinking. Product design is such a creativity-forward business, and yet as founder of the studio Valerio shares how he has built a mix of skills (and people!) who make the company thrive.

From the beginning where he studied Mechanical Engineering, Valerio was intentional in building a mixed skillset to help him pursue his childhood dream to run a design studio. With clients ranging from 6 to 160k employees, Valerio flexes a variety of leadership skills while keeping precious his creative core.

linkedin.com/in/valerio-cometti-v12design/
v12design.com/?lang=en

99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta interview a group of cross-industry leaders, seeking stories about the human side of leadership. Join us and share your story:

www.99Humans.com | linkedin.com/company/99-humans

Why are you a people manager, and how do you react when the going gets tough?

Ted Fernandez is the Global Head of Product Marketing at TikTok, with an illustrious career across Tech Companies in the social, video, and education space. Ted shares a specific time when the perception of his team's work was not what he wanted it to be, and how he navigated the situation by customizing messages to all angles: personal, stakeholder and individual contributors.

Ted is a powerhouse of authentic leadership, beloved for his effectiveness and adaptability building high performance teams. From tactical tips to overcome relatable team challenges to sharing his unique expertise on "How to be successful as an Influencer" this episode overflows with rejuvenating reminders of what matters most and practical tips.

linkedin.com/in/ted-fernandez-a678172

99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta interview a group of cross-industry leaders, seeking stories about the human side of leadership. Join us and share your story:

www.99Humans.com | linkedin.com/company/99-humans

You probably know that less than 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. What's going on? Why isn't this changing despite it being a known inequity?

Jennifer McCollum is a trailblazing leader, currently CEO at Catalyst Inc, she is making her life's work emulating authentic, human leadership while raising awareness and lifting women up through the leadership ranks. Women face a double (or triple!) bind when it comes to leadership positions, contorting themselves to fit surrounding perceptions and systems.

How can women succeed in leadership, and what can allies do to help? Jennifer shares personal experience and research from her book "In Her Own Voice. A Woman's Rise to CEO: Overcoming Hurdles to Change the Face of Leadership" in this masterclass on women leadership.

99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta interview a group of cross-industry leaders, seeking stories about the human side of leadership. Join us and share your story:

www.99Humans.com | linkedin.com/company/99-humans

What could one new habit do for you?

Morris has a knack for building new habits... waking up early (4am!), going to the gym, months fasting from alcohol and social media, studying leadership, and more! Morris uses discipline to design a dream life filled with family, friends, and career while staying humble enough to talk openly about lessons he's learned from mistakes along the way.

As a Marketing Intelligence & Science Executive, Morris has held leadership positions at some of the largest ad agencies in the world (Wavemaker and Publicis), embodying how much discipline can matter to human leaders using it intentionally.

linkedin.com/in/morrismartin/

99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta interview a group of cross-industry leaders, seeking stories about the human side of leadership. Join us and share your story:

www.99Humans.com | linkedin.com/company/99-humans

What's the secret to expressing your personal genius?

Tom Burke has coached TED speakers, C-suite execs, authors, Broadway singers and Hollywood actors for over 20 years as speech-language pathologist and voice coach. His job is to help people tap their passions, quirks, and sense of humor to find their voice, the raw ingredient for gorgeous language.

Tom demonstrates human leadership as he unpacks his entrepreneurial journey and shares stories of the process he uses to help his clients find their authentic voice.

linkedin.com/in/tomburkevoice/
expressyourgenius.com

99 Humans is a multimedia platform centered on humanizing leadership. Hosts Jeff Lakusta and Nadia Carta interview a group of cross-industry leaders, seeking stories about the human side of leadership. Join us and share your story:

www.99Humans.com | linkedin.com/company/99-humans