Best Manager Ever – Details, episodes & analysis

Morgane Palomares is the VP of Marketing at Vercel, and is known for her significant roles at GitHub, Zendesk and Change.org. 

Morgane's direct reports praise her exceptional leadership, high standards, and ability to create a trusting and safe environment. They describe her as 'superhuman,' 'aggressive,' and 'a winner,' highlighting her unique ability to balance high demands with personal care for her team.

In this episode, Annie Riley, the founder of Fort Light, talks with Morgane about strategies for setting high expectations, creating space for emotions, and fostering team camaraderie. Learn about Morgan's approach to continuous learning, her unique lingo, and her emphasis on early career coaching. Morgan also talks about balancing work-life commitments, organizing her time effectively, being proactive about personal growth, and the importance of sharing information openly with her team.

Connect with Morgane Palomares

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Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best Manager Ever reveals the secrets of successful management and empowers leaders to build winning teams. Join a community dedicated to sharing insights and stories from the most successful and beloved leaders in the startup world. All guests have been nominated as the “best manager ever” by a recent direct report. Before each interview, we go behind the guest’s back to collect feedback and stories from their team about what they’re *actually* like to work for. Then we sit down with the guest to unpack that feedback and to dig into their leadership playbook and lessons learned. Tune in, learn from the experts, and enhance your management skills while building meaningful connections throughout your career.

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zayd Badwan is a founding team member and VP of Enterprise at Uplimit. Before joining Uplimit, Zayd scaled the Customer Success team at Coursera. With 15+ years of experience in learning and development startups, he brings insights from working closely with global governments and nonprofits, and industry-leading companies including Google and Salesforce. 

Zayd is described by his direct reports as a positive leader with a knack for building trust, making work fun, and bringing relentless energy in the face of challenges. 

In this episode, Annie Riley sits down with Zayd to discuss the highs and lows of building teams from scratch, prioritizing learning as the best way to win in early stage company-building, and managing burnout and building emotional resilience. Zayd also highlights the importance of authenticity and candor in work relationships, and shares strategies for communicating across the company. Tune in for valuable insights on leadership, especially in very early-stage startup environments.

Connect with Zayd Badwan

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special holiday spoof episode of Best Manager Ever, Annie Riley, host and founder of Fort Light, chats with the one and only Santa Claus! Known for spreading holiday cheer and managing a diverse team at the North Pole, Santa gives a rare interview about life behind the scenes. His direct reports, including elves and reindeer, praise Santa for his leadership, though they note he's their only manager ever. 

We dive into Santa's leadership style, the secrets behind the naughty and nice lists, and the challenges of maintaining the Christmas spirit all year long. Join us for a fun-filled episode with laughter and insight into the man behind the magic.

Connect with Annie Riley

Connect with our hilarious Santa, Jason Gore

Listen to Jason’s podcast 108.9 The Hawk

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alan D'Souza is the Director of Analytics at Credit Karma, and formerly led teams at Lending Club and Upgrade Inc. 

Known for fostering a culture of fun, hard work, and results, Alan's direct reports recall his empathetic and direct feedback style, along with his ability to inspire and motivate with humor. 

In this episode, Annie Riley, founder of Fort Light sits down with Alan to discuss his transition from startups to larger organizations, the distinction between managing small and large teams, and how he channels humor appropriately in different work contexts. He also shares his views on encouraging experimentation and innovation, the importance of transparency and radical accountability, and the necessity of maintaining a collaborative and engaging work environment to achieve team success.

Connect with Alan D'Souza

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sara Romero-Heaps is the Chief Product Officer at Seesaw Learning. She has built her career at the intersection of education and technology, and previously led product and content at Nearpod.

Sara is known for aligning her team's individual aspirations to business goals, and her direct reports describe her as a visionary and empathetic leader.

In this episode, Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light, discusses with Sara the importance of discovering where employees want to grow and identifying how that aligns with the company's needs.

If you're looking to understand how to effectively foster growth in a way that benefits both individuals and organizations, this episode provides valuable perspectives and practical advice.

Connect with Sara Romero-Heaps

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thianh Lu is the Chief Product Officer at Autograph and is a 3x founder, with one company acquired by WordPress and another by Blockchain.com.

He has a unique and well-rounded perspective on leadership, having been in the roles of early employee, later-stage executive, and founder/CEO. 

Thianh's direct reports praise his empowering and collaborative style, and remember him for building high-trust teams with a rapid tempo of learning and development. 

In this episode, Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light  sits down with Thianh to discuss the importance of specific feedback, fostering a culture of learning, and balancing speed with thoughtful decision-making. Tune in to learn how Thianh's unique blend of curiosity and rigor drives both personal and team growth in dynamic startup environments.

Connect with Thianh Lu

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katie Corder-Paul is a beloved leader. She’s currently building a portfolio career, as the Head of Operations and Customer Success at early-stage startup levelheaded and the first-ever Executive in Residence at Fort Light. Previously, KCP was an early employee at Guild Education and held leadership roles in ops and customer success at Proof, Nomad, and Sondermind. 

Katie’s past direct reports LOVE her, and we think you will too. They praise her for being a fierce advocate for her team, a warm and empathetic leader, and a champion of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

In this episode, Annie Riley and Katie discuss her methods for fostering a strong team culture, and her strategies for driving success. Tune in to learn more about Katie's impact on her team and the broader organization.

If you want to learn more from Annie and Katie, check out Fort Light’s group coaching programs at www.fortlight.com 

Connect with Katie Corder-Paul

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doug Hanna, President & COO at Kustomer and former COO at Grafana Labs, is renowned for his expertise in customer service and operational excellence, having significantly contributed to the growth of companies like Help.com and Zendesk. During his tenure, he helped scale Grafana Labs from a team of 70 to over a thousand employees. 

Doug's direct reports praise his hyper-rationality, exceptional context-switching abilities, and a balanced approach to management that marries analytical rigor with empathy.

In this episode, Annie Riley, founder of Fort Light, sits down with Doug to discuss his strategies for addressing system failures during scaling, his approach to effective delegation and building scalable structures, and the art of maintaining responsiveness and understanding team motivations in a fast-paced environment. Tune in for a deep dive into Doug's dynamic leadership techniques and operational insights that drive success at Kustomer.

Connect with Doug Hanna

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lauren Werner is the COO of Shop Shops, a live stream shopping app with a talented team of 50-60 employees across five countries. She is an experienced operations executive with a record of piloting, scaling, and managing new businesses and marketplaces.

Lauren is lauded by her direct reports as a stabilizing force with an unflappable presence, known for her empathy, clear communication, and methodical approach to managing and scaling distributed teams.

In this episode, Annie Riley, Founder of Fort Light, sits down with Lauren to discuss her leadership strategies, the importance of maintaining composure and stability in high-pressure startup environments, and effective communication and prioritization in managerial relationships. Tune in to explore Lauren's experience in navigating multicultural leadership and her journey as a woman leader in tech.

Connect with Lauren Werner

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for Season 2

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.