Best Business Podcasts - Leadership, Startups & Entrepreneurship

On today’s episode Lindsay Moran shares how her time as a CIA spy taught her to assess, strategize, and embrace challenges in order to succeed. Listen in as Lindsay and I discuss the advantages to compartmentalizing aspects of life, being able to read people, understanding vulnerability, and how her role as an operative impacted her views of motherhood. Lindsay also explores the impact of human trafficking on women and children and why she’s teaming up with DeliverFund to make a difference.

Leadership Decisions You Can’t Afford to Get Wrong In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with Dr. Linda Henman, advisor, author, and expert in high-stakes decision-making, to talk about the leadership decisions you simply can’t afford to get wrong. Most organizations are full of people who know how to execute. They run fast, deliver results, and get promoted. But when the stakes are high, execution isn’t enough. The real differentiator is knowing which decisions matter most—and getting them right under pressure. Drawing on her research into resilience—including studies of American POWs—and decades of advising C-suite leaders, Linda explains why great leadership starts long before the crisis hits. It’s about building the judgment, confidence, and clarity to make tough calls when there’s no playbook. We also dig into one of the biggest mistakes companies make: promoting high performers into roles that require strategic thinking—and the costly consequences that follow. If you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or aspiring executive, this conversation will challenge how you think about hiring, promotion, and decision-making at the highest levels. In this episode, we cover: Why resilience is a choice—not just “bouncing back” The difference between tactical performers and strategic thinkers How to make decisions when the stakes are high and the path is unclear Why most companies promote the wrong people The role of values and integrity in tough leadership calls How to hire and develop leaders who can actually think strategically Connect with Dr. Linda Henman: Website: https://henmanperformancegroup.comBooks: Available on Amazon (including Healthy Decisions and Risky Business) https://amzn.to/3ODhmFp Subscribe to Deep Leadership: If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe and share it with someone who wants to become a better leader. Sponsors: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cadre of Men⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Farrow Skin Care⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Salty Sailor Coffee Company⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leader Connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Qualified Leadership Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ____ Get all of Jon Rennie's bestselling leadership books for 15% off the regular price today! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode of "Founder & CEO," Mike and Patrick welcome Sandra O' Sullivan, Chief People & Operations Officer at Curriculum Associates, to break down the true impact of a Chief People Officer. They cover when to hire one, what great CPOs actually do day-to-day, how they partner with CEOs and CFOs, and why people issues dominate 60 to 80 percent of a founder’s time. If you’re scaling beyond 60 to 100 employees, this episode is your playbook for turning HR into a true strategic advantage.

In a market that hadn’t changed in decades, Linear didn’t win by being faster. They won by being more thoughtful.Karri Saarinen helped shape design at Airbnb and Coinbase before building Linear around small teams and high standards.On Grit, he shares how Linear is building for a new era of software development.Guest: Karri Saarinen, co-founder and CEO of LinearConnect with Karri SaarinenXLinkedInConnect with Josh Coyne:XLinkedInConnect with Joubin:XLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.comFollow on LinkedInFollow on X​Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

In the late 1990s, Shep and Ian Murray looked at a shrinking category–men’s ties–and saw an opportunity: a necktie isn’t just functional. It’s expressive. It can signal identity, taste, aspiration. With no fashion experience and no outside investors, the Murray brothers started making colorful ties inspired by their childhoods in Martha’s Vineyard — tiny whales, sailboats, island street signs. What began as a small, improbable tie business grew into Vineyard Vines: a half-billion-dollar lifestyle brand with more than 100 stores and major department store distribution. In this episode, Shep and Ian talk about why they quit their stable jobs to turn a sleepy product into a national brand, which began as a family business and remains so to this day. What you’ll learn: Why a great business can start in a category that everyone thinks is dyingHow to build distribution when you have no roadmap and few connections What bootstrapping teaches founders that outside capital often doesn’tHow improvised marketing can create outsized attentionKnowing the difference between a fashion brand and a “brand” brand Timestamps: 00:10:22 - The brothers both hate their desk jobs: “How was your day?” “It sucked.” 00:11:20 - Vineyard Vines starts on a family trip, with a nudge from a hotel manager00:13:46 - Early designs: whales, fish, jeeps, street signs 00:25:39 - Finally quitting their jobs– they’re thrilled, their parents–not so much00:30:42 - Landing their first order for $1800. “We’re never gonna have to work anymore!”00:34:40 - The brand gets a boost from a PR stunt during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal00:47:00 - The “Get to $5 million” mentor advice that kept them focused 00:49:23 - The brothers open their first store - and realize they have a lot to learn 01:01:18 - The 2008 financial crisis, and the brutal inventory decisions that help save the business01:09:06 - Why stepping back from the CEO role didn’t work — and what it taught them about brand culture This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Evan Spiegel, the co-founder and CEO of Snap, is one of the very few people in the world who has successfully built and scaled a lasting consumer social product. Snapchat has nearly 1 billion MAUs, and Evan and his team invented some of the most important consumer products and features, including Stories, AR glasses, swipe-based navigation, the camera as the primary UX, and a lot more.In our in-depth conversation, we discuss:1. Why distribution is now the biggest challenge for creating a consumer technology business2. How Snap innovates at scale with a 9-to-12-person design team: no titles, no hierarchy, hundreds of ideas reviewed weekly with the CEO3. Why a pure software business is no longer a moat, and what actually creates durable competitive advantages today4. How AI is changing the way designers work and why they’re now shipping code5. Why every major Snap feature was copied and how that forced the company to work differently6. Evan’s prediction that humanity’s comfort with AI will be a bigger bottleneck than the technology itself7. This year’s crucible moment for Snap—Brought to you by:WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs: https://workos.com/lennyVanta—Automate compliance, manage risk, and accelerate trust with AI: https://vanta.com/lenny—Episode transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/snapchat-ceo-why-distribution-is—Archive of all Lenny's Podcast transcripts: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yxi4s2w998p1gvtpu4193/AMdNPR8AOw0lMklwtnC0TrQ?rlkey=j06x0nipoti519e0xgm23zsn9&st=ahz0fj11&dl=0—Where to find Evan Spiegel:• X: https://x.com/evanspiegel• Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/@evan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-spiegel• Website: https://www.spiegelfamilyfund.com—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Evan Spiegel(02:28) Why consumer social products are so hard to build(04:31) How Snapchat cracked distribution with close friends, not network size(05:50) Why distribution is the new moat in the AI era(08:39) Snapchat’s innovation track record (and why software isn’t a moat)(11:39) Why Snap is betting on two of the hardest businesses: consumer social and hardware(16:00) Specs use cases(17:56) The innovation process(21:34) The velocity of design work at Snapchat(25:07) Why Evan says you must talk to customers(26:06) The origin story of Stories(28:25) How screenshot detection saved early Snapchat(31:03) Why they waited to hire PMs—and what role they play now(34:41) How AI is shifting the designer-PM-engineer triad(36:10) Design as an intentional bottleneck for product cohesion(37:24) Why staying close to customers matters for any leader(39:39) What Evan looks for when hiring designers(41:57) How to develop young design talent(44:16) Designers shipping code with AI—and the guardrails needed at scale(47:20) Using jobs-to-be-done to organize AI transformation(48:50) How the CEO job has changed over 15 years(51:30) Learning to communicate(54:08) Why this year is Snapchat’s “crucible moment”(56:22) Being the “middle child” in tech(57:51) Screen-time philosophy with four kids (ages 2 to 15)(1:01:08) AI Corner(1:04:02) Contrarian Corner(1:06:04) Lightning round and final thoughts—References: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/snapchat-ceo-why-distribution-is—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

Reed Hastings has announced he'll leave the board at Netflix, the company he co-founded. Before that news broke, Reid and Aria sat down with Hastings on "Possible" to talk about how technology has rewritten the rules of entertainment before, but AI takes him back to his beginnings. He studied AI at Stanford in the late '80s, decades before it became the only conversation in tech. Few people have watched this moment build from as many vantage points: he's served on the boards of Microsoft, Meta, Bloomberg, and, now, Anthropic. In this episode, they talk about what AI changes in entertainment in the stories themselves, and who gets to tell them. They ask what AI can deliver for education, an area Reed has poured hundreds of millions to reform. They dig into whether the disruption coming for workers is a wages problem, a jobs problem, or something else entirely. And they ask what a two-superpower AI race means for everyone else. For more info on Possible and transcripts of all its episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is your sex life bad? Dr Rena Malik walks you through every single sex question you're too nervous to ask - from testosterone, porn, and erectile dysfunction, to libido and stress! The Better-Sex Doctor Rena Malik is a urologist, pelvic surgeon, and sexual health expert who helps millions better understand sexual health and taboo topics through science-based education and honesty. She is also the author of her upcoming book 'The Hard Truth'. She explains: ◼️Why bad sex is often a sign your overall health is breaking down ◼️Why erectile dysfunction can be an early warning sign of heart disease ◼️The 4 pillars that control your sex life: fuel, strength, environment, and confidence ◼️How porn, masturbation habits, and performance anxiety can rewire arousal ◼️What low testosterone actually feels like, and when TRT is a mistake Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:37 Why Are People Having Less Sex? 00:05:45 Why Is Rough Sex Increasing? 00:06:56 Is Dopamine Ruining Your Sex Life? 00:09:22 How Do You Find What Turns You On? 00:11:30 Why Does Performance Anxiety Kill Intimacy? 00:14:14 Why Do Couples Stop Having Sex? 00:17:36 What Is The Best Diet For Erectile Dysfunction? 00:20:37 What Are The Best Exercises For Sexual Performance? 00:28:09 What Can Erectile Dysfunction Signal? 00:30:39 Why Does Porn Work But Real Sex Does Not? 00:34:05 Why Do Morning Erections Matter? 00:41:04 How Does Stress Affect Your Sex Life? 00:42:59 How Does Sleep Affect Testosterone? 00:45:06 Do Microplastics Affect Hormones? 00:49:46 How Does Porn Affect Relationships? 00:52:49 Ads 00:54:51 Should Couples Use Sex Toys? 00:56:38 Can Sex Toys Become Addictive? 00:59:12 What Are The Best Positions For Female Orgasm? 01:00:30 What Is Squirting? 01:02:38 Why Does Sex Cause UTIs? 01:04:08 Why Do Humans Have Orgasms? 01:05:06 What Are Non Genital Orgasms? 01:08:37 Why Is Testosterone Declining? 01:10:45 Does Testosterone Affect Fertility? 01:14:29 What Are The Risks Of Anabolic Steroids? 01:16:35 Does TRT Affect Fertility? 01:23:18 How Does Body Image Affect Sexual Pressure? 01:25:20 Ads 01:27:22 Does Penis Size Matter? 01:31:17 Do Penis Enlargement Methods Work? 01:35:54 What Are The Toughest Cases Doctors See? 01:38:01 How Much Does Vaginal Size Vary? 01:39:12 Why Does Sex Feel Different With Each Person? 01:40:48 Can You Predict Penis Size? 01:41:31 Do GLP 1 Drugs Affect Libido? 01:44:25 How Do You Talk About Sex With Your Partner? 01:50:59 What Do Sexual Fantasies Mean? 01:56:23 What Should You Do If You Have Lost Hope? Independent Research: https://stevenbartlett.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DOAC-Rena-Malik-Independent-Research-Further-Reading.pdf Follow Dr Rena: Instagram - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/9eD5dDG X - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/BDcDWi8 YouTube - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/CTzkeOx Website -https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/TyaRNr You can pre-order Dr Rena’s book ‘The Hard Truth: Everything Men Need to Know for Good Health, Great Sex, and Long Life’, here: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/FQSv9xe Enjoyed the episode? Share this link and earn points for every referral - redeem them for exclusive prizes: https://doac-perks.com The Diary Of A CEO: ◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/ ◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook ◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt ◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb ◼️Get email

Cathy Lanier is the Chief Security Officer of the National Football League, where she oversees security across the league office and all 32 clubs. Before the NFL, she served as Chief of Police of Washington, D.C., from 2007 to 2016 — the first woman in the role and the longest-serving chief in the force's history — where her strategies helped cut violent crime by 21 percent even as the city's population grew 15 percent. This episode is brought to you by:Eight Sleep Pod Cover 5 sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: EightSleep.com/Tim Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/timHelix Sleep premium mattresses: HelixSleep.com/TimWealthfront high-yield cash account: Wealthfront.com/Tim Wealthfront disclaimer: New clients get 3.30% base APY from program banks + additional 0.75% boost for 3 months on your uninvested cash (max $150k balance). Terms and conditions apply. The Cash Account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (“WFB”) member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The base APY as of 1/30/26 is representative, can change, and requires no minimum. Tim Ferriss, a non-client, receives compensation from WFB for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of WFB, which creates a conflict of interest. Individual experiences and outcomes will differ. Instant withdrawals may be limited by your receiving firm and other factors. Investment advisory services provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, not bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] Start. [01:38] Cathy Lanier: from Tuxedo to the top. [03:22] Dad vanishes; Mom holds the line (and takes shorthand to the TV). [08:08] Bused into DC: straight-A student turns chronic truant. [10:37] Married at 15, signed over for $100 off child support. [12:54] The baby-in-the-crib wake-up call. [16:37] GED by a single point; secretary by day, waitress by night. [20:18] The Washington Post ad that changed everything. [20:39] 1990 MPD: into the crack cocaine wars. [23:46] Grandma's gospel: no excuses, damned for doing. [26:23] Mount Pleasant riots: trial by brick, and a better-way epiphany. [33:23] Donny Exum's nudge — and sergeant at 26. [38:56] Being a woman on the '90s force: harassment and the 90-day dodge. [49:38] Marion Barry exits, Chuck Ramsey enters. [51:08] Lieutenant: the sweet spot. Captain: the desk (but keep the cuffs). [56:58] 9/11 and the surprise transfer to Special Ops. [58:07] Mentors lend confidence — and a counterterrorism bureau built from scratch. [1:00:14] Live Sarin, VX, and training with bioweapons legends. [1:02:22] Text the 50, get the 411: the tip line gambit. [1:03:36] Cultivating sources: the white Escalade payoff. [1:09:02] Attention to detail: OCD as a superpower. [1:10:43] Teletubby pagers to smartphones — and the Thomas Maslin reckoning. [1:15:14] NFL security: the scope of "everything." [1:17:10] Red teaming, explained. [1:18:53] NFL vs. MPD: diversity and complexity that goes to 11. [1:21:24] The book club: The Tipping Point and Blink. [1:23:32] Decisions under pressure — and with incomplete information. [1:28:34] Billboard wisdom: it's not what happens; it's what you do.