No writing block needed. In this episode of Conversations with SuE, Jesse sits down with Farrah Mitra—executive coach, former Bain consultant, and one of only 15 certified Radical Candor facilitators globally.

Farrah shares her unique career journey from strategy consulting to building people and culture functions in hypergrowth tech companies, and now coaching leaders on how to communicate with clarity and empathy.

The conversation explores her Communicating Challenges and Change Framework, designed to help leaders deliver difficult messages in a way that is both kind and clear—especially in today’s fast-changing, high-pressure environments.

You’ll learn:

• How to balance empathy with directness in leadership communication
• Why mindset matters just as much as skillset
• A practical approach to navigating tough conversations with confidence
• Real-world examples of delivering feedback and driving change
  

If you're a leader, operator, or manager navigating constant change, this episode offers actionable insights you can apply immediately.

In this episode of Becoming Better, Jesse sits down with Meica Hatters — Talent Strategy & Senior Program Partner at Restaurant365 and VP of Member Experience at StartupExperts.

Meica shares what drives her passion for building meaningful communities and why she chose to invest her time in StartupExperts’ leadership team. From growing membership engagement in past organizations to leading a team of 40+ volunteers today, she offers a behind-the-scenes look at how SuE structures the member journey — from onboarding to leadership circles to social impact initiatives.

The conversation explores:

• Why relationship — not programming — is the true point of community
  
• How the Go-Giver philosophy shapes SuE’s culture
  
• What it takes to move from passive membership to active participation
  
• How StartupExperts is building systems to scale without losing connection
  
• The importance of designing touchpoints for both in-person and virtual members
  

Meica also shares how her team is reimagining onboarding through a “gifts conversation” approach — asking members what they want to contribute, not just what they want to receive.

If you care about leadership, community-building, and creating spaces where operators genuinely support one another, this conversation is for you.

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders from the StartupExperts community!

In this episode of Becoming Better, Jesse sits down with Clay Steele from HiBob for a candid conversation about trust, authenticity, and what it really means to build relationships in sales.

Clay shares the personal experiences that shaped his approach to connection — from teaching English in rural Thailand to fostering dogs to learning from his mother that real success is measured by impact on other people’s lives.

Together, he and Jesse explore why so few buyers fully trust sales reps, how great sellers earn credibility, and what both buyers and vendors can do to run a better process.

They also discuss:
- How authenticity shows up under pressure
- Why honesty matters more than hype
- What separates a strong HR buyer from a weak one
- How to give and receive feedback in a sales process
- The questions HR leaders should ask when evaluating technology partners
- Why great sales is really about helping people make the right decision — even when it doesn’t benefit you directly

This conversation is thoughtful, practical, and deeply human — a strong listen for anyone who works in partnerships, HR tech, or trust-based selling.