🎙 Survive, Thrive & Grow as a Misfit – Turning Differences into Career-Defining Advantages 👩‍💼 Featuring Katya, Chief Product Officer at Holland & Barrett | Host of “Rocking Cribs & Careers”

Welcome to Breaking Down Barriers – where we explore bold leadership, radical authenticity, and the stories behind transformational success. In this episode, we sit down with Katya, a self-described misfit, CPO, mom, and digital trailblazer.

🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Embracing the Misfit Identity as a Superpower → How being different can become your biggest asset → The reality of balancing a high-powered tech role and motherhood

2. Leading Through Transformation & Innovation → Digital reinvention at Holland & Barrett, a 150-year-old legacy brand → Secrets behind award-winning product design and culture

3. Female Leadership & Inclusion → Getting a seat at the table in male-dominated industries → Developing the next generation of leaders and working with Gen Z

4. Building & Empowering High-Performing Teams → The CPO-CTO dynamic: partners in crime or secret sauce? → Hiring hacks and leadership habits that scale

5. Personal Growth, Authenticity & Legacy → From global moves to life philosophies (yes, even “La La La”) → Advice Katya would give to her younger self—and you

👀 Whether you’re an aspiring leader, a fellow misfit, or someone curious about product culture, this one’s for you.

Rico Surridge, CPTO (ex Which?, BBC, Photobox) Joins Mark to discuss the secrets to making the role of the CPTO A success.

Rico has an insatiable appetite for constant improvement - something he brings with him at every stage in his career, and work life numi Search Ventures is co-founded by Mark Long and Ricci Putnam, where we bring outstanding Leaders together with Founders and Investors.

Sarah Persov, Engineering Manager at Dojo joins us for a brilliant and honest talk that covers

👉 Why women are leaving tech: Micro-aggressions, tokenism, and lack of recognition create an isolating environment. Women often face disproportionate pressure to prove themselves without adequate support.

👉 The systemic challenge: Leadership behaviours, often outdated, are unconsciously passed down. Change starts from the top. Leaders must model inclusive, supportive, and equitable practices.

👉 Equity > Equality: True equity means recognising individual needs and providing the resources to level the playing field. This benefits women and minorities who often face additional barriers.

👉 The hiring gap: Women won’t apply unless they meet 100% of the criteria, while men apply at 30%. This highlights the importance of rethinking job specs and interview processes to focus on potential over perfection.

👉 Why diversity matters: Diverse teams create better products, foster innovation, and reflect the customers they serve. Companies with homogenous cultures are limiting their potential—and their profit.