Rafat Ali doesn't take notes.

And he makes decisions on instinct.

In this episode, the founder and CEO of Skift breaks down how he actually makes decisions as a global operator, committing to a choice, avoiding second-guessing, and never falling in love with a single option. He explains how visualization helps him pressure-test hires, products, and acquisitions, why early yellow flags almost always turn red, and the defining mistake early in his career when he sold his first company.

Rafat looks for two signals when decisions are being made. First, is there a clear owner who will carry it forward once the conversation ends, or is it drifting in a sea of shared responsibility? When no one is clearly on the hook, progress slows and things slip. Second, he pays attention to how people handle details as a gauge for decision readiness. The people who think through implications and follow through are usually the ones prepared to make the call, not just weigh in.

Tune in for a candid conversation about instinct, ownership, and what it really means to decide.

"I've probably seen more erroneous decision-making by over-reliance on data than by over-reliance on gut."

In this episode of The Cred Podcast, Mack McKelvey sits down with Lisa Pellette, a global CMO and transformation leader whose career spans Levi's, Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Casper, and Fossil Group, to talk about how data, context, and gut converge to inform decisions.

Drawing on her background in psychology and decades of experience leading iconic brands and major transformations, Lisa unpacks the importance of defining a clear North Star, relying on contextual decision-making, and building your own team of decision-makers. Plus, learn how culture shapes whether mistakes are metabolized into momentum or friction.

What happens when a lifelong fascination with space collides with a 30-year career in building complex commercial deals?

This week, Mack McKelvey sits down with Sarah Pousho, Co-Founder and CEO of Space Bridge Partners, to explore the unconventional decisions that shaped her career and how she now helps fund some of the most ambitious space missions in the world.

Sarah traces her path from aspiring astronaut to consumer products executive, and ultimately back to the space sector, where she leads a new model for funding exploration, science, and education missions.

The conversation dives into:

• Making high-stakes decisions when the buck truly stops with you

• Blending gut instinct with expert input and data

• How decades of deal-making prepared Sarah for the complexities of space missions

• The personal decisions that quietly set the course for an entire career

This episode is a candid look at confidence earned over time, the power of non-linear paths, and the "Sliding Doors" decisions you make in your life.

00:00 Journey to Space Bridge Partners

07:54 Decision-Making in High-Stakes Environments

19:19 Navigating Outcomes and Learning from Mistakes

27:04 Future Plans for Space Bridge Partners