What changes when a COO becomes CEO? In this special re-air episode of Shift & Thrive, Natalie Nathanson sits down with Monique McDonough, CEO of WorkTango, to explore the unexpected lessons of stepping into the top seat, the emotional realities of leadership, and what it really takes to guide organizations through change. With more than two decades of experience across consulting, technology, and employee engagement, Monique shares candid reflections on how the weight of leadership evolves, why curiosity is a CEO’s most underrated skill, and how leaders can stay grounded while navigating AI disruption, M&A transitions, and shifting workforce expectations.

Takeaways:

• Leadership carries weight beyond meetings and tasks. CEOs shoulder responsibility even when they’re not actively working, making balance and pressure management essential.
• Curiosity is a leadership superpower. Asking better questions builds confidence in unfamiliar areas and leads to stronger decision-making.
• The CEO role changes how words land. Even familiar leaders must become more deliberate as people assign greater meaning to every message.
• Effective change management is emotional, not just logical. People need empathy, context, and a clear vision of what success looks like.
• Feedback only works when it’s closed-loop. Listening, acting, and communicating progress builds trust and sustained engagement.
• Staying close to customers fuels smarter strategy. Direct conversations uncover insights that no filtered report can replace.
• AI works best as a thought partner. Used intentionally, it accelerates preparation, insight, and higher-order thinking without replacing human judgment.

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquemmcdonough/
• Website: https://www.worktango.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2D1YbT2QhKxIwbREpU7EMb
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/id1740828813
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa60b654-1955-4055-93df-fdd40c2a5c8f/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change
• iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-shift-thrive-ceo-insights-166792501
• Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/shift-and-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/PC:1001086797
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClf9QxGUxZw_Sv8_4bZP34Q

This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency. Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com

How do leaders drive real transformation when "the way it has always been done" feels impossible to change, and why does behavior so often lag behind technology? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson talks with Floris Chaumat, Founder and CEO of Tradora, an AI-powered platform built to improve the vehicle ownership experience for consumers and dealerships. After becoming general manager of a $100 million dealership at 27, Floris shares why leaders must understand how a system behaves before trying to fix it, how a dealer-first distribution model lowers customer acquisition costs, and why alignment matters more than anything else when hiring. He also discusses the shift from hands-on operator to delegating founder, why AI should connect silos instead of automating each one separately, and the advice that still shapes how he leads.

Takeaways:

• Learn the system you want to disrupt thoroughly before you try to fix it.
• Hire for alignment with your vision, and be comfortable not being the smartest person in the room.
• Give leaders the context and the why behind decisions, because without clarity there is no accountability.
• Expect behavior change to be harder than technology adoption, and let a live demo prove what is possible.
• Enter through a trusted existing channel to cut customer acquisition costs while you build toward the end state.
• Use AI to connect your silos rather than automating each one on its own.
• Do not confuse motion with progress, and listen to your employees and customers so you know when to pivot.

Quote of the Show:

• "What could be right today could be wrong tomorrow, and the only way to find that out is hear your customers, hear your employees. The way you treat your employees is the way you treat your customers, so if you're not willing to take feedback from your employees, you're not taking feedback from your customers." - Floris Chaumat

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florischaumat/
• Website: https://tradora.ai/

Ways to Tune In:

• Substack: https://shiftandthrive.substack.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2D1YbT2QhKxIwbREpU7EMb
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/id1740828813
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa60b654-1955-4055-93df-fdd40c2a5c8f/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change
• iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-shift-thrive-ceo-insights-166792501
• Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/shift-and-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/PC:1001086797
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClf9QxGUxZw_Sv8_4bZP34Q

This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency. Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com

What does it take to keep leading when the technology, the market, and your own role keep changing? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson talks with Don Berchoff, Founder and CEO of TruWeather Solutions, a pioneer in hyperlocal weather intelligence for drones and air taxis. Don spent 24 years in the US Air Force and led science and technology initiatives at the National Weather Service before building his own company. He explains why he would rather lead technology adoption than have it done to him, how he hires for aptitude over resume, and why trusted data matters more than shiny AI. He also shares how he built a go-to-market case around a 4-to-1 return on investment for a product many buyers see as a nice-to-have.

Takeaways:

• Lead technology adoption rather than absorb it, so you shape the change instead of reacting to it.
• Hire for aptitude, passion, and the ability to learn over a perfect resume, then train people into the role.
• Lead each person differently by learning their strengths, risk tolerance, and interests.
• Check where data came from, how uncertain it is, and whether it has been altered before you build a plan on it.
• Tie your offer to a measurable return, such as a 4-to-1 ROI, so buyers see it as essential.
• Use AI to turn your expertise into executable content faster, and always review the output yourself.
• Keep going when you disrupt the status quo, as long as your conviction is backed by data.

Quote of the Show:

• "If you want to be an entrepreneur, you better make sure that you're comfortable with not having all the answers. And there's gonna be times when it's gonna get really challenging, and you're gonna have to phone a friend." - Don Berchoff

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donberchoff/
• Website: https://truweathersolutions.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2D1YbT2QhKxIwbREpU7EMb
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/id1740828813
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa60b654-1955-4055-93df-fdd40c2a5c8f/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change
• iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-shift-thrive-ceo-insights-166792501
• Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/shift-and-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/PC:1001086797
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClf9QxGUxZw_Sv8_4bZP34Q

This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency.

Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com