PRODUCTEA with Leah, Growth & Senior Leadership

113: Vincent Pierri - How to deal with Stage Fright before important talks

Vincent Pierri, Public speaking coach and LinkedIn’s "PowerPoint ninja" with 25K+ followers, dismantles stage fright myths and reveals how to craft unforgettable talks. He shares practical frameworks like the "3Ps" (Pain Point-Problem-Promise) and the "ingredient spectrum" for engaging content.Perfect for founders and leaders tired of boring presentations, this episode is full with actionable tweaks.Timestamped Segments00:02:54 - 00:05:10"The Pastor’s Secret: Non-Tech Origins"Vince reveals his background as a full-time pastor—weekly sermons forged his speaking chops and frameworks.00:08:00 - 00:09:16"Stage Fright? Nope, You Just Suck at Prep"Vince argues 90% of "nerves" stem from poor talk-writing, not fear. Key fix: Structure talks for memorability.00:15:00 - 00:17:09"Talk Ingredients: Why Ideas Alone Bomb"Breaks down the content spectrum (ideas → stories → tactics) and the "2-min rule" for pacing engagement.00:39:00 - 00:42:58"Open Strong: The 3Ps Hook Framework"Vince’s Pain Point → Problem → Promise method hooks audiences fast. Leah adds mnemonics for sticky concepts.Hot Takes“Stage Fright is a Cop-Out—Your Prep is the Real Problem”Vince insists most “nerves” vanish when talks are well-structured, pretested, and packed with analogies (not just ideas).“Polished Performance is Overrated—Be a Lawyer, Not an Actor”Ditching theatrics for persuasion (e.g., “argue like you’re in court”) beats forced energy shifts for early-stage speakers.Send us a textLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

112: Anna-Karina Schmitt: Resilience Strategies from a World-Record Athlete

Anna Karina Schmitt, a world-record free diver and former tech executive, shares her journey managing multiple sclerosis through lifestyle changes, mindfulness, and freediving. She talks about reclaiming control by prioritizing self-responsibility, structured habits, and mental resilience. Her approach blends practical health strategies with lessons from extreme sports, insights for founders and leaders overwhelmed by burnout.Timestamped Segments00:01:04 - 00:02:06"From Burnout to World Records"Anna’s background as a freediving athlete, multiple sclerosis survivor, and mentor to athletes and executives.00:02:54 - 00:05:10"Diagnosis & Denial: Early MS Struggles"Anna recounts her initial diagnosis at 20, early denial, and how MS symptoms worsened before she adopted lifestyle changes.00:08:00 - 00:09:16"The Turning Point: 2013 Crisis & Recovery"Anna Describes her health crisis, the realization of needing drastic changes, and how freediving became a tool for mental clarity.00:15:00 - 00:17:09"Practical Tools: Breathing, Boundaries, and Structure"Shares actionable strategies: 8-8-8 breathwork, daily habit structuring, and balancing work/rest priorities.00:39:00 - 00:42:58"Mental Mastery: Freediving Lessons for Leadership"Explains how freediving’s mental discipline (e.g., managing panic, trusting training) applies to high-pressure work environments.Hot Takes"Hustle Culture is a Lie – Your Body Knows Better"Anna critiques the "16-hour workday" myth, arguing that burnout stems from ignoring physical/mental limits. True productivity requires self-awareness and rest."Accountability ≠ Shame – It’s About Self-Compassion"Challenging the stigma around seeking help. Success isn’t about perfection but consistent, kind adjustments to habits and mindset.Send us a textLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

111: Anthony Pierri - How to make Elevator Pitches for B2B Products

The art of crafting a compelling two-sentence company description. Anthony Pierrie dismantles common marketing myths, revealing why product functionality matters more than vague outcomes, and introduces his "positioning anchors" framework. We dive into real-world examples, differentiation strategies, and why founders often sabotage their own messaging.Timestamps00:01:38 - 00:07:00The elevator pitch crisis: Why outcomes aren’t enough.00:07:00 - 00:14:00Positioning anchors: Primary vs. secondary frameworks.00:14:00 - 00:25:00Differentiation: Linking problems to anchors.00:25:00 - 00:41:17Positioning pitfalls and real-world applications.Hot Takes🔥 "Product demos are the highest-value part of sales—not outcomes."Anthony cites a study showing that for companies over $50M revenue, the product demo outweighed outcome-focused pitches.🔥 "Most elevator pitches fail because they’re stacked secondary anchors."Leading with outcomes like "we save time" without explaining what you actually do leaves listeners confused.Send us a textLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

110: Scott Brinker - Brand, AI, and the Uncomfortable Future of Marketing

Scott Brinker, HubSpot's VP of Platform Ecosystems and "Godfather of MarTech," unpacks the chaos of marketing tools, why AI won’t replace human strategy, and how vertical solutions beat bloated platforms. He reveals why marketers must balance brand-building with data myopia and why usage-based pricing is the future.Timestamps & Segments00:03:36 – 00:07:00 | MarTech’s Explosion (And Why It’s Harder Than Ever)Scott explains why marketing has never been more complex despite tech advancements, citing fragmented channels and operational overload.00:10:16 – 00:13:00 | Attribution’s Illusion & Brand Marketing’s ComebackWhy “data-informed” beats “data-driven,” and why brand-building trumps funnel obsession.00:18:43 – 00:22:00 | Platform Wars: HubSpot vs. Salesforce vs. AIDebating centralized platforms vs. micro-tool constellations—and why vertical solutions will dominate.00:34:21 – 00:38:00 | Pricing Shakeup: From Seats to OutcomesScott predicts the death of seat-based SaaS pricing and rise of usage/outcome models.Hot Takes🔥 “AI is a sparring partner, not a CEO—if you let it make decisions, you’ve already lost.”🔥 “Vertical market tools will eat horizontal platforms alive. Specialized domain expertise is the only moat left.”Send us a textLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

109: Larry Robinson - How Instincts Outsmart Data in Product Leadership

Larry Robinson, CPO of Bright Plan and Salesforce veteran, unpacks how to balance data with gut instinct in product leadership. From hiring dilemmas to prototyping emotional reactions, he reveals why sometimes the "soft" skills of intuition and storytelling outpace spreadsheets. Hot takes on why your next MVP should prioritize passion over precision.Timestamps & Segments00:00:00-00:07:00 | Data vs. Gut: The Product Leader’s TightropeLarry’s framework for blending analytics with instinct in high-stakes decisions.00:07:55-00:16:00 | Hiring Hack: Why 5-Minute Gut Checks Beat 9 InterviewsHow to spot A-players faster using presentation-based interviews and thin-slicing.00:22:00-00:30:00 | Prototypes ≠ MVPs: Build to Spark Emotion, Not Just DataWhy showing two excited customers beats a perfect metrics dashboard.00:35:00-00:44:00 | Innovation Fuel: How to Sell Leadership (Not Features)Positioning products as category-defining tools instead of incremental updates.00:44:00-00:54:00 | Budgeting Rebellion: Why Simplicity Trumps SpreadsheetsLarry’s contrarian approach to financial planning that pissed off tinkerers (but worked).Hot Takes🔥 “If your prototype doesn’t make someone’s eyes light up in 5 minutes, kill it.”🔥 “Hiring processes with more than three interviews are just cowardice in spreadsheet form.”Send us a textLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube