Career Success Stories

No retail background. No fashion experience. She was head of HR. Now? She leads Chanel. Leena Nair’s path to the top wasn’t traditional. But it’s exactly what makes her leadership so powerful. Here’s how she’s redefining leadership and career path: 1. From small-town India to the C-Suite Leena was never the obvious choice. • Started on a factory floor in India • Rose to CHRO of Unilever • Achieved gender parity in global leadership And when Chanel called? She almost said no. What changed her mind? A call with mentor Indra Nooyi, who reframed her “weaknesses” as her strengths. ✅ She wasn’t what the industry expected. She became what it needed. 2. She leads a $20B brand without chasing the spotlight Leena doesn’t chase hype. She avoids the spotlight. She turns down 1,995 of 2,000 speaking requests. Instead, she leads by listening. Her first month at Chanel? No press. No product launch. Just people. She visited ateliers. Met milliners, artisans, embroidered. And asked: “Help me understand why we do it this way.” She made humility her leadership edge. In a high-gloss industry, she brought calm. ✅ She centers people, not PR. 3. Rewriting What Power Looks Like Under her leadership, Chanel is transforming, quietly but boldly. • Fondation Chanel funding grew from $20M → $100M • Over 60% of leadership roles now held by women • Still no e-commerce for fashion, craft over convenience Success is measured differently here: • Only 20% of bonuses tied to financials • The rest? Tied to impact on people, brand, and planet ✅ She’s not chasing quarterly wins. She’s building century-long relevance. Leena Nair didn’t come from the runway. She’s not loud. She’s not flashy. She’s not typical. And that’s exactly why she works. Join this FREE masterclass to learn how quiet, strategic leaders reach executive roles. https://lnkd.in/gEXrUQPM

💸 Harry Stebbings raised a $400M+ venture fund using a podcast he started in his bedroom. At 18, he did what looked “safe” on paper: law school. One month in, he realized the math didn’t make sense for the life he wanted… so he dropped out, called his parents, and they basically said: “cool, do your thing.” In 2015, he took a step almost no one was taking back then: he started a podcast from his bedroom, with no money and no name. For four years, it barely cracked 1,000 plays an episode… but he kept grinding. Over time, the show became a flywheel: big founders → bigger guests → bigger trust → bigger network → bigger checks. That same distribution engine turned into his first fund: founders he interviewed started tossing in $250K at a time, and suddenly his “first fund” was $8M. Now? His VC firm 20VC is able to raise $70M basically through WhatsApp because relationship-building compounds like crazy when you’ve done 3,000+ interviews and earned real trust. Here are the parts of his philosophy that stood out to me most: → Content isn't talent, it’s reps. (No one starts good. You get good by being bad in public long enough.) → Distribution is a moat. Not a nice-to-have. It can literally drive revenue, talent, fundraising, and who founders choose as their VC. → You don’t need to be “ready.” If you’ve got 80%, bluff the last 20%. People too often wait until it’s perfect. 🎧 Our full conversation with Harry Stebbings is live on The Burnouts: watch now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. https://lnkd.in/eRgu2M5R

Sunday Reflections 7: The fastest route is not necessarily the shortest How many times have you set a destination in Google Maps and realised that the route is much longer in distance than you expected? The reason is that the algorithm seeks the fastest route; the shortest one might have a lower speed limit or heavy traffic congestion. The exact same logic applies to careers. Sometimes, you need to take detours and make lateral moves before you can move ahead again in your career. I always advocate setting a clear vision of where you want to go as early as possible in your career. While you can adjust, or even radically shift that target over time, having a destination in mind helps you make better decisions. However, you will often encounter roadblocks or congested routes in your career. To keep progressing, you might need to step sideways -or even take a step back- before you can advance forward again. This has happened to me several times in my corporate career and was the catalyst for changing roles within the same company, sometimes internationally, or moving to another company altogether. For example, moving from Vodafone Egypt in 2004, where I was the CMO with over 70 people in my team, to the UK with a team of fewer than ten was, at best, a lateral move. But it set me up for my next move: becoming the CEO in Malta. Going back to head Partner Markets was another lateral step, yet it gave me the exact tools that prepared me to be the CEO of Vodafone Egypt through some of its most challenging times. I have seen this with many friends and colleagues over the years. Those who were flexible enough to move laterally almost always reached their target before those who kept trying to push through a blocked route. While digital maps make navigating physical routes manageable, in the corporate world, these paths are a lot more obscure, especially early in your career. Guidance from mentors, managers, and even peers is often essential to navigate to the right destination. I was lucky to have the right mentors during several pivotal phases of my career. A big shout-out to the one mentor who possibly had the most impact: Ian Gray OBE. Thank you Ian for being a role model and a mentor for many generations of successful leaders. If you are still in your early or mid-career: Do you have a clear destination? Do you have a mentor? #leadership #reflections #Sundayreflections #careers #mentorship

Every role in a company matters. Let me hightlight the story of Richard Montañez who started as a janitor at Frito-Lay. Not in marketing. Not in R&D. Not in sales. He cleaned floors. One day, a production glitch created a batch of unseasoned Cheetos. Most people saw a problem. Richard saw an opportunity. Using his own cultural background and a simple kitchen experiment—adding chili powder and lime, he created a bold new flavor. Then he did something unexpected. He reached out directly to the CEO. The result? Flamin' Hot Cheetos; a billion-dollar product that reshaped the snack industry. Richard eventually became a top marketing executive. But here's the real lesson: 🔹 The janitor saw what others missed, because he understood the frontline. 🔹 The manufacturing team created the conditions for a new idea to emerge. 🔹 The CEO listened — to someone "below his pay grade." 🔹 The marketing and R&D teams scaled a homemade concept into a global phenomenon. No single role invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos alone. But if any one of them had dismissed their part of the story, the product might never have existed. ✅ Innovation doesn't only come from corner offices. ✅ Execution doesn't only happen on factory floors. ✅ Great companies create a culture where every role is seen as critical. ✅ Breaking the boundaries of access to leadership gives good insight Crucial question to reflect on; 'If someone has a janitor has a business changing idea in your company will anyone in senior leadership listen?'

I built a Top 100 Global video podcast on Spotify. Here’s exactly how I did it. Six months ago, I launched Hot Smart Rich, a video-first podcast for anyone obsessed with the future of culture, creators, startups, and self-growth, on Spotify. We hit Spotify’s Top Business Podcasts in week one. Since then, we’ve charted 7 times, peaked at #5 in the U.S., and landed in Spotify’s Top 50 US podcasts overall. What surprised me most? How quickly video unlocked growth. On Spotify, my audience could seamlessly switch between watching and listening—just like the 300M+ listeners on the platform doing the same thing. That flexibility helped us attract not just more fans, but the right fans. The kind who binge episodes, send me DMs, share clips with their group chats, and now proudly call themselves HSR Angels. And yes, I turned it into a business. Through the Spotify Partner Program with Spotify for Creators, creators can monetize video content without giving up creative control. It’s real revenue, real reach, and a real community. (And let’s be honest: most platforms can’t say that.) If you’re thinking about launching, here’s what I’d tell you: - It is not too saturated. But you do need a plan. Get clear on your tone, flow, format, and point of view. Your audience doesn’t want a copy—they want something new. - Don’t waste money on aesthetic fluff. No one cares about your new photoshoot. Spend that cash on solid audio, decent lighting, and a camera that works. We started with iPhones. - Cut up your clips like your life depends on it. Post. Everywhere (Including Spotify). All the time. - Be consistent. Experiment early. When no one’s watching, try things. Switch formats. Get weird. Then double down on what hits. - Make it your personality. If you’re not hyping your own show, no one else will. You don’t need millions to start. You just need a camera, a mic, a message, and Spotify. Check out how to grow your video on spotify below. https://lnkd.in/gnB5ejaS #podcast #business #spotify #spotifypartner #videopodcast #growth

I thought I was born muted and voiceless. If you had met me 2 decades back, you would definitely agree. I grew up as an introverted teenager with an inferiority complex. Having been a serial bully victim in schools for a good decade, I never trusted or liked being around people. Yet it was a life coaching program at 20 years old that gave me hope and paved my way to become a global teacher today. I realize that while I may not be the most interesting or extroverted person... I can be the most "interested" and invested person in the room. As a teacher in the financial industry, these lessons are what I've learned myself and constantly share with over 60,000 students in Asia on business and personal branding: 🐝 Great personal branding comes from great personal being - branding is a superficial and futile exercise if you are not being your best and authentic self. Instead, focus on delivering concrete and constant value in the work you do so you know what is worth amplifying and who are your true audience. Honor and deliver before you communicate and promote. 🐝 You don't have to (only) shine in a loud way. Sometimes, quietness speaks volumes too. I shared previously in another LinkedIn post that I am exceedingly normal as a personality. I don't have that many talents nor perform or twerk in an eye-catching fashion! But the beauty of putting yourself out there is that the process will help you discover your own unique voice. And your work and words will attract the right audience for you. 🐝 Personal branding helps you build a flourishing business and lead an easier life. While my first job is in sales (and I enjoy it), selling can be difficult when you have to bend over backwards to convince and persuade. So I often preach to founders and leaders -- you either learn to sell yourself online or you have to do so harder, offline. When prospects meet me, they already known, liked, and trust me. Sales then become just a simple conversation of making the terms and relationship work. And this has helped me transact over SGD $3M for my practice and take it global to as far as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Remember -- no one can promote the brand of "you" better than you. And the "business of you" cannot survive if you are invisible and unknown. -- Over the last weekend, I was thankful to have been accorded the 'Top Personal Branding Voice' by LinkedIn. And I hope to inspire more of you who think you are voiceless and "story-less" to embrace the journey of sharing your brilliance with the world. Because more people deserve to know and experience you. Your breakthroughs today are what will inspire and help many transcend their struggles tomorrow. Don't you agree? 🤲🏻 #topofmind #personalbranding #mdrt #financialadvisors P.S. If this post speaks to you, I'd love for you to share this with your network too. 🍻

Africa’s biggest creative exit began with one phone call. In 2017, legendary Nigerian music producer Don Jazzy had a successful record label. But he knew something was missing. While Afrobeats was exploding globally, African labels were still operating like it was 2005 - no data analytics, no proper structure, no international distribution deals. Then came an unexpected call from Kupanda Capital, not your regular investor but a business-building platform focused on emerging markets. 🎯 Kupanda told Don Jazzy: "We see Afrobeats going global. Let's rebuild Mavin Records from the ground up to capture that opportunity." What happened next became the blueprint for scaling African creative businesses internationally. The transformation was radical: Kupanda moved two senior executives to Lagos to work alongside Don Jazzy's team (poke Mavin COO Peter Tega Oghenejobo). Together, they didn't just add capital - they rebuilt everything: 🎤 An artist development academy: Training talent for the digital age 📊 Data-driven A&R: Using analytics to predict hits before they happen 🌍 A global distribution network: International contracts from day one 🏢 A proper corporate structure: a 70-person team with defined roles and responsibilities Only THEN did Kupanda bring in TPG to invest $10M+ in Mavin. Then came the proof of concept... 🚀 Rema's "Calm Down" (featuring Selena Gomez) became the first song by an African artist to hit 1 billion Spotify streams. The numbers tell the rest of the story: - 60x growth in overall revenue over 5 years  - 100x growth in digital revenue 🔥 In 2024, Universal Music Group acquired a majority stake in Mavin at a $150-200M valuation, in the largest deal in African Creative Industries history. When I said that Mavin’s success had become the blueprint for scaling creative ventures in Africa, this is why: 1️⃣ Partnership beats pure capital. Creative companies often need a lot more than just cash. Operational expertise + local creative knowledge = magic 2️⃣ Structure unlocks creativity. You can’t grow on shaky foundations. Proper systems amplify business AND artistic potential. 3️⃣ Bet on data not gut feelings. Creative companies are yet to fully adopt digital tools, and that’s stifling their growth. Mavin shows how analytics can enable global success. Few investors are ready to be as hands-on as Kupanda, and few founders can be as collaborative as Don Jazzy and his team. EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW IT WORKS. Think about that. Mavin Records is one of the 12 African companies profiled in my latest study for Proparco's CREA Fund. Read the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/diAwWrXe ------ Want more business insights on the African Creative and Sports space? Join the 9,500+ other professionals who subscribe to my monthly newsletter HUSTLE & FLOW: https://lnkd.in/drBY8jnz

At 26, I thought I needed all the answers before starting. At 32, I realize I only needed to start—and I’m exactly where I need to be. Key lessons from my entrepreneurial journey (that you might need to hear): 1. Building a business isn't just about profits - it's about building people. Some of my best hires were freshers who grew into pillars of my company. 2. Your timeline is your own. Being 32, single, and running a successful business isn't a paradox - it's a choice to live life on your own terms. 3. The best investments aren't always from VCs - they're your clients who believe in you and your team members who invest their time and talent. 4. When family and business mix, keep them in separate bowls. Do business with strangers, and keep family for love. 5. Your employees aren't just resources - they're your partners in success. When they ask for a raise, remember: retention is cheaper than replacement. 6. A gap in your resume isn't failure - it's often the bridge to something better. I left a job in 6 months and built a successful agency. 7. Time tracking doesn't equal productivity. Trust your team, focus on results, and watch creativity flourish. 8. True leadership means supporting your team's dreams, even when it means letting them go pursue higher education. 9. The customer isn't just always right - they're the real CEO. Every business decision should start and end with them. 10. Authenticity in business partnerships matters. Choose collaborators who truly align with your values, not just your profit margins. 11. You can be a woman who manages both family and business. Breaking stereotypes isn't about choosing one over the other - it's about defining success on your own terms. My challenge to aspiring entrepreneurs in 2025: - Trust your instincts - Invest in your people - Build with authenticity - Break stereotypes Remember: Success isn't about fitting into someone else's mould - it's about having the courage to create your own. What lesson resonated most with you? #lesson #entrepreneurship

Leaving the United Nations: A Leap into the Unknown—3 Years Later Three years ago, on March 2022, I left the UN system. Not really by choice. Not by plan. But because life had other ideas. At that time, I was serving as International Staff for the UN Mission in Colombia, navigating the aftermath of COVID, and facing a family health crisis 10,000 kilometers away. The realization hit me hard: I couldn’t continue my career from a distance. After 20 years of service, I walked away—without a plan, without a safety net, without knowing what was next. And here’s the truth: It was terrifying. It was a shock. But it was also the best move I ever made. If you’re standing at a similar crossroads—wondering whether to leave the UN, international organizations, or any long-term career—or being requested to leave because of the "funding crisis", this is for you. What I Learned About Reinvention: 1️⃣ Your skills are more transferable than you think. Working in the UN gives you problem-solving, negotiation, crisis management, and leadership skills that private sector leaders pay for. Don’t underestimate your value. 2️⃣ Embrace uncertainty as an opportunity. Leaving a structured, mission-driven career feels overwhelming. But uncertainty is where growth happens. It forces you to rethink, reinvent, and rediscover what you truly want. 3️⃣ Network strategically. Your UN network is gold. Reach out. Connect with those who transitioned before you. Build new relationships in industries that interest you. You’re not starting from zero—you’re starting from experience. 4️⃣ Monetize your expertise. Whether it’s consulting, managing or leading social impact initiatives, there are countless ways to leverage your UN background. Find the intersection between your passion and what the world needs. 5️⃣ Identity is not a job title. Walking away from a prestigious role can feel like losing part of yourself. But you are not your position—you are the impact you create, no matter where you work. If you’re thinking about leaving, or you are actually asked to leave, ask yourself: 🔹 Am I staying/ I wish to stay because I love it—or because the unknown feels too risky? 🔹 Does my career still align with the person I am becoming/my professional values? 🔹 If fear wasn’t a factor, what bold step would I take? Leaving the UN was never my plan. But three years later, I can say this: 🤚 The future I didn’t plan turned out better than the future I once feared. To those at a career crossroads: trust your gut. If it’s time to move on, take the leap. You are more capable, adaptable, and resourceful than you realize. If you're looking for guidance on transitioning out of the UN system and building a fulfilling career, let’s connect. You don’t have to do it alone! p.s this is the plane view of the Andes, the day I left Colombia

Breaking stereotypes wasn’t easy. A banker once told me, ‘It’s better to be a shark in a pond than a fish in an ocean.’ That mindset shaped me. Some stories inspire us to aim higher and keep going. Anuja Bhekane’s journey is one that truly moves me - a story where she didn’t have a head start in life, yet today, she leads a team of 100. Here is Anuja’s story in her own words to inspire you to lead with courage and confidence. “I didn’t have a prestigious degree or a built-in career roadmap. Coming from a family of agriculture and farming, I had no exposure to the corporate world, no roadmap to success. Yet, I refused to let that define me. At 20, I began my career in the capital markets industry, a field traditionally dominated by men. My clients were CXOs of major banks, and through my interactions with them, I realized something profound: financial success wasn’t limited to business owners. Even salaried professionals could achieve wealth and independence. Over the past decade, I’ve been the only female Zonal Head in my field, earning credibility through performance - not gender. And while I’ve never played the “I’m a woman” card, let’s be real - challenges exist. Balancing work and family, ensuring my personal responsibilities never became an organization’s problem, and still delivering at the highest level - that was the biggest challenge I overcame. There were days I felt stretched between two worlds - one at work, one at home - but I never let either become an excuse. Three months after maternity leave, I was back at work - not to prove anything, but because my passion for what I do never took a break. Some days, success comes easy; other days, failure humbles you. The key is to turn setbacks into learning experiences. Staying grounded, being modest - that’s what sustains success in the long run. Even today, my aspiration remains the same. When I first met a CEO as a 20-year-old, I told myself that one day, I would be on that side of the table. That goal still drives me.”