ADAPT or die
When disruption hits, average leaders freeze—great ones adapt. Former tech-CEO–turned-leadership-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with C-suite executives, founders, and change-makers to dissect the exact moment they faced a make-or-break challenge, the mindset pivot that unlocked progress, and the measurable success that followed. Every episode delivers: Challenge → Adaptation → Success — a tight, three-act story you can steal. A 60-second “Hot-Seat” mini-coaching segment that turns insight into action. Concrete metrics, battle-tested tactics, and candid reflections you won’t hear on the PR circuit. If you’re scaling a team, steering a turnaround, or future-proofing your career, this show equips you to adapt and thrive—because in leadership, the alternative is extinction.
Episodes
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech CEO-turned-executive coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Ryanna Hammond—poet, author, and founder of All With Heart—to unpack the exact moment she realized she was building a life she didn’t want. Stuck in California traffic before sunrise and after dark, Ryanna asked a simple question: “Why am I doing this?” That moment of stillness launched ...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech CEO–turned–executive coach Andreas Pettersson reconnects with Janne Jakobsen—Senior Vice President, mentor to rising leaders, and co-author of Power Without Permission. A results-oriented executive with over 25 years of international experience, Janne has led across product and portfolio management, brand strategy, global marketing, and customer e...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech CEO–turned–executive coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Carolina Hernandez—entrepreneur, real estate investor, co-owner of Luis Gloria Painting, and co-author of Power Without Permission. Born in Mexico City and raised in the U.S., Carolina grew up translating for her parents and breaking generational cycles. But it wasn’t until a moment of b...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech CEO-turned-executive coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Alyssa Trenkamp, a fearless marketing executive who’s navigated five successful acquisitions in the high-growth B2B SaaS world. Now leading Americas Marketing for a global technology company, Alyssa shares how a chaotic startup office, a loyal CEO, and one mantra from her mom—“Make it a ...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, Andreas Pettersson sits down with Marlene Braga, a dynamic creative executive whose career spans iconic organizations like ABC News, A&E, Azteca America, PBS, and now the Skirball Cultural Center, where she leads public programming. Born in Miami and “made in Havana,” Marlene is a Cold War kid whose family fled the Cuban revolution—fueling her instinct to...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech CEO-turned-executive coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Stephanie Hammerwold, Head of HR at the Skirball Cultural Center and a passionate advocate for humane leadership. With an HR career spanning warehousing, tech, the arts, and more, Stephanie has spent decades in service of people. But her journey reveals a hard truth: when you say yes to ...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Cindy Chang, seasoned product leader and resilience-builder. Known for thriving in ambiguity and leading with empathy, curiosity, and conviction, Cindy’s journey is anything but conventional. After losing her father in a traumatic moment her senior year of high school—and facing abandonm...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Marina St. Cyr, Senior Vice President and operational powerhouse with over 20 years of experience scaling companies, leading cross-functional teams, and orchestrating $100M+ transformations. But Marina’s biggest pivot wasn’t strategic—it was internal. From doubting her worth in high-stak...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Kana Waanders, Lead Senior Software Engineer and co-author of Power Without Permission. Kana blends technical expertise with empathetic leadership, having grown from an intern to a trusted team leader by fostering trust, owning her voice, and leading with authenticity and compassion. Her...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Michele Jewett—ICF-certified executive coach, longtime CEO facilitator, and founder of Q4 Leaders. With over 15 years helping high-performing leaders align performance with fulfillment, Michele shares the story of how her own life was rocked at 45: kids off to college, a dissolving marri...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Julie Stone, Director of Human Experience at Milestone Systems and co-author of Power Without Permission. With over two decades of experience in human-centered business transformation, Julie has built her career on turning empathy into action—mentoring emerging leaders, driving customer ...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, Andreas Pettersson sits down with Cheryl Strizelka, a neurodivergent mother, wife, and thought leader in the HR field. Known for her gift of reading the room and making people feel seen, Cheryl shares the raw, honest journey from people-pleasing and self-doubt to calm, confident leadership. After two decades in HR and a personal reckoning with imposter syndro...
On this episode of Adapt or Die, executive coach Andreas Pettersson talks with Martha Chrisander—former journalist, B2B SaaS leader, and co-author of Power Without Permission. From quietly crying off-camera at a company-wide kickoff to winning “Employee of the Year” moments later, Martha takes us inside her transformation from insecure overachiever to confident leader. She shares how imposter syndrome, internalized perfectionism, a...
On this episode of Adapt or Die, executive coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Theresa Bassett, CEO of The Diamond Group—a digital marketing and sales strategy firm that’s helped clients generate over $550 million in revenue. Theresa recounts a defining moment in 2015 when a legal settlement demanded she grow revenue by 80% in under 100 days—or risk losing everything. From launching 27 websites in four weeks to winning an inter...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, Andreas Pettersson sits down with award-winning educator, consultant, and podcast host Scott J. Allen, Ph.D.—a leadership expert who’s trained organizations like NASA, Cleveland Clinic, and Toyota. Scott unpacks why most leaders fail not because of change, but because they cling to control. From psychological safety to adaptive leadership, this conversation r...
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, tech CEO-turned-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Michel Langlois, one of the most respected CTOs in the U.S. and author of Beyond the Code. Michel shares how he helped transform Calix from a struggling hardware company into the #1 rural fiber provider in America. With zero safety nets and a bold vision, he led the company through a radical seven-year r...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, Andreas Pettersson welcomes Spencer Horn, President & CEO of Altium Leadership & Coaching and former NASDAQ company executive. Spencer reveals the hard-earned leadership lessons behind his “Delegate to Elevate” philosophy—helping overwhelmed leaders escape bottleneck mode and build high-functioning teams that think, act, and lead. He unpacks how micro...
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, Andreas Pettersson sits down with Nicolas Pokorny, neuroscientist, global executive, and Founder & CEO of Mammoth Leadership Sciences. With over 30 years of experience leading multicultural teams, Nicolas unpacks a pivotal leap: moving from managing a small group of direct reports to guiding a large, layered organization. His approach—rooted in neuroscien...
When COVID shut down every client contract and wiped out his production pipeline, Graeme Watt—Principal and Lead Strategist of the award-winning agency Anthem Creative—faced an unthinkable leadership moment. On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, host Andreas Pettersson unpacks how Graeme chose purpose over panic and commissioned a self-funded storytelling project that became a viral beacon of hop...
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, Andreas Pettersson speaks with Tom Galido—5x founder, 3x CEO, and heart transplant survivor—about what it really takes to scale businesses and survive life-altering adversity. From collapsing in the CEO seat to rebooting his life during COVID lockdown, Tom shares raw truths about operational risk, startup culture traps, and why resilience is the most underval...
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