Highs of Innovation

Sean Cleland, Vice President of Mobility at B-Stock

From Military Pilot to Business Innovator with Sean Cleland
In this episode of Strategy Ark's (www.strategyark.com) Highs of Innovation, host Jasmine Martirossian sits down with Sean Cleland, Vice President of Mobility at B-Stock, for a candid conversation about leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship, and navigating change.Sean shares his unconventional career journey, which began with a childhood dream of flying airplanes. After earning a mathematics degree through an Air Force ROTC scholarship, he entered military flight training and was on track to become a pilot. However, an unexpected medical issue ended his flying career and forced him to rethink his future. Rather than viewing the setback as a failure, Sean embraced a new path that ultimately led him into the corporate world.After leaving the military, Sean joined GameStop, where he applied his analytical background to build pricing and optimization models for the company's trade-in business. A chance encounter with a customer trying to trade in an early iPhone sparked an idea that would change the trajectory of his career. Recognizing the emerging secondary market for mobile devices, Sean helped launch a new business unit that grew into a multi-hundred-million-dollar operation.That experience eventually introduced him to B-Stock, whose platform was helping GameStop manage large-scale resale operations. Seeing a bigger opportunity, Sean proactively approached B-Stock's founder with a proposal outlining how he could help expand the business into mobility and consumer electronics. Despite there being no open role at the time, his initiative and vision earned him a seat at the table, and the opportunity to build an entirely new division within the company.Throughout the conversation, Sean reflects on the leadership lessons he learned from the military and how they continue to shape his approach today. He emphasizes the importance of trust over micromanagement, viewing leadership as coaching and advocacy rather than control. According to Sean, great leaders hire capable people, give them room to solve problems, and help remove obstacles rather than creating them.This discussion also explores the growing challenges of communication in today's digital workplace. Sean and Jasmine both argue that technology has increased the perceived urgency of many issues while reducing opportunities for genuine human connection. Sean advocates for picking up the phone, having direct conversations, and building real relationships across teams rather than relying solely on emails, messaging platforms, and virtual meetings.Another key theme is adaptability. Sean encourages professionals to stop waiting for the next promotion or perfect opportunity and instead create their own path. In a rapidly changing business environment, he believes the individuals who thrive are those who continuously look for new opportunities, solve problems proactively, and embrace change rather than resisting it.The episode concludes with a powerful reminder that professional success should never become a person's entire identity. Whether through family, friendships, faith, travel, or personal passions, Sean believes people perform at their best when they remain grounded in something larger than their careers.This thoughtful and inspiring conversation offers valuable insights for leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone navigating career transitions in an increasingly complex world.

Steven Bonvissuto, Sales, Operations, and Innovation Executive

Sales Leadership, Innovation, AI, and Building High-Performing Teams with Steven Bonvissuto
In this episode of Strategy Ark's (www.strategyark.com) Highs of Innovation, host Jasmine Martirossian speaks with Steven Bonvissuto, an experienced leader in sales, operations, and innovation who has worked with more than 150 sales teams throughout his career.Steven shares his framework for sales success, centered on people, process, and technology. He explains that top-performing sales organizations reduce administrative burdens, empower sellers with the right skills, and leverage technology to maximize customer-facing time and improve decision-making.The conversation explores how the buying process has evolved from individual decision-makers to complex buying committees involving finance, IT, marketing, and executive leadership. Steven emphasizes the importance of understanding where buyers are in their decision journey and building qualified pipelines rather than relying on a few large opportunities.Jasmine and Steven also discuss leadership, team dynamics, and company culture. Steven highlights the value of building diverse teams with complementary strengths, developing future leaders, and creating cultures that are demonstrated through actions rather than words. He reflects on the lasting impact leaders can have on both careers and lives through mentorship and intentional people development.The episode concludes with a discussion on artificial intelligence in sales. Steven shares how AI is helping organizations improve prospecting, sales training, and customer intelligence, while stressing the importance of strong processes, accurate data, and maintaining critical thinking skills.
Key Topics Covered:
People, process, and technology as drivers of sales performance
The rise of buying committees and complex sales cycles
Pipeline management and deal qualification
Leadership, mentorship, and talent development
Building strong team cultures through actions
AI's growing role in sales effectiveness
The importance of data quality and process optimization
Key Takeaway – The most successful organizations combine strong leadership, effective processes, and innovative technology to create value for customers, develop talent, and drive sustainable growth.

Karina Bensko, Founder and CEO of CultureKrew, with Katie Greenwood

Building the Future of Work with CultureKrew's Karina Bensko and Katie Greenwood
In this episode of Highs of Innovation, host Jasmine Martirossian sits down with Karina Bensko, Founder and CEO of CultureKrew, and Katie Greenwood, a key leader within the organization, to explore how the workplace is evolving and why culture has become one of the most powerful drivers of business success.Karina shares her journey from a 12-year career in Human Resources to launching CultureKrew, a company dedicated to helping growing businesses access executive-level people strategy through a fractional leadership model.  Rather than relying on traditional consulting or outsourced HR, CultureKrew embeds experienced professionals directly into organizations to provide both strategic guidance and hands-on execution.The conversation highlights the growing shift toward fractional leadership and specialized talent ecosystems.  As organizations become leaner and more agile, businesses are increasingly turning to experienced independent operators who bring deep expertise without the overhead of full-time executive hires.  Katie explains how this model allows companies to access collective intelligence and diverse perspectives while maintaining speed, flexibility, and accountability.A major theme throughout the discussion is the importance of organizational culture. Karina and Katie challenge the common misconception that culture is simply about perks, branding, or values displayed on office walls. Instead, they describe culture as a business operating system – one that directly impacts employee engagement, customer experience, innovation, retention, and ultimately profitability.Karina and Katie emphasize that strong cultures are built through leadership behaviors, clear communication, psychological safety, and systems that enable employees to do their best work. They discuss how organizations can encourage innovation by creating environments where teams are empowered to experiment, learn from failure, and continuously improve rather than striving for perfection.The episode also explores:
The difference between fractional leadership and traditional outsourced HR
Why smaller, highly aligned teams often outperform larger organizations
The hidden costs of employee turnover and disengagement
How ineffective systems create friction, slow execution, and reduce innovation
The role of managers in reinforcing culture during periods of growth and change
Why communication is the foundation of successful change management
How AI is helping organizations increase efficiency and amplify the impact of small teams
The importance of designing systems that unlock human potential rather than creating bureaucracy
Throughout the discussion, Jasmine, Karina, and Katie share personal experiences and real-world examples that illustrate how culture influences every aspect of organizational performance – from customer satisfaction to employee retention and business growth.This episode concludes with a powerful reminder that culture is not a "soft" business function.  It is a measurable business advantage that affects the bottom line, shapes employee experiences, and determines how effectively organizations adapt to change. As the future of work continues to evolve, companies that invest in people-centered systems, clear communication, and strong leadership will be best positioned to thrive.
Key Takeaway – Culture is not a nice-to-have, it is a strategic business asset. Organizations that intentionally build strong people systems create environments where employees feel trusted, aligned, and empowered to deliver exceptional results.

Blake Sosnow, Leader in Global Talent Acquisition

Listen to this fascinating conversation on the Highs of Innovation podcast with Blake Sosnow, a leader in global talent acquisition.  It will leave you reflecting on how much the world of work is evolving (and how much of it still comes down to being human).
A few standout takeaways:
🔹 Talent isn’t a transaction, it’s a relationship.  Blake challenged the idea of “filling roles” and instead emphasized truly seeing people. In an increasingly competitive market, not getting a role isn’t always a reflection of capability, sometimes it’s simply the tiny margin of difference between equally strong candidates.
🔹 AI is often misunderstood.  While AI dominates the conversation, its real-world application in hiring is still limited, and often misunderstood. More importantly, we’re asking AI to evaluate candidates ... without asking it to evaluate ourselves as organizations.
🔹 We don’t have a data problem, we have a data interpretation problem. Organizations are measuring more than ever, but often focusing on metrics that are either too generalized or not actionable. As we discussed, data doesn’t lie, but it doesn’t speak either. Interpretation is everything.
🔹 Careers are less linear than we pretend.  Luck, timing, and adaptability play a bigger role than most admit. The ability to embrace ambiguity, to say “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out” may be one of the most underrated predictors of success.
🔹 Work cultures still struggle with authenticity.  We say “bring your whole self to work,” yet reward short-term results, competition, and performative behaviors. These contradictions are a major source of disengagement.
🔹 Leadership is ultimately about people.  Beyond KPIs and outputs, the most lasting impact leaders have is on the people they develop—those who go on to build, lead, and elevate others.
One line that people should heed to:“It’s a very competitive landscape, but that’s not an indictment of who you are.”
A timely reminder for anyone navigating today’s job market, or leading within it.
 
#WorldOfWork  #AIinHiring  #TalentAcquisition
 

Nikolaus von Graeve, Founder and CEO, eRabbit Marketing

What happens when email marketing meets AI, human connection, and truly visionary leadership?
In this episode, Jasmine Martirossian sat down with Nikolaus von Graeve, Founder & CEO of Rabbit Emarketing, for a conversation that spans far beyond marketing tactics and dives into the future of how businesses connect, lead, and grow.
Email isn’t dead, it’s evolving. In an AI-driven world, email is becoming a powerful channel to feed and influence consumer-side AI, shaping how brands are perceived and recommended.
AI is shifting the balance of power. Consumers are now using AI to filter out irrelevant marketing, forcing companies to become more contextual, human, and meaningful in their outreach.
The real competitive edge? Human connection. Despite rapid technological change, relationships, trust, and in-person collaboration remain irreplaceable.
Rethinking the workplace. From hiring a chef (who is has 20 years of marketing experience) to foster culture, to designing roles around people (not the other way around), Nikolaus shares a refreshing, people-first approach to leadership.
Tech stack overload is real. Companies risk burnout and inefficiency when they chase tools instead of clarity. Vision, not software, should guide strategy.
Leadership vs. management. True transformation requires the courage to navigate uncertainty, reset direction, and inspire teams through change.
What stood out most is that in a world obsessed with automation and scale, the companies that win will be the ones that stay deeply human.
This conversation is filled with insights, stories, and bold perspectives that challenge conventional thinking.
Tune in and rethink how you approach marketing, leadership, and growth.
#HighsOfInnovation  #AILeadership #MarketingStrategy 

Rehan Javeri, C-Suite Executive, Aeris Protective Packaging Inc.

In this episode, Jasmine Martirossian sits down with Rehan Javeri, C-Suite leader for Sales and Marketing at Aeris Protective Packaging (Montreal), to discuss strategic leadership, customer-centered problem solving, high-performance teams, and the surprisingly powerful role of packaging in product experience and business outcomes.
Key Takeaways include:
Be proactive, not reactive – Rehan emphasizes diagnosing root causes and building long-term, sustainable solutions, rather than putting out fires with short-term fixes.
Customer-first strategy – Effective solutions come from understanding what’s failing for customers and designing a “sweet spot” solution that aligns clinical/operational/financial constraints.
Use AI as a tool, not a crutch – AI speeds research and idea generation, but human validation, cross-referencing, and interpretation remain essential to avoid errors and preserve authentic customer communication.
Packaging as strategic innovation – Packaging isn’t an afterthought, it protects R&D value, shapes the unboxing experience and brand perception, reduces losses, and can convert cost centers into profit centers through smarter design and process integration.
Build high-performing teams – Complementary skills, clear norms, psychological safety, celebration of wins and lessons from failures create high-performing, engaged teams. Ownership and continuous learning are core.
Avoid short-termism – Tactical cost cuts (e.g., downgrading packaging) can damage brand equity and long-term value; leaders must balance short-term pressures with strategic vision.
Practical leadership advice – “Plan the work and work the plan.” Encourage employees to propose solutions, streamline administrative friction with good processes and tools, and invest in learning and applied experiences (e.g., work-integrated learning, agile approaches).
Notable examples and stories
A packaging redesign that addressed theft, tracking, and turnaround time, turning a cost center into a profit-generating service and enabling faster technology exchange.
The “33 eggs/month” anecdote illustrating why AI outputs need human validation.
References to Apple, Tiffany and other brands that invest in packaging as part of their brand experience.
Who Should Listen – Leaders in operations, product, marketing, supply chain, and R&D, as well as anyone interested in customer-centric innovation, packaging as a strategic lever, or building resilient, high-performance teams.
 

Catherine Koverola, Ph.D., Global Executive, Clinical Psychologist, Former University President

This episode of Highs of Innovation features a deep and candid conversation between Jasmine Martirossian and Catherine Koverola, exploring the psychological realities of leadership, the evolving nature of work, and what it takes to remain grounded and effective in times of uncertainty.
At the core of the discussion is the often-unspoken reality of loneliness at the top. Prof. Koverola explains that senior leaders, despite being surrounded by people, carry immense responsibility that creates isolation. Leaders frequently become a “projection screen” for others’ expectations, criticism, and perceptions. One of the most critical skills, she notes, is learning not to take things personally, even when leadership feels deeply personal.
The conversation highlights several essential leadership principles:
Humility and self-awareness are non-negotiable, especially when navigating mistakes in the public eye.
Leaders must cultivate a trusted inner circle, people who knew them before their role and can offer an honest, judgment-free perspective.
Understanding and developing individual strengths within teams is key to unlocking performance. When people are aligned with their natural talents, they thrive.  And when they are “pigeonholed,” disengagement and even sabotage can emerge.
Prof. Koverola also challenges common workplace narratives, particularly the idea that “work is family.” Drawing from her background in psychology, she emphasizes that organizations are systems, but not families, and that healthy boundaries are essential for both performance and psychological safety. True engagement comes not from blurred boundaries, but from clarity, respect, and purpose.
A major theme is the widespread disengagement in the workforce, with a significant portion of employees feeling disconnected. Prof. Koverola explains that engagement improves when individuals can connect their work to a deeper sense of purpose and identity. However, this becomes complicated when basic needs, such as financial security, security, and stability, are not met, reinforcing the importance of context in leadership.
The episode also dives into career transitions and disruption, particularly in today’s volatile work environment shaped by layoffs, restructuring, and the rise of the gig and fractional economy.  Prof. Koverola likens abrupt career changes to an “emergency landing,” requiring individuals to process grief, reassess identity, and rebuild forward momentum.  Without support, many leaders face anxiety, loss of self-worth, and even depression during these transitions.
Finally, the discussion underscores the importance of:
Authentic relationships over transactional networking
Self-reflection when triggered, recognizing internal responses rather than external blame
Presence and emotional regulation as foundational leadership capabilities in anxious, uncertain times
Overall, this episode offers a nuanced, psychologically grounded perspective on leadership, one that moves beyond strategy and performance to address the human condition behind leadership, emphasizing connection, purpose, resilience, and self-awareness as the true drivers of sustainable success.

Ana Dutra, Global Executive, Board Director, First Female CEO of Korn Ferry

In this episode of Highs of Innovation, Jasmine Martirossian sits down with Ana Dutra, a global executive, former CEO of Korn Ferry, a Board Director who has served on 9 public and 13 private Boards, an educator, and lifelong learner.  This was a deeply human conversation about leadership, resilience, and curiosity.
Ana’s story begins in Brazil, where she grew up in a family that valued education and travel.  This love of travel inspired Ana to live a global life. That instinct led her from law and economics into IBM during the early days of artificial intelligence, and eventually to the United States, where she pursued an MBA at Kellogg. What followed was not a straight line, but a journey defined by risk, reinvention, and determination.
She shares candidly about building a career while navigating immigration challenges, raising three daughters, and striving to be “the best of the best” to secure her future. Over time, her path evolved from operating roles into governance, where she now serves on numerous boards and mentors CEOs.
At the core of Ana’s leadership philosophy is curiosity, what she calls “leaning into the unknown.” Whether learning new languages, exploring new ideas, or seeking perspectives from her three daughters and colleagues, she believes growth comes from staying open, not certain.
Ana Dutra also reflects on what it means to lead at the highest level, balancing openness with decisiveness, inviting input while being clear about who owns the decision, and building trust through transparency.
The conversation also touches on the realities of board leadership, especially for women. Ana emphasizes that board roles are not accidental outcomes of success.  Indeed, they require intentional preparation, governance knowledge, and a commitment to continuous learning.
Woven throughout the episode is a powerful reminder that leadership is not just about performance, it’s also about perspective, curiosity, determination.  And sustaining that perspective requires caring for the whole self, something Ana discovered through yoga at a pivotal moment in her life.
This episode is a masterclass in what it means to lead across borders, disciplines, and life stages, and doing so with humility, courage, and curiosity, and keeping one's authentic self genuine and intact.

Phil Whitebloom, Fortune 500 Sales Leader and Author of Handling Objections

Sales Excellence in a Changing World - Podcast Guest Phil Whitebloom | Highs of Innovation with Jasmine MartirossianIn this episode, Jasmine Martirossian sits down with Phil Whitebloom, a sales veteran, consultant, and author of The Sales Fixer and Handling Objections: Clues for Closing the Sale, for a wide-ranging conversation on what separates thriving sales organizations from struggling ones.
Phil opens with a foundational principle that great sales strategy begins with reverse engineering from results. Companies need to know not just what their revenue targets are, but what they want them to be, and then honestly assess whether they're hitting them. That honest self-critique, he notes, is harder than it sounds, even for the most open-minded leaders.From there, the conversation moves into diagnosing underperformance. Phil distinguishes between external factors (economic disruptions, pandemics, political shifts) and internal ones that companies can actually control. Among the internal culprits are misaligned compensation structures that breed complacency, the absence of real pipeline management discipline, and the trap of "tweaking" outdated systems rather than rebuilding them for today's marketplace.The marketing-sales alignment problem gets particular attention, including Phil's counterintuitive warning that a wildly successful marketing campaign can actually damage a business if sales and operations aren't scaled to meet the surge in demand.One of the episode's most memorable segments tackles the age-old mistake of promoting a top salesperson into sales leadership.  Phil Whitebloom is clear that individual contributor excellence and management excellence are fundamentally different skill sets.  The best field salesperson may be ill-equipped for the coordination, cross-functional communication, and people development demands of leadership, and companies that refuse to promote talented salespeople who are ready for those demands risk losing them entirely.Jasmine and Phil also explore the universal nature of selling, which is the argument that everyone, from doctors to professors, to Chamber of Commerce attendees, is always selling something.  Phil's anecdote about calling out a room full of "non-salespeople" at a networking event earns one of the episode's biggest laughs, and his point lands that denying that you're in sales is simply a way of avoiding the responsibility to do it well.The episode closes with Phil's take on AI in sales, which is enthusiastic, but clear-eyed. He's a user and a believer, but he's also a vocal critic of the "good enough" mentality that leads companies to deploy AI receptionists and customer-facing tools that frustrate rather than serve. His advice to salespeople entering today's market is refreshingly direct: make the calls, and when you're done, make more. Ask great questions.  Then stop talking and listen.

Katie Greenwood, Talent and Leadership Development Executive

In this episode, Jasmine Martirossian talks with Katie Greenwood, an experienced talent and leadership development executive, about how organizations create real, lasting learning and engagement.Katie Greenwood argues that leadership development only works when people understand why they’re there.  Intake conversations, empathy, and small repeated practices build the “muscle” of new behavior.  She explains why many corporate training offerings fail when treated as compliance or a checkbox, and how leaders who “think like marketers” can attract, engage, and retain talent by clearly communicating purpose and value.
Katie shares the origins and impact of her “ConnectUps,” voluntary weekly gatherings that kept a global team connected and productive through the COVID pandemic.  She emphasizes that employee engagement is infrastructure, not a soft metric, and that investing in manager development and intentional succession planning is essential for long-term performance.This conversation also covers the power of strengths-based work, the role of curiosity in leadership, and why cutting training during budget squeezes undermines future growth. Practical, human-centered, and actionable, Katie offers concrete strategies for leaders who want development to stick.#LeadershipDevelopment  #EmployeeEngagement  #LifelongLearning