How This Woman Broke Into the C-Suite — And Refused to Stay Silent

This episode is sponsored by Xavier University's Executive MBA Program. To learn more, visit: https://unconventionalpodcast.com/emba Season 4, Episode 253 How This Woman Broke Into the C-Suite — And Refused to Stay Silent (feat. Teresa Tanner & Mike Sipple Jr.) Teresa Tanner spent 30 years making the toughest calls in rooms most leaders never enter — from a heroic boss who carried her through her daughter's cancer diagnosis, to leaving the C-suite at the top of her game to build something no one had built before. In this conversation, she and Mike Sipple Jr. unpack how to find your voice at work, why a culture of integrity is impossible without healthy conflict, and how leading from your values (not your fear of loss) changes everything. They dig into the people-first strategy that cut new-parent attrition by 25%, why every applicant is a potential customer, the rhythms of reflection that keep leaders healthy, and the trail Teresa blazed with Reserve Squad to keep great talent connected instead of walking out the door. Timecodes: 00:00 - "Don't silence your voice" 01:05 - Meet Teresa Tanner: 30 years in rooms few people enter 02:44 - When her daughter Kayla was diagnosed with leukemia 05:00 - The boss who said "now it's our turn" 07:10 - Leading from your values when fear takes over 09:10 - The entrepreneur bug and falling into HR 10:01 - Why she pursued an Executive MBA at Xavier 13:38 - The "People P&L": invest in people, make more money 18:04 - Why chase the C-suite as a woman in business 19:40 - "You won't run me off in 19 months" 23:36 - Courageous leadership: never be afraid to be fired 26:00 - Why there's no culture of integrity without conflict 29:05 - How to find your voice (and not be a jerk) 31:13 - The maternity concierge program born in a town hall 35:49 - Every applicant is a possible customer 38:21 - Walking away from the C-suite at the top 42:08 - Retreats, rhythms, and reflection 43:18 - A cancer diagnosis 90 days after leaving 46:06 - "You're not too busy for a mammogram" 48:18 - Launching Reserve Squad: a terrifying leap 51:10 - Watching great talent walk out the door 54:05 - Building a new lane on the employment highway 59:27 - Starting a nonprofit: Web & Activated 1:01:33 - Working alongside her daughter Kayla 1:03:07 - What drives her to blaze new trails 1:04:34 - What unconventional leadership means to her 🔗 Links and Resources: \- Connect with Teresa Tanner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresa-tanner \- \*Episode Sponsor* Xavier University Executive MBA Program: https://unconventionalpodcast.com/emba \_\__ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: ➡️ Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast ➡️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB ➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 ➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C \_\__ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: ➡ https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr \_\__ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute \_\__ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc