Time To Press Pause - Real-Life Stories from the C-Suite
The only constant is change. To successfully navigate through the change, leaders need the time and space to focus. It’s time to press pause. Ellen Williams, CEO of The Salient Strategist, is the host of these raw, intimate C-Suite "press pause" stories. Listen to the why, when, and how they knew it was time to press pause and their outcomes. Pausing to focus is crucial, whether it is minutes, days, weeks, or longer because some decisions can be made quickly, but many can’t and shouldn’t.
Episodes
In this powerful episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams speaks with Scott Ballard, CEO and owner of Confidence Coach LLC, about the life-altering experience of exiting a business and navigating the uncertain space that follows. After building a highly successful company from the ground up, Scott found himself with time, money, and no clear plan. What began as a pause after selling his company became a dee...
In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen Williams interviews Anatoly Spektor, founder of Soul to Soul Business and a seasoned entrepreneur, about the pivotal pauses that reshaped his life and work. Anatoly shares his early experiences as a software developer and consultant, reflecting on how he repeatedly ignored the signs of burnout and misalignment in corporate roles. These experiences led him to press pause, j...
In this episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams speaks with Mitchell Levy, a global credibility expert, executive coach, and prolific entrepreneur. Mitchell shares his journey through various business ventures, highlighting how critical feedback, especially the kind that challenges your assumptions, can be the catalyst for meaningful growth. He discusses how his past ventures in credibility and clarity, th...
In this heartfelt episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams speaks with Ann Sheu, CEO and founder of Mpowered Journey, about two pivotal moments in Ann’s life when she chose to "press pause" and radically re-evaluate how she was spending her time. The first pause came after the unexpected passing of her father, which led to deep regret over not being more present during his final days. Ann shared h...
In this heartfelt episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams sits down with Julie Niehoff, co-founder of Distance Learning Media and a long-time advocate for small businesses and veteran support. Julie shares how her intended pause to start a new business with her husband turned into an unexpected and emotional journey when her father was suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. What began as a mome...
In this powerful episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams speaks with Elor Shem Tov, founder and CEO of Lucid Lev, about a deeply personal and professional moment that tested her identity and leadership. Elor recounts how unexpected accusations from colleagues in a leadership role prompted an internal investigation, threatening her reputation and sense of self. Instead of reacting defensively out of fear or...
In this episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams welcomes Leah Salinas, former founder of a thriving beauty business and now Director at The Alexander Group. Leah shares her journey from early entrepreneurial success—launching a hair and makeup company that expanded to 14 artists and high-profile events—to burnout and the realization that her career no longer aligned with her values or family life. As weeke...
In this special one-year anniversary episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams welcomes guest Kim Poulos Lieberz, founder and CEO of KGI Design Group, for an open conversation about the challenges and importance of creating space to pause in the midst of a busy life. Instead of following the typical format where guests share a specific “press pause” story, Ellen and Kim discuss different types of pauses — fr...
In this episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams speaks with Kevin Bartram, founder and principal of Bartram Partnerships, about the pivotal moments that reshaped his career and life. Kevin reflects on his early years growing up in a challenging home environment, entering the workforce at 13, and how he built a thriving career in corporate sponsorships and sustainability-focused marketing. A turning point c...
In this heartfelt episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen Williams speaks with Andrea Schiavone, a seasoned operations and finance executive, about how even the most intentional pauses can be derailed by life’s unpredictability. Andrea shares her journey from leading a high-growth marketing agency through its acquisition, to planning a deliberate break for self-reflection—only to have it interrupted by the sudden loss o...
In this episode, Ellen Williams interviews Jennifer Gulbrand, founder of Embody Your Essence, who shares her journey of breaking free from burnout and discovering authenticity. After 35 years in the health and wellness industry, Jennifer realized that her business success did not equate to personal fulfillment. Despite her achievements, she felt disconnected from her own truth. Through mindfulness, meditation, energy ...
In this episode, Rajen Sheth, formerly a vice president at Google Cloud AI and industry solutions, shares with host, Ellen Williams, how he took a bold step after nearly two decades at Google. Motivated by a desire to make a positive social impact, he pressed pause on his career, leaving behind the familiar security of his role to explore how technology could improve educational equity. During this hiatus, Rajen recon...
In this episode, host Ellen Williams speaks with entrepreneur and philanthropist Mei-Yung Lee about her unique approach to taking a “pause” when burnout loomed. Mei-Yung, CEO of Ageless Zen—a natural skincare research and manufacturing company—found herself overwhelmed by the demands of building her organization from the ground up. Instead of stepping away entirely, she joined her local Rotary club. This simple shift ...
In this podcast episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams welcomes guest Johanne Brierre, CEO of Brooklyn Commons and New York Beauty Suites. Johanne recounts her transition from working in the fast-paced New York City hospitality industry to founding co-working spaces in her Brooklyn neighborhood. She explains how she recognized a need for supportive, community-oriented resources for entrepreneurs, especial...
Ellen Williams host of Time To Press Pause and CEO of The Salient Strategist, Inc. welcomes Paige Arnof-Fenn, founder and CEO of the global branding firm Mavens and Moguls. Paige describes how a six-year period of family caregiving and estate responsibilities forced her to step away from the demanding pace she had maintained early in her entrepreneurial journey. Despite initial fears that scaling back would harm her t...
In this episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams interviews Jeffrey P. McNulty, CEO and Founder of New Retail Ethos Consultancy. Jeffrey recounts two major "press pause" moments in his life that spurred him to step away from a long career in retail leadership.
First, after nearly three decades in executive roles with companies like The Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Publix, Jeffrey felt he had lost his si...
In this episode of “Time to Press Pause,” Ellen Williams speaks with Dr. Shehzad Batliwala, an ophthalmologist, entrepreneur, and first-generation Indian American who grew up undocumented in the United States. Dr. Batliwala shares how his early struggles with belonging and external validation fueled his ambitious pursuit of success—becoming a doctor, doing research on vision in zero gravity, and even founding a cell p...
In this episode, host Ellen Williams interviews Erin Mote, CEO of InnovateEDU and co-founder of Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School, as she recounts her transformative moment of realizing she felt detached from her work’s impact. Once working at the intersection of technology and national security, she found herself in boardrooms advising tech giants but missing the direct connection with communities. It was only after...
In this episode of Time To Press Pause, host Ellen Williams speaks with CEO Megan Steckly of CompuDopt. She shares how she dramatically grew the nonprofit—from a shoestring budget and three-person staff to a multimillion-dollar organization serving hundreds of thousands across 24 states. Amid the rapid expansion, Megan realized she was burning out: working around-the-clock and feeling stuck in a cycle of constant urge...
In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen Williams interviews Ruchi Pinniger, founder and CEO of Watch Her Prosper. Ruchi recounts her background on Wall Street, where she excelled in leadership and team-building, yet felt unfulfilled. She took a sabbatical hoping to discover her true passion, dabbling in nonprofit work, baking, and decorating. Although she temporarily returned to the corporate world, Ruchi soon d...
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