Sophia Shaw has had many interesting roles, from leading the Chicago Botanical Garden, to being an Adjunct Professor at the Kellogg School of Management. After all that, her work is just getting started. On this episode, Business Observer Managing Editor Mark Gordon and Sophia talk about Sophia's start up, PlanPerfect, her 'why' to get into nonprofit work, the importance of planning to plan and why initiative is a crucial leadership characteristic. They also talked about the times she’s struggled with Impostor Syndrome, and how she’s gotten over it.
3 Takeaways:
- (07:45) Leaders need to understand what it takes to execute strategy
- (12:15) When conflict arises, go back to the strategic plan
- (14:00) Most people want to go to work knowing what they have to do
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introducing Sophia Shaw, co-founder, PlanPerfect
(03:30) What is PlanPerfect?
(04:30) Why did you start PlanPerfect?
(07:45) What are must-have leadership characteristics
(09:20) Knowing your “why”
(10:20) Learning from mistakes
(12:00) Working through conflict
(15:30) Sophia’s leadership influences
(17:10) Handling imposter syndrome
(19:50) What does Sophia look for in good leaders?
(21:10) Plan Perfect in 2025
Join us every week as we interview business leaders to learn what makes them great, what they look for in growing leaders, and much more.
Visit businessobserverfl.com for more.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Male Room with Dr. Jesse Mills
As Director of The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, Dr. Jesse Mills has spent his career helping men understand their bodies, their hormones, and their health. Now he’s bringing that expertise to The Male Room — a podcast where data-driven medicine meets common sense. Each episode separates fact from hype, science from snake oil, and gives men the tools to live longer, stronger, and happier lives. With candor, humor, and real-world experience from the exam room and the operating room, Dr. Mills breaks down the latest health headlines, dissects trends, and explains what actually works — and what doesn’t. Smart, straightforward, and entertaining, The Male Room is the show that helps men take charge of their health without the jargon.