Shift & Thrive Podcast:
CEO Insights on Driving Change

How do leaders drive real transformation when "the way it has always been done" feels impossible to change, and why does behavior so often lag behind technology? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson talks with Floris Chaumat, Founder and CEO of Tradora, an AI-powered platform built to improve the vehicle ownership experience for consumers and dealerships. After becoming general manager of a $100 million dealership at 27, Floris shares why leaders must understand how a system behaves before trying to fix it, how a dealer-first distribution model lowers customer acquisition costs, and why alignment matters more than anything else when hiring. He also discusses the shift from hands-on operator to delegating founder, why AI should connect silos instead of automating each one separately, and the advice that still shapes how he leads.

What does it take to keep leading when the technology, the market, and your own role keep changing? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson talks with Don Berchoff, Founder and CEO of TruWeather Solutions, a pioneer in hyperlocal weather intelligence for drones and air taxis. Don spent 24 years in the US Air Force and led science and technology initiatives at the National Weather Service before building his own company. He explains why he would rather lead technology adoption than have it done to him, how he hires for aptitude over resume, and why trusted data matters more than shiny AI. He also shares how he built a go-to-market case around a 4-to-1 return on investment for a product many buyers see as a nice-to-have.

What does it take to rebuild trust in an organization where most employees are disengaged? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson talks with Bree Katulak, President and CFO of RenoSys and host of the Unstoppable You podcast, about leading transformation in manufacturing and industrial businesses. A CPA by training, Bree shares how quarterly town halls, fireside chats, and a constant presence on the plant floor lifted employee engagement by 800 basis points and cut turnover from 65% to 15% at Polygon. She also covers reorganizing engineering into sales after pressure-testing the plan with her YPO forum, leading with curiosity instead of alarm when KPIs dip, walking away from unprofitable customers, and setting priorities across people, go-to-market strategy, and technology in her current role.

What does it really take to turn a struggling sales organization into a growth engine, and can slowing down actually be the fastest path to results? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson talks with George Sens, President and CEO of Lurex Bio, about the current reality framework he used to transform go-to-market motions across multiple companies. George shares how shifting sales teams from pitching products to uncovering problems drove significant revenue growth, why he leads on three core principles of transparency, mutual accountability and mutual trust, and how a career setback taught him to ask blunt questions before joining a new organization.

What does it actually take to change how an entire market understands a problem it doesn't yet know it has? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson talks with Yossi Appleboum, co-founder and CEO of Sepio, about building a cybersecurity company around a category that barely existed when he started it. Yossi shares why he refuses to sell fear, how he can tell when a prospect's thinking has actually shifted, what it costs in time and money to educate a market from the ground up, and how the investor conversation changes entirely once a company moves from early traction into scale. He also opens up about leadership lessons from three decades of company-building, giving his co-founders and team room to grow, and how his family history shapes the way he thinks about bringing value to the world.