Chief is the most powerful network of women executives in the world. What began as a vision to drive more women into power and keep them there is now a $1.1 billion unicorn with 20,000 members across the U.S. and U.K. who collectively manage $800 billion of the economy. Today, 77% of Fortune 100 companies have Chief members. Chief membership provides a host of services including executive coaching, peer groups, workshops, and the ability to connect with thousands of women executives across thousands of organizations.
Chief’s podcast, “The New Rules of Business,” was created to unravel complex trends and challenge preconceived notions of what leadership looks like. Hosted by co-founders Carolyn Childers and Lindsay Kaplan and now on its third season, the podcast helps professionals learn how to lead when the old rules just don’t apply.
Chief’s business goals supported by the podcast include:
Ignite conversation about the challenges faced by women in the workplace
Build brand awareness for Chief, positioning it as an authority on women’s leadership that is working to address gender inequities in the workplace
Inspire women executives to apply for Chief membership
With thousands of business podcasts out there, it can be tough to break through, reach new listeners, earn their trust, and stay relevant. By inviting esteemed guests like veteran astronaut and former Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Station Dr. Ellen Ochoa to discuss provocative topics like why the “move fast and break things” approach to business is broken, “The New Rules of Business” has risen to the top of the podcast charts.
Recent episodes include:
Business consequences of banning affirmative action, with Berkeley Law professor Dr. Khiara Bridges
Corporate activism and the soul of business, with Fortune Media CEO Alan Murray
Why empath leaders are replacing tech bros, with CNBC journalist / author Julia Boorstin
How leaders’ reputations are formed during crises, with General Catalyst Chairman / Managing Director Ken Chenault (former CEO of American Express)
Building a “portfolio career” with multiple income streams, with former Hearst Chief Content Officer Joanna Coles
To launch season two in July, Chief released “This Guy Means Business” (https://www.thisguymeansbusiness.co/), a satirical video campaign that flips the script on gender roles. A male executive – called a “He-E-O” and “mantrepreneur” – is asked questions like, “How did you do it all and still get home in time for dinner?” The irony is soon clear – these questions are typically posed only to women.
In December, “The New Rules of Business” was ranked the #1 Business podcast, #1 Business Management podcast, and #16 show overall, on Apple U.S. Podcast Chart Rankings and it has a 4.8-star rating. Downloads of the podcast increased by 100% from season one to two, and by another 300% in season three.
Chief strives to showcase diverse voices on the podcast, and the team does extensive research and outreach to invite women and people of color to join as guests. Chief set a goal that 50% of the guests in season three would identify as people of color and the team successfully reached that benchmark.
Chief’s “This Guy Means Business” campaign resulted in over 270K cross-platform video views, driving interest in applications for Chief membership. The video has received hundreds of comments on LinkedIn, mostly from women who shared their own personal experiences with gender bias at work.
