Episode DescriptionJoin host Aransas Savas as she reconnects with Alex Stried, former Chief Product Officer at Cerebral who left her executive role to co-found Poppins, a revolutionary 24/7 pediatric care and parent coaching platform. In this candid conversation, Alex shares how the Surgeon General's declaration of parent stress as a public health crisis became her wake-up call to build the company she wished existed as a working mother. From managing teams of hundreds to starting from scratch, Alex reveals the data-driven approach that helped her raise courage capital and turn overwhelming parenthood into a scalable solution.What You'll LearnHow to transition from corporate executive to entrepreneur without losing momentum in your careerParent stress management strategies that address both behavioral and medical needsFundraising tips for female founders pitching to investors who may not understand your marketWork-life balance techniques for high-achieving parents juggling career pivotsBuilding courage capital through evidence-based decision making and strategic risk-takingStartup validation methods using personal pain points to identify market opportunitiesLeadership strategies for downsizing teams and making difficult business decisions with empathyCareer change advice for professionals feeling called to solve problems they've experienced firsthandTime Stamps00:00 - Introduction and reconnecting after years at Weight Watchers03:15 - The Surgeon General's parent stress crisis declaration as a catalyst06:30 - What Poppins offers: 24/7 pediatric care and parent coaching09:45 - Making the leap from CPO to founder: financial and personal considerations14:30 - Overcoming intimidation through "listening tours" and data collection18:15 - Pitching investors who don't understand the parenting market22:45 - Building courage through preparation and power posing25:30 - Advice for managing fear of failure and career setbacks28:15 - Self-care strategies for high-achieving working parents32:45 - Guest nominations: Hillary Manger, Haley Barna, Emily Green35:00 - How listeners can support Poppins and connect with AlexKey Takeaways✅ Turn frustration into fuel: Your biggest parenting challenges might be pointing toward your next business opportunity✅ Build evidence-based courage: Create compelling data to support both investor pitches and major life decisions✅ Practice the "listening tour" approach: Gather perspectives from multiple stakeholders before making intimidating moves✅ Reframe failure as temporary: Remember that careers are resilient and setbacks are learning opportunities✅ Prepare to be spontaneous: Practice presentations until you can deliver them authentically and confidentlyResource LinksPoppins - Alex's 24/7 pediatric care and parent coaching platformAmy Cuddy's research on power posingBJ Fogg's behavior change work from StanfordGuest BioAlex Stried is the co-founder of Poppins, a comprehensive parenting platform offering 24/7 pediatric care via text and parent coaching services. Previously, she served as Chief Product Officer at

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