
Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Platform Reach
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
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Total monthly reach
Estimated from 1 chart position in 1 market.
By chart position
- 🇦🇹AT · Careers#3710K to 30K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
3K to 9K🎙 Daily cadence·54 episodes·Last published 6d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
10K to 30K🇦🇹100% - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
4K to 12K
Market Insights
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Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
From 17 epsHost
Recent guests
Recent episodes
Season 4 Wrap: What the Best Leaders Do Differently
Jun 24, 2026
Unknown duration
Rethinking Executive Presence with Scott Lamb
Jun 17, 2026
Unknown duration
Self-Compassion Break for High Performers
Jun 10, 2026
55m 32s
Speed to Signal with JZ - Laurel CPO
Jun 3, 2026
48m 08s
How "Temporary Permanent" Drives Progress
May 27, 2026
50m 41s
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/24/26 | ![]() Season 4 Wrap: What the Best Leaders Do Differently | After 50 episodes with some of the top leaders in startups and tech, Annie Riley takes a moment to reflect and share her top five leadership takeaways that surfaced again and again throughout the latest season. Annie also reflects on the current moment—from the rapid rise of AI to the growing need for authentic human connection—and why those realities have only strengthened her commitment to building a show that is honest, practical, and deeply human.Plus, she shares what's next for Best Manager Ever as the team heads into a summer of experimentation, new formats, and fresh ways to support leaders navigating the messy middle of company building.Join us on Substack Level up your leadership skills with Fort Light Connect with Annie RileyNominate Your Best Manager EverBest Manager Ever is a Production of Fort Light and Now It’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 6/17/26 | ![]() Rethinking Executive Presence with Scott Lamb | The stereotype of the hard-charging executive is hurting performance. Scott Lamb moved to NYC to pursue journalism, but ended up joining Buzzfeed when it was just five people and has been on the startup path ever since. In this episode, Scott sits down with Annie Riley to explore a different model for leadership– one rooted in curiosity, steadiness, psychological safety, and real human connection. They discuss what’s really behind vague feedback about “executive presence”, how management is a learnable craft, and how to have hard conversations that don’t FEEL bad. Time Stamps:00:00 — Why management matters02:07 — Scott’s leadership style04:08 — Joining BuzzFeed at five people06:13 — Management is a skill08:47 — The problem with “executive presence”10:02 — Visibility vs. impact13:21 — Directness over aggression17:20 — Tough conversations done well19:42 — Leading through layoffs22:19 — Avoiding emotional dumping24:56 — How to fire someone clearly29:29 — The power of “say more”37:22 — Listening and accountability43:04 — Why humor matters at work48:06 — Reps over perfectionJoin us on Substack Level up your leadership skills with Fort Light Connect with Annie RileyConnect with Scott LambNominate Your Best Manager EverBest Manager Ever is a Production of Fort Light and Now It’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 6/10/26 | ![]() Self-Compassion Break for High Performers✨ | self-compassionhigh performance+4 | Dr. Michael Klein | Fort LightNow It’s Hear+1 | — | self-compassionhigh achievers+6 | — | 55m 32s | |
| 6/3/26 | ![]() Speed to Signal with JZ - Laurel CPO✨ | leadershipteam building+4 | JZ | AirbnbWebflow+3 | — | leadership1:1 meetings+6 | Blomma | 48m 08s | |
| 5/27/26 | ![]() How "Temporary Permanent" Drives Progress✨ | temporary permanent thinkingteam dynamics+3 | Anna Randall | CurriTigerEye+2 | — | temporary permanentteam performance+3 | — | 50m 41s | |
| 5/20/26 | ![]() Ex-Pinterest & Canva Exec: Curiosity As A Muscle✨ | leadershipcuriosity+4 | Silvia Oviedo Lopez | App StoreCanva+3 | — | curiosityleadership+5 | Blomma AIMANAGER | 47m 37s | |
| 5/13/26 | ![]() Unblock Your Team with Powerful Questions✨ | leadershipmanagement+3 | Maayan Roth | Crux Climate | — | questionsleadership+5 | — | 52m 56s | |
| 5/6/26 | ![]() Top CEO Coach On The Difficulty of Empathizing Up✨ | leadershipempathy+3 | Ed Batista | — | — | empathyleadership+5 | — | 49m 59s | |
| 4/29/26 | ![]() “Smart Rats”: Belief Boosts Performance✨ | managementteam performance+4 | Maura Church | Two Chairs | — | managementteam performance+5 | — | 52m 13s | |
| 4/22/26 | ![]() Be Champagne, Not Flat Soda✨ | networkingSilicon Valley+4 | Whitnie Narcisse | First Round Capital | — | networkingSilicon Valley+5 | — | 36m 36s | |
Want analysis for the episodes below?Free for Pro Submit a request, we'll have your selected episodes analyzed within an hour. Free, at no cost to you, for Pro users. | |||||||||
| 4/15/26 | ![]() Get Yourself Some “Boast Bitches”✨ | psychological safetyfeedback+5 | Dorothy Kilroy | Oura RingAirbnb+3 | — | Boast Bitchespsychological safety+5 | — | 47m 18s | |
| 4/8/26 | ![]() Time Kills Follow-Up: Share Context Now✨ | leadershipcontext sharing+3 | Junan Pang | IntercomFort Light+2 | — | leadershipcontext+5 | — | 47m 04s | |
| 4/1/26 | ![]() Bad Meetings Are Disrespectful✨ | meetingsleadership+3 | Julia Bernstein | Brightside Health | — | meetingsleadership+3 | — | 49m 29s | |
| 3/25/26 | ![]() A Manager’s Word Has To Mean Something✨ | leadershipmanagement+4 | Gautam Prabhu | PagerDutyScribe AI+5 | — | leadershipsaying no+5 | — | 54m 59s | |
| 3/18/26 | ![]() COO of Headspace: Why You Should Re-Recruit Yourself✨ | leadershipmanagement+4 | Karan Singh | HeadspaceGinger+3 | — | leadershipmanagement+7 | — | 49m 52s | |
| 3/11/26 | ![]() Welcome to Season 4✨ | leadershipmanagement+3 | — | Fort LightAcast | — | leadership lessonssuccessful managers+3 | — | 1m 42s | |
| 12/24/25 | ![]() Best Manager Ever: Santa✨ | leadershipholiday spirit+4 | Santa Claus | Fort LightAcast | — | Santa Clausleadership+5 | — | 13m 19s | |
| 12/17/25 | ![]() Best Manager Ever: Top Takeaways From Season 3✨ | management lessonscareer growth+4 | — | Fort LightAcast | — | managementleadership+5 | — | 20m 24s | |
| 12/10/25 | ![]() Best Manager Ever: Jared Erondu – Hard Mode Leadership✨ | leadershipmanagement+4 | Jared Erondu | SpanLattice+2 | — | leadershipmanagement+5 | — | 52m 09s | |
| 12/3/25 | ![]() Best Manager Ever: Dana Lawson - Conquering Imposter Syndrome and Fostering Team Resilience | Dana Lawson is the CTO of Netlify. She’s been a technologist for decades, and was previously the VP of Engineering at Github and the Director of Engineering at New Relic, Heptio, InVision (acquired by Miro), and more. Dana has a diverse background, and served in the military. Dana's direct reports praise her for building confidence, providing autonomy support, for bringing honesty and compassion, and for sponsorship that goes beyond mentorship. In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Dana, and they discuss:How imposter shows up at senior levels– and how to handle it How to deal with interpersonal conflictsWhat it takes to be an effective sponsorThe importance of embracing changeIf you’re interested in sponsoring an episode of Best Manager Ever, reach out: sponsor@fortlight.comJoin us on Substack Connect with Dana LawsonConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s Producer, Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for the PodcastThis is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 11/26/25 | ![]() Best Manager Ever: Amit Shah - Building Trust Through Gratitude | Amit Shah is the COO of Virta Health, where he’s built the company from ~30 team members to over 800 colleagues working to reverse obesity and diabetes. Amit has 10+ years of experience in building and scaling entrepreneurial and high-growth healthcare organizations, with a focus on delivering financial and operational results while aligning on mission and values.Amit’s direct reports praise his ability to balance the needs of Virta’s members, business, and staff, describing him as incredibly kind, caring, driven, and a fierce protector of his team. He is celebrated for his passion, structured thinking, dedication to his own growth and development, and continuous improvement in leadership.In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Amit,and they cover:How to build a gratitude practice that supports your team – and yourselfThe importance of emotional awareness and regulation in leadership Energy management habits and practices A process to take charge of feedback, learning, and growth The relationship between execution and strategy in startups If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode of Best Manager Ever, reach out: sponsor@fortlight.comJoin us on Substack Connect with Amit Shah Connect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s producer Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for the PodcastThis is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 11/19/25 | ![]() Best Manager Ever: Patrick Reynolds - Creating the Conditions for Success | Patrick Reynolds is the Co-Founder and Head of Product at Office Hours, an expert marketplace. Patrick started his career as a software engineer, before becoming a self-taught product designer and making the leap into product leadership. He has worked at an array of tech companies and startups including Affirm, Sweep, and Adobe. Patrick's direct reports praise him for his exceptional thoughtfulness, noting his ability to remember personal details and small, meaningful actions that remove friction and boost morale. They describe him as a natural coach who not only sets high standards but also provides the necessary support and resources to achieve them. In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Patrick, and they discuss:The difference between leadership and management How to prime yourself so it’s easy to spot opportunities to support your team The difference between a culture that inspires ambition vs. enforces it How to consume content for maximum ROI The best way to spot (and stop!) perfectionism If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode of Best Manager Ever, reach out: sponsor@fortlight.comJoin us on Substack Connect with Patrick ReynoldsConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s Producer, Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for the PodcastThis is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 11/12/25 | ![]() Best Manager Ever: Sophie Ruddock – Showing Up for Your Team During Crisis | Sophie Ruddock brings deep expertise in scaling mission-driven tech companies, and is now the COO at Empathy. Sophie was an early employee at Multiverse, where she grew with the company and ultimately became their global COO leading through rapid growth and market expansion. Sophie’s direct reports praise her empowering leadership style, her commitment to their development, and her unwavering advocacy. She hires people for their unique expertise and encourages them to bring their full selves to work, and reminds them of their value even in moments of self-doubt.In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Sophie, and they discuss:What a “founder mindset” really means for employees How to earn the right to dissent How to lead when someone on the team has an unexpected crisis The mindset shift that enabled Sophie to go from managing 3 to 600+ people If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode of Best Manager Ever, reach out: sponsor@fortlight.comJoin us on Substack Connect with Sophie RuddockConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s Producer, Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for the PodcastThis is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 11/5/25 | ![]() Best Manager Ever: Behavioral Science as a Leadership Tool | In this expert episode, Annie Riley sits down with Matt Wallaert, an applied behavioral scientist who made the leap into the tech and startup worlds. Matt is currently the CXO at Oceans, and he’s previously held leadership roles at Clover Health, LendingTree, Microsoft, frog design, and more. Matt explains why all leaders should know and use the principles of applied behavioral science– because all startup leaders are in the business of behavior change with our customers, our teams, and ourselves. They discuss specific tactics that leaders can use to influence their team’s behavior, including the SIDE framework, promoting and inhibiting pressures, iterative experimentation, and more. Matt explains how applied behavioral science can be the key to unlocking lasting and meaningful behavior change, and to achieving a more empathetic and effective leadership style. If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode of Best Manager Ever, reach out: sponsor@fortlight.comJoin us on Substack Connect with Matt WallaertConnect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s Producer, Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for the PodcastThis is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 10/29/25 | ![]() Worst Manager Ever: Annie’s Scariest Manager Stories | In this special Halloween episode of Best Manager Ever, host Annie Riley recounts the top worst manager moments of her career. Tune in to hear scary manager stories, from tales of micromanagement to vague (and unsettling!) feedback… and even Annie’s own manager missteps. There’s value in learning from the best, and ALSO from the worst! You’ll finish this episode feeling less alone, and even with some actionable lessons to help you avoid the same manager mistakes. If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode of Best Manager Ever, reach out: sponsor@fortlight.comJoin us on Substack Connect with Annie RileyCheck out Fort Light to level up your leadership skillsConnect with our show’s Producer, Alexis RamdaouNominate your Best Manager Ever for the PodcastThis is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
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