Listening First, Leading Better: Authentic Leadership & Upstream Care with Beth Houck
What happens when a CEO leads with listening—and builds a company that catches crises before they happen?
In this episode of Human Side Up, host Natasha Nuytten sits down with Beth Houck—CEO of SonarMD—for a candid conversation about authenticity, context, and the kind of leadership that actually changes outcomes. Beth shares the moment she realized she could bring her whole self (humor included) to high-stakes rooms, the mindset shift from COO to CEO, and why “context” is the multiplier that empowers remote teams to move fast without losing the plot.
On the care side, she explains how SonarMD supports people living with IBD (Crohn’s, UC) between visits—tracking symptoms longitudinally to spot deterioration early, and pairing that with wraparound supports like nutrition, sleep, and GI-trained mental health. It’s upstream, value-based care that aligns payers, providers, and—most importantly—patients.
This episode is for leaders who want to be human and high-performing—and for builders in healthcare who believe prevention should finally pay.
Highlights & Takeaways
💡 Why active listening (and repeating context) aligns remote teams faster
💡 The COO → CEO shift—and how to navigate founder/CEO dynamics
💡 How SonarMD achieved ~80% digital engagement for IBD patients
💡 Upstream care that works: nutrition, sleep, and mental health inside digital pathways
💡 Making prevention pay: aligning with payers for shared savings and better outcomes
Learn more about Beth Houck & SonarMD:
🌐 SonarMD
🔗 LinkedIn
Human Side Up
What happens when we stop following the playbook and start writing our own? Hosted by Natasha Nuytten, CEO of CLARA, Human Side Up cuts through the noise to reveal how real leaders create workplaces—and lives—where people can thrive.
Connect with Natasha:
🔗 LinkedIn
🎧 Spotify
📺 YouTube
Connect with CLARA:
🔗 LinkedIn
🌐 Website
📺 YouTube
