Shows
The First-Time CEOFrom Billion-Dollar Boardrooms to Human Design | Jacques Anderson, Founder & CEO of Lean Into Your DesignIn this soulful and illuminating finale of Season 1, Victoria sits down with Jacques Anderson—Harvard Law graduate, former co-founder of a $29M-backed startup, and now an intuitive guide and first-time CEO helping founders align with their Human Design.-What started as a side passion during her high-powered tech career became a full-blown calling. Jacques shares how she traded prestige for purpose, left behind the corporate climb, and stepped into her role as a solopreneur helping others reclaim their energy, intuition, and authenticity through Human Design.-Episode 10 dives deep into:Maki...2025-04-2458 min
The First-Time CEOTurning Grief Into a Global Tech Mission | Iryna Savytska, Co-Founder and CEO of Bank of MemoriesIn this heartfelt and empowering episode, Victoria is joined by Iryna Savytska, a Ukrainian entrepreneur, former corporate dealmaker, and now co-founder and first-time CEO of Bank of Memories. What began as a deeply personal response to the loss of a loved one evolved into a global mission to preserve the voices, values, and memories that shape us.-Iryna shares how an emotional family crisis sparked the creation of a private, secure platform to store life’s most precious moments—from heartfelt voice messages to digital time capsules and legacy assets. Along the way, she opens up about t...2025-04-1656 min
The First-Time CEOBuilding a Female Movement in Fintech | Nicole Casperson, Founder and CEO of Fintech Is FemmeIn this episode, Victoria sits down with Nicole Casperson, an award-winning journalist-turned-founder and CEO of Fintech is Femme. They explore Nicole's path from telling stories in traditional media to shaping a bold, feminist future in fintech. Nicole shares how her frustration with sidelined women’s narratives led her to build an audience of over 50,000, launch a thriving media brand, host major fintech summits, and publish her debut book, Fintech Feminists. Along the way, she reveals how embracing storytelling, authenticity, and community helped her become a first-time CEO and a force for inclusive innovation in the finance world._E...2025-04-091h 07
The First-Time CEOScaling in Wartime as a First-Time CEO | Oleg Tarasyuk, Co-founder and CEO of CodeGeeksIn this episode, Victoria interviews Oleg Tarasyuk, Co-founder and CEO of CodeGeeks, to explore his journey from employee to first-time CEO. Oleg shares how he leveraged his experience in project management and software development to build and scale his own company, growing from just 5 employees to 50—all while navigating the unprecedented challenges of war in Ukraine. He opens up about the resilience it took to keep his business running, the leadership strategies that kept his team strong, and how he adapted to uncertainty while still delivering high-quality software solutions._Episode #7 explores:The leap fr...2025-04-0343 min
The First-Time CEOThe Money Game: Wealth Management with Jonathan Treussard, Ph.D. | Founder & CEO of Treussard Capital ManagementIn this episode, Victoria and Jonathan Treussard, Ph.D., founder of Treussard Capital Management, discuss his unconventional journey from being a jazz musician in Paris to becoming a wealth manager for multi-billion-dollar family offices in the US. Jonathan shares key insights on market psychology, risk management, and how first-time CEOs can make smart financial decisions.-Episode #6 explores:Jonathan's bold journey from being a Parisian musician to becoming one of America's best wealth managersThe biggest financial mistakes first-time CEOs make—and how to avoid themWhy market psychology matters as much as financial strategyHow to find a fin...2025-03-2638 min
The First-Time CEORedefining Creative Recruitment as a Solopreneur | Jessie Collier, Founder of Working Women AgencyIn this episode, Victoria sits down with Jessie Collier, a creative industry recruiter and founder of the Working Women Agency. The conversation delves into the nuances of the creative job market, the importance of personal branding, and the unique challenges faced by women in the industry. Jessie discusses her agency's focus on empowering female creatives and helping them build their personal brands. The episode also covers the significance of community over culture in business, the evolving landscape of recruitment, and the impact of AI on the arts and fashion sectors. Jessie emphasizes the importance of genuine connections and patience in entre...2025-03-1859 min
The First-Time CEOHow to Build the First-Class Community and Personal Brand | Marion Siboni, Founder & CEO of La Creme de la STEMIn this episode of The First-Time CEO podcast, Victoria sits down with Marion Siboni, the founder of La Creme de la STEM. Marion opens up about her bold transition from Paris to New York City, unveiling the striking cultural differences in community building and how they shaped her journey as a first-time CEO. In a candid conversation, she reveals the secrets behind building a thriving global community for female founders, the power of authentic personal branding, and the smart strategies she’s used to navigate the challenges of legal, financial, and tech transitions in the fast-paced startup world....2025-03-0451 min
The First-Time CEOFrom Accidental Marketing Agency to Lead Generating Machine | Marco Mendoza, Founder and CEO of WizerlinkIn this episode of The First-Time CEO podcast, host Victoria Loskutova interviews Marco Mendoza, founder and CEO of Wizerlink. Marco recounts his bold journey from Venezuela to Mexico City, where challenges sparked the accidental creation of a high-performing marketing agency. He shares how overcoming economic and political turbulence honed his skills in sales, lead generation, and building specialized teams.-During our chat, Marco delves into: Navigating the instability of Venezuela and reinventing himself in a new market Developing innovative communication strategies and hyper-targeted campaigns Establishing clear, mission-driven business practices that drive real results Introducing...2025-02-2143 min
The First-Time CEOFrom Layoff to Closing $750K in 15 Months as a First-Time CEO | Julia Arpag, Founder & CEO of Aligned RecruitmentIn this episode of The First-Time CEO podcast, host Victoria Loskutova interviews Julia Arpag, founder and first-time CEO of Aligned Recruitment. Julia shares her inspiring journey from being laid off just five weeks postpartum to building a thriving HR agency that generated $750K in revenue within 15 months while staying fully bootstrapped and profitable from day one. Julia connects mission-driven SaaS startups to top-tier tech talent. Her approach is about building engineering teams that drive success.-Episode #2 explores: Julia's journey from being laid off five weeks postpartum to becoming the CEO of Aligned Recruitment...2025-02-1450 min
The First-Time CEOThe Evolution from CTO to a CEO | Kirk Marple, Founder of Graphlit (ex. Microsoft, General Motors, STATS, Kespry)As Founder and a first-time CEO, Kirk Marple identified the need for Graphlit during his tenure at General Motors, STATS, and Kespry, where he focused on building in-house unstructured data platforms. With over 25 years of experience in developing and architecting applications, Kirk has a strong background in creating scalable SaaS platforms. He previously founded, bootstrapped, and successfully exited a video transcoding startup, RadiantGrid. His products have been sold to notable organizations, including ESPN, Fox, NBCUniversal, PBS, and the Library of Congress.
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Episode #1 explores:
Kirk's journey from a career software developer to a CEO, detailing...2025-02-061h 05
The First-Time CEOIntro Episode with Obie FernandezThis is an intro episode of The First Time CEO podcast, where host Victoria, alongside her co-founder Obie Fernandez, explores the challenges of stepping into a CEO role for the first time. They discuss the lack of formal training, the importance of embracing uncertainty, the art of founder-led sales, and more. With personal reflections, this episode offers valuable insights for new and aspiring CEOs. Join the conversation!
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Small Business StoriesThe Grit Files with Loralyn Mears & Guest Victoria LoskutovaVictoria Loskutova recently founded, "Bad Ass Bureau," an online agency to help amplify the voices of female founders in particular (although not exclusively) as we all know that ALL voices matter!2022-02-0712 minThe Grit FilesThe Grit Files with Loralyn Mears & Guest Victoria LoskutovaVictoria Loskutova recently founded, "Bad Ass Bureau," an online agency to help amplify the voices of female founders in particular (although not exclusively) as we all know that ALL voices matter!2022-02-0712 minThe Grit FilesThe Grit Files with Loralyn Mears & Guest Victoria LoskutovaVictoria Loskutova recently founded, "Bad Ass Bureau," an online agency to help amplify the voices of female founders in particular (although not exclusively) as we all know that ALL voices matter!2022-02-0712 min