ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Stacy Bohrer sits down with Zoe Mann, VP of Inventory Partnerships at The Trade Desk, for a personal conversation about taking calculated risks, building resilience, and learning to trust yourself.
Drawing on her career at Google, Amazon, and The Trade Desk, Zoe shares how embracing imperfect first attempts helped her grow as a leader, why titles don’t define your value, and why strong leadership doesn’t mean being the loudest person in the room.
Takeaways:
- Titles don't define your value: What matters is the impact you create, the results you deliver, and how you show up for others.
- Confidence comes from repetition: Taking imperfect action, learning from mistakes, and getting more reps can build confidence over time.
- Calculated risks can change your trajectory: Zoe explains why data matters, but sometimes your gut has to guide the decision.
- Strong leadership doesn't require being the loudest: Being thoughtful, direct, authentic, and results-oriented can carry more weight than dominating a room.
- Leadership is about scaling through others: Building great teams means trusting people and accomplishing together what you couldn't accomplish alone.
- Life is always being beta tested: Growth comes from trying new things, expanding your horizons, and accepting that you'll never have everything figured out.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Beta Tested
00:18 Meet Zoe Mann
02:08 Joining The Trade Desk
03:46 Separating Self-Worth From Job Titles
05:48 Confidence, Vulnerability, and the "Shitty First Draft"
07:43 Building SupplyDesk and Taking Calculated Risks
10:52 Trusting Your Gut on Big Career Decisions
12:48 Family, Confidence, and Early Influences
17:42 Women, Leadership, Power, and Finding Your Voice
20:19 Learning to Speak Less and Mean More
21:15 Why It's Powerful to Say "I Don't Know"
22:48 Balancing Ambition With Being Present
23:33 Zoe Shares Harper's Story
26:30 How Loss Changes Your Perspective
28:19 Family, Motherhood, and Marriage
31:27 Perfectionism and Learning From Mistakes
33:26 Friendship, Connection, and Fulfillment
36:15 What Zoe Is Beta Testing Right Now
38:18 Finding Strength, Healing, and Living Fully
