In this podcast entitled “What Founders Learn When They Never Work Anywhere Else“, Damon Lembi of the Learn-It-All podcast sits down with CEO Juliana Sommer to discuss how bootstrapping, self-awareness, and vulnerability have fueled her success as a leader. Juliana shares her journey since 1995 engraving electrical labels to building one of California’s most successful architectural signage companies. She describes her trajectory of learning as a founder still leading her women and minority owned business three decades later. Their conversation explores assertive leadership, overcoming imposter syndrome, using behavioral assessments for team effectiveness, lessons learned from recessions, and adapting to the rise of AI in traditional industries.
- Learn what “assertive leadership” really means—and how to avoid tendencies to veer towards aggression and/or passivity as a leader
- Discover how vulnerability can be a superpower for leaders
- Find out how there is both power and pitfalls associated with “shape-shifting” in leadership—and how to avoid burning out your team
- Learn practical strategies for surviving downturns—from COVID and the dot-com crash to the Great Recession
- And discover how being “AI-ready” can help future-proof a traditional business
