Claim OwnershipStare Down the Bull with Susan Hunt
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Stare Down the Bull with Susan Hunt is where innovation meets execution. Each episode dives into candid conversations with top leaders across AI, technology, and enterprise strategy, the people who aren’t just talking about transformation, but driving
it.
From navigating disruption to scaling smarter, Susan and her guests explore the real challenges behind modern leadership: leveraging AI without losing your edge, building resilient teams, and turning bold ideas into measurable results.
If you’re a business leader ready to cut through the noise and lead with clarity in a world of complexity, this is your playbook.
15 Episodes
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AI isn’t magic — it’s math, scale, and intention.
On this episode of Stare Down the Bull, Susan Hunt sits down with AI engineer Justin Chiu to explore what artificial intelligence really is, where it’s headed, and what should genuinely concern us. From enterprise AI and reinforcement learning to AI-powered scams, misinformation, and defense applications, Justin breaks down complex concepts into plain English — and challenges the hype around “conscious machines.”
This is a grounded, honest conversation about AI’s real-world impact — both promising and dangerous.
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, Susan Hunt sits down with enterprise sales veteran Tony Janusky to explore how sales has evolved—from the early days of speech recognition and IVR to today’s AI-powered selling environments. Tony shares lessons from nearly two decades at Nuance, why long-term relationships remain a competitive advantage, and how sales leaders can embrace AI without losing the human connection that closes complex deals.
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
Connect with Tony
LinkedIn
In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, host Susan Hunt sits down with Tim Delisle, founder of 514 and former Head of Development at Nike. Tim shares his journey from being rejected from an engineering program to leading massive teams at one of the world’s most iconic brands. The conversation explores resilience, leadership under pressure, the realities of acquisition, building effective teams inside complex organizations, and what it truly means to stare down the bull as a founder and executive.
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
Connect with Tim:
LinkedIn
Website
In this deeply moving episode of Stare Down the Bull, host Susan Hunt sits down with longtime friend Trish Straine as the country approaches the 25th anniversary of September 11. Trish shares her experience of losing her husband, Jimmy in the World Trade Center attacks just days after giving birth to their second child. Together, Susan and Trish reflect on grief, resilience, motherhood, faith, community support, and the long arc of healing. Trish also discusses co-founding Stephy’s Place, a free community-based grief support center, and how loss shaped her strength, perspective, and purpose.
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
Connect with Trish:
Website
What does it really take to scale businesses, shift venture capital norms, and create opportunities for underrepresented founders?
In this episode, Susan Hunt sits down with venture capitalist, former Obama Administration advisor, and ImpactX co-founder Eric Collins for a wide-ranging conversation on capital access, inclusive investing, AI-driven growth, and what happens behind the scenes in venture capital.
From living in Washington D.C.’s historic Watergate to advising the Small Business Administration, building venture-backed companies across the U.S. and UK, and presenting awards at Buckingham Palace, Eric shares rare insights on power, proximity, and how doing good and doing well can coexist.
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
Connect with Eric
LinkedIn
In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, I’m joined by Jack Meek, former GoDaddy executive and founder & CEO of AI-centric CX. We explore what leadership-first culture really looks like, how great leaders build change readiness from the bottom up, and why traditional websites are rapidly losing relevance in an AI-driven world.
Jack shares practical insights on preparing organizations for AI adoption, managing digital reputation beyond SEO, and anticipating change instead of reacting to it. This is a must-listen conversation for leaders navigating transformation, AI, and the future of business.
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
Connect with Jack
LinkedIn
In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, host Susan Hunt sits down with Norma Krayem, a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, and public policy. Drawing on her experience as a presidential appointee, senior federal executive, and trusted advisor to Fortune 100 CEOs and global leaders, Norma breaks down how cybersecurity and AI are actually viewed in Washington, and why the gap between technology and policy creates real national security risk.
From nation-state cyber threats to AI moving faster than regulation, this conversation reveals what leaders are worried about behind closed doors, how real policy progress still gets made in DC, and what it truly takes to stare down the bull in a high-stakes, hyper-partisan environment.
Connect with Norma:
LinkedIn
Van Scoyoc and Associates
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
Susan Hunt sits down with Shaun Hervey, founder of Arkham Talent and a brutally honest (and hilarious) voice in recruiting, to unpack why hiring gets so weird, especially in sales. Shaun shares how his comedy-first LinkedIn videos built a business, why leaders cling to outdated hiring “rules,” and what really needs to change: stop wasting candidates’ time and start having direct conversations. They also dig into the role of sales assessments, the reality of startup OTEs, why sales training has disappeared, and what AI may (and may not) replace in the sales process.
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
Connect with Shaun
LinkedIn
Website
Susan Hunt is joined by Lauren Nardone, Chief Legal Officer at CB Insights, known as the “Velvet Hammer”, for a candid conversation about how sales and legal can work together to close deals faster and smarter. Drawing from years of enterprise SaaS and AI negotiations, Lauren shares why legal should be viewed as a strategic partner, not a deal blocker, when to bring legal into the deal cycle, and how trust, transparency, and shared ownership transform negotiations. This episode is a must-listen for sales leaders navigating complex, high-stakes deals.
Connect with Lauren:
LinkedIn
CB Insights
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Surge Growth Consulting
In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, I sit down with Joseph
Hackman, founder and CEO of Permanence, former machine learning leader at Intel, and one of the sharpest engineering minds I know.
We talked about his early start in coding at age six, his path through Intel and ASAP, how he built one of the strongest AI engineering teams in the industry, and why enterprise AI adoption keeps failing.
Joseph shares where AI is headed, what’s hype vs. reality, and how
Permanence is redefining what “quality” means in an AI-powered engineering
world.
Connect with Joseph:
LinkedIn
Website
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Surge
Growth Consulting
In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, I sit down with Dr. Judy Spitz, AI pioneer, former Verizon CIO, and founder of Breakthrough Tech. We explore Judy’s groundbreaking early work in speech recognition, her rise through the executive ranks, her leadership philosophy, and her mission to change the face of tech by unlocking opportunities for overlooked talent. We also dive into AI ethics, algorithmic bias, and why who’s in the room matters more than ever.
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Surge Growth Consulting
Connect with Judy
LinkedIn
Break Through Tech
In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, I sit down with Steve Chambers, an early pioneer in speech recognition, AI, and robotics, to explore how innovation, resilience, and reinvention shape both business and life. From scaling Nuance to a multibillion-dollar company to surviving cancer and earning his PhD at Harvard, Steve’s story is a powerful reflection on technology, transformation, and the human spirit.
Episode Highlights:
Culture drives success: Steve shares how aligning people and values fueled Nuance’s growth.
Pioneering AI and SaaS: He reflects on the early evolution of speech recognition and subscription models.
The future of robotics: Steve predicts a wave of emotionally intelligent robots built for real human connection.
Resilience and reinvention: After surviving cancer, he’s focused on using AI to advance education and purpose-driven innovation.
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
Connect with Steve:
LinkedIn
Website
In this special episode of Stare Down the Bull, Susan Hunt switches seats as guest host Steve Chambers interviews her about the drive, resilience, and bold leadership that define her career. From her fearless start at Motorola to building lifelong professional relationships, Susan shares how she learned to “stare down the bull” in business, leadership, and life and why she’s determined to make space for women’s voices in tech and AI.
We covered a lot of territory including:
Why saying the thing everyone’s thinking but afraid to say can change the outcome of any meeting
How building trust and genuine relationships opens doors that titles and roles can’t
The importance of calling out corporate bullies and how to stand up for your team
What it means to lead with both confidence and compassion
Why women’s representation in AI and tech still has a long way to go
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
Connect with
Steve:
LinkedIn
Website
In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, I sit down with Blade Kotelly, MIT senior lecturer, innovation expert, and author of Is This My Home? A Puppy’s Journey. We trace the evolution of speech recognition from the early days of SpeechWorks to today’s AI explosion, explore how design thinking still shapes modern interfaces, and dive into Blade’s creative process blending human imagination with AI to bring a children’s story to life.
My conversation with AI expert Blake Kotelly includes:
Early voice-interface lessons still apply in today’s AI-driven world.
Most students—and companies—underestimate the real potential of AI.
True innovation blends problem understanding, emotional connection, and flawless execution.
AI can amplify creativity when guided by human intuition and purpose.
Connect with Blade:
LinkedIn
Website
Is This My Home – Book
Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
Stare Down the Bull with Susan Hunt is where innovation meets execution. Each episode dives into candid conversations with top leaders across AI, technology, and enterprise strategy, the people who aren’t just talking about transformation, but driving it.
From navigating disruption to scaling smarter, Susan and her guests explore the real challenges behind modern leadership: leveraging AI without losing your edge, building resilient teams, and turning bold ideas into measurable results.
If you’re a business leader ready to cut through the noise and lead with clarity in a world of complexity, this is your playbook.
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