Blazing Trails

Right now, we could all use a little lift, and joining us today for an insightful, entertaining conversation is just the guest for the challenge: Founder and CEO of Spanx, Sara Blakely. Sara has been featured by Forbes as the youngest self-made female billionaire and named one of Time’s most influential people. She is a mother of four, a dabbler in the world of standup comedy, a philanthropist, and a powerful advocate for women in business. In this interview, Sara’s shares her journey founding and growing Spanx – everything from the hard learned lessons and discouraging ‘no’s, to the funniest mishaps and stories in her career – and her advice to small business leaders facing similar challenges today.

Today's guests are Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll and performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais, the co-founders of Compete to Create. Together they are taking the proven training practices of high-performance athletes to create a coaching program for life and business. They join Salesforce’s Senior Vice President of Product Marketing Lynne Zaledonis to discuss the art and science behind this methodology, including how you can "train" confidence and why being purpose-driven is the name of the game.

Ever wonder how you can best motivate your employees? What the long term outlook for remote work looks like? Or how to retain top talent in an ethical way? Those are questions best selling author and Wharton Professor Adam Grant spends a lot of time thinking about. Today, Professor Grant joins Sarah Franklin from Salesforce to share his ideas about how business leaders can create a 'culture of safety' that allows their employees to thrive.

Joining us today is world-renowned primatologist, anthropologist, author, and hero-to-many, Dr. Jane Goodall. From the decades of her life that she spent working with chimps in Tanzania to the countless hours in the classroom educating future generations, Goodall has dedicated her life and career to wild-life conservation in all its forms. Today, she joins Salesforce’s Jody Kohner to share her story, discuss the interrelationship between the pandemic and our (mis)treatment of the environment, and why she remains hopeful for the future.

Joanna and Chip Gaines are the co-founders of home and lifestyle brand Magnolia and the stars of the hit HGTV show "Fixer Upper." Learn how this remarkable couple turned their family business into this hugely successful business empire. In this interview, the couple sits down with Salesforce's Senior Vice President of Small and Medium Business Marketing Marie Rosecrans to discuss their journey as entrepreneurs, the struggles they faced along the way, and how they are navigating their business through the challenges of today.

Joining Blazing Trails today is the CEO of Salesforce Marc Benioff and the Co-Founder and CEO of Workday Aneel Bhusri. Marc and Aneel sit down for an open discussion about why — especially in times of crisis — company values need to be the heartbeat of your business. They discuss why putting your employees first is the best way to help your business thrive, and share tips for other leaders who want their businesses to become a force for change.

In today’s episode, we hear from political scientist, author, and Founder and President of leading global political risk research and consulting firm Eurasia Group Ian Bremmer. Joining him is Salesforce Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Technology Parker Harris to discuss how the pandemic is reshaping our future and what we can expect from global alliances and leaders in the aftermath.

Episode 100! Vice President of Inclusion at Netflix Vernā Myers. Recorded at Representation Matters 2019 this funny and insightful conversation brings a new perspective to inclusion. A warmup for this year's Rep Matters on salesforce.com/live, September 14–18.

Today’s episode features a roundtable-style discussion with CEO of REFORM Alliance and CNN Contributor Van Jones, Family Physician and Epidemiologist Dr. Camara Jones, and Senior Editor at Fortune Ellen McGirt. These three special guests join host Ebony Beckwith, Salesforce’s Chief Philanthropy Officer, to discuss the impact of today’s crisis on African American and minority communities, and what lessons organizations, companies, and individuals can take with them into the future. To learn more about Leading Through Change and to access additional resources to help you and your business manage during this global crisis, go to salesforce.com/blog.

Today’s guest on Blazing Trails is author, speaker, and advisor Geoffrey Moore. Geoffrey is considered one of the most influential high-tech advisors in the world, and today he joins journalist Ari Bendersky to talk candidly about leadership and innovation during a worldwide crisis. They discuss power metrics versus performance metrics and what different industries can expect to see as their new normal, plus Geoffrey shares tips for leaders who are trying to redefine their place in the COVID-19 economy. To learn more about Leading Through Change and to access additional resources to help you and your business manage during this global crisis, go to salesforce.com/blog.

Today on Blazing Trails, we take a break from our Leading Through Change series to share our interview with visionary, activist, and tennis world champion Billie Jean King. King joins Pip Marlow, CEO of Salesforce Australia and New Zealand, to talk equality and leadership. They discuss King’s journey as a young tennis player, how she got to where she is now, tips for how leaders can promote equality in the workplace, and why being solution-oriented is the key to success. To learn more about Leading Through Change and to access additional resources to help you and your business manage during this global crisis, go to salesforce.com/blog.

Joining Blazing Trails today is Arianna Huffington, the founder of HuffPost and current CEO of Thrive Global. Arianna sits down with Salesforce Senior Vice President of Employee Marketing and Engagement Jody Kohner and Salesforce Employee Engagement Programs Director Kathryn Bowen. She shares her three favorite micro-steps for combatting anxiety, her philosophy of “Onward, Upward, Inward,” and the importance of having a routine, especially in stressful times. To learn more about Leading Through Change and to access additional resources to help you and your business manage during this global crisis, go to salesforce.com/blog.

Today's guests are Bitty & Beau’s Coffee Co-Founders, Amy and Ben Wright, and Salesforce EVP & GM of B2B CRM, Bill Patterson. Ben and Amy share how they try to support their employees and customers on a personal level, communicate with honesty, and show their appreciation. They explain how they are using ecommerce to facilitate interactions with customers in today’s environment, and how they are recreating their in-person experience online through social media. Please note that halfway through the episode, VP of Trailhead Evangelism at Salesforce Leah McGowen-Hare joins the discussion to host a Q&A with our guests. To learn more about Leading Through Change and to access additional resources to help you and your business manage during this global crisis, go to salesforce.com/blog.

To kick off our Leading Through Change series, we are joined by Stephanie Buscemi, the Chief Marketing Officer at Salesforce, and Soledad O’Brien, award-winning journalist and CEO of Soledad O’Brien Productions. As a small business owner, Soledad is familiar with the struggles facing businesses right now. In today’s conversation, she shares what it’s been like transitioning her business to work-from-home and the tools she’s using to stay in touch with her clients and employees. She also talks about how this crisis has created an opportunity for business leaders to build a deeper sense of community with their teams. And be sure to stick around until the end of the episode for a very special treat — a conversation and performance with musician, singer, and songwriter Sheryl Crow.  To learn more about Leading Through Change and to access additional resources to help you and your business manage during this global crisis, go to salesforce.com/blog.

As we continue to navigate through the COVID-19 global crisis, companies of all sizes are facing challenges they never could have predicted just weeks ago. In an effort to help businesses manage through this crisis we’ve created Leading Through Change — a program of thought leadership, tips, and resources from Salesforce and our community of Trailblazers to help manage through the crisis.   Over the next 10 episodes of Blazing Trails, you'll hear from guests of all backgrounds; from comedian Trevor Noah, to award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien, to small business owners Amy and Ben Wright, and many more.   In today's mini-episode, join safe-at-home hosts Michael Rivo of Salesforce Studios and Laura Woods, Senior Manager of the Salesforce Blog, as they explain what this series is all about and why these discussions are so important to have and share right now.   To learn more about Leading Through Change and to access additional resources to help you and your business manage during this global crisis, go to

Recently, journalist, author, and empowerment advocate Gretchen Carlson joined Fortune Senior Editor Ellen McGirt on-stage at Dreamforce to discuss gender equality. Carlson shared how she leveraged her network, knowledge, and personal experience to fight for the reform of institutions that have historically kept women silent. Carlson, who won in a historic sexual harassment lawsuit against Roger Ailes, the former CEO and chairman of Fox News, shares what everyone can do to help promote equality in their workplaces. This special ten-part series based on conversations at Dreamforce 2019 is presented by WordPress VIP. With unparalleled power and flexibility, WordPress VIP is the leading provider of enterprise WordPress and powers digital customer experiences for companies like Facebook, Spotify, Capgemini, and more. In these ten episodes, you will hear from their CEO Nick Gernert on how he and his company view the future of work, digital transformation, and more. To find out more, visit wpvip.com.

Stephen and Ayesha Curry join Fortune Senior Editor Ellen McGirt on-stage at Dreamforce to talk about the Currys’ new non-profit, Eat. Learn. Play. Stephen and Ayesha share how they are leveraging their exhaustive network to help children not just in their local community, but across the country. This special ten-part series based on conversations at Dreamforce 2019 is presented by WordPress VIP. With unparalleled power and flexibility, WordPress VIP is the leading provider of enterprise WordPress and powers digital customer experiences for companies like Facebook, Spotify, Capgemini, and more. In these ten episodes, you will hear from their CEO Nick Gernert on how he and his company view the future of work, digital transformation, and more. To find out more, visit wpvip.com.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi joins Salesforce Co-CEO Keith Block on-stage at Dreamforce ‘19. Khosrowshahi shares what it was like moving to the US at a young age, how that experience has influenced his leadership style today, and what his plans are for Uber’s future. Block and Khosrowshahi also discuss how companies can implement systems for privacy, trust, and safety. This special ten-part series based on conversations at Dreamforce 2019 is presented by WordPress VIP. With unparalleled power and flexibility, WordPress VIP is the leading provider of enterprise WordPress and powers digital customer experiences for companies like Facebook, Spotify, Capgemini, and more. In these ten episodes, you will hear from their CEO Nick Gernert on how he and his company view the future of work, digital transformation, and more. To find out more, visit wpvip.com.

Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri joins Salesforce Co-CEO Marc Benioff on stage at Dreamforce ‘19 to discuss technology as a differentiator, how company values can transform an organization, and what Gucci is doing to move the needle in sustainability. Bizzarri also shares how he tripled Gucci’s performance and helped turn the company into the well-known, luxury brand it is today. This special ten-part series based on conversations at Dreamforce 2019 is presented by WordPress VIP. With unparalleled power and flexibility, WordPress VIP is the leading provider of enterprise WordPress and powers digital customer experiences for companies like Facebook, Spotify, Capgemini, and more. In these ten episodes, you will hear from their CEO Nick Gernert on how he and his company view the future of work, digital transformation, and more. To find out more, visit wpvip.com.

What is the latest thinking around our food systems and how they impact society? Award-winning chefs Dominique Crenn and Samin Nosrat joined AgFunder’s Head of Media and Research, Louisa Burwood-Taylor, to discuss the ways our food systems can be made more sustainable and equitable. Captured live, on-stage during Dreamforce ‘19. This special ten-part series based on conversations at Dreamforce 2019 is presented by WordPress VIP. With unparalleled power and flexibility, WordPress VIP is the leading provider of enterprise WordPress and powers digital customer experiences for companies like Facebook, Spotify, Capgemini, and more. In these ten episodes, you will hear from their CEO Nick Gernert on how he and his company view the future of work, digital transformation, and more. To find out more, visit wpvip.com.