CEO School with Suneera Madhani

What changes when you stop thinking like a founder and start leading like a CEO?

This episode takes you inside the energy, emotion, and leadership lessons from Unicorn Summit 2026, and what it meant to bring ambitious women founders together in one place. In this solo episode, Suneera Madhani shares what she learned about community, asking for support, building a one-of-one brand, and making the shift from founder to CEO. If you are building something meaningful and need a reminder that growth is messy, leadership is learned, and you are not doing this alone, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

(00:00:49) You will hear why Unicorn Summit 2026 felt like such a defining moment for Suneera and what stood out most about gathering hundreds of ambitious women in one room.

(00:03:23) You will learn why community can be one of the most valuable assets in business, even when the event or initiative is not built around immediate profit.

(00:06:00) You will learn why making the ask is uncomfortable for many leaders and why asking clearly for support, attendance, or participation is often necessary for growth.

(00:08:38) You will hear why major visions require a true village and how team support, thoughtful planning, and shared ownership shape successful execution.

(00:11:40) You will learn how Suneera redefines the idea of a unicorn beyond valuation and why being one of one in your category matters more than chasing a single financial metric.

(00:17:46) You will hear what it really means to move from founder mode into CEO mode and why scale demands process, people, profit, and structure.

(00:19:14) You will learn why struggle exists at every level of entrepreneurship and how community can help you stay grounded when the pressure feels isolating.

(00:25:32) You will hear how Suneera’s accelerator certification is designed to help founders build the operational playbooks, systems, and confidence needed to lead at a higher level.

Join the CEO School’s Millionaire Founders Club: https://theceoschool.com/join. We're building a table where every female founder has a seat.

Subscribe to the CEO School podcast because only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue, and we’re changing that:

* Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast//id1525261018

* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU

* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1

Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money:

* Website: https://theceoschool.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/

Learn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for badass female CEOs like you to take center stage not just in your industries but in your whole life.

* Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Lock in your spot for the Unicorn CEO Summit today at https://theceoschool.com/ceo-school-summit

What happens when a business idea everyone rejects turns out to be right?

Every major company begins with a moment when someone decides to keep going even after being told no. In this episode, Suneera Madhani sits down with Nathan Chan to discuss the early risks, difficult decisions, and long road behind building a payments company that would eventually become a fintech unicorn. As you listen, you will hear what it actually takes to build a business through uncertainty, push past rejection, and stay focused on the long game.

Nathan Chan is the founder and CEO of Foundr, a global media and education company that helps entrepreneurs build and scale successful businesses. Through the Foundr podcast and platform, he has interviewed many of the world’s most successful founders and business leaders.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

(00:00) Discover how an idea that was initially dismissed eventually became the foundation for a billion dollar fintech company.

(03:53) Understand how early exposure to entrepreneurship and small business shaped the mindset required to start a company.

(09:56) Learn what it takes to leave a stable job and commit fully to building a company from scratch.

(11:20) See how early traction, including processing millions in payments, can validate a startup concept quickly.

(17:55) Explore the strategic decision to bet on omnichannel payments before the broader market recognized the opportunity.

(22:06) Examine the reasoning behind rejecting a $17.5M acquisition offer and choosing to keep building.

(28:15) Gain insight into the realities of raising hundreds of millions in funding and navigating investor relationships.

(36:31) Understand the strategic thinking behind rebranding a growing company as it scales to new markets.

Learn more about Nathan Chan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan



Join the CEO School’s Millionaire Founders Club: https://theceoschool.com/join. We're building a table where every female founder has a seat.

Subscribe to the CEO School podcast because only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue, and we’re changing that:

* Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast//id1525261018

* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU

* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1

Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money:

* Website: https://theceoschool.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/

Learn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for badass female CEOs like you to take center stage not just in your industries but in your whole life.

* Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Today’s episode is a special re-air from Suneera’s conversation on The Community Podcast with Kristina.

In this powerful live interview from Orlando, Suneera shares the real story behind her billion-dollar exit and the relationships that made it possible. From building Stax to founding CEO School and launching the Unicorn Summit, this conversation unpacks how community became her greatest growth strategy.

If you’ve ever wondered how to scale as a first-time female founder, raise venture capital, and grow your visibility without losing yourself, this episode pulls back the curtain.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why the people closest to you will shape both your business and your identity

• The advice that helped Suneera scale from startup to unicorn exit

• What it truly means to “collect relationships” and why community compounds

• How to build the courage to be disliked as your impact grows

• How her upbringing shaped her ambition and leadership style

• Why you must find rooms that sharpen you and support you

Learn more about Kristina: https://www.instagram.com/kristina.bartold/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinabartold/

Learn more about The Social Snippet: https://www.thesocialsnippet.com/

You’re invited to attend Kristina’s High Vibe Women event in Toronto on March 7: https://www.highvibewomen.ca/march-2026-event Use the code PODCAST50 for a discount.

Subscriber to Kristina’s podcast: https://communitypodcast.buzzsprout.com/

Join the CEO School’s Millionaire Founders Club: https://theceoschool.com/join. We're building a table where every female founder has a seat.

Subscribe to the CEO School podcast because only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue, and we’re changing that:

* Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast//id1525261018

* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU

* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1

Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money:

* Website: https://theceoschool.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/

Learn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for badass female CEOs like you to take center stage not just in your industries but in your whole life.

* Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

What happens when you hit the goal and still feel empty?

You are told to chase the million, then the ten million, then the billion. But no one talks about what happens when you actually get there and realize success without intention can still leave you burned out and unfulfilled. In this deeply honest conversation, Jay Shetty interviews Suneera Madhani on his podcast On Purpose about building a billion-dollar company, losing herself in the process, and redefining success around time, impact, and values instead of just revenue.

About Jay Shetty:

Jay Shetty is a global bestselling author, former monk, and host of the chart-topping podcast On Purpose, where he interviews world-class leaders, founders, and cultural icons about purpose, mindset, and modern leadership. His work blends ancient wisdom with practical strategies to help high achievers build meaningful lives and businesses.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

(00:00:00) How defining your end goal first helps you reverse engineer real progress.

(00:01:59) Why freedom of time matters more than freedom of money as a founder.

(00:03:37) How to use the do, delegate, delete method to reclaim your schedule.

(00:06:10) Why CEOs must prioritize ruthlessly and focus on needle-moving work.

(00:19:35) How to evaluate risk by asking what happens if you do not act.

(00:32:03) How to build powerful networks and navigate rooms not built for you.

(00:54:39) Why everything breaks at each stage of scale and how to rebuild smarter.

(01:00:24) What hitting a billion-dollar valuation taught about identity and fulfillment.

Lock in your spot for the Unicorn CEO Summit today at https://theceoschool.com/ceo-school-summit

Thank you to Jay Shetty for being on our show!

Learn more about Jay: https://jayshetty.me

Join the CEO School’s Millionaire Founders Club: https://theceoschool.com/join. We're building a table where every female founder has a seat.

Subscribe to the CEO School podcast because only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue, and we’re changing that:

* Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast//id1525261018

* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU

* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1

Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money:

* Website: https://theceoschool.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/

Learn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for badass female CEOs like you to take center stage not just in your industries but in your whole life.

* Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Lock in your spot for the Unicorn CEO Summit today at https://theceoschool.com/ceo-school-summit

How does ignoring your health quietly cap your leadership potential? Also, how can pausing actually increase long-term performance?

If you’re building something meaningful but regularly feel depleted, this conversation invites you to stop and reassess what success really costs. In this episode, Suneera Madhani talks with Rajinder Rai about how health span determines wealth span.

Rajinder Rai is a licensed pharmacist and functional medicine–trained practitioner specializing in women’s health and longevity. She is the founder of Sunrais Health, where she helps high-achieving women align their bodies with their ambition to expand both health span and wealth span.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

(02:25) How chronic stress and productivity-driven identity impact women’s physiology.

(05:54) Why unprocessed life events quietly accelerate aging and burnout.

(10:38) How Rajinder's DOSE of PAUSE framework helps restore clarity, capacity, and alignment.

(16:49) Why small daily habits matter more than extreme biohacks.

(20:07) The difference between biological age and chronological age—and why it matters.

(22:54) Why women often live longer but in more debilitated states.

(24:27) How knowing your health data empowers better leadership decisions.

Lock in your spot for the Unicorn CEO Summit today at https://theceoschool.com/ceo-school-summit

Thank you to Rajinder Rai, PharmD, for being on our show!

Learn more about Rajinder and Sunrais Health: https://www.sunraishealth.com/

Be sure to take Sunrais Health’s biological age quiz to better understand your health trajectory.

Join the CEO School’s Millionaire Founders Club: https://theceoschool.com/join. We're building a table where every female founder has a seat.

Subscribe to the CEO School podcast because only 2% of female founders ever break $1 million in revenue, and we’re changing that:

* Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast//id1525261018

* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06KIvFFJP0yJv67N9ugigU

* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CEOSchoolPodcast/?sub_confirmation=1

Learn more about CEO School because nothing bad ever happens when women make more money:

* Website: https://theceoschool.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceoschool/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/

Learn more about how Suneera Madhani is paving the way for badass female CEOs like you to take center stage not just in your industries but in your whole life.

* Website: https://suneeramadhani.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneeramadhani/

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/