In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, hosts Robin Bailey and guest co-host Corey Chadwick sit down with Margot Perlmutter, Head of HR at CEX Financial and certified executive coach. With more than 25 years of experience spanning advertising, camp leadership, SaaS, and fintech, Margot has built a reputation as a people-first leader who blends strategy, empathy, and business growth into every role she’s taken on.

From her early days directing summer camps to navigating acquisitions in the tech world, Margot shares the lessons that shaped her career and the people-first philosophy that defines her leadership.

You’ll hear about:

• Treating people like people: Why authentic human connection is the foundation of engagement and motivation.
• The power of kindness: Why being kind, not just “nice”, is the most underrated leadership superpower.
• Creating high-performing cultures: How saying “yes” more often than “no” can unlock trust, energy, and retention.
• Transparency and communication: Why setting clear expectations and sharing openly is critical to keeping great employees.
• Business growth = people growth: How aligning HR with business strategy drives real impact.
• Planting future trees: Margot’s vision for a ripple effect of kindness, mentorship, and creating safe spaces for people to thrive.

If you’ve ever wrestled with the balance between business goals and people needs, wondered how to retain top talent without “big firm” resources, or wanted to know what truly fuels a thriving culture, this conversation is packed with insights you can put into practice.

We talk about:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 03:02 Fostering Employee Engagement
• 05:23 The Power of Human Connection
• 09:26 Navigating Team Dynamics
• 13:47 Building a High-Performing Culture
• 14:23 The Importance of Saying Yes
• 22:20 The Cost of Retention
• 22:30 Real-Life Success Stories
• 23:17 Strategies for Retaining Employees
• 31:41 Aligning People Strategy with Business Goals
• 35:39 Advocating for People Strategy
• 37:30 The Ripple Effect of Kindness

Connect with Margot

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margot-perlmutter/
• Book: Camp Food Matters: Revolutionizing camp food, one happy camper at a time



Connect with Us

• LinkedIn: Robin Bailey and Al McDonald
• Website: Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group