Jessica Serrano has spent nearly two decades shaping some of the world’s most loved food brands, but what makes her story hit is the way she’s built a life that can hold both motherhood and executive ambition.

In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin Rice sits down with the CMO of Bagel Brands (Einstein Bros and Noah’s Bagels) to talk about what it really takes to lead at a high level without feeling like you’re constantly choosing between work and family. Jessica shares the full circle moment of starting a new CMO role on the exact day her twin daughters started kindergarten, with three generations in one car on day one. From multi generational living and cross country moves to ruthless prioritization and energy protection, she breaks down the real systems that keep her grounded.

They also go deep on career growth, including the hard lessons that came with moving into the C suite, why conviction matters when you report to a founder, and how she evaluates roles using a skill building matrix so she doesn’t fall in love with the fireplace. If you’re trying to grow your career, stay present at home, and lead with clarity, this conversation will give you both perspective and practical tools.

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• How Jessica makes big career moves without destabilizing her family life
• Why the first 15 minutes after work are the highest impact parenting minutes
• How multi generational living can unlock ambition without guilt
• What changes when you move from director to the C suite
• How to lead through others when you’re used to being in the trenches
• Why protecting energy matters more than protecting hours
• How to make career decisions using a skill building matrix

Top Takeaways

• Parenthoood does not shrink ambition, it clarifies it
• You can do both, but usually not with traditional life constructs
• Presence is an energy decision, not just a time decision
• Strong leaders bring conviction, not compliance
• The right support system makes travel and demanding roles sustainable
• Work and life do not need strict buckets, they need intention and alignment

About Jessica Serrano

Jessica Serrano is the Chief Marketing Officer of Bagel Brands, home to Einstein Bros and Noah’s Bagels. She has led culturally resonant marketing across some of the biggest names in food, including leadership roles at Taco Bell and Burger King, and she helped drive brand and growth as CMO at Dig Inn. Jessica is known for blending business rigor with warmth and creativity, and for building teams and brand strategies that connect deeply with consumers while staying grounded in what matters most at home.

• (00:00:00) - Introduction
• (00:02:54) - The Decision to Move for Career Opportunities
• (00:08:42) - The Impact of Motherhood on Career Ambitions
• (00:14:53) - Maintaining Family Connections Amidst Career Demands
• (00:17:40) - Transitioning to Executive Roles
• (00:26:26) - Career Growth Through Unconventional Roles
• (00:29:46) - Balancing Work and Family Life
• (00:35:21) - Managing Stress in New Roles
• (00:38:31) - Keeping Your Cup Full
• (00:41:36) - Empathy in Leadership

Rishad Tobaccowala believes work is changing more between 2020 and 2029 than it did in the previous fifty years. In this conversation, he joins Kevin Rice to unpack what those waves of change look like across society, demographics, technology, marketplaces, and emotion, and why return-to-office debates miss the bigger picture. Rishad shares practical ways leaders can design organizations around trust, flexibility, dignity, and outcomes so people and performance both thrive.

They dive into how to measure engagement instead of attendance, why skills will matter more than roles, and how to build cultures that create belonging while still raising the bar. Rishad also previews his new Rethinking Work Platform and show, a resource hub for leaders navigating the next era of work with clarity, courage, and humanity.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why the 2020s are a once-in-a-career reset for how work gets done
• How to lead for outcomes, not optics, and move beyond attendance theater
• The shift from jobs to skills and what that means for talent, learning, and pay
• Practical ways to build trust, flexibility, and psychological safety without losing accountability
• New metrics that capture engagement, energy, and effectiveness
• How to communicate change so people feel seen, not managed

Top takeaways

• Work design should start with human reality and end with business outcomes
• Engagement beats enforcement when you want performance that lasts
• Hybrid works when rituals, tools, and trust are explicit
• Invest in skills, not just titles, to future-proof teams and careers
• Leaders need a point of view, a plan, and the humility to iterate

About Rishad Tobaccowala
Rishad Tobaccowala is the founder of the Rethinking Work Platform, a new initiative helping leaders navigate a decade of unprecedented change with content, curated resources, and actionable guidance. A globally respected advisor and storyteller, Rishad has spent his career helping companies align people, technology, and strategy so work becomes both more human and more effective.

Links:

⁠Rishad Tabaccowala Home Page⁠

⁠What's Next? Podcast ⁠

⁠Rethinking Work by Rishad Tobaccowala ⁠

⁠Restoring the Soul of Business ⁠

• (00:00:00) - Introduction
• (00:01:15) - Rethinking Work: The Central Role of Purpose
• (00:03:01) - The Impact of AI on Job Security
• (00:05:54) - Embracing Change: Adapting to AI and HI
• (00:08:58) - The Shift from Jobs to Meaningful Work
• (00:11:48) - Cultural Influences: Growing Up in India
• (00:14:41) - Building a Career: Loyalty and Opportunities
• (00:17:28) - Corporate Culture: Support During Personal Crises
• (00:23:31) - The Future of Work: Attracting Talent
• (00:26:08) - Morning Routines: The Key to a Successful Day
• (00:42:47) - Thinking Like an Immigrant: Embracing Change and Opportunity

In this raw, honest, and deeply reflective conversation, Kevin Rice sits down with Deborah Palmer Keiser, global operator, supply-chain builder, fear-tamer, and now COO of Pair of Thieves, to explore the cost of ambition, the courage to repair, and the surprising ways our kids teach us to lead.

Deborah spent three decades opening markets, fixing broken supply chains, and resurrecting brands across the world, from Gap and Williams-Sonoma to Victoria’s Secret, AllSaints, Boardriders, and Yeezy. She built a reputation as the operator companies call when it’s time to grow up and get serious. But behind the promotions, global travel, and relentless execution was a young daughter quietly taking inventory of all the moments her mom missed.

The turning point came when seven-year-old Tilly asked to see the family’s bank balance, not because she cared about money, but because she wanted to know why her mom kept choosing work over her. That one question cracked Deborah open. It sparked a five-year process of repair, reconnection, and relearning how to sit still long enough to paint nails, draw pictures, and rebuild trust one quiet moment at a time.

Deborah shares how being fully present with her daughter made her a better leader, more human, more honest, and more clear about her limits. She explains why becoming “truthfully unavailable” actually strengthened her teams, empowered emerging leaders, and deepened commitment across her orgs. And she reflects on what her daughter taught her about emotional articulation, empathy, and creating space for others to be fully themselves.

Together, Kevin and Deborah explore what it means to raise a young artist in a world that pushes safe careers, why fearlessness can be both a gift and a trap, and how childhood instability shaped Deborah’s early beliefs about success, security, and motherhood. They talk about global cultures that integrate family into daily life, and what America gets wrong about excellence, work, and worth.

This is a conversation about the long road back to connection, the humility of repair, and the kind of leadership that grows not from ambition, but from love.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why a seven-year-old’s question about money became Deborah’s wake-up call
• How to repair a parent–child relationship after years of distance
• Why presence, not provision, is the foundation of trust at home
• How becoming “unavailable” at work actually made Deborah a stronger leader
• What global cultures teach us about integrating family into professional life
• How fearlessness can morph into self-isolation and what breaks the cycle
• Why dragging people uphill fails and how servant leadership changes everything
• How childhood instability shaped Deborah’s early beliefs about success
• What it means to raise a young artist in a world obsessed with productivity
• Why taking your dream all the way is the antidote to lifelong regret

Top Takeaways:
• You can provide for your kids and still lose connection with them. Repair requires presence, not perfection. • Kids often tell the truth adults avoid. Listening to them takes courage, but it changes everything.
• Leadership rooted in humanity invites teams to step up, not step back.
• Your greatest strengths, fearlessness, independence, self-reliance, can become your greatest limits if left unchecked.
• The stories we inherit from childhood quietly shape every decision we make as adults.
• Openness builds trust. Pretending to “hold it all together” builds distance.
• Culture is people. People stay (or leave) because of who you are, not what you produce.
• Every path is hard. You might as well choose the one that makes you feel alive.
• Taking your dreams seriously is an act of courage and self-respect—and the same is true for your kids.

Abou...

• (00:00:00) - Introduction and Setting the Scene
• (00:03:56) - Deborah's Career Journey and Current Focus
• (00:09:52) - Parenting Insights and Evolving Relationships
• (00:17:47) - Lessons from Leadership and Work-Life Balance
• (00:29:27) - Cultural Perspectives on Work and Family
• (00:31:18) - Cultural Connections and Family Dynamics
• (00:35:58) - The Impact of Travel on Parenting
• (00:41:04) - Navigating Parenting and Personal Growth
• (00:45:45) - Supporting Creative Aspirations