What happens when personal tragedy becomes professional purpose? In this powerful episode, Christine Verini, CEO of CancerCare, shares her extraordinary 30-year journey from mixing chemotherapy as a pharmacist to leading one of the nation's most impactful cancer support organizations. Sparked by her sister's inflammatory breast cancer diagnosis at 28, Christine has dedicated her entire career to helping cancer patients and their families navigate one of life's most challenging experiences.

From launching life-saving drugs in 40 countries to developing innovative meal delivery programs, Christine's path wasn't linear—but it was always purposeful. Now as CEO, she's tackling healthcare's "red tape crisis" while building compassionate, people-first leadership that transforms both organizations and lives. Her insights on leading through uncertainty, making tough decisions with empathy, and staying true to your mission will resonate with any leader facing today's complex challenges.

Key Points in this episode:

Purpose Drives Success Living your passion and purpose creates unexpected opportunities and sustained career satisfaction.

People Make Organizations Compassionate leadership that prioritizes people first leads to stronger, more resilient teams.

Infrastructure Enables Impact Investing in foundational systems and capabilities is essential for organizational effectiveness and growth.

Decisive Yet Inclusive Great leaders make tough decisions while finding meaningful ways to include their teams in the process.

Growth Happens Outside The biggest breakthroughs come from embracing uncertainty and stepping outside your comfort zone.

Healthcare Needs Reform The "red tape crisis" in healthcare is costing organizations productivity while adding stress to already vulnerable patients.

Christine Verini brings over 25 years of oncology experience to her role as Chief Executive Officer at CancerCare, a national nonprofit providing support services to cancer patients and families. Her career spans progressive leadership roles from medical science liaison to executive positions in global marketing and corporate communications. Notable achievements include developing the Magnolia Meals at Home program for cancer patients, launching metastatic breast cancer treatments in nearly 40 countries, and receiving national recognition through the Eisai Human Healthcare Award (2012) and PharmaVOICE 100 Most Inspiring Award (2019). At CancerCare since 2015, she leads the organization's strategic vision and daily operations across key departments including social services, finance, and communications. She also serves as Chair of HealthyWomen and previously served on the Board of Directors of CancerCare New Jersey. Her advocacy work is driven by personal experience with cancer's impact on families.

This conversation will challenge everything you think you know about leadership identity. Deborah Fell sits down with powerhouse CEO Ticki Favaroth, a faith-driven leader who has mastered the art of showing up authentically while building multiple successful enterprises.

Ticki doesn't mince words: "People don't get to choose my life" - and in this raw, transformative conversation, she explains exactly what that means for leaders who want to build a lasting legacy rather than just temporary success.

From her journey through 20 years in corporate America to founding HR&Co and leading The BOW Enterprises, Ticki shares the hard-won wisdom about identity, boundaries, and the courage to let things burn when they're meant to transform.

This isn't your typical business strategy episode - it's a masterclass in becoming the leader you're meant to be, complete with practical frameworks for navigating change, building authentic relationships, and focusing on what you can actually control.

Perfect for CEOs, founders, and leaders ready to move from pleasing everyone to leading with purpose.

About Ticki Favaroth

Ticki Favaroth is a faith-driven CEO, founder, and strategic advisor known for empowering leaders and building legacy-focused ecosystems. As Senior Partner & Managing Director at HR&Co., she delivers people-first solutions that drive sustainable growth. She also serves as President of The BOW Enterprises, Vice President & COO of The BOW Collective, and founder of The ADISA Institute. With an MBA from Texas Woman’s University and a BBA from Texas Tech, Ticki’s impact spans Fortune 500s, government, and nonprofits. Rooted in faith and authenticity, she equips others to confront hard truths, redefine success, and lead with purpose

Ticki's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ticki/

What if I told you the most successful CEOs I've interviewed this quarter share one counterintuitive trait? They don't try to be the smartest person in the room. From architecture to military leadership to digital transformation, the pattern is unmistakable.

Looking back at this quarter's most listened-to episodes—featuring Jonathan Moody (Moody Nolan), Rear Admiral Brian Luther (Navy Mutual), Ryan Frederick (Transform Labs), Harold Green (Global Emissionary), Eddie Solomon (Net at Work), Joe Yaccarino (MTF Biologics), Jeff Ostenso (Ironmark), and James Hyman (serial turnaround CEO)—I discovered something remarkable.

The golden thread connecting every transformative leader: They refuse to be the smartest person in the room.

From Jonathan's "create more footprints, not bigger shoes" philosophy to Brian's "reflected light leadership," from Ryan's embrace of "continuous not knowing" to Eddie's insight that "entrepreneurship belongs in psychology," these leaders share seven powerful traits:

→ Anti-ego leadership - Building teams instead of thrones → Vulnerability as strength - Admitting what they don't know → Empowerment over control - Creating conditions for others to succeed → Psychological wisdom - Understanding leadership is about mindset → Radical transparency - Building trust through openness → Purpose-driven growth - Companies that matter, not just profit → The learning advantage - Staying curious regardless of expertise

Whether it's Harold at 69 still having daily learning conversations, Joe asking "is that even legal?" and building from curiosity, Jeff realizing his company "feeds 500 people," or James discovering that Hollywood leadership doesn't work—the pattern is clear.

The most successful leaders amplify their impact by avoiding being the bottleneck.

Join me as we unpack the strategies that turn good companies into thriving communities where everyone succeeds together.

Some of the episodes in this list:

EP105: Reflected Light: Leading Through Your People

EP103: The Power of Humble Listening in Leadership

EP96: Making Carbon Reduction Measurable and Meaningful

EP87: Why This Successful Family Business Said No to Nepotism

EP83: Heroes at Every Level of Healthcare Innovation

EP81: How Teaching the Game of Business Built an Empire

EP63: A CEO’s Competitve Edge - Mastering the Art of Corporate Turnarounds