Stare Down the Bull with Susan Hunt

In this deeply moving episode of Stare Down the Bull, host Susan Hunt sits down with longtime friend Trish Straine as the country approaches the 25th anniversary of September 11. Trish shares her experience of losing her husband, Jimmy in the World Trade Center attacks just days after giving birth to their second child. Together, Susan and Trish reflect on grief, resilience, motherhood, faith, community support, and the long arc of healing. Trish also discusses co-founding Stephy’s Place, a free community-based grief support center, and how loss shaped her strength, perspective, and purpose.

Connect with Susan: 

LinkedIn

Website 

Connect with Trish:

Website

What does it really take to scale businesses, shift venture capital norms, and create opportunities for underrepresented founders?

In this episode, Susan Hunt sits down with venture capitalist, former Obama Administration advisor, and ImpactX co-founder Eric Collins for a wide-ranging conversation on capital access, inclusive investing, AI-driven growth, and what happens behind the scenes in venture capital. 

From living in Washington D.C.’s historic Watergate to advising the Small Business Administration, building venture-backed companies across the U.S. and UK, and presenting awards at Buckingham Palace, Eric shares rare insights on power, proximity, and how doing good and doing well can coexist.

Connect with Susan: 

LinkedIn

Website 

Connect with Eric

LinkedIn

In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, I’m joined by Jack Meek, former GoDaddy executive and founder & CEO of AI-centric CX. We explore what leadership-first culture really looks like, how great leaders build change readiness from the bottom up, and why traditional websites are rapidly losing relevance in an AI-driven world. 

Jack shares practical insights on preparing organizations for AI adoption, managing digital reputation beyond SEO, and anticipating change instead of reacting to it. This is a must-listen conversation for leaders navigating transformation, AI, and the future of business.


Connect with Susan: 


LinkedIn


Website 


Connect with Jack


LinkedIn

In this episode of Stare Down the Bull, host Susan Hunt sits down with Norma Krayem, a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, and public policy. Drawing on her experience as a presidential appointee, senior federal executive, and trusted advisor to Fortune 100 CEOs and global leaders, Norma breaks down how cybersecurity and AI are actually viewed in Washington, and why the gap between technology and policy creates real national security risk. 

From nation-state cyber threats to AI moving faster than regulation, this conversation reveals what leaders are worried about behind closed doors, how real policy progress still gets made in DC, and what it truly takes to stare down the bull in a high-stakes, hyper-partisan environment.

Connect with Norma: 

LinkedIn

Van Scoyoc and Associates 

Connect with Susan: 

LinkedIn

Website

Susan Hunt sits down with Shaun Hervey, founder of Arkham Talent and a brutally honest (and hilarious) voice in recruiting, to unpack why hiring gets so weird, especially in sales. Shaun shares how his comedy-first LinkedIn videos built a business, why leaders cling to outdated hiring “rules,” and what really needs to change: stop wasting candidates’ time and start having direct conversations. They also dig into the role of sales assessments, the reality of startup OTEs, why sales training has disappeared, and what AI may (and may not) replace in the sales process.

Connect with Susan:
LinkedIn
Website
Connect with Shaun
LinkedIn
Website