Ridge Fussell

Shooting for the STAR: Not Just for Amazon Interviews 💫 Today I wrapped up my 320th Amazon interview. Being part of the hiring process at Amazon is a real privilege and 320 felt like a good time to reflect on love, life and interviewing. My moment of reflection on the 🚆 this morning, inspired me to brain dump this post about something that's been on my mind a lot lately - the STAR format. For those who might not be familiar, STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. IMHO It's the golden formula for structuring your responses in Amazon interviews. But here's the kicker - it's not just a great tool for sharing your body of work during interview loops. I've realised that the STAR format is actually a brilliant way to think about your next big project at work. Let me break it down: - Situation: What's the context? What's happening in your company or team right now? - Task: What needs to be done? What's the challenge you're facing? - Action: What are you going to do about it? What's your game plan? - Result: What do you hope to achieve? How will you measure success? By framing your projects this way, you're not just preparing for an interview (at Amazon or any other place in the future) - you're setting yourself up for success in your current role. It's like having a built-in project management framework in your head! 🧠💡 Now, for those of you eyeing up a role at Amazon, here's a pro tip: Use this format religiously when preparing your examples. It's not just about ticking boxes; it's about bringing clarity to your experiences and helping us interviewers see the best of you in that short time slot. Remember, Amazon interviewers are like gold miners with limited time - they're trying to unearth your potential in a 45 to 60 minute chat. The STAR format is your way of saying, "Hey, I've already done the digging. Here's the gold!" 🏆 So, whether you're prepping for an interview or tackling your next big project, try shooting for the STAR. It might just be the framework you need to shine your brightest! ✨ What do you think? Has the STAR format helped you in interviews or in your day-to-day work? Drop your thoughts in the comments below! #CareerAdvice #AmazonInterviews #ProjectManagement #STAR #AWS #amazon #awscloud #leadership #ai #genai

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I used to believe that putting my needs over others was selfish and would hinder my progress at work. But when I flipped the success pyramid on its head, my career actually accelerated, my network grew, my team culture improved, and my reputation for being a great leader expanded. The tradition approach is fundamentally flawed: 1️⃣ Put work first 2️⃣ Family second ❓ Self last, if at all This creates a precarious position that may drive some business success in the short term, but is not sustainable and often leads to burnout, strained relationships, and a bad team culture. If you invert this pyramid and start from the foundation up: 1️⃣ Start with self-care (built on values, boundaries, energy management) 2️⃣ Build relationships with family and supporters based on a shared vision and goals 3️⃣ Bring your fully energized, intentional self to your team and your career 👏 When you flip the success pyramid, you will show up with: 🔸 Greater clarity on decisions 🔸 Focused energy for priorities 🔸 Enhanced creativity and ability to handle unique situations 🔸 Authentic leadership to inspire your team 🔸 Boundaries to protect what matters most Putting yourself and your family first will actually make you MORE VALUABLE professionally. 🔥 Leading from Home is about building success based on this inverted pyramid - true, sustainable success built on a strong foundation. It doesn’t mean working any less.  It means working with greater intention, focus, and purpose. ❓ What could change for you if you flipped your success pyramid today? #LeadingFromHome #BeaconLeadership #WorkLifeHarmony #AuthenticLeadership

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Turning a declining business into a $1B+ outcome required ownership, not optimism. When I joined Anaconda, the company was in a difficult place. Revenue was declining, cash was tight and confidence across the organization was wearing thin. There wasn’t a single dramatic fix available, just a series of decisions that needed to be made and owned. The immediate focus wasn’t growth. It was stabilizing the business and creating enough clarity to move forward. As President, with responsibility for sales, go-to-market and finance, it became clear that the turnaround would only work if the company aligned around how value was actually being created. Millions of people were using the product, but the business model wasn’t designed to convert that usage into durable revenue. That gap had to be addressed deliberately. We shifted focus toward a product-led motion that respected the existing user base while creating a clear path to enterprise value. At the same time, we made disciplined choices about where not to invest, even when those options looked attractive in the short term. Progress wasn’t immediate, but momentum returned. Customer growth accelerated, revenue followed and confidence was rebuilt. Over time, that discipline compounded into a valuation north of $1B. Turnarounds don’t come from dramatic moves. They come from facing reality early, aligning the organization around a coherent strategy and staying disciplined long enough for the work to compound. For operators who have led through a reset, what decision mattered most in changing the trajectory? #Leadership #CFOPerspective #DecisionMaking #OperatingAtScale

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When people ask me for career advice, one thing I always come back to is this: Grow. Your. Network. (On purpose.) When I was younger, I let my network happen organically and that worked okay, but somewhere along the way a switch flipped, and I realized I needed to get intentional. As a self-proclaimed introvert, this was not natural. It felt awkward. But pushing myself just a tiny bit outside my comfort zone introduced me to some really great people. A few things that helped me: - Sign up for that local tech happy hour - Join a public webinar and actually turn your camera on 😀 - Volunteer to speak on something you care about - Book a monthly lunch with a colleague you genuinely enjoy - Raise your hand for cross-team projects - Share candid thoughts on LinkedIn (scary, but worth it) That small dose of intentionality led to: ✨ great hires ✨ job opportunities ✨ speaking invitations ✨ mentor/mentee relationships ✨ “my people” moments ✨ and even spreading endometriosis 🎗️ awareness If you needed a nudge today, here it is. Go be awesome. ⭐

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Is AI a "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" Moment for Professionals? As I sat sipping my black coffee on a peaceful Saturday evening, scrolling through material on my laptop, a thought struck me. The iconic keyboard shortcut "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" seems to perfectly capture the pivotal crossroads professionals face today—a call to reassess, redefine and reset. While "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" serves as a lifeline for troubleshooting, allowing us to reboot and regain control when systems go awry, professionals today need their own reset. It’s a moment to reclaim control, reevaluate skills and ditch outdated playbooks to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving world of work. When I extend the metaphor of "Ctrl+Alt+Delete," it opens up fascinating parallels: 1) Ctrl (Control): it's symbolic— pressing "Ctrl" is like declaring, "I'm taking control here!" as part of the reset or recovery process. In the metaphorical sense, it's about reclaiming control of our workflows, decision-making, and efficiency, just as AI allows professionals to do in the workplace 2) Alt (Alter): The "Alt" key represents adaptability— symbolizing a shift or alternate action compared to standard functionality. AI compels professionals to embrace alternative mindsets to tackle problems and seize opportunities. 3) Delete: The "Delete" key is all about allowing users to either end tasks and initiate reboot. Metaphorically AI eliminates inefficiencies faster than you can delete embarrassing typos from an email. Goodbye outdated workflows and hello productivity! TRADITIONAL should now be read as TRAIN-ADDITIONAL Just as "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" rescues us from frozen screens and system crashes, AI helps professionals recover from stagnation, propelling us into a redefined era of work. It’s not just a reboot—it’s evolution in action. AI MIGHT NOT REPLACE YOU, BUT SOMEONE WHO EMBRACES AI COULD !! The coffee is finished, yet the thoughts continue to brew. Time to future-proof our careers—cheers to embracing the transformation!

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When it comes time for me to hang up my corporate "cleats", there won't be much fanfare. And to be clear, I believe there are many eras remaining in Nick Mehta's catalog. The truth is, probably the most notable item on my professional resume is "Nick can make him cry in a single text - usually in a good way." I had the opportunity to work closely with Nick, including one year working directly for him as part of the executive leadership team. While someday there will be books written about Nick's impact on leadership and industry, today I'll share a few things accelerated my growth: 1. You can't ask your team to do things you won't do: On my weekly updates to Nick, one of the topics was - Which customers did you meet with this week, what were the topics, and what are you going to do about it? "I'm the SVP of Services, I don't have time to meet with customers all week!" But you know who did? Nick! Dozens of them. So I did, more and more. Happy ones, mad ones, all sorts. I learned why that mattered and why being close to the customer matters for executives. 2. Authenticity is a superpower: When I joined Gainsight, I assumed Nick's persona was a publicity stunt, and internally he was...well.. a CEO. I assure you there is only one Nick (there might be a second Nick, but more on that in a minute.) He's embraced what I call the velcro approach, putting out as many hooks into the world for people to latch onto what he is passionate about. This is vulnerability in its most raw form, and I decided early to lean in. My teams (even at a new company) know way more about me than they ever bargained for, but I'm asking them to make big changes and people want to follow people they trust. 3. Abundance Mentality: This one was/is hard for me, but no one does this better than Nick. Ping Nick on Linkedin? He responds. A junior teammate wants to ask a question? Nick jumps on a call. A customer who churned wants a job referral? Guess who? This is that second Nick from above - same energy, but somehow responding quickly (in seconds) and helping everyone. This one is a massive career accelerator - be responsive when others take days. Help others whom you don't know how they can help you back.

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When is the last time you received upward feedback? If you cannot recall, perhaps it's time to start thinking about asking for some. A simple way to start doing it is to just say "What feedback do you have for me?" It won't work the first, second or even the third or fourth time. Might not even work the fifth or sixth time. It will work eventually.

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Leadership Begins When the Laptop Closes I used to sprint from project to project, until I realized the real race is showing up fully for both my team and my kids, Jorge Jr. and Kate. Here’s what’s working for me: 1 - Attitude sets the tempo. If I walk into stand-up calm and curious, the whole squad levels up. 2 - Proactivity beats heroics. Preventing fires saves more uptime than any late-night fix. 3 - Strategic downtime fuels uptime. An hour at the beach or a stroll through the park with my kids resets my perspective and sharpens my decision-making. 4 - Visible balance is contagious. When I step away for family time, I say it out loud. The message: high performance and healthy boundaries can and must coexist. The result? Fresher ideas, fewer bugs, and a culture where people feel safe to bring their whole selves to work. Feeling stretched? Close the lid, breathe some ocean air, have an unhurried chat with the people who matter most. Your code and your leadership will be better for it. #Leadership #FamilyFirst #WorkLifeBalance #ITLeadership #TechCulture #MindfulLeadership

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