Stacey Ryan, President of School of Rock, has spent her career in male-dominated spaces, not just surviving, but creating opportunities for other women to thrive. Her story is about belonging, visibility, and the courage it takes to lead on your own terms.

Many women in corporate leadership feel like they're navigating alone, climbing a ladder in spaces where they're often the only woman at the table. Stacey Ryan's journey proves that you don't have to wait for a seat at the table. You have to claim it, own it, and then turn around to help other women find theirs.

As President of School of Rock, a global franchise system impacting hundreds of thousands of young people around the world, Stacey leads at scale in an industry historically dominated by men. But what makes her story compelling isn't just the scale of the business she oversees; it's what she's building behind the scenes. Through FrontWomen, an initiative she created to address the microaggressions and isolation she experienced as a woman leader, Stacey is reshaping what leadership looks like for the next generation of women in her organization.

In this raw, honest conversation with host Jodie O'Brien, Stacey shares what it really takes to lead authentically in spaces where you're often the only woman, how to navigate the paradox of being seen as either "too soft" or "too aggressive," and why visibility and ownership are non-negotiable for women who want to build something meaningful.

This isn't a polished leadership narrative. It's the real story—including the moment she walked away from a senior role with no safety net, the divorce, the unraveling, and how she reframed it as "the most strategic move I ever made."

This episode explores:

• Why belonging is built, not found, and what that means for the culture you create as a leader
• How vulnerability transforms leadership: School of Rock's model of letting students fail on stage teaches us about psychological safety and recovery.
• The cost of compromising your values and why walking away from misaligned success is actually the bravest decision you can make.
• Creating opportunity for other women: How FrontWomen meetings address real conversations about leadership, microaggressions, and isolation.
• Multidimensional leadership: How to hold multiple identities and refuse to be put in a box.
• What "making it" actually means. Spoiler: It's not about having it all figured out.

This episode is essential listening for:

• Women in corporate leadership navigating male-dominated industries
• Leaders who feel isolated at the top and are ready to build community
• Women questioning whether they should create their own opportunities
• Anyone who's experienced the internal conflict between external success and personal integrity
• Leaders building inclusive cultures and psychological safety in their organizations
• Women considering whether it's "worth it" to pursue senior leadership roles
• Anyone at an inflection point, wondering what comes next