What would you tell yourself on day one as a manager?

In this episode, Kamaria sits down with Kaitlyn Rios — a Doctor of Physical Therapy, certified wound specialist, and VP of Clinical Business Development — who has climbed from her first supervisory role all the way to leading national teams across startups, corporations, and privately held organizations.

Kaitlyn gets candid about what no one told her stepping into leadership, starting with a revelation that still makes her laugh: she didn't realize her new role actually meant leading people. From there, the conversation gets real about the four jobs every manager is actually doing at once, the burnout that comes when people leadership becomes an afterthought, and why protecting your calendar isn't just a time management tip — it's a survival strategy.

Kamaria and Kaitlyn also dig into the support systems that hold good managers together, why trust is the foundation of any meaningful leadership relationship, and what it looks and feels like to create a team culture where people truly feel safe to take risks and grow.

Whether you're brand new to management or a seasoned leader, this one is a candid trip down memory lane with hard-won lessons you can use today.

Show Notes: Connect with Kaitlyn Rios on LinkedIn | Connect with Kamaria Scott on LinkedIn | managermomentum.com

What does it mean to be a manager when you’re the only one in your business?

In this episode of Manager to Manager, host Kamaria Scott sits down with Lauren Gibson, Founder of Letters Launched and writer of the Connections newsletter, to explore what happens when creative entrepreneurs become people leaders for the first time.

Lauren shares the real lessons she’s learned from hiring — and letting go of — virtual assistants, balancing delegation with direction, and discovering that being “the first manager” is as much about mindset as it is about skill. Together, she and Kamaria unpack how the fundamentals of leadership apply just as powerfully to solopreneurs as to corporate managers.

This conversation explores how entrepreneurs can:

• Shift from doing the work to leading the work when building their first team

• Hire for outcomes, not hours — and design fair, value-based relationships with contractors

• Create structure through simple routines, one-on-ones, and clear expectations

• Recognize when to seek an “architect,” not a “carpenter,” to bring their vision to life

• Build sustainable momentum by managing people, not just processes

Lauren reminds us that growth doesn’t just come from scaling revenue — it comes from learning to lead well.

Whether you’re a founder hiring your first assistant, a creative building a small team, or a manager rethinking what leadership looks like in the new world of work, this episode offers relatable, real-world insights to help you manage with clarity and care.

Show Notes: Connect with Lauren Gibson on LinkedIn | Subscribe to her newsletter Connections Connect with Kamaria Scott on LinkedIn | managermomentum.com

What if the most powerful thing a manager can do isn’t setting goals or tracking metrics, but simply caring about the people behind the work?

In this episode of Manager to Manager, host Kamaria Scott sits down with Zachary Wright, founder of Grapevine and longtime strategy and operations leader, to explore how human-centered leadership transforms performance and culture. Zachary shares his journey from being micromanaged early in his career to discovering his own leadership style—one that prioritizes treating people as people, not cogs in a system.

Through personal stories of helping underperformers become top contributors, navigating the challenges of being a first-time founder, and leading teams through uncertainty, Zachary demonstrates why relationships and results are inseparable in effective management.

This conversation explores how managers can:

• Unlock performance by aligning employees’ personal goals with organizational objectives

• Build trust and influence through genuine curiosity and consistent one-on-ones

• Set the tone as a founder or leader, recognizing that every action ripples across the team

• Distinguish between positional power and true leadership rooted in respect and care

• Use technology, including AI, to support managers rather than replace them

Zachary reminds us that leadership is more than positional authority—it’s the daily choice to balance optimism with realism, influence with empathy, and results with relationships.

Whether you’re leading inside a startup, managing contractors across time zones, or working to redefine your own leadership style, this episode offers practical and inspiring insights to help you lead with greater clarity and care.

Show Notes:

Follow Zachary Wright on LinkedIn and explore Grapevine at grapevinesoftware.io Follow Kamaria Scott on LinkedIn | managermomentum.com

What if one of the most defining moments of trust between a manager and their team member isn’t about performance at all—but about how you respond when they share the news of a new baby?

In this heartfelt and practical episode of Manager to Manager, host Kamaria Scott sits down with Arianna Hillis, founder of Shoshanna’s Daughter, to explore how managers can support employees before, during, and after parental leave. Drawing on her personal experience as both a corporate leader and a mother of three, Arianna shares why managers play a pivotal role in shaping an employee’s sense of safety, belonging, and success during this transition.

Together, Kamaria and Arianna uncover how thoughtful leadership in these moments can strengthen trust, increase retention, and create a culture where employees thrive at work and at home.

This conversation explores how managers can:

• Respond authentically and supportively when a team member announces they’re expecting

• Partner with employees to create transition action plans before leave begins

• Use tools like keep-in-touch strategies, phased returns, and return-to-work buddies to ease reintegration

• Recognize the mental health milestones where new parents may need extra care

• Advocate for policies, resources, and best practices that set both managers and teams up for success

Arianna emphasizes that parental leave isn’t just a logistical challenge—it’s an opportunity for managers to demonstrate empathy, flexibility, and genuine care. And when managers get it right, the payoff is lasting loyalty and stronger team performance.

Whether you’ve navigated parental leave on your team before or are preparing for it in the future, this episode offers actionable strategies and a compassionate perspective that every people leader needs.

Show Notes:

Follow Arianna Hillis on LinkedIn and visit Shoshanna’s Daughter Follow Kamaria Scott on LinkedIn | managermomentum.com

What if the difference between a struggling team and a high-performing one isn’t more motivation, but stronger project management skills?

In this results-focused episode of Manager to Manager, host Kamaria Scott sits down with Michele Badie, PMP Certified Program Manager, whose career spans legal services, financial services, non-profits, higher education, and retail. Together, they dive into the often-overlooked reality that every people leader—whether officially certified or not—is already a project manager.

Michele shares how project management goes far beyond tools and timelines. It’s about fostering collaboration, building trust, and creating the clarity teams need to succeed. She explains how results and relationships are inseparable, and why successful execution begins with curiosity, communication, and sustained collaboration.

This conversation explores how managers can:

• Recognize the role of project management in everyday leadership—even without the title or certification
• Balance results with relationships to create psychological safety and open communication
• Apply simple yet powerful frameworks like RACI and Agile to bring order and adaptability to projects
• Manage stakeholder expectations with transparency while fostering long-term trust
• Stay curious, keep learning, and invest in yourself as both a leader and project manager

From tackling accountability to organizing teams without a formal PMO, Michele and Kamaria highlight practical strategies managers can use to execute with confidence while empowering their people.

Whether you’re leading a small team juggling multiple responsibilities or working inside a complex organization, this episode offers actionable insights for turning project chaos into clarity—and for reminding every manager that execution is just as human as it is technical.

Show Notes:

Follow Michele Badie on [LinkedIn] Follow Kamaria Scott on LinkedIn | managermomentum.com

What if the solution to management burnout isn’t better time management, but a complete rethink of how we structure leadership roles?

In this follow-up episode, Kamaria Scott and David Rice, host of the People Managing People podcast, continue their lively, two-way conversation about the impossible position we’ve put modern managers in.

Picking up where Part 1 left off, Kamaria and David trade stories, compare experiences, and challenge each other’s thinking on how organizations unintentionally overload managers. They dig into how the decline of long-term job security and traditional benefits has shifted expectations—often leaving managers to “duct tape” systemic problems they didn’t create.

Together, they explore:

• How engagement is shaped by the conscious choices employees make about where to direct their energy

• The hidden costs of emotional labor for managers, and what can be done to reduce it

• The gap between generational expectations and current organizational realities

• Strategies for building team trust when institutional trust is low

The conversation flows from structural issues to personal stories, touching on why 82% of young professionals say they don’t want management roles, and why—even as AI evolves—human managers remain essential for context, judgment, and belief in their people.

Whether you’re navigating management challenges yourself or rethinking how your organization supports its leaders, this episode offers practical takeaways and a reminder that no manager should have to hero their way through systemic problems alone.

Show Notes:

• Part 1 of this conversation: Redefining Engagement in a Post-Trust Era

• Follow David Rice: LinkedIn | peoplemanagingpeople.com

• Follow Kamaria Scott: LinkedIn | managermomentum.com

What if the key to exceptional leadership isn't about hitting every metric, but about creating lasting impact that goes far beyond the numbers? In this thought-provoking episode of Manager to Manager, host Kamaria Scott sits down with Kim Detera, a seasoned leader with 12 years of management experience across FinTech, telecommunications, and financial organizations.

Kim shares his unconventional approach to leadership—one that prioritizes strategic thinking over transactional metrics and empowers teams to create meaningful impact even when traditional targets aren't met. Drawing from his unexpected background in journalism, Kim reveals how asking the right questions became his superpower as a leader.

The conversation explores how leaders can drive meaningful impact by:

• Moving beyond rigid metrics to focus on strategic outcomes and long-term organizational value
• Asking the right questions to uncover the real intentions and pain points behind client goals
• Creating structured development plans that prepare team members for increasing autonomy
• Balancing direction with space, allowing teams to innovate while maintaining accountability

Kim offers practical insights on telling success stories through multiple lenses, managing client expectations when targets aren't met, and building team capabilities that enable leaders to step back strategically. He emphasizes the importance of understanding that productivity doesn't equal impact and that empowering your team ultimately creates the succession planning foundation every leader needs.

Whether you're struggling with the pressure of hitting every metric or looking to develop a more strategic leadership approach, this episode provides valuable frameworks for creating lasting impact while building stronger, more capable teams. Show Notes:

Follow Kim Detera on LinkedIn

Follow Kamaria Scott on LinkedIn

What if failure isn't the enemy, but the secret ingredient to building breakthrough teams?

In this episode, Kamaria Scott is joined by Coletrice Haywood, a project management leader and organizational development expert, to explore how people leaders can transform their relationship with failure and use it to unlock team potential. We dive into why the fear of failure keeps teams playing small, and how agile methodologies can help any leader, regardless of industry, create environments where calculated risks lead to innovation.

Key takeaways from this conversation:

• Why the only real failure is not trying or giving up, and how this mindset shift changes everything
• The three stages of professional development: knowledge, expert, and expertise—and how to meet people where they are
• How your own relationship with failure directly impacts your team's willingness to take risks
• Three agile practices every people leader can steal: daily standups, retrospectives, and refinement sessions
• Why creating psychological safety isn't about avoiding failure. It's about learning from it faster
• How to turn individual strengths into collective team success through structured conversations

Whether you're leading a small team or managing complex projects, this episode will help you move from failure-avoidant to failure-forward leadership. Show Notes Connect with Coletrice Haywood on Linkedin