Camille Preston went to the beach to start writing her book… and it promptly snowed 13 inches for the first time in more than a decade. An abrupt reminder that conditions change fast, even when you think you know what's coming. It's the perfect setup for this conversation about how leaders actually make decisions today.

A business psychologist and author of Living Real, Camille challenges the old markers of success and pushes leaders to understand themselves well enough to make decisions from the inside out. She talks about being "totally put together and a hot mess," not as a contradiction but as an honest snapshot of what it feels like to lead on shifting ground.

In this conversation with Mack, Camille shares the tools she uses with leaders every day: adjusting altitude to get the right perspective, using integrated decision-making so the head, heart, and body all inform the choice, and applying her Donut Model to recognize when you're in comfort, growth, or approaching burnout. Across it all, she comes back to the idea that anchors her approach: be clear on the outcome, flexible on the approach. In a world flooded with data but starved for real clarity, Camille argues that the most valuable leadership skill is the ability to pause, shift perspective, and listen inward.

Some people talk about trusting their gut. Gladys Kong has learned how to explain hers.

In this conversation, the CEO of Azira joins Mack to talk about how she makes tough decisions: when to lean on data, when to listen to her instincts, and how to translate that gut feeling into something her team can understand and act on.

With the precision of an engineer and the perspective of a seasoned leader, Gladys shares how she brings logic and empathy to the table and why transparency builds stronger teams than perfection ever could. Gladys reminds us that leadership isn't about having all the answers, it's about creating space for others to speak up, learn, and grow with you.

From building AT&T's first-party audience business to helping take Spotify public and reimagining the NBA's fan experience during the height of the pandemic, Danielle Lee has made high-stakes calls across some of the world's most visible brands. In this episode, she breaks down her decision-making framework: get crystal clear on goals, weight what matters most, pressure-test with trusted voices, and never let hype (or "golden handcuffs") outrank integrity.

The final layer? Intuition. Danielle explains how reading the intangibles (integrity, character, fit) sits on top of the data to tip pivotal choices. We also get inside the differences between enterprise caution and startup speed, how to coach teams to decide for themselves, and what to do when your values and the org diverge.

In this episode, Mack talks with Margaret Magnarelli, VP of Marketing and Communications at Baldor Specialty Foods, about how her roots in journalism shape the way she leads, makes decisions, and builds teams. Before leading marketing for one of the East Coast's largest specialty food distributors, Margaret spent years as an editor at Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Money Magazine, a background that taught her to ask better questions, understand audiences deeply, and communicate with empathy.

She and Mack dive into how those same skills translate into stronger leadership: knowing when to move fast or slow, balancing data with intuition, and helping her team make confident, customer-centric choices. It's a conversation about curiosity, clarity, and what it really takes to make thoughtful decisions in a fast-moving business.

In this episode of The Cred Podcast, Mack McKelvey talks with Greg Genung, founder and CEO of Snowfire AI, about how AI is reshaping the way executives make decisions.

After two decades in cybersecurity, Greg built Snowfire to solve one of leadership's biggest pain points: turning overwhelming business data into clear, actionable intelligence. He shares how the platform personalizes insights, accelerates due diligence, and (most importantly) gives leaders their time back.

They also explore what it means to make adaptive decisions in real time, how AI can transform boardroom dynamics, and why waiting on clean data is no longer an option.

Along the way, Snowfire may be doing something even bigger: unintentionally breaking down silos across teams by aligning everyone around the same intelligence. The result? A clearer path to accountability, faster action, and smarter outcomes.

What does real ownership look like in leadership? In this episode, Mack McKelvey sits down with Jon Reilly, co-founder and CEO of Akkio, to explore the kind of decision-making that builds momentum.

Jon breaks down his mental model for making decisions—from obvious 80/20 calls to murky 51/49s—and shares how speed, clarity, and accountability help his team move faster and smarter. He also discusses the importance of hiring people with a strong sense of ownership—those willing to make decisions, stand by them, and lean in to learn from their mistakes.

We talk about:

💡 Why decision paralysis is the enemy of progress

🎯 Why prioritization is as critical as the decisions themselves

💥 What it means to bet on yourself—and stake your reputation on it

🛠️ Why "we can do better" isn't just Jon's mantra, it's his leadership operating system

Jon also shares why he doesn't read business books and the power of building a board that challenges you to think bigger. This episode is a must-listen for anyone building, leading, or learning how to make decisions that matter.

This week, host Mack McKelvey sits down with Sheila Marmon, founder and CEO of Mirror Digital, to explore the art of decision-making, overcoming obstacles, and embracing transparency. Sheila reflects on the valuable lessons from her first venture, highlighting the importance of alignment, shared vision, and the power of listening to diverse voices when making decisions.

At Mirror Digital, Sheila has built a tech-enabled media company that helps brands connect with diverse, trend-setting audiences. Her approach to decision-making is clear: "Decisions aren't always easy, but you have to move when something is pressing. And if you make a bad decision, you pivot. Understanding the cost of not making the decision allows me to move forward with making decisions and trying new things."

For Sheila, decision-making is a practice, not a process. Her "test and learn" mentality fosters a culture of experimentation, growth, and continuous learning. By standardizing smaller decisions, she frees up mental space for bigger challenges, creating a democratic culture at Mirror Digital that stays in tune with the cultural zeitgeist.

In a world that never stops changing, Sheila is always looking ahead, staying curious, and challenging herself and her team to never settle.

The Ripple Effect of Leadership Decisions with Jason Kaplan

Every decision a leader makes sends ripples through a business, a team, and even a career. In this episode of The Cred Podcast, host Mack McKelvey sits down with Jason Kaplan, CEO of SixMap, to explore the complexities of decision-making in leadership. From navigating tough calls—like leaving a company—to understanding when to go slow and when to move fast, Jason shares insights from his journey as a founder and executive.

In leadership, there are no easy answers—if it were easy, someone else would have already made the call.