Best Manager Ever28 Touko 2025

Best Manager Ever: Leanna Nazzisi - From Part-Time to Power Player

Leanna Nazzisi is the Senior Direct of Customer Experience at Victoria Beckham Beauty, a clean beauty, cruelty-free, digital-first makeup and skincare brand. Leanna launched her startup career as a seasonal contractor with Birchbox, where she rose through the ranks to become a senior CX leader as the company scaled. She also had a chapter as a customer success leader during Zendesk’s growth stage.

Leanna's direct reports praise her for fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute, highlighting her willingness to embrace change and focus on both personal and professional growth. They describe her as knowledgeable, communicative, in tune with everyday situations, truthful, caring, authentic, and confident.

In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Leanna, and they cover:

How to manage peers and friends-turned-direct reports
Proactively eliciting ideas and really listening
Matching the business needs with the strengths and needs of the individuals on the team
Creating a culture of transparency, honesty, and clarity

Join us on Substack

Connect with Leanna Nazzisi

Connect with Annie Riley

Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills

Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou

Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast

This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear

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