In this episode of It’s Not You, But Sometimes It Is, Kelly Lazuka gets brutally honest about the messy reality of leadership—bad bosses, culture problems, tough calls, and the moment she almost walked away from the C-suite entirely.

Kelly, now the CEO of Fullerton, opens up about the hard lessons, the surprising victories, and the leadership principles she swears by today. This one is packed with wisdom, humility, and some seriously relatable “Oh wow… same” moments.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode
-How a CEO reframes a major crisis and protects her team
-The hidden tension between people and profitability—and how to balance it
-How culture actually eats strategy for breakfast (with real examples)
-Why bonuses, incentives, and accountability can make or break collaboration
-The difference between great leadership and ego-driven leadership
-Lessons learned from bad bosses—and how they shaped Kelly’s leadership brand

What it really takes to transform a siloed, drama-filled culture into a high-performing one

About -
we explore what it really takes to lead through crisis—especially when chaos hits faster than expected. She opens up about stepping into a major leadership role, only to face unexpected operational and cultural turbulence within the first three months.

You’ll hear her reflect on rebuilding trust, stabilizing teams, making tough calls under pressure, and guiding an organization through a high-stakes turnaround. This episode dives into her mindset, her decision-making framework, and the leadership habits that helped her rise above the chaos and steer the company forward.
We hope you enjoy this episode with Kelly Lazuka.

Connect with Kelly Lazuka on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-lazuka/

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Like and subscribe to never miss an episode!
- Meg