Ambra Benjamin's journey from retail at Nordstrom to VP of Global Recruiting at Datadog reveals a powerful truth: the fundamentals of excellent customer service translate into recruiting leadership success. In this conversation, she shows how those early lessons became the foundation for leading teams through uncertainty.

She opens up about the challenging transition from high-performing IC to people leader—why nothing is easier than that first leadership interview, and how success shifts from personal achievement to team accomplishment. You'll hear why she believes everyone who manages people should interview for the role, the specific challenges of moving from peer to manager, and how the pandemic and 2023's market uncertainty tested her leadership philosophy.

Ambra shares her approach to self-care that actually works: sporadic PTO throughout the year, protecting Thursday as a no-meeting day, and why starting your morning intentionally sets the tone for everything else.

An authentic conversation about choosing leadership deliberately, bringing your team through uncertainty, and why taking care of yourself isn't selfish—it's strategic.