#356 Mary Shea: From Oboe Solos to Sales Strategy—A Career Reinvented — Part One
Mary Shea didn’t follow a traditional path. She composed her own.
In Part One of this three-part series, Mary walks us through the bold decisions that took her from professional oboist to PhD to sales analyst—and eventually to co-CEO of Mediafly. Along the way, she’s picked up more than titles: she’s developed a philosophy that blends intellectual rigor, creative play, and social equity.
She opens up about what it’s like to enter the business world a decade “behind” her peers, the financial freedom sales can offer underrepresented leaders, and how she’s helping build not just tech products—but leadership pipelines that reflect the real world.
This episode is for anyone thinking of switching lanes, catching up, or starting over.Key Highlights of Our Interview:
From Mexico to Management: Her Unlikely Start
“I played oboe in symphonies, earned a PhD in musicology—and then started over in sales.”
Sales as a Social Equalizer
“If you’re good at it, you can rewrite your life. It gave me the power to fund causes, uplift others, and lead on my own terms.”
Behind, But Not for Long
“I came into business 10 years behind my peers. That lit a fire—I moved fast, and I moved with purpose.”
Creating the Playbook, Not Just Following It
“I need intellectual stimulation. Managing is fine, but building strategy? That’s what lights me up.”
Enabling Others Is the New Power Move
“My role now is to empower my team like mini-CEOs. Their wins are my metric.”
Scaling With a Human Lens
“We acquired five companies in under two years—not to show off, but to build something smarter, faster, and more inclusive.”
Pushing for True Diversity in Sales
“Only one-third of B2B sellers are women. That has to change—and I’m using my platform to help drive it.”
Mediafly’s Mission: More Than Sales Enablement
“From revenue intelligence to buyer engagement, we’re building the full tech stack—without losing sight of people.”
_________________________
Connect with us:
Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Mary Shea PhD--Chief Change Officer--
Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligence
for Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,
Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist.
17 Million+ All-Time Downloads.
80+ Countries Reached Daily.
Global Top 1.5% Podcast.
Top 10 US Business.
Top 1 US Careers.>>>160,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.<<<
Chief Change Officer
What’s Stopping You from Outgrowing Yourself?
Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.
Chief Change Officer isn’t just another podcast. It ranks in the Top 3% globally, hit #1 in Careers (US), and cracked the Top 10 in Business (US)—because it offers what others don’t: expansive human intelligence, shared by the world’s most extraordinary thinkers and doers.
This is the space for transformation gurus, bold hearts, black sheep, and unsung visionaries. We go beyond digitized tips and AI-smooth talk. Here, you get real, time-tested, experience-driven wisdom—the kind that blends logic and love, art and science, hindsight and foresight.
For me, this show marks career transition #18. Across 17 transitions, I’ve been mentored by global changemakers who helped me emerge stronger and freer. Now, I’m passing that power forward—through raw, unfiltered conversations with extraordinary people across cultures, industries, and identities.
If you’re a growth progressive, a black horse, a visionary underdog, or someone boldly rewriting the rules—you’re already one of us. Because you are the Chief Change Officer.
Our mission?
To help you become wiser in action, clearer in thought, and more ambitious in motion—so you can outgrow yourself and unlock outcomes beyond imagination or calculation.
A better you is already unfolding.
130,000+ followers are outgrowing.
Join them on LinkedIn, Apple, Spotify, and YouTube @chiefchangeofficer.
- No. of episodes: 364
- Latest episode: 2025-05-12
- Business Careers Education Self-Improvement
Where can you listen?
