Executive Perspectives On Letting Go of Perfect: How Top CMOs Decide What Deserves 100%

In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin pulls together seven conversations with executives who learned what it costs to expect perfection from yourself at work and at home at the same time. It starts with a phrase most leaders grew up on, good is the enemy of great, and asks what happens when a high-pressure job and kids flip it around, so that chasing great becomes the thing that keeps you from being good at either. The first half is the cost. Anncy Rowe, Chief Commercial Officer at Rodan + Fields, looks back on flying red-eyes between London and Paris to be home for her son's birthday, and what she'd tell herself now. Jeff Jenkins was leading a private equity turnaround as a CMO when his five-year-old assumed Dad would just work all weekend. Cameron Herold, founder of COO Alliance, describes breaking down in an elevator and going back to work the next morning, still convinced he was fine. The second half is what changed. Jennie Magiera of Google explains how accepting that she couldn't be 100% everywhere made her better in every arena. Melissa Grady Dias, former CMO of Cadillac, trades a rigid plan for a clear outcome and one question: how much do you care? Doug Zarkin, former CMO of Pearle Vision and Take 5 Oil Change, shares the 80/20 rule he uses for creative work and for his kids. And Brent Cooke, CMO of Driven Brands, recalls the question his therapist asked about his daughter that changed how he talks to himself. Kevin closes with a challenge for the week: pick one thing at work and one thing at home where you're asking yourself to get everything right. What would actually be enough? Chapters 00:00 Great can become the enemy of good 01:01 Anncy Rowe: carrying every role at once 03:14 Jeff Jenkins: the question from his five-year-old 04:24 Cameron Herold: "In my head, I thought I was fine" 05:47 Jennie Magiera: why letting go made her better at both 07:40 Melissa Grady Dias: focus on the outcome, not the process 09:29 Doug Zarkin: the 80/20 rule at work and at home 11:09 Brent Cooke: the compassion you'd give your kids 12:22 What would be enough? Full episoded features: Anncy Rowe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anncy-row... Jeff Jenkins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffmjenk... Cameron Herold: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronhe... Jennie Magiera: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magiera?u... Melissa Grady Dias: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gradymeli... Doug Zarkin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougzarki... Brent Cooke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-coo... 00:00:00 Intro: When Great Becomes the Enemy of Good 00:01:14 Nancy Rowe: The Red-Eye Birthday Story 00:03:52 Jeff Jenkins: 'You're Just Going to Work All Weekend' 00:05:15 Cameron Herold: Breaking Down in the Elevator 00:05:54 Jenny McGarra: Why Women Can't Have It All 00:07:45 A Quick Ask: Share This Episode 00:08:07 Melissa Grady Diaz: Letting Go of Control (French Toast) 00:10:14 Doug Zarkin: The 80/20 Rule for Perfection 00:12:05 Brent Cook: Being Too Self-Critical 00:13:00 Closing Thoughts: Letting Go of Perfect