In this episode of Leadership Backstage, we sit down with Betsy Hamm, whose career journey spans from a marketing intern at Hershey to the CEO of Duck Donuts, one of the most beloved franchise brands in the world.

Betsy takes us behind the scenes of scaling a family-owned business into an international franchise, navigating rapid growth, maintaining consistency, and leading through major organizational change. She also opens up about the challenges women face in leadership, why strategic planning matters, and how relationships and team culture drive long-term success.

From surviving early career mistakes to launching a new business of her own, Betsy shares actionable lessons, candid stories, and leadership insights for anyone navigating growth, franchising, team building, or entrepreneurship.

00:00 Introduction to Leadership Backstage

00:15 Meet Betsy Hamm: From Roller Coasters to Donuts

00:59 Betsy’s Career Journey: From Marketing to CEO

03:08 The Rise of Duck Donuts: From Local to Global

06:24 Challenges of Franchising & Maintaining Consistency

10:14 Navigating Rapid Growth & Scaling

16:43 Transitioning Leadership & Private Equity

24:40 Working with Founders & Driving Change

29:30 Universal Business Strategies

31:05 Learning from Mistakes

33:09 Proud Moments & Career Highlights

34:48 Launching a New Venture

37:00 Supporting Women in Leadership

46:01 Professional Development & Growth

54:05 Strategic Planning for Business Success

56:49 Closing Thoughts & Contact Info

#LeadershipBackstage #BetsyHamm #DuckDonuts #WomenInLeadership

#Entrepreneurship #Franchising #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipPodcast

#CareerDevelopment #ScalingBusinesses #CEOInsights #LeadershipJourney

Welcome to Episode 1 of Leadership Backstage, a podcast dedicated to uncovering the REAL, unfiltered truth about leadership, growth, and the often-lonely journey behind the title.

In this solo kickoff episode, host Claudia Williams shares her personal story, from growing up in a traditional Italian-American household to building a powerful career in law, consulting, and leadership development. With more than 30 years of experience working with CEOs, founders, and executive teams, Claudia reveals the mindset shifts, blind spots, and defining lessons that shape extraordinary leaders.

This episode explores:

🔹 Why leadership feels lonely and why that’s normal

🔹 The importance of organizational design and people decisions

🔹 How childhood & early influences shape leadership styles

🔹 What Claudia learned working with global CEOs

🔹 Why continuous learning is the ultimate advantage

🔹 The mission of Leadership Backstage and what to expect next

If you're a founder, executive, team leader, or an aspiring leader, this podcast will help you grow with more clarity, courage, and confidence.

Subscribe and join us for honest stories, tactical strategies, and conversations that take you beyond the title… and backstage into real leadership.

00:00 – Welcome to Leadership Backstage

01:00 – Meet Your Host: Claudia Williams

01:48 – How Leadership Shapes Us

04:45 – What This Podcast Is Really About

06:09 – Claudia’s Story & Early Influences

10:32 – Career Lessons from Working with Leaders

16:31 – Final Thoughts & What’s Coming Next

#LeadershipBackstage #ClaudiaWilliams #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveDevelopment #LeadershipGrowth #BusinessLeadership #CEOMindset #FounderMindset #LeadershipLessons #PersonalGrowth #OrganizationalDesign