She's So Suite: The Teacher Turned President & CSO at The Engineered Innovation Group ft. Karen Mangia
- Kristi Faltorusso
- Sep 8
- 3 min read
LISTEN TO THE LATEST SHE'S SO SUITE PODCAST
IN THIS EPISODE KRISTI AND KAREN DISCUSS:
Success Is a Personal Definition
Karen emphasized that true success isn’t about external achievements or other people’s definitions, it’s about living in alignment with your own top values.
The Power of AI in Business
She shared how the Engineered Innovation Group pivoted from service-based work to launching a proprietary AI solution, using it first to solve their own information and productivity challenges before helping clients do the same.
AI Augments Human Work
Karen’s story of the marketing intern using AI to “skill up” and contribute, even without tech experience, highlighted AI’s role as a complement, not a replacement, for human potential.
Transformative Stories Start Small
The AI solution “Roxy”, used for compiling project updates and executive summaries, demonstrated that major innovations can begin as tools to solve immediate, personal pain points inside a company.
Listen to Your Body and Your Values
Karen’s health crisis and subsequent journey to wellness revealed the impact of ignoring your body’s (and mind’s) warning signs, and the necessity of prioritizing your own well-being over workplace overachievement.
Leaders Signal What’s Acceptable
By taking real breaks and prioritizing her wellness, Karen learned that leaders directly influence team culture regarding boundaries, self-care, and healthy work-life integration.
Permission Is Often Internal
People commonly wait for external permission to prioritize themselves, whether it’s taking lunch, a vacation, or time off for health. Karen encourages self-permission and modeling those behaviors for others.
Saboteurs and Self-Sabotage
Introducing concepts from Positive Intelligence, Karen explained the internal “saboteurs” that block us—like the pleaser or controller mindsets—and the importance of understanding and resetting these patterns.
Giving Back Empowers Others
Karen’s hands-on work with Dress for Success and her “Visionary Ladies” group showcased the huge ripple effect of mentorship, community, and empowering other women to pursue dreams and leave toxic situations.
Balance Requires Intentional Choices
Three guiding questions (Does it have to be? Does it have to be me? Does it have to be now?) plus prioritizing yourself first thing in the day, are Karen’s practical strategies for keeping your own needs and values front and center, even when life is busy.
Sponsored by: ClientSuccess and WednesdayWomen
Produced by: Manali Bhat
Listen to the She's So Suite Podcast:
Podcast Episode Overview:
In this inspiring episode, host Kristi Faltorusso sits down with Karen Mangia, President and Chief Strategy Officer at Engineered Innovation Group, to discuss her remarkable journey to the C-suite and beyond.
Karen shares her career trajectory, which winds through major tech companies like AT&T, Cisco, and Salesforce, ultimately leading her to a leadership role at a cutting-edge AI solutions firm. The episode dives deep into how Karen’s organization shifted their focus from professional services to innovative AI products, and the real-world challenges and solutions they’re bringing to clients, such as leveraging AI to streamline healthcare case management.
But the conversation doesn’t stop at business. Kristi and Karen explore personal stories, including Karen’s initial dream of becoming a teacher, the lack of female professional role models in her early life, and the pivotal health crisis that redirected her understanding of success and well-being. Karen vulnerably shares her story of overcoming a toxic work-influenced belief system, her journey to better self-care, and how these experiences shaped her leadership philosophy.
About Karen Mangia:
Karen Mangia is a globally recognized keynote speaker, Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and thought leader in customer experience, leadership, and innovation. As President and Chief Strategy Officer of The Engineered Innovation Group and former Vice President at Salesforce, she brings extensive expertise in driving growth, transformation, and peak performance. Known for her impactful keynotes and practical strategies, Karen inspires audiences to achieve meaningful change, covering topics like resilient leadership, customer engagement, and creating cultures of innovation. Karen was previously a senior leader and Cisco and commenced her career AT&T in sales and sales leadership. Karen holds multiple degrees from Ball State University and Ivy Tech, is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP), and has been honored with accolades like the 2024 Game Changing Woman Award. Beyond her professional achievements, Karen is deeply committed to community impact, serving on nonprofit boards and promoting education, the arts, and workforce development.
Timestamps:
00:00 AI-Empowered Business Efficiency Solutions
05:43 AI Solution Enhances Work Efficiency
09:59 Every Life Has a Story
13:47 Redefining Success Through Wellness
15:51 From Illness to Recovery: Leadership Impact
20:22 Empowering Decision-Making Autonomy
22:39 Overcoming Pleaser Mindset in Adulthood
26:17 "Turning Resistance into Opportunity"
31:28 Empowering Women Through Coaching
35:22 Aligning Life with Core Values
37:39 Four Life-Changing Questions
40:07 "Prioritizing Brief Personal Time"
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