Bossing It: Constantly Learning and Finding Gold with Analisa Goodin
Analisa Goodin is the founder and CEO of Catch+Release, a creative technology marketplace that puts the content of the web safely at the fingertips of brands and agencies. Through proprietary technology, Catch+Release makes it easy for creatives to sift for gold to find the best fit content for the brief and budget.
Supported by a verified process of clearance and licensing, creatives, producers and business affairs teams move swiftly through their production process with peace of mind while crafting stories that drive business and win awards.
LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?
Analisa> My first real leadership experience came from being the oldest of three kids. As the big sister, I learned a lot about the power and responsibility that comes with a leadership role and the potential to abuse that power if I wasn't careful. It taught me important lessons about finding the right balance and using my influence in a way that brought my siblings along, rather than just dictating to them.
Another formative leadership experience for me was when my company transitioned from a services business to a tech company with venture funding. That shift required me to adapt my leadership style to the new stage of the company's journey. I had to learn how to be a different kind of leader that the business needed at that phase - one who could navigate the complexities of scaling a tech company and leading a team through that transformation.
LBB> How did you figure out what kind of leader you wanted to be – or what kind of leader you didn’t want to be?
Analisa> As a leader, I've always aspired to communicate clearly, trust and empower my team, and be comfortable admitting when I don't have all the answers. I wanted to break away from the stereotypical "tough, aloof, and authoritarian" CEO prototype that is often portrayed in the media and tech industry.
Instead, I've tried to cultivate a leadership style that is transparent, collaborative, and empathetic. It's important to create an environment where people feel safe and are honest and vulnerable because that openness allows me to get better information and make more informed decisions. As a leader, I see my role as navigating the company through challenges, not having all the solutions myself but bringing the right people together to find the best path forward.
LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?
Analisa> The biggest leadership lessons I've learned have come from navigating the difficult circumstances and decisions that are often required to steer a company through challenging times. As a leader, you're constantly faced with choices that impact the trajectory of the business and the people involved.
I've found that the true test of leadership emerges when you have to make tough calls that may not be popular but are necessary for the long-term health and success of the organisation. Whether it's adjusting strategy, restructuring the team, or making other significant changes, these moments require conviction in your vision and a willingness to prioritise the company's best interests.
Importantly, when you do have to make those hard choices, it's critical that you show up extra for your team. They need to see your steady hand, transparency about the situation, and commitment to supporting them through the transition. Over-communicating, providing clarity, and demonstrating empathy are all essential for maintaining trust and morale.
Ultimately, leadership is not about having all the answers or making unilateral decisions. It's about navigating uncertainty, making tough calls when needed, and bringing your team along with you through it all. The lessons I've learned in these challenging moments have been invaluable in shaping me as a more effective and impactful leader.
LBB> Did you know you always wanted to take on a leadership role? If so how did you work towards it and if not, when did you start realising that you had it in you?
Analisa> Yes, I think I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to blaze my own trail rather than just follow in someone else's footsteps. Even in my 20s, when I was working in different jobs, I was always looking for ways to do things differently or take on roles that didn't exist before. As an artist, I was used to the entrepreneurial mindset of building my own process and business.
I believe I've had that leadership and entrepreneurial drive in me from a young age. For me, entrepreneurship and leadership have always gone hand-in-hand—the act of creating something new and getting people to join you on that mission is a form of leadership in itself. And that's what I've been drawn to and passionate about throughout my career.
LBB> When it comes to 'leadership' as a skill, how much do you think is a natural part of personality, how much can be taught and learned?
Analisa> I believe leadership encompasses both natural and learned components. While everyone possesses inherent qualities and tendencies that lend themselves to leadership, being an effective leader is also a skill that can be developed and refined over time. The specific circumstances, the people you are leading, and the mission you are trying to accomplish all significantly influence the type of leadership required.
Thus, even if you have natural leadership abilities, you must adapt and adjust your approach based on the context.
This is why I believe ongoing learning and development are crucial for leaders. Mentors, peer groups, and hands-on experience are invaluable for sharpening these skills. Although you may have the raw materials, becoming a great leader requires effort and dedication. Leadership is a continuous process of growth and evolution, where one must remain open to new ideas and willing to evolve with changing demands and environments.
LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?
Analisa> One of the most challenging aspects of leadership in a start-up environment is managing the multitude of variables that are constantly in flux. The market, your strategies, organisational structure, and funding needs can all be in a state of continuous change as you innovate and grow the business. This dynamic environment demands leaders to be highly adaptable and capable of swift context switching to respond effectively to evolving circumstances.
To navigate this complexity, I've found it incredibly helpful to have regular check-ins with other CEOs who are going through similar journeys. Meeting with a peer group on a quarterly basis allows me to gain an outside perspective on the challenges I'm facing. They can identify patterns and provide feedback that I might overlook because I'm too immersed in the day-to-day operations.
Having that sounding board and accountability from other experienced leaders has been invaluable. They can call attention to issues I may be avoiding or highlight opportunities I'm missing, helping me stay agile and make better decisions amidst all the change and uncertainty.
LBB> Have you ever felt like you've failed whilst in charge? How did you address the issue and what did you learn from it?
Analisa> Failure is a constant companion for any leader, and I experience it daily. If you're not failing, you're not growing or pushing boundaries. The key is not to take it personally or get bogged down by disappointment. Instead, I try to approach failure as an opportunity to extract valuable lessons. When I make a mistake or encounter a setback, I make it a point to be honest with myself and my team about what went wrong. I ask for their feedback and input because that vulnerability and willingness to learn is a gift they're giving me.
As a leader, I believe it's important to model this behaviour and show my team that failure is okay—what matters is what you do with it. I share the lessons I've learned and commit to doing things differently moving forward. By creating an environment where failure is seen as growth rather than weakness, I hope to empower my team to take risks and innovate without fear.
Ultimately, the gold is in the lessons, not the failures themselves. As long as I'm constantly learning and applying those insights, I know I'm moving in the right direction as a leader.
LBB>In terms of leadership and openness, what’s your approach there? Do you think it’s important to be as transparent as possible in the service of being authentic? Or is there a value in being careful and considered?
Analisa> I believe transparency and openness are crucial for effective leadership, but it's also important to be thoughtful and deliberate in executing that transparency. As a leader, creating an environment where people feel safe being vulnerable and sharing honest feedback is essential. However, this doesn't mean sharing every piece of information or every raw emotion with the team.
The key is striking the right balance—being transparent about the state of the business, the challenges you're facing, and the decisions you're making while maintaining composure and professionalism. You want to share enough to build trust and keep people informed, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming or distracting. It's about being open and vulnerable in service of the mission, not just for the sake of it.
Ultimately, my approach is to err on the side of transparency but to do so strategically, empathetically, and focused on equipping the team to succeed. Openness and consideration are not mutually exclusive; I believe they go hand in hand for truly effective leadership.
LBB> As you developed your leadership skills did you have a mentor, if so who were/are they and what have you learned? And on the flip side, do you mentor any aspiring leaders and how do you approach that relationship?
Analisa> Yes, I have had mentors throughout my leadership journey, and I also prioritise mentoring others whenever I can. I've found that mentors who have been in the trenches themselves, as operators or former CEOs, have been the most valuable to me. They can provide real-world, practical guidance based on their own experiences. The mentors who have served me best have often evolved over time as my needs have changed at different stages of the company's growth.
Some have been with me from the very beginning, while others have come in to fill a specific gap or provide a fresh perspective.
In addition to individual mentors, I've also found tremendous value in peer groups of other CEOs. Being able to regularly connect with and learn from leaders who are facing similar challenges in real-time has been incredibly helpful. We can share lessons, give each other feedback, and hold each other accountable.
Paying it forward by mentoring others is also extremely important to me.
I know how transformative good mentorship can be, so I always make time to support aspiring leaders and founders whenever I can. It's a way for me to give back and continue growing as a leader myself.
LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?
Analisa> In challenging market circumstances, the key for a leader is to remain steadfast in the company's mission and vision while being transparent, vulnerable, and adaptable in executing that mission. The reason you started the company in the first place—the pain point you're trying to solve and the value you want to create—doesn't change, even if the external environment shifts dramatically. It's critical to keep that north star in focus and communicate it clearly to the team.
At the same time, you must be willing to adapt your strategy and the specific tactics you use to achieve your goals. The team needs to see that you're flexible and ready to make tough decisions rather than stubbornly clinging to a plan that no longer makes sense. Transparency about what's changing, why, and how you're navigating these changes is essential for maintaining trust and morale.
Ultimately, it comes down to balancing unwavering commitment to the mission, the vulnerability to acknowledge when things aren't going as planned, and the adaptability to chart a new course. If the team sees that steady hand and clear direction, they can weather the storm alongside you, even amidst uncertainty.
LBB> As a leader, what are some of the ways in which you’ve prioritised diversity and inclusion within your workforce?
Analisa> Diversity and inclusion are critical priorities for me as a leader. I believe it starts with creating an environment where multiple perspectives and life experiences are celebrated and empowered. It's not enough to hire a diverse team; you have to foster a culture where people feel safe being vulnerable, sharing honest feedback, and challenging the status quo. That openness and trust are the foundation for unlocking the true value of diversity.
In practical terms, that means being intentional about the types of experiences and backgrounds I'm looking for when building my team. I'm not just seeking the traditional "tech" pedigree but actively looking for people who have taken more circuitous paths and can bring fresh ideas and approaches to the table. It also means being transparent about my own biases and limitations as a leader and creating channels for ongoing feedback and course correction.
I'm always striving to learn and improve because I know that my own perspective is inherently limited.
Diversity and inclusion aren't just nice-to-haves; they're strategic imperatives that make the business stronger and more resilient. By celebrating multiple viewpoints and experiences, we can make better decisions and deliver more value to our customers.
LBB> How important is your company culture to the success of your business? And how have you managed to keep it alive with increases in remote and hybrid working patterns?
Analisa> Company culture is absolutely critical to the business's success, but it must be an intentional, strategic priority, not just something that happens organically. At Catch+Release, the culture we're building is specifically tailored to our company's unique mission and needs. It's not about creating a "fun" or "cool" culture for its own sake but rather cultivating the exact mindsets, behaviours, and ways of working that will enable us to achieve our goals.
For us, this means fostering a culture of trust, openness, and clear communication. Because we're in the business of enabling safe and celebratory exchanges between creators and customers, it's essential that our internal culture models those same values.
We need a team that is comfortable being vulnerable, providing honest feedback, and working collaboratively towards a shared vision. This focus on culture has become even more important as we've shifted to more remote and hybrid work patterns.
Without the natural in-person touchpoints, we've had to be even more intentional about maintaining that sense of connection, transparency, and shared purpose. It's an ongoing process of reinforcing our values, celebrating our wins, and giving people the space to voice their challenges.
Ultimately, I believe culture isn't just a "nice to have;" it's a strategic imperative that has to be actively shaped and nurtured, especially in a fast-paced, dynamic environment like a startup. The right culture can be a powerful competitive advantage.
LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?
Analisa> The most helpful resources in my leadership journey have been the connections and relationships I've built with mentors and my peer group of fellow CEOs. Talking through challenges, sharing lessons learned, and getting honest feedback from people who have been in the trenches themselves have been incredibly valuable. Whether it's a formal mentorship relationship or regular check-ins over coffee, those one-on-one interactions have been transformative.
I've also found a lot of value in being part of a peer group of CEOs who are navigating similar stages and challenges. Learning from each other's experiences, holding each other accountable, and providing an outside perspective have been crucial. It's easy to get stuck in your own echo chamber as a leader, so having that sounding board has been invaluable.
Beyond those personal connections, I do find value in resources like the Harvard Business Review. Still, I tend to gravitate more towards books, podcasts, and other content that provides a broader, more holistic perspective on leadership rather than just industry-specific advice.
Ultimately, I believe the most impactful resources for me have been the people—both those who have come before me and those who are walking the journey alongside me. Tapping into that collective wisdom and experience has been instrumental in my growth and development as a leader.
