Better At Work with Cathal Quinlan

The Strategy Framework That Took Sephora to 16 Billion | Listener Questions | Better@Work S4 Ep 34

Better At Work with Cathal Quinlan

Show Notes

The final listener questions episode of Better at Work, Season 4.

This week is Cathal and Annette closing out the season's questions before next week's wrap, with the stories that stuck with them and a look ahead to Season 5.

Annette shares the story of Pauline Wald, a banking executive who walked 2,000 kilometres across France and Spain to find what her successful life had been missing.

Cathal gets honest about a habit a lot of us share, starting the day with the easy task instead of the hard one, and the idea from this season that made him rethink it.

We also revisit the biggest ideas from our recent conversation with Roger Martin, ranked the number 1 management thinker in the world, and the questions you have already sent us for next season.

What we cover: • The banker who walked 2,000km to find what success had left out • Why successful people do the hardest task first • What you want us to cover in Season 5 • The Roger Martin strategy ideas that stuck, including: what would have to be true? • How a former Sephora CEO scaled with the same framework

Got a career dilemma for Season 5? Send it to us at betteratwork.net.

Next week: our Season 4 wrap, recorded in person in London.

Follow Better at Work so you never miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from Better At Work with Cathal Quinlan

Oct 13, 2026

What makes an office worth coming back to?

Oct 6, 2026

A team member keeps missing commitments. There is always a reason, the rest of the team is frustrated, and their manager is running out of patience. What should happen next?

Sep 29, 2026

A good conversation changes what you say next.

Sep 22, 2026

Saying yes to one thing leaves less time for something else. So how do you decide what deserves your attention?

See all episodes →