Time To Press Pause - Real-Life Stories from the C-Suite
The only constant is change.
To successfully navigate through the change, leaders need the time and space to focus.
It’s time to press pause.
Ellen Williams, CEO of The Salient Strategist, is the host of these raw, intimate C-Suite "press pause" stories. Listen to the why, when, and how they knew it was time to press pause and their outcomes.
Pausing to focus is crucial, whether it is minutes, days, weeks, or longer because some decisions can be made quickly, but many can’t and shouldn’t.
Time To Press Pause - Real-Life Stories from the C-Suite
Nurture Your Dreams with Johanne Brierre
In this podcast episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams welcomes guest Johanne Brierre, CEO of Brooklyn Commons and New York Beauty Suites. Johanne recounts her transition from working in the fast-paced New York City hospitality industry to founding co-working spaces in her Brooklyn neighborhood. She explains how she recognized a need for supportive, community-oriented resources for entrepreneurs, especially outside Manhattan’s usual tech and business hubs. With minimal funds, she took a leap of faith—pressing pause for a year to identify the right partnerships, incubator-style supports, and a sense of purpose in serving her local community. Through dedication and persistence, Brooklyn Commons has grown into a dynamic environment that empowers over 350 small businesses and “beauty-preneurs,” offering shared offices, event venues, and a network of fellow founders.
Johanne reflects on the challenges of navigating COVID as the owner of a shared workspace, sharing how community spirit sustained many of her members and helped them adapt to new circumstances. She highlights the power of pausing to regain clarity, emphasizing that true progress and impact rely on stepping back to align with personal values and collective goals. Throughout the conversation, both Ellen and Johanne stress the significance of building authentic relationships, embracing a long-term vision for success, and recognizing that pausing does not mean losing momentum—it can be the key to achieving deeper impact.
To learn more about Johanne, visit https://bklyncommons.com/
To learn more about Ellen, visit https://thesalientstrategist.com/