Episode 18: Elizabeth Neubauer-Donovan, No Apologies, No Buzzword Bingo - Motherhood, Measurement & Modern Commerce

What happens when one of commerce media’s most respected voices gets radically honest about leadership, motherhood, ambition, burnout, and the invisible emotional labor women carry every single day? You get this episode.

In this deeply personal and insight-packed conversation, Cristina and Jacqui sit down with Elizabeth Donovan — commerce media leader, podcast host, connector extraordinaire, and recent honoree on The Drum’s Commerce Media Power 100 — to unpack the realities behind the titles, the travel, and the LinkedIn headlines. 

From navigating motherhood while leading at the highest levels of commerce media, to discussing infertility, leadership empathy, work-life imbalance, and why women need to stop apologizing for being fully human at work — Elizabeth brings vulnerability, humor, and sharp industry perspective in equal measure.

The conversation also dives into the evolving commerce media landscape:
 • Why collaboration — not just consolidation — is the future of retail media
 • The importance of being “data ready” and identity-led
 • Why measurement is still one of the industry’s biggest unresolved challenges
 • The danger of buzzwords without business outcomes
 • How strong leaders create more leaders, not followers

But beyond the commerce conversation, this episode is ultimately about redefining success on your own terms. About choosing what matters in different seasons of life. About creating your own village. And about building workplaces where women don’t have to hide motherhood, ambition, or vulnerability to succeed.

Raw, funny, emotional, strategic — this is one of those conversations that reminds us why SHeCOMMERCE exists in the first place.

Bold Brands. Fierce Women. One Sisterhood. 🎧

SHeCOMMERCE: 

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