She Walked Into Her Dad's Office. Walked Out as CEO the Next Day

What happens when leadership isn't handed to you in a polished succession plan, but dropped in your lap with one day's notice?In this episode of the Sock Drawer Podcast, Lisa sits down with Sabrina Parsons, CEO of Palo Alto Software and LivePlan, for a deeply honest conversation about what it actually looks like to grow into leadership from inside something that already exists. Sabrina shares the "elevator moment" from her Princeton-era internship that convinced her corporate life would crush her, the decision to jump into the 1996 dot-com wave, and the unexpected day her dad asked, "If you were CEO, what would you do?" that made her CEO the next morning.But this isn't just a founder's daughter story. Sabrina walks through the messy, practical realities that don't make it into LinkedIn posts: navigating a full Windows to SaaS business model transition, learning that "perfect resume" hires often fail hardest, discovering that mission and culture have to be articulated before they can be lived, and the moment she realized her team needed to change as much as her product did.What you’ll learn in this episode:How to recognize when a role, team, or chapter no longer fitsLeading team transitions with clarity and dignityWhy “autonomy to be awesome” can outperform structureThe life-changing question that shifted Sabrina’s pathWhy fear of failure keeps so many women stuckA simple dare that could change how you show up tomorrowWhether you’re navigating leadership, a career pivot, or a new season of life, this conversation will challenge you to stop apologizing and start deciding.🎧 Subscribe to the Sock Drawer Podcast on YouTube for more conversations about growth, change, and courage.👋 Connect with Lisa:Instagram: @thesockdrawerpodcastTikTok: @thesockdrawerpodcastLinkedIn: Lisa Begley LinkedInWebsite: The Sock Drawer Podcast🌟 Learn more about Sabrina’s work:Palo Alto Softwarehttps://www.liveplan.com00:00 Intro01:06 Sabrina’s life before it all — Princeton, 199502:04 The internship that changed everything04:15 The elevator moment: “I never want to be one of these people”05:59 Entering the dot-com boom07:32 Meeting her husband, moving to London, and startup chaos10:40 Launching the UK arm of Palo Alto Software12:50 The ultimatum she gave her dad13:27 “If you were CEO, what would you do?”13:55 Becoming CEO overnight with no succession plan14:50 The shift from Windows software to SaaS explained18:57 The pressure and permission of leadership21:13 What nobody tells you about leading people24:14 When team members say they’re on board but aren’t27:22 Where to start when you feel stuck in leadership29:10 “Autonomy to be awesome”34:03 What LivePlan does and who it helps38:51 The three ways customers can use the platform40:04 Building a mission-based business that lives its values41:26 Drawer Dash rapid-fire questions44:22 Tiny Dare: Stop apologizing46:00 Closing