{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Fit Happens: The Executive Search Podcast","title":"Career Fit Beyond VC: Kara Nortman's Path to Women's Sports Leadership","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3034,"description":"She left a dream job at peak success — because she finally discovered what true alignment feels like.\n\nIn this episode of Fit Happens, Jason Baumgarten sits down with Kara Nortman, managing partner of Monarch Collective — the only investment platform exclusively focused on women's sports. Kara's career spans Morgan Stanley, IAC, Battery Ventures, Upfront Ventures, and co-founding Angel City Football Club alongside Natalie Portman. She talks candidly about what it took to leave a role she was thriving in to pursue a fit she didn't know she needed, the role of coaching and personality frameworks in her growth, and what she's learned about assessing people across decades of investing.\nKey Takeaways:True alignment feels different from just being good at your job — and recognizing that gap is a gift.Flow isn't something that arrives; it requires deliberately building the right container of habits and environment.Women often take longer than men to recognize and fully own their natural strengths — and this has real career costs.Using tools like the Enneagram and Human Design can help leaders identify patterns and lead more self-aware teams.The victim, villain, hero framework is a powerful lens for reframing how you respond to difficult circumstances at work.Job crafting works: Kara's decision to write a venture blog in 2004 directly led to her role at IAC.The best hires often have broken resumes and something to prove — perfection on paper can be a red flag.Interviewing is no better than a coin toss even for skilled practitioners — but starts improving when you define what you actually need.Reference calls work best when referencers feel they're helping you succeed with the person, not judging whether to hire them.Partnering well — knowing what you're great at and building complementary teams around it — is the long-term driver of enduring companies.Connect with Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbaumgarten/ \nEmail the show here: fithappens.fm","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/nfrwsHIoMq0qJsuJW-EcxTodUSD43yD_feja2FF86KI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mZWE0/YjE4NzE2ZTNiZGQz/NDQ4MWNhYzdjNzA0/ZTE1OC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}