EP #1 Mena Ramos: The Inner Work of Building Something Real

In this episode of the Lead Human, Eli shared a conversation with Dr. Mena Ramos Co-Founder & Co-CEO of GUSI.Global Ultrasound Institute (GUSI) is on a mission to revolutionize patient care worldwide — equipping medical professionals with the skills and tools to use Point of Care Ultrasound at the bedside, enabling faster, more informed clinical decisions that save lives. Through an innovative wrap-around learning platform combining AI-enabled technology, virtual mentorship, and tele-ultrasound, GUSI is bridging the gap between cutting-edge healthcare technology and everyday medical practice — one scan at a time.At the helm of that mission is Dr. Mena Ramos — family physician, entrepreneur, philosopher, and musician. As Co-Founder and Co-CEO of GUSI, she is operationalizing AI-enabled POCUS for measurable healthcare outcomes across teams spanning the Philippines, the United States, and Europe.But in this episode of Lead Human, Eli sits down with Mena to explore something beyond the company — the inner work behind the leadership.Mena opens up about what building GUSI taught her about herself — why growing a company strips away the professional mask and demands that you show up as a whole person. They explore the role of self-awareness in making better decisions under pressure, why emotional intelligence remains one of the most undervalued assets in business, how HR became one of the most critical systems in GUSI's growth, and why epistemic humility — the courage to say I don't have all the answers — might be the most important leadership skill of all.In this episode, we get into:Why building a company forces you to show up as a whole person — and why that's actually a good thingHow self-awareness became her most important leadership tool — and what it cost her before she developed itWhy emotional intelligence is still one of the most undervalued assets in any businessHow HR became essential infrastructure at Global Ultrasound Institute — not an afterthoughtWhat epistemic humility looks like in practice — and why leading with "I don't have all the answers" unlocks more than confidence ever couldIf this conversation resonated with you, we hope you stick around — there's a lot more where this came from. And if you know someone who would benefit from hearing this, share it with them.