The Cupcake War That Made Her Quit Baking Forever (True Corporate Story)

She's been "ruining the workplace" since 1997 — and she has zero regrets. Lori Lalonde spent nearly three decades in corporate tech, including senior leadership roles at Microsoft and Manulife, before walking away to build her own executive coaching practice for women.In this episode, Lori and Jessica dig into the moment a CEO told Lori to choose between her job and her kids, the town hall confrontation that got her called into a boardroom for an "apology," the cupcake incident that ended her office baking career forever, and the specific, practical boundaries — like refusing to answer messages immediately — that changed how she operates as a leader. They also unpack why so many women in corporate are burning out, why "office politics" isn't a dirty word, and what it actually takes to navigate power inside an organization built by people who don't look like you.Lori Lalonde is the CEO and founder of Her Executive Ascent, an executive leadership advisory practice for senior women in high-stakes organizations, and host of the podcast Leadership Recalibrated.Connect with Lori:Website: www.herexecutiveascent.comLinkedIn: Lori Lalondehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lorilalonde/Podcast: Leadership Recalibrated (Spotify & Apple Podcasts)https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Follow Connecting the Dots with Jessica Caresse for more conversations on leadership, entrepreneurship, and building a career (and life) on your own terms.