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F'ing Up
F’ing Up is a podcast that peels back the highlight reel of success. Hosted by Deanne Rhynard, each episode features accomplished guests who share the messy, real, and often uncomfortable parts of their journeys—the moments that shaped their eventual success.
In a world where social media sells the illusion of overnight success, F’ing Up reminds listeners (especially those early in their careers or considering a major pivot) that growth is never linear. Deanne invites guests to drop the polished narrative, explore their stumbles, and reflect on what those experiences taught them in real time.
Because the truth is: what we often label as failure is usually just part of the climb.
After all, we’re all F’ing Up.
ABOUT THE HOST
Deanne Rhynard is a Success Mentor and the Host of The F’ing Up Podcast, where she translates failure into clarity, confidence, and momentum. Known for her grounded honesty and sharp emotional intelligence, she helps people cut through noise, confront blind spots, and define success on their own terms.
Before launching F’ing Up, Deanne spent nearly two decades as a Chief People Officer and startup advisor, helping companies navigate the messy, high-pressure stages of growth and scale. She shaped culture and leadership at organizations including Performio and Olo—the restaurant-tech pioneer where she scaled the team more than 30x, led the company through an IPO and two acquisitions, and built a remote-first culture well before the rest of the world caught up.
Her background spans people operations, corporate relations, and management roles at the UVA Darden School of Business, KKR, Marriott, and several early-stage startups. This breadth gives her an uncommon ability to read people quickly and understand what unlocks their potential—whether they’re early in their career or leading from the C-suite.
Deanne holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Walla Walla University and lives in Washington State with her husband and three sons.
F'ing Up
F'ing Up with Alex Poon - S2 E6
Alex Poon immigrated to the US during a pivotal time in his life, just in time for 8th grade. He encountered numerous challenges such as not knowing English, navigating cultural norms, and looking around and not seeing examples of himself. Alex pushed himself to work hard and overcome obstacles, but found himself struggling with the desire to always want more and finding it hard to be satiated.
About Alex Poon
Alex Poon is a three-time VC-backed founder. Most recently he co-founded CharmVerse, a web3 community operations platform. In the last 10 years, he co-founded AI startups x.ai and Visual Revenue, which were both acquired.
Earlier in his career, Alex built software for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Alex received his MBA from Columbia Business School. He also holds an MS and BS degree in Electrical Engineering.
Alex is an organizational design nerd, constantly experimenting with new ways to power the future of work.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speakers’ own and do not represent the
views, thoughts, and opinions of the companies or individuals referenced during this recording. The material and information presented is for general information purposes only.
