Maleficent: The Misunderstood Project Manager | Hard Knock University Podcast (Mother’s Day Special)

👑 Was Maleficent really the villain… or just a boundary-setting project lead with a broken heart and a green flame budget?

This week on the Hard Knock University Podcast, we rewrite the fairy tale and put Disney’s Maleficent under the leadership lens — just in time for Mother’s Day.

Host Mark Caples is joined by Caroline Moncion Trinidad and Seth Caples as they unpack:

Maleficent’s misunderstood leadership style

King Stefan’s toxic ambition and failure to manage stakeholders

Project management lessons from betrayal, burnout, and boundaries

Tiffany Dufu’s Drop the Ball, our Book of the Week, and why it’s a must-read for leaders AND life partners

What happens when motherhood and management collide — and why letting go might be the smartest move a leader can make

🔥 Plus: A very personal story about Mark’s wife, Jen, and her inspiring journey from night school to her own classroom.

🎧 Next week: We go full chaos with Heath Ledger’s Joker and the project management genius hidden in The Dark Knight, with guests Todd Roth and Tom DeVeronica.

👉 Subscribe, like, and share — and don’t forget to visit https://leadershipknocks.com/book to grab The Hard Knock School of Project Management and book Mark to speak.

📚 Book of the Week: Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu

🎉 Special shoutout to SMG Academy — where hustle meets harmony. Use code HKU2025 at https://smgacademy.online for 15% off.

🧠 #HardKnockLesson: You don’t build greatness by gripping everything tight. You build it by trusting others to carry it forward.