The Mask That Made Me with Cortney Jonas Burnos
By Susan Hunt
May 18, 2026
Why authenticity in leadership matters more than ever
What happens when high achievers stop pretending they have everything under control?
On this episode of Stare Down the Bull, host Susan Hunt sits down with Cortney Jonas Burnos for a conversation about leadership, AI, motherhood, resilience, and the emotional cost of always appearing “fine” at work.
Cortney shares her journey from working in a Disney call center to becoming a Vice President of AI. But this episode goes far beyond career milestones. It explores what success looks like behind the scenes and why so many professionals feel pressure to hide the realities of their personal lives while pursuing ambitious careers.
What Disney taught Cortney about customer experience
Early in her career, Cortney learned that great customer experience is built on emotional intelligence, empathy, and connection.
Working at Disney showed her that the moments customers remember most often can’t be measured on dashboards or performance reports. The human connection is what creates loyalty and trust.
That lesson still shapes how she approaches AI leadership today.
Key insight:
Technology may improve efficiency, but people are still what make experiences meaningful.
Why many AI implementations fail in real business environments
Susan and Cortney discuss one of the biggest problems companies are facing with AI adoption right now.
Many organizations rushed into AI initiatives without first identifying the actual business problem they were trying to solve.
According to Cortney, AI projects fail when organizations focus only on automation instead of the people who will use the systems every day.
Cortney’s approach to AI leadership includes:
- Designing AI systems that support people instead of replacing them
- Prioritizing employee experience and AI literacy
- Focusing on long-term operational value instead of short-term hype
- Aligning technology decisions with real business goals
One of the strongest moments in the episode comes when Cortney says:
“When you’re forcing these big AI implementations instead of solving a business problem, implementing AI becomes your new problem.”
The hidden pressure many working women still feel in corporate environments
The conversation becomes deeply personal when Cortney shares her experience of becoming a foster parent while working in a demanding consulting career.
After two deaths in her family, she suddenly became responsible for three teenagers dealing with trauma and instability. At the same time, she was trying to maintain the appearance of being fully committed and fully available at work.
Instead of asking for flexibility or support, she hid the stress she was carrying because she feared being viewed as less capable.
Susan and Cortney discuss how common this experience is for women in leadership roles.
They explore:
- Why many women feel pressured to hide motherhood at work
- The long-standing expectation to “leave personal life at home”
- How workplace cultures often reward emotional suppression
- The emotional exhaustion that comes from trying to “have it all”
- Why younger generations are redefining work-life expectations
The conversation highlights how many professionals quietly carry enormous personal burdens while trying to maintain an image of constant stability.
Why authenticity may be the future of leadership
One of the central themes of the episode is that authenticity is not weakness.
Cortney reflects on how hiding her struggles ultimately limited her effectiveness as a leader and prevented others from supporting her.
She also talks about the importance of mentorship, learning through failure, and finding role models who demonstrate both strength and humanity.
Susan shares her own perspective on resilience, boundaries, and the lessons that only come through difficult life experiences.
Together, they challenge the outdated belief that professionalism requires people to suppress who they are.
Resilience, leadership, and showing up honestly
By the end of the conversation, Cortney shares a realization that captures the spirit of the episode:
“I’m braver than I’ve ever thought that I was. I’m as strong as I’ve ever been in my life and my career isn’t over yet.”
This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership is not about pretending to be perfect. It’s about learning how to keep growing while carrying the realities of life with honesty, courage, and humanity.
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