As President of Marian Middle School since 2013, Mary Elizabeth Grimes is responsible for stewarding over 200 students from 5th grade through post-secondary education and beyond. In this episode of the FOCUS on Leadership podcast, she shares her thoughts on the power of education and the joy she finds in supporting and leading her students. Reflecting back on a long and extensive career, ranging from media sales to sports marketing to nonprofit management, Mary Elizabeth discusses the importance of staying in alignment with your purpose and values.

Recently retired after a 25-year career with Mastercard, FOCUS Leadership St. Louis alum Wendy Richardson is reflecting back on the lessons she's learned, the advice she would share with others, and how she finds joy in every day. In this episode, FOCUS Director of Leadership Programs Shalia Ford sits down with Wendy to explore the difference between mentors and sponsors, how her Leadership St. Louis experience shaped her perspective and what lies ahead in this next stage of her life.

Too often, we hold ourselves back with feelings that we don't belong or don't measure up. In this episode of the FOCUS on Leadership podcast, we sit down with Ruth Kim, General Counsel, SVP and Senior Partner for FleishmanHillard, to explore her strategies for tackling imposter syndrome and the lessons she's learned throughout her successful career. In it, she also discusses the importance of giving yourself grace, the power of unconditional love, and her vision for a St. Louis renaissance.