In this Mirror Conversation, Gina Dunn sits down with Dr Rita Renee to explore what happens when visibility outpaces alignment — and the cost of performing for approval instead of leading with conviction. This episode is about silence, self‑betrayal, and the moment you decide to stop shrinking to belong.

Visibility is often treated as success. But what happens when being seen costs you your voice?

In this episode of Morning Cup of Brand Spark, Gina Dunn speaks with Dr Rita Renee — TEDx speaker, leadership coach, and author — about the quiet damage of misalignment, the danger of performative leadership, and the moment you choose to stop muting yourself to stay accepted.

Dr Rita shares how staying silent in misaligned spaces eroded her identity and convictions, why clarity costs access but builds authority, and what it truly means to unmute your voice without apology or shame.

This is a reflective conversation about leadership, self‑respect, and choosing peace over applause.

Learn more about Dr Rita Renee’s work, speaking, and coaching at: 👉 https://www.drritarenee.com

In this Mirror Conversation, Gina Dunn speaks with former CTO turned executive coach Andrew Hinkelman about burnout, boundaries, and the hidden emotional costs of being the smartest person in the room. This episode explores what happens when high performers stop fixing everything and start leading like humans.

Burnout doesn’t usually arrive as a breakdown. It shows up quietly — as exhaustion, apathy, and the slow erosion of self‑awareness.

In this episode of Morning Cup of Brand Spark, Gina Dunn sits down with Andrew Hinkelman — former CTO/COO and now executive coach — to explore the invisible ceiling many technically brilliant leaders hit.

Andrew shares how years of overwork, identity attachment, and self‑neglect culminated in physical burnout, forcing him to confront the limits of strategy, intelligence, and hustle. Together, Gina and Andrew unpack why leadership is ultimately human work — and why boundaries, vulnerability, and self‑understanding are not optional extras, but foundational skills.

This conversation is for leaders who look successful on paper but feel depleted behind the scenes — and for anyone ready to lead without losing themselves.

Andrew offers complimentary discovery coaching sessions for leaders curious about executive coaching.

👉 Learn more or connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhinkelman/

A public fall. A private reckoning. And the long road back to self-respect.

In this Episode 100 of Morning Cup of Brand Spark, Gina Dunn sits down with investigative journalist, author, and speaker Beth McDonough to explore what happens when a public identity collapses — and what it truly takes to rebuild a life you don’t need to escape from.

Beth McDonough spent three decades telling other people’s stories as a crime reporter in major U.S. newsrooms. Then she became the story.

After two DUIs, public humiliation, and being fired from the career she loved, Beth lost everything — her job, her reputation, her financial stability, and her sense of self. What followed was not a quick comeback, but years of accountability, sobriety, and slow reconstruction.

In this Mirror Conversation, Beth and Gina explore:

• What it means to lose an identity built on achievement and visibility

• The difference between public judgment and private accountability

• Why sobriety is a daily practice, not a redemption arc

• How resilience is built one “next right step” at a time

• Why you shouldn’t waste your suffering

This episode is not about scandal. It’s about reckoning, responsibility, and the courage it takes to begin again.

Beth McDonough is an investigative journalist, author, and speaker whose career spans major U.S. newsrooms and some of the country’s most high-profile crime stories. After years of reporting on other people’s darkest moments, she turned the lens inward with her memoir Standby — a raw, unflinching account of addiction, recovery, and reinvention.

Now based in southern Utah, Beth writes and speaks about resilience, sobriety, accountability, and finding purpose after life’s lightning strikes.

Connect With Beth

• Website / Author Hub: https://www.bethmcdmedia.com

• Book: Standby (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle)

• Social: @bemcdn