Wondering how to build real executive presence, even when self-doubt creeps in at the top? In this episode, Priya Sam talks with executive advisor Emily Feairs about what power actually is, why high-achieving women still question their worth, and how to translate your experience into outcomes people remember.

Emily Feairs is a former Chief of Staff turned executive advisor and leadership strategist. She works with senior women leaders across corporate, government, and policy spaces, and is the co-founder of The Power Shift, a national event series convening women shaping Canada's most consequential decisions, and Our Time to Lead, an initiative advancing women's political leadership. Through her coaching practice, Emily helps high-performing women move from over-functioning operators to strategic power players at the top of their fields.

In this episode, you'll learn:
→ What power actually means, and why it's already something you have, not something you need to be given
→ Why even women at the highest levels still battle self-doubt, and what finally shifts it
→ How to stop describing your experience as a checklist and start speaking in outcomes and impact
→ Why the story you tell yourself matters just as much as the story you tell others
→ How executive presence is built through strategy and judgment, not just confidence

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Introducing Emily Feairs: Former Chief of Staff Turned Executive Advisor
00:41 – The Moment Emily Truly Unleashed Her Voice
02:20 – Why the Shift Happens Gradually, Not All at Once
03:04 – Noticing the Pattern: Women with Great Ideas Who Weren't Getting Promoted
05:40 – What Power Actually Means (and Why It's Not About Dominance)
06:44 – Reconciling Power with Being Socialized to Be "Nice"
08:56 – Reframing Fear as a Signal, Not a Warning
10:33 – Telling Yourself a Better Story About Your Own Success
12:15 – Why Leadership Feels More Exposing at the Top
14:44 – The Story You Tell Yourself vs. the Story You Tell Others
16:15 – Trying to Be Who Others Want You to Be — and What It Costs You
17:53 – Leaning Into Your Real Personality as a Leadership Differentiator
20:23 – Why "Spicy" Is More Memorable Than "Vanilla" Leadership
20:56 – The Power Shift and Our Time to Lead: Why These Initiatives Exist
22:53 – The Structural Gap: Workplaces Built for a World That No Longer Exists
25:20 – The Cultural Shift Needed for Women in Leadership
26:53 – The Role of Allyship in The Power Shift and Our Time to Lead
30:03 – Feminist Leadership as an Approach, Not a Gender
31:53 – Translating Experience into the Problem You Solve
33:37 – Speaking in Outcomes, Not Task Lists, at the Executive Level
36:22 – What Emily Is Most Proud of: Building The Power Shift in Six Months
38:24 – How to Connect with Emily Feairs and Final Takeaways

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CONNECT WITH EMILY FEAIRS

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyfeairs/
🌐 The Power Shift: Power Shift

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CONNECT WITH PRIYA

🌐 Website: Home
📹 YouTube: Priya Sam
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyasam/
📸 Instagram: Priya Sam | Your Story Architect✨ (@priyasam) • Instagram profile
👤 Facebook: Priya Sam

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