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The shiny version of ambition is easy to post. The real version shows up when you’re 24 hours out from opening the doors to 4,000 attendees and your brain is doing math on ticket sales, expectations, investors, and everything that could go wrong.

We sit down with Marina Middleton at Create & Cultivate Festival in Los Angeles and go deep on the cost of ambition for women in business. Marina shares what she had to change to scale: a new leadership style, stronger emotional boundaries, and the kind of self-trust that holds steady even when results are delayed. We also talk about why she takes “no” personally, then how she flips rejection into a sales and messaging skill: when someone doesn’t buy, they often don’t see the value yet, and it’s our job to communicate it better.

From there, we get honest about the parts people don’t see on social media: family sacrifices, parenting decisions, and the push-pull of sharing your life while still protecting what matters. Marina opens up about burnout signals, tying self-worth to work, and why “failure is data” can be a lifeline for founders. As a first-generation Egyptian American, she reflects on legacy, identity, and what it means to carry influence ethically, reminding us that pressure can be a privilege when you choose to lead with morals intact.

If you’re building a business, leading a team, or trying to grow without losing yourself, this conversation will land. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who’s in the thick of it, and leave a review telling us what part of ambition you’re learning to navigate right now.

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Before you go - here are three ways to continue elevating your legacy & connect:

1. Follow @ElevateCollection.co on Instagram along with your host, @alexandriareed.co & @Jordanhawkins.co
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Remember: Your influence is just the beginning. Your legacy is the destination.

See you soon, where influence meets legacy.