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Leadership didn’t become exclusionary over time. It was intentionally built that way.

In this replay episode of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil sit down with Shoshana Allice, a neuro-inclusive leadership coach and consultant, to examine how leadership systems are rooted in exclusion and what it takes to lead differently.

This conversation explores decolonizing leadership, the myth of belonging through conformity, and how power, privilege, and productivity norms shape who gets to lead and who gets left out. Together, they name the ways we’ve been taught to wear armor, suppress our bodies, and confuse fitting in with safety.

This episode covers:

• Why so many leadership systems are exclusionary
• What it means to decolonize leadership and unlearn inherited norms
• Belonging vs. fitting in
• Rest as resistance inside productivity culture
• Curiosity as a leadership practice
• Reclaiming humanity in leadership and work

If you’re questioning traditional leadership models, navigating burnout, or searching for more honest and humane ways to lead, this episode offers language (and permission) to stop pretending the system works for everyone.

Key Moments:

00:00 – Welcome and Introductions
07:20 – Curiosity, Writing, and Listening to the Process
13:20 – Introducing Shoshana Alice
15:47 – Land Acknowledgement and Context
21:33 – What Decolonizing Leadership Really Means
25:15 – Safety, Armor, and Brave Spaces
30:04 – Curiosity as the Starting Point
34:45 – Belonging vs. Fitting In
38:32 – Age, Wisdom, and Leadership
44:36 – Key Takeaways and Reflections
49:10 – Where to Find Shoshana and Closing

Resources Mentioned:

📖 Rest as Resistance by Tricia Hersey

🎥 This is Water

Connect with Shoshana:

🌎 www.decolonizingleadership.com

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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In this re-released episode, we explore the crucial difference between competence and confidence, and why understanding this distinction might be the key to getting unstuck. This episode was originally released November 19, 2024. We're resurfacing this conversation because the struggle between external validation and internal confidence is timeless, and these insights deserve another listen.

Kim, Louise, and business coach Becky Mollenkamp dive into the psychology of proving energy, the myth that confidence appears before you're ready, and why taking action scared is the only way forward. Becky shares her journey from a "perfect on paper" life to complete upheaval, and what she learned about building businesses and lives aligned with who you actually are.

If you've ever felt like you're doing all the right things but still don't feel ready, struggled with self-doubt despite having the skills, or wondered whether fear or wisdom is holding you back from your next big move, this conversation is for you.

What We Cover

• The critical difference between competence (external validation) and confidence (internal belief)
• Why "proving energy" keeps you stuck in a cycle of seeking approval
• How to act your way into believing faster than you can believe your way into acting
• The "Is this new?" framework for evaluating whether fear is protecting you or limiting you
• How to resource yourself when taking scary steps forward
• The mediocre white man test: identifying when systemic conditioning (not lack of ability) holds you back
• Why sometimes the bravest choice is saying "I could do this, and I choose not to"

About Becky Mollenkamp

Becky is a business coach for entrepreneurs ready to transition from small business owner to CEO without recreating toxic corporate culture. She's the founder of the Feminist Founders Movement, host of the Feminist Founders Podcast, co-host of the Messy Liberation Podcast, and founder of the Feminist Podcasters Collective. You can find her work at https://beckymollenkamp.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen + Subscribe If this episode resonates, follow The Empowered & Embodied Show for more conversations on confidence, self-trust, leadership, and building a life aligned with who you actually are.

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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In this re-released episode, we dive right into the heart of personal agency, systemic conditioning, and what it actually takes to reclaim your power in a world that benefits from you doubting yourself. This episode was originally released on October 29, 2024. We’re resurfacing this episode because the conversation around agency, sovereignty, and systems is more relevant than ever and it’s worth hearing again.

Kim, Louise, and coach + mediator Valerie Friedlander explore how we learn to trust our bodies, advocate for ourselves (and our kids), and untangle the beliefs we absorbed from workplaces, schools, and social systems that were never designed with our wellbeing in mind.

If you’ve ever struggled with self-trust, boundary-setting, burnout, parenting in a system that overrides instincts, or feeling “not enough” inside corporate or cultural expectations, this conversation hits home.

What We Cover
• How systems — not individuals — create the illusion of disempowerment
• The difference between agency, abdication, and conscious choice
• Why curiosity is a key tool for sovereignty and emotional resilience
• Parenting kids to trust their bodies and instincts
• How corporate conditioning follows you into entrepreneurship
• The role of self-advocacy inside schools, healthcare, and workplaces
• What it means to reclaim power without bypassing the realities around you

About Valerie
Valerie is a Life & Business Alignment Coach with over 20 years in leadership development, mediation, and personal empowerment work. Her podcast can now be found under Mindset Unlimited. You can find her coaching, writing, and podcast episodes at valeriefriedlander.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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If this episode resonates, follow The Empowered & Embodied Show for more conversations on self-trust, sovereignty, leadership, and living in alignment with who you actually are.

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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In Episode 187 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil sit down with transformational leadership partner Garland Fuller to explore the power of third spaces -- the places that remind you who you are when life pulls you in every direction.

They go deep into how community, movement, and curiosity open the door back to yourself. They talk about the grief of disconnection, the courage to be a beginner again, and why belonging matters more than ever.

This conversation is a grounded reminder that connection isn’t a luxury, it’s medicine. And sometimes the smallest, most unexpected spaces are the ones that pull you back together.

Key Takeaways:

• Third spaces help you remember who you are outside of roles and expectations.
• Belonging is a core ingredient of human wellbeing.
• Movement reconnects you to your body’s wisdom.
• Curiosity opens the door to growth and possibility.
• Workplaces can transform when they adopt third-space principles.
• Community engagement deepens self-understanding.
• Intentional participation unlocks the full impact of third spaces.

Key Moments:

00:00 — Opening

01:47 — Welcomes and Guest Intro

03:20 — Defining Third Spaces

07:52 — Garland’s Personal Transformation

12:05 — Reclaiming Self Through Community

17:17 — Movement + Body Wisdom

20:12 — Presence and Belonging

23:28 — Accessibility and Equity in Third Spaces

27:29 — Third Spaces Inside Workplaces

32:06 — Why Adults Lose Curiosity

36:03 — Returning to Self Through Ritual

38:29 — Final Takeaways

Connect with Garland:

Website: http://www.garlandfuller.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin/in/garlandfuller

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garlandrfuller

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@garlandfuller

Keywords: third space, community, belonging, personal growth, movement, curiosity, accessibility, workplaces, inclusivity, transformation

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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The headlines say “women ruined the workplace.” We’re naming what’s actually breaking. In Episode 186 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, hosts Kim Romain and Louise Neil unpack the collapse of outdated power structures, the fear driving the backlash against equity, and the deeper cultural shift happening under the surface.

This episode goes beyond the narrative we've been asked to accept and dives into the patriarchy, workplace culture, conditioning, belonging, leadership, and the collective exhaustion so many are holding. If you’ve felt the ground shifting, or felt blamed for it, you’re in the right place.

You’ll hear:
• Why people cling to “traditional values” when systems begin to crumble
• How scarcity, fear, and privilege shape the stories we’re told
• What’s actually eroding the old workplace and why that’s necessary
• How change happens through underground networks, community, and courage
• What it means to lead with humanity in collapsing systems

If you’re tired of being told you’re the problem, keep listening.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to the Empowered and Embodied Show

02:05 Discussion on Women Ruining the Workplace

05:21 The Impact of Feminine Leadership

09:37 Breaking Down Patriarchal Systems

14:09 The Need for Inclusivity and Equity

18:23 Navigating Change and Fear in the Workplace

23:01 Metaphors for Understanding Change

27:23 Closing + What’s Next

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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What if your closet is holding more than clothes?

In Episode 185 of the Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil sit down with style coach and strategist Kyla Brown to explore style as a tool for daily embodiment and identity work.

They unpack the difference between dressing for performance and dressing for authenticity, how internalized beliefs show up in what we wear, and why giving yourself permission to hit reset can change everything.

This is a conversation about self-worth, personal power, and learning to dress from the inside out. Because style isn’t about image... it’s a signal of our alignment.

Key Takeaways

• Style is a daily act of identity work. It’s how we embody who we are, not just what we wear.
• Our closets often mirror our inner world; clutter, shame, or holding on can reveal deeper emotional patterns.
• Dressing for authenticity reconnects us to personal power and self-trust.
• Letting go of clothes that no longer fit who we’re becoming creates space for evolution and possibility.
• Hitting “reset” on style isn’t vanity, it’s an act of self-knowledge and liberation.

Key Moments

00:00 – Welcome and Guest Introduction

02:50 – Redefining Style as Personal Power

05:20 – From Tech to Style: Kyla’s Pivot

09:20 – Style, Conditioning, and Authentic Presence

13:10 – Getting Dressed as Daily Identity Work

15:00 – When You Don’t Know Who You Are

19:00 – The Closet Reset: Letting Go and Starting Fresh

26:40 – Style, Self-Worth, and the Stories We Wear

33:10 – Archetypes, Identity, and Embodied Expression

43:20 – Permission to Hit Reset

Connect With Kyla

Kyla's Style Archetype Quiz: https://www.itskylanotkayla.com/quiz

Website: http://itskylanotkayla.com

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/itskylanotkayla

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itskylanotkayla/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@itskylanotkayla

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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What happens when you’ve got nothing left to give? In Episode 184 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, hosts Kim Romain and Louise Neil explore the complex relationship between caring, capacity, and emotional depletion. From world events to personal overwhelm, they unpack what it really means to reach your limits and why pulling your care back toward yourself can be the most loving act of all.

Kim shares her experience navigating global grief and burnout through the lens of embodiment and awareness, while Louise reflects on midlife disconnection, guilt, and the cultural conditioning that tells us we should always care more. Together, they remind us that self-care isn’t selfish... it’s sacred stewardship of your energy.

If you’ve ever felt drained, disconnected, or guilty for needing a break, this episode will offer you permission to pause, recalibrate, and reconnect with what truly matters.

Key Takeaways:

• Why emotional depletion isn’t failure—it’s feedback.
• How to discern between intentional and unintentional energy leaks.
• The power of awareness in rebuilding capacity.
• Why self-devotion is the foundation of sustainable leadership.

Key Moments:

00:00 – Opening reflection: When there’s nothing left to give
01:51 – Welcomes and setting the tone
02:14 – “Any Eff’s to give today?”
06:38 – Midlife disconnection and protecting energy
09:06 – Guilt, shame, and reclaiming capacity
10:22 – Acceptance and devotion
14:59 – Reparenting ourselves
19:23 – Intention, awareness, and energy
20:02 – The awareness–capacity–care circuit
21:17 – Where our energy is going today
23:46 – Invitation to reflect on your own capacity
25:18 – Closing reflections and farewell

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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What if the path to true health isn’t about control, restriction, or willpower... but about trust?

In this grounded and liberating conversation, hosts Kim Romain and Louise Neil sit down with Leah Hortin, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and Anti-Diet Health Coach, to explore how diet culture disconnects us from our bodies, and how to find peace, nourishment, and self-trust again.

Together, they unpack the history and harm of diet culture, the mental load it creates, and what it means to rebuild a caring, respectful relationship with your body. You’ll hear laughter, science, and soul as they talk about intuitive eating, oppression, emotional eating, and the freedom of finally feeling at home in your skin.

Listen if you’re ready to:

• Reconnect with your body’s wisdom
• Release food guilt and control
• Heal from the mental load of diet culture
• Redefine health on your own terms

Key Moments

00:00 – Opening reflection & introductions

03:03 – Leah’s story and breaking free from the guilt of “health” culture

04:27 – The money behind diet culture and the myth of sustainability

08:45 – Diet culture as a system of oppression and control

13:14 – The mental and physical toll of dieting and disconnection

15:38 – Relearning hunger, fullness, and body trust

24:45 – Healing the “forbidden food” cycle and finding freedom

35:51 – The myth of BMI and shifting definitions of wellness

43:54 – Integration: living fully and trusting your body again

46:31 – Final reflections and practical ways to start rebuilding trust

Connect With Leah

Diet Brain Quiz: http://bit.ly/3Le9HLt

Website: http://www.antidiethealthcoach.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/antidiethealthcoach

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antidiethealthcoach/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@antidiethealthcoach

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com