What if uncertainty isn’t a sign you’re failing, but proof you’re growing?

In today’s episode of The SMARTA Podcast, I’m joined by Brianna Sylver, innovation leader, author of Leading Through Freefall, and a trusted voice featured in The Washington Post. Brianna has spent over 20 years leading organizations through uncertainty, change, and disruption, and today she breaks down what no one teaches you about navigating the moments when everything feels out of control.

In this conversation, we unpack how to stop fighting uncertainty, why clarity is a superpower you claim (not find), and how resistance, self-doubt, and discomfort are actually signals pointing you toward growth.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why trying to control your future is holding you back

• How to lead yourself through discomfort instead of avoiding it

• What “freefall moments” really mean and how to use them

• How to stop shrinking when you hit resistance or self-doubt

• Simple habits to stay grounded, focused, and emotionally resilient

About Brianna Sylver:

Brianna Sylver is a global innovation leader and the author of Leading Through Freefall: How Innovators Turn Turbulence Into Trust. She works with Fortune 50 leaders and teams to help them navigate change, uncertainty, and emotional resistance and turn it into impact.

In this episode:

00:00 – Why the future is never predictable

02:40 – Letting go of control & leading through discomfort

05:00 – The freefall moment that changed everything

09:00 – How clarity becomes your superpower

12:00 – Why comparison quietly destroys confidence

14:30 – Reframing resistance as a gift

19:00 – The biggest mistake young professionals make

24:50 – The emotional side of innovation no one talks about

33:30 – Habits to prepare emotionally for change

38:30 – One small action to regain momentum

42:30 – Why you should read Leading Through Freefall

47:00 – Advice Brianna would give her 17-year-old self

50:30 – The daily ritual that unlocks clarity

If this episode resonated with you: do me a huge favor: double-check that you’re subscribed, follow the show, and rate this episode 5 stars.

It’s the single best way to help us bring you more amazing guests and tools to help you live your best life ever.

Now, go out there and make this your best year yet!

📺 Watch on YouTube: The SMARTA Podcast Playlist

📖 See Sonia’s books: www.soniamarta.com/books.

📲 Follow Sonia’s Journey linktr.ee/soniamartauthor

Music by epic_musictracks on Pixabay

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Your story is not over. It’s still being written.

What if the thing you’re missing right now isn’t motivation — but a village?

In this episode of The SMARTA Podcast, I sit down with Jonathan Conyers, author of I Wasn’t Supposed to Be Here, campaign feature on Humans of New York, and a voice recognised by The Washington Post, to talk about resilience, community, forgiveness, and how to keep going when life stacks the odds against you.

This conversation is raw, honest, and deeply human. Jonathan shares how belief carried him through hardship, why every moment is bittersweet, and how finding mentors, in unexpected places, changed the trajectory of his life.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why community is non negotiable for growth

• What Jonathan means by everything being bittersweet

• How forgiveness frees you more than anyone else

• How to find mentors even when no one looks like you

• Why confidence starts with understanding your own story

• How using your voice can change your future

• Why taking life one day at a time is sometimes the bravest strategy

Jonathan Conyers is an author speaker and founder working at the intersection of storytelling education and community building. His memoir I Wasn’t Supposed to Be Here gained national attention through a viral Humans of New York campaign and has been featured by The Washington Post. He is also the co founder of the Brooklyn Debate League empowering young people to claim their voice and rewrite their futures.

📍 Follow Jonathan on Instagram and LinkedIn

📘 Read I Wasn’t Supposed to Be Here

🎧 Listen to the Professional Winner Podcast

This episode is a reminder that you are not behind. You are becoming.

In this episode:

00:00 – Welcome to Episode 3 of the Year

02:15 – The three lessons that shaped Jonathan’s life

05:20 – Why community matters more than talent

09:30 – Growing up with belief when the odds are against you

14:30 – Finding mentors in unexpected places

19:00 – The Humans of New York moment and what it changed

24:00 – Becoming a father and finding a reason to keep going

28:05 – Staying focused when life feels unstable

32:00 – Helping young people claim their voice

36:50 – Passion as the through line of every career

40:30 – Advice Jonathan would give his 17 year old self

43:00 – Books that changed his perspective

45:30 – Final message for anyone who feels they are not enough

If this episode resonated with you: do me a huge favor: double-check that you’re subscribed, follow the show, and rate this episode 5 stars.

It’s the single best way to help us bring you more amazing guests and tools to help you live your best life ever.

Now, go out there and make this your best year yet!

📺 Watch on YouTube: The SMARTA Podcast Playlist

📖 See Sonia’s books: www.soniamarta.com/books.

📲 Follow Sonia’s Journey linktr.ee/soniamartauthor

Music by epic_musictracks on Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-epic-drama-113886/

Your story is not over. It’s still being written.

Do you feel stuck not because you’re behind, but because you’re waiting to feel ready?

In today’s episode of The SMARTA Podcast, I sit down with Musonda Veronica, Insider LA’s Person of the Year 2026, TEDx speaker, leadership coach, and keynote speaker, to break down how to step into this year with courage, clarity, and momentum even when your path doesn’t make sense yet.

This conversation is about choosing movement over perfection, courage over readiness, and trusting that you already have more value than you think.

What you’ll walk away with:

• Why your career path doesn’t need to make sense right now

• Why courage always beats readiness

• How to name fear so it stops controlling you

• How to build confidence through competence and familiarity

• How Gen Z mindset can reshape leadership at any age

• How to network, find mentors, and build opportunities from where you are

• Why your differences are not disadvantages, they’re your edge

Musonda Veronica’s work focuses on confidence, career transitions, leadership identity, and helping people step into opportunities before they feel ready.

This is your reminder that your dreams don’t need to make sense to anyone else. They just need movement from you.

In this episode:

00:00 – Welcome to Episode 2 of the Year

02:10 – Why you don’t need to be Gen Z to think like one

05:15 – The 3 truths that change how you approach your career

08:45 – Why courage beats readiness every time

12:40 – Saying yes before you’re ready changed everything

18:10 – How to name fear and turn it into a plan

22:30 – Confidence comes from familiarity

26:00 – Networking without fear or awkwardness

31:40 – Transferable skills when you have no experience

36:50 – Finding mentors when you think no one will say yes

40:10 – Books that changed Musonda’s life

45:45 – Final message you need to hear this year

If you learned something new from this episode, do me a huge favor: double-check that you’re subscribed, follow the show, and rate this episode 5 stars. It’s the single best way to help us bring you more amazing guests and tools to help you live your best life ever. Now, go out there and make this your best year yet!

📺 Watch on YouTube: The SMARTA Podcast Playlist

📖 See Sonia’s books: www.soniamarta.com/books.

📲 Follow Sonia’s Journey linktr.ee/soniamartauthor

Music by epic_musictracks on Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-epic-drama-113886/