• Why I stopped drinking alcohol, it’s been 9 months now
• How pausing, rest and reflection helped me get
• Five reflection questions to help you ensure your calendar & bank account aligns with your values

Resources Mentioned:

• Follow Elaine on Instagram for Philippines photos + reflections: @elainelou_
• El Nido Resorts

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 300+ reviews on Google | LinkedIn | Youtube | Website
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

This episode is the replay of my biggest talk to 10,000+ AI founders and engineers at /function1 Dubai.

I spoke about Emotional Intelligence (EI) at an AI conference, and they listened.

I broke EI down in a way technical audiences understand:

patterns → systems → data → small improvements.

Because no matter how advanced AI becomes, the most complex system I’ll ever work with is a human.

In this conversation, I share how EI shapes leadership, communication, and opportunities — and I also learned so much from my fellow panelists.

• Mohammed Benzakour of LinkedIn: 70% of our job skills will change by 2030.
• AI replaces tasks. Humans win through adaptability + communication.
• Prof. Abhilasha Singh Dean of American University in the Emirates: “The illiterate of the 21st century are those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
• Hemant Pandey CEO of Hustling Engineer and ex-Meta/Tesla/Salesforce): Your real edge? Skill Velocity: how fast you can learn the next thing.
• Ahmed Metwoali (Sphinque): Engineering is a team sport. Communicate → ship fast → become your team’s AI go-to.
• Adil-Ul Islam of Microsoft reminded us AI should augment, but not replace human judgment.
• Me (EI): If you want funding, collaboration, or opportunity, learn to read people as well as you read data.

In a world moving at the speed of algorithms, staying human is your unfair advantage.

Resources

/Function1

Connect with the panelists on LinkedIn:

• Mohammed Benzakour of LinkedIn
• Prof. Abhilasha Singh Dean of American University in the Emirates
• Hemant Pandey CEO of Hustling Engineer and ex-Meta/Tesla/Salesforce)
• Ahmed Metwoali (Sphinque)
• Adil-Ul Islam of Microsoft

My LinkedIn Learning AI Courses:

• The AI Edge for Entrepreneurs
• Using AI to Make a Career Switch

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call

• Addicted to chaos and busyness? Maybe it’s cause your body learned that busyness felt safe. In this episode, we explore how to unlearn that pattern.
• I share the science behind why high achievers struggle to rest including the dopamine loop of achievement, the cortisol trap, and the trauma of chaos.
• You’ll learn why rest is important for your nervous system resetting.
• I’ll share how to replace overwork with presence, peace, and purpose cause you don’t need to EARN rest. You already deserve it.

Resources Mentioned

• Book: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
• Website: PsychologyToday.com – to find a therapist licensed in your area
  Articles Referenced:
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse – research on the dopamine loop of achievement
  • Harvard Health – research on stress and the cortisol trap
• Travel Recommendation: El Nido Resorts, Palawan, Philippines

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 320+ client reviews on Google and our website
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

Main Points

• Money isn’t just math, it’s a relationship. In this conversation with Certified Financial Planner and poet Uchechi Kalu, we unpack the real stories behind your bank account:
• Why your money mindset starts with culture & family, not spreadsheets.
• Uchechi’s 3-part framework: Technical · Psychological · Cultural; and how to use it like a wheel.
• The “Cost of Being You” exercise that reveals what enough truly means.
• How women of color can plan preventatively in an unstable economy.
• What happens when love meets money — and how to have that talk (without fighting).

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
• Money personality test: Money Coaching Institute
• Uchechi Kalu’s website: greenlightfp.com
• LinkedIn
• Instagram: @dearuchechi

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 320+ client reviews on Google and our website
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

How do you even start a business in 2025!? I sat down with my client (and friend) Uchechi Kalu, CFP®, 2024 Olympic Poet to talk about what it really looks like to go from being laid off… to working with over 700 clients, landing contracts with 5 major literary arts organizations, and already hitting 50% of her 2026 revenue goal.

• Uchechi’s layoff story and what it was like to start from zero
• Why starting a business isn’t for everyone (and why you probably shouldn’t work with me)
• How integrating your passions makes you stand out, in Uchechi’s case, poetry + financial planning
• Why she chose to double down on building relationships IRL vs. URL to get her first contracts

Resources Mentioned:

• Uchechi’s website
• Uchechi’s LinkedIn and Instagram

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call

Check out our 314 client reviews

Follow the Podcast on Apple

Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_

Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas

Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

Follow, Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts

Are you following the WOC & Allies: Business & Career Realtalk podcast? My team and I created this podcast for accessible education for women of color and allies. When you follow the podcast, it lets podcast streaming companies know that this podcast is a podcast fellow women of color and allies should listen to. If you are enjoying the show, I would love it if you would leave me a review on Apple Podcasts. This is one of the best ways to support the show and my team, and it helps other Legacy Leaders find it! Head over to Apple Podcasts to follow, rate and review now!

Do you remember when the American Psychological Association came at us in 2023 and declared that middle age starts at 35? The absolute disrespect…In this episode, I’m talking about the conversations I’ve been having with so many of my clients that I’ve also been going through myself. Maybe you’re feeling like:

• “I’m done giving 100%—even my 20% is what most people call their 100.”
• “I don’t need another title bump. I just want to embrace enough.”
• “I can’t deal with the gaslighting in this industry anymore.”

…then you’re not alone.

Here’s what I dive into:

• Why so many of us, especially women of color, are redefining success as spaciousness, rest, health, and deep relationships, not just more titles.
• How your ambition doesn’t go away, it evolves depending on your age and stage in life.
• What to think about if you want more creativity, flexibility, or even to start your own business.
• How gaslighting in the workplace affects your nervous system, your relationships, and your sense of safety. And how to protect yourself emotionally, mentally, and legally.
• Why embracing “enough” isn’t failure, it’s freedom.

Resources I Mentioned:

• Episode 63: How to Change Career Successfully with Ava | Spotify | Apple
• Episode 79: What is Psychological Safety at Work with Chela Gage | Spotify | Apple
• Episode 90: How to Start Your Business and Get Your First Paying Clients | Spotify | Apple

Where We Can Connect:

• Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
• Read my 300+ client reviews on Google
• Follow the Podcast on Apple
• Follow the Podcast on Spotify
• Follow me on Instagram: @elainelou_
• Connect with me on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
• Check out my other podcasts for Women of Color

• My turning point internship story that taught me doing great work isn’t enough—you also need to understand workplace culture, politics, and unspoken power dynamics.
• How to deal with workplace politics without being dirty
• How emotional intelligence (EI) drives leadership success research shows it outperforms technical skills and IQ.
• The four trauma responses (fight, flight, fawn, freeze) at work and practical scripts to stay calm in high-stakes conversations.
• How to integrate AI tools with EI for preparing succinct emails, role-playing conversations, and influencing decision-makers authentically.

Resources Mentioned:

Episode 99: How to Develop Executive Presence & Own the Room You’re In (My Talk from NextUp Summit). You can listen on Apple or Spotify

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 320+ client reviews on Google
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

Being “the only” in the room, the only woman, the only woman of color, the youngest person, the only one who thinks differently can be both an honor and a heavy responsibility. In this episode, I share how to navigate that experience while still earning respect, making an impact, and opening doors for others to join you at the table.

You’ll hear:

• My personal journey of being “the only” from being born, my childhood to adulthood
• The tug-of-war blending in with honoring yourself
• 6 proven strategies to lead confidently as “the only” without burning bridges or betraying yourself.
• How to be discerning about when to stay quiet, how to identify the right people to build relationships with and why you should take up space
• Why your presence in the room isn’t just about you, it’s about representing voices that aren’t there yet.

Whether you’re leading a corporate team, running your own business, or navigating high-stakes rooms, you’ll walk away with actionable tools to not just survive as “the only,” but to thrive and influence change.

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 314 client reviews
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color