Why Most Leaders Fail: The (Un)Conventional Truth About Reinvention | Erika Hanafin Austria (S2.E11)

What is the reality of being a female founder and startup CEO? In this episode of the (un)conversations podcast, Dr. Alison sits down with Erika Hanafin Austria—the creator of MOMumental Reinvention, Co-Founder of Neon ID, and former CEO of HeyMama.

Erika shares the brutal truth of what it actually takes to succeed as a serial entrepreneur in today’s high-pressure business landscape. She reveals why she built her success on "gut intuition" rather than just spreadsheets and how she navigated the (un)conventional journey of leading with empathy, resilience, and a total rejection of the "work-life balance" myth.

Inside the Episode:

• The Myth of Balance: Why startups are always out of balance and how to survive it.

• Leading from the Gut: Why intuition is a founder's greatest tool.

• NEON ID & AI: Using the HEXACO framework to map human personality.

• MOMumental Moments: Finding "unforgettable bridges" to personal growth.

Timestamps:00:00 – Why Most Leaders Fail: The (Un)Conventional Truth About Reinvention (Intro)01:30 – Meet Erika Hanafin Austria: Co-Founder of Neon ID03:45 – The (UN)word Effect: Gut-First Leadership vs. Data04:40 – The "Mental Gymnastics" of Scaling a Startup08:30 – Breaking the Box: Why I Don't Follow the Rule Book11:12 – Stomaching Entrepreneurship & Risk18:48 – Entrepreneurial DNA27:24 – MOMumental Moments: Finding Unforgettable Bridges33:43 – Being (Un)apologetically You: Advice for Female Leaders46:30 – NEON ID: Mapping Human Personality 52:40 – The ROI of Juggling and Awareness in Business01:05:25 – Integrating AI with NEON ID01:25:12 – Ask Dr. Alison - Reinvention: (Un)learning What No Longer Serves You01:29:00 - The (Un)wrap UpMeet Your Host: Dr. Alison SchmidtDr. Alison Schmidt is the CEO of Unconvention and host of the (un)conversations® podcast, where top leaders share the unconventional decisions that shaped their path. She advises senior leaders and founders navigating high-stakes decisions, leadership transitions, and the unseen dynamics of leadership.

Known for saying what most leaders are thinking—but won’t say out loud!

Website:

https://www.unconventionllc.com/messageusLinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-l-schmidt-phd-bcc/Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/dralisonschmidt/Meet Erika Hanafin AustriaErika Hanafin Austria is the creator of MOMumental Reinvention, a Substack with 57,000+ subscribers exploring what it actually looks like to rebuild your identity, career, and life after everything changes. She is also the Co-Founder of Neon ID, former CEO of HeyMama, and a 2x Top 50 Women Leaders of Virginia honoree.Substack: https://momumentalreinvention.comWebsite: https://www.erikahanafin.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikahanafinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikahanafin/Neon ID: https://neonid.com

Support the (UN)movement:If you’re on YouTube, hit that subscribe button and leave a comment. If you’re on Spotify , Apple, iHeart, Amazon Music or Pandora, follow the show and leave a 5-star rating or review. It takes 10 seconds, it’s completely free, and it is the single best way to ensure we can keep bringing you these (un)conversations Thank you for being part of the (un)movement!

#WhyMostLeadersFail #Reinvention #ErikaHanafinAustria #FemaleFounders #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #CareerReinvention #NeonID #MOMumentalMoments

©2026 by UNCONVENTION LLC - all rights reserved.

"Sometimes you have to jump before you get pushed."

In this episode of the (un)conversations podcast (S2.E10), Dr. Alison Schmidt sits down with Dr. Felicia White, Director of Operations at Askar Management Group, to discuss the brutal reality of career pivots, professional resilience, and the power of radical authenticity.

Dr. White shares the personal philosophy that guided her through a "performance review from hell" and into high-level leadership:✅ (Un)apologetic: Stop saying sorry for what you can’t control.✅ (Un)compromising: Protecting team values and integrity.✅ (Un)adaptable: Why "fitting in" is a career killer.

If you’ve ever felt "too much" for a room or are facing a career crossroads, this conversation is your roadmap for moving through change with grace.

Connect with Dr. Felicia White:🔗 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicia-white-edd-cht/⁠🏢 Askar Management: https://askarmanagement.com/

Connect with Dr. Alison Schmidt:🌐 Website: ⁠https://www.unconventionllc.com⁠🔗 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-l-schmidt-phd-bcc/

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralisonschmidt/

Episode Highlights:00:00 – Why High-Level Leaders Stop Asking Permission04:30 – The (Un)apologetic Mindset: Stop saying sorry09:25 – Redefining Executive Presence: The best version of YOU31:04 – The Performance Review: "No one knows who you are"59:16 – Surviving Layoffs: The emotional reality of getting back up01:14:30 – Ask Dr. Alison The Tin Man: The secret meaning of the bow tie

Support the Show:If this episode helped you, please Follow and leave a 5-star rating!

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unconversations

©2026 by UNCONVENTION LLC

Show Notes: Can Business Astrology Predict Your Next Career Move?

“What got you here won’t get you there.” For most CEOs, the reality of that shift is a silent, internal crisis.

In this episode of (un)conversations, Dr. Alison Schmidt sits down with Barbara Alexander, a former IBM executive turned Business Astrologer and Strategy Advisor. Barbara spent 25 years climbing the Fortune 500 ladder before walking away without a plan to redefine what leadership actually means. Today, she helps founders navigate the high-stakes intersection of business strategy, leadership identity, and cosmic timing.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Corporate Exit: Why Barbara left a prestigious 25-year career at IBM to build a practice rooted in the "blueprint" of a leader's birth chart.

• The Internal Shift: Why strategy pivots usually fail if the leader hasn’t undergone an internal identity shift first.

• The Power of Timing: Understanding why even the "right" decision will fail if it’s made in the wrong personal chapter.

• Navigating Crisis: Barbara opens up about her recent battle with cancer and how it shifted her perspective on "living unscripted" and the necessity of self-care.

• Untapped Potential: How to identify the behavioral patterns—from fear of visibility to financial blocks—that are written in your birth blueprint.

About Our Guest:Barbara Alexander is the CEO and Founder of Barbara C. Alexander LLC. Drawing on 25 years of Fortune 500 experience across sales, marketing, and operations, she helps her clients understand what chapter they are actually in so their decisions are grounded in clarity about where they are now, not what built their success in the past.

Connect with Barbara:

• Website: https://barbaracalexander.com/

• LinkedIn: Barbara Alexander

• Free Resource: Download a chapter of the Amazon bestseller How to Break the Glass Ceiling and Still Keep It Nice: Get the Chapter Here

Connect with Dr. Alison Schmidt:

• Website: unconventionllc.com

• LinkedIn: Dr. Alison Schmidt

• Instagram: @dralisonschmidt

Key Moments:(00:00) I Left IBM After 25 Years: The Strategy Of Business Astrology(09:50) Quitting IBM with No Plan: The CEO Mindset on Risk(21:00) Merging Logic & Magic: How Corporate Skills Meet Astrology(26:40) Facing Cancer: Why Self-Care for Leaders is Non-Negotiable(01:04:40) Reading a Birth Chart for Business Predictions & Strategic Timing

If this episode helped you give yourself "permission to be unconventional," please subscribe and leave a 5-star review