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

What happens when a Disney-trained producer and Holocaust historian starts coaching elite leaders?

In this episode, Bryan Yates joins Dr. Alison to pull back the curtain on "The Unword Effect" and why the world’s most capable leaders often feel buried by their own brilliance. We dive deep into the mechanics of high-performance leadership, the reality of workaholism recovery, and why your perspective is your most valuable product.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to identify if you are a "high-functioning" workaholic.

• Why perfectionism is the silent killer of leadership progress.

• The intersection of Disney’s creative culture and executive coaching.

• Tactical ways to reduce "drag" in your business and personal life.

  
  

💡 Are you an (un)conventional leader?To our fellow CEOs and founders: if you have an (un)traditional story of resilience or want to uncomplicate your business hurdles, let’s connect.

👉 Be a Guest / Work With Us: https://www.unconventionllc.com/messa...

👉 Ask Dr. Alison: Drop a leadership or business question in the comments!

Connect with Dr. Alison

Website: https://www.unconventionllc.com/messageus

LinkedIn:

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

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

Connect with Bryan Yates

Website: https://www.locomotivcoaching.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanyates/

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

⭐ Support the Show:If this episode helped you give yourself "permission to be unconventional," please leave a 5-star rating and a review!

©2026 by UNCONVENTION LLC - all rights reserved.

I Loud Quit: Why Artist Lisa Congdon Stopped Being “Nice”

Are you stuck on the "hamster wheel" of obligation? In S2 | E6, world-class artist Lisa Congdon joins Dr. Alison Schmidt to discuss "Loud Quitting," the secret to avoiding burnout, and why "half-assing" is a creative superpower.

In this episode, we explore:

• The "Loud Quit": Why Lisa stopped performing for others to find her true voice.

• Permission to be Human: Embracing the "messy middle" and creative ADHD.

• The Athlete Mindset: How competitive cycling at 58 fuels studio discipline.

• Repetition vs. Perfection: The real key to building a world-famous brand.

Connect with our Guest:

• Website: lisacongdon.com

• Instagram: @lisacongdon

• Essential Reading: Art Inc. and Find Your Artistic Voice

Connect with Dr. Alison Schmidt:

• Instagram: @dralisonschmidt

• Work with us: unconventionllc.com

TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) - Music Intro(00:02) - Episode Teaser: Getting off the Hamster Wheel(01:32) - Welcome Lisa Congdon, World-Class Artist(02:25) – The Bivo Bottle: Art on Consumer Products(06:00) – The "(UN)word Effect": Lisa’s 3 Powerful Words(08:40) – The Educator’s Mindset: Transitioning to Illustration(13:10) – "Monkey Brain": Navigating a Late-in-Life ADHD Diagnosis(23:06) – The Irony of Being (Un)cluttered: Simplifying Life & Friendships(41:15) – Avoiding Burnout through the Secret of "Half-Assing"(53:11) – Bridging the Gap: Getting Comfortable in the "Messy Middle"(59:02) – Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & "The Story We Invent"(1:02:08) – The Art School Dropout (Who Gave the Commencement Address)(1:07:46) – Building a Brand through Repetition(1:12:13) - Ask Dr. Alison: Listener Q&A(1:17:32) – The Power of 50+: Embracing an Empowering New Chapter(1:18:03) - The (un)wrap up

🎵 Music by DJ Doug Jackson: https://soundcloud.com/dougjackson

⭐ Support the Show:If this episode helped you give yourself "permission to be unconventional," please leave a 5-star rating and a review!

©2026 by UNCONVENTION LLC - all rights reserved.

Stop waiting until you’re "ready." Bevin Mahon (CEO of Dentaltech Group) did the opposite—and built Ireland’s largest dental provider for nursing homes.

In this episode of (un)conversations (S2 | E5), Dr. Alison sits down with Bevin to discuss her journey from "winging it" to leading a digital transformation that turned 4-hour technical headaches into 3-minute wins.

🔔 Follow (un)conversations on Spotify to never miss an episode: https://open.spotify.com/show/5xkI3Kg3e4VCUY5hXFGUaS?si=xUdMhFRrQyyR1wHbaIkWDQ&nd=1&dlsi=47c2f501c0f54948

Inside the Episode (The "WIIFM"):🚀 Stop Overthinking: Why saying "yes" before the "how" is a massive competitive advantage.🛠️ The "Stuck" Fix: A framework to use frustrations as a roadmap for your next pivot.✨ The 3-Minute Miracle: How to use digital shortcuts to collapse time and scale.📢 Panic-Proofing: High-frequency communication strategies for crisis leadership.

Timestamps:(01:15) Welcome Bevin Mahon(06:36) The "Winging It" Philosophy(33:13) Transforming a traditional family business(53:40) Mastering digital scanning: 4 hours to 3 minutes(01:11:37) Ask Dr. Alison

Connect with our Guest:Bevin Mahon: https://dentaltech.ie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bevinmahon/

Connect with Dr. Alison:Work With Us: https://www.unconventionllc.com/messageusLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-l-schmidt-phd-bcc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralisonschmidt/

🎵 Music by DJ Doug Jackson: https://soundcloud.com/dougjackson

⭐ Support the Show:If this episode helped you give yourself "permission to be unconventional," please leave a 5-star rating and a review!

©2026 by UNCONVENTION LLC - all rights reserved.

Is the "Scaling Trap" destroying your returns—and your purpose? 📉

Former Nike VP Dirk Van Onsem reveals why the traditional corporate growth model is failing and how a single question from his daughter forced him to walk away from a 25-year executive career to pursue regenerative leadership.

In this episode of (un)conversations (S2 | E4), Dr. Alison sits down with the founder of Beyonders Collective to explore "The Unknowing"—the vulnerable space between leaving a global giant and building a planet-positive biohub.

🚀 Inside the Episode (The "WIIFM"):

• The Daughter's Question: The catalyst that turned a Nike executive into a climate advocate.

• Shadow Leadership: Why the "perfect executive" image is actually blocking your team's innovation.

• The Scaling Myth: Why expanding large businesses is often the opposite of regeneration.

• Regenerative Finance: A new framework for prioritizing resilience over exit-based growth.

🔔 Follow (un)conversations on Spotify to stay ahead of the leadership curve:

https://open.spotify.com/show/5xkI3Kg3e4VCUY5hXFGUaS?si=xUdMhFRrQyyR1wHbaIkWDQ&nd=1&dlsi=47c2f501c0f54948

Timestamps:(03:00) The “(UN)word” Effect: Personal leadership evolution(07:08) Unassuming: Leading by asking the right questions(14:30) 25 Years of Nike Leadership Lessons(28:45) Unknowing: Navigating burnout and the "empty space"(52:10) Building a Regenerative Business Ecosystem(01:10:46) Ask Dr. Alison: Leadership Q&A

Connect with our Guest:Dirk Van Onsem: https://www.beyonderscollective.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirk-van-onsem-36a8b75/

Connect with Dr. Alison:Work With Us: https://www.unconventionllc.com/messageusLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-l-schmidt-phd-bcc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralisonschmidt/

🎵 Music by DJ Doug Jackson: https://soundcloud.com/dougjackson

⭐ Support the Show:If this episode helped you give yourself "permission to be unconventional," please leave a 5-star rating and a review!

©2026 by UNCONVENTION LLC - all rights reserved.