Badass Leaders Podcast: Leadership, Career Growth, and Company Culture cover art

Badass Leaders Podcast: Leadership, Career Growth, and Company Culture

Badass Leaders Podcast: Leadership, Career Growth, and Company Culture

By: Angela Gill Nelms
Listen for free

About this listen

 Welcome to The Badass Leaders Podcast: Leadership Without the Corporate BS. This is where real leadership meets real life. Hosted by Angela Gill Nelms, founder, speaker, and executive coach, this show dives deep into the mindset, emotional intelligence, and bold decision-making today’s leaders need. Each episode delivers raw, actionable strategies on leadership development, team culture, conflict resolution, personal branding, resilience, and navigating high-stakes moments. You’ll hear unfiltered conversations with founders, executives, innovators, and badass humans redefining modern leadership. 🎙️ Perfect for: • Women in leadership • Entrepreneurs • Executive coaching & personal growth • Leadership skills, communication, & EI • High-performance teams & conflict mastery 👉 Subscribe to join the movement: @BeBraveBeBadass Shop Badass Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BeBraveBeBadass #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BadassLeadersPodcast #BusinessGrowth #EntrepreneurMindset #ConflictResolution #HighPerformanceTeams2024 Career Success Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Most Leaders Avoid This Skill — And It's Costing You | S2 E11

    Most Leaders Avoid This Skill — And It's Costing You | S2 E11
    Mar 25 2026

    Great leadership advice rarely comes from textbooks. More often, it comes from a single moment, a hard conversation, or a piece of feedback that changes how someone sees themselves as a leader.

    In this special compilation episode of the Badass Leaders Podcast, Angela Gill Nelms brings together powerful moments from past conversations with founders, executives, and leadership experts to explore the advice that has shaped their leadership journeys.

    From learning how one conversation can alter the course of a career, to navigating criticism about communication style, to understanding how leaders build connection and resolve conflict, this episode highlights the real-world lessons that leaders carry with them for decades.

    You’ll hear insights on how courageous communication strengthens leadership, why curiosity and empathy are essential in team culture, and how great leaders learn to turn feedback, conflict, and uncertainty into growth.

    Guests Highlighted in this Episode:

    • Aimee: https://youtu.be/Ukjz6NJJfUI?si=5yzQQ0AJNaeoDyg8
    • Barrie: Coming soon!
    • Bud: https://youtu.be/DMA1L2B5xsM?si=srmjuQMitsuHnMem
    • Catharine: https://youtu.be/dQl8Pf0T8Og?si=K3T_4e2FSohZZQfY
    • Cathleen: https://youtu.be/A1FVVQ1hmi4?si=3hL9HjSPJwbggHgB
    • Eric: https://youtu.be/mMCg-aW8eoQ?si=i5JmIHei6gLUe6j5
    • Jonathan: https://youtu.be/KPxqtHuO03A?si=zk3OhvO_mTxcHkRp
    • Crystal: https://youtu.be/kKnJMK_BP7w?si=ryuh_2GX7yu2-KD7

    The discussion also tackles questions…

    • How can one conversation change the trajectory of a career?
    • What should leaders do when they’re labeled “too aggressive” or “too direct”?
    • How do effective leaders handle workplace conflict before it escalates?
    • What leadership habits help teams feel heard, valued, and understood?
    • How can leaders create stronger connections with their teams without becoming a therapist?
    • What role does curiosity play in leadership and decision-making?
    • How can leaders build courage to speak their truth in difficult environments?
    • What advice do experienced leaders wish they had received earlier in their careers?

    Themes:

    • Leadership development through real-world experiences
    • Courageous communication in leadership
    • Navigating feedback and perception as a leader
    • The power of influence and meaningful conversations
    • Conflict resolution and leadership curiosity
    • Building human connection in professional environments
    • Growth mindset and personal leadership evolution

    Production

    Produced by: The AGN Group

    Host: Angela Gill Nelms

    Producer: Katie Hart

    Tagline: Be Brave. Be Badass.

    Websites: www.theagngroup.com and www.AngelaGillNelms.com


    About The AGN Group:

    At The AGN Group, we believe every individual, team, and company can unlock their inner badass, one brave step at a time. www.TheAGNGroup.com.


    Social Media Channels:

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

    Twitter: https://x.com/BALeadersPod

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@baleaderspod

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/badass-leaders-podcast2


    Want to be a Podcast Guest?

    If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, read more here: https://www.angelagillnelms.com/be-our-guest/

    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • Too Nice to Lead? The People-Pleaser Trap | Russell Harvey | S2 E10

    Too Nice to Lead? The People-Pleaser Trap | Russell Harvey | S2 E10
    Mar 18 2026

    In this episode of the Badass Leaders Podcast, Angela Gill Nelms sits down with leadership advisor Russell Harvey to unpack the deeply human side of leadership resilience. Russell shares candid stories from his career about navigating workplace bullying, confronting people-pleasing tendencies, and learning how to assert boundaries without losing empathy.

    Together, they explore how strengths-based leadership can help leaders better understand themselves, build more resilient teams, and respond more effectively to pressure.

    Russell explains why empathy can sometimes become a liability for leaders, how people-pleasing quietly erodes authority, and what it takes to shift from surviving leadership stress to leading with confidence and clarity.

    The conversation also dives into practical frameworks like strengths-based leadership and tools such as StrengthsFinder and Working Genius, offering leaders concrete ways to understand how they show up under pressure.

    Learn More About Russell Harvey:

    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theresiliencecoach/
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russelltheresiliencecoach/
    • Website:https://www.theresiliencecoach.co.uk/

    Mentioned in this Episode:

    • StrengthsFinder / CliftonStrengths: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx
    • Working Genius: https://www.workinggenius.com/
    • Strengthscope – Strengths-based leadership development tool

    The AGN Group

    Produced by: The AGN Group

    Host: Angela Gill Nelms

    Producer: Katie Hart

    Tagline: Be Brave. Be Badass.

    Websites: www.theagngroup.com and www.AngelaGillNelms.com

    At The AGN Group, we believe every individual, team, and company can unlock their inner badass, one brave step at a time. www.TheAGNGroup.com.


    Social Media Channels:

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

    Twitter: https://x.com/BALeadersPod

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@baleaderspod

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/badass-leaders-podcast2


    Want to be a Podcast Guest?

    If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, email brave@angelagillnelms.com.


    The discussion also tackles questions…

    • How do you deal with workplace bullying as a leader?
    • Why do people-pleasing tendencies hurt leadership effectiveness?
    • Can empathy become a weakness in leadership?
    • How do resilient leaders respond to pressure and conflict?
    • What does strengths-based leadership actually look like in practice?
    • How can leaders use tools like StrengthsFinder or Working Genius to understand their leadership style?
    • How do you assert boundaries at work without damaging relationships?
    • What are the early warning signs of leadership burnout or emotional strain?
    • How can leaders turn difficult career experiences into growth?

    Themes:

    • Leadership resilience
    • People-pleasing in leadership
    • Workplace bullying and difficult professional dynamics
    • Strengths-based leadership
    • Emotional intelligence and empathy
    • Assertiveness and boundary-setting
    • Self-awareness in leadership development
    • Leadership growth through adversity
    • Psychological safety and healthy workplace cultures
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • Why the American Dream Isn’t Working – and What Leaders Must Do Next | Alfredo Mathew III | S2 E9

    Why the American Dream Isn’t Working – and What Leaders Must Do Next | Alfredo Mathew III | S2 E9
    Mar 11 2026
    In this episode of the Badass Leaders Podcast, Angela Gill Nelms sits down with entrepreneur, educator, and systems thinker Alfredo Mathew III to explore a provocative idea: the American Dream was built around individual success, but the future may depend on shared prosperity and ownership.Alfredo’s journey spans public school classrooms in the South Bronx and Oakland, entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley, and building organizations that help communities create lasting economic opportunity. Along the way, he reached a powerful realization: access to education, jobs, and capital is not enough. Without ownership—of businesses, assets, and opportunity—many people remain stuck on the economic sidelines.This conversation digs into the leadership decisions and risks behind Alfredo’s work helping launch hundreds of businesses and his latest initiative to build community-centered economic infrastructure through shared ownership models.Angela and Alfredo unpack what leaders often get wrong about entrepreneurship, why the “winner-take-all” economy leaves talent untapped, and how leaders can rethink success, power, and economic mobility.Learn More About Alfredo Mathew III:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredomathew/ Website: https://www.sharedprosperity.co/ Other: https://substack.com/@alfredomathew?utm_source=user-menu Mentioned in this Episode: ESO Ventures: https://www.eso-ventures.com/ Bible in a Year podcast: https://hallow.com/blog/bible-in-a-year-with-father-mike-schmitz/ About The AGN Group:Produced by: The AGN GroupHost: Angela Gill NelmsProducer: Katie HartTagline: Be Brave. Be Badass.Websites: www.theagngroup.com and www.AngelaGillNelms.comAt The AGN Group, we believe every individual, team, and company can unlock their inner badass, one brave step at a time. www.TheAGNGroup.com.Social Media Channels:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badassleaderspodcast/ Twitter: https://x.com/BALeadersPod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@baleaderspod LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/badass-leaders-podcast2Want to be a Podcast Guest?If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, email brave@angelagillnelms.com.The discussion also tackles questions…What is the difference between access and ownership in business and leadership?Why do so many entrepreneurship programs fail to create long-term economic mobility?How do leaders define success in systems designed around winner-take-all outcomes?What leadership decisions help communities build shared prosperity instead of individual wins?Why is revenue generation more important than capital access for founders?What should entrepreneurs understand about assets vs wages when building wealth?How can leaders design businesses that outlast the founder?What role does economic ownership play in leadership and economic opportunity?How do leaders build organizations that create both profit and public benefit?What leadership skills are necessary to build systems that include those historically excluded?Themes:Redefining Leadership Success: Why leadership today requires moving beyond individual achievement toward building shared systems of opportunity.Access vs Ownership: Understanding why access to education, capital, or opportunity alone doesn’t create long-term economic mobility.Entrepreneurship as an Economic On-Ramp: How small business ownership can become a pathway to wealth and stability when systems support growth beyond the startup phase.Economic Systems Thinking: Why solving inequality requires redesigning economic infrastructure—not just offering programs or funding.Leadership That Outlasts the Founder: How strong leaders build organizations and systems capable of continuing without them.The Future of Inclusive Economies: What it takes to design economic models that create prosperity across entire communities.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.