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What if your burnout isn’t about doing too much—but about allowing the wrong withdrawals? We step into the fourth quarter with a sharper lens: a daily deposits-versus-withdrawals audit that exposes invisible drains, restores peace, and helps you choose the rooms where your impact will be felt. From calendar chaos to meaningful tradeoffs, we share the simple tie-breaker that ends second-guessing: pick the commitment where your presence creates the greatest change, not the one with the flashiest optics.

Denise takes us behind the curtain of persona and replenishment, naming why high-energy performers get quiet offstage and why that boundary is part of the work. Then the moment we’ve been waiting for: announcing her debut book, The Only One in the Room: How to Transform Differences into Strengths, Communicate with Impact, and Lead with Confidence—featuring a foreword by Stephen M. R. Covey. The book blends candid stories, practical tools, and interactive exercises to help you claim your voice, communicate with intention, and lead with calm confidence. Whether you’re introverted, the youngest at the table, the only woman, the only person of color, or simply the quietest thinker, your difference can be your superpower.

We also zoom out to the cultural noise and remember this truth: there’s still more good than evil. That perspective fuels our 2026 planning—what to launch, what to celebrate, and what to cut. If you’re craving clarity, this conversation offers a blueprint: audit your energy, choose impact over attention, honor your need to replenish, and build a vision that aligns with your values. Ready to protect your peace and amplify your voice? Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs the reminder, and leave a review with your Q4 non-negotiable—we’ll feature our favorites next week.

Drive, Ambition, Doing, Leading, Creating... all good until we forget about our own self-care. This Village of All-Stars pays it forward with transparency about misses and celebration in winning. We cover many topics and keep it 100. We are Proven Not Perfect™️
https://www.provennotperfect.com

Follow me on Instagram at: shontrapowell_provennotperfect

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What if the power you chased in a suit was really waiting in your own story? We sit down with Ugochi to trace a remarkable arc—from Igbo roots and a childhood split between Nigeria and the U.S., to UTC’s global rotations in Norway and Switzerland, to the Kellogg network that turned brand into belonging. Along the way she faces a familiar corporate paradox: high performance without a clear path to the role she envisioned. Her answer becomes a masterclass in agency—stop assuming effort equals elevation and start negotiating the path, assignment by assignment, with the leaders who can open doors.

The conversation turns intimate as Ugochi describes choosing education through personal darkness, flying Lagos–Miami for class weekends, and following the signals that brought her back to herself. That light leads to a different kind of leadership: stepping in as CFO/CSO of her family’s home healthcare company. She shares practical rules that keep love and performance intact—clean role lines, business-first hours, and a united front that refuses hearsay. It’s a blueprint any founding team can copy when relationships and revenue collide.

Then, an unexpected blossom: Oviko Gallery. Seeded years earlier by her love for Nigerian artist Chike Onuora, what started as a handful of canvases becomes a curated space in St. Augustine dedicated to elevating African talent. We unpack how scrappy action, expert help, and a ready room turned into a platform that fuses culture, commerce, and community. Through it all, gratitude anchors the story: the waves never stop, but the boats stay synchronized when vision holds. Press play for a candid, energizing journey that might nudge you to ask for your path, protect your energy, and step fully into your morning.

If this conversation moves you, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s at a crossroads, and leave a review to help more listeners find the light.

Drive, Ambition, Doing, Leading, Creating... all good until we forget about our own self-care. This Village of All-Stars pays it forward with transparency about misses and celebration in winning. We cover many topics and keep it 100. We are Proven Not Perfect™️
https://www.provennotperfect.com

Follow me on Instagram at: shontrapowell_provennotperfect

Follow me on Facebook at: Proven Not Perfect™️

Watch and listen on YouTube: Proven Not Perfect™️

Join the community for ideas and events at www.provennotperfect.com.

I'd love to hear what you think!

Send us a text

What happens when decades of corporate identity suddenly vanish? Natalie, founder of HerCSuite, reveals the rarely discussed "glass cliff" moment that follows leaving a high-powered career and how to transform this potential crisis into opportunity.

The traditional career ladder is being replaced by something far more interesting: the portfolio career. Rather than following a single track, today's professionals—especially women in the second half of their careers—are crafting multifaceted professional lives that align with their values, financial needs, and deeper purpose. Through HerCSuite's network and programs, Natalie guides women transitioning to board roles or entrepreneurship while helping them navigate the identity shifts that inevitably come with professional evolution.

Our conversation unpacks the five crucial steps to designing your next chapter: clarifying your values, determining your "freedom number," exploring your options, understanding your human design, and creating your roadmap. We discuss how the concept of pivoting has transformed from something requiring explanation on a resume to something employers now expect and value. Throughout, Natalie emphasizes that successful transitions aren't about deciding whether your new path is "better" than your old one—it's simply different, with its own unique opportunities for growth and fulfillment.

Whether you're contemplating your next move or supporting someone who is, this episode offers practical wisdom for anyone navigating today's non-linear professional landscape. As Natalie reminds us with her powerful mantra: "We make our own C-Suite." Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn or visit HerCSuite.com to continue your journey.

Drive, Ambition, Doing, Leading, Creating... all good until we forget about our own self-care. This Village of All-Stars pays it forward with transparency about misses and celebration in winning. We cover many topics and keep it 100. We are Proven Not Perfect™️
https://www.provennotperfect.com

Follow me on Instagram at: shontrapowell_provennotperfect

Follow me on Facebook at: Proven Not Perfect™️

Watch and listen on YouTube: Proven Not Perfect™️

Join the community for ideas and events at www.provennotperfect.com.

I'd love to hear what you think!