Episode 344: Confidence Through Competence: Navigating Risk with Resilience
Release Date: 03/26/2025
Episode 363: Resilience & Adaptation in a Year of Change: A Moment of Reflection
BEYOND BARRIERS
Change has a way of forcing clarity, even when it arrives through uncertainty, loss, or exhaustion. In this reflective year-end episode, you’re invited to pause and take stock of what it really took to keep going. Through honest stories from senior leaders who navigated layoffs, reinvention, and rapid transformation, you’ll hear how resilience isn’t something you either have or don’t, it’s something you practice. And adaptation isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about staying willing to move before certainty arrives. Guests share deeply personal moments, being laid off...
info_outline
Episode 362: The Purpose Portfolio: Curating Meaning, Momentum & Impact
BEYOND BARRIERS
What if the most important part of leadership begins after your biggest win? In this episode, Chip Conley, Founder & Executive Chair of Modern Elder Academy, shares the arc of his 30+ year career from founding 52 boutique hotels through culture-led hospitality, to mentoring Airbnb founders while shaping global travel strategy, to building one first wisdom schools in Baja dedicated to relevance through curiosity and community. You’ll hear how letting go of old identities becomes leverage, culture becomes legacy, and relevance is crowdsourced through contribution. Tune in to learn how one...
info_outline
Episode 361: The Evolution of Leadership: Purpose, People, and the Power to Reinvent
BEYOND BARRIERS
Leadership isn’t a destination, it’s a continual act of becoming. In this episode, Janet Foutty, former CEO of Deloitte Consulting and U.S. Board Chair, shares how her three-decade career shaped her understanding of courage, authenticity, and reinvention. From leading one of the world’s largest consulting firms through transformation and crisis to redefining her own path after corporate life, Janet’s story proves that growth doesn’t end when you reach the top, it begins when you choose to evolve. You’ll discover how surrounding yourself with diverse thinkers strengthens leadership,...
info_outline
Episode 360: The Art of the Line: How Discipline and Devotion Turn Passion into Purpose
BEYOND BARRIERS
True balance isn’t found. It’s designed, line by line, through faith and focus. In this episode, luxury calligrapher and engraver Kristin Andrews shares how she transformed a creative spark into a thriving business built on faith, discipline, and intention. From her start sketching rainbows on her mother’s walls to founding Kreative Blends Calligraphy Studio, Kristin’s story is one of balance and belief. You’ll hear how she manages a full-time career in tech, raises a family, and still creates elegant, meaningful experiences for brands like Nordstrom, Meta, Swarovski, and Tory Burch....
info_outline
Episode 359: The Power of Purpose: Redefining Women’s Health Through Innovation
BEYOND BARRIERS
The most powerful innovations often begin with a personal struggle, a moment when the system fails you, and you decide to build something better. In this episode, Dr. Amy Divaraniya, Founder & CEO of Oova, shares how she transformed her own challenges into a platform redefining women’s health. With a Ph.D. in genetics and genomics and years in data science, she built Oova to give women the data they need to make confident, informed choices about their health. Her journey from scientist to CEO is a story of courage, innovation, and purpose proving that leadership isn’t about having...
info_outline
Episode 358: Resilience in Motion: How Openness and Adaptability Shape Great Leaders
BEYOND BARRIERS
Resilience isn’t built in moments of ease, it’s forged through challenge, curiosity, and the courage to grow. In this episode, Heather Brilliant, CEO of Diamond Hill Capital Management, shares how 38 rejection letters early in her career became the foundation for a life of resilience, curiosity, and courageous leadership. With experience spanning Bank of America, Morningstar, and now Diamond Hill, she reveals how staying open to feedback, to failure, and to change has fueled her growth as a leader and innovator in investment management. Her journey from aspiring lawyer to CEO is a story of...
info_outline
Episode 357: The Bin of Legos: Designing Leadership in a World Without Blueprints
BEYOND BARRIERS
Leadership doesn’t come with instructions, it’s created piece by piece. In this episode, Chastity Lord, President & CEO of the Jeremiah Program, reveals how she has built a career by embracing uncertainty, dismantling inequities, and leading with courage. From her early years as a first-generation college graduate raised by a single mom, to leadership roles at The Posse Foundation, Achievement First, and Color of Change, Chastity has shaped opportunity at every level. Today, she leads Jeremiah Program, one of the most impactful organizations for single mothers and their children,...
info_outline
Episode 356: The Rare Gem Mindset: How Authentic Leaders Disrupt With Purpose and Foster Belonging
BEYOND BARRIERS
The strongest leaders aren’t defined by their titles—they’re defined by their ability to adapt, listen, and lead with humanity. In this episode, Michele Smith, CEO of the Museum of Pop Culture, reveals how she built a career on resilience, authenticity, and courage. From her start in contract negotiation to international business development, to helping the Woodland Park Zoo weather the storm of COVID-19, Michele’s story shows that leadership is less about having the answers and more about practicing presence, empathy, and trust. At MoPOP, she continues to expand cultural...
info_outline
Episode 355: Beyond the Career Map: Embracing Detours, Trusting Intuition, and Leading with Heart
BEYOND BARRIERS
Building confidence, navigating career detours, and leading with care takes more than ambition—it takes resilience, clarity, and heart. In this episode, Claire O’Keefe, Partner and Head of Partner Development at Cerity Partners, shares how resilience, intuition, and care have shaped her unconventional journey from the classroom in Ireland to leadership in one of the fastest-growing independent wealth management firms in the country. You’ll hear how Claire built confidence through practice, turned unexpected pivots into stepping stones, and discovered that leadership is ultimately about...
info_outline
Episode 354: Turning Lived Experience Into Lasting Impact: Balancing Leadership, Motherhood, and Startup Life
BEYOND BARRIERS
Balancing leadership, motherhood, and startup life takes more than time management—it takes clarity of purpose and the courage to lead differently. In this episode, Amanda DeLuca, Founder & CEO of Riley, shares how clarity, empathy, and lived experience have shaped her journey from leadership roles at Google, Eventbrite, NerdWallet, and Etsy to launching a parenting platform that meets families where they are. You’ll hear how Amanda transformed the challenges of early motherhood into a mission-driven business, built a culture of trust in high-growth environments, and learned to protect...
info_outlineConfidence isn’t something you’re born with—it’s built through effort, resilience, and a relentless commitment to growth. In this episode, you’ll hear how Leah Emkin, Chief Client Officer at Wilshire, went from not knowing what an RFP writer was to leading client teams at one of the most respected financial firms. Her story is proof that when you show up, stay curious, and do the hard work, you don’t just survive—you thrive.
Leah shares the mindset shifts and daily habits that helped her grow into a trusted leader, the power of staying in your lane while playing to your strengths, and how to handle rejection without losing momentum. If you’ve ever questioned whether you belong in the room or wondered how to lead with both empathy and grit, this conversation will give you the real talk—and reassurance—you need.
Visit our website where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with our special guest.
The key moments in this episode are:
[00:00] Introduction to Beyond Barriers Podcast
[00:27] Building Confidence Through Competence
[01:07] Meet Leah Emkin: A Journey of Hard Work and Curiosity
[03:48] Leah's Role and Responsibilities at Wilshire
[05:16] Embracing Openness and Curiosity
[12:42] Navigating Challenges and Building Resilience
[16:48] Overcoming Limiting Beliefs and Imposter Syndrome
[21:39] Gaining Perspective with Age
[22:41] Daily Habits for Success
[24:52] Navigating Parenthood and Flexibility
[25:32] Building Strategic Relationships
[26:49] The Importance of Mentorship
[28:28] Women Supporting Women in Investments
[29:44] Leveraging Community and Networks
[30:51] Embracing Discomfort for Growth
[33:23] Advice for Job Seekers
[34:52] Lightning Round and Final Thoughts