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447: From Survival Mode To Self Discovery - How To Become Who You Were Always Meant To Be w/ Kadi Cisse

Dreams In Drive

Release Date: 03/25/2026

456: I'm Not Lazy. I'm Exhausted show art 456: I'm Not Lazy. I'm Exhausted

Dreams In Drive

Let's have an honest converastion about why so many women, especially moms/working moms feel like they are so unmotivated and tapped out along the #dreamdriving journey. The answer isn't that we don't want to be more "ambitious", the answer is that there may be something even simpler that explain it. I don't have the answers, but I want to just start telling the truth about what it means to know you want more, but just simply find your way out of the exhaustion.  Connect with Rana/Dreams in Drive Instagram:  Instagram:  Weekly Newsletter:  LinkedIn:   

info_outline 455: My Videos Started Going Viral on Instagram. Here's What I Learned show art 455: My Videos Started Going Viral on Instagram. Here's What I Learned

Dreams In Drive

What can going viral teach you about pursuing your dreams? In this solo episode of Dreams In Drive, I share the unexpected lessons I learned after several of my Instagram videos took off. From embracing trends and telling better stories to understanding what truly resonates with people, this conversation is about paying attention to what works, staying authentic, and applying those insights to your own journey—whether you're building a brand, growing a business, or chasing your next big goal. Connect with Rana/Dreams in Drive Instagram:  Instagram:  Weekly Newsletter:  ...

info_outline 454: How One Viral Idea Became a Multi-Million Dollar Family Business w/ Brandon Castaneda show art 454: How One Viral Idea Became a Multi-Million Dollar Family Business w/ Brandon Castaneda

Dreams In Drive

hat does it really take to build a business that goes viral—and lasts? This week on Dreams In Drive, Rana Campbell sits down with Brandon Castaneda, Founder and CEO of EZ Bombs, to share the story behind one of the fastest-growing food brands in America. From hand-rolling products in his mom's kitchen to becoming one of TikTok Shop's top food brands and expanding into Walmart stores nationwide, Brandon shares the lessons behind the headlines. Together, they discuss innovation, persistence, navigating explosive growth, learning from failure, and why solving a real problem is the key to...

info_outline 453: How Steve Patiño Turned A Lifelong Love of Sneakers Into a Brand Sold at Walmart show art 453: How Steve Patiño Turned A Lifelong Love of Sneakers Into a Brand Sold at Walmart

Dreams In Drive

Steve Patino didn't build Ales Grey overnight. After spending more than three decades in the footwear industry—working with global brands, designing for celebrities, learning manufacturing in China, and leading billion-dollar growth—he realized he wanted to build something bigger than a successful company. He wanted to build a legacy. In this episode, Steve shares how his childhood love of sneakers became his greatest superpower, why he quit his executive job while his wife was pregnant to launch Ales Grey, and how staying committed to a purpose-driven mission ultimately helped the brand...

info_outline 452: How One Mom Turned a Simple Idea Into a National Brand Sold at Walmart | Lisa Stelly, Founder of Fancy Sprinkles show art 452: How One Mom Turned a Simple Idea Into a National Brand Sold at Walmart | Lisa Stelly, Founder of Fancy Sprinkles

Dreams In Drive

What if your greatest business idea came from one of the hardest seasons of your life? This week on Dreams In Drive, host Rana Campbell sits down with Lisa Stelly, founder of Fancy Sprinkles, to talk about the unexpected journey from postpartum depression to building one of the most recognizable sprinkle brands in America. Lisa shares how cake decorating became a form of healing after the birth of her second daughter—and how one frustrating search for white star sprinkles uncovered an untapped opportunity that would eventually become Fancy Sprinkles. Over the last decade, she's...

info_outline 451: From Trauma to Transformation — Denise Roman on Hitting Rock Bottom, Starting Over & Reclaiming Her Future show art 451: From Trauma to Transformation — Denise Roman on Hitting Rock Bottom, Starting Over & Reclaiming Her Future

Dreams In Drive

What happens when someone refuses to let their circumstances define them? In this deeply moving episode, Rana sits down with Denise Roman for one of the most powerful conversations ever shared on Dreams In Drive. Denise opens up about her journey growing up in the Bronx, becoming a mother at just 15 years old, navigating foster care, surviving multiple incarcerations, and ultimately finding the courage to rebuild her life on her own terms. From experiencing systemic failures firsthand to pursuing higher education through programs like the Bard Prison Initiative and setting her sights on...

info_outline 450: Why Getting Fired Ended Up Being Angelica Deuel's Biggest Blessing show art 450: Why Getting Fired Ended Up Being Angelica Deuel's Biggest Blessing

Dreams In Drive

She thought losing her corporate job would break her. Instead, it became the exact push she needed to build the career — and life — she actually wanted. For interior designer Angelica Deuel, getting laid off from corporate in 2024 became the unexpected turning point that changed everything. What could’ve felt like failure actually became the push she needed to finally go all in on the dream she’d been quietly building behind the scenes for years. In this honest and inspiring conversation, Angelica opens up about walking away from the security of corporate life, navigating...

info_outline How to Stand Out in Any Room | My Padma Lakshmi Story show art How to Stand Out in Any Room | My Padma Lakshmi Story

Dreams In Drive

How do you stand out in rooms full of accomplished, talented, and ambitious people? In this solo episode, I’m sharing the story behind something that happenedat a fireside chat with Padma Lakshmi — and the powerful lesson I learned about visibility, confidence, and why so many of us shrink ourselves in the very rooms we prayed to be in. Before the event even started, I made a decision: I was going to participate. I prepared my question ahead of time, workshopped it with coworkers, and intentionally positioned myself in the room. What happened next validated strategies I use when it comes...

info_outline 448: Why “Having It All” Feels So Hard for Working Moms | Balancing Motherhood, Career, Ambition w/ Rukiya Ross show art 448: Why “Having It All” Feels So Hard for Working Moms | Balancing Motherhood, Career, Ambition w/ Rukiya Ross

Dreams In Drive

Why does “having it all” feel so much harder than it sounds? In this episode, Rukiya Ross breaks down the real challenges working moms face balancing career, ambition, and motherhood. In this episode of Dreams In Drive, Rana Campbell sits down with operations executive, podcast host, and mom of two Rukiya Ross for an honest conversation about what it really looks like to pursue ambition while navigating motherhood. As Head of Operations at inquirED and co-host of Moms Who Pause, Rukiya helps women rethink how they approach career growth, childcare, and building a life that actually...

info_outline 447: From Survival Mode To Self Discovery - How To Become Who You Were Always Meant To Be w/ Kadi Cisse show art 447: From Survival Mode To Self Discovery - How To Become Who You Were Always Meant To Be w/ Kadi Cisse

Dreams In Drive

In this episode, Rana sits down with storyteller, speaker, and podcast host, Kadi Cisse, for a powerful conversation about identity, independence, grief, purpose, and becoming who you really are. Kadi shares her journey growing up as a first-generation American raised by West African immigrant parents, and how being the “independent child” shaped the way she approached life, relationships, and success. She opens up about loss, navigating life after losing her father, and how many of us who are seen as “strong” often learn how to survive before we ever learn how to feel. Together,...

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In this episode, Rana sits down with storyteller, speaker, and podcast host, Kadi Cisse, for a powerful conversation about identity, independence, grief, purpose, and becoming who you really are.

Kadi shares her journey growing up as a first-generation American raised by West African immigrant parents, and how being the “independent child” shaped the way she approached life, relationships, and success. She opens up about loss, navigating life after losing her father, and how many of us who are seen as “strong” often learn how to survive before we ever learn how to feel.

Together, Rana and Kadi talk about the identity crisis that many high-achieving people face when they realize their job title is not their purpose, why unprocessed emotions eventually show up in our lives, and how spirituality, self-awareness, and honesty with yourself are often the real keys to growth.

Kadi also shares wisdom from her platform Ask Kadi: The Voice of Reason, where she uses humor, honesty, and real-life experience to help people navigate relationships, self-worth, and personal growth.

This episode is about resilience, truth, self-discovery, and the journey of becoming who you were always meant to be.

In this episode, we talk about:

  • Growing up first-generation with immigrant parents
  • Being the “independent child”
  • Grief and losing parents
  • Emotional vs logical coping
  • Layoffs and career pivots
  • Job titles vs purpose
  • Identity and self-discovery
  • Spirituality and self-awareness
  • Relationships and self-worth
  • Building the right circle
  • Learning to take up space
  • Becoming who you really are

Key takeaway:
You can build a successful life, a great career, and still reach a point where you have to ask yourself, “But who am I really, and what am I actually here to do?”

FIND KADI ON:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xo.kadi_
Website: www.askkadi.com

🛠️ Resources + Links