Beyond the Business Suit with Kailei Carr

Episode 314: How Communication Helps Conscious Leaders Lead Better

In this powerful episode, host Kailei Carr brings together three exceptional communication experts and coaches with The Asbury Group to unpack the art and science of effective communication: Relationship Communication Expert & Executive Coach, Dr. Amber Wright, Executive Communication Expert & Transformational Coach, Pascale Bourne, and Executive Communication Coach & Storytelling Specialist, Alex Cohen. Together, they dive deep into the nuances of effective communication as a conscious leader including presentation preparation strategies, overcoming communication fears and remaining authentic and present in their personal power. Whether you’re an emerging leader, seasoned executive, or professional looking to improve your communication skills, this episode offers invaluable insights that will transform how you connect with others. Want to know how you can work with any of these practitioners or bring them to your organization to speak? Feel free to reach out to us at hello@groupasbury.com. ABOUT AMBER WRIGHT [https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/EP-314_QAmber-1024x1024.png]https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/EP-314_QAmber.png Dr. Amber L. Wright is a relationship communication expert, facilitator and executive coach with The Asbury Group and founder of Words Well Said. As an executive coach and speaker, she guides leaders toward expressing their highest selves with confidence, authentic authority, and grace. Her popular TEDx Talk entitled, “Ask Better Questions to Build Better Connections,” has inspired people all over the world to become stronger communicators in their everyday lives. She has been mentioned in Fast Company, Essence, and Mashable. How to stay connected to Dr. Amber Wright: Instagram: @dramberwright [https://www.instagram.com/dramberwright] LinkedIn: Dr. Amber L. Wright [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberwright30/] Threads: @talktoamber [https://www.threads.com/@dramberwright] To purchase the “Can We Talk” cards, visit here [https://canwetalkcards.com/]. ABOUT PASCALE BOURNE [https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/EP-314_QPascale-1024x1024.png]https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/EP-314_QPascale.png Pascale Bourne wears many hats with The Asbury Group including a communication and voice expert, executive coach and transformational facilitator. She has over two decades of experience as a certified Speech Language Pathologist and people leader. Her career has been rooted in healing, nurturing, and mentoring others, helping hundreds of individuals—both literally and figuratively—find their voices and communicate with greater impact. Driven by her passion and calling, Pascale transitioned from management into coaching, where she now bridges the science and soul of communication. As an Executive Communication Coach and Transformation Facilitator, she has worked with leaders from Fortune 500 companies, leading transformative workshops, delivering dynamic presentations, and providing tailored one-on-one coaching. Pascale is deeply committed to helping people unlock their innate potential and step into their power as communicators. With a keen ability to uncover the tools that enhance voice and presence, she brings her gifts forward in service to others, empowering them to speak with clarity, confidence, and authenticity. How to stay connected to Pascale Bourne: Instagram: @p_bourne [https://www.instagram.com/p_bourne/] LinkedIn: Pascale Bourne [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascale-bourne-35600654/] ABOUT ALEX COHEN [https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/EP-314_QAlex-1024x1024.png]https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/EP-314_QAlex.png Alex believes you don’t need to become a great speaker—you already are one. You just need to access what’s already inside you. He combines his studies in communication sciences with over 10 years of coaching experience to help executives overcome speaking anxiety, think on their feet, and become master storytellers. With The Asbury Group, Alex takes an authentic, upbeat, and disarming approach to coaching. No rigid scripts. No forced poses. Just real strategies that tap into your natural strengths. He helps individuals build self-awareness—the key to confident communication. Alex has discovered that when you understand yourself, you understand how to connect with others. Once you feel that connection, speaking in any situation stops being awkward and starts feeling natural. QUOTABLES: “The quality of your life is directly influenced by your ability to communicate with confidence and with clarity.” – Dr. Amber Wright “People want to know that you get where they are. Once they understand that you get where they are, then it opens them up for whatever else you want to share.” – Pascale Bourne “For our work to be effective, we have to become really good listeners.” – Alex Cohen You can watch the full video of this conversation here:

Episode 313: Building Trust with Minda Harts

In this powerful episode of Beyond the Business Suit, host Kailei Carr is joined by workplace equity consultant and bestselling author, Minda Harts, to explore the critical role of trust in the workplace. As a preview of her forthcoming book, Talk to Me Nice: Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace (coming July 2025), Minda introduces a transformative framework designed to help leaders and teams view trust not just as a value, but as a strategic asset. During the conversation, Minda breaks down the seven trust languages and shares how each can be used to foster healthier, more productive work environments. Together, Kailei and Minda also discuss why trust is essential to combating burnout, improving retention, and enhancing team culture, especially when we spend over 90,000 hours of our lives at work. Whether you’re a leader, team member, or change agent, this episode will leave you reflecting on how to build (and rebuild) trust with intention and impact. ABOUT MINDA HARTS: Minda Harts is a bestselling author, workplace consultant, and sought-after keynote speaker, helping organizations turn trust into their most significant competitive advantage. Through her groundbreaking Seven Trust Languages® framework, she equips leaders, teams, and professionals with actionable strategies to build high-trust, high-impact workplaces. Minda has shaped conversations on workplace equity, self-advocacy, and leadership as the author of The Memo, Right Within, and You Are More Than Magic. Her impact spans boardrooms and conference stages worldwide, with companies like Nike, Google, Best Buy, and JPMorgan Chase calling on her to redefine leadership and workplace culture. LinkedIn has recognized her as the #1 Top Voice in the Workplace and by Business Insider as one of the top 100 People Transforming Business. Minda’s next book, Talk to Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace (July 22, 2025), is set to revolutionize how leaders and teams harness trust as their most valuable asset. In addition to her work as a speaker and consultant, Minda is an assistant professor at NYU and the founder of The Memo LLC, where she is shaping the next generation of leaders. QUOTABLES: [https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EP-313_Q1-1024x1024.png]https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EP-313_Q1.png “How are we cultivating trust each and every day?” “I want us to remember that the human element of the workplace…people are not robots.” “People forget that trust is earned.” “Sometimes we need to get under the hood and find out what we need more of in the workplace.” “What does trust look like for you in the workplace?” [https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EP-313_Q2-1-1024x1024.png]https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EP-313_Q2-1.png THE FINAL FIVE 1. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up? As a child, I wanted to work at the airport. I thought, they were around all these planes and they get to travel. At first it was a flight attendant but if you’ve ever met me in person I wasn’t going to be able to put anyone’s bags up top. I didn’t hit the height requirement. I felt it was a stable career at the airport and to have flight privileges. 2. What are some of the things that you do to keep your skills sharp? I am a been proponent in investing in yourself. I’m always taking courses, writing classes, or going to conferences because I always want to be learning. I feel like we can’t be creative if we’re not putting ourselves in the spaces to create and hear from others as well. 3. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? The best advice I’ve received is don’t be ambivalent about your career. I think it’s important and it’s always served me well because we’ve worked so hard to get to where we are and we shouldn’t want to lean out. 4. What is something that you love to do that some people may be surprised by? This is an exclusive that many people do not know at all…when I have the time I like to rent out a studio and I like to go rap. I like to spit bars in the booth. It’s a way for me to be creative again and I love music. I love rap lyrics and grits. 5. What is one book that has impacted your life? There’s so many. I know it sounds cliche but I would say the Bible. I grew up going to church but I didn’t start to dig in and find out what the truth meant for me until later in life. It really helps me figure out my advocacy. Jesus was an advocate for the folks in the streets and once I figured out my role and my purpose I realized my mission was to use my mouth and microphone as a truth teller for those who may not feel comfortable telling the truth in the workplace. It really helped give me agency in a way that I hadn’t looked at it before. You can watch the full video of this conversation here: How to stay connected to Minda Harts: Website: Mindaharts.com [http://www.mindaharts.com/] LinkedIn: Minda Harts [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindaharts/] Preorder Talk To Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages For A Better Workplace here [https://amzn.to/4l9l43X].

Episode 312: The Power of Leading with Love with Nicki Anderson

Does leadership that is love-led have a place in the workplace? On the next episode of Beyond The Business Suit podcast, Founder and CEO of The Asbury Group [https://www.groupasbury.com/], Kailei Carr, is joined by Nicki Anderson, a visionary leader and founder of L3 Consulting [https://l3consulting.net/]. Nicki, with 30 years of leadership experience, emphasizes the importance of leading with heart and compassion. She shares her personal journey, inspired by a meditation session, and highlights the need for self-care and self-acceptance. Nicki stresses the significance of listening, staying curious, and having difficult conversations with kindness as a leader which create ripple effects of positive actions, both in personal and professional settings. Nicki also shares a few practical tips including starting the day with intention and taking midday pauses for self-assessment. This is your guide to start laying the foundation for leadership that is love-led! ABOUT NICKI ANDERSON: With over three decades of distinguished leadership, strategic growth, and team management experience, Nicki Anderson is a visionary leader known for consistently driving exceptional outcomes and surpassing organizational goals. Notable achievements include creating and spearheading a groundbreaking leadership program at Benedictine University and serving as the first female CEO of the Naperville Chamber of Commerce in its 112-year history. Nicki also owned and operated her own wellness company from 1993 to 2013 when it was sold. Most recently, Nicki launched her passion project, L3 Consulting. L3 = Love-led Leadership™ [https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png], and focuses on helping individuals develop a more compassionate, heart-centered relational approach to leadership professionally and personally. When Nicki isn’t writing or speaking about Love-led Leadership™ [https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png], she is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for DuPage Foundation. Nicki is also committed to community service, serving on the Board of Directors for Loaves and Fishes and the Advisory Board for The Alive Center and volunteering for other community events. If you want anything personal, Nicki and her husband Bill live in Naperville, IL. They have four grown children and two grandchildren. QUOTABLES: [https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EP-312_Q1-1024x1024.png]https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EP-312_Q1.png “I believe we are all born to love and to be loved.” “Showing up every day with love is not only extremely courageous, but vital for a business of collaboration, of trust, of connection and all the things that are lacking because we don’t bring that love.” “Don’t confuse grace with boundaries.” “Love isn’t a soft skill, it’s a life skill.” “It’s amazing what happens when you come out on the other side of discomfort.” [https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EP-312_Q2-1024x1024.png]https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EP-312_Q2.png How to stay connected to Nicki Anderson: Website: L3Consulting.net [https://l3consulting.net/] LinkedIn: Nicki Anderson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickianderson/] You can watch the video of our conversation on The Asbury Group YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAsburyGroup] here:

Episode 311: The States of Consciousness

The Beyond the Business Suit podcast is back with another powerful episode led by Kailei Carr who reflects on what it truly means to lead in this new era of change, uncertainty and a collective yearning for something deeper. In this episode, Kailei invites us to explore a more conscious, human-centered approach to leadership that begins not with what we do, but with who we are being. Kailei introduces the Asbury Group’s four states of consciousness—Existing, Thinking, Knowing, and Being—not as a hierarchy, but as a mirror for self-awareness and a path out of survival mode and into a more trusting flow within your leadership and beyond. Through reflections on her own personal leadership journey, Kailei equips leaders with the essential tools needed to evolve in this new era with presence, intentionality, and curiosity. QUOTABLES: [https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/EP-311_KC-1024x1024.png]https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/EP-311_KC.png “We are in a time where we need to deepen who we need to be and lead from a new place.” “It’s more than just a framework: it’s a lens, a language and a mirror to help us see not just how we lead but who we are being while we lead.” “Recognizing where you are can help you relate to yourself and others.” “The goal is to be aware of where you are.” “Presence is a key tool that we all have to expand our capacity and shifts us from a thinking state to a knowing or flow state.” To learn more about the Asbury Group’s States of Consciousness in more detail, read “Leading Beyond the Mind: The States of Consciousness That Change Everything” [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leading-beyond-mind-states-consciousness-change-everything-carr-z6rse/] by Kailei Carr on LinkedIn.

Episode 310: Examining Our Stories with Denitra Letrice

In this next episode, we’re exploring recovery — not just from addiction, but also from the internalized domestication that keeps us small, disconnected, and playing by someone else’s rules. As a coach, mentor, and disruptor, Denitra Letrice joins host Kailei Carr who invites you to question what truly lights you up and what it takes to get closer to the person and leader you’re meant to be. Together, they’ll dive into the common roadblocks that show up on professional leadership journeys, the challenges of breaking free from where you come from, and the radical investments that create generational impact. Denitra is all about modeling what it means to show up in all spaces as your whole self — not just for you, but for your children and everyone watching — because the legacy we leave starts with the risks we’re willing to take now. ABOUT DENITRA LETRICE: Denitra Letrice is an accomplished People Leader, Change Agent, and award-winning coach dedicated to helping individuals and organizations turn their ideal vision into reality. Whether working one-on-one or with groups of professionals, Denitra ensures that building the life or company culture you desire becomes more than just talk — it becomes action. With a proven track record in developing top talent, shaping corporate culture, driving operational excellence, and fostering cross-departmental collaboration, Denitra leads with a results-driven, people-centered approach. Known for her motivating and empowering leadership style, she is passionate about mentoring and coaching others to achieve both individual and organizational success. QUOTABLES: [http://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EP-310_Quote1-2-1024x1024.png]http://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EP-310_Quote1-2.png “Recovery from addiction doesn’t have to be your rock bottom.” “So much of what the world needs right now is inside of people who are hiding it.” “My passion is about helping people see themselves so that they can heal what needs to be healed and thrive to who they are called to be.” “Give yourself permission to declare what you want your life to look like…full stop.” “Let’s disrupt the shackles that we’ve put on our own beings.” [https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EP-310_Quote2-1024x1024.png]https://www.kaileicarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EP-310_Quote2.png How to stay connected to Denitra Letrice: Website: Deletrice.com [https://deletrice.com/] Instagram: @de_letrice [https://www.instagram.com/de_letrice/] You can watch the video of our conversation on The Asbury Group YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAsburyGroup] here: