The Room You Need Before the Stakes Are Real: Julia Pileggi on the Body, the Voice & the Boom Room

The Room You Need Before the Stakes Are Real: Julia Pileggi on the Body, the Voice & the Boom Room

In today's installment of our Summer Guest Series, we are joined by Julia Pileggi, co-founder of The Boom Room [https://theboomroomexperience.com/], spoken word performer, and one of those incredible people who build the thing the world needs because the thing didn't exist yet. In this electric conversation, we dive deep into the gap between who we know ourselves to be and who actually shows up when things get hard, the science and soul of why knowing what to do is never the same as being able to do it, why the body defaults to familiar, protective patterns under stress no matter how much we've studied or prepared, and how consequence-free practice before the stakes are real is the missing ingredient in almost every leadership development program. We also trade stories about freezing on stage, the pink-pen-on-yellow-paper moment that changed Julia's career, and what it means that "humiliated" and "human" are almost the same word. Julia came to this work through years as a simulated patient actor and actor-trainer, and through a deeply personal experience of losing her voice when she and her husband uprooted their lives and moved to Italy with a 20-month-old. Julia, a self-described spoken-word artist who expresses herself for a living, suddenly found herself freezing at the farmer's market trying to order cheese. That disorientation became the seed of The Boom Room, a practice company that uses professional actors and immersive simulated scenarios to help people close the gap between who they know themselves to be and who actually shows up under pressure. Listen in to hear us talk about: * How losing her voice in Italy became the origin story of The Boom Room * What The Boom Room is, how it works, and who it's for * Why knowing what to do is not the same as being able to do it under pressure * The self-abandonment loop, including what happens in the body when we say something we don't mean * Why "it's not a character flaw, it's a practice gap" is the reframe leaders need most * How the body holds muscle memory, and how to start building new pathways before the real conversation has to happen * Practical tools for staying present: breathing, humming, physical warm-up, and the "what would I do in the Boom Room?" question * The "These 5 Minutes" writing practice Julia built with a friend and kept up for 8 years * Why triumph often feels bad and why that's the signal you're actually growing Connect with Julia and The Boom Room: * Website: theboomroomexperience.com [https://www.theboomroomexperience.com] Books Mentioned: * Wild Mind [https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Mind-Living-Writers-Life/dp/0553347756/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=185685791025&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HbiDD4jj_zp76gwcOzCqpfi6JqZGqE5VEFObG0S6WzRK1_OEpB3H0X2M8PrlsQUv1uBCD5l802BiLKbZfynVp94IltrvoiO_ayNI--uIWHAMjNyoEQguui9vI23Hds_eDXXPJfGHQiGUs_NJUFtADrnr3zYzjX38U_dPspyV63n8zcz14KRt68_LJF0VPZXpYmYE4W4nEOURtR7Pwu1bHlubfmmHZ16HVZ5LHy4d9wg.iiQje_BQ24miclNDGtSIs-4EFy04N_Gf_7YvDVYzYE8&dib_tag=se&hvadid=779679125908&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9004283&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=3925126075406088906--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3925126075406088906&hvtargid=kwd-300619507168&hydadcr=3206_13534002_10895&keywords=wild+mind+natalie+goldberg&mcid=907d644dbf6e3ef5a029ea1fa1c9bc2b&qid=1783626393&sr=8-1] by Natalie Goldberg Want Support Finding Your Voice w/ Reloveution? * Join our Public Feedback Lab [https://form.jotform.com/Reloveution/feedback-lab-aug26] (August 10, 2026) * Join our Compassionate Accountability Cohort [https://form.jotform.com/Reloveution/compassionate-accountability-cohort] (September 2026 - March 2027) * On-Demand Coaching [https://www.truereloveution.com/on-demand] ChatGMB: Wisdom & Insights for Modern Leaders is produced for leaders, managers, and changemakers seeking insight, tools, perspective, and real talk on topics such as human-centered leadership, team culture, conflict transformation, burnout prevention, and more. There is no fancy editing or over-polished scripting. Tune in to hear me in all my imperfection, talking for as long as it feels "right" on the topics that light me up or set me on fire. If you like what you hear and want more wisdom and insights for your journey, sign up for our weekly-ish newsletter [https://www.truereloveution.com/newsletter]!! Have a question you'd like us to answer in a future episode? Submit questions (anonymous welcome) HERE [https://forms.gle/Ped9H7ncvjnFh4DF8]. ChatGMB is a production of Reloveution, a consulting and professional development services provider that leverages the magic of humanity to strengthen teams, deepen leadership impact, and catalyze professional well-being. From facilitating team retreats to leading leadership development programs to robust advisory services, we help you build the emotional and cultural conditions for human thriving AND exemplary business outcomes. Learn more at www.truereloveution.com [https://www.truereloveution.com/] You might also be interested in our focused conflict transformation practice RepairWorks. When tension rises, communication breaks down, or trust is broken, RepairWorks provides mediation, facilitated dialogue, advisory services, and training to help individuals, workplaces, teams, and established communities move through and transform conflict with clarity, accountability, and humanity. Learn more at www.conflictrepairworks.com [https://www.conflictrepairworks.com] About the Show GMB stands for “the Great Marissa Badgley” — a nickname my husband lovingly uses to remind me that I am great, good, competent, courageous, and enough. The name is also a playful nod to ChatGPT, which so many of us rely on for answers (maybe more than we should). Think of this as the human alternative: honest real talk, wisdom sharing, and actionable strategies on the specific leadership and culture topics that surface again and again in my consulting, coaching, and facilitation work.

We Are All Learners and Teachers: Keesha Ceran on Lifelong Learning and Leading Whole People

Our Summer Guest Series continues with this rich, warm, and wide-ranging conversation with Nakeesha Ceran — affectionately known as Keesha — Deputy Director of Teaching for Change [https://www.teachingforchange.org], political scientist, first-generation Haitian American, proud community college graduate, connector of people, and one of my favorite humans. Keesha has been part of the Millennial Manager Collective [https://www.millennialmanagercollective.com] for three years, and this conversation is a beautiful example of what happens when someone has been doing the deep work on themselves and their leadership for a long time. She brings a rare combination of big-picture political and historical analysis, profound humility about her own leadership journey, and a deeply practical approach to building culture inside a small nonprofit navigating an enormous, often difficult moment in history. Keesha and I cover a lot of ground, from the state of public education and the long arc of educator disenfranchisement, to what it means to steward people well as a leader, to the tension between building a beautiful workplace culture and knowing your people are going to leave it. We talk about what COVID revealed and what we forgot too quickly, why "holding people loosely" is an act of generosity and not a failure, and why the question "what do you really want to do?" is one of the most powerful things a manager can ask. As a bonus, we also hear from Keesha about her powerful experiences with the Millennial Manager Collective and Reloveution's public retreats and programs. Tune in to learn more about: * Keesha's origin story from small-town Ohio to the Bay Area to DC, and how her grandfather's love of the news became her foundation for civic curiosity * Teaching for Change's mission: filling the gaps left by textbooks and helping young people understand their own power to change history * Why the attack on honest history education isn't new, and how a 2020 executive order connects directly to what we're seeing in classrooms today * Why Keesha calls educators first responders, and why they deserve the same reverence * Where Keesha finds hope and leans into faith (even when it's hard) * Her leadership reckoning: the low moment in a previous role, the harm she had to repair, and what it taught her about the leader she wanted to be * What "holding people loosely" looks like in practice, and why it requires a lot of humility from a supervisor * Why she tells every direct report, "this is a step," and asks them what they really want to do * The 50/50 one-on-one, and how Keesha sets up her team relationships from the start * Why your employees and interns are your ambassadors, whether you've thought about it or not About Keesha Ceran: Keesha Ceran (she/her) is a dynamic, mission-driven mid-level executive with a background in political science, higher education, and nonprofit operations. She currently serves as Deputy Director of Teaching for Change, a national pre-K through 12 education nonprofit headquartered in Washington, DC, whose mission is to equip educators and families with tools to teach for social justice and help young people understand their power to change the world. A first-generation Haitian American raised in Ohio and the Bay Area, Keesha holds three degrees in political science and has spent her career at the intersection of education, social justice, organizational culture, and people development. She is a proud member of the Millennial Manager Collective and a natural connector of people, ideas, and communities. Resources Mentioned: * Teaching for Change [https://www.teachingforchange.org/] * Social Justice Books [https://socialjusticebooks.org/] * Teach Truth Campaign [https://www.zinnedproject.org/campaigns/teach-truth/] * Other Ways to Connect: https://linktr.ee/teach_change [https://linktr.ee/teach_change] Connect with Keesha: * Connect: https://about.me/nakeeshaceran [https://about.me/nakeeshaceran] * Social Media Connections: https://linktr.ee/kjc89 [https://linktr.ee/kjc89] Shameless Plug: Keesha has been part of the Millennial Manager Collective for three years, and in this episode she calls out what she calls "Marissa Magic," the rare ability to create a container where participants become co-creators of the experience, and consistently walk away more transformed than they expected. She describes me as someone with an astute awareness of people that is genuinely hard to put into words and says the community she's found through Reloveution's ecosystem is one she taps regularly to think through her own leadership. If you resonated with this conversation and could use a space like that in your corner, please check out: * The Millennial Manager Collective [https://www.millennialmanagercollective.com] (including our open events) * The Reloveution Retreat [https://www.truereloveution.com/reloveutionretreat] * On-Demand Coaching & Advisory [https://www.truereloveution.com/on-demand] ChatGMB: Wisdom & Insights for Modern Leaders is produced for leaders, managers, and changemakers seeking insight, tools, perspective, and real talk on topics such as human-centered leadership, team culture, conflict transformation, burnout prevention, and more. There is no fancy editing or over-polished scripting. Tune in to hear me in all my imperfection, talking for as long as it feels "right" on the topics that light me up or set me on fire. If you like what you hear and want more wisdom and insights for your journey, sign up for our weekly-ish newsletter [https://www.truereloveution.com/newsletter]!! Have a question you'd like us to answer in a future episode? Submit questions (anonymous welcome) HERE [https://forms.gle/Ped9H7ncvjnFh4DF8]. ChatGMB is a production of Reloveution, a consulting and professional development services provider that leverages the magic of humanity to strengthen teams, deepen leadership impact, and catalyze professional well-being. From facilitating team retreats to leading leadership development programs to robust advisory services, we help you build the emotional and cultural conditions for human thriving AND exemplary business outcomes. Learn more at www.truereloveution.com [https://www.truereloveution.com/] You might also be interested in our focused conflict transformation practice RepairWorks. When tension rises, communication breaks down, or trust is broken, RepairWorks provides mediation, facilitated dialogue, advisory services, and training to help individuals, workplaces, teams, and established communities move through and transform conflict with clarity, accountability, and humanity. Learn more at www.conflictrepairworks.com [https://www.conflictrepairworks.com] About the Show GMB stands for “the Great Marissa Badgley” — a nickname my husband lovingly uses to remind me that I am great, good, competent, courageous, and enough. The name is also a playful nod to ChatGPT, which so many of us rely on for answers (maybe more than we should). Think of this as the human alternative: honest real talk, wisdom sharing, and actionable strategies on the specific leadership and culture topics that surface again and again in my consulting, coaching, and facilitation work.

Federal Grants, Fierce Opinions, and the Leadership Gaps Nobody Talks About w/ Fielding Jezreel

Our Summer Guest Series continues with this wide-ranging conversation with Fielding Jezreel, Founder of Jezreel Consulting [https://www.jezreelconsulting.com/] and the Federal Grants Accelerator [https://www.federalgrantsaccelerator.com], and one of the country's foremost federal grant experts. Fielding and I reconnected recently after going to grad school together many years ago, and in this episode, we discover just how many parallels run through our stories, including toxic workplaces that pushed us out the door, partners who said " we believe in you; go figure it out," businesses that pivoted hard during historic disruptions (one during a global pandemic, one during a federal funding collapse), and a shared belief that mission-driven work deserves to be run with strategic rigor and real accountability. Tune in to hear: * How Fielding went from fleeing a toxic workplace with no plan to building a thriving eight-year solo consulting practice entirely by word of mouth * What happened when $100,000 in revenue disappeared in one week in 2025, and how she used the chaos to build something better * Why federal grants are uniquely merit-based, and why that matters for organizations that have been told "it's all about who you know" * What the Federal Grants Accelerator is, who it's for, and why the program runs for two years (with a guarantee) * The common mistakes small and mid-size nonprofits make when pursuing federal grants, and the three things leadership needs to have in place before they even start * Why AI has flooded the grants field with look-alike applications, and why "you need the expert plus AI, never just AI" * The consultant title effect: what it says about how nonprofits treat their internal experts * Why grant writers are often the most knowledgeable people in the building, why they're almost never in the room where strategy happens, and the issue with that * Three things that would retain 50–60% of the grant professionals who leave * Why grant professionals might belong in compliance or operations rather than development Mentioned in this episode: * Federal Grants Accelerator [https://www.federalgrantsaccelerator.com/] * Federal Grants Readiness Assessment [https://www.federalgrantsaccelerator.com/] * AI for Grantwriters [https://www.federalgrantsaccelerator.com/ai-for-grant-writers] * Jezreel Consulting [https://www.jezreelconsulting.com/] Connect with Fielding: * LinkedIn: Fielding Jezreel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fieldingjezreel/] * Free weekly newsletter on federal grants and AI implementation [https://www.jezreelconsulting.com/newsletter-subscription] Want Support from Reloveution? * Join our Compassionate Accountability Cohort [https://form.jotform.com/Reloveution/compassionate-accountability-cohort] — the thing Marissa accidentally announced live on this episode! ChatGMB: Wisdom & Insights for Modern Leaders is produced for leaders, managers, and changemakers seeking insight, tools, perspective, and real talk on topics such as human-centered leadership, team culture, conflict transformation, burnout prevention, and more. There is no fancy editing or over-polished scripting. Tune in to hear me in all my imperfection, talking for as long as it feels "right" on the topics that light me up or set me on fire. If you like what you hear and want more wisdom and insights for your journey, sign up for our weekly-ish newsletter [https://www.truereloveution.com/newsletter]!! Have a question you'd like us to answer in a future episode? Submit questions (anonymous welcome) HERE [https://forms.gle/Ped9H7ncvjnFh4DF8]. ChatGMB is a production of Reloveution, a consulting and professional development services provider that leverages the magic of humanity to strengthen teams, deepen leadership impact, and catalyze professional well-being. From facilitating team retreats to leading leadership development programs to robust advisory services, we help you build the emotional and cultural conditions for human thriving AND exemplary business outcomes. Learn more at www.truereloveution.com [https://www.truereloveution.com/] You might also be interested in our focused conflict transformation practice RepairWorks. When tension rises, communication breaks down, or trust is broken, RepairWorks provides mediation, facilitated dialogue, advisory services, and training to help individuals, workplaces, teams, and established communities move through and transform conflict with clarity, accountability, and humanity. Learn more at www.conflictrepairworks.com [https://www.conflictrepairworks.com] About the Show GMB stands for “the Great Marissa Badgley” — a nickname my husband lovingly uses to remind me that I am great, good, competent, courageous, and enough. The name is also a playful nod to ChatGPT, which so many of us rely on for answers (maybe more than we should). Think of this as the human alternative: honest real talk, wisdom sharing, and actionable strategies on the specific leadership and culture topics that surface again and again in my consulting, coaching, and facilitation work.

Controllable and Uncontrollable Forces: A Veteran's Guide to Leading Well w/ D'Juan Wilcher

Our Summer Guest Series continues with this profound, energizing, and a-little-silly conversation with D'Juan Wilcher, a Navy veteran, a distinguished alum of Indiana University, and Deputy Director at the George W. Bush Presidential Center [https://www.bushcenter.org/], where his work spans veteran economic opportunity, education pathways, mental health, and civic engagement. He's also a first-generation college student from Gary, Indiana, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Truman National Security Project, a mentor, a husband, and a dad of three boys, which, as you'll hear, might be the most instructive leadership laboratory of all. In this conversation, Marissa and D'Juan dig into several critical topics, including what it takes to talk and lead across difference, the ingredients that set good leaders apart from mediocre ones, why leaders have to get comfortable with non-closure, and what emotional integrity and compassionate accountability look like for different generations. We also trade many metaphors about crayons, lemons, and holding doors open (literally and professionally). D'Juan also opens up about his transition out of the Navy, reflecting in real time on how living in Chicago during a period of social unrest reshaped what service meant to him, and how being a Black father means holding two truths at once: preparing his sons for the world as it is, while protecting their childhood for as long as he can. Tune in to hear: * Why curiosity and humility are the engine of every conversation across difference * Why not everything needs resolution * The inference trap: how "if they believe that, they must believe this" thinking breaks teams, tables, and countries * Marissa's ask vs. assume framework for interrupting assumptions before they harden * Parenting as leadership: what managing three kids in three different ways teaches about meeting people where they are * The crayons-in-the-box metaphor for emotional vocabulary, and why every generation is coloring on different paper * What civilian organizations could learn from the Navy * Service beyond the uniform: why holding the door open (at Target and in your career) counts * Why it's so important to prioritize your people's growth, hold folks accountable to what you agreed on, and lead with optimism Mentioned in this episode: * The Man the Moment Demands [https://www.amazon.com/Man-Moment-Demands-Characteristics-Comprehensive/dp/1400249058/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.n27QwVNLqQKke4lkyjUm34wNpIeVnTkTP77PN8_nyikK75b1Z8dq4yeuqgyVtgjYgJKIqnb1OnJpNw5AWw5a_hdYqLDE0q_1lNnuUuhuczDq_45x8LWiA7ucEEkxrfBputqRAmnBIpDFYjqiIBhQPJfZDplFc45p1W0uOAff8CoPeEIor9oYbWUrtt6uHMRefhrWufePDN9Xsc0vY644rilx2WlN2Als3LkJTxYii60.sZ88ue_QNwE_hhgcNRPYMZHlcbWoqd-8fByvcEj2eao&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+man+the+moment+demands&qid=1783356364&sr=8-1] by Jason Wilson * Travis Manion Foundation [https://www.travismanion.org/] * The George W. Bush Institute's Veteran Leadership Program [https://www.bushcenter.org/newsroom/bush-institute-announces-2026-stand-to-veteran-leadership-program-class] Learn More with Reloveution * Ask vs. Assume Framework [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cZSvH1BMNAkCCDNW14v_t2Fp9n6_cCy0/view?usp=sharing] * Join our 2026-2026 Compassionate Accountability Cohort [https://form.jotform.com/Reloveution/compassionate-accountability-cohort] TRANSPARENCY NOTE: While this podcast production is usually 100% unedited, we want to be transparent that we did some light editing on this one to mitigate technical errors throughout the episode. All content and humanness have been preserved! ChatGMB: Wisdom & Insights for Modern Leaders is produced for leaders, managers, and changemakers seeking insight, tools, perspective, and real talk on topics such as human-centered leadership, team culture, conflict transformation, burnout prevention, and more. There is no fancy editing or over-polished scripting. Tune in to hear me in all my imperfection, talking for as long as it feels "right" on the topics that light me up or set me on fire. If you like what you hear and want more wisdom and insights for your journey, sign up for our weekly-ish newsletter [https://www.truereloveution.com/newsletter]!! Have a question you'd like us to answer in a future episode? Submit questions (anonymous welcome) HERE [https://forms.gle/Ped9H7ncvjnFh4DF8]. ChatGMB is a production of Reloveution, a consulting and professional development services provider that leverages the magic of humanity to strengthen teams, deepen leadership impact, and catalyze professional well-being. From facilitating team retreats to leading leadership development programs to robust advisory services, we help you build the emotional and cultural conditions for human thriving AND exemplary business outcomes. Learn more at www.truereloveution.com [https://www.truereloveution.com/] You might also be interested in our focused conflict transformation practice RepairWorks. When tension rises, communication breaks down, or trust is broken, RepairWorks provides mediation, facilitated dialogue, advisory services, and training to help individuals, workplaces, teams, and established communities move through and transform conflict with clarity, accountability, and humanity. Learn more at www.conflictrepairworks.com [https://www.conflictrepairworks.com] About the Show GMB stands for “the Great Marissa Badgley” — a nickname my husband lovingly uses to remind me that I am great, good, competent, courageous, and enough. The name is also a playful nod to ChatGPT, which so many of us rely on for answers (maybe more than we should). Think of this as the human alternative: honest real talk, wisdom sharing, and actionable strategies on the specific leadership and culture topics that surface again and again in my consulting, coaching, and facilitation work.

Talk Less, Ask More: Brad Lademann on Curiosity, Connection, and Raising Adults

What makes a great facilitator, an effective leader, and a strong network? According to this week's guest, the answer to all three is the same: strong relationships and deep curiosity. In this episode, I sit down with Brad Lademann, Associate Director of Quality Initiatives at the Missouri AfterSchool Network, where he has spent 11 years supporting after-school professionals across the state through professional development, facilitation, conferences, and now a year-long leadership development program he and Marissa have built together. Brad spent a decade as a youth pastor before moving into after-school and dropout prevention work, and the lessons he learned from showing up for teenagers have become the backbone of his approach to adult leadership and professional development. He and I swap stories from our time working with youth; dig into what it takes to build belonging across a statewide network that spans rural towns of 500 people and major urban programs alike; discuss why the after-school field deserves more money, more respect, and a real career pathway; and what a book about a fancy New York restaurant can teach us about leadership. Brad also opens up about his experience with burnout and what it took to find his way back. In this episode, you'll learn: * Why Brad says relationships are the most crucial ingredient for a good life * The two things that unlock real connection: curiosity and listening to learn (not to respond) * Why the same principles that work with teenagers work just as well with adult colleagues and employees * How the Missouri AfterSchool Network builds belonging across a wildly diverse statewide ecosystem * The case for professionalizing the after-school field, and why "I just work with kids" should never be said in air quotes again * What "helping raise adults" actually means, and why Brad takes the long view on everyone he leads * Why "almost is not a story" — and how that phrase keeps him from letting the good intentions collect dust Book Recommendation from Brad: * Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect [https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/books] * The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever [https://www.amazon.com/Coaching-Habit-Less-Change-Forever/dp/0978440749] Learn More: * Missouri AfterSchool Network [https://moafterschool.org/] * National After School Association [https://naaweb.org/] Call to Action: Call on your representatives to support and fund afterschool! [https://afterschoolalliance.org/policyTakeAction.cfm] ***Interested in bringing a multi-month leadership development program to YOUR organization or network?! Book a connection call [https://bit.ly/rellloveutionconnectioncall] with Reloveution or email us at info@truereloveution.com!*** ChatGMB: Wisdom & Insights for Modern Leaders is produced for leaders, managers, and changemakers seeking insight, tools, perspective, and real talk on topics such as human-centered leadership, team culture, conflict transformation, burnout prevention, and more. There is no fancy editing or over-polished scripting. Tune in to hear me in all my imperfection, talking for as long as it feels "right" on the topics that light me up or set me on fire. If you like what you hear and want more wisdom and insights for your journey, sign up for our weekly-ish newsletter [https://www.truereloveution.com/newsletter]!! Have a question you'd like us to answer in a future episode? Submit questions (anonymous welcome) HERE [https://forms.gle/Ped9H7ncvjnFh4DF8]. ChatGMB is a production of Reloveution, a consulting and professional development services provider that leverages the magic of humanity to strengthen teams, deepen leadership impact, and catalyze professional well-being. From facilitating team retreats to leading leadership development programs to robust advisory services, we help you build the emotional and cultural conditions for human thriving AND exemplary business outcomes. Learn more at www.truereloveution.com [https://www.truereloveution.com/] You might also be interested in our focused conflict transformation practice RepairWorks. When tension rises, communication breaks down, or trust is broken, RepairWorks provides mediation, facilitated dialogue, advisory services, and training to help individuals, workplaces, teams, and established communities move through and transform conflict with clarity, accountability, and humanity. Learn more at www.conflictrepairworks.com [https://www.conflictrepairworks.com] About the Show GMB stands for “the Great Marissa Badgley” — a nickname my husband lovingly uses to remind me that I am great, good, competent, courageous, and enough. The name is also a playful nod to ChatGPT, which so many of us rely on for answers (maybe more than we should). Think of this as the human alternative: honest real talk, wisdom sharing, and actionable strategies on the specific leadership and culture topics that surface again and again in my consulting, coaching, and facilitation work.