Leadership, Identity & Belonging | Urmi Hossain’s Story | Ep 54

Leadership, Identity & Belonging | Urmi Hossain’s Story | Ep 54

What happens when you grow up between two cultures and never feel like you fully belong in either one? In this episode of Powerful on Purpose, Urmi Hossain shares her journey of growing up in Italy as the daughter of Bangladeshi parents, navigating cultural expectations, identity, belonging, and ultimately finding her own voice as a leader. Urmi is a finance professional, author, speaker, mentor, YouTuber, and Co-Chair of the Montreal chapter of Women in Leadership. Through her work, she helps women embrace their identity, overcome self-doubt, and step into leadership with confidence and authenticity. In this conversation, you'll learn how to embrace your cultural identity, overcome imposter syndrome, build confidence as a woman leader, find your voice, and create meaningful impact without waiting for permission. Urmi also shares why leadership is about influence and impact—not titles—and how mentorship, community, and self-acceptance can transform the way women show up in the world. This conversation is inspiring, thoughtful, and a reminder that you don't have to choose between different parts of yourself to belong. 📖 Check out Urmi's book: 👉 Discovering Your Identity: A Rebirth From Interracial Struggle on Amazon 🎙️ Listen to Stories Beyond Borders Podcast: 👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-beyond-borders/id1831413373 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-beyond-borders/id1831413373] ✨ Join the Book in 30 Days Challenge Ever said, "I want to write a book, but I don't have time?" If so, then join Leslie as she writes her next book alongside participants in the Book in 30 Days Challenge. Get coaching, accountability, and a step-by-step process to finally become a published author. 👉 Learn more: https://authorin30.com/30workshop [https://authorin30.com/30workshop] 🎙️ Follow the Book in 30 Days Journey Curious what it takes to write a book in 30 days? Follow along as Leslie documents the process in real time, sharing lessons, breakthroughs, and conversations with participants throughout the challenge. 👉 Subscribe to Powerful on Purpose podcast Chapters 00:00 – Meet Urmi Hossain 02:00 – Growing up between cultures 06:00 – Finding identity and belonging 10:00 – Embracing both sides of yourself 14:00 – Women in leadership today 18:00 – Imposter syndrome and self-doubt 22:00 – Cultural expectations on women 27:00 – Why mentorship matters 31:00 – Leadership beyond titles 35:00 – Stories Beyond Borders podcast 39:00 – Be the change you seek #powerfulonpurposepodcast #womeninleadership #culturalidentity #personalgrowth #womenempoweringwomen

Burnout Isn’t Just Stress | Chris Vasiliadis on Energy, Wellness & Resilience | Ep 53

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight—and most women don’t recognize it until they’re already running on empty. In this episode of Powerful on Purpose, Chris Vasiliadis shares how a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis transformed her relationship with health, stress, energy, and well-being—and ultimately led her to help others prevent burnout before it takes a toll on their lives. Chris is a burnout prevention coach, consultant, trainer, and author of Ignition: A Professional Woman’s Guide to Energized Burnout-Proof Living. Through her company, Priority Wellness, she helps individuals and teams improve vitality, focus, and performance without sacrificing their health and well-being. In this conversation, you’ll learn how to recognize the early signs of burnout, manage stress more effectively, create sustainable wellness habits, protect your energy, improve resilience, and build a healthier relationship with work and life. Chris also shares why burnout prevention isn’t about doing more—it’s about becoming more intentional about what truly matters and creating a vision for your well-being that works in your current season of life. This conversation is a powerful reminder that your health is not something to take for granted—and that small changes can create lasting transformation. ✨ Chris’s Free Gift – The 9 Mistakes That Prevent People from Burnout-Proofing Their Lives: 👉 Download the free report at prioritywellness.com/freereport [http://prioritywellness.com/freereport] Be sure to subscribe for more conversations with inspiring women who are using their stories, expertise, and experiences to create meaningful impact in the world. Chapters 00:00 – Meet Chris Vasiliadis 02:00 – Her MS diagnosis story 06:00 – Lifestyle changes that mattered 10:00 – Stress and chronic illness 14:00 – What burnout really looks like 18:00 – Why women miss the signs 22:00 – Small changes create momentum 26:00 – Creating a wellness vision 30:00 – Letting go of perfectionism 34:00 – Building resilience and energy 38:00 – Burnout-proofing your life 41:00 – Chris’s free resource #powerfulonpurposepodcast #burnoutprevention #stressmanagement #womenswellness #mentalwellbeing

The Business Mechanic: Katrina Sawa on Fixing What’s Not Working | Ep 52

Building a business is one thing. Building a profitable, sustainable business that supports the life you actually want is something entirely different. In this episode of Powerful on Purpose, Katrina Sawa shares what she’s learned from more than two decades of helping entrepreneurs identify what’s holding their businesses back and create strategies that generate more revenue, freedom, and growth. Katrina is a 14-time international bestselling author, business coach, and self-publishing strategist who helps entrepreneurs build more profitable businesses. Known for her practical, no-nonsense approach, she works with clients at every stage of business to diagnose challenges, uncover opportunities, and create clear paths forward. In this conversation, you’ll learn how to increase business profitability, identify growth opportunities, avoid common entrepreneurial mistakes, create systems that support freedom, and build a business that aligns with the life you want to live. Katrina also shares why entrepreneurs must be willing to evolve, adapt, and sometimes let go of what’s no longer working in order to reach the next level. This conversation is packed with practical insights for business owners who know they’re capable of more but aren’t sure what’s standing in the way. ✨ Katrina’s Free Resources page: www.JumpstartYourBizNow.com/freetrainings [http://www.JumpstartYourBizNow.com/freetrainings] 👉 Includes tools on productivity, speaking, websites, book publishing, AI, and business growth Chapters 00:00 – Meet Katrina Sawa 02:00 – Finding entrepreneurship 05:00 – Why businesses struggle 08:00 – Wanting more matters 11:00 – Common growth roadblocks 14:00 – Adapting in changing markets 18:00 – Avoiding shiny object syndrome 21:00 – Becoming the business mechanic 25:00 – A client transformation story 29:00 – Designing your ideal business 33:00 – Building freedom and profit 36:00 – Katrina’s free resources #powerfulonpurposepodcast #businessgrowth #entrepreneurmindset #womeninbusiness #smallbusinessowner

The Mask That’s Holding You Back | Lauri Smith on Voice, Leadership & Visibility | Ep 51

So many women spend their lives trying to be “acceptable,” polished, and professional—while hiding the very qualities that make them powerful. In this episode of Powerful on Purpose, Lauri Smith shares how reclaiming your authentic voice, presence, and “untamed” self can completely transform the way you lead, communicate, and impact the world. Lauri is a speaker, author, coach, and host of the Untamed Leader Podcast. Drawing from her background in theater, voice coaching, and leadership development, she helps leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers learn how to speak with greater authenticity, emotional connection, and presence. In this conversation, you’ll learn how to overcome fear of visibility, release the masks that dim your brilliance, communicate with more confidence, improve your public speaking presence, and reconnect with the most authentic version of yourself. Lauri also shares why charisma isn’t something you perform—it’s what naturally happens when you stop hiding who you are. This conversation will challenge the way you think about leadership—and remind you that the world doesn’t need more polished perfection. It needs more real, untamed humans. ✨ Lauri’s Free Gift – Take the Speaker Alter Ego Quiz and discover the mask dimming your brilliance: https://voice-matters.com/speaker-alter-ego-quiz/ [https://voice-matters.com/speaker-alter-ego-quiz/] Chapters 00:00 – Meet Lauri Smith 02:00 – The moment everything shifted 06:00 – Untaming your true self 10:00 – Why women hide their brilliance 14:00 – Leadership beyond perfection 18:00 – The masks we wear 22:00 – Communication and emotional impact 26:00 – Speaking with presence and authenticity 30:00 – Why charisma isn’t performance 34:00 – Releasing fear of visibility 38:00 – The Speaker Alter Ego Quiz 42:00 – Lauri’s message to women #powerfulonpurposepodcast #untamedleader #publicspeaking #womenleaders #authenticleadership

How to Build a Real Author Career | Lana McAra on Publishing Beyond Amazon |Ep 50

Publishing a book is easier than ever—but building a successful author career? That’s a different story. In this episode of Powerful on Purpose, bestselling author and publisher Lana McAra shares the truth about today’s publishing industry, why so many authors struggle to market their books, and what writers really need to build sustainable careers beyond the algorithm. Lana McAra is an award-winning international bestselling author, ghostwriter of more than 50 books, and founder of Vendella Publishing. With over one million copies sold and decades of experience in traditional publishing, ghostwriting, and author coaching, Lana brings a rare insider perspective to the realities of publishing today. In this conversation, you’ll learn the difference between traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, and self-publishing, why most publishers no longer handle marketing for authors, how to create a long-term author business, and what actually helps books stand out in an overcrowded market. Lana also shares the deeply personal story behind building Vendella Publishing—a publishing model designed to help authors keep their rights, keep their royalties, and receive real support instead of being left to figure everything out alone. Whether you’re writing your first book or trying to grow your visibility as an author, this conversation offers honest insight into what publishing really looks like today. ✨ Lana’s Free Gift – The Novel Notebook, a free organizational tool for writers at lanamcara.com [http://lanamcara.com] Chapters 00:00 – Meet Lana McAra 02:00 – Her 14-year publishing journey 05:00 – Why publishing changed 08:00 – Traditional publishing myths 12:00 – The reality of book marketing 16:00 – Why authors struggle today 19:00 – The truth about hybrid publishing 23:00 – Losing rights to your books 27:00 – Building Vendella Publishing 31:00 – Authors helping authors 34:00 – Why good books matter most 37:00 – Lana’s Novel Notebook tool 40:00 – Advice for aspiring authors #powerfulonpurposepodcast #publishingtips #selfpublishing #authorsupport #writingcommunity