Lead Without Losing Yourself

Lead Without Losing Yourself

What does it actually look like to build wealth, lead at the highest level, and never lose yourself in the process? Shomari James, Founder and CEO of Equity Now, Inc., is living proof that success without selling out is not just possible. It is powerful. Shomari grew up getting kicked out of nearly every school he attended. He was raised by a mother who kept him grounded and a father who told him to push every limit. Those two forces shaped a leader who went on to spend 21 years in Fortune 500 boardrooms, build a thriving consulting practice, and found a nonprofit dedicated to closing the wealth gap through financial education. And through all of it, he never performed a version of himself that was more acceptable to the room. In this conversation, we go deep on what that actually takes. We talk about the three sides of Shomari James and why he keeps all of them close. We talk about why leadership is an art and management is a science, and why confusing the two is costing organizations. We talk about the inner work that changed everything for him, including what a closed door taught him about a trauma he did not even know he was carrying. And we talk about what it means to hold the ladder steady for the next person coming up. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt the pressure to leave parts of themselves behind to be taken seriously. Shomari James is your reminder that those parts of you are not the obstacle. They are the edge. Episode 12 of Breaking Rank. Let's go.

Leadership Through Legacy: What We Owe the Next Generation of Leaders

What does it mean to build something that outlasts you when no one built it for you first? In this episode of Breaking Rank, Diana sits down with Carl Gray III, founder and CEO of Raising Founders and Launch with Carl. Carl grew up in DC navigating a dual life between the streets and the church pew, with a father in and out of jail and a mother who earned her diploma the same year Carl graduated college. The odds weren't in his favor. He didn't just survive them. He built a movement because of them. Carl didn't set out to work with youth. He said he'd never get into education. Then, in the middle of grief that would have stopped most people cold, losing his niece and goddaughter in separate car accidents in the same week, he showed up for a room full of young people anyway. What happened next changed everything. This episode gets into what Breaking Rank is really about: the moment you stop waiting for the systems around you to give you permission to become who you already know you are. For Carl, that reckoning came at 40. A prayer that sounded more like a demand. A beautiful house that felt completely hollow. And the recognition that the people who loved him most were the ones holding him back. Carl and Diana go deep on: * What legacy really means when you don't have children of your own * Why grief can crack open purpose in ways success never will * How Carl built Raising Founders as the "AAU of Entrepreneurship" for young Black teens in the DMV * The cost of performing capability while waiting for someone else's approval * What breaking rank looks like when it's your family, your church, and your entire support system you're stepping away from This one will stay with you. Connect with Carl: * Launch with Carl: launchwithcarl.com * Raising Founders: raisingfounders.net * Email: cgray@launchwithcarl.com [cgray@launchwithcarl.com] Connect with Breaking Rank: * Instagram: @breakingrankpod * TikTok: @breaking.rank.pod * YouTube: @BreakingRankPod * Website: breakingrankpod.com If this episode moved you, share it with someone who's still waiting for permission they were never going to get. Subscribe, leave a review, and join the Breaking Rank community.

Leadership Beyond the Billable Hour: Fatherhood in the Legal Profession

The legal profession has never made it easy to be a present father. Matthew Korn decided to change that. Matthew is a partner at Fisher Phillips and the founder of Dad, Esq., a community built specifically for lawyer dads navigating the intersection of high-stakes careers and hands-on fatherhood. In this episode, he and Diana dig into why working dads face a unique and largely invisible set of pressures, what it cost him to start talking about it openly, and how he turned that honesty into a movement. From the mental health realities of life in law to the power of community to his vision for a profession where fatherhood is normalized rather than hidden, Matthew's perspective will challenge the way you think about success, leadership, and what it means to show up fully in every role you hold. This one is for the dads, the lawyers, and anyone who has ever had to choose between ambition and presence. Spoiler: Matthew doesn't think you have to. Follow Breaking Rank on Instagram and YouTube @breakingrankpod. Learn more about Dad, Esq. at dadesq.com. breakingrankpod.com

Pivot Without Permission: Leading Without a Blueprint

What happens when the plan falls apart and you build something better? In this episode of Breaking Rank, host Diana Lauritson sits down with Jessica Aries, founder of By Aries and Legal Marketing Association International board member, for a conversation that covers it all: growing up in a single-parent household in Austin, TX, walking away from a law career, launching a business in the middle of a pandemic, navigating the emotional weight of IVF, and becoming one of the most recognized voices in legal marketing today. Jessica's story is one of reinvention at every turn. From a childhood where her father's early influence sparked a lifelong love of technology, to a viral LinkedIn post during COVID that brought 9 law firms to her inbox in a single week, to building By Aries into a thriving consulting practice, Jessica does not just talk about playing big. She lives it. In this episode, you will hear: * How a 'COVID job seeker' LinkedIn post changed the trajectory of her career * Why she left law school and found her calling in legal marketing * The hard lessons of launching a business without a fully formed plan * Her deeply personal IVF journey and what it taught her about resilience * Why she believes AI adoption is the defining professional moment for legal marketers right now * The one piece of advice her mom gave her that became her north star Whether you are a legal marketing professional, a woman considering entrepreneurship, or someone sitting on the edge of a career pivot, this episode will meet you where you are. Subscribe, like, and share if this conversation moved you. www.breakingrankpod.com

Alignment Over Ambition: Choosing Yourself in a System That Demands More

What happens when you stop chasing titles and start choosing yourself? In this episode of Breaking Rank, Diana Lauritson sits down with Laura Gutierrez for a deeply human conversation about leadership that is not driven by rank, optics, or traditional ambition. Laura has spent decades building digital infrastructure for marketing teams, but her story is not about climbing a career ladder. It is about resilience, clarity, and alignment. As a queer Latina, solo parent, and breast cancer survivor, Laura was forced to confront what truly mattered when her body and life were pushed to their limits. Battling cancer reshaped her relationship with work, success, and identity. It revealed that ambition without alignment comes at too high a cost. She never chose to chase titles or status. Instead, she chose honesty, sustainability, and a form of leadership rooted in action rather than permission. This conversation explores what it means to lead without conforming, to reject the pressure to perform success, and to define leadership on your own terms. Especially in systems that demand more than they give. This episode is for anyone who has ever questioned the ladder, felt underestimated for refusing it, or learned through survival that alignment is the most radical leadership choice of all.