Authentic Leadership: Purpose, Pressure, and the Work Behind the Scenes with Dan Owolabi

Authentic Leadership: Purpose, Pressure, and the Work Behind the Scenes with Dan Owolabi

What if the moments that feel like detours in your career are actually the ones shaping you most? In this episode, I sit down with Dan Owolabi—CEO of Branch Leadership, leadership consultant, and author of Authentic Leadership—for a conversation that gets to the heart of what it really means to lead with authenticity. Dan brings both depth and practicality as we talk about how God uses every season (even the hard ones), why insecurity shows up more than we think in leadership, and how to navigate tension, conflict, and growth without losing yourself in the process. If you’ve ever felt like something is “off” in your work…or you’re being stretched in a way you didn’t expect…this conversation will meet you there. 🔑 What We Talk About * How a basketball injury became a turning point in Dan’s identity and leadership journey * Why insecurity is often the hidden driver behind leadership challenges * How to recognize your fears—and what they reveal about you * The concept of being a “velvet brick” (and why great leaders need both care and conviction) * Navigating conflict through both invitation and challenge * What to do when something feels off in your role or career * The difference between “beef” and “baby” work—and why purpose matters * Why authentic leadership starts with your backstage, not your front stage * How challenging yourself leads to deeper self-awareness and growth 🧠 Key Takeaways 1. Nothing is wasted. God uses every role, every season, and even the painful moments to shape you. The question is—are you paying attention to what He’s teaching you? 2. Lead with both care and conviction. The best leaders are “velvet bricks.” They lead with empathy and relationship and are willing to challenge, correct, and call others forward. 3. When something feels off—pause and realign. Don’t ignore that signal. Go back to purpose. Ask what’s shifted, and where God may be inviting you to adjust. 4. Your backstage matters more than your front stage. Who you are when no one is watching shapes how you lead when everyone is. 5. Growth requires intentional challenge. If you want to know yourself—and lead authentically—you have to be willing to stretch beyond what’s comfortable. 🔗 Resources & Links * 📘 Get Dan’s book: Authentic Leadership [https://a.co/d/0idlYf89] * 🌍 Learn more about his work:  * Branches Worldwide [https://www.branchesworldwide.org/about] * Branches Consulting [https://www.branchesconsultingco.com/] * Dan Owolabi [https://www.dan-owolabi.com/about] * 🎤 Global leadership development: Global Leadership Network [https://www.globalleadership.org/]

Courageous Obedience in a Non-Linear Career: A Conversation with Megan Milar

Careers rarely unfold in straight lines. Sometimes they look more like roller coasters—full of unexpected turns, bold decisions, and moments where the next step only becomes clear after we take it. In this episode of the Faith Driven Leader podcast, Ann Thompson sits down with Megan Milar, co-owner and COO of The Garage Group, to talk about what it looks like to follow God through a career that doesn’t follow the traditional script. Megan’s journey has included corporate work at Procter & Gamble, entrepreneurship, franchise ownership, living with her young family in India, launching a social enterprise, and eventually stepping into leadership at The Garage Group. What connects those chapters is a deep commitment to trusting God with the next step—even when the path isn’t clear. In this conversation, Ann and Megan explore how courage shows up in everyday leadership, why God often forms us through unexpected seasons, and what it means to move forward faithfully when life feels uncertain. In This EpisodeAnn and Megan discuss: * Megan’s non-linear career journey, from P&G to entrepreneurship to leading The Garage Group * The bold prayer that led Megan and her family to move to India with three young children * How God often uses unexpected seasons to shape our calling * Why courage isn’t about fearlessness—but about taking action in the presence of fear * How introverted leaders can build rhythms that protect energy and create space to recharge * The importance of solitude, reflection, and listening to God’s direction * What courage looks like in everyday life—from big career moves to simply showing up faithfully each day Three Takeaways from This Conversation1. Courage often looks like faithfulness in the present moment.While planning matters, courage often means trusting God with what today brings rather than trying to control the entire path. 2. Courage looks different for everyone.As Megan puts it, courage is like choosing a flavor of ice cream—there isn’t one right answer. The courageous step is simply the one God is inviting you to take today. 3. God rarely wastes a chapter.What may look like a zigzag career path often becomes the very preparation God uses to shape our calling. Resources Mentioned * Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO)https://www.eonetwork.org [https://www.eonetwork.org] * Gallup (CliftonStrengths / StrengthsFinder)https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths [https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths] * DiSC Assessmenthttps://www.discprofile.com [https://www.discprofile.com] Connect with MeganLearn more about Megan and her work: * LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmilar/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmilar/] * The Garage Group:https://www.thegaragegroup.com [https://www.thegaragegroup.com] Connect with AnnIf this episode resonated with you and you’re navigating a career transition or leadership challenge, Ann would love to walk alongside you. Learn more about coaching or schedule a conversation: https://calendly.com/anneileenthompsoncoaching/executive-coaching-free-initial-consultation [https://calendly.com/anneileenthompsoncoaching/executive-coaching-free-initial-consultation]

Letting God Set the Pace: Calling, Seasons, and the Courage to Pause — A Conversation with Chuck Mingo

In this thoughtful return conversation, Ann sits down again with Chuck Mingo, teaching pastor at Crossroads Church, to explore what it looks like to follow God faithfully through seasons of transition—and to trust Him not just with direction, but with pace. Chuck reflects on his non-linear vocational journey, spanning the marketplace at Procter & Gamble, ministry leadership, nonprofit work as a co-founder of Undivided, and his return to the local church. Rather than framing these moves as a carefully plotted plan, Chuck shares how each season required surrender—sometimes of role, sometimes of title, and often of timing. Together, Ann and Chuck unpack the difference between calling and seasons, why God’s faithfulness doesn’t require rigid or linear career paths, and how discernment so often comes through slowing down rather than pushing ahead. This episode is especially encouraging for anyone feeling restless, uncertain, or quietly resistant to the pace God seems to be setting. 🔑 Three Key Takeaways 1️⃣ Your calling is bigger than your current season—and God doesn’t waste any of it. Calling is the through-line of how God has wired you; seasons are the assignments where that calling gets expressed. When a season shifts, it doesn’t mean you missed something—it often means God is still faithfully at work, using every chapter to form you. 2️⃣ God is steady and faithful—and He invites us to hold our plans with open hands. God’s character doesn’t change, but the ways He leads us often surprise us. When we release the pressure to make everything linear or predictable, we create space to experience God’s faithfulness in deeper, more personal ways. 3️⃣ God cares about the pace of your life—not just the direction. What feels like slowing down may actually be God’s kindness—protecting what matters most and shaping you for what’s ahead. Discernment often comes not through pushing harder, but through pausing long enough to let God lead the timing as well as the path. 📚 Resources & Mentions Undivided [https://www.amazon.com/Living-Undivided-Courageously-Healing-Justice/dp/1540902285] — the nonprofit Chuck co-founded focused on racial healing and justice Kings and Priests [https://thenordins.org/store-default/kings-and-priests#:~:text=$15.00,into%20the%20body%20of%20Christ.]— a book referenced in the conversation exploring leadership, authority, and vocation Faith at Work: A Practical Guide to Aligning Your Career with Who God Created You to Be [https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Work-Practical-Aligning-Created/dp/B0GCPMRZDG] by Ann Eileen Thompson 🎧 Listen & Share If this episode encouraged you, consider sharing it with a friend or colleague who’s navigating a season of transition, restlessness, or discernment. Subscribe to Faith Driven Leader wherever you listen to podcasts—and keep leading with faith, clarity, and courage.

Who Is the Author of Your Career? A Faith-Driven Leader Reflection

In this solo episode of the Faith-Driven Leader Podcast, Ann Eileen Thompson invites you into a deeper question than career strategy or next steps: Who is actually authoring your career—you, or God? Drawing from her own winding professional journey—from early leadership roles, to Procter & Gamble, entrepreneurship, failure, rebuilding, and discernment—Ann reflects on how easily care for our work can turn into control, and what changes when we release authorship back to God. This episode isn’t about career advice or formulas. It’s about trust. Identity. And learning to see your work as part of a larger story God is already writing. If you’ve ever felt successful and grateful—yet still unsettled—this reflection is for you. In This Episode, We Explore * Why the pressure to “get your career right” often creates anxiety instead of peace * How ambition and faith can quietly drift into control * Lessons from Ann’s career across retail, corporate leadership, and entrepreneurship * A defining dream that reshaped how she understood trust, abundance, and calling * What changes when you stop trying to author your career and let God lead the story * Why discernment often matters more than momentum * How recognizing the season you’re in can bring clarity—even before action A Key Reflection Your career isn’t something you have to solve—it’s a story God is telling. When we loosen our grip on control and return authorship to Him, clarity doesn’t always come faster—but peace often does. About the Book This episode also marks the release of Ann’s new book, Faith at Work: A Practical Guide to Aligning Your Career with Who God Created You to Be. Written as a companion rather than a prescription, the book helps readers: * Identify the season of career transition they’re in * Discern God’s voice amid ambition, fear, and uncertainty * Navigate decisions around roles, networking, interviewing, and next steps with faith and clarity At its core, the book returns to a simple but grounding truth: God is not absent from your work—He is deeply invested in it. Resources & Links * 📘 Get the Book: Faith at Work → [Click here [https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Work-Practical-Aligning-Created/dp/B0GCPMRZDG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&sr=1-1]] * 🧭 Career Transitions Quiz: Not sure what season you’re in? This short quiz can help you name it. → [Take the Quiz here [https://form.typeform.com/to/uMmE3VcJ]] * 🌐 Learn More About Ann’s Work: → [Click here [https://anneileenthompson.com/]] * 📬 Connect or Reach Out: → [Book here [https://calendly.com/anneileenthompsoncoaching/executive-coaching-free-initial-consultation?month=2026-02]] A Final Invitation As you listen, consider this question: Where might you be carrying responsibility for your career that God never asked you to hold? Whether you’re striving, waiting, wondering, or preparing to step forward, you’re not alone. The Author of your story sees the whole path—even when you can only see the next step. Thanks for listening to the Faith-Driven Leader Podcast.

When God Leads You Through A Career Adventure: A Conversation with Dr. Jen Bennett

In this inspiring episode, Ann sits down with Dr. Jen Bennett, an educator, author, and host of She Impacts Culture, whose career has been anything but linear. From youth ministry to entrepreneurship, from the classroom to higher education leadership, Jen’s story is a beautiful reminder that God’s calling rarely follows a straight line. Together, Ann and Jen unpack how to recognize God’s hand in the unexpected turns of your career, the importance of rooting your identity in Christ rather than your title, and why fear often signals that you’re standing on the edge of something holy. Jen shares practical tools for discerning next steps, including a journaling exercise that can help you quiet the noise and hear God’s direction more clearly. Whether you’re in a season of uncertainty, transition, or possibility, this conversation will remind you that God’s plans are always purposeful—and that your pivots might just be His preparation. 🔑 Three Key Takeaways1️⃣ Your career path doesn’t have to be straight to be sacred. God uses every detour, delay, and pivot to shape your character and calling. 2️⃣ Your identity isn’t your job title. When your worth is grounded in who—and Whose—you are, you can take risks without losing yourself. 3️⃣ Peace is often the green light. You may not have all the answers, but you can have peace. Trust it more than certainty. ✍️ Quote Worth Remembering“I never want to get to the end of my life and wonder what could have been if I hadn’t let fear stop me.” — Dr. Jen Bennett 📚 Resources & Mentions * #BeWorthFollowing by Dr. Jen Bennett * She Impacts Culture Podcast * Miami University’s Center for L.I.F.E. — Leading the Integration of Faith & Entrepreneurship * Faith at Work: A Practical Guide to Aligning Your Career with Who God Created You to Be by Ann Eileen Thompson 🎧 Listen & Share If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend or colleague who’s navigating a transition or discerning a new direction. Subscribe to Faith-Driven Leader wherever you listen to podcasts—and keep leading with faith, courage, and purpose.