11. She Was Called "Too Intense." Here's How She Became the Most Influential Person in the Room

11. She Was Called "Too Intense." Here's How She Became the Most Influential Person in the Room

In this episode of The Way She Leads, Megan sits down with Laura Ravo, executive career and performance coach, COO of Shine Strategy, and 30-year retail veteran, for a conversation about the kind of influence that doesn't announce itself. The kind that walks in with red lipstick, asks one well-placed question, and changes the entire direction of the room. If you've ever been told to "soften your edges" and had absolutely no idea what that meant, or if you've wondered why your competence alone isn't translating into the influence you know you're capable of, this episode is your answer. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Why being told to "soften your edges" is actually an invitation and how to hear it without shrinking * The difference between influencing with authority and influencing through curiosity * How your nervous system is setting the tone for your entire team, before you say a single word * Why asking instead of telling is the most underrated power move in leadership * The inherited legacies that drive your "bad behavior" and how to shed what was never really yours RESOURCES Laura Ravo | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lravo/] Strong Ground [https://bookshop.org/p/books/untitled-5749/6373ccfdbe86fb24?ean=9781984855749&next=t] \ Brené Brown Diary of a CEO [https://open.spotify.com/show/7iQXmUT7XGuZSzAMjoNWlX?si=157ce2cf45384f56] podcast | Steven Bartlett FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LINKEDIN [http://www.linkedin.com/in/meganakatu] | INSTAGRAM [https://www.instagram.com/meganakatu/] | WEB [https://meganakatu.com/] 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY IT LIKE THIS: Scripts [https://info.meganakatu.com/power] that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling  → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here [https://info.meganakatu.com/bw] to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here  [https://megan-akatu.kit.com/newsletter]for more leadership insights  #feminineleadership #leadyourselffirst #itsthelittlethings #womeninleadership #quietpower #feminineenergy #influence #thewaysheleads

10. When You're Right and It's Ruining You: How to Lead Through Decisions You Didn't Make

WHAT IF THE RESENTMENT YOU'RE CARRYING AT WORK IS THE VERY THING BLOCKING YOUR NEXT LEVEL? In this episode of The Way She Leads, Megan sits down with Casey Carrion, fractional Head of People & Culture and senior leader within Lightyear Leadership, for an honest, deeply human conversation about one of the most common (and least talked about) leadership traps: what happens when a decision gets made above you and you don't agree? Casey offers a story, one where she sat stuck and angry for five months, convinced she was right, slowly realizing she'd become someone she didn't recognize. What she learned in that season became the foundation of the leader she is today. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Why having decision-making rights matters and what it costs you when you forget you don't have them in a given situation * The principle "choice partnered with decision liberates" and how reclaiming your choice is the fastest path out of resentment * How alignment doesn't have to mean agreement and why choosing to align can make you a more powerful leader for your team * Why your body knows when you're out of alignment before your mind catches up * The difference between fighting for your values and staying stuck in rightness and how one keeps you moving while the other keeps you small RESOURCES Casey Carrion | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-carrion] Carrie Soto Is Back [https://bookshop.org/p/books/carrie-soto-is-back-a-novel-taylor-jenkins-reid/8de234dcaa57749b?ean=9780593158708&next=t] | Taylor Jenkins Reid  Super Communicators [https://bookshop.org/p/books/supercommunicators-how-to-unlock-the-secret-language-of-connection-charles-duhigg/7a25d02cace0aa84?ean=9780593243923&next=t] | Charles Duhigg FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LinkedIn [http://www.linkedin.com/in/meganakatu] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/meganakatu/] | Web [https://meganakatu.com/] 🎁 FREE STUFF → Decision Making Framework: Make [https://megan-akatu.kit.com/decisions] clear decisions without overthinking  → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here [https://info.meganakatu.com/bw] to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here [https://megan-akatu.kit.com/newsletter]for more leadership insights  #feminineleadership #leadyourselffirst #itsthelittlethings #womeninleadership #quietpower #feminineenergy #influence #thewaysheleads

9. How Self-Care and Vulnerability Reveal Your Most Authentic Self

This week on The Way She Leads, Megan sits down with Molly Di Carlo, a longtime colleague, marketing and communications leader, and one of the most genuinely joyful, high-output professionals Megan has ever worked with. Molly has built a career on moving fast, delivering quality, and making it look easy. And in this conversation, she pulls back the curtain on what that actually requires. For the high-achieving woman who has been praised her whole career for being quick, responsive, and "on it,” this episode is a permission slip. Molly shares the slow, deliberate work she's been doing to question the urgency, build her own definition of self-care, and lead from a more rested, grounded place without losing the edge that got her here. This is a conversation about pace, presence, and the practices that make sustainable leadership possible. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Why being fast at work can become a trap, and what shifts when you start asking "does this actually need a response right now?" * How operating under constant deadline pressure trains a nervous system response that follows you home * Why self-care is not optional for high-performing women  * How to build evening routines that protect your sleep, your mornings, and your capacity to lead the next day * Why asking for help is harder for women who were told they could "do it all"  * The vulnerability paradox: how showing up as a full person creates the strongest professional relationships * The small daily moments of space that compound into sustainable performance FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LinkedIn [http://www.linkedin.com/in/meganakatu] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/meganakatu/] | Web [https://meganakatu.com/] 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY IT LIKE THIS: Scripts [https://info.meganakatu.com/power] that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling  → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here [https://info.meganakatu.com/bw] to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here  [https://megan-akatu.kit.com/newsletter]for more leadership insights  #feminineleadership #leadyourselffirst #itsthelittlethings #womeninleadership #quietpower #feminineenergy #influence #thewaysheleads

8. Human Design Explained: Why You Feel Drained, Overworked, and Misunderstood

DESCRIPTION In this episode of The Way She Leads, Megan sits down with Human Design coach, Veronica Mezzetti Draia, to unpack why so many high-achieving women feel burned out, overstretched, and disconnected from themselves. In this rich conversation you will learn how Human Design can help women stop pushing and proving, and instead build lives, businesses, and leadership styles that actually honor their energy. This conversation is deeply validating for women who have spent years over-functioning, over-giving, people pleasing, and trying to succeed inside systems that were never designed for how they naturally operate. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Why so many high-achieving women feel exhausted trying to succeed inside systems that were never designed for them * The difference between Generators, Manifestors, Projectors, Reflectors, and Manifesting Generators in Human Design * How overworking becomes an identity, especially for women who feel the need to prove themselves * The concept of “waiting for the invitation” and why forcing opportunities often creates resistance * How Human Design can help you stop outsourcing your decision-making power * Why boundaries are one of the deepest forms of self-worth RESOURCES VERONICA MEZZETTI DRAIA Founder, Aligned Projectors and Human Design Coach YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@VeronicaMezzettiDraia] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aligned.projectors?igsh=NjVoY2Z4amFxZnhk] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicamezzettidraia/] | Web [https://www.veronicamezzettidraia.com/]Currently Reading: We Who Will Die [https://bookshop.org/p/books/we-who-will-die-a-novel-stacia-stark/7ee35e0ff5afb9bf?ean=9780063436718&next=t] | Stacia Stark The Wolf King [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-wolf-queen-deluxe-edition-lauren-palphreyman/ab8b4ccba15536dd?ean=9781464275623&next=t] and The Night Prince [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-night-prince-standard-edition-lauren-palphreyman/b58075f703dea7c6?ean=9781464284557&next=t] | Lauren Palphreyman  FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LinkedIn [http://www.linkedin.com/in/meganakatu] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/meganakatu/] |  YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@MeganAkatuCoaching] | Web [https://meganakatu.com/] 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY IT LIKE THIS: Scripts [https://info.meganakatu.com/power] that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling  → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here [https://info.meganakatu.com/bw] to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here  [https://megan-akatu.kit.com/newsletter]for more leadership insights

7. The CEO Skills No One Taught Us: Building Trust and Healthy Conflict

DESCRIPTION On this episode of The Way She Leads, Megan sits down with executive coach and former professional opera singer, Elena Armijo, for a deeply human conversation about leadership, honesty, and the future of organizational culture. They discuss the tension many leaders are feeling right now between results and humanity, why burnout is often a symptom of systems that no longer work, and how the most impactful organizations are beginning to operationalize values through behaviors, trust, and honest conversations. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Why burnout is often a symptom of leadership systems that are no longer sustainable * How women can create more impact without constantly doing more * The power of seasons of life and choosing intentionally instead of operating from guilt * Why trust and healthy conflict are essential for high-performing leadership teams About Elena Armijo Master Certified Coach, Founder & CEO | Coaching with Elena [https://elenaarmijo.com/] & The C-Suite Collective [https://www.thec-suitecollective.com/]® LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-armijo/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/elena.armijo/?hl=en]  |YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3skT7SX5rprYk2kcA5HbCA] Current Reads: Strong Ground [https://bookshop.org/p/books/untitled-5749/6373ccfdbe86fb24?ean=9781984855749&next=t] | Brené Brown Systemic Coaching [https://bookshop.org/p/books/systemic-coaching-delivering-value-beyond-the-individual-eve-turner/02939ee69a9e9f00?ean=9781138322493&next=t] | Peter Hawkins and Eve Turner FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LinkedIn [http://www.linkedin.com/in/meganakatu] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/meganakatu/] | Web [https://meganakatu.com/] 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY IT LIKE THIS: Scripts [https://info.meganakatu.com/power] that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling  → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here [https://info.meganakatu.com/bw] to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here  [https://megan-akatu.kit.com/newsletter]for more leadership insights