#LocalGov #Leadership #WomenInGov #CityManagement #AuthentiCityFM

Sometimes, the most honest conversations start with asking yourself if you're good enough to be in the room. This one starts with bobsleds and sourdough starters, then goes deep into the messy beauty of looking back while staying present.

Sereniah Breland, city manager of Pflugerville, Texas, opens up about imposter syndrome, hard rooms where people don't love you, and why she leans into every creative opportunity like turning budget presentations into Pfinance reports and making Tymo the drug dog the police chief photo in the city budget. She shares the moment on the Camino de Santiago when she realized presence matters more than perfection. Climbing the mountain, looking back at how far you've come, then staying grounded in the now is what leadership actually looks like.

This conversation explores what it means to lose a mentor who taught you to ground yourself with "INMC" (it's not my city), the promise to leave behind wisdom through letters to her nieces, and why grief teaches us the most about legacy. Sereniah shares core beliefs like "we see what we're programmed to see" and why being the person you mean to be matters more than being the person everyone expects.

There's talk of joy seeking and unexpected detours, the kind of wisdom that only comes from years of journaling through the really hard times, and what it means to be affable, feral, bold, unfiltered, and on the verge. Seven cities, one really long walk through Spain, and a whole lot of vulnerability later, Sereniah reminds us of what matters most.

Stay kind, stay steady, stay you. 

Because you're not meant for every room, but you're absolutely meant for great rooms.

01:56 Meet Sereniah

03:30 The Importance of Vulnerability in Leadership

08:34 Mentorship and the Power of Community

11:44 Breaking Barriers: Women in Leadership

15:30 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

20:53 The Value of Taking a Sabbatical

24:30 Lessons from the Camino de Santiago

29:44 The Grasshopper Analogy: Taking Leaps of Faith

40:52 Transformative Career Journeys

42:04 Navigating Self-Doubt in Leadership

47:05 Engagement in Professional Development

48:07 Shifting Focus from Ego to Purpose

51:42 The Importance of Fun in Leadership

01:00:41 Creativity and Community Engagement

01:10:29 Lessons from Life Experiences

01:13:08 Legacy and Mentorship