Becoming is Messy

Meghann sits down with Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D. — a veteran of the Indian Air Force, global leadership educator, and founder of MSR Leadership Consultants — whose extraordinary story reminds us that leadership begins with the heart.

He is a teacher of soft leadership, a people-centered approach that blends empathy with excellence — leading from the heart without compromising results. Rooted in what he calls the “11 Cs” of character, compassion, and collaboration, soft leadership emphasizes human connection over hierarchy. It’s about guiding others through respect, trust, and shared purpose, rather than authority or fear.

After surviving a brain hemorrhage that left his right hand paralyzed, Professor Rao turned his pain into purpose. His Vision 2030 is to shape one million leaders worldwide - to grow as global citizens to achieve global peace and prosperity in the world.

Highlights from the discussion include:

• How adversity can become the catalyst for purpose and impact
• Why the future of leadership depends on compassion and collaboration
• The mindset shift from “boss” to “healer”
• What it really means to lead not from command, but from care

This episode connects to the “P” in Meghann’s Imperfect LEVEL UP framework — Pass It On — the stage where personal growth transforms into service and legacy.

Takeaway tip: Start small, but start today. Lead with empathy — mentor a colleague, listen fully to a friend, or soften your self-talk. Service doesn’t have to be grand to be meaningful. Every act of care plants a seed.

🔗 Links & Resources

✨ Join the Messy community on Instagram: @BecomingIsMessy

✨ Follow Meghann for more real, raw, and messy wisdom: @MeghannDawson

✨ Explore coaching, workshops & more: www.meghanndawson.com (sign up for Meghann's Messy Middle email)

✨ Shop the Messy Collection: www.meghanndawson.com/shop

🌿 Connect with Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D. @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao/

📝Professor Rao's Blog https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/

💛 Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Messy who needs to hear it!

#Vision2030 #BecomingIsMessy #ImperfectLevelUp #SoftLeadership #HeartLedLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ImpactThroughService #Mindfulness #EmpathyInAction #PassItOn #PersonalGrowth #HealingLeadership

If you’ve ever found yourself pretending to be okay when you’re not — or wearing a brave face to hide your pain — this episode will hit home.

Ashanti Branch, founder of The Ever Forward Club and creator of the Million Mask Movement, joins Meghann to explore the emotional armor we build to survive — and how taking off the mask begins with understanding where it was first formed.

From growing up in Oakland and learning to “suck it up,” to walking away from a successful engineering career to teach, mentor, and build a movement around emotional honesty, Ashanti shares his remarkable journey of transformation. Together, he and Meghann unpack what it means to reconnect with your childhood self, find empathy through pain, and create space for others to be real — especially our youth.

This is a conversation about what’s underneath our strength, the hidden stories we carry, and the courage it takes to live unmasked.

In This Episode We Cover:

• The story behind The Ever Forward Club and the Million Mask Movement
• How childhood expectations shape our adult masks
• Living with chronic pain and learning empathy through it
• Transforming anger into awareness and purpose
• What every teacher (and adult) should know about young people
• Reclaiming health and self-care as acts of courage
• The power of community, brotherhood, and being seen

This episode aligns with the Imperfect LEVEL UP - E — Explore Childhood as Observer, a reminder to pause and ask:

What mask did I learn to wear, and what was I protecting myself from? Because when we see the story behind our mask, we open the door to rewriting it.

🔗 Links & Resources

✨ Join the Messy community on Instagram: @BecomingIsMessy

✨ Follow Meghann for more real, raw, and messy wisdom: @MeghannDawson

✨ Explore coaching, workshops & more: www.meghanndawson.com (sign up for Meghann's Messy Middle email)

✨ Shop the Messy Collection: www.meghanndawson.com/shop

🌿 Connect with Ashanti Branch @ https://everforwardclub.org/

🎭 Make Your Mask (To help young people, adults and community gain a deeper understanding of how much we have in common): www.millionmask.org

💛 Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Messy who needs to hear it!

#BecomingIsMessy #AshantiBranch #EverForwardClub #MillionMaskMovement #ExploreChildhoodAsObserver #EmotionalIntelligence #HealingInTheMess #AuthenticLeadership #MenWhoFeel #VulnerabilityIsStrength #TakeOffTheMask #ImperfectLEVELUP #MessiesUnite #TraumaHealing #YouthEmpowerment #RealTalkPodcast

What happens when a secret buried for fifty years finally comes to light?

In this powerful episode of Becoming is Messy, I sit down with Darlene Lekowski—author, speaker, advocate, and survivor. From childhood trauma to a public lawsuit that forced her truth into the open, Darlene has walked through silence, shame, and survival. Today, she shares how she transformed that pain into resilience and purpose.

Her story is raw, courageous, and deeply human. We talk about the strategies she used to survive, the moment she found freedom in telling her truth, and how she is now passing it on to empower others who feel alone in their healing journey.

In This Episode We Cover:

• The hidden cost of carrying trauma in silence
• How Darlene found the courage to finally speak her truth
• The impact of sibling sexual assault and why advocacy matters
• Navigating PTSD, therapy, and healing modalities
• The role of friendship, family, and support in breaking free
• Lessons from the duality of success on the outside while struggling within
• Why “justice” looks different than we expect—and what true freedom means
• How sharing your story, in any form, can light the way for others

Darlene reminds us that no matter how long we’ve carried the weight of our past, it’s never too late to release the burden, reclaim our voice, and move forward whole.

This episode ties to the P in the Imperfect LEVEL UP framework: Pass It On. Healing isn’t only about freeing ourselves—it’s also about lighting the path for others. When we share our stories, we transform pain into purpose, and our vulnerability becomes someone else’s permission slip to speak, heal, and grow.

DISCLAIMER: This conversation includes discussion of childhood sexual abuse and trauma. I know how difficult and triggering this topic can be, so please take care of yourself as you listen. If at any point you need to pause, step away, or come back later, honor that.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, support is available. You can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) to be connected with trained advocates in your area.

🔗 Links & Resources

✨ Join the Messy community on Instagram: @BecomingIsMessy

✨ Follow Meghann for more real, raw, and messy wisdom: @MeghannDawson

✨ Explore coaching, workshops & more: www.meghanndawson.com (sign up for Meghann's Messy Middle email)

✨ Shop the Messy Collection: www.meghanndawson.com/shop

🌿 Connect with Darlene Lekowski @ https://darlene-lekowski.com/

📸 Instagram @darlenelekowski

Sign up for Darlene's quarterly newsletter and stay tuned for the April 2026 release of Darlene's memoir, Shattering Silence: A Story of Survival, Justice and the Power of Telling the Truth.

💛 Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Messy who needs to hear it!

#BecomingIsMessy #DarleneLekowski #ShatteringSilence #HealingJourney #PassItOn #ImperfectLEVELUP #ResilienceInTheMess #TraumaHealing #SpeakingYourTruth #EmpowerSurvivors #CourageToHeal #MessiesUnite

Have you ever found yourself wondering, “Why does life still feel so hard… even when I’ve checked all the boxes?”

Career? Check. Relationships? Check. Maybe family, maybe independence—check, check. From the outside, it looks like success. But inside? There’s restlessness. Quiet exhaustion. That little whisper: “Does this ever get easy?”

In this solo episode, Meghann gets honest about hitting her own wall — the burnout, the unraveling, the terrifying moment she admitted to Kelly she had nothing left to give. She shares how stepping back reshaped her health, her marriage, and her sense of purpose… and why it didn’t magically erase the mess.

Along the way, she introduces five crossroads that every one of us will meet:

• Identity — Who am I without the titles and roles?
• Relationships — Who stretches with me, and who strains against me?
• Purpose — What am I here for, and does it actually matter?
• Capacity — What happens when I finally admit I can’t do it all?
• Trust — Can I keep walking without all the answers?

If you’re feeling grateful and restless, blessed and burned out — you’re not alone. You’re simply at a crossroads. And that doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means you’re becoming.

🔗 Links & Resources

✨ Join the Messy community on Instagram: @BecomingIsMessy

✨ Follow Meghann for more real, raw, and messy wisdom: @MeghannDawson

✨ Explore coaching, workshops & more: www.meghanndawson.com (sign up for Meghann's Messy Middle email)

✨ Shop the Messy Collection: www.meghanndawson.com/shop

💛 Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Messy who needs to hear it!

#BecomingIsMessy #MessyMiddle #FiveCrossroads #IdentityShift #RelationshipsMatter #FindingPurpose #CapacityCheck #LearningToTrust #RestlessButGrateful #BurnoutRecovery #CrossroadsOfLife #AuthenticBecoming #TransformationJourney #WomenWhoLead #MessiesUnite

Episode 33 is extra special. Not only is 33 Meghann’s lucky number—it's also the first sign that nudged her onto her spiritual path—and it now marks a magical milestone for the show. And the conversation you’re about to hear couldn’t be more fitting.

Meghann welcomes Jeff Hittner—executive coach, leadership expert, entrepreneur, and devoted father of two. When Jeff learned he couldn’t become a biological father, he was forced to deconstruct a lifelong belief and reimagine what fatherhood really means. Today, he not only leads global leadership programs and coaches CEOs, but also champions modern fatherhood through his Ambitious Dads Project.

Together, they explore:

• Redefining fatherhood in the face of loss
• Turning self-limiting beliefs into possibility
• Why asking for help can be a superpower
• Balancing ambition and parenting
• Universal lessons of authentic leadership

Jeff’s story is a powerful reminder that transformation often begins where we thought the story had ended.

This episode ties to the V in the Imperfect LEVEL UP framework: Value the Lessons—even the messy ones. Life rewrites our plans, and sometimes the hardest truths become our greatest teachers.

🔗 Links & Resources

✨ Join the Messy community on Instagram: @BecomingIsMessy

✨ Follow Meghann for more real, raw, and messy wisdom: @MeghannDawson

✨ Explore coaching, workshops & more: www.meghanndawson.com (sign up for Meghann's Messy Middle email)

✨ Shop the Messy Collection: www.meghanndawson.com/shop

🌿 Connect with Jeff Hittner @ https://jeffhittner.com/

💛 Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Messy who needs to hear it!

#BecomingIsMessy #JeffHittner #AmbitiousDads #LEVELUP #ValueTheLessons #ModernFatherhood #AuthenticLeadership #MessyMiddle #TransformationJourney #AskingForHelp #LeadershipWithHeart #ParentingAndPurpose #MessiesUnite

In this episode, Meghann sits down with nutritionist Chelsea Blackbird to explore how healing begins when we learn to listen to our own bodies. Chelsea shares her winding journey—from infertility struggles and digestive issues to discovering the power of real food and faith.

Together, they unpack what it means to trust your body’s wisdom, embrace B-minus progress over perfection, and make space for both nourishment and joy (yes, even warm chocolate chip cookies). Chelsea also opens up about raising teenagers, walking through seasons of grief, and finding the courage to step into her calling despite fear and self-doubt.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why tuning into your body’s cues is the foundation of sustainable health.
• Letting go of perfection and embracing Chelsea’s “B-minus approach.”
• How food, faith, and community intersect in real-life wellness.
• Raising teenagers, planting seeds of health, and trusting they’ll circle back.
• The role of grief, resilience, and showing up even when life feels overwhelming.
• Joyful eating: defining your “heck yeah” foods and making peace with indulgence.

This conversation ties back to the Imperfect LEVEL UP framework: lean into your unique healing needs. You’ll leave with encouragement to trust your body, follow the gentle whispers of wisdom, and support your wholeness without the pressure of perfection.

🔗 Links & Resources

✨ Join the Messy community on Instagram: @BecomingIsMessy

✨ Follow Meghann for more real, raw, and messy wisdom: @MeghannDawson

✨ Explore coaching, workshops & more: www.meghanndawson.com (sign up for Meghann's Messy Middle email)

✨ Shop the Messy Collection: www.meghanndawson.com/shop

🌿 Connect with Chelsea Blackbird @ https://www.thechristiannutritionist.com/

💛 Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Messy who needs to hear it!

#BecomingIsMessy #ChelseaBlackbird #TheChristianNutritionist #LEVELUP #TheHealer #ListenToYourBody #FoodAsMedicine #MessyHealing #RealFoodRealLife #WellnessJourney #BMinusApproach #FaithAndHealing #MessiesUnite

What if boldness didn’t require bravery—but clarity? And what if rest was the ultimate leadership strategy?

In this powerful and refreshing conversation, Dr. Erin Wilson joins Meghann to unpack how leaders and teams can truly thrive—by embracing relationship intelligence, prioritizing rest, and making bold moves rooted in clarity.

Dr. Wilson shares her deeply personal journey from burnout and a stress-induced seizure to becoming the CEO of Design Ideal Consulting, co-founder of the Strategic Rest Summit, and co-author of Strategic Rest in Leadership. Together, Meghann and Dr. Wilson explore the messy middle of leadership, entrepreneurship, and life—and how clarity, rest, and relational awareness can transform not only your results but your relationships.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The surprising truth about boldness: why clarity matters more than courage
• Dr. Wilson's burnout story and the wake-up call that changed everything
• How the NAP Framework (Nurture, Assess, Prioritize) makes rest a leadership skill
• The myth of hustle culture and why rest is a competitive advantage
• Micro-breaks, boundaries, and simple shifts leaders can model today
• Why relationship intelligence is the ultimate superpower for teams
• The messy, bold realities of entrepreneurship—and how Dr. Wilson embraces them

This episode is equal parts inspiring, practical, and real—perfect for anyone navigating burnout, craving alignment, or ready to step boldly into their next chapter.

🔗 Links & Resources

✨ Join the Messy community on Instagram: @BecomingIsMessy

✨ Follow Meghann for more real, raw, and messy wisdom: @MeghannDawson

✨ Explore coaching, workshops & more: www.meghanndawson.com (sign up for Meghann's Messy Middle email)

✨ Shop the Messy Collection: www.meghanndawson.com/shop

🌿 Connect with Dr. Erin Wilson @ https://www.designidealconsulting.com/

📖 Buy Strategic Rest in Leadership @ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/strategic-rest-in-leadership-kellie-m-dixon/1146446500

💛 Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Messy who needs to hear it!

#BecomingIsMessy #Leadership #StrategicRest #BoldNotBrave #RestAsStrategy #MessyMiddle #Entrepreneurship #RelationshipIntelligence #BurnoutRecovery #RestToRise

In this episode, I’m joined by Ben Kintisch—a chaplain, educator, and creator of Life Review: The Hospice Musical. Ben shares the origins of his career in chaplaincy, his journey through seminary and professional training, and how his experiences in hospice inspired him to create a theatrical work blending patient stories with music. We discuss the process of turning real-life encounters into art, his perspectives on the importance of spiritual care at life’s end, and the ways music can serve as a bridge for connection.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Ben’s educational background and path into chaplaincy
• How hospice work influenced the creation of Life Review: The Hospice Musical
• The mechanics of translating real patient stories into stage performance
• His approach to blending music, theatre, and spiritual care
• Reflections on the role of chaplains in end-of-life care
• Insights into the training and preparation needed for spiritual and creative leadership

🔗 Links & Resources

✨ Join the Messy community on Instagram: @BecomingIsMessy

✨ Follow Meghann for more real, raw, and messy wisdom: @MeghannDawson

✨ Explore coaching, workshops & more: www.meghanndawson.com (sign up for Meghann's Messy Middle email)

✨ Shop the Messy Collection: www.meghanndawson.com/shop

🌿 Connect with Ben Kintisch @ https://www.lifereviewmusical.com/

💛 Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Messy who needs to hear it!

#BecomingIsMessy #PodcastEpisode #NewPodcastEpisode #BenKintisch #LifeReviewTheHospiceMusical #HospiceCare #HospiceStories #EndOfLifeCare #TheatreLife #MusicalTheatreLovers #StorytellingMatters #HealingThroughArt

My conversation with Juls Bindi was truly an honor.

She’s been through the kind of storms that leave most people on the ground—and yet, she’s still standing. In fact, she’s building. Juls came into the public eye after bravely speaking out about her assault by Harvey Weinstein and later testifying in his Los Angeles trial. But that isn’t where her story ends. It’s where her reclamation begins.

In this episode, Juls opens up about her childhood trauma, the betrayal and financial devastation of her divorce, and how she chose to alchemize it all into something powerful: emotional intelligence for the next generation. She’s the founder of EQ Kid Books, a mom to Sage - her wise-beyond-her-years daughter, and living proof that healing is not only possible—it can be playful, sacred, and world-changing.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Juls's path to becoming one of the first women to speak out about Weinstein
• The heartbreak of losing her company and her marriage
• How trauma shaped her understanding of victimhood, survival, and thriving
• The origin of EQ Kid Books—and why she’s rewriting childhood stories, one page at a time
• What it really means to parent with emotional intelligence
• How her daughter became her greatest teacher

This isn’t a story about staying stuck in the dark. It’s a story about choosing light—even when it’s hard to find.

Disclaimer:This episode contains discussions of adult topics, including sexual assault, childhood abuse, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised. Please take care while listening, and pause if you need to. If these topics are sensitive or activating for you, know that you’re not alone—and your well-being matters.

🔗 Links & Resources

✨ Join the Messy community on Instagram: @BecomingIsMessy

✨ Follow Meghann for more real, raw, and messy wisdom: @MeghannDawson

✨ Explore coaching, workshops & more: www.meghanndawson.com (sign up for Meghann's Messy Middle email)

✨ Shop the Messy Collection: www.meghanndawson.com/shop

🌿 Connect with Juls Bindi @ https://eqkidbooks.com/

📖 Buy My Body, My Rules @ https://eqkidbooks.com/product/my-body-my-rules/

Juls’s first book, My Body, My Rules, is more than a story—it’s a blueprint for raising emotionally intelligent children. Every purchase is a tax write-off and donates a second book to a school, foster care program, or child in need.

💛 Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Messy who needs to hear it!

#BecomingIsMessy #JulsBindi #EQKidBooks #MyBodyMyRules #EmotionalIntelligence #TraumaHealing #SurvivorStrong #ConsciousParenting #BuyOneGiveOne #MessiesUnite #MeToo

What happens when life strips you down — and you decide to rebuild from the inside out?

In this energizing conversation, Meghann sits down with former NFL player turned transformational identity coach, Anthony Trucks, to unpack the truth about what it really takes to make shift happen. From foster care to the football field, bankruptcy to breakthrough, Anthony’s story isn’t just inspiring — it’s a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and radical honesty.

Together, they dive into:

• The dark work behind true transformation (and why it’s not supposed to feel good)
• Why mindset alone won’t save you — but identity will
• How to raise strong kids without stealing their necessary struggle
• The difference between peak performance and performance that actually fulfills you
• The underrated power of asking better questions — of yourself and the people who love you
• And what it means to live a life you're proud of when no one’s watching

🔗 Links & Resources

✨ Join the Messy community on Instagram: @BecomingIsMessy

✨ Follow Meghann for more real, raw, and messy wisdom: @MeghannDawson

✨ Explore coaching, workshops & more: www.meghanndawson.com (sign up for Meghann's weekly email)

✨ Shop the Messy Collection: www.meghanndawson.com/shop

🌿 Connect with Anthony Trucks @ https://darkwork.com/

💛 Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Messy who needs to hear it!

#BecomingIsMessy #MakeShiftHappen #AnthonyTrucks #DarkWork #IdentityShift #TransformationTalk #HealingJourney #BurnoutToBreakthrough #ParentingWisdom #MarriageGrowth #TraumaRecovery #SelfWorthWork #AuthenticSuccess #MindsetIsNotEnough #FromFosterCareToFreedom