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In episode 099 of Agency Bytes, I got to have our first-ever repeat guest: Kelly Campbell. Kelly is a trauma-informed leadership coach, author of Heal to Lead, and creator of The New TLC: Trauma, Leadership, and Consciousness on Substack. They aren’t just talking about leadership—they’re redefining what it means to be a leader in today’s world, starting from the inside out.
This conversation goes deep. We’re talking about the unspoken struggles that agency owners face—the hidden emotional baggage, the past experiences that shape how we lead, and why doing the inner work isn’t just self-care, but a leadership imperative.
Kelly shares how their own journey led to a radical shift in understanding leadership—not as a performance, but as an extension of our healing. We unpack why self-awareness is the foundation of trust, how compassion (not control) is the key to stronger teams, and why integrating past trauma is essential for leading with clarity and confidence.
We also get into:
• Why so many leaders struggle with reactivity, trust, and burnout—and how to break the cycle.
• The real difference between empathy and compassion (and why one is more effective in leadership).
• The danger of people-pleasing in leadership—when “being supportive” crosses into self-sacrifice.
• How agency leaders can create cultures of psychological safety, especially in uncertain times.
• Kelly’s bold decision to step away from LinkedIn for a year—and why they’re doubling down on deeper, more meaningful conversations on The New TLC.
• The agency landscape in 2025—why some agencies are thriving while others are struggling, and what owners need to focus on to stay ahead.
If you’ve ever felt like leadership was more exhausting than it should be—if you’ve questioned why certain situations trigger you, or if you want to create a more human, connected, and resilient agency culture—this episode will challenge you in all the right ways.
Kelly’s insights are game-changing, their wisdom is undeniable, and this conversation is one you don’t want to miss.
Key Bytes
• Publishing a book is a unique and challenging journey.
Chapters
00:00 The Journey of Healing Leadership
Kelly L. Campbell (they/them) is a Trauma-Informed Leadership Coach to emerging and established leaders who want to live, lead, and love with confidence and freedom. They are the author of HEAL TO LEAD: Revolutionizing Leadership through Trauma Healing. As a Sacred Trauma Healing practitioner, they work one-on-one with those who have experienced trauma in childhood or adulthood. Kelly has written for Entrepreneur, Fast Company and Forbes, and currently writes on Substack about “The New TLC: Trauma, Leadership, and Consciousness.” Their vision is for more than half of humanity to heal its childhood trauma so that we may reimagine and rebuild the world together.
Contact Kelly on their website, LinkedIn, or Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to their Substack here.
By Agency Outsight5
77 ratings
In episode 099 of Agency Bytes, I got to have our first-ever repeat guest: Kelly Campbell. Kelly is a trauma-informed leadership coach, author of Heal to Lead, and creator of The New TLC: Trauma, Leadership, and Consciousness on Substack. They aren’t just talking about leadership—they’re redefining what it means to be a leader in today’s world, starting from the inside out.
This conversation goes deep. We’re talking about the unspoken struggles that agency owners face—the hidden emotional baggage, the past experiences that shape how we lead, and why doing the inner work isn’t just self-care, but a leadership imperative.
Kelly shares how their own journey led to a radical shift in understanding leadership—not as a performance, but as an extension of our healing. We unpack why self-awareness is the foundation of trust, how compassion (not control) is the key to stronger teams, and why integrating past trauma is essential for leading with clarity and confidence.
We also get into:
• Why so many leaders struggle with reactivity, trust, and burnout—and how to break the cycle.
• The real difference between empathy and compassion (and why one is more effective in leadership).
• The danger of people-pleasing in leadership—when “being supportive” crosses into self-sacrifice.
• How agency leaders can create cultures of psychological safety, especially in uncertain times.
• Kelly’s bold decision to step away from LinkedIn for a year—and why they’re doubling down on deeper, more meaningful conversations on The New TLC.
• The agency landscape in 2025—why some agencies are thriving while others are struggling, and what owners need to focus on to stay ahead.
If you’ve ever felt like leadership was more exhausting than it should be—if you’ve questioned why certain situations trigger you, or if you want to create a more human, connected, and resilient agency culture—this episode will challenge you in all the right ways.
Kelly’s insights are game-changing, their wisdom is undeniable, and this conversation is one you don’t want to miss.
Key Bytes
• Publishing a book is a unique and challenging journey.
Chapters
00:00 The Journey of Healing Leadership
Kelly L. Campbell (they/them) is a Trauma-Informed Leadership Coach to emerging and established leaders who want to live, lead, and love with confidence and freedom. They are the author of HEAL TO LEAD: Revolutionizing Leadership through Trauma Healing. As a Sacred Trauma Healing practitioner, they work one-on-one with those who have experienced trauma in childhood or adulthood. Kelly has written for Entrepreneur, Fast Company and Forbes, and currently writes on Substack about “The New TLC: Trauma, Leadership, and Consciousness.” Their vision is for more than half of humanity to heal its childhood trauma so that we may reimagine and rebuild the world together.
Contact Kelly on their website, LinkedIn, or Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to their Substack here.

260 Listeners