Go First With Jaime Taets

You don't need to have everything figured out before taking the next step. Lindsay Holden shares why trusting your instincts, embracing progress over perfection, and believing in your vision can lead to extraordinary growth.

Building a successful business isn't about having all the answers. It's about staying curious, making decisions with confidence, and continuing to move forward even when the path isn't clear. Lindsay Holden, Co-Founder of Odele Beauty, joins Jaime Taets to share her journey from leading merchandising at Target to building one of the fastest-growing hair care brands in mass retail. Together, they explore trusting your intuition, navigating the shift from founder to leader, balancing growth with personal priorities, and why there is no single formula for success.

Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or preparing for your next big leap, this conversation will give you a different way to think about what's next.

Timestamped Chapters

0:00 Introduction to Lindsay Holden
2:15 Leaving corporate life to build Odele
8:42 Building a brand with purpose and accessibility
15:10 Progress over perfection in entrepreneurship
22:18 Transitioning from founder to leader
30:40 Protecting creativity, energy, and relationships
38:12 Learning to trust your intuition
46:05 There's no one right way to build success
51:30 Bonus Round

Guest Bio

Lindsay Holden is the Co-Founder of Odele Beauty, a fast-growing hair care brand redefining premium products at accessible prices. After spending eight years as a merchant at Target, she co-founded Odele in 2020, growing the company to more than 15,000 retail locations nationwide. She is passionate about entrepreneurship, authentic leadership, and building brands that combine purpose, performance, and accessibility.

Quotes from the Episode

"Progress over perfection."

"There's no one right way to do anything."

"Trust your intuition."

Leadership Insights

Q: Why is trusting your intuition important in leadership?

A: Strong leaders gather advice, but they don't ignore their own experience. As Lindsay Holden explains, founders and leaders know more than they think they know. Trusting your instincts allows you to make confident decisions while staying true to your values, especially during periods of growth and uncertainty. Balance the opinions of others with what your gut tells you.

Q: What does progress over perfection mean for leaders?

A: Waiting for perfect conditions often slows growth. Leaders who embrace progress over perfection learn from mistakes, adapt quickly, and keep moving forward instead of becoming stuck by fear or unrealistic expectations. As Lindsay shares, mistakes happen even printing errors on product packaging but they don't derail the mission. Learn, fix, and keep going.

Resources

• Connect with Lindsay Holden on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Odele Beauty
• Learn more about Jaime Taets and Keystone Group International: https://jaimetaets.com
• Explore Jaime's Executive Retreats: https://jaimetaets.com/executive-retreats/
• Follow Jaime on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

If this episode encouraged you to dream bigger and trust your own leadership journey, share it with someone who needs the reminder.

Subscribe to Go First with Jaime Taets for more conversations about leadership, growth, and taking that next step forward.

Go First is the show where we talk about what it takes to move forward first, fast, and with purpose.

Everything you want is on the other side of the next unknown step. Let's Go First together.

Jaime Taets

What happens when you finally achieve everything you thought you wanted, only to realize it doesn't feel like enough? Andrea Sullivan shares why your next chapter may begin when you give yourself permission to dream again.

Personal growth can require letting go of the identity that made you successful. Andrea Sullivan, CEO and Co-Founder of vYve and former Chief Marketing Officer of VaynerX and Interbrand, joins Jaime Taets for a candid conversation about identity, success, and the courage to become someone new. Andrea shares her journey from the Midwest to New York City, through nearly two decades in corporate leadership and into entrepreneurship. Along the way, she discovered that titles, achievements, and external validation can become so closely tied to our identity that they eventually keep us from seeing what could come next.

Together, Andrea and Jaime explore identity shifts, imposter syndrome, community, resilience, intuition, and why what got you here won't get you where you're going next. They also talk about finding the right rooms, creating space for reflection, and becoming more human in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Whether you're navigating a career transition, redefining success, or wondering what's next, this conversation will give you permission to dream again.

Timestamped Chapters

0:00 Introduction to Andrea Sullivan
6:04 From corporate leadership to building vYve
7:30 When success looks right but doesn't feel right
10:39 You have the right to dream and change
13:50 Why the rooms you're in shape your growth
14:47 Letting go of titles, achievement, and external validation
17:09 Discovering who you are beyond serving others
19:44 Redefining success and releasing the CMO identity
22:15 What got you here won't get you there
25:29 Finding grounding through running and active meditation
28:16 You don't have to navigate your next chapter alone
32:06 Trusting your intuition
33:26 Andrea's message for leaders

Guest Bio

Andrea Sullivan is the CEO and Co-Founder of vYve, a company focused on helping entrepreneurs and C-suite leaders become their best and happiest selves. She previously served as Chief Marketing Officer at VaynerX and Interbrand, building a career around branding, leadership, and helping organizations and leaders grow. Through vYve, Andrea helps high-performing leaders explore where they may be stuck, identify what is holding them back, and design their next chapter with greater clarity and authenticity.

Quotes from the Episode

"You have the right to dream and to realize those dreams."

"What got us here is definitely not going to be getting us to wherever it is that we're going."

"We're not in this alone."

Leadership Insights

Q: What is personal growth for leaders?

A: Personal growth is the ongoing process of becoming more self-aware, resilient, and intentional about who you are and what you want next. Andrea's story shows that growth can mean letting go of an identity built around titles, achievements, and external expectations so you can make room for a more authentic version of yourself. It often requires stepping into new rooms and surrounding yourself with people who challenge you to evolve.

Q: Why can identity hold successful leaders back?

A: When titles, achievements, reputation, and external validation become part of how leaders define themselves, letting go of them can feel like losing part of who you are. Andrea experienced this firsthand when she wanted to hold onto her CMO title even after launching vYve. Releasing that identity created space to dream again, trust her intuition, and step into a new chapter she never imagined for herself.

Resources

• Learn more about vYve and its community for entrepreneurs and leaders.
• Learn more about Jaime Taets and her leadership work.
• Explore Jaime's Women's Executive Retreats.
• Explore Keystone Group International and its leadership, culture, and organizational growth work.
• Follow Jaime on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

If this conversation challenged the way you think about personal growth, identity, or success, share it with another leader who could benefit from these insights.

Subscribe to Go First with Jaime Taets for more conversations about leadership, growth, and taking that next step forward.

Go First is the show where we talk about what it takes to move forward: first, fast, and with purpose.

Everything you want is on the other side of the next unknown step. Let's Go First together.

Jaime Taets

Resilience isn't built only when life gets hard. Kristi Piehl explains why choosing difficult things when you can may prepare you for the fear you can't choose.

Kristi Piehl, Founder and CEO of Media Minefield, joins Jaime Taets for a vulnerable conversation about resilience, fear, leadership, identity, and the moments that force us to rethink what matters most. After losing her television news career during the 2008 economic crisis, Kristi spent nearly two years figuring out what came next before founding Media Minefield. Years later, her son's cancer diagnosis created another life-changing moment that reshaped her perspective on family, work, success, and what truly matters. Through both experiences, Kristi learned to control what she could control, lean on community, and choose the hard things when they were still a choice.

Together, Jaime and Kristi discuss how difficult experiences can clarify your values rather than completely change who you are. They explore why leaders need to know who they are, why you cannot go through hard times alone, how relationships can change during adversity, and why success can ultimately mean having the freedom to make meaningful choices and help others.

Whether you're facing a crisis, navigating transition, or simply wondering how to build resilience before you need it, this conversation will give you a different way to think about fear and hard things.

Timestamped Chapters

0:00 Introduction to Kristi Piehl
2:35 From TV news reporter to entrepreneur
7:51 Control what you can control
9:26 Choose hard before life chooses it for you
11:23 When adversity reveals what really matters
12:59 Success equals freedom
16:32 Know who you are before you lead others
21:22 Take the next right step
23:28 The fear you choose vs. the fear that chooses you
28:26 Be yourself, lean into it, and leave a trail

Guest Bio

Kristi Piehl is the Founder and CEO of Media Minefield, a national award-winning public relations firm specializing in media relations, executive social media, reputation management, crisis communication, and training. Before launching Media Minefield in 2010, Kristi spent 12 years as an Emmy Award-winning television news reporter. She is also the author of Flip Your Script: Own Your Story & Unlock the Positive Power of Social Media, host of the Flip Your Script podcast, an experienced keynote speaker, and a Forbes Councils contributor. Kristi has been recognized with multiple PRNEWS awards and named one of Minnesota's 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders. She earned her Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Pepperdine University's Graziadio Business School.

Quotes from the Episode

"Choose hard when it's a choice."

"Success equals freedom."

"If you choose fear when you can, you are more ready to be available for the fear that chooses you."

Leadership Insights

Q: What is resilience and how can leaders build it before a crisis?

A: Resilience is the ability to adapt, recover, and continue moving forward when faced with difficult circumstances. Kristi's experience shows that resilience can be strengthened before a crisis by intentionally choosing challenges, building supportive relationships, and learning how to focus energy on what you can control. As she puts it, "Choose hard when it's a choice" practice doing difficult things in ordinary moments so you're more prepared when circumstances become genuinely difficult.

Q: How can difficult experiences change leadership and clarify values?

A: Difficult experiences can clarify what matters most without requiring someone to become an entirely different person. For Kristi, adversity reinforced the importance of family, meaningful work, authentic leadership, and using her position to help others. Rather than creating a new identity, hard times can "galvanize" the values you already have and show you what you're truly willing to fight for.

Resources

• Learn more about Kristi Piehl and her work in leadership, media, and storytelling.
• Explore Media Minefield, Kristi’s public relations and reputation management agency.
• Listen to Flip Your Script, Kristi’s podcast about transformation, storytelling, and using social media for positive impact.
• Learn more about Jaime Taets and her work in leadership development and organizational growth.
• Explore Jaime’s Women’s Executive Retreats, focused on dreams, fears, purpose, and meaningful change.
• Follow Jaime on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

If this conversation challenged the way you think about resilience, fear, or the hard things in life, share it with another leader who could benefit from these insights.

Subscribe to Go First with Jaime Taets for more conversations about leadership, growth, and taking that next step forward.

Go First is the show where we talk about what it takes to move forward: first, fast, and with purpose.

Everything you want is on the other side of the next unknown step. Let's Go First together.

Jaime Taets

You control more than you think. Giselle Ugarte shares why you're more powerful than you realize and how to stop giving your power away to other people's opinions.

Giselle Ugarte, performance coach, international speaker, and executive coach, joins Jaime Taets for a candid conversation about control, confidence, authenticity, and the pressure of other people's expectations.

After leaving college without a plan, Giselle reinvented herself multiple times before launching her own business during the pandemic. She opens up about difficult seasons involving mental health, illness, and identity — and how those experiences taught her to take responsibility for what she can control. She also shares a powerful mindset shift: "Respectfully, you are not my audience." Not everyone who loves you or has an opinion about your choices is qualified to advise you on where you're going next.

Jaime and Giselle discuss how to filter outside opinions, ask for the support you need, and build a circle that helps you grow. They explore why authentic connection requires someone to go first, how vulnerability creates a ripple effect, and why success is ultimately about using what you've been given to make a positive impact on others.

Timestamped Chapters

0:00 Introduction to Giselle Ugarte
3:05 From TV Host to Entrepreneur: Reinventing Yourself
7:00 The Importance of Being Seen and Sharing Your Story
9:00 Health Struggles and Showing Up Authentically
13:23 Changing Your Identity and Your Circle
16:00 How to Handle Criticism Without Becoming Defensive
19:12 Letting Go of Family Approval
22:58 "Respectfully, You Are Not My Audience"
25:22 Redefining Success and Creating a Ripple Effect
29:19 Protecting Your Energy and Building a Reflection Practice
34:31 Ask for the Support You Need

Guest Bio

Giselle Ugarte is a performance coach, international speaker, executive coach, and professional speaker. Her career has included television hosting, multiple career reinventions, and launching her own business during the pandemic. Her work centers on confidence, trusting yourself, authenticity, purpose, and helping people recognize their full potential.

Giselle is also the creator of Action-Forward Coaching, a confidence and communication boot camp designed to help you be seen and heard.

Quotes from the Episode

"Respectfully, you are not my audience."

"You are in more control than you think."

"Ask for what you need."

Leadership Insights

What does "control more than you think" mean?

"You control more than you think" means recognizing the areas of your life where you can take responsibility instead of giving all of your power to circumstances, other people, or outside opinions. Giselle encourages listeners to focus on what they can influence, ask for the support they need, and take ownership of the choices available to them.

How do you know whose advice to listen to?

Not everyone who gives you advice is qualified to guide your next move. Giselle's framework is to ask whether the person is your audience or a mentor: have they done what you're trying to do, or are they someone you actually want to serve? If not, their opinion may not deserve the weight you're giving it.

Why is it important to ask for support?

Many people expect others to read their minds and then feel disappointed when support doesn't come. Giselle explains that asking for help is part of taking responsibility. If you need encouragement, accountability, or a cheerleader, you have to name it and ask for it.

Resources

• Connect with Giselle Ugarte: giselleugarte.com | Hub for performance coaching, speaking, and her newsletter.
• Follow Giselle on Instagram and LinkedIn
• Action-Forward Coaching | A confidence and communication boot camp to help you be seen and heard. 
• Learn more about Jaime Taets and her work in leadership development and organizational growth.
• Explore Jaime’s Women’s Executive Retreats, focused on dreams, fears, purpose, and meaningful change.
• Follow Jaime on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

If you have been waiting for permission to stop letting other people's opinions define your path, this is your sign. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear that they are in more control than they think.

Subscribe to View From The Top with Jaime Taets for more conversations about control, confidence, and the journey from success to significance.

Will see you at the top, and beyond.

Jaime Taets

Leadership through adversity is not about avoiding the valley. It is about building a foundation strong enough to keep you moving through it.

Ben Utecht, former NFL tight end, Super Bowl champion, speaker, author, and culture expert, joins Jaime Taets for a conversation about fear, failure, preparation, belief, identity, and the peaks and valleys that shape a meaningful life.

Ben shares the story of going from a potential first-round NFL draft pick to an undrafted free agent after a devastating injury and then receiving an unexpected call from Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts. His journey ultimately led him to the NFL, a Super Bowl championship, a career in speaking and culture, and his book The Champion's Creed. But the real story is not the highlight reel. It is what happened in between.

Jaime and Ben explore what it means to stay grounded when you are at the top, rebuild yourself when you are in the valley, and stop allowing achievements to define your identity. They discuss how preparation builds confidence, why surrender can be a catalyst for winning, and how leaders can build a foundation of beliefs they can return to in difficult seasons.

Timestamped Chapters

0:00 Introduction to Ben Utecht
2:36 From Minnesota to the NFL with Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy
7:11 Discovering Purpose Beyond Achievement
9:56 Fear of Failure and the Voice of Self-Doubt
12:16 From Potential First-Round Pick to Undrafted Free Agent
14:58 The Unexpected Call from Tony Dungy
16:59 Finding Consistency Through Peaks and Valleys
18:36 Navigating Identity Shifts
22:56 Redefining Success and Letting Go of Materialism
25:22 Why Surrender Is a Catalyst for Winning
29:38 Building a Foundation You Can Return To

Guest Bio

Ben Utecht is a former NFL tight end, Super Bowl champion, speaker, author, entrepreneur, and culture expert. He played for the Indianapolis Colts, won Super Bowl XLI, and learned under legendary coach Tony Dungy.

After football, Ben built a career focused on leadership, organizational culture, personal development, and transforming people. He is the author of The Champion's Creed: Transform Your Culture Through the Power of Belief.

Ben's work centers on the idea that organizations will always have a culture, either by design or by default, and leaders have the opportunity to intentionally build one that transforms people.

Quotes from the Episode

"Find the consistency through the peaks and valleys."

"Believe."

"Surrender is actually the catalyst for winning."

Leadership Insights

What is leadership through adversity?

Leadership through adversity is the ability to remain grounded, make purposeful decisions, and continue leading when circumstances become difficult. Ben Utecht's story shows how preparation, belief, values, and endurance can give leaders a foundation to rely on during uncertain or challenging seasons.

Why is preparation important for overcoming adversity?

Preparation creates confidence because it gives people something concrete to fall back on when fear and uncertainty appear. Ben explains that his preparation in sports, through film study, training, and repetition, helped quiet self-doubt and gave him confidence when facing difficult situations.

How can leaders build a foundation for hard times?

Leaders can build a foundation by clarifying what they believe, writing down their values, and creating a personal creed they can return to. Ben explains that when you are in the valley, having objective truths you have already defined can pull you out of fear and uncertainty.

Resources

• Connect with Ben: [email protected]
• Follow Ben on LinkedIn for culture and leadership insights
• Book: The Champion's Creed: Transform Your Culture Through the Power of Belief 
• Learn more about Jaime Taets and her work in leadership development and organizational growth.
• Explore Jaime’s Women’s Executive Retreats, focused on dreams, fears, purpose, and meaningful change.
• Follow Jaime on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

If you have ever wondered how to stay grounded through the highs and lows of leadership, this conversation is for you. Share it with someone who needs to be reminded that consistency is found in the peaks and valleys.

Subscribe to View From The Top with Jaime Taets for more conversations about leadership, resilience, and the journey from success to significance.

Will see you at the top, and beyond.

Jaime Taets

Redefining success through joy means learning that resilience is not always about pushing harder. It is knowing when to pause, heal, and find joy in the storm.

Kelli Williams, healing-informed executive coach, business and marketing strategist, storyteller, and former nonprofit leader, joins Jaime Taets for a conversation about resilience, identity, guilt, people-pleasing, and redefining what success really means.

Kelli opens up about the experiences that shaped her leadership, including being a teenage mother, navigating major career transitions, surviving domestic abuse, and leading a nonprofit through a crisis involving national attention, threats, and fear for her family. She shares how those moments taught her the difference between being strong and being resilient.

Jaime and Kelli explore why resilience can mean resting instead of pushing through, how trauma responses show up in leadership, and why leaders need to give themselves permission to say, "I am not okay." They discuss how identity shifts over time, why guilt and people-pleasing can become exhausting patterns, and how finding joy in the storm is a choice leaders can make.

Timestamped Chapters

0:00 Introduction to Kelli Williams
2:00 From Suffering to Wisdom to Service
4:00 The Hidden Stories Behind the Highlight Reel
6:00 Kelli Shares Her Experience as a Domestic Abuse Survivor
9:00 Leading Through Crisis, Fear, and National Attention
13:00 Why Being Strong Is Not Always the Same as Being Resilient
15:00 Learning to Give Yourself Permission to Pause
18:00 Understanding Trauma Responses and Healing
21:00 Identity Shifts and Shedding Old Versions of Yourself
25:00 Unlearning Guilt, Perfectionism, and People-Pleasing
29:00 Redefining Success Through Happiness and Joy

Guest Bio

Kelli Williams is a healing-informed executive coach, business and marketing strategist, storyteller, and former nonprofit leader. Her work centers on helping people understand their stories, navigate change, build meaningful connections, and use their experiences to serve and inspire others.

Kelli is also working on her first book, described as a love letter to the next generation of women in business, while continuing her work through coaching, storytelling, workshops, and teaching.

Quotes from the Episode

"Resilience can be being softer."

"We can be in the storm and find joy at the same time."

"It doesn't have to work out perfectly for you to be okay."

Leadership Insights

What is resilience?

Resilience is the ability to move through adversity while continuing to adapt, heal, and move forward. Kelli explains that resilience is not necessarily about staying strong during a crisis. It can also mean recognizing when you are tired, giving yourself permission to pause, and learning how to respond differently to difficult experiences.

How can leaders find joy during difficult times?

Leaders can find joy during difficult times by allowing themselves to acknowledge what they are experiencing instead of constantly forcing themselves to push through. Small practices such as movement, breathing, personal check-ins, and identifying moments of hope can help leaders reconnect with themselves while navigating uncertainty.

Why do leaders struggle with identity shifts?

As leaders grow, their identities naturally evolve. Kelli discusses how being a teenage mother, nonprofit leader, founder, or high-performing professional can become part of how someone defines themselves, but those identities do not have to determine who they are forever. Growth often requires shedding old identities without pretending those experiences never happened.

Resources

• Connect with Kelli Williams on Linkedin
• Connect with Kelli Williams: legacyrising.com  
• Explore Jaime's Women's Executive Retreats.
• Explore Keystone Group International and its leadership, culture, and organizational growth work.
• Follow Jaime on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

If you have been waiting for permission to pause, rest, and find joy in the middle of the storm, this is your sign. Share this episode with someone who needs to be reminded that they do not have to be okay all the time to be a strong leader.

Subscribe to View From The Top with Jaime Taets for more conversations about resilience, joy, and the journey from success to significance.

Will see you at the top, and beyond.

Jaime Taets

Leadership burnout does not always happen when everything falls apart. Sometimes it happens when everything is going right, but the pace, pressure, and responsibility are no longer sustainable.

Josh Helgesen, CEO and majority owner of Greiner Construction, joins Jaime Taets to talk about the hidden weight of leadership, energy management, self-leadership, and the cost of confusing exhaustion with success. Josh shares his 26-year journey from apprentice carpenter to CEO, what changed when he realized he was strong for everyone else but was not refueling himself, and why sustainable leadership requires more than ambition.

Jaime and Josh explore what it means to recognize an unsustainable pace before a crisis hits, how to protect white space, and why the climb does not have to mean climbing harder. Sometimes, you need to climb smarter.

Timestamped Chapters

0:00 Introduction to Josh Helgesen
2:07 The Hidden Climb of Leadership
3:21 From Apprentice Carpenter to CEO
8:05 The People Who Shape Your Leadership
9:50 The Climb Moment: When Everything Was Working
11:21 Recognizing an Unsustainable Pace
13:09 When Leadership Starts Affecting Home
16:11 Letting Go of Being the One Who Carries Everything
17:10 Redefining Success as Alignment and Endurance
18:40 Protecting White Space and Auditing Your Energy
22:27 Ambition, Alignment, and Self-Leadership

Guest Bio

Josh Helgesen is the CEO and majority owner of Greiner Construction. He began his career with the company 26 years ago as an apprentice carpenter and worked his way through roles including foreman, superintendent, field leadership, ownership, and ultimately CEO.

His leadership journey is a powerful example of how career growth is built through opportunity, experience, relationships, mentorship, peer groups, coaching, and the willingness to keep learning. Josh now focuses not only on leading the business but also on becoming a better leader, father, husband, and human being.

Quotes from the Episode

"You don't get extra credit for exhaustion."

"Ambition without alignment will cost you."

"Protect your energy. Everyone you lead feels it."

Leadership Insights

What is leadership burnout?

Leadership burnout is the exhaustion that can develop when sustained pressure, responsibility, and ambition are not balanced with recovery, boundaries, and personal well-being. Josh emphasizes that pressure itself is not necessarily the problem. The danger comes from unmanaged pressure and an unsustainable pace.

What is self-leadership?

Self-leadership starts with managing yourself before trying to manage everyone and everything around you. For Josh, that means understanding your energy, recognizing your limits, reflecting before reacting, and making sure your ambition remains aligned with the life and relationships you want to protect.

How can leaders recognize an unsustainable pace?

Leaders can recognize an unsustainable pace when they notice subtle signs such as less patience, internal tension, constant go mode, and the feeling of being strong for everyone else but not refueling themselves. Josh explains that these signs often appear when everything looks successful on paper, making them easy to ignore.

Resources

• Connect with Josh Helgesen  on  LinkedIn 
• Learn more about  Greiner Construction
• Explore Jaime's Women's Executive Retreats.
• Explore Keystone Group International and its leadership, culture, and organizational growth work.
• Follow Jaime on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

If you have ever felt like you are strong for everyone else but not refueling yourself, this conversation is for you. Share it with someone who needs to be reminded that they do not get extra credit for exhaustion.

Subscribe to View From The Top with Jaime Taets for more conversations about leadership, energy management, and the journey from success to significance.

Will see you at the top, and beyond.

Jaime Taets

The point is not to have all the answers. Hillary Spreizer shares why leadership success is not about being the smartest person in the room.

Hillary Spreizer, CEO and owner of Latitude Group, joins Jaime Taets for a brutally honest conversation about what leadership really looks like when the wins are happening but you are falling apart behind the scenes. She shares how buying a company, navigating post-COVID growth, and constantly chasing the next milestone forced her to rethink burnout, resilience, success, and what it actually means to lead.

Jaime and Hillary explore why burnout can be a signal of misalignment, not just a capacity problem. They discuss how leaders can build resilience through practice, why anxiety is a flag and not proof that you are broken, and why the point is not to have all the answers.

Timestamped Chapters

0:00 Introduction to Hillary Spreizer
2:53 From Recruiter to CEO and Business Owner
4:49 Creating Resilience and Movement During Chaos
8:13 The Unremarkable Story Behind Success
11:01 Buying a Company and Confronting Imposter Syndrome
12:49 When Success and Burnout Happen at the Same Time
14:47 The Wake-Up Call: This Is a Problem
16:22 Redefining Success Beyond Milestones
18:44 Unlearning Scarcity and Choosing Abundance
20:55 Anxiety as a Flag, Not Proof That You're Broken
27:07 Why the Point Is Not to Have All the Answers

Guest Bio

Hillary Spreizer is the CEO and owner of Latitude Group, where she has built her career from recruiter to manager, salesperson, sales leader, and ultimately business owner. After purchasing the company from its founder, Hillary navigated the realities of ownership, post-COVID growth, burnout, and the pressure of leading an organization through uncertainty.

Her leadership philosophy centers on abundance, resilience, intentional movement, and bringing the right people into the room rather than trying to personally have every answer.

Quotes from the Episode

"The point is that I don't have the answers."

"I don't have all the answers. We're just gonna figure it out."

"It is illogical that you have peaked."

Leadership Insights

What is leadership burnout?

Leadership burnout is a state of exhaustion and disconnection that can occur when the way a leader is operating is no longer aligned with their capacity, values, or leadership system. In Hillary's experience, burnout was not simply about the company performing poorly. The company was doing well while she was struggling internally. Recognizing the signal and reassessing alignment can be an important starting point for change.

How can leaders build resilience?

Leaders can build resilience by practicing intentional movement through uncertainty instead of waiting until a crisis happens. That means repeatedly identifying what can be controlled, clarifying accountability and success, creating space for people when needed, and continuing to make thoughtful progress even when the final answer is not clear.

Why is it important to stop trying to have all the answers?

Leaders who believe they must have all the answers often become the bottleneck in their organizations. Hillary explains that the point is not to be the smartest person in the room. It is to bring the right people into the room and create an environment where movement and progress can happen, even in uncertainty.

Resources

• Connect with Hillary Spreizer on LinkedIn 
• Explore Latitude Group
• Explore Jaime's Women's Executive Retreats.
• Explore Keystone Group International and its leadership, culture, and organizational growth work.
• Follow Jaime on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

If you have ever felt the weight of believing you need to have all the answers, this conversation is your permission slip to let that go. Share it with a leader who needs to be reminded that leadership is about building the room, not being the smartest person in it.

Subscribe to View From The Top with Jaime Taets for more conversations about resilience, leadership, and the journey from success to significance.

Will see you at the top, and beyond.

Jaime Taets

Trust with yourself is the foundation of sustainable success. Ashley Hawks shares what happened when the success she built no longer made her happy and how she rebuilt her life, leadership, and purpose from the inside out.

Ashley Hawks, serial entrepreneur and owner of SOAR Leadership Groups, joins Jaime Taets for an honest conversation about what happens behind the highlight reel. From building and selling Forever Bride to David's Bridal, navigating corporate leadership, health challenges, burnout, and nearly losing connection with her marriage, Ashley explains why reaching the top is not always the finish line.

Jaime and Ashley explore self-trust, sustainable success, leadership burnout, radical accountability, energy management, and redefining what success actually means. Ashley shares practical ways to create momentum through small actions, protect your energy, and stop letting perfectionism dictate your decisions.

Timestamped Chapters

0:00 Introduction to Ashley Hawks

2:04 From Bridal Shop Roots to Entrepreneurship

7:25 When Success Doesn't Feel Successful

8:42 Childhood Experiences, Identity, and Community

12:39 The Hidden Cost of the Girl Boss Mentality

17:10 When Business Success Hides Relationship Problems

24:18 Radical Accountability and Owning Your Choices

27:51 Redefining What Success Actually Means

29:38 Why Meaningful Friendships Matter

34:46 Ready, Fire, Aim: Stop Waiting for Perfect

37:00 How to Get Unstuck Through Small Movements

38:41 Building Trust with Yourself

39:00 The People Around You Shape Your Life

44:04 Finding the Right Rooms and Communities

46:43 You Are Worthy 

Guest Bio

Ashley Hawks is a serial entrepreneur and owner of SOAR Leadership Groups, a community helping entrepreneurs and business leaders grow through connection and accountability. She previously built Forever Bride, which she sold to David's Bridal, before returning to her purpose of helping people build businesses while creating lives filled with health, relationships, and joy.

Quotes from the Episode

"Small actions create momentum and momentum creates trust with yourself."

"Self-discipline is the highest form of self-love."

"You are worthy."

Leadership Insights

What does it mean to trust with yourself?

Trusting yourself means consistently following through on the small commitments you make to yourself. Ashley explains that small actions, getting up when you said you would, moving your body, journaling, reaching out for help, or taking one uncomfortable step, create evidence that you can rely on yourself when bigger decisions arrive.

What is sustainable success?

Sustainable success is success that allows you to achieve meaningful professional goals without sacrificing your health, relationships, joy, or sense of purpose. For Ashley, success has shifted from titles and achievements to waking up genuinely excited about her day and building a life she actually enjoys.

Why is the voice in your head so powerful?

The negative voice in your head can grow louder over time, especially when you are trying to maintain a perfect outer shell and not asking for help. Ashley explains that you have to get control of that voice early on, because if you let it run rampant, it becomes harder and harder to quiet. The first step is recognizing that the voice is not telling you the truth.

Resources

• SOAR Leadership Groups: SOARGroups.com
• The Energy Bus: Ashley discusses the book's message around owning your energy and taking responsibility for how you show up.
• Connect with Ashley: LinkedIn | SOAR Leadership Groups
• Follow Jaime on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

If you have ever felt like you are succeeding on paper but falling apart inside, this conversation is your permission slip to stop pretending. Share it with a leader who needs to be reminded that they are worthy of building a life they actually enjoy.

Subscribe to View From The Top with Jaime Taets for more conversations about self-trust, sustainable success, and the journey from success to significance.

Will see you at the top, and beyond.

Jaime Taets

Leadership burnout isn't always about working too hard—it can be a signal that something is out of alignment. Erin Newkirk shares why leaders need to pause, ground themselves, manage their energy, and stop confusing performative work with productive leadership.

Erin Newkirk joins Jaime Taets for a conversation about career transitions, leadership, energy management, and the inner work that often gets ignored when success becomes the goal. From General Mills to entrepreneurship, healthcare, and Caribou Coffee, Erin's career has been less about climbing a straight ladder and more about building a body of work around her strengths, curiosity, creativity, and purpose.

Jaime and Erin explore why alignment is not a soft skill, how burnout can reveal deeper misalignment, and why leaders don't have to be "on" all the time. They discuss Erin's four-step process of grounding in reality, opening to possibilities, leading with love, and taking aligned action—and why becoming your own Chief Energy Officer may be one of the most important leadership skills you can develop.

Timestamped Chapters

 0:00 Introduction to Erin Newkirk and Her Career Journey
 4:05  Why Careers Aren’t Supposed to Be a Straight Line
 6:19  The Hidden Cost of Misalignment and Burnout
 9:04  Erin’s Four-Step Process for Getting Unstuck
 15:06  Energy Management: Breathing, Meditation, and Daily Rituals
 22:25  Redefining Success Around Fulfillment
 23:51 Becoming Your Own Chief Energy Officer
 26:26  What to Do When You’re Stuck: Ground in Reality

Guest Bio

Erin Newkirk is a brand-building and marketing leader whose career spans General Mills, entrepreneurship, consumer technology, healthcare, advisory work, and Caribou Coffee. She has worked on major brands including Cheerios, Old El Paso, and Pillsbury and later founded the consumer technology startup Breadstamp, growing it to a few million users before selling it to Taylor Corporation.

Erin went on to lead marketing and brand strategy at Caribou Coffee before beginning her next career chapter. Her leadership philosophy centers on alignment, inner work, curiosity, creativity, energy management, and building a career around strengths rather than simply chasing titles.

Quotes from the Episode

"Alignment is not a soft skill."

"The who is even more important than the what."

"Don't compromise who you are and what you believe in."

Leadership Insights

What is leadership burnout?

Leadership burnout can happen when the way a leader is operating becomes disconnected from their values, energy, purpose, or the environment around them. Erin describes the importance of recognizing the "slow burn" of cognitive dissonance and misalignment rather than waiting for a major crisis to force a change.

What does alignment mean in leadership?

Alignment means creating greater consistency between who you are, what you value, the work you're doing, the people you're working with, and the purpose you're pursuing. Erin explains that when purpose, people, process, and platforms aren't working together, leaders can experience dissonance, lack of growth, and burnout.

How can leaders become their own Chief Energy Officer?

Being your own Chief Energy Officer means taking responsibility for understanding and managing your energy rather than constantly saying yes or trying to remain "on." Erin emphasizes practices such as deep breathing, meditation, reflection, journaling, stillness, curiosity, and being intentional about what you put on your plate.

Resources

• Connect with Erin Newkirk on LinkedIn
• Explore Erin Newkirk's website
• Explore Jaime Taets Consulting
• Explore Jaime's Women's Executive Retreats
• Explore Keystone Group International and its leadership, culture, and organizational growth work.
• Follow Jaime on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

If you've ever felt stuck, burned out, or unsure why success no longer feels the way you expected it to, this conversation is a reminder to pause before pushing harder. Your discomfort may not mean something is wrong—it may be telling you that something needs to change.

Subscribe to View From the Top with Jaime Taets for more conversations about leadership, resilience, personal growth, and the journey from success to significance.

Will see you at the top, and beyond.

Jaime Taets