What if your next "no" was the doorway to your greatest "yes"?
In this inspiring episode, host Paul Robinson reconnects with Shayla Atkins—CEO of Atkins Impact, author, and leadership strategist—for a powerful conversation about entrepreneurship, authenticity, and the journey of personal transformation. From their days walking the halls of high school to navigating boardrooms and business pivots, this dialogue is a heartfelt mix of wisdom, laughs, and real talk.
Shayla shares how she founded Atkins Impact during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and turned crisis into opportunity. Her work now helps organizations create meaningful change through leadership development, mentorship, and cultural strategy—rooted in equity and impact.
But this episode goes deeper than business.
Shayla opens up about the lessons learned through rejection, the power of counting your "no’s" as data, and why being true to yourself is the most strategic move you can make. She introduces her leadership framework, SPICE, and talks about the movement she’s building—one that redefines what it means to lead as a Black woman in today’s world.
You’ll hear about her book Leading with SPICE, her growing leadership ecosystem, and how she’s using storytelling to create a community of authentic, bold, and impactful leaders.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, creative, or simply on your own journey of becoming, this episode will challenge you to rethink failure, embrace your identity, and lead with purpose.
Hit play and get ready to be moved, motivated, and reminded that your pivot might be your purpose.
In this episode:
00:00 Introduction
01:39 Reconnecting with Shayla
02:45 The Journey of Atkins Impact
06:04 Navigating Business During COVID
07:50 The Importance of Mentorship
09:50 Discussing DEI Initiatives
17:06 Embracing Rejection and Growth
19:18 Launching the Book 'Leading with Spice'
22:21 Authenticity in Leadership
29:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Subscribe & Review the iReach Podcast
If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with our friends, and leave us a review. We read every single one.
Follow Shayla Atkins
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shayla-n-atkins
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachshaylaspeaks2.0
Website: https://shaylanatkins.com
Follow Paul Robinson
Connect with Paul Robinson on LinkedIn.
Follow ConstructReach on LinkedIn.
Follow ConstructReach on Instagram @contructreach
Check out the ConstructReach website at constructreach.com
This podcast is sponsored by Construct Reach.
As a workforce development initiative that builds reachable opportunities through construction, ConstructReach increases the visibility of the construction industry by educating students about career opportunities within construction, connecting general contractors to interns and innovative internship curricula, creating content and experiences to expose a diverse population to sustainable construction careers, and uniting stakeholders to ensure the construction industry continues to thrive.
#IReachPodcast #PaulRobinson #ConstructReach
