In this episode, Erin Reeves, co-founder and principal at Next Level Org, brings over 25 years of executive strategy and HR leadership to an open, grounded conversation about what it really feels like to sit at the decision-maker’s table. Erin shares how each step up the leadership ladder expands not only your view but also your sense of isolation — and how asking better questions can become a quiet act of courage. She talks about navigating self-doubt, building self-awareness, and finding outside perspectives when your inner critic grows loud. Drawing on her experience guiding organizations through mergers, restructures, and personal reinvention, Erin offers a deeply human look at how leaders can steady themselves, reconnect with purpose, and lead with both clarity and compassion — even when they feel most alone.

Episode Highlights
The shifting view: Each promotion brings a new perspective — and bigger gaps between those who’ve “been there” and those who haven’t.

The power of questions: How asking thoughtful questions creates space, builds credibility, and reshapes executive conversations.

Managing the inner critic: Erin shares her own internal stories of self-doubt and how leaders can reframe the question, “Is this true?”.

Outside-in thinking: Why every executive needs people who can see what they can’t — mentors, coaches, or truth-tellers outside the organization.

Steadying the self: How self-awareness, discipline, and vulnerability allow leaders to lead their teams with integrity, even under pressure.

Redefining success: Erin’s insight that leadership isn’t about always being right — it’s about asking what needs to happen next, even when the map isn’t clear.

In this solo episode, Rachel reflects on a listener’s response to Executive Fashion as Armor, Ritual, and Identity with Susana Perczek — specifically the power of hearing a woman speak positively about herself without apology. Rachel explores the generational messages many of us received about “not being too big for your britches” and how those lessons often left us afraid to celebrate our own talents. She shares personal stories about holding back from stepping into leadership as a young student, and how learning to name and honor her strengths became an essential part of her healing. This episode invites listeners to consider where they fall on the spectrum between self-effacing and self-affirming, and to imagine what it would feel like to confidently raise their hand and say, “I want to be known for this.”

In this episode, Megan Gluth, owner and CEO of Catalynt Solutions, shares her remarkable journey from attorney to industry leader in chemical distribution — and how she doubled the size of her company in just a few years while navigating the chaos of a global pandemic. Raised on food stamps in rural Iowa, Meg brings both grit and vision to her role, blending sharp business acumen with a deep commitment to what she calls human-centered capitalism. She opens up about the weight of carrying responsibility for employees, the anxiety of leading in times of uncertainty, and how sobriety, intuition, and discipline help her stay grounded as she flies through “dark roads without a map.” This candid conversation reveals what it really takes to lead with both courage and humanity at the top.

Episode Highlights

• Origins & grit: Megan reflects on growing up on food stamps in rural Iowa and how that shaped her resourcefulness as a leader.
• Pandemic pressure: Just weeks after buying her company, the global shutdown hit, and she had to rally her team through terrifying uncertainty.
• Flying blind: She describes leading now as like “driving a car on a dark road you’ve never driven before” — terrifying but unavoidable.
• Human-centered capitalism: Why profitability is a tool for generosity, from paying 100% of employee health benefits to quietly covering strangers’ grocery bills.
• Sobriety & self-discipline: How practices like yoga, meditation, and careful self-care help her manage the emotional toll of leadership.
• The weight of leadership: Why CEOs must project steadiness even when they’re terrified, because, as she says, “I’m the driver, and everyone else in the car has to feel safe.”

Connect with Meg

• Website: https://www.megangluth.com/

In this solo episode, Rachel Alexandria shares the origin story of Lonely at the Top. She reflects on her two decades of work with high performers, the blend of therapeutic, coaching, and spiritual practices she brings to leaders, and the repeated moments that sparked the podcast’s creation. Rachel describes why she felt called to make space for honest conversations about the invisible burdens of leadership, the unique isolation that comes with power, and the need for a sanctuary where leaders can feel understood and less alone.

In this conversation with Louis Fordham, Vice President of Human Resources at Engineered Floors, we explore what leadership looks like from the perspective of someone who has spent 35 years guiding executives from inside. Louis shares what it’s like to witness CEOs carry the immense weight of responsibility, why he never aspired to the top job himself, and how isolation is often built into leadership structures by nature. He also opens up about the unique challenges of being an introverted leader, the importance of self-awareness in building strong teams, and the cultural barriers that keep many executives from seeking outside support. With honesty and clarity, Louis brings wisdom from decades in HR to show how leaders can balance responsibility, presence, and humanity without losing themselves.

Episode Highlights

• Responsibility at the top: Why Louis believes the CEO and head of HR hold unique responsibility for every employee in an organization.
• Structural isolation: How the design of executive roles creates inevitable loneliness, regardless of personality.
• Introversion in leadership: Louis reflects on being an introvert at the leadership table and why self-awareness matters more than extroversion.
• The “regal” factor: His insight that sometimes employees need their CEO to project steadiness and authority, even when it feels unnatural.
• Boundaries in HR: A personal story of why he had to stop having a close work friendship to preserve trust and objectivity.

Connect with Louis on LinkedIn

Sunni VonMutius built her career in corporate tech, often “faith-it-till-you-make-it” in male-dominated spaces, before stepping into leadership coaching. In this conversation, she opens up about the hidden costs of always being the strong one, and the toll it takes when resilience slips into survival mode. Sunni also shares how learning to trust her intuition became vital for navigating uncharted seasons of leadership with honesty and humanity.

Episode Highlights

• Sunni reflects on “faith-it-till-you-make-it” moments from her corporate technology career, stepping into roles without a clear roadmap but learning to trust herself along the way.
• She describes her intuitive knowing—how she often sensed the right direction before she had the data or strategy to prove it.
• Sunni shares the cost of always being the strong one: “Other things suffered… we cannot honor everything equally. Other things will suffer.”
• She opens up about the emotional toll of leadership, noting how resilience can quietly morph into depletion and isolation.
• Sunni challenges the myth of endless endurance, naming the relief she found in allowing herself to stop projects or step away when her whole body said no.

Connect with Sunni:

Website - WildflowerStrategy.com
Social connections -   Social.WildflowerStrategy.com 

In this episode of Lonely at the Top, Alina Doran opens her private ledger to reveal the hidden costs of a career built on constant achievement. From the outside, her leadership journey looked flawless, but inside, she was running on fumes. Alina shares candidly about the toll of being the reliable, high-performing leader who never lets her guard down, and how that survival strategy eventually left her disconnected from herself.

Through vulnerability and reflection, Alina walks us through her breaking point, the healing practices she’s embraced, and the deeper freedom she’s found by learning to say “no” and honor her own limits. This is a conversation for every leader who has ever felt the pressure to keep it all together while quietly falling apart.

✨ Highlight Moments

• Alina shares the moment she realized her high-achieving drive was unsustainable, despite looking successful on the outside.
• She describes the invisible labor of being “the strong one” in both her career and personal life.
• A powerful admission about using achievement as a shield against vulnerability and how it ultimately cost her connection with herself.
• Her turning point: choosing to prioritize rest, therapy, and boundaries instead of endlessly pushing through.
• Alina reflects on the permission she wishes more leaders had to admit they’re not okay — and how that honesty has transformed her approach to leadership.

Connect with Alina:

• HighlineLeadership.com 
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinadoran/

In this episode of Lonely at the Top, Rachel sits down with John Valencia, President and CEO of the Good for Others Foundation. John has raised nearly $1 billion for education and community initiatives, but behind his impressive resume is a leader who understands both the thrill and the isolation of being a visionary.

From childhood entrepreneurship to leading multimillion-dollar nonprofits, John has always carried the weight of responsibility. He shares candidly about the loneliness of being “the idea guy,” how charisma and storytelling help bridge gaps when others can’t see the vision, and why trust and authentic relationships are at the center of his leadership.

This conversation shines a light on the private ledger of a leader who has spent decades innovating, creating, and caring deeply for his teams — while finding out how to stay authentically true to himself.

✨ Episode Highlights:

• John shares how leadership has been part of his DNA since childhood — from selling lollipops at age eight to running multiple nonprofits and education institutions.
• His natural drive for accomplishment is balanced by a love for meaningful, soul-feeding work that often keeps him going beyond the typical nine-to-five.
• John describes himself as a “maverick” and visionary — someone who thrives on bold, creative ideas but relies on strong achievers on his team to bring them to completion.
• He opens up about the isolation of being a leader with unconventional ideas, and how charisma and storytelling have been both coping tools and leadership strengths.
• We explore how he hires people he trusts — often friends — and what that means for balancing deep care with organizational needs.
• John reflects on the importance of having even one person at work who truly “gets you” as an antidote to the loneliness of leadership.

Connect with John's work at  GoodForOthers.org

“All my jobs have been relationship-based, and the success has come from those authentic connections. You spend so much time with people you work with — you should love them.” - John Valencia

Trailer for Lonely at the Top

What happens when you’re married to a powerful, high-stakes leader—and your own emotional labor is quietly consuming you?

In this episode, Temi Ayodeji, stress-reduction artist, author, and wellness coach, joins Rachel to share the truth about being the partner behind the leader. From homeschooling a son with special needs while being offered a director role… to quietly donating a kidney to save her husband’s life… to discovering a scientifically grounded form of healing through fractal-infused art—Temi’s journey is one of grit, grace, and a relentless commitment to peace.

Together, they explore the emotional weight of supporting high-level leadership while carrying invisible burdens, and the power of creating calm—without needing to retreat from life.

🔑 Highlights:

• [03:45] The moment Temi turned down a leadership promotion to care for her son
• [11:10] Donating a kidney to her husband—and the emotional toll of keeping it private
• [21:30] The double silence: what happens when both partners operate in isolation
• [31:50] “Peace of mind is not a luxury. It’s a leadership requirement.”
• [39:00] How fractal-based artwork rewired her family’s nervous system
• [48:25] The private ledger: peace lost, faith gained, sleep reclaimed
• [56:10] The truth most leaders won’t say out loud—but deeply need to
• [01:01:40] Art as a healing tool for high-stress homes and leadership environments

🧭 Connect with Temi:

• Learn more about Temi’s healing artwork: TemiFineArts.com
• Join her newsletter and stories on Substack: temiayodeji.substack.com