In this episode, Paula Amato joins Rhonda for an honest conversation about career reinvention, non-linear paths, and trusting long-term evolution over quick wins. Paula Amato, a seasoned PR and communications professional, shares how she transitioned from the music industry into wellness, storytelling, and ultimately transformational travel. Together, they explore career pivots, identity shifts, and what it really takes to build a meaningful professional life rooted in purpose, curiosity, and personal growth.

Key Takeaways:

• Why career pivots often unfold over years, not months, and why patience matters
• How transferable skills like storytelling and communication unlock new industries
• The power of staying in a beginner’s mindset during career transitions
• Why financial planning and timing are critical when leaving corporate roles
• How authentic brand building starts with self-trust, not external validation
• What transformational travel teaches us about growth, leadership, and perspective

Meet Paula Amato

Paula Amato is a seasoned PR and communications professional whose career spans music and the arts, wellbeing, social impact, and transformational travel. She is the founder of PAI/Life, a creative communications consultancy based in New York City. Throughout her career, Paula has led strategic storytelling, brand positioning, event curation, and partnership development for iconic artists and musicians, award-winning producers, CEOs, authors, and forward-thinking brands.

Before founding PAI/Life, Paula Amato served as National Publicity Director at Atlantic Records and later as an adjunct professor at New York University’s Steinhardt School, where she taught public relations at the undergraduate level. Her work today bridges narrative strategy with purpose-driven impact, helping organizations communicate with clarity, depth, and intention.

Visit her website | Follow her on LinkedIn

How She Pivoted

Paula Amato’s career has never followed a straight line—and that’s exactly what made her evolution possible. After launching her career in the music industry at a young age, Paula later moved into independent consulting, where she explored wellness, functional medicine, and personal development. Over time, those interests naturally intersected with her communications expertise, opening the door to transformational travel and purpose-driven work.

“My trajectory has not been linear, but every phase taught me something I needed for the next one.”

Rather than forcing a fast transition, Paula allowed her pivot to unfold gradually. She spent years learning a new industry, building relationships, and redefining her role—proving that sustainable reinvention often requires curiosity, humility, and the willingness to sit in uncertainty.

Insights for Ambitious Women

One of Paula’s most powerful lessons is that career transitions don’t require abandoning your past, they require reframing it. She encourages women to recognize their transferable skills and trust that experience gained in one industry often becomes the foundation for success in another.

“We all underestimate ourselves. Sometimes what feels like

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Episode Summary

In this episode of The Rhonda Coleman Wandel Podcast, Okera Banks, designer, style expert, and founder of the Okera Banks Collection and OTG Essentials, shares her remarkable journey from Charleston to Hollywood to building a global fashion brand rooted in purpose. From her early years in costume design to launching her own line, Okera opens up about courage, creativity, and the spiritual faith that has guided every pivot. Her story is a masterclass in trusting your instincts and designing a life that fits who you truly are.

Key Takeaways:

• How Okera Banks turned her love of fashion into a purpose-driven brand
• The difference between a stylist, a costume designer, and a fashion designer
• Why every woman should learn to “be comfortable being uncomfortable.
• How faith and intuition can lead your biggest life pivots
• Lessons from working in Hollywood, fashion, and entrepreneurship
• The importance of legacy, community, and building “brick by brick"

Meet Okera Banks

Okera Banks is an American designer, style expert, and entrepreneur whose work blends elegance, confidence, and authenticity. She is the founder of Okera Banks Collection and OTG Essentials, created for women who lead with purpose and live life on the go. Her designs have been featured on CNN, VH1, and E! Online and are sold in boutiques including Hudson’s Atlanta Airport and the Bank of America Marketplace by Seneca Women. A graduate of Clark Atlanta University, Okera’s mission is simple: to help women “travel in on-the-go style."

Meet Okera

How She Pivoted

Okera Banks began her career as a costume designer and stylist in Hollywood, working behind the scenes on television and film. But her entrepreneurial spirit and design education kept calling her toward something bigger. What began as a birthday gift of handmade skirts eventually evolved into a full-fledged fashion line.

“I didn’t chase exposure, I just needed an outfit I couldn’t find. That’s how the first collection was born,” shared Okera Banks on episode 32 of the Rhonda Coleman Wandel podcast.

Through fearless pivots, Okera transitioned from entertainment to entrepreneurship, creating timeless collections for women who want to look stylish while living in motion. Each piece, she says, is designed to make women feel confident, comfortable, and seen.

Insights for Ambitious Women

Okera’s wisdom extends far beyond fashion. She speaks candidly about resilience, financial freedom, and how obedience to God shapes her creativity and direction.

“Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Don’t let fear or other people’s opinions talk you out of what God told you to do,” encouraged Okera Banks on the RCW podcast

Her story is an empowering reminder that success is not linear, and that the real work of becoming who you’re meant to be starts with faith, courage, and the willingness to pivot.

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In this solo episode, Rhonda Coleman shares her deeply personal journey through two major career pivots — first from teaching to law, and now from a coveted legal role at Google to launching her own consulting firm. Rhonda Coleman opens up about navigating fear, redefining success, and embracing personal growth. She also breaks down how coaching, community, and intentional planning helped her make empowered transitions in her professional life.

Key Takeaways:

• Why major career transitions rarely happen fearlessly — and how to move forward anyway.
• The power of redefining success based on your own values rather than external expectations.
• How working with coaches can accelerate clarity, confidence, and strategic decision-making.
• The importance of building and leaning into your network when pursuing reinvention.
• Why taking personal responsibility for your career trajectory is essential for long-term fulfillment.

Meet Rhonda Coleman Wandel

Rhonda Coleman Wandel is an accomplished attorney, former Google legal professional, and the founder of a growing legal and business strategy consulting firm. With over a decade of experience supporting leaders and organizations, she now helps women executives, general counsels, and business owners navigate growth with confidence and clarity.

Visit her website | Follow her on Instagram

How She Pivoted

Rhonda’s first major pivot began over a decade ago when she transitioned from a 10-year teaching career into law school as a newly single mother of two. Despite uncertainty, she followed a calling to create a different future for herself and her family — ultimately building a thriving legal career and earning a role at Google, a milestone many consider the height of professional success.

“Sometimes you look behind you and know you can’t stay there, and you look at where you’re standing and realize you can’t stay there either — the only way to go is forward.”

Her second pivot emerged from a growing sense that she had reached a ceiling and needed more room to grow. Through deep self-work and strategic guidance, she recognized that entrepreneurship held the freedom, purpose, and impact she craved — even if it meant stepping away from the security of corporate life.

Insights for Ambitious Women

One of Rhonda’s biggest lessons is the importance of tuning into your own definition of success. Instead of chasing titles or external validation, she encourages women to ask why they want what they want — and to honour what truly aligns with their happiness, health, and wellbeing. This shift became foundational in her transition from corporate to entrepreneurship.

“I stopped looking at what I didn’t have and started looking at what I wanted and how I could get it.”

Rhonda also highlights how coaching, community, and planning can transform your trajectory. By building a support network, leaning into professional relationships, and taking responsibility for your growth, you create a powerful roadmap for reinvention — one that is grounded, strategic, and deeply empowering.

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Episode Summary
Lily Schurra shares her inspiring journey from litigation attorney to legal operations leader, entrepreneur, and now senior commercial counsel at a cutting-edge tech company. In this episode, Lily opens up about the pivots that shaped her career, how she aligned her work with her values, and what it means to design your own destiny. Her story is one of courage, reinvention, and the power of choosing experiences that truly matter.

Key Takeaways:

• How to recognize when it’s time to pivot and make a career change.
• Why aligning your career with your values leads to greater fulfillment.
• The lessons Lily learned from founding and running her own consulting company.
• How motherhood reshaped her perspective on work, balance, and success.
• Practical insights for women navigating career transitions with confidence.
• The importance of letting go of labels and embracing seasons of change.

Meet Lily Schurra

Lily Schurra is a senior commercial counsel at Sourcegraph, where she combines her expertise in contracts, legal operations, and technology. Previously, she founded LOLI Consulting, a legal operations and innovation firm, and has worked with global legal teams and emerging tech companies to optimize processes and scale smart. With a background in both law and entrepreneurship, Lily brings a unique perspective on career reinvention and professional growth.

Meet Lily

How She Pivoted

Lily’s career began in traditional law, but she quickly realized litigation wasn’t her calling. After roles in insurance and corporate contracts, she discovered her passion for legal operations; streamlining processes and finding smarter ways to work. That led her to create LOLI Consulting, an “accidental” business she started during a season of burnout and transition.

“I lovingly say that I accidentally started a company, because I gave myself a couple of weeks to breathe, and then people just started saying yes.,” shared Lily Schurra on episode 31 of the Rhonda Coleman Wandel podcast.

Running her own business gave Lily the freedom to choose projects, be present with her children, and align her career with her values. Eventually, she pivoted again, returning to a full-time role that offered the same sense of purpose and balance she had cultivated as an entrepreneur.

Insights for Ambitious Women

Lily’s story is a powerful reminder that success doesn’t come from titles or labels, it comes from creating work that fits your life. She emphasizes the importance of testing ideas, trying projects in small chunks, and giving yourself permission to pivot as your needs evolve.

“Do it scared, do it experimentally, do something. The worst thing that can happen is that you end up in the exact same position you’re in today,” encouraged Lily Schurra on the RCW podcast

Her wisdom encourages ambitious women to stop chasing arbitrary milestones and instead focus on alignment, joy, and growth. Whether you’re starting a business, stepping into leadership, or making a career change, Lily’s journey proves that reinvention is always possible.

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Episode Summary
Keli Frazier-Cox is a former global executive turned executive coach, keynote speaker, and founder of Promote Leaders. In this episode, Keli shares what led her to leave a high-powered corporate career and how she now helps leaders show up with more clarity, confidence, and intention. Her insights challenge the myth that hard work alone is enough and offer a more sustainable path to leadership.

Keli Frazier-Cox’s story is rooted in both personal and professional transformation and her voice is one every ambitious woman needs to hear.

Key Takeaways:

• Why over-performing doesn’t guarantee promotion or recognition
• How to build influence without burning out
• The difference between “managing” and truly leading
• How to shift your mindset from proving yourself to knowing your value
• What it means to lead with intention in today’s workplace

Meet Keli Frazier-Cox

Keli Frazier-Cox is the founder of Promote Leaders and the creator of the Intentionally Balanced Leadership framework. With over 25 years of experience in global executive roles, including Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Learning and Development, she now works as a leadership coach and keynote speaker. Her mission is to help professionals become the kind of leaders others want to follow.

Meet Keli

How She Pivoted
Keli Frazier-Cox spent decades excelling in corporate leadership roles. But behind the impressive titles was a woman carrying the weight of over-functioning, managing perception, and navigating the unique pressure of being the only one who looked like her in the room. After hitting a personal turning point, Keli stepped away from corporate life and gave herself permission to pursue a more meaningful kind of impact.

“I was doing everything right. But I realized I was filling the wrong gap,” shared Keli Frazier-Cox on episode 30 of the Rhonda Coleman Wandel podcast.

That clarity became the foundation for Promote Leaders; a business built to support executives who want to lead with more authenticity, balance, and presence. Keli’s journey is a reminder that success is not just about elevation, it’s about alignment.

Insights for Ambitious Women
Keli offers a new model for what leadership can look like, especially for women who are tired of overworking, overproving, and being overlooked. Her framework invites high-achievers to stop performing and start leading from a place of strength, self-trust, and clear priorities.

“You don’t have to burn out to be taken seriously,” encouraged Keli Frazier-Cox on the RCW podcast

Whether you’re managing a team, navigating a promotion, or considering a bold career move, Keli’s insights are both strategic and soulful. This episode is a permission slip to do things differently and thrive because of it.

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Episode Summary

Julie Ryder is a UK-based inclusion consultant and founder of an award-winning training business that helps organisations better support deaf employees and customers. In this episode, Julie shares her deeply personal journey of becoming profoundly deaf in her twenties, losing the career she had worked so hard for, and building a new path with purpose. From lip-reading lessons to launching a national consultancy, Julie’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and using lived experience to create change.

Key Takeaways:

• What it feels like to acquire hearing loss mid-career
• How to rebuild identity and confidence after becoming profoundly deaf
• Why inclusion and accessibility are essential workplace tools
• How Julie launched a national consultancy with just one flyer and a kitchen shelf
• The three ingredients that help anyone move forward after a major life shift

Meet Julie Ryder

Julie Ryder is the founder of a UK-based workplace training consultancy that specialises in deaf awareness and inclusive communication. After becoming profoundly deaf as a young adult, she transitioned out of her career in banking and built one of the UK’s most respected deaf awareness training businesses. Julie has trained thousands of professionals across sectors, with clients including the BBC, Royal Mail, and the Houses of Parliament.

Meet Julie

How She Pivoted
Julie Ryder began her career in banking with a clear plan for advancement. But when she became profoundly deaf in her twenties, her world shifted completely. Over several years, her hearing declined so dramatically that even basic communication at work became a challenge. She was moved to lower-level roles, sent farther from home, and eventually left the field altogether, grieving the career and identity she had worked so hard to build.

“What was left then was the shell of me, just starting out with a new identity as a newly-deafened person,” shared Julie Ryder on episode 29 of the Rhonda Coleman Wandel podcast.

Her turning point came when she volunteered to deliver a deaf awareness training session during a rehabilitation program. That small act sparked something bigger. With a single flyer and a borrowed computer on a kitchen shelf, Julie began offering training in her community. Two decades later, her consultancy is one of the most respected in the UK.

Insights for Ambitious Women

Julie’s journey is a powerful reminder that we are allowed to begin again—and that adapting to a major life change does not mean giving up ambition. She speaks with honesty about grief, mental health, and the long road to confidence. Her work shows how lived experience can be a source of credibility and impact.

“If you’ve got personal commitment, support, and the opportunity, you can thrive,” encouraged Julie Ryder on the RCW podcast

Julie also reflects on how her deafness influenced her parenting, making her more intentional, communicative, and open with her children. Her message is clear: when life shifts direction, you’re allowed to shift with it and you can still build something extraordinary.

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Stephanie Hildreth is an accomplished executive and former CEO of Mindful magazine, now serving as Chief of Staff and Head of Customer Success at a rapidly growing tech company. In this episode, Stephanie shares her journey from media to health tech and SaaS, offering deep insight into what it takes to lead high-performing teams through change. Her approach blends strategy with emotional intelligence, and her story is a powerful guide for anyone navigating career pivots or leading transformation from within.

Key Takeaways:

• Why strong leadership starts with self-awareness and trust
• How to use feedback loops to build stronger teams and cultures
• What to look for when making a career pivot into a new industry
• How to lead strategic change without losing human connection
• The mindset shift that helps you thrive in high-growth environments

Meet Stephanie Hildreth
Stephanie Hildreth is a high-impact executive known for leading with both heart and precision. Formerly CEO of Mindful magazine, she now serves as Chief of Staff and Head of Customer Success at a fast-growing tech company. With experience across SaaS, media, and health tech, Stephanie is passionate about operational excellence, leadership development, and building cultures rooted in emotional intelligence and transparency.

Meet Stephanie

How She Pivoted

Stephanie Hildreth’s career has never followed a straight line—and that’s by design. After a winding path into her first leadership roles, she realized her true strengths were rooted in emotional intelligence and the ability to lead through change. As CEO of Mindful magazine, she navigated a major transformation, growing the business while realigning its vision and ultimately leading it through a successful exit.

“There was a moment when I said, if not me, then who? And that changed everything,” shared Stephanie Hildreth on episode 28 of the Rhonda Coleman Wandel podcast.

That clarity has guided each step since. Whether transitioning into new industries or taking on dual leadership roles in tech, Stephanie has stayed grounded in her core values. Her career evolution shows that you don’t have to choose between performance and purpose—you can build a path that honours both.

Insights for Ambitious Women

Stephanie’s story is a blueprint for leading with intentionality and grace. She believes success isn't about proving your worth—it’s about aligning your work with who you are. From navigating imposter syndrome to embracing risk, her insights help ambitious women show up with more confidence and clarity.

“Leadership isn't about being the loudest in the room. It's about being the clearest,” encouraged Stephanie Hildreth on the RCW podcast

Her career pivots remind us that growth often begins with a question—and that reinvention starts when we stop waiting for permission and start trusting our capacity to lead.

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Episode Summary

Kyla Denanyoh is a lawyer, storyteller, and founder of KD Creative, a multimedia agency that helps small business owners amplify their voice through podcasting. In this episode, Kyla shares her winding path through law school, bar exam setbacks, and eventual transition into entrepreneurship. Her story is one of resilience, reinvention, and radical self-trust; an empowering reminder that success doesn’t always follow the traditional route. Whether you're navigating a pivot, recovering from a setback, or redefining what success means to you, Kyla's journey will leave you inspired.

Key Takeaways:

• Why your bar exam results don’t define your worth or your future
• How to reclaim your gifts after burnout or misalignment
• The mindset shift that helped Kyla stop hiding her legal background and start using it differently
• A simple exercise Kyla used to build confidence (and finally launch her podcast)
• What it really looks like to build a business rooted in authenticity, not approval

Meet Kyla Denanyoh
Kyla Denanyoh is the founder of KD Creative, a podcast production agency that helps small business owners show up, speak clearly, and get visible. She’s also the host of You Are A Lawyer, a podcast highlighting the real stories of lawyers doing meaningful work beyond the courtroom. With a background in law and a gift for storytelling, Kyla uses creativity to make entrepreneurship feel more human and more possible, for herself and her clients.

Visit her website | Follow her on Instagram

How She Pivoted
After graduating law school, Kyla Denanyoh expected to follow the traditional path: pass the bar, become a lawyer, and work her way up. But when she didn’t pass the bar (twice), everything she thought she knew about success started to unravel. She found herself hiding her education, taking basement jobs in law firms, and feeling like she’d failed. But little by little, she started to realise: she hadn’t failed, she was just meant to build something different.

“It took therapy. It took affirmations. I used to sit in the mirror and say, ‘You are a lawyer. You are a lawyer.’ Over and over. Because I had to believe it before I could build from it,” shared Kyla Denanyoh on episode 27 of the Rhonda Coleman Wandel podcast.

Kyla eventually launched her own creative agency and her own voice. Through podcasting, entrepreneurship, and years of unlearning what success was supposed to look like, she built a business that reflects her strengths and her story.

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Episode Summary

Whitney Harper is the co-founder of Advos Legal and Advos Pro, where she helps law firm owners leave hourly billing behind and build practices they truly enjoy. In this conversation, Whitney shares how her small-town upbringing and strong family roots shaped her confident mindset, how she navigated career changes with intention, and how she is rewriting the rules of modern legal practice. Her story will encourage you to rethink how you work and remind you that more joy and freedom are within reach.

Key Takeaways:

• How growing up with a supportive community shaped Whitney’s confidence
• Why the traditional hourly billing system needs to change and how Whitney’s P3 Method works
• The importance of personal agency when designing a fulfilling career
• How to pivot your career while appreciating the lessons from your past
• Simple mindset shifts to help you take back ownership of your professional journey

Meet Whitney Harper
Whitney Harper is an innovative lawyer and co-founder of Advos Legal and Advos Pro. Through her P3 Method, she shows lawyers and business owners how to move past the billable hour and create sustainable practices they actually enjoy running. With a unique mix of legal expertise, business strategy, and a human-first approach, Whitney is a trusted guide for law firm owners who want more freedom, profit, and satisfaction in their work.

Visit her website | Follow her on Instagram

Insights for Ambitious Women
Whitney’s journey is a powerful reminder that you have choices. She believes when your work no longer feels right, you can redesign it to suit you better. Her P3 Method proves that when lawyers focus on valuable deliverables instead of tracking hours, they create more freedom for themselves and a better experience for clients too.

“When something does not feel good, you can change it. When you are not getting the result you want, it is on you,” encouraged Whitney Harper on the RCW podcast

For any woman feeling stuck in old patterns, Whitney’s approach offers hope and a practical path forward. By getting clear about what you want and taking small steps every day, you can build a career and life that truly fit.

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In this engaging conversation, Dr. Summer Hamilton shares her journey from a small town in Arkansas to her current role at the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum. She discusses her upbringing, the impact of her family dynamics, and the challenges she faced in her education and career. Summer emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy, finding one's voice, and the significance of pursuing work that aligns with personal values. Her story is one of resilience, growth, and the pursuit of happiness in both personal and professional realms.

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And if you’re ready for even more honest stories, career inspiration, and powerful insights, join Rhonda’s monthly newsletter. It’s where ambitious women get the encouragement, tools, and behind-the-scenes wisdom to thrive—straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to the newsletter and catch more episodes at RhondaColemanWandel.com