The Bold Lounge

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Choosing yourself can begin with one small decision, believing your voice deserves to be heard.

In this episode of The Bold Lounge, Alexian Wines joins Leigh Burgess for a conversation about quieting the inner critic, advocating for yourself, and leading with heart when the pressure rises.

From a small-town childhood to a role in the White House, Alexian shares the experiences that shaped her understanding of courage, compassion, and success. She reflects on a painful classroom moment, the mentor whose seven words helped her see herself differently, and the initiative that opened doors she once thought required connections.

She also shares her experience surviving multiple strokes, rebuilding her speech and sense of identity, and finding purpose through the vulnerable letters that became Letters to Lily.

Together, Leigh and Alexian explore:

• What bold looks like when it begins with self-belief 
• How to assess criticism and to question assumptions
• Taking the first step toward an opportunity before you know every step that follows
• Measuring success through the difference you make 
• Building a culture of empathy, authenticity, responsibility, and trust
• Why “it is business, not personal” overlooks the people doing the work
• Advocating for yourself in job offers, promotions, and everyday decisions

Alexian's experiences invite us to consider how we speak to ourselves, how we treat others, and what becomes possible when we take our own aspirations seriously.

Connect with Alexian Wines on LinkedIn to follow her work, discover Letters to Lily, and learn more about her books.

LinkedIn: @alexianwines

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How many opportunities have you ruled out because you were afraid someone else would say no?

In this episode of The Bold Lounge, entrepreneur, author, and creator of 100 Days of Rejection Therapy, Jia Jiang, joins us to explore how a BOLD mindset can change the way we approach rejection, confidence, and ambition.

After an investor’s rejection left him questioning whether he was good enough, Jia created an experiment: spend 100 days making requests likely to be refused, record what happened, and share the results publicly. Those conversations changed his understanding of fear, other people, and his own possibilities.

We talk about the stories we attach to rejection, the freedom that comes from taking “no” less personally, and what we lose when we count ourselves out before anyone else gets a chance to respond. Jia also shares how curiosity, creativity, and the way we frame a request can open unexpected doors.

The conversation continues with his newest book, Easy Discipline: An Unconventional Way to Achieve Ambitious Things. Drawing on his experiences with ADHD and procrastination, Jia introduces four principles: Enjoyment, Artistry, Systems, and Yourself. We explore how understanding yourself and designing a process you enjoy can help you follow through on the goals that matter to you.

This episode offers a practical invitation to ask for more, stay curious about the answer, and build the consistency to keep going. A BOLD mindset grows through those everyday choices.

What is one BOLD ask you are willing to make this week?

Subscribe to The Bold Lounge, share this episode with someone who has been holding back, and leave a review to help more listeners find the conversation.

Learn More and Connect with Jia Jiang

LinkedIn: @jiajiang

Instagram: @jiajiang

YouTube: @jiajiang

Website: https://www.jiajiang.com

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Being bold begins with knowing what matters to you and bringing more of yourself to the work you do.

In this episode of The Bold Lounge, neuroscience-based executive coach Bruna De Palo joins Leigh Burgess to explore how understanding your brain can help you make clearer career decisions, question limiting beliefs, and lead teams where people can do their best work.

Bruna offers a different starting point for career fulfillment: identifying the work that allows you to express your strengths, live your values, and feel alive. She also shares how to examine the beliefs behind hesitation and turn an uncertain next step into a practical plan.

Together, Leigh and Bruna explore:

• Defining bold through your values, strengths, and willingness to raise the bar
• Using self-expression as a compass for career decisions
• Recognizing the experiences that leave you feeling engaged, capable, and alive
• Exploring the connections among flow, brain chemistry, and peak performance
• Catching limiting beliefs in words such as “always,” “never,” and “should”
• Testing assumptions with evidence and understanding your resistance to change
• Thinking of your brain as a CFO that needs information about costs, resources, and risks
• Creating an action board that connects your vision to concrete next steps
• Asking your network for specific examples that help you recognize your gifts
• Building psychological safety through consistent leadership, open dialogue, and room for disagreement

This conversation invites you to look more closely at what brings out your best and how you can create those conditions for the people you lead.

Explore Bruna’s The Brain Instruction Manual for Leaders and sign up for free to stay connected with her work.

LinkedIN: @BrunaDePalo

Website: brunadepalo.com

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About this Episode 

Your dream job can still burn you out, and admitting that can feel like failure even when everything looks “successful” on paper. I sit down with DJ DiDonna to get real about what actually happens when you step away from work and why that choice can be one of the most authentic, bold decisions you ever make.

We dig into the illusion of certainty that keeps so many of us clinging to “safe” paths, plus the push-pull dynamic behind most sabbaticals: burnout and breakdown on one side, curiosity and meaning on the other. DJ shares what his research has found about career breaks, sabbatical policies, and the psychological permission gap that shows up as resume fear, guilt, and the worry of what other people will think. We also talk about the parts nobody glamorizes, including, grieving an old identity, hearing your inner voice get louder, and learning how to be present again.

Then we go deeper into the practical side of a transformational sabbatical. DJ explains why getting out of your head and into your body can be the fastest route to healing, and he tells the story of his 900-mile pilgrimage in Japan and the confidence it gave him to “launch into uncertainty.” If you’re thinking about a career break, burnout recovery, entrepreneurship, or simply building a more meaningful life with better work-life balance, this conversation offers both encouragement and a clear way to start planning before a crisis forces your hand.

In this Conversation

• The illusion of certainty in “safe” career paths and why it keeps us stuck
• Burnout as the push, and curiosity as the pull toward what matters
• Why sabbaticals can start with grief, self-doubt, and an identity vacuum
• Getting out of your head and into your body through exercise and creativity
• DJ’s 900-mile Japan pilgrimage and the confidence it built for uncertainty
• Planning a sabbatical like routine maintenance rather than a crisis response
• Treating time off as a career cycle and building real time wealth
• How DJ's new book Big Time Off grew from lived experience

About DJ DiDonna

DJ DiDonna is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, entrepreneur, researcher, and founder of The Sabbatical Project, an initiative dedicated to understanding the role that meaningful extended time away from work can play in our careers and lives. Before turning his attention to sabbatical research, DJ co-founded EFL Global, a financial technology company that helped enable more than $2 billion in capital for underserved businesses and individuals around the world. His work has been featured in The Atlantic, TIME, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, and other major publications.

His new book,Big Time Off: The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals and How to Take One, brings together nearly a decade of research, hundreds of interviews with people who have taken sabbaticals, and DJ’s own experience stepping away after years of entrepreneurship. 

DJ's new book challenges the idea that extended time away is simply a luxury or an escape from work. Instead, he examines how purposeful time away can influence identity, relationships, creativity, career direction, and the way we think about what matters most. It also offers practical guidance for deciding when to take a sabbatical and how to design one that can create meaningful change.

Additional Resources

LinkedIn: @DJDidonna

Website: DJ DiDonna

Newsletter: Subscribe to the Sabbatical Project

Get your copy of Big Time Off 

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About This Episode

What if the definition of success that got you here is not the one you want to carry forward?

For decades, success has been measured by familiar markers: the title, the income, the recognition, the next achievement, the next level. But somewhere along the way, many accomplished people begin asking a different question: Is this still what success means to me?

In this episode, we talk with Kerrie Lee Brown, award-winning journalist, media leader, and former Editor-in-Chief of SUCCESS Magazine, for a candid conversation about how our definition of success changes as we change. After spending decades interviewing and telling the stories of some of the world's most accomplished leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, Kerrie has had a rare front-row seat to what success looks like from the outside and what it can feel like on the inside.

Together, we explore what happens when achievement is no longer enough, why changing your definition of success is not a rejection of ambition, and how growth can require us to reconsider the lives, careers, and expectations we have worked so hard to build.

We discuss about reinvention, identity, ambition, well-being, purpose, taking risks, and recognizing when it may be time to bet on yourself. Because perhaps the boldest version of success is not about continually adding more. Perhaps it is having the courage to decide what enough, meaningful, and successful mean to you now.

In this conversation:

• Why our definition of success evolves over time
• What years of interviewing highly accomplished people taught Kerrie
• The difference between external success and internal fulfillment
• Why changing direction does not mean you failed
• How identity can become intertwined with titles and accomplishments
• What it means to bet on yourself in a new season
• Why ambition and well-being do not have to compete
• The questions leaders should be asking about what they want next

About Kerrie Lee Brown

Kerrie Lee Brown is an award-winning media executive, international journalist, and speaker with more than 30 years of experience shaping some of the world’s most influential magazines and media brands. As Chief Content Officer and Editor-in-Chief of SUCCESS® Magazine, she has interviewed thousands of thought leaders, celebrities, entrepreneurs, and cultural icons, giving her a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on leadership, success, and personal transformation.

A heart attack survivor at age 39, Kerrie combines hard-earned lessons from the boardroom with a deep commitment to heart-centered leadership, wellbeing, and authentic living. Today, she is the founder of RedLily® Media and co-founder of Lioness Global Initiatives™, where she helps amplify meaningful stories, inspire courageous reinvention, and create transformative experiences for women around the world.

Through her work, Kerrie empowers audiences to redefine success, embrace change, and discover who they are beyond the titles they hold.

Additional Resources

Website: kerrieleebrown.com

Instagram: @kerrieleebrown

Facebook: @KerrieLeeBrown

YouTube: @kerrieleebrown

LinkedIn: @kerrieleebrown
 
 

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About This Episode

What does it mean to be bold with your career and your money? Marcia Dawood, early-stage investor, venture capital partner at Mind Shift Capital, and member of the SEC’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee, shares lessons from her own career and breaks down angel investing in practical terms. Tune in to hear why more women investors matter, how beliefs about money can shape financial decisions, and simple ways to become more informed and engaged with how your money is invested and spent.

About Marcia Dawood

Marcia Dawood is the author of two award winning books, Unapologetic Wealth and Do Good While Doing Well. She is also a TEDx speaker, Podcast host, and an early-stage investor who serves as the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. She is a venture partner with Mindshift Capital and the chair emeritus of the Angel Capital Association (ACA), a global professional society for angel investors. She is an associate producer on the award-winning documentary Show Her the Money.

Additional Resources

LinkedIn: @MarciaDawood

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About This Episode

In this episode, leadership strategist and bestselling author Dan Pontefract explores why age may be the most overlooked diversity dimension in the workplace. Drawing from his new book, The Future of Work is Grey, Dan challenges the outdated belief that talent has an expiration date and shares what organizations lose when they fail to value multigenerational wisdom, trust, purpose, and evolving career paths. Together, Leigh and Dan discuss the difference between stated values and lived values, the leadership choices that shape psychological safety, the impact of AI on entry-level work, and how leaders can build stronger teams across generations using Dan’s “rivers, rocks, and rubies” framework.

About Dan Pontefract

Dan Pontefract is a renowned leadership strategist, award-winning author of six books, and keynote speaker with three decades of experience helping organizations and leaders improve overall performance. He has presented at four TED events and earned multiple industry awards, including Thinkers50 Radar, HR Weekly’s 100 Most Influential People in HR, PeopleHum’s Top 200 Thought Leaders to Follow, and Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers. Dan’s best-selling books include his latest bestseller, The Future of Work Is Grey, Work-Life Bloom—the 2024 Thinkers50 Best New Management Book and the Gold Medal Winner of the Axiom Business Book Awards, as well as the award-winning Lead. Care. Win. He also writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review.

Additional Resources

Website: danpontefract.com

New Book: thefutureofworkisgrey.com 

LinkedIn: @DanPontefract

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About This Episode

In this episode, Heather Powers, keynote speaker, executive coach, and author of The Power Lane, talks about what it means to bet on yourself while carrying the very real responsibilities of work, family, caregiving, and life. Heather shares her journey from corporate leadership to building a mission focused on keeping working mothers in the workforce, along with practical insights on caregiver support, manager training, return-to-office policies, retention, and why presence should never be confused with performance.

About Heather Powers

Heather Powers is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and author on a mission to keep working mothers in the workforce and in the driver's seat. As founder of The Power Lane and creator of The Workplace Village™ Framework, she works with moms and the leaders who need them to build workplaces where caregivers survive and drive results.
 Heather brings 30+ years of management consulting experience, including executive roles at KPMG and Booz Allen, to a problem most organizations are getting wrong: working mothers aren't leaving the workforce, they're leaving your workplace. Her book, The Power Lane: Why Keeping Moms in the Workforce REVS the Economy, makes the business case for why that matters and what to do about it. She is based in Washington, DC, and is a working mother of two teenagers.

Additional Resources

Website: heatherlanepowers.com 

LinkedIn: @HeatherPowers

Heather’s Free Village Building Guide for Moms: heatherlanepowers.com/freebie

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About This Episode

In this episode, Kerry Connor, a nationally recognized leader in voluntary benefits, partnerships, and human-centered employee experience, shares openly about joy, truth, and the quiet promises we make to ourselves. Kerry discusses the personal and professional turning points that led her to create The JoyCatchers, why seeking approval can quietly drain your joy, and how the boldest leadership often begins with choosing to show up uncensored, kind, and fully yourself. This conversation explores growth, connection, boundaries, and the small daily choices that help us protect our joy and lead with more humanity.

About Kerry Connor

Kerry Connor is a nationally recognized leader in voluntary benefits, partnerships, and human-centered employee experience. She has built an award-winning career in benefits, sold her consulting firm to Tompkins Bank, and now leads national sales at Wagmo. As founder of The JoyCatchers, Kerry creates live and virtual experiences that help organizations make care more visible, meaningful, and human.

Additional Resources

Website: thejoycatchers.com

LinkedIn: @KerryConnor

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About This Episode

A million-dollar prize may grab attention, but Scott Erdmann’s bigger vision is building a global home for competition barbecue. In this episode, Scott shares how he went from sports and entertainment partnerships to founding the Barbecue World Cup and Expo, why the BBQ market is bigger than most people realize, and what it takes to build something bold when there is no blueprint. We talk fundraising, partnerships, pitmaster storytelling, judging, community, and how newcomers can find their way into the world of competitive barbecue.

About Scott Erdmann

Scott Erdmann is a sports and entertainment partnership strategist turned founder, building BBQ World Cup & Expo, an ambitious global platform designed to modernize and elevate the world of barbecue through competition, media, and community. Known for turning big ideas into real-world revenue and experiences, Scott focuses on building ecosystems that create long-term ownership, not just one-off events. He’s passionate about leadership, innovation, and creating momentum by betting on the unconventional and then executing like it’s already inevitable.

Additional Resources

Website: bbqunited.com

Instagram: @bbqworldcup / @scotterdmann

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