On this episode of The Z Pod, Ziba Alizadeh sits down with longtime friend Kendra Cato, director of strategic partnerships at Advance Partners, founding member of Women of Color in Staffing, and active with the American Staffing Association, for a conversation that gets uncomfortable in the best way.Kendra opens up about an exercise that cracked her open while writing her first book, Together We Rise, a journey-mapping workshop that forced her to stop editing her story and start owning it. The "messy middle" isn't something to hide, it's the part that actually connects. Ziba matches her honesty, admitting she built this podcast after years of feeling like she didn't "look the part," and Kendra fires back with a childhood memory about "a couple dollars" that reframes what it really means to wait for permission. Her advice to anyone earlier in their career: trust your gut sooner, and only take guidance from people whose actual lives you'd want.Then it gets tactical. Kendra makes the case that even seasoned executives still need sponsors, mentors, and paid coaches, no one graduates out of needing support. She closes with a line that's sticking with us: "Exposure builds your toolkit, but ownership secures your authority." If you've ever wondered why your work isn't landing the way it should, this is the episode that tells you why.
In this episode:
-The exercise that forced Kendra to stop polishing her story and start owning it
-Why Ziba really started The Z Pod
-The childhood lesson about "a couple dollars" that changed how Kendra sees permission
-Trusting your gut before you feel ready
-Why executives still need sponsors, mentors, and coaches, no matter how far they've climbed
-The line that reframes exposure vs. ownership
-Tying your value to visible, bottom-line impact
Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:17 Done Playing Small
02:22 Unedited Story Strength
04:41 Why This Podcast Exists
06:46 Mentors and Permission
11:26 Trust Your Gut
15:26 Coaches and Sponsors
21:32 Owning Your Authority
25:17 Closing and Subscribe
26:11 Host Recap Takeaways