If you've ever wondered what actually gets someone promoted to the executive level — and what quietly keeps high performers stuck — this episode is your inside look. Kimberly sits down with executive coach and former VP of Human Resources April Little for a candid, no-holds-barred conversation about what organizations are really looking for, why your MBA might not be helping you as much as you think, and what it means to build an executive presence that works even when no one's watching.

We're going deep on:

• Why cost center roles (HR, DEI, L&D, comms) are feeling the squeeze — and what to do about it

• The one skill executives say they look for that most candidates don't have

• Why perceived value matters more than actual performance

• The truth about going back to school in this economy

• What "crossing the chasm" from director to executive actually looks like

Connect with April Little: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprillatoyalittle/ or https://www.instagram.com/iamaprillittle/

Subscribe to the Insider Notes Newsletter: https://bit.ly/YNMNewsletter

Get on the waitlist for next cohort of The Visibility Shift: https://kimberlybonline.com/waitlist

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe to the podcast.

In this episode, Kimberly sits down with Bola Sokunbi — self-made millionaire, author, speaker, investor, and founder & CEO of Clever Girl Finance, one of the largest personal finance education platforms for women. Bola is back to talk about her newest book, "Clever Girl Millionaire", a step-by-step guide to building real, lasting wealth — on your own terms. From her powerful origin story rooted in watching her mother take control of her financial future, to the practical wealth-building framework she shares in her seventh book, this conversation is equal parts inspiring and immediately actionable. What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why Bola never planned to become an author — and how writing seven books happened anyway
• The real reason so many women struggle with shame around money — and how to shift it
• What it means to "sow seeds" for a millionaire mindset and why your beliefs about money are the foundation of everything
• How to balance spending, paying down debt, and investing — at the same time
• The four pillars of wealth: earned income, investing, real estate, and entrepreneurship

Follow Bola on social media // https://www.instagram.com/bolasokunbi/ https://www.instagram.com/clevergirlfinance/ Buy "Clever Girl Millionaire" Book // https://www.bolasokunbi.com/clever-girl-millionaire Follow Kimberly on social media // https://www.instagram.com/kimberlybonline https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlybonline Buy the book // "Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love" http://www.kimberlybonline.com/book Submit to be coached live on the podcast: https://bit.ly/YNMCoaching Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://bit.ly/YNMNewsletter

What if the reason you haven't hit your biggest goal isn't a missing strategy — it's a missing belief? In this episode, Kimberly is getting honest about the mindset trap that keeps even the most talented professionals and entrepreneurs stuck: the constant search for a better plan. Spoiler: the plan isn't the problem. The reps are. Kimberly breaks down why success is far less glamorous than we've been conditioned to believe, and why the "missing link" most high achievers are searching for isn't a new tactic — it's the willingness to keep doing what already works, consistently, even when the results feel slow. This one is short, direct, and exactly what you need to hear today. What You'll Learn:

• Why big goals don't require drastically different actions — and what actually separates those who reach them from those who don't
• The mindset trap that causes high achievers to abandon the right strategy too early
• Why "slow results" and "wrong strategy" are not the same thing
• How to audit your consistency instead of auditioning new strategies
• Why success is going to feel like a Tuesday — and why you should show up anyway

🔗 Ready to explore 1:1 coaching with Kimberly? Head to brownleadership.com/coaching to learn more and book a call.

Stay In Touch → Connect with the community:

• Follow me on Instagram/TikTok:instagram.com/kimberlybonline or tiktok.com/@kimberlybonline

• Explore Brown Leadership: brownleadership.com
• Read the book "Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love" at nextmovebestmovebook.com

→ Share your question: Submit your question in a 90-second voice message, and I may address it in an upcoming episode. Submit here: speakpipe.com/YourNextMove

If you've ever wondered whether coaching is actually worth the investment — this episode is your answer.

In episode 124, Kimberly breaks down why the most high-performing senior managers, directors, VPs, and executives don't wait until something is broken to seek out coaching. Drawing from her own experience in coaching relationships since 2013, Kimberly makes the case that coaching isn't a rescue plan — it's a growth strategy.

She walks through the three core ways coaching creates real transformation: breaking through skill-based roadblocks, shifting limiting mindsets, and getting tactical strategy tailored specifically to you. She also unpacks the difference between 1:1 and group coaching, and how to know which format is the right fit for where you are right now.

But this episode goes beyond the why — Kimberly also gets into the how. Because investing in coaching is only half the equation. Getting your money's worth requires intention, honesty, and showing up ready to do the work.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The three types of challenges coaching helps you overcome — skill gaps, mindset blocks, and tactical strategy

• Why coaching is one of the most strategic career investments a senior leader can make

• The key differences between 1:1 and group coaching — and how to choose what's right for you

• Five ways to maximize your return on investment once you're in a coaching relationship

• Why bringing your real self to coaching sessions is the thing most people skip — and why it matters most

🔗 Ready to explore 1:1 coaching with Kimberly? Head to brownleadership.com/coaching to learn more and book a call.

Stay In Touch → Connect with the community:

• Watch this episode on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Kimberlybonline
• Follow me on Instagram/TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlybonline/ or https://www.tiktok.com/@kimberlybonline
• Explore Brown Leadership: www.brownleadership.com
• Read the book "Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love" at www.nextmovebestmovebook.com

→ Share your question: Submit your question in a 90-second voice message, and I may address it in an upcoming episode. Submit here: https://www.speakpipe.com/YourNextMove

In this episode, Kimberly sits down with Lois Weinblatt — vision coach and founder of True North Visionaries — for a conversation that goes far beyond the trendy advice to "write down your goals." Lois breaks down the real work of visioning: what it actually takes to get clear on your next chapter when you're a high-achieving professional who's been grinding without a real direction, and why trying to do it alone is one of the biggest reasons people stay stuck.

Lois has taken herself — and hundreds of clients — through a structured visioning process that starts not with the future, but with an honest look at the past. Her approach challenges the idea that visioning is fluffy or abstract. Instead, she treats a vision as your definition of success at a specific point in the future, and she walks clients through a 13-week process (or an intensive three-day immersive in Madrid) to get there.

Whether you've never built a vision or you wrote one years ago and have no idea where it went, this conversation will shift how you think about clarity, direction, and what it means to truly move intentionally in your career and your life.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why visioning is "important but not urgent" — and why that's exactly the reason most high achievers never do it
• The difference between doing visioning alone versus doing it with a guide (and why the gap between those two experiences is massive)
• Why Lois starts the process by looking backward — and what happens when clients try to skip that step
• How to acknowledge past choices without over-explaining, justifying, or being talked out of your feelings about them
• What it means to "release the how" and why that's the hardest part for action-oriented professionals
• The "goalkeeper" concept — why some of your goals have gatekeepers outside your control, and why that matters for your vision
• How to think about visioning like an accordion: expanding it to five years or contracting it to use right now, even in the middle of a hard season

About Lois Weinblatt: Lois Weinblatt is a vision coach and the founder of True North Visionaries. She works with capable, motivated, self-aware professionals who are on the cusp of their next chapter and need help getting out of their heads and into clarity. Her structured visioning process helps clients move from swirling thoughts and competing options to a clear, grounded vision for their personal, professional, financial, relational, and spiritual lives. Learn more at truenorthvisionaries.com and follow her on social media:

• https://www.tiktok.com/@lois.weinblatt
• https://www.instagram.com/truenorthvisionaries/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/lois-weinblatt/

Stay In Touch → Connect with the community:

• Watch this episode on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Kimberlybonline
• Follow me on Instagram/TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlybonline/ or https://www.tiktok.com/@kimberlybonline
• Explore Brown Leadership: www.brownleadership.com
• Read the book "Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love" at www.nextmovebestmovebook.com

→ Share your question: Submit your question in a 90-second voice message, and I may address it in an upcoming episode. Submit here: https://www.speakpipe.com/YourNextMove

You were in the room. You were qualified. You were prepared. So why didn't they remember you?

In today's episode, Kimberly is breaking down the four communication habits that separate professionals who get remembered in high-stakes rooms from those who get overlooked — even when the credentials are equal. This one is packed with practical strategy you can use in your very next meeting.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why credentials stop being your differentiator in a room full of smart, accomplished people

• The difference between sharing information and sharing a point of view — and why it changes how people see you

• How asking the right question can be more powerful than giving the right answer

• The BLUF communication method executives use to make every word land

• Why most professionals lose the opportunity after the room — and exactly how to close the loop

Stay In Touch → Connect with the community:

• Follow me on Instagram/TikTok: @KimberlyBOnline

• Explore Brown Leadership: www.brownleadership.com

• Read the book "Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love" at www.nextmovebestmovebook.com

→ Share your question: Submit your question in a 90-second voice message, and I may address it in an upcoming episode. Submit here: https://www.speakpipe.com/YourNextMove

In this episode, Kimberly gets into her mindset behind her recent program launch— and the results exceeded every goal she set. But this episode isn't really about the numbers. It's about what the numbers revealed: a story Kimberly had been quietly carrying since 2018 that she never said out loud, not to her clients, not to her audience, barely even to herself.

For years, she had internalized a belief that she could get results for others, but that building a group program and a community wasn't something she could pull off. This launch is what finally dismantled that story.

Kimberly walks you through the CTFAR model — a self-coaching framework she worked on daily during the launch — and breaks down how her thoughts were directly creating her results.

If you've ever quietly talked yourself out of a win before it even happened — this episode is for you.

Ready to build your speaking platform? Get on the waitlist for the next cohort: kimberlybonline.com/tvs

Stay In Touch → Connect with the community:

• Follow me on Instagram/TikTok: @KimberlyBOnline

• Explore Brown Leadership: www.brownleadership.com

• Read the book "Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love" at www.nextmovebestmovebook.com

→ Share your question: Submit your question in a 90-second voice message, and I may address it in an upcoming episode. Submit here: https://www.speakpipe.com/YourNextMove

Think you need a dramatic backstory or impressive credentials to become a powerful speaker? Think again.

In this episode, Kimberly is dismantling the biggest myth that keeps talented professionals off stages: the idea that you have to be some kind of recognized expert to share your message. The truth is, some of the most impactful speakers are everyday professionals—project managers, consultants, team leads—who teach practical frameworks from real-world experience.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why "relatably experienced" speakers generate better audience retention than highly credentialed experts

• The 3 reasons "regular people" make more powerful speakers than you'd think

• Where you naturally fit in the 5 Types of Speakers framework (hint: it's probably Educator)

• What you actually need to become a confident speaker (spoiler: it's not expertise)

• How to turn your everyday professional experience into valuable speaking content

Key insight: Educational content consistently outperforms purely motivational content, and audiences learn more from speakers who feel like accessible guides rather than unreachable celebrities.

Ready to build your speaking platform? The Visibility Shift is a 6-month program designed specifically for professionals who don't consider themselves "experts" but are ready to step into their authority and share what they know. (Enrollment closes today, 2/18/26, for the inauguaral cohort!) Learn more at kimberlybonline.com/tvs

Stay In Touch → Connect with the community:

• Follow me on Instagram/TikTok: @KimberlyBOnline

• Explore Brown Leadership: www.brownleadership.com

• Read the book "Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love" at www.nextmovebestmovebook.com

→ Share your question: Submit your question in a 90-second voice message, and I may address it in an upcoming episode. Submit here: https://www.speakpipe.com/YourNextMove

In this deeply personal episode, Kimberly pulls back the curtain on her journey from a career counselor making under $50,000 a year to building a multi-six-figure business that's maintained that level for five consecutive years. The vehicle that made it all possible? Speaking. Not keynote speaking at first—but strategic visibility through professional associations, conferences, and leveraging every speaking opportunity to build relationships and open doors.

But here's what makes this story different: Kimberly wasn't a "natural speaker." She didn't have a dramatic transformation story or overcome massive tragedy. She was someone who loved working behind the scenes in higher education and corporate HR—until a promotion conversation that felt like a slap in the face changed her entire strategy.

In this episode, she shares the real progression: from her first terrified speaking engagement (with a coworker by her side for moral support) to commanding a multi-five-figure keynote fee, and why "teaching her behind off" on stage is exactly what grew her business even when coaches told her not to give so much away.

What You'll Learn in this Episode:

• The promotion conversation that changed Kimberly's career strategy and why she realized good work alone wouldn't get her where she wanted to go

• How speaking at professional associations led to salary bumps, job offers, and opportunities Kimberly never even applied for

• The truth about speaking for free: when Kimberly still does it (rarely) and when it's worth it vs. when to command your fee

• The salary progression that speaking made possible: $50k → just under $100k → $150k+ → multi-six-figure business owner

• Kimberly's philosophy on pairing your expertise with what the audience needs (instead of just talking about what you want to talk about)

Stay In Touch → Connect with the community:

• Enroll or Book a Sales call for The Visibility Shift: kimberlybonline.com/tvs

• Follow me on Instagram/TikTok: @KimberlyBOnline

• Explore Brown Leadership: www.brownleadership.com

• Read the book "Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love" at www.nextmovebestmovebook.com

→ Share your question: Submit your question in a 90-second voice message, and I may address it in an upcoming episode. Submit here: https://www.speakpipe.com/YourNextMove

In this episode, Kimberly is pulling back the curtain on The Visibility Shift—her signature 6-month program for professionals who want to build visibility through speaking. If you've been curious about what's actually inside the program, who it's for, and whether it's the right fit for you, this is the episode.

Ready to join The Visibility Shift? Enroll now or book a sales call at www.kimberlybonline.com/tvs

Program begins February 23, 2026. Investment: $3,000 (or 6 monthly payments of $500). NOTE: 5 Types of Speakers breakdown is episode 115 of the podcast.

Stay In Touch → Connect with the community:

• Follow me on Instagram/TikTok: @KimberlyBOnline

• Explore Brown Leadership: www.brownleadership.com

• Read the book "Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love" at www.nextmovebestmovebook.com

→ Share your question: Submit your question in a 90-second voice message, and I may address it in an upcoming episode. Submit here: https://www.speakpipe.com/YourNextMove