Claim OwnershipThe Leaderful Inc | Authentic Leadership for Ambitious Women in an AI-Driven World
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The Leaderful Inc. is a podcast for ambitious women in leadership who want to grow their careers without burning out.
Hosted by Chloe McKenzie, a Senior Vice President in People & Culture, this show explores modern leadership, career development, and the real emotional work behind rising into executive roles.
Chloe shares honest stories and practical insights from her journey climbing from Director to SVP in four years — navigating visibility shifts, workplace politics, self-trust, burnout recovery, and the evolving expectations placed on women leaders today.
Each episode dives into the real challenges facing women in modern leadership, including:
navigating rapid promotions and increased visibility
building leadership confidence and executive presence
managing burnout, boundaries, and emotional labor
leading teams with clarity, humanity, and intention
growing your career while staying true to yourself
developing authentic leadership skills that actually work
understanding how AI is reshaping leadership and the future of work
This podcast is for women who are ambitious but exhausted, accomplished yet craving more clarity, and determined to lead without losing themselves.
If you’re ready for real conversations about leadership development, career growth, self-trust, and becoming the kind of leader people want to follow — you’re in the right place.
64 Episodes
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When I got promoted, I felt exactly the same. But the world around me didn’t.
People paused before speaking to me.
They filtered their words.
They assumed things about me I didn’t feel were true — authority, status, power, distance.
This episode is the story of how I navigated that identity mismatch.
It’s about the moments that made me question my place, the loneliness that surprised me, and the leadership lessons that came from being seen differently before I felt different.
You’ll hear the raw truth about:
the emotional adjustment no one prepares you for
the subtle and not-so-subtle ways dynamics shift
the power of grounding yourself in your values
how to lead from identity, not perception
If you’ve ever felt misread, misunderstood, or suddenly “othered” after rising — this episode is your reminder that you’re not imagining it. And you’re not alone.
Burnout makes everything heavier. Especially feedback.
In today’s episode, I break down the moment when a piece of feedback hit harder than it should have—and the uncomfortable truth I learned:
The feedback wasn’t the problem. My exhaustion was.
This episode is a deep dive into emotional regulation, leadership in hard seasons, and why empathy isn’t something soft-hearted leaders use—it’s something strategic leaders rely on.
You’ll learn:
Why tired leaders misinterpret feedback
How to assess your emotional “state” before reacting
A 6-step framework for responding with clarity (not panic)
How to lead yourself with empathy when your tank is empty
For everyone who’s ambitious, overwhelmed, and still showing up: this one will hit home.
In this intimate relaunch episode, I share the real story behind my unexpected rise from Director to Senior Vice President in just four years — and the burnout that nearly took me out along the way.
This is the honest reflection I wish someone had shared with me sooner:
what it’s like to grow fast, lead big, juggle motherhood and ambition, carry the emotional labor of leadership, and still feel like you’re losing pieces of yourself in the process.
If you’re a woman who’s ambitious but exhausted, hopeful but stretched thin, deeply capable yet sometimes filled with doubt — this episode is for you. I talk about why I stepped away from the podcast, how burnout changed me, and what it means to come back wiser, softer, and more grounded.
We’ll explore what real leadership looks like in a world moving at the speed of AI — and why women can’t afford to sit out this next era of change.
This is a space for honesty, growth, and the messy parts of leading a life that matters. It’s good to be back.
In this episode of the Leaderful Inc, we explore the power of starting with why and how it can transform the way you lead and communicate. We dive into Simon Sinek's book "Start With Why" and discuss why it's important to connect with your why, how to identify your why, and how to use it to lead your team and your family. I share some practical tips and strategies for how you can apply this philosophy to your own life and work, and share inspiring examples of organizations and leaders who have successfully used the start with why approach. Whether you're leading at work or at home, this episode will give you the tools and insights you need to start leading with purpose and passion.
You can also check out video episodes on YouTube @theleaderfulinc.
In this episode of the Leaderful Inc., we explore the common patterns of self-sabotage and dream killers that hold us back from achieving our full potential. We delve into the psychological and emotional factors that contribute to self-sabotage, including fear, limiting beliefs, and self-doubt, and provide practical tips and strategies for how you can overcome these obstacles and achieve your goals. We also discuss the ways in which we are our own worst enemies when it comes to pursuing our dreams, and how we can shift our mindset and behaviours to become our own biggest cheerleaders and supporters. Join me as we confront the negative patterns and behaviours that hold us back, and learn how to take control of your life and achieve the success and happiness you deserve.
You can also check out video episodes on Youtube @theleaderfulinc
Communicating your point is an essential leadership skill. The content of the message, the style of the delivery and the prep work you do in advance can make all the difference for how effectively someone receives your message. In this episode of the Leaderful Inc. Podcast, you'll find some tips to help you land your message to your audience - whether in a meeting, in a pitch, or in a conversation with someone in your life.
You can also check out the video episodes on YouTube @Theleaderfulinc.
The Start Right Now podcast has evolved! In this episode, you'll hear more about why it's now called the Leaderful Inc', and how I hope this new content will be focused on leading better in 2023 and beyond. This podcast is now also a video podcast available on YouTube @theleaderfulinc. Thanks for tuning in!
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is not a topic just for large corporations to be thinking about. Especially when the diversity of your team is proven to drive innovation in a business. BUT let's face it: As a leader, small business owner or an entrepreneur, you may have no idea where to start putting DEI concepts into practice. In this episode, social entrepreneur and LGBTQ+ leader Arthur Woods shares incredible wisdom and research-backed tools for doing exactly that. As the Co-Founder of Mathison.Io, and author of "Hiring for Diversity", it's no wonder this interview is packed with cutting-edge practices for implementing a diversity hiring strategy that will leave your organization with a more comprehensive view and an actionable plan.
Order the book 'Hiring for Diversity' and explore Mathison's resources at Mathison.Io.
In this episode, my guest Keri Murphy, the CEO and Founder of 'Inspired Living', takes us through the impact that video can have on your business - if we can only push our fear of being seen. As a successful serial entrepreneur, she shares how It can be an incredibly powerful tool for making a career transition, for attracting new clients, and for stepping into that calling you have to inspire and move others. This is the kick in the butt that you need to get out of your head and get started with video today.
To learn more about Keri and Inspiring Living, Check out InspiredLiving.TV
Connect with Chloe @Startrightnowpodcast on Instagram.
What if you had the tools to get clearer on a big decision, major challenge, or the areas in your life where you're feeling stuck?
Becca Ribbing, the author of The Clarity Journal, believes that we can. Armed with a toolbox of powerful questions, she's on a mission to help people break out of the cycles of uncertainty and struggle that hold them back. The Clarity Journal is her new book with over 100 thought-provoking questions to stop you from going around in circles and finally figure out what you truly want and create the clarity and momentum that you crave.
Have a listen to this episode for powerful questions you can ask yourself today - including a surprising one about envy.
Connect with Becca over at beccaribbing.com. Get your copy of her journal on Amazon.
Connect with Chloe on Instagram @StartRightNowpodcast
How can we become a better version of ourselves every day even if, at times, we find ourselves stuck, stagnant, or burnt out? How can we know for sure we are making decisions that are truly in line with the person we feel called to be? How can we get out of our head and into our body to help us move in the right direction?
My guest in this episode, Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author Victoria Song, points us to a game-changing approach: Bend your reality. She takes us deep into the strategies she teaches as a Leadership Advisor to successful founders and CEOs of companies in Silicon Valley and celebrities with power, platform and influence.
Grab a copy of Victoria's book and more free resources on her website: https://victoriasong.me/bending-reality/
Love this episode? Don't forget to share it!
Connect with Chloe on Instagram @StartRightNowPodcast.
Keeping your audience's attention has never been more difficult - whether that audience is your client, your followers, your boss, your spouse, or your new connections. It's becoming more important than ever to level up your communication skills in order to influence those around you and land your message.
Lucky for us, this episode features a Communication Expert, Neil Gordon, sharing expert communication tips that will help us take our storytelling and content to the next level. You'll want to listen twice for his powerful reframe of "context" vs "content", and the "silver bullet" formula that will have your audience listening with rapt attention.
Connect with Neil over at NeilCanHelp.Com and take his Speaker Quiz to discover your own speaking style.
Loved this episode? Please pass it along!
Connect with Chloe @StartRightNowPodcast on Instagram.
Even in our best efforts to be consistent, there are times where we may 'fall off the wagon' in our plans and our daily routines. Recovering from a down period can be tricky - especially when your own judgements about falling short makes it tough to get started again. In this episode, I share some thoughts and reflections after falling off the wagon myself recently, and the mental shift you may need to make in order to move forward.
Connect with Chloe on Instagram @startrightnowpodcast
When was the last time you gave yourself permission to do more - to be more, to achieve more, to follow that passion, pursue your dream, to step into your calling, or to do what's on your heart? Episode 51 is centered around this exact question.
Pursuing a goal can sometimes feel like you'll need to make a trade-off in another area of your life - and this is the reason that ambition is sometimes accompanied by guilt. Investing in yourself is as much about permission as it is about a daily decision to keep going. So in this episode, we get clear on both the 'permission' and the 'decision' part that is blocking you in your pursuit.
Black or white? Good or bad? Absolutely perfect or a completely failure? Weighing two opposite extremes as your only reality is an example of 'All or Nothing' thinking at it best. But what lies in between the extremes - the shades of grey and all the rich colours across the spectrum - is the reality that we need to ground ourselves in if we want to make progress. So if you've wanted to quit that business because of one bad review, or wanted throw the diet plan out of the window because of one cheat meal, or decided not to start something at all because you didn't think you would finish... this is the episode for you! Take note of these 5 ways to break that bad habit of 'All or Nothing' thinking and step into the dreams you feel called to pursue.
Connect with me on the new Instagram account @Startrightnowpodcast.
What does it mean to be visionary? In this episode, we explore the answer with Marina Phillips. She is a #BOSS, Super Mom, entrepreneur and the founder of Bebe Station. Here's what we know for sure: As we pursue challenging goals, there will be so many instances where we'll meet intense roadblocks, ready to throw us off our course... But our ability to hold that vision close in times of adversity is essential to help us push through it.
Trust me, you'll want to listen to this episode twice! Marina shares her story of how the vision for her business came to be, how COVID continues to keep her pivotting, how she balances her family and her full-time job while being an entrepreneur, and how she's building Bebe station with the end in mind.
Connect with Marina on Instagram @BeBeStation and online at bebestation.squarespace.com
Connect with Chloe on Instagram @StartRightNowPodcast
We all have a baseline for what we expect we are able to achieve - whether we are conscious of it or not. But did you know that we can dramatically raise the baseline of what's possible based on our daily habits, practices and actions? My guest in this episode is Deanna Rose, a peak performance strategist, naturopathic doctor, sports nutritionist, and the founder of Wellth by Deanna Rose Inc. She shares her model for moving 'out of the fog' of our lives and businesses, finding clarity in what we are trying to accomplish, and creating habits to perform at our peak. What surprised me most? A winning strategy isn't always about doing more. Sometimes, it's actually about doing LESS.
To learn more about Deanna's program 'Better Than Yesterday', visit her website: https://better-than-yesterday.simvoly.com/
Connect with Deanna on instagram @DeannaWRose for amazing tips on energy hacking.
We all want to arrive at a place where our ideas and projects are in full bloom - the point where the vision that we have for our new project is FINALLY realized. We are eagerly waiting for that Season where we can enjoy the fruits of our labour.
But are you expecting harvest season when you're still in the spring sowing season of your biz? Are you missing the gift of the winter season because you're obsessed with seeing what you've planted grow? In this episode, I give you my take on the seasons of business and how to embrace them all... Even if your tree isn't bearing any fruit or flowers just yet.
Designing your brand from scratch as new entrepreneur can feel complicated! And when there is so much to consider, how do we design a brand that feels authentic to us?
In this episode, Graphic Designer, Entrepreneur and host of the Podcast "Listen2Me", Gio Petrucci discuss why brand visual design starts with understanding and owning who you are at your core - your values, your personality, and the ideals that you stand for. Gio also shares his story of how values clarity led him to leave the corporate world and carving out a more meaningful work as the founder of his creative studio Giografik.
Connect with Gio @Giografik on Instagram and online giografik.com
Connect with Chloe @ChloeMcKenzie.Co on Instagram
Is perfectionism keeping you on the sidelines - just dreaming instead of actually doing anything? In this episode, LeadHer Inc. Founder Courtney St. Croix shares her story of how pushing past her perfectionism has been critical to growing her brand, become a best-selling author, achieving over 100+K Downloads on her podcast 'The LeadHer Show', and so much more. Courtney shares how she uses HUMAN DESIGN principles to lead herself through big transitions in her business and publish her best work.
Connect with Courtney online at www.lead-her.com and on Instagram @LeadHer_Inc.
Connect with Chloe on Instagram @ChloeMcKenzie.co
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