In this episode, Rana sits down with storyteller, speaker, and podcast host, Kadi Cisse, for a powerful conversation about identity, independence, grief, purpose, and becoming who you really are.

Kadi shares her journey growing up as a first-generation American raised by West African immigrant parents, and how being the "independent child" shaped the way she approached life, relationships, and success. She opens up about loss, navigating life after losing her father, and how many of us who are seen as "strong" often learn how to survive before we ever learn how to feel.

Together, Rana and Kadi talk about the identity crisis that many high-achieving people face when they realize their job title is not their purpose, why unprocessed emotions eventually show up in our lives, and how spirituality, self-awareness, and honesty with yourself are often the real keys to growth.

Kadi also shares wisdom from her platform Ask Kadi: The Voice of Reason, where she uses humor, honesty, and real-life experience to help people navigate relationships, self-worth, and personal growth.

This episode is about resilience, truth, self-discovery, and the journey of becoming who you were always meant to be.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Growing up first-generation with immigrant parents
• Being the "independent child"
• Grief and losing parents
• Emotional vs logical coping
• Layoffs and career pivots
• Job titles vs purpose
• Identity and self-discovery
• Spirituality and self-awareness
• Relationships and self-worth
• Building the right circle
• Learning to take up space
• Becoming who you really are

Key takeaway:
You can build a successful life, a great career, and still reach a point where you have to ask yourself, "But who am I really, and what am I actually here to do?"

FIND KADI ON:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xo.kadi_
Website: www.askkadi.com

🛠️ Resources + Links

• Subscribe to Dreams In Drive wherever you get your podcasts
• Follow @rainshineluv on Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates
• Follow @dreamsindrive Instagram
• Share this episode with a friend who's questioning what's next
• Sign up for our weekly newsletter www.dreamsindrive.com/join

Ashley Rouse shares how surrender, letting go, and reinvention led to clarity and new beginnings after closing her company, Trade Street Jam Co.
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After building a nationally recognized brand, Ashley Rouse returns to Dreams In Drive - eight years later - to share the raw truth about closing Trade Street Jam Co., embracing surrender, and stepping into new beginnings with her new creative agency Rouse Like House. A heartfelt, inspiring conversation for anyone navigating change, letting go, or finding clarity and purpose in life's next chapter.
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In this deeply honest and full-circle conversation, Ashley Rouse (Episode 174 guest) returns eight years later to Dreams In Drive to reflect on the evolution from the woman who was scaling Trade Street Jam Co. at lightning speed to the woman she is today — one who chose surrender, healing, and alignment over external definitions of success.

Ashley opens up about the circumstances surrounding and the grief of closing Trade Street Jam Co., the loss of identity that comes when your life's work ends, and the emotional and spiritual clarity that followed. She shares how motherhood and deep personal growth forced her to redefine what success, ambition, and purpose look like in this new season.

Most importantly, she reframes surrender as a power move, a conscious decision to trust that releasing what no longer aligns creates space for new vision, new pathways, and a more authentic future.

What We Discussed:

Surrender & Purpose: Finding the courage to realize that a business is just a "tangible asset" and that her true purpose—helping other entrepreneurs—remains intact.

The Realities of Running A Product-Based Business: Ashley breaks down why running a product-based CPG business is "no joke," discussing the capital intensive, inventory-heavy nature of the industry and the pressure of scaling, and seeking investors as a Black Woman

The Power of Community: How sharing her "messy" journey on Instagram built a community that ultimately saved her during her transition.

This conversation is for anyone who:

• Feels the pull toward a new beginning
• Is questioning a long-held dream
• Is learning to detach their worth from their work
• Is navigating a transition season

You'll walk away with both the emotional language and the practical mindset shifts needed to:

• Recognize when it's time to move on
• Honor the chapter you're closing without shame
• Trust the unknown
• Rebuild from a place of clarity and self-alignment.

FIND ASHLEY ROUSE ON:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleymarierouse
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rouselikehouse
Website: https://www.rouselikehouse.com

🛠️ Resources + Links:

• Subscribe to Dreams In Drive wherever you get your podcasts
• Follow @rainshineluv on Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates
• Follow @dreamsindrive Instagram
• Share this episode with a friend who's questioning what's next
• Sign up for our weekly newsletter www.dreamsindrive.com/join

❤️ Leave a Review

Loving the show? Your reviews help Dreams In Drive reach more listeners. Leave one on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and tag Rana to share your thoughts!

📣 Join the Conversation

Has your dream evolved? Are you navigating a pivot in real time? DM Rana on IG @dreamsindrive or pitch your story at http://www.dreamsindrive.com/pitch

From 100 Rejections to Real Purpose | Community, Career & Resilience

In this episode of Dreams In Drive, Rana Campbell sits down with Brittney Oliver, founder of Lemons to Lemonade, for a powerful conversation about turning rejection into purpose and building meaningful community when the traditional path doesn't work.

Before creating one of the most impactful platforms for professionals of color, Brittney faced over 100 job rejections while trying to break into New York City's PR industry. Despite being qualified and prepared, she repeatedly heard "no." Instead of letting rejection define her, she chose to build the community she wished existed.

In this honest and inspiring conversation, Rana and Brittney discuss what it really takes to keep going when your journey doesn't look like everyone else's.

You'll hear about:

• Navigating racism and cultural barriers in corporate spaces
• Turning rejection into redirection
• The difference between "community" as a buzzword and real connection
• Building impact without millions of followers
• Creating inclusive spaces in Nashville
• Navigating grief after losing a parent
• Why Plan B doesn't mean you failed
• Measuring success through purpose, relationships, and impact

Brittney also shares how Lemons to Lemonade has helped thousands of professionals find opportunity, confidence, and belonging — and why your worth can't be measured by follower counts.

If you've ever felt overlooked, underestimated, or unsure about your timeline, this episode is a reminder that your story isn't over. Sometimes, rejection is just the beginning of something greater.

🎧 Listen now and be reminded: you're not behind — you're being redirected.

FIND BRITTNEY OLIVER ON:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lemons_2_lemonade/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bsoliver/
Website: https://www.l2lmixer.com/

🛠️ Resources + Links:

• Subscribe to Dreams In Drive wherever you get your podcasts
• Follow @rainshineluv on Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates
• Follow @dreamsindrive Instagram
• Share this episode with a friend who's questioning what's next
• Sign up for our weekly newsletter www.dreamsindrive.com/join

❤️ Leave a Review

Loving the show? Your reviews help Dreams In Drive reach more listeners. Leave one on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and tag Rana to share your thoughts!

📣 Join the Conversation

Has your dream evolved? Are you navigating a pivot in real time? DM Rana on IG @dreamsindrive