What happens when life takes a turn you didn’t see coming? In this episode of Women Leaders on the Move, host Natalie Benamou talks with COO and Board Director Liesl Schmidt about the lessons in her chapter from Power of What’s NEXT: Bold Moves By Design.

We explore why it’s never too early to grow your network, how to ask for what you want, and the power of saying yes to new chapters even before you feel ready.

Liesl’s journey is a reminder that the choices you make today, building relationships, finding your voice, and staying resilient becomes the foundation you’ll need when the unexpected happens.

“You don’t always see the challenges coming, but you can prepare by building relationships that will carry you through.”-Liesl Schmidt

5 Lessons:

• Why investing in your network now is the best way to prepare for what’s ahead.
• The courage it takes to ask for what you want and position yourself to receive it.
• How resilience and clarity help you navigate career and life transitions.
• The importance of embracing new chapters, even before you feel fully ready.
• Why your story and lived experience open doors to unexpected opportunities.

Liesl reminds us that preparation isn’t just about skills or strategy, it’s about people, perspective, and persistence.

Power Tip: “Sometimes you have to step forward without all the answers, because clarity often comes in the doing.”- Liesl Schmidt

This conversation will inspire you to embrace resilience, strengthen your connections, and step boldly into what’s next knowing you already have more within you than you realize.

Thank you Liesl for being on the show and a featured author in the bestselling Power of What's NEXT: Bold Moves by Design

Keep shining your light bright. The world needs you.

About Liesl Schmidt

Liesl Schmidt is a financial executive, board leader, and transformation strategist with over 20 years of experience. As COO of River Valley Community Bank and former EVP at U.S. Bank, she has led finance, operations, HR, IT, and risk. A passionate advocate for women and community impact, she serves on several nonprofit boards. Liesl writes to inspire women to lead with clarity, courage, and confidence—especially during times of change. Liesl wears some other hats that bring her immense joy — wife, mother, and grandmother. She is also a member of HerCsuite® Women on Boards Mastermind program.

Connect with Liesl: LinkedIn

Get Your Copy of:

Power of What's NEXT: Bold Moves By Design Releases October 14th, 2025.

Connect with Natalie Benamou

Natalie Benamou is the visionary behind Women Leaders on the Move, a Top 10 Women's Leadership podcast by Feedspot. As the Founder of HerCsuite®, she delivers mastermind programs and courses that help women land board roles, grow businesses and design their portfolio careers all include AI to maximize success.

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This Podcast is Bought to You by HerCsuite® Women on the Move AI

Your next chapter starts here. Explore curated programs, real conversations, and experiences designed for women who are shaping what's next—for themselves and the organizations they lead. Learn more at HerCsuite.com.

What if the next season of your life is the one where everything comes together—your experience, your confidence, and your legacy?

I had such a heartfelt conversation with Wendi Brown about her chapter You Are a Profit Powerhouse in Power of What’s NEXT: Bold Moves By Design. Wendi’s words have stayed with me, especially when she said, “Your legacy is your leverage. Use it.” She also shared a reminder that made me pause—“Confidence without experience is a liability.”

What I love about Wendi is how she sees women over 50 as having an incredible advantage. Instead of slowing down, this is the moment to lean into everything you’ve learned and step forward with boldness.

Here are just a few things you’ll take away from our conversation:

✨ How your legacy can be the strongest foundation for your future.

✨ Why confidence and experience together create unstoppable momentum.

✨ The real advantage women have in the second half of their careers.

💡 One action to try: When life feels heavy or uncertain, take Wendi’s advice—give yourself one more day. That one day may be all you need to keep going and see what’s waiting for you next.

This episode feels like a celebration of wisdom and courage and a reminder that your most powerful chapter may still be ahead.

Read Wendi's chapter in the new hardcover coming out October 14th! https://tinyurl.com/ye6yfb34

Keep shining your light bright. The world needs you.

About Wendi O. Brown

Wendi O. Brown is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with over two decades of distinguished and decorated service, including combat deployments, post-9/11 assignments at the Pentagon, and strategic planning roles supporting U.S. Africa Command, U.S. European Command, and NATO operations. She played a vital role in advancing joint readiness and cyber-integrated planning through contributions to initiatives like Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) and NATO’s premier communications interoperability exercise, Steadfast Cobalt. A summa cum laude graduate, she holds two Master of Science degrees in Cybersecurity, including a specialization in Cyber Intelligence, from programs recognized by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

Today, she continues to serve national security as a Department of Defense contractor at U.S. Cyber Command, bringing expertise in cyber operations, strategic logistics, and high-stakes crisis response. Beyond her government service, Wendi is the founder of iSupportYou, LLC, a strategic advisory firm dedicated to helping visionary leaders execute with precision in high-pressure domains. More about her work can be found at www.isupportyoullc.com.

Wendi O. Brown on LinkedIn

Natalie Benamou is the visionary behind Women Leaders on the Move, a Top 10 Women's Leadership podcast by Feedspot. As the Founder of HerCsuite®, she leads a professional women's network and delivers courses and masterminds for women in the second half of their careers. Work 1-2-1 with Natalie as a strategic advisor or fractional chief growth officer.

Natalie also serves as President of HER HEALTHX, a nonprofit committed to advancing women's health outcomes.

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This Podcast is Bought to You by HerCsuite® Programs

Your next chapter starts here. Explore curated programs, real conversations, and experiences designed for women who are shaping what's next for themselves and the organizations they lead and our newest program Women on the Move AI. Learn more at HerCsuite.com.