What if the biggest barrier to your success isn't the men in the room—it's the conditioning you can't see?

Samantha K. Harris spent 25 years in high-stakes, male-dominated trades environments learning a hard truth: women aren't making communication "mistakes"—they're following patterns conditioned since childhood. Patterns that keep them people-pleasing, seeking approval, and waiting to be picked instead of speaking up.

But here's what changes everything: What if you stopped looking outside yourself for validation?

Samantha reveals why women in leadership struggle differently depending on whether they've "done the work" on themselves—and how unhealed female leaders can be just as challenging as male-dominated spaces. The difference? Self-awareness and intentional transformation.

Discover the Brag Bag Strategy: Your personal collection of wins, accolades, and proof of your value—not to prove yourself to others, but to stay rooted in who you are when doubt creeps in. Because by the time every successful woman is herself, she's stopped asking for permission.

Learn the TRUTH Method: Treasure yourself. Respect yourself. Understand yourself. Trust yourself. Heal yourself. The framework that transforms external validation-seeking into unshakeable self-advocacy.

What patterns are you unconsciously following? And what becomes possible when you redefine your labels as superpowers?

Connect with Samantha K. Harris: Website: https://theskhsolutions.com Instagram: @samanthakofficial LinkedIn: Samantha K Harris

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What if the leadership approach that made you successful five years ago is now quietly sabotaging your effectiveness?

Kevin Eikenberry, Chief Potential Officer and author of "Flexible Leadership," reveals a harsh truth that's blindsiding even the most experienced leaders. After 30+ years helping leaders across 53 countries, Kevin discovered something that challenges everything we think we know about consistent leadership.

"If we're leading the way we did five years ago, chances are your success is going down," Kevin explains. "It's not going up. It's not staying the same because the world is not the same."

Here's what will shake your perspective: The leadership principles you've built your identity around—being a "results-based leader" or a "people-first leader"—might actually be limiting your potential. Kevin shares why the either/or mindset is a trap that's keeping leaders stuck.

What you'll discover in this episode:

• Why your natural leadership tendency could be your biggest blind spot
• The false question that trips up even seasoned executives
• How Kevin went from corporate training at Chevron to building a global leadership empire
• The "both/and" world concept that transforms how you make decisions
• Why flexibility in approach (not values) is the new leadership superpower
• The simple lens shift that turns every experience into a leadership lesson

But here's the game-changing question: What happens when you stop trying to be consistent in your methods and start being strategic about when to flex?

Kevin reveals his "flexor" framework through a real example from his own company. During their Virtual LeaderCon event, his team operates in full results mode. But what happens the week after? The answer reveals why rigid leadership styles are becoming obsolete.

The breakthrough moment that changes everything? When Kevin explains why even catastrophic team events require a completely different leadership approach—and how knowing when to flex could save your team's loyalty and performance.

Ready to discover if your leadership style is helping or hurting your success?

To connect with Kevin Eikenberry, visit kevineikenberry.com or find "The Remarkable Leadership Podcast"

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Sponsored by: https://PodToBook.ai | Turn Your Podcast Conversations into a Book

Welcome to the 5 Minute Mindset Reset, a simple practice that helps leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals start their day with clarity, focus, and intention.

I'm Sheila Slick, MS, your host and founder of Five Milestones. I'm joined by co-host Cynthia Rodriguez, EdD, in Organizational Leadership, to guide you through five minutes of breathwork, stretching, and mindful reflection.

Whether you're navigating change, making critical decisions, or simply want to show up as your best self, these 5 minutes will reset your mind and set the tone for everything that follows.

No fluff. No long meditations. Just five powerful minutes to help you think clearly, lead confidently, and tackle your day with purpose.

Let's reset.

Ready to unlock your visionary leadership? Listen now and let your mind soar.

Stay connected! Subscribe to our newsletter at 5minutemindsetreset.com for:

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Connect with Sheila on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilaslick/

Sheila Slick: https://sheilaslick.com

Connect with Cynthia on LinkedIn

The 5-Minute Mindset Reset Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-5-minute-mindset-reset/id1854506171

Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3It2nIDGIJMoXCgk0KR3a3

Listen on Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/96b39095-5466-40d8-965b-3ee8284d20cf/the-5-minute-mindset-reset

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What if the difference between scattered leadership and breakthrough clarity took just five minutes?

In this conversation, Cynthia shares her father's counterintuitive approach to treating everyone from CEOs to janitors the same—and how that philosophy shaped her leadership style. She reveals why schools are facing a teacher crisis as technology races ahead, and what that tells us about leading through any industry transformation.

The real question: Can dedicating just five minutes each day completely reset how you approach challenges, relationships, and opportunities? Cynthia says yes and explains exactly how to make it work.

Tune in to discover the one practice that creates clarity, strengthens leadership presence, and helps you tackle change with a calm, focused mind...plus why Sheila's committing to making this her new daily ritual.

Cynthia Rodriguez, has spent over 18 years leading teams, strengthening culture, and managing organizational growth. With a BA in Elementary Education, an MSW in Social Work, and an EdD in Organizational Leadership and Human Resource Development, she brings deep expertise in both educational leadership and human development.

As Head of School at a Montessori program, she oversees strategy, operations, and staff development with a focus on building strong, resilient teams. Her background in life coaching and emotional intelligence shapes her people-centered approach. She's passionate about helping adults navigate change, reduce burnout, and lead with clarity and purpose.

To connect with Cynthia, visit her LinkedIn

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What makes a successful TV producer walk away from interviewing Taylor Swift to pick up her son from daycare? Shannon Russell made that split-second decision while pregnant, running through a Manhattan subway station—and it changed everything.

After 16 years producing television shows, Shannon faced a brutal reality: her dream career was stealing every first moment with her children. First birthday? Missed. Halloween? Missed. The commute, the travel, the endless hours—it all came crashing down in one pivotal moment.

Shannon opened a STEM education franchise teaching kids Lego building, coding, and robotics—despite having zero teaching background. Within 18 months, she opened a brick-and-mortar location. Eight years later, she sold it successfully and launched a thriving coaching business helping other women reinvent their careers.

But here's what's really intriguing: the transition wasn't smooth. There was a year of "floundering"—trying nine-to-five jobs, pursuing a master's degree, searching for what fit. What finally worked? Finding her "why" and making it non-negotiable. Now she's teaching Lego Serious Play to corporate executives in hospitals, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies—bringing STEM to boardrooms nationwide.

Tune in to discover why your "why" matters more than your credentials—and how to build a business around it.

Connect with Shannon Russell: Website: secondactsuccess.co

Book: Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life (Available on Amazon)

Podcast: Second Act Success

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What if the best startup advice came disguised as a story you actually want to read?

Andrew Ackerman has a confession: he doesn't love business books. Even the good ones feel like the same ghostwriter churning out anecdotes and name-drops with forgettable chapter summaries. So when it came time to share lessons from investing in 70+ startups, he did something different.

The Entrepreneur's Odyssey reads like a novel, following a fictional founder from pitching at a law firm event to raising their first round. But hidden inside? The exact strategies that turned one failing startup into a billion-dollar unicorn.

Why do stories make startup advice stick when bullet points don't?

What's the $5 validation test that reveals if your business model is DOA?

And what's the one fatal email mistake that guarantees VCs will ignore you forever?

Andrew reveals these questions that separates winners from expensive failures and the warm introduction hack that actually gets investor meetings.

Tune in to discover why this "textbook disguised as a novel" might be the only business book worth reading.

Connect with Andrew Ackerman: Website: andrewbackerman.com

Book: The Entrepreneur's Odyssey (Available on Amazon)

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Women who fight their hormonal cycles instead of working with them miss massive productivity and relationship gains. Peighton Woodard, founder of femtech startup LunaLeaf, discovered this truth during a meditation that sparked an 11-month journey to revolutionize women's wellness.

As a military spouse without traditional business education, Peighton overcame ADD, dyslexia, and imposter syndrome to create an app that synchronizes workouts, nutrition, and daily activities with women's natural hormonal rhythms. Her personal transformation began when cycle syncing saved her 11-year marriage by helping her husband understand her hormonal patterns.

LunaLeaf provides daily workouts, meditations, and recipes tailored to each phase of a woman's cycle. During follicular and ovulatory phases, users receive high-energy content creation tasks and intense workouts. The luteal phase focuses on detail work and gentler activities, while menstruation encourages rest and restoration.

Peighton's neurodivergent brain became her entrepreneurial superpower, allowing rapid task-switching essential for startup life. She batches content creation during high-energy phases and permits herself rest during low-energy periods, avoiding the hustle-culture burnout that plagues many founders.

Peyton's advice: Stop making excuses and get out of your own way. Success requires daily commitment to practices that serve your goals, whether through meditation, "dreamy girl walks," or speaking your future into existence.

To connect with Peyton Woodard, visit https://www.lunaleafwellness.com

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For more information, please visit our websites.

Sheila Slick: https://sheilaslick.com

Five Milestones: https://fivemilestones.com/show/

Sponsored by: https://PodToBook.ai | Turn Your Podcast Conversations into a Book

What if the secret to scaling your business isn't becoming someone new but finally accepting who you've always been?

Susan Fry, holistic business coach with over 25 years of experience, reveals a truth that challenges everything modern entrepreneurship preaches: you can't change your core identity, and trying to is what's holding you back. But here's the uncomfortable question: if women are working themselves to exhaustion trying to prove their worth, what are they really running from?

Susan discovered a troubling pattern working with clients: women would come desperate for transformation, receive exactly what they needed, then return week after week making the same excuses. Until Susan started saying something that shocked them: "No, you don't actually want what you're asking for."

What did she see that these women couldn't see about themselves? The answer revealed why so many entrepreneurs sabotage their own success right when breakthrough is within reach. Consciously, they wanted results. But subconsciously? Something else was running the show.

Here's what most coaches miss: the problem isn't strategy, it's not capacity, and it's not even motivation. It's that entrepreneurs are living a lie about who they think they are. And until you clear those lies, Susan says you'll never know your true purpose or scale sustainably.

Tune in to discover the core identity block keeping you from the business and life you actually want (and Susan's surprisingly simple process to break free).

To connect with Susan Fry, visit https://simplyloveprocess.com

Connect with Susan on LinkedIN

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Sponsored by: https://PodToBook.ai | Turn Your Podcast Conversations into a Book