The Leader Within podcast with Angela Nguyen

Angela Nguyen
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Management
  • Updated Biweekly

This leadership podcast is hosted by leadership coach and consultant Angela Nguyen, exploring what happens when the way we’re leading, working or living no longer fits what matters most. Through candid conversations with thoughtful, growth-oriented leaders and solo episodes documenting Angela’s own learning, the podcast explores self-leadership, navigating uncertainty, leadership transitions and the moments that ask us to rethink how we operate. You'll leave with something to think about or a tool. New episodes every two weeks, alternating between solo episodes and guest interviews.

  1. 5d ago

    Should I Quit My Podcast? How I Decide When to Stop vs. Continue

    For the leader quietly wondering if the way they've always worked still fits who they're becoming: this episode is for you.     In November, I’m publishing my 100th episode, so during my August break, I asked myself — should I quit my podcast?     In this episode, I unpack the questions that I work through as I build my portfolio and ask different questions that help me assess whether or not it makes sense to quit a venture.     The listener gain: a reframe for anyone stuck in "should I quit or push through" — pausing to reassess isn't failure, its data, and you don't have to figure it out alone.      🔔 Ready to empower the leader within? Click that ➕ button!

  2. Sep 15

    The Cost of Working Parent Burnout and What Leaders Can Do | Dr. Rosina McAlpine

    Working parents have some of the highest burnout rates of any employee group — and it's costing organizations and our economy more than most leaders realize.     In this episode of The Leader Within, Angela sits down with Dr. Rosina McAlpine, founder of Win-Win Parenting, to unpack the cost of working parent burnout and what leaders can actually do about it.     Dr. Rosina shares her personal story, then breaks down the exact 4-step process organizations can use to build a real family friendly workplace culture: get the data, train leaders, build a culture people trust, and monitor what's working.   They also dig into why the return-to-work period after parental leave is one of the biggest, most preventable turnover risks, and the economic and social responsibility case for supporting working parents.     If you lead people or are building a workplace where working parents can thrive, this one's for you.    Stay connected with our guest here:  ▪️Website: https://www.winwinparenting.com/   ▪️LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrosina/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/1279990   ▪️Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winwinparenting   ▪️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winwinparenting/   ▪️Book: https://www.drrosina.com/parenting-book   ▪️5-step guide for HR Leaders to create a family-friendly workplace and support Working Parents: https://www.winwinparenting.com/closing-the-gap-in-parent-support-guide      🔔 Ready to empower the leader within? Click that ➕ button!

  3. Aug 4 ·  Bonus

    Summer break announcement - returning September 15th

    Hi everyone, I felt like it was important to publish this summer break announcement so that you didn't think this show was over. Till then, thank you for your support and hope you get some time to recharge as well!

  4. Jul 23

    How April Hicke and Toast Put $10M+ in Women's Hands in Tech

    If you're a woman+ in tech, a neurodivergent leader, or a founder navigating a system that wasn't built for you — this episode is for you.   Host Angela sits down with April Hicke — Founder and CEO of Toast, a talent partner dedicated to increasing gender diversity in tech. Since founding Toast, April and her team have put over $10 million in salaries into the hands ofwomen — all while building a 7-figure company that sits within the 1.9% of women-founded businesses to ever reach that milestone.   April shares what it looks like to lead as a neurodivergent woman from an unstable childhood, how a megaphone and a counter in a chaotic airport became her definingleadership origin story, and why the question she asks herself in every hard moment isn't "whose fault is this" — but "what is my responsibility here."   You'll learn: The 60% satisfaction rule that freed April from people-pleasing as a leader How rest became her most strategic business tool after burning out in year one Why psychological safety isn't a buzzword — it's what actually unlocks high-performing teams How "fault vs. responsibility" applies to every kind of leadership baggage What the data says about gender diversity in tech — and why the mission at Toast is more urgent than ever  If you're searching for gender diversity leadership, ADHD founder stories, or how to build psychological safety in your team — start here.   Because leadership isn't about having a perfect origin story. It's about taking responsibility for the one you have — and building something meaningful out of it.   Music intro credit: ⁠https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-uplifting-2463/⁠   Connect with April: LinkedIn:⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilhicke/⁠Toast:⁠https://www.trytoast.ca/⁠     🔔 Ready to empower the leader within? Click that ➕ button!   #LeadershipPodcast #WomenInTech #GenderDiversity #NeurodivergentLeadership #SelfLeadership#FounderLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #PsychologicalSafety

  5. Jul 7

    How Systems Thinking Can Fix Food Insecurity in Cities | Lourdes Juan

    If you're a social impact leader, serial entrepreneur, or high performer who wants to lead with purpose and real-world impact, this episode is for you!   Angela Nguyen, leadership coach, consultant, and podcast host, sits down with Lourdes Juan — Co-founderand CEO of Knead Tech, award-winning Canadian entrepreneur, and urban planner who has founded six ventures across food security, hospitality, climate tech, and social enterprise. Since 2022, Knead Tech has facilitated the rescue of over 2 million pounds of surplus food and 1.67 million meals — equivalent toremoving 56 cars from the road each year and saving water equal to 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools. All with a team of eight.   Lourdes shares how she leads through uncertainty without having all the answers, how she navigated thebrutal reality that only 2% of venture capital goes to women, and how a stack of parking tickets in her twenties was the wake-up call that changed how she leads.   You'll learn: • Why collaboration — not going it alone — is Lourdes's defining leadership strength • How to separate your identity from your company's hardest seasons • Why systems thinking is one of the most essential leadership skills for 2026 and beyond • How writing down your priorities (not willpower) is the real boundary-setting tool • "No is a full sentence."   If you're searching for systems thinking in leadership, food insecurity solutions, or social impactentrepreneurship — start here.   Connect with the Guest ▪️LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lourdesmercedesjuan/   ▪️Website:https://lourdesjuan.com/     Music intro credit:https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-uplifting-2463/     #LeadershipPodcast #SocialImpact #SystemsThinking #WomenInLeadership #SelfLeadership#SocialEntrepreneur #LeadershipDevelopment   🔔 Ready to empower the leader within? Click that ➕ button!

  6. Jun 16

    How to Build Self-Acceptance as a Leader | Lisa Tong

    What if the version of "success" you've been chasing is quietly keeping you from accepting yourself? In this episode, Angela sits down with Lisa Tong — ex-corporate strategist, engineer-turned-entrepreneur, Ironman finisher, and author of Hello Me — to unpack how high-achieving leaders can build genuine self-acceptance and stop defining themselves by achievement.You'll hear why "should," "could," and "would" are judgment verbs sabotaging your self-acceptance, how to use a simplecircuit-breaker tool to tell the difference between your ego and your intuition, and how to time-box a judgment-free space so your heart finally gets a voice. Lisa also shares her "screw the plan" approach to highest-excitement productivity and the masculine-vs-feminine energy reframe behind finishing an Ironman.If you're a high-achieving leader, founder, or coach who's quietly outgrown the version of success you were handed — this conversation may be the permission slip you didn't know you needed.   Want to stay connected with our guest?▪️LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-tong/ ▪️Website: www.thisprojectcalledme.com  ▪️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechinesesouplady/ ▪️Music intro credit: https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-uplifting-2463/ 🔔 Ready to empower the leader within? Click that ➕ button!

  7. Jun 2

    Values-Driven Leadership in the Human + AI Era | Rashi Kakkar

    In the human + AI era, the leadership skills that matter most are still deeply human. In this episode of The Leader Within Podcast, host Angela Nguyen — leadership coach and consultant— sits down with Rashi Kakkar, Global Portfolio Leader, Leadership & Development at McKinsey & Company, and author ofthe Decks and Diapers newsletter.   From values-driven leadership to navigating gray areas, energy management, and the sponsorship gapholding women back, this is a grounded, practical conversation about leading yourself — and others — when the path isn't clear.   You'll learn: How to navigate a micromanaging bossA future-forward way to ask for more helpful feedback How your values can be the "source code" that can driveeffective decision making when the path is unclear How to manage energy, not time The benefits of having a Personal Board of AdvisorsWhy human skills are the real edge in the AI era Why women need more sponsors and not just mentors  If you're searching for a leadership podcast on values-driven leadership, future of work skills, or leading well in the human + AI era — start here.   Because leadership isn't about having a clear map. It's about leading yourself and others when the path isn't clear. *Disclaimer* all views expressed are Rashi's alone and do not reflect the views of any organization she might be associated with.   Connect with the Guest All links / podcasts: https://linktr.ee/RASHI.KAKKAR?utm_source=linktree_profile_sharesid=a7609599-7d3e-4957-9db8-efef23043ed0 Newsletter: https://decksanddiapers.substack.com  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rashikakkar X: https://x.com/rashi_kakkar  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@rashi_kakkar8  BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/rashikakkar.bsky.social     Music intro credit:https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-uplifting-2463/   🔔 Ready to empower the leader within? Click that ➕ button!   #ValuesDrivenLeadership #HumanAndAIEra #FutureOfWork #LeadershipPodcast #SelfLeadership #LeadershipSkills #WomenInLeadership #McKinseyLeadership

  8. May 19

    Beyond Leadership Burnout: Leading With Humanity Through Loss and Healing with Hamza Khan

    ⚠️ Content warning: This clip includes opendiscussion of pregnancy loss, grief, and themes of hopelessness. If you're struggling, please reach out — you are not alone. 🇺🇸 Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) | 🇨🇦 Call 1-833-456-4566 (Crisis Services Canada). If this type of content triggers you and you are in another country, please look up your local support line before watching. What happens when a leader falls below rock bottom — to a place where even hope disappears? In this episode of The Leader Within, Angela Nguyen sits down with Hamza Khan — bestselling author of The Burnout Gamble and Leadership Reinvented, award-winning entrepreneur, and co-founder of Skills Camp and Saige — for one of the most honest leadership conversations in the show's history. Released during Mental Health Awareness Month, this conversation goes beyond burnout as a buzzword and into what it actually looks like to live it, survive it, and lead through it. Hamza opens up about navigating back-to-back pregnancy losses, going to what he describes as "a place below rock bottom where the idea of hope doesn't even exist," and the intentional inner work — therapy, journaling, executive coaching — that helped him heal and lead again. Through grief and healing, he and his wife Bailey co-created a shared north star that ultimately led them to twins. If you're leading a team, running a company, or quietly holding everything together while feeling overwhelmed — this episode is for you, and you are not alone. You'll walk away with: The leadership philosophy of making yourself obsolete — and why it makes you indispensableThe 13th stage of burnout — beyond rock bottom, and how Hamza found his way throughWhy AI is the 5th generation of the workforce and how to partner with it rather than fear itThe compassion distinction — why empathy alone is not enough to truly lead peopleThe eulogy exercise to reconnect with your north star as a leader"If you don't pick the time to relax, your body will pick it for you" — from The Burnout Gamble Connect with Hamza Khan:Website: https://hamzakhan.caLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/khanhamzaInstagram: https://instagram.com/hamzakSkills Camp: https://skillscamp.coPodcast: https://hamzakhan.ca/podcast Music intro credit: https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-uplifting-2463/🔔 Ready to empower the leader within? Click that ➕ button!

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This leadership podcast is hosted by leadership coach and consultant Angela Nguyen, exploring what happens when the way we’re leading, working or living no longer fits what matters most. Through candid conversations with thoughtful, growth-oriented leaders and solo episodes documenting Angela’s own learning, the podcast explores self-leadership, navigating uncertainty, leadership transitions and the moments that ask us to rethink how we operate. You'll leave with something to think about or a tool. New episodes every two weeks, alternating between solo episodes and guest interviews.

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