Queer poet and leadership coach Breeanna “Bree” Smith joins host Ben Ferney to talk about From Burn to Bloom, the writing practice that helped her rebuild after her life “crumbled in 24 hours,” and why poetry became the portal back to herself. Bree shares growing up in conservative Mormon Davis County, Utah, going on a mission, and finally coming out at 29—then navigating divorce, step-parent loss, and the radical clarity that followed. Professionally, Bree has led in higher-ed and tech, moving into leadership development and executive coaching. Her work centers “story, soul, and self-leadership,” bringing creativity and vulnerability into workplaces so people can be human at work—because softness is a strength and connection drives performance. What you’ll hear:• How free-writing unearthed truths she’d already written but didn’t remember (and how that shaped her book) • A candid look at faith, identity, divorce, and resilience after authenticity explodes the status quo • Practical ways to infuse creativity into teams and build psychological safety at work Keywords: Breeanna Smith, Bree Smith, From Burn to Bloom, queer poet, LGBTQ podcast, Mormon to queer, coming out at 29, executive coaching, emotional intelligence, authenticity at work, creativity at work, storytelling workshops, queer leadership.
