The Honest Mic

Fortune
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Careers

Most success stories skip the expensive part. The Honest Mic is where founders, operators, creators, and people with scars worth learning from share what it really takes to build, recover, and keep going. No hype. No highlight reel. Just honest conversations from people who've been through something worth hearing. The goal isn't inspiration. It's perspective you can actually use.

  1. 5d ago

    Impostor Syndrome: Why You Feel Like a Fraud and What to Do About It | Kim Meninger

    What holds us back in the workplace is rarely our ability to do the work itself. It's the fears, doubts, and insecurities we bring to our interactions with others. The worry that someone will discover you're not as capable as they think you are. The anxiety that you have nothing valuable to contribute. The fear of asking for help because it might expose you as unqualified. Kim Meninger is a leadership coach, consultant, and TEDx speaker on a mission to make it easier to be human at work. After spending more than a decade in the high-tech industry, she understands the pressures many professionals face. Having experienced impostor syndrome herself, she knows how quietly it can shape careers and confidence. In this episode of The Honest Mic, Kim explains what impostor syndrome really is, why so many professionals struggle with self-doubt, how to advocate for yourself without feeling like you're bragging, and how to grow your influence within your organization. If you've ever questioned your abilities, stayed quiet when you had something to say, or wondered whether you truly belong, this conversation is for you. Connect with Kim: • Free Resource: KimMeninger.com/challenge (7-Day Impostor Syndrome Challenge) • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/KimMeninger

  2. 5d ago

    From Hay and Mud to Abundance: Rewiring a Life | Tijana Tucic

    Tijana Tucic was born in Yugoslavia in 1977. Before she ever discovered healing, she endured sexual abuse, civil war, bombings, poverty, and years of life without basic comforts. She grew up in a house made of hay and mud without electricity, lived without a bathroom for 37 years, and married at 21 to escape an abusive father, only to find herself in another difficult situation. By the time she became a single mother, she was physically and emotionally exhausted, weighing just 38 kilograms and struggling with depression. And then she began to rewire her brain. While working three factory shifts and raising her son, Tijana completed her university degree. She built a house, paid off her debt, became a Lean Manager in the corporate world, and is now writing her autobiography while helping other trauma survivors transform their pain into abundance through her transformational writing programs. In this episode of The Honest Mic, Tijana talks about what it really takes to rewire your brain, how to transform pain into purpose, and how healing can become the foundation for a completely different life. If you've ever felt like your circumstances are too heavy to overcome, this conversation is for you. Connect with Tijana: • Website: Set-Priorities.com • Programs: 6-week Transformational Writing Program, Higher Purpose Retreat • Book: Autobiography (upcoming)

  3. 5d ago

    What Moves People? A Decade-Long Question, Answered | Jonrobert Tartaglione

    JonRobert Tartaglione has spent more than a decade pursuing one question: What moves people? Not in a manipulative way. Not in a sales pitch. But genuinely. What makes people think differently, behave differently, and choose differently? JonRobert is a psychologist and behavioral scientist, as well as the Founder and CEO of Influence 51. He is an expert on influence, persuasion, and strategic communication. He holds two Master's degrees from the University of Chicago and University College London, along with a PhD in Psychology from the University of Cambridge. His work has supported Fortune 500 companies, leading law firms, financial institutions, nonprofits, and political campaigns. In this episode of The Honest Mic, JonRobert explains the Five Principles of Influence, why the human brain isn't a computer, the three biggest mistakes people make when trying to change minds, and what actually drives human decision-making. Whether you're leading a team, communicating an idea, or trying to influence change, this conversation will transform the way you think about persuasion. Connect with JonRobert: • Website: Influence51.com • Free Resources: Newsletter, leadership guides, and influence assessments

  4. 5d ago

    Disability Is Not a Bad Word | Jenna Udenberg

    Jenna Udenberg was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis at just seven years old. By age eight, she was using a manual wheelchair. What followed wasn't a story defined by limitation, but one shaped by resilience, advocacy, and the people who chose to see possibility instead of barriers. Jenna is the founder of Above & Beyond With U, a nonprofit dedicated to creating more inclusive and accessible communities. She's also a former music educator of 19 years, a 2020 Bush Fellow, and the author of Within My Spokes, a memoir that explores perseverance, healing, and discovering purpose through life's challenges. In this episode of The Honest Mic, Jenna explains why disability is not a bad word, why simply meeting ADA requirements isn't the same as creating genuine inclusion, what the world looks like from her perspective, and how all of us can help build communities where everyone belongs. If you've ever wondered what true inclusion looks like, this conversation is for you. Connect with Jenna: • Website: AboveAndBeyondWithU.org • Book: Within My Spokes • Column: Local View from 4 Foot 2

  5. Jun 29

    Before You Become a Leader, Someone Leads You | Olaolu Ogunyemi

    Before anyone becomes a leader, they're first influenced by someone else. In this episode of The Honest Mic, Fortune sits down with U.S. Marine Officer, author, mentor, and founder of Parent-Child-Connect, Olaolu Ogunyemi, for a conversation about leadership, fatherhood, mentorship, and the quiet power of influence. Olaolu reflects on growing up believing he "had every opportunity to become a statistic," the people who changed the trajectory of his life, and the lessons that inspired his latest book, Lead Last. Together, they explore why insecurity often sits at the heart of poor leadership, how parents and mentors shape the next generation, and why true leadership has less to do with titles and more to do with the impact we leave on others. If you've ever wondered what it really means to lead, or why your everyday influence matters more than you think, this conversation is for you. In this episode: - The real meaning behind Lead Last - How mentors can change the course of a life - Why insecurity undermines leadership - Lessons from the Marine Corps and fatherhood - Raising confident, resilient children - Becoming the voice someone else needs to hear Connect with Olaolu Ogunyemi: 🌐 Website: https://parent-child-connect.com 📘 Learn more about Lead Last and Crow From the Shadow, and don't miss the special giveaway mentioned in this episode! If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Honest Mic and share it with someone whose voice has made a difference in your life. #TheHonestMic #OlaoluOgunyemi #LeadLast #Leadership #Mentorship #Parenting #Fatherhood #PersonalGrowth #Influence #Character

  6. Jun 28

    You're Not a Different Person at Work | Mylena Sutton

    Most people think leadership begins at work. Mylena Sutton believes it begins long before you step into the office. In this episode of The Honest Mic, Fortune sits down with leadership consultant, speaker, and host of The Leadership Drives to explore why leadership isn't a title, a promotion, or a corner office. It's a reflection of who you already are. From driving across 24 states interviewing leaders from every walk of life to coaching professionals through difficult conversations, Mylena has discovered a simple truth: the person you are at work is the same person you are at home. The only difference is what you're willing to tolerate. Together, they unpack integrity, courage, accountability, resentment, and the conversations we keep postponing, while exploring what life at both its beginning and its end can teach us about what really matters. In this episode: - Why "all leadership is personal" - The hard conversations leaders avoid and why they matter - What 24 states of interviews revealed about leadership - Why integrity means consistency across every area of life - How resentment grows when boundaries disappear - Lessons from working with people at the beginning and end of life Connect with Mylena Sutton: 🌐 Website: https://mylenasutton.com/invitations If this conversation challenged the way you think about leadership, subscribe to The Honest Mic and share this episode with someone who leads others, or wants to lead themselves better. #TheHonestMic #Leadership #MylenaSutton #PersonalGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #Integrity #Communication #SelfLeadership #Accountability #Mindset

  7. Jun 27

    The Hidden Stories That Shape Your Life | Lynda Leonce

    What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't your circumstances... but the story you've been telling yourself? In this episode of The Honest Mic, Fortune sits down with transformational coach and author Lynda Leonce to explore how our beliefs, emotional patterns, and sense of identity quietly shape every decision we make. Lynda shares her own journey from searching for something she couldn't quite name to helping women around the world reconnect with who they truly are beneath expectations, fear, and limiting beliefs. This conversation isn't about chasing perfection or becoming someone new. It's about uncovering what's already there and asking whether the stories you've carried for years are actually true. In this episode: • How limiting beliefs are formed • What authenticity really looks like in everyday life • Why external success doesn't always lead to fulfillment • The hidden patterns that keep people stuck • Lessons from years of personal growth and coaching • Why self-awareness is one of the most practical skills you can develop Connect with Lynda Leonce: 🌐 Website: https://livefromyourtruth.com If this conversation challenged the way you think about yourself, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who needs to hear it. #TheHonestMic #LyndaLeonce #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #Mindset #Authenticity #SelfDiscovery #Coaching #MentalWellbeing #Transformation

  8. Jun 27

    Balls & Brains: A Framework for Living Your Best Life | Chris Woods

    You can look successful from the outside and feel completely wrong on the inside. The title, the money, the respect — it's all there. And somehow, something is still off. Chris Woods knows that feeling intimately. He rose from a tough upbringing in Boston to become a four-time global C-suite executive and former Google sales leader. From the outside, everything looked like success. Then, at 40 years old, he flatlined in a hospital bed. That moment didn't just change his health. It forced him to confront how he was defining success and what fears had been driving his choices. Today, he's a Certified Professional Coach and the author of a book called Balls & Brains — a framework for living your best life by overcoming fears and maximizing strengths. In this episode of The Honest Mic, Chris talks about what was off internally even when everything looked right externally, the two most common things that hold people back, how high-pressure roles taught him about fear, and the first small shift someone can make when they're grinding and exhausted. If you're tired of playing small and ready to lead with courage and clarity, this conversation is for you. Connect with Chris: · Website: chriswoodscoach.com · Book: Balls & Brains

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About

Most success stories skip the expensive part. The Honest Mic is where founders, operators, creators, and people with scars worth learning from share what it really takes to build, recover, and keep going. No hype. No highlight reel. Just honest conversations from people who've been through something worth hearing. The goal isn't inspiration. It's perspective you can actually use.

Information

  • Creator
    Fortune
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Fortune
  • Show Website
    The Honest Mic