Leading From The Root

Khalia Stokes

You were never meant to dim yourself to fit in. Leading from the Root is the podcast for high-achieving women and mothers who are done performing and ready to lead — starting with themselves. Hosted by Khalia Stokes — certified executive, career, and business coach, senior finance leader, author, and mother — this show is built on one foundational truth: before you can lead others well, you have to lead yourself first. This is integrated leadership. Not the textbook version. Not the version the world handed you when it told you to get the degree, climb the ladder, and make everyone around you comfortable. The real version — where you show up as the same woman in the boardroom, at home, on the sideline of your kid's game, and everywhere in between. Because when your roots run deep, nothing can shake what you're building. Each episode is an honest conversation about identity, values, mindset, and what it actually looks like to lead your whole life — not just the parts the world can see. No shrinking. No performing. No waiting for permission to be exactly who you already are. This is for the woman who has checked every box and still feels like something is missing. The one carrying everyone else while quietly losing herself. The one who knows she has more to offer — and is finally ready to bring all of it to the table. When you lead from the root, everything you touch gets to flourish.

Episodes

  1. 08/11/2025

    The "Women In" Series: You're Not Lost. You're Between Versions of Yourself

    If you feel like the life you used to love suddenly doesn't fit anymore, you're not broken — you're becoming. This episode is for every woman standing in the "in-between" space — where the old version of you is fading, the new one hasn't fully emerged, and everything feels quiet, weird, and uncomfortable. Khalia Deborah Stokes pulls back the curtain on her own transition season — the breaking, the stripping away, the redefining — and shares why this space isn't punishment, it's preparation. You'll walk away with a new perspective, practical tools for protecting your becoming, and the reminder that the version of you God is building is worth the wait. What You'll Learn in This Episode: How to reframe the "in-between" season so you stop calling it lost and start calling it transition. Why breaking isn't about destroying you — it's about making your foundation strong enough to hold your calling. How to release shame without dishonoring the version of yourself that got you here. The daily anchors and relationships you need to protect your growth. Why blooming isn't the goal — becoming is. Show Notes & Links: 📖 Read the "Solitary Confinement" chapter from my book Cheers to the Fall → CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY UPDATE: The Between Versions workbook is no longer available on Etsy. Subscribe to my Substack to get other resources & more: CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE ✨ If this episode spoke to you, share it with a friend who might be in her own transition season. And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast — your support helps this message reach more women who need it.

    46 min
4.7
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

You were never meant to dim yourself to fit in. Leading from the Root is the podcast for high-achieving women and mothers who are done performing and ready to lead — starting with themselves. Hosted by Khalia Stokes — certified executive, career, and business coach, senior finance leader, author, and mother — this show is built on one foundational truth: before you can lead others well, you have to lead yourself first. This is integrated leadership. Not the textbook version. Not the version the world handed you when it told you to get the degree, climb the ladder, and make everyone around you comfortable. The real version — where you show up as the same woman in the boardroom, at home, on the sideline of your kid's game, and everywhere in between. Because when your roots run deep, nothing can shake what you're building. Each episode is an honest conversation about identity, values, mindset, and what it actually looks like to lead your whole life — not just the parts the world can see. No shrinking. No performing. No waiting for permission to be exactly who you already are. This is for the woman who has checked every box and still feels like something is missing. The one carrying everyone else while quietly losing herself. The one who knows she has more to offer — and is finally ready to bring all of it to the table. When you lead from the root, everything you touch gets to flourish.