BIG CEO PODCAST by BIG CEO Z

BIG CEO Z
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Weekly

Big CEO Podcast is a safe space for real conversations about growth, faith, identity, and becoming who you’re called to be — even when life doesn’t look how you imagined yet. Hosted by Big CEO Z (Zalika Z. Stradford), the show explores the in-between seasons of life: healing, rebuilding, questioning, and choosing to show up anyway. Conversations center on purpose, self-worth, God, boundaries, discipline, and what it truly looks like to evolve without pretending to have it all figured out. For anyone in a season of becoming — learning, unlearning, and showing up anyway. Here we go!

  1. Sep 6

    God Hasn't Wasted What You've Been Through | He's Preparing You for What's Next

    There are some days when your heart just feels heavy. You’re overwhelmed, emotional, and trying to make sense of things you can’t change or control. That was me recently. Instead of trying to figure everything out on my own, I sat with God and started reading 2 Corinthians 1 and 2. And somewhere in those chapters, my perspective began to change. I started thinking about the hard seasons, the relationships that hurt, the things I’ve had to release, and the moments in my life I didn’t understand at the time. Even the parts of my story I once wished I could forget. What if none of it was wasted? What if God can use even the things that hurt us, disappoint us, and stretch us to prepare us for something we can’t see yet? In this episode, I’m sharing what God has been teaching me about surrender, relationships, healing, obedience, and learning to turn to Him when life feels overwhelming. I’m also talking about the difference between having a hard day and believing you have a hard life. If you’re in a season that doesn’t make sense right now, I hope this conversation reminds you that you don’t have to have all the answers to keep moving forward. God can still be working when you can’t see what He’s doing. Your story isn’t over. Keep pressing. Keep trusting Him. And give yourself grace along the way. Because God hasn’t wasted what you’ve been through. He’s preparing you for what’s next.

  2. Jul 31

    Stop Mourning What God Removed

    In this episode, we're talking about why it's so hard to let go of what God has removed from our lives. We pray for change, healing, and growth but when God begins answering those prayers, we often find ourselves grieving the very things He was trying to free us from. Together, we'll explore: 1. Why we ask God to change our lives—but not our comfort. 2. Why we often romanticize the very things that were draining us. 3. Why seasons of "empty hands" can actually be God's way of making room for what's next. 4. Why going back to what God already asked you to leave behind can keep you from where He's calling you. This isn't a conversation about pretending grief doesn't exist. It's about learning to trust that God isn't removing things to punish us. He's preparing us for the purpose He's calling us to walk in. Sometimes what feels like loss is actually an invitation to become the person He created you to be. If you've been mourning a relationship, a job, a friendship, an old identity, or even the version of yourself that got you through a difficult season, I pray this episode reminds you that it's okay to grieve but don't build a home in a season God asked you to walk through. Because maybe this season isn't about letting go at all. Maybe it's about making room.

  3. Jul 11

    Heal Anyway | When Your Healing Makes People Uncomfortable

    In this episode of the Big CEO Podcast, I’m sharing a real and raw conversation about what happens when your healing forces you to face things that other people would rather avoid. Sometimes the hardest part of healing isn’t remembering what happened — it’s accepting that the people closest to you may not be ready to acknowledge it, understand it, or take accountability for how their actions impacted you. This episode came from a real moment of realizing that my experiences are still valid, even when someone else tries to minimize them. Pain does not have to be compared. Trauma does not have to meet someone else’s definition to matter. What hurt you, hurt you. The cost of becoming who God called you to be isn’t just about growth, discipline, or stepping into purpose. Sometimes the cost is healing the parts of yourself that generations before you never faced. It’s learning emotional control, becoming emotionally available, breaking unhealthy cycles, and choosing to confront what others may have avoided. Healing can change your relationships. It can challenge family dynamics. It can make people uncomfortable because your growth may require them to look at things they have been running from. But you have to heal anyway. You have to choose yourself anyway. You have to honor your story anyway. In this episode, we talk about: ​ Validating your own experiences even when others dismiss them​ Breaking generational patterns and emotional cycles​ The difference between control and genuine love​ How people can use “spiritual” language to influence or limit you​ Choosing healing over staying comfortable​ Trusting God while becoming the person you were created to be Your healing may challenge people who benefited from the version of you that stayed silent, but that doesn’t mean you’re wrong. Keep going. Keep healing. Keep becoming. Heal anyway. 🤍

  4. Jun 29

    The Cost of Becoming Who God Called You to Be

    In this episode, I’m asking you to slow down and get honest with yourself, the kind of honesty we usually avoid, but the kind that changes everything when we finally sit with it. When was the last time you were really alone with your thoughts… with your soul? What doors has God already closed that you keep trying to reopen? What habits, relationships, or old versions of you are still standing in the way of who you’ve been praying to become? I share a piece of my own journey too, because I’m learning that healing isn’t just about what God brings you out of—it’s also about what you stop going back to. Sometimes the real work of growth isn’t the first act of obedience… it’s the second, third, and fourth time you choose not to return to what felt familiar but was never meant for you. This isn’t an episode about perfection or having it all figured out. It’s about surrender. It’s about grace while God is still working on your heart. It’s about being honest enough to take inventory of your life and ask: does this actually align with what I say I’m believing for? Because becoming who God is calling you to be will cost you something. Peace costs something. Purpose costs something. Healing costs something. We say we want those things but are we willing to release what’s been keeping us from them? If you’re in a season where God is asking you to let go, and it feels like you keep getting pulled back into what you already know you need to release… you’re not alone in that tension. A lot of times it’s familiarity, proximity, or comfort that keeps us circling what God is trying to free us from. But His grace is not just what forgives us—it’s what strengthens us to walk away and stay away. Even when it’s hard. Even when it hurts. Even when it feels easier to go back. I hope this conversation meets you where you are, challenges you gently, and reminds you that obedience isn’t wasted. Every step of surrender is leading you somewhere better than where you’ve been—even if you can’t see it yet.

  5. Jun 1

    I Disappeared to Heal

    It’s been a while… but we’re back like we never left. 🤍 Life has a way of bringing you closer to your highest self — if you don’t resist letting go. And sometimes, when we avoid slowing down, life will slow us down for us… forcing us to sit with ourselves in ways we never expected. In this episode, I’m opening up about stepping away, going through an emotionally heavy season, healing from unhealthy connections, learning how to be alone without feeling abandoned, and finding my way back to myself and God. This isn’t an “I have all the answers” episode. This is a real conversation about grief, growth, loneliness, resilience, and what happens when life strips away distractions and forces you to rebuild from the inside out. If you’ve been feeling lost, emotionally exhausted, disconnected, or like life has been stretching you lately… this episode is for you. We’re not showing up perfectly over here — we’re showing up honestly. And honestly, that’s enough. Welcome back to the Big CEO Podcast. 🎙️ A safe safe space to exist, evolve, express+🤍

  6. Mar 30

    Becoming… The CEO of Your Life

    In this episode, I will be talking about what it really means to be in a season of becoming… not when everything feels perfect, but while you’re still growing, healing, and figuring things out in real time. This isn’t about other people - relationships, situations, or what didn’t work out. This is about you. Who you’re becoming through it all. I open up about shifting out of overthinking, emotional reactions, and seeking external validation… into ownership, awareness, and self-leadership. This is where the Big CEO mindset comes in. CEO doesn’t just mean business—it means becoming the owner and operator of your own life: C — Clarity: Getting honest about what you feel, what you want, and what you’re no longer willing to ignore. E — Execution: Moving differently, even when it’s uncomfortable. Not just thinking about change—but actually embodying it. O — Ownership: Taking full responsibility for your life—your decisions, your boundaries, and your growth. Because the truth is… you don’t arrive at some final version of yourself. You are always becoming. And even when it feels like you’re taking 10 steps forward and 5 steps back—that’s still growth. That’s still evolution. That’s still alignment. And speaking of alignment… You’re not behind. You’re not lost. You’re becoming. Step into your CEO era. *My last episode Make Room for New is now deleted, and honestly, I’m choosing divine alignment. More is coming. This is just the beginning.

  7. Mar 16

    Peace over Proving

    In this episode, I talk about the balance between choosing peace and feeling the need to constantly prove ourselves. Sometimes wisdom calls us to overlook an offense, while other times we may find ourselves over-explaining and not from a place of clarity, but from a place of trying to prove our intentions or perform for someone else’s understanding. I explore how over-explaining can become tied to people-pleasing, pressure, and the habit of feeling like we must justify who we are. When we’re not careful, we can start explaining ourselves over and over just to be accepted, understood, or believed. This conversation is about discernment, learning the difference between healthy communication and unnecessary explanation. Sometimes peace looks like letting something go and refusing to engage. Other times, peace looks like standing firm in your truth without feeling the need to constantly defend it. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to prove yourself, explain your intentions, or constantly clarify your heart just to be understood, this episode is a reminder that your peace doesn’t come from convincing everyone. Sometimes the real peace comes from knowing when you’ve said enough and being comfortable saving your explanation, even if that means some people may misunderstand you.

  8. Mar 10

    Learning Where to Take Your Heart

    In this episode, I share a very honest reflection about vulnerability, discernment, and learning where to take your heart when life feels overwhelming. So often, when we’re hurting or confused, our first instinct is to run to people — hoping to be understood, comforted, or validated. But one of the hardest lessons to learn is that not everyone has the emotional capacity to hold our vulnerability the way we hope they will. And when that realization happens, it can feel painful… but it can also become a powerful moment of growth. In this conversation, I talk about the importance of discernment — learning to recognize who is safe to confide in, when to pause before sharing your heart, and why bringing your emotions to God first can bring the clarity and peace we often search for in other people. I also weave in the idea of the inner child within us. Many of us carry parts of ourselves that were once vulnerable as children — parts that may have been ignored, misunderstood, or never fully expressed. When those parts go unhealed, they can follow us into adulthood and shape how we relate to others. Sometimes people struggle to hold our vulnerability because they’ve never faced their own. When someone hasn’t learned how to sit with their own inner wounds, it can make it difficult for them to sit with yours. This is where we start to notice patterns in our relationships, including anxious attachments or emotional distance. Healing the inner child isn’t about blaming the past — it’s about becoming aware, taking inventory of your thought life, and allowing God to help you rewrite the narrative moving forward. There is real power in recognizing that you can turn the page, start a new chapter, and learn how to give your heart more wisely. This doesn’t mean becoming cold, guarded, or cutting people off. It means learning discernment — understanding that not everyone, even those close to us, will always be the safest place for our deepest vulnerability. Ultimately, the safest place for our hearts is in God’s presence. He is above this world, yet intimately involved in it — and when we bring our hearts to Him first, we gain the wisdom to navigate relationships with greater clarity, peace, and maturity. If you’ve ever felt misunderstood, emotionally exposed, or unsure who to trust with what you’re going through, this episode is a reminder that you’re not alone — and that healing, wisdom, and new beginnings are always possible.

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About

Big CEO Podcast is a safe space for real conversations about growth, faith, identity, and becoming who you’re called to be — even when life doesn’t look how you imagined yet. Hosted by Big CEO Z (Zalika Z. Stradford), the show explores the in-between seasons of life: healing, rebuilding, questioning, and choosing to show up anyway. Conversations center on purpose, self-worth, God, boundaries, discipline, and what it truly looks like to evolve without pretending to have it all figured out. For anyone in a season of becoming — learning, unlearning, and showing up anyway. Here we go!

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