The Way She Leads

Megan Akatu
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Careers

The Way She Leads is a podcast for high-achieving women who have done all the “right” things, achieved traditional success, and are ready for a deeper, more aligned way of leading that is filled with clarity, resonance and ease. Join us for genuine conversations with real leaders and experts, exploring feminine leadership and what becomes possible when we reclaim our gifts, intuition, and joy, and lead from wholeness instead of exhaustion. Welcome in!

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    10. When You're Right and It's Ruining You: How to Lead Through Decisions You Didn't Make

    WHAT IF THE RESENTMENT YOU'RE CARRYING AT WORK IS THE VERY THING BLOCKING YOUR NEXT LEVEL? In this episode of The Way She Leads, Megan sits down with Casey Carrion, fractional Head of People & Culture and senior leader within Lightyear Leadership, for an honest, deeply human conversation about one of the most common (and least talked about) leadership traps: what happens when a decision gets made above you and you don't agree? Casey offers a story, one where she sat stuck and angry for five months, convinced she was right, slowly realizing she'd become someone she didn't recognize. What she learned in that season became the foundation of the leader she is today. KEY TAKEAWAYS Why having decision-making rights matters and what it costs you when you forget you don't have them in a given situationThe principle "choice partnered with decision liberates" and how reclaiming your choice is the fastest path out of resentmentHow alignment doesn't have to mean agreement and why choosing to align can make you a more powerful leader for your teamWhy your body knows when you're out of alignment before your mind catches upThe difference between fighting for your values and staying stuck in rightness and how one keeps you moving while the other keeps you small RESOURCES Casey Carrion | LinkedIn Carrie Soto Is Back | Taylor Jenkins Reid  Super Communicators | Charles Duhigg FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LinkedIn | Instagram | Web 🎁 FREE STUFF → Decision Making Framework: Make clear decisions without overthinking  → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here for more leadership insights  #feminineleadership #leadyourselffirst #itsthelittlethings #womeninleadership #quietpower #feminineenergy #influence #thewaysheleads

    38 min

  2. May 27

    9. How Self-Care and Vulnerability Reveal Your Most Authentic Self

    This week on The Way She Leads, Megan sits down with Molly Di Carlo, a longtime colleague, marketing and communications leader, and one of the most genuinely joyful, high-output professionals Megan has ever worked with. Molly has built a career on moving fast, delivering quality, and making it look easy. And in this conversation, she pulls back the curtain on what that actually requires. For the high-achieving woman who has been praised her whole career for being quick, responsive, and "on it,” this episode is a permission slip. Molly shares the slow, deliberate work she's been doing to question the urgency, build her own definition of self-care, and lead from a more rested, grounded place without losing the edge that got her here. This is a conversation about pace, presence, and the practices that make sustainable leadership possible. KEY TAKEAWAYSWhy being fast at work can become a trap, and what shifts when you start asking "does this actually need a response right now?"How operating under constant deadline pressure trains a nervous system response that follows you homeWhy self-care is not optional for high-performing women How to build evening routines that protect your sleep, your mornings, and your capacity to lead the next dayWhy asking for help is harder for women who were told they could "do it all" The vulnerability paradox: how showing up as a full person creates the strongest professional relationshipsThe small daily moments of space that compound into sustainable performanceFOLLOW ME: 🔗LinkedIn | Instagram | Web 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY IT LIKE THIS: Scripts that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling  → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here  for more leadership insights  #feminineleadership #leadyourselffirst #itsthelittlethings #womeninleadership #quietpower #feminineenergy #influence #thewaysheleads

    22 min

  3. May 20

    8. Human Design Explained: Why You Feel Drained, Overworked, and Misunderstood

    DESCRIPTION In this episode of The Way She Leads, Megan sits down with Human Design coach, Veronica Mezzetti Draia, to unpack why so many high-achieving women feel burned out, overstretched, and disconnected from themselves. In this rich conversation you will learn how Human Design can help women stop pushing and proving, and instead build lives, businesses, and leadership styles that actually honor their energy. This conversation is deeply validating for women who have spent years over-functioning, over-giving, people pleasing, and trying to succeed inside systems that were never designed for how they naturally operate. KEY TAKEAWAYS Why so many high-achieving women feel exhausted trying to succeed inside systems that were never designed for themThe difference between Generators, Manifestors, Projectors, Reflectors, and Manifesting Generators in Human DesignHow overworking becomes an identity, especially for women who feel the need to prove themselvesThe concept of “waiting for the invitation” and why forcing opportunities often creates resistanceHow Human Design can help you stop outsourcing your decision-making powerWhy boundaries are one of the deepest forms of self-worthRESOURCES Veronica Mezzetti DraiaFounder, Aligned Projectors and Human Design Coach YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn | WebCurrently Reading: We Who Will Die | Stacia Stark The Wolf King and The Night Prince | Lauren Palphreyman  FOLLOW ME: 🔗LinkedIn | Instagram |  YouTube | Web 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY IT LIKE THIS: Scripts that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling  → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here  for more leadership insights

    58 min

  4. May 13

    7. The CEO Skills No One Taught Us: Building Trust and Healthy Conflict

    DescriptionOn this episode of The Way She Leads, Megan sits down with executive coach and former professional opera singer, Elena Armijo, for a deeply human conversation about leadership, honesty, and the future of organizational culture. They discuss the tension many leaders are feeling right now between results and humanity, why burnout is often a symptom of systems that no longer work, and how the most impactful organizations are beginning to operationalize values through behaviors, trust, and honest conversations. Key TakeawaysWhy burnout is often a symptom of leadership systems that are no longer sustainableHow women can create more impact without constantly doing moreThe power of seasons of life and choosing intentionally instead of operating from guiltWhy trust and healthy conflict are essential for high-performing leadership teams About Elena Armijo Master Certified Coach, Founder & CEO | Coaching with Elena & The C-Suite Collective® LinkedIn | Instagram  |YouTube Current Reads: Strong Ground | Brené Brown Systemic Coaching | Peter Hawkins and Eve Turner FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LinkedIn | Instagram | Web 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY IT LIKE THIS: Scripts that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling  → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here  for more leadership insights

    40 min

  5. May 6

    6. The New Leadership Skill: Self-Regulation in Uncertain Times

    DescriptionIn this first solo episode of The Way She Leads, Megan Akatu explores the growing sense of uncertainty many high-achieving professionals are feeling at work. From annual reviews to difficult meetings, layoffs, organizational change, and the constant pressure to prove ourselves, Megan breaks down why so many people are experiencing heightened threat responses in professional settings.  This episode is a compassionate and practical conversation about how to stop outsourcing safety to organizations, titles, recognition, or external validation and begin cultivating resilience, regulation, and grounded confidence from within. Key TakeawaysWhy workplace feedback and uncertainty can trigger a full nervous system threat responseWhy overworking and “proving yourself” often increases burnout instead of safetyThe difference between physical danger and emotional discomfortHow to build resilience through small daily practices Megan’s simple framework: Regulate → Reframe → Respond FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LinkedIn | Instagram | Web 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY WHAT YOU MEAN: Scripts that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling  → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here  for more leadership insights

    17 min

  6. Apr 29

    5. The Real Reason You Feel Resentful in Your Relationship

    What if the same drive that made you successful… is quietly working against you in love? In this episode, I sit down with Francesca Zoia, relationship coach and someone who deeply understands the inner world of high-achieving women navigating love. Together, we explore the hidden patterns that show up when ambitious, capable women bring their “make it happen” energy into relationships, and why that approach can leave them feeling exhausted, resentful, and disconnected. Francesca shares her own journey of questioning whether to stay or leave a long-term relationship, and how that experience shaped her work helping women move out of confusion and into clarity. We talk about over-functioning, self-abandonment, and the subtle ways women often unintentionally give more than they receive. You don’t have to choose between success and love. You just need a new way of showing up to both. Key TakeawaysHigh-achieving women often over-function in relationships, creating imbalance and resentment. Love is not a solo performance. Relationships require co-creation.The question isn’t, “Should I stay or leave?” It’s “What dynamics am I participating in, and what can I shift?” Self-leadership is the foundation of healthy love. Connect with Francesca Love with Francesca podcast Instagram | LinkedIn Currently Reading: Come As You Are | Emily Nagoski FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LinkedIn | Instagram | Web 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY IT LIKE THIS: Scripts that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling  → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here  for more leadership insights

    33 min

  7. Apr 22

    4. What Gen Z Is Teaching Us About Leadership (That We Didn’t Learn)

    Megan sits down with Veronica Bellamy Leak, Director of Human Resources with over 20 years of experience to  explore how leadership has evolved and what it truly means to lead humans, not just manage performance. Veronica shares powerful insights on “heart posture,” navigating generational differences at work, and why today’s most effective leaders are those who embrace empathy, curiosity, and self-awareness.  Key TakeawaysLeadership has shifted from task-focused to human-centered, people now bring their full lives into work, and great leaders know how to meet them there“Heart posture” matters, How you show up internally impacts how your team experiences youGenerational differences at work often create tension, especially around boundaries, work ethic, and prioritiesSelf-awareness is foundational. Leaders who are honest about their mistakes create trust and psychological safetyLiving “in the gray” allows leaders to respond to real people and situations, rather than rigid policiesRemoving your own emotional reactivity (while keeping empathy) helps you lead more effectivelyResourcesPodcast: Therapy for Black Girls by Joy Harden BradfordBook:The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LinkedIn | Instagram | Web 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY IT LIKE THIS: Scripts that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here for more leadership insights #feminineleadership #leadyourselffirst #itsthelittlethings #womeninleadership #quietpower #feminineenergy #influence #thewaysheleads

    40 min

  8. Apr 15

    3. Choices vs. Decisions: Why Smart Women Get Stuck and How to Move Forward

    What if the reason you feel stuck… isn’t because you don’t know what to do?In this conversation, Megan sits down with executive coach and former Amazon leader Sarah Castle to unpack a subtle but powerful distinction: the difference between a choice and a decision. Together, they explore why high-achieving women, who make decisions every day at work, can still feel stuck when it comes to their own lives. From risk tolerance to intuition, confidence to capacity, this episode offers a grounded and expansive look at what it really takes to move forward with clarity. 🔑 Key Takeaways The difference between a choice (direction) and a decision (commitment)Why women can be decisive at work, and hesitant in their own livesHow perfectionism and risk-aversion quietly delay decision-makingThe concept of “one-way vs. two-way doors” (and how it changes everything)Why confidence comes from reps (not certainty)How unclear ownership and expectations slow down teams (and drain energy)The role of intuition + embodiment in making aligned decisionsHow to stop giving away your decision-making power Sarah Castle is the founder of Castle Coaching and a former executive at Amazon and General Electric. She now works with CEOs and senior leadership teams, bringing coaching practices into strategic planning and leadership development. Her work bridges high-performance business strategy with human-centered leadership, helping leaders grow companies while staying aligned with what matters most. Resources ​​Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell  Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Duke Women's Basketball head coach video on things don't get easier, we just get better

    36 min

  9. Apr 8

    2. Boundaries Won’t Save You… Until You Do This First

    If you’ve ever been told to “just set better boundaries”…and then you totally chicken out, this episode is for you. I’m joined by a boundary coach Janis Hillard, founder of Good Courage, and someone who brings both depth and honesty to a topic that we hear a lot about and don’t actually know how to do it. We explore how high-achieving women unknowingly create burnout through people-pleasing patterns, why exhaustion is often your first signal that something is off, and how boundaries are less about saying “no” and more about how you lead yourself. 🔑 Key TakeawaysBoundaries are not about other people, they are for YOUExhaustion is a signal, not a badge of honorSelf-awareness is the foundation of every boundaryPeople-pleasing shows up everywhereBoundaries are a practice, not perfection ResourcesSky Full of Elephants by Cebo CampbellBinti, The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LinkedIn | Instagram | Web 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY IT LIKE THIS: Scripts that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here to receive details on the next session  → Join my newsletter here for more leadership insights #feminineleadership #leadyourselffirst #itsthelittlethings #womeninleadership #quietpower #feminineenergy #influence #thewaysheleads

    19 min

  10. Apr 2

    1. The Permission Slip High Achievers Never Give Themselves

    Megan sits down with her business bestie, Laura Saldivar Luna, for a conversation that is equal parts soul and strategy. In this episode, Laura opens up about her own winding journey: becoming the first in her family to graduate college, rising to the C-suite, and then doing the harder work of learning to trust herself. From self-leadership to best practices in how to lead people and organizations, Laura breaks down what the most successful leaders are doing in the face of uncertainty. Key takeawaysGrounding is a leadership skill. Re-centering yourself before you act is actually the fastest route. The Monday ritual. A weekly structure doesn't have to be rigid to be powerful. Dreaming out loud works. From her first day as an entrepreneur to her most ambitious career goals, Laura has told people what she was building before she knew how she'd build it. A new leadership paradigm is here. The leaders navigating uncertainty best right now have three things: community, power practices, and a willingness to rest. Command-and-control is crumbling. What we cover 06:31 Self-trust, self-worth, and power practice19:24 The Monday morning ritual: how structure becomes sacred22:39 Dreams, priorities, and the power of telling people what you want35:21 The most powerful practice: looking in the mirror and being with the truth of what is49:49 What today's most effective leaders have in common: community, power practices, and the radical act of restConnect with LauraLaura Saldivar Luna Founder, CEO Coach of Piñata Possible Web | Instagram | LinkedIn What Reading: Big Dumb Eyes | Nate Borgatze FOLLOW ME: 🔗 LinkedIn | Instagram | Web 🎁 FREE STUFF → SAY IT LIKE THIS: Scripts that communicate your message, keep you in your power without shrinking or steamrolling → FREE MONTHLY Somatic Breathwork Session. Add your name here to receive details on the next session → Join my newsletter here for more leadership insights #feminineleadership #leadyourselffirst #itsthelittlethings #womeninleadership #quietpower #feminineenergy #influence #thewaysheleads

    59 min

  11. Mar 20

    The "Why" of The Way She Leads

    Welcome to The Way She Leads! Get to know me, Megan Akatu, more about my story and why this podcast was created. More ways to connect with me: YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram | Website Join me for a free monthly Somatic Breathwork Session! Book a connection call

    3 min
  • 11 Episodes

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

The Way She Leads is a podcast for high-achieving women who have done all the “right” things, achieved traditional success, and are ready for a deeper, more aligned way of leading that is filled with clarity, resonance and ease. Join us for genuine conversations with real leaders and experts, exploring feminine leadership and what becomes possible when we reclaim our gifts, intuition, and joy, and lead from wholeness instead of exhaustion. Welcome in!

Information

  • Creator
    Megan Akatu
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Megan Akatu
  • Show Website
    The Way She Leads

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