Proven Not Perfect

Shontra Powell
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

This is a show for women who wear many hats and who have held themselves to an unhealthy measure of success. This show will deposit nuggets for your own self reflection and self improvement. This audio series builds upon the book - Proven Not Perfect: 7 Truths of a Corporate Executive, Mommy, Wife and Christian (published 2018, Amazon Best-Seller).

  1. Boardroom Confidence: Proven Not Perfect™️ with Boardroom Co. Founder, Naomi Kent

    2d ago

    Boardroom Confidence: Proven Not Perfect™️ with Boardroom Co. Founder, Naomi Kent

    Send us Fan Mail The boardroom isn’t a bigger meeting with fancier titles. It’s a different job, a different mindset, and a different kind of pressure. We sit down with Naomi Kent, a boardroom coach who helps senior leaders build a real board career, and we get specific about what separates strong board members from talented operators who are new to governance. We dig into the heart of board service: oversight, strategic guidance, and collaboration. Naomi shares what it looks like to lead with confidence without letting ego take over, especially when you’re surrounded by former CEOs and high-stakes opinions. We talk about the skill of disagreeing well, how to use better language in the boardroom (“help me understand…” and “we” instead of “I”), and why communication is often the make-or-break trait for effective directors. If you’re curious about corporate boards, nonprofit boards, or advisory boards as part of your long-term leadership path, we also cover timing and compensation. Naomi explains why waiting until you’re walking out the door of your full-time career can be too late, and how starting earlier builds the governance track record that opens doors later. We don’t skip the hard stuff either: fiduciary duty, fraud, factional dynamics, and when fortitude means walking away. We wrap with practical conference and networking advice you can use immediately, including LinkedIn readiness, a tight elevator pitch, and follow-up that turns quick chats into real professional relationships. Subscribe, share this with a leader who’s board-curious, and leave a review with your biggest boardroom question. Follow me on Instagram at: shontrapowell_provennotperfect Follow me on Facebook at: Proven Not Perfect™️ Watch and listen on YouTube:  Proven Not Perfect™️ Join the community for ideas and events at www.provennotperfect.com.  I'd love to hear what you think!

    23 min
  2. Freedom Check On America’s 250th ❤️🤍💙

    Jul 4

    Freedom Check On America’s 250th ❤️🤍💙

    Send us Fan Mail 250 years is a long time to carry a national story, especially one that holds both breathtaking ideals and painful contradictions. On this July 4th 250th anniversary reflection, I’m coming to you with a quick “voice snack” that cuts past slogans and goes straight to the core: the United States still creates a foundational opportunity for many, and it’s worth naming why that matters when you’ve seen how constrained life can be elsewhere. We don’t dodge the complicated parts. The start of the country sparks real debate, and the inequities woven into that beginning are impossible to ignore, especially for families whose ancestors paid a steep cost. I hold that truth plainly, then widen the lens to what it took to build a nation on open terrain: resilience, fortitude, vision, and faith. That mix of honesty and hope is where meaningful patriotism lives. From there, we “double click” on what we share. No matter our background, we want freedom. We want opportunity for ourselves and our legacy. We want self-expression without fear, and we want respect. I also offer a practical prompt you can use today: take a personal freedom inventory. What’s getting in your way right now, and what will you do to move it out the way? If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone you’re celebrating with, and leave a review so more listeners can find these short reflections. What does freedom look like in your life today? Follow me on Instagram at: shontrapowell_provennotperfect Follow me on Facebook at: Proven Not Perfect™️ Watch and listen on YouTube:  Proven Not Perfect™️ Join the community for ideas and events at www.provennotperfect.com.  I'd love to hear what you think!

    6 min
  3. Rocket Science to Knowledge Diffusion: The Professional Journey and Vision of Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science and Research at Smithsonian Institution

    Jul 3

    Rocket Science to Knowledge Diffusion: The Professional Journey and Vision of Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science and Research at Smithsonian Institution

    Send us Fan Mail Truth is getting harder to find, and the stakes are not abstract. When an AI-generated TikTok video about a “monster fish” went viral, people poured into Smithsonian webpages to check what was real. That moment frames a bigger question we wrestle with here: in a world where technology can fabricate convincing stories at scale, who do we trust, and how do we rebuild shared reality without giving up curiosity or hope?  We sit down with Under Secretary for Science & Research at Smithsonian Institution, Ellen Stofan, a scientist and leader whose career stretches from studying volcanoes on Venus and Mars to serving as NASA chief scientist and leading major Smithsonian work into a new era. We talk about the leadership skills that actually move complex missions forward: creating space for ideas from every level, making a rigorous win-win case, and building teams that don’t collapse into ego. Ellen also gets candid about imposter syndrome, being the only woman in the room, and how failure can trigger an endless self-analysis loop unless you learn to take the lesson and put it down.  Then we open the “front door” of the Smithsonian and walk into what most people never see: 157 million artifacts, vast natural history collections, and a mission rooted in the “increase and diffusion of knowledge.” We explore why digitization, genomics, and AI-powered search can unlock scientific discovery, protect pollinators and agriculture, and bring museum-grade knowledge to a kid who may never visit Washington, DC. If you care about women in STEM, science communication, digital trust, museums of the future, or how to lead with humanity in public institutions, this conversation delivers.  Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves science and history, and leave a review with the most trusted “house of real” in your life. Follow me on Instagram at: shontrapowell_provennotperfect Follow me on Facebook at: Proven Not Perfect™️ Watch and listen on YouTube:  Proven Not Perfect™️ Join the community for ideas and events at www.provennotperfect.com.  I'd love to hear what you think!

    49 min
  4. Pivot In Flow, Style And Confidence: Marketing Executive Turned Life Stylist, Sydney Stinson Ferguson

    Jun 26

    Pivot In Flow, Style And Confidence: Marketing Executive Turned Life Stylist, Sydney Stinson Ferguson

    Send us Fan Mail A single sentence can change a career: “You don’t know fashion... I know fashion. You ARE fashion.” That moment launches our conversation with Sydney Stinson Ferguson into the real mechanics of a career pivot, the kind that doesn’t come from a frantic reinvention but from flow, relationships, and someone naming your strengths before you fully own them yourself. We talk about what it takes to lead through constant change in corporate life without hardening into a persona that isn’t you. Sydney shares how she learned to hold authority while leading with kindness, why being a “people person” can be a leadership superpower, and how mentorship and intentional self reflection can reshape the way you show up in high stakes rooms. If you care about leadership development, executive presence, and authentic management, you’ll hear practical wisdom you can apply immediately. Sydney breaks down how bold color became a conversation starter, a confidence switch, and even a shield, especially as an introvert who often has to push through social discomfort. We also wrestle with the pressure to be perfect, how the “get the A” mindset follows many of us into adulthood, and what “proven not perfect” really means when you’ve endured, evolved, and earned the right to be fully yourself. If this resonates, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share it with a friend who’s in a pivot, and leave a review with the one insight you’re taking into your next room. Follow me on Instagram at: shontrapowell_provennotperfect Follow me on Facebook at: Proven Not Perfect™️ Watch and listen on YouTube:  Proven Not Perfect™️ Join the community for ideas and events at www.provennotperfect.com.  I'd love to hear what you think!

    41 min

  5. Jun 19

    You Can Let Grief Harden You Or Grow You _ Proven Not Perfect™️ Solo Episode Honoring Juneteenth Legacy and Father's Day '26

    Send us Fan Mail Grief doesn’t just hurt. It reveals. On a weekend that holds both Juneteenth and Father’s Day, we sit with the kind of loss that rearranges your inner world: losing a dad who felt like a rock, a coach, and the call you could make at any moment. If you’re walking through the loss of a parent, grieving a father figure, or trying to support someone in mourning, this conversation offers language for what’s hard to explain and permission to be honest about the tenderness. We talk through three anchors: loss, legacy, and growth. Loss brings a vulnerability that can’t be fully understood until you live it, and that tenderness becomes a crossroads. We can let grief harden us into guardedness and negativity, or we can accept the tenderness and double down on the love already in our hearts. We share a practical mindset shift that helps with healing after loss: when emotion rushes in, we tell ourselves, “feel the feelings,” so we don’t miss what grief is shaping in us. Legacy turns missing someone into movement. We explore how honoring a father’s legacy becomes action oriented: carrying forward the goodness he planted, taking the next step with intention, and seeding that same strength into others. We also lean into faith, closing with Psalm 62:2 as a steadying reminder that we are not alone, even when the day feels heavy. If this resonates, listen now, share it with someone who needs it, and subscribe and leave a review so more people looking for grief support, emotional resilience, and purpose after loss can find the show. What part of their legacy are you choosing to carry forward? Follow me on Instagram at: shontrapowell_provennotperfect Follow me on Facebook at: Proven Not Perfect™️ Watch and listen on YouTube:  Proven Not Perfect™️ Join the community for ideas and events at www.provennotperfect.com.  I'd love to hear what you think!

    10 min

  6. Jun 9

    Proven Not Perfect™️ In Brief: Psalm 121 On A Walk Through Uncertainty

    Send us Fan Mail A single line of scripture can hit differently when you’re walking through an emotional month and your mind keeps asking, “Why is this happening?” I’m out on a walk when I feel compelled to share what’s on my heart, and it all centers on Psalm 121: “I look to the hills from where does my help come?” followed by the steady answer, “My help comes from the Lord.” What stops me is the image of the hill itself. A real hill blocks your view. You can’t see over it, which means you can’t see what’s next. That’s exactly what uncertainty feels like in real life: you’re trying to peer into a future you can’t access, whether you’re asking from desperation or from expectation. And right there, the verse becomes a lifeline, not a slogan. It reminds us that help doesn’t come from what we can predict, solve, or force. Help comes from God, even when the path ahead is hidden. I also share a bit of what I sense in this season: a calling to support women of faith, especially women in career who are called to excellence and big pursuits and who refuse to be limited. If you’ve been staring at your own “hill,” I hope this encourages you to move your body, take a walk, or sit still and ponder the word of God until it steadies you. If this message gives you a breath of hope, subscribe to Proven Not Perfect, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more listeners can find it. Follow me on Instagram at: shontrapowell_provennotperfect Follow me on Facebook at: Proven Not Perfect™️ Watch and listen on YouTube:  Proven Not Perfect™️ Join the community for ideas and events at www.provennotperfect.com.  I'd love to hear what you think!

    9 min
  7. Lead Yourself First A Conversation with Kellogg School of Management Professor Michelle Buck

    Apr 3

    Lead Yourself First A Conversation with Kellogg School of Management Professor Michelle Buck

    Send us Fan Mail You can feel it everywhere: leaders are expected to move faster, decide with less certainty, and keep teams connected while AI reshapes how work gets done. I sit down with Michelle Buck from the Kellogg School of Management to slow the noise down and get practical about what actually holds up in turbulent times. We start with a leadership idea that sticks in your body, not just your notes: the music ensemble. One shared rhythm, many distinct instruments, and the real work of making space for every voice without losing alignment.  From there, we widen the lens to the arts in leadership, including music, dance, and imagery, as tools for communication, resilience, and meaning. Michelle shares why leaders need more than words to create impact, and why joy and self-acceptance are not “soft” extras but real performance multipliers. We also talk about polarization, psychological safety, and the underestimated power of community, especially when people are stressed, overwhelmed, and trying to get by.  The conversation turns personal and unforgettable as Michelle shares stories that shaped her understanding of resilience, including a lived lesson in gratitude and the grounding practice of “coming home to ourselves” through values, purpose, and non-negotiables. We close on what leaders should keep front and center right now: asking better questions, helping people feel seen and heard, and building the courage to have the conversations that matter. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who leads people, and leave a review. What question do you need to ask your team this week? Follow me on Instagram at: shontrapowell_provennotperfect Follow me on Facebook at: Proven Not Perfect™️ Watch and listen on YouTube:  Proven Not Perfect™️ Join the community for ideas and events at www.provennotperfect.com.  I'd love to hear what you think!

    54 min
  8. Permission To Lead

    Mar 28

    Permission To Lead

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode I share a portion of my keynote to a group of leaders who represented multiple industries. It really gives a peak into one of my most humbling lessons in my leadership journey.  [Note: I am hitting stages more, and I am super excited 👏🏾 🎙️] A few key points from this talk: Leadership can feel like something you earn once and keep forever, until you walk into a new room and realize nobody asked to be led by you.When success comes quickly, it’s easy to assume your vision will inspire others the same way it inspires you. But teams have their own history, identity, and everyday rhythms. If you miss those signals, you can lose your best people fast, even when your intentions are good and your strategy sounds solid. The turning point comes through humility and asking for feedback when it hurts. The big takeaway is practical leadership: listen before you lead, adapt your message to the people in front of you, and remember that influence is granted, not claimed.If this story hits home, subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation, share it with a manager who needs it, and leave a review with the leadership lesson you learned the hard way. Follow me on Instagram at: shontrapowell_provennotperfect Follow me on Facebook at: Proven Not Perfect™️ Watch and listen on YouTube:  Proven Not Perfect™️ Join the community for ideas and events at www.provennotperfect.com.  I'd love to hear what you think!

    6 min
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Trailer

5
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16 Ratings

About

This is a show for women who wear many hats and who have held themselves to an unhealthy measure of success. This show will deposit nuggets for your own self reflection and self improvement. This audio series builds upon the book - Proven Not Perfect: 7 Truths of a Corporate Executive, Mommy, Wife and Christian (published 2018, Amazon Best-Seller).

Information

  • Creator
    Shontra Powell
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Proven Not Perfect
  • Show Website
    Proven Not Perfect