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What if the key to powerful leadership isn’t more structure… but more soul?

In this rich, heart-centered conversation, Kim and Louise are joined by coach, strategist, and recovering academic Taina Brown to explore what it really takes to lead as your whole self, especially in systems that reward fragmentation and performance.

They unpack the impact of gatekeeping (from academia to coaching to the workplace), the myth of “getting it right,” and how somatics and play open new doorways to healing, embodiment, and aligned leadership.

Taina shares her journey from feminist scholar to strategy coach, the somatic tools that helped her reconnect after a traumatic health experience, and why funk music might be the nervous system medicine we all need.

This episode is a love letter to anyone who’s ever felt they had to leave parts of themselves at the door to be taken seriously.

“Don’t let one part of yourself gatekeep another.” – Taina Brown

Key Takeaways

• Gatekeeping is often rooted in insecurity and unprocessed imposter syndrome
• Integration is the power move—we’re not meant to fragment across roles
• Play is how we heal, regulate, and remember who we are
• Embodied leadership makes room for sensation, intuition, and rest
• Somatics help rebuild connection, especially after trauma or illness
• Wholeness creates space—for yourself and others to show up fully

Key Moments
[00:00] Welcome + Episode intro
[01:35] Meet today’s guest: Taina Brown
[04:58] Naming and challenging academic gatekeeping
[08:46] Gatekeeping in coaching and helping professions
[12:59] Gatekeeping as protection: fear of being “found out”
[15:14] Unrealistic expectations and imposter syndrome at work
[17:41] Reframing failure with Emergent Strategy
[20:02] Play as a path to learning and growth
[21:23] What if we welcomed the human behind the curtain?
[29:29] Why pushing through isn’t always the answer
[34:00] Fragmentation: stop being your own gatekeeper
[36:01] “Mitigate the ambiguity”: the somatic impact of uncertainty
[39:15] Using somatic CBT in professional development workshops
[43:49] Head, heart, and body: wholeness as a leadership strategy
[45:27] Final reflections and calls to action
[49:08] Where to find Taina online
[50:31] Closing thoughts and listener invitation

About Taina
Taina is a former feminist scholar turned strategy whiz trained in somatic CBT methods. As a personal and professional development coach of over 15 years, she helps leaders and their teams show up as their best, values-aligned selves so they can do good work. She’s also the cohost of the Messy Liberation podcast with Becky Mollenkamp.

🌐 http://www.ifthenand.org/tainambrown
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/tainambrow

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In episode 162 of The Empowered and Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil explore what it means to embrace being in a world that constantly demands doing. They unpack the tension between presence and productivity, and what it looks like to live in alignment without burning out.

Together, they reflect on how growth doesn't have to be forced, it naturally unfolds when we’re present. Instead of chasing clarity, they show how you can find it by simply showing up as you are. They unpack the tension so many of us feel between stillness and movement, presence and productivity, planning and play.

With a dose of laughter (and baloney sandwiches), they explore how self-awareness and inner alignment help us navigate this dance between being and doing without losing ourselves in the push.

"Presence is when I feel like I get to actually be me." – Kim Romain

"Sometimes letting go is the experience.” - Louise Neil

Key Takeaways

• The difference between doing and being (and how to honor both)
• What true presence feels like (and why it’s the key to authentic living)
• How to grow without burning out or losing yourself
• Why coaching and therapy serve different needs—and how to know which you need
• How to balance your inner planner and your spontaneous self
• What it means to know yourself deeply—without judgment or striving

Key Moments

00:00 Welcome and intro

02:07 Celebrating three years of podcasting and the magic of unscripted conversations

04:33 “When is it okay to just be?”

06:34 How presence reveals the truest parts of ourselves

09:13 What being present really means (and how it differs from productivity)

12:49 The many hats we wear and how to stay authentic while shifting roles

15:05 Baloney sandwiches and school buses: a metaphor for your inner world

19:10 The joy of conversation without an agenda

23:36 Why your planner and your spontaneous side need each other

25:06 Self-trust grows when you honor the needs of all your parts

28:27 Coaching vs. therapy: unpacking vs. choosing your train

32:55 Getting unstuck by releasing the “why” and tuning into the “what’s next”

36:54 Let the journey be the destination

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In episode 161 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil are joined by Jordan Maney, Radical Joy Coach and founder of The Rest Lab. What unfolds is a spacious, heart-deep conversation about rest, not as a luxury, but as a radical act of remembrance, resistance, and return.

Together, we explore what it really means to soften when you're used to holding on tightly, to be held when support feels foreign, and to allow joy even in a world full of pain. Through both metaphor and lived experience, Jordan invites us into the water... not to swim perfectly, but to float, to release, to remember we are held.

"People think rest is passive. It’s not. It’s active resistance. It’s remembering who you are beyond the frenzy." - Jordan Maney

Key Takeaways:

• Rest isn’t something you earn—it’s something you return to.
• Letting go is not a loss of control; it’s an act of trust.
• Floating, like healing, doesn’t require effort, just a willingness to soften.
• We're not meant to navigate this life alone; community isn't optional, it's essential.
• True support begins when we’re willing to receive, not just give.
• Control is not the same as safety.
• Allowing is deeply personal. It’s about reclaiming what softening looks like for you.

Key Moments:

00:00 – Welcome
01:45 – Jordan’s intro
04:20 – “We were made for such a time as this…”: Purpose in dark times
06:01 – Sponge vs. flow: Feeling grief without being consumed
07:59 – The difference between drinking the water and swimming in it
09:40 – What happens when we don’t know how to swim?
12:53 – “If you can’t relax, you’ll never learn to trust yourself in the water”
15:58 – Why control is mistaken for safety—and what it actually costs
17:52 – Floating as self-support: Can you let yourself be held?
19:10 – The frenzy of service vs. the practice of settling
21:21 – How community quietly fills the cup when you’re depleted
24:31 – Military childhood, mutual aid, and the longing for connection
29:55 – What holds us back from resting in community?
35:21 – Stitch & Bitch, hiking, AquaZumba: Finding joy in collective care
38:42 – Creating containers where people can peek out and be themselves
41:25 – Jordan’s definition of rest: Returning energy, attention, and time to self
47:09 – “Allowing” as a portal to healing—on your own terms
49:10 – Where to find Jordan and more of her brilliant work

Connect With Jordan:

Website: https://www.jordanmaney.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanmaney/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejordanmaney/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJordanManey/
Pinterest:

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In episode 160 of The Empowered and Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil kick things off with a playful conversation about last names—and before they know it, they’re deep in the heart of what it really means to name, claim, and embody who we are.

Together, they explore how the way we introduce ourselves, our chosen labels, and even our casual answers to “Tell me about yourself” shape more than just conversation, they shape how we see ourselves and move through the world.

Through personal stories, Human Design reflections, and a lot of heartfelt honesty, they invite us to look at the deeper needs that live underneath our titles, roles, and expectations, and how honoring those needs helps us live and lead more authentically.

"You don’t have to explain who you are to be worthy of being seen for who you are." — Kim Romain

"Real leadership isn’t about running up the hill first—it’s about guiding with wisdom and presence." — Louise Neil

Key Takeaways:

• How names, titles, and first impressions weave into our identity
• Why understanding your true needs is essential to authenticity
• The difference between honoring needs vs. being labeled "needy"
• How Human Design can reveal patterns of doubt, confusion, and wisdom
• What it looks like to move from role-based identity to soul-based expression

Key Moments:

00:00 — Intro and welcome

00:50 — Exploring identities

03:13 — Identity, marriage, and the names we choose

05:00 — Open centers in Human Design and the pull of doubt and confusion

08:34 — The difference between wants and needs—and why it matters

12:34 — Needs are about fulfillment, not lack

15:32 — Unpacking the old wounds around being “too needy”

18:07 — Learning to name what fills us—and asking for it with courage

20:34 — Guiding vs. leading—reclaiming different forms of leadership

27:50 — How Human Design shapes how we hold space and show up

30:26 — Seeing yourself through someone else's eyes—and letting it land

34:29 — Letting go of performance to reconnect with belonging

36:30 — Final reflections on walking into the world as yourself

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In episode 159 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil are joined by the magnetic and mission-driven M. Shannon Hernandez—founder of the Joyful Business Revolution—for a real-talk conversation about redefining success, saying no to burnout, and building businesses that are fueled by joy, not pressure.

From the streets of NYC to sacred silence in Bali, Shannon shares what it truly means to live and lead from a place of nothing to prove, nothing to lose. We unpack hustle culture, the art of slowing the f*ck down, and what happens when you finally give yourself permission to stop proving and start living.

This episode is a love letter to sensitive souls, multi-passionate creators, and anyone who's ever been told they have to grind to matter. Spoiler: You don’t. And you were never meant to.

“If it ain’t joyful, we ain’t doing that sh*t.” – M. Shannon Hernandez

Key Takeaways

• Why joy must be a non-negotiable in business
• How to reclaim your time, energy, and creative spark
• The truth about burnout, sensitivity, and proving energy
• Why “less but better” is the new marketing strategy
• How to stop consuming and start creating
• The power of showing up as a full, messy, magnificent human
• Why being human is a viable business plan

Key Moments

00:00 – Welcome and joy-filled intros
04:46 – The mantra that changed everything
07:00 – Choosing presence over panic
10:18 – Visioning from a place of alignment
13:28 – Business by the seasons (and the fire of Aries!)
17:36 – ASAP = As Slow As Possible
22:43 – Rubber time and redefining productivity
26:40 – Pinterest vs. Creating: the trap of inspiration hoarding
30:24 – Content paralysis and proving energy
33:57 – Why you don’t need more content to grow your business
36:49 – Letting go of bro marketing
39:32 – Showing up as a human, not a strategy
42:51 – Gunk, goo, and getting rid of what’s not yours
44:21 – The wisdom is already within you

Connect with Shannon:

Website: https://joyfulbusinessrevolution.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mshannonhernandez/

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In episode 158 of The Empowered and Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil hit record mid-conversation—and trust us, you’ll be glad they did. What started as a check-in about feeling “wobbly” quickly unraveled into a rich, raw, and real exploration of how planetary shifts, inner pressure, and collective noise can leave us spinning... and how to come back to our center.

Through personal stories, Human Design insights, and plenty of embodied wisdom, they unpack what it means to move through uncertainty with grace, and how to tell the difference between what’s truly yours and what’s just static.

“Personal agency starts with knowing what's yours. Liberation begins when you stop holding what isn’t.” - Kim Romain

“The static is everywhere—socially, politically, personally. But that doesn’t mean we have to amplify it.” - Louise Neil

Key Takeaways:

• Wobble ≠ stuck—there’s power in recognizing the difference
• How planetary shifts amplify inner and outer noise
• The role of Human Design in navigating aligned action
• Real-time tools to return to your body and reset your focus
• Why personal agency and liberation start with asking, “What is mine?”

Key Moments:

00:00 - Intro and welcome
01:34 - Why are we all feeling wobbly?
02:43 - Planetary shifts, energetic overwhelm, and the pressure to "do it all"
07:11 - Defining ease vs. hustle—what real alignment feels like in the body
13:28 - From aligned research to perfectionist spiral... getting out of the rabbit hole
19:35 - Completion, closure, and honoring what’s ready to be done
22:52 - What is yours to hold vs. what’s just noise?
32:06 - Reframing “stuck” as a moment of reflection, not failure
35:50 - Crossing the river: a metaphor for fear, trust, and deciding what matters
44:07 - Living selfishly as a form of service—claiming your right to alignment

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What if the key to safer workplaces isn’t a new policy... but your own nervous system?

In episode 157 of The Empowered and Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil sit down with trauma consultant, speaker, and founder of Creaturae, Deborah Lee, for a deep conversation on embodied leadership, psychological safety, and the courage it takes to show up without the mask.

Together, they unpack the hidden toll of performative leadership, why so many leaders are silently struggling, and how real change begins within, not through control, but through connection. Deborah shares how embodied leadership—rooted in interoception, movement, and gentle self-awareness—can create the conditions for real trust, real connection, and real change.

This one is for every leader, healer, entrepreneur, or human who’s been told to be “professional” while quietly falling apart inside. Because the truth is that nervous system regulation, presence, and authenticity aren’t luxuries—they’re leadership essentials.

“If your life is a performance, you can’t create safety for anyone else.” – Deborah Lee

Key Takeaways

• Leadership is about creating space for authenticity, not performance
• Psychological safety is foundational to effective, healthy workplaces
• Self-awareness and nervous system regulation are core leadership skills
• Every emotion is valid and offers insight
• Authenticity fosters trust, connection, and relational safety
• You don’t have to know it all to lead well, you just have to start with knowing yourself

Key Moments

00:00 – Welcome and intro
02:22 – Introducing body-based leadership work
04:50 – A hard truth: “Leadership is not the same as masking”
06:31 – Changing leadership culture when the system resists authenticity
07:32 – The loneliness of leadership and the limits of transparency
12:16 – Why psychological safety must start in your own body
18:48 – What is pendulation and why it matters for emotional regulation
23:34 – A nervous system reset you can do in under 30 seconds
29:01 – Stuck energy, speechless terror, and how trauma blocks communication
35:06 – Heartbreak and healing from domestic violence
39:30 – Reconnecting with your body as a source of truth and safety
41:21 – Explanation of somatic terminology (pendulation, titration, interoception)
44:04 – Why people shut down around money—and how embodiment helps
46:04 – The longing for presence, truth, and real connection
49:04 – It’s okay not to know: how we’re all learning as adults
51:53 – Final takeaways

Connect With Deborah

Website: http://www.creaturae.org

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/leeydeborah

Instagram: @creaturae7

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What do you get when you mix an American expat living in Canada, a lifelong Canadian, and a global identity crisis?

You get this conversation—a raw, honest, and deeply human exploration of what it means to find your footing when the world feels anything but steady.

In this episode of The Empowered and Embodied Show, Kim and Louise reflect on the personal and collective impact of nationalism, nervous system dysregulation, and the weight of staying informed in a world that just. won’t. stop.

Together, they unpack what it’s like to live between countries, cultures, and conversations, while still holding space for clients, community, and their own capacity.

This one’s for anyone who’s ever felt wobbly, wired, or just plain worn out by it all. Because when the ground beneath you is shifting, knowing who you are—and how to return to yourself—is everything.

“This isn’t about nationalism—it’s about nervous systems. And ours are tapped the hell out.” – Kim Romain

“Community isn’t just nice to have—it’s how we survive the storm without losing ourselves in it.” – Louise Neil

Key Takeaways:

• Why “How are you?” is a loaded question in today’s world
• The emotional toll of national identity and why it feels different now
• Living across borders: identity, belonging, and grief
• Strategies for grounding yourself when the external chaos ramps up
• Why community and shared humanity are our greatest tools right now
• How embodied awareness supports nervous system health and resilience
• The invitation to notice, feel, and respond (instead of react)

Key Moments:

00:00 – Welcome to the Empowered & Embodied Show
01:38 – What “fine” really means right now
03:13 – Feeling out of place across borders
10:36 – “I can’t turn it off”—the emotional toll of staying informed
13:51 – Disillusionment and duty: the inner burden of global awareness
17:08 – Quiet vs. loud nationalism: Canada and the U.S.
21:13 – Identity grief & the unraveling of once-held symbols
28:19 – “The call is coming from inside the house”
31:55 – Finding common ground through shared humanity
34:03 – Grounding practices for nervous system regulation
42:17 – You are the grown-up in the room—now what?
43:51 – Cosmic shifts, personal alignment, and embodied awareness
47:03 – Offerings, reflections, and wrap-up

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If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to feministpods.com to explore everything we have to offer.