Her Boss Brain

Episode 35: Leading with Heart: The Inner Work Behind Powerful Leadership with Ebony Travis

• Pallavi Jain

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In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Ebony Travis reveals what it truly takes to lead in today’s high-pressure world—where success is no longer just about performance, but about presence, authenticity, and inner alignment. Drawing from her experience in global wellbeing leadership and her personal journey as a caregiver, she shares how to navigate responsibility without burnout, why “balance” is a myth, and how intentional self-care, resilience, and emotional awareness become your greatest leadership advantage. This episode is a reminder that the strongest leaders aren’t the ones who do it all—they’re the ones who lead with heart, create space for humanity, and stay grounded in who they truly are. 

If this episode resonated, share it with a leader who needs this reminder and follow the podcast for more science-backed leadership insights.

To bring this work into your organization through leadership workshops or keynote speaking, visit: www.pallavi-jain.com

You can also share your thoughts, questions or feedback at: herbossbrain@gmail.com

SPEAKER_00

If you're a high-achieving woman who's exhausted by stress, stuck in constant conflict, and tired of being overlooked in the exact rooms where you know you were born to lead, then this podcast is for you. So here's your host, Paula V. Jane.

SPEAKER_03

Don't stop. Welcome back to Her Boss Brain, the podcast where we explore what we really take to lead under pressure in today's fast-moving world. Because here's the truth. Leadership today isn't just about strategy, performance, or hitting KPIs. It's about how we show up when things are uncertain, emotional, and sometimes overwhelming. And those moments reveal something important. They reveal the inner operating system we're all running on. And that's exactly why I'm so excited about today's conversation. My guest today is Ebony Travis. Welcome, Ebony, to the show.

SPEAKER_01

Hello, and thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely. And I want my friends to know a little bit about you. So if you're okay, I'm going to quickly let them know a little bit about you and then we'll go into our conversation. So, my friends, she's a leader, caregiver, and storyteller who believes that authenticity is the foundation of meaningful leadership. With nearly three decades of experience across corporate America, Ebony has helped organizations build people-centered cultures that support well-being, performance, and sustainable success. But you know what I admire most about you is the humanity she brings to leadership. Her journey started in an administrative role where she learned something powerful early on. That influence isn't about titles. It's about trust and how you make people feel. And over time, that mindset carried her into senior leadership roles where she now leads conversations around global well-being and culture. And outside of work, Ebony is also a full-time caregiver for her mother, something she shares about openly and honestly, bringing a level of authenticity that many leaders are actually afraid to show. Rooted in her Texas upbringing and shaped by her blended Black and Mexican heritage, Ebony brings a deeply human perspective to conversations about identity, ambition, resilience, and leadership. And this is going to be a real conversation about just that, the inner work required to lead well and live well. Welcome again, Ebony. I'm glad you're here and we can tap into your wisdom on all these topics.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you. I'm looking forward to the conversation. I'll tell you that.

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely. And we love that. And so let's start with maybe if you can give us one word that describes how you're feeling right now. Excited. Super. We'll love to hear that. And with that, let us unveil the person behind the leader, shall we? So my first question to you is you lead global well-being. You are a woman in leadership and you're also a caregiver. That is a lot of responsibility in a world that already feels intense. So how are you holding all of that right now?

SPEAKER_01

And that's a good one. And I'll tell you, I'm holding it with intention. And I'm giving myself a lot of grace in this whole process of life. Okay. You know, I've stopped chasing, you hear that word balance. There's no such thing as balance. That's saying that life and work are equal, and they're not. You know, some days work may be more important, but what's really and should be important is your life, your personal life, what you're doing with your family, your friends. So I call it harmonization. So I do, I harmonize my life. Some days, as I mentioned, leadership is louder. Some days caregiving is louder. Being a partner, you know, being a wife, a fur baby mama, and a friend to many. You know, there was one morning I was going on a morning jog not too long ago, and I was heading out. And what I loved is my mom surprised me, and she's going through a lot right now. So it's ebbs and flows. But she surprised me when she came downstairs to grab her coffee. She was ready to dance before I even got out the door. So we have like this dance ritual we'll do sometimes when she's in the mood. And I laughed because that moment of pure joy, that's what harmony looks like to me. And what keeps me steady is remembering that I chose this life. I chose to lead, I chose to care for my mom. And that mindset, it removes any resentment that I may have and replaces it with purpose. There's a purpose why I'm doing all of this. So I protect my energy because if I'm depleted, I can't do everything that I do. And I can't love well, you know?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. Oh my God, that is so beautiful. And this reminded me, I love the word harmonization that you mentioned because I don't know if you've checked that episode. We talked about inner alignment and how it's not the different tasks and the balance and oh, this one is more important. It's about just knowing and having that in an alignment that which one is more important right now? Which one needs my more attention right now and be okay with that? So, and I love how you put it and I love the word harmonization you use. So thank you for that clarity and for sharing that. Now, one thing I immediately noticed about you is how authentically you share real moments on social media. I love them. I love your energy, the realness in them. So I wanted to ask, like, I was curious, why is that important to you as a leader?

SPEAKER_01

I've learned that perfection is exhausting. It is. You know, I've posted videos of me and my mom dancing before my morning jogs, you know, no filter, no script, just joy. And those posts resonate more than anything polished that I've ever shared, right? Because people reach out and say, I needed to see that today. You know, they follow me, they end up following me on my different platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn. And that tells me everything about what people are really hungry for. You know, if I talk about well-being but never show real life, yeah, that's a misalignment. And people don't need another polished, highlighted reel. They need permission to be fully human and still accomplished at the same time. Authenticity, it builds that trust where people want to be near you, they want to follow you. And that trust is what builds that influence. So I share the real moments, the hard days. I've shared a couple, the joyful caregiving stories, the lessons in between. Because leadership should feel accessible, not untouchable.

SPEAKER_03

Oh my God, so many thoughts just came in my head in so many ways. You just touched something. First of all, I completely agree with you because when I'm looking at your reels and things that you're putting out, those moments, right? It feels alive. It feels because again, there is no filter, there is no like authenticity, is not just a word for you. You really live it. And I think that a lot of leaders do that. They use the buzzwords, they say all the right things, but the actions don't demonstrate that. And I think permission, you use the word permission, which is so key. But I have to say something here. Like a lot of people are so insecure in their own reality that they don't want to be real, you know. So this also shows when somebody is being real and being authentic, that their own personal insecurities are not there. They're not looking for that validation or for someone to tell them, oh, you're doing a great job. They know they're doing and they're living that truth in their own way.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. You know, to be real is to be yourself. Right? It's that's who you are, how you were born, how you went through life, and then you started to learn and realize and appreciate who you are. You don't want to be somebody else, you want to be you because you're the only unique person. You're the only you, you know?

SPEAKER_03

Yep, I totally agree with you. Well, thank you. That makes total sense. So tell us about your journey. How did you become a leader in global well-being and why is this work so personal for you?

SPEAKER_01

Wow, you know, so my journey, it didn't start with this big title, you know, it started as an administrative assistant supporting a field sales team of over, you know, 500 people. And that was in 1997. And even prior to that, you know, I was a pageant girl, modeled, I cheered, you know, it was a DCC. And all of that prior to my joining corporate America shaped a lot of who I am today. And I've never been able to shake that part of my life. And here's also the truth someone saw something in me before I saw it in myself. A leader pulled me aside and she became a mentor and said, There's something here. And I had to sit with that. Do I want something bigger? Am I passionate enough to go after it? And I decided, yes, I am. So I went back to school. I didn't do the traditional, you graduate, you go to school, college. I didn't do all of that. You know, I went and I'm gonna say I had some fun, you know? And so I earned my bachelor's and I earned my MBA all while working full-time using tuition reimbursement. And that was not easy. But I was not gonna let that opportunity pass me by. I remember, you know, sitting in meetings thinking, I may not have authority yet, but I'm watching how leaders make people feel. And I noticed who created safety, psychological safety, and who created the fear. And I quietly decided if I ever led, I'm gonna lead from trust, right? From authenticity. And I'll tell you, throughout my career, no joke, I took lateral moves, I stepped back from management roles twice to build the foundational skills I knew I was missing. I took feedback and I ran with it. People thought I was crazy for doing that, but I knew what I needed. I wasn't chasing titles. So over time, that responsibility grew and I built credibility and consistency and trust. So throughout all of that, well-being became deeply personal to me as I continued to care and I continued to take care of myself, right? Because I'm I love to work out, I'm a fitness nut, I love doing all those things. And when you combine that with the work you do and everything and trying to harmonize all of that, what I also started to observe and see is you know, high performers burning out all around me because they too were parents and caregivers, and you name it.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01

And I experienced those seasons of real exhaustion myself. Don't get me wrong, I did too. And I real do. Yes, exactly. And I realized that culture is actually shaped most clearly under pressure, not when things are easy. And that's why this work became even more exciting for me when the opportunity was presented. It wasn't about doing these wellness activities, it was about strategy. How do we support the whole person? And it's about building cultures of sustainable success, you know?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah, that is so beautiful. You mentioned a couple of things here. One stand out to me is like this inner resilience, right? So you've just in this answer, like you mentioned a few things, which a normal person may say, Oh, wow, I'm doing a full-time job. I can't do a full degree with that, and you know, that's just not sustainable, or you know, different various versions of our own inner dialogue that we use. But somewhere you've built this resilience within you, right? Could you point that? Like, where is that resilience coming from?

SPEAKER_01

You know, for me, it is coming from doing the things you need to do to build resilience. And that goes back to the self-care. It goes back to you've got to take care of you before you can take care of others. And that is how you continue to sustain the momentum of your resilience. I am all about my sleep. I have gadgets, Apple, Aura, Whoop. I don't play. I have them all. And data tells me a story. And over the years, I learned it's I need sleep. You know, and as I get older, I need to make sure that I'm not overdoing it in the gym. I'm building muscle, I'm meditating, I'm breathing throughout the day. I'm taking walk breaks, taking calls for walks, you know, doing things that truly help me from the inside out. And that is what's helped me continue to build that resilience throughout my whole life, is just I'm intentional.

SPEAKER_03

I was just gonna say the word that comes to mind listening to you is that just that intentionality that, you know, what is it important for me? And really realizing that you cannot run on empty, and that when you have to care and you have a mom that you so lovingly care for, I mean, and the organization and the people in your team, you're teaching well-being, you're teaching creating cultures of that, there is that part of you sometimes who wants to, because an empathetic person would do all of that, right? So then you want to take care of others, but yeah, it all comes, it all starts from you. And that is so important and critical, what you just mentioned, because even in my work, like when we do the lead from within workshops, that's the typical format. Like there are sometimes organizations and leaders who would come to me, they will say, Oh, you know, we would love to bring you in, and we have all these conflicts happening in these teams. And I just want you to teach them conflict management. And I'm like, I'm happy to do that, but I want you to understand that is the second step. The first step is we need to make those managers and leaders feel valued. We need to give them tools to first take care of themselves, their nervous system, their inner leadership, and self-leadership. If they can't lead themselves, they can't lead and manage the teams.

SPEAKER_02

That's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_03

Right? So it makes perfect sense. And again, your life is such a lived experience and example of that. So that's why I love, love, just you know, hearing your nuggets. So let's pivot to organizations a little bit since I touched that. So, from your vantage point, what do you think is the biggest challenge affecting organizational culture and employee well-being today?

SPEAKER_01

You know, for me, it's the pressure without recovery. Think about that.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You know, you find, you know, many organizations may normalize high output, but yet we haven't normalized the nervous system regulation, the boundaries of for recovery.

unknown

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

You know, you can run human beings at maximum capacity indefinitely and expect you can't do that because then you're expecting the creativity and the resilience to flourish, and that just is not able to be done. It is not. You can't run on all cylinders and expect to be able to just keep going and keep going. You know, I've seen brilliant people, people with so much to give, actually quietly disappear. You've seen a lot of that, right? You they're not fired, they're not laid off, they're just done. They're like, I'm done. You know, burned out, checked out. And then organizations are left wondering why they can't retain talent. Well, the answer is right there in front of them because the person is actually telling you, I'm done.

unknown

Right.

SPEAKER_02

That's right.

SPEAKER_01

And they're doing it quietly.

SPEAKER_02

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

Right. Okay. It's like that. What is that? They call that that quiet quitting or something like that. Yes, yes. So that's what I'd say. Pressure without recovery. So just like unpackage that, right?

SPEAKER_03

That is so true. That is so true. So, like you said, and you've mentioned this a couple of times before, like leadership today requires people to perform under pressure. And some of that pressure is probably already necessary. But do you think organizations are truly preparing their leaders for that?

SPEAKER_01

You know, I know that, you know, companies train leaders on strategy.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

But I don't believe they always train them on that self-awareness, right? When conflict or this uncertainty shows up, yeah. Instinct actually takes over. And instinct is shaped by those unexamined patterns, right? And I know you live and do this work. It's not about the frameworks, right? The tools matter, but the inner work, that is what matters the most. Yeah. That's self-awareness.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. No, that makes perfect sense. And it's very uplifting to hear that from somebody who is in the system, who's seeing a lot of people, you know, talking to a lot of leaders, seeing all this in personal and professional life. And you're absolutely right. Because what really happens is when you're in pressure situations, which is most of the times these days, we all revert back to our conditioning and we are unable to actually use the tools, the resources, the frameworks that are necessary at some point, right? But we're not even there. The inner leadership or the inner system has taken over, and that's where nothing else sticks. So I always tell organizations that this is not something a good to have. It's a missing link. It's a gap. And unless you fill this gap, all the other things, all the other investment, time, energy, resources you're putting in, they're not gonna make the impact unless you fill this, because pressure is constant, unchange and ambiguity is constant, right? We have conflicts at home, at work, and like you said, there are no two different compartments here. It's all merges because it's a whole system. And we're really running them on outdated and misaligned. And I think misaligned is the word, you know, leadership system.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. I agree.

SPEAKER_03

And yeah. So when you look at organizations and employee resource groups, what's the one gap you most wish leaders would close?

SPEAKER_01

The belief that well-being is extra. It's not extra. We know it. Research shows us it's infrastructure. You know, I've seen it firsthand. When people feel seen, valued, and psychologically safe, performance rises naturally. And you don't have to force it. You know, I've been in rooms where well-being was the last agenda item, squeezed in at the end of time allowed. And I thought this is the problem right here. We save people for last and then wonder why they're leaving, you know. And I know that many organizations see that. The research, again, I'll say, shows it. Well-being isn't a perk. It's not a program, it's not a nice to have, it's a foundation that everything else is built on. And until we truly believe that, we're gonna keep having the same conversation over and over and over again.

SPEAKER_03

That's right. Yeah, that's so beautiful. And I'm thinking that, you know, as a well-being, uh, and I don't know if you're seeing that, but this reminded me, like, you know, sometimes in certain organizations, well-being is about, oh, let's do a yoga class or let's do, you know, all of that is important, but that's not the well-being we're talking about. Because I really want to be very clear here for our listeners. We have executive women, women leaders, you know, a lot of leaders here, managers listening to this. I want you to understand that by well-being, we're talking about taking care of the person, taking care of their needs, making sure you're equipping them with the right tools and the real tools that are actually going to help them in their personal and professional life, right?

SPEAKER_01

That's it. That's it. And that's what I always say when I see someone say, You're a wellness leader. I'm like, no, I don't lead classes, meditation. I lead strategy, strategy that helps the whole person from the inside out, the full person.

SPEAKER_03

No, that makes sense. I just wanted to make sure everybody understands what well-being we're talking about.

SPEAKER_01

I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_03

So you have listened to several of our episodes here. Which step? I'm just curious, which step of the ATM framework feels hardest for you personally?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, no, that's a good one. Which step? I want to be honest with you. I don't think there's a step that's too hard. I feel like I have navigated, you know, when you first shared it, it really wasn't like an aha moment for me. It was like a wow, that's a great way to abbreviate her the framework. And I never thought about it like that. So I hope you've taken it and made it your own. Besides the ATM machine, you've made it your ATM tool for leaders, right?

SPEAKER_03

That's right. Because I think actually there was somebody who asked me, and she was a CEO, and she was like, you know, we did the work and everything. And you know, our brain wants to adopt something that's complex and that's complicated because then we feel this is so powerful. And she's like, This is so simple. We just have to do three things arrive in the present, take responsibility to know what truly matters to me, and then make a conscious choice. And like, exactly, thank you. Because that was the whole intention that it had to be easy. So when rubber hits the road and when situation happens, this is something, a quick tool initially to get you going into this path. Because, you know, I have been in so many trainings, and most of the trainings have a lot of aha moments, but a lot of knowledge doesn't translate into real action.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_03

And this tool, this method was basically created for. That you know, just knowing the neuroscience, just knowing your inner intelligence, it's important, but it doesn't stop there. That's the starting point. Then you gotta shift and use that inner technology into your day-to-day. So, like, you know, even some people will say, Well, you know, for some most people, it's hardest to break the pattern and arrive in the present moment, right? Because that's what happens.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_03

So they'll say, Okay, what do we do? So, in our in our workshops and our work, we actually teach them some of this science. And I always say, you're using your inner technology to your advantage rather than it using you. So simple things like, you know, if you will hold a hot beverage in your hand and just pay attention to that warmth, you will arrive in the present moment. Because what happens is I'm actually using it right now, but what happens is it activates your PNS, your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the restful response of your body automatically, just by doing that.

SPEAKER_01

I love it. No, and you what I wanted to share with you is I thought about the movement piece, the pause, the pause, where you know, I it took me a while to understand about pausing a little bit, right? Because I move fast, I'm decisive. But pausing before reacting, especially when you're overwhelmed or you're tired or you're stretched, yes, that's important, right? And that's for me, is I learned to practice that intentionally because reaction actually damages the trust, right? Reflection is what strengthens it. So you made me reflect a little bit on that when I thought about that framework and just taking a moment to think about how I've gotten through that journey of your framework, you know?

SPEAKER_03

Okay. Yeah, yeah. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. And I want to move to something that I truly, truly admire about you, that how you care for your mom. Like, and you know, what I've noticed, and tell me if you know, I noticed this, that even in those difficult situations, you're trying to bring joy and laughter in, you know, I'm pretty sure it's intentional, but why is that important to you? And what impact does that energy that you're bringing in those moments have on your mom and the way you experience those moments yourself?

SPEAKER_01

You're gonna get me a little teary-eyed here. You know, that's something I really, as you said, I'm intentional about that because energy transfers. The people that know me, and if you're watching this, you know me. I can't do negative energy. I mean, even in my household, they know. Like I just negative energy just brings things down. Negative energy that people put on you, it will, I literally will pick it up. I feel energy. When I walk in a room, I feel energy. So I have to bring energy in because energy transfers.

SPEAKER_02

That's right.

SPEAKER_01

There was a day when my mom was really struggling, and it would have been really easy to match that with some heaviness, right? I could have just matched it with that. But instead, I turned on the music because I find joy in dancing. And I was like, come on, we're gonna dance. We're gonna get no, we're gonna dance it out, Mama. Come on, come on, but we're gonna dance it out right here in the kitchen. Let's do it. And I realized that caregiving doesn't have to be all weight, you don't have to carry it all. And my mom has told me more than once how proud she is of everything that I've accomplished. And in those moments, I'm not a corporate person, I'm not anything else but just her daughter. I'm not the caregiver at the moment, I'm her daughter, and that is what grounds me in a way. Nothing else can. It's my anchor. And as an only child, my dad passed away when I was born. She is all I have, and I am all that she has. So joy that restores dignity, it reminds us we're still living, and joy protects me too. It protects me. It's not fake, it's not something, it transforms that responsibility into an honor that's an actual gift that I get to do this for my mom who did it for me when I was growing up.

SPEAKER_03

That is just such a beautiful thing. And I just want to congratulate you on such an amazing job you're doing. And I didn't even know you personally when I saw those, you know, snippets, and it just really comes across that, like you said, it's not fake. You could see the real joy, and it takes a lot of courage and a lot of zooming out of that moment to see what's the big picture, and you're making the best of those moments that you're living with her and giving her the same, and not making her probably down that now you have to do this for her, or you know, because sometimes the guilt kicks in, especially for mom. Uh oh, my daughter is doing so much, she's already overwhelmed, she has so much to do, and now she has to take care of me. But when she sees you with that smile and just enjoying that moment with her, she wants to be more joyful and you know, do her part kind of in going through this journey. So, really, really, it's truly amazing. And I wanted to really point this out because a lot of us either are or will in our lifetimes go through that experience. And I would rather do it your way than the other way.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you. Appreciate that.

SPEAKER_03

That's really beautiful. So we've talked a lot of the facets that you do for your family, for the people around you. And you manage a demanding leadership role. I know you have a lot of travel, your own health, right? So, what are the non-negotiables that help you stay grounded and keep going? Share that with us.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I love this one because it's movement. Movement, movement, movement. I like my morning quiet. So I'm always the first to rise with my little fur baby cinnamon. We sit on the sofa, I do a little meditation, a little catching up on my social media, do read, you know, a couple of interesting educational articles. And then I get my movement in. I'm at the gym or I'm doing my morning jog. Boundaries are on my calendar and sleep. I get my sleep. I am early, early to bed and early to rise, my husband always says. And my morning jog is a non-negotiable, my morning workout. Some days, you know, my mom and I, you know, like I'll try to recruit her, or she'll try to recruit me into like a dance party before I even make it out the door. And, you know, sometimes I let her win because, you know, she's just needing that. I need her to do that.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

But that's a movement, right? I'm always gonna get that movement in. I'm always gonna make sure like she's getting some type of movement in. And it's how I start from a grounded place. It's either gonna be with my mom when she gets up and wants to have that her coffee or my fur baby. But if I don't move my body, I feel it everywhere in my mood, my clarity, my patience. If I don't create space in my day for me, I react instead of doing the things that I know are important to me. Leading, caring, all those things. So, yeah, my non-negotiable is I'm gonna get that workout in. People know it. I'll take calls at all hours. But I'm gonna do it. Right, exactly. You get it.

SPEAKER_03

Yes. So another thing, because I think for a lot of us, me included sometimes, you know, especially with exercise, like I would start a routine, I'll do it for some time, and then things will get busy, and then that's the first thing I'll drop, or you know, whatever. So, what keeps you committed to this practice, even when life gets busy? And do you have any tips for our listeners on that?

SPEAKER_01

You know, I have felt depletion before, you know, but I don't want to operate from that place ever again. So for me, I am intentional. I am my own motivator, my own inspiration. I wake up and my family laughs at me because I do literally jump out of bed and I say something positive to kickstart my day. I don't let negativity, even though I know there's a lot of things going on and I'm trying to take care of my mom and her health, I have to be grounded in just something positive, right? Seeing that. And when I'm grounded, everything improves. Clarity, leadership, relationships. And that's more than enough motivation for me. So what I would tell people or advise people is, you know, find something that works for you. Any type of movement, whether it's just a walk in your neighborhood and you just put your earphones on, block out the outside noise, or maybe turn on an audible book or listen to some music and dance it out, what I always tell people, you know, but find your inner energy, your inner inspiration and motivation, because only you can do that. You know, some people say, Well, I follow you, and that's what gets me going, Ebony. I'm like, okay, follow me. That's okay. You can find me on Instagram or LinkedIn. I don't mind. But I always tell people, you've got to find that. You know, people can lead you to the water, but we cannot make you drink that. That's your choice, right? That's right. That's right. You know, that's for me, it's you find that. And when you find it, you run, you run with it.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yes, I love that. So if you could to motivate our listeners, since I I'm pretty sure a lot of you can get supercharged by just looking at you, talking to you. So if you could give our listeners one well-being challenge to try to speak, what would it be?

SPEAKER_01

Pause before responding to something stressful. I really believe in this. Take one breath, just one. Inhale in and exhale out that stress. And I notice what shifts in your body, your tone, your response. If you just do that for a few seconds, someone once told me they tried this in a very tense meeting, and it completely changed how they showed up. Just one breath they did. That's the whole challenge. Because leadership lives in those micro moments, you know.

SPEAKER_03

I absolutely love and support that idea. I have done that myself in my life, and it has drastically changed how I show up in my personal and professional life. So I know it works. So people definitely try that out this week. And how can people reach you? How can they learn more from you? Yeah. We'll, of course, have all those details in the show notes, but any message, anything you want to say to our listeners.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you know, you can find me on Instagram. I love sharing my story, my life. I tell people I live my life out loud. Yes. Because you'll see everything, especially on my weekends. And you can find me on LinkedIn where I post a lot of professional but motivational posts and my TikTok, my Facebook, yes, I am that person. You know, something else I would also say is, you know, just reach out if you have a question, whatever. I always get back to people. And again, I love to inspire and motivate people to be their full best self, you know?

SPEAKER_03

Well, thank you. You surely do that. And I love every interaction that I have with you. So just listening to Ebony, what stands out is how much leadership is about humanity and not just strategy or external technology or buzzwords. She really lives it. She shows us that leading with empathy, resilience, and presence isn't a soft skill. It's a skill for leaders in today's world that is necessary. And truly, her dedication to global well-being, while balancing caregiving and her own practices is a living example of what it means to lead from within. Every single kind of question that I was asking her and her responses were reminding me that how she has embraced this inner work, understanding her nervous system, her triggers, our, and you know, our capacity to respond rather than react. And like she said, this is where real leadership magic happens. So for anyone listening, whether you're leading a team, managing change, or simply trying to navigate life under pressure, take a page from Ebony's approach, pause, check in with yourself, and intentionally show up. That's exactly what the ATM framework teaches. Arrive, take responsibility, make a conscious choice. When we tap into that inner technology, we unlock the ability to respond, not just react to life's challenges and to the beautiful moments that unfold after that. So, Ebony, you have reminded us that well-being at work and in life isn't a nice to have. It's the foundation of true leadership. And let this episode be a call to action to all of you. Please invest in yourself, cultivate presence, and lead from within. Because when leaders do that, everyone around them benefits. Thank you again, Ebony, for this really heartfelt conversation. I truly enjoyed it, and I'm sure our listeners will too. So thank you again.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00

So that's it for today's episode of her boss brain podcast. Head on over to Apple Podcasts iTunes or wherever you listen and subscribe to the show. One lucky listener every single week that posts a review on Apple Podcasts or iTunes will win a chance in a grand prize drawing to win a$25,000 private VIP day with Pollovy herself. Be sure to head on over to her bossbrainpodcast.com and pick up a free copy of Pelobi's Gift and join us next time.