In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kevin Mays - executive coach, founder of Mays Leadership, and a trusted guide to some of the nation’s top leaders. With a background in behavioral science, leadership development, and organizational consulting, Kevin helps high-impact individuals strengthen their leadership from the inside out.

And that’s exactly what this conversation is about.

Too many people are trained to manage what’s happening "out there," the deadlines, the clients, the optics, the performance. But they never learned how to manage what’s happening "in here," their thoughts, their patterns, their internal experience.

Dr. Mays brings deep wisdom, grounded strategy, and lived experience to these questions. Together, we explore:

• Why leadership starts with self-awareness
• The root of burnout and how to dissolve it through presence
• How perfectionism, people-pleasing, and performance can become traps for leaders
• The difference between cognitive awareness and embodied awareness (and why both matter)

You’ll also hear about Dr. Kevin’s personal breaking point and how it shaped the way he now teaches leaders to access their full humanity.

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this. Send it to the leader who’s always on but rarely off. To the executive who knows how to hit the goals but struggles to feel peace. To the person who’s great at managing everything except their own mind.

Links and Resources:

• Click HERE to learn more about one-on-one coaching with me!
• Get your complimentary copy of The Unblocked Journal to help bring awareness to perfectionist thinking and what it's creating in your life.
• Join My Do The Thing Community

Let’s Connect:

• Follow me on Facebook & Instagram: @JessicaSmarro
• Share your thoughts and experiences with the hashtag #UnblockedPodcast and tag @jessicasmarro!

Connect with Dr. Kevin Mays:

• www.maysleadership.com
• Subscribe to his daily leadership email for powerful mindset + business insights
• Coming soon: Lead Yourself First - Kevin’s new book on conscious leadership

Let’s Get Unblocked!

When was the last time you held back what you really wanted to say because you didn’t like how you sounded? Worried you’d be “too much”? Not enough? Too emotional, too aggressive, too soft?

In this firecracker of a conversation, I am joined by the brilliant Samara Bay - Hollywood speech coach, bestselling author of Permission to Speak, and a leading voice in helping people reclaim their own.

Samara has coached Oscar-winning actors, presidential candidates, Fortune 500 executives, and everyday folks ready to stop performing and start connecting. And today, she’s here to help you ditch the vocal shame, drop the people-pleasing, and start speaking from your full, unapologetic self.

This episode is not about how to sound polished. It’s about how to sound like YOU with power, presence, and purpose.

🎙️ In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why so many of us hate the sound of our own voice, and how to shift that narrative
• How the myth of the “sound of power” has kept us small
• What public speaking really is (hint: it’s not performance, it’s connection)
• Why authenticity is your greatest communication superpower
• How to show up with strength and warmth, even when your nervous system is freaking out

Samara breaks it all down with heart, humor, and a permission slip to show up fully. You’ll walk away with tools to stop editing yourself and start leading with your real voice.

And if your voice has been hiding, let today be the day you call it back. Start small. Start scared. Just start.

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this.

Links and Resources:

• Click HERE to learn more about one-on-one coaching with me!
• Get your complimentary copy of The Unblocked Journal to help bring awareness to perfectionist thinking and what it's creating in your life.
• Join My Do The Thing Community

Let’s Connect:

• Follow me on Facebook & Instagram: @JessicaSmarro
• Share your thoughts and experiences with the hashtag #UnblockedPodcast and tag @jessicasmarro!

Connect with Samara:

• Website: www.permissiontospreak.com
• Book: Permission to Speak (Available wherever books are sold)
• Instagram & LinkedIn: @samarabay

Let’s Get Unblocked!

In this episode, I’m joined by Carey Davidson, founder of Harmin Labs and author of The Five Archetypes. Carey brings a transformative lens to understanding yourself and others by integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine, neuroscience, and behavioral science into a powerful system of self-awareness and relational healing.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in reactive patterns, misunderstood in your relationships, or unsure of how to access your full potential, this conversation will give you the framework and tools to shift, gently and powerfully.

We explore:

• The difference between personality types and the Five Archetypes as a dynamic energy system
• What each of the five elements (Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood) represents and how they show up in your day-to-day life
• How to recognize when you're operating from stress and how to course-correct
• The connection between your dominant archetype and your emotional safety strategies
• The one practice Carey recommends to immediately begin using this framework in your life

Whether you’re a self-growth junkie or curious about what’s been getting in the way of feeling whole and in flow, this episode offers deep insights and actionable strategies to break free from inner blocks and reclaim your personal power.

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this.

Links and Resources:

• Click HERE to learn more about one-on-one coaching with me!
• Get your complimentary copy of The Unblocked Journal to help bring awareness to perfectionist thinking and what it's creating in your life.
• Join My Do The Thing Community

Let’s Connect:

• Follow me on Facebook & Instagram: @JessicaSmarro
• Share your thoughts and experiences with the hashtag #UnblockedPodcast and tag @jessicasmarro!

Let’s Get Unblocked!

Resources Mentioned:

• Discover your Five Archetypes - Take the assessment here!
• The Five Archetypes by Carey Davidson – Buy the Book
• Connect with Carey at www.careydavidson.com or on Instagram @careydavidsonofficial