a limited-run, private podcast for founders, operators, and leaders rethinking how businesses are built—
and who they’re actually built for.

stories from inside the system—before the redesign.

you know those moments:

  • when your nervous system knows what the spreadsheet won’t admit.

  • when the business says the right things—but the systems tell a different story.

  • when leading means losing parts of yourself you didn’t agree to give up.

  • when you finally stop pretending it’s working—and start rebuilding it so it can.

this is where we talk about that.

it’s behind-the-scenes, and it’s inside-the-nervous system.

each episode is a practice in slowing down enough to name what’s not working.

these conversations are less “case study” and more “confession booth.”
not to shame—but to make visible the patterns so many of us are navigating alone.

we talk about:

  • what it costs to keep a system afloat when it’s out of rhythm

  • how even the most thoughtful teams get overloaded and overlooked

  • what it takes to rebuild a business from the inside out—without abandoning yourself

because even the best-built businesses break sometimes.
it’s what we do next that matters.

inside season one: conversations that rewire the system

each episode is a moment of truth-telling—the kind that can be hard to say out loud but even harder to keep in.

  • A personal opening from Brittany on the moments that led to this series—and why structural misalignment isn’t only a strategy problem. It’s largely a systems one.

  • Rae shares what it’s like to lead from self-trust—not certainty—and what happened when they stopped performing competence and started building with more honesty

  • Amina talks about nervous system recovery, reorienting around genius, and the myth that good leadership means holding it all.

  • Trudi offers a vision for what’s possible when we decenter urgency and design systems for wholeness—not just output.

  • Barrett gets honest about what it costs to build based on expectations—and what it takes to choose vision over validation.

  • Tamu talks about grief, growth, and how the body knows what the business isn’t ready to admit.

  • Bob unpacks the subtler forms of control, power-hoarding, and how to create real agreements inside our teams.

  • Sarah closes the season with a conversation on creative risk, strategic ambiguity, and what it looks like to build from practiced trust—not premature polish

  • A closing synthesis of everything this series revealed—about misalignment, repair, and what it means to design systems that hold. Brittany reflects on the key themes from each guest, the patterns we’re collectively navigating, and the invitations ahead.

words from listeners

  • "Thank you for the podcast. I listened to everything and it felt like healing."

  • “This podcast is so good!! I’ve listened to several episodes today in the car!”

  • “Loved this series! Also now I have like five more books on my TBR list!”

  • “I always appreciate someone that can put into words exactly the reality of it all. It really resonates.”

meet the guests

  • Sarah Paikai

    Creative Strategist, Speaker, Founder of Aloha Management Center

    Sarah Paikai is a creative strategist, speaker, and operations expert who helps businesses and leaders bridge the gap between structure and storytelling. With a background in publishing, branding, and business operations, she specializes in turning complex ideas into clear, actionable strategies.

    As the founder of Aloha Management Center, Sarah has worked with companies across industries to streamline operations, amplify their message, and create business models that align with their values. She blends creativity with operational excellence to show that strategy isn’t just about efficiency—it’s an art form.

    Through her consulting, speaking, and writing, Sarah empowers leaders to bring more authenticity, clarity, and creativity into the way they run their businesses.

  • Rae McDaniel

    Speaker, Author, Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, Coach, and Transgender Belonging and Inclusion Educator.

    Rae McDaniel (they/them) is a nationally recognized speaker, author, therapist, and coach who helps leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs break free from rigid expectations and build lives that align with who they truly are—with joy and authenticity.

    They are the author of Gender Magic—a groundbreaking, practical guide to achieving gender freedom with curiosity and pleasure—and the founder of Audacity Ventures, where they lead powerful work at the intersection of identity, leadership, and liberation.

    Through their work with Practical Audacity, Rae’s Chicago-based Gender & Sex Therapy practice, they’ve helped thousands of people explore and embody their full selves. Their mission? To help people embrace the sheer audacity to be themselves—without apology.

    Rae’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Time, Women’s Health, and on stages like TEDx, Rutgers University, Soho House, and ROI: The Millionaires Summit.

  • Tamu Thomas

    Author of Women Who Work Too Much, Somatic Coach, Founder of Live Three Sixty

    Tamu Thomas (she/her) is a somatic coach, speaker, and entrepreneur dedicated to helping high-achieving women break free from burnout and embrace sustainable success. As the author of Women Who Work Too Much, she unpacks how our obsession with efficiency and overwork is keeping us stuck—and how to redefine productivity in a way that actually supports us.

    Through her coaching practice, Live Three Sixty, Tamu blends neuroscience, somatic practices, and leadership development to help women reconnect with joy, rest, and a more human way of working. Her work has been featured in Psychologies Magazine, BBC Radio, and Red Magazine, and she has worked with brands like Sony Music, Amazon, and Soho House.

    With her signature blend of warmth and no-nonsense wisdom, Tamu is on a mission to help leaders work well, live well, and thrive—without toxic hustle.

  • Amina AlTai

    Executive Coach, Leadership Trainer, Author of The Ambition Trap

    Amina AlTai (she/her) is an executive coach, leadership trainer, and chronic illness advocate helping high-achieving leaders live and lead from a place of deep alignment. A proud immigrant and former marketing executive, Amina’s work sits at the intersection of ambition, wellness, and purpose.

    She is the author of The Ambition Trap: How to Stop Chasing and Start Living, published by Penguin/The Open Field—offering a bold reimagining of success for those burned out by hustle culture and striving.

    Amina has partnered with companies like Google, Roku, Deloitte, and Snap, and has been recognized as a Women of Influence by Success Magazine. Her insights have been featured in Forbes, goop, The New York Times, and Well+Good, and she currently serves as an expert-in-residence for Entrepreneur Magazine.

    Through coaching, writing, and speaking, Amina helps leaders reconnect to their brilliance—so they can lead with impact, integrity, and well-being.

  • Trudi Lebron

    Equity-Centered Business Coach, Leadership Consultant, Author of The Antiracist Business Book

    Trudi Lebron (she/her) is a business coach, speaker, and leadership strategist specializing in equity, inclusion, and sustainable business growth. As the author of The Antiracist Business Book, she helps leaders and organizations build businesses that are not only profitable but also ethical, inclusive, and rooted in social impact.

    As the CEO of The Institute for Equity-Centered Coaching, Trudi has worked with Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, and mission-driven brands to redefine leadership and create systems that prioritize people and profit. Her insights have been featured in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company.

    Through her coaching, consulting, and writing, Trudi challenges business leaders to think beyond traditional models and create companies that reflect the future we actually want to live in.

  • Barrett Brooks

    Leadership Coach, Former COO of ConvertKit, Host of The Good Work Podcast

    Barrett Brooks (he/him)  helps leaders build values-driven businesses, lead with courage, and create lasting impact. As the former COO of ConvertKit, he scaled the company from $3M to $30M ARR. He has worked alongside Seth Godin and coaches seven-figure creators across industries like sustainable living, non-profits, and entrepreneurship.

    As host of The Good Work Podcast, Barrett explores how we can navigate leadership, business, and personal growth while staying rooted in purpose. His work is for leaders who want to act with intention, inspire others, and build a better future.

  • Bob Gower

    Organizational Designer, Leadership Consultant, Author of Radical Alignment

    Bob Gower (he/him) is a consultant, speaker, and expert in organizational design, helping leaders build high-performing, trust-driven teams. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and nonprofits to create collaborative, efficient, and human-centered workplaces.

    As the author of Radical Alignment and Agile Business: A Leader’s Guide to Harnessing Complexity, Bob specializes in alignment, decision-making, and reducing workplace drama. His insights have been featured in Forbes, The Guardian, and Inc., and he has advised organizations like GE, Ford, and the Wikimedia Foundation.

    Through his consulting, writing, and speaking, Bob helps leaders cut through dysfunction, align their teams, and create organizations where people and ideas thrive.

  • Your Host: Brittany Martin

    Leadership Strategist, Business Architect, Founder of Work In Practice

    Brittany Martin is a leadership strategist, coach, and business architect who helps visionary founders build sustainable, values-aligned businesses—without burning themselves (or their teams) out. With over a decade of experience in operations, leadership, and business development, she’s worked behind the scenes to scale multimillion-dollar companies, align leadership teams, and re-architect systems from the inside out.

    As the creator of COO-fessions, Brittany brings together the next generation of business leaders to examine the fault lines inside our current models—and imagine what comes next. Her work centers cooperative structures, regenerative strategy, and a commitment to building businesses that serve both people and profit.

    Brittany challenges traditional leadership paradigms and helps founders build structures that don’t rely on heroic effort to function.