Redefining RARE Leadership with Aiko Bethea

Today, I am interviewing someone I look up to in business, Kym Insana. As you will hear, Kym not only is a wife and mom to 4 boys (wow, I know!), but she has also built a very successful marketing media execution business. Kym’s mantra is “You can work hard, have career success, and the family life you desire.” As soon as I heard that, I was like, “Tell me more, Kym!” Who doesn’t want to have career success and the personal lives we desire?During today’s podcast, Kym and I chatted about: Why Kym decided to build her multi-million-dollar business, AlwaysOn Digital.Why Kym is passionate about working parents.Kym’s advice for women who want a high-powered career and life.How Kym manages her teams – both in-person and remote.Digital marketing and media, of course! I had to talk about this since I am also a marketing nerd.And more!Here is more about Kym:Kym Insana is a multimillion-dollar business owner, digital marketing expert, wife, and mother of four boys. As the founder of AlwaysOn Digital, she helps leading brands reach the masses through dynamic digital campaigns that generate consumer interaction and sales so they can scale. Top brands lean on Kym’s expertise, including the US Air Force, American, Enfamil, the Texas Rangers, and Johnston and Murphy.Kym jumped into the digital marketing world before it became part of the modern fabric for business growth. For more than 20 years, she’s led sales and digital campaigns for top advertising agencies in New York City. But dealing with a two-hour commute while growing her family proved to be a turning point. She felt compelled to start a business and gain her time back. The yearning for freedom quickly outweighed the desire for a corporate career.At the same time, Kym noticed other successful women quitting the workforce for similar reasons. That prompted her to ask herself, ‘What if I could build a business that fit these talented women and their ideal work schedules — while still providing them with a career?’In 2016, AlwaysOn Digital was born.

One of my key messages for you today is that it is ok to take a break. You are not a bad mom, wife, boss, employee, sister, aunt, friend, or other community member if you drop off the grid for a while. Yes, I felt a bit of guilt, but then I realized that I am better in all areas of my life when I take breaks. If you need to hear this, I hope it helps you! As my guest today, Dr. Angela Jackson, says, “It’s a win-win.” “Win-win” is a traditional corporate term, but Dr. Angela takes it to a whole new level. In her NY Times Bestselling book, The Win-Win Workplace: How Thriving Employees Drive Bottom-Line Success, she shares 9 key principles that will drive the future of work. During the podcast, Dr. Angela and I chatted about: Why traditional top-down authority and decision making will not work moving forward.The key mistakes leaders and companies make when trying to enhance employee productivity.An overview of the 9 key strategies that emerged from Dr. Angela’s research for her book.How can leaders empower employees to make powerful decisions?The impact of creating a psychologically safe work environment on employees. What advice Dr. Angela would have for any companies, teams or leaders that are resistant to change.And more!

You may not know this, but I have been a student of nervous system regulation for several years. When I have faced stress, burnout or other challenges in the past, I thought I could “think” my way out of the issue. I know. It’s a silly notion, but it is what served me for years. It’s what drove my success. And in 2019, it is what drove my demise in burnout.Burnout was a doorway to curiosity. There had to be a different way to live and work. And I’m learning it involves the regulation and interplay between our minds and bodies. My guest, Jay Fields, and I have known one another for a bit, so I was excited that she joined me for this conversation. During the podcast, Jay and I chatted about: What is the purpose of the nervous system and why is training it to serve us important.Why is it easier to remain in our heads vs. listen to our bodies’ signals?What does it mean to be embodied?What is Jay’s Overthinking Quiz and why should you take it?The meaning behind Jay’s popular phrase and podcast, “Hey Wait.”How we can leverage these learnings to protect our energy.

I love the topic we are talking about today – fearless authenticity. And guess what? Authenticity is the topic for the next Brave Women at Work book! How cool is that?According to an internet search, “Fearless authenticity means living a life true to your core values and beliefs, without fear of judgment or societal expectations. It involves embracing your unique self, accepting your flaws, and expressing your thoughts and feelings openly and honestly, even when it's challenging or uncomfortable. It's about finding the courage to be vulnerable and unapologetically yourself, even when it may not align with what others expect or want.”I aspire to fearless authenticity. What about you? There are times where I feel like I’m living and working in this state, and then I slip out of it. My goal is to be in states of fearless authenticity more, so I was pumped to talk with my guest today, Jeanne Sparrow.During the podcast, Jeanne and I chatted about: The story behind her Emmy Awards. If you see the podcast on YouTube, she had her Emmy Awards visible in the background!What living it, telling it, and sellling it means to Jeanne.How everyone can discover their own personal brand.The story behind Jeanne’s book, Fearless Authenticity: Lead Better, Sell More, and Speak SensationallyWhat the prestige is in each one of us, and how we can leverage it in place of Imposter Syndrome

Did you know that the female brain and male brain are different? You are probably thinking, “No kidding, Jen.” Remember the book Men Are From Mars, Women at From Venus? My guest today, Barbara Annis, has made it her life’s work to study gender intelligence and the brilliance of the female mind. For most of my career, I have tried to mold myself into a man’s world. It was a refreshing perspective to hear Barbara talk about why that isn’t needed, and quite frankly, why it is a waste of time because all women, including me, need to own their own strengths. During the podcast, Barbara and I chatted about: What is gender intelligence, and why is it important?What led Barbara to write her latest book, The Brilliance of the Female Mind: How Women are Transforming the World.How men’s and women’s minds are different?How can we nurture as strengths as women?What are the confidence pitfalls we face as women? What actions can we take to correct these pitfalls?The assessment we can take on Barbara’s Gender Intelligence website.

We’re in the summer winddown in the Pestikas household as this podcast launches. My husband, John, and I were just talking the other day, and we are so elated that the kids are almost back to school. Do you feel me?While it is fun to have an unstructured summer, it can get tiring after a while as we become Uber drivers for our children, especially our teenager, Charlotte. “Dad, can I go here?” “Mom, can I have a sleepover at this friend’s house?” It’s fun and relentless at the same time. And we can’t wait for a bit more structure once again! Do you feel me?Parenting, and most things in life, take grit. When I think of grit, I think of Angela Duckworth’s book of the same name. In preparation for this show, I looked up what the word even means because I could not define it for myself. According to Google, grit means, “courage and resolve; strength of character.”I want more grit in my life. I want my children to have grit. So, when my guest, Emily Williams Knight, mentioned that she loves to talk about grit, I said, “Game on! Let’s do this!” During the podcast, Emily and I chatted about: How did Emily’s formative years as a child of a military family shaped her to who she is today.What GRIT means and how you can cultivate it within yourself.How you can start your career in one area and end up in a different place.How has managed her bouts with Imposter Syndrome.How Emily led through the COVID-19 period to keep the restaurant industry, one of Texas’s largest industries, moving forward.How Emily is working to help with the childcare crisis in the restaurant industry.What systems Emily has in place to manage her big career and life.

An interview with Aiko Bethea

You know I love to talk about burnout prevention. I recently was in a unique situation at work where I could tell that a fellow female colleague was at the edge of burnout. She was experiencing physical and mental symptoms, was simply not a nice person because the stress was so high, and I could tell she felt stuck in her situation.So, what did I do? I talked with my manager about it. I advocated for this colleague when she couldn’t do it for herself. I told my manager I was worried about this person. And guess what? We helped her and provided her options so she could avoid unnecessary burnout. And when we did, it was like I could see a visible weight literally being lifted off her body. She smiled a deeper smile. I could tell that her neck and body was releasing some of the layers of tension that it was holding. It was a privilege to behold. I am so happy that I know enough about burnout to recognize the signs and to help others.My guest today, Marissa McKool, The Public Healthcare Burnout Coach, is deeply informed on burnout as well. During the podcast, Marissa and I chatted about:Is burnout innate in some people or brought on by our environment? What are the signs and symptoms that Marissa sees with her burnout clients?What are special techniques that Marissa uses to help her clients in the healing and ongoing recovery process?Is burnout always stored as trauma in our bodies? Or can it completely go away?Are Shiny Object Syndrome and burnout related?And more

When I grew up in corporate, I was taught the following:Leave your baggage at the door.Fake it until you make it.Suck it up, buttercup.As a result, as an employee and new manager, I thought you had to divorce your emotions and personal life from your work life as soon as you entered your work environment.What I have learned over time is that I was WRONG with a capital “W.” I have managed and led many people over the years and learned that you manage to the person’s soul and total person, not just their productivity or work persona.We as leaders need to show up authentically and treat our employees as the capable adults they are. My guest today, Andrea Wanerstrand, is aligned with me in my perspective. During the podcast, Andrea and I chatted about:What does an A3 Culture mean? What are the key features of that culture?How we can navigate our emotions at work.Barriers that prevent people from being real and authentic at the jobThe 5 conversations toolboxAdvice that Andrea would give to a leader that struggles with empathy and authorityHow we can take our teams from dependent to autonomous

As I am recording this, we are 1 week after the Thrive in ’25 Conference. Wow! Just wow! The women that attended were so powerful and wonderful to meet and get to know in-person. It was almost like an out-of-body experience to know that I helped bring this to life. And now, I am resting as much as I can. After 1 year of planning, it is wonderful to be able to know that is behind me and I can fully ease into summer and slower days and making fun memories with my family.So, what are we talking about today? I have a powerful guest for the show, former Congresswoman Marie Newman. Marie is so inspiring to listen to because her life and career have had so many zigs and zags, but Marie hasn’t been afraid to do something new. In fact, she admitted that she’s the opposite for being afraid. She often will get teased when she’s going to embark on something different. I would like to get teased for that!During the podcast, Marie and I chatted about:The various twists and turns in Marie’s career and life.What prompted Marie to write her book, A Life Made From Scratch.What life was like as a Congresswoman, and what she learned from that role to create meaningful and long-lasting change.How she has felt moving from a public life and image to a private one.How she has navigated parenting a transgender child.And so much more!Here is more about Marie:Marie Newman is a former congresswoman, nonprofit CEO, marketing executive, author of A Life Made from Scratch and When Your Child Is Being Bullied: Real Solutions, antibullying activist, former Moms Demand Action spokesperson and national LGBTQ+ advocate. In addition to those roles, she is a mom of two adult children, consultant and podcaster. Marie Newman is known for building movements and solving the toughest problems. Marie’s next book, her memoir, will be released March of 2025, (pre-order starts in February) A Life Made From Scratch. Her motto has always been, when you do not see the solution you desperately need, make it from scratch!