Roar with Lakecia Gunter

If you’ve ever thought about becoming an entrepreneur, the uncertainty of success can often be the biggest obstacle holding you back. Fear and doubt are inevitable, but allowing them to dictate your professional life could mean missing out on fulfilling your dreams. Sometimes it takes recognizing your potential through the eyes of others to really provide the confidence boost you need to take the entrepreneurial leap. My guest today is Monica Enand, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zapproved, a cloud-based software provider for corporate legal departments. Their goal is to make it easier and more economical for businesses to navigate the increasing rules and regulations that clients face. Her many professional accolades include the 2018 Sam Blackman Award for Civic Engagement, the 2016 TiE Entrepreneur of the Year award, and the 2010 Portland Business Journal Orchid Award for achievement for women in business. In this episode, you’ll hear how Monica pursued her dream of building a successful software business. She shares her inspiring journey from employee to CEO, and how she overcame the fears and doubts she had about transitioning from a financially comfortable and successful tech role into starting her business. What You Will Learn:Recognizing your potential for the first time (5:09)The thrill when entrepreneurial lightning strikes (10:03)What successful entrepreneurs know about timing (14:36)Flipping the switch from idea to action (17:04)Fostering values of inclusivity within your business (24:59)Developing a mountain climbers mindset (30:33)Connect with Monica Enand:LinkedInLet’s connect!LinkedInTwitterInstagram

When we meet obstacles in our lives and careers, how do we move forward? After such a tumultuous year, we’ve learned to expect the unexpected with greater frequency. This has allowed us ample opportunities to test our ability to recover from adversity, and it’s built up our resilience to weather and learn from the challenges we face. My guest today is Kim Stevenson, Senior Vice President and General Manager of NetApp’s Foundational Data Services Business Unit where she’s helping to lead the charge into a new technology era. Kim most recently served as a senior executive with Lenovo as Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Data Center Group. She’s also a valued member of my personal board of advisors.In this episode, Kim shares the lessons she’s learned about overcoming adversity throughout her distinguished career. It’s taught her that avoiding change is never the best way forward, and the real wisdom is in the learning process. You’ll hear how she’s transformed adversity into her superpower, and why she believes diversity is so important in shaping a successful business. What You Will Learn:Drawing the line between kindness and being firm (6:06)Learning how to use your voice (11:09)Choosing to face the fire when things get hot (15:42)The simple key to overcoming adversity (21:41)Cultivating the muscle of resilience and recovery (33:25)Calling on the power of reflection (36:43)An outline for building a diverse team (43:50)Connect with Kim Stevenson:TwitterLinkedInLet’s connect!LinkedInTwitterInstagram

If you can see it, you can be it, right? We know from history that it’s not always easy to become something when you’ve never seen your face reflected in the stories we’re taught. March is Women's History Month, and it’s an important time to recognize the trailblazers who have led the way. Their bravery and persistence have created pathways that make the journey less challenging for future generations who follow in their footsteps. My guest today is a trailblazer in every sense of the word. Dr. Renee Horton is an entrepreneur, author, international speaker, and physicist. After earning her bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana State University in 2002, she went on to earn her Ph.D. in Material Science with a concentration in physics from the University of Alabama. As the first African American to earn this degree, she continues to pay it forward as the proud founder of Unapologetically Being Incorporated, a nonprofit for advocacy and mentoring in STEM. Today, she works at the NASA Residential Management Office in New Orleans as a Space Launch System Quality Engineer. Her work is in helping to develop rockets for the 2024 Artemis mission, which will land the first woman on the moon.In today’s episode, you’ll hear her personal story of bravery and persistence as she rose above the challenges that life presented and claimed her seat at the table. She viewed every bump in the road as an opportunity, and her unique experience of rising to the top is helping countless others survive, thrive, and advocate for the success of future generations. You’ll hear how she’s literally sending rockets to the moon, and working every day to change the face of STEM. What You Will Learn:How strong early influences shape perspective (5:08)What perseverance looks like (10:16)Moving from imposter syndrome to owning our achievements (15:12)Sustaining the motivation to help your tribe (20:34)How a bump in the road led to novel innovation (21:55)Teaching the next generation how to survive and thrive (28:27)Manifesting your future into existence (34:58)Connect with Renee Horton:Renee Horton Ph.DLinkedInTwitterUnapologetically Being IncorporatedDr. H Explores the Universe: Mercury to Mars by K Renee Horton, Ph.D.Dr. H Explores the Universe: Jupiter to Uranus by K Renee Horton, Ph.D.Let’s connect!LinkedInTwitterInstagram