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Stand Tall & Own It - Equipping Purpose-Driven Leaders to Show Up with Authenticity and Courage

Stand Tall & Own It - Equipping Purpose-Driven Leaders to Show Up with Authenticity and Courage

Written by: Andrea Johnson
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“Just be you,” they say. But for many high-achievers, “just being you” hasn’t always felt safe or practical—whether it’s at work, school, church, or even in leadership circles. For purpose-driven leaders, holding back can limit your impact and undermine your authenticity.


Even in workplaces that claim to value individuality, leading with confidence and conviction still takes courage. To lead with steadiness and clarity, you must first understand your values, embrace your individuality, and recognize that the solutions you need are as unique as you are.


Stand Tall & Own It is for modern leaders who want to lead with purpose, integrity, and courage—without sacrificing who they are. Each episode explores how to navigate challenges, make values-anchored decisions, and cultivate the discernment to think critically in a noisy world.


If you’re ready to explore your Core Values and lead with intention, check out my Core Values Blueprint and Core Values Coaching for practical tools to help you grow.

Subscribe now and start leading from the inside out.

© 2025 Stand Tall & Own It - Equipping Purpose-Driven Leaders to Show Up with Authenticity and Courage
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Episodes
  • Before You Set Goals for 2026: Start With What’s Still True
    Dec 16 2025

    Feedback or Questions? Send us a text!

    1 BIG IDEA
    Before you step into a new year or set a single goal, pause long enough to name what’s still true. Identity-level truths don’t flip with the calendar. They anchor your leadership, give you direction, and help you move into 2026 with intention rather than urgency.

    3 WAYS TO APPLY THIS

    • Write down one truth about who you are right now. Use it as an orientation point, not a performance metric.
    • Identify the Core Value that refused to be negotiated this year and let it guide your next decisions.
    • Notice the thread or direction that keeps resurfacing and allow it to quietly shape your approach to the new year.

    3 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

    1. What truth about yourself kept resurfacing this year?
    2. Which Core Value remained non-negotiable, even when circumstances shifted?
    3. What thread—however faint—keeps tugging you toward 2026?

    GO DEEPER
    Core Values Resources:

    Blueprint (Free Download): https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/corevaluesexercise
    Digital Course: https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/values
    Coaching: https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/core-values-beta
    Healthy Boundaries Make Happy Holidays: https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/healthyboundaries

    Missed Live2Lead? You can still experience it online through LeaderPass ($79).
    Watch the keynotes and leadership lessons anytime through February 2026:
    https://leaderpass.com/pass/live2lead/host/?ref=RHYBTBBY

    PREFER YouTube?
    Catch the full episode → https://youtu.be/cjhNz8eSI00

    PROUD PARTNERS OF STAND TALL & OWN IT

    PodMatch: https://joinpodmatch.com/theintentionaloptimist

    Liz Wilcox Email Marketing Membership: https://lizwilcox.com?aff=andrea

    LET’S CONNECT
    Instagram + LinkedIn → @theintentionaloptimist
    Email → andrea@theintentionaloptimist.com
    Podcast Hub → theintentionaloptimist.com/podcast
    YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@intentionaloptimist

    ENJOYING THE SHOW? LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW
    Apple → Scroll down on the podcast page, hit 5-stars, and write a quick review.
    Podchaser (Android) → podchaser.com/podcasts/stand-tall-own-it-empowering-p-1406762

    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • Gratitude Grounds You: Leading from What’s Still True
    Nov 25 2025

    Feedback or Questions? Send us a text!

    1 BIG IDEA
    Gratitude isn’t about pretending everything’s fine. It’s the practice of seeing clearly what remains true—of letting awareness, not avoidance, steady your heart. When life feels uncertain, gratitude grounds you in your Core Values and helps you lead from what’s still real, good, and enduring.

    3 WAYS TO APPLY THIS

    • Pause before reacting. Name one truth that still holds steady, even in change.
    • Write a note of thanks for a value that showed up this season—in yourself or someone else.
    • Use Intentional Optimism to move your values into action: choose curiosity, courage, and presence over reactivity.

    3 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

    1. What value has anchored me through this season?
    2. Where have I seen growth or grace, even in hardship?
    3. Who might need to hear a word of thanks from me today?

    ACTION STEP:

    Choose one Core Value and one simple way to honor it this week—through gratitude, action, or acknowledgment. Let that be your steady place to lead from what’s still true.

    GO DEEPER
    Core Values Resources: Anchor your decisions in clarity, define what matters, and build steady, values-based confidence.
    Blueprint (Free Download): https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/corevaluesexercise
    Course: https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/values
    Coaching: https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/core-values-beta
    Healthy Boundaries Make Happy Holidays: https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/healthyboundaries

    🎁 Black Friday Special: When you purchase the Uncovering Your Core Values Digital Course between Friday, Nov 28-Dec 1, you’ll receive a free one-hour coaching session with me as a bonus. It’s the perfect time to get anchored in your Core Values — and step fully into the work that matters most.

    Missed Live2Lead? You can still experience it online through LeaderPass ($79).
    Watch the keynotes and leadership lessons anytime through February 2026:
    https://leaderpass.com/pass/live2lead/host/?ref=RHYBTBBY

    PREFER YouTube?
    Catch the full episode → https://youtu.be/9sznDhNDEpg

    PROUD PARTNERS OF STAND TALL & OWN IT

    🎙️ PodMatch — Book interviews and share your message with aligned audiences: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/theintentionaloptimist

    💌 Liz Wilcox’s Email Marketing Membership — $9/month to stay visible and consistent. Join through my link for a free Healthy Boundaries Make Happy Holidays Masterclass:

    LET’S CONNECT
    Instagram + LinkedIn → @theintentionaloptimist
    Email → andrea@theintentionaloptimist.com
    Podcast Hub → theintentionaloptimist.com/podcast
    YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@intentionaloptimist

    ENJOYING THE SHOW? LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW
    Apple → Scroll down on the podcast page, hit 5-stars, and write a quick review.
    Podchaser (Android) → podchaser.com/podcasts/stand-tall-own-it-empowering-p-1406762

    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • Aligned Action: The Quiet Power Behind Real Leadership Change
    Nov 18 2025

    Feedback or Questions? Send us a text!

    1 BIG IDEA
    Deeper change comes when your intentions and your actions finally align. Vision without movement is fantasy, and movement without discernment is chaos. Real transformation happens in the steady rhythm of reflection, clarity, and consistent, values-based action.

    3 WAYS TO APPLY THIS

    • Trade Certainty for Clarity. Stop waiting to feel 100% ready. Clarity grows through motion — take one intentional step and let experience refine your direction.
    • Use Your Core Values as a Filter. Before you commit to another project, ask: Is this aligned with what I say matters most? Let your values set the pace.
    • Follow the Recognize–Reflect–Respond Rhythm. Build a practice of pausing, evaluating, and then acting on what truly aligns with your vision.

    3 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

    1. Which part of my vision have I been circling but not acting on?
    2. What small, meaningful action could move me forward this week?
    3. How can my Core Values guide where I invest my next energy and attention?

    ACTION STEP: Identify one micro-action that matches the magnitude of your vision — something small, clear, and completely doable. Take it this week, then notice how momentum grows when your movement finally matches your mission.

    GO DEEPER
    Core Values Resources: Anchor your decisions in clarity, define what matters, and build steady, values-based confidence. Blueprint (Free Download): https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/corevaluesexercise
    Course: https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/values
    Coaching: https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/core-values-beta

    🎁 Black Friday Special: Purchase the Uncovering Your Core Values Digital Course between Friday, Nov 28-Dec 1, and receive a free one-hour coaching session with me as a bonus. It’s the perfect time to get anchored in your Core Values — and step fully into the work that matters most.

    Missed Live2Lead? Experience it online through LeaderPass ($79). Watch the keynotes and leadership lessons through February 2026: https://leaderpass.com/pass/live2lead/host/?ref=RHYBTBBY

    PREFER YouTube?
    Catch the full episode → https://youtu.be/5hk6dpF_p-E

    PROUD PARTNERS OF STAND TALL & OWN IT

    🎙️ PodMatch — Book interviews and share your message https://www.joinpodmatch.com/theintentionaloptimist

    💌 Liz Wilcox’s Email Marketing Membership — $9/month to stay visible and consistent. Join through my link for a free Masterclass:

    LET’S CONNECT
    Instagram + LinkedIn → @theintentionaloptimist
    Email → andrea@theintentionaloptimist.com
    Podcast Hub → theintentionaloptimist.com/podcast
    YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@intentionaloptimist

    ENJOYING THE SHOW? LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW
    Apple → Scroll down on the podcast page, hit 5-stars, and write a quick review.
    Podchaser (Android) → podchaser.com/podcasts/stand-tall-own-it-empowering-p-1406762

    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
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