When Life Breaks You Open: Debbie Simmons on Grief, Faith, and Leading Forward

Most leaders are told to “push through,” “stay strong,” and “leave emotions at the door.” Debbie Simmons believes the opposite, and your humanity is your greatest leadership asset.

In this episode, Tracy sits down with CEO, author, and trauma-informed leadership mentor Debbie Simmons, a woman who has led through unimaginable loss, nonprofit pressure, and the relentless demands of caregiving. Instead of breaking, she built a faith-rooted, practical framework that helps women lead from peace, not panic, and the wisdom she shares is urgently needed in today’s burnout culture.

Debbie unpacks the night her life changed forever, how she rebuilt her identity piece by piece, and why letting go of the “why” will free you faster than chasing answers ever will. She also reveals her deceptively simple BEST method, the strategy that has helped countless women get unstuck without bypassing their pain.

If you’ve been holding it all together on the outside while quietly falling apart on the inside, this episode is your permission to exhale.

You’ll learn:

• Why the question “Why is this happening?” keeps us stuck and what to ask instead
• How grief, trauma, and leadership intersect (and why ignoring one harms the others)
• The surprising reason movement, not motivation, is what gets you out of survival mode
• How to model emotional resilience for your team, family, and community
• Debbie’s BEST method: Breathe, Evaluate, Step Back, Take Action, and how to use it in real life
• Why naming your truth is the fastest path to taming overwhelm

Guest Bio:

Debbie Simmons is a CEO, author, adoptive mother of nine, and trauma-informed leadership coach who helps women move from survival to sustainable leadership. After navigating infertility, the loss of her quadruplets, and decades of caregiving, she developed a spirit-led framework that empowers leaders to process overwhelm, reclaim clarity, and lead with intention. Debbie is known for her honesty, compassion, and her unwavering belief that your story, no matter how painful, can become someone else’s lifeline.