February 5, 2026 • 28 mins
Leadership that ignores mental and emotional health is expensive -personally and professionally.
In this episode, I’m joined by two 2025 PWR Impact Award winners who are redefining what strength, resilience and sustainable growth look like for women in busness.
Erica Valenzuela, winner of the Resilience Award, is the creator of E-Motion, a space that blends rage, release, movement, and reflection to support emotional health.
LaKisha Mosely, PWR Podcast Guest of the Year, is known as the Soft Simple CEO and helps women build profitable businesses without sacrificing their mental health.
We discuss:
- How emotional healing creates the resilience and clarity required to succeed in business.
- Why mental health is the blueprint for execution, not an afterthought, and rest is a strategy, not a reward.
- Rest as a strategy, not a reward.
- "High-functioning burnout" and the warning signs most women ignore
- Building your network before you need it, taking your own advice, setting boundaries, and more...
Together, we explore the long game of business growth and how capacity, community, and trust create momentum no shortcut ever will.
If you want growth that feels steady instead of exhausting, this conversation offers practical tools and a more sustainable way to lead.
Links and References:
- Learn more about all the 2025 Powerful Women Rising Impact Award winners
- Connect with other female entrepreneurs inside the PWR Connection Network
- Learn more about LaKisha Mosley and connect with her on Instagram
- Protect Your Peace - Why Mental Health is Your Business's Competetive Advantage - LaKisha's award-winning episode on Powerful Women Rising
- Learn more about E-Motion Fitness and connect with Erica on Instagram
Connect with Your Host!
Melissa Snow is a Business Relationship Strategist and the founder of Powerful Women Rising - a business growth ecosystem for female entreprenuers who want to create real momentum through real relationships.
Inside the PWR Connect Network and the PWR Business Growth Mastermind, Melissa helps women in business get build relationships, increase visibility and get more referrals without pressure, perfection or performative networking.
She's on a mission to change the way women grow their businesses - proving that you can be authentic, values-driven and profitable at the same time.
Melissa lives in Colorado with two dogs (Peyton and Ally), three cats (Giorgio, Karma and Betty) and any number of foster kittens. She hates winter, seafood and feet. She loves iced coffee, Taylor Swift, and buying books she'll never read.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:02):
Hello, ladies.
Welcome to the podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (00:04):
Hello.
Hello.
SPEAKER_01 (00:06):
Hi.
So excited to talk to the two ofyou today.
I know this is going to be a funinterview.
Um, but also I know we're goingto touch on some really
important topics too.
So I, as I was saying before westarted recording, I'm actually
really glad the two of you endedup on an interview together
because I mean, you're bothhilarious and so am I.
So that's good.
But also, the topics that we'regoing to be talking about, I
(00:28):
think, are very relevant to bothof you.
So let's start by just havingyou guys introduce yourselves.
I'll start with Erica.
Erica was the winner of the 2025Powerful Women Rising Resilience
Award.
So Erica, tell everybody alittle bit about you and what
you do.
SPEAKER_02 (00:42):
Yeah, so um happy to be on the show.
My name is Erica, and um I ownEmotion.
And what it is, it's a differentconcept to rage.
Um, I allow people to come inand uh break shit, uh, work out
and chill.
And um, I just find it importantfor people to um have intention
when they rage.
So I spray paint bottles, youget to um set your intentions on
(01:05):
them, write it down, uh, all thethings you need to let go of.
Uh, following that, uh, it putsyou in the rage room where you
can just throw a ton of bottlesagainst the wall.
Um, and then I follow that up.
It's optional, but I try toencourage a workout.
Um I think fitness is incrediblyimportant to your mental health
as well.
Um, and then after that, you gointo my chill room and kind of
(01:25):
just relax, come down from thatforward thinking, um,
manifestations, all of that, andjust just kind of be present
within your body and reflect.
So, yeah, that's a little bitwhat I do.
I'm a mom of a 17-year-old,she's a senior, about to
graduate this year, so superexcited.
So I'm just trying to find myway after she leaves the nest.
SPEAKER_01 (01:44):
So yeah, that's awesome.
How long have you been doing therage room?
Uh it's been five years.
Okay, where did that idea comefrom?
SPEAKER_02 (01:53):
Um, I apologize about my dog.
Um, the idea for me came from adream.
I had the most um vivid dreamthat I've ever had.
I woke up and I was like, oh mygod, that was a dream from um
from something else from myancestors, uh, is what I believe
(02:14):
in.
And so I wrote it down and um Iwas in motion two years later.
SPEAKER_01 (02:19):
So that's so awesome.
We're gonna talk a little bitmore about your story later on
in the podcast, but let me go toLakeisha, have her introduce
herself and tell everybody aboutyou.
SPEAKER_00 (02:29):
Hey, y'all.
Hey, so I'm Lakeisha Mosley.
I am the soft simple CEO.
And what that is, is where Ireally help women entrepreneurs
redefine what thought leadershiplooks like.
We don't always have to beraging in the room.
There's a softness that canprecede us and also abound us
(02:49):
when we're in these spaces.
And so I really want to teach ushow to build profitable business
that will that are sustainablebecause everything is at the
core of mental health.
And I don't think we recognizeor realize that.
But if you don't operate from aplace of where you're not
sacrificing your mental health,then a lot of things go awry.
(03:11):
And then you're wondering whyyour business is not sustaining,
why you're not growing, whyyou're not getting profits.
And so I really want to teach ushow to just do business
differently.
SPEAKER_01 (03:20):
Yeah, I love that.
So you were the winner of the2025 Powerful Women Rising
Podcast Guest of the Year award.
And so for those of them who arelistening who did not listen to
your episode, I will link thatin the show notes.
But I can't imagine there's verymany people out there who didn't
hear it because it wasdefinitely one of our most
popular episodes.
Talk a little bit about, we weretalking on that um podcast
(03:44):
episode about mental health andmental wellness and how that
relates to business owners.
So, how does that play into whatyou do in your work as the soft
simple CEO?
SPEAKER_00 (03:54):
It is actually the basis, it is the core, the
blueprint of what I do.
We all have mental health.
We all do, whether it's good,bad, or indifferent.
Some of us live with a mentalhealth condition, which is
slightly different.
If we want to get to a place ofmental wellness, then we have to
understand the pieces and thecore parts of us that do not
operate at optimal levels.
(04:16):
So, for instance, I have highfunctioning depression.
I know that if I overschedulemyself, you will not get the
best part of me.
So there I have to decide orlook at my schedule and say,
okay, I can't overschedulemyself.
Otherwise, I won't be in thewellness piece.
We try to separate the two,Melissa, to be honest.
But they're not inseparable.
(04:38):
You have to have one and theother.
It's not one or the other.
You have to have them both.
And I love what Erica talkedabout about having a place to
release some things, which getsyou into a place of mental
wellness.
And so when I started looking atwhat I felt like women
entrepreneurs, even myself, evenhigh level, let's talk C-suite
(05:01):
and above entrepreneurs who um,you know, deal with a lot of
stresses.
How do we get to a place where Ican still show up and be the
boss?
But I don't have to be the otherword.
You know what I'm saying?
Like I can do both.
I can be soft and I can be veryfeminine and still own and
(05:24):
command the room withoutsacrificing my mental wellness,
and then I can be the perfectleader, not really perfect, I
can be the best leader for myteam.
SPEAKER_01 (05:33):
Yeah, that's really good.
Erica, I want to read a littlebit about uh you.
I don't know if you've heardthis or not, but this is what
people we had for the awards.
People wrote in theirnominations.
They told us a little bit aboutwhy they were nominating you,
and then we had people vote.
We took the top three from eachcategory, and then there was a
(05:54):
panel of judges that chose thewinner.
So I want to read just a littlepart about you that was written
in by the people that nominatedyou.
And what they said is Erica'sstory is resilience in motion.
They talked a little bit aboutthe things that you have gone
through in your life with beingadopted, um, your own struggles
with mental health, uh, your ownstruggles with physical health.
(06:16):
And they said, instead ofbreaking her, these experiences
became the foundation of herlife's work, creating a space
where people can processemotion, release stress, and
reconnect with themselvesthrough movement and healing,
which is a lot of whatLakeisha's talking about too.
And there was a quote that theyshared that you said that was,
I've learned that healing isn'tabout reaching a finish line,
(06:37):
but about returning to yourselfover and over.
They said her ability to riseand transform her pain into
purpose makes her a powerfulexample of resilience.
And I would love to hear fromyou just a little bit about your
own experience with mentalhealth and how that relates to
your business as well.
SPEAKER_02 (06:55):
Yeah, absolutely.
I think um it really is thefoundation of me.
And I encourage people to, youknow, be confident in who they
are within their mental healthjourney because we all have a
journey, and it's importantthough, to not run away from it
and really face it.
(07:16):
And it took me a long time um toface it.
It my my adoption story isactually um probably the
catalyst.
I uh was adopted as a as a baby,um, and I was the bud of a um a
family secret.
So um my entire family knew whomy biological mom was.
I did not.
I thought I was, you know, umfrom a completely different
(07:39):
family.
Who knows, you know, when you'readopted, you get to have the the
best imagination, right, ofwhere you're where you're coming
from, you know.
So I used to tell people JanetJackson was my biological mom.
Literally.
I was like, yeah, you know,she's on tour, you know, Uncle
Mike, uh, they they can't takecare of me.
So and so for me, um thatimagination was taken from me
(08:01):
when I found out uh when I was13 that my biological mom is
actually my aunt and my mostfavorite aunt.
Um it still is, um, but it wasreally hard to find that out
because I was just so confused.
At 13, who wants to find outanything heavy like that?
We're all, you know, assholes atthat age.
So can I cuss on this podcast?
Uh yeah.
Have we met?
(08:23):
Right?
Um, so yeah, uh 13 is a terribleage to find anything like that
out.
It was too, it was really heavy,you know.
I'm in my own bubble and goingthrough puberty, all those that
fun stuff.
And so I that was the beginningof um a an angry version of
Erica because the abandonmentled to confusion and then to
(08:45):
loneliness and then to sadnessand then to, you know, we're not
talking about it.
Uh, this is big news.
Are we not gonna face this?
No, of course not.
We're gonna brush it under therug, um, like most families do.
And so it really turned me intoum, even though I could still
operate, I'm still happy.
No one would know, but I wasreally angry inside.
(09:07):
And um, I think that was just uhwhat created uh the beginning of
all this anger and thiswonderful uh rage room of
emotion.
SPEAKER_01 (09:14):
So yeah, that's interesting.
It's interesting too how yourrelationship with sports and
movement and exercise has kindof come full circle too, right?
Like I know when you were young,basketball was a really
important part of your life.
And um you lost your full ridescholarship during these
struggles with your mentalhealth.
Um, and now here you are backagain in this place where you
(09:38):
are encouraging movement andexercise as part of the healing
process, which I think is supercool.
SPEAKER_02 (09:44):
Yeah, yeah.
Fitness absolutely saved mylife.
Uh, basketball was my um mylove, uh, one of the great loves
of my life.
And um going to college andgetting as uh I got very, very
sick.
And I do attribute that tokeeping my emotions inside my
body.
Um, I truly believe that by notbeing able to talk to someone in
a safe space, I trappedemotions.
(10:07):
I got very sick with pneumonia,and I also have a pre-existing
um disease called sickle cell.
And so the pneumonia and thesickle cell combined, uh, I was
in a coma for six weeks uh inthe hospital for three months
and um had to completely restartuh my my everything, my entire
(10:29):
life, not just my body.
Um, but I'll tell you, had I notbeen as fit as I was going into
the hospital and enduring allthat I did, there's no way I
would have survived.
And that's how I truly believethat fitness has to be a part of
our um regime.
And the biggest part of emotionis I bring all sorts of fitness
(10:50):
in.
I don't just, you know, do theboot camps and um the strength
training.
You have to try what works foryou.
So we have dance with Pilates,we have anything from yoga, and
then we do have the strengthtraining stuff because it it's
all what's relevant to eachindividual person um and what
what gets them to move andinspires them.
So, but yeah, that that fitnesspiece is what also got me to
(11:12):
strengthen me on the other sideas well.
Um, I weighed 113 pounds when Igot out of the hospital, and I'm
a I'm a happy 160, whether I'min shape, out of shape, I'm 160
all the time.
So um I had to get back in thegym.
Um, I had to strengthen my bodyand uh strengthen my mind.
That's really all I had, and allI really knew at that time in
(11:33):
such a dark time.
SPEAKER_01 (11:34):
Yeah.
So you can see why she won theresilience award.
SPEAKER_00 (11:38):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (11:40):
Yeah, it's interesting what you said about
your your illness coming fromeverything that you were storing
inside.
I've noticed with myself,anytime I get sick, it comes on
the tail end of like me pushingand pushing and pushing, right?
Like I've got so much to do,I've got so much to get done.
I can't stop and take a nap.
I gotta do this.
Now I'm doing this, now I'mdoing this.
(12:01):
And eventually my body is justlike, listen, if you're not
gonna stop, we're gonna make youstop.
And so now you're sick, have funin bed.
How do you see that in yourwork, Lakeisha?
With how do you see theseemotions that people hold inside
and the struggles that they'rehaving with their mental health,
that they're just like, it'sfine, I'll push past it, I'm
good.
And then how does that show upin their business?
SPEAKER_00 (12:22):
For one, it's a matter of life or death.
And I really hate to be thatthat lethal, that downer.
It's a matter of life orfreaking death when you do not
have a safe space or find a safespace in order to talk about
things.
I think what we try to do is wetry to trick our minds and our
(12:42):
bodies into what it really isn'thappening.
So I'm a girl that I loveaffirmations, but they just
ain't for me.
I'm a tough girl.
You gotta say more than that.
I can't say, oh, today I will bethis.
No, ma'am.
I need you in my face.
Like, hey, girlfriend, get ittogether.
So we use affirmations and allthese other pretty flowery
(13:03):
things to trick our minds andour bodies into what really it's
not going to adapt.
Your body is not going to goagainst you.
You are going against it whenyou don't do the things that
you're supposed to be doing.
But society tells us, oh, yourbody's attacking you or your no,
honey.
Uh-uh.
You were attacking your body bynot paying attention.
(13:25):
Our body gives us warnings, justlike a car.
I mean, we all probably guiltyof the check engine light.
We all probably guilty of theyou know, gas light.
And you know, from my blackfolks out there, we hear the
beep on the smoke detector.
Wait, wait, nobody's telling usthe battery is out.
Like, wait out.
Your back is beeping, honey.
(13:46):
It's beeping.
Change the battery.
So when we hear that, we tellour bodies to keep going.
We tell our minds to keep going.
And if you're a high-level, highachieving woman, you're going to
crash and burn.
You will, you're going to crashand burn at the least moment you
expect it.
It's going to be a bigpresentation that you need to be
(14:07):
in the room for.
That your body is going to say,uh-uh-huh, girl, gonna lay it
down.
You're not gonna be able to dothat.
Because our body knows to someextent if this happens, then
there's gonna be more of this.
It needs to rest and rejuvenate,it needs to be able to recycle
those things.
People laugh at me all the timewhen I say, baby, rest is a
(14:30):
strategy, it is a businessstrategy, and not only that,
honey, it's biblical.
Jesus took a nap in the boat.
So why you up?
Why you up?
I'm just saying.
SPEAKER_01 (14:43):
I just had this vision that you need to record
and then sell like your ownaffirmations.
Like, if I could wake up everyday to Lakeisha Mosley being
like, uh-uh, girl, don't go backto sleep.
It's time to get up.
You know it is.
Get up.
And then I need my like middayalarm.
That's Lakeisha again.
(15:04):
That's like, hey, why are youstill awake?
Lay down.
I see you.
Lay down.
I would pay money for that.
I really would.
You're welcome for thatbrilliant business.
SPEAKER_00 (15:16):
I love that idea, actually.
SPEAKER_01 (15:18):
I do.
It's pretty good.
Um, I love you both.
We could sit here and talkforever.
I want to ask one question thatI've been asking to all of the
people who have won the uhPowerful Women Rising Impact
Awards this year.
And that is if you have onepiece of advice to give to a
female entrepreneur who islistening to this podcast, what
would that be?
SPEAKER_02 (15:40):
One?
And I was just saying, like, Ihaven't.
SPEAKER_01 (15:43):
I mean, you can pick it.
SPEAKER_00 (15:44):
Well, mental health experts, Erica.
Like, she knows we got more thanone.
SPEAKER_01 (15:47):
Listen, I know both of you.
You probably have like 19.
Maybe two.
SPEAKER_02 (15:52):
I'll be honest.
I I think um I I I hired abusiness coach before I started.
The one thing that I collectedon my way um that was never said
to me, and still I don't thinkit's talked about.
I wish I had networked for ayear prior to ever opening.
(16:13):
That is so damn important.
I wish I got into so many roomsto say this is what I'm about to
do.
It's coming on this date, and Idon't care if it's a year out, I
need every single one of youthere.
That's what I would done becauseI feel like I've just been
trying to catch up on mynetworking.
And so that's that's did you allhear that?
SPEAKER_01 (16:33):
Because I've been saying that for years.
SPEAKER_02 (16:36):
Network for a year.
I'm telling you, seriously,network, get in those rooms
before, even if you just have anidea right now, because even
rooms where you'll just continueto get inspired, like you're
just sitting on that idea andyou're like, okay, I'm in these
rooms with these other women,and you'll feel that spark, but
you're also getting your nameout there, your vision, your
personality.
People are starting to fall inlove with you.
(16:57):
That's truly what I wish I wouldhave done.
SPEAKER_01 (16:59):
Yeah.
I love that you said that.
I just did a launch recently ofum a new virtual networking
group for women.
And my goal was uh 35 foundingmembers, and I ended up signing
up 46, and now we have 80.
Um in a week.
And somebody was asking meyesterday, like, how did you do
(17:20):
that?
Like, teach me.
Like, was it, you know, becausewe want to believe that it's
like the funnel, or it's, youknow, I hired a copywriter for
my sales page, or it's this, orit's this, or it's I'm like, the
only reason I was able to dothat is because I've been
networking like a fool for thelast seven years, right?
Like I have so many people thatknow me and like me and trust me
(17:41):
and will tell other people aboutmy thing who wanna there.
I have people who are like, Idon't even know what your thing
is, but I like you, so I'll bein it.
Like that really is the way ahundred percent, and so much
more important than so much ofthat other stuff that we like to
spend time and money on when westart a business.
SPEAKER_02 (17:59):
That part, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (18:00):
I'm like, how about just go talk to people?
Yes, not sexy, but it sure isgonna work.
Yeah, for them, let them seeyou.
Yeah, I love that.
What about you, Lakeisha?
SPEAKER_00 (18:11):
Mine's very unconventional, as y'all know.
I'm a disruptor.
That's shocking.
My advice is take your ownadvice.
You don't have to listen to meor any other experts to do what
the hell you know that you needto be doing.
Basically, it's what has thatstill small voice been telling
you to do?
What are you doing?
I'm a church girl, although Icuss, but I'm a church girl, I'm
(18:33):
a PK.
You know, that still small voicetells you, it guides you.
What are you doing in your alonetime?
What are you asking God for?
What are you believing for?
Erica says something, andMelissa said something very key
about networking.
Get in the rooms.
Your next partner, your nextcollaborator, your next investor
is in the room.
What is the voice inside of yourheads?
(18:54):
Not the ones that I fight dailybecause I have high functioning
depression, but the good voicesthat are like, hey, Erica, go do
this idea.
You can help other women withtheir rage.
What is that voice telling you?
Because you ain't gotta listento us.
Listen to yourself.
SPEAKER_01 (19:11):
Especially when yourself says it's time to take
a nap.
SPEAKER_00 (19:14):
Baby, go to sleep.
Because I'm I'm gonna go tosleep.
They asked me, What are youdoing this weekend enjoying my
rant?
SPEAKER_01 (19:20):
I'm going to sleep.
SPEAKER_00 (19:22):
I'm going to sleep.
I will take a nap in the middleof the day.
I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_01 (19:26):
Yeah, that's what I'm fixing to do right after
this interview.
Yeah.
Go to sleep.
All this talk about nap ismaking me want to take a nap.
Yeah.
Uh, before I go take a nap,let's talk a little bit about
how people can connect with youtoo.
I know um there are peoplelocally in Colorado who would
love to check out Erica, yourfacility.
(19:47):
Uh, we're gonna fly Lakeisha outhere so she can release some
rage.
I mean, I'm not gonna fly herout here, but somebody's gonna.
Somebody will.
Uh, what is the best way forpeople to connect with you guys
to learn more about what you do,Erica?
SPEAKER_02 (20:01):
Yeah, um, you can find me at Erica V at
emotionfitness.net if you wantto send me an email.
Um, but definitely visitwww.emotionfitness.net.
So check that out.
Uh, we have so many events, socome through.
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
Awesome.
I will put that link in the shownotes.
And what about you, Lakeisha?
SPEAKER_00 (20:21):
Do not email me because I probably will not get
it unless you are flagged asimportant.
So don't email me.
I'm always in email help.
But I am Instagram DM friendly.
Drop me a DM at Lakeisha MMosley.
I am the funniest person onthere.
Like, I will respond.
(20:41):
I do respond to DMs.
It's me, it is not anyone on myteam.
I respond to my DMs.
So Instagram is the best way toget to me.
Also, check out my website.
You can hear more about the SoftSimple CEO and the framework
that's coming out soon atlakeisha mosley.com.
SPEAKER_01 (20:59):
Love that.
Can confirm she will respond toyour DMs.
In fact, that's how you and Igot hooked up was through
networking because I know.
Listen, I know I had someone onmy podcast, Suzanne Kohlberg.
She was talking about how to setboundaries without being a
bitch.
Suzanne said, You got to haveDeanna Seymour on your podcast.
I had Deanna Seymour on mypodcast talking about using
(21:21):
gifts in your marketing.
She said, Let me introduce youto Liz Wilcox.
I said, Great.
Talked to Liz Wilcox, joined hermembership, signed up for some
summit she had, heard Lakeishatalking on the summit.
I said, Liz, I gotta talk toLakeisha.
Sent Lakeisha a DM on Instagram,and here she is on the podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (21:42):
Right.
I love it.
People don't get how seriousconnections are and what they do
for your business.
You're right.
The sales copy means nothing.
What if I can't see or read?
But I can drink it.
You know?
(22:04):
I mean, it's highly unlikely,but I mean, just what but what
if I can hear?
What if I feel your vibe andyour energy?
You know what I'm saying?
Like it's amazing.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (22:16):
Yeah.
And even before I know your vibeand your energy, I meet somebody
else and I love her vibe andenergy.
And she's like, you gotta talkto Lakeisha.
Well, of course I'm gonna trustthat, right?
Because if I like her and shelikes you, then for sure I'm
gonna like you.
SPEAKER_00 (22:30):
And that's right, exactly.
The beauty of now.
Stuck with me now.
I know ultimately.
SPEAKER_01 (22:34):
I know.
I can't get away.
SPEAKER_00 (22:35):
Erica, now you stuck the in.
SPEAKER_02 (22:39):
How could you not want you around?
SPEAKER_01 (22:41):
I know, right?
She's the best.
All right.
Thank you so much for coming onthe podcast, for sharing your
bits of wisdom with ourlisteners.
But mostly thank you for beingyou.
Thank you for who both of youwho have been in the world, for
how you guys show up every day.
You're both doing such importantwork.
And you have a thousand reasonsto not do it.
(23:04):
You have a thousand reasons tosay, this is too hard.
This is not for me.
I'm depressed.
I had a hard life.
I'm just gonna go back to bedand the world can fix itself.
But you both are showing upevery day in the best ways that
you know how to create apositive impact in the world.
And I hope that these awards area little reflection of that, a
(23:24):
little boost for you guys thatpeople see you, people hear you,
the work that you're doing isimportant to them.
And um, we just appreciate it somuch.
So thank you both.
SPEAKER_00 (23:33):
Thank you.
Hello, ladies.
Welcome to the podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (00:04):
Hello.
Hello.
SPEAKER_01 (00:06):
Hi.
So excited to talk to the two ofyou today.
I know this is going to be a funinterview.
Um, but also I know we're goingto touch on some really
important topics too.
So I, as I was saying before westarted recording, I'm actually
really glad the two of you endedup on an interview together
because I mean, you're bothhilarious and so am I.
So that's good.
But also, the topics that we'regoing to be talking about, I
(00:28):
think, are very relevant to bothof you.
So let's start by just havingyou guys introduce yourselves.
I'll start with Erica.
Erica was the winner of the 2025Powerful Women Rising Resilience
Award.
So Erica, tell everybody alittle bit about you and what
you do.
SPEAKER_02 (00:42):
Yeah, so um happy to be on the show.
My name is Erica, and um I ownEmotion.
And what it is, it's a differentconcept to rage.
Um, I allow people to come inand uh break shit, uh, work out
and chill.
And um, I just find it importantfor people to um have intention
when they rage.
So I spray paint bottles, youget to um set your intentions on
(01:05):
them, write it down, uh, all thethings you need to let go of.
Uh, following that, uh, it putsyou in the rage room where you
can just throw a ton of bottlesagainst the wall.
Um, and then I follow that up.
It's optional, but I try toencourage a workout.
Um I think fitness is incrediblyimportant to your mental health
as well.
Um, and then after that, you gointo my chill room and kind of
(01:25):
just relax, come down from thatforward thinking, um,
manifestations, all of that, andjust just kind of be present
within your body and reflect.
So, yeah, that's a little bitwhat I do.
I'm a mom of a 17-year-old,she's a senior, about to
graduate this year, so superexcited.
So I'm just trying to find myway after she leaves the nest.
SPEAKER_01 (01:44):
So yeah, that's awesome.
How long have you been doing therage room?
Uh it's been five years.
Okay, where did that idea comefrom?
SPEAKER_02 (01:53):
Um, I apologize about my dog.
Um, the idea for me came from adream.
I had the most um vivid dreamthat I've ever had.
I woke up and I was like, oh mygod, that was a dream from um
from something else from myancestors, uh, is what I believe
(02:14):
in.
And so I wrote it down and um Iwas in motion two years later.
SPEAKER_01 (02:19):
So that's so awesome.
We're gonna talk a little bitmore about your story later on
in the podcast, but let me go toLakeisha, have her introduce
herself and tell everybody aboutyou.
SPEAKER_00 (02:29):
Hey, y'all.
Hey, so I'm Lakeisha Mosley.
I am the soft simple CEO.
And what that is, is where Ireally help women entrepreneurs
redefine what thought leadershiplooks like.
We don't always have to beraging in the room.
There's a softness that canprecede us and also abound us
(02:49):
when we're in these spaces.
And so I really want to teach ushow to build profitable business
that will that are sustainablebecause everything is at the
core of mental health.
And I don't think we recognizeor realize that.
But if you don't operate from aplace of where you're not
sacrificing your mental health,then a lot of things go awry.
(03:11):
And then you're wondering whyyour business is not sustaining,
why you're not growing, whyyou're not getting profits.
And so I really want to teach ushow to just do business
differently.
SPEAKER_01 (03:20):
Yeah, I love that.
So you were the winner of the2025 Powerful Women Rising
Podcast Guest of the Year award.
And so for those of them who arelistening who did not listen to
your episode, I will link thatin the show notes.
But I can't imagine there's verymany people out there who didn't
hear it because it wasdefinitely one of our most
popular episodes.
Talk a little bit about, we weretalking on that um podcast
(03:44):
episode about mental health andmental wellness and how that
relates to business owners.
So, how does that play into whatyou do in your work as the soft
simple CEO?
SPEAKER_00 (03:54):
It is actually the basis, it is the core, the
blueprint of what I do.
We all have mental health.
We all do, whether it's good,bad, or indifferent.
Some of us live with a mentalhealth condition, which is
slightly different.
If we want to get to a place ofmental wellness, then we have to
understand the pieces and thecore parts of us that do not
operate at optimal levels.
(04:16):
So, for instance, I have highfunctioning depression.
I know that if I overschedulemyself, you will not get the
best part of me.
So there I have to decide orlook at my schedule and say,
okay, I can't overschedulemyself.
Otherwise, I won't be in thewellness piece.
We try to separate the two,Melissa, to be honest.
But they're not inseparable.
(04:38):
You have to have one and theother.
It's not one or the other.
You have to have them both.
And I love what Erica talkedabout about having a place to
release some things, which getsyou into a place of mental
wellness.
And so when I started looking atwhat I felt like women
entrepreneurs, even myself, evenhigh level, let's talk C-suite
(05:01):
and above entrepreneurs who um,you know, deal with a lot of
stresses.
How do we get to a place where Ican still show up and be the
boss?
But I don't have to be the otherword.
You know what I'm saying?
Like I can do both.
I can be soft and I can be veryfeminine and still own and
(05:24):
command the room withoutsacrificing my mental wellness,
and then I can be the perfectleader, not really perfect, I
can be the best leader for myteam.
SPEAKER_01 (05:33):
Yeah, that's really good.
Erica, I want to read a littlebit about uh you.
I don't know if you've heardthis or not, but this is what
people we had for the awards.
People wrote in theirnominations.
They told us a little bit aboutwhy they were nominating you,
and then we had people vote.
We took the top three from eachcategory, and then there was a
(05:54):
panel of judges that chose thewinner.
So I want to read just a littlepart about you that was written
in by the people that nominatedyou.
And what they said is Erica'sstory is resilience in motion.
They talked a little bit aboutthe things that you have gone
through in your life with beingadopted, um, your own struggles
with mental health, uh, your ownstruggles with physical health.
(06:16):
And they said, instead ofbreaking her, these experiences
became the foundation of herlife's work, creating a space
where people can processemotion, release stress, and
reconnect with themselvesthrough movement and healing,
which is a lot of whatLakeisha's talking about too.
And there was a quote that theyshared that you said that was,
I've learned that healing isn'tabout reaching a finish line,
(06:37):
but about returning to yourselfover and over.
They said her ability to riseand transform her pain into
purpose makes her a powerfulexample of resilience.
And I would love to hear fromyou just a little bit about your
own experience with mentalhealth and how that relates to
your business as well.
SPEAKER_02 (06:55):
Yeah, absolutely.
I think um it really is thefoundation of me.
And I encourage people to, youknow, be confident in who they
are within their mental healthjourney because we all have a
journey, and it's importantthough, to not run away from it
and really face it.
(07:16):
And it took me a long time um toface it.
It my my adoption story isactually um probably the
catalyst.
I uh was adopted as a as a baby,um, and I was the bud of a um a
family secret.
So um my entire family knew whomy biological mom was.
I did not.
I thought I was, you know, umfrom a completely different
(07:39):
family.
Who knows, you know, when you'readopted, you get to have the the
best imagination, right, ofwhere you're where you're coming
from, you know.
So I used to tell people JanetJackson was my biological mom.
Literally.
I was like, yeah, you know,she's on tour, you know, Uncle
Mike, uh, they they can't takecare of me.
So and so for me, um thatimagination was taken from me
(08:01):
when I found out uh when I was13 that my biological mom is
actually my aunt and my mostfavorite aunt.
Um it still is, um, but it wasreally hard to find that out
because I was just so confused.
At 13, who wants to find outanything heavy like that?
We're all, you know, assholes atthat age.
So can I cuss on this podcast?
Uh yeah.
Have we met?
(08:23):
Right?
Um, so yeah, uh 13 is a terribleage to find anything like that
out.
It was too, it was really heavy,you know.
I'm in my own bubble and goingthrough puberty, all those that
fun stuff.
And so I that was the beginningof um a an angry version of
Erica because the abandonmentled to confusion and then to
(08:45):
loneliness and then to sadnessand then to, you know, we're not
talking about it.
Uh, this is big news.
Are we not gonna face this?
No, of course not.
We're gonna brush it under therug, um, like most families do.
And so it really turned me intoum, even though I could still
operate, I'm still happy.
No one would know, but I wasreally angry inside.
(09:07):
And um, I think that was just uhwhat created uh the beginning of
all this anger and thiswonderful uh rage room of
emotion.
SPEAKER_01 (09:14):
So yeah, that's interesting.
It's interesting too how yourrelationship with sports and
movement and exercise has kindof come full circle too, right?
Like I know when you were young,basketball was a really
important part of your life.
And um you lost your full ridescholarship during these
struggles with your mentalhealth.
Um, and now here you are backagain in this place where you
(09:38):
are encouraging movement andexercise as part of the healing
process, which I think is supercool.
SPEAKER_02 (09:44):
Yeah, yeah.
Fitness absolutely saved mylife.
Uh, basketball was my um mylove, uh, one of the great loves
of my life.
And um going to college andgetting as uh I got very, very
sick.
And I do attribute that tokeeping my emotions inside my
body.
Um, I truly believe that by notbeing able to talk to someone in
a safe space, I trappedemotions.
(10:07):
I got very sick with pneumonia,and I also have a pre-existing
um disease called sickle cell.
And so the pneumonia and thesickle cell combined, uh, I was
in a coma for six weeks uh inthe hospital for three months
and um had to completely restartuh my my everything, my entire
(10:29):
life, not just my body.
Um, but I'll tell you, had I notbeen as fit as I was going into
the hospital and enduring allthat I did, there's no way I
would have survived.
And that's how I truly believethat fitness has to be a part of
our um regime.
And the biggest part of emotionis I bring all sorts of fitness
(10:50):
in.
I don't just, you know, do theboot camps and um the strength
training.
You have to try what works foryou.
So we have dance with Pilates,we have anything from yoga, and
then we do have the strengthtraining stuff because it it's
all what's relevant to eachindividual person um and what
what gets them to move andinspires them.
So, but yeah, that that fitnesspiece is what also got me to
(11:12):
strengthen me on the other sideas well.
Um, I weighed 113 pounds when Igot out of the hospital, and I'm
a I'm a happy 160, whether I'min shape, out of shape, I'm 160
all the time.
So um I had to get back in thegym.
Um, I had to strengthen my bodyand uh strengthen my mind.
That's really all I had, and allI really knew at that time in
(11:33):
such a dark time.
SPEAKER_01 (11:34):
Yeah.
So you can see why she won theresilience award.
SPEAKER_00 (11:38):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (11:40):
Yeah, it's interesting what you said about
your your illness coming fromeverything that you were storing
inside.
I've noticed with myself,anytime I get sick, it comes on
the tail end of like me pushingand pushing and pushing, right?
Like I've got so much to do,I've got so much to get done.
I can't stop and take a nap.
I gotta do this.
Now I'm doing this, now I'mdoing this.
(12:01):
And eventually my body is justlike, listen, if you're not
gonna stop, we're gonna make youstop.
And so now you're sick, have funin bed.
How do you see that in yourwork, Lakeisha?
With how do you see theseemotions that people hold inside
and the struggles that they'rehaving with their mental health,
that they're just like, it'sfine, I'll push past it, I'm
good.
And then how does that show upin their business?
SPEAKER_00 (12:22):
For one, it's a matter of life or death.
And I really hate to be thatthat lethal, that downer.
It's a matter of life orfreaking death when you do not
have a safe space or find a safespace in order to talk about
things.
I think what we try to do is wetry to trick our minds and our
(12:42):
bodies into what it really isn'thappening.
So I'm a girl that I loveaffirmations, but they just
ain't for me.
I'm a tough girl.
You gotta say more than that.
I can't say, oh, today I will bethis.
No, ma'am.
I need you in my face.
Like, hey, girlfriend, get ittogether.
So we use affirmations and allthese other pretty flowery
(13:03):
things to trick our minds andour bodies into what really it's
not going to adapt.
Your body is not going to goagainst you.
You are going against it whenyou don't do the things that
you're supposed to be doing.
But society tells us, oh, yourbody's attacking you or your no,
honey.
Uh-uh.
You were attacking your body bynot paying attention.
(13:25):
Our body gives us warnings, justlike a car.
I mean, we all probably guiltyof the check engine light.
We all probably guilty of theyou know, gas light.
And you know, from my blackfolks out there, we hear the
beep on the smoke detector.
Wait, wait, nobody's telling usthe battery is out.
Like, wait out.
Your back is beeping, honey.
(13:46):
It's beeping.
Change the battery.
So when we hear that, we tellour bodies to keep going.
We tell our minds to keep going.
And if you're a high-level, highachieving woman, you're going to
crash and burn.
You will, you're going to crashand burn at the least moment you
expect it.
It's going to be a bigpresentation that you need to be
(14:07):
in the room for.
That your body is going to say,uh-uh-huh, girl, gonna lay it
down.
You're not gonna be able to dothat.
Because our body knows to someextent if this happens, then
there's gonna be more of this.
It needs to rest and rejuvenate,it needs to be able to recycle
those things.
People laugh at me all the timewhen I say, baby, rest is a
(14:30):
strategy, it is a businessstrategy, and not only that,
honey, it's biblical.
Jesus took a nap in the boat.
So why you up?
Why you up?
I'm just saying.
SPEAKER_01 (14:43):
I just had this vision that you need to record
and then sell like your ownaffirmations.
Like, if I could wake up everyday to Lakeisha Mosley being
like, uh-uh, girl, don't go backto sleep.
It's time to get up.
You know it is.
Get up.
And then I need my like middayalarm.
That's Lakeisha again.
(15:04):
That's like, hey, why are youstill awake?
Lay down.
I see you.
Lay down.
I would pay money for that.
I really would.
You're welcome for thatbrilliant business.
SPEAKER_00 (15:16):
I love that idea, actually.
SPEAKER_01 (15:18):
I do.
It's pretty good.
Um, I love you both.
We could sit here and talkforever.
I want to ask one question thatI've been asking to all of the
people who have won the uhPowerful Women Rising Impact
Awards this year.
And that is if you have onepiece of advice to give to a
female entrepreneur who islistening to this podcast, what
would that be?
SPEAKER_02 (15:40):
One?
And I was just saying, like, Ihaven't.
SPEAKER_01 (15:43):
I mean, you can pick it.
SPEAKER_00 (15:44):
Well, mental health experts, Erica.
Like, she knows we got more thanone.
SPEAKER_01 (15:47):
Listen, I know both of you.
You probably have like 19.
Maybe two.
SPEAKER_02 (15:52):
I'll be honest.
I I think um I I I hired abusiness coach before I started.
The one thing that I collectedon my way um that was never said
to me, and still I don't thinkit's talked about.
I wish I had networked for ayear prior to ever opening.
(16:13):
That is so damn important.
I wish I got into so many roomsto say this is what I'm about to
do.
It's coming on this date, and Idon't care if it's a year out, I
need every single one of youthere.
That's what I would done becauseI feel like I've just been
trying to catch up on mynetworking.
And so that's that's did you allhear that?
SPEAKER_01 (16:33):
Because I've been saying that for years.
SPEAKER_02 (16:36):
Network for a year.
I'm telling you, seriously,network, get in those rooms
before, even if you just have anidea right now, because even
rooms where you'll just continueto get inspired, like you're
just sitting on that idea andyou're like, okay, I'm in these
rooms with these other women,and you'll feel that spark, but
you're also getting your nameout there, your vision, your
personality.
People are starting to fall inlove with you.
(16:57):
That's truly what I wish I wouldhave done.
SPEAKER_01 (16:59):
Yeah.
I love that you said that.
I just did a launch recently ofum a new virtual networking
group for women.
And my goal was uh 35 foundingmembers, and I ended up signing
up 46, and now we have 80.
Um in a week.
And somebody was asking meyesterday, like, how did you do
(17:20):
that?
Like, teach me.
Like, was it, you know, becausewe want to believe that it's
like the funnel, or it's, youknow, I hired a copywriter for
my sales page, or it's this, orit's this, or it's I'm like, the
only reason I was able to dothat is because I've been
networking like a fool for thelast seven years, right?
Like I have so many people thatknow me and like me and trust me
(17:41):
and will tell other people aboutmy thing who wanna there.
I have people who are like, Idon't even know what your thing
is, but I like you, so I'll bein it.
Like that really is the way ahundred percent, and so much
more important than so much ofthat other stuff that we like to
spend time and money on when westart a business.
SPEAKER_02 (17:59):
That part, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (18:00):
I'm like, how about just go talk to people?
Yes, not sexy, but it sure isgonna work.
Yeah, for them, let them seeyou.
Yeah, I love that.
What about you, Lakeisha?
SPEAKER_00 (18:11):
Mine's very unconventional, as y'all know.
I'm a disruptor.
That's shocking.
My advice is take your ownadvice.
You don't have to listen to meor any other experts to do what
the hell you know that you needto be doing.
Basically, it's what has thatstill small voice been telling
you to do?
What are you doing?
I'm a church girl, although Icuss, but I'm a church girl, I'm
(18:33):
a PK.
You know, that still small voicetells you, it guides you.
What are you doing in your alonetime?
What are you asking God for?
What are you believing for?
Erica says something, andMelissa said something very key
about networking.
Get in the rooms.
Your next partner, your nextcollaborator, your next investor
is in the room.
What is the voice inside of yourheads?
(18:54):
Not the ones that I fight dailybecause I have high functioning
depression, but the good voicesthat are like, hey, Erica, go do
this idea.
You can help other women withtheir rage.
What is that voice telling you?
Because you ain't gotta listento us.
Listen to yourself.
SPEAKER_01 (19:11):
Especially when yourself says it's time to take
a nap.
SPEAKER_00 (19:14):
Baby, go to sleep.
Because I'm I'm gonna go tosleep.
They asked me, What are youdoing this weekend enjoying my
rant?
SPEAKER_01 (19:20):
I'm going to sleep.
SPEAKER_00 (19:22):
I'm going to sleep.
I will take a nap in the middleof the day.
I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_01 (19:26):
Yeah, that's what I'm fixing to do right after
this interview.
Yeah.
Go to sleep.
All this talk about nap ismaking me want to take a nap.
Yeah.
Uh, before I go take a nap,let's talk a little bit about
how people can connect with youtoo.
I know um there are peoplelocally in Colorado who would
love to check out Erica, yourfacility.
(19:47):
Uh, we're gonna fly Lakeisha outhere so she can release some
rage.
I mean, I'm not gonna fly herout here, but somebody's gonna.
Somebody will.
Uh, what is the best way forpeople to connect with you guys
to learn more about what you do,Erica?
SPEAKER_02 (20:01):
Yeah, um, you can find me at Erica V at
emotionfitness.net if you wantto send me an email.
Um, but definitely visitwww.emotionfitness.net.
So check that out.
Uh, we have so many events, socome through.
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
Awesome.
I will put that link in the shownotes.
And what about you, Lakeisha?
SPEAKER_00 (20:21):
Do not email me because I probably will not get
it unless you are flagged asimportant.
So don't email me.
I'm always in email help.
But I am Instagram DM friendly.
Drop me a DM at Lakeisha MMosley.
I am the funniest person onthere.
Like, I will respond.
(20:41):
I do respond to DMs.
It's me, it is not anyone on myteam.
I respond to my DMs.
So Instagram is the best way toget to me.
Also, check out my website.
You can hear more about the SoftSimple CEO and the framework
that's coming out soon atlakeisha mosley.com.
SPEAKER_01 (20:59):
Love that.
Can confirm she will respond toyour DMs.
In fact, that's how you and Igot hooked up was through
networking because I know.
Listen, I know I had someone onmy podcast, Suzanne Kohlberg.
She was talking about how to setboundaries without being a
bitch.
Suzanne said, You got to haveDeanna Seymour on your podcast.
I had Deanna Seymour on mypodcast talking about using
(21:21):
gifts in your marketing.
She said, Let me introduce youto Liz Wilcox.
I said, Great.
Talked to Liz Wilcox, joined hermembership, signed up for some
summit she had, heard Lakeishatalking on the summit.
I said, Liz, I gotta talk toLakeisha.
Sent Lakeisha a DM on Instagram,and here she is on the podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (21:42):
Right.
I love it.
People don't get how seriousconnections are and what they do
for your business.
You're right.
The sales copy means nothing.
What if I can't see or read?
But I can drink it.
You know?
(22:04):
I mean, it's highly unlikely,but I mean, just what but what
if I can hear?
What if I feel your vibe andyour energy?
You know what I'm saying?
Like it's amazing.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (22:16):
Yeah.
And even before I know your vibeand your energy, I meet somebody
else and I love her vibe andenergy.
And she's like, you gotta talkto Lakeisha.
Well, of course I'm gonna trustthat, right?
Because if I like her and shelikes you, then for sure I'm
gonna like you.
SPEAKER_00 (22:30):
And that's right, exactly.
The beauty of now.
Stuck with me now.
I know ultimately.
SPEAKER_01 (22:34):
I know.
I can't get away.
SPEAKER_00 (22:35):
Erica, now you stuck the in.
SPEAKER_02 (22:39):
How could you not want you around?
SPEAKER_01 (22:41):
I know, right?
She's the best.
All right.
Thank you so much for coming onthe podcast, for sharing your
bits of wisdom with ourlisteners.
But mostly thank you for beingyou.
Thank you for who both of youwho have been in the world, for
how you guys show up every day.
You're both doing such importantwork.
And you have a thousand reasonsto not do it.
(23:04):
You have a thousand reasons tosay, this is too hard.
This is not for me.
I'm depressed.
I had a hard life.
I'm just gonna go back to bedand the world can fix itself.
But you both are showing upevery day in the best ways that
you know how to create apositive impact in the world.
And I hope that these awards area little reflection of that, a
(23:24):
little boost for you guys thatpeople see you, people hear you,
the work that you're doing isimportant to them.
And um, we just appreciate it somuch.
So thank you both.
SPEAKER_00 (23:33):
Thank you.
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