In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kevin Mays - executive coach, founder of Mays Leadership, and a trusted guide to some of the nation’s top leaders. With a background in behavioral science, leadership development, and organizational consulting, Kevin helps high-impact individuals strengthen their leadership from the inside out.
And that’s exactly what this conversation is about.
Too many people are trained to manage what’s happening "out there," the deadlines, the clients, the optics, the performance. But they never learned how to manage what’s happening "in here," their thoughts, their patterns, their internal experience.
Dr. Mays brings deep wisdom, grounded strategy, and lived experience to these questions. Together, we explore:
- Why leadership starts with self-awareness
- The root of burnout and how to dissolve it through presence
- How perfectionism, people-pleasing, and performance can become traps for leaders
- The difference between cognitive awareness and embodied awareness (and why both matter)
You’ll also hear about Dr. Kevin’s personal breaking point and how it shaped the way he now teaches leaders to access their full humanity.
If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this. Send it to the leader who’s always on but rarely off. To the executive who knows how to hit the goals but struggles to feel peace. To the person who’s great at managing everything except their own mind.
Links and Resources:
- Click HERE to learn more about one-on-one coaching with me!
- Get your complimentary copy of The Unblocked Journal to help bring awareness to perfectionist thinking and what it's creating in your life.
- Join My Do The Thing Community
Let’s Connect:
- Follow me on Facebook & Instagram: @JessicaSmarro
- Share your thoughts and experiences with the hashtag #UnblockedPodcast and tag @jessicasmarro!
Connect with Dr. Kevin Mays:
- www.maysleadership.com
- Subscribe to his daily leadership email for powerful mindset + business insights
- Coming soon: Lead Yourself First - Kevin’s new book on conscious leadership
Let’s Get Unblocked!
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