Empower HER Radio
Quiet Power&Female Leadership:High-Achieving Women Build Aligned, High-Performing Teams
If you’re the woman everyone depends on—the leader, the fixer, the strong one—and you’re quietly exhausted from carrying the weight of work, home, and everyone else’s expectations, this conversation will hit deep.
In this powerful episode of Empower HER Radio with Dr. Corey Winn, Dr. Corey sits down with executive leadership coach, former Chief People Officer, and author Daria Rudnik for a conversation on female leadership, burnout recovery, quiet influence, team culture, and building success without losing yourself in the process. Together, they unpack what it really means to lead as a high-achieving woman in male-dominated spaces, how to stop performing versions of power that were never yours, and why the next level of leadership is not about being louder—it is about being more anchored, more intentional, and more fully yourself. If you have ever felt unseen despite your brilliance, overextended despite your success, or stuck between ambition and exhaustion, this episode offers a new way forward.
Daria shares wisdom from her years leading through crisis, scaling teams, coaching women leaders, and helping organizations build self-sufficient, high-performing cultures that do not depend on one burned-out woman holding everything together. You’ll hear a refreshing perspective on quiet power, confident leadership, healthy team dynamics, how to recognize when a culture is breaking down, and why overfunctioning as a leader can actually disconnect and demotivate the people you are trying to support. Dr. Corey also brings this conversation into real life for women in healthcare, business, leadership, and entrepreneurship who are craving more ease, more capacity, stronger boundaries, and a more sustainable path to impact, wealth, and visibility.
This episode is for the woman who is ready to stop proving, stop over-carrying, and stop shrinking in rooms she was born to lead. It is for the woman who wants leadership opportunities without burnout, confidence without performance, visibility without abandoning herself, and success that feels aligned instead of depleting. You’ll also hear a grounded, honest conversation about AI in leadership and business, including how to use AI as a tool for expansion without disconnecting from your own voice, brilliance, and expertise. This is identity-level leadership for women in business, women entrepreneurs, executives, founders, and purpose-driven women who are done confusing exhaustion with excellence.
I explore a new model of leadership for high-achieving women — one that replaces overextension with clarity, boundaries, and sustainable impact.
- Burnout often comes from over-carrying and being the constant fixer
- True leadership is shifting from performing power to grounded, quiet influence
- Overfunctioning leaders can reduce team ownership and engagement
- Strong teams don’t rely on one person — they are designed to be self-sufficient
- Sustainable success requires boundaries, alignment, and trust in others
- AI should expand your capacity without replacing your voice
(00:04-00:27) Dr. Corey Winn
Welcome to Empower Her Radio, the space for powerhouse women ready to step into their next level of abundance, purpose, and personal freedom. I'm Dr. Corey Nguyen, a high-performance coach, doctor of physical therapy, philanthropist, and business consultant. I help ambitious women align with their highest calling, expand their wealth and impact, and create a life that feels as good as it looks.
(00:27-00:47) Dr. Corey Winn
If you're a high achieving woman who's built success yet finds yourself craving more, more alignment, more purpose, more ease, you're in the right place. Here, we bridge the gap between ambition and fulfillment. Through transformative conversations and proven strategies, you'll gain the courage to step into the fullest expression of you.
(00:47-01:15) Dr. Corey Winn
Build a powerhouse business that aligns with your expertise and divine gifts and lead your life both personally and professionally with unshakable confidence, worthiness, and compassion. This is about expansion, legacy, and owning your power unapologetically. You already have everything inside of you to create a life of unlimited possibility. It's time to unlock it. Welcome to your next level. Let's dive in.
(01:24-01:46) Dr. Corey Winn
This episode of Empower Her Radio with Dr. Corey Winn is brought to you by Her Quantum Rise, the private coaching experience for the woman who refuses to play small. Her Quantum Rise is where high achieving women come to elevate their leadership, align with their deepest purpose and unlock overflow in every area of life.
(01:46-02:10) Dr. Corey Winn
This is where you shed the old paradigm, step into your highest identity and rise with clarity, certainty and unstoppable momentum. If you're ready to move from doing it all to leading from grounded power, if you feel the pull toward a bigger life, a bigger mission and a bigger capacity to receive, then I would love to explore what this next level looks like for you.
(02:10-02:23) Dr. Corey Winn
Book a complimentary call at www.coreywin.com slash free call and step into the room where your expansion becomes inevitable. Your rise starts here.
(02:29-02:56) Dr. Corey Winn
Today, I am so excited to invite our guest, Daria Rudnick, to the show. She is the definition of quiet power. She's a team architect and executive leadership coach, former chief people officer, excuse me, ex-Deload professional, and author of Clicking, and co-author of The AI Revolution. With over 15 years of international executive experience and having led through global crises, relocation, and even war, Daria helps...
(02:56-03:20) Dr. Corey Winn
Leaders build high-performing, sufficient teams in a rapidly changing world. Daria, welcome to the show. Well, thanks for having me here, Karei. I love listening to your podcast, and now I'm excited to be as a guest here. I love it. So take us back to the moment you realized that you were often the only woman in the C-suite. How did you get there? How did you feel? And how did you normalize it?
(03:21-03:35) Daria Rudnik
Well, thanks for the question. And it was a while ago, to be honest. And I was working for a telecom company. Well, I was chief people officer there. And all the other C-suite members were men.
(03:37-04:04) Daria Rudnik
It was an interesting experience. I didn't think about then that I was the only woman, but all I thought about is it was my first chief people officer role. I wanted to excel. I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to be out there. And I had so many questions. Okay, how do I show up? Do I become more soft and gentle and kind of fluid? Or should I be more assertive and kind of straightforward and loud? Yeah.
(04:04-04:27) Daria Rudnik
And none of those actually fit my style and kind of none of them felt that that's me. And I was struggling with that a lot, kind of trying to find my my voice. And I think it's it is a combination of new role and male dominated culture. But I have to say that the company was amazing and the people were great.
(04:27-04:42) Daria Rudnik
And that helped me come down and find my way, which is not being the loudest person in the room, being introvert myself, I find it hard, but kind of having those conversations in between things.
(04:42-05:05) Daria Rudnik
meetings having one-to-one conversations with my C-suite colleagues understanding their pains being a supportive partner for them in driving their business their their units that is what helped me and that was the main like the very important shift of trying to be someone I'm not to actually finding my way
(05:06-05:18) Dr. Corey Winn
I love that. I feel like so many of us as women think we need to be something else. So I love and I want to really honor you for really stepping in to know what feels good to me. Who am I? What...
(05:19-05:45) Dr. Corey Winn
gifts do I bring to the table? And then sharing that in the way that felt good to you. And I feel like so often as women, we do think that we have to do it a certain way or show up a certain way to be respected, valued. What was maybe the biggest thing that you learned from those first moments of you deciding, no, I'm stepping into this as myself?
(05:47-06:16) Daria Rudnik
Well, I think the most important realization for me was that most people, at least on my team, they had very good intentions. Although, again, we've been grown up in different environments where some things that now when people are not saying, they used to say that and their parents were saying that, I don't know, it's good for you as a woman or things like that. Or isn't it too hard? Isn't it too complicated for you? Mm-hmm.
(06:16-06:32) Daria Rudnik
And at first, it felt like, okay, they're trying to offend me. But then I realized, well, they're not. They're trying to help me in the way that they can. And it's not my job to judge them and kind of accuse them of being wrong. But it's kind of trying to help them...
(06:32-07:00) Daria Rudnik
sometimes understand that i'm okay you don't need to kind of think that i'm not less capable even if you don't think it if you want to try to help me i if i need some help i'll come and ask you but like switching this from being judgmental and kind of trying to protect myself okay they're not behaving the right way the way i want them to behave to be seeing the the good intentions behind their actions is what really helped me uh
(07:00-07:18) Dr. Corey Winn
come down and be more confident in who I am and how I show up. I love that. Well, and I think that a lot of us can assume walking into a male dominated room, we're going to be met in a certain way, or certain things are going to be said. And
(07:20-07:49) Dr. Corey Winn
As we become the women that we have always meant to be, we step into our own power. A lot of that just tends to fall away. You know, as I've grown over the years, those types of comments and those types of environments really don't exist in my world anymore, which is incredible. And I know that many women don't feel that way. But when I was preparing for today, you talk a lot about quiet influence.
(07:50-08:15) Daria Rudnik
What does that mean to you and how can you share that with our audience? Well, that was kind of shared. Sometimes people think that to be heard and visible, it's super important. I mean, you need to be visible at work to be able to create some impact. But it doesn't have to be during the meeting when everyone is trying to show what they're capable of and trying to say something and make sure that they had their word there.
(08:16-08:44) Daria Rudnik
If you're not that kind of person, if it's hard for you to kind of be the loudest person in the room, you don't have to be because there is lots happening in between. If you get an invitation for a meeting, for example, reach out to the organizer and say, how can I help? Like, what do you expect from me? How can I add value to your meeting? Or reach out to decision makers that will be present at this meeting and say, hey, these are things I want to share. What do you think? Get the input.
(08:44-09:08) Daria Rudnik
So basically, you're helping them to create a better agenda for the meeting. You help them understand what they can expect at the meeting. And you also prepare them so that when the meeting starts, they know that you have something interesting to share because you shared it with them. They helped you shape it and they gave you feedback and they want to hear because they are part of this conversation. Yeah.
(09:09-09:38) Daria Rudnik
But even if this didn't happen and you didn't have the chance to prepare to talk to them beforehand, there is always a follow-up. You can reach out to those people and say, hey, here is what I can add. Here is some data. Here are some new ideas. Here is, like, I don't know, some risks that I have identified. Keep this conversation going. Keep bringing value, not during those 60 minutes of the meeting, but before, during, and after the meeting. And that's how you build relationships. And that's how you can...
(09:38-09:43) Daria Rudnik
like create impact and bring real value, not just being the loudest person in the industry.
(09:44-10:13) Dr. Corey Winn
Yeah, I love that. Well, and for me personally, for years, I thought I had to figure out these huge networking events or these huge meetings and be in that space and feel comfortable. And I am not comfortable in that setting. I'm not. Small groups and one-on-one is where I thrive. And I'm okay with that. And I think what I'm hearing you say, too, is for these women to really take stock for a second in where they feel comfortable. Because when you feel comfortable, your light can shine brighter.
(10:13-10:41) Dr. Corey Winn
you can bring the ideas to the table. If you're in a situation where you're just constantly nervous, it's not going to come out like you want it to. That's true. Do you also help women work through building their confidence, but also not overextending themselves and not burning themselves out in the process of trying to show up well in what a lot of times, especially tech, is a male-dominated field?
(10:43-11:07) Daria Rudnik
Well, since I work a lot with female leaders, those who have their teams, I see a pattern when they want to be good leaders. They want to protect their teams. They want to support their teams. So they do spend a lot of time having one-to-ones with their teams. But they also spend a lot of time kind of getting feedback and being the go-to person within the area of expertise. Mm-hmm.
(11:07-11:34) Daria Rudnik
Which on one hand is good because it strengthens their visibility. On the other hand, they are exhausting themselves. But the other thing is they actually demotivating their teams. And I'll tell you a story. I was working with the chief of cybersecurity in a company and she was amazing. And she wanted to be a good leader. She wanted to protect her team members. And she was always like, everyone knew her in the company. And
(11:34-11:53) Daria Rudnik
Everyone was coming to her with feedback, bringing her feedback about their team members and asking questions and things like that. And she thought she's protecting her team from those unnecessary questions and unnecessary, sometimes not pleasant feedback by having all those conversations.
(11:54-12:11) Daria Rudnik
But at some point, she saw through the engagement survey that her team members become demotivated and disengaged. They were losing motivation and engagement and she didn't know why, what's happened. But when we looked at the way how team members communicated with each other and with the organization and
(12:11-12:31) Daria Rudnik
how she communicated with the organization, it became clear that she has a lot of connections, like many connections within the organization, but her team members were connected only to themselves and her as a leader. They didn't have this connection with the broader organization and that, well, they felt isolated. They didn't feel protected. They felt isolated.
(12:31-12:56) Daria Rudnik
So when she kind of stretched herself, overloaded with all of those requests and conversations, basically she didn't serve well for herself and for her team members as well. So what she did instead is she let them go out there, have those conversations with stakeholders, understand stakeholders' needs, collect feedback. And, well, she had more time.
(12:56-13:16) Daria Rudnik
And they had more communication, more connections and more engagement. And that was working well for both, I think for all of them, for organization, because they had motivated team for team members who finally realized, okay, these are the people we're helping. These are organizational goals that we need to support. And for herself, because she had more time.
(13:17-13:35) Dr. Corey Winn
I am so glad that you brought this up because my husband and I literally had this conversation yesterday. We've both been in healthcare for a very long time and there's almost always a very good relationship between the frontline staff and their immediate supervisor.
(13:35-14:00) Dr. Corey Winn
It's the C-suite. It's the ELT above that, that people don't know. They don't understand the mission. They don't maybe see how invested people are. And it's like, they're this otherworldly being that they're so far disconnected from. They wouldn't even know. And I've seen over the years,
(14:00-14:28) Dr. Corey Winn
I've seen ELT come through and say hello and speak to everyone and it changes the entire outcome versus executive leadership who maybe walks through your area, doesn't say hello, doesn't look up from their phone and just keeps going. And what people don't recognize is that body language matters. If you want people to work for you and to pay attention to your mission, you have to value them.
(14:29-14:49) Dr. Corey Winn
From the top down. Absolutely. Yeah. What do you feel like, you know, you think about, let's talk about your book a little bit, clicking and building teams. What are like maybe the top three pieces of advice you can give when it comes to building successful teams? Yeah.
(14:51-15:09) Daria Rudnik
I have five. Well, since the book is called Clicking, there are five pillars. Yeah, there are five pillars of the click framework. Well, we're overusing the word team. If you get people together and give them one manager, it doesn't make them a team.
(15:09-15:33) Daria Rudnik
For a team to really be a self-sufficient, high-performing, for a group of people to be a self-sufficient, high-performing team, they need to have first clear purpose. Like, what is it we're doing together that we cannot do individually? Like, why are we together? The second one is linking connections. How we are connected between each other, how we communicate, do we know each other, and how we are connected with the broader organization.
(15:34-15:49) Daria Rudnik
The third one is integrated work, our norms and rules of teamwork. How often do we have our meetings? What are the rules of working together? When do we reply to emails? What are our team KPIs?
(15:50-16:14) Daria Rudnik
The fourth one is collaborative decisions, how we make decisions as a team. Some decisions are made by team leaders, some decisions can be made by individual contributors, and some decisions are made need to be made collaboratively together. And the fifth one is knowledge sharing, how we learn and grow as a team. So when you have clear purpose, linking connections, integrated work, collaborative decisions and knowledge sharing, you'll have your team click.
(16:15-16:40) Dr. Corey Winn
I love that. I love that so much. And what I also hear from you is it gives each person within the organization a clear goal. I mean, you know, okay, this is happening here. These are the expectations of this interaction and we move forward. And what I'm also hearing from you, it makes things go so much more smoothly. There's no question as to what's the purpose of this meeting. Why am I here? Did I really need to be in this room?
(16:44-16:58) Dr. Corey Winn
So let's go back just a little bit, though. In our bio or in our introduction today, I talked a little bit about rapid relocation and you moving through crises. Can you speak to that a little bit? I don't want to take your story away. Yeah.
(17:00-17:26) Daria Rudnik
Well, it happened that I've been through, I've had organizations go through different crisis situations. And some of them we all witnessed like the COVID when everything has changed like in one day and you have to change and we had to change how organizations are working. That was an interesting experience. The other one was when I was working in a bank, it was 2008 and it was financial crisis.
(17:26-17:44) Daria Rudnik
Yes. For organizations. And like, again, like now is very disturbing times, lots of military conflicts. And I was helping some organizations that are actually in those zones, how they can be resilient to whatever is going on around them and keep running their business. Yeah.
(17:45-18:10) Daria Rudnik
And through all of those stories, what I've seen is when you have a strong team, when you have a strong culture, you can survive those disruptions. Whether it's something global like financial crisis or COVID or, again, military conflict, or whether it's something like your company specific, like M&A, for example, or transformation into own transformation.
(18:10-18:31) Daria Rudnik
If you don't have that, I've seen companies failing and disappearing because they didn't have strong leadership here. And I've seen companies like the one in the bank going through this crisis with a heads up and all the people staying, clients staying, and they managed to survive that because they had this strong culture and strong teams.
(18:32-18:59) Dr. Corey Winn
I love that. Well, and from a physical therapy standpoint, I mean, years ago, I worked with patients after workers' comp injuries. And one of the biggest indicators of people returning to work wasn't their level of injury, wasn't the level of compensation they had before. It was their direct relationship with their direct supervisor. So when you talk about culture, we spend...
(18:59-19:26) Dr. Corey Winn
more time of our waking hours most of the time with our work colleagues than we do with our own family, the people we chose to be around. So that culture is what makes people stay in jobs for so long. It, like you said, spans crises. And I don't think a lot of times people recognize how much their work relationships do matter.
(19:27-19:34) Dr. Corey Winn
When those things aren't there, what are some of the first signs that the team is starting to crumble?
(19:38-20:02) Daria Rudnik
I think it's silence. When you don't hear people talk, when you don't hear questions, when you don't hear arguments, that's a very strong signal that something is wrong. It could be because people are not motivated. It could be because people are motivated but too tired. It could be because people are afraid to ask questions or to share their concerns.
(20:04-20:27) Daria Rudnik
Having healthy conversations, even a conflict sometimes is better than silence. Because when there is a conflict, there is something you can work with. There's something you can deal with. The frustration is out there. You can help people go through that. But when there is silence, it's very hard to define where it's coming from. And it's very important to address that. Well, and I think that that...
(20:28-20:53) Dr. Corey Winn
also shows how easily culture can change and people can become disengaged, especially, you know, I've heard over the years, I've been in management, you know, the moment that somebody asks for your opinion, but doesn't truly listen or value the answer, people are going to stop giving their advice or stop giving their feedback. And
(20:56-21:17) Dr. Corey Winn
In order for organizations to truly thrive, like you said earlier, everybody has to be focused on the same mission. I am in the current process of building my nonprofit, and part of building that is to find people who are just as compassionate about this mission as I am and
(21:17-21:42) Dr. Corey Winn
Over the years, you know, sometimes you have to let people go. So when you've worked with consulting firms and these big tech companies and these CEOs, how often have you had to kind of coach women through, it's okay to let this person go, or it's okay to move away from this project because it's not feeding your soul. It's not feeding your culture. It's not living up to the standards that you set forth. Yeah.
(21:44-21:57) Daria Rudnik
I mean, I love the question because it was one of my first leadership experiences and learnings. Like, how do you let people go so that it doesn't ruin you or them or your relationship or company?
(21:58-22:27) Daria Rudnik
And the most important thing is to understand that when you let someone go, when you fire someone, you're not doing it because you're a bad person or they're a bad person. You're doing it because there is no fit. And when there is no fit, everyone suffers. You suffer as a manager. They suffer because they're not successful. They are not fulfilling their mission. And an organization is suffering because the organization is not getting the results that they want.
(22:27-22:52) Daria Rudnik
that it needs so in order to to do that in the right way first of all that the person need to be aware that they are not performing well it you they understand it through feedback you give them and it's not just feedback that you're doing it wrong it's the feedback i expect these things from you can you deliver them well you didn't deliver them how can we help you
(22:52-23:15) Daria Rudnik
You didn't deliver them. How can we help you? You didn't deliver them. Well, probably that's not the right fit. Probably you can find something where you can fulfill your skills, where you can be successful, and it's not here. So let's try and figure out where and how you can be successful and these relationships now.
(23:15-23:41) Dr. Corey Winn
So with this approach, when you're trying to help this person to be successful, when you try an organization to be successful, that is a win-win situation, although it's still hard. Yes, yes. Well, and I think too, starting, especially if you're able to create your own team, finding the right person for the right job is incredibly important. And also, I feel like what I'm hearing from you too is,
(23:41-24:09) Dr. Corey Winn
Say you come to me, Corey, wow, you know, I've noticed X, Y, and Z has been happening lately, which is unlike you. Is everything okay? Or, you know, is something going on? Because I feel like, especially in healthcare, working around a lot of moms, I've worked with women whose kids have been sick or there's something has happened to their spouse, but they haven't been comfortable to share that or didn't want to, you know, it's not always our business.
(24:09-24:34) Dr. Corey Winn
But I think, too, what I'm hearing from you say is, wow, let's dig deeper for a minute, not automatically assume that they just don't care about their job anymore or they don't care about the company, but something could have actually happened in their life. Yes. And it could be temporarily or it could be permanent. And then, again, if it's permanent, help them find a better way, something that suits the situation better. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.
(24:34-24:57) Dr. Corey Winn
Before we got on today, I talked a little bit about wanting to really talk about AI. So I want to pivot that just a little bit. So you've built AI-powered coaching tools and whatnot, but big picture, what are your thoughts on AI? And I'm fully open, full, honest discussion. So give us a little bit of depth there.
(24:59-25:22) Daria Rudnik
Well, I'm an AI optimist. I believe AI can make our life better. I believe that AI can create amazing organizations by understanding, by helping us understand what kind of skills we have in the organization, what kind of skills we can develop in the organization and help us actually build those skills. On the other hand,
(25:22-25:42) Daria Rudnik
AI, there's a lot of feelings around AI. Well, one of them is fear. Will it replace me? Will my manager think that AI can replace me? Like, how should I react to that? And on the other hand, again, it's, wow, AI is super cool. Let's do everything with AI. Yeah.
(25:44-26:00) Daria Rudnik
And when you do everything with AI, we see this AI work slope that emails created by AI and replies to those emails created by AI, this kind of things. I don't quite understand what that means.
(26:00-26:19) Daria Rudnik
So we are in this interesting era of experimenting, trying and playing with AI. Lots of companies are using AI. But again, I think about 98% of companies are actually trying and implementing AI. But...
(26:19-26:40) Daria Rudnik
ROI is very low. I think it's about less than 5% of companies are actually seeing any ROI on those AI investments. A lot of AI projects are being canceled and will be canceled. All those AI agents that we're bringing into the organizations, they'll be removed from organizations because there was a lot of trial and error going on in this space.
(26:40-27:04) Daria Rudnik
So we just need to calm down, take a deep breath, breathe in and breathe out. And try to say, okay, I want to try using AI. What is it they want to try it for? Is it because, is it for, I don't know, for example, learning something new? And then first identify the goal. What is it they want to learn? And then ask AI. Or I want to do something. I want to create a message. I want to create an article.
(27:05-27:33) Daria Rudnik
think it through what is it you want to create with AI and then ask it for some input. Because if you think about it first and then ask AI to give you some suggestions, some drafts, and then edit it, your brain stays engaged. There is a research called Your Brain on ChatGPT that if you think it first and ask AI and then work with it, your brain stays engaged. You keep this ownership of the product that AI gives you. But if
(27:33-27:54) Daria Rudnik
If you just give AI a task or create an article about something for me without thinking about it, your brain is disengaged. And there's a high risk of creating, of getting some bad results, which will influence probably your career because no one wants to read some sloppy articles or emails or whatever. Yeah.
(27:54-28:23) Dr. Corey Winn
So think first what you want to get from AI, then try some iterations, then critically evaluate what the AI outputs, and then you can use it and you're good to go. And experimentation is fun. Yes, it's so fun. And what I'm hearing you say and what I want our audience to hear is you are still the expert. You are still the content creator. You are still the physical therapist looking for the exercise program. You're still the tech genius. You are still the input.
(28:23-28:40) Dr. Corey Winn
Now, can AI expand on that? Absolutely. Can you jot down all of your notes and say, please create a cohesive, well thought out email with these notes? Beautiful. But like Daria said, read it. Read it before you send it.
(28:40-29:05) Dr. Corey Winn
You know, I think so many of us were so afraid that everything was going to come out robotic, and it will if you don't put your input in, if you're not still the human behind the AI. Let's talk about wealth without burnout. So you've built...
(29:06-29:34) Dr. Corey Winn
beautiful, beautiful career. You've helped other women do the same. How have you done that while maintaining your sanity, while building things outside of your wealth? Well, I can't say I maintain my sanity all the time, especially with my kids. I appreciate that honesty, because I want our listeners to hear we so often tumble through these things. And I mean that in the most graceful way possible. But
(29:35-30:00) Daria Rudnik
Don't think that this is just an easy flowing, lazy river that gets you to where you're going. So let me just preface it with that. Okay, go ahead. And again, I'll tell you more, even when at some point, okay, well, I built my career with the chief people officer for tech companies. And then I made my relocation and I started my business. It was kind of all upside down once again, but it's okay. And like,
(30:01-30:27) Daria Rudnik
Letting yourself be okay when things are not okay is the best you can do. You don't have to be perfect all the time. I don't have to be perfect all the time. And sometimes I lock myself in the room, get myself a coffee and a chocolate and I tell kids, no, I will not share this chocolate with you. I'm making myself happy. Yes. Thank you. This is my chocolate and you may not have any if you are a mom.
(30:27-30:48) Daria Rudnik
Go hide with your chocolate, please. Yeah, yeah. So it's okay that sometimes things are not okay. If you need help, get help. If you don't, if you feel like you're handling it, take a break, have some coffee, have some chocolate, whatever helps you go for a walk and get back to your work. Yeah.
(30:48-31:04) Dr. Corey Winn
You know, early on in my entrepreneurial career, one of my best friends gave me a book called, I think it's called The Mistakes I've Made. And it was such an incredible book to read. And women out there, I hope that you hear both Daria and I say...
(31:04-31:30) Dr. Corey Winn
Talk to your friends about the mistakes they've made. Tell them where you've screwed up because the more we talk about it, the more it normalizes not shooting for perfection all the time because it's not possible. And the longer you stay in the, well, it has to be perfect before I launch or it has to be perfect before I pitch this idea or whatever, you'll stay stuck.
(31:31-31:59) Dr. Corey Winn
And the more we talk about, well, I tried this and it didn't quite work out like I wanted it to, it normalizes it for the next woman to say, okay, I'm going to pivot here and I'm going to try and see what happens. What do you have to say to that woman who's too scared to take that next step? Well, that is a great question. And I can always say that I wanted to start my business with
(32:00-32:20) Daria Rudnik
Quite a while, quite a while. It was scary because when you have a paycheck, a nice paycheck every month, it's very hard to let it go. And for me, it was a combination of my decision, my will, but also a situation. So...
(32:22-32:49) Daria Rudnik
What I would say is take small steps and small steps eventually come up to something big. If you're taking those steps every time towards your goals, even if you're afraid to make this major leap, those steps will eventually create a situation that will help you make that move. So for some people...
(32:49-33:04) Daria Rudnik
Like just taking this leap is the best way to go forward. For some, it's smaller steps that will help you be where you want to be. I'm so glad that you mentioned that because I think there's this perception that
(33:04-33:23) Dr. Corey Winn
You have to be one of the other extremes. You have to just burn it all down and go for it. Or you have to have six months to a year of savings in the bank before you even begin to leave. There's no right answer. And what I hope you hear from Daria is trust yourself.
(33:23-33:38) Dr. Corey Winn
Whatever you need to take that first step is fine. Just know that you don't have to know the how the whole way. Make the decision and you'll notice that the downloads start coming. The path starts opening up.
(33:42-34:12) Daria Rudnik
This has been such a beautiful conversation. I want to make sure that, for one, our listeners know where to find you and to find your book. But also, do you have any lasting advice or information that you want to speak on before we end today? Well, thank you, Kari. I really enjoyed the conversation. And there was one thing that I really want to share is, especially for leaders, for women leaders, stop being heroes. Stop trying to save the world. Stop trying to save your teams. They are capable. They're grown-up people.
(34:12-34:40) Daria Rudnik
It's the era of heroic leadership is gone. Now it's time for empowered teams and you can build those teams so that you don't have to be exhausted and carry it all. And I'm happy to connect on LinkedIn. So reach out to me. I'm very open to connections. Send me a message. Let's keep this conversation going. You can find me on my website, daddyarudning.com. And my book is available on Amazon and all the major book retailers. So, yeah.
(34:40-34:44) Dr. Corey Winn
I love it thank you so much for being on the show today thank you
(34:49-35:16) Dr. Corey Winn
As we close out today's episode, I want to leave you with this. Your next level is already within you. If you're feeling that pull for more clarity, more alignment, and more courage to step fully into who you're meant to be, this is your invitation to take the next step. Whether you're an entrepreneur ready to scale or a woman standing at the edge of something bigger, the path forward starts with trusting your desires, owning your worth, and leading with your inner knowing.
(35:16-35:46) Dr. Corey Winn
This is exactly what I offer private VIP coaching and why I guide women inside the 10 K club and 50 K club through consulting with she sells and superhuman selling to help you gain clarity, step into aligned action and build a life and business that reflects your highest vision. If you're ready to explore what's next, let's have a conversation. Book a free call now at www.horiwin.com slash free call. I can't wait to connect with you. Talk soon.
(35:46-35:46) Dr. Corey Winn
Thank you.
Welcome to Empower Her Radio, the space for powerhouse women ready to step into their next level of abundance, purpose, and personal freedom. I'm Dr. Corey Nguyen, a high-performance coach, doctor of physical therapy, philanthropist, and business consultant. I help ambitious women align with their highest calling, expand their wealth and impact, and create a life that feels as good as it looks.
(00:27-00:47) Dr. Corey Winn
If you're a high achieving woman who's built success yet finds yourself craving more, more alignment, more purpose, more ease, you're in the right place. Here, we bridge the gap between ambition and fulfillment. Through transformative conversations and proven strategies, you'll gain the courage to step into the fullest expression of you.
(00:47-01:15) Dr. Corey Winn
Build a powerhouse business that aligns with your expertise and divine gifts and lead your life both personally and professionally with unshakable confidence, worthiness, and compassion. This is about expansion, legacy, and owning your power unapologetically. You already have everything inside of you to create a life of unlimited possibility. It's time to unlock it. Welcome to your next level. Let's dive in.
(01:24-01:46) Dr. Corey Winn
This episode of Empower Her Radio with Dr. Corey Winn is brought to you by Her Quantum Rise, the private coaching experience for the woman who refuses to play small. Her Quantum Rise is where high achieving women come to elevate their leadership, align with their deepest purpose and unlock overflow in every area of life.
(01:46-02:10) Dr. Corey Winn
This is where you shed the old paradigm, step into your highest identity and rise with clarity, certainty and unstoppable momentum. If you're ready to move from doing it all to leading from grounded power, if you feel the pull toward a bigger life, a bigger mission and a bigger capacity to receive, then I would love to explore what this next level looks like for you.
(02:10-02:23) Dr. Corey Winn
Book a complimentary call at www.coreywin.com slash free call and step into the room where your expansion becomes inevitable. Your rise starts here.
(02:29-02:56) Dr. Corey Winn
Today, I am so excited to invite our guest, Daria Rudnick, to the show. She is the definition of quiet power. She's a team architect and executive leadership coach, former chief people officer, excuse me, ex-Deload professional, and author of Clicking, and co-author of The AI Revolution. With over 15 years of international executive experience and having led through global crises, relocation, and even war, Daria helps...
(02:56-03:20) Dr. Corey Winn
Leaders build high-performing, sufficient teams in a rapidly changing world. Daria, welcome to the show. Well, thanks for having me here, Karei. I love listening to your podcast, and now I'm excited to be as a guest here. I love it. So take us back to the moment you realized that you were often the only woman in the C-suite. How did you get there? How did you feel? And how did you normalize it?
(03:21-03:35) Daria Rudnik
Well, thanks for the question. And it was a while ago, to be honest. And I was working for a telecom company. Well, I was chief people officer there. And all the other C-suite members were men.
(03:37-04:04) Daria Rudnik
It was an interesting experience. I didn't think about then that I was the only woman, but all I thought about is it was my first chief people officer role. I wanted to excel. I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to be out there. And I had so many questions. Okay, how do I show up? Do I become more soft and gentle and kind of fluid? Or should I be more assertive and kind of straightforward and loud? Yeah.
(04:04-04:27) Daria Rudnik
And none of those actually fit my style and kind of none of them felt that that's me. And I was struggling with that a lot, kind of trying to find my my voice. And I think it's it is a combination of new role and male dominated culture. But I have to say that the company was amazing and the people were great.
(04:27-04:42) Daria Rudnik
And that helped me come down and find my way, which is not being the loudest person in the room, being introvert myself, I find it hard, but kind of having those conversations in between things.
(04:42-05:05) Daria Rudnik
meetings having one-to-one conversations with my C-suite colleagues understanding their pains being a supportive partner for them in driving their business their their units that is what helped me and that was the main like the very important shift of trying to be someone I'm not to actually finding my way
(05:06-05:18) Dr. Corey Winn
I love that. I feel like so many of us as women think we need to be something else. So I love and I want to really honor you for really stepping in to know what feels good to me. Who am I? What...
(05:19-05:45) Dr. Corey Winn
gifts do I bring to the table? And then sharing that in the way that felt good to you. And I feel like so often as women, we do think that we have to do it a certain way or show up a certain way to be respected, valued. What was maybe the biggest thing that you learned from those first moments of you deciding, no, I'm stepping into this as myself?
(05:47-06:16) Daria Rudnik
Well, I think the most important realization for me was that most people, at least on my team, they had very good intentions. Although, again, we've been grown up in different environments where some things that now when people are not saying, they used to say that and their parents were saying that, I don't know, it's good for you as a woman or things like that. Or isn't it too hard? Isn't it too complicated for you? Mm-hmm.
(06:16-06:32) Daria Rudnik
And at first, it felt like, okay, they're trying to offend me. But then I realized, well, they're not. They're trying to help me in the way that they can. And it's not my job to judge them and kind of accuse them of being wrong. But it's kind of trying to help them...
(06:32-07:00) Daria Rudnik
sometimes understand that i'm okay you don't need to kind of think that i'm not less capable even if you don't think it if you want to try to help me i if i need some help i'll come and ask you but like switching this from being judgmental and kind of trying to protect myself okay they're not behaving the right way the way i want them to behave to be seeing the the good intentions behind their actions is what really helped me uh
(07:00-07:18) Dr. Corey Winn
come down and be more confident in who I am and how I show up. I love that. Well, and I think that a lot of us can assume walking into a male dominated room, we're going to be met in a certain way, or certain things are going to be said. And
(07:20-07:49) Dr. Corey Winn
As we become the women that we have always meant to be, we step into our own power. A lot of that just tends to fall away. You know, as I've grown over the years, those types of comments and those types of environments really don't exist in my world anymore, which is incredible. And I know that many women don't feel that way. But when I was preparing for today, you talk a lot about quiet influence.
(07:50-08:15) Daria Rudnik
What does that mean to you and how can you share that with our audience? Well, that was kind of shared. Sometimes people think that to be heard and visible, it's super important. I mean, you need to be visible at work to be able to create some impact. But it doesn't have to be during the meeting when everyone is trying to show what they're capable of and trying to say something and make sure that they had their word there.
(08:16-08:44) Daria Rudnik
If you're not that kind of person, if it's hard for you to kind of be the loudest person in the room, you don't have to be because there is lots happening in between. If you get an invitation for a meeting, for example, reach out to the organizer and say, how can I help? Like, what do you expect from me? How can I add value to your meeting? Or reach out to decision makers that will be present at this meeting and say, hey, these are things I want to share. What do you think? Get the input.
(08:44-09:08) Daria Rudnik
So basically, you're helping them to create a better agenda for the meeting. You help them understand what they can expect at the meeting. And you also prepare them so that when the meeting starts, they know that you have something interesting to share because you shared it with them. They helped you shape it and they gave you feedback and they want to hear because they are part of this conversation. Yeah.
(09:09-09:38) Daria Rudnik
But even if this didn't happen and you didn't have the chance to prepare to talk to them beforehand, there is always a follow-up. You can reach out to those people and say, hey, here is what I can add. Here is some data. Here are some new ideas. Here is, like, I don't know, some risks that I have identified. Keep this conversation going. Keep bringing value, not during those 60 minutes of the meeting, but before, during, and after the meeting. And that's how you build relationships. And that's how you can...
(09:38-09:43) Daria Rudnik
like create impact and bring real value, not just being the loudest person in the industry.
(09:44-10:13) Dr. Corey Winn
Yeah, I love that. Well, and for me personally, for years, I thought I had to figure out these huge networking events or these huge meetings and be in that space and feel comfortable. And I am not comfortable in that setting. I'm not. Small groups and one-on-one is where I thrive. And I'm okay with that. And I think what I'm hearing you say, too, is for these women to really take stock for a second in where they feel comfortable. Because when you feel comfortable, your light can shine brighter.
(10:13-10:41) Dr. Corey Winn
you can bring the ideas to the table. If you're in a situation where you're just constantly nervous, it's not going to come out like you want it to. That's true. Do you also help women work through building their confidence, but also not overextending themselves and not burning themselves out in the process of trying to show up well in what a lot of times, especially tech, is a male-dominated field?
(10:43-11:07) Daria Rudnik
Well, since I work a lot with female leaders, those who have their teams, I see a pattern when they want to be good leaders. They want to protect their teams. They want to support their teams. So they do spend a lot of time having one-to-ones with their teams. But they also spend a lot of time kind of getting feedback and being the go-to person within the area of expertise. Mm-hmm.
(11:07-11:34) Daria Rudnik
Which on one hand is good because it strengthens their visibility. On the other hand, they are exhausting themselves. But the other thing is they actually demotivating their teams. And I'll tell you a story. I was working with the chief of cybersecurity in a company and she was amazing. And she wanted to be a good leader. She wanted to protect her team members. And she was always like, everyone knew her in the company. And
(11:34-11:53) Daria Rudnik
Everyone was coming to her with feedback, bringing her feedback about their team members and asking questions and things like that. And she thought she's protecting her team from those unnecessary questions and unnecessary, sometimes not pleasant feedback by having all those conversations.
(11:54-12:11) Daria Rudnik
But at some point, she saw through the engagement survey that her team members become demotivated and disengaged. They were losing motivation and engagement and she didn't know why, what's happened. But when we looked at the way how team members communicated with each other and with the organization and
(12:11-12:31) Daria Rudnik
how she communicated with the organization, it became clear that she has a lot of connections, like many connections within the organization, but her team members were connected only to themselves and her as a leader. They didn't have this connection with the broader organization and that, well, they felt isolated. They didn't feel protected. They felt isolated.
(12:31-12:56) Daria Rudnik
So when she kind of stretched herself, overloaded with all of those requests and conversations, basically she didn't serve well for herself and for her team members as well. So what she did instead is she let them go out there, have those conversations with stakeholders, understand stakeholders' needs, collect feedback. And, well, she had more time.
(12:56-13:16) Daria Rudnik
And they had more communication, more connections and more engagement. And that was working well for both, I think for all of them, for organization, because they had motivated team for team members who finally realized, okay, these are the people we're helping. These are organizational goals that we need to support. And for herself, because she had more time.
(13:17-13:35) Dr. Corey Winn
I am so glad that you brought this up because my husband and I literally had this conversation yesterday. We've both been in healthcare for a very long time and there's almost always a very good relationship between the frontline staff and their immediate supervisor.
(13:35-14:00) Dr. Corey Winn
It's the C-suite. It's the ELT above that, that people don't know. They don't understand the mission. They don't maybe see how invested people are. And it's like, they're this otherworldly being that they're so far disconnected from. They wouldn't even know. And I've seen over the years,
(14:00-14:28) Dr. Corey Winn
I've seen ELT come through and say hello and speak to everyone and it changes the entire outcome versus executive leadership who maybe walks through your area, doesn't say hello, doesn't look up from their phone and just keeps going. And what people don't recognize is that body language matters. If you want people to work for you and to pay attention to your mission, you have to value them.
(14:29-14:49) Dr. Corey Winn
From the top down. Absolutely. Yeah. What do you feel like, you know, you think about, let's talk about your book a little bit, clicking and building teams. What are like maybe the top three pieces of advice you can give when it comes to building successful teams? Yeah.
(14:51-15:09) Daria Rudnik
I have five. Well, since the book is called Clicking, there are five pillars. Yeah, there are five pillars of the click framework. Well, we're overusing the word team. If you get people together and give them one manager, it doesn't make them a team.
(15:09-15:33) Daria Rudnik
For a team to really be a self-sufficient, high-performing, for a group of people to be a self-sufficient, high-performing team, they need to have first clear purpose. Like, what is it we're doing together that we cannot do individually? Like, why are we together? The second one is linking connections. How we are connected between each other, how we communicate, do we know each other, and how we are connected with the broader organization.
(15:34-15:49) Daria Rudnik
The third one is integrated work, our norms and rules of teamwork. How often do we have our meetings? What are the rules of working together? When do we reply to emails? What are our team KPIs?
(15:50-16:14) Daria Rudnik
The fourth one is collaborative decisions, how we make decisions as a team. Some decisions are made by team leaders, some decisions can be made by individual contributors, and some decisions are made need to be made collaboratively together. And the fifth one is knowledge sharing, how we learn and grow as a team. So when you have clear purpose, linking connections, integrated work, collaborative decisions and knowledge sharing, you'll have your team click.
(16:15-16:40) Dr. Corey Winn
I love that. I love that so much. And what I also hear from you is it gives each person within the organization a clear goal. I mean, you know, okay, this is happening here. These are the expectations of this interaction and we move forward. And what I'm also hearing from you, it makes things go so much more smoothly. There's no question as to what's the purpose of this meeting. Why am I here? Did I really need to be in this room?
(16:44-16:58) Dr. Corey Winn
So let's go back just a little bit, though. In our bio or in our introduction today, I talked a little bit about rapid relocation and you moving through crises. Can you speak to that a little bit? I don't want to take your story away. Yeah.
(17:00-17:26) Daria Rudnik
Well, it happened that I've been through, I've had organizations go through different crisis situations. And some of them we all witnessed like the COVID when everything has changed like in one day and you have to change and we had to change how organizations are working. That was an interesting experience. The other one was when I was working in a bank, it was 2008 and it was financial crisis.
(17:26-17:44) Daria Rudnik
Yes. For organizations. And like, again, like now is very disturbing times, lots of military conflicts. And I was helping some organizations that are actually in those zones, how they can be resilient to whatever is going on around them and keep running their business. Yeah.
(17:45-18:10) Daria Rudnik
And through all of those stories, what I've seen is when you have a strong team, when you have a strong culture, you can survive those disruptions. Whether it's something global like financial crisis or COVID or, again, military conflict, or whether it's something like your company specific, like M&A, for example, or transformation into own transformation.
(18:10-18:31) Daria Rudnik
If you don't have that, I've seen companies failing and disappearing because they didn't have strong leadership here. And I've seen companies like the one in the bank going through this crisis with a heads up and all the people staying, clients staying, and they managed to survive that because they had this strong culture and strong teams.
(18:32-18:59) Dr. Corey Winn
I love that. Well, and from a physical therapy standpoint, I mean, years ago, I worked with patients after workers' comp injuries. And one of the biggest indicators of people returning to work wasn't their level of injury, wasn't the level of compensation they had before. It was their direct relationship with their direct supervisor. So when you talk about culture, we spend...
(18:59-19:26) Dr. Corey Winn
more time of our waking hours most of the time with our work colleagues than we do with our own family, the people we chose to be around. So that culture is what makes people stay in jobs for so long. It, like you said, spans crises. And I don't think a lot of times people recognize how much their work relationships do matter.
(19:27-19:34) Dr. Corey Winn
When those things aren't there, what are some of the first signs that the team is starting to crumble?
(19:38-20:02) Daria Rudnik
I think it's silence. When you don't hear people talk, when you don't hear questions, when you don't hear arguments, that's a very strong signal that something is wrong. It could be because people are not motivated. It could be because people are motivated but too tired. It could be because people are afraid to ask questions or to share their concerns.
(20:04-20:27) Daria Rudnik
Having healthy conversations, even a conflict sometimes is better than silence. Because when there is a conflict, there is something you can work with. There's something you can deal with. The frustration is out there. You can help people go through that. But when there is silence, it's very hard to define where it's coming from. And it's very important to address that. Well, and I think that that...
(20:28-20:53) Dr. Corey Winn
also shows how easily culture can change and people can become disengaged, especially, you know, I've heard over the years, I've been in management, you know, the moment that somebody asks for your opinion, but doesn't truly listen or value the answer, people are going to stop giving their advice or stop giving their feedback. And
(20:56-21:17) Dr. Corey Winn
In order for organizations to truly thrive, like you said earlier, everybody has to be focused on the same mission. I am in the current process of building my nonprofit, and part of building that is to find people who are just as compassionate about this mission as I am and
(21:17-21:42) Dr. Corey Winn
Over the years, you know, sometimes you have to let people go. So when you've worked with consulting firms and these big tech companies and these CEOs, how often have you had to kind of coach women through, it's okay to let this person go, or it's okay to move away from this project because it's not feeding your soul. It's not feeding your culture. It's not living up to the standards that you set forth. Yeah.
(21:44-21:57) Daria Rudnik
I mean, I love the question because it was one of my first leadership experiences and learnings. Like, how do you let people go so that it doesn't ruin you or them or your relationship or company?
(21:58-22:27) Daria Rudnik
And the most important thing is to understand that when you let someone go, when you fire someone, you're not doing it because you're a bad person or they're a bad person. You're doing it because there is no fit. And when there is no fit, everyone suffers. You suffer as a manager. They suffer because they're not successful. They are not fulfilling their mission. And an organization is suffering because the organization is not getting the results that they want.
(22:27-22:52) Daria Rudnik
that it needs so in order to to do that in the right way first of all that the person need to be aware that they are not performing well it you they understand it through feedback you give them and it's not just feedback that you're doing it wrong it's the feedback i expect these things from you can you deliver them well you didn't deliver them how can we help you
(22:52-23:15) Daria Rudnik
You didn't deliver them. How can we help you? You didn't deliver them. Well, probably that's not the right fit. Probably you can find something where you can fulfill your skills, where you can be successful, and it's not here. So let's try and figure out where and how you can be successful and these relationships now.
(23:15-23:41) Dr. Corey Winn
So with this approach, when you're trying to help this person to be successful, when you try an organization to be successful, that is a win-win situation, although it's still hard. Yes, yes. Well, and I think too, starting, especially if you're able to create your own team, finding the right person for the right job is incredibly important. And also, I feel like what I'm hearing from you too is,
(23:41-24:09) Dr. Corey Winn
Say you come to me, Corey, wow, you know, I've noticed X, Y, and Z has been happening lately, which is unlike you. Is everything okay? Or, you know, is something going on? Because I feel like, especially in healthcare, working around a lot of moms, I've worked with women whose kids have been sick or there's something has happened to their spouse, but they haven't been comfortable to share that or didn't want to, you know, it's not always our business.
(24:09-24:34) Dr. Corey Winn
But I think, too, what I'm hearing from you say is, wow, let's dig deeper for a minute, not automatically assume that they just don't care about their job anymore or they don't care about the company, but something could have actually happened in their life. Yes. And it could be temporarily or it could be permanent. And then, again, if it's permanent, help them find a better way, something that suits the situation better. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.
(24:34-24:57) Dr. Corey Winn
Before we got on today, I talked a little bit about wanting to really talk about AI. So I want to pivot that just a little bit. So you've built AI-powered coaching tools and whatnot, but big picture, what are your thoughts on AI? And I'm fully open, full, honest discussion. So give us a little bit of depth there.
(24:59-25:22) Daria Rudnik
Well, I'm an AI optimist. I believe AI can make our life better. I believe that AI can create amazing organizations by understanding, by helping us understand what kind of skills we have in the organization, what kind of skills we can develop in the organization and help us actually build those skills. On the other hand,
(25:22-25:42) Daria Rudnik
AI, there's a lot of feelings around AI. Well, one of them is fear. Will it replace me? Will my manager think that AI can replace me? Like, how should I react to that? And on the other hand, again, it's, wow, AI is super cool. Let's do everything with AI. Yeah.
(25:44-26:00) Daria Rudnik
And when you do everything with AI, we see this AI work slope that emails created by AI and replies to those emails created by AI, this kind of things. I don't quite understand what that means.
(26:00-26:19) Daria Rudnik
So we are in this interesting era of experimenting, trying and playing with AI. Lots of companies are using AI. But again, I think about 98% of companies are actually trying and implementing AI. But...
(26:19-26:40) Daria Rudnik
ROI is very low. I think it's about less than 5% of companies are actually seeing any ROI on those AI investments. A lot of AI projects are being canceled and will be canceled. All those AI agents that we're bringing into the organizations, they'll be removed from organizations because there was a lot of trial and error going on in this space.
(26:40-27:04) Daria Rudnik
So we just need to calm down, take a deep breath, breathe in and breathe out. And try to say, okay, I want to try using AI. What is it they want to try it for? Is it because, is it for, I don't know, for example, learning something new? And then first identify the goal. What is it they want to learn? And then ask AI. Or I want to do something. I want to create a message. I want to create an article.
(27:05-27:33) Daria Rudnik
think it through what is it you want to create with AI and then ask it for some input. Because if you think about it first and then ask AI to give you some suggestions, some drafts, and then edit it, your brain stays engaged. There is a research called Your Brain on ChatGPT that if you think it first and ask AI and then work with it, your brain stays engaged. You keep this ownership of the product that AI gives you. But if
(27:33-27:54) Daria Rudnik
If you just give AI a task or create an article about something for me without thinking about it, your brain is disengaged. And there's a high risk of creating, of getting some bad results, which will influence probably your career because no one wants to read some sloppy articles or emails or whatever. Yeah.
(27:54-28:23) Dr. Corey Winn
So think first what you want to get from AI, then try some iterations, then critically evaluate what the AI outputs, and then you can use it and you're good to go. And experimentation is fun. Yes, it's so fun. And what I'm hearing you say and what I want our audience to hear is you are still the expert. You are still the content creator. You are still the physical therapist looking for the exercise program. You're still the tech genius. You are still the input.
(28:23-28:40) Dr. Corey Winn
Now, can AI expand on that? Absolutely. Can you jot down all of your notes and say, please create a cohesive, well thought out email with these notes? Beautiful. But like Daria said, read it. Read it before you send it.
(28:40-29:05) Dr. Corey Winn
You know, I think so many of us were so afraid that everything was going to come out robotic, and it will if you don't put your input in, if you're not still the human behind the AI. Let's talk about wealth without burnout. So you've built...
(29:06-29:34) Dr. Corey Winn
beautiful, beautiful career. You've helped other women do the same. How have you done that while maintaining your sanity, while building things outside of your wealth? Well, I can't say I maintain my sanity all the time, especially with my kids. I appreciate that honesty, because I want our listeners to hear we so often tumble through these things. And I mean that in the most graceful way possible. But
(29:35-30:00) Daria Rudnik
Don't think that this is just an easy flowing, lazy river that gets you to where you're going. So let me just preface it with that. Okay, go ahead. And again, I'll tell you more, even when at some point, okay, well, I built my career with the chief people officer for tech companies. And then I made my relocation and I started my business. It was kind of all upside down once again, but it's okay. And like,
(30:01-30:27) Daria Rudnik
Letting yourself be okay when things are not okay is the best you can do. You don't have to be perfect all the time. I don't have to be perfect all the time. And sometimes I lock myself in the room, get myself a coffee and a chocolate and I tell kids, no, I will not share this chocolate with you. I'm making myself happy. Yes. Thank you. This is my chocolate and you may not have any if you are a mom.
(30:27-30:48) Daria Rudnik
Go hide with your chocolate, please. Yeah, yeah. So it's okay that sometimes things are not okay. If you need help, get help. If you don't, if you feel like you're handling it, take a break, have some coffee, have some chocolate, whatever helps you go for a walk and get back to your work. Yeah.
(30:48-31:04) Dr. Corey Winn
You know, early on in my entrepreneurial career, one of my best friends gave me a book called, I think it's called The Mistakes I've Made. And it was such an incredible book to read. And women out there, I hope that you hear both Daria and I say...
(31:04-31:30) Dr. Corey Winn
Talk to your friends about the mistakes they've made. Tell them where you've screwed up because the more we talk about it, the more it normalizes not shooting for perfection all the time because it's not possible. And the longer you stay in the, well, it has to be perfect before I launch or it has to be perfect before I pitch this idea or whatever, you'll stay stuck.
(31:31-31:59) Dr. Corey Winn
And the more we talk about, well, I tried this and it didn't quite work out like I wanted it to, it normalizes it for the next woman to say, okay, I'm going to pivot here and I'm going to try and see what happens. What do you have to say to that woman who's too scared to take that next step? Well, that is a great question. And I can always say that I wanted to start my business with
(32:00-32:20) Daria Rudnik
Quite a while, quite a while. It was scary because when you have a paycheck, a nice paycheck every month, it's very hard to let it go. And for me, it was a combination of my decision, my will, but also a situation. So...
(32:22-32:49) Daria Rudnik
What I would say is take small steps and small steps eventually come up to something big. If you're taking those steps every time towards your goals, even if you're afraid to make this major leap, those steps will eventually create a situation that will help you make that move. So for some people...
(32:49-33:04) Daria Rudnik
Like just taking this leap is the best way to go forward. For some, it's smaller steps that will help you be where you want to be. I'm so glad that you mentioned that because I think there's this perception that
(33:04-33:23) Dr. Corey Winn
You have to be one of the other extremes. You have to just burn it all down and go for it. Or you have to have six months to a year of savings in the bank before you even begin to leave. There's no right answer. And what I hope you hear from Daria is trust yourself.
(33:23-33:38) Dr. Corey Winn
Whatever you need to take that first step is fine. Just know that you don't have to know the how the whole way. Make the decision and you'll notice that the downloads start coming. The path starts opening up.
(33:42-34:12) Daria Rudnik
This has been such a beautiful conversation. I want to make sure that, for one, our listeners know where to find you and to find your book. But also, do you have any lasting advice or information that you want to speak on before we end today? Well, thank you, Kari. I really enjoyed the conversation. And there was one thing that I really want to share is, especially for leaders, for women leaders, stop being heroes. Stop trying to save the world. Stop trying to save your teams. They are capable. They're grown-up people.
(34:12-34:40) Daria Rudnik
It's the era of heroic leadership is gone. Now it's time for empowered teams and you can build those teams so that you don't have to be exhausted and carry it all. And I'm happy to connect on LinkedIn. So reach out to me. I'm very open to connections. Send me a message. Let's keep this conversation going. You can find me on my website, daddyarudning.com. And my book is available on Amazon and all the major book retailers. So, yeah.
(34:40-34:44) Dr. Corey Winn
I love it thank you so much for being on the show today thank you
(34:49-35:16) Dr. Corey Winn
As we close out today's episode, I want to leave you with this. Your next level is already within you. If you're feeling that pull for more clarity, more alignment, and more courage to step fully into who you're meant to be, this is your invitation to take the next step. Whether you're an entrepreneur ready to scale or a woman standing at the edge of something bigger, the path forward starts with trusting your desires, owning your worth, and leading with your inner knowing.
(35:16-35:46) Dr. Corey Winn
This is exactly what I offer private VIP coaching and why I guide women inside the 10 K club and 50 K club through consulting with she sells and superhuman selling to help you gain clarity, step into aligned action and build a life and business that reflects your highest vision. If you're ready to explore what's next, let's have a conversation. Book a free call now at www.horiwin.com slash free call. I can't wait to connect with you. Talk soon.
(35:46-35:46) Dr. Corey Winn
Thank you.