Lead Through It with Kim and Jada

Send us Fan Mail What are you really promising the people you serve? In this quick-fire debrief, we unpack a powerful idea from our conversation with Melanie Huggins: your brand promise means nothing if it is not reflected in your everyday behaviors. It is easy to talk about culture at a high level. Most organizations have values on the wall, in the handbook, or in a strategic plan. But what actua...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “Why won’t my team just take initiative?” you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common frustrations leaders face. In this episode of Lead Through IT, Jada and Kim tackle the leadership question that sits underneath that frustration. Why do capable, smart people sometimes wait to be told what to do? And what can leaders do to create an envi...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of Lead Through It, Jada and Kim are joined by Lyndsay Dowd , a top-tier sales leader, coach, and the author of Top-Down Culture . With 23 years of experience at IBM and a family legacy in the corporate world, Lyndsay shares the raw, transformative story of an unexpected career turning point at age 50 and how that moment became the push that led her to bui...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Lead Through It, hosts Jada and Kim sit down with Caroline Pennington , a powerhouse in the world of executive recruitment and personal branding. Caroline shares her journey from placing entry-level temporary employees to working with Fortune 500 boards and C-suite executives. Throughout the conversation, the trio explores: The LinkedIn "Secret Sauce":...

Send us Fan Mail What if the key to building a strong culture isn’t about you at all? In this episode, Kim and Jada sit down with Melanie Huggins , CEO of Girl Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands and former CEO of Richland Library, for a candid conversation about leadership, burnout, reinvention, and what it really takes to build a culture that lasts. With more than thirty years of lead...

Send us Fan Mail What does it look like to step into the CEO seat…and refuse to do it the traditional way? In this episode, Kim and Jada sit down with Danielle Pickens, a two-time CEO who is redefining what executive leadership can look like. After fifteen years as an independent consultant building her own company on flexibility and boundaries, Danielle stepped into the CEO role at Urban Schools...

Send us Fan Mail When life feels heavy, the news feels overwhelming, and everything seems just a little unsteady, leadership doesn’t get easier. It gets more human. In this episode, Kim and Jada get real about what it looks like to lead when both personal life and the world around us feel messy. From flat tires and pantry tears to national events that leave people emotionally drained, they unpack...

Send us Fan Mail What if leadership growth doesn’t start with being right, but with being a little less certain? In this episode, Kim and Jada reflect on their recent conversation with Monty Robertson and dig deeper into the idea of perspective, ego, and self-leadership. They explore what it really means to lead people when you don’t have all the answers, how resilience is built through lived expe...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Lead Through IT , Jada and Kim sit down with Monty Robertson , Executive Director of the Alliance for Healthiest South Carolina, for an honest conversation about leadership, ego, and what it really takes to bring people together when the stakes are high. Monty shares his unconventional leadership journey, from growing up in a small South Carolina town to leading...

Send us Fan Mail In this laser-focused episode of Lead Through It , Jada and Kim reflect on what it truly means to lead with both humility and credibility. Using insights from their conversation with Maia Molina-Schaefer, they explore how effective leaders balance listening and learning with confidently sharing perspective and direction. The discussion dives into values-driven decision making, bui...

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when the system was never designed for you to win? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Maia Molina-Schaefer to talk about grit, identity, and leadership forged in the toughest environments imaginable. From growing up in a low-income immigrant household to becoming a Marine Corps and Army intelligence officer, military diplomat, and trailblazer for women in le...

Send us Fan Mail In the first full week of 2026, Lead Through It opens with a message that is honest, challenging, and necessary. This week, Jada goes solo to talk about the one thing that actually changes your business, your leadership, and your life: owning it. Not the surface-level version. The real one. If you feel stuck, frustrated, or like you keep circling the same problems, this episode wa...

Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode of Lead Through IT , Kim Andrews makes you an offer you might not want to refuse. It only costs you twenty minutes. This conversation is about pressing pause with intention. Kim walks listeners through a simple but powerful exercise designed to help you step out of survival mode, get honest about where your time and energy are really going, and reconnect with...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jada and Kim dive into one of the most frustrating parts of leadership and business growth: setting goals that actually work. After a week full of Disney conferences, AI discoveries, sick-kid snuggles, and plenty of pivoting, they sit down to talk honestly about why traditional goal setting often fails and what to do instead. Kim introduces her fresh take on goal...

Send us Fan Mail In this bite-sized laser session, Jada and Kim break down one of the toughest parts of leadership: knowing what to share, how much to share, and when to share it. Inspired by their recent conversation with Sarah Kelley on leading through grief, this episode dives into the real tension leaders feel when navigating big, heavy moments like the loss of a teammate, ethical breaches, or...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Lead Through It, Jada and Kim sit down with Sarah Kelly , a steady, values-driven former COO of a statewide reproductive health nonprofit, to talk about two big things leaders don’t always get real about: navigating grief in the workplace, and making a major career and life pivot in your mid-30s. After more than a decade at New Morning, Sarah made the kind of mo...

Send us Fan Mail In this lightning-round episode, Jada and Kim break down their biggest takeaways from their recent interview with Dr. Jim Floyd—owner of Ascent Total Performance and a standout example of what modern leadership really looks like in action. Jim’s story mirrors what so many leaders experience: you excel in your craft… and suddenly you’re leading people, running a business, and navig...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode, Jada and Kim sit down with one of the most inspiring leaders they know— Dr. Jim Floyd , founder of Achieve Total Performance and a heart-led visionary reshaping what healthcare should look like. Jim opens up about the evolution of his leadership journey: the early passion, the growing pains, the moment a trusted team member gave him tough feedback, and ho...

Send us Fan Mail In this energizing mini-episode, Jada and Kim pull back the curtain on a lost recording, a coaching moment, and the surprisingly liberating truth they landed on: you have more than enough time left in 2025 to finish the year with intention. With only a handful of meaningful working weeks left, the pressure to “finish strong” is everywhere. But what if finishing strong simply means...

Send us Fan Mail What if clarity—not confidence—was the key to every breakthrough? In this episode of Lead Through It , hosts Jada Willis and Kim Andrews sit down with Michael “Boot Camp” Thomas — former Columbia Fire Chief, fitness coach, and financial educator — to explore how vision shapes every decision we make. From leading in crisis to building his own home from the ground up, Michael shares...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Lead Through It , Jada and Kim unpack their conversation with Aaron Polkey , attorney, community leader, and candidate for Charleston City Council, whose calm confidence and authenticity left a lasting mark. They explore what it really means to show up with one voice , whether you’re on stage, in a boardroom, or talking with your neighbors. Jada shares a powerfu...

Send us Fan Mail Ever felt like your big ideas land with silence? You’re not alone. In this episode, Jada Willis and Kim Andrews debrief their conversation with visionary leader Kelly Jolley , exploring what happens when a leader’s enthusiasm collides with a team’s exhaustion. Together, they break down the tension between vision and overwhelm , offering three practical coaching steps any leader ca...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of Lead Through It , Kim Andrews and Jada Willis sit down with Aaron Polkey, President and CEO of the Palmetto Project and candidate for Charleston City Council District 4 . Aaron shares his journey from Charleston native to civil rights attorney to nonprofit leader, and why he felt called to return home to create lasting change. He opens up about what it...

Send us Fan Mail Too often, leadership training is treated like a “one-and-done” event. You sit through a workshop, leave with notes, and then daily fires quickly push those lessons aside. In this episode of Lead Through IT , Jada and Kim dig into why that model doesn’t work—and how ongoing coaching creates lasting change. They break down: Why skills fade without reinforcement and real-world pract...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jada and Kim sit down with Kelly Jolley , Managing Partner of the Jolley Law Group, to talk about her journey from starting a law firm from scratch to leading four offices across South Carolina. Kelly shares what it means to be more than a bio — an author, healthcare attorney, and nonprofit advocate who inspires trust, builds meaningful relationships, and leads wi...