Authentic Leadership Coaching LLC

06/10/2026

Celebrating the end of our first podcast season—wow, what an adventure! 🏓✨

Season 1 of ACE Leadership: Serving Up Success has been an absolute joy. It’s been full of great pickleball, incredible energy on the court, and amazing leadership conversations with phenomenal local leaders! 🎙️💼

We've loved digging into the core pillars of ACE (Authenticity, Clarity, and Emotional Intelligence), exploring how the quick decisions and strategic volleys on the pickleball court mirror how we live and lead in our lives.

Want to catch up on the inspiration? We’ve captured all of our First Season episodes in one place for you! 👇
🔗 https://open.spotify.com/show/1ATisvmgxMFFRFzxIdFrgS?si=H-wxrFziQX-T3GT53crnOg

🌟 Bonus: Stay tuned for a list of our guests favorite motivational songs 🎸 and favorite lunch spots in Spartanburg! 🍔

We can't wait to see what the next season holds! 🚀

👇 Drop a comment below: What was your favorite takeaway from Season 1? And who or what would you like to hear from/about next season?

Podcast · Christi O. Brown, Leadership Coach, Authentic Leadership Coaching SC · Welcome to ACE Leadership: Serving Up Success, the podcast that blends the strategic game of pickleball with the essential skills of leadership! Join host and Leadership Coach, Christi Brown, as she delves into the co...

06/09/2026

Trust and clarity: they matter on the pickleball court and the boardroom. 🏓✨

I was reminded of this truth recently during an incredible conversation with Dori Burgess, Executive Director at Healthy Smiles, on the latest episode of our ACE Leadership: Serving up Success podcast. Dori is a phenomenal leader who deeply understands what it means to lead from a place of mission rather than ego.

Here are a few powerful takeaways from our conversation:
💡 Clarity is the Highest Form of Care: When we set exceptionally clear expectations and communicate well, we aren't just driving performance—we are creating a culture of validation, connection, and deep authenticity.
💡 The Power of Connection: True clarity fuels emotional intelligence, allowing teams to build unshakeable trust and alignment.
💡 Letting go in Leadership for the Mission: Sometimes the hardest—and most important—lessons are about knowing when to step back. True leadership isn't about holding on at all costs; it’s about nurturing a mission so beautifully that it thrives long after you pass the baton. 🏃‍♀️✨

Leadership, and much of life life, comes down to trust, clarity, and being mission-minded. It is a beautiful reminder for all of us as we strive to empower those around us to thrive.

Want to dig deeper into Dori's insights on leadership and what she experienced out on the pickleball court? Plus hear about her birdwatching and NBA obsessions!

🎧 Listen to the full conversation here on Amazon Music or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ATisvmgxMFFRFzxIdFrgS?si=0ce7aa6edf064966

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AuthenticLeadershipCoachingSC.com

06/03/2026

In our latest episode of ACE Leadership: Serving Up Success Podcast, I had a delightful conversation with Katherine O'Neill, Chief Economic Development Officer at OneSpartanburg, Inc., around leadership lessons and strategy. We took a deep dive into what it truly takes to build a culture of unshakeable trust, clear communication, and peak performance.

Here are the game-changing takeaways from our conversation:
💡 Authenticity as the Foundation: Authenticity isn't just a leadership trait—it’s the absolute foundation of everything we do. Being genuine creates an environment where deep trust can truly flourish, whether you're connecting with teammates on the court, community members, or organizational stakeholders.
💡 Placement is Everything: Just like in pickleball, positioning yourself and your people where all can leverage their unique strengths is what transforms a group of individuals into a cohesive, winning team. It takes true wisdom to know when a situation requires you to lead from the front, and when it's time to step back and support from the side.
💡 Surround Yourself with Truth: Trust is the ultimate key to effectiveness. To truly thrive as a leader, you must surround yourself with a trusted inner circle who cares enough to tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear.
💡 Dancing Under Fire: Impactful leadership is a beautiful blend of adaptability, integrity, discipline, and grace under fire.
💡 Mentorship: One of the greatest things we can do as mentors is not hiding behind a perfect track record, but rather having the vulnerability to show the mistakes we’ve made along the way, passing that hard-earned wisdom along. and intentionally acknowledging our own mentors.

As leaders, we have to prioritize the right plays both on and off the court. By staying approachable and reliable, we create an environment where our teams know they can count on us—and where we can celebrate our shared accomplishments with a well-deserved high-five!

Tune in to hear more on how Katherine views mentorship, fnding rhythem, and why the ACE framework is the ultimate foundation for impactful leadership. 👉 Listen on Amazon Music and Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Pu5iAMeVWufFKN3I5FNcT?si=fc5f25243a954ae3

Get ready to d**k, drive, and dominate—both on and off the court!

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AuthenticLeadershipCoachingSC.com

05/29/2026

The lessons we learn on the pickleball court can truly mirror our leadership path. 🏓✨

In this episode, I sat down with Karen Canup, Executive Vice President at Sherman College of Chiropractic—a leader who shows up every day with deep authenticity and compassion. Someone who truly understands that clear communication and genuine care are the absolute foundation of effective leadership.

In our conversation, Karen shared how her leadership journey has been shaped by embracing vulnerability, deeply understanding her team's unique needs, and reinforcing an old but profound truth: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

What really struck the industrial engineer and pastor in me was her strategic approach to growth. She doesn't believe in superficial "niceness" that masks conflict; instead, she invests heavily in her team's development by guiding with patience, tailoring her style to build deep trust, and understanding that clear is kind. She reminds us that whether you are stepping onto a pickleball court for the first time or stepping into a demanding new executive role, having experienced teammates and exceptionally clear expectations eliminates the operational friction and sets everyone up to thrive.

Leadership and pickleball both require preparation, quick decision-making, and intentionally positioning your team for success. When we challenge directly while caring personally, we create a winning team dynamic both on and off the court.

Worth thinking about as you head into your next "match" today.

Hear the rest of Karen’s inspiring story and leadership insights: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/qyyaZH7ku3b
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AuthenticLeadershipCoachingSC.com

05/28/2026

🫶🏼 Immense gratitude to Erika for helping ALC out this year! Her friendliness, welcoming smile, willingness to try new things, and dependability will be greatly missed. Thank you, Erika, for an amazing year, and now go rock Law School at Georgia State!! 🎉🎉

05/27/2026

The key to success is action. True leadership is about having the courage to act, learn from the results, and pivot along the way. Let's do this!
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AuthenticLeadershipCoachingSC.com

05/26/2026

Swipe to find out what our clients think potential clients should know before coaching!

Ready to try it for yourself? Schedule a 15-minute, complimentary discovery call via our website: AuthenticLeadershipCoachingSC.com
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05/25/2026

Deeply thankful for the brave individuals who gave their lives in service to our country, and for the strength and sacrifice of their families 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🤍🤍
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AuthenticLeadershipCoachingSC.com

05/22/2026

My favorite new book!! Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose explores the human need to feel valued, seen, and significant. The book explains that when people know they matter—to themselves, to others, and within their communities—they experience deeper relationships, stronger well-being, and a clearer sense of purpose. It highlights how fostering mattering can transform leadership, families, workplaces, and everyday interactions by creating belonging, connection, and meaning.
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AuthenticLeadershipCoachingSC.com

05/21/2026

🌟 The Power of Embracing Uncertainty in Leadership & Moving Ahead "Without Permission" 🌟

What's the key to playing pickleball, swimming with sharks (yes, listen to hear about this!) - or really doing anything - for the first time? Stepping out, being willing to move forward, and asking for help and embracing the discomfort that comes with trying something new.

These are the moments that remind us how vital it is to lean into vulnerability, especially in leadership. Whether it’s stepping into an unfamiliar role or making a tough decision, growth happens when we accept that we won't have all the answers right away, but we do it anyway!

Taylor Emmons, CEO and founder of Tailored Impact, shared a powerful insight: "It’s okay to be uncomfortable. That’s where growth lives." She talked about how her engagement with art isn’t just aesthetic—it's strategic, empathetic, and deeply human. Her stories of leading with emotion, valuing diverse perspectives, and refusing to wait for permission resonate with all of us aiming to make an impact. And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Wait until you hear the stories about her mother taking charge, espcially procuring a helicopter to search for a child!

That’s the balance we all seek: the courage to be vulnerable and the confidence to keep moving forward.

🌟 Listen to the full conversation: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0LLFkUxyhvm4kkgMXqzxAQ?si=Cof2HdZWQhSHqCl4Ky0_xg
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AuthenticLeadershipCoachingSC.com