[Soul, Strategy & Scale] From Doer to Leader: Unbreakable Founders, Trust, and the Power of Community
Michelle McKenzie is the Founder and Chief Insights Officer at Empowering Insights, a leadership development firm that helps entrepreneurs strengthen their inner capacity to lead and scale. She is a purpose-driven strategist who has moved more than $120 million in catalytic capital to support founder growth around the world. Drawing on her background in international development, angel investing, and coaching, she teaches leaders how to build trust, communicate clearly, and evolve with their businesses. Michelle is also the creator of The Unbreakable Founder and host of the WHERE’S THE FUNDING? (WTF) podcast.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
[02:53] Michelle McKenzie reveals how a founder’s self-development directly drives business growth
[04:59] The challenges African entrepreneurs face and how they thrive
[08:53] Identifying and overcoming trust issues when delegating to your team
[12:09] Building business trust through consistency and crucial communication
[18:04] Harnessing empathy and curiosity as your superpowers in leadership
[22:28] The Unbreakable Founder framework for unstoppable entrepreneurial growth
[28:33] Developing emotional resilience with the transformative power of pausing
[38:22] Why community is essential for entrepreneurial success and sanity
In this episode…
Growing a business often feels like trying to steer a ship while building it at the same time. The pressures to perform, lead, and stay resilient can stack up fast, especially when you’re scaling beyond your first wins. But what really makes a founder unbreakable, and how do you know when it’s time to shift from doing the work to actually leading the people behind it?
According to Michelle McKenzie, a seasoned global development strategist and leadership coach, the answer starts with the founder’s inner evolution. As she explains, most accelerators teach entrepreneurs how to build companies, not how to build themselves, which is why so many hit a wall when they begin hiring and scaling. Michelle views leadership as an “inner game” that requires trust, clarity, and the courage to let go of old ways of operating. For her, real scale only happens when leaders grow at the same pace as their business, becoming steady, trustworthy anchors for their teams and investors.
In this episode of The Soul Soothing Podcast, Cerice Berndsen is joined by Michelle McKenzie, Founder and Chief Insights Officer at Empowering Insights, to discuss the shift from doer to leader. They explore why trust is the foundation of sustainable growth, how clarity strengthens team culture, and the role of community in building resilient founders. Michelle also shares advice on cultivating emotional agility during times of change.
Resources Mentioned in this episode
Quotable Moments
“Just from having spent a lot of time in that space working with entrepreneurs and realizing that there isn't much of a focus on just building the person.”
“Consistency is a major part of building trust.”
“Because trust inspires confidence.”
“That is the key piece, because at the end of the day, the problem could just be you, or something that you're responsible for, that you have not done.”
“You focus on the things you can control and focus on the things that are within your locus of control.”
Action Steps
Build self-awareness as a daily practice: Developing a deeper understanding of your patterns and triggers helps you lead with intention rather than reaction.
Create consistent communication rhythms with your team: Regular, structured check-ins ensure clarity, reduce misunderstandings, and keep everyone aligned as the business evolves.
Document expectations and workflows early: Clear SOPs empower your team to perform confidently and independently, reducing bottlenecks and preventing frustration on both sides.
Lead with curiosity during performance challenges: Asking thoughtful questions instead of assuming the worst helps you identify root causes and uncover solutions that strengthen relationships.
Cultivate a trusted community of peers and mentors: Entrepreneurship is often isolating, and having a supportive network provides perspective, resilience, and faster paths to better decisions.
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is brought to you by Soul Soothing Co., where we help women founders build AI-enhanced systems and self-managing teams that restore spaciousness, flow, and creative freedom.
One example of how we help our clients is Lynley. We helped her go from working 16 hours a day, seven days a week, to embracing systems, AI, and structure — allowing her to multiply her income, create time to enjoy her hobbies, and reconnect with her deeper self.
If you’re tired of being a woman entrepreneur who has built a business that works but feels like that business is running you, visit us at soulsoothingco.com to book a quick chat, or email us at [email protected].
