The Power of Stories with Brad Walsh | Alchemy Within Podcast

Welcome to The Alchemy Within, the podcast where human wisdom meets the art of growth and personal evolution. Join me, Leilah Mirza, as we explore the profound journey of transformation, diving deep into the practices, stories, and insights that ignite change and awaken your true potential. So welcome, Brad. Welcome to my podcast. For one, you are going to be the guest today, so Welcome to Alchemy Within, where we help transform people's lives and changing and giving the aha moments. So welcome.

Thank you so much, Leilah. I am honored and so excited to be here. Thank you for inviting me to be on your podcast and share a little bit about my story and my journey with your audience on your platform. I appreciate you.

Amazing. Yes. How does it feel for you to be the one behind the scene, the mic?

Um, to be on this side of the mic, I'm starting more and more to get used to it because, as you know, I am used to being on the other side of the mic asking the questions. So I'm starting to step into and own that energy of being on the other side of the mic and sharing my story and my journey. Starting to get used to it, starting to like it, and I think I need to do more of it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. And, and that's exactly what I want to know today. I want to know all about you because I remember coming across your profile and seeing all these amazing, powerful women. And then I started asking, I would love to know what lit you up and initiated that flame within you to serve others. So let's get into the questions. Yeah, tell us more about your personal journey.

Yeah, well, my journey starts with photography. I am a photographer. That's my first love, my first passion. I took a photography class in high school and fell in love with the art form immediately. First class, I knew that this is, this is beautiful, this is magic. And so my journey really began there, um, and I never wanted to photograph people. My thing was architecture, landscapes, urban exploration, things like that. Um, but there's just something so magical about being able to capture an image in a camera and then see it come to life on a piece of paper I learned how to shoot on black and white film, so developing film in the darkroom and all of these things, it was just such a magical process. I worked at corporate for 12 and a half years as an audiovisual tech, and about 3 years into my career, I was tasked with the responsibility of doing the corporate headshots, and that's where I actually fell in love with photographing people. I love having that connection and that one-on-one time with people as they sat for their portraits. I could connect with them and learn a bit about who they are and what they do. And then about 3 years following that, I was introduced through a mutual friend to a boudoir photographer who was based in Florida, and I fell in love with her work and the mission and the message behind that genre of photography with what you can help women accomplish in terms of body acceptance, self-love, self-confidence. And that's really where my journey began into the world of women's empowerment. It started with the photography piece, and there's just something so powerful and magical about being able to show a woman who she truly is for the very first time. Sometimes these women seeing themselves in a light that they've never seen themselves in before, it is such a gift for me to be able to give that to another human being and to witness the transformation that takes place within a 90-minute session with me. They, they come in one woman and they leave a completely different woman, and it's so magical to see that happen and to see these women step into their confidence and who they truly are, it is so powerful and beautiful. And so I leapt from corporate and I was about 2 years into my photography business full-time and I started to feel like I wanted to have a bigger impact. I wanted to reach more people. So I thought, why don't I take the values, the purpose, and the mission of the work I'm doing as a photographer and turn that into, or transplant that into a podcast where I focus the platform and the podcast solely on elevating and amplifying the voices of women through sharing their stories. So I reached out to 6 or 7 friends of mine, women who I had met in my photography journey, and I asked them— explained to them what the platform was going to be about, and I asked them if they would help me get it off the ground by letting me interview them. They all said yes. I did the interviews, I created the content, and at that time I was also 2 years into the photography business. My business started to pick up traction. I was getting more inquiries and more bookings. I thought, I have to shift my focus back to the business because that's That's why I left corporate. So I shelved the podcast idea, focused on the business, and it got to a point where, you know, we hit March— I think it was March, yeah, March of 2020. And of course, we all know what happened around the world. It rendered my photography business inoperable. So I thought, well, you got two choices here. You can either sit around and complain and commiserate with the rest of the world, so, and complain about what's going on, or you can go through door number 2 over here and choose to take advantage of this gift of time that we've all been given and use it to put something good out into the world. So I reignited the podcast. I started reaching out to women on social media explaining the idea behind the platform. Of course, the, the idea had evolved a fair bit since I first started. I like to call that first 8 episodes my dress rehearsal for the podcast.

Oh wow.

And I started reaching out to women on social media and The response was incredible. Women were so happy to hear that a man had created a platform such as this to help elevate women and amplify their voices through sharing their stories that it turned into this thing where the women I was interviewing were saying, Brad, I've got a friend, I'll connect you. Brad, I know someone, she'd be a great guest. To where we now have this beautiful platform and it has been 5 and a half of the best years of my life. The women that I have had the opportunity to meet, to connect with, to interview, to have on my podcast, you being one of them, Leilah Mirza. Uh, it's just been absolutely incredible there. I, I honestly, I am so inspired by every single woman that I get the opportunity to speak with. It has been an incredible journey, and at the foundation of all of it are my mother and my grandmother. They are the inspiration behind starting all of this work, and that's because my mom, when I was 10, she She left a marriage. She was being cheated on, and after 15 years of marriage, she had the courage and the strength to stand up and say, no more. I don't want this. I don't have to take this anymore. I'm taking my boys and we're leaving. We left with nothing but the clothes on our back. We moved into a one-bedroom apartment. My mom slept on a couch. My brother and I shared a bedroom. And so after that 15 years of marriage, she's— she said, enough's enough, I'm leaving. She had to get a job after being out of work for over 10 years because she stayed home to raise us. And when she was at work, my grandmother would step in. So for me, those two women are my heart and my soul. I wouldn't be the man I am today without those two women. So they are the foundation and the inspiration for all of this work that I'm doing now.

Wow, that, that is such a beautiful story.

Thank you.

Like, if I was your mom, I'd be so proud. That is such a beautiful story. I mean, your grandmother, are they—

they are still My grandmother's not, my mother is.

Wow. Okay. That, that is just such a beautiful honor. You know, that's, there's such an honoring in that, that expression that you feel that for sure. That, and I worked with you, you are a great host.

Thank you.

The questions you ask me, it's mind-blowing, but you are a great host. What I want to know, what is, what was the most defining moment when you knew you wanted to amplify women's voices? Rather than just pursue something that's more conventional. Was there a specific moment that you had that was an aha, you know, moment for you?

I think it was the moment when photographing women and realizing that I wanted to have a bigger impact. I mean, I loved what I got to do, I get to do through photographing these women and showing them who they are. But it just, it hit me. It's like, this is great. I love that I get to do this. This, I mean, I get paid to show women who they— what a gift that is to show a woman who she truly is. But it was that moment where I just, I want to reach more people. I want to have a bigger impact in this world. And one way of doing that is starting a podcast, having a platform where I can amplify the voices of women. So it was that fatale— that moment, or those moments of realizing that, yes, this is great that I get to do this, but I want to reach more people. And so I thought, I'm going to start a podcast. Now, I had no clue how to interview people. I had no idea. I'd never interviewed anyone in my life. But I thought, you know what, how hard can it be? I'll figure it out. I'm just going to jump in and figure it out. I had the audiovisual background, so I knew about visual or video production, audio production, all of those things, but I had no clue how to interview people. But I just figured, you know what, I need to do this. This is, this is so much bigger than me. And once I started doing the interviews, that's when I realized that this is bigger than all of us. It's bigger than me. It's bigger than the women I'm interviewing. It's about getting a message out there to help people.

Mm-hmm. And you trusted that, I take that you trusted that, that feeling.

Yeah, I leaned into that. I didn't go into this thinking about money or any of these things. I just jumped in thinking, I want to amplify women's voices. It was just a through line from the photography, the storytelling through the visual storytelling of photography, through into the podcast and being able to tell stories a different way.

Mm-hmm. Do you feel that you faced a lot of challenges through that process of this is something that I've got to walk through, this is a new chapter, 2019 between 2020, you know, as a photographer, did you find any discomfort in that process?

Oh, for sure. Leaning into, first of all, interviewing people for the very first time, I'd never done that before. I mean, even with photography, I still to this day, I get nervous before shoots. So stepping into something completely different, yeah, that was completely foreign to me, but I figured it's, again, it's so much bigger than me. I have to do this. I just have to lean in and figure it out and just jump in and do it. So yeah, there's discomfort all the time. It's, there's always a discomfort when we're leveling up and stepping into new things. And none of that is new to me. I mean, I went through it with photography, leaving corporate, leaving the security and safety of a corporate job and stepping into the unknown of running a business. It's, it's difficult. It's not easy. So there's always those levels of discomfort. It's just you have to keep going and push through in order to step into it and, and step out of your comfort zone.

I love that because what I heard is you're saying there was something that was bigger than me that I was stepping into. It was stepping into that, and through that discomfort And this is when people have fears in their life. It's just to move through that regardless, to play through that into that version of you. Yes, that's amazing. I love that. And I really hope someone could learn, you know, when they're trying to step into the new version of them, that growth, that like you just said, there, there's this bigger version. Just step into that part of you.

It's scary. It's scary as hell, but you have to do it.

Yeah, I think, I think I have this little girl inside of me that when a challenge comes up, I now look at it like, hmm, let's challenge that part of me. This is going to be hard. Otherwise, I'll just collapse.

Right?

So instead of collapsing, I just dance with the challenge and think, how can I get creative with my fear?

There you go. Fear is just, fear is just something, an emotion just on the other side of the line of excitement. Yeah, so look at it that way.

That is very true. That's so true. And I'm sure you've learned so much through this, this role. So leads me to the next question: what has been the most— was this something that surprised you the most about all the stories you've had over the years? What surprised you the most?

I would say the resilience of all of the women who I've interviewed, who I've had the opportunity to sit down and speak with. They have been through something that has challenged them, that has pushed them to their limits, and they've rose to the challenge and accepted the challenge and done better and decided that that wasn't going to define them. And that has been incredible. That's inspired me so much, is seeing and hearing about the challenges that these women have faced in their lives and that they've overcome and stepped into it and embraced it and move forward, taking the lessons from those challenges and decided to take those lessons and move forward and do better. And just being able to share these stories so that other women listening, maybe they don't have to go through the same struggles or the same challenges because these women are sharing their stories to help inspire other women.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, there's something that you said there that really hit, and it made me remember when I spoke with you first, you told me something, and you said to me, think of this like we're going on a drive together in a car, and I'm the driver, and we're going on this journey, and all you're telling me about the story. And I said, wow, that, that is so— how many times can you share a story with someone that can be so moving when someone listens to a story that you can share.

Yeah, that, that is it. That's what I say. It, it is. It's every time I do an interview, I'm getting in the car with a different woman and she's taking me on the drive of her, like, sharing her life with me. I get to sit in the passenger seat and witness that journey. That is such an incredible honor for me. And that's why I say it's so much bigger than me. It's so much bigger than all of us to be able to do this work and to put these stories out there, because we all have a story to share. And I think it's our duty and our responsibility to share those stories. So for me to get invited into these spaces to share in those stories, what a beautiful gift that is for me. It's, it's beyond— it is so beautiful. And I'm so honored and inspired by every single woman that I get invited into the space to share with.

Wow, that, that is— there's a liberation in that. I can, I can hear that. Your site mentions this phrase, and I, I could possibly misjumble the words a little, get it wrong, but it seems that this is not an old boys club mentality, something along those lines, and we need to shift the way of thinking and change that.

Mm-hmm.

How did that phrase become important to you? Tell me more about that. Is this power in that?

Yeah, it's because of what I witnessed working in corporate, seeing that there were so few positions available in leadership for women. And so women having to compete for those positions and what the patriarchy has done. And so seeing that and witnessing my mother, my grandmother growing up, and of course I didn't fully understand back then, but now as I look back as an adult male, The fact that women haven't had the opportunities for so long, and now we are starting to see a shift. So for me, part of my mission is to help increase visibility and share women's stories so that other women know what's possible for them, because the women I get to interview, they're doing amazing things in the world. And so we are shifting things, and women are stepping into more leadership roles. And so By interviewing the women who are doing these incredible things, running their own businesses, all of these things, it gives other women a permission slip and the ability to know what's available to them and to stand up and take initiative and jump in and that they can achieve anything that they want as well. So it's about smashing that, those previous beliefs that there's not enough opportunity out there for women. Women are starting to make their own opportunities and that's what it's all about. Is shattering that old boys' club mentality that men are the only ones for leadership positions. No, it's time that the women get the opportunities as well.

Mm, that's very juicy. I mean, as a woman myself, it's so liberating, you know, to get to that, to those spaces, and to change the paradigm without losing your sense of self, without losing your sense of power.

Absolutely.

What, what story do you feel over this last few years that has really stuck with you?

Oh, that's so hard. There's so many. They all stick with me. I mean, it's, it, it's so hard to pinpoint just one. It's just every single story is amazing because every woman has had their challenges and they've overcome. And so just to see those and to hear those stories, to be part of it I can't pick just one. There's too many. I mean, every single story is a story of courage and strength and resilience. So it's— I mean, my mom's story, first, first started going back all those years. That's, that's where it all started, is seeing what she overcame and seeing what she dealt with. And yes, she had the support of my grandmother But she stepped into it and knew that this is what she has to do for herself. So her story is where it all started, is seeing that, witnessing that. And of course, at 10 years old, I didn't understand that back then. But as I said before, looking back on it now, seeing that, that's, that's true strength, that's true courage, that's resilience. Leaving a marriage after 15 years and going out and stepping into the unknown with 2 kids you had to support. That led into all the work I do now, but I can't pick just one story from the podcast. There's too many.

It's just too many.

Yeah, it's just amazing. All of the women have inspired me and all of them have overcome. It's just incredible.

When you speak about stories, and I think when I first met you— not, not the second interview, the, the first time I met you— we spoke about the power of stories. Like, there's so much power in words, right? And then there's so much power in stories. So we have the power in words, and then we have the amplified story. And this is exactly what you do. You're listening to stories.

Yeah, storytelling is everything. I mean, think about it, storytelling has been around for centuries. Women sat around women's circles and told stories. People tell stories. Stories are the fabric of society. That's how we connect with one another. That's how we relate to each other, is through sharing our stories. That's, that's connection. That's everything. And every single person on the planet has a story to share. I hear so many times I don't have a story. Who's going to want to listen to my story? It's false. Every single person has a story, and it's your duty and your responsibility to share that story with the world, because I guarantee you, as I'm sitting here right now, your story will impact at least one person on this planet. Someone out there listening will resonate and connect with your story, and that's what we're all here for, is to support each other, to lift each other up. And to connect with one another. And we do that through stories.

We do, we do. I remember that, but I also remember the first time, a few times when I had to share my story. I was invited on someone's podcast, and prior to going onto the podcast, I— my intention was to share the story. The story was about, um, some traumas in South Africa that I faced as a child that made me feel incredibly vulnerable and ashamed. I can see how that— those type of stories can really block you from owning your voice. How you feel is a great tool for people to overcome that and see that through sharing the story, it will create the ripple effect in someone else's life.

Well, I think, yeah, it is. It's very scary sometimes to share your story and be that vulnerable. But you don't— I think when you look at it, you don't have to share your entire story. You can— you get to pick and choose what parts of your story you share. So if you don't feel comfortable sharing or getting vulnerable and sharing the traumatic pieces of it, don't. You don't have to. Share what you feel comfortable with. But I urge you to step into and share your story because, like I said, it will impact one person. And if you can share your struggle, share your trauma, share your story. Look at it as you're going to be helping other people through sharing your story.

And that's amazing, and that's so good for people to know that it could be one— someone's pain, but also someone's breakthrough. Your story could be the breakthrough.

Yes, 100%.

Amazing. I want to— I want to go and— we can— you know what, I love listening to you, and We can go on forever, but I wanted to take— I want to take this into another level and to get to know more about your values, your, your mission in this world. So I want to ask you, how do you define— because you, I've noticed, call yourself Empower Brad, Empower, Empower Graphie, but then you break your words up. And I know you love doing the, the word jumble. Yeah, Monday morning. How do you define empowered in your context and what that elevation and education means to you when you say empower, elevate, and educate?

It's about showing someone who they truly are and that they have a story, they have a voice, and that they need to share it. So it's giving space to someone to be able to share their story and they elevate themselves through that, plus they elevate the, the people listening, the listeners. When we share stories together, that's what it is. It's empowering someone to know that they have a story, that they can step into that story and own it. That's part of who they are, and it's okay to own that and step into that, and through that elevate them and educate the listeners. So it all ties into this empowering women to share their stories, giving them the platform to know that it's okay and elevating them through that and then educating the listeners through sharing their stories.

Wow, that's a great line. That's a great—

thank you.

Empower, Elevate. And how did that come to you? Were you just driving one day and go, ah, it's Empower, Elevate, and Educate?

Yeah, it just all came together. There's just downloaded to me, whatever you want to call it. It just dropped in and I thought, that's it. It has to— that's, that's the tagline.

Divine intervention. I like that. What do you believe is the biggest barrier for women to feel heard, visible, and to fully be fully expressed in today's environment?

I think that women have struggled so long with not having a space to share their story, so I think that's been part of it. And then of course The belief in oneself, women struggle with that a lot because they have been kept down for so long. So it's again, it's about stepping into and owning their voice, knowing that they have a story. Shed the conditioning. It's a lot of it is the conditioning to stay there, be quiet. You're too loud. You're too this, you're too that. No, women need the space and the platform to share their stories. So it's getting past and getting through that conditioning and believing in themselves and trusting in themselves to share their stories, to know that they have a story.

And when you choose a guest, do you choose stories? What is it that guides you? What guides you, would you say?

It's— well, I do a connection call or a discovery call with each one of my guests, so it's about the energy alignment that we have when we connect and hearing their story.

If you think of all the stories you've had, have you ever heard a story that you related to in your own life and felt, this, this really moved me deeply, and I'm actually learning to process things differently? Because you must see various types of women from various backgrounds. Some women are masculine, some women see the world for feminine, You know, and then you also have your experience with your mother, your grandmother.

I, I just, I think it's every story. I, like I said, I pull inspiration from every single one of these women's stories, and I have grown, evolved, and changed so much in this past 5 and a half years because of the women I have been connected with, because of the stories I've heard. They've all had a little part, each one of them, has had a small part in shifting who I am as a man. Learning to look at things differently, shifting my perspective on different things. Spirituality, everything. It's, it's all— every single interview, every single woman that I've had the pleasure and honor of interviewing have helped shape me into who I am today.

And, and if you were to go back, let's say, 5 or 10 years back and you would give yourself any advice or anything that could be powerful, a piece of advice about being visible, about sharing your story and yourself going to the, the Brad who is a photographer capturing these powerful women, what would that advice be?

I would say it would start with believing in myself because I struggled with self-confidence. And imposter syndrome and all of those things. So I would say just believe in yourself, trust in yourself that you can do anything you set your mind to. Anything is possible. Anything. Just believe in yourself, surround yourself with the right people who will help lift you up because we all need that. Everybody. We can't do anything in this life alone. We need the support of each other. We are communal beings. Community is everything. So those are the things I would tell myself. Just trust in and believe in yourself and go after what you want.

And you're right, community is everything. And you know what, I've been in this industry in therapy and coaching and healing since 2014. And only now in my later years of growing my businesses, I actually realized you can't grow this alone. You know, I need you to support me. I need that to support me. We grow better when we are collaborative and we support each other.

Absolutely. Our voices are so much louder when we are collective. And I mean, Empowerography wouldn't be the platform it is without all the women who have participated, who have, who have welcomed me in to interview them. There would be no Empowerography without all the women who have gotten on board and supported the mission and wanted to be part of the community, wanted to be part of the journey of the collective. And this is how we're going to continue, is to continue to bring more women into the space and be part of the journey. Without all of you, there is no Empowerography.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's, that's so fascinating. A lot of women, I think, You know, I could see that because I work with a lot of women too, sometimes feel, especially in the early years, that they have to do everything themselves. Yeah, they don't really rely on community, or they don't like support, because somehow there's a shadow, there's a flip side to that. Some women might think, if I'm going to tell I'm a coach, I this, you, you may steal that idea, or they always feel like they have to do it alone, that there's a disconnect from collaboration. Have you seen that?

Oh yeah, and I think that comes from the conditioning of society. As young girls, you're told you have to be the, you have to be the person to support everyone else. You have to give, give, give, and then whatever's left is for you. And I think that part of it ties into what I saw in corporate around the constant competition for the positions in corporate, for leadership positions, because there were so few available for women. They had to compete against other women. So there goes that trust factor because they're always competing. But I've seen it shift. I think we're seeing more women who are stepping into and realizing that community is the way to go. And it's been struggle and it's been a journey, but again, we cannot do it alone. We have to lean into and trust in community and finding those around us who are of heart and like mind to support us and to join us in our missions, because we can't do it alone. But it's, it's all tied back to the conditioning that you're supposed to do it alone. Asking for help is a sign of weakness. It's the exact opposite. When we ask for help, that's a sign of strength, in my opinion.

Mm-hmm. Absolutely. I agree. And yeah, I've only learned this in my last few— in my last years, not my last years, but in, in later years that, yeah, the importance and the value it is to doing things and getting support and saying, look, help me out here, or I need help. Yeah. This is saying that it takes a community to raise a child.

Yes, exactly. Yep. 100%. It takes a village. Absolutely. It does.

What do you think is happening in, in today's society with, with women who are trying to grow? Do you think they are women who are losing themselves, or do you feel like women are turning more? What do you actually feel like is happening?

I think there's a, there's a shift towards more community, more supporting one another. Women are stepping into their power and realizing that they don't have to do things the way that they've been done for so long. They don't have to adopt this masculine energy as much. They're stepping more into their femininity, more into their divine feminine. And I think that they are leaning into other women for support more. I think it's shifting towards the positive. It's going to take a while. There's still a lot of work to do. There's still a lot of work to do for men as well. We need to, we need to step up and stand up beside our women, shoulder to shoulder, letting them know that we are here to support them as well. It's— it can't be done alone. All the women in the world— I, I honestly believe that the only way that we're going to see a shift of massive impact is if that we come together as human beings and stand side by side, shoulder to shoulder, and support each other. Because all the women in the world cannot do this alone, and all the men in the world can't do it alone. We need to come together as human beings, stop the patriarchy bullshit, and come together as humans. Let's shed the labels. Let's just come together as human beings and lift each other up and support each other. It's the only way that we're going to be able to get anything done in this world of impact, is if we do that, if we unite together.

Do you think there's a big shift that's going on with genders This is— wow, for me, there's women who are taking the roles of being masculine, men are becoming feminine, perhaps, not sure. But do you feel like there's a massive gender shift that's going on? And how does it—

yeah, I think, I think, I think more men are waking up too and realizing— I mean, let's be honest, we all have— men and women have masculine and feminine within us. So I think more women are stepping out of that masculine energy and realizing, no, I'm going to embrace my feminine. There's nothing wrong with, with stepping into masculine energies, but to have to dominate and step fully into those energies in the— let's talk about corporate— in the boardroom and be this masculine woman where they have to adopt this energy and they have to push forward and always No, we need to shift. And I think we are seeing that shift of more women stepping into their, their, their femininity. And I think more men are— because again, this ties back to conditioning. Men have been told and conditioned to believe that you can't, you can't ask for help, you can't show your emotions, you can't talk about your feelings. I think more men are starting to wake up and realize that Yes, it's okay to do that and be masculine at the same time. It's possible. So I think we are seeing a big shift.

Because I think when you step into these shifts, like if you become— I remember when I was working in the corporate, I was working in HSBC Banking and Finance. It was a very— for me to step into masculine, because in a corporate was just sell, sell, sell. Disregard people's emotions, you know, don't care about the feelings, we need to think of the figures. It was so masculine. I wasn't that receiving energy, you know. If for me, I think there has to be that balance, you know. For women, we have to be— in my business, I'm in a masculine role sometimes, but in my service, I'm still in feminine So it's very important for people to understand the duality and how that has an impact, because otherwise people get those, those values enmeshed and they're confused of who they are in this world.

Well, we can't give without receiving. You have to know how to learn how to do both. If you, you can give, give, give, you're going to end up giving so much you have nothing left to give. You have to learn to receive as well, and that's a hard lesson too for the people who love to give, who are givers. Receiving is a tough thing, but we have to remember that you have to do both in order to keep the cycle going. You have to learn to receive in order to give, otherwise you break the cycle.

An open hand. Yep, and you have to have an open hand as well, for sure, because hands are not going to receive. Yeah, I I've learned that, um, and actually as I've learned lessons, I see the ones who hasn't, you know, when someone hasn't learned a lesson, it becomes more obvious. Yeah, you've healed something and they're still stuck on it.

Yes, for sure.

So through this process, do you define, do you see the roles with femininity and masculinity different over the past last, let's say, 8 years?

Yes, for sure. Like I said, there has been a shift. I'm seeing the energy shift, and it's amazing to see. We need this. We need this shift to happen. And so, yeah, it's definitely happening. Absolutely.

And how do you feel, like, how do you feel inherited in yourself that you are creating the shift that is much bigger than you? What is after? What's going to be next for you? Or do you just trust the process?

I just trust, trust and allow. I'm learning that. Like, I'm on my spiritual journey. I just started my spiritual journey about 3, 3 and a half years ago, so I'm still learning. But it is, it's about trusting and allowing that to happen instead of the pushing and the doing and the do, all constantly doing. It's more about again, adopting the feminine energy of being and trusting and allowing. And I'm not saying sit back on your ass and don't do anything, but you also have to learn to trust, and you have to learn to be in the energy and not always constantly pushing forward and doing and doing and doing. It's about leaning into and trusting and allowing things as well.

And do you feel like Empowerment Graphy has affected your values, your voice, and your mission?

Absolutely.

Is this something that you feel is, is growing bigger or it's becoming more powerful?

Yeah, yep, absolutely. With every woman I interview, it's, it just, it helps me expand. And it's about the platform, it's about sharing these stories and The more women we bring into the space, the more women we bring into the community, the more women that share their stories, it's beneficial for everybody. It's beneficial to the collective, and that's what it's about, is helping to raise the vibration of the collective through sharing our stories.

Amazing.

It's everything. It's everything.

It's everything. It's part of the collective.

Yes, absolutely.

Wonderful. I have a few questions that I written down, and I know a lot of the questions I actually went on your site and I was really like, um, the list— this is not an old boys club mentality. I like that, you know, how you've just mentioned it. But I had some questions which is practical that I had to write down, and I wanted to ask you, looking ahead, if there was a woman who is listening to this, who is ready to step into her story, but she feels stuck. Now, this could be a woman who wants to launch her business because she's been empowered in some way, but she comes to that story and she feels stuck. I'm gonna hand you the microphone because this is your role. Right? What are your 2 to 3 concrete steps that you should tell her and share with her for owning and sharing her message?

First of all, the importance of sharing, as I said earlier, is your story will impact someone. So helping her to build the confidence to trust in herself and trust that the story is important, that she has a story. First, actually, first and foremost, she has a story to tell and that it is important that she that she distills down to what that story is in order to help inspire other women and men as well. And the— around the importance of sharing that story, she needs to share that story because it's important. So being a support system, being a cheerleader, helping her figure out what the story is, stepping into and owning the story and the importance of sharing that story. Those are the three things to focus on.

Amazing. I like that because I truly believe on some level, even in a business level, that stories can sell, right? It has the power to shift. Um, what— this, this might seem a little like a different question, quite practical, but what mistakes do you see people commonly make when they're trying to be seen all to be had without the right foundation.

I think people worry too much about it being perfect, that it has to be a certain way, that it has to look a certain way, that it has to be perfect. There's no such thing as perfect. Just step into and own your story. Be authentic. Don't try and be someone else. Don't try and have everything perfect before you share it. There is never a time it's going to be perfect. Just step into it and share it. It's okay. It doesn't have to be perfect. Messy. We're human beings. Life is messy. Life is not perfect. So share that. Don't worry about it being perfect.

That's really important. I like this whole interview that we've just done. I really like that because I think we are living in such aesthetic type of environment in this society that it's all about perfection and, yeah, you know, being amazing. And, and that is just so grounding, that piece of advice.

It, it is. It's just, you know, you see all these people who have these perfect reels and perfect this and perfect that, and no, just be who— people will resonate with authenticity more than perfection. So just be who you really are. In the world. People will resonate.

I remember that. I remember when we did our meeting, I remember having a green screen and going, Brad, I don't have a background. He says, we're going on now. And I was like, ah, shit.

Yeah, it doesn't have to be perfect. It's okay because it's about the story. It's not about the aesthetic of how it looks. It's about your story. The focus is on you and sharing your story. I'm spotlighting you. That's what it's about. Don't worry about what it looks like.

And that, that I think it's so powerful for women to know. It's about the story.

Absolutely.

It's not about things around. So that is, that's really good advice. That's very good. Um, just the last few questions because I love this. I wanted to ask you, what tools and practical things would you recommend someone who wants to move from being quiet or being invisible to stepping confidently into their voice? So you would have like— I would have like a client who's always played Casper the Friendly Ghost because her mother told her she's rewarded for good behavior if she's going to be silent. Just stepping into that, you know, bold woman, what tools would you give? And I'm not getting your back because of your previous interview.

Connect with heart and like-minded people who will support you, who will lift you up, who believe in you. Um, start journaling. Journaling always helps. I love that. Um, going live, posting, posting on social media. Sharing a little bit about your story, going live, getting used to being on camera and stepping into the visibility. I know it's scary. Visibility is scary. Stepping into that, sharing, sharing vulnerability is tough. But I think finding your community, finding your cheerleaders, finding your, your support team is, is where it starts. Start with finding a support team. For sure. But going live and posting, start small. Again, it doesn't have to be perfect.

Mm-hmm. I love that because I actually can hear through you my clients who are afraid of posting and showing up. So that is such good advice, and I'm so grateful for you mentioning this today because they will be listening And I really hope they will know. In terms of podcast and platform building, what advice would you give to someone who wants to start using the stories to empower them? And this is with Brad Hat of Expertise and Excellence.

I think, again, it goes back to starting to build your community, start connecting with people and sharing your idea about what you're trying to build and bringing in heart and like-minded people. That's where it starts. We can't do it alone, so you have to lean into your community. So start by sharing what you're trying to do with people. Bring those people in. Have them share with their communities about what you're doing. Start with— everything starts with community.

Everything does. It does. You follow that line. So there's a line that Tony Robbins— and I love this line, and this was a game changer for me— it's the first 5 people that you hang around with, you'll become. If you put yourself with rotten apples, you'll become that. If you hang around with people who pray, you'll pray. If you start hanging out with people who are enthusiasts and success enthusiasts, you will become like that. Do you believe that? Because I 100% believe that. Absolutely.

100%, yes. And we have to be in— we have to be of a service mindset, be in and of service to each other. That's what we're here for, is to help each other. So, so find those that, that small group of supporters or super fans or whatever you want to call them that support you and that cheerlead and that you can do that for one another within your community. Find those people and be in and of service and they will help you grow your platform as well. It's, it's about being in and of service to one another. That is the most important thing is being in and of service to one another.

That's amazing, Brad. Brad, I want to thank you so much for your time and for your space today. Where can people find you, and do you have any upcoming projects or events or anything you'd like to share?

Sure, yeah, people can connect with me on Instagram @empowerography_podcast, on Facebook Brad Walsh. Um, they can check out my stuff on empowerographypodcast.com, my website. Projects coming up. Yes, I am actually hosting, co-hosting with my friend Cecilia Tement, our 6th annual Empowerography Live conference, and we're doing it live and in person here in Toronto actually in April of 2026. So that's the next biggest thing that I'm working on, um, and of course I help people get onto podcasts through my, my company or my arm of Empowerography called The Amplification Effect. So if you're looking to get yourself out there on podcasts, I can help you with that. If you are looking for help in terms of stepping up and stepping into being a podcast guest, I also coach on how to become an in-demand podcast guest.

Oh, amazing! You do so many things. I didn't even know you teach all those courses. That's, that's incredible. I will check that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Brad. I would love to thank you today for sharing the space with me and to empower women listening to this channel today. So thank you so much, Leilah.

Thank you so much for the incredible opportunity to be here with you today to share on your platform and just be here with you and spend time with you. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much, Brad. And I will get all your links sorted under here. So if anyone needs to find you, we have your beautiful background at the back, which is Empower And I'm going to say that empower, elevate, and educate. Thank you, Brad.

Thank you, Leilah.