Imagine Belonging at Work

Hosted by Rhodes Perry, Bestselling Author & Somatic Executive Coach

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Oct 2026

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About the show

If you have ever felt disconnected, excluded, or that you just didn't matter at work, then this podcast is for you. Your host, Rhodes Perry, 2x bestselling author of Imagine Belonging and Belonging at Work, introduces you to inclusive leaders, visionaries, and change-makers. This show was created for people like you – people ready to imagine and build belonging at work. In this podcast, we dare to imagine workplace cultures that have yet to exist…until now. It recognizes that leading this kind of transformative work can be both thrilling and intimidating. You'll hear inspiring stories from inclusive leaders who have boldly imagined a new way to lead, build teams, and structure the future of work. You'll learn how they moved beyond their limiting beliefs, giving themselves permission to envision and then build an enduring culture of belonging at work. This kind of proven visioning work results in powerful individual, interpersonal, and organizational transformation. During your daily commute, workout, or leisure time, allow Rhodes Perry to share actionable advice, and introduce you to some of today's most inspiring DEI thought leaders, all while modeling ways to lead with vulnerability as they bring their full selves to these conversations. Each episode explores the journey of the successful inclusive leader who reflects on the ups and downs of building belonging at work, all to inspire you to take action, and unapologetically bring as much of your authentic self to work, as you desire.

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October 23, 2026Episode 9416 min

When Belonging Feels Risky

How does the instinct to fit in turn into an exhausting performance? In this solo episode of The Imagine Belonging Podcast, Rhodes Perry explores what happens when self-doubt and code-switching take over our workdays—and why these behaviors are not personal shortcomings, but intelligent, embodied defenses against conditional acceptance. Drawing from his time managing an $11 billion federal budget at the White House and his somatic executive coaching practice, Rhodes shares his own "coffee machine moment" of self-censorship, uncovers the four stages of how protective armor develops, and introduces the five-step Lead Embodied Path™ to move from automatic reaction to conscious choice. Together, we explore how leaders can build internal steadiness, lead with greater authenticity, and cultivate cultures where no one has to hide to belong. Why Embodied Choice Belongs in Leadership Leading with authenticity doesn't mean recklessly stripping away our defenses. It requires the capacity to stay connected to ourselves under pressure while discerning when our environment is actually safe. In this episode, we explore: Protection, Not Inadequacy. Imposter syndrome and code-switching aren't professional failures or personal defects. They are adaptive, embodied behaviors developed to protect our safety, dignity, and belonging in conditional environments. We Embody the Effort to Fit In. Long before our conscious minds realize how hard we are working, our bodies carry the tension—restricting breath, bracing muscles, and mentally scripting every word before speaking. Choice Over Default Reaction. Through the Lead Embodied Path™, leaders learn to ground, distinguish present risk from past memories, and consciously choose when to soften armor and lead from distinct strengths. The Systemic Boundary. Somatic awareness is never an excuse for toxic workplaces or "regulating" ourselves into accepting exclusion. True belonging requires both internal capacity and organizational accountability. Show Notes & Resources 📖 Read the Full Essay. Explore the companion long-form article and reflection guide on the Imagine Belonging Substack: https://rhodesperry.substack.com/p/when-belonging-feels-risky-the-embodied 🌱 Explore Lead Embodied. Learn more about Rhodes' forthcoming book and the Lead Embodied approach to navigating uncertainty with greater presence, authenticity, and ease: www.rhodesperry.com/leadembodied 🎓 Join the Lead Embodied Course . Experience the practices and principles of Lead Embodied through a 6-week, self-paced program designed for leaders navigating change, uncertainty, and growth: www.rhodesperry.com/leadembodiedpath ✉️ Stay Connected with Rhodes. Subscribe to the Rhodes Perry Leads newsletter for reflections, practices, and invitations to lead embodied, build belonging, and transform what's possible: www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe 🎙️ Follow the Imagine Belonging Podcast. Continue the conversation and explore upcoming solo episodes and author interviews in the Lead Embodied series. Thank You for Growing the #BelongingMovement! www.rhodesperry.com/podcast Thank You for Growing the #BelongingMovement!

October 2, 2026Episode 9253 min

When Good Leaders Get in Over Their Heads

How does a good leader end up in a mess? In the fourth conversation of Lead Embodied: Wisdom for Leading Through Uncertainty, Rhodes Perry sits down with Jess Pettitt, author of Doing Good Better, to explore what happens when the problems we avoid begin to shape our organizations and our own capacity to lead. Drawing from her candid and practical work with leaders and organizations, Jess shares what she's learned about recognizing dysfunction, having the conversations we'd rather avoid, navigating defensiveness and overwhelm, and using what isn't working as a catalyst for meaningful change. Together, Rhodes and Jess explore how these lessons can help leaders stay present, tell the truth about what's happening, and find the courage to lead what comes next. Why Courage Belongs in Leadership Leading through uncertainty doesn't mean having everything figured out. It requires the willingness to stay present, tell the truth, and engage with what's actually happening. In this conversation, we explore how: Difficult Conversations Create Possibility. The conversations we avoid can allow dysfunction to grow. Naming what's happening creates an opportunity for greater honesty, alignment, and change. Awareness Can Interrupt Dysfunction. Defensiveness, overwhelm, and other internal experiences can shape how we lead. Noticing what's happening within us can create more space to choose how we respond. Dysfunction Can Become a Catalyst. When something isn't working, leaders can use that moment not simply to return to normal, but to ask what the situation is revealing and what needs to change. Courage Without Certainty. How do we stay present enough to tell the truth, have the conversation, and lead what comes next when we don't know exactly how the conversation will unfold? Show Notes & Resources 📚 Read Jess' Story. Explore Doing Good Better, Jess Pettitt's newest book helping leaders who find themselves in over their heads find their way back. 🌱 Explore Lead Embodied. Learn more about Rhodes' forthcoming book and the Lead Embodied approach to navigating uncertainty with greater presence, authenticity, and ease: www.rhodesperry.com/leadembodied 🎓 Join the Lead Embodied Course. Experience the practices and principles of Lead Embodied through a six-week journey designed for leaders navigating change, uncertainty, and growth. www.rhodesperry.com/leadembodiedpath ✉️ Stay Connected with Rhodes. Subscribe to the Rhodes Perry Leads newsletter for reflections, practices, and invitations to lead embodied, build belonging, and transform what's possible: www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe 🎙️ Follow the Imagine Belonging Podcast. Continue the conversation and explore upcoming episodes in the Lead Embodied: Wisdom for Leading Through Uncertainty author series. Thank You for Growing the #BelongingMovement! www.rhodesperry.com/podcast Thank You for Growing the #BelongingMovement!

September 25, 2026Episode 9158 min

Awareness Is a Leadership Practice: Bias, Belonging & the Human Side of AI

What happens when we begin noticing the judgments and assumptions shaping how we lead? In the third conversation of Lead Embodied: Wisdom for Leading Through Uncertainty, Rhodes Perry sits down with Howard J. Ross and Jake Ross, co-authors of the new edition of Everyday Bias, to explore how unconscious bias shapes our decisions, relationships, and cultures, often without our awareness. Drawing from Howard's original work and Jake's fresh perspective on the new edition, they explore what it means to recognize bias without shame, create space between awareness and action, and build greater capacity for intentional leadership. Together, they also examine what happens when bias enters an increasingly digital workplace, where AI and the attention economy can amplify patterns at unprecedented scale. Why Awareness Belongs in Leadership We can't interrupt patterns we don't notice. Awareness creates space, space creates choice, and choice gives us the opportunity to lead differently. In this conversation, we explore: Bias Is Human. Recognizing that everyone carries unconscious biases can create more room for curiosity, reflection, and responsibility without reducing bias to a question of being "good" or "bad." Awareness Creates Choice. The ability to notice our assumptions, perspectives, and reactions can help us pause before acting and make more intentional decisions. Technology Can Scale Bias. AI and attention-driven platforms can reproduce and amplify human patterns, making awareness and critical thinking increasingly important leadership practices. Awareness as Practice. How can leaders cultivate the attention, curiosity, and agency needed to choose differently? Show Notes & Resources 📚 Read Everyday Bias. Explore the new edition of Howard J. Ross and Jake Ross's Everyday Bias, including new chapters on the attention economy and artificial intelligence: https://www.beyondthinkingwithcasey.com/ 🌱 Explore Lead Embodied. Learn more about Rhodes' forthcoming book and the Lead Embodied approach to navigating uncertainty with greater presence, authenticity, and ease: www.rhodesperry.com/leadembodied 🎓 Join the Lead Embodied Course. Experience the practices and principles of Lead Embodied through a six-week journey designed for leaders navigating change, uncertainty, and growth. www.rhodesperry.com/leadembodiedpath ✉️ Stay Connected with Rhodes. Subscribe to the Rhodes Perry Leads newsletter for reflections, practices, and invitations to lead embodied, build belonging, and transform what's possible: www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe 🎙️ Follow the Imagine Belonging Podcast. Continue the conversation and explore upcoming episodes in the Lead Embodied: Wisdom for Leading Through Uncertainty author series. Thank You for Growing the #BelongingMovement! www.rhodesperry.com/podcast Thank You for Growing the #BelongingMovement!

September 18, 2026Episode 9052 min

Commitment without Certainty

What does it mean to commit to transformation when we can't know exactly how to get there? In the second conversation of Lead Embodied: Wisdom for Leading Through Uncertainty, Rhodes Perry sits down with Casey Tonnelly, queer, neurodiverse, non-binary facilitator, educator, and author of Striving for Antiracism, to explore what lifelong transformation asks of us when certainty isn't possible. Drawing from their deeply personal and candid book, Casey shares what they've learned about confronting inherited conditioning, moving beyond binary thinking, staying present with discomfort, and practicing accountability when we inevitably get things wrong. Together, Rhodes and Casey explore how these lessons can help leaders cultivate greater agency, curiosity, and capacity in moments of uncertainty. Why Commitment Belongs in Leadership Transformation doesn't require certainty. It requires a willingness to stay engaged, remain open to learning, and keep choosing what matters. In this conversation, we explore how: Striving Creates Space for Growth . Antiracism is not a destination we arrive at, but an ongoing practice of reflection, learning, and transformation. Discomfort Can Become a Teacher. Fear, shame, guilt, and grief can make us want to retreat. Staying present with these experiences can create more room for awareness and choice. Accountability Builds Trust. Getting it wrong is inevitable. Learning how to acknowledge harm, make meaningful amends, and keep going is part of building more authentic relationships. Commitment Without Certainty. How do we remain committed to meaningful change when we can't guarantee that we'll always know the right thing to do? Show Notes & Resources 📚 R ead Casey's Book . Explore Striving for Antiracism, Casey Tonnelly's deeply personal exploration of racial conditioning, reflection, accountability, and lifelong transformation: www.beyondthinkingwithcasey.com/ 🌱 Explore Lead Embodied. Learn more about Rhodes' forthcoming book and the Lead Embodied approach to navigating uncertainty with greater presence, authenticity, and ease: www.rhodesperry.com/leadembodied 🎓 Join the Lead Embodied Course. Experience the practices and principles of Lead Embodied through a six-week journey designed for leaders navigating change, uncertainty, and growth. www.rhodesperry.com/leadembodiedpath ✉️ Stay Connected with Rhodes. Subscribe to the Rhodes Perry Leads newsletter for reflections, practices, and invitations to lead embodied, build belonging, and transform what's possible: www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe 🎙️ Follow the Imagine Belonging Podcast. Continue the conversation and explore upcoming episodes in the Lead Embodied: Wisdom for Leading Through Uncertainty author series. Thank You for Growing the #BelongingMovement! www.rhodesperry.com/podcast Thank You for Growing the #BelongingMovement!

September 11, 2026Episode 6456 min

Healing, Vulnerability & the Stories That Set Us Free: Part 1 of the Lead Embodied Series

What happens when the identities and stories we've carried for years no longer fit? In the opening conversation of Lead Embodied: Wisdom for Leading Through Uncertainty, Rhodes Perry sits down with author, keynote speaker, and leadership thought partner Joel Davis Brown to explore the courage it takes to release inherited pain, tell the stories we've learned to hide, and become more fully ourselves. Drawing from his deeply personal memoir, I Had to Become the Father, Joel shares what he has learned about healing, vulnerability, belonging, and the transformative power of telling the truth about our lives. Together, Rhodes and Joel explore what these lessons can teach leaders navigating extraordinary uncertainty and disruption—including what happens when we censor the parts of ourselves that could create the deepest connection and trust. Why Healing Belongs in Leadership Healing isn't simply about repairing ourselves so we can continue navigating the world. It can also be an invitation to know ourselves more fully, reclaim our power, and create a life more aligned with who we are. In this conversation, we explore how: Inherited Stories Shape Leadership. The beliefs and identities we inherit from family, culture, and community can quietly influence how we show up, connect, and lead. Vulnerability Creates Connection. When we stop hiding the parts of ourselves we've learned to censor, we create new possibilities for trust, belonging, and authentic connection. Healing Reclaims Our Agency. We don't have to wait for someone else to give us permission to become more fully ourselves. Healing can begin with telling the truth about what we've been carrying. Conversation Highlights In this conversation, you'll hear Joel and Rhodes explore: The Stories We Carry. How do we begin to recognize which stories belong to us—and which ones we inherited? Belonging to Ourselves. What happens when we repeatedly censor parts of ourselves in order to belong, and what becomes possible when we begin coming home to ourselves? Leading Through Uncertainty. When we don't know what happens next, how can healing and self-awareness help us stay connected rather than reach immediately for control? Embodied Leadership. How can we recognize, in our bodies, when we're moving away from ourselves—and when we're returning to what matters most Show Notes & Resources 🌱 Explore Lead Embodied. Learn more about Rhodes' forthcoming book and the Lead Embodied approach to navigating uncertainty with greater presence, authenticity, and ease: https://www.rhodesperry.com/leadembodied 📚 J oin the Lead Embodied Book Experience. Starting next month, paid Substack subscribers can journey through Lead Embodied one chapter at a time, with early access to the book, companion somatic practices, and reflection guides before its retail release in winter 2027: https://rhodesperry.substack.com/p/leadembodied ✉️ Stay Connected with Rhodes. Subscribe to the Rhodes Perry Leads newsletter to be the first to hear when early-bird registration opens: www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe . 🎙️ Follow the Imagine Belonging Podcast. Continue the conversation and explore upcoming episodes in the Lead Embodied: Wisdom for Leading Through Uncertainty author series: www.rhodesperry.com/podcast . Thank You for Growing the #BelongingMovement!

August 31, 2026Episode 8723 min

Lead Embodied: From Book to Practice

What if becoming a more grounded, authentic leader isn't about learning another leadership technique—but about coming home to yourself? In this episode of Imagine Belonging , Rhodes Perry shares what's coming this fall as Lead Embodied moves from book to practice. While Lead Embodied won't be available for retail purchase until January 2027, you don't have to wait to begin exploring its approach to embodied leadership, somatic awareness, authenticity, and navigating uncertainty with greater presence and less reactivity. Rhodes introduces three ways to experience Lead Embodied this fall : 🎨 The Lead Embodied Book Experience Beginning in October, paid subscribers to Rhodes Perry Leads can embark on a 12-month journey through Lead Embodied —one chapter, one practice, and one reflection each month. It's a self-paced opportunity to move beyond simply reading about embodied leadership and begin integrating it into everyday life and leadership. 🌿 The Lead Embodied Path Ready for a deeper experience? This six-week immersive journey brings the methodology to life through guided somatic practices, reflection, conversation, and community. Together, we'll explore how to cultivate the presence, awareness, wisdom, compassion, and authenticity needed to lead through change and disruption. 🏢 Lead Embodied for Organizations Organizations can bring this work directly into the challenges their leaders and teams are facing through customized executive coaching and cohort-based leadership development. These experiences help leaders strengthen their capacity to navigate uncertainty, difficult conversations, organizational change, and disruption while sustaining trust, connection, and performance. At the heart of every experience is the same invitation: Stop performing leadership. Listen inward. Come back to what matters. And meet whatever comes next without losing yourself—or one another. Episode Highlights Why we don't have to learn or lead alone Why Lead Embodied is designed to be experienced, not simply read The new 12-month Lead Embodied Book Experience on Substack How paid subscribers will receive one chapter and practice each month What makes the six-week Lead Embodied Path different from self-paced learning How somatic practice can cultivate greater awareness, wisdom, compassion, and authenticity Three ways to bring Lead Embodied into your own life, leadership, or organization How executive coaching and cohort learning can translate the book's ideas into everyday leadership practice Why embodied leadership matters when we're navigating uncertainty and relentless disruption Show Notes & Resources 📬 Join the Lead Embodied Book Experience Subscribe to Rhodes Perry Leads for reflections on embodied leadership, belonging, and the human side of transformation. Paid subscribers will receive exclusive access to the 12-month Lead Embodied Book Experience beginning this fall. Subscribe: https://rhodesperry.substack.com/p/leadembodied 🌿 Go Deeper with the Lead Embodied Path Ready for a more immersive experience? Join Rhodes for six weeks of guided practice, reflection, conversation, and community. October 15–November 19 | Thursdays, 4–6 PM PT Learn more: Lead Embodied Path 🏢 Bring Lead Embodied to Your Organization Explore customized executive coaching and cohort-based learning experiences designed to help leaders and teams navigate uncertainty, change, and disruption with less reactivity and more ease. Explore organizational experiences: https://www.rhodesperry.com/connect 📬 Stay Connected Subscribe to Rhodes Perry Leads for ongoing reflections, practices, and conversations about embodied leadership, authenticity, belonging, and the human side of transformation. Subscribe: rhodesperry.com/subscribe 🎙️ Have a Question for Rhodes? Enjoying the podcast? Send Rhodes a voice message with your question about leadership, authenticity, belonging, or navigating change. Your question may be featured on a future episode—and Rhodes will always send a recorded response back: https://www.speakpipe.com/RhodesPerry ⭐ Enjoying the podcast? Follow Imagine Belonging , leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use the reminder that they don't have to navigate change alone. The leader you've been searching for isn't someone you have to become. It's someone you've been learning to return to. Lead embodied—together, let's grow the belonging movement.

August 13, 2026Episode 8720 min

When the Pressure Is On, Who Do You Become?

We're living through a tremendous amount of uncertainty and change. Disruption at work, polarization in our communities, rapid technological change, and the stress and grief that accompany them can ask more of us than we realize. In this episode, I explore a question at the heart of my forthcoming book, Lead Embodied: When the pressure is on, who do you become? Knowing what to do isn't always enough. The deeper leadership challenge is accessing our wisdom, embodied compassion, and authentic presence when circumstances become uncertain and the stakes feel high. I share why I believe wellness belongs in our professional lives—and why embodied leadership isn't reserved for CEOs or the boardroom. Whether you're leading a team, building a business, caring for a family, serving a community, creating art, or simply navigating your own life, the way you show up matters. At the heart of this work is an invitation to listen inward, reconnect with what matters, and develop the capacity to respond rather than react. Because the leader you've been searching for isn't someone you have to become. It's someone you've been learning to return to. Episode Highlights Why knowing what to do isn't always enough when circumstances become uncertain The question: Who do you become when the pressure is on? How the body provides information that can expand inner capacity to choose how to respond Why wellness and embodied leadership belong in our professional and personal lives How somatic practices can help you move from reaction toward greater choice Why you don't have to be a CEO to practice leadership The connection between embodied leadership, authenticity, and belonging Why transformation doesn't have to be a solitary experience How Lead Embodied invites us to return to ourselves rather than perform who we think we're supposed to be An invitation to pause, listen inward, and reconnect with what matters most Show Notes & Resources 🕊️ Join the Collective Peace Share While leadership may begin within, we were never meant to do this work alone. The Collective Peace Share is a complimentary virtual gathering for embodied practice, connection, reflection, and renewal. Learn more / RSVP: https://belongingatwork.kartra.com/page/lst282 📖 Learn More About Lead Embodied Lead Embodied introduces the foundational framework behind my embodied leadership methodology. Through stories, science, reflective practices, and a 12-week coaching journey, the book invites readers to listen inward, reconnect with what matters, and cultivate the capacity to lead with greater wisdom, embodied compassion, and authenticity. Learn more: https://www.rhodesperry.com/substack ✨ Explore Somatic Coaching If you're navigating a particularly demanding season, you're invited to explore what somatic coaching might make possible for you—not by giving you another strategy to follow, but by helping you discover what matters most and develop the capacity to respond from there. Schedule a 1:1 chemistry call: https://www.rhodesperry.com/connect 🎙️ Tell Me What Matters Most I'd love to hear what's alive for your leadership right now. Record a message: https://www.speakpipe.com/RhodesPerry ⭐ Enjoying the podcast? Follow Imagine Belonging, leave a review, and share this episode with a leader who could use the reminder that they don't have to become someone else to lead differently. Lead embodied.

August 6, 2026Episode 8614 min

A New Chapter 📚 Introducing Rhodes Perry Leads

In this episode, Rhodes introduces Rhodes Perry Leads , a new newsletter exploring embodied leadership, belonging cultures, and the human side of transformation. While the Imagine Belonging Podcast continues to be a space for conversations about belonging, culture, leadership, and community, Rhodes Perry Leads expands that conversation through reflections, practices, and exclusive experiences available to newsletter subscribers. Together, these spaces explore a deeper question: How do we become the kind of leaders who create belonging spaces where people can truly thrive? He also shares how this work connects three parts of the larger Rhodes Perry Consulting ecosystem: 🎨 Lead Embodied. The leadership philosophy and practices that help us respond wisely under pressure, communicate with authenticity, and lead with purpose. 🔮 Imagine Belonging. An ongoing global conversation about belonging, organizational culture, and the practices that help people and communities flourish. 🌍 The Belonging Movement. A community centered on collective practice, connection, and support as we imagine and build a more belonging-centered world big enough for all of us. Because the deeper truth of this work is: 🚫 Rhodes isn't teaching leaders how to belong. ✅ He's coaching leaders on how to become the kind of people who create belonging spaces. Episode Highlights Why lasting leadership transformation begins within The hidden exhaustion leaders are carrying in this moment Why leadership is not simply something we do, but something we embody How embodied leadership helps us navigate complexity and uncertainty The evolution of Rhodes Perry Leads and how it complements the Imagine Belonging Podcast The connection between Lead Embodied, Imagine Belonging, and the Belonging Movement Why belonging is created through the everyday choices leaders make How executive coaching, workshops, keynotes, leadership cohorts, and organizational partnerships bring these ideas into practice Why community remains essential to the work of transformation Show Notes & Resources 📬 Subscribe to Rhodes Perry Leads Receive reflections on embodied leadership, belonging, and the human side of transformation—along with exclusive practices, conversations, and invitations to experiences available only to newsletter subscribers. Subscribe: https://www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe 🌿 Join the Belonging Practice Come together for a guided opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and practice embodied leadership in community. Learn more / RSVP: https://belongingatwork.kartra.com/page/comp-somatics 🕊️ Join the Collective Peace Share Gather in community to share, listen, and cultivate collective care during challenging times. Learn more / RSVP: https://belongingatwork.kartra.com/page/lst282 ✨ Learn to Lead Embodied Curious about how embodied leadership could support you or your organization? Schedule a 1:1 consultation to explore what it means to lead with greater authenticity, presence, and trust. Book a 1:1 consultation: https://chatwithrhodes.as.me/schedule/53ace462/appointment/1957611/calendar/804205?appointmentTypeIds[]=1957611 ⭐ Enjoying the podcast? Follow Imagine Belonging, leave a review, and share this episode with a leader who could use the reminder that they don't have to become someone else to lead differently. The leader you've been searching for isn't someone you have to become. It's someone you've been learning to return to. Lead embodied.

July 15, 2026Episode 8226 min

When Leadership Comes Home

For years, I believed better leadership meant working harder, knowing more, and holding everything together. In this solo episode, I explore the leadership lesson that changed everything: authentic leadership doesn't happen only in our minds—it happens through our bodies. Drawing from my own journey and my new book, Lead Embodied, I share why embodied leadership is essential for navigating uncertainty, building trust, and leading with greater presence. Leadership Comes Home Leadership is tested during times of uncertainty, change, and challenge—not when everything is going according to plan. In this episode, you'll learn how to: Lead Beyond Performance. Why authentic presence builds more trust than performing confidence. Understand Your Nervous System. How stress shapes leadership long before we're aware of it. Respond Instead of React. How somatic awareness creates more intentional leadership. Return Home to Yourself. Why sustainable leadership begins with self-connection. Episode Highlights [00:01] The hidden cost of high-performance leadership. [03:45] Why leadership lives in the body. [06:20] Knowing what to do vs. accessing it under pressure. [08:50] How stress quietly shapes communication and decision-making. [11:30] Why I wrote Lead Embodied. [14:00] The invitation to lead from presence instead of performance. "The leader you've been searching for isn't someone you need to become. It's the authentic leader already living within you—waiting to be uncovered, trusted, and embodied." — Rhodes Perry Show Notes & Resources 📬 Subscribe to Imagine Belonging Receive weekly insights on embodied leadership, belonging, and organizational culture here: https://www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe . 💬 Join the Conversation What helps you stay grounded when leadership gets difficult? Record your reflections here and connect directly to Rhodes for insights and new ideas: https://www.speakpipe.com/RhodesPerry . ✨ Work with Rhodes Interested in somatic executive coaching? Schedule a complimentary discovery call to explore what's possible: https://chatwithrhodes.as.me/connect . ⭐ Enjoying the podcast? Follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with a leader who could use the reminder that authentic leadership begins from within.

June 5, 2026Episode 8238 min

Holding the Frequency of Heartbreak: Inside the First Collective Peace Share

Most leaders are carrying an energetic weight they were never meant to hold alone. In our current professional climate, those committed to equity and belonging face a quiet but painful trend: being hushed—subtly or overtly signaled to continue their transformative work with less organizational support, shrinking budgets, and higher personal risk. The resulting collective grief is not an abstract concept; it is a physical weight carried in our tissues. In this special debrief episode, Rhodes Perry sits down with yoga therapist and fellow Reiki Master practitioner, Chrissy Hoffman, to look back on their very first Collective Peace Share . Together, they pull back the curtain on their initial hesitations, share participants' breakthroughs, and explore how dropping our professional armor allows us to move from isolated survival strategies to communal aliveness. Doing the Inner Work In a workplace landscape that often feels upside-down, navigating the grief of transition requires turning our focus inward. This conversation explores how leaders can build the internal resilience necessary to navigate systemic setbacks by: Overcoming the Fear of "Too Woo." Moving past the ego's anxiety about blending high-performance leadership strategy with deep, intuitive spiritual healing. The Shift from "Fighting" to "Healing." Discerning the natural evolution in a values-driven leader's journey from early career "truth and justice" activism to sustainable "love and healing" frameworks. Communal Grief Integration. Re-learning how to process structural loss and exhaustion collectively rather than internalizing stress as an emotional sponge. The Architecture of Leading Embodied. Using ancient energetic hygiene tools to self-regulate, unlock creative business flows, and clear the mental static caused by external uncertainty. Episode Highlights [00:02:31] Naming Today's Reality. Rhodes addresses the profound sense of grief professionals are facing due to anti-DEI rollbacks, framing collective grief through the lens of Francis Weller's The Wild Edge of Sorrow : it was never meant to be carried in isolation. [00:04:20] Tracking the Resistance. Rhodes shares his initial hesitation to pitch this gathering to executives and entrepreneurs racing to adapt to AI and technological disruption, and how moving through his own resistance revealed a massive collective craving for a supportive container. [00:05:48] "I Have Been Waiting For This." Chrissy and Rhodes share moving feedback from a participant—a seasoned divorce attorney—who highlighted how desperately professional leaders need spaces where they can step out of "facilitator" mode and drop their protective armor. [00:11:33] Truth & Justice vs. Love & Healing. Inspired by a recent energetic shift, Rhodes outlines the evolution of his professional life: transitioning from a fiery younger advocate focused on dismantling oppressive structures, to a creative healer centering empathy, somatic wisdom, and organizational belonging. [00:16:22] Corrupt Systems, Not Human Enemies. Chrissy reflects on a powerful lesson from activist Mahmood Khalil: "No human is the enemy; corrupt systems are the enemy." She shares how shifting away from an immediate trigger response allows leaders to practice deep humility and listen with greater flexibility. [00:21:06] Previewing Lead Embodied. Rhodes reveals how editing his upcoming book, Lead Embodied: Roads Less Traveled to Authentic Leadership , served as his own medicine at the start of the year, reminding him that changing our internal shapes is a prerequisite for co-creating a space of external belonging. [00:27:37] The Three Pillars of Collective Practice. A breakdown of the core organizing principles of the Peace Share: Presence (holding the now without anxiety), Influence (focusing on our internal state), and Somatic Gratitude (anchoring to what is real right now rather than spiritual bypassing). "I love that you are looking specifically at grief—and how holding space for it, infused with the energy of love—which is what Reiki is—is what is most needed now. If we are to contain all that peace requires, we must learn to hold the frequency of heartbreak." — Yael Flusberg, Yoga Therapist and Reiki Master Teacher Show Notes & Resources 🧘 Join the Next Collective Peace Share: Missed our live session? The Collective Peace Share meets virtual on the last Wednesday of every month. It is a complimentary, trauma-informed sanctuary blending Reiki, somatics, and mindfulness. Secure your spot for the next gathering: Collective Peace Share Registration . ✨ Work 1:1 with Rhodes: Ready to begin the deep inner work required to transform your external circumstances and emerge as the leader you know you can be? Rhodes is opening a select number of individual somatic coaching and Reiki healing engagements. Schedule your complimentary 30-minute chemistry call: Connect with Rhodes . 🌐 Connect with Chrissy Hoffman: Learn more about Chrissy's integrative yoga therapy, Reiki, and movement work at chrissyyoga.com . 📬 Join the Belonging Movement: Stay connected and receive weekly leadership insights, framework updates, and actionable somatic strategies directly to your inbox: Rhodes Perry Consulting .