The Ellevated Life with Dorothy Enriquez

Episodes

• Finale: The Spark Behind the Confidence Spark 07.01.2026 27m

  This season finale is a moment of honesty.In this episode, I share why I’m writing The Confidence Spark and why this book became unavoidable at this point in my life and leadership journey. What started as culture work, leadership development, and organizational strategy slowly revealed a deeper through-line: confidence.Not the loud kind. Not the performative kind. But the kind that shapes how we talk to ourselves, how we decide, how we show up in transition, and how we stay grounded when life asks us to stretch into rooms we’ve never been in before.I reflect on my journey of becoming a writer, beginning in 2012, navigating rejection, releasing expectations, and ultimately publishing my first book in 2023. I also talk about why confidence isn’t unshakable, why it does fluctuate, and why deep-rooted self-trust matters more than polished certainty.To close the season, I read a sneak peek from the preface of The Confidence Spark, a promise to myself and to the women this book is written for.Season One of The Elevated Life comes to a close here. I’m taking a brief pause to let this season breathe and to deepen the work behind it.If you’ve ever felt confident in one season and uncertain in the next, this episode is for you.
• Courageous Possibilities: Vision, Change, and Faith-Based Leadership 29.12.2025 25m

  This past year reshaped me in ways I didn’t expect. It wasn’t loud or flashy; it was refining. In this episode, I reflect on what I learned during a season of crushing, sifting, and quiet transformation as a CEO, a mom, a wife, and a woman committed to purpose.I share how leadership changes when faith deepens, what marriage and motherhood revealed about humility and communication, and why refinement is often the birthplace of courageous possibilities. This conversation isn’t about having everything figured out — it’s about trusting God’s character, learning from lean seasons, and preparing for what’s next with clarity and gratitude.If you’re walking through a season that feels heavy, slow, or unclear, I hope this episode reminds you that growth is still happening, even when you can’t see it yet.
• Bullies Are Expensive and Leaders Are Paying the Bill 15.12.2025 19m

  Workplace bullying doesn’t always look like shouting or slamming doors.Sometimes it looks like slick comments, constant criticism, power plays, and “high performers” who leave emotional wreckage behind them.In this episode, Dorothy gets personal about being bullied at work in her 30s, by a peer, while delivering strong results, and how quickly “just let it roll off your back” turns into stress, distraction, and survival mode. She breaks down why bullying is not just a people problem, it’s a culture problem and a cost center.You’ll hear why bullies are often protected when they produce results, why that decision quietly drives away top talent, and what research tells us about who actually loses their job when bullying goes unchecked. Spoiler alert, it’s usually not the bully.This conversation is for CEOs, leaders, managers, and professionals who care about performance and people. Because culture is not what you say you value, it’s what you tolerate. And bullying, no matter how productive it looks on paper, is expensive.In this episode, we explore:What workplace bullying really looks like (especially peer-to-peer)Why high-performing bullies are often the hardest to addressHow bullying creates fear, disengagement, and silent exitsThe real retention and wellness costs leaders underestimateWhy “suffering in silence” is more common than you thinkWhat leaders must be willing to confront to protect cultureIf you’ve ever wondered whether addressing bullying is “worth it,” this episode makes the answer very clear.
• Leading when You're Healing 08.12.2025 18m

  Sometimes the woman with the title is also the woman rebuilding herself behind the scenes. In this episode, we talk about what it really means to lead in the middle of a healing season—when your heart is tender, your nervous system is tired, and your ambition is still calling your name.Drawing on the humanity of Brené Brown, the neuro-truths of Dr. Bruce Perry, and the raw honesty of Self-Healing Isn’t Pretty, we explore why growth doesn’t always look graceful, why your body refuses to “push through” anymore, and how blind spots shape the way you show up as a leader.This isn’t a lecture; it’s a mirror.A reminder that you can carry a vision and still be in recovery mode.That you can lead with courage while tending to the parts of yourself that feel fractured.That healing isn’t a detour from your leadership. It’s part of the path.If you’re navigating a hard season, a transition, or a quiet unraveling no one else sees, this conversation will help you breathe, reset, and remember:You’re not behind. You’re becoming.
• Confidence Isn't Loud - It's Certain 01.12.2025 17m

  In this micro pep talk, I’m breaking down one of the biggest myths about leadership: that confidence has to be loud, bold, and booming. The truth? Real confidence is calm. It’s grounded. It’s certain.In this episode, I talk about what confidence actually looks and feels like when you’re leading — not performing. I share how presence is shaped by alignment, clarity, boundaries, and the quiet conviction that you belong in every room you step into.If you’ve been trying to “act confident” instead of feeling confident, this episode will help you shift from noise to knowing… and step into a version of leadership that doesn’t require you to be anything other than yourself.
• When Your Team Stops Listening 25.11.2025 18m

  When your team stops listening, it can feel personal, but it’s really diagnostic. In this episode, I share how to recognize what silence means, rebuild psychological safety, and strengthen your leadership presence so people re-engage.We’ll talk about curiosity, credibility, and consistency, the real tools that turn quiet rooms into collaborative ones.If you’re ready to be heard again (and lead with calm authority), this one’s for you.
• Stop Rescuing Under Performers 10.11.2025 21m

  If you’ve ever found yourself rewriting someone’s work at midnight or making excuses for a team member who just won’t rise to the occasion—this one’s for you. In this episode, we’re tackling the leadership trap of rescuing under-performers. You’ll learn how to recognize when support turns into enabling, why “potential” can become a prison, and what courageous accountability really looks like. Because saving people from their own responsibilities doesn’t make you a better leader—it makes you a burnt-out one.Loved this episode? Share it with a woman of color at the C Suite level, a founder, a business leader navigating teams. Enjoy this show! Please rate us 5 stars. And write a glowing review.
• You're Not Behind, You're Being Refined 03.11.2025 25m

  If you’ve been looking around and feeling like everyone else is further ahead — take a deep breath. You’re not behind, you’re being refined.In this episode, I’m talking about what it really means to walk through a refining season as a leader, a woman, and a human. The moments that feel slow, uncertain, or even painful are often the exact moments that build our wisdom, clarity, and confidence.I share how refinement has shown up in my own life and business, what it’s teaching me about stamina and surrender, and how to keep leading even when progress feels invisible.In this episode, I explore:How to recognize when you’re in a refining seasonWhat refinement reveals about your leadershipHow to lead, rest, and reset while you’re being shapedIf this season feels heavy or unclear, I hope this episode reminds you that you’re not late — you’re being prepared.
• When It's Time to Let Go: Leading Through Necessary Endings 27.10.2025 19m

  Sometimes the only way to grow is to end what’s no longer working. In this episode, Dorothy unpacks what it really means to have a “necessary ending” — the courageous, often uncomfortable decision to release people, projects, or patterns that no longer serve your purpose or align with your leadership.Drawing inspiration from Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud, Dorothy connects the dots between pruning in leadership, building your own desk, and creating space for what’s next. You’ll hear honest reflections about when to let go, how to discern if something’s truly over, and why leaders who avoid endings also block their next beginning.Tune in for a truth-filled conversation about clarity, courage, and the leadership discipline of letting go, because every ending, done well, makes room for elevation.
• Running Meetings People Actually Want to Attend: Simple Shifts to Make Every Meeting Worth Showing Up For 20.10.2025 21m

  Ever sat through a meeting that could’ve been an email? Same.In this episode, I’m breaking down what it really takes to run meetings that energize your team instead of draining them. I walk you through my 3C approach—Clarity, Connection, and Commitments—so your meetings build culture, spark accountability, and actually move work forward.If your team leaves meetings feeling confused or uninspired, this one’s for you.Let’s make your next meeting one they’ll actually want to attend.
• I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts - Fear Tried it but Faith Won 17.10.2025 19m

  When I first recorded this episode back in 2023, it never saw the light of day. I told myself I was too busy, too tired, too something. Truth was, I was scared—of being seen, of saying too much, of stepping into the spotlight I’d worked so hard to earn.In this throwback, I talk about the kind of “ghosts” that don’t haunt your house—they haunt your confidence. The social fears, the self-doubt, the belief that everyone else already knows what you know. You’ll hear the early version of me trying to find her voice, wrestling with the dark, and realizing that sometimes all you really need is a nightlight for your life.Now it’s 2025. The pod is here. The voice is louder. The ghosts? Still friendly—but I’m not afraid anymore.Tune in for:✨ Lessons on fear, confidence, and reclaiming your power💡 Reflections on leadership, womanhood, and self-permission💬 Real talk about getting out of your own way and hitting “publish,” even when it’s scaryBecause courage isn’t about never being afraid—it’s about turning on the light anyway.
• Culture is Not Decoration - It's the Infrastructure that Holds Errthang Together 16.10.2025 8m

  Too many leaders treat culture like branding wallpaper — something that looks good on the walls but never shows up in the work. In this episode, Dorothy breaks down why culture isn’t aesthetic, it’s infrastructure. It’s the system, the language, and the leadership agreements that shape how people actually behave when no one’s watching.Drawing inspiration from the book People, she explores how strong cultures don’t happen by accident, they’re built intentionally. You’ll walk away seeing culture not as a vibe to be maintained, but as an engine to be designed, sustained, and lived.If you’ve been saying, “We need to fix our culture,” this episode will show you where to start, not with slogans, but with structure.
• Delegation Trauma - How to Let Go Without Losing Control 16.10.2025 19m

  For so many leaders, delegation isn’t freeing, it’s triggering. In this episode, Dorothy opens up about one of her most expensive leadership lessons, the time she handed off a major project only to discover, a month before the deadline, that nothing had been done. It was chaos, frustration, and a crash course in what happens when you confuse confidence with competence.Dorothy breaks down her framework for levels of delegation (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) and shows how to coach, not just assign, so your team can build credibility and deliver excellence without you having to check every detail.If you’ve ever said, “It’s faster if I just do it myself,” this episode is your reset. You’ll learn how to rebuild trust, protect your energy, and finally delegate like a leader who expects brilliance — not burnout.
• The Reset Story - How I bet on myself (again) 13.10.2025 22m

  What do you do when your plan falls apart faster than you can rebuild it?In this powerful solo episode, Dorothy Enriquez pulls back the curtain on the messy, miraculous beginning of her full-time leadership journey. From the courage sparked during the African American Leadership Program to quitting her job, watching her marriage dissolve, and becoming a mother all in one whirlwind year—this is the real story behind The Reset.It’s not a highlight reel. It’s the hard, holy truth of starting over with a wing and a prayer—and discovering that sometimes faith and follow-through are all you’ve got.Whether you’re rebuilding after burnout, heartbreak, or a career shift, this episode reminds you that every reset is both an ending and an invitation.“I wasn’t trying to fix my old life. I was becoming someone new.”Listen in to learn:How Dorothy’s nine-month leadership program planted the seed for entrepreneurshipWhat quitting, motherhood, and divorce taught her about resilienceWhy resets aren’t about starting from scratch—but from wisdomThis is the heartbeat of The Elevated Life.If you’re in your own reset era, book a Power Hour or apply for The Inner Circle to rebuild your next chapter with clarity and courage. Link in bio.
• The Ellevated Life Trailer 13.10.2025 1m

  The Ellevated Life with Dorothy Enriquez is where leaders of color learn to build self-managing teams, reclaim their time, and lead with clarity—not exhaustion. If your experts aren’t ex-ing or spurting and delegation feels like a gamble, this is your reset. Real stories, tight playbooks, and exact scripts to help you lead boldly. Let’s live it, lead it, and love it.