Boundaries, Bravery, and Building on Purpose
How do you protect your peace when the world keeps asking for more?
If you’re a woman of color navigating corporate leadership - or even just surviving inside it - you’ve likely felt this tension. You're the first, the only, and the pressure to perform is constant. Boundaries can feel like a luxury, or worse, a liability.
In episode 89 of the Embracing “Only” podcast, we spoke with Kim Crowder, founder and CEO of Courageous Crowd. She’s a strategist, executive advisor, and one of the most powerful voices on how women, especially women of color, can honor their boundaries without sacrificing influence.
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1) From Burnout to Breakthrough
Before Kim Crowder led Courageous Crowd and advised executives at Fortune 500 companies, she was a high-performing leader in a system that wore her down. Her success looked great on paper, but the personal cost was staggering.
“I was in and out of the hospital. My skin broke out in acne. And still, I was exceeding expectations.” - Kim Crowder
Kim’s leap into entrepreneurship wasn’t a dream board goal or a calculated career pivot. It was a layoff. The moment was disorienting but ultimately liberating.
“Becoming an entrepreneur wasn't something that I a hundred percent had a timeline on. It happened by circumstance.” - Kim Crowder
Instead of scrambling into the next job, Kim chose to pause. She leaned into stillness, listened to what her body and mind were telling her, and began writing publicly on LinkedIn. That act of “freethinking,” as she calls it, helped her attract values-aligned clients before she even had a clear business plan.
She showed up as herself. And people showed up in response.
“I showed up as myself, and that is what people connected with.” - Kim Crowder
2) Not Everything You Love Needs to Make You Money
One of the most radical ideas Kim shares in this episode is the distinction between sacred work and strategic work.
“Sometimes you have to separate earning a living from what you're most passionate about.” - Kim Crowder
In a world that tells women to "turn your passion into profit," Kim gives us permission to not capitalize on everything we love. Some things don’t need to pay our bills to be valuable.
And trying to extract financial returns from sacred spaces can strip them of their essence.
“That's not to say I'm not passionate about the work that we do, but I also have some other things that I don't want to make money from because they're sacred.” - Kim Crowder
Kim challenges us to trust that it’s okay to pursue alignment without attaching it to income. For high-achieving women of color, this is a powerful reframe. You don’t have to prove worth through productivity. Your joy is enough.
3) From Chaos to Clarity: The Power of Journaling and “Whispers”
Kim's clarity didn’t come from hustle. It came from quiet.
She emphasizes how pausing, even for five minutes a day, created space for strategic downloads that later shaped major business wins.
“Even if you can find five minutes of quiet, journaling is great. [...] You may think about it in pieces, and then all of a sudden a client shows up and you're like, that's why.” - Kim Crowder
Kim talks about these insights as “whispers” - moments of intuitive knowing that often show up when we stop chasing and start listening. Many of the frameworks and tools she uses now in her consultancy were born from those seemingly random ideas scribbled in silence.
“Get in touch with those whispers. [...] Just write 'em down. They don't have to mean anything, but put them somewhere you can go back to.” - Kim Crowder
For women whose value has been tethered to speed, these whispers are acts of rebellion. You don’t have to outpace burnout to prove your brilliance. Sometimes, you need to sit still to access it.
4) Walking into the Boardroom as a Black Woman CEO
What does it mean to walk into the boardroom with both expertise and an identity the system wasn’t designed for?
For Kim, being a Black woman executive - and now a Black woman consultant - has required both strategy and self-trust.
She rejects the common framing of “impostor syndrome,” calling out how it locates the problem in the individual instead of the system. The doubts we carry are not failures of mindset. They’re symptoms of exclusion.
“There were times when I felt very insecure about that. [...] So I want to take the onus off of that and put the onus on the systems themselves that teach us those lies.” - Kim Crowder
With experience and results behind her, Kim now anchors in her data, her voice, and her value.
She reminds us that showing up with truth, especially when it disrupts comfort, is the work. You don’t need to shrink to make people feel safe. You need to show up in your zone of genius and let your results speak.
5) Honor the Season You’re In
Kim’s final wisdom? Wherever you are right now, trust it. Whether you’re deep in the fog of burnout or just starting to daydream about what's next, don’t rush to escape.
Instead, honor the season.
“Sometimes we just can't do anything about where life puts us. But we don’t know how that is leading to this other thing.” - Kim Crowder
Let this episode be your permission slip to slow down, reflect, and take inventory.
If you enjoyed this conversation, here are a few more episodes you might like:
Episode 87: Redefining Productivity and Thriving Amidst Struggle with Grace Marshall
Episode 86: Navigating Bias and Embracing Identity in Corporate Spaces with Dr. Delia Grenville
Episode 78: Finding Alignment, Understanding Priorities & Taking Control of Your Goals
To hear the full conversation, scroll all the way up and tune into episode 89.
About The Hosts: Archita And Olivia
ARCHITA
Archita Sivakumar Fritz is the Host and Producer of the Embracing Only Podcast. Archita is a MedTech and Life Science Strategist. She is a LinkedIn Top Voice for her insights into product strategy and nonprofit management, and the creation of inclusive cultures that champion a 'speak up' philosophy.
Following a successful 19+ year corporate career she now helps C Suite across organizations as a Fractional Product Marketing Leader through her company Ready Set Bold.
She works with individuals with 10+ years of corporate experience to find new paths away from toxic or underappreciative environments, enabling both personal fulfillment and broader organizational impact.
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OLIVIA
Olivia Grant Cream is the host and producer of the Embracing Only podcast. Nothing makes her happier than providing a platform to women who are changing the world.
Olivia is a proud US Veteran and HR Leader who is passionate about changing the face of corporate America by helping underrepresented people reclaim their power and live the life of their dreams.
She is an advocate for transitioning military members seeking second careers in the corporate landscape.
Olivia is a proud Jamaican and enjoys mentoring, coaching, classic cars, and nature. The way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
→ You can work with Olivia here: www.oliviacre
→ Book her as a keynote speaker or moderator for your next ERG or company event.