Kris is back with another round of the pet sitting saga—but this time, it's about more than just unreliable pet sitters. It's a story about accountability, boundaries, and leadership. Through a string of mishaps (and three fired sitters), Kris explores how these small, personal frustrations mirror the much larger issue of how we manage people in our lives and businesses. When expectations aren't met, many leaders justify, tolerate, or avoid confrontation. But as Kris shares, avoiding accountability—whether with a pet sitter or an employee—only recycles poor performance and creates a culture of tolerance instead of trust. Here's what we explore in this episode: Why unmet expectations persist, and what happens when you ignore them The emotional traps of people-pleasing, guilt, and "just letting it slide" How avoidance erodes both trust and leadership confidence The power of holding others—and yourself—accountable with grace, not anger Why mutual accountability is the missing ingredient in healthy workplaces This conversation is an invitation to protect your standards, honor your agreements, and lead with both compassion and clarity—because accountability isn't cruelty; it's integrity in action. Contact Information and Recommended Resources It's time to stop tolerating and start leading. Join me at www.thevisionary.ceo/sagemm to learn more about the new Sage Mini-Mastermind that starts November 4th. Linkedin Instagram Facebook Pinterest
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The Power of Discomfort in Developing Real Leaders
This week on Leadership is Feminine, Kris Plachy and her Director of Operations, Michelle Arant, sit down for an unscripted conversation that captures leadership in its most human form. What started as a casual team discussion turned into a powerful reflection on how we handle discomfort, accountability, and growth — both in business and in life. Through the lens of a lighthearted story about a pet sitter, Kris and Michelle explore how everyday moments can reveal our relationship with responsibility and self-management. They discuss the tendency to over-accommodate others, the generational shifts in resilience and follow-through, and why true leadership demands that we get comfortable being uncomfortable. Their conversation is an honest reminder that friction isn't failure — it's feedback. Whether you're mentoring a new hire, raising kids, or running a multimillion-dollar company, the path to better leadership begins with allowing discomfort to do its work. Here's what we explore in this episode: How discomfort helps us build capacity for growth and leadership The difference between supporting someone and over-accommodating them Why avoiding friction can unintentionally stunt development — for ourselves and others How leaders can model resilience and self-accountability through their own behavior What small, everyday moments can reveal about how we handle responsibility Why embracing discomfort may be the most undervalued leadership skill of all This conversation invites you to pause and ask: Where am I protecting others — or myself — from the very discomfort that could lead to growth? Contact Information and Recommended Resources Wanna join us for the Sage Mini Mastermind? Visit www.thevisionary.ceo/sagemm to learn the details and register. Linkedin Instagram Facebook Pinterest
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Brainkeeping: The Leadership Practice You Didn't Know You Needed
What if your mind needed the same care as your home? In this episode, Kris introduces the concept of brainkeeping—a leadership practice as vital as housekeeping. Just as we tidy our physical spaces, our mental and emotional spaces require regular clearing, reflection, and renewal. Kris shares how her lifelong curiosity and deep conversations with friends and clients have shaped her unique approach to coaching high-achieving women. Through brainkeeping she helps leaders sort through the clutter of overthinking, self-doubt, and noise—so they can access their clarity, wisdom, and creativity. She explores why so many women leaders stay in constant motion, what happens when you stop long enough to ask "why," and how stillness and inquiry can become your most powerful strategic tools. Here's what we explore in this episode: What "brainkeeping" really means—and why every visionary woman needs it How curiosity can reconnect you with your own wisdom The cost of constant noise and the value of intentional reflection How mental clutter impacts leadership and decision-making Finding your own form of replenishment, whether it's reflection, movement, or community This conversation is an invitation to pause, recalibrate, and reconnect with your mind—the most valuable asset you have as a leader. Contact Information and Recommended Resources Ready for your own Brainkeeping? Join the Sage Mini Mind Interest List Today! www.thevisionary.ceo/sagemm Linkedin Instagram Facebook Pinterest
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Stop Wing-ing It: Make Your Business an Asset (Not a Job)
As we head into the final quarter of the year, Kris invites you to shift your focus—from running the business to owning the business. She challenges high-achieving female founders to stop operating on autopilot and start thinking like the visionary asset holders they are. Too many women spend years building companies without ever asking the most important question: What's the plan? Whether you eventually want to sell, scale back, or simply create more freedom, your business deserves a clear direction—and so do you. Kris also introduces the Sage Mini Mastermind, a 12-week experience for women running multi-million-dollar businesses who are ready to step out of the weeds, lead from wisdom, and build a business that runs beautifully—with or without them. Here's what we explore in this episode: Why "normal" growth years don't mean failure—and how to talk to yourself about success differently How to approach bonuses and performance evaluations with clarity and confidence The difference between running a business and owning one—and why most founders avoid exit planning How to assess your business's readiness to run without you Transitioning from "decider-in-chief" to advisor and visionary Turning your experience, intuition, and wisdom into tangible business assets through a personal "mind bank" This episode is your reminder that your company isn't just a vehicle for achievement—it's an asset for freedom. The Sage Era begins when you stop measuring success by how busy you are and start designing your business to serve the woman you've become. Contact Information and Recommended Resources Don't leave your biggest asset to chance—get on the Sage Mini Mastermind waitlist now at www.thevisionary.ceo/sagemm. Linkedin Instagram Facebook Pinterest
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21:56
Tactical Advice Won't Save You, But Self-Trust Will
What does it feel like to finally stop overworking, over-explaining, and over-proving—and instead lead from a place of grounded confidence? In this episode, Kris shows us what life and leadership look like when self-trust and self-worth are fully integrated. She shares the story of a client who went from being minimized by her partners to running a thriving $10M company while taking a guilt-free month away from her business. This transformation illustrates the power of moving beyond surface-level fixes to address the root issue: believing yourself and believing in yourself. Kris outlines the real markers of integration: working in resonance instead of overwork, resting as a source of strength, setting boundaries without apology, and claiming your right to joy and desire. This is the Sage Era—where your wisdom serves not just you, but those you lead and influence. Here's what we explore in this episode: Why releasing your business as your identity opens up freedom and clarity How guilt, self-doubt, and over-functioning fade once trust and worth align The role of inner authority in creating decisions rooted in self-belief What it means to model Sage leadership for the women who come after you This conversation is an invitation into the Sage Era—where your wisdom, value, and authority aren't up for debate. Contact Information and Recommended Resources Your journey starts with clarity. Head to thevisionary.ceo/trust and take the Self-Trust & Self-Worth Index Kris designed to give you immediate insight. Linkedin Instagram Facebook Pinterest
For most women, when we are invited to study leadership the teachers, scholars, authorities and models are primarily… men. We are indoctrinated from the time we are born that men are the leaders and that natural male characteristics are the strengths you must also possess to be a good leader.
Powerful.
Strong.
Authoritative.
Direct.
Assertive.
Decisive.
These and so many more are attributes that are typically associated with the male model of a leader.
And so, for the better part of the last one hundred years as women have made their way into the fold, in a variety of leadership roles, we have learned and studied to walk the way of a men to achieve success.
Women dismiss their own knowing because we've been so indoctrinated in male leadership models.
We dismiss what we know for what others tell us to be and how to be seen.
There is another way to lead.
To be in alignment.
To not feel like an imposter.
It's time for the reimagining of leadership. That's not to disparage any of the progress that has come before us. Progress is progress. For those of us who stand in the footsteps of the women who came before us we are here because of their courage, bravery and resilience.
I wonder instead if women equally looked to the characteristics they learned from their mothers for leadership. I wonder if we were taught to lean on different qualities to drive success. I wonder what might happen then?
The traditional qualities of mothering are communication, nurturing, listening, strength, support, grace, and yes… love.
What if to be the best leader you can be as a woman, you integrated the best of both?
This is how women will stand with integrity in their role as leaders.
As women, we can be assertive, direct, powerful, and authoritative but we need not only rely on those attributes for success.
After 25 years of watching and studying leaders, I can tell you that for sure many traditional male attributes are effective in the short run, but they typically only serve a few. Whereas, when leadership is feminine. When the leader possesses the strengths of femininity and grace the results are for all.
This podcast is my like my gentle request and invitation to my fellow female leaders that we reclaim the world leadership as one that is a feminine definition. That we continue to work with all of our allies to build organizations and systems that include more support, collaboration, grace and communication. And that we do so not because we are uncomfortable with the more traditional male-dominating models, but because we truly do know that leadership is a feminine strength and attribute.
And the world needs more of us leading. Now more than ever.
South Africa