(#41) Leading Without Armor: Kelly Ross on Female Leadership and Entrepreneurship
Wed Feb 04 2026
What happens when leadership demands strength while life demands honesty? Dr. Helen Fagan welcomes Kelly Ross, nonprofit leader and founder of ECHO Collective, to Because People Matter for an unfiltered conversation on the inner demands of female leadership, including self-talk, resilience, vulnerability, and showing up even when it’s difficult.
From entrepreneurship and community-building to empowering immigrant and refugee women through opportunity, Kelly shares what it means to lead with authenticity. This episode is a reminder that real leadership is built in relationship, and that building people up is not the soft work. It is the essential work.
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Episode References:
Helen Fagan and Associates
https://helenfagan.com
Echo Collective
https://www.echocollectivene.org
Obama Foundation
https://www.obama.org/programs/scholars/
Thanks for listening to “Because People Matter.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss any insightful conversations. #PeopleMatter #LeadershipDevelopment #InterculturalCompetence #EmotionalIntelligence
This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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What happens when leadership demands strength while life demands honesty? Dr. Helen Fagan welcomes Kelly Ross, nonprofit leader and founder of ECHO Collective, to Because People Matter for an unfiltered conversation on the inner demands of female leadership, including self-talk, resilience, vulnerability, and showing up even when it’s difficult. From entrepreneurship and community-building to empowering immigrant and refugee women through opportunity, Kelly shares what it means to lead with authenticity. This episode is a reminder that real leadership is built in relationship, and that building people up is not the soft work. It is the essential work. Sign-up for our Bi-Weekly Newsletter! Episode References: Helen Fagan and Associates https://helenfagan.com Echo Collective https://www.echocollectivene.org Obama Foundation https://www.obama.org/programs/scholars/ Thanks for listening to “Because People Matter.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss any insightful conversations. #PeopleMatter #LeadershipDevelopment #InterculturalCompetence #EmotionalIntelligence This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.