ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Show Notes
What happens when leaders stop performing and start leading from alignment? In this episode, Matt sits down with Kiera DesChamps — CEO/Founder of KD Consulting Group, leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and author of You Are the Brand: Stop Performing. Start Aligning. Kiera shares how she went from "bossy" middle child to leadership strategist, why so many accomplished leaders feel burned out, and how misalignment quietly costs organizations their culture, retention, and results. Whether you lead in senior living, healthcare, nonprofits, or business, this conversation is a practical, honest look at what authentic leadership actually requires.
Timestamps
- 02:00 – Welcome and introduction
- 04:40 – Kiera's story: the "bossy" middle child who was always a leader
- 06:27 – From counseling and higher ed to the senior living space
- 09:00 – "You Are the Brand": what it really means and why it matters now
- 13:00 – The trap of "fake it till you make it" and the cost of misalignment
- 16:03 – How to really know a company's culture (the smoke-break test)
- 16:52 – The rise of the empathetic leader: meeting people where they are
- 20:53 – Stop performing, start aligning: the daily signs you're leading for approval
- 27:33 – Why leaders who look successful on paper still feel burned out
- 32:04 – The LEADer™ Model explained: Listen, Engage, Adapt, Deliver, Execute Results
- 36:13 – The one challenge every industry shares: misalignment
- 40:07 – The one mindset shift every leader can make today
- 41:00 – What's next for KD Consulting Group: courses, keynotes, and the Brand Brunch
- 43:25 – Closing thoughts
Guest Bio
Kiera DesChamps is the CEO/Founder of KD Consulting Group, a leadership strategist, keynote speaker, executive coach, and author of You Are the Brand: Stop Performing. Start Aligning. Be Unapologetically You. Kiera helps leaders and organizations strengthen leadership, optimize sales performance, and create exceptional client experiences by aligning people, processes, and purpose. She is the creator of the LEADer™ Leadership Model, a practical framework that equips leaders to communicate with confidence, build trust, and execute results. Known for her authentic storytelling and practical leadership strategies, Kiera challenges leaders to stop leading for approval and start leading from alignment. Her work has helped organizations improve culture, strengthen teams, increase performance, and create meaningful, measurable results.
