Dr. Pamela Lee has spent her career making life-or-death decisions in the operating room while carrying the pressure that comes with being one of the few women leading in surgery. As a colorectal surgeon, robotic surgery specialist, and Chair of Surgery at both Sharp Memorial Hospital and Sharp Reese Stealy Medical Group, Pamela operates in environments where mistakes carry enormous weight and everyone is looking to her for answers. This episode of Lonely at the Top is about balancing confidence...
May 29, 2026•41 min•Season 2Ep. 5
After spending more than two decades in real estate, Marguerite Martin never expected her work would force her to confront difficult questions about community, power, and the unintended consequences of success. What began as a civic-minded passion project to help people discover Tacoma quickly turned her into a local public figure and, eventually, a lightning rod for conversations around housing affordability, displacement, and gentrification. This episode of Lonely at the Top is about navigatin...
May 15, 2026•46 min•Season 2Ep. 4
After growing up as one of the shyest kids—constantly moving, constantly adapting—Bennett Peji never imagined he would become a leader responsible for bringing entire communities together. From feeling like an outsider to leading large-scale, community-centered design projects, Bennett’s journey is a testament to the power of adaptability, empathy, and intentional growth. This episode of Lonely at the Top is about redefining leadership through service, not control. It’s about learning to navigat...
Apr 30, 2026•59 min•Season 2Ep. 3
After decades moving between corporate leadership, consulting, and academia, Jeff McAuliffe has seen leadership from every angle. From sitting at executive tables to building his own consulting practice from scratch, he’s learned that “the top” isn’t a fixed place—and that loneliness shows up in ways most people don’t expect. This episode of Lonely at the Top is about the quiet realities of leadership that no one prepares you for. It’s about navigating influence when you don’t have control, the ...
Apr 17, 2026•50 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Lauren Goche has cracked the code on something most leaders never admit they need: community. A principal real estate broker, micro-influencer, and self-described love bully, Lauren built her career by staying connected — and then discovered that even she had a chaos habit she didn't see coming. In this episode, she talks with Rachel about the expensive sabbatical lesson that revealed she didn't know how to be calm, what it looks like to lead a team with radical care as the operating principle, ...
Apr 03, 2026•38 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Dr. Mark Vossler spent 30 years as a cardiologist before most people retire from their first career. He was medical director of cardiac services for a decade, managed physicians, navigated hospital politics, and learned the hard way that medicine is really just people work with better equipment. Then he retired. And got busier. Now he leads Physicians for Social Responsibility, a national organization built on a striking premise: 80% of health outcomes have nothing to do with medical care. They'...
Mar 20, 2026•37 min•Season 1Ep. 23
He built influence in rooms that were never designed with him in mind. Growing up in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, Alfred Fraijo, Jr. grew up food insecure in one of LA's most underserved neighborhoods. Now he's reshaping the cities that once failed communities like his. He built a career at the top of a major international law firm, then walked away to bet everything on himself. This episode of Lonely at the Top is about what it feels like to carry leadership while holding identities that haven’t...
Mar 09, 2026•43 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Dan Graham spent 30 years at Sony, rising from organizing office supplies to managing 150 people, all without the pedigree or resume you’d expect. But his defining leadership moment wasn’t the promotion. It was the day he was called into HR and told he might lose his job, not because the numbers were bad, but because he’d forgotten the people behind them. This episode is about what happens when success quietly turns into pressure, pressure turns into reactivity, and a leader has to face the impa...
Feb 19, 2026•28 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In this episode of Lonely at the Top , Rachel sits down with Dr. Kazique J. Prince , psychologist, executive consultant, and creator of the Djembe Card Deck, for a deeply human conversation about dignity, authenticity, and the quiet loneliness that comes with leadership. Drawing from decades of experience advising mayors, CEOs, and change-makers, Dr. Prince challenges the myth that authority requires emotional distance. He explores how leaders can remain grounded in their humanity while holding ...
Jan 28, 2026•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In this episode of Lonely at the Top , Rachel sits down with Emma Whittard , a former senior executive in global children’s publishing turned transformational coach for women leaders in midlife. Emma shares what it was really like to rise through the ranks at companies like Disney, DreamWorks, and Warner Brothers , including the invisible loneliness of being the only person in the room who knew how to build something entirely new. From running international publishing businesses to launching a s...
Jan 16, 2026•36 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In this episode of Lonely at the Top , Rachel sits down with Sorby Grant , President and CEO of Climb Hire , an equity-focused workforce development nonprofit supporting underemployed adults in accessing real economic mobility. Sorby reflects on the emotional cost of being the decision-maker, the pressure of stewarding a mission rooted in justice and opportunity, and the quiet exhaustion that can make it hard to recognize success while you’re living it. A central thread of the conversation is so...
Dec 22, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In this episode, Michelle Markwart Deveaux —author, singer, facilitator, coach, and founder of multiple mission-driven businesses— shares her journey from theology and the arts into business ownership, and the often unseen emotional labor of building something meaningful in systems that weren’t designed to sustain creatives. She speaks candidly about self-doubt at high levels of leadership, the difference between being nice and being clear , and why direct communication, while necessary, can dee...
Dec 12, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In this deeply transformational episode, international teacher and healer Zach Rehder explores what happens on the other side of loneliness. Zach shares how, despite years of seeking, studying, and gathering spiritual knowledge, he still suffered loneliness until an unexpected flood of despair in a Chipotle parking lot forced him into surrender. What he found on the other side wasn’t destruction, but liberation. Zach reframes stress and anxiety as friends , signals that we’ve left presence. He e...
Dec 05, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this raw and deeply human conversation, therapist, consultant, and founder Sarah Buino pulls back the curtain on what it really cost her to build — and ultimately let go of — a thriving group therapy practice. Sarah shares how rapid growth, unhealed trauma, and a crushing sense of responsibility left her completely burnt out, pushed her into residential treatment, and forced her to confront her relationship with work at the deepest level. This episode explores the emotional toll of being “the...
Nov 20, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Dee Meacham, Senior Vice President of People Solutions, has built her career at the intersection of technology and humanity. From being one of only four women in her engineering class to leading global transformation initiatives, Dee has learned to thrive in the gray—where systems meet people and innovation meets tradition. In this conversation with host Rachel Alexandria, Dee shares how she built a career that bridges human insight and technical precision, what it means to lead through paradox,...
Nov 11, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Gwen Bortner has spent her career thriving where others hesitate—inside systems, startups, and boardrooms that weren’t designed for her. As the founder and CEO of Everyday Effectiveness , Gwen has led teams across 47 industries, from tech to telecom to fiber arts, and knows firsthand what it means to stand out at the table. In this episode, host Rachel Alexandria and Gwen talk about being “the only one in the room,” what happens when competence becomes isolation, and how neurodivergence and curi...
Nov 04, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 13
When you’re at the top, no one can hand you a map. The path forward is yours to navigate, and sometimes, the only compass you have is your own intuition. In this solo episode, host and Soul Medic Rachel Alexandria explores how leaders can learn to trust their inner knowing when logic and strategy fall short. Drawing from her own journey and lessons from past guests, she shares how intuition speaks through the body, why so many of us were taught to ignore it, and how reconnecting with this intern...
Oct 23, 2025•9 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In this candid conversation, real estate developer Ginger Hitzke joins Lonely at the Top to talk about what it really costs to lead with heart. A first-generation business owner who went from housing insecurity to building over 2,000 affordable apartments, Ginger shares how she carries the emotional and ethical burden of her work — deciding rent increases, managing cash flow, and being both landlord and renter advocate. She opens up about the loneliness of being “the one who decides,” her lifelo...
Oct 16, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this episode, Erin Reeves , co-founder and principal at Next Level Org, brings over 25 years of executive strategy and HR leadership to an open, grounded conversation about what it really feels like to sit at the decision-maker’s table. Erin shares how each step up the leadership ladder expands not only your view but also your sense of isolation — and how asking better questions can become a quiet act of courage. She talks about navigating self-doubt, building self-awareness, and finding outs...
Oct 10, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this solo episode, Rachel reflects on a listener’s response to Executive Fashion as Armor, Ritual, and Identity with Susana Perczek — specifically the power of hearing a woman speak positively about herself without apology. Rachel explores the generational messages many of us received about “not being too big for your britches” and how those lessons often left us afraid to celebrate our own talents. She shares personal stories about holding back from stepping into leadership as a young studen...
Oct 07, 2025•8 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In this episode, Megan Gluth , owner and CEO of Catalynt Solutions , shares her remarkable journey from attorney to industry leader in chemical distribution — and how she doubled the size of her company in just a few years while navigating the chaos of a global pandemic. Raised on food stamps in rural Iowa, Meg brings both grit and vision to her role, blending sharp business acumen with a deep commitment to what she calls human-centered capitalism . She opens up about the weight of carrying resp...
Oct 02, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this solo episode, Rachel Alexandria shares the origin story of Lonely at the Top . She reflects on her two decades of work with high performers, the blend of therapeutic, coaching, and spiritual practices she brings to leaders, and the repeated moments that sparked the podcast’s creation. Rachel describes why she felt called to make space for honest conversations about the invisible burdens of leadership, the unique isolation that comes with power, and the need for a sanctuary where leaders ...
Sep 30, 2025•11 min•Season 1Ep. 1
In this conversation with Louis Fordham , Vice President of Human Resources at Engineered Floors, we explore what leadership looks like from the perspective of someone who has spent 35 years guiding executives from inside . Louis shares what it’s like to witness CEOs carry the immense weight of responsibility, why he never aspired to the top job himself, and how isolation is often built into leadership structures by nature . He also opens up about the unique challenges of being an introverted le...
Sep 25, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Sunni VonMutius built her career in corporate tech, often “faith-it-till-you-make-it” in male-dominated spaces, before stepping into leadership coaching. In this conversation, she opens up about the hidden costs of always being the strong one, and the toll it takes when resilience slips into survival mode. Sunni also shares how learning to trust her intuition became vital for navigating uncharted seasons of leadership with honesty and humanity. Episode Highlights Sunni reflects on “faith-it-till...
Sep 19, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In this episode of Lonely at the Top , Alina Doran opens her private ledger to reveal the hidden costs of a career built on constant achievement. From the outside, her leadership journey looked flawless, but inside, she was running on fumes. Alina shares candidly about the toll of being the reliable, high-performing leader who never lets her guard down, and how that survival strategy eventually left her disconnected from herself. Through vulnerability and reflection, Alina walks us through her b...
Sep 11, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this episode of Lonely at the Top , Rachel sits down with John Valencia, President and CEO of the Good for Others Foundation. John has raised nearly $1 billion for education and community initiatives, but behind his impressive resume is a leader who understands both the thrill and the isolation of being a visionary. From childhood entrepreneurship to leading multimillion-dollar nonprofits, John has always carried the weight of responsibility. He shares candidly about the loneliness of being “...
Sep 04, 2025•57 min•Season 1Ep. 4
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Sep 02, 2025•1 min•Season 1Ep. 1
What happens when you’re married to a powerful, high-stakes leader—and your own emotional labor is quietly consuming you? In this episode, Temi Ayodeji , stress-reduction artist, author, and wellness coach, joins Rachel to share the truth about being the partner behind the leader. From homeschooling a son with special needs while being offered a director role… to quietly donating a kidney to save her husband’s life… to discovering a scientifically grounded form of healing through fractal-infused...
Jul 30, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this episode of Lonely At the Top , host Rachel Alexandria sits down with Susana Perczek, a corporate stylist and former advertising executive, whose mission is to armor women leaders with both strength and style. Susana shares how she rose through the ranks in a demanding industry, only to face the emotional and relational costs of leadership, especially after starting a family. Through heartfelt stories and rich metaphors (including Dungeons & Dragons references!), this conversation unp...
Jul 30, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Angela Quach, founder of Destiny Lab, gets real about what it took to leave corporate comfort and launch a multi-million dollar, purpose-driven marketing agency. In this candid conversation, Angela shares the invisible costs of leadership — from imposter syndrome to identity shifts — and the resilience it takes to build something bigger than ego. She and Rachel explore what it means to lead with both purpose and pressure, and why creating a relationship-first life has made all the difference. If...
Jul 30, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 1
