Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kimberle Smith Austin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kimberle , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?

What Corporate America Gets Wrong About Workplace Transformation

They treat engagement like a task instead of a temperature.

I learned this the hard way when I walked into a corporate training room last year. The company had called me in because their “engagement initiatives” weren’t working. On paper, they were doing everything right—monthly check-ins, wellness programs, core values plastered on every wall. But the moment I stepped into that room, I felt it: the energy had been completely drained.

Twenty-five employees sat slumped in their chairs, scrolling phones, avoiding eye contact. They were physically present but emotionally checked out. Classic quiet quitting, disguised as compliance.

So I did something unexpected. I paused my prepared slides, dimmed the lights, and asked: “How are you—*really*—doing?”

The silence was deafening. Then, slowly, one person looked up. Then another. Suddenly, for the first time in months, people started speaking truth. The tension cracked open. The energy shifted. Real conversations began.

That moment crystallized something I’d been seeing across organizations: **Corporate America is trying to fix burnout with bullet points. But burnout needs breathing room.**

The Real Problem: Building on Quicksand

You can have the best systems, strongest strategy, and most brilliant leaders—but if your people are exhausted, uninspired, or emotionally detached, you’re building on quicksand.

Most companies approach workplace culture like a checklist:
✓ Implement wellness program
✓ Schedule team-building activities
✓ Host leadership training
✓ Wonder why nothing changes

What’s missing? **Energy.** And without energy, nothing sticks.

Why Energy Is the Ultimate Success Skill

In my work as an energy strategist, I’ve discovered that energy isn’t a “soft skill”—it’s the foundation that determines whether every other initiative succeeds or fails. When people are energized, they innovate. They collaborate. They go the extra mile without being asked.

When they’re depleted? You get compliance at best, resistance at worst.

That’s why I created the **ENERGY Framework**—a transformational approach that helps organizations reignite what’s been lost: creativity, connection, collaboration, and clarity. It’s not about motivational speeches or surface-level perks. It’s about helping people **recharge from the inside out** so they can show up fully and do their best work.

The Transformation Is Real

Back to that training room: By the end of our session, the same people who’d walked in defeated were laughing, brainstorming, and making eye contact. The shift wasn’t just visible—it was measurable. Three months later, their team performance scores had increased by 40%.

The difference? We stopped treating symptoms and started addressing the root cause: energy depletion.

My Mission: Changing the Game

Until we start valuing energy as much as output, we’ll keep seeing the same patterns: leadership fatigue, disengagement disguised as productivity, and talented people walking away from organizations that drain instead of energize them.

I’m on a mission to change that—one leader, one room, one organization at a time. Because when you get the energy right, everything else becomes possible.

*Ready to transform your workplace culture from the inside out? Let’s talk about bringing sustainable energy back to your organization.*

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Kimberle with an “E” Smith Austin, and I proudly wear the title of **The Energy Strategist**—because I believe ENERGY transforms everything.

With over three decades of leadership experience across corporate, nonprofit, military, and entrepreneurial spaces, I’ve come to realize that what most organizations are lacking isn’t more goals or strategies—it’s **ENERGY**. That fire. That passion. That spark that drives innovation, builds culture, fuels performance, and keeps people excited to show up.

But I didn’t get here by accident.

I started my career following a traditional business path—earning my MBA, climbing the corporate ladder, and teaching business and leadership as a college professor. I checked all the boxes and looked successful on paper. But behind the scenes, I was running on empty. After surviving **breast cancer**, navigating life as an **Army veteran**, and pushing through **burnout**, I realized something had to shift.

That’s when I decided to build something different—something **alive. I launched the ESSENCE of who I am. My intent was not just to inspire, but to **IGNITE a spark**.

Today, I run a suite of transformational programs, speaking engagements, and consulting services under my brand umbrella, which includes:

-The ENERGY Framework™ – A signature leadership and engagement model used in keynotes, workshops, and executive coaching.
– 360° Leader Programs – Empowerment and leadership development journeys that focus on the “Whole” person, business, life, and health for professionals.
– Corporate Training & Strategic Consulting** – Tailored to help organizations re-energize their teams, improve culture, and increase performance through people-first strategies.
–

I also host the *Made2nspire* podcast, co-authored the bestselling book *Millions of Possibilities: Taking Your Idea from Inspiration to Monetization*, and recently released my second book, *Courage to Shine*, part of the Empowered Women in Wellness series.

What sets me apart?

I don’t just teach leadership—I live it. I don’t show up with a slide deck—I show up with **soul**. My clients don’t walk away with a binder full of notes—they walk away **activated**. Whether I’m working with a Fortune 500 executive, a startup founder, or a room full of students, I bring ENERGY, strategy, and authenticity to every space I enter.

What am I most proud of?
That I’ve helped thousands of people rise again. I’ve created spaces where leaders feel seen, teams feel heard, and people feel alive again. That I’ve built a brand rooted in **purpose, possibility, and power**—and I’m just getting started.

What do I want people to know?
That you don’t have to settle. That burnout doesn’t have to be your baseline. It’s possible to thrive in business and life. When you invest in your energy, you multiply your impact.

At the end of the day, I help people experience life at their next level—and I do it by reminding them of something we all forget:
You are the spark. You are the power. You are the energy – so bring it!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

The key to managing a team and maintaining high morale is simple—but not always easy: lead with energy and empathy. People don’t just want to be managed—they want to be seen, heard, and valued. I’ve learned that when leaders focus on connection before correction and purpose before pressure, everything changes.

As a strategist and coach, I teach leaders how to infuse ENERGY into culture, communication, and collaboration. That means building trust, creating space for real conversations, celebrating progress (not just perfection), and checking in with people as humans—not just roles.

One of my favorite tools is what I call the “Pulse Check.” It’s a simple practice where I ask team members:
➡ What’s fueling you right now?
➡ What’s frustrating you?
➡ And what do you need to feel more supported?

When leaders create environments where energy flows freely, morale rises naturally. Because at the end of the day, it’s not perks or pizza parties that keep people going—it’s purpose, passion, and people-first leadership.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

FIRST DRAFT:

The lesson that nearly killed me: I believed my worth was measured by my exhaustion.

I was living proof of hustle culture’s dark side. As a serial entrepreneur, community leader, professor, military veteran, and mom, I wore my packed calendar like a badge of honor. Late nights bled into early mornings—2 AM bedtimes, 5 AM wake-ups, fueled by nothing but coffee and sheer willpower. I was saying yes to every opportunity, cramming meetings back-to-back, and racing against impossible deadlines just to collapse into bed and do it all over again.

I thought this was what success looked like. I was wrong.

Everything stopped when I was diagnosed with **breast cancer**. Sitting in that doctor’s office, facing my mortality, I had a brutal realization: **I had been living like a machine, not a human being.** I was surviving, not thriving. Worse, I was teaching others—through my example—that this was the way to build a meaningful life and business.

The treatment forced me to slow down, and in that stillness, I discovered something revolutionary: **We get to CHOOSE how we live, work, and lead.**

That revelation led me to make one of the most transformative decisions of my life: **to create margin that fuels energy instead of draining it.** I completely redesigned my approach to work and life. Now, I only schedule meetings, client work, and major projects on **three intentional days per week**:

– Sundays: My **Review & Reflection** day. I spend quiet morning hours looking back at wins and lessons from the previous week, then mapping out priorities for the week ahead. This isn’t busy work—it’s strategic visioning that lets me start Monday with laser focus instead of scrambling to catch up.

– Mondays:** My **Tone-Setting aka Make Monday Matter** day. I begin with practices that energize me—morning walks, creative planning sessions, deep work on projects I’m passionate about. Instead of jumping into reactive mode, I’m intentionally choosing how to spend my energy.

– Fridays:** My **CREATE Day**. This is sacred time for dreaming forward—whether I’m outlining a new program, writing content that lights me up, or developing vision for my business. No meetings, no deadlines, just pure creative flow.

This wasn’t just a lifestyle change—it transformed my business. With more energy and clarity, my client’s results improved dramatically. I started attracting higher-level opportunities because I was showing up as my best self, not a depleted version running on fumes. My revenue increased while my stress decreased.

More importantly, I got my **life** back. Real presence with my family. Deep satisfaction in my work. The kind of sustainable success that doesn’t require sacrificing your health or sanity.

I’ve come to realize that without margin, we’re not leading—we’re just reacting. That’s why I created the **ENERGY Framework** to help other leaders unlearn burnout culture and build businesses that energize rather than exhaust them.

Because here’s what I know now: **Success isn’t about how much you can endure. It’s about how alive you feel while building something meaningful.

VERSION 2 – SHORTER VERSION

The lesson that almost cost me everything:
I believed my worth was measured by my exhaustion.

I was living proof of hustle culture’s dark side. As a serial entrepreneur, community leader, professor, military veteran and mom, I wore my packed calendar like a badge of honor. Late nights bled into early mornings—2 AM bedtimes, 5 AM wake-ups—fueled by sheer willpower. I said yes to every opportunity, crammed my schedule with meetings, and raced toward impossible deadlines, only to collapse into bed and repeat the cycle.

I thought this was what success looked like.
I was wrong.

Everything shifted when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Sitting in that doctor’s office, I had a deeply transformative realization: I had been living like a machine, not a human being.
I was surviving, not thriving. And worse, I was modeling this for others as the way to live and lead.

Treatment forced me to slow down. And in that stillness, I discovered something revolutionary:
We are not robots. We get to choose how we live, how we lead, and how we show up.

That mindset shift sparked a transformation that changed my life, my business, and my mission.

I completely redesigned my rhythm to create margin that fuels my energy instead of draining it. This wasn’t just about time management—it was about energy alignment.

Now, I only schedule meetings, client work, and high-focus tasks on three intentional days per week. The rest of my week is structured to protect what matters most: creativity, presence, health, vision and My ENERGY.

Sundays are for Review & Reflection—I spend quiet time reviewing the previous week and setting priorities for the week ahead so I can start Monday with a BANG.

Mondays are my Tone-Setting Day aka Make Monday Matter, reserved for the projects and practices that energize me—creative planning, deep thinking, movement, and vision work.

Fridays are my CREATE Day—a protected space for dreaming forward. Whether I’m designing a new program, writing content, or envisioning the next evolution of my work, it’s all about forward momentum and ENERGY.

This rhythm gave me more than just space on the calendar—it gave me my life back.
More clarity. More joy. More presence.
And above all, more ENERGY to do what matters.

This wasn’t just a personal shift—it became the foundation of my entire brand. I created the ENERGY Framework to help other leaders unlearn burnout culture and build businesses and lives that energize rather than exhaust them.

Because here’s what I now know to be true:
Success isn’t about how much you can endure. It’s about how alive you feel while building something meaningful.

If you’re tired of being busy but not fulfilled, constantly moving but not progressing—it might be time for your own ENERGY shift. Let’s make room for what truly matters.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kimberlesmithaustin.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlesmithaustin.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlesmithaustin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlesmithaustin/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimberlesmithaustin

Image Credits

Dreamweaver Media & Co
Sarah Dupree
Grant Romancia Photography