Lead Through It with Kim and Jada
If you're leading a team or an organization through something hard right now, you're in the right place.
Jada Willis and Kim Andrews are the co-hosts of Lead Through It. They’re here because leadership gets lonely, and they want to make it less so. Every week, they bring you stories about how other leaders are doing it, practical tips and tools you can use right away, and their signature wit and charm.
In an alternate universe, Jada and Kim are competitors. But they decided collaborating would be much more fun. Kim spent 15 years inside schools and nonprofits and now helps leaders build strong teams, make tough decisions, and get stuff done without burning out. Jada built a seven-figure HR firm from nothing, sold it, and now helps leaders turn chaos into clarity, fueled by a lot of faith and grit. They’ve had different paths but share the values that matter most.
If *it* is hitting the fan, we’ve got you. Let's lead through it together.
Interested in being a guest on the Lead Through It podcast? We'd love to hear your story and learn more about your leadership journey. Click here to apply!
Lead Through It with Kim and Jada
Ep. 25 - Building Culture is Not About You with Melanie Huggins
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What if the key to building a strong culture isn’t about you at all?
In this episode, Kim and Jada sit down with Melanie Huggins, CEO of Girl Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands and former CEO of Richland Library, for a candid conversation about leadership, burnout, reinvention, and what it really takes to build a culture that lasts.
With more than thirty years of leadership experience, Melanie shares hard-earned lessons from transforming a large public institution, navigating COVID-era exhaustion, and stepping into a new CEO role where culture change is still unfolding in real time.
Together, they explore:
- Why culture is built in the details no one sees
- What it means to “operationalize equity”
- How brand promises must match internal behaviors
- Why culture change takes longer than you think
- The tension between honoring legacy and leading transformation
- Recognizing burnout before it reshapes who you are
- Creating space to pause, reflect, and make brave decisions
Melanie offers a powerful reframe: culture is not about what leaders prefer or how they want to operate. It is about the people you serve. The customer. The member. The girl at camp. The parent who must trust you.
If your organization is in a hard culture moment, if you are leading through change, or if you are quietly wondering whether it’s time for your own next chapter, this conversation will meet you there.
Because building culture is not about ego.It is about alignment. It is about trust. And sometimes, it is about knowing when something is over so something new can begin.
If today’s conversation resonated, connect with us and be part of the community of leaders who refuse to lead alone.
JadaWillis.com | KimAndrewsCoaching.com | Hard Conversations AI Toolkit
Jada@jwillisconsulting.com | Kim@kimandrewscoaching.com
