S02E17 Fired Up by a Bully, Hired by Sotheby’s: Trusting Your Gut and Leading with Authenticity with Maria Kelly

Fearlessly Curious

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What happens when you walk out on a toxic boss... and walk straight into the career that changes your life?

We wrap up Season 2 in this final episode with leadership coach, business strategy consultant and former Sotheby’s global director Maria Kelly joins me to talk about the bold, messy, and deeply authentic path to self-leadership.

Now coaching entrepreneurs and small business owners, Maria talks about her own pivot from corporate into conscious leadership and how her Human Design reading helped her embrace this next chapter.

We explore:
💥 How getting bullied at work became her turning point
🧭 Trusting your gut vs. following “the plan”
What authentic leadership actually looks like in corporate and business

🔥 Why your pivot doesn’t need to be perfect. Just honest
🎤 Her wild story of accidentally landing a job at Sotheby’s
👋 ...and how she deals with her inner critic (named Mikaela... yup, she named it!)

🎧 Episode Highlights :

02:30 Why Maria helps people grow professionally
06:00 Becoming a leader overnight with zero training
13:00 Pivoting from corporate to entrepreneurship
23:00 The “accidental” interview that changed everything
39:00 Meet Mikaela: Maria’s inner critic (and how she handles it)
44:00 Golden nugget: Stop perfecting. Just start. You can always tweak later.

Whether you're burnt out in your role, navigating a transition, or wondering if it's time to reinvent yourself, this episode is your permission slip to lead differently.

🔗 Connect with Maria:
Website: https://askmariakelly.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/askmariakelly/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askmariakelly/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@askmariakelly
🎧 Listen now and stay Fearlessly Curious!

🔔 Subscribe for soulful, honest leadership conversations
💬 Comment below : What was your biggest “aha” moment?
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🎙️ More Episodes here
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About Me:

I help you lead with fearless authenticity by smashing the self-imposed heteronormative stereotypes that keep you playing small through emotional healing inner child and inherited intergenerational trauma.
Create a purposeful life of your unique design by disrupting societal norms and expectations of who you should be.
Explore mindfulness, music, fearless curiosity and loving kindness through the lens of Human Design to thrive as the person you are born to be.

Learn more about my coaching method and join my emotional healing, mindfulness, and music community at melissaindot.com.

Chapters

1. S02E17 Fired Up by a Bully, Hired by Sotheby’s: Trusting Your Gut and Leading with Authenticity with Maria Kelly (00:00:00)

2. Why Maria helps people grow professionally (00:02:30)

3. Becoming a leader overnight with zero training (00:06:00)

4. Pivoting from corporate to entrepreneurship (00:13:00)

5. The “accidental” interview that changed everything (00:23:00)

6. Meet Mikaela: Maria’s inner critic (and how she handles it) (00:39:00)

7. Golden nugget: Stop perfecting. Just start. You can always tweak later. (00:44:00)