Courageous Self-Leadership and Human-Centered Success: Lessons from Cherie Canning on the Her Empire Builder Show

What does it mean to truly lead yourself with courage and compassion? In a recent Her Empire Builder Show episode, I had the privilege of speaking with leadership expert Cherie Canning, founder of Luminate Leadership and host of the Lead with Courage podcast. Our conversation delved into the power of self-leadership, the tangible realities behind leadership buzzwords, personal branding, and how to design a business and life that aligns with your true values.

Life Changes, Business Pivots, and the Power of Necessity

For Cherie Canning, entrepreneurship wasn’t a lifelong dream – in fact, it emerged from necessity. After 17 years at a major travel company, her world shifted dramatically when the pandemic struck: “At the end of 2020, when I was made redundant, I was then on the mission of, well, what's the next part of my career?” Cherie Canning shared.

The uncertainty of stepping out of a long-time corporate identity led her to a profound realization: sometimes, all it takes is someone who believes in you to push you over the edge. “A friend of mine just said why would you go and do that for someone else? You could do your own,” Cherie Canning recalled at 09:08. That simple challenge nudged her out of her comfort zone and into founding Luminate Leadership, leveraging her decades of experience in workshops, facilitation, and coaching.

Building a Business Model – Start Where You Shine

Cherie Canning didn’t follow a textbook approach to building her business. Instead, she began with what she loved and where her experience was deepest: “Facilitating workshops and speaking... I have, I’ve got a decade of running workshops. I know how to create an environment for people in a room. I know the content. I’ve just got to start there,” Cherie Canning explained at 12:08.

By doubling down on her strengths and using her podcast to expand her ecosystem, she organically layered in coaching, consulting, and a strong online and event presence. Her advice for others? Consistency, authenticity, and adding real value, not just popping up when it’s time to sell something (35:05).

Human-Centered Leadership: More Than a Buzzword

Leadership training can sometimes sound like a word salad of “synergies” and “growth mindsets.” But Cherie Canning breaks it down into three crucial elements:

1. Connection Within: Understand your patterns, beliefs, emotional triggers, and how you regulate your responses. Emotional intelligence and self-management come first (19:27).

2. Connection With Others: Bring empathy, curiosity, and compassion. “The nuances of human interaction are really important… How do we give people feedback in a way that is not fluffy, that gives them what they need, but also they feel supported?” (20:12)

3. Connection With Wonder: Tap into awe, gratitude, and perspective to balance the challenges of the world and keep your energy worth catching (21:19).

It all comes down to self-leadership—the inner work that underpins our ability to lead others authentically and sustainably.

The Hardest and Most Crucial Work: Yourself

Success strategies and action steps are important, but as Cherie Canning and I both agree, the toughest battles are often internal. Whether it’s pricing your services (“You are worthy of speaking about pricing about you” 14:50), battling self-doubt, or breaking the cycle of people-pleasing, progress comes from interrogating your own thoughts and beliefs and having the courage to change what isn’t serving you (25:23).

Cherie Canning highlighted the power of compassionate self-awareness. Citing the “two wolves” parable (26:10), she reminds us that the inner critic or the inner supporter—whichever we feed, will grow. Developing healthy self-talk and choosing which voice to amplify affects everything about how we show up.

Sustainable Success: The Balance Between Doing and Being

High performance can be exhilarating—but it also has a cost if not managed carefully. Cherie Canning shared her formula for sustainable success: “What are we achieving on the doing list, but who are we being while we’re achieving that?” (29:05)

She intentionally schedules six-weekly and twelve-weekly breaks to restore energy and stays mindful of both emotional “deposits” and “withdrawals.” It’s all about knowing what truly fills your cup and having the discipline to protect it—whether that means cutting back on coffee, taking more rest, or redefining boundaries.

Building a Personal Brand With Integrity

Personal branding can feel like a performance, but to Cherie Canning, it's about aligning how you want to be seen with how you actually show up: “When, when somebody thinks of me, what would I like them to think of potentially?... Am I actually behaving in this way every single day and giving people the best chance to see that version of you?” (34:09)

Her “aha” moment came during a leadership program when none of the words her peers used to describe her matched what she wanted to embody (34:26). That confrontation with the gap between self-perception and external perception was transformative, inspiring a deliberate and consistent approach moving forward.

Defining Your Own Success

Success looks different for everyone. For Cherie Canning, it’s about ambitious revenue and profit targets—but not at any cost. Sustainable energy, healthy boundaries, and impact are all part of her vision (40:00). As she steps into leading her own conference and expanding her presence, the focus remains on value, community, and being present in the moment.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re already in business or contemplating a courageous leap, the lessons from Cherie Canning are universal:

• Start with your core strengths and values

• Invest in emotional intelligence and self-leadership

• Build connection—with yourself, others, and something bigger

• Define YOUR version of success and design your life accordingly

• Stay consistent and authentic with your personal brand

Our most courageous work will always be on ourselves. Keep showing up, keep serving, and don’t underestimate who’s watching and being inspired by your journey (01:05).