Leadership Power of Putting Yourself First with Kathy Sullivan

In this episode of The BOLT Podcast, Todd sits down with Kathy Sullivan—organizational development consultant, executive coach, and author of Moms Eat First—for a powerful conversation on leadership, emotional intelligence, and the human side of change. Kathy shares how her personal journey, professional experience, and hard-won lessons shaped her approach to sustainable growth, both at work and at home. Together, Todd and Kathy explore why real change is not about pushing harder, but about slowing down, reflecting honestly, and creating the space to lead with greater clarity, intention, and resilience.

From organizational transformation to personal well-being, this episode unpacks the systems, mindset shifts, and leadership behaviors that help change actually stick. Kathy introduces her five RE principles—Reflect, Rediscover, Reset, Reclaim, and Release—and explains how they can help anyone navigate disruption without losing themselves in the process.

Topics Discussed

Why sustainable change starts with putting your own oxygen mask on first
The leadership cost of burnout, overwhelm, and operating in fight-or-flight
Why organizations need a people plan, not just a technical change plan
How emotional intelligence helps leaders turn pressure into presence
The role of self-awareness, reflection, and honest feedback in growth
Why change fatigue is real—and how leaders can create space for dialogue
How manager mindset and leadership buy-in ripple through teams
Kathy’s five RE principles for creating and sustaining meaningful change
Reflection as a daily and weekly practice for clarity and better decisions
How to rediscover possibilities when you feel stuck in constraints
Resetting priorities and getting clear on what truly matters
Reclaiming your goals in the face of outside influences and resistance
Releasing control, comparison, and outdated expectations
The importance of boundaries, accountability, and supportive community
Why buy-in beats compliance when leading lasting change
How negotiation skills help in difficult conversations and major life decisions
Resilience as an iterative process—not a straight line or a perfect plan

Kathy Sullivan Bio

Kathy is the Principal and Owner of Talent Principles LLC. She is an organizational development consultant and executive coach, helping clients improve organizational performance by providing development solutions at the individual, team, and organizational levels. She provides strategic guidance, driving positive change through people and processes to improve performance. Kathy works with leaders at all levels and utilizes an effective coaching framework to facilitate the creation of actionable goals that build leadership capabilities, leverage motivations for change, and improve results. Her personable approach allows her to establish trust quickly with clients. She takes time to understand her client’s culture and strategic objectives and aligns development goals with desired outcomes.