Authentic Leadership Through Inner Work w/ Carrie Freeman

Authentic leadership through inner work is more than a practice, it’s the key to unlocking your full potential and creating lasting impact as a leader. In this powerful episode of Reflect Forward, I sit down with Carrie Freeman, CEO and General Manager of Vara Winery and Distillery, who shares how embracing vulnerability, intuition, and self-awareness has completely transformed her leadership style and elevated her success. Carrie’s extraordinary journey from global innovation executive to winery CEO illustrates how leading from the inside out creates deeper connections, stronger teams, and greater fulfillment. Carrie has a fascinating background, transitioning from her role as co-CEO of SecondMuse, a global innovation company that collaborated with organizations such as NASA, the White House, and the World Bank, to now running a thriving winery and distillery. We discuss the realities of operating a winery, examining how Carrie’s leadership skills enabled her to enter an industry where she initially lacked expertise—and why being an outsider can sometimes provide the fresh perspective a business needs most. Throughout our conversation, Carrie highlights the misconception that humans are purely rational decision-makers. She emphasizes that relying exclusively on logic can limit our ability to lead effectively. By tapping into intuition, emotion, and inner wisdom, leaders can gain deeper insights, make better decisions, and build stronger relationships. Mic Drop Moment: • “Expertise is valuable, but curiosity is a superpower. When you admit you don't know everything, you unlock your team's full potential.” • “Sometimes there isn’t a problem to solve. True leadership is knowing when to step back and let things unfold.” What You'll Learn in This Episode: • Why Expertise Isn’t Everything • Inner Work as the Foundation for Outer Success • Balancing Masculine and Feminine Energy • Vulnerability as a Strength Key Takeaways: 1. Be Curious, Not Just Expert: Embrace curiosity and humility; empowering your team can often yield better solutions than claiming expertise. 2. Listen to Your Intuition: Great leaders trust their gut and heart as much as their intellect; purely rational decisions often miss deeper insights. 3. Integrate, Don’t Balance: Leadership is not about perfect balance but about discerning when to engage action-oriented or intuitive energies effectively. 4. Lead with Vulnerability: Authenticity and vulnerability build deeper trust, stronger relationships, and a healthier organizational culture. 5. Recognize There Isn’t Always a Problem to Solve: Resist the urge to fix everything; sometimes stepping back and allowing situations to naturally evolve is the best course of action. About Carrie Freeman: Carrie Freeman is the CEO and General Manager of Vara Winery and Distillery in Albuquerque, NM, and previously served as co-CEO of SecondMuse, a global innovation consultancy. Passionate about authentic leadership, innovation, and sustainability, Carrie guides leaders and businesses toward deeper success by emphasizing self-awareness, purpose, and authenticity. Connect with Carrie Freeman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-freeman/ Learn more about Vara Winery and Distillery or order their award-winning wines at www.varawines.com Connect with Kerry Don’t forget to subscribe to Reflect Forward on your favorite podcast platform or YouTube. Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok! Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/