Artwork for podcast and then I did this
What If You Finally Became Who You Were Meant to Be?
Episode 42 • 17th August 2026 • and then I did this • LuRae Lumpkin
00:00:00 00:32:54

Share Episode

Shownotes

What happens when the life that looks successful no longer feels like your own? Award-winning speaker, author, leadership coach, and mental health advocate Erica Gifford Mills joins LuRae Lumpkin to talk about the courage it takes to stop performing, listen to the purpose that keeps calling, and build a life rooted in who you truly are.

Erica shares how personal loss clarified her mission, why she stopped waiting to feel fearless, and how failure can become a teacher instead of a verdict. She and LuRae explore visibility, self worth, boundaries, reinvention, and the quiet ways people hold themselves back because they are afraid of being judged.

Erica also shares the story behind the International Women Speakers Summit and her commitment to creating spaces where women feel seen, heard, supported, and empowered.

If you're standing at a crossroads and wondering whether it's too late to change direction, this conversation is a reminder that you don't need the entire roadmap. You only need the courage to take the first step.

Chapters:

  • (00:00:00) Welcome and Erica’s journey to rooted leadership
  • (00:04:20) The question that exposed a deeper calling
  • (00:07:00) Why purpose keeps calling until you answer
  • (00:10:45) Confidence, self-worth, and learning to set boundaries
  • (00:14:00) Visibility, authenticity, and claiming your seat at the table
  • (00:18:15) Creating the International Women Speakers Summit
  • (00:21:25) What becomes possible when you stop shrinking
  • (00:25:00) How journaling unexpectedly led to becoming an author
  • (00:27:00) Recognition, impact, and opportunities that find you
  • (00:30:20) Erica’s advice for anyone who feels stuck

Links and Resources:

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to and then i did this? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

Follow

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube