Success Without Soul vs. Sovereign Leadership with Rebecca LaBoriel

Please enjoy this transcript of the Crown Yourself Podcast, with disability systems expert, Rebecca LaBoriel [@RebeccaLaBoriel] and, your host, transformational story coach, Kimberly Spencer (@Kimberly.Spencer)

Rebecca LaBoriel is a client coach and independent facilitator with over 30 years of experience in the disability services field. With a background in psychology and counseling, she specializes in helping individuals and families navigate complex systems with clarity, dignity, and a strong focus on autonomy, choice, and self-determination.

Connect with Rebecca LaBoriel.

Website: https://newabilities.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/rebeccalaboriel

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/rebeccalaboriel

What if the most powerful leaders aren’t the loudest—but the ones quietly reshaping systems from the inside out?

In this deeply human and transformational conversation, we sit down with disability systems expert Rebecca Laboriel—who has spent over 30 years navigating institutions that were never designed for dignity—and ask the real question: how do you lead with integrity in a world that often rewards the opposite?

This episode isn’t just about advocacy. It’s about sovereign leadership—the kind that requires you to trust yourself before the results make sense. Rebecca shares her journey from social services to entrepreneurship, revealing how she built a thriving business rooted in relationships, self-trust, and unapologetic value.

We explore the tension so many conscious leaders face:
👉 Being of service… without self-sacrifice
👉 Leading with heart… while charging your worth
👉 Building impact… without burning out

Through raw storytelling and powerful insights, you’ll learn how to stop overthinking, take aligned action, and create ripple effects that extend far beyond your business.

Because true leadership isn’t just about scaling revenue—
It’s about transforming systems, reclaiming your power, and building a legacy rooted in truth.

If you’re ready to lead differently in the age of AI, conscious business, and soul-led growth—this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.

*Transcripts may contain typos. We do our best to catch any human or robot errors prior to release. And we thank you in advance for your understanding. Enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or your favorite podcast platform. And, you can always watch the episode on YouTube here.

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Crown Yourself LLC and Kimberly Spencer own the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of the Crown Yourself podcast, with all rights reserved, as well as outright publicity.

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We good? Great. Let's get to the goods.

👑 How to Lead with Integrity in Broken Systems: A Conversation on Sovereign Leadership

[00:00] What Does Sovereign Leadership Look Like Inside Complex Systems?

Kimberly Spencer (host):
What does it mean to advocate for dignity in systems that weren't always designed with dignity in mind?

When we talk about leadership, we often talk about vision and innovation and disruption. But sometimes the most powerful leadership happens quietly inside the complex systems that shape people's everyday lives.

If you have ever tried to navigate a system that feels confusing, rigid, impersonal—or if you've ever wondered how real change actually happens inside of massive institutions—this conversation is going to resonate so deeply.

The question we're exploring in this episode is:
How do we transform systems that were never designed for autonomy into systems that empower people to live with choice, dignity, and self-determination?

Because when leaders understand how systems work—and how to ethically reshape them—we create ripple effects that extend far beyond our businesses.

[03:54] Relationships Over Revenue: The Foundation of Sovereign Leadership

Kimberly Spencer (host):
There is so much power in the connections and relationships—and prioritizing that over financial gain.

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
Absolutely. I was thinking about this podcast and what I wanted my message to be, and definitely number one is the relationships that I have and that I get to form with people.

It's not just at the state level. It's families. It's self-advocates.

Being genuine… letting people know that I'm just really blessed that they have chosen me to be a part of their lives.

A lot of times we're discussing intimate details of their lives—and they don’t have to share that with me. They choose to trust me.

And if people don’t trust you, they’re not going to build with you.

[06:19] From Employee to Entrepreneur: Trusting Yourself Before You're Ready

Kimberly Spencer (host):
You built so much trust over 30 years—and then transitioned into entrepreneurship.

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
I wake up most mornings pretty overwhelmed that I said yes to myself.

If I could go back a year ago, I wouldn’t have believed this version of me.

I finally just got real with myself. I asked: What do I need?

And the answer was: I needed to trust myself.

So I got a therapist. I started doing the work. And that opened everything.

Within that year, I joined Crown Yourself, started coaching, and things started happening really quickly.

I had no idea what it would take to start a business. I didn’t take out loans. We just figured it out.

And I’m still in awe that I have something people need—and that motivates me every day.

[12:34] Self-Trust Is the Real Growth Strategy

Kimberly Spencer (host):
That trust is such a massive piece—and it happens at every level.

You don’t know what you don’t know, especially in the beginning.

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
Exactly. People spiral into over-researching.

But you have to trust yourself enough to take action.

Sovereign Leadership Insight:

Sovereign leaders don’t wait for certainty.
They build trust through movement.

[15:00] Women, Money & Charging Your Worth Without Guilt

Kimberly Spencer (host):
There’s a line between being generous and undervaluing yourself—especially for women.

How do you navigate that?

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
That’s something I’m still working on.

But what helped me was realizing my worth.

When I calculated my experience—it came out to millions in value.

And when I started charging what I was worth?

People didn’t hesitate.

That taught me something powerful:
It wasn’t them—it was me needing to believe it first.

[21:10] Leading with Empathy in High-Emotion Environments

Kimberly Spencer (host):
You work with people in emotional states—fear, anxiety, confusion.

How do you build trust in that?

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
I meet them where they are.

I always say: I’m just a guide on your journey.

I remind them—we’ll figure it out together.

It’s a partnership.

And that changes everything.

[24:25] Scaling a Business Through Relationships, Not Algorithms

Kimberly Spencer (host):
You scaled incredibly fast—and it wasn’t from funnels.

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
It was relationships.

Kimberly Spencer (host):
Exactly. So many people focus on “me” in marketing.

But real business growth comes from “we.”

Sovereign Leadership Insight:

Revenue follows trust.
Trust is built through relationships.

[30:58] Rewriting Conditioning & Becoming an Authentic Leader

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
We have to do the work to shift the beliefs we were raised with.

I remember someone saying all I needed was a husband to take care of me.

And I said—no, that’s not my path.

I’ve always been me.

[32:25] Making Hard Leadership Decisions with Integrity

Kimberly Spencer (host):
You’ve made tough calls to stay aligned with your values.

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
Yes—and it wasn’t easy.

But those difficult situations shaped who I am today.

Looking back, they were necessary.

[36:00] Bridge Jobs, Burnout & Building Sustainable Success

Kimberly Spencer (host):
There’s no shame in having a bridge job.

It actually reduces desperation.

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
Exactly. I’ve been balancing both—and it’s exhausting.

But I’m building something.

[41:33] High Performance Without Burnout

Kimberly Spencer (host):
Growth happens in cycles—push and rest.

If you don’t rest, you burn out.

[44:01] Manifestation, Faith & Real Results

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
One of my goals was simple:

I just wanted to take my family to Disneyland without worrying about money.

And now—we’re doing it.

I didn’t even realize I had manifested it.

Sovereign Leadership Insight:

Sovereignty is trusting your vision before you see proof.

[51:55] Transforming Systems Through Conscious Leadership

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
If we had more authentic leadership, systems would change.

People are afraid to be themselves.

But when you lead authentically—you either align with people or you don’t.

And that’s okay.

[54:52] Creating Your Own Lane

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
When systems don’t align, you create your own.

That’s what I did.

⚡ Rapid Fire Q&A

• Favorite Character:
  Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers — authentic, humorous, real
• Dream Perspective:
  A female leader in historical aristocracy—understanding power and constraints
• Money Ritual:
  Checking business and personal accounts regularly; recently hired a bookkeeper
• Queendom Definition:
  Being on the journey—like a leaf flowing in a river
• What It Means to Crown Yourself:
  Believing, trusting, and being your authentic self—even when the crown isn’t perfectly straight

[01:04:47] Final Takeaways on Sovereign Leadership

Kimberly Spencer (host):
Leadership isn’t just about building a business.

It’s about building systems and communities that reflect your highest values.

Rebecca LaBoriel (guest):
Trust yourself. Be authentic. And lead from who you truly are.

👑 Closing Reflection

Sovereign leadership isn’t about control.

It’s about alignment.
It’s about trust.
It’s about choosing yourself—before the results validate you.

The Crown Yourself Podcast is a fast-growing self-improvement podcast, ranked in the top #200 personal-development podcasts in two countries, so far,  out of 4.5 million podcasts. Each week, you get the conscious leadership strategies you need to help you reign with courage, clarity, and confidence so that you too can make the income and impact you deserve. Imagine this podcast as your royal invitation to step into your full potential and reign in your divine purpose. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.