Leadership Tea Podcast
Hosted by Leadership Tea
Two senior diplomats-turned-coaches host candid conversations with leaders and each other about navigating career pivots and personal crises.
A mix of intimate coaching sessions and guest interviews where two former senior diplomats explore the messy reality of leadership. One week, the hosts coach each other through a real-time career crisis like a layoff; the next, they interview a fellow leader about managing a personal tragedy. The show consistently links high-stakes professional skills with intensely personal challenges, framing leadership as an act of resilience.
“The show's defining feature is the hosts' own vulnerability; one co-host was laid off from her 27-year government career and is coached by the other on-air. This real-time processing, combined with their shared background as Black women in the Senior Foreign Service, gives their advice an uncommon depth and credibility.”
Who hosts this show
Leadership Tea is hosted by Belinda Jackson Farrier and Shelby Smith-Wilson, who bring decades of combined experience as senior U.S. diplomats and crisis response leaders. Having served in roles across the State Department and the White House Situation Room, they now work as executive coaches and consultants. One host, Shelby, was recently laid off after a long government career, a topic the show explores with unusual transparency.
Credentials & credits
- Belinda Jackson Farrier: Fmr. Senior Foreign Service, Fmr. Director at YouTube (Trust & Safety), M.A. International Relations (Syracuse), B.A. Political Science (Spelman).
- Shelby Smith-Wilson: Fmr. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Narcotics & Law Enforcement.
- Shelby Smith-Wilson: M.S. National Security Strategy (National War College), M.A. International Affairs (George Washington University), B.A. Political Science & Spanish (Duke).
- Belinda Jackson Farrier: Founder, Sweetgrass Advisory Group, LLC (Executive Coaching).
- Shelby Smith-Wilson: Founder, The Fendall Collaborative (Executive Coaching).
- Co-Founders of Grounded and Global, an advisory firm for international crisis preparedness.
Other ventures
- Grounded and Global (crisis preparedness advisory).
- Sweetgrass Advisory Group, LLC (Belinda's coaching firm).
- The Fendall Collaborative (Shelby's coaching firm).
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02Diplomat's Kid. Soccer Grounded Him.Jun 25, 2026 · 38s
- 03The Inner Saboteur That Tries to Wreck You After a LayoffJun 23, 2026 · 38s
- 04600,000 Black Women Sidelined, Or Lost Jobs. You're Not Alone.Jun 20, 2026 · 40s
- 05Losing My Job Felt Like Watching My Own FuneralJun 17, 2026 · 33s
- 06When the Career You Loved Ends: Rebuilding After a LayoffJun 17, 2026 · 27 min
- 07She Was Leading Teams Globally. Then She Became Her Father's Caregiver.Jun 3, 2026 · 42 min
- 08Brewing Purpose: Building a Life-Giving Space from the Ground UpMay 27, 2026 · 29 min
Notable episodes
- 01When the Career You Loved Ends: Rebuilding After a Layoff
In a uniquely transparent episode, co-host Belinda coaches co-host Shelby through the immediate aftermath of her own layoff after 27 years in public service.
- 02She Was Leading Teams Globally. Then She Became Her Father's Caregiver.
This episode with guest Brittany Carroll is a prime example of the show's core theme: applying executive leadership skills to a profound personal crisis.
- 03Brewing Purpose: Building a Life-Giving Space from the Ground Up
Featuring entrepreneur Kahana Samms, this interview highlights the show's focus on career pivots prompted by disillusionment with traditional career stability.
What you'll be asked on this show
The show is not strictly an interview format; it often features a co-host coaching dynamic. When guests are featured, the hosts provide a warm, detailed introduction that frames the guest's story with empathy. Their questions are open-ended and build on the guest's narrative, guiding them to connect personal experiences (like becoming a caregiver or starting a business) to universal leadership principles. They create a comfortable, reflective space rather than a confrontational one, often sharing their own related experiences to build rapport.
The show alternates between co-host discussions and guest interviews, framed by tea-related metaphors like "sipping wisdom." The hosts, both professional coaches, create a relaxed, conversational atmosphere. One notable format is a live coaching session where Belinda guides Shelby through her recent job loss, modeling the show's core themes of resilience and support.
Questions Leadership Tea keeps coming back to
11 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Leadership Tea reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“Can you tell us about yourself and what led you to this point?”
This is a standard opening, used to establish the guest's origin story and the inciting incident for their journey.
personal
3- Q.01
“What did the moment [X] happened clarify for you?”
Used to pinpoint the specific catalyst—like a government furlough or a family crisis—that forced a major life or career change.
- Q.02
“What did it feel like when you realized the full scope of the crisis you were facing?”
This question probes the emotional reality of a crisis, moving beyond the practical details.
- Q.03
“What has been the most rewarding part, and what cost more than you anticipated?”
A signature closing question that seeks a balanced reflection on the highs and lows of the guest's journey.
process
3- Q.01
“How does your background in [a past career] shape how you run [your new venture]?”
The hosts frequently use this to bridge a guest's past and present, surfacing transferable skills.
- Q.02
“How have you had difficult conversations with [family/colleagues]?”
Asks for tactical advice on communication, a core theme of the show.
- Q.03
“What feels within your control right now?”
A coaching question used to shift the focus from overwhelming circumstances to personal agency.
mindset
1- Q.01
“How has this journey changed your definition of leadership?”
A reflective question asked later in the conversation to surface evolved perspectives.
advice
3- Q.01
“What are the biggest systemic failures you've seen and what needs to change?”
This elevates a personal story to a call for broader, systemic change, often asked of guests who've navigated bureaucracy.
- Q.02
“What advice would you give to someone just entering this space?”
The hosts' go-to question for extracting actionable advice for the audience.
- Q.03
“What would you tell someone who is sitting on a dream and hasn't moved on it yet?”
A final, motivational question aimed at inspiring listeners to take action.
Signature segments
- · Tagline: 'Sipping Wisdom & Stirring Success'
- · Tea and coffee metaphors ('grab your cup')
- · Co-host coaching sessions
- · Focus on 'the only' at the table
- · Stories of career pivots from government to private sector
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are often women with backgrounds in diplomacy, government, or entrepreneurship who have a compelling story of career pivots or navigating a major crisis. The show books storytellers who can connect their personal journey to broader leadership lessons.
- Brittany Carrollon She Was Leading Teams Globally. Then She Became Her Father's Caregiver.
- Kahana Sammson Brewing Purpose: Building a Life-Giving Space from the Ground Up
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is sponsored by the State Department Federal Credit Union (SDFCU), indicating a target audience of current and former U.S. government employees, particularly those in or adjacent to the Foreign Service.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Leadership Tea
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People also ask
- What are the hosts' real names?
- The hosts are Belinda Jackson Farrier and Shelby Smith-Wilson.
- What are the hosts' backgrounds?
- Both are former senior U.S. diplomats with decades of experience in the State Department, crisis management, and the White House Situation Room. They are now executive coaches.
- What is the format of the show?
- It's a mix. Some episodes are interviews with guests, while others are intimate coaching conversations between the two hosts about their own professional challenges.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, based on recent episode dates, the podcast is active and releases episodes weekly or bi-weekly.
- How can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube and Apple Podcasts.
- What is 'Grounded and Global'?
- 'Grounded and Global' is the advisory firm founded by the hosts, which provides training and support for organizations on international crisis preparedness.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]About Shelby and Belinda - Leadership Tea Podcastleadershiptiapodcast.com
- [02]Shelby Smith-Wilson - United States Department of Statestate.gov
- [03]Belinda Jackson Farrier - Five Talents Board Memberfivetalents.org
- [04]About Us - Sweetgrass Advisory Groupsweetgrassadvisorygroup.com
- [05]FemmeFactor Expert | Shelby Wilson Smithfemmefactor.co
- [06]Leadership Tea - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [07]Leadership Tea Podcast - YouTubeyoutube.com
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