Brené Brown Instagram – When I crossed paths with @janiceomadeke earlier this year at Capital Factory—an accelerator and incubator firm in Austin—I knew in a split second that I wanted her to be a guest on “Dare to Lead.” And, as you’ll hear Janice say in the episode that dropped today, those moments when we listen to our bodies and intuition can be the moments that change our lives. A quick word about Janice: She grew up in the D.C. area, the proud daughter of immigrants, and found her love of graphic design, coding, and problem-solving fairly early in life (h/t to her dad, the Backstreet Boys, and a copy of “HTML for Dummies”). She pursued those passions through her studies and into her early career in corporate America. But, in true entrepreneurial/start-up spirit, she soon got sparked by a facet of workplace culture in need of improvement: mentoring. I’m skimming over many years of hard work and smart decision-making here, but eventually Janice founded and grew The Mentor Method, a sort of eHarmony-like platform that smartly pairs mentors and mentees in ways that help companies develop their talent pools and increase employee engagement. Earlier this year, The Mentor Method was acquired by The Cru, a Black women–led national women’s training organization, making Janice, now an Austin resident, the first Black woman in the city’s history to pull off a venture-backed tech exit. Janice’s combo of intellect and humility—understanding what we do well, where we need to grow, and being unafraid to ask for help along the way—is deeply inspiring. And since I’ve given a shout-out to Janice’s dad here, I’d be remiss not to mention her mom as well. Janice credits her as the muse of The Mentor Method. This is a story about work, determination, and love. I hope you’ll check out today’s #DaretoLead at the link in bio. It’s a masterclass on walking through this world with an immense amount of grace and courage.