The Pivotal Breakthrough Podcast With Angela Hucles Mangano

Angela’s energetic episode with Dr. Jen Welter continues, and is fueled by love and gratitude as they discuss Jen’s legacy related to girls’ flag football. Jen is a long-time advocate for Gridiron Girls Flag Football, and she has been instrumental in the overall evolution of the sport for young ladies. From a macro-level, Jen sees the ‘flag’ in flag football as the great equalizer for the sportas it removes the barriers created by equipment that may make it cost prohibitive for some. Allow this episode to prompt you to do 3 things: 1) Thank someone who has paved a new path for others, like Jen did for women in football. 2) Regardless of your age or season in life, be intentional about creating a new opportunity for others. The world is awaiting your contribution!3) Find ways to support different sports in your community. All athletes deserve to have someone cheering for them. That someone can be you.

Be sure to check out Jen’s book, Play Big, Lessons in Living Limitless from the First Woman to Coach in the NFL, follow her across social media channels, and get connected to girls’ flag football in your community. Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

Angela recently huddled with Dr. Jen Welter, and the conversation was so rich we are sharing in 2 episodes. Coach Jen Welter is best known as the first female to coach in the NFL as an assistant LBs Coach with The Arizona Cardinals. (However, what most people don’t know, is that Coach Jen broke into men’s professional football as the first female to play running back in men’s pro football.) Following the NFL, Jen became the Head Coach of the First Australian Women's National Team fielded in July 2017; joined the advisory board of the Pro Football HOF's Game for Life Academy, wrote her first book Play Big, Lessons in Living Limitless from the First Woman to Coach in the NFL, and received her PhD in Psychology. Both Angela and Jen have achieved some amazing ‘firsts’ in their careers. Jen’s breakthroughs, though, were impacted by her love for a sport that did not actively create space for women. (Couple that with the fact that Jen is 5’2”!) Jen advises us to take all that we have been told is wrong with us, and make those things what is right with us. We must give ourselves permission to know that we are good, and good enough. Jen also shares some very real and raw thoughts about career heartbreak…a topic we don’t talk about often. A job, an industry, a work-related move…can lead to real heartbreak. Workplace grief is real. Maybe it’s time to talk about career heartbreaks, just as we do heartbreaks in other facets of our lives. And in doing so, we can be more intentional about our healing processes that create the breakthroughs which will enrich our careers.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

This episode feels like we dropped in on a freestyle conversation between long-time friends. Listen as Angela chats with Danielle Slaton, heralded soccer champion….#1 draft pick, Olympicmedalist, Defender of the Year with the Carolina Courage, broadcaster, and Co-Founder/Owner of Bay FC. As the daughter of coaches, Danielle has sports in her blood which is underscored by the pivots in her life that tie right back to the game and her belief that sports drive culture and positive impacts in our communities. Both Danielle and Angela embrace their leadership stature in sports, and they recognize the great responsibilities that come with their positions. This is not just a time to flex; the grind continues as the hold their seats at the table. Danielle and Angela epitomize the journey of professional athletes who have transitioned to transform business and communities off the pitch. Allow their moves to inspire you to create your next breakthroughs.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

Angela snagged this conversation just about to pivot to a new season in her family’s life…going from being a mother of 3 to a mother of 4. Listen as Angela talks with Dr. Kathy Nguyen, a Family & Sports Medicine Physician in Houston and the Chief Medical Officer of the Houston Dash. She's also a Team Physician for the Houston Dynamo, LOVB Houston, and serves on the Executive Medical Advisory Team for the National Women's Soccer League. Kathy approaches patient care as a long-term coaching relationship, as her work runs from professional sidelines to primary care to concussions and return-to-play decisions. Listen as these soccer leaders explore topics related to women athletes, and what they see on the horizon in terms of research and new treatments need for female athletes throughout their lives. Kathy understands that an athlete’s body is her livelihood, which requires a high level of patient/provider trust. She prioritizes creating safe spaces for her athletes, while understanding the cultural differences that may impact the effectiveness of her care. On a personal level, Kathy is learning to pivot towards all that fuels her passion by saying ‘no’ to those things that do not. No time fillers here. Drink your water and stay on purpose! We will be hearing a lot more from Kathy as investments in women athletic medical care continues to grow and evolve.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

According to a report released by SHRM in 2024, 44% of 1,405 U.S. employees felt burn out from work. If you are in that number, tune into Angela’s important conversation with Amanda Phillips, President of Performance at Exos, the global leader in human performance providing coaches who work to unlock the potential in everyone from corporate employees, elite athletes, and military personnel. While we may not all be high performing athletes, the science related to our physical and mental health works the same. Amanda discusses that when our physical stress management load becomes too high, it will manifest as an injury to the body. Likewise, mental stress overload results in burnout. The antidote for burnout is recovery. Recovery cannot be a reward; it should be an integral part of your day. Listen as Amanda describes some recovery tools that we can all tap into fairly easily. Women, you will be happy to know that there is now a concentrated focus on how to optimize our mind/body performance, factoring in our hormonal cycles and changes. We have to create spaces for these conversations, and engage with experts like Amanda who are leading the way with important data that will benefit all of us. We hope that this will be the first of many discussions on this topic.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

Lean into Angela’s high-energy conversation with Lakisha Jackson, Growth & Partnerships Director at Firstline Brands, a Blackowned enterprise specializing in haircare tools and accessories designed for multicultural hair types. Lakisha is a proud graduate of the University of Houston (Go Coogs!), and she recently won the Nerdy Girl Success Women Making an Impact Trailblazer Award for her efforts involving her network & community in raising funds to provide scholarships for girls in the Houston area. Lakisha had always known that marketing and advertising were her passions points. (The 90’s hit TV show, Living Single, with Queen Latifah spoke to her soul!) Lakisha’s journey may be similar to so many others. She started with a clear vision and straight lines to desired objectives….and the pivots came later, at unexpected times. Lakisha’s pivots challenged her to reconstruct her work ethic, and tap into her internal tools to manage anxiety. Though it all, she honed her superpowers of authenticity and kept moving forward; reminding us that if we remain stagnant, the great things intended for us may not reach us. We may not be able to choose when all of our highs and lows will enter our experience, but let’s take a play from Lakisha and channel our inner-Beyonce vibes to help mentally frame our pivots into our net meaningful breakthroughs.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

This is the last in the series of ‘breakthrough’ conversations recorded in the Dash House, a cool summer pop-up space in Houston, Texas. Angela sat down with Joni D. Goodman, Founder & Chief Breakthrough Officer of JDGAdvisors and award-winning author of Rappel, Break Through to a Better You. You know the synergy is going to be on fire for this conversation since the word ‘breakthrough’ is in the title of this podcast, Joni’s job title, and the title of her book! Joni has always been passionate about helping people, and she recently pivoted to channel that energy exclusively into working women leaders, a shift she contributes to her desire to be a model for how women can better support themselves and each other. Joni shares how finding clarity is often a journey…not an instantaneous epiphany that many of us hope for. Joni is an amazing example of where your start may not be indicative of where you end up; but if you exercise self-trust and use discomfort as a growth catalyst, you will land exactly where you are intended to be. Joni has also coined the phrase ‘breakthoughts’ which serve as the fuel needed to power your next breakthrough. Ladies, if your girl power vibe ever starts to wane, Joni is the phone-a-friend that we all need on speed dial!

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

This series of ‘breakthrough’ conversations recorded in the Dash House, a cool summer pop-up space in Houston, Texas, continues as Angela talks culture and women’s leadership with Arquella Hargrove, Chief Culture Officer & Founder of Alchemy Consulting Group which specializes in transforming work cultures, one workplace at a time. Listen as Angela and Arquella exchange keen insights and sage advice about creating winning workplace cultures. Workplace evolution does not happen overnight; transformation takes time and is the sum total of small, intentional acts of change. Arquella shares that creating the culture of any group is the responsibility of everyone. Leaders must be comfortable with expressing vulnerability, and specifically for women leaders, they also need to flex their voices without fear of reprimand. Arquella reminds us that a super power for many women is resiliency. This trait can also lead to a tendency to serve others, and neglect serving ourselves. Arquella implores women leaders to lean into the power of restoration. We cannot pour into others from empty cups.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

This series of ‘breakthrough’ conversations recorded in the Dash House, a cool summer pop-up space in Houston, Texas, continues as Angela has a purposeful conversation with Sherrita Dorsey, a board-certified corporate healthcare executive, global researcher, and author. As Founder & CEO of BrightBloom Strategies, Inc., she partners with healthcare and life sciences organizations to power today’s innovations for tomorrow’s edge, advancing health equity, purpose-driven leadership, and patient-centered commercialization. Sherrita’s life has been full of pivots which often led to her being the first and the only Black woman in many of the work spaces that she occupied, all the while, creating a pathway for others. Not everything went as planned (life never does), but she learned from her missteps and took time to heal when needed. (The practice of healing is underrated.) Servant leadership and empathy are 2 of Sherrita’s superpowers. And while Sherrita was not handed a playbook for success when she was young, she has definitely created one that women of all ages can follow.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

This series of ‘breakthrough’ conversations recorded in the Dash House, a cool summer pop-up space in Houston, Texas, continues as Angela has a heart-to-heart discussion with Rev. Carol Y. Guess, Esq. Carol is the Principal Attorney of the Guess Firm. P.L.L.C and General Counsel for the Guess Group, Inc. Carol also chairs the Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce. (Whew! Where does she get all of her time?) Carol has always had a passion for the law and the arts, which she has been able to intertwine in her professional journey. Carol is most passionate about working in her purpose, paying attention to the details, and doing things right…. with no pressure to be perfect. Carol refers to work as her marketplace ministry; she is always available for her clients and serves them with love. And is what may seem like a contradiction to some, Carol is a reverend who loves old-school hip hop. To paraphrase Eric B.& Rakim, Carol “…ain’t no joke.”

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

This series of “breakthrough” conversations recorded at Dash House, a cool summer pop-up space in Houston, Texas, continues as Angela sits down with Bea Tebao, founder of She Invests.

As a private industry partner with the government, Bea provides micro-purchase and simplified acquisition solutions. She serves as both a prime contractor and subcontractor for local, state, and federal governments, seizing procurement opportunities as a proudly woman-owned business enterprise.

At the heart of this conversation is Bea’s belief that women have to support each other while also betting on themselves every day.

She reminds us that our work should fuel our peace of mind. If your work consistently leaves you feeling drained and joyless, this conversation may be for you.

And it probably comes as no surprise that one of Bea’s superpowers is networking. Her advice? Be more intentional. Don’t just scratch the surface. Allow yourself to be vulnerable, go deeper when establishing relationships, and begin tapping into the true power of your network.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, connect with Angela across social channels, and share your own breakthrough moments that might give someone else the courage to pivot.

Thank you for being here.

The biggest correction I’d definitely make from the original is “women have to support each” → “women have to support each other.” I also like keeping “betting on themselves every day” because that feels like one of the strongest hooks for promoting this episode later.

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It’s not every day that you can spend time with a sports broadcasting legend. Well, Angela punched her ticket recently when she had a chance to connect with Jayne Kennedy, Emmy-winning sports broadcaster, actress, and former Miss Ohio USA. In 1978, Jayne became the first African-American woman anchor of a network TV sports show as co-anchor for The NFL Today on CBS.

Listen as Angela masterfully guides Jayne through reflections on our career journey (Angela has put in the reps for interviewing, so she was ready!), in a way that is real and relatable. Jayne’s appeal and influence spans the generations. Listen to this episode with your mom or dad or son or daughter.

Any woman who is privileged to hold a microphone, lead a board meeting, write a book, or share her voice in any way…owes an act of gratitude to Jayne. She is a pioneer, a way maker, a ceiling buster, whose grace and grit created new career paths for countless women who came after her.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

Calling all sneakerheads! This series of ‘breakthrough’ conversations recorded in the Dash House, a cool summer pop-up space in Houston, Texas, continues as Angela kicks it with Tausha Sanders, Founder & CEO of Her Grails, a Houston-based event and marketing agency dedicated to creating immersive sneaker experiences tailored for women. We learn that Tausha is a self-proclaimed tomboy turned sneaker entrepreneur who helps to curate cultures where sneakers tell a story. One of Tausha’s most powerful pivots came when she learned the importance of owning her brand and surrounding herself with the experts who can advise her. Tausha’s superpowers include her unlimited creative power and her ability to see the details that most people miss. Who knew there were 2 sneakerheads in this conversation?!? Angela decided to flex her Lobster Air Forces Ones for this recording session! If you know, you know…

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

The series of ‘breakthrough’ conversations recorded in the Dash House, a cool summer pop-up space in Houston, Texas, continues as Angela spends time Hope Malveaux, a M&A Strategist who founded Veaux Professional Services which focuses on leading culture transformation for mid-market companies. Hope gives her clients hope…pun fully intended…by empowering leaders to be on the forefront of change in their organizations. As a leader, you play a powerful role in the pivots and breakthroughs that your employees experience. You do this by intentionally creating a culture that is safe and empowering. Hope reminds us that this work starts within the leader. We have to be agile to give change a chance, and surround ourselves with people who complement our strengths. Hope inspires us not to push against the pivot; roll with the changes that will bring about a healthier, happier workplace for everyone.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

This is the first is series of ‘breakthrough’ conversations recorded in the Dash House, a cool summer pop-up space in Houston, Texas. Angela was honored to spend time with Dr. Paula Jackson, Interim Director of Athletics for Texas Southern University (TSU). The conversation between these 2 Houston-based sports leaders is nothing short of powerful. Sports have been an important part of Dr. Jackson’s life since she was a young child. She embraced this connection and created a career journey that most of us cannot imagine. Her impact spans several Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) and an NFL Pro Team. In her current role at TSU, she prioritizes supporting the ‘student’ in the student athletes. Dr. Jackson is also a thought-leader in helping student athletes and parents navigate the NIL terrain. While Dr. Jackson is relatively new to the Houston community, she has given Tigers sports fans continued reasons to cheer on this storied university…which is to be expected from this former college cheerleader.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

In this ‘fun breakthrough’ conversation, Angela has a fun convo with Yvonne Harris, Co-Founder of 21 Media, which proudly produces this podcast. Angela and Yvonne turned on the camera for one of their informal ‘check ins’ where anything and everything goes. We all need those people in our lives who you can just chat with…no formal agendas, no power point presentations, just the sharing of thoughts, ideas, and human connection. What pivots are you making this summer? What breakthroughs are you believing for by the end of 2026? Now is the time to dig in, become clear, and get into alignment. Enlist an accountability partner to help you stay the course. We win as a community, not in isolation.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

In this ‘breakthrough’ conversation, it’s all in the family as Angela shares the mic with her wife, Meg Mangano. Meg fundamentally believes that how we fuel our bodies determines how we show up for all aspects of our lives. So, it is probably no surprise that Meg is a retired registered dietician, a health specialist, and a functional nutritionist who spent more than 15 years at the highest level of sport. She is the Founder of REJOOV, a sports nutrition and functional nutrition private practice and consulting business which specializes in sports dietetics and functional / integrative nutrition. Throughout her life, Meg has become comfortable being the only woman on the court or in the room. At the time that Meg began in sports nutrition, it wasn’t even a defined career field. (Think of all the people who have benefited from the career moves she made!) It became innate to her not to focus on the roads that currently exist; she paved her own. Meg embodies a bold, quiet confidence that understands that once you take the initial step to start something new, to become the waymaker, the resources and people will show up show up right when you need them. Meg’s secret weapon…she remains a student of her craft. She is always digging deeper for current mastery, and is never afraid to evolve and launch that next, new thing.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

In this ‘breakthrough’ conversation, Angela chats it up with Chantell Preston, Healthcare Executive, CEO of Preston Partners, and author of the soon to be released The Success Lie, Reframing Your Reality to Thrive Personally and Professionally, a book which debunks embedded belief systems that reinforce the myth that we have to hustle for our worth. As someone who believes that women sports owners should be the norm and not the exception, Chantell became the Owner & Founder of LOVB San Francisco, a women's professional indoor volleyball league. Chantell candidly shares how she understood her need to pivot when her long-held love for her current career had dissolved. Even though she responded to her inner guidance to re-invent herself, during the pivot Chantell experienced an identity crisis. So many of us become affixed to what we do, not who we are. We are reluctant to remove the self-imposed labels that keep us stuck. Have you considered that your next breakthrough will present itself once you release your current label?

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.

It’s a sizzling hot summer! Angela, like most of the world, is enjoy this FIFA World Cup run. Angela is taking a well-deserved pivot to a little time off. Since the Pivotal Breakthrough first dropped in March, the conversations that Angela and her guests have shared have been eye-opening, informative, and empowering. Thanks to all of the guests who have shared life-affirming lessons; and thanks to our listeners who have given the honor of their time. Icymi…check out this compilation of clips from the episodes to date. If you too are enjoying some summer time fun, catch up on any full episodes you missed, or relisten to ones that really made an impact. Remember to share the podcast with your friends and colleagues. We hope that this summer season brings you many positive breakthroughs.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here. New content is dropping soon.

In this ‘breakthrough’ conversation, Angela spends time with NBA veteran, Moochie Norris who was the 33rd pick in the legendary 1996 NBA Draft. (Check out the ’96 draft class and you will see that Moochie was in great company!) Moochie played for several NBA teams including the Vancouver Grizzlies, Seattle SuperSonics, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Hornets, and New York Knicks (Go NBA Champs!). Moochie is known by his coaches and former teammates as a dedicated, versatile player who absolutely loves the game.

This conversation unfolds like a vibrant tapestry, as we learn how basketball helped Moochie grieve the passing of his beloved mother, and how a high school coach and teacher cared enough for Moochie to help him see new possibilities for his life which propelled him to college, and subsequently the NBA. Moochie admittedly operates through the lens of a shorter-term vision, but he has mastered the art of the pivot. When he is faced with change, Moochie makes informed, efficient decisions. He does not get stuck. He keeps moving. If your tendency is more towards making changes slowly, consider taking a play from Moochie. Even after having a professional basketball career that many dream of, Moochie most enjoys his favorite job, Dad! In this season, this father of 4 enjoys coaching young student athletes and picking up his kiddos in the carpool lane.

Pivots are not detours; they are the breakthroughs needed to expand the path forward. Consume this podcast wherever you get yours, and connect with Angela across social channels. Share your breakthrough moments that may give someone else the courage to pivot. Thank you for being here.