Rejection, Redirection & Radical Honesty: the LEAP Story Continues
When Mariah and Monique first introduced the women's networking group LEAP back in episode 23, it was a fresh idea built on a simple but powerful belief: that crossing networks could create something greater than any one circle alone. What they could not have predicted was how beautifully that story would continue. In this episode, they welcome Krista and Kristine, the two women who took LEAP's torch and are carrying it forward with fresh energy and a shared sense of purpose. The conversation is equal parts origin story, business wisdom, and a genuine love letter to what happens when women show up for each other.
Episode Highlights
How Career Pivots Can Redirect You Toward Your Calling
What Makes Women's Networking Different When It Is Done Right
Why Paying to Be in the Room Actually Matters
How to Make a Referral That Actually Lands
The Role of Radical Honesty in Strong Partnerships
How to Find LEAP and What to Expect When You Attend
How Career Pivots Can Redirect You Toward Your Calling
Both Krista and Kristine arrived at their current paths through unexpected professional transitions, and neither story is short on meaning. Krista lost a retail leadership position post-Covid, a role she had poured her identity into for years, only to be nudged by a financial advisor to consider the very industry she least expected. That conversation led her to become a licensed financial advisor and eventually VP of Retirement Solutions at North Shore Bank of Commerce in Duluth. Kristine's path ran parallel in spirit: after being let go from a company she had invested deeply in, including going back to earn her MBA, she launched Reinvent Your Hustle, built a national women's mastermind, hosted retreats, and later transitioned into real estate. For both women, what looked like a closed door opened into something far more aligned with who they actually are.
What Makes Women's Networking Different When It Is Done Right
A recurring theme in this episode is the difference between networking the way it has traditionally been done and networking in a way that actually fits how women connect. The hosts and guests all push back on the business-card-passing, competitive, transactional model that dominates many professional spaces. LEAP is designed around something different: a moveable format that rotates venues across Duluth, a curated sensory experience, and a structure that moves from community building into a signature "ask" segment at the end of each gathering. As Kristine puts it, you are one conversation away from your next opportunity, but you have to put yourself in the room first.
Why Paying to Be in the Room Actually Matters
One of the more candid moments in the episode comes when Kristine and Krista talk openly about the financial model behind LEAP. The annual membership is $347, individual events are $45, and the majority of that money flows back into the events themselves, with 10% going to charitable giving. Their point is not about the dollar amount but about the psychology of investment: when you pay to be somewhere, you show up. That skin-in-the-game principle is what keeps LEAP's membership engaged rather than a revolving door of faces who never return. The hosts also reflect on the original group's journey from founding to successfully selling the business, noting that abundance shows up in more ways than a revenue line.
How to Make a Referral That Actually Lands
Kristine walks through one of LEAP's most practical teaching moments: a step-by-step framework for making referrals that follow through. The process starts with understanding what someone needs and ends with a warm introduction that borrows your personal trust and bridges the gap between two strangers. Key steps include asking how the person prefers to be contacted, finding a genuine point of similarity to anchor the introduction, and following up within 24 hours before life gets in the way. The insight that every woman is already in sales, whether she knows it or not, reframes the discomfort many women feel around asking or advocating as something that just needs a clearer blueprint.
The Role of Radical Honesty in Strong Partnerships
What makes the Krista and Kristine partnership work, by their own description, is a mutual commitment to saying the hard thing with care. They did not come into this as lifelong best friends, which paradoxically gave them the freedom to be honest with each other from the start. Mariah connects this to what she calls "radical honesty," the practice of leading with truth while protecting the intention behind it. The conversation touches on how women are often socialized to manage other people's emotions at the expense of clear communication, and how releasing that habit, with the right partner, can become a genuine superpower in both business and friendship.
How to Find LEAP and What to Expect When You Attend
LEAP, which stands for Leaders, Entrepreneurs and Professionals, hosts approximately eight events per year in rotating Duluth-area venues. Upcoming events include a gathering at Salida's Mansion, courtesy of Heirloom Properties. The next event in May 2026 is free for first-time attendees, and the annual membership runs $347 for those who decide to commit. Each event blends open networking, a facilitated topic or speaker, small group reflection, and the signature ask segment. You can find current event details at leapduluth.com, and first-timers are encouraged to bring a friend or simply show up solo, because the format is designed to make you feel welcome either way.
All Heart & Soul's Details:
Website: www.heartandsoulmastermind.com
Join the mastermind program: www.heartandsoulmastermind.com/heartsoul
Say hi to Mariah on Instagram: @mariahmckechnie
Say hi to Monique on Instagram: @moniqueforcier
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