June

Recently, I sat down with branding maven Liz Hunt (creator of The Creative Index) during an Outliers Edge roundtable. We cut straight to the truth about leading creative teams and why so much common advice whiffs it entirely.

Creative Teams Are Wildly Misunderstood

Too many leaders treat “managing creatives” like a plug-and-play process. It isn’t. As Liz put it:
“Every type of creative needs their own type of manager.”
And honestly? You could practically hear the collective head-nods.

When Leadership Misses the Mark, Everyone Pays

We traded painful stories of burnout, bad management, and talent pushed out the door. Liz even launched her own agency after enduring one of those “this can’t be real life” seasons. Toxic cultures don’t just drain people; they damage confidence and derail innovation.

The good news is that it’s preventable.

The Archetypes: A Map for Creative Leadership

Over 14 years, Liz identified nine creative archetypes, her survival manual for navigating the chaos.

One standout: Visionaries. Always between worlds, too creative for the business crowd, too structured for the pure artists. Visionaries conduct the orchestra; they don’t play first chair.

Their power move? Pairing up with a Strategist, the process-and-systems partner who turns lofty ideas into actual outcomes.

What Great Creative Leadership Actually Looks Like

Want a team that sticks around because they’re energized, not stuck? It comes down to:

• Know Your People: Not as “resources” as humans.
• Lead With Purpose: Show them where their work lands and why it matters.
• Practice Real Empathy: The kind that sees the human behind the history.
• Iterate Naturally: Launch, learn, adjust, repeat.
• Empower the Right Partnerships: Visionaries spark; Strategists structure. Let them do what they do best.

Redefining Creative Culture—Human First

Liz built her agency around one simple idea:
“Treat people like humans, not cattle.”
Wild concept, right? And yet, it worked. Retention climbed. Honesty showed up. The work got bolder.

Imagine if more leaders made that their actual strategy.

What’s Next: “The Creative Index”

Liz’s upcoming book digs into those nine archetypes and the hard-earned lessons behind them. It’s not just a framework, it’s a movement for visionaries, strategists, and every delightful misfit in the room.

Questions worth sitting with:

• Who’s at your table?
• Which archetypes thrive in your culture and which ones need space you haven’t created yet?

If you’re asking these questions, you’re already on the right path. Lead with heart. Listen deeper. And remember: the creative edge belongs to all of us.

Drop a comment: Which archetype do you wish your leader understood better?

Journey On,
Niiamah

#CreativeLeadership #TeamCulture #OutliersEdge

“You’ve got one life. It should be a life that you feel passionate about.” – Brittni Cosgrove

Join Niiamah (@niiamahashong) and Brittni Cosgrove as they unlock the secrets to being an outlier in life and business. Discover how real change happens, why unique voices matter, and how to build your engine for impact. Learn actionable steps for leadership, passion, and connection. Don’t fit in, stand out!

Timestamps:

1:00 – Outliers Edge vision explained

2:30 – Brittany’s coaching style revealed

3:30 – Live learnings and transformations shared

6:00 – Why outliers change the world

10:30- Authentic leadership essentials discussed

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Have you ever wondered what really separates extraordinary leaders and entrepreneurs from the rest?

I’ve been on my own journey to answer that, and my conversation with Dana Theus and Shirley Engelmeier (two unstoppable forces in leadership and inclusion) knocked me sideways with insight.

There’s a through-line in courageous leadership that’s rarely discussed, and it isn’t about inspiration, charisma, or mastering some secret “success formula.”

It’s about patterns.

Let’s dig into the patterns that transform not just your results but your experience of being a leader who is unapologetically YOU.

It’s Never the One Big Move (It’s the Habit You Build)

When most people talk about courage, they picture that one bold moment: The CEO who speaks up, or the founder who bets it all.

But as Dana put it:
“It’s not any single act of courage. It’s about the PATTERN of courage over time.”

That lands, right? The leaders making the greatest, most lasting difference aren’t just out here swinging for the fences one time; they’re consistently choosing courage.

Here’s what I’m seeing (and maybe you’ll find yourself in this list too):

• The founder who sends the pitch email despite the fear of rejection.
• The coach who raises rates (clients be damned).
• The creator who launches the program before it’s “ready.”

Every time, the choice is just another line added to the pattern of who you’re becoming.

“Courage isn’t a one-time act, it’s a pattern you build, every single day.”

What might change for you if you focused on building a streak of small, courageous choices, instead of waiting for that mythical ‘big’ one?

What Game Are You Playing, Really?

Another gem that came out of our roundtable:
How many of us are playing by rules we didn’t write, in games we never even chose?

Before Outlier’s Edge, I was part of the “3% club”, one of a handful of Black males in consulting firms coast to coast.

Here’s the kicker:
I didn’t leave that game because I couldn’t win. I left because even winning wouldn’t have delivered what I actually wanted.

Are you pouring everything into winning someone else’s game?

I see it with clients all the time:

• The consultant “crushing it” by everyone else’s standards, but exhausted by a model that isn’t their own.
• The exec with the title, but no joy.
• The agency owner growing revenue, but dying inside.

Maybe the question isn’t how do I win…but am I playing the right game for me in the first place?

“The most extraordinary outliers I know aren’t just good at playing the game they’ve chosen to play a different game entirely.”

So what about you? What game are you ACTUALLY playing? And does it fit who you are when no one else is watching?

Breaking Down Courage, Because “Be Brave” is Terrible Advice

Shirley spoke some serious truth:

“Courage can be a really fluffy adjective. Leaders are terrified right now. But…if you break it down into observable steps, courage will be the result.”

How much time (and wasted energy) do we lose telling ourselves to “be courageous”, without a single clue how?

It’s like telling somebody to “be successful.” Uh…how?

Let’s make it actionable:

1. Pinpoint exactly what feels risky.
2. Map out the smallest steps possible toward it.
3. Focus on the very next step, not the full mile.

When you systematize courage, it stops being a mystical quality and starts being something you can practice, repeat, and get better at.

“What if courage isn’t something you need to find, but something that emerges naturally when you have the right roadmap?”

If you’re stuck in “waiting mode,” shift your focus to building the system that makes courage inevitable.

The Hidden Question: What Feeds Your Soul?

Here’s a question that flipped Shirley’s entire business:
“What am I passionate about that I can pour into?”

(Ever asked yourself that lately?)

Because here’s what I noticed in my own journey: The projects that feed my soul are the same ones that create the deepest impact for others.

But nobody asks us, “What would your business look like if you built it around what really lights you up?” Instead, it’s “What will sell?” followed by “How much?”

What if you dared to ask the first question for once?

“What feeds my soul that I can pour into the world?”

This is the real path to alignment—and the sustainable business that actually means something.

The Invisible Advantage: Be Yourself, Fully

Maybe the deepest insight from this conversation is this:

Dana said,

“When you just show up and be who you are, something invisible gets created between other people who are doing the same thing.”

I watched this unfold live. The moment we dropped the performing and leaned into authenticity, everything changed. That’s when the wisdom, energy, and real connection happened.

High-performing entrepreneurs and leaders get this:
Their edge doesn’t come from copying the market. Their breakthrough comes from finally, unapologetically leveraging their own quirks and strengths.

Where might you be diluting yourself? What might happen if you stopped hiding—and leaned all the way in?

“Model the future in the present—authentic action inspires real impact.”

Bringing It All Together

Patterns. Games. Soul. Authenticity.
This is the intersection where real impact gets made.

• You don’t need to wait for courage. Build a pattern of it.
• You don’t have to master the rulebook. Ask, is this my game?
• You don’t have to chase someone else’s definition of success. Ask, what feeds my soul?
• You don’t have to hide. Your difference is your advantage.

If you’re feeling the tension between where you are and where you feel called to be…
If you know it’s time to design your OWN rules, create a system for authentic courage, and align your work with what energizes you most—

Now’s the moment.

Journey On,
Niiamah

P.S. – If you want to dig further into your pattern of courage, your hidden strengths, or your next business game, this is the space for it. Reply below or reach out for one of my open Strategy Roadmap Sessions. Let’s design the courageous, fulfilling, authentic game you’re meant to play.

What came up for you reading this? Where are you noticing a ‘pattern of courage’ (or the lack of it) in your journey right now? Drop your thoughts below, I read every one.

Own your next level inside Outlier’s Edge (free): https://skool.com/outlier

Step inside a radically honest coaching session with Niiamah Ashong and Lori “Sas” Sase as we explore the power of public coaching, authentic leadership, and the transformative practice of soul work. In this episode, discover why embracing vulnerability in front of an audience creates deeper growth for leaders, how having a coach is vital, and the unique alchemy between life coaching and soul work.

Perfect for coaches, leaders, and anyone curious about personal development, authenticity, and building supportive systems for sustainable impact.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:22 Outliers Edge movement and embracing discomfort for growth

3:05 Decision to do a live coaching session instead of postponing or rescheduling

4:38 Vulnerability and authenticity: leading by example as a coach

5:42 The value and practice of public transformation

7:01 Meet Lori “Sas” Sase: Coach, grief tender, and soul work expert

7:38 Life coaching vs. soul work explained

8:50 Turning wounds into medicine through coaching

9:30 Coaching as partnership: Why even coaches need outside support

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Ever found yourself waiting for “the right time” to launch your next program, offer, or community? You’re not alone. The urge to get everything perfect before acting is one of the biggest reasons entrepreneurs struggle to turn vision into reality. Let’s explore how “getting ready” holds you back, and what to do instead.

1. The Perfection Trap

Perfectionism can masquerade as planning, but in reality, it’s a productivity killer. Many coaches and entrepreneurs believe they need the right logo, website, email funnel, and network before bringing their idea to the world.

If perfection is your standard, you’ll never actually ship.

2. The “Infrastructure Excuse.”

It’s easy to feel like you can’t take action until every system is in place. But here’s the thing: Most of the time, the systems you need only become clear after you start acting. Nobody builds a perfect engine before ever getting on the road.

3. Start Before You’re Ready

Real progress happens when you take action with what you have right now. Don’t have a complete website? Use a simple landing page. No huge email list? Start with personal invites.

“Change-makers can’t afford to hide. By moving live, inviting publicly, and focusing on engines that last, you set yourself apart.”

4. The Power of External Accountability

Set a deadline. Go live before you “feel prepared.” Announce your offer to a friend or your group. When you create public accountability, you force momentum. As soon as someone expects something from you, you have a reason to push forward.

5. Learning by Iteration

No matter how much you plan, your idea will change once it meets the real world. Building publicly, even if it’s a little messy, gives you feedback and clarity you could never get hidden-away planning.

It’s not repetition, but iteration that is the key to growth.

Take Action

What could you launch THIS WEEK, even if it’s a first draft? Set the date, invite one person, and commit to learning as you go. Remember: Done is better than perfect.

If you want to break through the “getting ready” stall, embrace imperfect action. Every successful entrepreneur and coach started before they were ready, and you can too.

“In this episode, I explore the difference between creating endless content and building business systems that actually drive results.”

Why does content by itself fall short? Niiamah gets honest about building sustainable engines for community and revenue, and the trap of mistaking busyness for progress.

Follow Outlier’s Edge Socials:

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Are you tired of your business feeling like a never-ending hamster wheel? As a creative entrepreneur or coach, one of your most valuable assets isn’t your time; it’s your systems. In this guide, we’ll show you how to shift from a daily scramble to a sustainable client-creation engine that does the heavy lifting for you.

1. Why Most Entrepreneurs Stay Stuck

So many business owners obsess over “getting everything ready” before launching anything.

“Day after day, week after week, I wasn’t actually getting started. And it was really easy to not have a deadline or something that drove me forward.”

Perfectionism kills momentum and profits. The secret? Start by building in public, even if things are messy. Clarity comes through action.

2. What is a Client Creation Engine?

A true engine is more than a one-time funnel or a set of LinkedIn posts.

An engine is a system that turns outreach, content, and invitations into ongoing conversations and clients with or without you being present every minute.

An engine is different than a system…It continues to turn with or without you.

3. Map Your Client Creation Flow

Start with a workable process like this (customize to fit):

1. Outreach: Cold email, inbound requests, or referrals
2. Initial Engagement: Podcast invite, free session, or lead magnet
3. Community Invitation: Move prospects into a group or email list
4. One-on-One Connection: Calendar calls, discovery sessions
5. Offer and Enroll: Proposals, tiered offers, or upgrades

Every step should be automatable, team-supported, or leverage technology.

4. The “Intersection of Opportunity.”

Stop treating everything as a separate to-do. Where do your outreach, content, and delivery naturally overlap? For example, recording “thought leadership” content live can be repurposed for marketing AND as a real-time invitation to your group.

When we find these intersections of opportunity, we create solutions we wouldn’t see otherwise.

5. Build Your Capture Mechanism

“Audience” is not enough. The missing piece that kills most engines: there’s no capture mechanism, no call to action, no pipeline attached.

• Add sticky invitations to your live streams
• Use chatbots, DMs, and calendar links
• Always have a next step for engagement

6. Automate & Iterate

Document every step. Where can you use a scheduler, automation tool (Zapier, ManyChat), or a VA? Pilot once, then keep improving. It’s not repetition, but iteration that is the key to growth,

7. Make it Invitational

Every piece of content should point to the movement, not just your “thing.” Prioritize authentic invitations over generic information. Get okay with inviting boldly and imperfectly.

8. Test & Review (Weekly)

• What’s the one weak link in your chain?
• Where do leads drop off?
• Are people MOVING to the next step, or just listening?

Track daily and weekly, and tweak what matters most.

Stop building a business that needs you 24/7. The power is in the engine, a system that gathers, nurtures, and enrolls with (and without) you.

Ready for your next level? Start by mapping your process and commit to building one “engine” task this week. Your business and your life will thank you.

Own your next level inside Outlier’s Edge (free): https://skool.com/outlier

“Next, I’ll dig even deeper into the real work that moves things forward—beyond just racking up content minutes. Stay tuned.”

How do you set a goal so big it haunts your every step, and what happens when that goal distracts you from real growth? Niiamah opens up about the fears, tensions, and first steps behind his 10,000-minute live streaming challenge.

Follow Outlier’s Edge Socials:

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