RISEUP: Voices From the Frontlines

🎙️ New Episode Announcement We’re back with Part 2 of our live Q&A—going even deeper into the realities leaders face. Topics include: “This is how we’ve always done it.” How to transform rigid systems without losing your values. What to do when a leader’s discretion causes harm: repair, accountability, and outcome responsibility. How to prevent burnout while leading change. How to move teams from grievance to growth without minimizing pain. These aren’t hypotheticals; they’re the daily fires leaders stand in. You’ll hear trauma-informed strategies that protect dignity, deliver justice, and keep your North Star steady—even when the waves are high. It’s a masterclass in leading people and systems with courage and care. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6IpBgf3j2RC4pKVMKxMkx6?si=3a827a5dc06c4790 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Live from the frontlines of leadership, this conference-style Q&A tackles the questions you’re asking right now. How do I rebuild trust after a breach? How do I hold people accountable without shaming them? What do I do when my board, staff, or parents are polarized and combative? We field questions from school administrators, nonprofit directors, city leaders, business executives, and first responders. Every answer draws on the book and this series: nervous-system regulation, transparent communication, fair consequences, and systems that heal instead of harm. You’ll leave with scripts, practices, and frameworks you can use in your next meeting. If you’ve been craving practical, compassionate answers to high-stakes leadership dilemmas, this episode is for you. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6IpBgf3j2RC4pKVMKxMkx6?si=3a827a5dc06c4790 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement When words no longer work, what then? Part 2 moves from philosophy to practice. We define the peaceful warrior: a leader who pursues peace relentlessly, prepares for conflict soberly, and refuses to dehumanize, even under pressure. You’ll learn how to set nonnegotiable boundaries, protect people and mission without collapsing into rage, and keep dignity intact when stakes are high. We also dig into de-escalation and the psychology of conflict, how to downshift nervous systems, interrupt the “us vs. them” spiral, and make principled decisions under fire. And yes, we talk about training: RISEUP offers a full de-escalation and conflict toolbox for leaders and teams who want real-world skills, not just ideals. This episode is your field guide for leading through confrontation without losing your soul. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6IpBgf3j2RC4pKVMKxMkx6?si=3a827a5dc06c4790 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Can we remain nonviolent in a violent world? In this episode, we wrestle with one of leadership’s oldest, hardest questions. We trace the arc from Gandhi’s "ahimsa" and King’s “soul force” to Churchill’s refusal to appease fascism and Mandela’s road from resistance to reconciliation. This isn’t just a theory for a classroom; it’s the daily paradox leaders face when they must hold dignity as the compass while confronting real harm. We’ll explore what nonviolence can accomplish, where it meets its limits, and how trauma-informed leaders avoid naïveté without surrendering their humanity. You’ll also hear the two questions every leader must answer before the crisis hits: What cause am I willing to die for? And what cause am I willing to take life for? If you don’t know, someone else may decide for you. If you lead in government, education, nonprofits, faith communities, business—or at home—this conversation will equip you to pursue peace while preparing to protect what matters. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6IpBgf3j2RC4pKVMKxMkx6?si=3a827a5dc06c4790 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

The Bloodstained MicrophoneLeadership in an Age of Outrage, Influence, and Uncertainty In today's world, influence has never been easier to obtain. With a smartphone, a social media account, and an audience willing to listen, anyone can shape opinions, mobilize movements, and influence public discourse. Yet while influence has become increasingly accessible, responsibility, accountability, and leadership have not necessarily kept pace. In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Krista Fee examines the growing gap between influence and leadership through the lens of trauma psychology, neuroscience, crisis response, and real-world leadership experience. Using current events, including the Karmelo Anthony case, public unrest, social media culture, and escalating international tensions as examples, this episode explores why outrage often feels like certainty, how emotional contagion influences communities, and why the loudest voices are not always the wisest. Listeners will discover: • Why certainty and truth are not the same thing • The neuroscience of outrage, tribalism, and emotional contagion • The difference between justice and vengeance • Why influence without accountability is dangerous • How social media has transformed modern leadership • The "Facts First, Feelings Second, Options Third, Action Last" decision-making framework • Why responsible leaders learn to tolerate uncertainty • The hidden consequences of public influence • How to pursue truth without sacrificing compassion • Why the people caught in the middle of every conflict matter most At its heart, this episode is not about politics, ideology, or taking sides. It is about leadership. It is about responsibility. It is about what happens when ordinary people are given extraordinary influence and the choices they make with it. Because the microphone is never neutral. Every word lands somewhere. Every message influences someone. Every movement impacts real lives. The question is not whether we have influence. The question is whether we understand the responsibility that comes with it. Hosted by Dr. Krista FeeExecutive Director, RISEUP Phoenix Trauma and Crisis Institute Where neuroscience meets leadership for high-stakes environments.

🎙️New Episode Announcement On today's episode we will lean into the dark side of language leaders often exploit to manipulate, control, or divide all in the name of fear, power, and corruption. We explore the us vs them model for dehumanization, the distance between contempt and atrocity and i'll give real world safeguards to avoid these language traps. 🎧Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement On today's episode we explore one of my favorite topics, the power of language to heal or to wound. We dive into some reframes that give power back where it is so often given away unintentionally. We look at hypnotic language, and the power of manipulation, control, and suggestion. Language is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal as leaders this conversation give actionable ways to use it for good and to become more aware when other's are using it in more insidious ways. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Words outlive us. They shape identity, possibility, and the very scripts communities rehearse for generations. In Episode 34, we explore how language becomes legacy. From Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address to King’s “I Have a Dream,” to Churchill’s wartime declarations, history shows us that words can heal or wound, humanize or dehumanize, inspire resilience or fuel destruction. We’ll unpack how trauma-informed leaders use language to empower without erasing pain—choosing “and” over “but,” separating behavior from identity, and wielding influence with integrity rather than manipulation. You’ll also learn how sloppy language erodes trust while precise, dignifying words sustain it. If you want to lead in a way that your words carry light, even when you are gone, this episode is your call to intentional speech. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Leadership that dies with one person was never leadership—it was control. In Episode 33, we talk about mentorship as multiplication and systems as legacy. You’ll hear how movements endure when leaders empower others, codify mission and values, and build systems that keep the light shining long after they’re gone. We’ll explore real-world examples—from the military chain of command to John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success—and connect them to the Battle2be and RISEUP mission: building documented systems, training teams, and mentoring successors so that the work outlives any one person. This episode also warns against the trap of “this is how we’ve always done it.” Healthy systems are living systems—strong enough to anchor but flexible enough to adapt. If you want your leadership to endure, this episode shows you how to multiply without losing your heart. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️New Episode Announcement What does it mean to leave a legacy that heals instead of harms? Episode 32 goes deeper into the practices of building healing legacies. We talk about how leaders can disrupt cycles of trauma instead of repeating them, and how repair and reconciliation can become the DNA of what we leave behind. You’ll hear about Mandela’s choice for reconciliation, about how values can be codified into living systems, and about modern examples like the movement ignited after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, how in death, his legacy became an inferno of love, connection, and a call back to God, family, and community. Legacies are not just remembered; they are lived. This episode challenges you to ask: How will your words, systems, and presence shape generations after you? 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Every leader leaves a legacy—the only question is whether it heals or harms. In Episode 31, we explore what it means to carry the weight of legacy with intention. From leaders like Lincoln, Mandela, Ginsburg, and Kirk, who left behind visions larger than themselves, to cautionary tales of unhealed leaders whose pain became their people’s inheritance, this episode dives into the real cost of influence. We’ll talk about the shadow side of unintended legacy, cultures of burnout, silence, or fear, and how trauma-informed leaders can instead model repair, resilience, and values that endure beyond their lifetime. This conversation invites you to ask: What unspoken lessons am I teaching through my leadership? What systems am I leaving behind? What future am I planting that I may never see? 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement What does it mean to lead with fire? In Episode 30, we close our exploration of scale and repair by talking about leadership that rises from the ashes of challenge, betrayal, and even collapse. We’ll look at how systems can evolve without becoming rigid, why “this is how we’ve always done it” is a dangerous trap, and how trauma-informed leaders create flexible frameworks that bend without breaking. This episode invites you to see leadership not as empire-building, but as fire, refining, transforming, and igniting others to rise. The real test of leadership is not perfection but perseverance. Can your systems, values, and mission burn away what doesn’t serve and emerge stronger? If you’re ready to rise with resilience, this episode will call you to lead with fire. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Repair is essential. But repair without wisdom can leave people stuck in perpetual victimhood. In Episode 29, we talk about the difference between validating wounds and cementing a victim identity. We explore how trauma narrows perception, how grievance can become a posture, and how leaders can reframe narratives toward resilience, strength, and agency. From South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission to everyday organizational repair rituals, you’ll hear how leaders can honor pain while pointing toward growth. We’ll also break down the subtle but powerful role of language—why “we are victims” freezes progress, while “we are survivors and builders” opens the door to change. If you want to lead people beyond grievance into growth, this episode gives you the tools to repair with dignity and reframe with power. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Growth is a double-edged sword. It can expand your reach or dilute your mission. In Episode 28, we explore the paradox of scale: how leaders can multiply their impact without losing their integrity. From historical cautionary tales of movements that collapsed under mission drift, to organizations like Doctors Without Borders that stood firm on their values even when it cost them, this episode lays out the roadmap for scaling with discipline. We’ll talk about mentorship, distributed decision-making, scalable frameworks, and partnerships that multiply strength without empire-building. You’ll also hear how repair and reframing must become part of culture to avoid perpetuating cycles of harm. This episode challenges you to ask: what must never change, no matter how far we grow? If you’re leading an organization, team, or movement, this conversation will help you scale with integrity, not just numbers. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement One spark is powerful. But sparks become fire when the many join together. In Episode 27, we explore the Power of Many—the collective resilience that turns movements into lasting change. From the abolitionist and suffrage movements to civil rights and modern crisis response teams, history shows that transformation doesn’t rest on lone heroes but on ecosystems of courage. We’ll also talk about the science of collective efficacy—why “we” changes behavior more than “I”—and how trauma-informed leaders can cultivate rituals, distribute power, and build systems that heal. You’ll also hear cautionary tales of what happens when movements rely too heavily on one figure, and practical strategies for multiplying power while protecting integrity. If you’re ready to move beyond individual acts to collective transformation, this episode will show you how ordinary people acting together can reshape the future. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Courage is contagious. In Episode 26, we build on the Power of One to explore what happens when others witness courage. From the “Tank Man” of Tiananmen Square to modern community heroes, research shows that the first mover lowers the psychological cost of action, breaking the bystander effect. We’ll look at how trauma-informed leaders use this principle to disrupt silence, invite others into agency, and build cultures of action. You’ll learn how to model courage in micro-actions, why accountability is contagious, and how to resist paralysis by being the one to move first. If you’ve ever felt frozen waiting for someone else to lead, this episode will challenge and equip you to step forward, because your action may be the permission someone else is waiting for. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Does one person really matter in the face of overwhelming odds? In Episode 25, we explore the Power of One: how a single act of integrity can ignite transformation. From Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat, to Malala Yousafzai’s stand for education, along with the actions of anonymous heroes who risk everything for one life, proves that leadership often begins with a solitary choice. We’ll also talk about why the starfish story still matters for trauma-informed leadership. For survivors, being seen and acted for disrupts the lie that they don’t matter. And for leaders, acting for the one in front of you, even when you can’t fix everything, builds movements rooted in dignity. If you’ve ever wondered whether your small act matters, this episode will remind you that it does. One spark can ignite a movement. One hand reaching down can save a life. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement The storm will always come—the question is, will you hold steady? In Episode 24, we explore what it means to lead like a lighthouse: steady, unshaken, and constant when everything around you is chaos. From the aftermath of 9/11 to crisis response in floodwaters and child trafficking rescues, we’ll examine why steadiness, not charisma, saves lives and restores trust. We’ll unpack why trauma pulls systems backward, how leaders’ nervous systems regulate the people around them, and why transparency in fog matters more than certainty. And we’ll talk about the discipline of resisting withdrawal or overreaction, the two temptations that dim the light when people need it most. If you’ve ever been in the middle of chaos and wondered how to keep leading, this episode will give you the framework and practices to anchor yourself and your people. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Monuments crumble. Words endure. In Episode 23, we dive into the power of language as the most enduring legacy of leadership. We’ll explore how words shape identity, possibility, and justice—long after a leader is gone. From Lincoln to Martin Luther King Jr. to Churchill, history shows us how language can anchor identity and mobilize hope—or dehumanize and destroy. We’ll talk about why trauma-informed leaders must choose “and” over “but,” why contempt poisons trust, and how to wield influence language with integrity. You’ll also hear how mission and values statements aren’t bureaucratic exercises—they’re linguistic anchors that keep movements from drifting. If you want your leadership to echo for generations, this episode will show you how to wield words like beacons...steady, constant, and true. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Legacy isn’t carved in stone—it’s carried forward in people and systems. In Episode 22, we look at mentorship and multiplication as the true test of leadership. Charisma fades, but systems, values, and people endure. We’ll talk about why hoarding leadership kills movements, how mentorship heals trauma by restoring dignity, and why codifying mission and values is critical if you want your impact to outlast you. You’ll hear examples from military mentorship structures, legendary coaches like John Wooden, and trauma-informed crisis response teams like Battle2be’s RISEUP Rapid Response. We’ll also explore the danger of rigid systems that rely on “this is how we’ve always done it” instead of adapting with integrity. If you’re building something bigger than yourself, this episode will help you do it wisely, so your light doesn’t dim when you step aside. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Every leader leaves a legacy—the only question is whether it heals or harms. In Episode 21, we explore the sobering truth that leadership outlives us. The decisions you make today—your words, systems, and unspoken lessons—become cultural DNA tomorrow. We’ll look at examples of both healing and wounding legacies, from Nelson Mandela’s choice of reconciliation to leaders who unknowingly pass down fear, burnout, or mistrust. This episode calls leaders to intentionality. What values are you embedding? What unintentional legacies might you be leaving behind? And what sacrifices are you willing to make so that the next generation inherits more resilience, not more harm? If you’ve ever wondered what people will carry forward when your voice is gone, this conversation will help you shape that answer with purpose. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Growth is tempting—but without integrity, it becomes empire, not leadership. In Episode 20, we tackle the paradox of scale. Leaders want to multiply their impact, but rapid expansion risks mission drift, burnout, and even replicating the same harms we set out to heal. The question is: how do we grow without losing our North Star? This episode explores practical ways to multiply impact while protecting integrity: mentorship and succession planning, decentralized decision-making, trauma-informed systems, and repair practices that scale. We’ll also confront the trap of perpetual victim identity and show how leaders can reframe communities from “the harmed” to “the resilient” without dismissing pain. For leaders facing growth—whether in organizations, nonprofits, or communities—this episode offers the guardrails to expand faithfully, without losing your soul. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement The Power of One can spark change—but the Power of Many sustains it. In Episode 19, we explore why lasting transformation requires more than lone heroes. From the Underground Railroad to civil rights marches to modern crisis response teams, history proves that movements endure because ordinary people act together. We’ll talk about the science of collective action, how trauma isolates people but community heals, and why movements collapse when they rely too heavily on one leader. Most importantly, we’ll explore practical strategies for multiplying power—through mentorship, shared responsibility, collective rituals, and systems that protect integrity. If you’ve ever wondered how to take your leadership beyond the spark stage into something that truly lasts, this episode will show you how. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Leadership isn’t always about grand speeches or mass followings. Sometimes, it begins with one small, courageous act. In Episode 18, we explore the Power of One—how a single act of integrity, courage, or defiance can disrupt silence, ignite movements, and change the course of history. From Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to everyday leaders who choose integrity over comfort, this episode proves that no act is too small to matter. We’ll also explore the psychology of action—why taking even one step toward courage disrupts trauma, restores agency, and inspires others to follow. For leaders in any sphere—whether family, classrooms, organizations, or communities—this episode will remind you that change doesn’t always start big. It starts with one. If you’ve ever wondered whether your small acts matter, this conversation will leave you with no doubt: the ripple begins with you. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Chaos always comes. The real question is: will you hold steady when it does? Episode 17 takes us into the storms—floods, rescues, trafficking recoveries, even the unity forged in the aftermath of 9/11—and shows how trauma-informed leaders anchor themselves and others when the seas rage. We’ll talk about transparency in the fog, the dangers of withdrawal and overreaction, and why consistency matters more than charisma when everything is falling apart. Most importantly, we’ll explore how leaders can ground their nervous systems so they don’t amplify panic, but instead model calm that ripples outward. This episode is both raw and practical, giving you tools to stay visible, steady, and human when everything around you feels like chaos. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Titles, money, followers—these are often mistaken as the currencies of leadership. But beneath them all lies the only currency that truly matters: trust. In Episode 16, we dive into the anatomy of trust—what builds it, what breaks it, and why without it, every system becomes brittle. Using the metaphor of the lighthouse, we’ll explore how trust must be steady, not conditional, and why people look to leaders most closely when storms rage. We’ll also talk about the difference between real trust and counterfeit trust—when leaders weaponize loyalty, demand silence, or use “just trust me” as a cover for control. This episode offers both a warning and a framework for building authentic, trauma-informed trust that lasts. If you want to lead in a way that inspires genuine loyalty and resilience—not fear or compliance—this episode is your map. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Every leader carries scars. Some are visible. Others are hidden deep within. In Episode 15, we explore the way personal scars shape leadership—not as liabilities, but as sources of wisdom, empathy, and resilience. Drawing from my own journey as the throwaway daughter of a victim of human trafficking, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, and a victim of domestic violence, I’ll share how scars became the compass for my work and why acknowledging pain can amplify—not diminish—our ability to lead. We’ll also look at how scars shape collective movements. From communities rising after tragedy to organizations that rebuild after failure, scars are both reminders of wounds and markers of survival. When leaders choose to lead with their scars, they give permission for others to heal and rise as well. This episode is deeply personal, deeply human, and deeply necessary. If you’ve ever wondered whether your pain disqualifies you from leading, let this be your reminder: scars don’t silence us—they teach us how to speak. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

Neural Command™: Trauma-Informed Leadership Under Pressure RISEUP Voices From the Frontlines | RISEUP PRO Edition Host: Krista Fee, M.A. High-stress helping professionals are not failing. They are being asked to operate in environments that ignore how the human brain actually works under pressure. Neural Command™ is an applied neuroscience certification designed for leaders, educators, medical professionals, first responders, and mission-driven organizations operating in high-risk, high-stakes environments. This program bridges neuroscience, psychology, biology, and trauma-informed leadership to answer a critical question: How do humans think, decide, lead, learn, and perform under real-world stress, and how do we design systems that support that rather than destroy it? In this introductory episode, Krista Fee, M.A., founder of RISEUP Phoenix Trauma & Crisis Institute explains: Why intelligence, training, and motivation alone do not predict performance under stress How leadership culture, workload, communication, and expectations shape nervous system capacity Why burnout, disengagement, moral injury, and attrition are brain-level phenomena, not personal failures How Neural Command™ differs from traditional leadership, productivity, and resilience programs Why this work is essential not just for performance, but for well-being, retention, and suicide prevention Neural Command™ is built to be: Trauma-informed without being fragile Scientifically rigorous without being inaccessible immediately applicable without overwhelming Leadership-level without shaming or pressure Each lesson is delivered in small, digestible segments designed to be applied in real time — in classrooms, hospitals, command centers, agencies, and organizations where seconds, decisions, and human lives matter. This is not a program about pushing harder. It is a program about building leadership, systems, and cultures that the The human nervous system can actually sustain. Who This Program Is For Leaders in high-stress, high-risk professions Educators, medical professionals, first responders, and crisis leaders Organizations struggling with burnout, turnover, disengagement, or morale Professionals who want excellence without sacrificing their health, relationships, or humanity Learn More & Get Connected Register for the Neural Command™ Program: Type NC Course Book a Connection Call: Type Connect Listen to the Podcast: Type Podcast Sponsor the Podcast or Partner with RISEUP PRO: Type Connect A portion of all course, training, and podcast revenue supports the nonprofit partners providing critical care and recovery services in times of crisis. When pressure is unavoidable, understanding the brain becomes non-negotiable.

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Every flame casts a shadow. Episode 14 confronts the dark side of leadership fire—when ambition, ego, or unchecked rage consume leaders, organizations, and movements. From historical atrocities to modern scandals, we’ll examine what happens when fire is no longer fuel but destruction. This episode doesn’t shy away from the darkness. It takes us into the wreckage left when leaders abandon integrity, when power corrupts, and when movements born of hope spiral into harm. But it also offers a way forward: how trauma-informed leaders can recognize shadow tendencies in themselves and their organizations, and how to create accountability structures that prevent the blaze from consuming everything. This is a sobering but essential conversation for every leader who wants to harness their fire without losing their way. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Fire is one of the most powerful forces in nature—and in leadership. It can ignite movements, warm communities, and light the way forward. But if left unchecked, it can also consume everything in its path. In Episode 13, we explore the paradox of fire as fuel and fire as destruction. What does it mean for a leader to burn brightly without burning out? How can passion be harnessed as energy for transformation rather than chaos? Drawing from history, crisis response, and trauma-informed psychology, we’ll dive into the balance between fervor and discipline, and why leaders must learn to tend their internal fires if they want to sustain the flames of their movements. If you’ve ever felt your passion turning into exhaustion—or your drive tipping toward destruction—this episode is your guide to turning fire into fuel. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement How do we hold nuance without losing fairness? How do we honor complexity without abandoning responsibility? In Episode 12, we wrestle with one of the hardest questions in leadership: when leaders make discretionary decisions that cause harm, how should they be held accountable? We’ll explore the balance between empathy and justice, the importance of separating intent from impact, and why trauma-informed leadership doesn’t mean excusing failure—but does mean handling failure with dignity and clarity. With real-world stories from crisis response, politics, and organizational leadership, this episode pushes us to consider what accountability looks like when lives, trust, and futures are on the line. This is a must-listen for anyone responsible for making hard calls—andfor anyone who has lived through the fallout of leaders who got it wrong. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement What do organizations and human beings have in common? Both can carry trauma. Both can repeat harmful patterns. Both can heal. Episode 11 explores how the principles of trauma-informed care apply not only to individuals but also to organizations and systems. We look at how toxic workplace behaviors mirror addictive behaviors, how burnout spreads like contagion, and how leaders can embed new habits that actually rewire culture. By treating unhealthy systems as diseases that can be healed rather than failures to be punished, trauma-informed leaders create environments where trust, dignity, and resilience become the norm. If you’ve ever seen a toxic workplace poison good people—or wondered how to turn an organization around without losing its mission—this episode offers a framework for real, lasting change. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Every leader follows a compass—but not every compass leads to truth. In Episode 10, we dig into the idea of false north stars—the values, metrics, or ambitions that can look like guidance but actually lead us astray. Whether it’s the lure of profit over people, popularity over integrity, or ideology over humanity, leaders who follow false stars often take their communities into dangerous waters. We’ll explore how trauma-informed leadership helps us recognize when our compass is misaligned, how to recalibrate in real time, and how to ensure our direction remains tethered to core values rather than shifting winds. This is a wake-up call for every leader who wants to avoid drifting into compromise, and a roadmap for staying grounded in what truly matters. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Every leader has a compass. But for many of us, that compass isn’t abstract—it’s etched into our very scars. In Episode 9, I open up more personally than ever before. As the throwaway daughter of a victim of human trafficking, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, and someone who has lived through domestic violence, my compass was forged in fire. Those scars don’t define me, but they anchor me. They remind me why integrity matters, why healing matters, and why leadership without compassion is hollow. This episode is about more than my story—it’s about yours. It’s about understanding that your scars can be part of your compass too. Trauma-informed leadership doesn’t deny pain; it transforms it into direction. If you’ve ever wondered how your own story—especially the broken parts—can shape your leadership, this conversation will speak directly to you. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

Not Everyone’s a Narcissist: Episode 1 of the RISEUP Narcissism Series These days, it feels like everybody’s ex is suddenly a narcissist. Social media turned the word into the new “toxic,” and while it can feel good to slap that label on someone who hurt you… 👉 Labels don’t heal you. Accountability does. In this first episode of the new Narcissism Series inside RISEUP Relationship Reset™, I’m diving deep into: ✨ The difference between narcissistic traits vs. true Narcissistic Personality Disorder ✨ Why our nervous system often confuses survival patterns with personality disorders ✨ How labeling others can keep us stuck in victim mode (and off the hook for our own growth) ✨ Tools from neuroscience, Internal Family Systems, EFT, and NLP to help you notice patterns and shift toward accountability ✨ The one question to keep you grounded: WIN – What’s Important Now? 💡 Your seed to notice this week: Where am I using labels instead of taking back my power? 🎙️ Listen now on RISEUP Voices From the Frontlines. Blog version available at RISEUP Phoenix Trauma and Crisis Institute Book a Complimentary Call With Krista Join Us Now in the Relationship Reset Room And if today stirred something in you—please know, you’re not alone. In the U.S., dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or 1-800-799-7233 for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. #RiseUpPhoenix #RelationshipReset #AccountabilityHeals #NarcissismSeries

New Episode Announcement Fire can warm. Fire can illuminate. But fire can also consume everything in its path. In Episode 8, we face the shadow side of leadership—when passion turns destructive, when charisma becomes manipulation, when movements burn too hot and leave nothing but ashes. We’ll walk through examples of leaders in history and today whose unchecked intensity fueled destruction instead of transformation. We’ll look at how trauma can feed this fire, and how unhealed wounds in leaders often spill out as control, rage, or reckless ambition. But this isn’t just about cautionary tales—it’s about naming the danger so we can choose differently. A trauma-informed leader recognizes the risk of consumption, and learns to hold fire as both sacred and dangerous: powerful when tended, devastating when unleashed without boundaries. This episode is both a warning and an invitation—to tend your own fire wisely, to guard your community from destructive flames, and to ensure the light you carry never becomes the inferno that destroys. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement What happens when two leaders, two communities, or even two people you love hold values that seem completely opposed? A Muslim and a Christian. A Democrat and a Republican. A parent and a child. In Episode 7, we step into one of the hardest realities of leadership: navigating diametrically opposed viewpoints without losing fairness, dignity, or integrity. You’ll hear how trauma-informed leadership changes the way we approach disagreement. Instead of collapsing into “us vs. them,” we look at how to hold space for complexity, practice curiosity without compromising conviction, and preserve nuance in a world that demands oversimplification. We’ll also explore real-world stories where leaders either bridged divides—or burned bridges beyond repair. And we’ll ask: what happens when leaders’ decisions in these moments ripple far beyond the room, shaping communities, movements, even nations? If you’re tired of the polarization tearing families, schools, workplaces, and governments apart, this is a conversation you need to hear. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

Episode 1: The New Paradigm of School Safety 🔥 Safety has evolved. The question is — have we? The old model of school safety was built on fear, drills, and disconnect.The new model begins with humanity. In this opening episode, Krista Fee — bestselling author, award-winning keynote, and accredited trainer — challenges everything we thought we knew about crisis preparation. Discover how trauma-informed design, neuroscience, and real-world readiness can protect both hearts and lives. Because safety isn’t about control — it’s about connection, calm, and community. 🎧 Listen to Episode 1: The New Paradigm of School Safety — and step into the movement reshaping how we prepare our kids for anything. 💪 Proceeds support Battle2be, delivering real boots-on-the-ground crisis response and resilience programs for military, first responders, and communities. ❤️ Become a sponsor or bring RISEUP training to your organization. Book a call with Krista here

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Not every compass points to truth. Some leaders build entire movements around false North Stars—visions rooted in ego, greed, domination, or fear. And the results can be devastating. In Episode 6, we tackle this difficult but necessary topic. How do leaders discern between a true North Star that fuels integrity and healing, and a false one that leads to exploitation or harm? We’ll examine historical cautionary tales, modern examples, and the subtle ways leaders can lose sight of their values without even realizing it. Trauma-informed leadership gives us unique insight here. Leaders carrying unexamined wounds may chase power instead of purpose, recognition instead of responsibility. This episode helps us name those distortions—and more importantly, offers tools to return to integrity when we realize our compass has drifted. If you’re serious about leading with impact, this is one you cannot afford to miss. It may challenge you, it may unsettle you, but it will equip you to recognize the difference between leadership that heals and leadership that harms. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Without a compass, even the strongest leader drifts. Without a North Star, even the most passionate movement loses its way. In Episode 5, we explore the essential practice of defining your North Star—the core values and guiding principles that shape every decision, every strategy, and every sacrifice. I’ll walk you through why this matters not just in theory, but in practice: leaders without a clear compass often become reactive, swayed by pressure, money, or public opinion. Those with a compass? They stay the course, even when storms rage. We’ll also explore the trauma-informed angle here: how unresolved wounds can distort our compass, how clarity of values provides both healing and direction, and how leaders can ensure their compass points toward integrity rather than ego. This is a must-listen for anyone who feels pulled in a hundred directions, unsure of which battles are worth fighting. By the end, you’ll not only understand the power of a North Star—you’ll know how to define yours. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement What makes a movement last? It isn’t charisma alone. It isn’t money. It isn’t even strategy. It’s the kind of leadership that ignites conviction and multiplies courage. In Episode 4, we dive into what I call movement-based leadership—leadership that goes beyond transactions and titles to ignite something deeper. We’ll look at the difference between traditional leadership models—transactional, transformational, authoritarian—and leadership that fuels movements grounded in moral clarity, shared vision, and lived example. You’ll hear stories of historical and modern leaders who didn’t just lead organizations, they sparked revolutions—whether social, cultural, or spiritual. We’ll also unpack why trauma-informed leadership is uniquely suited to this kind of work: because when you’ve known brokenness, you understand the kind of healing and fire that can carry people forward. If you’ve ever wondered how to inspire people not just to follow you, but to fight for the cause alongside you, this episode is your roadmap. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Trauma isn’t just what happens in war zones or crisis situations—it’s in classrooms, workplaces, homes, and even organizations. It shapes how people think, how they respond under stress, and how they relate to leaders. In Episode 3, we dive deep into the human condition and the way trauma impacts individuals and communities. I’ll walk you through what neuroscience tells us about the nervous system, why trauma narrows perspective and isolates people, and how leaders can either compound the damage—or become powerful agents of healing. This is the foundation of trauma-informed leadership: the recognition that every decision, every interaction, every word you speak can either trigger old wounds or create space for resilience. For leaders who want to make a lasting difference, this is not optional knowledge—it’s mission-critical. If you’re a school administrator, nonprofit director, CEO, or simply someone who leads in your family, this episode will give you tools to understand the weight of trauma and the hope of healing in the way you lead. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement “Leader.” We throw the word around every day—in offices, in politics, in nonprofits, even in families. But what does it actually mean? In Episode 2, we strip leadership back to its core. Titles don’t make you a leader. Positions don’t make you a leader. Leadership is about responsibility—carrying weight for others, setting direction when no one else will, and making choices that ripple through people’s lives. I’ll unpack the difference between positional leadership and true, trauma-informed leadership—leadership that doesn’t dominate but serves, that doesn’t wound but heals. We’ll look at why the culture of leadership has become so diluted, and how we can reclaim a model that restores trust, integrity, and hope in the places we serve. If you’ve ever sat in a meeting and thought, “How did this person get called a leader?”—this episode will give you clarity on what real leadership is and how to embody it yourself. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🎙️ New Episode Announcement Picking up the bloody microphone Leadership today is not casual. It is not a title, or a stage, or a social media badge—it is a weight. In this very first episode of the Trauma-Informed Leadership Series, I share what it really means to pick up the bloody microphone: to speak when it costs you something, to stand when others sit, and to understand that leadership isn’t about privilege, it’s about responsibility. We’ll explore why silence is no longer an option in the world we live in, and why leadership—true leadership—demands trauma-informed awareness. I’ll take you through the foundations of this entire series: why neuroscience, psychology, and lived human experience must shape how we lead if we want to create movements that last. This episode sets the stage for everything that follows. If you’ve ever felt the burden of leadership pressing down on you, if you’ve ever wondered whether you can carry it without losing yourself, this one’s for you. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify: Trauma-Informed Leadership Series 📅 Book a call with Krista to see how this program can transform your leadership or schedule your organization’s custom training series: https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass

🚨BONUS EPISODE RELEASE! 🚨 Before we dive into the full Trauma-Informed Leadership Series, I want to invite you into the heart of what this is all about: 👉What is trauma-informed leadership? 👉Why does it matter to everyone—from government officials and organizational leaders to CEOs, school administrators, parents, partners, and even the way we lead ourselves? 👉And how can this framework transform not just how we lead, but how we live? In this Pre-Series Episode, I lay out the foundation: ✨Why leadership today cannot afford to ignore trauma. ✨How neuroscience, psychology, and lived experience prove that unresolved wounds shape systems, and leaders have the power to either replicate harm or model healing. ✨Modern examples of what happens when leaders embody steadiness, compassion, and accountability—and the devastation when they don’t. ✨Why every one of us is a leader somewhere (at home, at work, in our communities), and how trauma-informed principles can change the outcomes for those who depend on us most. 🎧Listen now and join me for this special episode: 👉Spotify Podcast Link And here’s what makes this even more powerful: the Trauma-Informed Leadership Training & Course is now available, complete with IACET CEUs for professionals. You’ll not only learn the framework—you’ll leave with practical tools to implement trauma-informed leadership into every facet of your life and work. 📅 Book a call with me to see how this program can transform your leadership, or schedule your organization’s custom training series here: 👉https://calendly.com/riseupphoenix/compass This is more than a podcast. It’s the beginning of a movement. 🔥RISEUP out of the ashes of old systems and lead with fire, integrity, and resilience.

Title: 🎙️ Unbroken Voices: In the Wake of Charlie Kirk’s Assassination This week’s episode is different. It’s heavier. It’s raw. And it’s necessary. On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking on stage at Utah Valley University. No matter where you stand politically, the fact remains: a man was killed for using his voice. For standing in conviction. For refusing to bow to the cultural demand for silence. As someone who also takes the stage—speaking out against human trafficking, the abuse of children, the exploitation of women, his death hit me hard. Because it’s not just about politics. It’s about courage, conviction, and the cost of refusing to stay silent in the face of hatred and fear. In this episode, I wrestle with the hard questions: Was his “sin” his politics? His skill in debate? Or was it, more likely, his unshakable faith? What does his assassination mean for those of us still willing to speak truth into dark places? How do we respond—not with silence, not with fear—but with integrity, courage, and love? This is not just about Charlie Kirk. It’s about all of us. It’s about choosing to leave a legacy of truth, defiance, and fierce love—even if it costs us everything. 🔗 Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/show/6IpBgf3j2RC4pKVMKxMkx6?si=3a827a5dc06c4790 #VoicesThatMatter #UnbrokenVoices #RISEUPPhoenix #CharlieKirk #FaithAndFreedom #HumanTraffickingAwareness #TraumaHealing

🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 In this week’s RISEUP Voices From the Frontlines podcast, we’re announcing something BIG — the RISEUP: Hope for Heroes Gala happening November 22 at The Whale in Chicago. This is more than a gala. It’s a night of honor, resilience, remembrance, and impact. Proceeds fuel our RISEUP Responders mental wellness and life mastery programs, the Ferryman Memorial Project, and critical crisis response for military, first responders, and survivors. 🎟 Get your tickets here: 🎧 Listen to the full announcement and episode here: Together, we rise. Together, we ensure our heroes live on forever. #RiseUpForHeroes #Battle2be #RISEUPResponders #FirstResponderSupport #MilitarySupport #HopeForHeroes #ChicagoEvents #Apexarmy

New Episode Just Dropped "Agree With Me or You Don’t Love Me: The Anxious Controller + Avoidant Shutdown Dynamic" Do you ever feel like you're constantly fighting to be heard, but never actually feel seen? Or maybe you’re on the other end—shutting down to survive because every conversation feels like emotional warfare. This episode gets brutally honest about one of the most common (and toxic) relationship dynamics: Anxious attachment meets control Avoidant attachment meets collapse And emotional safety gets sacrificed for the illusion of being “right” You’ll learn: How emotional enmeshment is mistaken for love Why needing agreement as proof of loyalty is damaging How guilt, blame, and shame become control tools What this dynamic looks like in real conversations And how to STOP the spiral with accountability and healing Listen now: Listen on Spotify Ready to take the next step? 💬 Book a 1-on-1 Relationship Reset Consultation with me—customized for YOUR dynamic. Or Join the RISEUP Relationship Reset™ Course + Community ...for trauma-informed, tactical, real-life tools to stop these cycles for good. 📲 DM me “RESET” for details You don’t have to repeat the patterns you were raised in. You can break the cycle. Let’s rebuild love on truth, not control. 💛 #RISEUPRelationshipReset #AttachmentHealing #BreakTheCycle #RelationshipPatterns #AnxiousAvoidant #EmotionalSafety #RealLoveRealWork

🎧 New Podcast Episode Toxic Positivity – When Light Becomes a Lie RISEUP Voices From the Frontlines What if your healing journey started off strong—but somewhere along the way, “good vibes only” became the rule and your real emotions got shoved to the side? In this episode, Krista Fee dives into the raw truth about toxic positivity, spiritual bypassing, and the performance pressure that sneaks in when healing becomes a highlight reel. We unpack what happens neurobiologically when you pretend to be okay, how positivity can be used as emotional avoidance, and how to recognize when your light has become a lie. This isn’t a fluff-filled affirmation party. It’s a wake-up call for anyone who’s ever felt like being honest made them less “healed.” We talk about: The Trauma science behind “faking fine” Why toxic positivity creates dissonance in your nervous system Real-life stories of people stuck in the glitter and grace phase 4 powerful questions to check your emotional honesty What healing actually looks and sounds like (hint: it’s messy AND sacred) This one’s deep. Real. And necessary. Tag a friend who needs this. Donate to our amazing 501C3 Non Profit Organization BATTLE2BE Search “RISEUP Voices From the Frontlines” on your podcast app. 👇 Drop a 🔥 if you’ve ever been told to “just stay positive” when you were falling apart. #NewEpisode #PodcastDrop #ToxicPositivity #SpiritualBypassing #TraumaHealing #EmotionalIntegrity #HealingJourney #MentalHealthAwareness #PolyvagalTheory #RISEUPPhoenix #KristaFee #ResponderWellness #HealingIsMessy #YouCanFeelItAll

🎵🔥 New Song Release | Born from the Flood, Forged in the Fire 🔥🎵 We didn’t just write a song—we lived it. This one came from the mud under our boots, the heartbreak in our chests, and the hope that refused to die. It’s about the Texas Hill Country flood… and our boots-on-the-ground response in the aftermath. It’s a promise: To never forget the faces we searched for. To honor those we couldn’t bring home. To rise for every family still waiting. It’s a song about what it means to hold the line when waters rise and hearts break. About the ache in the silence… and the fire in the search. About how we rise up stronger than the storm, hand in hand, soaked in sorrow and soaked in hope. "Through it all, we’re warm. Through fire and flood, We rise, together, to bring the lost back home." 💛 This song is our tribute. But our work? That’s year-round. We are always at the ready—rain or shine, flood or fire—to bring the lost back home. Help us keep going. Help us stay equipped. Help us show up. 👉 Donate to support our boots-on-the-ground crisis response program:https://givebutter.com/Y1GLwN Every dollar helps us answer the call—when others can't, won’t, or don’t. #RiseUpStronger #TexasHillCountry #FloodResponse #ThroughFireAndFlood #SearchAndRescue #WeBringThemHome #RISEUPPhoenix #BootsOnTheGround #HopeInTheAshes #FirstToShowLastToGo #GiveButter #DonateNow