The RISE Experience
It’s not always about becoming someone different.
Sometimes it’s about realizing you’ve been disconnected from yourself for longer than you thought.
The RISE Experience is a podcast for the woman who can handle everything — except herself. The one who shows up, gets things done, keeps things together… but quietly feels like something isn’t landing the way it should.
Shannon Denniston is a behavior change coach and the founder of RISE. What she talks about here isn’t behavior on the surface. It’s what sits underneath it — patterns, beliefs, and identity-level disconnects that make consistency feel harder than it should.
A lot of what gets called “starting over” isn’t starting over at all. It’s noticing what’s been running in the background for a long time, and learning how to move differently from there.
Not forced. Not rushed. No reinvention, no reset, just more aware, more honest with where things actually are, and returning to yourself in a way that holds.
The RISE Experience
Why Letting Go May Be the Strongest Leadership Move.
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We often think holding on makes us stronger — but what if real leadership is found in letting go?
Welcome to the Rise Experience Podcast, where faith, leadership, personal growth, and purpose align for lasting impact. I’m Shannon Denniston, and this show is for growth-minded leaders who want to rise into their God-given calling while leading with authenticity and heart.
Episode Highlights
In this episode, I share what it looks like to transition from being a doer to stepping fully into leadership. I open up about the fears that often keep us holding on too tightly — fear of failure, fear of judgment, and fear of losing our identity and why real leadership is about stewardship, not control. You’ll learn how perfectionism can create bottlenecks, how trust fosters leadership, and why letting go is an act of faith that empowers others to rise alongside us.
Main Takeaways
- Leadership begins when I release control and steward what’s been entrusted to me.
- Fear of failure, judgment, or disappointment often drives the need to hold on too tightly.
- Perfectionism doesn’t strengthen leadership; it bottlenecks it.
- Delegation fosters trust and empowers others to exceed expectations.
- Excellence should never become the enemy of empowerment.
- Leadership is about faithfulness, not doing everything myself.
- Letting go is not laziness; it’s leadership that multiplies impact.
Episode Chapter
00:00 Intro
00:05 Transition from Doer to Leader
05:05 The Impact of Perfectionism
05:41 Scriptural Perspective on Leadership
07:47 Building Trust and Empowering Others
08:55 Practical Steps to Letting Go
10:02 The Role of Faith in Leadership
Call to Action
If this episode resonates with you, share it with a fellow leader who may need a reminder that leadership is about stewardship, not control. Be sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss future conversations designed to help us rise together.
Supporting Information
- Instagram: @risewithshannon
- Facebook: Rise Experience
- LinkedIn: Shannon Denniston
Friendly Closing
Thanks for spending time with me today. My prayer is that you walk away encouraged to open your hands, trust more deeply, and step fully into the leader God’s called you to be. I can’t wait to continue this journey with you in the next episode.