This episode of the Thinkwell Podcast features a conversation with Susan Crawford, founder of Meraki Inspire coaching and consultation and author of Unapologetic, Unconventional & Unfckwithable*. The episode is part of the Local Heroes series and offers an invitation to lead from the inside out by returning to integrity, values, and self-trust in a world that often rewards conformity and performance.

At its core, this episode explores what it really means to become “unf*kwithable,” not as a persona, but as a lived inner posture. The conversation unfolds as a story of identity, courage, and leadership that begins in a traditional career path and transforms into a purpose driven life rooted in principles.

A winding road that led back to purpose

Susan shares that her career began in social work, then shifted into corporate training and development. Over time, the corporate environment began to feel heavy and misaligned, especially as motherhood entered the picture and identity started changing in deeper ways. The emotional and mental cost of “doing what you’re supposed to do” became too high.

A key turning point came when a manager encouraged her to build real tools and prepare for the day she would eventually leave. That guidance led her into coaching, which became both a professional path and a personal healing journey.

In 2018, she made the leap and started her business. The decision was not framed as a simple career change, but as a choice between life and soul death. She describes the “golden handcuffs” of stability as something she could no longer accept if it required her to compromise who she was.

Rock bottom moments that clarified integrity

The episode emphasizes that major life shifts often come after deeply clarifying moments. For Susan, those moments included being passed over for opportunities after giving everything to a role, and being asked to compromise confidentiality with clients inside the organization. That ethical line could not be crossed.

Rather than adjusting herself to fit what was being demanded, she chose to protect her integrity even when it meant losing financial security, benefits, and long term stability. The conversation highlights that values are not abstract ideals. They are lived decisions, and they come with a cost.

A powerful reflection appears when Susan recalls a question posed by her therapist. When your life ends, do you want your story to be that you doubted or that you dared. That question becomes a guiding force, shifting her focus away from comfort and toward meaning.

The three part framework for becoming unf*kwithable

Susan explains the heart of her book and philosophy through three core qualities that work together as a leadership style and a way of being.

Unconventional is described as the choice to live without performance. It is the willingness to do life in ways that feel authentic even if they do not match expectations, norms, or the “proper” way of doing things. It is self expression without dilution.

Unapologetic is framed as the refusal to shrink. It is the decision to stop saying sorry for having boundaries, for saying no, for being direct, for honoring one’s needs, and for existing as oneself without constant self editing.

Unf*kwithable is presented as inner peace that holds steady even when chaos is present. It is the ability to care without carrying. It is the ability to stay grounded when other people’s emotions, dysfunction, or instability are swirling nearby.

The episode makes clear that this is not a perfected destination. It is a practice, and it requires emotional maturity, repeated boundary setting, and self respect.

Leadership in institutions that do not want leaders

A major theme of the episode is the tension between modern leadership language and the realities of corporate systems. The conversation challenges the popular fantasy that organizations truly want empowered, emotionally intelligent leaders.

Instead, it argues that many institutions are structured to reward compliance, control, and obedience. Leaders with pure intentions and people centered values often get crushed for trying to create psychological safety, trust, and cultural transformation. The cost is burnout, moral injury, and the painful internal belief that something must be wrong with them.

Rather than romanticizing leadership development as fixing the organization, the episode reframes leadership as learning how to navigate the institution without losing yourself. It becomes a conversation about self protection, internal clarity, and sustaining humanity inside systems that often deny it.

Karate as embodied leadership and a way of life

The conversation also explores martial arts as a training ground for leadership, courage, and character. Karate is presented as more than physical practice. It becomes a living philosophy that builds capacity through repetition, humility, and community.

The dojo environment is described as a rare model of real leadership, one where discipline and humanity coexist. It emphasizes respect, perseverance, service, and courage. The idea that a person can still practice karate even when they are not physically in the dojo becomes a metaphor for life itself. The principles are portable. They can guide someone through fear, doubt, and transition.

The episode even touches on the deeper meaning behind forms and katas, including the idea that many begin with defensive movements, symbolizing that true strength is rooted in protection rather than aggression.

Collaboration over competition

Another key message is the rejection of scarcity mindset. The episode promotes an approach to leadership and entrepreneurship that mirrors the collaborative spirit seen in healthier martial arts communities.

Rather than treating life like a tournament where only one person wins, the conversation encourages shared growth. There is enough space for everyone’s gifts. There is enough work for everyone’s magic. Helping others does not diminish you. It strengthens the whole ecosystem.

Intellectual wellness as integrated knowing

The episode closes with a powerful answer to the question of what it means to “think well.” Intellectual wellness is described as incomplete on its own. True wellness requires integration between the mind, the heart, and the gut.

Thinking well is not only logic or information. It is the ability to trust multiple ways of knowing. Intellectual clarity must connect with emotional truth and intuitive guidance. When these three centers work together, a person becomes fully present, fully alive, and more capable of leading with integrity.

What this episode ultimately offers

This conversation is an invitation to stop negotiating with your values. It reframes leadership as inner alignment, self respect, and the courage to choose authenticity over approval. It challenges performative leadership culture and offers something simpler and more radical.

Come home to yourself. Lead from that place. Stay rooted there, even when the world gets loud.