About Me

My Story

If you’ve ever felt responsible for more than your role…

If you’ve ever sensed what was needed before anyone said a word…

If you’ve ever known what you wanted but hesitated because of how it might affect others…

You’re not alone.

I know this experience intimately.

It’s February 2007. I’ve just flown home from a leadership conference feeling expanded, energized, and full of possibility.

On the plane, I thought:
This is it. I’m finally ready to create the life I want.

But the moment I walk through the airport doors and see my family, something inside me contracts.

Not because I don’t love them.
Because I suddenly feel the weight of the life I’ve carefully maintained... a life shaped by responsibility, accommodation, and an unspoken commitment to keeping everything running smoothly for everyone else.

Within hours, I’m curled up on the closet floor, sobbing into a pillow.

Not because something dramatic had happened.

Because something true had surfaced.

I didn’t yet have language for it.

I just knew something needed to change.

I grew up in Chadron, Nebraska, a small college town where music was part of everyday life. My dad was the college band director. My mom was a professional musician and teacher.

I was raised to work hard, achieve highly, and contribute meaningfully.

Sensitivity wasn’t discussed.
Responsibility was expected.

From an early age, I noticed I could feel what others were feeling often before they expressed it.

I could anticipate needs.
Sense tensions.
Pick up on subtle emotional shifts in a room.

These abilities made me highly capable and highly responsible.

I learned to keep the peace.
To anticipate expectations.
To adapt quickly.

I became skilled at creating environments where others felt supported and successful.

And I built a successful career in music education doing exactly that.

But over time, I began to notice something many high-capacity leaders eventually encounter:

being capable of carrying more…
doesn’t always mean it is yours to carry.

My internal clarity became harder to hear beneath the constant awareness of everyone else’s needs, expectations, and reactions.

I was achieving.
But I wasn’t always choosing.

My body began signaling what my mind kept overriding:

fatigue
tension
pressure
a quiet but persistent sense that I was living slightly outside of myself

The night on the closet floor was not a collapse.

It was an interruption.

A moment where I could no longer ignore the difference between performing alignment and actually feeling it.

That moment began a long process of learning how to distinguish:

intuition from anticipation
responsibility from over-responsibility
connection from self-abandonment

I immersed myself in the study of nervous system regulation, somatic coaching, trauma-informed breathwork, and intuitive development.

Not to become someone new.
But to return to myself more fully.

Over time, I learned that what many highly perceptive people experience is not a lack of clarity.

It is an abundance of information - internal, relational, and environmental - all being processed simultaneously.

And without the ability to discern what is truly theirs to carry, even very capable leaders can begin adjusting themselves in subtle ways.

Today, I help empathic leaders strengthen self-trust as they navigate identity shifts, evolving responsibilities, and meaningful next chapters.

My clients are physicians, educators, founders, creatives, and professionals who feel deeply and think carefully about impact.

They are often very clear internally.

But they want support navigating the relational complexity that naturally arises as they grow.

Together, we work with nervous system awareness, somatic insight, and intuitive discernment so decisions feel cleaner, communication feels more direct, and leadership feels more sustainable.

Because meaningful leadership does not require overriding yourself.

It requires feeling safe enough to listen inwardly even when external expectations are present.

These days, when I step into the closet, it is simply to choose what I want to wear.

And when I look in the mirror, I see someone who belongs fully to herself.

That is the work.

And it is available to you too.

I'm based in the Portland, Oregon area where I live with my empty nest dog... Bentley, an Italian Greyhound Mix. I'm so grateful to live close to my daughter who is now grown and to get to spend time with her - and her dog, Jane (who used to be our dog) often.

Media Bio

Brenda Winkle is a trauma-informed somatic coach and intuitive leadership mentor helping empathic leaders trust themselves as they navigate identity shifts, complex decisions, and meaningful next chapters. She is the host of the Top 5% podcast Your Yes Filled Life.

Short Bio

Brenda Winkle is a trauma-informed somatic coach and intuitive leadership mentor helping empathic leaders navigate identity shifts, complex decisions, and meaningful next chapters.

Her work supports highly perceptive professionals who want to strengthen self-trust as their visibility, responsibilities, and leadership evolve.

Blending somatic coaching, breathwork, and intuitive insight with decades of leadership experience, Brenda helps clients make aligned decisions without self-abandonment and expand their impact with clarity and steadiness.

She is the host of the Top 5% podcast Your Yes Filled Life.

Bio

Brenda Winkle is a trauma-informed somatic coach and intuitive leadership mentor who helps empathic leaders trust themselves as they navigate identity shifts, complex decisions, and meaningful next chapters.

Her work supports highly perceptive professionals - including physicians, educators, founders, creatives, and helping professionals - who feel clear internally but experience relational complexity as their work, visibility, and responsibilities evolve.

Blending decades of leadership experience in education and the arts with somatic coaching, breathwork, and intuitive insight, Brenda helps clients strengthen self-trust, separate their own knowing from external pressure, and make aligned decisions without self-abandonment.

Known for her calm presence and precise insight, Brenda creates grounded spaces where thoughtful leaders can think clearly, feel steady in moments that matter, and expand their impact without losing connection to themselves.

She is the host of the Top 5% globally ranked podcast Your Yes Filled Life, where she explores identity evolution, intuitive leadership, and self-trust for empathic leaders.

✨ Download the Empathic Leader Energy Audit: brendawinkle.com/audit

Signature Talks

Brenda Winkle speaks on self-trust, identity shifts, and decision-making for empathic leaders navigating meaningful growth.

You Don’t Need More Clarity. You Need to Feel Safe Choosing Yourself

Why empathic leaders hesitate in moments that matter and how to strengthen self-trust when decisions affect relationships, identity, and visibility.

Audiences learn how relational awareness can subtly override internal clarity — and how to remain grounded in their own knowing without disconnecting from others.

Ideal for leadership audiences navigating change, growth, or increased responsibility.

From Overwhelmed to Aligned: Strengthening Self-Trust in High-Responsibility Roles

Why highly capable professionals can feel internally conflicted and how nervous system awareness supports clearer decision-making.

Participants learn practical tools to reduce decision fatigue, increase internal steadiness, and move forward with clarity.

Ideal for organizations supporting high-performing teams.

The Somatics of Belonging: Self-Trust in Changing Environments

How body-based awareness helps leaders maintain clarity and integrity while navigating evolving roles, expectations, and relational dynamics.

Includes practical tools for creating psychologically safe, inclusive and resilient environments.

Optional breathwork experience.

Ideal for educators, facilitators, and community leaders.

Energetic Leadership: Decision-Making for Highly Perceptive Professionals

How intuitive awareness and strategic thinking work together in complex leadership environments.

Participants learn how to distinguish between clear intuition and relational pressure.

Ideal for podcast interviews and leadership panels.

Breathwork for Leaders: Regulation as a Leadership Skill

Practical nervous system tools that support clearer thinking, improved communication, and sustainable leadership.

Includes guided breathwork experience when appropriate.

Ideal for retreats, conferences, and leadership development programs.

Podcast Interview Topics

Self-trust and identity shifts
Intuitive leadership for high-achievers
Navigating relational complexity during growth
Decision-making for empathic professionals
Nervous system safety and leadership capacity
How sensitivity becomes a leadership advantage

Podcast + Media Presence

A sought-after guest on over 50 podcasts, Brenda has spoken on stages across the West and Midwest and led workshops for organizations including:

Nike (Fortune 500)
WELD - Women for Econonic and Leadership Development (Panelist and speaker)
American Choral Directors Association (Multiple engagements at both NW Conference and Idaho State Conference)
California Induction Conference
Boise School District
Association for Body Mapping Education National Conference
KCAA Radio + Humanity’s Team Live

Credentials & Expertise

Certified Advanced Trauma-Informed Breathwork Facilitator
Certified Somatic Coach
Reiki Master Teacher
Trained Psychic, Medium & Oracle Reader
Highly trained in ThetaHealing® and Clendinning
Master’s in Educational Leadership (Boise State University)
26 Years as a Choral Conductor, Public Educator and National Presenter

A Commitment to Inclusive Leadership

Brenda is deeply committed to equity, justice, and energetic safety. She served as the former DEI Chair for the Northwestern Region of the American Choral Directors Association and actively integrates inclusive, trauma-informed practices into every offering.

Her spaces are intentionally created for women and femmes, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ community members, and those navigating leadership as a spiritual path.