What happens when a personal wake-up call forces you to rethink not just how you lead, but why you lead in the first place?
In this episode of She Is a Leader Podcast, we explore what it really means to build and scale an organization when the mission is deeply personal and the responsibility is real. We talk about leadership beyond titles, growth beyond profit, and how purpose often becomes clearer in moments that stop us in our tracks.
I’m joined by Michelle Bockman, President and CEO of KeraLink International, who shares her journey from leading global teams in Fortune 500 companies and Silicon Valley startups to rebuilding and scaling a mission-driven nonprofit focused on ending avoidable blindness.
Michelle opens up about losing her eyesight, discovering cancer through early eye care, and how that experience reshaped the way she approaches leadership.
We discuss building organizations that can grow without burning out the people inside them, balancing empathy with accountability, and why operational discipline does not have to come at the expense of humanity.
We discuss building organizations that can grow without burning out the people inside them, balancing empathy with accountability, and why operational discipline does not have to come at the expense of humanity.
This conversation covers delegation, decision-making under pressure, testing and learning without perfectionism, and what it truly takes to create sustainable impact at scale.
If you have ever felt the weight of leadership, questioned how to grow without losing yourself in the process, or wondered how to align purpose with performance, this episode will give you perspective and clarity.
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DISCLAIMER:
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🌟 Meet Michelle Bockman & KeraLink
Website: https://keralink.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keralink_international/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeraLinkIntl/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KeraLinkInternational
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebockman/
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🌟Connect with Yvi
https://instagram.com/askyvi
https://www.facebook.com/AskYvi/
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🏆 Highlights 🏆
00:00 | Introduction
🌟Connect with Yvi
https://instagram.com/askyvi
https://www.facebook.com/AskYvi/
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🏆 Highlights 🏆
00:00 | Introduction
02:20 | Michelle’s personal story: losing eyesight and a wake-up call
04:20 | What KeraLink International does
06:10 | The PEN model: prevention, early detection, and treatment
08:45 | Moving from Fortune 500 leadership to nonprofit CEO
10:30 | Why purpose-driven work still needs strong business systems
13:35 | Can structure and systems still allow flexibility and agility?
16:15 | Michelle’s leadership style: empowerment with accountability
19:50 | Letting go of perfectionism in leadership and business
21:45 | The real impact of access to eye care in underserved communities
24:20 | Long-term vision: KeraLink’s 30-30-30 mission
27:00 | Why community matters and how to get involved
04:20 | What KeraLink International does
06:10 | The PEN model: prevention, early detection, and treatment
08:45 | Moving from Fortune 500 leadership to nonprofit CEO
10:30 | Why purpose-driven work still needs strong business systems
13:35 | Can structure and systems still allow flexibility and agility?
16:15 | Michelle’s leadership style: empowerment with accountability
19:50 | Letting go of perfectionism in leadership and business
21:45 | The real impact of access to eye care in underserved communities
24:20 | Long-term vision: KeraLink’s 30-30-30 mission
27:00 | Why community matters and how to get involved
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