In this powerful episode of the Life Engineering Podcast, Gabriela Embon sits down with Dr. LaNysha Adams, TEDx speaker, 10-time award-winning author of Me Power, Director of Student Wellness at Santa Fe Community College, and founder of the Me x We Institute.

Together, they unpack what true empowerment really is and what it is not.

Dr. LaNysha shares a courageous story of studying abroad in England and Mexico, navigating panic, uncertainty, and zero technology (no iPhone, no Wi-Fi!) and how that experience became a blueprint for engineering a life of no regrets.

From there, the conversation dives into her concept of "Me Power": not waiting for someone to "give you" power, but reclaiming the knowledge of self and acting from it. They challenge the common myths that empowerment means isolation, selfishness, or walking away from others-and explore how real empowerment is deeply connected to community, contribution, and "Me ➝ Multiple We".

You'll hear about:

LaNysha's "no turning back" story of leaving the US at 20 for nine months abroad

• The true definition of Me Power: knowledge of self + principled action
• Three big misconceptions about power (finite, granted by others, and zero-sum)
• How to tell if your choices come from correction (fear, overcompensation) or alignment
• The "tree in the storm" metaphor: when to bend, when to root deeper
• Why empowerment doesn't mean "I don't need anyone"
• The five principles of Me Power in action:

1. Embrace your barriers
2. Focus on your strengths
3. Speak for your life
4. Choose your guides
5. Ritualize your reflection

• A beautiful reflection exercise using a single photo from a defining moment in your life
• How she helps students and adults at crossroads rewrite their narrative of "who I am"