Paula Out of Africa, Part 1: Kenya, Wonder, and the Brand You're Becoming
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Description
For years, I had wanted to visit the African continent, especially Egypt, but when the opportunity came to travel to both Kenya and Egypt with the National Bar Association, something in me immediately said, "Paula, you have to go." I had no idea just how much that decision would change me.
In Part 1 of my Paula Out of Africa series, I'm taking you along on my journey through Kenya. What started as a long-awaited trip became a powerful reminder of the importance of wonder, curiosity, community, and making room for experiences that expand who we are. Along the way, I found unexpected moments of connection, stood in awe watching elephants in the Maasai Mara, reflected on leadership and personal branding, and came home with what I can only describe as a capital-C confidence.
If you've ever felt a nudge to do something that stretched you, this episode is your reminder to trust it. Sometimes the experiences that change us the most begin with simply saying yes.
Chapters
1:11 – Why Paula took this trip (and why it had to be solo)
2:29 – The question so many stop asking themselves
3:54 – A strange encounter that proved prophetic
5:01 – An important reminder about relationship-building on the first leg of the journey
6:07 – What surprised Paula when she first set foot on African soil
7:10 – How travel influences your perspective
9:38 – The creative power of participation
10:14 – Why curiosity might be the most underrated tool in relationship building
11:17 – What finally happened when the long-awaited spiritual connection arrived
13:01 – An unforgettable scene that shows the beauty and heartbreak of nature
15:11 – The "capital-C confidence" Paula brought home and what it means for her personal brand
16:59 – An invitation to trust your intuition
Mentioned In Paula Out of Africa: Kenya, Wonder, and the Brand You're Becoming
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Sponsor for this episode
This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC.
PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.
Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.
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Transcript
Paula Edgar: Welcome to Branding Room Only, the podcast where your personal brand gets a front row seat. I'm Paula Edgar, and if you're here, it's because you know your brand isn't just about what you do. It's about how people experience you. In each episode, you'll hear stories, strategies and lessons from leaders and influencers who built their brands and made their mark. And I'll share the tools you need to do the same. Let's go.
Hey, everybody, and welcome back to Branding Room Only. Today, I'm starting a special series that I'm calling Paula Out of Africa. And this first episode is all about my time in Kenya.
I have been trying to figure out exactly how to tell the story because it wasn't simply a vacation. This is simply a bar trip. And it wasn't wasn't even just another trip. I happen to take a lot of pictures, although, as you'll see in the show notes, I definitely did that, too. This trip felt and was bigger than that. It felt spiritual.
It felt intentional, and it felt like one of those experiences that arrives in your life at exactly the right moment and leaves you a little bit different on the other side. For years, I had wanted to visit the African continent. I'd never been, but I felt pulled towards it, particularly towards Egypt.
I have this strange and admittedly unexplainable kinship with Egypt that I can't really put into words. And then there's Kenya. I know that Kenya meant elephants. And if you know me, you know that I have loved elephants since I was a little girl. I collect elephants. I think they're majestic and wise and beautiful.
And I've always been fascinated by the way they live in community and protect one another. So when I saw that the National Bar Association was organizing an international affiliates trip to Kenya and Egypt, there was no debate. Something in me immediately said, Paula, you have to go.
And I've learned enough in my life to pay attention to those moments, because sometimes your intuition knows before your mind catches up. I also knew almost immediately that I wanted this to be a solo trip. I love my husband. I love my children. But I wanted this experience to belong entirely to me. It would be the longest I'd ever been away from my family.
And while I knew I would miss them terribly, I also had this feeling that there was growth waiting for me on the other side of the decision. And honestly, I think that's where the first lesson of this trip lives for me. So many of us, particularly women and caregivers and high achievers and entrepreneurs and insert all the commas here, have become so accustomed to showing up for everyone else that we stop asking ourselves what we need.
We stop asking ourselves what would bring us joy, what would challenge us, what would expand our thinking or what would reconnect us with ourselves. And that's what I wanted. This trip started because I answered those questions honestly.
I wanted adventure. I always want adventure. I wanted wonder. I wanted fun. I wanted to experience the continent and I wanted to see the elephants in the wild. And I wanted to see what would happen if I simply trusted myself.
Now, if you know me, you also know that I'm very particular about when I travel. I like organizations. I like details. I like to know exactly what's happening and when. So some of the logistics of the trip were a little challenging for me because they weren't exactly how I would have planned them. But I was personally prepared.
In fact, shout out to my wonderful husband because he packed my suitcases using packing cubes and literally organized every single outfit for every day and every segment of the trip. Because we knew there would be a lot of moving around, a lot of living out of suitcases. It was such a sweet act of care.
And one of those reminders that even when I was preparing to travel alone, I wasn't going alone. I was carrying my family and their love and support with me. Then something happened that I still think about, and I do believe it's connected to my mother and me knowing that this trip was also about my love and connection to her.
When I was checking my bags in at the airport and the woman was helping me, you know, check me in and weigh my bags, etc. She stopped and looked at me and said, can I pray for you? Now, y'all, I'm a spiritual person, but this is not something that happens to me every single day. But I said yes.
And she grabbed my hand and prayed over me and said that this trip was going to be a transformative one and that I would come back different than when I left. And I remember standing there thinking, well, that's incredibly specific and this is odd. But as it turns out, she was absolutely right.
I did come back different. I came back more grounded. I came back with a different perspective. I came back more connected to myself and much more certain about some of the things that I have been that have been sitting quietly in my spirit before I even boarded the plane. So let's get into the trip. The first leg of the trip took us to Germany.
The flight itself was long. And then we had a six hour layover in Frankfurt, which honestly was might have been one of the hardest parts, because at that point I was ready to just get there. I wanted to be in Africa and I wanted to begin the experience that I had been imagining for so long.
But as I think back on it now, the layover was actually the beginning of the trip. Because, you know, there were some people in the trip who I knew, et cetera, but no one well. And we spent those hours in airport lounges talking and laughing and simply getting to know each other better.
And over those six hours, we started to build a community, which was helpful because, again, I was on my own, but it was helpful to remember I wasn't on my own. It's funny because relationships are such a huge part of my work and I spend so much time talking about intentional relationship building and relationship capital. And this trip reminded me yet again that some of the most meaningful experiences in our lives begin with a simple conversation and a willingness to be open and curious to new people.
So eventually we've boarded the flight from Frankfurt to Nairobi, and I have to admit something to you. I had convinced myself that the moment I stepped onto the African continent, I was going to have this huge spiritual experience because that's what happened to me when I visited the big island in Hawaii. When I put my foot on the ground there, I felt this immediate energetic connection to the place.
And I thought, surely Africa is going to feel the same with my ancestors and the connection. But when I got off the plane and it didn't happen immediately, I was surprised. Now, don't get me wrong. I was happy. I was excited. I was taking pictures of absolutely everything because, of course, I was. That's what I do. But that overwhelming sense of connection didn't happen right away. Looking back, I think there was also a lesson in that.
Sometimes transformation doesn't announce itself when you arrive. Sometimes it slowly unfolds and quietly reveals itself to you one moment at a time. And that's what happening, what was happening to me when I was in Nairobi.
So we went to sleep that night because it was late. And then the next day we started off the trip by visiting the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi. I don't know if you know, but I studied museum anthropology in college. And so I was absolutely in my happy place, which is museums. I love museums. I love history.
I love learning about people and culture and traditions and understanding how societies evolve. At the museum, we learned about the Maasai people and the history of Kenya. We saw beautiful artwork and artifacts.
And I have to mention the birds because there are apparently a whole lot of birds in Kenya. And my father loves bird photography. So I found myself taking picture after picture thinking, oh, daddy would love this because he would have.
Travel has a funny way of reminding you of the people you love too. Wanting to show them the things that you experience when they're not with you and wanting to connect to them through what you're experiencing. There were moments on this trip that made me think of my father.
Moments that made me think of my husband and my children. And so many moments that made me think of my mother. That day, we also visited a place called Kobe Tough. It is a woman run collective where women create beautiful beaded and leather goods. And I love this part of the trip. I love seeing women creating and building and supporting one another.
And I love hearing their stories and definitely being able to drop a little change there and support them. And again, it reminded me again that brilliance exists everywhere. Talent exists everywhere.
Leadership exists everywhere. We simply don't always get exposure to it. And I think that's another reason why travel is so important. Because travel expands your perspective and perspective changes the way you lead. Perspective changes the way you communicate. Perspective changes the stories that you tell. And ultimately, perspective changes your brand. Because your personal brand isn't just your title or your bio or your LinkedIn profile. It is also your worldview. It's your experiences. It's your stories. And it's the lens through which you see people in the world around you.
Then we had a meal in the Karen District, which is named after Karen Blixen, the out-of-Africa movie fame. And as someone who thinks deeply about history and colonization and power, I got to tell you, I did have mixed feelings about that. It was impossible not to think about the layers of history that exist in that naming. But the restaurant itself was wonderful. And later that evening, the National Bar hosted a welcome reception. There were singers and dancers and members of the Maasai community were there sharing their traditions with us. And they invited people to join and dance. And, of course, I got up because that's what I do. I dance.
I participate. And I throw myself into experiences because tomorrow is not promised. And I don't want to be someone who watches life happen from the sidelines. And I think that there's a lesson in that, too. Participation creates stories. Participation creates relationships. And participation, of course, creates memories. Then the next morning, it was time to head to the Maasai Mara and the Savannah. And the drive was about five hours.
I thought we'd get to choose our own cars and who we want to ride with together. But everything had already been assigned. And initially I was a little disappointed. Then I reminded myself that everything happens for a reason. And that growth begins where comfort ends. The people in my car already knew one another.
And I found myself sitting in the front seat next to our driver. And let me tell you, I talked that man to air off. I asked him about his family, his work, and how long he'd been doing this and what life was like in Kenya and what he loved most about his country, doing safaris, et cetera.
I was genuinely curious. And by the end of that drive, we had all connected. I really, truly think that curiosity is one of the most underrated relationship-building tools that we have.
People remember when you're interested in them. People remember when you ask thoughtful questions. People remember how you made them feel. So then we arrived at the camp. And let me be clear, this was glamping, not camping, because your girl does not camp. I like a luxury.
I had been slightly nervous about this portion of the trip, but the accommodations were absolutely beautiful. We drove out into the savannah for the first time that afternoon, and this was the moment. This is when I felt it. That's when I felt that spiritual connection that I had been waiting for, because everything suddenly became quiet. I felt this incredible sense of peace, and then I saw my first elephant, and then another, and then another. They were so close.
I couldn't believe it. I was overwhelmed. And then it started to rain, and then a rainbow appeared, a rainbow over elephants. I started crying. I cried because it was beautiful. I cried because I felt grateful. I cried because I felt present in a way that I haven't felt in a very long time. I felt close to my ancestors, and I felt close to my mother. I cried because I felt exactly where I was supposed to be.
The older that I get, the more I realize that we need moments of awe. We need moments that make us stop, and we need moments that remind us that there is so much more to life than our inboxes and our deadlines and our to-do lists. Y'all, the savannah gave me wonder.
The elephants gave me wonder. The silence gave me wonder. And I think wonder is an underrated ingredient in leadership because wonder creates perspective, and perspective creates better leaders.
The next few days felt like living in a nature documentary, seriously. We saw baby elephants and leopards and lions and hyenas and hippos and zebras and giraffes and every kind of beautiful bird imaginable. And then we experienced something that I still think about.
Earlier in the day in the morning, we had seen a lone giraffe, like not near any trees, just sort of out in the middle of the savannah, and our guide remarked that it was unusual because they're usually either with a group or they're eating. Then later, we came upon a pride of lions that were feeding on a baby giraffe. In that moment, we all realized that perhaps the giraffe we had seen earlier had been looking for her baby.
And it was heartbreaking, and it was also beautiful because nature doesn't hide from life. Nature doesn't hide from loss. Nature doesn't hide from the fact that joy and grief often exist in the exact same place.
Sitting there in that moment, watching these lions feasting, I thought about my mom. I thought about grief. I thought about the approaching 25th anniversary of September 11th, and I thought about grief and love and memory and all of the ways our lives are shaped by both joy and loss. And then I was reminded that our stories are made up of it. I'm sitting here in the middle of the savannah watching this, thinking that the people who did The Lion King did an excellent job because literally we're living the circle of life. Our stories are made up of it all, joyful moments, painful moments, the moments that break us, and the moments that rebuild us.
And our personal brands are shaped by all of those experiences too. They are shaped by our resilience, our perspective, and our willingness to continue growing. One of my friends had asked for me to pray for her while I was in Kenya and Egypt, and I decided to do something bigger.
I wrote prayers for my family, for my friends, for the people I mentor, and for all of you because I knew that somehow I would be eventually talking about this experience and that this journey would become a part of my story. So a part of what I committed to was to bring a change in me because I have been to both Kenya and Egypt and to share that experience of how it has touched me with all of you. People keep asking me what changed.
I came back home with a deeper trust in myself. I came home remembering that joy matters, adventure matters, beauty matters, experiences matter. And I came home with what I can only describe as a capital C confidence, the kind of confidence that comes from listening to yourself and discovering that you can trust where your spirit is leading you, the kind of confidence that comes from knowing that the ancestors who I've come from were walking on the same land I was on and that me, their descendant, I have an understanding that my personal brand will continue to evolve, right? That I am my ancestors' wildest dreams.
I am also a lawyer. I'm an entrepreneur. I'm a keynote speaker.
I teach leadership and personal branding. And I'm also curious, adventurous, spiritual. And I value wonder. I value experiences that expand my perspective and deepen my humanity. And allowing people to see all of the dimensions of me does not weaken my brand. In fact, it strengthens it because people connect with people.
I talk about this all the time on the podcast, right? That we love peopling is a lost art that we need to connect with more. Not titles, not resumes, and not perfectly curated versions of ourselves. People connect with stories.
They connect with humanity. And they connect with our continuous state of becoming. So if I leave you with anything today, it's this. I want you to trust the nudge. Take the trip. Do the thing that your spirit keeps telling you to do. Make room for wonder. Create experiences that belong entirely to you. And remember that every experience you have becomes a part of the story that you tell about who you are.
Your personal brand is not static. It's something that you are continually becoming and developing. And Kenya reminded me that I am still becoming.
And honestly, I hope that I always am. Thank you so much for joining me for part one of Paula Out of Africa. And next time we're going to be talking about the segment of the trip in Egypt. And trust me, there's so many takeaways from that. Just as meaningful. Until then, stand by your brand. Remember to have fun, sit and wonder, and experience joy. Bye, y'all.
That's it for this episode. I appreciate you hanging out with me on Branding Room Only. Now, please do me a quick favor. Head over to ratethispodcast.com/branding so more people can join this conversation. And make sure to stop by paulaedgar.com/events to see what's next. Whether I'm live online or in person, I'd love to see you there. See you next time in the Branding Room. And until then, stand tall, shine bright, and always stand by your brand.
