Your Body Is the Billboard: How Presence Outperforms Pressure

What if your next level of leadership isn’t in another certification or strategy—but in how you sit in your chair?
That’s exactly the kind of truth-bomb Lila Veronica dropped in her conversation on The Amanda Kaufman Show.

In a world where hustle is often glorified, Lila offers a powerful reframe: We don’t need to do more—we need to be more present. As a leadership embodiment coach and founder of the Riverstone Movement, she’s helped thousands of high-achieving professionals reclaim their presence, power, and purpose through the body.

Here’s a breakdown of the wisdom Lila shared and why this episode may just change how you show up on your next Zoom call—and in life.

From Burnout to Embodied Breakthrough

Lila’s story begins like so many in the coaching and leadership space: degrees, accolades, a thriving career... and underneath it all, exhaustion. As she described it, “I was go, go, go, do, do, do—and I was miserable.” Despite external success, she was deeply out of alignment.

Her pivot wasn’t subtle. After a period of immense personal loss—divorce, the passing of close family members, and major life upheaval—Lila found herself in what she calls a “country song moment.” But instead of staying in survival mode, she followed one small spark: yoga.

That spark became a fire. After 42 consecutive days of practice, she experienced a radical shift—physically, mentally, and spiritually. “It was the only thing that felt good,” she shared. From that moment, she transformed her entire life—selling everything, moving across the country, and diving head-first into body-based learning, movement, and eventually, coaching.

Embodied Leadership: What It Really Means

So what is embodied leadership?

For Lila, it’s the missing piece in most traditional leadership training. “I teach leaders how to embody their vision, embody their power, and embody their presence,” she says. “The more present you are, the more people trust you, like you, and want to be led by you.”

In other words, your presence precedes your message. Whether you’re in a boardroom, leading a webinar, or just showing up for your team, people are picking up on your energy before you speak a single word. And that energy? It starts with how you feel in your body.

“Your Body Is the Billboard”

One of the most striking phrases from the episode—and the one Amanda herself couldn’t stop thinking about—was this:

“Your body is the billboard.”

Think about that. Your posture, your breath, your tone, your eye contact—they’re all sending signals. Lila breaks it down this way: if you're tense, closed off, or slouched, you're unconsciously broadcasting disconnection, stress, or defensiveness—even if your words are saying something else.

But when you’re open, relaxed, and grounded? That’s when real leadership magnetism shows up.

3 Quick Shifts You Can Make Today

Lila shared three incredibly practical shifts that anyone—yes, even the busiest leader—can implement immediately:

1. Relax Your Belly Button

This might sound strange, but it's a game-changer. “Tight belly, tight life,” Lila says. Many people unconsciously hold their stomachs in, which triggers stress chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline. That tension impacts your communication and energy. Try it—soften your belly and see how it changes your breath and presence.

2. Breathe (Really Breathe)

It’s simple but profound. “If you can’t be with your breath for three full inhales and exhales, that’s your work,” Lila says. Most people breathe shallowly, especially under pressure. Deep breathing resets your nervous system and helps you return to your center.

3. Surround Yourself with People Who Expand You

Not just people who support you, but those who inspire you. Lila shared how she intentionally keeps people around her who are better than her in different areas—whether it’s relationships, finances, or wellness. “They know things I don’t even know that I don’t know,” she says. That’s the power of community.

Why Sitting Is a Superpower

One of the most surprising takeaways from the episode was how sitting can either sabotage or support your leadership.

If you’re constantly on Zoom calls, hosting webinars, or running meetings, how you sit matters. Lila teaches a unique method of sitting dynamically—so your body stays open, energized, and free of pain. Her clients have reported being able to sit longer, feel better, and even present more powerfully—all by changing the way they sit.

She offers a free 10-minute sitting training that teaches this technique, and it's a must-have for anyone who works virtually. (Hint: message Lila on LinkedIn or Instagram to get it!)

The Real Secret? Be More, Not Do More

At the heart of this episode is a mindset shift that Amanda and Lila both emphasize:

You don’t need to do more to be more. You need to be more present.

So many leaders and coaches feel like they have to constantly perform, prove, and push. But what if the real power comes from being fully in your body—relaxed, connected, and open?

When you embody your message, your mission, and your energy, everything changes.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a business coach, a team leader, a speaker, or someone simply trying to live more intentionally—this episode is your permission slip to stop hustling and start embodying.

🔥 Listen to the full episode: The Amanda Kaufman Show on Apple Podcasts
🎁 DM Lila on Instagram or LinkedIn for her free sitting training
💬 Share your biggest takeaway with us on social using #YourBodyIsTheBillboard

Until next time, keep showing up as the leader you already are—from the inside out.

Chapters List

00:00 Introduction to Leadership and Presence

02:51 The Journey to Alignment

05:38 The Power of Consistent Practice

08:10 Practical Steps for Leaders

11:12 Surrounding Yourself with Excellence

13:49 Conclusion and Resources

Full Transcript

Lila Veronica (00:00)

some would have a nudge, but in my world, it's more, it was more like being thrown off of a mountain. Learning how to fly on the way down.

Amanda Kaufman (00:05)

You

Well, hey, hey, welcome back to the Amanda Kaufman show. And I'm joined by my friend, Leela Veronica. She is the founder of the Riverstone movement. She's an international speaker, coach, and I'm so excited to have her here on this show. Hey Leela, welcome.

Lila Veronica (00:45)

Hey Amanda, thank you so much. I appreciate being here.

Amanda Kaufman (00:48)

my gosh, such a treasure to have you. Now, just before we went live with the recording, you were telling me in a beautiful way exactly how you help leaders. Do you mind repeating that for everybody?

Lila Veronica (00:59)

Yeah, what I want to say is that a lot of leaders do a lot. And what I do is I help leaders be more so they don't have to do as much. So I teach leaders how to embody their vision, embody their power, embody their presence. The more present they are, the more people trust them, like them, and want to be led by them.

Amanda Kaufman (01:20)

Mmm.

Lila Veronica (01:24)

And so I bring the body piece into the leadership component.

Amanda Kaufman (01:27)

Love this, love this. Before we went live, you said to me, your body is the billboard. And I was like, I've got to, I've got to sit a little straighter. I'm going to untuck my foot from under me in the chair. I'm so curious, Leela, what led you to this type of service? this, I love, by the way, I just love your focus because it's not just niche in the sense of focusing on leaders. It's really niche.

Lila Veronica (01:35)

Mm-hmm.

Amanda Kaufman (01:54)

in the sense of focusing on the body and their presence. How'd you come to this? What led you here?

Lila Veronica (02:00)

Oh,

thank you. It's a great question. I'll give you the quick and dirty. I am a high achiever, a leader. You know, I remember once asking my mom, what was I like as a kid? And she said, well, you're always asking questions. There I was asking a question, always. Always asking questions and always telling people what to do. That's what she said.

And I was like, what? She goes, it's okay, you had good ideas. We all listened. I said, okay, well, that's a leader, right? So I led my life. spent, you know, my young years, my formative years, you know, and then about 15 years into my adulthood in very much of an academic path. ⁓ Bachelor's, master's, PhD, all but dissertation, consulting.

Amanda Kaufman (02:27)

Okay.

Mm-hmm.

She just

casually lists that. so essentially, I grew up to becoming an extreme badass doing a lot of really incredibly cool things, but please go on.

Lila Veronica (02:51)

which I have a feeling

a lot of people listening are actually the same way. So I just kind of brush over it because I used to find those accolades important and I don't as much now because I got to the point where I was like at the peak of my career teaching at the largest university in the country. Lots of opportunities, lots of leadership, lots of funding coming my way, great support team, I mean everything and I was miserable.

I was go, go, go, do, do, do. Yeah.

Amanda Kaufman (03:16)

Yeah, you're speaking on the right show for

that one. think a lot of people had, and that's my story too, we reached a level, a pinnacle in a version of our life and looked around and said, this it? And is that, finding yourself in misery even in among achievement, that's a really common story among coaches. I'm so curious, you found yourself in this place where you had

Lila Veronica (03:35)

Yeah.

Amanda Kaufman (03:39)

you know, all the achievement way out of alignment. What nudged you into the alignment you're enjoying now?

Lila Veronica (03:45)

Well, some would have a nudge, but in my world, it's more, it was more like being thrown off of a mountain. Learning how to fly on the way down.

Amanda Kaufman (03:53)

You

Lila Veronica (03:56)

I had got married, I was going through a divorce. My grandmother died, my dad died, my dog died. I had this like country song.

sort of season in my life. And I always like to say like, I did not hit rock bottom, but rock bottom decided to come up and smack me in the face.

Amanda Kaufman (04:17)

my gosh, Leela, it's so funny because I actually haven't had anybody on the show yet describe their life as a country song, like that life moment as a country song. That's how I've described some chapters as well as I'm like, you know, those country songs, it's like I left with my truck and I left behind my dog. You know, like, yeah, I've been there.

Lila Veronica (04:25)

I'm

did and I will tell you I have always been into physical activity like I would say the one thing I've done my entire like is choreographed stuff like I was always like creating routines to the Beach Boys songs or like just doing like just funny stuff you know I've danced for semi-pro basketball teams I've done like weightlifting training and aerobics and Zumba and you know I've taught stuff I've taken stuff I've always had some sort of like little dancey fitnessy thing going on

Amanda Kaufman (04:49)

and

Lila Veronica (05:09)

In my life, I was a cheerleader, played t-ball, baseball, and like, right, I just love being active physically. So when I was going through all these challenges, my mind wasn't right. It was a lot of what they call monkey mind, but this was like a pack of angry gorilla mind, you know? And I went to a yoga class and it felt good. And it was the first time I had felt good in...

Amanda Kaufman (05:09)

Mm-hmm.

you

Lila Veronica (05:34)

months, maybe years.

Amanda Kaufman (05:36)

Hmm.

Lila Veronica (05:38)

And I'm, a high achiever, I thought to myself, well, how many days in a row can I go? It was the only thing that felt good at the time. And at day 42 was a day that changed me. I just sort of, it was an opening. And I thought, I gotta do something different. I don't know what it is, but I gotta do something different. And that's the moment when I decided to leave my marriage at the time.

And then I just went into this deep dive, same thing, hi Jeever, three yoga teacher trainings in a year. I traveled across the country, different places, found these great teachers, moved to Colorado, sold everything, put everything in my Subaru, drove across the country with my hula hoop. I knew nobody. I did not have a home, because at the time there was a massive Colorado rush, and I couldn't find a place from afar.

Amanda Kaufman (06:20)

Mm-hmm.

Lila Veronica (06:29)

And I, so I had no home, I had no job, and I knew nobody when I came to Colorado. I got here on Friday, I woke up Monday, and I found a job that day. And then I just kinda was wingin' it. And I didn't actually know about coaching until about two or three years after being in the yoga community world. Like mindfulness, all that, I learned about coaching. I just stumbled upon it. I thought, what's this? Took a little certification program, then did, of course, they had two more, did two more.

Amanda Kaufman (06:35)

Good.

Hmm.

Lila Veronica (06:56)

And then by that point I was in the business marketing component. And so from then I just nonstop was attending events, trainings, hired coaches. I mean, I've spent a half a million dollars in coaches just for myself. so, yeah, the thing I spend the most on is education in my life. I've spent the most on education for sure. I like it, it's part of my path. So I would say...

Amanda Kaufman (07:12)

Yep. Familiar.

Lila Veronica (07:26)

I've done the body work. I'm a business coach. I actually help a lot of people grow businesses, my soul's essence gift is showing you how your body is related to your life, your business, whatever it is you want. That is the just I'm trained well, but I'm innately gifted at it. So I love to help leaders really be

Amanda Kaufman (07:44)

You know, I love that

call out, because you said something I thought was really interesting. You said, the change hit me suddenly on the 42nd day of consecutive, consistent practice with yoga. And I just want to slow down, take a beat, and discuss that for a second. I think a lot of times people imagine that change is this thing that's happening in the future.

And you experienced one of the biggest changes of your entire life in a 42 day streak of having already made change. You already made change by adding that practice to your life. And I feel like a lot of people, they stay so stuck because they're not in motion and like in motion could be physical, you know, as your experience laid out, it could be even just like posting the thing on social media.

or declaring it to a friend, or just putting it from the journal page onto the calendar is a huge motion moment. And I think a lot of people kind of miss the change that is waiting for them because they're in their head about it and they're not moving it into that committed place. Yeah, and I also really love.

Lila Veronica (08:46)

you

Yeah. Yeah. And there's a...

Amanda Kaufman (09:01)

your highlight of just the amount of education, the amount of investment, both monetarily time, focus, energy, all of it into becoming a next better version of you that you now get to enjoy those innate talents because you you've honed them, you know, into that specialized knowledge that you do get to enjoy that it now flows. It feels second nature, doesn't it?

Lila Veronica (09:26)

Yeah, I like to say things like, all I have to do is show up and people love to give me things. I mean, it's true. I gotta show up and people are like, oh my God, Leila, I need to work with you. I've been dying to work with you. like, I just put on my pants today. I didn't even do anything. And that's what I want for leaders. Well, I did, you're right. You're No.

Amanda Kaufman (09:27)

Yeah.

It's true! Yeah.

Yeah, but you did do something. So this is the part where we're in like a really

quick podcast episode and I'm just going to put you on the spot. If there were like three things you wish everyone just knew to do that like were changes they can make today, what would those three things be given your knowledge?

Lila Veronica (10:02)

⁓

Step one, relax your belly button away from your spine. That belly button pulling in is triggering stress hormones and you don't even know it. Stress chemicals like adrenaline and cortisol. Relax that belly button, baby. Just let it go. You need to be open in the front if you're gonna receive and if you're gonna be able to communicate well. Huge. If it's hard to relax your belly button, relax your mouth.

your lips part because your mouth and your belly are connected of course. So that would be the first one. The second one is breathe. See if you can be with your breath, even if it's like three breaths, just be with it. I remember the first time I ever asked somebody how do you meditate? Like just breathe. I'm like, does it, what do you mean? Just breathe. Like just breathe. I'm like, what? Huh? I've no, I don't know how to do that. So that's your work. If you don't know how to breathe, that's your work. Three breaths, like just being with it is like a good start. And then surround yourself with people.

Amanda Kaufman (10:43)

Right?

Lila Veronica (10:52)

who are better than you at something. At something. You know, I have people in my realm that are very close to me that I talk to all the time that are richer, that are better wives, better mother, wife, women, know, relationship kind of stuff, and healthier.

Amanda Kaufman (10:54)

Ooooo

Love this.

Yes. I just love the permission that you have of just saying that out loud. Because I feel like in the coaching space, there's so much positioning and posturing and I've got to be the best at all the things all the time. Don't let it be seen that I'm not better. And I love that you just very simply and objectively said like, hey, they're better at it. Right? What does that do for you when you surround yourself with people?

who you just give them permission to be better at it and you permission to learn. Like, what happens?

Lila Veronica (11:40)

Two things, one, it humbles me because I can be talked up by people. you're so awesome, right? I don't want to be on a pedestal. Right? It humbles me. One. Two, it helps me have ideas that I have never even known existed. What I know is if I'm going to reach my next level, I know that I don't know what I don't know.

Amanda Kaufman (11:43)

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

That's it!

Lila Veronica (12:05)

And that's what I love about people that are better than me. They know stuff that I don't even know that I don't.

Amanda Kaufman (12:10)

definition of mastery is just recognizing just how little you do know. Like it's such a great big world. There's so many things to learn. I have a feeling we could talk for four hours just so easily, but Lila, what is the best way for people to tune in and see what you're up to?

Lila Veronica (12:25)

love social media friends. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, lila, veronica, L-I-L-A. Send me a message and we can chat, you know, and I'll help you out. You can help me out, we can help each other out, or we can just be friends.

Amanda Kaufman (12:40)

That's so cool. That's so cool. And I understood you had a little something if they wanted it, if they could maybe send you a message and ask for it. What was that gift?

Lila Veronica (12:41)

Yeah.

Yeah, so I have a free 10 minute training on how to sit to prevent back pain. This sitting is actually really powerful for you too. If you are on Zoom calls and doing presentations, doing meetings, you need to be aware of your posture and your presence in your body. And this is a very unique way to have your body sitting in a dynamic, open way. So message me, I'll send you the free sitting training. It'll...

It'll change everything. I will tell you one thing about it is that I have people that say things to me like, I can sit longer now without getting sore or tired. You can also use it driving. So I have people who go on road trips and they can drive, they'll drive like 12 hours without having to like have any pain and they're in their sixties. yeah, highly recommend learning how to sit for me. It's a life changer.

Amanda Kaufman (13:31)

That's outstanding.

I said it was outstanding. It's actually out-sitting, but I'm ching. But we'll make sure to have Leela's links for you below in the show notes. Leela, it's been such a pleasure. Thank you for coming to the show.

Lila Veronica (13:49)

It's a pleasure for me. I'm very grateful for you and the work you're doing for coaches and everybody else. It's really powerful.

Amanda Kaufman (13:56)

Amazing. I can't wait to check out your training. sounds really so useful for coaches and anybody who's doing a lot of content and things like that. Listener, hey, don't forget to hit subscribe so that you never miss another episode. And hey, if you love this, go ahead and take a moment and share the link with three of your friends. And I mean, if you really love this, you should leave an honest review.

know, Leela really showed up today. She's a here of service and we're always here as well. And when you leave that five star review, it helps other people make the decision to spend a little time with us. And we are so grateful for that. If you do take the 30 seconds to do it, thank you so much in advance. We'll see you next time on another episode of the Amanda Kaufman show. And until then do what matters.