Angela Gill Nelms on Resilience, Leadership, and Overcoming the Unthinkable

Charles Cormier Podcast – CEO Wisdom

In this powerful episode of Founder Wisdom Pod, Charles sits down with Angela Gil Nelms — startup executive, founder, leadership strategist, and host of The Badass Leaders Podcast. Angela’s journey began in an abusive childhood that, against all odds, forged the skills she would later use to thrive as a female engineer, C-suite leader, and culture-driven growth advisor.

She opens up about surviving that early trauma, building a career in healthcare and startups, and the mindset shifts that allowed her to lead with empathy and resolve. Angela also shares the harrowing story of her kidnapping in 2020, how she escaped, and the long recovery process that shaped her approach to leadership and conflict resolution.

This conversation dives into resilience, the difference between surviving and thriving, the role of curiosity in resolving conflict, and the urgent need for better mental health and rehabilitation systems — both for victims and perpetrators.

If you want a raw, unfiltered look at what it takes to come back stronger from life’s hardest blows, this is one you won’t forget.

Watch now: