Living The Red Life - Top Leadership Coach: Transforming Potential Into Purpose-Driven Influence

Episode Date: January 14, 2026

Deketa Tranae, a leadership coach who focuses on building impactful leaders. This episode delves into Tranae's approach to leadership development, emphasizing awareness, legacy building, and overcoming adversities. Tranae discusses her journey from realizing her teaching gift at an early age to her current role as a sought-after coach and speaker, as well as the importance of having mentors and a supportive tribe in one’s professional journey.Throughout the conversation, Deketa Tranae shares key insights drawn from her experiences, highlighting the importance of authenticity and lasting impact in leadership roles. She also discusses the evolution of her career and the serendipitous alignment of becoming a certified John Maxwell Team member, a figure whose works she has long used as a teaching tool. Her story is a testament to resilience, faith, and the belief that each coaching session and speech is an opportunity to inspire and ignite change, both in individual lives and organizations. This episode is an inspiring listen for those seeking to elevate their leadership capabilities and understanding of legacy building.Key Takeaways:Developing impactful leaders involves creating a culture and environment that fosters self-awareness and potential.Mentorship and a strong support network are critical in personal and professional growth.Embracing one's authentic self and focusing on legacy can significantly shape leadership journeys.Effective leadership and coaching are supported by continuous learning and alignment with personal core values.Overcoming adversities with "audacity, delusion, and faith" can catalyze personal growth and success.Notable Quotes:"Leaders make legacy. They build, they develop, they create legacy.""You're not late, you're right on time... You're going to have this kicking your spirit to where you all have all of a sudden have a spirit of awareness of your why.""What I share... I didn't make it up. I couldn't even make this up if I tried; this happened in real life.""I am human too. I am flawed too. I am still developing and growing.""Despite adversities and challenges, I was crazy enough... to have the delusion to believe that, oh, no, it didn't work today. It'll work tomorrow."Connect with Deketa Tranae:WebsiteInstagramLinkedinConnect with Rudy Mawer:LinkedInInstagramFacebookTwitter

So when you're gifted with the power of teaching, how does a teacher select the subject? What do you teach? I teach basically how to develop leaders, leadership qualities to be, I'm not going to even say a good leader. Yes, there are good leaders everywhere, but impactful leader. We talk about legacy all the time. Leaders make legacy. They build, they develop, they create legacy. So what I do as a teacher is create the environment and the culture for a spirit of awareness,

for them to tap into their greatest potential to make impact in whoever they're influencing. Despite adversities and challenges, I was crazy enough, Ray, and I say crazy enough to have the delusion to believe that, oh, no, it didn't work today. It'll work tomorrow. Okay, it didn't work tomorrow. I'm going to do it again. What do you say to folks that are in need of your services? How do you reach out for these folks? So right now, I am...

My name is Rudy Moore, a host of Living the Red Life podcast, and I'm here to change the way you see your life in your earpiece every single week. If you're ready to start living the Red Life, ditch the Blue Pill, take the Red Pill, join me in Wonderland and change your life. Welcome to another powerful episode of Women in Power today. Joining me is Takeda Trenna, an amazing culture in competition. consultant. How are you? You just are fresh off the little episode. How does it feel? It feels very powerful. Well, lack of better words, very powerful, very powerful, very enlightening.

It's really exhilarating for me to hear and be in the moment of retelling my story. Absolutely. Yeah. We found that after so many episodes, you can see the client, as we say, that woman in power or the legacy maker, have that realization. I'd go, whoa, I've felt a lot. It has been in real time. In real time. Awesome. Very cool. Yeah.

So let's talk about who you are. Like we're just being ramped an elevator. We're stuck there. What's your pitch? Who are you? So, Dequito Trine, I would say, is when I walk in a room, it shifts. It lights up. It brightens up.

It's like, who is her? Who is her? Not just from a fashion perspective, but who is she when it comes to her energy. I'm a leadership coach that happens to be a transformational speaker. and in the development of what I do as a coach, it just so happens that you're going to have a spirit of faith, resilience, and being able to tap into, oh, my gosh, I believe I can jump, just with having a conversation with me.

And that's who I am and what makes my business of being able to empower and instill whether it's leaders or entrepreneurs. Where did you, this first discover your superpower was as a child, a toddler, or teenager? When did you say? It had to be as a child. Oh, right on. Tell me your first story. Like from the film, when you watch the episode, I talk about how as a four-year-old I was teaching my dolls and made my sister, who is four years younger me, sit in my classroom.

I cracked up because I talked about how she did it effortlessly like it was okay. I was like, I hope I wasn't bullying her. But that superpower with me naturally teaching and educating that I always knew I had that as a four-year-old. And it was other people, family, that really cultivated it and affirmed me in that to where it was just more brought to life to how I thrive today. I was raised by my grandmother and she was just making sure that it was healthy. But it was my stepdad that discovered, you know, this boy is an artist. Who was the person that discovered you and discovered your art? Oh, yeah, my mom.

It was my mom and my aunt specifically with me just playing school and all of that. She realized how gifted or talented I was, you know, as a young child in that. But it really, me, you know, if you're living it, it's normal or natural to you. It was a firm when you see other people or hear other people say, oh, this is a gift. It's funny. I was stereotyped stiping. Oh, I don't want to be a teacher even though I was a teacher in literally all my life. My aunt said, I don't care where you go, what you do, or what you say.

You're always going to be a teacher because that's the gift that I had. And she shared that with me when I was like maybe six or seven years old. Of course, they didn't register the way. And now as a 44-year-old, I'm like, oh, my gosh, she really spoke that. No matter, I'm not in the four walls of a classroom, but I'm literally providing development and training and teaching. and what I do every day. So when you're gifted with the power of teaching, how does a teacher select the subject?

What do you teach? So I teach basically how to develop leaders, leadership qualities to be, I'm not going to even say a good leader. Yes, there are good leaders everywhere, but impactful leader. We talk about legacy all the time. Leaders make legacy.

They build, they develop, they create, legacy. So what I do as a teacher is create the environment and the culture for a spirit of awareness for them to tap it to their greatest potential to make impact in whoever they're influencing. How do you build the curriculum for something like this? Where do you start? Yeah, so I actually, I'm a sponge. Even though I'm a teacher, I enjoy learning. So I'm, I gravitate to learning. So I'm a credential John Maxwell member, which is like speaking, consulting, training, all the things. So over time, over the years, I have accumulated a plethora of education when it comes to credentialing. Before I became John Maxwell Certify, Ray,

I had a series of his books that I would facilitate workshops and trainings because of his perspective and his philosophy and being, I'm going to use the word. where faith-based, you don't have to be faith-based, but because I'm faith-based, it was an alignment to just governing principles of being a great, impactful leader. And I realized just this is the most memorable accomplishment recently. I received that certification array, and I was like, who would have thunked? I've been using his book this whole time, and now I am facilitating in the name of John Maxwell, so that felt really amazing.

It's funny because the first stepdad that discovered me, he was coached by Les Brown. And Les Brown is one of our clients. So we have that correlation. It's like, wow, fulls. Yeah. And when you say, how do I get this curriculum? It's a combination of the Les Browns, the John Maxwell. It's not just a one and done, but you create the culture for whoever or whatever organization or client that you have that makes it in alignment.

But according to just my vision or what I say, my core values, core values. values for me is definitely spirituality. It's about being having our energy or effervescent, zealous spirit. And legacy is one of those things. And Les Brown and your John Maxwell's, they talk about the importance of legacy and being able to make impact. So I'm just now turning 42 on Sunday. I'm just now learning about emotional maturity and spiritual spiritual maturity where it's like you've reached a point of sort of kind of zen and I can just feel that I'm transitioning to that mode. Because I come from a very aggressive upbringing

where it's just like, do it now, don't ask questions. Why are you talking about? It's funny to say that, Rach, check this out. That happened for me when I turn 40. So when you say just now, it's right on time. It is not just now. You're not late. You're right on time because of the evolution of the seas of your life that you're in.

You're going to have this kick in your spirit to where you all of a sudden have a spirit of awareness of your why, of your intent, your purpose, or where you are. So it's not just now. You're right on time. Also, I feel like you're coaching me at this bird. I'm sorry. That's what I say.

I'm doing it naturally. So I get. Okay. I appreciate that information. What is your, like your clientele? Is it just random rays off the street like myself? Yes, random rays that have a mindset of I want more. Got it for sure.

But I may not know what more looks like. DeKita Trinay is going to coach, cultivate, and help bring that out based off of your authentic guy given skill sets and help elevate it and refine it to where it's elevation for you, whether it's your career path or as a leader. And so while my target audience may be young professionals, I talk about don't get a twist when I used to word young. Young does not necessarily mean in age. Do that mean in tenure? I started entrepreneurship at 40, right? So I was a young, being introduced to entrepreneurship. So it's how you define it and where you are in your life.

Yeah. Where does your power come from? Where does your download come from? Oh, God. I can't explain it. It's faith. I can't. You know how people say you just got it or you don't?

As a young child being four years old, I was raised and an upbringing of church. And thankfully, you know, some people catch it. Some people don't. Some people steer weed, you know, and you find your own. That's what's grounded me, rooted me. My mom introduced that to our household. I just took it, received it, cultivated it, and now it's my pillar. It's a core value.

It is my why. It is how I operate. It's my purpose. So when you say, where did I get this power? Yeah. From the great divine. Right guy. Yeah.

Who do you call? What mentor do you speak to when you're facing challenges or a question? Yes, I have several. It depends on what bucket I use the word, what bucket of challenge that is life challenge, personal childness, personal challenges, relationship, challenge, business challenge. So I have a plethora contingent

on that, and I definitely encourage anyone to at least have a mentor or two. I have a, we call ourselves the bosses, a sorority sisters, that's two of us, that we, I can be safe. I have my safe space. And so

when I talk about mentorship or when you ask who mentors you, it could be people that may have common interest, right, but they have a different download than what you would have to offer, a different perspective. And you have to hear that because sometimes we look ourselves in mirror and we see the same thing, but somebody else will see something different. So I have a couple of lines, sorority sisters. I call them they're my line sisters. And then I also have a mentor sister as well that I looked up to.

She was 13 years older than me. She's my sister. But from my personal experience perspective, so, yeah. What's the Dakita Laser focused on now today? What's your current project? So right now, I am taking my leadership opportunities and translating that into speaking. So it just has happened authentically, right? Where I'm afforded the opportunity, like you said, I just do it naturally, where I'm

coaching and developing. I'm also kind of making impact and lighten the fire and inspiring. So what I'm working on now is I have two tours, I say tours, but speaking opportunities to speak in London and in Canada to people that are craving what does community look like, what does resilience look like. And I was chosen, you know, as a Dekeita-Turne, John Maxwell's speakers to be able to present these people. So those are projects I'm working on as get ready to travel, I can say, the world to make impact in their regard. Super excited about it. The folks that are skeptics about this, like what happens to you transformatively when you're about to walk on stage and share your personal ministry? Yeah. What happens to you? Is it your heartbeat? Is it

energy? What are you, what's happening to you at that? Can I be real raw? That's why I'm asking. The people that nobody knows me. I lose two pounds. before I go on any stage. Do you know what I mean when I say? It was too much. I have to poop. I'm very well prepared. I'm prepared for the context and the content and all of the things.

But a day before, 24 hours before, the countdown, right? I can't eat. I am poopy. But I have learned that means I'm so passionate about what I'm about to do, like the ministry I'm about to give. I'm so passionate. And not only am a passionate that lets me know I'm still in alignment, because I'm humble.

I candle it with care. I want to steward the words that come out of my mouth because I'm not a fraud. But the words that come on my mouth, they are out of true authentic experience, personal experience. What I share, I'm very much a storyteller. So what I share right, I didn't make it up. I'm like, I couldn't even make this up if I try. Like, this happened in real life. So this is what I used tapped into to get through or to make that other side come to fruition.

Very cool. Yeah. What do you say to folks that are in need of your services? How do you reach out to these folks? Are you shooting them ads? Are you praying for them? Or do you just let life just funnel in folks that are reaching out? Yeah, lots of marketing.

I hate that part, Ray. I'm going to be honest, lots of lots of marketing. but I'm grateful to have a team that does the outreach that is to organizations and or people that are in alignment to my core values. So when I say in alignment, and everyone may not necessarily have the same religion, it doesn't matter ethnicity or religion, what diversity looks like. It's more so what impact or what outcomes are you trying to have for your organization, your business. If the spirit and the purpose and the intent is to have a spirit of positive results and get there with integrity, get there with making positive impact in the culture, then we will be in alignment. So my team does that reaching out. I have an assistant as well as a brand manager that supports me behind the scenes.

So I'm going to say they're like the backbone to pure necessity when it comes to me being able to be forward-facing because I am for a fracing type of client. I was just going to say, can you talk about the importance of building a tribe that is essentially an extension of you but also protecting you to preserve the energy, the town, before you deliver it. Talk about how I'm going to add is why rappers have pussies. Yeah, I mean. Yeah, so I have definitely, I say my community or my village, in order for me to be sustainable. And when I say sustainable, I'm not just talking about, oh, the growth of the business for my financial piece. I'm talking about mentally and physically and spiritually sustainable for me to go out and get 110%. I'm not going to lie, Ray, I give a thousand percent when I'm like coaching, doing a workshop or on stage behind the scenes.

running. I am doing a peloton. Behind the scenes, I am making sure that I drink water. I don't drink. I don't smoke. Behind the scenes, I have a therapist that I'm meeting with every three weeks for her to equip me with the tools that I need when life starts life, right? With the things that are unpredictable, the challenges and diversities that come that I might not predict, she gives me the tools to equip myself so that I can sustain myself and still be able to walk and elevate and purpose when I'm on the stage or coaching before my teams and different companies that I'm supporting. What are

your go-toes where you're on stage? Everyone's got their golden path. I do what he does. It's like you're on stage you're about to hit your first three-minute mark and you look at the crowd and you're like, they're warmed up, they're ready to listen to it. What are your core like your pillars when you're on stage, you're hitting the deck? What's on that screen?

What do you hit your core pillars? What's your message there? Yeah, so I read the room. And when I say I read the room, I have already read the room prior to me getting on this stage. I'm making eye contact with the energy, what's happening,

what's not happening. Regardless what's on that PowerPoint, you find it to that PowerPoint, I actually re-aligned what's happening here before I go here. Because you have to be able to not be scripted, if you will.

And I'm going to be honest, I hate PowerPoint. I hate it. It's more of a guide for reference for me. But I like to be so relational and so one-to-one with my audience, even if it's 5,500, you know, 5,000. A couple of things that I do when I get there is read the room when I'm looking at there and actually request the feedback,

request the energy. How are y'all feeling today? Good morning. If I don't get the good morning, I always see this. Oh, I used to be a third grade teacher, so you're going to get all this energy. I need the reciprocated response back, and then that's when it breaks the ice and people start.

laughing. Yeah, yeah, I read the room from that. And then secondly, more than likely I would have network prior to that time and found a person's name and I'm good with names. And I connect while I'm talking. I say, Ray, have you ever gotten a chance to have this? So now I'm paying it to. They're like, how in the world they remember my name? That's the tactic that I use because I'm really good names because it brings a personal connection, right? Yep, absolutely. If I have the opportunity too when it comes to even mentorship workshops, I actually get on their level. Do you know what I mean?

And I say, give them a little bit. If there's an opportunity, I'm going to walk out. I'm going to touch a shoulder. Oh, yeah. Right? I'm going to give high fives to position them to feel like I am you, you are me. I am not above you. I'm stewarding this and handling this with care.

So just because I'm on this stage or just because I'm considered. an influence or a coach for you, I'm right here with you. I am human too. I am flawed to. I am still developing and growing. So that third thing that I do is remind them that I am human as well. And so we're in this together. So that's what brings true authenticity with my delivery as a mentor coach speaker. Amazing. How do you feel? Oh, absolutely amazing. I appreciate you. Yeah. What can we look forward to in this powerful episode? So I talk a lot. It's a couple words that I probably threw out several times.

Audacity, delusion. Audacity, delusion, and faith. Those three words interchangeably throughout my years of growth, personally, professionally has been audacity, delusion, and faith. You name it. What you're going to learn from me is despite everything, and challenges. I was crazy enough, Ray,

and I say crazy enough, to have the delusion to believe that, oh, no, it didn't work today. It'll work tomorrow. Okay, it didn't work tomorrow. I'm going to do it again. You know, you're going to find out that DeKita Trinney actually grew

and catapulted my true gift as a child to where I am today. I didn't steer away from it. I just cultivated it, and it evolved and shift. to maximize my growth in how I am today. So it's pretty sneaky cool.

When I said it out of, I'm like, oh my gosh, this is really raw, real me. Right on. Yeah. Gosh. Thank you so much for your time and energy. I appreciate in taking this moment and sharing your story with us. That's all night. I guess that's it.

That concludes another amazing episode on a powerful episode. Again, Tequita, thank you so much. And for Insight Success Network, I'm Ray Gutierrez. Thank you so much. Thank you.