Grace Through the Fire
Ready to step into your power and lead with unstoppable presence?
This is your call to rise.
On Grace Through the Fire, Marissa Lewis — confidence coach, business mentor, speaker, and author — challenges women to break free from limitations and lead with unstoppable presence.
This is where future leaders, influencers, and creators come to own their voice, claim their space, and build a brand and life that demand respect. Through real talk, transformative strategies, and interviews with powerful women blazing their own trails, you’ll find the fire to fuel your next level.
It’s time to stop playing small. It’s time to thrive.
About the host:
Kia ora, I’m Marissa Lewis.
I’m a proud Māori woman, Māmā, and the CEO of Marissa Lewis International. My whakapapa grounds me, my whānau keep me steady, and my mahi is about weaving wisdom, strategy, and presence so women can rise without leaving themselves behind.
With more than 20 years in sales, marketing, and communications, and over a decade as a coach, speaker, and retreat facilitator.
I’ve guided wāhine and women globally to step into their voice, their mana, and their leadership.
I’ve trained corporate teams, mentored entrepreneurs, and held sacred space for women to reconnect with the power they’ve always carried.
Because here’s the truth: no matter where you are from, you hold a world of wisdom from your ancestors. When you remember that — when you align your business, your confidence, and your leadership with that inheritance, you stop minimising yourself and start creating the legacy you were made for.
I work with ambitious women in their 40s and 50s who have poured decades into careers, families, and communities, and are now ready to claim their voice, their authority, and their next chapter. Through my Ultimate Confidence Academy™, Connect Retreat™, and one-on-one mentoring, I help women align their vision with their values and lead with both heart and authority.
For me, this isn’t just business. It’s a mission and a legacy: to stand alongside women who are ready to rise into their brilliance, design lives and businesses that feel wildly fulfilling, and create ripples of impact for generations to come.
If you’re ready to move from overlooked to unforgettable, from baseline to brilliant, I’m here to walk that journey with you.
Learn more at
Grace Through the Fire
Episode 64: CEO Chair Series with Janelle Riki-Waaka
In this episode of Grace Through the Fire: The CEO Series, I had the absolute honour of sitting down with Janelle Riki-Waaka—a powerhouse wāhine Māori, cultural capability expert, and unapologetic leader whose presence alone is transformational. Our kōrero was nothing short of soul food. We dove into what it truly means to lead from a place of deep cultural identity, heart-aligned conviction, and radical confidence, especially as wāhine navigating spaces that weren't built for us.
Janelle opened up about how she manages her energy as an “energy magnet,” how she grounds herself after high-pressure situations, and why she refuses to “water rocks” when faced with resistance or criticism. Her wisdom around legacy, especially working for her unborn mokopuna (grandchildren), hit me hard—in the best way. She reminded me, and now you, that leadership isn’t about palatability—it’s about truth, aroha, and courage.
We also unpacked practical insights for entrepreneurs—from embracing fear as fuel, to staying in your strengths, to the power of surrounding yourself with community that lifts and recharges you (like pounamu, as Janelle beautifully explains). If you’re a woman—especially an indigenous woman—ready to lead unapologetically and leave a legacy rooted in people, planet, and purpose… this conversation is for you.
With so many unforgettable one-liners (yes, including “I do conversion therapy for racists” and “This is not your shit—do not pick it up”), this episode is bold, beautiful, and deeply needed.
Arohanui
Marissa
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Nga mihi,
Riss