Brieanna Lightfoot Smith
Speaker. Strategist.
Rest-first leader.
The story
What would you do if your body forced you to stop?
At seven months pregnant, Brieanna Lightfoot Smith passed out in her car. She'd been pushing — the way high-capacity women are taught to push. Through the exhaustion. Through the discomfort. Through every signal her body was sending that something needed to change.
That moment didn't break her. It built her.
What followed was a 15-month career pause that could have felt like failure — and sometimes did. But somewhere in the stillness, she found something she hadn't been taught to value: rest. Not rest as a reward. Not rest as a luxury. Rest as the foundation everything else is built on.
"I didn't want to teach women how to survive burnout. I wanted to give them a reason — and a roadmap — to never get there."
She left corporate America in 2018 to build something different. Not just a business — a framework. One born from her own unraveling and rebuilding, rooted in the belief that sustainable success requires sustainable energy.
The R.E.S.T.™ Framework — Restore, Energize, Sustain, Track — became the language for everything she hadn't been able to say before. And now it's the language she brings to stages, classrooms, boardrooms, and hotel ballrooms across the country.
Today Brieanna is a sought-after speaker, workshop facilitator, and the founder of B. Light Media. She's been featured in Essence Magazine and has spoken for Essence Fest, the Urban League, Dallas ISD, and UT Dallas.
She is a wife, a mom of four, and living proof that you do not have to sacrifice your life to sustain your leadership.
On stage
Essence Fest · Urban League · Dallas ISD · TWU · UT Dallas · DFW Startup Week and growing.
Book Brieanna to Speak →Press & media
As seen, heard,
and featured.
Articles & features
The Promotion Black Women Never Asked For At Work: Chief Emotional Officer
Read the article → Essence MagazineSpender vs. Saver? The Top Money Conflicts Couples Keep Having — And How To Fix Them
Read the article → Authority Magazine · MediumWhy Prioritizing Self-Care Is No Longer Optional for High-Performing Leaders
Read the article → Dallas InnovatesWEDallas Mompreneur Summit Aims to Equip, Inspire, and Empower Women Entrepreneurs
Read the article →Rest, Recharge and
Rule in Business
Brieanna joins the Laura Jane Layton Show to talk about the R.E.S.T.™ Framework, sustainable leadership, and what it really means to lead without burning out.
Chasing the Balance of Work, Family, and Mental Health
Listen → Podcast Truth Applied with Rebekah AnneBurnout: Taking Responsibility For Your Time, Energy & Talents
Listen → Podcast Your Life is Not OverIdentity, Purpose & Community with Brieanna Lightfoot Smith
Listen →Want Brieanna on your
podcast or stage?
She brings clarity, authenticity, and lasting impact to every conversation — keynotes, panels, podcast interviews, and facilitated experiences.
Speaking
Talks that move
people and organizations.
Burnout Proof: The Case for Doing Less to Become More
1.1 million women left the workforce in 2020. Most of them saw it coming — they just didn't know what to do about it. As one of them, Brieanna gives attendees the tools to read the signs, make the right trade-offs, and build a life that's both sustainable and deeply fulfilling — whether the entrepreneurial path was chosen or thrust upon them.
Finding Rest with Your Finances
A session that applies the R.E.S.T.™ Framework to money — helping attendees build clarity around income, spending, giving, and goals without the shame, the spreadsheets, or the stress.
The Rhythm Reset
A live facilitated experience built on the R.E.S.T.™ Framework — designed to help teams and individuals realign their pace, restore clarity, and build a rhythm that supports both performance and wellbeing. Available virtually and in person.
The $5,000 Problem: Why Your Best People Leave and How to Make Them Stay
Using the R.E.S.T.™ Framework, hospitality and corporate leaders gain tools to restore team energy, re-engage their people, and create rhythms that support both performance and wellbeing — before the exit interview.
Her Cup Overflows
Rooted in Psalm 23, this talk weaves the R.E.S.T.™ Framework through the imagery of a tea table — the teapot that God refills, the sugar bowl of joy, the napkin of rhythm, and the teacup of gratitude. A message for the woman who has been pouring for everyone else and forgotten she was meant to overflow too.
"She delivered a powerful and authentic message that deeply resonated, creating space for reflection, renewal, and meaningful personal connection."
Valerie Arroyo · Leadership Coach"Her ability to clearly communicate and teach the framework made rest both practical and transformative — participants left with tools they could immediately apply."
Alexis Cannella · International EducatorReady to bring Brieanna to your event? She speaks at conferences, ERGs, leadership retreats, school districts, hotels, and corporate teams.
Book Brieanna →