Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with April Diaz of Orange County

We recently had the chance to connect with April Diaz and have shared our conversation below.

April, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity first. Energy second. Intelligence third.
If you can’t be trusted, I don’t care how smart or talented you are—you’re a liability. Energy matters because it’s contagious and either fuels or drains everything around you. Intelligence? Useful, sure. But if you’re hungry to learn, you’ll outgrow IQ every time.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an executive coach and my company, Ezer & Co. helps high-capacity leaders exponentially expand their leadership impact holistically. We’re all about integrating life and leadership through a six-part holistic framework: physical, emotional, mental, relational, spiritual, and renewal. It’s in that order, on purpose.

I started Ezer & Co. because, as an executive leader, I rarely saw women equally represented at the highest levels of leadership. And when they were, they weren’t given the same opportunities, support, or coaching as their male peers. The result? High-capacity women end up overwhelmed, over-extended, and unseen. They’re often expected to lead in ways that don’t fit them, which only fuels the overwhelm.

Marginalization is a huge issue, especially for women and people of color who carry big ambition but have less access to opportunity. It’s not their fault, but it is their responsibility to lead differently.

That’s where we come in. At Ezer & Co., we expand leaders’ internal capacity so they naturally get different external results. We’re flipping the script on what the future of leadership looks like—whole, inclusive, and sustainable.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
The number one thing that breaks relationships isn’t conflict—it’s unresolved conflict. Conflict itself can actually deepen connection when it’s handled with honesty and care. But when conflict is avoided or left unresolved, it quietly erodes trust and closeness. The bonds are repaired and connection is rebuilt when people face conflict, communicate openly, and actively choose understanding and repair.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
The last two and half years have been the hardest of my life and leadership. In March 2023, I became extremely sick almost overnight. That sickness and the long recovery process nearly cost me everything.

Suffering taught me lessons that success never could: pain can become the place of supernatural power in your life and leadership, but only if you choose to embrace it, learn from it, and let it transform you. It taught me to listen to my body, to trust that God is working on my behalf even when I can’t see it, to understand that what’s happening to me is actually happening for me, and to focus on what only I can do. My pain has positioned me like an arrow—pulled back, embracing the tension, only to be released with greater momentum, direction, and focus. I would never choose to go through those dark days again, but I’m profoundly grateful for how they’ve shaped me into a fuller, stronger version of myself.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
They’d say I’m a wild one who would fight to the death for them!

What matters most to me are real, deep, transformative relationships where we push each other to the next level. They’d also tell you I care about justice, living with intensity and passion, pursuing purpose with intention, and having fun (with red wine) along the way.

My friends would say I never shy away from challenge. My response? Challenge accepted—always.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
What I understand deeply that most people don’t is this: you are the most important person you’ll ever lead. You’re also the most difficult! Most people avoid the deep self-awareness work, but that’s where the unfair advantage lives. Leading yourself isn’t about trying harder; it’s about training differently. Hustle will burn you out. Holistic leadership—physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally, spiritually, and through renewal—creates easier, sustainable and powerful results.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ezerandco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilldiaz/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilldiaz