331 Are You Ready For Change?

Change is inevitable however it is up to you on how well you deal with that change and if your preconceived biases will influence you in the future.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Divya Ramachandran discuss change, biases, and how important approaching change with curiosity.

Highlights

• Acknowledging the differences between yourself and others and approaching those differences with curiosity and kindness. 

• Taking accountability for what has shaped you and learning to move forward in the best way possible. 

• Being is the hardest thing to do, it’s okay to struggle but remember to take time to just be.

• Learn from kids, enjoy the journey and just try to have fun. 

Quotes

“You’ve got biases, we all do, and that’s okay but we’re not going to act on them in a way that’s unkind, we are going to be respectful, we’re going to be curious, we’re going to be open. Be conscious of your biases and choose your actions appropriately. And I think this is a conversation that we are struggling to have today, everyone is just struggling to call it out and say “Hey you’re different. You’re different from me, I notice and it’s okay for me to notice, But I’m not going to hold that against you.”

“Understanding what are some of those experiences, thoughts, beliefs that have really shaped us. And I say us because I got to do the work as much as they do.”

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

Have you worked with a coach? Have you really understood what the expectations are, what your expectations are? Have you ever worked with someone you didn’t quite jive with and then you just gave up instead of finding somebody else that might have served you better in that relationship? I’m curious to hear your experiences and whether you were looking for an advisor or coach, were you clear internally about what you needed in that moment? And are you being fair to the coach or therapist that you’ve been working with? In terms of knowing that you’re ready to develop and self reflect and get to a different point in your life. Are you ready for change, because change can be very scary.

And, as always, thank you for listening. 

About Divya

Divya Ramachandran, Ph.D., P.C.C., is a distinguished leadership coach, transitioning from a successful career in tech to empowering leaders at tech startups. Born to South Asian immigrants in Salt Lake City, Utah, Divya navigated the complexities of identity and excellence from a young age. Her academic journey led her from computer engineering to a profound discovery at UC Berkeley, where she realized her passion for using technology to address human needs. This epiphany, coupled with a transformative experience in executive coaching, redirected her path toward leadership coaching. Divya specializes in guiding tech startup leaders, leveraging her expertise in energy awareness, cognitive behavioral coaching, and emotional intelligence to foster trust, connection, and effective communication within teams. Her work focuses on helping leaders achieve clarity, resolve conflicts, and enhance productivity, fundamentally believing in the power of understanding oneself to lead others effectively.

Be sure to check out Divya’s LinkedIn! As well as her free guide “How To Do Hard Things: It’s About Clarity, Not Time.”!

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

330 How Trials Facilitate Growth

It is a normal and natural part of life to encounter obstacles and challenges on our way to success and fulfillment, it is our choice for it to either overwhelm us and destroy us or for us to learn from these instances and grow with grace.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Sarah Russell discuss the importance of growth and self actualization through hard work and dedication, especially through hard times. 

Highlights

• Random acts of kindness can create life long friendships.

• Everyone is different and it is incredibly important to make people feel welcome and included. Our differences make us stronger together.

• Life is unpredictable and wild, so find joy and fulfillment where you can.

• We are all pushed out of the nest at some point, either in our personal lives or our careers. Which is why it is so important to have faith in yourself and what you were taught.

Quotes

“You take life as you can.”

“You find the people that you’re supposed to find, good and bad. I was just talking to someone else about this and I think you and I were talking about this in the beginning. Those difficult situations, those difficult people, really start to write our story too.” 

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

Wherever you are in life, what have you found, what experience did you have recently, maybe in the last five months or five years, that was really hard for you that you can now own and embrace as positive learning lessons, something that happened; you were kicked out of the nest uncomfortably or you had a boss that was cruel to you and all those lessons that we can learn from those experiences. What is your lesson now that you can take into the next part of your life in gratitude and grace for that difficult obstacle or challenge that you experienced. 

And, as always, thank you for listening. 

About Sarah Russel

Sarah is, first and foremost, a student of yoga, which has informed her holistic business approach and sets her apart in the business world. She has been insanely successful and a total failure along her career path – both of which have taught her many lessons in consistency, perseverance and entrepreneurship. Sarah has consulted for over 60 organizations, founded seven start-ups, five brands, two-non-profits, and co-founded four start-ups in her professional career. Currently she is a senior consultant in talent management at a government consulting firm and top voice in Training and Development (HR) on LinkedIn and shares content regularly.

Sarah lives in the mountain West of the US, splitting her time between the Mile High city of Denver and the quiet pace of a rural mountain town in Montana. She spends her days away from the computer enjoying the outdoors, volunteering her time with animal rescue groups and traveling. If you’re looking to take the leap into self-employment, land the job of your dreams you don’t even know exists yet, or expand your business portfolio, contact Sarah to get the nudge you need and the tools to help you make that career transition in your life.

Be sure to check out Sarah’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram!

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

329 Hello Fellow Storyteller

The art of telling stories is something that unites us, but it is also something that can tell us so much about the person after they tell their story, especially if the story is awkward or funny, or if it’s about another person. 

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Karen Eber discuss the art of storytelling and how there are opportunities to collect and tell stories everyday.

Highlights

• Awkward questions are unavoidable, one day you will look back on them fondly.

• Actively listening to the people who are telling you their story.

• If you want to learn about someone’s stories, ask questions.

Quotes

“That was my intro into storytelling that recognizing it’s not just a way to convey meaning or persuade, it’s a way to create connection, even change energy in what can be the most artificial of circumstances.”

“Through conversation we just uncover magical things.”

Mentioned in this podcast 

Happier Hour With Einstein

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

What will you do today that you will pay attention to and build a story out of? Maybe you’re picking up kids from school while you’re listening to this, what are you experiencing as you are waiting for your kids to come out of the school? Maybe you’re on your way home from work, or maybe you’re going for a walk with your dog, what are you paying attention to that you could turn into a story that you could collect and share to connect with people in an authentic and personal way.

And, as always, thank you for listening. 

About Karen

Karen Eber is an author, leadership consultant, and keynote speaker. Her TED Talk on how your brain responds to stories continues to inspire millions. Her book, The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories That Inform, Influence, and Inspire, is a Porchlight Books Bestseller and was selected as a Next Big Ideas Club must-read. It was published with HarperCollins this October.

As the CEO and Chief Storyteller of Eber Leadership Group, Karen helps Fortune 500 companies like GE and Microsoft build leaders, teams, and culture, one story at a time. She guest lectures at universities including MIT, and Stanford. She is a former Head of Culture, Learning, and Leadership Development at GE and Deloitte. Karen frequently contributes and is featured in Fast Company, Quartz, Entrepreneur, MSN, Forbes, Inc, and Business Insider.

Be sure to check out Karen’s Instagram and LinkedIn! As well as her book and her website where you will find a free download of common storytelling mistakes!

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

328 What Is Soul In A Business?

Serving your clients, team members, and the community you live in is vital to the health and wellbeing of not just your company but to yourself and those you serve. In serving others and your community you will find that you will be more fulfilled and enjoying your life and work even more than before. 

In todays episode Sarah Elkins and Steve Ramona discuss servant leadership and the life and soul brought to your business and life. 

Highlights

• Remember people’s names so you can begin to build meaningful relationships with new people.

• Leave room in your life for personal growth.

• Even what you perceive as a failure can still help others. Sometimes good enough is perfect.

Quotes

“It’s a skillset like gratitude, I think servitude or servant hearts, you need to practice. People ask “Well how do I do it? I don’t have money.” Well the best part is you don’t need money, just go to a soup kitchen, go to a homeless shelter and feed. So many ways you can do it.”

“What is Soul in a business?”

“So it started at the worst it could be as you know until we ended up okay. It wasn’t the greatest show but it was okay. But here is what I want people to hear, this is so important: I’m still going to put her on my youtube channel, I’m still going to put her on my podcast. ‘Cause it’s the universe. You have somebody with a bad show, or not so good show? Put it out there, because you don’t know if somebody could resonate with that because we don’t know everybody.”

Mentioned in this podcast

God Doesn’t Waste A Thing

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

Who are you going to be the next time you see somebody needs just simply to be seen and heard? Will you be that person? Will you stand up and just see that person and offer that just very brief moment of kindness? Because that is what a servant leader does. 

And, as always, thank you for listening. 

About Steve

Steve Ramona discovered his calling at a young age and is now on a mission to share his secret sauce for success. He thrives on forging meaningful connections, sharing referrals, and watching people flourish.

His contagious passion for the Law of Increase makes his podcast "Doing Business with a Servant's Heart" so successful. This show is chock-full of inspiring stories about overcoming challenges and serving others.

Steve has a knack for spreading good vibes and elevating those around him. He learned from his dad that the entrepreneurial spirit is a great way to make money. I can share stories of how people serve, struggle, and win. We must overcome something, so why not learn to serve and overcome it much faster? I learned early in our Health Club the importance of customer service. I knew the more I served, the more it was a win-win for everyone. I enjoy working with people, referring people, and helping people grow. The Law of Increase is my mission when I network around the world.

I love to mentor businesspeople and offer all the resources I have. To win, you must grow yourself first; then, you can share this with others! I am an avid reader.

Be sure to check out Steve’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram! As well as his podcast show Serving In Business

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

327 The Company We Keep

It’s a fact of life that we will make poor decisions, sometimes in the form of negative influences like people, often times repeatedly when we’re young. It’s normal and completely natural to make mistakes, as human beings we are allowed and expected to grow and change, rarely we are ever the same moment to moment, which is why it is vital to choose actively everyday to do your best and put your best foot forward despite all previous hardships. 

In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Ricky Birkenstock discuss the importance of self awareness, growth, and taking responsibility for yourself when things are bleakest.  

Highlights

• The past does not define you. You can use the negative experiences of your past as fuel to change your life for the better.

• No matter how dark things seem you can always find or make a better place to be.

• Taking responsibility for your own actions, thoughts, and wellbeing. 

• Ditch the “Shoulds”

• Surround yourself with people who will help you grow.

Quotes

“I often like to say that life gives us lots of signs when we’re going down a wrong path. And I’m not kidding, I probably had fifteen to twenty signs before this incident so this was like the climax, the universe said; “Hey man, you’ve made your bed. It’s time to go.”.”

“The first thing that happened, I was kind of grasping in the cell as I just laid there thinking about how I had created this and how I could create something better. So I was already emotionally processing these things, the big piece was actually taking responsibility for my situation. Instead of blaming anything because that’s easy to do I just finally said, “Alright man, this is me. This is my behavioral track record has lead to a conclusion so let’s find some new behaviors to create new realities.”.”

“I think it’s a whole bunch of bullshit when people say awareness is everything. we have to define it and awareness is so important because it then gives us the ability to choose. Because before you’re aware you’re just going on the unconscious programming, you’re just going through the motions, you’ve got the software system in your head that says, “Hey I do this thing.”. But now you’re aware of it and you can catch yourself.”

Mentioned in this episode

Podcastify.me

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

Who do you have in your circle, you’ve been asked this many times on this podcast, I want to know who your going to shed out of your circle, who are the people that are holding you back, and that doesn’t necessarily mean cutting them completely out of your life but it does mean making sure they aren’t influencing you in a negative way. Who will you shed from your circle, so you have room for the right people? 

And, as always, thank you for listening. 

About Ricky

Hey there! My name is Ricky Birkenstock! I've lived several lives in my short time on this Earth. In general, I've gone from the depths of personal pain to helping my clients explore their highest potential and achieve the level of life quality they desire. I've dubbed myself "The Life Quality Engineer."

Be sure to check out his LinkedIn and website at Ricky Birkenstock!

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

326 Giving What You Get

Skills and talents -our “magic”- manifest differently in everyone, but what matters is how we use these abilities to achieve our dreams and to lift up others around us. In helping others we will often find ourselves more fulfilled and happy in our daily lives.

In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Alicia Branham discuss the importance of loving what you do and giving yourself the same grace you give others while also continuing to strive for the future you want.

Highlights

• See every facet of an individual, do not pigeonhole them.

• Take a chance on others and let others take a chance on you.

• Give back to your team.

• It’s normal to doubt yourself, imposter syndrome is very real.

Quotes

“That is one thing that I do with the people that I serve is that I try to be that sounding board, and that support system that you typically wouldn’t find in a marketing firm. Because I really, really care about people and I care about people’s happiness, and if I know you’re frustrated or stressed out about something and there’s something I can shed light on for you to help you see things more clearly, then I’m going to do it. Because that’s what I’m compelled to do, that’s how I serve. I want everyone to be happy and be at their best, so it’s important to me that I actually give back in that way to the people that I work with.”

“I can’t be the only woman on the planet who doesn’t see our worth.”

Mentioned in this Podcast

SCORE

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

What is your magic? Maybe it’s time to ask somebody who knows you, that you trust, that really sees the best in you. Ask them what you bring to the table that’s different from other people, find a way to use that every single day. Because the more you work on that the more that gift, biologically, environmentally, psychologically, that was given to you becomes an actual talent. That’s where you find the most meaning and purpose in your days is by using them. 

And, as always, thank you for listening. 

About Alicia

Meet Alicia Branham, the marketing powerhouse with a story beyond business savvy.

Her journey reflects adaptability and determination, traits cultivated during her formative

years when her parents uprooted her to Uruguay.

Navigating the challenges of a new language and culture, Alicia not only embraced the

unfamiliar but thrived in it. This early experience laid the foundation for her ability to

connect with diverse audiences and approach marketing from a truly global perspective.

Alicia's journey from navigating the streets of Uruguay to conquering the digital

landscapes of marketing is a saga of resilience and cultural fluency.

It's this unique blend of personal growth and professional triumph that sets her apart in

the marketing world. As a speaker and influencer, Alicia not only shares groundbreaking

marketing strategies but also imparts the invaluable lessons learned from her multicultural

upbringing. Prepare to be captivated not just by her marketing prowess, but by the

remarkable journey that shaped Alicia Branham into the visionary marketer she is today.

Be sure to check out her LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram! As well as her website Alicia Branham!

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

325 Writing Our Own Stories

Although hard work and dedication can get you quite far in life, it helps immeasurably to have someone at your back who believes in you and inspires you to strive towards your goals and future. Our stories, though valuable, do not define us and should be used as kindling for the fires of ambition. 

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Kïrsten Blake discuss the importance of how our stories shape our paths in life but most importantly how the people involved in our stories inspire and guide us to success.

Highlights

• Sometimes you need to trust people to know you and perceive you in their own unique way.

• The people who help you through your struggles help to define you and inspire you to grow and change, especially when dealing with an othering experience.

• We don’t know where we are going until we look backwards. 

• We need to experience so many different things

Quotes

“I think belonging is such an important aspect of my work, and so it’s not surprising that that story was what came to mind the more I think about it because, I think it informs so much of what I do, who I became, what’s important to me. I think also having a lot of compassion for little people, you know we don’t tend to see them as little humans but they are. They’re experiencing things, they’re going through things, there’s alot going on in their head, and I think as adults it’s really important for us to remember that.”

“It all makes sense when you look backwards, but when you’re in it sometimes it doesn’t.”

“We have to be in it. And I think sometimes we avoid being in it because it can feel hard and not great, and I think we as humans want to feel good and happy and joyful. But a mantra I try to live by. I'm not always great at it, being a recovering perfectionist is “Life is in the messy.” and so we have to let things be messy sometimes in order to get to that point where we are able to look backwards.”

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

What stories can you look back on as early as 6, 7, 8, years old that might inform what you’re doing today? Might help you uncover a pattern, or a reason about how you feel the way you do about something, or the passion you have for something else. I am so curious, please send me a message.

And, as always, thank you for listening. 

About Kïrsten

Kïrsten Blake is a certified Narrative Coach, facilitator, speaker, and creator & founder of Chapter BE. She works with individuals, teams, and organizations to develop a deeper sense of self-awareness in service of transformation and connection. The work includes examining internal stories in order to better connect with themselves and others, so they can tap into a more mindful, authentic state of being. Her coaching, workshops and programs have provided leaders and individuals with the opportunity, support, and space to design more connected teams, workplaces, and lives.

Be sure to check out Kïrsten’s LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook! As well as her website Chapter Be and The Being Of A Nation!

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

324 Facets of Value

Valuing every facet of where you work, especially if you work with other people, is vital to the survival and prosperity of any company. From treating your customers with integrity and respect, to rewarding the hard work and dedication of loyal and valuable employees, in order to thrive in the world as a business you must value every facet of that business.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Blake Hutchison discuss the importance of appreciating the skills and abilities of everyone in a company, while also giving the absolute best to customers and the public.

Highlights

• How are others receiving your story? Why are you sharing particular stories?

• Discovering your identity and learning new experiences through travel.

• You learn a lot about individuals through time observing their behaviors and attributes.

• You never know how helpful, loyal, and incredibly valuable an individual can be unless you give them a chance.

• You never know how many opportunities you can have if you show care for your job and how you present yourself.

• The first interaction a customer should have with your company should be with someone who cares.

Quotes

“You change as a person when you go and you travel.”

“You develop an empathy for customers because you are so close to them through the retail and hospitality context.”

“It was a function of, first I’ll think about how much time I’ve put in versus what that customer needs from me right now. And that little bit of extra care and empathy ends up giving you a bit more willingness and want to help a customer too, and that can be missing sometimes but when it’s there it’s really powerful.”

“I think the difference is related to whether you put yourself in somebody else’s shoes, or you only ever walk in your own. Walking in your own creates for a very narrow minded approach to doing work or living a fulfilled life, and walking in other people’s shoes gives you agility and flexibility and understanding and ultimately gives you empathy. And so part of it is do you work for yourself, do you work for the team, do you work for the company, or do you work for the customer?”

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

What did you take from this conversation? Was it something about wanting to travel, do you have the travel bug again? Was it something about a new business or an idea you have that maybe you need to make that next step because thinking about it isn’t going to start it. And who are you going to surround yourself with, because if you are a thinker and not necessarily a doer, you need some doers in your circle.

And, as always, thank you for listening. 

About Blake

BLAKE HUTCHISON - CEO OF FLIPPA

Blake Hutchison is the CEO of Flippa, the world's largest marketplace to buy & sell online businesses. Blake leads the team as they build out a product empowering exit and ownership for business owners and entrepreneurs globally. Prior to running Flippa, Blake held leadership roles across multiple fast-growth tech businesses across E-commerce and SaaS.

Be sure to check out Blake’s LinkedIn as well as Flippa, Flippa’s Referral Program, and Flippa’s Online Business Valuation! 

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

323 Authentic Connections

Authentic connections can be difficult to find, whether it be from not being taught the skills to form these connections or simply losing touch with former acquaintances, it can be difficult but not impossible and with the proper tools and a heartfelt message, authentic connections can be found anywhere. 

In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Amy Daughters discuss the importance of authentic connections and how having meaningful conversations with individuals can lead to long term relationships.

Highlights

• You’ll never know how profound a connection can be unless you reach out.

• It only takes a thoughtful act to change not just the person receiving, but the person giving.

• In the age of social media it’s more important than ever to treat people like individuals with their own stories and burdens they carry.

• Act with love in your heart, and encourage others to do the same. 

Quotes

“It’s generally accepted that if you write me and tell me that you care about me and value me, that I’m the one that walks away the person most changed. But the reality, and I learned this 580 times, You’re the person who’s the most changed. The person who is releasing that thank you, that congratulations. Because I went from saying “What am I going to even say in these letters?” to once I looked at their profile and once I realized who they were to me, all of a sudden I had so much stuff to say; Thank you, I’m sorry, Congratulations, I support you. And I started to see all these things that were going on in people’s lives that I couldn’t see in the news feed that I had to treat people one person at a time.”

“The handwriting is somebody’s personality but it’s also the physical manifestation of how somebody feels about you and how it made you feel.” 

“I think what we try do is we try to put everyone else in our own little box, you know whatever it is that you feel like you’re inspired to do. I was inspired to do that, but everyone is inspired to do something, they have a moment in their heart where they’re like, “Oh that’s what I want to do.” We got to encourage each other to do that.”

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

Remember that title; Your Stories Don’t Define You But How You Tell Them Will. What are the stories that people can tell about you based on what you take from this conversation? Think about the stories people are telling about Dana and Parker, and about Amy, that they’ll never know and yet continue to create this ripple effect of connecting beyond the keyboard. Connecting authentically in a way that makes people feel seen and heard. What will you do? What is your next step? 

And, as always, thank you for listening. 

About Amy

Amy Weinland Daughters, Award-Winning Author and Keynote Speaker, believes in a world where what makes us different is the very thing that connects us, instead of separates us. She brings that world to life by helping people reconnect to each other through the power of hand-written letters. She brings her wit, humor, and having written 580 handwritten letters to every single one of her Facebook friends, to show you how you can find deep connections in some of the most unexpected places.

Be sure to check out Amy’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram!

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

322 Give Yourself Grace

To give yourself grace for mistakes you’ve made or for expectations that seem unattainable is something that can be more daunting than many of us want to admit. As difficult as it can be to be gracious with ourselves in order for us to grow and thrive as human beings, it is vital that we do be patient with ourselves and own our mistakes or failed expectations so that we can grow.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Nikki Campbell discuss the importance of resilience, growth, and grace with ourselves because everything we do starts with us and if we aren’t at our best we cannot give our best. Nikki Campbell brings warmth, understanding, and resilience to the discussion, telling many stories from her own life and how through her own strength and the love of those around her she was able to grow into who she is today.

Highlights

• We can’t always explain why certain things in our past happen, but what we can do is use these things to give us the strength to follow our dreams.

• “You can either let it dissolve you or you can let it evolve you.”

• Our experiences are all relative.

• Parts of your story may not be so happy, but that doesn’t make you who you are. It is how you reframe your thoughts and choose a sustainable way of life that determines the rest of your story.

• You’re not living if you don’t have gremlins, or a similarly named thing trying to stop you from achieving your goals.

Quotes

“After sustaining any sort of type of trauma, whether it’s; psychological, physical, whatever. There are things that you can have as a secondary characteristic, maybe it’s some anxiety, maybe it’s memories that trigger you, or things of that nature, and you can either let it dissolve you or you can let it evolve you.”

“It’s through her very gentle yet, I’ll say firm, way of speaking my thoughts back to me. It wasn’t until I had a therapist who did that did I realize; wow that’s not true. It’s the thought of like, if someone were to say to you what you say to yourself, what would your reaction be?”

“I’m not going to apologize for how I am or who I am because it got me to where I am today.”

“You need to have grace with yourself and know that you’re not always going to do things right. It took me a long time to do that for myself is to give myself grace. That, “Okay I said that, I did that, I got to give myself a break but I also need to learn how to move forward. Instead of sitting in it.”.”

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

Were you sitting here in the living room with us and drinking some hot tea or coffee? When you think about the things you need to give yourself grace for? What are the gremlins you can shoo from your consciousness? Which are the gremlins that are really stopping you from moving forward? And how can you manage when you do do something wrong, manage that so that it doesn’t occur again. What lessons can you learn from it? And who do you know that you contribute to, to their learning and their growth as a result of claiming your own?

And, as always, thank you for listening. 

About Nikki

Nikki Campbell

MS, NASM-CPT, BCS, CNC, ACSM-CIFT

Nikki is a long-standing fitness and wellness professional with 15+ years of industry experience: She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Behavior Change Specialist, and Nutrition Coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and a Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine. Nikki holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation Therapy and a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion with an emphasis on Sports Performance and Injury Prevention. She has seven years of experience working as a Wellness Coach at Mayo Clinic, and has held various programmatic positions within the disabled sports industry. Nikki’s passion for assisting in the improvement of one’s physical and mental health has spanned throughout her career and in her work with individuals of all ages and ability levels in and out of the gym. Additionally, Nikki is a certified kettlebell sport coach and rank 1 kettlebell sport athlete working towards obtaining her Master of Sport in late 2024. She most enjoys her time outside of her profession creating jewelry for her small business, spending time with her awesome family, and enjoying the Montana outdoors.

Be sure to check out Nikki’s Facebook and Instagram! As well as her TedX Limitless Beyond Limitation, The Bar - Private Training Facility, and Nikki’s website for handmade jewelry NikkiBean Designs!

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

321 Your Innate Worth

Throughout life we are told from an early age what to do, what jobs would be best for us, and what society expects of us. Quite often this leaves us in a job that doesn’t bring us fulfillment, so we end up looking for that fulfillment and sense of worth by exploring other career paths as well as life paths, and exploring what makes us feel our innate worth. 

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Corree Roofener discuss how labels impact us and our skill sets from an early age, and how through hard work and dedication to one’s self you often find yourself in a fulfilling position in life.  

Highlights

• Are you labeling someone despite seeing them through only one lens?

• What labels were you given that you still think about? Do you define yourself or do others?

• What is your natural skill that you do exceptionally well and what can you do to nurture that skill?

• Asking for help is one of the first steps in growth. Bringing in others with different skills who can help you, can make you thrive. 

• Build a diverse board of personal directors.

Quotes

“You learn about people as you are exposed, like you said having connection. Whether that be in a live event or just having a written connection like you said on LinkedIn. Someone responds to something you say and there’s this immediate conversation happening, or almost immediate conversation happening, and that feels so different.”

“I think, I don’t think I actually know, I feel that when we begin to kind of unravel or open up those petals of that flower, we come back to what we innately know about ourselves, and we know it we just put it aside, because it’s, One: Not comfortable. Two: Not Successful. Three: Not a career. It can be a hundred different things, but what we do is we walk away from what we innately do so well or we cover it up. When we can start to own that, take value in that, we begin to find that “This is what I’m supposed to be doing.” but in that, what do we have to do? We have to ask for help. Which is so hard.”

“And just connecting with that fact that, those side hustles, we’re gonna go right back to the beginning, typically are going back to who we are innately. We crave that as humans, we crave what we were created to do innately and we tend to change what that looks like because “Success says you should do X, Y, and Z.” Or, “Mom said I should do this.” Or, “Dad said I was good at this.” and so we stop and we don’t go back to that thing. One of the things for me that I had to really own, I’ve always been good with numbers but keeping synced “Oh I’m living that!” But what I had to realize is that my worth, my value as a mother was the message that had to be shared.”

“It’s just so scary because again you’re speaking this dream out loud to the universe, to your peers, whoever it is, and you have no idea what it’s going to look like. And we so adamantly connect the word failure if it looks different than how we originally envisioned.”

Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

What is that side hustle you’ve been considering? What could you go back to from your younger days when you had an idea of what you were really good at. That you don’t necessarily need to make income at it, but you would like to explore again. Jot it down in the comments, share it with me privately, I am your audience for that.

And, as always, thank you for listening. 

About Corree

Corree Roofener; teaching resilience, compassion, and the strength of the human spirit through actions and support. Corree is a living embodiment of the adage that life begins at the end of one's comfort zone. Her remarkable journey is a testament to the extraordinary achievements that are possible when one chooses to live life with curiosity and courage. With every role she takes on, Corree continues to make a positive impact, helping individuals discover their inner strength and unlock their true potential with a mission to empower individuals to live boldly and authentically!

Be sure to check out Corree’s LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook! As well as Corree’s website Bee Authentically U!

About Sarah

"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."

In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.

My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!

Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.

Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!