436 A Path-Changing Letter - A Monologue with Sarah Elkins

Driving home from a volunteer shift at the Old Salt Festival near Helmville, Montana, I listened to the last hour of the book The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.

As I listened to the characters reflect on their lives to share with others via handwritten letter (and a few emails), I was reminded of the great conversation I shared on this podcast with Amy Daughters, author of Dear Dana.

As I mentioned in last week’s episode, I was recently inspired to change the format of this show.

The new format for my show aligns with what I’m learning about narrative identity (how the stories we tell about ourselves internally and externally influence our identity) and what I’m learning about emotional intelligence through a course I’m taking.

My hope is that future episodes will offer more clarity about great storytelling and how to  find and explore pivotal moments to demonstrate who we are.

My future guests will be given a story prompt ahead of our call, and instead of a long, organic, multi-insight conversation, we’ll dive more deeply into a single story, pulling a thread and revealing a primary insight about the experience, and leaving space for you – our listeners – to remember your own related experience and pull a thread that has the potential to guide you toward deeper self-awareness.

I’ll be eager to hear your thoughts about this new format, so please don’t hesitate to send me a message via social media or email!

In today’s episode I’m sharing a story about a pivotal moment in my personal life, a long relationship that continues to influence my life and how I experience the world.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

• Amy Daughters, author of Dear Dana, speaker, humorist

• Old Salt Festival, Helmville Montana

---

Listeners, now it’s your turn:

Did my story remind you of something that happened to you?

What memory popped into your head when you heard it?

What did you learn about me as a person?

Did my story inspire you to pick up a pen and leave a note for someone you care about?

What’s your related pivotal moment?

---

About Sarah:

Sarah is a Montana based workplace communication trainer, TEDx speaker, DisruptHR speaker, public speaking coach, professional storyteller, musician, and podcast host. Her workshops and coaching packages with teams and their leaders are known to address and reduce miscommunication – the most common cause of tension and stress in the workplace. Using the team’s results from the StrengthsFinder assessment, she guides teams in learning to speak each other’s “language”, learning to value each other’s strengths and connecting with each other through enhanced self-reflection and effective listening. 

Sarah’s nearly 20 years working in government agencies inspired her to complete her MBA and to achieve her StrengthsFinder certification to improve work environments for others, guiding teams toward increased satisfaction, productivity, and happiness.

Visit her website to purchase her book, Your Stories Don't Define You in paperback or audiobook.

387 Reframe Your AI Story featuring Michael Kollo

Michael's background and transition to AI @ 13:38

Michael reveals his unexpected background in the arts and theatre, and how he later transitioned into finance before becoming interested in the implications of AI. He shares insights about the resistance to change and adoption of new technologies within the finance industry.

Observations on AI adoption and impact @ 30:22

Michael shares two key observations about the adoption of AI: 1) Finance professionals initially dismissed the potential of machine learning, but then quickly embraced it for commercial reasons rather than scientific merit. 2) Highly experienced and successful finance professionals were often the most resistant to acknowledging the disruptive impact of AI on their industry.

Episode Highlights:

AI will be the next cautionary tale about companies and individuals who ignore new technology, rather than embrace it. (Think Kodak & Blockbuster.)

Don't think of AI as exclusively a technology tool, think of it as a writing and development tool.

Humans drive AI by desire, the "I want to..." AI doesn't create or change because it desires to do so.

Quotes:

• "It's not 'how is AI going to change my industry', it's 'how am I going to use AI to change my industry?"

• On the difference between an AI and human approach: “It's not so much a skills question, it's a will or a desirequestion, that I want to do something is not within AI's remit..."

Meet Michael Kollo:

Michael Kollo is a finance professional turned AI strategist with a PhD in Finance from the London School of Economics. With over 15 years of experience at the intersection of quantitative finance and technology, he has held roles at BlackRock, Fidelity, AXA, and HESTA.

AI represents the most significant shift in financial services since the rise of algorithmic trading. However, the real challenge lies in deploying AI to create tangible value. Through Evolved AI, Michael works directly with financial firms to ensure AI adoption is practical, secure, and aligned with industry needs.

Whether through executive training or micro-automations, he focuses on bridging the gap between AI capability and financial business objectives. Committed to making AI an augmentative tool rather than a black box, he helps firms navigate this transformation with clarity, strategy, and execution.

Follow Michael on Instagram and Connect with him on LinkedIn.

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 my Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!