320 Anchored In Time

Labels and judgment are an unfortunate symptom of society, more often than not people will be framed in a particular light without any chance to defend themselves or for a full explanation to be given. Because of one person saying something, one bad interaction, or one misinterpretation a person can be frozen in time under whatever label was given to them.

In today’s episode Sarah Elkins ruminates on enlightening experiences that have recently occurred that have helped continue to shape her perspective on the damage of labels and unfair judgment.

320 Anchored in Time

Labels and judgment are an unfortunate symptom of society, more often than not people will be framed in a particular light without any chance to defend themselves or for a full explanation to be given. Because of one person saying something, one bad interaction, or one misinterpretation a person can be frozen in time under whatever label was given to them.

In today’s episode Sarah Elkins ruminates on enlightening experiences that have recently occurred that have helped continue to shape her perspective on the damage of labels and unfair judgment. 


Highlights

  • Art imitates life and more often than not, not for the better.

  • Labels and keeping someone frozen in time can warp our perceptions of others and ourselves. 

  • Work on strategies to help yourself avoid judging another and labeling them unjustly.


Quotes

“Their spouses, families, and friends are all shocked of course, and they say things like “My whole life with you is a lie!” I desperately wanted to ask those family and friends, Did you feel loved and cared for all those years you were together? Are you going to ignore all that you know to be true about this person because of something they did over twenty years ago?! I want to shake them!”

“Labels are a form of judgment and no one likes to be judged, especially from someone else’s limited information about us.”


Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

Do you have cringey moments you look back on, times that when you do look back on them realize they weren’t too great? When have you been labeled and judged unfairly? Are their stories about people in your past that maybe it’s time to reconsider before sharing? 

And, as always, thank you for listening. 


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!

Read More

319 Cultures, Conversations, and Community

The beauty of humanity is that we all share different cultures, from the differences in our food to whether we take our shoes off in the house, culture shapes how we interact with our community and our career which is why it is vital we have conversations about culture, so that we may find our community, teach others, and learn about another person’s beliefs and values, in doing so we will all be stronger together as a community.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Kevin Hamm discuss the importance of community, culture, and the conversations that need to happen in order for us all to have a better understanding and respect for one another. Kevin offers valuable insight, intelligent conversation, and a healthy dose of humor, approaching this difficult topic with humanity and dignity.

319 Cultures, Conversations, and Community

The beauty of humanity is that we all share different cultures, from the differences in our food to whether we take our shoes off in the house, culture shapes how we interact with our community and our career which is why it is vital we have conversations about culture, so that we may find our community, teach others, and learn about another person’s beliefs and values, in doing so we will all be stronger together as a community.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Kevin Hamm discuss the importance of community, culture, and the conversations that need to happen in order for us all to have a better understanding and respect for one another. Kevin offers valuable insight, intelligent conversation, and a healthy dose of humor, approaching this difficult topic with humanity and dignity. 


Highlights

  • A love for new and exciting things starts early and fosters growth and admiration for other cultures and ideas.

  • What memories from your past impact your decisions to this day?

  • Everyone sees the world through different lenses, be sure to encourage the growth and curiosity to see outside of your current lens. 

  • Being yourself is vital to your survival and to being able to thrive as a human being.

  • Fostering community through compassion and pride. Making sure the whole world knows you and your community exist. 

  • Understand the cultural differences between yourself and other places, and understand that these differences can foster growth and connection between yourself and those of a different culture. 

  • What access to other cultures do you have in your own community that you can explore right now.

  • Ask questions! There is no harm in wanting to know more.


Quotes

“…Governor Schwinden…had just started the Sister State program with Kumamoto in Japan… And it’s really fun to think about being an ambassador for the state of Montana going over when you’re 12 years old or 11 years old, however old I was. Going over and being in front of the aristocracy, the Imperial Family, and all that in Japan, you know performing and being a soloist and homestays and meeting all these people, and having this incredibly intense, delightful introduction to how vast and different our world is, how diverse things are. When you’re a kid and finding out some of those things that are common in other cultures we never even hear of, like at the time we didn’t have a sushi restaurant in the state of Montana.”

“The truth of the matter is I found a thriving and robust queer community up there (in Vermont) as well and it was really interesting to see that this community that I knew existed in major metropolitan areas because Portland and Phoenix had given me that, also exists in these little tiny towns where people on a regular basis are like, “I’m going to move to the big city because I can’t be here!” and then they move away. But there were some that were still there and wanted to live there and really loved it, and that was part of the realization that I was like, “Oh my community, the queer community, crosses every other boundary, whether it’s racial or societal or economic, we’re everywhere. And because we are everywhere we have community everywhere.” And that took me a little bit to figure out, but once I figured it out I was like “Oh I can move back to Montana because my community exists!”.”

“It’s not only that you don’t want to be insulting in a lot of cases. I don't know that it would be insulting. They would just look at you like, “Oh you’re not trying to be like us.” And I want to try to be like them. When I’m on their lands, in their place, in their house, I want to fit in, I want to belong, I don’t just want to be there.”

“The one thing I would tell anybody going into a new culture is don’t be afraid to ask everything, ask the question that seems a little weird that you’re like, “Oh I can’t ask that.” You absolutely can.”


Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

Are you going to go explore a culture that you haven’t explored before as a result of hearing this conversation? I know I’m going to and it could be just down the street, I have friends who own a Cuban restaurant here in town they are originally from Cuba. I have met them, I’ve spent time with them, but I’m not sure I explored their culture quite enough yet. I could even go to one of the upcoming Pow Wow adventures, I would love to do that with one of my friends from the tribes. I’m going to do that this year and I hope Listeners that you will find a culture you’re not familiar with, somewhere within a few hours of your home and go explore it. Your mind and your heart will be better for it. 

And, as always, thank you for listening. 


About Kevin

Kevin Hamm, 50, is a small business owner, battle-tested community organizer, fearless activist, and lifelong advocate for the rights and dignity of all Montanans.

He has had the privilege of calling Montana his home state from the age of five; that’s 45 years, for anyone counting. Armed with an appreciation for the importance of community investment that can only come from a childhood in a rural state, Kevin has spent his adult life investing in ways to give back to the place that built him. He has served on the boards of Queen City Ballet and Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, and founded the Happiness & Joy Foundation, a 501(c)3 that puts on Montana Pride — Montana’s statewide Pride celebration, which Kevin has run for the last nine years.

In addition to his deep commitment to community investment, Kevin is a skilled businessman with a strong track record in tapping into economic potential. Through his marketing work, he assisted in ATX’s transition from a $5 million company to a $20 million company and later capitalized on the skills he learned there to start two small businesses from scratch that continue to thrive today. Through Studio 19, his first company founded in 2010, he took on the responsibility of managing live production for the athletics departments at all Frontier Conference schools in the state; he continues to work with Carroll College leading their stream team to this day. By 2018, his reputation as a skilled problem solver had grown his customer base to such a degree that he was able to start Auxilyum, a second company that lightens the tech support load.

Most importantly, though, Kevin’s background is that of a typical working Montanan. He has firsthand experience doing the real work that powers our state as a matter of necessity, not just as a hobby or a means of making friends with the neighbors. He knows what it's like to sacrifice sleep working alongside good people in hot kitchens, and to give up sleeping entirely while turning a dream into a business.

Kevin also knows this place in a way that everyone with a Montana childhood will understand; he grew up alongside people who valued character over politics, and formed lifelong friendships with people who disagreed with him on issues that might raise some people's hackles. He attended his first day of kindergarten on Four Georgians Elementary School’s first day of operation, and found community in the halls of public schools and community theaters that gifted him with an education of which he is deeply proud.

These experiences shaped Kevin into the man he is, but they are not unique to him — most Montanans will recognize these stories, and have their own versions to share. In Kevin, Montanans will find a candidate able to stand in a kind of solidarity shared only by those who know the value of hard work done on their own, without a trust fund to fall back on. So while he may not have unlimited funds with which to pay for billboards advertising his name or lobbyists on speed dial ready to pull strings on his behalf, Kevin does have something that matters more: a lifetime of solidarity with working Montanans, and decades of experience advocating for all of them in every way that he possibly can.

Be sure to check out Kevin’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram! As well as his website KevinHamm!

Interested in the Former Felon’s Ball this year? Click Here! Interested in learning about Montana Pride and how to help? Click Here!


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!

Read More

318 Cultivation Of The Self

Change and growth are seen everywhere in life, from caterpillars becoming butterflies, to saplings becoming towering trees, it is a normal and expected part of life that should be encouraged and embraced, especially when seen in ourselves. Change can be frightening but if you keep pressing on and contributing with the best of your ability, you will come to a better place. 

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Kristopher Lopez discuss the importance of appreciating the version of yourself from the past and cultivating the person you want to be now. Kristopher Lopez is an intelligent, respectful, and emotionally intelligent individual who brings a unique insight to the quandaries posed in today’s episode.

318 Cultivation Of The Self

Change and growth are seen everywhere in life, from caterpillars becoming butterflies, to saplings becoming towering trees, it is a normal and expected part of life that should be encouraged and embraced, especially when seen in ourselves. Change can be frightening but if you keep pressing on and contributing with the best of your ability, you will come to a better place. 

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Kristopher Lopez discuss the importance of appreciating the version of yourself from the past and cultivating the person you want to be now. Kristopher Lopez is an intelligent, respectful, and emotionally intelligent individual who brings a unique insight to the quandaries posed in today’s episode. 


Highlights

  • The paths that lead us to wherever we are now sometimes seem contradictory.

  • Resilience is like a ball, persistence is bouncing that ball so that it goes higher and higher each time.

  • Mutual respect goes both ways and is invaluable to all relationships.

  • Your contribution is valuable, and being consistent in that contribution is irreplaceable.

  • Growth and change can be intimidating, and just because you do get intimidated by it doesn’t mean you’re failing.


Quotes

“It’s a mutual respect, right? Like, I get to know things about so many people - that are public people - that … I will not share, … so they can understand that even when we don’t meet an expectation, or we have a falling out sometimes, that they’re still safe to come back to us and we’re not going to put them on social media, we’re not going to react in a way that is going to be detrimental to them or their career, and a lot of the mutual respect we have for each other circles back around.”


Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

What are you thinking about when you think about difference in who you were ten years ago, twenty years ago, and who you are now? How would people say that they experienced you then and is it the same? I kinda doubt it. So the next question is are you holding on to somebody else’s older version of their authentic self or are you seeing their changes for what they are? Their attempts to be different, to be better, to surround themselves with people that bring them up so they can return the favor for the next generation? Where are those sticking points, what are the questions you need to ask, and what will you do next to change your story?

And, as always, thank you for listening.


About Kristopher

Retired Chief Warrant Officer III

Founder:

StayRoman (Inc 5000/Vet100 Awards)

StayRoman Realty

Curated by Roman

Be sure to check out Kristopher’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram! As well as his website StayRoman and StayRoman Realty!


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!

Read More

317 How Our Stories Frame Us

Taking the time to reflect on our stories and consider how they frame ourselves and others is a uniquely powerful tool for storytellers, when we take a step back to look at how and why we are telling our stories we can see the lessons and the messages that are built into our stories and we can see just how important our stories are.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Amanda Edgar discuss how important our stories are, how they shape us, and how through time they are subject to change. Amanda brings intelligence, kindness, and humor to the conversation, which brings life and warmth to the conversation.

317 How Our Stories Frame Us

Taking the time to reflect on our stories and consider how they frame us and others is a uniquely powerful tool for storytellers. When we take a step back to look at how and why we are telling our stories we can see the lessons and the messages that are built into our stories and we can see just how important our stories are.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Amanda Edgar discuss how important our stories are, how they shape us, and how through time they are subject to change. Amanda brings intelligence, kindness, and humor to the conversation, which brings life and warmth to the episode.


Highlights

  • Things happen when we least expect them to.

  • Your stories matter, you just need to tell them.

  • Be mindful of how you phrase people and events in your stories.

  • If there is an inkling of revenge or blame when you're writing your story, you need to take a step back and ask yourself why you want to tell it.


Quotes

“One of the things I hear people say so often is, ‘well who am I to tell my story? No one cares who I am. I’m not Britney Spears or Michelle Obama, nobody cares about my story.’ And I always tell them they don’t care about your story because they don’t know it yet.”

“To me there is also such a powerful mindset piece, that hitting and exceeding that then suddenly so many more things are possible than you had ever imagined. Because you get so in your head about this goal you want to hit and I think it can be really counterproductive, there’s something to me about having that extra tool or that extra boost that people then get a little second wind and they hit these goals they hadn’t imagined.”


Dear Listeners it’s now your turn,

What is it that you’re holding onto that maybe a little space can get you to the place of learning and sharing lessons so that other people don’t have to learn the hard way? What are you going to write down, your story, that you can observe it differently and reframe it so that you can learn the lesson you need to learn from it? And which of your family members are you going to reach out to with a cellphone and a record button to hear some of their stories? 

As always, thank you for listening. 



About Amanda

Amanda is an award-winning author and the CEO of Page and Podium Press, a publishing house that offers coaching, writing, and publishing services to self-defined leaders of all types--political leaders, industry thought leaders, community leaders, and leadership consultants. Her company focuses on projects that inspire readers to take action to build their communities and to fearlessly shape society for a better tomorrow. In addition to her two award-winning books, she will shortly release a new book she co-authored, Summer of 2020: George Floyd and the Resurgence of the Black Lives Matter Movement.

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

Also check out Page and Podium, as well as the Memoir Strategy Quiz!


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."

Don't miss the opportunity to take our online Job Interview Storytelling course for just $99!

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!

Read More

316 Community In The Age of Social Media

Throughout our careers we will all need to make decisions to benefit ourselves and others by being a good leader and building up our teammates. In the age of social media and technology it is easy to focus on progress and monetization over the health of your community and your team. It is vital to your growth as a person and a business owner to choose community and growth for the betterment of your business, your community, and your team.

In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and the equally accomplished Eric Elkins discuss the importance of community and teamwork in our current age, how taking the time to listen to others and hold yourself and them accountable can lead to growth and change in the world around you. Eric also shares the skill of storytelling and brings awareness, compassion, and mindfulness to the conversation.

316 Community In The Age of Social Media

Want to join this year’s NLV Conference? Register here!

Throughout our careers we will all need to make decisions to benefit ourselves and others by being a good leader and building up our teammates. In the age of social media and technology it is easy to focus on progress and monetization over the health of your community and your team. It is vital to your growth as a person and a business owner to choose community and growth for the betterment of your business, your community, and your team.

In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and the equally accomplished Eric Elkins discuss the importance of community and teamwork in our current age, how taking the time to listen to others and hold yourself and them accountable can lead to growth and change in the world around you. Eric also shares the skill of storytelling and brings awareness, compassion, and mindfulness to the conversation. 


Highlights

  • Sometimes you shouldn’t care what people think, especially if it’s something that makes you happy.

  • Oftentimes growing means change, don’t be afraid to spread your wings.

  • Community builds each other up, don’t be afraid to accept help and help others.

  • Turn conversations that are hard into something positive for you in the long run.

  • Value your team, without them you and your business can’t grow or make meaningful connections. 


Quotes

“We could build a sense of community by building a sense of place.”

“For me it’s always about connecting people so that they can be more successful and be happier and do what they need to do.”

“I often say when you get a negative comment or a negative review: Your response has two audiences and two functions, the first audience is the person who wrote the comment, the negative comment or the negative review, and the first thing you need to do there is deescalate and hopefully get that conversation offline or into a private venue so that you can work through the situation and solve the problem. But that second audience is everybody else who’s watching what you’re gonna do, and so that’s why it’s always important to respond, take responsibility, and then to actively in that response move that conversation elsewhere.”

“We all go to work. We all have to deal with the vagaries of the workplace, and the slog that is even a job that we love, and the one thing that keeps us coming back day after day is the connection we have to the people there.”


Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

It’s time to hold up that mirror in front of yourself, what behavior are you continuing in your management or your conversations within your community and the people who care about you that maybe you didn’t like when other people did those behaviors towards you. I know it’s hard to be a manager, especially if you’re new to that, so make sure that you’re paying attention to what you didn’t like in your experience with managers and not continuing those behaviors with your people. Listeners, I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. 

And, as always, thank you for listening. 


About Eric

Eric Elkins is a strategist, author, professional speaker, and CEO of WideFoc.us Social Media (http://www.widefoc.us/), a Denver-based agency he founded in 2007. Using organic and paid social strategies along with full-service community management, his team drives tangible results for B2B tech/SaaS companies, B2C brands, the home services industry, nonprofits, and global corporations. For more than 25 years, Eric has helped companies grow their visibility and increase revenue. He writes the occasional novel, hosts Denver food faves at denverlicious.com, and loves to share his eating and travel adventures on Instagram as @ericelkins.

Be sure to check out Eric’s LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook! As well as his website Wide Focus and his food blog Denverlicious!


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!

Read More

315 The Risks Of Following Your Passion

In life we are bound to do any number of things on our path to a successful career, adding to our portfolio of stories and skills in our pursuit of happiness. These things do not take away from our skills but instead add to them and our expertise, it all depends on how you choose to apply these acquired tools in our life and career.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Elaine Belson discuss how walking the many paths of life have helped shape them into the successful entrepreneurs they are today, offering insight and positivity involving the paths to fulfillment and success. Elaine brings warmth and an intelligent insight to the conversation, referencing and telling many stories of her numerous skill sets that have helped shape her and her business into who they are today.

315 The Risks Of Following Your Passion

In life we are bound to do any number of things on our path to a successful career, adding to our portfolio of stories and skills in our pursuit of happiness. These things do not take away from our skills but instead add to them and our expertise, it all depends on how you choose to apply these acquired tools in our life and career.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Elaine Belson discuss how walking the many paths of life have helped shape them into the successful entrepreneurs they are today, offering insight and positivity involving the paths to fulfillment and success. Elaine brings warmth and an intelligent insight to the conversation, referencing and telling many stories of her numerous skill sets that have helped shape her and her business into who they are today. 


Highlights

  • Your skills can be applied in a variety of ways, even in situations you wouldn’t expect them to be in.

  • What you take from your experiences contribute to your expertise, even if those experiences are not directly.

  • It’s okay to sit back and look at how far you’ve come, to witness your own performance on the stage of life.

  • Don’t call it a gift when you have worked hard to hone your talents and skills.

  • Try different things, be a jack of all trades. Broaden your horizons.


Quotes

“If you have certain skills it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are, right? You can thrive. It’s more about the tools in your tool box than it is about experience.”

“Our experiences are not just our resume.”

“It was this Aha moment for me, this “Oh this is what it feels like!” You know to just be happy with something. It doesn’t have to be huge, high, right? It’s that ability to get up everyday and want to go to work.” 

“That’s what I think true passion is, is when you can get up everyday and look forward to what you’re doing.”


Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

I would love to hear how this episode landed for you. What did you hear in it that made you realize something about yourself? Maybe that you’re a gypsy careerist and you haven’t given yourself enough credit for all of the ways that those iterations of your career have made you who you are today? I would love to hear about that.

And, as always, thank you for listening. 


About Elaine

I have 30yrs combined clinical, military, political and teaching experience. I joined at the age of 42 and served as XO for Medical Command in Afghanistan. My "brand" is "Embrace your Humanity" - harnessing your innate abilities to make good decisions and self-validate. Positive and practical, this approach empowers people to solve their own problems through insight, problem-solving and coping skills. I'm a pragmatist and think in soundbites - so my content is original and easy to understand, remember and apply. I have a full-time practice, host a serial podcast and do guest appearances. I also write a newsletter about psychology in politics. However, my primary focus is public speaking.

Be sure to check out Elaine’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram! And be sure to check out her website Elaine Belson!


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!

Want to join this year’s NLV Conference? Register here!

Read More

314 What Builds Community (Like Chickens)

Community is the life blood of our growth and success as human beings, even in the very beginning of humanity’s first steps across the globe we were hyper social creatures who relied on one another to survive, whether that be to have enough food or blankets for the cold months or maybe even knowing you could go to your local carpenter to ask for a new chair. We have always relied on one another to build ourselves and each other up, and without that fundamental part of our humanity we wouldn’t be where we are today and we will only stagnate and mold if we distance ourselves from it.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Jake Cinti discuss the importance of community and helping the places we call home to thrive, true although the experience of cultivating community isn’t always sunshine and roses, it is always an important and vital process. Jake Cinti brings equal parts intelligence, awareness, and compassion to the conversation, offering an insight into the world of reality and social work that is often overlooked or unseen. His values only becoming stronger as he has continued his work with his brother Dylan, Yarrow, and Ypsilanti.

314 What Builds Community (Like Chickens)

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Community is the life blood of our growth and success as human beings, even in the very beginning of humanity’s first steps across the globe we were hyper social creatures who relied on one another to survive, whether that be to have enough food or blankets for the cold months or maybe even knowing you could go to your local carpenter to ask for a new chair. We have always relied on one another to build ourselves and each other up, and without that fundamental part of our humanity we wouldn’t be where we are today and we will only stagnate and mold if we distance ourselves from it.

In this episode Sarah Elkins and Jake Cinti discuss the importance of community and helping the places we call home to thrive, true although the experience of cultivating community isn’t always sunshine and roses, it is always an important and vital process. Jake Cinti brings equal parts intelligence, awareness, and compassion to the conversation, offering an insight into the world of reality and social work that is often overlooked or unseen. His values only becoming stronger as he has continued his work with his brother Dylan, Yarrow, and Ypsilanti.


Highlights

  • Your niche is just as important as everyone else’s, take pride in that.

  • Holding true to your values even if you are not seen in the best light.

  • Caring for your community is the foundation to success.

  • What helps you build community with other people? What are your Chickens?

  • Just because you hit bumps in the road does not mean you should compromise your values and goals in the journey.


Quotes

“Space, being able to have space, in this case it was literally saving people’s lives. And so I think that's a microcosm in general for how important space can be for social impact.”

“Creating, where we can, where we can find the opportunity to create micro-communities within a piece of real estate whether it’s a one multi family building or multiple adjacent. It’s something we think is very special and very important, and also hyper local which is a big part of Ypsilanti and how we hope to continue to work for and with Ypsilanti.”


Dear Listeners it is now your turn,

What is something that you’ve been considering that you can contribute to your community? What is one small way that you can encourage somebody else to do something that you know will help within your community, will build something important? How can you support the people that you need to support in order to build a community that’s healthy and caring for eachother? It doesn’t have to have a label, it doesn’t have to be real estate, it doesn’t have to be about homes and properties, it doesn’t have to be about helping people on a scale, as what we’re talking about with Jake and Dylan, but even swapping dough with somebody who has chickens find somebody in your community to contribute, build those relationships and let me know how that goes. 

And, as always, thank you for listening. 


About Jake (From Yarrow)

Jake is devoted to helping people and organizations drive lasting change. As an undergraduate and later an MSW student at the University of Michigan, Jake learned the fundamentals of positive organizational scholarship through his work with Ann Arbor teen center The Neutral Zone and the Ross School of Business’ Center for Positive Organizations. Jake then moved to New York City to pursue a career in social impact real estate. After spending several years growing Transwestern’s nonprofit practice, Jake shifted into a leadership role at OPEN Impact Real Estate, a firm dedicated to helping mission-driven organizations flourish in meaningful spaces. Jake was recognized as one of Commercial Property Executive’s “Stars to Watch” in 2020. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife Emily and their assorted plants and vinyl. He also serves on the board of Bloomingdale School of Music.

Be sure to check out Yarrow! As well as Jake’s LinkedIn

Please check out the nonprofit mentioned by Jake and if you can make a donation within your means please do so; Mobile Studio Inc!

Overdose Prevention Model from the FDA


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!


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