Your Stories Don’t Define You
How You Tell Them Will
A podcast to unlock your stories and uncover meaningful insights.
371 The Frequency Of Fear
It’s easy to be afraid. To stick our heads in the sand and watch another episode of a show that we like to ignore what’s going on. But if we do that than we can never grow. We’re all afraid, but we must act through our fear, refuse to be compliant, refuse to be quiet, and enforce the change we want to see in ourselves and the world around us.
In today’s episode, Sarah Elkins and Nir Megnazi discuss the use of fear in driving us forward and how important it is to work with our fear and through it.
371 The Frequency Of Fear
It’s easy to be afraid. To stick our heads in the sand and watch another episode of a show that we like to ignore what’s going on. But if we do that than we can never grow. We’re all afraid, but we must act through our fear, refuse to be compliant, refuse to be quiet, and enforce the change we want to see in ourselves and the world around us.
In today’s episode, Sarah Elkins and Nir Megnazi discuss the use of fear in driving us forward and how important it is to work with our fear and through it.
Highlights
How are you anchoring someone in time?
What frightening experiences still warp and control your perceptions to this day?
Are you lacking compassion for yourself? Are you kind to others but unkind to yourself, especially your past self?
There’s no way to hold space for someone and the emotions they feel if they are not communicated.
Learn to work with fear. Fear is normal.
Quotes
“Courage does not exist without fear.”
“The way I approach these memories is with a lot of compassion to ourselves, which is what we’re lacking first, is compassion to ourselves.”
“Working with our fear is effective. And within our fear.”
“We serve people, not businesses.”
“What do we want for our kids? We want to help them grow to be responsible human beings, healthy, with values, and to be a good person in this world. A contributing person in this world. But we are a work in progress.”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
I’m curious. I would love to hear in the comments, what are you working on? What is something in your past that you’ve uncovered that has continued to create ripples, uncomfortable ripples, in your life? What is the pattern you can uncover based on an experience you had, like Nir’s where you were bullied as a kid, like mine where you were not able to afford both milk and eggs. What is your fear, or what is generating something that has consistently created a pattern of disconnect and discomfort in your life? And how are you going to approach it? How are you going to identify the emotions that you feel as a result of it, the triggers you experience as a result of that? And how will you embrace them so you can move forward?
And, as always, thank you for listening.
About Nir
Nir Megnazi is an executive coach and leadership development expert who combines over two decades of experience as an engineering leader and military officer with emotional intelligence coaching. He co-created Intel's award-winning leadership coaching program, which earned Intel the International Coaching Federation's prestigious Prism Award and has contributed over $1 billion in operating margin improvements. Nir helps leaders develop the critical human skills needed for today's complex business environment, specializing in building high-trust, high-performing teams and enhancing communication effectiveness. His integrated approach fuses technical leadership with emotional intelligence, helping executives expand their influence, lead with empathy, and drive remarkable results.
Be sure to check out Nir’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram! As well as his Newsletter and Website!
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!
369 Nurturing Community
We’re all human. We all have family, we all have struggles, we all have experienced some sort of adversity, which means we’re more alike than we are different. It can be easy to view the world with blinders on, to ignore it all and keep your nose to the ground, but then your community suffers for it. The people who rely on you, whether it be your friends and family, or a client or customer, by choosing to nurture only our corner of existence, the rest of our community suffers. Just like tending a garden, you must tend the whole garden, spread love and nutrients where you can, and remove what is harmful. It’s hard work, but all things worth doing require effort.
In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Claudia Krevat discuss the importance of caring for your community as a whole, how vital it is to remove the blinders and to see things as they are and how you best can contribute to a healthy and happy community.
369 Nurturing Community
We’re all human. We all have family, we all have struggles, we all have experienced some sort of adversity, which means we’re more alike than we are different. It can be easy to view the world with blinders on, to ignore it all and keep your nose to the ground, but then your community suffers for it. The people who rely on you, whether it be your friends and family, or a client or customer, by choosing to nurture only our corner of existence, the rest of our community suffers. Just like tending a garden, you must tend the whole garden, spread love and nutrients where you can, and remove what is harmful. It’s hard work, but all things worth doing require effort.
In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Claudia Krevat discuss the importance of caring for your community as a whole, how vital it is to remove the blinders and to see things as they are and how you best can contribute to a healthy and happy community.
Highlights
Lifting others up also lifts you up.
You never know the doors you’ll open when you just participate.
Have you tried to appeal to someone’s empathy? Their humanity? How did that go for you? What can you do to see people who disagree with you as human?
Connection through how we are similar and how we show our humanity.
Quotes
“You know that when people are asking for it and your participation is growing, you are creating a positive impact.”
“Strangers become friends around the dining table.”
“A lot of us have family in common.”
“There’s a story and we got to tell the story, because don’t we learn from stories?”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
I would love to see some comments or get an email from you about how sharing food, breaking bread together, changed your mind about something or someone. I would love to hear the story about the time you ate with people or surrounded a dining table with other people where you experience something unexpected or maybe something that changed your life or changed everything about how you perceived something that you were surprised by.
And, as always, thank you for listening.
About Claudia (from her Instagram page)
Community organizer through food. Recipe designer and alchemist. The Lentil Queen. Recipes and stories.
Be sure to check out Claudia’s Threads, and Instagram! As well as the article written about her on Yellowstone Public Radio!
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!
366 Fortunes For The Future
Throughout our lives we will have to wear many hats and perform many tasks on our paths toward success and personal fulfillment, sometimes these wayward paths lead us to doors that we would never expect to come across. We only need to have the courage to reach out and open the door.
In this episode Sarah Elkins and Russel Rowland discuss the many different paths life leads us down and the lessons we learn on our way to fulfillment and success.
366 Fortunes For The Future
Throughout our lives we will have to wear many hats and perform many tasks on our paths toward success and personal fulfillment, sometimes these wayward paths lead us to doors that we would never expect to come across. We only need to have the courage to reach out and open the door.
In this episode Sarah Elkins and Russel Rowland discuss the many different paths life leads us down and the lessons we learn on our way to fulfillment and success.
Highlights
The work we find between our desired career can open many doors you could never expect.
We need to have something or someone show us that what we’re doing matters.
We all have an edge of discomfort in putting ourselves out there, but we have to confront it in order to live a fulfilling life.
Quotes
“I’m not a big believer of hiding the skeletons. I think you have to look at your history honestly in order to keep growing and learning about how we become the people we are.”
“It’s really the main piece of advice that I think all writers need is to keep doing it. Because we all have an imposter syndrome, every single one of us.”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
I already gave you a really fun exercise, if you find that you’re blocked in the writing you need to do, whether that be business writing, or a blog, or journal, maybe you’re writing a book, if you’re feeling blocked in your creativity try writing a handful of fortunes that you would want to find or that you would want somebody you care about to find in their next fortune cookie.
And, as always, thank you for listening.
About Russel
Russell Rowland is the acclaimed author of seven books, as well as the host of a radio show, Fifty-Six Counties, on Yellowstone Public Radio. He has also hosted two podcasts, Breakfast in Montana and The State of Montana, and will soon launch a new podcast, THE SONG OF ROWLAND: American Culture at Full Volume, where he will be interviewing creative people from around the country about their process and the importance of culture in America today. Russell has an MA in Creative Writing from Boston University and lives in Billings, Montana.
Be sure to check out Russels’s Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram! As well as his Website, subscribe to his Newsletter, and his Bluesky account!
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!
365 Tools for Success
In the path to thriving and enjoying your life you must be able to identify and utilize the tools unique to your skills and values. Not everyone can use the same tool kit, just like plants require different soil to grow, we also require our own unique environment to grow.
In this episode Sarah Elkins and Gina Riley discuss the importance of the unique tools we acquire through life and the best way to utilize these tools.
365 Tools For Success
In the path to thriving and enjoying your life you must be able to identify and use your unique skills and values. Not everyone can use the same tool kit, just like plants require different soil to grow, we also require our own unique environment to grow.
In this episode Sarah Elkins and Gina Riley discuss the importance of the unique tools we acquire through life and the best way to utilize these tools.
Highlights
The influences that shape our lives, developing our clarity over time.
You can’t see your potential from the inside, you need people in your life to help you build the perfect future.
What unique and powerful tools do you have?
Quotes
“I think that understanding our own why, and I’m not going right to the Simon Sinek material which is great, but truly just getting anchored in the thing that motivates us deep down to push forward in life.”
“I’m not always right, and I try to check my assumptions, because with maturity we realize we aren’t always right.”
“I think that there’s so much power for all of us; men and women, to embrace the things that we naturally show up with. And if we’re working against it we’re just working against ourselves.”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
Regardless of the tool you use to self-reflect, to hold up that mirror, maybe it’s time now to really decide to look at that and choose how you want to show up, who you want to be And to identify the stories that demonstrate those qualities, those skills, those values. I really encourage you to look in that mirror, whatever tool you choose to use, whether that’s friends and family and asking them to honestly let you know how you appear to them, how you show up for them, or taking an assessment and talking to a coach to walk you through it.
And, as always, thank you for listening.
About Gina
Gina Riley is transforming how executives approach job search and career transitions. With nearly a decade in corporate Human Resources at Intel Corporation and later as an executive search consultant for Talence Group, she has led CEO, COO, and CFO searches across industries, trained hundreds in talent selection, and gained unique insight into what makes candidates stand out in competitive leadership searches. As a career coach, she developed the Career Velocity TM
framework—an action-oriented and proven system that has helped countless executives navigate successful transitions.
A two-time DisruptHR speaker and thought leader in career progression, Riley holds a master's degree and is a certified YouMap® coach and behavioral interview skills training expert. Her expertise spans networking strategy, leadership development, and executive presence, making her a trusted advisor for leaders preparing for strategic career moves. She has appeared on over 30 podcasts, including the popular Find Your Dream Job, downloaded over 18,000 times. Her popular series “How Your Next Executive Role Finds You” and extensive catalog of career-related articles, including contributions to the Forbes Coaches Council, have established her as an authority in executive career development.
In her first book, to be released with Advantage Forbes Books, Qualified Isn't Enough, Riley shares her comprehensive understanding of both sides of executive hiring—including what is discussed in the boardroom—to provide readers with insider knowledge and practical frameworks for advancement. Her unique perspective and systematic approach have helped leaders at all levels transform their careers. Find more of her insights and resources at
Be sure to check out Gina’s LinkedIn, Gina Riley Consulting, Her Masterclass Series, Her LinkedIn Newsletter, and Her Forbes Article!
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!
364 NLV 2025
This year in Austin Texas February 10th and 11th is the eighth annual NLV Summit hosted by Sarah Elkins. A meeting of great minds, incredible opportunities, and a sharing of impactful stories.
In today’s episode Sarah reminisces on many of these stories from the previous several NLV Summits and how they have helped her shape her path going forward.
364 NLV 2025
This year in Austin Texas February 10th and 11th is the eighth annual NLV Summit hosted by Sarah Elkins. A meeting of great minds, incredible opportunities, and a sharing of impactful stories.
In today’s episode Sarah reminisces on many of these stories from the previous several NLV Summits and how they have helped her shape her path going forward.
Highlights
Gaining perspective on life, especially when you feel hopeless.
Incorporating the lessons your friends and peers don’t even realize they’re teaching you.
Continuing to strive for the dream you want to build.
Quotes
“Something that continues to shape my work is something Melissa Hughes said when she hosted her session. She said; Sometimes you have to get up to the cheap seats. And she was using the metaphor for those high seats in the bleachers at a baseball game. So that we can gain perspective by getting to a higher view. To look at the bigger picture when we feel stuck.”
“What is it? What does it do? Why does it matter?”
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!
363 Taking Inventory
As the New Year begins it’s time for us to take a step back and reflect on the stories, messages, and values we want to bring into 2025. Just like tending to a garden by removing weeds and adding nutrients, we must also tend to the garden of our lives.
In this episode Sarah Elkins, Emily McVey, and Chris Wang discuss the stories that shaped them into who they are as well as how they have chosen to tell their stories through thoughtful and meaningful actions.
363 Taking Inventory
As the New Year begins it’s time for us to take a step back and reflect on the stories, messages, and values we want to bring into 2025. Just like tending to a garden by removing weeds and adding nutrients, we must also tend to the garden of our lives.
In this episode Sarah Elkins, Emily McVey, and Chris Wang discuss the stories that shaped them into who they are as well as how they have chosen to tell their stories through thoughtful and meaningful actions.
Highlights
What are the coping strategies you developed?
What connects you to other people? Even if you’ve never seen them.
What skills did you develop from a chaotic situation that manifested into a valuable tool for you to use throughout life?
What generational curses are you breaking? What situations will you never allow others to endure because you had to endure them?
Remember to step back and look at the bigger picture, instead of viewing the situation through a lens or holding the subjects to a higher standard.
What brings you peace and calm?
Quotes
“If you play music, if you play an instrument, and you listen to the music, it’s almost like you’re having a dialogue with this person even though you’ve never seen them.” - Chris Wang
“We are not doing this to our children.” -Emily McVey
“There’s the traditional definition of success which is more tied to- you know- maybe more defined by money and career and that kind of stuff, which I kind of pursued and did my share, but then I realized it’s incomplete. I was still deeply unhappy.” -Chris Wang
“Don’t go out on the floor and ask the girls to work on their issues if you’re not willing to work on your own.” -Emily McVey
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
What inventory are you gonna take about what you ran from or what you’re running toward? And who in your life needs to hear from you? That you believe in them and that you’re there to support them and to help them move into whatever they’re running toward.
And, as always, thank you for listening.
About Emily
Emily has lived in Montana her whole life. She and her husband, Mike, raised their three children in Helena, participating in several extracurricular activities such as Boy Scouts and all of the sports. Emily’s background includes a formal education in culinary arts, sociology, and public relations, and she has a master’s degree in public administration.
Her nonprofit experience includes working at Florence Crittenton Home, Montana Youth Homes under Rocky Mountain Development Council, as well as volunteering for many other nonprofit organizations and is a suicide prevention QPR trainer. Emily worked for the State of Montana for six years and continues to contract services for licensing kinship foster families for Child and Family Services. Emily also now does home visits for the FLEX student exchange program. Emily was glad to return to the nonprofit sector in 2019 to work alongside other nonprofits to make meaningful change happen in the tri-county area.
When she is out of the office, Emily enjoys cake decorating, and trying out new hobbies by taking adult education classes.
Be sure to check out Emily’s Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn! As well as the links she provided for more information about ACE; Violence Prevention, ACE Quiz, and Know Your Resilience Score.
About Chris
Currently Not Available.
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!
362 Stories Influence Our Identity and Personal Narrative
As we close the chapter on 2024 and begin to start anew in 2025, it’s time that we take a step back to reflect on the narratives and stories that we have been harboring. We must take it upon ourselves to determine if these stories still serve us or if it is time to let those stories stay a product of their time and remain in the past so that we can create new stories that reflect us who we are now.
In today’s monologue Sarah Elkins ruminates on the effect the story The Giving Tree had on her as both a child and a mother, and how it has inspired her to reflect on other stories that no longer serve her.
362 Stories Influence Our Identity and Personal Narrative
As we close the chapter on 2024 and begin to start anew in 2025, it’s time that we take a step back to reflect on the narratives and stories that we have been harboring. We must take it upon ourselves to determine if these stories still serve us or if it is time to let those stories stay a product of their time and remain in the past so that we can create new stories that reflect us who we are now.
In today’s monologue Sarah Elkins ruminates on the effect the story The Giving Tree had on her as both a child and a mother, and how it has inspired her to reflect on other stories that no longer serve her.
Highlights
What stories are you telling yourself that do not stand the test of time?
How do the stories you’ve heard influence you and the relationships with the people around you.
It’s not too late to change the ending of your story. Will you choose a kinder conclusion or will you choose the option that gives you peace?
Quotes
“Think about the stories that you read to your children in the hopes that they’ll absorb some morality lessons; Like Aesop’s Fables, maybe stories from the bible, or maybe books from your culture or religion. We can’t expect children to absorb those lessons but ignore the ones in Cinderella and The Giving Tree. It doesn’t work like that, literature is Literature.”
“As we head into the new year it’s a really good time to consider our impact on the people and environment around us, and to make an effort to be more intentional about that impact.”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
I challenge you to take inventory of a few things; before you make any new years resolutions, before you pick a word of the year, or as you consider your goals for personal growth in 2025, ask yourself these questions. What influenced my identity as a child or young adult that maybe it’s time to review and consider whether they still resonate and why? What stories have I been told about myself as a child that no longer align with who I am or how I want to experience myself moving forward? And what evidence can I point to, recent stories, that contradict those childhood labels that no longer fit? Lastly, what stories am I continuing to share about other people; my children, my friends, my family, and others in my community and at work, that might be contributing to negativity and division?
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!