Right-Sizing with Care: Layoffs, Furloughs, and Rehiring Best Practices
Layoffs, furloughs, and rehiring after downsizing are decisions that press on both the head and the heart. Sarah Lockwood talks with Peggy Shell, the CEO of Creative Alignments, about the reality of leading a team through moments when survival means making choices no leader wants to make. Peggy shares how her company moved from furloughs […]
Talent Density: Your New KPI for Culture, Productivity & Profit
Annual reviews are broken, and leadership coach Mike Goldman, author of “The Strength of Talent” has a different way to think about performance management that puts people growth at the heart of profit growth. Joining Sarah Lockwood in this episode, Mike questions why so many organizations still rely on outdated HR metrics and rigid systems […]
Burnout and Toxic Culture: What to Do When It’s Affecting You or Your Team
Burnout can take root fast when company culture overlooks early warning signs, and Cait Donovan offers insight into how leaders can spot and address it before it damages the entire organization. Sarah Lockwood speaks with Cait, the host of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast and the founder of BurnBOLD, about what burnout looks like in real […]
Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders – Part 3: Honesty With Yourself
Telling yourself the truth might be the most radical leadership skill you’ll ever develop. In part three of the Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders series, Sarah Lockwood is joined by Beck Sydow and Marina Suholutsky for a conversation about the power of radical self-honesty in leadership. They explore how self-awareness for leaders isn’t just about introspection […]
Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders – Part 2: Interrupt Fear With Curiosity
Curiosity is the leadership skill that helps you regulate your nervous system, interrupt fear loops, and make conscious choices in real time. This episode is part 2 of the Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders series, where Sarah Lockwood is joined again by Marina Suholutsky, the founder of PurposeBuilt, and Beck Sydow, the founder of HumanKind Business […]
Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders – Part 1: Fear and Suffering
Fear isn’t the enemy of great leadership. Ignoring it is. How often do you walk into a meeting already bracing for impact? Or catch yourself shrinking back in a moment where you meant to lead with clarity? Sarah Lockwood sits down with Beck Sydow, the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders, and Marina Suholutsky, the founder […]
Invest Like You Mean It: Making Capital a Force for Good with Jennifer Kenning
Where does your money sleep at night, and is it working for the kind of world you want to live in? Jennifer Kenning was managing the wealth of high-net-worth families by day and volunteering with unhoused communities in Los Angeles by night. That contrast raised a question that’s stuck with her ever since: What if […]
Chris Schwalbach: The Succession Plan That Didn’t Stick: A Founder’s Return to the CEO Seat
A carefully planned CEO exit unraveled and what came next reshaped how one founder leads for good. When Chris Schwalbach stepped away from the CEO seat at AVL Growth Partners, he had a clear plan, a strong successor, and years of preparation behind him. But even with all that in place, something didn’t sit right. […]
Massive Revenue Growth & Operational Excellence Unpacked—Actionable Lessons from Jesse Pujji
Jesse Pujji reveals how he builds wildly successful companies from scratch by doubling down on talent, distribution, and the power of bootstrapping. In this episode, Sarah Lockwood sits down with the serial founder and investor behind Gateway X, a venture studio that launches and scales high-performing companies without venture capital. Jesse shares how he went […]
Julie Johnston: From $50 Tasks to $50K Thinking: How to Buy Back Your Time
Most entrepreneurs aren’t drowning in work because they lack ambition. They’re stuck doing too much of the wrong kind of work. Sarah Lockwood talks with Julie Johnston, the founder of Rhino Squad, about what it looks like to operate from your zone of genius. They unpack the mindset traps that keep founders stuck in the […]
