Lead Into It

In this episode, Sara sits down with Karen Eber, award-winning author of The Perfect Story, keynote and TED speaker, and international consultant, to explore the transformative power of storytelling in leadership and communication.

Karen shares how stories can build trust, inspire teams, and make messages truly memorable — all backed by the fascinating neuroscience behind why stories work. 

Whether you’re leading a team, giving a pre...

It started with a simple email. And ended with a very humbling lesson learned. 

In the first episode of The Failure Files, I’m opening up about a mistake I made early in my career — what it taught me about empathy, accountability, and the power of a single question.

This is the story of The Email — the one that changed how I lead.

Let’s keep the conversation going—connect with me on Instagram and LinkedIn, subscribe to my Sunday newsl...

In this episode of Lead Into It, Sara sits down with Tabitha Siegfried, the Sea Turtle Stranding Coordinator at the Gulfarium CARE Center. From growing up in landlocked Missouri to becoming a passionate advocate for marine life on the Gulf Coast, Tabby’s journey is a story of purpose, resilience, and leadership.

Together, we explore:

• How Tabby leads and inspires a team of dedicated volunteers
• The challenges and rewards of sea turt...

This week on Lead Into It, I’m excited to share my conversation with Diane Fraser, the amazing director of the Emerald Coast Science Center right here in Fort Walton Beach. Diane’s journey is such a cool one—she started out as a forensic scientist and eventually stepped into leading a community science center, turning it into a vibrant hub of learning and discovery.

In our conversation, she opens up about what it took to navigate fi...

✨ Leadership shows up in the big calls and the small details.
✨ Rest isn’t weakness—it’s leadership fuel.
✨ Grace goes further than perfection.

Hi, and welcome back! I’m kicking off this new season of Lead Into It with a solo episode straight from my own leadership journey. Over the summer, I had the chance to step in and lead a public affairs team during an Air Force exercise. It was high-pressure, unpredictable, and hone...

It’s the end of the season, and in this finale episode, I’m reflecting on what I’ve learned from the incredible leaders who joined me. We’re talking about the ripple effect of leadership, why commitment matters more than motivation, and the reminder that no one should lead alone.

If you’ve ever wondered how your words as a leader echo beyond the workplace — or felt the weight of trying to get it all right — this one’s for you.

Tune i...

What does real leadership look like when no one’s watching? In this episode, retired General Mike Minahan gets honest about the messy, meaningful, and deeply human side of command.

He shares the story behind his now-viral decision to schedule a mental health appointment as a four-star general—something he thought was just leading by example but turned out to be life-changing for himself and countless others. Years later, he’s still ...

What makes a leader worth following?

In this episode, retired General Mike Minihan, former commander of Air Mobility Command, shares the leadership philosophy that shaped his 35-year Air Force career, centered on "OLA": Ownership, Leadership, and Attitude.

From his early days as a lieutenant to leading 110,000 airmen, General Minihan returns to one powerful truth: credibility starts with doing your job—and doing it well. H...

What does it take to command a room, bounce back from failure, and lead with true authenticity? In this episode, I sit down with Lydia Fenet—renowned auctioneer, bestselling author, and founder of her own agency—whose decades at Christie’s taught her powerful lessons in confidence, leadership, and owning your voice.

Lydia shares what she learned from auctioning without a mic, why humor is one of her secret weapons, and how she balan...

What if the key to transforming your team’s performance wasn’t hiding in another leadership book—but came straight from the lessons learned in the cockpit of a fighter jet?

In this episode, I’m joined by Robert “Cujo” Teschner—former Air Force fighter pilot, leadership expert, and author of Debrief to Win. Cujo brings the heat (and the heart) in a conversation that challenges how we think about accountability, feedback, and real tea...

Ever wonder why some leadership situations hit you harder than they should? Or why feedback sometimes feels way bigger than it is? It might be your mindset foundation — and it could be ready for a reset.

In today’s episode, mindset coach Margaret "MJ" Jennings joins me to talk about the mental side of leadership — the 95% we don’t always see but definitely feel. We dig into how old patterns show up in your leadership, how ...

In this powerful episode of Lead Into It, I sit down with Maj Gen Dan Tulley, Director of Operations at U.S. Transportation Command—and someone I had the honor of serving with over a decade ago. 

We trace his leadership journey from his ROTC days at Duke University to commanding at a global scale, uncovering the real-world lessons that shaped his leadership style. Tulley opens up about a pivotal in-flight moment that cemented his tr...

Thomas Greek's leadership journey reads like a field guide for anyone who's ever struggled with the transition from boss to true leader. From his early days as a self-described "bossy boss" pointing at his metaphorical sheriff's badge, to becoming the youngest executive in his organization's history, Thomas reveals the pivotal moments that transformed his approach to leading others.

The conver...

What do you get when a 23-year Air Force Colonel trades her uniform for a machete and cacao seedlings? Meet Maria Carl, who went from leading global military teams to running a thriving Hawaiian chocolate farm.

Ten years ago, she and her husband bought a wild 10-acre plot on Oahu. What started as a dream home project turned into 21 Degrees Estate – an award-winning cacao farm known for world-class chocolate and an incredible sense o...

Welcome back to Lead Into It! After three years of military orders, a coaching certification, and personal growth, I’m back with fresh insights on leadership.

Since our last episode, I’ve led teams big and small, moved from Charleston to Florida’s Panhandle, and had a huge realization: the best leadership happens when we stop trying to fit a mold and just show up as ourselves. Through coaching, I’ve learned to listen differently, cr...

This week's episode is with Kathy Knichel, someone I met while on my military orders who has a wealth of leadership experience from her time leading the protocol program at  Charleston Air Force Base.  I loved talking with her from the first moment I met her and knew I had to have her on the show. During our conversation for this episode, we talked about how she started her career and built and led teams, but the theme that ca...

This week's episode is with Julie DeLucca-Collins, Business and Life Strategist Coach. During our conversation, we dove into confidence as a leader, why it's important and how to cultivate it.

Julie DeLucca-Collins is the Founder and CEO of Go Confidently Services, the host of the popular Casa DeConfidence Podcast®, and her weekly Radio Show Confident You featured on a global talk radio network. 

As a ...

This week's episode is with Carolene Meli, Experience Strategist and Advisor,  and we dive into the importance of the experiences we create and how that is important as a leader.

Over the last 15 years, she has led over 50 experience teams in 17 different countries and has created an array of experiences from VIP events and employee development programs at Cirque du Soleil, to community wellness events at lululemon at...

This week's episode is with Kelly Waltman, Founder, and CEO of SLR Consulting and author of Elevate Connection: Cultivate an Engaged, Inspired, Productive, and Profitable Workplace Culture.  

We had an amazing conversation about feedback (an essential skill as a leader!). We talked about why giving  AND receiving feedback is important, how to respond to and process feedback, and how fear plays into feedback.