Meet Sarah Elkins

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Elkins. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sarah, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

It’s taken me 30+ years to intentionally live within my purpose, though I believe I’ve been doing it unintentionally for all that time.

When the 90-minute workshop ended, I stood near the door selling and signing copies of my book. What’s most memorable about the break-out session I hosted on the power of storytelling for career development was that the room was full – around 50 women – and as they left, at least 75% of them stopped to hug me and share a brief story or comment.

Shortly before I left my last w-2 job to start my business, I discovered a pattern in my career: At every job, no matter where I sat or what I was doing, I created an environment of safety. My desk always became a place people would join me to ask for guidance about communication, where they knew they could share vulnerably without fear of judgment or gossip, where they felt cared-for, nurtured, and nourished. The outcome was always improved self-awareness through conscious, intentional self-reflection. The hugs and warmth of the room after the workshop was another example of me actively living within my purpose:

To encourage and facilitate healthy self-reflection to improve communication, which then increases satisfaction at work and at home.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I received a text from a client whose team hired me for StrengthsFinder coaching: “I just had an 8-minute conversation with my 15 year old son” with smiley face and heart emojis. If you’ve been around 15 years olds, that text probably made you laugh out loud. An 8-minute conversation with his MOTHER? In FULL SENTENCES?! Amazing!

During our coaching call, my client shared about a challenge she was having with one of her teammates, so I looked up their talents and walked her through where miscommunication might be causing tension. Together we came up with language that might be more effective and motivating for her employee. I also explained that some of her talents might be perceived as rigid or judgy, and that’s when I noticed a shift in her expression. I said: “I can see that something I said made your wheels start turning. Tell me about that.”

She said: “Oh – it’s not work related, just something I realized might be happening between me and my teenager.” When I asked her for more, she said: “I think my son has some of the same talents as the colleague I’m struggling with, and now I know why my son and I seem to be speaking different languages.”

Her text message to me is exactly why I do what I do, and it’s the most satisfying work I’ve experienced in my career.

I just shared a very brief story and you learned a lot more about me than if I told you I’m an effective workplace communication trainer.

I use my experience as a Gallup-certified CliftonStrengths coach along with my storytelling training to guide professionals to find, craft, and share the stories that demonstrate their skills, values, and vision.

It’s exciting to finally make my coaching more accessible and affordable through my Job Interview Storytelling Course available on Udemy, and my live, online SpeakUp: Confidence and Skill-Building in Public Speaking workshops.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Community, Curiosity, Healthy Self-Reflection

When I think about my journey so far, the first thing that comes to mind is the community I’ve nurtured over the years. “I have the most ridiculous idea!” are words I’ve said before, and I know I’m in the right community when the answers are: “Awesome, how can I help?” or “That’s exciting, Sarah, are you ready to hear the hard questions so I can support you?” I’ve surrounded myself with people who are as excited about my journey, success, and adventures as I am. And I’ve been shedding those relationships that aren’t reciprocal, or that leave me feeling less-than after an interaction. If you’re on the cusp of transformation, make sure you’re surrounding yourself with people who support you, advocate for you, and champion your ideas. Seek these people out if they’re not already in your circle. Go to the places where they’ll likely spend time. I love to meet like-hearted people when I’m hiking, at the library, and at professional events and conferences.

My curiosity is a quality that helped me build my extraordinary community. I’m curious about the people around me, the way things work, where gaps in my knowledge are, and how I can serve to the best of my ability using my greatest talents. Being curious has made me extremely resourceful and creative, a “MacGyver” fixer of problems. If you’re struggling with this aspect of your journey, I suggest these books: Awe by Dacher Keltner, The Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander, Brave Leadership by Kimberly Davis, and The Reluctant Creative by Caroline Brookfield.

Self-reflection is a quality that keeps me growing, confident, and humble. When I receive criticism, after the normal initial defensiveness passes, I reflect on the motivation behind the comments and whether there’s an aspect of truth to them. Then I make a conscious decision either to ignore the comments, or to take whatever nuggets I can from them to improve myself. It can be a fine line between damaging self-consciousness and healthy self-reflection. This is where finding a good coach and maybe a therapist can help. I love to use CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) to understand my clients’ communication style and approach to their work and relationships in guiding them in healthy self-reflection.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

I was 18 and struggling with a difficult boss when my mother said: “Sarah, you can’t quit. If you do, this same trial will come back again and again until you learn the lesson the Universe is trying to teach you. It’ll be a different person, but the trial will be the same.”

That comes back to me every time I face an obstacle that feels impossible to pass. I look back at all the adventures I’ve had and the challenges I’ve overcome, and see the evidence of my resilience, persistence, and success.

When I think about it decades later, my mother’s wisdom in that moment informed my future – my purpose – in facilitating healthy self-reflection in myself and my clients.

Thanks to her comment I took a step back to see what my role was in the situation, why it was happening, and how I might be contributing to it. I wish I could say I learned the lesson way back then, but it was many years later when I finally understood and changed my response to it.

That’s why I’m so devoted to the work I do, so others don’t take quite so long to learn exactly how they’re amazing – while truly understanding where they might get in their own way.

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Image Credits

Jessica Powell Photo

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