Lead Into It

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 a...

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 countl...

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...

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...

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 a...

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 patte...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 a...

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 radi...

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 welln...

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 pla...

Making coffee at work might seem like an ordinary task, so how did Debbie change her mindset about this small task into something that launched her career?  This week's episode is with Debbie Story,  President and CEO of the nonprofit AT&T Performing Arts Center, to talk about leadership lessons she learned as she progressed in her career.  With her passion for leading teams, the lessons...

I am so excited to be back! This short episode will dive into where I've been and what I've been up to since last year and what you can expect for future podcast episodes.  _______________________________________ www.leadintoit.co   Reach out to Sara: hello@leadintoit.co   Instagram: @leadintoit Facebook: @leadintoit Logo Design: Kamry Rose Creative, kamryrosecreative@gmail.com    DISCLA...

Lead Into It will be taking a break for the summer!  Listen to this episode to learn why and to learn a great metaphor for how to juggle the important things in life.  _______________________________________ www.leadintoit.co   Reach out to Sara: hello@leadintoit.co   Instagram: @leadintoit Facebook: @leadintoit Logo Design: Kamry Rose Creative, kamryrosecreative@gmail.com    DISCLAIMER: Any opini...

It's time for a coffee break! Take a break with a short clip of previous Lead Into It episodes--short enough for your coffee break and energizes you for the rest of the day. During this coffee break, listen to part of Episode 10: Setting Expectations and Building Teams with Derek Whisenhunt . In this part of the episode, Derek shares steps on how to set expectations for your team. This is gre...

In this week's episode, I sit down with Ron Carucci, Managing Partner at Navalent, to talk about his new book, To Be Honest: The Power of Truth, Justice and Purpose .  We talk in-depth about the conditions in which people will tell the truth, be fair, serve a greater good, and in what conditions do organizations create an environment where people will lie steal and cheat.  It was an interesti...

It's time for a coffee break! Take a break with a short clip of previous Lead Into It episodes--short enough for your coffee break and energizes you for the rest of the day. **Happy Mother's Day!** During this coffee break, listen to part of Episode 8: Leading as a Mom with Keri Atkinson , where she talks about how she saw how important it was to set the tone each day for her family and...

I'm so excited to have Marisa on the show again! This time, we talk about her new book, Own Your Authority: Follow Your Instincts, Radiate Confidence, and Communicate as a Leader People Trust . We also talk about what it means to own your authority, trust your gut and have self-leadership.  Marisa is a former IT Executive on Wall Street who has over 21 years of corporate roles and leadership...

It's time for a coffee break! Take a break with a short clip of previous Lead Into It episodes--short enough for your coffee break and energizes you for the rest of the day. During this coffee break, listen to part of Episode 15: Communicating with Intention with Marisa Santoro . In this part of the episode, Marisa explains how to effectively use the Rule of Three when communicating with inte...

As leaders or as high achieving individuals, our health and wellness is the foundation to reach our goals and to take care of others.  On this week's episode, I talk with Jenn Trepeck, owner of Better Life Now, LLC and the host of the Salad With A Side Of Fries podcast . During our conversation, we talk about why health and wellness as a leader are important and what happens if we don’t make...

It's time for a coffee break! Take a break with a short clip of previous Lead Into It episodes--short enough for your coffee break and energizes you for the rest of the day. During this coffee break, listen to part of Episode 6: Leadership and Self Awareness with Becky Heyse , where she talks about using Brene Brown's methodology when doing feedback as well as a time she decided not to g...

In this episode, I sit down with Carla Bennett, an experienced leader who worked her way from the ground level up at a major domestic airline as well as a published author. We talk about how she came into leadership, what she learned from it, and her Advocate leadership style.  This episode is perfect for those understanding what Advocate-style leadership means and how they can apply it themselves...