Conversations on Conversations

A Conversation on Intentional Entrepreneurship with Rachel Formaro

Join Sarah Noll Wilson and guest Rachel Formaro as they share their personal journeys of entrepreneurship, with a focus on the ways that intentionality and purpose can shape workplace culture and foster growth.
About Our Guest
Rachel Formaro is the CEO at Blu Pagoda LLC, a company she founded in 2014. With more than 20 years of both corporate and agency experience, Rachel is known for her creativity, compassion, and commitment to ensuring success for both clients and consultants, while having a positive impact on her community.
Prior to starting Blu Pagoda, Rachel was a Managing Director with Charles Schwab for almost 15 years. Before joining Schwab, Rachel started and ran a small advertising agency in Toronto, Canada.
Rachel attended the University of Toronto, where she earned a BA in English and History, and holds a post-graduate certificate in Market Research Analysis.
Outside of her work at Blu Pagoda, Rachel prioritizes her family, community, and well-being. In addition to being a mom and wife, she is an active volunteer and board member— Rachel is currently on the board at the Chrysalis Foundation for Women and Girls.
Links and Resources
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rachelformaro
Website: www.blupagoda.com
12 Principles for Prototyping a Feminist Business by Jennifer Armbrust: www.sister.is
Holstee Manifesto: www.holstee.com/pages/manifesto

A Conversation on Inclusive Hiring with Ify Walker

Join Sarah Noll Wilson and guest Ify Walker as they discuss Ify's work challenging and disrupting the norms and biases involved in hiring, and offer actionable insights for creating inclusive workplaces.
About Our Guest
Ify Walker is a proud product of Nigerian parents, Wisconsin, and Head Start. A fierce believer in the power of equitable culture and talent practices, Ify’s experience sits at the intersection of law, fundraising, and talent cultivation. She is a steady and courageous advisor whose firm has helped over 200 companies hire top executives from Offor’s talent network of over 10,000 leaders. As the Founder and CEO of Offor, Ify leads with her values: she believes that when people’s needs are prioritized, everyone can do their best work. As such, Offor invests in a paid certified financial planner and mandatory paid six weeks off for all of its employees. When she is not leading a growing national firm and debunking the meritocracy myth, Ify is running Mom's School of Excellence with her husband—the most important decision she has ever made.
Links and Resources
Website: www.offor.co
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ifywalker
X: twitter.com/ifywalker
White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better by Regina Jackson and Saira Rao: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/669854/white-women-by-regina-jackson-and-saira-rao

A Conversation on Addiction and Sobriety with Beth Shelton

Join Sarah Noll Wilson and guest Beth Shelton as they explore the complexities of addiction and sobriety. Sharing candidly from her personal experience, Beth provides valuable insights into understanding addiction, supporting loved ones, and embracing vulnerability for personal growth and healing.
About Our Guest
Beth Shelton is the Chief Executive Office of Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa, overseeing all operations for 13,000 members in portions of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.
With thought-provoking discussions among hundreds of speeches, conferences, podcast interviews, and articles written, Beth has reached millions of people from coast to coast, on topics ranging from workplace transformation to mental wellbeing to sobriety.  Beth unapologetically speaks about the human experience and has received national accolades, highlighted on platforms ranging from Good Morning America, CNN and Working Mother Magazine, to The Washington Post, USA Today and the Today Show.
Beth is persistently curious, an avid reader, and uses solution-focused leadership to encourage radical innovation. She received her BA from Simpson College and MBA from Drake University, and has been named an alumni of achievement from both, while recently completing the Artificial Intelligence certificate program at MIT.
Beth, a life-long amputee, embraces a spirit of empowering others, having served various causes; including the Iowa Amputee Golf Association, leading a local Girl Scout troop, serving on her local school board, and coaching youth teams in multiple sports. 
She has a lifelong love of sports, having been a 3-time collegiate MVP in tennis. She loves driving her vintage Jeep with the top off, just took up guitar lessons, and is enjoying the journey of visiting every national park. 
Links and Resources
Website: www.bethshelton.com
This Naked Mind by Annie Grace: www.thisnakedmind.com
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): www.samhsa.gov

A Conversation on Women's Negotiation and Advocacy with Kathryn Valentine

Join Sarah Noll Wilson and guest Kathryn Valentine as they discuss negotiation strategies tailored for women, navigating workplace biases, and fostering inclusive cultures. Through personal anecdotes and research insights, they explore empowering women to advocate for themselves and promote gender equality in professional settings.
About Our Guest
Kathryn Valentine is the CEO of Worthmore Strategies, where she leverages over a decade of research gendered business skills to help companies advance female talent. A top-rated speaker, her clients include multi-national organizations such as JP Morgan, KPMG and TIAA. Her work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and Forbes; she has been invited to speak on her research at Harvard, Wharton and Kellogg business schools.
Website: www.worthmorestrategies.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/kval
75+ Negotiation Secrets: main-union-183.myflodesk.com/75things

A Conversation on Mental Wellness with Jami Haberl

Join Sarah Noll Wilson and guest Jami Haberl as they discuss mental wellness, share insights from their own healthcare journeys, and examine the crucial role of empathy and systemic changes in promoting mental health and well-being in the workplace.
About Our Guest
Jami Haberl assumed the role of executive director at the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative in December 2014. Her dedication to health and wellness blossomed at the age of 10, prompted by a pivotal event when her youngest sister fell into a coma at just 1 year old. This profound experience catalyzed her lifelong commitment to understanding the interplay between controllable and uncontrollable factors affecting health. Recognizing the critical role of health in enabling individuals to lead vibrant and purposeful lives, she embarked on a journey to champion well-being. Her career has included working on state and national initiatives in the field of telemedicine, healthcare reimbursement, bioterrorism, disaster management, and public-private partnerships.
A native of Lohrville, Iowa, Jami received her undergraduate degree in community health education from Iowa State University, a master’s in public health, and a master’s in healthcare administration from Des Moines University. Jami and her husband James Peterson live in Des Moines and enjoy scuba diving, biking, hiking and traveling the world.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jamihaberl
X: twitter.com/HealthiestIowa
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HealthiestIowa
Instagram: www.instagram.com/iowahealthieststate
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@iowahealthieststate

A Short Message from Sarah

Hello listeners! The podcast is taking a short "micro-break" this week. We will be back to the regular schedule beginning next week. In the meantime, please share your thoughts and questions with us for a chance to be featured in an upcoming mailbag episode! As always, you can reach us at podcast@sarahnollwilson.com
We'll be back before you know it with more amazing guests and discussions. Thank you as always for being a part of our conversation!

A Conversation on Activating Equity with T. Tara Turk-Haynes

Join Sarah Noll Wilson and guest T. Tara Turk-Haynes for a deep dive into the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion. T. Tara shares the power of truly integrating DEI practices into an organization's processes and operations for greater impact and measurable results.
About Our Guest
T. Tara Turk-Haynes is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In her role at Leaf Group, she spearheaded the company's DEI journey, introducing impactful programs and resources for individual and group learning. She expanded global awareness of issues affecting underrepresented communities across the company's digital media and marketplace brands. T. Tara chaired Graham Holdings Company's DEI Council and has been recognized as a trusted leader offering valuable perspectives and advice. She has also made significant contributions through virtual events, panel discussions, and featured appearances at prominent conferences and publications.
Website: www.equityactivations.com
X: twitter.com/ttarahaynes
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ttarahaynes
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ttaraturkhaynes
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@ttarahaynes
The Wake Up by Michelle MiJung Kim: www.michellemijungkim.com/wakeup

A Conversation on How We Learn with Jen Rafferty

Join Sarah Noll Wilson and guest Jen Rafferty as they discuss learning, growth, and behavior change. Topics include emotional intelligence, "toxic positivity," and the neuroscience of change.
About Our Guest
Educator, author, and founder of Empowered Educator, Jen Rafferty started as a middle school music teacher for 15 years in Central New York. She is known for bringing her energy, humor and expertise in her presentations while inspiring educators to stay connected to their "why." Jen is a certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioner and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Psychology.
Since its inception, the Empowered Educator has reached teachers and school leaders all over the world. Jen has been featured in Authority Magazine, Medium, Thrive Global, Wellness Voice, Best Holistic Life, and was on the TEDx stage with her talk, Generational Change begins with Empowered Teachers. She is also the host of the podcast, Take Notes with Jen Rafferty, which is rated in the top 3% of podcasts globally.
Jen's insatiable curiosity continues to make the Empowered Educator programs relevant and reflective of the most up-to-date research in mindset, leadership, and cognitive neuroscience. She is committed to inspiring teachers and school leaders to discover their voice and maintain a healthy longevity throughout their careers.
Website: www.empowerededucator.com
Email: hello@empowerededucator.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jenrafferty_
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jen-rafferty-2209b31b7
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/empowerededucatorfacultyroom
Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/take-notes-with-jen-rafferty/id1562606342

A Conversation on Nurturing Growth with Gilmara Vila Nova-Mitchell

Join Sarah Noll Wilson and guest Gilmara Vila Nova-Mitchell for a discussion on the ways in which leaders can influence the growth and development of the people they serve.
About Our Guest
For almost two decades, Gilmara Vila Nova-Mitchell has been helping organizations and leaders become more effective and inclusive through her engaging diversity and inclusion professional learning sessions, leadership development programs and equity & cultural proficiency coaching. Gilmara has worked with HR managers, chief diversity officers, and other leaders to create more inclusive work environments. Gilmara has collaborated with organizations from the private and public sector, in a variety of industries. Gilmara has supported organizations develop strategic plans, create equity driven monitoring tools, create more inclusive cultures, and learn more about equity-driven leadership . Born in Brazil, Gilmara moved to the United States in 2001. She holds a Bachelor of Multicultural Education from FUMEC University (Brazil) and a MSE in School Counseling from Drake University. Gilmara has a focused her doctoral studies in Organizational Behavior with a focus on trust in the workplace.
Website: www.sarahnollwilson.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gilmara-vila-nova-mitchell
Email: gilmara@sarahnollwilson.com

A Conversation on The Perfect Story with Karen Eber

Join Sarah Noll Wilson and guest Karen Eber as they revisit the topic of storytelling, exploring it through the lens of Karen's latest book, The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories That Inform, Influence, and Inspire.
About Our Guest
Karen Eber is an author, leadership consultant, and keynote speaker. Her TED Talk on how your brain responds to stories continues to inspire millions. Her book, The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories That Inform, Influence, and Inspire, was selected as a Next Big Ideas Club must-read and published with HarperCollins this October.
As the CEO and Chief Storyteller of Eber Leadership Group, Karen helps Fortune 500 companies like GE, Microsoft, and Kate Spade build leaders, teams, and culture, one story at a time. 
She guest lectures at universities including MIT, London Business School, and Stanford. She is a former Head of Culture, Learning, and Leadership Development at GE and Deloitte and frequently contributes to and is featured in Fast Company, MSN, Quartz, Entrepreneur, NY Post, Forbes, NPR, and Business Insider.
The Perfect Story Book: www.kareneber.com/book 
Website: www.kareneber.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kareneber
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kareneber1 
Twitter: www.twittter.com/kareneber1