Ace of Pentacles

Traditional employee engagement surveys don't work, but there's another way for us to think about employee engagement -- through the lens of motivation. This episode is for leaders, HR, workplace experience designers, AND individuals who might be considering a career change! 🗓️ Need support designing an employee engagement strategy that's rooted in the science of human behavior? Book a Workplace Consult: avra.as.me

Great product design starts with deeply understanding the user and building for their experience. Ultimately, the products people keep coming back to are the ones that consistently exceed expectations. And isn't that exactly what we're doing when we design a life we're genuinely excited to live? In this episode, I talk about a specific tool that can help you design your life and work experience more intentionally. For more help with designing your life / career or workplace experience, visit: avra.as.me; set up a meet & greet and we can design a coaching package that works for your goals and your budget in 2026! 

Our environments are constantly activating our self-schemas. In this very short bonus episode, I talk about what that means, how I've used this psychological concept intentionally, and how you can use it too, especially as the holidays approach. Need research-backed strategies and support to step into the next version of you? Let's chat: avra.as.me

Midlife is when many people have a profound psychological awakening that James Hollis calls the Middle Passage. Around age 40- 50, we move from first adulthood, defined by external roles, achievements, and societal templates into second adulthood, where the soul demands authentic self-expression. I think that because we don't have rituals or support for this transition, it often shows up as restlessness. In this episode I look at the middle passage through the lens of the stages of grief, reframing midlife struggles as a necessary grieving process and an invitation to shed false identities. What feels like dissatisfaction or breakdown is actually the true self knocking behind the persona we built in order to fit in. Need support with navigating this transition?: avra.as.me 

If your life feels like it's in a strange moment, maybe even an absurd one, take a listen to this episode. And if you need some help figuring out how to work with that moment — reach out.  Because that's what I do. I help people turn moments just like these into keys that unlock another chapter of their lives and other version of themselves.  avra.as.me

In this episode I share a little bit of my journey of self-discovery and the importance of finding meaning in life's experiences. Through personal anecdotes, a story of my time at Tesla and a pivotal encounter with a colleague, I explore themes of confronting hatred and expression of feelings we are channeling - that don't originate from our own lived experiences, but from the experiences of a collective. Every experience prepares us for our purpose. But that becomes hard to see if we can't approach our past with a sense of wonder and curiosity rather than judgement and anger. 

In this episode, we meet Dr. Leighann Rechtin, a coach and expert on CliftonStrengths. CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) is an assessment developed by Don Clifton that helps people identify their natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving — called "talents." The tool categorizes these talents into 34 themes that all roll up to four domains: Relationship Building, Strategic Thinking, Executing, and Influencing. Leighann and Sara were in the same coaching certification cohort and are both certified strengths coaches through Gallup. In this episode, they discuss the value of CliftonStrengths, how to use the tool, and how we can think about our talents and strengths differently in order to enhance our career wellbeing.  If you are interested in taking the CliftonStrengths assessment after watching this episode, hop on over to avra.as.me and schedule a Strengths Coaching Session with Sara!

With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of entertainment and education, Dr. Bramante helps performers, educators, and creatives unlock their potential by combining psychology, performance strategy, and AI. He guides actors beyond just booking roles— to building sustainable, purpose-driven careers across Broadway, film, and TV. A seasoned college professor, Dr. Bramante has taught psychology courses at Union County College and BMCC (CUNY), creating impactful, real-world learning experiences. As a certified hypnosis and NLP practitioner, he helps clients overcome internal blocks and boost clarity, confidence, and focus. Dr. Bramante also leads workshops on AI tools like Chat GPT and Canva, training creatives and educators to enhance content creation and workflow efficiency. Available for partnerships with acting schools, colleges, wellness programs, and AI education initiatives, he frequently speaks on imposter syndrome, mental performance, and sustainable creative careers. You can learn more about his work at: https://bramanteartists.com/

Asher Lyons is the founder and visionary of Medicine Theater, an expressive arts organization with the mission to support people young and old in finding liberation, joy and healing through the art of spontaneous play and mythic story creation. Asher has been facilitating this type of work for over 23 years, and has found that the essence of freedom is discovered through connecting to our creative spirit and the natural world.  Asher has also spent the past 2 decades learning from storytellers from a wide range of cultures and traditions throughout the Americas which has deeply informed his work as a story creation facilitator and performer.  https://www.medicinetheater.com/  

In this episode Sara sits down with Aleeza Khan. Aleeza recently graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and a minor in Design. She focuses on community-centered design through her work with a nonprofit organization, Tiny Village Spirit. She is also the social media manager for the Ace of Pentacles Podcast Aleeza is also the creator and host of the Livin and Loving podcast, where she shares conversations around growth, identity, and empowerment. She has completed multiple internships at M Designs Architects and currently works at IMG II, her father's real estate and investment firm. Aleeza is currently pursuing her master's degree in Real Estate and Real Estate Development at the University of Washington, starting this fall, to grow further and elevate the family business. Aleeza and Sara talk about the values and perspectives of Gen Z with regards to work and careers. They discuss many topics, including: how this new generation thinks about flexibility and working from home, the type of workplace environment they're looking for, workplace culture, balancing mental health and work, and Aleeza shares her perspective on using LinkedIn and networking.

The real "organizational culture" problem that companies aren't addressing.

In this conversation, Sara sits down with Psychotherapist and Educator, Dr. Swan Dao. As Founder and Director of the Institute of Devotional Arts, Dr. Dao is dedicated to transforming lives through creative expression. Dr. Dao shares insights on effective communication, conflict resolution, and setting healthy boundaries. Together, Sara and Swan explore practical strategies to help you navigate challenging conversations—both in the workplace and in everyday life. About Dr. Swan Dao: Dr. Swan Dao is a psychotherapist, coach, and educator. Swan studied and taught philosophy, theology, psychology, and theatre in Oxford, Melbourne, and Chicago, and earned a PhD from the University Cambridge on the theme of self-transformation and system change. He is also a certified Conflict Mediator and trained in numerous communication practices such as Non-Violent Communication, Authentic Relating, and Circling. As the founder of the Institute of Devotional Arts, he harnesses the power of creativity and imagination for collective healing and transformation. You Can learn more about Dr. Dao's work at: https://www.devotionalarts.org/  

Claus Raasted helps organizations both big and small become better at GETTING S**T DONE. He also serves as Director of the College of Extraordinary Experiences. He travels the globe as a keynote speaker, and has been both a Coach and Senior Advisor at the consulting giant McKinsey. Raasted is the author of 46 books, the latest of which is fittingly titled "Claus Raasted's Little Book of Getting Shit Done". He also has a past in reality TV, but these days, who hasn't? Last year, Sara attended the College of Extraordinary Experiences. She met many very cool people doing really cool things in their careers (you've met a few on this podcast), and she came back with a renewed perspective on how she navigates her own life and career. In this episode, Sara and Claus talk about how the college is designed to help people bring more creativity, imagination and innovation into their work. For more information on the College of Extraordinary Experiences, visit extraordinary.college

In this episode, Nishant Badami, founder of Ubuntu, shares her journey and the philosophy behind creating soulful, transformative travel experiences. She explains that transformation isn't about changing who you are, but how you see yourself - a distinction shaped by her own evolution through travel. Nishant debunks common myths about personal growth and emphasizes subtle inner shifts over dramatic reinventions. Ubuntu treats each journey as a living, evolving experience. Nishant designs these trips to create space for reflection, connection, and vulnerability, encouraging travelers to engage deeply with themselves and others.  Travel, she says, is a unique catalyst for mindset change - it breaks routines, challenges beliefs, and opens people to new perspectives. Community and honest connection play a central role, as does ensuring cultural immersion is respectful and reciprocal.   About Nishant: Nishant Badami is a creator, communicator, and connector. As the founder of Ubuntu, she creates meaningful experiences that help bridge cultural gaps and connect people with the world as well as themselves.   Nishant studied history and then went on to become a copywriter, working in the world of print advertising and later writing for television programming. Travel started as a deeply personal passion for Nishant - something she designed with love and intention for her family and herself. In time, this passion was recognized and transformed into a profession, an opportunity she remains profoundly grateful for. As her journey progressed, Nishant came to a realization: lasting change requires a shift in how we perceive the world and each other. Her involvement with the Transformational Travel Council gave voice to this belief and reinforced her conviction that travel can be a powerful tool for transformation and connection.   Today, Nishant designs conscious travel experiences rooted in the principles of transformational travel. She is also a painter – what began as a passion has evolved into a professional pursuit, with her artworks being sold and commissioned. Is she someone different outside her professional life? Not at all. As a mother, daughter, wife, friend, and sister, travel and art are interwoven into every version of who Nishant is. Set up your next travel journey with Nish at: https://theubuntu.life/

In this episode, Sara sits down with Christiana, the Training Sales Manager and Certification Specialist at the HeartMath Institute (HMI) a pioneering non-profit organization that's been at the forefront of researching heart-based tools and technologies to improve emotional well-being, performance, and human connection. A passionate advocate for heart intelligence, Christiana shares her personal journey to HeartMath and how its science-backed approach to resilience and coherence deeply transformed her own path. Together, they explore the meaning of resilience from a HeartMath perspective - how it's not just about bouncing back, but about bouncing forward with greater emotional regulation, clarity, and inner alignment. They discuss heart coherence, heart intelligence, and even practice a tool that you can use to increase your capacity for resilience. Christiana also shares how HMI supports organizations, educators, and first responders in building group resilience, and reveals compelling data on how heart coherence practices can lead to better performance, reduced stress, and stronger interpersonal connection in the workplace.    About Christiana Bishop: Christiana Bishop is a senior staff member of the HeartMath Institute in Boulder Creek, California. Christiana creates certification programs, and develops alliances with nonprofits, educational systems and first responder organizations around the USA and internationally. Formerly, she was a Senior Trainer and Director of HeartMath's Women's Division. Currently Christiana is the Training Sales Manager and Certification Specialist for the Institute and additionally, helps support and operationalize HeartMath's programs as needed.

In this episode Sara sits down with renowned archetypal coach and consultant, Dr. Laurence Hillman, a renowned expert in archetypal psychology and co-creator of Archetypes at Work™, a powerful framework designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations uncover their deeper motivations, values, and mindset. Dr. Hillman shares the personal and professional journey that led him to this transformative work and explains how archetypes, which are ancient patterns of behavior, can be used as a practical tool for modern workplaces. They explore the origins and functions of archetypes, what inspired the development of Archetypes at Work, and how this approach differs from traditional psychometric assessments and team-building models. Dr. Hillman introduces the concept of archetypal coaching, and explains how knowing your archetypes can positively influence collaboration, leadership, and organizational culture. Dr. Hillman shares examples demonstrating how archetypes show up in both empowering and dysfunctional ways at work, how to recognize when a particular archetype needs to be activated, and how to consciously develop these patterns for personal and professional growth. We also discuss how archetypes manifest differently across cultures, and the implications for leaders navigating global, diverse teams.  Whether you're an executive, HR leader, coach, or curious individual, this episode offers practical wisdom on how to bring deeper self-awareness and purpose into your work. Connect with Dr. Hillman: You can connect with Dr. Hillman and learn more about his work at: https://laurencehillman.com    About Laurence Hillman: Born and raised in Zürich, Switzerland, Dr. Laurence Hillman is an archetypal coach and consultant with over 48 years of experience. He specializes in helping individuals and organizations uncover their deeper purpose using archetypal patterns and astrology. As co-creator of Archetypes at Work™, he has developed innovative tools for personal and organizational development. An international lecturer, Dr. Hillman has taught at institutions such as Pacifica Graduate Institute, Meridian University, and Washington University. He has also presented at notable venues like the Globe Theatre in London and the Cycles & Symbols Conference. He is currently teaching practical archetypal astrology through Kosmos Institute and is a registered Vistage® speaker. Dr. Hillman holds a PhD in psychology (Transformative Leadership), an MBA, a Master's in Construction Management, and a degree in architecture. He has authored and co-authored several books, including Planets in Play and Archetypes at Work. Fluent in five languages, he has traveled to over 40 countries and resides in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife Cindy.  

In this episode, Sara sits down with Naveen Khan to discuss the unexpected changes that can impact our careers, often beyond our control. Naveen shares her personal experiences and offers valuable insights on how to prepare for and embrace change, maintain wellness in the midst of chaos, and adopt a resilient mindset that has helped her navigate multiple career transitions. About Naveen: Naveen is an experienced Event Manager at a Fortune 100 company and is currently based in Chicago, IL. As a native of the Bay Area, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from San Francisco State University. With over 13 years of experience in the corporate events space, she has specialized in field marketing, large-scale tech conferences, and both B2B and B2C events, with time divided between leading tech companies and startups.

In this conversation, Sara sits down with Sneha Koka to talk about authenticity in leadership and in life. Sneha opens up about her journey as an engineer, a leader, and a mom, offering a thoughtful glimpse into how she balances these roles. She shares how embracing honesty about her needs and desires—combined with an engineering mindset for solving everyday challenges—has empowered her to build a life she truly enjoys. Sneha also reflects on how her diverse background and experiences have shaped her ability to show up authentically in every aspect of her life.  About Sneha: Sneha Koka is a leader in the operations organization at Nvidia with previous experience as a manufacturing engineer at Tesla during the Model 3 launch and at Linde and Caterpillar prior to that. She leads the capacity planning team at Nvidia, ensuring capacity risk mitigation strategies are in place across all verticals post-fab. Her background is in industrial engineering and she has spent about fifteen years tackling complex challenges in dynamic business environments in multiple industries – semiconductor, automotive and chemical. Her recent challenges in the silicon valley have been focused on implementing solutions to enable exponential scalability. Outside of work, she's a mom of two young boys, two and four. For fun, she loves biking with her family, hiking/exploring nature in their camper van and doing pottery on the wheel. Sneha loves to create - creating art, creating solutions and creating new memories/experiences is something she thrives on. Sneha also loves to bring people together. Someone once congratulated Sneha on becoming a mom, with the statement "welcome to the world's largest fraternity/sorority". Sneha became a mom for the first time during the Covid 19 pandemic; a time when many parents started to leave the workforce as a result of losing their standard support systems they relied on. Sneha continued to take on bigger challenges at work while intentionally looking to grow in her personal life. Always having been a lover of nature and the outdoors, Sneha leaned into that aspect of her life even as a new parent and found ways to incorporate outdoor adventures into her family's routine. A friend told her that following Sneha's outdoor adventures was inspiring her to come up with innovative ways to balance both work and family time. This in turn inspired Sneha share her outdoor nature explorations & van life on the weekends, hoping to inspire more parents to find creative ways to meet their goals holistically and not have to step away from professional goals unless it's truly what they wanted to do.

What if life does come with a map? In this episode, Katie Sweetman, a New York-based astrologer shares how astrology can deepen our understanding of our purpose, talents, and the work that truly brings us joy and wellbeing. Katie began her consultancy, Empowering Astrology, in 2010 to help people use astrology as a tool for uncovering purpose and meaning in their lives. According to Katie, each of us comes into this world with a unique map—a blueprint for our life. Sara found Katie last year and set up a consultation with her. Sara was drawn to her approach because Katie doesn't treat astrology as a way to predict the future. Instead, she talks about it as a way to understand time—the energy of time. Her style is educational and empowering, helping people discover their own answers through the lens of astrology. In addition to her consultancy, Katie educates and inspires her growing community with resources on her website, regular articles on astrology and the influence of planetary movements, and a podcast called Empowering Astrology. You can learn more about Katie's work at: empoweringastrology.com

In this episode, Sara sits down with Dorthy Tyo, a certified Master Hypnotist and Clinical Hypnotherapist. Dorthy is the owner and lead instructor of the Palo Alto School of Hypnotherapy in Palo Alto, California, where Sara earned her own hypnotherapy certification. She was also Sara's mentor and instructor during her LIGHT Practitioner certification at UC San Diego. Sara and Dorthy dive into how hypnotherapy can help reframe limiting beliefs, addressing common misconceptions about the practice, and exploring how and when people choose hypnosis as a tool for wellness. They also discuss its applications in career-related challenges, medical settings, setting intentions for hypnotherapy sessions, and the fascinating field of regression hypnosis. About Dorthy: Dorthy V. Tyo is a certified Master Hypnotist, as well as a certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with ACHE. She is the owner, director and lead instructor of the Palo Alto School of Hypnotherapy in Palo Alto, Ca. which was founded in 1977. Prior to purchasing the school in 2009, she taught and developed classes for over 20 years for and with the previous owner/founder, Josie Hadley. Dorthy has maintained a private practice since 1986 to present. With a background in teaching and psychology from State University of New York (SUNY) at Cortland, she continues to study new information about the brain and how thoughts affect emotions, biology, and well-being. Dorthy incorporates this information in her courses and with clients in her private practice. She is author and developer of many teaching manuals and coauthor of the book, GEMT (Guided Empathy Meridian Tapping) which is an innovative approach for healing/resolving past beliefs and perceptions that have manifested into dis-ease. She is also a guest speaker, YouTube channel co-host, TV and radio guest, and is currently working on a new book about the spiritual/science connection with hypnosis for a better understanding of its use. Dorthy is proud to be recently certified as a LIGHT Practitioner with UCSD's Centers for Integrative Health and also teaches an 8 week course: "Foundational Hypnotherapy with NLP Concepts" through UCSD School of Medicine. You can learn more about hypnotherapy and about Dorthy's work at: https://www.pasoh.com/