The KTS Success Factor® (a Podcast for Women)

Sarah E. Brown, Ph.D.
  • 5.0 (7)
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  • Updated Semimonthly

The mission of the KTS Success Factor® Podcast for Women is to bring proven ideas female business leaders can use to increase their ability to achieve big goals and become happy, successful, and understood at work. All this in 25 minutes or less. Sarah E. Brown, Ph.D. is an expert on personalizing work to the unique interests, strengths, and needs of the workforce. A former Managing Director at Accenture, she is now on a mission to reach 250,000 women with knowledge of their unique gifts and the tools to be happy, successful and understood at work.

  1. Sep 16

    How to Start a Mission-Driven NonProfit with Sharon Elefant

    Have you ever dreamed of leaving your corporate career to build a nonprofit around a mission you deeply care about—but wondered how you would actually fund it, structure it, or pay yourself? Sharon Elefant reveals why good intentions aren't enough: a sustainable nonprofit needs business structure, funding strategy, measurable programs, strong relationships, and the right board. She also explains why you shouldn't rush to leave your corporate job—and why collaboration may be far more powerful than competing for the same funding. Listen to the end for the mindset shift that can turn a passion project into a truly sustainable mission-driven business.    What you will learn from this episode: Learn how to turn a passion project into a fundable, sustainable nonprofit. Discover why you may need to build consistent funding before leaving your corporate career. Understand how to build a nonprofit with the business structure and mindset needed to scale your impact.   "Good intentions deserve strong infrastructure." – Sharon Elefant    Topics Covered: 01:15 – What The Nonprofit Plug actually does: Sharon explains how she supports nonprofits from formation and IRS filings through funding, financial management, leadership, and growth. 03:05 – Turning passion into a nonprofit structure: Learn how to take the mission in your heart and reverse-engineer it into programs, metrics, deliverables, and a sustainable funding model. 04:45 – Getting comfortable asking for money: Sharon explains why donor cultivation is one of the biggest challenges for new nonprofit founders—and why fundraising isn't begging. 06:15 – Can nonprofit founders pay themselves?: Discover why nonprofit founders can earn a salary and why sustainable compensation is part of building a sustainable mission. 07:50 – Why grant funding is getting more competitive: Sharon explains how economic, political, and donor changes are affecting grants and why nonprofits need a stronger funder-cultivation strategy. 09:35 – Collaboration instead of competition: Find out why nonprofits serving similar populations may be stronger together—and why funders often value collaboration. 11:00 – Navigating government funding: Sharon explains how political changes can reshape government funding while opportunities in areas like housing, welfare, and mental health remain available. 12:15 – When should you leave your corporate job?: Learn why Sharon recommends staying in your job while you build donors, grants, partnerships, programming, and consistent funding. 13:45 – Building a board that works for you: Discover how the right board can help with fundraising, partnerships, strategic thinking, and growth—and why college students can be valuable board members. 15:35 – The nonprofit mindset shift: Sharon explains why founders need to treat nonprofits like businesses and develop business acumen around payroll, insurance, hiring, leadership, and compliance. 16:35 – Building impact and income together: Discover the mindset behind creating a nonprofit that can serve the community while also creating sustainable income for its founder.   Key Takeaways: "We don't beg. We just save the world." – Sharon Elefant "Collaboration actually will get you a lot further." – Sharon Elefant "People treat nonprofits not like a business, and that's where everyone messes up." – Sharon Elefant   Ways to Connect with Sharon Elefant: Website: https://thenonprofitplug.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsharonelefant/   Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown: Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSarahEBrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com

  2. Sep 2

    Re-Placed: How to Think About Your Future in an AI World with Kari Zeller

    AI may not just change what you do at work. It could change how you think, where you find your value, and even how you understand your place in the world. Kari Zeller is a U.S. Air Force combat veteran, founder and CEO of TGN Consulting, and a battle-tested leadership strategist who advises boards, CEOs, and senior executive teams across Fortune 100 companies, healthcare systems, retail, private equity, and government. She is the author of Re-placed: Answering the Call of Leadership in the Age of AI, a playbook for executives navigating a future shaped by AI, robotics, and quantum computing. In this episode, Kari explains why the future of work shouldn't be viewed simply as a question of whether AI will replace us. Instead, she introduces the idea of being "re-placed": actively finding a new context where our human contributions, relationships, judgment, intuition, and experience can create value.   What you will learn from this episode: Learn why being "re-placed" may be more important than avoiding replacement. Find out how AI can weaken your critical thinking, judgment, and accountability. Discover how to protect your "thinking sovereignty" in an AI-driven world.   "To be re-placed is to be placed again."  – Kari Zeller   Topics Covered: 01:15 – From "replaced" to "re-placed": Kari explains why the future isn't about waiting to see whether technology makes you obsolete, but actively finding where your contribution can matter next. 03:45 – Why AI changes the container of work: Discover why AI is fundamentally different from previous workplace technologies and why it could reshape the place where many people find identity and purpose. 09:15 – The danger of outsourcing your thinking: Learn how excessive reliance on AI recommendations can weaken critical thinking, narrow innovation, and diffuse personal accountability. 12:00 – Protecting your thinking sovereignty: Kari explains why you need to keep practicing your own judgment, decision-making, and ability to navigate complexity. 14:40 – Preparing for an AI-driven future: Sarah and Kari discuss education, critical thinking, values, context, and why knowing the answer may matter less than knowing how to ask the right questions. 17:20 – What is ontological vulnerability?: Kari explains the difference between a threat to what you do and a threat to your identity, purpose, and sense of place in the world. 20:10 – Is work our "buffalo"?: Explore the powerful idea that when work changes dramatically, we may lose more than income or tasks. We may also lose a source of identity, meaning, community, and achievement. 23:00 – Separating your identity from your job: Kari shares how women can begin identifying the deeper value they bring beyond their current role, expertise, or productivity. 25:30 – The value of experiential wisdom: A real-world restaurant scheduling example shows why AI can create an answer in seconds, while human experience can recognize why that answer won't work. 33:00 – Finding the bigger contribution: From blacksmiths to Swiss watchmakers, Kari shares examples of people and industries that adapted by redefining what they were really contributing. 35:20 – Why the future of AI is a leadership question: Kari explains why leadership means actively co-creating a future that matters instead of simply accepting the future created by circumstances.   Key Takeaways: "We need to maintain our thinking sovereignty." – Kari Zeller "If you don't use it, you lose it." – Kari Zeller "Operational vulnerability threatens what you do. Ontological vulnerability threatens your sense of who you are and your place in the world." – Kari Zeller "Leadership is about the co-creation of a future that matters and one that we're not on a trajectory for." – Kari Zeller   Ways to Connect with Kari Zeller: Book: Re-placed: Answering the Call of Leadership in the Age of AI Website: http://karizeller.com   Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown: Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSarahEBrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com

  3. Aug 19

    Nature's Blueprint for Business with Ines Garcia

    You can be successful in your organization but still struggle with collaboration and alignment across departments. Many leaders face the challenge of getting teams to agree on priorities, especially when deadlines loom. Ines Garcia is an organizational coach and the founder and CEO of GetAgile, dedicated to helping businesses deliver better value and reduce waste. Her new book, Nature's Blueprint for Business: Harnessing the Hidden Power of Edges, explores how principles from nature can be applied to improve organizational effectiveness and collaboration. In this episode, Ines shares insights on how to bridge the gap between inspiration and implementation by leveraging the properties of edges in natural systems. She discusses how these principles can help organizations navigate complex challenges and foster better teamwork.   What you will learn from this episode: The significance of edges in organizational design and how they can enhance collaboration. How to create triadic connections to improve information exchange and institutional knowledge. Practical strategies for applying nature-inspired principles to overcome silos and enhance teamwork.   "Organizations should operate like ecosystems, but what does that actually mean when we are on a Monday morning, facing a deadline, and three departments can agree on priorities?"  – Ines Garcia   Topics Covered: 01:15 – The concept of edges and their importance in organizational dynamics.  03:30 – How natural systems can inform better collaboration and decision-making.  05:00 – The idea of triadic connections and how they can enhance information flow.  07:20 – Bridging the gap between inspiration and implementation in business practices.  09:45 – Real-world examples of applying nature-inspired principles in organizations.  12:00 – The role of redundancy in fostering resilience and innovation.  14:30 – Strategies for creating spaces of abundance and collaboration in the workplace.  16:15 – The impact of organizational silos on performance and employee engagement.  18:00 – How to cultivate a culture that embraces nature-inspired solutions.   Key Takeaways: "Nature provides us with proven strategies that can help us solve our organizational challenges." — Ines Garcia "By focusing on the edges, we can create opportunities for collaboration and innovation." — Ines Garcia "Redundancy is not a negative; it can be a source of resilience and strength in our organizations." — Ines Garcia   Ways to Connect with Ines Garcia: Book: Nature's Blueprint for Business: Harnessing the Hidden Power of Edges  Website: https://www.inesgarcia.me/ LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/inesgarciaagile   Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown: Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSarahEBrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com

  4. Aug 5

    Spirituality at Work with Lauren Reed

    Are you ready to discover how blending intuition and unconventional practices, like astrology and past life regression, can lead to extraordinary success in your career?   Lauren Reed is the CEO & Founder of REED Public Relations, an award-winning Nashville agency recognized as Best Boutique Agency and a Best Place to Work. Named to multiple 40 Under 40 and Most Admired CEO lists, she is celebrated for her leadership and culture building.  She also cofounded Wealth of a Woman, a community helping women align finances with values, and is an active member of EO and WPO. A global speaker, Lauren blends business acumen with a distinctive philosophy: spirituality belongs at work, and rest can be a growth strategy.  In this episode, Lauren Reed shares her journey of integrating spirituality into the workplace and the remarkable results it has brought to her business and personal life.    What you will learn from this episode: Discover how aligning your spirituality and personal values can bring more fulfillment in your personal and professional life. Explore how unconventional tools like astrology and past life regression can improve decision-making and leadership. Understand the importance of creating safe spaces for women to discuss taboo topics like money, spirituality, and personal challenges.   "Life puts you where you need to be and throws events at you that look like obstacles and hurdles, but ultimately you can end up in a really beautiful place from them." - Lauren Reed   Topics Covered: 00:00 – Introduction to the episode and guest Lauren Reed 00:40 – Overview of Lauren's background and her agency, Reed Public Relations 02:11 – Explanation of EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization) and WPO (Women's President's Organization) 03:16 – Lauren's current role and her transition from CEO to a passive owner 04:41 – The catalyst for Lauren's spiritual journey: extreme burnout and personal challenges 06:27 – The introduction of astrology and its impact on Lauren's life 08:28 – How Lauren integrated spirituality into her business practices 10:41 – The results of using astrology in team building and leadership 12:39 – The success of Wealth of a Woman and its grassroots initiatives 14:09 – The taboo around discussing money and wealth among women 16:39 – The challenges women face in bringing spirituality to work 18:41 – Advice for women exploring their spirituality in a professional context 20:58 – The importance of aligning life with core values    Ways to Connect with Lauren Reed: Website: https://www.reedpublicrelations.com/ Wealth of a Woman: https://www.wealthofawoman.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenreedpr   Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown: Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSarahEBrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com

  5. Jul 15

    Leading Becomes You with Natalie Pickering

    You can be successful on paper and still feel unfulfilled in your leadership. Many high-capacity women leaders are thriving in environments that reward performance while quietly suppressing perspective, intuition, and authentic influence.  Dr. Natalie Pickering is a psychologist, TEDx speaker, and executive coach who helps women in leadership move from autopilot to agency and from performing to becoming. She has worked with hundreds of leaders, teams, and organizations around the world committed to flourishing workplaces and leadership.  Her new book, Leading Becomes You: A Real-World Framework for Leading from the Inside Out, guides leaders into the deeper, human work beneath strategy-- helping them shed the stories that drain them, reclaim the values that anchor them, and inhabit leadership in a sustainable, soulful way that is unmistakably their own.    In this conversation, she shares why many women leaders find themselves adapting to systems that can't keep pace with their growth, and how reclaiming identity clarity can transform the way they lead.   What you will learn from this episode: Why many women leaders feel stuck despite being highly capable and successful. How organizational systems can contribute to burnout, disengagement, and self-silencing. The role identity clarity plays in sustainable leadership and long-term fulfillment.   "Many women are carrying this unprocessed debris from their history, whether that's toxic leadership, relational pressure, chronic stress." – Natalie Pickering   Topics Covered: 01:35 – Why high-capacity women leaders often outpace the emotional maturity of the systems around them 04:15 – How women gradually adapt to unsupportive workplaces without realizing it 05:12 – Reframing burnout: What organizations may be doing to create it 06:08 – Natalie's definition of burnout and the three signs leaders should watch for 08:35 – The inspiration behind Leading Becomes You and Natalie's research-driven framework 09:45 – Understanding the Identity Clarity and Connection Matrix 11:05 – The Four A's: Awareness, Acceptance, Assimilation, and Authentic Activation 14:05 – The balance sheet leaders must use to separate personal challenges from organizational dysfunction 17:40 – What to examine when you feel stuck in your role or career 18:55 – The connection between values misalignment and leadership fulfillment 20:05 – Natalie's Identity-First Leadership Assessment and how it helps leaders gain clarity bit.ly/IFLSelfAssessment    21:00 – The hidden cost of leading without identity clarity—and why self-erosion matters   Key Takeaways: "You can't burn out if you weren't on fire." — Natalie Pickering "I want every leader to have their own approach, their own identity, instead of borrowing someone else's leadership story." — Natalie Pickering "The hidden cost of leading without identity clarity is self-erosion." — Natalie Pickering   Ways to Connect with Natalie Pickering: Assessment: bit.ly/IFLSelfAssessment Book: Leading Becomes You: A Real-World Framework for Leading from the Inside Out Website: https://www.becominginstitute.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drnataliepickering/    Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown: Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSarahEBrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com

  6. Jul 1

    I Said NO: Setting Real Boundaries with Jen Fry

    You don't need to be mean to have boundaries—you just need to be willing to honor them. If saying "no" makes you feel guilty, selfish, or worried about disappointing others, this episode will help you rethink what healthy boundaries really look like Jen Fry is a conflict literacy expert, TEDxDuke speaker, tech founder, and former NCAA volleyball coach. Through her firm, JenFryTalks, she helps leaders and organizations build cultures of clarity, accountability, and trust by turning conflict into a leadership advantage. She's the author of I Said No: How to Have a Backbone and Boundaries Without Being a Jerk.  In this episode, they unpack why boundaries are so difficult—especially for women—and how to set them without damaging relationships. You'll learn practical ways to say no, enforce your boundaries, navigate guilt, and build the confidence to advocate for yourself with clarity and compassion.    What you will learn from this episode: Why women often struggle more than men to set and maintain boundaries. The difference between saying "no" and actually enforcing a boundary. How micro-advocacy helps build confidence for bigger boundary conversations.   "People are habitual line steppers. They will keep pushing." – Jen Fry   Topics Covered: 02:00 – What conflict literacy means and why it is a critical leadership skill 03:20 – Jen's personal journey with boundaries and why family relationships are often the hardest 05:00 – Why women face greater pressure to say yes and keep everyone happy 09:05 – Why Jen wrote I Said No and the power of storytelling in learning boundaries 10:40 – The true definition of a boundary and why it must involve your own actions 13:05 – Using micro-advocacy to build confidence in speaking up for yourself 18:20 – Creating new habits for yourself and the people around you 19:15 – The powerful reminder that you can leave situations that no longer serve you 21:10 – How Jen navigates friendships with chronic lateness while honoring her own needs 23:00 – The role of repair, reconciliation, and meaningful apologies in healthy relationships 24:45 – How boundaries show up physically in the body and what your emotions are trying to tell you   Key Takeaways: "Women have the hardest time setting boundaries because they don't want to disappoint people." – Jen Fry "A boundary is something that you set, not what someone else does." – Jen Fry "You have to practice advocating for yourself before you can say the big no." – Jen Fry "It's hard to do, but you're worth it." – Jen Fry   Ways to Connect with Jen Fry: Website: https://www.jenfrytalks.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjenfry Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenfry Book: I Said No: How to Have a Backbone and Boundaries Without Being a Jerk Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown: Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSarahEBrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com

  7. Jun 14

    The Unsubscribe Framework with Ginny Priem

    You don't need to do more to move forward. Sometimes, the real breakthrough comes from deciding what to stop carrying. Ginny Priem is a keynote speaker, TEDx presenter, master certified coach, bestselling author, and creator of the UNSUBSCRIBE™ framework — a practical system designed to help high-achievers reclaim their time, energy, and focus without losing momentum. In this episode, Ginny shares how burnout, over-functioning, and personal heartbreak led her to rethink success entirely. Together with Dr. Sarah E. Brown, she unpacks why high-performing women often overextend themselves, struggle to set boundaries, and stay trapped in patterns of constant output. You'll also learn the four pillars of the UNSUBSCRIBE™ framework — Block, Mute, Swap, and Manage — and how to use them to create more alignment, clarity, and sustainable success.   What you will learn from this episode: Why high-achieving women often confuse busyness with productivity — and how to shift out of hustle culture. The difference between protecting your peace and isolating yourself from meaningful connection. How the UNSUBSCRIBE™ framework helps you reclaim time, energy, and focus.   "When you start to remove things that no longer serve you, what you notice is it starts to create space for the things that are more aligned."  – Ginny Priem   Topics Covered: 02:05 – Ginny's corporate leadership background and the personal turning point that changed her career path 04:10 – Why the UNSUBSCRIBE™ framework was created and how it helps high-achievers reclaim time and energy 05:48 – Understanding the four pillars: Block, Mute, Swap, and Manage 06:08 – How "manage" helps reduce overwhelm, improve efficiency, and eliminate unnecessary work 11:18 – How recovering people-pleasers can begin setting healthier boundaries 12:02 – Communicating boundaries clearly without damaging relationships 13:42 – Why women tend to overextend, over-carry, and struggle to ask for help 17:20 – Why the UNSUBSCRIBE™ framework resonates strongly with women leaders today 18:08 – Final reflections on releasing what no longer fits and making room for what matters most   Key Takeaways: "High-achieving women are shifting away from hustle culture and toward productivity versus busyness." – Ginny Priem "The people that respect you and your boundaries will see them as a door to keep them in, not walls to keep them out." – Ginny Priem  "I think women tend to feel like they need to carry more." – Ginny Priem    Ways to Connect with Ginny Priem: Website: www.ginnypriem.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ginnypriem Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginnypriem/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginny-priem-8a87248/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ginnypriem   Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown: Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSarahEBrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com

  8. Jun 3

    How to Think about a Career Pivot with Suchi Sairam

    You don't always pivot because you know exactly where you're going. Sometimes, you pivot because the version of success you're chasing no longer feels aligned with who you want to become. Suchi Sairam is a chronically curious arts entrepreneur, Bharatanatyam artist, teacher, choreographer, author, speaker, and founder of the Quiet Ambition Project. With a background spanning chemical engineering, executive leadership, global marketing, entrepreneurship, and the arts, Suchi has spent her life bridging worlds — East and West, business and creativity, ambition and fulfillment. In this episode, we unpack what it really looks like to walk away from a successful corporate path, reconnect with creativity, and redefine ambition on your own terms.   What you will learn from this episode:  Why career pivots often begin with moving away from misalignment — not toward a perfectly clear destination. How creativity and the arts helped Suchi embrace career detours instead of fearing them. Why "quiet ambition" resonates deeply with women navigating success, identity, and fulfillment.   "Art kept my mind open to those ideas because without art, I wouldn't have thought about it so creatively." – Suchi Sairam   Topics Covered:  03:58 – Returning to Bharatanatyam after resisting it as a child and rediscovering cultural connection through the arts 09:08 – How art cultivated creative thinking and openness throughout Suchi's corporate leadership journey 10:02 – Realizing corporate success was pulling her away from her values and identity 13:18 – Leaving corporate life, exploring entrepreneurship, and co-founding a toy company 16:08 – Recognizing strengths and stepping into entrepreneurship with uncertainty 17:05 – Becoming an accidental author and how writing sparked the Quiet Ambition Project 22:35 – How StrengthsFinder shifted Suchi's confidence and understanding of her natural abilities 24:38 – The emotional challenge of leaving behind a corporate identity and navigating entrepreneurship 26:32 – Why a pivot doesn't always mean becoming a solopreneur 27:42 – Where to connect with Suchi and learn more about the Quiet Ambition Project   Key Takeaways: "A pivot can be with others within a bigger container organization, within a smaller one, whatever that is." – Suchi Sairam "I realized a lot of my ambition through my life has been quiet." – Suchi Sairam "Engineering and business helped me as an artist, and being an artist helped me in my engineering and business career." – Suchi Sairam   Ways to Connect with Suchi Sairam: Website: https://suchisairam.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suchisairam/ Quiet Ambition Project: https://suchisairam.com/quiet-ambition-project/   Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown: Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSarahEBrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com

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The mission of the KTS Success Factor® Podcast for Women is to bring proven ideas female business leaders can use to increase their ability to achieve big goals and become happy, successful, and understood at work. All this in 25 minutes or less. Sarah E. Brown, Ph.D. is an expert on personalizing work to the unique interests, strengths, and needs of the workforce. A former Managing Director at Accenture, she is now on a mission to reach 250,000 women with knowledge of their unique gifts and the tools to be happy, successful and understood at work.

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