Future Walk

Sarah Draper
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

What if you could step out of daily chaos and start designing your future? I’m Sarah Draper—West Point graduate, former Army officer, and FBI Special Agent. After decades in high-pressure environments, I found myself stuck in a cycle of reacting, not leading my life. Everything changed with a simple habit: looking ahead—years, not days—during a walk. I call it The Future Walk. Each week, I share practical tools and conversations with high performers to help you stay focused, think long-term, and take control of your path. Stop reacting. Start walking toward your future.

  1. 4d ago

    Designing a Dream Life with Mary Lyons | #24

    In this episode of Future Walk, Sarah Draper talks with Mary Lyons, also known as the Wealth Woman, about money, fulfillment, dream life planning, achievement, family, and using financial strategy to support a life people are actually excited to live. Mary shares how she grew up around conversations about money because her father was a financial advisor and entrepreneur. Even though she originally thought finance was boring and planned to pursue something more creative, her career eventually led her into mortgage planning and then financial services. After clients began asking her to become their financial advisor, she felt a moral obligation to help people with more than just investments. A major part of the conversation is Mary’s realization that success does not always equal happiness. After years of working with her family and preparing to take over her father’s firm, she realized the path she had been building no longer felt right. That moment pushed her to ask deeper questions about what she actually wanted her life to look and feel like. Sarah and Mary talk about the importance of defining a dream life beyond business goals. Mary explains that many high achievers keep moving the goalpost and forget to ask what would actually bring peace, joy, calm, connection, and recovery. She encourages people to calendar one dream every month so life includes meaningful experiences, not just work and achievement. They also discuss how money should not only be about saving, minimizing, or delaying joy until retirement. Mary believes money’s job is to help create a life people are excited to live, while also supporting legacy and generosity. The conversation reframes financial planning as a tool for freedom, alignment, and fuller living. In this episode: ● Why money should support your dream life ● How achievement can become a moving goalpost ● Why high achievers need peace, calm, and recovery ● How to separate your dreams from other people’s expectations ● Why money is not only about saving and minimizing ● How couples can align around different dreams ● Why recovery is part of long-term success ● How parents model dream life living for their children ● Why clarity helps reduce impulsive financial decisions ● How walking and reflection can create vision This episode is a reminder that financial freedom is not just about having more money. It is about knowing what kind of life you want, making intentional choices, and using money as a tool to build a life filled with purpose, joy, connection, and peace.

  2. Sep 24

    Showing Up with Presence and Clarity with Ann Keil Dux | #23

    In this episode of Future Walk, Sarah Draper talks with Ann Keil Dux, an Emmy Award winning journalist turned executive presence coach, about communication, leadership, emotional intelligence, and what it means to show up with presence. Ann shares how her career in broadcast journalism taught her to communicate under pressure. As a shy child who chose an on camera career, she learned what it meant to perform confidence, but also discovered that real connection happens when people stop performing and learn how to access who they truly are. A major focus of the conversation is the difference between preparation and presence. Ann explains that preparation matters, but it is not enough when the room is high stakes, chaotic, or emotionally charged. Leaders need to stay connected to themselves so their words, body language, tone, and values all line up. Sarah and Ann also talk about virtual communication, public speaking, and the way emotions shape how people receive a message. Ann explains that emotions do not need to be removed from professional life. Instead, they can become powerful messengers that help leaders connect, build trust, and communicate with more impact. The conversation also explores Ann’s Go To You method, including the importance of knowing your key message, starting with a strong first sentence, and using breath to stay grounded. Ann reminds listeners that confidence is not just polish. It comes from self awareness, practice, and knowing the value you bring. In this episode: ● Why leadership does not have to be loud ● How journalism shaped Ann’s approach to presence ● Why confidence can feel performed instead of embodied ● What it means to lose access to yourself ● How emotions affect communication ● Why virtual presence still requires human connection ● How to prepare a stronger first sentence ● Why breath matters in high stakes moments This episode is a reminder that communication is not just about saying the right words. Sarah and Ann explore how leaders can speak with more clarity, presence, and awareness by reconnecting with who they are and what they want others to feel.

  3. Sep 17

    Creating Daily Encouragement with Cindy Waddle and Willie Merrell | #22

    In this episode of Future Walk, Sarah Draper talks with Cindy Waddle and Willie Merrell of Desire to Inspire, an inspirational card company built around daily encouragement, connection, kindness, and the power of words. Cindy shares how the idea began through her work as a hospice volunteer. After meeting a mother near the end of her life, Cindy thought about the woman’s two young daughters and thegrief they would soon carry. Having lost her own mother in her 20s, Cindy understood that pain personally. She went home and wrote 365 cards of wisdom, memories, love, and encouragement for each daughter so they could continue to feel their mother’s presence after she was gone. That experience became the foundation for Desire to Inspire. Cindy explains that encouragement matters because words can change a moment, a day, or even a life. She and Willie discuss how people often speak harshly to themselves, and how daily messages can help people build a kinder inner voice. Willie shares how he joined the business after years of friendship with Cindy dating back to their time connected through the military. He explains that the card sets are not just gifts, but tools for self management, reflection, connection, and building healthier communities of care. Sarah, Cindy, and Willie also talk about the difference between digital encouragement and holding something tangible. A card can feel more personal than a text, email, or app because it carries physical connection, intention, and care from one person to another. The conversation also explores grief, friendship, marriage, veterans, first responders, mental wellness, daily habits, creativity, kindness, and the importance of helping people find words when they do not know what to say. In this episode: ● How Desire to Inspire began with hospice work ● Why 365 handwritten cards became the start of the company ● How daily encouragement can support grief and healing ● Why self talk shapes how people show up in the world ● How physical cards create connection in a digital world ● Why words can help people feel seen and supported ● How card sets can build communities of care ● Why kindness and encouragement should become daily practices This episode is a reminder that words matter. Sarah, Cindy, and Willie explore how encouragement, presence, and intentional messages can help people feel loved, remembered supported, and connected when they need it most.

  4. Sep 10

    Learning to Trust Your Gut with Katie Ruffino | #21

    In this episode of Future Walk, Sarah Draper talks with Katie Ruffino about functional medicine, nervous system regulation, food, self trust, and learning how to listen to the body instead of fighting against it. Katie shares how her path began in conventional medicine, but quickly expanded as she saw the limits of only treating symptoms. Through her own health struggles and her work with patients, she began to see food, gut health, mindset, emotions, and the nervous system as deeply connected parts of healing. A major focus of the conversation is Katie’s Trust Your Gut framework. She explains that trusting your gut means listening to the physical body, but also learning how to trust your inner knowing. Instead of constantly looking outside yourself for answers, Katie helps people ask what their body is trying to tell them. Sarah and Katie also talk about stress, leadership, and the way high achievers often lose connection with themselves while serving everyone else. Katie explains how tension, gut symptoms, fatigue, and emotional overwhelm can become signs that the body is asking for attention. The conversation also explores simple tools for regulation, including breath, humming, neck stretches, movement, hydration, emotional processing, and creating space to pause. Katie reminds listeners that self care is not about fixing yourself from shame, but caring for the whole person with love, grace, and awareness. In this episode: ● Why food is not always the real problem ● How gut health connects to emotions and stress ● Why high achievers often disconnect from their bodies ● What the Trust Your Gut framework means ● How nervous system regulation supports healing ● Why pausing can help rebuild self trust ● How leaders can care for themselves while serving others ● Why real change starts with listening inward This episode is a reminder that the body is not the enemy. Sarah and Katie explore how healing can begin when we stop ignoring the signals, slow down enough to listen, and make choices that support the person we are becoming.

  5. Sep 3

    Creating Space for Healthy Leadership with Joel Junker | #20

    In this episode of Future Walk, Sarah Draper talks with Joel Junker about healthy leadership, transformation, reflection, and creating space to notice what life is asking of you. Sarah opens with three words: metanoia, transformation, and space. Joel shares how walking, silence, and mindfulness help him slow down, clear the noise, and become more aware of how he shows up as a leader. Joel also shares how walks during a vacation in Aruba turned into reflections that eventually became a book manuscript about leadership, responsibility, control, and the people who shaped him. The heart of the episode is Joel’s realization that leadership is not about controlling every outcome. After his wife asked if life was always going to feel this heavy, he saw how his stress was affecting the people around him. In this episode: ● Why healthy leaders are strong leaders ● How walking helps create clarity ● Why silence gives leaders space to reflect ● How stress can spill onto others ● Why leaders confuse responsibility with control ● What it means to ask, “What is life asking of me?” This episode is a reminder that strong leadership requires space, presence, reflection, and the courage to let go of what you cannot control. Note: Sarah referenced this during the episode, but couldn't recall all the details in the moment. Tori Penso was the referee in the 2023 Women's World Cup Final during a critical, high-stakes call. Players from both sides were making their case (hard). The energy was high because the stakes were high. She was calming and certain, and her body language said I hear you without adding fuel. You could watch the players settle in real time. In sports we often see the opposite - tension escalates, and someone gets a card. This was just the reverse. She didn't minimize the stakes. She held them. It's remarkable what a calm presence can do in a charged moment. The highlight reel is here as I can't find the full match. The moment I described begins around 18:30: The amazing facts behind the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ Final! | Spain v England - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl-Z79ylhlU Gonzaga University School of Leadership Studies: School of Leadership Studies | Gonzaga University https://www.gonzaga.edu/school-of-leadership-studies Cameron-Brooks: Military Officer Transition Firm | JMO Recruiting | Cameron-Brooks https://www.cameron-brooks.com/ Joel's website: www.JoelJunker.com

  6. Aug 27

    Self-Empathy And The Empathic Leader With Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller | #19

    What if empathy is not a soft skill, but the foundation for how we lead ourselves and others? In this episode of Future Walk, Sarah Draper sits down with Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller, TEDx speaker, leadership coach, author, and creator of The Empathic Leader. Melissa shares how her own story led her into the work of empathy, emotional intelligence, and leadership. After experiencing a painful leadership failure early in her career as a professional musician and professor, she began noticing the same pattern again and again: leaders who struggled to connect with others often also struggled to connect with themselves. Sarah and Melissa explore why empathy is misunderstood, why it is not just about feelings, and why cognitive empathy can help leaders understand others without taking on everyone’s emotional weight. Melissa also explains the difference between empathy, sympathy, and compassion — and why compassion without empathy can become misguided. The conversation also goes deep into self-empathy. Melissa breaks down the four steps of self-observation, self-reflection, self-awareness, and self-compassion. She explains how leaders can use these steps to understand their patterns, recognize the ripple effects of their actions, and move toward repair without falling into shame or judgment. In this episode: ● Why self-care has to start with yourself ● How leadership failure shaped Melissa’s work ● Why empathy is not just about feelings ● The difference between empathy, sympathy, and compassion ● Why empathy and judgment cannot exist together ● The four steps of self-empathy ● How journaling can help leaders see patterns ● Why habits cannot be broken, only replaced ● How boundaries support healthy empathy ● Why a cool head and warm heart both matter If you have ever judged yourself too harshly, struggled to lead with compassion, or felt unsure how to support others without losing yourself, this episode offers a practical framework for coming back to clarity, empathy, and intentional action. Connect with Sarah Draper and tune into more conversations on Future Walk.

  7. Aug 20

    Leaders Bring The Weather With Anthony Baker | #18

    What if leadership is not just what you say, but the emotional weather you bring into the room? In this episode of Future Walk, Sarah Draper sits down with Anthony Baker, Director of Leadership Development at Hayden Beverage Company, Naval Academy graduate, and retired Navy SEAL captain with 26 years of service. Anthony shares how he transitioned from the SEAL teams into civilian leadership by building relationships through a project called “50 Cups of Coffee.” Instead of leading with “help me find a job,” he used those conversations to learn his new community, understand civilian leadership, and discover where his experience could create value. Sarah and Anthony talk about leadership across sectors, building strong culture, developing leaders, creating teams of connected people, and why leadership has to be lived at every level. Anthony explains how Hayden Beverage created a leadership ecosystem rooted in shared values, leadership ambassadors, emotional intelligence, and leaders who stay close to the work. They also discuss one of Anthony’s key leadership beliefs: leaders bring the weather. When pressure rises, people look to the leader. A leader’s calm, energy, and emotional awareness can either steady the team or create more stress. In this episode: ● How “50 Cups of Coffee” helped Anthony transition into civilian life ● Why leadership is universal across sectors ● How strong culture helps attract and retain talent ● Why leaders bring the weather ● How emotional intelligence supports better leadership ● Why getting out of the office builds trust ● How job shadowing helps teams understand each other ● Why culture fit matters during career transitions ● How values and behavior create real culture If you are leading a team, navigating transition, or trying to build a life and career that align with your values, this episode will remind you that leadership starts with the weather you bring and the intentional choices you make. Connect with Sarah Draper and tune into more conversations on Future Walk.

  8. Aug 13

    Your Future Self Is About Who You Become With Chris Kolenda | #17

    What if the way you are trying to help your team is actually creating more dependency? In this episode of Future Walk, Sarah Draper sits down with Chris Kolenda, retired U.S. Army colonel, combat commander, PhD, award-winning author, founder of Chris Kolenda Academy, and founder of the Saber Six Foundation. Chris brings a rare leadership background. He is the only American to have both fought the Taliban as a combat commander in Afghanistan and later negotiated with them in peace talks. Today, he helps CEOs and senior leaders move from success to significance by breaking what he calls the dependency trap. Sarah and Chris explore why strong leaders often unintentionally create dependency. When uncertainty creates fear, leaders naturally reach for control. But too much control can slow teams down, reduce autonomy, and train people to constantly look to the leader for answers. Chris explains the difference between detailed control and directive control, why leaders need to set clear purpose, priorities, standards, and boundaries, and how teams become stronger when the “how” is decentralized. They also discuss servant leadership and why it can become a trap when service turns into subservience. Chris shares how leaders can move from people-pleasing and over-functioning into a healthier model of being service-centric. The conversation also becomes deeply personal as Chris talks about his own healing, emotional growth, combat leadership, trauma, and the work of the Saber Six Foundation, which helps veterans turn post-combat stress into growth through purpose, belonging, and well-being. In this episode: ● Why uncertainty makes leaders reach for control ● How detailed control creates dependency ● What the dependency trap looks like inside teams ● Why miscommunication costs more than leaders realize ● How servant leadership can become people-pleasing ● The difference between being subservient and being of service ● Why future self is about who you become, not just what you do ● How purpose, belonging, and well-being support post-combat growth If you are a leader who feels responsible for solving everything, this episode will help you rethink control, service, and what it means to build people instead of creating dependency. Connect with Sarah Draper and tune into more conversations on Future Walk.

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About

What if you could step out of daily chaos and start designing your future? I’m Sarah Draper—West Point graduate, former Army officer, and FBI Special Agent. After decades in high-pressure environments, I found myself stuck in a cycle of reacting, not leading my life. Everything changed with a simple habit: looking ahead—years, not days—during a walk. I call it The Future Walk. Each week, I share practical tools and conversations with high performers to help you stay focused, think long-term, and take control of your path. Stop reacting. Start walking toward your future.

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Draper
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sarah Draper
  • Show Website
    Future Walk