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. 2d ago

    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

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. Aug 6

    Midlife Is Not Mid With Marsha McDaniel | #16

    What if midlife is not the end of becoming, but the beginning of building something new? In this episode of Future Walk, Sarah Draper sits down with Marsha McDaniel, founder and CEO of a science-backed skincare brand for women navigating perimenopause and menopause. Before founding her company, Marsha spent nearly two decades as a United States diplomat, with assignments in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Mumbai. Through her global career, she worked closely with businesses, entrepreneurs, and women leaders across industries and cultures. Years later, those experiences became part of the foundation for her own entrepreneurial journey. Marsha shares how a frustrating doctor’s appointment and an unexplained skin issue led her to start researching perimenopause, hormones, estrogen, and skin health. When she could not find the kind of product she was looking for, she decided to build it herself. Sarah and Marsha talk about what it means to launch a business at 50, why midlife is not “mid,” and how the skills, relationships, and lessons built over decades can become the launchpad for what comes next. They also discuss the power of walking for clarity, how Future Walk helped Marsha focus on what actually moves her business forward, and why entrepreneurs must know their numbers. In this episode: ● How Future Walk helped Marsha find business clarity ● Why entrepreneurs need to focus on what moves the business forward ● How perimenopause can affect skin ● Why Marsha felt dismissed during a doctor’s appointment ● How she built a skincare product from scratch ● What she learned from launching on Amazon ● Why midlife is not mid ● How curiosity creates opportunity ● Why women need more visibility in entrepreneurship If you are in a season of wondering what comes next, this episode is a reminder that your experience is not behind you. It may be the foundation for what you are about to build. Connect with Sarah Draper and tune into more conversations on Future Walk.

  6. Jul 30

    Better, Not More: How Intentional Leaders Create Lasting Change | #15

    Better doesn't happen by accident—it happens by intention. In this episode, Sarah explores what it means to get better as a leader, why "better" doesn't mean "more," and how small, sustainable practices compound into transformation. Drawing on her recent visit to West Point, research on helping others, and the concept of 1% improvement from James Clear's Atomic Habits, Sarah challenges leaders to define what "better" actually means and commit to one intentional change this month. Key Concepts: The Corps has gotten better (West Point example)What "better" isn't: more productivity, longer hours, higher outputWhat "better" is: more aligned, intentional, sustainable, effectiveProgress, not perfectionWhen progress isn't possible, practiceShowing up whole vs. just showing upThe 1% better concept from Atomic Habits (James Clear)Being better for others makes you betterThe paradox: Take care of yourself first to serve others well Research Cited: Helping Others Buffers Daily Stress Raposa, E. B., Laws, H. B., & Ansell, E. B. (2016). Prosocial behavior mitigates the negative effects of stress in everyday life. Clinical Psychological Science, 4(4), 691-698.Study measured well-being using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)Sample: 77 adults, ages 18-44, over 14 daysKey finding: On stressful days, people who helped others didn't experience the same decline in mood and mental health as those who didn't helphttps://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/helping-others-dampens-the-effects-of-everyday-stress.htmlPhysiological Benefits of Helping Others Harvard Medicine Magazine: "The Health Benefits of Kindness"Explains how helping others releases dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocinhttps://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/health-benefits-kindness Books Referenced: Clear, James. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery, 2018.1% better concept: 1.01^365 = 37.78 (compounding improvement) Action Steps: Take a 20-30 minute Strategic Future Walk this weekDefine what "better" means for you (leadership, culture, values alignment)Identify ONE thing you can make better this monthFocus on making things better for others (team, family, people you serve)Practice progress, not perfectionRepeat monthly Resources: leadingwellstrategies.comFuture Walk framework (Daily, Strategic, Visioning walks) Connect: Share this episode with a leader who needs to hear itLeave a comment about what you're working to make betterRate and review to help other leaders find this podcast

  7. Jul 22

    Run On Alignment, Not Adrenaline With Michelle Philips | #14

    What if the energy you bring into a room is shaping your outcomes before you ever say a word? In this episode of The Future Walk Podcast, Sarah Draper sits down with Michele Phillips, known as The Light Lady, for a conversation about energy, happiness, leadership, emotional alignment, and learning how to write the outcome you actually want. Michelle shares how her work grew from her own doubts, fears, and insecurities, and how studying emotional intelligence, positive psychology, and human connection led her into decades of work with leaders. She explains why happiness is not fake positivity, butsomething that can be built through habits, awareness, and emotional practice. Together, Sarah and Michelle explore why so many high-performing leaders are running on adrenaline instead of alignment. They discuss how thoughts create emotional momentum, why focus matters, how slowing down helps leaders make better decisions, and why managing your internal energy changes how you lead externally. In this episode: ● Why what you need most often becomes what you teach ● How habits can keep you grounded during difficult seasons ● Why leaders need to run on alignment, not adrenaline ● How thoughts and emotions create energetic momentum ● Why slowing down helps leaders focus and make better decisions ● How conflict can become energy for something meaningful If you have ever felt depleted, reactive, or like you are pushing through on fumes, this episode will help you notice your energy, reconnect with your alignment, and choose the outcome you want to create. Connect with Sarah Draper and tune into more conversations on The Future Walk Podcast.

  8. Jul 16

    You Are Not Your Brain With Richard Waldman #13

    What if the chatter in your head is not who you are, but something you can learn to notice, question, and manage? In this episode of The Future Walk Podcast, Sarah Draper sits down with Richard Waldman, founder of Brainy, life coach, clinical pastor, veteran, speaker, and author of You Are Not Your Brain, for a conversation about internal noise, judgment, presence, leadership, and learning how to manage the mental chatter that keeps people stuck. Sarah and Richard explore how the brain can pull people into fear, regret, judgment, and overthinking. Richard explains why the present moment is our point of power, how awareness helps us interrupt negative thought patterns, and why we are not defined by the chatter in our heads. Together, they discuss Richard’s Ordered Life framework, the importance of conscious choice, and how reconnecting with what we love can help us move forward with more peace, clarity, and intention. In this episode: ● Why you are not your brain ● How mental chatter keeps people stuck in fear, regret, and judgment ● Why the present moment is your point of power ● How awareness and conscious choice help you respond instead of react ● Why real leaders are also healers ● How walking, presence, laughter, and shared values can bring people back to what matters If you have ever felt trapped by overthinking, self-judgment, or the constant noise in your head, this episode will help you create space between who you are and what your brain is telling you. Connect with Sarah Draper and tune into more conversations on The Future Walk Podcast.

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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
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sarah Draper
  • Show Website
    Future Walk

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