Your Stories Dont Define You, How You Tell Them Will

382 Images of Ourselves    It’s a sad fact of life that we internalize narratives that are made for us at an early age, we are told we are too emotional, that we’re too bossy, that we’re too big, and if we do not actively try to reframe or unlearn these narratives made for us, we are forced to live out a story someone else made up for us. It is our duty to reach out and take the power back for ourselves, to wield the pen as a mighty sword, and write our own narrative for the sake of our growth and inner peace.  In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Lindsey A. Lee, discuss the importance of becoming the person you want to be, showing up for yourself and those you love, and how vital it is for our growth as human beings to sit with the narratives we have about ourselves and decide for ourselves if these narratives are our own genuine thoughts and beliefs or if they were a planted idea.   Highlights Is the person you became, the person you wanted to be or the person you needed to be to survive? How do you show

381 Rock N Roll Authenticity and living your life in a way that reflects who you are and how you hope to be perceived is something we all strive for, however it can be easy to forget that change and growth is a constant changing cycle, even from moment we are allowed and expected to invent who we are. In this episode Sarah Elkins ruminates on when she joined the rock band she is apart of and how it has helped shape her authentic self as well as how important fun and joy is to the true sense self.    Highlights What is authenticity to you? How do you portray your authentic self? Untangling core values from the actions we believe are authentic. How do you want to be known and remembered for?  There is no permanent state of the self.    Quotes “I was still not rock and roll. I was wearing a persona on stage because it was fun not because it felt like me.” “All that would have been missed if I had decided that my authentic self was not rock and roll.” “What opportunities have you dismissed because the

280 Breaking Cycles   We are hardwired to remember the stories that are far more painful and life altering, than the happier stories we lived. Perhaps it is our survival instincts or it is just easier to remember the bad, regardless it is important to sit back and truly think about how we frame our narratives using these experiences and decide for ourselves that this story is one we want to change. In todays episode, Sarah Elkins and Erin Weninger discuss the cycles both of them have lived as women, business owners, and parents, and the difficulty that came with acknowledging and changing the destructive patterns in our lives     Highlights You can do what is best for you, you only need to find the courage to reach out.  Everyone’s narrative is different, but you need to know personally when that narrative is false and harmful to you.  What lengths will you go to in order to defend your narrative? Is it really a narrative worth defending? Be adult enough to acknowledge when you fail, apologize, work t

379 Leaving The Legacy You Choose Inevitably, we will be faced with the endless march of time, we will have a moment when we have the thought of how we want people to speak about us when we are gone. Are you making stories that reflect how you want to be remembered? Are you living in a way that solidifies the legacy you want to leave? Do you surround yourself with people who inspire, drive, and temper your ambition? In todays episode, Sarah Elkins and Bryan Abdul Collins discuss the importance of living a life without regrets, of surrounding ourselves with people that help us be the best versions of ourselves, and living in the moment with those we love.    Highlights Facing the inevitable and considering what it all means. How much time are you wasting by paying attention to the things that don’t matter? What is your legacy? What do you want people to think of when they remember you? What is the evidence of who you were and the stories you carried that you will leave behind?    Quotes “I just want

378 Demonstrating Who You Are Through Story   Through the art of storytelling people can get a glimpse into who we are in the way that is most meaningful to show. Through our stories and how we tell them we can show an entire room of people, or just that one significant person, who we are and what matters to us.    Highlights Using story to show who you are as a person and what matters most to you. Creating an environment where everyone feels safe, welcome, and willing to share their stories. Reflection and the importance of examining our past actions.    Quotes “Every professional benefits when they can share stories that demonstrate their skills, values, and character.” “In 90 minutes we created an environment of significant trust, support, and vulnerability.”   Dear Listeners it is now your turn, What stories do you have that are integral to who you are as a person? What stories adequately show your character, value, and traits? Write these stories down, fine tune them, and share them in a way that

377 The Art of Storytelling: A Controlled Burn in The Forest Of Life   Throughout life we have a tendency to collect things, whether they be stories, memories, or physical objects, and more often than not we cling to these things despite them no longer serving us in any meaningful capacity. Which is why it is important to sit back, look at your hoard and realize you are not a dragon who must keep every single piece of scrap. You can thank the item, story, or memory and leave it behind so that you can open up to new possibilities and new meaningful things to put in your life. In todays episode Sarah Elkins educates us on the importance of controlled burns in the national parks of the west, as well as the importance of our own “controlled burns” to clear away the clutter and make way for new, healthy growth in our lives.    Highlights Protecting our future and our communities, means protecting our environment too. Sometimes you need to shed the dead parts of the past in order to grow.  What strategies can

376 The Art of Storytelling: What Makes A Good Leader?  What is it that makes a leader someone worth following? Is it the way they approach problems? Is it how they treat those who follow them or those who don’t? Or is it something more unique to each individual?  In today’s episode Sarah Elkins demonstrates through her art of storytelling how she has led others and helped them to lead in turn, and how important it is to follow a leader who makes you see the best in yourself, and to help others see the best in themselves. Highlights Show your qualities through your stories, don’t just tell. A healthy and powerful work environment is possible when everyone works together and the leader takes steps towards improving their skills. Being self conscious of your skills and the room you have to improve.  Be confident in your abilities and find a way that is helpful and understanding to help others see them as well. Speak their language if you must.  Quotes “Why now? Because they’re growing and they don’t w

375 Practicing What You Preach It’s important in life, whether you are running your own business or in your daily life, to practice what you preach. Not only do you avoid being seen as hypocritical but often the best person to give you advice is you. Consult with other coaches and counselors, ask the opinions of those you love and value, do whatever you need to in order to put yourself on the path to fulfillment and success. In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Mike Trugman discuss practicing their own advice, as well as the importance of doing what you will say you will in order to put yourself in a better environment that will help you grow and thrive.    Highlights How do you approach your own self learning and self development? What do you need to do more of to bring yourself more fulfillment? Are you in a place that lets you grow and thrive? Or do you need to find somewhere new to grow?   Quotes “We think we’re really sneaky, or really good at hiding these aspects of ourselves but there is no sepa

374 Passion and The Road To Fulfilling Success   When we were kids we all wanted to be something extraordinary. We wanted to be magicians, doctors, paleontologists, astronauts, ballerinas, but somewhere along the way some of us lose that sparkle. We get sucked into the everyday routine of work and taking care of those around us. However that spark is not lost forever, sometimes existing as a fleeting ember of ambition that only needs to be cultivated to turn into a roaring flame of fulfilling success. In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Jimi Gibson discuss the importance of trying different paths in life and how there are many off ramps and back roads full of experiences to the destinations we want to reach.    Highlights You will always find a way out of a situation you are in. Those who care about you and believe in you will support you through the difficult times. Telling your own stories and the stories of others in a way that reflects who you are.   Quotes “I was going through my Strength’s Finde

373 Making Space and Time To Truly Enjoy Life In life we will often be distracted with things we feel like we have to do: Go to University, get a normal job from 9-5, participate in every extra curricular activity that is presented to us, and in doing so we fail to take into account what we need. We need community, we need to experience the beauty of the world we live in, we need to live not just survive.  In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Joyce Perrin discuss the many adventures they both have lived through and the lessons they learned on their journeys.    Highlights Even across the generations, across cultures, across the globe, we are far more similar than we think. Choosing to create, contribute, and belong in community. When consumed with activity, you will not know how to be at peace and love the world you share with others.  Savor the moments of teaching, do not rush it, you never know how much time you have left.    Quotes “It’s not how much you have, it’s how much you share and give that

372 The Art of Storytelling: Connection Over Persuasion, One Relationship At A Time   Time makes a folktale of the storyteller, and yet even hundreds if not thousands of years later, the stories that mattered -that we connect with- endure. To tell a story effectively means you need to connect with the person who is listening to you.  In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Jeff Ikler discuss the importance of genuine connection over persuasion in the art of storytelling, and how it is far more meaningful to build a bridge between one another, rather than forcing them to choose one side of the river.   Highlights What is something you can do to further your goals that relies on your strengths and your toolsets?  Who inspired you recently to continue your work?  What stories are you carrying with you? And what do you have that reminds you of that story?    Quotes “Everybody was being vulnerable, they were telling deeply personal stories and it was like they were letting us in before we had really been intro

371 The Frequency Of Fear   It’s easy to be afraid. To stick our heads in the sand and watch another episode of a show that we like to ignore what’s going on. But if we do that than we can never grow. We’re all afraid, but we must act through our fear, refuse to be compliant, refuse to be quiet, and enforce the change we want to see in ourselves and the world around us.   In today’s episode, Sarah Elkins and Nir Megnazi discuss the use of fear in driving us forward and how important it is to work with our fear and through it. Highlights How are you anchoring someone in time? What frightening experiences still warp and control your perceptions to this day? Are you lacking compassion for yourself? Are you kind to others but unkind to yourself, especially your past self? There’s no way to hold space for someone and the emotions they feel if they are not communicated. Learn to work with fear. Fear is normal.    Quotes “Courage does not exist without fear.”  “The way I approach these memories is with

370 Whatever Will Be, Will Be We can often have expectations of how the world is supposed to work, like we are running out of time or that we have to hold on desperately to ideas and beliefs that no longer serve us. However, it is imperative to our growth as individuals, and in turn, our business ventures, to let go of the beliefs that no longer serve you and to learn to accept that whatever will come to you when you are ready, and in its own good time.  In this episode Sarah Elkins and Rashina Gajjar discuss the lessons they’ve learned on their own private journeys, as well as how their own knowledge has helped to serve clients and friends alike.    Highlights Acknowledging the reality of a situation regardless of if you are proud of that thing or not. Sometimes we sabotage ourselves with change for the sake of change without it being intentional or meaningful change.  Things will happen when they are meant to.    Quotes “I guess learning to let go and surrender that and to move into this path that I

369 Nurturing Community   We’re all human. We all have family, we all have struggles, we all have experienced some sort of adversity, which means we’re more alike than we are different. It can be easy to view the world with blinders on, to ignore it all and keep your nose to the ground, but then your community suffers for it. The people who rely on you, whether it be your friends and family, or a client or customer, by choosing to nurture only our corner of existence, the rest of our community suffers. Just like tending a garden, you must tend the whole garden, spread love and nutrients where you can, and remove what is harmful. It’s hard work, but all things worth doing require effort.  In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Claudia Krevat discuss the importance of caring for your community as a whole, how vital it is to remove the blinders and to see things as they are and how you best can contribute to a healthy and happy community.    Highlights Lifting others up also lifts you up. You never know the doo

368 Choose To Step Up And Step In   It’s a strange and frightening world we are living in right now. With divisiveness and anger seeming rampant, it falls to us to maintain our community, to show up with a heart of love and understanding for each other and ourselves, to save our village from burning and refusing to let a lack of empathy and communication drive us to destruction.  In this episode Sarah Elkins and Erin Miller discuss the vital importance of community and taking care of one another, of building bridges and allowing our differences to strengthen us instead of divide us, as well as accepting when a bridge cannot be built and an olive branch is refused and trying to find peace with the results.    Highlights What is your moment of satisfaction or awe in what you do? Are you giving or just taking? Sitting down and talking to someone who’s different in some way. Building bridges as opposed to burning them. Celebrate our differences, do not let them drive us apart. But acknowledging when you c

367 Manifesting Humanity   It can be easy to forget that we’re human. When work is stressful and all consuming, when dealing with people stuck in the past and the past versions of you, it’s easy to forget we are a person with needs to lead a fulfilling life.  In this episode Sarah Elkins and Alison Miller discuss how the stories we carry with us alter the people we are, often making us revert to the person we used to be and not the person we are now or the person we want to be.    Highlights How do you manifest your humanity? Practicing new ways of being in a community. Are you being there for yourself? It’s okay to fall sometimes.    Quotes “This is a human being living in our society, how do we decide that we make life work for people.” “We’re observing it, we're not judging it.” “We always have choices but rarely are they apparent to us.”   Dear Listeners it is now your turn, I would love to hear from you, what part of this conversation resonated with you? To be in community, to grow, to learn, t

366 Fortunes For The Future Throughout our lives we will have to wear many hats and perform many tasks on our paths toward success and personal fulfillment, sometimes these wayward paths lead us to doors that we would never expect to come across. We only need to have the courage to reach out and open the door.  In this episode Sarah Elkins and Russel Rowland discuss the many different paths life leads us down and the lessons we learn on our way to fulfillment and success.    Highlights The work we find between our desired career can open many doors you could never expect. We need to have something or someone show us that what we’re doing matters. We all have an edge of discomfort in putting ourselves out there, but we have to confront it in order to live a fulfilling life.    Quotes “I’m not a big believer of hiding the skeletons. I think you have to look at your history honestly in order to keep growing and learning about how we become the people we are.” “It’s really the main piece of advice that I

365 Tools For Success In the path to thriving and enjoying your life you must be able to identify and utilize the tools unique to your skills and values. Not everyone can use the same tool kit, just like plants require different soil to grow, we also require our own unique environment to grow.  In this episode Sarah Elkins and Gina Riley discuss the importance of the unique tools we acquire through life and the best way to utilize these tools.    Highlights The influences that shape our lives, developing our clarity over time. You can’t see your potential from the inside, you need people in your life to help you build the perfect future. What unique and powerful tools do you have?   Quotes “I think that understanding our own why, and I’m not going right to the Simon Cynic material which is great, but truly just getting angered in the thing that motivates us deep down to push forward in life.”  “I’m not always right, and I try to check my assumptions, because with maturity we realize we aren’t always r

364 NLV 2025   This year in Austin Texas February 10th and 11th is the eighth annual NLV Summit hosted by Sarah Elkins. A meeting of great minds, incredible opportunities, and a sharing of impactful stories. In today’s episode Sarah reminisces on many of these stories from the previous several NLV Summits and how they have helped her shape her path going forward.   Highlights Gaining perspective on life, especially when you feel hopeless.  Incorporating the lessons your friends and peers don’t even realize they’re teaching you. Continuing to strive for the dream you want to build.   Quotes “Something that continues to shape my work is something Melissa Hughes said when she hosted her session. She said; Sometimes you have to get up to the cheap seats. And she was using the metaphor for those high seats in the bleachers at a baseball game. So that we can gain perspective by getting to a higher view. To look at the bigger picture when we feel stuck.” “What is it? What does it do? Why does it matter?” A

363 Taking Inventory As the New Year begins it’s time for us to take a step back and reflect on the stories, messages, and values we want to bring into 2025. Just like tending to a garden by removing weeds and adding nutrients, we must also tend to the garden of our lives.  In this episode Sarah Elkins, Emily McVey, and Chris Wang discuss the stories that shaped them into who they are as well as how they have chosen to tell their stories through thoughtful and meaningful actions.   Highlights What are the coping strategies you developed? What connects you to other people? Even if you’ve never seen them.  What skills did you develop from a chaotic situation that manifested into a valuable tool for you to use throughout life? What generational curses are you breaking? What situations will you never allow others to endure because you had to endure them? Remember to step back and look at the bigger picture, instead of viewing the situation through a lens or holding the subjects to a higher standard. W