True fulfillment as an entrepreneur often begins the moment you step outside yourself and give back.

Sarah Lockwood shares a personal reflection on her uncle, Ralph Junker, who quietly gave blood every two weeks for nearly twenty years. It was never mentioned at his funeral or in his obituary, yet it may have been the most defining part of his legacy. What does it mean when the most meaningful acts of service in a life are the ones done quietly, without recognition? And how might those same choices shape who we become as leaders?

This episode invites you to look at philanthropy not as a grand gesture but as a steady practice that creates life satisfaction, perspective, and connection. Inward work like meditation and journaling has its place, but service pulls us into the lives of others and reminds us that leadership is rooted in humanity.

Sarah offers a challenge worth sitting with: what if giving back became a rhythm in your life and your business? It doesn’t have to start big. Maybe it’s a volunteer day, matching donations for your team, or simply stepping in when someone in your community needs help. However it looks, those choices ripple outward, shaping stronger leaders, more grounded teams, and a legacy that speaks louder than words.

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

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Layoffs, furloughs, and rehiring after downsizing are decisions that press on both the head and the heart.

Sarah Lockwood talks with Peggy Shell, the CEO of Creative Alignments, about the reality of leading a team through moments when survival means making choices no leader wants to make. Peggy shares how her company moved from furloughs to layoffs during an economic downturn and what it took to carry the weight of those decisions while still protecting the future of the business. How do you take care of the people who stay after you’ve had to let others go? How much truth should you share when your team is already anxious?

Peggy explains how transparency and steady communication built trust, even in the midst of layoffs, and why she chose approaches like covering health insurance, offering transition periods, and helping people find new roles. She also reflects on the uneasy process of hiring again after downsizing and the challenge of moving forward with confidence when past decisions still weigh heavy.

This episode encourages entrepreneurs to look closely at how layoffs, furloughs, and rehiring after downsizing affect more than just headcount. These moments test the culture of a company, the trust between leaders and their teams, and the resilience of a business when pressure hits. Peggy’s story shows how the choices a leader makes in these situations leave a lasting mark on both the people and the direction of the business.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction and Initial Layoffs

02:16 Fear of Rehiring and Economic Uncertainty

05:31 Conscious Leadership and Transparency in Layoffs

08:01 Furloughs vs. Layoffs

10:09 Handling Layoffs with Compassion and Support

11:14 Retaining A Players and Addressing Survivor Guilt

14:17 Lessons Learned and Building a Stronger Business

16:21 Innovation and Reimagining Company Culture

17:12 Final Takeaways for Leaders

Connect with Peggy Shell:

Creative Alignments

Connect with Peggy on LinkedIn

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

HiveCast

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

The Conscious Entrepreneur

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn

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Annual reviews are broken, and leadership coach Mike Goldman, author of “The Strength of Talent” has a different way to think about performance management that puts people growth at the heart of profit growth.

Joining Sarah Lockwood in this episode, Mike questions why so many organizations still rely on outdated HR metrics and rigid systems like annual reviews or quarterly reviews when so few leaders believe they make a real impact. He introduces the idea of “talent density,” a measure of the gap between high and low performers, and explains why it’s a sharper way to understand organizational health. He walks through his five-step framework that calls for clear expectations, honest assessments done as a team, real leadership accountability, and a balance between productivity and culture fit.

How often do we keep a top producer who quietly undermines the culture? Where is “good enough” quietly slowing the roles that drive a company forward? Mike shares strategies leaders can start using right away, even without company-wide adoption, and explains why a slow, thoughtful rollout builds trust and lasting results. This episode challenges the way performance management is typically done and offers a grounded approach to helping both people and the business grow stronger.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Talent Density Explained

01:51 People Growth Drives Profit

03:55 Assessing Performance Beyond Annual Reviews

06:25 Leadership Accountability for People Growth

08:01 Broken Performance Management System

09:17 Quarterly Talent Assessment Meeting (QTAM)

11:14 Talent Density Indicator (TDI) Overview

14:40 Culture Fit as a Performance Metric

18:45 Roles Where Good Enough Fails

23:06 Applying the System as a Middle Manager

29:01 Change Management and Rollout Strategy

Connect with Mike Goldman:

Website

Book: “The Strength of Talent”

LinkedIn

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Website

LinkedIn

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

YouTube

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout can take root fast when company culture overlooks early warning signs, and Cait Donovan offers insight into how leaders can spot and address it before it damages the entire organization.

Sarah Lockwood speaks with Cait, the host of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast and the founder of BurnBOLD, about what burnout looks like in real time and why it often signals deeper issues inside a company. How can a leader tell when a team is just under pressure versus when something is fundamentally off? Which behaviors start small but slowly erode trust and workplace wellness until they create a toxic culture?

Cait explains why leaders must deal with their own burnout first because when a leader is running on empty, the strain spreads. From there, she walks through ways to identify whether the problem lies in a single pocket of the organization or across the culture as a whole, and how to respond in each case. She shares approaches that shift the tone of a workplace, like starting “positive gossip” to strengthen psychological safety or aligning the company’s stated values with what actually happens day to day.

This episode looks at personal habits such as perfectionism, people-pleasing, hyper-independence that often come from old patterns and quietly shape relationships and performance at work. Cait shows how becoming aware of these tendencies can help leaders change the environment for themselves and their teams. She offers a thoughtful and detailed look at how burnout develops, what fuels a toxic culture, and how workplace wellness can be protected through intentional choices in leadership and company culture.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Real Costs of Burnout

01:31 WHO Definition and Key Signs of Burnout

02:46 Individual Burnout vs. Cultural Problems

04:07 How Leaders Should Address Burnout

06:10 Four Indicators of a Toxic Workplace

08:42 Effective Interventions to Reduce Burnout

09:20 Building Trust Through Positive Gossip

11:30 Aligning Company Values With Culture

12:44 Burnout Risk Factors and Protection Factors

16:42 Why Leaders Must Address Their Own Burnout First

21:16 Hidden Patterns That Increase Burnout Risk

26:39 Case Study: Reducing Urgency to Boost Productivity

Links

Connect with Cait Donovan:

Initial Call with Cait

FRIED. The Burnout Podcast

LinkedIn

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn

HiveCast

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn

Instagram

The Conscious Entrepreneur

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Telling yourself the truth might be the most radical leadership skill you’ll ever develop.

In part three of the Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders series, Sarah Lockwood is joined by Beck Sydow and Marina Suholutsky for a conversation about the power of radical self-honesty in leadership. They explore how self-awareness for leaders isn’t just about introspection but a foundational strategy for building resilient businesses, leading aligned teams, and navigating high-stakes decisions with integrity.

Beck and Marina reveal how easy it is for entrepreneurs to hide from their own truths, especially when fear, ego, or pressure to perform take over. They unpack how avoidance and overcompensation often mask deeper insecurities and explain why facing those hidden parts with compassion is key to true emotional self-regulation. When leaders name what’s really going on without judgment, they create space for better decisions, stronger relationships, and more authentic leadership.

This episode offers a powerful reframe: self-honesty isn’t weakness, but actually one of the most courageous and transformative skills you can build.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Radical Self-Honesty Is a Leadership Skill

02:56 How Your Relationship with Yourself Shapes Your Leadership

04:49 Embracing All Parts of Yourself to Build Self-Awareness

06:03 Coping Mechanisms That Lead to Dishonest Leadership

10:03 The Hidden Relief in Facing Hard Truths

14:07 Practicing Compassionate Accountability

17:59 Sovereignty, Self-Honesty, and Emotional Self-Regulation

21:32 Practical Tools to Strengthen Self-Honesty

25:02 Emotional Mastery for Leaders

Links

Connect with Beck Sydow:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/

HumanKind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/

Connect with Marina Suholutsky:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/

PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Curiosity is the leadership skill that helps you regulate your nervous system, interrupt fear loops, and make conscious choices in real time.

This episode is part 2 of the Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders series, where Sarah Lockwood is joined again by Marina Suholutsky, the founder of PurposeBuilt, and Beck Sydow, the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders, to discuss how curiosity plays an important role in nervous system regulation and managing emotions. They break down how fear contracts our experience and narrows our view, while curiosity invites expansion and presence. When leaders learn to pause and ask questions like “What else is true?” or “What story am I telling myself right now?”, they create access to agency, opening up space to shift out of reactivity and into conscious, grounded response.

Marina and Beck offer tools that don’t require time away from work or structured rituals. These moments of emotional awareness can happen mid-meeting, mid-sentence, or mid-meltdown. Whether it’s noticing your peripheral vision, softening your tone, or naming what’s happening in the room, curiosity becomes a live practice that leaders can use to stay connected to themselves and others. The discussion also explores how modeling this curiosity builds team trust and strengthens leadership presence. For founders who want to lead with more ease and intention, this episode is an invitation and a toolkit.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Curiosity as a Tool for Emotional Mastery

01:24 Using Curiosity to Shift from Fear to Possibility

02:55 How Curiosity Regulates the Nervous System

04:32 Interrupting Autopilot Responses with Better Questions

06:12 Building Agency Through Conscious Choice

09:59 Real-Time Techniques for Managing Emotions

12:34 Somatic Practices for Curiosity and Expansion

15:23 Leading with Curiosity in High-Stakes Moments

16:48 Asking Open-Ended Questions That Invite Collaboration

19:31 Why Curiosity Reflects True Leadership Confidence

Links

Connect with Beck Sydow:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/

HumanKind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/

Connect with Marina Suholutsky:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/

PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Fear isn’t the enemy of great leadership. Ignoring it is.

How often do you walk into a meeting already bracing for impact? Or catch yourself shrinking back in a moment where you meant to lead with clarity? Sarah Lockwood sits down with Beck Sydow, the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders, and Marina Suholutsky, the founder of PurposeBuilt, for a conversation on emotional self-regulation, fear in business, and the kind of inner work that makes better leadership possible.

They explore how fear lives in the body, how it shows up in the boardroom, and why most founders are still operating from old survival patterns without realizing it. You’ll hear why simply pushing through isn’t a strategy and how learning to notice your internal state (tight shoulders, shallow breath, reactive thinking) can open the door to more aligned decisions. Beck and Marina walk through tools for getting out of autopilot, including body scans, self-inquiry, and what they call “active choice,” the skill of pausing just long enough to shift out of fear and back into presence.

This doesn’t just explain why inner work matters. It shows you how to begin. Whether you’re leading a team, building a company, or trying to show up more fully for your own vision, this is the kind of episode that gets under the surface and invites you to lead from a deeper, steadier place.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Emotional Self-Regulation in Leadership

02:19 Why Fear and Suffering Matter for Founders

05:03 How the Amygdala Shapes Fear in Business

06:08 Welcoming Fear as a Tool, Not a Threat

10:08 Tools for Recognizing and Naming Fear

14:06 The Leadership Power of Softening and Owning Fear

18:13 Making Active Choices to Lead with Awareness

Links

Connect with Beck Sydow:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/

Humankind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/

Connect with Marina Suholutsky:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/

PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Where does your money sleep at night, and is it working for the kind of world you want to live in?

Jennifer Kenning was managing the wealth of high-net-worth families by day and volunteering with unhoused communities in Los Angeles by night. That contrast raised a question that’s stuck with her ever since: What if capital could be a force for good, without giving up returns? Now the CEO and co-founder of Align Impact, Jennifer leads a registered investment advisory firm managing over $750 million.

Jennifer joins Sarah Lockwood to talk about values-based investing, conscious capitalism, and how we can all, regardless of portfolio size, be more intentional about where and how our money is working. Jennifer explains why impact investing isn’t charity, how ESG works (and where it falls short), and the practical steps anyone can take to align their investments with their values. She shares examples of funding solutions in climate change, affordable housing, sustainable agriculture, and why investing in women and underrepresented founders creates ripple effects that go far beyond profit. She also reflects on her leadership as the outgoing president of EO Colorado, the power of servant leadership, and how Align’s commitment to being a B Corp shapes the way they do business.

If you’re an entrepreneur rethinking how your capital is allocated, or simply curious about whether your investments align with your intentions, Sarah and Jennifer’s conversation will help you take a more conscious, empowered role in shaping your financial impact.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Jennifer Kenning’s Path to Impact Investing 03:15 Breaking the Myth: Do Values-Based Investments Sacrifice Returns? 07:34 How Align Measures Real-World Impact 10:29 Aligning Your 401(k) and Business Capital With Your Values 18:07 Why Align Impact Became a Certified B Corp 22:11 Bringing an Impact Lens to EO Colorado 25:15 Leading Peers and Evolving as a Servant Leader 30:05 Defining the Hopeful Pioneer and Investing for 2030 35:45 Staying Grounded: Purpose, Practice, and Long-Term Vision 38:06 Advice for Founders Committed to Conscious Capitalism

39:39 Empowerment Through Financial Awareness

Links

Connect with Jennifer Kenning:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennkenning/ Website: https://www.alignimpact.com/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/ Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm