Burnout, Identity, and Reinvention: How One High Performer Rebuilt a Life That Finally Fit

Burnout, Identity, and Reinvention: How One High Performer Rebuilt a Life That Finally Fit

She had the senior title, the twenty-year track record, and the kind of resume most people spend a career chasing. So why did holding it all together feel like it was quietly costing her everything? For a lot of driven women, the hardest part of success isn’t earning it — it’s admitting that the life they built no longer feels like home. In this episode, Sara Bell pulls back the curtain on the exhaustion underneath the achievement, the messy work of leaving a long corporate career, and what it actually takes to rebuild an identity from scratch. What she discovered along the way might change how you think about ambition itself.

My special guest is Sara Bell

Sara Bell is a leadership and well-being strategist, a Hotworks infrared sauna franchise owner, and the founder of Strive to Thrive Coaching and Consulting. A former competitive gymnast, she spent two decades climbing the ranks in the biotech and life science space, eventually reaching a senior marketing role — along with the title, the responsibility, and a heavy dose of burnout and imposter syndrome. A personal health transformation in 2018 reshaped how she thought about performance, and over the next several years she quietly built a path out of corporate life. Today she helps emerging and mid-level leaders develop the capacity to perform under pressure from a foundation of genuine well-being, and she guides others through the kind of career transitions she navigated herself. Sara brings a rare mix of athletic discipline, hard-won self-awareness, and warmth to a conversation about what reinvention really demands.

“Do not compare your Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 20.”

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Recognize the hidden cost of high achievement and understand why a bigger title rarely fixes a deeper sense of misalignment.
• Move through the identity shift that comes with leaving a long corporate career without losing your footing.
• Reframe comparison as a teacher rather than a weapon you turn against yourself.
• Lead and motivate a small-business team using human connection instead of corporate structure.
• Build the financial and mental backing that lets you step away from a steady paycheck on your own terms.

Building Leadership From the Inside Out

Sara’s approach starts from a simple premise: how we feel physically, mentally, and emotionally is the foundation everything else is built on. When leaders are clear on their values and their purpose — and when they’re genuinely taking care of themselves — they can access the skills they already have in the high-stakes moments that matter most. Rather than chasing perfection, she helps people get comfortable with “done is good enough,” set boundaries that protect their energy, and step back from the day-to-day grind to lead more strategically. It’s the same shift she had to make herself, trading the people-pleasing and overwork that once defined her for a definition of success that doesn’t require sacrificing her quality of life.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

• Visit a Hotworks infrared sauna studio to experience the well-being side of Sara’s work firsthand.
• Connect with Sara through Strive to Thrive Coaching and Consulting for leadership development and career-transition coaching.
• Explore franchise ownership as a lower-risk way to start a business with a built-in community of support.
• Look into a local chamber of commerce small-business roundtable or mastermind group to find your own “board of directors.”
• Listen to the Free Agent Podcast with Meg Schmitz for real stories of self-employment and business ownership.
• Contact Meg Schmitz to schedule a free, no-obligation call for insights into entrepreneurship and franchise opportunities.
• Use the form on the Free Agent Podcast page if you’d like to be considered as a guest on the show.

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Click to Take the Leap into the full interview transcript of the Free Agent Podcast, Episode 8.19 with Meg Schmitz and her guest, Sara Bell

 

Free Agent Podcast with Meg Schmitz – Guest: Sara Bell, Leadership & Well-Being Strategist, Hotworks Franchise Owner & Founder of Strive to Thrive Coaching and Consulting

Meg Schmitz: Hello, everyone, and welcome to, or if you’re familiar already, welcome back to, the Free Agent Podcast. My name is Meg Schmitz. If you’ve been here before, you’re just trying us out, this conversation is all about free agency and taking control over your financial future. The mission of my show is to share inspiring conversations with real people who took the leap into self-employment, business ownership, franchising, and freedom. These are conversations that don’t normally arise in regular day-to-day conversation. I invite people on very specifically because I understand their journey, and I know that their story is going to resonate with you. In this conversation, we do talk about ups, downs, navigational attacks, and Because it happens all the time. You just don’t know what’s going to happen from one day to the next. But then, how to promote… produce amazing outcomes, and how much of that comes from personal resiliency. And case in point, perfect guest, is Sarah Bell. And Sarah has a really interesting.

Flight of the Bumblebee journey to bring us along and tell us about… because it… it’s sometimes, to you people listening, it looks easy, and that’s, like, that’s why we’re here, is because it’s easy. It’s not. It’s… it was hard. And so Sarah has, sarah and I had a great conversation, so thank you for taking the time today to join me, Sarah.

Sara: Thank you! I’m excited about our conversation.

Meg: Well, so you and I were connected by a mutual acquaintance, because you and I both are in the world of franchising, which is nice, and that’s all very coincidental, and we’ll get there. what I found really interesting in your journey… is… Your upbringing, your athletic training, your corporate career, and how some of those skills… Because that’s training. You don’t get to be the kind of athlete that you were just by accident. So, take us back in time to when you were younger, and some of these formative moments and experiences that you had.

Sara: Sure. Yeah, so I love that you called it a flight of a bumblebee, because that’s very much how I look at my career and journey, right? Bumblebees, like, you know, they buzz and go in circles around and round, and so often we think of our career as this ladder, right? This line upwards. But realistically, for most people, it is, you know, loop-de-loops and sometimes ups and downs. So I love just starting the conversation that way. But yeah, just to kind of tell you a little bit about how I grew up, I was a competitive gymnast, and I really feel like that helped shape me into who I am, both good and bad, and a couple of things that I really learned from being a competitive gymnast was, one, to you know, believe or rely on the belief that other people had in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I never… Questioned whether, you know, if a coach asked me to do something. I trusted that they knew my capabilities, and they weren’t gonna put me in a situation where I could get injured. And so, when I didn’t believe in myself, right, I had courage because they believed in me. And that really has helped as I take on more risk. as an entrepreneur and a business owner. And the other thing is taking risks, and I learned that in gymnastics as well, right? You have to go for it. You have to take risks, you have to be willing to fall off that balance beam. for, you know, the pride to stick your landing, right? I’m using gymnastics terms here, but, you know, gymnastics really helped shape me into someone that was resilient, understood what work ethic was, and hard work, and how to make yourself proud.

Meg: From lily pad to lily pad. Let me help you stick your landing. That’s one of my taglines. And so I’m so glad that you brought that up, because it does not come without risk. And just the whole thought of you on a balance beam, and some of the Tumbles that you must have taken. whether you were injured badly or not, I don’t know, but that kind of activity doesn’t come without harm or risk. And your coaches then, it made me wonder, do you have similar coaches now? But we can get to that, because that’s another part of your journey. But as a youngster then, growing up as a gymnast, it did… I think the first time we talked, it was during the Olympics, and you don’t show up at the Olympics because you just happen to get lucky. You show up at the Olympics because you train your ass off, and you’re really good at swallowing the moment, and the nerves of the moment, I mean… And to show up and deliver your best. So, with that upbringing. Talk about how, of course, it fed into your corporate journey, and some of the opportunities and ceilings that you were hitting.

Sara: Sure. Yeah, so for me, making the leap out of corporate and into entrepreneurship, it really wasn’t one, like, dramatic moment. It was really a series of moments that allowed me to think differently, and dream a little bit bigger, and rooted, I’ve always been a high achiever, but My drive for that achievement was never about titles or compensation. it really, for me, was about impact, and specifically impacting people, and the people around me. And just to give you a little bit of my background and journey, and some of these little things along the way that led me to finally make this leap, is… I went through my own health transformation back in 2018, after my youngest son had turned 4, and I was able to reinvest some time in myself. And I used some wellness products, and very much believed in them, and was very happy with what they did for me, and so I started selling those products on the side with a network marketing company. And that experience really opened my eyes to two things. One was this idea of not only multiple streams of income, but a multi-dimensional identity. Right? And you aren’t just what you do at your job, you can be so much more. And also, the power of personal development. Like, I was… my eyes were open to this world of personal growth and development when I joined that company. And I became obsessed with growth, not only professionally, but personally. And that actually helped me at work. It helped me get this big promotion. And so I had the big title at that point. I had the responsibility. I also had some imposter syndrome, but what I… realized in that big promotion and role was that even at very senior levels in big corporations, your ability to really, like, create impact and make a difference is so still heavily constrained.

Meg: Yeah.

Sara: And so I realized I could keep climbing, I could… get the bigger title. I could get more money. But I realized it wasn’t really fulfilling, like, my purpose to have a deep impact on people. And so, I worked actually with a coach, because I was… I was struggling at work with some burnout. And through that process, I really got a better understanding of what drives me, what my values were. And that’s where I realized that continuing to grow in a corporate career just wasn’t aligned with who I wanted to become, and who I really was becoming. And it was around that same time that I discovered Hotworks. And so Hotworks is the franchise that I, am an owner in. And I saw the opportunity with that franchise to build something in my community that aligned with what I was really passionate about, well-being as the foundation of performance, and our success, and how we show up in the world, not only as humans, but as leaders, right? Having the ability to impact people’s lives in a whole new way, more proactive. health management versus reactive, which is what I was doing in my corporate career in the biotech and life science space. And then just this idea of more freedom and choice. And so, it was at that point that I quietly filled out the franchise form and went through the discovery process without even telling my husband. I was doing this just on the couch. Over in the corner while he was watching TV, and it was that small action which really set off this chain of events that eventually led me to leave. a 20-year career, just 5 years after I, you know, quietly filled out that form on the couch, so…

Meg: Well, it’s so coincidental that there you were in a… in a corporate position. That had impact. and yet you were not fulfilled. And, and then, also telling is that you had, if you call it a medical event or a…

Sara: It was just, I had lost myself in my job.

Meg: Okay.

Sara: And being a mom, I was a new mom, I have two… I had two young kids, and I just… forgot who I was. I wasn’t really taking care of myself. Like a lot of moms at that time in their life, I was working, I was taking care of my kids, and I was sleeping. I wasn’t exercising, I really wasn’t, you know, nourishing myself or thinking about at all what I needed. And so that was my transformation, just to, like, go back to the gym. realized what it felt like to be strong, and dedicate that time to myself, right? And take better care of myself. And then I saw everything around me improve as a result, and so that’s really… Where that belief of, like, our health and well-being is the foundation of everything else.

Meg: Completely agree. This weekend, I’m gonna get my first IV hydration.

Sara: Oh, I listened to your episode, yeah.

Meg: Thank you! I’m such a believer of that, given a family event that required a lot of IV hydration, just seeing the life-changing impact that the care of your physical well-being then takes care of your emotional and mental well-being. So… but there was another component of this after you left. your corporate role, and you had Hotworks, and then you’re beginning your other business, there was a bit of a disconnect with not being in the corporate realm anymore, at the level that you were, and some of the adjustments that I hear so many of my people going through. Corporate refugee, now I’m a business owner, and oh my gosh, was there imposter syndrome with that?

Sara: Yeah. I mean, I don’t think I realized how difficult the identity shift of leaving a 20-year corporate career that I had worked my whole life for.

Meg: Nope.

Sara: And stepping away from that. I… again, I had to re-figure out who I was. I wasn’t, you know, cerebell marketing director anymore. I was cerebell business owner, and what does that look like? And how do I introduce myself somewhere? How do I stand out with experience when I’m starting over in a brand new industry? And so, for sure, there was a lot of imposter syndrome, and I found, very quickly that I would compare myself to people that had you know, whether it was in the fitness space, or the coaching and consulting space, businesses, for 5, 10, 20 years, here I am comparing my success to their success. And so I learned quickly, you need to use comparison as inspiration, and as a teacher, instead of tearing yourself down when you look at other people, right? And my big thing is, like, do not compare your Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 20. And that’s a mantra I repeat to myself when I get caught up in comparison.

Meg: That’s a really good one, because it’s… because it’s so relevant right now, people are reinventing themselves. More… I see it more and more. People are reinventing themselves. I went through it, too, when I was young. And was a franchisee with Great Clips. I’d been in sales. I had one kid. I’ve never cut hair. I had never managed a human being in my life. Absolutely, imposter syndrome kept me from engaging. with them? I think you and I talked about this a bit, too, is now you’ve got employees, but it’s an entirely different role and responsibility when you’re a Hotworks owner versus when you’re cerebell marketing director. You had employees, but now they’re your direct reports, and they have a financial impact on your business in ways that you don’t look at it the same way in corporate. So, there you were with new, new engagement with people you had direct responsibility for.

Sara: Yeah, and it’s very different. I mean, I had direct reports and I had large teams in corporate America, but the way that you motivate and inspire and engage and manage performance in corporate is so different than how you’re managing, especially a small business, right? Where I have one full-time employee and four part-time employees, right? And those part-time employees work a range of anywhere between, you know. 10 to 20 hours a week, it’s not a huge time commitment out of their day. So how do I keep them invested in our mission, in our goals? How do I keep them growing and want to grow? it’s very different than corporate, where people, you know, they have a development plan, usually. They want to grow their career, versus somewhere in a part-time job, it’s a different… type of motivation, and team development, and staff, and people development. And so, making that shift, letting go of some of the corporate norms and structure, and allowing myself to, you know, get to know the team members, and… Just use those soft skills and that human connection.

Meg: Yeah.

Sara: And it’s harder in a small business, because it can… most of my team has been with me I mean, our general manager has been with us from the very beginning, so four and a half years. We have another part-time employee that has been… she’ll hit the four-year mark in July. And so, keeping people energized and excited about what we’re doing every day when it starts to feel like a grind, right? And just reminding us The why, why we’re doing this, the impact we’re making. And that is one thing I love, being part of a franchise, because you have that franchise community. When you’re not feeling that same level of energy and excitement about what you’re doing, you can look to other franchisees, look at their success. Reconnect with them. Hey, you had a great month, how’d you do it? What can I learn, right? How can you feed off of their energy when you’re in those low moments, and then vice versa. when they’re in that low moment, they can reach out to me, and I can help re-energize them. So, the franchise community is so great if you’ve never started a business before. I always say it’s like a business with training wheels, and this beautiful community of support.

Meg: And it also makes it much more safe when you’re at Chapter 1. to talk to somebody who’s at Chapter 20, because they’ve… they’ve read the same book that you’re now reading.

Sara: And you know it’s possible, because you can see it in everyone else around you. So that’s inspiring, right?

Meg: Yeah.

Sara: I follow the process, and I… learn from everyone else. I can do what they’re doing. That’s motivating.

Meg: Well, and obviously with your training, your upbringing, you… you pay attention to detail as well, and This community of franchise owners is absolutely invaluable. Because you’re all… you are… we are all reading the same book, we’ve got the same rules, we all know what a win looks like, or what the intended outcome is supposed to be. And so it’s… it’s great to start down that journey. You’re at four and a half years now. And… To be able to turn around and pay forward, if you will, to people who are coming up behind you. So you had this void, you left, and there was… there was a gap there. you have now expanded into a new business, an independent business, and so talk about that, and how exciting that was, and some of the… well, I was going to say earlier, there’s the gap and the gain with those Chapter 1 to Chapter 20. You have to be very careful about Not focusing on the gap. focusing on the gain, and I think that’s something you, in particular, are very adept at doing. So how… how did you fill the gap that had come from leaving your corporate role and… and giving you a new sense of stability to start this… this new business?

Sara: Yeah, so when I left my corporate role, we had a very capable general manager in the studio that was operating day-to-day, because it had to be, because I was working… both my husband and I work a full-time corporate job, and so at that point, I had the flexibility to say, okay, what’s next for me? And I basically, on a piece of paper, wrote down all of my strengths, what I was good at, what I was passionate about, and I had, while working full-time, gotten my… a dual certification in health and life coaching. So I always knew that was something that I had wanted to go into, I just didn’t understand, really, what my niche was going to be. And so when I sat back, it’s interesting, I, you know, have this kind of love-hate with corporate, in that I was really good at navigating myself and advocating for myself. In corporate America, I was able to build success very quickly, build a strong personal brand, and so… I have those skills and that knowledge, and so how can I help other people that want these goals, and want to accelerate their career, and want to be a more impactful leader? And so that’s how I ended up founding the company that I have, which is called Strive to Thrive Coaching and Consulting, and I was very intentional about the name, right? Because as high achievers, we’re always striving. We’re striving for perfection, we’re striving for excellence. But it’s really about thriving, and how can we thrive in our roles without making those sacrifices to our well-being and our quality of life. And so, now what I do is I work with leaders, mostly in the life science space, because that’s the industry I came from and what I know. And I help them develop leadership capacity so that they can access the skills and the competencies that they already have in those high-pressure, high-stakes moments. So… This is really about building leadership from the inside out, and from a place of well-being, because when we feel great physically, mentally, emotionally, and we’re clear on what our values are and what our purpose is. we can have so much impact as a leader, and so that’s a lot of the work that I do now. And then I also help people with career transitions as well.

Meg: And so, are you saying that the… the interesting, paradigm here is that you got out of corporate, but now your corp… your clientele is… yeah, corporations, right?

Sara: Yeah. Yeah, so I still get… I get that… my fix of, like, what is happening in corporate, and how to help people navigate it, but then I don’t have to live in that world, so it’s like holding someone else’s baby, I get to enjoy all those snuggles, but then I get to give the baby back after, and they get to be up all night with them.

Meg: how reinforcing that must be. And I love this too, Sarah, going back to our first conversation, is that That alignment that you’re able to… create for yourself in a completely new capacity, where you could leverage the confidence in the relationships in the corporate world. So, you exited, but you’re not gone.

Sara: Yeah, and I love helping other people be successful. Like, I thrive on that, and I’m good at it. I’m good at pouring into people, I’m good at holding people accountable, I’m good at pushing people outside their comfort zone, and so I get to do that every day as my job, and I love it.

Meg: I love the name of the company, and you’re absolutely right, in those, what is not just the C-suite, but there are a lot of us Type A people out there who run into a brick wall, and we get stuck, and need to get… get clarity. Do you only work with corporate accounts, or do you work with individuals?

Sara: Nope, I work with individuals as well as companies directly, and I actually… I’m not opposed to doing executive C-suite coaching, but I actually prefer to work with more emerging mid-level leaders, because I feel like that is the most challenging time of your career, when you’re kind of stuck in that mid-level, and mid-level, I… I… say is anything from, you know, a supervisor-manager role, your first leadership role, all the way up through a director or department head, because you’re still in the middle there. You’re not in the C-suite, making the critical decisions and defining the strategy, but you’re having to execute that and drive that change downwards when you don’t always have a say or control over what’s happening, and that can be really hard for some people, and so we do a lot on mindset, especially. Staying focused, being able to prioritize, setting boundaries, delegation, developing your team. All of those things that help you step… take a step back as a leader and be more strategic instead of getting stuck in the day-to-day.

Meg: Which is exactly what trips people up, and also trips them up in getting, indoctrinated into the franchise. they want to do. They want to be. They want to know more, they want to get taken advantage of. They… and so I find a lot of my executives who get into franchise ownership get lost in their Because they… they take that step back from delegation to now actively doing. I own great clips. I never cut hair a day in my life. So, I consciously also would… I was a parent, and then a single parent of a young boy, and I wasn’t going to dedicate my life to that, but I see it as a natural, human reaction. Oh, I don’t know, so I better learn. And then, as you’re saying, it doesn’t matter if it’s a franchise or somewhere in middle management, you get stuck in the doing instead of on the big picture, which is typically results. How much of this… Harkens back to your… gymnastics.

Sara: I think a lot. I mean, I, I think… about the ways and how it shaped me, who I am, like… like I said, that… that belief, that ability to take risks, that courage. On the other side, there’s also a bit of that perfectionism and people-pleasing, right, and overworking, that I’ve had to battle, too. So I think you take the good with the bad. Everything teaches you lessons, and it’s what you learn from those things. And so, yeah, I’ve had to overcome a lot of the things that I now work with my clients on. Right? How to set boundaries with work, how to not get stuck in this cycle of perfectionism, and just striving for excellence, because nothing is ever going to be perfect. And so, when is done good enough? And, you know, not falling into this people-pleasing trap, especially when you own a business, right? You can very easily just work, work, work all day long to make people happy. You know, not everyone has to like you, not everyone has to like your service or your product, and you have to accept that, because it will kill you otherwise.

Meg: Totally. There was an Olympic athlete who, I can’t remember what country she was from, but she was being criticized for not having a perfect performance after leaving, and it’s not our skier, our American skier, but, Her name is escaping me at the moment. Anyway, this is a woman from another country, and there’s all this anticipation, about what her achievement would be in the Olympics, and she said, you know, listen, I did this, that, and the other thing. Who else did it? Did I come in first on the podium? No, I did not. But… I won! Man, I came out here, I did it. And I proved to myself that I could.

Sara: Yeah, and how many years of sacrifice, right, did she go through to get to that one moment? And sometimes we forget that getting there was the milestone. Yeah, did she win gold or have the most perfect performance? Maybe not. But she got there. It’s a lot more than many of us can say.

Meg: And in business ownership, it… you… we, you and I, have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and we have to get comfortable with it not being 100% perfect or right, there’s… My husband is a… is a algorithm guy, and so when he makes financial decisions, he really bases his decision on, is he 80% comfortable? Is he 90, 70? And so he made sure that whatever that percentage of confidence is, is based on the stuff that matters. Not the stuff that doesn’t matter. So, we all, as business owners, need to be adaptable to the fact that we’re not going to have exactly the right answer every day, or all the time.

Sara: Yeah, 100%.

Meg: Very challenging in the beginning to… to… get that mindset. The older I get, the more I enjoy letting go, and delegating the responsibility, and helping to groom, versus when I was younger, it was… it was all about perfection, and I expected people to do it my way, or it wasn’t right, and… I think some of that is just age and experience that builds into… Having the confidence to let Let your employees make decisions that aren’t exactly right all the time.

Sara: Yep.

Meg: And so with your… with your newer, Strive to Thrive, how long ago did you build that company?

Sara: So about… it’s been about 2 years. I left my corporate job in the middle of 2024, and so it’s… it’s been then. And that was my thing. You know, so many people, when I left, said, oh, I… I could never do what you did. And, you know, I think what this has made me realize is you… you can do whatever you want. there’s choice, right? And, you know, we sat around at the table for Thanksgiving this year, and all said what we were thankful for, and mine was choice. Having choices, and being able to act on those choices. And everyone has choices. It’s just those choices come with compromises and sacrifices.

Meg: Yeah.

Sara: And sometimes you have to be willing to sacrifice the stability of a corporate paycheck, right? And some of the luxuries that come along with that. For the potential of what you can do as a business owner, and having more of that freedom, that freedom to be creative, that freedom to build your schedule, that freedom to work with the people that you want to work with, and not do the things you don’t want to do. And at the end of the day, it’s so empowering to know that you can live without the stability of a corporate paycheck.

Meg: What I so love about your story, Sarah, as I’m thinking about it, is how many how many of my candidates I’ve worked with are coming out of corporate America, they start a franchise, and it gives them permission to go back to what they were good at before, in their prior career, and make that determination, do I want to… and you’re stepping right up to it. Do I want to go back to it? Well, no, actually, you’d like to hand the baby back. Integrate and engage with those people. The franchise, you’re… yours, Did… did you start your business at a time when your franchise was financially Stable, and you felt like you could take another financial risk?

Sara: Yeah, so that’s one thing I would say, is have a plan, right? Don’t… don’t be irrational. You know, it took me 3 years. I had a full-time corporate job and the franchise for 3 years before I left my job. So, you know, you need to build that financial backing.

Meg: Yeah.

Sara: to allow you to have that freedom and flexibility. And that was always the plan that I would leave. There just really wasn’t a timeline. I didn’t hold myself to it. And really, what drove it was a combination of I was working in a very large company where, you know, every 18 months to 2 years, we were seeing changes in leadership and restructuring, and that’s what was happening, and I had learned how to advocate for myself, so I… every time that happened, I could basically say the job I wanted, and I was getting those roles, which was Very… great for me. But I still found, every time I made a change, I wasn’t seeing that same level of, like, energy and excitement in that new role that I had before, and I was starting to have some resentment, because I felt like I was being more fulfilled by what I was doing outside of my work, and my work was just getting in the way of that. And so. I have this quote on my wall to this day that I hung on the bottom of my computer about 6 months before I left my job as a daily reminder. of, you know, that I needed to push myself, to step out of my comfort zone and resign, and it says, you must be willing to sacrifice what you are now for what you can become tomorrow. And I still have it up there, I look at it all the time, and it was that, as well as my husband, really nudging me. this is what we talked about, you said you were gonna leave, you know, and him nudging me, and… supporting me, and reminding me that I had done hard things before, and I could do this. And he was there to support me, and that meant a lot.

Meg: Such a great story. I love it when the spouse is involved, and not afraid, but supportive, and… and I don’t remember how the quote goes, but… oh, dear, what… what if I fail, and… or… And the opposite of that is, oh, but what if you fly?

Sara: Yeah.

Meg: And for a spouse to be able to support you in that way, one of the questions that was percolating in here is, are you a solopreneur with Strive to Thrive, or do you have employees?

Sara: No, with Strived with Rive, it’s just me right now.

Meg: And so, do you have… besides a great husband, do you have mentors or networking groups, or how do you… because I think that’s the lonely piece. The franchise, you’ve got your posse, and you can kind of draw on that. You and I are very, very similar in this, so how do you nurture yourself as a solopreneur?

Sara: Yeah, so surrounding yourself with like-minded people that can keep you energized, keep you inspired. I don’t have, like, a formal mentor, but I have so many people in my life that I turn to for different things. I have invested in coaches when I need to. I’m very curious, I’m a lifelong learner, and so I like to do things by myself. But then. knowing when I’ve hit a point of, I need to pull an expert, or I need to bounce this idea off of someone. So really, I’ve been intentional this year about networking, and I’ve found you meet the most amazing people. through networking, and it’s… it’s a… you know, some people feel icky about networking. It’s about finding your people, and finding the right place where you don’t get that icky feeling when you walk in the room, right? And what I’ve found this year is just how many people are just so… Interested in helping others. And when you help each other out, everyone grows as a result, and that’s a really powerful feeling. So, I’m definitely continuing to build my network, and leverage those connections. For all sorts of reasons, and then, you know, also give back to those communities in whatever way that I can.

Meg: And that’s an interesting point that you brought up. One of my favorite networkers. just moved to a new city, and in trying to get a foothold, her very first networking event was just that. It was icky, it was political, it was divisive, it was… It was not business-oriented, and it was… it was all women. Which she’s not opposed to, but it… It turned her off for a period of time. And she and I were just talking about this 3 days ago, but being intentional, more intentional now, about the rooms she wants to be in, and sort of that… that universal law of attraction that helped me find that person, or a couple of people, just one person every day. It’s one new person, then you don’t know where… where that… trickle is going to turn into a really strong faucet of like-minded people. So, long story short, don’t give up. If the… If the attempts aren’t immediately rewarding, it takes probably 6 weeks to 6 months to really find a group of people, like-minded people, who are going to be supportive and take the time to really understand you. Sarah and your business, and listen and contribute to your success without it necessarily reflecting on them or what their values are.

Sara: Yeah. Yeah, and finding I belong with my local chamber, it’s a small business roundtable group. It’s kind of like a mastermind where, you know, there’s a presenter, we meet once a month, there’s a different presenter each month, and they present on a specific challenge they’re facing in their business, and then we all get to ask questions, and we all get to give feedback, and so whether you’re the presenter or just part of the conversation. you’re getting value, right? Because those ideas, you’re probably going to be able to leverage, too. And it’s just helpful to have a room full. It’s like your board of directors.

Meg: Of course.

Sara: people that, you know, understand your challenges, are living some of the same challenges, and we’re all in this together. It’s nice to know that you’re not alone in your feelings, because I think, especially today, entrepreneurship is so glorified, especially in social media. But it’s hard, and it’s not for everyone, and it’s… it’s a long game, right? You have to wake up and motivate yourself, and decide what you’re gonna work on, and prioritize the right things to work on that are gonna move your business forward and help you grow as a business owner. And that’s not for everyone. Some people are just… better off. You know, showing up to a job where someone else tells them what to do, and they do it, and they collect their paycheck. So you… you have to figure out which one is right for you.

Meg: Yeah. Yeah, this is what makes the world go around, is if we were all window washers, then who would create a business? And if we were all business creators, then who would be washing the dishes? It’s… There are different strengths and different mindsets, and also, as… going back again to the gymnastics, or being an athlete, being… being in the military, being a part of a team. That’s why this is called free agent, because when you don’t have a team, and you don’t know where you’re working out, or you have to be that strong, you have to be that goal-oriented. Well, it’s really tough to be a free agent. And so finding like-minded people who will help to reinforce you and help you navigate the journey, it is a day-by-day, step-by-step process, and it is absolutely a long game. But would you do it any other way? Would you… would you go and do it… would you have done it differently?

Sara: No, I really wouldn’t do anything differently. I mean, there’s been plenty of things I’ve learned along the way, but there’s something, again, so powerful about knowing that I have complete choice over what I do in my business, what I do with my day, who I work with. and both of my businesses, I can say with a 100% fact that when someone experiences my services, whether it’s in a Hotworks infrared sauna or coaching, they leave feeling better about themselves. And that, to me, is so impactful and deeply fulfills my mission and purpose.

Meg: You did it.

Sara: Yeah. I know, and it feels good to acknowledge that sometimes, right? And be proud.

Meg: Yeah, and it… there’s this thing that keeps coming to the back of my head that, oh, well, you must have been born with it, or you… no, you… your story is proof positive that you had the drive and ambition to, at a young age. And that has carried through nicely for you. Has it been perfect? No. Have there been trips and falls and stumbles? Yes. But here you are, and here I am. And so, there are a whole lot of my… my people in the audience, I hope this is really resonating, that you two are a multidimensional, interesting human being, and the possibilities are out there for you. as Sarah’s story so clearly defines, it’s not… there’s not just a stopping point. You don’t get to a place. It’s… it… it is a stepping stone that allows you to get further in your journey, if you’re open to where that road is going to take you. So, I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do next, because… I’m putting my money on you.

Sara: Oh, thank you. Yeah. I think it’s… like you said, having a multidimensional identity is so important, so that you don’t define yourself by any one thing. And it allows you to explore different interests, different passions, and that, ultimately, is what opens up doors and opportunities. And so I think… I’ve always been one to just say yes to an opportunity that I feel like instinctually aligns, and then figure out how I’m gonna do it after.

Meg: That’s so much of it, is just being, again, comfortable with being uncomfortable, saying yes, and knowing that either you have it in yourself. Or you have the people around you who will support you in navigating your way. Is there going to be an upset somewhere? Yeah, there is. It’s gonna happen, but… Then that also gets back to the… that mindset that has been groomed for you, not only in your early, sports career, but in your corporate career, too. I, I love it, and I’m imagining, and maybe… Foisting this on you, but that you are… You have created your corporate path by being open and willing, but I think you also manifested to the universe that when things were shifting, you were going to stick the landing. You’re going to find the right lily pad.

Sara: Yeah, and a lot of that is doing the work to gain that clarity on what you want, right? And a big part of that, and this was hard for many years for me, is to shut out the noise. Only listen to your own voice. You know, do what… you want to do, not what you think you should do, or what other people think you should do. Because for so long. I kept looking at this investment I had made in this career, and, oh, I can’t leave, I’ve invested so many years of my life in this sacrifice, and this work, and I walk away, I have nothing to show for it. Right? This was the story I was telling myself. And so, you know, G, just… know that you… you can, you can rebuild, and… and for me. now I have that confidence. I’ve built a business from nothing. I’ve started over. I can do anything. If I lose all my money tomorrow, I know that I can recover and do anything, and that’s not because I’m special, any more special than you or anyone listening. It’s just… You work at it, and you are persistent, and you are open that it’s not gonna turn out exactly how you expected in the timeframe that you predicted. But you just keep at it, right? And they say that the successful business owners are just the people that don’t give up.

Meg: It’s.

Sara: It’s not that they’re special or do anything unique, per se, they just learn from their mistakes, and they don’t give up.

Meg: That’s right. Every day is work. It’s work. to be successful. It’s nice to have the, the benefits of Financial success. But it’s a mental game as well, and you can be financially super successful, and in your head, still not enough, or imposter, or whatever. So, a lot of what you do is that mental grooming aspect of getting sharp, staying sharp, it doesn’t stay forever. Self-doubt does creep in, even at the highest levels. You would be a great coach for a bunch of people that I know. Whom I know, and so I can’t wait to have you join the First Friday Networking group, and for the… this episode to get broadcast out there, I’ll let you know when it’s gonna come out. I so appreciate you coming on and telling… the audience, your story and… and it so resonated with me when I first met you. I was so excited to have you on today. So, thank you for making the time for me today, Sarah. I really appreciate it.

Sara: Thank you for having me. I… I love this, and… Can’t wait to join your networking group. This has been a wonderful conversation.

Meg: Thank you.

Free Agent Podcast with Meg Schmitz – Guest: Sara Bell, Leadership & Well-Being Strategist, Hotworks Franchise Owner & Founder of Strive to Thrive Coaching and Consulting

Meg Schmitz: Hello, everyone, and welcome to, or if you’re familiar already, welcome back to, the Free Agent Podcast. My name is Meg Schmitz. If you’ve been here before, you’re just trying us out, this conversation is all about free agency and taking control over your financial future. The mission of my show is to share inspiring conversations with real people who took the leap into self-employment, business ownership, franchising, and freedom. These are conversations that don’t normally arise in regular day-to-day conversation. I invite people on very specifically because I understand their journey, and I know that their story is going to resonate with you. In this conversation, we do talk about ups, downs, navigational attacks, and Because it happens all the time. You just don’t know what’s going to happen from one day to the next. But then, how to promote… produce amazing outcomes, and how much of that comes from personal resiliency. And case in point, perfect guest, is Sarah Bell. And Sarah has a really interesting.

Flight of the Bumblebee journey to bring us along and tell us about… because it… it’s sometimes, to you people listening, it looks easy, and that’s, like, that’s why we’re here, is because it’s easy. It’s not. It’s… it was hard. And so Sarah has, sarah and I had a great conversation, so thank you for taking the time today to join me, Sarah.

Sara: Thank you! I’m excited about our conversation.

Meg: Well, so you and I were connected by a mutual acquaintance, because you and I both are in the world of franchising, which is nice, and that’s all very coincidental, and we’ll get there. what I found really interesting in your journey… is… Your upbringing, your athletic training, your corporate career, and how some of those skills… Because that’s training. You don’t get to be the kind of athlete that you were just by accident. So, take us back in time to when you were younger, and some of these formative moments and experiences that you had.

Sara: Sure. Yeah, so I love that you called it a flight of a bumblebee, because that’s very much how I look at my career and journey, right? Bumblebees, like, you know, they buzz and go in circles around and round, and so often we think of our career as this ladder, right? This line upwards. But realistically, for most people, it is, you know, loop-de-loops and sometimes ups and downs. So I love just starting the conversation that way. But yeah, just to kind of tell you a little bit about how I grew up, I was a competitive gymnast, and I really feel like that helped shape me into who I am, both good and bad, and a couple of things that I really learned from being a competitive gymnast was, one, to you know, believe or rely on the belief that other people had in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I never… Questioned whether, you know, if a coach asked me to do something. I trusted that they knew my capabilities, and they weren’t gonna put me in a situation where I could get injured. And so, when I didn’t believe in myself, right, I had courage because they believed in me. And that really has helped as I take on more risk. as an entrepreneur and a business owner. And the other thing is taking risks, and I learned that in gymnastics as well, right? You have to go for it. You have to take risks, you have to be willing to fall off that balance beam. for, you know, the pride to stick your landing, right? I’m using gymnastics terms here, but, you know, gymnastics really helped shape me into someone that was resilient, understood what work ethic was, and hard work, and how to make yourself proud.

Meg: From lily pad to lily pad. Let me help you stick your landing. That’s one of my taglines. And so I’m so glad that you brought that up, because it does not come without risk. And just the whole thought of you on a balance beam, and some of the Tumbles that you must have taken. whether you were injured badly or not, I don’t know, but that kind of activity doesn’t come without harm or risk. And your coaches then, it made me wonder, do you have similar coaches now? But we can get to that, because that’s another part of your journey. But as a youngster then, growing up as a gymnast, it did… I think the first time we talked, it was during the Olympics, and you don’t show up at the Olympics because you just happen to get lucky. You show up at the Olympics because you train your ass off, and you’re really good at swallowing the moment, and the nerves of the moment, I mean… And to show up and deliver your best. So, with that upbringing. Talk about how, of course, it fed into your corporate journey, and some of the opportunities and ceilings that you were hitting.

Sara: Sure. Yeah, so for me, making the leap out of corporate and into entrepreneurship, it really wasn’t one, like, dramatic moment. It was really a series of moments that allowed me to think differently, and dream a little bit bigger, and rooted, I’ve always been a high achiever, but My drive for that achievement was never about titles or compensation. it really, for me, was about impact, and specifically impacting people, and the people around me. And just to give you a little bit of my background and journey, and some of these little things along the way that led me to finally make this leap, is… I went through my own health transformation back in 2018, after my youngest son had turned 4, and I was able to reinvest some time in myself. And I used some wellness products, and very much believed in them, and was very happy with what they did for me, and so I started selling those products on the side with a network marketing company. And that experience really opened my eyes to two things. One was this idea of not only multiple streams of income, but a multi-dimensional identity. Right? And you aren’t just what you do at your job, you can be so much more. And also, the power of personal development. Like, I was… my eyes were open to this world of personal growth and development when I joined that company. And I became obsessed with growth, not only professionally, but personally. And that actually helped me at work. It helped me get this big promotion. And so I had the big title at that point. I had the responsibility. I also had some imposter syndrome, but what I… realized in that big promotion and role was that even at very senior levels in big corporations, your ability to really, like, create impact and make a difference is so still heavily constrained.

Meg: Yeah.

Sara: And so I realized I could keep climbing, I could… get the bigger title. I could get more money. But I realized it wasn’t really fulfilling, like, my purpose to have a deep impact on people. And so, I worked actually with a coach, because I was… I was struggling at work with some burnout. And through that process, I really got a better understanding of what drives me, what my values were. And that’s where I realized that continuing to grow in a corporate career just wasn’t aligned with who I wanted to become, and who I really was becoming. And it was around that same time that I discovered Hotworks. And so Hotworks is the franchise that I, am an owner in. And I saw the opportunity with that franchise to build something in my community that aligned with what I was really passionate about, well-being as the foundation of performance, and our success, and how we show up in the world, not only as humans, but as leaders, right? Having the ability to impact people’s lives in a whole new way, more proactive. health management versus reactive, which is what I was doing in my corporate career in the biotech and life science space. And then just this idea of more freedom and choice. And so, it was at that point that I quietly filled out the franchise form and went through the discovery process without even telling my husband. I was doing this just on the couch. Over in the corner while he was watching TV, and it was that small action which really set off this chain of events that eventually led me to leave. a 20-year career, just 5 years after I, you know, quietly filled out that form on the couch, so…

Meg: Well, it’s so coincidental that there you were in a… in a corporate position. That had impact. and yet you were not fulfilled. And, and then, also telling is that you had, if you call it a medical event or a…

Sara: It was just, I had lost myself in my job.

Meg: Okay.

Sara: And being a mom, I was a new mom, I have two… I had two young kids, and I just… forgot who I was. I wasn’t really taking care of myself. Like a lot of moms at that time in their life, I was working, I was taking care of my kids, and I was sleeping. I wasn’t exercising, I really wasn’t, you know, nourishing myself or thinking about at all what I needed. And so that was my transformation, just to, like, go back to the gym. realized what it felt like to be strong, and dedicate that time to myself, right? And take better care of myself. And then I saw everything around me improve as a result, and so that’s really… Where that belief of, like, our health and well-being is the foundation of everything else.

Meg: Completely agree. This weekend, I’m gonna get my first IV hydration.

Sara: Oh, I listened to your episode, yeah.

Meg: Thank you! I’m such a believer of that, given a family event that required a lot of IV hydration, just seeing the life-changing impact that the care of your physical well-being then takes care of your emotional and mental well-being. So… but there was another component of this after you left. your corporate role, and you had Hotworks, and then you’re beginning your other business, there was a bit of a disconnect with not being in the corporate realm anymore, at the level that you were, and some of the adjustments that I hear so many of my people going through. Corporate refugee, now I’m a business owner, and oh my gosh, was there imposter syndrome with that?

Sara: Yeah. I mean, I don’t think I realized how difficult the identity shift of leaving a 20-year corporate career that I had worked my whole life for.

Meg: Nope.

Sara: And stepping away from that. I… again, I had to re-figure out who I was. I wasn’t, you know, cerebell marketing director anymore. I was cerebell business owner, and what does that look like? And how do I introduce myself somewhere? How do I stand out with experience when I’m starting over in a brand new industry? And so, for sure, there was a lot of imposter syndrome, and I found, very quickly that I would compare myself to people that had you know, whether it was in the fitness space, or the coaching and consulting space, businesses, for 5, 10, 20 years, here I am comparing my success to their success. And so I learned quickly, you need to use comparison as inspiration, and as a teacher, instead of tearing yourself down when you look at other people, right? And my big thing is, like, do not compare your Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 20. And that’s a mantra I repeat to myself when I get caught up in comparison.

Meg: That’s a really good one, because it’s… because it’s so relevant right now, people are reinventing themselves. More… I see it more and more. People are reinventing themselves. I went through it, too, when I was young. And was a franchisee with Great Clips. I’d been in sales. I had one kid. I’ve never cut hair. I had never managed a human being in my life. Absolutely, imposter syndrome kept me from engaging. with them? I think you and I talked about this a bit, too, is now you’ve got employees, but it’s an entirely different role and responsibility when you’re a Hotworks owner versus when you’re cerebell marketing director. You had employees, but now they’re your direct reports, and they have a financial impact on your business in ways that you don’t look at it the same way in corporate. So, there you were with new, new engagement with people you had direct responsibility for.

Sara: Yeah, and it’s very different. I mean, I had direct reports and I had large teams in corporate America, but the way that you motivate and inspire and engage and manage performance in corporate is so different than how you’re managing, especially a small business, right? Where I have one full-time employee and four part-time employees, right? And those part-time employees work a range of anywhere between, you know. 10 to 20 hours a week, it’s not a huge time commitment out of their day. So how do I keep them invested in our mission, in our goals? How do I keep them growing and want to grow? it’s very different than corporate, where people, you know, they have a development plan, usually. They want to grow their career, versus somewhere in a part-time job, it’s a different… type of motivation, and team development, and staff, and people development. And so, making that shift, letting go of some of the corporate norms and structure, and allowing myself to, you know, get to know the team members, and… Just use those soft skills and that human connection.

Meg: Yeah.

Sara: And it’s harder in a small business, because it can… most of my team has been with me I mean, our general manager has been with us from the very beginning, so four and a half years. We have another part-time employee that has been… she’ll hit the four-year mark in July. And so, keeping people energized and excited about what we’re doing every day when it starts to feel like a grind, right? And just reminding us The why, why we’re doing this, the impact we’re making. And that is one thing I love, being part of a franchise, because you have that franchise community. When you’re not feeling that same level of energy and excitement about what you’re doing, you can look to other franchisees, look at their success. Reconnect with them. Hey, you had a great month, how’d you do it? What can I learn, right? How can you feed off of their energy when you’re in those low moments, and then vice versa. when they’re in that low moment, they can reach out to me, and I can help re-energize them. So, the franchise community is so great if you’ve never started a business before. I always say it’s like a business with training wheels, and this beautiful community of support.

Meg: And it also makes it much more safe when you’re at Chapter 1. to talk to somebody who’s at Chapter 20, because they’ve… they’ve read the same book that you’re now reading.

Sara: And you know it’s possible, because you can see it in everyone else around you. So that’s inspiring, right?

Meg: Yeah.

Sara: I follow the process, and I… learn from everyone else. I can do what they’re doing. That’s motivating.

Meg: Well, and obviously with your training, your upbringing, you… you pay attention to detail as well, and This community of franchise owners is absolutely invaluable. Because you’re all… you are… we are all reading the same book, we’ve got the same rules, we all know what a win looks like, or what the intended outcome is supposed to be. And so it’s… it’s great to start down that journey. You’re at four and a half years now. And… To be able to turn around and pay forward, if you will, to people who are coming up behind you. So you had this void, you left, and there was… there was a gap there. you have now expanded into a new business, an independent business, and so talk about that, and how exciting that was, and some of the… well, I was going to say earlier, there’s the gap and the gain with those Chapter 1 to Chapter 20. You have to be very careful about Not focusing on the gap. focusing on the gain, and I think that’s something you, in particular, are very adept at doing. So how… how did you fill the gap that had come from leaving your corporate role and… and giving you a new sense of stability to start this… this new business?

Sara: Yeah, so when I left my corporate role, we had a very capable general manager in the studio that was operating day-to-day, because it had to be, because I was working… both my husband and I work a full-time corporate job, and so at that point, I had the flexibility to say, okay, what’s next for me? And I basically, on a piece of paper, wrote down all of my strengths, what I was good at, what I was passionate about, and I had, while working full-time, gotten my… a dual certification in health and life coaching. So I always knew that was something that I had wanted to go into, I just didn’t understand, really, what my niche was going to be. And so when I sat back, it’s interesting, I, you know, have this kind of love-hate with corporate, in that I was really good at navigating myself and advocating for myself. In corporate America, I was able to build success very quickly, build a strong personal brand, and so… I have those skills and that knowledge, and so how can I help other people that want these goals, and want to accelerate their career, and want to be a more impactful leader? And so that’s how I ended up founding the company that I have, which is called Strive to Thrive Coaching and Consulting, and I was very intentional about the name, right? Because as high achievers, we’re always striving. We’re striving for perfection, we’re striving for excellence. But it’s really about thriving, and how can we thrive in our roles without making those sacrifices to our well-being and our quality of life. And so, now what I do is I work with leaders, mostly in the life science space, because that’s the industry I came from and what I know. And I help them develop leadership capacity so that they can access the skills and the competencies that they already have in those high-pressure, high-stakes moments. So… This is really about building leadership from the inside out, and from a place of well-being, because when we feel great physically, mentally, emotionally, and we’re clear on what our values are and what our purpose is. we can have so much impact as a leader, and so that’s a lot of the work that I do now. And then I also help people with career transitions as well.

Meg: And so, are you saying that the… the interesting, paradigm here is that you got out of corporate, but now your corp… your clientele is… yeah, corporations, right?

Sara: Yeah. Yeah, so I still get… I get that… my fix of, like, what is happening in corporate, and how to help people navigate it, but then I don’t have to live in that world, so it’s like holding someone else’s baby, I get to enjoy all those snuggles, but then I get to give the baby back after, and they get to be up all night with them.

Meg: how reinforcing that must be. And I love this too, Sarah, going back to our first conversation, is that That alignment that you’re able to… create for yourself in a completely new capacity, where you could leverage the confidence in the relationships in the corporate world. So, you exited, but you’re not gone.

Sara: Yeah, and I love helping other people be successful. Like, I thrive on that, and I’m good at it. I’m good at pouring into people, I’m good at holding people accountable, I’m good at pushing people outside their comfort zone, and so I get to do that every day as my job, and I love it.

Meg: I love the name of the company, and you’re absolutely right, in those, what is not just the C-suite, but there are a lot of us Type A people out there who run into a brick wall, and we get stuck, and need to get… get clarity. Do you only work with corporate accounts, or do you work with individuals?

Sara: Nope, I work with individuals as well as companies directly, and I actually… I’m not opposed to doing executive C-suite coaching, but I actually prefer to work with more emerging mid-level leaders, because I feel like that is the most challenging time of your career, when you’re kind of stuck in that mid-level, and mid-level, I… I… say is anything from, you know, a supervisor-manager role, your first leadership role, all the way up through a director or department head, because you’re still in the middle there. You’re not in the C-suite, making the critical decisions and defining the strategy, but you’re having to execute that and drive that change downwards when you don’t always have a say or control over what’s happening, and that can be really hard for some people, and so we do a lot on mindset, especially. Staying focused, being able to prioritize, setting boundaries, delegation, developing your team. All of those things that help you step… take a step back as a leader and be more strategic instead of getting stuck in the day-to-day.

Meg: Which is exactly what trips people up, and also trips them up in getting, indoctrinated into the franchise. they want to do. They want to be. They want to know more, they want to get taken advantage of. They… and so I find a lot of my executives who get into franchise ownership get lost in their Because they… they take that step back from delegation to now actively doing. I own great clips. I never cut hair a day in my life. So, I consciously also would… I was a parent, and then a single parent of a young boy, and I wasn’t going to dedicate my life to that, but I see it as a natural, human reaction. Oh, I don’t know, so I better learn. And then, as you’re saying, it doesn’t matter if it’s a franchise or somewhere in middle management, you get stuck in the doing instead of on the big picture, which is typically results. How much of this… Harkens back to your… gymnastics.

Sara: I think a lot. I mean, I, I think… about the ways and how it shaped me, who I am, like… like I said, that… that belief, that ability to take risks, that courage. On the other side, there’s also a bit of that perfectionism and people-pleasing, right, and overworking, that I’ve had to battle, too. So I think you take the good with the bad. Everything teaches you lessons, and it’s what you learn from those things. And so, yeah, I’ve had to overcome a lot of the things that I now work with my clients on. Right? How to set boundaries with work, how to not get stuck in this cycle of perfectionism, and just striving for excellence, because nothing is ever going to be perfect. And so, when is done good enough? And, you know, not falling into this people-pleasing trap, especially when you own a business, right? You can very easily just work, work, work all day long to make people happy. You know, not everyone has to like you, not everyone has to like your service or your product, and you have to accept that, because it will kill you otherwise.

Meg: Totally. There was an Olympic athlete who, I can’t remember what country she was from, but she was being criticized for not having a perfect performance after leaving, and it’s not our skier, our American skier, but, Her name is escaping me at the moment. Anyway, this is a woman from another country, and there’s all this anticipation, about what her achievement would be in the Olympics, and she said, you know, listen, I did this, that, and the other thing. Who else did it? Did I come in first on the podium? No, I did not. But… I won! Man, I came out here, I did it. And I proved to myself that I could.

Sara: Yeah, and how many years of sacrifice, right, did she go through to get to that one moment? And sometimes we forget that getting there was the milestone. Yeah, did she win gold or have the most perfect performance? Maybe not. But she got there. It’s a lot more than many of us can say.

Meg: And in business ownership, it… you… we, you and I, have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and we have to get comfortable with it not being 100% perfect or right, there’s… My husband is a… is a algorithm guy, and so when he makes financial decisions, he really bases his decision on, is he 80% comfortable? Is he 90, 70? And so he made sure that whatever that percentage of confidence is, is based on the stuff that matters. Not the stuff that doesn’t matter. So, we all, as business owners, need to be adaptable to the fact that we’re not going to have exactly the right answer every day, or all the time.

Sara: Yeah, 100%.

Meg: Very challenging in the beginning to… to… get that mindset. The older I get, the more I enjoy letting go, and delegating the responsibility, and helping to groom, versus when I was younger, it was… it was all about perfection, and I expected people to do it my way, or it wasn’t right, and… I think some of that is just age and experience that builds into… Having the confidence to let Let your employees make decisions that aren’t exactly right all the time.

Sara: Yep.

Meg: And so with your… with your newer, Strive to Thrive, how long ago did you build that company?

Sara: So about… it’s been about 2 years. I left my corporate job in the middle of 2024, and so it’s… it’s been then. And that was my thing. You know, so many people, when I left, said, oh, I… I could never do what you did. And, you know, I think what this has made me realize is you… you can do whatever you want. there’s choice, right? And, you know, we sat around at the table for Thanksgiving this year, and all said what we were thankful for, and mine was choice. Having choices, and being able to act on those choices. And everyone has choices. It’s just those choices come with compromises and sacrifices.

Meg: Yeah.

Sara: And sometimes you have to be willing to sacrifice the stability of a corporate paycheck, right? And some of the luxuries that come along with that. For the potential of what you can do as a business owner, and having more of that freedom, that freedom to be creative, that freedom to build your schedule, that freedom to work with the people that you want to work with, and not do the things you don’t want to do. And at the end of the day, it’s so empowering to know that you can live without the stability of a corporate paycheck.

Meg: What I so love about your story, Sarah, as I’m thinking about it, is how many how many of my candidates I’ve worked with are coming out of corporate America, they start a franchise, and it gives them permission to go back to what they were good at before, in their prior career, and make that determination, do I want to… and you’re stepping right up to it. Do I want to go back to it? Well, no, actually, you’d like to hand the baby back. Integrate and engage with those people. The franchise, you’re… yours, Did… did you start your business at a time when your franchise was financially Stable, and you felt like you could take another financial risk?

Sara: Yeah, so that’s one thing I would say, is have a plan, right? Don’t… don’t be irrational. You know, it took me 3 years. I had a full-time corporate job and the franchise for 3 years before I left my job. So, you know, you need to build that financial backing.

Meg: Yeah.

Sara: to allow you to have that freedom and flexibility. And that was always the plan that I would leave. There just really wasn’t a timeline. I didn’t hold myself to it. And really, what drove it was a combination of I was working in a very large company where, you know, every 18 months to 2 years, we were seeing changes in leadership and restructuring, and that’s what was happening, and I had learned how to advocate for myself, so I… every time that happened, I could basically say the job I wanted, and I was getting those roles, which was Very… great for me. But I still found, every time I made a change, I wasn’t seeing that same level of, like, energy and excitement in that new role that I had before, and I was starting to have some resentment, because I felt like I was being more fulfilled by what I was doing outside of my work, and my work was just getting in the way of that. And so. I have this quote on my wall to this day that I hung on the bottom of my computer about 6 months before I left my job as a daily reminder. of, you know, that I needed to push myself, to step out of my comfort zone and resign, and it says, you must be willing to sacrifice what you are now for what you can become tomorrow. And I still have it up there, I look at it all the time, and it was that, as well as my husband, really nudging me. this is what we talked about, you said you were gonna leave, you know, and him nudging me, and… supporting me, and reminding me that I had done hard things before, and I could do this. And he was there to support me, and that meant a lot.

Meg: Such a great story. I love it when the spouse is involved, and not afraid, but supportive, and… and I don’t remember how the quote goes, but… oh, dear, what… what if I fail, and… or… And the opposite of that is, oh, but what if you fly?

Sara: Yeah.

Meg: And for a spouse to be able to support you in that way, one of the questions that was percolating in here is, are you a solopreneur with Strive to Thrive, or do you have employees?

Sara: No, with Strived with Rive, it’s just me right now.

Meg: And so, do you have… besides a great husband, do you have mentors or networking groups, or how do you… because I think that’s the lonely piece. The franchise, you’ve got your posse, and you can kind of draw on that. You and I are very, very similar in this, so how do you nurture yourself as a solopreneur?

Sara: Yeah, so surrounding yourself with like-minded people that can keep you energized, keep you inspired. I don’t have, like, a formal mentor, but I have so many people in my life that I turn to for different things. I have invested in coaches when I need to. I’m very curious, I’m a lifelong learner, and so I like to do things by myself. But then. knowing when I’ve hit a point of, I need to pull an expert, or I need to bounce this idea off of someone. So really, I’ve been intentional this year about networking, and I’ve found you meet the most amazing people. through networking, and it’s… it’s a… you know, some people feel icky about networking. It’s about finding your people, and finding the right place where you don’t get that icky feeling when you walk in the room, right? And what I’ve found this year is just how many people are just so… Interested in helping others. And when you help each other out, everyone grows as a result, and that’s a really powerful feeling. So, I’m definitely continuing to build my network, and leverage those connections. For all sorts of reasons, and then, you know, also give back to those communities in whatever way that I can.

Meg: And that’s an interesting point that you brought up. One of my favorite networkers. just moved to a new city, and in trying to get a foothold, her very first networking event was just that. It was icky, it was political, it was divisive, it was… It was not business-oriented, and it was… it was all women. Which she’s not opposed to, but it… It turned her off for a period of time. And she and I were just talking about this 3 days ago, but being intentional, more intentional now, about the rooms she wants to be in, and sort of that… that universal law of attraction that helped me find that person, or a couple of people, just one person every day. It’s one new person, then you don’t know where… where that… trickle is going to turn into a really strong faucet of like-minded people. So, long story short, don’t give up. If the… If the attempts aren’t immediately rewarding, it takes probably 6 weeks to 6 months to really find a group of people, like-minded people, who are going to be supportive and take the time to really understand you. Sarah and your business, and listen and contribute to your success without it necessarily reflecting on them or what their values are.

Sara: Yeah. Yeah, and finding I belong with my local chamber, it’s a small business roundtable group. It’s kind of like a mastermind where, you know, there’s a presenter, we meet once a month, there’s a different presenter each month, and they present on a specific challenge they’re facing in their business, and then we all get to ask questions, and we all get to give feedback, and so whether you’re the presenter or just part of the conversation. you’re getting value, right? Because those ideas, you’re probably going to be able to leverage, too. And it’s just helpful to have a room full. It’s like your board of directors.

Meg: Of course.

Sara: people that, you know, understand your challenges, are living some of the same challenges, and we’re all in this together. It’s nice to know that you’re not alone in your feelings, because I think, especially today, entrepreneurship is so glorified, especially in social media. But it’s hard, and it’s not for everyone, and it’s… it’s a long game, right? You have to wake up and motivate yourself, and decide what you’re gonna work on, and prioritize the right things to work on that are gonna move your business forward and help you grow as a business owner. And that’s not for everyone. Some people are just… better off. You know, showing up to a job where someone else tells them what to do, and they do it, and they collect their paycheck. So you… you have to figure out which one is right for you.

Meg: Yeah. Yeah, this is what makes the world go around, is if we were all window washers, then who would create a business? And if we were all business creators, then who would be washing the dishes? It’s… There are different strengths and different mindsets, and also, as… going back again to the gymnastics, or being an athlete, being… being in the military, being a part of a team. That’s why this is called free agent, because when you don’t have a team, and you don’t know where you’re working out, or you have to be that strong, you have to be that goal-oriented. Well, it’s really tough to be a free agent. And so finding like-minded people who will help to reinforce you and help you navigate the journey, it is a day-by-day, step-by-step process, and it is absolutely a long game. But would you do it any other way? Would you… would you go and do it… would you have done it differently?

Sara: No, I really wouldn’t do anything differently. I mean, there’s been plenty of things I’ve learned along the way, but there’s something, again, so powerful about knowing that I have complete choice over what I do in my business, what I do with my day, who I work with. and both of my businesses, I can say with a 100% fact that when someone experiences my services, whether it’s in a Hotworks infrared sauna or coaching, they leave feeling better about themselves. And that, to me, is so impactful and deeply fulfills my mission and purpose.

Meg: You did it.

Sara: Yeah. I know, and it feels good to acknowledge that sometimes, right? And be proud.

Meg: Yeah, and it… there’s this thing that keeps coming to the back of my head that, oh, well, you must have been born with it, or you… no, you… your story is proof positive that you had the drive and ambition to, at a young age. And that has carried through nicely for you. Has it been perfect? No. Have there been trips and falls and stumbles? Yes. But here you are, and here I am. And so, there are a whole lot of my… my people in the audience, I hope this is really resonating, that you two are a multidimensional, interesting human being, and the possibilities are out there for you. as Sarah’s story so clearly defines, it’s not… there’s not just a stopping point. You don’t get to a place. It’s… it… it is a stepping stone that allows you to get further in your journey, if you’re open to where that road is going to take you. So, I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do next, because… I’m putting my money on you.

Sara: Oh, thank you. Yeah. I think it’s… like you said, having a multidimensional identity is so important, so that you don’t define yourself by any one thing. And it allows you to explore different interests, different passions, and that, ultimately, is what opens up doors and opportunities. And so I think… I’ve always been one to just say yes to an opportunity that I feel like instinctually aligns, and then figure out how I’m gonna do it after.

Meg: That’s so much of it, is just being, again, comfortable with being uncomfortable, saying yes, and knowing that either you have it in yourself. Or you have the people around you who will support you in navigating your way. Is there going to be an upset somewhere? Yeah, there is. It’s gonna happen, but… Then that also gets back to the… that mindset that has been groomed for you, not only in your early, sports career, but in your corporate career, too. I, I love it, and I’m imagining, and maybe… Foisting this on you, but that you are… You have created your corporate path by being open and willing, but I think you also manifested to the universe that when things were shifting, you were going to stick the landing. You’re going to find the right lily pad.

Sara: Yeah, and a lot of that is doing the work to gain that clarity on what you want, right? And a big part of that, and this was hard for many years for me, is to shut out the noise. Only listen to your own voice. You know, do what… you want to do, not what you think you should do, or what other people think you should do. Because for so long. I kept looking at this investment I had made in this career, and, oh, I can’t leave, I’ve invested so many years of my life in this sacrifice, and this work, and I walk away, I have nothing to show for it. Right? This was the story I was telling myself. And so, you know, G, just… know that you… you can, you can rebuild, and… and for me. now I have that confidence. I’ve built a business from nothing. I’ve started over. I can do anything. If I lose all my money tomorrow, I know that I can recover and do anything, and that’s not because I’m special, any more special than you or anyone listening. It’s just… You work at it, and you are persistent, and you are open that it’s not gonna turn out exactly how you expected in the timeframe that you predicted. But you just keep at it, right? And they say that the successful business owners are just the people that don’t give up.

Meg: It’s.

Sara: It’s not that they’re special or do anything unique, per se, they just learn from their mistakes, and they don’t give up.

Meg: That’s right. Every day is work. It’s work. to be successful. It’s nice to have the, the benefits of Financial success. But it’s a mental game as well, and you can be financially super successful, and in your head, still not enough, or imposter, or whatever. So, a lot of what you do is that mental grooming aspect of getting sharp, staying sharp, it doesn’t stay forever. Self-doubt does creep in, even at the highest levels. You would be a great coach for a bunch of people that I know. Whom I know, and so I can’t wait to have you join the First Friday Networking group, and for the… this episode to get broadcast out there, I’ll let you know when it’s gonna come out. I so appreciate you coming on and telling… the audience, your story and… and it so resonated with me when I first met you. I was so excited to have you on today. So, thank you for making the time for me today, Sarah. I really appreciate it.

Sara: Thank you for having me. I… I love this, and… Can’t wait to join your networking group. This has been a wonderful conversation.

Meg: Thank you.

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