The Moment | Sarah Kaler
We believe that life is a collection of Moments. Some ever so big, some fleeting, some small. It is in these Moments and the choices we make within them, that shape the people we become and what our lives will stand for.
We are reaching out to the most interesting, inspiring & successful leaders around the world to ask them about their Moments. In the spirit of our number one value, collaboration, our goal with this series is for you to experience development and enrichment from today's most inspirational leaders.
Sarah Kaler is an executive leadership coach, business consultant, and the CEO and Co-Founder of SoulPowered, a women’s leadership and education company. She is also the Co-Founder of SP Research Institute. Sarah has an impressive background spanning over 20 years developing business leaders and CEOs at international brands, start-ups, nonprofits and Fortune 100 & 500 companies. That being said what impresses us most is Sarah's drive and determination to overcome adversity, her fearless nature and of course her devotion to being a Mama! Read on to see what we're talking about.
Sarah, tell us about the time...
You realized you were in the presence of a great leader/teacher...
I’ve been fortunate to have many mentors, coaches and incredible leaders supporting me throughout my life and career. There is one person that really changed my mindset early on in my career which led to a shift I believe in my ability to respond quickly and start to develop others far more effectively which led to mediocre results from happy, thriving, leaders and teams that were relentlessly committed to one another and their vision.
I sat down with this mentor of mine to share my long term career goals and my plan to achieve those goals. After listening to my long ramble, in one short breath, she exhaled and said “what if all that mattered was your contribution?” I remember being so driven, sort of hard-wired for success in that typical way at the time. I laugh now looking back at myself. Her comment stopped me still in my tracks and changed how I lived and worked from that moment forward. She taught me to lead through contribution and to lead everyday not from past achievements, but to approach every day as if it was a clean slate with the opportunity to bring whole and new contribution to it. She told me it was my responsibility to know that and to do it. So I practiced, and practiced. And I’m still practicing!
You knew you were on the right path in your career...
I opened my first business at 20 years old when I was a senior in University. I started a community-based yoga studio in the heart of downtown Seattle. I remember vividly in the early days of that business experiencing myself step up in a way that felt strong and natural and yet exhilarating and new whether it was leading my students through class multiple times per day or leading my team to bring the vision to life. I knew I would never stop leading from the front and bringing groups of people together who had a shared purpose, were growing themselves, and could create something bigger than themselves together in the process. I’ve never looked back.
You chose something different than what was expected of you...
I stepped out of a senior leadership role at the pinnacle of my career to become a specialist, to live and lead 100% in my strengths and to put my family and health first despite people in my life saying this was a huge mistake and losing some relationships along the way. At the time I had spent about 15 years driving myself relentlessly by personal achievement, ambition, my deep love to develop leaders and teams and to get extraordinary results. This passionate drive cost me my health, to be misunderstood, and at the end of the day opportunities and relationships that I cared about deeply. I was left to navigate a major health crisis. Stepping out of this role was part of my massive wake up call that success, fulfillment and leadership in life and work wasn’t about upward mobility, titles, recognition or even ability to create results. For me, I had to start turning left even if the tide wanted me to turn right in service of my life, my family’s well-being and bringing my talent and strengths to the world at it’s highest level without sacrifice.
You failed...
One of my biggest lessons through my career has been failure. During my health crisis for example I over-road my personal values so consistently that it became a norm and I was able to numb myself through my awareness of it. I wouldn’t speak up, despite having a strong value around speaking up and expression of voice and perspective, instead I would remain silent. I wouldn’t share with my direct reports the honest truth of what was happening or what I needed despite having a value of total transparency, integrity and trust.
I can share this very honestly now and I feel it’s essential that all leaders crack this door wide open so collectively leaders, communities and companies, regardless of role and contribution can really embrace the process of acceptance, the vulnerability that comes along for that ride and the development of a growth mindset that so often requires deep work. There is such an enormous cost to have anyone sit in isolation with failure, everyone has the opportunity to unpack and uncover it and see it as a enormous learning and gift over and over again.
You wake. And the ritual you have to start your day...
Mornings are mama time. I wake now to my wiggling, excited, boisterous six-year old Jackson. My mornings are more about being a moving meditation, an exercise in being 100% present with my family. It’s all about waking up in laughter, snuggles, getting ready for school, having breakfast, a cup of tea and kick starting our morning together. For me it’s my fuel to start my day with my family. Once everyone is out of the house I sit in meditation for 10-15 minutes. I have a personal mission/vision statement that I connect to and I get my work started for the day. And maybe another cup of tea!
You made your best hire...
In 2006 I hired a woman who I knew from the moment she walked in, from the moment I first met her that she was so talented that she could develop into any role I put her in. She was exuberant, strong, wise, hungry, and eager. She wanted a seat at the table, to contribute, to collaborate, and to create something unique, bold, and that would take our city by storm. I knew in that moment I was not only looking at my legacy, but hers and something beyond both of us. Just about 12 years later she is still going strong I’ve watched her grow, develop, stretch others thinking, stretch her own, and become a leader that people revere, companies recruit, and that teams crave to be led by. She is family to me and to the thousands of blessed souls whose lives she’s changed.
You felt the most successful in life...
Being a mother who is 100% present and showing my child how to lead at home, lead in community, lead in the world and lead in business. Leadership is a way of being fundamentally, it’s about service and I feel most successful when I’m contributing and leading as a whole woman in all areas of my life and showing my child it’s not only possible, but all the ways that it can look.
You received feedback that was hard to hear but worth listening to...
Once I received the feedback from my Manager that I should be more of a “bitch”. It was written in a performance review. It the moment that I received this feedback I initially was a bit shocked as I had great working relationships and even more great results on paper and in my pipeline. It took me awhile to get past this word as I couldn’t imagine at the time ever giving someone feedback this way or wanting to be what I associated with that word. At the same time the feedback stuck with me then and it’s stuck with me for years. Here’s the gift of this feedback…..it wasn’t actually about changing who I was, or becoming something I wasn’t as I did have strengths that had got me to where I was, but the gift that this feedback gave me was to be unapologetic in my voice. It gave me the courage to be direct when it felt hard or I to speak my truth when I was in the minority. It also gave me permission to access the full range of who I am. The truth is I am direct. I am bold and I am courageous and in that moment I wasn’t exercising or accessing that part of me. The thing I appreciate the most about this feedback is that it came from a loving place, not a place of judgement. It wasn’t actually about labeling or adopting a type of behavior as “bitchy” to become successful. In another context perhaps we might be talking about something else here ;) I wasn’t given “the how”, I was given an open door and it was up to me to walk through it and find my voice there.
You chose to walk away from someone or something...
When I left my corporate career of 10 years with lululemon it was the most challenging decision of my career. It was not on a timeline that I had planned or even preferred and again wasn’t a welcomed decision by all the people close to me including people I respected, mentors, peers and colleagues; which made it even more challenging. However, I had to listen to my deepest inner knowing, follow my strengths and put my life, family and health and the forefront and just leaped.
Bit off more than you could chew...
When I first started SoulPowered we had a small team, I had just moved back to another city. I was adjusting to running a new company with a 2 year old child in a new preschool and finding a new routine. I hadn’t lived in Seattle for 2 years so I didn’t have my old community routines or friendships to immediately click back into. It all took a lot longer than I expected. My husband was running his own business and I really had to figure out how to optimize and get more support quickly! Business was growing fast and I was still working too much in the business not on the business, so I had to start building out the team, bring on contractors to support the vision so we could keep the train moving and I could settle into living life back in my home city again.
Saw yourself & your true potential...
When I started my company SoulPowered I remember having clients for the first time simultaneously around the world from the US, Canada, SE Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the U.K. and Africa all at the same time. The first moment I was serving leaders and companies all around the world at once I paused and realized anything was really possible with a vision and technology!
You understood advice your parents gave you (what was it?)...
Trust and respect is the foundation of all relationships. My parents taught me this young and it’s always been the foundation for relationships, life and work, even my great trust in myself. Having gone through a lot of transitions in my life and career I have often thought about this, relied on this and revisited where trust holds the key to my best next step no matter what.
