The Conscious Entrepreneur | Leadership, Self-Awareness & Mindset

EP 105: How Giving Back Shapes Great Leaders with Snooze COO Brianna Borin

Philanthropy can change the way we think about business when it’s treated as part of the culture rather than an afterthought. How does a company grow stronger when it gives back to the community that supports it? And how can service outside of work shape the kind of leader someone becomes?
 
Sarah Lockwood talks with Brianna Borin, Chief Operating Officer of Snooze A.M. Eatery, about the lessons she has learned from nearly two decades of weaving community impact into her work. Brianna shares how Snooze’s early days of volunteering at the Denver Rescue Mission set the tone for a company-wide approach that now includes programs like the Changemaker initiative and long-term partnerships with organizations such as Urban Peak. She also reflects on her own leadership development through board service, youth mentorship, and global volunteer experiences that have deepened her sense of personal satisfaction and purpose.
 
Listeners can learn more about supporting youth experiencing homelessness through Urban Peak’s Urban Nights Kicks & Culture Sneaker Ball at urbanpeak.org/urban-nights. Brianna also recommends Tommy Spaulding’s books, The Heart-Led Leader and The Gift of Influence, which have shaped her vision of philanthropy and leadership. Her story and these resources show how integrating service into business not only builds stronger communities but also creates deeper fulfillment for leaders and their teams.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Philanthropy and Service as a Business Value
02:03 Brianna Borin’s Journey with Snooze A.M. Eatery
06:57 Community Impact Through Grassroots Service
08:50 Partnering with Urban Peak to Support Youth
12:44 The Changemaker Program and Local Giving
18:36 Leadership Development Through Philanthropy
28:45 Lessons from the Global Youth Leadership Academy
34:03 Time, Treasures, and Talent as a Service Framework
 
Connect with Brianna Borin:
Snooze A.M. Eatery
Connect with Brianna on LinkedIn
 
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
HiveCast
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
 
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
The Conscious Entrepreneur 
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram 
Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube
 
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 104: Success, Life Satisfaction & Service

True fulfillment as an entrepreneur often begins the moment you step outside yourself and give back.
 
Sarah Lockwood shares a personal reflection on her uncle, Ralph Junker, who quietly gave blood every two weeks for nearly twenty years. It was never mentioned at his funeral or in his obituary, yet it may have been the most defining part of his legacy. What does it mean when the most meaningful acts of service in a life are the ones done quietly, without recognition? And how might those same choices shape who we become as leaders?
 
This episode invites you to look at philanthropy not as a grand gesture but as a steady practice that creates life satisfaction, perspective, and connection. Inward work like meditation and journaling has its place, but service pulls us into the lives of others and reminds us that leadership is rooted in humanity.
 
Sarah offers a challenge worth sitting with: what if giving back became a rhythm in your life and your business? It doesn’t have to start big. Maybe it’s a volunteer day, matching donations for your team, or simply stepping in when someone in your community needs help. However it looks, those choices ripple outward, shaping stronger leaders, more grounded teams, and a legacy that speaks louder than words.
 
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
HiveCast
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
 
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
The Conscious Entrepreneur 
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram 
Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube
 
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 103: Right-Sizing with Care: Layoffs, Furloughs, and Rehiring Best Practices

Layoffs, furloughs, and rehiring after downsizing are decisions that press on both the head and the heart.
 
Sarah Lockwood talks with Peggy Shell, the CEO of Creative Alignments, about the reality of leading a team through moments when survival means making choices no leader wants to make. Peggy shares how her company moved from furloughs to layoffs during an economic downturn and what it took to carry the weight of those decisions while still protecting the future of the business. How do you take care of the people who stay after you’ve had to let others go? How much truth should you share when your team is already anxious?
 
Peggy explains how transparency and steady communication built trust, even in the midst of layoffs, and why she chose approaches like covering health insurance, offering transition periods, and helping people find new roles. She also reflects on the uneasy process of hiring again after downsizing and the challenge of moving forward with confidence when past decisions still weigh heavy.
 
This episode encourages entrepreneurs to look closely at how layoffs, furloughs, and rehiring after downsizing affect more than just headcount. These moments test the culture of a company, the trust between leaders and their teams, and the resilience of a business when pressure hits. Peggy’s story shows how the choices a leader makes in these situations leave a lasting mark on both the people and the direction of the business.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction and Initial Layoffs
02:16 Fear of Rehiring and Economic Uncertainty
05:31 Conscious Leadership and Transparency in Layoffs
08:01 Furloughs vs. Layoffs
10:09 Handling Layoffs with Compassion and Support
11:14 Retaining A Players and Addressing Survivor Guilt
14:17 Lessons Learned and Building a Stronger Business
16:21 Innovation and Reimagining Company Culture
17:12 Final Takeaways for Leaders
Connect with Peggy Shell:
Creative Alignments
Connect with Peggy on LinkedIn 
 
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
HiveCast
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
The Conscious Entrepreneur 
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn 
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram 
 
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 102: Talent Density: Your New KPI for Culture, Productivity & Profit

Annual reviews are broken, and leadership coach Mike Goldman, author of “The Strength of Talent” has a different way to think about performance management that puts people growth at the heart of profit growth. 
 
Joining Sarah Lockwood in this episode, Mike questions why so many organizations still rely on outdated HR metrics and rigid systems like annual reviews or quarterly reviews when so few leaders believe they make a real impact. He introduces the idea of “talent density,” a measure of the gap between high and low performers, and explains why it’s a sharper way to understand organizational health. He walks through his five-step framework that calls for clear expectations, honest assessments done as a team, real leadership accountability, and a balance between productivity and culture fit. 
 
How often do we keep a top producer who quietly undermines the culture? Where is “good enough” quietly slowing the roles that drive a company forward? Mike shares strategies leaders can start using right away, even without company-wide adoption, and explains why a slow, thoughtful rollout builds trust and lasting results. This episode challenges the way performance management is typically done and offers a grounded approach to helping both people and the business grow stronger.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Talent Density Explained
01:51 People Growth Drives Profit
03:55 Assessing Performance Beyond Annual Reviews
06:25 Leadership Accountability for People Growth
08:01 Broken Performance Management System
09:17 Quarterly Talent Assessment Meeting (QTAM)
11:14 Talent Density Indicator (TDI) Overview
14:40 Culture Fit as a Performance Metric
18:45 Roles Where Good Enough Fails
23:06 Applying the System as a Middle Manager
29:01 Change Management and Rollout Strategy
 
Connect with Mike Goldman:
Website
Book: “The Strength of Talent” 
LinkedIn
 
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
Website
LinkedIn
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
Website 
LinkedIn 
Instagram 
YouTube
 
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 101: Burnout and Toxic Culture: What to Do When It’s Affecting You or Your Team

Burnout can take root fast when company culture overlooks early warning signs, and Cait Donovan offers insight into how leaders can spot and address it before it damages the entire organization.
 
Sarah Lockwood speaks with Cait, the host of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast and the founder of BurnBOLD, about what burnout looks like in real time and why it often signals deeper issues inside a company. How can a leader tell when a team is just under pressure versus when something is fundamentally off? Which behaviors start small but slowly erode trust and workplace wellness until they create a toxic culture? 
 
Cait explains why leaders must deal with their own burnout first because when a leader is running on empty, the strain spreads. From there, she walks through ways to identify whether the problem lies in a single pocket of the organization or across the culture as a whole, and how to respond in each case. She shares approaches that shift the tone of a workplace, like starting “positive gossip” to strengthen psychological safety or aligning the company’s stated values with what actually happens day to day. 
 
This episode looks at personal habits such as perfectionism, people-pleasing, hyper-independence that often come from old patterns and quietly shape relationships and performance at work. Cait shows how becoming aware of these tendencies can help leaders change the environment for themselves and their teams. She offers a thoughtful and detailed look at how burnout develops, what fuels a toxic culture, and how workplace wellness can be protected through intentional choices in leadership and company culture.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Real Costs of Burnout
01:31 WHO Definition and Key Signs of Burnout
02:46 Individual Burnout vs. Cultural Problems
04:07 How Leaders Should Address Burnout
06:10 Four Indicators of a Toxic Workplace
08:42 Effective Interventions to Reduce Burnout
09:20 Building Trust Through Positive Gossip
11:30 Aligning Company Values With Culture
12:44 Burnout Risk Factors and Protection Factors
16:42 Why Leaders Must Address Their Own Burnout First
21:16 Hidden Patterns That Increase Burnout Risk
26:39 Case Study: Reducing Urgency to Boost Productivity
 
Links
Connect with Cait Donovan:
Initial Call with Cait
FRIED. The Burnout Podcast
LinkedIn 
 
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
LinkedIn
HiveCast
 
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
LinkedIn 
Instagram 
The Conscious Entrepreneur 
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
 

EP 100: Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders - Part 3: Honesty With Yourself

Telling yourself the truth might be the most radical leadership skill you’ll ever develop.
 
In part three of the Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders series, Sarah Lockwood is joined by Beck Sydow and Marina Suholutsky for a conversation about the power of radical self-honesty in leadership. They explore how self-awareness for leaders isn’t just about introspection but a foundational strategy for building resilient businesses, leading aligned teams, and navigating high-stakes decisions with integrity.
 
Beck and Marina reveal how easy it is for entrepreneurs to hide from their own truths, especially when fear, ego, or pressure to perform take over. They unpack how avoidance and overcompensation often mask deeper insecurities and explain why facing those hidden parts with compassion is key to true emotional self-regulation. When leaders name what’s really going on without judgment, they create space for better decisions, stronger relationships, and more authentic leadership.
 
This episode offers a powerful reframe: self-honesty isn’t weakness, but actually one of the most courageous and transformative skills you can build.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Why Radical Self-Honesty Is a Leadership Skill
02:56 How Your Relationship with Yourself Shapes Your Leadership
04:49 Embracing All Parts of Yourself to Build Self-Awareness
06:03 Coping Mechanisms That Lead to Dishonest Leadership
10:03 The Hidden Relief in Facing Hard Truths
14:07 Practicing Compassionate Accountability
17:59 Sovereignty, Self-Honesty, and Emotional Self-Regulation
21:32 Practical Tools to Strengthen Self-Honesty
25:02 Emotional Mastery for Leaders
 
Links
Connect with Beck Sydow:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/
HumanKind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/
 
Connect with Marina Suholutsky:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/
PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io
 
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/
Website: https://hivecast.fm
 
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/ 
Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us 
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
 

EP 99: Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders - Part 2: Interrupt Fear With Curiosity

Curiosity is the leadership skill that helps you regulate your nervous system, interrupt fear loops, and make conscious choices in real time.
 
This episode is part 2 of the Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders series, where Sarah Lockwood is joined again by Marina Suholutsky, the founder of PurposeBuilt, and Beck Sydow, the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders, to discuss how curiosity plays an important role in nervous system regulation and managing emotions. They break down how fear contracts our experience and narrows our view, while curiosity invites expansion and presence. When leaders learn to pause and ask questions like “What else is true?” or “What story am I telling myself right now?”, they create access to agency, opening up space to shift out of reactivity and into conscious, grounded response.
 
Marina and Beck offer tools that don’t require time away from work or structured rituals. These moments of emotional awareness can happen mid-meeting, mid-sentence, or mid-meltdown. Whether it’s noticing your peripheral vision, softening your tone, or naming what’s happening in the room, curiosity becomes a live practice that leaders can use to stay connected to themselves and others. The discussion also explores how modeling this curiosity builds team trust and strengthens leadership presence. For founders who want to lead with more ease and intention, this episode is an invitation and a toolkit.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Curiosity as a Tool for Emotional Mastery
01:24 Using Curiosity to Shift from Fear to Possibility
02:55 How Curiosity Regulates the Nervous System
04:32 Interrupting Autopilot Responses with Better Questions
06:12 Building Agency Through Conscious Choice
09:59 Real-Time Techniques for Managing Emotions
12:34 Somatic Practices for Curiosity and Expansion
15:23 Leading with Curiosity in High-Stakes Moments
16:48 Asking Open-Ended Questions That Invite Collaboration
19:31 Why Curiosity Reflects True Leadership Confidence
 
Links
Connect with Beck Sydow:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/
HumanKind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/
 
Connect with Marina Suholutsky:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/
PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io
 
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/
Website: https://hivecast.fm
 
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/ 
Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us 
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 98: Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders - Part 1: Fear and Suffering

Fear isn’t the enemy of great leadership. Ignoring it is.
 
How often do you walk into a meeting already bracing for impact? Or catch yourself shrinking back in a moment where you meant to lead with clarity? Sarah Lockwood sits down with Beck Sydow, the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders, and Marina Suholutsky, the founder of PurposeBuilt, for a conversation on emotional self-regulation, fear in business, and the kind of inner work that makes better leadership possible.
 
They explore how fear lives in the body, how it shows up in the boardroom, and why most founders are still operating from old survival patterns without realizing it. You’ll hear why simply pushing through isn’t a strategy and how learning to notice your internal state (tight shoulders, shallow breath, reactive thinking) can open the door to more aligned decisions. Beck and Marina walk through tools for getting out of autopilot, including body scans, self-inquiry, and what they call “active choice,” the skill of pausing just long enough to shift out of fear and back into presence.
 
This doesn’t just explain why inner work matters. It shows you how to begin. Whether you’re leading a team, building a company, or trying to show up more fully for your own vision, this is the kind of episode that gets under the surface and invites you to lead from a deeper, steadier place.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Emotional Self-Regulation in Leadership
02:19 Why Fear and Suffering Matter for Founders
05:03 How the Amygdala Shapes Fear in Business
06:08 Welcoming Fear as a Tool, Not a Threat
10:08 Tools for Recognizing and Naming Fear
14:06 The Leadership Power of Softening and Owning Fear
18:13 Making Active Choices to Lead with Awareness
 
Links
Connect with Beck Sydow:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/
Humankind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/
 
Connect with Marina Suholutsky:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/
PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io
 
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/
Website: https://hivecast.fm
 
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/ 
Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us 
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 97: Invest Like You Mean It: Making Capital a Force for Good with Jennifer Kenning

Where does your money sleep at night, and is it working for the kind of world you want to live in?
 
Jennifer Kenning was managing the wealth of high-net-worth families by day and volunteering with unhoused communities in Los Angeles by night. That contrast raised a question that’s stuck with her ever since: What if capital could be a force for good, without giving up returns? Now the CEO and co-founder of Align Impact, Jennifer leads a registered investment advisory firm managing over $750 million. 
 
Jennifer joins Sarah Lockwood to talk about values-based investing, conscious capitalism, and how we can all, regardless of portfolio size, be more intentional about where and how our money is working. Jennifer explains why impact investing isn’t charity, how ESG works (and where it falls short), and the practical steps anyone can take to align their investments with their values. She shares examples of funding solutions in climate change, affordable housing, sustainable agriculture, and why investing in women and underrepresented founders creates ripple effects that go far beyond profit. She also reflects on her leadership as the outgoing president of EO Colorado, the power of servant leadership, and how Align’s commitment to being a B Corp shapes the way they do business.
 
If you’re an entrepreneur rethinking how your capital is allocated, or simply curious about whether your investments align with your intentions, Sarah and Jennifer’s conversation will help you take a more conscious, empowered role in shaping your financial impact.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Jennifer Kenning’s Path to Impact Investing03:15 Breaking the Myth: Do Values-Based Investments Sacrifice Returns?07:34 How Align Measures Real-World Impact10:29 Aligning Your 401(k) and Business Capital With Your Values18:07 Why Align Impact Became a Certified B Corp22:11 Bringing an Impact Lens to EO Colorado25:15 Leading Peers and Evolving as a Servant Leader30:05 Defining the Hopeful Pioneer and Investing for 203035:45 Staying Grounded: Purpose, Practice, and Long-Term Vision38:06 Advice for Founders Committed to Conscious Capitalism
39:39 Empowerment Through Financial Awareness
 
Links
Connect with Jennifer Kenning:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennkenning/ Website: https://www.alignimpact.com/ 
 
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/Website: https://hivecast.fm
 
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/ 
Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us 
 
 
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 96: The Succession Plan That Didn’t Stick: A Founder’s Return to the CEO Seat

A carefully planned CEO exit unraveled and what came next reshaped how one founder leads for good.
 
When Chris Schwalbach stepped away from the CEO seat at AVL Growth Partners, he had a clear plan, a strong successor, and years of preparation behind him. But even with all that in place, something didn’t sit right. The business started to wobble, and Chris found himself wondering if he’d made a mistake. What do you do when the leadership transition you spent years building starts to crack? How do you know when it’s time to step back in?
 
Joining Sarah Lockwood, Chris shares the real story behind his succession planning journey, from the slow handoff to the unexpected return, and what he learned about himself in the process. He talks openly about the shame he felt stepping back in, the inner work that helped him move through it, and the version of leadership he brings to the table now. If you’re thinking about founder exit planning or wrestling with what it means to let go, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what happens when plans shift and perspective deepens.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Chris Schwalbach’s CEO Exit and Return
02:06 Founding AVL Growth Partners and the Original Vision
04:07 Hitting Growth Ceilings and Planning a Leadership Transition
10:05 The Inner Journey: Failure, Trust, and Self-Doubt
17:12 Becoming CEO 2.0: Leading with Clarity and Confidence
22:00 Managing Team Expectations During a Leadership Transition
28:10 Reflecting on Progress: Using the Gap and the Gain
30:07 Personal Habits That Support Founder Mental Health
37:47 Lessons in Succession Planning and Self-Trust
 
Links
Conscious Entrepreneur Previous Episode with Chris Schwalbach:
https://consciousentrepreneur.us/chris-schwalbach-the-conscious-handover-embracing-change-at-the-top
 
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/ 
 
Connect with Chris Schwalbach:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cschwalbach/
Website: https://avlgrowth.com/
 
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/
Website: https://hivecast.fm
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm