Ever wondered how a “no, thanks” can turn into a “heck yes” for culture transformation? In this high-energy, laugh-filled episode, Bill and Sarah sit down with Jon Sexton of Vibrant Credit Union — a former higher-ed pro turned culture architect — to talk about how he built a thriving CliftonStrengths culture that actually sticks.

From early haircuts and harmony to friendship at work and fiery WOO energy, this episode hits every note on what makes teams thrive (and sometimes just survive).

💥 Sound Bites You’ll Love:

• “If we set the bar a little lower, we can all jump over it.” – Jon Sexton
• “I think the most underrated skill on a team might just be love.” – Sarah Collins
• “Let’s not forward-cast so far that we miss what’s right in front of us.” – Bill Dippel
• “Positivity is an amplifier in both directions.” – Jon Sexton
• “When I’m excited, everybody knows it. Sometimes I’m on a scooter.” – Jon Sexton

🔥 Key Moments:

• [03:30] Sarah gets real about love and friendship at work — and why the best teams care deeply.
• [07:52] Jon’s big truth: Companies trip up chasing perfection instead of progress.
• [14:30] From “I’ll never work in finance” to “Let’s build a strengths culture!” — Jon’s unexpected leap.
• [26:12] Why “pick a lane” matters: Enneagram, Hogan, or CliftonStrengths — just commit!
• [37:51] The danger of “labels not language” — how strengths get lost when leaders don’t follow through.
• [45:13] The magic of managers like Claire — proof that leadership can literally lift engagement scores.
• [53:13] Dumpster fire moments and why even “Mr. Positivity” sometimes needs a reset.
• [57:06] The inside joke revealed — how an email misfire almost kept Jon off the show!

💬 Conversation Spark:
What’s one “low bar” move your team could make today that would actually make collaboration easier?

🎧 Tune In If You Love:

• Real talk on leadership and culture
• CliftonStrengths in action (minus the corporate fluff)
• Midwest charm, laughter, and a little light roasting

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/

This week, Sarah Collins and Bill Dippel take us on a transcontinental strengths journey — all the way to South Africa — to chat with the dynamic and insightful Simon Hurry.

From the moment Simon joins the conversation, it’s clear this isn’t your typical strengths talk. He brings the fire of a scientist, the heart of a teacher, and the conviction of a true influencer. Together, the trio digs into one of the most common questions coaches and clients ask:
👉 Is CliftonStrengths really different, or is it just another personality test with better branding?

Simon makes his case — and it’s compelling. He explains how CliftonStrengths goes beyond typology and into the psychological DNA of what makes each person unique. He draws on his background in biology, teaching, and coaching to show how our themes not only shape our behavior but reveal how we think, process, and create confidence.

Expect plenty of “aha” moments as the hosts unpack:

• The difference between personality typing and strengths DNA
• Why confidence, not just awareness, drives real performance
• How to move from amateur to mastery in using your strengths
• The hidden science behind how our talents shape our psychology and relationships

It’s part philosophy, part science, and 100% inspiring. Simon’s blend of humor, clarity, and depth will make you see CliftonStrengths — and maybe yourself — in a brand-new light.

💬 Join the Conversation:
If you loved this episode, share it with your fellow coaches, teammates, or anyone curious about how Strengths really works.
👉 Follow, like, and subscribe so you never miss a conversation that helps you live and lead through your strengths.
And check out Simon’s work at talent2titan.com
for more on the intersection of Strengths, psychology, and performance.

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/

When inspiration strikes, some people grab a notebook. Others start a podcast. (Looking at you, Sarah and Bill.)

This week, the Strengths on Fire crew dives headfirst into the buzzing, brilliant, and sometimes overwhelming world of Ideation—joined by HR Director and CliftonStrengths enthusiast Carrie Chandler.

Carrie brings a powerful mix of Learner, Futuristic, Woo, and Ideation to the mic as she opens up about what it’s like to live inside a mind that never stops. From social media rabbit holes and “popcorn brain” moments to managing a people-pleasing past and leading as an HR exec, Carrie shares how she’s learned to harness her creativity without burning out.

Along the way, Sarah gets real about her own Activator tendencies (“I start before I think!”), Bill brings up the red-vine diplomacy of HR, and the group debates when to share an idea, when to park it, and when to just sing Sweet Caroline to clear your mind.

Whether you’re the person who’s constantly dreaming up new projects—or working with someone who can’t stop saying “What if?”—this episode will help you recognize the beauty (and chaos) of a fast-thinking brain and how to channel it for good.

💡 Main Takeaways

• Ideation can feel like popcorn popping—exciting, but nonstop. Learn how to turn it down without losing your spark.
• People with high Ideation need filters, not limits—use Strategic, Arranger, or Analytical to prioritize.
• Activator ≠ Ideation: One starts; one dreams. When they work together, magic happens.
• “Popcorn brains” love possibility but need rest to recharge creativity.
• Boundaries help brilliant thinkers stay productive instead of perpetually inspired.
• Pairing Ideation with Responsibility can turn dreamers into doers.
• Great leaders don’t chase every idea—they curate them.

🔥 Sound Bites

🎧 Listen Now

Strengths on Fire — Season 2: The Great Strengths Debate
Episode: Ideation Overload: Do You Have to Chase Every Idea?

💻 strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

Sarah’s Top 10: Positivity | Woo | Communication | Harmony | Activator | Developer | Input | Individualization | Responsibility | Arranger
Bill’s Top 10: Individualization | Developer | Activator | Woo | Restorative | Empathy | Harmony | Connectedness | Relator | Learner

Guest: Carrie Chandler — Learner | Futuristic | Woo | Arranger | Strategic | Individualization | Input | Responsibility | Belief | Ideation

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH
Bill's info: https://billdippel.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/ https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info: https://www.wearecollinsco.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/ https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/

Harmony gets a bad rap as the “peacekeeper” theme—the one that avoids conflict, smooths things over, and keeps everyone rowing in the same direction. But is that the whole story?

This week, Sarah and Bill welcome Maggie Meylor, executive coach, Gallup-certified strengths facilitator, and positivity powerhouse, for an honest and surprisingly funny conversation about what happens when Harmony meets hard conversations. From spinach-in-your-teeth analogies to buffalo-in-the-storm metaphors, the trio dig into the raw and mature sides of Harmony—how it can both hinder and supercharge leadership, relationships, and even parenting.

Along the way, Maggie drops unforgettable “Maggie-isms,” Bill compares Harmony to a rowing crew, and Sarah confesses to wanting to run from political conversations entirely. Whether you lead with Harmony, work with someone who does, or simply want to understand this often-misunderstood theme, this episode will shift how you see conflict—and how Harmony can actually become a master at navigating it.

Main Takeaways
Raw Harmony avoids conflict at all costs; mature Harmony leans into it for the sake of relationships.
Leaders with Harmony can create consensus—but must balance it with clarity.
Harmony + Responsibility can step up to say the hard thing, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Conflict avoidance can backfire—like “running from the storm” only to stay stuck in it longer.
When Harmony is invested in, it becomes a superpower for peacemaking, consensus, and clarity.
Harmony and Empathy overlap—but differ: Empathy feels others’ emotions, while Harmony reads them.
High Harmony leaders thrive when they remember: clear is kind.

Sound Bites
“Clear is kind—even if it feels hard in the moment.”
“Feelings are real, but they’re not always true.”
“Sometimes Harmony needs to take the back seat—or be left at the truck stop.”
“Harmony can read the room—but it doesn’t have to own other people’s emotions.”
“Avoiding the storm just keeps it on your back. Mature Harmony walks straight into it like a buffalo.”
“Recognition is water, not champagne—you need it daily, not just on special occasions.”
“When Harmony matures, it becomes the bridge between conflict and connection.”
“Half as much as you want, and twice as nice—that’s how to use Communication with Harmony.”
“With great Harmony comes great responsibility.”
“Every strength has its raw side. Harmony’s raw side can be one of the most detrimental—but its mature side is one of the most powerful.”

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths 1) Individualization 2) Developer 3) Activator 4) Woo 5) Restorative 6) Empathy 7) Harmony 8) Connectedness 9) Relator 10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths 1) Positivity 2) Woo 3) Communication 4) Harmony 5) Activator 6) Developer 7) Input 8) Individualization 9) Responsibility 10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH: Bill's info: https://billdippel.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/ https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info: https://www.wearecollinsco.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/ https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/

What happens when you bring heart into the highest levels of leadership? This week, Sarah and Bill welcome Pamela Nelson—Gallup-certified coach, counselor, podcaster, grandmother of six, and author of the Sticky Stories children’s book series—for a rich and heartfelt conversation about empathy in leadership.

From Star Trek metaphors to sticky mantras like “I made a mistake. I’m not a mistake. If I think I’m a mistake, I’m mistaken,” Pamela brings wisdom, warmth, and wit to the question: Does empathy belong in the C-suite?

Together, the trio explore why empathy is often undervalued at work (even though 92% of employees say it’s essential), how leaders can set boundaries around their emotional energy, and what it takes to balance head trust and heart trust. With stories from coaching, counseling, and corporate life, this episode will make you rethink what it means to lead with both strategy and compassion.

Main Takeaways

• Empathy in leadership is powerful—but without boundaries, it can feel heavy and overwhelming.
• Mature empathy means caring without carrying everything.
• Head trust without heart trust feels cold; heart trust without head trust feels risky. Leaders need both.
• Empathy is data about people—and people are every business’s bottom line.
• Leaders who make space for honest dialogue build trust across silos and reduce toxicity.
• Conflict resolution requires more than keeping peace—it requires being a peacemaker, not just a peacekeeper.
• Empathy isn’t the only path to great leadership, but leaders who dismiss it risk losing both people and performance.

Sound Bites

• “I care, but I don’t need to carry.”
• “Empathy is data about people—and people drive the bottom line.”
• “We can’t tame what we won’t name.”
• “Head trust without heart trust feels cold. Heart trust without head trust feels risky.”
• “Sometimes empathy is magnetic—people are drawn to leaders who truly see them.”
• “With great power comes great responsibility—especially when your power is empathy.”
• “Quieter voices speak up when they feel safe—and empathy creates that safety.”
• “Every strength can work in the C-suite—what matters is maturity and dynamic partnerships.”

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/

If you had to pick just one CliftonStrengths theme to change the world, which would it be? That’s the impossible—and surprisingly hilarious—question Sarah and Bill debate this week with Megan Baker, strengths enthusiast, leader, and unapologetic Achiever.

From “petty hills to die on” to tall-people problems to soapbox moments (yes, Sarah drops an f-bomb), this episode proves that a big question can spark both laughter and real insight. Together, the trio wrestle with whether Empathy, Developer, Includer—or maybe even Communication or Self-Assurance—could truly make the world better. Along the way, they explore how themes supercharge each other, why every strength has both upside and risk, and how our personal biases shape which talents we think the world needs most.

Whether you’re a coach, a leader, or just a human who’s ever wished people would follow through, listen better, or throw fewer “truck nuts” on the highway, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about what the world really needs.

Main Takeaways

• Every strength could make the world better—but only if it’s invested in and applied intentionally.
• Developer considers other people first, but can backfire if unsolicited.
• Includer fuels belonging and dissolves assumptions—but can stretch people (and teams) too thin.
• Empathy could drive connection and compassion—but unchecked, it risks overwhelm.
• Communication isn’t always “good communication”—but clarity beats silence.
• Strengths supercharge each other: Woo + Communication, Relator + Responsibility, Achiever + Learner.
• The poll results are in: LinkedIn voters overwhelmingly chose Empathy (68%) as the strength that would make the world better.
• Balance matters—if everyone had the same strength, we’d create new problems.

Sound Bites

• “If we all had Includer, I’d have so many party invites I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”
• “Woo has to eat—but not at home.”
• “Empathy is a superpower, but with great power comes great responsibility.”
• “Developer means considering other people first—but not everyone wants to be developed.”
• “Communication doesn’t equal good communication—it can just be word vomit.”
• “My husband says I have a daily word quota to meet.”
• “If we all had Self-Assurance, I don’t think our heads would fit in the world.”
• “Connectedness reminds us we’re a ripple effect—we’re all in this together.”
• “Every strength has value—but too much of any one is probably too much.”

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/

What happens when Context is your #1 strength—or your dead-last #34? In this episode, Sarah and Bill sit down with Olivia Leigh, data analyst, coach, and co-founder of Tradewinds Leadership, to explore how Context shows up in work, relationships, and decision-making.

From constipation jokes to car shows, from systems trauma to six-hour road trips filled with ideation, this conversation proves that Context is so much more than “being stuck in the past.” Olivia shares how Context fuels her curiosity, relationships, and innovation—while Bill confesses to having Context envy (and zero memory for names).

You’ll hear how Olivia balances her top Context with Input, Ideation, and Activator, why she loathes making the same mistake twice, and how she and her husband (aka her favorite storytelling partner) use their opposite strengths to fuel purpose-driven work in high-stakes industries like construction and mining.

Main Takeaways

• Context isn’t about clinging to the past—it’s about informing the present through the past.
• People with high Context often crave understanding the “why” before they can move forward.
• Context paired with Individualization creates powerful curiosity about people’s stories.
• Input + Context fuels research and recall—but can spiral into 1,500 open browser tabs.
• Activator + Context can mean “storming the hill without the troops” if you don’t slow down to communicate.
• Partnerships thrive when one person brings historical depth and the other brings in-the-moment adaptability.
• Comfort with what’s familiar is often why people resist change, even when the new way is easier.
• Context envy is real—those without it often feel shame about poor recall or memory gaps.

Sound Bites

• “I loathe making the same mistake twice. If there’s a hole in the sidewalk, I want to see it once—not five times.”
• “Context is the iceberg. People only see the tip—but I know everything underneath that got us here.”
• “Storming the hill without the troops—that’s my Activator hijacking Context.”
• “Systems trauma is real. Don’t tell me the new CRM will be better. I know my 50 clicks.”
• “Sometimes Context gets mislabeled as being stuck in the past. For me, it’s fuel for innovation.”
• “When I’m in flow, it’s Ideation + Significance: finding the nugget that inspires people to act.”
• “My husband used to resist me—now he knows if I say, ‘trust me on this,’ he listens.”
• “Input says: park the Ferrari. You can’t drive every good idea today.”
• “You’re not paying for the tip of the iceberg—you’re paying for everything the coach has gathered underneath.”
• “Context envy is real—some of us just don’t remember names, even if we remember faces.”

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/