Prospecting on Purpose® with Sara Murray

Turning 40 inspired Sara Murray to share 40 life lessons about personal growth, confidence, boundaries, relationships, and business. In this special solo episode of Prospecting on Purpose®, she reflects on the experiences that shaped how she lives, works, and connects with others.

From learning to trust her intuition and protect her time to investing in expertise and adding value without expecting anything in return, Sara shares practical lessons on building success while staying true to yourself.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why embracing change and taking risks can open new opportunities
• How external accountability and investing in expertise can accelerate your progress
• What it means to Always Be Adding Value (ABAV) without expecting something in return
• How boundaries, intuition, and self-worth influence your personal and professional decisions
• Why authenticity helps build confidence and stronger relationships
• How active listening and a strong network can create unexpected business opportunities
• Why knowing your zone of genius helps you decide what to delegate
• How gratitude and a shift in perspective can help you navigate setbacks
• Why protecting your time, prioritizing your health, and showing up for loved ones matter

These lessons are a reminder that personal growth and business growth often go hand in hand. Choose one that resonates with you and put it into practice this week.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Connect with Sara Murray

Website: saramurray.com
LinkedIn: Sara Murray
Instagram: @saramurraysales
YouTube: @saramurraysales

Listen to Prospecting on Purpose® on your favorite podcast platform

For sales training, workshops, and speaking inquiries, visit Sara’s website.

If this episode gave you a new perspective, follow Prospecting on Purpose® and share it with someone who would appreciate these lessons.

#LifeLessons #PersonalGrowth #Confidence #Boundaries #SelfWorth #BusinessMindset #Relationships #SaraMurray #ProspectingOnPurpose

00:00 Show Intro

00:31 Turning 40 Reflections

01:33 Friendship Across Ages

02:15 Lessons 1-6 Success Change Growth

04:35 Lessons 7-10 Delayed Gratification Value

07:53 Lessons 11-16 Vibes Boundaries Intuition

10:34 Lessons 17-21 Vision Confidence Relationships

14:28 Lessons 22-26 Help Delegate Listen Thanks

17:27 Lessons 27-31 Time Health Gratitude Network

20:49 Lessons 32-36 Effort Mindset Perspective

25:51 Lessons 37-40 Legacy Family Respect

27:57 Closing Thanks

High achievers are often praised for their ambition, drive, and willingness to do whatever it takes. But those same strengths can become patterns of self-sabotage when they are pushed too far.

In this episode of Prospecting On Purpose®, Sara Murray sits down with Natalie Siston, TEDx speaker, bestselling author of Let Her Out, and Lead Global Presenter at Positive Intelligence. Natalie was the second person in the world to become a Certified Positive Intelligence Coach and has helped leaders and teams around the world strengthen their mental fitness.

Natalie explains how the Positive Intelligence framework helps people recognize the negative thought patterns known as saboteurs. These patterns can create unnecessary stress, burnout, frustration, people pleasing, perfectionism, and the need to control outcomes.

Sara also shares her own assessment results and learns that she scored 10 out of 10 as a Hyper-Achiever, with Pleaser and Controller close behind. Natalie explains why saboteurs are often our greatest strengths taken too far and how greater awareness can help us respond intentionally instead of reacting automatically.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why high achievers are especially vulnerable to self-sabotage

• The difference between having a positive mindset and building mental fitness

• How the Judge and nine accompanying saboteurs influence your thoughts and behavior

• Why strengths like ambition, responsibility, and helpfulness can eventually contribute to burnout

• What Sara’s Hyper-Achiever, Pleaser, and Controller results reveal about the way she works

• How self-command helps you interrupt negative thought patterns

• Why three focused breaths can help you reset before a stressful meeting or conversation

• How the Sage perspective helps turn challenges into opportunities

• Why Natalie rewrote her entire TEDx talk only three weeks before stepping onto the stage

If you are accomplishing a lot on the outside but constantly pushing, pleasing, controlling, or criticizing yourself on the inside, this conversation will help you recognize what may be driving those patterns and begin responding differently.

Take the Positive Intelligence Saboteur Assessment:

https://positiveintelligence.com/saboteurs/

Connect with Natalie Siston

Website:
https://nataliesiston.com/

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

Watch Natalie’s TEDx talk, Thoughts Bloom: Plant Wisely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b1hVv7GPHs

Learn more about Natalie’s book, Let Her Out: Reclaim Who You Have Always Been:
https://letherout.com/

Connect with Sara Murray

Website:
https://www.saramurray.com/

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

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

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales

Listen to Prospecting On Purpose® on your favorite podcast platform:
https://pod.link/1663074741

#NatalieSiston, #Self-Sabotage, #MentalFitness, #PositiveIntelligence, #HighAchievers, #Burnout, #Mindset, #Leadership, #PeoplePleasing, #TEDx

What marketing lessons become even more valuable as businesses increasingly rely on AI?

In this episode of Prospecting On Purpose®, Sara Murray sits down with hospitality marketing strategist, educator, and author Leora Halpern Lanz to explore the real-world marketing lessons technology cannot replace.

Leora explains why marketing is not limited to people with “marketing” in their job title. Every professional influences how customers, colleagues, and business partners experience a company. Developing a marketing mindset means combining critical thinking, strategic thinking, and hospitality to create meaningful connections.

As AI, automation, and digital communication become more prominent, Leora believes human connection will become an even more important business differentiator. Marketing and hospitality are both ultimately about making people feel seen, understood, and valued.

Together, Sara and Leora explore Leora’s philosophy: “Think like a marketer; act like the owner.” They discuss why great ideas must connect to the owner’s priorities, the customer’s needs, and the organization’s long-term goals.

They also challenge the conventional definition of a brand. A brand is more than a logo, color palette, or tagline. It is the relationship people have with a company or individual—and how that relationship makes them feel.

The conversation also covers personal branding beyond LinkedIn, building a professional reputation through excellent work, maintaining genuine relationships without a transactional agenda, learning from industries outside your own, and creating more intentional collaboration across generations.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why everyone needs a marketing mindset, regardless of job title
• How marketing and hospitality are both rooted in human connection
• Why human connection becomes more valuable as AI expands
• The difference between critical thinking and strategic thinking
• What it means to think like a marketer and act like an owner
• Why marketing should focus on customer solutions instead of products
• Why a brand is a relationship—not simply a visual identity
• How to cultivate a personal brand beyond LinkedIn
• Why excellent work is the foundation of professional reputation
• How authentic relationships create trust and unexpected opportunities
• Why giving without expectation matters in business relationships
• How learning outside your industry can inspire better ideas
• How different generations can learn from one another
• Why intentional systems make excellent service appear effortless
• A practical exercise for developing your marketing mindset

Leora also shares a simple challenge listeners can practice over the next 30 days: Pay closer attention to the service experiences and marketing messages you encounter.

Notice what connects with you, what makes you feel valued, what fails to resonate, and what you would do differently. Developing a marketing mindset begins with awareness.

FEATURED BOOKS

Developing Your Marketing Mindset: Real-World Lessons from Hospitality

Marketing Mindset in Motion: Inspired by Hospitality

Explore Leora’s books:

https://leoralanz.com/

ABOUT LEORA HALPERN LANZ

Leora Halpern Lanz, ISHC, is a hospitality marketing strategist, educator, author, and Professor of the Practice at Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration.

Before entering academia, Leora spent 15 years as Global Director of Marketing Communications for HVS, a leading global hospitality consulting firm, where she also managed the company’s sales and marketing division.

Drawing from decades of hospitality, consulting, and classroom experience, Leora’s work explores how empathy, trust, critical thinking, strategy, and meaningful human connection can transform the way people market, lead, serve, and communicate.

CONNECT WITH LEORA HALPERN LANZ

Website:

https://leoralanz.com/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leorahalpernlanz/

Books and Complimentary Bonus Chapters:

https://leoralanz.com/download-bonus-chapter/

CONNECT WITH SARA MURRAY

Website:

https://www.saramurray.com/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramurraysales/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/saramurraysales/

If this conversation changed how you think about marketing, hospitality, or human connection, follow Prospecting On Purpose® and share this episode with someone who wants to build a stronger brand and more meaningful professional relationships.

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 — Introduction and Meet Leora
00:01:25 — Why the Book Resonates
00:04:21 — AI, Hospitality, and Human Connection
00:10:19 — Think Like an Owner
00:13:59 — What a Brand Really Is
00:18:14 — The Brand of You
00:22:57 — Relationships Build Reputation
00:30:53 — Learn Beyond Your Industry
00:34:27 — Generational Workplace Gaps
00:38:06 — An Intentional Service Mindset
00:43:38 — The 30-Day Marketing Practice
00:48:01 — Where to Connect with Leora

In this episode of Prospecting on Purpose®, Sara Murray shares how to communicate with clients more effectively by adapting to their communication style, removing friction from your messages, and making it easier for prospects and clients to take action. Ever send a message that should have been easy to answer... and get nothing back? The problem may not be what you said. It may be how you communicated it.

Every message has a job. Maybe you need a quick answer, a meeting scheduled, a decision made, or a client to review information. Effective communication starts by getting clear on that objective and removing as much friction as possible between your message and the action you want the other person to take.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

•  Why the best message can still fail if it’s delivered the wrong way 
•  How to identify the real objective of every message you send 
•  Why you should make responding as easy as possible 
•  How to adapt your communication style to different clients and prospects 
•  When to use email, text, phone calls, voice notes, or face-to-face communication 
•  How to make requests clearer and easier to act on 
•  Why details like time zones can create unnecessary friction 
•  How to recognize someone’s communication preferences from their behavior 
•  Why matching someone’s tone, energy, and level of warmth matters 
•  How tracking communication preferences in your CRM can help strengthen client relationships 

Your clients are constantly showing you how they prefer to communicate. Pay attention.

Flex to the person. Flex to the moment. Think about the goal of the message, eliminate unnecessary obstacles, and make it as easy as possible for the other person to take the next step.

That small shift can help you communicate more effectively, differentiate yourself, and build stronger, more meaningful relationships.

CONNECT WITH SARA MURRAY

Website: https://www.saramurray.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramurraysales/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saramurraysales/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Most corporate gifting is treated like a procurement task instead of a relationship-building strategy. Businesses choose a budget, order a generic holiday basket or branded item, and hope it feels meaningful. Kade Kimber believes the better starting point is not what to send, but why you are sending it, who should receive it, and when it will matter most.

In this episode of Prospecting on Purpose®, Sara Murray talks with Kade, a client experience strategist, keynote speaker, founder of Kimber & Oak, and creator of Gift Intelligence™. They discuss how intentional gifting can strengthen client relationships, support referrals and retention, open doors for meetings, and help a business stand out without making the interaction feel transactional.

Kade explains why December is often the least effective time to send a business gift, how a gift can reinforce trust immediately after a contract is signed, and why milestones, referrals, service-recovery moments, personal events, and quiet seasons can create more meaningful opportunities. He also shares a practical way to decide who should receive a gift and his four-part formula for creating a memorable experience.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

In this episode:

• Why promotional merchandise is not always a meaningful gift

• The importance of relevance, timing, and meaning

• Why appreciation is an emotion, not a measurable objective

• Strategic moments to gift throughout the sales and client journey

• How travel advisors can use pre-trip, in-trip, and post-trip gifting

• The why, who, and when framework

• How to think about gifting ROI

• Kade’s fixed, certain, and movable recipient profiles

• Thoughtful options for companies with gift limits or compliance policies

• The four parts of the perfect gifting formula

About Kade Kimber:

Kade Kimber is a client experience strategist, keynote speaker, and creator of Gift Intelligence™. Drawing on 20 years of enterprise marketing leadership across nine countries and experience supporting a $6B+ business line, he helps founder-led, partner-led, and professional services firms create distinct client experiences that build trust, loyalty, referrals, and long-term value. He is also the founder of Kimber & Oak, a corporate gifting company for relationship-driven brands.

Connect with Kade:

Kade Kimber Advisory: https://kadekimber.com/

Gift Intelligence™: https://kadekimber.com/gift-intelligence/

Kimber & Oak: https://kimberandoak.com/

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

Fostering Joy Foundation: https://fosteringjoy.foundation/

Connect with Sara:

Website: https://www.saramurray.com/

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

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales

• (00:00) - Corporate Gifting: What Most Businesses Get Wrong

Read the full episode transcript.

Do you keep putting off goals you genuinely care about?

Self-discipline is not a personality trait you either have or lack. It is a skill you can strengthen, and you may already have more proof of it than you realize.

In this solo episode of Prospecting on Purpose®, Sara Murray shares eight practical tips to build self-discipline and make following through easier at work and in life.

Sara explains how to borrow proof from the version of yourself that already keeps commitments and gets things done. You can then apply that same discipline to a goal that keeps getting pushed aside.

Sara also explains how external accountability has supported her business goals, why connecting a goal to a meaningful “why” makes difficult commitments easier to keep, and how one small action can create the momentum to finish something much bigger.

If you are tired of labeling yourself “undisciplined” or waiting until you feel motivated, this episode will help you create a structure that makes action easier.

TRY THIS AFTER LISTENING:

Identify one area where you already follow through consistently. Use it as evidence that you can bring the same discipline to the goal you have been avoiding.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

CONNECT WITH SARA MURRAY

Website:
https://www.saramurray.com/

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

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales

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

• (00:00) - Show Intro

What if growing your business was less about pushing for the sale and more about making it easier for people to buy?

Chris Bird, General Manager of Saybrook Point Resort & Marina, joins Sara Murray to explore how service, integrity, thoughtful follow-up, and strong relationships can create sustainable business growth and sales.

Drawing from more than 15 years in luxury hospitality, Chris shares how to build business and sales through community involvement, vendor partnerships, memorable customer experiences, and intentional follow-up. He explains how his team uses its CRM to continue relationships, recognize future opportunities, and turn what could feel like a cold call into a thoughtful check-in.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Chris and Sara also discuss why people hesitate to ask for business, how to communicate with customers in the way they prefer, and why showing someone that you genuinely want their business can make the decision easier.

Chris also introduces his “open floor” leadership philosophy, which replaces waiting for employees to walk through an open office door with actively meeting people where they are, asking what they need, and closing the communication loop.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to follow up without feeling like you are bothering someone
• Why service can be one of your most effective business-growth strategies
• How to turn vendor relationships into mutually beneficial partnerships
• How a CRM can help you create thoughtful, timely follow-up opportunities
• Why customers want to know that you genuinely value their business
• How to communicate with buyers through their preferred channels
• How integrity and consistency lead to repeat business and referrals
• Why great leadership requires an “open floor,” not just an open door
• The difference between connecting with someone and delivering a traditional sales pitch

Chris also shares why he does not give “sales tours” of Saybrook Point. Instead, he focuses on connecting with people, sharing his genuine enthusiasm for the property, and communicating the few selling points that matter most to the customer.

About Chris Bird

Chris Bird is the General Manager of Saybrook Point Resort & Marina, a luxury waterfront resort in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. He oversees the resort’s operations, sales, marketing, accommodations, restaurant, spa, marina, weddings, events, and overall guest experience.

Connect with Chris Bird:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-bird-5764a815

Explore Saybrook Point Resort & Marina:
https://www.saybrook.com/

Watch the full conversation on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/1lYEYe4K0EQ?si=NfQjRl-hgbczKJ_m

Connect with Sara Murray:
https://www.saramurray.com/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales

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

You may also enjoy these episodes:

• How to Sell Without Being Salesy with David Newman
• Why Relationship-Building in Sales Is More Powerful Than Any Pitch

If this conversation helped you approach business growth or follow-up differently, follow Prospecting on Purpose® and share the episode with someone who wants to sell with more confidence and less pressure.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Better business decisions often start with knowing what you stand for.

In this solo episode of Prospecting On Purpose®, Sara Murray shares 5 ways your core values can help you clarify your priorities, make more confident decisions, build trust, strengthen professional relationships, and stand out in a noisy business environment.

You’ll also hear how Sara has used her values as a gut check when evaluating clients, career opportunities, and important sales conversations, plus a simple exercise to uncover the five values guiding how you show up at work.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Resource mentioned

Core values list: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/core-values/

Connect with Sara Murray

Website: https://www.saramurray.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales

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

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

• (00:00) - Intro

What does it mean to become unshakeable?

In this episode of Prospecting On Purpose®, Sara Murray sits down with Lovell Casiero, inspirational speaker, executive coach, author, entrepreneur, and host of Unshakable with Lovell Casiero.

Lovell shares how her personal and professional journey shaped the way she thinks about resilience, leadership, confidence, and authenticity. From rising through the hospitality industry to leading her family’s television ministry during a difficult season, Lovell has learned that becoming unshakeable does not mean life never shakes you. It means learning how to keep going, one day at a time.

Together, Sara and Lovell explore why authentic leadership starts with knowing who you are, why trust is essential if you want people to follow you, and how personal challenges often shape the leadership lessons we carry into our professional lives.

They also discuss the importance of mentorship, choosing mentors who reflect the life you want to build, managing negative self-talk, giving yourself grace, and remembering that success at work is only one part of a full life.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What it means to become Unshakable in leadership and life
• Why authentic leadership builds trust and confidence
• How personal challenges shape professional growth
• Why leaders need people who trust them enough to follow
• How mentorship can help you build confidence and clarity
• Why your ideal life matters when choosing mentors and coaches
• How negative self-talk can limit your growth and success
• Why resilience starts with the thoughts you choose to believe
• How to give yourself grace when you feel behind or overwhelmed
• Why work-life balance, self-care, and purpose matter
• How to move through difficult seasons one day at a time
• Why setbacks do not have to define your story

Lovell also shares the story behind her book Lead Like a Girl and her podcast Unshakable, where she highlights stories of resilience, faith, purpose, and perseverance.

This conversation is a reminder that leadership is not about pretending to have everything figured out. It is about showing up with truth, building trust, learning from adversity, and continuing to move forward even when life feels uncertain.

About Lovell Casiero

Lovell Casiero is an inspirational speaker, executive coach, author, entrepreneur, and host of Unshakable with Lovell Casiero.

Her career spans hospitality leadership, ministry, coaching, consulting, and personal empowerment. Lovell began her hospitality journey as a sales administrator and rose into senior commercial strategy leadership roles, including executive roles with Crescent Hotels & Resorts and PM Hotel Group.

She also spent a decade leading her family’s television ministry, helping expand it from local broadcasts to a broader presence on major cable networks.

Lovell is the author of Lead Like a Girl, a book focused on authentic leadership, resilience, empowerment, intuition, and the strengths women bring to leadership. Her work today helps leaders and individuals build confidence, lead authentically, overcome adversity, and move forward with purpose.

Connect with Lovell Casiero

Website: https://lovellcasiero.com/

Podcast: Unshakable with Lovell Casiero

Book: Lead Like a Girl

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lovellcasiero/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkCvZKCnMA-3waocwkgJDuw

Connect with Sara Murray

Website: https://www.saramurray.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales

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

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

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Bart Berkey joins Sara Murray to share how small acts of kindness, gratitude, service, and human connection can help us stand out in business, create better client experiences, and do what most people don’t.

What does it really take to stand out in business?

In this episode of Prospecting On Purpose®, Sara Murray sits down with Bart Berkey, CEO and founder of Most People Don’t, international keynote speaker, podcast host, bestselling author, and former global sales leader at The Ritz-Carlton.

Bart shares why the actions most people avoid, like following up, showing appreciation, expressing gratitude, being kind, and creating meaningful human moments, are often the very things that differentiate us in business and in life.

Together, Sara and Bart explore how to stay positive in uncertain times, shift from a survival mindset to a contribution mindset, and look for opportunities to create more goodness in everyday interactions.

They also discuss how Bart’s hospitality background shaped his approach to service, sales, luxury, and customer experience. Bart explains why buyers do not want to feel processed. They want to feel cared for.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why doing what most people don’t can help you stand out
• How small acts of kindness and gratitude create real impact
• Why mindset matters during uncertainty and difficult seasons
• How to choose “terrific” instead of “terrible”
• Why positive strolling can help replace doom scrolling
• How service and contribution can shift your perspective
• Why AI should support human connection, not replace it
• How to recover when you make a mistake with a client
• What luxury service really means from the buyer’s perspective
• Why buyers want to feel cared for, not processed
• How to move from transactional selling to transformational experiences
• Why human connection is still one of the strongest differentiators in business

Bart also shares stories from his Ritz-Carlton career, including how the pressure to be perfect can sometimes get in the way of simply being human.

This conversation is a reminder that standing out does not always require a grand gesture. Sometimes it starts with returning the shopping cart, writing the thank-you note, holding the door, leaving the review, making the call, or doing the small thing most people don’t.

About Bart Berkey

Bart Berkey is the CEO and founder of Most People Don’t. He is an international keynote speaker, podcast host, bestselling author, and former hospitality executive who inspires individuals and organizations to take the actions that most people avoid.

A Penn State University graduate, Bart spent more than 30 years in global leadership roles in hospitality, including 16 years as Global Director of Sales for The Ritz-Carlton, where he helped generate nearly $1 billion in revenue.

Today, Bart is known for his engaging keynotes and his message that extraordinary results often come from doing the simple, meaningful things that most people don’t.

Connect with Bart Berkey

Website: https://mostpeopledont.com/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-people-dont-but-you-do/id1556134592
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartberkey/

Connect with Sara Murray

Website: https://www.saramurray.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales

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

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

 
Click here to view the episode transcript.

00:34 Meet Bart Berkey

01:46 What Most Avoid

02:22 Small Acts Matter

04:19 Uncertainty Mindset

05:23 Terrible Or Terrific

08:54 Show Me Good

12:41 Control And Kindness

17:22 Joy And Abundance

20:04 Sales And AI Shift

21:22 Using AI Wisely

22:39 Marblism Email Assist

24:20 AI With Human Touch

24:55 Owning Mistakes Gracefully

26:10 Ritz Carlton Perfection Trap

29:57 Luxury Without The Stiffness

30:53 Notice Anticipate Overdeliver

34:57 Free Ways To Lift Others

38:08 What Defines Luxury Brands

40:06 Humanality In Sales

42:42 Where To Find Bart

44:10 Final Wrap And Reviews