The Driven Women Project

Sarah has been on global stages, changing minds and touching hearts regularly since 2017, with her roots in public speaking beginning when she was just 14 as a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol in Sedona, AZ. Sitting on several boards within the aviation industry, Sarah is a relentless truth seeker, promoting nonlinear thinking through visionary design and creative solutions to complex problems. With over 15 years in business aviation and 13 years in Asia, Sarah has real-world experience leading across cultures and managing high-stress situations. She helps ambitious professionals slow down, build self-awareness, and boldly take action while building boundaries and avoiding burnout.

Sarah has worked with companies like Goldman Sachs, Singapore Airlines, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She is the Chair of the STXBAA Mentorship Subcommittee, a mentor for Women in Aviation International, and sits on the Texas A&M Women in Leadership certificate program board. An avid space advocate, Sarah is Earthlight Foundation’s spokesperson and a member of the Analog Astronaut Community and The Planetary Society and is on the team for leadership development training, SpaceKind, and Cosmic Citizen.

I met Sarah in a public speaking community and was magnetized immediately to her energy. I will never forget the moment I met her because it was one of those moments when you meet eyes with someone and for a moment you feel like you have known them forever. Has that ever happened to you? I love when that happens. And she made her way over to me through the crowd and I said, “did you feel that?” she said, “yes, energy sees energy.” And I was hooked. In this episode Sarah shares her incredible energy with you, and right off the bat talks to us about something really key that elite performers know – that when you become aware of your driving forces, you can intentionally shift your mindset around things like definitions of success that can and need to change as you evolve through your life.

We also talk about:

• What lessons she learned from changing her hair and how it ties to authenticity and how being your authentic self also gives permission to others to be themselves.
• People pleasing, self-protection, and how releasing your iron cape will lead you to bigger and better things.
• How being a type A, go-getting driver personality doesn’t mean you can’t listen to your body and understand energy to expand your skillset. Listen to how she discovered this herself. Hint: the first time she heard about meditation she said no way, that’s crap.
• Discover one of the biggest barriers for women getting into aviation and how you can combat it if this is the field for you.
• We talk about the power struggle between the genders and how to think about the co-existing of power rather than the struggle.
• You’ll want to listen all the way through because Sarah is a master of offering pragmatic, instantly applicable concepts to enhance your life, your work, your identity, and overall personal power.

Don’t forget to visit the show notes for links to connect directly with her.

Enjoy the show and Stay Driven!

Links:

Sarah’s speaker profile: https://stushtalent.com/speaker/sarah-kalmeta/

Connect directly with Sarah: https://linktr.ee/sarahkalmeta

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-kalmeta/

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

Nominate a Driven Woman:

https://drivenbeyondexcellence.com/the-driven-women-project

Connect with Erin Smith directly: [email protected]

Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't your talent... but the room you're asking for permission from?

Today's guest is someone who has reinvented herself again and again—not because she couldn't make up her mind, but because she refused to outgrow her vision.

Baddie Li is a musical artist and cultural force redefining feminine power. Fusing sharp lyricism, infectious beats, and unapologetic energy, Baddie Li’s music liberates and reminds women of their own power.

Also known as Lisa Carmen Wang, she is a former USA National Champion and Hall of Fame gymnast turned Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur and venture capitalist who broke barriers in business before claiming the musical stage.

From leading the Bad Bitch Empire to best-selling author of the Bad Bitch Business Bible to stepping full into her artistry, Baddie Li has built a global community around her manifesto: Women don’t need permission to be powerful, wealthy, or free.

Links:

Lisa Carmen Wang

Bad Bitch Empire

Baddie Li Website: https://www.baddieli.com/

Baddie Li Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacarmenwang

Baddie Li’s YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lisacarmenwang?si=ftsVnysEO9C0iLRd

Baddie Li’s latest song: https://venice.lnk.to/any-more-champagne

Book a complimentary strategy call with Erin: https://erinsmithexecutivecoach.youcanbook.me/

Nominate a Driven Woman:

https://drivenbeyondexcellence.com/the-driven-women-project

Connect with Erin Smith directly: [email protected]

Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook

Jaime Foster is the Founder of Impact To Income and the Wellness Business Collective. As a serial entrepreneur and certified coach with over 20 years of experience, she has successfully built multiple six- and seven-figure businesses in the coaching and wellness space. Jaime is passionate about helping wellness coaches and experts grow their businesses in a sustainable and authentic way—without relying on TikTok dances or running ads. Her signature program, Close With Confidence, empowers new wellness coaches to attract clients consistently by mastering authentic marketing, sales, and mindset strategies, so they can turn their passion into a thriving business.

I found her while I was researching masculine and feminine dynamics in leadership when I stumbled upon an article she wrote aptly titled Feminine vs. Masculine Leadership Styles: Which is Better? What a great question! Because we live in a patriarchal society that deeply values traits that we tend to assign as masculine, while we devalue, undervalue, overlook, and sometime cringe at traits that we tend to assign as feminine. What’s worse is that we then take those traits we call masculine and feminine and then make sweeping categorizations that undermine both men and women as we somewhat lazily claim men are masculine and women are feminine. While it may be true that in general, men naturally tend to embody and lead with masculine traits, that doesn’t mean they don’t have or use feminine style traits – and vice versa, women can certainly more naturally embody feminine traits, but that doesn’t’ mean they don’t have or shouldn’t lead with masculine traits. In fact, because our society values it, women may tend to bury their feminine style in favor of masculine style because they see that it works. This podcast is about embracing your authentic self, so when women abandon their natural femininity in favor of masculinity it makes me sad because I believe we should be true to our nature – whether your nature is masculine or feminine at your core has no bearing on your gender – we know that there are men who are more feminine at their core and, and women who are most comfortable in their masculine energy. Which is why this discussion isn’t about gender, it’s about identifying which one you are at your core, and then striking a balance in your leadership style by consciously developing the opposite traits.

I am speaking with Jaime because she shares a similar viewpoint and I want to dive deeper into this topic with her expertise. I will provide the link to the article that inspired me to reach out to her.

Links:

Jamie’s article Feminine vs. Masculine Leadership Styles: Which is Better?: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/feminine-vs-masculine-leadership-styles-which-better-jaime-e-foster-js3wc/?trackingId=LGdV1JAU8V903x6I5bWYDQ%3D%3D

Jaime’s website: https://boldedgeleadership.com/

Nominate a Driven Woman:

https://drivenbeyondexcellence.com/the-driven-women-project

Connect with Erin Smith directly: [email protected]

Download Erin’s free e-book: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook

Book a complimentary call with Erin to determine if coaching is right for you: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/virtual-coffee-chat-with-erinsmith

Sarah is working to make radical changes to the future of work – specifically empowering organizations to embrace non-traditional and independent workforces, all with the goal of having an impact on the advancement of women.

On episode 9 I interviewed a woman, Neha Ruch, who is championing the Power Pause – which is a rebranded way to talk about career driven women who decide to take a career break to focus on raising their young children. There is a lot of fear around this process – being a woman and a mother and getting back in the mix after a pause, and how challenging that is in a world where employers are still stuck in industrial-age thinking. To help address those fears, we have Sarah!

In this episode we talk about:

• The concept of a portfolio career,
• Creating multiple income streams, and
• How you can use this approach to grow your career in a different way.

Spoiler alert – you still have to do some grunt work in the beginning before you can reach a point where you can focus on doing the work that really drives you and ignites your passion and makes you feel successful.

People are multi-faceted, yet we are expected to fit into a traditional mold and follow a linear path and take no breaks lest we appear unfocused or undedicated in the corporate world.

Her firm The FEAT’s mission is providing support for women and family life that goes beyond maternity leave and focuses on the return to work.

Creating real change doesn’t happen with things like internal women’s support networks. It requires a deep look at what actually drives success – hint: success isn’t dependent on how many hours you’re sitting at your desk in the office anymore.

FEAT is a female focused endeavor triggered by Sarah’s realization that there is a large group of untapped talent - independent women not actively working. It then grew into both men and women asking the question - How do we remove the stigma of “independent work” – independent contractors.

How do we measure productivity and talent in a new way?

Why you should stay until the end:

Make sure you listen all the way through, because Sarah has answers to these incredibly important questions and more.

Enjoy the show and Stay Driven!

Links:

Sarah’s Company The FEAT: https://www.the-feat.com/

Sarah's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahsandfordbroderick/

Sarah's Substack: https://beyondtheorg.substack.com/

Book a complimentary strategy call with Erin: https://erinsmithexecutivecoach.youcanbook.me/

Nominate a Driven Woman:

https://drivenbeyondexcellence.com/the-driven-women-project

Connect with Erin Smith directly: [email protected]

Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook

In this high-impact episode of The Driven Women Project, Erin sits down with Ariel Dangelo, founder of Helo and partner at Nightingale Wealth Management, to talk about why now is the moment for women to take control of their financial future—and exactly how to start.

Ariel’s story is one of resilience and radical responsibility—from surviving a paralyzing spinal injury to building a fintech company that helps people get out of debt, stay on budget, and reclaim their financial agency.

She doesn’t just talk theory—this episode is packed with practical tools, hard-won wisdom, and real solutions for women who want to thrive, not just survive.

💡 Top 3 Reasons You Should Listen:

1. Hear Ariel's incredible story of rebuilding her life after paralysis and a doctor’s prognosis that she’d never walk again, spoiler alert: not only is she walking again, but she’s pregnant with her first child.
2. Ariel shares countless gems of inspiration and reframes for how to approach set-backs, work through adversity and rise into your power!
3. Discover how app, Helo is not just another financial planning app. It actually automates budgeting, helps you build emergency savings which is crucial, and helps you hit your goals faster—with zero spreadsheets and barely any effort on your part.

🧠 What We Cover:

• The mindset shift that you can copy that helped her go from PTSD and paralysis to founder, investor, and mom-to-be
• How women approach money differently than men, and how to make it your superpower
• The truth about risk tolerance, investing with intention, and using your money for social impact
• How to find your personal “sleep number”—the amount of savings that brings you peace
• Why small daily actions beat big, unsustainable plans
• Ariel’s take on building a $10,000 emergency fund movement

🛠️ Resources:

• For financial guidance, support and planning: https://nwsadvisors.com/
• Sign up for cash flow management services: www.gohelo.com
• Follow Ariel on Instagram: @nightingalewealthsolutions
• Book a complimentary strategy call with Erin: https://erinsmithexecutivecoach.youcanbook.me/
• Nominate a Driven Woman:
• https://drivenbeyondexcellence.com/the-driven-women-project
• Connect with Erin Smith directly: [email protected]
• Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook
• Try a compound interest calculator: Investor.gov Calculator

In this episode we speak with President and CEO of the UConn Foundation, Amy Yancey - a powerhouse in higher education philanthropy who most recently launched the largest fundraising campaign in UConn’s history: the $1.5 billion Because of UConn initiative that just experienced a $720M raise which exceeded their initial launch goal. Congratulations to Amy, her team, and UConn!

Amy leads all philanthropic fundraising, alumni relations, and endowment investments for the University of Connecticut—including all campuses, UConn Health, and Athletics. She also serves on President Radenka Maric’s senior leadership team.

Before UConn, Amy held senior fundraising leadership roles at Boston College, the University of Virginia, Penn State, and the University of Tennessee, where she earned a bachelors in philosophy and a masters in plant sciences and agricultural economics. Her work has led to over $15B raised in support of scholarships, faculty, research, and more.

But Amy's leadership story goes far beyond dollars raised. From navigating male-dominated spaces to modeling bravery for her daughter, Amy offers a masterclass in pragmatic, purposeful leadership—and what it truly takes to thrive at the top.

This conversation is packed with real talk, strategic insight, and powerful reflection on what it means to lead with integrity, vision, and heart.

🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Amy raised $15.1B (and why she measures success in impact, not ego)
• Why she walked away from a decade-long role and how she modeled bravery for her daughter.
• The surprising truth about mentorship vs. sponsorship
• How to move from performance to influence in male-dominated industries
• Practical tips on asking for more—and getting paid what you’re worth

Make sure you listen all the way through, because Amy shares her deeply reflective and candid insights around the evolution of true inclusivity and equity in our society. If you’re feeling stuck, I promise, you’ll want to adopt her mindset on unlimited abundance

Enjoy the show and Stay Driven!

Follow Amy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanceyai/

Learn more about the UConn Foundation: https://www.foundation.uconn.edu/

Book a complimentary strategy call with Erin: https://erinsmithexecutivecoach.youcanbook.me/

Nominate a Driven Woman:

https://drivenbeyondexcellence.com/the-driven-women-project

Connect with Erin Smith directly: [email protected]

Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook

You don’t need an Ivy League degree to rise to the top. You need clarity, courage—and the right kind of leadership.

Meet Julie, a powerhouse in private equity real estate. From investment banking analyst to Chief Investment Officer at CBRE Investment Management, she now co-leads a $34B portfolio and a team of 140 professionals.

She was recently named 2023 North American Industry Figure of the Year by PERE. But that’s not why this episode is so special.

I had the honor of being her Executive Leadership Coach in 2024—and what unfolded in our coaching sessions was nothing short of transformational.

🎙 In this episode:

• The feedback that shocked her—and became a turning point
• Her raw perspective on gender and success
• How Gandalf (yes, that Gandalf) changed her leadership style
• And why authenticity isn’t a buzzword, it’s a performance strategy

Julie’s story is proof that you don’t have to conform to succeed. You just have to own who you are—and lead like you mean it.

👇 Listen now. You won’t forget this one.

LINKS:

Connect directly with Julie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-julianna-ingersoll-a04a5b8

Book a complimentary strategy call with Erin: https://erinsmithexecutivecoach.youcanbook.me/

Nominate a Driven Woman:

https://drivenbeyondexcellence.com/the-driven-women-project

Connect with Erin Smith directly: [email protected]

Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook

This episode of The Driven Women Project Podcast is not just for mothers—it’s for any woman who has ever questioned society’s definition of success.

If you’ve ever felt pressure to conform to someone else’s definition of success, this episode will reframe everything.

In this episode, I sit down with Neha Ruch, the founder of Mother Untitled, a movement redefining the way we view stay-at-home motherhood. Neha’s work has caught the attention of Oprah, Drew Barrymore, Kourtney Kardashian, Mandy Moore, and more, and her new book, The Power Pause, is changing the narrative around career breaks for women.

We talk about:

🔥 What it really means to be a driven woman

🔥 How to own your decisions—whether that means focusing on career, family, or both

🔥 The biases that women face when re-entering the workforce—and how to overcome them

🔥 Why pausing is not giving up, and how to preserve your career optionality

🔥 How to have financial conversations with your partner before stepping away from work

Connect with Neha and her movement here:

THE POWER PAUSE BOOK!! BUY HERE

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

IG: https://www.instagram.com/motheruntitled/?hl=en

Website: https://www.motheruntitled.com/

Links: https://linkin.bio/motheruntitled/

If you want help with your own career shift, consider reaching out to Erin, an Executive Leadership Coach who has helped countless women make career transitions or come back to work after her own Power Pause.

Book a complimentary strategy call with Erin: https://erinsmithexecutivecoach.youcanbook.me/

Nominate a Driven Woman:

https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/the-driven-women-project

Connect with Erin Smith directly: [email protected]

Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook

Jen Saarbach spent nearly a decade rising from Associate to VP on Wall Street starting with Lehman Brothers in 2008, Barclays, and then Morgan Stanley, after which she decided to leave the finance world, only to recently return with a passion for democratizing access to Wall Street for everyone. She co-founded The Wall Street Skinny which is a phenomenal platform that quickly exploded on social media, and is now offering courses to help folks competitively prepare for a career on Wall Street.

Jen and her co-founder, Kristen Kelly, host a podcast of the same name absolutely loaded with information that aims to demystify the world of finance. They explain jargon, talk with experts, and straight up teach listeners everything from “what is an investment bank” to portfolio management to private equity and hedge funds – they also tackle topics like what it’s like to be a woman on wall street.

This has been one of my favorite conversations to date. Jen is full of incredible insights and she gets straight to the point. This episode is packed full of tips and Jen is a fast talker so you will want to listen to this episode multiple times to make sure you catch all the gems.

We talk about:

• Quality mentorship
• How women can sometimes be harder on other women than men
• How to think about leaving behind a legacy you can be proud of
• Make sure you listen to the end because Jen drops some advice about how to be your authentic self in an intense environment filled with pressure to perform. IT'S EXCELLENT!

Want to learn more about Jen and The Wall Street Skinny?:

Follow The Wall Street Skinny:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thewallstreetskinny/

LinkedIn Jen Saarbach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-saarbach/

LinkedIn The Wall Street Skinny: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wall-street-skinny/posts/?feedView=all

Nominate a Driven Woman:

https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman

Connect with Erin Smith directly: [email protected]

Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook

I’m excited to share this conversation with you because Dr. Gail Lebovic has an incredibly impressive background in multiple male dominated fields. Most importantly, she has committed her career to improving the delivery of healthcare for patients around the world, especially woman’s health. Internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work as an Oncoplastic Surgeon, Dr. Lebovic is also highly regarded as a creative inventor and successful serial entrepreneur.

Along with her highly skilled team, she has developed and brought to market numerous innovative products. The team has achieved multiple successful acquisitions totaling nearly $500M.

Dr. Lebovic holds over 50 US patents, is a member of the Forbes Business Council, and currently serves as Founder and CEO of Silicon Valley Innovations. Her company is focused on bringing novel drug delivery platforms to the multi-billion dollar nasal healthcare and feminine healthcare markets. Their initial product called NasoClenz is on the market as the first intranasal antiseptic, perfect for those of us seeking nasal relief products.

Dr. Lebovic told me she loves to pay attention to areas of the body that are neglected – like the nose. I tried NasoClenz, and let me tell you, it is the product I never knew I needed, and now I will not travel without it. You know how your nose gets dry on airplanes? Well this stuff was a dream. NasoClenz was also designed for patients with allergies, chronic sinus issues, CPAP users and more.

She has served as director of several important clinical programs and is the Founder of the Society of Oncoplastic Surgery,

Listen in to hear how Dr. Lebovic did all of this, including her take on being likable, and how she navigated being told in medical school that being a surgeon is not for women!

Enjoy the show and Stay Driven!

Meet Dr. Lebovic: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaillebovic/

Visit Dr. Lebovic’s news blog here: https://svi-inc.com/news/

Nominate a Driven Woman:

https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/nominateadrivenwoman

Connect with Erin Smith directly: [email protected]

Download Erin’s free ebook: https://live.thedrivenwomenproject.com/ebook