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The Future of Talent Management and Company Succession with Laura Sorrell
What if your biggest career breakthrough came not from knowing the answer, but from daring to step into the unknown?
In business, it’s easy to think success comes from following the rules and sticking to what’s already been defined. But the real breakthroughs happen when you step into the undefined, when you’re willing to chart a course no one else has mapped yet. That’s where growth lives: in the courage to embrace ambiguity instead of resisting it.
Laura Sorrell learned this lesson early. At just 23, she was handed an assignment no one could explain and, armed with nothing but a roll of butcher paper, sketched out a framework that helped a global firm see its path forward.
From Houston’s oil boom to Silicon Valley’s biotech wave, she built a career on asking better questions, translating vision into action, and mentoring the next generation of leaders. Her story is proof that the future isn’t something you wait to be handed, it’s something you help design.
As Laura puts it, lasting change doesn’t come from the top or the bottom alone. It happens “when leadership and teams stay in constant conversation, building the future together.”
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction and Quotes and Mentorship Around Leadership
00:35 Meet Laura Sorell: The Change Whisperer
00:58 Laura's Career Journey and Early Experiences
04:11 The Impact of Mentorship and Career Growth
07:51 Navigating Change in Various Industries
19:54 Identifying Ideal Candidates and Clients
22:47 Challenges in Articulating Future Goals
23:29 The Newton Nurseries Case Study
25:52 Defining Talent Management
26:53 Navigating Cultural Alignment
28:11 Leadership's Role in Culture
29:41 Hybrid and Remote Work Challenges
31:38 The Importance of Succession Planning Beyond a Growth Plan
33:51 Embracing AI in How to Utilize in Your Business
40:07 Laura’s Advice for Future Leaders
43:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Topics Discussed:
- Treating your candidates as you would treat your customers
- Reworking Talent Acquisition into Talent Management and Career Progression
- Why leadership needs to participate in the complete conversation around culture
- The main components in aligning with a cohesive culture
- Helping organizations get “unstuck” and learn a clear language
- Viewing potential candidates as a long-term source of growth for the business
- Why language matters in setting yourself apart from the competition
Connect with Laura Sorrell:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-sorrell-3b07297/
About Rethink Change:
When growth is stagnant, culture’s a mess, the brand’s adrift, and the board wants miracles by Monday, Pennebaker’s podcast, Rethink Change, is where innovators and disruptors go for clarity.
Hosted by Founder Ward Pennebaker and President Matt Pennebaker, this podcast delivers sharp insights from battle-tested leaders who’ve navigated chaos and turned challenge into momentum. You’ll hear from executives from startups to global behemoths, from a wide range of industries. No fluff. All results. These conversations uncover what actually works, so you can think differently and act smarter.
Get Connected with Rethink Change:
- Website: https://www.pennebaker.com/podcast
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pennebaker/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pennebakerbrand
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pennebaker.bsky.social
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pennebakeragency/
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By PennebakerWhat if your biggest career breakthrough came not from knowing the answer, but from daring to step into the unknown?
In business, it’s easy to think success comes from following the rules and sticking to what’s already been defined. But the real breakthroughs happen when you step into the undefined, when you’re willing to chart a course no one else has mapped yet. That’s where growth lives: in the courage to embrace ambiguity instead of resisting it.
Laura Sorrell learned this lesson early. At just 23, she was handed an assignment no one could explain and, armed with nothing but a roll of butcher paper, sketched out a framework that helped a global firm see its path forward.
From Houston’s oil boom to Silicon Valley’s biotech wave, she built a career on asking better questions, translating vision into action, and mentoring the next generation of leaders. Her story is proof that the future isn’t something you wait to be handed, it’s something you help design.
As Laura puts it, lasting change doesn’t come from the top or the bottom alone. It happens “when leadership and teams stay in constant conversation, building the future together.”
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction and Quotes and Mentorship Around Leadership
00:35 Meet Laura Sorell: The Change Whisperer
00:58 Laura's Career Journey and Early Experiences
04:11 The Impact of Mentorship and Career Growth
07:51 Navigating Change in Various Industries
19:54 Identifying Ideal Candidates and Clients
22:47 Challenges in Articulating Future Goals
23:29 The Newton Nurseries Case Study
25:52 Defining Talent Management
26:53 Navigating Cultural Alignment
28:11 Leadership's Role in Culture
29:41 Hybrid and Remote Work Challenges
31:38 The Importance of Succession Planning Beyond a Growth Plan
33:51 Embracing AI in How to Utilize in Your Business
40:07 Laura’s Advice for Future Leaders
43:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Topics Discussed:
- Treating your candidates as you would treat your customers
- Reworking Talent Acquisition into Talent Management and Career Progression
- Why leadership needs to participate in the complete conversation around culture
- The main components in aligning with a cohesive culture
- Helping organizations get “unstuck” and learn a clear language
- Viewing potential candidates as a long-term source of growth for the business
- Why language matters in setting yourself apart from the competition
Connect with Laura Sorrell:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-sorrell-3b07297/
About Rethink Change:
When growth is stagnant, culture’s a mess, the brand’s adrift, and the board wants miracles by Monday, Pennebaker’s podcast, Rethink Change, is where innovators and disruptors go for clarity.
Hosted by Founder Ward Pennebaker and President Matt Pennebaker, this podcast delivers sharp insights from battle-tested leaders who’ve navigated chaos and turned challenge into momentum. You’ll hear from executives from startups to global behemoths, from a wide range of industries. No fluff. All results. These conversations uncover what actually works, so you can think differently and act smarter.
Get Connected with Rethink Change:
- Website: https://www.pennebaker.com/podcast
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pennebaker/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pennebakerbrand
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pennebaker.bsky.social
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pennebakeragency/