The LowDown Podcast

Today, Alex and Sara are getting the lowdown on why it’s so important to be our truest, most authentic self from HR professional Shana Ross. Shana discusses why authenticity, self-development, self-improvement and self-awareness are such popular themes these days, and why she believes there is such a need in this area. She also talks about how to know when you are really “free” from your personal prison…and if can ever be completely free.

In this Life LowDown, Alex and Sara get the lowdown on the life of lifestyle blogger Nicole Green, who considers herself more of a blogger than an influencer. Nicole talks about how she decided to go into blogging full-time, as well as one tip she uses to determine what clothes to buy. Additionally, being multiracial, Nicole talks about her struggle with racial identity growing up, as well as the lack of diversity and inclusion we see in the blogging and influencer industry today and how she speaks out about it.

Today, Sara and Alex are getting the lowdown about a buzzword of the last couple years: self-care. While self-care is something many people probably think they need, often they can get overwhelmed on how to actually do it. They talk with Talkspace therapist Rachel O’Neill about what exactly self-care is, and she shares how self-care isn’t as difficult as you may think, while also providing tips on how you can build a self-care routine for yourself—which doesn’t have to include bubble baths, or it could!

This week, Sara and Alex are getting the lowdown strengths from HR consultant and CliftonStrengths coach JoDee Curtis. JoDee goes over the power of knowing your strengths, both personally and professionally and how much insight into yourself you can gain from the personality assessment.

In this episode, Alex and Sara are getting the life lowdown of three guests! Three past leadership consultants talk about how the LC program has changed throughout the years--from calling cards to cell phones, a lot has changed! Kat Held, Sara Elgart and Kira Rysiewicz talk about the highs and lows of LC life and how it changed their lives and the skills they were able to take away from their time as consultant and use in their current professional jobs.

In this episode, Alex and Sara are getting the lowdown on relational agility from talent and leadership development consultant Erin Correa. What is relational agility? As Erin describes it, it is being able to quickly know the stories you’re telling yourself in a particular moment and being able to adapt as needed effectively; it is the relationship you have with the beliefs you have about yourself, other people and how things work in the world. Still a bit confused? We all tell ourselves stories because our brains want to fill in the gaps if we don’t have the full details on a situation—these stories may not serve us positively and they may not be true! Relational agility is all about determining if these stories are actually serving us and how to adapt if they aren’t.

Today, Sara and Alex are getting the lowdown on compassionate courage from Talkspace therapist Dr. Karmen Smith. Karmen talks about her own experiences with being seen as a sexual object by men and how she has learned to be loving and protective of herself and her body and how she developed the courage to advocate for herself and others. Karmen also discusses how the #MeToo movement has been significant in giving women a platform to speak out on.

Today, Alex and Sara talk to Deseri Garcia who is a coaching, team-building and leadership development expert. She talks about the difference between your role vs. your identity and why it is important to know both. We also talk about mindfulness and what that means, whether it’s being fully present in a situation or including others in a conversation that may be more hesitant to speak. Sara and Alex share their personal experiences when it comes to being mindful and what that means to them.

In this Life LowDown, Alex and Sara get the lowdown on the life of inaugural 35 Under 35 honoree Christina Parle. Christina talks about life being a first-generation college student and being the only person in her family to have a masters degree. Additionally, they talk about Christina’s journey into the higher education field--from working in student conduct at a university to working in conduct and curriculum at a fraternity--she actually wanted to be a police officer! Finally, Christina gives her view on inclusion and what actually makes diversity important.

In this episode Alex and Sara (both millennials) bring back Lindsay Boccardo (also a millennial) to talk about one of her favorite topics, millennials. It's no secret that millennials have gotten a bad wrap over the years and Lindsay helps us uncover where that comes from. There is no greatest generation and no generation is better than the other, so why do we put labels on each generation? Listen to find out!

Today, Sara and Alex are getting the lowdown about being a pro troublemaker from the original pro troublemaker herself, Stefanie Krievins. Stefanie is passionate about allowing her clients to realize their awesome-ness and coaches individuals and organizations on how they can get out of their own “stuck and stalled” places so they can start innovating and growing again. Being a troublemaker often has a bit of a negative connotation, but Stefanie explains that a pro troublemaker is someone who is optimistic, challenges the status quo and is growth-oriented.

In this Life LowDown, Alex and, guest co-host, Sarah Eller get the lowdown on the life of a Sigma Kappa who grew up on a farm, has been active in FFA since high school and currently works in the agriculture industry. Kellie Bray talks about growing up on her family’s farm, nerding out about parliamentary procedure and why she is so passionate about agriculture. Addtionally, they talk about growing up with an identical twin, who is also a Sigma Kappa, and how similar they are even as adults. Finally, Kelly gives her thoughts on being present in a world full of technology and how important human interaction is.

In this episode, Alex and Sara get the lowdown on all things graduate school--from simply deciding to apply, to taking the GRE or GMAT, to the differences between undergraduate and graduate school. Maggie is currently pursuing her PUT DEGREE HERE at East Tennessee State University, and has been attending a higher education institution for nine years. She and Sara, who was recently admitted into a masters of business administration program provide a look at their experiences with the application and what to expect once classes begin.

In today’s episode, Alex and Sara talk to Nicole Stephenson about the importance of women knowing how to self-promote in the workplace. There is a double standard when it comes to strong women in the workplace and Nicole gives tangible tips to help them authentically-self promote themselves. Nicole talks about her passion to expand influence of women leaders and what she does at her job to make that happen.

We all have things we’re passionate about—we just have to find them. Today, Alex and Sara are getting the lowdown from Jason Barnaby, founder of Firestarters, Inc., on why it’s so important to find your fire and what you’re passionate about in life. Jason gives steps you can take today to overcome fears that might be keeping you stuck and how to determine if you’ve found what you’re meant to do, and most importantly, what to do once you’ve found it.