The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth

This is Brooke's third time on The Found Podcast. Every time she comes back, she brings something that stops me mid-conversation and makes me reach for my notebook. Brooke Fitzgerald is the Energy Builder at The Restoration Project in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and as of June 1st, she becomes the sole owner of the practice. She's a coach, a speaker, a mom of two boys, a recovering people-pleaser, and one of the most convicted, passionate humans I get to have in my corner. In this episode, we dig into the work that has defined Brooke's last several years, both personally and professionally. We talk about closing a business, rebuilding an identity, and the deeply human question of: who are you when you're not defined by what you do? What You'll Hear in This Episode: How closing her coffee shop became the lowest (and most clarifying) point of Brooke's life What it actually takes to untether your identity from your work (hint: it takes longer than you think, and that's okay) The Path to Enough framework and why enough is a decision, not an amount The question that makes rooms full of women go completely silent: "Who are you when no one needs anything from you?" Why good enough really is good enough, and what we lose when we demand 110% of ourselves constantly Imposter syndrome reframed: it's not a flaw, it's your courage catching up to your capability The SEA tool for moving from imposter to intentional, and a story about a female CEO that will stop you cold What's next for Brooke and The Restoration Project, including fall retreats, empowerment communities, and a November workshop Connect with Brooke: Website: the-restorationproject.com LinkedIn: Brooke Fitzgerald Upcoming Events with Brooke: MWLN Summit — Muscatine, Iowa (June) Fall Women's Retreats — details coming soon Power of No Empowerment Communities — small groups of 6-8 women November Brunch & Learn Workshop — The Path to Enough for Courageous Leaders Listen & Subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcasts If this episode resonated with you, share it with a woman who needs to hear it. And if you're not yet subscribed to The Found Podcast, now's a great time! New episodes drop every Wednesday.

Have you ever stood in the middle of a life that looks really good on paper and still felt like something was off? Like a quiet voice whispering, this isn't it anymore...and you didn't know what to do with that? This week on the Found Podcast, I'm bringing you a conversation with my own coach, Katrina Klooster, and I think this one is going to land somewhere deep for a lot of you. Katrina is a life and leadership coach who specializes in helping high-achieving women navigate transitions, those in-between seasons when you've outgrown where you are but aren't sure where you're going. After nearly 15 years in education (as a high school Spanish teacher and instructional coach), Katrina followed her own winding, messy, non-linear path into building a coaching practice, and she brings all of that lived experience to the women she now serves. In this episode, we talk about: The moment Katrina knew she had outgrown teaching and why it took her so long to trust that feeling Burnout, shingles, and the culture of self-sacrifice we've normalized in education (and beyond) Why your non-linear path is not something to apologize for The 37-38-year-old awakening many women experience and what's actually happening beneath the surface How high-achieving women get stuck in golden handcuffs and what it takes to break free Why most women aren't afraid of failure...and what they're actually afraid of instead The grief that's woven into growth (and why we don't talk about it enough) What Katrina looks for in a coach and how to know if coaching is right for you Connect with Katrina: Website: katrinaklooster.com Instagram: @katrinaklooster (send her a DM!) Listen & Subscribe: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5YACTbRulN4NooX32NgzgV Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-found-podcast-with-molly-knuth/id1530616432 If this conversation resonated with you, share it with a woman in your life who might need to hear it today. And if you're not yet subscribed to The Found Podcast, now is a great time to hit that button so you never miss an episode.

In this episode of The Found Podcast, Molly sits down with Sarah Hermanson, founder of One Above HR, pumpkin farmer, and people-first leadership expert. With over 30 years of experience in human resources and recruiting, Sarah has seen firsthand what makes businesses thrive and what causes them to struggle. And here's the truth she keeps coming back to: it's not just the product, the service, or the strategy…it's the people. Together, Molly and Sarah explore what it really looks like to build a business rooted in care, communication, and culture, and why those "soft skills" are actually the most powerful drivers of performance, retention, and long-term success. From practical ways to build connection in your workplace, to the surprising impact of nonverbal communication, to the often-avoided (but incredibly important) topic of succession planning, this conversation is full of grounded wisdom you can apply right away. And in true Found Podcast fashion, you'll also hear how Sarah's story weaves together entrepreneurship, family legacy, and a 46-year-old pumpkin farm in rural Iowa. What You'll Hear in This Episode Why "joy at work" isn't fluffy, it's foundational to business success How to build connection with your team in just 5–8 minutes a day The concept of "advanced communication" (and why words aren't enough) Simple body language shifts that can transform how you're perceived Why founders need to think about succession planning sooner than they think How Sarah transitioned from corporate HR to entrepreneurship Lessons from taking over a multi-generational family pumpkin farm What it really means to lead with care, culture, and communication Key Quotes "We don't achieve any of our goals if we aren't approaching them with care." "I can teach you how to do something. I can't teach you how to care." "90,000 hours of our lives are spent at work. Those should be joy-filled hours." Resources & Links Connect with Sarah: [email protected] Website: One Above HR Sherman's Pumpkin Farm (Manchester, Iowa) Follow Sarah on LinkedIn

This one feels really special. Back in 2020, The Found Podcast started with a simple idea: to share what I was learning about building a business, becoming a person, and navigating all the in-between moments. And now…here we are. 250 episodes later. Instead of making this episode about me, I wanted to bring it back to the people and the moments that made this podcast what it is today: you and the incredible guests who have shared their stories along the way. In this milestone episode, I'm taking you through snippets from some of the most popular episodes in the history of the podcast. These are the conversations that stuck. The ones you shared. The ones that made you think, feel, and take action. You'll hear themes like: grief and resilience infertility and healing marketing and business growth creativity and music small town stories and the magic of becoming who you're meant to be Whether you've been here since the Small-Minded Podcast days or you're newer to this space… this episode is a reminder of everything we've built together. What You'll Hear in This Episode: Snippets from some of our most downloaded episodes Conversations spanning 2022–2025 A wide range of topics that define The Found Podcast The throughline of founding businesses, communities, and ourselves A Note from Molly: This podcast has never been about having it all figured out. It's been about showing up, sharing the journey, and inviting you to do the same. Thank you for being here. For listening, for reaching out, and for taking action on what resonates.

There's a leadership gap in our communities...and it's not what you think. It's not about titles. It's not about experience. And it's definitely not about a lack of talent. In this episode of The Found Podcast, I sit down with Melissa Reade, Executive Director of Leader Valley, to talk about the real gap we're seeing in schools, businesses, and communities—and how we can start to fix it. From working with over 12,000 students to equipping current leaders in the workforce, Leader Valley is rethinking how leadership is developed at every stage of life. This conversation is about more than leadership theory. It's about practical, everyday ways we build stronger people, stronger teams, and stronger communities. If you've ever felt like something is missing in how we prepare people to lead…this episode will put language to it. What You'll Hear in This Episode: What the "leadership gap" actually is (and why it's growing) Why technical skills aren't enough anymore How Leader Valley is building leaders from elementary school through adulthood The role of emotional intelligence and communication in leadership What schools are missing and how it impacts the workforce Why community collaboration is the key to long-term change The importance of leading yourself before leading others Melissa's personal story of resilience and leadership through adversity Resources & Links: Leader Valley → https://www.leadervalley.org Leader in Me → https://www.leaderinme.org Connect with Melissa Reade → [email protected]