Erika Sinner is a multi eight-figure founder, bestselling author, and sought-after speaker redefining what it means to lead with empathy and impact. She is the Founder and CEO of Directorie®, one of the world's fastest-growing and award-winning life science agencies supporting bringing medications to market and impacting over 100 millions lives. Recognized twice on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies, Erika was named to the prestigious 2026 Inc. Female Founders 500. Under her leadership, Directorie has become a trusted strategic partner for life science organizations, blending operational excellence with a culture rooted in purpose, innovation, and humanity. As the Chief Empathy Officer of TinySuperheroes®, Erika channels her success toward social good, leading a global charitable organization that is on track to empower 5 million kids in the next five years who are chronically and terminally ill children to see themselves as strong, courageous and capable. Through superhero-themed programs in hospitals and homes around the world, she is transforming the way children and families experience care. Connect with Erika Sinner: 🌐 Website: erikasinner.org 📸 Instagram: @erika_sinner 💼 LinkedIn: Erika Sinner Heartbeat for Hire has been nominated for its 4th award- Best Business Podcast from Women in Podcasting. Please vote at this link. It's 1 vote per email. We are so grateful for your support! Thank you! https://www.womenpodcasters.com/lyndsay-dowd Summary: In this conversation, Erika opens up about growing up on food stamps in a trailer park and how those humble beginnings became the foundation for a leadership philosophy centered on making people feel human, not just hired. She shares how she built Directory to provide top pharmaceutical talent to small and mid-size companies bringing life-saving medications to market — and how treating employees with genuine care has driven triple-digit growth three years running. Key Takeaways: - Empathy is a power skill, not a soft skill. - You don't have to choose between performance and compassion. - Pet loss is real grief. - Showing up for people in hard moments builds lasting loyalty. - Your people are your asset. - Giving back grounds you. - How you respond is always yours. Episode Chapters: 0:41 Episode intro & three things you'll learn today 1:17 Introducing Erika Sinner 2:42 Erika's background – St. Louis, five dogs, and 20 years in life science 4:14 How Directory connects every team member to their impact 5:00 Leadership style: empathy as a "power skill" 6:21 Growing up with humble beginnings & the origin of her values 8:07 What humble beginnings teach leaders 8:29 Stories that shaped her empathetic leadership style 10:22 The non-negotiable: one-on-ones with every employee 12:09 Your people are your culture 13:05 Segue: pet bereavement leave 14:10 Losing Kingston – and the unexpected shame of grieving a pet 15:51 Kingston's deeper meaning – the first unconditional love in Erika's life 16:22 Writing Pets Are Family & advocating for broader bereavement policy 16:49 Are other companies adopting these policies? 18:00 Grief in the workplace – the post that resonated with thousands 19:49 How the cape reframes a child's medical journey as a heroic mission 21:44 Erika's own journey with self-worth and therapy 22:30 How to get involved with Tiny Superheroes 23:07 The fastest way out of a funk: go give and go serve 23:51 From trailer park to Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue 24:10 Managing energy and putting your own oxygen mask on first 26:00 Erika's legacy: leaving the world better than she found it 27:09 Final takeaway: do it scared, do it brave — just do it 27:40 Closing remarks