Prospecting on Purpose® with Sara Murray

High achievers are often praised for their ambition, drive, and willingness to do whatever it takes. But those same strengths can become patterns of self-sabotage when they are pushed too far. In this episode of Prospecting On Purpose®, Sara Murray sits down with Natalie Siston, TEDx speaker, bestselling author of Let Her Out, and Lead Global Presenter at Positive Intelligence. Natalie was the second person in the world to become a Certified Positive Intelligence Coach and has helped leaders and teams around the world strengthen their mental fitness. Natalie explains how the Positive Intelligence framework helps people recognize the negative thought patterns known as saboteurs. These patterns can create unnecessary stress, burnout, frustration, people pleasing, perfectionism, and the need to control outcomes. Sara also shares her own assessment results and learns that she scored 10 out of 10 as a Hyper-Achiever, with Pleaser and Controller close behind. Natalie explains why saboteurs are often our greatest strengths taken too far and how greater awareness can help us respond intentionally instead of reacting automatically. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why high achievers are especially vulnerable to self-sabotage • The difference between having a positive mindset and building mental fitness • How the Judge and nine accompanying saboteurs influence your thoughts and behavior • Why strengths like ambition, responsibility, and helpfulness can eventually contribute to burnout • What Sara’s Hyper-Achiever, Pleaser, and Controller results reveal about the way she works • How self-command helps you interrupt negative thought patterns • Why three focused breaths can help you reset before a stressful meeting or conversation • How the Sage perspective helps turn challenges into opportunities • Why Natalie rewrote her entire TEDx talk only three weeks before stepping onto the stage If you are accomplishing a lot on the outside but constantly pushing, pleasing, controlling, or criticizing yourself on the inside, this conversation will help you recognize what may be driving those patterns and begin responding differently. Take the Positive Intelligence Saboteur Assessment: https://positiveintelligence.com/saboteurs/ Connect with Natalie Siston Website: https://nataliesiston.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliesiston/ Watch Natalie’s TEDx talk, Thoughts Bloom: Plant Wisely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b1hVv7GPHs Learn more about Natalie’s book, Let Her Out: Reclaim Who You Have Always Been: https://letherout.com/ Connect with Sara Murray Website: https://www.saramurray.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramurraysales/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saramurraysales/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales Listen to Prospecting On Purpose® on your favorite podcast platform: https://pod.link/1663074741 #NatalieSiston, #Self-Sabotage, #MentalFitness, #PositiveIntelligence, #HighAchievers, #Burnout, #Mindset, #Leadership, #PeoplePleasing, #TEDx

What marketing lessons become even more valuable as businesses increasingly rely on AI? In this episode of Prospecting On Purpose®, Sara Murray sits down with hospitality marketing strategist, educator, and author Leora Halpern Lanz to explore the real-world marketing lessons technology cannot replace. Leora explains why marketing is not limited to people with “marketing” in their job title. Every professional influences how customers, colleagues, and business partners experience a company. Developing a marketing mindset means combining critical thinking, strategic thinking, and hospitality to create meaningful connections. As AI, automation, and digital communication become more prominent, Leora believes human connection will become an even more important business differentiator. Marketing and hospitality are both ultimately about making people feel seen, understood, and valued. Together, Sara and Leora explore Leora’s philosophy: “Think like a marketer; act like the owner.” They discuss why great ideas must connect to the owner’s priorities, the customer’s needs, and the organization’s long-term goals. They also challenge the conventional definition of a brand. A brand is more than a logo, color palette, or tagline. It is the relationship people have with a company or individual—and how that relationship makes them feel. The conversation also covers personal branding beyond LinkedIn, building a professional reputation through excellent work, maintaining genuine relationships without a transactional agenda, learning from industries outside your own, and creating more intentional collaboration across generations. Click here to watch a video of this episode. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN: • Why everyone needs a marketing mindset, regardless of job title • How marketing and hospitality are both rooted in human connection • Why human connection becomes more valuable as AI expands • The difference between critical thinking and strategic thinking • What it means to think like a marketer and act like an owner • Why marketing should focus on customer solutions instead of products • Why a brand is a relationship—not simply a visual identity • How to cultivate a personal brand beyond LinkedIn • Why excellent work is the foundation of professional reputation • How authentic relationships create trust and unexpected opportunities • Why giving without expectation matters in business relationships • How learning outside your industry can inspire better ideas • How different generations can learn from one another • Why intentional systems make excellent service appear effortless • A practical exercise for developing your marketing mindset Leora also shares a simple challenge listeners can practice over the next 30 days: Pay closer attention to the service experiences and marketing messages you encounter. Notice what connects with you, what makes you feel valued, what fails to resonate, and what you would do differently. Developing a marketing mindset begins with awareness. FEATURED BOOKS Developing Your Marketing Mindset: Real-World Lessons from Hospitality Marketing Mindset in Motion: Inspired by Hospitality Explore Leora’s books: https://leoralanz.com/ ABOUT LEORA HALPERN LANZ Leora Halpern Lanz, ISHC, is a hospitality marketing strategist, educator, author, and Professor of the Practice at Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration. Before entering academia, Leora spent 15 years as Global Director of Marketing Communications for HVS, a leading global hospitality consulting firm, where she also managed the company’s sales and marketing division. Drawing from decades of hospitality, consulting, and classroom experience, Leora’s work explores how empathy, trust, critical thinking, strategy, and meaningful human connection can transform the way people market, lead, serve, and communicate. CONNECT WITH LEORA HALPERN LANZ Website: https://leoralanz.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leorahalpernlanz/ Books and Complimentary Bonus Chapters: https://leoralanz.com/download-bonus-chapter/ CONNECT WITH SARA MURRAY Website: https://www.saramurray.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramurraysales/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saramurraysales/ If this conversation changed how you think about marketing, hospitality, or human connection, follow Prospecting On Purpose® and share this episode with someone who wants to build a stronger brand and more meaningful professional relationships. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 — Introduction and Meet Leora 00:01:25 — Why the Book Resonates 00:04:21 — AI, Hospitality, and Human Connection 00:10:19 — Think Like an Owner 00:13:59 — What a Brand Really Is 00:18:14 — The Brand of You 00:22:57 — Relationships Build Reputation 00:30:53 — Learn Beyond Your Industry 00:34:27 — Generational Workplace Gaps 00:38:06 — An Intentional Service Mindset 00:43:38 — The 30-Day Marketing Practice 00:48:01 — Where to Connect with Leora

In this episode of Prospecting on Purpose®, Sara Murray shares how to communicate with clients more effectively by adapting to their communication style, removing friction from your messages, and making it easier for prospects and clients to take action. Ever send a message that should have been easy to answer... and get nothing back? The problem may not be what you said. It may be how you communicated it. Every message has a job. Maybe you need a quick answer, a meeting scheduled, a decision made, or a client to review information. Effective communication starts by getting clear on that objective and removing as much friction as possible between your message and the action you want the other person to take. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN: Why the best message can still fail if it’s delivered the wrong way How to identify the real objective of every message you send Why you should make responding as easy as possible How to adapt your communication style to different clients and prospects When to use email, text, phone calls, voice notes, or face-to-face communication How to make requests clearer and easier to act on Why details like time zones can create unnecessary friction How to recognize someone’s communication preferences from their behavior Why matching someone’s tone, energy, and level of warmth matters How tracking communication preferences in your CRM can help strengthen client relationships Your clients are constantly showing you how they prefer to communicate. Pay attention. Flex to the person. Flex to the moment. Think about the goal of the message, eliminate unnecessary obstacles, and make it as easy as possible for the other person to take the next step. That small shift can help you communicate more effectively, differentiate yourself, and build stronger, more meaningful relationships. CONNECT WITH SARA MURRAY Website: https://www.saramurray.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramurraysales/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saramurraysales/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales Click here to view the episode transcript.

Most corporate gifting is treated like a procurement task instead of a relationship-building strategy. Businesses choose a budget, order a generic holiday basket or branded item, and hope it feels meaningful. Kade Kimber believes the better starting point is not what to send, but why you are sending it, who should receive it, and when it will matter most. In this episode of Prospecting on Purpose®, Sara Murray talks with Kade, a client experience strategist, keynote speaker, founder of Kimber & Oak, and creator of Gift Intelligence™. They discuss how intentional gifting can strengthen client relationships, support referrals and retention, open doors for meetings, and help a business stand out without making the interaction feel transactional. Kade explains why December is often the least effective time to send a business gift, how a gift can reinforce trust immediately after a contract is signed, and why milestones, referrals, service-recovery moments, personal events, and quiet seasons can create more meaningful opportunities. He also shares a practical way to decide who should receive a gift and his four-part formula for creating a memorable experience. Click here to watch a video of this episode. In this episode: • Why promotional merchandise is not always a meaningful gift • The importance of relevance, timing, and meaning • Why appreciation is an emotion, not a measurable objective • Strategic moments to gift throughout the sales and client journey • How travel advisors can use pre-trip, in-trip, and post-trip gifting • The why, who, and when framework • How to think about gifting ROI • Kade’s fixed, certain, and movable recipient profiles • Thoughtful options for companies with gift limits or compliance policies • The four parts of the perfect gifting formula About Kade Kimber: Kade Kimber is a client experience strategist, keynote speaker, and creator of Gift Intelligence™. Drawing on 20 years of enterprise marketing leadership across nine countries and experience supporting a $6B+ business line, he helps founder-led, partner-led, and professional services firms create distinct client experiences that build trust, loyalty, referrals, and long-term value. He is also the founder of Kimber & Oak, a corporate gifting company for relationship-driven brands. Connect with Kade: Kade Kimber Advisory: https://kadekimber.com/ Gift Intelligence™: https://kadekimber.com/gift-intelligence/ Kimber & Oak: https://kimberandoak.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kadekimber/ Fostering Joy Foundation: https://fosteringjoy.foundation/ Connect with Sara: Website: https://www.saramurray.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramurraysales/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saramurraysales/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales (00:00) - Corporate Gifting: What Most Businesses Get Wrong (00:31) - Meet Kade Kimber (01:43) - Origin Story (03:45) - Why Gifting Fails (05:24) - Timing Beats Holidays (10:35) - Best Moments to Gift (13:11) - Travel Advisor Examples (15:16) - Why Who When Framework (17:37) - Measuring ROI (19:03) - Who to Gift Profiles (25:40) - Gift Limits and Donations (30:47) - Perfect Gift Formula (35:52) - How to Work Together (37:01) - Final Takeaways Read the full episode transcript.

Do you keep putting off goals you genuinely care about? Self-discipline is not a personality trait you either have or lack. It is a skill you can strengthen, and you may already have more proof of it than you realize. In this solo episode of Prospecting on Purpose®, Sara Murray shares eight practical tips to build self-discipline and make following through easier at work and in life. Sara explains how to borrow proof from the version of yourself that already keeps commitments and gets things done. You can then apply that same discipline to a goal that keeps getting pushed aside. Sara also explains how external accountability has supported her business goals, why connecting a goal to a meaningful “why” makes difficult commitments easier to keep, and how one small action can create the momentum to finish something much bigger. If you are tired of labeling yourself “undisciplined” or waiting until you feel motivated, this episode will help you create a structure that makes action easier. TRY THIS AFTER LISTENING: Identify one area where you already follow through consistently. Use it as evidence that you can bring the same discipline to the goal you have been avoiding. Click here to watch a video of this episode. CONNECT WITH SARA MURRAY Website: https://www.saramurray.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramurraysales/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saramurraysales/ (00:00) - Show Intro (00:34) - Why Discipline Matters (01:28) - Borrow Your Proof (02:21) - Real Life Discipline Examples (04:46) - Find Your Proof Points (05:13) - Why We Procrastinate (06:27) - Tip 1 Hard Deadlines (06:52) - Tip 2 Work Backwards (08:49) - Tip 3 Accountability Buddy (09:46) - Tip 4 Coach or Mentor (10:45) - Tip 5 Beyond Yourself (12:25) - Tip 6 Decide Once (13:22) - Tip 7 Design Environment (14:12) - Tip 8 Shrink the Task (15:01) - Recap and Closing Click here to view the episode transcript.