In this episode of the Leadership with Heart podcast, I sit down with Lorii Rabinowitz, the CEO of Denver Scholarship Foundation, for a heartfelt and eye-opening conversation about what it means to lead with empathy, clarity, and purpose. Lorii was referred to me by someone I deeply respect, and it quickly became clear why. Her approach to leadership is both profoundly human and boldly practical.

We explore the power of honoring each individual's "you-ness," a term Lorii uses to describe the unique combination of lived experience, professional expertise, and personal story that each person brings to a team. From her early days in media sales to her current role leading a 90-person organization, Lorii shares her zigzag journey and how every step along the way has informed her people-first philosophy.

The Denver Scholarship Foundation serves thousands of students every year through a powerful combination of access programs, wraparound success supports, and promise-based scholarships. But what makes Lorii's leadership stand out is her belief that every team member, whether in program delivery, administration, or fundraising, is an integral part of that mission. She talks about what it takes to scale a culture of shared purpose as the organization grows and how to create alignment without losing authenticity.

Lorii opens up about a personal leadership moment that changed everything for her. In the middle of a hectic workday, she almost overlooked a colleague's quiet request for help. That moment shifted how she shows up for people and how she listens. She also shares how her team navigated the return to in-person work after the pandemic and what they learned when their communication didn't land the way they intended. Rather than retreating, Lorii and her team chose to listen, adapt, and co-create a stronger culture.

We talk about the tension between honoring individuality and maintaining equity, the importance of knowing whose voices are missing from the table, and the value of learning out loud. Lorii reminds us that leadership is not a title but an activity, and that every person, regardless of role, has the power to lead from where they stand.

Whether you're in a nonprofit, corporate, education, or any team-based environment, this episode offers a powerful blueprint for leading with both heart and clarity. Lorii's wisdom is generous, grounded, and filled with insight that will stick with you long after the conversation ends.

On this week’s episode of the Leadership with Heart podcast, I sit down with Kurtis Strauel, Senior Director of Human Resources at Mark-Taylor Residential, to discuss the power of leading from the heart in a field that is often misunderstood. With over 30 years of experience in HR and more than two decades in leadership, Kurtis brings a deeply reflective, people-first perspective that cuts through the noise of policy, process, and performance metrics.

What struck me most in our conversation was Kurtis’s commitment to showing up for others, even in the most challenging moments. He shares the story of joining an organization and realizing he prioritized execution over connection. Without trust and a relationship, results fall flat. That moment changed how he leads and how he listens.

We explore how HR can reclaim its role as a champion for the human experience at work, how leaders can balance business outcomes with empathy, and why creating a culture rooted in dignity and respect is not just suitable for people but essential for performance.

Kurtis also opens up about his early childhood challenges, the lessons he learned from his parents, and how those personal experiences helped shape the heart-led leader he is today. His vulnerability is refreshing, and his clarity about what truly matters, such as taking care of people, staying humble, and learning from mistakes, feels like a masterclass in authentic leadership.

If you’ve ever felt torn between performance goals and staying grounded in compassion, this conversation will remind you that those two things can coexist. When they do, everyone benefits.

Listen in and reflect on your leadership journey. Are you leading from the heart? Are your people seen, heard, and supported? This episode will give you the courage to keep asking those questions and to keep doing the work that truly matters.

What happens when a leader blends deep operational structure with genuine human care? That’s the question at the heart of my latest conversation on the Leadership with Heart podcast, where I’m joined by Sarah Mazzocco, Chief People Officer at Americare Senior Living.

We first met when I was invited to speak at Americare’s annual leadership conference. Even before I hit the stage, I could tell Sarah was a different kind of leader. She carried a quiet confidence rooted in clarity, process, and intention. What stood out most was her heart. She wasn’t just focused on logistics or event outcomes; she was also concerned about the overall experience. She was focused on people, how they felt, what they needed, and how the experience could serve them long after the event ended.

That same intentionality came through in this conversation. Sarah spoke openly about the tension between designing robust systems and remaining flexible when things do not go as planned. She shared a powerful example from her early days at Walmart, when she was tasked with redesigning cashier training across hundreds of thousands of employees.

The project seemed straightforward until feedback from frontline workers completely shifted her team’s perspective. What they thought was high value turned out to be disconnected from the reality of day-to-day work. That insight prompted a redesign, but it also paved the way for deeper trust and improved outcomes. For Sarah, moments like that proved the value of staying curious and staying humble.

Throughout the episode, we repeatedly returned to the importance of asking the right questions, not from a place of pretense or ego, but with a blank slate mindset. Sarah talked about how being wrong is not a threat to leadership. It is often the very thing that makes leadership real. By remaining open to new data, perspectives, and feedback, she creates space for her team to feel seen and heard. That sense of psychological safety is what allows innovation and transformation to take root.

We also explored the myth that leaders have to choose between being results-driven or people-centered. Sarah pushes back on that narrative. For her, the numbers matter because they help validate whether the work is meaningful. They serve as a reflection of the lived employee experience. If people feel seen, supported, and inspired, the data should reflect that. But she is clear that you cannot just lead with numbers. You must start with a purpose, stay grounded in listening, and use data as a tool to guide rather than dictate the path forward.

Sarah’s leadership style is rare in its balance. She brings process and structure, but she also makes room for messiness. She values outcomes, but she centers people. She has the credentials and experience to lead from the top, yet she has never stopped asking questions like a student.

This conversation was a reminder that caring leadership is not a sign of weakness. It is strategic. It is data-informed. It is rooted in values and made powerful through action. Sarah is a brilliant example of how leaders can hold both heart and accountability, as well as consistency and curiosity, and bring it all together to create workplaces where people truly thrive.