What if everything you thought defined success was quietly draining the life out of you? In this powerful episode of Get Real, Get Results, Chantell Preston sits down with Sarah Brown Peterson—founder of ElevateShe, former corporate marketing leader at Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Walmart.com, and daughter of trailblazing executives who shaped her earliest ideas of achievement.
Sarah opens up about being "born into the C-suite," spending 20+ years chasing the next promotion, and the devastating accident that forced her to confront a life-changing question: If tomorrow didn't come, would I be happy? Her answer sparked a complete reinvention—one grounded in values, vitality, and the courage to redefine success on her own terms.
Together, Chantell and Sarah unpack the patterns that keep high-achieving women stuck in burnout, the myth that "rest is for the weak," and why your thoughts and beliefs may feel real without being true. Sarah shares her Leadership DNA Framework, the practice of "overnight reflections" she uses with her husband, and why building a personal board of directors can transform both your career and your life.
You'll learn:
- How to identify the values quietly driving (or sabotaging) your decisions
- Why saying yes to everything is costing you more than you think
- How to build a circle of women who challenge and champion you
- What it looks like to raise the next generation of men who see women as equals
This is an honest, energizing conversation for anyone ready to stop performing success and start living it.
Subscribe to Get Real, Get Results and share this episode with a woman who needs the permission to choose herself.
Timestamps
00:00 - Thoughts and beliefs feel real, but aren't always factual
01:12 - Meet Sarah Peterson: from Fortune 500 to Elevate SHE
02:18 - Born into the C-suite: Sarah's unusual background
03:20 - The tragic accident that changed everything
04:22 - What are your 5 values?
06:07 - Keeping up with family success
08:18 - Finding what actually makes you happy
09:19 - Building the Leadership DNA Framework
11:39 - Why we don't strategize our own lives
13:53 - Ignoring the burnout pattern
15:00 - The addiction to achievement
16:23 - Building your strategic board
17:37 - Finding the right people who challenge you
18:40 - The worst they can say is no
20:44 - Pushing through vs. hitting the wall
22:37 - Real doesn't mean true: rewiring imposter syndrome
26:22 - Setting mantras and anchors that stick
29:16 - The "always on" mentality and rest as weakness
30:56 - When you're your own worst enemy
32:35 - Overnight reflections with your spouse
35:28 - Raising boys who respect powerful women
37:37 - Where to connect with Sarah