Episode 39

Empowered & Out with guest Sarah A Scala

Published on: 28th October, 2025

Leadership, Kindness & Psychological Safety (ft. Sarah A. Scala, PCC)

Kindness isn’t soft—it’s strategic. Consultant, coach, and educator Sarah A. Scala (she/her) joins Empowered & Out to unpack how empathy and accountability can—and should—coexist, why psychological safety fuels performance, and what LGBTQ+ leaders need to sustain success with resilience, optimism, and grit.

What we cover

  • Sarah’s origin story: from adventure learning to executive coaching
  • Kindness as a performance driver (not a lowered bar)
  • Practical ways leaders build psychological safety day-to-day
  • The empathy + accountability balance (and why both matter)
  • Resilience strategies for LGBTQ+ pros and teams
  • Cross-cultural leadership lessons from global work
  • Inclusion as a business outcome—not a “nice to have”

Quotable

  • “Kindness with accountability doesn’t lower standards—it raises performance.”
  • “Psychological safety is the engine of innovation.”
  • “Inclusion isn’t separate from results—it drives them.”

Resources & guest links

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About the Podcast

Empowered & Out
The LGBTQ+ Career Coaching Podcast
This is the podcast where LGBTQ+ professionals come to get real about career, confidence, and authenticity at work. Each week, Jonathan shares coaching insights on purpose, confidence, and unmasking at work—PLUS inspiring interviews with LGBTQ+ leaders, authors, and change-makers who are rewriting what success looks like in their industries.

From overcoming workplace discrimination, to unlearning internalized shame, to building a career that actually feels like YOU, these conversations are honest, practical, and rooted in the queer experience.

🌈 Whether it’s a solo coaching deep dive or a guest interview, Empowered & Out is here to help you thrive authentically, without apology.

About your host

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J B

JB Motivating From The 5280 Podcast is about me, Jonathan Barbe, living in the Mile High City, sharing my thoughts and opinions on positive motivation and self-improvement from my home in Denver, Colorado.