As co-host of the weekly It All podcast, Sarah brings real conversations about leadership, resilience, and workplace well-being to women navigating the complexities of career and life. With 20 years in healthcare, she understands firsthand the pressures leaders face—yet while national trends show record-breaking burnout, Sarah’s clients are rewriting the story. A sought-after executive coach, author, and Professional Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation, she equips professionals with practical tools to lead with confidence, clarity, and ease.

Trained in all of Dr. Brené Brown’s research, Sarah is an expert Dare to Lead™ facilitator who has helped thousands of leaders build cultures of trust, courage, and connection. She held a leadership role in Dr. Brown’s nonprofit, where she supervised and trained future facilitators, ensuring the next generation of leaders is prepared to navigate complexity with resilience. As a Certified Reinvention Associate, Sarah also brings proven strategies to help organizations adapt and thrive during disruption, turning uncertainty into opportunity. Her work doesn’t just inspire—it transforms. Organizations that implement her strategies see measurable increases in job satisfaction, retention, and team effectiveness.

Sarah’s keynotes are dynamic, research-backed, and refreshingly real. Audiences walk away with actionable insights they can implement immediately—whether it’s tackling tough conversations, preventing burnout, or fostering a workplace where people actually want to show up. With humor, candor, and a deep understanding of human behavior, Sarah delivers more than just motivation; she delivers results.

“Sarah Ciavarri was the perfect addition to our Minnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing conference! Her ability to bring humor into her message and stories was a surprise and very much welcomed! Hands down her deliverance was engaging, relatable, and left the group with tools to help in all aspects of our lives. Sarah overall was an absolute joy and would be highly recommended!” - S. Fulton, Event Organizer

Sarah was fantastic! She was a great start to our professional training day; she kicked our day off in a positive, upbeat manner! She engaged the audience, empowering participants to literally sing! She had both group and individual activities, providing insight, participation, and group discussions. She had a great personality and stories that connected to all participants - we laughed and we cried! I would highly recommend Sarah to anyone looking for a thoughtful and entertaining speaker on professional burnout, resilience, or a positive workplace culture! - Kayla R. Hein, DHA, MSW, LICSW, MEADA

All of Sarah’s keynote programs are customized to each audience through a pre-event call to learn your organizations goals and what success looks like for you.  Sarah does her research on your industry!  Each program can be tailored to be delivered virtually, hybrid or in person.  Most of these programs can be presented as a keynote, ½ day workshop. 

Master of Calm: How to Keep Your Head While Everyone Around You is Losing Theirs

Leaders are the steady force in workplaces facing constant change, conflict, and stress. This keynote equips leaders with the tools to stay calm, think clearly, and make sound decisions—even in high-pressure situations. With rising burnout, employee disengagement, and workplace tensions, teams need leaders who can de-escalate stress and model resilience.

Key Takeaways:

• Practical techniques for emotional regulation in high-stress moments

• How to maintain clarity and confidence during workplace conflicts

• Strategies to prevent burnout and cultivate a culture of resilience

Both/And: How to Lead with Empathy and Accountability

Leaders are constantly balancing two competing priorities—supporting employees’ well-being while ensuring performance and results. Today’s leaders must master the “Both/And” mindset: showing empathy while holding teams accountable. This keynote delivers a framework for leaders and managers to create psychologically safe, high-performing workplaces.

Key Takeaways:

• Strategies to set high expectations without sacrificing empathy

• The neuroscience of trust and accountability in leadership

• Practical ways to navigate tough conversations with confidence

Passion, Purpose, and Paychecks: Rediscover the Heart of Work

Feeling stuck in the daily grind? It’s time to reconnect with what fuels you! This engaging and energizing keynote will help you reignite your passion, find deeper meaning in your work, and boost your motivation—all while reducing stress and frustration.

Best audience: frontline workers

Key Takeaways:
Practical strategies to stay engaged and motivated, even on tough days
Mindset shifts that help you tackle challenges with confidence and clarity
Tools for navigating change without feeling overwhelmed
Ways to boost productivity so you can get more done with less effort

Through humor, real-world examples, and interactive insights, you’ll leave feeling recharged, refocused, and ready to bring your best self to work—because when passion and purpose align, the paycheck feels even better!

Leadership Unfiltered: Ditch the Myths, Own Your Power, Lead with Confidence

Too many leaders are held back by outdated advice and leadership clichés that simply don’t work in today’s workplaces. It’s time to unlearn the myths that create burnout, self-doubt, and ineffective leadership. This keynote uncovers the most damaging leadership lies—like "leaders must have all the answers" or "emotions don’t belong at work"—and replaces them with real, research-backed strategies for leading with confidence, authenticity, and impact. Attendees will walk away empowered to lead with clarity, build trust, and create stronger teams.

Key Takeaways:

• The top leadership myths that are holding you (and your team) back

• How to replace outdated leadership advice with research-backed strategies

• Why vulnerability and authenticity are leadership strengths, not weaknesses

• Practical tools to build trust, inspire teams, and lead with confidence