Sarah Ciavarri
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.
Most Requested Programs
Master of Calm: How to Keep Your Head While Others Lose Theirs
Great leaders know how to stay steady under pressure—bringing clarity, asking the right questions, and guiding others toward solutions. But staying calm in the midst of chaos isn’t just a trait; it’s a skill you can develop.
In this session, you’ll learn how to:
- Regulate your stress response so you can think clearly under pressure
- Ask the right questions to cut through noise and get to the heart of the issue
- Make confident decisions even in high-stakes situations
- Set the tone for your team by modeling composure and focus
- Avoid burnout by developing habits that sustain your energy and resilience
By mastering your calm, you’ll not only strengthen your own leadership but also inspire your team to navigate challenges with confidence and clarity. Because real leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about staying grounded when it matters most.
Over It: Overcoming Overwhelm with Resilience
Feeling overworked, overextended, and just plain over it? In this energizing and practical keynote, Sarah unpacks the art and science of resilience, equipping you with actionable strategies to manage the relentless demands of work and life. Discover how to shift from merely surviving to truly thriving, reclaim clarity and purpose, and develop the tools to navigate stress and change with confidence.
In this keynote, you’ll learn how to:
- Identify the root causes of overwhelm and create strategies to eliminate or manage them
- Develop personal boundaries that protect your time and energy without guilt
- Learn time management techniques to prioritize what truly matters and increase productivity
Packed with real-world examples and powerful insights, this session will leave you recharged, refocused, and ready to tackle challenges head-on. It’s time to break free from overwhelm—together!
Passion, Purpose, and Paychecks: Rediscover the Heart of Your 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.
You’ll walk away with:
- 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!
Breaking the Leadership Myths: Unlearn the Lies and Lead with Confidence
Do you find yourself struggling with leadership expectations that feel unrealistic or overwhelming? It’s time to challenge the myths that may be holding you back from leading with clarity and confidence.
In this session, we’ll break down common leadership myths, such as the idea that leaders must always have control, possess all the answers, or constantly please everyone. These misconceptions create unnecessary pressure and can isolate you from your team. The truth is, leadership isn’t about being perfect or in complete control—it’s about fostering trust, empowering others, and making intentional decisions that align with your values.
In this session, you will:
- Identify and debunk common leadership myths that undermine your confidence and effectiveness
- Learn how to balance direction with delegation to empower your team without micromanaging Discover the power of collaboration and why great leaders don’t always have all the answers
- Understand how boundaried vulnerability can strengthen your leadership and build stronger relationships with your team
By the end of this session, you’ll have the tools to lead with confidence, challenge outdated beliefs, and create an environment where both you and your team can thrive. It’s time to unlearn the lies and embrace a more authentic, empowered approach to leadership.
Testimonials
Sarah brought such an important message to our content heavy conference, reminding us how important it is to carve out time for self-care. She is an amazing ambassador of joy, leaving attendees with the goal of incorporating moments that bring us joy every day. Several attendees indicated that this session was the best one at this conference! - Kathy Messerli, Executive Director, MN Home Care Association
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
Sarah Ciavarri was the perfect addition to our Minnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing (MOLN) conference! Her ability to bring humor into her message and stories was a surprise and very much welcomed! Hands down her delivery 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! - Sarah Fulton, MN Organization for Leaders in Nursing
I offer my highest recommendation for Sarah. You can probably find a lot of facilitators that know the basics but I doubt you can find someone that operates with her graceful and gently challenging nature. We will definitely continue to work with Sarah in the future and I strongly recommend you do the same. - Rev. Dr. Brian Beckstrom, Assistant Vice President, Mission, Church, and Ministry, Valparaiso University
Amazingly inspiring! - MN Dual Training Pipeline Training Participant