Her Story
About Sarah
I am self-employed as the executive director of Sarah Speaks Up, a nonprofit that I founded. I am an author and a public speaker, and I've been speaking publicly for over a decade since 2013. I published my first book in 2017 about surviving domestic violence, and my second book is coming out in the next couple months about surviving human trafficking in my childhood. The subject matter goes hand in hand. I am media ready and have done any media from radio to live television, magazines, newspapers, and any publication, whether it be video, podcast, or what have you. I'm ready to do any kind of interview and get into the grit of the subject matter. I am a certified domestic violence counselor specializing in trauma recovery, and my certification is through the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Part of the abuse in my childhood was financial abuse by my father, who was my trafficker and abuser. I went back to college, but by then I was a single mom and an only parent because my ex-husband was severely violent. I attended Berklee College of Music but did not go for a degree, and then I went to Central Connecticut State University as a single mom, but I was only able to do one full year. I have 280,000 followers on social media. My main goal is to reach as many people as I can.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sarah
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think that I have always had a certain internal grit, and on some level, I think you either have it or you don't. However, I also think that if you surround yourself with like-minded people who have the grit that you're looking to develop, you can become that way as well. For me, it was really just that I've gotten knocked down more times than I can count in my life. It's just that if you get knocked down, have a seat, get a rest, and then get back up. Get back up. Just get back on my bike.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
There's a woman named Kathy McAfee who has an organization called America's Marketing Motivator, and she does something called the Fearless Leader Workshops. She told me to never second guess how important my voice is. I love that woman so much, and I still talk to her. I met her through Soroptimist as well.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My best advice would be to never stop moving unless you're taking a pause for reasons that help you. Rest is absolutely necessary, but making progress, and it sometimes feels so small, but it matters so much in the grand scheme of things, that you just not stop. You don't give up.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field is probably specific to any woman who's talking about surviving domestic violence and human trafficking. There's this double-edged sword. We put ourselves and our truths out for the public in order to help others, and at the same time, I deal with complex PTSD on a daily basis as a result of the things that happened. Most people have it, but mine is pretty severe. I think finding the balance between being an open book and realizing when my self-care has to take precedence is the biggest challenge.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, resilience, and introspection are the most important values to me in my work and personal life.
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