Sarah E. Robertson
Sarah Robertson is a dynamic executive performance advisor, business coach, and founder of Stable Ascent, where she partners with CEOs and entrepreneurs to maximize people potential, productivity, and profitability. A U.S. Air Force veteran and self-described “CEO whisperer,” Sarah brings more than two decades of leadership experience spanning financial institutions, manufacturing, aviation, and construction industries. Her work centers on bridging the gap between human capital strategy and business performance, helping organizations build high-trust cultures, strengthen leadership pipelines, and achieve sustainable growth.
Sarah’s career journey is marked by bold leadership and real-world experience. She began her professional path in the military as a communications and networking specialist before transitioning into banking, where she became one of the youngest female CEOs of a financial institution in Wisconsin. She later led Miller Electric Credit Union through a period of significant growth and a successful merger, experiences that shaped her signature leadership philosophy: “Collaboration = High Trust + Low Ego.” Since founding her firm in 2009 (originally The Enthusiastic Executive), Sarah has served as a fractional C-suite leader, executive coach, and strategic advisor, helping organizations navigate change, optimize talent, and elevate performance from the inside out.
Known for her energetic, people-first approach, Sarah is deeply committed to developing leaders who create meaningful, high-performing workplace cultures. She blends emotional intelligence with operational strategy, emphasizing that people are a company’s greatest asset when properly supported and developed. A breast cancer survivor and lifelong learner, she brings resilience, authenticity, and passion into every engagement. Whether guiding executives through complex transitions or coaching emerging leaders, Sarah’s mission is clear: to help organizations grow by investing in their people—and to ensure leaders build businesses where both performance and purpose thrive.
• University of Wisconsin-Green Bay - MSM, Business Management
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - Bachelor’s Degree, Accounting and Business/Management
• Breast Cancer Support
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to failing forward and working on my own resilience. Going through different aspects of trauma, including being a breast cancer survivor, has taught me that after surviving cancer, there aren't too many limitations I can't work through. I was raised by the late-stage baby boomer bankers, and that was my career mapping, but now my walk is simply the love of small business and being able to help other CEOs be heard and seen as they work through people issues. I help their companies make money while they're reaching their highest potential. What's unique about me with Stable Ascent is that I've got the banking background and the people development, so I'm kind of a CEO Whisper.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say embrace the obstacles, and every day is a do-over, so you get to reprioritize that new day. 80-20 your day - in the 20%, focus on the top 3 things that need to happen for having the greatest impact on your company. Make sure to block off time on your calendar to achieve things that you need to achieve, and then make sure to take great care of yourself personally. It's not about making a dollar. That happens when you do what's right by the people. If there's anything I can do to help other people learn to embrace a 40-hour work week instead of a 60-hour work week, I think that's a big deal.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I'm very intentional with how I live. I'm a big believer in Atomic Habits by James Clear, and every day I've got specific habits in the morning and specific habits at night that carry through to my three main goals. I reverse engineer everything - 90 days, 30 days, weekly, daily - and I time block my calendar. I definitely make time for my husband, fishing, health, and my prayer and reflection time in the morning. Breast cancer got me there, and if there's anything I can do to help other people learn to embrace a 40-hour work week instead of a 60-hour work week, I think that's a big deal. As long as we're doing things for the right reasons and continuing to help people out, everybody sleeps well.