Sarah Burlew understands something most leaders never learn: work doesn't have to be soul-crushing. Business doesn't have to operate like it's still the 1800s. And joy is not a luxury. It's a competitive advantage.

As founder and CEO of Omly, an award-winning management consulting firm, Sarah walked away from a stable career during a pandemic to build something radically different. She hit $1.9 million in revenue in year one. She's now on the Inc. 5000 list, recognized as a Global Top 100 Inspiring Workplace, and named a Most Admired CEO. But what makes her remarkable isn't the accolades. It's that she built all of this by centering joy, empathy, authenticity, and psychological safety as core business strategies—not soft perks.

In this powerful conversation with host Jodie O'Brien, Sarah reveals what it takes to bet on yourself when everyone doubts you, build a people-first culture at scale, and pioneer a completely different kind of leadership. She doesn't offer inspiration without substance. She offers proof.

This episode addresses a fundamental question most professionals never ask: What if work could be different? What if the thing keeping organizations from succeeding isn't strategy or innovation, but the absence of humanity?

Sarah shares:

• Why she walked away from consulting despite success
• How she identified the real gap in how we work
• Building $1.9M in revenue in year one during a pandemic
• Creating psychological safety and joy at an organizational scale
• Why empathy and authenticity are competitive advantages (not weaknesses)
• Leading with values even when it costs business opportunities
• The difference between entrepreneurs and calculated risk-takers
• Building a company designed for people, not efficiency
• How to reframe feedback and trust yourself over others' assessments
• The legacy she's building for future women leaders

What makes this episode different: Sarah doesn't tell you what should be true about work. She shows you what's possible when you build it differently. Her company isn't hypothetical. It's real. People work there. They thrive there. And she's willing to walk away from business that doesn't align with her values.

This is for anyone who's felt the disconnect between company values and lived experience. For women considering a major pivot but fearing the timing. For leaders wondering if there's a better way. For anyone who believes joy belongs at work but has never seen it modeled. For people ready to understand that different is possible and profitable.