Becoming the Leader I Needed: Lessons in Growth, Influence & Human-Centered Leadership
Release Date: 11/19/2025
From One-Call Closer to Life-Altering Accident: Erech Gallatin on Sales, Resilience & Reinvention
Savvy Leader Podcast
In this powerful episode of the Savvy Leader Podcast, Kristin sits down with Erech Gallatin—sales professional, business owner, and survivor of a life-altering motorcycle accident—to explore what it truly means to create value, build trust, and rebuild your life from the ground up. Erech shares his 25+ year journey as a one-call closer, breaking down the psychology behind sales, influence, and human connection. From his early days in route sales to building a successful 360 Painting franchise, his philosophy is simple but rare: help people get what they want. But everything changed on July...
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I Walked Away at the Peak of My Success (Here's Why) | True North Orientation
Savvy Leader Podcast
Most people don't have a motivation problem—they have an alignment problem. In this episode, I share why I walked away at the peak of my success… and what I discovered instead. For years, I built a successful career, led teams, and did everything "right" on paper. But behind the scenes… something felt off. In this solo episode of the Savvy Leader Podcast, I'm sharing the real story behind: Walking away from my corporate leadership role Choosing alignment over expectation And the repeated pattern of stepping sideways instead of forward This episode introduces the foundation of my True...
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Root Cause Healing, Faith & Energy: How Becka Swanson Helps the Body Heal Naturally | Savvy Leader Podcast
Savvy Leader Podcast
What if your body isn't broken… but trying to tell you something? In this episode of the Savvy Leader Podcast, Kristin sits down with Becka Swanson, founder of Rooted Energetics, to explore the connection between faith, energy, and true root-cause healing. Becka shares her powerful journey—from battling Lyme disease, chronic symptoms, and frustration with traditional approaches—to discovering holistic healing through nutrition, energetics, and understanding the body at a deeper level. This conversation challenges conventional thinking and offers a new perspective: your symptoms may not...
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From VA to Strategic OBM: Building Systems That Scale with Jacki Hayes | Savvy Leader Podcast
Savvy Leader Podcast
What if the problem in your business isn't effort—but structure? In this episode of the Savvy Leader Podcast, Kristin sits down with Jacki Hayes, founder of Jacki Hayes & Co, to break down the real difference between Virtual Assistants and Online Business Managers—and why that distinction can completely change how your business grows. Jacki shares her journey from a 14-year university career to building a systems-driven business rooted in strategy, operations, and sustainable growth. What started as VA work quickly evolved into high-level thought partnership, helping visionary...
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The Trust Recession is REAL: How to Build an Authentic Online Business in 2026 | Naomi Rotstein
Savvy Leader Podcast
In this episode, Kristin sits down with Naomi Rotstein, a business mentor for health and wellness professionals, to discuss the evolving online landscape and the rise of the "trust recession." From AI-generated coaches to shifting buyer behavior, Naomi shares practical strategies for building trust, creating scalable offers, and standing out with authentic content. If you're building an online business in today's noisy digital world, this conversation is essential. 👉 Connect with Naomi: Naomis Latest Offering: ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00:19 – Intro + Meet Naomi Rotstein 00:01:24 – From...
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Simple: You Got Your Time Back… Now What Are You Doing With It?
Savvy Leader Podcast
What happens after you simplify your life and finally get your time back? You simplified your life—but what do you do with the space that remains? A deep dive into self-sabotage, alignment, and redefining success. In this solo episode of the Savvy Leader Podcast, Kristin explores the real challenge of growth—not removing what no longer serves you, but deciding how to use the space that remains. This conversation dives into: Why simplification is the easy part—and what makes it uncomfortable The subtle ways self-sabotage shows up (even as generosity) The internal conflict between growth...
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From Therapist to Mindset Coach: How to Take Bold Risks, Regulate Your Mindset, and Build a Meaningful Practice | Ioana Chei
Savvy Leader Podcast
From Therapist to Mindset Coach: How to Take Bold Risks, Regulate Your Mindset, and Build a Meaningful Practice Episode Summary What does it really take to leave a stable career and pursue a calling that aligns with your purpose? In this episode of The Savvy Leader Podcast, Kristin Gallatin sits down with licensed psychotherapist and mindset coach Ioana Chei to discuss the powerful mindset shifts required to pursue meaningful work and build a business rooted in purpose. Ioana shares her journey from working in a public special-needs school to launching her own psychotherapy practice and...
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The Power of Experimentation in Leadership | Marian Cook on Innovation, Community, and Entrepreneurial Courage
Savvy Leader Podcast
In this episode of the Savvy Leader Podcast, host Kristin Gallatin sits down with Marian Cook, founder of Archstone Workspace, Harvard-trained educator, and executive educator for MIT and Yale. Marian shares her unconventional leadership journey—from systems engineer at IBM to innovation strategist, government advisor, educator, and entrepreneur. Along the way, she developed a philosophy that has shaped her career: treat everything like an experiment. Together they explore: Why experimentation is the foundation of innovation How community drives business success Lessons from building...
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Time Management for Women: Mindset, Boundaries & Burnout Prevention with Erica Dirkes | Savvy Leader Podcast
Savvy Leader Podcast
What if the real problem isn't time… but your mindset about time? In this powerful episode of the Savvy Leader Podcast, Kristin Gallatin sits down with Erica Dirkes, Time Management & Life Coach and founder of Mindful Time Coaching, to unpack the truth about productivity, burnout, boundaries, and why willpower doesn't work long-term. Erica shares how her 25-year corporate career in wealth management—and managing four financial advisors' calendars—led her to build a coaching practice focused on helping women reclaim clarity, energy, and peace. If you've ever said: "I just need more...
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How to Find Alignment in a High-Ambition Season | Fire Horse Energy & The North Star | Savvy Leader Podcast
Savvy Leader Podcast
In this solo episode of the Savvy Leader Podcast, Kristin shares a powerful story from hiking the Cathedral of the Palms trail at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida—and how getting lost on an unmarked trail revealed deeper truths about alignment, integrity, leadership, loyalty, and the cost of moving too fast. If you are ambitious, momentum-driven, and wired to endure, this episode explores the tension between speed and self-trust, loyalty and discernment, and ambition and health. Kristin unpacks: What alignment really feels like (and why it's not aesthetic or curated) The...
info_outlineBecoming the Leader I Needed: Lessons in Growth, Influence & Human-Centered Leadership
Description: In this episode of the Savvy Living Network, Kristin Gallatin—Real Estate Broker/Owner, corporate trainer, long-time operations leader, entrepreneur, and creator of the Savvy Living Network—shares the pivotal moment she realized nothing was stopping her from becoming anything she wanted to be.
Kristin tells the story of standing in a corporate training room, finally recognizing that her superiors weren't "special," and that she was fully capable of doing their job—if she chose to. That realization sparked her transformation from a self-doubting employee into an influential, people-first leader.
She also reveals the leadership philosophies that shaped her career, including her core belief:
"Appreciate people for exactly who they are and what they have to offer. Nothing more, nothing less."
Kristin's mission became clear: To inspire her team to want to work—and to work for her—because they cared, respected her, and didn't want to disappoint her.
This episode also includes the powerful moment of encouragement she received after a major promotion, when a former manager said: "Our company just got a little bit better today."
Whether you're a leader, entrepreneur, or someone striving toward personal growth, this episode will help you rethink the meaning of influence, confidence, humility, and potential.
🌐 Links & ResourcesSavvy Living Network Website: https://savvylivingnetwork.com Savvy Living Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/savvylivingnetwork Savvy Living Instagram: https://instagram.com/kristngallatin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristingallatin1/ Courses, planners, & digital tools: https://savvylivingnetwork.com