The Visibility Room™: On-Air (and Off Script)
The Visibility Room™: On Air & Off Script is a candid, leadership-forward podcast recorded inside Detroit’s premier visibility studio. Each episode features conversations with the leaders, deal makers, advisors, and builders you want to know; people who live here, work here, or fly in just to be in the room.
It’s smart, fun, and refreshingly human.
The stories are real. The insight is practical.
And while the show is born in Detroit, the perspective travels everywhere.
This is where conversations start, connections happen, and people show up as the kind of leaders others remember.
The Visibility Room™: On-Air (and Off Script)
People Over Titles with Sarah Zigila
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode of On Air & Off Script, host Karyl Morris sits down with HR executive and leadership coach, Sarah Zagilla (affectionately known as "The Heart Lady"), to discuss empathy, human connection, and redefining leadership.
Sarah shares insights on her "Inspire with Heart" system, a practical leadership framework blending heart intelligence with five core principles: humanity, empathy, alignment, reflection, and trust. Drawing from her experience as the VP of People Development at Orbis Holding Group, she explains why organizations must focus on the human side of business especially when 75% of the workforce is disengaged and what it means to challenge the status quo by being part of "the 7%."
Who’s Sarah Zagilla?
Sarah Zagilla believes that leadership is a responsibility, not just a title and that people are human first. As the VP of People Development at Orbis Holding Group, she manages clients, guides leaders through hard conversations, and builds strong, healthy cultures. Known as the creator of "Inspire with Heart," Sarah champions a mindful approach to leadership that moves away from the traditional "command and control" vibe. By coaching leaders to take a breath, regulate their energy, and understand the stories behind employee behaviors, she helps organizations foster genuine connection and reengage their teams. A true member of "the 7%," Sarah is dedicated to pushing the envelope and proving that focusing on people first is where the real magic and innovation happen.
Keep Up With Sarah Zagilla:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahzigila/
Website: www.orbisgroup.com & www.sarahzigila.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Sarah.Zigila
Who’s The Host?
Karyl Morris is the founder of The Image Impact Group and host of The Visibility Room™: On Air & Off Script, filmed exclusively in Detroit’s ONLY visibility creative studio for high impact leaders. With every hand selected guest, she explores the real stories behind leadership, visibility, and influence. Through candid conversations, Karyl helps listeners understand how people build credibility, navigate change, and show up with confidence on camera and beyond.
Keep Up With Karyl Morris:Website: https://www.theimageimpactgroup.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevisibilityroom/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karylmorris/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KarylKMorris
When we are erratic as leaders, we tend to enter rooms erratic. And sometimes the energy field that we give off of our body can say so much more before we even open our mouth. Yes.
SPEAKER_00Welcome to the visibility room on air and off script. Hey, hey, everybody. It's Carol Morris here at the Image Impact Group and the Visibility Room on Air and Off Script. And today I have the Heart Lady, Sarah Zagilla with me. Sarah, welcome.
SPEAKER_02Thank you so much. I'm excited to be here.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I'm excited that you're here too. And I know you've got a lot of great things going on. But before we get started, just introduce yourself, what you do, who you serve. Sure.
SPEAKER_02So I'm Sarah Zagilla. I'm the vice president of people development at Orbis Holding Group. And so I am responsible for managing all of our clients. But I coach, I guide, and help leaders have the hard conversations, help build strong teams, have healthy cultures. So all things HR, which I love and I love people. And so that's what I do by day.
SPEAKER_00I love it. Yeah. So we're going to start out with some rapid fire questions. Do you ready? Perfect. I'm ready for it. Don't think too hard. Just answer top of mouth. You got it. Okay. All right. What is a first impression you want people to have of you?
SPEAKER_02That I'm a positive human being making a good impact on the world.
SPEAKER_00Well, I think you do the really good job of that. Thank you. What's your favorite way to connect? In person or digitally?
SPEAKER_02In person for sure. I love I'm all about the vibe. I'm all about the connection, the eye contact. Yeah. Just like the real, the real energy between humans.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I love that. All right. And what builds credibility faster? Expertise, presence, or consistency?
SPEAKER_02Ooh, that's a tough one. I would say presence and consistency. Okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Why?
SPEAKER_02Why? Um, because being fully present is important, and I think that's what builds natural, authentic connection, but also consistency allows me to know that you're serious about what you're doing and that you're taking it seriously. And so that shows me like you're willing to put in the work, and I think that's honorable and credible.
SPEAKER_00Awesome. I love that answer. What's a trust killer that you often see?
SPEAKER_02Ooh, gossip and talking behind people's back. If you're talking about someone and I'm in the room, I am definitely knowing that you're doing the same thing about me.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So people who talk about others behind their back, I do not love.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. I love that. Yeah. So when I was in high school, we had I had a teacher and he said to us, Don't say something behind, don't say something about somebody unless you would say it to their face.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, that's a novel idea. Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's really easy to like point the fli finger at other people. Yeah. It's really hard to turn the finger inward to be like, hmm, what did I, how did I participate in that conversation? But it's always easy to make everybody else the villain and the victim. Um, or you be the victim. So yeah, I agree with you.
SPEAKER_00It's funny because we did a podcast with um uh somebody else the other day, and this kind of came up too. And we were talking about when did we become a culture where we throw people under the bus first and then back out and say, oh, wait a minute, maybe yeah, there's a different side of the story. So interesting.
SPEAKER_02It is very interesting. And for some reason, in my own particular experience, some of the ladies are the worst to each other at times. You know, they have to kind of c climb each other's back. And I think that's just because we've been taught by society, this is just my own personal opinion. Um, taught by society that, you know, there's only small spaces for us to be in, that there's not enough to go around. And so we feel like this pressure and this fear, like I'm not gonna get an opportunity. Yeah. And I think we just need to open up our mind a little bit and say, there's room for everybody here, and let's lift each other up, let's support each other, and we can get there together. There's enough there for everybody to eat. Yeah. And so, no, no, no, that's just my personal philosophy.
SPEAKER_00No, I I think I think there's some validity to that. And and it does feel much better when you can say, let's go together. Let's go together. Let's do this together. Let's figure out how we can work together and how we can make one another's process or framework or whatever better, right? And just yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Okay, my last one is what's the number one leadership lesson that you've learned and that's stayed with you over the years?
SPEAKER_02That people are human and that you have to see beyond the job description, you have to see beyond the title, you have to understand that there's a story behind every behavior, yeah, and that people are people. And when you can get to that and the root of that, everything else can be much easier. Yeah. But understanding that people are human and that we're more than the jobs that we do.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And the jobs that we do are affected by the humans that we are.
SPEAKER_02That's correct.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00All right. So I mentioned earlier the heart lady. Yeah. Yeah. What led to the creation of Inspire with Heart? Tell us first of all, what is Inspire with Heart? And then and what was the journey to get there?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So Inspire with Heart is a very practical leadership system, I would say. So it blends this concept of science, which is heart intelligence, and also five core principles: humanity, empathy, alignment, reflection, and trust. So when we are erratic as leaders, we tend to enter rooms erratic. And sometimes the energy feel that we give off of our body can say so much more before we even open our mouth.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But when we can take a deep breath, we can call attention to things that we're feeling grateful for, that we're appreciative of, and we take a sense of calm.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02We're so much more able to have clearer conversations, make better choices, lead an initiative better. And so I'm trying to teach leaders that we have to regulate, we have to take deep breaths, we have to see people for those five core principles I was just talking about. And we have to own our part in leadership. Because leadership is a responsibility. It's not this command and control vibe anymore. People want to be guided, they want to be led, they want to be mentored, they want to they want to learn from the gurus. And so we can help people do that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And that's why Inspire with Heart was created. So I can help leaders have that system.
SPEAKER_00Very cool. Yeah. And be the 7% is like a tagline, a slogan, uh, there's a story. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So, you know, my story is a little bit interesting. I went to college a little bit later in life. And so I had this sociology professor who was talking about cultures and society. And he shared this philosophy with me that 93% of any given society or culture typically conform to the norm, right?
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02They will do everything they can to kind of blend in and go with the program because they don't want to color outside the lines. But in in any given society, there's typically 7% of people who will push the envelope, who will ask the questions, who will challenge the status quo. And in that moment, when I was hearing him talk, I was like, that's who I am. I want to be the 7%. And I'm going to do whatever I can to be the 7%. So I use that philosophy when I mentor high school kids, um, when I'm working with my own team, when I'm working with my clients. And that's really what kind of sparked Inspire with Heart, because when I work with leaders, I see how much pressure and stress we put on dashboards and metrics and KPIs, but we were missing the human element, which is heart. And so I'm going to shake things up a little bit. And though people don't really love talking about emotions or bringing your whole self to work or, you know, the human aspect of who we are every single day. I think it's a necessary conversation. And with AI and all of this pressure on streamlining and making things more effective and easier, we've got to remember that we've got people who are supporting these roles that we've got in our organizations, and we're losing connection. Gallup, it's, you know, three quarters of our workforce is disengaged from the work that they're doing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that is an extraordinary number. Three quarters of our workforce.
SPEAKER_02And that's just in the United States. It's actually larger, it's a larger statistic from a global perspective. So here we are investing all this money into leadership programs into our leaders, but we're we're not focusing on the right things. And so I want to focus on heart. I want to focus on people. I want to focus on connection. And that is where the magic happens. And that's where the performance grows. That's when, you know, the innovation starts to explode. And that's where the greatness happens, but we got to focus on people first.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, I mean, that that is what we focus on here at the visibility room too, right? Is helping people understand what is different about who they are, what they do differently, what they bring to the table.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So that, you know, when when you hire your team, you're hiring them because they are unique. Exactly. And then we put them in a box and don't let them be unique.
SPEAKER_02Doesn't make much sense now, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_00No, it doesn't, especially when people buy into people, right? So exactly. You know, it yeah, you've got to have that nice balance and to strive to be the 7%. Maybe by doing that, we get to grow that number a little bit, you know, higher. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And I honestly, Carol, when I met you, I was like, okay, Carol is part of that 7%. She's doing it different. You know, you are you're inviting people into this warm space that's collaborative and kind and genuine and where you feel embraced. And I just had that energy and that sense ever since I walked through these doors. And so yeah, I'm excited to have this conversation with someone who gets it. Yeah. Yeah. So thank you. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00It's funny. I was um out with a client last night and we were joking about that because I've never done anything the quote unquote right way.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But that's how you discover new things, right? If you do everything the way that the status quo has gone, then you're just part of the status quo. And that's okay. And that's great for a lot of things, but not for bringing in a new way of looking at things or a new way of moving around, or or how you incorporate work with strategy and results. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02Life is not linear, right? And it moves in so many different directions. My career has moved in so many different directions. I know my friends, my family, my my colleagues, their life has moved in so many different directions. So why do we think that we can just structure things? It's just it doesn't make any sense to me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but yeah. You know, and and I I think I think we do need some structure, right? You always have to give yourself boundaries. Yes. And the KPIs are, you know, necessary.
SPEAKER_02I I don't want to ever say that I don't believe in the balance and the importance of metrics and having clear expectations and open communication. That's all very important. But we can't forget the human side of people. That's the thing. So we gotta bring it together. Yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I love, love, love.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So what do you believe leaders are missing right now when it does come to connection and engagement? Because 75%, three-quarters is a very large number.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Well, they're they're missing support from probably their leaders as well. Um, and they're not really necessarily given the tools on how to be a people leader. Typically, leaders are promoted or elevated because they're so great at what they do, which is fantastic. But putting that on the shelf and then becoming a people leader takes an exceptional amount of skills and it takes a little bit of finesse, and it takes a little bit of learning about communication and learning about people's communication styles and what they how they like to learn. So there's all these other elements that come along with leadership and guiding people and coaching people and mentoring people that's not handwritten in a book.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_02Um, it's not just a well, step one, two, and three, and you're gonna be an amazing leader and you're gonna rock it out. No, that's not how it goes. People are dynamic. And so learning how to manage people dynamics, how to have mindful conversations around difficult topics, how to see people for who they are and what they are, and kind of meeting them where they at takes a certain level of skills and finesse and approachability that people aren't just handed when they take a leadership position. So I hope I answered your question. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_00I'm all in, I'm all engaged. Yes, yes. So, you know, with with becoming a leader, yeah, it you can have a great sense of overwhelm because like you just said, it it is not a here's here's your playbook, one, two, three, now you're a great leader. There's there's dynamic and there's overwhelm and there's yeah um maybe a little bit of wondering if you can actually do it. There's that self-doubt. Yeah. What what do you think the number one shift is to bring people to that other side?
SPEAKER_02Ooh, that's a great question. The shift to bring people to the other side. I think it's really kind of coaching about prioritizing your day and how you're gonna create intention intentionality with your people. You know, so you've got one-on-one meetings, you've got meetings that you have to attend to, you've got your own tasks that you have to complete, and then you've got to figure out how to coach and guide somebody. What the heck? How do you even do that? So I think starting your day with some intentionality, kind of mapping things out, having a structure and a program, working it intentionally, that is where the shift happens. And it's a little bit of upfront work.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, but then like it becomes a cadence. Yeah. Then it becomes natural. Then it becomes like, hey, we need to just have a conversation. Here's what's working, here's what's not working, here's what I need. This is the support that I'm looking for. Help me. And then it becomes like a well-loiled machine machine. Yeah. Yes. Yes. So it takes some upfront work, intentionality, some planning, some structure, and a little bit of heart. And uh you can really help people shape their entire career.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I love that. Yeah. Thank you for walking us through that because I think that's a a part of leadership and a part of business that doesn't get enough um focus. Okay. I agree. And I agree. And, you know, it we are not machines. We are not, you know, just checking boxes. It just isn't possible. Yeah. Life is life in, right? Life is life in. Life is life in.
SPEAKER_02And I know some leaders are like, oh, I don't want to be therapist to my people. It's not about that. Yeah. We can still hold our people accountable. It's just, like I said, understanding there's a story behind the behavior. Right. And saying, how do I support you to get through this and what can we do together?
SPEAKER_00Yes. So cheers to that. Cheers to that. All right. So we're gonna move over to my magic bowl here. Okay, magic bowl. I must tell you that I have chicken scratch for writing. So when you pick something, just hand it to me and I shall read it. Perfect. All right. All right, there you go. All right. Ooh. What's a hill you'll die on? What is something that you believe that you are not changing?
SPEAKER_02Integrity. Who I am is who I am. Um, and my value system is my value system. And I will not um mold myself into something for someone else any longer. So who I am is what I am. Uh you either like it or you don't. And you know, I'm for some people and so for not for others. And that is okay with me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so we cannot be everything to everybody. That is correct. And sometimes, you know, you have to go through some life to realize and get there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But boy, when you get there, does it feel good?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. It feels good to be on your your own platform and and solid who you are.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, the thing is too, is that when you when you develop that confidence in that, you know who you are, what you are, and how you move in the world, you attract those people.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. You're about to go.
SPEAKER_02Some okay. There's another one. Okay. Here you are.
SPEAKER_00All right. Okay. Oh. A Detroit moment you'll never forget.
SPEAKER_02I have a lot of Detroit moments I'll never forget. Um, probably seeing Pink in concert on the main floor and watching her soar above me. And that whole experience I went um with my spouse. I took my sister. We had a really amazing time. I'm a lover of pink and everything that she stands for. And to be able to see her on the main floor and not in the elevated seats at LCA is actually a dream. Um, so that was one of my really I had so many great moments. Oh man.
SPEAKER_00And Detroit for people that are not familiar with Detroit, Little Caesars Arena. Yeah, yeah. Which is a beautiful arena, but it is steep.
SPEAKER_02Yes, it is.
SPEAKER_00It is steep.
SPEAKER_02So very, very steep. I don't know how people don't fall and tumble a little bit more. We don't hear stories about that. Thank God.
SPEAKER_00I know. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_02What is it about her that you love so much? Her authenticity, her I don't give up attitude that you either like me, you don't. She stands for humanity. She stands for the things that are, I think, on the right side of history. She stands for women, yeah, strength, courage, confidence, everything that I look up to. Um, and she's just a little bit of a badass in my life.
SPEAKER_00She's a little bit, yeah. Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_02She's definitely a badass, and I just admire her. And uh, so yeah.
SPEAKER_00I love how she is bringing her daughter in. Oh my gosh. She takes such care.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And and also lets her shine in a way that is pretty amazing. So yeah, I it's been fun to watch her her grow in her career. Like we know Pink. So Pink, if you're out there, we'll be.
SPEAKER_03Hey, girl.
SPEAKER_00We're proud of you. All right, let's do another one.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, she would definitely be one of those people that I want to sit in a room with and just have a, you know, if I could take like four women, she'd be one of them. Yes. Here. Oh, that looks like a long one.
SPEAKER_00Like, I don't want anything to do with that. I like this one. Okay. What's something you're wildly unqualified to give advice on? Wildly unqualified.
SPEAKER_02Um, I'm sure there's several things. Um wildly unqualified. Oh shoot. Um comedy. Yeah, I'm wildly so um my spouse is a comedian, uh, improv comedian. And I don't have I don't have that quick wit, that like that improv brain that just allows you to spit fire and just have new fun. So I'm definitely the comedy scene is not where I'm good at. No. I mean, I'm you're a good audience member? Yeah, I'm a great audience member. I will laugh hysterically and applaud, but I I cannot be involved in comedy whatsoever.
SPEAKER_00I'm out. I'm out. I'm out. Oh my goodness. Me not funny.
SPEAKER_02Me not funny.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, right. You're so funny. Anything that's coming up in your world that people need to be aware of or Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So um I'm gonna be participating in Disrupt HR and Arbor um in the beginning part of June. I'm also gonna be a part of the ATD Detroit Top Trainer Throwdown. It's gonna be very, very serious. So I've got those two really big events that are coming up. Um, I've got a conference coming up in the future that's not 100% solidified yet. So I don't want to say that. But I've got some really, really fun, cool stuff coming up. There's a great HR uh conference going on in July called HR Unite that I'm a part of. So I've got a lot of good things cooking, a lot of fun stuff. Awesome. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, thank you so much for hanging out with us today and sharing the heart because it is incredibly important. And again, like we've said, it just isn't taken into consideration quite as much as it should be when it comes to business.
SPEAKER_02I agree. Yeah, thank you so much for letting me be here. It was a it was a great time. I enjoyed that movement really fast. So thank you.
SPEAKER_00Thank you very much, Carol. I appreciate that. You are welcome, Sarah. So if you are out there, make sure to like and follow us. Make sure to follow Sarah on LinkedIn and give a little heart today. Be kind to your neighbor, be kind to the people that you're working with, be a little bit more understanding today than you were yesterday. All right, everybody. Take care. Bye.