Member since August 2023
Sara Lohse doesn’t believe in big, dramatic origin stories. She believes in the small ones—the messy, honest, “you can’t make this up” moments that actually make people stop scrolling and start listening. (Yes, including the one about accidentally getting a very unfortunate tattoo in Ireland.)
She’s the founder of Branded Media and Favorite Daughter Media, a podcast strategist, and the two-time award-winning author of Open This Book: The Art of Storytelling for Aspiring Thought Leaders. Her career has taken her from pun-driven campaigns at an ad agency to directing marketing for a financial firm to running a Signal Award-winning podcast production house—and she’ll tell you every single detour was exactly the point. Because everything happens for a story.
Today, Sara works with business owners and consultants who want to use podcasting and thought leadership to build real trust—not manufacture hype. She produces mission-driven podcasts, develops brand voice, and coaches clients to turn everyday experiences into content that connects.
She’s spoken on stages at FinCon Expo, PodFest Multimedia Expo, Speakonomics, and Outlier Podcast Festival, has been featured on dozens of business and entrepreneurship podcasts and in Authority Magazine, and can even be spotted on Netflix. Her superpower? Seeing stories where everyone else sees chaos.
A lot of storytelling advice centers on finding one big, defining moment and building everything around it. I take a different approach.
What I see resonate most with audiences are the smaller, everyday stories—the moments that feel familiar, honest, and easy to recognize. Those are the stories that help people see themselves in the message, trust the speaker, and actually understand how the ideas apply to their own work and lives, especially in a business context.
As the owner of Branded Media, I work closely with business owners and thought leaders who use content and communication as part of their growth strategy. My work has given me a front-row seat to how storytelling functions in real life—not as a performance, but as a way to clarify ideas, build credibility, and create connection over time.
On stage, I focus on helping audiences rethink what “having a story” really means. We talk about how everyday experiences—client interactions, small turning points, moments of uncertainty or insight—can become meaningful stories that make ideas stick. I’m especially interested in helping people move away from scripted, overly polished narratives and toward stories that feel grounded, relevant, and human.
Because I spend so much time behind the scenes shaping content and messaging, I’m mindful of pacing, clarity, and how ideas land in a room. I design talks that are thoughtful, conversational, and practical—giving audiences language, frameworks, and perspective they can immediately apply.
If your event explores storytelling, communication, leadership, creativity, or business growth, I bring a perspective rooted in using story as a tool for connection and clarity—not performance or selling.
In 2021, I accidentally got booked as a guest on the acclaimed financial podcast Stacking Benjamins, not to share my insights and wisdom about money, but to tell a story about a really bad tattoo. Somehow, the way I was guided to tell the story made me see the value in it, and now I share it openly on stages across the country as proof that even stories that seem trite can be invaluable when told well.
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, fostering a strong company culture is more crucial than ever. With remote work, global teams, and the constant influx of new employees, how can we ensure that everyone feels connected, informed, and engaged? Internal podcasts hold the key.
By tuning in to this medium, HR professionals can play a pivotal role in enhancing company culture, fostering connections, and ensuring that every voice is heard. This session will explore how organizations can leverage the power of podcasting to strengthen company culture, enhance internal communication, and build a more engaged and informed workforce.
When we were kids, we (or, at least, me) were always being told to use our inside voices. Sometimes we were told this when we weren’t even indoors. We were always told we needed to speak more quietly, even if we were so excited we felt like we would burst if we didn’t yell it for the world to hear.
What is the topic that when you start speaking about it, you just simply can’t use your inside voice?
Knowing about that topic can make you an expert. But being an expert isn’t enough. We need to connect with our audience so they don’t only hear us, they listen to us.
In this session, I want to show you how to take that topic and turn it into your platform for thought leadership.
Podcasting has emerged as a game-changing platform for businesses to reach their target audience and establish a strong online presence. This session will delve into the various advantages of podcasting and how it can be effectively leveraged to drive growth, foster customer engagement, and boost brand loyalty. Attendees will gain practical knowledge on how and why they should be using podcasting in their marketing plan.
Being a great podcast guest is an art. Being a podcast guest that hosts want to invite back while also leveraging the marketing opportunity is a science.
In this session, podcast producer and coach Sara Lohse will walk you through her 5 steps of guesting that brings value and expertise–rather than a sales pitch–and the preparation steps you can use to maximize your impact for your brand.
Using podcasting, speaking, and other avenues of thought leadership is a great way to spread the word about your business. But if you want to engage an audience rather than sound like an commercial, you need to lead with human connection. In this session, you’ll learn why your story is more valuable than your knowledge, how to choose and craft a story that connects, and how to turn those connections into business opportunities.
In 2021, I accidentally got booked as a guest on the acclaimed financial podcast Stacking Benjamins, not to share my insights and wisdom about money, but to tell a story about a really bad tattoo. Somehow, the way I was guided to tell the story made me see the value in it, and now I share it openly on stages across the country as proof that even stories that seem trite can be invaluable when told well.
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, fostering a strong company culture is more crucial than ever. With remote work, global teams, and the constant influx of new employees, how can we ensure that everyone feels connected, informed, and engaged? Internal podcasts hold the key.
By tuning in to this medium, HR professionals can play a pivotal role in enhancing company culture, fostering connections, and ensuring that every voice is heard. This session will explore how organizations can leverage the power of podcasting to strengthen company culture, enhance internal communication, and build a more engaged and informed workforce.
When we were kids, we (or, at least, me) were always being told to use our inside voices. Sometimes we were told this when we weren’t even indoors. We were always told we needed to speak more quietly, even if we were so excited we felt like we would burst if we didn’t yell it for the world to hear.
What is the topic that when you start speaking about it, you just simply can’t use your inside voice?
Knowing about that topic can make you an expert. But being an expert isn’t enough. We need to connect with our audience so they don’t only hear us, they listen to us.
In this session, I want to show you how to take that topic and turn it into your platform for thought leadership.
Podcasting has emerged as a game-changing platform for businesses to reach their target audience and establish a strong online presence. This session will delve into the various advantages of podcasting and how it can be effectively leveraged to drive growth, foster customer engagement, and boost brand loyalty. Attendees will gain practical knowledge on how and why they should be using podcasting in their marketing plan.
Being a great podcast guest is an art. Being a podcast guest that hosts want to invite back while also leveraging the marketing opportunity is a science.
In this session, podcast producer and coach Sara Lohse will walk you through her 5 steps of guesting that brings value and expertise–rather than a sales pitch–and the preparation steps you can use to maximize your impact for your brand.
Using podcasting, speaking, and other avenues of thought leadership is a great way to spread the word about your business. But if you want to engage an audience rather than sound like an commercial, you need to lead with human connection. In this session, you’ll learn why your story is more valuable than your knowledge, how to choose and craft a story that connects, and how to turn those connections into business opportunities.