I have taken the career path less traveled, and that breadth and depth of experience fuel my unwavering drive for excellence (both my own and others), authentic empathy, and an insatiable curiosity that allows me to see the world through an innovative and creative lens.
About fifteen years ago, I discovered my superpower. I could take a complicated subject and translate it into something that my audience could understand, connect with, and actually use to its fullest. New software, esoteric academic concepts, and complicated governmental business processes became straightforward and, dare I say it, EASY for my teams. I know! It sounds more like the plot of a comic book than real life!
And so when the time came to start my own company, I drew heavily on this skill, because many organizations are wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on well-intended employee engagement/workplace experience programs that just don't have the ROI you need to justify the expense! That's inefficient financially, and heart-breakingly awful for the people who trust you to lead them.
A radical positivity activist, I'm also the founder and Chief Happiness Officer of Happiness Is Courage, where I translate the science and the data behind what really fuels job satisfaction, employee engagement, and healthy company cultures into programs your people will actually use. I embrace cognitive well-being, happiness, and gratitude as avenues to greater personal and professional resilience and organizational performance.
I've spoken at conferences across North America, facilitated numerous workshops on workplace excellence, and worked with groups from 1 to 6000+ to discover and embrace their personal strengths, ambitions, and relationship goals.
A Navy veteran, I also hold a Doctor of Business Administration and focus my research on how intentional gratitude impacts organizational performance. I also received a Masters Degree in Management and Leadership and an MBA. I've had the opportunity to be a guest on dozens of podcasts speaking on the power of happiness in the workplace and in life, and I'm the author of "Silver Threads: Living a Life of Gratitude" and the companion Silver Threads positivity and gratitude journal.
My spouse Kris, a certified Laughter Yoga leader himself, and I also Travel extensively sharing the joy and power of laughter and positivity with community organizations, non-profits, and corporations in a wide variety of industries. The work you all do is very different, but the people who are making it happen? They're all very, very human, and I want to help you connect their passions to your purpose. Once you do that, the sky's the limit!
In our downtime, we enjoy exploring the outdoors (usually by kayak), dancing, and general merry adventuring! We currently live in Indiana with a truly astounding collection of garden gnomes who keep watch over my ever-expanding container gardens.
Sarah Ratekin
May 29, 2024 
