Liz Volker: The Interview

04/22/25 • 65 min

In the season one finale of Strengths on Fire, Sarah and Bill welcome the remarkable Liz Volker—homeschooling mom, strengths enthusiast, and graduate of Sarah’s “Strong as a Mother” program. Liz shares how discovering and intentionally applying her top 15 strengths has been truly life-changing, not only for her but for her family. From household systems and values walls to bedtime journals and emotional check-ins, Liz’s strengths-led approach to motherhood is a masterclass in intentional living. This episode is packed with laughs, heartfelt moments, and a fresh take on what it means to be a strong mom who leads with her strengths. Whether you’re a parent or simply someone who wants to live more authentically, this episode is an inspiring reminder that strengths don’t stop at the office door—they’re everywhere we show up in life.

Takeaways

Your strengths don’t just show up at work—they show up in how you parent, partner, and lead at home.
Leading with strategic thinking can help you intentionally shape your family life with purpose and vision.
Learner and Input together can turn everyday motherhood into a beautiful, strengths-based experiment.
Activator energy in parenting means starting bold traditions and building meaningful family rituals.
Self-assurance doesn’t have to mean being perfect—it can mean confidently evolving while parenting.
Using individualization at home helps you connect with each child in ways that uniquely speak to them.
Strengths-based parenting isn’t about fixing kids—it’s about seeing, naming, and growing what’s already strong.
Building a culture of recognition at home helps your kids feel seen, valued, and emotionally safe.
Homeschooling can be a dream playground for context and futuristic thinkers to shape long-term impact.
Command and empathy can coexist—setting boundaries and holding space are both powerful.
A bedtime journal is a simple but profound way to nurture connection and recognize your child’s character.
Strengths language helps couples better understand and support each other’s different needs.
Recognizing your own strengths as a parent gives you confidence and a sense of purpose in the chaos.
Knowing what energizes and depletes each family member helps everyone show up as their best selves.
Living out your values through systems and rituals is one of the best ways to create a strengths-based home.

Sound Bites

I don’t want to just be a memory giver—I want to be a memory recipient too.
My motherhood is going to outlive me—so how am I shaping it today?
When I learned my strengths could be my superpowers, it changed everything.
I’m not trying to be like other moms—I’m trying to be the best version of me.
Strong as a Mother gave me the language to see myself and my family in a whole new way.
The more I understand my strengths, the more permission I give my kids to be fully themselves.
Recognition isn’t just for work—it’s how we build love, trust, and confidence at home.

Liz's Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1) Strategic
2) Learner
3) Relator
4) Input
5) Responsibility
6) Individualization
7) Self-Assurance
8) Command
9) Activator
10) Futuristic

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/

Takeaways

Your strengths don’t just show up at work—they show up in how you parent, partner, and lead at home.
Leading with strategic thinking can help you intentionally shape your family life with purpose and vision.
Learner and Input together can turn everyday motherhood into a beautiful, strengths-based experiment.
Activator energy in parenting means starting bold traditions and building meaningful family rituals.
Self-assurance doesn’t have to mean being perfect—it can mean confidently evolving while parenting.
Using individualization at home helps you connect with each child in ways that uniquely speak to them.
Strengths-based parenting isn’t about fixing kids—it’s about seeing, naming, and growing what’s already strong.
Building a culture of recognition at home helps your kids feel seen, valued, and emotionally safe.
Homeschooling can be a dream playground for context and futuristic thinkers to shape long-term impact.
Command and empathy can coexist—setting boundaries and holding space are both powerful.
A bedtime journal is a simple but profound way to nurture connection and recognize your child’s character.
Strengths language helps couples better understand and support each other’s different needs.
Recognizing your own strengths as a parent gives you confidence and a sense of purpose in the chaos.
Knowing what energizes and depletes each family member helps everyone show up as their best selves.
Living out your values through systems and rituals is one of the best ways to create a strengths-based home.

Sound Bites

I don’t want to just be a memory giver—I want to be a memory recipient too.
My motherhood is going to outlive me—so how am I shaping it today?
When I learned my strengths could be my superpowers, it changed everything.
I’m not trying to be like other moms—I’m trying to be the best version of me.
Strong as a Mother gave me the language to see myself and my family in a whole new way.
The more I understand my strengths, the more permission I give my kids to be fully themselves.
Recognition isn’t just for work—it’s how we build love, trust, and confidence at home.

Liz's Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1) Strategic
2) Learner
3) Relator
4) Input
5) Responsibility
6) Individualization
7) Self-Assurance
8) Command
9) Activator
10) Futuristic

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger

Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/

Previous Episode

Anne George, Bill Dippel Strengths Coaching: The Coaches Table

What do you get when you blend strategic brilliance with quiet empathy and a deep love of Dungeons & Dragons? Anne George. In this episode, we sit down with Anne, the powerhouse behind the curtain at Bill Dippel Strengths Coaching, to talk about what it means to build a business and a coaching practice around your strengths—and why leaning into your own talents (and hiring for your gaps) isn’t just good advice, it’s the whole game. We explore how Anne’s uncommon combo of analytical + empathy gives her both edge and heart, how she manages different personalities with surgical precision, and why every hybrid event needs an empathy-fueled co-coach to make it work. Oh, and we build a strengths-based D&D party while we’re at it. This episode is full of practical tips, real-life laughs, and serious appreciation for the people who keep things running smoothly.

To contact Anne:
https://billdippel.com/

Takeaways

You don’t need the Communication strength to be a great communicator—you just need empathy, strategy, and intention.
Anne’s rare blend of analytical and empathy is her secret weapon—and her greatest inner tug-of-war.
Building a strengths-based business means knowing your gaps and filling them with the right partners.
Strategic thinkers like Anne shine brightest when they’re given space to prep, noodle, and plan.
When you lead with empathy, your coaching doesn’t just connect—it transforms.
Being able to adapt your communication based on someone else’s Top 10 is like having a social superpower.
Recognition and thoughtful delegation are rocket fuel for intellection-heavy team members.
Hybrid events work so much better when someone is dedicated to engaging the virtual side.
We all think differently—but CliftonStrengths gives us the language to explain how and why.
Sometimes the thing that looks like a conflict (like empathy vs. analytics) is actually your unique edge.
Coaches don’t need to be experts in everything—they just need the right team.
Strategic thinkers often have an internal map—so be specific when giving directions!
Relationship-building and strategic thinking don’t have to clash—they can create the ultimate coaching combo.
Invisible labor (like thinking, planning, and preparing) deserves just as much recognition as loud accomplishments.
Developer and intellection together mean Anne’s always thinking about how to help others grow—then circling back to make it even better.

Sound Bites

I read my Top 10 and thought “am I the villain?”
You don’t need the strength of communication to be an incredible communicator.
Strategic gave me the map, but empathy made me look for who was being left out.
I think a lot of people know we process things differently—they just don’t have the language to explain it.
If you try to be great at everything, you’ll end up being mediocre at everything.
My task wasn’t to do anything—it was to think. And that filled my bucket.
Before strengths, that would have been a fight. After strengths, it was just understanding.

Anne’s Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1) Analytical
2) Learner
3) Relator
4) Strategic
5) Empathy
6) Developer
7) Intellection
8) Responsibility
9) Individualization
10) Arranger

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths