Lizzie Vietz, University of Nebraska-Lincoln: The Interview

04/08/25 • 73 min

In this episode of Strengths on Fire, Sarah and Bill welcome Lizzie Vietz—strengths superfan, marketing strategist, and the official “Mother of the Arsonists.” With warmth, humor, and incredible insight, Lizzie shares how her strengths have evolved through college, career pivots, marriage, and grad school. The trio dives into the power of knowing yourself, setting intentional goals, and embracing who you are—flaws, focus blocks, and all. With a heavy dose of positivity, peach rings, and real-life WOO, this episode will leave you inspired to flex your strengths and find joy in who you’re becoming.

To contact Lizzie:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzie-vietz/

Takeaways

Your strengths aren’t just professional tools—they’re personal superpowers in your daily life.
Woo might win hearts, but strategy makes the plan stick.
Career transitions are smoother when guided by your values and strengths.
Communication is more than just words—when it’s done right, it sings.
Positivity doesn’t always look like pep—it often shows up in purpose and presence.
Strengths evolve as you evolve—embrace the shift.
Knowing when to dream and when to do is the secret sauce of futuristic.
Focus is the quiet strength behind getting real work done.
Weekly reflections help high-achievers slow down and actually celebrate.
Developer and empathy aren’t always flashy—but they fuel connection and care.
Boundaries are essential for people with high empathy to thrive.
When your strengths are misused, even your best traits can become a dumpster fire.
Relationships thrive when both partners understand and leverage each other’s strengths.
You’re your longest relationship—get curious about who you are becoming.
Sometimes, all you need is a coffee-flavored candy and a podcast to remember your power.

Sound Bites

My futuristic motivates me in the present—not to dream, but to do.
When I want to be focused, I calendar block. I’m not half-doing a million things—I’m whole-doing one.
Every week, I sit down with my coffee and ask: where did my strengths help me, and where did they get in the way?
My husband and I rate house project ideas with percentages. This dream is only 40% serious.
Your strengths might shift, but that doesn’t mean you’re inauthentic. It means you’re growing.
If I’m not careful, WOO tries to hijack the room—but strategy reminds me to serve, not perform.
Empathy can be a sixth sense, or a floodgate. I’ve learned which strengths help me build the boundaries I need.

Lizzie's Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1) Futuristic
2) Woo
3) Strategic
4) Communication
5) Positivity
6) Competition
7) Focus
8) Achiever
9) Empathy
10) Developer

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/

To contact Lizzie:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzie-vietz/

Takeaways

Your strengths aren’t just professional tools—they’re personal superpowers in your daily life.
Woo might win hearts, but strategy makes the plan stick.
Career transitions are smoother when guided by your values and strengths.
Communication is more than just words—when it’s done right, it sings.
Positivity doesn’t always look like pep—it often shows up in purpose and presence.
Strengths evolve as you evolve—embrace the shift.
Knowing when to dream and when to do is the secret sauce of futuristic.
Focus is the quiet strength behind getting real work done.
Weekly reflections help high-achievers slow down and actually celebrate.
Developer and empathy aren’t always flashy—but they fuel connection and care.
Boundaries are essential for people with high empathy to thrive.
When your strengths are misused, even your best traits can become a dumpster fire.
Relationships thrive when both partners understand and leverage each other’s strengths.
You’re your longest relationship—get curious about who you are becoming.
Sometimes, all you need is a coffee-flavored candy and a podcast to remember your power.

Sound Bites

My futuristic motivates me in the present—not to dream, but to do.
When I want to be focused, I calendar block. I’m not half-doing a million things—I’m whole-doing one.
Every week, I sit down with my coffee and ask: where did my strengths help me, and where did they get in the way?
My husband and I rate house project ideas with percentages. This dream is only 40% serious.
Your strengths might shift, but that doesn’t mean you’re inauthentic. It means you’re growing.
If I’m not careful, WOO tries to hijack the room—but strategy reminds me to serve, not perform.
Empathy can be a sixth sense, or a floodgate. I’ve learned which strengths help me build the boundaries I need.

Lizzie's Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1) Futuristic
2) Woo
3) Strategic
4) Communication
5) Positivity
6) Competition
7) Focus
8) Achiever
9) Empathy
10) Developer

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

Jennifer Vancil, Communicating Strengths: The Coaches Table

In this episode of Strengths on Fire, we welcome the radiant and wise Jennifer Doyle Vancil of Communicating Strengths—career coach, facilitator, and soon-to-be author. From navigating job transitions to helping clients make meaning of their strengths, Jennifer shares how she blends positivity, communication, and strategy to help people create fulfilling careers (not just impressive résumés). We get into the push-pull of Woo + Relator, what happens when your strengths don’t align with the job title, and how to use curiosity and empathy as a career superpower. Expect thoughtful insights, practical coaching gold, and a whole lot of love for NSYNC (yes, really). If you’re a coach, a career changer, or someone just trying to figure out what’s next—this episode will leave you nodding, smiling, and maybe sending a connection request on LinkedIn.

To contact Jennifer:
https://www.communicatingstrengths.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifervancil

Takeaways

Woo + Relator is a powerful yet tricky combo that wants to meet everyone—and keep them forever.
Knowing your strengths gives you language to talk about your value in job interviews and career pivots.
Career coaching isn’t about finding any job—it’s about finding a role where your strengths thrive.
Communication can be a superpower for encouragement, but also a blind spot if not paired with curiosity.
Low Discipline? Build structure through your high themes, like using communication and relationships to stay organized.
Strategic thinkers can help others see paths forward when they feel stuck or overwhelmed.
Positivity isn’t about glossing over pain—it’s about creating space for hope and honesty.
Coaches need to meet clients where they are, not where we want them to be.
Individualization and Connectedness help coaches hold space without judgment.
Clients with low Ideation need help generating options; clients with high Ideation need help narrowing them down.
Not every change is a jump—sometimes it’s just a pivot using the same strengths in a new way.
Strengths don’t define the job you can do—they shape how you will do it.
Career transitions aren’t linear—they’re cycles of self-discovery, decision-making, and growth.
You can use CliftonStrengths to strengthen professional relationships—even with business partners who are your complete opposite.
Strengths-based career coaching is part clarity, part encouragement, and a whole lot of personalized strategy.

Sound Bites

Nobody calls me on their best day—so I show up with strengths and structure.
We turned Achiever into Communication, and suddenly it worked.
Your strengths aren’t just about what you do—they’re how you show up in the world.
High Relator and High Woo means I want to know everyone and stay connected forever—it’s beautiful and exhausting.
Coaching isn’t about my opinion—it’s about helping someone uncover their truth.
When I couldn’t change the system, I realized it was a gravity problem, and I built a bridge to something new.
Knowing your client’s strengths helps you coach them the way they need to be coached, not the way you like to coach.

Jennifer's Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1) Communication
2) Connectedness
3) Maximizer
4) Woo
5) Relator
6) Positivity
7) Belief
8) Individualization
9) Strategic
10) Ideation

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/

Next 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