Meet Sara
Sara Valentine
Founder & President, SimplyHR, LLC | Creator of HEART Leadership™
Sara Valentine is an executive HR leader, speaker, and people advocate with nearly 20 years of experience helping organizations build stronger leaders, healthier cultures, and workplaces where people and business thrive together.
As the founder of SimplyHR, LLC, Sara believes business owners shouldn't have to navigate complicated people challenges alone. She brings executive-level HR experience to growing businesses — practical guidance without the corporate jargon, unnecessary complexity, or one-size-fits-all solutions.
Her Story
A Career Built on People
Throughout her career, Sara has worked across industries and alongside leaders at every level — helping organizations navigate change, strengthen trust, tackle difficult conversations, and create cultures where people feel valued and accountable.
She's the creator of the HEART Leadership Framework™ — Hear, Empathize, Acknowledge, Respond, and Thank — and host of the HEART Leadership Podcast, where she brings real conversations about leadership, empathy, trust, and the human side of business to listeners around the world.
At the heart of everything she does is a simple belief: Great businesses are built by people, and great leadership starts with how we treat them.
Lead with HEART, and the rest will follow.
Credentials
Awards & Recognition
Award Badges
"Featured Conversations & Media"
Featured Conversations & Media
"Sara's voice on leadership, culture, and the human side of business."
Profound Professionals Podcast
A conversation on building cultures of trust and accountability.
Listen nowGrossly Competent Podcast
Real talk on leadership, people challenges, and what it means to lead well.
Listen nowSister Leaders Conference
Featured speaker at the 2025 Sister Leaders Conference — women in leadership sharing stories of resilience and growth.
Learn moreHEART Leadership Podcast
Sara's own podcast — real conversations about empathy, trust, and the human side of business.
Listen nowPublished Works
Published Works
Bizwomen — Stop Giving Advice
Why the best leaders ask better questions instead of jumping to solutions.
Read article →SHRM — Combatting HR Burnout
Practical strategies for HR professionals navigating burnout in a demanding field.
Read article →Influential Women — Sara Valentine
Recognized on the Influential Women platform for her work in HR leadership, people strategy, and building workplaces where people thrive.
Read feature →Undeterred — Co-Author, Chapter 13
A contributing author exploring resilience and leadership through adversity.
Get the book →Fixing the Foundations
Sara's forthcoming book on building people-first organizations from the ground up.
People Matter. Culture Matters. Leadership Matters.