EPISODE 6: WE’RE THE LEADERS WE’RE LOOKING FOR 2025 RETROSPECTIVE

In the 2025 retrospective episode Lisa talks about what she learned from conversations with local heroes Jay Mullineaux, Lori Fong, and Herman G. Hernandez.

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Show Notes

Lisa Carreño, United Way of the Wine Country, https://www.unitedwaywinecountry.org

Brandt Hoekenga, TIV Branding, https://www.tivbranding.com

Doctor Clarissa Pinkola Estes We Were Made for These Times essay: https://www.awakin.org/v2/read/view.php?tid=2195

Valarie Kaur and the Revolutionary Love Project https://valariekaur.com/ https://revolutionarylove.org/

Monica Sharman https://www.impactlaunch.org/

EPISODE 6: WE’RE THE LEADERS WE’RE LOOKING FOR 2025 RETROSPECTIVE

Guest: Herman G. Hernandez, Executive Director of Los Cien Sonoma County

Host: Lisa Carreño - President and CEO of UnitedWayWineCountry.org

About the Episode:

In the 2025 retrospective Lisa talks about what was uncovered through three conversations with local leaders.

Key Discussion Points:

  • Over three conversations in 2025 with three local heroes Jay Mullineaux, Lori Fong, and Herman G. Hernandez, we've had the opportunity to explore leadership from within and the kind of impact we can have by just showing up authentically, maybe a little bit afraid, but nonetheless overcoming our fear to be who we are, where we are because our community needs us now.

Key Takeaways:

  • Generosity builds trust, and trust builds community.

  • Belonging starts with listening deeply and creating space for every voice.

  • Growth lives on the other side of discomfort.

Action Steps & Ways to Connect:

TRANSCRIPT

Transcripts are automatically generated. Please excuse any typos.

Hi, this is Lisa Carreño. I'm the president and CEO of United Way of the Wine Country. And a few months ago, we launched a podcast that we call We're the Leaders We're Looking For.

Over three conversations with three local heroes Jay Mullineaux, Lori Fong, and Herman G. Hernandez, we've had the opportunity to explore leadership from within and the kind of impact we can have by just showing up authentically, maybe a little bit afraid, but nonetheless overcoming our fear to be who we are, where we are because our community needs us now.

What did Jay Mullineaux, Lori Fong, and Herman G. Hernandez have in common? They reminded us that leadership isn't about titles. It's actually about courage and curiosity and connection. Across these three episodes, we've explored what it means to lead with heart.

From Jay, we heard this: That generosity builds trust, and trust builds community.

From Lori: Belonging starts with listening deeply and creating space for every voice.

And from Herman: Do something you fear every day. Growth lives on the other side of discomfort.

Their stories reveal a truth we often forget. The leaders we're looking for are already here. They're us. And they include you. Our community needs you more now than ever. So take a breath. Take a look in the mirror and ask what story of your life reminds you why you do this work.

If you'd like to get even more involved with the work that United Way of the Wine Country is doing, please join us. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and follow us on social media. You'll find us on Facebook, and you'll find us in LinkedIn, and you'll find us in NextDoor. We're banned from Instagram. I'll leave that to you to figure out why that might have happened.

Sign up for our newsletter at our website. UnitedWayWineCountry.org and share our conversations with a friend. Feel free to have the same conversations that we're having here with your friends. The more of us having conversations like this, the more we will all appreciate that we are the leaders that we're looking for, and we're just looking for a place to get started.

Thanks for starting here.