In Episode 2 of The Smoke Trail, Smoke Wallin welcomes Sarah Fruehling, M.A., MCC, BCC, an executive coach and former trauma therapist, for a deep, reflective conversation. Recorded outdoors in Sedona, the episode begins with Smoke setting the intention: to explore authentic stories of high-performing individuals who’ve faced their shadows, offering listeners insights into resilience and consciousness. He praises Sarah’s work coaching global CEOs, noting her rare opportunity here to share her own journey rather than solely supporting others.
Sarah aligns with Smoke’s intent, aiming to elevate consciousness and foster healing through their dialogue. She leads a grounding exercise—three deep breaths with audible sighs and smiles—to center themselves and listeners, explaining its neuroscience-backed benefits (e.g., reducing stress hormones, boosting feel-good hormones). This sets a calm, intentional tone.
Sarah shares her backstory, shaped by two profound traumas. First, she endured sexual abuse from preschool to fifth grade by a non-immediate family member. At 10, inspired by an after-school special, she bravely disclosed the abuse, receiving parental support, confronting her abuser (a sociopath and pedophile), and later, in her thirties, seeking closure as he neared death. Second, she faced the loss of her second son, Charlie, who died at birth after a high-risk pregnancy, a grief compounded by her work as a trauma therapist supporting vulnerable clients. Her mentor, Jim Marks, offered a transformative perspective: “It’s moments like these that help us discover the shores of our soul,” enabling her to find depth and capacity to hold space for others.
The discussion pivots to leadership and spirituality. Smoke and Sarah explore how trauma informs their ability to hold space—an energetic, emotional gift for others—contrasting performative vulnerability with authentic sharing. Sarah rebranded in 2024 to attract conscious leaders open to “woo-woo adjacent” ideas, reflecting her mystic side previously concealed from Fortune 20 clients. Smoke ties this to YPO’s culture of deep, confidential sharing, emphasizing the podcast’s focus on the “top 5% and bottom 5%” of human experience.
They delve into practical tools for transmuting trauma’s energy, like EMDR (Smoke recounts a session releasing infant trauma energy) and mindful breathing (Sarah’s “listen to the room” hack). Both stress sovereignty over reactions—Smoke likening it to an experienced paratrooper’s calm versus a novice’s anxiety—highlighting how consciousness shifts perspective on life’s challenges. They advocate for leaders to cultivate emotional grit, depth, and capacity, noting research that self-regulated, appreciative leadership boosts profitability and employee fulfillment.
Sarah offers listeners an “anti-gravity call” gift—a coaching session for quantum growth or trauma support—accessible via fruehlingcoaching.com or her socials, alongside keynotes on conscious leadership and emotional intelligence. The episode closes with mutual gratitude, a promise of future talks, and an invitation for audience engagement.
In deep appreciation to the Smoke Show community, Sarah would like to offer you the gift of time - a 1:1 Anti-Gravity call to discover how you can break free from settling and sacrificing in your leadership and in your life. On this call, you will explore the specific ways you need to be pushed out of your comfort zone to
uplevel your leadership, enhance your well-being, and achieve happy success. You can schedule your Anti-Gravity call here:
https://www.fruehlingcoaching.com/get-started.
Episode 2