Can Strengths Make You A Better Parent/Partner: with Dr. Kelly Dries
In this heartfelt and humorous episode, Sarah and Bill welcome Dr. Kelly Dries to explore the question: Can your strengths make you a better parent or partner? With two young kids and a coaching career built around helping women lead with confidence, Kelly shares real-life moments of joy, overwhelm, and self-awareness that will resonate with anyone who’s ever tried to keep their cool during a toddler meltdown or found themselves “shoulding” their way through parenting. The conversation dives into how strengths can either fuel connection or become a dumpster fire—unless we aim them intentionally. From bedtime chaos to partner dynamics, this episode reminds us that self-awareness isn’t just for work—it’s a parenting and relationship superpower too.
Main Takeaways
Main Takeaways
- Self-awareness is the first step in using your strengths effectively at home.
- Achiever can be a gift or a trap—it all depends on how you define “productive.”
- Parenting is constant, evolving, and doesn’t allow for “reassigning roles”—you have to do it all.
- Being present sometimes means letting go of what you “should” do and leaning into what your kids need.
- Your strengths can show up differently at home than at work—and that’s okay.
- Understanding your partner’s strengths helps you avoid unnecessary conflict and misinterpretation.
- Recognizing and naming your child’s emerging strengths fosters confidence and connection.
Sound Bites
- “I want a clean house, but do I want it more than I want connection?”
- “I used to think achiever made me productive—until I realized I was burning myself out on my kids’ bedtime routines.”
- “You might be an incredible teenage parent… just because the baby stage is hard doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.”
- “My kids don’t care about the 800-books milestone—I care. And that was my wake-up call.”
- “Parenting is a masterclass. My strengths have been my survival kit.”
- “Empathy is where I shine—give me a tantrum and I’m in my element.”
- “No shuffling in parenting—you have to play all the roles, all the time.”
- “Sometimes you fall in love with a strength in your partner… then that same strength drives you nuts later.”
- “I’m not a naturally fun mom—I have to plan fun.”
- “In parenting, being present is the work.”
- “We’re always correcting our kids, but what if we started recognizing what they’re doing right?”
- “I love books so much, I accidentally turned reading into a performance metric.”
- “Strengths don’t just make us better parents—they help us forgive ourselves when we fall short.”
- “Your child’s refusal to hug you doesn’t mean you’re a bad grandparent—they just might be wired differently.”
- “You’re tired because you’re doing 1,000 things a day. Give yourself some damn grace.”
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
GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/
Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/
Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/
Creators and Guests
Host
Bill Dippel
Bill Dippel is a certified, professional Strengths coach with a 35-year career in nonprofits and higher education. His passion is working with organizations, teams, and individuals to ensure they are performing and communicating at the highest levels. As president of Bill Dippel Strengths Coaching, he travels frequently for large events and public speaking, as well as working with whole companies through their management teams.
Host
Sarah Collins
Sarah Collins is a certified CliftonStrengths coach and founder of Collins Collective, with over 12 years of experience in strengths-based coaching and leadership development. Her passion lies in empowering businesses, teams, and individuals to communicate and perform at their best by focusing on what they do well. As the leader of Collins Collective, Sarah combines engaging workshops, high-impact keynotes, and in-depth coaching to foster growth and connection. Based in Nebraska, she partners with businesses to drive meaningful change and create high-performing teams.
Guest
Dr. Kelly Dries
Dr. Kelly Dries is a transformative leadership coach, Gallup-Certified StrengthsFinder expert, and founder of Dries Coaching & Consulting. With a background as a middle school teacher, higher education leader, and now full-time coach and consultant, Kelly is on a mission to help individuals and teams unlock their potential by leaning into what they do best. Her work blends deep empathy, practical strategy, and a strengths-based approach to leadership, team development, and personal growth. Kelly has coached executives, facilitated retreats across the country, and recently launched a new suite of AI + Strengths tools to help leaders navigate change with confidence and clarity. When she's not coaching or speaking, you can find her chasing joy with her two little legends, reading memoirs, or dreaming up her next travel adventure.
