Is Positivity Powerful or Pollyanna: with Sam Kennelly
If you’ve ever wondered whether your optimism is a superpower or something others dismiss as naive, this episode will reframe everything. Gallup-certified coach Samantha Kennelly joins Sarah and Bill to explore the CliftonStrengths theme of Positivity—not just as cheerfulness, but as an energy source, an influence strategy, and a form of quiet resilience.
Together, they explore how positivity operates in real life and real work—from leadership and team coaching to parenting, grief, and self-regulation. Whether you have high Positivity, work with someone who does, or just want to stop being drained by negativity, this episode offers powerful insights on how to protect your energy, hold space for others, and lead with hope without sugarcoating reality.
Main Takeaways
- Positivity isn’t just about being cheerful—it’s a strength rooted in hope, resilience, and energy.
- Without boundaries, high Positivity can become a people-pleasing trap that leads to burnout.
- Positivity and empathy together can create deep connection—but can also make it hard to separate others’ feelings from your own.
- Influence doesn’t have to be loud or direct—relational strengths can be powerful drivers of impact.
- Self-awareness is essential for using Positivity maturely, especially in emotionally charged situations.
- It’s okay to set limits around draining people or environments—Positivity needs recharging too.
- You don’t have to fix everything—sometimes, Positivity’s greatest power is simply holding space.
Sound Bites
- “Positivity isn’t blind cheerfulness—it’s hope that survives the hard stuff.”
- “Sometimes the best use of Positivity is silence and presence.”
- “I’m not here to sugarcoat—but I am here to help you see what’s possible.”
- “People with Positivity light up rooms—but they can also crash hard when no one’s watching.”
- “You can’t be the sunshine for everyone every day—especially if it’s sucking you dry.”
- “I used to think I had to hide my Positivity to be taken seriously in the workplace.”
- “Woo and Positivity together? It’s like emotional confetti—fun, but it needs a cleanup plan.”
- “Sometimes your greatest strength needs to ride in the backseat, not drive the car.”
- “I can be a riot at a funeral… because I don’t always know how to let people sit in sadness.”
- “I had to ask myself—am I being authentic, or just uncomfortable with conflict?”
- “Being a coach doesn’t mean you push all the time—sometimes, you sit, celebrate, or listen.”
- “You’re not the anti-venom to negativity—you’re a person with limits too.”
- “Positivity wants to fix—but empathy reminds you to first feel.”
- “Your strengths are only as helpful as your ability to regulate them.”
- “It’s okay to say, ‘I’m not okay today’—even if you usually bring the sunshine.”
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
Samantha Kennelly
Samantha Kennelly is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, speaker, and facilitator with deep expertise in positive psychology and leadership development. She helps individuals and teams boost performance, engagement, and well-being by unlocking their unique strengths. With a passion for reimagining the workplace, Samantha creates highly customized experiences that drive growth at every level. She has worked with over 5,000 people across industries through keynotes, retreats, workshops, and coaching. Samantha co-launched the Clifton Strengths Institute in 2015, a program backed by Gallup and the Clifton Foundation, where she trained over 330 student coaches and impacted more than 5,000 students, faculty, and staff. She also helped develop the Clifton Builders program, selecting top student leaders for their entrepreneurial potential. Today, she serves as Director of Operations and a Guide at WYLD Leadership, a boutique consulting collective blending modern behavioral science with ancient wisdom to drive measurable transformation in individuals and teams.
