Lisa Sinnott - From Street Smarts to Soul Connection

Early Life and Background
Growing up in the ghetto of Oakland as a minority on the streets shaped Lisa Sinnott's worldview in profound ways. As a latchkey kid with a single mother, she navigated city buses and trains alone, developing an uncanny ability to read people and situations—a survival mechanism that would later become her entrepreneurial superpower. "I am an empath and a mass discerner of people," Lisa explains. "And that saved my life on the streets growing up in city buses, trains, you name it, in the San Francisco Bay Area." Her childhood routine often involved running to catch city buses in the rain, and when she missed them, walking past prostitutes to reach school safely. These early experiences taught her to be vigilant, adaptable, and remarkably perceptive about human nature. Unlike many children who dream of careers and professions, Lisa's childhood ambition was simple yet profound: to become a mother. Her best friend came from a family with eleven children, and Lisa fell in love with the healthy family dynamic she witnessed while helping to babysit these children—a stark contrast to her own upbringing. "That was it. That was my whole life plan," she reflects, highlighting how this seemingly simple aspiration would eventually inform her entrepreneurial journey. After high school, Lisa entered the workforce at age 19, landing a position at a call center where she would remain for twelve years. This experience kindled her passion for customer service and human interaction. Though she describes having only "a year and a half of college," Lisa proudly claims graduation from "Hard Knock Life University with a Ph.D."—a testament to the value she places on experiential learning.

Initial Steps into Entrepreneurship
Lisa's entrepreneurial awakening came after divorcing an Air Force husband, when her sister invited her to a networking event. To her surprise, Lisa immediately landed a business development position. "I was like, oh my gosh. Are people seriously paid to do this?" she recalls with genuine amazement. "This is so easy. It came very naturally for me." While networking came effortlessly to Lisa, she observed that approximately 85% of attendees struggled—either drinking heavily to gather courage or hiding at tables, hoping to remain unnoticed while clutching business cards. This realization highlighted her natural gifts for human connection and relationship building. For several years, Lisa worked as a business developer for different companies, honing her networking skills while crossing paths with Frank Sinclair, another natural connector who would eventually become her business partner. Their relationship remained purely professional for about seven years before evolving into something more significant. "We were just, you know, fellow networkers in the city for years," Lisa explains. "He was a business developer as well as me. We were pure business developers for different companies. And we just loved humans." The pivotal moment in their professional relationship came when Lisa appeared on Frank's "Encourage" radio show. The station owner recognized her charisma and offered her a show of her own. After consulting with Frank, they launched the "Be Encouraged Show with Frank and Lisa," extending what was initially a one-hour program into two shows every Monday—a partnership that has continued consistently for two years.

Key Challenges and Obstacles
Lisa's entrepreneurial journey has not been without significant challenges. Her deep empathic nature, while a tremendous asset in building connections, has also created physical and emotional hurdles. "Most people have had one to maybe three max major life events that rocked their world," Lisa shares. "For me, I have a lot more than that." As an empath who physically absorbs others' emotions, Lisa has experienced episodes where her body "completely stops and shuts down" after intense interactions. She recalls moments on her podcast when guests' stories were so overwhelming that she could barely speak: "Their story and everything resonating from them, their body, and onto me was so thick that I could barely speak." This sensitivity became particularly evident during the "Free Hug Campaign" she launched with Frank in late 2024. After the first four events, Lisa's "whole body shut down for 24 hours"—not from illness but from emotional overload. She has since learned to create boundaries and has enlisted prayer support before and after such intense interactions. Another significant challenge has been navigating public perceptions as a white woman in business partnership with a Black man. "I had to work very, very hard on initial judgments," Lisa admits. "I'm very careful about who I hang out with, who I talk to, what I do, protecting my time, my family, especially." Perhaps her most profound personal obstacle has been confronting her own trauma. Despite helping others process their pain, Lisa avoided her own healing journey for years: "I was that bottled up, perfect trophy wife, woman, mom who looked like I had it all together. And I did on the outside, but inside I was crumbling." The fear of retaliation from "past predators" initially prevented Lisa from seeking therapy and speaking openly about her experiences. It wasn't until two years ago that she finally began working with therapists—one for her personal trauma and another for her current marriage—attending sessions twice weekly.

Pivotal Moments and Decisions
Lisa's entrepreneurial path has been marked by several defining moments that redirected her journey. One such moment came while working as a professional "mass connector," paid to connect families with local businesses that she vetted. "I had to stop that connection business because I was having nightmares that I was like Batman in the city and I couldn't save everyone," she confesses. "After a while, I knew who the money launderers in the city were, who were the crooks... and I was like, oh my gosh, and then I would see them out in the community." The weight of this knowledge became overwhelming, forcing Lisa to release that aspect of her business and find healing from "being able to let go of certain knowledge that I have of individuals or organizations." Another pivotal moment came in January 2024 to begin speaking on resilience, when Lisa felt spiritually called to launch her "Resilience Reveal" podcast despite fears about confronting her own trauma and potential repercussions from "past predators." "God told me in January of 2024 to do this, hardcore," Lisa recalls." And he says you can get creative by not mentioning certain predators." This decision to create a platform for resilience stories marked a significant turning point, pushing Lisa past her fears and into a mission that aligned perfectly with her empathic nature and personal experiences. The podcast quickly gained traction, with demand now requiring four recordings weekly—far more than her business partner Frank initially thought sustainable.

Business Evolution and Growth
Lisa's business model has evolved organically from her natural strengths and personal healing journey. What began as networking and business development roles for other companies transformed into her own connection business, which then evolved into her current focus on podcasting and resilience facilitation. Her first podcast, "Be Encouraged" (co-hosted with Frank Sinclair), has been running consistently for two years, providing a platform for encouragement and business promotion. More recently, her "Resilience Reveal" podcast has taken off "incredibly," allowing individuals to share their stories of overcoming adversity in a safe, supportive environment. "People want to share their resilient life story, so I did something about it. " Lisa explains, referencing the high demand for her resilience platform. "I uplift people in every interaction I ever do, whether it's in person or if it's on my podcast." In January 2025, Lisa and Frank expanded their influence by becoming co-authors for the Southern Colorado Business Forum and Digest magazine—another avenue for sharing encouragement and resilience stories with their community. Lisa has also diversified her offerings to include: • Emceeing events • Resilience facilitation for corporations • Platform speaking on resilience • Workshops conducted with Frank for various organizations • One-on-one coaching on resilience (though she emphasizes she's "not a professional therapist") The "Free Hug Campaign" launched in September 2024 represents another extension of their mission to "infuse hope and encouragement throughout the world." Despite the physical toll these events initially took, Lisa and Frank have adapted their approach to make the initiative sustainable.

Leadership Philosophy
Lisa's leadership philosophy centers on authentic human connection and leading with love. "I lead with love in everything that I do," she states firmly. "And that's actually what drew me to Frank is because he does the same. That's why we're great business partners together." This approach transforms "the situation, the conversation, the outcome" in ways that Lisa describes as "incredible." Rather than focusing primarily on profit, she emphasizes relationship-building and genuine care for others' wellbeing. Lisa describes her entrepreneurial magic as "uplifting what my end goal is. Where I interact with people is to help feel seen, valued, and heard." Unlike many business-focused podcasts, her platforms prioritize the whole person—their struggles, resilience, and authentic healing. "I am never in it for me," Lisa emphasizes. "Everything is a give back." Her leadership style also involves regular reassessment and adaptation. "The biggest surprise is the amount of daily regrouping, perseverance, recharting out the map," she notes. "I have no problem with change, and I literally every month regroup and reassess my goals, and look at what worked, what didn't work, and then I figure out a new plan." This flexibility extends to how she guides others. As a "very good q," Lisa uses curiosity to help people navigate around their emotional walls, not to manipulate but "truly trying to get to the source" of what's holding them back.

Lessons Learned
Through her entrepreneurial journey, Lisa has gained valuable insights that continue to shape her approach to business and life. Perhaps the most significant lesson involves the importance of personal healing for professional success. "I wish I wouldn't have had those two humans [ex-husbands] have such a strong hold over me that I could not seek therapy and healing," Lisa reflects. Her delayed start with therapy—beginning only two years ago—represents time she could have been growing and healing earlier. She's also learned the critical importance of boundaries. As someone naturally gullible who "always assumes the best of everyone," Lisa has had to develop discernment about who she spends time with and what information she carries. "I had to get some healing from being able to let go of certain knowledge that I have of individuals or organizations," she explains, referencing her former connection business. "I knew too much, that's not always the best thing." Another key lesson involves the balance between entrepreneurial freedom and structure. "Your family time, your business time, recreational time, self-care time, all of that must be in place so that you can be whole as an entrepreneur," Lisa advises, noting that without boundaries, entrepreneurs can "lose control of time by always wanting to put the business first." Perhaps most importantly, Lisa has learned to embrace authentic personal growth over superficial success. "The only way I found out where that passion truly lied was going through therapy, realizing past traumas, healing from those, gaining forgiveness to past predators."

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Lisa offers practical wisdom for those beginning their entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing patience and relationship-building over immediate profits. "Be patient with yourself," she advises. "Don't be shy to reassess daily goals, monthly goals. Don't look at the dollar for the first three years." Instead of focusing on financial metrics, Lisa recommends concentrating on "actions with relationships in the business community," explaining that "once you gain the trust of relationships in the city, that's when you will see your business flourish." She also encourages entrepreneurs to remain open to pivoting when their current path isn't aligned with their authentic calling. "It's so important to recognize and be able to identify if you start a business as an entrepreneur and realize that it is not a good fit for you, then it is okay to dream again and pivot." This willingness to reassess and adjust can be challenging to pride—"People don't realize that they stick with a business for so many years and they truly suck at it"—But is essential for finding true fulfillment and success. Lisa's approach to business focuses on genuine value creation: "When a client cansee that it's not about you, but it is truly about you wanting to bring value to them, whatever it is, personal, professional, that you really, truly, authentically care about them as a human, you will soar."

Future Vision and Goals
Looking forward, Lisa's vision centers on expanding her platforms for resilience and encouragement beyond Colorado Springs. "Our whole mission is to infuse hope and encouragement throughout the world," she states, emphasizing the global scope of her ambition. Her resilience podcast, which she describes as "an incredible movement," represents something she believes also needs to be swept across the world." While other podcasts may address resilience in various ways, Lisa sees her platform as unique in its approach to giving people "their voice and their story." The co-authorship with Frank for the Southern Colorado Business Forum and Digest magazine, which began in January 2025, provides another channel for extending their message to new audiences. Lisa's personal vision includes continued healing and growth. Having committed to intensive therapy over the past two years, she has now reduced her sessions to monthly check-ins, suggesting a transition from acute healing to maintenance and forward movement. When asked about a potential book title that would encapsulate her life story, Lisa chose "Femme Resilience," emphasizing that resilience isn't merely about bouncing back but about "bouncing forward" A distinction she feels passionate enough about to "do a whole talk on in the future." This concept of "bouncing forward" rather than simply recovering seems to define Lisa's approach to both personal and professional development—constantly evolving, adapting, and moving toward greater impact rather than merely returning to baseline after setbacks.