We have launched a new client video series, Better By Design,  now available to watch on Stratford’s YouTube channel. This ongoing series features real conversations with Stratford clients across industries and services—from leadership coaching and team development to IP strategy, vendor selection, and more.

Each episode is a window into the challenges they were facing, the support they received, and what changed as a result.

 

Meet Sara Holmes, Manager at Canadian Blood Services

In our first episode, we sit down with Sara Holmes, a Manager with Canadian Blood Services (CBS), a national organization responsible for ensuring a safe, accessible, and sustainable system of life-saving blood and biological products.

Sara was recently recognized with the Ian Mumford Leadership Development Award, one of CBS’s highest honours. She joined us to reflect on her experience working with a Stratford leadership coach, and how it shaped her team, her role, and her outlook as a leader.

 

From Clarity to Culture Shift

When Sara first connected with Stratford, she wasn’t just looking for a sounding board—she wanted a practical, results-oriented coaching relationship that would support her in stabilizing a new team and strengthening her leadership presence.

Working with Stratford coach Sarah Markwick, Sara found the right fit. Together, they laid out clear expectations and created a structured yet flexible process that allowed her to grow through action and reflection while meeting her request for "projects and things to check off a list".

One of the most pivotal moments came early on, when Sara's coach posed a simple but unexpected question:
“What would happen if…?”

That shift in framing helped Sara rethink assumptions around availability, boundaries, and leadership presence. It ultimately led to her reclaiming time, space, and energy outside of work, which, in turn, had a noticeable effect on how she showed up for her team.

 

Stronger Teams, Bigger Opportunities

As Sara’s leadership evolved, so did her team's dynamics. Anxiety lessened, engagement rose. And most notably, her team was selected to pilot a national initiative—an opportunity she says “wouldn’t have come our way a year ago” without the cultural and leadership shifts they’d made together.

“It’s not somebody telling you what to do. It’s somebody helping you to explore different ways of doing things,” she says of her coach’s approach. “That’s what I think is so powerful about Sarah and what she does.”

That approach — supportive but not prescriptive — gave Sara the space to develop her leadership style with more clarity and confidence. It wasn’t about being handed solutions, but about learning to reframe challenges and test out new ways of leading.

So when a colleague later came to her with a similar struggle around work-life balance, Sara knew exactly how to respond. She didn’t offer a solution. She offered a question, the same one her coach had asked her: “What would happen if…?”

It was a small shift in framing, but a meaningful one. And it worked. “I got a text from her that night saying, ‘This was worth it.’” Sara described that moment as one of the most meaningful outcomes of her coaching experience. “I can help other people through the help that she’s [Sarah] given me.” 

 

Leadership Growth in Action

Sara’s story is a reminder that leadership growth doesn’t stop at the individual level. It cascades — to the team, to the organization, and beyond.

In this full-length conversation, Sara shares:

  • What it meant to be recognized with the Ian Mumford Leadership Development Award

  • How her leadership philosophy has evolved

  • The moment she knew real change had taken hold

  • Why coaching continues to shape how she mentors and leads

 

Watch the Full Interview

🎬 Better By Design | Episode 1: In Conversation with Sara Holmes
Now available on Stratford’s YouTube channel and on our website.

Stratford’s Leadership Development Services are designed to support leaders who want to invest in their growth and the growth of their teams—because leadership is never a solo act.

If you’re curious about how to apply these ideas in your own leadership journey, we’d love to hear from you.
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