Mindy East talks with Dana Williams about how strengths work, intentional relationships, and internal leadership can shape career transitions and business growth. Dana shares how her Southwest Airlines background, coaching experience, and new book connect through one theme: helping people understand their value and show up authentically.In this episode, Mindy and Dana explore why relationships can be a powerful source of business, how strengths can support hiring and team alignment, and how Dana built her work around helping people live in their unique talents every day.
Key topics
- Dana’s 25-plus-year career at Southwest Airlines, spanning operations, HR, hiring, training, and marketing.
- How HR and marketing overlap in recruiting, retention, culture, and internal communication.
- How Southwest began using CliftonStrengths during the AirTran acquisition to help employees understand themselves and integrate into the company.
- How strengths coaching led to opportunities inside Southwest and eventually to Dana’s own business.
- The story behind Dana’s strengths journal and her goal of keeping strengths work alive after workshops.
- Why relationships matter in business, including staying connected with former colleagues and creating opportunities to gather.
- How Dana’s business has grown through referrals and her Southwest network.
- Networking through clear introductions, community, and consistent follow-up.
- Dana’s book, The Internal Revolution, about authentic leadership, personal branding from within, and managing yourself first.
Timestamps
- 00:00 Opening the conversation and why Mindy invited Dana
- 01:08 Dana’s Southwest Airlines career in operations, HR, hiring, and training
- 03:19 Why HR and marketing are closely connected
- 07:46 COVID, organizational change, and the decision to start a business
- 12:17 Why business can come from your network, not just advertising
- 13:26 Staying connected through panels, lunches, and listening spaces
- 15:58 The story behind The Internal Revolution
- 21:22 Identity beyond your job title
- 22:44 Where Dana’s business comes from and how she builds new connections
- 25:45 Why in-person events feel especially valuable
- 28:41 Choosing networking that fits your values and personality
- 30:02 Measuring impact through stories, not just immediate leads
- 31:48 Where to find Dana and her books
Notable quotes
“I help people birth their purpose and live in their unique talents every day.”
“Changing me changes everything.”
“We have been taught that our title is our identity, but we're never shown our value.”
About Dana Williams
Dana Williams is a leadership identity expert, Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, and founder of Dana Williams Consulting with more than 25 years of leadership experience at Southwest Airlines. Through her consulting, speaking, and workshops, she and her team help high-achieving leaders and their employees align who they are with how they lead and work.
As the creator of the Authentic Imprint™ framework and author of The Internal Revolution, she equips executives to lead from their authentic identity instead of performance pressure and burnout. Dana is also the host of the Dominate Your Day podcast and creator of The Strengths Journal™, the only Gallup-certified daily strengths planner.
- Learn more about Dana’s work with executives and teams at www.danawilliamsco.com
- Take the free, 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment to receive your leadershipscorecard:danawilliamsco.scoreapp.com
- Get your copy of Dana’s book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within:www.danawilliamsco.com/book
- Get your copy of The Strengths Journal™:thestrengthsjournal.com
Join Networking School & Become Known In Your Industry: https://limerockconsulting.co/networking-school
Company Website: www.limerockconsulting.co
Speaking Website: www.mindyeast.com
