Embrace the Squiggle: Change happens. Growth is a choice.
Embrace the Squiggle is the podcast about navigating change in work, identity, leadership, and life with intention. Because change happens. Growth is a choice.
This show explores the honest, human stories behind reinvention. From career pivots and leadership shifts to identity crises, mindset shifts, and unexpected detours, each episode dives into what it really looks like to move through uncertainty instead of waiting for clarity.
Our guests share candid stories of obstacles, failures, breakthroughs, and hard-earned lessons. Not because they had it all figured out but because they chose growth in the middle of the mess.
Each week, Colleen DelVecchio and Ashleigh Beadle unpack the pivots, pauses, leaps of faith, and “what am I even doing?” moments that shape a non-linear life. This isn’t about chasing a straight line. It’s about building the mindset and courage to evolve on purpose.
Embrace the Squiggle: Change happens. Growth is a choice.
The Power of Sponsorship: How a Supportive Boss at 19 Transformed Cindy Darnell’s Career Path
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What if one person believing in you early could completely change your career path?
In this episode of Embrace the Squiggle, Colleen and Ashleigh sit down with Cindy Darnell, Director of Operational Excellence for the Americas at Element, to unpack the power of sponsorship, career growth, and saying yes before you feel ready.
Cindy’s career journey didn’t follow a straight line. Starting as an executive assistant at just 19, she navigated career uncertainty, stepped into customer service leadership roles, and ultimately pivoted into Operational Excellence (OpEx) after volunteering as a 5S site champion—a decision that reshaped her entire trajectory.
A defining moment? Early in her career, a leader pulled her into executive-level conversations, giving her visibility, confidence, and access most people at her level never get. That experience became the foundation for how Cindy leads today—and how she actively creates opportunities for others.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating career obstacles, looking for alignment, or trying to grow within a company without a “perfect” plan.
Connect with Cindy on Linkedin
📚 Join the ETS Book Club — currently reading Atomic Habits
Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3EK-BGfBRHehD2jW2bApHQ#/
🎯 Need accountability on your goals? Join the Squiggle Huddle with Colleen
Learn more and register:
https://www.maxady.com/workshops/p/the-squiggle-huddle-monthly-accountability-for-2026-goals
🤝 Stay Connected
Colleen on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/comara/
Ashleigh on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleigh-beadle/
Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts for more conversations on squiggly career paths, mindset shifts, and turning career uncertainty into your competitive advantage.