Sarah Franklin: From Engineer to CEO, How Relationships Shape a Career

About this episode

Sarah Franklin discusses her journey from chemical engineer to CEO, emphasizing the importance of relationships in shaping a career.

In this episode of Who Got Me Here , Sarah Franklin traces her path from chemical engineer to CEO—and makes a compelling case that relationships, not resumes, are what truly shape a career. Through stories of being rejected 14 times, creatively breaking into tech, and rising from individual contributor to President at Salesforce before becoming CEO of Lattice, Sarah shares how self-awareness, gratitude, and intentional networking quietly compound over time. This conversation goes beyond titles and transitions, exploring how clarity of purpose, generosity toward others, and the courage to ask for help can redefine success and unlock opportunities you can’t see looking forward—but only connect looking back. www.whogotmehere.com Time Stamps: 00:00 Introduction: Why Relationships Matter 02:04 Defining Fulfillment & Purpose at Work 04:54 From Chemical Engineering to Tech 07:58 Learning to Translate Tech for Business 08:33 How Relationships Actually Create Opportunity 10:00 The 14 Rejections That Changed Everything 14:14 Salesforce: From IC to President 16:01 Leaving, Returning, and Seeing Clearly 17:33 Servant Leadership & Helping Others Rise 19:08 Goal Setting That Works (V2ME…

People in this episode

Host: Jamie Grenney

Guest: Sarah Franklin

Topics covered

• career development
• networking
• leadership
• self-awareness
• entrepreneurship

Keywords

• career
• relationships
• CEO
• networking
• Salesforce
• Lattice
• self-awareness
• leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Salesforce, Lattice

More episodes of Who Got Me Here

• Rebecca Agostino: The Skill Schools Forgot to Teach · June 4, 2026 · 38 min
• Frederick Riley: The People Who Hold Us Up · March 12, 2026 · 42 min
• Geoffrey Garrett: Reinventing Business School for the AI Era · February 19, 2026 · 32 min
• Drew Sechrist: The Cold Email That Changed Everything · February 5, 2026 · 30 min
• Whitnie Narcisse of First Round: How the Best Networkers Build Trust · January 8, 2026 · 32 min
• Michael Palmisano: Building a Life Around What You Love · December 18, 2025 · 39 min