Meet Sara Chadil | Grief Advocate, Trauma Survivor & Accounting Enthusiast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sara Chadil and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
For as long as I can remember people have called me an old soul. It didn’t matter where I met them or in what capacity, it was always, “Oh Sara, did you know you are an old soul.” It happened in my youth with my parents as I was always a deeply introspective child and frequently lost in books. There were significant items and transformational events in my childhood that contributed to this personality, but I think it was always there, at some sort of foundational level.

My family dynamics were fairly typical with the majority of my childhood spent running around with my brother and cousins and raised by two hard working, outgoing and loving parents. We lived a comfortable life in the Jeffco Suburbs southwest of Denver. Our house was on a corner lot with a basketball hoop, a hand-built retaining wall, and a perfect view of the walk to the local elementary school. We really did have a picture-perfect life, what many people dream of and one that I absolutely loved.

I am very much a combination of my parents! From my mom, I find a passion for giving and serving combined with an analytical focus and need for planning. From my dad, I inherited a stubbornness to preserve, a spirit to try new things and a desire for personal connections. These traits have embedded every aspect of my life from my work in the non-profit sector and my financial career in the energy industry.
My first true pain happened at eleven years old, when my thirteen year old brother died traumatically and unexpectedly. My sense of the world shifted and through the years, I would find myself searching for meaning as a way to heal. The theme of putting purpose to pain weaved itself into my professional personal life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I like to joke that I am just an accountant, just a nerdy accountant! But I find that being an accountant is as much about numbers and guidelines as it is about people and connections. I have spent my career showing how much a simple thought or action can transform an entire process or experience. Through 15 years, as an accounting and finance professional in the Energy industry, I have leveraged my analytical skills and honed my business acumen to be able to make projections and recommendations that have had significant impact on business decisions and strategies. What has made it a unique experience is the personal connections, desire for meaningful inclusivity and emotional intelligence I deploy in my day-to-day work and relationships. As I look back on my life the bulk of that uniqueness is rooted in the strength, self-work and community support I received while suffering through some traumatic events.

The death of my brother had a lifelong impact, and it has reminded me that we do not always know what is going on under the surface for others. It guides me to use a non-assuming communication style and to pause and learn more than just surface level details about the people I work with, both in my professional and personal life. In various capacities I have had to traverse difficult topics and conversation and have frequently utilized what is normally considered a corporate mentality blended with compassion and empathy. The ability to activate the more benevolent part of myself in a corporate setting has proved to have its own challenges. Society has frequently demonstrated an expectation of checking emotions at the door or associating lack of emotion with stronger rationality. However, one of the lessons I have learned is that in order for me to excel at my work I have to remain true to my authentic self and that includes demonstrating vulnerability and openness. This encourages others around me to have an open mind as well as a safe space to share their own unique perspectives which has only enhanced our performance as a team as we have an invaluable asset, the diversity of thought. Emotions, when used in the right setting, can demonstrate humanity and unite a culture as it essentially a lubrication that guides social interaction and social interaction ultimately lends itself to a culture of collaboration.

My financial skills have been developed over years of hands-on work experience and many seminars and conferences around continuing professional education. The most significant strides that I have made from a personal development perspective have come from my years of experience as a volunteer. I prioritized getting to know local Colorado nonprofits and identifying programs that I would have used their services, at a time in my past that was difficult for me.
Specifically, I have been an active volunteer in the children’s grief space for over a decade and have had the honor of being a one-day volunteer– to now serving as the Volunteer Director for Shimmering Wings. There are few times in life when passion and work collide and I am blessed to be able to use all my skills to support kiddos by creating a physically and psychologically safe community for them to learn healthy coping mechanisms, enhanced self-worth and a sense of not being alone in their grief. The lessons I have learned at grief camp transcend many barriers. With techniques I have developed in regard to a focus on self-care and the importance of a supportive. community, you can achieve almost anything.

I like to hope that the traumatic events that I have endured over my lifetime have led me to a greater purpose and a meaningful impact to myself, my family, my community and the people I work with. I would like to have a legacy as a person that honored the uniqueness of others, exhibited a style of servant leadership that was filled with passion and humor and a touch of accounting nerdiness.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a Colorado Native and absolutely love this beautiful state. I have spent more nights than I can remember camping in the mountains and fly fishing in the rivers with my husband and our son and newfie! While I will always recommend outdoor activities and escaping to the mountains there are a few local places I highly encourage people to visit. The brunch at Safta is amazing and the food and mojitos at Cuba Cuba (11th & Delaware) are outstanding. We are never disappointed by a play or show at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and depending on the season, there is nothing quite like a high stakes Colorado Avalanche game

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a shout out to the amazing community that makes up Shimmering Wings and Camp Erin Denver. Three specific shout outs, the first to my husband, Rob. He has walked by me through this life and continues to support my commitment to Shimmering Wings and volunteers along side me, I could not do this without him. The second to the invaluable volunteers! I cannot express the magnitude of the positive impact that each of them has had on my life. The connections are so deep that the support, encouragement and trust has extended far beyond the cabins at camp. These individuals have become significant parts of my life, have walked side by side with me through challenging times and helped me celebrate life’s successes. The third shout out is to the families and caregivers of the campers that come to our camp. Thank you for your trust and vulnerability as we care for your kids and including us as part of your grief journey.

Website: http://www.shimmeringwings.org/

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/sarajchadil-cpa