Sharon Fallon

Guiding conversations with community leaders.

In this podcast, we'll explore the human journey of leaders. Their stories of humility, triumph, roadblocks and lessons learned. Come join us as we journey together and uncover the questions you've always wanted to know. This podcast is brought to you by the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce. Perhaps providing resources, connections and belonging for business professionals.

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So today we have a special soul in our midst. This is someone who you just. Every time you are around this individual, you feel better about the world and about yourself.

I kind of want to start singing.

I. Yeah. She's a veteran. She's a human resource expert. Gilbert leadership graduate, CEO of the Fallon Squad, including three beautiful, intelligent kids. Today we have Sharon Fallon with us.

Sharon Fallon.

Oh my gosh, Sarah, thank you. It's such a pleasure to be here.

I'm so glad you're here.

I thought maybe you were gonna sing your intro. No.

No.

All right, so we're gonna start with.

What we call rapid fire round.

Rapid fire. Here we go. Ready?

Sure.

Morning beverage of choice.

Oh, Black tea. Irish black tea.

Mmm. Specific.

How long does it take for you to get ready in the morning?

Depends on what I have to do. I would say an hour.

Beach or mountains?

Mountains with a lake.

Name one thing you can't live without.

James Fallon.

Favorite sports team.

Sweet. See, I don't have one.

Understand?

Thank you.

Say the Chiefs and he'll be happy.

The Chiefs.

Yes.

That's fine then.

The Chiefs.

Where's the most beautiful place you've been?

Sigonella. Sicily.

Oh, I might have to try that place. Okay. Spender or Sabre?

A little bit of both. A little bit of both.

I can see that. I can understand that.

I'm on both sides.

Describe yourself in three words.

Oh, gosh. Accepting. Loving. Direct.

Do you love your house?

I enjoy my house.

What's your favorite room in your house?

Who? We have a parlor. Come over, Sarah.

I absolutely will. Glass half full or half empty?

Of course. It's always full. Awesome.

Thank you to Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport for their support.

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Visit GatewayAirport.com for more information. Okay, so now I want to ask you a little bit about the real Sharon. Dig in deep with us here and let's go to the beginnings. Talk to me about your childhood and as you grew up, the influences you had in the beginning. Obviously, mom and dad, probably.

Yes, of course.

What was that like, oh, wow.

So now you're asking me to be vulnerable, please. Which is where I'm trying to grow into being more vulnerable. So I am the oldest of three sisters. Yes, mom and Dad. I would say the one who influenced me the most was my Aunt Maggie. She was essentially our nanny. She was my mom's aunt. My mom and dad divorced, and she was a single mom. And our Aunt Maggie took care of us. And I would say that she was most influential, not educated. I don't even think she could read. However, she would sit us on her lap while we read to her. And she loved us unconditionally. So I think no matter what we did, we knew that Aunt Maggie would love and embrace. I'm a protector because I do have three younger sisters. I wouldn't say I'm a mama bear, but I am a cougar when you mess with my family. My parents got divorced when I was 11. My mom did remarry my stepfather, who's a wonderful man. They've been together for, oh, my gosh, a bit now. Mom, please don't hate me because I don't remember your anniversary, how long you've been married. I gotta tell you, my family is absolutely amazing. My three younger sisters are. Oh, my gosh. Amazing individuals who are. Individuals who's very confident in who they are, and they inspire and motivate me to be a better human being. Right. I have all nieces. Four nieces who are just great human beings. And I have my three.

Yeah.

I married and met Jimmy Fallon. I met Jimmy Fallon probably about 32 years ago. He's been my best friend for 31. We have three beautiful, intelligent children that, again, motivate me to be the human who I am today.

All girls.

No. We have two daughters and a son.

I was going to say that female genetics are strong in this house.

They are. I would tell you that. Jimmy Fallon said that. Yeah. I'm a little hostile to. To having males, but, yes, two daughters and a son. Brilliant, brilliant, loving individuals who I know that's going to shape the world to be a better place. Who are shaping the world.

They're doing it now, aren't they?

To be a better place.

Yeah.

So I love that you say that. You're compassionate and you're direct. I wouldn't automatically assume that. You served. You were in the Navy, correct?

That's correct.

How did you end up serving?

That's a great question. I wanted to be a flight attendant, but Mommy said, sharon, anyone could be a flight attendant. I wouldn't say That I was confident enough to go to college. You know, I was not a great student. I've matured in my intellect and education, and I am a forever learner. So I felt like my only my choice at the time was to go and serve in the military. I can say that it's probably one of the best decisions I ever made. I learned a great deal about myself, the world, and I enjoy doing it.

Did you travel much in that?

So, great question. Sigonella, Sicily, was one of the places that I traveled. I was in Puerto Rico. I actually was stationed in Maine. NAS Brunswick, which is now decommissioned. It's a P3 aircraft aircraft squadron. I was an aviation electrician. So I worked on the electrical system of a P3 aircraft. Right. And I also worked on the flight line.

Wow, that sounds amazing.

And I'm sure many women served alongside you.

Yes, there were many women. And back 30 years ago, it was kind of Old Navy. Right. So had to overcome some challenges there. But it made me and shaped me to who I am today.

What were some of those challenges that you faced?

Oh, Sarah. Male, dominant. Right. Still kind of woman, make coffee kind of thing. You're aviation electrician. Are you sure? How did you do that? Well, you know, I had to score, you know, take a test and score the way you did.

Yeah.

So kind of some stereotypical actions there. Also, I would say in aviation, there was. There weren't that many black women, you know, especially in my craft. Yes, there were others in the squadron, but not necessarily as an aviation electrician. So overcoming some of the typical stereotypes, improving myself as a human, an individual, was challenging.

What do you pull from that experience now as you look at your career and your path today? So I'm kind of pulling back and looking back, the lens of it. What do you find inspires you today that you've gained from that time period?

Other women. Right. Because I feel as though that. Well, what I know to be true is that I can't stand here today, of course, not without my own efforts. But other women, other women who paved the way for me to stand and to stand strong. There are sometimes, Sarah, that I'm like, you know, I don't know if I could do this. But then I look back, it's like, what do you mean you can't do this? When there were others who did not have the opportunity that you do that did so much with so little. Right. So the other women that paved the way.

And I love that you call your husband Jimmy Fallon every time you say his first and last Name. Every time you reference him, I think that's so fun. How did you two meet?

Oh, well, what's interesting about Jimmy Fallon is I actually call him James. He's my James. When I first met his family, his family said to me, sharon, you can call him Jimmy. We call him Jimmy. And I said, you know, he's your Jimmy, but he's my James. And so I just love his name. I love the way it sounds like a song when it comes out of my mouth, and it makes me smile.

But.

But I met Jimmy Fallon at NAS Brunswick. He was a P3 pilot, and I was the aviation electrician that worked on the electrical system of P3. And he actually went to enlisted parties, and we got to know one another. We got to talking, being friends. That's how we met one another. Just having conversations, becoming friends. And then we found love. Ouch. And yes. Right. And here we are 30 years later.

And he certainly wouldn't want to break it off knowing that you controlled the electric system.

Right, right. He knows.

So I'm intrigued because one of the things you mentioned in your bio here is my biggest fear is greatness. And we've only just started this conversation with you, but I can already sense there's a lot of greatness in you. So how is this your biggest fear? Talk to me about that.

Right. Thank you. So Sharon Fallon sometimes can't get out of her own way.

I understand that.

Get out of her own head. And I remember participating in this meditation series with Oprah and Deepak Chopra. Can I say those names? And it was pretty much, how do you get out of your own way to be successful, to create the environment that you want? One of the questions that Oprah posed was, what is your greatest fear? And I was quiet, and I asked myself, sharon, what is your greatest fear? And I remember greatness coming to mind. I'm like, wait, what does that mean? You know, not that I want to be great like Oprah Winfrey, not that I want to be great like Michelle Obama, but just being afraid of what I can be and how scary that is when you don't have a roadmap that says, okay, when you get to this path, this is what happens. So I'm afraid of what happens if I get out of my own way.

Yeah. What does happen?

Move those roadblocks and become me. So I'm. So that's my biggest fear.

Greatness is that journey one you're still on, or have you overcome this?

Oh, my gosh. So I would say that as long as I'M alive. I'm always going to be becoming. I'm not going to arrive. So I would say I haven't overcome that fear. I am walking more towards it. That's why I am here today. Thank you. Sarah and Ben.

So propose this idea. What would happen if that fear didn't exist? What would there be? What could there be?

Oh, wow, that's a great question. One that I will have to think about. I just think that it would be. I don't know. Can I tell you this? I don't know if I want it to go away completely.

That's your edge, right?

Because if it goes away completely, then what else is there?

Okay.

Right.

As we do these conversations, as we have these conversations with other leaders, I feel like that's actually something that is very common in some of our greatest leaders, is that trepidation, that reserve a little bit of, you know, what if something great happens? And how do I navigate that?

How do I not let myself down? Right. I talk about my motivating forces, and it's my family, you know, my children, it's my husband, and it's like, if I step out there, what does that mean? You know, I don't want to let.

Them down, which is incredible because they're. They're the people whose love is unconditional. You can't let down.

Right? You're absolutely right.

And what would you tell them?

Just do it. You got this. You're absolutely right.

So you make a career now out of empowering other people. That's the path you've come to today. How'd you get there?

I have a passion to help people. While I was in the Navy, even when I was a child, a young adult, I volunteered. But specifically when I was in the Navy, downtown Maine, Brunswick, Maine, I would go and volunteer, and there were vets and there were more mature adults just telling their stories and. And I have a passion to one listen, to understand, and then, you know, help them identify whatever hurdles that they may encounter so they can be their best selves. And I feel as though that empowered people, folks that know what their roadblocks are, if they can overcome them, they'll be their best selves, which creates better communities, which creates, you know, better systems, and hopefully create a better world.

So how do empowered people break down those walls in an organization or in a community?

Great question. So, Sarah, first it starts by listening with the intent to understand. Right. And putting your own agendas aside. You know, if we are truly trying to create a great organization, a great community, a Great world. We need to listen. We need to listen to one another. We need to understand that the person in front of me is a human and deserves the dignity and respect that I deserve. Right. So why not listen to understand, see where those issues are so that we can come together and make solutions.

So you've got a lot of inspirations in your life, with your family. You talked a little bit about that outside of your family. What inspires you there? Where do you draw some strength from? Do you have any sources that you were willing to share with us and that.

Yes. Well, right now it's my. The peloton instructors who get me motivated to work out. But no, I have a tribe. I have a network of men and women who are beautifully brilliant, who hold me accountable, Sarah, to your point, who love me unconditionally, that are not only going to be the wind beneath my wings, but are also going to sit me down and say, hey, you know what, Sharon, you kind of missed the mark there. Let's talk through that. So I have a great group of individuals that not only keep me grounded, but also, you know, keep me floating high.

Yeah. What about resources? You have any sources out there that you follow, that you find inspiration, whether it be business resources or books or anything like that? Is there tools you use?

Sure. Yes, I do enjoy reading. I enjoy meditation. I mentioned Deepak Chopra. That keeps me grounded. I also listen to podcasts. I enjoy Brene Brown. I do, Yes, I really enjoy her right now. The podcast that I found a few months ago was Conversations with a Black Man. And, you know, I like to, you know, like I said, I don't really like to hear myself talk or to share my story. I like to listen to other folks stories. So anytime that I can understand someone else's experience, I enjoy that. And that's where I learn from.

I got a surprise for you.

What is that?

You're gonna get to listen to your own podcast here.

Oh, that is.

Isn't that gonna be fun? Maybe on your peloton? I don't know.

Yeah, it could be fun. It could be fun. I do. I enjoy reading.

And I love that you say meditation. Meditation, I think, is a really important exercise to separate your being from your thoughts and sort of reorganize what it is you wanna do and where you're going.

It's important for me to be quiet, Sarah. You know a little bit about me, and you know that I can run really fiery. And so meditation helps ground me. And I don't wanna say neutralize, but it kind of Puts some things in perspective. Right. Cause my thoughts are kind of all over the place. And meditation helps kind of bring them in and.

Yeah. Narrows it in, focuses it in.

Yep.

Human resources. It's a whole universe in itself.

Yes, it is.

How did you get into that?

Oh, interesting. Well, while my children were. I could take a step back. I kind of had this untraditional path to where I am. Right. So in the Navy, met James Fallon, fell in love, got married, had children. I knew that before we had children, I wanted to be a stay at home mom. I wanted to be home with our children. I wanted to prepare them for the world. And that's another podcast. But while they were in school, I was very integrated in their school. You know, I focused on being that liaison between staff and parents. And for some reason people like me and they're kind of drawn to me. And so I use that. I use that platform, for lack of a better word, to understand people more and help them be themselves, their best selves. Then I went to college. When my children started school, I went to college and got my degree in applied psychology, which focuses on organization and people. And not so much clinical psychology, which focuses on people's problems. I don't think I could do that all day, but just really enjoyed it. Really enjoyed it. And so that's how I got into human resources. After I graduated from college, I went back to volunteering because it was 2008, 2009, and. And the job market was horrible. So I said, go back to what you love. So I started volunteering and they loved me and they hired me and I became a manager. But my passion was still working directly with people. And so then that's how I got into human resources.

Did you go to school with your children at the same college?

That's so funny. No. While they were in grade school, I went to ASU and got my degree in applied psychology. But we did do homework at the same time around the dinner table.

That would be an interesting concept though, right? Going to college with your kids at.

The same time, that would be something you might.

I will tell you, though, after, when my children started applying for college, they said, mom, why didn't you wait until after we went to college before you got a degree? Cause then I could be first graduate.

So now you are at Dignity Health. How did you work your way to Dignity Health and what you do today?

Can I say plug for Gilbert Leadership right now? Right.

Yeah, you can.

Thank you. I was introduced to Dignity Health during my year at Gilbert Leadership Tour Day. Yeah, their Culture is for reals. It's amazing. Their approach is very connected to who I am, to the individual, the human. We treat the human, we heal them. Right. Holistically. And I fell in love with the culture, and since then, was looking for opening, and one opened, and I'm like, I. I'm going to go for it. And I will also give a plug to one of the cnos who also was in my class in Gilbert Leadership, who said to me, sharon, you would be great at Dignity Health. So that's how I got to Dignity Health, through Gilbert Leadership. So thank you.

There you go. Connections made.

Connections made. And it connected with my passions.

Well, when I heard that you had joined Dignity Health Team, I could see immediately the match between who you are and what they stand for.

Sorry. Thank you.

Okay, so flip side of happiness. Challenges. Let's talk about what challenges Sharon has to deal with in her world. Maybe not so much from a, I guess, employee job, but maybe just in general. What are the challenges you run through?

Getting out of my own way.

Okay.

And out of my own head. That's my largest challenge. I got a little story for you. We changed one of our bedrooms into a home gym, and James Valen put these mirrors on the wall for me. And it's for form. It's for form. Right. But also, one day when I was writing, I. It came to me, you know what? You are your only competition. Right. So now when I look in that mirror, yes, I may check out my form to make sure I'm doing the right squat, but I also remind myself every day that you are your only competition. So if you don't do, it's because of you.

Yeah. Unless you let the noise in your head tell you otherwise.

Right? That's correct. And so it's just kind of every day just a reset of, you know what? You are your only competition.

One of the statements you made in your bio is, I'm not perfect, but I'm perfectly me. What does that mean to you?

That I embrace all of me. I mean, because Sarah and maybe Ben and Derek, we compare ourselves. We compare ourselves with others, you know, if we don't have the perceived achievements. And I had to come to the realization that, you know what, Sharon Fallon, you're not perfect, but you are perfectly you. So embrace that. Embrace your challenges. Embrace your imperfections and overcome them. Love them, and then just continue becoming. Becoming the great person that you are.

Yeah. That's beautiful.

I like that I exercise something similar in motherhood, that I'm not a perfect mom, but I'm the best mom they'll ever have.

Right on.

A little bit of grace.

And I think that that one of my mantras. I don't think I wrote it, is, you know, Sharon, just approach everything with grace and ease.

So you continue down this path of getting out of your way. What's next? What do you think the future's got in store for you if you were to look in that crystal ball that we all look into? Right.

More involved in the community. That's. That's where my heart is. There is an organization that I'm looking at. Can I say House of Refuge?

Yeah, you can.

That just really aligns with my values and who I am and the fact that I'll be interacting with folks who had hurdles and they're overcoming some challenges. And so if I can help them identify what those are and provide them some resources to empower themselves, hey, I think that that's what it's about. Right? Being on this earth and making your interactions with other people, if you can leave them in a better place than they were when they encountered with you, I call that success.

That is success, indeed.

That is success.

Yeah.

And that's what's next for me, is what can this human form do to make others better?

Beautiful. What do you think, Sarah?

Just soaking it up.

Yeah. Just soaking it up. Yeah.

When I. As I said in the beginning, you feel better about yourself, about the world, when you're in the presence of Sharon Fallon.

So Sarah's a big hugger. And I'm moving this way because she's about to hug on us.

Feeling.

Really?

He might be feeling something. He's getting uncomfortable.

And I'm not a huge hugger, Ben, so I understand how you hang out more than.

There we go.

I understand how you feel, but I'm embracing that because I know that some people are. And they need that.

No. I remember one of your kids musically inclined, right? In a band.

Yes.

Still.

Yes. So Tracing Faces. They are Gilbert. They born and raised in Gilbert. They met at Perry High School. They started a garage band. But it's better. It's more than that. Amazing. And Christopher Fallon is the lead guitarist, and I gotta say, he's absolutely amazing. Look them up. Tracing Faces. You can find them on Spotify, Apple Music.

That's sweet. I like that. Final thoughts. What advice do you have for the people listening today? What's a takeaway you think that you'd like to share with them? Whatever comes to your mind that you want to share.

Be authentically you.

I love it.

No one else.

Okay. We're so thankful that you've been with us today. This has been a great conversation.

Absolutely. I'm always grateful for time with you.

Thank you, Sarah. Thanks, Ben.

You bet.

Thank you, Derek.

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Guiding growth conversations with community leaders.

Ben, let me ask you a question. How do you see other community members being involved in this podcast?

This is going to be a great opportunity for so many people in the community to have a chance to be heard if they want to tell their story or if they just want to be part of this journey with us and help sponsor in a way that helps bring more people to the table with us. So I think there's many opportunities at hand. Whether you want to again be on the show, reach out to us. Let us know what your story is and how you think you could be part of it. We'd love to hear from you. Reach out, let us know and we'll see if we can make that connection.