What if the most powerful kind of leadership is the kind that stays the same, whether you're in uniform, in the boardroom, or serving your community?

In this inspiring episode of The Kind Leader Podcast, host Gino Degregori sits down with Sean Keller, entrepreneur, senior executive, retired U.S. Air Force Reserve Intelligence Officer, Catholic deacon, and president of NM Holdings, the largest UPS Store franchise operator in Central Florida. Sean's life spans military service, government contracting, business ownership, and ministry, yet his leadership philosophy has remained remarkably consistent across all of them.

Sean shares how growing up in a small community shaped his belief in treating everyone with dignity, why empathy is a sign of strength in both military and business environments, and how intention and purpose can guide a meaningful career, even when that career spans multiple worlds. From revitalizing underperforming businesses to navigating military structures to serving in the historic Baltimore Basilica, Sean shows that the heart of leadership never changes: it's about people.

💡 In this conversation, you'll learn how to:

• Lead with empathy while maintaining accountability and mission clarity

• Stay authentic across every role, professional, personal, and spiritual

• Build trust and connection in customer-facing environments (including UPS Stores)

• Apply lessons from military leadership to civilian teams

• Create meaningful experiences, not just transactions

• Use intention and discipline to pursue multiple passions without burning out

🎧 Listen now and discover why kindness, consistency, and dignity make leaders unforgettable.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Authentic leadership is non-negotiable.

Great leaders show up as the same person everywhere, in business, in service, in family life, and in community roles. Consistency builds trust, credibility, and a leadership legacy that lasts.

2. Experience matters more than service.

Anyone can complete a task, but leaders who create meaningful experiences, where people feel valued and truly seen, build loyalty that expands far beyond the moment of interaction.

3. Everyday kindness starts with human connection.

Asking someone where they're from, finding common ground, or simply greeting them with warmth transforms ordinary encounters into moments of dignity and respect.

4. Small gestures become powerful differentiators.

Your "hidden Mickey", the unexpected, thoughtful touches you add to customer or employee interactions, creates memorable moments that set your organization apart.

5. Compassion and accountability can coexist.

Even in tough situations like terminations or difficult conversations, leaders can uphold standards while still honoring people's dignity. Empathy builds trust, even when decisions are hard.

Important Links & Resources

🔗 Connect with Sean KellerLinkedIn: Sean Keller

📚 Recommended BookBe Our Guest - The Disney Institute. A simple, actionable guide to building unforgettable customer experiences through service, consistency, and human connection.

00:00 Acts of Kindness: Small Moments That Shape How We Lead

02:38 From Navy to Entrepreneurship: The Unexpected Path of Sean Keller

12:14 What Kind Leadership Really Looks Like in Everyday Life

19:59 Creating Magical Customer Experiences: What Leaders Can Learn from Disney

23:56 Empathy in Uniform: Human-Centered Leadership in the Military

28:39 Serving with Purpose: The Role of a Deacon in Today's World

32:57 Leadership, Legacy & Kindness: Final Reflections That Stay With You