In this Bonus Episode of Bytes and Banter, Sarah Caminiti joins us for a real talk about confidence, culture, and what it means to take up space—especially in support roles where people are often measured by metrics, credentials, and impossible expectations.

We dig into why so many talented professionals hesitate to speak up, how fear-based workplaces train people to shrink, and what leaders can do differently to build teams that actually have room to breathe. Sarah shares her unconventional career path (no degree, a résumé that “doesn’t make sense,” and a leadership journey built on grit), along with practical ways to advocate for yourself—especially in interviews.

You’ll also hear a nuanced conversation about remote culture: what we lose when we never meet in person, why assumptions spiral in Slack-heavy environments, and how intentional connection can rebuild trust across teams.

Sarah Caminiti is a retention strategist and support leader known for bringing clarity, honesty, and operational depth to the customer experience world. As the creator of the CX Roundtable, she helps teams rethink how they build, lead, and scale support—grounding every conversation in real data, human behavior, and sustainable growth. Sarah’s work sits at the intersection of leadership, power dynamics, and customer loyalty, making her a sought-after voice for organizations ready to move beyond buzzwords and build systems that actually work.

Follow Sarah Caminiti on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-caminiti-5827b784/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HDI Local Chapters is an all volunteer not-for-profit that brings Technical Support professionals together to connect, share and discuss common challenges, and learn from industry innovators and each other --- https://www.hdilocalchapters.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bytes and Banter Podcast Team

Creative Producer/Host: Rocky McGuire - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockymcguire/

Executive Producer: Terri Oropeza - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toropeza/

Associate Producer: Colleen Rush - https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-rush-3603241/

Associate Producer/Alternate Host:

Technical Producer: Dustin Canter - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustincanter/

Podcast Operating System: https://www.PodTechs.com

Post-Production: https://www.PodTechs.com