The Work Worth Doing

To women stepping into leadership, Sherri offers both encouragement and candor:

“Don’t try to lead like someone else—you’re not them. And you don’t have to be.”

“When I first became CEO, I kept comparing myself to the man before me. It took a full year to stop doing that and start leading like myself.”

Her most important advice?

 “Know what your gifts are—and just as important, know what they’re not. And be okay with that.”

In a world full of pressure to do it all, Sherri models something different: authenticity, purpose, and self-awareness.

“Bring your own light,” she says. “We need all kinds of leadership. Yours included.”

She grew up in a family of music, lived a life of harmony, and passed on a spark that still sings in the voices of others. For Susan Mueller, music was never just notes on a page—it was a way to see the spark in others, and to give them courage to sing it out.

When asked what it means to be a storyteller, she doesn’t hesitate. “It’s about connection,” she said. “I want people to feel seen, understood, and not alone. If I can bring someone joy or comfort—even for a moment—that’s enough.”

“We served ten people that first day,” she recalls. By year’s end, they had served more than 32,000 meals. In 2024 alone, nearly 65,000 meals were served. Over 25 years, that number exceeds two million.