S3 Ep18. Climb Higher, Give More: Darlene Repollet on Leadership and Legacy

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of ABWilson's Heart of the Matter, host Aderonke Bademosi Wilson sits down with Darlene Repollet, a woman who embodies the art of purposeful living through service, community and intentional growth. Darlene describes herself as a supporter, a Peloton enthusiast and a community servant, and over the course of this rich conversation, she brings each of those descriptors to life in deeply meaningful ways.Darlene opens up about her love of Peloton, not just as a fitness tool, but as a lifestyle anchor that keeps her grounded through cycling, strength training, yoga and meditation. She then speaks with great warmth and clarity about her role as First Lady of Kean University in New Jersey, where her husband Dr. Lamont Repollet serves as president. Her identity as a supporter, she explains, was shaped by 25 years as a human resources executive, a career that taught her that the heart of HR is service to people.The conversation takes a joyful turn when Aderonke reveals that Kean University is her own alma mater, creating a moment of shared pride and nostalgia between the two women as they reflect on how much the campus has grown and transformed over the decades.Darlene shares three surprising things about herself: that she is retired yet busier than ever, that she grew up traveling the country with her family in an RV and motorhome during summers and that she is an introvert who has learned to function as an extrovert. Each of these reveals a layer of depth, from her entrepreneurial ventures in real estate investment to the quiet recharging that keeps her going behind the scenes.One of the most moving parts of the episode is Darlene's story of introducing Gratitude Fridays to her HR team during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. What began as a simple practice of sharing one thing to be grateful for at the start of weekly team meetings became a lifeline for a group of colleagues navigating extraordinary stress and isolation. Over time, the practice deepened into genuine vulnerability and connection and team members later told Darlene how much it had meant to them. It is a story about leadership, humanity, and the quiet power of showing up with intention.https://www.abwilsonconsulting.comhttps://abwilsonphotography.com