Sara Bartlett loves to tell a good story. She’s been crafting them for over 30 years—whether choosing the perfect combination of words at her laptop, behind the mic as a radio producer, on-screen as a TV personality, or in the boardroom as a communications director. She blends humor, warmth, and a straightforward approach to connect with her audience.

As the founder of The Pretty Intellectual, Sara delivers a witty, over-40 take on lifestyle for Gen X women. The weekly newsletter and YouTube videos dish out everything from fashion and beauty to books and culture, all with the wry realness that comes with experience. It’s a space for women to feel seen, heard, and part of a smart, empathetic community.

Sara’s professional path is built on two of her most-used skills: communication and upskilling (yep, the ability to upskill proactively is a skill). She helped pioneer digital credentials, promoting skills-based hiring long before it trended in enterprise-level organizations.

In her work for Pearson, she’s shaping communications around the company’s workforce solutions initiatives. From developing executive thought leadership strategies to earning placements in Fast Company, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal, she thrives on connecting dots and elevating voices.

Her corporate roots trace back to seven invigorating years at Best Buy's corporate headquarters, where she led teams across copywriting, photo editing, and digital asset management to create the ultimate in-store customer experience.

Sara spent a decade blogging about fashion, with collaborations from Lane Bryant to Christopher & Banks, and charmed viewers for eight years as the go-to beauty expert on daytime talk show Twin Cities Live.

Based in Minneapolis with her husband, Dan, and their Shih Tzu, Gravy, Sara spends her downtime reading anything but horror novels, browsing the local garden center wondering if she can find room for one more houseplant, and steeping cup after cup of lavender mint tea.