For over two decades, Sara Nelson Goertel has been a driving force in helping businesses elevate their customer experiences and achieve sustainable growth. Working with Aspire Up since 2017, she brings a unique blend of strategic vision, analytical rigor, and collaborative spirit to every client engagement.

Sara’s passion lies in uncovering the “why” behind customer behavior. She believes that deeply understanding customer needs, motivations, and pain points is the foundation for designing exceptional experiences that foster loyalty and advocacy.

Her expertise spans the entire customer lifecycle, from mapping journeys and optimizing touchpoints to implementing cutting-edge technologies and building customer-centric cultures.

Sara has worked with leading companies such as Volkswagen of America, Volkswagen AG, Audi of America, Porsche Cars North America, Shiseido, Royal Caribbean International, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Smart & Final, Maserati, Moose Knuckles, The Children’s Place, The Vitamin Shoppe, The Shade Store, Weleda, Take Care Health Systems, CVS/pharmacy, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, AmeriCares, Windsor Fashion, PepsiCo, Tory Burch, Diageo, and Bayer AG, among others.

Sara was formerly a Senior Consultant with Peppers & Rogers Group. Prior to that, she was a Senior Business Analyst with Marketing Corporation of America in their Management Consulting Group.

She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her MA in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. She is a Burke Institute trained moderator and an ICCR trained mediator.