Finding purpose after retirement, with Sallie Jarosz

After more than 40 years in commercial real estate and banking, Sallie Jarosz thought she was ready for rest. But just a few months into retirement, she realized that slowing down completely wasn’t in her nature.

In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, host Steve Dunn talks with Jarosz about rediscovering purpose, mentoring others and why she traded spreadsheets for service — joining Fields of Hope, a Charlotte nonprofit supporting survivors of sex trafficking.

Jarosz reflects on a career that spanned Charlotte’s explosive growth, from financing the first renovation of SouthPark Mall to watching neighborhoods like South End transform. She also shares candid insights on how the city’s real-estate scene has evolved, what it was like being a woman in a male-dominated industry and why she’s optimistic about this next chapter.

In this conversation, Jarosz shares how retirement taught her the importance of staying connected and purposeful, her path from banking executive to nonprofit leader at Fields of Hope, the challenges facing commercial real-estate financing today and mentoring the next generation of women in real estate.

Jarosz received The Ledger’s 40 Over 40 Award in 2025. You can learn more about Fields of Hope here.

This podcast episode is part of a series highlighting winners of The Ledger’s 40 Over 40 awards, which honor and celebrate often unheralded people over the age of 40 who are making important contributions to Charlotte. It’s hosted by Steve Dunn of Miles Mediation and Arbitration. Find out more about the 40 Over 40 awards by going to Ledger40over40.com.

This episode is sponsored by Coca-Cola Consolidated, Charlotte’s local bottler and the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the U.S. From package recycling, emissions reduction and water leadership, Coca-Cola Consolidated is championing industry-leading sustainability solutions and best practices that put the planet first. Learn more at CokeConsolidated.com/sustainability.

This episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast was produced by Lindsey Banks.

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