Food School: Smarter Stronger Leaner.

Most big goals don't fail because they're impossible. They fail because people never set themselves up for winning.They fail because the plan is vague, the timeline is short, and the strategy doesn't fit the person.We dig into a single question that changes everything: what would have to be true for this (for YOU) to succeed?From there, we map a decade-long vision into near-term moves you can actually execute, and we show how to replace wishful thinking with a system that compounds.This conversation is a playbook. You'll learn to deconstruct a bold goal into components you can build, design systems that run on bad days, and choose what to say no to so your yes actually matters.If you've ever felt overwhelmed by your own ambition, this is your map from inspiration to implementation, no luck required.  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if the motivation you need to reach your goals doesn't last because you don't know how to set your goals?  We dig into the goal gradient effect and the surprising lesson from elite marathoners who don't stare at the finish line. That shift fuels engagement in careers, health, and creative projects.   Then we tackle 3 research-backed changes with outsized payoff. First, swap leap goals for stretch goals so effort reliably becomes progress. Second, trade blind positive thinking for mental contrasting: vividly imagine the outcome, then list likely obstacles and your if-then responses. This lowers drama, speeds recovery, and keeps action steady when reality resists. Third, stop celebrating outcomes you can't control and start rewarding actions: reps, attempts, sessions, pitches, miles. Track what you do, learn from feedback, and adjust without shame. Mastery is built rep by rep, and momentum is a function of consistent starts.  By the end, you'll have a practical framework to plan 2026 with fewer illusions and more traction: vision as compass, milestones within reach, sober plans for obstacles, and a daily system that reinforces action.  If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who's mapping their year, and leave a quick review - it helps more curious people find these tools and start taking the next right step.  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Busy isn't the same as better.We sat down with product strategist, coach and consultant, and now a pubslihed author Tim Herbig to unpack a simple truth: real progress with impact that matters happens when strategy, metrics, and discovery align.If you lead change across a product, a platform team, culture or your own habits - you'll leave with a clearer way to choose what to focus on, what to measure, and what to learn.Say no with confidence. Retire progress theater. And build momentum you can be proud of.Key Insights:Context beats templates every time - "better practices" for your situation matter more than copying what worked for someone elseStrategy's real job is helping people say yes and no fastThe "why" question is ruthlessly effective - if you can't explain why you're doing something, you're probably just checking boxesAI helps you reach hard problems faster but only if you're ready to actually solve them instead of automating busyworkHow to spot progress theater before it drains your energy and budget ... also how to choose a better strategy for your beach body in 2026 and a lot more!___________TIM'S BIOTim Herbig is a product management coach, consultant, and author who helps teams make evidence-informed decisions by connecting strategy, OKRs, and discovery. For over a decade, he worked in various in-house and consulting roles across publishing, professional networking, and enterprise B2B SaaS. Tim's work has helped organizations from Lufthansa Group Digital Hangar to early-stage startups move from following "best practices" to developing better practices suited to their context that led to desired impact. Tim writes a popular weekly newsletter and is the author of "Real Progress: How to Connect the Dots of Product Strategy, OKRs, and Discovery." He lives by 3 core values: integrity (doing what you say), curiosity (going down rabbit holes), and sincerity (being honest even when it's hard).5) CALL TO ACTION & RESOURCESReady to move from alibi progress to real progress?Connect with Tim's work:Newsletter: https://herbig.co/newsletter (Weekly insights on strategy, OKRs, and discovery)Book: "Real Progress: How to Connect the Dots of Product Strategy, OKRs, and Discovery"Website: https://herbig.co/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbigtMentioned in the episode:Petra Willa's PM Wheel conceptJames Clear's quote on context-dependent adviceRavi Mehta's concept of "market interrupt moments"Gibson Biddle's Strategy/Metric/Tactic frameworkTim's homework for you:Start by asking one question this week: "Why are we doing this?" Then see if you can connect your answer to actual measurements and learning. That's where real progress begins.  _________Enjoyed this conversation?  Don't forget to subscribe to never miss an insight! Rate, and share the show with someone who needs a better way to make progress.  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if worry stopped being a wall and became an action signal?  Today we take on the everyday fears that stall big goals and break them down using a simple, repeatable framework that turns anxiety into momentum. Drawing from coaching work and the fear-setting method popularized by Tim Ferriss, we show how to move from vague dread to concrete action without pretending fear disappears.  You'll leave with a t3-step tool you can use today: define the fear, prevent what you can, repair when needed. Apply it to outreach anxiety, high-stakes presentations, career shifts, or relocations. When the worry voice shows up, you'll have a script to answer it and a system to keep moving.  If this helped, share it with someone who's stuck on the edge of a decision, and subscribe to get more practical frameworks for growth. Your next brave step is one question away: what's the worst that can happen?    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if follow-through wasn't a willpower problem but a design problem you can fix?  We unpack a clear, 5-part system to create dependable action for yourself and your team. Drawing from behavioral science and real leadership practice, we show how uncertainty, skill gaps, weak rewards, and hidden blockers quietly kill momentum, not laziness, and how to replace them with simple, repeatable processes that make high performance the default.  By the end, you'll have a straightforward playbook to design conditions where action is easy, results compound, and performance becomes consistent rather than heroic.  If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who leads or is building better habits, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show. Your feedback helps us grow and keeps the conversation moving.  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Waiting for motivation wastes the best hours of your day.We break down a simple, reliable system to create more motivation on demand. We dig into why discipline isn't about loving hard work; it's about doing the important thing when desire is missing. You'll learn how behavioral activation flips your brain from rumination to action, why dopamine rises in response to movement, and how tiny, friction-free starts trigger the energy you thought you needed first. We then share 3 prompts that sharpen your why. The other part of you motivation engine you can control and recalibrate as you need for consistent action, whether you feel like it or not.  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if consistency were easy?  We pull back the curtain on how long‑term results come from better decision design, not iron will.  After years of yo‑yo attempts, I found three frameworks that made health, work, and daily choices surprisingly easy to sustain—even through parties, vacations, and stressful seasons.  If you are ready to stop white‑knuckling and start designing for habits that stick, this conversation gives you the playbook to build automaticity, instead of training willpower.  Subscribe, share this with a friend who is stuck in “try harder” mode, and leave a quick review to help more people discover decision models that make goals feel almost effortless.  Claim your sample Executive Coaching Session with Angela: https://calendly.com/angelashurina/executive-coaching-360  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Ever notice how easy it is to diagnose everyone else's mistakes while your own patterns stay stuck on repeat?  We dive into a simple, research-backed tool that cuts through bias fast: self-distancing. By stepping just a little outside your story, you cool emotional heat, spot blind spots, and see the strategic move that's been hiding in plain sight.  We start with the core problem of the inside view—how ego, fear, and history warp our decisions—and show why clarity comes from changing the frame, not collecting more facts. Then we get practical. You'll learn the Friend Test for emotional regulation, the New CEO Test to pierce organizational inertia, and how to build an outside view with base rates before your hopeful narrative takes over. These aren't theories; they're field-tested habits drawn from leadership research, decision science, and emotional intelligence.  If you want different outcomes in your business, health, or relationships, you don't need endless motivation—you need a better vantage point. Listen for the prompts, try them this week, and watch how your choices shift from reactive to strategic. If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend who needs a clearer view, and leave a review to help others find the show.  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if the real reason your motivation fades isn't what goals you achieve, but the way you plan your days?  We open up a counterintuitive truth: the way to lasting motivation is understanding that your brain rewards visible progress toward meaningful goals, not big payoffs.  Using the Progress Principle research on 12,000 work diaries, we break down why tracking inputs you control, reps, learnings, foundation work, creates renewable motivation, while fixating on outcomes you can't control drains it fast.  We get practical and specific.  You'll hear the exact daily ritual we use with clients to turn motivation into eternal fire that keeps you moving as long as needed. Along the way, we address common pitfalls like bloated to-do lists, optimism bias about timelines, and the quiet shame of missed goals. Instead of judging yourself when results lag, you'll learn to inspect the system, adjust the channel, refine the offer, and keep stacking reps.  If you're a founder, builder, or leader searching for a reliable spark, this conversation gives you a simple, science-backed blueprint to keep your internal fire burning. Progress becomes visible, discipline becomes easier, and outcomes become more likely, even if they refuse to happen on your schedule.  Better is always available.  _______THE CHALLENGE:Ready to build systems for health, energy, focus, and consistent productivity? Apply for our free 5-day High-Performing Entrepreneur Reboot.Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if the real problem isn't your willpower, but your timing?Today we dive into a very practical exploration of how your brain shifts across the day, and how to design a life that cooperates with those shifts instead of fighting them.  From the morning's high executive function to the evening's predictable crash, we unpack why your 9 a.m. self feels like a sharp CEO while your 9 p.m. self behaves like a tired intern, and how to use that predictability to your advantage.  We break down the predictability principle and share accessible, battle-tested tools that remove decision friction when you're depleted. You'll hear how to apply “system over hope” in real life.  Then we get strategic about the high points. Guard your mornings for high-friction work like writing, strategy, complex learning, difficult conversations, when focus and clarity peak. Shift afternoons to nudge tasks like email, scheduling, and admin, so your best hours serve your most important goals. We also show why coaches wire new habits to early slots for dramatically better odds, and how to run a simple audit: identify where you're pushing against your biology, realign tasks to your energy, and install one small system tonight to help your future self succeed.  If you're ready to reduce regret, increase follow-through, and build kinder systems that work even when you're tired, this conversation is your playbook. Listen, try one tool today, and tell us: which habit are you moving to your morning slot? Subscribe, share with a friend who overplans mornings and underdoes nights, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

If doing the “right thing” still feels like a daily arm wrestle, you don't need a pep talk - you need better systems.  Today we dig into systems that make good choices easy and consistent, drawing on Angela Duckworth's research on grit and practical behavior change to show how environment, routines, and scheduling can carry the load so willpower doesn't have to.  We start with a simple truth: humans, young and old, choose the path of least resistance.  Phones win when they're within reach. Late nights win when nothing reminds us to stop. Instead of blaming discipline, we rewire the setup. You'll hear practical examples: a bedtime cue that ends nightly debates, frictionless food prep like pre-boiled eggs and pre-loaded protein shakers, and a weekly shopping and planning loop that removes decision fatigue. These aren't hacks; they're scaffolds that keep your values front and center on the busiest days.  Then we zoom out to time and energy.  Most of us hit a predictable early afternoon slump. Rather than fight biology, we protect morning peak hours for deep work and tough thinking, move admin to the dip, and leave room to finish strong later. We also share a simple weekly outcome planning system: define what success looks like by Friday, block it on the calendar, cancel what doesn't serve the target, and stack those wins week after week.   By the end, you'll have a blueprint to make progress automatic: design your environment, align your schedule with your rhythms, and let systems do the heavy lifting.  If you're ready to stop grinding and start gliding, press play. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review to help more people find the show.  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

The finish line is seductive and often the very thing that stalls progress.  We take you inside a behavior-first approach that replaces outcome anxiety with clear, repeatable actions you can control today.  Speaking from nearly two decades of coaching, we break down why revenue targets, weight goals, and follower counts are lagging indicators that reflect the past, and how leading indicators—your consistent behaviors—are the true drivers of future results.  We map the mindset shift from chasing to creating, showing how to use vision as a compass while building daily momentum with quality reps. Expect practical examples across fitness, writing, and business: from scheduling a 45-minute strength session to publishing one deeply researched article a week to delivering two sharp sales presentations.  You'll learn the 2-step method—realistic assessment and internal release—that translates big aspirations into scheduled, trackable behaviors, then frees your mind from fixating on the scoreboard.  We also reframe failure as feedback.  When the outcome lags despite solid execution, it's not a moral verdict—it's data that your plan needs adjustment. We offer three reflection questions to drive continuous improvement and show how to protect your best energy for your most important reps. If you're ready to swap magical thinking for a system that compounds, this conversation gives you the tools to define, schedule, and honor the actions that move you forward.  Subscribe for more process-driven strategies, share this with a friend who's goal-stuck, and leave a review to tell us the one behavior you're committing to this week.  Your next step is the only one that matters—what will you put on the calendar today?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if the best shape of your life has little to do with the willpower problem?  And more with a system design problem.  We break down a practical, science-backed framework that turns cravings from a daily fight into a reliable signal you can trust, that works FOR your health and fitness, not against it.  Drawing on my 10+ years of weight loss and health, coaching and evidence-based nutrition, plus a guided AI co-host experiment, we map out 6 simple, actionable pillars that align biology, behavior, and environment so the right choices feel easy.   We close with a challenge: pick one pillar this week and create a small win that cascades across the rest.  Subscribe, share with a friend who's tired of white-knuckling cravings, and tell us which pillar you're choosing so we can celebrate your momentum and keep your accountable!

What if the real barrier to change isn't willpower but the context you live in? And what if you could design it but you rarely do?  Today we unpack 4 invisible forces—systems, social norms, flexible framing, and co‑design—that quietly steer your decisions, emotions, and actions. Drawing on a fresh conversation with behavioral scientist Michael Hallsworth of the Behavioral Insights Team, we translate big‑picture insights into daily moves that make change feel natural instead of forced.  We start by challenging the myth of pure personal agency. Systems determine what is easy, what is hard, and what happens by default. When you redesign cues, constraints, and sequences, you lower friction and stop wasting energy on self-control.  Then we zoom into the social layer. Your choices mirror the norms of your circle, from how you work to what you eat. Rather than fight your social brain, enlist it: align your peers, set shared rituals, and curate the voices you let in.  Next, we practice flexible framing. Stuck problems often need a new lens, not more effort. Reframing “my discipline” as “our design” opens options that were invisible from a narrow view.  Finally, we get practical with co‑design. Telling people what to do sparks resistance; building the plan together creates ownership. Whether you're leading a team, parenting, or coaching yourself, collaborative design turns compliance into commitment and helps change stick.  You'll walk away with a simple playbook for an aligned not forced change: audit your system for the results it's producing, realign your social environment, reframe until better options appear, and co‑design the next step with the people involved—including yourself.  Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs a nudge toward easier change, and leave a review to help us reach more curious minds. What's the first context tweak you'll make today?    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

If there was a pill that consistently and instantly boosts your cognitive and physical performance - it would contain sleep!  If peak performance starts to slip, don't blame your willpower - look at your sleep.  We dive straight into the 3 levers that consistently turn “I'm fine” into focused, calm, and energetic: the stories you tell yourself, the routine you follow, and the environment you live in. From caffeine myths to all-nighter bragging rights, we call out the habits that quietly wreck deep sleep and show a clear path to better nights that fuel better days.  First, we challenge the big beliefs. Then we move into daily routines that make sleep reliable. Finally, we tackle context - the social and physical cues that shape your sleep quality.   The throughline is simple: sleep is a skill you design, not a mystery you endure.  Share the episode with someone who wants to sleep better with you, subscribe for more practical performance tools, and leave a quick review to support the show.  Your best work starts the night before, ready to claim it?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

We explore how the questions we repeat shape our focus, emotions, and results, and how a small shift in wording can turn stuck energy into practical motivation.  Drawing on coaching sessions and real-life experiments in fitness, business, and habit building, we show why your brain reliably hunts for whatever you ask it to find, even while you sleep, and how to use that fact to your advantage.  We walk through a simple 3-question sequence that helps you get back on track with your goals. Along the way, we unpack common traps like asking blame-heavy questions that generate worse stories, and we offer easy reframes that shift you toward agency, clarity, and consistent progress.  You'll hear practical ways to install “question habits,” plus a lightweight system for tracking proof that your new questions are working.  Whether you're aiming for better health, stronger leadership, or a calmer mind, the process is the same: ask better, act sooner, and let repetition compound.  If this resonates, follow the show, share it with one person who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review so more people can turn curiosity into change.  What's the one question you'll start asking today?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

If you've ever wondered why people do the strange things we do, this episode is your new favourite rabbit hole!Today we have Phill Agnew on the show, the mind behind Nudge — the UK's #1 marketing podcast, downloaded hundreds of thousands of times.But today?You get Phill unplugged — telling stories, breaking down psychology, and showing you how a few behavioral science principles can transform your business, your life, your TikTok following and even your marathon time.

What if the fastest way to beat cravings, cool heated words, and stop impulse buys is as simple as changing what you pay attention to?  In today's episode we explore a practical, science-informed method for redirecting focus and shifting body state so urges lose their grip and better choices get easier.  Along the way, we share real examples from coaching and daily life that show how quickly a craving fades when you anchor your mind elsewhere.  The same playbook helps in relationships and money choices. Train these skills like reps in the gym and you'll see spillover benefits across food, leadership, relationships, money-saving and decisions for better life.  If you're ready to turn urges into opportunities for deliberate action, press play and pick one tool to test today.  If the method helps, share this episode with a friend, subscribe for more practical mindset tools, and leave a quick review so others can find the show. Your attention is your leverage - let's use it for good.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

If your calendar predicted your future, would you like what it shows?  In today's episode we'll walk through a clear, 5-step work-life integration system designed to turn values and your future self visions into the life you live daily. Instead of chasing someone else's idea of balance, we strip away borrowed goals and define a good life in your words, for this season, starting now.  It's a realignment process.  We create a match between what you want in life and what you do every day.  If this resonated, subscribe, share with one person who'll keep you accountable, and leave a quick review to help more people build a life they love.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if consistency isn't about willpower but about design?  In this special crossover episode, Angela flips seats and becomes the guest. Interviewed by Kevin Joseph from the Lekker Network, I unpack how small, deliberate system changes can unlock unstoppable performance in individuals, teams, and entire organizations.  Angela shares her journey from health and neuroscience to behavioral science and leadership transformation, and the practical insights that help people stay on track long after motivation fades.  

Feeling stuck while juggling big, messy goals? We've all been there.  Today we talk about a simple, coaching-proof, reliable way to turn overwhelm into motion: after years of coaching complex client cases, one thing never fails - oversimplification outperforms overcomplication when you need momentum and progress.  You'll hear practical examples across domains: a single rule that quietly drives weight loss, a daily recognition habit that nudges culture toward engagement, and a no‑frills sales sprint that outperforms complex business strategies. Each tactic is intentionally small, easy to track, and resilient on your busiest days.  We also dig into the softer but crucial arenas: repairing strained relationships with one genuine appreciation every day, and rebuilding self‑esteem by recording a single hard thing you did or value you upheld. These practices shrink the gap between intention and action and create proof you can feel. No sprawling frameworks, no massive life overhaul just one behavior you can start your day on.  If this resonates, tap follow, share it with someone who feels stuck, and leave a quick review.  What's your one action you'll start today?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Most teams, people and companies don't have a motivation problem - they have a design problem.In this episode I sit down with Ricardo Lopes Costa, founder and CTO of Funifier from Brazil and the author of "The Fantastic Engagement Factory: how to motivate people on a large scale with gamification". We uncover how gamification, psychology, and smart feedback loops can turn apathetic workflows into performance engines people actually want to use. Ricardo's company, Funifier, has worked with global brands like Coca-Cola, HP, Banco do Brasil, and Caixa Econômica Federal, helping them turn dry KPIs into dynamic challenges that spark human motivation — often with billion-dollar impact. Ricardo shares how:A small experiment with locked online lessons accidentally sparked his obsession with engagement.A single leaderboard turned learning into a movement across Brazil.Caixa's “Tamo Junto 9Bi+” initiative became the world's largest gamification case — driving over $1 billion USD in additional profit in just months.Recognition and belonging often outperform money when it comes to performance.Even small businesses — from cupcake stands to ice-cream shops — can gamify experiences to make people participate more.Why the future of leadership lies in designing human experiences, not just managing numbers.“Engagement is not a bonus — it's an asset, just like money or technology.” — Ricardo Lopes CostaIf you're a leader, HR professional, or entrepreneur who wants to build teams that care, perform, and grow — this episode will show you how to make motivation measurable.Key TakeawaysMotivation is designable — when you treat engagement like a system, not a feeling.Recognition > rewards: appreciation drives sustained effort more than money.Start small: pick one unmotivated area, personalize it, make it visible, make it fun.Emotional design is the missing layer in most transformation and culture projects.Everyone — even small businesses — can use gamification principles to spark engagement.

Habits don't fail you because you're weak.  They fail because they're stuck in the wrong place.  Let me explain...  Today we unpack a simple, powerful rule for consistency: put each habit where it naturally fits your life so it stops feeling like work.  Think of your day like a kitchen - your daily coffee maker sits by the water and the mugs, not in the back of a cabinet. Your routines deserve the same thoughtful placement.  Years of weekly training, hundreds of days of writing and language practice, and long-running reading and meditation - I break down exactly how the placement principle keeps these habits alive.  We explore how friction hides in tiny details: a gym that requires a drive, a planner out of reach, a walk in an unsafe or unpleasant area, or a “react first” habit embedded in chaotic meetings. When the tools, timing, and context don't match the behavior, every repetition feels like a negotiation. When they do, starting will NEVER become automatic, habits will not survive.  You'll learn how to find the perfect slot for each habit by mapping your energy peaks and valleys, pairing high-focus tasks with your sharpest hours and low-effort rituals with natural rhythms.  If your goal is lifelong change, design beats discipline: reduce friction, keep cues consistent, and let ease and automaticity grow from repetition.  Ready to make your routines feel seamless instead of heavy?  Press play, pick one habit, and move it to a better place in your day.  If this resonated, share it with a friend, start a mini listening club, and leave a quick review so more people can build habits that last.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Big goals shouldn't feel like hauling a suitcase of rocks up a hill.We're talking about how ambitious people accidentally strap on extra weight with the wrong scorecard - chasing outcomes, timelines, and approval - when the real leverage lives in daily process, commitment to daily work, clear systems, and consistent action.Today, I'm walking you through a practical high-performance exercise that reframes control, so you can stop measuring what you don't own and start optimizing the inputs you do.We dig into concrete examples across life and work: training vs winning, habits vs goals, preparation vs luck, and systems vs willpower. On the communication and leadership side, we unpack speaking clearly vs being understood, authenticity vs approval, boundaries vs reactions, and decision quality vs outcome certainty. In creative strategy, we anchor on experimentation, iteration, and feedback instead of perfection and prediction, showing how curiosity and small learning loops speed up real progress and reduce burnout.We'll finish with 2 grounding questions that tie it all together, 2 questions you must ask yourself whenever life, goals and work feel heavy.If you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or judged by an external scoreboard, this conversation gives you a lighter way to travel - focused, energized, and resilient over the long haul.If the episode resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who's chasing something big, and leave a quick review to help others find it.Then tell me: what controllable input will you commit to this week?Also, try my new GPT - Negative Self-Talk Trainer: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68f9e96bb94c81918b16bc403c31adfe-self-talk-trainer  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

In this special episode of Change Wired, I sit down with Claude Silver, the world's first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, to celebrate the launch of her new book, Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart.Together, Angela and Claude unpack how to build cultures of belonging -where people don't just fit in, they flourish. 

When a tough week whispers “You're a failure,” what do you do next?  We dig into a fast, 4-question CBT flow that turns harsh self-talk into a clear plan you can act on in minutes feeling confident, empowered, hopeful and motivated again - we demo a custom Self-Talk Trainer that guides the process and exports a one-page PDF you can use as a mental training log.  We start with a core premise: thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are linked, and high performers are often tripped up not by skill but by the voice in their head. Using a relatable example - missing sales targets for a few weeks - we will do a live walkthrough of the Self-Talk Trainer, a custom GPT I designed to help you rewire negativity in your head into positive action that helps you grow and make progress despite the challenges.  This sequence in under 60 seconds.  It prompts you to capture the situation, analyze distortions like catastrophizing, craft a better thought you actually believe, and choose one small action. It then generates a clean PDF recap so you can track reps and see your thinking evolve over time - perfect for leaders, founders, and anyone who wants to perform under pressure without being dragged by rumination or self-attack.  This is the start of our “mind gym” approach: short, consistent drills that condition your inner voice to be precise, fair, and forward-moving. If you've ever spiraled after a setback, this tool and framework will keep you learning, adjusting, and taking action.  Try the Self-Talk Trainer, share it with someone who needs a mental reset, and tell us what shifts for you. If this conversation helped, subscribe, leave a review, and send the episode to a friend who could use a stronger inner coach.  Try Self-Talk Trainer here -> https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68f9e96bb94c81918b16bc403c31adfe-self-talk-trainer    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Ready for a life boost that doesn't require another app, hack, or supplement?   Today we unpack why sleep is the hidden engine behind emotional stability, sharper decisions, and real learning, and how a few consistent habits can transform your days by fixing your nights.  We start with the brain, how chronic restriction (yes, even 1-2h a night) quietly erodes attention, working memory, processing speed, and reasoning. If you lead teams, negotiate deals, parent, or simply want to grow faster, “sleep on it” isn't a cliché; it's a strategy.  Then we get practical.  We lay out the core behaviors that reliably improve sleep quality.  Finally, we show you how to make these shifts stick with a simple habit loop: trigger, action, reward. Pick one change per week, set hard boundaries around your schedule, and anchor it to a personal why that matters more than late-night distractions.  This is a warm, candid guide for anyone who wants better focus, calmer emotions, and faster growth without grinding harder.  Subscribe for more science-backed tools, share this with someone who'll keep you accountable, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. What's the one sleep habit you'll start tonight?   Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Ever notice how big goals melt into "some day land" when the day gets messy?  On today's episode, we break down a simple, evidence-backed tool that turns “I should” into “I did,” replacing fragile motivation with clear cues and automatic actions. Instead of relying on willpower, we show how to script your behavior like software: a specific trigger, a concrete next step, and a defined finish line that delivers a quick reward your brain actually remembers.  Who does what, when, where, how often, and with whom?  A fundamental question to answer if you want to get good at programming your brain for challenging, consistent action.  You'll hear a practical running example that moves from vague hopes to precise routines: when to act, what to wear, where to go, and how to know you're done. We layer in environment design to remove hidden friction and temptation bundling to make new habits feel rewarding right away. The goal is less decision-making in the moment and more doing on cue.  Then we add the secret amplifier: WOOP—Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. By naming likely blockers upfront - low energy, surprise tasks, bad weather - and writing alternative if-then plans for each, you keep momentum even when the day doesn't cooperate. You'll learn how to apply the same structure to leadership, feedback, learning, and communication, so your next move is already decided when it matters. Fewer negotiations with yourself, more consistent action, and a system that sticks.  If you're ready to trade hope for a reliable plan, press play and build your first brain program today!  3-minute blog this episode is based on: The simple trick that 2X your chances of doing what you said you would. Programming your brain to follow through 101  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if feeling your best days weren't random at all but designed by what you did over the past 3 days?  We break down a simple, repeatable system to engineer energy, calm focus, and confident decisions by auditing the last 72 hours of sleep, food, movement, people, media, and thought patterns. Instead of chasing motivation, we build fertile “soil” so your potential has a fair shot to grow and your good choices become the default, not the exception.  Along the way, I share my own checklist for feeling and doing my best.  The goal isn't perfection; it's predictability.  With a simple morning question you can replicate great days on demand and avoid the patterns that lead to regret. If you're ready to design your state, improve your decisions, and grow the next version of you, this playbook will help you take off.  If this resonated, follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to build their own 72-hour playbook.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Growth doesn't vanish because we lack motivation; it stalls because we never gave it a place to live on our calendar.  Today we dig into the most unglamorous yet powerful practice that top coaching schools use to build mastery: making the time.  I share how small, protected commitments beat bursts of inspiration every time.  We walk through concrete examples - from a daily 30-minute fitness slot that compounds strength, to relationship check-ins that turn intentions into trust, to a personal miss on public speaking that proved how plans without scheduled time go nowhere. You'll hear how to set alarms and triggers that support follow-through, how to scale tasks on low-energy days without breaking the streak, and how to be honest about the hours excellence requires. This isn't about being busy; it's about building a reliable system that matches your goals.  By the end, you'll have a simple playbook - if you've been stuck at “almost ready,” this is your reset, choose a slot, protect it, and watch momentum return. If this resonates, tap follow, share the episode with someone who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review so more people learn how to turn intention into progress.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if optimism isn't personality but practice?  And what if it's the best practice to unlock your full potential?  We dive into a simple, repeatable way to build a more optimistic outlook—without fluff, forced positivity, or ignoring reality. Think of it like strength training for your mindset: small, consistent reps that shift how you see options, make decisions, and take action. Along the way, we connect the dots between optimism and procrastination, and why believing your effort matters is the difference between starting now and stalling out.  We break down two beliefs that power action—“I can handle this” and “this will be worth it”—and show how most of us inherited mental habits that over-index on risk. Then we offer a counterweight: 3 pragmatic questions you can use anywhere to reframe doom-and-gloom thinking into possibility.  What opportunity might be hiding here?  What's one thing that could go right?  What small silver lining can I find?  Full Blog Here: https://angelashurina.posthaven.com/optimism-reps-cure-procrastination-3-questions-to-shift-your-doom-n-gloom-thinking-that-keeps-you-stuck  By running these questions for one minute at a time, you'll train your attention to see hopes instead of only hazards, which changes your energy, your presence, and your results.  If this episode helps you -  share it with someone who could use a mental spotter, then subscribe, rate, and leave a short review so more people can find the show.  Your next rep starts now - what's one thing that could go right?    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Strong emotions can be fuel or friction. Which one is it for you?  We walk through 6 practical tools - from CBT reframes to visualization - that help you stay steady in hard conversations, handle feedback without spiraling, and turn “I blew it” into “that was a rep.”  We get tactical with spatial distancing to cool heat in the moment, temporal distancing to choose what future you will respect, and distancing self-talk to access the clear advice you'd give a friend. Each tool lowers emotional noise and raises cognitive control, so you respond rather than react.  We then move into reappraisal, and close with athlete-style visualization to prime calm, confidence, and clean execution. Along the way, we share simple cues, real-life examples, and a practice plan you can run this week: pick one tool, choose specific situations, and debrief quickly to lock in gains. By stacking these methods, you'll build a repeatable way to navigate stress, stay connected in tough conversations, and keep momentum on the goals that matter.  Let's grow together!    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Why do we invest millions changing customer behavior but ignore how people behave inside companies?In this thought-provoking conversation, behavioral scientist and author Matt Wallaert returns to Change Wired to explore the next evolution of behavioral science: internal change.We discuss why most organizations treat employee behavior as fixed or random — and what it takes to build systems where people grow continuously, without relying on luck, politics, or the next big program.

Ever felt “off” without a clear label? That unsettled itch - not sure what it is or what to do with this feeling?  We unpack 1 question that flips the script from vague discomfort to decisive action.  The shift from analyzing your current mood to aiming at a target feeling - confident, capable, empowered, which opens a practical path you can actually walk. air it with one follow-up question, that naturally comes to you - and you've got a daily operating system for momentum for the last 90 days of the year.  I share how this came to me after reading Marc Brackett's Dealing with Feeling.  On today's podcast we'll also challenge a common trap: waiting to be picked. Choosing yourself isn't posturing; it's stewardship of your craft. If your work helps others, your job is to ship it, test it, and refine it until the world takes it off your hands.  You'll learn how to use emotions as a compass to design action path that reliably generates the inner state you want, helping you to make progress without waiting for permission. By the end, you'll have a simple, repeatable tool you can use whenever life feels unsettled: pick a feeling, plan the reps, and step into the driver's seat.  If this resonates, tell me: What feeling are you choosing for your next 90 days, and what's the first action you'll take today?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if the difference between busy and brilliant is one decision - choosing what feels right over what feels good?Today, together we build a practical system for high performance: map your peak cognitive hours, defend them with clear boundaries, and feed them your most important task so your best thinking meets your highest leverage.We walk through an elegant 2-step method for turning down distractions and saying no without drama. We'll learn how to prevent burnout, often coming from over-committing, trying to look good or please others.Burnout (even from the work you love) isn't a mystery when you know where to look. We highlight early warning signs, and pair them with a ready-made recovery protocol.Finally, we share a daily add-and-remove challenge to make good habits not a struggle but a default.Together, on today's episode, we'll build a simple work-life operating system: design days that match your goals, say no like a pro to distractions, and let systems—not willpower—carry you forward.If this resonates, tune in to today's show and share it with someone who needs better boundaries to protect the work that matters and the life, that feels fulfilling.Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Ever felt like so much of what happens at work is utterly meaningless, wasteful and backwards?You're not alone.In this eye-opening conversation with James Healy, founder of Behavior Boutique and author of "BS at Work," we dive deep into why modern work often feels like bullshit.What if the biggest problem in modern work isn't lack of effort, technology, strategy, or "better humans" but the simple fact that we keep designing for humans as if we were some logical machines… instead of messy, emotional, social creatures we are? James reveals the fascinating disconnect between how organizations design systems and how humans actually operate.We've built workplaces on the false assumption that humans are rational, logical beings making careful calculations, when in reality we're "social, emotional, tribal storytelling animals" who often make decisions based on context, ease, and what others are doing.Take modern communication crisis. The average worker now faces 153 Teams messages and 117 emails daily, with interruptions approximately every two minutes. This constant barrage prevents deep work, destroys focus, and fuels burnout. And with AI potentially supercharging this problem.But there's hope.James offers practical principles for creating more human-centered workplaces.What you'll learn:Why burnout is 100% preventable if we stop treating humans like machines.The shocking origin stories of tools like Myers-Briggs and DISC (and why they're no more valid than a Harry Potter quiz).Why e-learnings and endless policies fail.How context, not individual willpower, drives behavior change at scale.Why sometimes the most effective solution is illogical, creative, or has to do with removing, not adding things.The power of storytelling as a leadership tool for influence, motivation, and culture change.... and so much more!

Ever wonder why you can't just willpower your way to better habits, doing better work and making smarter choices? The answer lies not in trying harder, but in understanding how your brain actually works.  The most powerful force shaping our behaviors isn't conscious decision-making—it's our environment.  Research consistently shows that what surrounds us impacts our choices far more than we realize.  This environmental influence extends to every aspect of our lives. Researchers have identified the "zip code effect"—the remarkable finding that where you live predicts your health outcomes better than your genetic makeup. Your neighborhood influences your activity levels and food choices so powerfully that it can affect your lifespan by 10-20 years. Similarly, your social circles—both in-person and digital—shape your aspirations and behaviors more profoundly than conscious goal-setting.  Even work motivation follows this pattern. While we often believe perks or compensation drive performance, Teresa Amabile's research reveals that experiencing regular progress toward meaningful goals is actually the most powerful motivator. When we can see our efforts adding up to something significant, our engagement naturally increases—regardless of external rewards.  The takeaway?  Stop fighting against your natural tendencies and start creating environments that make your desired behaviors the path of least resistance. Architect your physical spaces, social circles, and work processes to naturally guide you toward better choices. By designing your life around how your brain actually works—not how you think it works—you can achieve lasting change with less struggle and more satisfaction. Share this episode with someone who's trying to make a change in their life!    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Decision regret doesn't have to be your default state.  Whether you're choosing shoes, supplements, a new career path, or a life partner, the quality of your decisions dramatically shapes your life satisfaction and success.  Drawing from Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman's work on dual thinking systems, this episode reveals why we make poor choices when stressed or overwhelmed. Your brain switches to autopilot (System 1) when resources are limited, falling back on habitual patterns that might not serve your current goals. The solution? A simple yet powerful decision-making framework that works even when you're not at your cognitive best.  The 3-step formula I share cuts through complexity and protects you from emotional biases.  Through practical examples—from buying shoes to choosing careers and relationships—you'll see how this versatile framework creates faster, more satisfying decisions in any domain.  Beyond the framework itself, I share how creating boundaries around decision-making (like my Saturday-only purchase rule) can further enhance your choices and prevent impulsive decisions you'll later regret. These systems become your protection against the whims of emotion and energy fluctuations that typically derail good judgment.  The beauty of this approach lies in its simplicity and adaptability. You don't need perfect decisions—you need a reliable system that works consistently well. By implementing these strategies, you'll make choices that align with your values and goals, even during times of stress and overwhelm. Remember, our decisions define our life's journey—make them count.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or someone reinventing yourself, the way you think about innovation will shape your future. Innovation isn't about guessing or chasing shiny ideas. It's about having a process, the right tools, and the discipline to test, learn, and scale what creates value. In this episode, I sit down with Alex Osterwalder—one of the world's most influential strategy and innovation thinkers, inventor of the Business Model Canvas, bestselling author, and CEO of Strategyzer. Alex has changed how the world approaches business design. Millions of entrepreneurs and leaders use his tools to innovate with clarity instead of chaos. We dive deep into the fundamental mistakes both large corporations and startups make: falling in love with ideas, building too much too fast, and only later discovering customers don't care.  Perhaps most valuable is Alex's framework for balancing core business operations ("exploit") with future-focused innovation ("explore"). This practical approach helps organizations avoid the common trap of applying existing business rules to innovation projects—a mistake that almost guarantees failure. Whether you're leading a Fortune 500 company, building a startup, or reinventing your own career, this episode offers actionable insights to make innovation less of a gamble and more of a repeatable process. What You'll Learn From Volleyball to Strategy: How Alex's unlikely journey shaped his obsession with creating and simplifying tools for business. Why Business Plans Fail: The origin of the Business Model Canvas and why structure beats guesswork. AI & Innovation: What AI changes (everything) and what it doesn't (the fundamentals). Portfolio Thinking: Why great companies run many small bets, kill weak ones fast, and scale the winners. Avoiding Zombie Projects: How to spot and stop initiatives that drain resources but deliver no evidence of value. Systems, Not Slogans: Why excitement isn't enough—innovation needs the right structures, incentives, and processes to thrive. Personal Success Strategy: Alex's reflections on what success means beyond growth and money, and why defining your own metrics of success is essential. 

Have you ever wondered why so many of your meaningful intentions never transform into actual behaviors?   That language you want to learn, the presentation skills you hope to develop, the health habits you wish to build - all sitting in a metaphorical bucket of good intentions that rarely see the light of day.  The gap between intention and action represents your untapped potential, dreams that slowly fade as urgent (but perhaps less meaningful) tasks continuously take priority.  But what if behavioral science could offer a solution?  In this episode, I introduce you to a powerful concept used by researchers to help people take consistent action on important but non-urgent goals: just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs).  Unlike traditional reminders that pop up at predetermined times regardless of your circumstances, JITAIs deliver personalized prompts precisely when your internal state (energy, motivation) and external context (environment, resources) make action possible. This seemingly simple shift - from generic reminders to smart, contextual prompts — can dramatically increase your follow-through on meaningful intentions.  The beauty of this approach lies in its practicality. You don't need special technology or expertise to implement your own JITAI system.   Ready to transform intentions into actions?  Listen now to discover how you can design personalized just-in-time interventions that help you tap into your full potential and create a life filled with meaningful accomplishments rather than unfulfilled aspirations.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What makes some people capable of extraordinary consistency while others struggle to maintain even basic positive habits?  The answer lies in 3 foundational pillars that shape all human behavior. A framework so powerful it can transform not just individual actions, but entire organizational cultures.  The first pillar, stories, operates as the foundation of all behavior change. As your host Angela Shurina reveals through compelling personal examples, the narratives we construct about our circumstances directly impact our capacity for action.   The second pillar, incentives, addresses the fundamental truth that humans consistently pursue what feels rewarding. Drawing on insights from behavioral science and thought leaders like Mark Manson, Angela reveals that sustainable habits require emotional or social rewards that make difficult behaviors meaningful. The third pillar, triggers, explains why good intentions often fail to translate into consistent action. Through practical examples of environmental design, Angela demonstrates how strategic placement of visual reminders dramatically increases the likelihood of performing intended behaviors. This same principle works in reverse for breaking unwanted habits.  When combined, these 3 pillars create a comprehensive system for behavior change that far surpasses traditional approaches based solely on willpower or motivation.  Whether you're struggling with personal habits, leading organizational transformation, or coaching others through change, mastering these 3 elements will unlock unprecedented results.  Try applying them to one behavior this week and experience firsthand how powerful this framework can be in creating lasting transformation.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Do you find yourself grinding through tough projects, just waiting for them to end so you can finally enjoy life?  Do you quit things often because you get bored or tired?  What if sustainable high performance didn't require sacrificing your wellbeing or joy of living?  This episode tackles the critical challenge many ambitious professionals face: how to achieve difficult goals without burning out. We'll explore the missing skill that separates sustainable achievers from those caught in burnout cycles.  Most people don't burn out because their work is too demanding; they burn out because they never learned when to pause.  Your mind and body operate as an integrated team, and when physical resources become depleted, your decision-making, emotional resilience, and perception of your work all suffer. The early warning signs of burnout appear in your thinking and emotions long before physical symptoms emerge.  Through a practical step-by-step exercise, you'll learn to create your personal energy agreement—establishing clear boundaries around working hours, designing effective transition rituals between work and personal time, identifying activities that genuinely recharge you, and recognizing your unique burnout warning signs before they escalate.  Download the worksheet to create your personalized framework for sustainable achievement while enjoying the journey. Remember, this isn't just about avoiding burnout—it's about creating a pattern of fulfilling growth where the process itself becomes rewarding.  Share this episode with someone who might be teetering on the edge of burnout. Together, we can transform how we approach achievement and create work lives worth living.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Why do well-intentioned initiatives so often fail to deliver results?  The answer lies not in strategy but in execution - specifically, in the gap between what people intend to do and what they actually do.  Scott Young has spent his career at the intersection of behavioral science and business transformation, advising Fortune 500 companies and teaching at institutions like the London School of Economics. His mission: helping leaders apply behavioral science ethically and effectively to drive real change.  In this illuminating conversation, Scott reveals:  • Behavioral science offers unique value in helping close the "intent-action gap" where people want to do the right thing but human nature gets in the way  • Simple frameworks like COM-B and EAST help leaders think broadly about potential barriers and design effective interventions  • Confusion serves as a much bigger barrier than we think, when people get confused, they use it as an "off-ramp" to avoid uncomfortable changes  • Most companies over-rely on communication and financial incentives while underestimating the power of environmental design and process changes  • Traditional top-down approaches to culture change often fail, instead, define specific behaviors that constitute values like "collaboration" or "innovation"  • Leaders should create a "behavioral lens" as part of their leadership toolkit to complement strategy with effective execution  • The timeliness of communication often matters more than its content - focus on reaching people at the moment of decision  • AI adoption faces 2 key barriers: general resistance to technology change and fear of replacement  • Psychological safety is crucial for technology adoption - people need to feel comfortable asking questions and expressing confusion - and where leaders get it wrong, while trying to shift culture towards it  ... and so much more!  Whether you're leading organizational transformation, building a more innovative culture, or trying to improve adoption of new technologies, this episode offers practical insights you can apply immediately.  Learn how to close the intent-action gap and create environments where good intentions translate into consistent results.  Tune in!  ___________________________

Ever wonder why willpower fails you  more at night? Why some days you're laser-focused and others you can't concentrate for five minutes?  The answer lies not in psychology, but in biology.  Your brain chemistry literally transforms throughout the day.  That morning brain, charged with cortisol and dopamine, is a focus machine ready for complex work. By evening, different neurochemicals dominate, making discipline nearly impossible but creativity more accessible. Fighting these natural rhythms is like swimming upstream – exhausting and counterproductive.  This episode unpacks the science behind working with your brain's biology instead of against it. We explore how top performers aren't superhuman willpower machines but strategic schedulers who align tasks with their optimal biological windows.  Your brain, consuming 20% of your energy while being only 2% of your body weight, constantly calculates whether activities justify their energy cost. Understanding this calculation revolutionizes how we approach habits and productivity.  Become aware of your unique biological rhythm, allowing you to design your ideal schedule and multiply your effectiveness while reducing effort.  Achieving more with less effort starts here.  As Stephen Kotler says, "Biology scales, psychology doesn't" – meaning biological realities will always trump psychological theories when it comes to sustainable performance.  Ready to stop fighting your brain and start leveraging its natural strengths? Listen now and discover how working with your biology can transform your productivity, habits, and performance with significantly less struggle.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if there's never gonna be a perfect plan and total clarity?  On today's episode Dr. Anne-Laure Le Cunff, the author of "Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World", shares how tiny experiments can transform our approach to life, work, and meaningful change without rigid goals or predetermined paths. Her experimental mindset offers a powerful alternative to traditional planning - designing low-risk experiments to uncover your path one step at a time.  We will touch on:  From shiny to misaligned. Anne-Laure shares how a great job and smart teammates still left her internally “off”, impacting health and relationships - so she stepped off the ladder.  The risky jump (and reframe). A first startup “because that's what you do” created avoidable financial stress. The second transition flipped the script: keep some income for safety and treat the next step as an experiment, not a bet-the-farm goal.  A scientist's lens on identity change. Before you “optimize,” observe: practice 24 hours of self-anthropology (field notes without judgement) to notice energy, curiosity, and friction points.  Tiny Experiments in one line: “I will [action] for [duration].” Short, low-risk trials beat vague, year-long resolutions.  Bring the team. Run a shared “lab cycle” (30 days). Success = new knowledge, not a binary win/lose.  Mindful productivity > hustle. You're not a calendar robot; protect moments and engineer creative windows with simple rituals (music, stretch, tea, micro-walks).  Procrastination is a signal, not a sin. Use Head/Heart/Hand to diagnose: misaligned rationale, low emotional pull, or missing skills/tools/support - then fix the right thing.  Generativity vs. Legacy. Aim to make a small, present-day impact you can see now; legacy may emerge as a by-product.  ... and so much more!  Ready to design your first tiny experiment?  Catch the full Change Wired episode with Anne-Laure Le Cunff and explore practical tools for mindful productivity, career transitions, and thriving in a goal-obsessed world.   Links & resources mentioned  Anne-Laure's bio & personal site: https://anne-laure.net  Ness Labs (newsletter & articles): https://nesslabs.com/newsletter  Book: Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World Amazon  Target  Audible.com  Starter read on Mindful Productivity: “Mindful productivity: a sustainable way to work and think”   Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Have you ever felt stuck in life or business, unable to make progress despite having what seems like a perfect plan?   This espisode is definitely for you then!  The problem might not be your goal, but rather your attachment to how you think you should get there.  Life isn't a clearly mapped journey but more like walking through fog - we can glimpse our destination in the distance, but the path only reveals itself as we take each step forward. This insight transformed how I approach challenges, from personal uncertainty to business strategy.  Netflix co-founder Mark Randolph perfectly captures this wisdom with his advice to "fall in love with the problem, not the solution."  The most successful entrepreneurs and leaders understand that rigid plans rarely survive contact with reality. Like Navy SEALs who follow the terrain when it conflicts with their map, true progress comes from adapting to what's actually happening rather than what we thought would happen. This is why companies that endure for decades constantly evolve while maintaining their core purpose.  The experimental approach to life and business follows a simple 5-step framework you will learn in this episode. This scientific mindset removes the emotional attachment to particular solutions that often keeps us spinning our wheels when we should be pivoting.  Whether you're building a business, improving your health, or developing relationships, treating life as a series of experiments rather than a fixed plan creates freedom to evolve and ultimately find what actually works.  What experiment will you design this week to move past your current challenge?  Share your thoughts, subscribe to hear our upcoming episode featuring a Google expert on experimental career design, and join our community of change-makers ready to embrace the uncertainty of the fog while steadily moving forward.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if everything you thought about changing habits is backward?  Most of us believe high performance comes from discipline, willpower, and pushing ourselves harder. But what if your environment shapes your behavior far more than your intentions ever could?  What if high performers are just better at putting themselves in a situation to win?  Drawing from recent conversations with behavioral scientists and my own experience as an executive coach, I've discovered something revolutionary: the secret to lasting behavior change isn't trying harder, it's designing smarter systems around you.  Humans possess a unique superpower that sets us apart from every other species on earth. While animals must adapt to their environments, we can consciously create environments that transform us into the people we want to become.  Through personal examples, including how I broke a decades-long lip-picking habit overnight, I reveal the 3-part habit loop that governs our behavior. By manipulating these elements we can achieve effortless change where willpower repeatedly fails. Research consistently shows that environmental design strategies work dramatically better than information or motivation alone.  This isn't just about personal habits.  The principles apply equally to leading teams, raising children, or influencing friends. As Charles Duhigg's work shows, approximately 40% of our behaviors are habitual, and even our non-habitual actions are largely triggered by environmental cues. By shifting your focus from changing yourself to changing your surroundings, you'll unlock a more effective path to transformation.  Ready to redesign your environment and watch your habits transform? Listen now and discover how to leverage the science of behavior change to create lasting results in your life and work.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First Change Leadership & Culture Transformation ConsultantEXECUTIVE & OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE COACH

What if your greatest strengths are secretly holding you back as a leader?  In this illuminating conversation with Dr. Martin Dubin, we uncover the hidden blind spots that prevent even the most successful leaders from reaching their full potential and making forward progress.  We all have blind spots, patterns we don't notice in ourselves that limit our growth.In this episode of Change Wired, Dr. Martin Dubin, clinical-psychologist-turned-entrepreneur-turned-leadership coach, and author of Blindspotting: How to See What's Holding You Back as a Leader, shares why blindspots are often the flip side of our greatest strengths, and how leaders can build self-awareness to avoid getting stuck in default behaviors that no longer serve them.  

Why do our intentions so rarely transform into consistent actions? What prevents our aspirations from becoming achievements?  The answer lies not in willpower or knowledge, but in a crucial missing link that's often overlooked in our pursuit of consistent behavior change.  In this enlightening exploration of human motivation, we uncover the fundamental truth about why behavior doesn't stick until we see the connection between what we need to do and what we deeply care about.   While Simon Sinek popularized "starting with why," we rarely apply this principle to the small, daily actions that ultimately build the next level of ourselves.  Drawing from neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and years of coaching experience, we examine why educational systems and workplace training programs frequently fail to engage learners. The brain simply doesn't prioritize information or actions without understanding their relevance to our personal values and aspirations. This explains why we can memorize facts for tests but quickly forget them, or why we initially commit to fitness goals but struggle to maintain them.  Through practical examples, we demonstrate how connecting habits like quality sleep, nutrition, and movement to deeper values, such as being present for your children, advancing your career, or maintaining independence as you age, transforms these actions from obligations into priorities. This isn't a one-time exercise but requires ongoing reinforcement, like taking a shower or brushing your teeth.  Whether you're struggling with personal habits, leading organizational change, or simply curious about human behavior, this episode offers a powerful framework for making change stick.  By repeatedly drawing bright lines between your actions and your deepest values, you'll find yourself naturally motivated to do what matters most - no discipline struggles required.  Ready to bridge the gap between your intentions and actions? Listen now and discover how practiving your "why" can transform everything.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First Change Leadership & Culture Transformation ConsultantEXECUTIVE & OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE COACH

Ever feel frustrated when people don't seem to "get" what you're saying? The gap between what you mean and what others hear isn't about your words - it's about metacommunication, the powerful yet often overlooked dimension of human connection.  This episode unveils the science behind why we're frequently misunderstood.  Astonishingly, research shows only 10% of our meaning comes from our actual words, while 30% derives from tone and a whopping 60% from body language. When I deliver feedback like "Your presentation lacked technical depth," the way I frame it completely transforms how it lands - as crushing criticism or as supportive guidance.  Metacommunication is communication about communication, the signals that tell others how to interpret your message. It's what separates a comment that breaks trust from one that builds it. Through vivid examples and research-backed insights, I break down why even smart, articulate people struggle to be understood, and why simply knowing about metacommunication isn't enough to master it.  The heart of this episode is a practical 5-point checklist for effective metacommunication that you can implement immediately. Each element builds on the next, creating a framework that works whether you're leading a team, building relationships, or navigating difficult conversations.  Being understood isn't everything, but it's the first step to anything meaningful.  Master these techniques, and you'll transform not just how you communicate, but how you connect, influence, and lead.  Ready to be understood - truly understood - for perhaps the first time? Listen now, and discover the metacommunication advantage that changes everything.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First Change Leadership & Culture Transformation ConsultantEXECUTIVE & OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE COACH

What if your greatest strengths are secretly sabotaging your success?  This eye-opening exploration delves into the fascinating paradox at the heart of personal development - how our natural talents, when overused or misapplied, become the very blind spots holding us back.  We'll explore the concept through analyzing my CliftonStrengths 34 report - not just learning to see how your blind spots can hold you back but also how you can build simple systems to prevent that from happening.  Drawing from Martin Dubin's groundbreaking book "Blind Spotting" and my personal revelations from the Clifton Strengths Assessment, I share how my top strengths - Learner, Strategic, and Activator - create both extraordinary opportunities and unexpected challenges.  As someone who thrives on continuous knowledge acquisition, I've had to recognize when my love of learning becomes an impediment to action or creates friction in relationships. My strategic thinking allows for rapid pattern recognition but can appear as criticism or confuse others when I don't properly explain my thought process.  Most revealing is my Activator tendency, turning thoughts into immediate action propels progress but leads to hasty decisions I later regret. The practical systems I've developed to counterbalance these tendencies have transformed my effectiveness.  Unlike weaknesses we can typically identify, blind spots remain invisible without external reflection. That's where tools like coaching, assessment instruments, and even AI assistants become invaluable mirrors, revealing patterns we cannot see ourselves. The beauty of this approach lies in its elegance - you don't need to fundamentally change who you are, just create strategic guardrails that harness your natural talents while preventing their downsides.  Share, review, and consider discussing this episode with friends or family to help each other identify blind spots and build systems for more fulfilling, rewarding lives.  What strength might be holding you back without your knowledge?    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First Change Leadership & Culture Transformation ConsultantEXECUTIVE & OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE COACH