The Ziglar Show

“I would like to be measured by what the people who learned from me taught other people.” This is what my guest said, and I've never forgotten it. Seth Godin is one of the premier voices of business in our generation, and he was one of my first guests when I was host of The Ziglar Show, and this was the second time I had him on a show. Seth is well known for his innovative thinking and insight into what I'd cite as business and vocational reform. He's a true leader in that he's attracted a massive following of the business world who look to him daily for commentary on what's most relevant for successful business practices and ethics we can all benefit most from in our professional and personal lives. In this conversation, Seth talks about why the core tenants of morals, values and personal relationships that Zig Ziglar upheld are still what is most important for our success in today's marketplace. A marketplace that changes daily, but principles that do not. So coming up I bring this talk with Seth Godin and Tom Ziglar, Zig's son and CEO of Ziglar, from the archives because it's worth it. He sees his legacy as...you. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you like to be better at getting yourself to move? When you have an overall desire, but find yourself struggling to take the first step and just get going? I think we all do in certain areas of our lives and from what I experience it is getting worse. So I've brought on an expert and we're going to exaggerate the point to help us better conceptualize what is happening when we don't move and progress, and some different ways to go about it. Michele Rigby Assad was a normal person like everyone else. But through some circumstances you're about to hear of, she became a CIA operative and spent a decade working in the Middle East. She took part in the high-stakes missions you would expect from working in the CIA, where your life or other's lives are literally on the line. The place of danger they referred to as the X, and their training was that no matter what, they had to be able to get off the X. Michele has outlined the concepts with some intriguing stories, in a new book titled, Get Off The X: C.I.A. Secrets For Conquering Obstacles And Achieving Your Life's Mission. In this conversation, we don't spend time talking about the CIA, if you want to view that, she says go watch Homeland or The Agency. We talk about how the concepts of getting off the X relate to all of us. We live lives that feel high-stakes for us, and we need to…move. Progress. Get off the X's we are stuck in. I found Michele's guidance helping me not feel I needed more motivation or inspiration, I just needed to have some pragmatic tools and perspectives to employ. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Notice I said “spirit” and not “spirituality.” To me they overlap, but this is not a faith based message. Our focus is, your spirit, which I think of like your energy and your “vibe” if you will. Thinking on spirituality, I grew up in a religious construct where many people who were devoted to their spirituality, had very poor and lacking spirits, in my experience. Think of people in your life who you enjoy being with. Really enjoy. How would you describe their spirit? Their energy? Their attitude? A few years back a book came across my desk, The Full Spirit Workout: A Ten-Step System to Shed Your Self-Doubt, Strengthen Your Spiritual Core, and Create a Fun and Fulfilling Life. The author is Kate Eckman. Kate had success as a competitive swimmer. Then she did stints as a model, a tv anchor and an international broadcast journalist. Then in a short span of time, two very close relationships in her life committed suicide and Kate found herself in tears at the pharmacy counter grasping for antianxiety meds and knew things were just not right. This began a significantly new trajectory of her life with a focus on our spirit. If you want a fit, strong and resilient body you nourish it, exercise it and allow it time to recover. How about your spirit? Your mindset, emotions and very soul? Are you working it out daily in order to keep it fit and resilient? In this conversation I walk with Kate through the pitfalls we all encounter in being strong and at peace with our self worth, confidence , self doubt, comparing ourselves to others and the struggle between our external and internal life. As you'll hear, Kate has much wisdom to offer, but in a very compassionate and raw...spirit. We hit some profound points and laughed...and cried. You can find Kate at kateeckman.tv and her podcast, Rawish. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When COVID hit we all wore masks, so as not to infect each other or get infected. I and many others perceive that a more dangerous virus is among us, and it's a victim mindset, which results in a victim identity. So how can we protect ourselves? My guest is Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D.,  a cognitive psychologist who is among the top one percent most cited scientists in the world for his groundbreaking research on intelligence, creativity, and human potential. He is the host of The Psychology Podcast, which is frequently ranked the #1 psychology podcast in the world. He is a professor of psychology at Columbia University and director of the Center for Human Potential. Dr. Kaufman's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Harvard Business Review, and he is the author of eleven books, the latest of which is called, Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your True Potential. We dig into this issue of victim mindset and identity in a candid, and likely not very PC discussion. As you'll hear, I'm just as susceptible as anyone at falling to my own victim mentality, so as usual, I entered into this with a student mindset. And…I was schooled. I think you will be too. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What began as a discussion on whether our work must really be so important ultimately came to our need to know ourselves and what really fulfills us individually. And while yes, having meaningful work is profound to the joy of our lives, it's also not meant to be the end all to our purpose and calling, but a tool. For this conversation I brought on Dan Miller, celebrated career leader and author of the classic tome on work, 48 Days To The Work & Life You Love. And also, my father. He passed away suddenly in January of 2024 and his work continues to inspire so many lives. We had a conversation at a high, and deep level, regarding how we all perceive the value and importance of our work. I wanted to speak specifically to those who may be feeling stress and anxiety about finding the ultimate work opportunity. The “holy grail” and culmination of their life's purpose and calling. That can be so daunting and in this episode I feel we did justice in taking some of the pressure off the work and putting the impetus on us having a bigger view of our overall life focus. Find Dan's guidance at 48days.com. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've given focus to how we perceive our stories. We've also looked at toxic positivity and the damage of just trying to paint a pretty picture. We all encounter circumstances and events in our lives that challenge us. From massive traumas and tragedies to just disheartening disappointments. They all matter in regards to how we go forward in life. Following is a conversation that does not culminate with a formula. There is not contrite quote to sum it up. My guest is Karena Kilcoyne, who is a former trial lawyer who specialized in criminal defense, including complex white-collar and civil litigation in federal and state courts. Later in her practice, she worked as in-house counsel for a publicly traded worldwide manufacturing company. She was a success. But Karena started life as a kid. A kid who saw her dad taken to prison, and her mom succumb to mental illness. It's as hard of a story as they come. And it took its toll on her and drove her to succeed in the world and keep dying inside. Until, she gained a new vision of possibility. No fairy godmother or self-help epiphany, just a real, raw story, that I feel we can all relate to, and find hope and equipping with. She wrote a book about it titled, Rise Above The Story: Free Yourself from Past Trauma and Create the Life You Want. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A book landed on my desk a few years ago called, Ask - The Bridge from Your Dreams to Your Destiny. And lo and behold the author was Mark Victor Hanson and his wife Crystal. Mark is cited as one of the bestselling authors of all-time, as he is credited along with Jack Canfield for the entire Chicken Soup For The Soul franchise which has sold over half a billion books. I took the opportunity to talk about…asking. Asking for help, guidance, insight, wisdom, direction and more. We used to be a culture that lived in community and part of the normalcy of life was asking. It was the only way you learned anything. Today, we find ourselves very isolated. We “ask” google. We have few friends, teachers, guides, mentors or anyone who is speaking to us personally. People are turning to AI and a collective conscious instead of anyone who actually knows them personally. And I think we continually suffer for it. At 54 years old I find myself asking people for help and guidance and insight more than ever, and I'm finding more valuable direction for my life than ever. I'm also fulfilling the role of teacher, trainer, guide for others more than ever. So following is my conversation with Mark and Crystal where they lay out the grand opportunity we can all claim for ourselves if we will learn how and when to ask for guidance and direction in our lives. We dig into the concept and discuss why we don't ask anymore, and how we can get comfortable and proficient with asking and get past our fear and pride and I feel misled independence. You can get the book at Amazon and then Mark & Crystal invite you to join them at Askthebookclub.com Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most everyone is aware of their personality style. You've likely taken one or five personality tests and quizzes where you answer a bunch of questions about yourself. What are your propensities and predispositions? I appreciate them all and have found some value from each in helping me understand and get some insight into myself. Yet I've also struggled with them being self-reporting. I find it hard to sometimes answer how I really am and how I want to be. And concern myself with possibly swaying answers with how I perceive myself that may not be very true, as we so often see ourselves with a skewed perception. About two years ago someone told me about human design. It's a similar concept, but all you provide is your birthday, place of birth and time of birth. In my past I would have shunned this as some crazy, spiritual, hoodoo guru junk. However, I've taken the human design blueprint profile, paid for the big version and I'm now two years into finding great value for myself. So what do you do with something you find great resonance, value, and validity from, even though you don't understand it? For me, I'm just using it. Of interest though is looking up the ones we habitually use in personal development and psychology that have become pillars of our culture, and where they originated. Look up, “Who invented….” and insert your favorite profile. The Enneagram was developed in 1915 by a philosopher. The Disc profile was developed in 1928 by a psychologist. Myers Briggs in 1940 by two women based on Carl Jung's teachings. The Type A or Be concept was in the 1950s by a cardiologist and then finally in 1987 we get the human design from what I'd say is a spiritualist who used to be an ad exec. None of them seem to be any scientifically based and proven method. So in this episode I'm back with Erin Claire Jones who is one of the world's leading experts in Human Design. Through her coaching, content, and digital products, she has helped hundreds of thousands of people find value through human design. She has culminated her story and work in a new book, How Do You Choose?: A Human Design Guide to What's Best for You at Work, in Love, and in Life. My point in this podcast is to help guide you to your own personal growth and evolution, just as I pursue my own. As you'll hear, I have and continue to find great value in this human design outline of how I function best. I'm blown away by it and I continue to hear the same testimony from friends of mine and people I respect who are checking it out. So…here you go. See what you think. And you can find Erin's book and the blueprint at https://humandesignblueprint.com/ Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I feel most of us are looking for a bit of new knowledge, something to help us improve our results. Kind of like weight loss and you just want to drop 5 or 10 pounds. So you make some little shifts and changes. Then you have someone like a friend of mine who went from morbidly obese to losing well over 100 pounds. Such a life change. This is a story of someone who made a massive change in who and how they are. And like someone who loses 100 lbs, becomes nearly unrecognizable from who they used to be. I bring you the incredible story of Tommy Breedlove in this episode. Tommy is a high end executive life coach who has influenced the lives of many of the leaders I've had on my podcasts. His story is one of an abused kid in poverty who was mercilessly bullied, and grew up to be a bully. At 18 he beat someone up so badly he was charged with felony accounts and imprisoned. Later he put his anger toward business and made a lot of money until he came to his end, again. Ultimately his story is someone who went from a heart of darkness, to a heart so many now turn to for light. It's a dramatic shift and we discuss it in depth in this episode. If you want more of the story, get his book on Amazon, “Legendary: A simple playbook for building and living a legendary life, and being remembered as a legend,” and visit his website at https://tommybreedlove.com. I feel a story this profound can help us feel the changes we want are more possible and feasible. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I grew up in the world of self-improvement when personality profiles became popular. The idea then was you had a core personality style and it was pretty solid, like your hair color. Culturally we like to label people's personalities, “She's a classic type A personality,” and “Oh, he's super introverted.” In regards to changing one's personality, I question if we want to change who we are, or just how we are? I think we all have tendencies we are dissatisfied with. We find ourselves anxious, depressed, worried, frustrated, angry, sad and more. I don't think we'd look at any of those with desire. I've never woken up in the morning deciding to be more worried than normal. Usually the opposite. So, can we change ourselves? My guest is Olga Khazan and she devoted a full year to trying to change her personality. Olga is a staff writer for The Atlantic has also written for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and more. She is a two-time recipient of the International Reporting Project's Journalism Fellowship. Olga said she didn't like much how how she was being, and with every reason to be happy and at peace, she described herself as fairly neurotic. I appreciate this line from our talk, she said, “What if rather than trying to make everything in the world go my way, I changed the way I responded to the world?” So she had specific aspects of her core personality, she literally wanted to change. And she embarked on the experiment as the reporter she is. She documented it all in a book, titled, Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change. I appreciate that Olga didn't come out with some big, bold claim, but simply stating what she didn't like, what she wanted to change, and she documented the journey. And today, she says that yes, she's still her, but…less neurotic. She's still Olga, but, enjoying life more. You can find Olga at the Atlantic or on Substack. I felt this conversation helped me better understand and embrace myself, and, consider how I could be me, but better. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I find that when we communicate with others, in any way, we are either helping or hurting our relationship with them. Yet every day, more and more of our communication is digital. I cut my relationship teeth as a kid on Dale Carnegie's book, “How To Win Friends and Influence People.” But this assumed we were face to face. How do we win friends and influence people from a digital perspective? A few years ago I sat down with an expert, Erica Dhawan. She wrote a book titled, Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance. Erica says if you look at the next text, email, or DM as simply a method to deliver a message and not as a human interaction, you are missing it. If you think your all-caps or exclamation points or brevity or emojis are sufficient, you're about to be schooled. Ultimately it comes down to this, continue doing it as you have, or realize there is a far greater opportunity for your work and life success if you listen in and hear how you can make some key adjustments and use every text, email, or zoom to solidify and enhance your relationships and significantly increase your relational success.  Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen to those three questions again - Can I Succeed? Do I Belong? Am I Loved? I'm tempted to feel those questions address the root issue of every human on earth. As I continue to research personal identity and how we as a culture seem to be more fragile and threatened than ever, I feel these questions are primary. So I had a conversation with Dr Gregory Walton. Greg is the co-director of the Dweck-Walton Labs. Dweck as in Carol Dweck, the legend of mindset. Greg is also a professor of psychology at Stanford. Much of Greg's research investigates psychological processes that contribute to major social problems. His research is supported by many foundations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As weighty as all this sounds, Greg's quest is to discover simple psychological shifts that build trust, belonging, and confidence. He's culminated his findings in a new book, titled Ordinary Magic: The Science of How We Can Achieve Big Change with Small Acts. So can addressing these huge questions be so simple? What I came to as we talked, was, yes, the answers can be simple, because they cut to the root cause issues of ourselves. But. I don't call them easy. Not at all. At the top of the show I pull this quote out from Greg, “An hour-long surgery can change your life forever. Is there any reason a precise psychological exercise can't do the same?” But going under the knife is a big decision. So is choosing to believe differently than you have. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are at a time when anyone with a message is pushing to have a book and a podcast. I have been in the podcast game a long time and things have changed a lot. But the question of what makes a good podcast and if you should even have one, hasn't changed. So I'm bringing back a discussion I had a few years ago with Jordan Harbinger. Jordan has an incredibly large and successful podcast with The Jordan Harbinger Show. He started his show from scratch and built it up by doing the hard work and playing the long game. He's fairly skeptical about podcasting and right at the beginning of this talk you'll hear Jordan flat out state he feels very few people should start or have a podcast. Do not be disheartened, as he qualifies this throughout the show and I strongly encourage you to listen and I think you'll find incredible insight into podcasting and whether you will be well served to have a podcast. Or not. This episode will give you some wisdom on having a valuable podcast, and likely save you a lot of time and hassle if you realize it's not a good fit. If you appreciate Jordan, find him at The Jordan Harbinger Show wherever you get your podcasts. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The topic today is courage and my guest defines courage as, consciously choosing to act in the presence of fear and potential risk, real or perceived, and she cites it as a learnable skill. Dr. Margie Warrell is a five-time best-selling author and Forbes columnist. She's the author of the upcoming book The Courage Gap: 5 Steps to Braver Action which is what got my attention. This is not looking at monumental feats of bravery against life-threatening circumstances. This is the everyday fears we seem to be failing from culturally. I've been thinking of our current fear culture like a toxin in the air at your home and office that you don't detect, that is slowly poisoning you. And you grow steadily more sick and don't understand why. As you'll hear me discuss with Margie, throughout history human kind was only exposed to a couple fearful issues per day. If that. Today we are flooded with infinite fears from around the globe and even the galaxy. We can't eradicate fear, and shouldn't, but we sure can decrease it. And then, we can be conscious and choose when to be courageous, which again, is not something we do once we've overcome our fear. It's something we do while we are still afraid. I really enjoyed and benefitted from this talk with Margie, we really resonated, and it helped open up my understanding of both fear and courage, and gave me tangible concepts of where I'm not being courageous, and how I can be far more. You can find her book, The Courage Gap, anywhere, and find her at the Live Brave podcast and Margiewarrell.com Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I grew up with parents who had me reading Dale Carnegie's book, How To Win Friends & Influence People, when other kids were reading comic books. They modeled being respectful to all people, especially those in the least positions of power. I actually found them to be far more intolerant of those in power. Four years ago I sat down with my Dad, Dan Miller, famous for his career book which has become a classic, 48 Days To The Work & Life Love, to talk about it. At the time my parents were living in a gated community in Florida where they often frequented the neighborhood club for meals. As soon as they pulled up in the parking lot, you'd think they were royalty in how the staff treated them. Literally. It was almost embarrassing. But it wasn't because my parents were well known. It wasn't because they tipped well. It's because they cared. They knew what was going on in the lives of the valets, the hostesses, the servers, the manager of the place. They did it because it's what they believed was right and best. But from the care they received, people could get the idea they lived a charmed life. But what I witnessed was that they planted the seeds…for a charmed life. So here is a discussion I had with my now deceased Dad, in his previous office, about the reasons and benefits behind treating all people with respect.  Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is healthy and helpful self-reliance? I submit that few of us know and most of us are falling to one side or another of unhealth. On one side we exercise very little self-reliance, which means if we are not relying on self, we are relying on others. On the other side is an overabundance of self-reliance where we rely almost exclusively on ourselves and hardly at all on others. So is there a happy medium? Or are there some aspects of our lives where we should be super self-reliant and other areas where we should seek out help? This is why I brought on Maha Abouelenein, as her new book is titled, 7 Rules of Self-Reliance: How to Stay Low, Keep Moving, Invest in Yourself, and Own Your Future. Maha is a personal branding expert, CEO and founder of global communications consulting firm Digital and Savvy, and a best-selling author. She has a long, impressive pedigree of success in the corporate world in the Middle East and in America, but none of it is why I brought her on the show. Maha had a challenging upbringing that gave her every reason to be a victim and not practice self-reliance. And she's experienced the consequences of unhealthy self-reliance on both sides. My focus was taking on the topic of self-reliance to understand how we are doing it poorly, and how to do it with greater success. Find her at mahaabouelenein.com/ Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome. I'm Kevin Miller and this is a podcast for your personal evolution.  In this episode we're talking about trust. In today's culture more than ever, trust is the number one asset of success. But we are often failing to gain people's trust, and we don't understand why. We inherently think of trust as something you have and are, or don't have and are not. Most everyone hearing this will believe themselves to be trustworthy because they are honest, moral people who live with integrity. But you are about to hear eight aspects of trust you must intentionally and proactively engage in if you want to really be viewed as trustworthy and benefit from it in your life and business. If you have a business, it takes more than you think to create loyal clients and get their referrals. It takes more than you just having good character and being honest. David Horsager is with me and this is his devotion and area of mastery. He's CEO of the Trust Edge Leadership Institute, and national bestselling author of The Trust Edge Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I find people who are seeking to evolve personally, greatly desire to contribute to humanity. The people in need are endless and there are global plights that we feel impotent to address. What I've come to learn is how much good we can do with our simple grocery store purchases. This isn't an ad, just my normal curiosity in evolving myself and maturing my impact in this world. Paul Rice founded Fair Trade and just came out with a book about it. I've known vaguely about Fair Trade but didn't realize what it really meant. In this conversation you'll hear Paul's story about living in Nicaragua for a decade to help small coffee farmers. Then coming back to America to create Fair Trade and how it helps people and really doesn't cost us any more. You can literally walk into your grocery store and look for a product like cherry tomatoes, and for no greater price, buy the ones with the Fair Trade stamp, and know you are helping a truckload of people live a sustainable life and treat the earth well. You'll learn all you need about converting some of your purchases to Fair Trade, right in this episode. I also really enjoyed getting to know Paul. I may be joining him in Costa Rica later in the year to visit some coffee farmers and work to spread the message. His new book is, Every Purchase Matters: How Fair Trade Farmers, Companies, And Consumers Are Changing The World. I found the book intriguing, but you can engage right now by looking for Fair Trade products in your next grocery trip. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm skeptical of any claim of a “formula” regarding personal evolution. And you'll notice I say “a formula” and not “the formula.” But many things can be boiled down to some core ingredients. The difference in my opinion is this formula is less like a cooking recipe you just easily mix and bake and is more like an intense formulaic math equation you must diligently work out. I feel Steven Kotler does a masterful job of deducing peak performance down into its essence and from it you can see where you need to give focus and attention and work. Steven is a New York Times-bestselling author, an award-winning journalist and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world's leading experts on human performance and has become very well known for his insight on flow state. Steven has authored multiple bestsellers, including The Future is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, and Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes and translated into over 40 languages. The following conversation happened after he published The Art of Impossible and I bring it back to you again because it's worth revisiting. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sumit Paul-Choudhury shares that in his childhood he somewhat lost faith in mankind after starkly coming to the realization that not everyone is kind, good, and caring. Sumit went on to pursue science, technology, and the future. He became Editor-in-Chief of New Scientist, trained as an astrophysicist, and received a Sloan Fellowship in strategy and leadership from the London Business School. Then his wife died and on that day, he became an optimist. It was a life reset for him and optimism became his area of focus and research. Sumit has now written a book, The Bright Side: How Optimists Change the World, and How You Can Be One. I was raised in an optimistic home and while I side with optimism, I'm also sensitive to the concept of toxic positivity. So I sat down to hear Sumit's story and learn more about his research. He cites that in today's culture, it can feel "darkly glamorous to think it's the end of the world. There is kind of a seduction to it." And yet his research shows that optimism simply breeds more opportunity for us. So he's using his research to help us understand what healthy optimism is and how to harness it consciously and healthfully. Find Sumit's book, The Bright Side, anywhere, and connect with him at alternity.com Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just over a year ago, my father died. I was 53. Thousands of people testified to his positive impact in their lives. Me included. And…the event helped me reveal some patterns I'd repeated, that were not constructive for my life. One of the stories I share in my book, What Drives You, is that of Lori Harder. Lori was raised in a very strict, religious family. She cites they were very sedentary and most of their family time out of church, existed on the couch watching TV and eating junk food. There were all very overweight and it led to her being significantly bullied in school. But then a visit to a friend's home opened her eyes to a different world. One of an active and healthy lifestyle with very different engagements to the world. She ultimately became a fitness model and today leads a large organization leading people to pursue their more evolved self. So I'm bringing back our conversation from years ago, before I put her in my book, to hear her story. And how it led her to focus on our “tribes.” My focus is on the power of who we surround ourselves with. Are they influences that are helping us evolve, or devolve? And in today's culture, we've also got to watch out for isolation where we don't really have a tribe any longer. You can find Lori Harder…anywhere. Just type it in as it sounds, L O R I. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Failure is a popular topic in the self-improvement world, but I feel it's generally addressed like a motivational talk. Don't let failure get you down. It's part of life. It's not failing, it's trying. Which is why I was interested when I heard about Manu Kapur (Man-oo kapoor) work on failure, who is a professor at the same university where Einstein attended and then taught. Manu studies learning and growth from a scientific standpoint and actually developed the Theory of Productive Failure, which is the name of his new book. He approaches failure completely differently. Not as something to cope with as if it happens, but something to make sure happens. And without it we have less understanding. The point isn't really even failing, but understanding. Example. I have two kids with permits right now. These are the 6th and 7th kids I've taught to drive. We have the benefit of living out on forest roads, so they can start driving with a little more freedom. I don't tell them how to do everything. I give them the basics to get started, then they get going and...I try to stay silent. Let them look around and figure things out. I take them into a wet or snowy parking lot and have them turn till they slide. It's amazing how much better they drive when they figure out for themselves. Even them asking me instead of me telling them. This is some of the essence of Manu's research and findings. You're about to hear some paradigm shifting perspective on using and leveraging failure to help your mastery, and like me, I think it will make perfect sense to you.  Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't normally gravitate towards people with the huge followings and big brand personalities. But I also like a good, down to earth story of personal evolution, and this is one I'm bringing back. A few years ago I got to have a long conversation with Chalene Johnson. We recorded a couple of shows and talked for hours longer about our sordid fitness and athletic journeys. Chalene literally holds a Guinness World Record for having starred in the most fitness videos. An odd title to me, and one she questions as well. It's part of her story. She's a billboard ad for being fit, trim, and sexy. And yet along the way to achieving this, she hurt herself, physically and mentally. She was selling an image and killing herself to maintain it. Today she is still leading women to looking good, but feeling good as well. And one of the reasons so many people connect to her is her openness about her journey. If she realizes she's been wrong about something, she admits it. When she tries something that doesn't work, she shares it. We talk through her story some and lead up to to her having a big health decline that included debilitating brain fog, mood swings, and chronic pain and injuries. This is what started her questioning of the diet and fitness industry she was helping promote. She taught herself to read scientific studies and wisely evaluate the research. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm thinking of a movie, Stranger Than Fiction. It came out in 2006 starring Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, and Queen Latifah. In it, Will Ferrell plays a mentally unstable IRS auditor who starts hearing an author's voice in his head and as she writes this fictional story, he is the main character and the events literally happen in his life. So he hears her speak of events, such as something happening that causes his death. And he's left talking back, saying, “Hey! Stop doing that! I'm not ok with that story!” I feel it's an incredible depiction that I realize is actually going on in my life, and I'm not taking it seriously. In the last episode I talked with Marianne Renner, whose new book is Self-Talk: 10 Stories You Tell Yourself That Hold You Back…And How to Overcome Them. This is my muse. I invite you to think through this with me…the idea that today you are going along listening to a fairly fictional depiction of your life that if you're not aware of, you'll just agree with. Also, if you'll go to mariannerenner.com/selftalk, you can get the first three chapters of Marianne's book absolutely free.  Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all think we know what self-talk is. But I think we miss the gravity of it. I'm reminded of the joke where one fish asks another fish "how's the water?" The other fish replies, "what the heck is water?" We were never introduced to our own self-talk, it was there since the day we were conceived to varying degrees. We are not necessarily conscious of it. In this episode we expand on self-talk to help you conceptualize how it is your very perception of life. My guest is Marianne Renner. I've gotten to know Marianne well over the last year and she has a real story of not only changing her self-talk, but transforming herself in a way that she can't really even recognize the person she used to be. She lost her mom at an early age and was left with a broken hearted father. She fell into addiction. She considered ending her life. Even tried. And then had one of those divine moments of clarity. To me it is akin to the fish all of the sudden realizing it was in water. Marianne has not just changed her life, she has changed the very essence of the person she is, and she's thriving. She has a new book coming out, Self-Talk: 10 Stories You Tell Yourself That Hold You Back…And How to Overcome Them. On a personal side, one of Marianne's mentors in her journey to remake herself and her life, was my father. Dan Miller. He encouraged her to write a book. She did, completing it right around the time my Dad died. She had him in mind to write the forward to her book. But in his absence, she asked me to carry on the legacy. I am incredibly honored to have written a heartfelt forward for Marianne's book. I'm honored for multiple reasons, the top one being, I feel this is a message we all desperately need. If you'll go to mariannerenner.com/selftalk, you can get the first three chapters of her book absolutely free. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mentors. Chances are slim you have someone who really fills the role. These days people will tend to cite their favorite authors and philosophers and influences as their mentors. And to that degree, I'd say that almost everyone in my life “mentors” me, as I learn from everyone. But I really define a mentor as someone who literally knows you and is invested in helping guide you. We used to have this in families where we lived in a village and closely amongst family and friends. We had grandparents, aunts and uncles and even neighbors who were truly involved in our lives. Today, we are isolated. A few years ago I sat down with Ken Blanchard, famous business and personal leader. Ken authored The One Minute Manager which is a business classic and has sold more than 15 million copies. But this conversation wasn't about management. It was about mentoring. Ken became the mentor for Claire Diaz-Ortiz, who is an author, speaker and innovation advisor who was an early employee at Twitter. She was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company and called “The Woman Who Got the Pope on Twitter.” Clair  is an award-winning author of eight books that have been published in more than a dozen countries. But the story here is Ken became a mentor to Claire, and together they co-authored a book titled, One Minute Mentoring: How to Find and Work With a Mentor - and Why You'll Benefit from Being One. Ken asked Claire to do this book with him because he not only personally mentors her, but she in turn mentors him in regards to the younger generation. It makes an incredibly valuable perspective on the need, value and opportunity of mentoring. I bring this back because at the age of 53, I found a true mentor in my life, and it has been transformational.  My core devotion is to finding deep fulfillment in life, and helping others find find it as well. When I'm not on this microphone I'm working with people as a life coach and often applying what fulfills them into their work and business. Connect with me at kevinmiller.co or email me at kmiller@kevinmiller.co. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all understand what alignment is in regards to our car. It's pulling one way or the other, the steering wheel is crooked when we drive straight. Over time it wears our tires out incorrectly, and if you've ever had an old, beat up car like I have, you are literally pulling it one way the entire time you drive. I find our lives are often this way in some areas. We are not in alignment. But we, and I mean me as well, so often think we're doing others and the world a favor by enduring it. But being sacrificial. That's what love is, right? Well, I used to think so. I don't anymore. Not long term. My past episode with Cathy Heller and the message in her new book, Abundant Ever After: Tools For Creating A Life Of Prosperity And Ease, has me looking at my alignment again and considering what the collateral damage could be if I don't correct it. If you get Cathy's book, go to cathyheller.com/book and you can get some of her key courses for free. My core devotion is to finding deep fulfillment in life, and helping others find find it as well. When I'm not on this microphone I'm working with people as a life coach and often applying what fulfills them into their work and business. Connect with me at kevinmiller.co or email me at kmiller@kevinmiller.co. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I grew up in the Christian church amongst celebrated Bible verses, such as, “Ask and ye shall receive,” “Knock and the door will be open to you,” and “Seek, and ye shall find.” These concepts and requests were to be aimed at God. Today we hear a lot about manifesting. This often gets friction from the religious crowd as it feels like credit is given to the individual and not God. In this episode today I have a conversation with Cathy Heller about it. We are not discussing, dissecting, or debating religion or doctrine, but really honing in on our expectations, a concept I've been researching again as of late. Can I have faith in God but suffer from not expecting good things to come my way? Can I not have faith in God but benefit because I do expect good things to come my way? And thus my title for this episode of asking, “Can Anything Overcome Our Expectations For Ourselves?” Cathy Heller is a renowned teacher, podcaster and author. She hosts a top spiritual podcast, Abundant Ever After. She is a practitioner of what she cites as the law of reception, and has a large following that includes a lot of the top psychologists I respect and have had here on the podcast. Her recent book is called, Abundant Ever After: Tools For Creating A Life Of Prosperity And Ease, and as I read it I just resonated with Cathy's spirit and intrigued myself with her perspectives, so following is our discussion together. If you decide to buy her book, go to cathyheller.com/book and she has some of her courses she'll give you for free.  Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often hear about morning routines and the best time for certain activities. What I mostly hear however, are people's experiences of what works best for them, and while I'm appreciative they've found what works for them, I'm cautious to take anything and say it's what everyone should do. I am interested in what research actually says though. Dan Pink is one of the most prolific researchers I know when it comes to human potential. I've lost track of how many best selling books he has written, such as A Whole New Mind and The Power of Regret. I've had Dan on this show multiple times, but this recording was my first time with him and it was around a book he wrote titled, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. Dan did the literal research to find statistics on when the best time was, for us as humans to perform certain activities. What times were best for certain conversations. Think of it as what time is statistically most optimal. What time will give you the best chance of success to do something. I fascinated myself with it, which is why I'm bringing this episode back for you to benefit from. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last episode I talked with Dr Adam Dorsay about the four types of connection we want and need as humans. I hope you listened and got benefit. I'll list them out in this short episode. But here I want to draw attention to the real type of connection we are talking about, and most of us…missing. If we don't understand, we'll miss the concept entirely. Imagine one person asking another if they cycle. And the other says, “Absolutely! Almost every day?” So the first person says, “Well great, want to meet back here in the morning and go cycle together?” “Sure,” says the other. The next morning they meet up. One is on a motorcycle. The other on a bicycle. I'm going to help define our connections so we understand what we really want. Dr Dorsay's book and my muse for this episode is, Super Psyched: Unleash the Power of the 4 Types of Connection and Live the Life You Love. Also find him on his podcast, Super Psyched. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Adam Dorsay is a licensed psychologist and an executive coach in Silicon Valley where he serves people who have achieved all the big trophies of the world; money, status, possessions, power, and some of them, fame. And yet they are coming to him for help. Why? After all these years, he's written a book to culminate the primary problem he sees. Lack of true connection. We are all out there trying to win the world, and in the process, we neglect our soul. We neglect the primary thing that gives us true joy, happiness, and fulfillment. Connection. This may seem elementary but so are most of the great truths of life. Adam finds there are four key areas of connection that we are missing and it's taking the joy out of everything else; connection with yourself, others, the world, and something greater. But you can't just hear that list and fix things. You need to understand what connection really is and how to go about achieving it, because we are all lacking connection to varying degrees and we don't understand why. Which is why I had Dr Adam Dorsay come onto the show. I wanted to know more for myself, and as you're about to hear, discussing connect with Adam opened my eyes more, especially in regards to my connection with myself, which is the most common thread of all my research on the human condition. Adam's book is called Super Psyched: Unleash the Power of the 4 Types of Connection and Live the Life You Love. He also has a podcast of the same name, Super Psyched, that you can check out. I invite you to join me as I talk with Dr Adam Dorsay about how we can better understand and achieve the greatest asset for our lives, connection. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may well know of Nick Vujicic (voo-uh-chich), a famous personality with no arms and no legs. He has an incredible message which you're about to hear. I'm bringing this episode back because of something Tom Ziglar, who was with me when I talked with Nick, said at a later date as we were discussing confidence. He referenced Nick, saying here is a guy with no arms or legs. He is the most physically vulnerable of just about anyone. And yet he seems to be more confident than almost everyone. I never forgot the sentiment and found myself pondering it again lately after I suffered a loss and was considering my own confidence. I'll let you think on that while you hear us talk with Nick about challenges. Nick shares that just because someone else's challenges might seem bigger, it doesn't negate our own. We all want to know how to deal with them better. With more joy, peace and success. Nick is one of the most sought after speakers on the planet, often getting 100 speaking requests per week because he's one of the most overcoming, inspirational people you will have ever heard. Tens of millions follow him on social media, and his Youtube videos have literally hundreds of million of views. But it's real world stuff folks. He almost committed suicide. This isn't some pollyanna face on hardship. HEre is the conversation Tom Ziglar and I had with Nick. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I want to talk through looking at probable threads for looking at some of your propensities. I've long been interested, and critical, of personality profiles. How much can I know who I truly am, in regards to how I've been programmed, even genetically? I've continued to try and understand myself in relation to my nature, and my nurture. Which I used to only relate to my conscious existence, but have learned I must consider my genetics as well. Especially after adopting children from a different culture and seeing this play out. This is a continuation of thought from my conversation with psychologist, and professor, Mariel Buqué in the last episode where we talked through the message in her book, Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma.  Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That statement I would have not uttered in my past. I don't align with blaming, accusing, making excuses, and giving any power to anyone but myself. But, I'm changing my tune, thanks to my guest today. If someone runs a red light and smashes into my car, breaking my leg, I am ok to blame them for my broken leg. And admitting I now have a broken leg and can't go run the next day. It would be dumb to blame myself or to deny the car wreck and sit around perplexed as to why my leg is broken, or blame myself for what…driving through a green light? Recognizing what happened helps me keep myself sane. Then of course, the event is over. I have a broken leg. I was in a car crash. It's solely up to me to deal with it. To try and heal the leg. To work through the wreck so I don't have PTSD with driving. My expert guest on this issue is Mariel Buqué. Mariel is a PhD and a Columbia University–trained trauma-informed psychologist, and professor. She has appeared as an expert on Good Morning America and Today and many other outlets, and has offered wellness talks to corporations such as Google, Capital One, and Meta. She is originally from the Dominican Republic and currently lives in New Jersey. I caught up with her recently while she was in Trinidad, to talk about the message in her new book, Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma. I feel this message is important and very useful for us all, because we all have things that happened to our ancestors that affect us.  Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a culture, especially amongst aspiring people, we look at willpower like it's a tool. Like a hammer. It's late in the evening, you have a hankering for a snack, so just go get your hammer. Willpower. And smack that desire down. But how often can we not seem to find the hammer when we need it most? There is a reason. Your willpower is not a hammer. It's more like your phone and all day the battery is draining. So often when you go to use it, you've fully depleted it. So what do you do? That's why I'm bringing back one of the shows I refer to so, so often. Ben Hardy wrote his first book, Why Willpower Doesn't Work, and it became a classic. I've had him on my show 4 or 5 times and he's the lead story in my book, What Drives You. Ben has a PhD in organizational psychology and has written many bestselling books at this point. I'm a fan, as I feel he gets to root issues of problems we all experience. The following conversation will forever change how you view your willpower, and it will equip you to better save your willpower, and construct your environment so you don't even have to rely on it. Find Ben anywhere at BenjaminHardy. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My most recent show was with heavy metal front man, Randy Blythe, who started his music career in the punk rock movement, rebelling against the system. In his new book,  Just Beyond the Light: Making Peace with the Wars Inside Our Head, he talks candidly and humbly about how he now regrets his polarized positions, and today questions his positions rigorously, with a lot more grace for all sides. It's impacted me to have a guy who so raged against the machine, now have such a new perspective. And has me thinking about all of us. How wrapped up are we against the culture and all the “stupid” and evil people. Is this stance helping us? Is it even true and valid? I question it. Maybe you do too. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy Blythe is the lead singer and songwriter for the heavy metal band, Lamb of God. He writes and sings, you might call it yelling...even growling, very angry, aggressive, and dark music. He has the sordid past you would expect. Severe alcoholism. Jail time for manslaughter charges. You might be surprised, or not, that he's the son of a Southern Baptist pastor. And Randy has just written his second book, called Just Beyond the Light: Making Peace with the Wars Inside Our Head. I was sent an advanced copy of the book and I found Randy to be an incredibly introspective, insightful and intellectually sober individual who I resonated with significantly. His music career started in punk rock and was very political and rebelling against society. Today however, Randy readily admits the one-sided judgement of it all. He says, “If something is worth believing in…a political, religious or humanitarian position…surely it should withstand rigorous examination from a rational, educated observer with critical thinking.” He goes on to say, “If you are unwilling to question your own beliefs and just accept them at face value…you are driven by fear." He shares that he finally realized, "his own head was lying to him" and the war inside his head and the incessant conflict was just his daily, constantly shifting perception of reality. I feel this is the war in all of our heads, and it's where my primary interest as of late is. Following is my conversation with Randy to dig into his experience and discuss our shared views on perception and reality. I found Randy incredibly thoughtful and humble, and am going to join him in Denver in a couple weeks during his national Spoken Word tour to get to know each other more. You can check out his book, Just Beyond the Light, and find him by searching for Randy Blythe. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I adore music. It moves me like few other things in existence. There was a time when my family and I watched America's Got Talent, and it was the breakout singers that we most enjoyed. You may remember Mandy Harvey. Mandy was in college pursuing a vocal music education degree, then lost her hearing. She left the program to pursue other career options, but later returned to music. She ultimately landed on America's Got Talent where she reached the finals and was Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer Winner. From there, CNN showcased Mandy on their Great Big Story and captured over 10 million hits on social media, Burt's Bees signed her up for their “Remarkable Women” campaign, NBC Nightly News profiled her, and she went on to perform at the world's most prestigious clubs, concert stages and festivals. Mandy then wrote a book titled, Sensing The Rhythm, Finding My Voice In a World Without Sound. The book landed on my desk and in it I found a message of helping others to realize their dreams and pursue their hopes, no matter what. I invited Mandy onto my show and following I bring back an incredibly inspiring conversation about pursuing your dreams, in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, like being a singer…who goes deaf. Find her anywhere, just type in Mandy Harvey. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wrapping up my series on binary thinking and our cultural propensity and judge and reject others with differing perspectives, I am interested in this concept of moral outrage. In my recent discussion with Fox TV personality Kat Timp, she stated that “Moral outrage is often rooted in self-esteem more than altruism.” I intrigued myself with the statement and went and researched it further. What I found gave a lot of support to the statement and got me thinking about myself and some of the hardlines I've taken against people and issues. I'll share what I found. Kat Timpf's new book on this topic is, I Used To Like You Until…:How Binary Thinking Divides Us. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I feel if an alien came to earth today and looked at media, whether the news headlines or social media, they'd think we must be near war. Now, with the literal news media who is paid to get readers, they know the value of drama, and if it bleeds, it leads. But with social media, most of what I see we are just inflicting upon ourselves. Somebody makes a benign post that may showcase a like or dislike or a viewpoint or opinion, and…the fight is on. The comments sections can turn into war zones. I try not to read them, as I just depress myself with the unnecessary and unwarranted conflict. But I feel like most all the conflict is people raising their hand to let us all know, “Hey, I'm wildly insecure and need to try and elevate my lacking self image by vehemently arguing how wrong you are if you put pineapple on your pizza.” What I find speaks confidence most is, curiosity. Let's talk about it. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In my previous episode I talked with Fox TV personality, Kat Timpf about binary thinking. Right, wrong, black, and white. And our cultural propensity to take a differing opinion or view or belief someone else has, judge them completely for it, and reject them. Kat experiences this frequently when people find out she works for Fox. They label and judge her and distance themselves. Even though they could possibly agree on many other things. They may even in truth, like her. But since she's labeled with the Fox emblem, they reject her. The thing is, I understand this. I've long struggled with the concept of grace. I get the idea, but giving someone grace for doing or representing something I feel may be harming them or someone else, feels really hard. I fear if I am gracious, it will seem like I am ok with what or who they are, and I may not be. So how do you address this? Let's talk for a minute. Kat Timpf's new book on this topic is I Used To Like You Until…:How Binary Thinking Divides Us. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My perspective is that we are the most divided culture ever right now. Every issue is a trigger for everyone and you are required to stand on one side or the other or be deemed negligent or ignorant. And if someone aligns with a differing side or perspective, you need to distance yourself from them. To me it feels like we've fallen into the most strict, religious culture ever. Everyone has their set of beliefs according to the religion of their perspective, and if you believe differently, you are judged and sentenced to crucifixion. I think it's toxic and poisoning our society. So a book came across my desk from someone…I would not normally have on my show. But doing so, I feel, beautifully represented the point. Why is it a threat to sit and have a discussion with someone who may have differing values and perspectives? Who lives a different lifestyle? My guest is Kat Timpf. Kat is a writer, comedian, and libertarian commentator. She's currently the co-panelist of “Gutfeld!” on Fox News weeknights at 10 p.m. and a Fox News analyst. She's also the author of the New York Times bestseller "You Can't Joke About That: Why Everything is Funny, Nothing is Sacred, and We're All in This Together." Her new book is what got my attention, I Used To Like You Until…:How Binary Thinking Divides Us. Kat's life and lifestyle couldn't be further from my own. But I found our views on cultural division are very similar, and I was honored to sit and have this discussion with her. I think there is a lot for all of us to learn. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talking about a good life feels like speaking to success. What makes it up? And we generally say that we must define this for ourselves. Agreed. However, my guest has been studying this for a long, long time, and to have a good life he's found it boils down to three buckets. Categories if you will. Jonathan Fields has come to be known as “the good life guy.” He has a wildly popular podcast called The Good Life Project. I've had Jonathan on my show twice and often reference his profile that looks at what makes us come alive in our work, which you can find at sparketype.com. This conversation happened years ago when I sat down with Jonathan just to dig into what he's found really makes up a good life. He had written a book called The Good Life Project that really put him on the map. I also just dug into Jonathan himself and what got him to the point to embrace this movement and become the leader he's become and is becoming to so many people pursuing a good life. I found the conversation incredibly intriguing and believe it will give you a lot to think about in regards to how you are living, loving and leading.  Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In my show with TJ Powers, talking through his book, The DOSE Effect: Optimize Your Brain & Body By Boosting Your Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins, he lists out 20 activities to address all those brain chemicals, and I want to give it to you, whether you buy the book or not. If you can add just one to your day, you've at least done that to advocate for your mental well being and overall capacity. I'm thinking about looking at it every morning, then going through it as a checklist in the evening to see how I did. Let's talk through it now. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our culture today, the concept of “slowing down” has little attraction. We are enamored with speed. So instead of trying to sell “slowing down” let's look at what the point of questioning our speed is. Imagine going to hike the Grand Canyon. Or another nearby attraction, Las Vegas. And imagine if your goal is speed. Do you want to just get through either of them as fast as you can? Or would you rather explore and experience what they have to offer? Now come back to our lives in general. Forget the idea of slowing down. I'm questioning our societal quest for tech and AI and travel to continually speed us up. What is the point? Is it working? Are you getting happier as a result? Let's talk. My muse for this discussion is from my recent conversation with TJ Powers and the message in his new book, The DOSE Effect: Optimize Your Brain & Body By Boosting Your Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. Find TJ on Instagram @tjpower. In our culture today, the concept of “slowing down” has little attraction. We are enamored with speed. So instead of trying to sell “slowing down” let's look at what the point of questioning our speed is. Imagine going to hike the Grand Canyon. Or another nearby attraction, Las Vegas. And imagine if your goal is speed. Do you want to just get through either of them as fast as you can? Or would you rather explore and experience what they have to offer? Now come back to our lives in general. Forget the idea of slowing down. I'm questioning our societal quest for tech and AI and travel to continually speed us up. What is the point? Is it working? Are you getting happier as a result? Let's talk. My muse for this discussion is from my recent conversation with TJ Powers and the message in his new book, The DOSE Effect: Optimize Your Brain & Body By Boosting Your Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. Find TJ on Instagram @tjpower. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm a very visual guy, so I often think of visual analogies to help me better conceptualize a concept. So imagine you are watching a video tape of yourself, sped up to show all your activities for a day. With special attention on how much time you are looking at screens and what you are looking at. How many times do you look at your phone? How many times on your computer are you viewing social media or entertainment or even just random information or news updates? Let's call it non-productive viewing. Do you resemble a contemplative, thoughtful, focused person? Or an addicted squirrel? I'm going to bet you are far more squirrel-like than you'd expect. I believe I am, and my recent talk with TJ Powers about how we build up and deplete our brain chemicals really has me considering this. Let's talk through it a bit. TJ Powers' new book is my muse, The DOSE Effect: Optimize Your Brain & Body By Boosting Your Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. Find him on Instagram @tjpower. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes an analogy comes along that just clicks. It takes information you may have heard before and helps drive it home. That is what happened with my guest in this show regarding the brain chemicals that fuel our drive and motive. TJ POWER is a neuroscientist and innovator in the area of mental health. His work focuses on providing easy-to-adopt, scientifically backed teachings that empower people to take action towards healthier lifestyles. He has a really big following and when I got his book, I understood why. The book is, The DOSE Effect: Optimize Your Brain & Body By Boosting Your Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins, and in it, TJs explanations helped me see how I am increasing or depleting the brain chemicals I rely on to do the important work in my life. Most of us have heard much about dopamine, but do we really understand how we increase and decrease it? Then also, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. Now the point isn't to understand each one fluently, but to understand how they help us and what we are doing in our everyday lives that help or hurt them. I was most interested in what I learned about how I'm depleting some of these chemicals early in the day, and then later it feels like I'm lacking drive and motivation. I trust in listening to this conversation, you will be able to understand what these chemicals do for us and like me, now understand how to far better leverage them to do the things you truly want to do. You can find TJ Powers on Instagram @tjpower. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the world of personal development you hear a lot of stories of people making huge changes. Rags to riches, zero to hero, and massive life turn-arounds. It makes for a great story, but is it relevant for us? In 2003 I was at a critical juncture in my life where I'd bit off more than I could chew. I abruptly quit my cycling career and business, moved my wife and three kids cross country and started a new life. It was needed. Since then, most changes have not been quite so massive. We tend to look at the circumstances to guide, if not force us to action. But now I pay attention to where my heart is. With that in mind, I bring you a story that I feel will help you consider where you are. Rich Roll. The guys is famous for his story, and today, his gigantic podcast, the Rich Roll show. Years back I sat down with Rich to dig into his story. Here are the highlights; Rich was 39 years old with degrees from Stanford and Cornell. He was a corporate lawyer, married with three kids living in a dream house he'd built. Then one evening he finds himself at home, it's 2am and he's spent hours watching TV and eating junk food and he's winded after walking up eight steps in his home. An image of his wife and daughter at her wedding in the future, and he wasn't there. He'd died from ill health. He looked in the mirror and saw a fat, out of shape, very unhealthy man, depressed, self-destructive and utterly disconnected from who he was and what he wanted to be. He said, “In that precise moment, I was overcome with the profound knowledge, not that I needed to change, but that I was WILLING to change. And I understood that any true or lasting lifestyle change would require rigor, specificity, and accountability. Vague notions of “eating better” or maybe “going to the gym more often” just weren't going to work.” And, the rest you're about to hear more about. He became an ultra endurance athlete and now is a brand, in and of himself, of healthy living and life transformation. Find him on your podcast player, just search for Rich Roll. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anytime a question like this is posed, you really expect that it's bait to pull you in and emphasize in this case, how we really, massively need community. I'm not going to do that. I'm quite an introvert and I don't often enjoy groups of people. I want to look at what community can look like for different people. My muse continues to be Ian Morgan Cron from his new book, The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between. The 12 Steps came from AA, Alcoholics Anonymous, which I view as one of the most powerful and valuable communities ever. But I don't see many communities that function as it does. I will cite some others however. The point though is, asking what the value really is, or isn't, for each of us to consider. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A couple episodes ago in my conversation with Ian Morgan Cron on addiction and the benefits of 12 steps, he started off talking about the “great human ache” we all feel and are trying to address. Ian is a man of faith, actually an Episcopal priest along with all his other roles. For him the ache is an aspect of separation from God. That is his faith. It may not be yours. It may not be mine. But in my own experience as a human, and in walking with so many, the concept of an underlying ache, interests me. It resonates some, but I also question it. So that's this short episode…some thoughts and questions about the great human ache or what else may be troubling us beneath the surface. Ian's new book again is The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between. Also find him at his popular podcast, Typology. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've often heard addiction debated, as to what really defines it. I typed into a search engine, “How do you define addiction” and this is what it showed; Addiction is when you have a strong physical or psychological need or urge to do something or use something. It is a dependence on a substance or activity even if you know that it causes you harm. It can impact your daily life. I don't want to be flippant, but from that definition I'd say every one of us is on a spectrum of addiction. I don't look at it as addicted or not, but how addicted to our vices are we. I think about this often, as I really, really like liking what I like. I love loving my pleasures. But I also concern myself with going too far. I'll get candid with you here and follow in the footsteps of my guest in the previous episode, Ian Morgan Cron, as he shared about his ongoing struggles in his new book, The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between. Also find him at his popular podcast, Typology. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices