Podcasts about achiever

What if the biggest obstacle to your performance isn't your workload or your leadership challenges, but your own mind? In this episode, I sit down with Shirzad Chamine, founder and CEO of Positive Intelligence, to talk about the habits many anxious achievers rely on to succeed (i.e. hypervigilance, perfectionism, control, and constant striving), but that can drain energy, clarity, and confidence over time. Shirzad breaks down how overused strengths turn into self-sabotage, and the 10-second practice that helps you shift from stress and reactivity into calm, focused leadership. Get ready to learn how to work with your mind instead of against it. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com Brevo - Meet brevo, the all in one marketing and CRM platform built to help you connect with customers, boost engagement and grow your business smarter. Go to brevo.com/achiever and use code ACHIEVER50 for 50% off.  In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why your mind can feel like your greatest ally and your biggest obstacle. 06:15 The 3 ways you judge yourself, others, and circumstances. 12:00 What's the difference between helpful emotions and self-sabotage? 14:15 Can anger and stress ever be productive? 18:00 The biological reason stress creates tunnel vision in high-stakes decisions. 20:00 What's the real cost of overusing your strengths as a leader? 26:15 The shift that turns a leader's vigilance from a strength into a liability. 31:15 The 5 Sage powers that improve wellbeing and results. 38:30 A 10-second PQ rep to calm anxiety fast. 41:00 Active grounding practices for restless or anxious minds. 48:00 How the Sage perspective turns any circumstance into a gift or opportunity. 56:45 Why hyper-achievement disconnects self-worth from success. 1:00:30 The shift from conditional to unconditional self-acceptance. Resources + Links Take the FREE Positive Intelligence assessment HERE Get your copy of Shirzad Chamine's book Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and How You Can Achieve Yours HERE Learn more about Positive Intelligence programs HERE Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Shirzad on LinkedIn @shirzadchamine

Do difficult conversations keep you up at night, or do they make you want to avoid conflict altogether? In this episode, I sit down with workplace conflict expert Amy Gallo, author of Getting Along, to talk about how healthy conflict actually strengthens trust, decision-making, and leadership confidence. We dive into how our brains get emotionally hijacked during difficult conversations, how avoidance creates “conflict debt,” and why learning to stay grounded in discomfort may be one of the most important leadership skills we can build. Tune in to learn how to face conflict calmly to reduce anxiety and make you a more confident leader. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand, and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com Brevo - Meet brevo, the all in one marketing and CRM platform built to help you connect with customers, boost engagement and grow your business smarter. Go to brevo.com/achiever and use code ACHIEVER50 for 50% off.  In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why conflict feels especially hard for anxious achievers. 04:30 How avoiding conflict increases anxiety. 06:15 What happens during an emotional “amygdala hijack”? 08:00 The cost of conflict avoidance and conflict debt. 10:30 How difficult conversations build confidence over time. 12:30 What is the role of shame and fear in workplace conflict? 17:00 How to practice conflict safely in low-stakes situations. 22:30 The 4-step framework for handling conflict better. 27:30 Finding shared goals during disagreement. 32:15 What to do when conflict keeps you up at night. 34:15 How to repair conversations that went badly. Resources + Links Get your copy of Amy's book Getting Along HERE Learn more about Amy Gallo HERE Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Amy: on LinkedIn @amyegallo + Instagram @amyegallo

In this inspiring episode of The Quiet Warrior Podcast, I sit down with Tim Yeo, author of The Quiet Achiever, coach, and design leader with nearly two decades of experience in the tech industry. Tim has helped hundreds of quiet achievers step into their power—without pretending to be extroverts.We talk about the challenges introverts face in workplaces dominated by louder personalities, and how separating your identity from your skills can unlock your confidence. Tim shares practical strategies—from mastering public speaking and handling difficult conversations to using short videos as a powerful visibility tool—that allow quiet achievers to be recognized for their work, not overshadowed.This is a must-listen for anyone who has ever felt overlooked despite working hard, delivering results, and striving to make an impact while staying true to their quiet nature.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy slowing down your speech can boost confidence and clarity.How to reframe visibility so it's about your work, not your ego.The fight, flight, or freeze response in meetings—and how to manage it.The game-changing habit of recording short videos to amplify your influence.Why tiny habits, practiced consistently, are the secret to introvert success.How The Quiet Achiever book can help you build skills without losing authenticity.About Tim YeoTim Yeo is the author of The Quiet Achiever: Tiny Habits to Have Impact at Work Without Pretending to Be an Extrovert. With 20 years of experience as a designer and leader in the tech industry, he has dedicated his career to empowering quiet achievers to succeed on their own terms. His coaching covers essential professional skills, from networking and small talk to facilitating workshops and succeeding in interviews.Find Tim online:LinkedIn @timyeo, YouTube @thequietachievr, Threads @thequietachievrthequietachievr.comhttps://www.thequietachievr.com/bookWhat next:Visit serenalow.com.au for the solution to your visibility struggle.Give The Quiet Warrior Podcast a rating and review to help us reach more introverts and quiet achievers around the world.This episode was edited by Aura House Productions

For years, leadership has been associated with charisma, confidence, and speaking the loudest in the room. But what if some of the most powerful leadership traits are actually quiet ones? In this episode, I'm joined by leadership expert and author Jennifer Kahnweiler to talk about the strengths of introverted leaders. We break down the misconceptions around introversion, why many successful leaders are secretly introverted, and how preparation, listening, and thoughtful presence can become leadership superpowers. Tune in to rethink what effective leadership looks like and learn how quiet strengths can create lasting influence. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit ⁠https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree⁠ Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to ⁠http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever⁠ Talkiatry - Head to ⁠http://talkiaitry.com/achiever⁠ and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working ⁠http://genius.com⁠ Brevo - Meet brevo, the all in one marketing and CRM platform built to help you connect with customers, boost engagement and grow your business smarter. Go to ⁠brevo.com/achiever⁠ and use code ACHIEVER50 for 50% off.  In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why introverted leadership is often misunderstood. 03:45 What is an introverted leader? 06:00 What has changed and what hasn't for introverts at work. 10:30 Are you adapting or just exhausted? 14:45 The 4 P's of introverted leadership. 18:30 Why telling your team you're an introvert is a leadership hack. 21:30 Why quiet men face unique workplace bias. 27:15 The connection between introversion, anxiety, and performance. 33:00 How introverted leaders prepare for high-stakes meetings. 35:15 Techniques to make meetings more introvert-friendly. 39:15 How giving teammates a heads-up increases participation. 44:30 How to show presence in meetings without talking more. 47:45 The introvert's guide to not burning out in a hybrid world. Resources + Links Learn more about Jennifer Kahnweiler ⁠HERE⁠ Listen to Jennifer's podcast: ⁠The Introvert Ally Podcast⁠ Get a copy of my book - ⁠The Anxious Achiever⁠ Watch the podcast on ⁠YouTube⁠  Find more resources on our website ⁠morraam.com⁠ Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn ⁠@morraaronsmele⁠ + Instagram ⁠@morraam⁠ Follow Jennifer: on LinkedIn ⁠@jenniferkahnweiler⁠ + Instagram ⁠@jenniferkahnweiler

In this episode of Leading You, Julie Hyde continues the conversation on leadership identity and explores one of the most important shifts high-performing women must make. Moving from being the dependable Achiever or Go-To to becoming the trusted Authority. Many capable women are rewarded for being reliable, responsive, and indispensable. But over time, these identities can quietly limit influence, visibility, and progression. In today’s fast-changing workplace shaped by AI, restructures, and leaner teams, relevance is everything. Julie shares a powerful client story of a high-performing leader returning from maternity leave who found herself misaligned and overlooked despite strong results. Nothing changed externally until she shifted internally. Within three months of repositioning herself, she was promoted. This episode introduces three forward-facing identities that support long-term leadership influence: the Author, the Anchor, and the Authority. It also unpacks why women delay this shift and what courage really looks like in practice. If you’re performing well but sensing friction, exhaustion, or stagnation, this episode will help you reflect on who you’re being rewarded for being and who you need to become next. Key Themes The difference between being needed and being respected Why old leadership identities stop working Identity alignment and relevance in an AI-driven workplace The Author, Anchor, and Authority identities Letting go of external validation Why courage is the tipping point Positioning yourself for future opportunities Time Stamps 00:00 Welcome and episode context01:18 From being needed to being respected02:13 Client story. Return-to-work repositioning04:58 Courage and releasing old validation06:04 Why relevance matters now07:53 The three identity levels explained07:56 The Author. Owning your narrative09:30 The Anchor. Emotional steadiness11:08 The Authority. Trusted judgement12:10 What changes when you lead as Authority13:13 Why women delay the shift15:10 Tools and support16:47 Final reflections and wrap-up Links:Learn more about my group coaching program hereAccess the Turning Point Diagnostic here Connect with Julie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/Instagram: @juliehydeleadsWebsite: https://juliehyde.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you lead through the CliftonStrengths talent theme of Achiever, (or you know someone who does), this is the episode for you!     Today's Strength Snapshot is Achiever The Achiever talent theme is all about drive, productivity, and forward motion. People with this strength are naturally diligent, ambitious, and self-motivated. At their core, Achievers are wired to accomplish. They're energized by doing, finishing, and progressing. Their internal engine runs on goals, tasks, and measurable movement. They don't wait for motivation. They generate it from within. Achievers often describe themselves as driven, intense, productive, independent, and diligent. What fuels them most is the opportunity to work toward something meaningful. Completion is satisfying. Progress is energizing. And the next goal is always calling their name.     When This Strength Is Thriving When Achiever is operating at full power, it brings remarkable value to any environment. This strength delivers stamina, pace, follow-through, and energy. Achievers often become the pacesetters on a team. Their natural rhythm pulls projects forward. Their diligence keeps things moving. And their consistent output builds trust because others know they'll finish what they start. They often step into roles like producer, doer, completer, or finisher. You can count on them when momentum matters. When there's work to be done, Achievers don't hesitate. They lean in.     To close, here's a simple 5-minute experiment to try in the next 24 hours… Pick one task you've been postponing. Set a five-minute timer. Work on it with full focus until the timer ends. Notice what happens internally. Does your energy rise once you begin? Do you feel momentum kick in? Achievers often unlock motivation through action, not before it.     Well, that's a wrap for today's episode. What small action can you take to show up at your best, given where you're starting today? --- PS: where are Lisa and Brea? Well, Lisa wrote this and Andy did the voiceover. Lisa is on break with her rock band, Spiral Mischief. So Andy will be hosting your CliftonStrengths 34 series.

Negotiation isn't just about boardrooms and big deals. It's every time you ask for what you need that brings up fear, self-doubt, and a rush of emotion that can derail the whole conversation. In this episode, I talk with former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss and negotiation expert Moshe Cohen about why so many of us dread conflict, how curiosity can quiet anxiety, and how to use tactical empathy as a strategic tool. We also share the tools to slow down emotional hijack and manage rejection. Tune in to learn how to regulate your emotions and negotiate with clarity instead of fear. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com Brevo - Meet brevo, the all in one marketing and CRM platform built to help you connect with  customers, boost engagement and grow your business smarter. Go to brevo.com/achiever and use code ACHIEVER50 for 50% off.  In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why negotiation is happening in almost every interaction. 04:45 What are the 3 types of handling conflict? 09:15 How curiosity shuts down fear in your brain. 12:15 Is asking questions in general a good technique in a negotiation? 16:30 What empathy really means in negotiation. 23:15 How bonding and trust influence negotiation outcomes. 26:15 Why you should talk less and listen more in negotiation. 32:00 How naming your emotions reduces their intensity. 38:00 How often does that anxiety show up during a negotiation exercise? 41:00 Tips to slow down time when you feel emotionally hijacked. 46:15 What is the listening triangle? 50:30 How much advice is too much in a negotiation? 57:00 How to build your rejection muscle. 01:00:00 The stories you tell yourself before and during a negotiation 01:02:00 How knowing your BATNA lowers the stakes and raises confidence. Resources + Links Get the Anxious Achiever Healthy High Achieving App - studio.com/morra Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Chris: on LinkedIn @christophervoss + Instagram @thefbinegotiator Follow Moshe: on LinkedIn @moshecohen

Work is making people sick, and quick fixes are not enough. In this episode, I'm joined by Jen Fisher, former Chief Wellbeing Officer at Deloitte, to talk about why wellbeing isn't a perk but a business imperative. We break down why burnout is often rooted in systemic issues and hopelessness, how middle managers shape our daily mental health, and why hope and an understanding of the human nervous system may be the most underrated leadership skills of all. Tune in to rethink what wellbeing means and what it takes to lead with hope right now. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com Brevo - Meet brevo, the all in one marketing and CRM platform built to help you connect with customers, boost engagement and grow your business smarter. Go to brevo.com/achiever and use code ACHIEVER50 for 50% off.  In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why wellbeing is more than mental health benefits. 06:00 How burnout led Jen to pioneer the Chief Wellbeing Officer role. 13:00 What does “wellbeing at work” mean? 19:30 The ROI of fixing workplace culture. 23:00 Why does AI make us so anxious?  26:00 Why wellbeing must be part of organizational strategy. 30:00 How constant disruption dysregulates employees. 33:15 What is the definition of a successful leader? 37:15 What workplace data misses about human outcomes. 40:30 The #1 thing employees want from leaders. 46:00 Why middle management is the make-or-break layer. 51:00 Incentives drive culture more than values. 58:15 How to build a wellbeing role inside your organization. Resources + Links Get your copy of Jen's book - Hope Is The Strategy Read Jen's article: “The Wellbeing Imperative: What I Learned Pioneering the Chief Wellbeing Officer Role” Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Jen: on LinkedIn @jenfisher + Instagram @jenfish23

In this episode of The People Dividend Podcast, host Mike Horne and leadership expert Mark Murphy discuss the importance of embracing individual differences within teams. They explore the myth of team harmony, the necessity of diverse roles, and how recognizing these roles can lead to innovation and success. Mark introduces his concept of five critical roles needed to build a winning team, emphasizing that effective teamwork is about leveraging unique strengths rather than forcing conformity.   Key Points: Building a winning team involves embracing individual uniqueness rather than forcing everyone to blend in, which leads to innovation and results. Successful teams often fulfill five critical roles: Director, Achiever, Stabilizer, Harmonizer, and Trailblazer, each contributing uniquely to the team's success. Effective teams thrive on the diversity of roles and skills, similar to sports teams or orchestras, rather than uniformity, which is crucial for achieving team goals. Team roles are flexible and can be developed, allowing individuals to switch roles depending on the team's needs, fostering dynamic and adaptable team structures.   Links:  Learn more about Mike Horne on Linkedin Email Mike at mike@mike-horne.com Learn More About Executive and Organization Development with Mike Horne Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikehorneauthor  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikehorneauthor/,  LinkedIn Mike's Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6867258581922799617/,  Schedule a Discovery Call with Mike: https://calendly.com/mikehorne/15-minute-discovery-call-with-mike     Learn More about Mark Murphy: https://www.leadershipiq.com/pages/about-mark    #peopledividendpodcast #podcastepisode #podcastrecommendations #TeamBuilding #Leadership #Innovation #TeamRoles #DiversityInTeams

Quiet achievers are often the most capable people in the room, yet the most overlooked. In workplaces that reward visibility and self-promotion, their thoughtful leadership style can go unnoticed, leaving them struggling to be heard or recognized. So how can quiet professionals build confidence, communicate their value and lead with presence, without changing who they are?In this episode, we're joined by Linda Raynier, author of The Quiet Achiever (Wiley, October 2025), keynote speaker, leadership and communication coach, and founder of the Quiet to Confident Leadership program. Linda shares practical insights on embracing quiet strengths, leading authentically, and making a meaningful impact at work.A former CPA turned recruiter, Linda has built a career coaching business, a YouTube community of over 1 million subscribers, and LinkedIn Learning courses with over 2.6 million learners worldwide. Named one of Canada's Top 20 Career Coaches for 2025, she brings both personal experience and proven strategies to this conversation.In this conversation, Linda opens up about her own journey as a quiet achiever, the hidden strengths of quiet leadership, and how leaders can better support and engage quieter voices on their teams. Whether you're a quiet professional or a leader looking to better support quieter voices, this episode offers a powerful reframe on confidence, communication, and leadership.Chapters0:00 - Intro3:06 - Why Linda is passionate about helping quiet quitters become successful in the workforce9:40 - The hidden strengths of quiet leaders (the QUIET framework)17:06 - Experience as a quiet achiever22:07 - Growing a YouTube channel with 1M subscribers29:55 - Connecting with the right audience30:28 - Who Linda works with36:07 - Advice for leaders to connect with quiet achievers45:11 - Linda's book48:58 - What's next for Linda 51:03 - Where to find LindaVisit Linda's website - https://www.lindaraynier.com/ Subscribe to Linda on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@LindaRaynier Connect with Linda - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/lindaraynierHosted by Hilda Gan - ca.linkedin.com/in/hildagan Visit us at - peoplebrightconsulting.comFollow usLinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/pplbrightInstagram - www.instagram.com/pplbright/ Facebook - www.facebook.com/pplbrightX - twitter.com/pplbright Hilda Gan is a sought-after expert on effective HR strategies, work culture enhancement, and employee engagement. Unique among HR consultants, Hilda combines over 25 years of HR expertise with business acumen and business owner experience.People Bright Consulting is an award-winning HR Management Consulting firm that helps leaders of companies build the foundations for successful hiring, healthy and inclusive work culture, and engaged staff. It starts with listening to our clients and finding pragmatic customized business solutions to HR problems.#Leadership #QuietAchievers

In this solo episode of Leading You, Julie Hyde speaks directly to a pattern she is seeing again and again, particularly among high-performing women. Capable, committed leaders who start the year with strong intentions, only to find themselves slipping back into old habits that no longer serve where they want to go. Julie explores why this isn’t a motivation problem or a confidence gap. It’s often an identity issue. Many women continue to lead from roles that once kept them safe, successful, and rewarded, but now quietly limit their influence and growth. In a rapidly changing environment shaped by AI, restructures, and leaner organisations, being reliable, helpful, and endlessly available no longer guarantees visibility or progression. In some cases, it keeps leaders overextended, overlooked, and misaligned. Julie introduces three common identities she sees women cycling through: the Self Editor, the Achiever, and the Go-To. Each is socially rewarded, professionally reinforced, and emotionally difficult to release, even when it’s clear they’ve been outgrown. This episode also unpacks the early signs of misalignment, why burnout is often about identity rather than workload, and how to begin shifting how you show up through intentional reflection and boundary-setting. If you’ve felt frustrated, stuck, or quietly exhausted despite performing well, this conversation will help you name what’s happening and consider what needs to change next. Conversation Talking Points Why capable leaders still hit invisible ceilings The link between identity, safety, and professional reward How old patterns resurface when pressure rises The Self Editor, the Achiever, and the Go-To identities Why being indispensable doesn’t equal being positioned Early signs of misalignment and internal friction Burnout as a signal of identity strain Introducing the Identity Audit Shifting from performance to intentional leadership Links:Learn more about my group coaching program hereAccess the Turning Point Diagnostic here Connect with Julie:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/Instagram: @juliehydeleadsWebsite: https://juliehyde.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're not trying to control people. You're trying to help. But what if your “help” is quietly draining your team's confidence, creativity, and trust? In this episode, I sit down with Professor Julia Milner of EDHEC Business School to talk about the psychology of micromanagement, especially the kind that comes from anxiety, care, and good intentions. We dive into the difference between constructive feedback and control disguised as questions, the “advice trap” that keeps leaders stuck, and why micromanaging often feels safer in the moment but costs you long-term trust, dialogue, and time. Tune in to learn how to replace fixing with serving, advice with curiosity, and control with empowerment. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com Brevo - Meet brevo, the all in one marketing and CRM platform built to help you connect with customers, boost engagement and grow your business smarter. Go to brevo.com/achiever and use code ACHIEVER50 for 50% off.  In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why micromanagers often act from anxiety. 04:15 How to spot motivational micromanagement. 06:30 Why do you hate being micromanaged? 12:00 How micromanagement increases anxiety on both sides. 14:15 The subtle way “questions” can shut down dialogue. 18:00 How to give upward feedback without triggering defensiveness. 20:45 What it means to adopt a coaching mindset. 22:00 Phrases you can use to reset a micromanaging dynamic. 28:45 What's the difference between feedback and feed forward? 30:30 How do you treat yourself with grace? 33:00 What the best empowering leaders all have in common. Resources + Links Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Prof. Julia on LinkedIn @drjuliamilner

Self-understanding is the foundation of great leadership. In this episode, I sit down with Margaret Andrews, leadership educator, former executive director of the MBA program at MIT Sloan, and author, to talk about why leadership begins as an inside job. Margaret shares the 6 self-understanding questions, the best boss exercise that shows what people value in leadership, and why interpersonal skills aren't about being affable. Tune in to rethink what it really means to manage yourself to lead others effectively. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever Cozy Earth - Give your home the luxury it deserves. Head to http://cozyearth.com and use code ACHIEVER for up to 20% off. Express VPN - Secure your online data today. Visit http://expressvpn.com/achiever and find out how you can get up to four extra months. Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 What to do when you're triggered before you have to show up. 05:00 What is the best way to lead? 10:00 The “best boss” exercise and what 20 years of data reveal. 14:15 The 3 traits that separate good bosses from great ones. 18:15 What is managing yourself to lead others? 22:30 How moments of “hot shame” shape your leadership patterns. 25:00 Why you can't manage what you don't understand. 29:00 Should you improve weaknesses or maximize strengths? 33:30 The most common reasons leaders derail. 38:00 How to grow without losing credibility. 42:00 Why telling people what you're working on can build trust. 45:00 Ways to practice self-management without losing status. 49:00 How do you get unscared of heart emotions? Resources + Links Learn more about Margaret Andrews HERE Get your copy of Margaret's book, Manage Yourself to Lead Others HERE Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Margaret on LinkedIn @margaretcandrews

We're told to “bring our whole selves to work.” But what if that advice is burning you out, especially if you're anxious, neurodivergent, or wired differently? In this episode, I'm joined by psychologist and author Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic to talk about why radical authenticity can actually harm your career, your relationships, and your energy. We dive into the difference between feeling authentic and being perceived as authentic, why emotional intelligence is really impression management in disguise, and how leaders who seem “real” are often the most curated of all. Tune in to rethink what authenticity really means and discover how to show up at work in a way that's true to you and sustainable. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever Cozy Earth - Give your home the luxury it deserves. Head to http://cozyearth.com and use code ACHIEVER for up to 20% off. Express VPN - Secure your online data today. Visit http://expressvpn.com/achiever and find out how you can get up to four extra months. Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Should you ever be your whole self at work? 04:00 Why “just be yourself” is bad career advice. 07:15 What's the difference between feeling authentic and being seen as authentic? 09:45 How over-identifying with work fuels burnout. 12:15 Why the leaders we trust most are often the most curated. 14:15 What impression management really means. 16:45 Why every role calls for a different version of you. 19:00 The cost of “bring your whole self” for neurodivergent people. 22:00 Where does the authenticity movement come from? 25:15 How modern work became a soft cult. 29:00 Can you belong without over-sharing? 33:45 Why engagement and performance aren't the same thing. 36:15 The generational shift toward radical honesty. 39:00 When does being “real” harm your team? 42:15 The rules that actually create psychological safety. 44:30 Why reputation matters more than intention. 47:00 How to learn how you're really seen. 50:00 The truest definition of self-awareness. Resources + Links Get Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic's book Don't Be Yourself Learn more about Tomas's work on leadership, personality, and potential HERE Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Tomas on LinkedIn @drtomaschamorro

0:07 Introduction to Called to Coach3:05 Discovering Gallup and Strengths5:02 Performance Coaching Insights6:37 The Role of Self-Awareness15:29 Managing Weaknesses in Sports19:02 The Evolution of Coaching25:58 Coaching Individual vs. Team Performance29:39 Universal Principles of Success39:23 Navigating Pressure and Fear45:02 Embracing Pressure and Nerves47:38 Pressure of the World Cup56:29 Knowing vs. Believing59:52 Cultural Nuances in Coaching1:03:38 Creating a Fertile Environment for GrowthIn this powerful episode of Gallup's Called to Coach, host Jim Collison and co-host Deepanjan Deb (DD) sit down with world-renowned performance coach Paddy Upton for a wide-ranging conversation on self-awareness, strengths, pressure, and elite performance across sports and business.Paddy shares his journey with Gallup and the CliftonStrengths assessment, first introduced to him during his second master's degree in business coaching. What began as one of many tools quickly became a cornerstone of his coaching philosophy. Drawing from positive psychology, Paddy explains how deep self-awareness—especially understanding one's strengths—creates the foundation for sustained performance. He also shares his own Top 5 strengths (Strategic, Futuristic, Ideation, Self-Assurance, and Achiever) and how they shape the way he coaches individuals and teams.The conversation explores the critical link between performance and self-awareness, with Paddy reflecting on his experience working with elite athletes and leaders across cultures. While many high performers demonstrate strong self-awareness, others struggle to reflect effectively during moments of both success and failure. Paddy emphasizes that this ability to reflect—to understand what's happening mentally in high-stakes moments—is essential for growth, learning, and long-term success.Jim and DD guide the discussion into the practical realities of coaching, especially in sport. Paddy explains how developing athletes must balance building new skills with playing to their strengths. He illustrates this with compelling examples from cricket, including Virat Kohli, whose sustained excellence comes from relentlessly refining his core strengths rather than over-investing in areas that don't naturally suit him.Pressure becomes a central theme as Paddy reframes nerves, fear, and anxiety—not as problems to eliminate, but as natural signals of importance. He explains how pressure is created by the value we place on future outcomes and how performance improves when attention returns to the present moment. These insights resonate not only in sport, but also in corporate and leadership environments where expectations and stakes are high.The episode also dives into culture and leadership, drawing from Paddy's experience coaching diverse teams across countries and disciplines. He explains why culture always starts with leadership and why self-aware leaders are better equipped to adapt their approach across different people and contexts. Using a memorable metaphor, Paddy likens leadership to tending a garden—creating the right conditions for growth rather than trying to control outcomes.Toward the end of the conversation, Paddy introduces a critical distinction between believing in strengths and knowing them. Believing, he argues, is fragile; knowing is grounded in preparation, experience, and trust. Leaders and coaches who help people truly know their strengths create environments where confidence, performance, and resilience can thrive.This episode is packed with real-world stories, practical wisdom, and hard-earned insights from one of the most respected performance coaches in the world. Whether you're a coach, leader, or high performer, you'll walk away with a deeper understanding of how self-awareness, strengths, culture, and pressure intersect to drive exceptional performance.

0:07 Introduction to Called to Coach3:05 Discovering Gallup and Strengths5:02 Performance Coaching Insights6:37 The Role of Self-Awareness15:29 Managing Weaknesses in Sports19:02 The Evolution of Coaching25:58 Coaching Individual vs. Team Performance29:39 Universal Principles of Success39:23 Navigating Pressure and Fear45:02 Embracing Pressure and Nerves47:38 Pressure of the World Cup56:29 Knowing vs. Believing59:52 Cultural Nuances in Coaching1:03:38 Creating a Fertile Environment for GrowthIn this powerful episode of Gallup's Called to Coach, host Jim Collison and co-host Deepanjan Deb (DD) sit down with world-renowned performance coach Paddy Upton for a wide-ranging conversation on self-awareness, strengths, pressure, and elite performance across sports and business.Paddy shares his journey with Gallup and the CliftonStrengths assessment, first introduced to him during his second master's degree in business coaching. What began as one of many tools quickly became a cornerstone of his coaching philosophy. Drawing from positive psychology, Paddy explains how deep self-awareness—especially understanding one's strengths—creates the foundation for sustained performance. He also shares his own Top 5 strengths (Strategic, Futuristic, Ideation, Self-Assurance, and Achiever) and how they shape the way he coaches individuals and teams.The conversation explores the critical link between performance and self-awareness, with Paddy reflecting on his experience working with elite athletes and leaders across cultures. While many high performers demonstrate strong self-awareness, others struggle to reflect effectively during moments of both success and failure. Paddy emphasizes that this ability to reflect—to understand what's happening mentally in high-stakes moments—is essential for growth, learning, and long-term success.Jim and DD guide the discussion into the practical realities of coaching, especially in sport. Paddy explains how developing athletes must balance building new skills with playing to their strengths. He illustrates this with compelling examples from cricket, including Virat Kohli, whose sustained excellence comes from relentlessly refining his core strengths rather than over-investing in areas that don't naturally suit him.Pressure becomes a central theme as Paddy reframes nerves, fear, and anxiety—not as problems to eliminate, but as natural signals of importance. He explains how pressure is created by the value we place on future outcomes and how performance improves when attention returns to the present moment. These insights resonate not only in sport, but also in corporate and leadership environments where expectations and stakes are high.The episode also dives into culture and leadership, drawing from Paddy's experience coaching diverse teams across countries and disciplines. He explains why culture always starts with leadership and why self-aware leaders are better equipped to adapt their approach across different people and contexts. Using a memorable metaphor, Paddy likens leadership to tending a garden—creating the right conditions for growth rather than trying to control outcomes.Toward the end of the conversation, Paddy introduces a critical distinction between believing in strengths and knowing them. Believing, he argues, is fragile; knowing is grounded in preparation, experience, and trust. Leaders and coaches who help people truly know their strengths create environments where confidence, performance, and resilience can thrive.This episode is packed with real-world stories, practical wisdom, and hard-earned insights from one of the most respected performance coaches in the world. Whether you're a coach, leader, or high performer, you'll walk away with a deeper understanding of how self-awareness, strengths, culture, and pressure intersect to drive exceptional performance.

We've never talked more about mental health at work and yet, burnout is rising, disengagement is everywhere, and leaders still feel stuck. In this episode, I'm joined by strategy coach and former PwC partner David Lancefield to talk about why the current approach isn't working and what actually creates change. David shares why “mental health” has a bad brand in corporate life, how leaders can engage even the most skeptical executives, and why the real leverage point isn't awareness campaigns, but better questions. We also dive into why small pilots beat big programs, and how leaders can design environments where people do their best work. Tune in to know what it means to treat mental health as a business solution. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever Cozy Earth - Give your home the luxury it deserves. Head to http://cozyearth.com and use code ACHIEVER for up to 20% off. Express VPN - Secure your online data today. Visit http://expressvpn.com/achiever and find out how you can get up to four extra months. Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why the mental health conversation at work isn't working. 07:00 The fear and freedom of leaving a prestigious role. 13:15 The mistake we make when trying to persuade leaders. 17:45 Why business results are the bridge to mental health. 21:15 How to reframe burnout as a performance problem. 25:00 Why storytelling can backfire without resolution. 30:45 What leaders should leave people feeling after sharing. 34:45 ​​The “motherhood penalty” and its parallels at work. 39:00 2 questions every leader should ask. 43:00 How do you move from drifting to designing your life? 47:00 3 questions that reset your day. 49:00 How do you help people shape roles around their strengths? Resources + Links Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow David: on LinkedIn @davidclancefield

For so many high-achievers, food becomes the one thing we can control when everything else feels uncertain. In this episode, I'm joined by Melissa Gerson, founder of the Columbus Park Treatment Center for Eating Disorders, to talk about the relationship between anxiety, perfectionism, and the way we eat. We dive into why disordered eating serves a purpose, how restriction and overeating can both feel like relief, and what happens in your brain when anxiety and food become entangled. Tune in to rethink your relationship with food, anxiety, and control. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever Cozy Earth - Give your home the luxury it deserves. Head to http://cozyearth.com and use code ACHIEVER for up to 20% off. Express VPN - Secure your online data today. Visit http://expressvpn.com/achiever and find out how you can get up to four extra months. Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 What's the relationship between anxiety and eating disorders? 02:00 How disordered eating creates a sense of control and safety. 05:30 What starvation does to the brain. 09:15 Why anxious people often turn to rigid food control. 11:30 The unspoken rules about eating at work (especially for women). 17:00 The perfectionist profile behind many eating disorders. 19:45 Signs your relationship with food may need support. 22:00 The gold-standard treatment for eating disorders. 23:15 When exercise becomes another form of control. 25:15 What leaders can do to build a food-safe workplace. 28:00 Why high achievers self-medicate with food, alcohol, and control. Resources + Links Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Melissa: on LinkedIn @melissagerson

Work becomes the place where we pour everything we can't face elsewhere. In this episode, I'm joined by Jane Chen, founder of Embrace, to talk about burnout, identity, and what happens when your worth becomes tied to what you produce. Jane shares how building a world-changing company nearly broke her, why healing can become another form of overachievement, and how childhood trauma shapes your drive to succeed. Tune in to rethink ambition, resilience, and what it really means to choose yourself. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever Cozy Earth - Give your home the luxury it deserves. Head to http://cozyearth.com and use code ACHIEVER for up to 20% off. Express VPN - Secure your online data today. Visit http://expressvpn.com/achiever and find out how you can get up to four extra months. Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 What happens when your dream company starts destroying you? 03:00 Why “self-work” can become a form of escapism. 06:15 How childhood trauma fuels the need to succeed. 10:45 Why so many changemakers are driven by unresolved pain. 14:30 Why you never give yourself credit for your own resilience. 20:15 How Embrace was born in a Stanford classroom. 27:00 The country where 40% of the world's premature babies are born. 34:30 When identity collapses with your company. 38:00 Hitting rock bottom after 10 years of overwork. 49:00 How does trauma live in your body? 52:00 How achievement becomes a way to earn love. 56:30 Why you can't think your way out of pain. 1:00:45 What Internal Family Systems teaches about your “parts.” 1:05:00 Why achievement becomes a survival strategy. 1:13:45 Why your worth can't live outside you. Resources + Links Get your copy of Jane's book, Like a Wave We Break HERE Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Jane on Instagram @janemarie.chen

What do a combat pilot, a $250M entrepreneur, and a world-renowned academic have in common? ADHD. In this episode, I revisit one of my favorite conversations about how ADHD shows up in high-performing leaders who live different lives. I sit down with Nate Swan, a combat pilot who thrives in high-stress environments, Dan Bastian, co-founder of Boom Chicka Pop, and Johan Wiklund, a professor who studies ADHD in entrepreneurship. We talk about hyperfocus, impulsivity, anxiety, late diagnosis, leadership, and the unexpected ways ADHD can become a competitive advantage. Get ready to learn how the very traits often labeled as “disorders” can fuel success, creativity, and resilience. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to shopify.com/anxiousachiever Cozy Earth - Give your home the luxury it deserves. Head to cozyearth.com and use code ACHIEVER for up to 20% off. Express VPN - Secure your online data today. Visit expressvpn.com/achiever and find out how you can get up to four extra months. Talkiatry - Head to talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working genius.com In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 3 high achievers with ADHD live completely different lives. 03:15 Why chaotic environments calm the ADHD brain. 04:45 How anxiety and ADHD overlap. 05:30 What happens when ADHD goes undiagnosed in adulthood? 06:30 The career risks of ADHD medication for military pilots. 09:00 Leadership lessons from managing neurodiverse teams. 11:30 How the military is shifting its mental health culture. 18:00 The anxiety that never fully goes away. 20:30 Is ADHD good or bad? 25:30 The types of work that suit ADHD brains. 34:30 Designing work around energy cycles. 37:30 How to use ADHD and anxiety as motivators. Resources + Links Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

What if the very differences you've been trying to smooth out are actually your greatest leadership strengths? In this episode, I'm joined by renowned leadership coaches and Fixable hosts Frances Frei and Anne Morriss for a conversation about anxiety, being a neurodivergent leader, and what it really takes to lead well. We talk about how partnership at work and in life has taught them to communicate clearly, embrace conflict, and build teams that thrive because of difference. I ask Frances and Anne some listener questions, from micromanaging bosses to burnout, imposter syndrome, and the fear of being “known for DEI.” Tune in to discover how setting boundaries and rewriting your inner narrative transform the way you lead and feel in life and at work. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever Cozy Earth - Give your home the luxury it deserves. Head to http://cozyearth.com and use code ACHIEVER for up to 20% off. Express VPN - Secure your online data today. Visit http://expressvpn.com/achiever and find out how you can get up to four extra months. Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Meet Frances Frei & Anne Morriss. 06:00 What partners with different wiring teach each other. 12:45 How conflict actually drives high performance. 16:45 How being neurodivergent has shaped Frances's leadership at Harvard. 20:00 The power of devotion and high standards. 23:45 What are the three elements of trust? 27:45 How listening can change a broken dynamic. 31:30 Why inconsistent boundaries are the same as no boundaries. 39:15 Is it risky to be known for DEI right now? 42:15 How to make inclusion feel expansive, not exclusive. 50:15 Why you're not the best judge of your own excellence. 51:00 Protecting your life force as a leader. Resources + Links Download the Anxious Achiever App HERE Listen to Fixable with Frances Frei & Anne Morriss HERE Learn more about Frances Frei & Anne Morriss HERE Get your copy of Unleashed by Frances Frei & Anne Morriss Get your copy of Move Fast & Fix Things by Frances Frei & Anne Morriss Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Frances: on LinkedIn @francesfrei + Instagram @francesxfrei Follow Anne: on LinkedIn @annemorriss + Instagram @annemorriss

Most of us are unknowingly over-breathing all day long, and it's quietly keeping our nervous systems stuck in fight or flight. In this episode, I sit down with breathwork coach Zsombor Szabo to talk about how breathing can radically change your energy, focus, and emotional state anywhere you are. Zsombor guides us through live breathing exercises designed to calm your body, find your optimal energy zone, and even intentionally activate your system to build resilience. We also dive into why modern work keeps us in constant survival mode, why most of us unknowingly hyperventilate all day, and how long-term stress impacts health and leadership. Get ready to regain control in high pressure moments. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to shopify.com/anxiousachiever Cozy Earth - Give your home the luxury it deserves. Head to cozyearth.com and use code ACHIEVER for up to 20% off. Express VPN - Secure your online data today. Visit expressvpn.com/achiever and find out how you can get up to four extra months. Talkiatry - Head to talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working genius.com In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 How your breathing affects your workday. 03:00 A guided physiological sigh to calm your nervous system. 07:30 What does tightness in your chest and belly reveal about stress? 10:15 Why stress hormones stay elevated at work. 12:15 The gas pedal vs. brake pedal of your nervous system. 14:30 How breath hacks your autonomic nervous system. 16:00 Ways to do box breathing for focus and steady energy. 22:15 Why music + breathwork helps neurodivergent brains. 27:45 How breathwork improves listening and leadership. 30:30 How do you co-regulate and breathe anxious kids? 32:30 Tips to turn breathwork into a habit. 36:45 How to breathe better while working on your computer. 42:00 How to train your nervous system for stress. 44:00 Live intense circular breathing exercise. 50:45 What breath holds do for calm and presence. 57:30 Why do most adults over-breathe? 59:30 Advice on using breathwork to manage panic attacks. Resources + Links Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Zsombor on LinkedIn

What if peak performance isn't about grinding harder but mastering your inner world? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Michael Gervais, high-performance psychologist and expert to elite athletes and leaders, to talk about what truly drives motivation, focus, and sustainable success. We dive into the science behind activation and anxiety, how to find your intrinsic drivers, and why self-discovery is the foundation of mastery. Michael shares how learning to regulate your nervous system, train your attention, and build mental skills can transform the way you perform under pressure. Get ready to rethink motivation, focus, and what it means to truly master your mind. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to shopify.com/anxiousachiever Cozy Earth - Give your home the luxury it deserves. Head to cozyearth.com and use code ACHIEVER for up to 20% off. Express VPN - Secure your online data today. Visit expressvpn.com/achiever and find out how you can get up to four extra months. Talkiatry - Head to talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working genius.com In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why mastering your inner world matters more than external success. 03:15 How anxiety can be trained instead of feared. 06:30 The science behind activation and peak performance. 09:00 Why elite performers don't wait to “feel motivated”. 11:00 How to stop letting the external world control your internal state. 14:30 Why unmanaged stress drains your energy fast. 16:15 The difference between drive and motivation. 18:45 Why do you need both intrinsic vs. extrinsic rewards? 21:00 What truly motivates high performers. 23:30 Why ADHD isn't a lack of attention but equal attention. 27:15 How to train focus and avoid mental burnout. 34:00 Why meditation strengthens attention like a muscle. 37:15 How mindfulness creates insight and wisdom. 39:00 What elite coaches teach about staying coachable. 42:15 Why fear of people's opinions blocks growth. 45:45 What's the difference between performance-based identity vs. purpose-based identity? 49:15 How to build a daily purpose mindset. 52:45 Why purpose doesn't need to be grand to be powerful. 54:30 Tools to regulate anxiety and emotional activation. 56:00 Leadership lessons from Bill Russell on teamwork. Resources + Links Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Michael: on LinkedIn @drmichaelgervais + Instagram @michaelgervais

KZN Matric star Manzil Harikaran-Giandev joins Darren, Sky and Carmen after achieving an incredible 93.54% average and 11 distinctions. He opens up about the hard work behind his success, his dreams of becoming an engineer (with a love for aviation), and the unexpected role Darren Maule's Quick Quiz played in sharpening his general knowledge. Manzil also shares powerful advice for current Matriculants on balance, pressure and staying motivated. Webpage

How can you build iconic characters that your readers want to keep coming back to? How can you be the kind of creator that readers trust, even without social media? With Claire Taylor In the intro, Dan Brown talks writing and publishing [Tetragrammaton]; Design Rules That Make or Break a Book [Self-Publishing Advice]; Amazon's DRM change [Kindlepreneur]; Show me the money [Rachael Herron]; AI bible translation [Wycliffe, Pope Leo tweet]. Plus, Business for Authors 24 Jan webinar, and Bones of the Deep. Today's show is sponsored by Bookfunnel, the essential tool for your author business. Whether it's delivering your reader magnet, sending out advanced copies of your book, handing out ebooks at a conference, or fulfilling your digital sales to readers, BookFunnel does it all. Check it out at bookfunnel.com/thecreativepenn This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Claire Taylor is a humour and mystery author, the owner of FFS Media, and a certified Enneagram coach. She teaches authors to write stronger stories and build sustainable careers at LiberatedWriter.com, and her book is Write Iconic Characters: Unlocking the Core Motivations that Fuel Unforgettable Stories. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why Claire left social media and how she still markets her books and services What the Enneagram is and how core fears and desires shape character motivation Using Enneagram types (including Wednesday Addams as an example) to write iconic characters Creating rich conflict and relationships by pairing different Enneagram types on the page Coping with rapid change, AI, and fear in the author community in 2026 Building a trustworthy, human author brand through honesty, transparency, and vulnerability You can find Claire at LiberatedWriter.com, FFS.media, or on Substack as The Liberated Writer. Transcript of the interview with Claire Taylor Joanna: Claire Taylor is a humour and mystery author, the owner of FFS Media, and a certified Enneagram coach. She teaches authors to write stronger stories and build sustainable careers at LiberatedWriter.com, and her book is Write Iconic Characters: Unlocking the Core Motivations that Fuel Unforgettable Stories. So, welcome back to the show, Claire. Claire: Thank you so much for having me back. I'm excited to be here. Joanna: It's great to have you back on the show. It was March 2024 when you were last on, so almost two years now as this goes out. Give us a bit of an update. How has your writing craft and your author business changed in that time? Claire: One of the things I've been focusing on with my own fiction craft is deconstructing the rules of how a story “should” be. That's been a sort of hobby focus of mine. All the story structure books aren't law, right? That's why there are so many of them. They're all suggestions, frameworks. They're all trying to quantify humans' innate ability to understand a story. So I'm trying to remember more that I already know what a story is, deep down. My job as an author is to keep the reader's attention from start to finish and leave them feeling the way I hope they'll feel at the end. That's been my focus on the craft side. On the author business side, I've made some big shifts. I left social media earlier this year, and I've been looking more towards one-on-one coaching and networking. I did a craft-based Kickstarter, and I'd been focusing a lot on “career, career, career”—very business-minded—and now I'm creating more content again, especially around using the Enneagram for writing craft. So there's been a lot of transition since 2024 for me. Joanna: I think it's so important—and obviously we're going to get into your book in more detail—but I do think it's important for people to hear about our pivots and transitions. I haven't spoken to you for a while, but I actually started a master's degree a few months back. I'm doing a full-time master's alongside everything else I do. So I've kind of put down book writing for the moment, and I'm doing essay writing and academic writing instead. It's quite different, as you can imagine. It sounds like what you're doing is different too. One thing I know will have perked up people's ears is: “I left social media.” Tell us a bit more about that. Claire: This was a move that I could feel coming for a while. I didn't like what social media did to my attention. Even when I wasn't on it, there was almost a hangover from having been on it. My attention didn't feel as sharp and focused as it used to be, back before social media became what it is now. So I started asking myself some questions: What is lost if I leave? What is gained if I leave? And what is social media actually doing for me today? Because sometimes we hold on to what it used to do for us, and we keep trying to squeeze more and more of that out of it. But it has changed so much. There are almost no places with sufficient organic reach anymore. It's all pay-to-play, and the cost of pay-to-play keeps going up. I looked at the numbers for my business. My Kickstarter was a great place to analyse that because they track so many traffic sources so clearly. I could see exactly how much I was getting from social media when I advertised and promoted my projects there. Then I asked: can I let that go in order to get my attention back and make my life feel more settled? And I decided: yes, I can. That's worth more to me. Joanna: There are some things money can't buy. Sometimes it really isn't about the money. I like your question: what is lost and what is gained? You also said it's all pay-to-play and there's no organic reach. I do think there is some organic reach for some people who don't pay, but those people are very good at playing the game of whatever the platform wants. So, TikTok for example—you might not have to pay money yet, but you do have to play their game. You have to pay with your time instead of money. I agree with you. I don't think there's anywhere you can literally just post something and know it will reliably reach the people who follow you. Claire: Right. Exactly. TikTok currently, if you really play the game, will sometimes “pick” you, right? But that “pick me” energy is not really my jam. And we can see the trend—this “organic” thing doesn't last. It's organic for now. You can play the game for now, but TikTok would be crazy not to change things so they make more money. So eventually everything becomes pay-to-play. TikTok is fun, but for me it's addictive. I took it off my phone years ago because I would do the infinite scroll. There's so much candy there. Then I'd wake up the next morning and notice my mood just wasn't where I wanted it to be. My energy was low. I really saw a correlation between how much I scrolled and how flat I felt afterwards. So I realised: I'm not the person to pay-to-play or to play the game here. I'm not even convinced that the pay-to-play on certain social media networks is being tracked in a reliable, accountable way anymore. Who is holding them accountable for those numbers? You can sort of see correlation in your sales, but still, I just became more and more sceptical. In the end, it just wasn't for me. My life is so much better on a daily basis without it. That's definitely a decision I have not regretted for a second. Joanna: I'm sorry to keep on about this, but I think this is great because this is going out in January 2026, and there will be lots of people examining their relationship with social media. It's one of those things we all examine every year, pretty much. The other thing I'd add is that you are a very self-aware person. You spend a lot of time thinking about these things and noticing your own behaviour and energy. Stopping and thinking is such an important part of it. But let's tackle the big question: one of the reasons people don't want to come off social media is that they're afraid they don't know how else to market. How are you marketing if you're not using social media? Claire: I didn't leave social media overnight. Over time, I've been adjusting and transitioning, preparing my business and myself mentally and emotionally for probably about a year. I still market to my email list. That has always been important to my business. I've also started a Substack that fits how my brain works. Substack is interesting. Some people might consider it a form of social media—it has that new reading feed—but it feels much more like blogging to me. It's blogging where you can be discovered, which is lovely. I've been doing more long-form content there. You get access to all the emails of your subscribers, which is crucial to me. I don't want to build on something I can't take with me. So I've been doing more long-form content, and that seems to keep my core audience with me. I've got plenty of people subscribed; people continue to come back, work with me, and tell their friends. Word of mouth has always been the way my business markets best, because it's hard to describe the benefits of what I do in a quick, catchy way. It needs context. So I'm leaning even more on that. Then I'm also shifting my fiction book selling more local. Joanna: In person? Claire: Yes. In person and local. Networking and just telling more people that I'm an author. Connecting more deeply with my existing email lists and communities and selling that way. Joanna: I think at the end of the day it does come back to the email list. I think this is one of the benefits of selling direct to people through Shopify or Payhip or whatever, or locally, because you can build your email list. Every person you bring into your own ecosystem, you get their data and you can stay in touch. Whereas all the things we did for years to get people to go to Amazon, we didn't get their emails and details. It's so interesting where we are right now in the author business. Okay, we'll come back to some of these things, but let's get into the book and what you do. Obviously what underpins the book is the Enneagram. Just remind us what the Enneagram is, why you incorporate it into so much of your work, and why you find it resonates so much. Claire: The Enneagram is a framework that describes patterns of thoughts, feelings, and actions that tend to arise from nine different core motivations. Those core motivations are made up of a fear–desire pair. So, for instance, there's the fear of lacking worth and the desire to be worthy. That pair is the Type Three core motivation. If you're a Type Three, sometimes called “The Achiever,” that's your fundamental driver. What we fear and desire above all the other fears and desires determines where our attention goes. And attention is something authors benefit greatly from understanding. We have to keep people's attention, so we want to understand our own attention and how to cultivate it. The things our attention goes to build our understanding of ourselves and the world. Being intentional about that, and paying attention to what your characters pay attention to—and what your readers are paying attention to—is hugely beneficial. It can give you a real leg up. That's why I focus on the Enneagram. I find it very useful at that core level. You can build a lot of other things on top of it with your characters: their backstory, personal histories, little quirks—all of that can be built off the Enneagram foundation. Why I like the Enneagram more than other frameworks like MBTI or the Big Five is that it not only shows us how our fears are confining us—that's really what it's charting—but it also shows us a path towards liberation from those fears. That's where the Enneagram really shines: the growth path, the freedom from the confines of our own personality. It offers that to anyone who wants to study and discover it. A lot of the authors I work with say things like, “I'm just so sick of my own stuff.” And I get it. We all get sick of running into the same patterns over and over again. We can get sick of our personality! The Enneagram is a really good tool for figuring out what's going on and how to try something new, because often we can't even see that there are other options. We have this particular lens we're looking through. That's why I like to play with it, and why I find it so useful. Joanna: That's really interesting. It sounds like you have a lot of mature authors—and when I say “mature,” I mean authors with a lot of books under their belt, not necessarily age. There are different problems at different stages of the author career, and the problem you just described—“I'm getting sick of my stuff”—sounds like a mature author issue. What are some of the other issues you see in the community that are quite common amongst indie authors? Claire: One that comes up a lot, especially early on, is: “Am I doing this right?” That's a big question. People say, “I don't know if I'm doing this right. I'm going to mess it up. This person told me this was the way to do things, but I don't think I can do it this way. Am I doomed?” That's the fear. A lot of what I help people with is seeing that there isn't a single “right” way to do this. There's a way that's going to feel more aligned to you, and there are millions of ways to approach an author career because we're all constructing it as we go. You were there in the early days. We were all just making this up as we went along. Joanna: Exactly. There was a time when ebooks were PDFs, there wasn't even a Kindle, and there was no iPhone. We were literally just making it up. Claire: Right. Exactly. That spirit of “we're all making it up” is important. Some of us have come up with frameworks that work for us, and then we tell other people about them—“Here's a process; try this process”—but that doesn't mean it's the process. Understanding what motivates you—those core motivations—helps you see where you're going to bump into advice that's not right for you, and how to start making decisions that fit your attention, your life, your desires in this author role. Early on we do a lot of that work. Then there are the authors who started a while ago and have a bunch of books. They hit a point where they say, “I've changed so much since I started writing. I need to figure out how to adjust my career.” Joanna: Tell us more about that, because I think that's you and me. How do we deal with that? Claire: Well, crying helps. Joanna: That is true! There's always a bit of crying involved in reinvention. From my perspective, my brand has always been built around me. People are still here—I know some people listening who have been with the podcast since I started it in 2009—and I've always been me. Even though I've done loads of different things and changed along the way, at heart I'm still me. I'm really glad I built a personal brand around who I am, rather than around one genre or a single topic. How about you? How do you see it? Claire: I'm the same. I just can't stick with something that doesn't feel right for me anymore. I'll start to rebel against it. There's also that “good girl” part of me that wants to do things the way they're supposed to be done and keep everybody happy. I have to keep an eye on her, because she'll default to “this is the way it should be done,” and then I end up constricted. As we advance through our careers, positioning around what motivates us and what we love, and allowing ourselves to understand that it's okay to change—even though it's painful—is crucial. It's actually destructive not to change over time. We end up forfeiting so many things that make life worth living if we don't allow ourselves to grow and change. We end up in this tiny box. People sometimes say the Enneagram is very restrictive. “It's only nine types, you're putting me in a box.” It's like: no. These are the boxes we've put ourselves in. Then we use the Enneagram to figure out how to get out of the box. As we start to see the box we've put ourselves in with our personality—“that's me, that's not me”—we realise how much movement we actually have, how many options we have, while still being ourselves. Joanna: So many options. This kind of brings us into your book, because part of the personal brand thing is being real and having different facets. Your book is Write Iconic Characters, and presumably these are characters that people want to read more about. It uses the Enneagram to construct these better characters. So first up— What's your definition of an iconic character, as opposed to any old character? And how can we use the Enneagram to construct one? Claire: An iconic character, in my imagination, is one that really sticks with us after we've finished the story. They become a reference point. We'll say, “This person is kind of like that character,” or “This situation feels like that character would handle it this way.” It could be our friends, our enemies, someone we meet on the bus—whoever it is might remind us of this character. So they really get lodged in our psyche. An iconic character feels true to some fundamental part of the human condition, even if they're not strictly human. So, all the alien romance people listening, don't worry—you're still in! These characters take on a life of their own. With an iconic character, we may hear them talking to us after the book is done, because we've tapped into that essential part of them. They can become almost archetypal—something we go back to over and over again in our minds, both as writers and as readers. Joanna: How can we use the Enneagram to construct an iconic character? I'm asking this as a discovery writer who struggles to construct anything beforehand. It's more that I write stuff and then something emerges. But I have definitely not had a hit series with an iconic character, so I'm willing to give your approach a try. Claire: It works with whatever your process is. If you're a discovery writer, start with that spark of a character in your head. If there's a character who's just a glimmer—maybe you know a few things about them—just keep writing. At some point you'll probably recognise, “Okay, it's time to go deeper in understanding this character and create a cohesive thread to pull all of this together.” That's where the Enneagram becomes useful. You can put on your armchair psychologist hat and ask: which of the nine core fears seems like it might be driving the parts of their personality that are emerging? Thankfully, we intuitively recognise the nine types. When we start gathering bits for a new character, we tend to pull from essentially the same constellation of personality, even if we don't realise it. For instance, you might say, “This character is bold and adventurous,” and that's all you know. You're probably not going to also add, “and they're incredibly shy,” because “bold and adventurous” plus “incredibly shy” doesn't really fit our intuitive understanding of people. We know that instinctively. So, you've got “bold and adventurous.” You write that to a certain point, and then you get to a place where you think, “I don't really know them deeply.” That's when you can go back to the nine core fears and start ruling some out quite quickly. In the book, I have descriptions for each of them. You can read the character descriptions, read about the motivations, and start to say, “It's definitely not these five types. I can rule those out.” If they're bold and adventurous, maybe the core fear is being trapped in deprivation and pain, or being harmed and controlled. Those correspond to Type Seven (“The Enthusiast”) and Type Eight (“The Challenger”), respectively. So you might say, “Okay, maybe they're a Seven or an Eight.” From there, if you can pin down a type, you can read more about it and get ideas. You can understand the next big decision point. If they're a Type Seven, what's going to motivate them? They'll do whatever keeps them from being trapped in pain and deprivation, and they'll be seeking satisfaction or new experiences in some way, because that's the core desire that goes with that fear. So now, you're asking: “How do I get them to get on the spaceship and leave Earth?” Well, you could offer them some adventure, because they're bold and adventurous. I have a character who's a Seven, and she gets on a spaceship and takes off because her boyfriend just proposed—and the idea of being trapped in marriage feels like: “Nope. Whatever is on this spaceship, I'm out of here.” You can play with that once you identify a type. You can go as deep with that type as you want, or you can just work with the core fear and the basic desire. There's no “better or worse”—it's whatever you feel comfortable with and whatever you need for the story. Joanna: In the book, you go into all the Enneagram types in detail, but you also have a specific example: Wednesday Addams. She's one of my favourites. People listening have either seen the current series or they have something in mind from the old-school Addams Family. Can you talk about [Wednesday Addams] as an example? Claire: Doing those deep dives was some of the most fun research for this book. I told my husband, John, “Don't bother me. I need to sit and binge-watch Wednesday again—with my notebook this time.” Online, people were guessing: “Oh, she's maybe this type, maybe that type.” As soon as I started watching properly with the Enneagram in mind, I thought: “Oh, this is a Type Eight, this is the Challenger.” One of the first things we hear from her is that she considers emotions to be weakness. Immediately, you can cross out a bunch of types from that. When we're looking at weak/strong language—that lens of “strength” versus “weakness”—we tend to look towards Eights, because they often sort the world in those terms. They're concerned about being harmed or controlled, so they feel they need to be strong and powerful. That gave me a strong hint in that direction. If we look at the inciting incident—which is a great place to identify what really triggers a character, because it has to be powerful enough to launch the story—Wednesday finds her little brother Pugsley stuffed in a locker. She says, “Who did this?” because she believes she's the only one who gets to bully him. That's a very stereotypical Type Eight thing. The unhealthy Eight can dip into being a bit of a bully because they're focused on power and power dynamics. But the Eight also says, “These are my people. I protect them. If you're one of my people, you're under my protection.” So there's that protection/control paradox. Then she goes and—spoiler—throws a bag of piranhas into the pool to attack the boys who hurt him. That's like: okay, this is probably an Eight. Then she has control wrested from her when she's sent to the new school. That's a big trigger for an Eight: to not have autonomy, to not have control. She acts out pretty much immediately, tries to push people away, and establishes dominance. One of the first things she does is challenge the popular girl to a fencing match. That's very Eight behaviour: “I'm going to go in, figure out where I sit in this power structure, and try to get into a position of power straight away.” That's how the story starts, and in the book I go into a lot more analysis. At one point she's attacked by this mysterious thing and is narrowly saved from a monster. Her reaction afterwards is: “I would have rather saved myself.” That's another strong Eight moment. The Eight does not like to be saved by anyone else. It's: “No, I wanted to be strong enough to do that.” Her story arc is also very Eight-flavoured: she starts off walled-off, “I can do it myself,” which can sometimes look like the self-sufficiency of the Five, but for her it's about always being in a power position and in control of herself. She has to learn to rely more on other people if she wants to protect the people she cares about. Protecting the innocent and protecting “her people” is a big priority for the Eight. Joanna: Let's say we've identified our main character and protagonist. One of the important things in any book, especially in a series, is conflict—both internal and external. Can we use the Enneagram to work out what would be the best other character, or characters, to give us more conflict? Claire: The character dynamics are complex, and all types are going to have both commonalities and conflict between them. That works really well for fiction. But depending on how much conflict you need, there are certain type pairings that are especially good for it. If you have a protagonist who's an Eight, they're going to generate conflict everywhere because it doesn't really bother them. They're okay wading into conflict. If you ask an Eight, “Do you like conflict?” they'll often say, “Well, sometimes it's not great,” but to everyone else it looks like they come in like a wrecking ball. The Eight tends to go for what they want. They don't see the point in waiting. They think, “I want it, I'm going to go and get it.” That makes them feel strong and powerful. So it's easy to create external and internal conflict with an Eight and other types. But the nature of the conflict is going to be different depending on who you pair them with. Let's say you have this Eight and you pair them with a Type One, “The Reformer,” whose core fear is being bad or corrupt, and who wants to be good and have integrity. The Reformer wants morality. They can get a little preachy; they can become a bit of a zealot when they're more unhealthy. A One and an Eight will have a very particular kind of conflict because the One says, “Let's do what's right,” and the Eight says, “Let's do what gets me what I want and puts me in the power position.” They may absolutely get along if they're taking on injustice. Ones and Eights will team up if they both see the same thing as unjust. They'll both take it on together. But then they may reach a point in the story where the choice is between doing the thing that is “right”—maybe self-sacrificing or moral—versus doing the thing that will exact retribution or secure a power-up. That's where the conflict between a One and an Eight shows up. You can grab any two types and they'll have unique conflict. I'm actually working on a project on Kickstarter that's all about character dynamics and relationships—Write Iconic Relationships is the next project—and I go deeper into this there. Joanna: I was wondering about that, because I did a day-thing recently with colour palettes and interior design—which is not usually my thing—so I was really challenging myself. We did this colour wheel, and they were talking about how the opposite colour on the wheel is the one that goes with it in an interesting way. I thought— Maybe there's something in the Enneagram where it's like a wheel, and the type opposite is the one that clashes or fits in a certain way. Is that a thing? Claire: There is a lot of that kind of contrast. The Enneagram is usually depicted in a circle, one through nine, and there are strong contrasts between types that are right next to each other, as well as interesting lines that connect them. For example, we've been talking about the Eight, and right next to Eight is Nine, “The Peacemaker.” Eights and Nines can look like opposites in certain ways. The Nine is conflict-avoidant, and the Eight tends to think you get what you want by pushing into conflict if necessary. Then you've got Four, “The Individualist,” which is very emotional, artistic, heart-centred, and Five, “The Investigator,” which you're familiar with—very head-centred and analytical, thinking-based. The Four and the Five can clash a bit: the head and the heart. So, yes, there are interesting contrasts right next to each other on the wheel. Each type also has its own conflict style. We're going into the weeds a bit here, but it's fascinating to play with. There's one conflict style—the avoidant conflict style, sometimes called the “positive outlook” group—and it's actually hard to get those types into an enemies-to-lovers romance because they don't really want to be enemies. That's Types Two, Seven, and Nine. So depending on the trope you're writing, some type pairings are more frictional than others. There are all these different dynamics you can explore, and I can't wait to dig into them more for everyone in the relationships book. Joanna: The Enneagram is just one of many tools people can use to figure out themselves as well as their characters. Maybe that's something people want to look at this year. You've got this book, you've got other resources that go into it, and there's also a lot of information out there if people want to explore it more deeply. Let's pull back out to the bigger picture, because as this goes out in January 2026, I think there is a real fear of change in the community right now. Is that something you've seen? What are your thoughts for authors on how they can navigate the year ahead? Claire: Yes, there has been a lot of fear. The rate of change of things online has felt very rapid. The rate of change in the broader world—politically, socially—has also felt scary to a lot of people. It can be really helpful to look at your own personal life and anchor yourself in what hasn't changed and what feels universal. From there you can start to say, “Okay, I can do this. I'm safe enough to be creative. I can find creative ways to work within this new environment.” You can choose to engage with AI. You can choose to opt out. It's totally your choice, and there is no inherent virtue in either one. I think that's important to say. Sometimes people who are anti-AI—not just uninterested but actively antagonistic—go after people who like it. And sometimes people who like AI can be antagonistic towards people who don't want to use it. But actually, you get to choose what you're comfortable with. One of the things I see emerging for authors in 2026, regardless of what tools you're using or how you feel about them, is this question of trustworthiness. I think there's a big need for that. With the increased number of images and videos that are AI-generated—which a lot of people who've been on the internet for a while can still recognise as AI and say, “Yeah, that's AI”—but that may not be obvious for long. Right now some of us can tell, but a lot of people can't, and that's only going to get murkier. There's a rising mistrust of our own senses online lately. We're starting to wonder, “Can I believe what I'm seeing and hearing?” And I think that sense of mistrust will increase. As an author in that environment, it's really worth focusing on: how do I build trust with my readers? That doesn't mean you never use AI. It might simply mean you disclose, to whatever extent feels right for you, how you use it. There are things like authenticity, honesty, vulnerability, humility, integrity, transparency, reliability—all of those are ingredients in this recipe of trustworthiness that we need to look at for ourselves. If there's one piece of hard inner work authors can do for 2026, I think it's asking: “Where have I not been trustworthy to my readers?” Then taking that hard, sometimes painful look at what comes up, and asking how you can adjust. What do you need to change? What new practices do you need to create that will increase trustworthiness? I really think that's the thing that's starting to erode online. If you can work on it now, you can hold onto your readers through whatever comes next. Joanna: What's one concrete thing people could do in that direction [to increase trustworthiness]? Claire: I would say disclosing if you use AI is a really good start—or at least disclosing how you use it specifically. I know that can lead to drama when you do it because people have strong opinions, but trustworthiness comes at the cost of courage and honesty. Transparency is another ingredient we could all use more of. If transparency around AI is a hard “absolutely not” for you—if you're thinking, “Nope, Claire, you can get lost with that”—then authenticity is another route. Let your messy self be visible, because people still want some human in the mix. Being authentically messy and vulnerable with your audience helps. If you can't be reliable and put the book out on time, at least share what's going on in your life. Staying connected in that way builds trust. Readers will think, “Okay, I see why you didn't hit that deadline.” But if you're always promising books—“It's going to be out on this day,” and then, “Oh, I had to push it back,” and that happens again and again—that does erode the trustworthiness of your brand. So, looking at those things and asking, “How am I cultivating trust, and how am I breaking it?” is hard work. There are definitely ways I look at my own business and think, “That's not a very trustworthy thing I'm doing.” Then I need to sit down, get real with myself, and see how I can improve that. Joanna: Always improving is good. Coming back to the personal brand piece, and to being vulnerable and putting ourselves out there: you and I have both got used to that over years of doing it and practising. There are people listening who have never put their photo online, or their voice online, or done a video. They might not use their photo on the back of their book or on their website. They might use an avatar. They might use a pen name. They might be afraid of having anything about themselves online. That's where I think there is a concern, because as much as I love a lot of the AI stuff, I don't love the idea of everything being hidden behind anonymous pen names and faceless brands. As you said, being vulnerable in some way and being recognisably human really matters. I'd say: double down on being human. I think that's really important. Do you have any words of courage for people who feel, “I just can't. I don't want to put myself out there”? Claire: There are definitely legitimate reasons some people wouldn't want to be visible. There are safety reasons, cultural reasons, family reasons—all sorts of factors. There are also a lot of authors who simply haven't practised the muscle of vulnerability. You build that muscle a little bit at a time. It does open you up to criticism, and some people are just not at a phase of life where they can cope with that. That's okay. If fear is the main reason—if you're hiding because you're scared of being judged—I do encourage you to step out, gently. This may be my personal soapbox, but I don't think life is meant to be spent hiding. Things may happen. Not everyone will like you. That's part of being alive. When you invite in hiding, it doesn't just stay in one corner. That constricted feeling tends to spread into other areas of your life. A lot of the time, people I work with don't want to disclose their pen names because they're worried their parents won't approve, and then we have to unpack that. You don't have to do what your parents want you to do. You're an adult now, right? If the issue is, “They'll cut me out of the will,” we can talk about that too. That's a deeper, more practical conversation. But if it's just that they won't approve, you have more freedom than you think. You also don't have to plaster your picture everywhere. Even if you're not comfortable showing your face, you can still communicate who you are and what matters to you in other ways—through your stories, through your email list, through how you talk to readers. Let your authentic self be expressed in some way. It's scary, but the reward is freedom. Joanna: Absolutely. Lots to explore in 2026. Tell people where they can find you and your books and everything you do online. Claire: LiberatedWriter.com is where all of my stuff lives, except my fiction, which I don't think people here are necessarily as interested in. If you do want to find my fiction, FFS Media is where that lives. Then I'm on Substack as well. I write long pieces there. If you want to subscribe, it's The Liberated Writer on Substack. Joanna: Brilliant. Well, thanks so much for your time, Claire. That was great. Claire: Thanks so much for having me.The post Leaving Social Media, Writing Iconic Characters, and Building Trust With Claire Taylor first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Aaron and Bella return with uplifting stories including the new inverted food pyramid prioritizing protein and healthy fats, a compassionate flower delivery man's viral comfort, a deployed dad's recorded story for his son, an 88-year-old completing the Appalachian Trail, and a discussion of C.S. Lewis on pride as the great sin.   inverted food pyramid, RFK Jr, healthy fats, protein diet, Greg Sherman flower delivery, deployed dad Toniebox, Betty Kellenberger Appalachian Trail, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis pride

Perfectionism often looks like ambition, discipline, and excellence until it quietly turns into anxiety, burnout, and relentless self-criticism. In this episode, I'm joined by Jordana Confino, former Yale-trained lawyer turned coach, to talk about the cost of maladaptive perfectionism and why so many high-achieving professionals mistake self-criticism for motivation. We dive into the difference between sustainable excellence and fear-driven overachievement, the neuroscience behind why beating yourself up actually hurts performance, and what it really takes to move from being your own worst enemy to becoming your most effective ally. Tune in if you're ready to achieve more with less self-punishment. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to shopify.com/anxiousachiever Cozy Earth - Give your home the luxury it deserves. Head to cozyearth.com and use code ACHIEVER for up to 20% off. Express VPN - Secure your online data today. Visit expressvpn.com/achiever and find out how you can get up to four extra months. Talkiatry - Head to talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working genius.com In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 What does maladaptive perfectionism look like in anxious achievers? 04:30 How perfectionism becomes a strategy for proving worth. 11:00 What's the difference between maladaptive perfectionism and sustainable excellence? 15:15 How self-criticism harms performance at a neurological level. 17:00 Why perfectionist lawyers report lower ambition. 21:00 What psychological safety teaches us about mistakes and growth. 27:00 How law school culture amplifies perfectionism and anxiety. 31:00 Why billable hours reward inefficiency and burnout. 36:45 Why perfectionists often struggle with productivity and time management. 40:00 The most powerful tool for anxious achievers. 46:00 How neuroplasticity makes lasting change possible. 50:00 Can self-criticism ever be useful motivation? 55:45 Why the best leaders tolerate short-term discomfort to prevent burnout. 59:30 The invisible cage anxious achievers build for themselves. Resources + Links Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Jordana on LinkedIn: @jordanaconfino

Asking for what you need at work wasn't an accommodation, but a leadership skill. In this episode, I sit down with Stew Friedman, the pioneer of Total Leadership and founding director of Wharton's Work-Life Integration Project, to rethink how we approach work, life, and leadership. We talk about why so many high performers feel guilty asking for flexibility, time, or support and why leaders who understand their whole lives are actually better, more sustainable performers. Stew also breaks down the Total Leadership model, which centers on being real, being whole, and being innovative to create what he calls “four-way wins” across work, home, community, and self. Get ready to stop asking for permission and start leading your life with intention. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to shopify.com/anxiousachiever Cozy Earth - Give your home the luxury it deserves. Head to cozyearth.com and use code ACHIEVER for up to 20% off. Express VPN - Secure your online data today. Visit expressvpn.com/achiever and find out how you can get up to four extra months. Talkiatry - Head to talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working genius.com In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why asking for what you need at work feels like an accommodation. 06:00 How work, home, community, and self must work together. 10:00 Why self-knowledge is the foundation of sustainable leadership. 17:45 What “four-way win” experiments look like in life. 22:15 Why flexibility works best when framed as mutual value. 27:30 How leaders unintentionally block agency on their teams. 32:30 What is the biggest mistake people make when asking for support? 38:30 What mental health and leadership have in common.  43:30 Why different minds require different leadership models. 49:00 What makes us whole? Resources + Links Learn more about Total Leadership Org HERE Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Stew Friedman on LinkedIn

Find out more about The Art of GrowthTake a free Enneagram Test HERE.Sign up for the “Your Enneagram Starting Point” course HERE. Get Enneagram Certified HERE.Find out more about Teams Training HERE.Order our book on the Instincts: HERESet up One-on-One coaching HERE.www.theartofgrowth.org Email us your thoughts and questions!  Follow us on Instagram at ArtofGrowth for more on this subject this month and let us know what you are doing.© The Art of Growth ™ 2025Support the showhttps://www.theartofgrowth.org/

การสร้างความยั่งยืน เริ่มต้นจากคำถามเดียวกันของทุกองค์กร เราจะพัฒนาคนรุ่นใหม่ให้เป็นกำลังสำคัญของธุรกิจและสังคมตั้งแต่วันนี้ได้อย่างไร GCNT Executive Series: SDGs Achiever ซีรีส์พิเศษจาก The Secret Sauce และ Global Compact Network Thailand ชวนฟังมุมมองของผู้นำองค์กร ที่มองความยั่งยืนไม่ใช่แค่เรื่อง ESG และการรายงานผลตัวเลข แต่คือการลงทุนกับ “คน” เพื่อสร้างต้นทุนด้านสิ่งแวดล้อมและสังคมในระยะยาว ร่วมถอดรหัสวิธีคิดจาก ดร.ธีระพล ถนอมศักดิ์ยุทธ ประธานคณะผู้บริหาร ด้านความยั่งยืนองค์กรและการพัฒนากลยุทธ์เครือเจริญโภคภัณฑ์ ดร.เนตรชนก วิภาตะศิลปิน หัวหน้าสายงานด้านความยั่งยืนองค์กร บริษัท ทรู คอร์ปอเรชั่น จำกัด (มหาชน) จอมกิตติ ศิริกุล รองกรรมการผู้จัดการใหญ่บริหาร ผู้บริหารสูงสุดด้านพัฒนาความยั่งยืนภาครัฐและกิจการสัมพันธ์ เครือเจริญโภคภัณฑ์ บทสนทนาที่จะพาไปสู่การออกแบบระบบพัฒนาคนรุ่นใหม่ ผ่านการ Empowerment และลงมือปฏิบัติจริง เพื่อให้ความยั่งยืนกลายเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของการเติบโตทางธุรกิจอย่างแท้จริง

Are you tired of striving for perfection and feeling like you're never enough? Do you find yourself constantly chasing goals but never feeling fully satisfied with your achievements?In this episode, Dr. Tara shares her expert insights on how embracing self-compassion—not self-criticism—can transform the way you approach your goals, your work, and your life. You'll learn practical strategies to stop judging yourself harshly, quiet your inner critic, and create space for joy and fulfillment while still achieving your ambitions.What you will learn:The roots and impact of perfectionismRelease the pressure to be perfectRecognizing healthy vs. toxic perfectionismThe power of self-compassionBecome a happy achieverEpisode Resources:⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Tara ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Tara ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What really happens when you're wired to win, check all the boxes, and still feel like it's not enough?

What if the things you feel most ashamed of at work are actually your superpowers? In this conversation, I sit down with bestselling author and Founder & CEO of Working Genius, Patrick Lencioni. We dive into his Working Genius framework to discover why certain kinds of work light you up while others reliably drain you. Using his six types of “genius” we explore why differently wired (aka “spiky”) brains can be massive assets in leadership when we stop trying to do everything. You'll also hear Pat share candidly about his own anxious achieving, how working outside his genius led to grumpiness and burnout, and what changed when he finally designed his role (and team) around his true strengths. It's time to reframe guilt and shame around your “weaknesses,” so you can lead from your zone of genius with more effectiveness, sustainability, and joy. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Working Genius. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 How to stop feeling ashamed of what you're not good at. 04:00 How to become boldly bad at things as a neurodistinct leader. 10:45 The six types of Working Genius and how to discover yours. 16:00 How wounds and fear can push you to overachieve at work you dislike. 18:00 What is the difference between fear-based vs. joy-based achievement? 24:00 Why burnout is more about misalignment than workload. 31:00 How knowing your team's geniuses transform trust and accountability. 33:30 Why your team will perform better when everyone admits what they are bad at. 40:30 What should I do if my job doesn't fit my working genius? Resources + Links Take the Working Genius Assessment HERE Use promo code ACHIEVER for 20% off Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube  Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Patrick Lencioni: on LinkedIn @patricklencioniorghealth + Instagram @patricklencioniofficial

Welcome to the The Achievers Podcast. I'm your host, Amber Deibert, Performance Coach. I help enterprise sellers unlock their full potential by aligning their work with how they workout and cleaning up mindset trash, so they can sell more, stress less, and take back control of their time and success. If you've ever taken the Enneagram and discovered you're a Type 3 (The Achiever) or if you simply act like one, this episode will feel like someone finally put words to your inner world. Achievers push themselves relentlessly. They hit goal after goal. They look wildly successful from the outside… …while quietly feeling like they're only as good as their last accomplishment. In this episode, I break down what drives Enneagram 3s, why achievement becomes tied to self-worth, and how to break out of the "always chasing, never satisfied" cycle without losing your ambition. You'll walk away with practical tools to feel more grounded, worthy, and whole, without losing the part of you that loves to grow.     

TDC 077: The 4 Types of Driven Entrepreneurs (And Why You're Secretly Seeking Validation)Four archetypes, one painful realization, and 14 words that could change everything.Episode Summary:In this episode of The Digital Contrarian, host Ryan Levesque shares a vulnerable story from Front Row Dads Live about a moment he's not proud of as a father.You'll learn the difference between your True Self and Strategic Self, discover which of the four archetypal patterns drives your behavior, and uncover how childhood wounds show up in your business today.Question of the Day

Find out more about The Art of GrowthTake a free Enneagram Test HERE.Sign up for the “Your Enneagram Starting Point” course HERE. Get Enneagram Certified HERE.Find out more about Teams Training HERE.Order our book on the Instincts: HERESet up One-on-One coaching HERE.www.theartofgrowth.org Email us your thoughts and questions!  Follow us on Instagram at ArtofGrowth for more on this subject this month and let us know what you are doing.© The Art of Growth ™ 2025Support the showhttps://www.theartofgrowth.org/

In this episode I chat with Hannah Miller about how a midlife pivot can become a powerful reorientation toward purpose. Hannah is the founder of Sidekick and creator of The Purpose Pursuit™ course and book. An award-winning speaker, author, podcast host, and accredited coach, she helps people and organisations uncover strengths, navigate change, and pursue purpose. With a background in teaching and business, Hannah combines practical insight with a personal approach to leadership and self-development. Join us as we unpack Hannah's journey from teaching to running her own business, the strengths-based framework at the heart of The Purpose Pursuit, and practical tools like the seven personality types and the walk–talk values framework. We explore how the pandemic sparked a digital pivot, the importance of boundaries to avoid burnout, and how small, incremental shifts can steer life toward greater alignment.    What You'll Learn - How to pivot gracefully: with lessons about not needing a master plan and being open to opportunity. - The core of Hannah's approach: a strengths-based lens that helps people understand what energizes them and how to use those strengths effectively. - The seven strengths-based types: Achiever, Thinker, Connector, Impactor, Believer, Explorer (and how your top three types shape your approach to work and life). - Hannah's walk–talk values framework: a practical way to assess whether your values are aligned with your actions  - How burnout can be tied to overusing strengths: recognizing overdrive and building boundaries to protect energy. - The role of small, consistent shifts: tiny daily changes compound over time and move you toward your desired destination. - Practical, reader-friendly tools: exercises and a roadmap in The Purpose Pursuit to coach yourself—and even help others—through transition moments.   Practical Takeaways - Start with your top three strengths and carry them through your daily decisions and projects. - Choose up to five core values and use the walk–talk axis to assess how well you live them out. - Embrace small, consistent changes; they compound into meaningful life shifts over time. Resources and Links The Purpose Pursuit by Hannah Miller https://dk.com/products/9780241756331-the-purpose-pursuit  The book hits bookshops on December 4; pre-orders are open now Hannah's Website: hellosidekick.co @hellohannahmiller on Instagram   If you enjoy the podcast please help us grow by sharing this episode, or writing a review. You can also find me at www.thetripleshift.org / www.managingthemenpause.com / www.holdingupthesky.com  connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmacthomas/  follow along on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/middlingalong_podcast/ or subscribe to my Substack at https://middlingalong.substack.com/ 

Carve up the turkey, pass the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy, for this week's episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes Frank Girardot, Senior Communications Director for BYD| RIDE, for a their traditional Thanksgiving podcast. First, Frank shares some updates on BYD | RIDE's work, including insights from the company's Pasadena headquarters, his role guiding communications, and highlights from their recent NAPT conversation about the Type A Bus - the Achiever. Plus, Frank gives Curt and listeners a preview of what to expect from RIDE as we turn the calendar to 2026. The conversation then moves into the Thanksgiving spirit, as Curt and Frank compare favorite holiday dishes, and continue their annual tradition of discussing movies for family viewing during the Thanksgiving season. This year the conversation starts by taking a look at "It's a Wonderful Life" and actor Jimmy Stewart's remarkable career in Hollywood. The duo reflect on Thanksgiving classics like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and take a moment to honor the careers of Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, and Diane Keaton. Tune in for a festive blend of industry insight, Thanksgiving traditions, and engaging storytelling that you are sure to enjoy as you travel this week. Become a podcast subscriber and don't miss an episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop - NSTA Vendor Partners should reach out to us to take advantage of our comprehensive advertising package that reaches your target audience - student transportation professionals!Support the show

ในวันที่โลกเผชิญวิกฤตทรัพยากรและสิ่งแวดล้อม ธุรกิจจะเดินหน้าสร้างการเติบโตควบคู่กับการดูแลโลกได้อย่างไร GCNT Executive Series: SDGs Achiever ซีรีส์พิเศษจาก The Secret Sauce และ Global Compact Network Thailand พาคุณฟังวิสัยทัศน์ของ ต้องใจ ธนะชานันท์ รองกรรมการผู้อำนวยการใหญ่ ผู้บริหารสูงสุดกลุ่มงานความยั่งยืนและกลยุทธ์ บริษัท ไทยเบฟเวอเรจ จำกัด (มหาชน) กับภารกิจสร้างเศรษฐกิจหมุนเวียน 3 มิติ น้ำ-ขยะ-พลังงาน ที่ไม่ใช่เพียงเป้าหมายด้านสิ่งแวดล้อม แต่คือสูตรธุรกิจใหม่ที่ลดต้นทุน สร้างกำไร และต่อยอดสู่อนาคต

In this episode of Enneagram at Work, we continue the 9 Types Overview Series with a fast-paced, insightful look at Enneagram Type 3: Striving to Feel Outstanding, often known as The Achiever or, in the Awareness to Action model, The Pacesetter.We'll explore how Type 3s bring drive, confidence, and high performance to the workplace, and how their desire to succeed and be seen as capable influences their leadership style, communication, and relationships at work.Pulling from real client examples and team dynamics from recent workshops, we'll look at what helps Type 3s thrive, what derails them, and how teams can support the “go-getters” who keep everyone moving forward.What You'll Learn When You Tune In:The core motivation behind Type 3's drive to feel outstandingWhy Type 3s are often seen as natural leaders and high performersHow their strengths - drive, focus, adaptability - become blindspots when overusedKey characteristics of the Pacesetter Leadership StyleWhat energizes vs. drains Type 3s at workHow instinctual biases (Preserving, Navigating, and Transmitting) create three distinct flavors of Type 3Growth practices using their arrows to Type 6 and Type 9How to give feedback in ways that build trust, not defensivenessTry This at Work: Quick ExperimentsIf you're a Type 3: Track how you showed up, not just what you achieved. Practice slowing down long enough to rest, reflect, and reconnect with your own values.If you work with a Type 3: Acknowledge accomplishments and effort. Set clear, meaningful goals. Invite authenticity by asking how they're doing behind the successes.For Teams & LeadersType 3s bring momentum, optimism, and ambition to the workplace. They raise the bar, inspire confidence, and help teams deliver results. But they also carry the weight of constant expectation, both from others and themselves.Teams that work well with Type 3s create space for connection, authenticity, and rest, not just performance. A healthy Type 3 doesn't just do great work; they model sustainable success and motivate others to grow with them.Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here!

Sometimes the words that sting the most are the ones that shape us the most. Darren Hardy tells a personal story of the jolt that changed his direction and defined his discipline. It wasn't easy to hear, but it became the turning point that built everything that followed. Get more personal mentoring from Darren each day. Go to DarrenDaily at http://darrendaily.com/join to learn more.

Why do teams keep running into the same problems? In this powerful episode, Lisa G. sits down with Mark Murphy, leadership expert and bestselling author, to uncover the science behind what makes dream teams actually work. Drawing from research with over 20,000 professionals, Mark breaks down the five essential roles every high-performing team needs — and why missing even one can derail your success. Discover the 5 roles every winning team needs — Director, Achiever, Stabilizer, Harmonizer, and Trailblazer — and why trying to fix people's weaknesses is the fastest way to kill performance. If you want to build a dream team that wins together, this episode is your blueprint.

Tawny's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Belief, Activator, Responsibiility, Achiever and Connectedness  Tawny has been with Cru almost 30 years having served  in Baton Rouge, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colorado, and Orlando. She currently has the privilege of working with the Cru Coaching Center team as a launching specialist.  Being able to help students start ministries across the U.S. and world where there currently are none is what she loves doing.  She's married to Ryan and has two seniors, Sutton in high school, and Holden, at UF.  Best day for her would be one at the beach with her family, eating her homemade cookies, and cheering on the LSU Tigers.     Find out your strengths by taking the CliftonStrengths Top 5 Assessment   Workshops and Coaching with Barbara Culwell Subscribe & Leave a Review on Embrace Your Strengths    

ในโลกที่เผชิญวิกฤตซ้อนวิกฤต อาหารไม่ใช่แค่สินค้า แต่คือความมั่นคงระดับชาติ CPF คือองค์กรไทยที่ประกาศชัดว่า เป้าหมายไม่ใช่แค่ขายอาหารให้มากที่สุด แต่ต้องทำให้ ‘ทุกคนเข้าถึงอาหารที่ปลอดภัย ผลิตได้ในประเทศ และมีราคายุติธรรม' The Secret Sauce ร่วมกับ Global Compact Network Thailand จัดทำซีรีส์พิเศษ GCNT Executive Series: SDGs Achiever ชวนฟังวิสัยทัศน์ของ ประสิทธิ์ บุญดวงประเสริฐ ประธานคณะผู้บริหาร บริษัท เจริญโภคภัณฑ์อาหาร จำกัด (มหาชน) กับภารกิจสร้าง Food Security ในกว่า 17 ประเทศทั่วโลก และบทเรียนสำคัญสำหรับประเทศไทย ในวันที่ “อาหาร” คือหัวใจของการอยู่รอด [ADVERTORIAL]

In this episode, Patrick puts Nic in the hotseat and ask him questions. Together they explore tough conversations, frameworks, and the four mindsets: 1) Struggler 2) Achiever 3) Thinker and 4) Doer.As Nic says, “We're all in the people business.” Patrick adds how our work is to create more human connections. “The magic happens through the conversations we have and the connections we make.”The question we want to ask: How can I create a connection with this person? And in the process help them thrive?Building on the last week's episode, it is important to develop strong communication skills because how we communicate reflects how we lead.You can reach him at patrick@punchn.io. This is the second of two episodes with Patrick. If you enjoy Nic and Tarina's podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.---

SDGs Achiever EP.6 โจทย์ใหม่การค้ายั่งยืน เชื่อมผู้ผลิต ให้ความรู้ผู้บริโภค by THE STANDARD

In today's episode, we're diving into the world of Enneagram Threes—the Achievers. Threes bring incredible energy, focus, and drive into everything they do. They're natural leaders, quick thinkers, and inspiring motivators who help teams (and families!) move forward. But behind that determination can be a deep pressure to perform and a tendency to confuse “who I am” with “what I do.” We talk about how Threes' productivity and polish can sometimes overshadow their emotional world, and how kids of Threes may feel like they need to “keep up” or perform, too. Together, we unpack the difference between being loved for who you are versus what you achieve—a truth every Three parent needs to hear. We also explore what these traits look like in parenting—how Threes create structure and security, but may need intentional space for rest, play, and vulnerability. We share practical ways to slow down, lower the bar, and connect with your kids without an agenda. For moms and dads of Threes, we talk about the impact of image-conscious parenting in a social media age, how to model healthy failure, and how to keep performance from defining family life. Whether you're a Three yourself or love someone who is, this episode is a reminder that your worth—and your child's—isn't earned. You're loved for who you are, not what you do. Books mentioned in this episode: Freeing Your Child from Anxiety by Tamar Chansky How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie . . . . . .  Sign up to receive the⁠ bi-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monthly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠raisingboysandgirls.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Owen Learns He Has What it Takes: A Lesson in Resilience⁠ ⁠Lucy Learns to Be Brave: A Lesson in Courage⁠⁠ . . . . . .  If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Advertise With Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ form. A special thank you to our sponsors: QUINCE: Go to ⁠Quince.com/rbg⁠ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. THRIVE MARKET: Head over to ⁠ThriveMarket.com/rbg⁠ to get 30% off your first order and a FREE $60 gift.  NIV APPLICATION BIBLE: Save an additional 10% on any NIV Application Bible and NIV Application Commentary Resources by visiting faithgateway.com/nivab and using promo code RBG. BOLL & BRANCH: Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at Bollandbranch.com/rbg⁠. Exclusions apply. KA'CHAVA: Go to Ka'Chava and use code RBG for 15% off your next order.  DOSE: Save 30% on your first month of subscription by going to ⁠dosedaily.co/RBG ⁠or entering RBG at checkout. EVERYDAY DOSE: Get 45% off your first subscription order of 30-servings of Coffee+ or Bold+. You'll also receive a starter kit with over $100 in free gifts including a rechargeable frother and gunmetal serving spoon by going to everydaydose.com/RGB or entering RGB at checkout. You'll also get FREE gifts throughout the year! JOLIE: Jolie will give you your best skin & hair guaranteed. Head to jolieskinco.com/RBG to try it out for yourself with FREE shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever wonder why you feel overwhelmed, despite being a capable and high-energy achiever?   In this remix moment, we explore the emotional weight of overwhelm and how it often stems from our thoughts rather than our to-do lists.   I share practical strategies to help you shift your mindset from chaos to calm, empowering you to take one small action at a time. You'll learn how to challenge those nagging thoughts of inadequacy and step into your true potential.   If you're ready to guide yourself out of overwhelm, this episode is for you!  

Linda Raynier, a career strategist and author of 'The Quiet Achiever.' They discuss Linda's journey of writing her book, the concept of quiet achievers, and how they can navigate the changing landscape of work, especially with the rise of AI. Guest: Linda Raynier @ wwwlindarayneir.com Host: Orlando Haynes @ www.careertalkspodcast.com Chapters 00:00 The Journey of a Quiet Achiever 08:45 Unblocking Inner Confidence 14:26 Navigating the AI Landscape 21:30 Misconceptions of Quiet Achievers 24:40 Personal Growth and Transition 31:55 Embracing Authentic Confidence 34:49 The Nature of Quiet Achievers 37:53 Advocating for Quiet Achievers in Leadership 41:32 The Dynamics of Speaking Up 46:27 Understanding Fear-Based Beliefs 50:25 The Journey of Self-Reflection 55:23 Immediate Steps for Transformation 58:58 The Mission Behind the Message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices