Podcasts about atomic habits

Laurie opens this episode mid-story -- crossing a street, spotting someone she admires, and doing what she's done her whole life: looking away.What follows is one of the most personal episodes she's recorded. It's the story of her relationship with Ellen Yin — media company founder, host of the Cubicle to CEO podcast, keynote speaker, and one of the most gracious humans Laurie has encountered in six years of building this business. Across four years and four distinct moments, Laurie traces the evolution from moving chicken around a plate at a lunch table to waking up to a DM that said: Laurie, I adore you.But this episode isn't really about Ellen. It's about the conditioning that makes high-achieving women invisible to themselves -- and what it actually looks like to start unlearning it. At 54. After years of doing this work. Still.The theme woven through this year's Craft + Commerce conference: shoot your shot. Be delusionally confident. Stop being the first person to tell yourself no.This episode is Laurie's honest reckoning with all of it.What we coverThe cold open: crossing the street, recognizing Ellen Yin, and the instinct to look away — and what that one moment reveals about a lifetime of habitsWhat happened at the lunch table four years ago — the salad, the chicken, the over-explaining, and the classic nervous deflection of proving how much you know when what you're actually feeling is: do I even deserve to be here?The DM that changed everything: how Laurie shot her shot, flew to Oregon, drove 90 minutes in commuter traffic, and spent an extraordinary day learning from someone she admiredThe crosswalk moment — last year's Craft + Commerce — and why she looked away when she could have made the connection herselfThis year's conference: walking into the breakout room, the hug, the lit-up face, and what it felt like to be seen by someone she'd assumed was too important, too busy, too far above her to see herWhy the tech not working in the room didn't matter — and the Maya Angelou quote that's been living in Laurie's head ever sinceGetting in the photo line — the internal negotiation of "why not me?" — and waking up to Laurie, I adore youLittle Laurie: the conditioning, the beliefs, the habits that were formed so long ago she didn't know she was still running them"I just stopped being the first person to tell myself no" — the keynote line that reframes everythingThe three micro-shots from this year's conference: asking for the free signed book, getting the photo with Ellen, joining a lunch group that felt out of her leagueWhy it's not the ask that's the problem — it's the belief we've attached to the askFour takeaways for shooting your shot, being seen, and doing this work for as long as it takesThe four takeaways1. The look-away is a habit, not a truth. When you feel the impulse to make yourself smaller, to assume someone is too important to see you, to talk yourself out of making the ask — that is old conditioning running a very old program. You can notice it. You don't have to keep obeying it.2. Shooting your shot is a skill — and it gets easier. Not because the fear goes away, but because you build evidence. The ask doesn't kill you. The worst thing people can say is no — and no is not a rejection of you. It means not right now. You keep asking. At some point, they say yes.3. The gift of being seen starts with letting yourself be visible. Ellen couldn't have touched Laurie's arm at the crosswalk if Laurie had walked the other way. Every time we make ourselves invisible, we rob someone else of the chance to surprise us.4. We are never done with this work. At 54. After years of coaching herself and others. Laurie still looked away at the crosswalk last year. Still moved the chicken around the plate four years ago. The difference isn't that the impulse is gone. It's that she notices it faster — and sometimes, not always but more often, does the thing anyway. That's the work. That's all this is.Quotable moments"She made the connection when I wasn't going to do it myself.""I just stopped being the first person to tell myself no.""Being delusionally confident doesn't mean you don't feel the fear. It means you make the ask anyway -- and you let other people decide whether to say yes.""It's not the ask that's the problem. It's the belief we attach to the ask.""Every time we make ourselves invisible, we rob someone else of the chance to surprise us.""The difference between now and four years ago isn't that I've eliminated the impulse. It's that I notice it faster. And sometimes I do the thing anyway.""You shouldn't have to shoot your shot alone.""People will forget what you said. They will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel." — Maya Angelou"Go make someone feel something this week. Might as well start with yourself."People + resources mentionedEllen Yin — founder of Ellen Yin Media, host of the Cubicle to CEO podcast Craft + Commerce Conference — annual creator conference hosted by Kit in Boise, IdahoKit — Laurie's new email service provider (formerly ConvertKit) James Clear — author of Atomic Habits (30 million copies sold)Maya Angelou — "People will forget what you said. They will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel."BEST LIFE MastermindEverything in this episode -- the looking away, the over-explaining, the belief that someone else's question matters more than yours, the feeling that you're not worth remembering -- is exactly the work we do inside the BEST LIFE Mastermind. Not in theory. In practice. With ten women who will see you when you want to make yourself invisible. Who will nudge your arm at the crosswalk when you're about to look away.→ Apply now → Book a 15-minute call with Laurie  Retreat 1 — Sun Valley, Idaho · September 1–4, 2026 Retreat 2 — Civana Wellness Resort + Spa · Carefree, Arizona · February 23–26, 2027If this episode made you think of someone who needs to hear it , please send it to them. That's your shot to take this week.

Art Sobczak has been selling on the phone since he was 14 — starting with tickets to the Omaha police fundraising circus. Forty-plus years later: founder of Business By Phone, author of Smart Calling (three editions), host of The Art of Sales, 1,500+ trainings — including one for my first inside sales team at the US Chamber of Commerce twenty years ago.We get into what AI actually does for prospecting, why he'll never say "this is a cold call," the Salesperson's Oath, turning gatekeepers into allies, and the four pillars that separate salespeople who execute from those who collect training. If you or your team make outbound calls, this is the masterclass.What You'll Learn• Why AI is the greatest assistant — and worst replacement — salespeople have ever had• Why personalization without relevance is just spam• The Possible Value Proposition: the opener formula that replaces "this is a cold call"• Why permission-based openers trigger fight-or-flight in your prospect's brain• The Salesperson's Oath: first, create no resistance• The social engineering approach that turns gatekeepers into allies who prep your prospect before you call• "If the music is still playing, stay on the dance floor" — why rushing to book the meeting kills live conversations• The four pillars of top performers — and why identity beats discipline (Be-Do-Have, shades of Atomic Habits)• The backwards math: why 6-8 meetings a month might take 8 dream prospects and a handwritten note, not 14,000 dials▸ Get My Free MSP Sales Toolbox: https://msp.sale/yt-toolbox▸ Join My Newsletter for Weekly Sales Strategies: https://rayjgreen.beehiiv.com---------------------------Books & Resources Referenced• Smart Calling: Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling (3rd Edition) by Art Sobczak - https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Calling-Eliminate-Failure-Rejection/dp/111967672X• How to Get a Meeting with Anyone by Stu Heinecke - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=how+to+get+a+meeting+with+anyone+stu+heinecke• Get the Meeting!: An Illustrative Contact Marketing Playbook by Stu Heinecke - https://www.amazon.com/Get-Meeting-Illustrative-Marketing-Playbook/dp/1948836440• Atomic Habits by James Clear - https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299• Art's First 20 Seconds Formula masterclass — smartcalling.com• The Smart Calling Report newsletter — via smartcalling.com• The Art of Sales podcast — theartofsales.com• Dale Dupree Podcast Episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DotK-CSfWOI • Chris Walker Podcast Episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o5mLPdJp2E

In this episode of Life Rewired, Kristina breaks down the biggest lessons from James Clear's Atomic Habits and applies them directly to fitness, mindset, and lasting behavior change. She covers why systems consistently outperform goals, how identity shapes habits more than motivation ever will, and walks through the Four Laws of Behavior Change, making habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying, with real examples of how each one shows up in a fitness journey. Kristina shares her own experiences throughout, including how reframing limiting beliefs and redesigning her environment completely shifted her consistency.The episode also dives into the power of community in shaping habits, and why surrounding yourself with people who normalize the behaviors you want is one of the most effective tools for change. Whether you are just starting your fitness journey or have been at it for years and feel stuck, this episode offers practical, mindset-shifting takeaways you can apply immediately. APPLY FOR 1:1 COACHING:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1srFPBIhQwnCw8uJ3qf-wjTDG-df62gM8hzfJkNwaJW4/preview BALANCED BLUEPRINT MEMBERSHIP:https://builtgroupcoaching.my.canva.site/balancedblueprintmembershipB&B NEWSLETTER/FREE FAT LOSS MASTERCLASS:⁠⁠⁠https://builtandbalanced.kit.com/dd0f3197cc⁠⁠⁠KRIS IG:⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/kristinaturnure/?hl=en⁠⁠THE BLUEPRINT FOUNDATIONS COURSE:https://stan.store/KrisTurnure/p/the-blueprint-courseLIFE REWIRED IG:⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/LIFEREWIREDPODCAST/?utm_medium=copy_link⁠⁠NASH BARS:https://nashnutrition.co/PTULA: DISCOUNT CODE KRISTINAT https://www.ptula.com/TRANSPARENT LABS: CODE KRISTINA https://athlete.transparentlabs.com/kristinaturnure

In this episode of the No More Wasted Days podcast, Sara talks about how so much of her drinking was rooted in habit, and how learning to change those habits helped her build an alcohol-free life. Inspired by James Clear's book Atomic Habits, this episode explores why quitting drinking is not just about one big decision. It is about creating small, repeatable systems that support the person you are becoming. Sara shares how daily gratitude, affirmations, new routines, and identity-based habits helped her move away from drinking and start seeing herself as someone who simply does not drink. She also breaks down James Clear's four laws of behavior change and shows how to use them to build alcohol-free habits while making drinking less automatic, less appealing, and harder to return to. If you have ever felt stuck in the same drinking patterns, this episode will help you see that change does not have to happen overnight. Small choices, repeated consistently, can completely shift your life. In this episode, you'll hear about: Why alcohol can feel more like a habit than an addiction for many people How small daily actions compound over time Why your systems matter more than willpower How to start seeing yourself as a non-drinker Simple habit swaps for the hardest craving windows How to use James Clear's four laws of behavior change in your alcohol-free journey   Resources and Links: Join the Day Makers Community Looking for alcohol-free support, weekly group coaching calls, and a private community of like-minded alcohol-free badasses? Come join us inside Day Makers. You can try your first two weeks for just $7. CLICK HERE to join. Sara's Favorite Things: https://nomorewasteddays.co/favorites/   Support the Podcast: If you love the No More Wasted Days podcast, please take a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or rate and comment on Spotify. It helps more people find the show and begin their own alcohol-free journey. ***************************************   Follow the podcast on Social Media: IG: @nomorewasteddays.pod   Follow Sara on Social Media: IG: @no_more_wasted_days TikTok: @no_more_wasted_days Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoMoreWastedDaysOfficial

In this episode, I explain why sleep is one of the most powerful and most underutilized tools for improving health, hormones, fertility, and overall well-being.I break down how quality sleep affects everything from brain function and emotional regulation to metabolism, reproductive health, and hormone balance.I also share practical strategies that can help you improve your sleep, even if you're a busy parent, work night shifts, or struggle with waking up in the middle of the night.Listen in to hear me share:How sleep helps clear toxins from the brain, supports memory, promotes neural repair, and protects long-term cognitive healthThe impact of sleep deprivation on cortisol, melatonin, fertility, menstrual cycles, PMS, thyroid function, appetite hormones, insulin sensitivity, and metabolismWhy sleep pressure matters and how understanding it can help you fall asleep more easilyPractical ways to optimize melatonin production through darkness, reducing blue light exposure, and creating a sleep-friendly environmentHow caffeine, screens, and stimulating evening activities can silently undermine sleep qualityStrategies for navigating sleep challenges with partners, newborns, night-shift work, and middle-of-the-night awakeningsThe role of supplements such as magnesium glycinate, L-theanine, glycine, and low-dose melatoninHow I apply principles from Atomic Habits to build sleep habits that are realistic, sustainable, and effective+so much moreConnect with Lauren:Get my FREE PCOS Guide hereJoin the Empowered Path to Pregnancy hereInstagramWork With MeThank you so much for listening to the About Health and Hormones Podcast! If you loved today's episode, I would love to know! Please leave a rating and review so I can make this podcast even better for you all. I would love to connect with you.I'm so glad you were here today, and I wish you all health and happiness!This episode was edited and produced by Intent Media.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

What if the reason your habits haven't stuck has nothing to do with willpower?What if the problem was never motivation, discipline, or how badly you want it — but the way the system was designed in the first place?James Clear spent years studying how behaviour actually changes. Not the motivational story we tell ourselves. The real mechanics underneath — the neuroscience, the psychology, the architecture of lasting transformation.What he found became one of the best-selling books of the last decade. Over 20 million copies sold. Translated into 50+ languages. Read by everyone from elite athletes to Fortune 500 CEOs.But reading about a system and running that system are two entirely different things.That's what this episode is.In this Modelling Excellence Monday session, Adam takes the seven core principles from James Clear's Atomic Habits and builds a deep hypnosis session around them — so you don't just understand the philosophy intellectually, you begin to live it from the inside out.This is not a summary of the book. This is an installation.The Seven Principles Modelled in This Session:You Don't Rise to Your Goals — You Fall to Your Identity — Lasting change comes from becoming the type of person who naturally produces the results you wantEvery Action Is a Vote — Every habit you perform is a vote for the person you wish to become. Cast enough votes and the election is wonMake It Obvious, Attractive, Easy, Satisfying — The four laws of behaviour change that make good habits inevitable and bad habits impossibleThe 1% Rule — Marginal Gains Compound — Get 1% better every day and you'll be 37 times better by the end of the yearNever Miss Twice — Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the beginning of a new (wrong) habit. Always come backEnvironment Design Over Willpower — We don't rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems. Design your environment and willpower becomes irrelevantThe Plateau of Latent Potential — Real change is invisible at first. You put in the work, nothing seems to happen... then suddenly, everything clicks. The breakthrough was being built all alongHow to Use This EpisodeFind somewhere quiet. Headphones in. Eyes closed. Give yourself 45 minutes where you won't be disturbed.You don't need to have read Atomic Habits to get everything from this session. And if you have read it — this will take everything you already know and move it from your head into your bones.If You Missed Episode 001Last week Adam modelled the mind of David Goggins — seven principles including the 40% Rule, the Cookie Jar, and Never Finished, built into a full hypnosis session. Search The Hypnotist — Modelling Excellence Monday to find it.Two very different people. Two very different philosophies. The same destination: becoming the person you're capable of being.Who Should Adam Model Next?Modelling Excellence Monday is built on one of the core ideas of NLP: anything that any human being can do can be elicited, modelled, and replicated.If you can identify the beliefs, the internal strategies, the way a person processes the world at their best — you can hand that as a shortcut to anyone willing to step into it.Success leaves clues. Hypnosis is how we install them.So who inspires you? Who do you watch and think — I don't just want to admire that, I want to understand how they think?It could be an athlete, an entrepreneur, a scientist, a philosopher, an artist, a leader. Anyone who excels at something you want to embody.Nominate them. Adam reads every submission — and your nomination could become a future session heard by hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

Key Topics CoveredThe Motivation RollercoasterPaul Andrews addresses a common challenge among guitar players: losing motivation to practice.Emphasizes that all guitarists—whether beginner, intermediate, or advanced—go through phases of high and low motivation.Losing motivation is normal and does not mean you're failing, lazy, or untalented—it just means you're human.The Problem with Relying on MotivationMotivation is emotional and temporary, leading to inconsistent practice and results if you depend on it.The key to improvement isn't being the most motivated; it's being the most consistent.Small, regular practice sessions are more effective than occasional marathon sessions.The Power of Consistent HabitsGuitar progress comes from repetition and building habits.The hardest part is often just starting—once you begin, enjoyment and motivation can return.Paul Andrews shares personal stories about his own struggles with motivation, highlighting that everyone faces ups and downs.Systems Beat MotivationCreate systems to support regular practice, which will sustain you during periods of low motivation.Inspired by “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, Paul Andrews recommends:Leave Your Guitar Out: Make it easy to access, reducing friction.Practice at the Same Time: Attach practice to an existing routine or time of day.Lower the Barrier: Even five minutes of practice counts and often leads to longer sessions.Work on Multiple Things: Mix up your practice to stay engaged.Progress Fuels MotivationMotivation often follows progress, but growth can be slow and hard to see day-to-day.Avoid comparing yourself to advanced players; instead, track your growth with recordings or progress checks.Identity Over MotivationShifting your mindset from “I'm trying to learn guitar” to “I'm a guitarist” helps ingrain the habit.When playing guitar becomes part of your identity, you're more likely to be consistent, regardless of motivation.Staying in the Game During Low MotivationMotivation will return with time and exposure—sometimes a new song, bit of gear, or musical achievement reignites the spark.The most rewarding stages are often just around the corner, so persistence is key.Action StepsDon't wait for perfect conditions: Show up and play, even for a few minutes.Challenge: Pick up your guitar today—play a riff, a song, or even just one chord for five minutes.Remember, consistency beats motivation every single time.Resources MentionedAtomic Habits by James ClearBeginner Guitar Academy Community for support and sharing progressJoin Beginner Guitar AcademyStructured five-level system from complete beginner to advancedSong studies, riffs, one-to-one support with Paul Andrews, and a supportive community2-week trial for $1Learn more: beginnerguitaracademy.comConnectHave you struggled with motivation? Share your experience and what has helped you stay consistent inside the Beginner Guitar Academy community.Keep practicing and see you next week!

Most people settle for playing the game, but Conrad Hawley reveals the secret to excelling in sports—and life—by embracing relentless focus, discipline, and the power of routine. From rising as Missouri State Football Player of the Year to navigating zero margin for error at Kansas and Iowa State, Conrad's journey proves that success isn't about talent alone—it's about the habits and mindset you develop every single day. In this episode, you'll discover how Conrad's early lessons on "listen, focus, and competitive endurance" can help you crush your goals, no matter your path. We break down the importance of mastering the fundamentals—like habit stacking from Atomic Habits—and how small daily routines, whether on the court or in the office, compound into extraordinary results. Conrad shares candid insights on dealing with coaching chaos, overcoming setbacks, and maintaining purpose through consistency and resilience. We also explore how leadership is built on the smallest actions—like showing up as the "Energy Officer" for your team—and how disciplined routines forge a culture of excellence, even amid upheaval. You'll learn why the most overlooked details, from high-fives to game-day preparation, are often the difference between good and great, and how embracing chaos as a constant can keep you centered in a chaotic world. Perfect for athletes, entrepreneurs, and anyone committed to growth, this episode is your guide to developing mental toughness, building unshakable habits, and leading with purpose. Conrad's honest stories and practical strategies serve as a reminder: your greatest success comes from the habits you build in the quiet moments. Conrad Hawley is a former college athlete turned professional speaker, known for inspiring audiences with lessons on resilience, leadership, and discipline. His journey from losing scholarships to speaking on national stages exemplifies the power of perseverance and authenticity. Are you ready to elevate your game—on and off the field? Hit play and start transforming your routines into winning strategies today. To View This Episode- https://youtu.be/_XQc2EXgH9c Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perhaps one of the most aptly named individuals I've met, James Clear possesses a clairvoyant ability to articulate his understanding and mastery of habit formation.   His book Atomic Habits, which eclipsed the sales speed of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, has sold nearly 20 million copies and is one of the top books recommended by high performers. However, he didn't set out to write bestsellers. James's journey from basement projects to a multi-million subscriber list is a testament to the power of resilience and adaptability. He turned early setbacks into a strategic advantage, proving that sometimes, the best plan is the one you never intended to follow.Building a brand is like building a new habit. Despite aiming for consistency, Clear emphasizes that success in habit formation isn't about rigid adherence but rather the ability to adjust. Rather than fragile, unwavering discipline, Clear's methodology is flexible enough to adapt to the relatable complexities of maintaining habits amidst life's inevitable changes. “The way to be consistent is actually to be adaptable,” he explains. Your best asset could be the flexible mindset that keeps you on track even when life's rhythms get a bit unpredictable. Rather than imploding upon routine and environmental changes, we should focus on accounting for the natural bouts of turbulence.“Reduce the scope, but stick to the schedule,” says Clear, encouraging a flexible approach, adjusting the intensity of activities rather than skipping them entirely. This mindset is critical to avoiding discouragement and self-sabotage, which can derail long-term progress."Support the show

This week, we continue our conversation on habit formation by exploring Atomic Habits by James Clear. Building on Amber's introduction to Tiny Habits last week, we discuss the key principles behind creating lasting behavior change through small, consistent improvements. Join us as we compare the two approaches and share practical takeaways for building better habits one step at a time.

Perhaps one of the most aptly named individuals I've met, James Clear possesses a clairvoyant ability to articulate his understanding and mastery of habit formation.   His book Atomic Habits, which eclipsed the sales speed of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, has sold nearly 20 million copies and is one of the top books recommended by high performers. However, he didn't set out to write bestsellers. James's journey from basement projects to a multi-million subscriber list is a testament to the power of resilience and adaptability. He turned early setbacks into a strategic advantage, proving that sometimes, the best plan is the one you never intended to follow.Building a brand is like building a new habit. Despite aiming for consistency, Clear emphasizes that success in habit formation isn't about rigid adherence but rather the ability to adjust. Rather than fragile, unwavering discipline, Clear's methodology is flexible enough to adapt to the relatable complexities of maintaining habits amidst life's inevitable changes. “The way to be consistent is actually to be adaptable,” he explains. Your best asset could be the flexible mindset that keeps you on track even when life's rhythms get a bit unpredictable. Rather than imploding upon routine and environmental changes, we should focus on accounting for the natural bouts of turbulence.“Reduce the scope, but stick to the schedule,” says Clear, encouraging a flexible approach, adjusting the intensity of activities rather than skipping them entirely. This mindset is critical to avoiding discouragement and self-sabotage, which can derail long-term progress."Support the show

Today we are diving into a conversation that has very little to do with food, wine, scrolling, shopping, or any of these habits people typically think they're struggling with. This episode is really about the moment underneath the habit, the moment right before you reach for the thing. And after twenty five years of coaching women through fat loss phases, hormone challenges, perimenopause, emotional eating patterns, stress, lifestyle change, rebuilding, health, confidence and structure. I can tell you that one of the biggest things I continue to observe is that most people are trying to change behaviors without understanding what those behaviors are actually doing for them emotionally. This is a deeper conversation. Women will come to us wanting to lose weight, regulate blood sugar, improve their labs and digestion. They want more energy. They want to decrease the symptoms they're experiencing, and they always want to improve their body composition. I mean, who doesn't? They want to feel more confident. They want to get stronger and become more consistent. And yes, all of those things absolutely matter inside coaching. We care deeply about those outcomes. But sitting underneath many of those conversations is another pattern entirely. the constant need to escape discomfort as quickly as possible. And once you start seeing that pattern, you begin to realize that this is not always about willpower and discipline. It's not always about nutrition, knowledge or the next trending thing. It's not always about finding the perfect system or the perfect supplement or the perfect meal plan. Sometimes the real issue is that the nervous system has become deeply conditioned to avoid uncomfortable feelings immediately and that's exactly what we're discussing in today's episode.   Time Stamps:   (0:52) The Moment Underneath The Habit (5:13) The No Shame Zone (10:00) Atomic Habits and Sticky Habits (13:55) Feeling Uncomfortable (22:15) The Female Conditioned Nervous System (25:02) Where Your Freedom Exists (32:00) What Emotions Are You Avoiding? ----------  Apply for SF Coaching Method  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/sfhq-cc Complimentary Health Content  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community ----------  Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/   Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com ----------  This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

When people think about relocation, they often picture moving trucks, paperwork, and logistics. But behind every corporate move is a team of professionals helping families navigate one of life's biggest transitions.   Joining me today are three incredible relocation leaders, Katie Adams, Linda Lindenmoyer, and Jill Wylie, sharing what it really takes to guide people through change while balancing leadership, service, and problem solving behind the scenes at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.   Grab your cafecito and get ready for a conversation about leadership, relocation, and what it takes to help people move forward during major life transitions.   Meet The Leaders Katie Adams, Vice President of Corporate Relocation and Business Development at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate Linda Lindenmoyer, Vice President of Relocation Services for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty Jill Wylie, Vice President of Relocation Services for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties   Why Relocation Is More Complex Than People Realize Many people assume relocation is simply coordinating moves and paperwork. The reality looks very different. Families leave behind routines, schools, careers, and support systems. Companies face hiring timelines, housing challenges, and employee transitions. Behind every move are countless moving pieces happening at once. These leaders shared how relocation professionals often balance corporate expectations, communication with agents, housing challenges, timelines, and unexpected problems while helping families feel supported during major life changes.   Leading Through Uncertainty Great leadership matters most when challenges appear. Relocation professionals solve problems daily, whether that means helping families settle into a new community, finding unexpected solutions, or helping people navigate uncertainty during stressful transitions. Strong leadership often comes down to staying calm under pressure, listening well, communicating clearly, and focusing on solutions rather than problems.   Building Success Through Relationships Long-term success in relocation is built on trust. Whether supporting families, agents, relocation management companies, or corporate clients, strong relationships remain at the center of everything. Because relocation is not simply about moving people from one place to another. It is about helping people move forward with confidence.   Leadership Advice, Books, and Quotes Linda shared a favorite verse that guides her leadership approach: "Let all that you do be done in love." 1 Corinthians 16:14 Jill recommended Atomic Habits and You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero. She also shared a leadership principle that stood out to her: "Leadership is not about being in charge. It's about taking care of those in your charge." Katie shared one of her favorite reminders from Maya Angelou: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."   When you help another woman rise, we all shine. And that's how we make an impact. So, let's build each other up and shine brighter than the sun. For more great content from Teresa, connect with her on LinkedIn, join her Women Who Lead Series on Facebook, and subscribe to her YouTube channel. You can find more episodes of Women Who Lead on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else podcasts can be found.   This episode is brought to you in part by Venus et Fleur. Are you looking for a great way to show appreciation to family, friends, or even customers? Give them a floral arrangement they won't forget anytime soon. These beautiful arrangements make the perfect closing gift for any realtor to stay top of mind. Visit venusetfleur.com and use code "hsoa20" when ordering for 20% off.

In this episode I sit down with author and speaker Douglas Schmidt to discuss his upcoming book, The Power of Self-Leadership: The Path to Unleash Your Talents, Strengths, and Superpowers.We talk about the connection between learning and leadership, why habits matter more than motivation, and how small daily decisions can shape your future. Douglas shares insights from books like Atomic Habits and Learning How to Learn, explains the neuroscience behind procrastination, and reveals why he believes “learning is a superpower.”We also dive into his publishing journey, building writing habits, using tools like ChatGPT and Grammarly, and the importance of surrounding yourself with mentors and lifelong learners.If you're a writer, reader, creator, or anyone trying to grow personally and professionally, this conversation is packed with practical insights and encouragement.Send us Fan MailSupport the show

What actually makes a bestseller? My two guests this episode, James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling book of the last decade, knows a thing or two about it. I also sit down with Madeline McIntosh, CEO of Penguin Random House US, where she's overseen the publication of over 1000 books. Together, James and Madeline have co-founded Authors Equity, a publishing model that completely inverts how authors are typically paid and how books are brought to market. In our conversation, they break down everything you need to know about publishing today, what works, what's broken, and how they're revolutionizing the industry with a win-win approach for authors.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:21 Publishing transformations Madeline has witnessed02:59 Madeline's motivation for founding Author's Equity05:14 The Author's Equity model compared to traditional publishing09:20 Why the author's equity model is beneficial14:03 The power of aligned incentives18:22 Author pain points solved by Author's Equity21:00 Selecting custom teams for each book24:45 Author's Equity's willingness to learn from authors28:22 Self-published authors joining Author's Equity31:07 Who Author's Equity is not for34:00 The win-win philosophy of Author's Equity36:05 Crafting books that sell for years39:00 The importance of building an audience as a nonfiction author41:40 The timeless desire and new vessel for delivering information46:00 Getting your best work in front of readers50:08 What makes books keep selling in year two and beyond53:10 Leveraging seasonal buying and promotional efforts55:22 The New York Times Bestseller list: commercial vs. psychological1:00:30 The most accurate bestseller list1:02:10 Reaching out to Author's EquityIf you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/showFollow Nathan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarryX: https://twitter.com/nathanbarryYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshowWebsite: https://nathanbarry.comKit: https://kit.com/?utm_campaign=29661554-nathan_barry_show&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_term=nathanbarryshow&utm_content=youtube_descriptionFollow James:Website: https://jamesclear.comX: https://twitter.com/JamesClearInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesclearLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesclearFollow Madeline:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinemcintoshInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/madmciFeatured in this episode:Kit: https://www.kit.comAuthors Equity: https://authorsequity.com/Atomic Habits: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habitsHighlights:01:21 – Publishing before the internet and email09:20 – Authors no longer have to choose21:00 – Hand-selecting custom teams for each book31:07 – Avoiding books with a short shelf life47:03 – Value in the push and pull of ideas50:28 – The book has to sell itself1:00:30 – The most accurate bestseller list

In this episode, we'll be exploring the power of the habenula—a small yet mighty brain structure that lies hidden deep within the brain. This structure has an enormous influence over your mood, your motivation, and your mental health. And by learning how the habenula impacts your health and behavior, you can work to intentionally improve your well-being. Related EpisodesSubconscious ReprogrammingResourcesPositive Neuroplasticity (website)BooksUnstoppable Brain* by Kyra Bobinet, MD–MPHArticlesSMART Goals: 5 Shocking Reasons Why They Might Be Dumb by ForbesWhy SMART Goals Don't Work (And What to Do Instead for Success) by Mindful Development6 Benefits of a Moonshot Mindset by Dr. Peter DiamandisMeet the Habenula: The tiny controller of mental health by Psychology TodayBecome a member of The Soul Horizon community (or give a one-time donation) to support the podcast. Thank you for your generous support—it breathes life into The Soul Horizon.

I'm not sure we need more proof that our government is completely controlled by a foreign lobby group. And I also think people are realizing our elections are most likely a scam. But this could lead to real change and that makes me happy.I do ramble on about caregiving and now I believe the lack of resources to help families is by design.Time to hit your goals and I have designed the app to help - it's based on the wonderful book by James Clear "Atomic Habits" and it's designed to help you take your life to the next level. dailydrill.iocheck out all my projects: civiltheory.com

Nicholas Lares is the founder of Insur3Tech, a syndicated insurance group built for real estate owners and operators. Before entering real estate insurance, Nicholas was one of the largest brokers for Amazon's logistics network. When carrier exits threatened his clients' ability to operate, he helped them build a collective, self-insured alternative rather than accept the market's terms. That same model now powers Insurer Tech, which enables property owners, operators, and investors to retain the profits traditional insurers keep, averaging $28 million in annual distributions per 100,000 units.     Make sure to download our free guide, 7 Questions Every Passive Investor Should Ask, here.     Key Takeaways The traditional insurance market is a negative feedback loop: rising premiums drive more claims, which drive premiums higher Every premium you pay includes broker commissions, administrative overhead, and margin that never comes back to you Good-risk operators are pooled with bad-risk ones and effectively subsidize the market's worst performers Captive insurance gives participants a co-ownership stake and returns annual profits when the pool performs well Residents can be enrolled in the same captive, turning renters insurance into a separate profit center Getting into a captive earlier compounds the financial benefit significantly over 5 to 10 years     Topics Why Insurance Costs Keep Rising Pre-2020, insurance was a manageable expense; post-Covid, premiums surged to the point where operators began questioning the ROI Policyholders started filing more claims to justify rising costs, which accelerated the cycle further Carriers facing unsustainable losses began exiting markets entirely, most visibly in Florida, California, and Texas How Traditional Insurance Actually Works Premiums are priced on pooled risk across millions of policies, not based on your individual property's claims history Every premium includes roughly 30% in administrative costs, 10-15% in broker commissions, projected claims, and a margin buffer on top When the pool outperforms projections, the surplus flows to carrier shareholders, not policyholders The Captive Insurance Model Captive programs have existed for decades, originally built for Fortune 500 companies and large industrial operators A captive functions like a controlled bank account, backed by a reinsurance program, where unused premium returns to the owner Insurer Tech builds group cell captives, making co-ownership accessible to operators who cannot support a standalone captive independently How Insurer Tech Works Unnecessary margin layers, including excess broker commissions and profit buffers, are removed and redirected to members Year-end surplus is distributed to participants; there are no external shareholders Members choose their risk level: with or without reinsurance backing, depending on portfolio size and claims history The Leverage Problem in Traditional Insurance Clean-record operators have almost no meaningful leverage to negotiate premiums because pricing is determined by pooled market behavior Captives realign incentives: when participants think like owners, they manage risk more carefully and file fewer claims Moving good-risk operators out of the traditional pool separates them from the bad actors they were subsidizing Who Qualifies Insurer Tech works across all real estate types, including multifamily, single-family, self-storage, and commercial, as long as a lease agreement is in place The resident piece (renters insurance) typically targets 50+ units to generate a net surplus for the captive Operators with fewer units can pool with other investors in their market to meet the threshold A Real-World Example An 80-unit multifamily property in Georgia: total property insurance cost was $14,000 per year After captive returns, the net cost dropped to approximately $11,500 per year Resident renters insurance through the same captive generated roughly $20,000 in annual profit The result: the owner's insurance cost is fully offset, with a net surplus of approximately $9,000 per year    

Recovery isn't just about what happens right after training, it's about all the little things between sessions that add up. In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the habits that quietly interfere with adaptation and leave athletes carrying more fatigue than they realize.We cover sleep, fueling, easy day intensity, stress management, post-workout recovery, and why the basics matter far more than expensive recovery gadgets or trends.HOSTAdam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.​​Free Cycling Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/cycling-training-assessment-welcome/Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/cycling/Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/Resources:Recovery Podcast with Christie Aschwandan: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trainright-podcast/id1494799053?i=1000722793917 The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg: https://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/Loving What Is by Byron Katie: https://thework.com/loving-what-is-revised-edition/Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habitsSport Psychologist: Dr Justin Ross: https://trainright.com/mental-health-skills-sports-performance-justin-ross/https://www.drjustinross.com/Recovery Window & Nutrient Timing: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3577439/https://www.mysportscience.com/post/2015/06/30/nutrition-and-acute-recoveryInfrared Sauna; Marginal Gains: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10286597/

Welcome to Episode 160 of Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing Welcome to Episode #161 of “Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing” In this episode, I’m talking about “What’s Working Today in the Online Space. I’ll share the three most profitable business models for new and seasoned online entrepreneurs, and also a short training I’ve created around the topic of affiliate marketing. I am sharing a live session of my “Really Simple Authority Blogging” ongoing training course with you and know you will benefit from the marketing strategies I am sharing and teaching here. Be sure to connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com or on X at https://x.com/ConnieGreen so I may serve you in the areas where my help could make a huge difference in your results. I’m going to share with you how much fun I’m having with creating simple courses using AI (Artificial Intelligence) in about 30 minutes. I know you can do the same thing. Keep it simple, and add the short course you create to a page on your existing website/blog. In this episode I’m discussing how to use keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) to grow your business. Your prospects and future clients, customers, and colleagues are waiting to connect with you, but if they can’t find you online it will never happen. Make it simple for your target audience to find you by using the keywords and phrases they are most likely to be searching for on Google, Bing, and the other search engines. The Power and Gift of Change”- We are all changing throughout each day, and I think we must embrace this change in order to grow and move forward. Changing can take many forms, and if you look back through your life you will come to understand that you are not the same person you were even a year ago. Here is a quote about this you may resonate with… “Growth lives outside the comfort zone. If it feels uncomfortable, you’re probably doing it right.” ~ Marie Forleo I believe that our businesses are based on the concept of serving others. When you start on online (or even a brick and mortar) business, your goal is to serve others with what you know and to benefit in multiple ways, including by earning an excellent income. I’m sharing several examples in this podcast about my own and experiences with clients over the years. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This morning I was reading the message written by outgoing Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. In it, he stated that his “parting prescription” for the American people is to cultivate a strong sense of community to help themselves and others. He added, “Relationships, service, and purpose are the time-tested triad of fulfillment that stands in contrast to wealth, fame, and power which define the modern-day triad of success.” Here are some other questions I want you to ask yourself: What is your commitment to yourself and to others close to you? Why are you focused on the things that are taking up your time? When will you begin to focus on goals that will allow you to create and leave a legacy? Whom do you trust to get you there? Perhaps my “Monthly Mentoring Program” is right for you. Motivation and Inspiration: What It Takes to Get Your Spark Back” During 2024 I went through a period where I wasn’t as motivated as I had been accustomed to being for many years. This gave me time to explore why I was feeling this way and to hopefully learn something that would help others. My inspiration to do all of the things I love in my business, including writing, creating, marketing, and mentoring was waning and I wasn’t sure why. Within a couple of months I was back on track and this is what I learned… Life isn’t easy, but then it isn’t supposed to be. Being challenged in so many ways on a regular basis makes us stronger and perhaps more appreciative and grateful for what we already have and what we know we can achieve if we believe in ourselves and have even one other person who knows we are special and tells us that as often as possible. Marie Forleo wrote a book titled “Everything Is Figureoutable” – https://ConnieLoves.me/FigureOutAble – Her precept is that if you’re having trouble solving a problem or reaching a dream, the problem isn’t you. It’s that you haven’t yet installed the one belief that changes everything. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com and want to hear from you on this topic, or on anything else. “Merging Your Life with Your Business” as a strategy. We aren’t creating a business we need a vacation from. Instead, we’re creating a “lifestyle by design” where we have the time and financial freedom to live in a way that few people are able to, and with choices around everything we do. If you’ve met me in person, heard me on my podcast, or read any of my books, you know that I am a very positive person. No matter what situation or circumstances arises, I truly believe there will always be a positive outcome on the horizon, and sooner rather than later. But I wasn’t always this way. This is a journey that continues… My first year online was 2006, and very quickly I connected with people I’m still part of a Mastermind with in Austin, Texas. I was invited to speak at an event there a couple of years later. It was hosted by Joe Vitale and Mendhi Audlin was also there. She shared a concept she had come up with that she calls “What If… UP!” The premise is that there is truly a silver lining in everything negative that occurs. I liken this to Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. My precept and general rule for life is that we can achieve anything we want and feel that we deserve. Others want to help us to achieve our goals, but many times we get in their way by telling ourselves stories that aren’t true. Mendhi’s precept aligns with mine, and a year or so after I first met her she published a book on this… “What If It All Goes Right?: Creating a New World of Peace, Prosperity & Possibility” by Mendhi Audlin reveals the secret to turning possibilities into a tangible reality. It works! https://ConnieLoves.me/WhatIfUp I’m discussing the importance of being willing to “Better Your Best” during this new year, as well as recommending that this be the year you finally embrace AI – Artificial Intelligence – for your business. I have been a student of and someone who uses AI almost daily since February of 2022, and I’m learning from experts Andy O”Bryan and Denise Wakeman in their ongoing AI Success Club. Asking “How Are You Defining Success?” Creating a business as an entrepreneur allows you to live a lifestyle by design, with both time freedom and financial freedom. Think about how you want to live each day and then take action to make it happen. Over the years I’ve changed many things, while others have remained the same. Instead of making changes just for the sake of change, think about what you could change up and what makes sense to remain at least mostly the same. Years ago, I used to put together my blog posts on a single topic, like copywriting or list building or creation digital products into a simple document that I referred to as a ‘Focus Guide’ and gave them away to my list and to my prospects. Each of these documents contained resources and an ‘About the Author’ page that helped me to build my credibility, visibility, and profitability. For the first time ever, I am recommending that you write a book about yourself, your niche topic, and how you serve others. I first did this in 2009 and now I have written and published twenty-eight full-length, non-fiction books on the topics of entrepreneurship, personal, development, and authorship. Life can be messy. Are their ways you can keep moving forward when your personal life is turning upside down? Yes! Finding joy in helping and serving others, as well as compartmentalizing what is currently going on in your life are just two of the ways to deal with change and situations outside of your control. I recommend that you choose two social media platforms to use for the sole purpose of helping your prospects find and connect with you online. My favorite is X – formerly known as Twitter, and I also use LinkedIn and YouTube as my favorite social media sites to grow my business. Please connect with me on these sites and let me know how I may best serve you as you build and grow your profitable business. Is your list of what you are willing to do longer than your list of what you don’t want to do? I recommend a mile-long “to-do” list and a daily schedule of no more than four things that you will work on each day in your business. Find a mentor who believes in you and get started with creating a lifestyle by design that you want and deserve. I’m recommending James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” – https://ConnieLoves.me/AtomicHabits – as a book to help you alleviate your fears. We all have hopes, dreams, goals, and fears regarding our life experiences. I have found that if we build up our confidence and have faith that everything will turn out in a way that will be beneficial to all, we can continue to move forward without negative effects. Having an online business requires confidence. These are some questions to ask yourself: Who will you serve? What are your prospects pain points? What’s your idea? How will it be created, and then delivered? How will you sell it online? Creating a simple product or online course is the beginning of living a lifestyle by design. Reach out to me any time at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to know more about getting started as an online entrepreneur. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ My first online course back in 2006 was a simple one with three audio trainings and a workbook. Then, I began creating more sophisticated, but not more complicated courses. I’ve used the “Really Simple” branding for many courses at least 25 times, as well as using other terms and phrases based on the keywords I am optimizing for with each new course. Having your own online course on a topic you want to become known for will give you leverage to grow your business exponentially over time. It’s interesting to me that we as humans sometimes take things for granted that later on we know we should have appreciated in the moment. What I’m referring to here is having an online business you can run from home, or from anywhere in the world. There’s a window of opportunity that isn’t always open, and right now this window is wide open to everyone. A lot of it depends upon economic factors. I almost went back to graduate school two years ago to study economics, but decided against it because of the film and television writing I’m pursuing, but that’s a story for another time. Someone I work closely with had posted this quote from Richard Branson the other day: “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” This does NOT apply to online business, but instead refers to starting a physical, brick and mortar business. I know several people in both of my cities who borrowed against their homes, cashed out retirement savings, and sold family heirlooms to start businesses in the community, only to go bankrupt a couple of years later. What I’m saying here is that this is the time to get your online business off the ground and up and running profitably. It’s so inexpensive in comparison, and the biggest expense I incur is what I pay mentors to guide me in the right direction. Yes, I still have a mentor and recommend you do as well. This isn’t coaching, but instead a personal relationship you’ll build over time that could lead to strategic alliance partnerships and lifelong friendships. I’m at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you want to know more about mentoring with me. The four widely accepted learning modalities (or modes) are known by the acronym VARK: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic. They are sometimes inaccurately referred to as “learning styles” which implies that each learner has a “style” of learning that should be maximized in all learning situations. Focusing on consistency, productivity, and creativity makes sense for all online entrepreneurs in 2024. I’m also sharing some effective and time-proven strategies with you here that will make a difference in your business, as well as in your personal life experience. Each day I focus on writing, creating, marketing, and teaching/learning/mentoring. My writing began as short and simple blog posts and blossomed into more than twenty-five full-length books. My writing is my oeuvre, my body of work that is my legacy to family, friends, colleagues, and those who follow me. During 2023 I wrote and published more than 400 thousand words. This breaks down to one full-length book, Self-Directed: Inspire, Motivate, and Empower Yourself to the Greatness That Lies Within; the current book on marketing that is more than halfway written; 8 short reports on topics of interest to the people I work with online; one hundred thirty-eight blog posts on three different blogs I maintain; and 382 email messages to my online community. These are  practical strategies for effective time management, emphasizing the importance of creating a balance between work and personal life. Achieving work-life harmony requires effective time management strategies that allow you to balance professional and personal responsibilities. Here are some strategies to help you manage your time more efficiently: 1. Set Clear Priorities: Identify your most important tasks and priorities for both work and personal life. Focus on what truly matters and allocate time accordingly. 2. Use a Time Management System: Choose a time management system that works for you, whether it’s a digital tool like Todoist or Trello, or a physical planner. Organize tasks, set deadlines, and track your progress. Schedules vs To-Do Lists 3. Prioritize Tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix: Categorize tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Prioritize tasks based on these categories. 4. Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar tasks together and tackle them during specific time blocks. This reduces the mental load of switching between different types of activities. 5. Time Blocking: Allocate specific blocks of time to different activities. This includes work tasks, personal commitments, and breaks. Stick to the schedule as much as possible. 6. Learn to Say No: Be selective about taking on new commitments. Saying no when necessary helps you avoid over-committing and allows you to focus on your existing priorities. 7. Delegate When Possible: Delegate tasks that others can handle. This applies to both professional and personal responsibilities. It’s okay to ask for help. 8. Practice the Two-Minute Rule: If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This prevents small tasks from piling up and becoming overwhelming. 9. Limit Multitasking: Focus on one task at a time. Multitasking can reduce efficiency and increase stress. Complete one task before moving on to the next. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ You’re starting a conversation with your emails, and building a relationship with your prospects, customers, and clients over time. I’ve been online as an entrepreneur, marketer, and writer since 2006, and while much has changed, I believe that more has remained the same. Here, I’m discussing how we marketed in those early days, and why email marketing still remains top of mind. Most recently, I’ve co-hosted an Advanced Email Marketing Conference with Ellen Finkelstein. In April of 2023, I hosted my latest live marketing event in Los Angeles, and more recently I’ve hosted my Santa Barbara Retreat for those I mentor and teach. But like everyone else, I began by attending live events, and eventually virtual events in order to find my voice, connect with other like-minded people, and learn more about building and growing my online business. Guerilla marketing is a way to drive publicity and, as a result, brand awareness by promoting using unconventional methods designed to evoke surprise, wonder, or shock. Guerrilla marketing is the creating use of novel or unconventional methods in order to boost sales or attract interest in a brand or business. These methods are often low- or no-cost and involve the widespread use of more personal interactions or through viral social media messaging. This marketing method has increased in popularity with the rise of ubiquitous mobile and connected technologies that can amplify messaging and focus on target groups of consumers. Some consumers may be more attracted by guerrilla marketing campaigns as they may be more interesting and daring, while others may be turned off because of the perceived “disruptive” aspects of this style of marketing. Please subscribe and leave me a review. And connect with me at https://ConnieRagenGreen.com. Find out more about me HERE. Becoming an online entrepreneur was the best decision I ever made. I’ve been online since 2006 and now help others all over the world to do the same or something similar. We all have times where we are feeling a little down, lost, or confused. Life isn’t easy, and no one makes it out alive! These are my recommendations for how to get back on track and feeling more happy and optimistic about your future… Write! Whether you’re already a writer or are just beginning to think about sharing your thoughts, ideas, and experiences with others, writing makes sense. I write every single day and publish much of my writing as blog posts, short reports, and full-length books. Writing opens your mind to what you want in the future, by allowing you to explore the past through your memories. You can also retell and reframe your stories in a way that will serve you going forward. Start a new project! I usually create products and courses as new projects, but this can also manifest as something you build or create with your hands. I have family members on two continents that love to put together complex jigsaw puzzles. They look forward to these as a new project on a regular basis. Volunteer! Before I started my online business, I promised myself I would volunteer my time and donate money to charitable causes… as soon as I had the time and the money to do so. Once I had my own business, I realized that I had some time and a little money to do this all along. Spend time with new people! As a part of the volunteering I now do regularly, I’ve spent time with very young children, veterans, women starting over after being in a domestic violence situation, and more. This work continues to make a difference in my life. As you can see, there are many ways to get back to your “Why?” and I hope this has been helpful to you. What’s the best niche topic to cover in your blog? I know you don’t what to hear me say “It depends.” so I won’t. Lean in, and I’ll share the very best niche for you, and it’s one that is also the most profitable, will feel more like you’re just having fun, will never go out of style, and will be the one that has absolutely zero competition. Which niche topic and target audience could it possibly be? I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. I learned when I began online 17 years ago that the best niche for anyone is the one that makes your heart sing and is probably a topic you take for granted. I had been teaching school for twenty years and my students were mostly Spanish and Tagalog native speakers. I told them if they wrote just a few sentences every single day – weekends, holidays, and school breaks included – their writing would improve. Those who followed my advice excelled, while those who didn’t floundered. During all those years, I seldom wrote anything unless it was required for my work as a teacher or for my part-time work in real estate. Fast forward to 2006, and I realized not only that I needed to write in order to succeed online, but also that what I’d done with my students would apply here as well. My niche for the next eighteen months was around helping others to write, publish, market, and sell eBooks. I wrote one on real estate farming – choosing and area close to home to connect with people who may need your services – as an example and sold it on my website. Back then, you had to sell eBooks on your own websites, as Amazon had not yet entered the world of self-publishing. My niche and website became “eBook writing and marketing secrets” and this topic took me to six figures. I was learning right along with the people who were learning and buying from me. I then moved that site over to https://ConnieRagenGreen.com to make a name for myself and to branch out to other topics. The bottom line is that you must begin by sharing what you already know something about and love. Blogging is the direct path to the visibility, credibility, and profitability you wish to have in your business. In my business, every idea begins as a blog post. This is where I think and research and brainstorm what’s on my mind in the very beginning. The blog post is ground zero for what could, and many times does become a product, course or program. Blog posts, while based on your idea, can be created with original content, private label (PLR) rights content, guest content, or curated content. While I immediately share my published posts on social media as “micro content” you’ll want to wait at least 24 hours before syndicating your content on Medium. I also teach this syndication strategy in my popular and ongoing Syndication Optimization training program. Next up in your content creation and content marketing strategy is a short report, which you may sell online or give away as a lead magnet. I teach all of this in my Really Simple Short Reports training. This is what we refer to as “cornerstone” content that is extremely valuable. The final step is creating “authority content” by publishing your writing as a Kindle or paperback book to increase your visibility and build your reputation as an expert on your topic. I typically discuss time management and productivity in regards to entrepreneurs, marketers, and authors, and I’ve even co-authored a bestselling book on this topic, entitled “Time Management Strategies for Entrepreneurs: How to Manage Your Time to Increase Your Bottom Line” where we outline in great details the steps you may take to reach a level of optimal productivity and time management as an entrepreneur. But what about everyone else? Doesn’t every person deserve to live the lifestyle they want and deserve, where they enjoy financial freedom and the time to enjoy every moment to the fullest? Of course they do, and that’s what I’m sharing during this podcast. When I began online as a new entrepreneur in 2006, I realized immediately I would need help with technology and graphics, as these were the areas where I had no experience or talent. I bartered for these services for the first year or so, and then began to put together a team of people to support me so my business could grow. When I look back over my lifetime, I see that I have always had a team supporting me, whether it was while I worked as a classroom teacher, or in real estate as a broker and residential appraiser. Even while I was growing up, I was surrounded by people who supported me, from family, friends and neighbors to teachers, clergy, and people in the community. Put together your team and watch your business grow exponentially! When it comes to your visibility as an entrepreneur, where may we find you to see what you’re doing? This expert status comes from your writing, videos and audios, and your social media presence on the most active platforms for your target audience. My three popular and active blogs are at ConnieRagenGreen.com, HugeProfitsTinyList.com, and at MondayMorningMellow.com. Credibility is about what you already know and what you are learning. We all started our online businesses as adults, so we brought our knowledge and experiences with us. It made sense for me to help people write, market, and publish eBooks in the beginning, because I had worked as a classroom teacher for twenty years prior to coming online, and was learning about marketing and self-publishing. Profitability means that you must ask “What’s for sale?” every day in your business. Create your own simple products and courses, recommend others with affiliate marketing, and look into buying the resale rights to sell other people’s products as your own like I continue to do in my own business. The final part of this information on your expert status as an entrepreneur includes productivity, consistency, and attention to detail. Get everything in place as quickly as possible, and your online business is sure to grow exponentially! During my first couple of years online, beginning in 2007 I connected with mentors Alex Mandossian and Raymond Aaron. When I inquired as to what they were doing together as strategic alliance partners, they gave me a brief explanation and told me that I was not yet ready to move up to this level. Over the next two years they helped me to grow and elevate my business and my mindset as an online entrepreneur so that I could connect with others in this way. Seek out the people and groups you wish to be involved with and show them that you have moved past tactics and on to strategies. It will make all the difference and as you uplevel everything you’re doing online in your business, your free time and disposable income will increase exponentially! When I work with people in my Incubator Mastermind Mentoring program, the goal is to move them into position to become a strategic alliance partner with me and others to share their message in a bigger way. WHY did you choose the career you started your working life with? WHY did you get married, have children, and move into your first home? WHY did you make the conscious decision to leave your career at some point and start your business? WHY do you want to be an author or entrepreneur, or coach? WHY do you get up every single day and do the work required to become more successful on an ongoing basis? Everyone must have a WHY and there are no right or wrong answers here. But if you find yourself unmotivated to work or if you find yourself procrastinating on projects, then it's time to re-examine the main reason for your business. Name Your Reason – or Your WHY – for Starting a Business Focusing on your WHY can help motivate you, so write down your reason for starting a business on a regular basis. Did you want to fill your free time? Did you want to earn some play money or contribute to the family finances? Did you want to pay the medical bills of an aging parent or a sick child? Did you want to pay for your child's higher education or private school tuition? In my case, my answer to “what's your why?” was always around having enough income to live life on my terms. Over time, I came to the realization that every choice I was making, and each time I could not do something that had meaning for me, was all related to me needing to earn a paycheck or a commission from the classroom teaching and real estate work I was involved with each day. I missed just about every family event, vacation, and other activities because I was working 60 or more hours a week in order to cover my bills and other expenses. I wasn't angry or resentful because I believed that I didn't deserve to have a better life during those decades. This all changed in 2005 when I began reading books and attending events based on self improvement and personal development principles. Writing these reasons down – no matter what they are because every person's WHY will be different – should help motivate you to work hard. You should feel driven to make your business a success. You should be willing to tackle things outside your comfort zone because you know the end result will help your business. If you're not feeling motivated, then you need to dig deeper. I worked closely with a woman who was struggling to make her online business become profitable, and she continued to tell me that she had no problems or struggles in her life, currently or during her younger years. Then, one day she told me about her granddaughter who had passed away at age twelve and the floodgates opened. We got to the bottom of things, she discovered her why, and her business grew by leaps and bounds, almost overnight! Be Open and Willing to Examine Your Inner Feelings Life is fluid and ever-changing so it stands to reason that your WHY would change over time as well. Even if you started your business because you didn't know what to do once your kids were in full day school, you can change that WHY to something more meaningful now. A mentor once shared with me that she started a service business because she was a single mom and needed to earn money to survive. She was responsible for lodging, food, and clothing for herself and her child. She didn't have anyone to rely on except herself. THIS is enough to make you cry and to hustle for work, knowing that if she wasn't working, she wasn't eating. What are you passionate about that will get you hustling? Are you passionate about a cause or charity that can benefit from your financial assistance? Do you need to pull yourself up out of financial despair? Don't be afraid to own that reason and fight for your business. This is how you will continue to get closer to understanding and recognizing the answer to “what's your why?” Don't be Afraid to Switch Business Gears to Discover Your “Why” One of my mentees admitted to me early on that even though she has been in a service business for over ten years, that she hadn't been motivated to create any classes or products as a source of passive income. She blamed her indecision on a lack of new ideas and a feeling and belief that everything she knew had already been said and done, but I questioned if it was because she didn't feel attached to her particular niche of online marketing. After some more discussion, she agreed and has since modified her services that align better with what she enjoys. I still suggested that she explore a deeper WHY but this is a step in the right direction. Plenty of businesses add or subtract products or services or modify their mission statement. If something about your business doesn't feel right, don't be afraid to make changes. I'm bestselling author and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green, and now I can confidently answer the question “What's your why?” with enthusiasm and conviction. My “why” is around the concept of helping others to achieve their goals and dreams with writing and having a profitable online business so they may follow their dreams and passions without having to do work that doesn't make their heart sing or worry about meeting all of their financial obligations with grace and ease. You can double your productivity and be success with a business, or with anything you choose to accomplish in your life, if you are willing to implement what you learn and take decisive action on a consistent basis. Many people come to me to learn how to successful and profitable as an online entrepreneur. But some of them end up saying “I already know that” and moving on to something else. I know that I am able to do more than I ever thought would be possible in my life because I am willing to learn, implement, course correct, ask questions, take massive action and keep moving forward with consistency. Others may be smarter or more knowledgeable, but if they hesitate to take action they will not achieve the results they are hoping for in their business or with anything else. As long as you are specific and intentional with what you want to achieve, you can do it all as an entrepreneur, just not all at once. And we must throw perfection out the window. I have a new saying… The more perfecter your goal, the less purfeckt your results. “Everything we do in our lives is preparing us for something that will arise in the future, even though we don’t yet know what that will be.” ~ Connie Ragen Green Our stories are the fabric of our life. A story sets you apart from everyone else, makes you unique and memorable, and is all you have when it's all said and done. When I was a young child a neighbor girl, seven or eight years old at the time, interrupted my mother in the middle of a story she was telling to ask, “Why do you have so many stories?” My mother hardly skipped a beat, informing the girl that “You'll have stories too, when you get older.” On that evening a part of me became a storyteller in training. Sure enough, it wasn't long before I was telling stories about everything from what I did in school that day to what happened in the neighborhood. I wore my storyteller's hat with pride and now I see that this one aspect of my life was preparing me for what I now do in my business and derive great joy from every single day. The word “praestabilis” is from the Latin and means outstanding, excellent, and extraordinary and this is the goal for you as you make your way in the online world. It took me until age 50 to step into the light and live an empowered life. I achieved this by leaving a job – classroom teaching – and a career as a real estate broker and appraiser to come online as an entrepreneur. I have no regrets about waiting so long, as everything unfolds once we are open to receiving it. There are three top strategies to help you move closer to an empowered life and they include… Writing – Every day, I want you to write! This includes blog posts, outlines, emails to your prospects, clients, and potential joint venture partners. Also, write short reports and white papers to show others who you are and what you know. Finally, write a book to solidify your expertise in your niche, and follow that up with additional books over time. Writing is crucial to our process of standing out from the crowd by sharing what we know and believe. Reach out to me if you’re interested in coming aboard for my “10 Week Author” program. Recent posts on my three blogs are at: “Broken Compass Stories We Tell Ourselves” – https://mondaymorningmellow.com/broken-compass-story/ “The eBook That Changed My Life” – https://hugeprofitstinylist.com/ebook-that-changed-my-life/ “Marketing Secrets from Creative Sources” – https://connieragengreen.com/marketing-secrets-from-creative-sources/ Speaking – I was the reluctant speaker, but once I got past my fears and insecurities you can’t get the microphone away from me. Speak about yourself and your topic to anyone who will listen. I began by speaking at my Rotary Club and I continue to recommend service organizations as a way to break in to speaking. Now I speak all over the world, in person and virtually on a variety of topics. Masterminding – Connecting with others for the sole purpose of reaching your full potential is crucial to life success. Find a Mastermind group to join, or start your own by inviting thought leaders to connect with you in this way. I have a group called the Incubator Mastermind that may be of interest to you. Hopefully, you can see that what I’m sharing with on each podcast will make a difference for you as you build and grow your business as an entrepreneur, author, and marketer. Make sure to think of marketing as a priority and get into the habit of sharing your best ideas and resources with the people who are on their way to becoming your raving fans! I’m always just an email away at conniegreenhouse at yahoo dot com if you’d like to connect with me. I promise to help you keep it simple while you grow your online business. Get started with your own eBook empire by learning how to write an eBook from the person who continues to guide me along this lucrative journey. Take a look at How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook…in as Little as 7 Days from expert and author Jim Edwards. Thank you for this opportunity to serve you as I share my beliefs, perceptions, and experiences as an author, online entrepreneur, and marketing strategist with you. Marketing has become the joy of my life as I continue to learn, grow, and share concepts with others. I'm bestselling author, marketing strategist, and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you to help you to achieve your goals. If you are interested in learning how to optimize the syndication of your content, please take a look at my popular Syndication Optimization training course and consider coming aboard to increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.The post Praestabilis – Excellence in Marketing – 161 first appeared on Connie Ragen Green Podcast.The post Praestabilis – Excellence in Marketing – 161 appeared first on Connie Ragen Green Podcast.

Most people know what they should do to be healthier. So why is it so hard to actually do it?In this episode of NHA Today, Dr. Stephan Esser sits down with Luanne Spiros, a Yoga Alliance E-RYT 200, ACSM Cancer Exercise Specialist, master beekeeper, and behavioral change expert who has spent her career helping people build healthy habits that actually last.This conversation cuts through the generic advice and gets into the real mechanics of change. Why is movement easier to start with than nutrition? What makes the social environment so powerful? And what three skills does everyone need to make healthy living stick for life?You will also hear about her work in oncology yoga and what she will be leading at the NHA Annual Conference in June.In this conversation, you will learn:Why movement tends to be the better entry point than nutrition for most peopleThe three S's: social, skills, and setting -- and why they make or break healthy livingThree skills everyone needs to build lasting health habitsWhy reward beats fear as a long-term motivator (and what the research says)The hardest parts of going plant-based and how to plan around themHow to build exercise into your life so it stops feeling like something to bolt onWhat oncology yoga is and how it gives cancer patients agency and hopeHow to handle a partner or household that isn't on the same pageBook recommendations from this episode: Atomic Habits by James Clear, Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, Willpower by Roy Baumeister.---LINKS AND RESOURCES---Full episode and show notes:NHA Today on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgXfvjZj34HbsD3-47eEC2kjBWeIvNhHlSubscribe on your favorite platform: https://www.healthscience.org/podcast/NHA Annual Conference (June 25 to 28): https://checkout.healthscience.org/2026-nha-conferenceFollow Dr. Esser: https://www.instagram.com/esserhealth/ ---About NHA Today: The National Health Association has championed the science of true health for over 75 years. NHA Today brings that legacy into your weekly routine with honest, evidence-based conversations to help you live your most vital life.

This episode has been a long time coming. Not because it's trendy — it isn't. Not because it came from a book I was reading. But because I keep watching it happen to people I care about, and maybe it's happening to you too. Today we're talking about the quiet kind of giving up. Not the dramatic exit. The slow drift.The Physical Therapy AnalogyIt starts somewhere specific — a knee replacement, a back injury, a doctor's instructions. The person begins. They do the work. It's slow. It's hard. It costs money. The results aren't dramatic. And one day, without any announcement, they just stop. They think they're being realistic. What's actually happening is they're trading a temporary cost for a permanent one. Jill knows this from the inside: four tendons in two ankles, two years of getting worse, and the moment someone asked the right question that sent her back to the exercises she'd abandoned. Both ankles fully recovered. You never would have known.The Maps We Make in Our HeadsThe injury version is just one form. There's also the version where circumstances create a mental map of what's possible in your life — and that map quietly stops you from ever trying. Small town, underfunded school, overwhelming family, not enough of anything. The ceiling you've accepted might not be your actual ceiling. It might just be a limited perspective on a limited environment that hardened into the shape of a fact.Why It Doesn't Look Like Giving UpGiving up almost never looks like giving up. It looks like being realistic, not setting yourself up to fail, making sensible individual decisions — skip PT today, look for a job next week, start the diet after the holidays. Each call is defensible. When they stack into a pattern, the door doesn't slam shut. It just slowly drifts closed while you're not looking.Learned Helplessness and the Intention-Action GapPsychologists call the pattern learned helplessness: when effort repeatedly seems to change nothing, the nervous system starts short-circuiting the attempts to protect you from further disappointment. And the intention-action gap — still wanting the thing, still fully intending to get back to it someday — widens until “someday” becomes a story you tell yourself about a future that never arrives.What Actually Changes Your EndingIt's not motivation — that's real but unreliable. It's not willpower — that depletes. It's one clear, quiet, private decision: I'm not done. Not “I'm going to crush this.” Just: I'm not quitting. One small move. One vote cast in the right direction, the way James Clear describes in Atomic Habits. Every rep, every kept appointment, every application sent is a vote for the person you're becoming — and those votes don't have to be impressive. They just have to be cast.You don't have to accept the story that's been handed to you. The version of you that keeps going, even slowly and imperfectly, is better than the version that stopped entirely.Jill's Linkshttp://jillfromthenorthwoods.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@startwithsmallstepshttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/startwithsmallstepshttps://twitter.com/schmernEmail the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.comBy choosing to watch this video or listen to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are doing so of your own free will. The content shared here reflects personal experiences and opinions and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a licensed therapist, life coach, or mental health professional. Any habits, strategies, or suggestions offered should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or counseling advice. Results vary — small steps look different for everyone. You are solely responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content.

As this series progresses, John, Blaine, and Allen discuss ways to govern one's internal reality through the categories of thoughts, emotions, and loves. This episode focuses on our thoughts. How do we align our thought life with Jesus? What are the Circle of Interest and the Circle of Control—and which should we pursue most? And how can we curate the countless inputs vying for our attention?Show Notes: Enter the Ladder of Love October 2026 retreat lottery here. The books referenced are Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen, and The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. The Thoughts, Words, and Deeds Examen by Valerie McIntyre can be found here. The Pause App is available here. Send your questions about this series to questions@WildatHeart.org.Keywords: Spiritual Warfare, Emotional Regulation, Prayer_______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at Questions@WildatHeart.orgSupport the mission or find more on our website:WildAtHeart.org  or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App

(0:00) Intro (1:34) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:21) Start of interview  (3:20) Marie's origin story (5:19) Career Path in Law and Governance. Her time at HP and Agilent Technologies. (7:50) Transition to eBay  (9:57) Shareholder Activism and eBay's Story *CNBC clip with Ryan Cohen (14:42) Governance Roles and Board Memberships (16:50) Her teaching positions on the role of the General Counsel  (18:57) Chair and Director Succession (23:37) On separating Chair and CEO roles (25:44) Governance in Private Companies (30:40) The Impact of AI on Governance. She thinks of it in three buckets: 1) Customer/revenue opportunity; 2) from an enterprise wide standpoint; and 3) AI risks (34:36) Questions board members should ask management regarding AI opportunities and challenges (38:09) Energy Sector and AI *Marie serves on the board of Portland General Electric (43:10) Geopolitical Challenges in Business *reference to Meta-Manus China breakup (45:24) Building Trust in the Boardroom (48:30) Books that have greatly influenced her life: The Book of Alchemy, by Suleika Jaouad (2025) Phoenix in a Jade Bowl, by Bonnie Bongwan Cho Oh (her mother) (2013) Atomic Habits, by James Clear (2018) (50:32) Her mentors (52:38) Quotes that she thinks of often or lives her life by. (54:00) An unusual habit or an absurd thing that she loves. (56:00) The living person she most admires: Lisa Su. Marie Oh Huber has over 30 years of experience of strategic business, legal, regulatory and public policy experience in large global public technology companies, including eBay, Agilent Technologies, and HP. She currently serves on the board of Portland General Electric You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Most businesses think they need more leads. More traffic. More funnels. More followers. More ads. But what if the real problem isn't lead generation at all? What if your business is already getting enough opportunities… and you're just losing them in the conversation? In this powerful conversation, George and sales strategist and team-building expert Ben Wright dive deep into the psychology and practicality of sales, conversion, and relationship-driven business growth. Ben shares lessons from 25+ years of building high-performing sales teams across startups, corporate environments, and billion-dollar organizations, revealing why most businesses don't actually have a lead problem, they have a conversion problem. Together, they unpack how to simplify sales, create authentic customer relationships, increase conversion rates without increasing leads, and build repeatable systems that drive long-term growth. This episode is a masterclass in modern sales done with integrity. What You'll Learn In This Episode: Why most businesses are solving the wrong problem The difference between lead generation and conversion How “speed to lead” dramatically impacts revenue Why sales scripts often hurt more than help The 3-part framework for increasing conversions How to create value before making an offer Why relationships outperform transactional selling How to build repeatable sales systems without sounding robotic The mindset shifts required to become great at sales Why authenticity is becoming the greatest competitive advantage in business Key Takeaways: ✔️Speed matters, slow follow-up kills conversions. ✔️Most businesses don't need more leads, they need better conversations. ✔️Sales is not manipulation, it's creating value and solving problems. ✔️Small improvements in conversion create massive business growth. ✔️Relationships and trust outperform scripts and tactics. ✔️Great sales systems are repeatable, measurable, and adaptable. ✔️Customers buy when they feel understood and supported. ✔️Becoming better at sales is a lifelong skill, not a one-time tactic. ✔️The market is demanding authenticity more than ever before. Timestamps & Highlights: [00:00] – Why most businesses don't actually have a lead problem [02:30] – Meeting Ben Wright + surviving Australia [05:30] – The truth about conversion vs lead generation [07:00] – How one business nearly doubled revenue in 6 weeks [10:00] – Why sales teams overcomplicate everything [12:00] – Ben's “Core Three” framework: Speed, Value & Process [15:00] – What sales actually is (and why it matters) [18:00] – The importance of repeatable systems [22:00] – Speed to lead: why response time changes everything [26:00] – Creating value instead of pitching features [31:00] – George's relationship-first sales philosophy [36:00] – Why great sales is really about helping people win [41:00] – Sharpening your edge and improving 1% every day [46:00] – Atomic Habits, learning, and sustainable growth [50:00] – Why authenticity is the future of business [54:00] – Final thoughts on relationships, trust, and sales mastery Connect with Ben Wright: Sales strategist, coach, and expert in building predictable, repeatable sales systems for businesses of all sizes, from startups to multi-billion-dollar companies. He has built and led high-performing sales teams across corporate environments, fast-growth startups, and mature organizations. His previous company became an Australian Growth Company Award winner two years in a row before being acquired by one of the country's largest energy companies. Instagram: @strongersalesteams YouTube: @SalesGorwthMadeSimplePodcast Website: https://strongersalesteams.com/ LinkedIn: Ben Wright TikTok:@strongersalesteams Your Challenge This Week: If this episode changed the way you think about sales… Share it with someone on your team who needs to hear it DM George or Ben your biggest takeaway from the episode Leave a review to help more entrepreneurs discover the show And remember: You don't need more leads if you're not converting the ones you already have. Retreats & Live Events Want to build a business rooted in trust, relationships, and sustainable growth? Join George at an upcoming live retreat experience designed for entrepreneurs who want deeper connection, clarity, and real transformation. Join The AllianceThe Relationship Beats Algorithms™ community for entrepreneurs who want to grow through connection, authenticity, and intentional business strategy. Apply for 1:1 Coaching Ready to simplify your business, sharpen your systems, and scale without burning out?Apply to work directly with George and his team.

What if the reason you keep falling off track has nothing to do with willpower, discipline, or the right diet plan, and everything to do with how you see yourself?In this episode, Lisa Oldson, MD draws on James Clear's Atomic Habits, Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck's research on the growth mindset, and Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer's Progress Principle to make the case for identity-based change. The goal isn't to lose weight. The goal is to become someone who prioritizes her health, because it turns out that shift changes everything.You'll learn why outcome-based goals eventually run out of fuel, how every small healthy choice is quietly building (or undermining) your self-image, and why becoming a healthy person absolutely does not require being a perfect one.Plus: a simple NBA (Next Best Action) to try today that takes about 30 seconds and might stick with you for years. Thanks for listening! If you'd like more support during your SMART weight loss & health focused journey, sign up for our FREE newsletter, or check out our program at: www.SmartWeightLossCoaching.com. We would love to help you reach your happy weight, and transform the way you talk to yourself about your body and the number on the scale. Negative thoughts about yourself don't have to take up so much brain space, and we'd be honored to help you reframe those thoughts. Also, we'd be grateful if you'd follow us and share our podcast with your friends & family. We're here to help you live longer, healthier, and lose weight the SMART way! This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.The Smart Weight Loss Coaching Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

You Did the Spring Reset… So Why Doesn't It Feel Different? You cleared the clutter. You reset your space. Things finally felt in place… …and now a few weeks later? Counters are filling up again. Laundry is piling up. Papers are stacking. And you're thinking: “Didn't I just do this?” If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Here's the truth: It's not that your reset didn't work. It's that your systems may not be built for real life yet. In this episode, we talk about: Why spaces slip back after organizing  The difference between resetting and maintaining  How daily life impacts your systems  What clutter returning is actually telling you  The shift If your system only works when you have time… it won't work when life gets busy. Where to start Instead of redoing everything: Notice what filled up first  Simplify one step  Make it easier to maintain—not just look organized  Your Fresh Start Challenge Choose one space that feels like it's slipping. Ask: What is making this harder than it needs to be? What is one step I can remove? Start there. Final thought You're not behind. You're just at the point where real life meets your systems… and that's where real progress begins. Book recommendation If this resonated, you'll love Atomic Habits by James Clear A Little Behind the Scenes: These emails are created using Flodesk.  It's simple, clean, and easy to use. If you've been thinking about starting a newsletter or simplifying your emails, you can try it and get 25% off your first year.  Get: FlodeskSupport the showConnect with Diana:Business email: Diana@dsdeclutrr.comOur Instagram: @dsdeclutrrOur Facebook: @dsdeclutrrOur Websites: dsdeclutrr.com

In this third episode of the series, Erik Garcia, CFP®, and Xavier Angel, CFP®, uncover what they call the hidden engine behind wealth: consistency. After breaking down the behaviors that destroy wealth and the ones that protect it, this episode answers the real question—what actually builds it. The answer isn't intensity, timing, or even talent. It's doing the right things over and over again, long after the excitement fades. As Erik puts it, most people don't fail financially because they're wrong—they fail because they stop. Drawing on Angela Duckworth's research on grit, Erik and Xavier connect the dots between perseverance and financial success. They break down the three key areas where consistency shows up: saving, investing, and developing your skills. Along the way, they challenge common behaviors like present bias and emotional investing, while reinforcing a simple truth—wealth is built little by little. This episode is a reminder that showing up when it's boring isn't a weakness…it's a competitive advantage. Episode Highlights: Erik introduces consistency as the hidden engine behind wealth building and why it matters more than talent or intensity. (03:36) Erik shares Angela Duckworth's grit research, revealing that it's the grittiest individuals, not the most talented or intelligent, who tend to succeed long-term. (05:24) Xavier connects the grit conversation to his daughter's four-year journey in competitive dance, crediting her growth to determination and grind over raw talent. (07:49) Erik uses the "plateau of latent potential" from Atomic Habits to show how consistent, unseen effort eventually compounds into visible results. (09:52) Xavier explains how consistent savers reverse the urge to spend now and save later by choosing to save first. (12:25) Erik discusses how dollar cost averaging and emotional discipline set 401k millionaires apart. (14:15) Erik explains how building expertise over time enables higher-level work and greater income potential. (17:03) Xavier reflects on the power of grinding it out, noting that those who stay in the game longer do so by learning from failures and redefining their approach along the way. (20:25) Erik cites Proverbs to reinforce that money made quickly disappears, while wealth gathered little by little grows and endures. (21:32) Xavier connects consistency to momentum, saying the magic happens when you hold the fire to it and keep showing up. (23:38) Erik encourages listeners to make consistent financial decisions that stack over time, because wealth gained little by little is what lasts. (24:38) Key Quotes: “In the context of money, most people are not failing because they don't know what to do. They're failing because they don't do it long enough.” - Erik Garcia, CFP® “You are failing along the way and you're learning from those failures and redefining what you're doing.” - Xavier Angel, CFP® “What's important is that wealth builders consistently build their base. They're consistently building their foundation.” - Erik Garcia, CFP® Resources Mentioned: Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA Xavier Angel, CFP®, ChFC, CLTC Plan Wisely Wealth Advisors 

In this episode, I'm breaking down the most important lessons from 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear - and more importantly, how they actually show up in real life. A lot of people think they struggle with discipline or consistency, but most of the time, it comes down to how your life is structured. Your environment, your defaults, and your systems are what determine what actually happens on a day-to-day basis. I walk through the core ideas that have made the biggest difference for me, including how to build habits that stick, why systems matter more than goals, how identity is shaped through repetition, and how to remove friction so things actually get done.If you feel like you're always starting over, this will help you understand what's actually going wrong - and how to fix it in a way that lasts.Get the Book: https://go.shopmy.us/p-55453256Other Videos/Episodes Mentioned:Defaults

In this third episode of the series, Erik Garcia, CFP®, and Xavier Angel, CFP®, uncover what they call the hidden engine behind wealth: consistency. After breaking down the behaviors that destroy wealth and the ones that protect it, this episode answers the real question—what actually builds it. The answer isn't intensity, timing, or even talent. It's doing the right things over and over again, long after the excitement fades. As Erik puts it, most people don't fail financially because they're wrong—they fail because they stop. Drawing on Angela Duckworth's research on grit, Erik and Xavier connect the dots between perseverance and financial success. They break down the three key areas where consistency shows up: saving, investing, and developing your skills. Along the way, they challenge common behaviors like present bias and emotional investing, while reinforcing a simple truth—wealth is built little by little. This episode is a reminder that showing up when it's boring isn't a weakness…it's a competitive advantage. Episode Highlights: Erik introduces consistency as the hidden engine behind wealth building and why it matters more than talent or intensity. (03:36) Erik shares Angela Duckworth's grit research, revealing that it's the grittiest individuals, not the most talented or intelligent, who tend to succeed long-term. (05:24) Xavier connects the grit conversation to his daughter's four-year journey in competitive dance, crediting her growth to determination and grind over raw talent. (07:49) Erik uses the "plateau of latent potential" from Atomic Habits to show how consistent, unseen effort eventually compounds into visible results. (09:52) Xavier explains how consistent savers reverse the urge to spend now and save later by choosing to save first. (12:25) Erik discusses how dollar cost averaging and emotional discipline set 401k millionaires apart. (14:15) Erik explains how building expertise over time enables higher-level work and greater income potential. (17:03) Xavier reflects on the power of grinding it out, noting that those who stay in the game longer do so by learning from failures and redefining their approach along the way. (20:25) Erik cites Proverbs to reinforce that money made quickly disappears, while wealth gathered little by little grows and endures. (21:32) Xavier connects consistency to momentum, saying the magic happens when you hold the fire to it and keep showing up. (23:38) Erik encourages listeners to make consistent financial decisions that stack over time, because wealth gained little by little is what lasts. (24:38) Key Quotes: “In the context of money, most people are not failing because they don't know what to do. They're failing because they don't do it long enough.” - Erik Garcia, CFP® “You are failing along the way and you're learning from those failures and redefining what you're doing.” - Xavier Angel, CFP® “What's important is that wealth builders consistently build their base. They're consistently building their foundation.” - Erik Garcia, CFP® Resources Mentioned: Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA Xavier Angel, CFP®, ChFC, CLTC Plan Wisely Wealth Advisors 

Are you hanging on by a thread but not quite ready to call it quits? This episode is for you.   We keep getting messages from agents who are struggling financially but who are not ready to throw in the towel. We get it. Real estate has a way of pulling you in, making you believe the next deal is right around the corner. But when money is actually tight, hope alone is not a business plan.   We start with a real story about Erica, a Hustle Humbly Community member who moved from California to Texas knowing absolutely no one. Instead of white-knuckling real estate with zero network and zero income, she humbled herself, went back to restaurant management, built her people, learned the market, and saved money. Then she went back into real estate full time and now has a thriving business in Texas. That is not a failure story. That is a strategy. We also share Alissa's own experience from her early days bartending private events and the moment she ran into a high-budget buyer client while working one of those events. She lost the client. It stung. But the lesson has stuck ever since.   This is not the episode where we tell you to quit. This is the one where we give you 15 practical things you can do TODAY to stabilize your business, bring in money, and protect your mindset while you ride out a tough market.   Here's what we cover in this episode:   Text 5 people you haven't talked to in a while — your next deal is probably hiding in a name you've been scrolling past Audit your business expenses and cancel anything that isn't earning its keep Consider a "people job" (restaurant, coffee shop, gym) to bring in income while staying connected Pick up gig work without shame — Door Dash, Instacart, TaskRabbit, Uber — whatever fits your schedule Sort your database by last contact and reach out to anyone you haven't spoken to in 90 days Host a free small event in the next 30 days to get yourself in front of people Know your real number — write down your actual monthly expenses and make a plan Stop hiding behind content creation and have real conversations with real people Ask a past client for a referral directly using our ready-to-use script Partner with a local business for cross promotion — lenders, inspectors, movers, boutiques Go host or attend an open house this weekend Revisit Episode 198 on real estate side hustles to find something that keeps you in the game Set a 90-day minimum viable goal and work backward from that number Find your people — surround yourself with agents who are positive, motivated, and solution-focused Remember: surviving a hard market is a credential   Key Quotes & Takeaways:   "Your next deal is probably hiding in a name you've been scrolling past." Katy "Action cures anxiety. Any action will do." James Clear via Katy "Being in a funk and surrounding yourself with other people in a funk is not going to help you." Alissa "This is a business. You have to think of it like a business, run it like a business, and look at your finances." Alissa "Surviving a hard market is a credential." Katy   Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned:   Episode 346: Desperate Agent Behavior (hustlehumblypodcast.com/346) Episode 271: Should You Renew Your Real Estate License? (hustlehumblypodcast.com/271) Episode 198: Real Estate Side Hustles (hustlehumblypodcast.com/198) Episode 40: Bare Necessities (hustlehumblypodcast.com/40) Hustle Humbly Community (hustlehumblypodcast.com/membership) Atomic Habits by James Clear   Want to toast someone on the show? Send us a voice or video message with your name, who you are toasting, and why! Email it to team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.   Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly  

You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems - James Clearhttps://bit.ly/StudyMotivation_Podcast

This is one of our favorite formats: real questions from real people, answered without filler. In this Office Hours episode, Nick and Kim tackle five questions covering some of the most common and costly relational mistakes leaders make at work and at home.In this episode:How to build self-awareness that lets you receive hard feedback, even from people you do not trustWhat to actually do when a marriage has developed damaging patterns over yearsWhat works in the first 90 days of leading a new team, and what most leaders get wrongWhy most leaders undercommunicate, and a practical framework for fixing itHow to grieve the life you expected without losing hope for the one aheadReferenced: The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins, Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis.Submit your question for a future episode at relationalleadership.co/leadtogether.Book a strategy call: relationalleadership.coHow you can support us:• Leave us a 5-star review on iTunes or Spotify• Share this episode with a friend• Send a question for a future Office Hours episodeYou can work with us at Relational Leadership.

Think about that. You don't rise to the level of your goals, you SINK to the level your SYSTEM Your achievements are a lagging indicator of your habits. Everybody wants rapid transformation. But habits are what creates rapid transformation.

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Atomic Habits and translate James Clear's ideas into the real world of construction, where small daily behaviors quietly shape schedule, safety, communication, and culture. You'll learn how better systems beat bigger goals, why every action is a vote for the kind of leader you're becoming, and how tiny improvements can compound into remarkable results on the jobsite.Enjoy Episode 18 and #BeNEXT

In this episode, I review an interview of James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, on ways you can improve your life routines and use quality input to level up your ministry, service, and other outputs. To access the sources for this episode, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g2Kyc8Ra5UTo become a subscriber of this podcast, visit:⁠⁠https://anchor.fm/seth-hensley/subscribe⁠

James Clear's Atomic Habits is the blueprint for professional change, but most banks are applying it incorrectly. In this episode of the Banking Insights series, I unpack the 1% daily compounding math that dictates why some banks quietly lose competitive ground while others compound forward. I share my personal journey of losing 80 pounds and rebuilding this video series using the same system. Then I introduce the compounding gap framework, the invisible force that explains why so many strategic plans never become customer behavior. If your institution feels stuck, this episode provides the four-law framework to identify where your system is breaking down and what to do about it tomorrow morning. Subscribe to Banking Transformed for weekly insights on the future of financial services, and tell me in the comments: which of the four laws is breaking down inside your bank right now? In This Episode • The 1% daily compounding math applied to institutional banking strategy • The difference between goals and the systems that actually produce them • The compounding gap: the invisible force behind declining growth • Identifying which of the four laws of behavior change is failing in your organization Referenced Episodes Insight Video #9: Agentic AI in Banking Insight Video #6: The Oura Ring Business Model #AtomicHabits #BankingTransformed #DigitalBanking #RetailBanking #CompoundingGap

In this episode, I review an interview of James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, on ways you can improve your life routines and use quality input to level up your ministry, service, and other outputs. To access the sources for this episode, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g2Kyc8Ra5UTo become a subscriber of this podcast, visit:⁠⁠https://anchor.fm/seth-hensley/subscribe⁠

Send us Fan MailWhen the company that employed Abby Clapper announced it was moving buildings — and her position wouldn't be coming along — she had a choice: find the next safe landing, or commit to the business she'd been quietly building on the side. She jumped. And she was terrified.Two and a half years later, her personal training practice runs almost entirely on referrals, built around a philosophy that sounds simple but isn't: meet people exactly where they are — different bodies, different brains, different histories with the gym — and help them find movement that actually sticks.In this conversation, Abby and Joe dig into what that career leap really felt like (anxiety included), how she approaches fitness for neurodivergent clients and adults in their 70s and 80s, why she refuses to guarantee weight loss, what the Atomic Habits identity shift looks like in a real training relationship, and why she proudly calls herself a "conservative personal trainer."If you've ever started and stopped a fitness routine, or made a leap that scared you more than you expected — this one's for you.Resources & Links:Abby Clapper - Talk Your Abs Off PodcastAtomic Habits by James ClearEhlers-Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile Type InfoConnect with Abby:Instagram | WebsiteSupport the show

In this episode, Jon, Emily, and Nicole dream about what's possible for church admins and ministries when AI does the heavy lifting. Jon shares where AI is headed in 2026 and why writing the spec first pays off, with the Spark API Gateway story as proof.Nicole then makes the case for becoming a Rock Star. You don't have to be technical and the barrier to entry is lower than you think, you just have to start engaging now.Emily wraps up the conversation by showing how to turn James Clear's Atomic Habits into a working system inside Rock with workflows as the engine, Step Programs as the discipleship backbone, and AI Agents as the intelligence layer.Visit the show notes to find all the resources talked about in this episode. Don't forget to join the new Rock Cast Rocket Chat Channel to see what other churches are saying about this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Krisen, Tech-Hype, US-Klumpen, Finfluencer-Lärm: Investieren war selten so laut wie heute. Dr. Nikolaus Braun zeigt im Finanzrocker-Interview, wie man trotzdem gelassen bleibt. Es geht um sein neues Buch „Endlich gut mit Geld", den kompletten Sinneswandel beim Thema Rüstung, Geldkonflikte in Partnerschaften und ein konsequentes Financial-Porn-Detox. Am Ende die wichtigste Frage: Wofür ist Geld eigentlich da, wenn nicht dafür, möglichst reich zu sterben? Eine Folge für alle, die dem Lärm entkommen und klarer denken wollen.Dr. Nikolaus Braun war bereits mehrfach im Podcast zu Gast. Diesmal sprechen wir nicht über die nächste Marktprognose, sondern über die Fragen dahinter: Was macht Geld mit uns als Menschen? Warum treffen wir so oft schlechte Finanzentscheidungen? Und wie gelingt ein entspannter Umgang mit Vermögen, wenn rundherum alles lauter, schneller und unsicherer wird?Im Mittelpunkt steht sein neues Buch „Endlich gut mit Geld" – ein zwölfwöchiges Programm mit kleinen täglichen Impulsen, sonntäglichen Reflexionsfragen und einem bewusst freien Freitag. Die Idee dahinter erinnert an Atomic Habits*, nur für die Finanzen: keine großen Theorien, sondern echte Verhaltensänderungen in kleinen Schritten. Besonders spannend: Die unbequemsten Kapitel handeln nicht vom Kapitalmarkt, sondern von Identität, Werten und Beziehungen.Wir sprechen außerdem über die aktuelle Weltlage und die Frage, ob sich die Spielregeln für europäische Anleger geändert haben. Dr. Nikolaus Braun bleibt erfrischend stoisch: Risiken gab es schon immer – Dotcom, 9/11, Finanzkrise, Covid – und prozyklisches Umbauen des Portfolios ist am Ende nichts anderes als aktives Management in niedriger Dosierung. Besonders aufschlussreich ist sein Blick auf den US-Klumpen: Sein Büro hat den Amerika-Anteil lange vor dem aktuellen Hype untergewichtet – und wurde dafür jahrelang kritisiert.Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt ist das ethische Investieren. Warum einfache Antworten hier noch nie funktioniert haben, weshalb das Thema Rüstung gerade einen kompletten Sinneswandel durchläuft und wo die ehrlichen Grenzen nachhaltiger Anlagestrategien liegen, wenn Renditeziel und ethisches Unbehagen kollidieren.Besonders persönlich wird es beim Thema Geldkonflikte in Partnerschaften. Dr. Nikolaus Braun erklärt, warum Streit ums Geld selten ums Geld geht – sondern um unterschiedliche Prägungen, Kindheitserfahrungen und das Schweigen darüber. Mit einem überraschend einfachen, aber wirkungsvollen Tipp: einer Zeitreise in die eigene Geldbiografie.Zum Schluss wird es fast philosophisch. Was macht die ständige Lärmkulisse aus KI, Finfluencern und Clickbait-Journalismus mit Anlegern? Warum empfiehlt Dr. Nikolaus Braun ein konsequentes Financial-Porn-Detox? Und was kann Geld eigentlich wirklich leisten, wenn das Ziel nicht ist, möglichst reich zu sterben?

Career success isn't always about working the hardest, and Courtney Johnson learned that the hard way. While climbing the corporate ladder, she was told to keep her head down and grind, only to discover that top performers play by a completely different set of rules. Getting laid off forced her to crack the code and write Career Cheat Codes to help others build thriving careers with ease. In this episode, Courtney shares actionable strategies to get noticed, land promotions, negotiate raises, and build a personal brand that creates real opportunities. In this episode, Hala and Courtney will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (02:30) The Expensive Lie About Working Hard (07:33) A Players vs. B Players Mindset (12:49) How Entrepreneurs Can Build Visibility (14:55) How to Impress Your Boss and Clients Fast (23:30) Job Search Strategies That Work in 2026 (30:56) Using Keywords for Resumes and Branding (34:33) Overcoming Imposter Syndrome at Work (36:30) Building a Personal Brand and Monetizing Content (52:26) How to Land Paid Speaking Gigs (54:25) How to Become Visible and Profitable Courtney Johnson is an entrepreneur, author, and personal brand strategist who helps professionals accelerate their career growth through visibility and strategic positioning. Her new book, Career Cheat Codes, reveals the unwritten rules of workplace success and career development. Known for her viral content on LinkedIn and TikTok, she has built a loyal community of professionals and creators who follow her for no-nonsense career and personal branding advice. Sponsored By: Huel - Get over $50 in savings with the Discovery Bundle from Huel. Use my exclusive code YAP15 for 15% off at huel.com/yap15. Indeed - Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com/profiting Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/profiting. Quo - Run your business communications the smart way. Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to quo.com/profiting Experian - Manage and cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reduce your bills. Get started now with the Experian App and let your Big Financial Friend do the work for you. See experian.com for details. Intuit - Start paying bills the smart way, not the hard way. Learn more at QuickBooks.com/billpay AT&T Business - Power your small business with reliable connectivity from AT&T. Switch today at business.att.com.  Fabric - Protect your family with term life insurance from Fabric by Gerber Life. Apply today in just minutes at meetfabric.com/profiting  ZocDoc - Stop putting off those doctors' appointments. Find and instantly book a doctor you love today at Zocdoc.com/PROFITING  Blinkist - Turn the world's best nonfiction books into quick 15-minute reads or listens. Grab your free trial plus an exclusive 30% discount at blinkist.com/profiting  Resources Mentioned: Courtney's Book, Career Cheat Codes: bit.ly/CJ-CCC  Courtney's Instagram: instagram.com/courtlynnjohnson/  Courtney's TikTok: tiktok.com/@courtney..johnson  Courtney's Website: courtneyjohnsonnews.com  Atomic Habits by James Clear: bit.ly/JC-AH  Show Your Work by Austin Kleon: bit.ly/AK-SYW Active Deals - youngandprofiting.com/deals  Key YAP Links Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap YouTube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting Newsletter - youngandprofiting.co/newsletter  LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/ Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new  Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Startup, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Hiring, Startup, Business Ideas, Growth Hacks, Money Management, Career Podcast

Unlock the secret to living a balanced, thriving life—beyond just work and money. Dr. Jay Grossman reveals the three essential pillars—Prosperity, People, and Personal—that transformed his wholistic approach to health, happiness, and success. If you're a busy professional or entrepreneur feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of balancing it all, this episode is your blueprint for sustainable fulfillment. Dr. Grossman shares how prioritizing these pillars has not only elevated his practice but enriched his relationships and personal well-being. You'll discover why knowing your numbers is crucial for profitability, how to integrate time for self-care into a hectic schedule, and the surprising link between holistic health and professional longevity. His story of overcoming burnout, the power of authentic relationships, and practical strategies for applying the three P's will inspire you to rethink what success truly means. Want to see more of The Holistic Dentistry Show? Watch our episodes on YouTube! Do you have a mouth- or body-related question for Dr. Sanda? Send her a message on Instagram! Remember, you're not healthy until your mouth is healthy. So take care of it in the most natural way.  Timestamps: (02:13) - The origin story of Essential Pillars and its core message (06:55) - The three P's: Prosperity, People, and Personal—why they matter (15:18) - Building authentic relationships as a foundation of success (22:33) - The role of family and community in personal sustainability (31:58) - Moving beyond symptom care: Root cause and integrative health approaches (37:55) - Implementing Tiny Habits inspired by Atomic Habits (43:26) - The future of holistic health and its role in longevity   Resources & Links: Dr. Grossman's book: Essential Pillars: The Three Proven Keys to Success and Happiness Support HNT : https://www.homelessnottoothless.org/

In this episode, my guest is Jill Wente of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene from Spring, TX. Jill shares about how years of blogging, SEO, and building online authority positioned her to benefit from the rise of AI search.   Jill shares the moment a client told her they discovered her through ChatGPT and how that pushed her to study how AI engines evaluate agents online. By strengthening consistent digital signals, publishing neighborhood and expertise content, and showcasing reviews and experience, she generated multiple listings and nearly four million dollars in volume from AI-driven opportunities over the past year. Guest: Jill Wente Website: https://www.discoverspringtexas.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverspringtexas Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/DiscoverSpringTexas  Host: Rajeev Sajja Website: http://www.realestateaiflash.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsajja Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/rajeev_sajja LinkedIn: http://www.linkedIn.com/in/rsajja Resources Mentioned:  Atomic Habits by James Clear Jill's recommended book on continuous improvement. Tom Ferry Podcast Experience Real estate business podcast focused on growth and marketing strategies. Growth Mode Podcast Hosted by Tom Ferry and Jason Pantana, focused on marketing and business growth. Rajeev's Resources:  Join our Instagram Real Estate AI Insiders Channel - https://ig.me/j/AbZCJG37DqBPPtxi/ Get 14 days Wispro Flow Pro Free Trial - https://ref.wisprflow.ai/rajeev-sajja  Subscribe to our weekly AI Newsletter: https://realestateai-flash.beehiiv.com/subscribe

A simple but powerful leadership lesson: show up — whether in loss, transition or everyday life. SUMMARY Jessica Whitney '10 reminds us that we often know what to do — the difference is actually doing it. Small acts of showing up can mean everything.   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK   JESSICA'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP LESSONS Here are 10 leadership lessons from this conversation: 1. Align your life with your values, not your plan Whitney thought she'd do 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, but family and faith became higher priorities than her original career plan. Leadership lesson: Be willing to pivot when reality and your values diverge, even if it means leaving a prestigious path. 2. Redefine success beyond titles and rank She struggled after leaving the Air Force because her identity was tied to “academy grad” and “officer.” Leadership lesson: Anchor your worth in who you are and how you impact people daily, not in your job title. 3. Use mentors to unlock “freedom to choose” A single honest conversation with her mentor gave Whitney “freedom” to imagine different possibilities. Leadership lesson: Seek out mentors who model alternative paths and will tell you the truth about tradeoffs. 4. Make decisions with the best information you have now Whitney references the Gen. George Patton quote about a good plan now vs. a perfect plan later, and emphasizes moving forward one step at a time. Leadership lesson: Don't wait for total certainty. Clarify what you know, what you don't control, then act. 5. Integrity = keeping and honoring your word From her transformational leadership class: Keep your word when you can. When you can't, honor it: Notify early, reset expectations and clean up the impact. Leadership lesson: Integrity isn't perfection; it's proactive ownership. This builds trust and reduces stress for everyone. 6. Name the stories that secretly run you (“what's undefined runs you”) Whitney recognized long-standing internal stories like “I don't belong” from moving often as a Navy brat. Leadership lesson: Identify your limiting narratives (e.g., “I can't disappoint people,” “I don't belong”) so they stop unconsciously driving your behavior. 7. Create a compelling future and work backwards She describes standing in the future you want (for yourself or an organization) and asking, “If we were already there, how did we get here?” Leadership lesson: Lead by designing the future state (culture, behaviors, outcomes), then reverse-engineer today's actions. 8. Show up for people — especially in their storms After her brother-in-law's suicide, the support from church and Air Force community showed her the power of “just showing up.” Leadership lesson: You rarely know what others are carrying. Leadership is often simply being present, unasked, when it matters. 9. Align daily actions with stated values Whitney feels the most stress when her behavior and values (family, faith, health, service) are misaligned. Leadership lesson: Use misalignment (stress, guilt, burnout) as a signal to recalibrate how you spend time, energy and money. 10. Invest in small, consistent habits (1% better) Whitney references “atomic habits” — reading regularly, moving her body, cooking healthy meals and doing “one more rep.” Leadership lesson: Long-term leadership impact comes from small, repeatable behaviors, not dramatic one-time efforts CHAPTERS 00:00:05 – Introduction & Transition Theme Whitney is welcomed to Long Blue Leadership. Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99, frames the episode around transitioning out of the military, and Whitney shares her background as part of a dual-military couple and early family life. 00:02:02 – Mentorship, Freedom & First Thoughts of Leaving Whitney describes reaching out to her mentor about transitioning to the reserves. That conversation gives her “freedom” to imagine a different life that prioritizes family and values over a 20-year active-duty career. 00:06:39 – Academy Lessons, Courage & Decision-Making Under Uncertainty Col. Walkwicz digs into Whitney's use of the word “freedom.” Whitney connects her decision-making and leap of faith to leadership lessons from the Academy — facing unknowns, focusing on what she can control, and acting without a perfect plan. 00:10:13 – Growing Up Military & Redefining Identity Beyond Rank Whitney shares her deep military heritage as a Navy brat and descendant of generations of service. She explains the identity shock of leaving active duty and having to redefine success beyond titles like “officer” and “academy grad.” 00:13:26 – Values, Overwhelm & Redefining Success in Daily Life Whitney talks about aligning actions with values: quiet time, family, health and rest. She contrasts the nonstop pace of active duty with her new season as a stay-at-home mom and reservist, and how she now defines success. 00:17:19 – Loss, Suicide, Grief & the Power of Community Whitney shares the story of losing her brother-in-law to suicide in January 2020. She reflects on hidden struggles, the “buying bananas in the grocery store” moment of invisible grief, and the profound impact of church and Air Force community support. 00:23:12 – Learning to “Show Up” for Others Col. Walkewicz asks where Whitney learned to show up so intentionally. Whitney recalls community support during her dad's deployments, meals after her first child's birth, and a commander welcoming her back from maternity leave — illustrating the difference between knowing you should show up and actually doing it. 00:26:11 – Serving Beyond the Uniform: Church, Family & Cadet Morale Whitney explains what service looks like now: leading a 120-woman Bible study and serving on the USAFA Class of 2010 Cadet Morale Endowment board, which funds morale events for top cadet squadrons. She highlights meaningful leadership without a visible rank. 00:29:20 – Transformational Leadership & Redefining Integrity Whitney shares lessons from a transformational leadership course she took (and later taught): integrity means both keeping and honoring your word. She gives practical examples (calling when you'll be late, managing deadlines early) and uses a bicycle-wheel analogy to show how broken commitments make everything bumpier. 00:32:07 – “What's Undefined Runs You”: Naming Limiting Stories Whitney introduces the idea that unexamined stories (e.g., “I don't belong,” “I can't disappoint people”) quietly drive behavior. She shares her own “I don't belong” narrative from moving often as a Navy kid and how she consciously claims, “I belong here,” to lead more authentically. 00:36:50 – Creating a Future & Leading from It Whitney explains how leaders can “stand” in a desired future for their organization — one of trust, transparency and camaraderie — and then work backward to identify the actions and changes needed today to get there. 00:38:33 – Advice to Young Jess: Vision, Risk & Trusting the Journey Asked what she'd tell her younger self, Whitney emphasizes clarifying what will matter at age 80, aligning life with that long-term view, being less risk-averse, and trusting God with unexpected pivots and new paths. 00:38:43 – Daily Habits, 1% Better & Long-Term Growth Whitney shares the small daily practices that make her “better”: reading and podcasts, surrounding herself with uplifting people, and health-oriented habits like walking and “one more rep.” She connects this to the concept of atomic habits and incremental growth. 00:40:52 – Closing: Character, Showing Up & Living Your Values Col. Walkewicz closes by summarizing Whitney's key themes: leadership as character and presence, not having all the answers; simply showing up; and honoring integrity even amid uncertainty. She thanks Whitney for her ongoing service and impact. 00:42:05 – Production Note & Recording Date Ted Robertson notes that this Long Blue Leadership conversation was recorded on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025.   ABOUT JESSICA BIO Jessica Whitney '10 is a U.S. Air Force veteran, leadership coach and conflict resolution facilitator who helps executives and emerging leaders design purposeful futures and take aligned action. Drawing on more than a decade of military leadership experience navigating communication, conflict and high-stress environments, she supports individuals and teams in overcoming limiting beliefs, clarifying priorities and building systems that foster confident decision-making. Whitney specializes in one-on-one leadership coaching and workplace mediation, guiding productive conversations that transform tension into trust and strengthen organizational culture. She is also a wife, mother of four and advocate for intentional living, dedicating her work to empowering leaders to align their identities and results with their vision for the future. CONNECT WITH JESSICA LINKEDIN  |  SIMPLIFIED MOTHERHOOD CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org     ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE AT USAFA.ORG/LONGBLUELEADERSHIP AND ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS: Guest, Jessica Whitney '10  |  Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:04 Welcome to Long Blue Leadership. We're so glad you're here.   Jessica Whitney 0:08 Thanks so much for having me.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:04 You know, one of the things we love to do, and we're going to have some time really exploring a lot of the things that you've encountered in your journey, but we want to jump right into a place that is both relevant to our listeners, which is transitioning out of the military, but you did so in a way that was a little bit different, and maybe not on, like, the timeline of planning. Jessica Whitney 0:28 I'm a 2010 grad, and so is my husband, Tom, and he was a nuclear missile operator, and I was a finance officer on active duty, and we started having kids in 2013 which was just amazing. But being a dual military couple, we had kind of been through a lot of separation and time apart, which is standard for military couples. And so in 2013, I kind of — I just had my first son, and I was back at work, and I was just feeling this torn feeling, because I always thought I would stay in the Air Force the full 20 years. I loved serving. I loved being in the military, and having gone to the Academy — just all the dreams and the hopes that came with that, and being able to lead and serve my airmen. But I was feeling this yearning and desire to kind of do something else, and that's kind of where the seed was planted at that time. And I reached out to one of my mentors, who was actually the coach of the lacrosse team at the Academy when I was there my freshman year. She's actually one of your classmates, I think. She's Anne Marie Hornby. She's from Class of '99, and I just reached out on Facebook, and I was like, “I know, I haven't talked in a while, but I just wanted to check in and ask, you know, like, why did you transition to the Reserve?” Because she was always, you know, she was a teacher at the Academy. Like, she was always high performing. Like, I knew she was an amazing officer. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:02 She was high performing as a cadet too, by the way. Jessica Whitney 2:05 I'm sure she was. Just everything she did, I could tell she did it with excellence and love, and I just really respected her opinion. So I reached out and asked her just like, “Hey, can you just tell me, like, why did you decide to separate?” I'm just kind of feeling this tornness, and I'm feeling like maybe my calling might be something else than serving in the military, which, as an 18-year-old, you kind of go to the Academy thinking, “OK, I'm gonna have four years at the Academy, and then I'm gonna serve for five years, or 12 years, or whatever.” Like, you've got your whole life planned out, and then all of a sudden there's this, you know, pivot and decision that you have to make of like, “OK, wait, life is throwing some things at me that I didn't expect.” And I just wanted to know her opinion. And she just said such a sweet thing that resonated with me, that she kind of felt that same call of, “I wanted to spend more time with my kids. I wanted to be able to focus more on my husband and my family.” And while it was scary, she said, I know she knew that motherhood, or like becoming a stay-at-home mom and transitioning to the Reserve wouldn't necessarily feed all of her desires of competition and performing well and using her strengths to the utmost, maybe that she could — she also knew that it aligned with what was important to her and her family. And each family is different, and each career is different. So it really gave me freedom to say, “OK, I know successful women in the military who have families. I know successful women outside of the military who have families.” And you know, we choose to do the stay-at-home mom career, which was different for me, because my mom worked full time when I was growing up. So anyway, it gave me that freedom to kind of like pivot and think, “OK, what could the possibility be to like, create this life of being there for my family?” So fast forward, 2016 I was teaching ROTC at Colorado State University, which was a dream job, by the way, I absolutely love that job. And Tom, my husband, at that point, had already separated from the Air Force and was pursuing his career in professional golf. He was traveling to PGA Latin America in both the fall and spring of 2016, I had to go TDY to field training for seven weeks that summer. And I think we counted up being apart for over 40 weeks that year.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 4:35 Majority of the year.   Jessica Whitney 4:36 The majority of the year. Yeah, and I did not really see staying in the Air Force, it getting any better, as far as, you know, having more time with my family and my husband. And I just felt disconnected, my heart wasn't in it anymore and serving, and I still had that little, you know, seed that had been planted when I talked to Wibs about, you know, like, “Why did you go into the Reserve?” And I talked to a couple other reservists who just loved the balance of being able to still serve in uniform while also being able to maybe have a civilian career, or just be able to have some more flexibility to spend more time and focus on their families during a season of life. And so in 2016 I'm sitting there my desk, like, “I just want to go home and take a nap. I'm so tired.” I had two kids at this time. I was like, “Oh my gosh, I'm just exhausted.” But I was like, “OK, I think —" you know, my husband and I prayed about it, we were just like, “OK, I think it's time to just take this leap of faith, kind of walk away from what we've known.” So now both of us would be out of the Air Force and pivot to something else, and like, step into that faith decision that for us, that the Lord's going to provide, and that we wanted to build and focus on the things that were really important to us. So showing that if family faith are the most important things, how was I using my time? How was I using my energy? How are we using our money? Did it reflect what was actually important? And so we made that decision, and then I got out in 2017 and separated. And honestly, it was the best decision ever. Now, I struggled a ton with my identity afterwards, because I just didn't realize that I really kind of was wrapped up in this idea, like, “Oh, I'm an Air Force officer, I'm an Academy grad,” and those things are, like, very focused on what you do. And so I had to kind of redefine what success was to me as far as just impacting the people around me. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 6:41 I want to just interject here for a moment, because you said a couple of things that I really want to pull on before we get too far, because I think it really does impact some of our listeners and some of the experiences that they've had. So the first one, when you talked about that transition, and there was a key word you use, and you use the word “freedom,” — “It gave me a freedom to kind of things a little differently” after having a conversation with your mentor, and then, you know, praying about it with your husband. And so I want to just explore that a little bit, because did you feel like that freedom, or just the ability to kind of navigate that did touch on some of the things you really valued that you learned at the Academy, as far as decision making, and kind of, you know, taking this leap of faith and navigating what's not always known. And, you know, I don't want to say it's safe, but maybe it's not the safest path, right? So, like, can you just touch on that a little bit more? Because I think that is something that, you know, people question that, kind of, in that decision-making place. Jessica Whitney 7:41 Yeah, I definitely think that in that decision, when I say, you know, we had this, I had this freedom to make a choice, we could, kind of, I could kind of lean back onto my time at the Academy of we were given so many challenges at the Academy and things that were unknown and things outside of our control, and you just learn to have an approach where you cannot problem-solve everything, but just like you can say, “OK, here's the variables I know that are true, here are the things that are outside of my control,” which just help you make clear decisions, and then just stepping into the fact that any decision, any action, is just taking one step at a time, and you don't have to have the whole future planned out. And in fact, in the military, you rarely do, right? I always kind of joke with my husband with, like, the quotes, but you know, like Gen. Patton, like “A good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan next week,” right? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:40 Next week. Thankful I was able to contribute a little. Jessica Whitney 8:43 Good job. Good job. Yes. And so just, but the fact that, like, just make — do what's best with the information you have now, and take action and don't just sit on it. And I think, but, yeah, that gave me that freedom. Because, yeah, it was a big step and leap of faith, because a lot of people think the military is, well, of course, it is a risky job, and especially risky in the sense of our physical harm and a lot of the challenges that we face. But in many ways, it's something we knew, know, and it's something that's very reliable, and it's something that we had, my husband and I had both lived for, you know, 11 years between the Academy and now. So it was a big leap of faith, as far as, you know, transitioning to the unknown, but we were able to kind of lean on just, “Hey, it's OK that we don't know everything. We can trust the skills that we gained at the Academy and trust the skills that we gain just in life to move forward.” And even with my husband, I'm like, “If this golf thing doesn't work out —" which, by the way, he's been a professional golfer for 10-plus years now, so it's worked out. I fully believe that we are capable of learning anything and doing anything if we choose to set our minds to it, and like we're gonna be OK, like, because of what we learned at the Academy and skills that we garnered. Like, we're gonna be OK moving forward. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:13 I love that. And you started to talk about having to redefine yourself, and before we get into that, I think it's interesting, because you grew up as a dependent of — your dad served in the Navy, right? So we like to use the term, you know, lovingly, I was an Air Force brat. You're a Navy brat, so your identity going into the Academy was already one of a military dependent, right? So let's talk about this redefining your identity, because I'm sure that it was much more than, you know, just on the surface level, it seems really simple, right, going from this, but I'm still serving, so it's not really that different, but I'm sure it was. Jessica Whitney 10:49 Yeah, it was a big transition. So as you mentioned, I was a Navy brat. My dad served for 30 years, and I come from a proud heritage of military service. My grandfather, before that, served in the Navy, he joined straight from the Philippines, and my great-grandfather actually served in the Philippine army and was in the Bataan Death March. So I've got a lot of history in the military and a lot of pride and service to my country. And my dad was always, you know, a hero to me and someone that I looked up to, as far as he was always, not the only serving in the military, but he would be a leader of, like my brother's Boy Scout troop, right, and volunteer with this, and he'd be active in the Rotary Club. And my mom worked full time and led my Girl Scout troop, and whenever he was gone to Bahrain for 16 months, you know, she held down the fort with three kids. Like, I just looked up to my parents and how hard working they were, and just how they were always serving something bigger than themselves and balancing family and all that. I still don't know how they do it. And we have four kids now. I'm like, how did you guys do all of that? But when I transitioned out of the Reserve, I just remember sitting one time, like, I was doing my quiet time in the morning, and I was reading my Bible. And at least for me, I had to remind myself my value is not in what I do. It's not in awards I get. My value is one, in Christ, and then two, in the actions that I take each and every day. And it's impacting and positively impacting the people that are around you right now. And honestly, it's a struggle every day, even today. I've been a stay-at-home mom for eight years now, and it's something I think we all struggle with — of like, what is our purpose in life? What is the reason — why we do the things we do? And each person really has to, like, struggle with that. So I had to, I think when I was really struggling with my identity, I had to redefine, like, OK, my worth and value is not in the title that I have or the rank that I have or anything like that. It is loving on the people around me really well and serving to the best of my ability with excellence in all we do right where I am, and that's the most important thing. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 13:25 How did you get to that point of defining that? I mean, is it kind of in lockstep with your views of yourself as a leader? Or would you say it's just where you kind of settled into in your moments of quiet and through your prayer of, “This is how I define my impact and my —" you know, what that looks like? Jessica Whitney 13:48 I think a big chunk of it was just continuous practice, in a way, each and every day, reminding myself, one, is what success looks like, because I think that as people who are highly motivated and being leader, you're like, you've got your to do list, you've got your things you want to do. I've got, like, a to do list, like, this long, you know? And yeah, and I would just tell myself, like, “I've got 25 things to do. I only did six of them.” Like, there was no way I was going to do 25 things in the first place, you know. So I think that as a leader in general, you need to be realistic about what you can actually accomplish each and every day, whether you're a stay-at-home mom or you're a leader in the workplace, and actually be able to, like, you know, time block and say, like, “These are the most important things. These are my priorities.” And probably just over, it's probably just over time of like, every morning, like, "OK, the most important things, like, got my quiet time in. I'm spending time with the kids. I went for a walk, I moved my body, and we're eating healthy meals. I remember when I was working full time, I would kind of be jealous of those people who, like, had time to cook a full meal, and, like, spend an hour maybe making dinner and, you know, have quiet time. I always felt when I was on active duty working full time, it was just like, get up early in the morning, go to daycare, drop off, work all day. You know, work out during lunch. Never have a break, and then run home, make dinner really fast, and, like, get the kids in bed, and there was no break, and there was no rest. And so I remember yearning for that when I was on active duty. And so when I first became a stay-at-home mom, and when I first transitioned out of the Air Force. I really had to remind myself, like, OK, what are my values? What is most important here, and are my actions aligned with that? And if they are, then that's success right there. And so I had to remind myself that every day, like I get time to make healthy meals for my family. I have time to go to the gym five days a week if I want to. I have time to put a, you know, like, say yes to things like this. I've got time to go speak at the Veterans Day ceremony at my kids school. Like, I don't have to feel bad about missing appointments for my missing meetings at work for appointments for my kids. I don't have to choose that all the time. Now, serving in the Reserve, you know, I still miss weekends where the kids have tournaments and games and stuff, but that's OK, like it there's, there's a balance in there. I hate the word balance, because I don't think you ever really achieve that. But I think that as leaders, you know, we have to — like, when you're feeling the most stressed, or when I felt the most stressed, it's when my actions and behaviors just haven't lined up with my values and what's most important to me. “So as leaders in your organization, if you know you guys are — your stated values, are, you know, XYZ, but you're over here doing ABC, then there's going to be disconnect in the organization.” So I think at any time, you know, when there's alignment there, then you're going to feel alignment for you as a person, as a leader. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:19 I'd like to dig into those values a little bit, because we did talk about how you've experienced deep personal loss, right, in your family, and you know, how have the values, or maybe just your life experiences, helped you navigate that? Because, you know, I think people experience grief on all levels, and if you don't mind sharing your story a little bit, I think it just will allow others to understand how you were able to navigate through that and maybe continue to navigate through that today. Jessica Whitney 17:51 Yeah, thanks for the opportunity to share this part of my story. So my husband's brother, Bob, was a 2008 grad, and unfortunately, we lost him to suicide in January of 2020. It was really just a complete shock when it did happen. It seemed like it came on so quickly. Bob was just always someone that when you walk into a room, he was always smiling. He was the light in the room. He was such a great husband and father. He was super active in his church and his family. And so a couple things that I took away from all of that was just one, we just never know what people are going through, what storms they are, like, they might seem perfect on the outside, and really, they're having struggles with maybe imposter syndrome or just doubt, or they're just having all sorts of issues, right? So you just never know. I remember standing in the grocery store after he passed away, and I'm like, staring at these bananas that I'm supposed to be buying for eight kids because we were like, up with them, you know, after the funeral. And I'm just thinking, like, no one around me knows that this just happened in my life, and I'm just standing here doing this mundane thing of buying bananas. And I think it, just, as a leader makes you realize that people are walking through storms all over around you, and if you're not currently in a storm, most likely you will be. After he passed away too, we were just blown away by the community support that he received, both from his church as well as from the Air Force family, but I know that it takes time to have good community. It takes — you have to invest time. And all of us, we're just so busy, but these relationships, these are the most important things that we can work on and develop the people around us. It kind of showed up for me in my unit, we had an airman who lost a spouse. He had three young kids at home, and his wife passed away. And I was like, we just need to show up for him, like, be at his doorstep. And we're in the Reserve. We don't live close together. We're not all stationed by the base. So, you know, it's like someone needs to go to his house, bring him a card, tell him we love and care for him as our Air Force family. And you know, he even commented afterwards, he was like, “You know what, you guys—” this Air Force family that he only saw one weekend a month. He's like, “You guys are my lifeline.” But I know that, for me, I really knew that we needed to show up, and that's because I knew what it felt like when people showed up at my door, when we needed it, you know? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 20:51 Wow. I mean, I think that's really — I mean, to navigate that. And loss, I think you know, is as a journey, that it's still a life journey, right? And so, and I think the fact that you were able to lean in and you knew and expressed it in a way that you know, showing up for those and then seeing it happen actually in your unit, and being able to translate that. Have you always known, I guess, about showing up? Have you seen that in other leaders in your career or in your life, what showing up looks like? How that really defined you? Because I'm curious if you know that was all just developed in seeing that in that loss journey, or if it was something you've seen over time and then witnessed it? Jessica Whitney 21:37 I guess I would say, if I'm really looking back, especially because I'm a Navy brat, right? We did live in places all over the country, and, yeah, we did have a good support system. Like my friends, my family, had people that would show up. Like when my dad was deployed, they would show up at the house when I was in high school. You know, we had such a tight knit community there, but I am thinking, like the first time I really felt that was with our church community. After our first son was born, people would show up at our house, and I didn't even know them, and they were bringing food to us. I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is so sweet.” But just, like, that power of community, and then even with leaders that I've had in the past, like my first squadron commander that I can remember, she, like, the first day I got back again from maternity leave, she had, like, just brought, like, a little vase of flowers and put it on my desk, and just like a welcome back, but like an acknowledgement too. Of you know, it's hard to come back after, right? You know, your first child, or any child, like after you have a baby, and then you come back to work, but just, you know, welcoming and showing up. And I think that this, I don't know exactly where it stems from, but, yeah, actually taking the time to do it, because a lot of us know we should do it, but do we actually pause long enough to do it? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 23:11 That's a really great — I think that particular nugget, right? We know what we should be doing, but do we actually take the steps to do it? I think, is actually an important lesson right there. And, you know, would you say that throughout your experiences, and I'm really curious, because I think, you know, you talk about being a stay-at-home mom, but I'm sure your schedule is quite — you said you get six out of your 25 things done. Can you talk about how you're serving outside of the uniform? Because I think that that's really important as well. Service doesn't stop just because we take the uniform off. And I mean, it sounds like you're serving in your church and your community. You know, what does service look like to you now, through that leadership lens, maybe when you're not wearing a rank all the time? Jessica Whitney 23:54 I have really looked at the areas of my life that I want to be active in, like, what's important to me? And in the church, I participate in the women's Bible study, and I'm one of the leaders there and kind of help lead. We have 120 women that come every Wednesday and I'm one of the leaders that, you know, kind of facilitates the overall Bible study. And I've just loved stepping into that role and using my leadership skills to encourage people and show up. And then the other board I kind of serve on is the Class of 2010 Endowment for Cadet Morale. And so our class, with our funds that we, you know, had raised throughout the years, decided to set up a morale fund. So the top squadron for each semester actually receives a $5,000 check from our endowment, and they can use it on whatever they want. And I just remember, like those cadets, those high schoolers that are transitioning to be future leaders of the Air Force, they are amazing. I am impressed every time I interact with them. And the Academy is hard, and I just want to offer that little bit of light, you know, to encourage them. Like, “Hey, you're on a good path. Like, just, just continue on. And here's a little bonus, bonus check.” You know, literally, we love that part. But yeah, so I just love to step into service where I can. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 25:23 I'm glad that you shared that, because I do think it's easy for us to downplay our role and impact in the hats that we wear and the ways that we serve, and so I really appreciate you sharing that, because I think that's an important part of our stories you talked about with me before you know, redefining yourself. I want to go back to that because I think it has to do with being authentic and who you are. And so as you've navigated this new season in your life where you're still serving in these multiple hats and raising your family, supporting your husband, you know, where was that seed planted from, being an authentic leader, kind of, you know, being — leading with integrity, you know, maybe saying, “I can't do this, but I can do this.” Can you talk a little bit about that? Jessica Whitney 26:07 Yeah, absolutely. I took an amazing class at the Academy, a leadership class that a friend of mine, again from the lacrosse team, recommended me, and she's like, “Jess, this class — it's called transformational leadership. It's way more than that. I really think you need to take this course.” And she was so right, because there are so many things that I carry over from that, from that course into my leadership, and then just my everyday life. And it was taught by Capt. Kari Granger, who's now Kari Zeller, and she's an Academy grad as well. And when I got to my ROTC detachment in 2016, so eight years later, this gentleman came into the office, and he's like, “Hey, my daughter teaches this leadership course called being a leader and the effective exercise of leadership. I really want to teach it at Colorado State, but I'm looking for someone to partner with, maybe through the detachment. Like, do you think anybody would want to co-lead this class with me?” And his name was Karl Zeller, and I was like, “I think I took this class when I was at the Academy, and it was amazing, and I would love to lead this class with you.” And so not only did I take the class at the Academy, I also taught it two semesters while at Colorado State, we kind of made it an elective class, and we had several cadets and cadre go through the class, which was just an amazing experience. Because I think most of us know that when we have to teach other people something, we learn it even better than when we go through it ourselves. So the kind of the main takeaways I had were one kind of heard the definition of integrity. We all know the Air Force's definition of doing what you know the right thing when no one's watching, when nobody's looking, but she kind of defined it more as both keeping your word and honoring your word. So we all know that keeping your word that's easy, but what is honoring your word mean? And her framework kind of laid out, honoring your word is, as soon as you realize you're not going to keep your word, notifying the person that involves saying when you are going to keep your word and then cleaning up any mess that you made by not doing it. So a quick example would be, you know, you're running late to a doctor's appointment. You get in the car, you realize, “Oh my gosh, I'm going to be seven minutes late to the appointment.” Instead of, like, white knuckling your steering wheel to make it in time, you feel guilty when you get there. You immediately call the office. You tell them, “Hey, I'm going to be late to the appointment. I'm going to get there seven minutes late. And, you know, I realized that this has an impact on you like, you know, let me know if I need to reschedule." Whatever it is, right? Most people are so shocked by this ownership that they are so much more gracious to you in whatever the circumstances are. And on top of that, you're not stressed. You're not, you know, white knuckling. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:22 So when it really takes you nine minutes to get there? Yeah,.   Jessica Whitney 29:26 So hopefully overestimate.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:28 Seven minutes and 40… Like, round down. Jessica Whitney 29:29 My husband calls that, like, Jess math. I'm like, yeah, well, it's fine. It's fine. But, like, if you think about in the workplace, right, like, you have an assignment, you have something your boss gave you, it's due Friday. You realize Monday, OK, there's no way I'm going to do this. I can either stress about it, work super late hours and, you know, like cause all this extra stress, and then maybe still not accomplish and get the work done, and then show up to my boss on Friday and say, “OK, sorry, boss, I couldn't get it done.” Or on Monday, you bring up the conversation, you swallow your pride, and you say, “These are my challenges.” You manage expectations, and you're you guys together. Can you know, either reassign, get help or bump the deadline, whatever it is, but now you're no longer living in this like, fear of like, I'm going to be late or whatever, like you're able to perform better. And so they, in the class, they talked about how, with integrity, everything works. And they talk about the idea of like a bicycle wheel, right? There's spokes on a bicycle wheel, and if all the spokes are intact, it's going to run very smoothly, right? That's keeping your word and honoring your word, you're performing really well. Well, when you're not honoring and those folks and you're not keeping your word, or you're not honoring your word, some of those books are missing, so it's just going to be a little bit bumpier. And things are going to get done, but they're not going to get done as well as they would if you were honoring your word. So that's a big takeaway Col. Naviere Walkewicz 30:56 That's a great analogy. Wow. Yeah. Jessica Whitney 30:58 So I apply that, I feel like in everything, because I think a lot of us will get in the way of ourselves, of just like, “Oh, I don't want to tell them and be late, or I don't want to, I don't know, disappoint someone, or I know there's expectations with my husband, but I'm just going to ask forgiveness instead of, you know, for permission,” or whatever it is with whoever. So anyway, with integrity, nothing works. And so I kind of take that away of, like, OK, what's expected of me? OK, I'm going to try to meet that. And that kind of lines up too with just this idea of what's your values, right? So if I say I'm a person that values fitness, do my actions line up with that. That's part of my word. OK, so I've said, I've said, “OK, I'm a fitness person and I want to be healthy.” Well, am I going to the gym? Am I eating healthy? Am I drinking too much? Am I — whatever? Do my actions align with that? No, OK, I'm not in integrity. It's not bad or good. It's just not working as well. Not going to accomplish my goals if I'm not in alignment with the other two things. And I'll just touch on them quickly, and then we can explore more if you want. But the other one is what's undefined runs you, which is basically means — Col. Naviere Walkewicz 32:06 Wait, say that one more time. Jessica Whitney 32:09 What's undefined runs you. So it's this idea of all of us have stories most likely from our childhood that we make up about ourselves. So like, I don't belong. I can't disappoint people. I have to get things done the right time. And we can probably all look back in our past and say, “I remember I got in trouble one time when my grandpa was at the house and I was late getting in, and he said, you know, you're disappointing your mom. You're not listening to her.” And then, all of a sudden, you make this life sentence for yourself of I can't disappoint my mom. I can't disappoint so now you have this filter, this mindset that all of your decisions and actions flow through that says I can't disappoint others. Well, of course, that's going to limit what you can and can't do, because it's filtering out half of, you know, a quarter of action, anything that could any — Col. Naviere Walkewicz 33:03 Risk or grit. Jessica Whitney 33:05 Exactly. And so what the undefined run you means you're never going to be able to completely get rid of these filters and things that you have, but you can name them and define them. So you say, OK, like for me, I was a Navy brat. I moved around a lot, and so I often felt like I didn't belong where I was. Like, I always felt like people already had relationships, all that stuff. So I do, I know that I will walk into a room like a Bible study, and in my mind, think, “Man, like, people just don't really connect with them. Like, maybe they just don't like me.” I'm like, “No, I've been here for five years. I belong here. I am a part of this group.” But it's this, you know, filter that I'm running things through, of I don't belong. I need to name that, remove it, and then be like, OK, I belong here. I am part of this group. Naviere Walkewicz 33:54 So what have you named it? And have you removed it? Jessica Whitney 33:59 I think it's more about just the awareness. So it's like that, we as leaders have to be aware of the things that are getting in our own way of being an effective leader. And so I — this is a big one for me, like the I don't belong. So even recently, I walked into a new group of women and I said, “I belong here. I am a part of this community.” It's like at my son's school, and I can contribute as me. I don't have to hold back, or, you know, be a certain way. I can be myself. I can be my authentic self and lean into this. And it was very freeing, because in the past, I have gone in and just kind of like sat kind of back, and I don't want to be intimidating, or I don't want to take over the conversation, or just whatever it is, I'm not being myself, and I have to tell myself, like, “I belong here. I can be myself if they don't accept me for me, that's OK,” you know. But I can't hold back just because I'm trying to fit in and just because I'm trying to be risk averse, or, you know, conflict averse, or something like that. So, yeah, just be yourself, right? But so what's undefined runs you. So as leaders, we need to identify what's holding us back, what's running our lives, right? And just name it. They have a phrase: “Name it to tame it.” So once you can put a name on it, then that often helps you change your actions, you know? And then the last one is just, I think leaders, you are a leader. If you are impacting something around you, the organization, the people around you, they wouldn't be who they are without your influence. So in that framework, we talked about creating a future as leaders. So you've got a current organization, and maybe there's, you know, like no one likes to hang out, there's gossip, there's toxic leadership, there's bad communication, no transparency. This is a very imaginary organization, of course. But you acknowledge, like, OK, this is what's going on. Let's create a future. What does the future look like that we actually want, with all the actions and things like, OK, we have transparency. We like to hang out. There's, you know, Squadron picnics. We go to PT and we all encourage and work hard. We handle conflict in a healthy way. OK, so if we're standing in that future and looking back, how did we get here? So the course is a lot about, like the whole ends, ways, means that the Air Force talks about, but just how can you stand in the future and look back and say, “How did I get to that spot?” And then that's how, you know, what's the next action you can take in this current spot? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 36:49 Wow. Jess, it's almost like you read my mind, because there's two questions I actually want to ask you, and one of them is about looking back. So why don't we start with that one? First, you know, what is something you would tell yourself, young Jess back then that you could be doing then to help you be a better leader now? And is it actually what you just talked about, or would it be something else you would add? Jessica Whitney 37:11 No, I think it would be just that. Like, no, where do you want to be even, like, let's say, in five years, or what's going to be most important to you in 80 years? Right when you're 80, when you look back on your life like, what's going to really matter? And start aligning your life with that. Now, some of that takes time, but standing in that future of how you want it to feel, how it looks, how you want your organization to feel. Like, start — write it down, put it on a vision board, talk about it with someone. And then I would say to myself, like, and then start working towards it. I think when I was younger, I was, you know, I was comfortable with where I was at. I was afraid to take risk. I was afraid to do things different than what I always thought I would do. And you know, for me, the Lord really worked in it, in my heart of just saying, Just trust me. Just trust me with that next step you have the direction you kind of want to go, and I'm going to take you on a journey that you know you're probably never going to be able to predict, kind of like, what I talked about at the beginning, like I pivoted, like it was completely different than what I want, and just be OK with that. That's the beauty of life is, you know, pivoting with what's in front of you, but just taking that next, that next step. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 38:32 I love that. And then what is something that you do every day, just to be better and better is really you define better, but what is something you're doing every day. Jessica Whitney 38:42 I love the books, like The Power of Habit and Atomic Habits and yeah, they're so good in just this idea of your daily actions are, what are, who you are, really like, how you show up in the world, because you can only control what you're doing today. Can't control what you're doing tomorrow or what you did in the past, and so for me, one, I do love to read. So I'm always reading books, listening to podcasts and all that kind of stuff. So I think, as a leader, just, like, surround yourself with lots of different opinions, read different things and just encourage my brain. Two, I love to surround myself with people that encourage me and a community that's going to help me challenge myself to improve. And then three, like those daily actions of self-improvement, of like, OK, how can I be just like, 1% better than I was yesterday, whether that be choosing to eat a little healthier today or going on a 30-minute walk, or, you know, when you're lifting weights like, Can I do five pounds more on this? Like, one or one more rep, right? Like, one more. But I do love that analogy, and weightlifting like, OK, I didn't realize that, you know, like, I can do one more rep this week than I could last but three months ago, you know, I've made huge improvement from three months ago. But you don't realize until after the fact. So I think, you know, being a high achiever all my life, it's like, you want to see these big, like, changes and, you know, immediately, but oftentimes it's in these, like, small moments of like, “How can I just be better today?” Healthwise, community-wise. Who can I love on today? How can I, you know, for me, like being in alignment with, you know, what I think God has for my life, being in prayer and focusing on the people around me. You know, that seems like a lot of things. That's why I've got 25 things on my list, , Col. Naviere Walkewicz 40:44 But you get a few of them done And that's OK, because you just gotta do one. Jessica Whitney Exactly, you just gotta do one. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 40:51 Well, I can just share how much, you know, you really just like leaned in and shared your love and wisdom with all of us. And I think that's one of the things I really appreciated about this today: how you showed up for us and shared your authentic self, and so I just want to say thank you. You know, as we wrap up today's conversation, Jess, what's really stood out to me is that we talked about leadership is just about as much about character, but it's really also about, like, showing up and who you are. You know, you show us just that strong leaders don't just show up and need to have all the answers. They actually just need to show up, right? And just, you know, live their values, live with integrity. And I love how you said, you know, honor your integrity even when life is uncertain or changing. So, you know, I think your transition out of active duty could have been a moment of doubt and struggle, but you turned it into an opportunity to serve, and your family has continued to thrive. So thank you for all that you're doing in your community, and for all of you who need to hear this journey, for those that have also gone or going through a transition, this is a conversation you certainly don't want to miss. So again, thank you to Jess Whitney, Class of 2010. It's been a pleasure having you on Long Blue Leadership.   Jessica Whitney 42:05 Thanks again. Outro 42:05 This Long Blue Leadership conversation was recorded Wednesday, Nov., 19, 2025. KEYWORDS Leadership, authentic leadership, transformational leadership, values-based leadership, character-driven leadership, servant leadership, integrity, honoring your word, keeping your word, accountability, responsibility, vulnerability in leadership, decision-making under uncertainty, courage, leading through change, creating a future, vision casting, aligning actions with values, purpose-driven leadership, redefining success, identity as a leader, mentoring, mentorship, developing others, showing up for your people, empathy, compassion, community building, resilience, leading through grief, supporting mental health, trust, transparency, culture change, organizational alignment, handling conflict, managing expectations, setting priorities, work-life integration for leaders, modeling behavior, investing in relationships, daily leadership habits, incremental improvement, 1% better mindset, self-awareness, naming limiting beliefs, “what's undefined runs you”, authenticity, influence without rank, service beyond the uniform, leading in family and community, Long Blue Leadership. The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation  

I've long been a fan of Human Design as a way to navigate where our energy is best used… and just as importantly, where it is not. Because when you stop trying to be who you were never meant to be, your path opens in the most unexpected and supportive ways.    Today's conversation is one of those gentle, truth-filled reminders.    I'm joined by Crystal Star Ellis, a Soul + Strategy Coach, 500-hour yoga teacher, Human Design guide, and nervous system practitioner. With over 20 years in corporate leadership, she brings both grounded strategy and deep soul wisdom to the women she serves.    Like so many of us, her path was shaped by her own unraveling… the moments that asked her to come home to herself, to listen more deeply, and to choose a different way. Now, she guides high-achieving women, entrepreneurs, executives, and mothers out of burnout and back into alignment… through  weaving the mind, body, emotions, and soul back together again.    In this episode, Crystal and I explore:     - Human Design as a sacred mirror for understanding who you are and how you're meant to move through the world   - How your design supports better relationships and collaboration… in business and in life   - Aligning with your natural energy and rhythms instead of overriding them   - What it really means to come "home" to your body… and why that matters for your success and your peace   - The power of intentional pauses… those small, sacred moments that shift everything   - Creating a daily spiritual practice that connects you back to Source and your inner knowing    Join Crystal's free virtual event Burnout to Breakthrough Event at  https://burnouttobreakthroughlive.com/    Subscribe now so you'll never miss an episode and leave us a review! It really helps us know which content resonates with you the most.    Join our Feminine Business Magic Facebook Group (https://tinyurl.com/ygdkw7ce)  with your host, Julie Foucht. This is a community of women dedicated to connecting, supporting, and celebrating each other in growing businesses that honor their Divine Feminine while filling their bank accounts abundantly.    Resources mentioned:    Take the Witchpreneur Quiz and discover which Feminine Magic is your Key to Financial Success. (https://bit.ly/4dAb9UH)    Purchase Love-Based Feminine Marketing (https://tinyurl.com/ydmzb6qz)              Human Design System: https://jovianarchive.com/     Enneagram Personality: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/     Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Make-Start/dp/0735211299     Crystal Ellis's Free Gift:  The Spark Session — Free 20 Minutes with Crystal    For the high-achieving woman who has everything figured out — except why she feels so stuck. In this complimentary 20-minute session we get straight to the heart of one thing you're ready to release — burnout, disconnection, overwhelm, or simply losing your spark. You'll walk away with one personalized ritual to move you from stuck to sparked. No pitch. No pressure. Just clarity and a next step that actually feels like you.    Book at: https://calendly.com/crystalclearwellness/sparksession     **Contact Crystal Ellis via LinkedIn or www.crystalclear-wellness.com **    **Connect with Julie Foucht via Facebook (https://tinyurl.com/yeb82uuj) or email at https://juliefoucht.com/** 

Brandon Brinkman from Garmin joins Rich and the crew for a conversation on building a life around the things that matter. They get into late-onset hunting, CrossFit, Western hunt lessons, Garmin tech, and why small wins are what keep people coming back for more.Brandon shares how ideas from Atomic Habits shaped the way he trains, hunts, and works. Instead of chasing one finish line, he talks about building systems you can actually sustain and stepping into the identity of the person you want to become. The conversation also dives into public land train wrecks, learning through failure, stacking fitness year-round, and how the right tools can make a real difference when you're deep in the backcountry. Connect with Rich Froning MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips Subscribe to The MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome Pivoter! Before we dive in, April has an exciting update to share. Big things are brewing behind the scenes — the kind that require focus, intention, and doing it right, not just doing it fast. PivotMe is shifting from a weekly podcast to twice a month. Not less value — better value. More depth, more intention, and more of what actually helps you win in business, in life, and in the moments that matter. Something bigger is being built. Buckle up. Now — let's get into it. If a habit requires motivation, it's going to fail. If it's supported by friction — or the removal of it — it has a fighting chance. In this episode, April Garcia dismantles one of the most damaging lies high achievers tell themselves: that if they just had more willpower, more grit, more discipline, they'd finally make their good habits stick. The truth? Your problem isn't discipline. It's design. This episode hands you a practical, science-backed framework for making your best habits effortless and your worst ones annoying — and it works even on your worst days. Key Takeaways: The Real Problem Is Design, Not Discipline: Motivation is unreliable. Environment is not. April reframes the habit conversation entirely — you haven't been failing your habits, your systems have been failing you. What Friction Actually Means: Friction is anything that makes a behavior easier, harder, faster, slower, automatic, or annoying. Your brain follows the path of least resistance every single time — so the winner is always whichever habit your environment makes easiest. The Science Behind It: Long before Atomic Habits made friction a household word, Kurt Lewin was studying how environment shapes behavior, B.J. Fogg was mapping the convergence of motivation, ability, and prompts, and Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein were proving that tiny environmental nudges outperform rules and lectures every time. Different fields, same conclusion: people don't fail habits — systems fail people. 3 Habits to Increase (Remove the Friction): Deep Work: Block focus time, close email and Slack by default, and start each session with your task already open. Every decision you eliminate preserves cognitive energy. Morning Movement: Lay out your workout clothes the night before. Sleep in your gym gear. Pre-fill your water bottle. You don't skip workouts — you skip transitions. Presence and Connection: Charge your phone outside the bedroom. Create phone-free dinner anchors. Keep a short list of conversation starters ready. Presence doesn't happen accidentally. 3 Habits to Decrease (Add the Friction): Phone Scrolling: Delete one social app. Add a 10-second delay. Move your phone to another room during focused work. Even minor friction changes behavior. Impulse Spending: Remove saved credit cards. Add a 48-hour rule before checkout. Unsubscribe from promotional emails. Friction creates pause — and pause creates choice. Late-Night Work: Set an auto-shutdown time for your laptop. Charge it in another room. Block "OFF" time on your calendar. Burnout isn't ambition — it's poor system design. The PivotMe Reframe: Good habits should feel like the default. Bad habits should feel annoying. If your system relies on willpower, it's broken. If it relies on friction, it works — even on your hardest days. Notable Quotes: "If a habit requires motivation, it's going to fail. If it's supported by friction — or the removal of it — it has a fighting chance." — April Garcia "You don't skip workouts — you skip transitions." — April Garcia "People don't fail habits. Systems fail people." — April Garcia "Burnout isn't ambition — it's poor system design." — April Garcia Resource Mentioned:

Your tool set isn't just a collection of utilities — it's the environment you live in every day, and it's shaping you whether you realize it or not. In today's episode, I explore two principles that senior engineers consistently apply to their workflows, regardless of which specific tools they're using. As our industry goes through one of the most rapid periods of change in the last 20 years, the engineers who thrive won't be the ones chasing every new tool — they'll be the ones who obsess over reducing friction in the work they do most often. Honor the Grief: Many engineers are experiencing a real sense of loss as the deep cultural connections to languages, communities, and hand-written code begin to shift. Recognizing and processing that grief — rather than letting it turn into reflexive rejection of new tools — is essential to thinking clearly about what comes next. "We Shape Our Tools, Then Our Tools Shape Us": Your tools aren't neutral. A bad monitor height, a faulty keycap, or a clunky deployment process all shape you back — draining focus, breaking flow, and compounding over time. The most senior engineers treat this relationship as a first-class concern. Principle 1 — Tools Are Your Environment: There's a spectrum from "tool" to "environment," and most of what you work with sits somewhere in between. Your terminal, your desk, your claude.md file — all of these are environment. Sharpening your tools means shaping your environment, and shaping your environment is sharpening your tools. Friction Is the Lever: You don't need a dramatic overhaul to change your behavior. Tiny reductions in friction — a two-letter alias, a key binding to run tests, setting your shoes out the night before — have an outsized effect on how often you actually do the things you want to do. James Clear's Atomic Habits framework applies directly to engineering workflows. Principle 2 — First Order Thinking: Borrowed from Adam Savage's concept of "first order retrievability," the idea is simple: identify what you do most often and invest in making that better. Not faster, not just automated — better. If you do something a hundred times a day, even a small improvement compounds dramatically. Invest in the Fundamentals: Your standups, your one-on-ones, your specifications, your prompting skills — these are the repetitive, high-frequency activities where your biggest growth opportunities live. Stop assuming you've "arrived" on the basics just because nobody is giving you negative feedback. Episode Homework: Look around your workspace right now — physical and digital. Identify one thing you do repeatedly where friction is slowing you down or discouraging follow-through, and make one small change to reduce that friction today.

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show!In this episode, we share our honest struggle with fitness as first-generation doctors - from not being able to run a mile in residency to building a consistent 5-6 day per week workout habit using the Atomic Habits framework.You'll hear:Why Nii couldn't run a mile by year 3 of surgery residency (and the McDonald's breakfast ritual)The Atomic Habits identity shift: "I am an athlete"How to make working out frictionless (clothes laid out, space ready, zero decisions)Why working out is protection against burnout, not just exerciseHow stress, imposter syndrome, and work follow you home (and what to do about it)The 6-step system to build fitness consistencyRenee's honest take: "I don't love working out" (and why that's okay)If you're the first doctor in your family trying to build fitness habits and protect yourself from burnout without the boundary-setting model your colleagues inherited, this is your community.Find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@docsoutsidetheboxpodcastMentioned in this episode:Atomic Habits by James ClearT25 Workout ProgramBeachbody.com FREE DOWNLOAD -  7 Considerations Before Starting Locum Tenens - https://darkos.lpages.co/7-considerations-before-locumsSIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER! Send us a Voice Message - https://www.speakpipe.com/docsoutsidetheboxHave a question for the podcast?Text us at 833-230-2860 Instagram: @docsoutsidetheboxEmail: team@drniidarko.comTwitter: @drniidarkoMerch: https://docs-outside-the-box.creator-spring.com