Podcast appearances and mentions of natasha davis

 Head over to leadfeeder.com and sign up for a 14-day (no strings attached) free trial!Ever wondered what makes a testimonial not just good, but truly exceptional? Natasha Davis and I peel back the layers of just that—the art and strategy behind securing powerful testimonials that can vault your business into the limelight. We share three proven tactics to gather feedback that goes beyond mere compliments and truly demonstrates the transformative impact of your offerings. Whether you're debuting something new or aiming to solidify your reputation, these insights are goldmines for any entrepreneur seeking to fortify their credibility.During our chat, we also lay out the blueprint for weaving an effective testimonial system into the fabric of your business routine. By engaging with beta testers and establishing a consistent workflow, you'll learn how to collect and showcase praise that resonates with potential customers. I'll even let you in on my personal approach to encourage clients to share their experiences in a way that's both easy and genuine. Ready to turn testimonials into your business's most persuasive advocates? Tune in and transform your client success stories into trust-building assets.Meet Natasha:Natasha E. Davis, MBA-M, RN-BSN, CEME, CSMA affectionately known as “The Chief Visionary” holds a Master's in Business degree, certifications in marketing and is the CEO and founder of Impact Branding Consulting, Inc. and CRM software platform The Profit Enhancer Analysis. Natasha specializes in positioning the daily operations of corporations and government agencies to perform in alignment with the vision of the leader through strategic planning and branding. The Chief Visionary has written and published four books focused on business development and branding, has been recognized by President Barack Obama with the Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded as one of the fastest growing home-based small businesses in the State of Georgia and featured in the “Big Grit” Entrepreneurial docuseries produced by Infusion Soft Keap.Her specialty is helping entrepreneurs, companies and government create brands that have a sustainable & profitable impact. She thrives on fixing problems, closing performance gaps and eliminating frustrations for organizations and their executives. She believes that every business owner and leader should Think Big; Build Momentum and Scale Fast. In her free time, Natasha organizes clothing drives and book drives for women of domestic violence and their children. Natasha has proudly served as the chairwoman on the academic advisory board for Shiloh High School in Gwinnett County and currently serves as the chairwoman of economic development for the state of Georgia with the National Small Business Association. WebsiteLinkedIn--Brad Powell's Mic and Camera Set-up.Get 40% off VIP tickets for the Creative Marketing Summit!Website: https://www.sarahnoelblock.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahnoelblock/Newsletter: https://tinymarketing.me/newsletterTiny Marketing CommunityClick here to ask a question about the episode

Natasha Davis is the CEO of Impact Branding Consulting. She is a Brand Strategist, Corporate Trainer, and SaaS Founder. Natasha specializes in helping companies develop and expand the profitability of their brand by aligning daily performance with the leader's vision. Natasha is also a highly regarded and award-winning author, speaker, and trainer. Some of The Topics Discussed Include: Creative vs. Strategic Branding  When To Prioritize Strategic vs. Creative Branding  How To Know When Its Time for Rebrand Where Branding Fits Into The Overall Marketing Picture Tips For Approaching The Scale Stage Of a Business How To Ensure Your Business Is Always Profitable Links & Resources Impact Branding Consulting  Connect with Natasha on LinkedIn Review & Subscribe Thanks for joining us this week! Want to subscribe to our podcast and leave some feedback by posting a review? You can do so by checking us out on Apple Podcasts. The show is also available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts.   Prefer watching these discussions? Check us out on YouTube and subscribe to our channel for the video version of each podcast.  Need Digital Marketing Help? Then book a Strategy Call with me to discuss your company's marketing challenges. In less than 30 minutes, I'll help you brainstorm solutions to improve your company's marketing performance and provide you with actionable next steps to turn things around. Use the link below to schedule a time to chat with me.  Book a Strategy Call

“The one thing I would say is the day that you get the company to perform in alignment with the way that you're visioning it, that's the day that the company will grow. That's the day.” In Season 4, Episode 16 of the Boss Uncaged Podcast, S.A. Grant sits down with the Founder/CEO of Impact Branding Consulting, Natasha Davis.

This week on the If You Market podcast we talk with Natasha Davis about how to Start, Stabilize, and Scale a business.  From the 5 Ps of Marketing to PIMP it and RIP it Natasha shares valuable insights on making your business successful.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let's deep dive into today's economy and how YOU can make an impact. Join us on Women Lead Radio as Shelly Harrison, your host of Amplify Your Influence, has a conversation with Natasha Davis, Chief Brand Strategist of Impact Branding Consulting (www.NatashaDavisVisionary.com).   Sponsor Appreciation! Thank you to our partner and show sponsor, National University (www.nu.edu)!   Interested in Learning More About Connected Women of Influence? Click Here (https://connectedwomenofinfluence.com/attend-an-event-as-our-guest/) to Be Invited as Our Special VIP & Guest to a Future Event!   Interested in Becoming a Member of Our Professional Community!? Click Here (https://connectedwomenofinfluence.com/membership-application/) to Apply for Membership!  

Let's deep dive into today's economy and how YOU can make in impact. Join us on Women Lead Radio as Shelly Harrison, your host of Amplify Your Influence, has a conversation with Natasha Davis, Chief Brand Strategist of Impact Branding Consulting. Sponsor Appreciation! Thank you to our partner and show sponsor, National University (www.nu.edu)!   Interested in Learning More About Connected Women of Influence? Click Here (https://connectedwomenofinfluence.com/attend-an-event-as-our-guest/) to Be Invited as Our Special VIP & Guest to a Future Event!   Interested in Becoming a Member of Our Professional Community!? Click Here (https://connectedwomenofinfluence.com/membership-application/) to Apply for Membership!

Natasha Davis / Owner of Impact Branding Consulting, Chief Brand Strategist, Strategic Planner, and Author Natasha E. Davis affectionately known as "The Chief Visionary" is a baccalaureate prepared Registered Nurse certified in Emergency and Trauma nursing for over 12 years. She emerged as a Branding Strategist and Corporate Trainer in 2007, with the launch of her 3rd company Impact Branding Consulting, Inc. a certified Woman Owner Small Business. Natasha advanced her career and pursued her Masters in Business & Marketing in the Fall of 2009. Her specialty is helping executives, entrepreneurs and companies create brands that have a lasting impact. She thrives on fixing problems and eliminating frustrations for companies and their executives. Over the past 10 plus years, Natasha has worked with several companies and executives to assist them in enhancing their business potential, brand equity, brand loyalty, customer satisfaction and marketing strategy through the power of brand positioning. Utilizing her "Brand First Principle" she has taken companies from a negative 8% profit margin to a flourishing 40% profit margin and on average increases company revenue by 30% per year. She quickly identifies performance gaps, find solutions, get results and improve outcomes. Natasha, authored and published her first book "Get Grounded; Stay Grounded" to educate individuals on how to achieve personal branding and personal development. She published her 2nd book "Unleash You Millionaire Mindset and Build Your Brand" to educate business owners on how to achieve professional branding and business growth. She developed the proprietary model software "The Profit Enhancer" to quickly identify and close business performance gaps. Natasha has gained recognition as the Executive Professional & Entrepreneur of the Year, noted as one of the 40 under 40 Movers and Shakers in Business by Career Magazine. Presented with recognition as a "Woman of Outstanding Leadership in Business" by the International Women's Leadership Association - Leadership Category and awarded by the USIEC with the "2013 Georgia Excellence Award in Marketing". In 2016 she was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama. In 2017, she was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success - Sigma Alpha Pi for the works she has done. In 2019 she was appointed the Leadership Council Member for Small Business by the National Small Business Association for the state of Georgia. And in 2020, she received the Home Office Business Achievement award from the Atlanta Business League and featured in an Entrepreneurship DocuSeries produced by one of the largest CRM companies, Infusion Soft by Keap. View full details about Natasha on www.NatashaDavisVisionary.com https://youtu.be/n_wnPawOTP8 Ted Jenkin / Oxygen Financial (Host) Lee Heisman / Savant CTS (Host) Natasha Davis / Impact Branding Consulting, Chief Brand Strategist (Guest)

Have you been wondering where you should put your money when it comes to growing your business?   Chances are you might be thinking ads or marketing, but today's guest shares some insight on the two sides of branding.   Having this figured out will help you understand where you could best spend your time and your money! www.handmadeceo.com www.instagram.com/_handmadeceo

About Natasha: Over the past 15 years, Natasha has coached and consulted hundreds of executives and companies on using the power of agility for profitable brand positioning. She is affectionately referred to as “The Chief Visionary” by her clients and business community. Natasha developed and launched the predictive model CRM tool for consultants, The Profit Enhancer Analysis, in 2019. She was awarded The Lifetime Achievement Award by President Barack Obama in 2016 & appointed as the State of Georgia Small Business Economic Development Leadership Committee member by the National Small Business Association (NSBA) in 2019. She is a published author, writing about the power of personal branding. Her most recent book is #BeUnleashed: Unleash Your Millionaire Mindset to Build Your Brand. We discuss the true ROI of branding in this episode of The Backstory on Marketing. Links: https://www.amazon.com/Natasha-E-Davis/e/B01MG2MWPD?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1647957953&sr=8-1 (Natasha Davis Amazon Author Profile)  https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashadavisvisionary/ (Nataha Davis Linkedin) https://impactbrandingconsulting.org (Impact Branding Consulting)  https://natashadavisvisionary.com/ (Natasha Davis Speaking Website)  https://marketingmachine.prorelevant.com/getting-started/ (Guy's Special Offer) https://mailchi.mp/prorelevant/newsletter (Subscribe to Guy's Newsletter) https://youtu.be/bylE_-Oyl2s (Video of Interview)

Ms. Natasha E. Davis, MBA-M, BSN-RN, CEME, CSMAChief Branding Strategist | Speaker | Author | Trainer | SaaS FounderPresident of the Society for Professional Consultants and Coaches {SPCC}Economic Development Leadership Chair for National Small Business Association {NSBA}Brought to you by SEO Company Send It Rising.Read more at: NA

Natasha Davis, affectionately known as “The Chief Visionary”, is a brand strategist, government contractor, strategic planner, registered nurse, and the Owner of Impact Branding Consulting. She emerged as a branding strategist and corporate trainer in 2007 with the launch of her third company, Impact Branding Consulting. Her specialty is helping executives, entrepreneurs, and companies create brands that have a lasting impact. Natasha also developed a CRM software platform called The Profit Enhancer Analysis. She has published three books focusing on business development and branding, and has been recognized by former President Barack Obama with the Lifetime Achievement Award. She believes that every business owner should think big, build momentum, and scale fast. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:  Why Natasha Davis changed careers from nursing to business management and consulting What Natasha learned about what makes some companies great Steve Cleere talks about Honda's distinctive culture and what he learned from working with them  What Natasha looks for in the companies she works with, how she helps companies improve and create a big impact, and what she does to mitigate rigging Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Natasha talks about her books and her biggest takeaways from running successful businesses The industries Impact Branding Consulting works with and the services they provide Why Natasha developed a consulting software for managing prospects Natasha's advice to fellow entrepreneurs on building a business In this episode... What makes a company great? What distinguishes a stellar business from one that's just okay? What do these organizations do to build momentum, grow, and scale quickly? Having spent a lot of time working with business leaders, Natasha Davis realized that companies that invested in quality infrastructure and architecture ended up building great businesses. Those that thrive well into the long term focus on their customers and work on creating a distinctive culture. Natasha Davis, the Owner of Impact Branding Consulting, is Steve Cleere's guest in this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast. Together, they talk about business consulting and branding. Natasha explains what it means to brand from the inside out, talks about the value of having a mission and vision, and shares how she uses KPQs to evaluate KPIs for her clients. Stay tuned. Subscribe and Listen on: iTunes Spotify Stitcher Google Play Deezer iHeartRadio TuneIn Amazon Music Resources Mentioned in this episode Kitchen2Shelf NexxtLevel Marketing Impact Branding Consulting  Natasha Davis' website Natasha Davis on LinkedIn Natasha Davis' books Honda  The Profit Enhancer Analysis Cool News: The NexxtLevel Brands Podcast has just been named as one of the Top 15 CPG-Themed Podcasts on the web at Lucky #7!!! You can get more information about Feedspot and how you can watch more of your favorite shows here: Top CPG Podcasts. Thanks to Feedspot, Rise25, and our Production Team! Sponsor for this episode... Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth.  Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow. Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands.  Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.

Patrick talks with branding expert Natasha Davis about how nonprofits should approach the concept of branding.

Natasha Davis, Trees for Life Chief Executive, on the importance of maintaining focus, engaging with people, building effective partnerships, and being adaptable.

Natasha Davis is a Branding Strategist and Corporate Trainer. As a certified expert in email & social media marketing, branding, speaker, and trainer, she thrives on fixing problems and eliminating frustrations for companies and their executives. Over the past 15 years, Natasha has worked with several companies, government agencies, and small business owners to assist […]

Natasha Davis is a Branding Strategist and Corporate Trainer. As a certified expert in email & social media marketing, branding, speaker, and trainer, she thrives on fixing problems and eliminating frustrations for companies and their executives. Over the past 15 years, Natasha has worked with several companies, government agencies, and small business owners to assist […] The post Natasha Davis with Impact Branding Consulting appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

How do you get past objections? To make it more specific, what can you do if you can't address your prospect's objections during a call? Natasha Davis joins Donald Kelly in this next episode on objections.  Natasha Davis is a brand strategist, and she recently released her second book entitled, Unleash Your Millionaire Mindset and Build Your Brand. The book talks about the business from top to bottom and all the in-betweens. It's about the things we're afraid of and the things we don't usually talk about.  As a brand strategist, it's her brand to look at a company from the top to the bottom and all the in-betweens.  Natasha wasn't always the entrepreneur. She started her working career as a nurse doing emergency and trauma, and she loved her job. She got bit by the entrepreneurship bug, and when she realized she couldn't shake it off, she dipped her toes in it.  After a while, she realized that she likes being an entrepreneur, so she made the shift and went from being a nurse into what she is now.  Sometimes, salespeople are so passionate about what they could give that they forget that objections are part of the business.  In this era, businesses need to scale and keep scaling. Companies need to think big, build momentum, and scale fast.  Addressing Objections with Prospects Not being prepared for the objection is painful for a business.  Document the objections. Whenever you get an objection, don't just leave it in your head. Document what the objection or rejection was, create a document, and build responses to the objection/rejection.  Most times, the reason for the rejection is because we failed to give them enough information for them to make the decision. Without ample information, people just eventually end up saying no.   Many sales reps get too excited about what they offer. We forget that it's not about us - it's about them. It's always about what the prospects need, about the solutions that work for them, and it's about their pain points.  Your goal is to tone down the pressure of selling to have that natural conversation where you're giving out information to help your prospects.  A lot of times, businesses struggle around process and performance.  People are core to a business, but the process or the system is also as critical. Without a process/system in place, your people would be working in chaos.  Use the right approach Keep learning and keep putting things together. That allows you to take a step back and start identifying the needs of the prospects from the point of hello, from the point of the first contact, whether it's an email, on social media, or other platforms.  Know the pain points before entering into a conversation instead of offering everything you have like a buffet. People don't want that many options.  Start the conversation by asking the why by determining their reasons for reaching out and knowing their trigger points.  Know your products like the back of your eyelids. You need to break down your products and services into bits that prospects can understand and appreciate.  Establish a transactional relationship at the beginning of the conversation. Still, you can't enter into the price conversation before you've established an agreement that the solution you offer is what they're looking for.  It will help you set up that transactional relationship if you have the basic information pinned down. So, put up basic preliminary questions in your online appointment.  While it is not wrong to have a red carpet concept for your business, you need to remember that you're not meant to service every person in every industry. There's only a certain subset of people you're meant to service.  “What to do If You Can't Address Your Prospect's Objections During a Call” episode resources Follow Natasha Davis on LinkedIn. You can also check out her website.  Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.  Are you sick of crickets? The pain of sales reps continually reaching out with phone calls and emails and not receiving a response is real.  85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation. All text messaging is not equal. Customers respond to people, NOT BOTS. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in conversions. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by NetHunt CRM. NetHunt CRM is a sales automation tool that lives inside Gmail. It covers a full set of features to manage leads, nurture customer relations, monitor sales progress, and automate sales and marketing workflows. With native-like Gmail and G Suite integration, you can access all the CRM data, launch bulk email campaigns, and set up automated sequences right from your inbox. NetHunt helps to move your leads down your sales funnel and never let the valuable prospects go untouched. NetHunt CRM offers TSE listeners a 40% discount for the first 3 months along with free user training and a dedicated Customer Success Manager with any pricing plan.  Try NetHunt CRM today →  https://nethunt.com/tse This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It's a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey.  We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to.  You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.  Audio provided by Free SFX. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder, written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Natasha Davis is a Branding Strategist and Corporate Trainer. As a certified expert in email and social media marketing, branding, speaker and trainer, she thrives on fixing problems and eliminating frustrations for companies and their executives. Over the past 13 years, Natasha has worked with several companies, government agencies and small business owners to assist them in enhancing their brand equity, brand loyalty, customer satisfaction and marketing strategy through the power of impactful branding. Her clients affectionately refer to her as "The Chief Visionary" because of her ability to quickly identify issues, find solutions, get results and improve outcomes. Through the application of her Brand First Principle and Proactive Pivot Strategy, client's experience on average 30% increases in cash flow and profit margins. Additionally, Natasha is the author of Get Grounded; Stay Grounded and #BEUNLEASHED Unleash Your Millionaire Mindset and Build Your Brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

538 - Systems, Processes, and Self-Care with Impact Branding's Natasha Davis 

Welcome back to the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning podcast, episode #101, where we will review highlights from the past 100 episodes, that began in June 2019, with a behind the scenes lens, where we will take a look at the results created from this podcast, with the goal to inspire listeners to not just implement the ideas offered in each episode, but to think about what Horacio Sanchez from EPISODE #74 reminded me this week, of “the impact possible when you have an idea, nurture it, and watch it grow.” (Horacio Sanchez, EPISODE #74[i]).My name is Andrea Samadi, and if you haven’t met me yet, I’m a former educator who created this podcast to bring the most current neuroscience research, along with high performing experts who have risen to the top of their field, with specific strategies or ideas that you can implement immediately, whether you are an educator, or working in the corporate space, to take your results to the next level. Before we get to the episode, and the highlights learned from our guests, I want to share some of the unexpected results that have come as a byproduct of this podcast to perhaps light a spark under anyone who might be thinking of new ways to create brand awareness, or market their business in 2021. If you have been thinking of ways that you can extend your voice, message and reach, I highly recommend this mode of delivery. I also want to thank everyone who has supported us with this mission, come on as a guest, or downloaded an episode. We wouldn’t exist without the guests who offer their time, expertise, and strategies designed to help our listeners (in over 132 countries) who tune in on a regular basis and take the ideas offered to make an impact locally in their schools, communities, businesses and workplaces. I appreciate the feedback and messages received via social media and email and look forward to the next 100 episodes. As long as there is still growth, I will continue to produce new episodes.So Here are 3 Lessons Learned Looking Back at the 100 Episodes.LESSON 1: WHEN THERE’S A NEED, CAN YOU PUT A SPIN ON IT?I saw a serious need in the area of social and emotional learning that was being implemented in schools around the country and the world, and many educators didn’t know the best way to begin their implementation.  I thought it would be a good place to gather “best practices” from experts around the world to offer their ideas that we could all learn from and apply to our own lives.But I knew I needed a bigger idea than just a podcast about social emotional learning in our schools, or emotional intelligence training in our workplaces. Too many people were already doing this. But not that many people were teaching the basics of practical neuroscience as it relates to this topic. The idea to combine neuroscience and social/emotional learning came with the thought that “success in life, and in college and career specifically, relies on student’s cognitive, (the core skills your brain uses to think, read, remember, and pay attention) social and interpersonal skills, (including the ability to navigate through social situations, resolve conflicts, show respect towards others, self-advocate and learn how to work on a team with others) and emotional development (including the ability to recognize and manage one’s emotions, demonstrate empathy for others and cope with stress).” In the corporate world, these skills aren’t new, but they are “newly important” and of high urgency to develop in our future generations. I’ve mentioned this quote before but think it’s important enough to repeat. A recent survey showed that 58 percent of employers say college graduates aren’t adequately prepared for today’s workforce, and those employers noted a particular gap in social and emotional skills. This is where our goal with this podcast began—to close this gap by exploring six social and emotional learning competencies as a springboard for discussion and tie in how an understanding of our brain can facilitate these strategies. AHA! MOMENT with LESSON 1That’s really how I took the need, put a spin on it, and came up with the title Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning in 2016 (3 years before launching the podcast) when I first began presenting on this topic. This title drew the session on the introduction to practical neuroscience to fill up with standing room only, at the YRDSB Quest Conference, in Toronto, Canada. This was my first presentation on the topic, and I knew at that moment that there was a serious interest in this topic.Back then, I was working one on one with one of the leading neuroscience researchers in the country, Mark Robert Waldman, and he had just finished writing his book Neurowisdom: The New Brain Science of Money, Happiness and Success[ii], When he shared his research with me, I saw how practical neuroscience could help people to gain a deeper understanding of how to create change from the brain level and impact their social and emotional thinking and began to write the outline for the vision I saw. I also found Dr. Lori Desautels this year, who is now a good friend and supporter of our work.This was how we took a need and put a spin on it. The rest is history.LESSON 2: THINK IMPACT vs INCOME: GIVER’S GAINAfter the first few months of releasing episodes, I heard from so many people who wanted to know “how did you launch this idea,” and asked about some best practices as they began thinking of ways to replicate the results that inevitably come when you put in consistent daily effort that turns into weekly and then monthly effort until it’s no longer effort, but what you do every day, habitually. If you want to know if launching a podcast would work for you, message me and I can send you some ideas on how to get started, but my first tip would be that you should pick a topic that you love, something that you won’t mind putting in the time and effort to learn more about, as this is what you will be immersed in on a daily basis.I heard a few times “How do you make money with a podcast?” and that’s a great question and why I wanted the second lesson to focus on the impact you will have, not the income. When you have enough listeners, you can earn money from sponsorships and ads, but the key is to use the podcast as a tool to drive people to your programs and services. Doors will start to open for you in ways that you never imagined. I heard Max Lugavere (an American television personality and health and wellness writer) talking about these incredible types of results at about the 2-year mark of his podcast on Dhru Purohit’s Broken Brain Podcast[iii]. The income will come once you put your focus on service and helping others to achieve their goals.This is exactly the same concept as writing a book. Most people who dream of writing a book, think that it will take off like the Harry Potter Series, and they will be set, riding off into the sunset as a millionaire. The truth is that most authors never sell more than a few hundred copies of their books, and for it to become a best seller, it should reach 10,000 copies sold in a week. This is easier to do when selling larger volumes (like to schools or organizations that want your book) but not easy at all to do when selling books one at a time, relying on Amazon as your distribution service. Authors know that books, like a podcast, are just a tool to get your message out there. Since I have released content both ways, I can say from experience that putting your best content out into the world, for FREE, with the idea of helping people, will yield better results than thinking of selling your ideas before anyone even knows who you are.AHA! MOMENT with LESSON 2This podcast was actually originally going to be an educational course, written for a publisher, but a turn of events had me decide to release this content in the form of a podcast for FREE, to be used by anyone who needed these resources. What was interesting is that when I put a focus on the IMPACT I wanted to create, rather than the INCOME it would give me back in return, something magical happened. Max Lugavere mentioned it happened for him at the 2-year mark, and I would have to say it happened for me around the 100th episode mark after just a year and seven months. The opportunities came disguised as consistent, daily, effort and work.LESSON 3: MASTER PROLIFIC QUALITY OUTPUT (PQO).I heard this statement for years, until this experience made me finally understand it. Brendon Burchard, the author of the book High Performance Habits talks about how “High performers have mastered the art of prolific quality output (PQO). They produce more high-quality output than their peers over the long term, and that is how they become more effective, better known, more remembered. They aim their attention and consistent efforts toward PQO and minimize any distractions (including opportunities) that would steal them away from their craft” (Burchard, 2017[iv]).  Over the years, I never really understood what PQO meant. I listened to Brendon explain it a few times, and he would give the example of “Beyonce, who puts out hit after hit, or Ralph Lauren who creates luxury and designer product after product, or even Seth Godin who creates blog post after blog post.” There’s also the WakeUpIt’sDayOne Blog who explains PQO as it relates to athletes as “the type of things you typically don’t see an immediate reward with or have to repeat on a daily basis. Think about Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Lebron James, Tom Brady – the greatest athletes of all time. When you research them and understand how they became who they are today, all you ever read is that they focused on the fundamental things that improved their overall physical and mental skills[v]” their PQO—and I would add consistently, on a daily basis.AHA! MOMENT with LESSON 3Then I thought, what is my PQO? What is my output? What am I creating day in and day out? I’ve always been creating content, but it hit me after I had been producing episodes consistently for a year, that my PQO was the podcast episodes. I had created a certain standard with each episode that included the fact that each one had to be my best effort. If I wasn’t ready to interview someone, or had not researched enough, I would not produce the episode until it hit that standard.I also saw the importance of creating a video interview where I could edit in images and text to explain what the person I was interviewing was talking about. Many times, the concepts discussed are difficult to understand with words alone, so this became another standard. The final standard was that each interview had to be produced and released either that same day, or no longer than 2 days after. Waiting too long in production destroys the momentum created by the interview, so this meant many times that editing went into the night and researching early morning and weekends. Many content producers outsource their video or audio editing and production, but to date, each of the episodes have been produced and edited by yours truly. We will see what happens with this over the next 100 episodes.If you want to make an impact that goes beyond what your mind can imagine, a global impact, you need to have mastered Prolific Quality Output. Do YOU know what YOUR PQO is?Now that we have looked at some of the results created from this podcast, that really were unexpected, this episode will take a closer look at some lessons learned from the speakers along the way, as they relate to the 6 social and emotional competencies and how we tied in a connection to practical neuroscience for improved productivity and results.After each interview, I brainstormed the most important points learned with my husband, since he is also in the field of education. He always asks “what did you learn from this speaker” and there’s always 2-5 AHA points that definitely surprised me. I love making connections between the speakers and mapping out what each one says to other episodes. We really are connected, and what one person says, connects to what someone else will say in a later episode.  I’m always looking for ways to take knowledge and make it applicable for anyone who is willing to apply it and use it.Just a note: Even though I had a written outline for the podcast, it did take a turn towards health and wellness close to the end of 2020, which I think was important and necessary. I will pull out examples used from our speakers in the following areas:EXPERTS WHO:Demonstrate Practical Neuroscience to Improve ResultsDemonstrate the Social and Emotional Learning Competencies (Mindset, Self-Regulation, Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Decision-Making).Explain SEL in the EDUCATIONAL SETTINGAre Involved with PHYSICAL HEALTH, WELLNESS AND NUTRITIONLESSONS LEARNED FROM PRACTICAL NEUROSCIENCETHE POWER IN LEARNING ABOUT HOW OUR AMAZING BRAINS WORK: This area is where I spent the most time on the podcast, making sure we had a variety of experts, many who are well known with their books and research, to make a case for the importance of learning the basics of neuroscience to improve our productivity and results.Whether it was tips from 15-year-old Chloe Amen on how you can “Change Your Brain and Change Your Grades,” neuroscientist Friederike Fabritius on ways to “Achieve Peak Performance,” Dr. John Medina on his “Brain Rules” or Dr. Lori Desautels on the power of implementing neuroscience in today’s schools, the one person who tied everything together was Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang with her research that shows “The Brain Basis for Integrated Social, Emotional, and Academic Development.” Her work shows how emotions and social relationships drive learning, bringing the entire podcast full circle as Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning. I saw the importance of these 2 topics, and Mary Helen can prove why they are so important, with her work at the University of SCA in her Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning and Education (CANDLE LAB).  We will continue to bring more lessons that tie practical neuroscience to social, emotional and academic development in our future episodes as this really is the future of education. What was interesting to note in this area was that EPISODE #68: Neuroscience of Personal Change with Stephen R Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” was the #1 most downloaded EPISODE with over 1100 downloads, showing me that people want to make this connection linking neuroscience to success and of the POWER IN LEARNING ABOUT HOW OUR AMAZING BRAINS WORK.LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE 6 SEL COMPETENCIES SEL COMPETENCY: MINDSET“A great attitude does more than turn on the lights in our worlds, it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities that were somehow absent before the change.” Earl Nightingale, author of Think and Grow Rich Frank Shankwitz, from EPISODE #40 has modeled what happens when you keep a good mental mindset, for the course of his life. So much so, that they made a movie about his life, called Wish Man, that is based on Frank’s life story (he was a motorcycle cop in Arizona who was haunted by the traumatic separation from his father when he was a boy. After surviving a near-fatal accident, he finds hope with a terminally ill boy, who reunites him with his father. To honor this boy, Frank creates the Make a Wish Foundation, and continues to live a life of honor every day. Nothing can tear this man down. Follow him on social media and you will see for yourself of the importance of a “great mental attitude.” SEL COMPETENCY: SELF-REGULATION with PERSISTENCE and PERSEVERANCE“Success has to do with deliberate practice. Practice must be focused, determined, and in the environment where there’s feedback.” Malcolm GladwellDr. John Dunlosky from EPISODE #37 started this topic off with his years of research that showed that “deliberate practice” was one of the most effective learning strategies, vs cramming for a test. We’ve all heard this and know that knowledge will be retained and recalled more efficiently when it’s learned over a period of time.  Todd Woodcroft, the former assistant coach to the Winnipeg Jets, current Head Coach to the University of Vermont Catamounts[vi], from EPISODE #38 puts John Dunlosky’s theory into practice as he explained that the “daily grind in the NHL” begins with “hard work” being a baseline of what is expected of each player, and that to rise above this baseline, players must embrace certain daily habits, without complaining of the work, knowing that “things don’t get easier as you get better, they get harder” with the repetition of these important skills.Dalip Shekhawat further reinforced Dunlosky’s research with his interview detailing the preparation involved in climbing Mount Everest, and neuroscientist Stephanie Faye from EPISODE #39 shares why this spaced repetition is so important at the brain level when she explains how the neural pathways are formed with this daily, consistent practicing of skill. SEL COMPETENCY: SELF-AWARENESS with MENTAL HEALTH and WELL-BEING“When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.” Ralph EllisonMoving into the 3rd SEL competency, self-awareness, this was the area that received the most downloads. The second most downloaded episode was my interview with my mentor, Bob Proctor, that shares where this idea began over 20 years ago. The third most downloaded episode was my solo lesson with a deep dive into everything I learned working directly with Bob, in the seminar industry for 6 years.Many of the speakers interviewed in this area came from the connections made from these speakers that I met in the late 1990s. It was here that I first saw the power of these social and emotional learning skills with 12 young teens, who would inspire me to keep moving forward with this work.This section is full of speakers, leaders, entrepreneurs of all ages who have a vision, like I do, for change with our educational system.EPISODE #66 Bob Proctor #2 MOST DOWNLOADED EPISODE on “Social and Emotional Learning: Where it all Started for Andrea Samadi”EPISODE #67 “Expanding Your Awareness with a Deep Dive into the Most Important Concepts Learned from Bob Proctor Seminars” (Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #68 The Neuroscience of Personal Change with Stephen R. Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People” (Solo Lesson with Andrea Samadi)#1 MOST DOWNLOADED EPISODE with over 1100 downloads SOCIAL AWARENESS/RELATIONSHIPS/DECISION-MAKINGThese 3 SEL competencies are important with solo lessons for each topic. Greg Wolcott, the author of the book www.significant72.com was dominant in this area. I will mention an aha moment with his work in the next section.LESSONS LEARNED FROM EXPERTS IN SEL/EDUCATION TAKE ACTION, EVEN WHEN YOU AREN’T READY. My first guest speaker was my husband, Majid Samadi, who always is there to offer ideas, suggestions and support with all of my projects, so of course when I needed to interview someone to launch this idea, I asked him to be my first guest. If you go back to EPISODE #1 that covers “The Why Behind Launching an SEL or Emotional Intelligence Program in Your School or Workplace” you will hear me interview him on his thoughts, from the point of view of someone who spends most of his time, working in schools across the country, as the Regional Vice President of Sales for an Educational Publishing Company. This interview happened 5 minutes after he walked in the door after getting off a flight, I think from LA, and he put his suit jacket on my desk, and I handed him a sheet of questions and said “Answer these and talk into the mic.” I’m sure he had been working since early that morning, and it was well into the evening when we recorded this, but he did it, without rehearsing his answers, or spending time preparing. We launched the podcast when we weren’t 100% ready because if we didn’t, I’m sure I would still be spending my days planning. Take action, even when you aren’t ready.PAY ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE: SMALL DETAILS CAN LEAD TO BIG DISCOVERIES AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT LAST My second interview was with educator, Ron Hall, from Valley Day School (who I found from an article I saw through Linkedin, and reached out to him hoping he would say yes to being a guest on the show). He agreed, and we have remained in contact ever since. Something funny to mention is that I had just started using Zoom for these interviews, a year before everyone would be using Zoom, and I hadn’t mastered the audio yet. There was a setting on my end that I needed to fix, and finally figured it out, but I’ll never forget the stress of not being able to hear my first guest for a good 30 minutes (could have been longer) as he tried everything on his end to fix the audio, that we finally figured out was on my end. Once we figured it all out, Ron spoke about how he launched neuroscience into his school with one of his major influencers being an author and speaker named Horacio Sanchez. When I created the video for Ron’s interview, I added an image of Horacio as he explained his story. This became important a year later, when I was introduced to Horacio Sanchez from Corwin Press Publishers for Episode #74. With each person you meet, whether in your life, or work, it’s important to pay attention to small details that can lead to something important to you later on. Always develop and maintain relationships as you never know how that person could be of assistance to you, or you to them, at some point in the future.  I’m forever grateful for Ron Hall being my first guest, for staying in touch with me, and for the introduction to Horacio Sanchez, who I’m working with now on another project. GRATEFUL FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAT LAST.KEEP LEARNING AND DON’T GET IN YOUR OWN WAY: One of my early interviews was with Greg Wolcott, and assistant superintendent from Chicago, and the author the book Significant 72[vii]. I had been following Greg’s work since I heard him on an SEL webinar in 2016, where he explained how he was building relationships in schools across the country. Greg quickly became an incredible supporter of the podcast after our interview and referred me to many other guests. We became friends, and kept in touch as each episode was released, he would let me know how useful the information was for the educators he was working with, as he brainstormed the ways that the episodes were helping him. This gave me belief in the content, as I saw it being applied, and made me realize that it was crazy that I was nervous interviewing Greg, who would become an incredible support, leading me to step out of my own way, and into a path of greater opportunity down the line. Reminding me to KEEP LEARNING AND DON’T GET IN YOUR OWN WAY!LESSONS LEARNED FROM HEALTH/NUTRITIONWhen I launched this podcast, I had no idea I was going to even go in the direction of health, wellbeing and nutrition. It just happened. Health is my #1 value, and something I put an incredible amount of time towards, so it wasn’t a surprise to me that when the Pandemic hit our world, I saw the importance of interviewing people who were putting a focus on their physical health as well as their mental health and well-being.I’ve always stayed close to my trainer, Kelly Schmidt, from episode #51, but when I watched a documentary on the health staples that were shown to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease, I decided that I needed to expand what I knew in this area. I took the 5 health staples and began looking for people I could contact who were experts in each of these areas. I met Luke DePron on Linkedin, who connected me to Dr. Stickler, and Momo Vuyisich. I reached out to Shane Creado from Dr. Daniel Amen’s Clinics, leading us to get our brain scans, learn more about the importance of sleep and finally, reached out to Jason Wittrock on Instagram, after his videos had inspired me to make changes with my diet a few years back.This set of interviews led me to moderate Podbean’s Wellness Week with Dr. Carolyn Leaf and John Kim, who you bet I am working on getting on the podcast for 2021.I hope you have enjoyed this review of our first 100 EPISODES. There is a lot of information to review, and many lessons that I plan on revisiting over the holidays as a review. I’ll definitely be reviewing EPISODE #66 The Neuroscience of Personal Change (our #1 episode) and will be planning Season 5. Please do send me a message via social media, or email andrea@achieveit360.com and let me know what episodes you have liked, so I can be sure that I am producing the best content I can for you.See you next year.Health Staple 1: Daily Exercise  (Luke DePron)Health Staple 2: Getting Good Quality Sleep (Dr. Shane Creado)Health Staple 3: Eating a Healthy Diet (Dr. Daniel Stickler).Health Staple 4: Optimizing our Microbiome (Momo Vuyisich)Health Staple 5: Intermittent Fasting (Jason Wittrock) EXPERTS WHO DEMONSTRATE PRACTICAL NEUROSCIENCE TO IMPROVE RESULTS:EPISODE #11: 15-year-old Chloe Amen on how to “Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades”EPISODE #17: Harvard Researcher Jenny Woo on “The Latest Research, Brain Facts, Myths, Growth Mindset, Memory and Cognitive Biases”EPISODE #26: Simple Strategies for Overcoming the Pitfalls of Your Brain(Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)  to Prepare for EPISODE #27EPISODE #27: Friederike Fabritius on “Achieving Peak Performance”EPISODE #28: Dr. Daniel Siegel on “Mindsight: The Basis of Social and Emotional Intelligence”EPISODE #30: Mark Robert Waldman on “12 Brain-Based Experiential Learning and Living Principles”EPISODE #35: How to Use Your Brain to Break Bad Habits (Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #42 Dr. John Medina on “Implementing Brain Rules in the Schools and Workplaces of the Future”EPISODE #43 Deep Dive into Dr. John Medina’s Brain Rules(Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #44 Andrea Samadi’s “12 Mind-Boggling Discoveries About the Brain”(Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #46: As Close to Mind Reading as Brain Science Gets “Developing and Using Theory of Mind in Your Daily Life”EPISODE #48: Brain Network Theory : Using Neuroscience to Stay Productive During Times of Change and Chaos  (Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #56: Dr. Lori Desautels on her new book “Connections Over Compliance: Rewiring Our Perceptions of DisciplineEPISODE #57: Taking Initiative: Your Brain and Change and Your Mentors(Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #58: James MacDiardmid and Natasha Davis on "The Wise Emotional Fitness Program" (Virtual Reality).EPISODE #59: Suzanne Gundersen on “Putting the Polyvagal Theory into Practice”EPISODE #60: The Science and Benefits of Dan Siegel’s “Wheel of Awareness Meditation” (Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #68: Neuroscience of Personal Change with Stephen R Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” (#1 EPISODE with over 1100 downloads)EPISODE #69: Ben Ampil on “Using Your Brain to Manage Your Behavior and Results”EPISODE #73: Chris Manning on "Using Neurowisdom to Improve Your Learning and Success in Life."EPISODE #78: David A Sousa on “How the Brain Learns”EPISODE #81 Critical Thinking and The Brain (Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #82 Doug Sutton “How a Brain Scan Changed My Life” PART 1EPISODE #83 What Exactly is a Brain Scan and Can it Change Your Life PART 2 (Solo Lesson with Andrea Samadi) EPISODE #84 Brain Scan Results PART 3 (Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #85: Dr. Sarah McKay on “High Performing Brain Health Strategies That We Should All Know and Implement”EPISODE #88: Dr. Andrew Newberg on “Neurotheology, Spect Scans and Strategies for the Aging Brain”EPISODE #97: Kirun Goy and Samuel Holston on “The Neuroscience Behind Our Habits, Addictions, Love and Fears.”EPISODE #98 Dr. Dawson Church on “The Science Behind Meditation: Rewiring Your Brain for Happiness”EPISODE #100: Mary Helen Immordino-Yang on “The Neuroscience of Social and Emotional Learning” EXPERTS WHO DEMONSTRATE THE 6 SEL COMPETENCIES: MINDSETEPISODE #20: Coaching a Growth Mindset: Strategies for Overcoming Obstacles and Cognitive Bias (Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #40 Frank Shankwitz on “Lessons from the Wishman Movie”EPISODE #49: Dr. Jeffrey Magee on “Managing Fear, Focus and Strategy During Challenging Times”EPISODE #52: “Igniting Your Personal Leadership to Build Resiliency”(Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi—Inspired by Dr. Bruce Perry).  EPISODE #55: Torsten Nicolini on “Working Smart: How to Improve Productivity and Efficiency at Work”EPISODE #61 Maria Natapov on “Building Autonomy, Self-Confidence, Connection and Resiliency Within our Children”EPISODE #73 Chris Manning Ph. D on “Using Neurowisdom to Improve Your Learning and Success in Life”EPISODE #74 Horacio Sanchez who Addresses Race, Culture and How to Apply Brain Science to Improve Instruction and School Climate”EPISODE #86 University of Phoenix President Peter Cohen on “A Positive Vision for K-12 and Higher Ed Campuses”EPISODE #99 Irene Lyon on “The Science Behind Trauma and a Healthy Immune System” SELF-REGULATION with PERSISTENCE and PERSEVERANCEEPISODE #14: Self-Regulation: The Foundational Learning Skill for Future Success(Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #37: Dr. John Dunlosky on “Improving Student Success: Some Principles from Cognitive Science”EPISODE #38:  Former Assistant Coach to the Winnipeg Jets Todd Woodcroft on “The Daily Grind in the NHL”EPISODE #39 Stephanie Faye on “Using Neuroscience to Improve our Mindset, Self-Regulation and Self-Awareness”EPISODE #45: Dalip Shekhawit on “Life Lessons Learned from Summiting Mount Everest”EPISODE #53: Self-Regulation and Your Brain: How to Bounce Back Towards Resiliency (Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #70 Self-Regulation and Behavior Change-Andrea Samadi solo lesson on David R Hawkins’ “Power vs Force” (4th MOST DOWNLOADED EPISODE)CASE STUDIESEPISODE #13: Teen Artist Sam Roberts on “Winning a 4-Year Prestigious Leadership Scholarship at the University of AR Fort Smith.”EPISODE #68: Donte Dre Winrow on “Breaking into a Challenging Career Path”EPISODE #50: Shark Tank Season 1 Success Story Tiffany Krumins on “Life After Shark Tank”SELF-AWARENESS with MENTAL HEALTH and WELL-BEING EPISODE #6: Helen Maffini from the Mindful Peace Summits on “Launching Mindfulness and Meditation in Our Schools”EPISODE #8: 14- year-old Adam Avin on “Improving Well-Being and Mental Health in Our Schools”EPISODE #21: Spencer Taylor on his Educational Documentary “The Death of Recess”EPISODE #23: Understanding the Difference Between Your Mind and Your Brain(Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #25: Mindfulness and Meditation Expert Mick Neustadt on “How Meditation and Mindfulness Changes Your Life”EPISODE #29: How to Re-Wire Your Brain for Happiness and Well-BeingEPISODE #31: Nik Halik on “Overcoming Adversity to Create an Epic Life”EPISODE #32: John Assaraf on “Brain Training, The Power of Repetition, Resourcefulness and the Future”EPISODE #33: Kent Healy on “Managing Time, Our Greatest Asset”EPISODE #34: Chris Farrell on “Actionable Strategies for High Achievers to Improve Daily Results”EPISODE #65 Dr. Barbara Schwarck on “Using Energy Psychology and Emotional Intelligence to Improve Leadership in the Workplace”EPISODE #66 Bob Proctor on “Social and Emotional Learning: Where it all Started for Andrea Samadi” #2 MOST DOWNLOADED EPISODEEPISODE #67 “Expanding Your Awareness with a Deep Dive into the Most Important Concepts Learned from Bob Proctor Seminars” (Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #68 The Neuroscience of Personal Change with Stephen R. Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People” (Solo Lesson with Andrea Samadi) #1 MOST DOWNLOADED EPISODE with over 1100 downloadsEPISODE #80 Samantha Wettje on “Mitigating the Negative Effects of ACES with Her 16 Strong Project”EPISODE #92 Sarah Peyton on “Brain Network Theory, Default Mode Network, Anxiety and Emotion Regulation.”EPISODE #95 Dr. Sandy Gluckman on “Reversing Children’s Behavior and Mood Problems” SOCIAL AWARENESSEPISODE #5: Social Awareness: How to Change Your Social Brain (Solo Lesson with Andrea Samadi)RELATIONSHIP SKILLSEPISODE #7: Greg Wolcott on “Building Relationships in Today’s Schools”EPISODE #9: Using Your Brain to Build and Sustain Effective Relationships (Solo Lesson with Andrea Samadi)DECISION-MAKINGEPISODE #9: Using Your Brain to Build and Sustain Effective Relationships (Solo Lesson with Andrea Samadi)EXPERTS IN SEL AND EDUCATIONEPISODE #1: Majid and Andrea Samadi on “The Why Behind Implementing an SEL or Emotional Intelligence Training Program in Our Schools and Workplaces”EPISODE #2: Self-Awareness: Know Thyself (Solo Lesson with Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #3: Ron Hall from Valley Day School on “Launching Your Neuro-educational Program”EPISODE #4: Jennifer Miller on “Building Connections with Parents and Educators”EPISODE #12: Clark McKown on “SEL Assessments Made Simple”EPISODE #16: Dr. Lori Desautels and Michael McKnight on “The Future of Educational Neuroscience in Our Schools and Communities”EPISODE #18: Kenneth Kohutek, PhD on his new book “Chloe and Josh Learn Grit”EPISODE #19: Bob Jerus on “Emotional Intelligence Training and Suicide Prevention”EPISODE #22: Marc Brackett on his new book “Permission to Feel”EPISODE #24: Dr. Jeff Rose on “Leadership, Innovation and the Future”EPISODE #36: James Nottingham on “The Importance of Challenge with Learning”EPISODE #40: Erik Francis on “How to Use Questions to Promote Cognitive Rigor, Thinking and Learning”EPISODE #47: Erik Francis on “Transitioning Teaching and Learning in the Classroom to Home”EPISODE #54: David Adams on “ A New Vision for Education: Living Up to the Values We Want for Our Next Generation.”EPISODE #62: CEO of CASEL Karen Niemi on “Tools and Strategies to Enhance and Expand SEL in our Schools and Communities”EPISODE #63: Hans Appel on “Building an Award Winning Culture in Your School or Organization”EPISODE #64: Greg Wolcott on “Making Connections Between Neuroscience and SEL”EPISODE #75 Maurice J Elias on “Boosting Emotional Intelligence Through Sports, Academics and Character”EPISODE #76 Michael B Horn on “Using a Positive Lens to Explore Change and the Future of Education”EPISODE #77 Doug Fisher/Nancy Frey on “Developing and Delivering High Quality Distance Learning for Students”EPISODE #79 Eric Jensen on “Strategies for Reversing the Impact of Poverty and Stress on Student Learning:”EPISODE #91 Drs. Jessica and John Hannigan on “SEL From a Distance: Tools and Processes for Anytime, Anywhere.” EXPERTS IN PHYSICAL HEALTH, WELLNESS and NUTRITIONEPISODE #51: Kelly Schmidt on “Easy to Implement Fitness and Nutrition Tips”Jason Wittrock on “Nutrition, Intermittent Fasting and the Ketogenic Diet”EPISODE #71 Self-Regulation and Sleep with Dr. Shane Creado’s “ Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes” (Solo Lesson by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #72 Dr. Shane Creado on “Sleep Strategies That Will Guarantee a Competitive Advantage”EPISODE #87 The Top 5 Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Prevention Strategies (Solo Lesson with Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #89 Dr. Erik Won on “Groundbreaking Technology That is Changing the Future of Mental Health”EPISODE #90 Luke DePron on “Neuroscience, Health, Fitness and Growth”EPISODE #93 Momo Viyisich on “Improving the Microbiome, Preventing and Reversing Chronic Disease”EPISODE #94 Jason Wittrock on “Nutrition, Intermittent Fasting and the Ketogenic Diet”EPISODE #96 Dr. Daniel Stickler on “Expanding Awareness for Limitless Peak Performance, Health, Longevity and Intelligence.”BONUS EPISODE: Top 5 Health Staples and Review of Season 1-4(Solo Episode by Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #82 "How a Brain Scan Changed My Life" With Doug Sutton PART 1EPISODE # 83 "What is a SPECT Scan and How Can it Change Your Life?" PART 2 (with Andrea Samadi)EPISODE #84  "Brain Scan Results" with Andrea Samadi PART 3 Each Season at a Glance:Season 1: Consists of 33 episodes that begin with introducing six the social and emotional competencies (building a growth mindset, making responsible decisions, becoming self-aware, increasing social-awareness, managing emotions and behavior and developing relationships) along with an introduction to cognitive skills that I call Neuroscience 101 where we introduce some of the most important cognitive strategies, or the core skills your brain uses to think, remember and pay attention. CONTENT: In this season, you will learn about understanding your mind vs your brain, mindfulness and meditation, the 3 parts of your brain, achieving peak performance, and improving awareness, mindsight, rewiring your brain for happiness, and experiential learning. We interviewed Ron Hall from Valley Day School who talked about how he launched his neuroeducation program into his school, Jennifer Miller on “Building Connections with Parents and Educators,” Helen Maffini on her Mindful Peace Summit and “Launching Mindfulness and Meditation in our Schools,” Greg Wolcott on “Building Relationships in Today’s Classrooms,” 14 year old Adam Avin on “Improving Our Mental Health in Our Schools,” Clark McKown from xSEL Labs on “SEL Assessments” and how we can actually measure these skills, Sam Roberts on her experience of “Winning a 4 Year Prestigious Scholarship” using these skills, Donte Winrow on “Breaking into a Challenging Career Path” with the application of these skills immediately after graduating from high school, Dr. Lori Desautels and Michael McKnight on “The Future of Educational Neuroscience in Today’s Schools,” Harvard researcher Jenny Woo on “The Latest Research, Brain Facts and Myths, Growth Mindset, Memory and Cognitive Biases,” Psychologist Dr. Kenneth Kohutek on his new book “Chloe and Josh Learn Grit,” Psychologist Bob Jerus on “Suicide Prevention and Emotional Intelligence Training,” Spencer Taylor on his “Death of Recess Educational Documentary” featuring Carol Dweck and Sir Ken Robinson, Marc Brackett on his powerful book “Permission to Feel,” former Superintendent Dr. Jeff Rose on “Leadership, Innovation and the Future,” Mick Neustadt on “How Meditation and Mindfulness Can Change Your Life,” Friederike Fabritius from Germany on “Achieving Peak Performance with the Brain in Mind,” Dr. Daniel Siegel on “Mindsight: The Basis for Social and Emotional Intelligence,” my mentor and neuroscience researcher Mark Robert Waldman on “12 Brain-Based Experiential Learning and Living Principles,” Nik Halik on “Overcoming Adversity to Create an Epic Life,” and John Assaraf on “Brain Training, the Power of Repetition, Resourcefulness and the Future.” Season 2: These 33 episodes build on the strategies from Season 1, with high level guests who tie in social, emotional, interpersonal and cognitive strategies to increase results in schools, sports and the workplace. You will learn about the power of repetition, challenge, creativity, using your brain to break bad habits, how the brain ties into mindset, self-regulation, and self-awareness, cognitive rigor, thinking, learning, brain rules for schools and the workplace, the theory of mind, brain network theory, personal leadership, taking initiative, resiliency, the science behind mindfulness/meditation and your values. CONTENT: You will hear from Chris Farrell on “Strategies for High Achievers,” James Nottingham on “The Importance of Challenge with Learning,” Dr. John Dunlosky on “Improving Student Success,” Todd Woodcroft on “The Daily Grind in the NHL,” Stefanie Faye on “Using Neuroscience to Improve our Mindset, Self-Regulation, and Self-Awareness,” the Co-Founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Frank Shankwitz on “Lessons from the Wish Man Movie,” Erik Francis on “How to Use Questions to Promote Cognitive Rigor, Thinking and Learning,” Dr. John Medina on “Implementing Brain Rules in the Schools and Workplaces of the Future,” Dalip Shekhawat on “Life Lessons Learned from Summiting Mount Everest,” Dr. Jeff Magee on “Managing Fear, Focus and Strategy During Challenging Times,” Tiffany Krumins on “Life After Shark Tank,” Kelly Schmidt on Easy to Implement Fitness and Nutrition Tips,” David Adams on “A New Vision for Education,” Torsten Nicolini on “Working Smart,” Dr. Lori Desautels on her book “Connections Over Compliance,” The Wise Emotional Fitness Program delivered via virtual reality with James MacDiarmid and Natasha Davis all the way from Australia, Suzanne Gunderson on “Putting the Polyvagal Theory into Practice,” Maria Natapov on “Building Autonomy, Self-Confidence, Connection and Resiliency Within Our Children,” Casel President Karen Niemi on “Tools and Strategies to Enhance and Expand SEL in our Schools and Communities,” Hans Appel on “Building an Award Winning Culture in Your School or Organization,” Greg Wolcott on “Making Connections with Neuroscience and SEL,” Dr. Barbara Schwarck on “Using Energy Psychology and Emotional Intelligence to Improve Leadership in the Workplace,” and an Introduction to my first mentor, speaker, Bob Proctor on “Social and Emotional Learning: Where it All Started,” where I share how I began working with these skills over 20 years ago,  along with a deep dive into some of the lessons learned from Bob Proctor’s Seminars.Season 3: These 14 episodes tie in some of the top authors in the world who connect their work to these social, emotional and cognitive skills, with clear examples for improved results, well-being and achievement within each episode.CONTENT: You will learn about the neuroscience of personal change with a deep dive into Dr. Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” (that’s currently the most downloaded episode) Self-Regulation and Behavior Change with David R Hawkins’ “Power vs Force,” Self-Regulation and Sleep with Dr. Shane Creado’s “Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes,” Chris Manning on using “Neurowisdom” to Improve Learning and Success in Life, Horatio Sanchez on “Resilience,” Maurice J Elias on “Social and Emotional and Character Development,” Michael B Horn on “Disrupting Education” and the future of education, Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey on “High Quality Distance Learning.” David A Sousa on “How the Brain Learns,” Eric Jensen on “Reversing the Impact of Poverty and Stress on Student Learning” and Samantha Wettje from Harvard on “Mitigating the Negative Effect of ACES.” I conclude this season with a solo lesson from me, on critical thinking and the brain, after being asked to create an episode on this topic for the corporate space. Season 4:  These 18 episodes (82-100) that begin to tie in health, and mental health into the understanding of our brain, productivity and results. The shift to health on this podcast became apparent when we started to see how important our brain health is for our overall results. CONTENT: Everything that we do starts at the brain level, and we dive deep into this with our 3-part episodes on “How a Brain Scan Changed My Life” with a look at what we can learn from looking at our brain using a SPECT image brain scan. The interviews of this season mix in the power of education with an understanding of health and wellness. Dr. Sarah McKay agreed with Dr. Shane Creado (from Season 3) that sleep is one of the most important health strategies we can implement. It became apparent that there were 5 health staples that emerged as so powerful they were showing an impact on Alzheimer’s Prevention, so this season became a deep dive into these top 5 health staples (daily exercise, getting good quality and quantity sleep, eating a healthy diet, optimizing our microbiome and intermittent fasting). You will also hear from Dr. Andrew Newberg and his episode on Neurotheology, Dr. Erik Won and his ground -breaking technology that’s changing the future of mental health, Luke DePron, who is stretching the limits with neuroscience, health, fitness and growth, Sarah Peyton on “Brain Network Theory, Default Mode Network, Anxiety and Emotion Regulation,” Momo Vuyisich on “Preventing and Reversing Chronic Disease by Improving the Health of Your Microbiome,” Jason Wittrock on the Ketogentic Diet and Intermittent Fasting, and Dr. Sandy Gluckman on “Reversing Children’s Behavior and Mood Problems.” We also hear from behavior experts Drs. Jessica and John Hannigan on their new book “SEL From a Distance” that offers simple strategies for parents and educators who are working on implementing these SEL skills into their home or classroom, during the pandemic.When Season 4 took the direction of health, mental-health, and wellness, I began looking for guests to dive deeper into the Top 5 health staples that seemed to continue to emerge with each guest. Dr. Daniel Stickler came on with the topic of “Expanding Awareness for Limitless Peak Performance, Health, Longevity and Intelligence, Kirun Goy and Samuel Holston from the BrainTools Podcast on “The Neuroscience Behind our Habits, Addictions, Love/Fears,” Dr. Dawson Church on “The Science Behind Meditation: Rewiring Your Brain for Happiness,” Irene Lyon on “The Science Behind Trauma and a Healthy Immune System” and Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang on “The Neuroscience of Social and Emotional Learning.” REFERENCES:[i] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning EPISODE #74 with Horacio Sanchez https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/leading-brain-science-and-resiliency-expert-horatio-sanchez-on-how-to-apply-brain-science-to-improve-instruction-and-school-climate/[ii] Mark Robert Waldman and Chris Manning, Ph.D. Published Jan.31, 2017  https://www.amazon.com/NeuroWisdom-Brain-Science-Happiness-Success/dp/1682303055[iii] Drhu Purohit’s Broken Brain Podcast with Max Lugavere on “Building a Personal Brand” https://shows.acast.com/broken-brain/episodes/behind-the-scenes-max-lugavere-on-building-a-personal-brand[iv] High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard Published Sept.19, 2017  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072N6MQ5V/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1[v] WakeUpIt’sDayOne Blog https://wakeupitsdayone.com/2018/07/16/increase-productivity-habit-4-of-high-performers/[vi] Interview with Todd Woodcroft on Hockey Minds Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/hockey-minds-podcast/id1517330567#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fpinecast.com%2Fguid%2F7dcaf914-d44a-42e6-a9c5-bca89a40aff6[vii] Greg Wolcott www.significant72.com

Welcome back to the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning podcast, with a special episode, recorded for Podbean’s Wellness Week.When I first launched this podcast, in June 2019, using Podbean as my host, of course, it was a bit by chance, as I had just purchased a new template for my website that had a podcast theme, and the developer who helped me to build the site said “you can delete the podcast section if you don’t want to host a podcast” and I thought about it for a minute, and was already conducting interviews for the programs and services I was offering in my membership area, so I told him, “let’s just keep it” and I went over to Google and searched for “what is an RSS feed” and “how to launch a podcast.” I had no idea at that moment just how powerful that one decision would be, leading me to launch something that would connect me to leaders around the world, be downloaded in over 100 countries, become my biggest learning opportunity I’ve ever had,  and open up many doors, all from just one decision.I also started this podcast because I saw a serious need in the area of social and emotional learning that was being implemented in schools around the country and the world, but many educators didn’t know the best way to begin their implementation.  We all know that “success in life, and in college and career specifically, relies on student’s cognitive, (the core skills your brain uses to think, read, remember, and pay attention) social and interpersonal skills, (including the ability to navigate through social situations, resolve conflicts, show respect towards others, self-advocate and learn how to work on a team with others) and emotional development (including the ability to recognize and manage one’s emotions, demonstrate empathy for others and cope with stress)” but what are these skills, and what exactly is the best way to implement them?[i]In the corporate world, these skills aren’t new, but they are “newly important” and of high urgency to develop in our future generations. A recent survey showed that 58 percent of employers say college graduates aren’t adequately prepared for today’s workforce, and those employers noted a particular gap in social and emotional skills. This is where our goal with this podcast began—to close this gap by exploring six social and emotional learning competencies as a springboard for discussion and tie in how an understanding of our brain can facilitate these strategies. Hence the title of the podcast, Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning. If we want to improve our social, emotional and cognitive abilities, it all starts with an understanding of our brain. Season 1: Consists of 33 episodes that begin with introducing six the social and emotional competencies (building a growth mindset, making responsible decisions, becoming self-aware, increasing social-awareness, managing emotions and behavior and developing relationships) along with an introduction to cognitive skills that I call Neuroscience 101 where we introduce some of the most important cognitive strategies, or the core skills your brain uses to think, remember and pay attention.CONTENT: In this season, you will learn about understanding your mind vs your brain, mindfulness and meditation, the 3 parts of your brain, achieving peak performance, and improving awareness, mindsight, rewiring your brain for happiness, and experiential learning. We interviewed Ron Hall from Valley Day School who talked about how he launched his neuroeducation program into his school, Jennifer Miller on “Building Connections with Parents and Educators,” Helen Maffini on her Mindful Peace Summit and “Launching Mindfulness and Meditation in our Schools,” Greg Wolcott on “Building Relationships in Today’s Classrooms,” 14 year old Adam Avin on “Improving Our Mental Health in Our Schools,” Clark McKown from xSEL Labs on “SEL Assessments” and how we can actually measure these skills, Sam Roberts on her experience of “Winning a 4 Year Prestigious Scholarship” using these skills, Donte Winrow on “Breaking into a Challenging Career Path” with the application of these skills immediately after graduating from high school, Dr. Lori Desautels and Michael McKnight on “The Future of Educational Neuroscience in Today’s Schools,” Harvard researcher Jenny Woo on “The Latest Research, Brain Facts and Myths, Growth Mindset, Memory and Cognitive Biases,” Psychologist Dr. Kenneth Kohutek on his new book “Chloe and Josh Learn Grit,” Psychologist Bob Jerus on “Suicide Prevention and Emotional Intelligence Training,” Spencer Taylor on his “Death of Recess Educational Documentary” featuring Carol Dweck and Sir Ken Robinson, Marc Brackett on his powerful book “Permission to Feel,” former Superintendent Dr. Jeff Rose on “Leadership, Innovation and the Future,” Mick Neustadt on “How Meditation and Mindfulness Can Change Your Life,” Friederike Fabritius from Germany on “Achieving Peak Performance with the Brain in Mind,” Dr. Daniel Siegel on “Mindsight: The Basis for Social and Emotional Intelligence,” my mentor and neuroscience researcher Mark Robert Waldman on “12 Brain-Based Experiential Learning and Living Principles,” Nik Halik on “Overcoming Adversity to Create an Epic Life,” and John Assaraf on “Brain Training, the Power of Repetition, Resourcefulness and the Future.”Season 2: These 33 episodes build on the strategies from Season 1, with high level guests who tie in social, emotional, interpersonal and cognitive strategies to increase results in schools, sports and the workplace. You will learn about the power of repetition, challenge, creativity, using your brain to break bad habits, how the brain ties into mindset, self-regulation, and self-awareness, cognitive rigor, thinking, learning, brain rules for schools and the workplace, the theory of mind, brain network theory, personal leadership, taking initiative, resiliency, the science behind mindfulness/meditation and your values.CONTENT: You will hear from Chris Farrell on “Strategies for High Achievers,” James Nottingham on “The Importance of Challenge with Learning,” Dr. John Dunlosky on “Improving Student Success,” Todd Woodcroft on “The Daily Grind in the NHL,” Stefanie Faye on “Using Neuroscience to Improve our Mindset, Self-Regulation, and Self-Awareness,” the Co-Founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Frank Shankwitz on “Lessons from the Wish Man Movie,” Erik Francis on “How to Use Questions to Promote Cognitive Rigor, Thinking and Learning,” Dr. John Medina on “Implementing Brain Rules in the Schools and Workplaces of the Future,” Dalip Shekhawat on “Life Lessons Learned from Summiting Mount Everest,” Dr. Jeff Magee on “Managing Fear, Focus and Strategy During Challenging Times,” Tiffany Krumins on “Life After Shark Tank,” Kelly Schmidt on Easy to Implement Fitness and Nutrition Tips,” David Adams on “A New Vision for Education,” Torsten Nicolini on “Working Smart,” Dr. Lori Desautels on her book “Connections Over Compliance,” The Wise Emotional Fitness Program delivered via virtual reality with James MacDiarmid and Natasha Davis all the way from Australia, Suzanne Gunderson on “Putting the Polyvagal Theory into Practice,” Maria Natapov on “Building Autonomy, Self-Confidence, Connection and Resiliency Within Our Children,” Casel President Karen Niemi on “Tools and Strategies to Enhance and Expand SEL in our Schools and Communities,” Hans Appel on “Building an Award Winning Culture in Your School or Organization,” Greg Wolcott on “Making Connections with Neuroscience and SEL,” Dr. Barbara Schwarck on “Using Energy Psychology and Emotional Intelligence to Improve Leadership in the Workplace,” and an Introduction to my first mentor, speaker, Bob Proctor on “Social and Emotional Learning: Where it All Started,” where I share how I began working with these skills over 20 years ago,  along with a deep dive into some of the lessons learned from Bob Proctor’s Seminars.Season 3: These 14 episodes tie in some of the top authors in the world who connect their work to these social, emotional and cognitive skills, with clear examples for improved results, well-being and achievement within each episode.CONTENT: You will learn about the neuroscience of personal change with a deep dive into Dr. Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” (that’s currently the most downloaded episode) Self-Regulation and Behavior Change with David R Hawkins’ “Power vs Force,” Self-Regulation and Sleep with Dr. Shane Creado’s “Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes,” Chris Manning on using “Neurowisdom” to Improve Learning and Success in Life, Horatio Sanchez on “Resilience,” Maurice J Elias on “Social and Emotional and Character Development,” Michael B Horn on “Disrupting Education” and the future of education, Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey on “High Quality Distance Learning.” David A Sousa on “How the Brain Learns,” Eric Jensen on “Reversing the Impact of Poverty and Stress on Student Learning” and Samantha Wettje from Harvard on “Mitigating the Negative Effect of ACES.” I conclude this season with a solo lesson from me, on critical thinking and the brain, after being asked to create an episode on this topic for the corporate space. Season 4:  These 14 episodes (82-96) that begin to tie in health, and mental health into the understanding of our brain, productivity and results. The shift to health on this podcast became apparent when we started to see how important our brain health is for our overall results.CONTENT: Everything that we do starts at the brain level, and we dive deep into this with our 3-part episodes on “How a Brain Scan Changed My Life” with a look at what we can learn from looking at our brain using a SPECT image brain scan. The interviews of this season mix in the power of education with an understanding of health and wellness. Dr. Sarah McKay agreed with Dr. Shane Creado (from Season 3) that sleep is one of the most important health strategies we can implement. It became apparent that there were 5 health staples that emerged as so powerful they were showing an impact on Alzheimer’s Prevention, so this season became a deep dive into these top 5 health staples (daily exercise, getting good quality and quantity sleep, eating a healthy diet, optimizing our microbiome and intermittent fasting). You will also hear from Dr. Andrew Newberg and his episode on Neurotheology, Dr. Erik Won and his ground -breaking technology that’s changing the future of mental health, Luke DePron, who is stretching the limits with neuroscience, health, fitness and growth, Sarah Peyton on “Brain Network Theory, Default Mode Network, Anxiety and Emotion Regulation,” Momo Vuyisich on “Preventing and Reversing Chronic Disease by Improving the Health of Your Microbiome,” Jason Wittrock on the Ketogentic Diet and Intermittent Fasting, and Dr. Sandy Gluckman on “Reversing Children’s Behavior and Mood Problems.” We also hear from behavior experts Drs. Jessica and John Hannigan on their new book “SEL From a Distance” that offers simple strategies for parents and educators who are working on implementing these SEL skills into their home or classroom, during the pandemic.When Season 4 took the direction of health, mental-health, and wellness, I began looking for guests to dive deeper into the Top 5 health staples that seemed to continue to emerge with each guest.Health Staple 1: Daily Exercise  (Luke DePron)Health Staple 2: Getting Good Quality Sleep (Dr. Shane Creado)Health Staple 3: Eating a Healthy Diet (Dr. Daniel Stickler).Health Staple 4: Optimizing our Microbiome (Momo Vuyisich)Health Staple 5: Intermittent Fasting (Jason Wittrock)On this episode, that we are releasing for Podbean’s Wellness Week, I’ll take the Top 5 Health Staples from EPISODE #87 and offer additional tips, strategies, and ideas based our most recent interviews, that you can implement immediately for improved health and well-being. You can see EPISODE #87[ii] on the “Top 5 Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Prevention Strategies” that I wrote after watching Dr. David Perlmutter’s Documentary: Alzheimer’s the Science of Prevention[iii], that inspired the change in direction for the podcast towards health and wellness in addition to social, emotional and cognitive strategies for improved results.The case is clear that in order to move the needle the most with our health, there are some important areas that we can come to a consensus that are crucial to pay attention to. We know that Alzheimer’s disease now affects “more than 5 million Americans and is the most common form of dementia, a term that describes a variety of diseases and conditions that develop when nerve cells in the brain die or no longer function normally.”[iv]I was interested in learning more on this topic, since it was one of the reasons, we did scan our brain in the first place. The pattern of Alzheimer’s can be seen in the brain years before signs and symptoms show up, so when I saw Dr. Perlmutter’s Alzheimer’s Prevention series, I watched every episode to learn what brain experts across the country are saying about the top ways to prevent this disease, that currently has no know or meaningful treatment but I was given some hope when I learned that “you can change the direction of your cognitive destiny” (From Max Lugavere,[v] a Health and Science Journalist and NYT Bestselling Author, Genius Foods). Here is how we can take control of our health and future, with the TOP 5 health staples that I think we should all know, how they play a role in Alzheimer’s prevention, with added TIPS from our most recent health interviews.Health Staple 1: Daily Exercise: This seems to be the solution for every single brain problem, so I think that this is the most important strategy, and the reason why I block out exercise time on my schedule as non-negotiable. If we can incorporate 30 minutes of brisk walking every day, we will be miles ahead with our brain health. It wasn’t until I started to measure my activity, that I started to see that 30 minutes of walking really did make a difference. I didn’t need to be running or working really hard (like I used to think I had to do) to notice a difference, but I did need to put in some effort to move the needle.  The benefits  of daily, consistent exercise “come directly from its ability to reduce insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, and stimulate the release of growth factors—chemicals in the brain that affect the health of brain cells, the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and even the abundance and survival of new brain cells.”[vi]  If for some reason, this whole idea of exercising still doesn’t sound the least bit interesting to you, you might be surprised like I was, that household activities like vacuuming, or raking leaves, or anything that gets your heart rate up, like shoveling snow (something I haven’t done in years since I moved from Toronto)—but these activities can also fall into the category of moderate exercise. The idea is whatever you choose, that it remains consistent, so it eventually becomes something you do habitually.ALZHEIMER’S PREVENTION THOUGHT FOR DAILY EXERCISE:If exercise reduces insulin resistance and inflammation, it would make sense that it also reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s. Studies show that “people who are physically active, have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and possibly have improved thinking.”[vii]DEEPER DIVE with LUKE DEPRON:On episode #90, I interviewed Luke DePron on “Neuroscience, Fitness and Growth” Luke is a Men’s Health & Performance Coach[viii], and graduate of Exercise Science, Kinesiology. Luke has done everything from personal training with 100s of clients, to working alongside Drs of Chiropractic as a corrective exercise specialist, training Olympic level athletes, to performance work with world champion mixed martial arts fighters. Currently Luke works as a Men’s Online Health and Performance Coach—learn more at http://www.livegreatlifestyle.com/ where he helps men step into a lifestyle approach of exercise and nutrition to transform their physique, energy, and confidence. He’s also the Host of the Live Great Lifestyle Podcast[ix] where he’s interviewed former Navy Seals, Mixed Martial Arts world champions, New York Times best-selling authors, personal development speakers, and many more….LESSON LEARNED FROM LUKE ON DAILY EXERCISE: I learned from Luke that “most people start a fitness or nutrition journey with a physique goal in mind, but it’s how you feel at the end of it.” What’s inspiring Luke says “is to see someone who might not be in that great health to begin with, create daily and weekly habits or standards that they follow, that creates energy and confidence that comes along with these habits.” That’s what the journey is all about.Health Staple 2: Getting Good Quality Sleep: Making sure we are getting at least 7- 8 hours each night. I think that we have seen the importance of sleep with our interview with sleep expert Dr. Shane Creado, on episode #72[x] and with Dr. Sarah McKay on episode #85.[xi] It is clear that sleep deprivation causes poor health and performance because it’s not allowing enough time for the brain to wash and clean itself. With less than 7 hours of sleep each night, the “trash”[xii] builds up in our brain, that leads us farther away from health.  I learned from health expert Darin Olien from the Darin Olien Show[xiii] --he’s the one who did the Netflix Docuseries with Zac Efron called “Down to Earth with Zac Efron[xiv]” that studies show that “almost all neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, are created when protein waste accumulates in the brain, which in turn slowly suffocates and kills the brain’s neurons.”[xv]  We also know that the brain shows lower functioning to important areas when it’s sleep deprived.ALZHEIMER’S PREVENTION THOUGHT FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP:Dr. David Perlmutter, on his Alzheimer’s Science of Prevention Series, made a clear case for the fact that “sleep deprivation is directly linked to developing Alzheimer’s disease” and that “sleep plays an important role…impacting our risk for developing this condition.” He went on to remind us that “from a medical perspective, we cannot afford a bad night’s sleep” and that “sleep is essential if we want to retain optimal function of our body and our brains.”[xvi]DEEPER DIVE WITH DR. SHANE CREADOOn episode #72 with sleep medicine physician, sports psychiatrist and author of the NEW book “Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes: The Cutting-Edge Sleep Science That Will Guarantee a Competitive Advantage”[xvii] Dr. Shane CreadoShane Creado[xviii] is a double board-certified sleep medicine doctor and psychiatrist. He practices functional sleep medicine, integrative psychiatry, and sports psychiatry, putting all those skills together to uncover underlying factors that sabotage the patients, comprehensively treat them, and help them achieve their goals.LESSON LEARNED FROM DR. CREADO ON SLEEP:Dr. Creado mentions that “Sleep is a key pillar of brain health and it’s modifiable, which is what’s beautiful about it. We can’t really change our DNA, well, we could talk about epigenetics and how the environment influences our DNA but sleep is something that it modifiable and we can correct it.” When working with a patient, Dr. Creado looks at the brain using SPECT image brain scans and based on what he sees, he determines the treatment plan. When Dr. Creado looked at my brain, he suggested that a change in my sleep pattern of adding just an additional half and hour to make 7 hours of sleep, would improve my results. He also reminded me that a 20 minute nap in the afternoon would boost my productivity and is not lazy, to incorporate this habit into my daily routine, and that Google and many high level corporate environments offer sleep pods to help their employees to gain the rest needed in the afternoon to boost productivity.Health Staple 3: Eating a Healthy Diet: Eliminating sugar and processed foods. We hear this all the time and know intuitively what feels good when we eat it, and what makes our body feel tired, lethargic and just plain bad. The goal is to eliminate “the brain robbers that steal our energy and do what helps it, not hurts it.”[xix]  There are two specific moments that I remember were life-changing when it came to my diet.The first was around 2005 when I was seeing a foot doctor, Dr. Richard Jacoby, for foot numbness after exercise, and he asked me to eliminate sugar completely from my diet.  I was looking for solutions to why I couldn’t feel the top of my foot during exercise, and I didn’t show any signs of diabetes, but this doctor was writing a book, that is now released called Sugar Crush: How to Reduce Inflammation, Reverse Nerve Damage and Reclaim Good Health[xx]  and he was convinced that sugar intake was at the root of most health problems. He suggested that I take fish oil, and learn to avoid higher glycemic foods, and the results that occurred were so impactful, that I wished I had done this sooner. The benefits of cutting out sugar from my diet only snowballed my health for the better down the road. When I was ready to have children, I was a bit worried that I would have some challenges here, as I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) in my late 20s and told that I might need to take fertility drugs to conceive,  but surprisingly, after some tests, my doctor told me that I no longer had this condition, that it appears to have reversed, and she asked me what I had done. The only thing I did was exercise, take fish oil and cut out sugar.The second life-changing Aha Moment around diet was focused around intermittent fasting, that I talk about in point #5, but it was also eye opening when I started to follow Dave Asprey, the author of the NYT bestseller The Bulletproof Diet: Lose Up to a Pound a Day, Reclaim Focus, Upgrade Your Life[xxi] and creator of Bulletproof Coffee[xxii].  Who would ever have thought that putting butter, coconut oil or MCT oil in your coffee would help you to increase your energy and stay lean? I heard this idea first from bodybuilder and fitness expert Jason Wittrock[xxiii] from watching his YouTube channel where he explains exactly what goes into a keto coffee, and why it’s good for your energy levels. He explains the science behind the keto diet and was a great resource for me when I was learning that eating fats, won’t make me fat. Thomas DeLauer[xxiv] is also a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about intermittent fasting, or the ketogenic diet.ALZHEIMER’S PREVENTION THOUGHT FOR EATING A HEALTY DIET:Did you know that sugar in the brain “looks like Alzheimer’s” in the brain,  and that “60% of cognitive decline is related to how you handle blood sugar?”[xxv] There was a study that followed “5,189 people over 10 years and found that people with high blood sugar had a faster rate of cognitive decline than those with normal blood sugar—whether or not their blood-sugar level technically made them diabetic. In other words, the higher the blood sugar, the faster the cognitive decline.”[xxvi]Did you know that with Type 2 Diabetes, you have almost double the risk for Alzheimer’s Disease, that has no known treatment? If you have type 2 diabetes, your goal would be to do everything that you can to manage your blood sugar, by eating good carbs[xxvii] (complex carbs with fiber),  eat lower glycemic foods[xxviii] that balance your blood sugar levels, instead of throwing them off balance with high levels of sugar.Above is an image of a healthy brain, from Dr. Amen’s Clinics, showing even, symmetrical and smooth blood flow to all areas in the healthy brain, and the Alzheimer’s brain shows a drop of blood flow to the important parts of the brain.DEEPER DIVE WITH DR. DANIEL STICKLEROn episode #96 with Dr. Daniel Stickler, MD, a former vascular surgeon who concluded that traditional medicine is not the best route for ideal health. He is now the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of The Apeiron Center for Human Potential (Apeiron meaning Limitless) and is the visionary pioneer behind systems-based precision lifestyle medicine, which is a new paradigm that redefines medicine from the old symptoms-based disease model to one of limitless peak performance. A few minutes of looking at Dr. Stickler’s work and your level of awareness will expand.LESSON LEARNED FROM DR. STICKLER ON NUTRITION:Dr. Stickler talks about a skill called interoception or the ability to listen to the signals within the body that we have spoken about in a few episodes on this podcast (whether it was with Dr. Dan Siegel and his Wheel of Awareness meditation[xxix] that strengthens this awareness) or personal trainer Jason Wittrock who talked about the importance of listening to your hunger cues to gain control over your eating habits.Dr. Stickler mentioned interoception as a skill used by pro athletes to achieve results with their athletic career, or with those in the special forces who must learn this skill since they are often faced with life vs death situations. If we can learn to listen to the cues our body tells us, whether it’s with the food we are eating, or when we are eating, we will be miles ahead with our well-being.Health Staple 4: Optimizing our Microbiome: Did you know that your gut is made up of trillions of bacteria, fungi and other microbes. This microbiome plays an important role in your health by helping to control digestion and benefitting your immune system. Taking a probiotic daily, remaining active, eating a healthy diet and avoiding foods that disrupt our microbiome[xxx] (processed fried foods, sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners, are important for our gut/brain health.ALZHEIMER’S PREVENTION THOUGHT FOR OPTIMIZING YOUR MICROBIOME:There does appear to be a hidden relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and the microbiome in our gut and that “an imbalanced gut microbiome (dysbiosis) could lead to Alzheimer’s disease and wider neuroinflammation through the gut-brain-axis. Promoting ‘good bacteria’ relative to ‘bad bacteria’ in the gut may be important in maintaining good digestive, immune and neurological health.”[xxxi] This is still a developing field but taking prebiotics and probiotics[xxxii] are the best way to promote a healthy gut/brain balance.DEEPER DIVE WITH DR. VUYISICH Our recent episode #93 with Dr. Momo Vuyisich, the co-founder and chief science officer of Viome[xxxiii], a healthcare disruptor that’s using IA to analyze your gut microbiome to make personalized nutritional recommendations, we learn about the importance of the gut/brain connection and how we can take control of our own life and health by optimizing our gut microbiome with personalized nutritional recommendations using Viome testing. Dr. Vuyisich’s research focused on applying modern genomics to the areas of gut microbiomes, host-pathogen and microbial inter-species interactions, pathogen detection, cancer biology, toxicology, infectious diseases, and antibiotic resistance.LESSON LEARNED FROM DR. VUYISICHDr. Vuyisich believes that “Today we have 100% of the science and technology needed to cure every chronic disease and every cancer.” He urges everyone to learn more about ways to optimize their gut health by understanding what damages our gut health, and what is good for it. Since each person’s microbiome is different, his company offers microbiome testing, and the result is that people learn what foods they should avoid, minimize, enjoy and those that are superfoods for them. This has opened up a whole new world for him, and it begins with each person taking charge of their own health by understanding our gut/brain connection.Health Staple 5: Intermittent Fasting: Has many health benefits[xxxiv] that you might have heard of, like the fact it reduces belly fat. I started intermittent fasting around 3 years ago when I was looking to take my health to the next level, and was following some of the well-known body builders, to see what they were doing for their health and fitness. I started the 16-8 program where you fast for 16 hours, and only eat foods in an 8-hour window. I just picked 4 days a week (Sunday to Wednesday) to do this, to see what happened, and the results were obvious. I was able to quickly get down to my goal weight, where I was stuck, and not able to move the needle with exercise alone.ALZHEIMER’S PREVENTION THOUGHT FOR INTERMITTENT FASTING : Intermittent fasting has so many other health benefits tied to this practice, like the fact it “fights insulin resistance, lowering your risk of type-2 diabetes, reduces inflammation in the body, is beneficial for heart health, and may prevent cancer.”[xxxv] If it is fighting insulin resistance, then it is also fighting your risk of Alzheimer’s.DEEPER DIVE WITH FITNESS TRAINER AND MODEL JASON WITTROCKOn episode #94 with personal trainer and fitness model, Jason Wittrock we learn more about intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet that go hand in hand.I first found Jason Wittrock late 2016/ 2017 when I was searching for answers with my diet. I was at a crossroads with my health, and knew I needed to do some things differently, I just didn’t know exactly what to do, and I had heard some friends in some of my online groups talking about how they were drinking keto coffee, and experiencing health benefits, like increased energy and weight loss.  So I went to YouTube, and typed in “how to make keto coffee” and Jason Wittrock’s video came up called “Keto Coffee”[xxxvi] and my journey began here, taking my health to a whole new level, and have never looked back. I’m sure there are thousands of stories just like mine.LESSON LEARNED FROM JASON WITTROCKJason says it just like it is. He talks about the fact that eating fats, won’t make you fat, which is a whole new paradigm for anyone who is used to counting calories.  He says “You can’t get mad at the butter for what the bread did” and is one of the leaders in the fitness industry who has built a career on helping people implement the ketogenic diet. Many people on this diet notice that they stay full for much longer, and intermittent fasting becomes easier to implement.REVIEW AND ACTION STEPS:Wherever you are with your current health, there is always a way to take your results to the next level. You also don’t need to get bogged down with implementing these ideas in a rush and stressing yourself out in the process.To get started, pick one area that you want to improve, and work on that one area for the next 90 days.Remember what Luke De Pron suggested, the end results should be how you “feel” not what you look like. How you feel will spill over to your confidence levels, helping to improve your daily productivity and results.WHERE TO BEGIN WITH DAILY EXERCISE:If you want to improve your daily exercise, but have no idea where to begin, I would start with walking.Beginners: I remember after a surgery I had that I could barely walk to the bottom of my driveway and remember thinking how frustrating that was. Listen to your body and start with short distances.  I would wake up early, at 4am (since I didn’t want the whole world watching me struggle to walk short distances) and I could walk from the bottom of my driveway to the end of the street. I did that every day for a week and then added a longer distance that lasted 15 minutes. After a few weeks, I was walking longer distances and longer amounts of time, showing me that progress is possible, with regular, consistent activity.Moderate to Advanced: If you have plateaued with your current exercise routine, have you tried working with a trainer? Many are available for zoom/video calls during this time if your gym is still closed, or if you don’t have one. The key is to do something that you have not done before, to get new and different results.WHERE TO BEGIN WITH GETTING A GOOD QUALITY SLEEPWatch the interview with sleep expert Dr. Shane Creado, on episode #72[xxxvii] and with Dr. Sarah McKay on episode #85?[xxxviii]If you are waking up and feel tired, or not rested, have you considered getting a sleep study to test the quality and quantity of your sleep?Take inventory of your sleep. Are you getting at least 7-8.5 hours/each night? Remember that Dr. Creado said that the beauty about sleep is that it is modifiable. How can you adjust your sleep to make improvements? Even just by adding an additional half an hour each night, along with an afternoon nap, can yield noticeable results.Have you ever used an app to measure your sleep? Dr. Stickler in episode #96 measures all of his clients sleep using a Garmin device, and he has noted that someone doing all the right things EXCEPT for sleeping enough, were able to lose weight only once they improved their sleep.WHERE TO BEGIN WITH EATING A HEALTHY DIETDo you avoid processed foods?Have you ever thought about cutting out sugar?Do you choose healthy carbs and fats?Do you choose whole foods vs processed foods?WHERE TO BEGIN WITH OPTIMIZING YOUR MICROBIOMEDo you take a probiotic? A prebiotic?Do you know what foods help/hurt or damage your microbiome?Have you considered microbiome testing like Dr. Vuyicish’s company offers so you can pinpoint the foods that you should avoid, minimize, maximize, or foods that are superfoods?WHERE TO BEGIN WITH INTERMITTENT FASTINGIf fasting for 16 hours with an 8 hour eating window seems too much, try 12 hours fasting and 12 hours eating to begin. Try it for a few days a week, and just see if you feel better fasting than when you eat like you normally would. If you feel better, you can always experiment with different fasting methods, and see where you feel best.Remember Jason Wittrock explaining that when you are eating a diet that is higher in fat, that you will not get hungry the same way you do eating a high carb diet.I hope you have found this episode helpful, and I that you did learn something new. Please do send me a message on social media and let me know what you think.  I really do believe that if we want to improve our social, emotional and cognitive abilities, it all starts with an understanding of our brain, and these TOP 5 strategies seem to move the needle the most, especially when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s and other diseases that I know we all want to avoid.  I hope you have found the additional interviews helpful, and begin to make small changes in one area at a time. It’s these small, daily habits, that when repeated over and over again, yield outstanding results.See you next episode!REFERENCES:[i] (Integrating Social, Emotional and Academic Development: An Action Guide for School Leadership Teams) page 4[ii] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning EPISODE #87 on the “Top 5 Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Prevention Strategies”[iii] Dr. David Perlmutter’s “Alzheimer’s: The Science of Prevention” https://scienceofprevention.com/[iv] 10 Early Alzheimer’s Symptoms That You Should Know https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/10-early-alzheimers-symptoms-that-you-should-know/[v] Max Lugavere, Health and Science Journalist and NYT Bestselling Author, Genius Foods. https://www.maxlugavere.com/[vi] Regular exercise changes the brain to improve memory, thinking skills by Heidi Goodman, April 2014  https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/regular-exercise-changes-brain-improve-memory-thinking-skills-201404097110[vii] Alzheimer’s Disease: Can Exercise Prevent Memory Loss April 2019  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/expert-answers/alzheimers-disease/faq-20057881[viii] http://www.livegreatlifestyle.com/[ix] Live Great Lifestyle Podcast with Luke DePron http://www.livegreatlifestyle.com/podcast/[x] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast Episode #72 with Shane Creado on “Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes” https://www.achieveit360.com/self-regulation-and-sleep-with-a-deep-dive-into-dr-shane-creados-peak-sleep-performance-for-athletes/[xi] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast Episode #85 with Neuroscientist Dr. Sarah McKay on “High Performing Brain Health Strategies That We Should All Know About.”[xii] Darin Olien “The Sleep Position to Detoxify Your Brain”  https://darinolien.com/detoxify-your-brain/[xiii] The Darin Olien Show https://darinolien.com/podcasts/[xiv] Down to Earth with Zac Efron (co-host Darin Olien)  https://www.netflix.com/title/80230601[xv] Darin Olien “The Sleep Position to Detoxify Your Brain”  https://darinolien.com/detoxify-your-brain/[xvi] Dr. David Perlmutter’s “Alzheimer’s: The Science of Prevention” EPISODE 10 on Sleep  https://scienceofprevention.com/[xvii] Dr. Shane Creado’s Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes: The Cutting-Edge Sleep Science That Will Guarantee a Competitive Advantage (March 15, 2020) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085YFP9YW/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1[xviii] www.shanecreado.com[xix] Dr. Daniel Amen “7 Simple Brain-Promoting Nutritonal Tips” https://www.creativityatwork.com/2011/01/10/dr-amen-seven-simple-brain-promoting-nutrition-tips/[xx] Sugar Crush: How to Reduce Inflammation, Reverse Nerve Damage and Reclaim Good Health by Dr. Richard Jacoby (April 2014)  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPVB4OA/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1[xxi] Dave Asprey The Bulletproof Diet https://www.amazon.com/Bulletproof-Diet-Reclaim-Energy-Upgrade-ebook/dp/B00K8DSTWU/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3EQ3XAEBNVQKS&dchild=1&keywords=dave+asprey&qid=1600893573&s=digital-text&sprefix=dave+asprey+the+%2Cdigital-text%2C210&sr=1-2[xxii] Bulletproof Coffee https://www.bulletproof.com/recipes/bulletproof-diet-recipes/bulletproof-coffee-recipe/[xxiii] Fitness expert Jason Wittrock on “What goes into Keto Coffee”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzLwqBDMgGc[xxiv] Fitness and Health Expert Thomas DeLauer https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC70SrI3VkT1MXALRtf0pcHg[xxv] Dr. David Perlmutter’s “Alzheimer’s: The Science of Prevention” EPISODE 5  https://scienceofprevention.com/[xxvi] The Startling Link Between Sugar and Alzheimer’s by Olga Khazan Jan. 26, 2018 https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/01/the-startling-link-between-sugar-and-alzheimers/551528/[xxvii] Good Carbs vs Bad Carbs https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/good-carbs-bad-carbs[xxviii] Lower Glycemic Foods https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/low-glycemic-diet[xxix] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning EPSIODE #60 “The Science Behind a Meditation Practice with a Deep Dive into Dr. Daniel Siegel’s Wheel of Awareness Meditation”  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/the-science-behind-a-meditation-practice-with-a-deep-dive-into-dr-dan-siegel-s-wheel-of-awareness/[xxx] 11 Ways Your Life Can Disrupt the Gut Microbiome https://atlasbiomed.com/blog/11-ways-your-life-can-disrupt-the-gut-microbiome/[xxxi] Alzheimer’s Disease and the Microbiome by Oman Shabir  https://www.news-medical.net/health/Alzheimers-Disease-and-the-Microbiome.aspx[xxxii] What is the Difference Between a Prebiotic and a Probiotic https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323490[xxxiii] https://www.viome.com/[xxxiv] 11 Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2[xxxv] 11 Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2[xxxvi] Keto Coffee with Jason Wittrock Published August 2017 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzLwqBDMgGc[xxxvii] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast Episode #72 with Shane Creado on “Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes” https://www.achieveit360.com/self-regulation-and-sleep-with-a-deep-dive-into-dr-shane-creados-peak-sleep-performance-for-athletes/[xxxviii] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast Episode #85 with Neuroscientist Dr. Sarah McKay on “High Performing Brain Health Strategies That We Should All Know About.” https://www.achieveit360.com/neuroscientist-dr-sarah-mckay-on-high-performing-brain-health-strategies-that-we-should-all-know-about-and-implement/ 

Natasha Davis, who is the founder and CEO of Impact Branding Consulting, joins Small Biz Buzz in our Big Grit docuseries to talk about her journey from being a nurse to realizing her real passion of becoming an entrepreneur and all the obstacles she had to overcome to be successful.       “It takes time. Shifting from a mindset of being an employee is a big shift to being an entrepreneur, but then you have to shift from being an entrepreneur to being an employer, to being a business owner, it's two different mindsets,” said Natasha. “You have to begin to make different decisions. When you start a business, you're making $5,000 decisions, maybe $2,000 decisions, but then as you continue to grow, if you're doing it right, you're now making $25,000 decisions and $50,000 decisions, it's a different mindset.” Natasha stresses the importance of never stop trying; never give up on yourself. “Even when people say no to you, you have to truly believe in yourself. And you have to believe in what you're doing. Believe in what your cause is,” she said. “And don't look at yourself as this little minute thing. You're on this earth to do powerful things. You are that cargo. And if one person says no to you, screw it, go to the next person. There are people there who need you.” Natasha Davis can be found at impactbrandingconsulting.org.     Click play for more.

Branding ties to the big picture of how a business operates and its profitability, so I brought in Natasha Davis of Impact Branding to talk about “Linking Brand Strategy to Business Operations.”   A few highlights we talk about are: How are strategic planning and branding are codependent on one another 5 simple principles to strategic planning The difference between revenue and profit The most effective approach for measuring daily operations and why it's critical The importance of your brand promise You can learn more about Natasha Davis and her business at https://impactbrandingconsulting.org/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashadavisvisionary/. You can follow Impact Branding at https://www.facebook.com/impactbrandingconsulting/, https://www.instagram.com/impactbrandingconsulting/ and https://twitter.com/IMPCTBranding. Learn tips from Natasha on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP4PZfF4Vn7QgSX6mQXUPhw. This podcast is brought to you by Speerhead Solutions, a strategic branding business. https://speerheadsolutions.com/ Subscribe to the Branding BFF podcast to stay connected to more behind-the-scenes conversations about branding and business. We also welcome your rating and review on iTunes – so we know what you enjoyed and more people can find us!

This is episode #58 with James MacDiarmid and Natasha Davis. Thanks for tuning into the podcast today! I’m always excited about the guests we bring on here, as each person has achieved high levels of success in their field and I know they can help others by sharing their knowledge. Our guests today hit a chord with me when I saw their work because their vision, and my vision are 100% aligned. You can watch the interview on YouTube here. A few years ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about a thought I had of teaching social and emotional learning skills via virtual reality.  I had some prominent virtual reality companies that I had been following and put up on my wall, with the vision that maybe someday, we would see students learning SEL via these new modes of learning that were highly engaging.  I had an image of what the lessons would look like (I could see a forest with students choosing different paths and learning new skills with each pathway that they took). For example, if they made a life decision, it would give them the opportunity to see the effects of this decision and see the reality of “if I do this, this will happen” showing them the consequences of their actions. After my interview with David Adams[i], (episode #54) I received a message on LinkedIn from James MacDiarmid (who had heard David’s podcast) about a potential next guest for the show with a video link for me to learn more about what our next guest had created. When I finally had a chance to watch the video, I have to say, I was blown away. This was the vision I had for SEL brought to life. I watched a walkthrough of a virtual reality lesson from the Wise: Emotional Fitness program and there was even a forest in the video. I wrote back to James with tears in my eyes, that yes, I want to learn more and before I know it, I’m speaking with James from Curiious[ii] - that’s with two ii’s- in Australia via video conference about the Wise program. And here we are today.  Let me give you more background on James and Natasha.James has extensive experience in education, learning design and consultancy, with a passion for new technologies and enacting transformational change across whole-school systems.He is a published author, contributing writer for TEDx and was a co-creator for PlayFutures, with the LEGO Foundation[iii] where they focus on bringing learning through play to children around the world. After a few minutes of speaking with James, his passion for building authentic learning opportunities and inspiring future generations came through loud and clear.Natasha[iv], who James explained was the heart and sole of the program, is a clinical psychologist with over 15 years experience designing, researching and implementing emotion regulation and relationship building programs for adolescents and adults. She is the Director of a community-based clinic and has held many leadership positions in private and non-profit sectors. Natasha was the lead subject-matter expert during the development of this truly innovative program.Welcome James and Natasha.  Thank you so much for being here, and sharing what you have created, all the way from Australia where it’s already Monday morning over there for you. I wanted to learn more about the Wise Program and have some questions for you.Q1: The first question is for Natasha. First of all, congratulations on what you have created. I think it is purely brilliant. Can you explain where this vision began for you?Q2: What is the methodology behind this program? 'Designed for impact, Wise uses an Inside-Out methodology which equips participants with the practical skills to build strong connections from themselves (Inside) to others and the world around them (Outside). This is enhanced by the blended learning context whereby learning within virtual reality (Inside) is reinforced through the verbal and written self-reflective process, and teaching others the techniques (Outside). By using the principles of behavior change, and reinforcing the development of self- awareness and the empowerment to make change within ourselves, we are then guided to be able to change how we interact with others and the world around us. With our emotions being like the engine of the car, individuals are shown how to adjust and “steer” their reactions by understanding how to “tune into” their emotions, better understand the “mechanics” of their emotional system and know how to “rev up” or “slow down” their emotional responses where needed, or even “brake” if they are about to do something dangerous or damaging. These skills are practiced and reinforced to build confidence in managing more complex emotional and relational situations. Students are further supported through the Wise adult programs and resources which provide skills and resources to the adults in their lives. Educators, coaches, mentors, parents, guardians or other caring adults can learn skills and strategies through the program. Educators have additional training through professional development programs which assist them to learn the skills and facilitate student learning. Adults can take these skills and strategies into the home, workplace and broader community activities. This whole system approach ensures that each individual’s learning is supported by and contributes to the systems that they live in. This is the Wise Learning Ecosystem.'Q3: James, I know you are the educational advisor to the program, can you give some background of all that you are doing to ensure that Wise is evidence-based, aligned to Casel.org’s SEL competencies, and universal curriculum requirements?Q4: Who are some of the influencers of this program that you have spoken with? How have they influenced your work?Q5: What has been the feedback you are receiving from educators/students using the program? Research with FM Labs at ICA. Preliminary results/study with students during the initial development phase have indicated that there is a great amount that can be taken from this not just this approach but also the material covered throughout the program itself.Q6: What is your vision for the Wise program?All kids, parents, teachers, coaches have access to these emotional regulation skills to improve the emotional fitness of each individual and those who support them.  Whole school systemic change. Q7: Can you give us some more background on the company Curiious? If someone wants to learn more, what’s the best way?'Curiious is a creative communication company. For more than 20 years, we have used creativity & technology to solve problems, grow businesses and challenge traditional methods of communication. With offices in Sydney, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and New York, we create story-driven immersive experiences, backed by the latest technology, innovative design and strategic thinking to captivate, inspire and educate audiences.'To contact James you can email him at james.m@curiious.com and Natasha is natasha.d@curriious.comThank you both so much for taking the time to speak with me today, and for creating such an innovative program to help young people develop into the responsible citizens that we all hope for our next generation. We do look forward to following your progress and hope this interview will lead as an introduction to connect you with schools and educators who want to learn more about this innovative VR emotional fitness program. Thanks so much. RESOURCES:The Wise SEL/ Emotional Fitness Program Walk-Through REFERENCES:[i] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #54 David Adams on “A New Vision of Education: Living Up to the Values We Want for Our Next Generation” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/director-sel-david-adams-on-new-vision-education-living/id1469683141?i=1000471762331 [ii] https://curiious.com/about-us/ [iii] https://www.legofoundation.com/en/what-we-do/playfutures/ [iv] https://clinpsychcentre.com.au/profile/natasha-davis/ 

Natasha Davis, is a Registered Nurse, Branding Strategist and Corporate Trainer. As a certified expert in email & social media marketing and branding, she thrives on fixing problems and eliminating frustrations for companies and their executives. Over the past 15 years, Natasha has worked with several companies and professionals to assist them in enhancing their business potential, brand equity, brand loyalty, cash flow, customer satisfaction and marketing strategy through the power of impactful branding. Because she uncomplicates the most complicates aspects in business, her clients affectionately refer to her as "The Chief Visionary" Natasha has the ability to quickly identify issues, find solutions, get results and improve outcomes. Resources Impact Branding Consulting (official site) Natasha Davis on LinkedIn Natasha's Previous Appearance

The launch of her 3rd company Impact Branding Consulting, Inc. Natasha advanced her career and pursued her Masters in Business & Marketing. Her specialty is helping professionals, entrepreneurs and companies create brands that have a lasting impact. As a certified expert in email & social media marketing, speaker and trainer, she thrives on fixing problems and eliminating frustrations for companies and their executives. Over the past 10 years, Natasha has worked with several companies and professionals to assist them in enhancing their business potential, brand equity, brand loyalty, customer satisfaction and marketing strategy through the power of impactful branding. Her clients affectionately refer to her as "The Chief Visionary" because of her ability to quickly identify issues, find solutions, get results and improve outcomes. Natasha, authored and published her first book “Get Grounded; Stay Grounded.” www.NatashaDavisVisionary.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sashamarinamedia/message

The launch of her 3rd company Impact Branding Consulting, Inc. Natasha advanced her career and pursued her Masters in Business & Marketing. Her specialty is helping professionals, entrepreneurs and companies create brands that have a lasting impact. As a certified expert in email & social media marketing, speaker and trainer, she thrives on fixing problems and eliminating frustrations for companies and their executives. Over the past 10 years, Natasha has worked with several companies and professionals to assist them in enhancing their business potential, brand equity, brand loyalty, customer satisfaction and marketing strategy through the power of impactful branding. Her clients affectionately refer to her as "The Chief Visionary" because of her ability to quickly identify issues, find solutions, get results and improve outcomes. Natasha, authored and published her first book “Get Grounded; Stay Grounded.” www.NatashaDavisVisionary.com

Natasha E. Davis is helping professionals, entrepreneurs and companies create brands that have a lasting impact. As a certified expert in email & social media marketing, speaker and trainer, she thrives on fixing problems and eliminating frustrations for companies and their executives. Over the past 10 years, Natasha has worked with several companies and professionals to assist them in enhancing their business potential, brand equity, brand loyalty, customer satisfaction and marketing strategy throughthe power of impactful branding. Her clients affectionately refer to her as "The Chief Visionary" because of her ability to quickly identify issues, find solutions, get results and improve outcomes.

Chatting it up with my home girl, Natasha Davis. She talks about her life as a light skinned black chick growing up in a small town in New Jersey. She also gets into her love for the cannabis planet. She explores her dream of going into business with the planet to help people physically and emotionally.

Natasha Davis is the owner of Impact Branding Consulting, a brand development & PR management-consulting firm equipped with consultants, marketing specialists, executive coaches, project managers, technology experts and professional development specialist. Their niche' is helping healthcare reach higher heights. They help companies to establish, grow and re-launch operations with excellence through the use of Strategy and Implementation. Their goal is to take business owners and companies down the path of the least resistant. Follow Natasha on Twitter at @NatashaIBCEO. She can also be found on LinkedIn and ImpactBrandingConsulting.com.   You'll Learn: How Natasha transitioned from being a Registered Nurse to branding consultant. Why the personal connection in branding can never be replaced by technology. Why true skill and integrity are lacking in the professional branding and digital marketing industry. Why blood thirsty marketing professionals and those with influence are partly responsible for the rise of #fakenews. Why marketing has become lazy and those who hold true to the fundamentals will scale.   3 Key Points: Branding and Marketing is NOT the same thing. Vanity metrics no longer matter; intention and strategy are needed to get results. Marketing professionals are just as responsible for encouraging the rise of #fakenews.   Resources Mention:  Natasha's book: #BEUNLEASHED: Unleash Your Millionaire Mindset and Build Your Brand   Killer Resources: Ready to go pro but aren't sure if College is the right choice for you? Get my Ultimate Digital Marketing College Guide. Like the podcast? Then you'll love the book! Grab Beyond Buzzwords on Amazon. In the last three months of the 2016 Presidential election fake news outperformed real news on Facebook. DON'T be taken advantage of. Our Digital Discernment course teaches you how to call B.S. online.   Support this podcast: Like what you hear? Consider becoming a patron at https://www.patreon.com/MarketingDisenchanted. I'm a small, independent podcaster so your support goes a long way in making sure I have the funds to keep the podcast going. Go to Patreon.com and check out my awesome pledge levels. You're doing a good deed and will be rewarded handsomely for it! Thanks in advance.   Like what you hear? Book me to speak!  While podcasting is a personal joy of mine, nothing beats connecting with like-minded people in person. Go to ConsultTemi.com to book me for your next conference, meeting or event.   Let's Connect! Follow me on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Shoot me an email: Temi at ConsultTemi.com (Sorry, had to break the email link to stymie the bots… damned bots.)

Natasha Davis from Impact Branding Consulting says that many business owners confuse marketing (psychological minutiae that let people know your business is present, i.e. t-shirts) with actual branding (pricing, content, client acquisition, culture, business model, expertise you have, identity). Don't do so many things that you can't differentiate yourself in a unique way! Branding is […]

Natasha Davis from Impact Branding Consulting says that many business owners confuse marketing (psychological minutiae that let people know your business is present, i.e. t-shirts) with actual branding (pricing, content, client acquisition, culture, business model, expertise you have, identity). Don't do so many things that you can't differentiate yourself in a unique way! Branding is the difference between being seen as a "Target" business or a "Dollar Store" business. Decide what type of client you want, and then develop a profile of what that ideal client looks like. Identify that ideal client's commonalities and observable behaviors (business size, industry, where they hang out, social networks, how to get in touch, follow-up) and characteristics (what you can only identify by talking to them -- if they're ready to get started and how accountable and coachable they are). Resources Impact Branding Consulting (Website) Be Unleashed (Book) The Difference Between Marketing and Branding (Blog Post)

Two Brothers Talk About Running A Business Together; Dave Weisbeck, Chief Strategy Officer with Visier talks about new study on gender differences in raising capital. Natasha Davis gives tips on branding for small business.

What is your brand equity? And why is it valuable? As a business owner, it is important for you to know the answer to these questions. Knowing your brand equity helps you understand the liabilities and assets linked to your brand so that you can leverage it for greater success. Join us as Natasha Davis […]

Natasha Davis is the founder and CEO of Impact Branding, Inc, (formerly Visionary People). Impact Branding helps companies identify their vulnerabilities and best solutions. They directly contribute to the improvement, enhancement and development of their clients. Impact Branding's PR and Branding Strategies are not only creative and contemporary they are also effective in ensuring their client’s brands make a lasting impact. Natasha is the author of  "Unleash Your Millionaire Mindset" which is set to be released on March 26th. Website: www.impactbrandingconsulting.org Twitter: @NatashaIBCEO 

Natasha Davis, Chief Visionary from VisionaryPeopleArise.com, joins us today on the BRAND New You show. At Visionary People, Natasha's specialty is Creatively Transforming the Visions for Success of individuals and small businesses, into Reality. She is a certified expert in email & social media marketing and has been the recipient of the Excellence in Marketing award, the Entrepreneur & Executive Professional of the year award and was noted as one of the 40 under 40 movers and shakers in business by Career Magazine. In addition to being a branding and marketing strategist, Natasha is also an Author, host of the TV show “A day in the life of business” and she is the host of the popular talk radio show “Coaching for success”. WRAP The Best ways to get in touch with Natasha are noted below. Web: visionarypeoplearise.com Book Fundraiser page: gofundme.com/beunleashed Phone: 678-390-2681 Natasha leaves us with these final thoughts. “Don't be so acquainted with the weaknesses in your life that you forget the strengths that are all around you.”

Natasha Davis is a former trauma nurse who had the entrepreneurial bug and started her business "Visionary People" while she was still employed. After getting fired from her nursing job, it was paramount that her company becomes profitable for her to sustain her lifestyle. Natasha shares her highs and lows in her entrepreneurial journey and teaches you how to take your vision and transform it into a reality.

On Wednesday, January 12th, the Diva's will be chatting with Natasha Bowen of www.VisionsaryPeopleArise.com. Natasha Davis-Bowen, like many of us traveled through a life where there were peaks and valleys. At times, she felt unaccomplished, unequipped, confused and incomplete. As she went through her journey in life, she found a place where life is better, happiness is present, joy is around and peace... is inevitable. She turned her life completely over to God and is a sold-out Christian for Jesus Christ. Visionary People has sparked the interests of International organizations and is coordinating its first international conference tour for late 2011 where one of her powerful speeches will be delivered. In August 2010 Visionary People emerged into a full line of Integrated Marketing Resources & Internet Broadcasting by offering extraordinary quality merged with highly competitive and cost effective advertising and marketing services through the Online VP Media Division. Natasha is happily married to her man of God Marco Bowen since 2006. They reside in Atlanta Georgia and are proud faithful and active members of Voices of Faith Ministries under the leadership of Bishop Gary Hawkins. She is a strong believer of taking control of your life, going after your goals and achieving excellence according to the will of God. She has taken platforms as an empowerment speaker and trainer for diverse populations and has discovered her purpose is to Encourage, Enlighten and Empower. During her time on this earth she desires to be a blessing to other people.

Join me for cafe with inspiring speaker, empowering radio/TV host and enlightening author on productivity, progress and success, Natasha Davis Bowen as we chat about drinking more java & creating more survivors and more. Curious? Join us!

Marvin Davis was born on December 16, 1975, a native of Memphis, Tn. He was raised as a child watching his Father, Aunts, and Uncles doing music within the city. Through the Holy Spirit, Marvin was impelled to follow in the family's footsteps. During this time, he fell in love with music and grew to want to do music on a big scale. Influenced by artists such as John P. Kee, Marvin Sapp, Robert Davis, and more, Marvin found his path and accepted his calling, and is ready to take his ministry to the world.In the 90s, Marvin Served time in the military which took him to the San Diego  California area, where he got musically involved with a group called Surrender and released an EP to the world. Since that point, He married NaTasha Davis, began his family moved back to Memphis, Tennessee where he joined Shekinah Glory Church, under the leadership of Pastor Timothy Robinson, Sr., and when on to do a few features and studio work with Bjamin, Sondra Love, Joel T. Robinson of the South Camp Records entity and one year later, signed as an artist under the label.Marvin now has recorded and is ready to release his first single with South Camp Records entitled, “More”. What makes Marvin special is not only his story and dedication to God's mission for him. His sound is different. His anointing is different.  His goal in life is to please God, fulfill God's desires for his life, feed his family and make great music. His hope is that thru his ministry, He would help to convert as many lives as possible. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/ladydiva-live-radio/exclusive-content