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Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Rebecca Maxwell, a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Jacksonville Counseling Services. With 15 years of prior church ministry experience and now leading a growing counseling practice, Rebecca brings a unique perspective that bridges biblical truth and clinical insight. Are you feeling unprepared when people come to you with deep emotional or mental health struggles? Wondering how to respond wisely without overstepping your role? In this conversation, Rebecca helps church leaders better respond to crises and care for people in more informed and effective ways. Why pastors often feel unprepared. // Rebecca reflects on her years in ministry and recognizes that many church leaders simply lack the training needed to identify and respond to mental health challenges. While pastors are often the first call when someone is in crisis, most have received minimal formal education in this area. As a result, well-intentioned leaders can miss important warning signs or unintentionally cause harm. Rebecca emphasizes that pastors don't need to become therapists—but they do need a basic framework for recognizing distress and knowing how to respond appropriately. Slow down before you try to solve. // One of the most common mistakes leaders make in crisis situations is moving too quickly to solutions. Offering Scripture or advice immediately—while well-meaning—can sometimes shut people down if they don't first feel heard. Rebecca encourages leaders to practice the “ministry of presence”: allowing individuals to tell their story, expressing empathy, and bearing witness to their pain. This approach helps regulate emotions and creates space for truth to be received later, when the person is more grounded and able to process it. You don't need all the answers—but you need a plan. // A critical takeaway for church leaders is the importance of knowing where to turn for help. Rebecca stresses that leaders don't need to be experts, but they must have a resource network in place. This includes vetted counselors, crisis resources, and trusted professionals they can contact when situations escalate. Without this preparation, leaders may feel stuck or overwhelmed in high-pressure moments. Addressing misconceptions about mental health. // Rebecca also addresses a harmful but common belief in some church contexts—that mental health struggles are simply a sin issue. While sin can play a role, this perspective oversimplifies the complexity of the human mind. She explains that just as the body can become ill, so can the mind. Ignoring this reality can lead to shame, misdiagnosis, and ineffective care. Instead, churches need a more integrated understanding of people as whole beings. Why the church must engage this conversation. // If churches remain silent on mental health, people will seek answers elsewhere—from social media, AI tools, or secular sources that may lack biblical grounding. Rebecca urges leaders to step into this space with confidence and compassion, offering both truth and practical support. The church has an opportunity to be a trusted starting point for healing—but only if it is equipped to respond. A practical next step for every church. // Rebecca strongly recommends that anyone working with people receive basic crisis training, such as QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer). This short training equips leaders to recognize warning signs, respond appropriately, and guide individuals toward help. It's a simple but powerful step that can literally save lives. To learn more about Rebecca Maxwell and her book, Jesus and Your Mental Health: Linking God’s Word and Modern Science to Find Peace about Mental Health, visit JesusAndYourMentalHealth.com and download a sample here. Explore additional resources at jacksonvillecounseling.net. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in today. You’re gonna be rewarded for that. I know that the conversation we’re having today, that this week, probably four or five times, you’ve thought about issues adjacent to this, and it’s gonna be super helpful. We are leveraging an expert. We’re gonna take advantage of this person to really help you this week and to help you solve some real problems. Rich Birch — Excited to have Rebecca Maxwell with us. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She started Jacksonville Counseling Services in 2015 to serve her Florida community with counseling services that integrate best practices with a biblical foundation.Rich Birch — The cool thing about Rebecca, well, there’s lots of cool things about her, but one of the cool things about her is prior to her voyage into marriage and family therapy, she spent 15, not 50 years in…Rebecca Maxwell — I look amazing.Rich Birch — Yeah, exactly. …in church ministry with children, adolescents, and family. So it’s just a great background, dual background for us to kind of tap into today. Rebecca, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, glad to be here, Rich.Rich Birch — Apologize for the 50 year. That’s…Rebecca Maxwell — Hey, I mean, I look good for doing this for 50 years.Rich Birch — Yeah exactly. Why don’t you kind of give us a bit of a background? Tell us, fill out that, you know, bio a little bit. Tell us a little bit about yourself.Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, so I’m married to a pastor, but I want to just be clear that I was in ministry first.Rich Birch — Yes. Good. Good.Rebecca Maxwell — I fell I fell into ministry ah after getting a degree in management from Georgia Tech… Rich Birch — Okay. Rebecca Maxwell — …and the Lord just kind of opened some doors, and I had to figure out what that was going to look like. Started in ministry to teenagers, youth. And did that faithfully for many years and also did a little bit of adult discipleship and kids ministry along the way, kind of got my training as I went along. Rebecca Maxwell — And there was a there was a point where God was just really beginning to lay the foundation for a different direction, a new call. And I spent a couple semesters in seminary trying to figure that out and ah didn’t think that was where the Lord was taking me to finish that training. And a friend, honestly, this was the best question I’ve ever been asked. She asked me, Rebecca, what do you love about youth ministry? What’s the favorite what’s your favorite part of your job?Rebecca Maxwell — And I said, you know, I love talking to teenagers and their parents about life stuff. And she said, well, I think you’d make a great counselor. And so that was the that was the the great question that got me in the direction of seeking more training in counseling. And I did marriage and family therapy because I was working with family so much… Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — …and really believing that the health of the family was so important to the health of the kids. And the kids were really like my driving force in what I was doing. Rich Birch — So cool. Rebecca Maxwell — So that it took me in that direction and along the way got to do some cool things in ministry and now working alongside churches in Christian, biblically based, also clinically informed counseling.Rebecca Maxwell — And so I have a practice in Jacksonville of there there’s about 18 of us now. And along the way, God gave me an experience that allowed me to to really know that I needed to be distinctively Christian and biblically based in my practice, that that was going to be important for my community. And so that’s that’s what we do. We try to bridge the best of psychological science with what the Bible says…Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. Rebecca Maxwell — …and serve our community.Rich Birch — Well, friends, you can see why I’m excited to have Rebecca on the on the call today, because I think, well, there’s a lot there, but there’s you know this idea of of being clinically informed and biblically based. I think you have a lot to help us think through these issues you know as pastors, as leaders. You know We’re wrestling with these kinds of questions all the time.Rebecca Maxwell — Of course. Rich Birch — We’re thinking about all of these things, referring people, and all this this comes up all the time. So you spent 15 years in church ministry before going down this road of being a licensed therapist. What did you see during those years as you reflect back on that time that made you realize, hey, maybe maybe church leaders need more help in this space? I’m declaring that I think we do. So, you know, I’m putting those words in your mouth. So, you know, don’t you know don’t be offended, listeners. That’s me saying that. But what do you what do you think?Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, I think that I didn’t know what I was seeing when I was in ministry with some students and their families. I just knew that there was distress… Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — …and I didn’t know why in some cases. And not everything was a mental health issue, but I certainly missed a lot of those. I didn’t know how to meet kids and families who were in like mental crisis moments.Rebecca Maxwell — So, you know, my husband has been all the way through seminary. And so I know that he took one class in pastoral counseling that I helped him with.Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — And so this is a big issue in our community. And I don’t think that church leaders are generally well-equipped, like broadly. Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — I know there are there are more and more church leaders who are doing a deeper dive into understanding mental health and mental illness. But I would say by and large, the training isn’t there. And the problem with that is that people, parishioners, are going to go to their church leaders first when they’re struggling because they’re trusted. They’re a trusted source of on life. And so if our folks aren’t trained well, they can unintentionally cause harm. And I want to emphasize unintentionally… Rich Birch — Right, right. Rebecca Maxwell — …because nobody wants to miss something or cause harm. And, you know, they may accidentally just miss things. And, you know, suicide continues to be on the rise. And we don’t want to miss the pleas, the cries of a desperate person. And we also don’t want to minimize those. Rebecca Maxwell — We don’t want to give, you know, Christian euphemisms that don’t really address and see what’s going on deeper. Because not people don’t always show you what’s going on deeper right in the beginning. So a little bit of training goes a long way. And I know having been there and even now today, like we just don’t have enough, enough knowledge.Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — And church leaders are never going to be master’s level therapists. That’s not I’m asking for.Rich Birch — No. Right. Rebecca Maxwell — But I think we can have a better partnership to help each other.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s, that’s good. Well, let’s, let’s start. I want to come back to the the suicide question in a minute. Rebecca Maxwell — Okay.Rich Birch — So I want to put a a bookmark in that and come back to that. Cause there’s specifically, I want, I got a couple of questions around that, that I’d love to get your thoughts on. But let’s go back to that idea of pastors getting the first call. Many of us have been in on that, right? We get the, you know, a family’s in crisis mode. Something’s falling apart. I can’t, I can’t deal with this situation.Rich Birch — In fact, actually, I’ve used this yeah as like an example when training campus pastors where I’m like, there’s, you know, when someone calls you with a crisis call like that, what you say in the first 30 seconds matters. Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah. Rich Birch — Like actually that, you know, even on the phone, you know, hey, you know, so what, what happens, talk to us from your perspective, what, what usually happens in that conversation or what, where, where could that go sideways? How do we, how do we end up maybe intentionally we’re trying, unintentionally we’re trying to help, but we, things just don’t go right because we do something dumb, you know, in the, in the first little bit.Rebecca Maxwell — Well, think all of us are problem solvers. And so we want to give someone a solution to the thing that they’re experiencing. Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — And so that’s where we can like well-intentioned, we can kind of drop people. Because if we too quickly try to just point them to a scripture or give them a truth, which is true, we can tell them some true things about who God is and, and where he’s working and those sorts of things. And again, it’s true. But sometimes in that moment, it’s not helpful. Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — Sometimes a person needs to get out a little bit more of what they’re experiencing and just have someone to bear witness to their pain, right? And we see this in the scripture. Jesus did this over and over where he he he spent that time with someone to kind of bear witness to their pain before he sent them in a different direction.Rebecca Maxwell — And obviously we need both of those. I don’t want people just swimming around in the pain forever either. That’s not helpful. But I do think we move too quickly sometimes when we get that first call. You know, we just want to solve that thing. Rich Birch — Yep.Rebecca Maxwell — And sometimes we just need to kind of slow down and the and give the ministry of presence.Rich Birch — What’s a good way, maybe maybe put a bit more kind of practical bones on that. I love that idea of the ministry of presence. Hey, we’re just going to, my job right now is just to be here with you. Talk us through what that looks like.Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, I think it’s allowing someone to get their story out. And sometimes that’s not convenient because sometimes it’s long, you know.Rich Birch — Yep.Rebecca Maxwell — So to get their story out to and to be listening for the strengths and the positives that the person might be saying but isn’t quite aware of.Rebecca Maxwell — And actually…Rebecca Maxwell — you know, this, this happened yesterday to us. Rich Birch — Okay.Rebecca Maxwell — And so maybe like a story will help.Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, that’s great.Rebecca Maxwell — Someone called in to our main office line and got one of actually my personal assistant, didn’t get the clinical admin, but got my personal assistant. And asked the question, if I kill myself, will I go to hell? Rich Birch — Wow.Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah. And my personal assistant knew enough to reach out to our team right away. And so I was able to help kind of walk her through what to do. And some of the things that I told her were just keep this person talking, right? Ask about their life, all aspects of what’s going on. Let them get their story out. Because what happens when we put words to our experience and someone bears witness to that is the emotions don’t have such a grip on us. They kind of relax a little bit.Rebecca Maxwell — And my assistant told me that as she was able to kind of just continue to keep this this woman talking, that she could just, over the phone line, experience kind of that release, that she got a little bit of relief, not ultimate relief…Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — …but a little bit of relief just in telling her story. And my personal assistant, I was able to walk her through listening for the strengths, listening for the positive things, that then you can come back around to. Not minimizing or negating the struggle, but bringing more balance to the truth. Because because then when they when they calm down and they’re more in their logical brain then you’re able to deliver truth in a way that they can grab onto. Rich Birch — That’s good. Right. Rebecca Maxwell — But when they’re heightened and they’re in such distress trying to kind of speak truth in that moment just kind of bounces off of them. Does that make sense?Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, there’s that moment of like it’s like that fight or flight thing that’s going on in our brain, right? Rebecca Maxwell — Yes. Rich Birch — Where we’re just like, I just want out of this situation… Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah. Rich Birch — …whatever’s happening to me… Rebecca Maxwell — Yes. Rich Birch — …and and none of us make, you know, wise decisions in those moments.Rebecca Maxwell — No.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s, that’s, that’s amazing. How did your, well, first of all, like, I think all of our churches have got a call like that, maybe not exactly that one, but you get that call that’s like, whoa, this is, this is heavy. And particularly, yeah, so so how how did your, how did your assistant know what to do in that moment? How did you, like, that doesn’t, is that under other duties as assigned? How does, how did you, how are they prepared for that?Rebecca Maxwell — Well, I think one, she doesn’t have the clinical experience, but she is a believer and she’s walking with the Lord and she has the ultimate power source within her. So she knew to immediately start kind of praying in her spirit as she was talking.Rich Birch — Right. Right. Right.Rebecca Maxwell — And then she knew where to go. She knew who to call on.Rebecca Maxwell — And I think that that’s another important concept for church leaders is: Who are you going to call on in a crisis?Rich Birch — Yep.Rebecca Maxwell — When you are sitting with someone who is actively considering ending their life, or they’re just in a really, maybe they’re not at that point, but there’s they’re dealing with something else.Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — Who are you going to call on? You don’t, I tell church leaders, you don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t have to know exactly what to do and where to where to point people, but you have to know where to go to resource yourself. Rich Birch — Yep.Rebecca Maxwell — And that’s what my personal assistant knew. Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — She knew how to resource herself, how to get some help. And so I was able to, you know, she’s on the phone and I'm texting her questions and things like that… Rich Birch — Right. Okay. Rebecca Maxwell — …so she knew where to go. Yeah.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool. You know, a best practice i’ve we’ve seen in many churches, ah but I’m surprised, I still am surprised that when I bumped into churches and they don’t have this, is like a resource list of like, here are some trusted counselors, some trusted people to talk about. Talk to us about that from your side. You’ve seen both sides of that equation. How do we develop a list like that? How do we how do we make that available? How do we how do we do that in a way that is most helpful for for our team, for maybe our staff, or for people who are just at our church.Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, it takes a little bit of time, but there are resources in your community. You just have to find them, usually.Rich Birch — Right. Yep.Rebecca Maxwell — And there are some purely online resources as well. I think the first step is probably gaining some understanding of the different types of clinicians who are out there… Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — …and and what they’re best suited for, what issues they’re best suited for.Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — You may have someone in your congregation who is a counselor. And so that might be a good first step is to get them on board to help you create a vetted list to what should I be asking when I want to partner with someone?Rebecca Maxwell — Because it’s one thing to say, I’m a Christian and a counselor. It’s another thing to say, I am counseling from a biblical framework. I’m counseling from a biblical worldview. And so you know, understanding how to make that distinction, you know, someone in, in your congregation may, may have the ability to do that.Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — But just how to ask the right questions so that you can begin to build a resource list of, like I said, we are biblical worldview clinically, like informed. And so you, you want to have some people like that… Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — …because we are operating under the license of our state. We have a code of ethics that we’re following. We have oversight. And I think that’s really important. You also have biblical and pastoral counselors that are some are very, very well trained. But you need to understand like what that lane is… Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — …and what is a more clinically informed lane. And so, and a lot of people don’t have that understanding and rightfully so. Right? There’s so many different practitioners and we don’t, we don’t really know who has kind of what skills and what’s appropriate in their lane.Rich Birch — Yeah, absolutely. you got to do a little bit of research around even the language that’s used, you know, the difference between like a life coach and a counselor… Rebecca Maxwell — Right. Rich Birch — …and a therapist. Rebecca Maxwell — Right. Rich Birch — And, you know, like, and, you know, be a little bit suspicious of people if they’re like, hey, I want to get on that list. And are there any from your—give us the inside scoop—are there any red flags that you would have? Let’s say I’m reaching out, I’m talking to a number of therapists in my community and, if somebody says something or is there something that, you know, I want to be wary of, of, ohh I’m not sure we necessarily want to point people in their direction?Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, I think this is a more subtle one. Rich Birch — Yep. Rebecca Maxwell — But I think when someone says I’m a Christian, but you know, I really don’t bring that into my practice at all. Rich Birch — You want to ask some follow-ups?Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, let’s ask some follow’s ah some follow ups. Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah. Rebecca Maxwell — Because in general, and I’ll kind of expound on this particular one… Rich Birch — Yep. Rebecca Maxwell — …regardless of what the clinician’s faith background is, we are trained to um to bring up a person’s spiritual part of self as part of holistic practice.Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — Unfortunately, a lot of clinicians are just leaving that part out completely. Rich Birch — Okay. Yep. Rebecca Maxwell — Because of politics and taboos and, you know, and we don’t want to get in trouble sometimes with our our licensing boards, right? Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — But we are all trained to see a person holistically. And we would, in in my field, we would say bio, psycho, social, spiritual—biological, psychological, social/relationships, and spiritual. But we’ve we’ve kind of left out the spiritual. And so, we should all, no matter whether you’re a Christian or not, we should all be asking and inquiring about a patient’s spiritual life. Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — And that’s a really easy open door. So if someone says, you know, I’m such and such, but I don’t…you know, I really don’t bring that up and in counseling at all. I understand that they’re afraid to, and there’s, I understand.Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell —But you really want a clinician who’s not afraid to inquire more generally about a person’s spiritual life.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Rebecca Maxwell — And I think that’s a big one.Rich Birch — Yeah. And the combo of doing that in a licensed environment, you know, so you’re getting kind of the best of both worlds there really makes a lot of sense. Like, Hey, were, you know, I understand why, you know, that makes, that makes sense. That’s a good, that’s a good line there. Rich Birch — So kind of a different, it’s related, but different train of thought. I know there are churches out there that have like a, a negative view on on like mental health… Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah. Rich Birch — …on mental illness, on counseling in general. They they it gets really black and white. And they’re it’s like, like I have a family, yeah, I have a family member who their pastor told them, you know, it’s just totally a sin issue and like andRebecca Maxwell — Yes.Rich Birch — They had been struggling with issues for a long time. And, you know, that was a huge weight on their on their life… Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah. Rich Birch — …that they carried, you know, for a well into their kind of 80s, late into life. And talk to us, unpack that for us. Like I think that’s just a dangerous approach, but help us and understand that mindset. Why is that dangerous? What’s behind that instinct?Rebecca Maxwell — I think that I think the instinct is probably good that the Bible gives us everything we need for life and godliness.Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — And I think sometimes it’s just potentially a misinterpretation of just a holistic understanding heart, soul, mind, and strength of a person. That the mind…because in Deuteronomy, it, it, it doesn’t say heart, soul, mind, and strength that comes in Jesus words in, Mark. And I think also Luke, But in Deuteronomy, it’s heart, soul, strength. And so mind is not broken out in that original text.Rebecca Maxwell — And then I believe that it is broken out and listed in the New Testament because I really think Jesus wanted to highlight that. And we see, I mean, the mind is talked about about 180 times in the New Testament. And so it’s a really important aspect of us.Rebecca Maxwell — And so think that unintentionally the mind is not considered distinctly and is maybe not seen as an object of brokenness and illness in the same way, right? Like we see, obviously we see if the pancreas doesn’t work properly, we have diabetes, right?Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — Or we get cancer and obviously that’s not our fault. But the mind is the thing we have the most control over. And so think people think that that’s just a sin issue. You just need to stop or do something differently. And we don’t have the full understanding, especially because science is still understanding the interplay between the mind and the physical brain… Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — …and how they interact with each other. And so I just don’t think a lot of people have kind of caught up with understanding that, you know, that is a distinct part of self that can be broken, just like the body can be broken.Rich Birch — Right. Just like having a broken leg or whatever. Rebecca Maxwell — Right.Rich Birch — Yeah, and that I think that’s a great that is a great transition to, you’ve actually written a book on this that I’d love to unpack a little bit. You use this you know whole self integration—heart, soul, mind, and strength. It’s kind of at the core of what you’re talking about. Why don’t you walk us through that framework a little bit more? The book we’re talking about is “Jesus and Your Mental Health: Linking God’s Word and Modern Science to Find Peace about Mental Health”.Rich Birch — I would love people to pick up copies of this. We’ll get to that in a bit, but kind of unpack how that those four inform the framework of the conversation in this book.Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, so it’s really like setting our thinking on holistic health and putting mental health right inside the framework of whole self. So we do things to, we do things to help our physical health and our spiritual health and our relational health. And so we probably ought to be thinking about the health of our mind. You know, again, it’s mentioned 180 times plus in the New Testament.Rich Birch — Wow.Rebecca Maxwell — So it must be pretty important, this renewing of our mind and how we go about that. And this idea that we’re integrated. So our mind impacts our body, impacts our soul, and our soul impacts our body, impacts our mind, impacts our relationships. Like it’s all integrated. Rich Birch — Right.Rebecca Maxwell — And we can utilize some of the healthy habits of the other three parts to help our mind. And we can utilize this thing we have control over our mind to impact the other parts of self. And we know this just anecdotally in our own lives, right? Like very simple things like when my dad taught me to throw a softball, he had me point at the target and direct my body… Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — …and my mind and my eyes in that direction. And then the ball went there. Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — Well, we can use that concept, you know, in all of mental health, you know, where we direct our mind, the rest of us follows.Rebecca Maxwell — And so really just understanding that integration and how we can use it for the common good and not, not separating this mental health and continuing to stigmatize it as, you know, sin just a sin problem. I think that’s where we go wrong, is that if you have and a malady of the mind, it’s really a sin problem. Sometimes it is. Rich Birch — Right, right. Rebecca Maxwell — But it’s a little more complicated than that as well.Rich Birch — Right. Yeah, it it seems like there’s a false dichotomy in a lot of leaders’ minds around, um well, it’s exactly were talking about, Bible and psychology, Bible and therapy. Like there’s there’s like those two things can’t interact with each other. Which which side of that equation do you experience more? Like, is it more from like church leaders that are skeptical or is it more from maybe leaders who are from outside the church who you’ve mentioned this already, who don’t pursue kind of the spiritual conversation? Which of those do you see? Cause I can see it from both sides where I’m like, oh, I could see on both sides of that conversation.Rebecca Maxwell — Absolutely.Rich Birch — People are like, and then we’re not meeting in the middle. And that’s why it’s great that you exist and why your organization exists. So, uh, talk to us about where do you see the pressure more from?Rebecca Maxwell — I really see it on both sides, honestly… Rich Birch — Right, right. Rebecca Maxwell — …just kind of like you’re describing, you know. Secular psychology really wants to leave out, you know, spirituality and um any, any, really any firm truth, you know, absolute truth.Rich Birch — Right, right.Rebecca Maxwell — And then the church, because of that, a lot of times just in general, we’ll be like, well, we got to throw all of that away because it’s not useful at all.Rich Birch — Right, overreact.Rebecca Maxwell — And I just, I don’t, I don’t think that’s helpful. We, we utilize science, scientific concepts in our everyday life. And so we, you know, we need to find the the good and the truth in what, you know, research based psychological science is showing us because there is some common good there, just like there is in, you know, other discover scientific discoveries.Rich Birch — Well, I I think this is a great resource. I’m so glad you’ve put this book together. And I’d love to talk about how you could see it being used. I know for me, and we’ll link in the show notes actually to a sample of the book. So you can, you don’t even have to buy anything. Just look at the sample to start before you buy it. I so I thought this could be a great resource for us as like a staff team to read through as kind of like a, hey, here’s like a primer on some of these issues for us to be thinking about, even just to kind of frame the conversation to be thinking about these things.Rich Birch — Who are you picturing as you put this together? What’s what’s your kind of vision for how you hope this resource will be used by churches?Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah. When I wrote the book, I was picturing someone kind of like me and my friends who are, you know, love the Lord, love their families, are trying to help their families live in health in all aspects of their life. And as I was writing it, what I realized with also some prompting of my pastor was that this could be a really great resource for equipping churches.Rebecca Maxwell — The very people that I wrote it for, the mamas, you know, in that are serving in the church and very involved, but also church staff and volunteer leaders, because what I’m trying to give people is really a grounding for how to think about mental health and mental illness from a suffering, you know putting it in like a suffering standpoint. And then equipping them with a ton of scripture to back up the understanding of the mind and the brain and how to have a healthy mind, what happens when the mind isn’t healthy and then some common both some common roots of mental illness, including trauma and family of origin issues, and then some, some really common problems in the area of mental health, anxiety, depression, grief, and loss, so that people can be equipped with a resource that they can hand to someone, or they can say, Hey, read chapter seven on anxiety… Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — …you know, and someone is going to get a biblical understanding of where anxiety shows up in the scripture. How Jesus shows up in that? What are some practical ways that psychological science gives us to deal with that? What does the Bible say about how to deal with that? And let’s kind of put all of these things together.Rebecca Maxwell — So they’re really going have both just under an understanding of grounding in mental health and also some practical ways to address those issues. And then really ending with like, hey, how do you know when you need more help than what this book can give you?Rich Birch — That’s good.Rebecca Maxwell — And how do you find the right person to help you?Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s fantastic. Yeah, there’s, you know, just even as I’m flipping through looking at the chapters, like just so much helpful stuff in here, identity and self-esteem. Who does Jesus say I am? Attachment. How did my childhood impact my relationship? Trauma. That’s a word we hear all the time. Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah.Rich Birch — Where is Jesus when that happened? And I think there’s just, this is gonna be so helpful for so many leaders to check out and and to and to use as a resource.Rich Birch — I think this is the kind of book, like you said, I could picture, hey, I got five copies of this and I’m gonna end up in a conversation where it’s maybe not somebody that’s in like an immediate crisis right now, but they maybe their kid is wrestling with these issues. And on top of, yes, I’ll meet with them, I’ll pray with them. And yes, here’s the list of counselors, but like, here’s a book to read as well to help you think through this. I think this could be incredibly helpful for people.Rebecca Maxwell — I hope so. Yeah.Rich Birch — Yeah, where where do where can people get, if they want to get copies of this book, where do we want to send them to pick up copies of this?Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, anywhere books are sold online. So Amazon and Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Target, places like that. And folks can reach out to me about getting like bulk copies. Rich Birch — Oh, great.Rebecca Maxwell — They may already have places they get bulk books, but they can reach out to me to get that. I have some other resources like discussion guides that I am happy to give if people reach out to me – discussion guides and other just resources for folks that maybe, I’ve had a bunch of people reach out because they want to kind of do a book study with their disciple group or things like that.Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell — So, you know, my goal really is to equip the church. I want the church to be the the trusted source where people can come to and begin a healing journey. And so I think this will help equip people in the church, both, you know, paid staff and lay leaders to to really help people.Rich Birch — If people want to reach out to you, where where do we want to, where do we do that? Where do we want them to do that to? To reach out to you?Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, the best is probably my website, JesusAndYourMentalHealth.com.Rich Birch — Love it. That’s great. I want to talk about that trusted source idea that you just referenced there. This conversation is a conversation that’s happening in the broader culture. It’s just happening, right? Rebecca Maxwell — Yes. Rich Birch — Like it’s, you you know, you open up, I read The Economist all the time. Every week in The Economist, there’s some sort of article that is, if not directly talking about this, it’s connected to it. What happens when the church in general just stays silent on the mental health issues? What happens if we if we don’t engage this? Kind of inspire us a little bit.Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, well, there’s a lot of noise. And so people are going to go to TikTok and Instagram and even ChatGPT…Rich Birch — Right. Yes.Rebecca Maxwell — …to get there their information. And they’re not always going to get biblically informed information. Rich Birch — Right. Rebecca Maxwell —And that’s why it’s so important that we’re equipped because people are coming to churches more and more for practical guidance on the stuff that they’re actually going through. Rich Birch — Yep.Rebecca Maxwell — And the Bible is not silent on the practical stuff. And so we want to be well-equipped to go to the scripture with them and to point them in the right direction and to give them some kind of guardrails and guidance for finding help. Otherwise, it’s like you’re kind of floating out in this sea of information. I wouldn’t even say knowledge or wisdom, but information.Rich Birch — Yes.Rebecca Maxwell — And you don’t really know where to anchor.Rich Birch — Bullet points. Checklist. Yes. Yes. Five steps to.Rebecca Maxwell — Right.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s yeah, that’s ah yeah, that’s so good. It’s interesting on the AI thing. There’s but bunch of studies that have shown that’s really the primary use how people are using ChatGPT, particularly. They’re using it as like a counselor.Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah.Rich Birch — And um I I mean, there’s like that’s dangerous. So it’s incredible. Well, this has been a great conversation. Any kind of final words you’d say as we wrap up today’s discussion?Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah. You know, kind of, I think the thing I want to leave people with is a little bit of where we started in the beginning, which is managing crisis. Something that’s really, I think, important for anybody working with people is to get trained in how to prevent suicide. And there is a training called QPR instead of CPR. Rich Birch — Yeah, let tell us about this. Yeah, yeah, tell us about this. Yep.Rebecca Maxwell — It’s QPR question, persuade, respond. And it’s like an hour long, maybe 90 minute online training or anyone that works with people can be trained in how to basically do CPR for people that are having a mental health crisis that could literally save lives. And the skills that are taught in that are transferable to people that aren’t in crisis. Rebecca Maxwell — And so that’s the thing I mostly want to leave. Like there’s a lot of information to be found. And obviously I would love people to get my book, but I really want everyone that works with people to be trained in how to respond to people who are having a mental health crisis, how to know what to say, how to persuade them to get help. I think that, you know, we could, we’re, we could really save lives there.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s, that’s, how do we go about finding QPR training? Like if we, I think this is, again, what a great takeaway. You’ve landed this great takeaway right here at the end, even for our staff teams. Let’s get that on our schedule. Rebecca Maxwell — Totally.Rich Birch — Like I I think about the people that are answering the phone at the church. I’m like, I was thinking about that earlier when you were talking about your assistant. I'm like, man, I want to make sure that they get the kind of training because, you know, I don’t want to fumble that ball. So where, where do we, where would people find training this QPR training?Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah. You can find them online. I think it’s qpr.org, but I’m kind of looking it up as we speak because I’m like, dang it, I should have had that reference.Rich Birch — Right. Yep. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. ahRebecca Maxwell — QPR.Rich Birch — No, no, that’s okay.Rebecca Maxwell — It’s QPR. qprinstitute.com Rich Birch — Perfect. QPR Institute.com. Rebecca Maxwell — qprinstitute.com Rich Birch — Great. Perfect. That’s, that’s fantastic. Well, Rebecca, I really appreciate you being on today and helping us serving us. I want to make sure folks, again, the name of that book is “Jesus and Your Mental Health: Linking God’s Word and Modern Science to Find Peace about Mental Health”. Grab that at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. We’ll put links in the show notes to that. We’ll put links in the show notes to your website, anywhere else we want to send them online so they can track with you or with the book?Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah, our our practice website is jacksonvillecounseling.net. Rich Birch — Perfect.Rebecca Maxwell — So we only really can practice in Florida, Texas, Colorado. That’s where we have.Rich Birch — Yes.Rebecca Maxwell — But we do have a blog, a mental health blog on there. I have a podcast called Jesus and Your Mental Health. So those are some other resources just, you know, to get more information about mental health concepts. You know, we all love a good podcast and bite-sized learning on something. Rich Birch — Yes.Rebecca Maxwell — So those are a couple couple couple extra things for folks.Rich Birch — Well, Rebecca, I appreciate you being here today. Thanks so much for being on the show.Rebecca Maxwell — Yeah. Thanks, Rich.

Host:  Mindy McCulley, MS Extension Specialist for Instructional Support, University of Kentucky   Guest: Natese Dockery, PhD Assistant Clinical Professor for Mental Health and Well-being  Season 8 | Episode 50 Join Talking FACS host Mindy McCulley and guest Dr. Natese Dockery as they wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month with a focused conversation on reducing stigma, recognizing the signs of stress, and building simple, sustainable habits to support daily mental well‑being. Topics include what Mental Health Awareness Month means, how language and openness can reduce stigma, common emotional, cognitive, and behavioral signs of stress, practical stress‑management strategies, and tips for caregivers navigating the challenges of summer routines. The show also highlights the weekly Mental Health Minute video series and resources from the University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension. To view the Mental Health Minute playlist on YouTube, click below. For Mental Health support, 988 The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, every day.  988 | The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) provides training for anyone who wants to help those experiencing mental health challenges. For more information, click the link below: QPR Connect with FCS Extension through any of the links below for more information about any topic discussed on Talking FACS. Kentucky Extension Offices UK FCS Extension           Website           Facebook           Instagram           FCS Learning Channel  

Stop Being Invisible – Master Charm & 10X Your Influence Charm and charisma aren't some mystical gifts handed out at birth. Charm is that warm, pleasant way you make every person feel special, valued, and eager to connect with you. Charisma is the magnetic personal power that draws people in, builds instant trust, and inspires them to follow your lead and say "yes" without hesitation. Together, they form the ultimate no-BS toolkit for persuasion, leadership, and massive success in business and life. Science backs it up and real-world winners prove it every day. A 2025 study showed participants who practiced simple charisma techniques saw significant jumps in how others rated their influence and appeal. Look at Steve Jobs – his legendary charm and charisma didn't just present products; they made millions feel part of a revolution, turning Apple launches into cultural events that drove billions in sales. You use charm and charisma to influence and sell by creating that electric rapport that makes resistance disappear. Prospects don't feel sold – they feel chosen and excited to move forward with you because you've made the decision feel personal, fun, and inevitable. This is how you close bigger deals faster, turn skeptics into raving fans, and lead teams or clients to results they never thought possible. Persuade with Power Kurt Mortensen  Advanced Influence Trainings Free Persuasive Presentation Assessment

On May 19, 2026, 914INC. proudly celebrated its 16th annual Wunderkinds Awards with a special cocktail reception at the Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht Club. This year's event honored 26 exceptional professionals under the age of 35 who were handpicked by the magazine's editors for their standout talent, innovative thinking, and meaningful contributions to the Westchester community. Featured in the May/June 2026 issue, these rising stars represent the future of the region's business landscape. A warm congratulations goes out to all of this year's honorees, along with a sincere thank you to the event sponsors who helped make this memorable celebration possible.Westchester Talk Radio host Joan Franzino Ryan Hirt, the Development Director for the Access Supports for Living Foundation, where he oversees fundraising and connects individuals to critical services across 16 New York counties. Ryan's commitment to the non-profit sector is personal; after overcoming a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a childhood baseball accident, he dedicated his career to human services. He helps fundraise for programs spanning developmental disabilities, mental health, substance abuse, and a major new $5 million campaign centered around the Institute for Suicide Prevention and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training.

What if the reason you keep falling back on old habits isn't a lack of discipline — but a failure of persuasion?In this episode, we sit down with New York Times bestselling author Jay Heinrichs to explore how ancient rhetoric holds the secret to becoming the person your best self already believes you can be.You'll discover Aristotle's three-part framework for identity — craft, caring, and cause — and why shifting your self-talk from past-tense shame to future-tense action is the single most powerful lever for lasting change.

Attia Qureshi shares simple techniques to build up your negotiating skills, one step at a time.— YOU'LL LEARN — 1) How to take the fear and tension out of negotiating 2) The simple trick to arrive at more win-win solutions 3) How to feel comfortable making big asks and saying no Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1153 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT ATTIA — Attia Qureshi is a negotiation and influence expert, former MIT faculty member, adjunct professor at the University of Michigan, and the founder of Attia Qureshi Consulting — where she has spent two decades helping leaders, teams, and organizations negotiate better outcomes in every room they walk into. Her work spans Fortune 500 boardrooms, university classrooms, and conflict zones around the world, where she has negotiated on behalf of the U.S. State Department in some of the most complex environments imaginable.• Book: Never Settle: Persuasion and Negotiation Skills to Get What You Want• Tool: Emotion Wheel• Website: AttiaQureshi.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Article: “Ask For A Raise? Most Women Hesitate” by Jennifer Ludden• Study: “Evolution of responses to (un)fairness” by Sarah F. Brosnan and Frans B.M. de Waal• Book: Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini• Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho• Past episode: 366: Mastering Conversations through Compassionate Curiosity with Kwame Christian• Past episode: 664: Dr. Robert Cialdini on How to Persuade with the 7 Universal Principles of Influence• Past episode: 873: Dr. Steven Hayes on Building a More Resilient and Flexible Mind— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Host:  Mindy McCulley, MS Extension Specialist for Instructional Support, University of Kentucky   Guest: Natese Dockery, PhD Assistant Clinical Professor for Mental Health and Well-being  Season 8 | Episode 48 Join host Mindy McCulley and guest Dr. Natese Dockery from University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension as they discuss crisis support and suicide prevention. This episode covers how to recognize signs of emotional distress, when and how to reach out, and why staying connected matters for mental health. Listeners will learn about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—how to call, text, or chat for immediate, confidential help—and the basics of QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) as a simple framework for supporting someone in crisis. The conversation emphasizes practical, compassionate actions community members can take, even without professional training. Key takeaways: pay attention to changes in mood, sleep, or behavior; asking and listening can save lives; resources are available 24/7 (call or text 988). Help, hope, and connection are possible.  Even small acts of presence make a big difference.

You think you have a messaging problem. You don't. You have a connection problem.Most high-level founders skip the first step — not because they're lazy, but because they think they're past it. They know their offer. They know their industry. They assume connection is just rapport.But connection is extraction. It's how you pull the exact words that move someone — straight from their mouth — so you stop guessing and start converting.In this episode, Macy breaks down why creating before connecting leaves you dumping ingredients instead of serving a meal. And how Salesgirl Software rewires the way you hear conversation — so messaging stops being something you invent and starts being something you decode.

You're not stuck. You're parked.There's a difference between passive action and massive action — and most high achievers are living in passive and calling it progress.In this episode, Macy breaks down how to finally close that gap. Using your future self as the guide, you'll build a massive action plan that's specific, backwards-mapped from your goal, and actually ready for your calendar.One standard left... Keep going.Links and Resources

If you've ever said "I don't know what to say" or "I'm trying to get my messaging right" — this one's for you.The problem isn't that you need more information. It's that you're teaching when you should be selling.In this episode, Macy breaks down The Creation Standard: why you need to create and present a sales message every single day — and exactly how to do it using the words your audience is already giving you.What you'll walk away with:– The difference between a learning road and a sales road (and how to pave both)– The "thin coat of paint" method that builds conviction over time– How to take what someone tells you and prove your offer is the answer– Why the most specific message is actually the most universal oneThis is Part 5 of the 7-part Salesgirl Standard Series. New standard drops every Wednesday. ❤️‍

Who is Patrick?Patrick Van der Burght's journey began over 25 years ago, when he first discovered the transformative power of understanding human behaviour and research. Awed by how empowering and effective these insights were—without the need to lie or cheat—he quickly became passionate about sharing them. Today, as a sought-after keynote speaker, Patrick relishes witnessing audiences experience their own “aha” moments, just as he did decades ago. His mission is to help others unlock their potential by waking up to the profound impact of his teaching, sparking realization, growth, and change wherever he speaks.Key TakeawaysThe Secret Science Behind Getting a YES—Without Being Manipulative1/ Ever felt “icky” trying to get someone to say yes? Turns out, ethical persuasion isn't about tricking—it's about understanding human behavior. Patrick Van der Burght dropped some serious knowledge on this in his chat with Stuart Webb on “It's Not Rocket Science.”

Most people think persuasion is about having the best argument. It's not. AJ and Johnny sit down with former speechwriter Josh Bandoch to break down why we feel before we reason — and why logic alone fails to move people. From emotional intelligence and storytelling to identifying hidden barriers and aligning with core values, this episode reveals what actually drives decisions. If you've ever struggled to get buy-in, close a deal, or change someone's mind, this episode gives you a practical framework to persuade without forcing, manipulating, or “winning” at someone else's expense. Chapters00:00 – Why logic alone doesn't persuade04:00 – The “feel first, then reason” principle08:00 – Why persuasion isn't about winning12:00 – Green, yellow, red: reading signals16:00 – Listening for values and hidden barriers20:00 – The power of framing and storytelling A Word From Our Sponsors Stop being over looked and unlock your X-Factor today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠unlockyourxfactor.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  The very qualities that make you exceptional in your field are working against you socially.  Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠artofcharm.com/intel ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for a social intelligence assessment and discover exactly what's holding you back. If you've put off organizing your finances, Monarch is for you. Use code CHARM at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monarch.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in your browser for half off your first year.  Indulge in affordable luxury with Quince. Upgrade your wardrobe today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/charm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and hassle-free returns. Grow your way - with Headway! Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠makeheadway.com/CHARM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and use my code CHARM for 25% off. This year, skip breaking a sweat AND breaking the bank. Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mintmobile.com/charm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Curious about your influence level?  Get your Influence Index Score today! Take this 60-second quiz to find out how your influence stacks up against top performers at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theartofcharm.com/influence⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Episode resources: ⁠https://joshuabandoch.com/⁠ Check in with AJ and Johnny! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AJ on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Johnny on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AJ on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Johnny on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on TikTok⁠ persuasion, influence, communication skills, emotional intelligence, decision making, storytelling, negotiation, sales psychology, human behavior, framing, listening skills, values, social intelligence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever heard anyone say something like, “He's a typical farmer. He's built tough and will just power through.” Well, maybe it's time for this image to go. Special guest Kathy Walker joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for today's episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Kathy has a degree from Purdue University in health promotion and is the Program Director for the Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA) who handles the programming for Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives.Kathy will share about how she ended up working for IRHA and specifically, how she began working with growers and ag businesses in the areas of mental health and suicide.In addition to her QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, you'll learn how Kathy is equipped to help employers by providing training to assist and refer employees and growers in navigating mental health and stress issues. “Farmers… [are] a demographic that has a high rate of suicide… Yeah, they're strong, self-sufficient… but they're also human beings, and we all have our limits.”If you're struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or reach out to the Purdue Farm Stress team which is a group of professionals who are equipped to resource growers with tools, programs, and additional resources to help handle the day-to-day stresses growers face. You can find out more information about the Purdue Farm Stress team at https://extension.purdue.edu/farm_stress/index.html. 

Your outfit speaks before you do...In this episode, I sit down with my personal stylist Sarah Kraus — live at Salesgirls HQ with a live audience in the room — to talk about something most sales coaches underestimate or completely ignore: what you look like when you walk in.Sarah breaks down the Visual Stack — the exact order your brain processes what it sees — and why by the time someone actually hears your words, they've already decided how much they trust you.We also get into:— The difference between your Trapped Self, your Authentic Self, and your Heroic Self (and which one most women are accidentally dressing as)— Why fit and silhouette say something specific about whether you respect your own body and the room— The "conversation zone" — where to keep styling details so people stay locked on your message— How to simplify your wardrobe so getting dressed stops costing you energy— Don't miss Sarah rapid fire her favorite places to shop for me at the endThis isn't about vanity. It's about congruence. Showing up looking like who you actually are — and who you're becoming.

Last week we said your life settles to the level of your standards. This week we talk about the thing that pulls you right back down.It's not your schedule. It's not your circumstances. It's the story running quietly in the background of your brain — and most women don't even realize it's a story. They think it's just the truth.

Your life doesn't rise to your goals. It settles to the level of your standards.That one line is why I built this series.This is A Salesgirl Series: 7 Standards to Live By — seven weeks, one standard at a time. Each week we raise the baseline. Each week you live inside it. By the end, you're not the woman who started.We begin with the one everything else is built on: ⭐️ Standard #1 — The Future-Me StandardMost women are waiting to feel like her before they act like her. That's the whole problem. Identity doesn't follow results — it leads them. This video shows you exactly how to flip it.In this episode:- Why your current results are an exact reflection of who you're being right now- How your brain filters reality (and how to change the filter)- A guided journaling exercise to meet your future self and start acting like her todayThe next 6 standards will drop on Wednesdays at 10am ET. Subscribe so you don't miss one.

THE LAW OF INVOLVEMENT: Keeping Your Audience Engaged Here's the secret weapon most online hosts completely miss: the Law of Involvement.  The more you pull someone's five senses into the experience, get their mind and body actively participating, you can set the perfect atmosphere for persuasion. Think about it — your prospect can sit through an entire presentation, pretend to listen, and walk away feeling and doing absolutely nothing. Zero movement. Zero buy-in.  As a true Power Persuader, your #1 job is to shrink the distance they have to travel to reach your goal. Make it ridiculously easy — mentally, socially, and physically — for them to say "yes."  So here's the million-dollar question for your world of online meetings and webinars:  ·         How do you keep that same level of attention when everyone's staring at a screen?  ·         How do you create real engagement when you're not even in the same room?  ·         How to Run Powerful, Engaging Webinars That Drive Real Results? Discover more online engagement techniques on this week's podcast. I will identify the steps on how to run engaging webinars & influential virtual events that drive real results. Persuade with Power Kurt Mortensen 111 Sales Hacks Special Advanced Influence Trainings Maximize Your Influence Podcasts Free Persuasive Presentation Assessment 

Whatever your message, the manner in which you deliver it is just as important.You found the right words. You picked the right time to say them. You even tailored them to your audience. Why did your message fall flat? “It's your tone,” says Jefferson Fisher.Fisher is a trial attorney, New York Times bestselling author, podcast host, and one of the most-followed experts in communication today. From handling high-stakes communication in the courtroom to navigating everyday conversations, he says successful messaging isn't just about what you say, but how you say it. “It's not your words, it's your tone,” he says, “The words might be right, but the way you [say them] — that's what ends up controlling the day. Tone controls everything.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Fisher and host Matt Abrahams explore how to set the right tone in all kinds of communication. Whether you're navigating conflict, giving and receiving feedback, or just trying to connect, Fisher offers practical techniques for ensuring the manner of your communication matches what you mean.Episode Reference Links:Jefferson FisherJefferson's Book: The Next Conversation WorkbookJefferson's Podcast: The Jefferson Fisher PodcastEp.228 Negotiate Your Way to Success: Empathy, Mirroring, and Labeling Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (02:28) - Stop Winning Arguments (04:02) - Ask, Don't Persuade (04:33) - Defuse Tension Fast (05:40) - Read the Room (07:36) - Observing vs. Absorbing (09:08) - Framing Conversations (11:21) - Fix Digital Communication (13:01) - Improve Your Tone (15:53) - Break People-Pleasing (17:18) - Setting Clear Boundaries (20:54) - The Final Three Questions (23:55) - Conclusion  ********Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.This episode is sponsored by Grammarly. Let Grammarly take the busywork off your plate so you can focus on high-impact work. Download Grammarly for free today Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be. 

Dr. Chad Kendall of Concordia University Chicago The post Protreptics: Speech Designed to Instruct and Persuade – Dr. Chad Kendall, 3/27/26 (0861) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Mandy Pearson is moving from Division II UMD to Division 1, as the new head coach for the University of St. Thomas. She joined Vineeta on the WCCO Morning News.

Most people think paid ads are a magic button.Spend money in. Get customers out.But that's not how it works.Paid ads don't fix your business. They expose it.If your message is strong, ads can help you scale faster. If your message is weak, ads can help you lose money faster. And that's exactly why this conversation matters.In this episode, Macy sits down with Ashley to talk about what really happens when entrepreneurs rely on paid ads before they understand sales, messaging, and conversion. They get into why so many business owners outsource ads too early, what changes when you bring ads in-house, the biggest mistakes beginners make, what's actually working in paid ads right now, and why sales skills are the missing piece for so many people trying to scale.Because visibility is valuable. But visibility without conversion? Expensive.If you've ever thought ads would solve the problem… or if you're already running them and wondering why they're not converting… this episode is for you.

Rabbi Feiner shiurim

The Book of Acts invites us into the incredible story of how Jesus began building His church through ordinary people empowered by the Holy Spirit. In Riots & Revivals, we'll follow their journey from fear to bold faith—where miracles happen, lives are changed, and the message of Jesus turns the world upside down.

Text: Acts 18:4-6  A sermon from our Sunday night series through the book of Acts

In every business, something (or should we say.. someONE) sets the pace.Not the systems.Not the offers.Not the team.The leader does.And how you think and feel about sales is quietly setting the speed of your entire business.Most founders don't realize this… but the biggest constraint in their company isn't strategy or marketing.It's their belief system about sales.Sales gets treated like a drawer — something you open when it's time to sell and close when you're done.But sales isn't a drawer.It's the first floor of the business... what everything else is built on!It's the belief system that flows into your marketing, your content, your leadership, your hiring, and even the way you build offers.When sales becomes a value instead of a task, everything changes.In this video, Macy breaks down:• The hidden belief about sales that holds women founders back• Why sales mistakes usually come from outdated beliefs (not bad execution)• The leadership leak that slows down your entire business• How real sales skill changes the way you leadBecause when sales becomes part of how you think, not just something you do, your business starts to move differently.If you're ready to rebuild the foundation instead of patching the ceiling, start here.

Long before thousands of women started learning the art of conversation and the science of persuasion…there was a dad teaching his daughter.If you've been around The Salesgirls for a while, you've probably heard me mention him before — Loy Day. He's the person who originally taught me the sales principles that eventually became the foundation of everything we teach today.Some of the frameworks I teach now started as conversations between the two of us years ago — sometimes at the dinner table, sometimes in the car, ALWAYS in moments I didn't fully realize were shaping my future.Before filming this interview, we asked our community what they would want to ask him.Of course there were questions about sales.But there were also a lot of parenting questions.Not many people get the opportunity to sit down and interview their dad like this.I'm really grateful we captured this conversation, and I'm glad it will live here forever.If you enjoy the interview, comment and I'll read them all to Loy!⭐️ Timestamps for Loy's Answers to These Questions36:12 How do you raise daughters to grow up confident like Macy?40:17 How Loy partners with the Holy Spirit in business decisions41:57 Did he ever imagine his sales training would turn into this?45:00 Has anyone ever changed your perspective on how to approach a sale?48:10 Chasing clients vs. having them come to you52:00 Loy's favorite book

IN CLEAR FOCUS: Henry J. DeVries, author of "Persuade with a Story" explains why traditional business storytelling is broken. He reveals why your brand should act as the mentor, not the hero, while your client battles their "nemesis" problem. Discover the eight meta-story archetypes hardwired into the human brain to attract high-paying clients. Plus, learn how to build authority, close more deals, and drive lead generation by mastering the ultimate sales strategy: marketing with a book.

Mercy and Acknowledgment is what Yah's after... not burnt offerings and sacrifices ~CoryCabri   'For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. ' Hosea 6:6

Questions? Comments? Episode suggestions? Send us a text message!From the archive: Episode #193: Phill Agnew is a marketing expert and host of the highest-ranking marketing podcast in the UK.  He explains what behavioural science involves, how to use marketing principles to get a pay rise, and how to persuade your boss you have a good idea.What you'll learn[01:30] How Phill became a marketing expert.[02:49] How curiosity gaps work.[03:48] What behavioural science involves.[05:30] What a “nudge means in a behavioural science context.[07:16] The difference between a nudge and manipulating someone.[09:16] The variable reward techniques gambling apps use to get you addicted to them.[13:18] How social media uses variable rewards to keep you browsing.[14:08] Positive ways variable rewards can be used.[15:15] How to use anchoring to negotiate a salary rise.[18:26] The problems with anchoring.[19:28] Using loss aversion to get a pay rise.[21:15] How to use the commitment principle and consistency principle to get a pay rise. [24:11] The power of “no” and the door-in-the-face technique.[26:52] How to have a difficult conversation with a colleague.[28:48] What supercommunicators do and how they communicate.[33:20] Techniques you can use when business networking.[36:10] How to persuade your boss that you have a good idea.[42:08] How giving people autonomy changes how they respond.[45:12] How to use behavioural science in the workplace.Resources mentioned in this episodePlease note that some of these are affiliate links and we may get a commission in the event that you make a purchase.  This helps us to cover our expenses and is at no additional cost to you.Nudge, Richard Thaler and Cass SunsteinDecoded, Phil BardenHooked, Nir EyalIndistractable, Nir EyalOctopus EnergyDishoomNever Split the Difference, Chris VossYou Have More Influence Than You Think, Vanessa BohmsThe Power of Habit, Charles DuhiggSupercommunicators, Charles DuhiggHow To Win Friends and Influence People, Dale CarnegieNudge: Can Charles Duhigg Make Me Popular?Episode 183: The secrets to effective business development and getting more clients - with Deb Feder of Feder DevelopmentInfluence, Robert CialdiniThe Art of Thinking Clearly, Rolf Dobellihttps://changeworklife.com/using-behavioural-

They say money can't buy happiness...But it can buy a place where your family builds memories for decades.This was filmed the same day as our dream home reveal — but this isn't the polished tour.This is a real conversation about what it actually takes to build something that lasts.Because here's the part most people don't understand: Risk comes before reward.Before the generational home… there were bets. Before the “wow”… there were reinvestments that felt scary. Before the fruit… there were seasons where we wondered if we were crazy (only for a second though).Most people see the house. They don't see the risk that came first.If you're in a risk season right now: this is for you.

Behind the scenes or front and center — where are you most effective?And more importantly… are you bold enough to take control of your future?As we close out our February Boldness theme, we zoom out to look at the bigger picture: the shift into the Digital and Data Age — and what it means for women building careers, brands, and businesses.We've moved from the Agricultural Age to the Industrial Age, then the Information Age — and now we're living in a world where intellectual property, data, media, and code are the new currency.The question isn't whether the world is changing. It is.The question is whether you're positioning yourself to benefit from it.In this episode, we explore:The New World Economy - How technology magnifies creativity, expands access, and gives you global distribution at your fingertips.Leaning Into Your USP - Your unique selling position is the spine of your brand — shaping your messaging, offers, confidence, and credibility. We walk you through three powerful questions to clarify what you really bring to the table.Project & Present vs. Persuade & Plead - Boldness means owning your value. Declaring who you are, what you do, and who you help — clearly and congruently.Multipreneurship in the Digital Age - Your intellectual property has value. Your frameworks, systems, ideas, and lived experience can be built, monetized, and amplified.This episode is both a mindset reset and a mini workshop.The world is changing fast.Opportunities are expanding.Technology is amplifying those who step up.The only question left is: Which building block will you choose next?Make sure you're subscribed — and don't just listen. Decide.Like this vibe? Want to learn more? Join Make It, Mind It Multiply It - my free community on Skool.Tag us @divasdiamondsdollars#MultipreneurMindset #WomenWhoLead #BuildingBlocksForBoldness

Chicago's Mayor Brandon Johnson joins Bob Sirott to talk more about the fate of the Bears in Chicago, what he needs from the state of Illinois to keep the Bears in the city, and what he has to do to match what Arlington Heights and Hammond are offering. He also explains what he thinks the […]

You ever want to grab someone by the shoulders and say: “Why don't you see what I see?!”Because YOU can see it... so clearly!You can see the confidence, the money, the relief, the future version of them that feels free...And they're just… blinking at you.

If you're still marketing the old way — guessing what customers want, hoping they'll buy, and watching your competition pull ahead — you're leaving massive money on the table. In today's hyper-competitive world, the winners don't just sell products… they understand the human brain. Amazon didn't become the most valuable company on earth by accident. They mastered the science of influence. Neuromarketing reveals exactly how the brain makes buying decisions — 95% of which happen subconsciously. Instead of relying on surveys or a gut feeling, you measure real brain activity (through eye-tracking, EEG, and fMRI) to trigger instant desire, trust, and action. Amazon lives and breathes this every single day. They don't guess — they know precisely which words, colors, and experiences light up the reward centers in your customers' brains and make them click "Buy Now" without hesitation. maximizeyourinfluece.com

Your brain isn't broken... it's just full.Most women think they have a discipline problem. Or a motivation problem. Or a TIME problem.But what's actually happening?Your brain has become a storage unit instead of a workspace.In this video, Macy walks you through:Why your thoughts “leak” when they're unprocessedThe difference between a brain drain and a brain dumpHow Morning Pages (from The Artist's Way) quiet your inner criticHow to use journaling as a leadership tool, not a self-care ritualSpecific prompts inspired by Dickie Bush and Matthew DicksHow to create directed prompts using AI in a way that's actually personalYour brain was never meant to hold your entire life.It was meant to think! Imagine! Lead!If you feel scattered, irritated, overstimulated, or stuck… This might be the most practical reset you implement all year.

In today's episode, we're discussing persuasion at work. It's an element of many people's jobs, so understanding its importance and how to create a safe and comfortable space for persuasion to live is important. Here are a few things we'll discuss: Persuading is not convincing; it's alignmentKnow what your audience wants or needs (one we always talk about) Create credibility by asking questions and listening just as much as you talkKnowing when to take a step back and maintain your image/trustIf people leave agreeing but not acting, persuasion didn't happen.

Most people think selling themselves means talking more. Explaining more. Proving more.That's the one of the biggest mistakes I see, even in some extremely high level business owners or job candidates.Whether you realize it or not, you're selling yourself all the time — in interviews, meetings, conversations, and in how you answer the question, “So… what do you do?”This video was inspired by a message I received from someone who was asked to explain why they deserved a promotion and a chance to move into a different department.She didn't need better words. She needed a better understanding of what actually makes someone choose her.Spoiler alert... she got the job!In this video, I walk through 9 simple moves that show you how to sell yourself without talking about yourself — by shifting the focus to the other person, what they care about, and what they stand to gain.These aren't just interview tricks. They're principles.And once you understand them, they work everywhere — in leadership, business, relationships, and any room where a decision is being made.I also linked a free resource below with the 9 moves laid out clearly so you can bookmark and reference them anytime.

In today's fast-paced world, harnessing the wisdom of the crowd and using their collective intelligence is more important than ever for making smarter decisions, fostering innovation, and achieving greater influence. By tapping into the combined insights of the right group can outperform solitary experts and uncover solutions that might otherwise remain hidden. The wisdom of the crowd refers to the phenomenon where the judgments of a large group often yield more accurate results than those of any single expert, as popularized by James Surowiecki in his book Wisdom of the Crowd. Tune into the latest episode of Maximize Your Influence on Wisdom of the Crowd - How Collective Intelligence Amplifies Your Influence. I am going to take a dive-deep into more strategies, cutting-edge studies, and actionable tips on harnessing the wisdom of the crowd to dominate persuasion and inspire action. Don't miss out; listen now and transform how you lead and influence! Persuade with Power Kurt Mortensen MaximizeYourInfluence.com

Most people think they have nothing interesting to say.They assume their life is ordinary. Their work is boring. Their stories don't matter.But that's almost never true.In this episode, Macy sits down with Ashley Renders — a former journalist turned storytelling expert — to unpack why so many smart, capable people struggle with content… and what's actually missing.Ashley spent years interviewing people for a living. And what she learned is this: the problem usually isn't a lack of experiences or ideas. It's that no one ever taught people HOW to see WHAT is interesting.Now, she helps business owners do the same thing — not by being louder or more dramatic, but by understanding how stories actually work.This conversation was recorded live, which means you'll hear real-time insight, nuance, and the kind of depth that only shows up when thoughtful people are in the room together.In this episode, we cover:What storytelling actually is (and what people usually misunderstand)Why stories work so well in business content — especially compared to tips aloneWhy some stories stop people mid-scroll while others fall flatThe most common mistakes business owners make when trying to “add stories” to their contentHow to recognize what's actually story-worthy in your everyday lifeA simple way to turn moments, experiences, and beliefs into compelling storiesHow to use AI to enhance storytelling without losing your voiceBecause the cheat code to content isn't posting more...And once you learn how to notice, reflect, and tell the truth about the life you're already living — you never wonder what to say again.✨ Links & Resources

Unlock Visual Influence: Master the Perfect Room for Persuasion! In a world where first impressions seal deals and environments shape minds, creating the Perfect Persuasive Room isn't just smart – it's essential. As Brian Tracy says, success comes from controlling your environment. The Perfect Persuasive Room is intentionally arranging elements like seating, ceiling height, light, room temperature, and sound to prime subconscious responses, helping people become more receptive, focused, and aligned with your goals. Mastering the Perfect Persuasive Room starts with auditing your space – assess seating for collaboration, ceilings for mindset, lighting for emotion, temperature for energy, and music for vibe, then tweak to align with your objectives.  This episode will ignite your potential, equip you with proven tactics, and propel you to unstoppable success. Subscribe now, hit play, and let's build your influence toolbox! Persuade with Power Kurt Mortensen MaximizeYourInfluence.com

FAIR News Weekly | 1/30/2026

This is episode 810. Read the complete transcript on the Sales Game Changers Podcast website. The Sales Game Changers Podcast was recognized by YesWare as the top sales podcast. Read the announcement here. FeedSpot named the Sales Game Changers Podcast at a top 20 Sales Podcast and top 8 Sales Leadership Podcast! Subscribe to the Sales Game Changers Podcast now on Apple Podcasts! Purchase Fred Diamond's best-sellers Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know and Insights for Sales Game Changers now! On today's show, Fred discussed influence in the sales process with Cialdini-trained expert Brian Ahearn, author of "Influencing People: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade hat are Lasting and Ethical." He was joined by Veit Albert, VP of Sales at hearing aid company hear.com. Find Veit on LinkedIn.  Find Brian on LinkedIn. VEIT'S TIP: "Influence is responsibility. You can use it to push people or to lift them up." BRIAN'S TIP: "Customers won't buy from you just because they like you, but they'll probably never buy from you if they don't."  

The photos in your home aren't just memories. They're teaching your children what family means. What work means. What you value.This video isn't about decor or aesthetics. It's about imprinting identity.In this video, Macy McNeely—working mom of three and sales expert—shares the family photo system she uses to help her kids subconsciously learn:• That they belong• That their family is strong• That their mom's work matters• That life is full, meaningful, and worth rememberingYou'll also get a simple, low-barrier system for organizing and displaying your family photos—without perfectionism, overwhelm, or another thing to “do right.”This is for the working woman who cares deeply about her work and her family—and refuses to believe she has to choose.✨Remember! Things that matter when using this photo system:• A system you'll actually use• Highlighting meaningful events• Making books accessible to your kidsThings that don't matter when using this photo system: • Perfect photo versions• Exact photo order• Keeping books pristine• Separating work from lifeYour kids aren't looking for perfect. They're learning from what's visible.

I don't know who needs to hear this but snakes don't shed because they want to — they shed because they have to.In this video, Macy McNeely shares the six hard truths 2025 forced her to learn — through pregnancy, partnership changes, and navigating visibility at a level she couldn't hide from anymore.These aren't just cute self-realizations...They're life principles that are learned through pressure, repetition, and staying in the room when it would've been easier to tap out. Not to mention they could save you millions of minutes and dollars…Inside, we talk about:- Why great things take time (and why boredom is often the doorway to mastery)- How to release without resolving (and get your energy back)- Why visibility beats ability — even when it makes you uncomfortable- What authenticity actually looks like without trauma dumping- Why your work is always working (either for you or on you)- How to stop planting worry trees in futures that haven't happened yetAnd why 2026 — the Year of the Fire Horse — can be different.If 2025 stretched you…If it stripped you…If it quietly rebuilt you… This one's for you.

Ali Merchant reveals the small shifts you can implement today to become a better leader immediately. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) How to make difficult conversations easier 2) The three things exceptional managers do3) How to upgrade your one-on-ones with one questionSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1121 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT ALI — Ali Merchant has spent two decades scaling Learning & Development departments for public companies, tech brands, and the world's largest ad agencies. Today, he's the founder of All-In Manager, a leadership development firm that trains and coaches managers to become leaders. Since 2018, Ali has trained thousands of managers and coached hundreds of senior leaders worldwide. He's also the author of The All-In Manager: Become a better leader today, not someday. Ali lives in Chicago with his wife, Sarah, and their dog, Lenny. • Book: The All-In Manager: Become a better leader today. Not Someday• LinkedIn: Ali Merchant• Website: AllInManager.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Study: “The rocky road from actions to intentions” by Elizabeth Newton• Tool: Descript• Tool: Google NotebookLM• Book: Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships (Nonviolent Communication Guides) by Marshall Rosenberg and Deepak Chopra• Book: Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade by Robert Cialdini• Book: How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks• Book: Firefighter Zen: A Field Guide to Thriving in Tough Times by Hersch Wilson— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If sales conversations have started to feel heavy, awkward, or desperate, this video will change how you show up instantly.In this podcast, I break down the one mindset shift that takes you from trying to sell to creating natural, confident conversations that buyers actually want to be part of.You'll learn why going into a call with an agenda is often the very thing pushing people away—and how shifting into curiosity, detachment, and true fit changes everything. When you stop needing the sale and start seeking to understand, your presence changes, your energy shifts, and sales begin to flow.This isn't about scripts, tactics, or pressure. It's about who you are being in the conversation—and why that matters more than what you say.If you've ever felt attached to the outcome, nervous to be fully seen, or frustrated that your offer isn't landing the way you know it could… this video is for you. Join the Sell Your Offer Challenge❤️‍

We plan meetings. We plan vacations. We plan weekends.But most people never plan their LIFE.In this conversation, I sit down with the woman behind some of ‪@jesseitzler4‬ 's wildest ideas to talk about the tool that fundamentally changes how you see your goals—and what you're willing to do to reach them.Taylor Prokes is the co-founder of Big Ass Calendar and the strategic mind behind years of ambitious, unconventional projects. In this interview, she explains why seeing your goals changes your behavior, why planning a full year before it starts leads to braver decisions, and how doing one hard thing on purpose—a misogi—can permanently shift how you see yourself.This isn't about productivity hacks or color-coded calendars.It's about:– How planning your year differently changes the kind of goals you choose– What a “life resume” really is—and how you build one on purpose– Why one intentional challenge can change your identity– How Taylor uses the Big Ass Calendar to design years she's proud of before they happenTaylor also shares how this way of thinking shaped her path—from admiring people like Sara Blakely from afar to now sitting at her kitchen table regularly—and how high-level thinkers design their lives when no one else is watching.If you've ever felt capable of more…If you've ever set goals that sounded good but didn't change your life…If you want to stop reacting to your year and start designing it—... this conversation will change how you think about time.Seeing your year changes the question from “What do I feel like doing today?” to “Who am I becoming this year?”If you enjoy this video, COMMENT and let us know! And if you have a misogi, we've got to hear it!

If you're doing “all the right things” in sales but the results aren't there, this video is for you.We're talking about the other 75% of sales no one teaches—the mindset, energy, credibility, and skills that actually move people to buy. Join the Sell Your Offer Challenge❤️‍