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In this episode of Connect Inspire Create, I explore the power of giving yourself permission to procrastinate. I challenge the common perception of procrastination as a negative habit and share how intentional procrastination can lead to creativity, focus, and better decision-making. Grab some practical tips for embracing productive procrastination, including setting small goals, using procrastination as self-care, and tracking time with techniques like Pomodoro.Tune in for a fresh perspective on procrastination and how it can enhance your productivity with ease and flow. Empowered From Within - starting June 20th 90 days group and 1:1 coachingThis is a space for women coaches and purpose-driven women in business who are ready to slow down, reconnect with their inner clarity, and move forward with greater ease, purpose, and self-trust.Whether you're feeling emotionally drained from holding space for others, or you're sensing that your next chapter requires deeper alignment, this program meets you where you are—and supports you in becoming the version of yourself you're ready to step into.Rooted in the research-based tools of Positive Intelligence®, Empowered From Within helps you gently build mental fitness and emotional resilience—so you can quiet your inner critic, release the pressure to "do more," and return to the grounded, wise part of you that already knows the way.Join me starting June 20th, 2025Hello from your host, Carol Clegg – your mindset and accountability coach for women coaches, entrepreneurs and small teams! As a coach or heart led entrepreneur, you know all the right tools and strategies to support your clients—but when it comes to applying them to yourself, it's easy to get stuck. You might find it hard to prioritize self-care, stay motivated, or maintain a positive mindset, especially when juggling the demands of your business. That's where I come in. I love helping women reconnect with their own practices. Together, we'll explore what's getting in the way, reignite your motivation, and put the right tools in place to support your well-being. If you're ready to start prioritizing your own mindset and motivation, take my complimentary “Insights into You” (aka Saboteur discovery assessment” and follow up with a free coaching session to explore your results. Take your assessment here, or visit carolclegg.com for more details. BOOK your ✅ 30-minute complimentary exploration call HERE Let's connect on LinkedIn and Instagram, or join my LinkedIn Group Flourish: A Community for Women Bus...
Emotional Intelligence: Your Greatest Asset and Key to Success
I'd love to hear from you!Have you ever recognized a pattern in yourself that you desperately wanted to change, yet found yourself repeating the same behaviors over and over? The disconnect between awareness and transformation is where many personal development journeys stall. In this profound conversation with business consultant Martijn Lemmens, we dive deep into the revolutionary methodology of Psyche-K, a powerful approach to reprogramming the subconscious mind. Martijn shares how our life scripts are largely written during our first seven years, creating patterns that might have served us as children but can become limiting as adults.What makes this episode particularly valuable is the practical four-step process Martijn outlines for creating lasting change: identifying your current state, clarifying what you truly want (not just what you don't want), performing a "balance" to reprogram limiting beliefs, and taking concrete action in the world. This framework bridges the gap between internal work and external results.We explore fascinating parallels between Psyche-K, neurolinguistic programming, and emotional intelligence—revealing how befriending our inner critics rather than fighting against them creates space for transformation. Martijn shares compelling client stories, including one woman who realized she needed to "put herself on her own pedestal" rather than elevating everyone around her.Perhaps most powerful is the realization that while we can't control external circumstances, we always have dominion over our inner world. "The whole world can be against me. My internal world can be beautiful as long as I believe in myself," Martijn observes. This shift in perception creates what feels like everyday miracles as new possibilities emerge.Whether you're a business leader seeking to overcome perfectionism, someone struggling with people-pleasing tendencies, or simply curious about the connection between subconscious programming and daily life, this conversation offers practical wisdom and transformative insights for creating lasting change.Martijn's Website: https://www.dewerff.net/en/Psych K: https://www.dewerff.net/en/psych-k/LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martijnlemmens/Martijn's Podcast: https://podfol.io/profile/martijn-lemmensSupport the showWant to learn how to build your EQ? Let's meet to see if working together is good fit. * Calendar: https://calendly.com/jami-carlacio/virtual-coffee * Email: jami@jamicarlacio.com (mailto:%20jami@jamicarlacio.com) * Find out more about my coaching services: https://jamicarlacio.com* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jami-carlacio/* FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/jamicarlacioEQ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamicarlacio1/* YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/jamicarlacio1* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jcarlacio* Substack: https://substack.com/@eqmaven* I'd appreciate your support the show by buying me a cup of coffee: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2167520/supporters/new
Florence is a German-French executive coach, marketing strategist, and author with a global track record of leading insights functions at Procter & Gamble, Estée Lauder, and Heineken. From her early days as a garment seamstress over becoming a "Marketer of the Year" at Cannes Lions, to qualify as a Professional Certified Coach at ICF in 2020 her journey reflects the power of reinvention and courage. Fluent in three languages and driven by purpose, Florence now empowers leaders through her coaching practice and her firm ambitionize, helping them grow with clarity, confidence, and heart. She is also the author of “Courage at Work”, published in 2025 at Routledge.Florence earned her Associate Certified Coach (ACC) accreditation from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) in 2016 and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) in 2020, with training from MMS Worldwide Institute. In addition,she is trained in Non-Violent Communication, Transformation Leadership Presence and Positive Intelligence. She is a licensed consultant of JANSSEN'S MODEL® “Four rooms of change”. In addition, she is a partner at CONTUR GmbH, Advisor at ENLIGHTEN ADVISORY and a Peer Group Coach at InSymmetry. She is the founder of ambitionize, a consulting firm dedicated to leadership development, customer-centric strategies and insights-inspired marketing. Contact Florence: fmguesnet@ambitionize.deJoin her space for courageous leaders: https://419040.seu2.cleverreach.com/m/16103589Follow her at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florence-m-guesnet-ambitionize/
In this episode, I and, Manfred Mahrle, explore the transformative power of positive intelligence for CEOs facing the challenges of leadership. I discuss the importance of adopting a "sage mode" mindset, drawing an analogy to the conflict between Darth Vader and the Jedi. Through my journey from a two-decade corporate career to founding ActiMind, I emphasize the necessity of overcoming fear to achieve fulfillment and innovation. I unpack the foundational elements of the sage mindset, such as empathy and activation, which help leaders navigate challenges effectively. Highlighting a client's breakthrough regarding perfectionism, I advocate for building healthier habits through mindfulness and adaptable strategies. Ultimately, I encourage listeners to engage in personal development and the ongoing practice of positive intelligence to enhance their leadership journey.
What if you could train your brain to spend more time supporting you—and less time sabotaging you?With the Positive Intelligence app, daily guided practices (available on your phone or computer) help you build mental fitness by strengthening your Sage mindset.Over time, you'll find yourself spending more time in calm, clear, creative thought—and less time reacting to stress, self-doubt, or overwhelm. This shift is measurable through your Positive Intelligence Quotient (PQ)—and it starts with one small step at a time. Curious how it works? It's all in this episode and welcome back to season 6 of Connect Inspire Create.This Trello board is designed to help you easily track your most important tasks, stay accountable, and feel confident that you're moving your business forward, even on busy weeks.Trello link right hereHello from your host, Carol Clegg. A coach for coaches! I work with women coaches to find balance with ease and flow, manage stress, cultivate self-empathy, and set meaningful goals that resonate with their individual coaching practices. My clients often have too many ideas and struggle to decide which one to focus on first, leading to a HUGE BLOCK in just getting started. I love to help simplify the process, explore what is getting in the way and guide you to choose the next project, enjoy the journey, and celebrate progress while taking small, meaningful steps. If you would like to take the complimentary Saboteur assessment to discover what gets in your way and then follow up with a complimentary coaching session to explore your results. Take your assessment here or visit carolclegg.com BOOK your ✅ 30 minute complimentary exploration call HERE Connect on LinkedIn and Instagram or join my LinkedIn Group Creative Ideas for Women Business Owners
Have you or do you feel stress? What is stress and how can we deal with it? Our guest this time is Rachelle Stone who discusses those very questions with us. Rachelle grew up in a very small town in Massachusetts. After attending community college, she had an opportunity to study and work at Disney World in Florida and has never looked back. Rachelle loved her Disney work and entered the hospitality industry spending much of 27 years working for or running her own destination management company. She will describe how one day after a successful career, at the age of 48, she suffered what today we know as burnout. She didn't know how to describe her feelings at the time, but she will tell us how she eventually discovered what was going on with her. She began to explore and then study the profession of coaching. Rachelle will tell us about coaches and clients and how what coaches do can help change lives in so many ways. This episode is full of the kind of thoughts and ideas we all experience as well as insights on how we can move forward when our mindsets are keeping us from moving forward. Rachelle has a down-to-Earth way of explaining what she wants to say that we all can appreciate. About the Guest: “As your leadership consultant, I will help you hone your leadership, so you are ready for your next career move. As your executive coach, I will partner with you to overcome challenges and obstacles so you can execute your goals.” Hi, I'm Rachelle. I spent over 25 years as an entrepreneur and leader in the Special Event industry in Miami, building, flipping, and selling Destination Management Companies (DMCs). While I loved and thrived in the excitement and chaos of the industry, I still managed to hit a level of burnout that was wholly unexpected and unacceptable to me, resulting in early retirement at 48. Now, as a trained Leadership Consultant and Executive Coach, I've made it my mission to combine this hard-won wisdom and experience to crack the code on burnout and balance for others so they can continue to thrive in careers they love. I am Brené Brown Dare to Lead ™ trained, a Certified Positive Intelligence ® Mental Fitness coach, and an accredited Professional Certified Coach by the ICF (International Coaching Federation, the most recognized global accreditation body in the coaching industry). I continue to grow my expertise and show my commitment to the next generation of coaches by serving on the ICF-Central Florida chapter board of directors. I am serving as President-Elect and Chapter Liaison to the global organization. I also support those new to the coaching industry by mentoring other coaches to obtain advanced coaching credentials. I maintain my well-being by practicing Pilates & Pvolve ® a few days a week, taking daily walks, loving on my Pug, Max, and making time for beach walks when possible. Ways to connect Rachel: www.rstoneconsulting.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/rstoneconsulting/ Instagram: @even_wonderwoman_gets_tired About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Well, hi and welcome to unstoppable mindset where inclusion diversity and the unexpected meet. But you know, the more fun thing about it is the unexpected. Unexpected is always a good thing, and unexpected is really anything that doesn't have anything directly to do with inclusion or diversity, which is most of what we get to deal with in the course of the podcast, including with our guest today, Rachelle Stone, who worked in the hospitality industry in a variety of ways during a lot of her life, and then switched to being a coach and a leadership expert. And I am fascinated to learn about that and what what brought her to that? And we'll get to that at some point in the course of the day. But Rachelle, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here. Thank Rachelle Stone ** 02:08 you, Michael. I'm honored to be here. Excited to be talking to you today. Michael Hingson ** 02:12 Well, it's a lot of fun now. You're in Florida. I am. I'm in the Clearwater Rachelle Stone ** 02:16 Dunedin area. I like to say I live in Dunedin, Florida without the zip code. Michael Hingson ** 02:22 Yeah. Well, I hear you, you know, then makes it harder to find you that way, right? Rachelle Stone ** 02:28 Physically. Yeah, right, exactly. Danita, without the zip code, we'll stick with that. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 02:33 yeah, that works. Well, I'm really glad you're here. Why don't we start by maybe you talking to us a little bit about the early Rachelle growing up and some of that stuff. Rachelle Stone ** 02:43 Yeah, I was lucky. I grew up in rural Western Massachusetts, little po doc town called Greenfield, Massachusetts. We were 18 miles from the Vermont border, which was literally a mile and a half from the New Hampshire border. So I grew up in this very interesting area where it was like a tri state area, and our idea of fun growing up, well, it was, we were always outdoors, playing very much outdoors. I had three siblings, and I was the youngest, and it was one of those childhoods where you came home from school, and mom would say, go outside, don't come back in the house until you hear the whistle. And every house on the street, every mother had a whistle. There were only seven houses because there was a Boy Scout camp at the end of the road. So as the sun was setting and the street lights would come on, you would hear different whistles, and different family kids would be going home the stone kids up, that's your mom. Go home, see you next time that was it was great. And you know, as I got older and more adventurous, it was cow tipping and keg parties and behind and all sorts of things that we probably shouldn't have been doing in our later teen years, but it was fun. Behind Michael Hingson ** 04:04 is it's four wheeling, Rachelle Stone ** 04:08 going up rough terrain. We had these. It was very, very hilly, where I was lot of lot of small mountains that you could conquer. Michael Hingson ** 04:17 So in the winter, does that mean you got to do some fun things, like sledding in the snow. Yeah, yeah. Rachelle Stone ** 04:24 We had a great hill in the back of our yard, so I learned to ski in my own backyard, and we had three acres of woods, so we would go snowshoeing. We were also close to a private school called Northfield Mount Hermon, which had beautiful, beautiful grounds, and in the winter, we would go cross country skiing there. So again, year round, we were, we were outdoors a lot. Michael Hingson ** 04:52 Well, my time in Massachusetts was three years living in Winthrop so I was basically East Boston. Yeah. Yes and and very much enjoyed it. Loved the environment. I've been all over Massachusetts in one way or another, so I'm familiar with where you were. I am, and I will admit, although the winters were were cold, that wasn't as much a bother as it was when the snow turned to ice or started to melt, and then that night it froze. That got to be pretty slippery, 05:25 very dangerous, very dangerous. Michael Hingson ** 05:29 I then experienced it again later, when we lived in New Jersey and and I actually our house to take the dogs out. We had no fenced yards, so I had to take them out on leash, and I would go down to our basement and go out and walk out basement onto a small deck or patio, actually, and then I had to go down a hill to take the dogs where they could go do their business. And I remember the last year we were in New Jersey, it snowed in May, and the snow started to melt the next day, and then that night, it froze, and it and it stayed that way for like about a day and a half. And so it was as slick as glass is. Glass could be. So eventually I couldn't I could go down a hill, it was very dangerous, but going back up a hill to come back in the house was not safe. So eventually, I just used a very long flex leash that was like 20 feet long, and I sent the dogs down the hill. I stayed at the top. Rachelle Stone ** 06:33 Was smart, wow. And they didn't mind. They just wanted to go do their business, and they wanted to get back in the house too. It's cold, yeah? Michael Hingson ** 06:41 They didn't seem to be always in an incredible hurry to come back into the house. But they had no problem coming up the hill. That's the the advantage of having claws, Rachelle Stone ** 06:51 yes. Pause, yeah, four of them to boot, right? Yeah, which Michael Hingson ** 06:54 really helped a great deal. But, you know, I remember it. I love it. I loved it. Then now I live in in a place in California where we're on what's called the high desert, so it doesn't get as cold, and we get hardly any of the precipitation that even some of the surrounding areas do, from Los Angeles and Long Beach and so on to on the one side, up in the mountains where the Snow is for the ski resorts on the other so Los Angeles can have, or parts of La can have three or four inches of rain, and we might get a half inch. Rachelle Stone ** 07:28 Wow. So it stays relatively dry. Do you? Do you ever have to deal like down here, we have something called black ice, which we get on the road when it rains after it hasn't rained in a long time? Do you get that there in California, Michael Hingson ** 07:41 there are places, yeah, not here where I live, because it generally doesn't get cold enough. It can. It's already this well, in 2023 late 2023 we got down to 24 degrees one night, and it can get a little bit colder, but generally we're above freezing. So, no, we don't get the black ice here that other places around us can and do. Got it. Got it. So you had I obviously a fun, what you regard as a fun childhood. Rachelle Stone ** 08:14 Yeah, I remember the first day I walked into I went to a community college, and I it was a very last minute, impulsive, spontaneous decision. Wow, that kind of plays into the rest of my life too. I make very quick decisions, and I decided I wanted to go to college, and it was open enrollment. I went down to the school, and they asked me, What do you want to study? I'm like, I don't know. I just know I want to have fun. So they said, you might want to explore Recreation and Leisure Services. So that's what I wound up going to school for. And I like to say I have a degree in fun and games. Michael Hingson ** 08:47 There you go. Yeah. Did you go beyond community college or community college enough? Rachelle Stone ** 08:53 Yeah, that was so I transferred. It took me four years to get a two year degree. And the reason was, I was working full time, I moved out. I just at 17, I wanted to be on my own, and just moved into an apartment with three other people and went to college and worked. It was a fabulous way to live. It was wonderful. But then when I transferred to the University, I felt like I was a bit bored, because I think the other students were, I was dealing with a lot of students coming in for the first time, where I had already been in school for four years, in college for four years, so the experience wasn't what I was looking for. I wanted the education. And I saw a poster, and it was Mickey Mouse on the poster, and it was Walt Disney World College program now accepting applications. So I wrote down the phone number, email, whatever it was, and and I applied. I got an interview again. Remember Michael? I was really bored. I was going to school. It was my first semester in my four year program, and I just anyway. I got a call back and. And I was accepted into the Disney College Program. So, um, they at that time, they only took about 800 students a year. So it was back in 1989 long time ago. And I was thrilled. I left Massachusetts on january 31 1989 in the blizzard of 89 Yeah, and I drove down to Orlando, Florida, and I never left. I'm still here in Florida. That was the beginning of my entire career. Was applying for the Disney College Program. Michael Hingson ** 10:36 So what was that like, being there at the Disney College, pro nominal, phenomenal. I have to ask one thing, did you have to go through some sort of operation to get rid of your Massachusetts accent? Does Rachelle Stone ** 10:50 it sound like it worked? No, I didn't have well, it was funny, because I was hoping I would be cast as Minnie Mouse. I'm four foot 10. I have learned that to be Mini or Mickey Mouse, you have to be four, eight or shorter. So I missed many by two inches. My second choice was being a lifeguard, and I wound up what I they offered me was Epcot parking lot, and I loved it, believe it or not, helping to park cars at Epcot Center. I still remember my spiel to the letter that I used to give because there was a live person on the back of the tram speaking and then another one at the front of the tram driving it to get you from the parking lot to the front entrance of the gate. But the whole experience was amazing. It was I attended classes, I earned my Master's degree. I picked up a second and third job because I wanted to get into hotels, and so I worked one day a week at the Disney Inn, which is now their military resorts. And then I took that third job, was as a contractor for a recreation management company. So I was working in the field that I had my associates in. I was working at a hotel one day a week, just because I wanted to learn about hotels. I thought that was the industry I wanted to go into. And I was I was driving the tram and spieling on the back of the tram five days a week. I loved it was phenomenal. Michael Hingson ** 12:20 I have a friend who is blind who just retired from, I don't know, 20 or 25 years at Disneyland, working a lot in the reservation centers and and so on. And speaks very highly of, of course, all the experiences of being involved with Disney. Rachelle Stone ** 12:38 Yeah, it's really, I'm It was a wonderful experience. I think it gave me a great foundation for the work in hospitality that I did following. It was a great i i think it made me a better leader, better hospitality person for it well, Michael Hingson ** 12:57 and there is an art to doing it. It isn't just something where you can arbitrarily decide, I'm going to be a successful and great hospitality person, and then do it if you don't learn how to relate to people, if you don't learn how to talk to people, and if you're not having fun doing it Rachelle Stone ** 13:14 exactly. Yes, Fun. Fun is everything. It's Michael Hingson ** 13:18 sort of like this podcast I love to tell people now that the only hard and fast rule about the podcast is we both have to have fun, or it's not worth doing. Rachelle Stone ** 13:25 That's right. I'm right there with you. Gotta Have fun, Michael Hingson ** 13:30 yeah? Well, so you So, how long were you with Disney? What made you switched? Oh, so Rachelle Stone ** 13:36 Disney College Program. It was, at that time, it was called the Magic Kingdom college program, MK, CP, and it's grown quite significantly. I think they have five or 7000 students from around the world now, but at that time it was just a one semester program. I think for international students, it's a one year program. So when my three and a half months were up. My semester, I could either go back. I was supposed to go back to school back in Massachusetts, but the recreation management company I was working for offered me a full time position, so I wound up staying. I stayed in Orlando for almost three and a half years, and ultimately I wound up moving to South Florida and getting a role, a new role, with a different sort of company called a destination management company. And that was that was really the onset destination management was my career for 27 years. 26 Michael Hingson ** 14:38 years. So what is a destination management company. So Rachelle Stone ** 14:41 a destination management company is, they are the company that receives a group into a destination, meetings, conventions, events. So for instance, let's say, let's say Fathom note taker. Wants to have an in person meeting, and they're going to hold it at the Lowe's Miami Beach, and they're bringing in 400 of their top clients, and and and sales people and operations people. They need someone on the receiving end to pick everybody up at the airport, to put together the theme parties, provide the private tours and excursions. Do the exciting restaurant, Dine Around the entertainment, the amenities. So I did all the fun. And again, sticking with the fun theme here, yeah, I did all of the auxiliary meeting fun add ons in the destination that what you would do. And I would say I did about 175 to 225, meetings a year. Michael Hingson ** 15:44 So you didn't actually book the meetings, or go out and solicit to book the meetings. You were the person who took over. Once a meeting was arranged, Rachelle Stone ** 15:53 once a meeting was booked in the destination, right? If they needed a company like mine, then it would be then I would work with them. If I would be the company. There were several companies I did what I do, especially in Miami, because Miami was a top tier destination, so a client may book the lows Miami Beach and then reach out to two to three different DMCs to learn how can they partner with them to make the meeting the most successful. So it was always a competitive situation. And it was always, you know, needing to do our best and give our best and be creative and out of the box. And, yeah, it was, it was an exciting industry. So what makes Michael Hingson ** 16:41 the best destination management company, or what makes you very successful? Why would people view you as successful at at what you do, and why they would want to choose you to be the company to work with? Because obviously, as you said, it's competitive. Rachelle Stone ** 16:59 Everybody well, and there's choice. Everybody has choice. I always believed there was enough business to go around for everybody. Very good friends with some of my my hardiest competitors. Interestingly, you know, although we're competing, it's a very friendly industry. We all network together. We all dance in the same network. You know, if we're going to an industry network, we're all together. What? Why would somebody choose me over somebody else? Was really always a decision. It was sometimes it was creativity. Sometimes it was just a feeling for them. They felt the relationship just felt more authentic. Other times it was they they just really needed a cut and dry service. It just every client was always different. There were never two programs the same. I might have somebody just wanting to book a flamenco guitarist for three hours, and that's all they need. And another group may need. The transportation, the tours, the entertainment, the theme parties, the amenities, the whole ball of Fox, every group was different, which is, I think, what made it so exciting, it's that relationship building, I think, more than anything. Because these companies are doing meetings all over the country, sometimes some of them all over the world. So relationships were really, really important to them to be able to go into a destination and say to their partner in that destination, hey, I'm going to be there next May. This is what I need. Are you available? Can you help? So I think on the initial front end, it is, when it's a competitive bid, you're starting from scratch to build a relationship. Once that's relationship is established, it is easier to build on that relationship when things go wrong. Let's talk about what worked, what didn't, and how we can do better next time, instead of throwing the entire relationship out with the bathwater and starting from scratch again. So it was a great industry. I loved it, and Michael Hingson ** 19:00 obviously you must have been pretty successful at it. Rachelle Stone ** 19:04 I was, I was lucky. Well, luck and skill, I have to give myself credit there too. I worked for other DMCs. I worked for event companies that wanted to expand into the DMC industry. And I helped, I helped them build that corporate division, or that DMC division. I owned my own agency for, I think, 14 years, still alive and thriving. And then I worked for angel investors, helping them flip and underperforming. It was actually a franchise. It was an office franchise of a global DMC at the time. So I've had success in different areas of Destination Management, and I was lucky in that I believe in accreditation and certification. That's important to me. Credibility matters. And so I. Involved in the association called the association of Destination Management executives international admei I know it's a mouthful, but I wound up serving on their board of directors and their certification and accreditation board for 14 years, throughout my career, and on the cab their certification accreditation board, my company was one of the first companies in the country to become a certified company, admc certified. I was so proud of that, and I had all of my staff. I paid for all of them to earn their certification, which was a destination management Certified Professional. That's the designation. I loved, that we could be a part of it. And I helped write a course, a university level course, and it was only nine weeks, so half a semester in teaching students what destination management is that took me three years. It was a passion project with a couple of other board members on the cab that we put together, and really glad to be a part of that and contributing to writing the book best practices in destination management, first and second edition. So I feel lucky that I was in this field at a time where it was really growing deeper roots. It had been transport the industry. When I went into it was maybe 20 years young, and when I left it, it been around for 40 plus years. So it's kind of exciting. So you so you Michael Hingson ** 21:41 said that you started a company and you were with it for 4014 years, or you ran it for 14 years, and you said, it's still around. Are you involved with it at all? Now, I Rachelle Stone ** 21:51 am not. I did a buyout with the I had two partners at the time. And without going into too much detail, there were some things going on that I felt were I could not align with. I felt it was unethical. I felt it was immoral, and I struggled for a year to make the decision. I spoke to a therapist, and I ultimately consulted an attorney, and I did a buyout, and I walked away from my this was my legacy. This was my baby. I built it from scratch. I was the face of the company. So to give that up my legacy, it was a really tough decision, but it really did come full circle, because late last year, something happened which brought me back to that decision, and I can, with 100% certainty, say it was a values driven decision for me, and I'm so happy I made that decision. So I am today. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 22:57 and, and let's, let's get to that a little bit so you at some point, you said that you had burnout and you left the industry. Why did you do that? Rachelle Stone ** 23:08 So after I did, sold my my business, I worked for angel investors for about three and a half years. They brought me in. This was an underperforming office that the franchisee, because they had owned it for 10 years, had done a buyout themselves and sold it back to the angel investors or the private equity so they brought me in to run the office and bring it from surviving to thriving again. And it took me about 18 months, and I brought it from under a million to over 5.3 million in 18 months. So it's quite successful. And I had said to the owners, as they're thanking me and rewarding me, and it was a great first two years, I had said to them, please don't expect this again. This was a fluke. People were following me. There was a lot of curiosity in the industry, because this was a really big move for me to sell my company and then go work for this one. It was big news. So it was a great time. But the expectation for me to repeat, rinse and repeat, that kind of productivity was not realistic. It just wasn't realistic. And about a year and a half later, I just, I was driving from the Lowe's Miami Beach. It's funny, because I used that as an example before, to the breakers in Palm Beach. And if you know South Florida at all, it's, it's, you're taking your life in your hands every time you get on 95 it's a nightmare. Anyway, so I'm driving from the lows to the breakers, and I just left a kind of a rough meeting. I don't even remember what it was anymore, because that was back in 2014 and I'm driving to another meeting at the breakers, and I hang up the phone with somebody my. Son calls about something, Mom, this is going on for graduation. Can you be there? And I'm realizing I'm going to be out of town yet again for work, and I'm driving to the breakers, and I'm having this I just had this vision of myself in the middle of 95 slamming the brakes on in my car, coming to a full stop in the middle of the highway. I did not do this this, and I don't recommend you do this. And I opened up my car door, and I literally just walked away from my car. That was the image in my mind. And in that moment, I knew it was time for me to leave. I had gone as high as I could go. I'd done as much as I could do. I'd served on boards, contributed to books, spoken on panels. I wanted to go back to being an entrepreneur. I didn't want to work for angel investors anymore. I wanted to work for myself. I wanted to build something new, and I didn't want to do it in the DMC world. So I went home that night thinking I was going to just resign. Instead, I wrote a letter of retirement, and I retired from the industry, I walked away two and a half weeks later, and I said I was never going to return. Michael Hingson ** 26:09 And so I burnt out, though at the time, what? What eventually made you realize that it was all burnt out, or a lot of it was burnt out. So I Rachelle Stone ** 26:17 didn't know anything about burnout at that time. I just knew I was incredibly frustrated. I was bored. I was over in competence, and I just wanted out. Was just done. I had done well enough in my industry that I could take a little time. I had a lot of people asking me to take on consulting projects. So I did. I started doing some consulting in hospitality. And while I was doing that, I was kind of peeling away the layers of the onion, saying, What do I want to do next? I did not want to do DMC. That's all I knew. So I started this exploration, and what came out of it was an interest in exploring the field of coaching. So I did some research. I went to the coachingfederation.org which is the ICF International coaching Federation, is the leading accreditation body for coaches in the world. And through them, I researched Who were some of the accredited schools. I narrowed it down. I finally settled on one, and I said, I'm going to sign up for one course. I just want to see what this coaching is all about. So I signed up for a foundations course with the with the school out of Pennsylvania, and probably about three weeks into the course, the professor said something which was like a light bulb moment for me, and that I realized like, oh my Speaker 1 ** 27:40 god, I burnt out. And I was literally, at this Rachelle Stone ** 27:46 time, we're in school, we're on the phone. It was not zoom. We didn't have all this yet. It was you were on the phone, and then you were pulling up documents on your computer so the teacher couldn't see me crying. I was just sobbing, knowing that this is i i was so I was I was stunned. I didn't say anything. I sat on this for a while. In fact, I sat on it. I started researching it, but I didn't tell anybody for two years. It took me two years before I finally admitted to somebody that I had burnt out. I was so ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated, I was this successful, high over achiever. How could I have possibly burnt out? Michael Hingson ** 28:34 What? What did the teacher say Rachelle Stone ** 28:37 it was? I don't even remember what it was, but I remember that shock of realization of wellness, of it was, you know what it was that question, is this all? There is a lot of times when we were they were talking about, I believe, what they were talking about, midlife crisis and what really brings them on. And it is that pivotal question, is this really all there is, is this what I'm meant to be doing? And then in their conversation, I don't even remember the full conversation, it was that recognition of that's what's happened to me. And as I started researching it, this isn't now. This is in 2015 as I'm researching it and learning there's not a lot on it. I mean, there's some, mostly people's experiences that are being shared. Then in 2019 the World Health Organization officially, officially recognizes burnout as a phenomenon, an occupational phenomenon. Michael Hingson ** 29:38 And how would you define burnout? Burnout is, Rachelle Stone ** 29:43 is generally defined in three areas. It is. It's the the, oh, I always struggle with it. It's that disconnect, the disconnect, or disassociation from. Um, wanting to succeed, from your commitment to the work. It is the knowing, the belief that no one can do it well or right. It is there. There's that. It's an emotional disconnect from from from caring about what you're doing and how you're showing up, and it shows up in your personal life too, which is the horrible thing, because it your it impacts your family so negatively, it's horrible. Michael Hingson ** 30:39 And it it, it does take a toll. And it takes, did it take any kind of a physical toll on you? Rachelle Stone ** 30:45 Well, what I didn't realize when I when I took this time, I was about 25 pounds overweight. I was on about 18 different medications, including all my vitamins. I was taking a lot of vitamins at that time too. Um, I chronic sciatica, insomnia. I was self medicating. I was also going out, eating rich dinners and drinking, um, because you're because of the work I was doing. I had to entertain. That was part of that was part of of my job. So as I was looking at myself, Yes, physically, it turns out that this weight gain, the insomnia, the self medication, are also taught signs of of risk of burnout. It's how we manage our stress, and that's really what it comes down to, that we didn't even know. We don't even know. People don't no one teaches us how to process our stress, and that that's really probably one of the biggest things that I've through, everything that I've studied, and then the pandemic hitting it. No one teaches us how to manage our stress. No one tells us that if we process stress, then the tough stuff isn't as hard anymore. It's more manageable. No one teaches us about how to shift our mindsets so we can look at changing our perspective at things, or only seeing things through our lizard brain instead of our curious brain. These are all things that I had no idea were keeping me I didn't know how to do, and that were part of contributing to my burnout. Right? Michael Hingson ** 32:43 Is stress more self created, or is it? Is it an actual thing? In other words, when, when there is stress in the world? Is it something that, really, you create out of a fear or cause to happen in some way, and in reality, there are ways to not necessarily be stressful, and maybe that's what you're talking about, as far as learning to control it and process it, well, Rachelle Stone ** 33:09 there's actually there's stresses. Stressors are external. Stress is internal. So a stressor could be the nagging boss. It could be your kid has a fever and you're going to be late for work, or you're going to miss a meeting because you have to take them to the doctor. That's an external stressor, right? So that external stressor goes away, you know, the traffic breaks up, or your your husband takes the kid to the doctor so you can get to your meeting. Whatever that external stress, or is gone, you still have to deal with the stress that's in your body. Your that stress, that stress builds up. It's it's cortisol, and that's what starts with the physical impact. So those physical symptoms that I was telling you about, that I had, that I didn't know, were part of my burnout. It was unprocessed stress. Now at that time, I couldn't even touch my toes. I wasn't doing any sort of exercise for my body. I wasn't and that is one of the best ways you can process stress. Stress actually has to cycle out of your body. No one tells us that. No one teaches us that. So how do you learn how to do that? Michael Hingson ** 34:21 Well, of course, that's Go ahead. Go ahead. Well, I was gonna Rachelle Stone ** 34:24 say it's learning. It's being willing to look internally, what's going on in your body. How are you really getting in touch with your emotions and feelings and and processing them well? Michael Hingson ** 34:37 And you talk about stressors being external, but you have control. You may not have control directly over the stressor happening, but don't you have control over how you decide to deal with the external stress? Creator, Rachelle Stone ** 34:55 yes, and that external stress will always. Go away. The deadline will come and go. The sun will still rise tomorrow in set tomorrow night. Stressors always go away, but they're also constantly there. So you've got, for instance, the nagging boss is always going to bring you stress. It's how you process the stress inside. You can choose to ignore the stressor, but then you're setting yourself up for maybe not following through on your job, or doing Michael Hingson ** 35:29 right. And I wouldn't suggest ignoring the stressor, but you it's processing that Rachelle Stone ** 35:34 stress in your body. It's not so let's say, at the end of the rough day, the stressors gone. You still, whether you choose to go for a walk or you choose to go home and say, Honey, I just need a really like I need a 62nd full on contact, bear hug from you, because I'm holding a lot of stress in my body right now, and I've got to let it out So that physical contact will move stress through your body. This isn't this is they that? You can see this in MRI studies. You see the decrease in the stress. Neuroscience now shows this to be true. You've got to move it through your body. Now before I wanted to kind of give you the formal definition of burnout, it is, it is they call it a occupational phenomenal, okay, it by that they're not calling it a disease. It is not classified as a disease, but it is noted in the International Classification of Diseases, and it has a code now it is they do tie it directly to chronic workplace stress, and this is where I have a problem with the World Health Organization, because when they added this to the International Classification of diseases in 2019 they didn't have COVID. 19 hybrid or work from home environments in mind, and it is totally changed. Stress and burnout are following people around. It's very difficult for them to escape. So besides that, that disconnect that I was talking about, it's really complete exhaustion, depletion of your energy just drained from all of the stressors. And again, it's that reduced efficiency in your work that you're producing because you don't care as much. It's that disconnect so and then the physical symptoms do build up. And burnout isn't like this. It's not an overnight thing. It's a build up, just like gaining 25 pounds, just like getting sick enough that I need a little bit more medication for different issues, that stuff builds up on you and when you when you're recovering from burnout, you didn't get there overnight. You're not going to get out of it overnight either. It's I worked with a personal trainer until I could touch my toes, and then she's pushed me out to go join a gym. But again, it's step by step, and learning to eat healthy, and then ultimately, the third piece that really changed the game for me was learning about the muscles in my brain and getting mentally fit. That was really the third leg of getting my health back. Michael Hingson ** 38:33 So how does all of that help you deal with stress and the potential of burnout today? Yeah, Rachelle Stone ** 38:43 more than anything, I know how to prevent it. That is my, my the number one thing I know when I'm sensing a stressor that is impacting me, I can quickly get rid of it. Now, for instance, I'll give you a good example. I was on my the board of directors for my Homeowners Association, and that's always Michael Hingson ** 39:03 stressful. I've been there, right? Well, I Rachelle Stone ** 39:06 was up for an hour and a half one night ruminating, and I I realized, because I coach a lot of people around burnout and symptoms, so when I was ruminating, I recognized, oh my gosh, that HOA does not deserve that much oxygen in my brain. And what did I do the next day? I resigned. Resigned, yeah, so removing the stressors so I can process the stress. I process my stress. I always make sure I schedule a beach walk for low tide. I will block my calendar for that so I can make sure I'm there, because that fills my tank. That's self care for me. I make sure I'm exercising, I'm eating good food. I actually worked with a health coach last year because I felt like my eating was getting a little off kilter again. So I just hired a coach for a few months to help me get back on track. Of getting support where I need it. That support circle is really important to maintain and process your stress and prevent burnout. Michael Hingson ** 40:10 So we've talked a lot about stress and dealing with it and so on. And like to get back to the idea of you went, you explored working with the international coaching Federation, and you went to a school. So what did you then do? What really made you attracted to the idea of coaching, and what do you get out of it? Rachelle Stone ** 40:35 Oh, great question. Thanks for that. So for me, once I I was in this foundations course, I recognized or realized what had happened to me. I i again, kept my mouth shut, and I just continued with the course. By the end of the course, I really, really enjoyed it, and I saw I decided I wanted to continue on to become a coach. So I just continued in my training. By the end of 2015 early 2016 I was a coach. I went and joined the international coaching Federation, and they offer accreditation. So I wanted to get accredited, because, as I said, from my first industry, a big proponent for credit accreditation. I think it's very important, especially in an unregulated industry like coaching. So we're not bound by HIPAA laws. We are not doctors, we are coaches. It's very different lane, and we do self regulate. So getting accredited is important to me. And I thought my ACC, which my associate a certified coach in 2016 when I moved to the area I'm living in now, in 2017 and I joined the local chapter here, I just continued on. I continued with education. I knew my lane is, is, is burnout. I started to own it. I started to bring it forward a little bit and talk about my experiences with with other coaches and clients to help them through the years and and it felt natural. So with the ICF, I wanted to make sure I stayed in a path that would allow me to hang my shingle proudly, and everything I did in the destination management world I'm now doing in the coaching world. I wound up on the board of directors for our local chapter as a programming director, which was so perfect for me because I'm coming from meetings and events, so as a perfect person to do their programming, and now I am their chapter liaison, and I am President Elect, so I'm taking the same sort of leadership I had in destination management and wrapping my arms around it in the coaching industry, Michael Hingson ** 42:56 you talk about People honing their leadership skills to help prepare them for a career move or their next career. It isn't always that way, though, right? It isn't always necessarily that they're going to be going to a different career. Yep, Rachelle Stone ** 43:11 correct. Yeah. I mean, not everybody's looking for trans transition. Some people are looking for that to break through the glass ceiling. I have other clients that are just wanting to maybe move laterally. Others are just trying to figure it out every client is different. While I specialize in hospitality and burnout, I probably have more clients in the leadership lane, Senior VP level, that are trying to figure out their next step, if they want to go higher, or if they're content where they are, and a lot of that comes from that ability to find the right balance for you in between your career and your personal life. I think there comes a point when we're in our younger careers, we are fully identified by what we do. I don't think that's true for upcoming generations, but for our generation, and maybe Jen, maybe some millennials, very identified by what they do, there comes a point in your career, and I'm going to say somewhere between 35 and 50, where you recognize that those two Things need to be separate, Michael Hingson ** 44:20 and the two things being Rachelle Stone ** 44:23 your identity, who you are from what you do, got it two different things. And a lot of leaders on their journey get so wrapped up in what they do, they lose who they are. Michael Hingson ** 44:39 What really makes a good leader, Rachelle Stone ** 44:42 authenticity. I'm a big proponent of heart based leadership. Brene Brown, I'm Brene Brown trained. I am not a facilitator, but I love her work, and I introduce all my clients to it, especially my newer leaders. I think it's that. Authenticity that you know the command and control leadership no longer works. And I can tell you, I do work with some leaders that are trying to improve their human skills, and by that I mean their emotional intelligence, their social skills, their ability to interact on a human level with others, because when they have that high command and control directive type of leadership, they're not connecting with their people. And we now have five generations in the workforce that all need to be interacted with differently. So command and control is a tough kind of leadership style that I actually unless they're willing to unless they're open to exploring other ways of leading, I won't work with them. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 45:44 and the reality is, I'm not sure command and control as such ever really worked. Yeah, maybe you control people. But did it really get you and the other person and the company? What what you needed. Rachelle Stone ** 46:01 Generally, that's what we now call a toxic environment. Yes, yes. But that, you know, this has been, we've been on a path of, you know, this work ethic was supposed to, was supposed to become a leisure ethic in the 70s, you know, we went to 40 hour work weeks. Where are we now? We're back up to 6070, hour work week. Yeah, we're trying to lower the age that so kids can start working this is not a leisure ethic that we were headed towards. And now with AI, okay, let's change this conversation. Yeah, toxic environments are not going to work. Moving forward that command and control leadership. There's not a lot of it left, but there's, it's lingering, and some of the old guard, you know, there it's, it's slowly changing. Michael Hingson ** 46:49 It is, I think, high time that we learn a lot more about the whole concept of teamwork and true, real team building. And there's a lot to be said for there's no I in team, that's right, and it's an extremely important thing to learn. And I think there are way to, still, way too many people who don't recognize that, but it is something that I agree with you. Over time, it's it's starting to evolve to a different world, and the pandemic actually was one, and is one of the things that helps it, because we introduced the hybrid environment, for example, and people are starting to realize that they can still get things done, and they don't necessarily have to do it the way they did before, and they're better off for it. Rachelle Stone ** 47:38 That's right. Innovation is beautiful. I actually, I mean, as horrible as the pandemic was it, there was a lot of good that came out of it, to your point. And it's interesting, because I've watched this in coaching people. I remember early in the pandemic, I had a new client, and they came to the they came to their first call on Zoom, really slumped down in the chair like I could barely see their nose and up and, you know, as we're kind of talking, getting to know each other. One of the things they said to me, because they were working from home, they were working like 1011, hours a day. Had two kids, a husband, and they also had yet they're, they're, they're like, I one of the things they said to me, which blew my mind, was, I don't have time to put on a load of laundry. They're working from home. Yeah? It's that mindset that you own my time because you're paying me, yeah, versus I'm productive and I'm doing good work for you. Is why you're paying for paying me? Yeah? So it's that perception and trying to shift one person at a time, shifting that perspective Michael Hingson ** 48:54 you talked before about you're a coach, you're not a doctor, which I absolutely appreciate and understand and in studying coaching and so on, one of the things that I read a great deal about is the whole concept of coaches are not therapists. A therapist provides a decision or a position or a decision, and they are more the one that provides a lot of the answers, because they have the expertise. And a coach is a guide who, if they're doing their job right, leads you to you figuring out the answer. That's Rachelle Stone ** 49:34 a great way to put it, and it's pretty clear. That's, that's, that's pretty, pretty close the I like to say therapy is a doctor patient relationship. It's hierarchy so and the doctor is diagnosing, it's about repair and recovery, and it's rooted in the past, diagnosing, prescribing, and then the patient following orders and recovering. Hmm, in coaching, it's a peer to peer relationship. So it's, we're co creators, and we're equal. And it's, it's based on future goals only. It's only based on behavior change and future goals. So when I have clients and they dabble backwards, I will that's crossing the line. I can't support you there. I will refer clients to therapy. And actually, what I'm doing right now, I'm taking a mental health literacy course through Harvard Medical Center and McLean University. And the reason I'm doing this is because so many of my clients, I would say 80% of my clients are also in therapy, and it's very common. We have a lot of mental health issues in the world right now as a result of the pandemic, and we have a lot of awareness coming forward. So I want to make sure I'm doing the best for my clients in recognizing when they're at need or at risk and being able to properly refer them. Michael Hingson ** 51:04 Do you think, though, that even in a doctor patient relationship, that more doctors are recognizing that they accomplish more when they create more of a teaming environment? Yes, 51:18 oh, I'm so glad you Rachelle Stone ** 51:20 brought that up, okay, go ahead. Go ahead. Love that. I have clients who are in therapy, and I ask them to ask their therapist so that if they're comfortable with this trio. And it works beautifully. Yes, Michael Hingson ** 51:36 it is. It just seems to me that, again, there's so much more to be said for the whole concept of teaming and teamwork, and patients do better when doctors or therapists and so on explain and bring them into the process, which almost makes them not a coach as you are, but an adjunct to what you do, which is what I think it's all about. Or are we the adjunct to what they do? Or use the adjunct to what they do? Yeah, it's a team, which is what it should be. 52:11 Yeah, it's, I always it's like the Oreo cookie, right? Michael Hingson ** 52:16 Yeah, and the frosting is in the middle, yeah, crying Rachelle Stone ** 52:19 in the middle. But it's true, like a therapist can work both in the past and in the future, but that partnership and that team mentality and supporting a client, it helps them move faster and further in their in their desired goals. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 52:37 it's beautiful, yeah, yeah. And I think it's extremely important, tell me about this whole idea of mental fitness. I know you're studying that. Tell me more about that. Is it real? Is it okay? Or what? You know, a lot of people talk about it and they say it's who cares. They all roll Rachelle Stone ** 52:56 their eyes mental fitness. What are you talking about? Yeah, um, I like to say mental fitness is the third leg of our is what keeps us healthy. I like to look at humans as a three legged stool, and that mental fitness, that mental wellness, is that third piece. So you have your spiritual and community wellness, you have your physical wellness, and then you have your mental wellness. And that mental wellness encompasses your mental health, your mental fitness. Now, mental fitness, by definition, is your ability to respond to life's challenges from a positive rather than a negative mindset. And there's a new science out there called positive it was actually not a new science. It's based on four sciences, Positive Intelligence, it's a cognitive behavioral science, or psychology, positive psychology, performance psychology, and drawing a bank anyway, four sciences and this body of work determined that there's actually a tipping point we live in our amygdala, mostly, and there's a reason, when we were cavemen, we needed to know what was coming that outside stressor was going to eat us, or if we could eat it. Yeah, but we have language now. We don't need that, not as much as we did, not in the same way, not in the same way, exactly. We do need to be aware of threats, but not every piece of information that comes into the brain. When that information comes in our brains, amplify it by a factor of three to one. So with that amplification, it makes that little, little tiny Ember into a burning, raging fire in our brain. And then we get stuck in stress. So it's recognizing, and there's actually you are building. If you do yoga, meditation, tai chi, gratitude journaling, any sort of those practices, you're flexing that muscle. You talk to somebody who does gratitude journaling who just started a month in, they're going to tell. You, they're happier. They're going to tell you they're not having as many ruminating thoughts, and they're going to say, I'm I'm smiling more. I started a new journal this year, and I said, I'm singing more. I'm singing songs that I haven't thought of in years. Yeah, out of the blue, popping into my head. Yeah. And I'm happier. So the the concept of mental fitness is really practicing flexing this muscle every day. We take care of our bodies by eating good food, we exercise or walk. We do that to take care of our physical body. We do nothing to take care of our brain other than scroll social media and get anxiety because everybody's life looks so perfect, Michael Hingson ** 55:38 yeah, and all we're doing is using social media as a stressor. Rachelle Stone ** 55:42 That's right, I'm actually not on social media on LinkedIn. That's it. Michael Hingson ** 55:48 I have accounts, but I don't go to it exactly. My excuse is it takes way too long with a screen reader, and I don't have the time to do it. I don't mind posting occasionally, but I just don't see the need to be on social media for hours every day. Rachelle Stone ** 56:05 No, no, I do, like, like a lot of businesses, especially local small businesses, are they advertise. They only have they don't have websites. They're only on Facebook. So I do need to go to social media for things like that. But the most part, no, I'm not there. Not at all. It's Michael Hingson ** 56:20 it's way too much work. I am amazed sometimes when I'll post something, and I'm amazed at how quickly sometimes people respond. And I'm wondering to myself, how do you have the time to just be there to see this? It can't all be coincidence. You've got to be constantly on active social media to see it. Yeah, Rachelle Stone ** 56:39 yeah, yeah. Which is and this, this whole concept of mental fitness is really about building a practice, a habit. It's a new habit, just like going to the gym, and it's so important for all of us. We are our behaviors are based on how we interpret these messages as they come in, yeah, so learning to reframe or recognize the message and give a different answer is imperative in order to have better communication, to be more productive and and less chaos. How Michael Hingson ** 57:12 do we teach people to recognize that they have a whole lot more control over fear than they think they do, and that that really fear can be a very positive guide in our lives. And I say that because I talked about not being afraid of escaping from the World Trade Center over a 22 year period, what I realized I never did was to teach people how to do that. And so now I wrote a book that will be out later in the year. It's called Live like a guide dog, stories of from a blind man and his dogs, about being brave, overcoming adversity and walking in faith. And the point of it is to say that you can control your fear. I'm not saying don't be afraid, but you have control over how you let that fear affect you and what you deal with and how you deal it's all choice. It is all choice. But how do we teach people to to deal with that better, rather than just letting fear build up Rachelle Stone ** 58:12 it? Michael, I think these conversations are so important. Number one is that learner's mind, that willingness, that openness to be interested in finding a better way to live. I always say that's a really hard way to live when you're living in fear. Yeah, so step number one is an openness, or a willingness or a curiosity about wanting to live life better, Michael Hingson ** 58:40 and we have to instill that in people and get them to realize that they all that we all have the ability to be more curious if we choose to do it. Rachelle Stone ** 58:49 But again, choice and that, that's the big thing so many and then there's also, you know, Michael, I can't wait to read your book. I'm looking forward to this. I'm also know that you speak. I can't wait to see you speak. The thing is, when we speak or write and share this information, we give them insight. It's what they do with it that matters, which is why, when I with the whole with the mental fitness training that I do, it's seven weeks, yeah, I want them to start to build that habit, and I give them three extra months so they can continue to work on that habit, because it's that important for them to start. It's foundational your spirit. When you talk about your experience in the World Trade Center, and you say you weren't fearful, your spiritual practice is such a big part of that, and that's part of mental fitness too. That's on that layers on top of your ability to flex those mental muscles and lean into your spirituality and not be afraid. Michael Hingson ** 59:55 Well, I'd love to come down and speak. If you know anybody that needs a speaker down there. I. I'm always looking for speaking opportunities, so love your help, and 1:00:03 my ears open for sure and live like Michael Hingson ** 1:00:06 a guide dog. Will be out later this year. It's, it's, I've already gotten a couple of Google Alerts. The the publisher has been putting out some things, which is great. So we're really excited about it. Rachelle Stone ** 1:00:16 Wonderful. I can't wait to see it. So what's Michael Hingson ** 1:00:19 up for you in 2024 Rachelle Stone ** 1:00:22 so I actually have a couple of things coming up this year that are pretty big. I have a partner. Her name's vimari Roman. She's down in Miami, and I'm up here in the Dunedin Clearwater area. But we're both hospitality professionals that went into coaching, and we're both professional certified coaches, and we're both certified mental fitness coaches. When the pandemic hit, she's also a Career Strategist. She went she started coaching at conferences because the hospitality industry was hit so hard, she reached out to me and brought me in too. So in 2024 we've been coaching at so many conferences, we can't do it. We can't do it. It's just too much, but we also know that we can provide a great service. So we've started a new company. It's called coaches for conferences, and it's going to be like a I'll call it a clearing house for securing pro bono coaches for your conferences. So that means, let's say you're having a conference in in LA and they'd like to offer coaching, pro bono coaching to their attendees as an added value. I'll we'll make the arrangements for the coaches, local in your area to to come coach. You just have to provide them with a room and food and beverage and a place to coach on your conference floor and a breakout. So we're excited for that that's getting ready to launch. And I think 2024 is going to be the year for me to dip my toe in start writing my own story. I think it's time Michael Hingson ** 1:02:02 writing a book. You can say it. I'm gonna do it. Rachelle Stone ** 1:02:05 I'm gonna write a book Good. I've said it out loud. I've started to pull together some thoughts around I mean, I've been thinking about it for years. But yeah, if the timing feels right, Michael Hingson ** 1:02:21 then it probably is, yep, which makes sense. Well, this has been fun. It's been wonderful. Can you believe we've already been at this for more than an hour? So clearly we 1:02:33 this went so fast. Clearly we Michael Hingson ** 1:02:35 did have fun. We followed the rule, this was fun. Yeah, absolutely. Well, I want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank you all for listening and for watching, if you're on YouTube watching, and all I can ask is that, wherever you are, please give us a five star rating for the podcast. We appreciate it. And anything that you want to say, we would love it. And I would appreciate you feeling free to email me and let me know your thoughts. You can reach me at Michael H, I m, I C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I, B, e.com, would love to hear from you. You can also go to our podcast page, www, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, and it's m, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, O, N, and as I said to Rochelle just a minute ago, if any of you need a speaker, we'd love to talk with you about that. You can also email me at speaker@michaelhingson.com love to hear from you and love to talk about speaking. So however you you reach out and for whatever reason, love to hear from you, and for all of you and Rochelle, you, if you know anyone else who ought to be a guest on unstoppable mindset, let us know we're always looking for people who want to come on the podcast. Doesn't cost anything other than your time and putting up with me for a while, but we appreciate it, and hope that you'll decide to to introduce us to other people. So with that, I again want to say, Rochelle, thank you to you. We really appreciate you being here and taking the time to chat with us today. Rachelle Stone ** 1:04:13 It's been the fastest hour of my life. I'm gonna have to watch the replay. Thank you so much for having me. It's been my pleasure to join you. **Michael Hingson ** 1:04:24 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.
Join my upcoming Positive Intelligence© Program: https://www.vickibaird.com/positive-intelligence-purchase-vicki-bairdJoin my upcoming In this episode of Intuition: Your Success Compass, I'm getting real about something we all face—imposter syndrome and the inner judge (or as I call her, “the biatch”). I share personal stories, including how working with my mini mule Jake has helped me slow down, listen to myself, and rebuild trust—without forcing anything. We'll explore how the judge shows up in your mind, how Positive Intelligence can help you manage it, and why choosing progress over perfection is the true success story. This isn't about ignoring struggle—it's about learning to recognize it, respond with curiosity, and shift with kindness. If you've ever doubted yourself, tried too hard to “get it right,” or felt like you're dancing through life with a hyper-achiever mindset, this one's for you. Tune in for honest insight, a few laughs, and practical tips to tame your inner judge and reclaim your self-trust. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:44 - Facing Imposter Syndrome 02:46 - Taming the Inner Judge 03:53 - Meet Jake: Lessons from a Mini Mule 12:09 - The 1% Rule for Personal Growth 20:53 - Self-Coaching and Positive Mindset 26:37 - Final Thoughts and Upcoming Topics
Kristin Horstman is a certified Gray Area Drinking Master Coach, Health Coach, speaker, blogger, ZeroProof Experiences facilitator, and family support advocate dedicated to helping individuals and families navigate challenges related to alcohol use and anxiety. Since beginning her own sobriety journey in January 2021, Kristin has empowered others to overcome obstacles and create healthier, more fulfilling lives. Guided by her mantra, "For years I drank alcohol in the gray area, but my forever decision to stop is very black and white," her coaching focuses on building self-regulation techniques to heal and nourish the nervous system, helping clients regain balance, resilience, and clarity in their lives.Kristin's WebsiteKristin on Instagram Download our FREE Marriage Meeting Guide HereGet Our FREE Beyond Spirits: 7 Tips for Starting Your AF JourneyDrink of the weekBest day brewing Electro LimeAthletic Mexican-Style CopperWatch the podcast on YouTube here: Alcohol Free Marriage Podcast VideoCoach Amy on TikTokCoach Amy on InstagramGet $5 off your first Go Brewing order!Our Website: AFMPodcast.comSchedule your free discovery coaching call with Amy
In this episode, Aveline Clarke welcomes Dorice Horenstein-international resilience speaker, Positive Intelligence expert, and bestselling author. Dorice brings infectious energy and wisdom as she shares her journey from a 30-year career in educational leadership to inspiring audiences worldwide with her message of joy, positivity, and championing your inner strength. Together, they discuss the power of intentional choice, the importance of boundaries, and practical strategies for transforming setbacks into opportunities for growth.Here's a summary of what they discussed:- [00:02:32] Dorice's Persian-Israeli upbringing, family values, and early lessons in hard work and resilience.- [00:03:50] Her 30-year career in education and the pivotal moment that led her to become a speaker and author.- [00:05:40] The mission to help individuals and leaders uncover their inner champion and live with more joy and purpose.- [00:12:10] The CHOOSE Method: A six-step playbook for making empowered choices (Clarity, Honouring your feelings, Openness to options, Oneness with yourself, Strategise your success, Enactment).- [00:19:55] How to set healthy boundaries, overcome inner saboteurs, and maintain your energy.- [00:28:10] The role of community, spirituality, and practical action in creating positive change.- [00:35:40] Dorice's superpower: spreading joy and energy, and her story of winning Miss Israel in a belly dancing contest in Turkey.…and much more!Enjoy!YouTube Episode:https://youtu.be/eP5pxXY2PUsHere's some information about our guest, Dorice:Dorice Horenstein- International Keynote Speaker, Positive Intelligence Expert, Bestselling Author- Known as the “Oy to Joy” Resilience Speaker, Dorice motivates audiences to achieve goals, navigate challenges, and shift to a positive mindset. She facilitates workshops and coaches leaders to improve effectiveness using Positive Intelligence.Something Interesting About You- Born in Israel of Persian descent, Dorice served in the Israeli Army, grew up with four siblings, and once won “Miss Israel” in a belly dancing contest in Turkey!What are you famous for- Helping people transform stress into strength, setbacks into opportunities, and leadership into a force for resilience and joy. Dorice is celebrated for her energy, practical wisdom, and ability to help others uncover their inner champion.Website URL- https://doricehorenstein.com/Social Media URLs- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Speakerdoricehorenstein- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doricehorenstein/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doricehorenstein/The purpose of the Mission Activated podcast is to inspire people with the stories of people who are activated on their mission, and are living a life of purpose, passion and alignment. Being in business is not just about money: it's about bringing our genius and our gifts to the world to impact others. If you'd like to get in touch please contact us at contact@6starleaders.com
Today's guest is Glen Stevens, a former pastor turned entrepreneur in 2019. He continues to help people, but with a new calling: He helps people rewire their brains for a more positive and enjoyable approach to work and life--think, personal trainer for your brain. Known as the Mental Fitness Guy, Glen is a dynamic speaker, trainer, and executive coach. As a Certified Mental Fitness Coach™, he combines cutting-edge techniques and strategies from neuroscience and psychology that are simple to understand, get to the root of the problem, and are easy to apply. In this episode Glen and I talk about his journey, and also why Mental Fitness is so crucial for not only corporate success, but also for so many situations where mental health could use a boost. We talk about Positive Intelligence or PQ, created by Dr. Shirzad Chamine, which exposes mental saboteurs which keep us from achieving our true potential. Glen is focusing his work on rural electric cooperatives, where he helps them address five critical areas: Safety practices and culture Preventing burnout Equipping teams to thrive during change Teaching professionals to maintain peak performance under pressure and stress Building stronger, more cohesive teams If you'd like to connect with Glen, visit his website, www.mentalfitnessguy.com or find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mentalfitnessguy/
Do you feel the pressure of perfectionism taking over? You're not alone. Many principals I coach struggle with the need to do everything right. In this episode, I dive into the hidden cost of perfectionism—also known as the stickler saboteur from Positive Intelligence—and how it can quietly sabotage your performance, relationships, and well-being. Plus, I share mindset shifts to help you start reframing perfectionism in your leadership journey.Take the free Saboteur Assessment here. *FREE DOWNLOADS*The Principal's Email DetoxDecisive Leadership- Free WorkshopPrincipal Checklist to Disconnect From School*RESOURCES FOR PRINCIPALS*Transform Your Time: 60 Day Action Plan for PrincipalsLeadership by Design: The Principal's Custom Habit SystemThe Principal's Overwhelm Toolkit*SOCIAL MEDIA*Barb Flowers, Ph.D- LinkedinDrBarbFlowers- Instagram We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
Welcome to the Alcohol Free Marriage & More Podcast! In today's episode, we discuss sober sex sats, the "I Get To" mindset and Coach Amy's new rolling 12 week program.Download our FREE Marriage Meeting Guide HereGet Our FREE Beyond Spirits: 7 Tips for Starting Your AF JourneyDrink of the weekSir Inkwell's Yerba MateWatch the podcast on YouTube here: Alcohol Free Marriage Podcast VideoGet $5 off your first Go Brewing order!Our Website: AFMPodcast.comSchedule your free discovery coaching call with Amy
In this powerful episode, adoptee, trauma coach, and therapist Julie Brumley joins Rebecca to explore how adoption trauma shows up in the body—and how somatic healing can help. Julie shares her personal journey from survival to self-discovery, the moment that changed everything, and how early trauma can shape physical and emotional responses. They dive into the seven phases of healing, nervous system regulation, and tools for holding space without trying to "fix." A must-listen for adoptive parents and adoptees alike.Important Links- Julie Brumley IG- Julie Brumley FB- Coming Home to Self – Julie's Coaching Platform- Processing Emotions Exercise- Saboteur assessment- Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine (Amazon)- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk (Amazon)- Brené Brown – Official Website- Sweet Peachtree Marketplace – Use code ROADMAP10 for 10% off- RG Adoption Consulting- Take the “Are You Ready to Adopt?” QuizChapters00:00 Understanding Adoption and Self-Worth02:52 Finding Worth Through Community Engagement05:49 Navigating Identity and Belonging08:51 The Impact of Open Communication in Adoption11:58 Rewriting the Narrative of Adoption15:07 The Role of Friends in Support18:02 Transforming Scars into Symbols of Hope20:59 The Journey of Self-Discovery24:12 The Importance of Sharing Stories26:57 Lessons for Adoptive Parents30:03 The Struggle with Self-Worth32:54 Finding Purpose and Passion37:29 Cultural Exposure in Adoption40:36 Understanding Identity and Culture43:42 The Complexity of Cultural Identity45:46 Finding a Voice as an Advocate49:10 Testifying for Adoption Support52:37 Creating a Supportive Community55:28 Designing a National Adoption Blueprint01:00:00 Writing for Change01:02:15 Emotional Challenges in Writing01:06:45 The Importance of Compassion and UnderstandingTune in to The Adoption Roadmap Podcast every Wednesday and Friday morning. If you like what you hear, I'd appreciate a follow and a 5-star rating & review!
Ready to start seeing serious forward movement in your personal or professional life? The Positive Intelligence system from "It's All About You” Training provides a mental fitness approach to help individuals and teams thrive. Visit https://mysaboteurs.com/my-saboteurs for details. It's All About You Training City: Exeter Address: 77 Cowick Hill Website: https://itsallaboutyoutraining.com/ Email: talk@itsallaboutyoutraining.com
Understand what fuels and drains your energy with a free energy audit. Download yours: https://www.brendawinkle.com/audit In this episode of Your Yes Filled Life, Kris Driskill—transformational coach, business consultant, and former opera singer—joins Brenda to explore the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways self-sabotage shows up, especially for high-achieving, intuitive women. Kris unpacks the ten saboteur archetypes from the Positive Intelligence framework and helps us understand how our need for approval, perfectionism, or control can quietly undermine our joy and success. Together, Brenda and Kris reflect on their own performance-driven pasts, and share what it looks like to move from hyper-achievement to authentic alignment. This episode is packed with real talk, healing insights, and practical shifts that will support you in honoring your energy and reclaiming your intuitive power.
In today's episode our guest is Susie Steelman, founder of Zero Proof Experiences and Sober in the City. Susie is the passionate founder of Zeroproof Experiences, an innovative venture creating memorable “Sober in the City” weekends which redefine the concept of fun without alcohol. With her unique perspective, Susie is dedicated to helping others discover the joy and freedom that come with an alcohol-free lifestyle. Through Zeroproof Experiences, she curates immersive events that celebrate life, connection and personal growth without the need for alcohol. Zero Proof Experiences Instagram zeroproofexperiences Download our FREE Marriage Meeting Guide HereGet Our FREE Beyond Spirits: 7 Tips for Starting Your AF JourneyDrink of the weekOne of One WineWatch the podcast on YouTube here: Alcohol Free Marriage Podcast VideoGet $5 off your first Go Brewing order!Our Website: AFMPodcast.comSchedule your free discovery coaching call with Amy
B”H I am thrilled to welcome back Dorice Horenstein, the renowned “Oy to Joy Champion Catalyst” and International Resilience Speaker. Dorice, a Positive Intelligence expert and best-selling author, is celebrated for transforming theoretical tactics into actionable strategies. Dorice was here in Episode 129. She recently penned her second book, “Choose to Be Your Own Champion: […] The post 431: Empowered Choices: Navigating Life with Intention and Abundance with Dorice Horenstein appeared first on Yael Trusch.
Your life moves in the strongest direction of your thoughts – a powerful truth that forms the foundation of this eye-opening conclusion to our Positive Intelligence series. What if all your distress was self-generated? What if you could transform every challenge into an opportunity simply by shifting your perspective?In this enlightening conversation with mental performance coach Brenna, we explore how to activate your "sage" mindset – that wiser, calmer part of your brain – through practical, science-backed techniques that anyone can implement. Far from passive positivity, the sage perspective requires active mental training and deliberate choice.We break down the game-changing "three gifts technique" that helps athletes reframe failures as learning opportunities, and dive deep into the five sage powers: empathize, explore, innovate, navigate, and activate. You'll discover why visualizing yourself as a child can instantly shift your self-talk, and how identifying your "true north" values creates an unshakable foundation for decision-making when challenges arise.The most exciting revelation? You can literally train your brain through simple 10-second "PQ reps" that focus on your five senses. These micro-moments of mindfulness – feeling the breeze on your face during practice, truly tasting your food, or noticing the heartbeat of a loved one during a hug – create new neural pathways that enhance performance and overall wellbeing.Science confirms that negative self-talk decreases performance in every sport studied, while positive expectation demonstrably improves outcomes. The goal: 100 daily PQ reps to rewire your brain for optimal performance when it matters most. With practical examples and real-world applications, this episode provides a roadmap for taking control of your thoughts – and therefore, your life.Ready to transform your mental game? Begin with just one PQ rep today. Remember, your performance, happiness, and fulfillment all depend on mastering the inside game.Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:mentaltrainingplan.com/athletesAre you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:mentaltrainingplan.com/academy
Welcome to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast! This time, Dr. Sarah Smith sits down with Quenby Rubin-Sprague, a seasoned professional in the healthcare industry with over 35 years of experience. Starting as a registered dietitian nutritionist, Quenby's journey led her to medical sales and eventually into corporate training and development, where she found her passion for coaching and making impactful changes within healthcare teams. In this episode, Quenby delves into her career evolution, highlighting the importance of happiness and fulfillment both at work and beyond. She shares insights into how she cultivated resilience and mental fitness in challenging clinical environments, especially amidst high-stress situations. They discuss how healthcare professionals can enhance their communication skills, create a shared reality, and build trust within teams, even when organizational changes are slow to come. Whether you're a healthcare provider, a practice manager, or part of a clinical team, this episode offers valuable perspectives on sustaining happiness and effectiveness in the face of inevitable challenges. Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode: Empower with Empathy: Understanding our colleagues' and patients' perspectives can create a shared reality based on trust and respect. This not only enhances patient experience but also contributes to a more cohesive team environment. Practice Self-Empathy: As much as we focus on empathy for others, it's crucial to nurture self-empathy. Recognizing that we can't control everything and focusing on self-care can help maintain our own well-being amidst the chaos. Cultivate Mental Fitness: Building resilience through mental fitness allows us to handle the pressures of healthcare more effectively. This involves acknowledging both the positive and negative aspects of our day and choosing to focus on growth and joy. Quenby Rubin-Sprague Bio: Quenby is a recognized expert with over 30 years of experience as a Strategic Communications Advisor and Executive Coach. She has partnered with C-Suite healthcare leaders, medical groups and physician executives, providing consulting and coaching services to notable organizations such as Adventist Health, Sutter Health and Dignity Health. Her work catalyzes the creation of psychologically safe cultures where the leader leads authentically without sacrificing their sanity or humanity. They have the confidence and savvy to respond to complex situations with discernment, empowerment and compassion. This fosters health system-wide well-being and the achievement of key initiatives. The ripple effect from Quenby's expertise: Raises medical group leadership capability, elevates the patient experience and transforms health system culture. Quenby holds a Master's Degree in Human Resources and Organization Development from the University of San Francisco. She holds the following certifications: Conversational Intelligence®, Myers-Briggs (MBTI), Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching, Advanced Training in Positive Intelligence. Quenby is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. When not coaching health care leaders, you'll find Quenby on the black diamond runs at her favorite Lake Tahoe ski resort or trying to break the sound barrier on her road bike! -------------- Would you like to view a transcript of this episode? Click here Learn more about our guest: www.linkedin.com/in/quenbyrubinsprague/ **** Charting Champions is a premiere, lifetime access Physician only program that is helping Physicians get home with today's work done. All the proven tools, support and community you need to create time for your life outside of medicine. Learn more at https://www.chartingcoach.ca **** Enjoying this podcast? Please share it with someone who would benefit. Also, don't forget to hit “follow” so you get all the new episodes as soon as they are released. **** Come hang out with me on Facebook or Instagram. Follow me @chartingcoach to get more practical tools to help you create sustainable clinical medicine in your life. **** Questions? Comments? Want to share how this podcast has helped you? Shoot me an email at admin@reachcareercoaching.ca. I would love to hear from you.
Join my upcoming Positive Intelligence© Program: https://www.vickibaird.com/positive-intelligence-purchase-vicki-baird In this episode of Intuition: Your Success Compass, we're getting real about boundaries—what they are, what they're not, and how to set them without guilt, drama, or over-explaining. I'll share personal insights, a few stories (including one about my cat Upsy, who's a boundary disaster), and how Positive Intelligence helped me stop apologizing for what I need. We'll explore how healthy boundaries come from self-respect—not control or avoidance—and how honoring them creates deeper relationships, better business decisions, and a whole lot more peace. Whether it's declining invitations, protecting your time, or navigating tricky dynamics, you'll walk away with practical tips and intuitive support to stand strong in your worth. If you're ready to set boundaries with confidence and kindness, tune in. You'll feel more aligned, more empowered, and a whole lot less drained. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:51 - Understanding Boundaries 04:20 - Self-Worth and Boundaries 06:58 - Healthy Boundaries in Relationships 10:52 - Boundaries in Professional Settings 18:51 - Communicating Boundaries Effectively 31:09 - Conclusions
In today's episode our guest is Alaura Sicking, founder of Above, the new sober relationship app for friendship and dating.Alaura is 34 years old and has been proudly sober for five years. She currently resides in Texas with her husband and 16-month-old daughter. She is also the founder of "Above," a sober relationship app for friendship and dating. She designed the app to connect individuals who have embraced the sober lifestyle. In her free time she enjoys exploring art, visiting museums, and spending time outdoors.Signup for an Above profileDownload our FREE Marriage Meeting Guide HereGet Our FREE Beyond Spirits: 7 Tips for Starting Your AF JourneyDrink of the weekDeschutes black butte porterWatch the podcast on YouTube here: Alcohol Free Marriage Podcast VideoGet $5 off your first Go Brewing order!Our Website: AFMPodcast.comSchedule your free discovery coaching call with Amy
Explore the transformative journey of alignment in coaching and courses with insights from Dr. Irena Kyd. Discover the significance of understanding your ideal client and crafting authentic connections. Nurture leads and use personal stories to foster trust and drive meaningful transformation.Dr. Irena Kyd is a retired obstetrician/gynecologist, Therapeutic Beliefs Coach, and Marriage Facilitator.In this episode, Ari, Abe, and Irena discuss:The importance of building trust and connection before making a saleIrena's journey from gynecologist to mental performance and relationship coachHer experiences and influences that led to her coaching, including martial arts and ReikiThe courses and approaches she has developed, including “Future Visioning” and “Conflict Cure”The challenge of identifying the ideal client and aligning services with their needsExperiences and lessons learned in lead generation and audience engagementThe significance of personal storytelling in building trust and connection with audiencesIrena's strategies for initial client consultations and assessmentsInsights on fostering mindset shifts and behavioral changes through coursesFinal thoughts on the importance of clarity in target audience and transformation-focused content“Relationships for me are the foundation of humanity, and I need to build a relationship to serve my clients.” — Dr. Irena KydGuest Bio:Dr. Irena Kay, retired obstetrician/gynecologist, Therapeutic Beliefs Coach, and Marriage Facilitator, uses techniques that integrate mind and brain work to help unhappy overachiever women fix their marriage. Having counseled thousands of women about their most intimate issues, she helps them turn their marriage around to enjoy a passionate love relationship to be happy again, every day! Clients yearn for a fulfilling life where they are heard, understood, and cherished. They feel they are constantly giving, but their contribution is being ignored. They want to know a way out of the misery, whether it is by fixing the marriage or deciding to part in an amicable way without drama.She also coaches people to break through mindset barriers with her proprietary NeuroYouth technique, as well as with tools like Positive Intelligence and the Clear Beliefs method. In addition to a medical doctorate, she holds certifications in Law of Attraction Coaching, Therapeutic Resolution Coaching, and Marriage Facilitation.Resources or websites mentioned in this episode:MiraseeRuzukuIrena's websites: RelationshipSuccessCoaching.com and MarriedLoveSuccess.comCredits:Hosts: Ari Iny and Abe CrystalProducer: Michi LantzEditor: Michi LantzExecutive Producer: Danny InyAudio Editor: Marvin del RosarioMusic Soundscape: Chad Michael SnavelyMaking our hosts sound great: Home Brew AudioTo catch the great episodes that are coming up on Course Lab, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channel or your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It's the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.Music credits:Track Title: Bossa BBArtist Name: MarieWriter Name: Chelsea McGoughPublisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONTrack Title: Coo CoosArtist Name: Dresden, The FlamingoWriter Name: Matthew WigtonPublisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONTrack Title: GraceArtist Name: ShimmerWriter Name: Matthew WigtonPublisher Name: BOSS SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONSTrack Title: Carousel LightsArtist Name: Chelsea McGoughWriter Name: Chelsea McGoughWriter Name: Matthew WigtonPublisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONPublisher Name: BOSS SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONSSpecial effects credits:24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.Episode transcript: Clarity Came From One Module (Dr. Irena Kyd) coming soon.
Ever wondered why that voice in your head keeps sabotaging your performance? In this revealing exploration of Chapters 3 and 4 from "Positive Intelligence," we dive deep into understanding the mental saboteurs that derail even the most talented athletes.The conversation uncovers how these negative thought patterns—which we all possess—initially formed as protection mechanisms in childhood but now cause more harm than good. Everyone has a primary "judge" saboteur along with accomplice saboteurs like the hyperachiever, pleaser, controller, or stickler. These mental patterns might have helped us survive and even excel (as Brenna shares from her gymnastics career), but they eventually become obstacles to peak performance.What makes these mental saboteurs particularly dangerous is how they masquerade as helpful. "Without me pushing you, you'll get lazy" or "Without me judging others, you won't protect yourself." These justification lies keep us locked in negative thought patterns that wake us at 3AM with anxiety rather than helping us improve.The most powerful strategy for breaking free? Simply recognizing and naming these saboteurs. When you can say, "That's my judge talking" rather than identifying with those thoughts as "me," you create separation that allows you to choose a different response. This awareness extends beyond individual performance to team dynamics and family relationships, as understanding different saboteur patterns improves communication and empathy.Ready to identify your own mental saboteurs and learn how to weaken their grip on your performance? Take the free PQ assessment mentioned in the episode and join us next time as we explore how to strengthen your "sage"—the inner coach that provides constructive guidance without the emotional toll.Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:mentaltrainingplan.com/athletesAre you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:mentaltrainingplan.com/academy
Y'all, this episode with Bara Mann was one that I want you to be a part of.We talked about belonging, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves—especially the ones that no longer serve us. Bara shared her childhood moments of trying to fit in - and I talked of what that looks like as an adult. I've been that chameleon too—fitting in everywhere, but not necessarily showing all of me.This conversation was about breaking down the invisible walls we put up, and finding courage to speak from our truest place.We also explored the energy of our words—how our stories hold weight, shape our lives, and ripple into the world. Every time we speak from our truth, we add momentum to the life we want to live.This episode is a loving invitation to question old stories and come home to yourself.Grab a seat on the couch. Let's keep going deeper. Together.Guest Bio:Bara Mann (she/they) is a speaker and transformational life coach who helps driven individuals create more joy and impact. Drawing from both her corporate engineering career and Positive Intelligence® coaching expertise, she guides clients beyond overthinking into confident action. Through her approach to mental fitness, clients learn to overcome their fear of failure and and take control of their inner thoughts to create meaningful relationships, thrive in their careers, and experience deep wellbeing with greater confidence and joy.Website: https://baraco.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/baracobara/Linkedin: https://www.instagram.com/baracobara About Jen Oliver:I pursue and create environments where we converse on the REAL stuff that changes us. I'm designed to bring others on my personal journey with honest admissions to help us all transform - that's my sweetspot and I speak, lead, and write from that space.REAL conversations stir deeper connection and community - to explore ways that you can work with me, go to:email: jen@REALjenoliver.compodcast website: ListenForREAL.com90-day TEDx Talk ACCELERATORWomanSpeak™website: REALJenOliver.comLinkedIn:@realjenoliverInstagram: @realjenoliverFacebook: @realjenoliverIf you believe conversations like these belong in the world, please subscribe, rate & review this podcast - and even better, share it with someone else as a REAL conversation starter. Subscribe to all things Jen at REALJenOliver.
Welcome to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast! In this episode our host Dr. Sarah Smith welcomes Dr. Drew Lawson, a seasoned emergency medicine physician who has recently retired after a long and impactful career. Dr. Lawson shares his intriguing journey into medicine, revealing how a chance conversation with a surgeon during his medical school days steered him towards emergency medicine instead of surgery. He reflects on the evolving challenges faced within emergency departments, particularly in the wake of COVID-19, highlighting the pressures of the job and how resource constraints have transformed the landscape of emergency medicine. Dr. Lawson also opens up about the importance of mentorship, team collaboration, and the dire need for improved training in emotional intelligence and communication within medical education. Now a coach at Building Champions, Dr. Lawson discusses his pivot towards executive and physician coaching, emphasizing the transformative impact coaching has had on his life. Tune in to explore the intersection of medical practice, personal growth, and innovation in healthcare training. Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode: Emotional Intelligence in Medicine: Dr. Lawson highlights the need for developing emotional intelligence early on in medical training, mentioning how it transformed his approach to his practice and personal interactions. The Importance of Mentorship and Connection: Recognizing the power of mentorship, Dr. Drew emphasizes how crucial it is to have a support system, especially during challenging times like medical lawsuits. Collaboration in the Emergency Room: Dr. Lawson shares his shift towards a more collaborative workplace, where engaging with nursing staff and other team members can enhance patient care and job satisfaction. Dr. Drew Lawson Bio: Drew's dynamic leadership background and work history have transformed the lives of many. He is unique among our coaches because he has master's level advanced executive and physician coach training matriculating through rigorous certification processes to provide his clients with cutting edge coaching and team facilitation. With extensive experience in removing barriers to success and using practical and proven methods to improve efficiency and productivity, Drew helps his clients boost profitability and job satisfaction. He is also trained in both dyad, triad and team coaching and is passionate about improving communication and work efficiencies through better working relationships. Also, as a facilitator and coach of Positive Intelligence's six-week cohort training, Drew leads groups and teams through the work of Shirzad Chamine, author of Positive Intelligence. Most recently, Drew authored The Journey from Brokenness to Belovedness: Our Three Selves. As a practicing emergency medicine physician at a major trauma & medical center in Southern California, a senior partner in his emergency medicine group, quality assurance director and patient satisfaction director, Drew continues to lead teams through crisis-driven, high-conflict and stressful work environments. Through applied coaching techniques, his never-crack-under-pressure demeanor and strong leadership abilities, Drew continues to transform the culture of his team to improve service quality, workplace communication and customer satisfaction. By combining his passion for teaching, mentoring and coaching with his experience in the chaotic world of emergency medicine, Drew helps business leaders and healthcare providers minimize their blind spots, improve communication and conflict management skills, cast powerful visions and master their leadership abilities. As a coach, consultant, strategist and speaker, Drew continually equips others to reduce conflict, build teams and drive results. Drew earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Stanford University where he was a scholarship athlete and his Doctor of Medicine from Jefferson Medical College where he was an academic scholar; he then returned to Stanford for his Emergency Medicine Residency. In addition to his education in medicine, Drew holds a number of coaching credentials including: Board Certification, Professional Certified Coach, Leadership Circle 360 Certified, Strengths Deployment Inventory Certified, Certified Physician Development Coach, Certified Daring Way Facilitator (CDWF)-Brené Brown Education Research Group and Organizational Relationship Systems Coaching Certification (ORSC). Also, he is currently training and coaching in Positive Intelligence. As a lifelong learner, Drew is continuously training in new coaching methods and theories. Drew currently lives in Newport Beach, California. He is married to his high school sweetheart with whom he loves spending time. His family and friends speak often of his curiosity, enthusiasm, authenticity, wisdom and quirky humor. Outside of work Drew holds true to his lifelong passions for learning and fitness as an avid reader and swimmer. -------------- Don't miss out on your opportunity to join our giveaway get your entry in at https://www.chartingcoach.ca/giveaway Would you like to view a transcript of this episode? Click here **** Charting Champions is a premiere, lifetime access Physician only program that is helping Physicians get home with today's work done. All the proven tools, support and community you need to create time for your life outside of medicine. Learn more at https://www.chartingcoach.ca **** Enjoying this podcast? Please share it with someone who would benefit. Also, don't forget to hit “follow” so you get all the new episodes as soon as they are released. **** Come hang out with me on Facebook or Instagram. Follow me @chartingcoach to get more practical tools to help you create sustainable clinical medicine in your life. **** Questions? Comments? Want to share how this podcast has helped you? Shoot me an email at admin@reachcareercoaching.ca. I would love to hear from you.
What if the biggest obstacle to your performance isn't physical—but the voice in your head?In this first episode of our 3-part series on Positive Intelligence, former Division I gymnast Brenna Munson joins us to explore how mastering mental fitness transformed her approach to sports, injuries, and life. Together, we break down key ideas from Chapters 1 and 2 of Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine, introducing the foundational concepts that every athlete, coach, and competitor needs to understand.You'll learn:How negative thought patterns—or “saboteurs” like the Judge, Controller, and Hyper-Achiever—undermine performanceWhy naming and recognizing these mental habits is the first step to weakening their influenceWhat it means to operate from the “Sage” perspective, where curiosity replaces self-judgmentWhy mental training is just as essential as physical training—and how even small efforts can lead to major breakthroughsBrenna shares her powerful story of navigating injury, self-doubt, and the pressure to achieve. “I would've been unstoppable,” she reflects, imagining the difference these tools could've made earlier in her career. Whether you're an athlete or simply facing your own performance battles, this episode will challenge you to start training the part of you that matters most: your mind.Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:mentaltrainingplan.com/athletesAre you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:mentaltrainingplan.com/academy
In today's episode, we interview Austin Karr to talk about his approach to his sobriety and what it's brought to his life. Austin Karr is a sobriety and happiness coach who believes happiness is the opposite of addiction. With over a decade of sobriety and years of coaching experience, he helps people move beyond just quitting drinking to build lives that feel exciting, fulfilling, and truly their own. Austin's WebsiteDownload our FREE Marriage Meeting Guide HereGet Our FREE Beyond Spirits: 7 Tips for Starting Your AF JourneyDrink of the weekGo Brewing Bad Arse Irish Red Go Brewing Mañana Pancake Stout Watch the podcast on YouTube here: Alcohol Free Marriage Podcast VideoGet $5 off your first Go Brewing order!Our Website: AFMPodcast.comSchedule your free discovery coaching call with Amy
Send us a textIn this week's episode, I share one of the hardest setbacks as I encountered with my business (highvoltleadership), and how I was able to overcome it thanks to Positive Intelligence. Entrepreneurs often face obstacles that can challenge our values and create self-doubt... but with the right mindset, they can also become opportunities for growth.
Send us a textIn this week's episode, I share one of the hardest setbacks as I encountered with my business (highvoltleadership), and how I was able to overcome it thanks to Positive Intelligence. Entrepreneurs often face obstacles that can challenge our values and create self-doubt... but with the right mindset, they can also become opportunities for growth.
Join my upcoming Positive Intelligence© Program: https://www.vickibaird.com/positive-intelligence-purchase-vicki-baird In this special episode of Intuition: Your Success Compass, I'm sharing a recording from one of my monthly events where we explored the power of small changes and micro movements to clear mental, physical, and spiritual clutter—without overwhelm. Through a guided meditation, we'll identify where in your life—your mind, home, or energy field—you need a reset. I'll also share how embracing your inner saboteur voices with compassion (instead of resisting them) can help you find more flow and joy. Whether it's decluttering a space, creating emotional boundaries, or shifting your mindset, taking small, intentional steps can lead to lasting transformation. If you're ready to clear out what no longer serves you and create more clarity, ease, and well-being, watch now and start fresh—one step at a time! Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 02:04 - The Importance of Small Changes 02:59 - Spring Cleaning: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual 05:26 - Embracing Resistance and Self-Compassion 09:06 - Guided Meditation for Clarity 12:47 - Addressing Mental Clutter 17:14 - Practical Tips for Decluttering 39:53 - Energy Field and Emotional Boundaries 47:55 - Personal Insights 52:41 - Final Thoughts
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Thriving in Retirement: Expert Tips with Wendy Leggett Are you ready to transition into a fulfilling retirement? Join us as Wendy Leggett shares her expert guidance to help you navigate this exciting new chapter with confidence. Whether you want to stay active, explore new passions, or simply enjoy the rewards of your hard work, this episode offers valuable insights and practical strategies to make your retirement dreams a reality. Get ready to take control of your future and live the fulfilling retirement you deserve! Wendy Leggett is a Professional Certified Coach and owner of Conflux Retirement Coaching, specializing in non-financial retirement life planning. With 25 years of corporate sales leadership experience, she guides clients through a fulfilling retirement transition, focusing on well-being, identity, feelings of purpose, connectedness, and positive aging. Wendy holds advanced credentials from the Retirement Project, Retirement Life Plan, and Positive Intelligence and co-authored the book “The Retirement Collective”. https://www.boldnewsteps.com/ #RetirementPlanning #ThrivingInRetirement #RetirementLife #GoldenYears #RetirementSuccess #LifeAfterWork #SeniorLiving #ActiveRetirement #RetirementGoals #FinancialFreedom #NewBeginnings #RetireSmart #SecondAct #HealthyAging #SeniorWellness #RetirementDreams #EnjoyRetirement #PensionPlanning #RetirementHappiness #WealthManagement #SeniorLifestyle #RetireWithPurpose #FinancialIndependence #FuturePlanning #BucketListLife retirement wellness, aging positively, fulfillment in retirement, positive aging, life coaching, retirement coaching, retirement transition, personal development, non-financial retirement planning, Wendy Leggett, identity, purpose in retirement, retirement lifestyle, corporate sales leadership, retirement advice, retirement life planning, coaching techniques
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Thriving in Retirement: Expert Tips with Wendy Leggett Are you ready to transition into a fulfilling retirement? Join us as Wendy Leggett shares her expert guidance to help you navigate this exciting new chapter with confidence. Whether you want to stay active, explore new passions, or simply enjoy the rewards of your hard work, this episode offers valuable insights and practical strategies to make your retirement dreams a reality. Get ready to take control of your future and live the fulfilling retirement you deserve! Wendy Leggett is a Professional Certified Coach and owner of Conflux Retirement Coaching, specializing in non-financial retirement life planning. With 25 years of corporate sales leadership experience, she guides clients through a fulfilling retirement transition, focusing on well-being, identity, feelings of purpose, connectedness, and positive aging. Wendy holds advanced credentials from the Retirement Project, Retirement Life Plan, and Positive Intelligence and co-authored the book “The Retirement Collective”. https://www.boldnewsteps.com/ #RetirementPlanning #ThrivingInRetirement #RetirementLife #GoldenYears #RetirementSuccess #LifeAfterWork #SeniorLiving #ActiveRetirement #RetirementGoals #FinancialFreedom #NewBeginnings #RetireSmart #SecondAct #HealthyAging #SeniorWellness #RetirementDreams #EnjoyRetirement #PensionPlanning #RetirementHappiness #WealthManagement #SeniorLifestyle #RetireWithPurpose #FinancialIndependence #FuturePlanning #BucketListLife retirement wellness, aging positively, fulfillment in retirement, positive aging, life coaching, retirement coaching, retirement transition, personal development, non-financial retirement planning, Wendy Leggett, identity, purpose in retirement, retirement lifestyle, corporate sales leadership, retirement advice, retirement life planning, coaching techniques
You know how you get those butterflies before speaking in a meeting or making a presentation? Listen to these 10 tips to reduce your anxiety and calm your nerves!Tip 1: Prep - know your contentTip 2: Say “I'm so excited” instead of “I'm so nervous” Tip 3: Breathe and do the Navy Seals box breathingTip 4: Sing your favorite songTip 5: Rock back and forth or side to sideTip 6: Tap yourself lightly on the arms and legsTip 7: StretchTip 8: Do PQ reps from the book Positive Intelligence (my favorites are the sense of touch and sound).Tip 9: Dance to your pump-up songTip 10: Focus on what the audience needs rather than you. If you focus on serving them it will take your mind off of you. Karen Laos, Communication Expert and Confidence Cultivator, leverages 25 years in the boardroom and speaking on the world's most coveted stages such as Google and NASA to transform missed opportunities into wins. She is fiercely committed to her mission of eradicating self-doubt in 10 million women by giving them practical strategies to ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond. She guides corporations and individuals with her tested communication model to generate consistent results through her Powerful Presence Keynote: How to Be an Influential Communicator. Want to see how you score as a confident communicator? Take The Confidence Cocktail Assessment: https://karenlaos.com/confidence-cocktail-fb/ Get my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: https://karenlaos.lpages.co/words-to-avoid/ Connect with me:Website: https://www.karenlaos.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenlaosofficial Facebook: Ignite Your Confidence with Karen Laos: https://www.facebook.com/groups/karenlaosconsultingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenlaos/Episodes also available on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwQoTGdJX5eME0ccBKiKng/videosMy book “Trust Your Own Voice”: https://karenlaos.com/book/
Have you ever felt like your inner critic is holding you back from reaching your full potential? That little voice that whispers doubts, fuels stress, and keeps you second-guessing your decisions? It's time to silence it—for good.In this episode of The Business of Good, I'm sharing the ONE quiz that helped me uncover the root of my critical inner voice and how it's been sabotaging my success. After taking the Positive Intelligence Saboteur Assessment, I discovered the three saboteurs wreaking the most havoc on my mindset: Hyper-Vigilant, Hyper-Achiever, and Controller. And now, I'm tackling them head-on with a transformational mindset tool that I want to share with you.Then in the second half of the show, I'm joined by my guest and mindset coach, Lindsay White, a leadership coach and Positive Intelligence expert, who breaks down how to uncover and weaken your saboteurs so you can finally quiet that critical voice and unlock your true potential.What you'll learn in this episode:What Positive Intelligence is and how it can help you master your mindset.How to identify your saboteurs (the invisible enemies in your mind).Why silencing your inner critic is the key to achieving both business success and personal happiness.How I'm using the Positive Intelligence Bootcamp to take control in 2025—and how you can join me.Ready to get started?Take the Positive Intelligence quiz today and join me in Lindsay's Positive Intelligence Bootcamp! Learn more and sign up at janditchfield.co/join. Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "Jan's advice on building a business that aligns with my values is exactly what I've been looking for!"
Hello Listeners, A copy of the transcript can be found here. Joe Hudson's website at Habit Architects can be found here. To sign up for his free newsletter, and be notified for future events, scroll to the bottom of the page to add your email. *** Free Saboteur Self-Assessment from Positive Intelligence Link to schedule Free Saboteur Discovery Session 1:1 with Cristy *** We would love to hear your thoughts or questions on this episode via SpeakPipe: https://www.speakpipe.com/SomaticWisdomLoveNotes To show your gratitude for this show, you can make a one-time gift to support Somatic Wisdom with this link. To become a Sustaining Honor Roll contributor to help us keep bringing you conversations and content that support Your Somatic Wisdom please use this link. Thank you! Your generosity is greatly appreciated! *** Podcast editing and production by: Laura Pritchard Music credit: https://www.melodyloops.com/composers/dpmusic/ Cover art credit: https://www.natalyakolosowsky.com/ Cover template creation by Briana Knight Sagucio
Join my upcoming Positive Intelligence© Program: https://www.vickibaird.com/positive-intelligence-purchase-vicki-baird In this special episode of Intuition: Your Success Compass, I'm sharing a recording from a complimentary event I hosted in February, all about reducing mental clutter and overwhelm. If your mind feels overloaded with looping thoughts, unresolved emotions, and distractions, this session will help you create space for intuition, creativity, and joy—without adding more tasks to your to-do list. We'll explore how mental clutter drains energy, impacts confidence, and blocks intuitive clarity. I'll guide you through practical exercises to recognize and release this clutter—whether it's thought patterns, physical spaces, or emotional baggage—so you can feel lighter and more present. You'll also learn a simple visualization technique to help clear mental overwhelm and shift into a more peaceful, focused state. If you're ready to create more clarity, ease, and flow in your life, watch now and take the first step toward mental and emotional freedom! Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:23 - Understanding Mental Clutter 02:18 - Impact of Clutter on Your Life 03:20 - Recognizing and Addressing Clutter 10:37 - Practical Exercises to Identify Clutter 26:22 - Visualization Exercise for Clutter Release 33:35 - Personal Insights 45:55 - Final Thoughts and Upcoming Events
As our guest, Abby Havermann will tell you, not only teachers, but all of us should be life-long learners. Abby grew up in Boston and then made an attempt to leave the cold for Southern California and USC. However, after a year she decided that the USC and LA lifestyle wasn't for her and she moved back to the Boston area. She graduated college with a degree in Social Psychology. She also holds a Master's degree which she will talk about with us. Abby held jobs in the therapy and social work arena. She was married along the way, but ended up getting a divorce. She later remarried and worked for 12 years with her husband in the financial world. In 2018 she decided that talking with people about money wasn't for her. She left Finance and began her own business and now she teaches business and other leaders how to “unlearn what no longer serves them”. My conversation with Abby discusses fear, self perception and how to develop the skills to overcome fear and our own inner lack of confidence. Abby uses a variety of techniques including some “ancient methods” to work with her clients. You will hear about Abby's Ted Talk entitled “Women's Liberation is an inside job”. I will leave it to Abby to explain. I very much believe you will find this episode enthralling and relevant to our lives today. About the Guest: On the outside, Abby Havermann was leading what could easily be described as an enviable life - a respected couples therapist, adjunct faculty at the graduate level, married with an adorable child, and a white picket fence to boot. But many of her life choices had unconsciously been made through the lens of unworthiness - choices that weren't aligned for her. The Universe often does for us what we're unable to do for ourselves, and Abby's wake-up call was mortifying. She spent a long, dark night of the soul in an overcrowded jail cell when her relapsing addiction counselor husband had her bogusly arrested for domestic violence the day before she was scheduled to move out. That's when Abby identified the myriad of ways she'd betrayed herself and shifted her focus from what she was doing in the world to who she was being. Through this process, she took back her power and, through the ensuing decades, has delved deeper into the human potential movement, trained with world-renowned thought leaders, and the rest is history. A lifelong learner, Abby's singularity resides in combining her psychology, neuroscience, spiritual, and coaching experience with her ability to transform difficult life experiences into a gratitude-worthy self-evolutionary tool — awareness done right can breed transformation. Now, she teaches mission-driven, insight-oriented people to unlearn what no longer serves them through 1:1 and group coaching, speaking, training, and a soon-to-be-launched online course. Abby's direct signature style challenges clients to up-level while witnessing and holding compassion for the complexity of their multifaceted inner and outer worlds. Ways to connect with Abby: Website: https://www.abbyhavermann.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abby-havermann-93a915165 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abby.havermann Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbyisworthy About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hi everyone. I am your host, Mike Hingson, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. And today we get to talk with Abby Havermann. Abby is I find a very interesting person. She teaches mission driven, purpose oriented inside executives to unlearn, and we won't go into the unlearning, because Abby's going to talk to us about that. And so I don't want to give anything away. I've read her bio, so I know, but at the same time, what I want to do is to let her do that. So Abby, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here. Abby Havermann ** 02:01 Thanks so much. I love your podcast, so I'm happy to be here as well. Well, Michael Hingson ** 02:05 we love it too, and we appreciate the fact that you do well, why don't we start, as I love to do, by you telling us maybe something about the early Abby, growing up and all that, and I know that we were comparing notes, and you grew up in Boston. Love to hear about that, and Steve's ice cream parlor and all the other wonderful things about Boston. But anyway, and, and I guess one of my favorite places in Boston, Durkin Park, closed during the pandemic. Abby Havermann ** 02:29 Ah, yeah, I'm not even, I know it's terrible. I'm not familiar with Durkin park Michael Hingson ** 02:33 because I was in Quincy Market. And Abby Havermann ** 02:35 Quincy Market, okay, yeah, for sure, the chip yard in Quincy Market is my favorite. Oh, I didn't go Michael Hingson ** 02:43 there, but I went to Durgan Park several times, and I heard that they they closed. But, oh, sad, sad. But, well, tell us about the early Abbey. Abby Havermann ** 02:56 Yeah. So, I mean, I grew up in, like you said, outside of Boston, and and I think just from a young age, I kind of came out pretty scrappy, and I had a big personality. I I always seemed to have something to say, and it wasn't always in favor of what people wanted to hear. I felt like I I noticed things. I kind of always wanted to talk about the elephant in the room, and that didn't really go over that well, but I had, you know, a close, you know, extended family, and spent lots of times with my grandparents and my cousins and my parents and siblings. And, you know, I mean, I don't think it was that unusual of a childhood, so to speak, but Boston is bone chilling cold. If you've lived there, you know that. And so I wanted to get out as quickly as I could. And so after high school, I hightailed it out and moved, actually, across the country to spend a year at University of Southern California. Yeah, yeah. But that was such a culture shock, you know, being on the west coast from the East Coast, that I just went right back. I went back to the East Coast. Until later, I moved to Colorado, and yeah, that's where I spent about 30 years. Well, Colorado Michael Hingson ** 04:19 has its share of cold, I would point out, not Abby Havermann ** 04:23 bone chilling cold, not bone chilling cold, you're right with a dry air. It's a totally different cold. Michael Hingson ** 04:30 But the culture shock of being at fight on USC was greater of an issue than the bone chilling cold of being on the East Coast, huh? It was. Abby Havermann ** 04:39 I mean, I just, you know, on the east coast, people like they're harder to get to know, but they say it like it is. They're very direct, you know. And when I went to California, I felt like it was so hard to get to know people, you just couldn't get very deep, you know. Or at least that's how I felt. Plus, I had been, I didn't realize how sheltered I had been. Um. Um, and it was a very big school, and in the middle of watts, and it was, it was a culture shock for for sure. And I wasn't a PAC 10 athlete, and I wasn't, you know, in sororities, and all the things that you know are, you know, very popular in that particular area. So it just it. And I, I, I, I was so insecure at that time in my life that I think I I could not have broken into either of those, even if I had wanted to. I just in my own way constantly. So I pretty much just came running back and, you know, flew out a white flag of defeat in terms of individuating. And Michael Hingson ** 05:42 did you go back to Boston? I Abby Havermann ** 05:44 actually went to Wheaton College, up outside of Boston. All right. Now, Michael Hingson ** 05:48 what did you major in at USC? And did you follow through on that when you went back to Wheaton? Abby Havermann ** 05:54 Well, back to my confidence issue when I went to USC, I actually declared a drama major. That's what I really wanted to declare. And I never took a single drama class because I did not have the confidence. And so when I went to Wheaton, I majored in social psychology, which was something that just came very easily to me, and I enjoyed and that's what I did. Ah, Michael Hingson ** 06:15 so social psychology and you got a bachelor's. Did you go beyond that? Abby Havermann ** 06:21 Yeah, I ended up getting a master's in social work at Smith College school for social work. And that's when I after that, I worked in several hospitals as an inpatient psychiatric social worker in Denver, and then shortly after that, I opened my own private practice, and I had that for little over a decade, and that's then I closed my practice and ended up going into business with my second husband as a financial advisor, because he had a financial firm, and I worked in his office with him for 12 years. And that's when I realized I want to talk to people, but not about money. And I had to go back to my roots, and so not as a psychotherapist, but that's when I went back to as a teacher of unlearning and coaching and having learned some about, you know, neuroscience and ancient wisdom practices and things like that that greatly informed the psychology teaching. Michael Hingson ** 07:15 Now, when you say ancient wisdom practices, tell me a little about that, if you would. Yeah. Abby Havermann ** 07:21 I mean, you know, there's so much out there. And you know, whether it's, you know, the thema and the teachings of Buddha, or whether it's, I do a lot of work with a guerrilla teacher, he's a mystic from the early 1900s and it weaves together. You know, the more I learn about all these different things, the more everything is seems to be coming back to the same thing. And science now is sort of uncovering things that they've known for so long, for 1000s of years, whatever the practice is, yoga, science, Buddhas, Buddhism, all of those kinds of things everywhere I turn it's, it all comes back to this. I mean, it comes back to so much. But this, this innate power that's in us to change, you know, this innate wisdom that we have. And this, the more I you know, think about it and learn about it and study with people about it. It's we have gotten so smart over time, but we've really not gotten any wiser. Yeah, and that's why I like going back and looking at some of those practices. Michael Hingson ** 08:33 I was watching a news broadcast this morning, and one of the things that they mentioned was that there has been a study that says that at least one in four people wake up every day and have a bad day, and they know they're going to have a bad day because they wake up with a headache or whatever, and they know they can't Change having a bad day, which is bizarre to me. Yeah, I reject that concept. I think, as you are pointing out, that we do have control over that, but we have so many people, as I would put it, that don't listen to their inner voice. And you can say, listen to God or or whatever. But the bottom line is, we don't listen. And, course, we have a bad day because we don't listen to the answers that are right there in front of us. Abby Havermann ** 09:26 Yeah. And we've been taught not to, right. We've literally been conditioned, you know, from, you know, the industrial age, you know, and all the learnings that we had, you know, with Newtonian physics and all that stuff, to just never, to always look at our outside circumstances. And it's what you're saying is so true, like the innate wisdom is in us, and it's the last place that we ever look, yeah, and, and, and, to your point, it's, it's unbelievable. We we are taught to think it's like, oh. Something happens, we have an emotional reaction to it, and it's like, oh, now I'm just stuck with these emotions. Nothing I can do now. I'm just here with this. And that's the bit, right? Like, that's the dream that people like you and I have to, like, help people understand that. No, no, no, you you have the power to change your brain and body. You don't have to live by that. Michael Hingson ** 10:18 How do we get people to understand that. I mean, obviously that's part of what you do. So how do you, how do you get people to unlearn that kind of, I won't even say it's a concept, because it's not, it's just a bad message. But how do people unlearn that? Abby Havermann ** 10:37 Well, yeah, I mean, first we have to understand like that. We came upon it honestly, right, like that, that we're really in fight or flight so much of the time, that the way we've evolved was for survival. And if you're going to evolve for survival, you're going to be looking into your environment to find out, you know, what you need to do to keep yourself safe. So we're our brains are wired to look outside ourselves and say, Oh, this is the problem. I need to fix that. And if I fix that, I can be safe. And so we're very rarely looking inside ourselves. And in fact, when you're under stress, you physiologically can't look inside yourself, because you're in a state of where you're like, run by your hide. Where do I need to go? You know? How do I need to keep myself safe? You're not looking in yourself and be like, Oh, let me ponder. You know how to evolve myself today, right? So part of it is teaching people, literally, how to physiologically shift, to open up the centers of the brain that are more aligned with curiosity and community and and the empathy circuitry and all of the things where that wisdom we can really plug into the wisdom, the wisdom that's in your heart, right helping people understand that we store emotions in our bodies, and those thoughts and emotions that we're firing are creating our actions unconsciously. And it's not hard to get someone to understand it. As soon as you start talking to them, right, because you can give so many examples, they're like, oh, my god, yeah, you're right. When this happened, then I automatically and unconsciously, you know, had this thought and feeling, and then I acted this way, and before I knew it, you know, the whatever, there was an argument with my co worker, or the team meeting blew up, or, you know, whatever happened. And as soon, as soon as they begin to get curious about how their own behavior, their own thoughts and emotions, can impact the people around them, that's empowering, right? That's when you realize you really do have power. It's not I'm going to empower you to be able to have a voice. No, it's, it's being empowered inside of yourself to recognize the power that's already inherently there. Michael Hingson ** 12:50 I love something you said, though, which is that this is what we're taught, and I think that that's exactly right. I don't think we're born that way, necessarily, but that is what we're taught. Yeah, Abby Havermann ** 13:03 no, we are, and not only that, we're encouraged to, right? I mean, like, I read somewhere, I don't know if it was maybe in the book letting go. I can't remember, but how Freud's was really misunderstood when he talked about expression versus repression, that the idea was not, wasn't intended to be that if you just say your emotions out loud, you will release them. And this is what we've kind of been taught from ancient, you know, like back in the psychology, and even in psychology in school for you know, that degree, it's sort of like all we need to do is just express what's going on. So now we're complaining to each other where, you know, and everybody's going, Oh, you're right. You have a right to feel this way. Yes, this is terrible. This is terrible. And yes, we do have a right to feel this way. I mean, you know, right better than anybody. I have a one of the reasons I was so attracted to your podcast is that I have a child who has a disability. And, you know, there's lots and lots of reasons to feel bummed out or upset or limited, right? That's not the question. The question is, do you really want to Michael Hingson ** 14:11 That's right? The reality is, you may have the right to do it, because you have the right to make choices, but on the other hand, is that really the best choice? And the answer is not really Yeah, Abby Havermann ** 14:25 and not because you're a better person if you don't, not because you get kudos, you know, but because your life is better, because you determine how you know whether you're happy or sad or resentful, you know, or holding a grudge, you know? Michael Hingson ** 14:41 Yeah, I agree. And I see it so often. I remember so many times I'm asked what you were in the World Trade Center and you escaped. Did you go through a lot of therapy? Because you seem like you're pretty normal now, whatever that means. And I point out, no. No, I didn't go through counseling directly, but what I did, and it was a little bit unconscious, at least, I didn't think about this as a reason for doing it, but my wife and I agreed that talking about the World Trade Center attacks and allowing people to hire me to come and do speeches and talk about the lessons we should learn, made me pretty visible, and a lot of reporters wanted to do interviews. And the reality is that my therapy ended up being the media coming into our home literally hundreds of interviews, asking every question from the most inane to the most insightful you can imagine, but that made me talk about it, and that's I think the biggest key is being able to talk about it, and recognizing, as you do that you're thinking about it, and that causes your brain to help you be able to put it all in perspective, whatever that may be and whatever it is, Abby Havermann ** 16:07 yeah, and I think you know what you're talking about is so important, because I think we get mixed up so easily between what is the difference between acknowledging what happened to you and dwelling in what happened to you. And it is so important to be able to talk about it and acknowledge like the feelings that you have, and not deny those. If we just think, well, I should be, I should, in quotes, be able to, you know, be in a great, great mood, even though I feel like crap or whatever, and you just keep trying that it's not going to work you. You have to acknowledge what is. You have to be truthful about what is but understanding that you have the power to overcome and all of that resides inside of you, and it may take, depending on whatever happened, maybe you're over it in 30 seconds. 911 going to take a lot longer, right? Like you have the patience to to to walk through that with yourself, but understanding that it's not what happens to us in our lives that's important. It's it's how we react to it, right, what we think of it. And look at what you've made of that, right? Like, what a phenomenal story, what a horrific, you know, accident and not an accident, horrific event. And look at how many people you've touched as a result, and how many people you've taught and how many lives you've changed well. Michael Hingson ** 17:26 And one of the things I realized at the beginning of the pandemic, and we've talked about it some here on the podcast, is that while I wasn't I won't say I wasn't afraid. On September 11, I had learned to control fear because I prepared for the eventuality that there could be an emergency. And there had been a bombing in the World Trade Center in 1993 in the parking lot. It didn't do a lot of damage, but nevertheless, it caused a lot of people who bought at the World Trade Center. So I came along at a time when I was hired to open an office, and in opening the office, we got a great rent, got a great price for it, and we moved in, and I immediately started spending a good amount of time learning all I could about the complex including what all the emergency and evacuation procedures were, emergency preparedness, what to do, Where the emergency exits were, and how to get anywhere, I needed to go, not just one way, but every possible way to get around. And that was something that, as I mentioned before, about physics and paying attention to details, that's the whole point of it. But what all that did was actually, although I never thought about it for many years afterward. But what that really did was created in me a mindset that you know what to do. Well, an emergency happened, and I was able to let that mindset take over, and as I describe it to people, allowed my fear to be a guide and a device that helped me stay motivated and focused, rather than the fear overwhelming, or, as I put it, blinding me to what was going on, so I couldn't make a decision. And I believe that we do have that capability. We don't need to allow fear to overwhelm us and to make life impossible on it. Yeah, I understand there's a natural reaction, and people have physical reactions when they're afraid and so on. But the reality is, from a mind standpoint, you do have the ability to control that, and so you do have the ability to take that fear and make it a positive thing and not a negative thing that overwhelms you, because you suddenly totally just feel helpless. Abby Havermann ** 19:46 Yeah, I mean, there's so much to unpack in what you just said. I mean, you know, I guess one of, one of the things is that, you know, when I think about it's like, obviously, that's such a feel for situation. But I often think about the degree to which people are in. Fear just on a daily basis. You know, when you talk to business owners and you know the fear that realistic or not, you know that financial ruins going to happen, the fear of, you know, what am I going to look like when I get up on stage and give this presentation, the fear that you know you're not going to be able to, you know, make the quota, the fear that your boss is going to be upset. You know, all of these things are, you know, the fear of what's going to happen with your children. You know, all of this futuristic thinking, like, literally, if you think about it, I feel like we are in fear so much of the time, and it's just an unconscious process at this point. And to your point about it's not just your mind, right? Like, because the mind can't really get us out of fear. The mind just sort of chatters to itself, and the fear is stored in your body. And so really, having an understanding of how the mind and the body work together is so important to be able to overcome those emotions, because emotions are stored in your body. We can talk to I mean, how many times have you talked to people that are talking themselves, trying to talk themselves out of feeling a certain way? You cannot talk yourself out of feeling something? It won't work, and then you'll just end up feeling, you know, deflated because you couldn't do it. It's really a combination of understanding with your mind what you what needs to happen with your body as well. Well, Michael Hingson ** 21:32 what you have to do is to learn how to step back and say, what is that is really a problem for me right now, what do I what am I really afraid of? And should I be afraid of it? One of the things that I have talked about a fair amount regarding September 11 is that I realized that there are a lot of things over which we don't have control, and if we, as we usually tend to do, what if the world to death and worry about everything in the world that goes on, rather than focusing on the things over which we really do have control, we're going to have more and more fear. We're going to just drive ourselves crazy, and we're going to continue to do what we've always done. But the reality is, and I think a lot does have to do with the mind, but it is also communicating with the body. It's a mind body process. But the ultimate issue is that we have to decide and learn how to take that control and focus just on the things that we really have influence over and not worry about the rest of it. So one of the things that I did when the pandemic started was to begin writing a book called, as it turns out, live like a guide dog, true stories from a blind man and his dogs about being brave, overcoming adversity and moving forward in faith. And the idea behind the book is to teach people how to control fear. And I use examples of lessons that I have learned from working with eight guide dogs and my wife service dog, the lessons that I learned from them that when we apply them, will help us really deal with fear in the right way. So it's all about learning to control that fear. And you know, as an example, what if, as I said, we What if everything to death, and most of the time we don't have any control over it, and it isn't going to happen anyway, but we spend so much time worrying about it that we don't focus on the what ifs or the the issues that are directly really relevant to us. Abby Havermann ** 23:40 Yeah, yeah. And that that, what if question that analytic brain is really what separates us from from dogs and animals, right? We have the ability to get stuck in this analysis paralysis, and we've been sort of taught like hanging out in that left brain is really it's the more important place to be. And if we just keep going around and around and chewing on something, we'll get an answer to your point all the way back to the beginning of what you said without looking inside ourselves at all, which doesn't require really any thought. It's more sensory oriented. You know what needs to be done here? And it's really I find, you know what I've learned throughout the years, and what I teach is that, and practice is that it's when you settled your nervous system down, you know, when you stop, you know, feeding into a dysregulated nervous system that those options are available to you, and you're able to kind of stop the fear and just observe, rather than analyze, what's going on Michael Hingson ** 24:46 well, and we really can do that. One of the things that I talk about live like a guide dog, which was published in August of 2024 is that if we would take time. Time at the end of every day to step back as we're falling asleep, even when it's quiet, and look at what happened today, what worked, what didn't work, and and I reject the the concept that anything is a failure. It's a learning experience. And good things that happen to us are learning experiences. How could I have done that better than I did. What else could I have done, but in the case of things that are a problem that we tend to dwell on, why is it a problem? What was I afraid of? How do I deal with that, and really taking the time to start to deal with answering those kinds of questions and doing it regularly, and practicing it is what is going to start to allow us to be able to use our minds to communicate with the rest of us and move forward a much more positive way, and maybe tomorrow, not wake up with a bad day, Abby Havermann ** 25:54 right? And and, like you say, being able to do that from an objective standpoint, I so much of what I see is that people just beat the hell out of themselves. Yup, so that simple exercise of, you know, what do I love, about what, what I did and what, what would I do differently, becomes, you know, a session of self flagellation, of like, I'm so terrible and I did this and that that wrong, and blah, blah, blah, blah, or the opposite, where it's like, I didn't do anything wrong, and we completely, you know, dissociate from the parts of ourselves that are showing up that aren't useful in a situation. And when you can teach people to sort of have more of that objective focus, because they have, you know, they've built a part inside themselves that can be loving and empathic toward themselves and others that they can stop and say, All right, well, let's see what, what do I love about what I did, and what do I need to do differently next time to make it go differently, it's not, it's not a it's not about your horrible person or your great person. It's nothing to do with that right. Michael Hingson ** 26:57 And the issue is, when you talk about, what did I do wrong? You didn't think it was wrong until it didn't go the way you wanted. And so it doesn't mean that that you intentionally made a mistake or anything like that. So you got to be able to step back and say, so what really happened here? What do I learn from it? I've learned that one of the most important things I can say is not that I'm my own worst critic, but rather I'm my own best teacher, which is much more positive anyway. But you know, the fact of the matter is that we worry about so many things so much, the Mark Twain and other people who have made comments about fear point out that most everything we're afraid of or fear will never come to pass, and we just spend way too much time worrying about it, and it drives us crazy. Well, Abby Havermann ** 27:52 yeah, and you know what you were just saying? You know, I mean, one of the things that I bring to teams and organizations, one of the modalities that I use is Positive Intelligence, which was created by Sherzad, you know, he talks about the the sage perspective, which is, everything can be turned into a gift and opportunity, right? And when you're looking at it from that standpoint, if everything can be turned into a gift and opportunity, there is no failure. There is nothing to beat yourself up about. It's just a curiosity of like, okay, what's the gift here? And it's very hard, I think, when people are under intense stress in business and, you know, dysregulated and dealing with all kinds of things, to be able to stop and think there might be a gift in losing this client, or there might be a gift in having to do these layoffs, but there always is. There always is, Michael Hingson ** 28:53 well, and the the other part about it is, when you talk about stress, how much of the stress, if you will, that we feel is induced by us, yeah, because we don't learn to step back and and look at it in a little bit more of an objective way. Abby Havermann ** 29:12 Well, it's reinforced by us, right? Like we we are firing the same thoughts and we're firing the same emotions, and we're doing that over and over and over and over again, and we're dumping more and more cortisol in our bodies, right? Michael Hingson ** 29:24 And we're not learning a thing, or we're not learning a thing, it's there to learn, but we're not learning it. Yeah, Abby Havermann ** 29:32 exactly, yeah. And people are becoming more and more divided, you know? But the great news is that, you know, it doesn't have to be that way, right? It doesn't have to be that way. And that's, you know, why I think you know the message that that you put out there is, is so very, very important. Michael Hingson ** 29:54 Well, I think it is, and I think that we can learn. And that we can progress in a in a much more positive way, and we may discover along the way that we end up doing some of the same things that we did, but for different reasons, and maybe they really weren't such bad things anyway. Abby Havermann ** 30:18 Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I have, you know, I have clients who have had to, you know, lay off people, you know, and when you're a business owner, you're leaning off people. It feels like the worst thing in the world. You feel like, I know I've done it, yeah, right. I mean, people go into they feel like they failed, they feel guilty, they feel worried about the rest of their employees. And when you start to really unpack it, you know the truth of the matter becomes something else. First of all, if you you know are having to go through a layoff or something, you're typically anything that you do, that you're doing right now, next year, you're going to be doing at a bigger you're going to be playing on a bigger stage. So if you're laying off in your businesses this size next year, you're going to avoid whatever the problem was that caused you to have to do that when you're playing with a bigger stage, when there's more money on the line, right? Yeah, you know that there's when you can approach the world and understanding that your failures are your lessons, and sometimes God does for us what we can't do for ourselves. You know, it makes life a lot easier to get through. You know, we don't end up holding on to the same things, and we learn, like you're saying, faster, instead of continuing to do the same thing over and over again and making the same mistakes over and over again, Michael Hingson ** 31:39 life gives us the opportunity to really live an adventure and grow if we choose to do it. Unfortunately, all too often, people just won't do it. Abby Havermann ** 31:51 Yeah, well, I mean, I always say, like not everybody, not every soul is here to evolve. Not every soul is here to do the same thing. And we need, we need everybody here, right? But there's a there's a collective conscious, right? And some people are here to evolve to a certain place. Some people are here to go beyond. Some people are here to just do it all over again, Michael Hingson ** 32:15 well, but those people who do it all over again hopefully eventually get to the point where they can evolve. And that's part of the issue, of course, is, when are you going to decide to do that? Well, Abby Havermann ** 32:26 it's never, it's never ending, right? It's like, there is no evolved. It's we're evolving, right? Like, I hope. I like to think that I'm overcoming things in this lifetime that I won't have to come back and do it another but I'm sure they're saying that I'm not, you know, like, so it's a, it's a never ending process, but I think we are. We're taught, you know, that we're not well. We're not taught that. We're not taught that, you know, life is a playground. You know, Michael Hingson ** 32:56 no, we're not. We're constantly taught that life is hard and so many other things. Rather than Life is an adventure, we can have fun. We ought to have fun. And yeah, there are times to be serious, but still, you can do that in a positive way. Abby Havermann ** 33:13 Yeah, exactly. Michael Hingson ** 33:16 I don't know. Maybe Mark Twain was right. I wonder if God had read a man because he was disappointed in the monkeys, but we won't go there. Well, Abby Havermann ** 33:22 I feel like that now, like, you know, somebody's looking down on us and going, Oh, you guys haven't learned anything yet. Let me throw, let me throw some more things for you to get really upset and divided about and see if you see if you can learn now, and keep kind of proving over and over again that we're not going to learn. We need to keep, we need to keep experiencing all of these things Michael Hingson ** 33:44 well. But he's probably pleased when somebody does learn. And so that's good too, right? Right? Abby Havermann ** 33:50 Because it's a collective right? So the more people that begin to start to look inward instead of outward, and begin to see that, you know, they have that power inside themselves. I always say, like, I always wonder, what would it be like, you know, if, if, instead of, you know, focusing on these external things, we were all always focused internally. So something upsets me, and instead of saying, You upset me, or this thing upset me, I immediately go inward and say, Isn't this curious that this, this upset me so much. I wonder what that's about. And if I'm taking care of all of that inside of me, and you're taking care of all of it that's going on inside of you, there's really nothing to argue about. Yeah, and you have more control over your life because you don't have control over what other people do. You can ask them to do things differently. You can say you're upset about it. You can try and manipulate your life so you don't have to deal with things. But at the end of the day, you ultimately don't have control over it. It might work 50% of the time, maybe, if you're lucky, the only thing you have complete control over is how you react to something, right? And Michael Hingson ** 34:59 that's going to tell. Next steps, and that's what we need to learn to do, is to do a better job of truly reacting, whatever that may mean in any given situation, rather than doing knee jerk reactions to something, and not necessarily doing a very positive or helpful thing. But the reality is, we can learn to listen to that voice inside of us that is there to tell us how to react if we choose to use it and listen to it. Abby Havermann ** 35:27 And I would say, not even react, but respond. Right? The word responsibility, it's the ability to respond. You know, reacting is what I'm doing when I'm my nervous system is already dysregulated. Right? Responding, you know, is something we can train ourselves to be able to do, to stop, and it doesn't, you know, it doesn't happen overnight. And there's different things that that happen that are going to trigger you more than other things, Michael Hingson ** 35:55 right? So, when did you start teaching and doing what you're doing now. Abby Havermann ** 36:03 Well, I after I left my the financial advising, and during that time, I begin to really learn a lot about neuroscience and study under some mentors. And that's when I really realized, like, Oh, this is, this was sort of the missing link for me as a psychotherapist, this is, like it reaffirmed some things that I kind of intuitively knew. And so I began to start doing it in one on one, coaching and teaching in that sense. And then eventually, you know, doing groups and working with teams and things like that since then, so and just kind of bringing all of the modalities that I use together to help people get unstuck, help teams get unstuck, so that, you know, it's possible to to work in ease and flow. And we've all had those times, I hope, where you have a day where you know, you're just running around with your hairs on fire, and you're going from one thing to the next, the next, versus also, you have a day where it's like, gosh, everything just went smoothly. And I didn't worry about time, and I got ended up getting more done than I ever thought I could. You know, like we have control over what kind of day we're going to have. And so it becomes so important, because when we can go into our work or office or our meetings with our clients, instead of being hijacked by all these thoughts of like, Oh, am I prepared? What are they going to think? Oh, my God, that all of these things, instead of going in from, you know, in a place where you're grounded, and what I call inside out instead of outside in, like, worrying about, what do they need? Instead of what am I here to be of service with? It makes everything flow. And I think we need more people in flow and less people in stress and anxiety. So that's kind of when I, when I really started, started to do it. Because I can tell you, in the financial services industry, there's a lot of people in stress Michael Hingson ** 38:10 and anxiety. Yeah, well, having sold on Wall Street for for many years, and watching traders and, oh yeah, all the things that go on. Yeah, I hear exactly what you're saying. What did your husband think when you decided to leave the financial industry and go back into more of what you're doing now? Abby Havermann ** 38:28 Well, I don't think he was thrilled, because it left him with, you know, a lot of extra work. But you know, we had actually transitioned at one point. I mean, we were, I was thinking, God, what do I need to do? Like, something's missing. I thought maybe I needed a hobby. So I started to, you know, I joined a choir, and I started writing, and I started doing all these things, and that's what I kind of realized. It's, it's not that I need a hobby, it's that I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing. And we had, even, you know, started working with women, and I had been running women's seminars, which were really fun, and he had sort of done more of, like, more of the back end stuff, and I was able to talk to women and all of those things. But even that wasn't enough. And so on the one hand, he wasn't thrilled, and on another, he totally understood that I'm here to do something different, you know, and I you, I really believe that you have to do what makes your heart sing in this in this lifetime, you know? So it was a transition. But he, he's my husband's a rock. I'm very lucky. He's, he's, he's always right there, backing me up. So I was lucky, Michael Hingson ** 39:37 and he's coping with it well these days, I assume Abby Havermann ** 39:40 he is, oh yeah, now, yeah. And what we built together, you know, he's able to have the business and the life that that he loves as well. I mean, he's, he was doing it long before me, and, you know, we'll do it long after. So how Michael Hingson ** 39:56 long ago was it that you left the financial. Environment and started what you're doing Abby Havermann ** 40:02 now, that was in 2018 Okay, so I started in psychotherapy in 97 and then I started in the financial industry in 2007 ish, and then left in 2018 Michael Hingson ** 40:17 well, but I bet, if you really think about it. And probably you have, you could point out things that you learned during your time in the financial world that that help you today. Abby Havermann ** 40:27 Oh, of course. I mean, yeah, I mean, right, the whole there was no mistake, right? And I that was, there was lots of gifts that came out of that for me, right? Not, you know, not to mention that I really understand the pressures, the unique pressures of that industry and what people are dealing with, and that informs the work that I do now. But also, even just the self discovery of like, wow, you know it? I didn't need a hobby. I wasn't listening to myself. I was out of alignment? Yeah, no, and that's okay too, because you know what? Doing something for the family, doing something for the people that that I worked with, and being of service in that way was also a gift, you know? So, no regrets for sure, Michael Hingson ** 41:18 no. And I think that's really the issue you're you're comfortable with what you're doing, and so you shouldn't have to have regrets. And again, you learned a lot, and you recognize that, and that's the most important thing. Abby Havermann ** 41:33 Yeah, I think having a perspective in life, that everything is truly happening as it should is is important, and if nothing else, really helps you get through a lot easier, right? Because lots of people find themselves in situations, you know, whether it's a divorce, you know, which I had that too, or, you know, things happen that people will beat themselves up about and just feel terrible. How can I do that? And why did this happen? And all of these things, and it's it, it you don't have to have an answer to that. It just did happen. Yeah, right, so, and, and what, what is the opportunity for you in moving through that? Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 42:14 well, I've never experienced divorce directly. My brother went through one, and I'm not under the circumstances, we weren't too surprised. But, you know, he was where he was and all that. But my wife and I were married for 40 years, and as I mentioned, she passed away. And so now, as I tell people, I have to be a good kid, because I know that somewhere she's monitoring, and if I misbehave, I'm going to hear about it. It's as simple Abby Havermann ** 42:42 as that. And do you? Do you? Do you hear from her? Um, Michael Hingson ** 42:46 oh, I hear from her, but I haven't heard anything negative, so I guess I'm behaving. 42:51 Oh, that's good. That's good. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 42:54 yeah. I mean, she's she's here, she's monitoring, and, yeah, that's perfectly fine. Abby Havermann ** 43:00 I always love to hear stories of that, you know, particularly for people who've been married a long time, like, what ways the their person shows up, you know, how you know they're here? Because so many people, you know, when I grew up, my grandmother used to say Dead is dead, and it was absolutely terrifying to believe like that was the end, you know. And so I love hearing people talk about, you know, where, where they, where they feel they, where they, where they feel their loved ones, you know, how they know that they're there? About Michael Hingson ** 43:33 six months after she passed, I remember waking up in the middle of the night because someone or something had taken a hold of my hand as an example. And it wasn't the cat, and as soon as I woke up, then it was gone. But I know it was there, so, yeah, she's she's monitoring. It's okay. Yeah, I'm good with that. Now, along the way, you delivered a TED talk. How long ago was that? Abby Havermann ** 43:58 Oh, that was in 2022, Michael Hingson ** 44:01 okay, so, so the pandemic had started to lift and all that. What if you would tell me about the the TED talk, and what that was all about, and and so on. Abby Havermann ** 44:10 Yeah, well, the TED talk really came about. It's something I think I've wanted to do for a long time, but it came about actually as a result of my divorce and what I went through during that time, and that was really when I had this kind of come to Jesus, that I realized that the things that had happened in my life that I was not in favor of were directly related to a self betrayal. In other words, it wasn't anyone else's fault that these things happened to me or that I went through them. It was that I consistently, as we said in the beginning, did not go inside, did not listen to my inner voice, betrayed myself in any number of ways by, you know, deferring to what other people thought or making. Decisions, because I didn't think I was worthy of something else, or whatever it was. And it was like, wow, it hit me in the face. It was sort of like there was nowhere else for me to go but jail. Like, literally, I was already in prison because I was not listening to myself at all. And so I had that experience, and then years later, I actually was at a an assembly for my son, who was like, 10 years later, was then in middle school, and they were doing an assembly on sexting for middle school kids, because there was this pandemic and epidemic of kids sexting. And at the time in Colorado, that was a class three felony, and there was really nothing they could do to get it off somebody's record. So they were doing an Internet safety and I was listening to the cop up there talking about what was happening, and he said something that, you know, just really shook me, which was that, you know the he would ask the boys, why do you why do you make them send Why do you pressure these girls into sending pictures? And the boys would say, well, because I wanted to see a picture of her naked. And then they would ask the girls, why? Why are you sending it? And the girls would always say, and I knew exactly what he was going to say. They they said, because I wanted him to love me. And it really brought me back to all the self betrayals I had had as a young a young woman. And, and I thought, my God, nothing has changed. I mean, that was in 2003 right? I was born in 1970 so I just thought, wow, we are still doing the same thing over and over again. And, and it really spurred me to want to tell that story and spread this word, that we have the ability to get out of our own ways, that we can. We don't need, we don't need new legislation, and not that, I'm not that it's not great, and not that we shouldn't have it, but we don't need other people to empower us. We need to empower ourselves. And so that was kind of what my what my TED talk was about. Michael Hingson ** 47:09 Um, so the title of your talk was, women's liberation is an inside job. Interesting title, Abby Havermann ** 47:14 yeah, well, and that's literally the truth, right? Like, let you know if you think of like, the biggest extremes of this, of course, are people like Viktor Frankl, you know, who you know talks about how he was in the concentration camps. And you know Man's Search for Meaning, you know how he was liberated, even in the most you know, horrific circumstances. And I really believe that liberation is an inside job for all of us. That is not just for women, but for everyone. It's to me doing a TED talk was great. It was a bucket list thing. I'm so happy I did it. But what makes me feel the most proud of myself is when I overcome some part of myself. That is what makes me feel liberated when something goes wrong in my inner in my external world and my inner world doesn't go crazy, I'm like, oh my god, that is freedom. When something happens in my external world and I lose it or I go into a funk, that's prison. To me. Liberation is being able to be in ease and flow, no matter what is happening in our outer world, and no matter who is irritating us, or what life circumstances plopped in my lap. Yeah, that's kind of how I mean that, yeah, Michael Hingson ** 48:36 well, and I gather that the that the talk went well and was well received, I assume, Abby Havermann ** 48:44 yeah, I mean, I think that it, they forced some edits on it, which I understand in hindsight. I wish I had known, but I would could have told the story differently. But no, it was. It was very well received. And I often hear from people who tell me that they that they shared it widely, and it was impactful. So, but you know, if you, if you unpack just one, one other person, you know, like, it's worth it. Yeah, worth it. So it didn't go viral. You know, it didn't, it wasn't as big as, you know, many TED talks are, but that's okay, you know, people came up to me after and said, You know, I'm the person you needed to talk to. And I was like, All right, now my job's done. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 49:27 you You did. You did well, or, as I like to say, you done good. And, yeah, and that's what's important. You talk about the dark night of the soul. What is that? Well, the Abby Havermann ** 49:39 dark night of the soul is, you know, that come to Jesus moment. And I always say, you know, when I write in my newsletters, I often write about, you know, come to Jesus moments and dark nights of soul. And I always say, you know, if you haven't had one of these, and then you're probably not for me, because, you know, or I'm probably not for you. Is really how that is, because it's the dark night of the soul. Is. Is when you really come face to face with yourself, and you can no longer, you know, blame other people. You can no longer not change. You realize that something's happening and it's requiring you to be a different person, and you see something in yourself that maybe you don't like, you know, or you see something that you realize you can't have. It's not going to work. It's not going to be the way you keep trying to make it be. And you have to come up against yourself and make some really hard decisions and some hard choices and see things in yourself that maybe you don't want to see, you don't want to know about. You'd rather think about yourself in a different way. Yeah, the dark night. Have you had one? I'm Michael Hingson ** 50:44 not thinking of one right off, but I am sure I have, Abby Havermann ** 50:47 yeah, yeah. Michael Hingson ** 50:51 I think that we all have, yeah. Actually, I can. Can think of some where I was behaving in particular ways. And sometimes it's I learn about it because somebody comes along and said, You're a dirt bag, or you misbehaved, or the way you're treating people, and I've had to think about that. But I think for me, although I didn't notice it until somebody mentioned it, when it occurs and somebody says something, my immediate reaction is to think about that and to internalize it, and to go back and look at, well, what, what is the issue? And sometimes I have realized that it wasn't me and somebody's being manipulative, but sometimes it is me, and it is important to be able to get introspective and think about what is occurring and and look at what's going on and what part of it is you, and what part of it is not you, Abby Havermann ** 51:49 yeah. And I think it's, you know? I mean, it's so impossible to really, truly know ourselves and have a really accurate picture of ourselves. We all have a picture of ourselves, but it's, it's never really accurate, because of the way our brains are wired and so continuing to be open and curious like that, I think is is so important. And we, you know, you come to your own truth, right? But I think truth is so important to be truthful to yourself, whether it's whether you're throwing yourself under the bus that's not truthful. You know, whether you're saying, Oh, I suck at this, or whatever I made, you know what? That's not truthful, or whether you're tooting your own horn, and that's not entirely truthful. No, you know. It's a you know, to me, like self introspection, like that's that is where it's at. That, to me, is the most fascinating and the quickest road to success and growth you can possibly have. It's not, it's not what's happening externally. It's, it's, how are you actualizing yourself within? Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 52:58 and that's why it gets back to really learning how to step back and look at situations and looking at all aspects of it to make a final decision about, what do I need to do, if anything, to address the issue, whatever it may be, Abby Havermann ** 53:15 yeah, and I think, you know, there's value in that. Of course there is, but a lot of times that's a that's an analysis, and a lot of times we need to step away from the analysis, and we need to just with it and observe it and just be curious about it. Oh, exactly, and be okay with what is. And that's sometimes when the biggest answers come to us. I think that's why, you know they say that the right brain processes 800 times faster than the left brain, because the left brain is worried. What do I need to do differently? How do I need to analysis, analysis, analysis. Whereas when you can settle your brain and body down, whether it's through a meditation or a heart math practice or a Positive Intelligence practice or what, whatever it is, sometimes the answer is right there it like drops in, you know, just the way you had, you felt your wife hold your hand, right, you know. And it just happened so much faster than all of the thinking and the planning and the spreadsheets and the that you that we put ourselves through trying to come up with the quote right answer, Michael Hingson ** 54:21 yeah. And I don't want to make it really clear, I'm not necessarily advocating just analysis, and I'm not analysis, though, what I think analysis can do is lead to you opening up and dealing with the rest of the issues. So analysis may be a starting point, but it's not the end all solution, Abby Havermann ** 54:43 yeah, and it, and we need to be careful about getting stuck in it, yeah? Oh, absolutely stuck in that place of over, you know, going over and over that, Michael Hingson ** 54:53 because that takes us right back to where we were before. Well, right? Because Abby Havermann ** 54:56 Einstein said, you know, you can't solve a problem from the same level. Level of mind that created it, right? Michael Hingson ** 55:03 Yeah. And so you can go back and look at, well, what what happened? What is it the people are saying and all that, but you've got to go further than that. And so it, it is emotional as well as anything else, which is probably why we haven't met Vulcans like Mr. Spock yet. Abby Havermann ** 55:23 Well, yeah, I mean, and that's the thing, right? It's like people are emotional beings, right? So we think that we need to work things out logically and everything, but emotions are not logical, and so much of life and business is about relationships, right? Michael Hingson ** 55:38 But the but the one thing that we can do, though, is that it gets back to introspection in all forms. We do need to learn how to step back and allow ourselves to listen to that inner voice to come up with the best solution, because that's where the best solution will always be. Abby Havermann ** 55:59 Yeah, yeah. So true. And so many people doubt it. So many people doubt that it's inside them. You know, they'll come and be like, What do you think? What do you think? And I always say it's, I could tell you what I think, but you'll end up working with me far longer than you need to, because it's not what you think. So let's, let's do some let's dive in and find out what your inner wisdom is telling you, because that's the only way you're going to rest, that's the only way you're going to know for certain, right, the right thing to do, because you feel it in your bones. Michael Hingson ** 56:30 How do people who think less of themselves or don't have a lot of self worth? How can you help them move forward to becoming more confident, and I mean that in a positive way, as opposed to just developing an ego, and I'm great, and that's all there is to it. But how do you get people, or how do you help move people from a lack of self worth to self confidence? Yeah, Abby Havermann ** 56:52 I mean, I think that self worth is, like one of the biggest, if not the biggest, problem that we have. And I do think there are a handful of people, I think you might be one of them that just has an inner constitution that, you know, is just a really lucky one. My son is one of them too. You know, he has this disability, and I swear to God, I've never seen a kid, you know, just kind of bounce back, you know, like he's here to be humbled. You know, it's not, it's not, you know, his constitution is just built that way. But I think for the vast majority of people, we're dealing with imposter syndrome. We're dealing with self worth issues. And oftentimes people say, Well, I don't have a worthiness issue because they're they have a great life, they have a great family, they have a great business. They and they can't they like themselves. They can't really relate to feeling a worthiness issue. But when you dial down and really talk to them about, you know, what are their fears, or what's getting in their way, or what's happening, it all comes back to this question of, you know, am I enough and trying to prove themselves and whatnot. And so one of my taglines is, I say, you know, stop, it's time to stop proving your worth and start owning your worth. Because your worth is there. It's always there. Your your validity is always there. The only thing that happened is you turned your gaze away from it. You started looking for it outside of yourself and instead of inside of yourself, and so it's, it's a harder question to answer, because it's, it's an evolution. It's not, you know, well, I just need to say, you know, 10 affirmations every day, and then I'm going to wake up more confident the next day, right? It has to do with acknowledging and being able to catch those if I was going to use Positive Intelligence language, those saboteurs that you know, for example, the hyper achiever Salvatore that wants to tell you that you're worth you're only as worthy as your last achievement. You know it's being able to catch that and being able to say, Wait a minute. Let me once again, sit you down and go back into who I am at the core of me, what is my essence and and aligning with the truth of who we are, which is we are not our body, we are not our mind, we we're much, much more than that. So there's a lot of different practices that we go, that I go through with people, but I do think that part of it is acknowledging that we're all somewhere along the same journey. And so much of the time it's just almost all the time, it's like one ego is talking to another ego. I'm I'm telling you, whatever I'm telling you. From my ego, you're telling me what you're telling me from your ego, very rarely are people actually, truly talking from their hearts. Part of developing confidence, I think, is an ability to align with your authentic self, where you're not putting yourself. Below anybody else. You're not putting yourself above anybody else. You're just aligning with what is real for you and putting yourself out there in that way and getting comfortable with that. And we can make decisions from that place. We feel more confident about our decisions. We never regret a decision that happened truly intuitively, right, Michael Hingson ** 1:00:21 right? Well, you've, you've worked with a lot of clients, and I've had some successes. I'd love to hear maybe a success story where you really made a difference, or you helped someone make their own difference. Abby Havermann ** 1:00:39 Yeah. I mean, I think that, let's see, you know, I mean, there's, there's a lot of different ways I could, I could go with that. You know, sometimes what happens when people can have a shift is everything changes. So I had a client who was going she almost didn't come to our call because she was just covered in shame about something that was happening in her business. And we were able to work on it, not only in that introductory call, but throughout the ensuing year where everything changed for her business. So when I used to ask her, you know, listen, what, what do you what do you want? What is it? Well, I want to be the best. Well, what does that mean? I want to be the best, right? I want to be the best. You know. Again, that goes back to this dysregulated nervous system, that's right, if I'm best, then I'll feel better. Then I'll feel better, right? And after a course of working together and working with her team and really getting her to get in touch with the incredible work that her company does from a real perspective, not where she's just telling herself it or patting herself on the back, but really beginning to see what they're doing, and a close attention to her, watching her inner world. She came up with the most beautiful business statement that I think I had ever heard, and couldn't even really remember the time, where she said, Yeah, I wanted to be the best. It wasn't about that, you know? It's about, I want to make a difference. This is what our team is doing. This is what I'm about in the world. This is what's important to me. And as a result, you know, made some incredible changes, money, you know, pouring in and working a lot on that automatic fear that you know financial ruin is on the other side of the wall, which is just a completely internal fear, and being able to release that so that you release the energetic field around you that's holding those circumstances in place, and having a
Welcome to the Alcohol Free Marriage & More Podcast! In today's episode, we discuss a new sober dating app, bills to allow under 21 drinking and how to celebrate each other in a relationship.Leave a voicemail: (224) 225-9302Download our FREE Marriage Meeting Guide HereGet Our FREE Beyond Spirits: 7 Tips for Starting Your AF JourneyDrink of the weekCherry Spiced Whiskey Fizz: fresh cherries Kentucky 74 spiced Ginger Lemon OlipopWatch the podcast on YouTube here: Alcohol Free Marriage Podcast VideoGet $5 off your first Go Brewing order!Our Website: AFMPodcast.comSchedule your free discovery coaching call with Amy
Rashmir Balasubramaniam shares how regenerative frameworks, sustainable productivity, and reflective leadership can help us lead with impact and create more connected teams and organisations.In this season, Mich Bondesio is talking to changemakers creating impact both inside and outside of traditional sustainability sectors about effective ways to build more regenerative work practices and doing business that supports people, planet, and profit.In episode 75 of the Creating Cadence Podcast we cover:Helping women level up their leadership and expand their impact.Connecting social impact, sustainability, and regenerative leadership (and the work of Carol Sanford).How we can shape healthier businesses and communities in nested social, business, and environmental systems. Using intentional productivity frameworks to avoid burnout.Practical mindfulness-based strategies (like Positive Intelligence) for building resilient teams and organisations.Full transcript can be found at: https://creatingcadence.co/ep75-rashmir-balasubramaniam-regenerative-leadership/Magic Mind Special OfferGet 48 percent off your first subscription, or 20 percent off one-time purchases with the code CREATINGC20 at checkout - magicmind.com/CREATINGC20#mentalwealth #magicmind #mentalperformance #sustainability #sustainableworking #environment #triplebottomline #creatingcadencepodcast #regenerativeleadership #sustainablebusiness #womenleaders #intentionalproductivity #positiveintelligence #mindfulnessatwork #wellbeingatwork #burnout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Push-Pull Shift: Why Women Thrive When They Focus on What Matters Are you constantly feeling pushed to do things you don't really want to do—obligations, responsibilities, and expectations that drain your energy? What if you were pulled toward things that light you up and bring you joy instead? In this episode of Healthy Living, we explore the Push-Pull Shift, a game-changing concept from Positive Intelligence that helps women in midlife and menopause reclaim their energy, set boundaries, and rediscover their true passions.
Join my upcoming Positive Intelligence© Program: https://www.vickibaird.com/positive-intelligence-purchase-vicki-baird That little voice in your head—the one that doubts, criticizes, and fuels fear—doesn't have to be in charge. In this episode of *Intuition: Your Success Compass*, I'm breaking down the inner critic, or as I call it, the “inner biatch,” and how it shows up through self-doubt, perfectionism, avoidance, control, and fear. Through the lens of Positive Intelligence, I'll show you how to shift from a saboteur-driven mindset to one led by the sage within—your source of creativity, empathy, and wise action. Science-backed techniques, like sensory awareness and mindfulness, can help rewire your brain for better emotional balance and decision-making in just eight weeks. If you're ready to manage that judgmental inner voice, strengthen your self-command, and live with more peace and clarity, join me in this conversation. Plus, I invite you to our monthly live sessions, where we dive deeper into these transformative tools. Watch now and start quieting the critic so your inner wisdom can take the lead! Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:19 - Understanding the Left Brain and Its Critic 03:52 - Addressing the Inner Critic and Judge 09:24 - The Role of Saboteurs and the Sage 21:23 - Practical Steps to Quiet the Judge 27:26 - Invitation to Monthly Live Sessions 28:48 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Money mindset plays a pivotal role in business success, yet many health, wellness, and creative professionals struggle with deep-rooted beliefs around money. In this episode, Katie Crane sits down with Kristina Driskill, a former international opera singer turned transformational coach, to explore the emotional and psychological blocks that hold professionals back from financial confidence—and how to overcome them. If you're ready to move from surviving to thriving in your business, this conversation is a must-listen! Key Takeaways
In this episode hosts Amy Christenson and Brian Bowen celebrate their return from a brief hiatus by sharing their personal top 10 book recommendations for personal development, health, and wellness.They explore various books ranging from ancient philosophies like the Dao De Jing to modern self-help classics by authors such as Brendan Burchard, Mel Robbins, and Jay Shetty. The episode covers topics like mindfulness, mental wellness, resilience, personal empowerment, and holistic health, ensuring there's something valuable for everyone. Tune in to get inspired and discover your next great read for 2025! 00:00 Welcome to All Things Good for You Podcast00:42 Catching Up After a Break01:25 Upcoming Workshops and Events02:09 Favorite Books for Growth and Inspiration04:21 Book Recommendations for 202505:42 Diving into Personal Transformation09:37 Exploring Emotional and Physical Healing31:13 The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins37:11 Introduction to Gut Health40:38 Exploring Whole Brain Living44:23 Empowerment and Boundaries45:44 Positive Intelligence and Mental Habits51:21 Liberated Love and Relationship Insights53:49 The Power of One More57:50 Quick Book Recommendations01:03:58 Women's Health and Empowerment01:07:07 Final Book Recommendations01:10:08 Conclusion and Podcast Teasers Transformative Books for Personal Growth and Self-Discovery in 2025The pursuit of self-enhancement is infinite, and literature remains one of the most valuable resources in this path of personal discovery and enlightenment. If you're eager to delve into an enriching collection that encourages growth, self-awareness, and transformation, have a look at these 20 carefully curated books.These titles have been discussed in-depth on the All Things Good for You podcast, where hosts Amy Christensen and Brian Bowen share their insightful takes on ancient traditions and modern practices in health, wellness, and personal development. 1. **Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza** Tune into the power of thought and intention to recreate the version of yourself that you desire by shifting cognitive patterns and habitual actions. 2. **The Molecule of More by Daniel Lieberman** Explore how dopamine drives ambition, decision-making, and emotional fulfillment while providing insights into managing this neurotransmitter effectively. 3. **The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk** This essential read examines the profound ways trauma affects the body and mind, offering a holistic approach to healing through various therapeutic methods.4. **Gut Feelings by Dr. Will Cole** Functional medicine insights are provided in this guide that underscores the significance of gut health in overall emotional and physical well-being. 5. **Boundary Boss by Terri Cole** Discover how to identify, establish, and maintain boundaries that protect your emotional and mental energy while enhancing relationships and personal growth.6. **The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins** A simple yet powerful philosophy on acceptance and emotional freedom that involves letting others be themselves and allowing yourself the grace to find peace. 7. **Whole Brain Living by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor** Explore the four distinct characters in our brain that influence our thinking and behaviors, through the lens of someone who experienced a life-changing stroke.8. **Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine** Uncover ten mental saboteurs that create doubt and anxiety, and use the sage's powers to foster a positive, productive mindset. 9. **We Are the Human by Tracy Litt** Receive nurturing insights on self-love and self-worth, empowering you to embrace your intrinsic awesomeness.10. **Liberated Love by Mark Groves and Kylie McBeath** This book speaks to romantic and personal relationships, guiding you towards mastering your actions, feelings, and traumas for healthier interactions. 11. **Grit by Angela Duckworth** Understand the power of perseverance and passion in achieving lifetime goals, moving beyond natural talents through hard work.12. **Upshift by Ben Rammel** Turn pressure into performance through innovative turns in thinking and strategies when faced with life's challenges. 13. **The Dao De Jing by Lao Tzu** Dive into timeless wisdom on balance, flow, and humility using nature as a metaphor for personal growth and harmony.14. **Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty** Blend ancient philosophies with modern psychology to develop peace and purpose every day, inspired by the author's monastic experiences. 15. **The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard** Reclaim your freedom with practical tools that enhance personal power and help overcome doubt, delay, and division.16. **The Power of One More by Ed Mylett** Crystallize the concept of doing just one more to enhance your practice and performance in all areas of life.17. **Roar Revised by Dr. Stacey Sims** A crucial guide focused on women's unique physiological and athletic health distinctions that defies the traditional male-centric studies.18. **The Well Lived Life by Dr. Gladys McGarey** Celebrating a centenarian's journey in natural healing and holistic medicine with wisdom on living a connected and purposeful life.19. **Love Does by Bob Goff** Explore profound life lessons on love as active and intentional, leading to a more purposeful life driven by curiosity and joy.20. **The Charge by Brendon Burchard** Identify and harness the ten core human drives to unleash a more vibrant, charged life filled with purpose and enthusiasm.Explore these transformational reads and ignite a new chapter of growth and self-fulfillment for the upcoming year and beyond. Whether in personal pursuits or professional development, these books provide a spectrum of strategies and inspirations to elevate your journey.Embrace the ideas, learn, and persist—ready, set, go! All Things good For You
Join my upcoming Positive Intelligence© Program: https://www.vickibaird.com/positive-intelligence-purchase-vicki-baird In this episode of Intuition: Your Success Compass, I'm sharing ways to stay grounded, centered, and uplifted—especially when the world feels overwhelming. With constant news updates and negativity flooding our minds, it's easy to feel stuck in fear and frustration. But true change starts within, and we have more power than we think to shift our energy and take meaningful action. I'll share what's been working for me—cutting back on doom-scrolling, practicing small acts of kindness, and making micro-movements that create ripple effects of positivity. We'll talk about how our brains are wired to focus on the negative and how we can consciously shift toward constructive, empowering choices. If you've been feeling weighed down by world events, this is your invitation to pause, breathe, and ask, What can I do right now? Let's focus on what we can control, raise our energy, and create a more positive, connected world together. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:04 - Staying Sane in Difficult Times 03:02 - The Impact of News and Media 04:22 - Finding Joy and Supporting Others 05:26 - The Power of Micro Movements 08:47 - Empowerment and Self-Care 22:54 - Volunteering and Community Connection 27:46 - Taking Action and Making a Difference 29:07 - Conclusion
About Jeff Koziatek:Listed among the TOP 100 St. Louisans to know, Jeff worked in the entertainment industry for over 25 years where he produced award winning films, managed national touring shows, owned a complete event management company, acted in film and television, and delivered more than 5000 presentations across the country.Organizations work with Jeff to strengthen ownership mindset, improve communication and collaboration, increase productivity and enhance critical thinking.Business owners and C-Suite execs hire Jeff to overcome overload, doubt, and burnout so they can do more of what they want, less of what they don't, and love their results.He is a certified coach with both The Values Conversation and the John Maxwell TEAM, a professional member of the National Speakers Association, has received training in Emotionally Focused Therapy and Positive Intelligence, and was listed among the Top 15 St. Louis Business Advisors and TOP 100 St. Louisans to know.His services include Peak Performance Executive coaching and Inspirational Keynotes.In this episode, Jennie Bellinger and Jeff Koziatek discuss:Imposter syndrome is common, affecting 82% of people (potentially higher)Seeking validation from external sources fuels imposter syndromeImposter syndrome has a high cost, including loss of presence and connectionCelebrating small victories and "stacking pebbles" helps overcome imposter syndromeRepetition is key to reinforcing a positive mindset and crushing imposter syndromeKey Takeaways:Imposter syndrome is pervasive, but not insurmountable. Seeking external validation fuels the imposter mindset; instead, cultivating a sense of intrinsic worth can free us from the constant need to prove ourselves to others.The cost of imposter syndrome is high, robbing us of meaningful connections and present moments. Celebrating small wins, not just big achievements, is crucial for building confidence, and the "stacking pebbles" approach helps us acknowledge our progress and capabilities.Repetition is the key to rewiring our mindset."Time with your kids, presence in the moment, with people that you care about, the ability to set your own schedule so that you can do stuff like that, yeah, and the confidence that you've got to go out and do what's inside you and bring that out and impact lives, that's huge."— Jeff Koziatekon the benefits of overcoming imposter syndromeConnect with Jeff Koziatek: Facebook Name: https://www.facebook.com/jeff.koziatekFacebook Business Page: https://www.facebook.com/coreauthenticity/LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkoziatek/Instagram Business Link: https://www.instagram.com/coreauthenticity/?hl=enLink to Gift from Jeff Koziatek:Downloadable PDF - 3 ways to BREAK Impostor Syndrome!Link: https://coreauthenticity.com/badassConnect with Jennie:Website: https://badassdirectsalesmastery.com/Email: jennie@badassdirectsalesmastery.comFacebook personal page: https://facebook.com/jbellingerPLFacebook podcast page: http://facebook.com/BadassDirectSalesMasteryFacebook group for Badass Crew: https://facebook.com/groups/BadassDirectSalesMomsInstagram: https://instagram.com/BadassDirectSalesMasteryPersonal Instagram: https://instagram.com/jenniebellingerLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/BadassDirectSalesMasteryThe Badass Direct Sales Mastery Podcast is currently sponsored by the following:Bella Grace Elixir: https://shopbellagrace.com/?ref=jenniebadassdirectsalesmasteryLeadBuddy Digital Marketing: Use code BDSM when checking out at https://leadbuddy.io/pro-monthly-9310?am_id=jennie582Show Notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel AlvarezAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chuck Andrews discuss:Challenges in making law firms and businesses scalable and saleableStrategic and mental preparation for business transitionsUnderstanding client needs as a driver for business growthOvercoming personal barriers to achieve professional success Key Takeaways:Many lawyers fail to create saleable practices because they don't view their firms as scalable assets, instead focusing solely on leveraging personal skills.Emotional and psychological unpreparedness for life after selling a business often causes transitions to fail, making mental readiness as crucial as financial planning.Business owners can significantly improve scalability and growth by conducting client surveys to understand why customers choose their services.Identifying and managing personal saboteurs, such as the need to please or overachieve, is essential for breaking patterns that hinder both business and personal progress. "The biggest challenge an attorney has is recognizing that they can build their practice into a saleable practice." — Chuck Andrews Be That Lawyer is now syndicated on Above the Law! Catch all our new episodes and my monthly column there—spread the word and help us grow: https://abovethelaw.com/ Thank you to our Sponsors!Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/ Episode References: What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry: https://www.amazon.com/What-Happened-You-Understanding-Resilience/dp/1250223180Wisdom at Work by Chip Conley: https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Work-Making-Modern-Elder/dp/0525572902Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine: https://www.amazon.com/Positive-Intelligence-Individuals-Achieve-Potential/dp/1608322785The Fifth Discipline by Peter M. Senge: https://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Discipline-Practice-Learning-Organization/dp/0385517254 About Chuck Andrews: Chuck combines expertise in technology, M&A advisory, and executive coaching, integrating AI-driven solutions into his firm's services. Clients gain from tools like AI-based Value Drivers, a Positive Intelligence mental health app, and leadership development rooted in Vistage Peer Advisory Boards. Connect with Chuck Andrews: Website: https://ceo15.us/Email: chuck@ceo15.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceo15-cca/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chuckCEO15/ & https://www.facebook.com/CAndrewsCEO Connect with Steve Fretzin:LinkedIn: Steve FretzinTwitter: @stevefretzinInstagram: @fretzinsteveFacebook: Fretzin, Inc.Website: Fretzin.comEmail: Steve@Fretzin.comBook: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!YouTube: Steve FretzinCall Steve directly at 847-602-6911 Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Join my upcoming Positive Intelligence© Program: https://www.vickibaird.com/positive-intelligence-purchase-vicki-baird This year, let's try something new—rather than setting goals or picking a single word for the year, we'll focus on anchoring into a specific feeling that can guide us daily. I'll share my chosen feeling of spaciousness and how it's shaping my approach to time, relationships, and well-being this year. In this episode, I'll walk you through a guided exercise to help you identify your feeling for 2025. You'll learn how small, consistent changes can help you stay aligned with your true self while raising your emotional frequency. By embracing a feeling-centered approach, we can navigate life with more ease, compassion, and connection to our intuition. Join me on this journey to create an expansive, joyful, and aligned year. Watch now and let's raise our energy together! Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:07 - Choosing a Feeling Over a Word 03:39 - Connecting Emotions to Intuition 07:41 - Practical Steps to Anchor Your Feeling 17:03 - Daily Practices for Emotional Alignment 20:18 - Embracing Joy and Gratitude 22:42 - Conclusion and Next Steps
Welcome to the Alcohol Free Marriage & More Podcast! In today's episode, we talk about sugar cravings after quitting alcohol, our experience with the Lingo continuous glucose monitor and Coach Amy helps us get the LINT out of our brains. Leave a voicemail: (224) 225-9302Download our FREE Marriage Meeting Guide HereGrab some of our merch!Get Our FREE Beyond Spirits: 7 Tips for Starting Your AF JourneyDrink of the weekDrink of the week - Michelob ULTRA Zero Untitled Art - Dark Chocolate BrewWatch the podcast on YouTube here: Alcohol Free Marriage Podcast VideoGet $5 off your first Go Brewing order!Our Website: AFMPodcast.comSchedule your free discovery coaching call with Amy
Do you consider yourself to be “good with people?" Some of us are born with the skill of creating relationships and working well with others; some of us struggle, especially people whose strengths are in science and technology, and we all could learn to be better at it! Whether you are a natural "people person" or not, Corinna Freitag has essential advice for all of us about the trait of positive intelligence and how it can enhance our work and personal relationships. Corinna Freitag Corinna Freitag is an Executive Coach, Advisor, and Speaker with over 30 years of expertise in natural and human sciences, spanning academia, industry, and continuing education. She holds a Ph.D. in chemistry and is a certified Executive Coach. She earned her Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the gold standard in professional coaching. With a career that has taken her across multiple countries, Corinna spent over 18 years working globally in the automotive and chemical industries. She has held diverse roles, collaborating with colleagues at all levels—from the shop floor to Senior Vice Presidents. Her extensive experience ultimately led her to serve as the Global Operational Excellence Leader for over five years. KEY TOPICS IN THIS PODCAST: 00:02:19 - Challenges for STEM Professionals in Management 00:05:01 - Client Struggles with Social Skills 00:06:03 - Neurodivergence and Technical Focus 00:07:02 - Rewiring the Brain and Changing Habits 00:10:05 - Coaching Approach: Assessments and Targets 00:15:09 - Coaching Style: Directive vs. Non-Directive 00:20:01 - Emotional Intelligence and Career Advancement 00:23:15 - Client Success Stories 00:29:48 - Positive Intelligence Explained 00:39:41 - Advice for Young Professionals KEY TAKEAWAYS: Positive intelligence is approaching challenges with a positive mindset. Some STEM professionals struggle with social skills and building relationships. It is possible to change and improve social skills with practice and coaching. Assessments and goal-setting are vital tools in coaching to track progress and measure improvement. The concept of positive intelligence helps rewire the brain and change habits. Building empathy and understanding for others is crucial in improving relationships and resolving conflicts. Training mental toughness is a positive mindset that can help individuals overcome challenges and thrive in work and life. Memorable Quotes From Corinna Freitag "Train your mental toughness... handle challenges with a positive rather than a negative mindset” CONNECT WITH Corinna Freitag Website: https://www.corinnafreitag.de/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcorinnafreitag/
Join my upcoming Positive Intelligence© Program: https://www.vickibaird.com/positive-intelligence-purchase-vicki-baird This episode of Intuition: Your Success Compass is a special recording of an event where I guided participants through a powerful visualization exercise to connect with their ideal future selves—calm, self-assured, and joyful—one year from now. Whether you see or feel this future state, you'll gain wisdom and encouragement to align your present actions with your goals. During this session, we also explored the concept of internal saboteurs—those inner critics like avoidance or perfectionism—and how understanding their hidden gifts can help you break free from limiting patterns. I shared practical examples, including my own experiences, and offered mindfulness exercises to shift from self-criticism to self-command, unlocking intuition and psychic abilities. If you're ready to embrace small, consistent steps toward growth, clear mental clutter, and step into a more purposeful life, this recording is for you. Watch now and experience the transformative energy of this live event! ---