Podcasts about tedx talks

A woman came to me absolutely consumed by a fear she couldn't shake — a fear that something terrible was going to happen to her. Maybe a health issue. Maybe an illness. Maybe dying. The fear followed her everywhere… and the feeling would not leave her. And she had no idea why. When we uncovered what her subconscious mind had secretly linked together, everything finally clicked. And it was something she never would have guessed in a million years. In today's episode, I'm sharing the surprising emotional miswiring that was driving her fear — and how things we don't think twice about, like emergency or crisis planning or even calling a past health issue a "gift," can accidentally program the mind in the wrong direction. These innocent moments can create subconscious links that trigger fear, worry, stress, or even a silent expectation of the very thing you're trying to prevent. And with the holidays coming up, this is actually a beautiful reminder: now is a really good time to think about only positive gifts — the ones that uplift you, expand your energy, and genuinely support the future you want to create. This is more common than many people realize and shows up in a variety of different ways.  As another example, in recent podcast episodes, I've worked with people who feel guilt about moving forward, guilt about feeling happy, or even guilt about enjoying life when others can't. In these situations, the mind links negative emotions (like guilt) to positive experiences (such as happiness, success, healing, fun, or progress). This too can be incredibly impactful — because when positive things are associated with guilt, the subconscious can begin linking happiness with illness, problems, hardship, stress, worry, or fear. If you've ever: • felt stuck in a fear that doesn't make sense • tried to think positive but your mind kept pulling you backward • found yourself worrying about your health or future "for no reason" • sensed your mind was moving in the wrong direction and you couldn't stop it …then this episode is going to open your eyes in the most powerful way. You'll learn exactly how these miswired emotional links form — and how to begin un-linking and rewiring them so your mind finally starts working with you instead of against you. If you're ready to understand your subconscious like never before… and break free from fear at the deepest level… this episode is for you. Do you want to see proof of the power of the mind in a medical journal? Here's a demonstration of Brandy Gillmore working with volunteers under medical equipment, as featured in a medical journal.   Free Resources and Frequently Asked Questions & Resources Q: How can I heal myself from chronic pain or illness?

Noah Scalin is an artist, author, and activist. He founded the art and innovation consultancy Another Limited Rebellion in 2001 with the idea that he could make a living doing what he enjoyed and effect positive change in the world. Since then, Noah has traveled the world bringing his message of creative practice to everyone from incarcerated teenagers to Fortune 500 executives. A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of The Arts, Noah started his career as the Art Director for Troma Entertainment and Avirex Clothing. Noah's artwork is collected internationally and has been exhibited in numerous museums and galleries, including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Mütter Museum and NYC's Times Square. He is the author of six books — most recently Creative Sprint which he co-wrote with his sister/business partner Mica. Noah was the inaugural artist-in-residence at both Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Business and the Strome College of Business at Old Dominion University. His 2020 collaboration with Old Navy was one of the most viewed commercials of the year and in 2022 he won the Artfields Grand Prize.Social media:https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahscalin/https://www.instagram.com/noahscalin/Websites:https://www.anotherlimitedrebellion.com/https://noahscalinkeynote.com/https://www.noahscalin.com/ ***********Susanne Mueller / www.susannemueller.biz TEDX Talk, May 2022: Running and Life: 5KM Formula for YOUR Successhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT_5Er1cLvY 700+ weekly blogs / 500+ podcasts / 1 Ironman Triathlon / 5 half ironman races / 26 marathon races / 4 books / 1 Mt. Kilimanjaro / 1 TEDx Talk

A powerful real-time demonstration of how unresolved anger, hurt, and feeling left out can impact the mind-body healing process. In today's heartfelt episode, our beautiful volunteer shares her emotional struggle with pain, family conflict, and the ongoing hurt she has carried for years. As we explore these deeper layers, her pain levels actually rise and fall in real time — revealing just how profoundly our thoughts and feelings affect the body. This session is eye-opening and deeply moving, showing what becomes possible when we stop waiting for others to change and begin shifting our internal patterns instead. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER: How hurt, anger, and resentment can impact the mind-body connection  Why feeling left out can create emotional and physical spirals The integrity patterns that were fueling her pain Why real change must happen now — not "when they change"  The deeper emotional pattern driving this family conflict A vivid mind-body demonstration as her pain shifts during the session If you've ever felt unseen, hurt, or overwhelmed by your emotions, this episode can help expand your understanding of your body, your health, and your ability to transform from the inside out. Do you want to see proof of the power of the mind in a medical journal? Here's a demonstration of Brandy Gillmore working with volunteers under medical equipment, as featured in a medical journal.   Free Resources and Frequently Asked Questions & Resources Q: How can I heal myself from chronic pain or illness?

In this episode of Perfect Prey I'm joined by my friend and colleague Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a clinical psychologist, author, professor, and internationally recognized expert on narcissistic abuse. We dig into why coercive control feels like imprisonment without bars, how systems (including family court) retraumatize survivors, and what survivors can do to protect themselves and their children. What we coverWhy coercive control is often invisible — and why the myth of “free will” makes it so hard for institutions to understand emotional abuse.How victim-blaming and the DARVO pattern (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender) let abusers manipulate sympathy in court.The difference between milder narcissistic traits and the kind of malignant, coercive abuse that creates real danger and CPTSD-like responses.Practical, trauma-informed strategies for surviving family court: what to document, when to prioritize safety over “justice,” and how to protect your children while minimizing retraumatization.The “industrial divorce complex” — how systems and money can deepen harm, and what survivors can do strategically to preserve their safety and sense of self.Why listen If you're a survivor, a clinician, a legal professional, or someone trying to understand a loved one's experience, this conversation names the harms you may not see on the surface and gives clear, compassionate guidance for staying safe and getting validated. You'll hear clinical insight paired with real-world, tactical advice about custody, court behavior, and how to build a safety-first plan.Guest bio (short) Dr. Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, and media expert who writes and speaks widely about narcissism, personality disorders, and relationship dynamics. She maintains a clinical practice and educational network focused on helping people heal from narcissistic relationships. Connect with Dr. Ramani:Official site: https://doctor-ramani.com/drn/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DoctorRamaniTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doctorramaniIG: https://www.instagram.com/doctorramani/Podcast: Navigating Narcissism with Dr. RamaniBooks: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Ramani-Durvasula/author/B00C2C5U0O?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=trueConnect with Dr. Christine:Protective Parenting Program: https://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com/services/for-parents/Official site: https://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrCocchiola-coercivecontrol/videosTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.c_coercivecontrolIG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.cocchiola_coercivecontrol/TEDxTalks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp2qByKOue4&t=24sBooks: https://url-shortener.me/c/FramedBookhttps://url-shortener.me/c/EveryMomentOfEveryDayIf this episode landed for you: share it with someone who needs to hear it, subscribe for more trauma-informed conversations, and leave a rating — it helps more survivors find validation and safety.— Dr. Christine Cocchiola & guest Dr. Ramani Durvasula

In this episode, Nimesh is joined by his friend, leadership coach and facilitator Neerja Bhatia, for a powerful conversation on self doubt, perception, and conscious leadership.Neerja shares how her spiritual journey and corporate leadership path came together, revealing how easily our minds create stories that disconnect us from others. She and Nimesh explore what happens when we misread behaviour, how assumptions shape our reality, and why brave, clean questions can dissolve conflict instantly.They discuss the growing identity shifts leaders are facing, the impact of AI and post-COVID uncertainty, and why emotional intelligence is truly spiritual work in the workplace. Neerja also recently delivered a TEDx talk, which is linked further below.If you have ever told yourself it's all my fault or worried someone was judging you, this episode will help you pause, soften, and see what else might be possible.Key Themes✨ Self doubt, perception, and how the mind creates stories✨ Conscious leadership in times of rapid change✨ Emotional intelligence as spiritual work✨ The power of brave, honest questionsTakeaways

For episode 274, we are continuing a new series on the Metta Hour, centered on kids, in honor of Sharon's first children's book, Kind Karl, coming out on December 9th!Co-authored by Jason Gruhl, this illustrated picture book is for 4-8 year-olds and is a new children's adaptation of Sharon's beloved book Lovingkindness. To learn more about Sharon's forthcoming children's book, Kind Karl, and pre-order a copy with a special pre-order gift, you can visit Sharon's website, right here.For this podcast series, Sharon speaks with educators, caregivers, and researchers about the ways meditation, mindfulness, and lovingkindness can impact children of all ages and the family systems that support them. For the third episode of the series, Sharon speaks with Meena Srinivasan.Meena Srinivasan is an educational leader, speaker, author, and visionary edupreneur. With over two decades of dedicated service, she has consistently championing the fusion of Mindfulness and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). In 2022, she was featured as one of Mindful Magazine's "Ten Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement," while also gaining recognition in Educational Leadership Magazine for her insights into Mindful Leadership and Wellbeing. Her recent TEDx Talk on Tenderness is one of the most popular talks of 2024 with more than 2 million views. A dedicated practitioner for more than 25 years, Meena is a newly ordained lay Dharma teacher in the Plum Village tradition, in the lineage of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, who calls her a “precious ambassador of mindfulness.”In this conversation, Meena and Sharon speak about:Aligning inner life with outer workMeena's early spiritual foundation in Hindu cultureSocial and Emotional Learning (SEL)SEL practices for different ages & environmentsSmell the Flower and Blow Out the Candle meditationsSupporting kids in crisisThích Nhất Hạnh's School of InterbeingThe importance of parents'' and educators' well-beingCommunity practice as a necessity Transformative Educational Leadership Meena's research on tenderness with Yale Tenderness versus compassion, vulnerability & empathyThe Three Breath Hug MeditationThe Non-Toothache MeditationThe episode closes with Meena leading guided practice. You can learn more about Meena's work on her website, right here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the secret to building a vibrant culture isn't a big initiative—but one meaningful human connection at a time? In this episode, Nicole welcomes leadership speaker, author, and inclusion strategist Justin Jones-Fosu for a rich conversation on The Inclusive Mindset and the everyday practices that make diversity and belonging come alive in our organizations.Together, Nicole and Justin explore the difference between inclusive and exclusion mindsets, why embracing difference creates stronger cultures, and how curiosity, humility, and intentional connection can reshape how we lead.Justin shares powerful stories—from hugging styles to growth mindsets to dancing in Peru—that beautifully illustrate what inclusion can look like in the real world. You'll learn practical strategies like the Power of Three, 1 Meaningful Connection Per Week, and the Circles of Grace Challenge.Get ready for a vibrant, actionable, heart-expanding conversation that will inspire you to look at diversity, belonging, and everyday leadership through a fresh and hopeful lens.Vibrant Highlights:[00:03:26] – The Hug Metaphor for Approaching DiversityJustin explains why our “hug style” reveals how we engage with diversity—and why leaning in with openness creates more meaningful interactions.[00:17:41] – Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset in Inclusion WorkFrom skiing in Vail to falling off bikes, Justin and Nicole unpack how embracing failure and “not yet” thinking transforms our ability to connect across difference.[00:46:13] – The Peru Dance Circle: A Masterclass in BelongingJustin shares his story about Pantera, the dancer who welcomed him into a circle in Lima—illustrating what genuine invitation and inclusion look like in action.Connect with Justin:Justin's books, including The Inclusive MindsetJustin's website: https://workmeaningful.com/Also mentioned in this episode:Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck Listen at vibrantculture.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!Book Nicole to help your organization ignite clarity, accountability, and energy through her SHINE™ Coaching Methodology.Visit vibrantculture.comEmail: nicole@vibrantculture.comWatch Nicole's TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/SMbxA90bfXE

Ever wondered how to truly reconnect with your child when everything feels overwhelming? Parent coach Tina Feigal shares how her own turbulent childhood shaped her commitment to helping families heal. She reveals why emotional safety is the foundation for trust, how understanding the physiology behind challenging behaviours can shift a parent's whole perspective and why a sense of belonging transforms family dynamics. Through her moving story and grounded guidance, Tina offers clarity, comfort and practical steps for rebuilding relationships with compassion. If you're seeking a calmer, more connected and empowered approach to present moment parenting, follow Tina's advice to give kids a purpose.    KEY TAKEAWAY 'What I do is simply create the healing from behind the scenes, supporting the parents, showing them their incredible power to turn things around for their children, which they have not realised how much power they have.'   BOOK RECOMMENDATION* Present Moment Parenting: The Guide to a Peaceful Life with Your Intense Child by Tina Feigal - https://amzn.eu/d/au9iptx    ABOUT THE GUEST – TINA FEIGAL Tina Feigal, M.S., Ed. is the founder of Tina Feigal Coaching, LLC, and a parenting coach and trainer with 25 years of experience. She's the author of a Mom's Choice award-winning book: Present Moment Parenting: The Guide to a Peaceful Life with Your Intense Child. Tin has a TEDx Talk, is a podcast guest, lecturer and entrepreneur and has a parenting blog at howdoiparentthischild.com/blog   CONNECT WITH TINA https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinafeigal/      https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572458816245     https://www.instagram.com/tfeigal       https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqcxKDtE4D-bPXt61S4EnhQ    ABOUT THE HOST - AMY ROWLINSON Amy is a purpose and fulfilment coach, author, podcast strategist and mastermind host who empowers purpose-driven leaders to boost productivity, engagement and meaning in life and work. Through transformational conversations, Amy helps individuals overcome overwhelm and live with clarity, building living legacies along the way.   WORK WITH AMY If you're interested in how purpose can help you and your business, please book a free 30 min call via https://calendly.com/amyrowlinson/call    KEEP IN TOUCH WITH AMY Sign up for the weekly Friday Focus - https://www.amyrowlinson.com/subscribe-to-weekly-newsletter    CONNECT WITH AMY https://linktr.ee/AmyRowlinson    BUY AMY'S BOOK (Shortlisted in the 2025 Business Book Awards) * Focus on Why by Amy Rowlinson with George F. Kerr – https://amzn.eu/d/6W02HWu    HOSTED BY AMY ROWLINSON   DISCLAIMER The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. Please conduct your own due diligence.  *As an Amazon Associate, Amy earns from qualifying purchases.  

Have you ever wondered why self-love can feel so hard, even when you're genuinely trying? In today's IQ episode, Brandy reveals the deeper emotional patterns that quietly block your ability to feel good about yourself… and she shares a simple but powerful shift to help you cultivate real, lasting self-love from within. Tune in to discover: Why self-love feels difficult for so many people How self-criticism, insecurity, and judgment interrupt emotional healing The difference between self-love and self-sympathy (most people mix these up!) How "positive avoidance" keeps people stuck without realizing it A heartfelt shift to help you truly love who you are and who you're becoming This episode will help you feel clearer, more confident, and more connected to yourself so you can create a deeper, more loving relationship with you. Come join us! Do you want to see proof of the power of the mind in a medical journal? Here's a demonstration of Brandy Gillmore working with volunteers under medical equipment, as featured in a medical journal.   Free Resources and Frequently Asked Questions & Resources Q: How can I heal myself from chronic pain or illness?

Hearing loss is often seen as a normal part of aging, but research shows it can have profound effects on cognition, relationships, and overall quality of life. In this episode of The Aging Well Podcast, Dr. Jeff Armstrong speaks with Madison Levine, Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist and founder of Levine Hearing in Charlotte, NC.Madison shares insights from her TEDx Talk, "The Ear-Brain Connection", explaining how untreated hearing loss can accelerate cognitive decline and impact mental health. Listeners will learn practical strategies for protecting their hearing, optimizing brain health, and understanding why hearing care is a crucial component of aging well.Please, support The Aging Well Podcast by hitting the ‘like' button, subscribing/following the podcast, sharing with a friend, and….BUY the products you need to… age well from our trusted affiliates and support the mission of The Aging Well Podcast*.The Aging Well Podcast merchandise | Show how you are aging well | Use the promo code AGING WELL for free shipping on orders over $75 | https://theagingwellpodcast-shop.fourthwall.com/promo/AGINGWELLAuro Wellness | Glutaryl—Antioxidant spray that delivers high doses of glutathione (“Master Antioxidant”) | 10% off Code: AGINGWELL at https://aurowellness.com/agingwellpodcast Berkeley Life | Optimize nitric oxide levels | Purchase your starter kit at a 15% discount | Use the promo code: AGINGWELL15 | https://berkeleylife.pxf.io/c/6475525/3226696/31118Oxford Healthspan | Primeadine®, a plant-derived spermidine supplement | 10% off code: AGINGWELL | https://oxford-healthspan.myshopify.com/AgingWellJigsaw Health | Trusted supplements. “It's fun to feel good.” | Click the following link for 10% off: https://www.jigsawhealth.com/?rfsn=8710089.1dddcf3&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=8710089.1dddcf3Prolon | The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) is a revolutionary five-day nutrition program scientifically formulated to mimic the effects of a prolonged water fast while still allowing nourishment - supporting the benefits of fasting without the challenges and risks that come from water-only fasts. | For the best available discount always use this link: https://prolonlife.com/theagingwellpodcastL-Nutra Health | The medical division of L-Nutra, focused on helping people manage and potentially reverse chronic health conditions, like type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity, using personalized, lifestyle-based programs grounded in evidence, not prescriptions. | Use this link: https://l-nutrahealth.com/theagingwellpodcastThrive25—Your personal longevity advisor | https://www.thrive25.com/early-access?via=william-jeffreyFusionary Formulas | Combining Ayurvedic wisdom with Western science for optimal health support. | 15% off Code: AGINGWELL | https://fusionaryformulas.com?sca_ref=9678325.IHg5xYhdOzzke8ZrDr Lewis Nutrition | Fight neurodegeneration and cognitive decline with Daily Brain Care by Dr Lewis Nutrition—a proven daily formula designed to protect and restore brain function. | 10% off code: AGINGWELL or use the link: https://drlewisnutrition.com/AGINGWELLTruDiagnostic—Your source for epigenetic testing | 12% off Code: AGEWELL or use the link: https://shop.trudiagnostic.com/discount/AGEWELL*We receive commission on these purchases. Thank you.

What if everything you thought you knew about healing… was only half the story?In this powerful and raw conversation, I sit down with Frank Elaridi—a 4x Emmy-winning journalist who traded red carpets and breaking news for emotional clearings and energy healing. Frank has gone from covering world disasters and celebrity interviews to helping people release the unseen blocks that keep them stuck—mentally, emotionally, and even physically.If you've ever felt the nudge that there's more—more to your inner world, more to your purpose, or more to healing—this episode is the gentle (and spicy!) push you need.Whether you're a healer, curious about energy work, or still skeptical, this one's for you. What you'll get out of this episode… How Frank left journalism to follow his soul's callingThe biggest myths around healing (and what actually works)A breakdown of Frank's signature clearing techniqueThe link between emotional pain and physical illnessReal-life stories of transformation from his practiceHow YOU can awaken your own inner healer—todayConnect with Frank WEB / https://frankelaridi.com IG / https://www.instagram.com/felaridi YT / https://www.youtube.com/c/FrankElaridi  Book a 1-1 Session with Frank / https://frankelaridi.com/energy-healing  Join his course / https://www.awakenedhealers.com/join Watch Frank's TEDx Talk / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2GiQwDh7M4 Breathe better with JASPRAs a mama healing from mold toxicity, air quality has become deeply personal for me. JASPR removes 97.1% of mold in just 1 hour. Use code BRAVE for $400 OFF: jaspr.co/braveWant more?

✅ Humanizing healthcare is more than a trend—it's a necessity in a world dominated by AI, Google, and overwhelmed medical systems. In this episode, Dr. Amy Loden Tiffany, MD shares how she helps women reconnect with real care in an era of digital overload, physician burnout, and distrust in the system.Are you searching for a healthcare experience that prioritizes you, not the algorithm? Tired of being dismissed, misdiagnosed, or misunderstood—especially around postpartum health, midlife women's health, or your emotional wellness? You're not alone. Many women feel unheard by traditional medicine. Dr. Amy, a physician and TEDx speaker, explains how her concierge telemedicine clinic offers more than prescriptions—it offers clarity, connection, and transformation.If you've ever turned to Google or ChatGPT for answers, felt lost after a medical visit, or wondered why your symptoms are dismissed as “in your head,” this conversation will speak directly to you. Dr. Amy unpacks how she left a broken medical system to build one that works for women, how AI in medicine can be a tool (not a replacement), and why restoring trust in healthcare starts with listening.Whether you're a new mom, navigating menopause, or simply searching for a doctor who gets it, this episode gives you actionable insight into your care journey—and how to reclaim it.

My guest for Episode #329 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller, a TEDx speaker, empathy and leadership expert, and author of The Empathic Leader: How EQ via Empathy Transforms Leadership for Better Profit, Productivity, and Innovation. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Melissa shares the story of her “favorite mistake” — leaving her music and academic career after experiencing a toxic culture and institutional failure to protect her following an assault by a colleague. What began as heartbreak became the foundation for her life's work: helping leaders build empathy, trust, and psychologically safe workplaces. We discuss how empathy differs from sympathy and compassion, and why leaders often misunderstand empathy as weakness. Melissa explains why true empathy isn't about being nice—it's about being kind—and how self-empathy is the first step toward leading others effectively. Her framework for self-empathy includes observing, reflecting, building awareness, and practicing compassion toward oneself. That self-understanding helps leaders respond constructively when mistakes happen—creating cultures where learning and accountability can thrive. “Empathy isn't soft. It's kind.” “Empathy doesn't mean no boundaries—it means understanding through another's perspective.” Melissa also discusses findings from her doctoral research in interdisciplinary leadership at Creighton University and her viral TEDx Talk on self-empathy and self-judgment, which has drawn tens of thousands of views within days of release.

Cindy Van Eeckhout is the Creator of the Joy of Life Method, Business Strategist, Speaker and Podcast GuestWith a master's in business engineering, 8 years in corporate leadership, and over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience (including co-founding 4 thriving businesses in Provence), she brings both strategic insight and deeply human wisdom to her work.Today, as the Co-Founder and CEO of Alegria Coaching, she empowers high-achieving businesswomen work smarter, prioritize self-care, and create more Time, Freedom & Energy to do what they love—without sacrificing Success, Joy or Well-being.Her signature approach blends business strategy, mindset, and joy—because true leadership starts with how we lead ourselves.Website: https://alegriacoaching.euLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-van-eeckhout/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560597399934Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindy_alegriacoaching/ ***********Susanne Mueller / www.susannemueller.biz TEDX Talk, May 2022: Running and Life: 5KM Formula for YOUR Successhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT_5Er1cLvY 700+ weekly blogs / 500+ podcasts / 1 Ironman Triathlon / 5 half ironman races / 26 marathon races / 4 books / 1 Mt. Kilimanjaro / 1 TEDx Talk

Have you hoped a parent, spouse, or loved one would open their heart to mind-body healing? Or wondered what might happen if someone close to you began shifting their emotions the way you have? If so, this episode will touch you deeply. When her daughter was diagnosed with cancer — and then courageously began working on healing herself emotionally and energetically — something shifted for Heather. As she watched her daughter step into her strength, this loving mom felt inspired to support her in the most meaningful way she could. So for the first time, Heather opened her own mind to mind-body healing. What unfolds in this live session is both heartfelt and profound. As Heather begins shifting out of fear and guilt and into trust, belief, and emotional strength, her physical pain responds immediately — dropping from a level 5 to about a 1 in real time. This episode beautifully shows how healing can ripple through a family… and how one person's willingness to change can inspire the people they love. In this episode, you'll discover: How fear for a loved one's health can quietly impact your own body Why parents and caregivers often carry hidden guilt — and how to release it The difference between suppressing emotions and truly transforming them How believing in a loved one's healing can support their journey Simple mind-body tools to shift emotional patterns and reduce pain If you've ever wished your family could understand healing on a deeper level — or hoped a loved one would join you on the mind-body journey — this episode is a beautiful place to begin. Do you want to see proof of the power of the mind in a medical journal? Here's a demonstration of Brandy Gillmore working with volunteers under medical equipment, as featured in a medical journal.   Free Resources and Frequently Asked Questions & Resources Q: How can I heal myself from chronic pain or illness?

In this episode, Jeffrey—a renowned professional speaker, executive coach, and TedX speaker—shares his philosophy behind "Developing leaders at every level," the official motto of his company.We dive deep into how to unlock the hidden potential within yourself and your teams. Whether you are a seasoned CEO, a mid-level manager, or an aspiring team leader, this episode provides actionable strategies to elevate your influence and impact.We will explore: Transformational Leadership, focusing on understanding the difference between management and true, inspiring leadership. We'll discuss Self-Awareness for Leaders, explaining why emotional intelligence is the cornerstone of effective leadership. The episode covers Coaching for Success and how structured coaching can accelerate career growth and professional development. Jeffrey shares practical steps for Overcoming Limiting Beliefs to identify and shatter the barriers holding you back from your full potential. Finally, we look at Building High-Performance Teams and strategies for cultivating a culture of innovation and accountability within your organization.Website:www.Catalystleadershipdynamics.comLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrogerscoach/TedX Talk:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kl_p5cWdfQ------Find this episode on YouTube by searching for "Cory Cast"-----Don't forget to follow, rate, and subscribe!----Instagram: @Frothy_Lawson | Twitter: @FrothyLawson---Thank you to this episode's sponsors:Thur13en

Dandapani has lived a unique and purpose-driven life. He is a Hindu priest and entrepreneur who spent his first 10 years after university studying as a monk at a monastery in Hawaii. He concluded his study and took his well-honed knowledge of discipline, focus and energy management to help others harness their energy and build a life of purpose and joy. Dandapani has also delivered a TEDx Talk, “Unwavering Focus,” which has been viewed over six million times. In this classic episode, Dandapani joins host Robert Glazer on ⁠the Elevate Podcast⁠ to talk about his time as a monk, the value of practicing how to focus, the importance of building high quality relationships, and how you can take control of your consciousness to live a more purposeful life. Thank you to the sponsors of The Elevate Podcast Mizzen & Main: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mizzenandmain.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Promo Code: elevate20) Shopify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shopify.com/elevate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Indeed: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠indeed.com/elevate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Masterclass: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠masterclass.com/elevate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Northwest Registered Agent: ⁠⁠⁠⁠northwestregisteredagent.com/elevate⁠⁠ Homeserve: ⁠⁠homeserve.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ninety-four percent of people have experienced more than one friendship break-up.Let that sink in. Nearly EVERYONE listening has been through this heartbreak multiple times – and yet, we barely even talk about it as a society! This statistic comes from a survey conducted by today's guest, Meenadchi, a somatic healing practitioner, communications expert, author of Decolonization Non-Violent Communication, and TEDx Talk presenter about her own friendship break-up.This is a conversation about the losses we don't have scripts for and why that makes the healing so much harder. We share deeply about our own experiences, we talk about Meenadchi's research, and we dive into the grief of friendship break-ups.I hope this conversation gives you some of what I felt during this conversation – that you are not alone in this experience. The pain of friendship break-ups is real. Give yourself the space you need to grieve.In this episode you'll hear about:Meenadchi's upbringing in a Sri Lankan immigrant community, where friendships are highly valuedHer long-term friendship that ended at age 36 and her subsequent fascination with friendship breakupsThe vulnerability and intimacy shared in childhood friendships and the impact of losing such relationshipsThe concept of a "line in the sand" for setting boundaries and moving forward in relationships; when do boundaries work, and when can friendships be repaired?The importance of community interconnectedness in healing from friendship breakups (plus, healing strategies, from letter-writing to the internet)Resources & LinksVisit Meenadchi's website, see her TEDx Talk, and follow her on Instagram.In this episode I mentioned All About Love by Bell Hooks.Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok!Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out!

Thank you for listening to this episode of Bawk Tawk, Welcome to Chickenlandia's 100% Friendly Backyard Chickens Show! In this episode, I share tips for keeping avian influenza away from your backyard chickens. I also share my thoughts on how the virus is handled by health officials. Hope you love it!

In this episode, Savannah shares with Julie her growing fear and concern about the state of the American social and political fronts as it applies to multitudes of gender-expansive people, their families, and LGBTQ+ allies. When outspoken opponents call for institutionalization of people in the trans or gay communities as mentally ill, it takes fortitude and resilience to continue to show up in the world for oneself and on behalf of others in the shared struggle.-----SAVANNAH HAUK is the author of “Living with Crossdressing: Defining a New Normal” and “Living with Crossdressing: Discovering your True Identity“. While both focus on the male-to-female (mtf) crossdresser, “Defining a New Normal” delves into crossdressing and relationships and “Discovering Your True Identity” looks at the individual crossdressing journey. Her latest achievements are two TEDx Talks, one entitled "Demystifying the Crossdressing Experience" and the other "13 Milliseconds: First Impressions of Gender Expression". Savannah is a male-to-female dual-gender crossdresser who is visible in the Upstate of South Carolina, active in local groups and advocating as a public speaker at LGBTQ+ conferences and workshops across the United States. At the moment, Savannah is working on more books, blogs, and projects focused on letting every crossdresser–young and mature–find their own confidence, expression, identity and voice.IG @savannahhauk | FB @savannahhauk | FB @livingwithcrossdressing | web @livingwithcrossdressing.com------JULIE RUBENSTEIN is a dedicated ally to transgender community and the certified image consultant and co-owner of Fox and Hanger. F&H is a unique service for transgender women and male-to-female crossdressers that creates customized virtual fashion and style “lookbooks”. Julie intuitively connects with each client to find them appropriate clothes, makeup, hair, and shape wear all in alignment with their budget, body type, authentic style and unique personality. Julie also provides enfemme coaching and wardrobe support. Julie has made it her life's work to help MTF individuals feel safe and confident when it comes to their female persona, expression and identity.IG @Juliemtfstyle | FB @foxandhanger | web @FoxandHanger.com

What if the stories you tell yourself are the very thing shaping — or sabotaging — your leadership? In this powerful episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole sits down with Dr. Jaime Goff, psychologist, executive coach, and author of The Secure Leader. Together, they unpack the hidden forces that shape how leaders think, feel, and behave — stories formed early in life that quietly influence everything from delegation to decision-making.Dr. Goff explains why humans rely so heavily on story to make sense of the world, how neural pathways become entrenched through repetition, and why the good news of neuroplasticity means every leader can rewrite their narrative. Nicole and Jaime explore secure vs. insecure attachment styles, the roots of perfectionism and approval-seeking, emotional regulation, personal triggers, ambiguity, connection in leadership, and what it truly takes to become a secure, resilient, and authentic leader.If you've ever wondered why you lead the way you lead — or how to elevate your leadership story — this conversation is your roadmap.Vibrant Highlights:[00:01:51–00:03:24] Why Story Shapes Leadership. Dr. Goff explains how humans interpret the world through internal stories and neural pathways — and how those stories can become invisible scripts driving leadership behavior.[00:15:11–00:17:42] The Two Questions That Define Your Leadership Story. Am I worthy? Are others trustworthy? These two unconscious beliefs shape everything about how leaders show up — from delegation to receiving feedback.[00:35:00–00:39:19] How to Move from Reactive to Regulated. Using emotional awareness, triggers, naming feelings, and reflection techniques, leaders can create the space between stimulus and response where growth happens.Connect with Dr. Jaime:Website - https://drjaimegoff.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dr_jaimegoff/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjaimegoff/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@drjaimegoffGoodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235737746-the-secure-leaderAmazon - https://www.amazon.com/Secure-Leader-Discover-Leadership-Story/dp/B0FBZ39H8Y/Bookshop - https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-secure-leader-discover-the-hidden-forces-that-shape-your-leadership-story-and-how-to-change-them/f89704d58aefbc84 Also mentioned in this episode:Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl: https://a.co/d/8mgGTUxListen at vibrantculture.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!Book Nicole to help your organization ignite clarity, accountability, and energy through her SHINE™ Coaching MethodologyVisit vibrantculture.comEmail: nicole@vibrantculture.comWatch Nicole's TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/SMbxA90bfXE

191: What if the key to growth isn't working harder — but working together? In this inspiring long-form conversation, Working Out Loud founder John Stepper reveals how peer-to-peer development, shared learning, and authentic human connection can transform not only careers but entire organizational cultures. John shares the origin story of Working Out Loud (WOL), now used in more than 100 global organizations, and explains why meaningful relationships, psychological safety, and generosity are at the heart of effective personal development. We explore how WOL circles spark confidence, belonging, and purpose — and why people stay connected for years after the program ends. The episode dives deep into purposeful discovery, John's approach to finding direction through intention, openness, and small steps. You'll hear remarkable real-life stories, including how individuals leveraged WOL to change careers, publish books, start companies, and reimagine what's possible in their professional lives. John also shares exclusive insights into his upcoming projects — from a new CliftonStrengths-based peer program to the Good Men Collective, a decentralized, non-commercial initiative designed to support men's well-being, resilience, and healthy connection. With wisdom, warmth, and refreshing honesty, John opens up about work, family, meaning, and how connection can help us shape a better future for ourselves and our communities. Whether you're in HR, leadership, coaching, organizational development, or simply searching for more purpose, this episode is packed with practical insights that will inspire you to grow — and maybe even start your own circle. Top 5 Takeaways From This Episode: - Why small, consistent steps can open doors you didn't even know existed. - How authentic human connection can transform not just work — but your sense of possibility. - Why generosity and visibility often matter more than ambition for long-term growth. - What can happen when people begin to trust themselves — and each other — inside a safe, structured space. - How purpose emerges not from certainty, but from curiosity, courage, and community. About John Stepper: John Stepper designs peer-to-peer development methods that build skills and relationships, that strengthen self-efficacy while fostering feelings of belonging. The Working Out Loud programs produce deeper engagement and a sense of self-determination in individuals—and more connected, collaborative cultures across organizations. The original method, described in Working Out Loud (Now in German and Chinese as well as English) is used by HR Managers in 100+ organizations for tens of thousands of employees worldwide. There is now a family of WOL methods: for leadership and team development, for wellness and female empowerment, and for operational workers in manufacturing, retail, and healthcare. John lives with his family in New York City. LINKS

Most people believe finding your purpose is about discovering one big mission. But what if the real key is something far more simple — and far more empowering? In today's episode, Brandy uncovers how feeling unimportant quietly affects your health, relationships, confidence, and even your ability to heal… and she shares a beautiful, practical shift that helps you step into your power at any stage of life. Tune in to discover: The surprising mindset that makes people feel like their purpose "isn't big enough" Why feeling unimportant creates blocks in health, healing, and self-esteem How to tap into your importance right now — no matter what season of life you're in A simple shift that helps you feel more confident, connected, and fulfilled This conversation can help  you feel seen, inspired, and ready to reconnect with your true importance.   Do you want to see proof of the power of the mind in a medical journal? Here's a demonstration of Brandy Gillmore working with volunteers under medical equipment, as featured in a medical journal.   Free Resources and Frequently Asked Questions & Resources Q: How can I heal myself from chronic pain or illness?

In this week's episode, I reveal the untold story behind my TEDx Talk — how my message on pleasure, power, and body intelligence was denied, censored, and hidden from the world. From investing everything I had to standing firm in the face of rejection, this is the raw, unfiltered truth of what it means to stay devoted to your mission when the world tells you to tone it down.We talk about the politics of women's voices, the price of authenticity, and the audacity it takes to hold your power even when it shakes the system.This is my story about liberation, courage, and the revolution of refusing to self-abandon.In this episode:What really happened behind the scenes of the TEDx talkThe power of standing firm in your truth — even when it's uncomfortableHealing the wounds of censorship and shameHow to hold your visibility and not shrink your voiceWhy pleasure and authenticity are acts of rebellionResources & Ways to SupportWatch the talk on YouTube (hidden TED file) Connect with Josefina:Instagram:⁠ ⁠@Josefinabashout⁠⁠ Website:⁠⁠ josefinabashout.com

From aircraft maintenance officer to professional fitness champion to executive coach, Tanji Johnson Bridgeman '97 has exhibited leadership on many stages. SUMMARY In the premiere episode of Focus on Leadership, she joins host Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 to share how resilience, self-care and feedback transform challenges into growth — and why caring for yourself is key to leading with presence and impact.   SHARE THIS PODCAST LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK    TANJI'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS Lead with a Whole-Person Approach: Effective leadership requires nurturing mind, body, and spirit, not just focusing on one aspect. Reframe Failure as Feedback: View setbacks as events and learning opportunities, rather than personal flaws or endpoints. Consistency Over Perfection: Strive for regular, sustainable effort and give yourself grace rather than aiming for flawless execution. Self-Reflection Builds Authenticity: Regular reflection (e.g., journaling, meditation) helps clarify values and stay true to yourself as a leader. Executive Presence Matters: Project confidence through body language, eye contact, and purposeful communication to influence and inspire others. Take Inventory and Set Self-Care Rituals: Assess mental, physical, and emotional health, then develop small, habitual self-care practices to maintain energy and focus. Recognize and Address Burnout: Leaders must be attentive to signs of burnout in themselves and others, emphasizing rest, breaks, and boundaries. Normalize and Model Wellness in Leadership: Leaders should model healthy habits and make personal wellness a visible priority to support team well-being. Focus on Connection and Service: Shift focus away from self-doubt by being intentional about serving, connecting, and empowering others. Adapt and Accept Change: Growth requires adapting to new realities, accepting changes (including those related to age or circumstances), and updating strategies accordingly.   CHAPTERS 0:00:06 - Introduction to the podcast and guest Tanji Johnson Bridgeman. 0:01:07 - Tanji shares her journey from the Air Force Academy to wellness and leadership. 0:04:13 - Discussing wellness strategies and advice for cadets and young leaders. 0:12:10 - Recognizing burnout, setting boundaries, and maintaining consistency in habits. 0:17:39 - Reframing failure as feedback with examples from Tanji's career. 0:27:58 - Exploring the concept of executive presence and practical ways to develop it. 0:38:07 - The value of authenticity and self-reflection in leadership. 0:44:21 - Creating sustainable self-care rituals and adopting healthy habits. 1:00:54 - Emphasizing wellness in leadership and the importance of leading by example. 1:02:18 - Final reflections and a summary of key takeaways from the episode.   ABOUT TANJI BIO Tanji Johnson Bridgeman graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1997, where she distinguished herself by navigating the rigors of cadet life with both determination and initiative. As one of the first women to serve as Group Superintendent during Basic Cadet Training for the Class of 1999, she honed her leadership and public-speaking skills by addressing hundreds of incoming cadets nightly. Following her commissioning, she served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force — initially in the Academy's admissions office as a minority enrollment officer, then as an aircraft maintenance officer at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where she led over 200 personnel across six specialties supporting KC-135 air-refueling operations. After four years of service, Tanji pivoted to a second career in fitness and wellness, becoming an 11-time professional champion in the International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness (IFBB) and competing for 18 years in 54 pro contests. She later leveraged her competitive success and military-honed leadership into executive-presence and lifestyle-coaching, founding the “Empower Your Inner Champion” brand and offering keynote speaking, coaching, and wellness solutions.    CONNECT WITH TANJI LinkedIn Instagram: @OriginalTanjiJohnson   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org      ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT Guest, Tanji Johnson Bridgeman '97 | Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 If you love the Long Blue Leadership podcast, you'll want to discover Focus on Leadership, a Long Blue Leadership production of the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation. Here on Focus on Leadership, we move beyond the “why” and dive into the “how,” exploring the habits, mindsets and lessons that turn good leaders into great ones. In each episode, host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99, sits down with accomplished Air Force Academy graduates and other influential leaders to uncover their stories, their insights and real-world actions that drive excellence. Focus on Leadership: Offering impactful and actionable lessons for today's exceptional leaders. Without further ado, sit back and enjoy this premiere episode of Focus on Leadership. Naviere Walkewicz 0:58 Welcome to Focus on Leadership, where we take a close look at the practices that make strong leaders even stronger. I'm your host, Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. Today we're joined by Tanji Johnson Bridgeman, Class of '97, an Air Force Academy graduate whose journey has taken her from aircraft maintenance officer to professional fitness champion, American Gladiator known as “Stealth,” entrepreneur and executive coach. Tanji is here to teach us about leadership through the lens of health and wellness, how caring for yourself physically and mentally fuels your ability to establish presence and lead others with confidence. Tanji, welcome to Focus on Leadership. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 1:36 Thank you, Naviere. It is so good to be here. Naviere Walkewicz 1:40 Such an honor to see you. I mean, as a ‘99 graduate to have a ‘97 trainer here in the presence, I'm already feeling wonderful. And you know, it's been about 10 years since you've been at your academy. How are you feeling? You came back last evening. What are your thoughts? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 1:54 Wow, I was here nine years ago for my 20th reunion. I just feel so much gratitude. I mean, it's so surreal. Even last night, we went to work out. And you know, you're driving up the hill towards Vandenberg, and all these memories are coming back to me from the good times. But the biggest thing I'm feeling is pride, you know, pride and gratitude. Because, you know, we don't always reflect, but just being here, it forces you to reflect, like, this is where it all started. I mean, it really started with my upbringing, but the Air Force Academy, my experience here, laid the foundation for who I became, and I'm so grateful for that. Naviere Walkewicz 2:29 Well, let's go back to the fact that right off the bat, you got off the plane, you met me and we went to work out. So wellness, no joke, is right at the top of your foundation. So how did you get into this space? Let's kind of introduce that to our listeners, because I think it's important for them to really understand the depth of what wellness means. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 2:46 Well, the funny thing about it is I never would have imagined that I would be doing what I'm doing today, because I was a die-hard — I thought I'm going in the military, and I'm staying in for 20 years. So when I was here, you know, I was on the cadet Honor Guard and I cheered, and that's when I fell in love with lifting weights. So I got into competing, even as a lieutenant, and I just I fell in love, and I turned professional. And so there was these transitions where I had an opportunity to be a professional athlete, and I took it, right? And so I became a professional bodybuilder, fitness champion. And then next thing you know, I'm on NBC's American Gladiators. That was wild. And so I did that for a while, and then I became a trainer and a coach and a promoter and a judge, and did all the things bodybuilding. And then I retired in 2016, and that's around the time I met my husband, and so really that's when my real wellness journey began. Because prior to that, it was heavily around physical fitness, but wellness for me began when I transitioned and retired from competing. And really, I had to figure out what is my fitness life going to look like, because it's not going to be working out three times a day on a calorie-deficient diet. Naviere Walkewicz 3:57 Three times a day… Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 3:58 Right, none of that. I was like, I'm done. I'm done. But I really had to design the rest of my life and really figure out what that was going to look like. So I got into functional medicine, health coaching. I married a chiropractor, so we believe in holistic medicine, and that's where it started. Naviere Walkewicz 4:13 Excellent. And so this is not a traditional career path. So let's kind of go back to the cadet mindset. For example: How would you — knowing what you know now — maybe talk to yourself as a cadet, or actually, cadets that might be listening, of what they should be thinking about in this priority space of wellness, in leadership? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 4:30 Absolutely, I think that's a great question. The disadvantage for young leaders, whether they're cadets or lieutenants, is that they don't have the luxury of having a lot of life experience. And so building a foundation is important, and it takes mindfulness and just, “What should we be aware of?” So what I would want to impart on them is to adopt the philosophy of looking at wellness from a whole-person approach, because high performance is going to demand it. And so when I say whole person, wellness is multi-dimensional. So we want to look at the mindset, we want to look at the body and we want to look at the spirit, and being able to start from a place where you're going to go into all of those. Naviere Walkewicz 5:13 Well, as a cadet, there are so many hats they have to wear. No pun intended. They have to be on top of their game in the academic space. They have to be on top of the game in the military, and then also athletically. Can you talk about, or maybe share an example as a cadet, how you navigated that journey of wellness and what that looked like? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 5:32 Well, let's go back to — so I didn't get a chance to break down. So mind, body, spirit. Why is that important? Because in anything, any philosophies that we adopt, we have to really see where it's important. So when you think of what is an officer, what is a leader going to have to do with their mind, this is where they have to have clarity. It's going to help with focus, creativity to innovate new solutions. And so we need to be able to prioritize our mindset and our mental health. And then there's the body, right? So a lot of us are going to be going on deployments. We're going to work long hours. Our body is what's going to give us the fuel and energy and the stamina to get through a day. It's literally bringing our energy. And then you think about the spirit, and this one is really special, and it's probably the most neglected. So when you think about the spirit, this is where you're going to anchor in with your emotional health. What is your purpose? What is your “why?” You know, earlier today, I was having a great discussion with Gen. Marks, and he shared with me that one of his goals for the cadets is that when they graduate, you know, they're going to be committed to being leaders, but are they committed — like really committed — and bought in to knowing what their purpose is going to be? And I think that a big part of that is being able to explore their spirit in advance, so they can discover their identity and their strengths in advance and to be able to go off into the leadership and fully own it. And so an example that I would like to present: When I was coaching bodybuilders and female athletes, I remember I started a team. And now this is going to be a team of women that they have the common goal of competing. So they're trying to pursue physical excellence with how they transform their physiques. But what I did was I brought this team together, this sisterhood of women. So a couple of things that I wanted to see, I wanted sisterhood and support. I wanted them to have the commonality of the same goal, and I wanted them to be able to support each other, and I wanted to be able to support them by elevating their mindset. And so one of the things that I did that was really unique at the time, that a lot of other coaches and leaders weren't doing, — when somebody wanted to work with them, they just sign them up. But I would have a consultation. It was kind of more of an interview, because one of the questions I would ask is, “Naviere, why do you want to compete?” And then I'd give them examples, like, you know, “Is this a bucket list? Are you trying to improve your health? Is this for validation and attention? Is this because you're competitive? Because, if you're competitive, and you're telling me that you just started working out last year, maybe we need to wait a couple of years.” You see what I mean. So when you go back to the “why,” it keeps you in alignment to move forward, in alignment with your why, but a lot of people don't know what that is, and sometimes all it takes is asking the question. Naviere Walkewicz 8:17 So the question I'd love to ask you then, is going back to the cadet side, because I think talking to Gen. Marks and the purpose piece, you know, you actually, I think as a cadet, remember, you were on Honor Guard. You were also a cadet… I think you were the cheer captain of our cheerleading team. I feel that that is such a great testament to the fact that you have to figure out, you know, the purpose of, how do I do more and give more and still stay connected to my purpose of where you said in the beginning, “I was going to serve 20 years in the Air Force.” How do our cadets get that same level of interviewer coaching with someone without having that life experience yet? Like, what would you share with them now, from your learning experience? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 8:55 So when I think back to… OK, so when you look at wellness, and you think of mental wellness, physical wellness, emotional wellness, you know, I think what happens here at the Academy — and I remember starting this way — we prioritize physical fitness, right? I remember being in that fight-or-flight mode like, OK, if I can just show that I am, you know, prioritizing physical fitness, that strength is going to get me respect, and I could definitely feel the difference in how I was treated. The problem sometimes with prioritizing physical fitness… It's great because, you know, it can strengthen your mind. So if your body's feeling strong, your mindset is strong, but it becomes problematic when your body fails. So what happens when you fail? And I have plenty of stories and memories, my goodness, of being on Honor Guard, one that I remember distinctly is, you know, if you had me doing push-ups or pull-ups, oh, I was in a zone. I was impressing everybody. I was passing all the tests, but you put me in a formation where the short people are in the back, you throw a helmet, M1 Garand, and we have to go run 3 miles now, now I'm falling out and I'm getting exhausted. And you know, the body goes — the stress goes up, the blood sugar goes down. It's just physiology, right? And so what happens is, now mentally, my mind is becoming weak. So when the body fails, my mind is getting weak,   Naviere Walkewicz 10:13 And you've been training your body right? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 10:14 Right, right. And so I look back, and I just, I remember those days in Honor Guard where I would feel doubt, like, “Am I going to make it do? I deserve to be here? Am I good enough?” I would feel discouraged, right? And I would go back to my room and then something happened. So after about two weeks of suffering through this pain and this big challenge, I remember thinking, “Gosh, every time they beat me down physically, I feel so weak mentally. But I was in my room and I remember having anxiety for the next day, like, “Oh, I'm going out there again.” And for some reason that meme, you know, with the Asian guy that says, “But did you die?” Right? That's always in my head, and I remember saying that to myself, like, “It was hard. Today was hard, but did I die?” No. And actually, after two weeks, I'm like, “It's actually getting easier,” like, because I'm getting more fit, right? I'm able to do the push-ups. I'm running further. And I remember that was the mindset shift where I realized, “OK, now, tomorrow, when I go out to practice, I'm not going to be as afraid, because I've already decided that I can do hard things.” And so now, when I was enduring the practice, right, and the leadership of my Honor Guard cadre, I was prepared with that mental strength, right? And so that's what we need. We need to be able to train so that when our body fails, our mind prevails, right? Naviere Walkewicz 11:39 Love that — those three facets of wellness, and that's a really strong way to explain it. And so you gave a couple examples about when the body fails, so when we think about how we're wired, and I think many of us are this way, as cadets, as graduates, as those who really want to succeed in life, right? Thinking about resilience, how do we balance? Or maybe balance isn't the right word, but how do we make sure we're very mindful of that line between healthy discipline and then harmful overdrive. How do you navigate that? Maybe, what would you share with some of our listeners? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 12:11 Well, you were asking like, how do we recognize when it's happened? You know, the good news is, your body will leave clues. You will have emotional clues, you will have physical clues, you're going to have behavioral clues. Your body will leave clues. So the first thing is, I think that if we can be willing to evolve — you know, look at what culture are we in now, like you and I, we come from a culture where the philosophy was grit at any cost. Push, push, push, push, and drive, drive, drive. You know, I think about, as an athlete, you know, especially if you're motivated. You're thinking, when I was training my body, I remember thinking, “I want to get these results, and so I'm going to do what it takes. So every day I'm doing the lifting, I'm eating the food, and I'm going to train every day.” And I remember on that seventh day, you know, I had done all the things, I took the supplements, I got all the sleep, and I went in to train, and my body was exhausted. And it's because I was physically burning out, and my body needed the rest. And then it really transferred into how I would choreograph my training and so with routine. So I was a fitness competitor. I did these fitness, crazy fitness routines where I'm doing push-ups and squats and gymnastics and flying around, right? And it's two minutes long. So think of doing like a crazy CrossFit routine for two minutes straight without stopping, and smiling. And so I remember being strategic, right? And how I would lay out those practices athletically, where I would do a portion, 30 seconds — I would train 30 seconds at a time, and then the next day I would do the next 30 seconds, a week later I would go for about a minute. But the part I want you to know is, right before the competition, I would decrease that training load. I would actually do less, because the year that I trained full out, all the way up into the competition, I didn't do well on stage because my body was exhausted. So again, our body is going to leave us clues, and we have to be willing to evolve, to say that self-care — it's not selfish, but it's strategic. And so we need to pay attention to those signs, because we're going to have a choice to either pivot and be intentional and strategic with taking care of ourselves, or we're going to stay stuck in this old-school thinking that's not going to serve us. Naviere Walkewicz 14:38 So if it's not the body telling you — because we talk about how wellness is more than just physical — how do you recognize signs on the spiritual side, on your emotional side, that you might be in this harmful space of it's too much give, give, give, and not enough fill, fill, fill. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 14:55 I think that's a great question. So here's some telltale… So going back to physical, you know, like the examples I gave, you're going to feel exhausted, you're going to have muscle tension, you might even start to have stomach issues. Those are all great physical signs that you're reaching burnout. Now, when you think of mentally, if you notice emotionally and mentally, that you start getting irritable and you've become more impatient and you're having a harder time making decisions, those are also great clues that mentally, you're starting to get burnt out. And then when you think of behaviorally, you know, let's say you had a great morning routine, and now all of a sudden, you find yourself in this season where you've abandoned that, or you have deadlines that you're usually very protective, and you can get things done, but now you're starting to procrastinate, and you're thinking like, “Who am I right now? I'm procrastinating. I've abandoned my wellness routine. I'm not even… I don't even have a morning routine.” That's when you should really step back. And I think one of the practical tools that everyone can do is check in with themselves on a regular basis. So I'm being very transparent. I check in with myself daily. So let's say I do three back-to-back hours of Zoom calls: Maybe ones with an executive coaching clients. Maybe another one is a team Zoom, where I'm training a group of folks, and then another team meeting. After that three hours, I will stop, and I'll check in with myself, and I'll take a deep breath and say, “How am I feeling? Do I feel like getting right back on a call? No, my brain is fried right now.” And then I'll pivot and I'll go take a 10-minute walk around break. And that's just one of my strategies. Naviere Walkewicz 16:30 So it does… A check in doesn't have to be this grand “I take time off and I spend a week.” It literally could just be a few minutes of [breathes deeply] and check in with yourself, because I think sometimes time is a challenge as well, right? We talk about, how do we prioritize all these things and we're within this 24-hour period. How do we make sure that the time piece is something that we can also utilize to take care of ourselves, and so when you said it doesn't have to take a lot of time to check in. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 16:58 And think about it. So we just talked about how to check in with yourself daily. What about like in your career? You know, I was helping physique athletes with poise mastery, basically teaching posing to athletes for over 15 years, and towards the end of that career, what I started to notice when I would mentally check in with myself, is I would notice that as I was driving to the office to go work with another client, I just did not feel as energized. I didn't feel as passionate. My motivation was going down, and this was a sign for me that I was getting burnt out from this specific way of serving, and it was my first clue that it was time to pivot and to look at something else. Naviere Walkewicz 17:38 That's really interesting, because when you think about when you're making big decisions, whether in career, whether in leadership or just, you know… The fact that you have these signs help you make those decisions, but I also wonder if it helps you at times think about part of the growth is maybe not totally pivoting, but it's recognizing that I'm supposed to go through this period of hardship. So what I'm kind of alluding to right now, is failure, right? So failure, as we go through some of our experiences are inevitable, right? How do we make sure we're using failure in a way to grow, as opposed to the easy button of, well, I failed, so I'm pivoting. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 18:18 OK, so that would be like a reaction. You're reacting to what happened, and you think what you need to do is flee from it. So you have to be able to discern, “Am I pivoting because I'm afraid, or because I feel like I'm not good enough, or because my purpose and my spirit is telling me that my work is done here, and I'm looking for innovation.” I'm looking for something new. I'm looking to impact new people. So going back to failure — like public speaking, it's one of the top two fears, right?   Naviere Walkewicz 18:52 What's the other? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 18:53 Oh, public speaking, flying, swimming [laughs]. No, I'm just kidding. Only if you grow up like me. But going back to failure, I think that people fear failure a lot because they make the mistake of connecting it to their identity instead of realizing failure is an event. It's not your identity. And so how many times do we do something, and maybe it's a competition, or it's an event or an application, and you fail. You don't get the desired result. It's an event. So what we need to do is reframe failure as feedback. That's it. So I have a great example. When I think about a great example of someone who was able to show in person, in reality, that when they failed, it did not disrupt their identity at all. So I don't know if there's any boxing fans out there, Naviere Walkewicz 19:46 Oh, we have some, I'm sure. Yeah. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 19:47 The Canelo and Crawford fight, it was a couple weeks ago. Did you see that? Naviere Walkewicz 19:50 I didn't, but I did hear about this. Actually, honestly, I fell asleep. I planned to watch it. My husband watched it, but I fell asleep. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 19:57 Oh, they went all the rounds, right? It was a great fight. Really, really great. You saw two physical specimens, you know, at the top of their game. They were both undefeated. I believe Canelo was favored to win, but he didn't. He lost the belt, right? And so Crawford wins. And so I'm always very intrigued with how people respond to failure when it's public, right? And so Crawford got to make his speech, and then when Canelo made his speech, you know, one of the first things they ask is, “OK, so you didn't get the result you were hoping for. You didn't win this bout. How are you feeling?” And he gave an answer that I totally didn't expect. He said, “I feel great.”   Naviere Walkewicz 20:39 Just like that?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 20:40 Yes. He was like, “I feel great.” He was like, “It was a great fight,” you know. He affirmed Crawford, you know, edified him. Talked about how great he was, you know, but he maintained his identity, and you could feel that in his spirit. He said, “I feel great. I came out here. I did a great job. I did what I was supposed to do. Obviously, there's room for feedback, to learn. You know, I didn't get the result I wanted. So whether it was endurance or I wasn't strategic enough, or I didn't prioritize my offense, there's feedback there.” He's going to learn from that. But he basically had such a great attitude. And he ended it by saying, you know, “I feel great and it was great time.” And I remember thinking like, “Wow, now there's an example of someone who did not own the failure and make it a part of his identity. It was just an event.” And his legacy will still be restored, right? And to be honest with you, it made me think about my own career. Naviere Walkewicz 21:31 Yes, so did you, have you experienced anything like that in your career? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 21:34 Have I experienced failure? Over and over again. Naviere Walkewicz 21:39 And how did you respond in your, you know, the wellness side of it, when you think about, you know, what you're trying to do, your purpose. How did you use that? Did you use it as feedback? Or what did that look like for you. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 21:50 So let's say in sports, if you don't win, then that event is deemed as a failure, right? And so if you think about it, I did 54, I've done 54 professional bodybuilding, fitness competitions.   Naviere Walkewicz 22:04 Wow. OK, what year did you start, just so we can get some perspective?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 22:06 I started in 2001 and retired in 2016, so about 17 years. And I won 11 of them. So that means out of, and that's a lot, actually. So out of that many, that means I lost all the others. And there's one particular competition that will always be dear to my heart, and it was the Arnold Classic. Yes, the Arnold Schwarzenegger. You know, he has this gigantic competition every year. And midway through my career, I started I got in the top five. So I would get fourth, and then the next year I'd get third, and then I'd go down to fourth, and then I'd get second, right? I think I got second maybe four years in a row. So basically, in my 10th year of competing, I finally won the darn thing. So Arnold comes from across the stage, and I'm already crying, and, you know, with his accent, “Why are you so emotional?” And there's a picture of me taking the microphone from him because I had something to say, and in that moment, because it was a special moment, I realized, yes, all of these years of failure, every time I competed, I missed the mark. I missed the mark. I missed the mark. But what did I do? I took that feedback and I went back and said, “What do I need to do differently? What does this mean? How can I improve my physique? How did I need better stamina in my routine?” And every year, I was coming back better and better and better. But guess what? So were the other athletes, right? And so when I won in that 10th year, I actually would not have had it any other way, because I don't think it would have meant as much to me. Because what was happening, I may have won the Arnold Classic on that day, but I was becoming a champion throughout that whole 10-year process. You see what I did there. So it's not your identity, it's an event. So if you look at it and reframe it as feedback, then you can leverage that and use it as an opportunity to win. Naviere Walkewicz 24:00 So failure, and we're going to say synonym: feedback. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 24:03 Exactly. Naviere Walkewicz 24:04 I like that. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 24:05 I mean, and I'll give you another example. So you know, I did my first TEDx Talk last year, and I was a part of this coaching group. And here's the thing: As leaders, we get to create and build culture. And I think it's very important for leaders to create a culture where they normalize failure and they teach their teams that it's meant to be for feedback. So encourage courage, and then help them leverage the failure or the mistake as lessons learned so that they can grow and move forward. So I'm in this coaching group, and they told us, “We're going to have you send out probably an average of 80 applications. Now we're going to guide you and tell you what to do, but every application is different, because the event promoters are different. So we can't tell you exactly what they all want, but you're going to find out when you apply.” So I remember applying, I think, to UCLA Berkeley or something, and I applied to do a TEDx Talk, and midway through my application, they asked me, what was my scientific evidence and proof of my theory and my great idea? And I didn't have one at the time. And I remember thinking, “I'm going to go ahead and finish this application, but yay, I just got some feedback that I need to include scientific data in my pitch and in presenting my idea.” And it was shortly after, I think I did five more applications and I got selected. And so now I have been so trained to see failure as an opportunity to grow and excel, that when I am afraid of something, I reframe it immediately, and then I actually look forward to it, like, “Oh my gosh, I can't wait to get out there and do this thing, because I'm going to get this feedback, and that's going to make me better.” Naviere Walkewicz 25:39 Well, I think that's really wonderful in the way that you frame that. Because, you know, in the military, and I was actually just at a conference recently, and they were talking about how failure should be a part of training. Failure is actually the most important part of the training, because when it comes time to actual execution, operationally, that's when we can't fail, right? So, like, you want that feedback through all the training iterations, and so, you know, the way you just, you know, laid that out for us, it was in a sense that, you know, you had this framework, “I'm getting feedback, I'm training, I'm training, I'm training.” And then, you know, of course, when you took the champion spot… Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 26:10 And I love… I think back to when I physically learned to appreciate failure was through weight training. And I know you've done it too, because can you go back and remember the first time you know, as a bodybuilder, when you lift weights, you're trying to grow your muscle, and to grow the muscle, the muscle fibers have to tear, and so there has to be a certain level of intensity and hardship in doing that. So if you're one of those people that you go to the gym and you're doing, you know, 15 easy reps, four sets, you never break a sweat, you're toning and you're getting some movement in, but you're not tearing your muscle fibers, and that's probably why they're not growing. So when I worked with the trainer and we were doing overhead military presses, and I physically felt like I was done at about 12 reps, but he was spotting me, so he just kept force repping me through six to eight more. I mean, until my arms were done, and I put my arms down, and they started to float up in the air. And he looks at me, because I'm looking at him, like, “Dude, what are you doing?” I'm like, “Wow, are you trying to hurt me?” And he just said, “No, but I do need you to learn that you're going to have to fail in order to grow and win.” And I was like… So then after that, we're going in the gym, like, “All right, Naviere, we're going to hit failure today. Oh yeah, we're going to learn how to fail.” “Did you fail at the gym last night?” “Yes, I did.” So in the bodybuilding community, it's celebrated. You know, it's a concept where that's we're trying to work through failure because we know it's on the other side. Naviere Walkewicz 27:34 Yes. Oh, I love that. That's fantastic. Well, and then you said you retired in 2016, so that was probably quite a transition in the fact where you had to… You probably have been doing all the wellness check-ins. “Where am I at? What am I thinking?” How did you make that transition into the executive presence space? Because it doesn't seem like it's a direct correlation from someone's body building to executive presence. Or maybe it is. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 27:58 So, in in body building, I developed a niche. So I started off as a trainer, and then very quickly, probably because of some of my Honor Guard background, I mean, we did precision drill, and I just realized that I can… I learned things really easily, and then I can teach it. I can see something and break it down in detail and teach it. And so I got really good at doing that for the athletes proposing to where I was able to build a whole career and get paid really well through poise mastery. Now what I think? You know when I think back to all the things we had to do as a cadet, from standing at attention, keeping your chest up, you know, your chin in projecting we were all we were already starting to work on our executive presence, but we just didn't know realize it, right? And so in the real world outside of the military, where people are not building habits of standing up straight on a regular basis, they don't. I go into board rooms. I go to events where I see people get on stage. They're looking down, they're fidgeting, they're not making eye contact, they're speaking too softly. And so executive presence is the ability to project confidence in how you show up and the way that you communicate and how you get people to experience you, because, unfortunately, we live in a society where perception shapes opportunity. So as a leader, if you're not commanding that authority right off the bat, you may you may be missing the mark on being able to influence, and that's what leadership is. And so I was basically elevating all of these athletes to just present the best version of themselves, and in leadership, that's what we want, too. We all have strengths, we all have learned skills. We all have something to offer. But if we're not projecting and presenting our inner power externally, a lot of times we miss that mark, and I want to connect the dots. And that's kind of what hit me when I thought about moving into the executive space, is, you know, I can… sure I can teach you how to stand in front of a red carpet and some power poses, but it goes beyond that. It's how we communicate. It's our body language. And so there's, there's a lot of skills that can be learned. Naviere Walkewicz 30:09 Well, let's start with maybe just sharing a couple. How can our leaders, our listeners start to display a stronger executive presence every day? What's the first couple things you might have them start thinking about? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 30:22 OK, so physically, I would start like, let's say with body language is eye contact. So my concern with this, the generation that we have now is they're dealing with a disadvantage that we didn't have to deal with. You know, when we were in school together 20 years ago, we were connecting all the time. It wasn't even a challenge. We were always together in person, building relationships, connecting, communicating. And now we're in a digital world where our attention is, is we're fighting for it, right? And so a lot of times I will watch people, and I realize whether they're going out to dinner and they are not maintaining eye contact because they're distracted, and they really haven't been, they haven't been trained to really be present. So for example, when you're speaking with someone and you're making eye contact with them. They feel seen,, you know? And so that's, that's one of the strongest ones. OK, Naviere Walkewicz 31:16 OK. I like that a lot. That's perfect. So as they're starting to think about the first thing is being present and making eye contact, from a — that's a physical standpoint. Maybe what, from a mental or emotional standpoint should be they be doing from a starting point for executive presence? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 31:33 OK, so being intentional. So when you think about your leader, and let's say you're going to speak in front of the Cadet Wing, or you're going to start managing a team, or you're going to a networking event as an executive, and you're trying to pick up a few sponsors. Before you even go to the event, you can be intentional about who am I meeting with, what is my goal and how do I want them to feel. So when you think about networking, a lot of times, there's people, I have a client. You know, she hired me because she has a little bit of social anxiety. She's younger, and so she's on a board where everybody's older than her. So there's a little bit of that mental insecurity of, you know, “Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes? Are these people going to respect me,” right? And so she's coming into the situation already insecure, and she's thinking about herself. “How am I going to be perceived?” instead of going there, focused on connection, right? So if she was to go there and say, “This is who's going to be there. This is how I want to make them feel. So I'm actually going to be very intentional about asking questions that's going to connect with them, that's going to make them feel a certain way. If I want this audience to feel respected, what do I what do I ask them, and what do I say? What do I highlight? If I want them to feel accepted and warm. What can I say?” And so it just gives you more power to show up, be present and be intentional, and you'll feel more confident, because now you've taken the focus away from yourself to how you're going to serve others. Naviere Walkewicz 33:02 That is excellent, and that leads us into a bit of the mental piece of it, right, the mindset. So earlier, you talked about how you had a mindset shift when you were getting beat down in Honor Guard, you know, you're in the back, you know, because of the vertical challenge, and you're running, you know, and you're hanging in there, and you got better. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 33:19 Well, it makes me think about when I was auditioning for American Gladiators. And again, I'm going to go back to this executive presence and where I use my mental training to serve me, so when I was auditioning, so if you guys don't remember, the old show was, there was no water, right? It was just everything was over big, you know, pillows and just a flat area, OK? So when I went in there to audition, I remember there was for the sake of diversity, there was like, two of everything. There was two Black women there, there was two redheads, two blondes. And I remember looking around thinking, “OK, both of us are not getting this job.” And so the very last part of the audition, after many rounds, is you had to go in front of the executive committee, and you had a one-minute pitch. You could say whatever you want, but they're all sitting there with their arms crossed, and you just get to go in there. And I remember thinking, “OK, I am shorter than her, but I'm more muscular. And, you know, she's been on tons of fitness magazines. She's, you know, super beautiful, more popular. I want to go in there, and I want to be intentional about showing them that what I'm going to present is the right fit for the show.” And so I walked in there and I called the room to attention. I used my Honor Guard diaphragm, and I called the room to attention. And then I went in and I started telling them about how during basic training, I was like one of the pugil stick champions. And they thought that was great, because we had an event for that, right? And so, you know, going back to that mental training, you know, part of it is just that intention of being prepared, you know, what is it that you want to achieve? What are you going to do? And then you strategize and have a game plan for how you're going to go in there. Now, another example: So once I got… I got the job, yay, right? And then we go to Sony studios, and I look at the set, and I realized that half of the set is over water. So half of the events, the joust, Hang Tough, the rock climbing, it's all over water. And you guys remember when I talked about a little bit not, not being a big swimmer. And so this was fascinating to me, but I didn't want anyone to know, because I didn't want to lose my job, right? And so here's where I tapped into my mental and mindset training. So as an athlete, I did this a lot: To preserve my physical body, because of all the gymnastics and routines, I didn't overtrain, because there's damage when you over train. But I would visualize myself going through my movements, and I would picture myself being successful, so I didn't visualize myself messing up or anything like that. And there was, there would be repetition after repetition after repetition. And so what I did to face that fear of having to do events that were going to land me in the water is I had to use logic, you know, so I literally would say, “OK, if I end up being in the joust and I get hit, I'm going to fall in the water. And this is how far away the edge of the pool is. I'm going to take a deep breath. I'm going to I know how to do the stroke, so I'm going to get over there.” But I had to visualize myself falling and then I use logic to just keep myself calm. So I visualize myself hitting the water and being calm, because I would prepare myself to be calm. If I wasn't, I probably would have panicked and drowned. And so I think back to that, and I never told anybody, but I was ready, and I was not afraid, because I had already went through the mental training to prepare myself to do something that I was uncomfortable doing. Naviere Walkewicz 36:50 And so did you fall into the water, and did it play out the way that you had mentally prepared it for? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 36:56 So here's what's crazy. I'm probably not even supposed to talk about this, but the way they film some of these shows, they're not in sequence. So imagine that I'm filming a water event from Episode 1, 3 and 8. OK, well, for me, like, my third day there, I actually tore my ACL falling off the pyramid. And so, you know, those viewers at home didn't know that. So actually the answer is no, I actually didn't even get put into a water event because I got injured beforehand. But I was ready mentally. Regardless, I was actually disappointed, because I was ready to see that courage come to the surface. Naviere Walkewicz 37:32 Oh my goodness! These are all such wonderful examples of how you have really almost embodied wellness throughout your decisions as a leader throughout your career. I'm really curious, as you think about how you've been true to yourself in this journey, because there's an authenticity to you that only Tanji could bring. And so I'm wondering, how do you know who is your authentic self as a leader, and how have you continued to really show up for yourself in that way? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 38:07 I think this is very important. And you know, my heart goes out to the young leaders, because, again, like I was saying earlier, they haven't had the experience yet. And I even remember when my sister, my younger sister, she was struggling to figure out what she wanted to do for a living, and she was a college graduate, and she still didn't know. And a lot of it is because when you don't have that personal life experience, you know — experience is a teacher. It tells you, it leaves clues. So when you don't have that, you kind of feel like you're just shooting from the hip trying to figure it out. And so what I think is important is to start the art of self-reflection early. I will never forget I was on a TDY during the Kosovo crisis. I was at RF Mildenhall, and I was a maintainer, and I remember having, you know, a lot, I think, over 200 troops over there, but it was kind of a lonely season for me, because all my peers were pilots, and they were all flying, and, you know, I didn't have anyone to hang out with, and I wasn't home, you know, I was, I was TDY. So I remember just spending my time. I would go to the gym, and then I would go for walks, and I did a lot of journaling. And I don't know why I had the foresight been but I would, you know, ask myself questions like, “Who am I? What matters to me? What values are important to me?” And the process of doing that really helped me solidify my identity. And so, for example, I knew that I thought self-love was really important to me. It was a value that I care about. So when I see people that are self-deprecating, they're talking poorly about themselves. They don't believe in themselves. This hurts my soul. It's a part of who I am, right? And so I've always believed in self-acceptance, you know. For me, as a Christian, you know, I want to celebrate how God made me and have that level of self-love. So when I was a cheerleader at the Air Force Academy, I remember I didn't have self-esteem issues with my body image. Nothing about it, right? And then I go off an become a professional fitness competitor — now I'm competing. And in that industry, breast implants were very prevalent and they were starting to get really popular. And it made me really insecure. So if you think about it, I did not change, but my environment changed. So as leaders, how often are we going to be in situations where your environment is constantly changing and maybe you feel that pressure to conform? And so in my environment, most of the women around me, as a means to an end, were getting breast implants to change how their body looked, to look more feminine, to be more accepted. And there's nothing wrong if that's what you want to do, but I remember feeling like, “Now I'm insecure about my body. Now I don't feel as pretty. Now I don't feel as feminine.” And I remember that being problematic because it wasn't in alignment with my identity. And so, again, knowing what my values are, I thought, “Well, I could go get the operation like a lot of people do. But this is problematic because I don't want to lead a life — and how am I going to go back and coach other women and lead a team if now what I'm saying is whatever is true to who you are and your identity, it's OK to abandon that.” And so, for me, that's why I chose not to have that surgery. And I started this journey — it took about two years — of being able to redefine beauty, redefine femininity. And this is kind of where all the different tools came in. So I started looking in the mirror and I would do positive — because it's self-taught. Instead of looking at my chest and saying, “You're flat and it looks masculine and you're not feminine enough,” I would say, “Girl, do you know what this chest cand do? We can do crazy push-ups.”  And I would say, “Wow, you're strong.” And over time, I changed how I felt about myself. And it was a very proud moment for me, because I look back, and that's why identity is so important. You need to take the time to reflect on who you are, what do you stand for, so that when those moments of pressure come, you're going to be able to make a decision to stay in alignment with who you are. Naviere Walkewicz 42:15 So you said — and maybe it's by grace — that you hadn't really planned. You just started journaling in those moments of quiet when you're feeling a little bit alone as TDY. Is that the best way, you think, to spend some time figuring out who you are? What's important to you? Or are there other tools you might suggest? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 42:33 There's going to be multiple tools. You know, for me, I like to write. You know, for some people, they will pray and they will just ask a higher being to guide me and to make me more aware, make things known to me. For other people, they're going to meditate. You know, I liked journaling. I also have the strength of curiosity. And so, because of that, I was always not only asking myself a lot of questions, but I was asking other people too. And so, for example, if people don't have that strength of curiosity and they're thinking, “I really don't reflect very much and I'm never asking myself those questions,” you know, you don't necessarily have to journal it, but you can just take time to spend in reflection. But some of the work that I do, I take people through identity activation drills where I will list several, several different lists of values, different lists of strengths, and they'll think about each one and they'll really start to think about, “Let me think of a time where I experienced one of these strengths.” Or, “What's the last thing somebody celebrated?” Or, “What do people tend to tell me or complement?” And then all of a sudden they realize,” I didn't realize this was a strength, but, wow, this is a strength!” And now they can own it because they're aware of it.  Naviere Walkewicz 43:48 That is outstanding. So, you've really taken wellness into practice with everything you've done. You started to elevate others around you to have this ability to discover themselves and then have this executive presence. You know, if all the things you are doing, it takes energy. How are you… Because I know you talked about not overtraining and making sure you preserve that and doing mental reps. Is that really the special sauce? The mental training so that you don't find yourself in a period where you just lack energy and burnout?    Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 44:22 So basically, how do you sustain energy when it comes to wellness? So again, you go back to mind, body and spirit. So what I would do is I would — and this is for each person… You just break it down. You ask yourself, “OK, mind. How am I going to keep energy in my mind? What can I do?”  One of the easiest things to do is to just take a short break. So when I gave you the example of how my mind was working at full capacity for three hours straight. So when I was done, it needed a bit of a reset. And so what I do every day when I'm at home is I go outside and I visit with my chickens. So I have chickens and I have four cats. And so I will take a mental break and it's a habit for me now. I get up from the table and I will walk, because it decreases your stress hormones when you have movement, and I will give my mind a break and I will allow myself to observe. That's my favorite thing: I call it mindful walks where I just go outside and I will just take a moment. You know when they say, “Just stop and smell the roses.” No, seriously.   Naviere Walkewicz 45:28 Or the chickens…   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 45:29 So the chickens make me smile because when I come out there I typically have treats. But they just come… They bumrush me.  So I go out there and they make me smile and then something wonderous will happen, like I might see my cat just sprinting up a tree and I'm just thinking, “Wow, what a hunter,” right? They're so fast. Then, you know, I see my dahlias that have been sprouting and I just can't believe how fast they grow overnight with sunshine. And that's just 10 minutes. And then I come back in and I instantly feel recharged and I sit down and I'm restored and ready to focus again on the next task. So, mentally, I like taking breaks. When it comes to physically, just getting into movement. And, you know, a lot of times people will think, “Well, I don't have time to go to the gym for an hour.”      Naviere Walkewicz 46:16 Or, “I'm tired already. How am I supposed to go workout?”   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 46:17 Exactly. So when I think about the body, you know, there's four pillars that you can focus on. And if you feel like you're not mastering any of them, just start with one. So food is one. Food is fuel. And then we have hydration. You know, my husband's mom actually went to the hospital because she works all the time and she had been out in the sun and we discovered that she was dehydrated and it put her in the hospital. So sometimes when we're going after the mission and we're doing one task after — you know, when people forget to drink water and eight hours later you're dealing with brain fog, you're irritable, you don't understand what's happening. But you didn't fuel the body. So hydration, movement, food and sleep. So those are like the four pillars. And I would just ask yourself — so if I'm working with a health coaching client, I would say, “Out of those four areas, where do you want to start?” They'll say, “Sleep. My sleep health is terrible.” And then I can take it step further and say, “Have you heard of a thing called sleep hygiene?” They're like, “What's that?” “Sleep hygiene is literally, what is your sleep ritual? What are your habits to prepare for bedtime? Do you have a consistent bedtime? Do you decrease blue-light therapy? Do you put the phone away? Do you take a bubble bath to relax?” When you think about your environment and what your habits are, when some people tell you, “I do not feel rested,” we look at your sleep hygiene. What's going on? There's things that we can fix, and that's just with sleep. And so I ask people, “Where would you like to start? And you just pick one habit that you can commit to over time and once you've mastered that, you start to habit-stack.” Naviere Walkewicz 47:57 Amazing. So that was — you talked about, from the energy, when it comes to your physical and then your mental. What about from the spiritual side?    Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 48:07 OK, so, this is — and I think this is important because, again, I talk about the spirit is the anchor for your emotional health, right? And so you want to think about activities that's going to feed your soul and your spirit. Now I'll give an example. If you're going through, let's say, a season where you're irritable and you're feeling ungrateful and you're pessimistic and everything just seems bad. We're actually kind of in a season like that right now sometimes. One of the things I do — so this is just an exercise, but it's a gratitude process. Write down 100 things you are grateful for. I did this for three months straight. It took me about 20 minutes, but I got really good at it. And when you have to list out 100 things, you know, at first you might do 20 and you're like, “All right. Where do I go from here?” But you're forced to dig deeper. And when I came up with my 100 list, first of all, I would think about my husband. And 10 things, I would get specific. Grateful for his provision. Grateful for support, for his sense of humor, for his hot, fit body. You know, I'd just go down all the things, right? And then every day I'm grateful for my home, for my physical abilities, for my flexibility, my mobility. You're just in a different frame of mind. And anyone can get there if they choose to do an exercise or a prompt that shifts them from their current circumstance. And that's why I'm most passionate about empowering people that they truly can design their life utilizing these tools. Naviere Walkewicz 49:47 Can you share an example when you've seen someone that was maybe in that season…   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 49:53 What kind of season? Negative season?   Naviere Walkewicz 49:54 In the negative season. And how going through some of these, kind of, wellness check-ins or activities — what did it allow them to do? What did it open on the other side that changed for them with your help?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 50:06 OK, so, one example would be we have social media; we have digital devices. And we can easily… Everything is about habit management and that's one thing I would tell people to do, you know? If you were to take inventory, look at how you live your life every day, and if you were to put every single action you did down as a habit — brush your teeth is a habit. Stop by and grab the Diet Coke is a habit. Sit down on the couch to watch TV is a habit. If you put it in a category of what serves you; what doesn't serve you. You know, one of the most…      Naviere Walkewicz 50:41 So first list out all your habits and categorize them?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 50:43 Right, right. So then you would recognize, “Oh my goodness. I have a habit of scrolling Instagram. Or social media.” And then you ask yourself how much time do you spend doing that. “Oh, I get caught up in a loophole of 30 to 45 minutes. And then what are you consuming? You know, so let's say the things that have happened in the last couple of weeks, you know, say something negative happens in society that's getting a lot of public attention and you're just ina rabbit hole reading about that incident over and over and over again. And when you're done scrolling, the question is, “How do you feel after that activity?” And most people would say, “I feel tense. I feel angry. I feel disappointed.” They list off all of these negative feelings. And so what I do is I help them realize, “OK, so does that serve you? Because you were in this negative health space, when you went to dinner with your family or when you went into this next assignment, how did you show up? How did you perform?” And then they realize, “Oh, wow. Not very well. I treated my wife like crap because I was irritable.” And so then you go back again. Your experience… We leave clues with how we're living our lives. So then you go back and you realize, “That is a habit I need to change.  And I just need to make a decision, and I have to have a compelling reason. So let's say you want to work on your marriage and you want to show up better for your spouse, but you're always showing up with negative energy because of this habit that you do right when you get home, then you can — so we just come up with a plan, and it's different for each person. You know, “What could you do that would be more positive?” “I could come home play a game with my kid, because, you know, my kid is amazing, and it makes me smile and laugh,” and you're in a good mood, you know? And this is why, if I am stressed during the day, I already know if I get exposed to my chickens, my cat, or just go outside, I'm so mesmerized by the beauty of nature. All of those things I know fill me in a positive way. And so I am very intentional and aware of when I need to shift, and I know what my go-to are. So when I work with clients, I help them discover what their database of go-tos are going to be. The first part is just helping them become more aware of when it's happening so they can decide to shift. Naviere Walkewicz 52:57 Right. So that awareness is really critical, but then the next step is probably the discipline and actually doing something about it?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 53:07 Right. Naviere Walkewicz 53:08 How can you take the lessons that you've had in bodybuilding, and then, you know, in all of your journey to help those now move from the awareness bucket to actually…   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 53:17 To making it happen? So I think that the first goal should be consistency, not perfection, right? And I learned this the hard way as a bodybuilder, because in the beginning of my career, I hated dieting. I've always hated dieting. I love food.   Naviere Walkewicz 53:31 You and I are kindred spirits in that way.   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 53:32 I don't mind being, yes, I don't mind being on a structured, you know, meal plan. But, you know, being on a strict diet can be hard, so anytime you set a goal to do something that is difficult, you know, the first thing that I tried to do was be perfect. So I would hire a coach, and my nutritionist would tell me, “This is what you're supposed to eat for meal one, two, three, four, exactly down to the macros. And maybe I would do great for three days. And then, you know, I would fail. I would cheat or have something I'm not supposed to have, and I would feel so bad again. Going back to a lot of these principles are coming back up. I was letting the failure identified me as a bad person, so now I'm feeling shame, and that's making me feel discouraged. And I kept doing this thing, like, “Well, I blew it, so I'm just gonna take the whole day off.” Like, how dumb is that, right? Like, there's four more meals you can eat and you're just gonna sabotage the rest of the four. So think about if I did that every day. So if you messed up every day and you sabotage three out of the six meals every single day, where would you be at the end of the week?   Naviere Walkewicz 54:31 Worse off. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 54:32 Fat. [Laughs] No, I'm just kidding,   Naviere Walkewicz 54:33 Worse off than you were when you started.   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 54:35 You would be, with no results.   Naviere Walkewicz 54:37 No more Oreos in the house so you wouldn't have to worry about eating them anymore. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 54:40 So that's when I realized, “Oh, I'm getting caught up with perfection, and that's causing me to sabotage.” So then I changed. I said 80/20, 90/10, I just want to be consistent. And so when you fail, you know you give yourself that grace, right? And so I always like to say courage, grit and grace. You have to have the courage to do something uncomfortable, the grit to endure and then the grace to embrace when you've messed up and then move forward. And so the first thing I would do with wellness habits is, you know, you build one habit at a time, and you do what you can to be consistent, and when you fail, again, here's that theme, you take that failure as feedback. “Why did you fail? Did you get hungry? Did you have temptation in the house? Did you not set your alarm?” Right? You know? “What could you do differently?” And then you just recommit to being consistent. Naviere Walkewicz 55:31 That is excellent. So talking about everything, this has been a wonderful conversation. When I think about lasting impact, right? So you know, you've had this incredible journey. You've helped people understand how to be more aware of their wellness, how to take action, be consistent and really drive change. What is one challenge you might have our listeners take in the w

Dan Millman's book: The Way of the Peaceful Warrior,⁠ Blends fact and fiction as he recounts his day's training as a college gymnast in his bid to become a World Champion, along with all the hardships he faced.The fiction format of the novel magnifies the impact of the lessons contained within, allowing us to envision our transformation whilst tapping into our deep, primal urge for immersive storytelling. Drawing parallels with Siddhartha, which effortlessly combines timeless wisdom with a compelling narrative, this book is a joy to read, taking the reader on a profound spiritual journey.“A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does”Dan Millman, Way of the Peaceful WarriorSHOW OUTLINEINTROWe all have inner battles, prepare yourself for themSpiritual weight training (1m18)FOUNDATIONAL IDEASummary of Book by GainKnowledgeMeditation and purpose (2m36)HOW TOLearn to enjoy the journey of your life, and don't let your ego drive your emotionsWhat makes you happy (2m23)Finding time to rest and find peaceHow to Overcome the Fear of Wasting TimeFocus on the now, rather than letting yourself become overwhelmed by too many thoughtsOne thing at a time (2m07) CLIP CREDITS ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDL85fzdc1g&ab_channel=TEDxTalks⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA4twJiaWVw⁠TRANSCRIPT⁠https://www.moonshots.io/episode-127danmillman-transcript-1⁠Thanks to our monthly supportersMikeEdwin DeitchJamie DorwardEmily Rose BanksMalcolm MageeNatalieRyan N.Marco-Ken Möller孤鸿 月影FabianJasper VerkaartAndy PilaraolaAustin HammattZachary PhillipsMike Leigh CooperGayla SchiffLaura KERoar Nikolay Ytre-EideStefRoger von Holdtvenkata reddyIngram CaseyOlarahul groverRavi GovenderCraig LindsaySteve WoollardDeborah SpahrSamoelaJo HatchardKalman CsehBerg De BleeckerPaul AcquaahMrBonjourKonnor Ah kuoiMarjan ModaraDietmar BaurBob Nolley⁠★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Judy Kane, author of "Your4Truths: How Beliefs Impact Your Life," is dedicated to helping individuals get past barriers that are keeping them stuck or causing them discomfort. She helps people change the limiting, subconscious beliefs that are holding them back. Through speaking engagements, workshops, and individual client work, Judy empowers others to achieve their goals. Links:https://www.alignedconsciousness.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/judykanepsychk/https://www.facebook.com/alignedconsciousness ***********Susanne Mueller / www.susannemueller.biz TEDX Talk, May 2022: Running and Life: 5KM Formula for YOUR Successhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT_5Er1cLvY 700+ weekly blogs / 500+ podcasts / 1 Ironman Triathlon / 5 half ironman races / 26 marathon races / 4 books / 1 Mt. Kilimanjaro / 1 TEDx Talk

In this episode, Brandy Gillmore helps a mother release parenting hurt and frustration, transform family dynamics, and understand how emotional patterns from parenting can be linked to physical pain. In today's powerful session, Brandy works with a beautiful volunteer named Jess — a very loving and devoted mother whose heart shines through. Jess loves her children deeply, yet like so many caring moms, she's been carrying the weight of perfectionism, emotional overwhelm, and the pressure to keep everyone's world running smoothly. When physical pain shows up, Brandy helps her uncover the emotional messages behind the symptoms.  What follows is a heartfelt, eye-opening transformation in parenting, partnership, and healing long-standing family dynamics. Together, they explore: ✨ Why the body sends pain as a "check-engine-light" during emotional overload ✨ How childhood patterns of being controlled resurface in adult relationships and parenting ✨ The energetic difference between controlling your children vs. empowering them ✨ How to shift household dynamics without getting frustrated ✨ Why accountability (not pressure) helps kids grow confident and independent ✨ How frustration toward a partner can show up as physical symptoms This episode shows how quickly mind-body healing can happen when we shift the emotional patterns underneath stress, overwhelm, and physical symptoms. Jess's transformation is tender, relatable, and filled with insight — and her deep love for her family radiates through every moment. If you've ever felt overwhelmed, misunderstood, or responsible for making everything work, this episode will speak to your heart and open your mind to a new level of emotional freedom. You'll walk away with profound insights about healing, parenting, relationships, and the transformative power of mastering your mind and energy — for yourself and for the people you love most. Do you want to see proof of the power of the mind in a medical journal? Here's a demonstration of Brandy Gillmore working with volunteers under medical equipment, as featured in a medical journal.   Free Resources and Frequently Asked Questions & Resources Q: How can I heal myself from chronic pain or illness?

Your voice is your superpower.

In this solo episode, Mitch Matthews shares an honest, behind-the-scenes story that started with a season of struggle, turned into a desperate idea… and accidentally launched a movement that's now inspired thousands of people to get clear on their big dreams and goals and move forward with courage and clarity.  You'll hear about the surprising origin of the very first Big Dream Gathering - an experiment that started in their living room and eventually led to events hosted around the country.  These events have helped people to get clear and get connected and get big dreams done. But this episode isn't just about the past - it's about how to move forward.  In it… Mitch breaks down what he calls the "Category Compass" - a science-backed tool that helps you cut through the pressure, bypass fear, and start dreaming again (or maybe for the first time)… even if you feel stuck, tired, or unclear on what's next. Whether you've got big goals or you're just trying to figure out your next chapter… this one's for you. Listen now - and then share it with a friend you want to dream with. Because we're not meant to do this alone. FULL SHOW NOTES HERE: https://mitchmatthews.com/437   00:00 – Welcome back! Mitch shares updates from his TEDx Talk and Encourager Con. 01:30 – Confession: Mitch's love-hate relationship with the word "dream." 02:30 – Audience reactions and rediscovering dreams at any age. 03:45 – Behind the scenes: how the Big Dream Gathering began. 07:00 – When everything fell apart — the "season of hard." 09:00 – The idea to invite friends over and share dreams. 11:00 – 29 of 31 friends show up — a night that changed everything. 13:00 – Dreams big and small fill the walls — magic unfolds. 15:00 – Two strangers reconnect and sell their idea to Nike. 17:00 – "You're off by a zero" — encouragement multiplies impact. 19:00 – Lesson: big dreams aren't meant to be done alone. 21:00 – The Big Dream Gathering becomes a national movement. 22:00 – The pressure of the word "dream" and why people freeze. 23:00 – The Ambiguity Effect — why broad questions shut us down. 25:00 – Introducing the Category Compass to gain clarity. 27:00 – How the compass guides small steps toward big goals. 28:00 – Start simple: travel dreams as an easy first category. 30:00 – Relationship dreams and a true story of love from Oregon. 33:00 – Using the compass for career clarity and new direction. 35:00 – Write dreams down — it doubles your chance of success. 37:00 – Share your list with a friend and take action together. 38:00 – Closing encouragement: you're not meant to dream alone.      

Everybody wants to believe in something, but the truth is, if you're a leader who shies away from asking tough questions, you're making it harder for people to believe in you. In this Finding Brave episode, we are joined by Matthew Pollard, known as the Rapid Growth Guy and storytelling expert responsible for five multi-million dollar business success stories. He is the author of The Introvert's Edge and has been featured in Forbes and listed by Global Gurus as one of the Top 30 Sales Professionals. In this conversation, we explore what it truly means to lead through authentic, compelling story, not spin. Matthew unpacks how great leaders don't just communicate vision; they shape a living narrative that helps their people see themselves in it. From uncovering the real problems beneath the surface, to crafting stories that evolve and help scale growth through the organization, Matthew shares a framework for growth rooted in empathy, iteration, and truth. We discuss how data can illuminate emotion, why so few leaders understand the why behind disengagement within their teams and workforces, and how fear often blocks the path to authenticity. Ultimately, Matthew shows that leadership isn't about control; it's about giving your people something real to believe in. In today's economy, leaders owe it to their teams to inspire growth and risk-taking, challenge the status quo, and use the power of a compelling story playbook to unite everyone behind a shared purpose they're proud to support.   Key Highlights From This Episode: The role of leaders in shaping a strong narrative within their organizations. [04:00] Matthew's method of supporting leaders to identify key problems and tell their story. [06:52] How stories grow in impact through iteration and an organization-wide playbook. [13:58] Using data points as a strategic tool to understand people's emotions. [19:20] Why there often a gap in knowledge about the emotional reasons employees leave an organization. [25:20] Understanding how crucial it is to lead with humanity and empathy. [29:18] How Matthew deals with a fearful response leaders have to creating authentic experiences. [34:43] What it looks like to give your people something they can truly believe in. [38:35]   For More Information: Matthew PollardThe Introvert's EdgeMatthew Pollard on LinkedInMatthew Pollard on InstagramMatthew Pollard on X   Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Episode 69 with Matthew Pollard: 7 Ways to Leverage Your Introvert Edge in BusinessEpisode 159, where Kathy and Matthew discuss Networking: The Introvert's Edge to Networking   ________________ ARE YOU FACING A BIG DECISION IN YOUR LIFE OR CAREER RIGHT NOW?  Join Kathy Caprino and David Jurasek in their FREE online workshop "Making Your Big Life Decision: A Workshop and Map For Brave Action" - November 21, Noon to 1:30 pm EST  Are you standing at a crossroads right now with a big decision to make — wondering which path would be best in your career, relationship, or life? I'm truly thrilled to invite you to a brand-new FREE live online workshop on November 21 that I'm leading with my esteemed colleague and deeply powerful therapist and community leader, David Jurasek, on "Making Your Big Life Decision: A Workshop and Map For Brave Action." We'll be sharing empowering tools and strategies (and a proven map) to navigate the terrain in making a critical decision in your life or career, and help you move from confusion and self-doubt to clarity and confident action — so you can finally pursue the direction that's right for you. And we're happy to take your questions and work with you directly, right on the call. Join us to receive support in taking the next powerful step in your life. Learn more and register at IntegrityTherapy.org/biglifedecision. Spots are limited. Hope to see you there! ——————— Order Kathy's book The Most Powerful You today!   In Australia and New Zealand, click here to order, elsewhere outside North America, click here, and in the UK, click here. If you enjoy the book, we'd so appreciate your giving the book a positive rating and review on Amazon! And check out Kathy's digital companion course The Most Powerful You, to help you close the 7 most damaging power gaps in the most effective way possible.   Kathy's Power Gaps Survey, Support To Build Your LinkedIn Profile To Great Success & Other Free Resources Kathy's TEDx Talk, Time To Brave Up & Free Career Path Self-Assessment Kathy's Amazing Career Project video training course & 6 Dominant Action Styles Quiz   ——————— Sponsor Highlight I'm thrilled that both Audible.com and Amazon Music are sponsors of Finding Brave! Take advantage of their great special offers and free trials today! Audible Offer Amazon Music Offer   Quotes:  "As leaders, we need to inspire people to not just be extrinsically motivated, but intrinsically motivated." — @matthewpollard_ [0:04:59] "A lot of times, people don't know the problems that they have until they see things slightly differently." — @matthewpollard_ [0:06:57] "People remember up to 22 times more information when embedded into a story, so because of that, you can actually anchor to these stories so people actually walk away remembering more." — @matthewpollard_ [0:10:45] "Because somebody comes up with a bad idea the first time, they then get hammered for it and then they're too scared to bring up another idea the next time." — @matthewpollard_ [0:22:41] "If you want to stay a senior leader and you want to make sure that you're always on the edge, you need to introduce more humanity into what you do." — @matthewpollard_ [0:31:56] "If you're not willing to take risks to get somebody to start to build momentum, then your organization is just going to fade." — @matthewpollard_ [0:36:33]   Watch our Finding Brave episodes on YouTube! Don't forget – you can experience each Finding Brave episode in both audio and video formats! Check out new and recent episodes on my YouTube channel at YouTube.com/kathycaprino. And please leave us a comment and a thumbs up if you like the show!

Thank you for listening to this episode of Bawk Tawk, Welcome to Chickenlandia's 100% Friendly Backyard Chickens Show! In this TBT episode, I chat with Karl Ripstein of Redmond Real Salt about how the right kind of salt can actually improve the health and vitality of your backyard chickens. Hope you love it!

“The reason why people want to be so perfect and have perfectionism isn't because they're scared of failure. They're scared of failing in front of other people.” – Roy Redd Today's featured #1 best-selling bookcaster is a business acquisition & growth strategist, performance coach, 2X TEDx speaker, and the Founder of Victory University, Roy Redd. Roy and I had a fun on a bun chat about his books, building a strong personal brand, the importance of execution over perfection, and more!!!Key Things You'll Learn:The moment that helped Roy have a mindset shift about responsibilityWhat inspired him to overcome imposter syndrome and become a published authorHow faith plays a role in his life and businessWhat setback helped set Roy up to create more successRoy's top three lessons learned from starting, growing, and running his podcastRoy's Site: https://royredd.com/Roy's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01LZF0BPR/allbooksRoy's TEDx Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/roy_redd_how_to_manipulate_realityRoy's Podcast, “Buy Build Exit”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/buy-build-exit/id1178888536The opening track is titled, “Unknown From M.E. | Sonic Adventure 2 ~ City Pop Remix” by Iridium Beats. To listen to and download the full track, click the following link. https://www.patreon.com/posts/sonic-adventure-136084016 Please support today's podcast to keep this content coming! CashApp: $DomBrightmonDonate on PayPal: @DBrightmonBuy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dombrightmonGet Going North T-Shirts, Stickers, and More: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/dom-brightmonThe Going North Advancement Compass: https://a.co/d/bA9awotYou May Also Like…281 – No More Average with Andy Audate (@andyaudate): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/281-no-more-average-with-andy-audate-andyaudate/Ep. 450 – From Orphan to Self-Made Millionaire with Andre Henry (@DreamAgain_TL): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-450-from-orphan-to-self-made-millionaire-with-andre-henry-dreamagain_tl/139 - Take Focused Action & Get Results with Brian J. Olds (@BSNSpeaks): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/139-take-focused-action-get-results-with-brian-j-olds-bsnspeaks/Ep. 721 – Rediscovering Permission to Play as an Adult with Mike Montague (@PlayfulHumans): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-721-rediscovering-permission-to-play-as-an-adult-with-mike-montague-playfulhumans/Ep. 806 – Big Bet Leadership with John Rossman (@johnerossman): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-806-big-bet-leadership-with-john-rossman-johnerossman/Ep. 751 – Do Something Hard & Be Happier with Joe De Sena (@realJoeDeSena): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-751-do-something-hard-like-a-spartan-and-be-happier-with-joe-de-sena-realjoedesena/141 - Thou Shall Be Successful with William Winfield (@Willisblessed38): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/141-thou-shall-be-successful-with-william-winfield-willisblessed38/#GNPYear1 Bonus Episode 2 - Building An Economic Legacy with Antonio T. Smith Jr. (@TheATSJr): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/gnpyear1-bonus-episode-2-building-an-economic-legacy-with-antonio-t-smith-jr-theatsjr/#InspirationNuke – The Impact of Influence with Chip Baker, Charles Woods, Chris Holmes, Darius Bradley Sr., & Jeermal Sylvester: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/inspirationnuke-the-impact-of-influence-with-chip-baker-charles-woods-chris-holmes-darius-bradley-sr-jeermal-sylvester/Ep. 1018 – Brooklyn Born. Battle-Tested. Now, Mister Motivation with Shaun L. Murphy (@ShaunLMurphy): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-1018-brooklyn-born-battle-tested-now-mister-motivation-with-shaun-l-murphy-shaunlmurphy/Ep. 697 – The 7-Figure Life with Dr. Noah St. John (@noahstjohn): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-697-the-7-figure-life-with-dr-noah-st-john-noahstjohn/

What if your most important stakeholder isn't sitting at the table? In this episode, we explore how great leaders givea voice to those who aren't in the room. From Amazon's “empty chair” representing the customer, to Procter & Gamble's “Living It” approach to empathy, to The Mayo Clinic's groundbreaking inclusion of patients in decision-making. The lesson is clear: leadership isn't just about who's speaking, it's about who's being heard. —Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 50 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below:Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.comThe Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_makingMake sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

The Silent Source of Back Pain No One Talks About with Mark Thiesmeyer Hook In this episode of Weight Loss for Women Over 40, host Nikki T welcomes a very special guest...Mark Thiesmeyer Hook , an exercise physiologist, registered dietitian, and founder of Align Athlete. Together, they dive into a topic every woman over 40 can relate to: back pain...why it happens, what's really causing it (spoiler: it's not just your age!), and what you can do to finally find relief. Mark shares his personal story of falling off a roof in college, suffering from chronic back pain for years, and how that led him to create the innovative Glute Activator, a self-care tool designed to help realign your pelvis and relieve pressure on your lower back. Nikki also brings her background as a physical therapist assistant and former professional ballet dancer into the conversation, explaining how posture, daily sitting habits, and alignment all play a huge role in how your body feels...and functions...after 40. If you've ever sneezed and thrown your back out, or if you're tired of living with that “background hum” of pain, this episode is for you. Learn simple, practical ways to move better, reduce pain, and take ownership of your body...without endless meds or doctor visits.

In this episode, Julie tells Savannah all about the fallacies of women's fashion and how the sizing conventions between all the various online, retail, and high-end fashion designers seldom have a universal standard. Trying on a LARGE for one designer may seem like a size 10, but can also be an ego killer. Conversely, our existing women's fashion sizing ego can also cause us emotional stress. Find out how to leave the ego at the dressing room doors and find success in the dress that fits!-----SAVANNAH HAUK is the author of “Living with Crossdressing: Defining a New Normal” and “Living with Crossdressing: Discovering your True Identity“. While both focus on the male-to-female (mtf) crossdresser, “Defining a New Normal” delves into crossdressing and relationships and “Discovering Your True Identity” looks at the individual crossdressing journey. Her latest achievements are two TEDx Talks, one entitled "Demystifying the Crossdressing Experience" and the other "13 Milliseconds: First Impressions of Gender Expression". Savannah is a male-to-female dual-gender crossdresser who is visible in the Upstate of South Carolina, active in local groups and advocating as a public speaker at LGBTQ+ conferences and workshops across the United States. At the moment, Savannah is working on more books, blogs, and projects focused on letting every crossdresser–young and mature–find their own confidence, expression, identity and voice.IG @savannahhauk | FB @savannahhauk | FB @livingwithcrossdressing | web @livingwithcrossdressing.com------JULIE RUBENSTEIN is a dedicated ally to transgender community and the certified image consultant and co-owner of Fox and Hanger. F&H is a unique service for transgender women and male-to-female crossdressers that creates customized virtual fashion and style “lookbooks”. Julie intuitively connects with each client to find them appropriate clothes, makeup, hair, and shape wear all in alignment with their budget, body type, authentic style and unique personality. Julie also provides enfemme coaching and wardrobe support. Julie has made it her life's work to help MTF individuals feel safe and confident when it comes to their female persona, expression and identity.IG @Juliemtfstyle | FB @foxandhanger | web @FoxandHanger.com

Do your words build up or tear down?In this heartfelt episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole Greer, CSP — “The Vibrant Coach” — sits down with Genice DeCorte, CEO of HealthShare Credit Union, to talk about the real power of words in leadership.Genice shares her inspiring journey from a 16-year-old credit union co-op student to becoming a seasoned leader and mentor to other small credit unions. She reminds us that communication isn't just about information — it's about impact. Every word a leader speaks can inspire, comfort, or empower others.Together, Nicole and Genice explore:How to use words that uplift and unite your teamWhy appreciation and handwritten thank-you notes still matterThe power of one-on-one lunches to build trust and candorHow to foster real-time communication across teams and locationsWhy leaders must “coach people in or coach them out” — with kindness and clarityThis episode is a masterclass in compassionate leadership, communication, and the importance of building a culture that loves hard and listens well.Vibrant Highlights:[00:07:00] Words Matter — Choose Them WiselyGenice explains how leaders' words can inspire, motivate, or comfort — or do the opposite. Every conversation shapes the culture.[00:11:40] The 11-Year Impact of One ConversationA story of how something Genice said over a decade ago helped someone through grief — proving that what we say lasts longer than we think.[00:16:00] Find Your “Posse” Through Professional AssociationsNicole and Genice discuss the power of community, connection, and finding mentors and peers who lift you up.[00:26:50] Feedback and Follow-Up: How to Coach EffectivelyGenice shares how she reframes “being called to the manager's office” as positive, timely, and caring communication — not punishment.[00:35:00] Leadership Lunches that Build Candor and ConnectionLearn how one-on-one lunches give employees a safe space to share honest feedback — and generate real organizational improvements.[00:44:50] Communicating Change and “WIIFM” ThinkingGenice reveals how she keeps her team informed during transitions — always explaining “What's In It For Me” to keep morale high.Connect with Genice:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genice-decorte-b9808232/IG: https://www.instagram.com/genicedeco/FB: https://www.facebook.com/genice.decorte/X: https://x.com/genicedAlso mentioned in this episode:The One-Minute Manager by Blanchard & Johnson: https://a.co/d/hU66kZ0Listen at vibrantculture.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!Book Nicole to help your organization ignite clarity, accountability, and energy through her SHINE™ Coaching Methodology.Visit vibrantculture.comEmail: nicole@vibrantculture.comWatch Nicole's TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/SMbxA90bfXE

Are you ready to release hurt, resentment, and anger from the past — and step into genuine healing, happiness, and love? In this uplifting episode, Brandy Gillmore, mind-body healing expert and creator of the GIFT Mind-Body Healing™ method, shares a simple yet profound mindset shift that can help you create lasting change. With an open mind, this insight can begin to spark a powerful transformation toward greater happiness, health, love, and fulfillment. If you've ever found yourself wondering, "Why can't I move forward?" or "How can I finally let go of the past?" … this episode offers a fresh perspective that could truly begin to change everything. Inside, you'll discover: A simple but powerful mindset shift that can help you begin to change your emotions, health and life How to begin shifting the way you feel about your past, your present, and yourself

www.susannemueller.bizTEDx Talk, May 12, 2022: Running and Life: 5K Formula for your Success | Susanne Mueller770+ weekly blogs / 500+ podcasts / 26 marathon races / 1 Ironman triathlon race / 5 half Ironman races / 4 books / 1 Mt. Kilimanjaro / 1 TEDx TalkJoin my Substack for 10$ per month - https://substack.com/@susannemuellernyc

When your healing work starts making you feel worse—or you feel stuck, or your health issues seem to increase instead of decrease—it's not that you can't do it. It's often a sign that you need to change your approach. In this live coaching session, Brandy guides Maya, a tender-hearted performer navigating years of trauma, fear, acne, hyperpigmentation, and a constant undercurrent of panic. Together they uncover a simple but profound reframe: stop trying to "hug the lion." With compassion and clear boundaries, Maya's energy shifts from fear and self-judgment to relief, calm, and possibility—right in the moment. You'll discover how working with the mind differently (not just looking/identifying more trauma) can ease inflammation, soften explosive anger, and open the door to real, visible change. Brandy also shares why telling your trauma story on repeat keeps it alive—and how to choose a future-focused story that your mind and body can truly follow. You'll learn: A loving "lion" metaphor to end the panic/anger cycle Why chasing every trauma can accidentally make symptoms louder A simple way to release guilt that never belonged to you How to find compassion while keeping healthy boundaries A practical path to step into your next-level identity—onstage or off  If you've ever asked yourself—or ever wondered—"Why is it so hard to let go of trauma?" or "Why do I still feel stuck after doing so much healing work?" or "Why does my body keep holding on to pain even when I've done the inner work?"—this episode will help you understand why that happens and how to finally shift it for good. This episode is a breath of fresh air—equal parts practical and mind-expanding. Press play to feel the shift.   Do you want to see proof of the power of the mind in a medical journal? Here's a demonstration of Brandy Gillmore working with volunteers under medical equipment, as featured in a medical journal.   Free Resources and Frequently Asked Questions & Resources Q: How can I heal myself from chronic pain or illness?

How much tech do you let into your life? Do you even know why you let certain tech into your life? I'm thrilled to welcome back my friend and Microsoft VP, Scott Hanselman. It's been almost four and a half years since our last conversation, and so much has changed for both of us—at home, at work, and everywhere in between. Scott and I dive into the heart of his recent TEDx Talk, where he questions whether technology is truly delivering on its promises of convenience, connection, and community. We discuss the concept of the "third place"—those spaces outside of home and work where real community forms, and how the pandemic and our increasing reliance on technology have shifted those boundaries. Scott gets personal about his own life transitions, raising teenagers in a hyper-connected world, and the realities of tech overload. He shares the emotional story of how his parents once sold their van to buy him a Commodore 64 computer—a singular act that changed the course of his life and continues to shape his perspective on investing in our kids' potential. We also explore the emotional side of money—how we manage stress, organize family finances, and have those sometimes tough conversations with our partners. Scott even shares the allowance system that's kept the peace in his own marriage for 25 years! Whether you're navigating new technology at home, feeling overwhelmed by all life throws at you, or simply longing for a little more harmony, I think you'll find our conversation both insightful and relatable, with some serious nostalgia along the way. Please enjoy my conversation with Scott Hanselman. Connect with Paul Contact Paul here or schedule a time to meet with Paul here. For resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on LinkedIn and YouTube. And feel free to email Paul at pfenner@tammacapital.com with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics. Resources Featured in This Episode: Scott Hanselman Scott Hanselman - LinkedIn Tech Promised Everything. Did it deliver? Scaling Yourself

Tired of ADHD strategies that don't work? Here's what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup_____A 10-year-old boy sat across from Dr. Kalaki Clarke, MD during her psychiatry rotation, and she saw herself. Smart, charming, good grades but couldn't get it together. That's when she knew she had ADHD too.Dr. Clarke was in her first year of residency at UC Irvine, working 80-hour weeks in a system designed to test you constantly. She'd been the good kid, the high achiever, the one who always kept it together. But in residency, surrounded by neurotypical colleagues, sleep-deprived, and constantly performing, the mask finally came off. Her 2015 diagnosis became a turning point, launching her into advocacy for physicians with ADHD. She helped craft equity guidelines for neurodivergent resident physicians, spoke at the International Conference on ADHD, and delivered a TEDx talk called "Seeing is Freeing: How Observation Releases ADHD Potential."Now, as a board-certified family physician and Associate Professor of Medical Education at USC's Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Clarke spends her time providing care for underserved communities in Los Angeles while shaping the next generation of doctors.In this conversation, Dr. Clarke and Tracy talk about what it's like to have ADHD in a profession that demands perfection and how "seeing is freeing" applies to both patients and physicians. Dr. Clarke introduces her CAT method (Capture, Analyze, Transform), a framework for turning struggles into strategies. She also talks about leading by example, why she came out publicly about her ADHD at work, and what it means to create space for others to be seen when you've spent so long feeling invisible yourself.Resources: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmclarkemd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/this_md_kalaki/ TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKmRyxlas3ISend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn't a productivity problem. It's an identity problem. That's why most strategies don't stick—they weren't designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It's a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits.

In this episode, Savannah comes to the mic solo as Julie is away in southern California at an event. She shares her concern for losing joy for embodying Savannah at a time where she is also feeling great joy creating a character design for Halloween, and reconciling the feelings and emotions in between. Savannah also touches on a personal battle with body dysphoria and a surprising shift to body positivity. And last, but not least, Savannah shares two amazing interactions at Starbucks with a coworker recognizing Savannah for the first and experiencing the innocence of a young girl just wanting to wave and say, "Hi."-----SAVANNAH HAUK is the author of “Living with Crossdressing: Defining a New Normal” and “Living with Crossdressing: Discovering your True Identity“. While both focus on the male-to-female (mtf) crossdresser, “Defining a New Normal” delves into crossdressing and relationships and “Discovering Your True Identity” looks at the individual crossdressing journey. Her latest achievements are two TEDx Talks, one entitled "Demystifying the Crossdressing Experience" and the other "13 Milliseconds: First Impressions of Gender Expression". Savannah is a male-to-female dual-gender crossdresser who is visible in the Upstate of South Carolina, active in local groups and advocating as a public speaker at LGBTQ+ conferences and workshops across the United States. At the moment, Savannah is working on more books, blogs, and projects focused on letting every crossdresser–young and mature–find their own confidence, expression, identity and voice.IG @savannahhauk | FB @savannahhauk | FB @livingwithcrossdressing | web @livingwithcrossdressing.com------JULIE RUBENSTEIN is a dedicated ally to transgender community and the certified image consultant and co-owner of Fox and Hanger. F&H is a unique service for transgender women and male-to-female crossdressers that creates customized virtual fashion and style “lookbooks”. Julie intuitively connects with each client to find them appropriate clothes, makeup, hair, and shape wear all in alignment with their budget, body type, authentic style and unique personality. Julie also provides enfemme coaching and wardrobe support. Julie has made it her life's work to help MTF individuals feel safe and confident when it comes to their female persona, expression and identity.IG @Juliemtfstyle | FB @foxandhanger | web @FoxandHanger.com

Have you ever felt like you didn't deserve your seat at the table — even after earning it? Then it's time to meet the “Imposter Monsters” and learn how to slay the beasts within! From teller to trailblazer, Nanci Wilson's journey proves that unexpected turns lead to extraordinary destinations. In this vibrant and hilarious conversation, Nicole and Nanci unpack the five “Imposter Monsters” that sabotage confidence and success — and teach you how to quiet them once and for all.Nanci's infectious humor and heartfelt honesty will inspire you to rewrite your story, own your worth, and remember that perfection isn't the goal — progress is.Vibrant Highlights:[00:08:59] Heart & Hustle University: Creating Your Own DiplomaWhen life doesn't hand you credentials, make your own! Nanci shares how she founded “Heart & Hustle University,” proving that grit, growth, and experience matter more than letters after your name.[00:15:29] The Soloist Monster: Why Asking for Help Makes You Stronger“If I have to ask for help, I'm a fraud.” Sound familiar? Nanci and Nicole dismantle this lie, reminding leaders that collaboration is courage — and culture thrives when everyone brings their strengths to the table.[00:19:15] The Overachiever Trap: Redefining Success as RestOverachievers, this one's for you! Nanci reveals that true success isn't endless hustle — it's knowing when to pause, breathe, and celebrate small wins. No warm cookies for burnout!Connect with Nanci:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanci-wilson-cude-ccufc-932720103/Email: nanci@luminate.coopAlso mentioned in this episode:CliftonStrengths Finders https://vibrantculture.com/assessments/#cliftonListen at vibrantculture.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!Book Nicole to help your organization ignite clarity, accountability, and energy through her SHINE™ Coaching Methodology.Visit vibrantculture.comEmail: nicole@vibrantculture.comWatch Nicole's TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/SMbxA90bfXE

Stephen Continues his discussion with Michael Jacobson about how he help save and ultimately revive his uncle's business. Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector, and storyteller. I'm Stephen's sidekick and business partner Dave Young. Before we get into today's episode, a word from our sponsor, which is, well, it's us, but we're highlighting ads we've written and produced for our clients. So here's one of those. [Travis Crawford Ad] Rick: Told you, Brian. Brian: Told me what? Rick: This is part two of last week's episode. Brian: Oh yeah. And it was getting good. Rick: And if you missed it, you can always listen to the first one. Just back up to last week's episode. Take it away fellas. Stephen Semple: In my TEDx Talk that I did, the very, very first slide, the very first slide is win the heart and the mind will follow. Michael Jacobson: That's exactly right. We're humans. We're emotion lead. That's exactly right. Stephen Semple: Even engineers make decisions emotionally. We are wired to make decisions emotionally and connect with things emotionally. So you're 1,000% correct on this. Michael Jacobson: Thank you. Yeah, I mean, so far so good. So ultimately, the market will decide if that's true or not, but I tend to believe that that is true. Stephen Semple: Well, it's already voted that way with you so far. Michael Jacobson: Yeah, I mean, it's coming that way. And so we really focus our brand on making the client feel like the hero because they are. Buying flowers from us should feel as good as receiving the flowers. It is a remarkable act to send flowers to somebody. You are literally creating a more loving world. Stephen Semple: Yes. Michael Jacobson: And I don't know what the meaning of life is, Kay, but when I ask people, a lot of times the response is it's human connection. Or if they want to go even deeper, the meaning of life is love. And so that's the business we're in. And if you're leveraging flowers, the most meaningful gift you can give to tell somebody that you love them, you should be praised for that. And so we make our centers feel very good about that as they should be. Stephen Semple: Well, if you think about it, your business is very, very similar. Let's just look at the emotional part. Your is very similar on the emotional level as engagement rings. The person who gives an engagement ring, yes, they want the person that they're giving the ring to feel good, but it's that I give this beautiful ring to this person. They feel good. I feel good in return. So you're absolutely right. The gift of giving when it's done right both end up getting positive emotional feelings about it. The receiver feels great. And when it's done right, the giver feels great as well. Here's the other thing that people discount in gift giving, it now actually creates a shared narrative. Michael Jacobson: That's right. Stephen Semple: Because we've actually shared in that gift, even if it's thousands of miles away, even if I never talk to the person, even if the person's in a coma and it goes to the hospital, I still have a shared experience now with that individual through emotionally taking that act. You're absolutely 1,000% correct on these things. Michael Jacobson: Yeah, thanks. It bothers me because we would not be doing what we're doing if somebody else was. We never had the ambition. So I want to answer your question on my franchise. We wouldn't franchise, we wouldn't even expand corporate locations if there was somebody in our industry that was doing it as well as we thought it should be done. But nobody is. Our market leader is 1-800-FLOWERS, and my job is not to bash the competitors. We shine our own lamp.

Some beliefs can feel deeply spiritual, humble, or even noble…but beneath the surface, they may be quietly limiting your ability to heal, connect, and thrive. In this empowering IQ episode of Heal Yourself, Change Your Life, Brandy Gillmore explores three common subconscious patterns that often sneak in during spiritual growth—patterns that may seem harmless or even "good," yet can create emotional resistance that blocks love, healing, and abundance. Brandy shares how: Spiritual righteousness can create emotional separation and prevent true heart connection in relationships. The belief that "money is unspiritual" can sabotage your financial energy and sense of worth. Fear of being egoic may cause you to reject healthy self-love, joy, and confidence. These energetic misalignments can show up in your emotions, relationships, health, and affect your abundance. Through her powerful insights, Brandy helps you recognize these spiritual "blind spots." As you listen, you may begin to see how even small shifts in awareness can open space for creating real change and inviting in more love, ease, and healing.   Do you want to see proof of the power of the mind in a medical journal? Here's a demonstration of Brandy Gillmore working with volunteers under medical equipment, as featured in a medical journal.   Free Resources and Frequently Asked Questions & Resources Q: How can I heal myself from chronic pain or illness?

What if our obsession with being “happy all the time” is actually what's keeping us from true wellbeing? We've been chasing happiness as a fixed state, a finish line we're supposed to reach and stay at. But that's not how life works. Real flourishing isn't about constant positivity, but learning to move with life's rhythm through the highs and the lows. Because when the world gets hard, the question isn't how to stay happy — it's how to keep flourishing anyway.In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Dr. Michelle McQuaid, to explore why flourishing isn't about being happy all the time — it's about learning how to rise with confidence, compassion, and courage when life knocks us down.Dr. Michelle McQuaid, Ph.D. is an award-winning researcher, best-selling author, and workplace wellbeing teacher who translates positive psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies for leaders and teams. She is an honorary fellow at Melbourne University's Centre for Wellbeing Science, hosts the Making Positive Psychology Work podcast, and has helped organizations globally to build psychological safety, strengths-based cultures, and more resilient workplaces. This episode teaches how leaders and individuals can cultivate true flourishing not by avoiding discomfort, but by embracing it as a path to deeper growth, purpose, and human connection.Things you will learn in this episode:• Why happiness alone isn't the true measure of flourishing• The power of confidence in navigating life's highs and lows• How embracing imperfection fuels learning and growth• Why self-compassion is a leadership advantage• The neuroscience behind psychological safety at work• How to shift from chasing happiness to building inner strengthListen to the full episode now and discover practical tools you can use to redefine what it means to flourish.✅Resources:• How to make flourishing your competitive edge by Ashish Kothari on TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRV-2C-fkNg&t=146s • michellemcquaid.com (Company)• thewellbeinglab.com (Company)• permahsurvey.com (Free Wellbeing Survey)• Dr. Michelle McQuaid on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chellemcquaid • Seligman's PERMA+ model: https://positivepsychology.com/perma-model/ • Oxytocin shot tool: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6949379/ • Carole Dweck's The Power of Yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-swZaKN2Ic ✅Books:• Your Wellbeing Blueprint by Dr. Michelle McQuaid: https://a.co/d/8mLoSHr • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/ftKT8SZ

People always ask, "What am I overlooking when it comes to healing?" And if it could be answered with one specific thing, it would be this: the key is working with the mind in a radically different way. The traditional ways that you've heard about working with the mind (the typical approaches people use) - they simply don't work with healing. There are profound distinctions and differences that really need to be addressed at a deeper level to get results. One of the things Brandy absolutely loves about this episode is the awareness it brings. You can see so clearly that it's not just about trauma healing or healing the obvious wounds. It's not just emotional healing, "belief", or the placebo effect. This episode illustrates this beautifully. Creating that genuine mind-body connection, achieving true mind-body healing, extends far beyond all of that and requires a completely different, more empowering way of working with the mind. The insights shared are truly transformative. Throughout this episode, Brandy also explores the hidden patterns of self-sacrifice, those feelings of being stuck that can keep us from our healing breakthroughs, and the beautiful importance of establishing new neural pathways that support change and lasting healing. There's so much heart and profound wisdom woven throughout this episode…insights that can truly shift everything. So come join Brandy as she lovingly guides you through these life-changing insights and helps you discover what real, lasting healing truly looks like. This is an episode you won't want to miss. Do you want to see proof of the power of the mind in a medical journal? Here's a demonstration of Brandy Gillmore working with volunteers under medical equipment, as featured in a medical journal. Free Resources and Frequently Asked Questions & Resources Q: How can I heal myself from chronic pain or illness?