Podcasts about Unstoppable

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Samantha Skelly for a deeply honest conversation about identity, presence, and what it really means to lead from your highest self. We talk about releasing performative success, why boredom in business can actually be a sign of regulation and alignment, and how creative play outside of your work can unlock your next level of clarity and fulfillment. I share my philosophy on identity-based messaging, why serving a former version of yourself can cap your growth, and how speaking to the highest version of your client creates cleaner energy, stronger resonance, and more aligned opportunities. We also explore embodiment, aspiration-based messaging, and the simple but powerful practice I return to daily: be her now. This episode is for the woman who feels herself evolving, who's ready to stop shrinking or over-explaining, and who wants her business, message, and life to finally feel as aligned as the woman she's becoming. Liked this episode? Make sure to subscribe to our podcast and leave a review with your takeaways, this helps us create the exact content you want!  KEY POINTS:  00:00 Exciting Announcement: First In-Person Retreat 01:30 Welcome to Woman of Influence 02:31 Deep Dive: Authenticity and Shedding Old Beliefs 06:56 Creative Outlets and Personal Growth 13:47 The Importance of Identity Recalibration 19:13 Future-Focused Messaging and Authenticity 23:06 Embodying Your Chosen Identity 23:38 Understanding Your Ideal Client 25:52 The Power of Aspirational Messaging 32:10 The Importance of Embodiment 37:02 Effortless Speaking and Success 41:01 Conclusion and Resources QUOTABLES: “  A brand is just the perception of whatever messaging. Whether it's Audio, visual, static, digital. Whatever kind of message that you are putting out there. And as long as it's corralled mostly to where people want it to be, then like, we're good to go. But most of the time it's not corralled.” - Julie Solomon  “   I don't subscribe to pain based marketing. Like whenever people do that and I get an email like that, I'm like, get outta here. Like that's literally how I feel. I'm like, Ugh. But then when I get someone's email and it's aspirational and it's helping me see a future version of myself, I get this like a aliveness and this like champagne bubbly feeling in my body. I'm like, whatever that is, I'm so in.” - Samantha Skelly GUEST RESOURCES: Listen to Samantha's Podcast “Can't Be Contained” RESOURCES: ✨ Unscripted: My First In-Person Retreat in 2+ Years — Now Accepting Applications If you've felt your voice no longer matches the woman you've become, this intimate 2-day retreat in Nashville (Feb 5–6, 2026) is for you. Unscripted is where your message, identity, and leadership come back into alignment—without pressure, performance, or shrinking. Spots are limited and application-only. Apply now at juliesolomon.net/unscripted. [ORDER] my book or Audible, Get What You Want: How to Go From Unseen to Unstoppable so you can leverage the power of your own influence. Follow Julie on Instagram! MUST HAVES THIS MONTH: [TURN “WHAT IF” INTO “WHY NOT”] That business idea you've been sitting on? Shopify makes it real—get started now for only $1/month. [DISCOVER THE HYPE] The Fits Everybody collection is worth it. Shop now!    [MAKE TIME FOR GROWTH] Lessons fit into even the busiest schedules. Join today with 15% off!

“Life is short, and I spent 11 years of my life doing something that I found interesting, like software development and project management. And this is all wonderful and interesting, but there is an opportunity cost to that. These are 11 years that I didn't write my books, and I don't want that to happen to me again.” – Katerina Stoykova Today's featured bestselling author is a mom, award-winning bilingual poet, editor, speaker, teacher, translator, and the founder and Senior Editor of Accents Publishing, Katerina Stoykova. Katerina and I had a fun on a bun chat about her books, journey from growing up in communist Bulgaria to moving to the U.S., her unexpected leap into acting, and more!!Key Things You'll Learn:What inspired Katerina to become a poet and publish multiple written worksHow her accent inspired her to start her own radio show and publishing companyOne way to deal with resistance when it comes to writingHer advice for aspiring writers to get to the finish line with their workKaterina's Site: https://www.accents-publishing.com/Katerina's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BZJPP6F6/allbooksKaterina's Podcast,” Accents”: https://www.wuky.org/podcast/accentsThe 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…Ep. 311 – “Works of Urban Mythopoeia” with Cat Rambo (@Catrambo): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-311-works-of-urban-mythopoeia-with-cat-rambo-catrambo/Ep. 574 – “Light Skin Gone to Waste” with Toni Ann Johnson (@toniannjohnson): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-574-light-skin-gone-to-waste-with-toni-ann-johnson-toniannjohnson/Ep. 856 – The Bestselling Planner Pivot with Dr. Nicole Janz (@drnicolejanz): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-856-the-bestselling-planner-pivot-with-dr-nicole-janz-drnicolejanz/229 – “Unbroken” with Tajci Cameron (@TajciCameron): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/229-unbroken-with-tajci-cameron-tajcicameron/Ep. 1003 – From Orphan to United Nations Peacekeeper with Christine Sadry: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-1003-from-orphan-to-united-nations-peacekeeper-with-christine-sadry/Ep. 824 – From the Dojo to the Ballroom with Charlotte Friborg (@CFriborgInt): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-824-from-the-dojo-to-the-ballroom-with-charlotte-friborg-cfriborgint/Ep. 960 – The Power of the Actor with Ivana Chubbuck (@ivanachubbuck): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-960-the-power-of-the-actor-with-ivana-chubbuck-ivanachubbuck/Ep. 884 – How to Go From Stuck to Unstoppable with Murielle Marie Ungricht: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-884-how-to-go-from-stuck-to-unstoppable-with-murielle-marie-ungricht/Ep. 647 – “Making It Happen In Showbiz & In Life” with Sabine Kvenberg, DTM (@SabineKvenberg): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-647-making-it-happen-in-showbiz-in-life-with-sabine-kvenberg-dtm-sabinekvenberg/Ep. 851 – How To Be Future-fit and Lead With Relevance with Louise Mowbray (@louisemowbray): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-851-how-to-be-future-fit-and-lead-with-relevance-with-louise-mowbray-louisemowbray/Ep. 898 – From Tech to Tales with Dr. Afarin Bellisario (@afarin_afarina): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-898-from-tech-to-tales-with-dr-afarin-bellisario-afarin_afarina/

Thank you for joining us. If you'd like to know more about us or for online giving go to newcovenantpa.org #refreshing #palmyrapa #hershey #ncc #immoveable #unshakeable #unchangeable #unstoppable

Thank you for joining us. If you'd like to know more about us or for online giving go to newcovenantpa.org #refreshing #palmyrapa #hershey #ncc #immoveable #unshakeable #unchangeable #unstoppable

What happens when your voice is built through visuals, not volume? In this Unstoppable Mindset episode, I talk with photographer and storyteller Mobeen Ansari about growing up with hearing loss, learning speech with support from his family and the John Tracy Center, and using technology to stay connected in real time. We also explore how his art became a bridge across culture and faith, from documenting religious minorities in Pakistan to chronicling everyday heroes, and why he feels urgency to photograph climate change before more communities, heritage sites, and ways of life are lost. You'll hear how purpose grows when you share your story in a way that helps others feel less alone, and why Mobeen believes one story can become a blueprint for someone else to navigate their own challenge. Highlights: 00:03:54 - Learn how early family support can shape confidence, communication, and independence for life. 00:08:31 - Discover how deciding when to capture a moment can define your values as a storyteller. 00:15:14 - Learn practical ways to stay fully present in conversations when hearing is a daily challenge. 00:23:24 - See how unexpected role models can redefine what living fully looks like at any stage of life. 00:39:15 - Understand how visual storytelling can cross cultural and faith boundaries without words. 00:46:38 - Learn why documenting climate change now matters before stories, places, and communities disappear. About the Guest: Mobeen Ansari is a photographer, filmmaker and artist from Islamabad, Pakistan. Having a background in fine arts, he picked up the camera during high school and photographed his surroundings and friends- a path that motivated him to be a pictorial historian. His journey as a photographer and artist is deeply linked to a challenge that he had faced since after his birth.  Three weeks after he was born, Mobeen was diagnosed with hearing loss due to meningitis, and this challenge has inspired him to observe people more visually, which eventually led him to being an artist. He does advocacy for people with hearing loss.  Mobeen's work focuses on his home country of Pakistan and its people, promoting a diverse & poetic image of his country through his photos & films. As a photojournalist he focuses on human interest stories and has extensively worked on topics of climate change, global health and migration. Mobeen has published three photography books. His first one, ‘Dharkan: The Heartbeat of a Nation', features portraits of iconic people of Pakistan from all walks of life. His second book, called ‘White in the Flag' is based on the lives & festivities of religious minorities in Pakistan. Both these books have had two volumes published over the years. His third book is called ‘Miraas' which is also about iconic people of Pakistan and follows ‘Dharkan' as a sequel. Mobeen has also made two silent movies; 'Hellhole' is a black and white short film, based on the life of a sanitation worker, and ‘Lady of the Emerald Scarf' is based on the life of Aziza, a carpet maker in Guilmit in Northern Pakistan. He has exhibited in Pakistan & around the world, namely in UK, Italy, China Iraq, & across the US and UAE. His photographs have been displayed in many famous places as well, including Times Square in New York City. Mobeen is also a recipient of the Swedish Red Cross Journalism prize for his photography on the story of FIFA World Cup football manufacture in Sialkot. Ways to connect with Mobeen**:** www.mobeenansari.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/mobeenart  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobeenansari/ Instagram: @mobeenansariphoto X: @Mobeen_Ansari About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson  01:20 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. I am your host. Michael Hingson, we're really glad that you are here, and today we are going to talk to Mobeen Ansari, and Mobeen is in Islamabad. I believe you're still in Islamabad, aren't you? There we go. I am, yeah. And so, so he is 12 hours ahead of where we are. So it is four in the afternoon here, and I can't believe it, but he's up at four in the morning where he is actually I get up around the same time most mornings, but I go to bed earlier than he does. Anyway. We're really glad that he is here. He is a photographer, he speaks he's a journalist in so many ways, and we're going to talk about all of that as we go forward. Mobin also is profoundly hard of hearing. Uses hearing aids. He was diagnosed as being hard of hearing when he was three weeks old. So I'm sure we're going to talk about that a little bit near the beginning, so we'll go ahead and start. So mo bean, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad that you're here. Mobeen Ansari  02:32 It's a pleasure to be here, and I'm honored to plan your show. Thank you so much. Michael Hingson  02:37 Well, thank you very much, and I'm glad that we're able to make this work, and I should explain that he is able to read what is going on the screen. I use a program called otter to transcribe when necessary, whatever I and other people in a meeting, or in this case, in a podcast, are saying, and well being is able to read all of that. So that's one of the ways, and one of the reasons that we get to do this in real time. So it's really kind of cool, and I'm really excited by that. Well, let's go ahead and move forward. Why don't you tell us a little about the early Beau beam growing up? And obviously that starts, that's where your adventure starts in a lot of ways. So why don't you tell us about you growing up and all that. Mobeen Ansari  03:22 So I'm glad you mentioned the captions part, because, you know, that has been really, really revolutionary. That has been quite a lifesaver, be it, you know, Netflix, be it anywhere I go into your life, I read captions like there's an app on my phone that I use for real life competitions, and that's where I, you know, get everything. That's where technology is pretty cool. So I do that because of my hearing does, as you mentioned, when I was three weeks old, I had severe meningitis due to it, had lost hearing in both my ear and so when my hearing loss were diagnosed, it was, you know, around the time we didn't have resources, the technology that we do today. Michael Hingson  04:15 When was that? What year was that about? Mobeen Ansari  04:19 1986 okay, sorry, 1987 so yeah, so they figured that I had locked my hearing at three weeks of age, but didn't properly diagnose it until I think I was three months old. So yeah, then January was my diagnosis, okay. Michael Hingson  04:44 And so how did you how did you function, how did you do things when you were, when you were a young child? Because at that point was kind of well, much before you could use a hearing aid and learn to speak and so on. So what? Mobeen Ansari  05:00 You do. So my parents would have a better memory of that than I would, but I would say that they were, you know, extra hard. They went an extra mile. I mean, I would say, you know, 100 extra mile. My mother learned to be a peace therapist, and my father. He learned to be he learned how to read audiogram, to learn the audiology, familiarize himself with hearing a technology with an engineer support. My parents work around me. David went to a lot of doctors, obviously, I was a very difficult child, but I think that actually laid the foundation in me becoming an artist. Because, you know, today, the hearing is it fits right into my ear so you cannot see it, basically because my hair is longer. But back then, hearing aids used to be almost like on a harness, and you to be full of quiet, so you would actually stick out like a sore thumb. So, you know, obviously you stand out in a crowd. So I would be very conscious, and I would often, you know, get asked what this is. So I would say, this is a radio but for most part of my childhood, I was very introverted, but I absolutely love art. My grandmother's for the painter, and she was also photographer, as well as my grandfather, the hobbyist photographer, and you know, seeing them create all of the visuals in different ways, I was inspired, and I would tell my stories in form of sketching or making modified action figures. And photography was something I picked up way later on in high school, when the first digital camera had just come out, and I finally started in a really interacting with the world. Michael Hingson  07:13 So early on you you drew because you didn't really use the camera yet. And I think it's very interesting how much your parents worked to make sure they could really help you. As you said, Your mother was a speech you became a speech therapist, and your father learned about the technologies and so on. So when did you start using hearing aids? That's Mobeen Ansari  07:42 a good question. I think I probably started using it when I was two years old. Okay, yeah, yeah, that's gonna start using it, but then, you know, I think I'll probably have to ask my parents capacity, but a moment, Mobeen Ansari  08:08 you know, go ahead, I think they worked around me. They really improvised on the situation. They learned at the went along, and I think I learned speech gradually. Did a lot of, you know, technical know, how about this? But I would also have to credit John Troy clinic in Los Angeles, because, you know, back then, there was no mobile phone, there were no emails, but my mother would put in touch with John Troy center in LA and they would send a lot of material back and forth for many years, and they would provide a guidance. They would provide her a lot of articles, a lot of details on how to help me learn speech. A lot of visuals were involved. And because of the emphasis on visuals, I think that kind of pushed me further to become an artist, because I would speak more, but with just so to Michael Hingson  09:25 say so, it was sort of a natural progression for you, at least it seemed that way to you, to start using art as a way to communicate, as opposed as opposed to talking. Mobeen Ansari  09:39 Yeah, absolutely, you know, so I would like pass forward a little bit to my high school. You know, I was always a very shy child up until, you know, my early teens, and the first camera had just come out, this was like 2001 2002 at. It. That's when my dad got one, and I would take that to school today. You know, everyone has a smartphone back then, if you had a camera, you're pretty cool. And that is what. I started taking pictures of my friends. I started taking pictures of my teachers, of landscapes around me. And I would even capture, you know, funniest of things, like my friend getting late for school, and one day, a friend of mine got into a fight because somebody stole his girlfriend, or something like that happened, you know, that was a long time ago, and he lost the fight, and he turned off into the world court to cry, and he was just sort of, you're trying to hide all his vulnerability. I happened to be in the same place as him, and I had my camera, and I was like, should I capture this moment, or should I let this permit go? And well, I decided to capture it, and that is when human emotion truly started to fascinate me. So I was born in a very old city. I live in the capital of Islamabad right now, but I was born in the city of travel to be and that is home to lots of old, you know, heritage sites, lots of old places, lots of old, interesting scenes. And you know, that always inspired you, that always makes you feel alive. And I guess all of these things came together. And, you know, I really got into the art of picture storytelling. And by the end of my high school graduation, everybody was given an award. The certificate that I was given was, it was called pictorial historian, and that is what inspired me to really document everything. Document my country. Document is people, document landscape. In fact, that award it actually has in my studio right now been there for, you know, over 21 years, but it inspired me luck to this day. Michael Hingson  12:20 So going back to the story you just told, did you tell your friend that you took pictures of him when he was crying? Mobeen Ansari  12:32 Eventually, yes, I would not talk. You're familiar with the content back then, but the Catholic friend, I know so I mean, you know everyone, you're all kids, so yeah, very, yeah, that was a very normal circumstance. But yeah, you know, Michael Hingson  12:52 how did he react when you told him, Mobeen Ansari  12:56 Oh, he was fine. It's pretty cool about it, okay, but I should probably touch base with him. I haven't spoken to him for many years that Yeah, Michael Hingson  13:08 well, but as long as Yeah, but obviously you were, you were good friends, and you were able to continue that. So that's, that's pretty cool. So you, your hearing aids were also probably pretty large and pretty clunky as well, weren't they? Mobeen Ansari  13:26 Yeah, they were. But you know, with time my hearing aid became smaller. Oh sure. So hearing aid model that I'm wearing right now that kind of started coming in place from 1995 1995 96 onwards. But you know, like, even today, it's called like BDE behind the ear, hearing it even today, I still wear the large format because my hearing loss is more it's on the profound side, right? Just like if I take my hearing, it off. I cannot hear but that's a great thing, because if I don't want to listen to anybody, right, and I can sleep peacefully at night. Michael Hingson  14:21 Have you ever used bone conduction headphones or earphones? Mobeen Ansari  14:30 But I have actually used something I forgot what is called, but these are very specific kind of ear bone that get plugged into your hearing it. So once you plug into that, you cannot hear anything else. But it discontinued that. So now they use Bluetooth. Michael Hingson  14:49 Well, bone conduction headphones are, are, are devices that, rather than projecting the audio into your ear, they actually. Be projected straight into the bone and bypassing most of the ear. And I know a number of people have found them to be useful, like, if you want to listen to music and so on, or listen to audio, you can connect them. There are Bluetooth versions, and then there are cable versions, but the sound doesn't go into your ear. It goes into the bone, which is why they call it bone conduction. Mobeen Ansari  15:26 Okay, that's interesting, I think. Michael Hingson  15:29 And some of them do work with hearing aids as well. Mobeen Ansari  15:34 Okay, yeah, I think I've experienced that when they do the audio can test they put, like at the back of your head or something? Michael Hingson  15:43 Yeah, the the most common one, at least in the United States, and I suspect most places, is made by a company called aftershocks. I think it's spelled A, F, T, E, R, S, H, O, k, s, but something to think about. Anyway. So you went through high school mostly were, were your student colleagues and friends, and maybe not always friends? Were they pretty tolerant of the fact that you were a little bit different than they were. Did you ever have major problems with people? Mobeen Ansari  16:22 You know, I've actually had a great support system, and for most part, I actually had a lot of amazing friends from college who are still my, you know, friend to the dead, sorry, from school. I'm actually closer to my friend from school than I am two friends of college difficulties. You know, if you're different, you'll always be prone to people who sort of are not sure how to navigate that, or just want, you know, sort of test things out. So to say, so it wasn't without his problems, but for most part of it's surprisingly, surprisingly, I've had a great support system, but, you know, the biggest challenge was actually not being able to understand conversation. So I'm going to go a bit back and forth on the timeline here. You know, if so, in 2021, I had something known as menus disease. Menier disease is something, it's an irregular infection that arises from stress, and what happens is that you're hearing it drops and it is replaced by drinking and bathing and all sorts of real according to my experience, it affects those with hearing loss much more than it affects those with regular, normal hearing. It's almost like tinnitus on steroids. That is how I would type it. And I've had about three occurrences of that, either going to stress or being around loud situations and noises, and that is where it became so challenging that it became difficult to hear, even with hearing it or lip reading. So that is why I use a transcriber app wherever I go, and that been a lifesaver, you know. So I believe that every time I have evolved to life, every time I have grown up, I've been able to better understand people to like at the last, you know, four years I've been using this application to now, I think I'm catching up on all the nuances of conversation that I've missed. Right if I would talk to you five years ago, I would probably understand 40% of what you're saying. I would understand it by reading your lips or your body language or ask you to write or take something for me, but now with this app, I'm able to actually get to 99% of the conversation. So I think with time, people have actually become more tired and more accepting, and now there is more awareness. I think, awareness, right? Michael Hingson  19:24 Well, yeah, I was gonna say it's been an only like the last four years or so, that a lot of this has become very doable in real time, and I think also AI has helped the process. But do you find that the apps and the other technologies, like what we use here, do you find that occasionally it does make mistakes, or do you not even see that very much at all? Mobeen Ansari  19:55 You know it does make mistakes, and the biggest problem is when there is no data, when there is no. Wide network, or if it runs out of battery, you know, because now I kind of almost 24/7 so my battery just integrate that very fast. And also because, you know, if I travel in remote regions of Pakistan, because I'm a photographer, my job to travel to all of these places, all of these hidden corners. So I need to have conversation, especially in those places. And if that ad didn't work there, then we have a problem. Yeah, that is when it's problem. Sometimes, depending on accidents, it doesn't pick up everything. So, you know, sometimes that happens, but I think technology is improving. Michael Hingson  20:50 Let me ask the question. Let me ask the question this way. Certainly we're speaking essentially from two different parts of the world. When you hear, when you hear or see me speak, because you're you're able to read the transcriptions. I'm assuming it's pretty accurate. What is it like when you're speaking? Does the system that we're using here understand you well as in addition to understanding me? Mobeen Ansari  21:18 Well, yes, I think it does so like, you know, I just occasionally look down to see if it's catching up on everything. Yeah, on that note, I ought to try and improve my speech over time. I used to speak very fast. I used to mumble a lot, and so now I become more mindful of it, hopefully during covid. You know, during covid, a lot of podcasts started coming out, and I had my own actually, so I would, like brought myself back. I would look at this recording, and I would see what kind of mistakes I'm making. So I'm not sure if transcription pick up everything I'm saying, but I do try and improve myself, just like the next chapter of my life where I'm trying to improve my speech, my enunciation Michael Hingson  22:16 Well, and that's why I was was asking, it must be a great help to you to be able to look at your speaking through the eyes of the Translate. Well, not translation, but through the eyes of the speech program, so you're able to see what it's doing. And as you said, you can use it to practice. You can use it to improve your speech. Probably it is true that slowing down speech helps the system understand it better as well. Yeah, yeah. So that makes sense. Well, when you were growing up, your parents clearly were very supportive. Did they really encourage you to do whatever you wanted to do? Do they have any preconceived notions of what kind of work you should do when you grew up? Or do they really leave it to you and and say we're going to support you with whatever you do? Mobeen Ansari  23:21 Oh, they were supportive. And whatever I wanted to do, they were very supportive in what my brother had gone to do I had to enter brothers. So they were engineers. And you know what my my parents were always, always, you know, very encouraging of whatever period we wanted to follow. So I get the a lot of credit goes to my my parents, also, because they even put their very distinct fields. They actually had a great understanding of arts and photography, especially my dad, and that really helped me have conversations. You know, when I was younger to have a better understanding of art. You know, because my grandmother used to paint a lot, and because she did photography. When she migrated from India to Pakistan in 1947 she took, like, really, really powerful pictures. And I think that instilled a lot of this in me as well. I've had a great support that way. Michael Hingson  24:26 Yeah, so your grandmother helps as well. Mobeen Ansari  24:32 Oh yeah, oh yeah. She did very, very ahead of her time. She's very cool, and she made really large scale painting. So she was an example of always making the best of life, no matter where you are, no matter how old you are. She actually practiced a Kibana in the 80s. So that was pretty cool. So, you know. Yeah, she played a major part in my life. Michael Hingson  25:05 When did you start learning English? Because that I won't say it was a harder challenge for you. Was a different challenge, but clearly, I assume you learned originally Pakistani and so on. But how did you go about learning English? Mobeen Ansari  25:23 Oh, so I learned about the languages when I started speech. So I mean to be split the languages of Urdu. You are, be you. So I started learning about my mother tongue and English at the same time. You know, basically both languages at work to both ran in parallel, but other today, I have to speak a bit of Italian and a few other regional languages of Pakistan so and in my school. I don't know why, but we had French as a subject, but now I've completely forgotten French at Yeah, this kind of, it kind of helped a lot. It's pretty cool, very interesting. But yeah, I mean, I love to speak English. Just when I learned speech, what Michael Hingson  26:19 did you major in when you went to college? Mobeen Ansari  26:24 So I majored in painting. I went to National College of Arts, and I did my bachelor's in fine arts, and I did my majors in painting, and I did my minor in printmaking and sculpture. So my background was always rooted in fine arts. Photography was something that ran in parallel until I decided that photography was the ultimate medium that I absolutely love doing that became kind of the voice of my heart or a medium of oppression and tougher and bone today for Michael Hingson  27:11 did they even have a major in photography when you went to college? Mobeen Ansari  27:17 No, photography was something that I learned, you know, as a hobby, because I learned that during school, and I was self taught. One of my uncles is a globally renowned photographer. So he also taught me, you know, the art of lighting. He also taught me on how to interact with people, on how to set up appointments. He taught me so many things. So you could say that being a painter helped me become a better photographer. Being a photographer helped me become a better painter. So both went hand in hand report co existed. Yeah, so photography is something that I don't exactly have a degree in, but something that I learned because I'm more of an art photographer. I'm more of an artist than I am a photographer, Michael Hingson  28:17 okay, but you're using photography as kind of the main vehicle to display or project your art, absolutely. Mobeen Ansari  28:30 So what I try to do is I still try to incorporate painting into my photography, meaning I try to use the kind of lighting that you see in painting all of these subtle colors that Rembrandt of Caravaggio use, so I tried to sort of incorporate that. And anytime I press my photograph, I don't print it on paper, I print it on canvas. There's a paint really element to it, so so that my photo don't come up as a challenge, or just photos bottles or commercial in nature, but that they look like painting. And I think I have probably achieved that to a degree, because a lot of people asked me, Do you know, like, Okay, how much I did painting for and create painting. So I think you know, whatever my objective was, I think I'm probably just, you know, I'm getting there. Probably that's what my aim is. So you have a photography my main objective with the main voice that I use, and it has helped me tell stories of my homeland. It has helped me to tell stories of my life. It has helped me tell stories of people around Michael Hingson  29:49 me, but you're but what you do is as I understand you, you're, you may take pictures. You may capture the images. With a camera, but then you put them on canvas. Mobeen Ansari  30:05 Yeah, I just every time I have an exhibition or a display pictures which are present in my room right now, I always print them on Canvas, because when you print them on Canvas, the colors become more richer, right, Michael Hingson  30:22 more mentally. But what? But what you're doing, but what you're putting on Canvas are the pictures that you've taken with your camera. Mobeen Ansari  30:31 Oh, yeah, yeah, okay. But occasionally, occasionally, I tried to do something like I would print my photos on Canvas, and then I would try to paint on them. It's something that I've been experimenting with, but I'm not directly quite there yet. Conceptually, let's see in the future when these two things make properly. But now photographs? Michael Hingson  31:02 Yeah, it's a big challenge. I i can imagine that it would be a challenge to try to be able to print them on cameras and then canvas, and then do some painting, because it is two different media, but in a sense, but it will be interesting to see if you're able to be successful with that in the future. What would you say? It's easier today, though, to to print your pictures on Canvas, because you're able to do it from digital photographs, as opposed to what you must have needed to do, oh, 20 years ago and so on, where you had film and you had negatives and so on, and printing them like you do today was a whole different thing to do. Mobeen Ansari  31:50 Oh yeah, it's same to think good yesterday, somebody asked me if I do photography on an analog camera, and I have a lot of them, like lots and lots of them, I still have a lot of black and white film, but the problem is, nobody could develop them. I don't have that room. So otherwise I would do that very often. Otherwise I have a few functional cameras that tend to it. I'm consciously just thinking of reviving that. Let's see what happens to it. So I think it's become very difficult. You know also, because Pakistan has a small community of photographers, so the last person who everybody would go to for developing the film or making sure that the analog cameras became functional. He unfortunately passed away a few years ago, so I'm sort of trying to find somebody who can help me do this. It's a very fascinating process, but I haven't done any analog film camera photography for the last 15 years now, definitely a different ball game with, you know, typical cameras, yeah, the pattern, you could just take 36 pictures, and today you can just, you know, take 300 and do all sorts of trial and error. But I tried, you know, I think I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to photography, so I kind of try and make sure that I get the shots at the very first photograph, you know, because that's how my dad trained me on analog cameras, because back then, you couldn't see how the pictures are going to turn out until you printed them. So every time my dad took a picture, he would spend maybe two or three minutes on the setting, and he would really make the person in front of him wait a long time. And then you need to work on shutter speed or the aperture or the ISO, and once you would take that picture is perfect, no need to anything to it, Michael Hingson  34:09 but, but transposing it, but, but transferring it to from an analog picture back then to Canvas must have been a lot more of a challenge than it is today. Mobeen Ansari  34:24 No back then, working canvas printing. Canvas printing was something that I guess I just started discovering from 2014 onwards. So it would like during that this is laid up, Michael Hingson  34:38 but you were still able to do it because you just substituted Canvas for the the typical photographic paper that you normally would use is what I hear you say, Mobeen Ansari  34:50 Oh yeah, Canvas printing was something that I figured out much later on, right? Michael Hingson  34:59 Um. But you were still able to do it with some analog pictures until digital cameras really came into existence. Or did you always use it with a digital camera? Mobeen Ansari  35:11 So I basically, when I started off, I started with the handle camera. And obviously, you know, back in the 90s, if somebody asked you to take a picture, or we have to take a picture of something, you just had the analog camera at hand. Yeah. And my grandparents, my dad, they all had, you know, analog cameras. Some of it, I still have it Michael Hingson  35:36 with me, but were you able to do canvas painting from the analog cameras? No, yeah, that's what I was wondering. Mobeen Ansari  35:43 No, I haven't tried, yeah, but I think must have been possible, but I've only tried Canvas printing in the digital real. Michael Hingson  35:53 Do you are you finding other people do the same thing? Are there? Are there a number of people that do canvas painting? Mobeen Ansari  36:02 I lot of them do. I think it's not very common because it's very expensive to print it on canvas. Yeah, because you know, once you once you test again, but you don't know how it's going to turn out. A lot of images, they turn out very rough. The pictures trade, and if can, with print, expose to the camera, sometimes, sorry, the canvas print exposed to the sun, then there's the risk of a lot of fading that can happen. So there's a lot of risk involved. Obviously, printing is a lot better now. It can withstand exposure to heat and sun, but Canvas printing is not as common as you know, matte paper printing, non reflective, matte paper. Some photographers do. It depends on what kind of images you want to get out? Yeah, what's your budget is, and what kind of field you're hoping to get out of it. My aim is very specific, because I aim to make it very Painterly. That's my objective with the canvas. Michael Hingson  37:17 Yeah, you want them to look like paintings? Mobeen Ansari  37:21 Yeah? Yeah, absolutely, Michael Hingson  37:23 which, which? I understand it's, it is a fascinating thing. I hadn't really heard of the whole idea of canvas painting with photograph or photography before, but it sounds really fascinating to to have that Yeah, and it makes you a unique kind of person when you do that, but if it works, and you're able to make it work, that's really a pretty cool thing to do. So you have you you've done both painting and photography and well, and sculpting as well. What made you really decide, what was the turning point that made you decide to to go to photography is kind of your main way of capturing images. Mobeen Ansari  38:12 So it was with high school, because I was still studying, you know, art as a subject back then, but I was still consistently doing that. And then, like earlier, I mentioned to you that my school gave me an award called pictorial historian. That is what inspired me to follow this girl. That is what set me on this path. That is what made me find this whole purpose of capturing history. You know, Pakistan is home to a lot of rich cultures, rich landscapes, incredible heritage sites. And I think that's when I became fascinated. Because, you know, so many Pakistanis have these incredible stories of resilience entrepreneurship, and they have incredible faces, and, you know, so I guess that what made me want to capture it really. So I think, yeah, it was in high school, and then eventually in college, because, you know, port and school and college, I would be asked to take pictures of events. I'll be asked to take pictures of things around me. Where I went to college, it was surrounded by all kinds of, you know, old temples and churches and old houses and very old streets. So that, really, you know, always kept me inspired. So I get over time. I think it's just always been there in my heart. I decided to really, really go for it during college. Well. Michael Hingson  40:00 But you've, you've done pretty well with it. Needless to say, which is, which is really exciting and which is certainly very rewarding. Have you? Have you done any pictures that have really been famous, that that people regard as exceptionally well done? Mobeen Ansari  40:22 I Yes, obviously, that's it for the audience to decide. But right, I understand, yeah, I mean, but judging from my path exhibitions, and judging from system media, there have been quite a few, including the monitor out of just last week, I went to this abandoned railway station, which was on a British colonial time, abandoned now, but that became a very, very successful photograph. I was pretty surprised to see the feedback. But yes, in my career, they have been about, maybe about 10 to 15 picture that really, really stood out or transcended barriers. Because coming out is about transcending barriers. Art is about transcending barriers, whether it is cultural or political, anything right if a person entered a part of the world views a portrait that I've taken in Pakistan, and define the connection with the subject. My mission is accomplished, because that's what I would love to do through art, to connect the world through art, through art and in the absence of verbal communication. I would like for this to be a visual communication to show where I'm coming from, or the very interesting people that I beat. And that is that sort of what I do. So I guess you know, there have been some portraits. I've taken some landscapes or some heritage sites, and including the subjects that I have photography of my book that acting have probably stood out in mind of people. Michael Hingson  42:14 So you have published three books so far, right? Yes, but tell me about your books, if you would. Mobeen Ansari  42:24 So my first book is called Harkin. I will just hold it up for the camera. It is my first book, and what is it called? It is called turken, and the book is about iconic people of Pakistan who have impacted this history, be it philanthropist, be it sports people, be it people in music or in performing arts, or be it Even people who are sanitation workers or electricians to it's about people who who have impacted the country, whether they are famous or not, but who I consider to be icons. Some of them are really, really, really famous, very well known people around the world, you know, obviously based in Pakistan. So my book is about chronicling them. It's about documenting them. It's about celebrating them. My second book without, okay, most Michael Hingson  43:29 people are going to listen to the podcast anyway, but go ahead. Yeah. Mobeen Ansari  43:35 So basically it's writing the flag is about the religious minorities of Pakistan, because, you know, Pakistan is largely a Muslim country. But when people around the world, they look at Pakistan, they don't realize that it's a multicultural society. There's so many religions. Pakistan is home to a lot of ancient civilizations, a lot of religions that are there. And so this book document life and festivities of religious minorities of Pakistan. You know, like I in my childhood, have actually attended Easter mass, Christmas and all of these festivities, because my father's best friend was a Christian. So we had that exposure to, you know, different faiths, how people practice them. So I wanted to document that. That's my second book. Michael Hingson  44:39 It's wonderful that you had, it's wonderful that you had parents that were willing to not only experience but share experiences with you about different cultures, different people, so that it gave you a broader view of society, which is really cool. Mobeen Ansari  44:58 Yeah. Absolutely, absolutely. So your third book? So my third book is a sequel to my first one, same topic, people who have impacted the country. And you know, with the Pakistan has a huge, huge population, it had no shortage of heroes and heroines and people who have created history in the country. So my first book has 98 people, obviously, which is not enough to feature everybody. So my second book, it features 115 people. So it features people who are not in the first book. Michael Hingson  45:41 Your third book? Yeah, okay, yeah. Well, there's, you know, I appreciate that there's a very rich culture, and I'm really glad that you're, you're making Chronicles or or records of all of that. Is there a fourth book coming? Have you started working on a fourth book yet? Mobeen Ansari  46:05 You know in fact, yes, there is. Whenever people hear about my book, they assume that there's going to be landscape or portraits or street photography or something that is more anthropological in nature. That's the photography I truly enjoy doing. These are the photographs that are displayed in my studio right now. So, but I would never really study for it, because Pakistan had, you know, we have poor provinces. And when I started these books, I hadn't really documented everything. You know, I come from the urban city, and, you know, I just, just only take taking pictures in main cities at that time. But now I have taken pictures everywhere. I've been literally to every nook and cranny in the country. So now I have a better understanding, a better visual representation. So a fourth book, it may be down the line, maybe five years, 10 years, I don't know yet. Michael Hingson  47:13 Well, one thing that I know you're interested in, that you've, you've at least thought about, is the whole idea behind climate change and the environment. And I know you've done some work to travel and document climate change and the environment and so on. Tell us, tell us more about that and where that might be going. Mobeen Ansari  47:36 So on tape, note, Michael, you know there's a lot of flooding going on in Pakistan. You know, in just one day, almost 314 people died, but many others you had missing. You had some of the worst flooding test time round. And to be reeling from that, and we had some major flooding some teachers back in. Well, climate change is no longer a wake up call. We had to take action years ago, if not, you know, yesterday and till right now, we are seeing effects of it. And you know, Pakistan has a lot of high mountain peaks. It has, it is home to the second highest mountain in the world, Ketu, and it has a lot of glaciers. You know, people talk about melting polar ice caps. People talk about effects of climate change around the world, but I think it had to be seen everywhere. So in Pakistan, especially, climate change is really, really rearing space. So I have traveled to the north to capture melting glacier, to capture stories of how it affects different communities, the water supply and the agriculture. So that is what I'm trying to do. And if I take pictures of a desert down south where a sand dune is spreading over agricultural land that it wasn't doing up until seven months ago. So you know climate change is it's everywhere. Right now, we are experiencing rains every day. It's been the longest monsoon. So it has also affected the way of life. It has also affected ancient heritage sites. Some of these heritage sites, which are over 3000 years old, and they have bestowed, you know, so much, but they are not able to withstand what we are facing right now. Um, and unfortunately, you know, with unregulated construction, with carbon emissions here and around the world, where deforestation, I felt that there was a strong need to document these places, to bring awareness of what is happening to bring awareness to what we would lose if we don't look after mother nature, that the work I have been doing on climate change, as well as topics of global health and migration, so those two topics are also very close To My Heart. Michael Hingson  50:40 Have you done any traveling outside Pakistan? Mobeen Ansari  50:45 Oh, yeah. I mean, I've been traveling abroad since I was very little. I have exhibited in Italy, in the United States. I was just in the US debris. My brother lives in Dallas, so, yeah, I keep traveling because, because my workshop, because of my book events, or my exhibition, usually here and around the world. Michael Hingson  51:14 Have you done any photography work here in the United States? Mobeen Ansari  51:19 Yeah, I have, I mean, in the US, I just don't directly do photography, but I do workshop, because whatever tool that I captured from Pakistan, I do it there. Okay, funny thing is, a funny thing is that, you know, when you take so many pictures in Pakistan, you become so used to rustic beauty and a very specific kind of beauty that you have a hard time capturing what's outside. But I've always, always just enjoyed taking pictures in in Mexico and Netherlands, in Italy, in India, because they that rustic beauty. But for the first time, you know, I actually spent some time on photography. This year, I went to Chicago, and I was able to take pictures of Chicago landscape, Chicago cityscape, completely. You know, Snowden, that was a pretty cool kind of palette to work with. Got to take some night pictures with everything Snowden, traveling Chicago, downtown. So yeah, sometimes I do photography in the US, but I'm mostly there to do workshops or exhibitions or meet my brothers. Michael Hingson  52:34 What is your your work process? In other words, how do you decide what ideas for you are worthwhile pursuing and and recording and chronicling. Mobeen Ansari  52:46 So I think it depends on where their story, where there is a lot of uniqueness, that is what stands out to me, and obviously beauty there. But they have to be there. They have to be some uniqueness, you know, like, if you look at one of the pictures behind me, this is a person who used to run a library that had been there since 1933 his father, he had this really, really cool library. And you know, to that guy would always maintain it, that library would have, you know, three old books, you know, a philosophy of religion, of theology, and there was even a handwritten, 600 years old copy of the Quran with his religious book for Muslims. So, you know, I found these stories very interesting. So I found it interesting because he was so passionate about literature, and his library was pretty cool. So that's something that you don't get to see. So I love seeing where there is a soul, where there is a connection. I love taking pictures of indigenous communities, and obviously, you know, landscapes as well. Okay? Also, you know, when it comes to climate change, when it comes to migration, when it comes to global health, that's what I take picture to raise awareness. Michael Hingson  54:33 Yeah, and your job is to raise awareness. Mobeen Ansari  54:41 So that's what I try to do, if I'm well informed about it, or if I feel that is something that needed a light to be shown on it, that's what I do. Took my photograph, and also, you know. Whatever had this appeal, whatever has a beauty, whatever has a story that's in spur of the moment. Sometimes it determined beforehand, like this year, particularly, it particularly helped me understand how to pick my subject. Even though I've been doing this for 22 years, this year, I did not do as much photography as I normally do, and I'm very, very picky about it. Like last week I went to this abandoned railway station. I decided to capture it because it's very fascinating. It's no longer used, but the local residents of that area, they still use it. And if you look at it, it kind of almost looks like it's almost science fiction film. So, you know, I'm a big star. Was that Big Star Trek fan? So, yes, I'm in port the camps. So I also like something that had these elements of fantasy to it. So my work, it can be all over the place, sometimes, Michael Hingson  56:09 well, as a as a speaker, it's, it's clearly very important to you to share your own personal journey and your own experiences. Why is that? Why do you want to share what you do with others? Mobeen Ansari  56:28 So earlier, I mentioned to you that John Tracy center played a major, major role in my life. He helped my mother. They provided all the materials. You know, in late 80s, early 90s, and so I will tell you what happened. So my aunt, my mom's sister, she used to live in the US, and when my hearing loss were diagnosed, my mother jumped right into action. I mean, both my parents did. So my mother, she landed in New York, and to my aunt would live in New Jersey. So every day she would go to New York, and she landed in New York League of hard of hearing. And a lady over there asked my mom, do you want your child to speak, or do you want him to learn? Frank Lacher and my mother, without any hesitation, she said, I want my child to speak and to see what put in touch with John Troy center and rest with history, and they provided with everything that needed. So I am affiliated with the center as an alumni. And whenever I'm with the US, whenever I'm in LA, I visit the center to see how I can support parents of those with hearing loss, and I remember when I went in 2016 2018 I gave a little talk to the parents of those with hair in glass. And I got to two other place as well, where I spent my childhood joint. Every time I went there, I saw the same fears. I saw the same determination in parents of those with hearing loss, as I saw in my parents eyes. And by the end of my talk, they came up to me, and they would tell me, you know, that sharing my experiences helped them. It motivated them. It helped them not be discouraged, because having a child hearing loss is not easy. And you know, like there was this lady from Ecuador, and you know, she spoke in Spanish, and she see other translators, you know, tell me this, so to be able to reach out with those stories, to be able to provide encouragement and any little guidance, or whatever little knowledge I have from my experience, it gave me this purpose. And a lot of people, I think, you know, you feel less lonely in this you feel hurt, you feel seen. And when you share experiences, then you have sort of a blueprint how you want to navigate in one small thing can help the other person. That's fantastic. That's why I share my personal experiences, not just to help those with hearing loss, but with any challenge. Because you know when you. Have a challenge when you have, you know, when a person is differently able, so it's a whole community in itself. You know, we lift each other up, and if one story can help do that, because, you know, like for me, my parents told me, never let your hearing loss be seen as a disability. Never let it be seen as a weakness, but let it be seen as a challenge that makes you stronger and that will aspire to do be it when I get it lost all of my life, be it when I had the latest or many years, or anything. So I want to be able to become stronger from to share my experiences with it. And that is why I feel it's important to share the story. Michael Hingson  1:00:56 And I think that's absolutely appropriate, and that's absolutely right. Do you have a family of your own? Are you married? Do you have any children or anything? Not yet. Not yet. You're still working on that, huh? Mobeen Ansari  1:01:10 Well, so to say, Yeah, I've just been married to my work for way too long. Michael Hingson  1:01:16 Oh, there you are. There's nothing wrong with that. You've got something that you Mobeen Ansari  1:01:22 kind of get batting after a while, yeah. Michael Hingson  1:01:26 Well, if the time, if the right person comes along, then it, then that will happen. But meanwhile, you're, you're doing a lot of good work, and I really appreciate it. And I hope everyone who listens and watches this podcast appreciates it as well. If people want to reach out to you, how do they do that? Mobeen Ansari  1:01:45 They can send me an email, which is out there for everybody on my website. I'm on all my social media as well. My email is being.ansarima.com Michael Hingson  1:01:57 so can you spell that? Can you Yeah, M, o b e n, dot a do it once more, M O B, E N, Mobeen Ansari  1:02:07 M O B, double, e n, dot, a n, S, A R, i@gmail.com Michael Hingson  1:02:17 at gmail.com, okay, and your website is.com Mobeen Ansari  1:02:26 same as my name. Michael Hingson  1:02:27 So, okay, so it's mo bean.ansari@our.www.mo Michael Hingson  1:02:35 bean dot Ansari, or just mo Bean on, sorry, Mobeen Ansari  1:02:41 just moving on, sorry. We com, no.no. Michael Hingson  1:02:44 Dot between mobien and Ansari, okay, so it's www, dot mobile being on sorry, yeah, so it's www, dot, M, O, B, E, N, A, N, S, A, R, i.com Yes. Well, great. I have absolutely enjoyed you being with us today. I really appreciate your time and your insights, and I value a lot what you do. I think you represent so many things so well. So thank you for being here with us, and I want to thank all of you who are out there listening and watching the podcast today, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please email me at Michael H, i@accessibe.com that's m, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, and we appreciate it if you would give us a five star rating wherever you are observing the podcast. Please do that. We value that a great deal. And if you know anyone else who ought to be a guest, please let me know. We're always looking for people and mobeen you as well. If you know anyone else who you think ought to be a guest on the podcast, I would appreciate it if you would introduce us. But for now, I just want to thank you one more time for being here. This has been absolutely wonderful. Thank you for being on the podcast with us today. Mobeen Ansari  1:04:08 Thank you so much. It's been wonderful, and thank you for giving me the platform to share my stories. And I hope that it helps whoever watching this. Up to date. Michael Hingson  1:04:26 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

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San Francisco 49ers' quarterback Brock Purdy was unstoppable vs. the Tennessee Titans after totaling 3 touchdowns and leading the Niners offense to an explosive output.We're also analyzing the poor defensive performance that almost cost the 49ers win and offers a worrisome future as the team attempts to clinch a playoff spot next week. Plus, Ricky Pearsall finally breaks out but suffers two more injuries while George Kittle continues to his elite production as Christian McCaffrey struggles. Purchase G.O.A.T Fuel: https://goatfuel.com/?rfsn=8542698.99750d3Visit Sports Spyder for up to date 49ers content: https://sportspyder.com/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/newsFollow us on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @49ers_Access⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@49ers.access  

Nick Kosmider dives into the Denver Broncos' thrilling 34-26 victory over the Green Bay Packers

The Unstoppable Salvation of the Exalted Savior-King Week 11 of the This Is Jesus Series Speaker: Ben Wagenaar Scripture: Luke 23:32-43 Download the slides for this message: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5ay2by4tus2k5varq2j78/This-is-Jesus-Week-10-PDF.pdf?rlkey=07wzx3p014yoe4hj5rgj98ozt&st=55osc4d4&dl=0 (If using on mobile, click the icon on the top right and click direct download)

Have you ever wondered what it takes to transform a fierce enemy of faith into its greatest advocate? In Acts 9, we witness this extraordinary metamorphosis as Saul—Christianity's most notorious persecutor—encounters the living Christ. Pastor Jeff masterfully unpacks how this dramatic conversion showcases God's power to change even the most hardened hearts. Through vivid storytelling and biblical insight, he reveals how true transformation demands full surrender, genuine submission, and bold proclamation of faith. Whether you're questioning your own journey or seeking to understand God's transformative power, this message offers hope and practical wisdom for authentic spiritual change. Don't miss this compelling exploration of how God can radically redirect any life that surrenders to Him. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub

The Unstoppable Church will be one known for great prayers. Prayers of Faith and belief in God's Word. Listen in as Pastor John dives into this topic in Part 8 of this series, "Unstoppable."To learn more about us, visit faithcenter.tv today

Unstoppable - Impromptu speech at TT groupUnstoppable- spotify podcast#passion #life #nagendrabharathi #speech My Poems/Stories/Articles in Tamil and English are available at https://www.amazon.com/author/nagendrabharathi

Join Juju Gotti and Trysta Krick on The Alley Oop Basketball Show as they break down a HUGE night in the NBA. We start with LeBron James' MONSTER dunk over Luke Kornet and the wild emotion he unleashed afterward, then dive into whether the OKC Thunder are officially unstoppable, why NBA refs are calling fewer and fewer travels, and the exact moment the Chicago Bulls hit the point of no return this season. If you love real hoops talk with humor, chaos, and actual insight, you're home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

00:00-15:00: Colorado Avalanche. Unstoppable. ML breaks it down so far. Thanks to Rosie's Corner and Marz Motors. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

All the players are now waiting on paperwork and schemes, and it so happens the business end of the things gets done first. McDonnel arrives at Unstoppable Industries to finalize the details on COG and to hand him over to his new owners.

From the ethics of "unstoppable" founders to the 2026 World Cup hype. We breakdown the latest AI agents saving you time, debate Naval Ravikant's controversial "no partying" rule, and review Kevin Dahlstrom's "55 Rules for Life." Plus, a request for listener feedback on a major strategic pivot for 2025.Welcome to the Alfalfa Podcast

What if success was less about status and more about gratitude, service, and love? In this Unstoppable Mindset conversation, I talk with strategist and social media influencer Cynthia Washington about climbing and then stepping away from the corporate ladder, choosing a “socio economic experiment” that stripped life back to the basics, and discovering what really matters. You'll hear how growing up in Pasadena, studying at Cal Poly Pomona and Columbia Business School, and working with brands like Enterprise and Zions Bank all led Cynthia to a life centered on emotional intelligence, mentoring young women in tech, and leading with heart. I believe you'll come away seeing gratitude, leadership, and your own potential to be unstoppable in a very different light. Highlights: 00:09 – Explore how early life experiences influence the values that guide personal and professional growth.02:59 – Learn how changing direction can uncover the strengths that shape long-term leadership.05:29 – See how pivotal transitions help define a clearer sense of purpose.10:07 – Discover what stepping away from convention reveals about identity and success.20:05 – Reflect on how redefining success can shift your entire approach to work and life.22:13 – Learn how a grounded mindset practice strengthens resilience and clarity.34:25 – Explore how personal evolution can grow into a mission to empower the next generation.59:11 – Gain a new perspective on how we perceive ability, inclusion, and human potential. About the Guest: Cynthia Washington: Bridging Societal Gaps Through Leadership, Influence, and Love Cynthia Washington is an accomplished business professional, an award-winning leader, and international influencer whose life and career embodies resilience, vision, and compassion.  While studying at Columbia University, she embarked on a socio-economic experiment, which became her reality, highlighting her journey across her social media platforms in hope of sharing her deep commitment to bridge societal gaps and create a better world—one love style, one courageous step at a time.  A proud Park City local of more than twenty years, Cynthia's story begins in Southern California, where she grew up between the San Gabriel Mountains and the beaches of Malibu.  Her cousins called her “Malibu Barbie,” and her stepbrother called her “Love.”  Rooted in her values and guided by her heart, Cynthia's story is not only one of success but of transformation—a legacy driven by her belief that we deserve better. Cynthia leads with integrity and authenticity. She continues to expand her global network of leadership, uniting hearts and minds to inspire lasting, positive change on the right side of history with a framework of faith, family and fun that is built on a foundation of love, kindness, compassion and a hope for peace. One Love, Bob Marley style. Professionally, Cynthia Washington stands at the intersection of strategy, leadership, and emotional intelligence. An agile and results-driven leader, she has distinguished herself through her ability to combine quantitative intuition with deep empathy—qualities that make her both a visionary and a unifier. Known for her collaborative leadership style, she excels in developing teams, leading organizational change, and driving sales performance across diverse industries. Her strategic mindset and exceptional communication skills have made her a trusted partner to executives and innovators alike. Cynthia's work fosters meaningful engagement between employees and senior leaders, helping organizations align vision with values. Through her global portfolio of projects, she has sharpened her expertise in marketing, leadership development, and brand transformation, helping companies from Park City to Silicon Slopes and across international markets thrive. Her career is a testament to excellence, purpose, and adaptability—qualities that have earned her numerous accolades and the respect of peers worldwide. Among her many achievements, Cynthia was honored as a SheTech Champion Impact Award Recipient at the Women Tech Awards, celebrating her leadership, mentorship, and dedication to empowering young women in technology. For more than five years, she has stood alongside thousands of high school students—mentoring, volunteering, and serving as a role model for the next generation of innovators. Motivated by her desire to create a better world for her daughter, she embarked on what she lovingly calls her “mom mission”—a service journey dedicated to making her community and the world around her better. During her sabbatical from Silicon Valley into this transformative period, Cynthia launched LVL UP with CW, her brand, leveraging her expertise to help local and global businesses grow, evolve, and thrive. As an international social media influencer, she has used her platform not for fame or recognition, but for global impact, sharing messages of resilience, hope, and empowerment. This work is a lesson of intersectionality and bridges the worlds of fashion, sports, philanthropy, business, money, technology, spirituality, global preservation, health and wellness in hopes of leveling up and shifting the societal norms. She has partnered with brands across industries to elevate visibility, deepen engagement, and build authentic customer connections. Through brand ambassador relationships, social media management, and content creation, Cynthia has amplified voices, strengthened communities, and showcased how influence, when rooted in integrity, is a force for good. That same belief shines through in Cynthia Washington's powerful memoir, Mind Matters: The Story of My Life. Written during her sabbatical, the respectfully honest memoir captures her life's “grind with grit” story. The cover, graced by her daughter's original artwork, wraps her book with a big thank you hug, encapsulating the power of love that anchors Cynthia's bold voyage.  Mind Matters explores her corporate climb and fall, her studies at Columbia University, her travels across the United States with her daughter, the Aloha spirit of Hawaii, and her experiences in Hollywood and the music industry. Interwoven through these chapters are stories of friendship, including her personal connections with cultural icons like Eminem and Kobe Bryant, whose wisdom and creativity shaped what Cynthia calls The Trifecta - a guiding philosophy built on Kobe's Mamba Mentality, the music of Eminem, and her own life's work. Three forces that together drive her vision and her ability to live her socio-economic experiment proving money is a tool and the real power is in the mind. “You can do anything you set your mind to, man” - Eminem Mind Matters: The Story of My Life is available on Amazon and other major online retailers and can also be ordered through local bookstores. The memoir has been nominated for The Eric Hoffer Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing, a recognition of both its literary merit and its heartfelt message of perseverance. Yet, true to her character, Cynthia did not embark on this journey for fame or recognition—she wrote it to give back, to inspire, and to remind readers everywhere that no matter where you come from, with a healthy positive mindset you too can change the trajectory of your life. Beyond her work as an author and international leader, Cynthia lives a simple life.  She is a mom, a trailblazer, and an advocate, representing many initiatives that level up society and bridge societal gaps. She turned her pain into her strength and used that as fuel to ignite a movement.  Her heart is full of gratitude for all the bands and their aid, as they played a meaningful role in inspiring the Band Aid, a global movement for unity and peace that emerged during a time when the world needed hope most. A true Band Aid. Ways to connect with Cynthia**:** Instagram https://www.instagram.com/misscdub Linkedin  https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-washington-1b13a265 Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Matters-Story-My-Life/dp/B0DJRPQTY2 About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Hi everyone. Welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're with us today, wherever you happen to be, hope you're having a good day, and hope that we can inspire you and make this a fun time for you as well. Our guest today is Cynthia Washington. Cynthia describes herself as standing at the intersection of strategy, leadership and an emotional intelligence, and I know that she's going to talk more about that and what what brought her to come to that conclusion, but I've been looking at her information. I think she's got a lot of interesting stuff to talk to us about, and we'll get to it. But for now, Cynthia, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here. Cynthia Washington  02:05 Oh, thank you, Michael. I appreciate being here and spending this time with you today, and I'm looking forward to our conversation. Michael Hingson  02:13 Well, I am as well. Well, why don't we start? I love to start this way with the the early Cynthia, if you will. Cynthia Washington  02:20 Of course, yes, the early Cynthia. I grew up in Pasadena, California, that Southern California, near the Rose Bowl in the San Gabriel Mountains. I attended an all girls private Catholic school for my seventh to 12th grades. I attended also Cal Poly Pomona, where I studied international business and marketing. And I love everything Southern California. I've always had this dream of living in Park City, and I ended up coming here in when was it 2004 so I've been here almost 21 years. Michael Hingson  03:04 So when you were at Cal Poly, did you help build the Rose Parade Float? Cynthia Washington  03:09 I did not build the Rose Parade Float, even though both Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona do a collaborative effort to build one every year since I grew up with the Rose Parade in my backyard, I had my own special moments with that. I always wanted to be on the Rose Parade court, and so my mom put me into a many different pageants, which helped prepare me and built my confidence so that I could be the person I am today. And I'm forever grateful for that experience like sports, it teaches you about competition, failure and set you up for success. Michael Hingson  04:05 Yes. And again, what did you study at Cal Poly, Cynthia Washington  04:10 international business and marketing? Okay, I originally started in microbiology. I had finished with the intention to become a doctor, and realized I could not stomach blood or needles, and so I quickly changed my major once I made that realization, and I changed my major to English, because I love reading Shakespeare Books. Everything is just so fascinating, fascinating about the English language and its literature. So I studied that for a little while, my father told me that I needed to do something different, and therefore I changed my major to international business and marketing. Michael Hingson  05:00 Hmm, that was different than English by any standard. Yeah. Cynthia Washington  05:06 So it was definitely different. Well, he is a businessman, a banker, and I think you know, for him, it was important for me to kind of follow in those footsteps, which I have, ironically, and I'm forever grateful for him for pushing me in a different direction, I use all three though, the science, the technology, the English and the international business skills in my current role, so, or roles, Michael Hingson  05:37 well, so you graduated. Did you go on and get any advanced degrees or just a bachelor's? Cynthia Washington  05:43 Oh, well, I did. It took me a while, too, though. I recently, in 2022 applied to Columbia University, actually Columbia Business School, and I completed their chief marketing officer executive education program with a Certificate in Business Excellence from Columbia Business School. So yes, I did eventually go back to school. However, I had a few careers in and amongst that along my path and my journey, which helped me have a more well rounded knowledge, yeah, to enter into that up advanced learning. Michael Hingson  06:35 So what did you do after you graduated from Cal Poly? Cynthia Washington  06:40 After I graduated from Cal Poly, I took a gap year, to be honest, and in that gap year, I learned so much about myself. I intersected with Hollywood for a brief moment in time, developed some really great, lasting friendships that have surpassed time. In addition to that, I skied, I snowboard, I learned to surf, and did all the things that I just needed to do as a California girl, yes, it was quite fun and bolted me into the person I am today. With that being said, I once again, had my father reminding me that it was time to get a job, and so I ventured into the management trainee program with enterprise run a car, climbed that corporate ladder, eventually having a territory from Santa Barbara to San Diego that I managed and oversaw a team inside one of our insurance partners headquarters, Which was really amazing opportunity. Then that took me, with a relocation package to Utah with my husband and our newborn baby to come and plant roots. Here he they enterprise was ahead of times in the fact that they wanted to harvest talent from different parts of the United States to strengthen the team they were building in Utah. My husband and I at the time, were part of that strategy, which was really an amazing opportunity, because I was one of a handful women managers that were brought on to the Utah team, and we were able to establish ourselves as influencers and leaders to help grow the women leadership network within Utah and Idaho for enterprise. Michael Hingson  09:14 You said, early I'm sorry. Go ahead. Go ahead. You said early on that you always wanted to go to Park City. Why was that? Sounds like, you know, you got to live your dream. But why was that? Yes. Cynthia Washington  09:26 Well, my father worked a lot, and for him to disconnect from work, we would come and visit Park City or travel to Hawaii. Well, we summer it every summer in Kauai for the month of July. So to contrast that we had time in Park City, Utah before it was what it has become, which was really fascinating. And I loved having the exposure to the Four Seasons and just the. Um, simple life that park city offered was really refreshing, coming from the hustle and bustle of Downtown LA and being in the city, it was just something I dreamt of, and I'm so grateful to have lived that dream, to be here and have to and to have raised my daughter here as well Michael Hingson  10:27 makes sense. And as I said, you now get to live your dream. You're living where you wanted to, and you've been there now for, like, 21 years, and you sound like you haven't changed your mind, you're very happy with it. Cynthia Washington  10:43 Yes, you know, my daughter's graduating college soon, and perhaps maybe I'll think of another location to move to. But for now, this is what I call home. This is where I've planted my my seeds and my roots for our little single mom family. So yeah, it's been great. Michael Hingson  11:06 Well, so you you say that you lived a social, socio economic experiment. Tell me more about what that means. Yes. Cynthia Washington  11:19 So while at Columbia University, I opted to live a socio economic experience to contrast the life that I grew up with. So as I mentioned, I attended Cal Poly, worked with enterprise, had a great career with them. When I came to Utah, I kept that career. After my divorce, I began another career at America first credit union. I saw, I saw that I needed to take a step back from the career world, and so I took a 20 hour teller position as I was figuring out my relationship with my husband and determining our next steps. And so once that was dissolved, I had this great team who saw my leadership skills and helped me climb another corporate ladder. After a few years one of my previous colleagues came to me and asked me to venture into Silicon Valley, doing business in Utah with a team, a Medicare sales team that I managed, and that was quite fascinating, talk about baptism by fire. I learned all things Medicare on the fly, and had a really amazing opportunity with that. And so I have steadily over time, climbed three different corporate ladders, made excellent income, six figures, generously raising my daughter here in Utah, and it has always been in the back of my mind to understand life from a different lens, to understand it with a different perspective. And so as a result, when I was in the Columbia application process, I had become really, really, really sick, deathly sick, I like to say I was on my death bed when I applied to Colombia because I was surviving on water and pressed juices for a little over a month, because I was having some difficulties internally. And so while I had that downtime, I had a lot of time to think, and it was important to me to apply at Columbia. Well, I originally applied to Northwestern and they recommended me to Columbia. And so when I did my Columbia application, it was important for me not to just take the northwestern recommendation, but to also set myself apart. And I thought, well, the socio economic experiment would be great at something I've been thinking about, you know, living life through a different lens. I had the savings built up so that I could do so. And I thought, Yes, I can do this. I can You can do anything you set your mind to. Quote. Eminem, I did. I did that. I lived it. I abandoned my ego, I abandoned all the luxurious items that I had, and lived this truly simple life. And it was quite fascinating, because the more I trusted that process, the more I grew and became still and trusted God's guidance in this journey that I was creating. Fast forward through the social media aspect of everything, I was reminded of some Hollywood friends that I had forgotten about, to be honest. And I don't know how you forget about them, but I did, because I never really spoke about those tender moments I had, and cherish them within my heart and my soul. But I was overcoming this really traumatic experience, a bad, bad relationship that put me into hiding, yet with being at Columbia, living the socio economic experiment and sharing my life through my social media influencer role, my Hollywood friends found me in a time of need, and through this reintroduction, I was reminded of a night I like to coin as dream night, and I call it dream night because that's the night I met Marshall Mathers, who the world knows as Eminem, and he and I were from completely different aspects of life, with completely different perspectives on life, and yet, when we met, we intersected. I was leaving Hollywood, he was coming into it, and we spent together, as silly as it sounds, playing beer pong, thinking through all of the world's problems. And in that conversation, I had mentioned that one day I was going to go to Columbia, and one day I was going to live the socio economic experiment so that I could help the world. And you know, he envisioned his dream of becoming this rap star, and together, we would reunite our forces for good to help elevate the world. And I forgot about this moment in time, to be quite honest, I just continued on a path that I naturally was creating when I was younger, because before meeting Marshall, I had met Kobe Bryant while I was a student graduating Cal Poly, and he was new, upcoming rising superstar into basketball. He had his eye on Vanessa. Her group of friends were very smart, and he knew he needed to knowledge up to get his girl. And so here I was this book smart girl, kind of hanging out in Hollywood. I had worked a job at Staples Center, because I love the Lakers, and it was really cool. I, you know, had me more court side than it did have me working because I gave away more of my tables, and I did actually work to spend time building these relationships with Kobe and the Lakers, which I'm so forever grateful for, and because Kobe recognized my book smart, his spotlight and together, we would have these Kobe talks, which ultimately built the framework for Mama mentality and my only ask of him as I exited Hollywood and that era of my life was that he named mob and mentality, mob and mentality, which he did. And so I, you know, I had. Had Mamba mentality. This up and comer rap star Eminem, who, honestly, I didn't even know was Eminem. For me, he was this guy from Detroit that I met through my friend Travis Barker, who happened to be the drummer blink, 182 but I was so unaware of all these people and who they were. They were, to me, were just people I knew and friends that I had. And, you know, fast forward to where we're at now. It's like we're all living our dreams, and it's really super cool. But the socio economic experiment came from that dream night with Marshall and this whole concept of who and how we wanted to be in this future version of ourselves and I wanted to be this socio economic experiment to understand life through a different lens, especially after meeting him that One night and hearing his life experience, my life experience that you know, it was fascinating to me, like I want, I I want to help people, but to truly help people and bridge those societal gaps that exist, Cynthia Washington  21:16 one has To have a full scope of life through all perspectives, and this opportunity through Columbia, with this experiment, positioned me to really embrace that, and now I am very happy because I think it has helped me appreciate the quality, true quality of life. You know, it's not about the money, it's not about the fame, it's not about the recognition. It's about love and family and caring and nurturing one another Michael Hingson  21:59 with and I would presume that you would say that that's what you learned from the experiment, Cynthia Washington  22:05 yes, yes, absolutely. That's what I learned. You know, here, as I was climbing all these different corporate ladders, I always thought it was about having more you know, having more money, having more things, having a bigger house, a nicer car and all this stuff, but truly abandoning all that stuff allowed me to live more because I appreciated the true moment as A gift, especially from being on my deathbed, you know, to being able to live each day to its fullest, that in and amongst itself, was a gift to me, and learning to be present for my daughter was a present for Me. And so these were all things that socio economic experiment taught me about appreciating life. Michael Hingson  23:07 So where do concepts like gratitude come into all of that? And how is gratitude help keep you centered and kind of moving forward? Cynthia Washington  23:18 Great question through this journey I've been on, I've learned to live each day with a grateful heart. I wake up daily appreciative of the moment, to be alive, regardless of what I have or what accomplishments I've achieved. I truly am thankful for the gift of life. And with that being said, I live in a spirit of Thanksgiving, not because Thanksgiving is on the horizon and the holidays grow near, but because having that gratitude rooted in my soul has helped me Stay focused on my Why stay firm in my beliefs and trust the process every step of the way, living with gratitude has just opened my Heart to the possibilities, and it's been a phenomenal growth experience. The more I give thanks, the more I give, the more I serve, the better I lead, the stronger I am, and the more abundant the blessings are. Are, and it's just truly remarkable to be this vessel for good living life with the spirit of Thanksgiving. Michael Hingson  25:12 If somebody were to ask you, how can you teach me how to really have gratitude and make it a part of my life, what? What kind of advice or what kind of guidance can you give someone to help them learn to be a person who's more grateful or have more gratitude? Wow, um, Cynthia Washington  25:33 if someone is looking to have more gratitude and develops a process in establishing more gratitude. I think it would just be to reframe your focus instead of, oh, I don't have these things, right? That's when I let go of my Louis vuittons my fancy car, and, you know, sold all my really nice clothes that you know, just to have some extra cash to accomplish more of my goals, I let go of all Those materialistic things. And instead of having the mindset of like, Oh, I'm getting rid of these things, I was I saw it as an opportunity. So I guess what I'm saying is to reframe, instead of it being like, I don't have these things, or the woe is me attitude reframe that too. I am blessed with a family, I am blessed with food, I am blessed with shelter, I am blessed with a job that provides me with stability. I am blessed with the person in the mirror who has awoken for this moment in time, awoken, awaked it has. How do you say that? Awakened, that's fine. Awakened, yeah, has awakened in this moment, you know, for another beautiful day, and then after that, reframing of the mindset, focus on the positives and count your blessings. I know that sounds so cliche, but be grateful for this. Yes, be grateful for the things that you do have, the people who love you love is the most durable power that there is, you know, and having that focus on those good things with a positive mindset reframed from the negative, you can easily shape yourself into a person who lives with gratitude and then reciprocate it. You know, as you, as you go about your day, give that gratitude to someone else with a nice smile or a thank you. And people can feel a thank you. People can feel a smile. People can feel that authentic, genuine sense of gratitude in any capacity of life. And that is far more reaching than that negative I don't have I don't have enough. I don't I'm not qualified for this type of negative mindset that weighs people down. Instead, when you live with gratitude, you feel lighter, you feel more alive, and you feel unstoppable. Michael Hingson  29:09 Have you ever read a book by a gentleman named Henry Drummond called Love the greatest thing in the world? Cynthia Washington  29:18 No, but it sounds like something I would enjoy reading. It's Michael Hingson  29:21 more, it's very short, but he he talks all about the fact that love is, in fact, the greatest thing in the most powerful thing in the world, and that that it is something that we all ought to express and deal with a whole lot more than than we do. Was written in, in, I think, the late 1800s I believe. But it is, it is well worth reading. As I said, it's very short. I've read the audio version, and it only takes an hour, so it's not very long book. But it doesn't need Cynthia Washington  29:59 to be well. I will definitely add that to my reading list, because my step brother called me love and it's my nickname, and all the work I have done while on my mom mission after Columbia and over the past few years to help bridge societal gaps, to make the world better for my daughter, her friends and our children and the world ultimately stems from love and gratitude and love are to my focuses. There you go. Michael Hingson  30:46 And as makes a lot of sense, as they should be well. So what have you been doing? Well, so you worked for enterprise, and then you went on, I guess, to do some other things. But what have you been doing since Columbia? Cynthia Washington  31:02 Well, since Columbia, my last class at Columbia was in finance. I studied finance, macro economics. And one more thing I forgot, that's okay. So anyway, well, my last class at Columbia was in finance and Oh, corporate governance, yes. So at Columbia, I studied corporate governance, macroeconomics and finance, while also completing my chief marketing officer executive education requirements and my last class being in finance aligned with Zions Bank, 150 year anniversary of being in business. I thought, wow, this is quite timely. Zions Bank is highly reputable, very respected organization in Utah. And I wanted to work with them while I finished Columbia, and initially I took a role to just kind of understand money real time, working on the front lines across a variety of different branches, and now I still work with them. I am in their retail banking administration department. I work with a great team. I am close to the SVPs, EBPs, and with the branches, our clients. I work on multiple different projects, doing different things, which is so fascinating because I'm in the heartbeat of the business, and it satisfies my my desire to stay relevant and use all my skill sets for good, because I have that ability to touch so many different people and projects in the work that I do at science bank, it allows me the flexibility to maintain my social media influencer status, and both give me the stability to be a good single mom for my daughter who's finishing Up in college. So I'm very grateful for that opportunity, and Colombia opens so many doors. As far as the social media marketing piece of the work I've done since Columbia, I sit on a handful of boards, Big Brothers, Big Sisters. I am on the boulder way forward legislative committee as a chair, and I continue to just do a bunch of philanthropic work, which I. I'm able to promote and highlight within the social media work that I do, so the two work beautifully together, and I am happy just to give back in the capacity I can using my skill sets at a maximized level, Michael Hingson  35:24 okay, well, you also formed your own company, didn't you? Cynthia Washington  35:29 Yes, I did form my own company. It's called level up with C dub, and that business has allowed me to work with amazing brands throughout Park Cities, silicon slopes and globally. It started, yeah, go ahead. No, go ahead. It started because I wanted to level up my community and bridge some gaps that I saw, and then it has grown into something bigger and better in the fact that the work that I'm doing is not only helping local businesses, but it's helping level up our youth, and creating an opportunity for our youth to follow a yellow brick road, so to speak, with my work that I have put forth so that they are more resilient, emotionally intelligent, and have the mental strength To endure this ever changing world. So it's been quite interesting to see how it's shifted from helping businesses mentoring individuals into this new space. Michael Hingson  37:14 And so what does the company do today? What? What you talk about helping youth and so on? Tell me a little bit more about what what you do and how you do it, and is it just you, or do you have other people in the company? Cynthia Washington  37:27 No, it's just me. Just now, just me. Yes, I don't have enough time to invest in it because Zions is my nine to five. I work at a local boutique in town to stay in the heartbeat of town, you know. And then I have the social media stuff that I do. So my calendar is quite full. The level up with C dub work has been word of mouth, and people like you have sought me through various platforms, and I like that. I'm not ready to scale it yet, even though it is scalable, but I like being able to control the the the incoming work and produce high quality products with my brand name attached to it. So right now, it's something that exists. Um, it's something it's a labor of love, and so I'm not quite ready to bring on a team, because it's multi faceted. There's a lot of mentoring, there's a lot of coaching, there's a lot of brand building, and these are all things that I just like to do on my own. Michael Hingson  39:20 So what kind of things do you do you do from a mentoring standpoint, what? What exactly does the company do? Cynthia Washington  39:28 Well, from a mentoring standpoint, I mentor across different platforms. I just received an Impact Award for mentoring girls in the tech realm of silicon slopes, over 1000 Utah high schoolers, actually, 1000s of high school girls have been mentored through this program called she tech, of which I am a part of and. Um, in addition to that, I have middle level professionals who want to level up within their career, who utilize me and my services to help coach them to their next corporate move. And so there's some one on one time. People hire me. I fit them into my schedule. We work together. They call me, you know, hey, I have this moment at work that's happening and I need some guidance. How do I navigate it? You know, sometimes it's easier to talk through that situation with a coach than it is to talk through it with your peer or manager, because you don't want to take away the integrity of the the momentum you've created at work. So I act as at sounding board for a handful of other executive, young executives who are up and coming, rising into their career, and so it's it's multifaceted. Everything's been word of mouth, and I don't have a website. I started with one, I perhaps might go back to creating one. But for now, everything is pretty manageable. I just wear a lot of different hats and work through a lot of different projects, helping many different people across different platforms. Michael Hingson  41:48 How do you keep it all together? Cynthia Washington  41:53 Great question. I use a calendar. I write a lot of notes down. I have a very systematic approach to everything that I have going on. I've learned to say no and to prioritize what's most important. I had an executive coach when I was in Silicon Valley and working in the Medicare realm of business and my executive coach brought so much value into being that sounding board for me and Springboarding My career that giving back in that same capacity is so rewarding for me. I find enjoyment out of it, and the busier I am, the more full I feel my life is. And so right now, I manage it all by writing it down and keeping it organized. You know, in my calendars, thankfully, there's flexibility with all that I do, which allows me to be very agile and giving back in the level up with C dub work that I do. Michael Hingson  43:21 Well, it sounds like when you had access to an executive coach, you were very observant about what they did, so that you could do that same sort of thing and pass it on. Because it sounds like you you took to heart the lessons you learned from that coach. Absolutely. Cynthia Washington  43:40 I had the best executive coach. And you know, when I was on my deathbed, she reached out to me and cared for me even though I was no longer her client. You know, we had become friends through that relationship, and I want to be that person for someone else, and that's why right now, I don't have anyone on my team with me, and I don't have an intention of scaling it At this point in time, because I try to, I to take on the workload with intention and purpose so that I can authentically lead and give back to help others grow and thrive within their realm of life, right? Michael Hingson  44:46 Well, you have written a book. Tell us about that and what what it is, and anything you want to talk about, Cynthia Washington  44:54 yeah, this is a book right here for those who. You are able to see Michael Hingson  45:04 it, and it's called Mind Matters. Cynthia Washington  45:07 Yes, sir, Mind Matters. It's the story of my life. It's a memoir encompasses everything and an easy to read book. It encompasses my travels, my corporate climb and fall, my Columbia education and studies, how I overcame some big hurdles with a grind, with grit, mindset and mentality. My time in Hollywood, what I like to call the trifecta me, Eminem and Kobe, and my work, the music of Eminem and Mama mentality with those three things, you can achieve anything. And what else does it include? Oh, it just has some really fun tales of growing up in California. I and some principles, guiding principles I learned from Columbia University that I wanted to encapsulate into this book and share again to give back to others. It's modestly priced on Amazon. You can buy it wherever books are sold. It's I didn't write it for fame or recognition. I respectfully share stories about my friends in Hollywood. Good and, yeah, it's a fun a fun story. I released it a year ago, October 10, and did my first book launch release party, November 15. And so it's really fun to see it become what it has, and to see its ripple effects throughout society. Michael Hingson  47:32 What did you learn about you from writing the book? Cynthia Washington  47:39 Oh, well, writing a book requires a lot of self discipline. I learned that I have lived a story rich with abundant blessings, and I learned that I have accomplished so much with having That spirit of gratitude. I grind it with grit, resilience, that has catapulted me into the space that I am living in now. However, it was also a very humbling experience as I wrote the book, I it healed me in some ways, because I had been in hiding for a year, and as much As I was sharing my life on social media, I was still afraid to live my life because I was in hiding, and so it helped me heal from that trauma, which is why I have it modestly priced, because if I can help someone else overcome something as traumatic that I have lived by sharing my story and giving hope through my story, then I want to put it out there. I'm not in it for money. I'm in it so I can help our society through this humanitarian effort, you know, and sharing a little bit about me might help someone in their time of need. So, yes, I love. Learned. I learned to heal, I learned to trust the process, and I learned who I am. Michael Hingson  50:08 It makes a lot of sense. And I asked the question, having written three books and learning from all three of them, various things about me, but also just learning to have the discipline and to go into that place where you can create something that hopefully people in the world will appreciate. I think that's that's a really cool thing, and clearly you've done that. Cynthia Washington  50:38 Yes, thank you, and you definitely can understand that, you know, you put your heart and soul into this book of creative mindfulness, and it's truly rewarding to share it with other people. And I like to say my books wrapped with my daughter's big thank you hug, because it's wrapped in her artwork that she drew, that I have framed, and I thought it was a perfect cover for it. And it's it's really a blessing to have gone through the trauma, live through it, and for her to see this work of art, share my story and help others and her. Thank you. Hug around it is even a bigger form of love Michael Hingson  51:44 you have won, and you mentioned it earlier, a she Peck she tech champion Impact Award. Tell us about that award, what it is, and a little bit more about why you won one and so on. Cynthia Washington  51:58 Yes, so while at Columbia, I did the level up with CW work, I worked with Zions Bank, had the social media influencer role, and I aligned with a lot of great women and businesses throughout Park City, Salt Lake and silicon slopes, those women became friends and she Tech was founded by one of my friends, and I became involved in that about five years ago, as a mentor, a role model, an influencer, helping young girls learn that there is opportunity in The tech space. Technology space for women and girls learning and their worth, their their value and creating opportunities for them. And so through the social media aspect, I have been able to share to share the great work of she tech and women tech Council and some other brands that I've aligned with to help young girls see other women leaders actively working and living in these different capacities. So all of the work that I do goes hand in hand with this mentoring space and helping our youth see their potential. Chi Tech, I was one of 30 who received that award this year, I was humbly honored to be a recipient of the award. I knew the work I was doing was focused on my love to change the world for my daughter and make the world a better place for her, her friends and ultimately, all children. I just didn't realize how far reaching my impact was until I received the email notifying me of this. Impact Award, and when I stood on stage with all these other champions, champions, champion champions, championing change and this trajectory of our world. It just reinforced all of the work I have done and the profound impact it's having on our youth today, and it's remarkable to like. I can't, I can't express the depth it has, because it's so far reaching, and it's something beyond my wildest dreams that I've created through my work, through all these different intersections of strategic marketing and social media brand work and leading by Cynthia Washington  56:16 good and using my influence for good. And it's just truly amazing to see that I've helped 1000s of teenage girls understand their potential, their value and their worth, knowing that there's so many different possibilities in the tech space for them to learn, grow and do Michael Hingson  56:47 well, congratulations on winning the award. That's a that's a cool thing, and obviously you're making a big difference. Cynthia Washington  56:57 Thank you so much. I'm still so humbled, and I keep having to ground myself because I never expected to be in this moment. I simply was a mom on a mission to change the trajectory for my daughter, and receiving this award was something I never expected, and I keep ground, grounding myself, because I just I'm so humbly honored to have received it, and to have come to this, this elevated level of where I'm at in my current life, by giving up everything, I became something so much bigger and better than I ever expected or or planned for myself, and it's profound to me, and I just have to constantly ground myself and remind myself like that it's it's okay to be here. Michael Hingson  58:17 That's what gratitude can do, and that's what gratitude obviously does for you, because you you clearly exhibit a lot of gratitude in in all that you say and all that you do. And I think that's extremely important. People really should think a little bit more about gratitude than they then they typically do. But you know, it is something that that clearly you have put in the forefront of of your being. You do a lot with social media. And tell me a little bit more about about that as we move forward here and get close to wrapping up. Cynthia Washington  58:57 Well, yes, I do do a lot on social media, but before I answer that question, you found me through social media, and I want you to share a little bit about how you discovered me knowing that you're unable to see a lot of the content I create. So how were you able to find me? And then I'll answer that question. Tell me what intrigued you Michael Hingson  59:31 when you say not see the content, like, What do you mean? Cynthia Washington  59:36 Well, you have a blindness, vision impairment, correct, Michael Hingson  59:46 not an impairment, but that's okay, but, but what is it that I don't see exactly? Cynthia Washington  59:52 How do you see my social media content for you to be able to find. Michael Hingson  1:00:00 I use a piece of software that verbalizes whatever comes across the computer screen, so hearing the the text, listening to what your profile on LinkedIn says about you and so on, is all just as straightforward for me as it is for you, and to describe that in great detail would be like me asking you how you do what you do. It's what we grow up learning. The reality is, blindness isn't the problem. That's why I said it's not an impairment, because people always think about blindness as a visual impairment. Well, visually, I'm not different because I'm blind and I'm not impaired because I am blind, if, if the reality is impairment has nothing to do with it, and we really need to get away from thinking that someone is less than someone else because they may not have the same senses that that we do. And while I don't necessarily have eyesight, I have other gifts that I've learned to maximize, and probably the greatest gift of all, is that I don't happen to be light dependent like you are. The reality is that for you, when there's a power failure or something that causes all the lights and everything to go out, you scramble looking for an iPhone or a smartphone or a flashlight or something to bring light in, because we spent a lot of time bringing light on demand. To you ever since the light bulb was invented, I don't have that problem. The power goes out, doesn't bother me a bit. The reality is we've got to get away from this idea of thing that somebody is impaired because they don't have some things that we do. There are a lot of ways to get information, and eyesight is only one of them. Cynthia Washington  1:01:48 I love that, and that's exactly why I wanted you to explain that, because I think that's super important as we discuss unstoppable mindset. I think that's a critical necessity for society to learn and to know, and because you were able to find me using these great resources that you have and the work I'm putting forth intrigued you to bring me into this meeting with you. So I am, again, so grateful that we have this opportunity to collaborate in this space, bringing both our good works together to Oh, help level up awareness that there are no limits. We are unstoppable. Glasses shattering everywhere because of people like you and me who are doing this good work to change the trajectory of the world, and social media for me, has given me the opportunity to do what you do in this podcast. Michael Hingson  1:03:14 If you want people to be able to reach out to you and interact with you, how best can they do that Cynthia Washington  1:03:22 the like you did through LinkedIn is great. That's how I do receive most of my work is through LinkedIn. People find me there and will message me through then, LinkedIn, what? Michael Hingson  1:03:43 What's your LinkedIn name or your house? Cynthia Washington  1:03:47 Cynthia Washington. Okay, that's easy, yes. Cynthia Washington, Park City, Salt Lake City, will get you to me. Another outlet is through Instagram. I'm little bit more hesitant to reply to the direct messages on Instagram. I do try to filter a lot of my content and screen things. So I do trust LinkedIn a little bit more. As far as the messaging component is concerned, also, I have provided you with my email which you're happy I'm happy for you to share. Okay, so any of those three means will get you connected to me. I do not have a website. As I said, everything is organic, authentic and word of mouth. My Plate is really full, and so I like to be selective of the projects I bring on in hopes that they give back to society in one way or another. Lacher, I'm not doing it to chase every deal or get a bunch of free product. I do it with a very intentional Spirit giving back with gratitude that karmic effect goes a long way well. Michael Hingson  1:05:18 I hope people will reach out. You clearly have a lot to offer, and I think you've you've given us a lot to think about today, which I appreciate a great deal. So thank you very much for that. I want to thank all of you who are listening or watching our podcast today, or maybe you're doing both listening and watching. That's okay too. I want to thank you for being here with us. Love to get your thoughts. If you have any messages or our ideas you want to pass along. Love it if you'd reach out to me. Michael, H, I m, I C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I B, e.com, you can and I would appreciate it if you would, wherever you're listening or watching this podcast, give us a five star rating, and please give us a review. We really value your reviews highly, and I would appreciate it if you would do that. If you know of anyone Cynthia, you as well, who you think ought to be a guest on unstoppable mindset, please let us know. Introduce us. We're always looking for people to come on to help show everyone that we're all more unstoppable than we think we are. But again, Cynthia, I want to thank you for being here. This has been absolutely wonderful. Can you believe we've been doing this over an hour already? Cynthia Washington  1:06:37 Oh no, not at all. Oh yeah. Well, I am so forever grateful again, and as we head into the holidays, just remind everyone to live with a spirit of gratitude, be kind to others. And there are no limits. It's time to shatter those limits that we have created as barriers and Live limitless with an unstoppable mindset. Michael Hingson  1:07:09 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Unstoppable Amit Shah - Action on Illegals | Rahul Gandhi Meltdown | West Bengal | Anupam Mishra

Question? Text our Studio direct.Today we're talking about AI-powered cybercrime—a phrase that sounds like a marketing stunt but is, unfortunately, very real. Cybercriminals basically got a software update, and now they're running their operations with more automation, more scale, and — let's just say it — better customer service than half the vendors in your tech stack.Season 8 is officially here — and it's the most unhinged, hilarious, and dangerously educational season we've ever done with full cyber chaos:

Morning Mantra: "I am unstoppable.”You are going to want to give up at times. Don't. Dig deep.Take a break.Get inspired by the strength of others.Focus on your goals.Do what you have to do.Just. Don't. Quit. Continue you on despite the failures and doubts. You've done it before and you can do it again.  Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, unstoppable, effective determination.#BeUnstoppable #BeHappy #BeHorsey #BeHippie #HorseHippie #morningmotivation #inspirationalquotes #morningmantra #horsehippieboutique

Send us a textEver wonder what really happens behind the scenes of a film set, an inclusive theatre production, or an award-winning digital festival? (Spoiler: it involves Olaf, horror scripts written in 48 hours, and a whole lot of saying “yes” before you feel ready.)This week, Carol sits down with the extraordinary Scott Strand—actor, director, producer, educator, and co-founder of JDS Creative Academy—for a conversation that's equal parts heartwarming, inspiring, and “wait… that happened?!”If you've ever questioned your visibility as a leader… If you've held back from stepping onto your own metaphorical stage… If you've wondered whether you're really ready before saying yes to an opportunity……this episode will feel like a deep exhale.✨ What We Explore in This EpisodeThe power of visibility—and why your dreams stall when you stay hidden. Scott shares the exact advice he gives actors, leaders, and students about showing up when perfection feels out of reach.Inclusive creativity that changes lives. Discover how JDS Creative Academy's productions integrate adults with disabilities, creating extraordinary performances that transform confidence, community, and opportunity.From Hollywood to heart-centered leadership. Scott reflects on his years acting in films, learning on sets with legends, and how those experiences shaped his philosophy on communication and courage.DigiFest: A decade of celebrating digital creators. Learn how this international digital festival became a thriving creative hub—and why your podcast, film, or digital project might be the next award-winner. (Yes, really!)Why saying “yes” before you're ready is the secret to being Unleashed & Unstoppable. Scott shares the exact moment he almost said no to directing a new horror short—and how one brave yes led to one of his most exhilarating creative experiences.

On today's Monday Morning Game Balls episode of The Call Sheet, Coach Smith honors Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers, NFL coaches who have their teams on the rebound, and big performances from DK Metcalf and the Rams offense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we break down the six powerful habits that helped Bill Gates become one of the most influential leaders in the world. From protecting your time to reading with intention, isolating to think, staying grounded in your principles, embracing feedback, and avoiding burnout — these habits can reshape your success starting today. At MX3 Podcast, we explore money, motivation, discipline, and the mindset required to win in life. We share real conversations about personal growth, leadership, and how to transform the way you think.

In this solo episode, I explore a powerful shift that's been reshaping my life and leadership: moving from owning my blessings to truly stewarding them. I share how a simple but confronting truth—“It's not good stewardship to complain about what God has already given you”—led me to reevaluate the way I was approaching my marriage, business, faith, and daily peace. Through honest reflections on success, comparison, and control, I walk you through the difference between routine and practice, ownership and stewardship, and why happiness isn't something we chase—it's something we notice. I also share the daily gratitude rituals and spiritual practices that have grounded me in presence, softened my ambition, and brought peace back into my home, my work, and my identity. If you're ready to release pressure, reconnect to what's already here, and lead from a deeper place of trust, this episode will feel like coming home. Liked this episode? Make sure to subscribe to our podcast and leave a review with your takeaways, this helps us create the exact content you want!  KEY POINTS:  02:19 The Power of Gratitude 05:15 From Routine to Practice 07:46 Recalibrating Life and Business 10:40 The Shift from Ownership to Stewardship 14:09 Daily Practices for Gratitude 18:04 Invitation to Unscripted Retreat 18:44 Stay Connected and Subscribe QUOTABLES: “ My marriage, my family, my business, my home, even the freedom I have to sit here and speak with you like this. At one point in my life, every single one of those things was something I prayed for, and now they're part of my everyday reality. But somewhere along the way, I stopped treating them like miracles, and I started treating them like they were something that needed maintenance. And that's where the gratitude gap begins.” - Julie Solomon  “  There are three things that will steal your gratitude faster than anything else. Money, property, and prestige. When you put yourself in the driver's seat of those three. When you start idolizing your money, your property, or your prestige, things start to get shaky. Because that's when you start thinking you are the source of it all instead of the steward.” - Julie Solomon RESOURCES: ✨ Unscripted: My First In-Person Retreat in 2+ Years — Now Accepting Applications If you've felt your voice no longer matches the woman you've become, this intimate 2-day retreat in Nashville (Feb 5–6, 2026) is for you. Unscripted is where your message, identity, and leadership come back into alignment—without pressure, performance, or shrinking. Spots are limited and application-only. Apply now at juliesolomon.net/unscripted. [ORDER] my book or Audible, Get What You Want: How to Go From Unseen to Unstoppable so you can leverage the power of your own influence. Follow Julie on Instagram! MUST HAVES THIS MONTH: [READY TO SELL SOMETHING?] Shopify takes care of the logistics so you can focus on what you do best. Set up shop today for just $1/month! [YOUR BASICS, UPGRADED] Fits Everybody makes everyday essentials extraordinary. Find your favorites![FIND YOUR NEXT MENTOR] From writers to CEOs, they're all here. Save 15%! 

Are you stepping into a new year with clarity and intention—or with that familiar sense of uncertainty about how your business will actually generate results?  In this episode, Nicole shares the exact yearly and quarterly planning process she uses to create alignment, stability, and predictability in her business. You'll hear why so many entrepreneurs unintentionally operate in chaos mode—and how a flexible, supportive plan can bring you back into your power. Nicole breaks down the real reasons entrepreneurs stay stuck in the "busy but not productive" loop, constantly creating content but not seeing the sales to match. She shows you how structure can actually create space—helping you lead with intention, avoid knee-jerk decisions, and align your energy with the goals you set. You'll also learn why mixing day-to-day selling with strategic conversion events matters, and how understanding the phases of visibility, nurturing, and conversion can transform your revenue into something far more predictable. Nicole explains how quarterly planning helps you focus on what truly moves the needle, rather than getting swept up in month-to-month pressure. If you're craving a business approach that blends Human Design, aligned strategy, and flexibility—this episode offers the support and clarity you need to map out a powerful 2026. It's your chance to step into the new year feeling grounded, intentional, and truly unshakable. Listen now!   Learn more about your Human Design and get your full chart for free at https://www.nicolelaino.com/chart To download the Secret Podcast on how to Build & Scale Your Business with Human Design click here: nicolelaino.com/secretpodcast    Be sure to visit nicolelaino.com/podcastlinks for all of the current links to events, freebies, and more!    If you enjoyed this week's episode, I'd so appreciate you doing a few things for me:  Please subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts.  Tag me @nicolelainoofficial on your IG stories with a story of you listening to the podcast and I'll make sure to share your post!  Interested in learning more about working with me? Click here to learn more about how we can work together.   

Brandon Narrain's journey from sweeping floors to secure consistent wholesale deals is nothing short of inspiring. He went from faith to fact, proving that there's money in real estate and making deals.In this episode, Brandon breaks down how to make serious cash from utilizing properties, and break free from financial limits. Learn from his inspiring story! And start getting ahead of your REl game with Brent's TTP Training Program.---------Show notes:(0:49) Beginning of today's episode(10:26) The process of filling out your purchase agreement(17:57) How to make a lot of money in a short amount of time?(21:58) Breaking down his first deal (direct mail)(28:14) What are the things you need to do to scale your REl business?(38:28) Getting past your "financial thermostat"----------Resources:Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert KiyosakiThe Go Giver by Bob BurgFollow Brandon on InstagramFollow Brandon on YoutubeFollow Brandon on FacebookYellow Letters HQ.Best Real Estate SystemReal Supermarket (code: ttp)To speak with Brent or one of our other expert coaches call (281) 835-4201 or schedule your free discovery call here to learn about our mentorship programs and become part of the TribeGo to Wholesalingincgroup.com to become part of one of the fastest growing Facebook communities in the Wholesaling space. Get all of your burning Wholesaling questions answered, gain access to JV partnerships, and connect with other "success minded" Rhinos in the community.It's 100% free to join. The opportunities in this community are endless, what are you waiting for?

Most people are trying to "goal" their way into a better year. They set resolutions, white-knuckle new habits, and wonder why everything falls apart by March. In this episode, Jim breaks that pattern wide open. 2026 won't rise to the level of your goals. It will fall to the level of your systems—and your systems are built on identity, energy, and emotional mastery. Jim walks you through how elite performers think (Kobe, Brady, Navy SEALs), how your brain literally fights anything that doesn't match your identity, and why stillness and silence—not more noise—are the unlocks for wealth, clarity, and calling. If you're serious about becoming the kind of person for whom wealth, health, and opportunity are inevitable—not accidental—this is your blueprint. What You'll Learn How to recode who you are in 2026. How (and why) to treat energy as currency  The confidence flywheel and why action must come before feeling "ready". A practical stillness protocol to hear from God, regulate your emotions, and make higher-quality business and money decisions. Action Steps Complete this sentence: "In 2026, I'm the kind of person who…" Let this identity drive your behavior. Identify one energizer and one drainer. Double the energizer. Delete the drainer. Phone on airplane mode. Sit upright. Breathe 4-2-6 for a few cycles. Do this every day for 30 days.  Jim Oliver's Shared Wisdom "Don't ask, 'What do I want in 2026?' Ask, 'Who must I become so that everything I want becomes inevitable?' Change your identity, protect your energy, sit in silence, and then take the courageous step. That's how you become unstoppable."

Send us a textUnlock Proven Strategies for a Lucrative Business Exit—Subscribe to The Deep Wealth Podcast TodayHave Questions About Growing Profits And Maximizing Your Business Exit? Submit Them Here, and We'll Answer Them on the Podcast!“Enjoy the ride and trust yourself.”- Marc NudelbergExclusive Insights from This Week's EpisodesDivision One Football Coach, TEDx Speaker, and Entrepreneur Marc Nudelberg brings the intensity of elite sports and the precision of leadership science to show you exactly how daily discipline compounds into unstoppable revenue. Marc reveals how to build relationships that drive sales, create habits that outperform talent, and implement the 1 Percent Daily Rule used by high-performance leaders.00:03:00 Growing up inside a multigenerational entrepreneurial family00:07:00 What Division One football teaches about culture and leadership00:14:00 Why most entrepreneurs fail at revenue growth00:20:00 Using detective-style research to win more deals00:24:00 How to stand out in a noisy digital environment00:32:00 The daily discipline behind the 1 Percent Rule00:41:00 The mindset shift that changes everything00:47:00 Real client transformations from Marc's playbooks00:49:00 The referral strategy Marc uses dailyClick here for full show notes, transcript, and resources:https://podcast.deepwealth.com/497Essential Resources to Maximize Your Business ExitLearn More About Deep Wealth MasteryFREE Deep Wealth eBook on Why You Suck At Selling Your Business And What You Can Do About It (Today)Unlock Your Lucrative Exit and Secure Your Legacy

There is something powerful about hearing an athlete talk about the moment their childhood dream becomes real. For Isabelle David, it started with wanting to flip like the older girls and never losing that spark. She chased big dreams even before she fully understood them, and that drive carried her all the way to the Jamaican National Team.Representing Jamaica at Junior Worlds was the moment everything clicked. Isabelle shares how she stood beside top athletes and felt a mix of pride and imposter syndrome. She realized she was doing the very thing she dreamed about as a young gymnast. That experience gave her confidence, focus, and a belief in herself that she still carries today.Her journey also shows the reality of setbacks. After committing to the University of Michigan, she got injured while competing for Jamaica. The fear of what might happen next was real, but she chose to trust her coaches, create a plan, and work step by step toward her comeback. Her story reminds young gymnasts, parents, and coaches that confidence grows when you stay grounded, patient, and clear about your goals.In this episode, you will hear • What it felt like for Isabelle to represent Jamaica • How imposter syndrome shows up for elite gymnasts • The injury moment that tested her belief • Why mental training helped her stay steady • How she built her confidence again • The trust that helped her choose the University of MichiganIn this week's episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk with elite gymnast Isabelle David about dreams, injuries, confidence, and the mindset that helped her rise through every challenge.Learn exactly what to say and do to guide your athlete through a mental block with my new book "Parenting Through Mental Blocks" Order your copy today: https://a.co/d/g990BurFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/complete_performance/ Join my FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/completeperformancecoaching/ Check out my website: https://completeperformancecoaching.com/Write to me! Email: rebecca@completeperformancecoaching.comReady to help your athlete overcome fears and mental blocks while gaining unstoppable confidence? Discover the transformative power of PerformHappy now. If your athlete is struggling or feeling left behind, it's time for a change. Are you ready? For more info and to sign up: PerformHappy.com

In this candid leadership meeting, Virtual Rockstar team navigates real-time crises, dealing with the aftermath of a major earthquake and super typhoon that caused power outages for team members, while simultaneously celebrating monumental company growth.Listen in as they discuss the immediate need to pivot roles for a major upcoming virtual event, the inspiring perseverance of team members like Andre, and the incredible success of their recent event marketing, which has led to a record-breaking number of discovery calls.The second half of the episode offers a powerful deep dive into the company's 90-Day Leadership Challenge, emphasizing the foundational role of trust in building a high-performing, committed team.Key Discussion Points & Wins:Pivoting Through Disaster: The immediate operational challenges caused by a recent magnitude 7 earthquake and power outages, and how the team quickly delegates key roles for the upcoming Virtual Rockstar Quarterly Town Hall.Record-Breaking Growth: The team celebrates being on track to hit their "Super Bonus" goal, with a massive influx of discovery calls, 18 in just four days! following successful industry events.The Power of Events: Will shares humbling stories from recent industry events (Mindshare and Therapy) where clients praised their VAs, validating their specialization in the PT/SLP space.New Recruiting Strategy: Introducing a new "School Group" intended to become a massive thought-leader community, acting as an internal candidate pool to cherry-pick the best VAs for future hires.Deep Dive: The Leadership Challenge: A discussion on the core themes of their leadership training:Trust as the Foundation: Why Trust is the most important element of leadership, enabling healthy conflict and commitment.Leading from Love and Authenticity: The realization that powerful leadership comes from being authentic and operating from a place of genuine care (like Hope's and Denise's shares)."Good" When Things Go Wrong: A reminder of the military concept that bad things are "Good" because they present an opportunity to learn and grow.Policy Change for Wales: The decision to change the hiring policy for their largest clients ("Wales") to accommodate temporary full-time contracts (2-6 months) to ensure they never lose a valuable relationship, confident they can repurpose skilled VAs quickly.The Greater Purpose: Will explains that the true "why" of the leadership training is not just business success, but to empower each team member to be a more effective mother, sister, and leader in their own families.This is a masterclass in demonstrating vulnerability, accountability, and the strength of a team built on trust, even when facing external crises.Send us a textVirtual Rockstars specialize in helping support or replace all non-clinical roles.Learn how a Virtual Rockstar can help scale your physical therapy practice.Subscribe here to our completely free Stress-Free PT Newsletter for your weekly dose of joy.

What struck me most in my conversation with author Jennifer Shaw is how often we underestimate the power of understanding our own story. Jennifer grew up sensing she was different, yet never had the words for why. Hearing her share how a late diagnosis of autism and ADHD finally helped her trust her own voice reminded me how important it is for all of us to feel seen. As she talked about raising two autistic sons, finding healing through writing, and learning to drop the shame she carried for so long, I found myself thinking about the many people who still hide their struggles because they don't want to be judged. I believe listeners will connect deeply with Jennifer's honesty. She shows that creativity can grow out of the very things we once thought were flaws, and that resilience is something we build each time we choose to show up as ourselves. This episode reminded me why I created Unstoppable Mindset: to hold space for stories like hers—stories that help us see difference as strength and encourage us to build a world where every person is valued for who they truly are. Highlights: 01:33 – See how early misunderstandings can shape the way someone learns to navigate people and communication.06:53 – Learn how masking and observation influence the way neurodivergent adults move through the world.11:21 – Explore how parenting experiences can open the door to understanding your own identity.12:20 – Hear how finally naming a lifelong pattern can shift shame into clarity and self-trust.20:46 – Understand why self-doubt becomes a major barrier and how stepping forward can change that story.25:57 – Discover how personal journeys can naturally weave themselves into creative work and character building.29:01 – Gain insight into why creative careers grow through endurance rather than rapid wins.30:55 – Learn how creative practices can act as grounding tools when life becomes overwhelming.33:20 – Explore how willpower and environment work together in building real resilience.40:23 – See how focusing only on limitations can keep society from recognizing real strengths.45:27 – Consider how acceptance over “fixing” creates more space for people to thrive.46:53 – Hear why embracing difference can open a more confident and creative way of living.51:07 – Learn how limiting beliefs can restrict creativity and how widening your lens can unlock growth.59:38 – Explore how curiosity and lived experience fuel a deeper creative imagination. About the Guest: J. M. Shaw lives in Alberta, Canada, with her husband and two young children. She has been writing for most of her life, though it took years to find the courage to share her stories. What began as a childhood hobby evolved into a passion that, at times, borders on obsession—and is decidedly cheaper than therapy. Though initially interested in teaching and psychology, Shaw ultimately graduated and worked as an X-ray technologist—all the while continuing to write in secret. Through it all, storytelling remained her constant: a sanctuary, a compass, and a way to make sense of the chaos. Her early work filled journals and notebooks, then spilled into typewritten manuscripts and laptop hard drives—worlds crafted from raw imagination and quiet observation. A pivotal turning point came in 2019, when Shaw was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. The news brought clarity to a lifetime of feeling “too much” or “too different.” She realized that her intense focus, emotional depth, and ability to live inside fictional worlds weren't flaws—they were the gifts of a neurodivergent mind. Her unique insights allow her to create characters with emotional realism, while her mythical creatures, societies, and belief systems draw inspiration from both history and modern culture. In many ways, her fantasy series mirrors her own arc: navigating society through the lens of autism, embracing her differences, and discovering where she belongs. Shaw's fiction blends magic with meaning, often exploring themes of identity, resilience, and redemption. Though her worlds are fantastical, her stories remain grounded in human truths. Her characters—flawed, searching, and sometimes broken—feel eerily real. Literary influences like Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, and Dean Koontz helped shape her genre-bending style, while her mother—an English major and blunt-but-honest critic—instilled in her a love of classic literature and the drive to become a better storyteller. In 2021, Shaw released The Ascension, the first book in her fantasy-adventure series, The Callum Walker Series. Since then, she's published three sequels, with dozens of short stories, poems, and manuscripts still in her vault. Though painfully introverted, she attends book signings and author talks to connect with readers—shedding ecstatic tears as they share how deeply her work resonates with them. While these moments can be overwhelming, they remind her why she writes: to create stories that matter. Currently, Shaw is working on the fifth installment of The Callum Walker Series, expanding the emotional arcs and raising the stakes in her imagined realms. Alongside it, she is developing a new dystopian-adventure that blends inequality, rebellion, love, and moral complexity. Whether indie or traditionally published, her dream remains the same: to see her books in bookstores across the world and to keep building worlds for those who need them most. Ways to connect with Jennifer**:** Website: www.jmshawauthor.com Facebook: jmshawauthor Instagram: @jmshaw_author About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson  01:21 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. And we put it that way, because a lot of diversity people never address the issue of or include people with disabilities in their world, and some of us confront that, and I specifically take the approach you either are inclusive or you're not. There's no partial inclusion. So we put inclusion at the first part of unstoppable mindset, then diversity and the unexpected, which is everything that doesn't have anything to do with inclusion or diversity, which is most things, but it makes it kind of fun anyway, and we're glad that you're here, wherever you happen to be listening or watching, the Podcast. Today, we get to chat with Jennifer Shaw. Jennifer is an author, and she's been a a closet writer part of her life, but but she came out of the closet and has been publishing, which is cool, and she has a lot of other stories to tell, unstoppable in a lot of different ways. So I'm sure we're going to have a lot of fun talking today, and I hope that you learn some interesting and relevant concepts to your world. So Jennifer, thanks for being here and for being on unstoppable mindset. We really appreciate you coming. Jennifer Shaw  02:36 Thank you so much for having me. Well, Michael Hingson  02:38 why don't we start at the beginning, and why don't you tell us about kind of the early Jennifer, early Jennifer, Jennifer Shaw  02:44 so I was very much of an introvert, very shy. I didn't really know how to talk to people. Kind of was trying to figure things out, and was having, was having a hard time figuring things out, and became more of a misfit. And I needed a way of dealing with, you know, my misunderstandings. I came became very much a people watcher, and for a while, that worked, but I needed an outlet in order to be able to analyze and sort out my ideas. And then my mom bought me a typewriter because, you know, I'm that old. And I started, I know about typewriters? Yeah, and I started writing as a hobby, and then it became a passion and obsession. Now it's just cheaper than therapy. And in 2019 I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, which makes total sense, looking back at all the things that I used to do and the way I felt, it makes sense now, and I thought I never shared any of my stories, but I've been writing by that point for over 30 years. And I thought, well, maybe writing is my special interest. And I got brave, and I sent off my first book in my series. It's now published because I just finished that one at the time to an editor, and I'm thinking, well, the worst they can say is it sucks. And my editor came back and said, This doesn't suck. You should publish. So two years later, I did Michael Hingson  04:05 cool well. So of course, one of the big questions, one of the most important ones of the whole day, is, do you still have the typewriter? No, yeah, I know. I don't know what happened to mine either. It is. It has gone away somewhere. Jennifer Shaw  04:19 Mine was really cool. It was a plug in electrical one had a white out strip and everything. I gave a presentation for grade five classroom, and I told them, I got started on a typewriter, and then I was going into how I got published, and different aspects of fiction writing and and plots and character development, that stuff and that, after an hour and a half, the only questions they had to ask was, what's a typewriter? Michael Hingson  04:43 Typewriter, of course, if you really want to delve into history and be fascinating to learn the history of the typewriter, do you know it? Jennifer Shaw  04:51 No, I do not. Michael Hingson  04:53 So the among other things, one of the first ways a typewriter was developed and used was. Was a countess in Europe who had a husband who didn't pay much attention to her. So she had a lover, and she wanted to be able to communicate with her lover. She is blind, and so she couldn't just have people write down messages and relay them and all that. So somebody invented this machine where she could actually create messages with a keyboard a typewriter, and then seal them, and she could get her ladies in waiting, or whoever to to give them to her, her lover. That was her way to communicate with with him, without her husband finding out. Yeah, so the ultimate note taker, the ultimate note taker, I learned to type. Well, I started to learn at home, and then between seventh and eighth grade, I took some summer school courses, just cuz it was something to do, and one of them was typing, and I didn't even think about the fact that all the other kids in the class kept complaining because they didn't know what letters they were pushing because there were no labels on the keys, which didn't bother me a bit. And so I typed then, I don't know. I assume it still is required out here, but in the eighth grade, you have to pass a test on the US Constitution, and for me to be able to take the test, they got the test transcribed into Braille, and then I brought my typewriter in and typed the answers. I guess. I don't know why they didn't just have me speak to someone, but I'm glad they did it that way. So it was fine. I'm sure it was a little bit noisy for the other kids in the class, but the typewriter wasn't too noisy. But, yeah, I typed all the answers and went from there. So that was kind of cool, but I don't remember what happened to the typewriter over the years. Jennifer Shaw  06:52 I think it gave way to keyboards and, you know, online writing programs. Michael Hingson  06:58 Yeah, I'm sure that it did, but I don't know what happened to my typewriter nevertheless, but oh well. But yeah, I did, and keyboards and everything else. But having used the typewriter, I already knew how to type, except for learning a few keys. Well, even mine was a manual typewriter. And then there was a Braille typewriter created by IBM. It's called the Model D, and it was like a regular typewriter, except instead of letters on the the keys that went up and struck the paper, it was actually braille characters and it and it struck hard enough that it actually created braille characters on the paper. So that was, that was kind of fun. But, yeah, I'm sure it all just kind of went to keyboards and everything else and and then there were word processors, and now it's just all computers. Jennifer Shaw  07:53 Yep, yep. We're a digital age. Michael Hingson  07:55 Nowadays. We are very much a digital age. So you went to to regular school and all that, yep, Jennifer Shaw  08:04 and I was never like I was it was never noticed that I was struggling because, I mean, for the most part, women tend to mask it. That's why less, fewer women are diagnosed than men. I just internalized it, and I came up with my own strategies to deal with things, and unless you were disruptive to class or you had some sort of learning difficulties and stuff, you never really got any attention. So I just sort of disappeared, because I never struggled in school and I was just the shy one. Yeah, taught myself how to communicate with other kids by taking notes of conversations. I have notebooks where I'm like, okay, so and so said this. This was the answer, okay, there was a smile. So that must be what I need to say when somebody says that. So I developed a script for myself in order to be able to socialize. Michael Hingson  08:55 And that was kind of the way you you masked it, or that was part of masking it. Jennifer Shaw  09:00 That was part of masking it. I spent a lot of time people watching so that I could blend in a lot more, kind of trying to figure it out. I felt like I was an alien dropped off on this planet and that somebody forgot to give me the script. And, you know, I was trying to figure things out as I went. Michael Hingson  09:15 Well, maybe that's actually what happened, and they'll come back and pick you up someday, maybe, but then you can beat up on them because they didn't leave a script. Jennifer Shaw  09:25 Yeah, you guys left me here with no instructions, Michael Hingson  09:27 or you were supposed to create the instructions because they were clueless. There's that possibility, you know, Jennifer Shaw  09:33 maybe I was like, you know, patient X or something, Michael Hingson  09:37 the advanced model, as it were. So you, you went through school, you went through high school, and all that. You went to college. Jennifer Shaw  09:45 I did, yes, yeah, I went through I was going to be a teacher, but they were doing the teacher strike at that time, and that I was doing my observation practicum. And I was like, I don't know if that's something I want to go into. I'm glad I didn't. And. Instead, you know, I mean, I had an interest in psychology, and I took some psychology classes, and loved them. It intrigues me how the mind works. But I ended up going into a trade school I went to in Alberta. It's the, it's called an innate northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and I became an x ray technologist, and I worked in that field for many years. Michael Hingson  10:22 Did you enjoy it? I loved it. I love that I Jennifer Shaw  10:25 didn't have to, you know, like, yes, you have to work in an environment where you got other people there, but you can still work independently and, and I loved that. And I love this. I've always been very much a science math geek, you know, things numbers. I have a propensity for numbers and and then science and math, just, you know, they were fun. Michael Hingson  10:45 Yeah, well, I agree, having a master's degree in physics and I have a secondary teaching credential, so I appreciate what you're saying. It's interesting. I would think also, as an x ray technician, although you had to give people instructions as to where to position themselves and all that. It wasn't something where you had to be very conversationally intensive, necessarily, Jennifer Shaw  11:07 yeah, and I mean, people didn't, you know, I didn't spend a lot of time with each patient, and I was able to mask a lot of my awkwardness and stuff and short short bursts, so nobody really noticed. And, you know, I had fun with the science part of it. And, yeah, it just it was never noticed. Although the social aspects, interacting with co workers and stuff, was bit difficult after, you know, outside of the actual tasks, that was interesting. Michael Hingson  11:38 I have a friend who just recently graduated from school learning to be an x ray technician. And I tease her all the time and tell her, you got to really be careful, though, because those x rays can slip out of your grasp if you're not careful, that you just never know when one's going to try to sneak away. So you better keep an eye on them and slap it when it does. Yeah, go catch them. I sent her an email last week saying, I just heard on the news an x ray escape from your hospital. What are you doing to catch it? They're fun, yeah, but, but you, but you did all of that, and then, so how long were you an x ray technician Jennifer Shaw  12:22 a little over 10 years I retired once my kids were born, Michael Hingson  12:27 okay, you had a more, well, a bigger and probably more important job to do that way, Jennifer Shaw  12:36 yes, and I mean, like at the time, we didn't know that both my boys would be, you Know, diagnosed on the spectrum, both of them have anxiety and ADHD, but I just, I was struggling with with work and being a mom, and it, in all honesty, it was going to cost me more for childcare than it was for me to just stay home. Michael Hingson  13:00 How did your so when they were diagnosed, what did your husband think Jennifer Shaw  13:04 my husband was? He says, okay, okay, I get it. Yeah, I can see those things and stuff like that. And I know when from my perspective, because both my boys went through the ADOS assessment, my thoughts were, those are the things you're looking for, because I've done those my whole life. And then, so, like, my oldest was diagnosed in like, June or July, and I received my diagnosis that September, and then my littlest guy was diagnosed the following year. Michael Hingson  13:29 You went through the assessment, and that's how you discovered it. Yep. So how old were you when they when they found it? Jennifer Shaw  13:35 Oh, I don't know if I want to give ages. I was just under 40. Okay. Michael Hingson  13:40 Well, the reason I asked was, as we talked a little bit about before we actually started the recording, I've had a number of people on the podcast who learned that they were on the spectrum. They were diagnosed later in life. I've talked to people who were 40 and even, I think, one or two above, but it just is fascinating to learn how many people actually were diagnosed later in life. And I know that part of it has to do with the fact that we've just gotten a lot smarter about autism and ADHD and so on, which which helps. So I think that that makes a lot of sense that you can understand why people were diagnosed later in life, and in every case, what people have said is that they're so relieved they have an answer they know, and it makes them feel so much better about themselves. Jennifer Shaw  14:36 Yeah, I know for myself, once I was diagnosed, I've never really kept it a secret. I've, you know, I I've given myself permission to ask questions if I'm confused, and then it opens up the doors for other people, like I will, I will tell them, like some things I don't understand, like I don't understand sarcasm. It's difficult. I can give it I don't understand when somebody is being sarcastic to me, and there's some idioms. And jokes that I that just they weigh over my head, so I'm giving myself permission to ask if I'm confused, because otherwise, how will I know? Michael Hingson  15:11 Yeah, it's it's pretty fascinating, and people deal with it in different ways. It's almost like being dyslexic, the same sort of concept you're dealing with, something where it's totally different and you may not even understand it at first, but so many people who realize they're dyslexic or have dyslexia, find ways to deal with it, and most people never even know, yeah, yeah. Jennifer Shaw  15:39 Well, I mean, I've like, not this year, but within the last couple years, I've been diagnosed with dyslexia as well. And then come to find out that my father had it as well, but he just never mentioned. It just never came up. Michael Hingson  15:51 Yeah, yeah. It's, it's pretty fascinating. But human the human psyche and the human body are very malleable, and we can get creative and deal with a lot of stuff, but I think the most important thing is that you figure out and you learn how to deal with it, and you don't make it something that is a negative in your life. It's the way you are. I've talked many times to people, and of course, it comes from me in part, from the being in the World Trade Center. Don't worry about the thing you can't control. And the fact is that autism is there, you're aware of it, and you deal with it, and maybe the day will come when we can learn to control it, but now at least you know what you're dealing with. And that's the big issue, yeah. Jennifer Shaw  16:39 And I think it like you hit it on the nail on the head, is like, the reason so many adults are being diagnosed is because we know more about it. I distinctly remember somebody asking me shortly after I was diagnosed, and they asked me specifically, oh, what's it like to be autistic? And I was like, I don't know. What's it like to not be. It's all I know. You tell me what it's like to not be, and I can tell you what it's like to be. Says it's not something you can really, yeah, people just can't experience it, I guess. Michael Hingson  17:08 Well, people ask me a lot, what's it like to be blind, and what is it like that you're just live in the dark? Well, I don't live in the dark, and that's something that is so unfortunate that we believe that eyesight is the only game in town, or most people do, and the reality is, blindness isn't about darkness. So I don't see, all right, the problem with most people is they do see, and that doesn't work for them. When suddenly the power goes out and you don't have lights anymore. Why do you distinguish one from the other? It's so unfortunate that we do that, but unfortunately, we collectively haven't taught ourselves to recognize that everyone has gifts, and we need to allow people to to manifest their gifts and not negate them and not demean the people just because they're different than us. Jennifer Shaw  17:56 Yeah, and I know I've had I've had people tell me it's like, oh well, you don't look autistic, and I'm like, I don't know what you would expect me to look like, but I've honestly tried really hard not to think of of the autism and the ADHD. I tried really hard not to look at it as a disability. In my own life, I've looked at it as it's just my brain is wired differently. Yeah, I've explained this to my boys. It's, you know, our minds are always open. We can't filter anything that's coming in. And it's like our computer, you know, our brain, if you imagine our brain as being a computer, we've got every possible tab open trying to perform a million different tasks. We've got music playing here, video playing here. We're trying to search for this file. We can't find anything. And then every now and then, it just becomes very overwhelming, and we get the swirly wheel of death and we have to restart, yeah, but we can multitask like nobody's business until then well, and Michael Hingson  18:45 the reality is, most people can learn to do it, although focusing on one thing at a time is always better anyway, but still, I hear what you're saying. My favorite story is a guy wanted to sell me life insurance when I was in college, and I knew at the time that people who were blind or had other disabilities couldn't buy life insurance because the insurance companies decided that we're a higher risk. It turns out that they weren't making that decision based on any real evidence or data. They just assumed it because that's the way the world was, and eventually that was dealt with by law. But this guy called up one day and he said, I want to sell you life insurance. Well, I thought I'd give him a shot at it, so I invited him over, and he came at three in the afternoon, and I didn't tell him in advance. I was blind, so I go to the door with my guide dog at the time Holland, and I opened the door, and he said, I'm looking for Mike Hinkson. And I said, I'm Mike hingson. You are. I'm Michael Hinkson. What can I do for you? Well, you didn't sound blind on the telephone. And I'm still wondering, what are the heck does that mean? Jennifer Shaw  19:52 Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's just, I think, you know, it's a lack of understanding. And. You know, the inability to put yourself in somebody else's shoes? Michael Hingson  20:03 Well, I think we have the ability, but we just don't, we don't learn how to use it. But you're right. It's all about education. And I think, personally, that all of us are teachers, or should be or can be. And so I choose not to take offense when somebody says you don't sound blind, or makes other kinds of comments. I i may push a little hard, but I can't be angry at them, because I know that it's all about ignorance, and they just don't know, and we as a society don't teach which we should do more of Jennifer Shaw  20:38 Yeah, I know that once I made, you know, like I posted on my, you know, with talk to my friends and stuff about the fact that I have autism and that I just, I'm learning about it myself as well. I've had a lot of people come to me and ask me, it's like, well, what, what? What did you notice? How did you find out? And I think I might be on the spectrum. And there's, you know, and it's amazing how many people came out of the woodwork with queries about, you know, questions. And I was like, This is awesome. I can answer questions and educate, yeah, Michael Hingson  21:09 well, and it's true, and the only way we can really learn and deal with some of the stuff is to have a conversation, and to have conversations with each other and be included in the conversation, and that's where it gets really comfortable, or uncomfortable is that people don't want to include you. Oh, I could end up like that person, or that person just clearly isn't, isn't as capable as I because they're blind or they have autism. Well, that's just not true, yeah, and it's, it's a challenge to deal with. Well, here's a question for you. What do you think is the biggest barrier that that people have or that they impose on themselves, and how do you move past it? Jennifer Shaw  21:52 I think that the biggest barrier that people pose on them, pose on themselves, is doubting whether or not they're worthwhile and and I know I did the lat I did that for many years and and, like I said, it wasn't until I received my diagnosis, I thought maybe, maybe, you know, I won't know unless I try. So I got out of my comfort zone, and I surpassed my doubt, and I tried, and then I come to find out that, okay, I should publish. And I've had some, you know, I've had a lot of fun doing that, and I've seen some success in that as well. Michael Hingson  22:24 One of my favorite quotes goes back to the original Star Wars movie Yoda, who said there is no try, do or do not. Don't try. I think that's absolutely true. Do it. That's why I also totally decided in the past to stop using the word failure, because failure is such an end all inappropriate thing. All right, so something didn't work out. The real question, and most of us don't learn to do it, although some of us are trying to teach them, but the biggest question is, why did this happen? What do I do about it? And we don't learn how to be introspective and analyze ourselves about that, I wrote a book that was published last year called Live like a guide dog, true stories from a blind man and his dogs about being brave, overcoming adversity and moving forward in faith, and it's all about teaching people from lessons I learned from my dogs about how to control fear and how to really step back when things happen and analyze what you do, what you fear, what you're about and how you deal with it. But there's no such thing as failure. It's just okay. This didn't work out right. Why? Why was I afraid? Or why am I afraid now? And what do I do about it? And we just don't see nearly as much analytical thinking on those kinds of subjects as we should. Jennifer Shaw  23:49 Yeah, wasn't there a quote somewhere? I can't remember who it was. I think was Edison, maybe, that he didn't fail 99 times. He found 99 times how not to do it right, and he just kept going and going and going until we got it right. Yeah. The other Michael Hingson  24:04 one I really like is the quote from Einstein that the definition of insanity is trying the same thing every time and expecting something different to happen. I think Jennifer Shaw  24:12 they said that at my graduation from high school, you'll get what you got, yeah, Michael Hingson  24:19 and you can decide to look for alternatives and look for ways to do it better, but, but it is, I think you're I don't know if it was Edison, but I'm going to assume it was who said that, but I think you're right, and it certainly makes a lot of Jennifer Shaw  24:35 sense, yes, yeah, and I've tried to live by embracing, because I've told this to my kids as well, and I've embraced the idea that, you know, we learn better from our mistakes than we do from the things we did right, Michael Hingson  24:49 although we could learn if we really thought about it, when we do something right and we go back and look at it and say, What could I have done to even make that better? And we usually don't do that well, that worked out well, so I don't have to worry about that. Well, exactly we should, you know, Jennifer Shaw  25:07 2020 looking back and saying, Well, what would we have done if this had happened? We just sort of stop. It's like when you're looking for your keys in your house. Once you find them, you stop looking. You don't keep looking for possible places it could have been. You just stop the journey. Michael Hingson  25:20 Or you don't look at why did I put them there? That's not where I usually put them. Speaker 1  25:26 Yeah, exactly, yeah. So when Michael Hingson  25:30 you discovered that you were on the spectrum, what did your husband think about Jennifer Shaw  25:34 that? He thought it made sense. Um, that Michael Hingson  25:37 explains a lot about you. Jennifer Shaw  25:38 Yeah, a little bit might be on the spectrum as well. He might be ADHD, because he has a lot of the same traits as me. But he says, yeah, it's kind of not worth going and getting it checked out and stuff like that so Michael Hingson  25:54 well, until he he wants to, then that probably makes sense. Jennifer Shaw  25:59 And there's no reason. There's no reason. Yeah, Michael Hingson  26:03 things go well, and that that's the big, important thing. But you look at at life, you look at what's going on, and you look at how you can change, what you need to change, and go forward Exactly. So tell me about your writing. You have, you have been writing a series. What did you do before the series? What was sort of the first things that you wrote that were published? Jennifer Shaw  26:26 That I wrote a short story for in a classroom assignment, my teacher published it. Wrote a couple poems. I had a teacher, a different teacher published those. But this, the series that I've written is kind of my first foray into publishing and stuff. And then just prior to that, it was just writing stories for myself, or writing scenes that came to to mind that I wanted to explore, and a lot of them had to do with characters overcoming adversity, because that's how I felt. That was what was going on in my life, Michael Hingson  26:57 and it was so what's the series about? Jennifer Shaw  27:03 So it's a magic, fantasy action adventure, some supernatural suspense kind of all sprinkled in for good measure, because I get bored of my series is there's our world, our time, coexisting magical realm, but there's a veil that separates us, and we can't see across this veil because we don't have magic. But these creatures that do can and have and they've been the source of inspiration for our fairy tales and Monster stories. And then my main character, a young man by the name of Callum Walker, is born with the ability to use magic. He doesn't know why. He's trying to make the most of it. We do learn why as we go through the series, but he doesn't know. And because he has magic, he's able to cross this veil into this magical realm. And he's learning about this world. He's learning about the beings in it. Adventures ensue, and we follow him through the series, trying to figure out as he's trying to figure out who he is, where he belongs, because he's too magic for here, but to human care and then master these abilities to survive. Michael Hingson  27:56 So has he figured out an answer to the question of why or where? Jennifer Shaw  28:00 Not yet. No answers as we go, but he's learning more. Mostly it's he's learning to accept himself and to start to trust and open up. And, you know, instead of thinking that there must be something wrong with him, and that's why he has these abilities, he starts to think, Okay, well, what can I do with these abilities and stuff? So in a lot of ways, his journey mirrors mine Michael Hingson  28:23 well, and he's asking questions, and as you ask questions, that's the most important thing you're willing to consider and explore, absolutely. So are these self published, or does a publisher publish them? Jennifer Shaw  28:40 I'm indie, published through press company called Maverick first press. Michael Hingson  28:44 Inc, have any of the books been converted to audio? Jennifer Shaw  28:48 Not yet, but I am looking into it. Michael Hingson  28:51 Some of us would like that I do read braille, and I could get a book in electronic form, and I can probably get it converted, but it'll be fun if you do get them into an audio format. I love magic and fantasy, and especially when it isn't too dark and too heavy. I've read Stephen King, but I've gotten away from reading a lot of Stephen King, just because I don't think I need things to be that dark. Although I am very impressed by what he does and how he comes up with these ideas, I'll never know. Jennifer Shaw  29:20 Yeah, I know. I don't think that it's as dark as Stephen King, but it's certainly a little darker and older than Harry Potter series. Michael Hingson  29:26 So, yeah, well, and and Harry Potter has been another one that has been certainly very good and has has encouraged a lot of kids to read. Yes and adults, Jennifer Shaw  29:42 yeah, we don't all have to be middle grade students to enjoy a middle 29:46 grade book, right? Michael Hingson  29:49 Oh, absolutely true. Well, so if you had to give one piece of advice or talk about experiences, to write. Writers who are trying to share, what would you what would you tell them? Jennifer Shaw  30:05 I would say that writing and publishing, it's a marathon. It's not a race. Don't expect immediate success. You have to work for it. But don't give up. You know? I mean, a lot of times we tend to give up too soon, when we don't see results and stuff. But if you give up, you'll never reach the finish line if you continue going, you may, you know, eventually you'll reach the finish line, and maybe not what you expect, but you will reach that finish line if you keep going. Michael Hingson  30:30 Yeah, we we are taught all too often to give up way too early. Well, it didn't work, so obviously it's not the right answer. Well, maybe it was the right answer. Most people aren't. JK Rowling, but at the same time, she went through a lot before she started getting her books published, but they're very creative. Yep, I would, I would still like to see a new series of Harry Potter books. Well, there is a guy who wrote James Potter his son, who's written a series, which is pretty good, but, you know, they're fun, yeah. Jennifer Shaw  31:07 Oh, I mean, that's why we like to read them. We like to imagine, we like to, you know, put ourselves in the shoes of, you know, the superhero. And I think that we all kind of, you know, feel a connection to those unlikely heroes that aren't perfect. And I think that appeals to a lot of people. Michael Hingson  31:27 I think it certainly does. I mean, that's clearly a lot of Harry Potter. He was certainly a kid who was different. Couldn't figure out why, and wasn't always well understood, but he worked at it, and that is something that we all can take a lesson to learn. Speaker 1  31:45 Exactly yes. So Michael Hingson  31:48 given everything that goes on with you, if the world feels overwhelming at some point, what kind of things do you do to ground yourself or or get calm again? Jennifer Shaw  31:59 Well, writing is my self care. It's my outlet. It's therapy. Aside from writing, I I'm getting back into reading because I'm going to book signing events and talks and such, and everybody's recommending, oh, read this book, read this book, and I'm finding some hidden gems out there. So I'm getting back into reading, and that seems to be very relaxing, but I do go. I do have to step away from a lot of people sometimes and just be by myself. And I'll, I'll put my headphones on, and I'll listen to my my track. I guess it's not track anymore. It was Spotify. And I'll just go for a walk for an hour, let my mind wander like a video and see where it leads me, and then come back an hour later, and my husband's like, Oh, where'd you walk? Because, like, I have no idea, but you should hear the adventures I had, yeah, Michael Hingson  32:44 both from what you read and what you thought Jennifer Shaw  32:45 about, yeah, just the things going through my head. What? And then the same thing when I'm writing, I see it as a movie in my head, and I'm just writing down what I see a lot of times, long for the ride. Michael Hingson  32:55 Yeah, your characters are writing it, and you're just there, Jennifer Shaw  32:58 yeah, you know. And when I'm when I'm in the zone. I call those the zone moments. And I won't know what's going to happen until it starts to happen. And I'm writing a sentence, oh, I didn't know that was gonna happen. I want to see where this goes. And it'll take me to somewhere where I'm like, wow, that's an amazing scene. How could I, how did I think of that? Or, on the contrary, it'll take me somewhere and I'll be like, What is wrong with me? I know that came out of my head, but what is wrong with me? So, you know, it's a double edged sword, Michael Hingson  33:26 but write them all down, because you never know where you can use them. Jennifer Shaw  33:29 Oh, absolutely. I don't delete anything. I can just wind and then start again, see where it leads. And it never goes to the same place twice. Michael Hingson  33:37 That's what makes it fun. It's an adventure. I don't know. I think there's an alien presence here somewhere. Jennifer Shaw  33:44 Who knows? Maybe I'm the next step in evolution. Could Michael Hingson  33:47 be or you come from somewhere else. And like I said, they put you down here to figure it out, and they'll come back and get you Jennifer Shaw  33:57 well, but never know. There's so many things we don't understand. You know, Michael Hingson  34:00 well, then that's true, but you know, all you can do is keep working at it and think about it. And you never know when you'll come up, come up with an answer well, or story or another story, right? So keep writing. So clearly, though, you exhibit a lot of resilience in a number of ways. Do you think resilience is something we're born with, or something that we learn, or both. Jennifer Shaw  34:25 I think it's a little of both. You know, maybe we have a stronger determination or willfulness when we're born, but it can also be a part of our environment. You know, we develop things that we want to do. We develop desires and dreams and stuff. And you know the combination of the two, the you know, the willful resolve and the desire to dream and be better. And I think those two combined will drive us towards our our goals. Michael Hingson  34:53 Now are your parents still with us? Yes. So what did they think when. You were diagnosed as being on the spectrum. Jennifer Shaw  35:03 Um, I think my dad was more open to the idea. I don't think my mom believed it, but then she's kind of, she's kind of saying, like, okay, maybe, maybe it's, oddly enough, she was, you know, more open to the idea of me having ADHD than autism. And I just think there was just a lack of understanding. But as time has gone on, I think she sees it, not just in me, but I think she sees aspects of that in herself as well. Michael Hingson  35:28 And in a sense, that's what I was wondering, was that they, they saw you grow up, and in some ways, they had to see what was going on. And I was wondering if, when you got an answer, if that was really something that helped them or that they understood? Jennifer Shaw  35:46 Yeah, I I think so. Although I did internalize a lot of of my understandings and misconceptions about life, I internalized it a lot, and I was the annoying cousins because I just, you know, said the appropriate things at inappropriate times and didn't catch jokes and didn't understand sarcasm and and I was just the oddball one out. But I think now that my mom understands a little bit more about autism and ADHD, she's seeing the signs Michael Hingson  36:13 well, and whether she understood it or not, she had to, certainly, as your mom, see that there was something going on. Well, I don't know my I'm whether she verbalized it or she just changed it out. Jennifer Shaw  36:28 I think she was just, she was working two full time jobs raising five kids on her own. I think that there just wasn't enough time in the day to notice everything. 36:37 Yeah, well, Michael Hingson  36:40 but it's always nice to really get an answer, and you you've accepted this as the answer, and hopefully they will, they will accept it as well. So that's a good thing. Jennifer Shaw  36:54 Whether or not they accept it is up to them. I'm that's their choice. Yeah, yeah. It's their choice. The most important thing is that I'm understanding it. Michael Hingson  37:04 Yeah, well, and then helps you move forward. Which is, which is a good thing? Yes. So do you think that vulnerability is part of resilience? Jennifer Shaw  37:18 I think it's important to understand where we're vulnerable. It's like accepting your weaknesses. We all want to improve. We don't want to stay weak and vulnerable, but the only way to improve is to accept those and to understand those and to identify those so that we know where to improve. So I think that it is important. Michael Hingson  37:38 I think it's crucial that we continue to work on our own ideas and attitudes and selves to be able to to move forward. And you're right. I think vulnerability is something that we all exhibit in one way or another, and when we do is that a bad thing? No, I don't think it should be. I think there are some people who think they're invulnerable to everything, and the reality is they're not Jennifer Shaw  38:09 those narcissists. Yeah, Michael Hingson  38:11 was getting there, but that's and that's exactly the problem. Is that they won't deal with issues at all. And so the fact of the matter is that they they cause a lot more difficulty for everyone. Yep, of course, they never think they do, but they do. Yeah. Jennifer Shaw  38:30 I mean, if you don't accept the fact that you're not perfect and that you have weaknesses and vulnerabilities, then you're just it turns into you're just either denying it or you're completely ignorant. How do you Michael Hingson  38:41 balance strength and softness? And because, you know when you're dealing with vulnerability and so on, and it happens, well, how do you, how do you bring all of it to balance? Jennifer Shaw  38:50 Um, it's the yin and yang, right? Um, you know, the strength keeps you going, the softness keeps you open to accepting and learning. Michael Hingson  38:59 Yeah, that makes sense. It gives you the opportunity to to go back and analyze and synthesize whatever you're thinking. Yes. Well, autism is, by the definitions that we face, considered a disability, which is fine, although my belief is that everybody on the planet has a disability, and for most people, as others have heard me say on this podcast, the disability that most people have is their light dependent, and they don't do well if suddenly the lights go out until they can find a smartphone or whatever, because the inventors, 147 years ago created the electric light bulb, which started us on a road of looking for ways to have light on demand whenever we wanted it and whenever we do want it, when that works, until suddenly the light on demand machine isn't directly available to us when light goes away. So I think that light on demand is a lovely thing, but the machines that provide it are. Only covering up a disability that most people have that they don't want to recognize. Jennifer Shaw  40:05 And I'd also argue that the more dependent we become on technology, that the harder it is to adjust to, you know, the way we used to live. If you go to the grocery store, everything's automated. And if the power goes out at the grocery store, nobody knows how to count out change now, yeah, Michael Hingson  40:22 they they cannot calculate on their own. I continue to work to be able to do that. So I like to to figure things out. People are always saying to me, How come you got the answers so quickly of how much change or how much to leave for a tip I practice, yeah, it's not magical. And the reality is, you don't always have a calculator, and a calculator is just one more thing to lug around. So why have it when you can just learn to do it yourself? Yeah? Jennifer Shaw  40:49 Or we have a cell phone which has got everything on it. Michael Hingson  40:52 Oh, I know, yeah, there is that too. But you know, the the thing about all of this is that we all have disabilities, is what I'm basically saying. But if you use disability in sort of the traditional sense, and by that I mean you have certain kinds of conditions that people call a disability, although I will submit absolutely that disability does not mean a lack of ability. But how do societal definitions of disability, kind of affect people more than the actual condition itself, whatever it is. Jennifer Shaw  41:26 I think society as a whole tend to focus on the negatives and the limitations, and if you focus solely on those, then nobody can see beyond those to what a person can do, because there's a whole, you know, there's a whole lot out there that people can do. You can, you can learn to adjust to a lot of things. The brain is very malleable. And, you know, we're not just given one sense for one reason. You know, we have five senses, well, arguably more, depending on who you talk to, yeah, to feel out the world. And same thing with autism is, you know, I mean, I had a hard time those things that would come naturally to people, like socializing, learning to speak, even my son at the playground, he didn't know how to approach kids to ask him to play and but those things can be learned. They just have to spend the time doing it well. Michael Hingson  42:19 And I hear you, do you think that autism is under the definition of disability? Jennifer Shaw  42:26 I think it can be very debilitating. I think that, you know, and then some people suffer more severe. They're more ranges than than I do mine, but I do think that the brain can learn to adjust a lot, maybe not the same as everybody else, and there will be struggles and there will be challenges, and there'll be anxieties and and things is it is, in a way, a disability. It'll never go away. But I don't think it has to be debilitating Michael Hingson  42:59 struggles and anxieties, but everyone experiences that in one way or another, and that's, of course, the point. Why should some of us be singled out? Jennifer Shaw  43:07 Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I do know, though, that with there's, I guess we call them an invisible disability, because I don't look autistic, I don't look ADHD, but I struggle inwardly. It's a lot more emotional. It's a lot more mental, you know, analyzing every conversation I've ever had. It's very exhausting and confusing, and it can lead to other things and stuff that, you know, I mean, I don't think everybody else goes around counting license plates obsessively, you know, adding up numbers on license plates and stuff. And if I don't, it can be very anxiety inducing. I don't think everybody else has to, you know, make notebooks worth of conversations to learn to talk to people and watch the world around them, to try to figure out how to act. I think for a lot of people, it comes naturally. And because I had to learn all those things on my own and stuff, it created a lot more anxiety than another person would have in that area, and life is already chaotic enough, you know, more anxiety on top of anxiety and such. Michael Hingson  44:11 Yeah, but some of that we create ourselves and don't need to. And again, it gets back to the fact we all have different gifts, and so some people are much more socially outgoing, so they can do so many more things that seem like everyone should be able to do them. But again, not everyone has the same gifts. Yeah, I think that we need to recognize that. Sorry, go ahead. I was gonna say, Jennifer Shaw  44:34 just like, not everybody has the same weaknesses, right? I learned. I think, you know, if we, if we learned to, you know, share the strengths that we have that might overcome somebody else's weaknesses and stuff. It would be a whole lot better place. Instead of trying to label everybody and segregate everybody based on their limitations, let's, let's look at their strengths and see which ones coordinate. Yeah. Michael Hingson  44:56 How does HD? ADHD manifest itself? Jennifer Shaw  45:00 Yeah, it's some, in a lot of ways, very similar to autism, and that's probably why it's now considered part of the autism spectrum. I have a difficult time focusing on things that I don't find intriguing, like, oh gosh, if I had to read a social studies textbook, I would go stark raving mad and fall asleep. And I've really hard time staying focused. Don't have to read the same paragraph 20 times, but you give me a textbook on physics, and I'm right in there, and I'll hyper focus for like, 12 straight hours, forgetting the world exists and don't eat, don't sleep, don't move, and I will just immerse myself in that. And then there's a difficult time regulating emotions so somebody gets upset about something for the most part. You know, you can calm yourself down and stuff like that. With autism and ADHD, it's really hard to regulate those emotions and come down from that hyper, hyper emotional state down to a normal state. Michael Hingson  46:00 I can see that in a lot of ways, it can look very similar to to autism in terms of the way you're describing it. It makes, makes sense, yeah, which? Which is something one has to deal with. Well, if people stop trying to fix what makes us different? What could we do with the world? How would things be different? Jennifer Shaw  46:22 I think the world be very interesting if we stopped trying to fix people and just started trying to accept people and see how, you know, like, I think that for one we would also be a lot more open to accepting people, but that would have to come first. And I think that would be amazing, because, you know, if we were all the same and we all tried to fit into the same mold, it's going to be a very boring place. Michael Hingson  46:46 The thing that is interesting about what you just said, and the question really is, when we try to fix things, why do we need to fix things? What is it that's really broken? And that's of course, the big issue is that people make assumptions based on just their own experiences, rather than looking at other people and looking at their experiences. Is that really broken? As it goes back to like when I talk about blindness, yeah, am I broken? I don't think so. I do things differently. If I had been able to see growing up, that would have been nice. But you know what? It's not the end of the world not to and it doesn't make me less of a person, and you happen to be on the autism spectrum, that's fine. It would be nice if you didn't have to deal with that, and you could function and deal with things the way most people do. But there are probably advantages, and there's certainly reasons why you are the way you are, why I am the way I am. And so why should that be a bad thing? Jennifer Shaw  47:48 I don't think it is. I mean, other than the fact that I would love to be, you know, not have to suffer with the stress and anxieties that I do, and the insecurities and the doubt and trying to figure out this world and where I belong and stuff, I wouldn't. I like the way my brain works. I like the way I think, you know, very What if, very out of the box, very creative mindsets. And I wouldn't change that for the world. Michael Hingson  48:15 Yeah, and I think people really should be accepted the way they are. Certainly there are people who we classify as geniuses because they do something that we didn't think of, and it catches on, and it's creative. Einstein did it. I mean, for that matter, there's something that that Elon Musk has done that has created this vehicle that no one else created successfully before him. Now I'm not sure that he's the greatest business guy, because I hear that Tesla is not the most profitable company in the world, but that's fine. Or Steve Jobs and Bill Gates created things. Did they do it all? Jennifer Shaw  48:56 Sorry, Sebastian Bach too. Yeah. I mean those prodigies, right? Michael Hingson  49:01 And they didn't do they didn't do everything. I understand that Einstein wasn't the greatest mathematician in the world, but he was great at concepts, and he had other people who who helped with some of the math that he didn't do, but, but the reality is, we all have gifts, and we should be able to use those gifts, and other people should appreciate them and be able to add on to what they do. One thing I always told employees when I hired people, is my job isn't to boss you around because I hired you because you demonstrated enough that you can do the job I want you to do, but my job is not to boss you, but rather to use my skills to help enhance what you do. So what we need to do is to work together to figure out how I can help you be better because of the gifts that I bring that you don't have. Some people got that, and some people didn't. Jennifer Shaw  49:50 Some people are just, they're less, you know, open minded. I think I don't know, like, less accepting of other people and less accepting of differences. And it's unfortunate. Passionate, you know, and that creates a lot of problems that, you know, they can't look beyond differences and to see the beauty behind it. Michael Hingson  50:11 Yeah, and, and the fact of the matter is that, again, we were all on the earth in one way or another, and at some point we're going to have to learn to accept that we're all part of the same world, and working together is a better way to do it. Yeah, absolutely. How do we get there? Jennifer Shaw  50:28 Yeah, I don't know. Maybe idealistic, you know, Star Trek society, or utopian society, you know. And maybe in 100 or 200 years, we'll get there. But if you think about 100 years ago, if you look at us 100 years ago, and then you think of all the technology that we have today, and that's in, like, one century is not a long time, given how long people have been on this planet. And look at all the things we've accomplished, technology wise, and look at all the great things that we have done, you know, and it's just imagine how many more, or how much, how much more we could do if we work together instead of working against each other. Michael Hingson  51:06 Yeah, and that's of course, the issue is that we haven't learned yet to necessarily work together. To some, for some people, that gets back to narcissism, right? They, they're, they're the only ones who know anything. What do you do? But yeah, I hear you, but, but, you know, I think the day is going to come when we're going to truly learn and understand that we're all in this together, and we really need to learn to work together, otherwise it's going to be a real, serious issue. Hopefully that happens sooner than later, Jennifer Shaw  51:39 yes, yeah, I don't think so, but it would be a nice to imagine what it would be like if it happened tomorrow. Michael Hingson  51:47 Yeah, how much potential do you think is lost, not because of limitations, but, but rather because of how we define them? Jennifer Shaw  51:58 I think we use limitations to set our boundaries, but by setting boundaries, we can never see ourselves moving past them, and nor do we try so. I think that setting limitations is hugely detrimental to our growth as as you know, creative minds. Michael Hingson  52:18 I think also though limitations are what we often put on other people, and oftentimes out of fear because somebody is different than us, and we create limitations that that aren't realistic, although we try to pigeonhole people. But the reality is that limitations are are are also representations of our fears and our misconceptions about other people, and it's the whole thing of, don't confuse me with the facts. Jennifer Shaw  52:51 Yes, yeah. And you know there's Yeah, like you said, there's these self limitations, but there's also limitations that we place on other people because we've judged them based on our understanding. Michael Hingson  53:03 Yeah, and we shouldn't do that, because we probably don't really know them very well anyway, but I but I do think that we all define ourselves, and we each define who we are, and that gets back to the whole thing of, don't judge somebody by what they look like or or what you think about them. Judge people by their actions, and give people the opportunity to really work on showing you what they can do. Jennifer Shaw  53:36 Absolutely, that's definitely a motto by which I've tried to live my life. I honestly don't know everybody out there. I mean, I don't think anybody does. And unless somebody gives me a reason or their behavior says otherwise, I'm going to assume that they're, you know, a good person, you know. I mean, if they, you know, if I assume this person is a good person, but maybe they smack me across face or take, you know, steal from me and stuff, then I'm going to judge those behaviors. Michael Hingson  54:02 One of the things that I learned, and we talked about in my book live like a guide dog, is dogs, and I do believe this love unconditionally, unless something really hurts them, so that they just stop loving. But dogs love unconditionally, but they don't trust unconditionally. But the difference between dogs and people is again, unless something truly has been traumatic for a dog. Dogs are more open to trust than we are. They don't worry about, well, what's this guy's hidden agenda, or why is this woman the way she is? The fact is that they're open to trust and they're looking to develop trusting relationships, and they also want us to set the rules. They want us to be the pack leaders. I'm sure there are some dogs that that probably are better than the people they're with, but by and large, the dog wants the person to be the pack leader. They want them to tell the dog, what are the rules? So. Every guide dog I've had, it's all about setting boundaries, setting rules, and working with that dog so that we each know what our responsibilities to the relationship are. And I think absolutely dogs can get that just as much as people do. They're looking for us to set the rules, but they want that, and the fact of the matter is that they get it just as much as we do. And if that relationship really develops, the kind of trust that's possible, that's a bond that's second to none, and we should all honor that we could do that with with each other too. Yeah, there are people who have hidden agendas and people that we can learn not to trust because they don't want to earn our trust either. They're in it for themselves. But I don't think that most people are that way. I think that most people really do want to develop relationships. Jennifer Shaw  55:51 Yeah, and another aspect of dogs too, is they're very humble, you know, they they don't, I mean, they probably do have some, you know, some egos, but for the most part, they're very humble, and they don't dwell on the mistakes of their past. They live in the moment. And I love Yeah, no, go ahead. They do absolutely they do Michael Hingson  56:14 one of the things that I learned after September 11, because my contacted the folks at Guide Dogs for the Blind about it, my diet, my guide dog was Roselle, and I said, Do you think this affected her, the whole relationship? And the veterinarian I spoke with, who was the head of veterinary services, the guide dogs asked, did anything directly threaten her? And I said, no, nothing did. He said, Well, there's your answer. The fact is, dogs don't do what if they don't worry about what might have been or even what happened if it didn't affect them? They they do live in the moment when we got home after the events on September 11, I took roselle's harness off and was going to take her outside. She would have none of it. She ran off, grabbed her favorite tug bone and started playing tug of war with our retired guy dog, Lenny. It was over for her. It was done. Jennifer Shaw  57:06 It's finished, the journey's done, and I'm living in this moment now, yeah, Michael Hingson  57:10 different moment. I'm not going to worry about it, and you shouldn't either, which was the lesson to learn from that. Yes, but the reality is that dogs don't do what. If dogs really want to just do what they need to do. They know the rules, like I said. They want to know what you expect, and they will deal with that. And by and large, once you set rules, dogs will live by those rules. And if they don't, you tell them that you didn't do that the right way. You don't do that in a mean way. There are very strong ways of positively telling a dog, yeah, that's not what the right thing was to do. But by the same token, typica

Do you ever feel like life is happening to you instead of through you? That your ideas, dreams, or ambitions are just out of reach? In this episode, Julie shares how to move from feeling small and stuck to confident, courageous, and unstoppable. You'll learn why fear is actually a signal that growth is near, how to take bold action even when it feels uncomfortable, and practical ways to start building unshakable self-trust today. If you're ready to step into your next version and start showing up fully in your life, DM Julie on Instagram @julieoeder to connect.

In this powerful two-episode compilation of The Burn Podcast, Ben Newman sits down with two dynamic leaders whose stories prove that adversity can become your greatest advantage when you choose to rise from it.First, Nate Green shares the lessons that shaped him into an award-winning CEO, best-selling author, and leadership performance coach. From overcoming a career-threatening health crisis at just 23 to building an eight-figure business and landing on the Inc. 5000 list four years in a row, Nate's story embodies resilience and relentless growth. He breaks down the principles behind his book Suck Less, Do Better and the frameworks he teaches through programs like Built Unstoppable—all designed to push individuals toward decisive action, personal transformation, and unlocking the potential they already have within.Then, Stephen Rhodes, CEO of Signify Wealth and author of Make Your Money Matter, joins Ben to discuss the mindset that drove him from humble beginnings to becoming a trusted financial advisor to families, businesses, and professional athletes. Stephen reveals the “never again” moment that fueled his tireless work ethic, the passion that helps others see their own value more clearly, and why legacy isn't something you leave behind—it's something you live daily. From prioritizing family to redefining impact, Stephen challenges us to make our lives, our money, and our leadership truly matter.Together, these conversations highlight what The Burn is all about: turning passion into purpose, adversity into fuel, and today's decisions into tomorrow's legacy. This episode is for anyone ready to elevate their leadership, deepen their impact, and live unstoppable.Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PDcbiCOnP0UListen on all platforms: https://www.theburnpodcast.com_______________________Learn about upcoming events and coaching: https://www.workwithbnc.comGet Ben's latest book The STANDARD:  https://amzn.to/3DE1clY1stWork directly with Ben: https://www.bennewmancoaching.comConnect with Ben Newman:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/continuedfightFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Continuedfight/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ContinuedFightLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-newman-b0b693Qlogix: www.Q-logix.com/benhttps://www.bennewmancoaching.com************************************ Learn about our Upcoming events and programs:https://www.workwithbnc.comLet's work TOGETHER https://www.bennewmancoaching.comLet's work together to write YOUR next book- BNC PublishingSend us a message Order my latest book The STANDARD: Winning at YOUR Highest Level: https://amzn.to/3DE1clY1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition1stPhorm.com/bnewman Connect with me everywhere else: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/continuedfight Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Continuedfight/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ContinuedFight Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-newman-b0b693

God's unstoppable love is seen in our daily lives and ministries (Gen 18:18-19). Family is God's strategy for His unstoppable move. The first time God ever spoke to a human, it was about a family (Gen 1:28).

To become the Unstoppable Church, we must have Unstoppable Prayers. In part 7 of our "Unstoppable" series, Pastor John explains what this looks like: praying the Lord's promises rather than our own preferences. Let this message be a reminder that not our will, but Your will be done, Lord.To learn more about us, visit faithcenter.tv today!

An Unshakable Faith for an Unstoppable Mission (Romans 5:1-11)*** We had the opportunity to commission a couple in our church to the international mission field during this service. Please be advised that due to security purposes, their names that have been cut out of this recording.

God's unstoppable love is seen in our daily lives and ministries (Gen 18:18-19). Family is God's strategy for His unstoppable move. The first time God ever spoke to a human, it was about a family (Gen 1:28).

About the ReWire Podcast The ReWire Podcast with Ryan Stewman – Dive into powerful insights as Ryan Stewman, the HardCore Closer, breaks down mental barriers and shares actionable steps to rewire your thoughts. Each episode is a fast-paced journey designed to reshape your mindset, align your actions, and guide you toward becoming the best version of yourself. Join in for a daily dose of real talk that empowers you to embrace change and unlock your full potential.    Learn how you can become a member of a powerful community consistently rewiring itself for success at ⁠https://www.jointheapex.com/⁠   Rise Above

Raising an Unstoppable Prayer MovementA word study on Israel:The name Israel is formed from two words — Sara and El.Sara means to contend, to wrestle, to fight.Hence, Yisrael means he who strives, contends, or wrestles with God.Israel became the name of an entire people because of one man's encounter with God.In the New Testament, believers are called the Israel of God.Jesus is the real Israel — the true Son of God.Because of Him, we have become the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16).What makes us the Israel of God?1. Faith in Jesus2. A willingness to see the will of God manifest in your generationThe free will of man confirms the sovereignty of God.God is in ultimate control, yet He invites us into partnership.We can cooperate with the Holy Spirit or hinder Him, and the sovereign God honours our choices.Many times, God makes things subject to our readiness.The sovereign God wants us to choose, and it requires determination and consistency. (Psalm 2:8).

The Unstoppable Move Of God IIWe as Christians are sent to shine in dark places, take territories for Christ, turn toxic spaces into worship, and carry His fragrance wherever He sends us.Revival does not happen by playing it safe. If God sends you, GO!History shows God superimposing His Image on culture by reclaiming what were once names for pagan gods.The church of Christ is a locomotive church, and we are called to boldly take what the enemy uses, elevate it for Christ, and advance without fear of consequences.Build, create, influence, and use every platform for the kingdom of God, bringing all things into obedience to Christ.The consecrations that will preserve us to be able to shine as light1. Have a church.Find a good church to belong to (Galatians 6:1-2)2. Learn to protect your priority.As believers, we believe that success must not be at all costs (Matthew 6:33)3. Embrace your supernatural edge.Don't be ashamed to identify as a Christian; it will save you a lot of trouble (Luke 2:49)4. Contend.Seek for God's influence to grow on your account (Jude 1:3)

Build, create, influence, and use every platform for the kingdom of God, bringing all things into obedience to Christ.

A word study on Israel: The name Israel is formed from two words — Sara and El. Sara means to contend, to wrestle, to fight.

#913: Join us as we sit down with Hannah Pointer – founder of MacroHabits & a leading voice in sustainable wellness. Dedicated to helping individuals build sustainable habits through nutrition & fitness, Hannah breaks down the holistic routines that transformed her health, from nutrition & body composition to fitness, skincare, & mental well-being. In this episode, Hannah dives into reverse dieting, why macros matter, the power of a structured morning routine, & the benefits of mouth taping. Packed with practical, actionable tips, this episode gives you simple habits you can start using today to upgrade your daily wellness routine!   To Watch the Show click HERE   For Detailed Show Notes visit TSCPODCAST.COM   To connect with Hannah Pointer click HERE   To connect with Lauryn Bosstick click HERE   To connect with Michael Bosstick click HERE   Read More on The Skinny Confidential HERE   Head to our ShopMy page HERE and LTK page HERE to find all of the products mentioned in each episode.   Get your burning questions featured on the show! Leave the Him & Her Show a voicemail at +1 (512) 537-7194.   This episode is sponsored by The Skinny Confidential Your skincare routine, reimagined. Shop The Skinny Confidential Face Towels today at https://shopskinnyconfidential.com/products/face-towels.   This episode is sponsored by Just Thrive Visit https://justthrivehealth.com/discount/TSC and use promo code TSC for 20% off your first order.    This episode is sponsored by ARMRA Go to armra.com/SKINNY or enter SKINNY to get 30% off your first subscription order.   This episode is sponsored by Fatty15 Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to http://fatty15.com/SKINNYand using code SKINNY at checkout.   This episode is sponsored by Branch Basics Shop Branch Basics in 600+ Target stores nationwide, or http://Target.com. You can also use my code SKINNY15 to get 15% off at https://branchbasics.com/SKINNY15. Again, SKINNY15 for 15% off at https://branchbasics.com/SKINNY15   This episode is sponsored by Ritual Get early access to their Black Friday sale for 40% off your first month at http://Ritual.com/SKINNY.   This episode is sponsored by Synergy Ready to get started on your very own gut health journey? Visit http://SYNERGYDRINKS.com to find your SYNERGY flavor today.   Produced by Dear Media  

Tasheena Womack teaches us how to break free from perfectionism, reframe failure and build the kind of mindset that makes you unstoppable. Tasheena founded Simply Tasheena in 2011 as a lifestyle blog that has since partnered with major brands including Disney, Goya®, Hilton, Mazda, and Kodak. With a Master's degree in Organizational Management and Leadership, she has built multiple successful ventures and spoken at over 100 organizations throughout the tri-state area. Tasheena specializes in helping entrepreneurs develop the mindset strategies needed to transform creative passions into sustainable businesses. She strives to empower others with practical tools for entrepreneurial success and personal growth. Tasheena talks about shifting out of fear, treating mistakes as data, creating an evidence file, and taking bold action without waiting for things to be perfect. If you have felt stuck, hesitant or discouraged lately, this episode will clear that fog fast. It is the kind of mindset reset that changes how you move. Key points discussed include: Action beats perfection and waiting for ideal conditions stalls your entire business. Failure is just information and every misstep teaches you the next right move. An evidence file keeps you grounded on the days you doubt your own progress. Simple steps create momentum so do one thing and let the next unfold. Comparison becomes strategy when you use it for learning instead of judgment. Your voice builds your community so show your face, speak on camera and share your real life. Opportunities expand when you negotiate and brands often mirror your confidence. The best is always ahead and your job is simply to keep showing up. Connect with Tasheena Womack Website | Instagram

Discover Scott Scully's blueprint for business success in this action-packed episode! Our “Growth Guru” reveals his 10 essential steps for building a high-performing, unified team—covering everything from setting a clear mission and hiring for attitude to fostering transparency, rewarding the right behavior, and leading by example.But that's not all: We break down common sales mistakes (are you throwing executives into “Sales Jail”?), debate modern team alignment strategies, and even take on the age-old question—should you wait for everyone to get their food before eating? With honest stories, expert insights, and non-stop energy, this episode is your guide to leveling up sales, leadership, and team culture.Tune in, take notes, and transform the way your team works—let's grow together!

In this week's episode, I am opening up about the surprising fear that can surface when everything you prayed for finally arrives — the clients, the clarity, the calm — and how your nervous system often needs time to catch up to your blessings. I share my personal shift from owning my business to stewarding it, and how that single mindset change has rewritten my entire relationship with work, worthiness, and leadership. We explore why striving creates ceilings, why stewardship creates capacity, and how to lead from your highest identity instead of your hustling self. Through personal stories, client breakthroughs, spiritual lessons, and practical tools like “the pause,” outreach calls, and my weekly Highest Self Filter, I will walk you through the inner recalibration required to hold more without hustling more. This is an episode for the woman who feels change rising inside her, who knows she's outgrown her old way of working, and who's ready to lead with clarity, peace, and faith instead of pressure. Liked this episode? Make sure to subscribe to our podcast and leave a review with your takeaways, this helps us create the exact content you want!  KEY POINTS:  00:00 Exciting Announcement: First In-Person Retreat 01:30 Welcome to Woman of Influence 02:19 Navigating Success and Stewardship 04:14 From Striving to Stewardship 05:21 Client Story: Overcoming Over-Functioning 06:58 The Power of Pausing and Faith 08:09 Filtering Through Your Highest Self 09:20 Simplifying Through Stewardship 10:56 Invitation to Unscripted Retreat 11:48 Final Thoughts and How to Stay Connected QUOTABLES: “ Healing doesn't happen in the breakthrough. It happens in the practice.” - Julie Solomon  “ There was a time when I wore busyness, like a badge of honor. My working self was addicted to being useful. She said yes to everything because she believed saying no would make her irrelevant. Every yes was just proof that she could handle it. Every late night email was this quiet audition for worthiness, but worthiness doesn't live in overdrive. It lives in peace, and peace doesn't prove. It just is when you allow it to come in.” - Julie Solomon RESOURCES: ✨ Unscripted: My First In-Person Retreat in 2+ Years — Now Accepting Applications If you've felt your voice no longer matches the woman you've become, this intimate 2-day retreat in Nashville (Feb 5–6, 2026) is for you. Unscripted is where your message, identity, and leadership come back into alignment—without pressure, performance, or shrinking. Spots are limited and application-only.Apply now at juliesolomon.net/unscripted. [ORDER] my book or Audible, Get What You Want: How to Go From Unseen to Unstoppable so you can leverage the power of your own influence. Follow Julie on Instagram! MUST HAVES THIS MONTH: [NO TECH? NO PROBLEM.] Shopify's drag-and-drop templates, AI tools, and built-in support make launching a business easier than ever. Start selling for just $1/month. [COMFORT WITHOUT COMPROMISE] Discover the collection redefining underwear. Get yours here.  [TURN LEARNING INTO ACTION] Apply insights from the world's best right away. Start your membership today and get 15% off.

In this short but powerful episode, Kelly breaks down the five most important ways you should be using client results, wins, and testimonials to drive authority, visibility, and sales in 2026. With a trust recession impacting every corner of the online business space, consumer confidence is at an all-time low, which means your clients' voices now matter more than your own. Kelly explains how the brands that continue to grow in 2026 will be the ones who put results front and center and use social proof intentionally across all channels. You'll learn: Why fewer online marketers shared wins in 2025 The core mistakes most businesses make with testimonials The 5 strategic placements to use wins for maximum impact How to operationalize social proof into weekly marketing How to turn books into passive funnels for trust-building offers Plus: Kelly shares how her team transformed their approach to social proof this year — and why doubling down on client results became one of the most profitable decisions they made. TIMESTAMPS 01:20–02:04 — Why many marketers struggled to produce client results this year 02:04–02:40 — Why your clients' voices carry more weight than your own 02:40–03:15 — The role online reviews play in visibility and discovery 03:15–04:10 — The 5 strategic opportunities to revive and use client stories 04:10–05:20 — Using stories to consistently show wins + case studies 06:36–08:00 — Various formats for showcasing social proof 09:10–10:15 — Testimonials and videos in launch countdown timer 10:15–11:48 — Using the half-day workshop framework with curated testimonials 11:48–13:42 —  Using UGC to sell books + why book sales are true passive income 13:42–14:58 — How book reviews fuel authority and trust-building offers 14:58–15:46 — Online reviews as an algorithm driver 15:46–16:10 — Join the free, live workshop on December 2nd to build your daily sales machine RESOURCES:  Join my free, live half-day workshop to build your daily sales machine for 2026: https://accelerator.virtualbusinessschool.com/register-b  Join The Virtual Business School membership for just $97/month, no contract: https://go.virtualbusinessschool.com/joinvbs  Grab a copy of one of Kelly's best-selling books: Unstoppable: 9 Principles for Unlimited Success in Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Unstoppable-Principles-Unlimited-Success-Business/dp/1530131154  Bigger Than You: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Building an Unstoppable Team https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Than-You-Entrepreneurs-Unstoppable/dp/172758726X  Audiobook version (on sale for $7!): https://books.thebusinessadvisory.com/audiobooksocial7  Conviction Marketing: https://www.amazon.com/Conviction-Marketing-Kelly-Roach/dp/B09S259DWK  Follow along behind the scenes of Kelly's 5th book, The Sacred Art of Selling: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/i9TP7QImQWj1R6UrLfM5