The High Performance Life

In this week's episode, I am joined by Christina Rasmussen! In 2010, four years after her thirty-five-year-old spouse passed away from Stage 4 colon cancer, she created the Life Reentry process, which launched her on a mission to bring compassion, grace and validation to thousands, while simultaneously establishing an exit from what she termed the "Waiting Room". Christina holds a master's degree in guidance and counseling (University of Durham). She is currently finishing her master of fine arts degree in painting and drawing (Academy of Art). Her grief work has been featured on ABC News, The Guardian, Women's World, the Washington Post, and the White House Blog. In her latest book, Christina advocates for what she calls "invisible losses". Those moments of feeling misunderstood by your partner, left out of a friend group, or sad over a lackluster performance review, arguing that these moments are worthy of both emotion and recognition. In her spare time, she is learning to play the piano and planning her first trip to the edge of space. She works and lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Eric, and their two dogs. Key Points • Transform tragedy into life's purpose • Embracing the journey, not just the goal • Shifting perception of self after loss • Discover "invisible loss" and personal impact • Defining life's path amidst imperfection • Choosing joy amidst everyday grief Best Quotes 04:51 - 05:00 • "We live in a world where we are doing things for a purpose, for a reason, for a mission for someone else, for people pleasing, for all those things." 06:19 - 06:35 • "I think the, I think the closer we get to who we really are. So the beauty of getting older is, is wisdom. And the closer we get to who we really are, sometimes when we find ourselves going through the motions, we're, it's, it's much easier to identify it quicker." 10:10 - 10:27 • "We start out in this life, Scott, and people experience this mom, I call the moments of impact happen to us. And we abandon that original, that true self, that authenticity of ourselves to please the world that lives outside of us." 11:15 - 11:22 • "It's millions of people. And most of us die there. And we don't even know. We were not living our life. We, were not living the life. We're here to live." 16:46 - 16:56 • "It was an invisible experience that we couldn't even know for ourselves. So it wasn't just invisible to others that we were experiencing this, this sadness, this anxiety." 23:37 - 23:45 • "It's about not living your life numb. It's about truly awakening and opening up yourself, yourself." 27:16 - 27:25 • "Because in the beginning it is important to go out, metaphorically speaking, and stay out as long as we can come back, rest, go back out again."

As a multi-time successful entrepreneur and a retired Officer in the Australian military, Finnian Kelly has gone on to coach the CEOs and leadership teams of more than 150 companies. He has been dubbed "the Business Mystic'' because of his unique ability to awaken consciousness in business and inspire CEOs and leadership teams to find new levels of fulfillment and growth in their creative endeavors, relationships, and overall well-being. As the founder of Intentionality, Inc., and leading breathwork facilitator around the world, Finnian gives you the transformative tools and frameworks to have an expansive human experience. Finnian is also a partner and the CXO (Chief Experience Officer) of Cascada, a revolutionary sanctuary featuring hydrothermal pools, wellness classes and boutique hotel rooms located in Portland, Oregon. Finnian is also the author of INTENTIONALITY in which Finnian shares the lessons learned from creating and selling multimillion-dollar companies and overcoming upheaval in his own life. You will learn about his step-by-step process for manifesting Intentionality into success. Through combining both scientific and spiritual principles, Finnian leads you through the five key intentions, including actionable steps and targeted breathing exercises you can incorporate into your everyday life. Key Points • Leverage energy for decision-making • Importance of grounding breathwork • Parenthood as growth & learning • Acknowledge feelings for transformation • Harness breath to control emotional states • Prepare for change with intentionality Best Quotes 04:07 - 04:16 • "We will be living a life of intentionality. We will be living a life of full of passion and purpose without really focusing on what we are doing." 10:36 - 10:42 • "We don't need more time, we need to get better at decision making. And how we get better at decision making is we focus on leveraging energy over time." 13:53 - 14:08 • "Everything is a story in our life. We, we, we create our own reality. So people would be like, oh, what can the knee Are you, is that guy just crazy right now? But who is better for that interpretation? I'm a lot better for that interpretation and so is everyone else in my life." 14:18 - 14:26 • "It's about getting better at feeling. And when we do that, we end up creating a greater state of peace, love, and joy." 44:50 - 45:07 • "When we take a breath, we become super present and we drop in in that moment. And what happens is, for this split, like one 10000th of a second, we have this moment to observe what is the automatic behavior."

In this week's episode, I am joined by Jed Collins! Jed is a 7-Year NFL Veteran, A former NFL player who has overcome the challenges of being cut 12 times along with the challenges of being financially illiterate. He Founded Rookie to Veteran, pulling from the mindset he developed during his NFL career. This mindset program allows people to embrace failure and embody success. He then became a Certified Financial Planner. Earning this has made Jed an expert in the world of money and an ideal facilitator for money conversations. He is also a sought-after speaker and best-selling author of Your Money Vehicle. The book aims to translate the language of money and shares Jed's own techniques for how to start a plan. Jed is also the Founder of Money Vehicle, an EdTech company currently delivering financial literacy curriculum to high schools across the country. Key Points • Discipline is key to daily success • Writing down goals transforms dreams • 'Decades not days' mindset for growth • FAIL stands for 'First Attempt In Learning • Mindset shift: from challenge to focus Best Quotes 03:32 - 03:44 • "But I looked back at my journal in 2008 as a rookie in the NFLI had just come out of a financial workshop. I had just been humbled in how little I knew about this language of money." 04:44 - 04:58 • "So I look 15 years later and I say, that dream has come to fruition. Why is because I wrote it down and that begins to speak it into, but then I went to work and I went, and you, you manifest. You go create your future." 10:28 - 10:50 • "So I love the idea of having that singular focus. I believe I'm somebody who inherently goes after something with all my heart and obsession, but I do have those life checks. I do have those moments where I pull up and I say, yeah, maybe I should check in on my finance. Maybe I should check in on my family or my faith looking at how I can build a strategy." 46:17 - 46:24 • "There's one thing every high school graduate has in common. They're all gonna get a paycheck, so let's start preparing them for it."

This week, I am joined by Jeff Boyd Jeff Boyd, founder of MTE (More Than Energy), discusses the creation of his performance enhancement supplement. The goal of MTE is to help people feel good and improve their overall well-being. The supplement contains adaptogens, which help the body adapt to stress, and nootropics, which enhance cognitive function. Jeff emphasizes the importance of enjoying the journey and focusing on the process rather than just the end result. He also highlights the need to prioritize health and wellness in today's fast-paced and stressful world. Key Points • All about adaptogens and nootropics • Find your wellness path post-business sale • Lifestyle shift from good to great • Entrepreneurship tales and new ventures • Insights on sleep, mood, and mental clarity Best Quotes 05:05 - 05:15 • "I remember quick, like within a couple days of selling the business, I said to myself, what, I don't know what's gonna be next, but whatever it is, it's gonna be something that I'm passionate about." 06:22 - 06:33 • "I think that's how we are with like the handheld devices and the 24 hour, just, just so much content and, and information overload and it's just hammering us all the time." 07:58 - 08:17 • "So you found yourself going through this exercise of what do I wanna be when I grow up? And what you decided on is I wanna be healthy and I wanna help other people stay healthy and I wanna live my life with purpose." 20:00 - 20:10 • "I can relate to that in a, in a big way. I also find that, I mean, I think most people have heard the saying, you know, it's the journey, not the destination." 20:11 - 20:20 • "I think once you hear something so often you just begin to dismiss it. And I think, but if you really sit down and, and it just put 20 seconds of thought into that, I mean, it's so true, right?" 34:19 - 34:29 • "We wanted a, a full system. So I use it every day. It's, it's, I use it as a, a like a daily wellness stack, right? For focus and productivity."

In this week's episode, I am joined by Anthony Scaramucci! Founder and managing partner of SkyBridge, a global alternative investment firm, and founder and chairman of SALT, a global thought leadership forum and venture studio. Prior to founding SkyBridge in 2005, Scaramucci co-founded investment partnership Oscar Capital Management, which was sold to Neuberger Berman in 2001. Earlier, he worked in Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs & Co. In 2016, he was ranked #85 in Worth Magazine's Power 100: The 100 Most Powerful People in Global Finance. In 2011, he received Ernst & Young's New York Financial Services "Entrepreneur of the Year" Award. Anthony is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and a board member of the Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation. In 2022, Scaramucci was ranked #47 in Cointelegraph's Top 100 Influencers in Crypto and Blockchain. Scaramucci served on President Donald J. Trump's 16-person Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee, and in 2017 briefly served as Chief Strategy Officer of the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank and White House Communications Director. He is the author of five book, including his newest book "From Wall Street To The White House and Back"! Key Points • Post-truth dangers in today's America • The impact of demographic shifts in voting • Truth and lies on both sides of politics • Boldness as a key to personal success Best Quotes 01:46 - 01:59 • "We're in a completely unique environment. Sometimes I, I wake up in the morning recently, and I'm like, I thought politics were, were something that, you know, I know it changes all the time, but sometimes it just changes rapidly." 08:07 - 08:13 • "So, because not a lot of people want to tell you the truth. They want to go with, oh, geez, can't say anything bad about Trump. It could hurt my business." 14:51 - 14:59 • "We should want policies that are not hard, left or hard, right? But that are right or wrong for the society as opposed to hard left or hard, right?" 34:13 - 34:23 • "And so, so what I'm, what I'm saying to people, don't put your lifestyle on me. I won't put my lifestyle on you. But the left wants to do that. The hard right wants to do that."

This week, I wanted to share a personal story. One of the questions I get asked the most is… "Scott, both of your sons are off playing high-level soccer, what is the secret?" To be honest with you, there is no real "secret"… I have just taught them discipline from a very young age. In my experience, if you want your kids to be strong, to be capable, and to excel in life they need discipline to be a major pillar in their everyday life. So that is why this week, I wanted to share my story of raising strong and capable sons through a blend of both discipline and love! Key Points • Discipline creates successful adults. • Morning routines set life's tone. • Love kids as they are, diversely. • Impact and faith shape character. • Healthy mind and body are key. Best Quotes 06:27 - 06:31 • "We had to look good, feel good, play good. That's how we start our day." 08:01 - 08:07 • "Life doesn't just choose to give you freedom that parents tend to give their kids." 14:25 - 14:31 • "One day they will be fathers. One day they will actually understand that you did the best job that you could." 15:00 - 15:07 • "But we set a standard and a value and an objective that we all work towards as a team. We are a team." 17:21 - 17:24 • "I also know that as they get older, there's gonna be moments where I can't give them advice." 19:54 - 19:59 • "Living life, the hard way is actually living it in a much happier way."

In this conversation, I dive into the topic of relationships, focusing on romantic ones. I share my personal experiences and insights on how to navigate rough patches and rekindle the love in a relationship with what I like to call the "ROM Weekend"! The key takeaways I discuss include giving more to your partner, stepping out of your comfort zone, separating from everyday roles and responsibilities, and normalizing reconnection trips or weekends. Key Points • Rough patches in relationships are normal • Understanding your partner is crucial • Intimacy & adventure are key elements • Importance of 'Rom Weeks' in marriage • Normalize giving more in your relationship Best Quotes 02:18 - 02:31 • "The reality is understanding our partnership, understanding what's needed in any relationship, even in business, believe it or not, we have to make sure that relationships are a natural thing that we work on." 03:10 - 03:15 • "When you love somebody, you find like a superpower in that other person." 03:55- 4:00 • "Marriages often end in, in divorce for two main reasons. Number one is money. Number two is sex." 04:23 - 04:43 • "But what can we do to actually help ourselves? What can we do to get ourselves in a position that we don't have to, to go so far that we stop liking each other and maybe we even stop being in love the way that we always thought that we would be?" 11:07 - 11:16 • "So during a rom week, obviously intimacy is mandatory. It's mandatory. If your love language is physical, touch 100%." 15:19 - 15:23 • "It's more about you giving of yourself to somebody else that you love..."

This conversation revolves around the experience of dropping off a child at college and the introspective thoughts and emotions that come with it. Today I reflect on the preparation for the transition, the memories of raising the child, and the importance of faith and communication. This conversation also touches on parenting lessons, the role of words and responsibility, and the impact and energy one brings to the world. To sum up my message, as parents we need to continue living our own purpose while supporting our child's journey. Key Points: The experience of dropping off a child at college can be a time of introspection and reflection for parents. Parents may feel both prepared and unprepared for the emotional impact of their child leaving for college. Words matter, both in how we communicate with others and how we speak to ourselves. Taking responsibility and learning from mistakes is more productive than blaming others. Faith can provide guidance and support during times of transition and uncertainty. The energy we bring to the world, including our mindset and physical well-being, can greatly impact our experiences. Parents should prioritize their own purpose and continue living fulfilling lives while supporting their child's journey.

In this week's episode, I am joined by Ajit Nawalkha! Most people know Ajit Nawalkha simply as "Coach Ajit." He is a speaker, author, podcast host, master coach and trainer, CEO and Founder of multiple million-dollar companies. Every year he helps over 30,000 clients reimagine what's possible for them so that they can confidently go after their greatest life and work vision. He has trained thousands of new and seasoned coaches and self-coaches to revolutionize their identity and achieve mastery in Life, Business, Spirituality, and Health. Ajit is proud to be a first generation immigrant and thrives on creating life-enhancing experiences for people around the world — from India to Malaysia to Los Angeles to Austin where he lives with his beautiful wife, son, and daughter. Key Points • More living, not more money, equals happiness. • Attaining balance between security & joy • Impact of money stories from childhood • Seek a lifestyle, not just a bank balance. • Aligning earnings with personal values Best Quotes 05:54 - 06:03 • "These are the people with big bank accounts, really poor life, right? The other category of individuals are people who always report that they're broke, but they're incredibly resourceful." 06:10 - 06:17 • "If you can find the balance between these two, that's the way to live your life, find the balance of security and living the life best version of life." 06:53 - 07:03 • "How much money do you really want? More is not always better. Living your life from the way you wanna live is way better than just more money." 11:01 - 11:10 • "The shift came from a couple of things. The circle, I surrounded myself with the, the abundance mindset of knowing and believing in my skills." 15:09 - 15:17 • "What would an amazing life look look like to you? Right? What is it? What does it include? Let's write down everything that we can imagine, right?" 17:42 - 17:48 • "The question is, do you know why you want it? Or you're just chasing it to, you know, flounder it on social media?" 43:22 • "Because it adds nothing to my life. It is a great experience. I'm grateful for it. I'm enjoying it at the same point in time, I know how much I want."

In this week's episode, I am joined by Jodi Wellman! Jodi Wellman is a leading authority on living lives worth living. As a speaker and facilitator, she helps her clients live squander-free lives while they're lucky enough to still be above ground — while cleverly beginning with the "big end" in mind. She named her business Four Thousand Mondays because it shines the light on the finite number of weeks we have to live like we mean it. As Jodi puts it, she has a morbid curiosity about the Big Sleep… her Mom died in her 50s, which made life seem that much more temporary. But it was more than that… Jodi reflects that it was her passing away that jostled her awake. It made her realize that she didn't want to leave stones unturned and dreams unfulfilled (as she unfortunately did). Jodi holds a Master's of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also an Assistant Instructor. As a certified coach with 25 years of corporate leadership experience, she helps executives, teams, and high performers work well and live even better. Key Points • Finite lives make things matter • Fears can motivate great change • Regrets of inaction haunt us • Daily moments as life's treasure • Action is key to life's vitality Best Quotes 06:43 - 06:55 • "So we, we, it's too bad we need it. And I've always found that to be a little chink in the armor of humanity, you know, that we really need to be motivated by sometimes what is negative rather than just what is positive." 08:29 - 08:38 • "Because in honesty, you're a step ahead. Like, I mean, it took you a beat 'cause it sounded like you were doing the in and out of the cities as one example." 11:21 - 11:25 • "Our values change over time based on our perception of time, the horizon's ahead of us." 37:34 - 37:46 • "But if it's something that matters to you, then in a way you're living in an authentic life if you're not doing a, you know, as much as you might want to do by not traveling and thwarting that goal or dream." 40:52 - 40:59 • "But can we talk about the big elephant in the room? And no, it's not the grim reaper for once. It is the fear that we're just sort of chicken shit." 43:08 - 43:13 • "It's better to have lived and failed or lost and fucked up than never who have lived at a 47:12 - 47:20 • "The difference, you know, between people who are hoping to be successful in mostly people who are successful. It's like, what are you doing?" To learn more about Jodi: https://fourthousandmondays.com/ If you are interested in Jodi's book: https://fourthousandmondays.com/book/

In this week's episode, I am joined by Jeff Karp! Dr. Jeff Karp, PhD. is a passionate mentor and biomedical engineering professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT, a Distinguished Chair at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. As a bioengineer, Dr. Karp is at the forefront of taking inspiration from the most successful researchers of all time—evolution and nature—to find ways to improve our daily life, health, focus, and productive purpose. His lab's technologies have led to the formation of thirteen companies. The technologies they have developed include a tissue glue that can seal holes inside a beating heart; targeted therapy for osteoarthritis, Crohn's disease, and brain disorders; "smart needles" that automatically stop when they reach their target; a nasal spray that neutralizes pathogens; and immunotherapy approaches to annihilate cancer. Growing up in rural Canada he was written off by his school because of his learning differences. He evolved a process for embracing life, embodied by 'Life Ignition Tools', through years of iteration and tinkering to make his unique patterns of thought and behavior work for him. These LIT tools have been thoroughly road-tested, through Dr. Karp's life, in his lab, and by his many mentees. Key Points • Life-changing power of questions • Turning nature into medical marvels • ADHD struggle to A's with support • Intentionality reshapes your learning • The energy transfer of our daily tools Best Quotes 10:36 - 10:42 • "I got some accommodations, a little bit extra space and time, and my grades went from CS and Ds to straight A's immediately." 11:17 - 11:28 • "It's interesting how curiosity can be almost paralyzing at times because the more curious we are, the, the harder it gets to make quick decisions." 17:52 - 17:57 • "We all sort of process things in unique ways, experience the world in unique ways." 20:10 - 20:33 • "So what happened was about seven or eight years ago, I was contacted by an agent in New York, Heather Jackson, and she had read some articles on my, my Laboratory's work where we turned to nature for inspiration, you know, using bio we call bio inspiration or, you know, biomimicry to solve medical problems."

In this week's episode, I am joined by Simon Alexander Ong! Simon is a former banker who suffered extreme burnout. Today he is an award-winning life coach, coaching many male clients with life skills, mostly on how to balance high-flying jobs with their mental health. In his brand new book ENERGIZE, Simon introduces you to the art and science of energy management. In a world where we are always 'on', he coaches you to work with your natural energy resources to recognize your most energized state - when to push and when to recoup - so that you can work sustainably towards your biggest goals. Simon believes that the greatest investment you can make is in yourself. Because the more you grow, the more you feel alive. And the world needs more people like this! Key Points • Life without regret: act now • Energy, not time, boosts productivity • Embrace diversity in teamwork • The art of selling your energy • Resilience and learning from rejections Best Quotes 03:42 - 03:52 • "Productivity is less about doing more and more about doing less, simplifying our routines and our schedules so we have the oxygen to focus on the things that actually matter." 05:07 - 05:24 • "If we want to thrive over the long term, there has to be this, this rhythm, if you will, between work and rest periods where yes, you're focused on getting, getting stuff done and moving towards the goals that you have for yourself, but also periods where you can rest with intention." 06:37 - 06:47 • "If you're healthy, you are in a very privileged position. You, you can have lots of hope streams and goals, but if you're sick, you only, you only have one. You only have one goal just to be well again." 08:07 - 08:20 • "Because if you have clarity on what the best version of you looks like, what they do, who they spend time with, how they show up each day, then you have clarity on the future identity that you can work from." 22:33 - 22:52 • "Because pain can be a great force, a great catalyst for us to do something different. So as an example, one of the pains I like to create to instill some inspiration inside of someone is the pain of getting to the end of your life and being filled with regret." 26:27 - 26:44 • "Because once I lost my mom and then my grandfather a few years later, it really brought home how fragile life is. I knew at those points that there was no fear to be had. I'm gonna die at some point anyway." 27:14 - 27:27 • "Your first of anything is gonna suck, guaranteed it's gonna suck. But you've gotta get over those first few in order to get to your 20th, your 21st, and your 22nd, where people start to take notice." For more about Simon: https://www.simonalexanderong.com/

In this week's episode, I am joined by Dr. Stan Tatkin! Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, is a clinician, researcher, teacher, and developer of A Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy®. He is also an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine. In 2010 he and his wife, Tracey created the PACT Institute, to train mental health professionals to think and work through a psychobiological lens in their clinical practice. Tatkin's work, based on a social-emotional capacity model, focuses on what partners can and cannot do to mitigate threat reactions during stressful interactive sequences. Dr. Tatkin is the author of We Do, Wired for Love, Your Brain on Love, Relationship Rx, Wired for Dating, What Every Therapist Ought to Know, and co-author of Love and War in Intimate Relationships, and his latest title, In Each Other's Care. He has just released an updated version of Wired for Love this June which can be found on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Wired-Love-Understanding-Attachment- Relationship/dp/1648482961/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Key Points • Impact of technology on relationships • Embracing life's imperfections together • The power of face-to-face communication • Secure functioning in modern partnerships • Continuous courtship keeps love alive • Rekindle romance with 'ROM weekends' Best Quotes 01:34 - 01:41 • "All people are difficult. All people are disappointing. All people are a pain in the butt. And that's no, no exceptions." 03:17 - 03:28 • "The amygdala is a, is a fear alarm center. And so it's being triggered more frequently because that person at the side brain kind of is wary." 05:42 - 05:48 • "We actually store each other's faces in our heads for weeks and months without ever looking at them." 05:48 - 06:00 • "This is the law of energy conservation. We do the least amount necessary. And if we think we know our spouse, then we go about thinking that we're wrong because we're not really paying attention." 30:13 - 30:21 • "It doesn't matter what your partner's going through, you are, that's your wing person. You are responsible to that person." For more about Dr. Stan Tatkin visit: www.thepactinstitute.com

I recently had an interview with David Robson. (You should check it out if you haven't already!) But our conversation got me thinking about the power of having a positive mindset and outlook on life. Here are my thoughts!

In this week's episode, I am joined by Lavina Mehta MBE! Lavina Mehta MBE, founder of Feel Good With Lavina, is a 46-year-old Personal Trainer, Bestselling Author, Wellness Coach, TED Speaker and mom to three. Lavina was awarded an MBE for services to health and fitness during Covid-19. Her mission is to help all ages (up to 100) Feel Good physically, mentally and reduce risks of common chronic diseases through her concept of "Exercise Snacking" & free desk/chair workouts (as seen on TV & Radio with her mother in law.) Her slogan is to "Exercise for Sanity not Vanity." Lavina is a Patron of the Menopause Mandate. Lavina is a proud Ambassador for Diabetes UK, Wellbeing of Women and Alzheimer's Society, as well as supporting many charities. She has been sharing her own perimenopause journey on social media and press to help normalise the conversation, especially in the workplace and in the South Asian community where many women are suffering in silence. She wants to break the taboos, raise awareness, change the narrative and help women feel empowered to find solutions, as well as educating the men around us. Lavina promotes the power of exercise, strength training and lifestyle changes to help women 'feel good' and embrace this phase and beyond. Lavina's new book "The Feel Good Fix" hit #1 Bestseller before publication across Amazon in Menopause, Fitness Training & Exercise and Fitness Categories, hitting the top 100 books at number 60; and on publication, it hit #1 Bestseller in Fitness & Training on Amazon. Key Points • Perimenopause can impact mood and memory • Men should join the menopause conversation • It's never too late to start exercising • Social connection vital for a happy life • Quick, simple exercises benefit daily life • Why every "exercise snack" counts Best Quotes 04:16 - 04:27 • "I was pretty alarmed that these statistics that I researched just before the Covid pandemic were like, were six times more likely than the average white person here to have type two diabetes." 05:26 - 05:39 • "It was just transformational that made me wanna research the science and sit the exams just out of my own knowledge, not even thinking that it's gonna be a future career path." 07:05 - 07:15 • "It's like the different goals I think, you know, 'cause I was older, I wasn't striving to do it to get a six pack or to go on social media." 08:29 - 08:40 • "But it was the gym and it was lifting weights and having that out sort of that space for myself that gave me the chance to actually deal with grief 10:50 - 11:08 • "But the amazing the, but the point that I'm getting at is I'm much, I feel accomplished before I even start my day air quotes here. Yeah. And, and I've, I've already accomplished enough for myself where I feel like I've done enough to invest in my body to invest in my mind." Website: https://feelgoodwithlavina.com/

In this week's episode, I am joined by Jeff Wetzler! Jeff Wetzler is a leadership expert best known as the co-founder of Transcend, a diverse team of educators and innovators rewriting the way we deliver education. He recently wrote Ask, a book all about the art of asking questions. Jeff has been on a quarter-century quest to transform learning opportunities, blending his unique set of leadership experiences in the fields of business and education. He has pursued his quest as a management consultant to the world's top corporations, as a learning facilitator for leaders around the world, as Chief Learning Officer at Teach For America, and most recently, as co-CEO of Transcend, a nationally recognized innovation organization. Jeff earned a Doctorate in Adult Learning and Leadership from Columbia University and a Bachelor's in Psychology from Brown University. He is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and is an Edmund Hillary Fellow. He lives in New York with his wife, two children and their puppy. Key Points • Choose curiosity to deepen connections • Make it safe for honest dialogue • Pose quality questions for learning • Listen to uncover unspoken truths • Reflect and reconnect to grow together Best Quotes 03:42 - 03:59 • "Absolutely. If, you know, if you are just interacting with someone to get something from them or to, you know, to get, get a piece of information people might be happy to share the first time, but if that continues to happen over and over again, people are basically like, this person doesn't care about me." 04:27 - 04:36 • "BS listening stands for back to self listening. So when you know, when someone is listening to you and you tell 'em something and then they say, well, that reminds me of this thing about me, or whatever. That is back to self listening." 06:07 - 06:12 • " Sometimes the most important things will only come out if you let the silence do its work." 06:16 - 06:26 • "I interviewed a lot of professional listeners for the book and one category of professional listeners that I interviewed with psychotherapists, and they, they talk about this thing called the doorknob moment." To learn more about Jeff: https://www.askapproach.com/ https://transcendeducation.org/team/jeff-wetzler/

In this week's episode, I am joined by Yanni Hufnagel! Yanni transitioned from a successful career as a men's college basketball coach to creating a health-focused drink and a mission to offer healthy hydration accessible to all. And so, Lemon Perfect was born, bottled water infused with organic lemons, electrolytes, and vitamin C. Creating a new company in the food and beverage space was no small feat. While it's relatively easy to get started, securing shelf space, managing margins, and outmaneuvering extremely large and resourced products creates considerable barriers to entry. Yanni Hufnagel, a first time founder, former division I college basketball coach with no background in the CPG space was able to raise over $37M and achieve national distribution in 5 short years with Lemon Perfect. Key Points • Balance is a myth in entrepreneurship • High stakes of building a beverage brand • The art of talent evaluation • Strategy behind beverage innovation • Aiming for a billion-dollar business Best Quotes 03:24 - 03:40 • "It's not realistic. It's not realistic. We have 91 incredible people. Many of decorators have families. I have over 300 investors. We've raised $99 million." 04:54 - 05:10 • "I think I'm crazy enough, I wanna do this one more time. And so winning, winning, winning and being acquired or, or finding our way to liquidity, very, very important." 08:10 - 08:28 • "My psychology, it is what it is. It's not for everyone, but that's how I'm wired. And I'm not gonna change because maybe the world says, oh, you have to have great balance. Yes, I want our people to have great ba I want most of our people." 10:19 - 10:30 • "And I would imagine that if you look at the most successful entrepreneurs, they're out of balance." 12:29 - 12:39 • "You can't have great freedom and balance and, you know, it just, it's, I just don't think you can have it all." 46:32 - 46:45 • "I've gotta have, you know, certainly a longer term lens, I think in this environment right now where you have, you know, some, some pricing headwinds or you know, where, where the consumer's slowing down a little bit."

In this week's episode, I am joined by Thais Gibson! Thais has a Ph.D. and over 13 certifications in modalities such as CBT, NLP, somatic experiencing, internal family systems, and shadow work. She has nearly a decade of experience running a successful private practice and engaging with over 30,000 clients through individual sessions, workshops, and an educational platform. She is a counselor and co-founder of The Personal Development School, is THE leading expert in attachment theory and her cutting-edge research is extending the frontier of psychology with her modern Integrated Attachment Theory. It was widely accepted that your attachment style was set for life, but Thais' research shows that you can actually CHANGE your attachment style, improving your romantic relationships, close family connections, and friendships. Thais was a keynote speaker for Google's International Women's Day, and The Personal Development School has over 30,000 members in 115 countries. For more about The Personal Development School: https://university.personaldevelopmentschool.com/ Key Points • Explore four primary attachment styles • Recondition beliefs and heal past wounds • Understand love languages vs. attachment • Secure vs. insecure attachment impacts • The power of self-talk in personal growth Best Quotes 01:04 - 01:08 • "No matter what your attachment style is, you can heal to become securely attached." 07:50 - 07:55 • "They actually internalize a lot of shame, and sometimes emotional neglect isn't like very overt." 07:58 - 08:06 • "The vast majority of the time it's very covert. It's like...if you cry, go in the other room and come back when you're ready to stop crying." 10:00 - 10:10 • "Which obviously makes them quite confusing partners to be with. But the best news of all of this is that no matter what your attachment style is, you can heal to become securely attached."

I recently launched an episode with Justin Roethlingshoefer. Justin is an expert in the health field, and has spent countless hours researching and studying health, heart rate variability, and how you can live an overall healthier lifestyle. It got me thinking about my own health journey, and the things I've done to put myself on the right path going forward.

This week, I am joined by Cory Wharton-Malcolm! Cory is a running coach, Runner's World columnist, founder of the West London running crew TrackMafia, and an Apple Fitness+ trainer who embarks on running adventures all over the world with 'Time To Run.' Previously Nike Run Club's European Head Coach and still the voice of the Nike Run Club app, he has been featured in publications including the Guardian, the Evening Standard, Men's Health, Runners World, and Metro! Key Points • Running: More than just cardio • Life is rhythm; running embodies this • Find joy in the process, not just results • Community creates momentum in life • Embracing change yields growth & love Best Quotes 01:40 - 01:50 • "All You Need is Rhythm and Grit is because I honestly do believe that that is all you need to be a good runner and also like, good at life." 03:26 - 03:50 • "It's not about, okay, I'm going for this incredibly fast time, or I'm going for this specific race. Of course, all of those things are amazing, but the true beauty for me lies when you just release yourself from all of those things and just use running as, see, it's weird for me to say an escape because running isn't actually an escape for me." 04:17 - 04:25 • "What's interesting is the more we focus on the result, the less we enjoy the ride Yes. The more we focus on the process." 09:13 - 09:30 • "When you dig into to people's reasoning, a lot of the time it's, it's like their own belief in themselves. And when you sort of put your arm around them and say like, like, I believe in you, or this person believes in you, or that person believes in you, that also really, really helps to get people out the door." 09:54 - 10:13 • "This def definition that you've, you've created to define yourself in this box. When you break free from that and you realize how, how you can press past the boundary or pass the goal, you see that there's so much more to enjoy in that, in that run or that new experience or whatever it may be." 11:39 - 11:47 • "The moment I sort of opened up about my journey, people were far more welcoming. People were far nicer." 13:39 - 13:49 • "So when I first started running, it was probably around 2006 or 2007, and I had just gone to watch the London Marathon." Website: https://corywhartonmalcolm.com/

In this week's episode, I am joined by David Robson! David is an award-winning science writer specializing in the extremes of the human brain, body and behavior. After graduating with a degree in mathematics from Cambridge University, David worked as a features editor at New Scientist for five years, before moving to BBC Future, where he was a senior journalist for five years. His writing has also appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Aeon, Men's Health and many more outlets. In 2022, he won Mental Health Story of the Year at the MJA Annual Awards and was a finalist for the Best British Science Journalist of the Year Award from the ABSW. David's first book, The Intelligence Trap, was published in 2019, and received worldwide media attention. His second book The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life, was published in the UK on 6 January 2022 and in the USA and Canada on 15 February 2022. It is "a journey through the cutting-edge science of how our mindset shapes every facet of our lives, revealing how your brain holds the keys to unlocking a better you". The Expectation Effect was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week and won a British Psychological Society Book Award in the popular science category. In June 2024, David will release his brand new book The Laws of Connection: The scientific secrets of Building a Strong Social Network - a groundbreaking study revealing how social connections are far more important than we thought, showing us the steps we can take to build better relationships and improve our lives Key Points • How mindset acts as life's lenses • Shifting from scarcity to abundance • The intertwined science of success • Mindsets influencing longevity • Meaningful tech connections matter Best Quotes 01:53 - 02:10 • "And there's a huge amount of research now showing that our mindsets can create self-fulfilling prophecies now that can, it can change things like our physiology, our perception, our behavior, our capacity to deal with failure, our motivation." 02:31 - 02:35 • "by changing your mindset, you're kind of releasing the brakes on your potential." 03:20 - 03:28 • "And when I broke that down and started focusing from scarcity to to abundance, I started seeing the world in such a different way." 05:11 - 05:20 • "So you perform this, this activity called self-affirmation by kind of listing the 10 things that you think are most important about yourself or your life." 06:10 - 06:18 • "So that's just one example I think of how like a small psychological intervention that changes mindset can actually have a really big impact." To learn more about David: https://davidrobson.me/media/

I recently finished up a podcast with relationship expert: Adam Lane Smith! It got me thinking about a common relationship issue I see far too often. Everybody thinks about the width of relationships that they have, instead of the depth of the relationships they have. Here are my thoughts! I encourage you to check out the full episode with Adam Lane Smith if you haven't already!

In this week's episode, I am joined by Myer Krah! Myer is the host of The Here4Dads Podcast! This episode takes a deep-dive into the whirlwinds of fatherhood, personal growth, and life transitions. From high-stakes Navy tales to parenting nuances and future fears, this conversation is a heartfelt journey through imperfection, leadership, and the art of embracing the unknown Key Points • First generation dads: The legacy challenge • Leading with love and showing real vulnerability • Fatherhood lessons from imperfect pasts • Transitioning out of the Navy with grace • The power of curiosity in personal growth Best Quotes 00:23 - 00:33 • "So here my dad is picking up that baton and running his own race, running for his life to try to protect and provide for the son that he now has." 13:12 - 13:16 • "That's how it is when you get full circle and you start to get that perspective and it makes so much more sense." 13:50 - 13:57 • "So many times we I think get down on ourselves and things get a whole lot harder for ourselves because we're trying to be the main character." 20:12 - 20:20 • "These are all the types of things that the more we go back, the more I realize that I just need to be more present." 37:38 - 37:59 • "You're the oldest son and I'm the oldest in my family. And I, it's, it's always funny to me 'cause my sister and I will talk about stories and she doesn't even know these things existed, but my perception of everything around me, 'cause I was the first, so he's nervous because he's not only doing it the first time for him, he's doing it for his brothers is bigger than him."

In this week's episode, I am joined by Nate Klemp! Nate is a New York Times bestselling author, philosopher, founding partner at Mindful Magazine, and is coauthor of both The 80/80 Marriage and the new book OPEN. It was while studying at Stanford that Nate got hooked on jazz and philosophy. He made the "pragmatic" decision to become a philosopher in an attempt to learn how to live the good life. After 10 years of intense philosophical training, he didn't exactly achieve his goal of realizing human flourishing through philosophy. Instead, he burned out. He worked as an assistant professor at Pepperdine for four years, where he wrote The Morality of Spin, a book about the ethics of political rhetoric. Then, he left his cushy tenure-track job in 2012 to continue exploring this crazy idea of philosophy as a way of life. That's when he met Eric Langshur, the cofounder at LifeXT, a mindfulness training company that brings optimal wellbeing to the workplace. After 8 years, they ended up merging with Mindful Magazine to become Mindful (the world's leading mindfulness media and training company)/ Together, Eric and Nate coauthored the NYT bestseller Start Here: Master The Lifelong Skill of Wellbeing. In 2021, he and his wife Kaley Klemp wrote a book about relationships in the modern age called The 80/80 Marriage: A New Model for a Happier, Stronger Marriage. His brand new book OPEN: Living With an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World, was released in Feb, 2024. Key Points • Smartphones: Pleasure machines or pain triggers? • Dopamine Dessert: Scheduled Distraction Time • Meditation: A street-smart mindfulness hack • Embrace discomfort for deeper experiences • Failure by choice fortifies freedom Best Quotes 02:24 - 02:34 • "The problem of our time because we're all experiencing it and yet it's somewhat invisible. It's happening beneath the radar of awareness." 04:27 - 04:34 • "Yeah, and it's super hard because I think for me, I've always been someone who's curious." 08:44 - 08:53 • "I think of that as like the most profound mindfulness practice in my lexicon. I call that street meditation or street opening." 13:27 - 13:36 • "It's such an awareness and that tilt towards awareness is such an advantage the older we get if we execute, if we actually do something with it." 13:56 - 14:01 • "And one of the assumptions of that conversation is that like, longer is always better." 20:11 - 20:18 • "Your life begins at the edge of your comfort zone. That is it. And I think that's true of our mind and our life in general." 34:04 - 34:10 • "We can play with the restraint side. That's super powerful. But the indulgence side I think is super interesting too." For more about Nate: https://www.nateklemp.com/

In the ever-changing world of business, demand for great leadership skills is at an all-time high! I recently had an interview with Amanda Goodall, and it got me thinking about leadership... What actually determines a good leader? How does leadership need to adjust from generation to generation? Here are my thoughts!

In this week's episode, I am joined by Justin Roethlingshoefer! Justin centres his performance-enhancing programs on a holistically integrated approach to health and performance. His core philosophy is that performance is realized when health is optimized and we cannot separate physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. He is the co-founder of Own It Coaching, a multiple seven-figure coaching company that applies this health and performance philosophy to clients ranging from NHL stars, to Fortune 500 executives, to entrepreneurs looking to take that next step and level up. He's also the creator of the Own It App, which provides simple data collection, meaningful insights, and personalized plans to help users OWN their habits and improve recovery, health, and performance. Justin has spoken at dozens of events, including the TEDx stage. He's the host of the Sports Science and Recovery Podcast and The Own It Show. Additionally, Justin is the author of three books (Amazon bestsellers), including Intent: A Practical Approach to Applied Sports Science for Athletic Development and Own It, and his brand new book: The Power of Ownership. Justin is well-regarded for his ability to take complex scientific topics and distill them into practical, applicable action steps. He has a rare combination of the ability to understand the science of sports performance, sleep, and recovery on a deep level, while being able to translate and distill the complex topics into a form others can actually use. Key Points • HRV: Body's language for adapting stress • Essential habits to boost your HRV • Importance of customizing health strategies • The powerful link between data and wellness • Tips for increasing longevity and life quality Best Quotes 06:03 - 06:10 • "It's the language of your body that's communicating with you. How it's adapting to stress and strain." 07:28 - 07:33 • "Real perceived, positive, negative stressors. The body doesn't know the difference." 09:23 - 09:28 • "The higher the number, the better, the lower the number. It's an alert saying, Hey, we're not adapting as well." 14:52 - 15:00 • "The mission of Own IT is to redeem the health of the world through educating, empowering, and equipping people to take ownership of their health in a personalized way." 39:08 - 39:16 • "Chronic stress creates chronic deficiency, creates chronic symptoms. Chronic symptoms like brain fog, chronic symptoms like weight gain." For more about Justin: https://justinroethlingshoefer.com/about/

In this week's episode, I am joined by Adam Lane Smith! Adam Lane Smith is The Attachment Specialist with over 450,000 followers across his social media platforms. He consults internationally with CEOs, investors, entrepreneurs, executives, military veterans, and engineers to solve their attachment issues and improve their relationships. He has also appeared on numerous podcasts discussing generational attachment issues, recovering from trauma, and raising global awareness of attachment. With his revolutionary Attachment Bootcamp video course, a repertoire of diverse relationship resources, and his signature one-on-one coaching, Adam guides his clients on a transformative journey to unearth and bravely confront deep-rooted patterns and beliefs, sparking a journey of self-discovery and authentic connection. Key Points • 30-minutes to enrich marriage • Six pillars of a good marriage • The Value of Emotional Intimacy • The Four Points to Increase Emotional Intimacy • The Importance of Depth in Relationships • Generational Differences in Relationships Best Quotes 02:51 - 02:56 • "They want the same things, but they have no idea. They actually think they're in competition with each other." 03:44 - 03:50 • "You must be able to sustain it. Otherwise it will fall apart under you. And you will check out at age 45 or 50." 24:47 - 24:52 • "You are opening up emotionally to her. Women are designed to love this biochemically and socially." 47:44 - 47:49 • "People love to be treated like a human being. People love to be treated with respect." 49:57 - 50:10 • "I think what happens a lot of times is you play a role in a relationship and sometimes you play that role so well, that you have to, you have to realize that it's like an actor who has to come out of that role." 55:33 - 55:40 • "The ability to be who you actually are and to build love and loyalty with those around you because of who you are." For more about Adam: https://adamlanesmith.com/ To learn more about Adam's Attachment Bootcamp, click here: https://adam-smith.mykajabi.com/affiliate_users/sign_up

In this week's episode, I am joined by Bishop Mariann Budde! Mariann Edgar Budde serves as spiritual leader for 86 Episcopal congregations and ten Episcopal schools in the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties. The first woman elected to this position, she also serves as the chair and president of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which oversees the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and Cathedral schools. Bishop Budde is committed to the spiritual and numerical growth of congregations and developing new expressions of Christian community. She believes that Jesus calls all who follow him to strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being. Bishop Budde was consecrated as the ninth bishop of Washington in November 2011. Prior to her election, she served for 18 years as rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Minneapolis. Key Points • Love as a lifelong quest • Faith's roots in a rocky life • Embracing the sacrament of imperfection • Recognizing our flawed kinship • The refreshing resurgence of faith Best Quotes 02:41 - 02:48 • "My conscious journey of faith began when I was an adolescent, which I don't think is an uncommon experience." 03:33 - 03:38 • "As soon as he said, invite Jesus into my heart, I just felt this loneliness inmy heart." 04:37 - 04:44 • "There was a part of me that was struggling with the confinement of the worldview." 39:13 - 39:20 • "My job is to love people as Jesus loves, and that's it." For more about Mariann: https://edow.org/about/bishop-mariann/

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of The High Performance LIFE podcast! I wanted to take the time to share 15 of my favorite takeaways from my first 56 episodes! I also want to thank everyone for their support thus far, and I hope that our new and upcoming episodes will continue to serve you well! Enjoy!

In this week's episode, I am joined by Amanda Goodall! Based on her experience working with two university leaders, Amanda started a PhD at Warwick Business School in 2004. Her research was published into a monograph by Princeton University Press – Socrates in the Boardroom: Why Research Universities Should be Led by Top Scholars. She has been an ESRC post-doctoral fellow, a Leverhulme fellow, and worked in Germany for two years as a senior researcher at IZA Institute of Labor Economics in Bonn. She has held visiting research positions at Cornell University, University of Zurich, and Yale University. Amanda is married to economist Andrew Oswald and together they live between London and South Wales, in beautiful Pembrokeshire. She is a committed environmentalist, an ambassador for 'Save Wild Tigers', and a founder, with Jacki Sime, of the Pembrokeshire Seal Research Trust to be established in 2022. Key Points: • Debunking one-size-fits-all leadership • Data-driven insights vs. anecdotal lore • Younger generation's workplace expectations • Power of proximity for leadership efficacy • Inter-generational dialogue & learning Best Quotes: 05:43 - 05:52 • "Your boss matters to your job satisfaction, which matters more to your productivity than anything else. Double the amount that of your pay." 09:07 - 09:14 • "But what they don't realize is that that's actually really harming their career. And there is evidence to show that it is really harming their career." 23:49 - 23:56 • "It's not to say that I'm closed down to outside. 'cause a lot of people say to me, oh, you know, how can an insider know what's going outside on outside?" 38:35 - 38:42 • "When everything's a task, there's no emotion attached to it. And then everybody feels like they're just working for nothing." 43:40 - 43:44 • "So it's like not surprising that they haven't got those skills, but we are giving them those skills." For more about Amanda: https://amandagoodall.com/

Is the education system truly preparing our youth for the future? I recently had Matt Beaudreau on the podcast, and that conversation got me thinking... What skills do we need to instill in today's youth to prepare them for the rest of their life? The school system teaches them how to get a grade on a paper or test, but when it comes to "real life" it doesn't teach them how to excel. Here are my thoughts, enjoy!

In this week's episode, I am joined by Matt Beaudreau! As a Keynote Speaker, Consultant, and Coach to organizations around the world, Matt's clients have ranged from Wells Fargo, Honeywell, and Lockheed Martin to American Eagle, Cedars-Sinai and the United States Air Force. He is a two-time featured TEDx speaker and was named Corporate Trainer of the Year at Stanford University, having spoken to over 250,000 people across the world. In 2017, Matt Beaudreau Founded Acton Academy Placer Schools; schools that utilize the Socratic method, with an emphasis on self-direction and cultivating confident, independent young people with a strong sense of character and personal responsibility. Matt then co founded Apogee Strong with Tim Kennedy, a mentorship program designed for young men from 12 to 22 to take on challenges presented by men who have come before them, in order to learn to lead. This has blossomed into a mission to bring back classic masculinity in the home, and 2023 will be the launch of the Apogee Strong Dads Program, as well. Matt is also the founder of the Apogee Strong Foundation that provides scholarships for school, experience, and leadership opportunities for young men around the world. Key Points • Curiosity: Born trait or taught away? • Apogee Strong: Raising tomorrow's leaders. • Life skills over grades: a real-world application. • Socio-educational shifts post-COVID. • Meta skills: tools for lifelong relevance. Best Quotes 01:46 - 01:49 • "I don't think curiosity is just important for young people. I think it's important for people." 03:00 - 03:08 • "I never support a system that was intentionally designed to strip that curiosity out to make people apathetic." 05:06 - 05:21 • "It's not repeating school, it's around education. It's an educational experience, educational opportunities that allows them to build their own background, their brand, their identity, their, you know, experiences." 10:38 - 10:43 • "And it doesn't, it's not a predictor of what you're gonna do in life. That's a problem. We should use those years wisely. 16:18 - 16:22 • "What are the meta skills? What are the things that are always gonna matter no matter what, right?" For more about the Apogee programs: https://apogeestrong.com/

This week, I am joined by Rusty Shelton! Rusty first spoke at Harvard on the changing world of marketing and PR at the age of 23. He is a bestselling author, dynamic keynote speaker and successful entrepreneur who has focused his career on helping leaders build thought leadership focused on impact, not ego, writing three acclaimed books and speaking around the world to a variety of audiences, from YPO to SXSW Interactive to Forbes. He is Chairman of Zilker Media, an award-winning agency based in Austin, TX that builds people-driven brands and Senior Marketing Strategist at Forbes Books. Rusty's keynotes blend humor and targeted examples to challenge assumptions about personal branding, showing audiences how to build authentic thought leadership focused on impact, not ego. He's known for a mix of story-telling, candor and practical, put-it-into- action-next-week guidance – showing leaders how to make an impact and build trust in an increasingly skeptical world – and have a lot of fun along the way. He has shared the stage with Steve Forbes and Alan Mulally, spoken for YPO, EO, SXSW Interactive, the University of Texas, numerous Fortune 1000 companies and served on the faculty at more than 20 Harvard Medical School CME courses. Key Points • Building trust in today's skeptical world • The 'Authority Advantage' unveiled • Impact over ego in thought leadership • Crafting your message to build trust • Sharing personal stories for connection Best Quotes 02:09 - 02:17 • "But what I've found is that for many of those servant leaders, when I would encourage them, Hey, there's a lot of people that could benefit from your message." 03:12 - 03:20 • "You could take these ideas that you're sharing behind the scenes. You could do it at scale and in the process make a bigger impact." 05:37 - 05:48 • "So whether you like it or not, the first impression they're getting is, is online. And so my encouragement for your audience, like, all right, if it's happening, whether you like it or not, number one, don't you wanna own that first impression?" 07:33 - 07:43 • "I really believe that everything in life, from business to to just family, to anything that we do is about building quality relationships." For more about Rusty visit: https://rustyshelton.com/

In this week's episode, I am joined by Dr. Karyn Gordon! Dr. Karyn Gordon is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Three Chairs: How Great Leaders Drive Communication, Performance, and Engagement. In addition, she is a leadership and relationship expert; professional counselor; the CEO of DK Leadership, a global leadership coaching company; and a TV personality for Cityline. Her popular TED Talk ranked Mid Year Top #40 Most Popular TEDx Talks 2022 and she was nominated for the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award 2022. Dr. Karyn has given over 1000 keynotes to more than half a million people in 17 countries, including Fortune 500 companies, professionals, parents, and hundreds of school boards across North America. She was invited to collaborate with professors from The Wharton School to develop an EQ curriculum for family businesses and The Consul General of Canada in New York hosted a private reception honoring her work for organizations and families. Dr. Karyn has a Doctorate in Marriage & Family with additional certifications in leadership, Emotional Intelligence and career direction. She has served as the media spokesperson for Maple Leaf Foods, Microsoft, eHarmony and UNICEF. Dr. Karyn is a professional counselor for 25 years, an executive coach, and she is also a media personality who has consulted for Good Morning America, Forbes, Inc, The New York Times and Cityline. Key Points • The 'Three Chairs' concept explained • CARDS: 5 skills for confidence • Confidence impacts decisions • Visual tools for learning • Goal setting boosts growth Best Quotes 09:30 - 09:42 • "So the first step is to understanding the chairs, then the mindset. The second is understanding the impact. And the third step is then how we get ourselves all in the middle chair. Because this is learned. It is not genetic, which is why I love this topic so much." 10:18 - 10:31 • "But we really wanna spend as much time as we can in that middle chair and that confident, comfortable chair where we're not afraid of feedback, we're not afraid of people helping us be better. We're learning and growing every day." 11:19 - 11:27 • "So a lot of us, we don't even realize, why am I making this decision? We're not gonna realize, but deep underneath it all is our mindset." 12:00 - 12:12 • "A lot of times when I coach and teach this, whether or not it's with c-suites or managers or parents or teenagers, people will say, okay, when I'm at school, I'm sitting here. When I get home, I sit here." 12:44 - 12:51 • "It's a great leadership framework because it, you, it impacts who you hire, who you fire, who you, you know, who you promote."

In this week's episode I am joined by Carrie Sun! Carrie Sun was born in China and raised in Michigan. She is a math and finance dual-degree graduate of MIT, successful Fidelity Investments analyst, and holds an MFA in creative writing from The New School. Private Equity is her first book - gripping memoir of one woman's self-discovery inside a top Wall Street hedge fund, and an urgent indictment of privilege, extreme wealth, and work culture. PRIVATE EQUITY not only chronicles her experience within the instant tornado of information, colossal expectations, packed schedules, 24/7 accountability, and normalized last-second changes to plans (all set to world-class standards), but, more importantly, provides a searing examination of our relationship to achievement, family, labor, the promise and destructive power of money, and the illusiveness of our own identity. Key Points • Resetting Life's Optimization Equation • High Performers: Excellence & Intensity • Flying Private vs Choosing Simplicity • Burnout: The Pitfall of Constant Optimization • Defining Success on Your Own Terms Best Quotes 06:49 - 06:59 • "And I think what drove certainly me, my boss, and I, from what I can tell everyone else at the firm, was just this constant drive for excellence." 14:22 - 14:34 • "I just, I now substitute it with new variables. There's nothing more meaningful to me than writing and seeing my worth on a page at the end of a day." 28:56 - 29:08 • "I think it intersects with your philosophy of life so, so much and to be able to just have an impact and bring about the energy that I want in the world..." 48:12 - 48:18 • "But I also think that that future comes from actually confronting your past self." 51:52 - 52:10 • "I really wanted my book to be one woman's journey of professional sort of self-realization and coming of age and to just, but also more than that, it's primarily set at work, but it's so much more than that." For more about Carrie: https://www.carriesun.com/

In this week's episode, I am joined by Kristin Kirkpatrick & Dr. Ibrahim Hanouneh! Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD is a bestselling author, presenter, president and CEO of KAK Nutrition Consulting, a dietitian with the Department of Wellness & Preventive Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, and a senior fellow with Meadows Behavioral Healthcare. She has appeared on the TODAY show, NBC Nightly News, and Fox News, among others, and has contributed to publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and TIME. Dr. Ibrahim Hanouneh completed his internal medicine residency and gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship training at the Cleveland Clinic. He served as an associate staff at the Cleveland Clinic before moving to Minnesota to join MNGI Digestive Health in 2015, currently serving on their Board of Directors. Dr. Hanouneh has spent a great deal of time in liver disease. He has a passion for studies related to fatty liver. He has presented at several national and international meetings and has been an author on over seventy papers as well as numerous abstracts. Key Points • 1 in 4 people have silent fatty liver • Metabolic syndrome links to liver health • Diet choices are key, not just weight • Intermittent fasting as a health strategy • Seven colors of food for liver rejuvenation • Small diet changes make a big difference Best Quotes 02:19 - 02:26 • "The liver is so incredibly resilient. I mean, talk about an organ that takes a beating and just keeps coming back." 05:00 - 05:07 • "This disease has nothing to do with alcohol. It is, has all to do with metabolic syndrome." 10:35 - 10:49 • "So when we think about waist size, we were really interested in waste versus BMI... but waist size is a great indicator because it indicates what kind of fat you have and where is it in terms of the closest to other organs." 11:28 - 11:42 • "So when we came up with what are the four metabolic profiles, we essentially tune them in terms of what is your waist? So is your waist lean or non-lean? And then in addition to that, what is your, what does your metabolic numbers look like?" 27:27 - 27:32 • "Coffee detoxes your liver, believe it or not, very useful for fatty liver disease." For more information on Kirstin, visit here: https://www.kristinkirkpatrick.com/ For more information on Ibrahim, visit here: https://www.mngi.com/provider/ibrahim-hanouneh-md

In this week's episode, I am joined by Jamie Gruber! Jamie is an entrepreneur, multifamily investor, mastermind leader, and the host of the popular Tribe of Millionaires Podcast. Several years ago, Jamie quit his high-paying corporate job to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams and has since become a passionate messenger for others seeking to make big pivots in life. Whether through the podcast or his work with the Gobundance mastermind group, Jamie is on a mission to help as many people as possible escape unfulfilling jobs and careers to pursue lives filled with meaning, authenticity, and freedom. Key Points • Finding fulfillment beyond high income • The struggle of leaving corporate for freedom • Harnessing energy in right direction • Finding freedom through bold choices• Leveraging relationships, not return Best Quotes 02:21 - 02:28 • "Walking away from that was a big piece as well. You know, I got the job I dreamed of, I thought it was gonna fulfill me. I thought it was the thing that was missing in my life." 03:27 - 03:39 • "So when I made the decision to jump, which was in April of 2021, honestly it was, I, I didn't really have, I did not have a replacement for my income fully." 03:41 - 03:53 • "I had money saved and I had a thought and an ambition and a dream. And amazingly, it was extremely, it was an extremely calm and, and, and i, a non-emotional decision." 27:36 - 27:45 • "I could see this going. That was that thing I believed in when I left and I had some real estate to anchor me. That was that thing I believed in when I left and I had some real estate to anchor me." For more about Jamie visit: https://www.gobundanceemerge.com/?

In this week's episode, I am joined by Dr. Neha Sangwan! Dr. Sangwan, CEO and founder of Intuitive Intelligence, is an internal medicine physician, international speaker and corporate communication expert. Her private practice and corporate consulting focuses on empowering individuals, organizational leaders, and their teams with the tools for clear, effective communication. She addresses the root cause of stress, miscommunication, and interpersonal conflict, often healing chronic conditions such as headaches, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. She regularly consults with organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Express, Kaiser Permanente, and Google, and has shared her keynote presentation on the stages of TEDx. Key Points • The profound link between body and emotions • Overcoming the trap of people-pleasing • Understanding the people pleaser in you • The power of saying "no" with confidence • Building self-trust in personal & work life • Embracing life's lessons for growth Best Quotes 05:09 - 05:20 • "So what I will tell you is that the first time that I heard them, you know, after I was 30, I thought to myself, oh, there's never gonna be an end to climbing other people's mountains." 06:51 - 07:02 • "When I decided to figure out what I valued and what I stood for, I get to be the same me at work, at home with friends." 13:48 - 13:57 • "Self trust and the ability for us to know and trust in something higher." 35:05 - 35:15 • "Every interaction, experience, and relationship is meant to help us grow." 35:20 - 35:37 • "If we trust ourselves and we trust each other to do this sacred dance of our souls together, where we learn our life lessons together, we can evolve as one world family, serving as a catalyst to make this happen is the purpose of my life." 40:17 - 40:29 • "And that's my wish for people that, you know, society tells us that it's gonna be money and the name on your door and whether you have a corner office and what car you drive and how many likes you have on social media and all these things."

In this week's episode, I am joined by Darleen Santore, AKA Coach Dar! Coach Dar is passionate about helping people break through adversity to achieve greatness. Recently named Senior Fellow of PathNorth—an organization of world leaders and CEOs of Fortune 100 companies—her powerful message continues to reach a global audience. Coach Dar blends a knowledge of psychology, life, experience, and her personal mission in life to inspire greatness in everyone she meets. The result? Individuals, corporate executives, and professional athletes discover their own personal missions, individual gifts, and set their sights on the goals that they thought impossible. It is her unique style and approach during transformational seminars, high-impact speaking engagements, and exclusive one-on-one sessions that has helped countless people say NO to the status quo, raise the bar in their lives, and breakthrough adversity to reignite their fire. Coach Dar was awarded the Most Inspiring Woman of 2017 by the WNBA, recognized in the 2018 VoyagerPhoenix series titled Trailblazers: Rewriting The Narrative, and is a founding member of WISH (Women in Service and Hope) for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Phoenix. Coach Dar is also a United States Ambassador for the Global Pay It Forward Day Initiative, driven by the belief that #RaisingTheBar includes acts of kindness that leave every person and every place we encounter better than when we found them. Key Points • Tools to recover fast from setbacks • Family roots cultivate resilience • Faith is the fuel for adversity • Gratitude shapes a fulfilling life • Depth creates enduring relationships Best Quotes 04:14 - 04:19 • "So I suffered a stroke. I did have paralysis, but it messed up my vision, my perception, my speech." 05:10 - 05:24 • "But here's the difference. When you start to learn mental skills, which is the specialty that I teach now over the years, I train on this, I train how to get yourself mentally fit so when the hits come, you know how to deal with them." 08:21 - 08:41 • "Because it gives you hopes. You, you understand you're not doing this on your own strength anymore. There's a bigger purpose. And there are so many, what I call God winks, things that just remind you that there is absolutely something bigger that is overseeing our lives in this world." 19:13 - 19:25 • "So no matter what happens, someone goes down, you got someone that's gonna pick it right back up. You have depth in your world. And man, that just fits. If you want longevity in life, have community and have depth around you." For more about Coach Dar: https://www.coachdar.com/

In this week's episode, I am joined by Dr. Sue Varma! Dr. Sue Varma, MD, PC, DFAPA, is a distinguished psychiatrist and cognitive behavioral therapist based in New York City. With over two decades of private practice experience, Dr. Varma has made significant contributions to the field of mental health. Dr. Varma holds the position of Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University (NYU) Langone Health. Her accomplishments have been recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), where she was honored as a Distinguished Fellow. Dr. Varma has garnered national acclaim as a sought-after medical commentator, appearing on major news programs and networks. Her expertise has been instrumental in guiding the public through various mental health challenges, from trauma and resilience to stress management and relationship issues. Dr. Varma can frequently be seen discussing breaking news on the morning shows including the Today Show, CBS Mornings and GMA, as well as prime time specials and news documentaries. Dr. Varma is a captivating speaker, engaging diverse audiences with her messages of inspiration, compassion, and hope. From C-suite executives to healthcare professionals, educators, and the general public, she imparts valuable knowledge on topics such as self-compassion, psychological safety, work-life balance, and women's mental health. Throughout her career, Dr. Varma has received numerous prestigious awards for her groundbreaking work in mental health education and advocacy, including the Sharecare Emmy and a Mayoral Proclamation. Notably, she was recognized as one of the world's top five leading health experts by Global Citizen for her contributions during the pandemic. Dr. Varma's integrative approach to mental health, encompassing the 4 Ms of mental health, empowers individuals to boost their mood, mastery, and sense of meaning in life. Key Points • Aligning life with true desires • Growth as a measure of life • Interdependence vs. Independence • The power of purpose in life • Relationships as a cornerstone of health • Aligning your career with passion • Practical optimism, not toxic positivity • Parenthood with purposeful growth Best Quotes04:54 - 05:03 • "I want to give people tools and not everybody will see a therapist, whether it's for because of cost, because of availability, because of any number of barriers." 14:16 - 14:26 • " don't want to ever be driven by fame and likes and all these things that, that are soul crushing and make you empty and are endless." 19:37 - 19:45 • "I just thought of myself as never good at school, but I didn't realize I actually had something that was treatable or diagnosable that I could have if I'd gotten treatment for it." 29:11 - 29:24 • "Good for you, good for the person who, who, who knew from a young age, if they were like a musician, you know, or an artist, like a lot of times people will say I was good at it. And then also they had luckily a parent that had the time to invest." 40:53 - 40:58 • "Practical optimism teaches you that the glass is refillable and there's free refills." For more about Dr. Sue Varma, visit here: https://www.doctorsuevarma.com/

In this week's episode I am joined by Eric Hinman! At 26, Eric's career dictated his life. He worked set hours, dressed the part, followed a schedule dictated by others and he didn't really exercise. He traded his time for money, and cared deeply about the public perception of success. But he was miserable... Now at 43, Eric's life dictates his career and he gets to live his best day ever, every day. Eric is a hybrid athlete (5x Ironman and counting), an angel investor, serial entrepreneur,and brand builder, who specializes in scaling early-stage consumer and wellness brands. Eric works to build, grow, and evolve businesses in the health + wellness space with brands including Ten Thousand, Slate, Ice Barrel, SISU, HVMN, The Normal Brand, Blokes, MASA Chips, Kane, Flux, GORUCK, Kreatures of Habit, and more. He has partnered with some of the biggest names and brands to help them launch, scale, and exit. Key Points • Life's imbalance can lead to fulfillment • Ironman training teaches balance lessons • Burnout and learning when to delegate • Slowing down boosts productivity • Crafting the perfect day for success Best Quotes 04:16 - 04:25 • "I realized that like, I'm having fun. It's, it's fun. I'm not out of balance in a way where I'm like, my job sucks, my relationship suck, my life sucks." 13:14 - 13:25 • "I'm hitting the gas and then I hit the brakes and, you know, that's kind of how the months flow oftentimes for me too is I'm hitting the gas for several months and then I, I pump the brakes a bit." 17:47 - 17:56 • "My, I generally reserve my CrossFit session, which is the hardest training. I'll do that day for the morning and then afterwards I know my mind is gonna be on fire, I'm gonna be sharp, I'm gonna be energized." 32:15 - 32:24 • "The beautiful thing about the internet is it allows for compound interest much easier than, you know, a brick and mortar store in a town." For more about Eric: https://erichinman.com/

In this week's episode, I am joined by Lee Benson! Lee Benson is the business scaling master who grew his first company, Able Aerospace from 3 to 500 employees with 15 consecutive years of 20 percent compounded average annual growth before his exit of 9-figures. Now, he is on a mission to equip parents with a simple roadmap to help their kids understand finances and value, in his brand new book Value Creation Kid. Lee is also the WSJ, Amazon and USA Today Bestselling Author of Your Most Important Number. Key Points: • Value creation in family talks • Gravy Stack Method: A family blueprint • The Importance of Healthy Struggles • The powerful tug of intrinsic motivation • Value creation's critical role in society Best Quotes: 05:17 - 05:25 • "I always encourage parents to start with what would the ideal launched high school, graduating senior into adulthood look like?" 05:26 - 05:35 • "In the Gravy Stack book that we have here, a value creation kid, and the subtitle is really important, the healthy struggles that your children need to succeed." 05:41 - 05:50 • "You could, you could call it operationalizing value creation in the family to step by step, you know, walk them through becoming these amazing adults over time." 31:30 - 31:40 • "But wow, I really admire how close and loving your family is in the emotional energy when I come over to, for, you know, a barbecue in the backyard." 40:20 - 40:23 • "And the kids today are gonna be running the world that I age out in." 44:14 - 44:25 • "I believe that everybody does what's in their own best self-interest, whether it's for this life or the next, I think everybody does. So by definition everyone is selfish, but are you win-win selfish or are you win-lose?"

In this week's episode, I am joined by Dr. Jud Brewer! Jud Brewer, MD, Ph.D. ("Dr. Jud") blends over 20 years of experience with mindfulness training and a career in scientific research. He is passionate about understanding how our brains work, and how to use that knowledge to help people make deep, permanent change in their lives — with the goal of reducing suffering in the world at large. Dr. Jud is the director of research and innovation at Brown University's Mindfulness Center, and the executive medical director of behavioral health at Sharecare, the digital health company helping people manage all their health in one place. He has developed and tested novel mindfulness programs for habit change, including Unwinding Anxiety, Eat Right Now and Craving to Quit. Based on the success of these programs, he co-founded MindSciences, Inc. to create app-based digital therapeutic versions of these programs for a wider audience, to put effective, evidence-based behavior change guidance in the hands of people struggling with unwanted behaviors and "everyday addictions." Sharecare, Inc. acquired MindSciences in 2020. His published work has been featured on 60 Minutes, TED, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, TIME, The Washington Post, Forbes, CNN, BBC, NPR, and more. Current work - The Hunger Habit: As Jud did for addiction and anxiety, he is now doing for hunger. In The Hunger Habit (on sale Jan 9, 2024), Jud examines how "hunger" went from a tenant of survival to a mechanism for pleasure, an outlet for pain, and a habit rather than a need. Key Points • Habits: Trigger, Behavior, Reward • Mind as Habit Loop Map • Anxiety & Worry as Habits • Cravings: Awareness Kills Them • Bigger, Better Offers to Habits Best Quotes 17:47 - 18:02 • "When we can see very, very clearly that an old habit is not actually rewarding, we get something what's called in our brain, we get a negative prediction error, meaning we, our brain expected it to be, you know, at some level of reward and it's not as good as expected." 19:13 - 19:22 • "You know, I, I was thinking, okay, they're probably gaining weight. 'cause most people, you know, they eat as a replacement for smoking, right? They provide a substitute behavior." 19:52 - 19:56 • "So this reward thing, and I was talking about, you know, something has a certain reward value." 24:19 - 24:26 • "So we create this unwaning anxiety app and we do a randomized controlled trial in people with generalized anxiety disorder." 46:15 - 46:25 • "If we look at those and we, you know, we have this craving to eat, we, we can fight that craving, right? That's that willpower depletion type of thing at best." 59:39 - 59:50 • "And I'll also say, let's, let's circle back to Ted. You know, the belief comes from experiencing these things ourself." For more about Dr. Jud: https://drjud.com/

In this week's episode, I am joined by Andrew Reiner! Andrew is the author of "Better Boys, Better Men: The New Masculinity That Creates Greater Courage and Emotional Resiliency" He is also a professor at Towson University, where he offers the seminar "The Changing Face of Masculinity." He has written on masculinity and men's issues for the New York Times, Italy's La Repubblica, and The Washington Post Magazine. His work has been featured on NPR and the Canadian Broadcasting Company, as well as in The Guardian, Men's Health magazine, and Forbes. He speaks about masculinity regularly at schools and conferences around the world. Key Points • Exploring masculinity and change • The importance of fathers in growth • Gender roles and partnership equality • Embracing authentic emotional needs • Legacy and raising resilient boys Best Quotes 05:04 - 05:21 • "So for me, that represented an awareness, a growing awareness of so many different forms of this kind of masculinity that was being imposed on us, not just by the adults, but by each other as boys that I just grew to hate." 07:22 - 07:29 • "I decided at that moment, I didn't know why, but I was not gonna hide the tears. I was not gonna, not only was I not gonna hide them, but I wasn't gonna wipe them away." 11:15 - 11:24 • "And so one of the challenges with changing the terms when it comes to masculinity are how it's received by absolutely their partners and women." 32:28 - 32:48 • "That's exactly right. Exactly. And, and I think that this is the kind of conversation you and I are having right now around fatherhood is, is a, something a lot of men could sorely benefit from, is having these kinds of very real, you know, very honest conversations about, about, you know, what it means to be a father." 35:17 - 35:30 • "Who do you turn to when you really want to open up emotionally? Typically, you know, typically there'll be of maybe 15 students in the class, you know, one or two of them will have, you know, maybe a father who says, I don't really go to anybody." 51:02 - 51:14 • "Men also need to learn that it is not unmanly and, and you're not falling short as a man, if you have needs, deeper needs, that you are also working hard to get them met as well." For more about Andrew visit: www.andrewreinerauthor.com

In this week's episode, I am joined by Chris Ullman! Chris Ullman is president of Ullman Communications, a strategic advisory firm. Previously he served as Director of Global Communications at The Carlyle Group, led communications at the White House Budget Office, ran the public affairs office at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and was spokesman for the U.S House Budget Committee. Chris is the Strategic Communications Expert in Residence at High Point University, a Senior Advisor at Narrative Strategies, and a Trustee of The Fund for American Studies. He earned his B.A. in political science from Binghamton University and is a four-time international whistling champion and member of the Whistlers Hall of Fame. Chris is the author of Find Your Whistle: Simple Gifts Touch Hearts and Change Lives. His latest book is Four Billionaires and A Parking Attendant: Success Strategies of the Wealthy, Powerful, and Just Plain Wise. He and his wife Kristen have three children and live in Alexandria, VA. Key Points • Serendipity and lauding life's journey • Choosing happiness and loving action • Finding purpose to energize your days • Gratitude's power in high-performers • Purpose found in every moment. • Success redefined beyond wealth. Best Quotes 01:59 - 02:03 • "I think we have a duty to use those gifts to the, to the best that we can." 05:39 - 05:47 • "It's the journey, not the destination. Because while you, you have to have goals because that gives you purpose." 07:33 - 07:39 • "But when you give to the world, you have to give a little bit of yourself in a connection." 10:22 - 10:25 • "But why not give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves otherwise?" 32:50 - 32:56 • "You are now moving, and if you are moving, the odds are you're going to continue moving."

In this week's episode, I am joined by Dr. Steven Gundry! Dr. Steven Gundry is a well-known cardiothoracic heart surgeon, medical researcher, and author. During his 40-year career, Dr. Gundry has performed 10,000 surgeries and developed patented, life saving medical technology. After discovering how diet could help his patients avoid surgery, he wrote, "Dr. Gundry's Diet Evolution" in 2008 which outlines his unique nutrition plan for wellness. In April 2017, he released his second book, "The Plant Paradox" that further refines this revolutionary eating program, helping tens of thousands of people lose weight and achieve better health. Following this he released, The Energy Paradox, a New York Times bestseller. Dr. Gundry is the founder of Gundry MD which has one mission: To help dramatically improve human health, happiness, and longevity through his unique vision of diet and nutrition. Key Points • Gut health is key to reversing disease. • Why disease starts in the gut • Dr. Gundry's transformative diet tips • The power of fermented foods for health • Avoid certain foods for autoimmune improvement. • Listen to your body's response to food. Best Quotes 03:22 - 03:25 • "I decided to become a doctor after reading a book in my elementary school." 11:54 – 12:03 • "But in fact, all disease does begin in the gut. And the good news is all disease can be reversed from the gut." 15:57 - 16:11 • "These various bacteria produce compounds that control our brain, control our mood control, our hunger control, you name it, they control it." 22:41 - 22:52 • "Every patient I've ever seen with a disease you choose the disease has measurements of leaky gut that we can do a blood test and see leaky gut." 54:03 - 54:13 • "Only the group that got the fermented foods plus the fiber got more microbiome diversity and their inflammation went down." For more about Dr. Gundry visit: www.drgundry.com Make sure you check out his new book "Gut Check" that launches January 9, 2024!

In this week's episode I am joined by Mark Black! Mark is the author of "Live Life from the Heart". Born with a life-threatening heart defect, Mark underwent two open-heart surgeries before age one. Twenty-two years later, after waiting on the transplant list for nearly a year, Mark was blessed to survive a perilous heart and double-lung transplant. Three years later, Mark became the only man in history to run a marathon with someone else's heart and lungs. Then he did it 3 more times. Mark has travelled the globe as an author, speaker, and coach, sharing strategies and tactics for building resilience. His story has impacted more than 150,000 people at more than 700 organizations including ExxonMobil, AstraZeneca, and Mercedes-Benz. Mark is married to his superhero wife Marise. They live on the east coast of Canada with their 3 healthy children, Emma, Mateo, and Caleb. Key Points • Born with a critical heart condition • Parents' unique approach to fostering resilience • Transitioning from patient to motivator • Achieving the "impossible": running post-transplant marathons • Crafting the "Resilience Roadmap" for life's challenges Best Quotes 00:59 - 01:14 • "So when I was born, I turned blue. Within a few minutes, doctors go, uhoh, something's wrong. Start running some tests, figure out that there's this blockage in this valve, and tell my then 23-year-old first time parents..." 03:33 - 03:40 • "But, so I would like, despite all of the hard stuff, I was a competitive athlete until I was about 14 years old." 04:54 - 05:11 • " I think if there's the trade off of can we allow them to have small failures and setbacks and discomforts when the stakes are lower So that if and when, well really when, 'cause who escapes life without them, they face some bigger ones." 08:17 - 08:27 • "I got home at the end of that school year. I had been away for two or three months since the last time I had been home. And as soon as my mom saw me, she went, holy smokes. Like, what's going on? Something's wrong." 09:24 - 09:36 • "And I'd been in and out of heart failure a couple of times before, but never this severe. And I ended up, they ended up keeping me for almost a month while they stabilized me ransomware tests." 13:56 - 14:02 • "So the five year survival rate of a heart lung transplant is about 50%. So like, basically half the people make it five years." 29:56 - N/A • "Nothing changes, nothing changes. So it's great to like write down your new Year's resolutions, but if you're the, you know, going to live January 2nd the same way you lived the last year, then probably nothing's gonna change, right?" 35:25 - 35:34 • "It proves to yourself, oh, I can do these things. And so when the next challenge comes, you can have that armor with you of like, oh, I've done stuff like this before." For more about Mark: www.markblack.ca

In this week's episode, I am joined by Justin Gary! Justin Gary is an award winning designer, author, speaker, and entrepreneur. He is CEO of Stone Blade Entertainment and lead designer of the hit Ascension brand. He has studied creativity and applied the principles of design to create dozens of products over his 20 years in the industry. He writes and teaches about design to schools, businesses, and conferences around the globe. Key Points • Universe whispers, then shouts • Gaming passion pivots into career • Creativity as a learned skill • Body signals about life's misalignments • Industry arbitrage for success • Curiosity leads to unexpected paths • Philosophy's impact on creativity Best Quotes • "And this is one of the most, one of the most powerful things you can find is like the, the universe will, will start whispering messages to you, and then it will start shouting at you." 02:05 - 02:11 • "I call it infectious enthusiasm. Like, I get super excited about something and then I can get other people excited about it." 03:51 - 03:59 • "I was, I was kept in my debate team and I went to, I actually went to law school and I gave up my gaming career, even though I had already been making a living playing games." 04:12 - 04:19 • "I remember very specifically just, I'm at NYU law, I'm trudging through the snow in the morning. I'm just cold. I'm miserable." 05:29 - N/A • "Yeah, it's, it's so interesting because our body actually will start to give us signals before the rest of us ever ever even know what's happening." 11:15 - 11:30 • "There's this myth that the creative people have this secret sauce and that there are these, you know, they'll, the lone genius that goes off into like some mountain top somewhere, and then it comes back that they, you know, fully formed idea that thou is a brilliant thing, right? That is the most corrosive myth in our society right now." 20:49 - 20:52 For more about Justin: www.justingary.com

In this week's episode I am joined by Traver Boehm! Traver is the Founder of UNcivilized Men's Movement, the fastest growing men's movement in the world. He is the author of Today I Rise, and Man UNcivilized as well as a two-time TEDx speaker, men's coach and podcaster. Drawing upon an eclectic background ranging from professional bodyguard and Mixed Martial Arts to a Master's Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and meditation, Traver counsels men, women, and couples on how to better understand men's mental health and relationship difficulties. With a passion for people and a unique lens through which to view the human experience, Traver is a highly sought after teacher in the fields of consciousness, relationship, and personal development. Key Points • Modern masculinity's complex challenges • The vital impact of elder male influences • Education system's mismatch with boys' needs • Importance of men expressing vulnerability • Building boys into men with purpose & empathy • Societal expectations of men • Emotional intelligence for men Best Quotes 02:29 - 02:37 • "We are, we are at so many odd junctures, we are at the, the call for men, right?" 03:17 - 03:23 • "So we're in this real con, we're we're confused about what to do with men in Western society." 03:35 - 03:42 • " You don't just become a man because you turn 18, right?" 11:01 - 11:08 • "And the thing from the top of the mountain, we're gonna give you a new name. We're gonna teach you what it means to be a man." 14:46 - 14:54 • "I don't think, and I never have thought that masculinity needed to be discarded. I think it needed a bit of an upgrade." 36:10 - 36:22 • "I'm satisfied at the end of a hard day. I'm satisfied when I write something and I get emails back saying, thank you, that changed my life. I'm satisfied at the end of a fucking hard workout." 50:09 - 50:21 • "A strong mother will raise a strong human can raise an empathetic human, can raise a good man, but it actually does take a man to teach a young boy what the job will be." For more about Traver visit: www.manuncivilised.com/about

In this week's episode, I am joined by Dean Hall! Dean Hall is a seasoned veteran in the coaching field, with over 30 years and 50,000 hours of face-to-face experience. A two-time cancer survivor, world record-setting extreme endurance athlete, and no stranger to personal hardship, Dean has the life experience to stand behind his techniques and advice. Dean firmly believes that reconnecting ourselves to nature has the power to change our lives for the better. He discovered this first-hand when, while swimming the entire length of the Willamette River, nature healed his leukemia and he was surprised to find he was in a state of radical remission. Now, his mission in life is to lead and inspire others to discover the healing powers of nature for themselves. Key Points • Conquering cancer with love • Power of nature in healing • Finding passion and purpose • Resilience infused with love • Living each day with gratitude Best Quotes 04:29 - 04:41 • "And I found that as he did that, if you have a passionate purpose, and it doesn't have to make sense to anybody else, you just have to really be passionate about it yourself." 06:14 - 06:23 • "And I believe when you fight anything, it creates cortisol. And cortisol and adrenaline rushes." 07:21 - 07:34 • "So I just lost everything. But even then, I found there were a lot of things, if I concentrated on what I could love about my life, there were things every day that I could love." 08:00 - 08:23 • " this is how I still try to live, loving everything as the big purpose and the motivation, having a mission or a purpose that's bigger than myself and something that it doesn't have to make sense to anybody else, but gets me excited." 15:03 - 15:09 • "Today I'm fine. So I always concentrate on what I call micro moments." 15:10 - 15:13 • "Micro moments, moments. Right. Now, I get to be here with you." 15:37 - 15:47 • "And most of us are, and the problem with this modern digital age is we are just so stuck to our digital devices."