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The Pursuit of Learning

English, Education, 1 season, 132 episodes, 13 hours, 24 minutes
About
Personal, Professional and Financial Growth one conversation at a time. On the Pursuit of Learning, we talk to authors and subject matter experts across a variety of domains: mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and financial. The premise is that each person we meet knows things we don't and its those nuggets of wisdom that help each of us grow.
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Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity and Joy with Shauna Shapiro

Shauna Shapiro is a clinical psychologist, author, speaker, and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and self-compassion. In addition to her three highly acclaimed books that have been translated into sixteen languages, she is a professor at Santa Clara University and the author of over 150 papers. The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Oprah, NPR, and the American Psychologist have all published her work. Having discovered mindfulness during the darkest time of her life, it became the path to her healing. During her time in Thailand and Nepal, she immersed herself in the practice of mindfulness and came across ‘self-compassion.’ She joined us today to talk about her book, ‘Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity, and Joy.’[04.41] Mindfulness - Mindfulness isn't just about paying attention. It's about how you pay attention. [08.19] Direction and destination – We talk about the unrealistic goals we’ve set for ourselves and why direction is more important than destination. [15.23] Reacting and responding – Shauna explains how mindfulness can help us from a reactor to a responder. [22.00] Attitude of kindness – The importance of being kind to ourselves. [26.47] Self-compassion – The three pillars of self-compassion. [30.21] Loving kindness – Loving kindness Meditation is about building our hearts’ capacity to love and learning to love other people and ourselves. [37.06] Remorse and shame – Shauna explains the difference between healthy remorse and toxic shame. [41.44] Emotional regulation – Emotional regulation and how it can control our reactions to something. [47.00] Good morning, I love you – How the ‘Good morning, I love you’ practice helped Shauna when she was in a difficult phase of her life.ResourcesConnect with ShaunaLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/shauna-shapiro-phd-35366273/ YouTube - youtube.com/channel/UC271zr3rqJnlmJEL7BwK5dw Website - drshaunashapiro.com/ Instagram - instagram.com/drshaunashapiro/ Book by Shauna ShapiroGood Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity, and JoyBook by Shauna ShapiroGood Morning, I Love You, Violet!Book by Jon Kabat-ZinnWherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
2/20/202454 minutes, 55 seconds
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The Changing Game of Education with Ana Lorena Fabrega

Ana Lorena Fábrega is an author, edupreneur, and Chief Evangelist at Synthesis. Growing up, she attended ten schools in seven different countries. She then earned her BS in Childhood Education and Special Education from New YorkUniversity and taught elementary school in New York, Boston, and Panama. Today, Ana Lorena writes online to over 250,000 readers about the promise of alternative education. Ana believes that our current education system operates under outdated ideologies, holding back children from learning what’s important. Ana joined us today to talk about her book, ‘The Learning Game: Teaching Kids to Think for Themselves, Embrace Challenges, and Love Learning.’As a former teacher and author, Ana brings a wealth of insight on the flaws within the traditional education system and the essential need to nurture children's inherent curiosity and passion for learning. Join us as we cover the impact of gamification, stoicism, and the pivotal role of parental involvement in shaping a more effective and fulfilling educational journey for children. [06.06] The game of school – Starting the conversation, Ana explains the game of school and how it builds students without creativity and problem solving. [14.10] Parenting – The best teacher children can have are their parents. [20.32] System failing – Ana talks about how the current education system is failing students. [30.00] Obsessions – We talk about how children are capable of doing incredible things if they are directed towards their passions and obsessions. [37.00] Gamification – Ana explains how gamification can be applied to the education system to increase motivation to learn among children.[44.15] Storytelling - Stories are one of the best ways to get children hooked on what they are going to be learning about. [48.00] Questioning – Asking questions is one way of learning things. We talk about why children stop asking questions at certain ages. [58.00] Boredom – The importance of boredom in the lives of children.[01.01.25] Fragility of children – We dive into how overprotectiveness with the best intentions can make children fragile. ResourcesConnect with AnaWebsite - afabrega.com/ Newsletter - https://afabrega.com/newsletterLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/ana-lorena-fabrega-32775768/ Instagram - instagram.com/msfab_learninglab/ Twitter - twitter.com/anafabrega11 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1ICCL5l_5iT8yDzSoYLUzQTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@msfab_learninglabBook by Ana Lorena FábregaThe Learning Game: Teaching Kids to Think for Themselves, Embrace Challenge, and Love LearningBook by Dr. Becky KennedyGood Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
2/13/20241 hour, 22 minutes, 27 seconds
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Unpacking Work, Happiness, and Purpose with Simone Stolzoff

Simone Stolzoff is an author, designer, and workplace expert. A former design lead at the global innovation firm IDEO. His work has been featured in The New York Times, the Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and more.  He joined us today to talk about his debut book, ‘The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work.’In this episode, Simone discusses the evolving nature of work, the pursuit of fulfillment, and the delicate balance between career and personal life. We talk about challenging the traditional narrative of the dream job to exploring the impact of excessive work hours and the centralization of work as a source of identity.  Join us as we navigate the complex dynamics of work, success, and personal growth in today's ever-changing landscape.[06.23] Calvinism – Starting the conversation, Simone defines Calvinism and how it conspired with the trend of non-religious people around 30 years ago in the United States. [12.21] Economic vs. humanist – We dive into the two arguments, economic and humanist, based on working hours.[20.00] Work as meaning – We talk about the work as meaning movement back in the 1970s. [28.43] The cycle – Simone talks about the work-life balance awareness of modern society and the importance of it. [34.34] The Good Enough Job – When you are at work, do great work. When you are not working, leave it where it is.[41.30] The values – You can easily lose who you are due to a sense of overachievement. Balance is important. [50.51] Reclaiming life – Wrapping up today’s conversation, Simone shares who can use his book as a guide to have a healthy relationship with their work. ResourcesConnect with SimoneLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/simone-stolzoff-5a16b648/ Twitter - twitter.com/SimoneStolzoff Website - simonestolzoff.com/ The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work by Simone Stolzoffamazon.com/Good-Enough-Job-Reclaiming-Life/dp/059353896X Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing by Pete Davisamazon.com/Dedicated-Case-Commitment-Infinite-Browsing/dp/1982140909 You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir by Maggie Smithamazon.com/Could-Make-This-Place-Beautiful/dp/1982185856 The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Houselamazon.com/Psychology-Money-Timeless-lessons-happiness/dp/0857197681 
2/6/202453 minutes, 54 seconds
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Understanding How to be Comfortable In Your Own Body with Brent Stevenson

Brent Stevenson is a physiotherapist in Vancouver, Canada, the co-owner of two multidisciplinary health clinics, the author of two books, and the father of three teenage children.  Brent has a Bachelor of Human Kinetics from the University of British Columbia, a Masters of Physiotherapy from McMaster University, and a long list of post-graduate training.His first book titled ‘Why Things Hurt: Life Lessons From An Injury-prone Physical Therapist’ is a collection of meaningful stories and explanations about how our bodies actually work. Brent joined us today to discuss his current book ‘Why We Hurt: Understanding How to Be Comfortable in Your Own Body’ which takes a deeper look at the physical manifestations of stress and anxiety in people’s bodies, and how your interpretation of your story when you reach out for help. [07.17] Physiotherapy – Starting the conversation, Brent explains how physiotherapy helps your body habituate to hypersensitivity after an acute injury. [13.22] Hypermobility – Pros and cons of hypermobility.[21.00] Why physiotherapy? – We discuss the reasons why people are driving toward physiotherapy often. [30.30] Migraines – Brent shares how he got his migraine under control by making lifestyle changes.[40.06] The groundwork – How empathy, kindness, and meaningful explanations can help people understand physical discomforts.[53.57] The injury - Brent shares the story of a painful injury involving his eye and how he dealt with the difficulties that came after the incident.[01.08.09] The inner dialogue – How inner dialogues can help you achieve a comfortable life.[01.16.18] Personal responsibility – Brent shares actions that people should be taking on their physical and mental health journeys to achieve their best lives.[01.31.30] Be nice – You never know what other people are going through. Being kind and empathetic toward people is important. ResourcesConnect with BrentWebsite - whythingshurt.com/ Website - www.EnvisionPhysio.comTwitter - twitter.com/whythingshurt Instagram - instagram.com/whythingshurt/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/brentstevenson/ YouTube - youtube.com/envisionphysioFacebook - facebook.com/whythingshurtBook by Brent StevensonWhy We Hurt: Understanding How To Be Comfortable In Your Own BodyBook by Daniel J. SiegelMindsight: The New Science of Personal TransformationBook by Daniel KahnemanThinking, Fast and Slow
1/30/20241 hour, 29 minutes, 32 seconds
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Navigating the Challenges of Technology and Change with Edward D Hess

Edward D. Hess is a Professor Emeritus of Business Administration at the University of Virginia and the author of 15 books, including “Hyper-Learning: How to Adapt to the Speed of Change.” Professor Hess had 20 years of experience as a business executive before joining academia. His research has mostly concentrated on achieving exceptional organizational and individual performance, specifically in the areas of leadership enhancement, fostering high-performance cultures, and designing learning and innovation platforms that facilitate superior human behavioral performance.Edward joined us today to talk about his new book, ‘OWN YOUR WORK JOURNEY!: The Path to Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and Radical Change.’Our discussion dives into the power of mindfulness and personal growth as we navigate an ever-changing world. From Edward’s personal experiences with meditation gurus to their inspiring journey of embracing ownership and continuous learning, this episode is filled with wisdom and practical strategies for personal transformation. We also explore the challenges and potential solutions in the education system, the impact of technology on jobs, and the importance of embracing empathy and humility in our lives. [07.07] Ownership – Starting the conversation, Professor Hess explains what we have to do to have a happy and meaningful life in an age full of smart technology. [14.04] The business world – We talk about why we need to bring our best selves to the business world in the next 10 to 15 years.[22.00] Accountability partner – The importance of having an accountability partner. [30.10] Critical thinking - A critical thinker emerges when one actively engages in stress testing and actively seeks alternative answers, consciously striving to uncover knowledge that challenges their own beliefs.[38.09] Meditation practice – Meditation practices to be successful in the modern world. [44.35] Humility – Edward explains some practices for increasing humility. [52.19] Emotional fragility – We discuss the possible reasons for not paying severe attention to critical thinking in the modern world. [01.00.00] Education system – Emotional well-being and the education system of the USA.[01.05.00] Technological development – We talk about why we need to have an open mind about technology and where it takes us.ResourcesConnect with Edward D. HessLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/edward-hess-41638b16/ YouTube - youtube.com/channel/UCL_nwfCsETj_tEwGVjuxbJg Website - edhess.org/ Twitter - twitter.com/HessEdward OWN YOUR WORK JOURNEY!: The Path to Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and Radical ChangeBy Edward D. Hessamazon.com/OWN-YOUR-WORK-JOURNEY-Meaningful/dp/B0BW2SL7Q3 
1/23/20241 hour, 18 minutes, 57 seconds
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Finding Balance and Authenticity in Work and Family with Yael Schonbrun

Today’s guest is Yael Schonbrun, a clinical psychologist, assistant professor at Brown University, co-host of the Psychologists Off the Clock podcast, author and a parent of three.. In her research, private practice, writing, and podcasting, Yael uses science and Eastern philosophy to explore practices proven to foster healthier relationships between partners, parents and children, and between our most important life roles. Yael’s writing on work, parenting, and relationships has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Greater Good Science Center, Behavioral Scientist, Tricycle, among others.She joined us today to talk about her book, ‘Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection.’Yael shares insights on how to navigate the challenges of being a working parent and finding balance in multiple roles. We dive into the concept of benign neglect, the power of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and the benefits of having multiple roles in life. Yael offers practical strategies for managing emotions, clarifying values, and making choices that align with our true priorities. Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tools for personal and professional growth in this thought-provoking conversation. [06.39] Diverse roles – Starting the conversation, we dive into how various roles in your life can help one another in certain situations of life. [21.00] CBT vs. ACT – Yael explains one of the main differences between CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).[30.00] Making the right choice - We will consistently strive for improvement in life. If we redirect our focus towards the process and adopt a less rigid attitude towards the outcomes, acknowledging that we lack control over them. [35.06] Values – We talk about the importance of prioritizing your values, which are dedicated to different roles in your life.[45.00] Workability of labels – How we can attach labels that can help us to serve and push us in ways that matter.[51.51] Doing right & hard things – Yael talks about the Aristotelian idea of doing the right and hard things at the right time with the right people in the right way.[01.03.01] Childcare – We dive into the importance of high-quality childcare, especially with our family members like grandparents.[01.14.03] Pleasure – Pleasure and life roles.ResourcesConnect with YealLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/yael-schonbrun-a26a5229/ Twitter - twitter.com/DrYaelSchonbrun Instagram - instagram.com/yaelschonbrun/ Website - https://relationalriffs.substack.com/Book By Yael Schonbrun:Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like Too Much)Book by Viktor E. FranklMan's Search for MeaningBook by Christy LefteriThe Beekeeper of Aleppo: A Novel
1/16/20241 hour, 28 minutes, 53 seconds
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Supercharge Your Performance with Greg Wells

Today's guest is Dr. Greg Wells, a health, wellbeing, and peak performance are personal and professional obsessions. Dr. Wells has a Ph.D. in Physiology and has served as a Senior Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the Director of Sport Science for the Canadian Sport Institute. His mission is to make the science of human limits understandable and actionable. To that end he has authored five best-selling books. Greg is the CEO and founder of Wells Performance, a consulting firm committed to  helping teams, schools and businesses become places where people get healthy, perform optimally and reach their potential.Greg joined us today to discuss his latest book, Powerhouse: Protect Your Energy, Optimize Your Health and Supercharge Your PerformanceIn this episode, Greg dives into the fascinating connections between physical activity, mental performance, and emotional wellbeing. Greg explores the growing trend of incorporating cycling and walking into business settings, uncovering the benefits of these activities for sparking creativity and generating new ideas. With an emphasis on the power of consistency and small improvements, Greg shares valuable insights on harnessing stress and the concept of hormesis for enhanced performance and overall health.Listeners will also gain practical tips on utilizing breathwork for relaxation and strategic thinking, as well as the important role of physical activity in combating the rising rates of depression and anxiety. With a thought-provoking discussion on cultivating resilience, seeking challenges for personal growth, and the impact of locus of control, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to optimize their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.[07.28] Learning from mistakes - Those who fail the most are the ones who make the most rapid improvements. [15.23] Depression and anxiety – Greg explains how to reduce depression and anxiety to have good mental health.[22.16] Breath work – We talk about how breath can help you pause between stimulus and response to settle your nervous system. [39.32] Power of walking – We talk about the power of moving our bodies. [45.15] Creativity – Greg explains how moving your body helps to increase creativity.[01.04.11] Heat and cold – Greg explains how people can use hot and cold water as a mental health practice rather than an anti-inflammatory practice.[01.11.05] Influence – We dive into the importance of allocating our efforts, time, and energy to things we can control and make a difference. ResourcesConnect with Dr. GregWebsite - drgregwells.com/ LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/drgregwells/ Instagram- instagram.com/drgregwellsBook By Greg WellsPowerhouse: Protect Your Energy, Optimize Your Health and Supercharge Your PerformanceBook by Dan MillmanWay of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes LivesBook by Peter Attia Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
1/9/20241 hour, 26 minutes, 37 seconds
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Embracing an Alcohol-Free Lifestyle with Karolina Rzadkowolska

Karolina Rzadkowolska is a life coach, author, and podcast host. She is an alcohol-free life empowerment expert who helps intuitive women ditch alcohol and discover their greater purpose.  She’s worked with thousands of clients through her programs to change their drinking habits and unleash a new level of health, happiness and drive. Karolina joined us today to discuss her best-selling book, Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident YouThroughout this conversation, we explore the profound effects that alcohol has on our brains and bodies, uncovering the truth behind the societal conditioning and expectations surrounding alcohol consumption. Karolina shares her personal journey of taking a break from alcohol and how it led to increased happiness, creativity, and a sense of purpose.We dive into the fascinating science behind alcohol's impact on neurotransmitters, detoxification processes, and mental health. But it doesn't stop there – Karolina enlightens us about the burgeoning industry of alcohol-free drinks, which offers a new way to participate in social rituals without the harmful effects of alcohol.We also discuss the societal pressures and stigmas surrounding sobriety, challenging the belief that alcohol enhances our enjoyment of life. Karolina and our host highlight the immense benefits that come from embracing an alcohol-free lifestyle, including improved relationships, a deeper connection with oneself, and the freedom to pursue one's dreams without limitations.[07.54] Dreams and alcohol – Karolina explains how she discovered her inner writer, who disappeared due to alcohol. [13.00] Health and alcohol – Karolina talks about the health hazards that come with alcohol.[19.00] Beliefs – We talk about alcohol-related common beliefs among people. [28.00] Expectations – We dive into the expectations of society that drive people to use alcohol.[35.30] Alcohol-free – Karolina walks us through the benefits of living an alcohol-free life. [44.23] Science and beliefs – We talk about the importance of questioning whether our beliefs are scientifically proven or not. [01.00.47] What we want most - The things we want most over the things we want now will give us a stronger sense of fulfillment, purpose, and meaning. [01.09.47] The better version – Wrapping up today’s conversation, Karolina talks about how removing alcohol from our lives can lead us to our fullest potential.ResourcesConnect with Karolina RzadkowolskaBook and Free Gift for Listeners - www.euphoricbook.com/giftWebsite - euphoricaf.com/ Instagram - instagram.com/euphoric.af/ Book by Karolina RzadkowolskaEuphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident YouBook By Gay HendricksThe Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Levelamazon.com/Big-Leap-Conquer-Hidden-Level/dp/0061735361 
1/2/20241 hour, 14 minutes, 52 seconds
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How to Take Control of Your Actions and Choices with John G Miller

This week’s episode of the Growth Guide Podcast features John G. Miller. John is an author and a keynote speaker. Over ten years, while engaged in the sale and organization of training programs for CEOs and managers, he came to realize the significant demand for personal accountability. In 1995, he decided to transition into a keynote speaker role, naming his presentations "Personal Accountability and the QBQ!" He joined us today to talk about his book: QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life.QBQ, or Question Before Question, is about asking questions that raise you to a level of personal accountability and get you out of the blame trap. Personal accountability is making a choice or taking action on your own over a situation and taking ownership of the consequences that follow. John discusses how victim thinking can hold us back from achieving our goals and offers practical strategies to break free from this mindset. We explore the importance of taking personal responsibility, making better choices, and asking helpful questions. Join us as we uncover the secrets to eliminating blame, embracing accountability, and fostering a positive and growth-oriented mindset. Stay tuned for an inspiring conversation that will empower you to take charge of your life and create a path towards personal fulfillment.[05.00] Personal accountability – Starting the conversation, John provides us with a fascinating story about how personal accountability can help an organization. [11.38] They vs. I – The importance of thinking about what I can do rather than waiting on what they can do.[17.44] Victimhood – We dive into the idea of victimhood in the workplace and what we can do to reduce it. [22.12] Believe or leave – When you are working in an organization, you have to believe what you are doing. If you fail to believe, it’s better to leave.[26.11] Spirit – Spirit should be there if you need to get something done. It’s necessary to make a change. ResourcesConnect with John LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/johnmillerqbq/ Instagram - instagram.com/qbqjohn/ YouTube - youtube.com/user/qbqjohn Twitter - twitter.com/QBQGuy Website - qbq.com/ Book by John MillerQBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in LifeBook by Napoleon HillThe Law of Success In Sixteen Lessons by Napoleon Hill
12/26/202335 minutes, 54 seconds
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Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity with Gloria Mark

In this week’s episode of the Growth Guide podcast, we have the honor of having a conversation with Gloria Mark, Chancellor’s Professor Emerita of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. She studies the impact of digital media on people’s work and personal lives, examining multitasking, attention and stress.  She has published over 200 articles in top journals and conferences and her research has been covered in popular media, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and more.She joined us today to talk about her recent book, ‘Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity’, which presents the science of how our attention spans have diminished in the digital age, along with solutions for regaining focus and well-being.Our conversation with Gloria revolves around the constraints presented by algorithms, social forces, and personal traits when making choices online. We dive into the impact of cutting off email for a week on productivity and stress levels, the unintended consequences of technology, the pros and cons of AI, and the challenge of maintaining focus in the midst of constant digital distractions. Gloria's insights shed light on how we can navigate the digital landscape to prioritize well-being and maintain a positive store of mental resources. So grab your headphones and join us as we explore the fascinating intersection of technology, attention, and personal growth. [06.10] Work from home – Starting the conversation, Gloria explains the impact that has on our attention when we are working from home. [12.00] Paying attention – We talk about how you get distracted by unconscious actions and how to reduce them.[20.10] Taking a break – Gloria shares her idea on the importance of connecting with nature while we are working and the positive impacts it has on our creativity. [28.50] Shots – We talk about how short videos on social media cause us to have short attention spans.[36.00] 40 seconds – We dive into the research findings about the 40-second length of attention we have on any screen before switching to something else.[44.00] Artificial intelligence – Gloria talks about the lack of creativity when using artificial intelligence to create content. [50.42] Free will – We talk about how a neurotic person can still extend their attention span even if they have more challenges than someone who's not neurotic.[59.05] Electronic communication – The imbalance between the sender and the receiver in an electronic communication.[01.04.47] Four properties – Gloria explains the four properties of human agency; intentionality, forethought, self-regulation, and self-reflection.[01.17.21] Well-being – We end today’s conversation with Gloria’s suggestion of putting our well-being first rather than using technology to exhaustion.ResourcesConnect with GloriaWebsite - gloriamark.com/ Newsletter - https://gloriamark.substack.com/Twitter - twitter.com/GloriaMark_PhD LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/gloriamark/ Book by Gloria MarkAttention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and ProductivityBook by Daniel KahnemanThinking, Fast and SlowBook by Robert H. LustigThe Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains
12/19/20231 hour, 20 minutes, 48 seconds
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Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed with Mark Divine

Today’s guest is Mark Divine, an entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, philanthropist and one of the world’s top leadership and coaching experts. Mark joined us today to talk about his book, ‘The Way of the SEAL: Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed.’After a successful 20 year career as a Navy SEAL and SEAL Commander, Mark was hired by the Navy to create a nationwide coaching and leadership program for the SEALs.Mark is the founder and leader of several highly successful enterprises, including SEALFIT (physical and mental training), Unbeatable Mind, LLC (executive mastery development), NavySEALs.com, and USCrossFitMark shares his journey from recognizing the deeper aspects of yoga beyond physical practice to becoming a Navy SEAL and ultimately, a warrior teacher and scholar. He dives into principles such as attention control, concentration, and the power of mindful awareness, providing valuable insights on how these practices can transform one's life. Mark also discusses his unique integrated movement practice and the impact it has had on Navy SEALs and other special operators. Get ready for an inspiring conversation filled with wisdom and practical tools for personal growth on this episode of The Growth Guide.[06.05] Mark’s story – Starting the conversation, Mark shares the journey he took to find who he is.[10.35] The direct method – We talk about how your ideas and feelings will always have control over you unless you learn to separate yourself from them. [19.19] Unbeatable mind – A holistic system for optimizing and evolving yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, intuitively, and spiritually.[25.55] Box breathing – Mark defines box breathing, the reasons we need to box breathe, and the benefits we get from it. [30.16] Concentration practice – We talk about the importance of concentration practice for productivity.[36.40] Beyond the offense – Mark walks us through the offensive and defensive mindsets.[43.23] Decisive actions - Doubt is eliminated through action alone.[48.05] Embrace the suck – The power of doing hard things to achieve what your heart desires. Connect with Mark:LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/markdivine/ Website - markdivine.com/ Instagram - instagram.com/realmarkdivine/ YouTube - youtube.com/channel/UC2UsDsqUL6PpKcdNKk-XO1g Twitter - twitter.com/SEALFIT Book by MarkThe Way of the SEAL: Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed
12/12/202354 minutes, 17 seconds
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Age is Just a Number with Gladys McGarey

This week’s episode of the Growth Guide podcast features Dr. Gladys McGarey, one of the rarest guests we’ve had on our show. She is a 102-year-old still-consulting doctor and the mother of holistic medicine. She is the co-founder of the American Holistic Medical Association. She started her medical career before it was allowed for women to have bank accounts. Nevertheless, she has overcome numerous obstacles and is considered a pioneer in a new approach to disease and health that has, over the past sixty years, revolutionized how people throughout the world view health care and self-care. Gladys joined us today to talk about her book ‘The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctor's Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age’, which reveals her powerful and life-changing secrets for how to live with joy, vitality, and purpose at any age.Gladys shares her remarkable journey and the unconventional approach she has taken towards healing and growth. From removing foreign objects from an elephant's foot to challenging the norms of Western medicine, Gladys has always been guided by a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Join us as we dive into the power of inner healing, the importance of curiosity and learning, and the profound impact that small acts of kindness can have on our lives and the lives of others. Get ready for an episode that will inspire and challenge your perspectives on personal growth and the limitless possibilities that come with it. [08.23] Finding purpose – Starting the conversation, Dr. Gladys briefs us on how she found her purpose in life along with the ways to find it ourselves. [13.12] Healing process – The healing process is not a single thing or a single idea. Your pain doesn’t have to define who you are.[19.47] Keeping the curiosity – Dr. Gladys explains the five Ls in regard to maintaining curiosity in our 50s and 60s. [27.00] Love yourself – If you want to love others, you have to love yourself first. Self-love is the first step in giving love.[33.09] Listening – We talk about the importance of listening to what your child says.[39.26] Dominion vs. dominance – Dr. Gladys explains what happens when people mix dominion with dominance. [45.16] Boundaries – We talk about the importance of respecting other people’s boundaries.[51.10] Are you a quitter? – You are going to be in many situations where you feel hopeless. But you have to remind yourself that you are not a quitter.ResourcesConnect with Dr. GladysTwitter - twitter.com/DrGladysMcGarey Website - gladysmcgarey.com/ Instagram - instagram.com/begladmd/ Book by Gladys McGarey M.D.The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctor's Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Ageamazon.com/Well-Lived-Life-102-Year-Old-Doctors-Happiness/dp/1668014483 
12/5/202352 minutes, 24 seconds
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Uncovering Scams and Deceptions with Christopher Chabris

Christopher Chabris is a cognitive scientist who has taught at Union University and Harvard University. His research focuses on decision-making, attention, intelligence and behavior genetics. Christopher received his Ph.D. in Psychology and A.B. in computer science from Harvard University. He joined us today to talk about the book he co-authored, Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It.Join us as we dissect the complexities of belief, deception, and human psychology. [10.08] Willing suspension of disbelief – Christopher defines willing suspension of disbelief and how the position of belief can get us into trouble. [14.12] The illusory truth – We dive into how we mistakenly attribute qualities such as credibility, truth, and trustworthiness to things like familiarity and recognition.[24.12] Using AI – Artificial intelligence and its current usage. [32.27] Survivorship bias – Christopher explains what survivorship bias is with some examples.[38.18] Opinions - Opinions come a lot easier than justifications. We talk about the famous saying, ‘The work required to have an opinion.’[48.10] Predictions – We dive into predictions, outcomes, and the effect predictions have on people.[51.27] Consistency – Consistency and what happens when it’s impossible.[01.07.25] Dealing with scams – Christopher shares how to identify if you are working with a scam and how to stay safe from them.ResourcesConnect with ChristopherLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/christopherchabris/ Twitter - twitter.com/cfchabris Website - chabris.com/Book by Christopher Chabris Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do about ItBook by Duncan J. WattsEverything Is Obvious: How Common Sense Fails UsBook by Michael ShermerConspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational
11/28/20231 hour, 19 minutes, 35 seconds
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Managing Mind Chatter with Mitchell Greene

In today’s conversation, we are joined by Mitchell Greene, a licensed clinical and sport psychologist, and owner of Greenepsych Clinical & Sport Psychology, a boutique private practice located in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Dr. Greene works primarily with athletes pursuing high performance goals, or coaches and athletic departments looking to educate their student-athletes on mental health and/or performance enhancement strategies.Mitchell joined us today to talk about his book, ‘Courage over Confidence: Managing Mind Chatter and Winning the Mental Game.’Mind chatter is when we have conversations with ourselves that are full of doubt, second-guessing, and negative thinking. It typically shows up when the uncertainty and the stakes feel enormous. For athletes, it can occur in a big tournament. The first step in recovering from mind chatter is to expect it to show up. Understanding the context in which it shows up is important because that means you're aware it’s completely normal and you can control it.Get ready to explore the concept of "chatter" and how to handle it, as Mitchell shares insights from their book and provides practical tips for athletes, coaches, and anyone facing high-stakes situations. [05.40] Mind chatter – Mind chatter is the negative, doubtful thinking or conversations we have with ourselves. [13.14] Fear - Fear may have been the way you presented yourself to the world when you were a child, but it doesn't have to define who you are now.[20.02] Falling behind – Mitchell explains why the obsession with doing everything for the fear of falling behind is unhealthy. [25.22] Social media – The impact social media has on athletes, in Mitchell’s opinion. [34.33] Thoughts – We are constantly having positive and negative thoughts about us. But we have to remember that we are so much bigger than those thoughts.[40.01] Monkey mind – We talk about the importance of learning to deal with the feeling of lacking control of one’s thoughts.[44.04] Results and action – Mitchell explains the difference between a results-oriented goal and an action goal. [48.50] Courage over confidence - One's ability to exhibit courage may be compromised when confronted with feelings of doubt and fear, which create favorable conditions for the manifestation of acts of bravery.ResourcesConnect with MitchellLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/mitchell-greene-ph-d-8571aa14/ Instagram - instagram.com/greenepsych/ Twitter - twitter.com/sportpsych Website - greenepsych.com/about/ Book by Mitchell GreeneCourage over Confidence: Managing Mind Chatter and Winning the Mental Gameamazon.com/Courage-over-Confidence-Managing-Chatter/dp/B0BYC2NQVT Book by W. Timothy GallweyThe Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performanceamazon.com/Inner-Game-Tennis-Classic-Performance/dp/0679778314/ Book by Phil KnightShoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nikeamazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike/dp/1501135910/ 
11/21/20231 hour, 1 minute, 53 seconds
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Finding Joy in Simple Pleasures with Mike Rucker, Ph.D.

This week’s episode of the Growth Guide podcast features Mike Rucker. Mike is an organizational psychologist, behavioral scientist, and charter member of the International Positive Psychology Association. He has been academically published in publications like the International Journal of Workplace Health Management. His ideas about fun and health have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Fast Company, Psychology Today, Forbes, Vox, Thrive Global, Mindful, mindbodygreen, and more. He joined us today to talk about his best-selling book, ‘The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life.’In this episode, Mike dives into the topic of finding joy and fulfillment in life by breaking free from the constant busyness trap. We discuss how the pandemic has allowed many of us to reflect on our goals and priorities, challenging the notion of a meritocracy and redefining what success truly means. Mike shares insights into the impact of social media on self-perception, the importance of setting achievable goals, and the significance of autonomy over our time. Tune into this episode to explore strategies for creating balance, embracing fun, and curating meaningful memories to live a more fulfilling and joyful life. [06.54] Social behaviors – Social behavior is a complex concept because, when it comes to times like COVID-19, people have difficulty coping without their rhythms and routines. [12.43] Different approaches – When you are trapped in a certain way, you have to try an approach that you are comfortable with, not what other people are comfortable with.[20.17] Happiness trap – Mike explains the difference between anticipatory pleasure and consummatory pleasure.[30.54] Sacrifice – There’s a certain level of sacrifice you have to make when you dream big. Not everyone has the ability to do that. [37.15] Achieving goals – We talk about making the process of achieving goals enjoyable rather than the outcome enjoyable. [44.00] The trick – Mike explains how anything that will alleviate boredom, traumatic pain, or discomfort could sometimes trick us into thinking we are enjoying it.[50.00] Time - If you don't have any autonomy over how you spend your time, it creates the problem of feeling trapped. [01.00.48] SAVOR system – Story editing, activity bundling, variable hedonics, options, and reminiscing.[01.07.47] Reminiscing – We talk about the importance of remembering pleasant things we’ve had in the past. [01.18.50] Choose Your Own Adventure – When you’ve reached the foundation of what makes you happy, you don’t need to fill your time with unnecessary goals.ResourcesConnect with MikeLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/michaelrucker/ Instagram - instagram.com/thewonderoffun/ Twitter - twitter.com/performbetter Facebook - web.facebook.com/mike.rucker.phd/ Website - michaelrucker.com/ Book by Mike Rucker PhDThe Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your LifeBook by Yuval Noah HarariSapiens: A Graphic History: The Birth of HumankindBook by Bessel van der Kolk M.DThe Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
11/14/20231 hour, 34 minutes, 46 seconds
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Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier with Kevin Kelly

Kevin Kelly is a senior maverick at Wired, an award-winning magazine he co-founded in 1993. He joined us today to talk about his book, Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier, a book of 450 modern proverbs for good living.Kevin shares his wisdom and insights on a variety of topics, including the importance of taking sabbaticals to avoid burnout, the power of deliberate practice in expanding our response to stimuli, and the necessity of change in a fast-paced world. From hiring practices to the value of saying no politely, Kevin's perspective is thought-provoking and actionable. So grab your headphones and get ready to embark on a journey of growth with Kevin Kelly on The Growth Guide.  [05.58] Enthusiasm – Enthusiasm is far more important than being smart. [14.42] Respect – We talk about the reason we have to respect someone’s ideas even if we don’t like them.[22.40] Change - You have to be careful about changing for the sake of change.[29.13] Resting – Kevin explains the importance of resting and how it’s going to increase your productivity. [33.22] Asking questions – Kevin explains how to ask questions of strangers that will get them interested in talking with you.[36.02] Polite but firm – We talk about our right to say ‘no’ to something or someone and why we don’t owe a reason to do that. [45.00] How to do it - Doing something and having it not work is how you're going to learn to make it work.[56.04] Time – Time is the most precious thing in the world that cannot be bought with money. ResourcesTwitter - twitter.com/kevin2kelly YouTube – youtube.com/user/Kevin2Kelly Website - kk.org/ Book by Kevin KellyExcellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlieramazon.com/Excellent-Advice-Living-Wisdom-Earlier/dp/0593654528 Book by James ClearAtomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Onesamazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299 Book by Portola InstituteWhole Earth Catalog, Access to Tools (Spring, 1970)amazon.com/Whole-Earth-Catalog-Access-Spring/dp/B083B6WWLY/ Book by Carol ChristenWhat Color Is Your Parachute? for Teens, Fourth Edition: Discover Yourself, Design Your Future, and Plan for Your Dream Jobamazon.com/What-Color-Parachute-Teens-Fourth/dp/1984858629/ Book by Daniel H. PinkThe Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Needamazon.com/Adventures-Johnny-Bunko-Career-Guide/dp/1594482918/ Book by Bruce FeilerThe Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Tell Your Family History, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much Moreamazon.com/Secrets-Happy-Families-Improve-Mornings/dp/0061778745/ 
11/7/20231 hour, 13 seconds
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Imagining a New Story for Work and Life with Paul Millerd

Paul Millerd is a curious human, solopreneur, podcast host, and author. He plays the role of a coach, where he helps people carve their own paths beyond the default path. He teaches people strategy consulting skills like solving complex problems and creating good presentations. He works with leaders as a consultant and adviser to enable people to thrive, questioning the default model of doing things and experimenting to learn. After discovering his self-worth was tied to an unrealistic standard of professional "success" and that he rarely stopped to consider the things that truly mattered to him, he decided to take a new approach to his life. He decided to join us today to talk about his book, ‘The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life.’[05.45] The default path – We start the conversation by defining the default path and how it is buried deep in the minds of people.[12.55] Digital economy – The transition from the industrial economy to the digital economy is difficult because people are unable to have the comfortable life they had with the industrial economy.[20.00] Ambition – People work too hard to live. But most of them don’t ever get to live their lives. Paul shares how he realized work is not that important.[27.00] Abundance mindset – Paul talks about the abundance mindset and how it impacted his life.[37.15] The change – Change is difficult. To change, you need to trust yourself, but figuring out how to get in a state to trust yourself is incredibly hard.[43.37] Faith and Pathless – We dive into the importance of having faith in the connections we have with our closest people.[49.39] Re-choosing – You constantly have to re-choose your path. Reaffirm your principles.[59.05] Defining enough – Success differs from one person to another. Paul shares his thoughts on how people can get into defining ‘enough’ for them. [01.06.09] Do I have enough? – We talk about the insecurity people have over money running out.ResourcesConnect with PaulLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/paulmillerd/ Twitter - twitter.com/p_millerd Website - think-boundless.com/ YouTube - youtube.com/c/PaulMillerd Instagram - instagram.com/pathlesspaul/ Book by Paul MillerdThe Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story For Work and Lifeamazon.com/Pathless-Path-Imagining-Story-Work/dp/B09QF6Q421 Books by David WhyteCrossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identityamazon.com/Crossing-Sea-Work-Pilgrimage-Identity/dp/1573229148/ The Three Marriages: Reimagining Work, Self and Relationshipamazon.com/Three-Marriages-Reimagining-Work-Relationship/dp/159448435X/ Book by Bill PerkinsDie With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Lifeamazon.com/Die-Zero-Getting-Your-Money/dp/0358567092/ 
10/31/20231 hour, 19 minutes, 25 seconds
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Charting the Internet's Next Economic and Cultural Frontier with Alex Tapscott

This week’s episode of the Growth Guide podcast features Alex Tapscott. Alex is an entrepreneur, business author, and seasoned capital markets professional. Alex is the co-author of the critically acclaimed non-fiction best-seller ‘Blockchain Revolution’, translated into more than 19 languages. He joined us today to talk about his Wall Street Journal bestseller, ‘Web3: Charting the Internet's Next Economic and Cultural Frontier.’We discuss a wide range of topics related to the evolving digital landscape. We dive into the intricacies of Proof of Work in Bitcoin, the carbon footprint of blockchain technology, the power of NFTs in empowering artists, the rise of stablecoins, and the potential of Web 3 and the metaverse.  We also touch on the challenges and opportunities in implementing Web 3 and creating a more inclusive digital economy. [06.00] The story of the internet – Starting the conversation, Alex shares the birth story of the internet and its evolution.[15.22] Stablecoins – Alex explains how stablecoins help flatten the world.[18.57] Non-fungible tokens – We discuss how non-fungible tokens can help people bring their values into the global marketplace.[30.26] Blockchain - Blockchain is a distributed or decentralized ledger of transactions that, instead of existing in one place, exists on any computer that is connected to the network and is available for all to see.[36.20] Bitcoin – Alex explains what it means to be permissionless and censorship-resistant when it comes to Bitcoin.[40.22] Web 3.0 – We dive into how the concepts of Web 3.0 turn internet users into internet owners.[49.00] Decentralized Finance – DeFi is a newly developed financial technology built on safely distributed ledgers, much like bitcoins. Alex explains some of the top ways we can use DeFi.[01.00.53] Threats – Even the most successful technologies have challenges. We talk about the possible threats to the implementation of Web 3.0 that we've got to be looking out for.[01.12.05] Content creation – Wrapping up today’s conversation, Alex shares how the Internet helps content creators enter the global marketplace now more than ever.ResourcesConnect with AlexLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/alex-tapscott-117638b/ Twitter - twitter.com/alextapscott Website - alextapscott.com/ Book by AlexWeb3: Charting the Internet's Next Economic and Cultural FrontierBook by Doug SaundersMaximum Canada: Toward a Country of 100 Million
10/17/20231 hour, 15 minutes, 20 seconds
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5 Practices of Highly Resilient People with Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal

My guest today is Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal, a keynote speaker, executive leadership coach of mental well-being and resilience, founder of the Resilience Leadership Institute, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. By leveraging over two decades of original research on resilience, she developed The 5 Practices of Highly Resilient People and believes that resilience is the key to individual, team, and organizational growth, along with acceleration across the globe. Her mission is to positively impact the lives of 1 billion people by enhancing hope, healing, and health through the concepts of resilience. She joined us today to talk about her book, ‘The 5 Practices of Highly Resilient People: Why Some Flourish When Others Fold.’During our discussion, Taryn shares her insights on how to shape our children's self-perception and self-guidance, highlighting the importance of allowing them to experience uncertainty and ambiguity. Taryn takes us on a personal journey as she uncovers her own vulnerability, sharing a powerful and deeply personal story about her experience with a stalker and the resulting PTSD. Through her own process of healing and growth, she discovered the power of vulnerability and how it can serve as a catalyst for change and resilience.We also explore Taryn's research on resilience and the five common practices of highly resilient individuals, delving into the power of vulnerability as the first practice. Get ready to gain valuable insights and practical tips that can help you navigate uncertainty, find strength in vulnerability, and unlock the resilience within you.[07.19] The control - It's not that we've lost control of our own lives; that's the issue. It's an unpleasant realization that we were never in possession of it to begin with.[14.38] The three Cs – Taryn explains why people are affected by the three Cs; challenge, complexity, and change.[20.06] Failure - The vast majority of things we consider to be failures turn out differently than anticipated and wind up being invaluable life lessons.[29.05] Performance vulnerability – We talk about how performance vulnerability can have both positive and negative effects on something.[35.48] Life lessons – Taryn shares some of the life lessons she learned from being vulnerable growing up.[42.14] Resilient mindset – The three common qualities that embody a resilient mindset are clear desire, a defined purpose, and dogged determination.[51.01] Connection – The first thing about connection is to have a strong relationship between you and yourself.[01.00.00] External connectedness – We talk about why it is becoming more and more difficult to connect as a society.[01.09.51] Worthiness – We are masterpieces that are works in progress. We continue to change, grow, and get better over time.ResourcesConnect with Dr. TarynLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/taryn-marie-stejskal/ YouTube - youtube.com/@dr.tarynmarie1729 Instagram - instagram.com/drtarynmarie/ Website - resilience-leadership.com/ Book by Dr. Taryn Marie StejskalThe 5 Practices of Highly Resilient People: Why Some Flourish When Others FoldBook by Trevor NoahBorn a Crime: Stories from a South African ChildhoodBook Maria KonnikovaThe Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win
10/17/20231 hour, 14 minutes, 25 seconds
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Buy Back Your Time with Dan Martell

Dan Martell is a serial entrepreneur, triathlete, investor, and author. He is the founder and CEO of SaaS Academy, the world’s No. 1 coaching program for B2B SaaS founders. He coaches over 1000 SaaS founders, including clients like ClickFunnels, Proposify, and Carrot. His goal is to teach people how to build businesses that they don't grow to hate. Dan joined us today to talk about his Wall Street Journal bestseller, ‘Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire.’Dan shares his transformative journey, from a troubled upbringing with addiction and incarceration, to becoming a successful entrepreneur and mentor.Dan dives into the importance of time and energy management, starting with a time and energy audit that helps clients identify tasks they enjoy, dislike, or can delegate. He highlights the impact of outsourcing and delegating tasks, even for entrepreneurs on a budget, and shares his own experiences and learnings along the way.Dan delves into the significance of having an executive assistant and the power of delegation in finding opportunities and growth. He encourages entrepreneurs to embrace the belief that someone else can run their company better and shares insights on leadership skills and building a strong team.Additionally, Dan explores the concept of buying back time and creating assets for long-term financial growth. He emphasizes the importance of leveraging resources and empowering employees to solve problems, all while reducing the need for excessive meetings.It's an episode jam-packed with valuable lessons and strategies to help you take your growth to the next level. Get ready for an episode that will leave you inspired and motivated. [07.04] Dan’s story – Starting the conversation, Dan shares his life-changing experience in prison and defines the Get Sh!t Done mentality.[14.06] The three levels – The employee, the entrepreneur, and the empire builder—are the three levels of becoming a businessman.[20.01] Meetings – Dan explains why he thinks meetings are the biggest time waste for a company.[27.32] Pain line – We talk about the fear of handing over your company to another person.[33.21] 10-80-10 rule – Dan defines the 10-80-10 rule.[43.28] Drip matrix – Delegation, replacement, investment and production[48.32] Outsourcing - We talk about the three key components that people have to do in order to be successful at outsourcing that work.[57.58] Empowering frontline workers - If companies allowed the frontline workers to solve problems the best way they saw fit, they would grow fast.ResourcesConnect with DanLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/dmartell/ Twitter - twitter.com/danmartell YouTube - youtube.com/channel/UCA-mWX9CvCTVFWRMb9bKc9w Website - danmartell.com/ Instagram - instagram.com/danmartell/ Book by DanBuy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire
10/10/20231 hour, 6 minutes, 22 seconds
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Reconnect in a Disconnected World with Jody Carrington

Dr. Jody Carrington is a powerhouse speaker and fearless champion for authentic human connection.  She is a clinical psychologist, speaker, and author. She has spent most of her career working with children and families who have experienced trauma. She believes in two things: that you are exactly where you need to be, no matter how painful or wonderful, and that we are wired to do hard things. More importantly, we are wired for connection, and we were never meant to do this alone. She joined us today to talk about her book, ‘Feeling Seen: Reconnecting in a Disconnected World.’From the challenges of navigating burnout and mental health issues, to the stigma surrounding emotions and the need for an emotional language, Jody shares their expertise and personal journey. They remind us that no matter our gender or background, we all share the same emotional makeup and the power of addressing, rather than suppressing, our feelings.So, prepare to be inspired and challenged as we embark on a journey of growth and self-discovery with the incredible Jody Carrington. Get ready to reshape your perspective on relationships, emotional well-being, and the true essence of being a remarkable human being. [06.13] Looking into the eyes - The hardest thing we will do is look into the eyes of the people we love.[12.53] Work from home – We dive deep into the things we miss when we work from home.[21.04] Emotional dysregulation - Uncertainty, fear, and no end in sight are the three ingredients of emotional dysregulation.[30.34] Emotional language - If you don't have the ability to stand up for big emotions in your team, you will not be as successful as you can be.[37.05] Alone with thoughts – We discuss why people are afraid of being alone with their thoughts.[50.01] Lack of purpose – We talk about the lack of purpose in people’s lives and why it’s perfectly normal not to figure out who you are supposed to be in life. [01.00.28] Craving acknowledgment – The key to healing is acknowledgment from others.[01.10.27] Empathy is a skill – Having to seek first to understand before being understood is the most critical skill. It takes effort and practice.ResourcesConnect with Dr. JodyLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/dr-jody-carrington/ Twitter - twitter.com/DrJCarrington Instagram - instagram.com/drjodycarrington/ Website - drjodycarrington.com/ Book by Dr. Jody CarringtonFeeling Seen: Reconnecting in a Disconnected WorldBook by Mitch AlbomTuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lessonamazon.com/Tuesdays-Morrie-Greatest-Lesson-Anniversary/dp/076790592X Book by Jesse ThistleFrom the Ashes: My Story of Being Indigenous, Homeless, and Finding My Wayamazon.com/Ashes-Story-Indigenous-Homeless-Finding/dp/1982182946/ Book by James ClearAtomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Onesamazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/B08BJ5JHX2/ 
10/3/20231 hour, 22 minutes, 43 seconds
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Becoming the Parents Your Kids Deserve with Gary John Bishop

This week’s episode of the Growth Guide podcast features Gary John Bishop. Gary is an author, speaker, and urban philosopher. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Unfu*k Yourself, Stop Doing That Sh*t, Do the Work, Wise As Fu*k, and Love Unfu*ked.. He joined us today to talk about his book, ‘Grow Up: Becoming the Parent Your Kids Deserve.’In this episode, Gary dives deep into the concept of authenticity and breaking down the barriers that prevent us from accessing our true selves. He challenges us to examine our behaviors, narratives, and patterns of blame in order to find relief and personal growth. Throughout our conversation, Gary shares personal anecdotes and insights on navigating relationships, parenting, and the impact of our childhood experiences. So get ready to embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment as we explore the waves of interruption that shape our lives. [04.25] Concept of blame – Starting the conversation, Gary defines the concept of blame and how it is one way of getting out of your past.[19.23] Relationship with parents – We talk about how childhood experiences affect being a parent.[27.40] The three waves – Gary defines the three waves of life as massive interruptions to a steady life.[36.52] Words and actions – If you don’t mean your words through your actions, other people can see right through you.[45.13] The separation – There’s a difference between living for your children and living your life for yourself and being there for the children.[54.05] Listening and speaking – Parents make mistakes when they are raising a child because they are raising a child and learning to raise a child at the same time.[01.08.10] Mountains – You have to get past one target in your life to see the other possible targets.ResourcesConnect with Gary Website - garyjohnbishop.com/ Instagram - instagram.com/garyjohnbishop/ Twitter - twitter.com/garyjohnbishop YouTube - youtube.com/c/GaryJohnBishop Book by Gary John BishopGrow Up: Becoming the Parent Your Kids DeserveBook by Victor E. FranklMan's Search For Meaning
9/26/20231 hour, 13 minutes, 6 seconds
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Let the Sh!t Go to Find Peace and Happiness with Nina Purewal

Today, we welcome Nina Purewal to the podcast. Nina is a keynote speaker, bestselling author, podcast host, mental health advocate, executive grief ambassador, ex-CPG marketer, and founder of Pure Minds Inc., a social enterprise that conducts mental wellness and mindfulness workshops for the corporate and public sectors. Nina has been studying mindfulness for over 20 years and practicing meditation for over a decade. She joins us to day to discuss the book, Let that Sh*t Go: Find Peace of Mind and Happiness in your Everyday, which she co-authored with Kate Petriw.After experiencing a devastating tragedy, Nina embarked on a journey to find answers and sought solace in mindfulness practices. Despite initially following a traditional path and obtaining a business degree, Nina eventually reached a breaking point with the stress of corporate life. In search of change, she took a year-long sabbatical, living in an ashram or monastery and disconnecting from the outside world. Upon returning, Nina realized the incredible potential of sharing ancient wisdom with those struggling with anxiety, stress, and depression. In 2011, when mindfulness and meditation were not widely discussed, she re-entered the corporate world and later started her own business, Pure Minds. Through corporate workshops and community sessions, Nina teaches individuals how to let go of negative emotions and self-limiting beliefs. Nina is fueled by her love for empowering others through ancient wisdom and fostering peace and grounding through mindfulness and meditation. She continues to learn and grow on her personal journey while sharing her insights with the world.[07.29] Negative thoughts – When you are having a negative thought, let it come, acknowledge it, and then let it go.[13.06] Fill your cup first – If you don’t love yourself first, you cannot give love to others.[20.51] Meditation concepts – Nina shares some meditation myths that will help people practice mindfulness.[26.34] Controlling life – Controlling everything in your life is impossible. But we can control how we react to it.[35.20] Letting go of should – We talk about letting go of societal pressures and focusing on what’s important to us.[52.04] Pause to celebrate – We dive into the importance of taking a moment to celebrate our achievements.[01.00.59] Authenticity – You have to be unapologetic about who you are. We talk about the importance of being authentic and some ways to step into that authenticity.[01.11.09] Finding forgiveness – Nina walks us through her journey of forgiveness.ResourcesConnect with NinaLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/nina-purewal/ Instagram - instagram.com/nina.pure.minds/ Website - pureminds.ca/ Book by Nina PurewalLet That Sh*t Go: Find Peace of Mind and Happiness in Your EverydayBook by Dr. Joe DispenzaBecoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon
9/19/20231 hour, 31 minutes, 14 seconds
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The Uncommon Behaviors of The World's Most Productive Achievers with Ryan Hawk

Today, my guest is Ryan Hawk. Ryan Hawk is a podcast host, author, keynote speaker, and advisor. Ryan is the host of The Learning Leader Show podcast, and has recorded more 550 episodes over the past 9+ years. Forbes called The Learning Leader Show, “the most dynamic leadership podcast around.” Inc Magazine said, “it’s one of the 5 podcasts to make you a smarter leader.” Apple named it an “all-time best seller” in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.Ryan is the author of two books, and he joined us today to discuss his latest book, The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of The World's Most Productive Achievers.Ryan candidly shares his journey from someone who wasn't naturally curious or inclined towards learning, to becoming a champion for continuous growth and improvement. We delve into his early days as a football player, where he admits to not being a big reader or mentor seeker. However, everything changed when he landed a sales job at Lexis Nexus and realized he needed to prove himself.Join us for this thought-provoking episode as we dive deep into how continually growing, embracing change, and surrounding ourselves with the right people can lead to remarkable personal and professional success. Ryan shares his journey to becoming less judgmental and approaching people with an open mind.[09.05] Focusing on the process – Starting the conversation, we dive into the importance of believing in the process and widening your horizons.[16.51] Three broad buckets – The build, the fuel, and the chase are the three broad buckets of achieving something in life.[23.20] Quality & quantity – Consistency remains as important as quality and quantity. It builds trust and routines for people.[31.44] Understanding people – We talk about how people can build better relationships by asking questions, listening to people, and being curious.[38.25] Do you read? – Ryan talks about how much value you can gain by simply reading one book.[45.30] Prioritizing – We talk about prioritizing the work we do.[55.14] Learning leader – A learning leader is someone who is constantly learning and striving to get better and improve.[01.03.06] Being reasonable – You can’t see everything in black & white. You have to look very closely to identify what lies beneath. [01.11.35] Are you a flip-flopper – Changing your mind on something is about having the willingness to rethink things to update your thinking.[01.21.27] Being naive – Sometimes being naive is good. If you know the risks or the hardest parts of doing something, you might not decide to do it.Resources Connect with RyanWebsite - learningleader.com/ Instagram - instagram.com/ryanhawk12/ LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/ryanhawk12/ Twitter - twitter.com/RyanHawk12 Ryan’s Podcast:The Learning Leader Show with Ryan HawkBook by RyanThe Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of the World's Most Productive AchieversBook by David McCulloughThe Wright BrothersBook by Admiral William H. McRavenThe Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy)
9/12/20231 hour, 40 minutes, 59 seconds
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How to Excel When Everything is Changing - Including You with Brad Stulberg

Today, my guest is Brad Stulberg. Brad researches, writes, and coaches on mental health, well-being, and sustainable excellence. He is bestselling author of Master of Change and The Practice of Groundedness. He regularly contributes to the New York Times and his work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and the Atlantic, among other outlets. In his coaching practice, he works with executives, entrepreneurs, physicians, and athletes on their mental skills and overall well-being. He is on faculty at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health. His past books include Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox.Brad joined us today to talk about his book, ‘Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing—Including You.’In this episode, Brad dives deep into the concept of selfhood and explores the importance of embracing both our historical and ultimate selves. He delves into the practical aspects of identifying with our historical self to achieve our goals, while also discussing the significance of connecting with our ultimate self, especially in moments of transitioning or reflecting on our lives.Brad encourages us to find balance between being a generalist and specialist, allowing us to pursue diverse interests while also developing expertise. He shares his advice on discovering our core values and maintaining them, emphasizing how sacrificing these values can lead to a loss of identity and disorientation.We also explore the accelerated pace of change in our world and the potential negative implications of this rapid transformation. Brad raises concerns about demagogues, authoritarians, and grifters influencing society through platforms like YouTube and TikTok, causing a regression rather than progression.Join us as we explore these thought-provoking ideas and discover how they can lead to personal transformation and a richer, more meaningful life.[07.51] Disorder events – Starting the conversation, Brad defines disorder events and some of the disorder events among the 36 of them.[13.11] Resisting change – We discuss the common ways people resist change and how to eventually overcome them.[21.26] Rugged flexibility - If your value is creativity, you can apply it in so many different ways.[30.36] Masculinity – Masculinity is embracing strength and physicality as well as emotional flexibility.[37.37] Pollyanna toxic positivity - Excessively or blindly optimistic.[45.25] Painful changes – Sometimes blind optimism can be too much. You have to admit to yourself that it’s okay to not be okay with changes happening along the way.[52.36] Happiness – The more you release the need to be happy and do things that align with your values, the better.[01.01.35] Fluid sense of self – It’s important that you keep several interests, and passions in your life because if one fails, you’ve got others to try.[01.11.24] Multitudes – We talk about the coexistence of the historical self and the ultimate self at the same time.[01.17.44] The four Ps – Pause, process, plan, and proceed are the four Ps of responding versus reacting.ResourcesConnect with BradLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/brad-stulberg-009b168b/ Website - bradstulberg.com/ Twitter - twitter.com/BStulberg Instagram - instagram.com/bradstulberg/ Book by Brad StulbergMaster of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing – Including You
9/5/20231 hour, 24 minutes, 13 seconds
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Making Good Choices During Difficult Times with Shannon Lee Simmons

This week’s episode features Shannon Lee Simmons. Shannon is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Investment Manager (CIM), life coach, media personality, bestselling author, and founder of the award-winning New School of Finance. She is a personal finance columnist for CBC's Metro Morning and a guest expert on The Marilyn Denis Show, in addition to being a frequent contributor for the Globe and Mail. She joined us today to talk about her book ‘No-Regret Decisions: Making Good Choices During Difficult Times’.Shannon defines the term ‘decision crisis, which she included in her book. We further dive into how hard it is to get back to normal when your life suddenly changes. With the routine you had before the decisions, it’s going to be like settling in a foreign country. But with careful steps, you can slowly fit into a normal lifestyle. In this part, we dive into the things people can do to get their lives back on track.So, whether you're navigating a bidding war, making a life-altering decision, or simply seeking guidance on finding financial peace, this episode is packed with valuable advice and practical strategies. Join us as we unlock the secrets to mindful decision-making and reclaiming control over our financial journeys. Let's dive into The Growth Guide with Shannon Lee Simmons.[02.43] Decision crisis – Starting the conversation, Shannon defines decision crisis.[10.02] Getting back to normal – It’s hard to get back to normal when your life suddenly changes. We go through Shannon’s lists and routine for getting back to normal.[21.21] Circle of care – We talk about the importance of sharing with people who have gone through the same difficulties as you.[31.24] Core values – You are going to enjoy your daily life if the decisions you make are based on your core values.[36.17] Options and outcomes - A solid action with a predictable outcome in the short run can change the course of how things are going to play out for you.[45.45] Panic-based decisions - We discuss how people come to regret panic-based decisions years later.[51.33] Next normal – You can’t undo the decisions you've made in the past. But you can make peace with the things that didn’t work out.[01.02.32] No-Regret Decisions – Shannon shares the importance of her book for people who are going through transitions in life and for people who like to understand and be ready to go through a transition.ResourcesConnect with Shannon Lee SimmonsWebsite - shannonleesimmons.com/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/shanleesimmonsInstagram - instagram.com/shanleesimmons/ Book by Shannon Lee SimmonsNo-Regret Decisions: Making Good Choices During Difficult TimesBook by Katherine MayWintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times
8/29/20231 hour, 4 minutes, 28 seconds
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Sweaty Businesses + Social Media + Time = Billion Dollar Businesses with Nick Huber

Our guest today is Nick Huber. Nick is an entrepreneur, investor, and social media influencer. He owns stakes in 11 companies, including a real estate private equity firm and several agencies. As a content creator, he has published over 400 podcast episodes, 200+ articles, and thousands of tweets. Through content, he shares his life and business philosophy while simultaneously developing a diverse portfolio of sweaty startups in real-time. Nick shares his journey from starting a small student storage company to building a multi-million dollar self-storage empire and beyond. He provides valuable insights on how he grew his businesses, attracted talent through social media, and even made a game-changing investment in a company called Support Shepherd. Nick also dives into the importance of providing value upfront, the art of delegation, and the power of empowering employees to make decisions. Join us as we talk about Nick’s journey as an entrepreneur, the birth of Storage Squad, raising money for startups, Nick’s Twitter journey, attracting talent through Twitter, adding value to people, and more.[13.31] Storage Squad – We dive into the birth story of Storage Squad, a college moving and storage service.[21.19] The momentum – It takes a lot more than a world-changing idea to build a company, especially for a college student.[28.55] Raising money – Nick walks us through how he raised money for Storage Squad.[35.30] Twitter journey – Nick shares the story behind starting his Twitter account.[47.41] Courting controversy - Nick uses Twitter to court controversy as one of his avenues for growing his business.[01.00.38] Attracting talent – We talk about Twitter’s ability to find the best talent for something in any space.[01.14.59] Delegation - As a business owner, you have to put people who are competent and have been tested and trained between you and your problems.[01.22.57] Adding value – We talk about what happens when you keep adding value to people’s lives and how it can build trust as an end result.Connect with Nick HuberLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/sweatystartup/ Website - sweatystartup.com/                 nickhuber.com/ Twitter - twitter.com/sweatystartup Nick's growing business empire:Business Brokerage - https://nickhuber.com/Personal Brand - https://sweatystartup.com/Self Storage - https://boltstorage.com/Bold SEO - https://boldseo.com/Insurance - https://titanrisk.com/Recruiting - https://recruitjet.com/Landing Page / Web Development - https://webrun.com/Overseas Staffing - https://supportshepherd.com/Debt and Equity - https://bluekeycapital.com/Tax Credit - https://taxcredithunter.com/Cost Segregation - https://recostseg.com/Performance Marketing - https://adrhino.com/Pest control - https://spidexx.com/Nick's Book - https://antientrepreneur.com/
8/22/20231 hour, 29 minutes, 38 seconds
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F the Shoulds, Do the Wants with Tricia Huffman

Our guest today is Tricia Huffman, a podcast host, speaker, Manager of Integrity to Grammy Award-winning artists, and founder of Your Joyologist.For over a decade she has been a called upon mental health and mindset expert spreading her mission to claim joy daily via her empowering social media posts, real talk podcast, coaching work, product line, Own Your Awesome daily inspiration app, book, and everything that she doesTricia joined us today to talk about her book, ‘F the Shoulds. Do the Wants: Get Clear on Who You Are, What You Want, and Why You Want It.Tricia shares her personal journey of prioritizing herself and breaking free from societal expectations. From her pivotal moment at age fifteen to her career as a live sound engineer, Tricia's story will inspire you to question the word "should" and embrace your true desires in order to live a more fulfilling life. Starting the conversation, Tricia explains her journey to realizing how much the word ‘should’ has power over our lives.We usually mistake ‘should’ with ‘want’. We think we are going after what we want, but it’s what we think we should want. The shoulds are the result of outside influences in your life. If you want to get control over your life, you have to replace your shoulds with your wants.Join us as Tricia dives deep into the power of self-validation, forgiveness, and the importance of trusting your own unique path to success. Are you ready to let go of judgment, make choices from a place of empowerment, and cultivate a mindset of growth? Then let's jump right into this incredible episode of The Growth Guide with Tricia Huffman.[07.02] Giving up the should – Starting the conversation, Tricia shares a brief bio about herself and how life-changing it was for her after giving up the word ‘should’.[13.38] Is it selfish – Taking care of yourself and doing what you feel is right is the furthest thing from being selfish.[22.38] Doubting the doubt – It’s okay to have doubts, fears, and regrets because you are human. But you have to make peace with those things in order to go forward.[29.48] Internal dialog – Tricia explains how she deals with her inner critic.[35.44] Feeling lower – No one can make you feel you are not enough or strong without your consent. You only get to make that choice for yourself.[43.28] The possibility – We talk about why people are afraid to put themselves out there.[50.25] Punishing yourself – Punishing yourself for things that happened in the past doesn’t help you move forward or change the future.[58.52] The shame – We talk about why we feel shame for doing things that make us happy.[01.08.54] The judgment - The fear of being judged is even bigger than the fear of failure.[01.16.07] Recognition - We talk about why it is important to recognize that we are enough in order to move forward.ResourcesConnect with Tricia HuffmanWebsite - yourjoyologist.com/Twitter - https://twitter.com/yourjoyologistInstagram - instagram.com/_triciahuffman/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/yourjoyologistBook by Tricia HuffmanF the Shoulds. Do the Wants: Get Clear on Who You Are, What You Want, and Why You Want It.Book by Joshua Heter, Richard Greene Punk Rock and Philosophy (Pop Culture and Philosophy)
8/15/20231 hour, 28 minutes, 50 seconds
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Get Rid of Your Inner Clutter and Live a More Fulfilled Life with Light Watkins

This week’s episode of the Growth Guide podcast features Light Watkins. He is a speaker, podcaster, author, teacher, and TEDx speaker. Light has taught thousands of people to meditate through his public, private, and corporate courses and retreats. Light has delivered highly inspirational keynotes at iconic brands and events, including at MindBodyGreen, SoHo House, Wanderlust Festivals, Apple, and Summit, among others, on meditation and the art of cultivating happiness. Light joined us today to talk about his book, "Travel Light: Spiritual Minimalism to Live a More Fulfilled Life."Starting the conversation, Light shares his journey to becoming a minimalist and the difference between minimalism and spiritual minimalism.Everyone wants to be the best version of themselves. It’s natural that you do your best if you are passionate about what you’re doing. If you do things you are not passionate about, it’s going to be hard for you to do or be the best. Doing conventional things makes everything complicated. We talk about listening to the small voice inside your head to do the things you are passionate about and the impact it has on your life.Your heart never lies to you. It’s always precise about the things that will be good in your life. Sometimes it can be hard to do whatever your heart tells you to do, and it will take more effort from you. But that’s how your heart helps you to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.Join us as Light Watkins guides us towards a life of mindfulness, authenticity, and self-realization.[07.00] Minimalism – Starting the conversation, Light shares the difference between minimalism and spiritual minimalism.[14.56] Vedic meditation – We discuss how Vedic meditation works and its two types of meditators.[21.50] Self-realization – The universe has a voice. It speaks to your inner feelings.[30.51] Do what your heart calls – It’s important that what you do makes you happy. Light shares how to turn up the volume on your little inner voice to do what makes you happy.[40.34] Shifting why – You have to give your best to whatever you do in your life. Being the best version of yourself is going to give you so much in the process.[50.00] Heart voice – Your heart never lies. It helps you find comfort in discomfort.[58.03] Happiness – Fulfillment is the trust you have in your ability to adapt to change, which is going to increase significantly, says Light.[01.10.49] Ignite your curiosity – Curiosity comes naturally to us. We talk about how the universe gives us new experiences through curiosity and how walking helps you to ignite our curiosity. ResourcesConnect with Light WatkinsWebsite - lightwatkins.com/Instagram - instagram.com/lightwatkins/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/LightWatkinsTwitter - twitter.com/LightWatkins Book by Light WatkinsTravel Light: Spiritual Minimalism to Live a More Fulfilled LifeBook by Neale Donald WalschConversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue, Book 1Book by Rick RubinThe Creative Act: A Way of BeingBook by Robert M PirsigZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
8/8/20231 hour, 28 minutes, 15 seconds
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A Toolkit for a Better Working Life with Beth Stallwood

Today, my guest is Beth Stallwood, a speaker, coach, podcast host, consultant, facilitator, and author. She is the director and lead Consultant at Beth Stallwood Transformant Ltd. Beth is on a mission to help people create and cultivate joy in their work and to enable organizations to create the right environment for success. She joined us today to talk about her book, ‘WorkJoy: A Toolkit for a Better Working Life." Throughout the conversation, we dive into the three Es to reduce work gloom: the balance between work and life, values and behaviors, boundaries, mood hoovers, and more.Beth discusses the importance of relationships and networking for personal and professional growth. Beth shares her insights on the different roles individuals can play in their network and how these roles contribute to overall success.Most people believe in the balance between work and life. But we are trying hard to find a balance between two entirely different things. What we should consider is how work fits into our lives. We talk about the common mentality of people toward work-life balance and how you should set boundaries if you believe in it.Overall, this episode of The Growth Guide provides valuable insights on relationships, networking, setting boundaries, and finding joy and satisfaction in one's work life. Listeners will gain practical advice and tools to enhance their personal and professional growth.[08.09] The three Es – Energy, engagement, and experimentation are the three Es to reduce work gloom and cultivate work joy.[21.37] The balance – The understanding of how work fits into life[28.13] The values – Beth talks about understanding values, their purpose for creating work joy, and the importance of ensuring behaviors line up with those values.[36.50] Alignment of values – The importance of aligning values with the people who lead you in your organization[44.13] Bouncy boundaries - Situationally specific things that cannot be considered a simple yes or no.[53.00] Yes or No? – We talk about the importance of taking time to say yes or no to something.[01.02.20] The confidence – Beth shares her idea on the level of confidence leaders might have in things in work life and how to work them out with the employees.[01.09.25] The connection – We try to stay connected with particular people who bring some magic into our lives when times are hard.[01.17.06] Mood hoovers – We talk about the types of people who drain our energy and positivity.ResourcesConnect with Beth StallwoodLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/beth-stallwood-415a0928/ Website - bethstallwood.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/createworkjoy/Book by Beth StallwoodWorkJoy: A toolkit for a better working lifeBook by David EpsteinRange: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized WorldBook by Deb MashekCollabor(h)ate: How to build incredible collaborative relationships at work (even if you’d rather work alone)
8/1/20231 hour, 36 minutes, 31 seconds
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What to Say to Get Your Way with Jonah Berger

Join me and my guest, Jonah Berger, Wharton Professor, keynote speaker, consultant and best-selling author.  As a highly sought-after keynote speaker and consultant, Jonah has worked with major organizations like Apple, Google, Nike, and The Gates Foundation, helping them understand and leverage the power of words to drive impact.  Jonah joins me today to discuss his book, Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way. In today's episode, Join Jonah Berger as he unlocks the secrets of effective communication and embraces the magic words that can change your world.In our conversation, we delve into the fascinating world of language and its transformative effects. We start by exploring captivating stories that highlight the magic of words. Jonah shares real-life examples and case studies demonstrating how specific language choices can shape perceptions, ignite curiosity, and leave a lasting impact.Throughout the episode, we cover various key concepts from Jonah's book, "Magic Words." We discuss the art of storytelling and the Pratfall Effect, where vulnerability and imperfections enhance relatability and engagement. We also explore the power of uncertainty and emotion in creating captivating content that resonates with audiences.Listen to gain  valuable insights on how to leverage language to increase impact, engage audiences, and tell more relatable and impactful stories. Join us on this episode of The Growth Guide to explore the world of language and its role in growth and connection.[00:31] The Magic Words: Harnessing the Power of Language for Impactful Communication[04:20] The Magic of SPEACC: Harnessing the Power of Language for Impactful Communication[07:12] Unleashing the Power of Emotion: The Art of Storytelling and the Pratfall Effect[12:43] Captivating Audiences: The Power of Uncertainty and Emotion in Content[16:45] Unlocking Curiosity: The Power of Open Loops in Engaging Online Content[19:19] The Power of Questions: Reigniting Curiosity, Impact, and Likability[23:04] Unlocking the Magic: Mastering the Art of Asking the Right Question[24:42] Magic in Communication: Cracking the Power of Words for Maximum ImpactResources:Connect with Jonah:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/j1berger/Website: jonahberger.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/j1bergerJonah’s Book:Magic Words:What to Say to Get Your Way
7/25/202326 minutes, 52 seconds
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Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should and What to Do About It with Laura Gassner Otting

This week on the Growth Guide, our guest is Laura Gassner Otting, a keynote speaker, media personality, executive coach, and Wall Street Journal best-selling author. She encourages audiences to imagine bigger and accept greater challenges that go beyond their existing, constrained scope of belief in order to help them think beyond the uncertainty and indecision that leave wonderful ideas in limbo. She joined us today to talk about her book, ‘Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should... and What to Do About It.’Laura discusses the struggles that successful individuals often face behind the scenes, shedding light on the importance of personal freedom and prioritizing what truly matters. Laura introduces the concept of consonance, emphasizing the significance of alignment and flow in our lives. She highlights the experiences of individuals who have achieved work-life alignment rather than traditional work-life balance, showcasing how their calling, connection, contribution, and control align with their values and goals. We also delve into Laura's personal journey, from her overachievement struggles during the pandemic to her decision to start a search firm with a mission-driven focus. She shares the lessons she has learned about defining success on one's own terms and making decisions based on personal goals and values rather than societal expectations. Throughout the episode, Laura addresses the challenges of motivation and accountability, drawing from her own experiences as an athlete. She reveals how she overcame a sprained ankle during the New York City Marathon, pushing through the pain to finish the race. Join us on this episode of The Growth Guide as we unpack these transformative insights and learn how to navigate the journey towards personal growth and success.[07.13] The vote - We've been trained to crave opinions, permission, and votes from other people. But in reality, we don't need any of those things to do what we want to do. [13.01] Imposter syndrome - Laura defines imposter syndrome and how to navigate the negativity.[21.29] Dreaming in elephants - It takes a long time to create a big idea, but the end result is going to be worth the effort. We’ve got to start dreaming in elephants.[29.35] Doing bigger - It's good to dream big. But you have to feel ready for the big steps.[36.08] Creating luck - We talk about the four factors of creating luck and how to overcome imposter syndrome with that. [44.33] Making decisions - Making a wrong decision is far better than not making a decision at all because you can at least learn from your mistakes. [54.06] Baby steps - You start doing things as small as possible. Every step you take towards the goal will feel like you are the person who completes challenges that others won't.[01.01.01] Being uncomfortable - It's important that we get comfortable with being uncomfortable. [01.07.02] Accountability - Motivation doesn't drive you forward. But accountability does.[01.16.03] Gratitude - Gratitude means you pay attention and are grateful for the things you have.ResourcesConnect with LauraLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/heylgo/  Twitter - twitter.com/heylgo  Instagram - instagram.com/heylgo/  Website - lauragassnerotting.com/ Book by LauraWonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should . . . and What to Do About ItBook by Richard Wiseman The Luck Factor
7/18/20231 hour, 28 minutes, 25 seconds
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Embracing Failure, Taking Asymmetric Bets, and the Power of Leverage with Clint Murphy

This week’s episode of the Growth Guide Podcast marks a special milestone as we celebrate Episode 100. In honor of this occasion, we're flipping the script, and Clint, the host of the Growth Guide Podcast, will be stepping into the hot seat as the esteemed guest and guest host, Lauren Keen Aumond (host of the Adulting is Easy Podcast), takes the reins. Join us as Clint steps into the hot seat to discuss the strategies, insights, and mindset shifts that fuel personal and professional growth.During the conversation, we explore the art of balancing acts, discussing how to juggle roles and priorities effectively. We also discuss the secrets of transforming goals into reality, unveiling the power of consistency, and harnessing the strength of habits for success. Moreover, we explore the significance of accountability and adventure, discovering how we can conquer challenges with the support of those around us. We delve into the world of relationships and uncover the magic of complementary forces, understanding how to balance strengths for harmonious connections.Teamwork takes center stage as we explore the power of synergy and share insights on building dynamic and balanced teams. We also embark on a journey of self-discovery, exploring the potential within us and unlocking our strengths to find flow in our lives.Passion, career, and leadership are in focus as we navigate the path of growth and empathy. We uncover real estate investing secrets in a changing market, learning how to turn losses into gains. And for all the content creators, we dive into embracing failure, building the comeback muscle, and mastering consistency in content creation and skill stacking. Additionally, we explore the world of real estate, gaining insights into digital leverage and navigating opportunities to build wealth. Lastly, we discuss the power of influence and building a personal brand, embracing the endless possibilities of the digital age.[01:17] Balancing Acts: Juggling Roles and Priorities[07:59] Achieving the Impossible: Transforming Goals into Reality[13:33] Unleashing the Power of Consistency: Transforming Habits for Success [21:56] Accountability and Adventure: Conquering Challenges with Support[23:41] Complementary Forces: Balancing Strengths in Relationships[25:34] The Power of Synergy: Building a Dynamic and Balanced Team[27:13] Embracing Strengths: Unlocking Your Full Potential and Finding Flow[30:22] Finding Flow: Aligning Strengths, Purpose, and Environment[34:08] Navigating Passion, Career, and Leadership: A Journey of Growth and Empathy[50:15] From Losses to Gains: Real Estate Investing Strategies in a Changing Marke[58:12] Embracing Failure and Building the Comeback Muscle: The Journey of a Content Creator[01:02:45] From Overwhelm to Consistency: Mastering Content Creation and Skill Stacking[01:10:10] Real Estate Insights and Digital Leverage: Navigating Opportunities and Building Wealth[01:15:54] The Power of Leverage and Building a Personal Brand: Embracing Opportunities in the Digital AgeResources:Adulting is Easy: Making Personal Finance & Real Estate Easy Podcast with Lauren Keen Aumond
7/11/20231 hour, 27 minutes, 41 seconds
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How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life with Simran Jeet Singh

Today on the show, we are joined by Simran Jeet Singh. Simran is an executive director, a senior adviser at The Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program, and an author. The influence of Simran's thought leadership on bias, empathy, wisdom, and justice can be found in a variety of institutional settings, including business, educational, and government organizations. He joined us today to talk about his bestselling book, "The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life".Simran discusses the power of engaging with people who are different from us and the importance of embracing relationships that challenge us. Simran shares about their family history and being the first person in their family to be born into a society of diversity. They delve into the principles of Sikhism, a relatively young religion founded by Guru Nanak, which emphasizes the oneness of all creation and rejects hierarchy and supremacy. Simran also opens up about their personal experiences of facing discrimination and racism, particularly after 9/11, and the challenges they have encountered in maintaining their Sikh identity.Tune in to this episode of The Growth Guide to gain insights into engaging with diversity, Sikh philosophy, the power of community, the value of prayer, and finding light in the face of darkness."[05.17] Opening up – Starting the conversation, Simran shares how he learned the importance of opening up to people rather than shutting down. [12.58] Racism - Simran refreshes his memories of living with racism in Texas and how it affected them in early 2000. [24.20] Shared identity – Building connection by focusing on shared identity instead of individual identity.[34.28] The value – We talk about the importance of being in relationships with people who have different backgrounds. [43.13] Prayers - The power of prayer is not the change that occurs in what happens, but the change that occurs within ourselves. [51.24] Feeling alive – It differs from person to person what makes them feel alive. We talk about how people feel alive when they think about the things they love.[01.01.57] Purpose of life – The importance of figuring out the purpose of life.ResourcesConnect with SimranLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/simran-jeet-singh-006b7383/ Instagram - instagram.com/sikhprof/ Twitter - twitter.com/simran Website - simranjeetsingh.org/ Book by SimranThe Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life Book by Malcolm XThe Autobiography of Malcolm X 
7/4/20231 hour, 9 minutes, 54 seconds
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Everything You Should Have Been Taught About Investing in School, But Weren't with Brian Feroldi

This week’s episode features Brian Feroldi. Brian is a financial educator, author, speaker, creator, and YouTuber. Brian began investing in 2004. He had no idea what he was doing at first, but as his experience and knowledge of the stock market developed, his returns improved considerably. He enjoys assisting others in making better financial decisions, particularly with regard to investments. He joined us today to talk about his book, ‘Why Does the Stock Market Go Up?: Everything You Should Have Been Taught About Investing in School, But Weren't.’According to Brian, the most powerful time to start investing is when you are young. The more time that you have on your side, the more powerful the dollars that you are putting into the market. Brian shares the common investing mistakes people make and how to avoid making those mistakes.We explore the benefits and potential pitfalls of taking a company public and investing in mutual funds. Brian also dives into the history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the creation of the S&P 500. Additionally, Brian discusses the importance of finding a good financial advisor and the various investment accounts available. The episode ends with an explanation of how bid and ask prices work in the stock market and the impact of market fluctuations. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting out, this episode offers valuable insights into the world of finance.[02.54] US stock market – Starting the conversation, Brian explains why he addresses the US stock market as the greatest wealth-creation machine of all time in his book.[10.29] Selling ownership – We talk about how a corporation can raise money from investors by selling ownership in itself.[16.03] New York Stock Exchange - The largest stock market exchange in the world today.[23.15] IPO – Brian defines what an IPO is and how it interfaces with the stock market.[30.21] P/E ratio – Brian defines the Price to Earnings ratio and the macroeconomic factors that resulted in a high or low ratio in different time periods.[38.05] Benjamin Graham – Benjamin Graham invented the concept of value investing, influenced Warren Buffett[43.00] Compounding - The compounding of an investment leads to massive gains in wealth over time.[50.49] Mutual funds – Brian explains the reasons for the underperformance of mutual funds.[59.46] Financial advisor – We talk about the things people need to be looking out for if they are going to use a financial advisor. ResourcesConnect with Brian Website - brianferoldi.com/ LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/brianferoldi/ Instagram - instagram.com/brianferoldi/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrianFeroldiYTTwitter - twitter.com/BrianFeroldi Book by BrianWhy Does The Stock Market Go Up?: Everything You Should Have Been Taught About Investing In School, But Weren't Book by Robert T. KiyosakiRich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!Book by Terry SmithInvesting for Growth: How to make money by only buying the best companies in the world – An anthology of investment writing
6/27/20231 hour, 11 minutes, 5 seconds
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Learn How to Quiet the Noise, Find Your Superpower and Finally Feel Satisfied with Vanessa Loder

This week’s episode of The Growth Guide podcast features Vanessa Loder. Vanessa is a women's career leadership expert, writer, TEDx speaker and energetic spark plug committed to helping women expand what's possible for their lives. She joined us today to talk about her book, "The Soul Solution: A Guide for Brilliant, Overwhelmed Women to Quiet the Noise, Find Their Superpower, and (Finally) Feel Satisfied."The old success myth says being successful means having money, prestige, and power over people. But if you only consider gaining these, you are going to end up feeling empty one day. Starting the conversation, Vanessa defines the old success myth and how to use the new paradigm of success to find out your version of success in life.Energetic breadcrumbs are those little moments when you feel energized, alive, or curious about something. They can seem small, insignificant, or random, but they can be good for you in a way you cannot see. Vanessa defines breadcrumbs as a way for people to start to tune into the wisdom of their souls and their hearts.Vanessa shares personal stories and offers tips and techniques for cultivating self-compassion, catching negative self-talk, and creating radical change within existing structures and systems. This episode is full of valuable insights and actionable advice for anyone looking to live from their heart and soul.[02.36] Paradigm success – Starting the conversation, Vanessa explains the old success myth and the new paradigm success.[11.03] Listening to your heart – You will eventually become the person you are meant to be when you start listening to your heart.[17.23] The burden – We talk about the burden women have to carry because we still live in a patriarchal social system.[25.00] Energetic breadcrumbs - Little moments when you feel energized, alive, or curious about something.[31.00] The four quadrants – The zone of incompetence, the zone of competence, the zone of excellence, and the zone of genius[37.32] The hollowness – Your career is important. But your family holds way too much value.[44.00] Radical responsibility – Vanessa defines radical responsibility.[51.52] Self-compassion – How does self-compassion actually increase willpower?[01.01.23] The right thing – If you betray yourself first, then you betray the people around you.ResourcesConnect with VanessaWebsite - vanessaloder.com/ LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/vanessaloder/ Instagram - instagram.com/vanessa.loder/ Book by VanessaThe Soul Solution: A Guide for Brilliant, Overwhelmed Women to Quiet the Noise, Find Their Superpower, and (Finally) Feel SatisfiedBook by Gay HendricksThe Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Levelamazon.com/Big-Leap-Conquer-Hidden-Level/dp/0061735361 Book by Brian L. WeissMany Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their LivesBook by Jen SinceroYou Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealthamazon.com/You-Are-Badass-Making-Money/dp/0735222975 
6/20/20231 hour, 10 minutes, 36 seconds
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Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell them Better with Will Storr

Today, my guest is Will Storr. Will is an award-winning writer, teacher, and consultant. He’s the author of six critically acclaimed books, including the novels ‘The Hunger’ and ‘The Howling of Killian Lone’ and the Sunday Times bestseller ‘The Science of Storytelling.’ He joined us today to talk about his book, ‘The Science of Storytelling," which is based on research in psychology and neuroscience.You cannot understand others unless you see things from their perspective. Good storytelling gives you much-needed character perspective and helps you understand what they are going through and why they are like that. Starting the conversation, we talk about how empathy could be created toward the character in the readers’ minds.Will explains the reason for the readers to show empathy towards characters with flaws rather than perfect characters. They want a character who is learning from their mistakes and fighting for what they believe in.This podcast episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to understand the underlying psychology that drives compelling storytelling. [08.26] Storytelling – You have to get into their shoes to understand how they feel. Starting the conversation, Will shares how good storytelling can show the perspective of the characters.[15.00] Living the experience – The ability to make the reader live through the experience is the superpower of good storytelling.[25.47] The protagonist – Will explains the reason for readers to empathize with the protagonist in stories rather than repel them.[33.45] Status – We talk about how cruel people are toward powerful business people, celebrities, politicians, royalty, etc.[40.00] External and internal - In good storytelling, you can see how people change internally due to things that happen externally.[45.05] Wants vs. needs - People want a million things, but what they really want are three things: survival, connection, and status.[55.26] Human tribes - gossip controls human behavior within the human tribe.[01.05.55] Being a hero - Being a hero means that when something terrible comes your way, you get through it and grow.[01.11.38] Five-act structure - The five acts that show the full transformation of a characterResourcesConnect with WillWebsite - http://willstorr.com/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/will-storr/ Twitter - twitter.com/wstorr Instagram - instagram.com/williamstorr/ Book by WillThe Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better Book by Bill Drummond and Mark ManningBad Wisdom: The Lighthouse at the Top of the World
6/13/20231 hour, 11 minutes, 57 seconds
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A Simple System to Transform Your Health, Wealth, and Relationships Forever with Eric Partaker

This week’s episode of The Growth Guide Podcast features Eric Partaker who joined us today to talk about his book: The 3 Alarms: A Simple System to Transform Your Health, Wealth, and Relationships Forever. He is a peak performance expert that helps CEOs, entrepreneurs and leaders reach their full potential, become better leaders and build better businesses.Eric has been named “CEO of the Year” at the 2019 UK Business Excellence Awards, one of the “Top 30 Entrepreneurs in the UK”, 35 and under, by Startups Magazine, and among “Britain’s Most Disruptive Entrepreneurs” by The Telegraph. His work has been featured on over 7 major TV stations, in the Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. He has also appeared as a guest judge on The Apprentice with Lord Alan Sugar. Starting the conversation, Eric shares his experience where he faced the wake-up call to realize there are ways he can achieve goals without sacrificing the most important things to him.Eric emphasizes the importance of choosing identities we want to embody in different areas of our lives and gamifying them by focusing on small, consistent actions that embody the champion version of ourselves. We also discuss his 80-20 rule for improving our lives by changing one thing and sticking with it, and his winning day routines for creating a productive and fulfilling day. Eric also shares how he uses phone alarms to cue his superhero identities and shows how exercise and nutrition are key components to a healthy lifestyle. Join us in this episode to learn tips and tricks on how to achieve the best version of yourself without sacrificing your well-being.[05.04] Wakeup call – Eric shares a brief bio about himself and the incident where he realized he could reach his full potential without sacrificing his health and relationships.[14.41] 80/20 Rule – We talk about how the 80/20 rule can be applied for improving anything.[22.05] Procrastination – Procrastination is a defense mechanism. We talk about how to prevent that kind of negative self-talk from happening.[27.25] Three-legged stool – Eric explains how he decided to create superhero identities for each domain: health, wealth, and relationships.[35.43] Designing your day – To have successful days, have a shutdown ritual at night, exercise and be creative in the morning, and focus on single tasking during the workday.[43.28] Staying on track – Weekly and quarterly reviews for productivity and reflection. Intentional scheduling. Positive effects on achieving goals.[49.50] The three alarms – How Eric takes out the three identities; health. wealth and relationships according to three alarms every day.ResourcesConnect with EricWebsite: www.ericpartaker.comPodcast: www.ericpartaker.com/podcastYouTube: www.youtube.com/@EricPartaker1/featuredInstagram: www.instagram.com/ericpartaker/Facebook: www.facebook.com/PPIericpartakerLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/eric-partaker-5560b92Book by EricThe 3 Alarms: A Simple System to Transform Your Health, Wealth, and Relationships ForeverBook by Neil FioreThe Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free
6/6/202358 minutes, 25 seconds
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Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life with Bill Perkins

Today, my guest is Bill Perkins. He is an author and entrepreneur. He is one of the world's most successful hedge fund managers and entrepreneurs. He joined us today to talk about his book, ‘Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life.’How satisfied are you with your life? Did you achieve all the dreams you had, or are you still working on them? Most people regret what they didn’t do in their lives when they had the chance. Spending time with your loved ones, taking risks, or doing anything else may seem unnecessary now, but there will be a time when you regret not doing them. When you realize it, it’s already too late. From the dangers of being too dependent on work for social interactions to maximizing net fulfillment, Bill shares his thoughts on how to live life fully and free of fear. He gives practical advice on leveraging experience, making deliberate financial decisions, and prioritizing fulfilling experiences over mere material wealth. He also shares his personal experiences on discovering new passions later in life and learning from other people's mistakes to achieve one's goals. Join us to gain insights to help you maximize your time, experiences and ultimately live a more fulfilling life.[05.38] Valuing your time – Bill discusses how to calculate your true hourly wage by factoring in all the costs associated with work. [12.30] Inherent leverage – Find leverage in your industry to become wealthy, such as real estate or commodities trading. [22.02] Regretting life – We talk about minimizing future regrets in our lives.[27.13] Time buckets – Rearranging what you want to do with your life according to the correct timeline.[35.01] Finding fulfillment – We have to think about whether the work we do or the things we want give us the fulfillment we need in life.[45.05] Invest in experiences - Invest in experiences early for maximum fulfillment and memory dividends.[01.06.48] Optimizing – We talk about how to live your life to the fullest with the time you have left.[01.14.03] Priorities – Sorting out priorities in your life is essential.ResourcesConnect with BillWebsite - diewithzerobook.com/welcome Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/billperkins/Twitter - twitter.com/bp22 Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-perkins-dwz/Books by Bill PerkinsDie with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your LifeBook by Don Miguel RuizThe Four Agreements Book by Peter Attia and Bill GiffordOutlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
5/30/20231 hour, 27 minutes
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How Embracing Wonder Can Make You Happier, Healthier and More Connected with Jonah Paquette

This week’s episode of the Growth Guide podcast features Jonah Paquette. He is a clinical psychologist, keynote speaker on the science of well-being and emotional fitness, award-winning author, and TEDx speaker. He is the author of four books, and he joined us today to talk about his book, ‘Awestruck: How Embracing Wonder Can Make You Happier, Healthier and More Connected.Sometimes we miss the wonders of life because we are simply not paying attention or living in the moment. Being present in the moment and having mindfulness are important. It makes you identify the finest little things that life offers. Jonah shares that the more we experience the present moment, the more present we become and notice things.Forest bathing is more about just being in a forest. It’s more about connecting to green spaces and merging mindfulness and nature. It’s connecting with the natural world by closing your eyes, opening your eyes, listening to sounds, and making your foot touch the grass. According to Jonah, it reduces problems with blood pressure and heart rate variability.We usually get courage and inspiration from other people. That can be our family or a totally famous stranger on the internet. We are constantly in awe of other people’s abilities, courage, convictions, strengths, and resilience. We talk about how we can get inspired by other people to do something better for ourselves.[07.39] The present moment – We talk about the importance of being in the moment, where we can notice small wonders.[13.02] The three Cs – Awe has benefits of connection, compassion, and curiosity, sparking altruism, global consciousness, and personal generosity while creating a link between curiosity and awe.[22.18] Small stuff – We talk about why the small things that stress us out don’t feel important when we are surrounded by something ancient or awesome.[31.50] Negative experiences – Jonah explains how negative experiences can trigger a sense of belonging, community, connection, and compassion.[37.55] Forest bathing – Jonah defines forest bathing and the benefits it has.[50.40] Vastness – Vastness makes us feel small, but not in a threatening way.[1.01.22] Finding awe in everyday life – such as reflecting on the unlikelihood of existence and taking a curious, detail-oriented approach to experiences with animals or nature.[01.07.04] Courage and inspiration – Jonah shares his attitude about getting inspired and having courage from the people around you who might have silent battles within them.[01.15.47] Journaling – A way of reconnecting with the greatest memories of your life and remembering them.ResourcesConnect with JonahWebsite - jonahpaquette.com/ LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/jonahpaquette/ Twitter - twitter.com/doctorpaquette Instagram - instagram.com/jonahpaquettepsyd/ Book by Jonah PaquetteAwestruck: How Embracing Wonder Can Make You Happier, Healthier and More Connected.Mentioned in the Podcast:Book by Viktor E. FranklMan's Search for MeaningBook by Jeff PearlmanThe Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson
5/23/20231 hour, 26 minutes, 4 seconds
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Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully with Kelly and Juliet Starrett

My guests this week are Kelly and Juliet Starrett to discuss their book, Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help you Move Freely and Live Fully.Juliet Starrett is an entrepreneur, attorney, author, and podcaster. She is co-founder and CEO of TheReadyState.com, which has revolutionized how athletes think about human movement and athletic performance as well as former CEO of San Francisco CrossFit, one of the first 50 CrossFit affiliates. She is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Deskbound and co-host of The Ready State Podcast. Kelly Starrett is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and is the co-author of the New York Times bestsellers Becoming a Supple Leopard and Ready to Run and the Wall Street Journal bestseller Deskbound. Kelly is also the co-founder and CEO of TheReadyState.com and co-founder of San Francisco CrossFit. Kelly consults with athletes and coaches from the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, the US Olympic Team and CrossFit. He works with elite Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard forces, and consults with corporations on employee health and well-being. Kelly and Juliet emphasize that movement is the key to overall health.  They recommend small changes in daily routines and non-exercise activities like walking, to improve overall wellness and manage weight.They also discuss the importance of consistent sleep patterns, tracking data and setting up long-term movement goals to improve mobility.  Kelly and Juliet break down vital signs beyond traditional health metrics to include physical behaviors like sleep, exercise and nutrition and offer benchmarks for improvement.[03.17] Mobility – Starting the conversation, Juliet and Kelly share an accessible and technical definition of mobility.[22.00] Change your environment – To change your unhealthy behaviors, you have to change your environment, which will help you choose between good and bad health choices.[25.41] Sit and Rise Test - The ability to get up and down from the ground is an indicator of mobility and movement patterns that can affect future health.[32:44] Prolonged sitting – Sitting for prolonged periods of time affects our ability to move and perform physical activities.[39.28] Movement for survival – Humans used to move more and carry things for survival.  [43.19] Request for change – Pain and discomfort can be managed with agency and control and engaging in safe, actionable behavior can alleviate pain instead of relying on medication or substances.[01.01.53] Small steps for big benefits - Increase movement for better health, target 8,000 steps but can scale up or down, focus on long-term habits for all ages.[01.10.23] Sharing meals – Eating meals together can create significant positive changes in relationships, culture, and well-being, but it should be experimented with and tailored to individual needs. [01.24.40] Sleep – Juliet shares how many hours you need to sleep if you want to lose weight, recover from surgery, or address pain.ResourcesConnect with Kelly and Juliet StarrettWebsite - thereadystate.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thereadystateinstagram.com/julietstarrett/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/thereadystateYoutube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheReadyStateBook by Kelly and Juliet StarrettBuilt to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live FullyBook by Catherine ShanahanDeep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditio
5/16/20231 hour, 32 minutes, 47 seconds
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Simple Practices for Solving Conflicts, Building Connection and Fostering Love with Rick Hanson

My guest today is Rick Hanson. He is a psychologist, a senior fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and a family counselor. He is also a New York Times best-selling author, and his books are available in 31 languages, with over a million copies sold. He joined us today to talk about his book, "Making Great Relationships: Simple Practices for Solving Conflicts, Building Connection, and Fostering Love."How loyal are you to yourself? We are always loyal to the people we love, appreciating them, encouraging them for their accomplishments, and empathizing with them for their difficulties. The thing people seem to forget is that "you matter too'. Starting the conversation, Rick explains how people internalize the message that they don’t matter.Anger is Mother Nature's jet fuel. Anger has the power to drive us into blinding rage. At the same time, anger can be energizing, focus attention, or even organize us. But you have to be careful not to let anger get you down along the way.Being heard is one of the greatest gifts that people can have because they like the sense of being received. If you can spare a few minutes to listen to someone, it can sometimes mean the world to them. You never know what someone is going through, so a small act of kindness can light up their world. In the next phase of the conversation, we talk about the importance of listening to people.A lot of people worried about not being recognized. It can come from family, friends, or the workplace. The lack of recognition will leave a huge hole in their hearts, no matter where they are or what they do. Rick dives into an evidence-based process where people can get rid of the recognition craving and slowly start to fill the hole in their hearts over time.[06.09] Being loyal – Why it’s hard for us to be loyal to ourselves and how we can change that. [12.33] Handling criticism – Rick shares what we can do to handle criticism, complaints, and grievances in a safe, respectful way. [21.44] Practicing with the mind – We talk about the three categories of practicing with the mind: being with experience, reducing what’s harmful, and increasing what’s enjoyable. [27.18] Anger -Using mindfulness and tools to manage anger[37.32] Listening – We talk about how to be a good listener to someone you love and figure out what you need to do to make them comfortable. [48:09] The Power of Positivity – The importance of taking in positive experiences to counteract the negativity bias and cravings. They share their personal story and a method for internalizing good experiences. Connect with Rick: Website - rickhanson.net/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/drrhanson/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rickhansonphd/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/drrhansonResources:Books by Rick Making Great Relationships: Simple Practices for Solving Conflicts, Building Connection, and Fostering LoveNeurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest HappinessBook by Robert A. HeinleinHave Space Suit—Will TravelBook by Tara BrachTrusting the Gold: Uncovering Your Natural Goodness
5/9/20231 hour, 7 minutes, 10 seconds
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Why your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It with Chris Winter

Simply relying on online advice and hacks won't cut it if you're seeking to address your sleep issues. What's crucial is gaining a deeper comprehension of your sleep patterns, identifying the root cause of your problems, and devising an effective solution to improve your sleep quality. In today’s episode of The Growth Guide podcast, we dive into the world of sleep with renowned sleep expert Dr. Chris Winter.[06:29] The Glymphatic System and its Impact on Alzheimer's Disease: How Sleep Can Help Delay the Onset of the Disease.[10:26] Sleep Deprivation: The Connection Between Sleep Deprivation, Brain Fog, and Increased Risk for Accidents and Dementia.[25:53] Finding Your Optimal Sleep Duration: The Minimum Hours of Sleep Required for Optimal Health and Productivity.[36:13] The Drive Reduction Theory: How Your Body Forces You to Get Better Sleep.[41:26] The Science Behind Sleep: Homeostasis, Circadian Rhythm, Adenosine, Melatonin, and Caffeine.[46:11] The Truth About Caffeine: How Caffeine Tolerance Affects Your Brain and Sleep? [51:12] Understanding Sleep Debt: Can We Really Make Up for Lost Sleep?[56:11] Expert Insights: The Importance of Consistent Wake-Up Times for Better Sleep.[01:01:25] Optimizing Your Sleep: The Importance of Sleep Hygiene and Creating Your Hibernation Lair.[01:13:06] The Power of a Bedtime Routine: Tips for a Consistent and Healthy Sleep Schedule.Resources:Connect with Chris:Website: wchriswinter.com/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SleepUnpluggedPodcastInstagram: instagram.com/drchriswintervTwitter: https://twitter.com/drchriswinterPodcast: Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sleep-unplugged-with-dr-chris-winter/id1631914841Books by Dr. Chris Winter:The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix ItThe Rested Child: Why Your Tired, Wired or Irritable Child May have a Sleep Disorder -- and How to HelpBooks Mentioned in the Podcast:Book by Samuel Shem: The House of GodBook by Joseph Heller: Catch-22
5/2/20231 hour, 27 minutes, 36 seconds
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The Habits You Need to Get Lean, Stay Healthy and Kick Ass at Life with Oonagh Duncan

Oonagh Duncan is the CEO and founder of Fit Feels Good. She is a multi-award-winning fitness expert, media personality, and author of Healthy as F*ck: The Habits You need to Get Lean, Stay healthy and Kick Ass at Life.Your body is the result of two facts: genetics and habit. You can’t do anything about your genetics, but you can control your habits. Habits are the ones who control your body, and if you redesign your habits, you can live as a whole new person. On this episode of The Growth Guide, we explore the importance of being comfortable with being alone and how implementing basic healthy habits can lead to personal growth. Oonagh discusses the all-too-common desire for a big secret to health and wellness and how people can create their own effort to results ratio.We dive into using meditation to improve sleep and make wiser choices, and how bribing oneself can build positive habit loops. We also touch on alcohol consumption, the power of habits, and the most effective workouts for weight loss. Lastly, we discuss the importance of reinforcing faith in oneself and identity to achieve our goals. Tune in for valuable insights on creating sustainable habits and personal growth.[4:56] Choice of language – the language we choose is important when framing weight loss and dieting.[17:04] Compound interest – What will sustain you is your habits, and consistency will provide exponential results.[21.12] Reward for the habit, not the outcome – You really have to reward the action and not the outcome because the outcome is often very much delayed.[26.18] Eating vegetables – Oonagh explains how a half-plate of vegetables can help your daily diet. [32.16] Sleeping – We talk about the importance of sleep as a part of dieting.[39.26] Meditating – How meditation helps you to make better choices in life. [46.53] Value of Small wins – Start with the smallest version of the habit and reinforce your identity as someone who keeps their promises to themselves.Connect with OonaghWebsite - oonaghduncan.com/                 fitfeelsgood.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan/Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/fitfeelsgoodTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@oonaghduncan Book by OnnaghHealthy as F*ck: The Habits You Need to Get Lean, Stay Healthy, and Kick Ass at Life Oonagh’s PodcastGoals, Grit and Some Woo Sh*tBook by Dan MartellBuy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire Book by Donald MillerHero on a Mission: A Path to a Meaningful Life
4/25/202358 minutes, 56 seconds
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How to Get People Lining Up To Do Business With You with Daniel Priestley

This week’s guest is Daniel Priestley. He is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and international speaker. He has built successful multi-million-dollar businesses in Australia, the UK, and Singapore. He is also the co-founder of Dent Global, one of the world’s top business accelerators for entrepreneurs and leaders to stand out and scale.  In today’s episode, we are going to talk about Daniel’s book "Oversubscribed: How to Get People Lining Up to Do Business with You", and his proven real-world methods that will help you drive demand for your service and increase your business.We explore the idea of getting signaled interest before making sales. We look at examples like Elon Musk's pre-order system for the cybertruck and how collecting signals from the market can lead to funding and eventually sales. We discuss how coaches can use signal collection to determine the number of clients they can take on and avoid having to haggle for sales. [08.00] Increasing value – Starting the conversation, Daniel shares how, in general, an oversubscribed business can use boundaries to increase value and overall revenue.[17.12] Signaled interest - Getting signaled interest before selling is key. By getting signals first, businesses can raise funds and ultimately make sales effectively.[21.30] Demand and supply tension – Daniel defines demand and supply tension and explains why businesses are building their demand and supply tension.[28.11] Connection – If there's a high degree of connection, there’s no competition. If there is a low degree of competition, there is competition.[38.20] Building rare – We talk about the beauty of building something rare instead of in-demand jobs.[50.04] With or without you – Daniel defines with or without you energy and the beauty of being genuine.[01.05.09] Ecosystems – Daniel shares what a high-performing ecosystem looks like and how individuals, solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, or companies tear it apart. [01.09:42] Sharing ideas – Ideas are not valuable, implementation and transformation are. People should share ideas freely and charge for the implementation and transformation. Becoming a spotlight is better than chasing the spotlight.[01.14.14] Google Search – A Google search can make or break a potential deal or partnership; positive search results can lead to great opportunities, while negative or nonexistent results can result in missed chances.Connect with DanielWebsite - danielpriestley.com/ Instagram - instagram.com/danielpriestley/ LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/danielpriestley/ Twitter - twitter.com/DanielPriestley ResourcesBooks by Daniel:Oversubscribed: How to Get People Lining Up to Do Business with YouEntrepreneur Revolution: How to Develop Your Entrepreneurial Mindset and Start a Business That WorksKey Person of Influence: The Five-Step Method to become one of the most highly valued and highly paid people in your industry24 Assets: Create a digital, scalable, valuable and fun business that will thrive in a fast changing worldBook by Trevor G. BlakeThree Simple Steps: A Map to Success in Business and LifeBook by Simon Alexander OngEnergize: How To Harness Your Energy and Make the Most of Every Moment
4/18/20231 hour, 28 minutes, 43 seconds
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A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential with Tiago Forte

This week’s episode of the Growth Guide Podcast features Tiago Forte, author of the book "Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential." Tiago is one of the world's foremost experts on productivity and has taught thousands of people around the world how timeless principles and the latest technology can revolutionize their productivity, creativity, and personal effectiveness. He has worked with organizations such as Genentech, Toyota Motor Corporation, and the Inter-American Development Bank and appeared in a variety of publications, such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Harvard Business Review. On this episode of The Growth Guide, we explore the power of organization with the concept of PARA. Tiago explains how this system emerged from the need for order in different areas of life, and breaks down the four categories that make up PARA: projects, areas of responsibility, resources, and archives. Tiago shares tips for organizing tasks and capturing information efficiently, and discusses the benefits of distillation and creating a "second brain" full of curated information. We also delve into the tension between quantity and quality when it comes to productivity, and explore the importance of prioritization and boundaries to avoid burnout. Tune in to learn how to organize any kind of information and achieve your career goals.[05.55] Second Brain - the system for our second brain is code, capture, organize, distill, express.   Tiago dives into the code system. [14.49] The PARA method – Tiago defines the PARA method and what the acronym stands for. [21.14] Closing loops – We talk about the misconceptions about closing loops and some ways to close them. [28.29] Information packets – Tiago defines information packets and how they can be used to increase creativity. [39.58] Quality & Quantity – We dive into the relationship between quality and quantity. [43.03] Expression – Tiago explains the three stages of expression; remembering, connecting, and creating  Connect with Tiago:Website - fortelabs.co/                 buildingasecondbrain.com/ LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tiagoforte/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TiagoForteLabsInstagram - instagram.com/fortelabsco/ Twitter - twitter.com/fortelabs Resources:Book by TiagoBuilding a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative PotentialBook by James A. MichenerThe SourceBook by David SpinksThe Business of Belonging: How to Make Community your Competitive Advantage
4/11/20231 hour, 1 minute, 48 seconds
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Closing the Influence Gap for Women Leaders with Carla Miller

My guest today is Carla Miller. She is a women's leadership and confidence coach, trainer, and keynote speaker. Her mission is to empower women in their careers and close the influence gap that exists for women in the workplace. Carla is the author of Closing the Influence Gap: A Practical Guide for Women Leaders Who Want to be Heard, which empowers women leaders to successfully navigate the workplace and to learn to lead their way.On this episode of The Growth Guide, we explore the art of influence and how to overcome obstacles when presenting ideas to senior stakeholders as women. We discuss how to handle personal leadership branding and create a unique personal brand, and how to identify and utilize our strengths to excel at work. We also discuss the impact of disempowering phrases, particularly for women in the workplace, and how to replace them with empowering ones. The episode touches on the importance of cognitive flexibility and self-reflection for personal and professional growth, and how to boost confidence before important meetings. Additionally, we tackle the subject of radical responsibility and how it can fuel career success. Tune in to discover practical tips to sharpen your influencing and leadership skills.[08:56]  Inner critic – Self-doubt prevents speaking up, recognizing and reframing beliefs and inner critic, accessing inner leader and behaviors to reduce burnout.[23.11] Reframing – Carla walks us through the steps of her own reframing process of imposter feelings.  [29.43] Personal leadership brand – How to create a personal leadership brand [39.32] Owning identity – When you show up differently in front of people, they are going to treat you differently. [43:33] Meeting Preparation - Prepare for meetings by setting an achievable goal, claiming a desired perception and using body language or music to feel powerful.[54.53] Qualifying statements – Women tend to make qualifying statements to soften challenging points in meetings, but this disempowers them; instead, they should ask questions and end strong.[1.07.11] Authority and gravitas – Distinguishing between authority and gravitas, using appropriate tone and body language to be taken seriously as a leader, and challenging the assumption that women's voices must be lower to be respected.[1:20:39] Cognitive flexibility - The skill of listening to other perspectives and having a discussion rather than asserting your own to be right.[1.25:59] Radical Responsibility – Carla shares her view of radical responsibility as being able to create change and no longer being able to be a victim and complain.Connect with CarlaWebsite: https://www.carlamillertraining.com/ Instagram: instagram.com/thisiscarlamiller/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlamiller1/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlacmiller Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/influenceandimpact  Resources Book by CarlaClosing the Influence Gap: A practical guide for women leaders who want to be heardBook by Valerie ReinPatriarchy Stress Disorder: The Invisible Inner Barrier to Women's Happiness and FulfillmentBook by Mary Ann SieghartThe Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It
4/4/20231 hour, 37 minutes, 18 seconds
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A Revolutionary Guide for the Way We Think, Talk and Act in Kindness with Houston Kraft

My guest today is Houston Kraft. He is a professional speaker, author, curriculum developer, and kindness advocate who has a passion for sustainable impact, positive culture change, and student success. His aim is to create a more loving, kind, and compassionate world. He is the co-founder of CharacterStrong, an organization that provides curricula and training for schools all around the United States and Canada. Houston is the author of the book “Deep Kindness: A Revolutionary Guide for the Way We Think, Talk, and Act in Kindness” which takes an honest look at the gap between our belief in kindness and our ability to perform it well, and shows us how to put intention into action.We explore the importance of kindness and empathy in our world. We delve into why empathy has decreased in recent times and the barriers that prevent us from being kind. We also discuss how we can develop our empathy muscle through specificity, sacrifice, and awareness. Houston also discusses the difference between confetti kindness and deep kindness, and we learn about the importance of paying attention to shame and understanding the needs of others without expecting anything in return. Join us as we explore the power of kindness and how we can cultivate it in our society.[05.10] Kindness isn’t normal – We start the conversation by diving into the question of why kindness isn’t normal in our world. [14.21] Deep kindness – Deep kindness is how you understand a person’s needs and the willingness to offer them without expectations. [25.11] The Power of words  – We talk about how specific vocabulary can make a difference in complimenting someone. [34.45] Increasing empathy – We talk about how self-awareness and perspective-taking help increase empathy inside people. [42.21] Holding space - To hold space is to give the gift of attention.[52.39] Mental health – All of us experience mental health at some point in our lives. Houston talks about the importance of normalizing mental health in our lives. [01.00.34] Understanding shame – We talk about how to give our love to others by loving ourselves first.[01.05.00] Authentic kindness – Authentic kindness comes with the ability to say no and make your yes’s genuine. Connect with Houston:Website - houstonkraft.com/                 characterstrong.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/houstonkraft/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/houstonkraftTwitter - twitter.com/houstonkraft Resources:Book by Houston KraftDeep Kindness: A Revolutionary Guide for the Way We Think, Talk, and Act in KindnessBook by Marc BrackettPermission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society ThriveBook by Jamil ZakiThe War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured WorldBook by James C. HunterThe Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of LeadershipBook by The School of Life LibraryOn Being NiceBooks by Robert Jordan and Brandon SandersonThe Wheel of Time SeriesBook by RA SalvatoreRelentless: A Drizzt Novel
3/28/20231 hour, 17 minutes, 14 seconds
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How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings with Nick Gray

This week’s show features Nick Gray, a serial entrepreneur who has been living in Austin, Texas for the past two years. After moving to New York City in his mid-20s without any friends, he quickly adapted to the hustle and bustle of the city by walking up to 10,000 steps each day. Inspired by his love of museums, Nick created Museum Hack - a business that provides renegade museum tours led by stand-up comedians and Broadway actors. Museum Hack quickly became a multimillion dollar business, offering team building activities to businesses and companies across the United States. We discuss Nick’s book: "The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings." Nick shares tips for improving event attendance and hosting successful parties. He discusses the use of icebreakers, delegating duties, and communicating the end time of a party. Additionally, Nick shares his experience with starting Museum Hack and provides tips for building confidence as a new host. Tune in for great advice on turbocharging connections with guests and making hosting parties a habit.[05.07] Making friends – Starting the conversation, Nick explains why it is difficult for adults to make friends. [09.50] Cocktail party – Nick shares the reason behind choosing the title cocktail party instead of a dinner party and the difference between the two. [25.01] Start small – Start small by inviting close friends, neighbors, and work buddies for a low-stakes party.[30.37] The attendance – Nick shares the steps you have to take to boost the attendance of your party with RSVPs, reminder messages and guest bios.[37.06] Name tags – We talk about the importance of name tags at parties. [39:00] Icebreakers - How icebreakers are used to get people talking and meeting new people at parties.[48:42] How to end a party - End party 15 minutes before scheduled time, turn off music and lights, tidy up and thank guests for coming.Connect with Nick:Website - nickgray.net/ LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/nickgraynews/ Instagram - instagram.com/nickgraynews/ Twitter - twitter.com/nickgraynews Tiktok - tiktok.com/@nickgraynewsResources:Book by Nick The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings Book by James ClearAtomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad OnesBook by Priya ParkerThe Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters Articles by Nick:How to Host a Party WebsiteHappy Hour Best Practices: How to Plan, Host, and Throw a Great PartyThe Easy Way to Host or Plan a Networking EventLaunch Party Ideas: 4 Tips for SuccessHow to Host a Dinner PartyHow to Plan a PicnicHow to Host a Housewarming PartyHow to Host a Party at Home with Kids
3/21/20231 hour, 1 minute, 32 seconds
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How to Build Incredible Collaborative Relationships at Work with Deb Mashek

Our guest today is Dr. Deb Mashek, a social psychologist who helps business leaders navigate the relationship headwinds that tank timelines, bottom lines and well-being.  She is an experienced business advisor, professor and non-profit executive.   She is the author of the book Collabor(h)ate: How to build incredible collaborative relationships at work (even if you’d rather work alone)[05.50] Collaboration – Deb shares a brief bio on herself and defines collaboration in her own terms. [15.02] Hierarchy – The collaboration of every member is important in a collaborative workspace. [21.03] The Mashek Matrix – We go through the two dimensions of the Mashek Matrix.[28.47] OCEAN - Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism are the big five personality assessments.[36.16] Relationship quality – We talk about ways to improve relationship quality.[46.19] Self-expansion theory – Deb explains the psychological theory of self-expansion. [59.26] Frequency dial – We talk about formal vs. informal time on the frequency dial in interdependence. [01.05.52] Invest in relationships – Collaboration is far from easy. We talk about the importance of developing relationships in order to collaborate. [01.20.27] Best behaviors – We talk about the best behaviors to have when we are building a team for collaboration. ResourcesConnect with DebWebsite - myco.consulting/                 debmashek.com/ Mashek Matrix:  https://debmashek.lpages.co/mashekmatrix/Blog: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/debra-mashek-phdLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/debra-mashek/ Twitter - twitter.com/debmashek Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debmashekBook by Deb Collabor(h)ate:  How to build incredible collaborative relationships at work (even if you’d rather work alone)Book by Oliver BurkemanFour Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals Book by Liane DaveyThe Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Organization Back on Track Book by Linda FlanaganTake Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids' Sports--And Why It Matters Book by Clifton CorbinYour Kids, Their Money: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Financially Literate Children 
3/14/20231 hour, 31 minutes, 25 seconds
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How to Make More Money to Do More Good with Derrick Kinney

Our guest today is Derrick Kinney, CEO of Good Money Framework and host of the popular Good Money Podcast.  Derrick is recognized by Forbes as one of the nation’s top financial advisors and he’s coached thousands of clients to financial success.  We talk about his book, Good Money Revolution: How to Make More Money to Do More Good, and he teaches us to make more money, live the life we deserve and change the world, too.Derrick walks us through the reasons for selling his practice and how he wants to help independent advisors build their practices by incorporating generosity into them. He further shares how he can get what he wants by helping other people.Being generous to people who need it is one of the best things you can do as a human. It makes you part of others’ happiness. It makes you part of a bigger picture in society. Derrick shares one of his clients' stories about having a generous purpose in life and how it helped them grow their own businesses by being generous.Having a side hustle is important. You can stay motivated with your side hustles once you figure out why you're doing them. You have to find your big "why," and the sacrifices you make are worth it at the end of it.[01.24] The “Good Money” message – Derrick discusses why he wanted to bring the "good money" message to the world.[18.40] Generosity purpose – When you connect a purpose to your money, everything changes. [28.03] Being generous – Derrick shares how you can be generous to people when you are not financially stable.[35.43] Saving money – How to save money and use it to invest in generosity.[45.04] Side hustles - Derrick discusses the importance of knowing why you want to do a side hustle. Derrick believes that once you discover the reason, all other sacrifices are worthwhile.[58.50] Money mindsets – Common money mindsets people have, how to avoid them, and keep moving forward.[01.10.50] Setting goals – We talk about the things we need to do to make a difference in our lives every year.ResourcesConnect with DerrickWebsite - goodmoneyframework.com/ LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/derrickkinney/ Instagram - instagram.com/derricktkinney/ Book by Derrick Good Money Revolution: How to Make More Money to Do More Good Derrick’s Podcast:Good Money with Derrick KinneyBook by George S. ClasonThe Richest Man in BabylonBook by James ClearAtomic HabitsBook by T. Harv EkerSecrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth
3/7/20231 hour, 13 minutes, 31 seconds
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How to Choose Freedom and Joy After Trauma with Mary Firestone

My guest today is Mary Firestone is the co-founder of Firestone Sisters, Inc and has a Masters in Clinical Psychology from Princeton University. She is the author of the book "Trusting the Dawn: How to Choose Freedom and Joy After Trauma”. Mary joined this week’s episode of The Growth Guide podcast to talk about understanding trauma, how to talk to yourself, integration and initiation, aromatherapy, ketamine therapy, daily practices to reduce trauma, and more.Sometimes we talk to ourselves in a harsh way that we never tell anyone else. But being empathetic and kind to ourselves is essential in the process of healing from trauma. The first step in addressing ourselves kindly is identifying our internal thoughts. The second step is to redecorate those internal thoughts with more powerful and empowering ones, says Mary.The goal of trauma therapy is to integrate. That means we shouldn’t try to fully remove trauma from our lives. Instead, we can make the trauma a part of our story. A part of our lives that led us to the moment we are in or be the person we are today.  You are not alone, and there are a lot of ways to help you reduce your suffering with the right guidance. Healing is absolutely possible; you just have to keep searching.[05.29] Understanding trauma - How to recognize that you are dealing with trauma and what symptoms to look for.[11.52] Talk to ourselves – It’s important how we talk to ourselves. Mary walks us through the steps to talking to ourselves when we are in a traumatic condition.[18.56] Integration and initiation – Instead of attempting to eliminate trauma, we should try to integrate it into our lives.[25.53] Shaking therapy – Mary shares some trauma-releasing exercises that you can do to physically release trauma.[30.34] Aromatherapy – Mary defines aromatherapy and flower essences and how they can help with trauma.[36.07] Acupuncture – Mary explains how acupuncture takes one from the sympathetic stage to the parasympathetic stage.[41.55] EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. [54.30] Daily practices – Qi Gong, reading, writing letters to God, and yoga are some of Mary’s daily practices for people who deal with trauma. ResourcesConnect with Mary:firestonesisters.comhttps://www.maryfirestone.co/linkedin.com/in/mary-firestone-22203058/ instagram.com/trustingthedawn2022/ instagram.com/firestonesisters/Book by MaryTrusting the Dawn: How to Choose Freedom and Joy After Trauma Book by Florence Scovel ShinnThe Game of Life and How to Play It Paul Fraser Qigong - paulfraserqigong.net/ 
2/28/20231 hour, 8 minutes, 26 seconds
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A Transformative Path to Success that Feeds - Not Crushes - Your Soul with Brad Stulberg

This week’s episode of the Growth Guide Podcast features Brad Stulberg. Brad joined us today to talk about his book, The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds—Not Crushes—Your Soul.Brad is a writer, researcher, and performance coach and is also the co-author of: Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success. No matter how hard you tried or how hard you thought you would be happy at your destination, it’s normal to feel exhausted. But if you enjoy the journey, you may enjoy the destination. Brad discusses the importance of enjoying our journey in order to enjoy the end result.As much as social media holds an important role in our lives, we have to understand that not all the things we see there are true.Brad talks about how we are consumed by the unrealistic nature of social media. The front-stage self is the personality we show to the world. The "backstage self" is who we truly are. If we give too much space between these two personalities, we are welcoming cognitive dissonance. Brad explains why we need to bridge the gap between our front-stage and backstage selves and why we need to set boundaries for our personal lives on social media.[06.38] Blessing and a curse – Brad shares his opinion about the lack of boundaries between work and life. [14.08] Enjoying the journey – If we do not enjoy doing something, we won’t find enjoyment at the end of it.[20.46] Social Media – We discuss how we are consumed by the false happiness of people in electronic media. [26.40] Stoicism and Buddhism – How the teachings of stoicism and Buddhism about being in the present moment which leads us to feel better and do better. [31.50] Behavioral activation – A key component of acceptance and commitment therapy. [38.33] Therapeutic toolkit – The Buddhist way of considering thoughts as thoughts and not taking them seriously. [45.06] Want vs. need – The more we focus on what we want rather than what we need, the better. [01.01.25] Productivity vs. productive activity – Brad explains the difference between productivity and productive activity. [01.10.31] Consistency compounds – Brad shares some practices to be consistent and stay on the path. [01.22.38] Front vs backstage self – Front stage is the performative self, and the backstage is who you really are. The less distance between them, the better. ResourcesConnect with BradLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/brad-stulberg-009b168b/ Website - bradstulberg.com/ Twitter - twitter.com/BStulberg Instagram - instagram.com/bradstulberg/?hl=en Book by BradThe Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds—Not Crushes—Your SoulBook by Brad Stulberg & Steve MagnessPeak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of SuccessBook by David D. BurnsFeeling Good: The New Mood TherapyBook by Stephen R. CoveyThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
2/21/20231 hour, 35 minutes, 37 seconds
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How to Microdose Bravery to Grow Resilience, Connect More and Offer Yourself to the World with Kristen Lee

This week’s episode of the Growth Guide podcast features Dr. Kristen Lee, a researcher and expert in the field of behavioral science.  She is the author of Worth the Risk: How to Microdose Bravery to Grow Resilience, Connect More and Offer Yourself to the World.  She talks about her book which provides a fresh take on how risk-taking and resilience can be leveraged for the greater good.Dr. Kristen Lee, Ed.D., LICSW, is a behavioral science clinician, researcher, educator, lecturer, and comedian based in Boston. She is the Lead Faculty for Behavioral Science and Faculty-in-Residence at Northeastern University. Kristen focuses on the well-being and resilience of individuals and organizations, especially those that serve underrepresented communities. She also consults with businesses and leaders worldwide to help them develop positive mental health cultures that reduce the risk of burnout and increase their chances of long-term success.Throughout today's discussion, we discuss "what-if" living, defined as being plagued by worries about the past and the future. Kristen adds that one's mental health and well-being might be negatively impacted by having such an attitude. She maintains that a "what is" perspective is preferable to a "what if" since it includes embracing the realities of life and concentrating on the positives.[01:07] What-if living - Instead of being paralyzed by worry and dread, accepting the world as it is and making the best of it can liberate you to pursue your dreams.[16:57] Microdosing Bravery - Bravery and courage are not about grand gestures or impressive displays but rather about taking small and manageable steps towards our values and goals, facing our fears and anxieties, and getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.[22:15] Emotional Regulation - When we learn to regulate our emotions, we control our feelings better, react with greater awareness, and rely less on habitual, unthinking responses.[29:37] Mental Health  - Kristen stresses the need to address the current mental health problem because of the unprecedented level of suffering in the world today.[37:51] Labels and Diagnostic Frameworks - You are not your diagnosis, you are still [Name].[01:20:03] Tolerance, Acceptance, And Reverence  - We discuss the difference between the concepts of tolerance, acceptance, and reverence and how these can be used to choose values over passivity when dealing with different biases, racism and other "isms" that exist in the world. Resources:Connect with Dr. Kris(ten) Lee:Website: kristenlee.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drkris1/Tiktok: tiktok.com/@drkristherapycomedyInstagram: instagram.com/therealdrkris/Twitter: twitter.com/TheRealDrKrisBook by Dr. Kristen LeeWorth the Risk: How to Microdose Bravery to Grow Resilience, Connect More, and Offer Yourself to the WorldMentioned in the Podcast:Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-DelusionLife Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way
2/14/20231 hour, 25 minutes, 30 seconds
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Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness with Steve Magness

This week’s episode of The Growth Guide podcast features Steve Magness, a performance coach who works with athletes, entrepreneurs and executives. He is the author of the book "Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness".  He talks about his book which brings a radical rethinking of how we perceive toughness and what it means to achieve our high ambitions in the face of hard things.[02.41] Defining toughness – What people commonly think toughness means, comparing physical toughness vs. inner strength.[08.48] Training model – Why are people caged in an outdated training model to develop children using archaic military-style methods, when the US military has updated their training model.[15.03] Fear as a motivator – Why fear works as a motivator for a short period of time.[16:22] Ditching the facade – Acting or appearing tough is just faking it until you make it, until reality smacks us in the face. [25.00] Duality of life – We only show people what we want them to see. Steve dives into how dangerous it is when people show only their bright side on social media.[35.52] Arrogance vs. confidence – Confidence is not about being perfect. Steve explains what is lacking in people who try too hard to let others know they are confident and how you can build inner confidence.[41.30] Overcorrecting – We have a bias towards always correcting and what happens we tend to overcorrect.[47.11] Interoceptive system – Steve defines the interoceptive system and explains how it works. [56.32] Being alone in your head – How to learn to practice cognitive behavior therapy by making it simple and consistent in your life.[01.03.50] Using 2nd or 3rd Person – How referring to yourself in the 2nd or 3rd person can free you up to deal with the thought instead of having to be in charge.. [01.16.09] Stimulus and response – Increasing the gap between a stimulus and a response to improve your response.[01.24.14] Intrinsic motivation – Autonomy, mastery, and belonging are the three components that need to cultivate intrinsic motivation. ResourcesConnect with SteveLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/steve-magness/ Website - stevemagness.com/ (Personal)                 thegrowtheq.com/ (Company)Twitter - twitter.com/stevemagness Book by Steve – Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real ToughnessBook by Marcus Aurelius – MeditationsBook by Viktor E. Frankl – Man's Search for Meaning
2/7/20231 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds
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A Taste of Opportunity with Renee Guilbault

My guest today believes that the food industry is a place where anyone can earn their way into a leadership role, regardless of formal education. She emphasizes that the food industry offers many opportunities for growth and learning and that the skills and relationships gained in the food world can be transferred to other career paths and industries.Renee Guilbault, a veteran food-industry consultant with expertise in large-scale, global, multi-unit food and beverage operations, joins this episode of the pursuit of learning podcast to share her experience and insightful perspectives. Renee is the principal of Essayer Food Consulting and she played a pivotal role in creating and implementing high-volume operational strategies and ground-breaking food programming at Pret A Manger, Bon Appetit Management Company at Google, Compass Group, and Le Pain Quotidien before starting Essayer Food Consulting. She is the author of the book "A Taste of Opportunity," designed to help anyone seeking a rewarding career in the food industry, whether they are just starting in the workforce or have their sights set on the highest levels of management.Today, Renee discusses her career progress and the many lessons she has learned along the way.  Renee stresses the significance of self-improvement, deliberate action, and emotional awareness. She elaborates on the areas where she believes young leaders have the most potential for improvement during their transition into leadership and the areas where they tend to miss the mark. We also talk about the idea of the resilience muscle, having a Personal Board of Directors, and the process of writing a leadership obituary. [00:19] Introduction – Renee discusses her career in the food industry, sharing several lessons she has learned about advancing in one's profession, networking, and developing a personal board. [19:19] Get Your Dream Job - You must stand up for yourself, especially in the tough times, and keep going forward by using your goals and dreams as a compass. [32:41] Helpful Tips – Importance of continuous growth, the concept of intentionality, and emotional intelligence for young listeners[48:59] Renee's View – Renee discusses the leadership obituary and its process, her definition of resilience, and the value of JFDI as a tool.[01:01:09] Big 5 - What are the Big 5, and how can we make the most of them?[01:08:02] Amazing Concepts -  Renee provides helpful insight on the concepts of "always hire your replacement and make yourself obsolete," "if not us, then who? and “If not now, then when". Resources:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/renee-guilbault-2208b55a/Website: essayerfoodconsulting.com/Book by Renee:A Taste of Opportunity: An Insider's Guide to Boosting Your Career, Making Your Mark, and Changing the Food Industry from Within: essayerfoodconsulting.com/a-taste-of-opportunityMentioned in the Podcast:Reframe Your Story: Real Talk for Women Who Want to Let Go, Do Less and Be More—Together: goodreads.com/book/show/59363531-reframe-your-story?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=cWbddK8oHH&rank=1
1/31/20231 hour, 19 minutes, 24 seconds
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Unlock Your Potential Through Purposeful Adversity with Brad Ritter

Are you a hard worker or a mediocre person who spends your life settling in one phase? It's time to think about how motivated you are to achieve your goals. Because the harder you work, the greater you will become. This week's episode features Brad Ritter. Brad is one of the world's leading experts on performance and author of the best selling book, 'School of Grit: Unlock Your Potential Through Purposeful Adversity,' Join us as we discuss morning routines, box breathing, visualization, monthly milestone challenges, leadership vs. following, accepting failures, and more. [03.08] The school of grit – Brad shares the origin story of his book 'The school of grit.' [13.04] The crucible moment - Brad shares his experience at Kokoro SEALFIT camp and his crucible moment.  [21.42] Morning routine – Morning routines are essential. Brad dives into how to take a little time to yourself in the morning and see what you gain from it. [30.44] The big four – the four elements of mental toughness; positive self-talk, visualizations, mental imagery, and goal setting. [33.50] Box breathing – the box breathing process and how to do tactical breathing in stressful situations. [39.20] Visualization – Brad explains the visualization and why it is crucial. [46.02] Milestone Challenges – Brad explains his favorite milestone challenge, ' The long walk.' [53.19] Breath, think & execute –  responding to situations by going through breath, think, and execute. [01.05.10] The IDEAL day – Brad breaks down what the acronym IDEAL stands for. [01.14.22] Comfortable being uncomfortable – how growth happens when people put themselves into uncomfortable situations  [01.24.30] Accepting failures – The need to accept failures in life to succeed.ResourcesConnect with BradLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/brad-ritter-63427317/ Website - schoolofgrit.org/ Instagram - instagram.com/schoolofgrit_bradritter/?hl=en YouTube - youtube.com/@schoolofgrit Book by Brad – School of Grit: Unlock Your Potential Through Purposeful Adversity goodreads.com/book/show/60593690-school-of-grit Book by Angela Duckworth – Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverancegoodreads.com/en/book/show/27213329-grit Book by James Nestor – Breath: The New Science of a Lost Artgoodreads.com/book/show/48890486-breath Book by Mark Divine – Unbeatable Mind: Forge Resiliency and Mental Toughness to Succeed at an Elite Levelgoodreads.com/en/book/show/25030935-unbeatable-mind Book by Seth Godin – Tribes: We Need You to Lead Usgoodreads.com/book/show/3828382-tribes?ref=nav_sb_ss_3_6 
1/24/20231 hour, 36 minutes, 17 seconds
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A Simple Path to Healing, Hope and Peace with Seth Gillihan

To alleviate symptoms such as anxiety and depression, mental health professionals have access to a variety of scientifically-based methods. However, these reductionist approaches rarely produce the lasting peace we seek. My guest for today, Dr. Seth Gillihan, a practicing psychologist and one of the leading popularizers of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), believes that to become healthy and whole, we must do more than alleviate our symptoms. He believes that to achieve lasting health and happiness, we must incorporate spirituality into our healing.Seth is a clinical psychologist, best-selling author, and podcaster. He is an expert in mindful cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).  Seth was a full-time faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania from 2008 to 2012 and taught in the Psychology Department at Haverford College from 2012-2015. He has been in private practice since 2012. He is also the author of multiple books on mindfulness and CBT, Therapy Advisor with the self-therapy app Bloom, a medical reviewer for Everyday Health, and hosts the Think Act Be podcast.Seth begins the conversation by discussing how he has applied lessons from his book throughout his journey thus far. In this extended excerpt, Seth discusses the "Big Three," which he defines as sufficient sleep, a healthy diet, and regular physical activity. Seth also explains how to leverage ourselves and the process of working backward. In addition, he mentions the steps he took to re-center himself in the present moment after deciding to practice mindfulness and the central tenets of mindfulness, such as openness, alignment with reality, and decentering. We also talk about "negative thought auditing," "technology fasting," "priming our environment," the difference between "must have" and "nice to have" items, "outsourcing happiness," "purpose and work," and more. [00:18] Seth's Background – Sharing his journey, Seth discusses the material of his book and his realization that he, too, can benefit from it. [19:06]The “Big Three” – Seth elaborates on the idea of the "Big Three," which consists of getting enough rest, eating right, and exercising. [35:47] Mindfulness – Seth talks about how he brought himself to the present moment when he started focusing on mindfulness, and mindfulness concepts like being open, aligned with reality, and decentering.[38:30] Meditation – To help with mindfulness, Seth details what he considers to be the essentials of daily meditation practice for novices.[53:14] Key Concepts - Seth discusses concepts, including negative thought auditing, technology-fast, priming our environment, outsourcing happiness, and the idea of purpose and work. Also, he further explains how  listeners can incorporate these concepts into their life.Resources:Connect with Seth:Website: sethgillihan.com/Blog: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-bePodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/think-act-be-podcast/id1419082632Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sethgillihanphd/Books by Seth Gillihan:Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Simple Path to Healing, Hope, and Peace: goodreads.com/en/book/show/60606331-mindful-cognitive-behavioral-therapyMentioned in the Podcast:Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior: goodreads.com/book/show/336248.Shambhala
1/17/20231 hour, 20 minutes, 42 seconds
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The Psychology of Great Teaching with Pedro De Bruyckere

This Episode is Sponsored by the Twitter Growth Community.If you're listening to my Podcast, you've likely found me through Twitter where we share content to help people be better, achieve more and become financially free.If you're on Twitter and you want to build a profile that's a magnet for growth, write viral content and turn Twitter into a consistent revenue stream in a few minutes per day, then join us: https://maven.com/growth-academy/twitter-growth-academyBeing a teacher is both a privilege and a responsibility. This week's Pursuit of Learning podcast episode features Pedro De Bruyckere. He is an Educational Scientist at Arteveldehogeschool & Utrecht University and the author of the book 'The Psychology of Great Teaching'. He joined us today to talk about what teachers should know about the psychology of teaching. Throughout the conversation, we discuss replication, growth mindset & fixed mindset, Correlation & causation, nurturing nature, self-determination, cognitive load theory, typologies vs. dimensions, and more. [01:38] Replication- Starting the conversation, Pedro defines replication in his book and how past experiments have failed to replicate. [06.47] Growth mindset – Pedro dives into Carol Dweck's theory of growth mindset and the present idea about it. [13.21] Correlation and causation – Pedro defines Correlation, causation, and Correlation caused by distorting factors. [17.09] Nature vs. nurture argument – Pedro walks us through the nature versus nurture argument and explains the role environment plays in achieving good grades. [23.20] Nurturing nature – Every child needs a little push to be good at something. Pedro dives into the importance of nurturing the nature of a child. Finding something that they are good at and helping them to expand it. [30.19] Self-determination – Pedro defines the three elements of self-determination and what happens if a person themselves can't see their growth. [34.47] Cognitive load theory – Pedro defines John Sweller's cognitive load theory and the importance of having prior knowledge of your environment. [39.20] Effective study methods – Pedro shares the least and most effective study methods, according to a study in 2013. [47.39] Duolingo – An American educational technology company that provides learning apps and language certification. [50.47] Typologies vs. dimensions – Pedro explains the reason for not having much psychological evidence for typology and having more evidence supporting dimensions. [57.57] Development – Pedro dives into the reason for having a bigger influence on nature when people get older. [01.03.04] Creativity – Pedro shares some practices to foster creativity in people.  [01.12.14] Errors in reasoning – Making mistakes is inevitable for anyone. Pedro shares some elements people can use to avoid making common mistakes.Resources Connect with PedroLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/pedrodebruyckere/ Website -  theeconomyofmeaning.com/ Mastodon - https://mastodon.social/@thebandbTwitter - twitter.com/thebandb Amazon - www.amazon.com/stores/Pedro-de-Bruyckere/author/B00PITS9LKBooks by Pedro De Bruyckere – The Psychology of Great Teaching: Everything Teachers Ought to Know - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/s
1/10/20231 hour, 19 minutes, 47 seconds
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Build a Business for a Lifetime Using Direct Response Marketing with Brian Kurtz

Marketing is essential for all types of businesses, whether you are a novice entrepreneur or a seasoned marketer. Brian Kurtz, my guest today, distills the knowledge he's gathered after nearly four decades in the direct marketing field to develop a business that lasts a lifetime using direct response fundamentals.For nearly four decades, Brian has adhered to a specific set of direct marketing principles that have enabled him to build an iconic $160 million company. Also, these same principles are currently enabling him to apply everything he has learned and accomplished to the current state in marketing. In addition, he is unwaveringly dedicated to teaching these timeless foundations to the next generation of exceptional direct-response marketers. Brian is the author of the book, Overdeliver. Brian illustrates how to discover our audience and sell successfully in his book without losing sight of the people we are selling to and without sacrificing the respect and attention they deserve.Brian shares how to track what is effective in marketing to our target demographic and how to diversify our marketing. Brian also defines overdelivering and how to achieve it. Brian shares his perspective on abundance while elaborating on why there is no ceiling when you live abundantly.  Brian imparts his expertise in tracking the metrics that matter, constructing a responsive database (list building), and personalizing the list. In addition, we also explore some of the seven traits of world-class copywriters, multichannel marketing, and much more![00:15] Brian's Journey – Brian shares his journey so far, mentioning how he was introduced to direct marketing.[06:49] Over Delivery - When you exceed your prospects', customers', and partners' expectations, you weave integrity, loyalty, and growth throughout your life and business.[13:20] Abundance – Brian shares his view on abundance and why there is no ceiling when you live abundantly.[18:27] Selling – What is the timeline? What are the touches? What's the value before you say, "Hey, I'm going to try to sell a product."[39:47] Core Principles -  We explain what a swipe file is, the rationale behind specific copywriting approaches, and original source principles, which Brian believes are essential for any young direct marketer or copywriter who wants to level the field. [01:02:05] 41-39-20 Rule – Brian elaborates on the 41-39-20 rule, and he covers going a mile deep instead of broad, ensuring that our specialization aligns with our superpower by emphasizing the concept of repurposing assets as opposed to constantly trying to develop new ones. [01:25:05] Great Copywriters - A successful copywriter possesses seven qualities. Brian shares a few that listeners should focus on.[01:32:07] Three Questions - What is missing that really ought to be there? Precisely what makes you worthy of attention? And why should someone buy your products? [01:38:40] Multiple Channels - Brian outlines the value of having our own domain and being present on numerous platforms.[01:45:13] Compound Interest-Enriched Relationship Capital – Brian shows how we can contribute to connection, what compound interest-enhanced relationship capital entails, and how the audience can grow this relationship capital.Resources:Connect with Brian:Website: briankurtz.net/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brian-kurtz-a1934/Books:Overdeliver: overdeliverbook.com/Breakthrough Advertising: https://breakthroughadvertisingbook.com/
1/3/20231 hour, 43 minutes, 45 seconds
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Principles for clear thinking and confident writing with Ben Putano

Everyone has a writer inside them. Everyone has stories inside them. They have to find a way to unravel it. In this week's episode of the Pursuit of Learning podcast, we are joined by Ben Putano, founder of Damn Gravity Media, and author of the book, Great Founders Write:  Principles for Clear Thinking, Confident Thinking and Startup Success.  Throughout the conversation, we cover Ben's journey to becoming an author, writing with a purpose, the ABC123 copywriting framework, writing with empathy, the power of persuasion, and more. ResourcesConnect with BenLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/ben-putano/ Twitter - twitter.com/BenjaminPutano Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/benputanoWebsite - damngravity.com/books/greatfounderswrite Book by Ben – Great Founders Write: Principles for Clear Thinking, Confident Writing, and Startup Successgoodreads.com/book/show/63829773-great-founders-write Books mentioned in Podcast - Book by Suneel Gupta – Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on Yougoodreads.com/en/book/show/53915346-backable Book by Jay A. Conger – The Necessary Art of Persuasiongoodreads.com/book/show/3827770-the-necessary-art-of-persuasion Book by Timothy Ferriss – The 4-Hour Workweek goodreads.com/book/show/368593.The_4_Hour_Workweek?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_19 Book by James Clear – Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Onesgoodreads.com/book/show/40121378-atomic-habits?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=7voPjNJeyI&rank=1 Book by Ryan Holiday -The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumphgoodreads.com/book/show/18668059-the-obstacle-is-the-way Book by David EpsteinRange: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized Worldgoodreads.com/book/show/41795733-range? Book by Bo Burlingham - Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Biggoodreads.com/book/show/100467.Small_Giants? Book by Arlan Hamilton – It's About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated Into Your Greatest Advantagegoodreads.com/book/show/49646727-it-s-about-damn-time? 
12/27/20221 hour, 37 minutes, 11 seconds
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Overcome distraction to pursue a more meaningful life with Joshua Becker

What is it like to live a life without distractions? This week's episode of the Pursuit of Learning podcast features Joshua Becker, a writer, creator, and entrepreneur at Becoming Minimalist. He is here to talk about his latest book, "Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life." Throughout the episode, we discuss Joshua's journey,, identifying distractions, re-programming, money as a stressor, becoming a minimalist,, and more.[00.28] A brief bio – Joshua shares his journey of becoming a minimalist and discovering how excessive possessions take happiness away. [07.41] End of life – Joshua explains that his book is dedicated to influencing the reader on how to live their lives having fewer regrets about how they lived. [09.53] Heedless luxury & no good activity – The comfort that isn't necessary and the time we spend doing nothing worthy makes us question the time we wasted, says Joshua. [15.41] I commit myself – Staying focused every day is essential. Joshua shares the importance of having a clear goal in mind every day. [20.24] Identify the distractions – Joshua shares how his book helps readers to identify the distractions in their lives from doing worthy things with their time. [31.37] A little bit more – No matter how much money we have, we want a little more. Joshua explains why 90% of American people have stress over money. [45.10] Re-programming – Joshua explains how the world is trying to manipulate our existence. He further explains how to break it and re-program ourselves. [51.50] Childhood – Joshua dives into how your origin or childhood affects your view of possessions. He shares what people need to do to discover how they are programmed in their childhood. [01.01.40] Time – Joshua dives into why it is easy to sacrifice time for things we don't want. [01.10.05] Consuming media – Joshua shares his idea on why technology consumes people.ResourcesConnect with Joshua Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/becomingminimalistInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/joshua_becker/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/becoming-minimalist/ Twitter – https://twitter.com/joshua_beckerYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@JoshuaBeckerWebsite - becomingminimalist.com/ Books by Joshua – Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life – goodreads.com/book/show/58636918-things-that-matter The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39810030-the-minimalist-home-The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own -https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27036703-the-more-of-lessSimplify: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13049773-simplifyClutterfree with Kids - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20618993-clutterfree-with-kids
12/20/20221 hour, 8 minutes, 59 seconds
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Spend Your Way to Wealth and Freedom with the Financial Samurai Sam Dogen

You do not have to be a genius or a multimillionaire to get out of debt and live comfortably. It is never too late to start planning for your financial future as long as you realize the importance of maximizing your current resources. To help you build wealth and live life on your terms, my guest today removes the uncertainty from your financial future by explaining what to buy, how much to spend, and how to maximize every dollar you earn. In today's episode of Pursuit of Learning, we're joined by Sam Dogen, founder of Financial Samurai.Sam spent 13 years in investment banking before launching the personal finance website, Financial Samurai. Several high-profile newspapers and magazines have profiled him, including The Wall Street Journal, The Sydney Herald, The Chicago Tribune, and The Los Angeles Times. Also, Sam has written new book, "Buy This, Not That: How to Spend Your Way to Wealth and Freedom”. Sam discusses financial terms, including analysis paralysis, probabilistic thinking, income tethering, and FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early). He mentions that the rate you reach financial independence depends on your work ethic, savings, and willingness to take risks. [01:30] Financial Freedom - What is financial freedom? What is passive income?[06:26] Analysis Paralysis - Most of the time, we must act on a decision without complete information. Sam discusses how much information is required before taking action. [10:42] Probabilistic Thinking –  Sam explains what probabilistic thinking is and how we can modify our ability to think in probabilities to enhance our frameworks for decision-making. [15:44] FIRE – What is FIRE? FIRE stands for Financial Independence Retire Early.[25:25] Do You Know - How many assets are required to generate a specific amount of income? What is the safe rate of withdrawal? [37:08] Three Components - The pace at which you build your wealth is proportional to your efforts, your savings rate, and the amount of risk you're willing to take.[47:05] Income Tethering - Sam elaborates on income tethering.[49:53] Sam's Pieces Of Advice - It is not necessary to achieve financial independence by a specific age. Resources:Website: financialsamurai.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sam-dogen-aa2152178/Twitter: https://twitter.com/financialsamuraBook by Sam:  Buy This, Not That: How to Spend Your Way to Wealth and Freedom: https://www.financialsamurai.com/btnt/
12/13/202255 minutes, 25 seconds
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A Simple Approach to a Better Life with Nate Dallas

In this week's episode of The Pursuit of Learning podcast, we are joined by Nate Dallas, an entrepreneur, a product developer, and an author. His latest novel isYou're Too Good to Feel This Bad: An Orthodox Approach to Living an Unorthodox Life. He is here to talk about a simple approach to a better life. Throughout the episode, we dive into a brief history of Nate's journey, the importance of making small life decisions, sleep, breathing properly, state & state management, understanding ourselves, choosing a pathway, and more. [00.15] A brief history – Nate dives into his background of becoming who he is today. [09.51] Importance of small decisions – You have to make small decisions in your life constantly. It may change you as a new person. Nate shares the importance of making small decisions in life and how they may affect your life. [21.03] Importance of sleep – Getting 6-8 hours daily sleep is essential because our bodies need to rest. Nate dives deep into the importance of sleep, the wrong things people do when they go to sleep, the best sleep practices, and his sleep routine. [42.54] Drinking water – Nate shares why he wanted to drink only water for two months and how he felt after two months. [50.24] Food choices – Nate dives into what they do at home to ensure that they get good things in their bodies. [01.03.13] State and state management – Nate dives into what he meant by 'the state' in his book and some of the state management techniques we can use. [01.28.09] Choosing a pathway –  Nate dives into how he chooses his pathway according to his terms because he wants fulfillment and availability in life. [01.45.31] Habit – Nate emphasizes the value of conversing with people, even if you don't relate to what they are saying.Resources    Connect with Nate     LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-dallas-20741764/       Website - https://natedallas.com/        Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dallasnate/?hl=en        Twitter - https://twitter.com/fathersbrother        YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@natedallas8114  Books by Nate;You're Too Good to Feel This Bad: An Orthodox Approach to Living an Unorthodox Lifebooks.google.com/books/about/You_re_Too_Good_to_Feel_This_Bad.html?id=XQ9bzQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y  Hacking Fatherhood: Preparing for Success in the Biggest Role of Your Life –books.google.com/books/about/Hacking_Fatherhood.html?id=ChrNAQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y Mentioned in the Podcast: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles – books.google.com/books/about/The_War_of_Art.html?id=sR3hAAAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y  Thomas Merton books  google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22Thomas+Merton%22  Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life – books.google.com/books/about/Resilience.html?id=1BC9BgAAQB
12/6/20221 hour, 34 minutes, 45 seconds
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Live Today for Tomorrow's Emotional Well-Being with Dr. Bill Howatt

Many of us have battled mental health issues during the previous two and a half years. Also, we often do not have a toolbox to deal with sentiments like regrets. However, maintaining a healthy mind is a skill everyone can develop and hone, regardless of upbringing or circumstance. Dr. Bill Howatt, an expert on mental health in the workplace, is here with me for today's episode of the pursuit of learning podcast. He has studied and spoken extensively on the topic of how businesses should safeguard and promote employees' mental health on the job, earning him a reputation as a leading expert in the field internationally. Dr. Bill has spent over 30 years working in the mental health and psychological safety field. Moreover, he has vast clinical expertise due to his own struggles and eventual triumph over mental health issues. His approach to mental health is transparent, honest, and productive; also, he provides answers that are both well-tailored yet often overlooked in the workplace. Dr. Bill's  book "No Regrets" outlines the five things you can do right now to improve your mental fitness and be ready to face life's obstacles. Also, it provides the resources and guidance you need to construct a life you can enjoy.[01:52] Introduction - Dr. Bill  provides an overview of his work and discusses how he has done a lot of work supporting people with mental illness and mental health issues.[08:51] Mental Illness – Dr. Bill defines mental illness and discusses its connection to interpersonal competence.[13:02] Employee Mental Health -  We talk through why most workplaces devote considerable resources to ensuring the physical well-being of their members, but far less attention is paid to the mental health of their employees. [23:06] Leadership - The future of work will require improved emotional health and emotional regulation from leaders. It will not be task-focused; Leaders must appreciate people and care about how they feel and perceive the world. [40:08] Regret – We explore the distinction between experiencing regret and living with regret, and we try to pin down a definition of regret.[47:07]  Lifecycle of an Employee - If you're unhappy with your job, why are you still working there?[01:05:32] Self-Protection -  By self-doubting ourselves, we are protecting ourselves by not setting expectations.  [01:12:23] Negative Thought Audit – We discuss how people can examine unpleasant thoughts to stop accepting them.[01:16:02] Hardwirings – Dr. Bill outlines what we can do to overcome the inherent biases rooted in our deeply held beliefs.Resources:Connect with Dr. Bill:Website: billhowatt.com/Howatt HR consulting: howatthr.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/howatthr/Book by Dr. Bill:No Regrets: How to Live Today for Tomorrow's Emotional Well-Being: goodreads.com/book/show/62917384-no-regrets?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=7UPXSyfDFy&rank=1Mentioned in the Podbast:Thinking, Fast and Slow: goodreads.com/book/show/11468377-thinking-fast-and-slow?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=Q3uhKVG3XE&rank=1Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others: goodreads.com/book/show/58438525-trust-and-in
11/29/20221 hour, 25 minutes, 26 seconds
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Create Modern Clarity with Stoic Wisdom featuring Andrew McConnell

To enjoy life, we have to live in the moment. But it's essential to plan for the things that haven't happened yet, but you fear may happen. Our guest today is Andrew McConnell, founder, and CEO at rented.com, a team of vacation rental professionals with 50+ years of experience in managing, marketing, and pricing vacation rentals, to talk about his best-selling book 'Get Out of My Head’. Throughout the episode, we dive into Andrew's background, stoic wisdom, valuing ourselves, love and hate for what you do, zero-based Calendaring, and more. [00.23] The history – Andrew dives into his journey, starting as a swimmer to opening up his own company. [05.00] Stoic wisdom – Andrew shares what stoic wisdom is and how he selected it as a framework for his book. [12.04] The game of life – It's human nature to measure themselves in others' opinions. Andrew dives into why we must stop living according to others' views. [16.43] Valuing ourselves – Andrew dives into the three levels of valuing ourselves; What do you think you are worth? How do you change it to work out, and what are you doing at any given moment? [30.01] Love and hate – Andrew dives into his two-by-two framework, where you have to figure out what you love, what you hate, and what you are great at. [36.13] Calendaring and Budgeting- Andrew defines what he meant by Zero-budgeting and calendaring in his book. [45.14] Enjoying time – Andrew dives into the importance of focusing on what you want to do in a particular moment and not ruining it by thinking about something else. [58.55] Kernel of truth – Andrew dives into the importance of finding other facts about your beliefs. It will make you see what we know isn't always the right thing. [01.07.32] Locus of control – Locus of control has two sides. External and internal. Andrew dives into how we can control our actions according to these. [01.15.54] Future negative events – Andrew shares his opinion on premeditation on future negative events and their importance. [01.26.30] Habit – Wrapping up the conversation, Andrew dives into what habit he has that had an impact on his life. Resources        Connect with AndrewLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandrewmcconnell/ Book by Andrew:Get Out of My Head: Creating Modern Clarity with Stoic Wisdomhttps://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61075218Prepare for the Worst, Plan for the Best – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4748444-prepare-for-the-worst-plan-for-the-bestThe 4-Hour Workweek – https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Anywhere-Expanded-Updated/dp/B0031KN6T8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2UVKUP85FZTWC&keywords=the+4+hours+work+week&qid=1675368488&sprefix=the+4+hours+work+wee%2Caps%2C378&sr=8-1
11/22/20221 hour, 22 minutes, 12 seconds
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How Legendary Writers Create a Category of One with Nicolas Cole

One of the best things about being a writer is you provide value to your readers’ lives. You help them overcome their problems and build their lives in a better way.Our guest today is Nicolas Cole, an author and top writer on Quora. With over 30 million views online, he is one of the most-read digital writer. He has written over a dozen books, including the best-selling ‘The Art & Business of Online Writing.’ He joined us today to talk about his new book Snow Leopard, How Legendary Writers Create a Category of One. Throughout the episode, we’ll dive into Nicolas’ journey to become a writer and thought leader, the five levels of the creative journey, obvious and non-obvious content creation, financial independence, and more. Wrapping up the conversation, Nicolas comes right back to where he started with the idea of training yourself to let go of external rewards because all the growth comes within you.[00.08] The path – Nicolas shares his journey from being a gamer to becoming a writer on his own. [07.59] Discipline – Nicolas talks about how he grew up on the internet and how the games he played became his role model to figure out what he needs to do to be successful. [14.26] Life goal – Sometimes, sharing the things we achieve in our life could add value to other people’s lives. It could help them to achieve greater things as we did once. Nicolas dives into how writing about his bodybuilding journey drove him toward scaling knowledge and identifying what people are interested in. [20.46] Thought leader – Nicolas dives into why he doesn’t want the badge of approval and what truly matters when it comes to being a thought leader. [29.59] The five levels – Consumption, curation, obvious creation, non-obvious, and obvious are the five levels that people go through on their creative journey, according to Nicolas. [48.21] Getting value – Nicolas dives deep into how we make our success from helping other people because if people get value from our work, we will get our desired results. [01.01.28] Examples of Non-obvious and obvious – Nicolas discusses one of his favorite examples of a non-obvious book, Think and Grow Rich, and compares it to obvious books and their success over time.. [01.12.31] Financial independence – Nicolas dives into what you need to do to be financially independent if you want to become a creator. [01.19.11] Making more money – Nicolas talks about how you can make more money in your business. [01.29.00] Obvious solutions – By pointing out non-obvious problems, you create the market regarding category design. It’s yours, and you are the one who is deciding the cost. According to Nicolas, your goal is to educate people about their non-obvious problems, which they didn’t even know they had. [01.35.34] Habit mindset – Nicolas shares what works for him in his personal growth and his framework of doing things in his life. ResourcesConnect with Nicolas LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nicolascole/Twitter: twitter.com/nicolascole77Instagram: instagram.com/nicolascole77YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCeoMQWq1-dAPave3ythD8MQ inc.com/author/nicolas-cole Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One: goodreads.com/en/book/show/61772680-snow-leopard SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome goodreads.com/book/show/28789711-spqr 
11/15/20221 hour, 39 minutes, 39 seconds
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Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion with Koshin Paley Ellison

Clarifying who we are no matter what life throws at us, having the courage to achieve things in life no matter how many times we fail, and being able to understand and feel empathy for others are some of the most important aspects that we have to attach to our personality. In today’s episode, we are joined by Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison; president and co-guiding teacher at New York Zen Center for contemplative care, a Zen practice center in Manhattan to discuss his upcoming book ‘Untangled’. Throughout the episode, we dive into how Koshin became a Zen monk, what he meant by junk pleasure, the eightfold path of Buddhism, the consequences of actions, the three giants, the importance of words, and more. Most of the time people are looking for quick relief from the pain they are suffering. Koshin defines it as junk pleasure. We find some quick relief but the pain, and the suffering stays as same before. According to him, the quick relief or pleasure is not either deeply nourishing or pleasurable in the long term. Sometimes self-isolation could be a good thing, but most of the time, it will negatively affect your life. It will make you miss the beauty of the world and the beauty of the people around you. [01.36] Becoming a Zen Monk – Starting the conversation, Koshin dives into how he was inspired to be a Zen monk while visiting his grandfather when he was little and his journey to become a Zen monk. [13.55] Meaning, connection, and importance – Koshin talks about how his fears held him from experiencing new things and how he felt once he started to experience new things. [20.56] Connecting to the world – Meditation can be used to avoid being connected to the world. But if you allow yourself to connect to the world, you will see the beauty of it. [29.52] The eightfold path – Koshin dives into what it means by the eightfold path in Buddhism and how it can be used to make a wise and compassionate lifestyle. [42.02] The fantasy of control – We normally have the fantasy of control because we don’t know what to say or to do in difficult situations. Koshin dives into what we can do in such difficult situations. [50.12] The path between – Koshin talks about the path between getting beyond and getting intimate. According to him, getting beyond means learning how everything around you matters, and getting intimate does not only mean sex. It is the real connectedness, sensuality, and tenderness of being alive. [01.07.24] The three giants – Koshin addresses greed, anger, and delusion as the three giants and how these three aspects affect people’s lives. [01.15.51] Importance of words – Words are powerful. We have to be careful when we are choosing words to speak to someone. Koshin shares his attitude about identifying the right time to talk.[01.28.58] The Dark is Rising – A fantasy novel series by Susan Cooper. ResourcesUntangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassionby Koshin Paley Ellison: goodreads.com/book/show/60568473-untangled Connect with Koshin: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zencare/ linkedin.com/company/new-york-zen-center-for-contemplative-care/ Website: zencare.org Instagram: instagram.com/koshinpaleyellison/YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCniG6fajMVO-VkRmKBesYnw 
11/8/20221 hour, 21 minutes, 49 seconds
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Mental Shifts to Thrive in Preparation and Performance with Brian Levenson

Performers at the highest levels don't rely solely on their natural abilities. In its place, they capitalize on the advantages of switching between two distinct yet mutually reinforcing states of mind: one for thorough preparation and another for peak performance under pressure. My guest today is Brian Levenson, an executive and mental performance coach who has spent years working with top achievers in the fields of sports, business, and the arts. Brian was surprised by what he saw from the sports field to the executive suite. Many talented people were falling short of their ambitions not because they lacked the required talents but because they lacked an appreciation for the thought patterns that drove them. In today's episode, Brian reveals his findings for making the mindset adjustment necessary to excel at both preparation and performance.Brian is the founder of Strong Skills, a company that delivers executive coaching, mental performance coaching, speaking engagements, and consulting services to elite organizations, performers, and leaders. He has had the privilege of working with CEOs, professional athletes, and teams from the NBA, NHL, and MLS, as well as the Federal Reserve, the Department of Homeland Security, Hilton, the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), and numerous other organizations. In addition, he offers a weekly podcast called Intentional Performers, in which he does interviews with a variety of exceptional high performers. His book, Shift Your Mind outlines nine mental shifts that will help you think like a stellar performer.[00:17] Motivation – Brian shares the aspects of his life that are driving him right now and the things he hopes the audience will get out of hearing about them today.[08:23] Three Foundations  – Brian outlines three major insights to be gleaned from his book. [13:25] Framework - Getting the reps to execute without you being present.[20:12] Culture – We talk about the importance of relationships in shaping culture and how leaders aren't necessarily the ones who do it.[25:57] Fun and Joy – Brian mentions what practices he has established to ensure that everyone on the team works hard when necessary but also takes time to have fun when appropriate.[37:01] Believe Yourself – We spend a lot of time talking about how crucial it is to have unwavering faith in oneself. [51:26] Practice - The cultivation of our nature can be accomplished most effectively through work. [59:29] Perfectionist - It is simple to have a dream. Developing meticulous behaviors that propel you toward your goal is difficult. But letting go of perfection when it comes to performance can be pretty tricky.[01:19:32] Mindfulness – Brian opens up on the significant impact that mindfulness and meditation have had on several aspects of his life.Resources:Connect with Brian:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brlevenson/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianLevensonPodcast: strongskills.co/podcastWebsite: strongskills.co/Mentioned in the episode:Shift Your Mind: 9 Mental Shifts to Thrive in Preparation and Performance: amazon.com/Shift-Your-Mind-Preparation-Performance/dp/1633310469
11/1/20221 hour, 26 minutes, 47 seconds
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Why We All Need a Friend at Work and How to Show Up as One with Morag Barrett

The working world is a team sport, and it is impossible to excel at it on your alone. The presence of an ally attitude is one of the most essential indications of success, not just for individuals but also for teams and organizations. Working relationships flourish when we have the closest friends to share the ups and downs with and help us get through the tough times together. If we don't, we'll fumble and burn to the ground, leaving behind nothing but a smoldering heap of rubble to prove our existence. My guest today has an extensive background in many fields, including corporate finance, leadership and executive development, and human resource management. She is business savvy and has a firm grasp of the intricacies of leading and managing a team. In this episode of the Pursuit of Learning podcast, Morag Barrett stresses the importance of having a work pal,  how to be a better friend in the workplace, and how doing so can improve your mood, teamwork, and productivity.[01:50] Motivation - Discussing her current life motivations; Morag elaborates on the message she wants to convey to the audience.[02:41] BMW – Morag emphasizes the significance of showing up as an ally for both ourselves and our friends.[08:02] Ally Mindset – Morag comprehensively explains how the ally mindset facilitates the development of relationships between people.[16:06] The Relationship Ecosystem - Morag gives an overview of the relationship ecosystem, which includes an explanation of the four different relationship dynamics. [24:13] Look Up - What do I need to be? How do I make my presence known? [29:47] Generosity and Abundance - Morag describes generosity and abundance, why she believes people have a mindset of scarcity instead of abundance, and how people can move from a scarcity to an abundance perspective.[37:50] Connection and Compassion – How can we strengthen our ties and enhance compassion as leaders?[38:40] Four Questions - Can I count on you? Can I depend on you? Do I care about you? Do I trust you? [48:17] Courage and Vulnerability - Why do courage and vulnerability play a crucial role in becoming a person's ally?[56:43] Candor and Debate – Morag shares how she defines candor and debate.[01:04:02] Who Got the D? – D represents the person with the last say. Morag discusses who has ultimate decision-making power by contrasting and defining the difference between action and accountability. [01:10:30] Trust - When you start with trust, there's no ceiling to life.Resources:Connect with Morag:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/moragbarrett/Website: skyeteam.com/homeYou Me We: Why We All Need a Friend at Work: youmewebook.com/Mentioned in the episode:You, Me, We: Why we all need a friend at work (and how to show up as one!): goodreads.com/book/show/59808261-you-me-weCultivate: The Power of Winning Relationships: goodreads.com/en/book/show/20828180-cultivate
10/25/20221 hour, 17 minutes, 9 seconds
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Learn to Enjoy Your Work and Life Again with Tim Shurrer

A particular message is receiving a lot of play these days. The message is clear: if you want to make it in life, you need to put yourself front and center, make your way to the top, become the boss, or do whatever it takes to achieve the success set before you. But suppose there is a different approach. What if there is more to life than just the pursuit of notoriety, wealth, and influence? Tim Schurrer encourages listeners to rethink what it means to be successful and discover a more open approach to reaching our goals throughout today's episode of the pursuit of learning podcast. Tim is the CEO of David Novak Leadership and the author of "The Secret Society of Success." His book, The Secret Society of Success, is a how-to guide for the community of people to learn how to make an impact, whether or not they are in the spotlight. On the other hand, Tim has a keen understanding of what it takes to assemble a champion squad. As COO of two firms, StoryBrand and Business Made Simple; he spent nearly a decade of his career alongside New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller. During our discussion today, Tim discusses how to create your own personal definition of success and how to contribute to your team without worrying about who gets the credit. In addition to this, he emphasizes the ways in which one can have an effect that is felt far beyond themselves, notwithstanding the size of their platform. Moreover, we talk about how to handle living in the conflict that exists between being content and continuing to strive for more. Also, he stresses the importance of shifting from a state of feeling nervous, overwhelmed, and restless in your job to a state in which you are confident in the value you offer to the team and have found meaning and fulfillment in your work. [00:03] Motivation- Tim opens up about the concerns driving him in his life right now.[03:54] The Spotlight – Tim explains why he thinks being in the spotlight is not the place we want to be and how it will be the thing that prevents us from reaching our goals. [12:19] Restless Pursuit – We talk about the battle that each of us must go through to find contentment in our lives and whether or not that struggle drives each of us to an insatiable quest for more.[20:50] The Reason – What is the purpose of the action that you are taking right now? Do you offer to receive something in return, or are you willing to give regardless? [29:08] Shout-outs - Tim emphasizes the significance of shout-outs and recognition in his talk. [33:14] Culture of Recognition - Tim elaborates on the process through which we can foster a culture of recognition.[39:40] The Joy – Tim expounds on the belief that the journey, not the destination, is where the delight lies. [47:42] Focus on the Process – Do not be concerned about the outcome; pay attention to the steps taken. [56:47] Journey is the joy – Mentioning that the pleasure is in the trip itself, Tim further stresses that journey itself is what brings the fun.Resources:Connect with Tim:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timschurrer/Instagram: instagram.com/timschurrer/?hl=enTwitter: twitter.com/timschurrer?lang=enTim's Book:The Secret Society of Success: Stop Chasing the Spotlight and Learn to Enjoy Your Work (and Life) Again: goodreads.com/en/book/show/58429326-the-secret-society-of-success
10/18/202258 minutes, 23 seconds
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How to Captivate Hearts and Deliver Results as a Compassionate Leader with Donato Tramuto

Being polite is not the same as compassionate leadership; compassionate leadership is a powerful style of leadership that, when skillfully executed, can lift spirits and profits to new heights. Compassionate leaders are not lacking in strength. They are strong leaders who are also aware that they may be kind to their employees while achieving tremendous success. In point of fact, showing concern for one's workforce is directly correlated to improved performance. My guest today, Donato Tramuto, is a well-known CEO, business leader, innovator, and philanthropist. During today's conversation, he illustrates that compassion is essential to effective leadership because it boosts morale, builds more substantial teams, improves overall performance, and creates a sustainable commitment to an organization's mission and values.[00:13] Motivation – Donato kicks off the conversation by revealing what is currently driving him to succeed. [02:34] Now More Than Ever – Donato outlines why leaders need to improve skills like communication, transparency, adaptability, understanding, and support of employees' needs and why they need to embrace diversity and inclusion, develop stronger teams, and accept responsibility for their impact on their communities and the world.[07:13] Double Bottom Line – Donato explains why he chose the title The Double Bottom Line for his book. [09:23] Compassionate Leadership - Donato shows why most of us do not follow the compassionate path, despite its increased productivity and profitability. Further, he elaborates on some components that collectively constitute compassionate leadership. [18:14] Listening - Donato discusses some of the finest practices we should consider when it comes to listening to the members of our team, as well as our family members, friends, and other individuals in our lives.[22:00] Not Weakness -  Donato points out why so many individuals believe that compassion and sensitivity are signs of weakness. [36:18] Trust – Donato explains how to use openness, honesty, and sincerity to build trust among colleagues. [39:49] Purpose and Service -Donato discusses the meaning of purpose and service in the workplace and how compassionate leaders may utilize them.[44:28] Compassionate Culture - Donato explains how to infuse compassion throughout the entire organizational culture and sustain it as the culture evolves.[50:47] Diversity and Inclusion – Donato identifies some factors that executives should prioritize regarding workforce diversity and inclusion.[56:20] Daily Practice – Donato examines his highs and lows daily to better himself. Donato explains what this daily practice means to him and what it looks like so that the listeners can apply it to their own lives. [01:00:20] Increased Compassion – Donato explains how people can improve their and their employees' compassion, where he highlights how compassion may be taught. [01:10:14] Unlearning - Donato emphasizes the impact of unlearning, which includes unlearning the incorrect models and habits we've formed over time.Resources:Connect with Donato:Website: donatotramuto.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/donato-tramuto-71594344/Mentioned in the episode:The Double Bottom Line: How Compassionate Leaders Captivate Hearts and Deliver Results: goodreads.com/book/show/58463463-the-double-bottom-line?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=ue6WkgYZiD&rank=1
10/8/202259 minutes, 28 seconds
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Principles to Stand Out, Attract Customers & Grow an Incredible Brand with Jeremy Miller

Did you ever wonder why your brand does not have any sales and why it keeps happening? Maybe the customers don’t know your brand, or basically, they do not trust you. If you are interested in finding out how to drive sales for your brand, then this episode is just for you. Our guest today is Jeremy Miller, Strategy Consultant and Founder of Sticky Branding and the author of ‘’ Sticky Branding: 12.5 Principles to Stand Out, Attract Customers, and Grow an Incredible Brand’’. Throughout the episode, we dive into why the sticky brand is important to brand owners, shared experience, simple clarity, service your customers brilliantly, being brilliant at the basics, creating a visual identity, and more. [01.24] Why Sticky Brand – Sticky branding shares branding principles that drive sales. In the simplest forms, it’s the customers who choose you first. [04.23] Shared Experience – Jeremy shares his idea on how learning from your peers affects the entrepreneurial world.  [07.19] Simple Clarity – Jeremy defines what it means by simple clarity and the three building blocks which make simple clarity in your business. [12.56] Serve Your Customers Brilliantly -  If you are running a business, you need to be both creative and find ways to solve your customer’s problems and make them rely on you, says Jeremy. [25.54] Minimum Requirements – Being able to say no to an investment that you feel does not bear the requirements you need is both respecting other people’s time and your time, according to Jeremy. [25.54] Be Brilliant at the Basics – Jeremy shares his attitude on knowing the basics about whatever your field is, saying that it’s not the marketing that makes your brand worthy among the customers; it’s the service you offer. [28.40] The Three Percent Rule – 3% rule argues that at any given time, 3% of your market is buying, and the rest are not.[36.41] The 1000 Member Rule – According to Jeremy, the 1000 rules say in any size group, only 1% of group members are actively participating in the group. [43.10] Creating Visual Identity - Jeremy dives into the importance of giving a creative modern visual experience to your customers.       [47.36] Staying Modern – Jeremy shares some strategies to stay modern other than updating your website once every 3 or 4 years. [53.30] The Choice – As a brand owner, you have to choose to give the best service to your customers by working on your basics which will eventually make your brand remarkable.  ResourcesConnect with JeremyLinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/jeremymiller linkedin.com/company/stickybranding Website: stickybranding.com Instagram instagram.com/stickybranding YouTube youtube.com/channel/UCt1GXPGxZb62V4XcuCGXO8w Twitter twitter.com/thestickybrand
9/28/202256 minutes, 20 seconds
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A Bold, Brave, and Intentional Path to Scaling Your Business with Brent Lowe

Being responsible for what you are doing is one of the most important aspects of building your desired business. Among the various aspects, it will help you to be a bold and brave business person. Our guest today is, Mr. Brent Lowe; founder of BASE Associates, a business coaching and consulting company, and author of ‘Lead Together’. Throughout the episode, we dive into three major concepts in the book, rules & agreements, types of power, radical responsibility, commitments, types of agreements, feedback and mutual curiosity, recruiting process, and more.  [01.49] Motivation – Brent shares what motivates him at present in his life. [05.20] The three concepts – Brent dives into the concepts of self-management, self-leadership, and TEAL in the book. [08.21] Rules & agreements – Brent dives into the difference between rules and agreements which every system possesses. [14.38] Highlights – Brent dives into four highlights which they had seen that companies got from the book. [18.23] Three qualities – Curiosity, creativity, and drive for results as the three qualities that leaders need to add for the organization to be successful, says Brent. [24.04] Types of power – power over, power for, power among, and power with as the four types of power in the organizational concept. [31.55] Radical responsibility – Brent dives into the meaning of radical responsibility and two sides of it. [35.56] Accountable for radical responsibility – Conversation is the key to having an adult-to-adult system and what makes it difficult to achieve that. [43.08] Commitments – Brent dives into the two sides of commitment and the three ‘r’s; recap, review, and record that comes under commitment. [51.02] Types of agreements – Brent talks about the three types of agreements; governance, operating, and social. [55.17] Being a part of – Brent discusses the things that they do to avoid the feeling of being left behind from the process of decision-making of the employees. [59.48] Swarm artificial intelligence - Artificial Swarm Intelligence is an AI platform that enables groups of all sizes to collaborate online and make choices together while swarming algorithms keep track of their actions and reactions.[01.01.29] Decision-making – Brent dives into two major decision-making processes; the advice process and the generative process. [01.08.30] Feedback and mutual curiosity – Brent dives deep into how important feedback is to move forward and how the two concepts connect when it comes to decision-making. [01.13.30] Recruiting practices – Brent shares how the recruitment process differs from one organization to the other. [01.19.41] Sense and respond – Brent defines the meanings of sense and respond and how people are making decisions based on that. ResourcesLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentloweconnects/?originalSubdomain=ca Website - https://www.leadtogether.co/ 
9/18/20221 hour, 29 minutes, 35 seconds
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Redefine Career Development to Help Your Colleagues Thrive in Challenging Times with Julie Winkle Giulioni

It is no longer customary to define career advancement solely in terms of promotions, transfers, and title changes. Beyond the ascent up the positional ladder, there are numerous more ways personnel can and desire to develop. Nevertheless, many businesses continue to operate under the misconception that promotions are the only choice for professional advancement, leaving employees disengaged, managers frustrated, and the company at a disadvantage in its efforts to retain talent. In today's episode of pursuit of learning, we speak with Julie Winkle Giulioni about seven different dimensions, how we may focus on his leaders to create a sticky business and practical suggestions and methods a firm can implement.[06:23] Traditional Funnel Model - Julie discusses how, as leaders, we may retain our staff without necessarily adhering to the traditional funnel paradigm. In addition, she emphasizes certain disadvantages of the typical funnel structure for colleagues and employees. [07:57] Multi-Dimensional Track - Julie provides a high-level explanation of what a multi-dimensional track is before diving into the specifics of each of the domains. Moreover, mentioning a paper-based assessment, she explains some benefits they can obtain by picking up the book and using the assessment tools. [14:02] Commitment to Curiosity - Julie explores the implications of a commitment to curiosity and an ongoing dialogue with our team members, as well as what we must do to determine what people want and how to best serve them.[18:40] Contribution - Julie explains how contributing helps our coworkers feel like they are making a difference and are aligned with the mission. In addition, she discusses how we, as leaders or managers, should adopt a facilitator attitude to assist others in the beginning to realize this. [26:45] Competence – Julie discusses how competency enables our coworkers to develop crucial abilities, skills, and knowledge. [29:57] Learnership – Julie describes what learnership is and how it may be facilitated to accommodate an already hectic work schedule. [40:29] Connection - Julie explains what connection is, why it is so important to us in the workplace and life, and how we may assist our colleagues in nurturing it.[48:04] The Art of Relationship Building - Julie gives an explanation of how the art of relationship building should be practiced. [50:33] Confidence - One of our goals is for our coworkers to have confidence in their abilities and capabilities. Julie describes the significance of their faith and how their lack of trust limits their potential for achievement. [54:19] Swapping Out Shame for Safety - Julie explores ways to convince employees that there is no shame in expressing their emotions and that the workplace is a safe place to do so. [01:01:55] Challenges - We want to assist our team in stepping up, stepping out, and stepping into situations that allow them to go beyond their comfort zones and discover new, varied, and challenging experiences. Explaining that Julie should discuss how to ensure that we stretch them without breaking them.[01:09:59] Compensation – Julie demonstrates how we can meet the demand for money and financial growth without taking on a new role or title.Resources:Connect with Julie:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/juliewinklegiulioni/Website: juliewinklegiulioni.com/Book by JuliePromotions Are So Yesterday: Redefine Career Development. Help Employees Thrive:goodreads.com/book/show/59202144-promotions-are-so-yesterday
9/8/20221 hour, 15 minutes, 9 seconds
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Reach Your Financial Goals and Increase Your Happiness Dividend with Jonathan DeYoe

Today's guest, Jonathan K. DeYoe, tells us how to save, invest, pay off debt, and fund our retirement and goals by creating a lifetime income stream and how to develop a unique financial plan based on our most cherished values.Jonathan DeYoe is a best-selling author, public speaker, financial consultant, and angel investor. Moreover, he is a Buddhist practitioner. His basic underlying message restores order and tranquility to our financial life by bringing order to the economic chaos. He highlights in his book 'Mindful Money' that money is a tool that can be used to sustain your lifestyle, achieve your goals, and earn the "happiness dividend" that everyone deserves. Jonathan is always bridging the gap between money and life. He believes everyone can live a vibrant and financially successful life by adopting a few essential principles and basic behaviors. Also, he teaches these attitudes and behaviors most effectively in places where love and money intersect.[00:21] Background - Sharing what motivates him at the moment, he recalls his relationship with his younger brother. [11:26] Buddhist Philosophy - Jonathan recounts his background and describes how he was introduced to Buddhist philosophy and mindfulness. [15:15] Four things – Jonathan presents a high-level summary of the topics covered in his book, condensing them to four points. [21:30] Illusions – Jonathan mentions some of the things we should be searching for, which distract us from what truly matters, and the questions we should ask ourselves to dispel our illusions. [34:11] Cultural Impact – Jonathan talks about the relationship between investing and culture. In addition, while presenting three collations, he shows how to escape the illusion created by tremendous rivalry and incessant marketing and why they trap people. [43:44] The Buddha, The Dhamma, and The Sangha – After describing the appearance of the Buddha of Money, Jonathan connects finance to Dhamma and Sangha. [46:44] Dangers of Living By Default – Regarding saving and investing money, Jonathan discusses living by design instead of by default.[53:55] Retirement Planning – Jonathan points out in broad terms how people should make a plan for their future, commencing with their present situation.[01:13:44] Prerequisites - Jonathan outlines the initial steps in developing a financial plan. [01:18:20] Advice – Jonathan discusses some tips he gives teenagers and individuals in their twenties for creating a savings habit. [01:23:53] Emergency Funds – Jonathan describes emergency funds' purpose and what they are. Also, he shares his views on psychology versus financials.[01:30:50] Life Planning – Jonathan highlights the importance of health and relationships in determining an individual's level of happiness. [01:42:22] Never Overcomplicate – Jonathan emphasizes the need to keep investing simple through asset allocation, diversification, and rebalancing.Resources:Connect with Jonathan:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jonathandeyoe/Mindful Money: mindful.money/Mindful Wealth: mindfulwealthpodcast.com/ Book by Jonathan: Mindful Money: Simple Practices for Reaching Your Financial Goals and Increasing Your Happiness Dividend
8/28/20221 hour, 30 minutes, 6 seconds
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Hire and Retain the Right People by Sharing Your Passion and Knowing Theirs with John Garrett

John Garrett is my guest for today's episode of the Pursuit of Learning podcast. He is a thought leader, agent of change, and podcast host whose purpose is to improve workplaces. He is a two-time Emmy nominee, and he is best at championing the human side of professionals, consulting with businesses to promote more productive cultures, and shedding light on the deep personal lives of their employees. Also, he was named one of Accounting Today's top 100 most influential persons in the field after delivering compelling keynotes about his studies and recording over 300 podcast episodes of What's Your And?. [01:45] And - John elaborates on the meaning of "and" by providing an overview of the topic. [03:10] Professionalism – Explaining professionalism, John shares about bringing our whole selves to work versus part of ourselves.[05:07] Use – John discusses how leaders may use the "and" to their advantage and retain talented team members. [09:03] Good vs. Bad – John explains why leaders emphasize the negative aspect of the conjunction "and" rather than the good. [16:14] Care – John stresses the significance of demonstrating care. [21:27] Right Choice – John addresses how to convince young people that they are making the proper choices as they advance their careers. [27:19] Magic Number – John discusses the ideal amount of coworkers one needs to foster a "sticky" work environment and how to use the word "and" to forge bonds with others, whether in a position of leadership or not. [35:43] Hobby - John explains why he appreciates adding his hobbies to his CV. [53:10] Less Depressed - John outlines why we are less prone to feel nervous or depressed when we have interests outside work.[01:00:05] Retirement – John discusses the ways in which our "and" helps with retirement. [01:08:09] Strategies - John provides actionable strategies for implementing what we have been discussing today inside the workplace. [01:14.48] Overcome – John explains why so many coworkers fear bringing their complete selves and sharing their "and." Also, he further discusses how we can assist them in overcoming this phobia.Resources:Connect with John:Website: thejohngarrett.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejohngarrett/John's BookWhat's Your "And"?: Unlock the Person Within the Professional: goodreads.com/book/show/55343237-what-s-your-and
8/17/20221 hour, 12 minutes, 17 seconds
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How to Seize Attention and Build Trust in a Busy World with Ron Tite

People in today's world are subjected to an onslaught of nonstop material, unmet promises, unending product extensions, and the added strain of reading articles with titles like "The 7 Things That Successful People Do Every Day." As a result, they are unsure who to trust or where to go for answers. As a company, the question now is, how can you win their time and earn their trust? In today's episode of the Pursuit of Learning podcast, Ron Tite joins us to discuss how to capture attention and develop customers' confidence in a society full of distractions.[00:42] Pre-Pandemic and Post-Pandemic - Sharing his motivation and main deliverables during today's conversation, Ron mentions the effects of the covid-19 outbreak on his life.[10:51] Wonderful Stories-  Ron explains what he means when he says that when beliefs and deeds coincide, it is simple to compose stories worthy of being recounted.[17:11] Time Square and LinkedIn Inbox - Ron provides a comprehensive explanation of the idea of time square and his viewpoint on managing the LinkedIn inbox. [24:14] Trust Factor - In this post-truth society, we do not know who or where to place our trust. Mentioning this, Ron explores the post-truth era and its impact on consumers.[29:36] Credibility – Ron discusses the difference between personal credibility and borrowed credibility.[41:44] Incentive Programs - Ron outlines why and how we ensure that our incentive programs are aligned with the intended employee behavior.[51:50] Brand Belief – Ron addresses the idea of brand belief, bringing up some of his personal experiences along the way. [01:00:04] Customization - Ron elaborates on how we may improve concerning our brand brief and our current activities. In addition, he discusses how we enhance the customization of what we provide or sell and how we proactively develop solutions for our consumers.[01:10:18] Two Components - Ron mentions the significance and distinction between "what we say" and "how we say it," as well as some related considerations. [01:15:21] Values – Ron explains what he means by recruiting individuals that share your ideals and values and allowing them to be imperfect while elaborating on what this means for organizations.Resources:Connect with Ron:Website: rontite.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rontite/?originalSubdomain=ca
8/8/20221 hour, 16 minutes, 31 seconds
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Grow your influence and impact with Michelle Tillis Lederman

If you do not know what it is that you are working on or what it is that you are working towards, you won't be able to reach your destination. On the other hand, having a crystal-clear vision does not have to be your 10-year plan, nor does it have to be your "big hairy audacious objective."  Also, when you have a clear vision, you make it possible for someone else to have a generous attitude and make it possible for someone else to feel worthwhile. Therefore, one must possess a generous attitude and a mindset centered on giving and contributing value to become a connector. [01:29] Key Deliverables - While discussing the elements currently inspiring her, Michelle adds a few essential things that she hopes the audience will take away from today's conversation.[04:03] The Importance – We have an in-depth discussion of the significance of connections and relationships.[08:45] Connectors - Michelle describes several distinct types of connectors. In addition, she addresses whether people can have a different connector level in real life compared to their online relationships.[13:18] Mindsets Of Connector - Michelle outlines seven different attitudes that anyone may adopt to develop their ability to connect with people. [16:22] Introverts – Michelle explains why engaging with others isn't just for extroverts and how introverts stand to benefit more from doing so than extroverts do.[19:40] Open And Accepting - Michelle outlines why self-awareness and self-mastery are crucial to our ability to connect with others.[27:05] Vision -  We examine the significance of having a plan, a goal, and a sense of direction while connecting with others.[29:57] Generous Spirit Mindset – Michelle demonstrates how we may strike a balance between asking and being patient enough to ask at the appropriate time while emphasizing each individual's importance. She also stresses the significance of gratitude and recognition.[39:43] Boundaries – Michelle describes why we shift from having a generous spirit to acting as a doormat and how we may avoid acting in such a manner by establishing clear boundaries.[44:55] Abundance Mindset - Michelle highlights the importance of having an abundant mindset not just as a connector but also as a human being. Also, she further points out the distinction between a scarcity mindset and an abundance mindset.[49:06] Connect with Michelle – Michelle explains how listeners can get in touch with her.Resources:Connect with Michelle:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/communicationexpertspeaker/Website: michelletillislederman.com/Youtube: youtube.com/user/MichelleLederman?app=desktopInstagram: instagram.com/mtlederman/?hl=enMichelle's BookThe Connector's Advantage: 7 Mindsets to Grow Your Influence and Impact: goodreads.com/book/show/44282592-the-connector-s-advantage?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=pr3RCM3fUh&rank=1
7/28/202250 minutes, 24 seconds
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Use Conflict to Get Your Business, and Career, on Track With Liane Davey

Conflict is now seen as a negative trait in the professional world. Moreover, it is believed disagreements poison productivity, morale, and a good work environment. Yet, our teams and organizations need healthy debates to get things done. However, as humans, we tend to put off and avoid the tough choices that must be made, so we accrue conflict debt. As a result, our businesses are losing productivity, creativity, and edge in the marketplace. On the other hand, individuals also bear the costs of stress, exhaustion, and stress-related health problems.[00:17] Motivation- Liane shares her life's motivations and the key points she wants to convey to the audience during the conversation.[02:05] Conflict- While organizations require conflict, most of us avoid it. Liane reveals more about how this turns out to be negative.[04:02] Signs - Liane analyzes conflict debt indicators at the corporate, team, and individual levels. [08:34] Healthy Conflict Environment - Liane describes how each of us contributes to creating this healthy conflict environment.[09:35] Three Ways – Liane investigates the concepts of avoidance, opposition, and friction in depth.[13:18] Country Level – Liane evaluates the effect of conflict avoidance at the national level.[17:19] Social media – We discuss how social media impacts our lives in various ways.[22:01] Conflict Avoidant- Liane shows how we get hardwired to avoid confrontation, how we can rewire ourselves, and how we can teach our children not to fear conflict.[34:05] Reach the Bottom - When faced with this dilemma, we instantly leap to the solution and say, "Well, here's how to solve it." However, we have not yet reached the bottom of the issue, which usually backfires on us. Liane elaborates on this further.[47:53] Four Quadrants – Liane explains in broad terms a four-quadrant chart with two dimensions: fulfilling one's own needs and the needs of others.[57:05] Types of People - When it comes to conflict, there are three distinct types of individuals. Some view conflict as harmful and unpleasant. Some believe that conflict promotes better understanding and outcomes, while others believe it is vital but tasteful. Liane explores these three categories of individuals. [01:09:19] Open Line of Communication – Liane outlines how we should handle conflicts and the significance of maintaining an open line of communication. [01:14:56] Trust - As a follow-up to her explanation of how to develop an open line of communication, Liane describes how to establish trust. [01:19:45] Dive Deep – Liane points out why we need facts, information-derived insights, emotions, and values to get to the heart of the problem. [01:32:27] U Tool - Liane discusses U Tool and how we may utilize it in our companies. [01:46:04] Conflict Strategies - Liane explains how to turn conflict into a habit rather than an occurrence and create frequent, low-impact, healthy, productive conflicts on a team.Resources:Mentioned in the episode:The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Organization Back on Track: goodreads.com/book/show/44554856-the-good-fightNever Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It: goodreads.com/book/show/26156469-never-split-the-difference?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=IFylk95YSJ&rank=1Connect with Liane:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lianedavey/?originalSubdomain=caWebsite: lianedavey.com/
7/18/20221 hour, 43 minutes, 12 seconds
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Pay attention, Be Brilliant, and Go Deep with Bill Williams

Have you ever wondered how to tap into an endless stream of energy that draws value from your daily life, career, family, and community? My guest today reveals how to leave work, having more energy than when you arrive. Bill Williams, a speaker, author, and executive development coach also known as "Electric Bill," joins today's episode of the Pursuit of Learning podcast to explore micro-steps that can be taken to tap into a limitless source of energy.[00.19] Motivation -  Bill outlines his current motives and a few points he wishes to convey to the audience in the conversation. [01:57] Three Broad Buckets - Bill explains why he uses three significant bucket levels of categories: pay attention, be brilliant, and go deep to become our best selves. [06:10] Outside the Box – Bill discusses how to prevent young people from falling into a lifelong pattern of daily activities.[13:55] List of Accomplishments - Bill emphasizes the significance of maintaining an up-to-date résumé and its need. Furthermore, he presents his thoughts about choosing happiness.[21:16] Balance – Each of us has multiple versions of ourselves. Bill describes how to maintain a balanced version of ourselves while emphasizing the importance of mental wellness. [33:34] Luck  - Bill illustrates how we generate what appears to be lucky to others from his perspective.[36:40] ROTI – Mentioning ROTI (Return on time invested), Bill outlines how we can raise our ROTI through curiosity.[38.34] Prosociality – While discussing the relationship between emotions and prosociality, Bill explains why fine is not an emotion. [43:00] Positivity – Bill explains how to choose our emotions and cultivate optimism in our lives by relating his experience with his mother. [46:05] Zulu Practice of Sawubona – Bill emphasizes the significance of the Zulu tradition of Sawubona, which expresses to others how much we value their presence. [50:36] Thank you -  Bill highlights the importance of thankfulness and the power of the word "thank you" while stressing the power of connections. [01:03:59] Self-ful – Bill describes the distinction between being selfish and self- ful and explains how we may encourage more people to adopt the mindset of being self-ful.[01:11:05] Reframe Words – Mistake can be reframed as Miss - Take, implying that the action can be repeated. Bill explains the influence of rephrasing phrases by mentioning this. [01:17:23] Give Energy – We discuss why we should contribute our energy without hoping to receive anything in return. [01:23:42] Masculine Vs. Feminine Communication - Bill delves deeper into describing masculine and feminine communication and their influence and efficacy.[01:28:22] Cross the River- Bill explores the concept of being faithful to our spirit energy via a mind-boggling anecdote. In addition, he emphasizes the significance of not carrying another person's burden with us. Resources:Connect with Bill:Website: billgwilliams.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bill-g-williams-50b1781/?originalSubdomain=caBill's Book:Electric Life: 12 Microsteps to Pay Attention, Be Brilliant and Go Deep: amazon.ca/Electric-Life-Microsteps-Attention-Brilliant/dp/177458171X
7/8/20221 hour, 26 minutes, 32 seconds
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Building a Business that Scales with Your Lifestyle with Lee LeFever

Instead of planning indefinitely, it is essential to prioritize action. We may fail, but we will learn from it, and the next attempt will be more successful. The fact that things stink should not prevent us from launching. Everything my guest discusses in today's conversation converges on this point. Today's episode of the pursuit of learning podcast features Lee LeFever, who shares the incredibly fantastic experience he has gained thus far on his journey.[00:18] Lee's Story – Lee discusses his life up until this point, revealing what motivates him and what he hopes to convey to the audience by today's conversation.[06:54] Entrepreneurship – Lee provides his perspective on entrepreneurship, discussing the reality of entrepreneurship and why there is such a disparity between what we expect and what we receive. [09:09] Common Craft – Lee mentions their activities at Common craft.[14:33] Constraints – Lee explains how we can use constraints as a tool in our decision-making process and relates this to his own experience. [18:17] Question -  Lee describes how he uses forward-looking questions to guide the future of Common Craft at all times. [23:11] Service-Based Entrepreneurs – Lee outlines how service-based entrepreneurs can reframe their thinking to create a product that can be sold independently of their labor.[28:25] Own Platform – Lee explains how and why he chose to proceed with his own platform. [31:25] Customer Retention – Lee explores how we can use customer feedback about our business to generate more business. [33:52] Passion – Lee emphasizes how important it is for entrepreneurs to be passionate about their work. [36:10] Luck - Lee discusses what he means by the significance of combining luck and attention, as well as how we can build awareness for our business.[39:53] Take Action - Lee highlights the significance of being willing to leave your comfort zone, take risks, and act. [45:06] Failures- Lee stresses the value of failures and how he learned from them by viewing them as an inspiration and a source of new ideas. [47:55] Competition - Lee describes how his organization handles competition and how he views himself about the competition. [51:41] Business – Lee provides his perspective on business and its success, mentioning why he believes that time is new wealth. [59:42] Happiness – Lee explains how people are missing the peace that comes with happiness over time in their pursuit of more material possessions.[01:06:36] Moratorium – Lee discusses how COVID has affected his personal and professional life and explains what a moratorium means to him.[01:18:31] Relationships – Lee emphasizes the significance of relationships by describing how he and his wife maintain their bond. In addition, he discusses his most recent endeavor, Building Livable.Resources:Connect with Lee:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/leelefever/Website: leelefever.comCommon Craft: commoncraft.comBuild Livable: buildlivable.com Lee's Book:Big Enough: Building a Business that Scales with Your Lifestyle: goodreads.com/book/show/55061540-big-enough?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=64I4MymrNQ&rank=4
6/28/20221 hour, 19 minutes, 40 seconds
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Mindset, Goal Setting, and Habits for Success with Volodya Gusak

Five years from now, we will be exactly the same person, except for the books we read and the people we encounter. Therefore, the power of reading and networking are the two most significant forces influencing how we can define and direct our lives. Therefore, my guest believes that reading is a concept. Volodya Gusak, President of DENCITI Development Corp, joins today's episode of the Pursuit of Learning podcast to share the numerous life experiences he has accumulated throughout his life thus far and how they have influenced him.Volodya Gusak has devoted his professional life to developing real estate developments. As the president of Denciti Development Corp., Volodya's organization has been recognized for its strategic strategy that consistently maximizes the potential of every site. From the initial concept to sales, he is intimately involved in each development, ensuring that every component matches his high standards. In addition, Volodya is passionate about paying it forward by coaching and mentoring people in their business endeavors, as his mentors guided him along his career path.[00:47] Reading - Volodya discusses what inspired his passion for reading and how reading has affected his life.[03:02] Years of Work - When you read a book, you digest the best of someone else's years of work and incorporate it into your own. Volodya elaborates on this and explains why this premise is so crucial.[04:57] Three Books - Volodya describes the three books he would give himself if he could travel back in time and give himself three books that would have helped him achieve his current position. [12:44] Right Partner - Volodya talks about how his wife influenced his development as a person and how he couldn't have built his own real estate firm without the right partner. [21:11] Networking - Volodya shares how a young person who is currently listening can include networking in their journey.[37:57] Top Four - Volodya mentions the top four things he would tell his 20-year-old self to become a millionaire by 30.[01:14:20] Goal Setting - Volodya discusses how far ahead he thinks about objectives and the significance of goal setting in his personal, professional, and financial life.[01:18:01] Advice - Volodya reveals what advice his future self would give to his present self-regarding how he should live today to prevent having regrets in fifty years. Resources:Connect with Volodya:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/volodyagusak/Twitter: twitter.com/volodyagusakMentioned in the episode:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change: goodreads.com/book/show/36072.The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=VKcuHooC7k&rank=1Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds: goodreads.com/book/show/41721428-can-t-hurt-me?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=1sj0Bc1G8Z&rank=1
6/18/20221 hour, 35 minutes, 52 seconds
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Find Holistic Wealth: Purpose, Prosperity, and Happiness with Keisha Blair

Everyone desires a life in which they are financially aware and independent, live with purpose and charity, and inspire others. Today, my guest tells us how to grasp these fundamentals of a happy and joyous existence, enabling us a stronger sense of wholeness and resilience during challenging times. Keisha Blair joins today's episode of pursuit of learning to explore how to reshape our life by discovering purpose, prosperity, and happiness.Keisha is the author of Holistic Wealth: 32 Life Lessons to Help You Find Purpose, Prosperity, and Happiness, the Holistic Wealth Personal Workbook, and the new Holistic Wealth (Expanded and Updated) version, which was released on International Women's Day (March 8th, 2022). She is also the founder of the Holistic Wealth movement and the  Institute of Holistic Wealth. By expanding on the lessons, she imparted in her viral piece, " My Husband Died at 34. Here Are 40 Life Lessons I Learned From It." Keisha shares groundbreaking ideas that help us find balance and success in her book, which helps us on our path to serenity by providing actionable, thorough steps from experts in various fields. In today's conversation, Keisha delves into the definition of holistic wealth and shows us how to discover prosperity in crucial areas of life, such as financial stability and physical health, as well as emotional and spiritual connections with others. She also emphasizes how nurturing these skills will help us develop the mental toughness and resilience we'll need to weather life's inevitable storms and setbacks.Resources:Connect with Keisha:Website: instituteonholisticwealth.comWebsite: keishablair.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/keisha-blair-holistic-wealth/?originalSubdomain=caMentioned in the Episode:Holistic Wealth: 32 Life Lessons to Help You Find Purpose, Prosperity, and Happiness: goodreads.com/book/show/52866441-holistic-wealth?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=JoWTb1Nrk6&rank=1Holistic Wealth (Expanded and Updated): 36 Life Lessons to Help You Recover from Disruption, Find Your Life Purpose, and Achieve Financial Freedom: goodreads.com/book/show/59241999-holistic-wealth-expanded-and-updated?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=JoWTb1Nrk6&rank=2Holistic Wealth Personal Workbook: 32 Life Lessons to Help You Find Purpose, Prosperity, and Happiness: goodreads.com/book/show/51335086-holistic-wealth-personal-workbook?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=JoWTb1Nrk6&rank=3
6/8/20221 hour, 18 minutes, 11 seconds
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Be Your Own Boss and Make Money Doing What You Love with Tatiana Tsoir

Turning passion into a business involves much more than ambition, energy, and ingenuity. It would be best to have a clear game plan and a thorough understanding of business basics to give it wings. Today, my guest is a visionary accountant with over 16 years of expertise in helping entrepreneurs and business owners become the boss of their bottom line. Tatiana Tsoir, CPA, keynote speaker, and author, joins today's episode of the Pursuit of Learning podcast to share the wisdom and experience she gained thus far in her path and detail the facts she addressed in her book, "Dream Bold, Start Smart."In Dream Bold, Start Smart, Tatiana gives "almost-preneurs" the skills, tools, and confidence to effectively pursue their ambitions of establishing a business. Leveraging this knowledge, Tatiana is devoted to sharing her uncompromising expertise with a bigger audience to encourage those overwhelmed and confused with running a business to feel motivated to take the next step to make money doing what they love. In her book and mini-coaching program, 'Something That's Yours,' Tatiana offers her audience the tools to study and own their figures and be confident in their business decisions. Throughout today's conversation, she details various points she makes in her book. For example, Tatiana extensively illustrates why and how numbers play a huge part in precise and profitable decision-making. Also, she offers the learnings she gained throughout the path thus far, highlighting the value of long-term team development. In addition, Tatiana emphasizes the question that aspiring business owners should ask themselves first. Moreover, she gives her perspectives in numerous areas such as price psychology, partnerships, gaining investors, etc. Finally, We close the discussion where Tatiana gives an eye-opening remark. Resources:Connect with Tatiana :Website: tatianatsoir.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tatiana-tsoir/Instagram: instagram.com/tatianatsoir.author/?hl=en
5/28/20221 hour, 30 minutes, 51 seconds
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Get Out of Your Head - How to Navigate Depression with Brian Sachetta

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses globally. This silent killer takes lives without warning, punishment, or compassion. Brian Sachetta is my guest on today's pursuit of learning podcast episode. He is an author, blogger, and software engineer. Although Brian's writing focuses on health, wellness, and personal development, he employs his computer science background in his writings. His "Get Out of Your Head" line of books draws parallels between computer systems and the human mind and offers readers strategies for overcoming anxiety and depression. Get Out of Your Head: A Toolkit for Living with and Conquering Anxiety is the first book in this series. Today's discussion delves into his second book, Get Out of Your Head: Navigating the Abyss of Depression.Brian explores the biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to depression to help listeners understand how it manifests in their lives. Beginning with a clear explanation of depression, he examines a number of connected techniques in depth. We delve deeply into several facets of the biopsychosocial model, perception cycle, and cognitive behavior therapy during the conversation. Notably, he describes how the identification of disempowering attitudes influences our mental health. Moreover, he discusses methods for overcoming these disempowering perspectives. In addition, Brian outlines how the modern way of life has become a source of depression in broad terms. Aside from them, he addresses several vital strategies we may implement to safeguard our physical, mental, and social health and recommends many alterations to our way of life.Finally, Brian concludes the discussion with a message of solidarity and optimism, stating, "Every depressive situation is unique. However, anyone can take enough of the given strategies, merge them into their own arsenal, and employ them for an extended period ". Resources:Connect with Brian:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brian-sachetta/Mentioned in the episode:Get Out of Your Head Vol. 2: Navigating the Abyss of Depression: goodreads.com/book/show/59732839-get-out-of-your-head-vol-2Get Out of Your Head: A Toolkit for Living with and Overcoming Anxiety: goodreads.com/book/show/43216363-get-out-of-your-head?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=sczM6WsYxn&rank=4
5/18/20221 hour, 27 minutes, 48 seconds
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How to Find your Power as a Hybrid Professional with Dr. Sarabeth Berk

If you are employed in more than one capacity, you are more than one person. If you fit this description, you may be a hybrid professional. Hybrids were previously unnoticed in the workforce. However, the secret is now public and will remain so in the future. A hybrid professional combines numerous professional identities and operates at their intersections. Other professions maintain only one identity at a time, but hybrids maintain multiple identities. They create a whole new identity, which is their distinctive worth in the workforce. Dr. Sarabeth Berk joins us on this week’s episode of pursuit of learning. She is the world’s foremost authority on hybrid professional identities and herself a hybrid professional. She has been featured in Forbes, is a TEDx speaker, the author of More Than My Title, and has been recognized for her innovative work with a Colorado Inno on Fire award. Her hybrid title is Creative Disruptor, owing to the fact that she works at the nexus of art, research, education, and design. Through groundbreaking research, Sarabeth pioneered a one-of-a-kind approach to personal branding and career development. Today, she specializes in assisting individuals in identifying and communicating their hybrid professional identities and distinctive value in the workforce. As a result, her customers feel more seen, empowered, and confident, and teams value one another beyond their job labels, recognizing the vital yet distinct roles of experts, generalists, and hybrids in the workforce.Throughout today’s discussion, we go deep into the topic of hybrid professional identity, which will cover a wide range of topics. Sarabeth begins by describing what hybrid professionality is and then goes on to discuss its significance. The discussion then turns to how hybridity differs from singularity and multiplicity, with vast and mind-blowing insights provided. Also, we explore why it is important to allow our hybridity to develop and the path we must take to discover and create our genuine identity.Resources:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarabethberk/Website: sarabethberk.comTwitter: twitter.com/sarabethberkInstagram: instagram.com/morethanmytitle/?hl=enMentioned in the episode:More Than My Title: The Power of Hybrid Professionals in a Workforce of Experts and Generalists (The Hybrid Professional Series Book 1): goodreads.com/book/show/53609447-more-than-my-title?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=V3kW7hLZ7N&rank=1
5/9/20221 hour, 32 minutes, 42 seconds
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Reframe Your Story: Let Go, Do Less and Be More with Tammy Heerman

In the 1970s, a stereotype was termed "think manager, think male," which stated that we all identify male features and attributes with the term "leadership." However, unfortunately, we continue to do so even now. We continue to link masculine and male qualities and attributes with leadership. Our guest today is on a mission to rewrite women's narratives. She wishes to dispel the age-old stigma of "think manager, think male" and redefine leadership with "think leadership. think female." Tammy Heermann is a multi-award-winning leadership expert sought after by some of the world's most prestigious corporations for her programs that accelerate women's advancement. Also, she is an author and a speaker. For over two decades, Tammy has aided in transforming thousands of minds regarding what it takes to lead, both personally and professionally. While she enjoys making a difference in the C-suite, nothing makes her happier than encouraging emerging leaders to overcome organizational and self-imposed limitations to attain their full potential. In addition, Tammy transforms her listeners with an array of humorous and heartbreaking stories about her journey from senior consultant to senior vice president. Also, she is a stalwart mentor for Women in Communications and Technology.We begin the episode by discussing Tammy's current motivation, in which she explains her mission. We then explore the several projects Tammy has been involved in to assist women in moving forward and leading. In her book, Reframe Your Story, she discusses some obstacles women face in advancing to leadership positions. Tammy brings these concerns to light and explores ways to overcome them during the talk. On the other hand, the majority of hardwiring occurs throughout early life. Hence, we examine why it is critical to determine what story we are telling ourselves, whether it serves us or not, and whether we need to reframe it.Additionally, women are socialized to avoid taking as many risks as men. Tammy emphasizes that this should be resolved by focusing less on the risk and more on the reward associated with the action itself. Also, we discuss how men and women respond to imposter syndrome and the disparities in their approaches. Additionally, Tammy stresses having a personal vision and effective networking abilities. Also, the explanation of weakening qualifiers is one of the podcast's most informative points. Resources:Connect with Tammy:Website: tammyheermann.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tammyheermann/?originalSubdomain=caInstagram: instagram.com/tammy_heermann/ Mentioned in the podcast:Reframe Your Story: Real Talk for Women Who Want to Let Go, Do Less and Be More—Together: goodreads.com/book/show/59363531-reframe-your-story?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=WKyfkahGvI&rank=1Passion and Purpose: Stories from the Best and Brightest Young Business Leaders: goodreads.com/book/show/12043229-passion-and-purpose?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=wy0bgf7iDG&rank=4
4/28/20221 hour, 35 minutes, 19 seconds
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Fire the Haters: Finding Courage to Create Online in a Critical World with Jillian Johnsrud

Sharing our creative and entrepreneurial endeavors online might feel like navigating an unknown sea. There can be hundreds of containing setbacks and stumbling blocks that could sink our ship. Today's guest on the pursuit of learning podcast is someone who will walk us through this process with the lessons she collected throughout the years. Jillian Johnsrud joins today's episode to offer the expertise and experience she gained while successfully navigating this creative entrepreneurial life. Additionally, she guides us to nurture the courage necessary to create online in a hostile atmosphere.Jillian is a well-known public speaker, a coach, a podcaster, and a writer. Jillian directed her personal and professional experiences into a creative life after achieving financial independence at the age of 32. In her book, Fire the Haters, she teaches us the ropes and provides us with a road map for our creative business journeys. Also, she has been featured on Good Morning America, Forbes, USA Today, and Marketwatch, among other publications. Jillian begins the podcast by responding to the question of what motivates her right now. Then she shares some of the main things that leaped out at her in the coming years. Throughout the show, Jillian provides mind-blowing insights about how to overcome hurdles to online engagement. While sharing her personal experiences, Jillian notes significant facts when dealing with internet stupidity. It is critical to decide how you wish to engage when working online because our time, energy, and attention are all finite resources. We cannot let them be squandered on the infinite idiocy of the internet. Mentioning that, she emphasizes that we do not have to justify our actions or share our vision with the rest of the world, as the majority would not understand. Also, she stresses that we do not have to be concerned with every social media reaction since the problem is with others most of the time, not with us. Moreover, Jillian emphasizes the need to get started early by delving into the concept of testing and scaling. Although the go-big or go-home approach sounds fantastic, she points out that most of the abilities required are not readily available initially and must be acquired along the way. Jillian mentions that it is tough to plot the next decade from your home couch without taking a single step. Hence she recommends that if we begin early, we will have more time, space, availability, and a scalable solution when the time comes.Among the many mind-blowing topics she discussed, one of the most thought-provoking is the three most critical principles a digital creative should follow. Also, she highlights the importance of maintaining boundaries and enforcing norms to effectively address the issues inherent in online work. Finally, she ends the conversation by discussing the inner critic and imposter syndrome and how to deal with them effectively. Resources:Connect with Jillian:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jillian-johnsrud-mma/Website: jillianjohnsrud.comMentioned in the episode: Fire the Haters: Finding Courage to Create Online in a Critical World: goodreads.com/book/show/58875927-fire-the-haters?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=DX9Ol1hugx&rank=1
4/18/20221 hour, 14 minutes, 14 seconds
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Change the Way you Work, From the Inside Out with Scott Shute

The majority of us have been ascending the wrong mountain, and at times it appears as though the higher we climb, the less we have. We continue to strive for higher heights and happiness, but there is always a question of whether we are heading on the correct route. If you’ve ever wondered, “How am I supposed to be a good person while still performing well at work?” this episode is for you. Today’s guest on the Pursuit of Learning podcast, Scott Shut, specializes in integrating the reality of modern business leadership with the wisdom of ancient traditions to aid individuals and enterprises in becoming conscious business leaders. He is an author, keynote speaker, executive coach, and educator.After 25 years in customer-focused leadership and executive roles and three years directing LinkedIn’s Mindfulness and Compassion programs, Scott is now assisting other leaders and organizations in transforming into more compassionate and effective organizations. In addition, he works with executives who want to make a positive difference in the world while thriving their organizations and people, which allows him to apply his whole skill set, expertise, and passions. Since Scott was thirteen years old, he has been studying and practicing mindfulness and has been affiliated with wisdom teachings since he was in college. He examines the notion of human potential in this work, assisting employees in becoming the finest versions of themselves. During today’s uplifting discussion, Scott demonstrates how our thinking influences our level of pleasure and contentment in life. Also, the last two years have seen “The Great Awakening” in our approach to work. Employees now recognize that their health and relationships are the two most crucial components of their existence. Mentioning that, Scott underlines the critical nature of firms concentrating even more on employee mental health throughout the conversation. Furthermore, he highlights the importance of everyone focusing on strengthening connections and meaningful links among us while we work. Scott shares his perspective on compassion, mindfulness, appreciation, self-awareness, and meditation, among other topics, and by the end of the session, he has created an entirely new perspective on life. Resources:Connect with Scott:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scottshute/Insight Timer: insighttimer.com/scottshuteWebsite: scottshute.comMentioned in the episode:The Full Body Yes: Change Your Work and Your World from the Inside Out: goodreads.com/book/show/57382447-the-full-body-yes?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=P6AmeGAApc&rank=1
4/8/20221 hour, 12 minutes, 49 seconds
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Driving optimal performance through core attributes with Rich Diviney

Performance and optimal performance are two different things. While improving performance is good, pursuing optimal performance is the better and more sustainable way that allow us to become successful in out personal and professional ventures. Our guest today is an author, and a retired commander who ran training programs for the navy seals. Throughout the episode, we dive into some science-backed, real-world optimal performance indicators and how we can function at optimal performance level by developing key attributes of our personality.Skills are an important contributing factor to our performance and success. However, there’s a part of the story that skills do not completely cover. We have to look at attributes for that part. We start today’s conversation by talking about the differences between skills and attributes. Rich also talks about what it takes to develop attributes versus skills.Being comfortable with uncomfortable situations allows us to grow ourselves. Rich shares with us how this becomes the key to developing attributes. Another concept we touch on is the comparison between peak performance and optimal performance. We talk about the key differences between the two and why we should pursue optimal performance rather than peak performance. In his book, Rich introduces 25 attributes that drive optimal performance. Throughout the episode, we dive deep into some of these attributes, how they contribute to driving out minds towards success and what we can do to develop these skills. Wrapping up the episode, Rich shares with us the five attributes that define leadership and some advice for becoming better leaders.Resources:The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance:goodreads.com/en/book/show/53733101-the-attributesConnect with RichWebsite: theattributes.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/theattributesTwitter: twitter.com/richdivineyFacebook: www.facebook.com/The-Attributes-110380034019335Instagram: instagram.com/theattributes
3/28/20221 hour, 30 minutes, 48 seconds
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Turning Small Gestures into Powerful Results with Michele Bailey

Sending gratitude to others is a doable and straightforward task. Yet most importantly and surprisingly, it returns to you threefold, although it takes little time. My guest for today is on a journey to persuade her clients to take it a step further, to integrate genuine gratitude into the way business is conducted. Her infectious enthusiasm for appreciation is contagious. Also, she is the founder and the CEO of the Blazing Group. Her recent book, The Currency of Gratitude, is a heartfelt and easy guide to enabling corporate growth through the use of gratitude as a currency. Michele Bailey, founder & CEO, Forbes Author, and 2020 WBE Leader of the Year, joins today's episode of pursuit of learning to share her wisdom and experience regarding various facets of thankfulness.Michele begins the podcast by discussing what motivates her at the moment and the primary message she wishes to deliver to the audience by the episode's conclusion. We all know that we live in a world dominated by technological innovations capable of providing "personalized" contact with our clients and customers. However, in her book, the Currency of Gratitude, Michele explains that genuine, specific, and direct communication rooted in gratitude can grow and sustain a business far more effectively than any targeted technology. Furthermore, Michele mentions that our professional and personal lives are not as distinct as we have made them appear. Given this inseparability, she points out that the critical premise of all successful businesses is the creation of authentic and long-lasting connections and relationships that value and develop the entire person. During the conversation, Michele demonstrates how prioritizing appreciation in one's professional life enables firms to recruit and retain top talent and clients and increase employee engagement and productivity through compelling stories and real-world business examples. In addition, by generating brand ambassadors, she highlights that the businesses can achieve cascading outward benefits ranging from enhanced brand awareness to higher consumer pleasure and loyalty. Also, we discuss how simple actions may have a significant impact and urges others to consider quick and practical methods to incorporate gratitude into their own business culture. Likewise, throughout the conversation, Michele points out that small gestures can have significant results and emphasizes quick and practical ways to promote gratitude within the business culture and personal lives. Resources:Connect with Michele:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michele-bailey-a111b6a/Website: michelebailey.comMy Big Idea: mbimybigidea.comBlazing: blazing.agency Mentioned in the episode:The Currency Of Gratitude: Turning Small Gestures Into Powerful Business Results: goodreads.com/book/show/57734188-the-currency-of-gratitude?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=PkcHs8JQ9y&rank=1Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time: goodreads.com/book/show/31579916-fierce-conversations?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=hJx333izMf&rank=1
3/18/20221 hour, 9 minutes, 18 seconds
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Becoming a Leader People Never Leave with Clint Pulver

A business should be a place where people thrive, not merely survive. Also, on the other hand, whether it is a firm or whatever else, the critical factor is not being the best in the world; it is about being the best for the world. My guest in today's episode of Pursuit of Learning podcast helps leaders build more vital organizations that their employees never want to leave. My guest is a self-motivated entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in business start-up, leadership, sales management, management training, and assisting teams in growing multimillion-dollar accounts. He leverages this knowledge to develop a teachable relationship and business methods that are built on trust, service, support, connection, and continuous follow-through.Clint Pulver, a professional keynote speaker, author, musician, pilot, and workforce expert, joins us today to share his wisdom and experiences on how great leaders build organizations where their employees never want to leave. Recognized as the industry's foremost authority on employee retention. Clint's work and studies as the Undercover Millennial have altered how organizations such as Keller Williams, AT&T, and Hewlett Packard build lasting loyalty. He was named a "Top 40 Under 40" by BusinessQ Magazine, and Clint earned an Emmy Award for his short film Be a Mr. Jensen in 2020, which chronicles how a single moment in time and one particular mentor can alter the direction of one's life. In addition, Clint has interviewed and analyzed thousands of people from hundreds of firms to establish himself as the foremost authority on assisting corporations in reducing employee turnover, increasing engagement, and establishing lasting loyalty.In today's conversation, Clint discusses the primary cause of employee turnover, what leaders can do to halt an exodus, how to establish a team that truly works, how to identify opportunities where others see difficulties, and how to harness the power of little moments to create a lasting legacy. Clint is a firm believer that a single instant in time can fundamentally alter the course of a person's life. He has toured the world speaking to a varied range of audiences, inspiring them to dream, excel, connect, and believe in themselves and the power of others. Also, for more than a decade, Clint has dedicated his heart, messages, and business to assist organizations in better understanding the younger generation and helping the more youthful people better understand themselves by living a life of importance rather than merely success.Clint recently published a book, "I Love It Here: How Great Leaders Create Organizations Their People Never Want to Leave," in which he shares insights gleaned from over ten thousand undercover interviews with employees across the country, revealing the most effective methods for identifying talent, fostering a sense of ownership, and cultivating a thriving workplace culture that employees adore. Most importantly, he discusses numerous aspects of mentorship throughout the podcast, including the importance of mentorship, strategies to make it more effective and get the most out of it, and how mentorship differs from the typical employer-employee relationship.Resources:Connect with Clint:Website: clintpulver.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/clintpulver/Mentioned in the episode:I Love It Here: How Great Leaders Create Organizations Their People Never Want to Leave: goodreads.com/book/show/53225933-i-love-it-here?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=9u1FRHioSS&rank=1
3/8/202257 minutes, 49 seconds
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The Responsibility Ethic with Adam Kreek

We want to make ourselves the boss right now. We want to lose weight more quickly. In general terms, society has become addicted to short fixes. We want to believe that there is a hidden cheat code, hack, or shortcut for all of these. But, deep down, we see right through the deception, which makes us nervous. Today's guest in the Pursuit of Learning podcast is an incredible individual who teaches how to reach the maximum potential at whatever point in our careers or lives. He offers winning tactics from the trenches, where the strongest minds dominate, based on his eight years of intensive Olympic training, near-death ocean adventures, and work as an executive coach and corporate trainer. Adam Kreek, an executive business coach, joins us today to address numerous aspects related to responsibility ethics and values-driven achievement techniques, which he teaches to increase professional impact and achievement. Adam works with high-performing CEOs, business owners, and organizations to increase engagement, growth, and measurable results. His book, The Responsibility Ethic, a fascinating narrative with solid teaching and direct application, pushes business leaders worldwide to pursue their aspirations and accept responsibility for their achievement. He outlines the 12 basic principles of self-leadership that have driven his extraordinary accomplishments in The Responsibility Ethic and demonstrates how you may master them as well.Throughout today's conversation, Adam delivers mind-blowing explanations on locus of control and its importance, goal formulation, and goal attainment. Also, diving deep into the concept of shared leadership, he explains the three C's of shared leadership. Additionally, Adam delves into how good stress and a self-assured attitude toward failure can completely revolutionize your life and career. Further, in The Responsibility Ethic, Adam delves into the various ways a person might accept responsibility in their personal lives, businesses, and leadership positions. These twelve responsibility ethics cover many topics, from taking responsibility for our fears and failures to mentoring, stress, leadership, and even safety. Readers will have a better grasp of taking greater ownership of their lives and careers through this book.During the conversation, Adam highlights that not everything we do has to be about the journey, but rather the destination and journey. Also, he explains what it means to accept responsibility and how "responsibility ethics" might alter how you view yourself and the world during today's conversation. Finally, ending the conversation, he emphasizes the necessity of professionalism, communication, and mentoring in workplace leadership.Resources: Connect with Adam:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adamkreek/Twitter: twitter.com/adamkreekWebsite: valuesdrivenachievement.comMentioned in the episode:The Responsibility Ethic: 12 Winning Strategies to Power Lasting Success and Happiness: goodreads.com/en/book/show/46029638-the-responsibility-ethicThe Metronome Effect: The Journey To Predictable Profit: goodreads.com/book/show/23657014-the-metronome-effect?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=3rRLXjInJy&rank=13HAG WAY: The Strategic Execution System that ensures your strategy is not a Wild-Ass-Guess!: goodreads.com/book/show/39889654-3hag-way?from_search=true&from_srp
2/28/20221 hour, 38 minutes, 58 seconds
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The Self-Employed Life: Business and Personal Development Strategies That Create Sustainable Success with Jeffrey Shaw

In recent years, self-employment has become something that interests many people across the globe. While it has a plethora of benefits, being self-employed comes with a set of unique challenges as well. Our guest today is someone who has made a remarkable career out of helping entrepreneurs and business owners navigate the world of self-employment. Jeffrey Shaw, business coach, speaker, and the author of ‘The Self-Employed Life: Business and Personal Development Strategies That Create Sustainable Success,’ joins us today to take a deep dive into business and personal development strategies for entrepreneurs and small business owners.We start the conversation with some of the things that inspire and motivate Jeffrey and some of the learnings from his long career as a business coach. Getting into the concepts of self-employment, Jeff shares his thoughts on the reasons that motivate people to lean towards self-employment and a concept that he’s included in his book; the self-employed ecosystem. Throughout the episode, we dive deep into each of the three key elements of the self-employed ecosystem.Diving into the first element of the ecosystem, we talk about how to overcome the fear of success, how we sometimes become an obstacle in our own path to success, and what we can do to overcome the limiting beliefs that hold us back. He further explains how setting intentions can become a powerful catalyst to success and some scientific research that demonstrated the power of intentions.Jeffrey’s perspective on marketing is quite unique and fascinating. We talk about why some of the commonly used terms in marketing have a negative impact on our mindset and attitude towards our customers and why he prefers to use terms that resonate closely with the relationships we build with our customers. Wrapping up the episode, Jeffrey dives deep into some of the habits self-employed people should implement in their lives that will lead them to success.Resources:Connect with JeffreyWebsite: jeffreyshaw.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffreyshawauthorTwitter: @jeffreyshaw1Jeffrey’s BookThe Self-Employed Life: Business and Personal Development Strategies That Create Sustainable Successgoodreads.com/en/book/show/57405745-the-self-employed-lifeMentioned in the EpisodeExistential Kink: Unmask Your Shadow and Embrace Your Power by Carolyn Elliottgoodreads.com/en/book/show/50915816-existential-kink
2/18/20221 hour, 50 minutes, 25 seconds
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How Failure Makes You an Outstanding Leader with Colin Hunter

Combined with focused, purposeful reflection, relearning failure as a valuable outcome makes an exceptional and successful leader. In addition, leadership requires embracing your self-doubting inner voices and intentionally stretching yourself and your staff. That is, however, easier said than done.In today's episode of the pursuit of learning, we have a fascinating and informative conversation with Colin Hunter. He is an author, mentor, entrepreneur, coach, and the CEO and Lead Guide to a business, Potential Squared, founded in 2001.  Colin founded the company to inspire leaders by reimagining how they engage and develop their people. He and his international team are experts in creating immersive, quantifiable environments that promote new ways of thinking, systems, and behaviors. Colin's passion is for leadership experimentation, producing influence through a leader's presence, and designing systems and habits that are integrated with the intentional practice for those leaders.What if you could create a work environment that felt less like a struggle, less stressful, and more like a playground: a place filled with opportunities to take risks and push limits, with soft landings? A space where you and your team can experiment, make mistakes, and get things wrong? A space where failure is acceptable? It has never been more critical to fail early, fail frequently, and fail forward in the age of disruption. Colin's most recent book, Be More Wrong, delves into the systems, habits, and practices required to develop crucial leadership abilities and accelerate learning. If you're recovering from Imposter Syndrome and feeling constrained in your ability to lead effectively, Be More Wrong will shift your mentality and encourage you to believe you can succeed by learning from your mistakes.Colin discusses his Pi2 Leadership Impact Model and demonstrates how to develop systems and habits that will enable you to lead with greater confidence, conviction, and connection during the conversation. Additionally, he emphasizes that we will learn to distinguish between various leadership styles. Moreover, he highlights numerous aspects that make a good leader exceptional. Furthermore, Colin discusses multiple topics, including determining the goal of one's life, becoming an impactful leader, and various other concepts, such as positive intelligence and conflict pack. In addition, he highlights the significance of starting things right and small. By putting our egos and expertise aside and embarking on a trip to study human behavior, generate new ideas, and experiment, we will begin to create a playground for ourselves and our team. Driven by his current purpose, Colin works to create measurable playgrounds to disrupt the way people are led and amplify the human in leadership. Furthermore, throughout the talk, Colin emphasizes regardless of how unlikely a leader you believe yourself to be, you may get it right by being more wrong.Resources:Connect with Colin:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colinhunter/Mentioned in the episode:Be More Wrong: How Failure Makes You an Outstanding Leader: goodreads.com/book/show/57440454-be-more-wrong?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=byumSst4ED&rank=1Dan Carter: How to make the leap from being good to being great: play.acast.com/s/the-high-performance-podcast/dancarter
2/8/20221 hour, 38 minutes, 43 seconds
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Stories of Hope for Families Facing Alzheimer's and Dementia with Lisa Skinner

It is difficult to feel you have lost a loved one when they have no idea who you are. It is frustrating to watch them forget things they have known their entire lives. It is tough to watch them appear to fade away before your eyes. In today's episode, we have a very informative conversation with Lisa Skinner, an expert in the behavioral aspects of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. She has dedicated her career as a teacher, advisor, and public speaker to teaching people how to manage brain disorders efficiently. Lisa has worked as a community counselor, regional director of senior care facilities, trainer, lecturer, and private consultant for over 25 years, assisting hundreds of families and caregivers in understanding the overwhelming issues associated with brain disease. Also, she provides counter-intuitive methods and techniques to help people manage brain disease symptoms efficiently.Starting the conversation,  Lisa shares her story of witnessing seven of her family members progress through the stages of a dementia-related illness until the end of their lives. The irony in her narrative is that, in addition to seven family members suffering from dementia, her 17 1/2-year-old cockapoo, Oliver, has been diagnosed with doggie dementia! Her first encounter with dementia occurred when she was a teenager, and her adoring grandmother began exhibiting some strange habits. She has shown various behaviors, including paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions, all of which are symptoms of dementia. At the time, little was known about dementia. Having seen her loved ones going through struggles with dementia, she has made it her mission to be there for those going through the same ordeal.Fast-forwarding 40 years, since 1996, Lisa has worked in the senior housing business, assisting thousands of families in understanding how to interact with a loved one who has dementia. She has established programming in memory care homes and taught employees in dementia care. Additionally, Lisa holds an administrator's certification from the State of California's Department of Social Services. While pursuing a master's degree in psychology, she chose to focus on dementia-related illnesses and educate families on improving the quality of their relationships with their loved ones via education. While working in the aging care business, she became aware that there were still relatively few resources available on this issue, despite the critical need for families to understand it.Throughout the conversation, she delves deeply into several facets of Alzheimer's and Dementia patients, most notably how to engage with them with compassion and care. Also, she highlights that the most significant barrier for family members, carers, and those living with dementia is efficient communication. Moreover, she points out that it is a process of education, and it can be incredibly beneficial and bring joy to everyone's life.Resources:Connect with Lisa:Facebook: facebook.com/notallwhowanderneedbelostLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisa-skinner-05259b14/Website: allseniorssafeandsound.comMentioned in the episode:Not All Who Wander Need Be Lost: Stories of Hope for Families Facing Alzheimer's and Dementia: goodreads.com/en/book/show/27880238-not-all-who-wander-need-be-lostamazon.com/Lisa-Skinner/e/B016CEABE2/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
1/28/20221 hour, 48 minutes, 35 seconds
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Remodeling Your Brain for Resilience, Creativity, and Joy with Dr. Dawson Church

In recent years, the concept of neural plasticity, the revelation that the brain can rewire itself, has become more commonly accepted. However, few people are aware of how quickly this is occurring, how broad brain alterations can be, and how much influence each of us has over the process at this point. But, as science is now revealing, this brain plasticity does not take place over months or years, as previously thought. Instead, it is happening swiftly, and it has the potential to rewire entire neural networks in the brain over time. In today's episode of the pursuit of learning, we have a fascinating and mind-blowing conversation with someone who delves deep into cutting-edge science and uncovers startling evidence of rapid and drastic brain transformation in the process. As explained in his book: Bliss brain, we may induce significant changes in our brains in as little as eight weeks of practice, 12 minutes a day, employing the appropriate approaches. Furthermore, he believes that these changes make us calmer, happier, and more resilient. Also,  he teaches people how to apply the latest breakthroughs in energy psychology to their health and athletic performance through EFT Universe, one of the largest alternative medicine websites on the internet. Dr. Dawson Church, award-winning author and thought leader, joins today's episode to share his wisdom and incredible experiences to guide us to a bliss brain. Dawson begins the talk by sharing his life experience, which has taken him from being an unhappy person to being a happy person. He states how his experience of facing a wildfire changes his life. As he mentions, when he returned to the office, the filing cabinets, desks, computers had been destroyed to the point that he couldn't even tell where they were. There had been molten bundles of metal on the ground and among the ash. The only item that survived had been a statue of the Buddha as everything around him goes up in flames; Buddha merely sits there serenely in the ashes, watching everything. It had stuck Dawson as a metaphor for how compassion, love, joy, and thankfulness are the only things that will go on in perpetuity. Sharing that experience, Dawson highlights that nobody can extinguish gratitude.Furthermore, he discusses the seven primary stages that help to elevate emotional states during a conversation with someone. He also shows how science can regularly transport you to a bliss brain, which is fascinating. Furthermore, he delves into various meditation perspectives and explains the neuroscience underpinning these discoveries in detail. Most importantly, he engages in a brief physical activity during the conversation, which appears to be highly effective and fruitful. Also, he demonstrates how "the seven neurochemicals of ecstasy" are released in our brains during intense meditation. Finally, as the conversation comes to a close, Dawson encourages the audience to expose themselves to the unconditional love of the universe and to express gratitude.Resources:Connect with Dr. Dawson:Website: dawsonchurch.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dawson-church-68b4a8/Email: support@eftuniverse.comMentioned in the episode:Bliss Brain by Dawson Church: blissbrainbook.com/https:/blissbrainbook.com/EFT Essentials: eftuniverse.com/eft-related-press-releases/your-free-gift-from-dawsonHow Enlightenment Changes Your Brain: The New Science of Transformation: goodreads.com/book/sh
1/18/20221 hour, 37 minutes, 26 seconds
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Use Uncertainty to Become an Exceptional Leader with Marc Pitman

Most of us believe that leadership is not for everyone. Also, very often, we doubt our ability to lead. My guest today challenges these perceptions about leadership through his most recent book. He demonstrates how to harness this doubt, uncertainty, and insecurity to develop into the extraordinary leader you were born to be. He has decades of experience leading organizations and teams. He is the CEO of Concord Leadership Group. His failures and successes compelled him to study leadership for over three decades, culminating in completing a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership and certification as a Franklin Covey Coach. Marc Pitman, a CEO, author, personal & organization leadership expert, coach certification provider, leadership keynote speaker, joins with today's episode of pursuit of learning to share his million worth wisdom and experience on leadership. Starting the conversation, he highlights the significance of focusing on our strengths rather than on what we lack. Also, he describes how his frustration with people not knowing about executive coaching ended up with his recent book - The Surprising Gift of Doubt: Use Uncertainty to Become the Exceptional Leader You Are Meant to Be. Besides his recent publication, he is also the author of Ask Without Fear!, which you can find in several languages, including Dutch, Polish, Spanish, and Mandarin. Marc assists leaders in leading their teams more effectively and with less stress by combining his ongoing education with his own experience. He is also the executive director of TheNonprofitAcademy.com and a former member of Rogare's Advisory Panel; a prestigious international think tank focused on fundraising. We discuss our own experiences with the evolution of leadership and the various forms of leadership during the chat. Throughout the interview, he brings up various topics from his works. Most importantly, he discusses the issue of using predefined templates in coaching rather than developing individualized ways to solve problems. Apart from that, Marc divides leadership into four quadrants and provides an in-depth explanation of each component in a mind-blowing manner. In the latter part of the conversation, we talk about numerous personal assessments, their validity, and the takeaways. Marc's knowledge and enthusiasm captivate audiences worldwide, both in person and through online presentations. As a result, he has garnered attention from various media outlets, including The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Real Simple, SUCCESS Magazine, NBC, Al Jazeera, and Fox News.Resources:Connect with Marc: ConcordLeadershipGroup.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marcapitman/Instagram: @marcpitmanTwitter: @marcapitmanMentioned in the episode:The Surprising Gift of Doubt: Use Uncertainty to Become the Exceptional Leader You Are Meant to Be: goodreads.com/book/show/56953397-the-surprising-gift-of-doubt?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=Qv57DpA0Cl&rank=1The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America: goodreads.com/book/show/32191706-the-color-of-law?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=J19bcVl6st&rank=1Podcast: By the book: bythebookpod.com/Podcast: From founder to CEO: fromfoundertoceo.com/podcasts/
1/8/20221 hour, 34 minutes
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Becoming a Content Entrepreneur with the Godfather of Content Marketing: Joe Pulizzi

Every start-up and entrepreneur faces the challenge of reaching and attracting clients. However, content marketing comes in handy when surviving and thriving in the industry without pitching the goods. Hence, developing an online content platform that draws new clients is critical to business success. First, however, it is vital to understand how to position yourself as an informational leader in your niche and create well-liked content produced by traditional media companies. Today, our guest is someone who coined the term "content marketing" way back in 2001. It has since grown to become the fastest growing industry in the internet marketing industry. Joe Pulizzi, the author of 'Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses,' joins us today to share his wisdom on content creation and content marketing.Content Inc. has been a top direct marketing bestseller since September 2015. Through this book, Joe introduces a new business model that uncovers how entrepreneurs with limited resources can build a massive online audience as the engine that drives their entire businesses. In addition, this book suggests a systematic process any entrepreneur or small business owner can use to dominate the market without initially selling anything.Other than being an author, Joe is a successful entrepreneur, speaker, and podcast host. Over his career, Joe has spoken at over 400 sites in 16 countries to promote content marketing. From Fortune Magazine's Leadership Summit to SXSW to NAMM to Nestle to DuPont to SAP to HP and Dell, he has given keynote talks at various high-profile events and organizations.Starting the conversation, Joe states how his two children and his desire to help people motivate him right now in his life. Joe started his career in publishing, and then he found out something called content marketing. Although Joe shifted his writings to mysteries and thrillers later, he is back as a content creator, focusing on a whole new business. In his words, these days, he is going down the rabbit hole. In 2007, Joe left a six-figure job as an executive to start his own business. He has founded several companies, including the Content Marketing Institute (CMI). It is the top content marketing educational resource for enterprise brands, which Inc. magazine named the fastest growing business media company in 2014 and 2015. Moreover, Joe is the founder of The Tilt, an email newsletter. Through this, he aims to assist lonely content creators in turning their business into a content empire. The Content Council named Joe as the winner of the 2014 John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, fortune Magazine named Joe's third book, Epic Content Marketing, one of the "Five Must Read Business Books of the Year" in 2013. Killing Marketing, his most recent book, was released in September of this year. ResourcesConnect with JoeLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joepulizzi/Twitter: twitter.com/JoePulizziInstagram: instagram.com/joepulizzi/Mentioned in the podcastContent Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses: goodreads.com/book/show/26222932-content-inc?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=0nro1aQ24E&rank=1MrBeast YouTube Channel: youtube.com/c/MrBeast6000
12/28/20211 hour, 44 minutes, 21 seconds
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Managing Change in Uncertain and Volatile Times with Vanessa Akhtar and Gaurav Gupta

Most organizations, at some point in their lifecycle, come to points where they have to carefully navigate through volatile and uncertain times. And throughout the last couple of years, we all have been going through a period of extreme uncertainty. One of the keys to successfully handling volatile times is the ability to change. Since not all organizations are built the same way or with the same culture, some are better at change and transformation than others. In today’s episode, we have a deep conversation with Vanessa Akhtar and Gaurav Gupta, co-authors of Change: How Organizations Achieve Hard-to-Imagine Results in Uncertain and Volatile Times.We start the conversation by asking our two guests what motivates them personally and professionally. They also share their message to our listeners. In the last two years, our lives were drastically changed due to COVID and its ripple effects. Although this has been the same for organizations, many industries have been changing rapidly over the last century. We dive into the discussion by talking about what change means to organizations and people.According to Gaurav and Vanessa, there are two aspects of our minds that they call the survive channel and the thrive channel. The survival channel is an instinct we’ve developed over millions of years that responds to threats in the environment. Thrive channel, on the other hand, is what enables us to look for new opportunities. We dive deep into how these two sides of our minds come into play in today’s work environments. We talk about how organizations can implement practices that allow the members to activate thrive and how it helps organizations progress in volatile environments.Project management is another key aspect we talk about that is important for many organizations. We analyze some of the project management frameworks that became popular for some time and then faded away, why they failed, and how to overcome the shortcomings that caused the failures. We also touch on how organizations can approach restructuring the right way. Towards the end of the episode, we talk about how we can utilize these concepts in our personal lives for family decision-making. Resources:Change: How Organizations Achieve Hard-to-Imagine Results in Uncertain and Volatile Times:goodreads.com/book/show/57961293-changeConnect with Vanessa:linkedin.com/in/vanessa-loverme-akhtar-86530624Connect with Gaurav:linkedin.com/in/gauravguptadc
12/18/20211 hour, 36 minutes, 3 seconds
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How to Think Like a Corporate Athlete with Punit Dhillon

We have all seen people with a certain amount of grace, poise, and overall ease of movement. Yet, we sometimes overlook the primary reason behind them: practice makes perfect. Even a corporate athlete’s success is based upon and directly related to repetitive practice inside a set schedule. In today’s episode of the pursuit of learning, we have a fascinating conversation with someone who transforms the skills and tools he learned in sports into corporate leadership. Punit Dhillon is the founder and CEO of Skye Bioscience. Also, he is a director at YELL Canada. Other than that, Punit is a corporate athlete. Starting from nearly drowning in a swimming pool when he was nine years old, he completed his first Ironman Triathlon twenty years later. In addition, he is the author of the book Catapult: How to Think Like a Corporate Athlete to Strengthen Your Resilience.Punit begins the conversation by sharing the factors that motivate him. He expresses his aspiration to unlock entrepreneurship with sports to close the achievement gap of the social issues we experience today. Punit believes that there is a great deal of value to be gained from athletics to answer the burning issues in the present world. Additionally, he explains how nicely being an athlete and then transitioning into entrepreneurship work together. According to Punit, adversity stimulates our will to excel. Troubles and hardships may become our motivation with the proper training and mindset. He teaches us how to disrupt the status quo, leave a legacy, and genuinely make a difference in the world through his book. Suppose you are genuinely attempting to comprehend yourself as an individual and character to identify your passions. In that case, his book will help you a lot. Another point he highlights in the conversation is the significance of having an arrangement in our lives. Although he states that we cannot have a structure for everything in life, he emphasizes that a framework can keep us focused on our purpose and give us a foundation for achieving our full potential. He says that it keeps us focused and on track, ensuring that we never lose sight of our objective. A structure involves repetition for everything to become automated over time, allowing you to devote more time to pursue your dreams.Moreover, we talk about the role that coaches play and their necessity in our lives. Finally, Punit concludes the discussion by emphasizing the importance of checking all the boxes in the various categories that make us happy while achieving our personal goals.ResourcesConnect with Punit:Website: punitdhillon.com/Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/punit-dhillon/Instagram: instagram.com/punitdhillon/Catapult: How to Think Like a Corporate Athlete to Strengthen Your Resilience: goodreads.com/book/show/58261324-catapult?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=BKquEiAmuy&rank=1Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life / The Little Book of Lykke / Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living: goodreads.com/book/show/40534545-ikigai?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=BqElhSpoBe&rank=1
12/8/20211 hour, 27 minutes, 12 seconds
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Welcome to the Writer's Life with Paulette Perhach

Writing is a skill, and like any other skill, we get better at that when we practice it more. As writers, we should think about what we say. First, however, it is mandatory to think about how we say it. Likewise, we may not have a clear idea of how to be a writer, although many of us want it at some point in our lives. That is why we decided to have a deep conversation with someone who specializes in writing. Paulette Perhach, the author of "Welcome to the Writer's Life: How to Design Your Writing Craft, Writing Business, Writing Practice, and Reading Practice," joins us on the podcast today to share her wisdom with our listeners.Other than being an excellent writer, Paulette Perhach is a writing coach and entrepreneur. She has worked for publications such as Health and Coastal Living, and by now, she has her work in even in New York Times. In 2013 a nationally recognized writing center in Seattle, Hugo house, awarded her the Made at Hugo House fellowship. She also won the title as one of BlogHer's Voices of the Year in 2016 for her work.Staring the conversation by talking about the factors that motivate Paulette these days,  she continues expressing her views about the role of money in life. During the conversation, she shares her experience of becoming a writer from scratch with a proper balance between earning and passion. Of course, we need to make money to live. But, on the other hand, we need to give our souls time to heal. Highlighting those points, she explains the necessity of balancing our earnings with our passion. A successful writer is not just born. It is a process of hard work and persistence. Most importantly, it is not smooth and easy to continue. Paulette dives deeply into these facts. She shares tips and tricks to awake the writers within ourselves. We talk about the habits and rituals we can embed in our life to become successful writers. Writing is not easy as it sounds. Creating characters that people love and maintaining proper dialogues between them needs much work. Paulette dives deeply into the way to do it while sharing her experiences as examples. In the latter part of the conversation, we talk about sources for writing and the ways to benefit from them. Finally, wrapping up the episode, we discuss the importance of social media profiles to a writer and the tips and tricks to have a better social media presence.ResourcesConnect with Paulette:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pauletteperhach/Instagram: instagram.com/paulettejperhach/Facebook: facebook.com/pauletteisawriterMentioned in the episode:A Very Important Meeting: averyimportantmeeting.com/Welcome to the Writer's Life: How to Design Your Writing Craft, Writing Business, Writing Practice, and Reading Practice: goodreads.com/book/show/39711925-welcome-to-the-writer-s-lifeFrom Monk to Money Manager: A Former Monk's Financial Guide to Becoming a Little Bit Wealthy---and Why That's Okay: goodreads.com/book/show/44597551-from-monk-to-money-manager?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=rpFTE119Vr&rank=1Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence: goodreads.com/book/show/13126099-wired-for-story?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=SRxY5T1cXk&rank=
11/28/20211 hour, 28 minutes, 37 seconds
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Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right with Michael Bach

Creating an environment where everyone can come together and be themselves is essential in every ecosystem. Yet, despite its impact, most of us are less aware of doing it correctly. Today we have Michael Bath, award-winning and best-selling author and global executive with tremendous experience in inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. In today’s episode of pursuit of learning, we dive deep into his book, “Birds of All Feathers” where he broadly addresses doing the diversity and inclusion right. As usual, we start the conversation with Michael’s current motivation. Along with that, he mentions how much he is concerned about his work after George Floyd’s death. As the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion founder and CEO, Michael is a dedicated and accomplished individual who tries to create a space where everyone is accepted. In his book Birds of All Feathers, he deeply discusses implementing diversity and inclusion correctly. It is a best-seller in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and Amazon. Moreover, his book won the silver 2020 Nautilus Book Award in Rising to the Moment by the National Book Foundation. On the other hand, the title of his book has a deep and exciting meaning. Instead of a bird of a feather, it is birds of all feathers. It means that it does not matter what kind of bird you are; the nest is for you. With diversity and inclusion, we try to build nests where all birds can come together. In other words, with diversity and inclusion, we are trying to create a space where everyone can bring themselves to work. So, no one has to leave something at the door. No one has to hide whoever they are. Before diving deep into the content of his book, we discuss the terminology Michael has used in his book. At that point, stating the term intersectionality, Michael emphasizes the importance of understanding it as a part of this conversation around inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.Correctly implementing diversity and inclusion in an organization lets the people with the right talent and skill achieve the highest. He simplifies diversity and inclusion as the shade of grey at their finest. We analyze the overall impact and the results of several models for diversity, discussing the negative and positive effects. Another vital concept to pay attention to as an organization is equality of opportunity versus equality of outcome. Michael shares his insights regarding that with a comprehensive explanation. Furthermore, we talk about organizational malpractices, such as tokenism and the better ways to implement diversity and inclusion. In the latter part of the conversation, we talk about how leadership in an organization affects diversity and inclusion and vice versa. In addition, we discuss how to combine intersectionality with our day-to-day work and life as well. As an end note, Michael shares the exciting news about his new book Alphabet Soup: The Quintessential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion which arrives on March 29, 2022. ResourcesConnect with Michael Website: michaelbach.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/themichaelbach/?originalSubdomain=caInstagram: instagram.com/themichaelbach/Facebook: facebook.com/TheMichaelBachOfficialMentioned in the episode Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right: goodreads.com/book/show/54816817-birds-of-all-feathers
11/18/20211 hour, 34 minutes, 47 seconds
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A Story About Breaking up with Debt with Melanie Lockert

Student debt, financial literacy, and mental health are all intertwined. However, striking the correct balance between these three components is not as simple as it sounds. In today's episode of the Pursuit of Learning, we are having a mind-blowing conversation with someone who has mastered the art of balancing above three elements mentioned above through the complex and long journey she had. Melanie Lockert, a freelance personal finance writer, podcaster, event organizer at Lola Retreat, and a mental health advocate,  joins us today to talk about how she reached her debt-free life after years of hard work. We started the conversation with her story behind her first blog post to her first book, Dear Debt: A Story About Breaking Up with Debt. Interestingly her first blog happened to be a result of her depression about debts, and she documented her path out of $81,000 in student loan debt on her blog. Since then, she has been aspiring to write relatable, sympathetic, and helpful material, hoping to make a difference with her words. As of now, she has her work featured on Allure, Vice, Credit Karma, and Business Insider.Aside from that, she is the host of the podcast The Mental Health and Wealth Show and the organizer of the Lola Retreat, a women's money-focused gathering. We talk about her experience in arts education and nonprofits, where she worked before entering the finance industry.  On the other hand, five years ago, by the age of 31 years, she could pay off all her debt. However, until that, she had not invested at all.  She broadly explains the sacrifice she had to become a debt-free person today. Wrapping up the discussion, she emphasizes the necessity of changing our minds to become the person we want to be. ResourcesContact with MelanieLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/melanie-lockert-9b6b551ab/Dear debt: deardebt.com/The Mental Health and Wealth Show: mentalhealthandwealth.com/Lola Retreat: lolaretreat.com/ Mentioned in the episodeDear debt: goodreads.com/book/show/31434842-dear-debt?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=1tZqWmrezv&rank=1Super Coach: goodreads.com/book/show/43849232-super-coach?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=kinvnpk2Ao&rank=1Happy Money: goodreads.com/book/show/40539212-happy-money?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=pK4z3Ih14U&rank=2
11/8/20211 hour, 31 minutes, 41 seconds
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Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career with Scott Young

The whole philosophy behind the Pursuit of Learning podcast is based on the love of learning. And one of the drivers for creating this podcast is ultralearning, which is a concept our guest today emphasizes in his book, “Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition and Accelerate Your Career.” Scott Young, entrepreneur, programmer, and author, joins us today to explore how we can outsmart the competition by mastering hard skills. Throughout the episode, we dive into some of the key concepts Scott covers in his book and how to implement these concepts in your journey of learning.We start the discussion with a brief look at what Scott is currently working on and what motivates him throughout his life journey. Scott’s story of ultralearning started back when he was in university. We talk about how he got involved in extreme learning challenges that really pushed people to their limits. Inspired by these challenges, Scott pursued another extreme challenge where the goal was to finish the curriculum of a four-year degree program in one year without attending classes. Later Scott moved on to more of these challenges, going to four different countries where he mastered four different languages. Scott shares with us these amazing stories about his experiences and what he learned from them. Diving into the key concepts, we talk about the mindset. Scott emphasizes the value of developing a learning mindset and how the mindset we develop while going through the school system deviates from the mindset we need for learning things on our own terms. According to Scott, learning about learning is as important as learning itself. We talk about this concept of meta-learning and how we can use it to improve our learning efforts.  Sometimes as we progress through our lives, we may reach plateaus where we don’t see significant growth or a change. Scott shares his wisdom on how to get out of plateaus and get on a path of learning and growth. We also talk about how to maintain focus, why math seems hard for many people, and why we need to question the ability of standardized testing methods such as IQ tests. Wrapping up the episode, Scott shares with us how we can grow our careers by combining seemingly unrelated skills to create a unique combination of skills that most people do not possess.Resources:Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Careeramazon.com/Ultralearning-Master-Outsmart-Competition-Accelerate/dp/006285268XConnect with Scott:Website: www.scotthyoung.comPodcast: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/scott-h-young-podcast/id1281747833LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-h-young-867ab21
10/28/20211 hour, 48 minutes, 52 seconds
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Stop Procrastinating and Get Started Now with Eric Twiggs

Taking the first step toward a goal or an achievement can seem easy and simple, but it may be the hardest step in some scenarios. Many of us find ourselves in situations where we procrastinate these actions due to a plethora of reasons. This very issue is what our guest today has dedicated his career to addressing. Eric Twiggs, Certified Executive Coach, speaker, and the author of “The Discipline Of Now: 12 Practical Principles To Overcome Procrastination,” joins us today to talk about how procrastination gets in our way to success and how to overcome the habit of procrastination.We start the conversation focusing on Eric’s book, the content of it, and the target audience of the book. Getting into the core concepts of his philosophy, Eric dives into how the gap between our intentions and the way of execution can lead to procrastination. He also talks about the consequences of procrastination that come in different forms, such as stress, reduced creativity, damages to our reputation, and even some health implications that often go unnoticed but are caused by procrastination.Another concept we discuss in-depth is vision. Concepts like vision statements, missions, and core values are predominantly used in the corporate arena, and we don’t see them being used in personal spaces as often. Eric beautifully translated these concepts in a way we can fit them into our personal lives and utilize them to achieve our goals. We also talk about the negative effects of having a vision without taking any actions and why we’re less likely to procrastinate when we’re working on something we’re really passionate about.Being a perfectionist is one of those things that may get in our way to progress, and it can sometimes lead to procrastination as well. Eric shares his thoughts on some of the factors that become obstacles in our way to success, including perfectionism, fears, and negative mindsets. He also shares with us some strategies our listeners can utilize to overcome these obstacles. Wrapping up the discussion, Eric shares his thoughts on how building awareness about our own behaviors can help us overcome procrastination. Resources:Eric’s Book - The Discipline of Now:amazon.com/Discipline-Now-Practical-Principles-Procrastination/dp/0692835008Connect with EricWebsite: www.ericmtwiggs.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erictwiggsTwitter: twitter.com/EricMTwiggsMentioned in the episode:The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks:goodreads.com/book/show/6391876-the-big-leapBird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Abbe Lamott:goodreads.com/book/show/12543.Bird_by_BirdMindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck:goodreads.com/book/show/40745.Mindset
10/18/20211 hour, 30 minutes, 59 seconds
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A Millennial Mom's Guide to Managing Money with Catherine Alford

Financial literacy is one of the life skills many of us have a hard time developing and don’t pay attention to. When it comes to moms, managing money can easily become a headache as they already have a lot on their plates. And with all the tech quirks of modern society, such as influence social media, it can be even harder to make savvy financial decisions. That’s why we decided to have a deep conversation with someone who specializes in helping moms develop their money management skills. Catherine Alford, the author of  ‘Mom’s Got Money: A Millennial Mom’s Guide to Managing Money Like a Boss,’ joins us on the podcast today to share her wisdom with our listeners.I am super motivated by all of the moms who I haven’t reached yet who I haven’t helped yet, says Catherine. We start the conversation by talking about what motivates her and the experiences that inspired her and led her to write her book. Catherine mentions that she had to face 28 rejections over a period of four and a half years before finally getting her book published. We talk about how she was able to stay strong and push through all these obstacles until she reached her goal and advice she has for people who are facing rejections while pursuing their goals.Getting into the core concepts Catherine covers in her book, we talk about the mindset we generally have towards money, how emotional labor affects our lives, and how to develop a growth mindset. We also dive into some of the money management concepts, including net worth, goal setting for families, family budget meetings, eliminating high-interest debt, cash flow management, and developing a wealth mindset. Wrapping up the episode, Catherine shares a story of how maintaining an emergency fund helper her with an unexpected disaster and some tips and tricks for deciding how much you should allocate for an emergency fund.Connect with CatherineWebsite: catherinealford.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/catherine-alford-8b983049/Mentioned in the EpisodeThe Prosperous Coach: Increase Income and Impact for You and Your Clients by Rich Litvin and Steve Chandler :amazon.com/Prosperous-Coach-Increase-Income-Clients-ebook/dp/B00CLLACTAExistential Kink: Unmask Your Shadow and Embrace Your Power by Carolyn Elliott:amazon.com/Existential-Kink-Unmask-Embrace-getting-ebook/dp/B07XMG4BWN 
10/8/20211 hour, 43 minutes, 26 seconds
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Creating Kindness in Your Life and the World Around You With Donna Cameron

Kindness is one of the beautiful things that always make our lives better in some way, shape, or form. The more we practice kindness, the better we’ll feel and the better our relationships will be. In today’s episode of the Pursuit of Learning, we’re having a deep conversation with someone who has mastered the art of being kind. Donna Cameron, the author of the multi-award-winning book, “A Year of Living Kindly: Choices That Will Change Your Life and the World Around You,” joins us today to talk about all things kindness.We kick off the conversation with a brief review of what motivated Donna, the story of what led to the realizations behind writing her book, some of the values we’ve lost as a society in recent years, and what we have to do in order to rebuild those lost values. Moving onto kindness, Donna explains two key distinctions we have to make; being nice versus being kind and being kind versus not being unkind. We talk about the role these definitions play when it comes to practices that help us be kind to fellow human beings.According to Donna, kindness is a practice where we need to take certain risks, but it also comes with benefits. We talk about some of the scientific research that explains several benefits of being kind, such as being able to sleep better, enhanced creativity, and greater life satisfaction. We also talk about how corporations can cultivate a culture built around kindness and how we can practice kindness toward ourselves.Just like in everything else in life, our path to kindness may also have some obstacles. We talk about some of these obstacles and some things we can practice in order to overcome these obstacles. Another concept Donna dives deep into is passing the gift of kindness to our future generations. She explains that when our children see us being kind to other people, they tend to absorb those traits of kindness, developing kindness within themselves as well. Resources:Connect with DonnaDonna’s Book:amazon.com/gp/product/B078FXP1BL/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0Website: ayearoflivingkindly.comFacebook: facebook.com/DonnaCameron.authorTwitter: twitter.com/donnajcameronMentioned in the Episode:The Nonviolent Communication Training Course by Marshall Rosenberg:puddledancer.bookstore.ipgbook.com/nonviolent-communication--a-language-of-life-products-9781892005281.php
9/28/20211 hour, 40 minutes, 50 seconds
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A Toolkit for Living With and Overcoming Anxiety with Brian Sachetta

The thoughts we have in our minds can heavily influence our emotions, and our thoughts are often affected by what we surround ourselves with. An environment that constantly produces thoughts that provoke anxiety within us can sometimes lead us to depression. Our guest today is someone who has masters the art of overcoming anxiety by understanding how our brain and body work. Brian Sachetta, the author of ‘Get Out of Your Head: A Toolkit for Living with and Overcoming Anxiety,’ joins us today to talk about his ten-step process to overcoming anxiety.Brian started his professional career in computing as a graduate of management and computer science. After college, his background in computer science led him to explore parallels between computer systems and the human mind, ultimately creating his first book, which gives readers practical strategies for overcoming anxiety. We start the conversation with his perspective on his approach to writing and what motivates him as a writer.A dilemma that many of us face often is getting fixated on things that make us worry or things that trigger us. When we keep thinking about things that trigger us, that can lead to elevated levels of anxiety. When you continue this behavior in an infinite loop, it can ultimately induce depression. Brian talks about how we can get out of this loop of dogs and avoid anxiety and depression.In his book, Brian outlines ten steps we can take to strategically control the factors that contribute to anxiety. These ten steps cover several aspects and behaviors that are crucial to controlling anxiety, including how our body functions come into play, thought patterns, how our focus contributes to anxiety, and living in the present moment. Throughout the episode, we dive into each of these steps and how to implement them in our lives to overcome anxiety.Connect with Brian:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-sachetta/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bsachetta/Book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HSnqpoArticles of Brian: https://medium.com/@brian_sachetta
9/18/20211 hour, 52 minutes, 1 second
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What You Get When You Have Expectations with Ben Winter

The way we set our expectations often governs how we feel in many scenarios in our lives. We might feel down when our expectations aren’t met, and on the other hand, setting reasonable expectations can lead to better outcomes. Ben Winter, Team Building Expert, Expectations Guru, and the founder and CEO of Success Improv, joins us today to explore how learning and implementing the rules of improv into every area of your life helps you become successful in life.From traveling to personal growth to marriage and child to divorce and parenthood to entrepreneurialism and inspiring others, Ben certainly hasn’t been idle in life. A couple of years out of college and he started doing things and going places he never would have expected. He has seen the animals of Tanzania and has traveled all over Europe with a 6-month-old child in tow. He has performed improv for over a decade, acted in several plays and even a movie.  We talk about his ups and downs, the amazing experiences he’s had, and what he learned from them.Between personal growth and improv, Ben found this weird realm called expectations. And while most people would shy away from such a thing, he decided to tackle it head-on.  Along his journey, he began teaching that in his Success Improv business. From there, he noticed that there has to be a way to use that upset feeling to fix the situation. And he created the amazing “How to stop being upset” flow chart that can be found on his website.Ben has over ten years of acting and improv experience. He has over 15 years of personal and professional growth experience, personal coaching and has owned several businesses, including Success Improv. As he calls himself, Captain Obvious, in short, grew up with the constant need to be right and have more information than the next guy. He is, in fact, getting better at not forcing that on other people keeping in mind what sometimes people say is subjective, which is why it doesn’t really matter if they’re wrong. [3:40] Unmet Expectations – Upon being asked about one of his statements regarding unmet expectations resulting in a person getting upset, Ben clearly explains how in most people he has observed, unmet expectations of any sort are the sole reason behind people being upset. [8:10] Set a Framework – Ben further delves deep into how expectations can help set a framework similar to setting a goal or boundary. He uses his very own example of setting a timeframe to finish the first or second draft of his novel. Hence, if he meets his goal of completing the first or second draft, he has successfully met his expectations; if not, it is when the problem of unmet expectation arises, explains Ben. [13:50] Unknown Expectations – Upon being asked to throw light on how rules or laws are effectively expectations by the host, Ben explains while unknown expectations are the ones you didn’t see you had until it comes crashing down due to non-fulfillment, rules or laws as expectations are known expectations with clear known consequences. For instance, if you know that driving over the speed limit will give you a ticket. You should in no way be upset about getting a ticket when you’re pulled over, he says. [18:55] Expectations are Unavoidable – Ben explains that when someone says they aren’t going to have expectations, that then and there itself is clearly an expectation about expectations! Hence, he cleverly uses the most commonly occurring example to show how impossible it is to avoid expectations. [20:25] Improv Career – Upon being questioned about how improv makes communicating about expectations easier by the host, Ben explains it is all about learning the rules of improv, expectations of how improv works, and being able to follow them. [46:18] Combat Hate – In terms of combatting hate, Ben states that there’s only one way to go about it, and that’s to sit one-on-on with the people
9/8/20211 hour, 32 minutes, 20 seconds
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The Leader's List: Are You a Great Leader? with Rich Huisman

Leadership is an essential skill that an organization needs to develop within their member in order to thrive and overcome challenges and obstacles that may stand in its way. In today’s episode of the pursuit of learning, we’re having a fascinating conversation with someone who specializes in helping business leaders radically improve themselves and transform their businesses. Rich Huisman, the president of JENT Consulting Inc. and the author of the LEADERS’ LIST, joins us today to talk about the ten traits that every great leader must have and how you can develop these traits.Rich started his career in the corporate world, working in sales and worked his way up to become an executive. We start the conversation with the story of his career journey, lessons he learned from working in the corporate arena for years, and some of the things that inspire and motivate him. Rich later left the corporate world to focus more on family and to start his own consulting practice. We also dive into the story of what influenced him to leave the corporate environment and start his business, JENT Consulting, and the story behind its name.With his experience of working with several organizations and business leaders, Rich developed an assessment that helps leaders to measure their leadership skills. He dives into what inspired him to develop this tool and how our listeners can use it to assess their leadership skills. In the next section, we start exploring the ten traits Rich mentions in his book that every great leader must have, starting with love and empathy. Diving into each of these traits, Rich shares his wisdom on why these traits are important for leaders, some of his experiences related to these traits, and some practical methods, exercises, and strategies leaders can utilize to develop the ten traits and improve their leadership skills.Resources:Connect with RichWebsite: theleaderslist.com / www.jentconsulting.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/richhuismanthe LEADERS’ LIST: Are you a Great Leader? Find out now!www.amazon.com/LEADERS-LIST-Great-Leader-Find/dp/B08C8R9R8HMentioned in the Episode:Strengths Assessment by Marcus Buckingham:marcusbuckingham.com/gift-of-standout/The Speed of Trust - Stephen M. R. Covey:www.speedoftrust.com/#the-book
8/28/20211 hour, 40 minutes, 18 seconds
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Every Conversation Counts with Riaz Meghji

How do we build those authentic relationships? What are the most powerful questions we can ask? How can we tell stories in a way that captures attention and inspires others to take action? Today we have Riaz Meghji, Tv Host and Human Connection Keynote Speaker. In today’s episode of the pursuit of learning, we dive deep into his book, ‘Every Conversation Counts,’ in which Riaz breaks down the five habits that build extraordinary human connections. After years of interviewing leaders, athletes, philanthropists, and celebrities, Riaz has figured that the one clear commonality has been that we all need meaningful human connection. In a challenging era of loneliness and isolation, he helps leaders elevate their communication, spark real conversations and collaborate effectively with their teams so that they can build high-trust cultures in our new hybrid reality. Riaz also shares his thoughts on how modern society is being impacted by technology, especially social media and how we can avoid falling into the trap of making social media a harmful distraction.In his book, Meghji digs deep into the dangers of isolation and loneliness, our social pandemic, that were brought into sharp relief by the coronavirus crisis. Throughout this episode, he walks us through the five simple habits for building extraordinary relationships. He explains how to spark authentic conversations, win trust, create new business, and collaborate effectively.We also talk about some of the barriers that get in the way of pursuing our curiosity and limit our ability to learn and explore new knowledge and experiences, the value of overcoming these barriers and how to do it. Stay tuned until the end of the episode, where Riaz shares some tips and tricks on how to crafting a good story that allows you to be vulnerable and engage with an audience, and learnings from one of the most important conversations Riaz has ever had.Resources:Get the book, ‘Every Conversation Counts’: https://riazmeghji.com/bookConnect with Riaz:Website: https://riazmeghji.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riazmeghji/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riazmeghji/
8/18/20211 hour, 3 minutes, 29 seconds
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Shadow Work and Conscious Relationship Training with Stephanie Hunter

Stephanie Hunter is a shadow work facilitator and transformational mentor in Vancouver, BC, and online. She leads programs, including a weekly women’s group with Georgianna Lee of Rising Woman and semi-annual Conscious Relationship Training founded by Phil T. She is gifted with the ability to translate woo-woo into practical terms, for bringing humor into hard work, and for Radical Acceptance. Hence is ready to bless anyone in need of her gift by helping them. In today’s episode, we have an interesting conversation with Stephanie regarding the framework for conscious living and radical honesty. She walks us through the eleven most important habits/ characteristics that make up this whole framework of the conscious code.We start the conversation with some of the things that interest and motivate Stephanie. Her top picks include not making assumptions, interconnectedness, and radical honesty. Stephany shares how these things are connected to her life. Some of us have not been able to admit to ourselves who we are and how we want to live our lives. Stephanie shares her thoughts on how we can go about uncovering who we are. Her preferred ways of uncovering truths about ourselves include meditation and shadow work. We talk about how we can practice these methods in our lives.Something many of us find to be difficult in life is maintaining healthy boundaries. Whether it is with partners, family, friends, or colleagues, it can often get challenging. We talk about how we can establish and maintain healthy boundaries. Stephanie dives deep into how we can get to know our feelings, what feels good to us, and the questions we should ask ourselves to establish our boundaries.Moving onto relationships, we talk about one-sided relationships and why some people feel connected to someone and take too long to notice that they’re in a one-sided relationship. We talk about key signs we can use to identify whether we’re in a one-sided relationship. Another type of relationship we touch on is codependent relationships, where we’re sometimes plugging into our partners and expecting them to meet our needs. Stephanie shares her thoughts on how this behavior can limit our freedom and independence as human beings and how we can build healthy relationships. Wrapping up the episode, Stephanie talks about finding our purpose. She shares with us how we can start finding our purpose by noticing what feels good and what feels bad and what we would naturally have energy for.Connect with StephanieWebsite: taoofself.comInstagram: instagram.com/tao.of.selfConscious Relationship Training: crtrainings.com
8/8/20211 hour, 42 minutes, 40 seconds
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The No Bullsh!t Guide for Getting Your Creative Dreams Off the Ground with Jeff Leisawitz

Today we have Jeff Leisawitz, who is a life coach for creative types, critically acclaimed author, instructor, speaker, and internationally distributed screenwriter, director, and producer. Having won the title, ‘The Best Independent Electronic Artist in the World’, having done over 5000 music placements in film and television, Jeff is also the author of the book, ‘Not F*ing Around’ - The No Bullsh*t Guide for Getting Your Creative Dreams Off the Ground. Throughout the episode, we talk about several concepts Jeff covers in his book, including finding and understanding passion, how curiosity helps us grow, why we should not be afraid of failure and more.Jeff Leisawitz burns with a mission to inspire and teach writers, artists, songwriters, musicians, filmmakers, solopreneurs, arts organizations, and every other human with a heartbeat to amp up their vision, tap into their potential and shine in the world. With the philosophy, “At its best, creativity is a way for us to be seen, expressed, and connected,” Jeff has helped empower countless people to tap deeply into their creative hearts to live richer, more fulfilling lives. By combining decades of street cred with personalized exercises, guided meditations, and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Re-Patterning) techniques, Jeff’s clients have overcome creative blocks including fear of failure, the inner critic, imposter syndrome, etc.We start the discussion with Jeff’s philosophy behind his first critically acclaimed book, Not F*ing Around, and his perspective on the meaning of the concept of not f*cking around. He explains the importance of searching squashed passions, rekindling them by awakening the curiosity of wanting to know more about a certain subject matter, and figuring out the ‘Why’ behind a passion in order to ease the journey of personal growth and, achieving one’s goals and passions. Another concept we discuss in detail is how to achieve a certain goal by remaining accountable. Jeff dives into some of the scientific research that shows why we’re more likely to be dedicated to working towards a goal when we have declared our goals to someone. Jeff also talks about the problems associated with the way most people understand failure and how we can grow and learn better by redefining failure as feedback. Resources:Jeff’s book, Not F*ing Around: https://www.amazon.com/Not-ing-Around-Getting-Creative/dp/0692899960/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500397877&sr=8-1&keywords=leisawitzConnect with Jeff through his website and LinkedIn:https://jeffleisawitz.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffleisawitz
7/28/202145 minutes, 48 seconds
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How I Navigated the Cancer World and How You Can, Too with Rachel Engstrom

A loved one being diagnosed with a severe illness is one of the most horrendous experiences we may have to face. And eventually, losing someone you care about is even more devastating. These sorts of experiences turn our whole world upside down, and they sometimes decide heavily influence where we’re headed in our life. Our guest today is someone who has endured the devastating effects of a loved one going through a terminal illness and the grief of losing him. Rachel Engstrom, Certified Health Education Specialist and the author of the book “Wife, Widow, Now What?” joins us today to share her experiences that inspired her book.We start the conversation with the story of how Rachel met Grayson in the year 2000 when she was 19. Three years later, Rached proposed to him, and soon after, they got married and were on the way to building their new life together. It wasn’t long before Rachel and Grayson saw signs of trouble. We talk about the acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosis of Grayson and how the emotions that come with the news influenced Rachel and Grayson’s lives. According to Rachel, one of the first challenges they faced was dealing with a plethora of new information, acronyms, and unfamiliar medical concepts related to Grayson’s condition. She shares with us some of the methods she used to try to understand and be educated about Grayson’s condition. While Grayson was under treatment, Rachel had to figure out lots of things in her life, including taking care of Grayson, maintaining finances, keeping her job, and taking care of herself. We dive deep into how she managed all these overwhelming tasks and some useful tips for caregivers.After a long battle against the illness, eventually, Rachel had to say goodbye to Grayson. She talks about what that fateful day felt like, how her life, her relationships with her peers, her life trajectory, and how she looks at the world changed after Grayson was gone. Wrapping up the episode, we talk about the current chapter of Rachel’s life and the work she does to help other people who are fighting cancer.One of the concepts Rachel focuses on in her book is widow logistics. We dive deep into this concept of managing the logistical aspect of a loved one passing away and figuring out life after the demise of a loved one. Resources:Rachel’s Book: amazon.com/gp/product/B08K6477RL/ Connect with Rachel: linkedin.com/in/rachel-engstrom-4579988aMentioned in the episode:https://www.caringbridge.org/
7/18/20211 hour, 28 minutes, 33 seconds
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Making Kindness Cool and Getting Sh*t Done with Dr. Jeremy Goldberg

We live in a world where people are so consumed by their traditional, busy lifestyles and don’t prioritize showing kindness and empathy toward one another. Our guest today is someone who has made it their philosophy and mission to make kindness cool, empathy popular, and compassion commonplace. Dr. Jeremy Goldberg, behavioral scientist, author, speaker, and mentor, joins us today to talk about his mission for kindness, empathy, and compassion. Throughout today’s episode, we dive deep into how the traditional definition of men leads to social issues, why we need to have more kindness, empathy, and compassion towards one another, and tips and tricks for getting things done and successfully achieving life goals.Jeremy starts the discussion by sharing his thoughts on what inspires and influences him the most at the moment. We also talk about the book he’s writing, the inspiration behind it, and the main focus of the book. Getting into deeper topics, we talk about how most men don’t prioritize self-love and taking care of themselves. We dive into the social and cultural factors that contribute to this behavior and how to avoid it. Another issue that affects many men is that the traditional definition of manhood does not leave men with much room to express their emotions and vulnerable moments. This can lead to certain emotional issues among men and, in some cases, violence. We dive into why men’s tears should be normalized and how we can guide young boys to adopt a healthy, mature expression of masculinity.Jeremy’s brand, Long Distance Love Bombs, was inspired by a fascinating experience of kindness and empathy. Jeremy talks about that moment from years ago and how it ultimately led him to start his unique movement. Another area we focus on today is getting things done. Many of us come up with new ideas, goals, and other things we want to achieve, but we often struggle to start and get things running. Jermy talks about why it’s hard for many of us to start something new, how we get the kickstart we need by starting small, and how to break a big process down to baby steps in order to prevent ourselves from losing interest. Resources:Connect with Dr. Jeremy:Website: longdistancelovebombs.com / dr-jeremygoldberg.comInstagram: @longdistancelovebombsMentioned in the episode:To Be a Man by Robert Masters: robertmasters.com/book/to-be-a-manFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns: goodreads.com/en/book/show/46674.Feeling_Good
7/8/20211 hour, 38 minutes, 42 seconds
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Three Keys to Managing PTSD and Anxiety with Brett Cotter

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, aka PTSD, is one of the major mental health challenges in the modern world. Caused by numerous traumatic events, including an unexpected death of a loved one, seeing someone being injured or killed, sexual violence, PTSD has become a common psychiatric disorder in N. America. Our guest today is an expert in managing traumatic stress who helps people release accumulated stress. Brett Cotter, author and the founder of Stress Is Gone, joins us today to talk about three key concepts that help us manage PTSD and anxiety.The pandemic and the new reality that came with it have drastically changed our lives, and as a result, some of us have been experiencing stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. Brett starts the conversation with his insights on how isolation affects our minds, how it may lead to stress and anxiety, and the possibility of COVID-related incidents being a possible trigger for PTSD for those who are heavily affected by the pandemic. He also shares some of the early signs of depression and how they develop into more serious mental health issues.In his book, Brett introduces three key concepts that help us manage PTSD; Stopping stress reaction, processing trauma, and meditation. We start looking into these concepts with a high-level view of each concept. In the next part of the discussion, Clint shares some of his personal experiences with traumatic events, and Brett weighs in with his insights on how to deal with the types of traumatic events that Clint had experienced. Diving deep into the key concepts, we start with meditation. Brett talks about how meditation can help us dampen the impact of PTSD and eventually heal our minds. He also talks about common signs of PTSD and how we can identify a loved one who’s going through PTSD. In the next section, we dive deep into some of the techniques for stopping stress reactions and processing trauma. Stay tuned until the end of the episode, where Brett shares a technique that helps us quickly release anxiety. Resources:Brett’s Website:www.brettcotter.comBrett’s Facebook Group - Release Stress Now with Brett Cotter: facebook.com/groups/144778457510146 The Warrior’s Guide to Overcoming Combat Trauma:stressisgone.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/3-Keys-to-Managing-PTSD-The-Warriors-Guide.pdf
6/28/20211 hour, 40 minutes, 28 seconds
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Advocacy, Brand Building and Public Relations with Tracy Lamourie

Welcome back to the Pursuit of Learning Podcast. In today’s episode, we Tracy Lamourie, a high profile international award-winning publicist, author, and the founder of Lamourie Media. Tracy is an inspirational advocate on several worldwide social issues, and she passionately works to help and be a voice for those who are in need. Throughout the episode, we talk about her travel adventures, her decades-long campaign to release a wrongfully convicted death row inmate, business building, public relations, and many more. Communicating and connecting with people is an essential part of Tracy’s career as a publicist. We dive into the conversation by talking about how the pandemic influenced the way she creates connections and new strategies she started using to make her communication more effective. When Tracy was 21, she started a four-month backpacking  journey through Europe, and she also shares some of the adventures she went on during that journey. One of the most inspiring and courageous stories about Tracy revolves around the campaign she started to fight for the freedom of Jimmy Dennis, a man who was wrongfully convicted for murder and robbery. After being convicted in 1992, Jimmy spent 25 years in prison until he was finally exonerated.  Tracy shares with us how she came across Jimmy’s story, how she and her husband Dave created a website to bring attention to Jimmy’s story, the decades-long legal battle, and what it was like to finally see Jimmy walk free after all he’s been through.The Skills Tracy picked up along the way while working on the campaign for Jimmy are what enabled Tracy to start her career as a publicist. Tracy talks about how she realized that she needs to transform her career, how her business was started, strategies she used to grow her business without spending on ads, and how you can improve the performance of your business using better public relations strategies. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Tracy Lamourie Resources:The Story of Jimmy Dennis: web.archive.org/web/20080213211227/http://www.jimmydennis.org/part1.htmlTears This Year by Jimmy Dennis: open.spotify.com/album/5gFa8oy7NmLygf56Wdva96Connect with Tracy: www.lamouriemedia.com linkedin.com/in/tracylamourie facebook.com/LamouriePRMarketing instagram.com/tracylamourieprmedia
6/18/20211 hour, 31 minutes, 16 seconds
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Physical Literacy and Long-term Athletic Development with Ian Perry

Ian Perry is a personal trainer, strength coach and has years of experience working with athletes from a wide range of backgrounds from regular joe and jane to amateur athletes to professional athletes. He is the Director of Performance at Capital Strength Training Systems in Ottawa.Fitness and strength are two things we all should be mindful of. As we age, having strength training, athletics and sports as part of our lives make it much easier to maintain our muscle mass and bone strength. Ian joins us today to talk about physical literacy, the long-term athlete development model, diet, sleep, recovery and more. Sports and fitness were embedded into Ian’s life from a very young age and we dive right into how he got started with fitness and strength training. While Ian was at Queen’s University, he started a training business in the summers and ran the business for four years on his Summer breaks. He talks about what inspired him to start the business, how it evolved over the years, and lessons learned.  In his early years, Ian has worked with lots of young athletes. Today, he takes us through some of the strategies for keeping young athletes motivated, adapting training strategies based on the personal traits of the athletes, long-term athlete development, and what parents should consider when guiding their children toward sport specializations. He also shares with us how his career evolved after finishing his university years and an interesting story of going to Taiwan to provide guidance to coaches and trainers of a professional volleyball team there.Although fitness training is a regular practice in the life of an athlete, it may be a bit harder for the average person to integrate into their busy life. Ian talks in-depth about how to get the most out of the minimum. He provides some simple diet advice, the importance of adequate sleep, how walking is underestimated by the average person and how to be consistent. Wrapping up the episode, Ian talks about what 2020 was like for him, some of the strategies he used to keep in touch with his clients remotely and what the future looks like for him and Capital Strength Training Systems.  ResourcesConnect with Ian:instagram.com/ianaperryinstagram.com/capital_strength_tscapitalstrengthts.comBooks Mentioned by Ian:The 5 Second Rule: melrobbins.com/the-5-second-rule/Think Like a Monkthinklikeamonkbook.com/
6/8/20211 hour, 34 minutes, 29 seconds
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Cultural Identity, Entrepreneurship, Parenting and Divorce with Dr. Calvin Tham

Dr. Calvin Tham is a dentist based in North Delta who has twenty years of experience. He has been an entrepreneur for nineteen years, and is also a professionally trained Co-Active Coach. Throughout the episode, we dive deep into his background growing up as a Chinese-Canadian, building and purchasing private practices, parenting young kids, dealing with separation and divorce, self-development, and more.Calvin’s parents immigrated to Canada in the early 70s from Hong Kong, and Calvin spent his childhood being shaped by both Canadian and Chinese cultures. Calvin dives into the conversation with stories about the way he grew up, how Chinese traditions were practiced in Canada, the mindset his parents and peers had about education, language, fitting into the Canadian culture, and more. When Calvin graduated from dental school, he was good at fixing teeth but lacked the knowledge and experience in business, accounting, investments, and other things related to business. Despite all that, he purchased a private practice and started to continue working there successfully. We talk about the key tactics Calvin utilized to surround himself with people who had the skillset that he lacked and how it helped make his business successful.Buying a dental practice, similar to buying any other business, calls for a lot of assessments, evaluations, and effort from the prospective buyer. We talk about what young dentists should keep in mind when doing the due diligence for purchasing a dental practice. We also talk about Calvin’s experience of selling his first practice, moving to another area, and starting his current practice.Despite all the success, Calvin has had his fair share of challenges in life, including going through a divorce. This experience inspired him to become a coach, which was something he enjoyed throughout his life. He shares with us how he managed to maintain healthy relationships with his children and former spouse post divorce. We also talk about some of the parenting best practices he uses to inspire them with his life experiences. Wrapping up the episode, we talk about how Calvin got his children involved in his YouTube channel to create amazing video content educating other children about dental hygiene.Resources:Smiling-Sam and Cavity-Free Kid Talk About Sugar Bugs and Back-to-School Snacks:www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6h3cNCtwaEConnect with Calvin:northdeltadentist.cainstagram.com/northdeltadentalhttps://www.instagram.com/vancouverfoodiedentistyoutube.com/channel/UCrphNHcZ0NkyRPaALlvIapw
5/28/20211 hour, 39 minutes, 10 seconds
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Multi-family Real Estate Investing and Syndication with Lane Kawaoka

Lane Kawaoka, is a real estate investor who owns 4,200+ units across the United States alone and with syndicate partners. He’s also the host of the Simple Passive Cashflow‬ podcast, where he shares his wisdom on investing. Doing what we love and being financially independent is a dream many of us have. This week on the Pursuit of Learning podcast, we talk with someone who has achieved that goal at a young age. Lane started his career as an Engineer, and invested in real estate on the side. Today, he is focused on real estate and recently quit his day job as an engineer. Lane has a unique perspective on how he sees the world, money, time, and investments that have helped him achieve his goals. Throughout this interview, Lane shares his wisdom and lessons he has learned over the years with us.Lane grew up in Hawaii and the culture of the island has informed his business practice. We start our conversation with Lane by diving into his background in Hawaii, his experience of growing up in the islands, how the culture shaped his life and influenced his business philosophy. Lane shares his unique view on how the people we grow up with have the ability to influence our careers, financial status, and the way our thinking patterns work, and the role schools play in this. In the early days of Lane’s career, he had to save money for the investments he wanted to make, and he had a few smart ways of saving money while doing a day job. We also talk about these methods and how you can use them.Diving into Lane’s work in the real estate business, we discuss a few key aspects of the real estate business, different types of markets and how they differ from each other, how to take the first step for a big investment, what you can do to improve yourself, how real estate syndication works, some of the lessons Lane has learned from mistakes, and numerous other bits of wisdom from Lane. Wrapping up the episode, Lane answers some questions about things that are a bit outside of the real estate arena. We hope you enjoy this interview with Lane Kawaoka.Resources:Lane’s Podcast - Passive Real Estate Investing via Simple Passive Cashflow‬:podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/passive-real-estate-investing-via-simple-passive-cashflow/id1118795347Money Savings Ideas Before the Simple Passive Cashflow: simplepassivecashflow.com/cheapo/Buy & Hold Rental Property Analyzer & Video Walkthrough:simplepassivecashflow.com/analyser/
5/18/20211 hour, 39 minutes, 23 seconds
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Race Against Race: My Journey of Diversity and Inclusion Through Sports Part II with Bo-Dean Sanders

Welcome back to the pursuit of learning podcast. We’re back with the second part of our conversation with Bo-Dean Sanders, the author of  “Race Against... ...Against Race.” In the previous episode with Bo-Dean, we talked about the early years of his life and his path to building a successful sports career. Today, we extend that conversation with some deep thoughts about the learnings from his life experiences, doing the right thing, and how we can become better human beings. One of the key realizations Bo-Dean had later in his life is that, compared to his generation, children from younger generations were less hung up on the race of their peers. We start today’s conversation by diving into what has contributed to this positive evolution between generations and how we can contribute to this change. Throughout his sports career, Bo-Dean gathered lots of experience about being teammates with people from different racial backgrounds. Bo-Dean shares his thoughts on what he learned from these experiences.In recent years we hear quite a bit of news on racial bias issues from law enforcement towards people of color. In 1985, Bo-Dean had to experience a terrifying encounter with the law enforcement agencies when a rental car he and a friend were riding was accidentally reported as stolen. Bo-Dean shares the story of how this event unfolded and how the different backgrounds of him and his friend influenced the way each of them reacted to the situation.Bo-Dean is a strong advocate of diversity and inclusion.  We dive deep into how our brains are used to pointing our differences between people and how we can get used to focusing on commonalities between people from different backgrounds rather than differences. We also talk about how we can give our children more exposure to peers from diverse backgrounds. Wrapping up the conversation, we talk about Bo-Dean’s superpowers, his struggles, and why it’s important to do the right things regardless of what everyone thinks about you.Resources:Connect with Bo-Dean: Website: bo-deansanders.com Book: bo-deansanders.com/book LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bodeansanders Twitter: twitter.com/BoDeanSanders42
5/14/202153 minutes, 57 seconds
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Race Against Race: My Journey of Diversity and Inclusion Through Sports Part I with Bo-Dean Sanders

Improving diversity and inclusion and building harmony among different cultures and communities is one of the biggest challenges we need to overcome at all levels of society. Our guest today is a pioneer in advocating for diversity and inclusion. Bo-Dean Sanders, a speaker and the author of the book "Race Against... ...Against Race", joins us to talk about all things diversity. Today's episode is the first of a two-part series with Bo-Dean Sanders, and in today's episode, we work through Bo-Dean's background, culture in his home community, his high school and college years, lessons he learned throughout the years.Growing up in a community of color has its own unique influences that shape one's life path. Throughout his high school years, Bo-Dean realized how some of the systemic issues of the school system affected the student. We dive into how these inequalities ultimately led some students to drop out of school and why women, in general, used to graduate from high school or pursue their higher education more often than men did.Bo-Dean's family and mentors wanted him to pursue an academic career, and they wanted him to go to college. Bo-Dean also wanted to go to college. However, it was because of his love for football rather than the hope of pursuing what his mentors expected of him. We talk about the way he got the opportunity to go to college, his experience at the Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, how his sports career advanced through the college years, and how his big dream of being recruited to play for a Division II football team came true.As Bo-Dean advanced in his sports career, his family didn't share the same enthusiasm about it. He talks about the work he had to do in terms of communication in order to make his family agree with his choices. During all these years, Bo-Dean had to work and be teammates with players and coaches from different backgrounds who had different personality traits. Wrapping up the first part of the interview, Bo-Dean shares his thoughts on the challenges he had to face while working with people from diverse backgrounds and what he did to overcome them.
5/9/20211 hour, 9 minutes, 44 seconds
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Breathe into Meditation and Awaken your Potential with Terry Sidhu

Talwinder Terry Sidhu was introduced to meditation, in the Sikh tradition, and yoga at a young age by his Mother as a means to cope with bullying. He has now taught over 200 clients how to meditate in the past two years, including kids. Through teaching meditation, he has helped over a hundred people manage their mental health without medication. Additionally, he has helped clients get out of unhealthy relationships and into healthy ones, launch their business, start their careers, and explore their inner spirituality. All of his endeavors with his clients, audience members, and readers are to help them realize they can learn to meditate, which will improve their life. When he isn’t working with clients, he enjoys writing, hiking, meditating—especially when he has a weekend to do a tantric ritual—and discussing and debating solutions to life’s biggest problems.In today’s episode, we have a deep discussion about how the mindfulness and meditation-related practices of the east and west differ from each other, essential aspects of meditation, practicing yoga, maintaining your mental health, and more. Ultimately, we work our way through Terry’s book: Meditate: Breathe into meditation and awaken your potential.Terry grew up in England in a community of immigrants, as his mother and father had emigrated from India. Our conversation begins with Terry’s background, what it was like to grow up in England, the culture, and the challenges he had to face in his school years. Terry was introduced to yoga and meditation at a very young age by his mother as a means of dealing with bullying. We also talk about the tactics Terry’s mother used to get little Terry to practice yoga and meditation.As a young adult, Terry moved to Canada and fell into a different path filled with thrilling experience until one day, he realized that he needed to make a major pivot in his lifestyle. A few years later, Terry started his coaching practice, where he experienced burnout after being somewhat consumed by his work. We talk about the challenges that came with building his business and how he resolved them.Diving into meditation, we talk about the meditation and mindfulness practices from the eastern and western cultures, their differences, similarities, and how the two cultures approach mental health. Another area we cover today is the five keys for meditation, where Terry dives deep into the concepts of breath, position, lock, meditate, and integration. We also talk about yoga practices that help us improve our physical health, time management for meditation and the usage of psychedelics. I hope you enjoy this deep conversation with Terry Sidhu.Resources:Connect with TerryWebsite: meditatethebook.comFacebook: facebook.com/meditatethebookTwitter: twitter.com/meditatethebookInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meditatethebook/?hl=en
5/6/20211 hour, 58 minutes, 56 seconds
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Today I Rise and the Man UNcivilized Movement with Traver Boehm

Masculinity is a concept that has gone through huge transformations over a long time, and the way we perceive masculinity influences our lives in many aspects. Our guest today is a pioneer in inspiring men around the world to shift their experience of masculinity by combining the Primal Masculine with the Divine Masculine. Traver Boehm, the author of “Today I Rise” and “Man UNcivilized,” two-time TEDx speaker and licensed acupuncturist, joins us today to talk about all things masculinity. Throughout the episode, we talk about Traver’s journey through heartache, loss, and grief, managing emotions, Traver’s man Uncivilized movement, and much more.Traver dives into the conversation with a retelling of how his life experiences of heartache and grief shaped him and how his learning from those experiences became the inspiration for his first book  and, ultimately the Man UNcivilized movement. Traver’s Man UNcivilized movement, along with his book, focuses on helping men understand manhood in its fullness, including being unapologetic about it.  We tackle what inspired Traver to start the movement and how it teaches men to live their own life without being wrapped in what society demands. Sometimes, men fall into the trap of looking outside to make them feel okay with the way they exist in the world. This behavior causes men to disregard their own needs and to care for others ahead of themselves. Robert Glover, a celebrated psychotherapist, coined the term “nice guy syndrome” for this behavior. We dive into the concept of the nice guy, how men are trapped in this behavior, and how to get out of it, including Traver’s course Kill the Nice Guy. Wrapping up the episode, we talk about ways of dealing with grief and anger and how it is unfortunately being channeled by many men today into repressed rage. Repressed rage that is resulting in abhorrent behavior, such as rape, violence and, ultimately, mass shootings. We reiterate that each man should embody the motto Let others be safe for I walk among them. 
5/2/20211 hour, 20 minutes, 36 seconds
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Emotional Detox for Anxiety and the C.L.E.A.N.S.E Method with Sherianna Boyle

Sherianna Boyle is an international, Emotional Detox Coach®, author of nine books, including her most recent Emotional Detox Now: 135 Practices to Renew Your Mind, Heart & Spirit (releases Oct 2021), Emotional Detox and Emotional Detox for Anxiety. Sherianna has been featured in over eighty-five articles and a featured presenter for renowned organizations such as PESI® Behavioral and Mental Health Education, Kripalu Health & Yoga Center, 1440 Multiversity University, and more. Her book, The Four Gifts of Anxiety, was endorsed by the National Association of Mental Health. She is an adjunct Psychology Professor and founder of Emotional Detox Coaching®, servicing clients (of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities) virtually worldwide. She is the host of the Emotional Detox Radio Show, which holds the top three spot on Healthylife.net. Sherianna is also the Chief Knowledge Officer for Relaxx App. Receive a FREE Calm Your Mind Meditation: https://sheriannaboyle.com/cleanse-gift-2Detox for the body is something we hear a lot lately. However, we don’t hear much about detox for our mind and emotions. Sherianna is someone who’s dedicated to filling this gap and today’s episode is all about detoxing our emotions. Throughout the episode, we dive into how stress and anxiety works, how the brain responds to stress and anxiety and how we can mitigate the stress and anxiety in a harmless way through the C.L.E.A.N.S.E Method, and more.We start the conversation with a brief discussion into the way people’s mental health is being affected by isolation during the pandemic restrictions. Sherianna shares with us some practical ways we can maintain our mental  health during times of isolation, stress, and uncertainty. To approach overcoming stress and anxiety, we need to understand what these things are and how they work. Sherianna shares with us some of the key characteristics of stress and anxiety and how to distinguish between the two. Diving deep into how our brains respond to stress and anxiety, we talk about how our brains are better designed to make decisions rather than processing emotions and how we can train our brains to handle emotional issues better. Sherianna’s structured approach for emotional detox consists of several steps that helps us break the process down in a way that’s easy for us to follow. Sherianna takes us through how we can prepare ourselves for emotional detox and each of the steps in her C.L.E.A.N.S.E method.[02:01] Isolation and Mental Health – With the lockdowns and other pandemic-related restrictions, many of us have been experiencing some level of isolation, and it may lead to adverse effects on our mental health. We start the conversation with how we can maintain our mental health during this unprecedented time.[07:17] Anxiety and Stress – How to differentiate between stress and anxiety, what causes these two issues, and how to resolve them.[09:03] Anxiety Cycle – One of the fascinating concepts Sherianna covers in her book is the anxiety cycle. We talk about how anxiety affects our lives.[13:58] Brain Withdrawal Response – How we can guide our brain to think in a way that helps us process emotions better.[16:47] Emotional Detox – Sherianna talks about the structure she created as a way of helping people with anxiety overcome their challenges. [23:04] Preparing for Emotional Detox – Sherianna dives into some of the things we can do
4/28/202156 minutes, 43 seconds
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Sex, Purpose, Presence and Execution with Jordan Gray

Since 2009, Jordan Gray  has made it his life’s mission to help as many people as possible create their most fulfilling, passionate, love-filled lives. His way of doing this has been through publishing books and hundreds of articles, coaching clients one-on-one in deep-dive sessions, leading weekly men’s groups, and teaching at seminars. To date, his writing has reached over 80 million readers.In this conversation, Jordan and I dive deep into how to have better relationships, find our purpose, improve sex life, and deal with suicide attempts, men’s work, and more.We start the conversation with Jordan’s childhood and the struggles he had to face growing up. Jordan’s relationship with his siblings and his parents was complicated, and this made him feel isolated which ultimately led to him suffering in silence to the point where he attempted suicide. We unpack how that happened, the way his family reacted to it made him think differently about his relationship with them and how he overcame his challenges. As a young adult, Jordan had quite an adventurous life for a few years going through relationships, breakups, and trying new things. We talk about what he learned from these experiences and some strategies young people can utilize to build a mindset that helps them become successful and happy. We also talk about how being a “Nice Guy” affects our lives and how to grow beyond it. One of the key milestones in Jordan’s life is joining a men’s group called the Samurai Brotherhood. Jordan talks about what a men’s group is and what he learned from it.Oftentimes, men have a tendency to keep their pain inside without asking for help from loved ones. Jordan shares his take on why this happens and how to create the mindset that allows us to get out of this behavior. Jordan has an interesting perspective on how men view their relationships and sex. We talk about how the way men think about sex is different from what women expect, what makes a good lover, how extended consumption of porn drags us away from reality, and more tips & tricks to improve relationships. Wrapping up the episode, we talk about some of the exciting projects Jordan has planned for upcoming months and how our listeners can get involved.
4/24/20211 hour, 43 minutes, 42 seconds
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I Think, Therefore I Am Wrong with Dr. Howard Rankin

Dr. Howard Rankin has extensive expertise and knowledge in the areas of psychology, cognitive neuroscience and neurotechnology. He is also an experienced speaker and best-selling and award-winning author. Dr. Rankin has written 12 books in his own name, co-written another 9, and ghostwritten 30 others, all non-fiction. He has also published more than 30 scientific articles and been a consultant to the NIH and WHO. His work has been featured in many newspapers and magazines and he has appeared on national networks including CNN, ABC, CBS, BBC, and on “The View” and “20/20”. He hosts the podcast How Not To Think and is the author of I Think Therefore I Am Wrong: A Guide to Bias, Political Correctness, Fake News and The Future of Mankind.In today's episode we have a wide-ranging conversation on several aspects of human behavior, including cognitive bias, communication, misinformation, taking control of emotions, beliefs, and more.We dive into the conversation by talking about where he finds inspiration for his writing and his process of bringing a book to life. He shares with us how as a professional author he allocates his time to generate valuable content for the readers.One of the main areas we cover in this episode is about beliefs. Howard shares his perspective on how beliefs and opinions differ from facts and knowledge, the effects of beliefs shared by groups of people, how to expand our knowledge, and have informed opinions about things we are passionate about. We also dive into three major factors that contribute to the divisiveness of our modern society; binary simplicity, the contrast effect, and group attribution error.According to Howard, our emotions are connected to our perception of things that happen in our lives. We talk in-depth about how emotions work, how to identify the perception behind our emotions, and how we can take control of our emotions. Furthermore, we talk about how we can guide our kids to learn to take control of emotions at an early age, how our education system should be changed to teach students numeracy in a better way, and how to detect and avoid misinformation that spreads through social media and other modern platforms. Wrapping up the session, Howard shares his perspective on what mindfulness looks like in his life and stories about amazing things our brains are capable of.
4/22/20211 hour, 29 minutes, 17 seconds
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Financial and Life Literacy with Nelson Soh

Today on the Pursuit of Learning we have Nelson Soh. Nelson is a Certified Public Accountant by trade and an entrepreneur, life coach, and author. Throughout today’s episode, we dive deep into numerous topics related to financial literacy, personal development life goals, habits, and more. Financial literacy is an aspect we should all learn about in order to have successful lives in the modern world. Unfortunately, many of us do not get enough opportunities to properly learn and develop financial literacy early in life as it’s something we rarely learn in school nor do many of our parents teach us. Our guest today is a financial literacy educator who has set a goal to help one million people change their lives financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Nelson opens up about the career expectations his parents had for him, how he eventually convinced them to help him follow a career path he enjoyed, and what we should teach our kids to help them succeed in life. He also talks about the focus of the book he’s co-authoring that’s scheduled to release in August 2021.In this interview, we dive deep into five key concepts related to financial literacy that we should incorporate into our lives. We also discuss how to carefully handle credit cards so that you don’t end up with astronomical amounts of credit card debt and how to plan your career ahead to reduce the financial stress you get from student loans. Nelson co-founded FQS Consulting, a management firm that helps business owners succeed in their ventures. We talk about the unique value the company offers to business owners. Another area we talk about in-depth is the concept of Nelson’s critical five. Nelson shares his wisdom on how selecting the five most important practices in your life and focusing on them helps you declutter your schedule and make your day more efficient. Wrapping up the conversation, we discuss how to develop good habits while eliminating bad habits that don’t contribute to your success. 
4/20/20211 hour, 39 minutes, 31 seconds
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Winning the Game of Work and Life with Terry McDougall

This week on the Pursuit of Learning, we have Terry McDougallTerry Boyle McDougall is an Executive & Career Coach and CEO of Terry B. McDougall Coaching. She helps high-achieving professionals remove obstacles that keep them stuck so they can enjoy more success and satisfaction in their lives and careers. Before becoming a coach, Terry was a long-time corporate marketing executive where she led teams, developed strategies and advised senior leaders to drive business results. She is the author of Winning the Game of Work: Career Happiness and Success on Your Own Terms. She is also the host of the Marketing Mambo podcast.Terry is an ICF-certified coach with years of experience in the corporate environment and as an entrepreneur. Through her coaching practice, she helps high-achieving professionals just like you break through blocks, regain their energy and enjoy their careers. In today’s episode, we talk about corporate culture, doing what you love, coaching, growth, and more concepts from her book. In the early years of her career, Terry worked in several different roles in corporate America. We start the discussion with the story of how she decided to make a significant pivot in her career and become a coach. Terry’s area of expertise is helping high-achieving professionals with their career growth. And there are some characteristics and personal traits of high-achieving professionals that influence their behaviors and decisions. Terry shares with us her thoughts on how these traits are shaped from childhood and how we can identify and transform these behaviors positively.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a psycho-social intervention that aims to improve mental health, is another area Terry discusses in detail in her book. She walks us through what CBT is, how she uses CBT to help her clients and a couple of examples of how we can use it in our lives to handle some of our daily dilemmas better. We also talk about some of the lesser-known traits that help us be successful in our careers and how to develop them in our lives. Sometimes we tend to have the same problem repeatedly in our careers, and that’s when it’s time to consider making a change in our lives. Terry walks us through the process of understanding this need for a change and how to go through with it. We also talk about handling our inner critic and using it to our advantage. Wrapping up the session, Terry debunks some of the biggest misconceptions around coaching. We hope you enjoy our discussion with Terry McDougall.
4/20/20211 hour, 30 minutes, 38 seconds
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Mindfulness and creativity with Peter Beresford

Welcome to the Pursuit of Learning Podcast. We hope to talk with experts from numerous backgrounds to gain wisdom that will help each of us grow: personally, professionally, and financially. Today we have Peter Beresford as our very first guest. Peter is a teacher, creator, and author of a unique book, The Trump Guide to Spirituality. In this episode, Peter shares his perspective on religion, spirituality, meditation, creativity, and more.Peter grew up in a Catholic background, practiced Catholicism until his early twenties. At that point, his critical thinking guided him to ask questions about religion and look at religions from a different perspective, Peter partially stepped away, leaning towards Buddhism. We dive into the conversation by talking about his transition in religious practices, his views on mindfulness and prayer, and the way Buddhism and mindfulness can help us improve our creativity. Peter has traveled extensively in Asia. He has worked in Korea, teaching English as a second language, and he has also completed a 14-month backpacking journey through Asia, working and traveling in quite a few countries. We talk about how these adventures and meeting people from different cultures shaped Peter’s life and the lessons he learned. Peter also talks about a genius trick he uses to maintain students’ attention while teaching through Zoom. Self-publishing a book can be challenging for an author, and it can be even more challenging when the book is related to a US President who is not only in office, but is in the midst of an election. That’s what Peter had to face when he was self-publishing his book, The Trump Guide to Spirituality. Peter shares with us how he came up with the idea, the intention behind this unique book, the challenges he had to face, and how he’s going to use the lessons he learned from this experience to make his future projects successful. We hope you enjoy this interview.
4/15/20211 hour, 29 minutes, 37 seconds