Run Your Life Show With Andy Vasily

Send us a textOn the show today, the inspiring Scottish poet Donna Ashworth joins us to share life lessons learned from her journey as a poet and best-selling author. Donna has written 8 books and, with a following of more than a million, Donna’s poetry speaks to the hearts and souls of countless people around the world through the themes of love, life, and loss. She has committed herself to helping as many people as possible understand that their imperfections, flaws and failures are all a part of their own journey of learning that ultimately makes them stronger and more resilient and to know that they are capable of so much more than they realize. Donna is a living example of someone who has overcome many obstacles in her own life in order to achieve the success she has by embracing vulnerability in a way that has helped her to develop the courage to speak her truth. Her journey and her work have inspired so many others to find their own truth and authenticity. Themes that we will explore are: Truth and authenticityFulfillment and well-beingThe creative processHow to deal with the inner criticLearning from hardship, failure and obstaclesDeveloping a more resilient mindsetThe power of poetryIt was a joy to interview Donna and I hope you find your own insight and takeaway value from our discussion. Please share this episode with anyone who you feel might benefit from listening. Connect with Donna Ashworth:WebsiteFacebookInstagramAll of Donna's books can be found hereThe BBC Scotland Interview mentioned in this podcastWelsh actors/actresses read Donna's poem 'History Will Remember When the World Stopped'

Send us a textIn today's episode, I share the latest, most relevant research around the themes of mental health, well-being and morale in the workplace and what the best leaders do, with consistency, to be impactful in their actions and words. Creating the conditions for high levels of mental health, well-being and morale in the workplace is no easy task for leaders, but those who do it well are very specific and intentional in their actions and words. We will explore research done by Forbes magazine in relation to mental health in organizations and also share very practical strategies to help leaders better pave the way for greater levels of well-being and morale. Hope you have a listen and share this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Thanks. Connect With AndyTwitterLinkedInFacebookEmail: runyourlifepodcast@gmail.comForbes Article: How to Lead for Well-Being

Send us a textDr. Jason Patent, author of Humanly Possible: A New Model of Leadership for a More Inclusive World joins me today on the podcast to share his deep insight in regards to how power can be used to create spaces where people feel they truly belong—leading to less stress and more happiness, to better and more productive workplaces, and ultimately to more fulfilling lives for everyone. It was a joy to have my old friend on the podcast to share his wisdom about what authentic leadership means in this day and age and also provide life lessons learned as an endurance athlete who has completed three 100-mile races along with other ultra events competed in. Jason is an organizational leader, consultant, author, thought leader, instructor, and workshop facilitator in the fields of global leadership and global diversity, equity, and inclusion. He loves partnering with organizations of all kinds to create thriving workplaces and classrooms where people feel they truly belong, and where they can devote their full talents.In his seven years as Director of the Robertson Center for Intercultural Leadership (CIL) at U.C. Berkeley’s International House, Jason, in partnership with Lauren and the CIL team, built out a suite of impactful workshops and courses for students from all six continents, and for organizations from local nonprofits and governments, to top universities, to Fortune 100 companies.Jason has served as American Co-Director of the Hopkins–Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies in Nanjing, China; Inaugural Director of the Stanford Program in Beijing; Consultant at Gap International; and Vice President, Communications & Marketing at Orchestrall, Inc. Fluent in Mandarin, Jason has a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Harvard University, an M.A. in the same field from Stanford University, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from U.C. Berkeley. Jason is passionate about the work he does and is making his dent in the world through his ongoing commitment to provide leaders with the training they need to show up as their best selves every day in order to lead more inclusive, empowering workplaces where all people feel a sense of belonging and trust. Hope you have a listen and share with anyone who you feel will benefit from tuning in.  Connect With Jason: WebsiteLinkedInBuy the Book: Humanly Possible- A New Model of Leadership for a More Inclusive World

Send us a textIn this episode, we will look at the impact that pressure and stress have on the body and mind in high stakes environments when you want to show up as your best selves in order to fulfill your potential and be impactful. We all experience moments in our lives when we face certain challenges. Perhaps it's having to give an important talk in front of colleagues or an audience of strangers. Maybe it's having to do a sales pitch to senior leaders in your company. It could just be having a difficult conversation with someone close to you or a colleague at work or even competing in a sports competition of some sort. Regardless of what the situation is, we all want to be impactful.  During these times, we want to be able to rise to the occasion to be our best in that moment to honor who we are and the impact that we want to have. However, there are times when we let ourselves down and fail to show up as we intended to due to giving into the demons of self-doubt, fear of judgement and a harsh negative inner voice. Although this is a natural part of being human, there are certain skills and strategies we can build and develop within ourselves to be able to face pressure in high stakes environments, when it matters most, to be able to perform to the best of our abilities. This episode will explore what the research around performance psychology has shown in regards what actually happens to the mind and body when under pressure. As well, three research-backed strategies will be shared that are immediately applicable in our own personal and professional lives in order to show up as our best selves when it counts the most. If you have ever caved into pressure or let nerves and anxiety get in the way of performing to the best of your ability on the stage, in the board room, in a sports competition, or any other situation when it mattered, this episode is for you. I hope you find takeaway value and share this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listenings. Thanks. Connect With Andy VasilyWebsite: http://www.andyvasily.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyvasilyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-vasily-07b551157/Special Credits in this episode go to: Jimmy Fallon, Brendan Urie and the Roots remix for their rendition of Under Pressure by David BowieDr. Martin Seligman's work in Positive PsychologyDr. Michael Gervais and the Compete to Create online training courseDr. Jim Loehr's workOprah Winfrey's youtube talk

Send us a textToday’s show is a unique one as my good friend, colleague and fellow podcaster, Jorge Rodriguez, takes control of the host seat in today’s episode. In our discussion, we take a dive into the wonderful Winter Enrichment Program held at our university KAUST here in Saudi Arabia in January and what we learned from interviewing some of the amazing keynote speakers and featured presenters. Jorge served as my sound producer for these episodes and also jumped in to ask a few questions. However, in today’s show, Jorge flips the script and interviews me about some of the presentations that I gave during the conference and what it was I wanted each audience member to think more deeply about in regards to the main themes of my presentations. At this conference, I was able to present about peak performance and the necessary conditions needed for humans to flourish and live more productive, fulfilled lives. In my conversation with Jorge, we take a dive into these themes and talk about how these ideas and strategies resonate with each of us based on our own unique contexts. Jorge was a gifted athlete in university and was on a track and field scholarship while attending the university of houston, so he was able to speak about what high performance meant to him during this time and what it was that he had to focus on to be his best. I also share what high performance means to me and what I’ve come to learn through my training as a performance coach. This conversation was very enjoyable to me as Jorge is not only a good friend and colleague but someone who I have developed deep respect for over the years based on his own life’s work and passion he has as an educator. Hope you find value in this discussion and share this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Connect With JorgeTwitterPodcastWebsite

Send us a textIn today's episode, Raha Moharrak and I have a discussion about her life as a mountaineer and what she learned from scaling Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world at 29032 feet. When I think of Raha’s story, a quote from Nelson Mandela comes to mind. What Mandela said was this: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers his fear"Raha exemplifies what it means to be courageously bold in one’s life and to take the risks needed to leap into the unknown. For Raha that leap into the unknown led her to scaling some of the most difficult mountain tops in the world. What makes Raha’s story even more inspiring is that she was able to achieve all of this during a time when many young Saudi woman were discouraged from dreaming big and taking on difficult challenges. Having grown up in Jeddah, Raha had never been exposed to mountaineering but she lived a very adventurous and athletic life early on which propelled her on to dreaming big. In order to prepare for her journey to the top of Everest, Raha was required to get as much climbing experience as possible. In the year prior to summiting Everest she challenged herself to be able to scale 7 of the highest peaks in the world, as well she worked on her technical skills in mountaineering at a climbing school in Seattle, Washington. Her story is amazing as is her passion for inspiring all people to better understand that within each of them are limitless possibilities. I hope you enjoy my discussion with Raha Moharrak and share this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Connect With RahaInstagramFacebookTwitterRead CNN's Article on Raha

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Dr. Paul Sutter. Paul is a theoretical cosmologist, award-winning science communicator, U.S. Cultural Ambassador, author, essayist, podcaster, speaker, TV host, and a globally recognized leader in the intersection of art and science. Paul is a research professor at the Institute for Advanced Computational Science at Stony Brook University and a guest researcher at the Center for Computational Astrophysics with the Flatiron Institute in New York City.Paul has authored two books, Your Place in the Universe and How to Die in Space. In addition to his books, he writes for Space.com, Ars Technica, Nautilus, Undark, Live Science, and more, with his articles syndicating to news outlets worldwide.Paul hosts a variety of science shows across all platforms, including How the Universe Works on Science Channel, Space Out on Discovery, and Edge of Knowledge on Ars Technica. He also writes and hosts his own shows, including his hit Ask a Spaceman podcast, which has been downloaded over 7 million times.Paul earned his PhD in physics in 2011 as a Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellow at the University of Illinois. He then spent three years as a research fellow at the Paris Institute for Astrophysics followed by two years at the Trieste Observatory in Italy. Prior to his current appointment, he held a joint position as the chief scientist at the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio and as a cosmological researcher at the Ohio State University.This conversation dives into the role of curiosity, imagination and the importance of keeping an open mind when it comes to learning. Hope you enjoy it and share it with anyone who will benefit from listening. Connect With PaulPaul's WebsiteTwitterYoutubeFacebook

Send us a textIt was an honor to interview Sunniva Sorby and Hilde Fålun Strøm in my latest podcast episode. Sunniva and Hilde are both courageously bold expeditioners, and citizen scientists who just over two years ago became the first women to live unassisted at the North Pole for what was supposed to be 9 months, but due to covid ended up being 21 months. Sunniva and Hilde's work to raise global awareness around climate change is remarkable as is their journey itself. They chose to live for two winters in total isolation on the Norwegian Arctic island of Svalbard to raise awareness of the massive impact climate change is having on our polar regions. In our interview we will unpack what that journey was like for them, how they learned to deal with fear, and what their biggest learning and takeaway was from that experience.This interview is one of 3 interviews I conducted as part of the Winter Enrichment Program 2023 at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. You will learn more about the amazing Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) in today's episode. Sunniva and Hilde are truly inspirational in the work that they do to raise global awareness around the issue of climate change. Hope you enjoy this episode and share with anyone who you feel will benefit from tuning in.  Connect with Sunniva and HildeTwitterLinkedInInstagramWebsiteBuy their book Hearts in the Ice here

Send us a textThis week's conversation is with the inspiring New York Times best-selling author and internationally renowned speaker Daniel Pink. Daniel brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into this episode based on his decades of writing and research. Although the main purpose of our conversation was to unpack the themes related to his latest New York Times best-seller The Power of Regret- How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, we spend a fair chunk of our discussion initially talking about:Early days in Daniel's life and the type of learner he wasHow his experience living and researching in Japan led to him writing one of his books (The Adventures of Johnny Bunko- The Last Career Guide You Will Ever Need)Life lessons he has come to learn through his work and researchTalking about the above themes in Daniel's life helped to pave the way for an in-depth discussion about his latest best-seller. In the second half of this podcast we dove into the following themes: What sparked his desire to write his latest best-seller The Power of Regret- How Looking Backward Moves Us ForwardThe four core regrets that this book is structured aroundThe three-step process he shares in his book to help people proactively work through regrets in their livesWhat he is most proud of having given to the world through his workWhat strikes me about this conversation is Daniel's authenticity and personable way in which he communicates and connects. He has devoted his life to helping provide clarity to people around some of life's most challenging obstacles by consistently sharing, in his books, very useful, practical, researched-based strategies that are applicable in every day life. According to Daniel Pink:"Regret is not dangerous or abnormal, a deviation from the steady path to happiness. It is healthy and universal, an integral part of being human."Hope you enjoy my discussion with Daniel Pink. Thank you for tuning in and for sharing this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening to it. Daniel Pink Short BioDaniel H. Pink is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. His other books include the New York Times bestsellers When and A Whole New Mind — as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. Dan’s books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 42 languages, and have sold millions of copies around the world. He lives in Washington, DC, with his family. Connect With Daniel PinkTwitter: https://twitter.com/DanielPinkWebsite: https://www.danpink.com/Daniel Pink's BooksA Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the FutureAdventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You Will Ever NeedTo Sell Is HumanDrive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates UsWhen: Scientific Secrets of Perfect TimingThe Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Helps us Move Forward

Send us a textIn today's episode, Jennifer Abrams and I unpack her latest book Stretching Your Learning Edges: Growing Up at Work. We take an in-depth dive into the 5 facets of personal and professional growth as outlined in her book. We discuss how these 5 facets apply to our improvement as an individual and as a workplace colleague in order to be able to show up as our best self with consistency both personally and professionally. As well, we also look at how the best leaders continually plant the seeds for adult development in their organizations in order to promote deeper well-being and productivity in the workplace. This is a thought-provoking discussion that will help all leaders to reflect more deeply on their role and responsibilities.  Jennifer Abrams for a part 2 of a conversation that began in September of 2022.  Jennifer is an international educational and communications consultant for public and independent schools, universities and non-profits.  Jennifer’s publications include Having Hard Conversations, The Multigenerational Workplace: Communicating, Collaborating & Creating Community and Hard Conversations Unpacked – the Whos, the Whens and the What Ifs, Swimming in the Deep End: Four Foundational Skills for Leading Successful School Initiatives, and her newest book, Stretching Your Learning Edges: Growing (Up) at Work.Hope you can share this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Thanks folks. Connect With JenWebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookPrevious Episode with Jennifer Abrams