“Commitment requires believing in something you care about—whether it’s your family, your nation, or your profession—and acting consistently with that belief.” - Frank Wagner Frank joins me today to discuss the power of commitment. He shares why he’s passionate about commitment and describes what makes a great leader. He outlines the five areas of commitments a leader should leverage and explains the importance of support and improvement. Frank also reveals the common ground between great leaders and managers and offers advice on how the commitment framework could be applied to self-leadership. This week on The Mindset Zone: Commitment to customers, organization, their people, and results The power of commitment to values and oneself The relationship between commitment, beliefs, and integrity A framework for maintaining commitments Focusing on what’s important and leading by example Connecting your behavior to what’s important Rewarding success and managing disrespect Challenging expectations and taking risk-making changes The Guest: Frank Wagner is a behavioral coach who specializes in leadership behavior, commitment, teamwork, organizational influence, coaching, and leadership development. Frank is a co-founding partner of Marshall Goldsmith Partners, where he oversees the training process of Marshall Goldsmith’s behavioral coaching method. He holds a Ph.D. and Master of Business Administration from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, where he also served as a postdoctoral scholar. Connect with Frank Wagner: Marshall Goldsmith Book: The Power of Total Commitment: A Leader’s Legacy Marshall Goldsmith Partners on LinkedIn Frank Wagner on LinkedIn Expand What’s Possible

“Coppola presented in The Godfather that crime and business are essentially the same thing, but even among thieves there is a code of honor. What’s missing in today’s business world is loyalty and trust.” Lou Bortone Lou joins me today to discuss the lessons we can learn from The Godfather and how we can apply them to business. He shares why he was captivated by The Godfather at a very young age and how it impacted him. He points out the importance of not letting emotions cloud decision-making in business and explains how the rise of ecommerce has given customers more power. He also describes the challenge of building customer and employee loyalty in the post-pandemic world and highlights the value of relationships in an organization. This week on The Mindset Zone: Applying the lessons of The Godfather to business and life Trust, codes of honor, and how The Godfather is a metaphor for corporate America Why relationships are critical in business The origins of the Sicilian Mafia The challenge of building company loyalty in the post-pandemic world Acknowledging the importance of building loyalty and culture in an organization How the emergence of ecommerce highlighted the need to create brand loyalty The Harley-Davidson brand and how they built a strong following of customers Putting a face to a brand and how to make a product more human The Guest: Lou Bortone is a popular speaker and the author of Video Marketing Rules: How to Win in a World Gone Video. Lou has over two decades of experience as a marketing executive in TV and entertainment and has worked as the National Promotion Manager for E! Entertainment Television and the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Fox Family Worldwide. He has been a pioneer and thought leader in video marketing since the launch of YouTube in 2005. Known as “The Video Godfather,” Lou helps thousands of entrepreneurs and companies create and leverage online video to build their brands and grow their revenues. Connect with Lou Bortone: Lou Bortone Website Book: Video Marketing Rules: How to Win in a World Gone Video Take the Cannoli: The Godfather Podcast with Lou Bortone Lou Bortone on LinkedIn Lou Bortone on Facebook Lou Bortone on Twitter Expand What’s Possible

“When you are caregiving, it’s very much like being in an airplane: you need to put on your own oxygen mask first, and then you can help others.” Shain Khoja Shain joins us today to discuss the Sandwich Generation and healthy aging. She explains how the need for caregiving impacts the Sandwich Generation’s careers and why healthcare systems need to invest in prevention. She describes the vital role of building intergenerational connections in healthy aging. Shain also reveals how we can prevent isolation and loneliness in the older generation and highlights the importance of self-care when caregiving. This week on The Mindset Zone: The Sandwich Generation and the social implications of caregiving needs The demographics of caregivers and how caregiving impacts women’s careers The challenge of aging in a Western country The value of intergenerational connection and cost-effective ways of healthy aging How technology can help increase and improve human interaction What we can learn from older generations How lack of mobility among older people creates isolation and loneliness Thriving.ai and how it facilitates communication, connection, and learning in caregiving The Guest: Shainoor (Shain) Khoja is a global change maker and serial entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Thriving.ai, a digital platform that addresses aging and caregiving issues by helping keep seniors connected and engaged with family, friends, and caregivers. An advocate for dignified and fulfilling aging, Shain believes that intergenerational interaction and support can lead to a better quality of life, a more robust economy, and lower social and financial healthcare costs. Shain is also the founder and CEO of the Better Business Enterprise and formerly served as the Managing Director of Afghanistan’s #1 mobile operator, Roshan, for over a decade. Resources Mentioned: Book: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Are You Making a Difference? | Shainoor Khoja at TEDxBGI Shainoor Khoja at B Inspired Talk, 2017 Connect with Shain Khoja: Thriving.ai - Use code "THRVAM" for 1-year FREE access (Free trial is open to the first 100 claimants.) Thriving.ai on LinkedIn Thriving.ai on Instagram Thriving.ai on Facebook Thriving.ai on Twitter Shain Khoja on LinkedIn Expand What’s Possible

“We can embrace mindsets as habits that our minds depend on—formed by previous experiences and the unconscious and conscious beliefs that we form along the way.” Ana Melikian I believe that leveraging our mindsets can allow us to release our potential as individuals, groups, and organizations. But before we can tap into it, we need to understand what a mindset is. The challenge lies in that there are as many definitions of mindset as there are mindset experts. So, when I was writing the introduction to the Mindset Zone book, I intentionally made a deep dive into the different meanings of mindset and organized them into three categories. In this episode, I define mindsets using three different approaches. I outline positive psychology’s description of mindset as a set of beliefs. I discuss how cognitive psychology sees mindsets as information-processing styles used to accomplish specific tasks. I describe organizational psychology’s view that mindsets are filters that inform our worldviews. I also share my own definition of mindset and underscore the Mindset Zone’s mission to help tap and release humanity’s potential. This week on The Mindset Zone: Identifying the three approaches to defining mindset Mindsets and the human potential for learning and change The “fixed” mindset and my self-perception about singing The “growth” mindset and how dyslexia became my superpower Cognitive psychology’s definition of mindset How setting and implementing goals require different kinds of mindsets to be successful The difference between “deliberative” and “implemental” mindsets The value of knowing when to remain unfocused and focused Tapping and releasing our human potential through self-development work and positive psychology Understanding our nature as connecting beings The different ways to unleash and amplify our potential as human beings My definition of mindsets Challenging our beliefs and expanding what’s possible How learning about habit transformation can shift our mindset and lives What it takes to evolve in a constantly and rapidly changing world The mission of the Mindset Zone podcast Resources Mentioned: Book: Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation by Gabriele Oettingen Book: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck Expand What’s Possible

“With any habit, especially drinking, it’s important to have an accountability source. Declaring what you’re doing to others makes it more real.” - Rose Ann Forte Rose Ann joins me today to describe her journey to becoming alcohol-free. She points out the lack of conversations about alcohol consumption and the options available to those trying to overcome it. She outlines how alcohol can causes an individual’s mental health to spiral by stealing self-esteem, purpose, productivity, and connection. Rose Ann also discusses finding purpose after quitting alcohol and highlights how accountability helps create the mindset shift needed for freedom from alcohol. This week on The Mindset Zone: Different mindsets, belief systems, and relationships with alcohol Psychological triggers and different kinds of drinking problems What made Rose Ann decide to join the coaching program to become alcohol-free Shame, labeling, and why alcohol problems become a hidden issue for many people Why accountability is a critical piece of quitting alcohol Writing The Plans He Has for Me and creating a faith-centered program Forgiving oneself and others and finding purpose after quitting alcohol How having the right community helps people thrive and grow The Guest: Rose Ann Forte is an Alcohol-Free Coach, a Positive Intelligence Coach, and the best-selling author of The Plans He Has for Me: A 12-Week Daily Devotional for Freedom from Alcohol. Rose Ann is a former C-suite executive who served as the Chief Financial Officer of Southwest Capital Partners from 1995 until she became an executive coach in 2021. Resources Mentioned: Book: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Connect with Rose Ann Forte: The Plans He Has for Me Book: The Plans He Has For Me: A 12-Week Daily Devotional for Freedom from Alcohol Rose Ann Forte on LinkedIn Rose Ann Forte on Instagram Rose Ann Forte on TikTok Expand What’s Possible

“Most of us start our businesses because we want to make a difference out there—it’s a way of living our mission, and we are in love with that mission.” - Ana Melikian In this episode, I speak with Toby on the Moving Conversations Podcast to share my life growing up in Portugal and how my curiosity and desire to understand led me to study psychology and pursue a career in academia. I explain why I decided to move to the United States after studying in the UK and working in Portugal. I discuss how I found myself in the world of life coaching and how it helped me make sense of my values and aspirations. I describe the challenges I faced when I first started my coaching practice and the health crisis that impacted my life and career. I also underscore how our businesses can be our way of living our mission in the world and highlight how we can live with happiness as a way of being. ***This episode was rebroadcast here at the Mindset Zone with explicit consent fromToby Goodman, the host of Moving Conversations. This week on The Mindset Zone: What life was like for me growing up in Portugal Why I decided to pursue a career in academia The intrapreneur mentality and my journey from Portugal to the UK and US How I found myself in the world of life and executive coaching How I made my coaching business stand apart from others in the market Why I disliked marketing and sales when I first started my life coaching practice Finding the Book Yourself Solid® system, how it saved me and my business, and what it taught me about marketing and sales My fight with breast cancer and the power of humor The “When…Then” habit cycle and how we make conditions of happiness for ourselves The habituation effect and why happiness can’t be forced Choosing happiness and making the best of what we have in the moment Toxic positivity and positive psychology The interviewer: Toby Goodman is a podcast producer and strategist who helps coaches, course creators, and service providers grow their businesses. In his bestselling book, Narrow Podcasting, Toby shows professionals how to make profitable connections and scale without paid ads, sponsors, or thousands of listeners. He is also the CEO and Director of the podcast post-production company, Podcast Network Solutions, and owns Listen Better Marketing Ltd. In addition to his work as a podcast expert and producer, Toby is a professional musician who has spent over 20 years performing with some of the world’s greatest musicians. Our Favorite Quotes: “People in academia find marketing and selling abhorrent—that’s programmed in us.” - Toby Goodman “I found life coaching as a way to make sense of what was going on with me, what I really wanted to do, and what was important.” - Ana Melikian “I’ve been around enough Ph.D. students to know it’s really hard to do it and, when you finally get it, the door slams and you have to find a new way.” - Toby Goodman Resources Mentioned: Original Episode: Moving Conversations - Choosing the Happiness Mindset Zone with Dr. Ana Melikian Book Yourself Solid® Book: Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling by Michael Port Book: I’m Just a Person by Tig Notaro Book: Toxic Positivity: Keeping It Real in a World Obsessed with Being Happy by Whitney Goodman Connect with Toby Goodman: Podcast Network Solutions Narrow Podcasting Book: Narrow Podcasting: Make Profitable Connections and Grow your Business, Without Paid Ads, Sponsors, or Thousands of Listeners Podcast: Moving Conversations Podcast: Moving Conversations on Amazon Podcast: Moving Conversations on Apple Podcast: Moving Conversations on Google Play Podcast: Moving Conversations on Spotify Podcast: Moving Conversations on Stitcher

“Transformation changes your identity. If we change habits, our identity is changed.” - Sue Stevenson Sue joins me today to discuss how shifting our mindset can shift our physical health. She describes her journey in the corporate world and explains how her ability to navigate through change contributed to her success in life. She details the diagnosis that set her on a path of healthy living and changing her relationship with stress. Sue also highlights better methods for building habits and underscores the therapeutic power of humor. This week on The Mindset Zone: Sue’s background and life in the corporate world What the “corporate brain” is and how Sue’s mindset about women’s role in the business world evolved through the years How her ability to navigate and adapt to change contributed to Sue’s success in life Corporate culture’s tendency to reward toxic dedication and the social, physical, and emotional costs to Sue’s success Our tendency to accept sub-optimal health How Sue moved into radical action despite facing the impossible Neurostrategies and the gut-brain connection How long it took for Sue to feel improvements in her health Mental fitness and how our mindset can impact our physical health The Guest: Sue Stevenson is the founder of the global executive coaching firm, Lifted Fog LLC. Sue is dedicated to facilitating learning and positive change through brain-based coaching and consulting that utilizes the latest research in neuroscience, strategic humor management, and positive psychology. She is the co-founder of The San Diego Brain Club and serves as the Editor of The Humor Voice. She is the author of Impossible to Possible: Neurostrategies for Healing, Humor, and a Reimagined Life. Resources Mentioned: Book: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear Connect with Sue Stevenson: Lifted Fog Book: Impossible to Possible: Neurostrategies for Healing, Humor, and a Reimagined Life Lifted Fog Photography on Instagram Sue Stevenson on LinkedIn Sue Stevenson on Instagram Sue Stevenson on Facebook Sue Stevenson on Twitter The San Diego Brain Club Expand What’s Possible

“When confronted by uncertainty, first adapters win not by pushing harder with willpower, but by unlocking the game of patterns.” - Steven Feinberg Steven joins me today to discuss what NeuroStrategy is and how it can help leaders and organizations triumph. He shares how growing up in a world of uncertainty shaped his path to becoming a NeuroStrategist. He explains the characteristics of a “first adapter” and outlines the principles of NeuroStrategy. He also reveals why using willpower alone is one of the biggest mistakes people make when they get stuck in a problem and provides an example of how higher-order pattern recognition can empower leaders and entrepreneurs. This week on The Mindset Zone: Steven’s background and his journey to becoming a NeuroStrategist NeuroStrategy and its applications for entrepreneurs What it means to be a first adapter Seeing your options through Game Spotting Defying expectations with Pattern Busting How framing the future can help you create the exception The Task Commander and the Complexity Thinker How coaches and trusted advisors can help leaders overcome blindspots The difference between a “first-order” and “second-order” change Why we get stuck in solving problems The power of higher-order pattern recognition The Guest: Steven Feinberg is a NeuroStrategist and executive coach. The leading authority on applying NeuroStrategy and game-changing leadership, Steven has been working with entrepreneurs and organizations to strive for exceptionality. He has consulted and coached owners, executives, and C-suite leaders from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies such as Apple, Google, and Wells Fargo. Steven taught at the University of San Francisco School of Business and Professional Studies for over 30 years, focusing on Organizational Behavior and Leadership. He is the author of several books, including the international bestsellers, Do What Others Say Can't Be Done: Play the Meta-Game and Advantage Makers: How Exceptional Leaders Win by Creating Opportunities Others Don't. Connect with Steven Feinberg: Steven Feinberg Website Book: Do What Others Say Can't Be Done: Play the Meta-Game Book: Advantage Makers: How Exceptional Leaders Win by Creating Opportunities Others Don't Steven Feinberg on LinkedIn Steven Feinberg on Twitter Expand What’s Possible

“In your brand, you tell a wide range of stories about yourself. Reflecting that journey with your photos is an opportunity to create an emotional connection with clients.” Raj Bandyopadhyay Raj joins me today to discuss how you can tell your personal brand’s story through photos. He explains why he’s passionate about helping people navigate their reservations around having their photos taken. He describes ageism and the age-related biases present in social media and the entertainment industry. He outlines the four limiting beliefs that hinder people from showing their authentic selves in their personal brand. Raj also reveals how you can bring your relaxed, playful, and spontaneous side when posing for portraits and how you can elevate your brand’s story through photos. This week on The Mindset Zone: How representation for older women has improved in the media over the years The struggle with impostor syndrome and self-worth The manifestations of perfectionism and how social media has taken it to a whole new level The culture of perfectionism in branding The cure for perfectionism How to use your photos to build a deeper connection with your audience and clients Why physical and emotional safety are vital to great portraits How to bring your spontaneous and playful side when posing for photos Telling a multi-dimensional story using photos and images Photography as a cure for the impostor syndrome The Guest: Raj Bandyopadhyay is a personal branding photographer and the founder of Series A Photography, which helps coaches and entrepreneurs convey their full, multifaceted, vibrant stories on camera. Before launching Series A Photography, Raj worked as a data scientist for Springboard, an EdTech startup in San Francisco, CA, and served as the Chief Data Scientist for Pindrop Security. He holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from Rice University. Today, as an expert in personal branding photography, Raj is on a mission to help people express themselves fully while building a deep, genuine, lasting connection with their audience. Connect with Raj Bandyopadhyay: Series A Photography Series A Photography on LinkedIn Series A Photography on Instagram Series A Photography on Facebook Raj Bandyopadhyay on LinkedIn Email: raj@SeriesAPhotography.com Expand What’s Possible

“Many women are on a mission to make a difference and create an impact but are very hard on themselves. Relax, do the best you can, and be gentle on yourself.” Ana Melikian In today’s episode, I joined Sandy, the host of the Instagram live “Hey, I’ve Got Something to Say,” to discuss the importance of being gentle with ourselves. We describe how women tend to doubt themselves and how they get critical of themselves before, during, and after their mission to change the world. We discuss mental fitness and how training our mental capacity for resilience takes time, practice, and patience. We also highlight the important role of negative emotions and underscore how we can cultivate the conditions where happiness can thrive and flourish in our lives. This week on The Mindset Zone: Why women doubt that they can make a difference in the world The important role of negative emotions Training our mental capacity for resilience like a muscle The importance of taking brain breaks, resets, and rests “The Happiness Fallacy” keynote and why we can’t force happiness to happen in our lives Creating the conditions where happiness and joy can spontaneously happen How positivity can backfire Honoring grief, bereavement, and mourning How to reset your brain after years of being conditioned with toxic positivity Changing the prince charming/damsel in distress narrative Our Favorite Quotes: “It’s so true that it’s time to get women in the spotlight. We’re good behind the scenes—but we need to challenge ourselves to go out there.” - Sandy Joy Weston “We have to allow ourselves to take the time to rest and restore, to go out of our routine and see things from a different perspective.” - Ana Melikian “Everyone thought that as soon as I graduated, I’d be on fire, but I took some time in the garden, weeding and planting. I felt I needed to take a break mentally to rejuvenate and get my energy back out.” - Sandy Joy Weston The interviewer: Sandy Joy Weston, M.Ed., is an author, entrepreneur, and media personality. A motivational speaker and fitness guru, Sandy is on a mission to spread joy and positivity. By using fitness and her gift of motivation as her tools, she helps individuals achieve their goals with ease and flow. She is the host of the podcasts “Let’s Keep It Real,” “Positive Power Lady” Live on Facebook, and “Hey, I’ve Got Something to Say” Live on Instagram.Her book, Train Your Head and Your Body Will Follow, guides readers in redirecting their thoughts in a positive, focused manner. *This episode was rebroadcast here at the Mindset Zone with explicit consent from Sandy Joy Weston, the host of Hey, I’ve Got Something to Say Live on Instagram. Connect with Sandy Joy Weston: Sandy Joy Weston Website Book: Train Your Head and Your Body Will Follow: Reach Any Goal in 3 Minutes a Day Podcast: Hey, I’ve Got Something to Say on Instagram Podcast: Let’s Keep It Real on Apple Podcast: Let’s Keep It Real on Google Play Podcast: Let’s Keep It Real on Spotify Podcast: Let’s Keep It Real on Stitcher Sandy Joy Weston on LinkedIn Sandy Joy Weston on Instagram Sandy Joy Weston on Facebook Sandy Joy Weston on Twitter Expand What’s Possible