“You’ve got to be able to do the work, get the perspective you need, understand where your position, perspective, and purpose is.” Deborah Johnson Deborah joins me today to discuss the roundabouts of life and how to get yourself unstuck when you find yourself in one. She shares her personal experience with getting trapped in a roundabout and explains why perspective and position matter when getting yourself unstuck. She also discusses how purpose drives your life, how it tramples over procrastination, and underscores how we can all emerge victorious from the peaks and valleys of life. This week on The Mindset Zone: Deborah’s career in music and writing musicals How Deborah began her work in public speaking The three key elements of life’s roundabout The power of purpose over procrastination A roundabout in Deborah’s life and how she got out of it Journeying through our ‘Hero Mountain’ and getting to the second half of our lives The Guest: Deborah Johnson, M.A., is an international award-winning musician, author, and keynote speaker. Deborah’s career in the entertainment industry spans over 20 years, during which she has written several albums, hundreds of songs, and three full-length musicals. She is the author of multiple books, including The Summit, and the producer of the podcast, Women at Halftime. Devoted to the creative process, Deborah is committed to helping mid-career professionals constantly reinvent themselves and maximize their skills, experiences, talents, and resources. Resources Mentioned: Sign-up for Deborah’s free newsletter Learn about Deborah's keynote Deborah Johnson's music Connect on LinkedIn Podcast: Women at Halftime Podcast Check her books: The Summit: Journey to Hero Mountain Stuck Is Not a Four-Letter Word: Seven Steps to Getting Un-Stuck Other ways to connect with Deborah Johnson: Deborah Johnson on Instagram Deborah Johnson on Facebook Deborah Johnson on Twitter Deborah Johnson on YouTube Expand What’s Possible

“There’s this definition of success that we feel like we have to live up to, and we forget that we need to live according to what we want and what makes us happy and fulfilled.” Sue Guiher   Sue joins us today to discuss how we can redefine what success means to us. She explains what ‘success bullying’ is and describes society’s role in how we relate to success. She discusses how your values can help you expand beyond your comfort zone. She also explains why many people don’t know what their purpose is and underscores why knowing who you are is essential to defining success.   This week on The Mindset Zone: The ‘success bully’ and how society imposes its definition of success on us The experience that led to Sue’s realization of the success bully How success bullying impacts us personally and our workplaces Community dynamics and the difference between getting success bullied and going out of your comfort zone Creating an environment where people can align with their values The oxygen, the lens, the anchor, and why we need to align them   The Guest: Sue Guiher is a coach and consultant on a mission to change how society defines success so that we can create more happiness and fulfillment in our work and businesses. Over the course of her career, Sue has worked with organizations of different sizes, from small business owners to executives and teams in Fortune 500 companies. She helps her clients improve communication, executive presence, and workplace relationships. In addition to her work as an executive coach, Sue also serves as an instructor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.     Resources Mentioned: Book: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek   Connect with Sue Guiher: Thrive for Success Thrive for Success, LLC on LinkedIn Sue Guiher on LinkedIn   Expand What’s Possible

“In the real world, every day we start over; every breath, we start over.”Marshall Goldsmith Marshall joins us today to discuss what it means to live an earned life. He outlines his ‘Triple A’ model and what we need to live a happy, fulfilled life. He explains the Buddhist ideas and principles that inspire The Earned Life and discusses why we need to unlearn the achieve mindset in order to be happy. He also highlights the dangers of a ‘vicarious life’ and underscores the importance of aligning with our purpose. This week on The Mindset Zone: What inspired Marshall to write The Earned LifeAligning risk and effort with the overarching purpose in our livesWhy we should avoid overvaluing results and outcomesHow happiness and achievement are independent of each otherThe ‘When-Then’ fallacy and how the pursuit of happiness can trap usThe Buddha’s life and enlightenmentAspirations and why we need to have some answer to the great ‘why’Considering our ambitions and daily actionsHow the advertising industry worsens the West’s addiction to achievementViktor Frankl and his philosophyThe marshmallow test and why we’re not enjoying life moreBuddhist impermanence and the “Every Breath Paradigm”The role of gratitude in being happy and being in alignment with purposeThe role of long-term friendships in an ‘earned life’ The Guest: Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is a world-renowned business educator and coach who has drawn over 150 CEOs and their teams   to address workplace change. Since 2011, Marshall has been regarded as one of the Top Ten Business Thinkers in the World and the top-rated executive coach at the Thinkers50 ceremony in London. He is the New York Times Bestselling Author of the books Triggers and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. In his newest book, The Earned Life, Marshall shows us how we can live our own lives—and not someone else’s version of them. Resources Mentioned: Book: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor FranklMarshall Goldsmith’s Books:The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose FulfillmentTriggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts–Becoming the Person You Want to BeWhat Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful Connect with Marshall Goldsmith: Marshall Goldsmith WebsiteMarshall Goldsmith on LinkedInMarshall Goldsmith on InstagramMarshall Goldsmith on FacebookMarshall Goldsmith on TwitterEmail: Marshall@MarshallGoldsmith.com Expand What’s Possible

“Inclusion in decision-making and goal-setting is one of the main things that engage people, making them feel like they’re part of something bigger—and that eliminates F.E.A.R.”Allison Aker Davis Allison joins me today to define F.E.A.R. and how it impacts teams and organizations. She describes who a culturally responsive leader is and how they help shape communities within organizations. She shares three ideas on helping people break negative patterns of behavior and building new habits. She also underscores how leaders can simplify the process of transition and highlights how a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion brings out the best of an organization’s people. This week on The Mindset Zone: Understanding F.E.A.R. and how they happen in teams or organizationsWhat it means to be a culturally responsive leaderHow a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion brings out the best in a company’s peoplePositive psychology and the value of building communities with and within an organizationWhy leaders need to focus on breaking the habit of focusing on the negativeHow stress brought by change can reinforce negative patterns of behaviorHow to help people break negative cycles and build new habitsCreating communities within an organizationThe role of a common purpose in shaping an organization’s cultureSimplifying transitions and transformation and why change doesn’t have to be painful The Guest: Allison Aker Davis is a Coaching Culture Strategist, organization consultant, and executive coach. She is the Principal of Aker Davis LLC, an evidence-based coaching and organization effectiveness consulting firm. Allison has over 28 years of experience serving in corporate and consulting roles, including VP for Organization Development at Lahey Health and VP & Coaching Marketing Leader for Right Management. As a consultant, Allison brings her experience and expertise in working with corporate and healthcare executives as well as business leaders from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. In addition to her work as a consultant and coach, Allison serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of New Haven. Resources Mentioned: Book: Own Your Own Greatness: Overcome Impostor Syndrome, Beat Self-Doubt, and Succeed in Life by Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin Connect with Allison Aker Davis: AkersDavis LLCAllison Aker Davis on LinkedIn Expand What’s Possible

“Authenticity is the degree to which a person’s actions are consistent with their identified values and their desired outcomes.”Gina London Gina joins me today to demystify authenticity and discuss how adopting a growth mindset can help you become more authentic in your personal and professional life. We discuss the value of filtering your thoughts and actions toward others while staying true to your authentic self and the outcomes you want to achieve. Gina shares strategies you can use to retrain your mindset, become more true to your authentic self, and have more purposeful interactions with others. We also explain how we are constantly communicating with others, even when we’re not speaking, and the importance of being mindful of our body language when engaging with others. This week on The Mindset Zone: How Gina defines authenticityCommon misconceptions on what authenticity truly meansAdopting a growth mindset to lead a more authentic lifeFiltering your thoughts and actions while staying true to your authentic selfUnderstanding that we are the ‘author’ of our authenticityThe difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindsetWhy adopting and establishing a growth mindset is a life-long endeavorHow to retrain your mindset to be more true to your authentic selfUnpacking the simultaneously interconnected pieces of how we communicate with othersBeing mindful of your body languageHow long it typically takes to transform your communication patterns The Guest: Gina London is an Emmy award-winning former CNN correspondent and anchor turned motivational trainer, executive advisor, and keynote speaker. She is the CEO of Language of Leadership LTD., where she uses her passion for people and storytelling to support leaders and help them better connect, lead, and inspire others. Gina has worked with multiple Fortune 500 organizations, including Facebook, Merck, Salesforce, JP Morgan, and the United States Department of State. In addition to her interactive and motivational trainings and keynote speeches on the power of communicating with purpose and impact, Gina is also a published author and regular media analyst. She has appeared on the BBC, FOX, and CNN and has been interviewed on radio and TV worldwide. Gina also currently writes a weekly business leadership column, “The Communicator,” in Ireland’s largest circulated newspaper, The Sunday Independent, and has presented a TEDx talk on The Myth of Authenticity. Connect with Gina London: Gina London’s WebsiteLanguage of LeadershipThe Myth of Authenticity TEDx TalkGina London on LinkedInGina London on InstagramGina London on FacebookGina London on Twitter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux3upLjCjrE Expand What’s Possible

“We are in more control than we think.”Darcy Eikenberg Darcy joins me today to discuss how we can change our lives at work without changing our careers or jobs. We discuss how society encourages people to try new things and change jobs when pursuing happiness in our work life and the positive and negative impact of constantly changing jobs in your search for happiness. We discuss the value of empathy in the workplace and the importance of communicating your needs before looking for a new career or job. We also break down Darcy’s ‘Think, Say, Do’ strategy to learn how we can take control of our lives at work without leaving our jobs and how our Lizard Brain often gets in the way of our personal and professional growth. This week on The Mindset Zone: The Great Resignation and why Darcy believes it’s time for employees and organization leaders to change their perspective on workThe positive and negative impacts of constantly changing jobs when searching for career happinessThe value of empathy in the workplaceLeveraging Darcy’s ‘Think, Say, Do’ strategyStrategies to put your Lizard Brain thoughts into perspectiveUnderstanding the Illusion of TransparencyHow Darcy works with organizational teams The Guest: Darcy Eikenberg is an Executive and Leadership Career Coach, Keynote speaker, workshop facilitator for organizations and professional associations, and the author of Red Cape Rescue: Save Your Career Without Leaving Your Job. She is the founder of Red Cape Revolution, where she helps organization leaders and high-achieving professionals generate more clarity, confidence, and control of their life without changing their careers or finding new jobs. Darcy has coached leaders and professionals from well-known companies, including Aon, The Coca-Cola Company, State Farm, and Deloitte, and has been quoted in dozens of publications, including Forbes, Thrive Global, Mashable, and CNN. Before launching Red Cape Revolution, she worked as a principal at the human resources consulting firm, Alight Solutions (formerly Hewitt Associates), where she served on both the Southeast and North American Communications Consulting Leadership teams. She earned her bachelor's degree in Communications Studies at Northwestern University and received her Professional Certified Coach certification from the International Coaching Federation. Resources Mentioned: Book: Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential AND HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOURS by Shirzad Chamine Connect with Darcy Eikenberg: Red Cape RevolutionBook: Bring Your Superpowers to Work: Your Guide to More Clarity, Confidence & ControlBook: Red Cape Rescue: Save Your Career Without Leaving Your JobJoin for Free - Red Cape Insider CommunityDarcy Eikenberg on LinkedIn Expand What’s Possible

“Here and now, you can be more intentional with your attention. Think of it as a muscle that you can strengthen.” Ana Melikian   Do you live an intentional life? In today’s fast-paced, attention-hungry society, many people go through the day on autopilot – completing all the same tasks, day in and day out, with little to no intention. From getting up each morning to go to work, juggling all of our work or business-related tasks, or even household chores and shuttling kids to sporting events, most of the time, we do these things on autopilot. Yes, they require our attention. Yes, we get a lot done each day. But are we truly doing these things with intentionality? In today’s episode, I discuss why intention is more scarce than attention. I discuss how having a reactive mindset leaves very little room for intentionality. I explain the difference between completing a task with intention versus running on autopilot and how the latter often leads to feeling hazy at the end of the day. I discuss why I believe the scarcity of intentionality in today’s society is a major issue and how it prevents us from tapping into our fullest potential. I also explain how learning to be more intentional in our daily lives can help us be more effective in achieving our goals, aspirations, and ambitions and what you can do to purposely create more intention in your everyday life.   This week on The Mindset Zone: The difference between doing something with intentionality versus running on autopilot How TV, social media, YouTube, and Netflix command our attention Why the scarcity of intentionality in today’s society is problematic How the scarcity of intentionality in our daily lives prevents us from tapping into our full potential What ‘intent,’ ‘intentional,’ and ‘intentionality’ truly mean How being more intentional in our daily lives helps us regain the power to achieve our goals, ambitions, and aspirations How to purposely create more intentionality in your day-to-day life   Your Host: Ana Melikian, Ph.D., is an optimist who had to overcome two bouts with cancer to learn that pursuing happiness is a fallacy. To choose happiness is a much more powerful strategy to tap into our highest human potential.Either by working with leaders and their teams, or other coaches and consultants, Ana supports her clients to break through their mindset limitations and upgrade their psychological operating systems so that they achieve better results than ever in work and life while enjoying the process.For over a decade, Dr. Melikian has been a successful online business owner, working with hundreds of other coaches and consultants, helping a diverse group of companies and organizations.Ana is the Director of Education for Book Yourself Solid®, a Board Certified Coach (BCC), and a proud member of the ICF - International Coach Federation, and the ACEC - Association of Corporate Executive Coaches.She is also the host of the MINDSET ZONE podcast, selected for The Huffington Post's "15 Podcasts That Will Leave You Pondering Life's Big Questions," listed alongside the Peabody Award-winning “On Being” and “TED Radio Hour” by NPR.Follow her podcast, Mindset Zone via your favorite app or by visiting www.Mindset.Zone, and please follow her here on LinkedIn too.     Resources Mentioned: The World Needs Netflix Minis - by Daniel H. Pink in The Atlantic The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Daniel H. Pink Decluttering Your Mind with Harriet Stein   Connect with Ana Melikian: The contact page on this website. Ana Melikian on LinkedIn   Expand what's possible

The better we understand each other, the better we all are in moving forward in our lives Tamer Elnoury Tamer joins me today to discuss how his experience as an undercover FBI agent, followed by years of leadership positions, has positioned him as one of the best educators on the human connection to companies and organizations. We discuss how he helps organizations connect with their consumers and how he adapted the skills he acquired as an undercover FBI agent when transitioning into executive leadership roles. We discuss the traits of great leaders and why being a great leader is about helping your subordinates succeed. We discuss the importance of self-care and regulating emotions as leaders, especially under stressful situations, and how it impacts the quality of the work you produce. We also discuss the adverse effects of technology and social media on the younger generation of leaders. This week on The Mindset Zone: Why it’s critical for undercover FBI agents to have a deep understanding of the human connection How Tamer helps organizations connect with their consumers How Tamer adapted the skills he learned as an undercover FBI agent to his work in executive leadership roles Tamer’s definition of a great leader How he learned to work efficiently and effectively as an undercover agent despite sleep deprivation The importance of self-care and how Tamer learned to regulate his emotions under highly stressful situations How technology and social media have impacted the way young leaders interact and connect with others The Guest: Tamer Elnoury is the New York Times Bestselling Author of American Radical: Inside the World of an Undercover Muslim FBI Agent. Born in Egypt, Tamer immigrated to the United States with his family as a young boy. As an adult, he briefly worked with a fugitive task force which led to a career working as an undercover narcotics agent. During his career in undercover narcotics, Tamer worked on over 2,500 investigations, including narcotics, political corruption, gun trafficking, and child abuse cases. In 2008, he worked with an elite National Security Covert Operations Unit with the United States government, which focused on international terrorism cases. After serving in the FBI, Tamer began an executive management position in law enforcement, where he has served for over 26 years. Resources Mentioned: 60 Minutes with Scott Pelley - Inside al Qaeda: Living and working with terrorists Book: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful - by Marshall Goldsmith Connect with Tamer Elnoury: Tamer's Website Book: American Radical: Inside the World of an Undercover Muslim FBI Agent Expand what's possible

“Business can be done profitably – for ourselves and for our clients – and it can also benefit the community, humanity, and the planet.”Carolyn Pistone Carolyn joins me today to discuss how organizations can benefit from using commercial green buildings. We discuss how people today have disassociated themselves from nature and the environment and how commerce has become more important to us than the future of our planet. We discuss the vast opportunities available for creating a positive impact on the world within the commercial real estate industry. We discuss Carolyn’s mission to educate business owners on ways they can continue to build a profitable business while benefiting the planet and how using commercial green buildings can create a ripple effect on communities, people, and the Earth. We also share a few simple ways homeowners can positively impact the environment and how individuals can create the most impact by making more eco-conscious buying decisions. This week on The Mindset Zone: How society has placed a higher priority on commerce than the health and sustainability of our planetHow Carolyn is using her business as a force for goodOpportunities to create a positive impact on the world within the commercial real estate industryUnderstanding green buildingsThe ripple effect of commercial green buildingsThe challenges Carolyn faces when discussing green energy buildings with businesses and organizationsHow homeowners can apply green energy and green building principles to create a positive impact on the environmentVoting with our dollars by making eco-conscious buying decisions The Guest: Carolyn Pistone is the President and Managing Director of Clear Blue Commercial, a full-service company dedicated to providing holistic and sustainable approaches to all aspects of the life of a property. Her company has the B Corp Certification by B Lab. Carolyn is also a proud REALTOR®, EcoBroker®, and Certified Green Building Professional®. As a committed Earthling, she is dedicated to saving the planet through her business and real estate license. Her experience as a realtor and green building professional has led her to work toward building a thriving, supportive, innovative, and collaborative environment for clients, vendors, and team members as well as the planet. Resources Mentioned: CBC Solar 1 Mulchstock 2015 - The Largest Peaceful Lawn Transformation on Record! Connect with Carolyn Pistone: Clear Blue CommercialClear Blue Commercial on LinkedInClear Blue Commercial on YouTubeClear Blue Commercial on FacebookClear Blue Commercial on TwitterCarolyn Pistone on LinkedIn Expand what's possible

“Everything is a learning experience. There’s always a gift or an opportunity in any kind of outreach that we do.”Connie Kadansky Connie joins me today to discuss what Sales Call Reluctance is and how sales professionals can use curiosity as an antidote to overcome the fear of prospecting and promoting themselves, their services, and their organizations. Connie describes the connection between social self-consciousness, telephobia, and sales call reluctance and how there are 16 different types of sales call reluctance affecting sales professionals. We discuss Connie’s Sensory Injection Technique and how she uses aromatherapy practices to help sales professionals overcome telephobia. We also spoke about why it’s essential for salespeople to be curious about their prospects and why they’re interested in what your company offers. We explore the connection between emotional intelligence and sales call reluctance and how to cultivate emotional intelligence as a meta-skill to improve your sales performance. We also discuss ways to cultivate more curiosity in your life and career and how Connie ‘puts her ask in gear’ to continue developing her curiosity. This week on The Mindset Zone: Understanding Sales Call ReluctanceWhat inspired Connie to research sales call reluctance and pursue a career as a Sales Empowerment CoachThe connection between social self-consciousness, telephobia, and sales call reluctanceUsing aromatherapy techniques to overcome phobias and fearsGetting curious about your prospect and why they’re interested in your offerUnderstanding the ‘meta-skills’ of a sales call strategyHow to cultivate more curiosity in your life and careerHow Connie cultivates curiosity in her own lifeThe polarity between optimism and pessimism The Guest: Connie Kadansky is the Founder of Exceptional Sales Performance, LLC., an organization that helps salespeople reframe their relationship with selling and convert their prospects into clients. She is a Sales Empowerment Coach with sales expertise and a globally recognized for helping salespeople from diverse industries develop meta-skills to confidently prospect, promote their products and services, upsell, cross-sell, and leverage key relationships. Connie has been interviewed by multiple media outlets, including Bloomberg Business, Inc. Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CEO Magazine, and Forbes. For nearly 30 years, she has helped sales professionals ethically, consistently, and comfortably reach their ideal prospects, set appointments, and close sales. Connie has worked with countless mid-size and large organizations, including Merrill Lynch, Allstate, Wells Fargo, Saks Fifth Avenue, and AT&T. Resources Mentioned: Book: A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life by Brian Grazer & Charles Fishman Connect with Connie Kadansky: Exceptional Sales PerformanceInvincible Optimism WebsiteExceptional Sales Performance on LinkedInExceptional Sales Performance on FacebookConnie Kadansky on LinkedInConnie Kadansky on YouTubeConnie Kadansky on Twitter Expand what's possible