

MINDSET ZONE
Ana Melikian
Our mindsets determine the way we see the world, as well as, the way we behave and who we are as people. It’s very easy and normal to stay stuck in fixed mindsets – limiting beliefs about our abilities and skills that prevent us to learn new things. We can intentionally cultivate a growth mindset that allows us to stretch our minds and amplify the realm of possibilities of what we do, and who we are. Amplifying our mindsets is one of the secrets of success, for most entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals out there.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 21, 2022 • 34min
Share Your Gifts with Fabienne Fredrickson
“We have a thumbprint from the divine on us; each of us has a song in our hearts that we are here to share, far and wide, in a way that nobody else can.” Fabienne Fredrickson
Fabienne joins me today to share the Chocolate Brownie story and discuss why we all need to share our gifts, skills, and talents with the world. She explains why many people, especially women, hold themselves back from answering their life’s calling and describes how we can overcome our fears.
She also discusses why it’s important that all women thrive financially and highlights the value of empowering communities of women in business.
This week on The Mindset Zone:
The Chocolate Brownie storyOur divine obligation to share our talents and gifts to the worldFabienne’s advice to people who second-guess their life’s purpose because of fearThe idea behind Boldheart and what it means to be bigger than your fearsHow accepting ourselves can help us overcome our fearsThe importance of freeing women from economic imprisonmentWhy women don’t believe they can run a business and raise a family at the same timeThe “popcorn effect” and normalizing thriving women in businessThe law of diminishing intent and the importance of role models and communities
The Guest:
Fabienne Fredrickson is a global entrepreneur and speaker. As the founder and owner of Boldheart, Fabienne has mentored thousands of women business owners for over two decades, helping them get out of overwhelm and reach a million more in their businesses. She is the author of several books, including The Leveraged Business: How You Can Go from Overwhelmed at Six Figures to Seven Figures (and Get Your Life Back). A celebrated speaker, Fabienne has been featured in several media publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, and The New York Times and Boldheart has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies for three consecutive years.
Resources Mentioned:
Activating Your Potential for Greatness | Fabienne Fredrickson | TEDxNewBedford
Connect with Fabienne Fredrickson:
BoldheartEmail: info@boldheart.comBoldheart on LinkedInBoldheart on InstagramFabienne Fredrickson on LinkedInFree copy of Fabienne’s The Leveraged Business bookBook: Embrace Your Magnificence: Get Out of Your Own Way and Live a Richer, Fuller, More Abundant Life by Fabienne FredricksonFabienne Fredrickson on InstagramFabienne Fredrickson on Twitter
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Oct 14, 2022 • 30min
Stress is Not a Toxin, It’s a Tool with Dr. G
“Recovery requires comfort and time. Resilience requires stress and change.”Dr. G
Dr. G joins me today to discuss how we can use stress to build resilience. She explains the neuroscience behind stress and how the brain sees all kinds of change as stressful.
She outlines the skills we can develop to become “change-competent.” She also highlights how leaders should help people navigate through stress and underscores how being mission-focused helps organizations be more resilient and overcome change.
This week on The Mindset Zone:
From Stressed to Resilient and why Dr. G views stress differentlyThe brain’s three reflex reactions to change and it views all change as stressfulDeveloping mental strength and how to volume down the brain’s safety mechanismDeveloping the muscles of resilience and how good leaders approach organizational stressWhat resilience means to Dr. G and why it’s not a character traitDeveloping the skills necessary for navigating stressAn antidote to the Great Resignation and how being mission-driven can help organizations become more resilientBecoming change-competent through developing the eight resilience skills
The Guest:
Deborah Gilboa, M.D., is a resilience expert who helps families, organizations, and businesses identify the mindset and strategies that turn stress into an advantage. Dr. G works with groups across generations to rewire their attitudes and beliefs and create resilience through personal accountability. In addition to being a board-certified family physician, she is the author of From Stressed to Resilient: The Guide to Handle More and Feel It Less. As renowned for her contagious humor as she is for her expertise, Dr. G is regularly featured on TODAY, Good Morning America, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and other print and digital media outlets.
Resources Mentioned:
Book: The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want by Sonja LyubomirskyDoctor shares ways to turn stress into a beneficial advantage | Dr. G on the TODAY Show
Connect with Dr. G:
Ask Dr. GFrom Stressed to Resilient QuizBook: From Stressed to Resilient: The Guide to Handle More and Feel It LessDr. G on LinkedInDr. G on InstagramDr. G on FacebookDr. G on Twitter
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Oct 7, 2022 • 31min
Breakthrough in Career and Business with Pati Froyo
“The right questions open an environment and culture of discovery, trust, and collaboration. Through this culture, inclusivity happens.”
Pati Froyo
Pati joins me today to discuss how we can short-circuit mindset traps to break through in our careers and business. She shares how she took back her power in her career and explains the mind’s tendency to blame or act as a victim when faced with challenges.
She describes the kind of leaders all successful organizations have and how a culture of trust and collaboration fosters inclusion. Pati also highlights the power of curiosity and its impact on organizations and offers advice on fostering curiosity and a growth mindset.
This week on The Mindset Zone:
A meaningful breakthrough in Pati’s career
How Pati discovered the importance of leaning into curiosity and asking the right questions
How our mindset can enable or derail our careers and lives
Recognizing leaders’ confirmation and cognitive biases
The relationship between cognitive biases and systemic problems in companies and society
The power of fostering honest, genuine, intentional curiosity in organizations
How to cultivate curiosity and step into the growth mindset
Pati’s “Aha!” blueprint and the characteristics of a great executive coach
The Guest:
Pati Froyo is a speaker, executive coach, and intercultural leadership consultant dedicated to helping leaders create strategic breakthroughs in their careers and business. Before starting her executive coaching practice, Pati worked for ExxonMobil, a company where she held a broad range of global executive positions for over 30 years before her retirement in 2017. Pati graduated summa cum laude from the University of Miami with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Science.
Related Episode:
Happiness & Self-Care | Melinda Cohan Interviews Ana Melikian
Connect with Pati Froyo:
Pati Froyo Website
Pati Froyo on LinkedIn
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Sep 30, 2022 • 34min
Use STRESS to Your Advantage with Barry Shore
“STRESS means ‘stomach-turning reality, enabling self-success.’ Choice, not chance, determines your destiny. How you choose to respond to any given situation will help determine it.”
Barry Shore
Barry joins me today to discuss what STRESS means and how we can use it to our advantage. He reveals the gift of living a purpose-driven life and explains how to turn self-sabotage into self-success.
He outlines the three stressors of life and the essential principles of living joyfully. He offers advice to people who find themselves in a very dark place. Barry also highlights the power of making small perspective shifts, the impact of practicing breathing daily, and why we should all love dog POOP.
This week on The Mindset Zone:
Barry’s background and what living a purpose-driven life gives you
What it means to CREATE the world we live in
The most searched-for word on the Internet before COVID-19
The three stressors of life and how to use them to your advantage
Turning self-sabotage into self-success
Barry’s habit of swimming two miles a day
Being an ambassador of JOY in the world
What HOPE means and the two most powerful words in the English language
Learning to love dog POOP
The Guest:
Barry Shore is a mental wellness advocate, philanthropist, multi-patent-holding entrepreneur, speaker, and “Ambassador of JOY.” Barry is the author of The Joy of Living: How to Slay Stress and Be Happy and the host of The JOY of LIVING Podcast. As an entrepreneur, he has founded several enterprises, including ChangeBowl—a revolutionary fundraising platform listed among Oprah’s Favorite Things in OMagazine—and the Keep Smiling movement.
Connect with Barry Shore:
Barry Shore Website
The Joy of Living Podcast
Barry Shore on LinkedIn
Barry Shore on Instagram
Barry Shore on Facebook
Barry Shore on Twitter
Email: barry@barryshore.com
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Sep 23, 2022 • 34min
Human-Centered Innovation with Sue Bevan Baggott
“If you don’t spend enough time having experiences with people in the context of their lives, you don’t get an opportunity to go deeper and understand their true desires, motivations, and values.”
Sue Bevan Baggott
Sue joins me today to explore why understanding the lives of consumers and customers is key to successful innovation. She describes her experience at Pampers and how they innovated diaper products after deeply understanding their customers’ desires.
She outlines the three core dimensions of innovation, and the three levels of human experience organizations must learn to effectively innovate and design. Sue also highlights the power of empathetic connection and underscores how diversity drives innovation.
This week on The Mindset Zone:
Why organizations need to start with empathy when innovating
Innovating Pampers’ diaper design and the power of understanding customers at the human level
The three core dimensions of successful innovation
The story behind Apple’s miraculous innovation
Three levels of human experience organizations need to understand when innovating
How productivity tools can make us procrastinate
The messiness of innovation and how companies can avoid disruption
How leaders can nurture innovation in their companies
How empathetic connection and diversity can drive innovative breakthroughs
The Guest:
Sue Bevan Baggott is a speaker, strategy and innovation leader, angel impact investor, and board member with a proven track record of uncovering deep human insights that lead to impactful innovations and breakthrough business results. She is the founder of Power Within Consulting, a firm that empowers clients to accelerate business success by delivering human-centered, insight-driven business and innovation strategies. Sue graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and Biology from Lehigh University.
Connect with Sue Bevan Baggott:
Power Within Consulting
Sue Bevan Baggott on LinkedIn
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Sep 16, 2022 • 35min
Everything Is Connected with Neil Redding
“There is a fundamental way in which the world is connected, even if we don’t understand it intuitively.”Neil Redding
Neil joins us today to discuss the deep connectedness of the world and why being aware of that connection matters. He explains the power of words to create an emotional experience and how inclusive language can help us see the connection of everything in the world.
He discusses holistic integrated ecosystems and the value of seeing your business in the context in which it operates. He also describes examples of connectedness in nature and outlines the steps we can take towards creating a deeper understanding of our connection with each other and the world.
This week on The Mindset Zone:
Why it’s important to see that everything in the world is connectedHow the events of 2020 led Neil to his philosophy that the world is connectedHow thinking about issues in a systemic, global way can help us solve themSeeing connectedness in natureThe deep connectedness between particles and the universeThe human desire to make a dent in the universeDeveloping the power of words and languageBuilding the frameworks through which we can see the world as connected
The Guest:
Neil Redding is a speaker, author, and the Founder and CEO of Redding Futures, a boutique consultancy that enables brands and businesses to powerfully engage with the Near Future. A Near Futurist and Innovation Architect, Neil has spoken at several conferences including Creative Technology Week, Design+AI, and VRevolution. Before founding Redding Futures, Neil served in leadership roles at Mediacom, Proximity/BBDO, and ThoughtWorks, among others. He is also the editor of Near Future of Retail and the author of the forthcoming book, The Ecosystem Paradigm.
Resources mentioned:
Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System by Donella Meadows
Connect with Neil Redding:
Redding FuturesNeil Redding on LinkedInNeil Redding on Medium
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Sep 9, 2022 • 32min
Get Out of the Roundabouts of Life with Deborah Johnson
“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
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Sep 2, 2022 • 30min
Redefining Success with Sue Guiher
“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
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Aug 26, 2022 • 32min
The Earned Life with Marshall Goldsmith
“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
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Aug 19, 2022 • 30min
Beyond F.E.A.R. with Allison Aker Davis
“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
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