"Happiness is not just a state of mind. It’s a state of body.”JoAnna Brandi JoAnna joins me today to discuss how the positive spillover effect helps organizations build company cultures that employees and customers love being part of and how it’s built on strengths, values, and fun working environments. We discuss how stimulating and enriching company cultures help expand positivity beyond the office. We discuss the impact of positive company cultures on an organization’s revenue and how organizations can address adverse circumstances, like the COVID-19 pandemic, while maintaining a strong positive culture. We discuss how a company’s culture can impact creativity and innovation and how the COVID-19 pandemic has made organization leaders more aware of the need for empathy, compassion, and understanding in the workplace. We also discuss the importance of taking breaks, even when you’re ‘in the flow,’ and how organizations can cultivate positivity and high performance in the workplace. This week on The Mindset Zone: Understanding the positive spillover effectHow stimulating, enriching company cultures elevate employees and invite them to be the best they can beHow a positive work environment can impact a company’s bottom lineHow organizations can deal with ‘life’s curve balls’ while maintaining a positive company cultureThe difference between a positive company culture and toxic positivityHow younger organization leaders are infusing more positivity and happiness into the workplaceEffective ways to deal with negative or nervous energy to create space for positivityHow the pandemic made leaders become more aware that they needed to be more empathetic, compassionate, and understandingThe difference between reaction and response and the importance of ‘pressing the pause button’Understanding the importance of taking breaks, even when you’re ‘in the flow’How to cultivate positivity and high performance in your company’s cultureThe value of conducting an ‘Appreciation Audit” with your team The Guest: JoAnna Brandi is the President of Return on Happiness and the creator of the Practice of Positive Leadership course. She is a Certified Chief Happiness Officer through the Florida International University, a keynote speaker, a workshop facilitator, and a consultant serving a diverse group of clients in small and large organizations and in many different capacities, including as the Chief Inspiration Officer for CEOs, their executives, and staff nationwide. She is the author of several books, including Winning at Customer Retention, Building Customer Loyalty, and 54 Ways to Stay Positive. She is a highly rated speaker at conferences across North America, with workshops and keynote presentations that motivate entire organizations to get passionate about their customers and raise their “Positivity Ratios.” Resources Mentioned: Book: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl Connect with JoAnna Brandi: Return on HappinessSpecial Report: 12 Ways to Make Your Workplace a Happy PlacePractice of Positive Leadership CourseReturn on Happiness on FacebookReturn on Happiness on TwitterJoAnna Brandi on LinkedInJoAnna Brandi on Instagram Expand what's possible

“Sometimes we fall into the trap of becoming the things that we criticize. The things that we didn’t like we are doing to ourselves. That is when we become our own worst bosses.”Ana Melikian In this episode, Jordan Goldrich, the host of the Workplace Warrior Podcast, interviewed me about why entrepreneurs and corporate executives are often their own worst bosses. We discuss why I believe the pursuit of happiness often causes us to develop a ‘blind spot’ in our personal and professional lives, why happiness is a choice, and how you can confront your self-doubt and ‘inner gremlins’ so you can put it into perspective and allow your wiser inner self to step in. We discuss the 7 blind spots that make up the Happiness Fallacy, why happiness should be viewed as a spontaneous event instead of something you can force or will into action, and how we can create conditions in our lives to cultivate positive emotions. We discuss what it means to be a successful leader and the importance of embracing things that – at the surface – seem to be contradictory. We also discuss why I believe leaders often become their own worst boss and how we can still accomplish our goals without becoming our own worst critic. This episode was rebroadcast here at the Mindset Zone with explicit consent from Jordan Goldrich, the host of the Workplace Warrior Podcast. This week on The Mindset Zone: Choosing happiness instead of pursuing itConfronting your self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and ‘inner gremlins’Being aware of your inner critical voice so you can put it into perspective and press the pause buttonUnderstanding what Toxic Positivity isThe 7 blind spots of the Happiness FallacyCreating conditions to cultivate and allow happiness and positive emotions to thriveThe limitations of the mindset conceptWhy changing your mindset and way of thinking is not enough to achieve happinessThe core reason behind the Great ResignationIdentifying your purpose and what you stand for as a human beingMaking a positive impact and leaving a positive legacyWhat it really means to be a successful leaderBeing willing to embrace things that, at the surface, seem to be contradictoryThe connection between the Navy Seals Ethos and powerful leadershipWhen I believe leaders become their own worst bosses – and how to correct itWhy your ‘inner bully’ does not always have your best interests at heartHow to put your ‘inner bully’ in its place Bios: About Jordan Goldrich: Jordan is a Master Corporate Executive Coach, MCEC, who specializes in working with senior executives to be completely authentic, fulfill their mission, and drive results without damaging relationships. He is also the author of the Amazon best-seller, “Workplace Warrior: People Skills For the No-BullShit Executive” and host of the podcast Workplace Warrior: Drive Results Without Damaging Relationships® About Ana Melikian: Ana is an optimist who had to overcome two bouts with cancer to learn that pursuing happiness is a fallacy and that choosing happiness is a much more powerful strategy to tap into your highest 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 system so that they achieve better results than ever in work, in life, enjoying the process all throughout. She’s the host of the Mindset Zone Podcast which has been selected for Huffington Post’s “15 Podcasts That Will Leave You Pondering Life’s Big Questions.” Our Favorite Quotes: “We have our internal limitations which dictate how much happiness, how much abundance, how much success, how much love we’re allowed to feel. It’s a moment where you can make a choice.” - Jordan Goldrich“We can take charge, lead ourselves and the people that we work with, and accomplish our goals without bullying ourselves.” - Ana Melikian Resources Mentioned:

“We all have moments during the course of the day that we can address that very important topic of personal health.”Stacy Fritz Stacy joins me today to discuss how organizations can cultivate a culture of well-being in order to save lives and money. She shares her philosophy on how busy individuals can find the time to focus on their health and why a one-hour daily workout is not enough to reverse the effects of occupational or chronic sitting. We discuss the value of infusing fitness-focused micro-work breaks into your daily routine and ways you can incorporate them into your daily schedule. We also explain why organizations need to re-evaluate their idea of a corporate wellness strategy and reframe it to meet the needs of today’s post-pandemic workforce. This week on The Mindset Zone: How Stacey helps busy individuals improve their health and wellbeingStacey’s philosophy on managing your time to focus on your healthInfusing fitness-focused micro-work breaks into your daily routineShifting your mindset to address your personal healthThe effects of chronic sitting and why an hour of daily exercise is not enough to reverse the effectsHow to infuse micro-work breaks into your daily routineDeveloping a culture of well-being in the workplaceWhy organizations need to reframe the concept of corporate wellnessObtaining employee buy-in for your corporate wellness strategyChallenges that organizations face when trying to develop a culture of corporate wellnessHow COVID-19 has impacted the conversation around mental, physical, social, and emotional health The Guest: Stacy Fritz is the President and Founder of Fit2Order, LLC., a woman-owned corporate wellness company based in Towson, MD that specializes in offering at-work wellness solutions for the sedentary workforce. Her company serves clients at the local, regional, and national levels helping business owners, HR managers, and employees elevate their culture of well-being and support healthy, happy, and productive work lifestyles. Stacey is an E-RYT 500, ACE certified Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer, and an ACE Health Coach. She also serves on the Board of Advisors for the non-profit organization, Believe Big. As a 10-time marathon runner, triathlete, perpetual student, and a purveyor of all things that challenge potential and inspire healthy work cultures, Stacy is passionate about inspiring individuals, families, teams, and organizations to invest in their health through nutrition, movement, and stress management tools. Resources Mentioned: Apple: Stand Up! The Work Break TimerAndroid: Work Break- Break Reminder, Timer and SchedulerBelieve Big Connect with Stacy Fritz: Fit2OrderFit2Order Signature Exercise BandsFit2Order on LinkedInFit2Order on InstagramFit2Order on FacebookFit2Order on TwitterStacy Fritz on LinkedIn Expand what's possible

“It’s never too late to learn.”Jen Mott, Ed.D. Today, Jen joins me to talk about how she juggles her teaching job and her life as a circus performer. She explains how she got into the circus in the first place, noting the power of saying yes. She talks about the impact of the realization that you can be paid to do what you love. Jen discusses how being a circus performer has helped her communication skills, as well as how traveling has affected her life and journey. She explains how each of her jobs has affected the other positively, and she emphasizes the power of being open to finding the right choice in unexpected places. She notes that it’s never too late to learn, she defines the Say-Yes-And-Figure-It-Out-Later Mindset, and she shares the benefits of the student mindset. This Week on The Mindset Zone: The student mindsetThe power of saying yesHow traveling has affected Jen’s life and journeyBeing open to finding the right choice in unexpected placesWhy you’re not too old to learn moreThe Say-Yes-And-Figure-It-Out-Later MindsetThe benefits of the student mindset The Guest: Dr. Jen Mott has been with Cincinnati Circus Company since 2006 as a juggler, stilt-walker, balloon artist, and fire performer. During that time, she graduated with her undergraduate degree in Secondary Education for Spanish and completed her Master’s program in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Cincinnati.   Additionally, in 2020 Dr. Mott defended her dissertation on Teacher Perseverance research in order to complete a Doctorate in Leadership Studies at Xavier University. She has served as an Adjunct Instructor for the Educational Administration program there as well, teaching future educators leadership skills and capacity. While Cincinnati Circus Company has been her consistent weekend and summer job for nearly twenty years, Dr. Mott has continued to serve the students and staff of Greater Cincinnati in a variety of capacities.  She has been a Spanish teacher, ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) teacher, and most recently moved into school administration. For the past five years she has served as an Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Cincinnati area high schools and middle schools. In addition to her daily duties in the community that she serves, Dr. Mott has performed at a multitude of school and outside organization presentations. Specific topics most commonly presented about have included keynote presentations on how to Juggle Our Big Potential, and/or breakout workshops where participants get hands-on training on how to juggle and/or make balloon animals in an effort to bring levity to the workplace, teach unique skills, demonstrate that it's never too late to learn something new and encourage people to harness the potential within themselves. In her free time, Dr. Mott can be found planning trips, booking flights, and traveling across the country and internationally. Pre-pandemic she traveled to 10 countries on 40 flights in 2019 alone! She is passionate about adventure, new experiences & cultures, and continually learning along the journey. MCS Staff Opening Day 2021 Resources Mentioned: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-mott/Cincinnati Circus - https://www.cincinnaticircus.com/jen-mottYouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7agPtNlOvL5Be6iA5GnZTQInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/entertainingeducatorTwitter - https://www.twitter.com/entertainingeduFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/entertainingeducatorEmail - jenmott@theentertainingeducator.com Expand what's possible

“If you open your mind, there are lessons EVERYWHERE”Paul Daniels Jr. Paul joins me to share how he developed the concept of peripheral thinking, what it is, and the lessons we can learn from considering the periphery. We discuss how dyslexia has impacted his life, both personally and professionally, the unique set of ‘super skills’ that come naturally to people with dyslexia, and how non-dyslexic individuals can learn them. We discuss the difference between conventional thinking and peripheral thinking and how peripheral thinkers often look at a problem or circumstance through a different lens. Paul also shares an exercise you can do to achieve peripheral awareness and how it can help you strengthen your peripheral thinking skills. This Week on The Mindset Zone: How Paul developed the concept of peripheral thinkingThe set of ‘super skills’ that are innate to people with dyslexia and how non-dyslexic individuals can learn themThe difference between conventional thinking and peripheral thinkingKeeping your mind open to new – and different – possibilitiesThe core of innovationHow to develop your ‘super skill’ musclesAn exercise to achieve peripheral awarenessHow learning to tap into a positive state of mind helps you become more aware of your surroundings and possibilities The Guest: Paul Daniels Jr.is a keynote speaker, board advisor, and the Chief Revenue Officer at Intelligent Contacts, a communication and payment software company. He is also the founder and CEO of Peripheral Thinkers™, a collaborative think-tank for entrepreneurs and corporate leaders to learn, share, and apply lessons to propel their companies beyond obstacles to change the trajectory of industries worldwide. Paul is also a contributing author of the book: Peak Performance: Mindset Tools for Entrepreneurs. His influence as an executive, entrepreneur, advisor, inventor, author, and speaker spans 40 years, two dozen industries, 27 countries, and more than $2.3-billion in new annual revenue. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Advertising from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a degree in Strategy and Leadership from Harvard Business School. Resources Mentioned: PeripheralThinkers WebsitePaul Daniels Jr. WebsitePaul Daniels Jr. Speaking at your next event: https://www.pauldanielsjr.com/hold-the-date or www.pauldanielsjr.com/contactEmail: paul@pauldanielsjr.comPaul Daniels Jr. on LinkedIn Other Related Episodes: Focus to Succeed (with Omar Zenhom)Focus Without FocusUnfocus To Focus

“Often, people don’t take the time for self-care because they feel selfish, so they are always in the last bit of patience and the last piece of energy. When they start to recognize that by taking care of themselves, they have much more to give others, that is when the magic really starts to happen.”Ana Melikian In this episode, Melinda and I talk about how happiness and self-care go hand in hand. I point out that if we do not prioritize ourselves, we will never be our best selves, nor will we have enough to give others. We explore the research-based idea that the path to happiness is not sacrifice and self-denial. We point out that, as coaches, we need to lead by example and practice what we preach, and prioritizing ourselves, and our needs is at the top of the list. This Week on The Mindset Zone: How does self-care relate to happiness?What constitutes self-care, and why is it important?Choosing happiness even when everything is not going your wayHow choosing happiness opens up new possibilitiesThe consequences of denying self-careThe Happiness Fallacy This episode is a rebroadcast of an interview between Melinda and me that was previously aired on her podcast. This is done with explicit consent from the amazing team behind "Just Between Coaches." Let's support each other. Please follow their podcast wherever you are listening to this podcast. Here is the original episode with the show notes. About Melinda Cohan: Melinda Cohan is CEO of The Coaches Console, a seven-figure software, training, and coaching company that has helped more than fifty thousand coaches create profitable and thriving businesses. She is a systems expert helping coaches get over the tedious task of running their business and focus on what they love - the actual coaching of amazing clients! To make that possible, she created The Coaches Console, software that leverages the systems she created in her own coaching business -- for branding, list-building, marketing, enrolling clients, creating amazing client experiences, and more. All of that is integrated into one cohesive platform. She and her team blend coaching with training to help you create a clear and realistic path to sustainable results. In her book “The Confident Coach,” she shares her insider's view of the coaching industry: every kind of coach, every kind of business model, every kind of challenge and solution, and every shift in the coaching industry. She shares this insight with the audience so they can take the complexity out of their coaching business and confidently turn their passion and talent into a profitable business they love. Resources Mentioned: MiraseeCoaches ConsoleJust Between Coaches Podcast Expand what's possible!

“A community sits at the center of how we do this: how we go through life together and how we learn from other people’s stories, experiences, and ideas; how we tackle things that we didn’t think were possible; how we find meaning and purpose from being a part of something bigger than ourselves.”Gina Bianchini Today, Gina Bianchini joins me to talk about how to create thriving and successful communities. She explains why social media isn’t a community and offers her insight on how to identify a real community. She shares an example of a thriving community and explains why just about everything can be traced back to community. Gina discusses what it really means to be a social animal and talks about Mighty Networks, explaining what it is and why it’s needed. She points out that human beings aren’t one-size-fits-all, and neither should be communities. She also talks about the community formula. This Week on The Mindset Zone: Defining communityWhy social media is not a communityHow to identify a communityWhy it all comes back to communityWhat it means to be a social animalThe mission of Mighty NetworksThe community formula The Guest: Gina Bianchini is the Founder & CEO of Mighty Networks. Her mission at Mighty Networks is to usher in a new era of creative business built on community. Mighty serves “creators with a purpose” selling experiences, relationships, and expertise to their members via community, content, online courses, and subscription commerce–all offered in one place under the creator’s brand. Before Mighty Networks, Gina and Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen launched Ning, a pioneering global platform for creating niche social networks. Under her leadership, Ning grew to ~100 million people in 300,000 active social networks across subcultures, professional networks, entertainment, politics, and education. In addition to Mighty Networks, Gina serves as a board director of TEGNA (NYSE: TGNA), a $3 billion dollar broadcast and digital media company, and served as a board director of Scripps Networks (NASDAQ: SNI), a $12 billion dollar public company which owns HGTV, The Food Network, and The Travel Channel that merged with Discovery Communications in 2018. Gina and Mighty Networks have been featured in Fast Company, Wired, Vanity Fair, Bloomberg, and The New York Times. She has appeared on Charlie Rose, CNBC, and CNN. She grew up in Cupertino, California, graduated with honors from Stanford University, started her career in the nascent High Technology Group at Goldman, Sachs & Co., and received her M.B.A. from Stanford Business School. Resources Mentioned: Connect with Gina Bianchini on LinkedIn Learn more about Mighty Networks HERE Slow AF Run Club Expand what's possible!

“Every company is in the wellness business, whether they know it or not.” Jennifer Norman Today, Jennifer joins me to talk about beauty. She defines what it means to be beautiful and explains why she started The Human Beauty Movement. Jennifer notes the importance of creating good role models and safe spaces, and she emphasizes the power of self-care. She offers her thoughts on B Corp and shares the triple bottom line of running a business well. She also shares the story behind her SuperCaptainBraveMan series, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and the need to encourage asking questions. This Week on The Mindset Zone: All about The Human Beauty MovementThe importance of creating better role models and safe spacesThe importance of self-careJennifer’s thoughts on B-CorpsThe triple bottom line of running a businessThe SuperCaptainBraveManWhy we need to normalize asking questions The Guest: Jennifer Norman possesses over 20 years of marketing, management, and leadership experience in consumer products, beauty care, and natural products industries. Her work experience ranges from major brands such as L'Oreal, Victoria's Secret, and Neutrogena to premium indie brands such as Stila Cosmetics, Honest Beauty and Derma E. Jennifer is passionate about diversity appreciation, humanitarianism, and inspiring others to be their most exceptional selves. In her most recent move, she has founded The Human Beauty Movement and Humanist Beauty to foster radical inclusion and people/planet wellness in the beauty/lifestyle industries. Additionally, Ms. Norman is the author and publisher of the award-winning children's picture book series The Adventures of SuperCaptainBraveMan, which promotes early-age friendship, kindness, and understanding of individuals presenting physical or neurological differences. Resources Mentioned: Connect with Jennifer on LinkedInThe Human Beauty MovementHumanist BeautySuperCaptainBraveManWeTheChangeB-Corp Expand what's possible!

“It’s not the fear that matters; it’s what you do when you are scared that matters.”Kim Campbell Today, Kim joins me to share her story and what she’s learned from it. She shares why she decided to become a fighter pilot and talks about her experience as one of the few female fighter pilots at the time. Kim talks about when her airplane was hit by a missile over Baghdad, sharing what it was like in the moment and what she took from the experience afterward. She talks about the importance of a wingman and explains why we need a wingman culture. She defines the fighter pilot mindset, and she shares her thoughts on the power of small acts of courage. She points out that it’s easy to blame an individual when someone goes wrong, but it’s the leader’s job to set the precedent of tracking down and learning from the problem’s root cause. She also discusses the importance of showing the human side of leadership. This Week on The Mindset Zone: Stories of a fighter pilotThe importance of a wingman cultureThe power of small acts of courageTracking down the root cause of a problemHaving the courage to show the human side of leadership The Guest: Kim “KC” Campbell is a retired Air Force Colonel who served in the Air Force for 24 years as a fighter pilot and senior military leader. She has flown 1,800 hours in the A-10 Warthog, including more than 100 combat missions protecting troops on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2003, Kim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism after successfully recovering her battle-damaged airplane after an intense close air support mission in Baghdad. Kim is a distinguished graduate from the United States Air Force Academy. As a Marshall Scholar, she earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of London and a Master of Arts in International Security Studies from the University of Reading in England. Kim’s Air Force assignments include leadership roles as a Group Commander, responsible for over 1,000 Air Force personnel in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Kim also served as the Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, advising the number three civilian official in the Department of Defense on national security and defense policy issues. She also served as the Air Force Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, a pre-eminent think tank promoting international leadership and engagement. During her time as a fellow, Kim participated in strategy sessions with ministers of defense, military leaders, and CEOs. Most recently, Kim served as the Director, the Center for Character and Leadership Development at the Air Force Academy, responsible for the professional development of faculty and staff and reinforcing character and leadership programs within the 4,000-member Cadet Wing. Resources Mentioned: Connect with Kim: website | LinkedIn | Victory StrategiesSubscribe to Kim's YouTube ChannelLearn more about her at Wikipedia Video #RedrawTheBalance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJP1zPOfq_0 Other Related Episodes: The Courage Mindset with CB Bowman Expand what's possible!

“Mindfulness is not about stopping anything. There’s no stopping. It’s just noticing our thoughts—with compassion, with non-judgment.” Harriet Stein   Today, Harriet joins me to share her story and talk about what she does. She explains why mindfulness is for you—even if you don’t think so. We talk about the concept of monkey mind, and she urges you to take control of your mind. She emphasizes the importance of avoiding multitasking, and she discusses why your relationship with the past is probably determining too many of your actions and perspectives. She explains what beginner’s mind is, and she distinguishes between planning and worrying. Finally, she notes the hallmarks of mindfulness.     This Week on The Mindset Zone: ● Harriet’s story● Why mindfulness is for you● Monkey mind● Taking control of your mind● Deciding not to multitask● Our relationship with the past● Beginner’s mind● Planning vs worrying● Compassion and letting go   The Guest: Harriet Stein understands the unique challenges that businesses face today. An inspirational teacher and professional speaker, Harriet is passionate about speaking to organizations of all sizes about how a culture of mindfulness can reduce stress, increase performance, lower healthcare costs, and boost morale. Harriet’s Mindfulness programs teach essential skills through hands-on instruction that provides practical tools for achieving a more fulfilling and productive life. Harriet is the creator of Take a Pause, the award-winning international Mindfulness training program that won first place in Impact on the Organization and second place in Innovation and Creativity at Sindusfarma’s Boomerang Awards, which recognize the best-in-class training and development programs in the pharmaceutical industry in Brazil. She has extensive experience teaching Mindful practices and strategies at Fortune 500 companies to improve corporate culture. During her tenure at Johnson & Johnson, she used her expertise and passion to directly instruct more than 5,000 worldwide employees on the practice of Mindfulness through engaging presentations and at leadership summits. Mixing research and science with levity and fun, Harriet’s proven strategies teach tangible ways to live in the present and be accessible, both professionally and personally. Learn how to reduce stress and create space in your life to accomplish what you want to achieve – more creativity, more efficiency, or just a better night’s sleep! Harriet’s first teacher was Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and she completed extensive professional training at the Myrna Brind Center for Mindfulness at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. This advanced training, interwoven with her background as a Registered Nurse and her Master of Science degree in Health Administration, is foundational to the compassion and purpose she brings to her Mindfulness teaching and practice.     Resources Mentioned: Harriet’s LinkedIn BigToeInTheWater.com Book recommendation: Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn   Other Related Episodes: The Power of Restart!   Expand what's possible!