MINDSET ZONE

“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

"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: