Typology

Enneagram Threes focus on outstanding performance, being perceived as successful, and avoiding failure at all costs. They believe that love comes from achievement, image, and status and have the tendency to neglect or ignore the personal needs of self and others. But when Threes move toward health, they move to the high side of Six.  When that happens, they no longer need to “drive the bus” or flaunt success. They are so good at helping others live to their full potential and be successful in their own right and not have it be all about their own success. In this episode, Lisa Whelchel discusses her journey toward being a healthy Three.  Listen in as she touches on her subtypes, how she identifies her True Self, and how the Enneagram has impacted her life as an introverted Type 3 with a 2 wing.   Lisa is an actress, author, international speaker, and life coach. Perhaps best known for her starring role as Blair Warner on NBC’s “The Facts of Life” for nine years, she’s also the author of “Creative Correction,” which has sold over 200,000 copies and has written more than a dozen books.  Currently, Lisa is a certified CoActive Life Coach and focuses most of her time these days coming alongside others on their transformational journey to remembering their True Self. For more information please visit www.LisaWhelchel.com and www.ContigoLifeCoach.com.

Have you ever wondered why you like sad music, find comfort or inspiration in a rainy day, or react intensely to music, art, nature, and beauty?  If so, you may identify with the bittersweet state of mind.  Bestselling author Susan Cain joins Anthony and I in a deep exploration of the important topic of bittersweet. She explains that “as humans, we enter this world with a sense of longing and separation from a more perfect and beautiful world. We come into the world with this knowledge and with these kinds of holy tears, you could call them, and this is one of the best and most beautiful things about us, the fact that we feel this [..], the fact of wanting to glimpse it and occasionally glimpsing it is that that's actually the secret fuel behind our creativity and our capacity for love.”  Tune in for this incredible conversation that puts words to the pining and longing of Enneagram Fours.    Susan Cain is the author of the bestsellers Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Can’t Stop Talking, which spent eight years on the New York Times best seller list and has been translated into 40 languages. Susan’s TED talks have been viewed over 40 million times. LinkedIn named her the Top 6th Influencer in the World, just behind Richard Branson and Melinda French Gates. Susan partners with Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant and Dan Pink to curate the Next Big Idea Book Club. They donate all their proceeds to children’s literacy programs.

Some of my favorite interviews on Typology happen when a guest comes on thinking they’re one type but they present differently. Today is one of those conversations. We start the show by talking to author, speaker, and social media personality, Carlos Whittaker, exploring how he determined his type and what struck him the most about being an Enneagram 9. Not long into our conversation, we begin to unravel the lines between Enneagram 3s, 6s, and 9s and dig into a brief typing interview. It’s an engaging conversation you don’t want to miss. We also pivot to talk about his new book, ​How to Human: Three Ways to Share Life Beyond What Distracts, Divides, and Disconnects​, where Carlos shares the transformative power of embracing human connection and learning to navigate difficult things with a little more grace. To learn more about Carlos and his new book, visit his website ​here​. Listen ​now​ on your favorite podcast player.

When human language can no longer carry the freight of an idea or a spiritual truth, you have to default to metaphor or to another language that can do that job. That language might be sculpture, film, music, or art…whatever medium can express things that discursive analytical language cannot. No other Enneagram type can match the Enneagram Four’s creative gift for giving language to ideas others of us can’t find words for. Today’s guests, Craig Lamar Brown and Andrea Summer share how they used their strengths to inspire others to find common ground and have healthy conversations about race, gentrification, and interracial dating in the church through their new movie, Between Mercy and Me.   Tune in as we unpack the challenges they faced while working together, how and why Fours can self-destruct, and using art as an outlet for processing emotions. 

Let’s face it, relationships are complicated.  But the more you know about yourself and your partner, the easier it is to communicate and navigate conflict. This week, Mike Alexander, Enneagram Six returns along with his wife, Enneagram One, and psychotherapist Cheryl, for a powerful conversation about the dynamics of their relationship and their own journey of healing within their types.  We dig into a few of the challenges they face and learn how figuring out the inner workings of themselves and each other helped salvage their marriage. You don't want to miss this powerful conversation.   ----- ABOUT MIKE  Mike Alexander is a nationally recognized expert in ethics, integrity, leadership development, and coaching. This specialty began and flourished during his 41-year career in law enforcement and has defined the years following his retirement from service. Through the U.S. Department of Justice Community Policing Divisions, the thirty-six (36) Regional Community Policing Institute, the Multi-jurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training Center, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, the Texas Municipal League, the International Law Enforcement Administration, and the Texas Police Chiefs Association, the Carruth Policing Institute, he has traveled the nation training officers and community members on leadership development, ethics and integrity. In 1999, he founded the LION Leadership Institute, with workshops focused on leadership engagement, employee wellness, cost of conflict, psychological safety, emotional intelligence, healthy work environments, and socialization. He is currently working as an adjunct professor and leadership and curriculum development consultant with Austin Community College. Instagram: @thelion_institute LinkedIn: @thelion-organizational-development-instituteTwitter: @LION_Institute  Facebook: @thelion.institute    ABOUT CHERYL Cheryl is a native Texan, born in Waco, Texas, and reared in San Antonio, Texas.  She is the daughter of the late LC and Dorothy Christman. She has one sister, Debbie Grady.  Cheryl lived in San Antonio, Texas, until she graduated from Incarnate Word High School.  After graduating from high school, she attended Southwest Texas State University (now known today as Texas State University) in San Marcos, Texas, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a master’s degree in School Psychology with a minor in Special Education. She is currently working on her dissertation for the Ph.D. Marriage and Family Counseling program at Northwestern University. She worked 13 years in the law enforcement field as a prison guard, an adult probation officer, and a Texas Youth Commission parole officer. She worked  22 years in the education field … 15 years as a school counselor.  She is currently in private practice as a Christian Licensed Professional Counselor at  Plan C Consultation and Counseling Services.

Whether we’re watching it play out on social media or experiencing it in our relationships and workplaces, all of us know someone who is addicted to drama.  But how do you recognize a drama addiction in yourself or others?  And once you recognize it, how do you break the cycle and live more peacefully? Today on Typology, clinical psychologist Scott Lyons, Ph.D., reveals how he learned to navigate generations of trauma and identifies what a drama addiction is.   “Like all addictions, it is looking at how do we fill the void? How do we prevent further pain? How do we fill the void? And when you have a void, you don't exist. There isn't a sense of existence on this plane.  So you fill it with things that give you a sense of aliveness or purpose,” explains Dr. Lyons.  Tune in to hear his advice on how to break free from the damaging effects of living lives consumed by chaos.  Follow @typologypodcast on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.  -- ABOUT SCOTT LYONS, Ph.D. Dr. Scott Lyons is a holistic psychologist and educator. As a renowned body-based trauma expert, Doctor of Osteopathy and Mind-Body Medicine specialist, Scott helps people to break free of cycles of pain, limited beliefs, and trauma. Scott is an innovator in transformative wellness and trauma therapy, teaching over half a million people internationally over the past twenty years how to relieve stress and restore vitality. Scott has worked with many of the country’s top leaders and CEOs as an executive coach and wellness consultant. Scott is the creator of The Embody Lab—the largest online learning platform for body-based trauma therapies—and developer of Somatic Stress ReleaseTM, a holistic process of restoring biological resilience taught in over 20 countries. Scott is also the founder and progressive designer of Omala, a wellness brand dedicated to creating sustainably sourced tools for transformation. Find Dr. Lyons online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and website  

What roadblocks keep you from reaching your true potential? How can you shift your mindset to find true inspiration and fulfillment?  CEO of SelfHelp(ful) and host of the SelfHelp(ful) podcast, Kevin Miller believes the key to motivation is understanding what it is that you truly value.  “If it wasn’t anybody else, if it was just for you, what do you really want, that you can own?” asks Kevin. For a lot of people, when they really become clear on that value, they find it bumps against their existing lifestyle or relationships, and that’s hard. But getting to the core of what drives you, and why, is what leads to personal and professional success and fulfillment. Kevin Miller is a former pro cyclist and founder of 19 businesses, with a common thread and devotion throughout all he’s done to enhance personal performance and live an inspired life. Today he is CEO of Self-Helpful, Inc., a personal development organization which curates and produces self-help content. Kevin hosts the Self-Helpful podcast (Glassbox Network), which has over 60 million downloads and is routinely visited by today’s most influential changemakers. His book, What Drives You (McGraw Hill, May 16, 2023) challenges today’s myths on “driven people” and serves as a guide for clarity and conviction in what you authentically value and are motivated by.  To learn more about Kevin, listen to the Selfhelp(ful) podcast, or pick up a copy of his new book, What Drives You: How to Discover Your Unique Motivators and Accelerate Growth in Work and Life.

Last week David Gungor shared his struggle in determining his type, how he embraces his “chaotic intentionality,” and what it means to need others to “get out of his face.”  Today we continue the conversation using the Enneagram to help Enneagram Eights grow in self-awareness through spiritual practices and leaning into the people they do trust to gain true intimacy.   David Gungor is a member of The Brilliance, the American worship music duo of David Gungor and John Arndt. The band started making music in 2010 under the Integrity Music label.  Their latest album was “All is Not Lost” released in January 2017. David is also an associate pastor at Trinity Grace Tribeca. For more information about David, visit www.thebrilliancemusic.com  

Enneagram Eights are called The Challenger for a good reason.  Eights don’t like to feel controlled and avoid any appearance of vulnerability.  They are naturally confrontational and their combative energy can feel intimidating to others.  But what feels like intimidation to others actually feels like connection to an Eight.  Eights express their anger freely, are fueled by high levels of stimulation, and react very strongly against challenging injustices.  And, as you’ll hear from our guest, David Gungor, the “circle of trust” is small but tight. So what does it sound like when an Eight acknowledges their weakness or vulnerability? What does it look like when you break through that tough exterior? Listen to today’s replay from Season 1 as David Gungor shares his struggle in determining his type, how he embraces his “chaotic intentionality,” and what it means to need others to “get out of his face.” David Gungor is a member of The Brilliance, the American worship music duo of David Gungor and John Arndt. The band started making music in 2010 under the Integrity Music label.  Their new album was “All is Not Lost” released in January 2017. David is also an associate pastor at Trinity Grace Tribeca. For more information about David, visit www.thebrilliancemusic.com

The Enneagram is complex and dynamic and is itself, this act of self-curiousity, a portal to growth. With that in mind, how do we use it in an intentional way to achieve more integration and balance in our lives? In today’s episode, we dial into the importance of Stances with Enneagram master Dr. Jerome Wagner. Stances are a way that we move through the world in order to get our needs met, but “they can also be a defensive strategy so they work in both ways,” says Dr. Wagner, “They protect us and get us what we need.” Dr. Wagner provides a comprehensive explanation of the Hornevian Stances and how we can use this knowledge to consciously adapt to life’s circumstances in a manner that best serves ourselves and others. ----- Dr. Jerome “Jerry” Wagner, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, supervisor, consultant in private practice, and emeritus faculty member in the Department of Psychology and Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University, Chicago. As one of the earliest students of the Enneagram in the United States, Dr. Wagner has been researching and teaching the Enneagram since 1980 and began the Enneagram Spectrum Training and Certification Program in 1995. He has presented Enneagram workshops for business consultants and coaches, human resource directors, counselors, therapists, spiritual directors, educators, and personal growth audiences throughout the United States and in Canada, England, Spain, Finland, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Africa. His books, Nine Lenses on the World: the Enneagram Perspective and The Enneagram Spectrum of Personality Styles: an Introductory Guide, 25th Anniversary Edition are both available through Amazon.com.