Typology

Loneliness. Brokenness. The desire to belong. These are feelings we all share.  But how do these emotions inhibit you from living as your most authentic self? So often we forget that true belonging can only arise when we “accept that brokenness is beautiful” and embrace our own story. That’s where the true treasure lies.  This week, Bonnie Gray and I talk about finding identity in a culture of loneliness, making peace with her difficult past, and the transformation she’s experienced by embracing the narrative she ran away from for so long. We explore her journey of self-discovery and end up challenging Bonnie to be curious about whether or not she’s truly an Enneagram 7.

In the studio today, we welcome Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists.   They've been featured in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and of course, they have their own podcast. Their popular documentaries Minimalism and Less is Now are featured on Netflix and now they’ve got a brand new book that you have got to read.  We have a great conversation about clearing the clutter to make room for what’s actually important and how understanding your Enneagram type ties into their philosophy on minimalism.  You’re going to love this show.

Wouldn’t it be great if you had an arsenal of conversation starters for the young adults in your life?  Today’s guest, Dr. Kara E. Powell joins me for an important conversation on how to best communicate with teenagers and young adults.  We explore the 3 pivotal questions to ask young adults and share strategies for developing better, more life-giving answers to those questions.  In their new book, Dr. Kara Powell and Brad Griffin offer 300 conversation starters and connection ideas that are crucial not only for young people to be able to answer but also for our own development and personal growth as adults. Listen as we weave the role of the Enneagram throughout the conversation then share this episode with your friends and family. And as a special offer, visit https://3bigquestionsbook.com/typology to get 40 additional conversation starters PLUS a free chapter of 3 Big Questions to help better connect with teenagers and young adults.    

Darren Tyler, Founder of Conduit Church and Operation Freedom, discusses the power of the Enneagram in personal and organizational growth. He shares how embracing his feelings has transformed his relationships with family, especially in nurturing his wife and kids. The conversation delves into the fears faced by Enneagram Fives, balancing emotional and intellectual pursuits, and the impact of technology on mental well-being. With inspiring anecdotes from his humanitarian work, Tyler highlights the importance of vulnerability and meaningful connections.

With over 40 years in law enforcement, Mike Alexander, MA, C.I.S.M. is a principal partner at LION Strategy Group which focuses on leadership development, healthy work environments, officer wellness, ethics, and emotional intelligence.  He also sits on the Board of the Enneagram Narrative Tradition and brings his knowledge to organizations and law enforcement agencies across the U.S.  This conversation with Mike is chock-full of wisdom and incredible insight about somatic work, the vacillation between phobic and counterphobic, and what it means to truly discover our whole self and capitalize on the great gifts we each bring to the table.  Not only do we discuss the importance of workforce behavioral interventions and the role self-awareness plays in building healthy relationships with employees or coworkers, but he also describes how the Enneagram saved his life and marriage.

We received such a great response from all of you after our last mailbag episode, that we’re doing it again! Today, Anthony pulls a few more audience questions from the bag for me to answer. If you love what you’re hearing from the mail bag, you can experience Q&A with me LIVE on our next Town Hall for Typology Institute members. Members get to ask their questions live and the answers end up facilitating great follow up conversations that we just can’t do on this show.  It's truly a great time!   If you’d like to join the next Town Hall, just visit typologyinstitute.com/membership to sign up.

Whether you’ve known your type for years or just can’t seem to nail it down, typing is not always easy. The Enneagram can be complicated and really uncovers the complexities of the human personality.   Today’s guest, actress, producer, and director Brooklyn Sudano joins me for a fun and revealing conversation about her struggle to identify her type.  So, we spend the whole show trying to tease out her type.   You’ll hear the kind of conversation that can happen when someone is struggling to figure out their type and how phrasing specific questions can help in the typing process.    Brooklyn Sudano is an American Actress, vocalist, producer and director, from Los Angeles, California.  She can currently be seen in season 1 of the series Cruel Summer, Freeform’s dramatic series chronicling the chilling story of a girl who vanishes and another who mysteriously takes over her life.  Brooklyn starred opposite Clive Standen and Jennifer Beals in NBC’s Taken, a series adaptation of the film franchise.  She has also appeared in HBO’s Ballers opposite Dwayne Johnson and Andy Garcia; Hulu’s miniseries 11.22.63 opposite James Franco and Chris Cooper; and the Lifetime Original Movie, With This Ring opposite Regina Hall, Jill Scott, and Eve. Brooklyn made her television debut as Vanessa on the ABC sitcom, My Wife and Kids and has subsequently made numerous guest starring appearances on shows like CSI: NY, Without A Trace, Body of Proof, S#*! My Dad Says and 90210.  Her film credits include 5 Star Day, Crew 2 Crew, Sinners & Saints, Alone in the Dark 2, Rain and Somebody Help Me. Possessing star qualities that are apparent both on and off-screen, Brooklyn is the daughter of the legendary Donna Summer and singer-song-writer, Bruce Sudano, and sister of Amanda Sudano Ramirez of the music duo Johnnyswim.

What does it look like when a young entrepreneur discovers his Enneagram type and commits to doing his work and encourages his team to do the same? Today’s guest, co-founder of New Story Charity, Brett Hagler gives a clear picture of how powerful the Enneagram is as a tool for self-growth.  In this episode you learn: How self-awareness positively impacts leadership   What the difference is between a spiritual director and a therapist The gradation of wings and why you should bring them into balance And, you’ll hear how establishing his own rules of life helps keep Brett focused on what matters most while still making a huge impact in the world. You can find more on Brett and New Story here.  

This week, Former Governor of Tennessee, Bill Haslam returns to the show.  This time we talk about his new book, The Promise and the Peril of Faith in the Public Square, turning his attention inward to matters of the soul since his term ended, and what he’s learning about himself as an Enneagram 3.   Bill Haslam is the former two-term mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee, and former two-term governor of Tennessee, reelected in 2014 with the largest victory margin of any gubernatorial election in Tennessee history. During his tenure, Tennessee became the fastest improving state in the country in K-12 education and the first state to provide free community college or technical school for all of its citizens, in addition to adding 475,000 net new jobs. Haslam serves on the boards of Teach for America and Young Life. In the fall of 2019, Haslam became a visiting professor of political science at Vanderbilt University. He and his wife of thirty-eight years, Crissy, have three children and nine grandchildren.

“Mental health is health. We all have it. We can ignore it. We can mistreat it. We can take care of it. No matter what though, we can't deny that it exists.” This was Ryan Casey Waller’s response when I asked about his new book, “Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About.” This opened the door to a great, shame-free discussion about mental health and overcoming the stigma that often goes along with it.   Ryan Casey Waller is a psychotherapist, pastor, lawyer, and, according to his book, a co-sufferer.  In this episode we explore the: Experience that triggered his own journey towards healing Importance of mental health and seeking help when it is needed How he’s using the self-knowledge gained from the Enneagram to manage his own mental health. My hope is that this episode will highlight how complex each of us is, how our needs and desires differ, and why it’s important to avail ourselves of the multitude of resources available for healing.