Mark speaks with Daphne E. Jones , author of Win When They Say You Won't: Break Through Barriers and Keep Leveling Up Your Success. Together we explore what it’s like to grow up as a black woman and forge oneself into a career leader. Daphne details her experience as a young black girl in Illinois forging mental toughness and determination to form her own reality. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Daphne E. Jones, author of Win When They Say You Won't: Break Through Barriers and Keep Leveling Up Your Success. In the episode, Daphne details her experience as a young black girl in Illinois forging mental toughness and determination to form her own reality. Today, Daphne E. Jones has 30+ years of experience in general management and executive level roles at IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Hospira, and General Electric. Key Takeaways: “That’s your belief, not mine.” Daphne was told by her career counselor that black girls don’t successfully make it in college and that she should instead go to secretary school. She followed his advice, but today she’s a corporate board member and has held leadership positions at several Fortune 500 companies. Daphne’s 4-step process for change. EDIT stands for Envision, Design, Iterate, and Transform. Through her experience at IBM for several years, Daphne details her process for creation & iteration in life and business for ultimate success & improvement. The will of a mother’s mind. Daphne shares how her mother’s mental training through childhood was the driving force for her to believe in herself and defy all the odds in her career as a black woman. We are all worthy of a mentor. For many, like Daphne, reaching out for support and seeking a mentor can seem intimidating. But when you ask yourself if you would give someone else support… don’t you think other people would be happy to give you theirs?

Mark speaks with Colin O’Brady, New York Times bestselling author and ten-time world record breaking athlete. Colin details his journey from a tragic fire accident at age 22, to realizing what he calls his “potential mindset,” to breaking ten world records & starting a 12-hour walk world movement. His new book is now out, titled, The 12-Hour Walk: Invest One Day, Conquer Your Mind, and Unlock Your Best Life. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Colin O’Brady, New York Times bestselling author and ten-time world record breaking athlete. In this episode, Colin shares the incredible story of at 22 being told he’d never walk normally again – to breaking 10 world records by leveraging the power of his mind and heart. Colin also details his new obsession: helping others tap into their own “potential mindset” by walking 12-hours in a single day, the inspiration for his new book, The 12-Hour Walk. Key Takeaways: A walk can change everything. Colin shares how a simple idea sparked out of lockdown turned into a worldwide movement and the focus of his new book: The 12-Hour Walk. It changed him and his priorities, and brought him back to the blissful feeling of “infinite love.” From barely walking to record-breaking. After a tragic accident in Thailand and at his lowest point, Colin shares the story of his mother instilling in him a “possible” mindset, which helped him envision (and achieve) completing a triathlon after being told he’d never walk normally again. Spoiler: he won first place… and then broke 12 records. Kokoro and flow state. Colin and Mark connect deeply on the merging of the heart and mind (Kokoro) - and the awakening taking place that’s cracking open the hearts of leaders to find flow & even greater success. Coming together makes us all better. From losing friends on one record attempt to competing with Spec Ops veterans in another, Colin shares his unique perspective on the power of community & friendly competition to bring out the best in all of us. Hooyah.

Mark speaks with Linda Yates, founder and CEO of Mach49, the leading growth incubator for global businesses. Linda is a seasoned CEO with over 25 years of experience creating global strategy and driving innovation for large multinationals around the world. She is also the author of the newly released book THE UNICORN WITHIN: How Companies Can Create Game-Changing Ventures at Startup Speed. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Linda Yates, CEO of Mach49, the leading growth incubator for global businesses and author of THE UNICORN WITHIN. In this episode, Linda discusses the impact that global businesses can have in creating exciting, creative, and sustainable environments for their employees to drive true innovation for a better tomorrow… by developing their own “unicorn” from within their organization. Key Takeaways: Building for the future of humanity. From her “Greenest Home in America” to her Global 1,000 venture projects, Linda shares her passion for sustainability & innovation and how even the biggest companies can be nimble and think long-term. Creative, but don’t like risk? You’re in luck! Linda details how Mach49, her venture development company, helps the world’s largest companies start, grow, and sustain internal innovation centers where employees can flex their entrepreneurial spirit, in safety. Start with your customer’s pain. Mark and Linda discuss the innovation cycle starting not with the surveying ideas… but surveying pain points and building solutions to address them. The Unicorn Within. Linda’s new book is a manual for Fortune 500 and SMB companies alike on how to build a venture center within your own organization, no matter the size. This allows Mach29’s innovation secrets to reach the masses and create sustainable change in all arenas and sectors of business.

Mark speaks with Roger L. Martin, a 40-year trusted adviser to CEOs of some of the world’s top companies and author of A NEW WAY TO THINK: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness. After watching the dominant models of management fail leaders time and again, Roger became passionate about helping leaders and businesses think differently and ditch old models for new ones in the ways of management, culture, and competition. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Roger L. Martin, best-selling author of A NEW WAY TO THINK: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness where he urges leaders to toss out the old ways of thinking, and instead try new models in every domain of management. In the episode, Roger shares his expertise and rich experience working with the world’s most powerful CEOs and businesses to rethink how they think. Key Takeaways: Create like a designer. Today’s markets require less structure and more culture. A culture of creation and designing, which requires employees and leaders to think of new possibilities constantly. This is the way of the future. Be ready to pivot, like a SEAL. The elite teams and business leaders all think similarly – they know that plans are only temporary and the real work comes when they get into the field. Real leadership requires agility & trust in your team to create the next answers. Imagination, visualization, and clarity. Mark and Roger connect on how the SEALs use imagery to ensure the team has a collective vision of how the operation will work. By using imagery, visualization is possible, and cohesion is achieved. The best leaders attack VUCA; they don’t wait. Roger shares his angst for leaders that wait for VUCA to disappear to act, which Mark agrees makes for a block in information and productivity. Instead, act amidst VUCA to attain information more quickly. Expect to fail, and iterate.

Mark speaks with Tony Nader, MD, PhD, Dr. Nader, a globally recognized expert in the science of consciousness and human development who is the head of the Transcendental Meditation organizations globally. Tony is an MIT and Harvard trained doctor and neuroscientist and the author of The One Unbounded Ocean of Consciousness, through which he brings the science of consciousness to new audiences and expands the understanding of the relationship between mind and body, consciousness and physiology, and the possibility to development full human potential. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Tony Nader, MD, PhD, global expert in the science of consciousness and human development and head of the Transcendental Meditation organizations globally. In the episode, Tony shares the science of consciousness and the relationship between mind and body, consciousness and physiology, and the possibility to develop full human potential. Key Takeaways: Transcendental Meditation as an inner and outer practice. The reality is many Westerners think of meditation as an internal-only practice and therefore avoid it at all costs. Transcendental Meditation (TM), which Dr. Nader champions in the West, is instead both an internal and external practice, used to create more harmony in our real world lives. The survey says… meditate! Tony shares how TM has created research-backed results in both physical and mental realms. For instance, TM practitioners experience increased mental clarity, peace, and happiness, as well as less physiological stress, better healing and ability to concentrate - even (get this) better behavior! Ultimate reality and… rock consciousness? Tony details how TM allows practitioners to experience ultimate reality, which is the experience of all consciousness, everything, as one. Oh, and that includes rocks, which also hold consciousness, albeit of lower values than us humans. Less than 1% to heal the world. Studies have shown, including an experiment done in Washington, D.C., that when less than 1% of a population come together and practice Transcendental Meditation, there are cosmic shifts in the overall population behaviorally and mentally. Less car crashes, less violence, crime, and so on. TM is quite literally changing the world, by bringing us into harmony with the all-encompassing oneness of everything.

Mark speaks with Michael “Punky” Higgs and Dr. Martin Polanco of The Mission Within, a clinical program specializing in treating mTBI, PTSD, anxiety, and depression that has supported over 600 special operations veterans. After witnessing the transformative power of psychedelics, Michael and Martin became passionate about bringing the healing modalities to vets and their loved ones. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Michael “Punky” Higgs and Dr. Martin Polanco of The Mission Within, a 6-week psychedelic therapy program for Special Operations vets based in Mexico. In the episode, Michael and Martin share personal and scientific testimony of the impact psychedelics are having on our vets and their loved ones. Key Takeaways: Drugs to bring us together. Psychedelics like DMT act on a receptor that normally help us differentiate ourselves from others. The effect is we lose track of where we end and the rest of the world begins, which helps create greater cohesion and communion in our world. DMT is already within you. Since psychedelic compounds DMT and 5-MeO-DMT are neurotransmitters, our bodies seem to be wired to have these connected, unifying psychedelic experiences. The caustic cocktail. Michael shares his layered experience with injuries, childhood traumas, concussions, relationship traumas, and medications and the deadly combination they can create. Success worth celebrating. The Mission Within has treated over 600 special operations vets and over 80 veteran spouses with psychedelic clinical programming at their retreats in Mexico.

Mark speaks with Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz, authors of Golden and partners in Astraea Strategies. Together we explore finding silence and stillness in a world that's getting noisier and busier by the minute, as well as the economic, social, and health consequences of that noise, externally and internally. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz, authors of Golden and partners in Astraea Strategies. In the episode, Justin and Leigh share their compelling findings on stillness, silence, and the impact that noise is having on our bodies, our health, and social & economic lives. Key Takeaways: Silence isn’t just the lack of noise. It’s something different, a different quality altogether. Silence is a place for connection to your authenticity, and you can feel when people’s minds are quiet or they’re loud inside. Our world is noisey, in many ways. Justin and Leigh share the Three Levels of Noise: auditory, informational, and internal. Auditory noise today is empirically louder than it’s ever been, but pales in comparison to the informational noise boost we’ve seen in recent decades, which stifles our abilities to perceive & think creatively. Noise is not our friend. Together we discuss the impact noise can have on our thoughts, our actions, our bodies, and our economy. And it impacts the whole globe, even some of the more remote tribes in the Amazon. The key is to focus on “ma.” The Japanese aesthetic principle called ma represents negative space and pure potentiality. When we can cultivate appreciation for the stillness, silence, and pure potentiality of the lack of noise… we find peace in a busy world.

Mark speaks with Michael Unbroken, survivor of childhood trauma and a powerful voice of resilience. Through dealing with ultimate rock bottoms, addressing his traumas, and healing his mind, Michael became passionately known for being Unbroken. He’s the host of the Think Unbroken Podcast, a coach, entrepreneur, advocate, and author of Think Unbroken, available for free on his website. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Michael Unbroken, an entrepreneur, coach, podcast host, award-winning speaker, best-selling author, and advocate for adult survivors of childhood trauma. In the episode, Michael shares his experiences of childhood trauma, crime, death, and alcoholism, outlining his story from rock bottom to mountaintop in an effort to restore faith in your own ability to heal. Key Takeaways: Facing your uncomfortable Truth (with a capital ‘T’). To live an inspirational and creative life, it takes the hard work of addressing and facing your darkness. Michael looked himself in the mirror and made a decision that changed his life forever. Mentors make a difference, near and far. In the absence of acceptable role models at home, Michael shares the power of childhood mentors at school and even Mark’s podcast helped shape his life for the better. If you want to transform, you can’t play the victim. In fact, life can change in a matter of moments, days, or weeks when you leave that victim identity behind. More likely, it takes consistent effort and doing the simple things extraordinarily well. And take control. Money wasn’t the answer. Mark and Michael dive into their shared journey from the corporate world to a higher calling. Even after achieving his $100K/year salary goal with not even a high school diploma, he continued to find emptiness in his soul until he finally healed his past.

Mark speaks with Jennifer Fraser, best-selling author, award-winning educator with a PhD in Comparative Literature. Through personal experience and extensive research, Jennifer uncovered how bullying affects the brain and how the brain can heal, which she details in her new book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Jennifer Fraser, best-selling author, award-winning educator with a PhD in Comparative Literature. In the episode, Jennifer shares how bullying affects the brain and how the brain can heal—detailed in her newest book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health. Key Takeaways: The brain science of abuse. A bullied brain is an unhealthy brain, displaying neurological changes whether the bullying is physical or emotional. We can analyze this on brain scans, brain mapping technology, and correlate it to psychological manifestations in the brain. The psychology of bullying: the Victim and the Favored. Jennifer shares the psychology of the bully stories such as Larry Nassar, which feature bully normalization, co-opting parents into being complicit, and the extensive damage caused in athlete victims AND those witnessing the abuse. Child abuse is indicative of later chronic illness. Child abuse comes in many forms (emotional, physical abuse and sexual, emotional, and physical neglect). Jennifer shares insights from Rolland Summit and Alice Miller’s work that discovered child abuse of all forms accounts for half of the main indicators of later midlife chronic illness. Astounding! You can train your brain out of abuse, like Tom Brady. He’s one of the first premier athletes to publicly share that he trains his brain as much as he trains his body, leveraging a platform called Brain HQ. As one of the best quarterbacks in history, it’s fair to say Tom knows a thing or two about being elite, with compassion and courage. There are solutions, and Brain HQ is one of many.

Mark speaks with Josh Peck, author and one of Hollywood's rising acting talents that made the seamless transition from child actor to leading man. Originally being known for children’s series Drake and Josh, he became fascinated with the process of child stardom, weight loss, recovery, and fatherhood, leading him to publish his own memoir, Happy People Are Annoying. . Today, Commander Divine speaks with Josh Peck, actor and author of Happy People Are Annoying. In the episode, Josh shares his experience with child stardom, weight loss, recovery, fatherhood, and the story of writing his memoir about finding happiness. Key Takeaways: Transitioning takes reinvention. Mark and Josh discuss the power of starting from scratch and not resting on your laurels when it comes to successful transitions. Whether it be from the military or taking on your next acting plateau, the skills of humility and honor are your best friends. You must act your way into right thinking. Josh shares his battle with food addiction, alcohol and drugs, and recovery - detailing his darkest moments and how he was lucky enough to shake himself out of it. It was through action, not thinking, that he was able to shift. Trying new things gives us the material to form lasting change. Happy people are annoying… to unhappy people. Happiness is a fleeting feeling, and is not found through joyful moments. It’s through doing your best and finding contentment in doing it that way. The inspiration for Josh’s book title has less to do with finding happiness and more to do with authenticity amidst the facade of it. Hard work pays off. Josh shares his constant craving for challenge, his love for acting, and how his hard and disciplined work has shaped his career for the better. He also values rest and taking time for himself, his friends and family. As with all things, moderation is key. As Josh’s friend says, “Even too much sunshine can bring about a desert.”