Women Inspired! | Weekly Interviews With Some Of The World's Most Inspiring Women!

You’ve heard me say it a million times. Your mind can be your most valuable asset or your biggest liability.   This week, we’re diving into the fundamental mechanisms that set us up to go in either of those directions with one of the world’s leading experts on mind-hacking.   This week, we’re talking to Sean Webb, author of the book “Mind-Hacking Happiness” and an expert in the tools and techniques that teach us how to create our best life experience by building the psychological strength we need to move through life.   Over the last 20 years, Sean has become one of the world’s leading experts in how the human mind works, particularly in the area of human emotions. His work is used by universities, companies, and the Navy SEALS to teach emotional intelligence, and his discoveries have proved so effective, that his work is currently being turned into programs to address addiction management and the mitigation of PTSD after early amazing successes within those applications.  In this episode, we talk about:  Th

I’m sure you’ve heard about emotional intelligence and how important it is to psychological strength.   Today, we’re talking to an expert in the domain of emotional intelligence, and I have to say, it was such a deep, actionable conversation.   Today, we’re talking with Rich Bracken. Rich is a motivational speaker, fellow podcast host, and an expert in the area of emotional intelligence. He travels all over the globe helping people and companies understand what EQ is, why it’s important, and most importantly, how to develop it.  This is going to be a treat!  Today’s conversation hit on so many incredible topics, like:   What EQ really is. Rich gives the most clear, concise definition I’ve ever heard.  How self-awareness is the first step toward developing emotional intelligence  What triggers are, how to identify them, and how to “flip” them  A word of caution about labeling emotions as “inappropriate” (I really learned something here!)  How expressing emotions can deepen our relationships with other people 

This week is a first on the podcast. This week I’m speaking with a Julliard-trained music composer.  What does that have to do with psychological strength you ask?  Well, in addition to being a talented musician, Cheryl B. Engelhardt suffered from monthly panic attacks that would leave her exhausted for days. After learning about the power of a morning routine including gratitude, mindfulness, and meditation, Cheryl decided to use her talents to help others.  She created her new album “Luminary” as a way to help other people become more present and mindful. This beautiful album of piano and ambient music will help you focus and attain a state of flow.  As a special gift, Cheryl agreed to allow us to include a full track from her album at the end of this episode. Stay until the end to hear the song “Earthshine.”  Relevant Links: http://www.iamaluminary.com/ Episode 147 – Ariel Garten - The Neuroscience of Mindfulness and Meditation  Episode 143– Steve Hayes – How to Liberate Your Mind  Episode 149 – Sarah M

Have you ever thought about all of the ways you show up as a leader in your life?   Think about it.   The most obvious is probably a leadership position at work or in your company. But, how about in your relationships outside of work? How about as a parent? How about as a romantic partner?  All of these aspects of our lives, and even more than those I mentioned, involve elements of leadership, which is why I am so excited about this week’s episode.  This week we are speaking with Noelle Cordeaux, CEO and founder of JRNI (pronounced “Journey”). Noelle is an expert in the ways in which Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching intersect to help people show up in a more effective way.   She holds a Graduate Certificate in Executive & Professional Coaching, and her graduate studies include a Masters in Social Work and a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality.  During our interview we talk about:  The history of the field of Positive Psychology. The history of the field of coaching.  Specifically, we have a deep discussion

If you had to guess what the single, most important factor is in determining your psychological well-being, what would you guess?  Turns out, it’s social connection and personal relationships.  Our connections to other people and our social interactions with them are an incredibly protective and powerful factor in developing psychological strength, and this week, and that’s why we’re covering it on this week’s episode.  This week, we’re talking with Peter Montoya, the CEO of ThriveUnion. ThriveUnion is an organization that is committed to helping people go from meaningless isolation to purposeful belonging. Through their in-person, weekly meet-ups to their Life School, they’re arming people with the information they need to truly thrive in their lives.  Can you see why I’m so excited?!  We get into such valuable, actionable information in this episode. Including:   The difference between high intensity & low intensity relationships and the degree to which we need each of them. This will blow your mind. W

Hey, parents out there, this week’s episode is one you won’t want to miss.   During a challenging time with your child, have you ever questioned yourself and wondered whether you were doing the right thing? Wondered whether it is better to engage with my child in this moment or ignore them? Wondered whether you’re causing psychological problems or distress when your child is crying or screaming at the top of their lungs.   This week’s episode is for you.   This week, we’re speaking with Dr. Karen Cassiday, Clinical Psychologist, former President of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and expert in the area of building psychological strength in children.   In this episode, we get into some really valuable conversations about:  What is the role / responsibility of a parent versus that of the child?   The importance of directing yourself toward raising a kid who is a competent adult who can live without you.  Why “happy is not a good goal.”   The difference between self-esteem and self-worth  The

This week on the podcast, we're talking to a kindred spirit. Josh Trent is the founder of Wellness Force, a movement to help people improve their lives by helping them find physical and mental intelligence. Here's the thing. Not only does Josh advocate learning about important topics like gratitude, meditation, mindfulness, the subconscious mind, and decision fatigue, but he advocates embodying this knowledge. Showing up everyday with the intention of living this wisdom. Putting it into practice, and truly reaping the benefits of it. Incredible, huh? In my interview with Josh, we hit so many valuable topics, such as: The importance of testing and experimentation and how it can lead you toward building the life you want. The power of gratitude Cultivating emotional intelligence Avoiding decision fatigue What the negativity bias is and where it comes from The link between the impostor syndrome and the "spotlight effect" Not only that, but Josh offers up an actionable set of tips about how you

Watch my TEDx Talk here! Join a webinar here! If you've been following me at Peak Mind or on social media, you likely know that I recently fulfilled a life-long goal by giving a TEDx Talk. It was an absolutely thrilling day, but there was a long road of hard work, unexpected issues, and tremendous self-doubt to get there. On today's podcast, I want to take you behind the scenes to talk you through my journey. Here's the thing: It's so easy to look at the final product of a journey like that and assume that the person just breezed right through the process. It couldn't be further from the truth! Rather, my journey from application to final talk was one that required me to use every ounce of psychological strength I've built over the years, and I want to point out how it came into play. I hope by sharing my experience, you gain some practical knowledge about how to move forward in difficult times using some of the techniques that I used. I also hope this episode gives you the motivation

How many times have you heard people talk about physical health as though it’s separate from mental health?  Let’s come at this from a different direction. If you stayed up very late for 4 nights in a row, how would you feel, emotionally, afterward?  That simple example shows how integrated our physical and mental health are, and in Peak Mind we speak about them in that way.  This week, we’re coming at this holistic approach to health from another perspective, the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. This week we’re speaking with Senia Tuominen, a certified acupuncturist and Holistic Health Expert.   Senia treats very complex cases through a combination of Qi (energy) work and acupuncture, among other things.  This interview blew me away because of the similarities and parallels between the ways in which traditional Chinese medicine thinks about and approaches the way our minds work and the ways in which we approach it from a western Psychology perspective.  I’m thrilled to bring you this

Each and every one of us have struggled with feelings of anxiety in our lives. Anxiety has become so pervasive and common that people have begun to believe that it’s just a fact of life that can’t be changed.  This week, we’re debunking that notion.  This week, you’re going to hear from Ken Goodman, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, author of The Anxiety Solution Series and Break Free from Anxiety, and Board Member Of the American Depression and Anxiety Association. Ken specializes in the treatment of anxiety and OCD, and he is a powerhouse of information and actionable tips.   In his interview, Ken talks about:  The real root cause of anxiety  How the feeling of anxiety is actually a good thing and necessary for us to have when we’re trying to reduce anxiety (sounds, crazy, doesn’t it?!)  How to recognize feelings of anxiety when they’re so pervasive and what the right mindset is for moving through them.  This episode is jam-packed with actionable steps you can take TODAY to begin moving past feelings of an

When was the last time you genuinely said "thank you" to someone else? How often do you recognize people for the big (and small) things they do? Have you ever stopped to consider how impactful the act of recognition can be? Today, we're speaking with Sarah McVanel. Sarah is a recognition expert and is passionate about guiding each of us to re-discover our own greatness, and recognize the greatness in others.  As it turns out, such a simple gesture (recognition) can have a major impact, and there is some interesting science behind it. During our conversation, Sarah and I talk about the role that recognition plays in helping others (and ourselves) reach our true potential. We discuss that recognition seems to hit on each and ever one of Martin Seligman's PERMA factors. These are the key factors in Positive Psychology that help people flourish and thrive. And, Sarah shares a moving story about how recognition helped her family through an incredibly difficult time. Sarah has put her psychology und

If you’ve ever felt like you weren’t enough, this episode is for you.  If you’ve ever felt like you needed to lose X pounds or make $X in order to be happy, this episode is for you.  If you have a set of beliefs or thought patterns about yourself that aren’t helpful, this episode definitely is for you.  This week, we’re talking to Betty Jean Bell. Betty has helped successful women around the world to lose weight, improve their health, and love their bodies now, regardless of shape. All while running their businesses, families, and lives. She helps people transform their confidence, body image, and health with meaningful science, psychology, spirituality, and uncommon action that works.   We get into the most incredible conversation about habitual thought patterns and how they can trick us into believing that they’re true. How we can begin to reprogram our neural-pathways through intentional effort. How this can impact your physical health, your financial and career success, and your relationships.  The belief

Let's be honest for just one moment. Meditation can be hard and frustrating. We've all heard that meditation has incredible benefits, but it can be incredibly difficult to sit still and focus for that long, and it's so frustrating when thoughts continue to intrude. Plus, how do you even know if you're doing it right and reaping the benefits of the time you're putting in?! This week, you're meeting a woman who is changing all of that. This week on the podcast, you'll hear from Ariel Garten, inventor of Muse. Muse is a headband that helps you meditate. Using brain sensors, MUSE gives you real-time feedback on your brain's activity during meditation -- actually letting you hear the sound of your own mind. This was such a fascinating interview. It's not everyday that I get to interview someone who is both a psychotherapist and a neuroscientist. During her interview, Ariel gives us the real, scientific lowdown on: What meditation and mindfulness really are Why meditation is so

It is a fact of life that we are all going to experience adversity at times. Life hands us circumstances in the form of hardship, trauma, or other difficulty, and we’re left to try to figure out how to move through it and pick up the pieces. This week on the podcast, we’re focusing in on how to create a life of meaning after adversity through the story of one woman’s journey to turn her own adversity into an organization to help others. Becca Erickson is the Founder of Emerge Mother’s Academy. The mission of Emerge Mother’s Academy is to equip single moms to emerge as confident women and caring moms. They do this through a holistic approach that helps women thrive in their lives. The incredible thing about this week’s episode is that, although Becca’s work focuses on single moms, the value and expertise she shares is so applicable to everyone. You don’t have to be a mom or even a parent to get so much value out of this episode. In particular, Becca and I have an in-depth conversation about the passive versus

This is a really neat week on the podcast. We're essentially clearing up some misconceptions this week. As yoga and meditation have become more mainstream, we've lost a bit of the impact that these practices can have. We all know that yoga can make you more flexible, but what about the impact it can have as a mind-clearing tool to set you up for a more successful meditation practice?  We're diving deep into these topics today, as well as the topics of visioning and life design. I couldn't be more excited! Today you'll meet Megan Betterman. Megan is a digital marketing leader within the Web & Mobile team at a large healthcare company. She is also a wellness consultant, yoga instructor and certified Gyrotonic trainer. She combines movement, meditation and visioning into impactful programs and experiences to encourage deep reflection and self-discovery. Megan earned a Master of Business Administration from St. Catherine University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of St. Thomas.

This week on the podcast we’re speaking with Dr. Kevin Payne. He is a scientist, entrepreneur and author.    His upcoming book, "Your Life, Well Lived" presents a new understanding of what it’s like to live with a chronic health condition and shows both diagnosed and caregivers how to improve quality of life. Beyond that, it’s an actionable, understandable text on how everyone, chronic condition or not, can live better lives.  We talk about so many impactful concepts in this episode, but most notably, we talk about something Kevin calls “the edge.” This is the edge of our comfort zone.   He does a beautiful job of highlighting how personal and individualized the definition of the edge is. It’s different for each of us. He describes that a set of cognitive, emotional, behavioral, physical, and social gates help determine whether something is approaching our “edge,” and he gives us a clear way to identify when we’re approaching our own edge.  Most importantly, he talks about the importance of constantly

This episode is a bonus episode to accompany Episode #143. Dr. Steven Hayes was generous enough to include a hands-on exercise in his interview, and I found it so profoundly valuable, that I clipped it out into its own episode.  Please sit down, get quiet, and use this exercise to help you in areas where you might need it. FULL EPISODE DESCRIPTION: So many of us have experienced trauma, depression, anxiety, and other painful feelings and events. But answer this: When you have those experiences, do you tend to try to get rid of or avoid those painful feelings, or do you lean into them? On this episode of the podcast, we have the pleasure of collaborating with Dr. Steven Hayes, founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and author of the book "A Liberated Mind: How to Pivot Toward What Matters." Dr. Hayes has been deemed the 30th most influential psychologist in the world and one of the most cited scientists in the world. His therapeutic technique (ACT) is more effective than any other approach

So many of us have experienced trauma, depression, anxiety, and other painful feelings and events. But answer this: When you have those experiences, do you tend to try to get rid of or avoid those painful feelings, or do you lean into them? On this episode of the podcast, we have the pleasure of collaborating with Dr. Steven Hayes, founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and author of the book "A Liberated Mind: How to Pivot Toward What Matters." Dr. Hayes has been deemed the 30th most influential psychologist in the world and one of the most cited scientists in the world. His therapeutic technique (ACT) is more effective than any other approach the field of Clinical Psychology has ever adopted, and now Dr. Hayes is expanding the reach of the practices of that approach to help people live better lives. During this interview, Dr. Hayes gives us an overview of ACT and how it applies to our lives. In particular, he delves into pain and trauma and how we have better psychological outcomes if w

Did you know that upwards of 80% of the thoughts you have on a given day are subconscious thoughts? These are thoughts that happen outside of our awareness. They're mental habits and heuristics that our mind has learned, and they influence our conscious thoughts, our emotions, and our actions.  On today's episode, we're talking with Michele Molitor about this very topic! We talk about what the subconscious is...and what it isn't. Michele shares with us her unique approach to replacing limiting beliefs in our subconscious with more empowering ones. And, we talk about the interconnectedness of our physical and mental health. Michele shares so much wisdom with us, and she also shares some resources: Breakthrough Healing (Michele's book) Michele's Brain Candy page - packed with guided meditations, free ebooks, and so many other free resources We also discussed a recent podcast episode I did with Isaac Lidsky. If you like the information in this episode, you'll want to check out Isaa

This week's guest has one of the most eclectic resume's in business, including the following: He has been a child television star A Supreme Court clerk for Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsbert Co-Founder of an internet startup A graduate of Harvard at age 19 The author of a TED talk that received over 1M views in it's first 3 days Perhaps most striking, Isaac Lidsky is only 40, and he is blind. Born with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare degenerative disease of the retina, from age 12 to 25 he slowly lost his sight.  Isaac is the author of the book "Eyes Wide Open," which chronicles his personal experience with losing his sight, but more importantly, in it, he shares with us the lessons he learned along the way that we can all use to live a better life. In this interview, Isaac shares openly about his personal story. He tells us what it means to truly live 'eyes wide open.' He also speaks candidly about the opportunity that we all have to live the life we want to live. And