Creative Spirits Unleashed
Lynn Carnes
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Creative Spirits Unleashed is about becoming more of who you really are by changing your relationship with mistakes, pressure and criticism and adding more balance to your life.
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Aug 18, 2023
#65 Anne Bartolucci: Let Go of Perfectionism and Sleep Better
Anne Bartolucci is my guest for this next episode of the Creative Spirits Unleashed Podcast. She's the author of a book called, "Better Sleep for the Overachiever."
Our conversation touched on lots of the parts of that book title. We talked about sleep, but the more prominent theme was what it means to be an overachiever. I count myself as an overachiever. I've been that way my entire life. You'll find in this conversation Anne is as well.
We are both a couple of “experts” talking about what it is to be an overachiever, along with the benefits and costs of having that personality type. One of the costs, of course, is lack of sleep. But the other thing we do as overachievers is to be hard on ourselves. We are perfectionists; we fear failure, we like to get everything right, and we hate making mistakes.
Throughout this conversation, we had a vibrant discussion about what to do about those mindsets and how to make things a little better for ourselves.
Here’s more about Anne:
Anne Bartolucci, Ph.D., D.B.S.M. is a licensed psychologist, certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist, and professional speaker who has taught workshops and classes for several writing, medical, and psychological organizations. She is a USA Today bestselling author with over twenty novels and novellas in print under her pen name Cecilia Dominic and two nonfiction books including Better Sleep for the Overachiever (2020; AIBHS) as herself. Recently, she combined her loves of writing, sleep, and psychology in her new online teaching and coaching venture, Psych Up Academy: Compassionate, Psychology-Based Solutions to Get Out of Your Own Way, Work with Your Brain, and Live Your Dreams.
I'm sure you're going to enjoy this conversation. If you like this conversation, please rate it and share it on the podcast platforms. I love your comments as well. I want to get the word out there because if we can all have a little more peace of mind, we will have a better world.
Topics:
* What made you choose sleep as a career? (1:54)
* Sightseeing and ear training. (10:34)
* What is a proving mindset? (16:04)
* How do you break the emotion away from the thoughts? (21:34)
* The key to helping overachievers let go. (25:09)
* It's never too late. (29:50)
* The fear of failure. (36:43)
* The difference between improving mindset vs. proving mindset. (40:40)
* What happens when you get through the first 30 seconds? (46:42)
* The shadow self and the principle of life. (53:15)
* How to let go of perfectionism. (57:41)
* What Is Psychopath Academy? (1:02:51)
* How to encourage people to take advantage of courses. (1:06:42)
* How do you get out of your own way?
Contact Information
Website: https://psychupacademy.com
Email: anne@sleepyintheatl.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-bartolucci/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/psychupacademy
Instagram: https://instagram.com/psychupacademy
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Aug 4, 2023
#64 Kathy Taylor: The Importance of Coming Back to Center of Safety
My guest for this episode of the Creative Spirits Unleashed Podcast is Kathy Taylor of HerdWise Leadership Coaching. We started this conversation with a quote, which launched a very interesting conversation about what it means to be true to ourselves. The quote was behind her and it said “Be full of yourself.” I was pretty sure there was a double meaning, so we started our conversation there.
We came around to an interesting question. Kathy said, "What does it mean to be a safe person to ourselves?" Now, if that's intriguing for you, it got even more interesting because she likened what we were talking about to filling a little honey bear jar with all kinds of nooks and crannies.
What she does is help people find all the nooks and crannies inside their bodies and their mindsets that keep them from being who they were born to be. We're talking about balancing acts, we're talking about how we can be more true to ourselves, and we're talking about the steps it takes to get there. I will never see a honey bear jar the same way again!
She gave us some of those steps in this conversation along with lots of ideas on how we can learn and grow.
*Here's a little bit more about Kathy.*
Kathy Taylor is an Embodiment & Nervous System coach who also incorporates horses and nature in her practice. She works with highly successful women who don't want to believe "this is all there is," but just can't quite seem to get where they want to go and are exhausted from trying.
Kathy was aware her people-pleasing, perfectionism, and proving were holding her back, but she didn't know what else to do. The latest self-help book, new strategies and "trying really hard" had gotten her only so far. She put a lot of pressure on herself to succeed like everyone else had and nearly gave up. When she discovered it was her own well practiced stress and trauma responses getting in the way, she knew that more head knowledge couldn't take her where she wanted to go. By learning how to work with her own body and nervous system she was finally able to acknowledge her needs, show up as her *real* self and take meaningful action. With her intellect and intuition working together at last, Kathy shares with others how to access the wisdom of the body.
Topics:
* What does it mean to be true to ourselves? (0:02)
* Be full of yourself and take up space. (2:49)
* Taking responsibility for your life. (8:32)
* The importance of coming back to center of safety. (13:47)
* Cold baths and ice baths. (17:31)
* Physical assessment of the nervous system. (22:31)
* Pushing through the fear. (26:53)
* How did you come to this point of consent? (31:36)
* Why horses are so valuable? (36:46)
* Horses have better sensors than we do. (40:51)
* The importance of air traffic control. (45:22)
* Trying to change the mistakes in our bodies. (50:09)
* Leaving yourself behind creates a little hole. (56:29)
* What can you do to make connections in your body? (1:01:57)
* Boundaries between what's mine and what's not mine. (1:06:52)
* How we invite the injury. (1:11:04)
* The sway test and its power. (1:17:27)
* How to get in touch with her. (1:22:54)
* The journey to the self. (1:29:11)
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Jul 14, 2023
#63 Cathy Woods: The Practical Applications of Yoga
Have you ever thought about the practical applications of yoga? My guest for this episode, Cathy Woods of Cathy Woods Yoga, offers tons of practical insights and connections on how yoga can make life better. In fact, this conversation was a masterclass in “lifemanship”. Not only did we talk about yoga, we talked about leadership, mindfulness, and parallels to horsemanship. In other words, we talked about was life and some of the more profound life principles that can help all of us have a better time here on Earth.
Here is more about Cathy Woods.
A pioneer in equestrian wellness, who combines mindfulness, yoga, and horsemanship to improve and enrich horsemanship from ground to saddle through the use of yogic "principles." Through a variety of enrichment programs, Cathy shares how to become a more skilled human being, thus better for our equine partners, teaching participants to deepen their relationship and connection with themselves, their horses, and the world around them.
Cathy Woods is the creator of her trademarked program, Body, Mind, Equine, and author of Yoga for Riders (published by Horseandriderbooks), a long-time yoga teacher/retreat leader, horsewoman, and avid, backcountry trail rider. She leads retreats and clinics internationally at ranches, expos, and equine centers and also has online audio and video courses. Cathy has been leading yoga programs for horse lovers and non-equestrians for thirty-three years. Her yoga and equine programs teach about the parallels between true yoga and horsemanship.
Body, Mind, Equine is not about doing acrobatics on the back of a horse, but rather how to use yoga principles (not just postures) to improve our interactions with equines and how to become a more aware, mindful equestrian. In addition, Cathy also teaches good stretches for riders and breathwork for riders through mounted and unmounted sessions.
Combining her passions of yoga, horses, and travel, she loves to curate unique, meaningful, enrichment, and empowerment experiences; her one-of-a-kind programs have reached international acclaim, Woods has written for and been featured in publications such as Horse Illustrated, Equus, Horse and Rider Magazine, Cowgirl Magazine, StreamhorseTV, Yoga Digest, Forbes.com, and others.
Woods aims to impart an aware/mindful approach to yoga and horsemanship to make enhanced horsemanship and true yoga accessible to everyone while promoting a more enriched and skillful life. She is based in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina but teaches internationally
I'm looking forward to you hearing this conversation with Cathy Woods of Cathy Woods Yoga.
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Jun 30, 2023
#62: Kymberly Dakin-Neal: The Theory of Curiosity and Listening
My guest for this episode is Kymberly Dakin-Neal. She is the author of "Head, Heart, and Hands Listening in Coach Practice." It is available for Pre-Order on Amazon now and will be released by Routledge Publishers on July 4, 2023
It is a phenomenal book about the art of listening. In fact, our conversation was an exercise in listening as we explored a number of topics, including:
* How do you open up to different points of view?
* How do you let in different points of view?
* What does it look like to truly tune in?
Kym has a point of view about listening, and it is much more than just parroting back what someone else has said. In her view, listening is a whole body experience that can change outcomes. She tells the most wonderful story about making a choice between finishing her emails or hunting for earthworms. Who knew earthworms could be so memorable!
It's always a treat for me to share these conversations with another coach, and you bet I took a bunch of notes for my own reference, and I’m guessing you will too.
Here is her official Bio:
Kymberly Dakin-Neal is a mindset coach specializing in effective communication and professional presence for over a decade. She works successfully with newly promoted employees, women running for office, entrepreneurs pitching new products. Kym helps train medical professionals in more productive listening and patient communication via the Standardized Patient program at Tufts and Kaiser Permanente. Kym has also developed and recently sold a bookmarking app called, "Nugget" to eliminate the need to take notes in online meetings. She is a mindset coach with Positive Intelligence. Her book *“Head, Heart, and Hands Listening in Coach Practice” *will be released in July, 2023 by Routledge Publishers.
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Jun 16, 2023
#61: Julie Rains: The Essentials of Growing Wealth
My guest for this episode is Julie Rains, author of, "Growing Wealth: Essential Money Lessons from My Garden to Yours."
Julie is one of those people who has a real knack for getting down to the essentials of the thing she is learning about and the thing she is teaching. In this case, she is teaching us about growing wealth, while also sharing her journey on learning to garden.
This conversation covered a lot of topics, such as learning how to ask for help, how to stay balanced, and how to create a give and take in areas like spending and saving. There is a lot of wisdom packed into a very practical conversation.
Here's her bio: Julie Rains is a writer and investor. She has worked as a financial analyst and accountant for Fortune 500 corporations, and as a freelance writer for individual clients and media companies. Her work has focused on analyzing financial information and crafting narratives to make sense of the math. Julie earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in finance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Years later, she returned to study communications and undergraduate level certificate in technology and communication from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
She and her husband Tim raised two sons, now grown, live in North Carolina, just down the road from me, where she attempts to grow vegetables, and fruit, rides her bike and occasionally organizes group hikes.
I hope you enjoy this episode and please rate it on your favorite podcast platform and share with your friends if you feel so moved.
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Jun 9, 2023
#60 Lynn Carnes on "Inspire Me Forward"
We are turning the tables for this episode of the podcast. In this episode, I’m a guest on Lynda Watson’s Inspire Me Forward program. Lynda started Inspire Me Forward, because she had heard many stories of people taking leaps of faith in their lives. She says: “I have felt the tug of my heartstrings when they share their journey, listening to their inner voice as the pilot of their life’s flight. Hearing someone that has taken that leap to discover such beauty in living their authentic life stirred something within me. My heart knows the way. I needed the inspiration.” She describes this series as a way of inspiring it forward, as she hosts “dialogues with others that have summoned their hearts of courage and taken the leaps of faith, with trust in themselves and an open heart looking into the unknown.”
Here's how Lynda summarized our conversation:
A short summary of episode #12 with Lynn Carnes of North Carolina, USA. Lynn spends part of her life as an executive coach with her business, Creative Spirits Unleashed as well as hosts her podcast of the same name. But that is only part of what Lynn does and who she is. In our conversation Lynn shared the most beautiful learnings and growing edges of her journey called life. Her chosen title for this episode: Dancing the Tightrope was perfect in so many aspects.
I always have a pen and paper handy during our conversations and jot down pages of notes. My conversation with Lynn had me writing furiously at first but then I had to just lay my pen down and sit with the wisdom she shared. So many moments of head nodding, heart saying yes, and my soul recognizing my own growing edges and pressure points. I will make this summary brief so you may find that which resonates for you in Lynn’s words. A plethora of points of truth and touchstones that connect us to our own journeys!
We started the episode with the word daring. Daring to embrace the unknown, daring to find one’s edges, daring to look for that pressure threshold and daring to live at least 80% of one’s day doing exactly what she wants to do. Those are just a few of Lynn’s nuggets of wisdom that will truly inspire us all.
From getting back on a horse after a nasty fall and taking the steps in between to return to the saddle with a different point of view to flying a plane. From waterskiing, driving the boat and playing pickle ball. All of those have similarities in how Lynn approaches them and it was wonderful to speak about those and the tools she uses to be successful and fulfilled.
As always, we ask our guest for three key pieces of wisdom. Lynn offered three wonderful insights:
* Pressure. Recognizing it is a catalyst for growth or it being something that can crush us. It’s in how we choose to see it.
* Be the co-writer of your life. Remember the next thing hasn’t happened yet so make room for choice.
* Truly get to know your inner self. We must know our inner self to know others.
Lynn’s Call to Action:
Instead of reaching for your rules, reach for your tools. Truly listen to the situation and let it tell you what to do, when to do and how to do it.
Thank you, Lynn, for sharing with the Inspire Me Forward community. We so very much appreciate you sharing your journey, your wisdom, your tools for problem solving and reminding us to go with the flow in life. Thank you for your daring and inspiring us to dare ourselves.
If you want to know more about the Inspire Me Forward series, hop onto Facebook and ask to join the group of the same name. You can also subscribe on the Youtube channel titled Inspire Me Forward.
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May 19, 2023
#59 Bruce Anderson: Is Pressure Really Bad
Today, I’m bringing back podcast Episode #3 with Bruce Anderson, of Nature’s View. Much of what I wrote about in my book Dancing the Tightrope came from learning how to get back on the horse from Bruce. He didn’t teach me riding skills. He helped me recalibrate my internal operating system to deal with the pressure created by the horse.
When we recorded this episode, I was a full year from getting back on Mocha, the horse that I fell off of in 2017. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since we recorded this episode. As a result, I’m hearing this with new ears, having experienced many, many episodes with far more pressure in the last three and a half years. At the time we recorded this, I was just beginning to understand and experience the value of making a mindset shift around the reality of pressure. While I could speak to it in some ways, I had not yet built into my regular set of practices the ability to consistently rewrite my past, thus raising my pressure threshold.
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May 1, 2023
#58: Real Conversations with Mothers and Daughters
This was a very special episode of the podcast, we recorded it with two mothers and two daughters. I was one of the mothers with my daughter, Jennifer Maneely. Christine Dikson joined with her daughter, Lauren Martinson. Mothers and daughters have complicated relationships. In this conversation, we got into some of the things that make the relationship so complicated. We also talked about our favorite memories. This conversation was wide ranging. It was deep, it was fun. And I'm guessing it won't be our last
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Apr 19, 2023
#57 Judith Manriquez: Dancing with the Essence of the Moment
It’s time for a new podcast! My guest for this episode is Judith Manriquez. We had a memorable conversation with tremendous depth.
One of my favorite things about doing this podcast is how it gives me the opportunity to meet new people, from networks I would otherwise not be part of. Judith is one of those people I met through podcast guest Hannah Pasquinzo. This conversation came at exactly the right time for me. Judith challenged me in this conversation to think differently, and immediately I experienced her gift as a business mentor. She has a way of seeing possibilities that opens the door to whole new realities. It truly is mind boggling how our own belief systems can warp our perspective. It’s incredibly helpful to have someone who can gently help us see things differently. My guess is that anyone listening to this podcast will take away a new way of seeing something. I know I did.
*Here's how Judith describes herself*:
Judith Manriquez is a spiritual business mentor and visionary intuitive to intuitive women leaders who are ready to show up in their full power and gifts.
With over two decades of experience in business and intuition, she’s supported hundreds of women with leadership development, business and soul mastery, and the refinement of their soul gifts through personalized 1:1 mentoring, advising and consulting.
She’s a claircognizant empath with a Master's in Public Affairs and an entrepreneurial heart, who has worked for a mayor, the chairwoman of a major state agency, non-profits, and corporate businesses as well as healers, coaches, energy workers, lightworkers and hundreds of entrepreneurial women changing the world. She also founded a successful branding, marketing, and web-development firm during the dot com era. For the last 15 years she has run her own consultancy.
When she isn’t playing with, and in, others’ businesses, she spends time with her two college-aged boys and teen girl, and visiting new places across the globe.
Guest Contact Information
Website: judithmanriquez.com
Instagram: @judithamanriquez
LinkedIn: judithmanriquez
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Apr 6, 2023
#56 JP Dyal: From Corporate Executive to Heart of the Horse
My guest for this episode of the podcast is JP Dyal. We met at Warwick Schiller’s Journey on Podcast Summit last year in San Antonio. JP answers one of the questions that has hovered over me of late: Can someone who didn’t grow up with horses become a true horseman? As you might guess, I have this question for myself. He embodies the answer to that question, as you will hear in this episode. Not only is he a true horseman, he shows all of us just how the dark episodes of our lives are the gateway to finding our path.
Here’s some more information about JP Dyal:
JP Dyal is not your typical horseman. He grew up in the Florida Keys and was a corporate executive until he lost everything. It was then his life was saved by a horse. While JP has competed in many different disciplines, his true gift and passion is transforming the lives of horses and their people by combining his leadership development experience along with his soft and light style of horsemanship.
With his corporate background and focus on leadership, we had a lot of common ground in this conversation.
Contact Info:
HeartoftheHorseonline.com
JPDyalHorsemanship.com
Facebook Profile: JP DYal Horsemanship
Facebook Page: Heart of the Horse with JP & Lisa
Facebook Group: Heart of the Horse
Email: jp@HeartoftheHorseOnline.com
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Mar 24, 2023
#55 Heather Drummond: The Power of Intuition in Business
My guest for this episode is Heather Drummond. I met Heather through my website, believe it or not. She reached out through the contact page on my website, and I actually answered. I'm a little suspicious when people reach out through the contact page, primarily because more times than not, it's a spam message.
But in this case, I got a feeling she was a real person. We started an email exchange, and she had asked me to be on her podcast, which you can find her podcast on Apple Podcast just like mine or any other podcast platform. It's called See'rs, Be-ers, Knowers and Doers. Her podcast is about intuition. I have to tell you, I love the topic of intuition these days.
But much like Heather, who used to also work in the corporate world, I have been suspicious of intuition through my life. We both worked in fields where intuition wasn't valued, and where logic and rationale were valued. I believe we all have intuition. So does Heather, which is why she started this incredible podcast…
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Mar 10, 2023
#54 Anna Twinney: A Voice for the Voiceless
My guest for the latest Creative Spirits Unleashed Podcast episode is Anna Twinney. We had the rare treat of getting to sit down together over coffee and tea to have an unforgettable conversation. If you have ever wondered if your animal was speaking to you – or if you could speak to your animal - this conversation is for you. Anna has a way of describing animal communication that just makes sense. I had several huge lightbulb moments in the conversation. We talked leadership, balance, the dance between the tangible and the intangible and so much more.
Here is a little bit about Anna:
Following the call of the horse, a blind leap of faith took this horsewoman “across the pond" to become recognized by British Royalty and the US Government as one of the premier professionals in the language of the horse. Anna Twinney is a Natural Horsewoman, Equine Behaviorist, International Clinician, Animal Communicator, Healer, Teacher, Speaker, and Coach. She is best known for her authentic com…
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Feb 24, 2023
#53 Lisa Calder: The Art of Balancing Connection and Direction
My guest for the latest Creative Spirits Unleashed Podcast episode is Lisa Calder. I met Lisa at the Equus Film Festival in December. When I watched her work in the round pen, I was immediately intrigued by her leadership style with horses. She has the precise balance of connection and direction that creates a seemingly effortless dance together, the kind of balance I call Dancing the Tightrope.
This was one of the most unforgettable conversations I’ve ever had. Early on, Lisa shared some of her darkest days with a story that took my breath away. Literally, as she told it, I had to remind myself to breathe. Her story is a powerful reminder of our inner strength if we can get out of our own way to let it rise to the surface.
She also shared her experience with burnout and how she finally learned how to say no and to walk with her spine and open heart. You have to hear how she described what this looks and feels like, because it is yet another balancing act. Many times during this co…
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Feb 3, 2023
#52 Hannah Pasquinzo: Getting Out of the Cycle of Beating Ourselves Up
My guest for this episode of the Creative Spirits Unleashed Podcast is Hannah Pasquinzo. Hannah is a successful small business owner, yoga instructor, and coach living in the magical Ozark mountains with her horses, dogs, and cats.
Hannah and I met at the Journey On Podcast Summit in November. She was one of the 12 people who joined in the Ice Bath excursion on Saturday night. She inspired everyone in the group when she stayed in for the target of two minutes, and then said she could stay even longer. Her courage was contagious.
This conversation will tell you that not only does she live in the magical Ozark mountains, but she's a magical person herself. She and I touched on a variety of topics, from Human Design (a new way of seeing ourselves for me), what we do with mistakes, and how we get out of the cycle of beating ourselves up. How we handle mistakes
I had lots of questions for her, such as “How do we find mindful ways to approach life?” “In what way can we use our inner…
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Jan 20, 2023
#51 Kate Neligan: The Less than Perfect Road
My guest for this episode of the podcast is Kate Neligan. From the first minute I spoke with her, I could tell Kate was the kind of coach that facilitates true change. In this episode, she speaks freely about her own transformation, and the less-than-perfect road that led her to embrace the journey more than the end goal. Kate also has a point of view about what makes a good coach and a good coaching fit. Most importantly, Kate realizes that the journey is never complete and continues to work on herself (which is one of the gold standards of a good coach from my perspective.)
Like many of us, she got ahead in the corporate world by saying yes to her own detriment. Balance went out the window, along with her sense of self. Through having a good coach, she found her way to a more fulfilling success, and now she helps others do the same.
*Bio:*
Kate Neligan is an Equine-Partnered Life/Business Coach who helps her clients with their intuition, emotional intelligence, and empowered leader…
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Jan 3, 2023
#50 Sarah Barnes: Trust Your Intuition
My guest for this episode of the podcast is Sarah V. Barnes, author of She Who Rides Horses. If you have ever wondered if intuition is real or questioned whether you could really trust your instincts, this podcast is for you. Sarah practiced in the logical world of academia before becoming an author. Working with horses taught her to move beyond logic. As she said in the podcast, “I feel like I’m reclaiming my birthright.” I couldn’t agree more. Sarah has a lot of wisdom to offer, both in this podcast and in her book.
The book She Who Rides Horses is a historical fiction account of the first person to ride a horse in about 4000 BCE. The story dances the tightrope between the hard evidence of what historians know about that time period and that which can’t be known. It’s a gripping tale of life, love and spirit in an era long past.
Given her background, Sarah is well-equipped to tell this story.
Sarah V. Barnes is both an historian and a horsewoman. When she is not writin…
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Dec 14, 2022
#49 Amanda Held: Creating a Clear Path
How can horses help a person be a better leader? So started this podcast with Amanda Held, an accomplished leader in a variety of settings. She shared compelling stories of what she has seen and experienced, along with quotes like this: “If you ask a question, you have to respect the answer that you get.” Early on, she tells a story of a toxic leader who transformed in a moment after getting a mustang to do something truly remarkable. Except he failed to remark, and it led him to a life defining moment that changed everything.
More than once, I was moved to tears in this conversation. Amanda truly dances the tightrope between hard-edged science and the magic of an open heart. Several times, I asked her to repeat what she said, because it was so profound.
So, who is Amanda Held? She would be the first to tell you she is much more than her bio. She truly shines through in this podcast episode. Here’s what her bio says.
Amanda Held is a Founder, CEO, Horse & Human Potential Pract…
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Dec 1, 2022
#48 Christine Dickson: On the Path of Transformation
Have you ever noticed how one thing leads to another, then leads to another and so on? This episode came about because I fell off a horse and found Warwick Schiller, who teaches people about horses on Facebook. Except he’s really all about personal transformation. He was a guest on this podcast in May 2020, and then I was a guest on his podcast September 2021. In that episode, I told a story about a pivotal moment in daughter Jen’s addiction journey. Fast forward to the summer of 2022, I get a message on Instagram from a woman in Los Angeles who had listened to that podcast and described how moved she was by that story.
In early November, 2022 I went to Warwick’s Journey On Podcast Summit in San Antonio, where he gathered many of his prior podcast guests to share their wisdom in person.
One of those podcast guests, who was not a scheduled presenter, was Christine Dickson. Now here’s where it gets interesting. I had listened to Warwick’s podcast with Christine in August and…
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Nov 3, 2022
#47: Marla Steinberg: A Simple Trail Ride Turned into a Life Changing Moment
This latest podcast takes a whole new turn for me. Yet it makes complete sense in terms of the Dancing the Tightrope podcast series. Remember that this series falls under the category of “it takes a village.” In my case, the village I needed was made up of the friends, family and trainers who helped me get back on the horse after my fall in 2017.
My guest for this episode is Marla Steinberg, who happily went along with me when I finally decided to ride a horse again – in late 2018. In other words, well over a year after the fall. In this case, I decided to start with an “easy horse” at Cedar Creek Stables here in Lake Lure.
Listen as Marla and I take you through the twists and turns of what appeared to be a simple trail ride on the surface. It turned out to be life changing for Marla and also showed me how well I hid my fear – at least at first – about the whole idea of riding a horse again. I was busted as soon as we walked into the barn.
Marla and I share that story…
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Oct 27, 2022
#46: Lee McLean: The Balancing Act Between Discipline and Feel
I’m continuing my podcast series on my book Dancing the Tightrope with Lee McLean, Author and Horsewoman of Keystone Equine in Alberta, Canada. Lee is an incredible writer. She is one of those rare people who knows how to use Facebook to share her messages about horses. She is also a balanced thinker, and that’s what made me ask her on the podcast. Well, actually, it started when I read a post that beautifully described one of the many balancing acts with training horses. She agreed to allow me to include that post in my book – and because of that, I had to have her on the podcast. You are going to be so glad I did.
If you are a horse person, or a leader, you are going to want to listen to this podcast. Lee’s wisdom goes far beyond the barn. Better yet, she has her own book coming out about the same time as mine! According to her publisher, Red Barn Books, Love and Rules, Life Lessons Learned With Horses is a new collection of essays that covers the spectrum of love, fear, win…
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Oct 11, 2022
#45: Bruce Anderson on Pressure, Fear, and Uncertainty
This episode is one in a series I’m doing for my new book Dancing the Tightrope, What Falling Off a Horse Taught Me About Embracing Pressure, Fear and Uncertainty.
Today’s guest is Bruce Anderson of Natural Humanship. I could argue that this book would not exist were it not for Bruce; I can say for sure what I learned working with him deeply shaped not only the book, but my mindset. Specifically, I’m talking about how I’ve come to view pressure, mistakes, perfection, fear and more.
Mindset is much more than simply how I view things. It’s about operating with what Bruce calls the Four Missing Pieces. In the work I’ve done with horses in the round pen, Bruce has helped me begin to learn these four missing pieces. And I really do mean BEGIN to learn, because while the pieces may seem simple on the surface, learning to reach for them takes a lifetime to master.
The good news is this: every situation I used to dread, especially the ones full of pressure, fear and uncertainty,…
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Oct 6, 2022
#44 My New Book is Coming Soon and…
In my new podcast series, I’m talking to the people who are in my latest book. Dancing the Tightrope, What Falling Off a Horse Taught Me About Embracing Pressure, Fear and Uncertainty chronicles my journey from a bad horse accident to getting back on the horse. In other words, I brought to life one of the most age-old idioms.
The journey was both difficult and fulfilling at the same time. Many, many people helped me along the way. For this podcast series, I am talking to the people who help out a hand to show me my own strength.
This week’s podcast kicks thing off with me giving some of the back story of the book, and some of the essential principles I learned and honed along the way.
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Aug 11, 2022
#43 The Elegant Pivot Series Finale: Facing the Dreaded Fighting Francis
You asked for it, so you got it! We decided to wrap up the The Elegant Pivot Series with a final bring-it-all-together conversation. My daughter, Jen and I have been exploring the five principles in my book, “The Elegant Pivot: An Inspired Move for Navigating Corporate Politics”. While the subtitle may refer to “corporate politics”, my readers are telling me it applies to much, much more. As a refresher, here are the five principles along with the past podcasts we have done.
1: Discern Signal from Noise
2: Focus on what You Want
3: Take Nothing Personally
4: Master Your Stories
5: Develop A Sense of Inquiry
Jen and I have been working together for several years, and given that we are mother/daughter, we get lots of opportunities to encounter some personal politics. The Elegant Pivot, which is about how to assume positive intent, is a really powerful tool to use -- if you can get out of your own way. We've had so much fun having these conversations, because we’ve been applyi…
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Jul 14, 2022
#42 The Elegant Pivot Series: Developing a Spirit of Inquiry
We are finishing up a series that I've been doing with my coworker, colleague, and daughter, Jen Maneely with my book “The Elegant Pivot”. This is a book I wrote and published in 2001. We've been following the five main principles of the elegant pivot around how to assume positive intent. The fifth principle is to develop a spirit of inquiry. And if you haven’t read my book, or need a refresher on the five principles, they are:
1: Discern Signal from Noise
2: Focus on what You Want
3: Take Nothing Personally
4: Master Your Stories
5: Develop A Sense of Inquiry
And boy, did we dive in today on that. My daughter and I actually had a couple of daughter and mommy moments or mommy daughter moments, however you want to put that, where we discovered where some of our patterns come from, and what patterns have to do with asking questions.
So, we went into everything from how to ask a good question, how to not interrogate somebody, how to recognize when you're feeling vulnerable, a…
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Jun 15, 2022
#41 The Elegant Pivot Series: Master Your Stories
In my latest podcast episode, I again welcome daughter and colleague Jen Maneely. We are continuing our series on The Elegant Pivot. In this episode, we talked about the Chapter titled Master Your Stories.
We had SO many stories about making up stories. All too often, we think we know what the other person is thinking or why they said something. More often than not, we are missing the full picture. In fact, I would dare say we never have the full picture, because we can’t truly get inside someone else’s head.
The problem with making up stories is when we act on them as if they are true. I’ve done this myself way too many times to count, often with hilarious results. We tell a couple of those types of stories. But we also talked about situations where our stories caused us grief.
Making up stories about why something is happening or why someone is doing something is completely natural. Getting invested in those stories as if they are true – rather than treating them like the…
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Jun 2, 2022
#40 Robyn Shiller: The Tiny Steps That Make Up Success
My guest for this episode is Robyn Schiller. It was two years ago that I reached out to her husband Warwick Schiller to be a guest on my podcast. He’s a very well-known horse trainer with an extensive video subscription library. Then, a year ago, I got to meet Robyn (and Warwick in person) at the Cactus Reining Classic. We visited after I had gotten to see Robyn ride her reining horse in the show. She mentioned that she used to be in the corporate world, in Human Resources, which definitely made me very interested to talk to her.
I invited Robyn on the podcast because there is always more to success than meets the eye – whether we are talking about her performance in the arena, or in the business that she and Warwick run together. Robyn is the behind-the-scenes force that get things done in their business. Soon, she will also be offering her wisdom alongside Warwick at a clinic they are doing in Australia titled Resolving Anxiety in Horses and Humans Masterclass. She previewed som…
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May 19, 2022
#39 Geoff Saab: Low Risk Rules
My guest for this episode is Geoff Saab, author of the newly published book Low Risk Rules, A Wealth Preservation Manifesto. If the word “manifesto” gets your attention, that’s exactly what Geoff was hoping for. He really does have a point of view on how to preserve wealth. His ideas apply to all of us, even though he wrote the book primarily for entrepreneurs who had sold their business.
Our conversation covered a lot of territory. One of the main themes of Geoff’s book and clearly, in his work with clients, is conviction. He has a point of view on the value of understanding and believing in the companies in which his clients invest. More importantly, he believes in going slow to go fast. His back to basics approach is both unusual and refreshing.
Geoff Saab is a wealth manager who has held various positions in tax, estate planning, and insurance, and now serves clients as a portfolio manager within an investment counsel firm. He spent over a decade working in a single famil…
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May 5, 2022
Ep. #38: Take Nothing Personally: The Elegant Pivot Series
In my latest podcast episode, I again welcome daughter and colleague Jen Maneely. We are continuing our series on The Elegant Pivot, this time to dive into the practice of taking nothing personally. When a mother and daughter sit down to talk about taking nothing personally, anything can happen.
If we had tried to have this conversation a few years ago, it would have been like navigating a minefield. We would have tried to avoid each other’s hot buttons and not hurt the other’s feelings. Not so in this podcast. Instead, this conversation is full of productive tips on what to do in place of taking things personally, like pocket questions.
I love pocket questions. A pocket question is a premeditated question to ask instead of the reaction you typically have. They are a way to interrupt predicable patterns and open the door to something new. We go over several examples in this conversation, as well as some scenarios that show you ways to assume positive intent – even in circumstan…
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Apr 7, 2022
#37: Jennifer Maneely: Focus on What You Want: The Elegant Pivot Series
Don’t think about a big, purple elephant with white polka dots and a pink tail. How did you do? First you had to think about it to not think about it. That’s the point of the principle from chapter 9 in The Elegant Pivot: Focus on What You Want.
This week, Jen Maneely joins me again to share our stories on our successes and failures in applying this principle in real life. We never know where one of these conversations is going to take us. We both had a number of insights as we worked through several of our own situations, especially one we debriefed at the end of this podcast.
If you have been trying to assume positive intent and found it more difficult than you expected, listening to this conversation will be worth your time. Not only will you give yourself a break – because it’s harder than it looks – you will come away with a few tactics that make it just a little easier to get curious instead of defensive.
Additional Links
The Elegant Pivot Book
The Elegant Pivot W…
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Mar 24, 2022
#36 Nahshon Cook on Harmony, Balance, the Power of Breath and Vulnerability
My guest for this week’s podcast is Nahshon Cook. We spoke last year in a very memorable conversation. Over the last twelve months, much has changed. He is now an author. His book is titled Being With Horses, and it was my most gifted book over the last year. He has also begun teaching intensives at his barn for horses and their people. As word of his gifts has spread, he is riding the wave of being more well known, which gives him an opportunity to personally grow in ways serve his horses and clients at an even higher level.
Nahshon’s book is a series of essays and poems and this conversation has that same feeling to it. I intentionally gave him a lot of space to riff on many topics, which created a necklace full of pearls of wisdom. I will listen and relisten to this conversation, because I learn something new every time.
Topics:
* Nahshon’s Book: Being with Horses: Meditation
* The breath helps us find the courage to own our own suffering
* Breath can be a bridge to h…
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Mar 10, 2022
# 35 Jennifer Maneely: Discern Signal from Noise
Remember those old radios, where you turned the dial, navigating through the noise of static? Up and down the spectrum, turn the dial a little this way and then a little that way, until finally, we find music or a person talking. That’s when you know you found the signal. Actually, new car radios also have noise and signal, but the new technology makes it easier to quickly find the channel.
Recently, I had a lot of noise while purchasing a new car. Well, isn’t the process usually full of noise? But this time, it wasn’t the pushy sales guy, or the endless back and forth, or the super-duper financing offer that created the noise.
*It was the chatter in my head, causing me several moments of surprising indecision. *
This week, my podcast series on the book The Elegant Pivot continues with the latest episode titled Discern Signal From Noise. Jen Maneely joins me again to have a deep conversation about the first principle in the book. In this conversation, we share many of our stru…
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Feb 25, 2022
#34 Kendall Lyman: Mining for Conflict
Conflict is necessary for true change. Wait – did I just say that? Does the idea of conflict make you cringe? Come be a fly on the wall in my conversation with Kendall Lyman of The Highlands Group. We started this conversation talking about “mining for conflict” when leading change and this conversation took off from there.
Kendall is the co - author of the book Change the Way You Change 5 Roles of Leaders Who Accelerate Business Performance. We had a wide-ranging conversation on why change is so difficult and why leading change is even harder. Kendall has had a lifetime of experiences to inform his approach, and it’s clear in this conversation that he is someone who learns and re-learns from his experiences. He’s also quite gifted at sharing his perspectives, as you will hear in this conversation.
Kendall is the founder of The Highlands Group. —a consulting firm specializing in strategy, organizational change, and leadership development. Kendall has been blessed to consu…
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Feb 11, 2022
#33 Your Brain on Jump Thinking
For this episode, we are doing something completely different. I am starting a series on my book, “The Elegant Pivot” with the help of Jennifer Maneely. Jen is a thought leader in the addiction community and specializes in helping parents set boundaries with their adult children who are caught up in drugs and alcohol. Having been a student of her own mind and now a sponsor in the addition community for fifteen years, she has keen insights into how our minds work. That’s why I turn to her again and again to help me arrest my brain when it’s jumping to conclusions.
In this episode, we discuss the Ladder of Inference, which is the subject of Chapter Two of “The Elegant Pivot.” and how we jump up the ladder of inference going from our facts to our fears. This conversation is rich with stories of understanding that no matter what, we are going to make up stories…and they are going to be wrong. That is the point of needing to pivot.
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Jan 27, 2022
#32 Kira Higgs: Peace of Mind When You Have No Control
My guest for this episode is Kira Higgs, author, facilitator, strategist. If you have ever had something happen to you that made you feel out of control, you need to listen to this conversation. We started with a serious bicycle accident that Kira many years ago that was one of those life defining moments. Listen to how she made choices to navigate through her recovery. It’s a masterclass in wisdom about what we can change and what we cannot change. The whole conversation is a masterclass – about her wisdom in facilitation, calling out what she sees and helping others get clarity on their thinking. You can’t help but get clarity for yourself in this conversation.
Here’s a little about Kira. Kira has been a leader of leaders since the early days of her career. She guides innovative thinking during strategy development, leaning heavily into principles of structural dynamics. As a certified Structural Consultant, Kira unlocks the ideas and vision of her clients to construct clear…
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Aug 12, 2021
#31 Diane Osgood: Finding Choice in what We Buy and How We Choose to Buy
Diane has practical ways to help us to help ourselves to help the Earth. Her real passion is finding choice in what we buy and how we choose to buy, so that we don’t destroy the planet we live on.
Our conversation started with her role in working with Richard Branson, who has been in the news lately thanks to the Virgin Galactic space flight. She has in interesting take on what drives him to make space flight available.
We had several themes in this conversation, which revolved around her passion for the planet. One theme was choice, and showing all of us how much choice we have. Another was around animals, and especially sea life. She has a clear affinity for dolphins, whales, and so forth. She also deeply understands what it takes to get behind the story on where the products that make modern life possible come from.
Here’s what she has to say about herself:
Diane Osgood is an authority on sustainable and ethical products. For over thirty years, she’s helped companies innov…
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Jul 22, 2021
#30 Terri Tomoff: Capturing Hope and Inspiration Through Adversity
Sometimes, you read a book and the lessons stay with you long after you’ve finished the book. That’s what happened for me after I read Terri Tomoff’s book The Focused Fight-A Childhood Cancer Journey: From Mayhem to Miracles. I had the honor of watching this book unfold last year. Terri and I were in the writing in community group through Akimbo where we wrote daily and shared blurbs, plus offered each other encouragement. No one offered more hope and encouragement than Terri, which will not surprise you after you listen to this conversation.
We started with her history of going behind the iron curtain as a teenager to win two races in the Polish Olympics. Terri has continued to be an athlete through her life – and her “all things are possible” mindset helped carry her through the battles of her son Ryan’s 5 battles with cancer, including 3 occurrences of leukemia.
When you listen to the conversation, you will quickly realize that this is a story of leadership at its ve…
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Jul 8, 2021
#29: Peter Barr Living a Life of Adventure
Sometimes when I’m watching a movie based on real life disasters, like Titanic or The Perfect Storm, I find myself yelling at characters on the screen to STOP. Wait another day! You don’t want the story to end this way! Of course, the people in these stories did not set out expecting the worst. They set out expecting their skills to be up for the challenges that awaited them.
In this podcast, Peter Barr tells of a harrowing adventure he had on a mountain in Nevada last December. In this case, we are not watching a movie. It’s real. The main character in the story is actually taking us through the adventure, so we know it ends up ok. Nonetheless, I found myself listening back to this story with a part of me wanting to tell him to turn back! Peter, wait another day!
There was another part of me that wanted to understand his choices.
When Peter and his wife Allison decided to live a life of adventure from their RV last summer, they chose to test themselves on many fronts. Where i…
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Jun 25, 2021
#28 Tyler Boyd Betting on Yourself and Your Own Skills
Every year, the Masters Water Ski tournament is held in Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain Georgia. It is THE most prestigious tournament in water skiing. This year, my friend Cyndi Benzel was chief judge and asked me to be the judge’s assistant. During the officials meeting the first night we got there, I ran into Tyler just to say hi. We have been connected on Linkedin for years - because water skiing is that kind of sport. You just connect with everyone involved in the sport.
Somehow Tyler and I started talking business and leadership and books that changed our lives.It was one of those moments where I wanted to capture the conversation – so we set the earliest date we could to record this podcast.
This conversation gets going very quickly. Before we are five minutes into it, Tyler starts sharing some of his ideas on leadership and performance. He was deeply affected by Carol Dweck’s book Mindset and Annie Duke’s book Thinking in Bets. Both caused him to think differently…
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Jun 9, 2021
#27 Vernon Roberts: Creating Authentic Communication in a Virtual Conversation
When the shutdowns started happening last year, we all had to take our “engagement game” up to another level. Suddenly, our meetings became virtual. Once we mastered the “unmute” and “turn on video” buttons, we had to also master keeping people engaged without the benefit of being in the same room. We could no longer read body language…or yawns.
Vernon Roberts started mastering virtual engagement before it was cool. He and I worked together in the 90’s, teaching accounting, banking, loan approvals and other dry topics. In that environment, Vernon brought life to the classroom. When he formed Evoke Virtual in 2003, he was ahead of his time.
As it often does, this conversation took many interesting turns; not surprisingly, it was engaging start to finish. He has so many tips and tricks, from setting context, using open ended questions, understanding our own interests in a conversation, to hearing what really matters to those we are talking to.
Vernon Roberts is an auth…
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May 26, 2021
#26: Michele Stowe: A Leadership Development Junkie talks about Developing Leadership Superpowers
Michele Stowe has a thing or two to say about leading change. She also has a thing or two to say about a lot of the most joyous – and least fun – parts of corporate life.
From the title of the podcast, it’s probably no surprise to you that Michele Stowe is also a self-described comic book nerd. In our conversation, she tells us about how and why she decided to leverage a comic book tool in her coaching repertoire. It’s the kind of thing that makes you tap your forehead and ask “Why didn’t I think of that?”
If you have ever been through a corporate downsizing, whether on the receiving or “giving” end of it, her story about an early experience will hit home. Memories of several of my experiences came flooding back as she described her role, which happened very early in her career. I could just picture 22-year-old Michele wearing her only business suit telling bankers twice her age the reason their badge failed to operate that morning. The story shaped her in very impo…
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May 14, 2021
#25 Michael Cohen: Working in Balance with the Cycles of Life
Michael Cohen woke up to the possibilities of acupuncture when he was told he might not run again after a knee injury. His experience was so profound that he decided to dive deeply into acupuncture and Eastern medicine to learn what this different healing modality is all about. In his journey, he discovered that acupuncture is much more than a way to heal; it can also help enhance athletic performance. This conversation opened my eyes to some nuanced ways of thinking about energy, balance and harmony.
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Apr 29, 2021
#24 Susan Robertson on Getting Over Mind Created Fear
For this episode, I’m speaking with Susan Robertson, founder and managing partner of Linceis Conscious Business. She is also the author of two books: REAL Leadership: Waken to Wisdom and her upcoming book, REAL Culture: The Catalyst for Conscious Business.
Su and I have a long history together that covers a lot of different domains. Before Linceis Conscious Business, she was a founder along with her husband Barry of Stop at Nothing, who ran one of the deepest, most effective leadership programs I’ve ever seen or experienced. Well over 50% of the people who attended that program had positive changes to their lives afterwards, including me. After attending many of the Stop at Nothing programs, I eventually taught the program for about 10 years.
With Linceis Conscious Business, she is taking her expertise in human development to a whole new level. When she works with teams, she helps them bring a whole new level of psychological safety and trust to bear – which then brings a new l…
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Apr 8, 2021
#23 Bill Goldsmith: No More Being a Victim by Assuming Positive Intent
It’s easy to confuse our circumstances with our interpretation of those circumstances. In this conversation, Bill Goldsmith shares his own journey from feeling like a victim to loving his life and ending his career “100 times betters than it could have been”. Bill also shares a famous story in The Elegant Pivot, where assuming positive intent literally changed the direction and outcome of a critical team meeting.
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Mar 5, 2021
#22: Nick Miller. Stop Teaching and Start Telling Stories
If I had to name a theme for this conversation, it would be all about the quality of the question. Nick Miller is a phenomenal question asker – as you will hear in this conversation, where more than once, he turned the table and asked me a question. You will also hear where I asked a question he had no answer for – because I didn’t ask a great question. We covered his weekly sales thought – as he’s coming up on number 1000, on his writing and storytelling mentors, what he learned about asking questions from a graveyard, how he got a famous author and coach to take him on as a client and the only three things we really need to know how to do. Hint: one of them is to learn, and we dove deep on the topic of how we know we are learning, and what he wished he had learned earlier in his career.
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Feb 18, 2021
#21 Michèle Stanners on Building Bridges of Reconciliation
In this podcast, Michèle Stanners shares her journey toward reconciliation with the First Nations people of Canada, provides a masterclass in the art of deep listening and demonstrates the value of taking both and artistic and pragmatic approach to facing the challenges of diversity. Her book and podcast of the same name “Unsettled” explores the path to reconciling unconscious bias and racism and build bridges of understanding.
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Feb 4, 2021
# 20: Nahshon Cook on Love, Forgiveness, Healing and Communication
“The more you eliminate the need for control, the more you are open to communication.” -Nahshon Cook
If you have ever heard the phrase wise beyond his years, you are about to experience that. We barely talk about horses – although we do. We mostly cover fear, the need to control, what forgiveness means and so much more.
We started this conversation with me asking him how he connects pain as a gift – and after that, we were off and running. There’s no way I can do his words of wisdom justice. You will just have to listen for yourself.
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Jan 20, 2021
#19: Ann Herrmann-Nehdi Can Help You Think Better
Ann Herrmann Nehdi started this podcast by saying “balance is a loaded word…and it’s almost impossible to attain…this exquisite balance.” Right out of the chute, we started this conversation by challenging assumptions and diving into her company’s research on thinking, resilience and managing change in times like these.
There’s no one I know who “thinks about thinking” more than Ann. She spends a lot of time working with senior teams as well as those in the “magic middle” of some of the largest companies in the world. The company founded by her father Ned Herrmann has provided HBDI Thinking Style Assessments for 97% of the Fortune 100. She has incredible insight into the inner workings of how decisions get made throughout these organizations – and it’s often different than it appears from the outside looking in.
In this conversation, Ann walks us through the model, describing our four “selves” and how those aspects of our thinking can work together to cr…
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Jan 7, 2021
#18: Dwayne Hildreth on Coming to Center
After a 30 year career at Nike, Dwayne Hildreth is exploring new territory with horses and music – and when he does something, he goes all out. He had visions of riding off into the sunset on his shiny new Palomino, only to discover that horse ownership, like almost any endeavor, involves a lot more than meets the eye. Nonetheless, he and his two horses are competing – and winning – in the Reined Cow Horse discipline, one of the most extreme of the horse sports. Yet this cowboy also writes and arranges music. His heart comes through in both. If there is any lesson in this podcast, it’s this: the sooner you find your heart, the more you will come to center.
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Dec 2, 2020
#17 Jen Maneely: The Non-Drama of Getting Back On the Horse
My Daughter, Jen and I, have actually done several podcasts together over the years, talking about our story through addiction and our adventures working together as a mother daughter team. A little over a month ago, we did a podcast together about how her moment of vulnerability changed everything. We are back for a round two for a very important reason; we are answering the question: Did anything really change?If you have not listened to the first podcast, it is worth your time to go listen to Episode 16 – both to get context for this one might and also to hear how Jen made it to the other side of fear in that incident. In this episode, we go even deeper into her behind the scenes thoughts, feelings and actions, especially around the constant balancing act of meeting goals and yet staying present. We can either be way too future focused or way to now focused. Somewhere in the middle is the magic balance and Jen does a marvelous job of teasing out how she walked that tightrope the s…
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Oct 15, 2020
#16 Jen Maneely, How a Moment of Vulnerability Changed Everything
Moments of transformation are often also moments of vulnerability. In this episode, Jen Maneely, Author of Dear Parents, Strategies to Help Your Loved One Through Addiction describes a moment of transformation that almost didn’t happen. When facing fears, we often feel like we are going to die – even when the danger is not life and death. Jen describes how she dealt with one of those fears by asking the question “What’s my responsibility here?” With the right kind of support, she stayed with her fears and literally got back on the horse.
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Sep 2, 2020
#15 Heike Neumann on Leading Change when Everything is Changing
Who knew meeting someone at a ski lake wearing the same T-shirt that said, “Women who behave rarely make history,” would lead to a long, rich friendship. In the 15th episode of the Creative Spirits Unleashed Podcast, I’m speaking with Heike Neumann, Vice President of Marketing for Oracle Corporation. In her more than 25 years of experience working in the US and EMEA to market global B2B (Business to Business) tech brands, she has launched marketing strategies in 23 countries. She is passionate about global markets, developing strategies, implementing those, and following through to deliver desired business outcomes with a "get things done" attitude. Her motto in business is, "It needs to be reliable, repeatable, and scalable."
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Aug 19, 2020
#14 Peter Barr, Nationally recognized trail builder on living a life of fulfillment
Peter Barr loves adventure and turns into pressure at every opportunity. He also likes to get himself into tight spots to test his wherewithal to solve problems, overcome obstacles and live a life of fulfillment. This conversation is a master class in making the unconventional decisions that may not lead to comfort but definitely lead to personal growth and satisfaction. Peter Barr is a nationally known trail builder, peakbagger and in 2010, completed a through hike on the Appalachian Trail. In this conversation, we talk about yet another major life changing decision he has made to leave a career he cherishes and adores to seek a life of adventure with his wife Allison, living the RV life.
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Jun 12, 2020
#13 Jen Maneely The Lessons My Daughter's Addiction Taught Me
Navigating addiction is never easy. In this mother-daughter conversation, we share some of our stories, dilemmas and uncertainties as Jen went through a series of life and death decisions on her road to recovery. Some of the most fun parts of this conversation happened when we learned some never-revealed things about what was going on behind the scenes for both of us.
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May 21, 2020
#12 Warwick Schiller, Performance Horses, On listening, Presence, Curiosity and going from knowing to learning.
Every now and then, you find someone who pierces through the noise of all the people vying for our attention with a message that is so clear and compelling, you just have to stop and listen. I found that person a few years ago in Warwick Schiller. Yes, in his videos he was talking about horses. But lots of people are on the internet talking about horses.
Warwick is different. He’s really talking about listening, presence and being. He’s sharing his personal transformation. Moreover, he’s not just talking – he’s showing and embodying something invisible that creates a change.
That’s what made me reach out to him for this conversation. Most of the conversations on this podcast are with people I know. Most of the people who invite Warwick on their podcast are people who make a living in the horse world. This conversation would be between two people from different worlds who don’t know each other.
The question going into the conversation was “where would we find the comm…
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May 14, 2020
#11 Corey Vaughn; Putting a life jacket on self-doubt to live his dream as a pro water skier
From the minute we started the conversation, it was evident that Corey Vaughn is a philosopher. He also calls himself the “hippie husband” of his wife Amelia. It was almost surreal to reconcile the deep thinking man I was speaking to with the fact that he’s one of the best in the extremely intense sport of water skiing. And he is a really, really good water skier. He’s one of only a handful of skiers to have run all 6 buoys in the most difficult (41 off) pass, and he’s been on the podium in countless tournaments from Nationals to Pro Tour events. He knows a thing or two about performance under pressure and after learning that you can get burned out even when working on a passion, he’s pretty darn good at balancing his life. In this episode, he shares his practices on dealing with pressure, working through self-doubt and what it takes to keep showing up.
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Apr 23, 2020
#10 In the Hot Seat with Podcast Host Julianne Neal and Bruce Anderson of Whinny Tales
In this special episode, we turn the microphone around and Julianne Neal of Whinny Tales interviews Lynn Carnes, executive coach and Bruce Anderson of Natures View and founder of Natural Humanship™. Real change only happens with pressure and discomfort. It’s a natural human reaction to turn away from both. In this episode, we break down the steps to turn into the sensations of pressure and discomfort so that we build a new personal foundation of inner strength. Using the horse as a mirror and a teacher, we recount Lynn’s experience of building her mental tools (which she calls the Invisible Tools) over two years of practice, training, failing, recovering, and doing it all over again. The is the first episode in a series of three.
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Apr 16, 2020
#9 Chelsea Mills World Ranked Water Skier Talks Failure as the Only Path to Success
When Chelsea Mills decided to take up tournament water skiing in her 20’s, most people would have said she was a decade too late. She is now ranked number 8 in the world and still improving. She is also a high level tennis coach. Her window into the world of elite sports has given her some powerful insights into the difference mindset can make. She shares many of her insights with us in this episode.
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Apr 9, 2020
#8 Nikki Porter, Equestrian Mindset Coach on Leadership, Energy and Truthfulness
The ironic thing about developing self-awareness is that we often need others to hold up the mirror so we can see what is really true about ourselves. Nikki Porter, is the host of “Take the Reins, a weekly personal growth podcast for horse owners.” She effortlessly weaves the parallels between the relationships we have with horses and humans. The lessons apply to how we show up as leaders, the way our energy impacts others and the value of genuine truthfulness. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation about the places we have extraordinary power over our choices, even when facing the biggest pressures and changes of our lives.
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Apr 2, 2020
#7 Chris Braund and Karen Van Sickler A Playbook for Adversity
Early 2020 promised to be the year newly minted entrepreneurs Chris and Karen would break through in their business Pampered Pets Inn. After spending most of their careers in the corporate world as project managers, they were thrilled to apply the principles of leadership, process and controls to a business that was just waiting to take off. Then the corona virus swept in and shut down the travel business. Almost overnight, they were forced to pivot on a dime and face realities no entrepreneur wants to face. Listen in this episode about how they evaluated the unfolding situation, navigated their emotions and made their decisions in this active and fluid environment.
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Mar 26, 2020
#6 Tammy Tappan Equestrian Artist: Take The Leap and Figure It Out on the Way Down
If you have ever wondered how to take the leap and learn to fly, this episode is for you. Tammy Tappan starts with a story of “doing the mature thing and taking my toys home” after a business deal fell through. Driving a leaky RV through the desert, she followed her inner voice to seek out an art workshop. Her life has never been the same. In this episode, we dissect the methods Tammy used to breakthrough her fear and take chances, even with nagging self-doubt. The artwork resulting from her bravery is nothing less than stunning.
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Mar 13, 2020
#5 David Benzel The Sports Family Coach talks influence, culture and becoming.
“If you know how you got there, you can create culture.” David Benzel guides parents, coaches and leaders on the world of influence. From the earliest moments in his career, he has been helping people grow, change their habits, acquire new habits and gain skills. This conversation is packed with wisdom on leadership, change and dealing with the discomfort of going from point A to point B. His special gift is helping parents of elite athletes positively impact their children in a world where the pressure to perform can test the strongest relationships. As a an elite athlete and parent of two elite athletes, he has an insider’s perspective on how to best equip the parents to be at their best. His lessons translate to every domain where performance counts.
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Feb 17, 2020
#4 Natallia Berdnikava The first woman to jump over 190 feet
Playing on the world stage as an athlete requires a tough mental game, deep work ethic and resilience. Natallia Berdnikava, world champion water skier and the first woman to jump over 190 feet, exemplifies all of these qualities and she’s willing to share her best thinking on performance. We talk in depth about everything from how to control your negative thoughts, how to visualize success, the keys to making experience count and the value of recovery. Plus, this conversation has a bonus, as she compares living in Belarus to the freedom of living in the United States. Enjoy the many useful insights you can take away from this conversation.
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Feb 5, 2020
#3 Bruce Anderson: Let Pressure Teach You to Become Who You Were Born To Be
If you have pressure in your life, Bruce Anderson has a message for you: Pressure can help you become more of who YOU really are. But first, you will have to give up perfection. Bruce is the founder of Nature’s View and he calls his work “Natural Humanship”. On the surface, Bruce looks like a “horse-whisperer” and I found him through a friend in the horse world. But it’s his work with people working with horses that I find unique. Bruce’s method uses the pressure created by the horse to rewrite our scripts on how we deal with all pressure. It’s life changing stuff! In this podcast, we not only talk about his method, we actually use it when we have a huge distraction less than 10 minutes into our conversation. This conversation gets really deep into what makes us act the way we do as humans, how we can change it for the better and how horses can help us save the planet.
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Jan 21, 2020
#2 Steve Snyder: In Defense of Management
Today’s guest Steve Snyder has been a leader in many domains, first in the Military as a Naval aviator and Commanding Officer, then in Business and now in Academia. We get into how the different contexts in each domain makes a difference in how you lead – and in the contrast between Leadership and Management. Steve is also an athlete and entrepreneur. He has truly learned to flex his skills by being a lifelong learner. There are so many layers in this conversation. Steve shares his secrets of serving in all of these capacities, and especially in a management capacity, which he believes is an essential element to success that is all too often overlooked.
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Dec 30, 2019
#1 Julie Gould: The 4 P's: Passion, Pets, People and Photography
Welcome to the first podcast of Creative Spirits Unleashed, the podcast for people who want more from life than just work. Our first guest has two encore careers and is a master of work/life balance. Julie Gould is the principal of J. Gould Consulting in Washington, DC, a consulting firm for affordable housing and the genius behind the camera of Bright Eyes Photos, capturing magic moments of your beloved pet. Julie's specialty is capturing the essence of what matters in her every endeavor. Our conversation ranges far and wide, from how to say no to seeing the catch lights in the eye of your pet - or the people in your life.
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