What if the dream you've spent your entire life chasing is no longer the dream you're meant to live?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, Amanda Russo sits down with Shannon Russell, business coach, speaker, author, and host of the Second Act Success podcast, for a conversation about career transitions, entrepreneurship, identity, and having the courage to reinvent yourself.

Shannon shares her journey from landing her dream job at MTV and spending 16 years in the television industry to walking away from a successful career to create a life that aligned more closely with her values and priorities. Together, Amanda and Shannon explore what happens when your definition of success changes, how to navigate the fear that comes with starting over, and why your career is only one small part of who you are.

The conversation dives into motherhood, entrepreneurship, transferable skills, following intuition, and learning how to trust yourself through life's transitions. Shannon also shares how a simple idea sparked her first business, how that led to coaching women through their own career pivots, and why it's never too late to create a second act.

Whether you're feeling stuck in your current career, considering starting a business, or simply wondering what else may be possible for your life, this episode offers both practical advice and encouragement to take the next step.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

💜 Why your career is not your identity
🎬 How Shannon went from MTV producer to entrepreneur and business coach
🌱 The importance of allowing your dreams to evolve over time
✨ Why it's never too late to start a second act
🧠 How to identify transferable skills you may be overlooking
🚀 The value of learning before you leap into a new opportunity
🤍 Why giving yourself grace is essential during times of transition
📚 How accountability helped Shannon launch a podcast and write a book

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:00] Shannon shares her childhood dream of working in television and her journey to MTV
[7:00] Moving between New York and Los Angeles while building a successful career in TV
[12:00] Motherhood, changing priorities, and realizing her dream career no longer aligned with the life she wanted
[18:00] Leaving television and navigating the uncertainty of starting over
[24:00] Starting her first business and overcoming the fear of entrepreneurship
[31:00] How Second Act Success was born and why Shannon became passionate about helping women reinvent themselves
[38:00] Why your career is not your identity and how to embrace change without losing yourself
[44:00] Learning before you leap, transferable skills, and practical advice for career pivots
[48:00] Writing her book, giving yourself grace, and Shannon's final words of encouragement

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

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To Connect with Shannon:

Website: secondactsuccess.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonrussellcoach

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondactsuccess/

What if one of the most common pieces of advice we've ever been given isn't actually true?

In this thought-provoking episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with author Adam Brownlie to explore one of life's biggest questions: Can we actually choose to be happy?

Drawing from years of research and the philosophy behind his book Happypedia, Adam challenges many of the beliefs society holds about happiness, emotions, forgiveness, and human behavior. Together, Amanda and Adam dive into the science of happiness, the six pillars that contribute to wellbeing, and why understanding the root cause of suffering may be more important than simply trying to "think positive."

The conversation explores hope, novelty, forgiveness, free will, personal responsibility, and the fascinating idea that emotions may not be as much of a choice as many people believe. Adam also shares his unique journey from growing up on a farm in Australia to becoming an author dedicated to helping others better understand happiness and the human experience.

Whether listeners agree with Adam's perspective or find themselves questioning it, this episode offers a fresh way of thinking about happiness and what it truly means to live a fulfilling life.

This conversation is a reminder that happiness isn't always about forcing positivity.

Sometimes it's about understanding ourselves more deeply, letting go of what we can't control, and focusing on what we can.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 Why Adam believes happiness is not a choice

✨ The six pillars of happiness and how they impact wellbeing

🌱 Why novelty may be one of the most overlooked ingredients for happiness

💭 How thoughts influence emotional states

🤝 The connection between forgiveness and happiness

🔄 Why hope plays a critical role in mental and emotional wellbeing

💜 How understanding suffering can help people navigate difficult seasons of life

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:00] Adam shares his unique upbringing on a farm and how it shaped his perspective on life

[8:30] The journey from farming and business to becoming an author

[14:00] The research behind Happypedia and the six pillars of happiness

[20:00] Why novelty may be one of the most overlooked keys to happiness

[28:00] Can we actually choose to be happy? Adam challenges conventional wisdom

[39:00] Hope, positive thinking, and navigating difficult situations

[48:00] Forgiveness, happiness, and Adam's biggest realization about human behavior

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

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To Connect with Adam: 

Website: https://adambrownlie.com.au

What if one of the most powerful things you could do for yourself wasn’t helping someone else… but learning how to stop abandoning yourself?

In this heartfelt episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with former bodybuilding pro turned functional health and fitness coach Allie Cass for a powerful conversation about self-worth, resilience, grief, identity, and the courage to choose yourself.

Allie opens up about a toxic teenage relationship that shaped much of her early life, sharing what it was like to feel responsible for someone else's wellbeing while slowly losing sight of her own. Together, Amanda and Allie explore the difficult lessons that come from loving someone who refuses help, the importance of boundaries, and the journey of coming back home to yourself after years of self-abandonment.

The conversation also dives into grief, healing, mindset, athletics, confidence, and the experiences that ultimately led Allie into the world of health and coaching. From losing both of her parents to cancer to navigating her own personal growth journey through therapy, fitness, and self-discovery, Allie shares the moments that taught her how to trust herself, embrace change, and create a life she truly loves.

This conversation is a reminder that you can care deeply about others without carrying responsibilities that were never yours to hold.

Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is choose yourself.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:
💜 How self-abandonment can quietly show up in relationships
🧠 Why you can't help someone who doesn't want help
🌱 The difference between caring for someone and being responsible for them
💔 How grief can resurface years after a loss
✨ Why confidence is built through keeping promises to yourself
🔄 The role identity plays in lasting personal transformation
🌟 Why creating a meaningful life starts now, not someday

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:00] Allie reflects on who she is at her core and her desire to experience life fully
[14:15] A teenage relationship that led to self-abandonment and emotional responsibility
[22:30] Learning that you can't help someone who doesn't want help
[29:15] College, grief, and becoming the "strong one"
[35:00] Losing her mother and the experience that sparked her passion for health
[49:00] Discovering bodybuilding and finding confidence through challenge
[54:00] From client to coach and helping women transform their lives
[57:30] Confidence, identity shifts, and creating lasting change

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

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To Connect with Allie:

Website: www.alliecasshealth.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliecasshealth/ 

What if happiness isn't something you're born with... but something you can learn?

In this deeply honest and inspiring episode of Manders Mindset, Amanda sits down with author, keynote speaker, happiness coach, and former business executive Todd Patkin for a powerful conversation about mental health, perfectionism, burnout, and the habits that create a truly fulfilling life.

From being bullied as a child and struggling with homesickness to building a $100 million business, Todd spent much of his life chasing achievement, validation, and success. On the outside, he appeared to have everything but behind the scenes, the pressure of perfectionism and relentless ambition eventually led him to a complete mental and emotional breakdown.

Together, Todd and Amanda explore the life-changing lessons that emerged from his darkest season, including how he rebuilt his mindset, learned to quiet his inner critic, and developed a practical framework for creating greater happiness, purpose, and peace. Todd shares the 12 principles that transformed his life and explains why meaningful relationships, self-compassion, gratitude, and living in the present may be far more important than any achievement or accolade.

This episode is filled with heartfelt stories, powerful perspective shifts, and actionable wisdom for anyone who feels stuck in the pursuit of "more" and is ready to create a happier, more meaningful life.

💡 In this episode, listeners will learn:
🧠 Why perfectionism can quietly destroy happiness
💔 How burnout and mental health struggles can become a turning point for growth
🏃 Why exercise is one of the most powerful tools for emotional well-being
💭 How negative self-talk shapes self-worth and daily happiness
🌱 The importance of learning to love yourself without achievement
👥 Why the people around you influence your mindset more than you realize
🙏 How gratitude can completely shift your perspective on life
✨ Why happiness is a skill that can be learned and practiced

Timeline Summary:
03:15 – Growing up with bullying, perfectionism, and homesickness
09:45 – Choosing McGill over UPenn and redefining success
16:30 – Building a thriving family business and leading through mindset
22:45 – The breakdown that changed everything
30:20 – Why exercise became the foundation of happiness
37:15 – Learning to be kinder to yourself
44:10 – The power of positive relationships and environment
50:15 – Gratitude, giving, and living in the present
57:00 – Todd's biggest lessons on happiness, self-worth, and legacy

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

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What if the biggest thing standing between you and the life you want… is the resistance to change?

In this deeply insightful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Harvard-trained psychotherapist, mindset expert, executive coach, and bestselling author Madeline Weiss for a powerful conversation about identity, self-worth, reinvention, and the hidden psychology behind personal transformation.

From losing her father unexpectedly at 15 years old to rebuilding her confidence through learning, growth, and self-discovery, Madeline shares the experiences that shaped her understanding of mindset, resilience, and human behavior. Together, Amanda and Madeline explore why people often stay stuck in familiar discomfort, how quieting the mind can help uncover purpose, and why real self-esteem comes from witnessing yourself show up in ways you admire.

Throughout the conversation, Madeline breaks down the five-step framework from her book Getting to Great, explains why the brain naturally resists change, and shares how unconscious patterns quietly shape the direction of life, relationships, health, and career decisions.

This episode is filled with honest reflections, practical wisdom, and meaningful mindset shifts about courage, personal responsibility, identity, and becoming the version of yourself you were always capable of being.

💡 In this episode, listeners will learn:

🧠 Why the brain naturally resists change and prefers familiarity
 🌱 How identity shifts create lasting transformation
 💭 The importance of quieting the mind to hear inner guidance
 ✨ What true self-esteem actually comes from
 📖 How grief and life experiences can shape self-perception
 🔥 Why “what you want more” ultimately wins
 💪 The role discomfort plays in growth and evolution
 🌍 How kindness toward both others and yourself can transform life

Timeline Summary:

05:00 – Losing her father at 15 years old
08:15 – Grief, moving, and struggling in school
17:40 – Quieting the mind & polyvagal breathing
26:00 – The GREAT framework explained
31:15 – Why resistance to change is the real work
35:45 – Why people stay stuck in familiar discomfort
39:20 – “What you want more wins”
42:00 – Amanda’s weight loss & identity shift story
46:10 – Manifestation vs becoming the future version of yourself
52:00 – “Just do good work”

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

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To Connect with Madeline Weiss:
Website: 

What if the shame carried for years wasn’t proof that something was wrong… but proof that healing had never truly been given space to begin?

In this deeply vulnerable episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Dr. Zoe Shaw, licensed psychotherapist, relationship coach, author, and podcast host for a powerful conversation about shame, secrecy, identity, and emotional healing. Dr. Zoe opens up about growing up in a strict religious environment, navigating racial identity shame, becoming pregnant as a teenager, and carrying the burden of secrecy for decades after placing her daughter for adoption.

Together, Amanda and Dr. Zoe explore the emotional weight of people-pleasing, perfectionism, trauma, and the ways shame quietly shapes relationships, self-worth, and the ability to show up authentically in the world. Dr. Zoe also breaks down the difference between guilt, simple shame, toxic shame, and what she calls “complex shame”, a deeper form of shame built over years of painful experiences and hidden wounds.

This conversation is an honest and hopeful reminder that healing doesn’t begin through hiding…

It begins through vulnerability, self-forgiveness, and finally allowing the truth to be seen.

⏰ Timeline Summary

[5:40] – Growing up with racial identity shame and strict religious expectations                                                                                                                    [9:15] – Becoming pregnant at 15 and carrying the burden of secrecy                  [14:30] – Using achievement, success, and perfectionism to hide shame [19:05] – The moment she revealed her secret to her children and family [23:45] – The difference between guilt, simple shame, complex shame, and toxic shame                                                                                                            [31:40] – Practical ways to begin untangling shame and finding forgiveness 

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 The difference between guilt, simple shame, toxic shame, and complex shame
💔 How secrecy and people-pleasing can quietly shape identity and relationships
 ✨ The emotional impact of carrying shame from childhood into adulthood
 📖 Dr. Zoe’s personal journey through teen pregnancy, adoption, and self-forgiveness
🪞 How perfectionism and achievement can become coping mechanisms for hidden pain

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
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To Connect with Zoe: 

 📖 Get Dr. Zoe's Book Stronger in the Difficult Places: https://a.co/d/bWNSd4G

Get Dr. Zoe's Must Have Resources to untangle Shame: 

https://dr-zoe-shaw-enterprises.kit.com/7247f0bc86 

What if rebuilding your life after trauma wasn’t about becoming who you once were… but learning how to embrace who you are now?

In this deeply moving episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with author, speaker, and trauma survivor Shannon Michelle for a powerful conversation about resilience, identity, healing, and the life changing power of staying present. After surviving a near-fatal motorcycle accident that left her in a coma for two months, Shannon shares what it was like to relearn how to walk, read, speak, and rebuild her life from the ground up.

Together, Amanda and Shannon explore the emotional journey of letting go of old identities, learning to accept life’s hardest moments, and finding beauty even in the middle of pain and uncertainty. Shannon opens up about surviving childhood abuse, building a successful interior design career, navigating physical and emotional recovery after her accident, and eventually transforming her experiences into a book designed to inspire others through trauma and healing.

This conversation is a reminder that healing isn’t always about returning to who you once were… 

Sometimes it’s about discovering a completely new version of yourself.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 What it was like for Shannon to relearn how to read, walk, and navigate life after a traumatic brain injury
 🌿 Why staying present became one of the biggest lessons of her recovery
 💔 The emotional process of letting go of old identities and expectations
 ✨ How childhood trauma shaped Shannon’s drive, resilience, and independence
 📖 The unexpected journey that led her to writing and publishing her book
 🛁 Why relearning simple daily tasks became some of her biggest victories
 💫 How acceptance, grace, and small moments of joy helped her rebuild her life

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:10] Shannon reflects on how her accident transformed her identity and perspective on life
[7:50] Growing up in a chaotic and abusive household while learning independence young
[15:40] Starting her first business at 22 and unexpectedly entering interior design
[28:15] The motorcycle accident that changed everything and surviving a two-month coma
[39:20] Relearning how to walk, read, and navigate life after traumatic brain injury
[47:30] Letting go of her old life and learning to embrace “Shannon Michelle 2.0”
[53:50] Writing her book, rebuilding purpose, and helping others through trauma
[58:40] Staying present, acceptance, and finding abundance through life’s hardest moments

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

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To Connect with Shannon:

Website: https://stepintoyourmiracle.com/

What happens when you’ve spent most of your life believing your voice doesn’t matter… and then you decide to use it anyway?

In this milestone Episode 200 of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with podcast host and sustainability advocate Amy Bolduc for one of the most raw and honest conversations yet. From navigating a challenging childhood and years of self-doubt to building a podcast and showing up consistently despite insecurity, Amy shares what it really looks like to grow through the mess... not after it.

Together, Amanda and Amy unpack the reality of doing things before you feel ready, learning to trust yourself after life-altering decisions, and the quiet but powerful realization that… people actually care. This episode is a reminder that your voice matters, even if you’re still learning how to believe that.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How childhood experiences can shape self-worth and identity
 💭 What it feels like to live with deep-rooted insecurity and still move forward
 🎙️ The reality of starting a podcast (and hitting record) before feeling ready
 🔥 Why “do it anyway” can be the most life-changing mindset shift
 🌱 How growth often comes from uncomfortable, unexpected life transitions
 💔 Navigating big life changes like divorce, relocation, and starting over
 🧭 The powerful realization that your voice matters more than you think

⏱️ Timeline Summary:

[1:30] Celebrating Episode 200 & how Amanda and Amy connected
 [6:00] Amy’s childhood, family dynamics, and early instability
 [14:30] School struggles, insecurity, and not following a traditional path
 [24:00] Early adulthood, relationships, and career journey beginnings
 [34:30] Job transitions, COVID struggles, and emotional burnout
 [43:00] Starting her podcast despite fear and self-doubt
 [52:00] The mindset shift: “do it anyway” & finding her voice
 [1:00:00] Realizing people care & reflections on growth and self-worth

TAKE THE SURVEY TO WIN A $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD & A MANDERS MINDSET TEE: https://form.jotform.com/mandersmindset/200-episodes-of-manders-mindset

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

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To Connect with Amy:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groundedinmainepodcast_/

Listen to Grounded in Maine Podcast: https://www.groundedinmaine.com/

What happens when life pulls you so far away from who you once were… that finding your way back feels almost impossible?

In this deeply personal episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Dr. Crystal Harrell, Yale-trained public health researcher, bestselling author, and CEO to explore her journey of losing and rediscovering herself. From growing up in public housing as one of ten children to experiencing the devastating loss of her father at just 11 years old, Crystal shares how that pivotal moment reshaped her sense of safety, identity, and connection to the world around her.

Together, Amanda and Crystal unpack how grief, constant change, and emotional survival led to years of feeling disconnected and lost… and what it truly took to begin the journey back home. Through reflection, resilience, and a deep commitment to self-discovery, Crystal reveals how she’s been reclaiming the joyful, fearless version of herself she once knew and what that process looks like in real life.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How early life experiences shape identity and emotional patterns
 💔 The impact of losing a parent at a young age and how it shifts everything
 🏠 What it’s like growing up in public housing as part of a large family
 🔄 How constant change and instability can lead to feeling lost
 🌱 The journey of reconnecting with your younger, authentic self
 🔥 Why healing isn’t about becoming someone new but returning to who you were
 🧭 What it really takes to come back home to yourself after years of disconnection

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:10] Growing up as one of ten children in public housing
 [6:45] Losing her father at 11 and the emotional impact that followed
 [11:30] How her mother changed through grief and survival
 [18:20] The beginning of feeling unsafe, isolated, and disconnected
 [26:40] Navigating mental health struggles and identity loss
 [35:15] The turning point toward self-discovery and healing
 [44:50] Reconnecting with her younger self and finding joy again

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
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What if the anxiety, overwhelm, and patterns people struggle to break aren’t random, but the result of a nervous system that has been conditioned over time?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, Amanda Russo sits down with Rachel Lundberg, owner of Thrive Yoga and Wellness and co-founder of Yoga Oak. With over two decades of experience in yoga and nervous system work, Rachel shares her deeply personal journey through anxiety, identity shifts, and ultimately discovering the science of brain retraining and alignment.

Together, Amanda and Rachel explore how the nervous system, subconscious patterns, and repeated thoughts shape everyday experiences, and why lasting transformation requires more than surface level change. From leaving a lifelong religion to healing chronic anxiety, this conversation sheds light on what it truly means to live in alignment and how small, intentional shifts can begin to change everything.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How nervous system dysregulation can contribute to anxiety, panic, and chronic overwhelm
 🔁 The role of neuroplasticity in rewiring thoughts, behaviors, and emotional responses
 ⚡ Why repeated thoughts and focus can reinforce patterns that no longer serve
 🧩 The FAR method and how focus, associations, and repetition shape reality
 🧘‍♀️ What alignment-based yoga is and why it goes beyond physical movement
 🌱 How internal alignment can influence relationships, choices, and everyday life
 🫁 The ABC method for creating pause and making more conscious decisions

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[03:10] Rachel shares the qualities that define her at the core: wisdom, compassion, and freedom
 [07:20] The decision to leave Mormonism and navigate the impact it had on family relationships
 [12:45] Anxiety, panic attacks, and the moment the nervous system reached its limit
 [18:30] The search for healing through counseling, medication, and alternative approaches
 [24:10] Discovering brain retraining and understanding the science of neuroplasticity
 [29:40] Breaking down the FAR method: focus, associations, and repetition
 [35:20] What alignment-based yoga really means and how it supports all bodies
 [40:10] The ABC method for creating space, breathing, and making aligned choices

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if the hardest moment of your life wasn’t the end… but the beginning of your transformation?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Shruti, a cancer survivor, author, and holistic health coach, to share her deeply personal journey through adversity, healing, and self-discovery. From growing up feeling misunderstood to navigating a high-pressure career and a painful divorce, Shruti opens up about the moments that shaped her long before a life-changing cancer diagnosis at just 34.

Together, Amanda and Shruti explore the powerful connection between mindset, emotional health, and physical well-being. Through honest storytelling and transformative insights, Shruti reveals how suppressed emotions, chronic stress, and low self-worth impacted her life and how choosing faith, gratitude, and intentional daily practices helped her shift from surviving to truly thriving. This conversation is a reminder that healing doesn’t just happen physically… it starts from within.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How mindset, stress, and emotional health can shape physical well-being
 💔 The impact of suppressed emotions and low self-worth over time
 ⚡ How a cancer diagnosis became a turning point instead of an ending
 🙏 The role of faith, gratitude, and discipline in the healing process
 🌿 How yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness support recovery
 🔥 The shift from surviving to thriving through adversity
 🤝 Why community and support are essential during and after illness
 📖 How Shruti turned her journey into a mission to help others heal

⏰ Timeline Summary:

 [03:00] Growing up in a large family while feeling alone and misunderstood
 [08:30] Ambition, leadership, and emotional suppression during childhood
 [14:30] Transition into a fast paced fashion career and high-stress lifestyle
 [20:30] Marriage struggles, separation, and hitting rock bottom
 [24:30] Receiving a cancer diagnosis at 34 during a difficult life chapter
 [30:30] Shifting perspective: from “why me?” to taking responsibility
 [36:00] The role of gratitude, faith, and mindset during healing
 [42:00] Discovering yoga, mindfulness, and holistic healing practices
 [47:30] Life after cancer: helping others and building a healing community

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
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To Connect with Shruti: 

📸 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shruti_sethi_?igsh=MWZ2azVjeWdra2Y4OA==

What if the struggles people face in their lives, whether in relationships, finances, or personal fulfillment aren’t due to a lack of effort, but instead deeply rooted subconscious programming?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Dr. Joseph, also known as Joey, a rapid growth specialist and creator of the SMT Method. With decades of experience studying human behavior and transformation, Dr. Joseph shares his journey from living in cycles of struggle, self-doubt, and people-pleasing to uncovering the profound role the subconscious mind plays in shaping reality.

Together, Amanda and Dr. Joseph explore how limiting beliefs are formed, why so many people feel stuck despite doing “all the right things,” and what it truly takes to create lasting change. Through personal stories, client breakthroughs, and deep insights, this conversation sheds light on how shifting subconscious programming... not just surface-level habits can unlock a completely different way of living.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How subconscious programming influences actions, decisions, and results
🎭 The “chameleon effect” and how people-pleasing disconnects from authenticity
⚡ Why traditional personal development often fails to create lasting change
🔍 The hidden belief of “not being enough” and how it shapes life outcomes
🌊 The difference between living by goals vs. living by vision
🧩 What the SMT (Subconscious Mindset Training) Method is and how it works
✨ How aligning conscious and subconscious thinking leads to rapid transformation
🧭 The role of intuition and why most people struggle to access it

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[6:40] The “chameleon effect” and how people-pleasing pulls people away from authenticity
 [11:20] A childhood experience that revealed a different way life could feel
 [17:05] Turning down a major opportunity because of feeling undeserving
 [24:30] Years of searching for answers through books, counseling, and personal development
 [32:45] Discovering the subconscious mind and realizing what truly drives results
 [41:20] Breaking down the SMT Method and how subconscious programming can be shifted
 [49:10] Why visions can be more powerful than goals

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
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Connect with Dr. Joseph:

Website: https://www.josephadrolshagen.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifgtcoach/

What if the patterns that have shaped someone’s entire life were never actually the problem but the solution waiting to be uncovered?

In this deeply honest episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with boundaries coach, speaker, and author Barb Nangel, whose life transformed at 52 through 12-step recovery after decades of therapy only scratched the surface. From growing up in a dysfunctional environment to years of addiction, codependency, and emotional struggle, Barb shares how hitting a breaking point became the doorway to real healing.

Throughout the conversation, Barb unpacks the powerful shifts that changed everything from recognizing codependency and victim mentality to learning how to build boundaries that create true internal safety. Together, Amanda and Barb explore the role of spirituality, the impact of unresolved trauma, and why lasting transformation requires more than just awareness, it requires action, community, and a willingness to look inward.

At its core, this episode is a reminder that it is never too late to change, heal, and reclaim personal power... No matter how long someone has felt stuck.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🔥 How 12-step recovery can create breakthroughs where therapy alone may fall short
🧠 The hidden signs of codependency and how it shows up in everyday life
💔 How unresolved trauma and family dysfunction shape behavior and relationships
💡 Why boundaries are the key to breaking people-pleasing patterns
⚡ The shift from victim mentality to personal responsibility
🪶 How spirituality and community support long-term healing
🎯 Why it is never too late to transform your life and rewrite your story

⏰ Timeline Summary

[6:40] Childhood, family dynamics, and the early behaviors that pointed to deeper struggles
[12:15] Addiction, compulsive overeating, and the patterns that followed her into adulthood
[18:40] A breaking point, discovering codependency, and the moment everything began to click
[25:10] Finding ACA, CoDA, and Overeaters Anonymous and why 12-step recovery changed everything
[32:45] Grief, family loss, and reconciling with her brother in a powerful new way
[38:20] How recovery led her to boundaries work 
[49:10] The biggest mindset shift of all

Growth and healing are always possible and sometimes, one conversation can be the beginning of everything changing.

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

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To Connect with Barb:

Schedule a Free 30 minute "Say No Without Guilt" call with Barb: http://barbchat.net/

What if the voice that’s been held back… is the very thing meant to lead?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, Amanda Russo sits down with speaker, author, and soulful speaking coach Lauri Smith for a conversation about leadership, authenticity, and the journey from being the “good girl” to becoming an untamed, fully expressed voice.

Lauri shares a deeply personal story of growing up with unspoken pressure to be perfect, always composed, always doing the “right” thing. But beneath that identity was something more, an intuitive, powerful voice waiting to be expressed. Through theater, coaching, and life experience, that voice began to emerge, reshaping not only how leadership is defined, but how it is embodied.

At the heart of this episode is one transformative idea: leadership doesn’t have to be loud, controlling, or performative... it can be intuitive, creative, and deeply aligned.

This conversation explores how breath, intention, and presence influence communication, and how stepping into an “untamed” version of leadership allows for more impact, connection, and authenticity. From understanding the body’s role in communication to breaking free from templates and expectations, this episode offers a new way to think about voice, power, and purpose.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

✨ What it really means to be an “untamed leader”
🧠 How childhood roles shape identity and self-expression
🎭 Why theater unlocked authenticity and presence
🗣️ The difference between speaking to impress vs. speaking with purpose
🔥 How coaching revealed natural leadership abilities
⚖️ The difference between aggressive, passive, and assertive energy
🌬️ Why breath is the foundation of a powerful voice
💫 A simple framework: intend, align, invite
🚫 Why letting go of templates leads to true expression
❤️ How to speak from the soul, not from expectation

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:05] Redefining Leadership: Moving beyond outdated ideas and stepping into the “untamed leader” identity
[6:40] The Good Girl Identity: Growing up with pressure to be perfect and composed
[14:10] Finding Theater: A turning point that unlocked authenticity and creative expression
[24:00] Discovering Coaching: The moment natural leadership was recognized
[33:00] Assertiveness vs Aggression: Understanding the body’s role in communication
[41:20] Intent, Align, Invite: A simple yet powerful speaking framework

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if the smallest moment… a compliment, a conversation, an email almost deleted… could change the entire course of a life?

In this deeply moving episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with motivational speaker, author, and “motivational firewood guy” Steve Gamlin for a conversation about mindset, awareness, resilience, love, and the unexpected moments that shape a life.

Steve shares how a childhood filled with curiosity and imagination eventually led him into radio, stand-up comedy, DJing, public speaking, and writing. But the journey wasn’t always smooth. Behind the scenes were moments of burnout, divorce, crushing debt, and self-doubt that forced him to rebuild his life from the ground up.

At the center of this conversation is one powerful theme: awareness.

Through simple acts of kindness, chance encounters, vision boards, and moments many people might overlook, Steve explains how life constantly offers lessons and opportunities if attention is paid closely enough. Sometimes the smallest ripple can create the biggest impact.

The conversation also explores the remarkable love story between Steve and his late wife, Tina. What began with a single unexpected email after 21 years apart grew into a deeply meaningful relationship Steve describes as a real-life fairytale. With honesty and vulnerability, he shares the joy they built together, the heartbreak of losing her, and the ways love continues to guide his life today.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

✨ Why childlike curiosity can transform everyday life
🌊 How small acts of kindness create ripple effects
🎙️ The childhood dreams that eventually shaped Steve’s career
🔥 How burnout, debt, and life setbacks became turning points
😂 Why stand-up comedy helped shape Steve’s speaking style
💛 Why connection matters more than applause
❤️ How visualization and vision boards helped shape life and relationships
🕊️ How grief and gratitude can coexist after loss
👀 Why awareness changes how life is experienced
🐾 The simple daily reminder to “wag yourself happy”

⏰ Timeline Summary

[02:10] Childlike Curiosity: Steve shares how living with wonder and noticing small moments creates positive ripples in everyday life.
[12:15] A Friend’s Encouragement: The moment a friend challenged Steve to pursue radio and follow the dream he once had.
[18:40] Burnout & Rock Bottom: Radio success, overworking, divorce, and financial struggles force a complete life reset.
[24:55] The Life Coach Question: One simple question sparks a journey into stand-up comedy, Toastmasters, and motivational speaking.
[30:20] Connection Over Applause: Why making a real connection with one person matters more than a standing ovation.
[34:10] The Tina Love Story: Reconnecting after 21 years and the email that unexpectedly changed everything.
[41:30] Loss, Grief & Gratitude: Steve shares the heartbreaking loss of Tina and the ways her presence continues to guide him.
[47:15] Vision Boards & Awareness: How visualization and paying attention to life’s moments can shape an intentional life.
[51:00] Wake Up & Wag Yourself Happy

Website
stevegamlinspeaker.com

What if the hardest parts of someone’s past didn’t have to define their future?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with transformational speaker and Air Force veteran Logan, whose life story is a testament to resilience, personal responsibility, and the power of rewriting your own narrative. From growing up in a restrictive religious environment to serving in Iraq and navigating PTSD, divorce, and moments of suicidal ideation, Logan shares how he learned to take ownership of his healing and ultimately redefine the direction of his life.

Throughout the conversation, Logan opens up about the lessons that shaped him, including the importance of finding your “why,” seeking support when life feels overwhelming, and embracing the idea that no one is coming to save you — you must choose to save yourself. Together, Amanda and Logan explore discipline, identity shifts, mindset, and the courage it takes to evolve beyond the version of yourself shaped by past experiences.

At its core, this episode is a reminder that how you start in life does not determine how you finish. Growth, healing, and transformation are always possible for those willing to do the work.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🔥 Why your past does not have to determine your future
🧠 How identity shifts create lasting change in mindset and behavior
💔 The impact of trauma, war, and adversity on mental health
💡 How finding a deeper “why” can help someone push through their lowest moments
🪶 Why therapy, journaling, and self-reflection play a key role in healing
🎯 The importance of discipline, intention, and defining your personal North Star
✨ How choosing growth and responsibility can transform your life and legacy

⏰ Timeline Summary

[3:10] Logan’s childhood growing up in a restrictive religious environment
[11:45] Feeling different, being bullied, and struggling with identity as a young person
[18:30] Joining the Air Force as a way to escape and find freedom
[27:40] Life in the military and the emotional toll of serving in Iraq
[36:15] PTSD, divorce, and hitting rock bottom after returning home
[45:20] The realization that changed everything and helped Logan choose life
[54:00] The power of identity shifts and discipline in personal growth
[1:03:30] Creating a personal “North Star” and living life with intention

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

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To Connect with Logan:

Website: https://www.theloganunlimited.com/

What if the constant mental noise, overthinking, and self-doubt many people experience isn’t something they have to live with forever?

In this insightful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with NLP practitioner, hypnotherapist, and founder of Mindful Matters LLC, Nikki Gangemi. After pivoting from a career in acting to 15 years in teaching before becoming an entrepreneur, Nikki shares the personal journey that led her to help others break free from limiting patterns and reclaim control of their mindset.

Together, Amanda and Nikki explore the impact of negative thought patterns, the power of mindfulness, and the importance of learning how to calm the mind in moments of stress and uncertainty. Nikki also shares the story behind her CALM Method, a practical framework designed to help people manage emotions, quiet mental noise, and make empowered decisions. At its core, this conversation highlights how greater self-awareness, curiosity, and compassion can create lasting transformation.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How overthinking and self-doubt can shape everyday decisions
 🌿 The role mindfulness plays in calming the nervous system
 🔑 Nikki’s CALM Method for managing thoughts and emotions
 💭 Why asking better questions can unlock deeper self-awareness
 ✨ How limiting beliefs form and how they can be reframed
 🪶 The power of self-forgiveness in personal growth
 🦅 The “eagle mindset” metaphor for rising above criticism and noise

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:30] Nikki’s childhood, creativity, and early struggles with overthinking
 [9:40] Moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting and the mindset challenges that followed
 [18:20] Fifteen years in teaching and the inner pull toward something more
 [27:10] The creation of Mindful Matters and working with mindfulness in schools
 [38:00] Discovering mindfulness, EFT tapping, and emotional healing
 [48:40] The CALM Method: a simple framework to quiet mental noise
 [58:15] The eagle metaphor and learning to rise above criticism

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Nikki:

Website: https://nikkigangemi.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmattersllc/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindfulmattersliving

What if hitting rock bottom wasn’t the end of the story…
 but the beginning of rebuilding everything?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with entrepreneur and Uplift 360 founder Wes Towers to explore what happens when life completely falls apart and how those moments can become the catalyst for profound transformation.

After experiencing divorce, emotional breakdown, and sleeping under his office desk while trying to keep his business alive, Wes shares the mindset shifts, healing practices, and deep self-reflection that helped him rebuild his life from the inside out. From breathwork and nervous system regulation to questioning old belief systems and embracing authenticity, this conversation dives into what it really takes to move from survival mode to intentional living.

Together, Amanda and Wes explore the connection between mindset, healing, entrepreneurship, and authenticity in a world increasingly driven by noise, speed, and artificial connection.

Because sometimes rebuilding life doesn’t start with pushing harder…

It starts with slowing down enough to breathe again.

💡 In this episode, listeners will learn:

🔥 How hitting rock bottom can become the catalyst for personal transformation
 🧠 Why rebuilding beliefs and questioning childhood programming can change everything
 🌬️ How breathwork helped Wes regulate stress, reset emotionally, and rebuild his mindset
 💼 The surprising connection between personal healing and business growth
 🧊 How practices like cold plunges and breathwork support mental clarity and resilience
 ⚡ Why slowing down can actually accelerate rebuilding your life
 🤝 The importance of real human connection in a world of digital noise and AI content
 🌱 How small mindset shifts can create ripple effects across every area of life

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:10] Wes shares his upbringing and growing up in a highly restrictive religious environment
 [7:20] Early creativity, designing his school logo, and discovering his path in graphic design
 [12:40] Starting a business with no experience and learning entrepreneurship step by step
 [20:30] Divorce, emotional collapse, and the moment life hit rock bottom
 [27:45] Breathwork, therapy, and the healing practices that helped him rebuild mentally
 [36:50] Why slowing down became the fastest way forward
 [44:10] Authenticity in business and why AI-generated content is creating a trust gap

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
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To Connect with Wes: 

Website: https://uplift360.com.au/

What if intimacy isn’t lost because love disappears… but because anxiety takes over?

In this thought-provoking episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Bruce, a Vermont-based psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with couples, to unpack what really breaks relationships apart and what actually brings them back together.

After navigating his own personal heartbreak and career pivot from statistician to licensed psychologist, Bruce has spent decades guiding couples through infidelity, emotional disconnection, and crisis. Through that work, he developed a simple yet profound framework that challenges what most people think therapy is about.

At the core of the conversation is a powerful distinction: it’s not about how couples communicate… it’s about what they are communicating. Respect or contempt. Curiosity or certainty. Faith or panic. Bruce explores the intimacy–stability paradox, explains why intimacy requires tolerating anxiety, and introduces the difference between an “aha” moment and an “oh sh*t” moment... the kind of realization that changes everything.

This episode is an invitation to rethink love, conflict, monogamy, therapy, and even certainty itself. Because sometimes the most important shift isn’t fixing the relationship… it’s shifting the mindset behind it.

💡 In This Episode, Listeners Will Discover:

💬 Why “better communication” isn’t always the solution
 🔥 The real reason couples avoid therapy (hint: it’s fear, not indifference)
 ❤️ Why intimacy requires the ability to tolerate anxiety
 ⚖️ The difference between stability and passion and why both matter
 💔 Why infidelity is often about context, not character
 🧠 How contempt quietly erodes connection
 💡 The power of the “oh sh*t” moment in healing
 🙏 Why faith (not religion, but trust in reality) transforms relationships
 🌱 How monogamy can become a gift instead of a restriction
 🕊️ Why humility in beliefs strengthens connection far beyond romance

⏰ Timeline Summary

 [2:26] Finding his true calling after personal relationship pain
 [6:10] Childhood, identity, and the self-proclaimed “recovering nerd”
 [16:38] The long road through his first marriage and the defining “oh sht” moment
 [19:40] Meeting his wife in an unexpected, almost fate-like way
 [27:21] Why couples therapy became his specialty
 [31:00] The seven-word framework: “Be kind, don’t panic, and have faith”
 [36:12] The intimacy vs. stability paradox explained
 [42:56] Should every couple go to therapy?
 [49:00] Why communication techniques alone don’t fix relationships
 [1:15:05] The difference between “aha” moments and “oh sht” moments

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

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To Connect with Dr. Bruce Chalmer:

Website: https://brucechalmer.com

Podcast: https://couplestherapyinsevenwords.com/

What if the reason your relationship feels stuck… isn’t because of them but because of what you’re carrying?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with marriage and mindset expert Larry Bilotta for a powerful conversation about emotional patterns, childhood programming, and why it only takes one person to begin healing a relationship. After spending 27 years in what he calls “a marriage made in hell,” Larry shares the internal shift that transformed everything, not by changing his wife, but by changing himself.

Together, Amanda and Larry unpack how unseen emotional “energy” shapes relationships, why fear quietly drives so many decisions, and how moving from fear to love can radically shift not just a marriage but every area of life. Expect bold analogies, deep self-reflection, and practical mindset tools that challenge the way you think about conflict, identity, and emotional responsibility.

Because sometimes the breakthrough isn’t fixing what’s wrong…
It’s choosing a different energy entirely.

💡 In this episode, listeners will learn:

🚂 Larry’s “Energy Train” concept and how emotions silently transfer between partners
 💔 Why 27 years of struggle became the foundation for transformation
 🧠 How childhood programming (“chaos kids”) impacts adult relationships
 ⚖️ The difference between soft-hearted vs. hard-natured personalities
 📝 The 25 Fear Words vs. 25 Love Words exercise and how it rewires decision-making
 🐀 The “Cruise Ship & Rat” analogy for the inner critic and unresolved pain
 👨‍👩‍👧 Clear definitions of a “real” dad, mom, husband, and wife and why clarity matters
 ❤️ Why shifting from “What’s wrong?” to “How can I help?” changes everything

⏰ Timeline Summary

 [4:30] Childhood roots
 [10:40] “Stay married and miserable” the subconscious programming that kept them stuck
 [16:40] The “Energy Train” explained: how mood, attitude, and emotion transfer between partners (even when hidden)
 [27:30] Soft-hearted vs. hard-natured personalities & the “flag page” framework (fun/peace/control/perfect)
 [34:50] The Fear vs. Love word list exercise... choosing a different emotional world to live in
 [45:40] Real dad / real mom / real husband / real wife definitions

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if the authority you’ve been taught to look for outside of yourself has actually been within you all along?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with holistic doctor and former midwife Dr. Marissa Heisel for an expansive conversation on women’s health, pregnancy, midlife, and the radical act of self-trust. With more than 26 years of experience working with women and families, Marissa shares how her journey from conventional medical aspirations to holistic care reshaped her understanding of healing and why so many women feel disconnected from their own bodies.

Together, Amanda and Marissa explore the cultural conditioning that influences pregnancy and birth, the medicalization of menopause, rising childhood anxiety, and the hidden impact of modern screen culture. At the heart of it all is one core message: reclaiming inner authority isn’t just personal, it’s generational. When women trust themselves, everything shifts.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🌀 Why women’s health has become increasingly medicalized
 👶 How disempowerment can begin during pregnancy and birth
 🌿 What “radical self-trust” truly means in everyday life
 🧠 The connection between stress, technology, and rising childhood anxiety
 🔥 Why symptoms may be signals not problems to suppress
 🪞 The difference between identity and inherent worth
 🌎 How reclaiming inner authority creates ripple effects for future generations

⏰ Timeline Summary

 [3:05] The childhood mohttps://www.instagram.com/elemental.healing_arts/ment that sparked a fascination with healing
[8:30] Walking away from conventional medicine
[15:10] Disempowerment in pregnancy and birth culture
[26:00] Your body as your best medicine
[34:40] Technology, anxiety, and modern childhood
[46:10] Trauma identity vs. true self-worth
[55:00] Final reflections on authority, trust, and generational change

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
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To Connect with Dr. Marissa: 

Website: https://elementalhealingarts.life/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elemental.healing_arts/ 

What if pain wasn’t the enemy… but a messenger?

What if stress wasn’t just something to “push through”… but the root of nearly every ache, tension, and health challenge in the body?

In this deeply insightful episode, host Amanda Russo sits down with Njideka Olatunde, founder of Focus on Healing Wellness Institute, reflexology educator, and pioneer in medication-free pain relief… for a conversation that reframes everything listeners think they know about pain, stress, and healing.

Njideka shares how growing up with home remedies, herbal “concoctions,” and doctors who made house calls shaped her early vision of becoming a healer. After witnessing gaps in the medical system as a social worker, she followed a new path into naturopathy and reflexology, where she has now spent over 40 years helping thousands find relief without relying on pharmaceuticals.

At the heart of the episode is one core truth: pain and stress go hand in hand. Njideka explains why the body never betrays us, how stress internalized becomes physical pain, and why listening is the first and most powerful form of touch. She introduces the concept of multiple forms of touch, physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, and even financial and reveals how something as simple as a smile, gratitude, or holding space can begin the healing process.

The conversation also explores personal responsibility in healthcare, asking better questions, stepping “out of the box,” reconnecting with the inner child, and why healing requires participation... not passive prescriptions.

It’s a powerful reminder that the body is intelligent, healing is collaborative, and empowerment begins the moment we decide to take back control.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🖐️ Why pain and stress are inseparable
 🧠 How internalized stress becomes physical symptoms
 👂 Why listening is the first and most powerful form of touch
 🌿 How reflexology activates the body’s natural pain relievers
 💊 Why medication should be questioned, not blindly accepted
 💰 How financial stress silently contributes to illness
 🎈 Why reconnecting with your inner child relieves tension
 🙏 Why gratitude is the foundation of healing
 🔥 How taking responsibility transforms the healing journey

⏰ Timeline Summary

[3:12] Childhood home remedies and the early vision of becoming a healer
 [8:45] The stress pain connection explained simply
 [12:18] The “mechanic” analogy 
 [16:40] Listening as the first form of touch
 [22:55] Reflexology explained through the nervous system
 [31:07] Financial pain as a root cause of stress
 [38:42] Creating a “silly day” to reconnect with your inner child
 [47:10] Celebrating 40 years of impact in reflexology

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What does it really take to rise from rock bottom and build something meaningful?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Michael Leung for a raw and deeply human conversation about grief, identity, resilience, and rebuilding after adversity. From immigrating to Canada at six years old to losing his mother to cancer during his teenage years, Michael shares how that devastating loss unraveled him, leading to years of anger, rebellion, and self-destruction before ultimately becoming the foundation for purpose.

Together, Amanda and Michael explore toxic friendships, heartbreak after a 12-year relationship ended, navigating partial blindness, and the mindset shifts that transformed pain into impact. What began as survival eventually evolved into innovation, including the creation of an affordable hearing device now helping seniors and individuals with disabilities. This episode is an honest reflection on humility, ownership, and the courage to evolve when life forces change.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧳 How immigrating at a young age shaped resilience and identity
 💔 The profound impact of losing a parent and how unprocessed grief can manifest as anger
 🔥 Why destructive behaviors are often rooted in deeper emotional pain
 🧠 How adversity can either harden someone or refine them
 🍻 The turning point that led to sobriety and cutting toxic influences
 🎧 How personal disability inspired the creation of an affordable hearing solution
 📈 Why feedback, humility, and evolution are critical for growth
 💡 The “aha” moment that redefined fulfillment and purpose

⏰ Timeline Summary

 [5:45] Immigrating to Canada and adjusting to a new culture
 [11:10] Losing his mother to cancer and the emotional shift that followed
 [18:30] Falling into destructive patterns and feeling completely lost
 [27:50] A major career setback that reignited feelings of injustice
 [34:40] Being diagnosed with partial blindness and confronting uncertainty
 [38:20] The creation of his hearing device and building a purpose-driven company

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Michael & Learn More about Flo:

 Website: https://www.theinnerflo.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theflogroup?igsh=MXJsZGJzZnc1Z2ZpNA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theflogroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.leung.9638?

What if the reason burnout keeps coming back… isn’t because there’s not enough time but because too much of that time is going to things that don’t actually matter to the life someone wants?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala, clinical psychologist, professor, and bestselling author for a grounded, eye-opening conversation about values, boundaries, and what it really takes to create change that lasts. Dr. Sauer-Zavala shares her journey from being a “messy, shy kid” to building a career in treatment research, and why redefining success became non-negotiable once motherhood, burnout, and real priorities entered the picture.

Together, Amanda and Dr. Sauer-Zavala unpack why burnout isn’t a productivity problem, how saying “no” can actually bring better opportunities, and why values aren’t just inspirational words, they’re behavioral instructions. 

Expect a conversation that cuts through hustle culture, reframes what “success” is supposed to feel like, and brings everything back to one powerful question:

Does this move closer to your values… or farther away? 🧭

💡 In this episode, listeners will learn:

🧭 Why values are the missing link between wanting change and sustaining change
🔥 The 2 burnout mindset traps: treating burnout like an efficiency problem + normalizing exhaustion because “everyone is burnt out”
🚫 Why saying no can lead to more aligned opportunities (not fewer)
📩 The surprising downside of “Inbox Zero” and why it’s not a life goal
🧠 How CBT helps challenge fears like “If a boundary is set, everything will fall apart”
📉 Why aiming for 80% effort can reduce overwhelm without lowering performance
🧩 A new way of understanding borderline personality disorder as trait vulnerabilities
🧑‍⚕️ How to find the right therapist: what to ask when someone claims they “do CBT”

⏰ Timeline Summary: 

[12:40] Grad school systems: planners, structure, and reducing overwhelm with organization
[16:40] Why treatment research matters: impact beyond one-on-one work and “moving the needle”
[21:10] Redefining success: stepping away from academic metrics and toward values-based living
[27:30] Boundaries and opportunity: why saying no created better-aligned yeses
[33:10] Introducing BPD Compass: the book, the framework, and the goal of accessible treatment
[38:45] The most hopeful truth about BPD: 
[46:40] Burnout reality check: it’s not a planner problem, it’s a too-much problem

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala: 

Website: https://personality-compass.com/

Shannon's Suggested search: “Values identification worksheet”

What if the reason most bras don’t feel right… is because brands aren’t actually listening? 

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Kristen Anderson, co-founder of Iteration, to unpack what happens when product design is guided by real women, not guesswork.

From Kristen’s “Skirt Girl” origins and a wild childhood fashion story to her path through lingerie startups and Target swimwear, this conversation explores the mindset behind creating with intention, building community-driven products, and learning to move forward even when things feel uncertain. Expect laughs, founder truth, and a few unexpected questions, including the one law Kristen would make if she could.

⏰ Timeline Summary:

 [06:10] Childhood dynamic, being the youngest, and a healthy co-parenting example after divorce
 [11:35] The sewing-machine turning point and how “Skirt Girl” began
 [18:40] The Barbie fashion incident that turned into a hospital visit (and a lifelong fashion obsession)
 [39:20] Freelancing in the early internet era: uncertainty & learning curves
 [45:30] Brutal commutes, startup culture, and developing a growth mindset
 [58:05] The idea that lingered: early COVID, abandoning the book, and the start of Iteration

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Kristen/ Iteration:

https://iterationera.com/

What if the healing you’ve been searching for doesn’t start in your thoughts… but in your body?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with trauma-informed healer and spiritual educator Heather Ann Ferri for a powerful, wide-ranging conversation on trauma, remembrance, and reclaiming inner sovereignty. Heather shares her extraordinary life journey from Broadway stages and creative success to profound dark nights of the soul and how those experiences shaped the healing work she offers today.

Together, Amanda and Heather explore how trauma lives in the nervous system, why the body remembers what the mind forgets, and what it truly takes to heal at the root. This episode moves fluidly between the mystical and the practical, touching on Breathwork, medical meditation, bloodline trauma, and the importance of respecting both the human body and Mother Earth. It’s an expansive, honest conversation that invites listeners to slow down, listen inward, and remember who they are beneath survival mode.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🌬️ How trauma is stored in the body and nervous system not just the mind
 🧠 Why mindset work alone often falls short for deep healing
 ✨ What “medical meditation” is and how it supports brain and nervous system rewiring
 🧬 How bloodline and generational trauma influence health and behavior
 🌿 The role breath, sound, and movement play in releasing stored trauma
 💧 Why clean water, environmental awareness, and embodiment matter for healing
 👁️ What it means to reclaim sovereignty and remember one’s true self

⏰ Timeline Summary

 [1:42] Heather’s early life, creativity, and surviving childhood trauma
 [8:30] How the body holds trauma even when memories are fragmented
 [16:55] Broadway, performance, and using art as survival and expression
 [25:40] Why affirmations and mindset work didn’t heal trauma
 [33:10] Medical meditation, Breathwork, and rewiring the nervous system
 [45:28] Bloodline trauma, memory, and the body’s intelligence
 [57:50] Clean water, Mother Earth, and practical responsibility in healing
 [1:14:20] Sovereignty, legacy, and remembering who you truly are

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Heather: 

Website: https://www.heatherannferri.com/

Subsrcibe to her Youtube Channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@heatherannferri

What if one recorded conversation could become a living archive... something that speaks long after you’re gone and changes someone’s life in ways you’ll never witness?

In this deeply moving episode, host Amanda Russo sits down with Adam Torres, co-founder of Mission Matters, author, international speaker, and host of over 6,000 interviews... for a conversation that weaves together mindset, storytelling, grief, and legacy.

Adam shares his unconventional path from left-brained finance to storytelling at scale, including growing up in Detroit, choosing international relations simply to travel the world, and how writing one book set off an unexpected domino effect that led to publishing hundreds of authors and launching hundreds of podcasts. Along the way, he reflects on learning podcasting in public, imperfect audio, authentic beginnings, and the surprising kindness of podcast listeners who keep creators accountable through consistency.

At the heart of the episode is legacy. After losing his mother in a sudden tornado, Adam realized that the three interviews he had recorded with her were his most valuable possessions, living recordings that future generations can hear in her own voice. He opens up about the “small miracles” that followed, the healing power of documenting grief, and why inviting loved ones into your work now is something you’ll never regret.

The conversation also dives into the craft of podcasting itself: why “just start” matters more than perfection, how volume builds endurance, why creation beats critique, and how shifting from ego to service can turn a microphone into a tool for humanity. 

It’s a powerful reminder that storytelling isn’t about attention, it’s about preservation, connection, and meaning.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🎙️ Why podcasting is simply recorded human connection
 🌍 How a love of travel shaped Adam’s global mindset
 📖 How writing one book unexpectedly launched a media empire
 🧠 Why authenticity outperforms perfection when starting something new
 ⏱️ How consistency builds trust even when content isn’t “perfect”
 🕊️ How grief reshaped Adam’s understanding of legacy
 👩‍👦 Why recording loved ones can become priceless over time
 📡 Why Adam believes we’re heading toward one billion podcasts
 🔥 Why creating your own voice matters more than critiquing others

⏰ Timeline Summary

 [3:02] Growing up in Detroit and developing an early work ethic
 [7:02] Redefining intelligence, success, and nontraditional paths
 [8:24] Choosing international relations purely to see the world
 [13:48] Writing one book and the domino effect that followed
 [17:03] Why podcasting is just recorded conversation
 [21:38] Learning podcasting in public and embracing imperfection
 [29:19] Why storytelling dissolves ego instead of feeding it
 [37:16] Losing his mother and redefining legacy through recorded voice
 [42:53] The healing power of documenting grief and “small miracles”
 [50:49] Why inviting loved ones on your show matters

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Adam:

https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/

What if the “small changes” you keep putting off are actually the ones that would change everything?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with author and acupuncturist Elizabeth Bruckner, creator of The Homesteader Mindset, for a conversation that feels equal parts grounding, funny, and quietly life-altering. Elizabeth shares how a lifetime shaped by immigrant family history, chronic illness, and deep curiosity led her to the unexpected path of homesteading… starting in a Southern California suburb with a concrete backyard and a history of killing plants.

Together, Amanda and Elizabeth explore what integrity really means, why routines outperform willpower, and how “tiny increments” can pull someone out of survival mode and into self-trust. From habit chaining and gratitude practices to the power of frivolous joy, this episode is a reminder that healing and transformation don’t usually happen through massive overhauls… they happen through small, doable choices repeated with grace.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🌿 How chronic illness became the turning point that shifted Elizabeth’s relationship with self-care
 🏡 What “homesteading” can look like even in a suburb with limited space
 🧠 Why routines work better than willpower when building lasting habits
 ⏳ The “five-minute rule” that helps people restart habits without shame
 💛 How gratitude can interrupt hopelessness and bring someone back to the present
 ✨ Why “frivolous joy” is not optional... it’s nervous system medicine
 📝 What Elizabeth means by “badly done is better than well said” (and why it changes everything)

⏰ Timeline Summary

[0:49] Elizabeth’s core values: integrity and being a lifelong learner
 [3:11] Family history, immigration trauma, and how early stories shaped her worldview
 [10:52] Chronic illness in her 40s and the moment everything had to change
 [13:09] Starting homesteading during COVID and building community through curiosity
 [15:57] Learning languages during illness and why it helped her avoid identifying with being “sick”
 [22:08] Why Elizabeth wrote The Homesteader Mindset and the power of tiny increments
[28:01] Willpower vs. routines and how habits live in the brain differently
[31:42] Practical tools for getting back into habits (five-minute rule + function stacking)
[35:30] Gratitude as a mindset shift, especially in hard seasons
[58:35] “Badly done is better than well said” and why action beats perfection

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Elizabeth Bruckner:
Website: https://createwellnessproject.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createwellnessproject/

What if the reason “starting over” feels so hard… is because you’re trying to change habits before you’ve changed the way you see yourself?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with mindset and movement coach Christiaan Hoffman for a wide-ranging, thought-provoking conversation about identity, comfort zones, and why real transformation starts in the mind long before it shows up in the body. Christiaan shares how his life experiences—from growing up in the Netherlands to solo backpacking across Australia and training in martial arts—influenced the way he coaches people to close the gap between who they are and who they’re meant to be.

Together, Amanda and Christiaan unpack why “discipline” isn’t just about willpower, why most people burn out after a few months of trying to change, and how black-and-white thinking can quietly keep you stuck. Expect a conversation that challenges the typical fitness narrative, reframes emotions and identity, and brings everything back to one simple question: 

What’s the outcome you actually want? 🎯

💡 In this episode, listeners will learn:

🧠 Why identity and belief systems shape results more than motivation
 🔥 Christiaan’s “80/10/10” framework (psychology, diet, movement) and why it works
 🏃‍♂️ How to rebuild confidence in your body using simple, effective movement
 🥤 Why deprivation backfires and how small reductions create big change over time
 🧩 The difference between self-conception vs. self-definition (and why it matters)
📖 How Christiaan spent 8 years building a psychological model and writing his book
⚖️ Why “no black-and-white thinking” could change everything from fitness to conflict
😮 His take on emotions, stability, and staying focused on outcomes
👟 The Dutch saying about “soft healers” and when a kick-in-the-butt is actually love

⏰ Timeline Summary

 [2:24] Growing up in the Netherlands as the “middle child fighter” and what that shaped in him
 [4:46] The spontaneous decision to backpack Australia solo and why waiting until retirement doesn’t make sense
 [11:15] Why desk jobs didn’t work for him and the importance of understanding how you function
[13:23] His philosophy on movement: simple, effective, and built for real life capability
[16:57] The “80% psychology” truth bomb and why most routines fail without support
[20:43] Why restriction backfires and how Amanda approached weight loss by adding “more good” instead of cutting everything out
[30:25] When diets become identity and why black-and-white thinking makes change harder
[40:09] How writing a book forced him to define concepts and led to his psychological model
[47:34] The Dutch saying: “soft healers make stinking wounds” 👣 and when people need a push
[51:15] “Emotions are overrated” 😮 his perspective on anxiety, reaction vs. response, and stability

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Christiaan:

Website: https://www.sportnaturel.com/

📘 His Book: To Meet Yourself, Think For Yourself 

What happens when someone has been “the strong one” for so long… they forget they’re allowed to need support too?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with PK (Prakash) for a conversation that’s equal parts grounding, honest, and deeply human. PK opens up about growing up in the UK in a South Asian family while helping care for two older siblings with profound learning disabilities, one of whom is his twin and how that responsibility shaped his identity, empathy, and purpose.

Together, Amanda and PK explore the pressure of holding everything together, the moment his friends lovingly intervened and changed his life, and why his biggest lesson is simple but powerful: It’s okay to not be okay. 

From using travel as a form of mental reset, to navigating unexpected open-heart surgery, to learning how to let community show up...

This episode is for anyone who carries a lot… and is ready to stop carrying it alone.🎙️

 In this episode, listeners will discover:
❤️ How being a lifelong caregiver shaped PK’s identity, empathy, and resilience
🧠 Why hiding what you’re going through can feel safer… until it doesn’t
🤝 The power of community and what changes when people are finally allowed in
✈️ How travel became PK’s reset button for mental health and recovery
🫀 What open-heart surgery taught him about surrender, support, and perspective
🌍 Why letting go of others’ opinions can become a turning point
🌿 A reminder that applies to everyone: It’s okay to not be okay

⏰ Timeline Summary:

 [1:44] Growing up South Asian in the UK while caring for two siblings with complex needs
 [7:47] PK’s education journey through engineering, career pivots, and finding his path
 [11:07] College, commuting, and the exhaustion of living with his head in two worlds
 [15:57] The friend intervention that broke the silence and changed everything
 [23:03] Learning to stop putting himself last and why 10–15 minutes of “me time” matters
 [25:32] Travel, music, and switching off to come back stronger
 [36:09] Open-heart surgery, unexpected support, and why tough times bring out the magic
 [41:47] PK’s biggest aha: Control isn’t required to get through life.

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with PK:

Instagram: @official.thisisme

What if healing, success, and freedom weren’t about pushing harder… but about clearing what’s been running the show beneath the surface?

In this expansive and thought-provoking episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Dr. Alain Salas, bestselling author, chiropractic physician, and mind-body expert, to explore how subconscious programming shapes our health, relationships, goals, and sense of self. Dr. Salas shares his unconventional life journey from chasing freedom across the world on a sailboat to answering a deep calling to become a healer—and how burnout, divorce, and an early-stage cancer diagnosis forced him to look beyond traditional solutions.

Together, Amanda and Dr. Salas unpack the subconscious mind, why willpower and mindset alone often fail, and how unresolved emotional patterns can quietly manifest as physical pain, illness, or repeated self-sabotage. Dr. Salas explains his 3-step clearing process, deleting limiting beliefs, installing new programs, and creating real-world change and why true transformation requires aligning the mind, heart, and action. This conversation invites listeners to rethink healing, goal-setting, intuition, and what it really means to reclaim personal power.

This episode is for anyone who feels stuck in old patterns, overwhelmed by burnout, or curious about how deep inner work can create lasting, embodied change.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 Why the subconscious mind drives up to 95% of behavior and decision-making
 🧩 How limiting beliefs form early in life and quietly shape adult outcomes
 ❤️ The connection between emotional stress, trauma, and physical pain
 🔥 Why burnout often signals deeper misalignment rather than failure
 🗑️ The 3-step clearing process: delete, install, and create
 🎯 How removing internal resistance makes goal-setting easier and more sustainable
 🌿 Why intuition is a form of higher intelligence, not randomness
 ⚖️ How aligning the head, heart, and action creates true freedom
 ✨ Why experience, not theory, is the key to lasting transformation

⏰ Timeline Summary:

 [4:30] – Defining freedom and how early life experiences shaped his path
 [9:50] – Living on a sailboat, chasing adventure, and external freedom
 [15:20] – Answering a calling to heal and becoming a chiropractic physician
 [22:40] – Burnout, divorce, depression, and an early-stage cancer diagnosis
 [31:10] – The subconscious mind explained: programming, awareness, and power
 [41:30] – The 3-step clearing process for healing and transformation
 [52:00] – Why most goal-setting fails and how to remove resistance instead
 [1:03:40] – Intuition, higher awareness, and trusting inner knowing

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if the moments you brushed off as “just being good at your job” were actually something deeper... an inner intelligence quietly guiding you long before you had language for it?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with ER nurse and author Jen Johnson for a raw, honest, and unexpectedly hopeful conversation about intuition, burnout, and survival inside one of the most demanding professions. With over 16 years in emergency medicine, Jen opens up about toxic workplace culture, bullying, and the emotional weight nurses carry, especially in the aftermath of COVID and how these experiences ultimately led her to uncover the role intuition had been playing throughout her career all along.

Together, Amanda and Jen explore why intuition is often dismissed as “instinct” rather than recognized as an evidence-backed skill, how the nervous system quietly gathers information faster than logic, and why learning to trust your gut can be the difference between burnout and sustainability. The conversation also sheds light on what the public often misunderstands about ER wait times, violence toward healthcare workers, and the unseen decisions nurses make every shift. It’s candid, insightful, and deeply human.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How intuition shows up in high-pressure environments like emergency medicine
 💔 The lasting impact of workplace bullying and unsupported systems
 🧬 How COVID forced unresolved trauma and burnout to the surface
 🚨 What ER wait times actually mean and why waiting can be a good sign
 🧠 Why nurses rely on intuition long before test results arrive
 📖 How Jen’s stories became the foundation for her book Nursing Intuition
🪞 Everyday ways to recognize and trust your own gut instincts
🕊️ Why listening to inner cues can be a form of self-protection, not fear

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:00] Jen shares her path into nursing and the moment she knew she was in the right field
 [7:45] A career-redirecting “failure” and why it became a blessing in disguise
 [13:30] The reality of toxic nursing culture and being bullied as a new nurse
 [21:50] Finding healing and support in a larger ER system
 [30:15] COVID, exhaustion, and the emotional breaking point that changed everything
 [38:40] Realizing intuition had been present all along, especially at triage
 [48:55] What the public doesn’t see inside the ER: wait times, staffing, and violence
 [57:30] How anyone can begin paying attention to intuition in daily life

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if true wealth had less to do with how much you make… and more to do with how consciously you live?

In this powerful and grounded conversation, host Amanda Russo sits down with Terry Nicklas, certified financial planner, wealth coach, and success coach, to explore the emotional side of money and what it really means to build a life of true wealth.

Terry shares her journey from a shy child with little confidence to a successful entrepreneur who redefined her entire career, letting go of the parts of business that drained her and creating a model centered around purpose, joy, and alignment. Together, Amanda and Terry unpack how early experiences shape our relationship with money, why most people spend unconsciously, and how awareness is the first real step toward financial peace.

This episode goes far beyond budgets and numbers. It’s about money as a tool, forgiveness over shame, breaking emotional spending patterns, and learning how to create a life that feels rich from the inside out.

This conversation is for anyone who feels triggered by money, stuck in paycheck-to-paycheck cycles, or ready to stop surviving and start living with intention.

🎧 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 Why most money habits are emotional, not logical
 💸 How unconscious spending keeps people stuck in cycles of stress
 🌱 What “true wealth” really is and why it doesn’t have a number
 🔁 How to begin shifting a negative money mindset
 📝 Why writing down your spending creates immediate awareness
 🧘‍♀️ How forgiveness breaks the guilt shame spending loop
 🛠️ Why money is simply a tool and how to use it intentionally
 ❤️ How to build financial confidence without perfection
 ✨ Why joy, purpose, and balance are the real indicators of wealth

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[0:00] – Introducing Terry Nicholas and the concept of “true wealth”
 [4:40] – Being a lifelong seeker and quitting too soon
 [10:30] – Childhood influences and early money impressions
 [19:45] – Shyness, self-doubt, and returning to college as an adult
 [27:20] – Building confidence through education and career shifts
 [34:10] – Creating wealth coaching and combining life, business, and financial planning
 [43:30] – Letting go of asset management and choosing alignment over income
 [50:15] – Money mindset, paycheck-to-paycheck beliefs, and subconscious patterns
 [58:40] – How to start shifting negative money beliefs
 [1:06:20] – Unconscious spending, awareness, and weekly money check-ins
 [1:14:10] – Emotional spending, forgiveness, and self compassion
 [1:21:30] – Why money is a tool, not a trigger
 [1:28:40] – Rapid-fire reflections: identity, advice, legacy, and truth
 [1:35:00] – Terry’s closing wisdom on creating your next chapter with purpose

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if the path to healing, motivation, and self-trust wasn’t about fixing yourself… but about staying long enough for change to happen?

In this deeply honest episode, host Amanda Russo is joined by Nita Sweeney, bestselling author, ultramarathoner, mindfulness coach, and mental health advocate. Nita shares her powerful journey from growing up in a family shaped by alcoholism, navigating depression and addiction, and surviving suicidal ideation, to finding healing through sobriety, meditation, and movement.

Together, Amanda and Nita explore what it really takes to rebuild a life when motivation feels impossible, why small shifts (like “60 seconds of jogging” or 2% of your day) can change everything, and how community, boundaries, and self-honesty play a crucial role in long-term growth. Nita also reflects on writing her books Depression Hates a Moving Target and Make Every Move a Meditation, and why staying, on the planet, in the process, and with yourself.... matters most.

This conversation is for anyone who’s struggled with depression, addiction, burnout, or self-doubt and needs a reminder that change doesn’t require perfection... just presence.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 Why sobriety alone isn’t always enough without mental health support
 🏃‍♀️ How “60 seconds of jogging” sparked a life-changing running journey
 🌱 Why the ground has to be “fertile” before change can take root
 ⏳ How small percentages of time (like 2% of your day) create massive shifts
 💬 The importance of finding motivation that pulls you forward
📖 Why one size fits all advice often fails, especially in healing
❤️ What it means to be kind while still holding strong boundaries
🌤️ Why Nita’s most powerful message is simply: stay

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[0:00] – Introducing Nita Sweeney and her path from depression to ultramarathons
 [6:15] – Childhood on a farm, loneliness, and growing up around functional alcoholism
 [12:10] – Alcohol blackouts, losing control, and the early attempts to quit drinking
 [20:40] – Sobriety, marriage, meditation and why everything seemed to fall apart
 [27:30] – Hospitalization, suicidal ideation, and what actually saves lives
 [39:40] – Couch to 5K, “60 seconds of jogging,” and starting in a hidden ravine
 [49:10] – Charity runs, community, and finding motivation outside yourself
 [1:05:30] – Rapid-fire reflections on identity, advice, legacy, and authenticity
 [1:14:40] – Nita’s closing wisdom: why staying gives life a chance to change

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Nita:

Website: nitasweeney.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nitasweeney/?hl=en

Check out Nita's Books that she referenced in the show:

Depression Hates a Moving Target

Make Every Move a Meditation

2025 Year in Review: Listening Sooner

In this solo Year in Review episode of Manders Mindset, I reflect on a year that didn’t ask me to do more, it asked me to listen sooner.

2025 was expansive, tender, and slower than I expected. While parts of the year looked grounded and productive on the outside, much of the real work was happening beneath the surface. I learned that stillness doesn’t always mean rest, and movement doesn’t always mean progress.

This episode isn’t a recap of everything I did. It’s a reflection on what the year taught me about my body, my nervous system, grief, and letting go of urgency. It’s about choosing steadiness over speed and learning to honor what I can actually hold.

If your year felt unfinished, confusing, or tender, this episode is for you.

Take a breath.
Choose steadiness.
Remember... Everything is figureoutable.

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if confidence isn’t something you’re born with but something you earn by taking action before you feel ready?

 What if fear isn’t a sign to stop, but an invitation to step forward anyway?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Devin Gonzalez for a grounded and empowering conversation about mindset, self-belief, and what it truly means to bet on yourself. From teaching martial arts as a teenager to building a six-figure personal training business and eventually launching a fitness franchise, Devin shares the pivotal moments that shaped his approach to growth, leadership, and success.

Together, Amanda and Devin explore why imposter syndrome is rooted in perception rather than reality, how fear often disguises itself as logic, and why seeing someone else succeed is proof, not pressure. The conversation weaves through fitness, business, and life, revealing how progress is built through small, intentional steps and why mindset is both the beginning and the end of every transformation.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🔥 Why confidence is built after action... not before
🧠 How fear shows up as hesitation, overthinking, and “being realistic”
🚫 Why saying no without explanation is one of the most freeing skills
💭 How to reframe imposter syndrome as a self-limiting belief
🏋️ Why fitness, business, and personal growth follow the same progression model
📈 The difference between wanting success and committing to it
⏳ Why time is the most valuable currency and how to protect it
🌱 How small, consistent wins create lasting momentum
🧩 Why mindset shapes both what’s possible and what feels unreachable

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:10] Devin shares his core values and the importance of creating impact
 [6:45] Why learning to say no is essential for protecting time and energy
 [11:30] Childhood experiences, trying every sport, and early confidence lessons
 [18:20] The mindset shift that changed everything: facing fear head on
 [24:50] Teaching martial arts at 13 and discovering leadership early
 [32:40] Choosing passion over the “safe” career path
 [40:10] Imposter syndrome, masterminds, and realizing your voice still matters
 [48:30] “Common sense is only common to the person who knows it”
 [55:20] Why mindset determines what feels possible
 [1:03:45] Fitness advice that applies to life and business: start small
 [1:21:40] Legacy, impact, and why giving 100% matters

If someone in your life is standing at the edge of a leap, this episode might be exactly what they need. 💛

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Devan: 

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devan.gonzalez/

Tune into the Mindset Cafe Podcast

Check out Amanda's Guest Appearance on The Mindset Cafe HERE

What if the patterns you’ve been trying to “fix” the over giving, the overthinking, the holding on too tightly, were never flaws at all, but intelligent survival strategies shaped by the nervous system itself?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with emotional healing specialist and Lift Oneself founder Natalie “NatNat” Bedard for a grounded and deeply revealing conversation about trauma, embodiment, nervous system safety, and the hidden motivations behind the choices we make. From surviving childhood trauma and life-threatening brain lesions to rediscovering her own emotional and somatic truth, Natalie shares how she returned home to herself and how listeners can begin doing the same.

Together, Amanda and Natalie explore why mindset work alone can’t carry you through every challenge, how the body stores what the mind tries to outrun, and why overgiving or “proving a point” often stems from fear rather than empowerment. The two also share an unplanned breakthrough moment as Natalie gently reflects a long-standing survival pattern Amanda didn’t realize she was still holding. It’s raw, honest, and deeply human.

This episode also marks a meaningful seasonal pause: Amanda announces that Manders Mindset will be taking the month of December off to rest, reset, and integrate after a transformative year, a reminder that pausing is powerful and allowed.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 Why the nervous system operates to protect, not sabotage
 💔 How early trauma and emotional neglect shape identity, resilience, and coping
 🧬 Natalie’s near-death health crisis and how somatic work became her lifeline
 🌀 Why you can’t “mindset” your way through everything and where the body takes the lead
 💸 The connection between overgiving, self-worth, and fear of abundance
 💃 Regulation tools like dancing, humming, breathing, and sensory shifts
 🪞 A new way to understand shame, forgiveness, and emotional data
 📖 Why rewriting your story around relationships, purpose, and identity...is both valid and necessary
 🕊️ And why Amanda is modeling the importance of rest by pausing new episodes in December

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:15] Natalie opens with a grounding mindful moment to drop listeners into presence
 [4:58] Amanda recounts how the podcast began and how breathwork unlocked her voice
 [7:37] Exploring fear, abundance, and the deeper wounds 
 [10:33] Why mindset alone isn’t enough, the nervous system’s role in real transformation
 [19:15] Natalie shares who she is at her core: compassion, pain, and embodied presence
 [20:50] Her childhood story: nature, trauma, emotional absence, and early motherhood
 [27:12] How meditation and somatic work helped her release stored trauma
 [31:17] Why dancing, humming, and movement can shift emotional states instantly
 [39:20] Shame, forgiveness, emotional honesty, and understanding the body’s signals
 [45:22] Marriage, societal pressure, and redefining partnership on your own terms
 [58:05] A real-time breakthrough as Natalie highlights one of Amanda’s survival patterns
 [1:02:00] Amanda feels the shift as she realizes what she was never meant to carry
 [1:11:11] Final reminders about following the body’s wisdom

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

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What if the key to fighting hate wasn’t politics or arguments online, but one courageous story that makes you feel what’s at stake?

In this powerful episode, Amanda is joined by guest, Dr. Robert J. Wolf, retired radiologist and author of Not a Real Enemy: The True Story of a Hungarian Jewish Man’s Fight for Freedom. Robert shares his father’s miraculous survival as a Jewish man in Nazi and Communist-controlled Hungary, his family’s multiple escapes, and how those 20 “impossible” miracles eventually led to a new life and medical career in America.

Amanda and Robert explore how his decades in medicine, a near-fatal health scare, and the discovery of his parents’ manuscript shifted his own mindset about purpose, time, and what really matters. Through stories of resilience, integrity, and redemption, Robert shows why antisemitism isn’t just “history", it’s a present danger that affects everyone, and why indifference is never neutral. This conversation is for anyone who wants to understand history on a human level, feel inspired to use their voice, and remember that one story can change how we see the world.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

 ✡️ How Robert’s parents survived the Holocaust and Hungarian Revolution and rebuilt life in the U.S.
 🩺 Why ninth grade and a role model father led him into a 35+ year career in medicine
 ⏳ How a sudden heart condition forced him to ask, “Do I want to die at a desk or truly live?”
 📖 The unbelievable way he found his father’s autobiography and turned it into an award-winning book
 🧠 Why indifference is more dangerous than disagreement and how prejudice shows up in subtle ways
 🕯️ How teaching Holocaust history and sharing his father’s story became his way of fighting antisemitism
 🧱 The core messages of the book: hope, integrity, resilience, and redemption in the face of hate

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[1:03] “I’m just a guy”: who Robert is at his core, his love for sports, food, history, and his mission to fight antisemitism
[2:25] Growing up in Detroit as the child of Holocaust survivors and one of only a few Jewish kids at school
[5:09] The ninth-grade moment that sparked his desire to go into medicine 
[7:58] A life-threatening heart condition, being “on the wrong end of the needle,” and rethinking time as the only true commodity
[10:29] Discovering his parents’ manuscript and how he began turning his father’s autobiography into a biography between radiology cases
[12:57] Agents, rejections, and the eventual “bottom of the ninth” acceptance from a Holocaust specialty publisher in Amsterdam
[20:24] Using the book to educate about antisemitism
[22:47] Key themes: hope, determination, fear, resilience, redemption and why kids today are afraid to send their children to school
[24:02] The “20 miracles,” how readers respond to the book, and why some say it should be a movie
[28:47] Why nobody who knew him years ago would have predicted he’d write a Holocaust book and why it was “better late than never”

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
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To Connect with Robert: 

📖 Not a Real Enemy: The True Story of a Hungarian Jewish Man’s Fight for Freedom
🌐 robertjwolfmd.com

In this short solo episode, I’m sharing a moment from my recent conversation with Laura Bratton, Awoman who became blind as a teenager and learned to anchor herself through her breath.

Talking with her reminded me of something so simple but so profound:

Even when someone can’t use their eyes, they can still come back home to their breath.

It showed me AGAIN just how powerful our breath truly is.

Her full episode on my Breathwork Magic podcast (released Friday) is linked below. 

I truly believe this episode will shift your mindset.

When The World Went Dark, The Breath Lit The Way, w/ Laura Bratton: 

Listen HERE

Keep breathing.

Keep shifting.

Everything is figureoutable.

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

~ Sign Up for Virtual Mindful Mindset Mondays HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
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What if the biggest block to your growth wasn’t fear... but shame, disguised as perfectionism, procrastination, or self-sabotage?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, Amanda Russo sits down with Emma Lyons, a trauma-informed healer and founder of The Trauma Matrix, for an unfiltered conversation about breaking free from the invisible grip of shame. Drawing from her own experience as a childhood scapegoat in a covertly narcissistic family system, Emma shares why shame is never about care... it’s always about control.

Together, Amanda and Emma explore how shame becomes internalized, why emotional abuse is so often dismissed, and how to break up with the inner narcissist that’s been stealing your voice. Through deep insight and grounded tools, Emma introduces her signature D.R.E.A.K. method to help listeners finally step out of the shame trance and into their full power.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt like too much and not enough at the same time, or who’s ready to reclaim their worth, voice, and visibility.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 Why shame is not a normal emotion and where it really comes from
 ⚠️ The inner narcissist: how shame disguises itself as your own voice
 🔥 The D.R.E.A.K. Method to dismantle shame and reclaim your truth
 🚫 Why “feel your shame” might be the worst advice you’ve received
 👀 How perfectionism, procrastination, and imposter syndrome are all shame in disguise
 🧘‍♀️ The body’s role in healing emotional trauma and releasing shame
 🧠 How to become “shame-less” without losing empathy or humanity

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:10] – The scapegoat child: Emma’s early story of invisibility and emotional abuse
 [10:45] – Covert narcissism, emotional neglect, and the silent trauma no one talks about
 [19:30] – Why society protects mothers even when abuse is present
 [26:50] – Shame as a cultural implant: control, compliance, and colonialism
 [35:40] – The hidden cost of perfectionism and how shame hijacks the nervous system
 [41:05] – Breaking free with D.R.E.A.K: the 5-step method to release internalized shame
 [55:50] – Shame vs. guilt: how false compassion keeps us stuck
 [1:04:15] – Somatic healing, Breathwork, and the path to authentic empowerment
 [1:12:20] – Final reflections: your shame voice is not you and you don’t owe it anything.

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

~ Sign Up for Virtual Mindful Mindset Mondays HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
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To Connect with Emma: 

Substack: https://traumamatrix.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trauma.matrix/#

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@trauma.matrix

What if the key to your next level of peace, purpose, and alignment was already written... not in your planner, but in your soul’s own records?

In this transformative episode of Manders Mindset, Amanda Russo sits down with Bree Delacruz, a CPA turned Akashic Record reader and energy healer, to explore how working with energy and intuition can completely shift your reality. From her upbringing surrounded by Filipino healers to her pivot from corporate accounting to spiritual entrepreneurship, Bree shares her personal awakening and how the Akashic Records became a guiding tool for clarity, healing, and self‑trust.

Together, Amanda and Bree unpack what the Akashic Records are, how they connect past lives, present lessons, and future possibilities, and why energetic and subconscious healing can unlock your highest timeline. They also dive into a powerful true story of miraculous energy healing within Bree’s own family and discuss the balance between spirituality and science.

This episode is for anyone feeling the call to explore energy work, reconnect with their intuition, or co‑create a life that feels aligned, grounded, and purpose‑driven.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🌙 What the Akashic Records are and how they reveal your soul’s blueprint
 💫 How Bree shifted from CPA to clairvoyant and built a business around both logic and light
 🧬 The miraculous healing story that changed her view on energy forever
 🧠 Why subconscious work and hypnotherapy deepen the healing process
 🌸 The truth about “highest timelines” and how to step into yours
 🪞 How to protect your energy and avoid burnout as a healer or empath
 💖 Why authenticity and self‑trust are key to any spiritual journey

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:10] – Bree shares who she is at her core, multifaceted, grounded, and intuitively connected
 [5:30] – Childhood stories of growing up around Filipino healers and spiritual practices
 [11:45] – From CPA to healer: a corporate awakening that changed everything
 [17:20] – Akashic Records explained: how they access past lives, future timelines, and guidance
 [25:10] – The incredible story of Bree’s grandfather’s healing through Filipino energy work
 [34:50] – Combining Akashic Records, energy healing, and hypnotherapy for deep transformation
 [42:15] – Advice for skeptics: how to stay curious and open to spiritual healing
 [48:00] – Maintaining energetic hygiene and protecting your vibration as a healer
 [56:30] – Bree’s wisdom on authenticity, self‑belief, and stepping into your purpose

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

~ Sign Up for Virtual Mindful Mindset Mondays HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

A Neighbor Listened, A Life Was Saved, And Gratitude Found New Meaning...

This episode wasn’t what I planned to share. I had a guest lined up, a topic ready... but life had other plans. Something unexpected happened that brought me face to face with surrender, grace, and the quiet power of human connection.

In this deeply personal reflection, I share what it felt like to be held when I didn’t even know I needed help, how control slipped through my fingers, and what it truly means to receive each breath as a gift. I invite you to listen with an open heart as I explore the ways life shows up for us, often through others, and always in the breath.

Timeline Summary:

[0:33] - Why this week’s episode is not the one I had planned

[1:12] - A quiet moment that sparked a chain of care

[3:48] - Waking up disoriented and realizing something profound had happened

[6:35] - Feeling grace in the spaces I couldn’t control

[8:40] - Breathwork, redefined in the most unexpected way

[10:22] - Letting go of control and discovering what holds us

[12:01] - Breathing as a gift, not a task

[14:30] - A moment of breath together

[16:10] - Final reflections on connection, gratitude, and being held

• Share this with someone who needs a reminder they’re not alone

Closing Note: If this episode moved you, I’d be so grateful if you rated, subscribed, or reviewed the show. It helps others find these conversations. And remember: As long as you have your breath, you have options. 

Keep breathing, keep shifting, and remember everything is figureoutable.

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

~ Sign Up for Virtual Mindful Mindset Mondays HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
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What if credit card debt isn’t what it seems  and freedom from it starts with changing your mindset, not your payment plan?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, Amanda Russo is joined by Tommy Kilpatrick, a reflexologist, former CPA, and self-described “wonderful healer” to explore the hidden truths behind credit card debt and the financial systems most people never question.

After being promised an infomercial deal that fell through, Tommy was left with $85,000 in credit card debt. But instead of drowning in it, he turned to his background in accounting and discovered what he calls the greatest financial misconception of our time: that credit card “debt” isn’t debt at all, it's an alleged liability built on flawed contracts and banking fraud.

This conversation goes far beyond dollars and cents. Tommy shares stories of his early life, spiritual awakening, and mission to bring peace, healing, and freedom to others through sustainable living, dome-building, and mindset work. A blend of financial wisdom, soulful storytelling, and practical tools, this episode is a must-listen for anyone feeling stuck in financial stress or looking for a different path forward.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

💳 Why most credit card “debt” is technically an alleged liability
 📉 How banks create money and why it matters
 🧠 Why language, mindset, and consent shape your financial reality
 🛠️ The practical steps to dispute and close alleged credit accounts
 🌿 How Tommy built a life of peace, purpose, and zero debt in the Philippines
 🏠 His vision for the “Free Revolution”... housing, food, and healthcare for all
 🔋 The connection between energy healing and financial empowerment

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:11] – Tommy explains his body, mind, and soul identities
 [8:45] – A visualization method to discover one's soul name
 [15:12] – Stories from Tommy’s youth: diving, entrepreneurship, and independence
 [24:06] – Working in mental health and connecting with autistic children
 [32:19] – Transitioning into accounting and witnessing corporate finance from the inside
 [40:08] – The infomercial collapse that sparked $85K in credit card debt
 [52:30] – Breaking down why most credit card accounts are fraudulent
 [1:09:01] – How banks operate and why terms like “statement” vs. “invoice” matter
 [1:21:20] – Living off-grid, finding peace in the Philippines, and building dome homes
 [1:31:15] – Tommy’s final words on mindset, motivation, and what really matters

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

~ Sign Up for Virtual Mindful Mindset Mondays HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if the real secret to change wasn’t discipline or willpower but learning how to work with your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in harmony?

In this empowering episode of Manders Mindset, Amanda Russo sits down with Melyssa, a health coach with a master’s in clinical psychology, to explore how lasting change really happens. From her early days as a marine mammal trainer to her journey through group fitness, body image challenges, grief, and burnout, Melyssa shares why mindset matters more than motivation, and how small behavioral shifts can reset everything.

Together, Amanda and Melyssa unpack the power of the cognitive triangle, why emotions shouldn’t drive the car, and how to “sit in the suck but not get stuck.” With refreshing honesty and deep insight, Melyssa shows how movement, mental health, and mindset intersect and why behavior is the one part of change you can control.

This episode is for anyone who's tired of starting over, wants to build sustainable health habits, or is ready to rewrite the story in their head.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How the cognitive triangle connects thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
 💥 Why behavior change works even when motivation is missing
 🧘‍♀️ How grief, stress, and burnout impact wellness and how to move through them
 🩰 The story of ballet, body image, and finding healing through fitness
 🎧 A genius tip for writing a book without writer’s block
 🧬 What lifestyle medicine really means and how it can transform your health
 💬 The mindset mantra: “Sit in the suck, but don’t get stuck”

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:20] – From marine mammal training to mindset coaching
 [7:55] – Childhood, identity, and the roots of her wellness journey
 [14:30] – Discovering group fitness and the healing power of movement
 [21:40] – Breaking down the cognitive triangle: where real change starts
 [30:15] – Body shame, ballet, and redefining strength
 [38:40] – Grief, loss, and honoring emotions without getting stuck
 [46:25] – Coaching vs. therapy: how mindset bridges both
 [55:10] – Size-inclusive fitness, bar classes, and reclaiming joy in movement
 [1:03:45] – Final five: values, legacy, and creating change with kindness

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

~ Sign Up for Virtual Mindful Mindset Mondays HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if healing wasn’t about being perfect but about being radically honest, fiercely authentic, and relentlessly committed to growth?

In this unapologetic and empowering episode of Manders Mindset, licensed clinical social worker Zulma Williams also known as The Swearing Therapist, shares her incredible journey of reinvention. From moving to the U.S. alone at 31 with no job, no English, and no clear plan, to surviving breast cancer, going back to school in her 40s, and building a successful therapy practice in her 50s, Zulma proves that it's never too late to change your life.

With humor, grit, and no-filter wisdom, Zulma breaks down why therapy isn’t about advice but about discovering your own answers. She opens up about what cancer taught her about boundaries, how real healing happens between therapy sessions, and why authenticity in mental health spaces matters more than ever.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating fear, burnout, or self-doubt and ready to reclaim their power.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

⚡ Why it’s never too late to start over
 🧠 The truth about therapy, healing, and personal responsibility
 🔥 How breast cancer redefined her priorities and voice
 💬 Why being “The Swearing Therapist” helps clients feel seen
 🛠️ How to use therapy tools like grounding and self-reflection
 🚗 The GPS metaphor for therapy and client-led healing
 🎯 What real progress looks like: shorter recovery time, not perfection

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[1:05] – Moving to the U.S. alone at 31 and starting from scratch
 [9:34] – Early culture shocks, language barriers, and lessons from adaptation
 [15:17] – Going back to school at 42 and overcoming fear
 [20:55] – Breast cancer, boundaries, and reclaiming autonomy
 [32:38] – Why bedside manner matters and how doctors impact healing
 [41:36] – The meaning behind “Dragonfly Therapy” and inner transformation
 [43:19] – Therapy as a partnership: the client drives, the therapist guides
 [52:04] – Understanding real healing: shortening emotional recovery time
 [57:55] – Self-advocacy, self-trust, and trusting one’s own body wisdom

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

~ Sign Up for Virtual Mindful Mindset Mondays HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
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What if the key to healing, clarity, and purpose wasn’t about fixing yourself… but about befriending your shadow?

In this enlightening episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with author and spiritual guide Justin Shaw to explore the inner work that leads to real transformation. From a childhood marked by emotional isolation to years of addiction and disconnection, Justin shares how shadow work, source energy, and a powerful “bliss attack” helped him find meaning and rebuild from the inside out.

Listeners will learn how suppressed pain becomes the “shadow” that shapes behavior, how to separate identity from trauma, and why naming the inner critic is the first step to lasting change. Justin also shares the inspiration behind his book Sorcery 1.0.1, a 13-step spiritual guide to awakening, healing, and living consciously.

This episode is for anyone navigating trauma, identity, or spiritual growth and ready to step into a more empowered, awakened life.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

🌓 What “shadow work” really is and how to make peace with your inner critic
 🌬️ Why most people live on airplane mode and how to turn it off
 ⚡ The difference between reaction and response and how to shift into conscious awareness
 📖 How Justin’s “13 rungs” create a flexible, spiritual path to healing
 🔥 Why naming your shadow helps reclaim your power
 🌿 How to access source energy and reconnect with your higher self
 🎭 The Deepak vs. Tupac metaphor... 

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:22] – Justin's identity as a "Sourcer" and what that really means
 [7:10] – Growing up emotionally isolated and turning to pop culture for connection
 [15:45] – Addiction, failed rehab, and the moment he realized healing is more than physical
 [25:30] – Experiencing a spontaneous “bliss attack” after meditation and shadow work
 [34:50] – Moving to Sedona and receiving the vision for Sourcery 1.0.1
[42:05] – Naming the shadow: How Eminem and Floyd helped him reframe pain
[50:20] – Spirituality vs. religion and why fear-based beliefs fall apart
[58:47] – Turning trauma into transformation by embracing (not fighting) the shadowTo Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

~ Sign Up for Virtual Mindful Mindset Mondays HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
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What if the secret to living with joy wasn’t about control or perfection… but about rediscovering curiosity, wonder, and the courage to explore the unknown?

In this inspiring episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo is joined by Aisha Makara, a Mongolian-born artist, engineer, and entrepreneur who has journeyed from being orphaned in Russia to building businesses across the globe, sending her art to space, and traveling to more than 70 countries.

Aisha opens up about the challenges of growing up without belonging, the healing power of creativity, and the life-changing lessons learned from solo travel. She shares how she built her “joyful bubble” to protect her energy as an empath, why she believes curiosity is the key to transformation, and how adults can reclaim the childlike wonder that helps us feel alive.

This conversation is for anyone craving more joy, freedom, and purpose and ready to break free from fear, gossip, and limitations to live fully.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover
🌍 How Aisha transformed her orphaned childhood into a life of global exploration
💫 The power of curiosity and wonder in building a joyful mindset
🛡️ Practical ways to protect your energy as an empath without isolation
✈️ Why solo travel can shift your perspective on fear, abundance, and connection
🧒 What children can teach adults about forgiveness, presence, and play
🔥 How to create your own “joyful bubble” and invite others in

⏰ Timeline Summary
[0:00] Introduction to Aisha and her extraordinary journey
[5:10] Defining herself as a “wonderous spirit” who sees the world as a playground
[10:45] Growing up as an orphan in Russia and building independence early on
[17:22] Learning boundaries as an empath and creating a “joyful bubble”
[25:50] Teenage struggles, belonging, and mapping out her life vision at 15
[33:15] Solo travel and exploration... Choosing adventure over fear
[40:05] Why adults should relearn play, forgiveness, and curiosity from children

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

~ Sign Up for Virtual Mindful Mindset Mondays HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
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What if forgiveness wasn’t about letting someone else off the hook... but about setting yourself free?

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with public speaker and mindfulness teacher Cesar Cardona to unpack his remarkable journey from gang life and trauma to healing, forgiveness, and inner peace. Cesar opens up about growing up between two cultures, joining a gang as a teen, surviving a violent assault, and how that moment ultimately became a turning point toward transformation.

The conversation dives deep into what it truly means to heal not by denying pain, but by understanding it. Cesar shares how Buddhism, storytelling, and intentional mindset shifts helped him move forward, and why forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. This is an inspiring episode for anyone carrying emotional scars, struggling to let go, or ready to reclaim their peace.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover

🧠 How childhood instability shaped Cesar’s search for identity
 🔥 What led him from gang life and violence to self-employment and public speaking
 🚨 The traumatic assault that nearly took his life—and how he recovered
 💡 Why forgiveness is more about you than the person who hurt you
🧘‍♂️ How Buddhism and mindfulness supported his emotional healing
💬 Why asking how instead of if is a powerful mindset shift
📖 The spiritual and symbolic threads that tie us all together

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:16] Growing up between two cultures and never quite fitting in
 [5:26] School struggles, rebellion, and early gang involvement
 [13:53] Realizing it was time for change and buying a house at 20
 [18:51] Driving across the country to LA and starting over
 [25:53] Becoming a boxing trainer and slowly building a new life
 [30:36] The power of metaphor and being discovered as a speaker
 [36:16] The brutal assault that changed everything
 [44:57] Recovery, trauma, and the physical and emotional scars
 [48:10] Choosing forgiveness over revenge, what that really meant
 [57:12] Buddhism, mindfulness, and the journey to inner peace
 [1:04:58] What forgiveness is really about

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

~ Sign Up for Virtual Mindful Mindset Mondays HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
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To Connect with Cesar: 

📸 Instagram: @_cesarcardona

What if the path to true health and happiness wasn’t about pushing harder… but about listening to your body and choosing alignment over burnout?

In this soulful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo is joined by Maddison Sutton, certified integrative health coach and functional nurse nutrition practitioner, to explore how high-achieving women can reclaim their energy, prevent burnout, and create sustainable wellness.

Through her journey from corporate tech to holistic health and the profound loss of her father to cancer, Maddison discovered that success without alignment comes at a steep cost. She opens up about anticipatory grief, the toll of overwork, and how women can shift from people pleasing and box checking to redefining success on their own terms.

Together, Amanda and Maddison unpack why stress and misalignment often show up as physical symptoms, the importance of slowing down, and why self-prioritization isn’t selfish, it’s necessary.

This conversation is for anyone who’s ever felt exhausted by expectations, stuck in autopilot, or ready to finally prioritize their own joy and wellness.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover
🌱 How childhood dynamics and sibling roles shape leadership and caretaking
💼 Why being good at something doesn’t always mean it’s right for you
⚡ The hidden health costs of corporate success and anticipatory grief
🧘‍♀️ Why 5am workouts and HIIT might not serve every woman’s body
💤 How sleep, stress, and hormones impact energy and weight loss
🌸 The concept of healthy beauty and embracing aging with confidence
📝 How journaling and asking why can help uncover what’s really misaligned

⏰ Timeline Summary
[3:03] Growing up in a turbulent household and stepping into the big sister role

 [7:20] Discovering nature, dyslexia struggles, and choosing geography in college

 [11:03] Corporate tech career, her father’s cancer diagnosis, and the turning point

 [14:15] The physical cost of anticipatory grief and overwork

 [18:38] Stress, misalignment, and how they manifest as health symptoms

 [25:31] The 5am fitness trap and learning to honor your own rhythm

 [30:33] Perimenopause, cortisol crashes, and why more effort isn’t always better

 [36:05] Redefining beauty, aging, and confidence through holistic wellness

 [43:20] Journaling and the power of asking why to uncover truth

 [50:35] Maddison’s vision for healthcare

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

~ Sign Up for Virtual Mindful Mindset Mondays HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
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What if the secret to motivation, energy, and focus wasn’t about doing more… but about doing things in the right order?

In this transformative episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo is joined by Andy West, author of Dopamine Mountain, to explore why effort before reward changes everything. Through her journey with bullying, addiction, depression, and chronic fatigue, Andy discovered that dopamine isn’t just about pleasure, it’s about balance, timing, and learning to do the hard but not extreme things first.

Together, Amanda and Andy unpack how small daily choices can rewire your brain, why the order of effort and reward is the missing key to motivation, and simple tools to break free from craving cycles. Andy also shares how journaling, affirmations, and micro-wins helped her rebuild optimism and self-worth after years of struggle.

This conversation is for anyone who’s felt stuck in burnout, brain fog, or endless loops of craving and is ready for a new way forward.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

🌊 Why dopamine is a wave, not a switch and how to ride it
 💡 The difference between effort, reward, and burnout
 🛑 A simple tool to interrupt cravings and reset your brain
 📚 How books by Louise Hay and Eckhart Tolle shifted Andy’s mindset
 ⚡ Why “hard but not extreme” actions create lasting growth
 📝 The power of journaling, affirmations, and micro-wins in rewiring mindset
 ⏰ How the order of your daily tasks impacts motivation and energy

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:14] – Andy’s childhood, bullying, and early struggles with self worth
 [10:48] – Depression, suicidal thoughts, and the turning point with Louise Hay
 [19:33] – Addiction, dopamine “wanting vs. liking,” and how she broke the cycle
 [28:15] – Chronic fatigue, anhedonia, and learning to reset her brain chemistry
 [37:42] – Why effort before reward changes everything
 [48:06] – Journaling, affirmations, and reframing optimism
 [56:29] – The “hard but not extreme” principle in action
 [1:03:50] – Practical steps for using dopamine to fuel growth

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

In this soul awakening episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo welcomes Clementine Moss, founding drummer of the Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella, solo artist, author, and certified spiritual counselor. Clementine shares how her unexpected path into music at age 27 unlocked a deeper connection to joy, breath, and presence and how the drum kit became a gateway to spiritual discovery.

Listeners are invited into a conversation about the intersections of rhythm and mindfulness, the power of silent retreats, and how Clementine’s journey from literary ambition to stage performer ultimately led her to a more grounded, awakened life. This episode offers a powerful reminder that transformation doesn’t follow a timeline and that curiosity, breath, and self-trust can guide anyone to their most aligned path.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

🥁 How Clementine discovered drumming in her late twenties with zero formal background
 🧘‍♀️ The life-altering insights from 10-day silent meditation retreats
 📚 How literature and psychedelics sparked early spiritual curiosity
 🎤 The link between meditation, rhythm, and inner stillness
 🌟 A new perspective on imposter syndrome, self-judgment, and creativity
 💭 How thought awareness, not control, is the real key to healing
 📖 The inspiration behind her memoir From Bonham to Buddha and Back

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[0:00] Introduction to Clementine Moss and her multi-faceted journey
 [3:20] Rediscovering joy through meditation and childhood reflection
 [10:10] Growing up as a bookworm and curious learner
 [14:45] Bartending in NYC, picking up drums, and choosing passion
 [20:30] Silent meditation, internal voices, and the start of spiritual practice
 [30:15] Playing drums as a form of meditation and embodied presence
 [40:00] Navigating imposter syndrome as a late-blooming musician
 [47:10] Her memoir’s message of integrating mindfulness into daily life
 [52:25] Becoming a certified spiritual counselor and healer
 [1:00:05] Releasing ambition and embracing gratitude as a way of being

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

In this soul-expanding episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo is joined by Kerie Logan, a human consciousness guide, empowerment strategist, and channeler with over two decades of experience helping people around the world align with their highest self.

Together, they dive into the unseen layers of emotional energy, spiritual awakening, and how mastering your mindset at every level—3D, 4D, and 5D—can radically transform your life. Kerie opens up about growing up in a violent, chaotic home and how forgiveness, energetic awareness, and self-trust helped her alchemize pain into purpose.

She breaks down the energetic “set points” that keep people stuck, the emotional vibration of forgiveness, and how to free yourself from generational trauma by shifting your frequency....not just your thoughts. 

If you're ready to release your past, elevate your energy, and become who you're truly meant to be, this episode is your invitation.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

🔮 The difference between 3D, 4D, and 5D human consciousness
 💫 How trauma and emotional pain are actually portals to healing
 🧘‍♀️ A practical method to release past wounds and shift energy instantly
 🙏 The Ho’oponopono prayer Kerie uses to dissolve emotional attachments
 🔥 Why forgiveness is freedom and how to feel it fully
 🌍 What it means to “embody” consciousness instead of just understanding it
 💎 How to stop watering seeds of pain and start planting seeds of peace

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[1:04] – Kerie shares her soul identity and divine connection
 [3:23] – Religious trauma and how she came to channel divine love
 [7:30] – Growing up with violence and using suffering as a teacher
 [12:55] – Spiritual awakenings and the first moment of channeling
 [19:20] – What 3D, 4D, and 5D consciousness really mean
 [25:28] – Free tools to balance life and elevate your vibration
 [32:56] – Coaching through pain: shifting stories into soul lessons
 [46:14] – The power of ho’oponopono and forgiving without speaking
 [57:30] – Self-awareness, energetic triggers, and mindset traps
 [1:04:13] – Her most powerful mantra for the “dark night of the soul”
 [1:10:29] – The law Kerie would create if the world were listening

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if success wasn’t about hustle... but about aligning with a vision so bold it scares you?

In this transformative episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo is joined by Dr. Nona Djavid, international speaker, mindset mentor, and the author of Elevate Your Life. With a background in neurology and chiropractic, and a career that spans entrepreneurship, energetics, and personal transformation, Dr. Nona brings a uniquely powerful perspective to what it truly takes to create a life and business by design.

Together, they explore how childhood adversity shaped Dr. Nona’s drive, what it really means to live with an “unreasonable vision,” and how shifting identity is the secret behind sustainable success. She unpacks the four-step process behind a quantum leap and opens up about her own breakdown moment that redefined her life path. This conversation is for anyone feeling stuck in burnout or on the edge of breakthrough, ready to collapse time and reclaim their freedom.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

💥 Why quantum leaps start with an “unreasonable” vision
 💸 How scarcity mindsets secretly drive burnout and overwork
 🧠 Why 80% of success is identity and energetics—not strategy
 ⏳ How to collapse time and create a “one week a month” lifestyle
 🚪 What to do when the version of success you've built no longer fits
 🌱 How to rewire your daily identity to align with the life you desire
 🔥 The 4-step process for reinventing any area of life

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[1:32] – How early tragedy and scarcity shaped her healer’s heart
 [4:49] – From war-torn Iran to the U.S. and into entrepreneurship
 [7:23] – Building a thriving business… and burning out in the process
 [13:28] – Her teenage tutoring hustle and first taste of freedom
 [17:27] – The closet breakdown moment that changed everything
 [22:49] – Designing the “One Week a Month” freedom lifestyle
 [31:15] – Why mindset and energy outweigh strategy in business
 [37:27] – Her signature 4-step framework for quantum leaps
 [56:18] – The daily habits that anchor her identity and clarity
 [1:03:21] – A simple way to begin if you're feeling stuck or unclear

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Dr. Nona Djavid: 

🌐 Website: https://www.elivate.me/

📸 Instagram: @nonadjavid

📖 Book: Elevate Your Life

Author and former smoker Jessi Hartnett joins Amanda Russo to share how she broke free from decades of nicotine and marijuana addiction by shifting her mindset, listening to her intuition, and embracing self compassion.

In this deeply moving episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Jessi Hartnett, wife, mother, author, and former smoker to explore the emotional roots of addiction and the mindset shifts that make lasting freedom possible. With raw honesty, Jessi shares her decades long struggle with cigarettes and marijuana, the cultural myths that kept her hooked, and the self compassion that ultimately set her free.

From her first cigarette at 13 to the day she realized she was done for good, Jessi unpacks how cravings, self-talk, and emotional avoidance can keep people stuck far longer than they realize. She opens up about “practicing quitting” over a five-year period, discovering that the heart (not the mind) holds the key to lasting change, and why she believes cravings are an invitation to listen to your deeper needs. The conversation also dives into her book Honor Your Heart, written as a guide for her daughter and anyone seeking to break free from destructive patterns, and her recent transformative experience with holotropic Breathwork.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating addiction recovery, supporting a loved one through it, or simply wanting to build a healthier, more intuitive relationship with themselves. Jessi’s story offers hope, practical insight, and a reminder that every craving, relapse, and breakthrough is part of a bigger journey back to yourself.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

💭 Why willpower alone rarely works — and what to replace it with
 🔎 How “practicing quitting” can reveal the real drivers of addiction
 💔 The hidden link between negative self-talk and cravings
 🛠️ Tools Jessi used to regulate emotions without smoking
 🌱 How self-compassion and intuition changed her recovery
 📖 The inspiration behind her book Honor Your Heart
🌬️ What holotropic Breathwork revealed AND released for her

🕒 Timeline Summary:

[1:35] – Who Jessi is at her core and why “happiness” drives everything
 [2:02] – The first cigarette, initiation, and early emotional wiring
 [6:45] – Marijuana addiction and why it was just as hard to quit
 [12:46] – Practicing quitting: what repeated relapses revealed
 [14:41] – The mindset shift from willpower to kindness
 [20:34] – Allowing emotions instead of avoiding them with addiction
 [22:07] – Writing Honor Your Heart for her daughter and others
[26:29] – Reframing cravings as clues to deeper needs
[29:21] – Heart vs. mind: which truly leads to lasting change
[34:58] – Jessi’s #1 tip for breaking any addiction
[35:58] – Holotropic breathwork and releasing emotional control

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if the life you dream of starts with one aligned choice?

In this deeply inspiring episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo is joined by coach, consultant, and founder of the Ardelian Kuzma Group, Aneta, for a conversation about courage, curiosity, and creating a life in full alignment with one’s values. From growing up as a young immigrant navigating a new culture to spending 22 years in banking before stepping into entrepreneurship, Aneta’s journey demonstrates what’s possible when big dreams are no longer minimized and instead are built, one intentional step at a time.

The discussion explores the mindset shifts that supported her transition from corporate leadership to coaching, how Breathwork and mindfulness became cornerstones of her work, and why taking aligned action is the true superpower for living a fulfilled life. 

Listeners will walk away with practical tools and heartfelt encouragement to approach change with clarity, courage, and purpose.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

💭 How curiosity and observation shaped Aneta’s leadership style from childhood
 🌱 The vision exercise that helped her map out a new life she loved
 🧘‍♀️ Why morning practices and breathwork became her foundation for success
 📅 How to align daily actions with core values
 ⚖️ Ways to balance masculine drive and feminine flow in business
 💡 Redefining success and letting go of titles, limits, and outside opinions
 🙏 The role of faith in moving through fear and uncertainty

🕒 Timeline Summary:

[1:16] – Aneta shares who she is at her core and why curiosity drives her
 [3:29] – Childhood lessons as a young immigrant and the desire to belong
 [7:14] – How an HR connection led to a 22-year career in banking
 [9:35] – Allowing herself to dream without limits for the first time
 [14:45] – Morning rituals that became the foundation for change
 [16:42] – Discovering breathwork and integrating it into coaching
 [22:47] – Why aligned action is the ultimate superpower for fulfillment
 [33:06] – Redefining success beyond money and titles
 [41:06] – Balancing masculine and feminine energy in life and business
 [46:02] – The best and worst advice she’s ever received and her powerful perspective on surrender.

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Aneta:

Website: akuzmagroup.com 

Instagram @anetakuzmacoaching

LinkedIn @AnetaArdelianKuzma

Lunchtime Breathwork with Aneta: https://akuzmagroup.com/mandersmindset

What if the adventure you're craving doesn't require more... but less?

In this solo episode of Manders Mindset, I dive into a personal reflection sparked by the book Subtract by Leidy Klotz, a gift from my friend, and guest on last week's episode, Glen Van Peski. This read has already begun shifting how I think, move, and breathe, even though I’m only a few chapters in. Through the lens of my own mindset work and recent personal experiences, I share how subtraction, letting go instead of piling on can be a powerful tool for growth, healing, and clarity.

Join me as I unpack some first takeaways from Subtract, explore what it means to create space by removing instead of adding, and invite you into a gentle moment of pause to experience the power of intentional release.

Listeners Will Discover:

🌿 Why our brains default to adding, and how shifting to subtracting can be transformational

🧘‍♀️ How a moment of subtraction can lead to clarity, space, and alignment

✨ A guided reflection to practice letting go ~ mentally, emotionally, & physically

Timeline Summary: 

[0:30] – What inspired this reflection and how the book Subtract landed in my hands
[2:29] – The Lego experiment that reveals our brain’s bias toward adding over subtracting
[5:23] – My overpacking story and the deep clarity that came from letting go
[6:43] – Cultural lessons on stillness and presence
[8:42] – A guided practice: one breath, one release, one small moment of subtraction
[11:13] – Early takeaways from Subtract and why less really can lead to more

Resources:

Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less by Leidy Klotz: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646673/subtract-by-leidy-klotz/

If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear what landed the most for you. Message me on Instagram @thebreathinggoddess. 

And if you haven’t yet, please rate, follow, and leave a review. 

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

What if doing more starts with taking less?

In this thought-provoking episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Glen Van Peski, founder of Gossamer Gear and a trailblazer in ultralight backpacking for a candid conversation that stretches far beyond the trailhead. Glen shares how a 4,200-mile bike ride at age 17 and a knack for engineering led to a career in minimalist gear design, but what unfolds is a much deeper journey into intentional living.

From lessons on gratitude to the quiet power of subtraction, Glen explores how simplifying our backpacks and our lives can help us find more joy, purpose, and connection. With reflections on generosity, silence, and embracing discomfort, this episode is a gentle yet powerful call to rethink what we carry, literally and emotionally.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

🥾 How Glen's ultralight backpacking journey began with a 70-pound pack and a problem to solve

🧠 Why engineering skills and self-awareness created a bridge between problem-solving and mindfulness

🧭 The surprising power of subtraction—in backpacks, business, and personal growth

💌 How handwritten notes and receiving with humility build authentic connection

🌿 Glen’s outdoor pyramid: a fresh take on nature, presence, and unplugging

💡 Why discomfort is often the first sign of growth and purpose

🕒 Timeline Summary:

[2:18] – Glen reflects on growing up without screens and learning to never say "I'm bored"

[9:20] – A cross-country bike trip at 17 and a chance job kickstarts an engineering career

[17:45] – The Boy Scouts trip that ignited a passion for designing ultralight gear

[24:10] – The lesson of "take less, do more" and how it's reshaped Glen's entire life

[31:08] – Why giving generously is only half the equation and receiving matters too

[38:35] – Minimalism as a mindset: rethinking purchases and making space for what matters

[52:50] – The Outdoor Pyramid: Glen's prescription for reconnecting with nature

[1:03:15] – The quiet power of reflection, and why silence is a secret superpower

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Glen:

Glen's website: glenvanpeski.com

Gossamer Gear: gossamergear.com

Resources mentioned by Glem in the episode:

• The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
• Subtract by Leidy Klotz
• Infectious Generosity by Chris Anderson

What if the biggest breakthroughs in your life came not from doing more but from thinking differently?

In this powerful and soul-expanding episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Asara Lovejoy, the brilliant mind behind The One Command, a six-step method that blends neuroscience, brainwave states, and quantum principles to rewire limiting beliefs. Asara shares her captivating journey from mystical childhood moments to marrying a millionaire, walking away from toxic comfort, and building a global movement rooted in transformation.

Whether you’ve ever struggled with overthinking, scarcity, or feeling stuck in old patterns, this episode will show you how to shift your inner landscape and start creating life from a place of aligned intention.

🎙️ In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 What theta brainwaves are and why they’re the key to deep transformation
🗣️ How childhood programming quietly shapes adult beliefs
💫 The difference between positive thinking and commanding new thoughts
🌌 A real-time demonstration of The One Command in action
🔥 Why Asara says “You can have everything you want... IF you give up everything you think you know”
🔄 How to shift difficult relationships by changing the version of someone inside you

🕒 Timeline Summary: [1:10] – Asara's mystical childhood experience that sparked her spiritual quest
[3:41] – Discovering hypnosis at 13 and the curiosity that followed
[8:30] – Manifesting marriage to a millionaire and lessons learned
[12:31] – Why mindset matters in finding love and aligned relationships
[16:18] – How childhood theta brainwave states shape our subconscious beliefs
[24:02] – A live command example: healing guilt around rest and productivity
[36:52] – Asara's breakthrough: how The One Command was divinely downloaded
[42:41] – Transforming relationships using the Interconnection Process
[50:32] – Living the next great adventure through inner change

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:
📱 Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!