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  <title>Smashing Success Stories</title>

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  <copyright>© 2026 Smashing Success Stories</copyright>
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  <itunes:author>Karen</itunes:author>
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  <description><![CDATA[<h1>Smashing Success Stories is meant to inspire people who want results without compromising who they are. This is for folks that want to stay true to themselves while living in a world that challenges our humanity.</h1><p><br></p><p>We get real. We get loud. We express ourselves, and most of all, we take action on the things that we are responsible for – including our dreams and our goals – and we learn to navigate forward in a time where obstacles are inevitable, but we’re stronger and smarter than the things holding us back.</p><p>Sometimes, what’s holding us back is ourselves. We cover that, too.</p><p><br></p><p><b>Motivational Minute every Monday</b> – a quick burst of motivation to get the week started right!</p><p><b>Thursdays are for full-length episodes</b>, and each episode will either discuss a specific topic, showcase an interview with a guest, be a Theory Thursday where a subject matter expert comes on to either validate or disprove a theory, or cover a hot take with solutions. All shownotes for each full-length episode will include resources discussed in each episode.</p><p><br></p><p>Subscribe, share, and stick around – we’re building Smashing Success Stories together</p><p><br></p>]]></description>
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    <itunes:name>Karen</itunes:name>
    <itunes:email>smashingsuccessstories@gmail.com</itunes:email>
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    <itunes:title>Get What You Want</itunes:title>
    <title>Get What You Want</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Episode page (includes audio version of the episode): https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-07-get-what-you-want/  Concepts we’ll cover in this episode: Understanding needsImpulse and desire Know yourselfThe SolutionAll worksheets/resources created by me can be found on: https://smashingsuccessstories.com/resources/  Resources: Thich Nhat Hanh meditations page: https://tnhmeditation.org/  The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard Cu...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>Episode page (includes audio version of the episode): <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-07-get-what-you-want/'>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-07-get-what-you-want/</a> </p><p>Concepts we’ll cover in this episode:</p><ul><li>Understanding needs</li><li>Impulse and desire </li><li>Know yourself</li><li>The Solution</li></ul><p>All worksheets/resources created by me can be found on: <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/resources/'>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/resources/</a> </p><p>Resources:</p><p>Thich Nhat Hanh meditations page: <a href='https://tnhmeditation.org/'>https://tnhmeditation.org/</a> </p><p>The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard Cutler: <a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-art-of-happiness-10th-anniversary-edition-a-handbook-for-living-dalai-lama/8a879905efd947e0?ean=9781573227544&amp;next=t&amp;'>https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-art-of-happiness-10th-anniversary-edition-a-handbook-for-living-dalai-lama/8a879905efd947e0?ean=9781573227544&amp;next=t&amp;</a> </p><p>Strength to Love by Dr. Martin Luther King: I highly recommend buying this one from Mahogany Books, an independent black-owned bookstore: <a href='https://www.mahoganybooks.com/9780800697402'>https://www.mahoganybooks.com/9780800697402</a> </p><p>The Book of Joy: <a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-book-of-joy-lasting-happiness-in-a-changing-world-dalai-lama/6f46fd48da6e10e2?ean=9780399185045&amp;next=t'>https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-book-of-joy-lasting-happiness-in-a-changing-world-dalai-lama/6f46fd48da6e10e2?ean=9780399185045&amp;next=t</a> </p><p>Interview with Karen Lee-Coss: <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-06-conversation-with-karen-lee-coss'>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-06-conversation-with-karen-lee-coss</a> </p><p>Hedonism: <a href='https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hedonism/'>https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hedonism/</a> </p><p>Julie Dawn Cole: <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Dawn_Cole'>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Dawn_Cole</a> </p><p>Psychology’s “Dark Triad” and the billionaire class: <a href='https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dangerous-ideas/201910/psychology-s-dark-triad-and-the-billionaire-class'>https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dangerous-ideas/201910/psychology-s-dark-triad-and-the-billionaire-class</a> </p><p>The Psychology of Wealth and how it affects Mental Health: <a href='https://www.caldaclinic.com/news/the-psychology-of-wealth-and-how-it-affects-mental-health/'>https://www.caldaclinic.com/news/the-psychology-of-wealth-and-how-it-affects-mental-health/</a> </p><p>Inside the Brain Of the Billionaire Visionary: Narcissism, Risk, and Disordered Personality Traits: <a href='https://finance.yahoo.com/news/brain-science-wealthy-weirdness-103000314.html'>https://finance.yahoo.com/news/brain-science-wealthy-weirdness-103000314.html</a> </p><p>‘Wealth can be pretty isolating’: Problems that rich people face, according to therapists: <a href='https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/14/problems-that-rich-people-face-according-to-therapists-.html'>https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/14/problems-that-rich-people-face-according-to-therapists-.html</a> </p><p>Eric Kripke &apos;Bummed Out&apos; The Boys Season 5 Was Written Before the Presidential Election, Homelander Says &apos;The Craziest Line We Could Think Of… and It&apos;s Already Happened&apos;: <a href='https://www.ign.com/articles/eric-kripke-bummed-out-the-boys-season-5-was-written-before-the-presidential-election-homelander-says-the-craziest-line-we-could-think-of-and-its-already-happened'>https://www.ign.com/articles/eric-kripke-bummed-out-the-boys-season-5-was-written-before-the-presidential-election-homelander-says-the-craziest-line-we-could-think-of-and-its-already-happened</a> </p><p>Pain Hustlers film: <a href='https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15257160/'>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15257160/</a> </p><p>Fentanyl in America: How a Medical Drug Became a National Crisis: <a href='https://govfacts.org/health-healthcare/mental-health-substance-use/fentanyl-in-america-how-a-medical-drug-became-a-national-crisis/'>https://govfacts.org/health-healthcare/mental-health-substance-use/fentanyl-in-america-how-a-medical-drug-became-a-national-crisis/</a> </p><p>The agony of opioid withdrawal — and what doctors should tell patients about it | Travis Rieder: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhpAYw9kCt8'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhpAYw9kCt8</a> </p><p>Diminishing returns: <a href='https://www.britannica.com/money/diminishing-returns'>https://www.britannica.com/money/diminishing-returns</a> </p><p>Resources page on Smashing Success Stories: <a href='http://smashingsuccessstories.com/Resources'>SmashingSuccessStories.com/Resources</a>  </p><ul><li>Personal Inventory: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing</a> </li><li>Exercises for developing a LEGENDARY mindset: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing</a> </li></ul><p>Freud’s Theory of id Psychology and the Unconcious Mind: <a href='https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/psychologists/freuds-theory-of-id-psychology-and-the-unconscious-mind/'>https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/psychologists/freuds-theory-of-id-psychology-and-the-unconscious-mind/</a> </p><p>How to “Stop” Impulsive Behavior: <a href='https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/building-a-life-worth-living/202312/how-to-stop-impulsive-behaviors'>https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/building-a-life-worth-living/202312/how-to-stop-impulsive-behaviors</a> </p><p>How to Cope with Impulse Control Issues in Kids and Adults: <a href='https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/impulse-control'>https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/impulse-control</a> </p><p>Impulse Control Disorder in Adults: <a href='https://neurolaunch.com/impulse-control-disorder-in-adults/'>https://neurolaunch.com/impulse-control-disorder-in-adults/</a> </p><p>Personal Inventory Guide: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing</a> </p><p>Exercises for developing a LEGENDARY mindset: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JmTA5heX-wKXS6otjC3LVzL9vGkBUl7ZH8C7uJLKArs/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JmTA5heX-wKXS6otjC3LVzL9vGkBUl7ZH8C7uJLKArs/edit?usp=sharing</a>   </p><p><br/></p><p>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Video episodes are uploaded to YouTube: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories'>https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories</a>    </p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a>   </p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</a> </p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories</a>  </p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com'>www.purple-planet.com</a> </p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Episode page (includes audio version of the episode): <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-07-get-what-you-want/'>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-07-get-what-you-want/</a> </p><p>Concepts we’ll cover in this episode:</p><ul><li>Understanding needs</li><li>Impulse and desire </li><li>Know yourself</li><li>The Solution</li></ul><p>All worksheets/resources created by me can be found on: <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/resources/'>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/resources/</a> </p><p>Resources:</p><p>Thich Nhat Hanh meditations page: <a href='https://tnhmeditation.org/'>https://tnhmeditation.org/</a> </p><p>The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard Cutler: <a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-art-of-happiness-10th-anniversary-edition-a-handbook-for-living-dalai-lama/8a879905efd947e0?ean=9781573227544&amp;next=t&amp;'>https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-art-of-happiness-10th-anniversary-edition-a-handbook-for-living-dalai-lama/8a879905efd947e0?ean=9781573227544&amp;next=t&amp;</a> </p><p>Strength to Love by Dr. Martin Luther King: I highly recommend buying this one from Mahogany Books, an independent black-owned bookstore: <a href='https://www.mahoganybooks.com/9780800697402'>https://www.mahoganybooks.com/9780800697402</a> </p><p>The Book of Joy: <a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-book-of-joy-lasting-happiness-in-a-changing-world-dalai-lama/6f46fd48da6e10e2?ean=9780399185045&amp;next=t'>https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-book-of-joy-lasting-happiness-in-a-changing-world-dalai-lama/6f46fd48da6e10e2?ean=9780399185045&amp;next=t</a> </p><p>Interview with Karen Lee-Coss: <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-06-conversation-with-karen-lee-coss'>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-06-conversation-with-karen-lee-coss</a> </p><p>Hedonism: <a href='https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hedonism/'>https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hedonism/</a> </p><p>Julie Dawn Cole: <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Dawn_Cole'>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Dawn_Cole</a> </p><p>Psychology’s “Dark Triad” and the billionaire class: <a href='https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dangerous-ideas/201910/psychology-s-dark-triad-and-the-billionaire-class'>https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dangerous-ideas/201910/psychology-s-dark-triad-and-the-billionaire-class</a> </p><p>The Psychology of Wealth and how it affects Mental Health: <a href='https://www.caldaclinic.com/news/the-psychology-of-wealth-and-how-it-affects-mental-health/'>https://www.caldaclinic.com/news/the-psychology-of-wealth-and-how-it-affects-mental-health/</a> </p><p>Inside the Brain Of the Billionaire Visionary: Narcissism, Risk, and Disordered Personality Traits: <a href='https://finance.yahoo.com/news/brain-science-wealthy-weirdness-103000314.html'>https://finance.yahoo.com/news/brain-science-wealthy-weirdness-103000314.html</a> </p><p>‘Wealth can be pretty isolating’: Problems that rich people face, according to therapists: <a href='https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/14/problems-that-rich-people-face-according-to-therapists-.html'>https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/14/problems-that-rich-people-face-according-to-therapists-.html</a> </p><p>Eric Kripke &apos;Bummed Out&apos; The Boys Season 5 Was Written Before the Presidential Election, Homelander Says &apos;The Craziest Line We Could Think Of… and It&apos;s Already Happened&apos;: <a href='https://www.ign.com/articles/eric-kripke-bummed-out-the-boys-season-5-was-written-before-the-presidential-election-homelander-says-the-craziest-line-we-could-think-of-and-its-already-happened'>https://www.ign.com/articles/eric-kripke-bummed-out-the-boys-season-5-was-written-before-the-presidential-election-homelander-says-the-craziest-line-we-could-think-of-and-its-already-happened</a> </p><p>Pain Hustlers film: <a href='https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15257160/'>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15257160/</a> </p><p>Fentanyl in America: How a Medical Drug Became a National Crisis: <a href='https://govfacts.org/health-healthcare/mental-health-substance-use/fentanyl-in-america-how-a-medical-drug-became-a-national-crisis/'>https://govfacts.org/health-healthcare/mental-health-substance-use/fentanyl-in-america-how-a-medical-drug-became-a-national-crisis/</a> </p><p>The agony of opioid withdrawal — and what doctors should tell patients about it | Travis Rieder: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhpAYw9kCt8'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhpAYw9kCt8</a> </p><p>Diminishing returns: <a href='https://www.britannica.com/money/diminishing-returns'>https://www.britannica.com/money/diminishing-returns</a> </p><p>Resources page on Smashing Success Stories: <a href='http://smashingsuccessstories.com/Resources'>SmashingSuccessStories.com/Resources</a>  </p><ul><li>Personal Inventory: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing</a> </li><li>Exercises for developing a LEGENDARY mindset: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing</a> </li></ul><p>Freud’s Theory of id Psychology and the Unconcious Mind: <a href='https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/psychologists/freuds-theory-of-id-psychology-and-the-unconscious-mind/'>https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/psychologists/freuds-theory-of-id-psychology-and-the-unconscious-mind/</a> </p><p>How to “Stop” Impulsive Behavior: <a href='https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/building-a-life-worth-living/202312/how-to-stop-impulsive-behaviors'>https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/building-a-life-worth-living/202312/how-to-stop-impulsive-behaviors</a> </p><p>How to Cope with Impulse Control Issues in Kids and Adults: <a href='https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/impulse-control'>https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/impulse-control</a> </p><p>Impulse Control Disorder in Adults: <a href='https://neurolaunch.com/impulse-control-disorder-in-adults/'>https://neurolaunch.com/impulse-control-disorder-in-adults/</a> </p><p>Personal Inventory Guide: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing</a> </p><p>Exercises for developing a LEGENDARY mindset: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JmTA5heX-wKXS6otjC3LVzL9vGkBUl7ZH8C7uJLKArs/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JmTA5heX-wKXS6otjC3LVzL9vGkBUl7ZH8C7uJLKArs/edit?usp=sharing</a>   </p><p><br/></p><p>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Video episodes are uploaded to YouTube: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories'>https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories</a>    </p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a>   </p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</a> </p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories</a>  </p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com'>www.purple-planet.com</a> </p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <link>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-07-get-what-you-want</link>
    <itunes:author>Smashing Success Stories</itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <itunes:duration>3646</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords> Smashing Success Stories, Smashing Success, inspiration, motivation, personal development, growth, mindset, empowerment, LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQIA+, worthiness, desire, fulfillment,  </itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>15</itunes:episode>
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    <itunes:title>Motivational Minute - You Deserve More</itunes:title>
    <title>Motivational Minute - You Deserve More</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[This quick burst of motivation is focused on seeking things beyond survival, to pursue only what is meant to make you thrive! The next full-length episode goes live on Thursday, July 16th, 2026, and the topic is Get What You Want. Episode page: https://smashingsuccessstories.com/motivational-minute-07-you-deserve-more/  Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday. Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is focused on seeking things beyond survival, to pursue <em>only</em> what is meant to make you thrive!</p><p>The next full-length episode goes live on Thursday, July 16th, 2026, and the topic is Get What You Want.</p><p>Episode page: https://smashingsuccessstories.com/motivational-minute-07-you-deserve-more/ </p><p>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a></p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a></p><p>Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is focused on seeking things beyond survival, to pursue <em>only</em> what is meant to make you thrive!</p><p>The next full-length episode goes live on Thursday, July 16th, 2026, and the topic is Get What You Want.</p><p>Episode page: https://smashingsuccessstories.com/motivational-minute-07-you-deserve-more/ </p><p>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a></p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a></p><p>Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <link>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/motivational-minute-07-you-deserve-more</link>
    <itunes:author>Smashing Success Stories</itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <itunes:duration>125</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Smashing Success Stories, Smashing Success, inspiration, motivation, personal development, growth, mindset, empowerment, LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQIA+, worthiness, desire, fulfillment,</itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>14</itunes:episode>
    <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
    <itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
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  <item>
    <itunes:title>Conversation with Karen Lee-Coss</itunes:title>
    <title>Conversation with Karen Lee-Coss</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[This episode features an amazing guest - Karen Lee-Coss! Karen is a powerhouse! She’s genuine and authentic, always has insight to share, and anyone who knows her will undoubtedly tell you that she’s a rock star.  What I’ve always loved about Karen is that she’s fabulous, yet grounded. Wise from the challenges and experiences that life has given her, yet she’s incredibly hopeful. She’s honest while being kind, and has her shit together without being superior about it. I wanted to have Ka...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>This episode features an amazing guest - Karen Lee-Coss! Karen is a powerhouse! She’s genuine and authentic, always has insight to share, and anyone who knows her will undoubtedly tell you that she’s a rock star. </p><p>What I’ve always loved about Karen is that she’s fabulous, yet grounded. Wise from the challenges and experiences that life has given her, yet she’s incredibly hopeful. She’s honest while being kind, and has her shit together without being superior about it.</p><p>I wanted to have Karen on the program because she has a beautiful message about going beyond just surviving difficult times. Her message is about finding purpose and meaning in every moment, and communicating an honest message of hope to uplift and support others.</p><p>Karen shares about how some of the challenges she faces have also become blessings, insight into her choices when it comes to her mindset, and how to navigate through stress and fatigue while also being a full-time working professional, caregiver for her mother, a spouse, and a mom.</p><p>She’s a woman of faith who is accepting, loving and kind, and she shares her positive message while including everyone; meaning, she’s not preachy nor judgmental. <br/><br/>We talk, we laugh, and we have an awesome conversation! </p><p>I’m still working on optimizing my microphone setup when doing in-person interviews and did my best with the resources available to me, apologies for any modulation issues!</p><p>Resources:</p><ul><li>Caregiving: I Balance a Full-Time Job With Caring for My Mom and Teens - Business Insider <a href='https://www.businessinsider.com/caregiving-balance-full-time-job-caring-for-mom-teens-family-2025-9'>https://www.businessinsider.com/caregiving-balance-full-time-job-caring-for-mom-teens-family-2025-9</a> </li></ul><p>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Video episodes are uploaded to YouTube: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories'>https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories</a> </p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a>   </p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</a> </p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories</a>  </p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a> </p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p><p><br/><br/></p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This episode features an amazing guest - Karen Lee-Coss! Karen is a powerhouse! She’s genuine and authentic, always has insight to share, and anyone who knows her will undoubtedly tell you that she’s a rock star. </p><p>What I’ve always loved about Karen is that she’s fabulous, yet grounded. Wise from the challenges and experiences that life has given her, yet she’s incredibly hopeful. She’s honest while being kind, and has her shit together without being superior about it.</p><p>I wanted to have Karen on the program because she has a beautiful message about going beyond just surviving difficult times. Her message is about finding purpose and meaning in every moment, and communicating an honest message of hope to uplift and support others.</p><p>Karen shares about how some of the challenges she faces have also become blessings, insight into her choices when it comes to her mindset, and how to navigate through stress and fatigue while also being a full-time working professional, caregiver for her mother, a spouse, and a mom.</p><p>She’s a woman of faith who is accepting, loving and kind, and she shares her positive message while including everyone; meaning, she’s not preachy nor judgmental. <br/><br/>We talk, we laugh, and we have an awesome conversation! </p><p>I’m still working on optimizing my microphone setup when doing in-person interviews and did my best with the resources available to me, apologies for any modulation issues!</p><p>Resources:</p><ul><li>Caregiving: I Balance a Full-Time Job With Caring for My Mom and Teens - Business Insider <a href='https://www.businessinsider.com/caregiving-balance-full-time-job-caring-for-mom-teens-family-2025-9'>https://www.businessinsider.com/caregiving-balance-full-time-job-caring-for-mom-teens-family-2025-9</a> </li></ul><p>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Video episodes are uploaded to YouTube: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories'>https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories</a> </p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a>   </p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</a> </p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories</a>  </p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a> </p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p><p><br/><br/></p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <link>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-06-conversation-with-karen-lee-coss/</link>
    <itunes:author>Smashing Success Stories</itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <itunes:duration>2846</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Smashing Success Stories, inspiration, motivation, gratitude, hope, faith, caregiving, professional</itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>13</itunes:episode>
    <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
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  <item>
    <itunes:title>Motivational Minute - Strength in Hope</itunes:title>
    <title>Motivational Minute - Strength in Hope</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[This quick burst of motivation is focused on finding strength in hope, to see beyond the obvious and find the good ♥ The next full-length episode goes live on Thursday, July 9th, 2026, and features a conversation with a guest - the phenomenal Karen Lee-Coss! Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday. Video episodes are uploaded to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories     Check out Smashing Success Stories ...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is focused on finding strength in hope, to see beyond the obvious and find the good ♥</p><p>The next full-length episode goes live on Thursday, July 9th, 2026, and features a conversation with a guest - the phenomenal Karen Lee-Coss!</p><p>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Video episodes are uploaded to YouTube: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories'>https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories</a>    </p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a>   </p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</a> </p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories</a>  </p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com'>www.purple-planet.com</a> </p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p><p><br/><br/></p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is focused on finding strength in hope, to see beyond the obvious and find the good ♥</p><p>The next full-length episode goes live on Thursday, July 9th, 2026, and features a conversation with a guest - the phenomenal Karen Lee-Coss!</p><p>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Video episodes are uploaded to YouTube: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories'>https://www.youtube.com/@smashingsuccessstories</a>    </p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a>   </p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</a> </p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories</a>  </p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com'>www.purple-planet.com</a> </p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p><p><br/><br/></p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <link>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/motivational-minute-06-strength-in-hope/</link>
    <itunes:author>Smashing Success Stories</itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
    <podcast:transcript url="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2622533/19389571/transcript" type="text/html" />
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    <itunes:duration>131</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Smashing Success Stories, inspiration, motivation, hope, positive</itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>12</itunes:episode>
    <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
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  <item>
    <itunes:title>What We Feed Grows (Mindset series)</itunes:title>
    <title>What We Feed Grows (Mindset series)</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Episode page (includes audio version of the episode): https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-05-what-we-feed-grows/ What We Feed Grows - concepts we’re going to discuss in this episode: How this topic got on my radarCore conceptThe challenges we faceCreating new patterns of thinking by breaking cycles and overcoming biasAction planComing Home channel on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@cominghomechanne A Native Woman's Near-Death Experience: Sent Back with a Purpose: https://www.youtube....]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>Episode page (includes audio version of the episode): https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-05-what-we-feed-grows/</p><p>What We Feed Grows - concepts we’re going to discuss in this episode:</p><ul><li>How this topic got on my radar</li><li>Core concept</li><li>The challenges we face</li><li>Creating new patterns of thinking by breaking cycles and overcoming bias</li><li>Action plan</li></ul><p>Coming Home channel on YouTube (<a href='https://www.youtube.com/@cominghomechannel'>https://www.youtube.com/@cominghomechanne</a></p><ul><li>A Native Woman&apos;s Near-Death Experience: Sent Back with a Purpose: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqOmoXTJFM4'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqOmoXTJFM4</a> </li><li>Atheist Dies &amp; Finds There Is Life After Death: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZfaPCwjguk'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZfaPCwjguk</a> </li><li>Alcoholic Dies &amp; Meets her Ancestors on the Other Side: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l15UGGvFsMA'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l15UGGvFsMA</a> </li><li>This one’s from The Other Side NDE (<a href='https://www.youtube.com/@TheOtherSideNDEYT'>https://www.youtube.com/@TheOtherSideNDEYT</a>):  <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7vnMIgoWe0'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7vnMIgoWe0</a> </li></ul><p>ALSO if you know of someone who has had a near-death experience, and/or a healthcare worker and/or caregiver that has a story to share about experiencing/witnessing this, I’d LOVE to speak with them and have them on the program! Go to <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/Nominations/'>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/Nominations/</a> and fill out the form, please and thank you 🙂</p><ul><li>Man’s Search for Meaning by  Viktor Frankl: <a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/man-s-search-for-meaning-viktor-e-frankl/f040ee34581bdc92?ean=9780807014271&amp;next=t'>https://bookshop.org/p/books/man-s-search-for-meaning-viktor-e-frankl/f040ee34581bdc92?ean=9780807014271&amp;next=t</a> </li><li>Tale of the Two Wolves: <a href='https://www.nanticokeindians.org/about/the-tale-of-two-wolves/'>https://www.nanticokeindians.org/about/the-tale-of-two-wolves/</a> </li><li>The twin brothers - I <em>think</em> it’s Les Brown that shares this story, and I spent half a day trying to find where he shared it (either in a keynote speech, or in his audio compilations) and I didn’t find it, so if you know where it’s from please let me know 😀</li><li>Parable of the Two Travelers: <a href='https://www.theheraldtimes.com/editors-column-the-parable-of-the-two-travelers/opinion/'>https://www.theheraldtimes.com/editors-column-the-parable-of-the-two-travelers/opinion/</a> </li><li>Eyesight vs mindsight from Les Brown - judging by appearance vs how you <em>interpret</em> what you see ~8 min in: <a href='https://youtu.be/W6nT2yFc5UA?si=mTQBoN8pxpMpLqdX'>https://youtu.be/W6nT2yFc5UA?si=mTQBoN8pxpMpLqdX</a> </li><li>Trixie on the podcast Why Won’t You Date Me on being open when dating: <a href='https://youtu.be/cFKfXbGq47A?si=rHLreUceM2K449pi'>https://youtu.be/cFKfXbGq47A?si=rHLreUceM2K449pi</a> </li><li>Gabi Belle’s video titled “The Khia Asylum is thinly veiled misogyny”: <a href='https://youtu.be/y10y9c7fVnI?si=QhoOd8-o6ug1bAsa'>https://youtu.be/y10y9c7fVnI?si=QhoOd8-o6ug1bAsa</a></li><li>Mark Rober’s TED talk: <a href='https://youtu.be/RDFGkBE2O50?si=vanMH5SuHLAdUX6q'>https://youtu.be/RDFGkBE2O50?si=vanMH5SuHLAdUX6q</a></li><li>How Hey Ya got super popular<ul><li>A good synapsis of the chapter that discusses how Hey Ya got popular - the synopsis is about halfway down the page: <a href='https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-power-of-habit/chapter-7-how-target-knows-what-you-want-before-you-do-when-companies-predict-and-manipulate-habits'>https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-power-of-habit/chapter-7-how-target-knows-what-you-want-before-you-do-when-companies-predict-and-manipulate-habits</a> </li><li>Book on <a href='http://bookshop.org'>bookshop.org</a>: <a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-power-of-habit-why-we-do-what-we-do-in-life-and-business-charles-duhigg/887dd5b06e09f78c?ean=9780812981605&amp;next=t'>https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-power-of-habit-why-we-do-what-we-do-in-life-and-business-charles-duhigg/887dd5b06e09f78c?ean=9780812981605&amp;next=t</a> </li><li>Chase Greene: “You can have something that is truly great, but if it is not familiar, people will not buy it, people will not take advantage of it, people will not enjoy it.”: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ47FdQiYL1/'>https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ47FdQiYL1/</a> </li></ul></li><li>Busking<ul><li><a href='https://www.reddit.com/r/Busking/comments/azzgbr/looking_to_start_busking_soon_and_i_want_to_play/'>https://www.reddit.com/r/Busking/comments/azzgbr/looking_to_start_busking_soon_and_i_want_to_play/</a></li><li><a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/984716668226746/posts/25231369346468140/'>https://www.facebook.com/groups/984716668226746/posts/25231369346468140/</a> </li></ul></li><li>The Punk Rock MBA, particularly 8:03-12:55 where he talks about how the Internet helped the band Sleep Token go EXTREMELY viral: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQGDyr7UUGU'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQGDyr7UUGU</a></li><li>The Charismatic Voice (Elizabeth Zharoff) with Wil Ramos reacting to The Summoning by Sleep Token: <a href='https://youtu.be/u2PKkmWmif8?si=Ud6Nt7BdpAgD8ysP'>https://youtu.be/u2PKkmWmif8?si=Ud6Nt7BdpAgD8ysP</a> </li><li>The Summoning compilation reaction, which has over 300k views: <a href='https://youtu.be/4KSiD-0w7cE?si=2LINPWI08bSaEHy5'>https://youtu.be/4KSiD-0w7cE?si=2LINPWI08bSaEHy5</a></li><li>(Healthy fandom groups) Buffering the Vampire Slayer: <a href='https://www.bufferingcast.com/'>https://www.bufferingcast.com/</a> </li><li>Know myself - personal inventory from the Judgment episode:<ul><li>Link to the episode/episode page on my website</li><li>Personal Inventory guide: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing</a> </li></ul></li></ul><p>I created a guide to compliment this episode - <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JmTA5heX-wKXS6otjC3LVzL9vGkBUl7ZH8C7uJLKArs/edit?usp=sharing'>Exercises for developing a LEGENDARY mindset</a>. Open the document and go to the upper left and select File, then Make a copy so you can leave notes and have your own copy of the guide 🙂</p><p><br/>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a>   </p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</a> </p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories</a>  </p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com'>www.purple-planet.com</a> </p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p><p><br/><br/></p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Episode page (includes audio version of the episode): https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-05-what-we-feed-grows/</p><p>What We Feed Grows - concepts we’re going to discuss in this episode:</p><ul><li>How this topic got on my radar</li><li>Core concept</li><li>The challenges we face</li><li>Creating new patterns of thinking by breaking cycles and overcoming bias</li><li>Action plan</li></ul><p>Coming Home channel on YouTube (<a href='https://www.youtube.com/@cominghomechannel'>https://www.youtube.com/@cominghomechanne</a></p><ul><li>A Native Woman&apos;s Near-Death Experience: Sent Back with a Purpose: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqOmoXTJFM4'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqOmoXTJFM4</a> </li><li>Atheist Dies &amp; Finds There Is Life After Death: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZfaPCwjguk'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZfaPCwjguk</a> </li><li>Alcoholic Dies &amp; Meets her Ancestors on the Other Side: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l15UGGvFsMA'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l15UGGvFsMA</a> </li><li>This one’s from The Other Side NDE (<a href='https://www.youtube.com/@TheOtherSideNDEYT'>https://www.youtube.com/@TheOtherSideNDEYT</a>):  <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7vnMIgoWe0'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7vnMIgoWe0</a> </li></ul><p>ALSO if you know of someone who has had a near-death experience, and/or a healthcare worker and/or caregiver that has a story to share about experiencing/witnessing this, I’d LOVE to speak with them and have them on the program! Go to <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/Nominations/'>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/Nominations/</a> and fill out the form, please and thank you 🙂</p><ul><li>Man’s Search for Meaning by  Viktor Frankl: <a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/man-s-search-for-meaning-viktor-e-frankl/f040ee34581bdc92?ean=9780807014271&amp;next=t'>https://bookshop.org/p/books/man-s-search-for-meaning-viktor-e-frankl/f040ee34581bdc92?ean=9780807014271&amp;next=t</a> </li><li>Tale of the Two Wolves: <a href='https://www.nanticokeindians.org/about/the-tale-of-two-wolves/'>https://www.nanticokeindians.org/about/the-tale-of-two-wolves/</a> </li><li>The twin brothers - I <em>think</em> it’s Les Brown that shares this story, and I spent half a day trying to find where he shared it (either in a keynote speech, or in his audio compilations) and I didn’t find it, so if you know where it’s from please let me know 😀</li><li>Parable of the Two Travelers: <a href='https://www.theheraldtimes.com/editors-column-the-parable-of-the-two-travelers/opinion/'>https://www.theheraldtimes.com/editors-column-the-parable-of-the-two-travelers/opinion/</a> </li><li>Eyesight vs mindsight from Les Brown - judging by appearance vs how you <em>interpret</em> what you see ~8 min in: <a href='https://youtu.be/W6nT2yFc5UA?si=mTQBoN8pxpMpLqdX'>https://youtu.be/W6nT2yFc5UA?si=mTQBoN8pxpMpLqdX</a> </li><li>Trixie on the podcast Why Won’t You Date Me on being open when dating: <a href='https://youtu.be/cFKfXbGq47A?si=rHLreUceM2K449pi'>https://youtu.be/cFKfXbGq47A?si=rHLreUceM2K449pi</a> </li><li>Gabi Belle’s video titled “The Khia Asylum is thinly veiled misogyny”: <a href='https://youtu.be/y10y9c7fVnI?si=QhoOd8-o6ug1bAsa'>https://youtu.be/y10y9c7fVnI?si=QhoOd8-o6ug1bAsa</a></li><li>Mark Rober’s TED talk: <a href='https://youtu.be/RDFGkBE2O50?si=vanMH5SuHLAdUX6q'>https://youtu.be/RDFGkBE2O50?si=vanMH5SuHLAdUX6q</a></li><li>How Hey Ya got super popular<ul><li>A good synapsis of the chapter that discusses how Hey Ya got popular - the synopsis is about halfway down the page: <a href='https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-power-of-habit/chapter-7-how-target-knows-what-you-want-before-you-do-when-companies-predict-and-manipulate-habits'>https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-power-of-habit/chapter-7-how-target-knows-what-you-want-before-you-do-when-companies-predict-and-manipulate-habits</a> </li><li>Book on <a href='http://bookshop.org'>bookshop.org</a>: <a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-power-of-habit-why-we-do-what-we-do-in-life-and-business-charles-duhigg/887dd5b06e09f78c?ean=9780812981605&amp;next=t'>https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-power-of-habit-why-we-do-what-we-do-in-life-and-business-charles-duhigg/887dd5b06e09f78c?ean=9780812981605&amp;next=t</a> </li><li>Chase Greene: “You can have something that is truly great, but if it is not familiar, people will not buy it, people will not take advantage of it, people will not enjoy it.”: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ47FdQiYL1/'>https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ47FdQiYL1/</a> </li></ul></li><li>Busking<ul><li><a href='https://www.reddit.com/r/Busking/comments/azzgbr/looking_to_start_busking_soon_and_i_want_to_play/'>https://www.reddit.com/r/Busking/comments/azzgbr/looking_to_start_busking_soon_and_i_want_to_play/</a></li><li><a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/984716668226746/posts/25231369346468140/'>https://www.facebook.com/groups/984716668226746/posts/25231369346468140/</a> </li></ul></li><li>The Punk Rock MBA, particularly 8:03-12:55 where he talks about how the Internet helped the band Sleep Token go EXTREMELY viral: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQGDyr7UUGU'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQGDyr7UUGU</a></li><li>The Charismatic Voice (Elizabeth Zharoff) with Wil Ramos reacting to The Summoning by Sleep Token: <a href='https://youtu.be/u2PKkmWmif8?si=Ud6Nt7BdpAgD8ysP'>https://youtu.be/u2PKkmWmif8?si=Ud6Nt7BdpAgD8ysP</a> </li><li>The Summoning compilation reaction, which has over 300k views: <a href='https://youtu.be/4KSiD-0w7cE?si=2LINPWI08bSaEHy5'>https://youtu.be/4KSiD-0w7cE?si=2LINPWI08bSaEHy5</a></li><li>(Healthy fandom groups) Buffering the Vampire Slayer: <a href='https://www.bufferingcast.com/'>https://www.bufferingcast.com/</a> </li><li>Know myself - personal inventory from the Judgment episode:<ul><li>Link to the episode/episode page on my website</li><li>Personal Inventory guide: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing</a> </li></ul></li></ul><p>I created a guide to compliment this episode - <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JmTA5heX-wKXS6otjC3LVzL9vGkBUl7ZH8C7uJLKArs/edit?usp=sharing'>Exercises for developing a LEGENDARY mindset</a>. Open the document and go to the upper left and select File, then Make a copy so you can leave notes and have your own copy of the guide 🙂</p><p><br/>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a>   </p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</a> </p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories</a>  </p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com'>www.purple-planet.com</a> </p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p><p><br/><br/></p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <itunes:duration>3317</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Success Stories, inspiration, motivation, mindset </itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>11</itunes:episode>
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    <itunes:title>Motivational Minute - Let Your Light Shine</itunes:title>
    <title>Motivational Minute - Let Your Light Shine</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Episode page (includes audio version of the episode): https://smashingsuccessstories.com/let-your-light-shine This quick burst of motivation is our kick-off for the Mindset series! The first full-length episode of the series airs on Thursday, July 2nd, 2026.  Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday. Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/  Smashing Success Stories is BAC...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>Episode page (includes audio version of the episode): <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/let-your-light-shine/'>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/let-your-light-shine</a></p><p>This quick burst of motivation is our kick-off for the <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/category/mindset-series/'>Mindset series</a>!</p><p>The first full-length episode of the series airs on Thursday, July 2nd, 2026. </p><p>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a></p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</a></p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories '>https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories </a></p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='https://www.purple-planet.com'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p><p><br/><br/></p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Episode page (includes audio version of the episode): <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/let-your-light-shine/'>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/let-your-light-shine</a></p><p>This quick burst of motivation is our kick-off for the <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/category/mindset-series/'>Mindset series</a>!</p><p>The first full-length episode of the series airs on Thursday, July 2nd, 2026. </p><p>Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.</p><p>Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/'>https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/</a> </p><p>Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod'>https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod</a></p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</a></p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories '>https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories </a></p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='https://www.purple-planet.com'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p><p><br/><br/></p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <itunes:duration>131</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>10</itunes:episode>
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    <itunes:title>Progress</itunes:title>
    <title>Progress</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[SOUND WARNING - I get pretty shouty in this episode, if you're wearing headphones and/or driving be mindful of these timestamps:  11:13 16:27-18:13 21:32-22:09 25:27-27:19 and pretty much through to the end lol  I'm passionate about this topic. I mean, this podcast is part inspiration, part passionate rants about systems of oppression :)    Episode 04 - Progress  Key points discussed in this episode: The importance of looking forward instead of living in the pastThe impact of nostalgia o...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>SOUND WARNING - I get pretty shouty in this episode, if you&apos;re wearing headphones and/or driving be mindful of these timestamps:<br/><br/>11:13<br/>16:27-18:13<br/>21:32-22:09<br/>25:27-27:19<br/>and pretty much through to the end lol<br/><br/>I&apos;m passionate about this topic. I mean, this podcast is part inspiration, part passionate rants about systems of oppression :) </p><p><br/></p><h1><b>Episode 04 - Progress<br/></b><br/></h1><p>Key points discussed in this episode:</p><ul><li>The importance of looking forward instead of living in the past</li><li>The impact of nostalgia on our minds and emotions</li><li>Reverence for the past can be a powerful tool <em>as long as </em>it isn’t holding us back, and we aren’t using it as an excuse to move forward</li><li>There are plenty of applications where tried and true methods have worked and still work, but were abolished because of factors (such as greed)</li><li>Progress <ul><li>Benefits</li><li>Where we run into issues</li></ul></li><li>THE SOLUTION</li></ul><p><br/>References:</p><ul><li>Midnight in Paris (film): <a href='https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605783/'>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605783/</a> </li><li>Bag lady by Erykah Badu: <a href='https://youtu.be/OqN0jsSeqPo?si=5YkU9jM5Who914Ep'>https://youtu.be/OqN0jsSeqPo?si=5YkU9jM5Who914Ep</a></li><li>Rafiki “it’s in the past” <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZfGTL2PY3E '>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZfGTL2PY3E </a></li><li>PBS Terra and Floodlight News cover the surge in data centers and the harm they cause to communities:<a href='https://youtu.be/5p426fSlYH4?si=nzAEzxn0Gw7D5DFW'>https://youtu.be/5p426fSlYH4?si=nzAEzxn0Gw7D5DFW</a></li><li>Exploiting workers - slave labor used for Cobalt mining in the Republic of Congo for use in cell phones (especially newer devices) and electric vehicles: <ul><li><a href='https://humantraffickingsearch.org/resource/modern-slavery-the-true-cost-of-cobalt-mining/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=%28ROI%29%20PMax%20-%20DSA%20xCO%20xAC%20xGT&amp;utm_id=22450466552&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23504083602&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADq-eHw-uNzbdAvJ5VCwLsYOAfbCo&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6N-OhxtMX7r4aZ8wel32dxcikjyWlUvgNUHl3V--9aM0Yl1WrfHFHBoCezIQAvD_BwE'>https://humantraffickingsearch.org/resource/modern-slavery-the-true-cost-of-cobalt-mining/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=%28ROI%29%20PMax%20-%20DSA%20xCO%20xAC%20xGT&amp;utm_id=22450466552&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23504083602&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADq-eHw-uNzbdAvJ5VCwLsYOAfbCo&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6N-OhxtMX7r4aZ8wel32dxcikjyWlUvgNUHl3V--9aM0Yl1WrfHFHBoCezIQAvD_BwE</a> </li><li><a href='https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/01/1152893248/red-cobalt-congo-drc-mining-siddharth-kara'>https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/01/1152893248/red-cobalt-congo-drc-mining-siddharth-kara</a> </li><li>Even the Department of Labor acknowledges this!! This is from 2024! <a href='https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/DRC-FL-Cobalt-Report-508.pdf'>https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/DRC-FL-Cobalt-Report-508.pdf</a></li></ul></li><li>Tuskegee Syphilis Study, a program that caused immense harm to the black community of Tuskegee. Later, President Clinton issued a public apology and The National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care at Tuskegee University was created. <ul><li><a href='https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/index.html https://www.thehastingscenter.org/newly-released-documents-from-untreated-syphilis-study-ethical-just-and-respectful-use-of-archival-materials/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=16567452402&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACdtXhhig6ZOOByZ8Z2zO0PFJRT8j&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6BRpmSHLPKUTPCS8iXCv3B1SMCx94rXOUJUwKjrvoz6VOXhJfDxEPhoClwQQAvD_BwE'>https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/index.html </a></li><li><a href='https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/index.html https://www.thehastingscenter.org/newly-released-documents-from-untreated-syphilis-study-ethical-just-and-respectful-use-of-archival-materials/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=16567452402&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACdtXhhig6ZOOByZ8Z2zO0PFJRT8j&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6BRpmSHLPKUTPCS8iXCv3B1SMCx94rXOUJUwKjrvoz6VOXhJfDxEPhoClwQQAvD_BwE'>https://www.thehastingscenter.org/newly-released-documents-from-untreated-syphilis-study-ethical-just-and-respectful-use-of-archival-materials/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=16567452402&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACdtXhhig6ZOOByZ8Z2zO0PFJRT8j&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6BRpmSHLPKUTPCS8iXCv3B1SMCx94rXOUJUwKjrvoz6VOXhJfDxEPhoClwQQAvD_BwE </a></li></ul></li><li>European settlers and the catastrophic effect on land that was well-maintained by First Nations’ civilizations - I thought of the Three Sisters planting method and how, over time, it became less of a common practice even though it was viable and sustainable <ul><li><em>With the loss of farmland and the introduction of European staples including sugar, flour and butter, this ancient diet was almost completely replaced. The results were catastrophic. </em>(source: <a href='https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220801-the-sacred-sisters-of-ancient-america'>https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220801-the-sacred-sisters-of-ancient-america </a>)</li></ul></li><li>Agricultural yields quote from PubMed Central® (PMC) - a free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health&apos;s National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM): <a href='https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9288846/'>https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9288846/ </a></li></ul><p><b>THE SOLUTION:</b></p><ol><li>BE INVOLVED in groups and communities</li><li>Have a clearly defined goal</li><li>Innovate without causing harm</li><li>Considerations when working on a technology, solution, construction etc - is this project: <ul><li>Ethical</li><li>Collaborative</li><li>Beneficial to many</li><li>Shared</li><li>A win all around</li><li>Beneficial and not destructive</li><li>Inspiring</li></ul></li><li>How to prepare for inevitable change: <ul><li>Acknowledge that we often push back on change BUT we also ultimately adapt</li><li>Understand that progress is gonna happen whether we like it or not</li><li>Recognize the role we play, fight against the things that harm us and embrace the things that benefit us</li><li>As always, with all things, stick tight to our communities, help where we can, lift each other up, and stay strong, stay together through life’s ups and downs</li></ul></li></ol><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a></p><p><br/>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: www.purple-planet.com</p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories </p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>SOUND WARNING - I get pretty shouty in this episode, if you&apos;re wearing headphones and/or driving be mindful of these timestamps:<br/><br/>11:13<br/>16:27-18:13<br/>21:32-22:09<br/>25:27-27:19<br/>and pretty much through to the end lol<br/><br/>I&apos;m passionate about this topic. I mean, this podcast is part inspiration, part passionate rants about systems of oppression :) </p><p><br/></p><h1><b>Episode 04 - Progress<br/></b><br/></h1><p>Key points discussed in this episode:</p><ul><li>The importance of looking forward instead of living in the past</li><li>The impact of nostalgia on our minds and emotions</li><li>Reverence for the past can be a powerful tool <em>as long as </em>it isn’t holding us back, and we aren’t using it as an excuse to move forward</li><li>There are plenty of applications where tried and true methods have worked and still work, but were abolished because of factors (such as greed)</li><li>Progress <ul><li>Benefits</li><li>Where we run into issues</li></ul></li><li>THE SOLUTION</li></ul><p><br/>References:</p><ul><li>Midnight in Paris (film): <a href='https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605783/'>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605783/</a> </li><li>Bag lady by Erykah Badu: <a href='https://youtu.be/OqN0jsSeqPo?si=5YkU9jM5Who914Ep'>https://youtu.be/OqN0jsSeqPo?si=5YkU9jM5Who914Ep</a></li><li>Rafiki “it’s in the past” <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZfGTL2PY3E '>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZfGTL2PY3E </a></li><li>PBS Terra and Floodlight News cover the surge in data centers and the harm they cause to communities:<a href='https://youtu.be/5p426fSlYH4?si=nzAEzxn0Gw7D5DFW'>https://youtu.be/5p426fSlYH4?si=nzAEzxn0Gw7D5DFW</a></li><li>Exploiting workers - slave labor used for Cobalt mining in the Republic of Congo for use in cell phones (especially newer devices) and electric vehicles: <ul><li><a href='https://humantraffickingsearch.org/resource/modern-slavery-the-true-cost-of-cobalt-mining/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=%28ROI%29%20PMax%20-%20DSA%20xCO%20xAC%20xGT&amp;utm_id=22450466552&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23504083602&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADq-eHw-uNzbdAvJ5VCwLsYOAfbCo&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6N-OhxtMX7r4aZ8wel32dxcikjyWlUvgNUHl3V--9aM0Yl1WrfHFHBoCezIQAvD_BwE'>https://humantraffickingsearch.org/resource/modern-slavery-the-true-cost-of-cobalt-mining/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=%28ROI%29%20PMax%20-%20DSA%20xCO%20xAC%20xGT&amp;utm_id=22450466552&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23504083602&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADq-eHw-uNzbdAvJ5VCwLsYOAfbCo&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6N-OhxtMX7r4aZ8wel32dxcikjyWlUvgNUHl3V--9aM0Yl1WrfHFHBoCezIQAvD_BwE</a> </li><li><a href='https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/01/1152893248/red-cobalt-congo-drc-mining-siddharth-kara'>https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/01/1152893248/red-cobalt-congo-drc-mining-siddharth-kara</a> </li><li>Even the Department of Labor acknowledges this!! This is from 2024! <a href='https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/DRC-FL-Cobalt-Report-508.pdf'>https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/DRC-FL-Cobalt-Report-508.pdf</a></li></ul></li><li>Tuskegee Syphilis Study, a program that caused immense harm to the black community of Tuskegee. Later, President Clinton issued a public apology and The National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care at Tuskegee University was created. <ul><li><a href='https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/index.html https://www.thehastingscenter.org/newly-released-documents-from-untreated-syphilis-study-ethical-just-and-respectful-use-of-archival-materials/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=16567452402&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACdtXhhig6ZOOByZ8Z2zO0PFJRT8j&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6BRpmSHLPKUTPCS8iXCv3B1SMCx94rXOUJUwKjrvoz6VOXhJfDxEPhoClwQQAvD_BwE'>https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/index.html </a></li><li><a href='https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/index.html https://www.thehastingscenter.org/newly-released-documents-from-untreated-syphilis-study-ethical-just-and-respectful-use-of-archival-materials/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=16567452402&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACdtXhhig6ZOOByZ8Z2zO0PFJRT8j&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6BRpmSHLPKUTPCS8iXCv3B1SMCx94rXOUJUwKjrvoz6VOXhJfDxEPhoClwQQAvD_BwE'>https://www.thehastingscenter.org/newly-released-documents-from-untreated-syphilis-study-ethical-just-and-respectful-use-of-archival-materials/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=16567452402&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACdtXhhig6ZOOByZ8Z2zO0PFJRT8j&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6BRpmSHLPKUTPCS8iXCv3B1SMCx94rXOUJUwKjrvoz6VOXhJfDxEPhoClwQQAvD_BwE </a></li></ul></li><li>European settlers and the catastrophic effect on land that was well-maintained by First Nations’ civilizations - I thought of the Three Sisters planting method and how, over time, it became less of a common practice even though it was viable and sustainable <ul><li><em>With the loss of farmland and the introduction of European staples including sugar, flour and butter, this ancient diet was almost completely replaced. The results were catastrophic. </em>(source: <a href='https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220801-the-sacred-sisters-of-ancient-america'>https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220801-the-sacred-sisters-of-ancient-america </a>)</li></ul></li><li>Agricultural yields quote from PubMed Central® (PMC) - a free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health&apos;s National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM): <a href='https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9288846/'>https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9288846/ </a></li></ul><p><b>THE SOLUTION:</b></p><ol><li>BE INVOLVED in groups and communities</li><li>Have a clearly defined goal</li><li>Innovate without causing harm</li><li>Considerations when working on a technology, solution, construction etc - is this project: <ul><li>Ethical</li><li>Collaborative</li><li>Beneficial to many</li><li>Shared</li><li>A win all around</li><li>Beneficial and not destructive</li><li>Inspiring</li></ul></li><li>How to prepare for inevitable change: <ul><li>Acknowledge that we often push back on change BUT we also ultimately adapt</li><li>Understand that progress is gonna happen whether we like it or not</li><li>Recognize the role we play, fight against the things that harm us and embrace the things that benefit us</li><li>As always, with all things, stick tight to our communities, help where we can, lift each other up, and stay strong, stay together through life’s ups and downs</li></ul></li></ol><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a></p><p><br/>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: www.purple-planet.com</p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories </p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <itunes:duration>2037</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>9</itunes:episode>
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  <item>
    <itunes:title>Motivational Minute - Move Forward Or Get Left Behind</itunes:title>
    <title>Motivational Minute - Move Forward Or Get Left Behind</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[This quick burst of motivation is focused on progress and the dangers of getting caught up in nostalgia. This is a taste of the full-length episode Progress, which goes live on Thursday, June 25th, 2026. Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available. Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here. ]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is focused on progress and the dangers of getting caught up in nostalgia.</p><p>This is a taste of the full-length episode Progress, which goes live on Thursday, June 25th, 2026.</p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a></p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is focused on progress and the dangers of getting caught up in nostalgia.</p><p>This is a taste of the full-length episode Progress, which goes live on Thursday, June 25th, 2026.</p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <link>https://smashingsuccessstories.com/motivational-minute-04-move-forward-or-get-left-behind/</link>
    <itunes:author>Smashing Success Stories</itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <itunes:duration>126</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Smashing Success Stories, inspiration, motivation, progress</itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>8</itunes:episode>
    <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
    <itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
  </item>
  <item>
    <itunes:title>Conversation with Courtney Bowman AKA Raleigh Cheesy</itunes:title>
    <title>Conversation with Courtney Bowman AKA Raleigh Cheesy</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Conversation with Courtney Bowman AKA Raleigh Cheesy on going viral #BroCruise, authenticity both online and offline, being vulnerable, and what her definition of success is for her business and her daughters Raleigh Cheesy can be found on: https://www.raleighcheesy.com/ https://www.threads.com/@raleighcheesy Information about #BroCruiseBless ThreadsReporter for this incredible chronological documentation of the saga! https://www.threads.com/@threadsreporter/post/DWfyYRNlam3 Bu...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>Conversation with Courtney Bowman AKA Raleigh Cheesy on going viral #BroCruise, authenticity both online and offline, being vulnerable, and what her definition of success is for her business and her daughters</p><p>Raleigh Cheesy can be found on:</p><ul><li><a href='https://www.raleighcheesy.com/'>https://www.raleighcheesy.com/</a> </li><li><a href='https://www.threads.com/@raleighcheesy'>https://www.threads.com/@raleighcheesy</a> </li><li>Information about #BroCruise<ul><li>Bless ThreadsReporter for this incredible chronological documentation of the saga! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@threadsreporter/post/DWfyYRNlam3'>https://www.threads.com/@threadsreporter/post/DWfyYRNlam3</a> </li><li>BurbNBougie also did a chronological breakdown on YouTube: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ontJpkOz_U'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ontJpkOz_U</a> </li></ul></li></ul><p>Courtney and I also discussed a conversation from Nicole Byer’s podcast Why Won’t You Date Me episode with Esther Perel: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPuYv9qpSZI&amp;t=3946s'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPuYv9qpSZI&amp;t=3946s</a></p><p><br/></p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories </p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: www.purple-planet.com</p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories </p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Conversation with Courtney Bowman AKA Raleigh Cheesy on going viral #BroCruise, authenticity both online and offline, being vulnerable, and what her definition of success is for her business and her daughters</p><p>Raleigh Cheesy can be found on:</p><ul><li><a href='https://www.raleighcheesy.com/'>https://www.raleighcheesy.com/</a> </li><li><a href='https://www.threads.com/@raleighcheesy'>https://www.threads.com/@raleighcheesy</a> </li><li>Information about #BroCruise<ul><li>Bless ThreadsReporter for this incredible chronological documentation of the saga! <a href='https://www.threads.com/@threadsreporter/post/DWfyYRNlam3'>https://www.threads.com/@threadsreporter/post/DWfyYRNlam3</a> </li><li>BurbNBougie also did a chronological breakdown on YouTube: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ontJpkOz_U'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ontJpkOz_U</a> </li></ul></li></ul><p>Courtney and I also discussed a conversation from Nicole Byer’s podcast Why Won’t You Date Me episode with Esther Perel: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPuYv9qpSZI&amp;t=3946s'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPuYv9qpSZI&amp;t=3946s</a></p><p><br/></p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you&apos;d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories </p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: www.purple-planet.com</p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories </p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <itunes:duration>2510</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Smashing Success Stories, inspiration, motivation, authenticity, Raleigh cheesy, bro cruise</itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>7</itunes:episode>
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  <item>
    <itunes:title>Motivational Minute - Just Be Yourself</itunes:title>
    <title>Motivational Minute - Just Be Yourself</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[This quick burst of motivation is all about authentic, and the concept itself is simple yet so many folks struggle with this. Just be yourself. Like, for real. It's honestly that straightforward. Just be yourself. Thursday's episode - going live on Thursday, June 18th - will be our first conversation with a guest! Looking forward to sharing this one with you :) Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stor...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is all about authentic, and the concept itself is simple yet so many folks struggle with this. Just be yourself. Like, for real. It&apos;s honestly that straightforward. Just be yourself.</p><p>Thursday&apos;s episode - going live on Thursday, June 18th - will be our first conversation with a guest! Looking forward to sharing this one with you :)</p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a></p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories </p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is all about authentic, and the concept itself is simple yet so many folks struggle with this. Just be yourself. Like, for real. It&apos;s honestly that straightforward. Just be yourself.</p><p>Thursday&apos;s episode - going live on Thursday, June 18th - will be our first conversation with a guest! Looking forward to sharing this one with you :)</p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a></p><p>Music credit to Purple Planet Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories </p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <itunes:author>Smashing Success Stories</itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <itunes:duration>139</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Smashing Success Stories, inspiration, motivation, authenticity </itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode>
    <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
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  <item>
    <itunes:title>Judgment</itunes:title>
    <title>Judgment</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Main concepts covered in this episode: What is Judgment? Contributing FactorsStaying In The Solution Resources discussed in this episode: TED Talk: Could Heavy Metal Music Help Maintain Your Mental Health? Mark Deeks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDL3rnGgi8s Bonus additional resource – Beth Roars did a video called Metal Music Makes You Calmer? Your Brain on Metal: https://youtu.be/fPL6SxdgYEs?si=BakQ67wZQ8sVgpXB The Man In The Arena: https://www.worldfuturefund.org/Document...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>Main concepts covered in this episode:</p><ul><li>What is Judgment? </li><li>Contributing Factors</li><li>Staying In The Solution</li></ul><p><br/>Resources discussed in this episode:</p><ul><li>TED Talk: Could Heavy Metal Music Help Maintain Your Mental Health? Mark Deeks: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDL3rnGgi8s'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDL3rnGgi8s</a> </li><li>Bonus additional resource – Beth Roars did a video called Metal Music Makes You Calmer? Your Brain on Metal: <a href='https://youtu.be/fPL6SxdgYEs?si=BakQ67wZQ8sVgpXB'>https://youtu.be/fPL6SxdgYEs?si=BakQ67wZQ8sVgpXB</a> </li><li>The Man In The Arena: <a href='https://www.worldfuturefund.org/Documents/maninarena.htm'>https://www.worldfuturefund.org/Documents/maninarena.htm</a></li><li>Our Flag Means Death – I was not able to find the scene referenced in this episode on YouTube, but it’s from Season 1, Episode 5: “The Best Revenge Is Dressing Well” - in brief, Stede and Ed are in a room full of aristocrats and Stede tells Ed that this is a fickle crowd.</li><li>Juicy by Biggie music video: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZom_gVfuw'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZom_gVfuw</a><ul><li>Correction <b>12:53</b> from “some days” to <b>birthdays</b>. The full lyric is:<br/><em>Birthdays was the worst days<br/>Now we sip Champagne when we thirsty</em></li></ul></li><li>Joshua Bell experiment: <a href='https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/pearls-before-breakfast-can-one-of-the-nations-great-musicians-cut-through-the-fog-of-a-dc-rush-hour-lets-find-out/2014/09/23/8a6d46da-4331-11e4-b47c-f5889e061e5f_story.html?utm_term=.751bc9d3d16f'>https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/pearls-before-breakfast-can-one-of-the-nations-great-musicians-cut-through-the-fog-of-a-dc-rush-hour-lets-find-out/2014/09/23/8a6d46da-4331-11e4-b47c-f5889e061e5f_story.html?utm_term=.751bc9d3d16f</a> </li><li>Eartha Kitt interview: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlUjHu3H_L4'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlUjHu3H_L4</a> </li><li>Tracee Ellis Ross:<ul><li><a href='https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/tracee-ellis-ross-gets-candid-about-dating/'>https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/tracee-ellis-ross-gets-candid-about-dating/</a> </li><li>Interview with Oprah: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vMCUv2DihY'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vMCUv2DihY</a> </li></ul></li><li>Stanzi’s video The Trial of Chappell Roan: <a href='https://youtu.be/QpteSrUNjpo?si=IyEVd1wXt0_uWwIv'>https://youtu.be/QpteSrUNjpo?si=IyEVd1wXt0_uWwIv</a> </li><li>Think and Grow Rich – borrow from a library/Libby, or buy from <a href='http://bookshop.org/'>Bookshop.org</a>, who funnels sales to independent bookstores: <a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/think-and-grow-rich-napoleon-hill/d6ed9b9530e2600b?ean=9781585424337&amp;next=t'>https://bookshop.org/p/books/think-and-grow-rich-napoleon-hill/d6ed9b9530e2600b?ean=9781585424337&amp;next=t</a> </li><li>Skin horse quote: <a href='https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/304174-the-skin-horse-had-lived-longer-in-the-nursery-than'>https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/304174-the-skin-horse-had-lived-longer-in-the-nursery-than</a> </li><li>The Power of Vulnerability TED Talk by Brené Brown: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o</a> </li><li>Hayao Miyazaki’s founder of Studio Ghibli thoughts on artificial intelligence: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngZ0K3lWKRc'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngZ0K3lWKRc</a> </li></ul><p><br/></p><p><b>PERSONAL INVENTORY GUIDE</b>: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing</a></p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a></p><p>Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Main concepts covered in this episode:</p><ul><li>What is Judgment? </li><li>Contributing Factors</li><li>Staying In The Solution</li></ul><p><br/>Resources discussed in this episode:</p><ul><li>TED Talk: Could Heavy Metal Music Help Maintain Your Mental Health? Mark Deeks: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDL3rnGgi8s'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDL3rnGgi8s</a> </li><li>Bonus additional resource – Beth Roars did a video called Metal Music Makes You Calmer? Your Brain on Metal: <a href='https://youtu.be/fPL6SxdgYEs?si=BakQ67wZQ8sVgpXB'>https://youtu.be/fPL6SxdgYEs?si=BakQ67wZQ8sVgpXB</a> </li><li>The Man In The Arena: <a href='https://www.worldfuturefund.org/Documents/maninarena.htm'>https://www.worldfuturefund.org/Documents/maninarena.htm</a></li><li>Our Flag Means Death – I was not able to find the scene referenced in this episode on YouTube, but it’s from Season 1, Episode 5: “The Best Revenge Is Dressing Well” - in brief, Stede and Ed are in a room full of aristocrats and Stede tells Ed that this is a fickle crowd.</li><li>Juicy by Biggie music video: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZom_gVfuw'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZom_gVfuw</a><ul><li>Correction <b>12:53</b> from “some days” to <b>birthdays</b>. The full lyric is:<br/><em>Birthdays was the worst days<br/>Now we sip Champagne when we thirsty</em></li></ul></li><li>Joshua Bell experiment: <a href='https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/pearls-before-breakfast-can-one-of-the-nations-great-musicians-cut-through-the-fog-of-a-dc-rush-hour-lets-find-out/2014/09/23/8a6d46da-4331-11e4-b47c-f5889e061e5f_story.html?utm_term=.751bc9d3d16f'>https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/pearls-before-breakfast-can-one-of-the-nations-great-musicians-cut-through-the-fog-of-a-dc-rush-hour-lets-find-out/2014/09/23/8a6d46da-4331-11e4-b47c-f5889e061e5f_story.html?utm_term=.751bc9d3d16f</a> </li><li>Eartha Kitt interview: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlUjHu3H_L4'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlUjHu3H_L4</a> </li><li>Tracee Ellis Ross:<ul><li><a href='https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/tracee-ellis-ross-gets-candid-about-dating/'>https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/tracee-ellis-ross-gets-candid-about-dating/</a> </li><li>Interview with Oprah: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vMCUv2DihY'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vMCUv2DihY</a> </li></ul></li><li>Stanzi’s video The Trial of Chappell Roan: <a href='https://youtu.be/QpteSrUNjpo?si=IyEVd1wXt0_uWwIv'>https://youtu.be/QpteSrUNjpo?si=IyEVd1wXt0_uWwIv</a> </li><li>Think and Grow Rich – borrow from a library/Libby, or buy from <a href='http://bookshop.org/'>Bookshop.org</a>, who funnels sales to independent bookstores: <a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/think-and-grow-rich-napoleon-hill/d6ed9b9530e2600b?ean=9781585424337&amp;next=t'>https://bookshop.org/p/books/think-and-grow-rich-napoleon-hill/d6ed9b9530e2600b?ean=9781585424337&amp;next=t</a> </li><li>Skin horse quote: <a href='https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/304174-the-skin-horse-had-lived-longer-in-the-nursery-than'>https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/304174-the-skin-horse-had-lived-longer-in-the-nursery-than</a> </li><li>The Power of Vulnerability TED Talk by Brené Brown: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o</a> </li><li>Hayao Miyazaki’s founder of Studio Ghibli thoughts on artificial intelligence: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngZ0K3lWKRc'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngZ0K3lWKRc</a> </li></ul><p><br/></p><p><b>PERSONAL INVENTORY GUIDE</b>: <a href='https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing'>https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing</a></p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a></p><p>Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <itunes:duration>2175</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Smashing Success Stories, inspiration, motivation, judgment</itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode>
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  <item>
    <itunes:title>Motivational Minute - Doubt Only Dies If You Keep Pouring Trust In</itunes:title>
    <title>Motivational Minute - Doubt Only Dies If You Keep Pouring Trust In</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[This quick burst of motivation is focused on facing judgment, which can often be a barrier between us and what’s meant for us. This is a taste of the full-length episode Judgment, which goes live to the public on Thursday, June 11th.  Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available. Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon in...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is focused on facing judgment, which can often be a barrier between us and what’s meant for us.</p><p>This is a taste of the full-length episode Judgment, which goes live to the public on Thursday, June 11th. </p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a> Patreons on every paid tier get full-length episodes including the Motivational Minute every Sunday before public access.</p><p>Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is focused on facing judgment, which can often be a barrier between us and what’s meant for us.</p><p>This is a taste of the full-length episode Judgment, which goes live to the public on Thursday, June 11th. </p><p>Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, <a href='https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories'>a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available</a>.</p><p>Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; <a href='https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories'>Patreon information can be found here.</a> Patreons on every paid tier get full-length episodes including the Motivational Minute every Sunday before public access.</p><p>Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <itunes:duration>134</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Smashing Success Stories, inspiration, motivation</itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode>
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  <item>
    <itunes:title>Just Get Started</itunes:title>
    <title>Just Get Started</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[This episode addresses a simple concept that often can be difficult to execute – HOW TO GET STARTED. The key concept is simple: DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT High-level overview: Just get startedKnow that there will be barriers to faceMistakes will be madeExcuses and insecurities are loudWe are going to tackle this with a three step process: AcknowledgeAcceptACTION   ]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>This episode addresses a simple concept that often can be difficult to execute – HOW TO GET STARTED.</p><p>The key concept is simple: <b>DONE</b> IS BETTER THAN <b>PERFECT</b></p><p>High-level overview:</p><ul><li>Just get started</li><li>Know that there will be barriers to face</li><li>Mistakes will be made</li><li>Excuses and insecurities are loud</li></ul><p>We are going to tackle this with a three step process:</p><ol><li>Acknowledge</li><li>Accept</li><li>ACTION</li></ol><p><br/><br/></p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This episode addresses a simple concept that often can be difficult to execute – HOW TO GET STARTED.</p><p>The key concept is simple: <b>DONE</b> IS BETTER THAN <b>PERFECT</b></p><p>High-level overview:</p><ul><li>Just get started</li><li>Know that there will be barriers to face</li><li>Mistakes will be made</li><li>Excuses and insecurities are loud</li></ul><p>We are going to tackle this with a three step process:</p><ol><li>Acknowledge</li><li>Accept</li><li>ACTION</li></ol><p><br/><br/></p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
    <itunes:duration>2656</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Smashing Success Stories, inspiration, motivation</itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
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    <itunes:title>Motivational Minute - Can&#39;t See The End From The Start</itunes:title>
    <title>Motivational Minute - Can&#39;t See The End From The Start</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[This quick burst of motivation is focused on getting started – every great journey starts with the first step! This is a taste of the full-length episode Just Get Started  Music: www.purple-planet.com #SmashingSuccessStories ]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is focused on getting started – every great journey starts with the first step!</p><p>This is a taste of the full-length episode <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-01-just-get-started/'>Just Get Started</a> </p><p>Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This quick burst of motivation is focused on getting started – every great journey starts with the first step!</p><p>This is a taste of the full-length episode <a href='https://smashingsuccessstories.com/episode-01-just-get-started/'>Just Get Started</a> </p><p>Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
    <itunes:duration>133</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Smashing Success Stories, inspiration, motivation, Motivational Minute</itunes:keywords>
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    <itunes:title>Smashing Success Stories launch episode</itunes:title>
    <title>Smashing Success Stories launch episode</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Episode 00 – Launch episodeWelcome to Smashing Success Stories! This podcast has been created and is dedicated to spreading a message of hope in a direct, authentic way. This pilot episode discusses why this podcast exists, and lays the foundation for how we move forward – focused, driven, and inspired to act while being kind to ourselves. Smashing Success Stories is a project that will continue to evolve as we progress forward, just like we all do on an individual level  I’m glad you’re...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<h1><b>Episode 00 – Launch episode</b></h1><p>Welcome to Smashing Success Stories! This podcast has been created and is dedicated to spreading a message of hope in a direct, authentic way.</p><p>This pilot episode discusses why this podcast exists, and lays the foundation for how we move forward – focused, driven, and inspired to act while being kind to ourselves.</p><p>Smashing Success Stories is a project that will continue to evolve as we progress forward, just like we all do on an individual level </p><p>I’m glad you’re here, and I’m glad we’re doing this together ♥</p><p>Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p><p><br/><br/></p><p><br/></p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1><b>Episode 00 – Launch episode</b></h1><p>Welcome to Smashing Success Stories! This podcast has been created and is dedicated to spreading a message of hope in a direct, authentic way.</p><p>This pilot episode discusses why this podcast exists, and lays the foundation for how we move forward – focused, driven, and inspired to act while being kind to ourselves.</p><p>Smashing Success Stories is a project that will continue to evolve as we progress forward, just like we all do on an individual level </p><p>I’m glad you’re here, and I’m glad we’re doing this together ♥</p><p>Music: <a href='http://www.purple-planet.com/'>www.purple-planet.com</a></p><p>#SmashingSuccessStories</p><p><br/><br/></p><p><br/></p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
    <itunes:duration>206</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords>Smashing Success Stories, inspiration, motivation</itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode>
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