Bernie and Julia have been out there for about 2 weeks, sharing both sailing and horse adventures. And believe me, they have had some adventures! In this podcast, we talked about what to do when the kayaks, the only way to reach the island, took a deep dive. They shared the story of a harrowing night of gale force winds, wondering if the anchors would hold. You won’t believe the story of the help they received when their anchor fouled as they were making their way out to the Atlantic side of the island. Sometimes, help isn’t really help.

Corey has been both brutally honest and deeply courageous in sharing his journey to uncover his full potential. As he said more than once, he wanted to find that edge. If you are someone who has wondered for yourself: what if?, this conversation is for you.

We do get to the “results” of his 1000 day plan in this conversation, and his season ended with an unexpected twist. We get into how he is handling that twist, and what happens next for him, which is really inspiring. And there is even more gold in this conversation as we explored the behind-the-scenes thoughts, feelings and beliefs that Corey navigated as he balanced multiples pressures: the declaration he made to go for it, his training, both mental and physical, his family obligations, his business running a vibrant ski school and even what it is to turn a passion into both a quest and a business. 

Here’s what Corey has to say about himself: Sometimes I still pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I have been living my life’s dream since 2009, and it just keeps unfolding in surprising, fulfilling and exciting ways. From my daily activities at the Bum Pass Water Ski Club to my interactions with people all over the world, while coaching or skiing on the pro tour, I aim to stay rooted in the mission that animates my entire career: to spread, foster and promote the three things I hold dear - Peace, Love & Waterskiing.

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Corey Vaughn.

This conversation touched on a number of themes – everything from making the distinction between knowledge and wisdom to learning to take nothing personally to finding hope when everything seems out of kilter. Carolyn has a way of empowering people to live a purpose driven life, and that was one of the core themes of this conversation. She emphasizes the value of learning to be present, something that is much easier said than done, and yet it becomes very possible when talks about it.

Here’s more about Carolyn:

Carolyn Swinton is an Executive Coach and consultant drawing on her 30+ years’ experience as a C- suite executive. Guidance is often needed to unleash the power and potential that lies within us all. Carolyn’s purpose is to guide and support individuals and organizations in their journeys to achieve their full potential and live their best lives. She utilizes the proven practices of traditional and directed coaching, powerful questions, reflective practices, and deep empathy to support a deepening self-awareness, effective communication, and the cultivation of meaningful relationships to help clients awaken to their truth. 

Carolyn has coached middle and senior leaders in the healthcare and business sectors and is the right fit for clients ready to deepen their self-awareness and master the tools they need to effectively communicate, resolve conflict, and achieve operational and cultural transformation. Most recently, she served as a Chief Nurse Executive for the largest healthcare system in South Carolina. In addition to her executive coaching, she also serves as Affiliate Faculty at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing, and Affiliate Clinical Associate Professor at the Clemson University School of Nursing. 

Carolyn has coached leaders utilizing the Leadership Circle 360 and Leadership Maturity Assessment Profiles as guides to support leaders in developing an understanding of themselves and others. Coaching in alignment with the principles of vertical development, Carolyn supports leaders in transforming their way of thinking, speaking and being to achieve sustainable change. 

Carolyn is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Fellow of the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Fellowship Program, and an ANCC Board-Certified Nurse Executive. She is a certified Newfield Network Coach for Personal and Professional Mastery, International Coaching Federation Associate Certified Coach, Certified in Leadership Circle 360 and Manager Edition, My World View Practitioner for Adult Development, and is an Everything DiSC Certified Practitioner. Carolyn has a doctorate degree in Nurse Executive Leadership from the University of South Carolina College of Nursing.

Carolyn serves on the boards of several state and local nonprofit organizations whose mission is to support the underserved and disadvantaged to gain social and financial stability. She is the author of “Chasing Hope- A Nurse’s Reflections on Healing and Hope,” “Reflections of Nursing” and co-editor of “The Untold Stories of Nursing.” For fun Carolyn likes to read, play the guitar, and travel.

I know you are going to love this episode with Carolyn Swinton.

Yet,Tik shared a very simple bio about himself:

Author of two books.  Father of two kids.

Also: three-day event rider, husband, juggler, dad-joke teller, Road To The Horse competitor.

There is a LOT more to Tik than this bio indicates, and I’ll leave it to you to look him up on the internet to find all the things he’s accomplished. However,talking about this simple bio was a great kickoff to a very deep and intentional conversation. 

This conversation ranged from the very practical – how did you prepare for Road to the Horse to the philosophical – how do we balance our training with horses in ways that are acceptable? Confidence was a theme that ran throughout.

We talked a lot about his latest book, Starting in the Middle:How Horses, Those Who Study Them, and 265 Minutes with One Colt Helped Me Find Myself at Midlife. This is a horse book that’s really more about learning, navigating doubt and cultivating a spark. It’s by far my most highlighted book in the last few years.

This year, she not only finished Tevis, she followed that the next weekend by finishing a half Ironman triathlon. We spent a fair bit of time in this podcast talking about what it takes to finish two such grueling races. 

We went pretty deep in this episode, including speaking about Stevie’s theory that all truths are paradoxes, how to manage your doubts and outs, the value of having process versus outcome goals and so much more. I’ve been out to Oregon to ride with Stevie 4 times, and each time I go, gain more strength in my mental tools, have fun and learn a lot. Stevie walks her talk.

Here’s what Stevie says about herself:

Stevie Delahunt graduated Michigan State University with two degrees and an intent to pursue law school at Georgetown University where she had been accepted. She switched gears and went to the French Pastry School of Chicago to learn how to do wedding cakes and set up shop in the Windy City. While in Chicago she learned of the world’s toughest horse race, the Mongol Derby, and she again let life guide her into constant change. On the other side of successfully completing the Mongol Derby she took a job with a startup company in Rhode Island and learned coding and marketing for the online business. 

The endeavor in the world of start-ups gave her strong leadership skills and an education in business models she applied to starting her second and current business of horse related retreats. 

  Stevie’s current business encompasses several facets of the horse world including beginner riding instruction, advanced Bootcamp style retreats for riders wishing to participate in difficult horse riding survival races around the world, horse shoeing, and endurance racing with horses which includes doing the worlds toughest one day one hundred mile horse race; the Tevis Cup. 

 Stevie believes that adversity is a necessary part of life and being prepared for adversity as well as creating it for oneself is essential and is a tool she uses in teaching both horses and humans, both young and old. 

I hope you enjoy this episode with Stevie Delahunt.

In this episode, we are catching up with each other after many years of not seeing each other, and along the way, Kyle offers many coaching insights that apply to many different domains. For example, he has some really useful distinctions on what makes a good team. 

Here’s a summary of his biography:

Kyle Pertuis is the Founder and Head Coach at MindFit Coaching, Inc. in New Braunfels, TX.   He is a seasoned Professional Executive Coach and Leadership Development Consultant with a 25-year track record in designing and facilitating programs to optimize strong organizational culture, business growth, leadership development, personal effectiveness, and employee engagement. Kyle’s coaching and consulting expertise have supported numerous Fortune 500 companies as well entrepreneurial start-ups. 

Ultimately, his coaching style is rooted in his passion to support people with a values-based approach to creating positive and lasting change in their business and personal lives. As Founder of MindFit Coaching, Inc, he works primarily with leaders and their teams enabling them to maximize their highest potential and performance levels. For well over a decade Kyle has taught, trained, and certified over 1000 professional, executive, leadership, and life coaches.

Kyle says Simply Stated--Coaching is not a BUSINESS—it is a MINDSET and an enhanced level of communication to inspire, motivate and empower others to act!

This episode was a real treat for me to catch up with a longtime friend and colleague. I hope you enjoy this episode with Kyle Pertuis. 

 In our conversation, we deeply explored the topic of fear from angles rarely talked about. Hannah has been to the other side of fear, and she’s bringing back the wisdom she’s earned to help the rest of us in our own journeys see fear as a companion, not an enemy.

Here’s what Hannah has to say about herself:

Hannah Betts has worn many bold titles—Outdoor Adventure Sports Instructor, Police Officer, Professional Skydiver, and now, Hollywood Stuntwoman. Beyond the risk and achievement lies a deeper journey—one of confronting fear and vulnerability head-on, rising above comparison, and letting go of the expectations to live a 'conventional life'. Despite what it may look like from the outside, fear walks with her every day. She just doesn’t let it lead. Hannah’s mission is to empower others to do the same - to lean into fear rather than run from it. Through the power of her story, she helps others break free from what holds them back, unfreeze the parts of life that feel out of reach, and boldly step into their unique potential.

 Julia also happens to be the wife of my last podcast guest, Bernie Harberts, and in this conversation, we touched on some of the same stories as Bernie’s podcast, but from the angle of the one staying at home. 

Here’s a little more about Julia:

Julia Carpenter is the founder of The Two Step Way, twostepway.com. The Two Step Way helps horse owners and caregivers learn how to be with their horses and how to really see them to promote connection, trust and health. Julia is interested in helping animals, particularly horses, heal from trauma and has studied intently with that goal in mind.

She grew up on a horse farm in Vermont and has been a licensed riding instructor and trainer working with racehorses, hunter jumpers, polo ponies and field hunters.

Julia has had a lifelong friendship and association, researching, training and caring for animals. She loves volunteering to help out animal rescues with her knowledge. She has a private practice helping people and their equines learn and benefit from her Two Step Way.

Julia has degrees in wildlife management and environmental policy from Boston University and Tufts and has worked in the wildlife and environmental fields. She is a painter, and her animal paintings have been shown in galleries and shops in the Boston area and western NC. She is the author of one little cookbook called Pet Food: 16 Dessert Recipes to Make You Smile.

Julia lives on a small farm in the mountains of western North Carolina with her husband Bernie Harberts, the Long Rider, filmmaker, and author, in addition to two rescue border collies, three mules, a rescue pony and her halflinger. She enjoys riding in the mountains around her farm and on longer rides with Bernie. She blogs about her life with the animals, equine rambling and the Two Step Way at ConsideringAnimals.com. She also blogs about working with horses at her twostepway.com website.

In our conversation, he offers his hard-earned wisdom on approaching life on the road, life with horses and mules, and living a full and meaningful life in general. 

One of the themes that has helped him take to the road is giving up perfection and learning to live with vulnerability. We explored this and many of the themes that have informed his journeys.

Here’s what Bernie has to say about himself:

Author and Long Rider Bernie Harberts is the subject of the Emmy award-winning PBS North Carolina program “The Mule Rider” and the author of “Two Mules to Triumph”, about his 7-month mule voyage from North Carolina to Idaho.  Even though he has traveled both ways across the United States and Newfoundland by mule, he still can’t keep his mule Cracker from occasionally bolting. 

Bernie lives in a small cabin in western North Carolina with his wife Julia, two border collies, three mules, two ponies and eight thousand wild-caught honey bees. When he’s not writing or rambling, he enjoys bee lining, planting ginseng and 23-minute naps. 

More about Bernie’s books, films and journeys at RiverEarth.com.

You might hear me be a little choked up at the end of this reading. There are so many layers to unpack as to why. First, when I started reading this book, I didn’t expect to get much further than Chapter 1. Just reading twenty whole chapters felt like a huge accomplishment. For those of you who encouraged me to read another (and then another), I appreciate you more than you can know. Second, when reading these chapters, I was reliving my experience in some ways. Reaching some of these milestones felt unachievable when I began this journey. Now, they are everyday occurrences. Take away for you? Whatever seems daunting at the moment is just waiting to become an everyday occurrence if you are willing to break it into small enough steps. 

The conversation I’ve been having recently with several colleagues, clients and friends is about visiting the other side of fear. If you haven’t been there (and for years, I HAD NOT BEEN THERE), it’s impossible to understand how fear can squash us. It seems so rational to honor fear as the answer to the problem of the day. Until you look at it from the other side (get thee behind me, fear!), you cannot see it for what it is: information. Dancing the Tightrope calibrates the fear so that we can RESPOND rather than automatically react from what I call the “robot space” in this book. Just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, we discover that the “great and powerful Oz” is simply our programming and conditioning, pulling levers like the little man behind the curtain. We’ve had the answers all along; all we needed was someone to show us the inner Tools we were granted at birth. That’s what I set out to show in publishing this book.

Reaching this point in the journey of reading the book, you may be wondering “what’s next?” I’m publishing Dancing the Tightrope as an Audible book in the next few months – timeline to be determined. The compiled version will include several things this podcast version did not. It will have the Introduction Chapter, which I did not include in this series. It will also include some “author commentary”, as I’ve come a long way since these words were written. It seems only fair to update the listener. I may also play with adding more quotes in the voice of the speaker where possible. 

Dancing the Tightrope will not be the only audiobook I publish. After this one gets out, I will publish both The Delicate Art and The Elegant Pivot in Audible format as well. Yes, the woman who swore I would NEVER do an Audible version is reminded that saying “never” is just the first step! You’ll hear more about that in the podcast coming out next week, with Bernie Harberts, author of Two Mules to Triumph and star of Amazon’s The Lost Sea Expedition. 

My favorite quote from the Courage chapter is this one: “The beautiful thing about welcoming pressure as a catalyst is that we no longer allow the end goal to define us. Winning the game is nice, but it’s not the point. The point is the opportunity to cultivate our courage, or perhaps a better word is to unleash our courage.” I’ve even come to call the process of raising the pressure threshold “couraging” because we are building our courage.

From Chapter 17 on Congruence, I like this quote: “Like a tangled ball of roots, Rules wind their way into our guidance system, blocking the pathways to our personal truth. The interference makes it very difficult to find our voice. And here’s the strangest part of all of this. We are not aware that our Rules are interfering. Because all of these Rules have been with us for so long, they feel like a part of us. As they direct us out of our awareness, our Rules feel as if they ARE us.”

This quote sums up Chapter 18 pretty well: “Clarity starts with removing that which does not belong. Whether creating a simple picture for how my day is going to go or a picture for the horse on a trail or a vision for my life, the art of subtraction makes room for what is real and true. I can only afford to remove my protective armor when I’ve come to own my true inner strength and acknowledged my true nature.” 

We are nearing the end of the book! Next week, I’ll share the last two chapters of Dancing the Tightrope. Because I tackled this project Frame by Frame, step by step, it’s actually been fun. Hard to believe I dreaded it!

I decided to highlight the five building blocks of self-awareness at this stage of my story, because I found myself not always showing up in pressure situations the way I would have liked to. It was clear to me that sometimes I could reach for my tools, and other times I had to reach for my rules. Awareness was the difference, but there was something more. For several weeks, I became more and more aware of my awareness. 

It was through this focused attention that I began to see that I “fell off” at different points. Sometimes it was at the level of being committed. Sometimes it was lack of curiosity, or one of the other three layers, which I dive into in the chapters to follow. I revisit the lessons in these five chapters over and again, because they help me fine tune my awareness when I get off track – and the nature of the game is not being perfect all the time. It’s about having lots of ways of getting back on track. 

Speaking of curiosity, this podcast was created because of my budding curiosity to have a different kind of conversation, and you will hear about one of my early podcast guests Warwick Schiller, who has also been on a journey of self-discovery. Chapter fifteen has a special surprise in it.

The best analogy I’ve come up with is what I call the “fish story.” Fish don’t know they live in water. Water is all they know. On the other hand, dolphins are aware of world of water and of course they are aware of air, since they must surface to breathe. Learning about the unseen forces that impacted the way I dealt with pressure was a little like being a fish who discovered there was a whole different world. In order to break the surface and breathe the air of life., I had to ask myself some tough questions along the way. 

These two chapters break down the distinction between pressure and the thing causing the pressure, and also those tough questions, which I believe apply to anyone seeking the signal of a genuine life amidst the noise of the modern world.

Let me tell you something that's interesting about that particular super tool as I call it. It is eight years later, and I am still BEGINNING to understand just how powerful this mechanism inside of us is if we learn to use it. If there's nothing else I have for you for this podcast, pay attention to that story and see how you can start using it for yourself, because this one is powerful. 

I'm also beginning to find out all the holes in my training and all the things I thought I knew that I didn't really know. Because if there's any distinction, especially around this time of the book, but maybe for the whole book, there is a big difference between knowing something and having the wisdom to know how to use it in the right place and in the right time.

I hope you enjoy these chapters of Dancing the Tightrope. 

It has been fascinating for me to go back and read these chapters several years later. I typically can’t remember what I wrote last week, much less four years ago. In that way, it’s fresh. It’s also a little bit like reading a personal journal. I’m reminded of what I went through. 

I hope you enjoy these chapters – they will keep coming every week until we get through the book, and then my podcasts with guests will resume. 

When I listened back to Chapter 3, where I read the sidebar blog “Where’s My Choice Here?”, it was somewhat stunning to me that many of the threads that I pulled together for Dancing the Tightrope started well before the accident that lays the foundation for the book. I was already onto the themes of dealing with fear, adrenaline, pressure and uncertainty. In some ways, I had been bumping up against the glass ceiling of my beliefs; the pivotal fall from the horse offer me a way to shatter those beliefs if I chose to open myself up to seeing things in a new way.

What’s standing out for me in this process of creating an audio version of the book are the pivotal moments, where a seemingly innocuous choice created huge change. The small choice to go trail riding could have just as easily been the choice to give up horseback riding for good. The small choice to call Bruce could have just as easily been something I never got around to doing. 

The choice to go back for a second visit to Bruce was both a mystery and a big damn deal. In the world of the way I had done things up to this point, that second visit would not have happened. Yet it did -  in this new world I was discovering.

Chapter 4 talks about our second visit to Camden to understand what this somewhat strange approach to life, horses and learning to live in nature’s world was all about. Chapter 5 shows you where I began to use what I was learning – somewhat naively at the time. In fact, reading it back now sometimes feels like I’m reading someone else’s story.

In Chapter 5, I’m still deciding if I should ever get back on a horse – something that’s difficult to grasp, given that I’m riding all the time these days. Think about a decision you’ve made that now seems so obvious – or a decision you are grappling with that may someday become obvious. Maybe these chapters will help you sort through the risks and rewards with an improving mindset.

Not only have I been getting great feedback and gratitude for providing the book in this form, but I have also surprisingly enjoyed reading it myself. After all, I wrote this over 4 years ago. It’s given me a fresh perspective on the themes and principles I began learning and refining after my fall from the horse – and it’s also shown me how far I’ve come. For example, if you had told the 2020 version of me that I would be riding with Stevie Delahunt at an endurance boot camp a mere five years later, I would have laughed in your face. But that’s where I was in early March when Chapter 2 of the book came out. It just goes to show you that you can teach an old – dare I say it – dog new tricks. 

This chapter sets the stage for so much of what I’ve put into practice in the last five years. It chronicles my first visit to Camden to work with Bruce Anderson. To say that I was resistant is an understatement. So was Jen, as you will hear in this Chapter 3 of Dancing the Tightrope. 

You have spoken (at least some of you!) and I am listening. This episode of the podcast is Chapter Two of Dancing the Tightrope. It covers a lot of ground, both about my recovery from my accident and my waterskiing. More importantly, it sets the stage for many of the gold nuggets to come.

Something else happened when I read the book – especially this chapter – that I did not expect. I felt like a first-time reader in many ways. This chapter was written four years ago. Reading it now - out loud - is giving me new perspective. Something I dreaded doing is now becoming a useful practice. Who would have thought? 

It’s reminding my WHY I wrote the book. Here’s a quote from Chapter 13: If pressure is a test to show others we are good enough, we are doomed to live at the mercy of those whose approval we seek. If pressure is a catalyst to unleash our true nature, we can truly live while we are alive.

The worst accident of my life showed me how to live while I’m alive. Imagine giving up the need to prove yourself. Imagine truly living. That’s why I wrote the book. 

Stay tuned. More chapters to come. 

And I’m still seeking feedback. (Thank you to those who’ve already shared your insights.) What do you like about hearing me read these chapters? What would make it easier for you to listen? What gold nuggets are you taking away?

Since I published Dancing the Tightrope, What Falling Off a Horse Taught Me About Embracing Pressure, Fear and Uncertainty in 2022, many people have asked me for an audio book. While I’m aware of the huge trend towards audio books, I’m not an audio-book listener. I love to read, and I LOVE to listen to podcasts. However, listening to audio books has just never worked for me. I just zone out. So the thought of putting out a version of my book that zoned people out was very unappealing to me! 

Also, the thought of reading my entire book out loud caused me to cringe. Now, if you have followed my work for a while, you might have noticed in that last sentence that I was “gulping”, trying to get to the end quickly, rather than considering taking it a step at a time. 

Recently, one of my favorite podcasts, The Tim Ferriss show put out a chapter of his first book The Four Hour Workweek. Once I started listening to it, I almost changed to another podcast. It so happened that I didn’t have anything else in the hopper, so I kept listening. While I DID zone out, I also came away with a couple of good takeaways.

It got me to thinking - why don’t I do the same thing? All I have to do is read ONE chapter of my book.  

So that’s what I am doing for this episode of the podcast. What you will hear in this podcast is Chapter One of Dancing the Tightrope. 

Here’s where the experiment part comes in. Now that I’ve done one chapter, I’m willing to do more, but only if it makes a difference to others. 

This is where you come in. Did you like listening to this chapter? Would you like to hear more? What feedback do you have for me as the reader? (Yes, really, I would like to be better and the only way is to hear your feedback.) 

If I hear from enough people that this was something that worked well for them, I will audio publish the rest of the book, more than likely as I did here, as a series on the podcast. Eventually, I will then get it on Audible. 

This podcast happened because I just happened to open an email that came in through my contact form on my website. Nine times out of ten, those emails are junk solicitations. In this case, it was members of Chris’s waterski team reaching out to say that they were fans of the podcast and thought he would be a good guest. I’m so glad I opened that email – because he WAS a great guest, and I had some much fun with this conversation.

We spoke about everything from the routines and rituals that he has found useful in competition to getting over fears to his philosophy of learning. Chris comes at waterskiing from both the coaching and athlete perspective, which adds depth to his viewpoints. Plus, he is STILL skiing in the winter! We talked about the benefits of cold exposure, which he takes to a whole level beyond what most do. 

Whether you are a water skier, or your performance happens in other domains, there’s something in this podcast for you. I’m sharing his slick bio below.

I hope you enjoy this episode with Chris Heron.

We met in 2023 at the Journey on Podcast Summit where we were fellow presenters. In the last year, I’ve been putting together some pieces about learning how to stay present under pressure – even when the body starts saying “danger, danger.” Some if what I’m experiencing flies in the face of the typical coaching around managing stress. It’s made me curious about how the neuroscience of it works. So at the 2024 Podcast Summit, I spontaneously asked Chantel to help me make sense of it and she agreed. After our first conversation, we said “We’ve got to do a podcast.” So that’s the backstory.

As you will hear, this episode is all about learning. In our conversation, we truly geeked out together about how we humans learn, grow and change. Chantel asks two very relevant questions about what happens when we start getting the physical signals of stress: What is the feeling for? And what is the story for? 

What most impresses me about Chantel is that she models what she teaches. She is truly a learner, which is what makes her a great teacher. 

We had many quotable moments in this episode. Perhaps my favorite was when she said: “The feeling is the fuel that catalyzes change.” If you follow any of my blog posts or social media pages, you will recognize that I couldn’t agree more!

Now here’s a little more about Chantel:

Chantel Prat, author of The Neuroscience of You, is a Professor at the University of Washington with appointments in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Linguistics, and at the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences. Her interdisciplinary research investigates how variable brain designs combine with our lifetime of experiences to shape the unique way each person learns, understands the world and operates in it. She is the recipient of a Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institute of Health, speaks internationally at events like the World Science Festival, and has appeared in a number of media outlets including PBS, Scientific American, Rolling Stone, Popular Mechanics, and Travel + Leisure.

I hope you enjoy this episode of The Creative Spirits Unleashed podcast. Please be sure to share it with anyone you think would enjoy it!

In this conversation, we got into the implications for self-awareness, learning how to be congruent within ourselves, how to give up control, and what it takes to get back in touch with our natural humanity. Imagine dancing with the others in your life through connection and harmony.  

More about Nancy:  

Co-Founder, Certified Instructor, and Master Trainer in The Carolyn Resnick Method Liberty Horsemanship. Nancy Zintsmaster embodies the transformational power of The Carolyn Resnick Method. A lifelong horse enthusiast, her love for these magnificent animals began in childhood, but it wasn’t until she discovered Carolyn Resnick’s book, Naked Liberty, that she realized the profound connection possible between humans and horses. Her journey took a pivotal turn in Costa Rica, where she rescued seven horses in dire conditions. Committed to earning their trust and respect, she embraced Carolyn’s liberty training approach. What started as a rescue mission evolved into a deeply personal transformation, revealing that these sentient beings had as much to teach her as she had to teach them. Nancy’s path eventually led her to Carolyn Resnick herself, forging a life-changing partnership. Carolyn recognized Nancy’s natural gift with horses and her passion for The Resnick Method. This collaboration solidified Nancy’s role as one of its most dedicated advocates. Today, as a Master Trainer, Nancy is committed to sharing The Resnick Method with horse lovers worldwide. She teaches this compassionate and effective communication style to promote better relationships between humans and horses, ensuring both receive mutual rewards. Nancy resides at her ranch, Dance with Horses—The Resnick Method’s Costa Rica location—perched atop a mountain with breathtaking views of Lake Arenal and the Arenal Volcano. There, she continues her mission to inspire others through her work with horses. 

I had the good fortune to be in a clinic with Nan the last September. Watching her work with horses at liberty is a sight to behold. If you are interested in her clinics, she has several clinics scheduled both in Costa Rica and in the states next year. The one I’m most interested in is the one being held down the road from me at REIN Rescue, where I’m on the board of directors. Dates for that clinic are July 22-24, 2025.  

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Nancy Zintsmaster. 

In this conversation, we review Corey’s season, diving into some of the high and low points. I won’t spoil the outcomes of his goals; however, I will say he ended the season ranked 3rd in the World rankings, up from 9th at the beginning of the season and 28th at the beginning of the 2023 season. 

However, Corey isn’t skiing only to gain in the rankings, or even to win tournaments. As he said in our conversation in the Spring, he said “I’m deeply curious to find that edge,” meaning to see what happens if he approaches the sport with the intention to see how far he take can it. 

Corey takes us behind the scenes of several of the highlights from this season, including the heartbreaking moment in the Master’s qualifier where the handle slipped from his grip at the juncture that would have qualified him for the prestigious tournament. It was the kind of event that gets stuck in your mind, and Corey describes how he walked himself out of the disappointment so that this “mistake” did not poison his thinking for the rest of the year. He also gives us a window into the ingredients he has found that have improved both his outcomes and the process towards achieving those goals. 

We devoted a good bit of this conversation to the subtle mindset distinctions that make a difference when operating at the tip of the spear. He was very generous in revealing what he has found the ingredients that matter most to improve his performance. 

What I found really interesting in speaking with Jessie was how she made the shift from running her cheesemaking business to attempting these grueling races. This conversation is full of nuggets of wisdom. At the core, she values being present as one of the most important ways she shows up in the world. You will notice how she breaks things down into smaller steps. It never seems as if she is tackling a huge thing, but instead, she focuses on each step. She also has deeply cultivated her resilience and physical strength, which I find inspiring, because it shows that endurance isn’t an inborn trait - it’s a skill that can be built. 

Here’s Jessie’s biography: 

Jessie Dowling founded and ran an award winning sheep and goat dairy and farmstead creamery named Fuzzy Udder Creamery and made cheese from sheep, goat and cow's milk for 13 years in Midcoast Maine.  After 17 years in the dairy industry she decided to make a huge change and pursue her true passion, endurance riding, training horses, and helping others connect with horses. She sold her cheese business at the end of May and decided to celebrate by riding in the 2024 Tevis Cup.  Jessie also trained with Stevie Delahunt  leading up to riding and completing the 2023 Mongol Derby 

In the end, Jessie is making life choices that support her in living the life she loves. We could all use a little more of that. 

I hope you enjoy this podcast with Jessie Dowling. 

In this conversation, we explored what it takes to ride for almost 24 hours through some of the most difficult trails to be found anywhere. If you are a regular listener to this podcast, you know that we deeply explored the mental side of the game, as well as the physical preparation it takes to take on such a feat. She shared what it was like in the dark moments (literally, dark moments because about 1/3 of the ride is done in the dark) to be present with herself and her horse. She also gave her perspective on fear, intuition, and how she makes decisions when the stakes are high. 

In the end, I’ve concluded that Stevie is a teacher of grit. I know she has helped me find more resilience and courage than I knew I had. 

Here’s what Stevie says about herself: 

Stevie Delahunt graduated Michigan State University with two degrees and an intent to pursue law school at Georgetown University where she had been accepted. She switched gears and went to the French Pastry School of Chicago to learn how to do wedding cakes and set up shop in the Windy City. While in Chicago she learned of the world’s toughest horse race, the Mongol Derby, and she again let life guide her into constant change. On the other side of successfully completing the Mongol Derby she took a job with a startup company in Rhode Island and learned coding and marketing for the online business. 

The endeavor in the world of start-ups gave her strong leadership skills and an education in business models she applied to starting her second and current business of horse related retreats. 

Stevie’s current business encompasses several facets of the horse world including beginner riding instruction, advanced Bootcamp style retreats for riders wishing to participate in difficult horse riding survival races around the world, horse shoeing, and endurance racing with horses which includes doing the worlds toughest one day one hundred mile horse race; the Tevis Cup. 

Stevie believes that adversity is a necessary part of life and being prepared for adversity as well as creating it for oneself is essential and is a tool she uses in teaching both horses and humans, both young and old. 

Enjoy this podcast with Stevie Delahunt!

This conversation took many interesting turns, as has Chris’s career. One big turn in his career was shifting his focus from “what can I get from this?” to “how can I serve?” His perspective shift led him to new opportunities and challenges, many of which we explore in this wide-ranging conversation. We also dove in on authenticity, listening, improvisation and so much more. 

I hope you enjoy this conversation and please be sure to share it with your friends and colleagues!

·      Balancing work and life with a focus on gratitude and intention. (0:02)

·      Pivoting from personal ambition to community service through music festival. (5:42)

·      Manifesting change through energy and focus. (12:22)

·      The transformative power of live music. (19:41)

·      The importance of arts in society, including music and theater. (24:14)

·      Embracing stage fright and being present in performances. (28:58)

·      Embracing imperfection in music and art. (37:08)

·      Embracing creative process and avoiding self-criticism. (41:21)

·      The importance of generosity in work and life. (46:14)

·      Valuing workers and breaking cycle of cogs in organizations. (50:24)

·      Finding purpose and making a positive impact in a small community. (55:30)

·      Overcoming obstacles for a music festival during the pandemic and its aftermath. (1:01:33)

·      COVID-19 challenges in the entertainment industry. (1:07:02)

·      How the pandemic has changed people's habits and routines, including their preferences for dining out and attending arts events. (1:10:43)

·      Upcoming concerts and sponsorships for a music festival in a small town. (1:14:05)

·      Event planning, marketing, and social media. (1:20:22)

·      Talk radio, podcasting, and the importance of being a good listener. (1:23:59)

·      Improvisation, curiosity, and personal growth. (1:29:09)

We spoke about so many topics, like curiosity, harmony, feel, and love, which was the theme that ran throughout. Often our thoughts get in the way of what matters, and Kerri spoke of the inner critic as the “Mayor of Thinkytown”. It’s both a funny and effective way to keep perspective. 

One thing we didn’t talk about is her project called Compass Conversations. It’s a podcast and what I love about it is that it is peers, learning together and inviting everyone who listens to learn along with them. Here’s how they describe it: 

We are a community of collaborating professionals and peers teaching through conversation, relationship and intuition. We’re not telling you what to learn, we’re helping you nourish your passion for learning by sharing our own.

Our work and thirst for continuing education has expanded beyond our conventional fields. Self-awareness and presence have become foundational in our relationships with work, families, nature and each other.

As you listen to this conversation, I believe you will get a clear sense of just what a learner Kerri Is. 

Here’s what Kerri says in her bio: 

Kerri is masterful in many ways. Her awareness began in infancy, and included a natural ability to communicate with animals and all of life in subtle realms of consciousness, through energy and presence. She has experienced several near-death and expanded-consciousness events, each of which reminded her of the dynamic power of living wide awake as a Creator. With innate wisdom, guidance and communication from many teachers (human and non-human), she has developed her gifts to offer clarity and guidance that is relevant to everyday life. Her work helps you recognize your capacity to experience your uniqueness, connection and communication through presence, through the heart. Without dependence on a modality or system, Kerri has blazed a new trail on the road to freedom from limitations and conditioning. On this trail, all species are welcome and integrate through frequencies of communication. The greatest gift she can give to you is her own purity of expression, sharing her own journey, to help you see that if she can do it...so can you.

If you have ever doubted whether harmony had any value, this conversation is for you.

This conversation went deep from the very beginning, when Corey mentioned the need to be honest with ourselves if we are to truly get better at anything. Yet anyone who has taken an honest look at themselves also has to find a way to do that without being too self-critical or giving up. Corey shared some of his performance secrets, such as visualization, which is trickier for water skiers than you might expect. We dove in a bit on how to make it work in such a high speed, non-forgiving sport. 

We also got into his goals for the season, and how he balances family life, his ski school business and his athletic performance. 

The listeners of this podcast are well aware of how much I love to talk about balancing acts, and I think you are going to love this one.

Here’s what Corey has to say about himself:

I began waterskiing at age 3. It was my family's favorite summer pastime. Despite childhood dreams of becoming a professional waterskier, I never could have imagined how this sport and lifestyle would shape my life's path. At age 38, waterskiing remains a primary narrative in the story of my life. In fact, the waterski story may, indeed be reaching its climax. So I find myself, working to balance parenthood, partnership, business and my athletic endeavor at all times. There's never a dull moment.

·      Balancing work and life as a professional water skier.

·      Learning and growth through self-reflection and honesty.

·      Self-criticism and growth in water skiing.

·      How to overcome comfort zone limitations in skiing through trust and small steps.

·      The importance of regular check-ins for progress and accountability in learning new skills.

·      Skiing performance and mental preparation for Moomba.

·      Visualization techniques for skiing, incorporating tactile sensations for better timing.

·      Balancing professional waterskiing and family life while maintaining business growth.

·      Mental preparation for water skiing competitions.

·      Finding balance between perfectionism and flexibility in ski training.

·      Mental preparation for golf, focusing on mindset and confidence.

·      Cultivating internal confidence and harmony in sports performance.

·      Improvisation and staying in sync while waterskiing.

·      Improving productivity and reducing stress through mindfulness and prioritization.

·      Skiing goals and qualifying for the Masters tournament.

·      Quitting alcohol for personal growth and self-awareness.

·      The negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption and the importance of breaking the cycle.

·      Parenting, goals, and staying motivated.

·      Skiing, personal growth, and community support.

Here's what Laurie has to say about herself:  

Laurie is a free spirit who seeks living at a deeper level in the many things that she pursues. Whether it is raising her 2 boys who are both successfully off at university, riding horses, caring for her farm, rocking out on her drums and guiding others to their epigenetically best life. She recently experienced the Gaucho Derby in Patagonia, Argentina and is still processing the profound expansion this is opening for her.

I hope you enjoy this podcast with Laurie Kaplan and as always, please share this episode with your colleagues and friends. 

Additional Topics

·      The Gaucho Derby adventure race in Patagonia with Laurie Kaplan. (0:02)

·      Endurance horse race in Patagonia with challenging terrain and limited gear. (3:30)

·      Carrying personal items during a horseback ride. (9:59)

·      Mental preparation and overcoming obstacles in a horse race. (17:21)

·      Adventure vs. competitor in horse race. (23:48)

·      Horseback riding adventure with injuries and lessons learned. (29:35)

·      Trust, balance, and galloping in horse riding. (35:21)

·      Horseback riding adventure with highs and lows. (40:19)

·      Overcoming self-criticism and focusing on progress. (46:24)

·      Overcoming burnout and building mental strength. (51:43)

·      Hormones, burnout, and epigenetics in a horseback riding adventure. (1:00:22)

·      Outdoor adventures, hiking, and bathroom experiences. (1:08:09)

·      Visualization and manifestation in a horse riding competition. (1:14:04)

·      Dealing with disappointment after not completing a big goal. (1:20:09)

·      Self-discovery and horse riding. (1:25:52)

·      Epigenetics, genetic testing, and personalized health plans. (1:31:30)

·      Epigenetics, mindset, and adventure with Laurie Kaplan. (1:38:11)

Guest Contact Info

Website

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Email

This conversation flew by for both of us. We started and were immediately in the flow, speaking about topics like what to do with discomfort, the distinction between the action of fear and the emotion of fear, the way our mind can get in loops like Groundhog Day, and so much more. There were many quotable moments in this conversation. One of my favorite’s was this: Our role is not to police other people’s passions.  

Here's what Jane has to say about herself:  

Jane Pike is a writer, poet, and horsewoman from the South Island of New Zealand. In the horse world, her work focuses on practices and understandings that increase vitality for both humans and horses, incorporating nervous system awareness to both mindset and movement. The methods she teaches explore physical and emotional patterns at their most foundational level- the brain and the nervous system- with the aim of creating adaptability and responsiveness, both in and out of the saddle. Jane has featured and written for various magazines around the world and is a sought after international clinician and trainer through her business Confident Rider. 

Jane’s passions and expertise also extend to how we can best live full and creative lives, and develop the tenacity and courage to do so. Her deep appreciation for writing and the arts has also seen her skip down the garden path of how it is we can all find and allow for our own unique creative expression, sharing her own writing and teaching retreats and workshops that focus on giving ourselves permission to and making the time for following the things that we love. 

Here is what she has to say about herself:

When asked to provide biographical info, Mary’s first sentence typically is, “I’m a mom.” To say that Aaron was and is important to her is an understatement. She considers him her foremost gift and trusts that in providing his and her story to readers, they too will receive a gift.

Mary grew up in a small midwestern town and enjoyed an active outdoor life during an era when life was slower and simpler. A self-described lifelong learner, Mary was encouraged and unrestricted by her parents to read anything and everything that interested her. Her love for words, language, and stories persists to this day.

After college, Mary spent 41 years in financial services where she held roles in sales, leadership, and as an executive leading Learning & Development teams for Fortune 500 firms. She has a BA in Psychology and has recently graduated with highest honors from the Funeral Director’s program at Fayetteville Technical Community College. Mary successfully completed all of her state board exams and became a licensed North Carolina Funeral Director in September of 2023. 

Mary lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband and their three horses, three dogs, and three cats. In her spare time, Mary enjoys reading, gardening, water skiing, sketching, writing, and horseback riding.

I hope you enjoy this episode with Mary Connaughty-Sullivan.

·      Grief, synchronicity, and personal growth. (0:02)

·      Finding one's voice and overcoming insecurities in a corporate environment. (4:25)

·      Coping with loss and resilience. (12:52)

·      Coping with loss and finding hope. (18:54)

·      Grief, vulnerability, and authenticity. (25:27)

·      Social media, gratitude practices, and filtering negative content. (33:45)

·      Personal and professional growth through retirement transition. (40:06)

·      Grief, spirituality, and communication with the dead. (46:17)

·      Grief, journaling, and finding hope. (52:12)

·      Grief, healing, and the impact of a memoir. (58:51)

·      Personality types and book launch planning. (1:07:27)

·      Vision Boards, Intention Setting, and Spiritual Guidance. (1:10:57)

·      Intuition, dreams, and personal growth. (1:17:47)

·      Business alignment and customer service. (1:23:42)

·      Grief, loss, and how to support those in mourning. (1:28:40)

·      Grief, healing, and personal growth. (1:37:5)

Email: maryanddan.nc@gmail.com

Website

Facebook

LinkedIn

Amazon Link to Buy Book

This is a conversation for anyone who is looking for meaning, or looking for ways to get past being stuck. 

Here’s what Julie says about herself:

Julie is a personal development coach specializing in self-connection, boundaries, and communication. She is a speaker and has authored her own coaching programs; pulling together her experience of burning out in a CFO position, all the lessons she has learned from riding horses, and her lifelong study of personal growth and spiritual development. She specializes in helping high-achieving successful people, who are feeling stuck, make their next move.

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Julie Ripley.

Guest Contact Information
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

The endeavor in the world of start-ups gave her strong leadership skills and an education in business models she applied to starting her second and current business of horse related retreats. Stevie’s current business encompasses several facets of the horse world including beginner riding instruction, advanced Bootcamp style retreats for riders wishing to participate in difficult horse riding survival races around the world, horse shoeing, and endurance racing with horses which includes doing the worlds toughest one day one hundred mile horse race; the Tevis Cup. 

 
Stevie believes that adversity is a necessary part of life and being prepared for adversity as well as creating it for oneself is essential and is a tool she uses in teaching both horses and humans, both young and old. 

• What made you choose sleep as a career? (1:54)
• Sightseeing and ear training. (10:34)
• What is a proving mindset? (16:04)
• How do you break the emotion away from the thoughts? (21:34)
• The key to helping overachievers let go. (25:09)
• It's never too late. (29:50)
• The fear of failure. (36:43)
• The difference between improving mindset vs. proving mindset. (40:40)
• What happens when you get through the first 30 seconds? (46:42)
• The shadow self and the principle of life. (53:15)
• How to let go of perfectionism. (57:41)
• What Is Psychopath Academy? (1:02:51)
• How to encourage people to take advantage of courses. (1:06:42)
• How do you get out of your own way?

Contact Information

Website: https://psychupacademy.com

Email: anne@sleepyintheatl.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-bartolucci/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/psychupacademy

Instagram: https://instagram.com/psychupacademy

• What does it mean to be true to ourselves? (0:02)
• Be full of yourself and take up space. (2:49)
• Taking responsibility for your life. (8:32)
• The importance of coming back to center of safety. (13:47)
• Cold baths and ice baths. (17:31)
• Physical assessment of the nervous system. (22:31)
• Pushing through the fear. (26:53)
• How did you come to this point of consent? (31:36)
• Why horses are so valuable? (36:46)
• Horses have better sensors than we do. (40:51)
• The importance of air traffic control. (45:22)
• Trying to change the mistakes in our bodies. (50:09)
• Leaving yourself behind creates a little hole. (56:29)
• What can you do to make connections in your body? (1:01:57)
• Boundaries between what's mine and what's not mine. (1:06:52)
• How we invite the injury. (1:11:04)
• The sway test and its power. (1:17:27)
• How to get in touch with her. (1:22:54)
• The journey to the self. (1:29:11)

• How do you open up to different points of view? 
• How do you let in different points of view? 
• What does it look like to truly tune in? 

Kym has a point of view about listening, and it is much more than just parroting back what someone else has said. In her view, listening is a whole body experience that can change outcomes. She tells the most wonderful story about making a choice between finishing her emails or hunting for earthworms. Who knew earthworms could be so memorable!

It's always a treat for me to share these conversations with another coach, and you bet I took a bunch of notes for my own reference, and I’m guessing you will too.

Here is her official Bio:

Kymberly Dakin-Neal is a mindset coach specializing in effective communication and professional presence for over a decade. She works successfully with newly promoted employees, women running for office, entrepreneurs pitching new products. Kym helps train medical professionals in more productive listening and patient communication via the Standardized Patient program at Tufts and Kaiser Permanente. Kym has also developed and recently sold a bookmarking app called, "Nugget" to eliminate the need to take notes in online meetings. She is a mindset coach with Positive Intelligence. Her book “Head, Heart, and Hands Listening in Coach Practice” will be released in July, 2023 by Routledge Publishers.

Here's how Lynda summarized our conversation:  

A short summary of episode #12 with Lynn Carnes of North Carolina, USA. Lynn spends part of her life as an executive coach with her business, Creative Spirits Unleashed as well as hosts her podcast of the same name. But that is only part of what Lynn does and who she is. In our conversation Lynn shared the most beautiful learnings and growing edges of her journey called life. Her chosen title for this episode: Dancing the Tightrope was perfect in so many aspects. 

I always have a pen and paper handy during our conversations and jot down pages of notes. My conversation with Lynn had me writing furiously at first but then I had to just lay my pen down and sit with the wisdom she shared.  So many moments of head nodding, heart saying yes, and my soul recognizing my own growing edges and pressure points. I will make this summary brief so you may find that which resonates for you in Lynn’s words. A plethora of points of truth and touchstones that connect us to our own journeys!    

 We started the episode with the word daring.  Daring to embrace the unknown, daring to find one’s edges, daring to look for that pressure threshold and daring to live at least 80% of one’s day doing exactly what she wants to do. Those are just a few of Lynn’s nuggets of wisdom that will truly inspire us all.  

From getting back on a horse after a nasty fall and taking the steps in between to return to the saddle with a different point of view to flying a plane. From waterskiing, driving the boat and playing pickle ball. All of those have similarities in how Lynn approaches them and it was wonderful to speak about those and the tools she uses to be successful and fulfilled. 

 As always, we ask our guest for three key pieces of wisdom. Lynn offered three wonderful insights: 

1. Pressure. Recognizing it is a catalyst for growth or it being something that can crush us.  It’s in how we choose to see it.  
2. Be the co-writer of your life. Remember the next thing hasn’t happened yet so make room for choice.  
3. Truly get to know your inner self. We must know our inner self to know others. 

Lynn’s Call to Action: 

Instead of reaching for your rules, reach for your tools. Truly listen to the situation and let it tell you what to do, when to do and how to do it. 

Thank you, Lynn, for sharing with the Inspire Me Forward community. We so very much appreciate you sharing your journey, your wisdom, your tools for problem solving and reminding us to go with the flow in life. Thank you for your daring and inspiring us to dare ourselves.  

If you want to know more about the Inspire Me Forward series, hop onto Facebook and ask to join the group of the same name. You can also subscribe on the Youtube channel titled Inspire Me Forward. 

One of my favorite things about doing this podcast is how it gives me the opportunity to meet new people, from networks I would otherwise not be part of. Judith is one of those people I met through podcast guest Hannah Pasquinzo. This conversation came at exactly the right time for me. Judith challenged me in this conversation to think differently, and immediately I experienced her gift as a business mentor. She has a way of seeing possibilities that opens the door to whole new realities. It truly is mind boggling how our own belief systems can warp our perspective. It’s incredibly helpful to have someone who can gently help us see things differently. My guess is that anyone listening to this podcast will take away a new way of seeing something.  I know I did.

Here's how Judith describes herself:  

Judith Manriquez is a spiritual business mentor and visionary intuitive to intuitive women leaders who are ready to show up in their full power and gifts.  

With over two decades of experience in business and intuition, she’s supported hundreds of women with leadership development, business and soul mastery, and the refinement of their soul gifts through personalized 1:1 mentoring, advising and consulting.  

She’s a claircognizant empath with a Master's in Public Affairs and an entrepreneurial heart, who has worked for a mayor, the chairwoman of a major state agency, non-profits, and corporate businesses as well as healers, coaches, energy workers, lightworkers and hundreds of entrepreneurial women changing the world. She also founded a successful branding, marketing, and web-development firm during the dot com era. For the last 15 years she has run her own consultancy.  

When she isn’t playing with, and in, others’ businesses, she spends time with her two college-aged boys and teen girl, and visiting new places across the globe.

Guest Contact Information

Website: judithmanriquez.com

Instagram: @judithamanriquez

LinkedIn: judithmanriquez

Here’s some more information about JP Dyal:

JP Dyal is not your typical horseman. He grew up in the Florida Keys and was a corporate executive until he lost everything. It was then his life was saved by a horse. While JP has competed in many different disciplines, his true gift and passion is transforming the lives of horses and their people by combining his leadership development experience along with his soft and light style of horsemanship.

With his corporate background and focus on leadership, we had a lot of common ground in this conversation.

Contact Info:

HeartoftheHorseonline.com

JPDyalHorsemanship.com

Facebook Profile: JP DYal Horsemanship

Facebook Page: Heart of the Horse with JP & Lisa

Facebook Group: Heart of the Horse

Email: jp@HeartoftheHorseOnline.com

Heather enjoys keeping things simple. She uses her intuition and knowledge to work with her clients. 

She loves empowering people with knowledge and skills to help them support themselves. She has an innovative and unique way of seeing the world and how everything is connected. When she established her business in 2005 after working in the corporate world, she didn't want to compete with anyone in her industry. Heather wanted to be able to work with all aspects of a person's health team.  She is a true believer in the power of transformation. She learned from personal experience that self care is a non-negotiable for everyone.  

Growing up Heather always had an affinity for animals. Everything she does with her human clients, she enjoys doing for her animal clients. She has put together a unique tool box to support and optimize her clients physical, emotional and energetic well-being. Heather has found great joy including animals in her practice. She also loves working to support owners build better connections with their animals. Heather's intuition over the years has lead her to work with dogs, cats and horses. She loves being able to collaborate with her clients because everyone's intuition and knowledge is important to the process.  

Heather shifted from the corporate world into the entrepreneurial world at 36 years old based on intuition. She has become an advocate for intuition over her career. She created and ran the INTUIT Kids Camp for several years empowering kids to stay connected, embrace their intuition and energy awareness.  

Supporting people and animals with tools to reduce their stress and optimize their health is what inspires Heather.  She feels blessed being able to do this for a living.  

She has training and certifications in Holistic Nutrition, Acupuncture, Reflexology, Orthomolecular Medicine, Various Energy Medicine techniques, Bach Flower Essences and "The School of Life"

Before anyone had ever heard of equine coaching or therapy, Anna’s journey began as a lifelong horse enthusiast and British police officer looking for a way to bring healing to victims and her fellow officers through the horse-human connection. Her search brought her to California to become a co-creator and the first head instructor of the famous Monty Roberts International Learning Center (MRILC). Realizing her journey was only beginning, Anna left the MRILC to find her own voice, working with and studying wild and untouched horses.

Creator of Reach Out to Horses®, a comprehensive international equine behavior and training program, Anna has worked with over 10,000 horses and thousands more horse-lovers, professionals, and competitors. From serving military veterans, celebrities, backyard horse owners and Olympic dressage competitors, to shining a light on the plight of the wild horses, nurse foals, tribal mustangs, PMU industry, and supporting the non-profits who fight for them, Anna has worked with and trained horses and people in countless disciplines and industries.

For more than 25 years, her life’s work has taken her to almost every continent; she teaches and trains all over the U.S., the U.K., Europe, Canada, Central America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa and more.  Anna was engaged by the Beijing AQHA as the first featured female demonstrator, she coached the Chinese Endurance team in Mongolia, worked with equine-assisted-learning programs in Singapore, and filmed with the FEI in Morocco (just to name a few highlights) and is a featured presenter on the Equus TV channel.  

She is the creator of over a dozen video programs, author of books, and mastermind behind multiple online mentorship programs, and she continues to develop and teach cutting-edge methodologies both online and at her new home, Whispering Feather Farm, in Mill Spring, NC.

Contact and Other Links
Reach Out to Horses®
www.reachouttohorses.com
Equine Specialist, Animal Communicator, Energy Healer, Author & Speaker
Office: (888) 282-0656

Twitter: www.twitter.com/AnnaTwinney

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnnaTwinneyHolisticHorsemanship
https://www.facebook.com/ACwAnnaTwinney/

facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Lisacaldersmindfulhorsemanship

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

tic tok:https://www.tiktok.com/@coachlisacalder

This conversation will tell you that not only does she live in the magical Ozark mountains, but she's a magical person herself. She and I touched on a variety of topics, from Human Design (a new way of seeing ourselves for me), what we do with mistakes, and how we get out of the cycle of beating ourselves up. How we handle mistakes

I had lots of questions for her, such as “How do we find mindful ways to approach life?” “In what way can we use our inner tools to do be mindful?” and many more. I will listen to this conversation several times because I feel like I learned so much about how to live instead of exist. Isn’t that what we want out of life? We started this conversation by talking about how to truly live while you're alive.

Here's a bit more about Hannah: She said her husband often likens her to Snow White but swapped the dwarfs for two teenagers. She offers both virtual and equine-assisted learning experiences for busy people, my audience who want to live more fulfilling mindful lives. Her favorite thing is to cheer her clients on as they gather the courage to reach for what brings them alive. I know you're going to enjoy this conversation with Hannah Pasquinzo.

 Guest Contact Info:

https://www.hannahpasquinzo.com 

https://www.instagram.com/hannahpasquinzo 

https://www.facebook.com/hannahpasquinzo 

Like many of us, she got ahead in the corporate world by saying yes to her own detriment. Balance went out the window, along with her sense of self. Through having a good coach, she found her way to a more fulfilling success, and now she helps others do the same. 

Bio:
Kate Neligan is an Equine-Partnered Life/Business Coach who helps her clients with their intuition, emotional intelligence, and empowered leadership both virtually and in-person with horses. Kate left her VP of Marketing career at a movie studio to pursue her calling for the transformation that is possible from the human-animal bond. She is certified in Equine Experiential Education and has a Master's degree in Spiritual Psychology. Kate is passionate about helping women to thrive and is a best-selling author with stories in the books “The Power of Being a Woman” and “Women Will Save the World.” She is also an Animal Communicator & Healer and is published in the books “Animals” and “Nature” by Common Sentience. Kate is a motivational speaker with a TEDx talk on perfectionism. The Awakening With Equines certification program she created is for new or next-level equine-partnered coaches.

Contact Information
Website: www.kateneligan.com
Social Links:

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/kateneliganequinecoach/
• Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/awakeningwithequines
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateNeliganEquineCoach
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KateNeligan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateneligan/

The book She Who Rides Horses is a historical fiction account of the first person to ride a horse in about 4000 BCE. The story dances the tightrope between the hard evidence of what historians know about that time period and that which can’t be known. It’s a gripping tale of life, love and spirit in an era long past. 

Given her background, Sarah is well-equipped to tell this story.

Sarah V. Barnes is both an historian and a horsewoman. When she is not writing stories, she practices and teaches riding as a meditative art. She also offers equine-facilitated coaching and wellness workshops. Sarah holds a Ph.D. in history from Northwestern University and spent many years as a college professor before turning full-time to riding and writing. She has two grown daughters and lives with her husband, her dogs, and her horses near Boulder, CO.  

Website: www.sarahvbarnes.com

More than once, I was moved to tears in this conversation. Amanda truly dances the tightrope between hard-edged science and the magic of an open heart. Several times, I asked her to repeat what she said, because it was so profound.  

So, who is Amanda Held? She would be the first to tell you she is much more than her bio. She truly shines through in this podcast episode. Here’s what her bio says.  

Amanda Held is a Founder, CEO, Horse & Human Potential Practitioner, Healing Facilitator, Published Author, and Air Force First Sergeant. Through decades of studying horse and human behavior, Amanda has developed powerful insights and evidence-based solutions that help both horses and humans actualize their full potential.

Amanda's passion is to deliver powerful event that create a clear path for participants to access deep levels of awareness and move into cohesion and self-mastery. Amanda has earned a place in the 2022 Success Magazine's "125 People of Influence" by spending over a decade empowering veteran, equestrians, mental health practitioners, facilitators, executives, and businesses gain the clarity and confidence necessary to obtain their high-level goals with ease. 

She also accepted the award for the Horses for Mental Health prize winning film at the 2022 EQUUS Film Fest, where we met at the beginning of December. The documentary trailer, HOOVES Healing Our Veterans was produced by Amanda Held and directed by Josh Nagel Productions. A beautiful and powerful message of the healing horses can bring through the wonderful programs providing these services. You can watch the 4-minute video here.  

Topics:
 
·      What is it that makes a horse a better leader than a human? 3:25

·      Treatment Resistant Depression. 8:59

·      What happens when you have a heart-opening experience. 14:31

·      How do you open your heart so you can change? 20:32

·      People that have high Iqs often have a deficit in people skills. 24:32

·      The importance of being authentic and being human. 31:25

·      Horses are their prey animals and they will typically flee before they will fight. 37:15

·      You can’t dance with what’s happening if you’re not willing to dance with the change. 45:19

·      What is entropy?  48:55

·      The difference between growth and entropy -. 55:10

·      Every time you prevent someone from feeling uncomfortable, you’ve robbed them of the opportunity to grow. 1:07:16

·      The root cause of depression is a fantasy. 1:10:02

·      Dancing the tightrope of attachment. 1:14:57

·      Describe what you’re doing on that land for the veterans with the horses. 1:20:33

·      How to empower your clients to be self-led and self-organized. 1:26:02

·      When you can be that person, what will that allow you to do? 1:28:54

·      The universal bitch slap if we ignore the feedback of our environment. 1:34:33

·      Why your life matters to you. 1:40:50

Amanda's Webs

One of those podcast guests, who was not a scheduled presenter, was Christine Dickson. Now here’s where it gets interesting. I had listened to Warwick’s podcast with Christine in August and really connected with her approach and her wisdom and her wit. I was thrilled to see that she was at the Summit as well. At the first break, she came to introduce herself and guess what? She was the Christine from Los Angeles that had reached out to me on Instagram in the summer.  

We connected in person as well as we did by Instagram, and the next step was a no brainer. I had to have her on my podcast. We started this conversation with the topic of transformation. She has a story about her own transformation that both inspired me and reminded me that we are one choice away from the inner freedom we crave.  

This conversation is one I will want to listen to more than once and I suspect you will too. 

Here’s a little bit about Christine:  

Christine Dickson is a Transformational Mentor, Clinical Hypnotherapist, and Equine Assisted Coach. She works with people to map out their vision and reframe their limiting belief systems to create radical shifts in their lives. She has a solid background in working with people moving away from addiction and co-dependence and supporting their quest to align with their life purpose. Her ideal client is a fellow traveler who has come to a crossroads and dares to pursue a more purposeful life.  

A self-described “Late Bloomer”, she travelled a slow but steady path to rewrite her subconscious conditioning and take responsibility for her own life. By becoming more self-aware and intentional she was able propel herself into taking meaningful action that changed the course of her life. Now, she helps others do the same. What does your heart long to bring forth into the world? When that small inner voice whispers to you what you know to be true, do you listen?  

By the way, while she was not a scheduled presenter at the Podcast Summit, on Saturday, Robyn Schiller asked her to close out the Summit on Sunday afternoon. Christine tells the story of how she decided to say yes -and that story is for anyone who has ever experienced a moment of self-doubt and wanted to find a more empowering way to approach challenges.  
 

Guest contact information:   

http://onthepathcoaching.net/ 

https://www.instagram.com/ravensunranch/ 

·      Marla’s experience with her father‘s horse. 8:13

·      How Scott never had a bad experience on a horse. 13:56

·      Horses are the ultimate uneducated human. 20:05

·      The second time we went on the trail. 23:43

·      What is a fox hunt? 29:47

·      The importance of having a vest. 36:04

·      How to deal with the fear of horses. 42:54

·      Breathing exercises to make sure your head is clear. 46:46

·      Using fear to fix fear -. 50:24

·      How to build a horse that can do anything. 56:02

·      Develop your mental tools, especially listening, to tune in. 1:01:14

·      What happens when you’re nervous. 1:06:41

If you are a horse person, or a leader, you are going to want to listen to this podcast. Lee’s wisdom goes far beyond the barn. Better yet, she has her own book coming out about the same time as mine! According to her publisher, Red Barn Books, Love and Rules, Life Lessons Learned With Horses is a new collection of essays that covers the spectrum of love, fear, winning, loss, ageing, growth, illness and recovery — all through the medium of horsemanship. The book is now available for pre-order and will ship mid-November of 2022.  

Her book is a collection of essays, and if her daily musings on Facebook are any indication, the book will enlighten, humor and “courage” you. If my use of the word courage as a verb caught your attention, it will make more sense when you read Dancing the Tightrope. Lee McLean knows a thing or two about courage, as you will hear in the conversation.  

So who is Lee MeLean? Per the publisher’s website: A stroke survivor, horse trainer, and best-selling author, Lee McLean has over 40,000 followers on Facebook, a national magazine column, and she appears at events from small-town horse shows to sidesaddle racing at the Calgary Stampede.

Outline for Episode

·      What falling off a horse taught me.0:02

·      How to find the signal in the noise of social media. 4:35

·      We compare ourselves so easily and unconsciously with the people who have dedicated their entire lives to perfecting this thing. 12:13

·      What should you look for in a coach? 17:56

·      The importance of finding the right horse. 23:07

·      Horses are not known for strong decision-making skills. 29:51

·      The importance of learning how to handle pressure. 37:34

·      We would rather not do something wrong than do something wrongly. 41:54

·      We all need to plan for the day when our horses won’t suffer anymore. 47:45

·      What doesn’t matter anymore. 55:24

·      The book is written for people who are not afraid to speak their truth. 1:01:43

·      How do I cope with this? 

Guest contact information:   

https://keystoneequine.net 

https://www.facebook.com/livingwellridingbetter 

https://www.instagram.com/keystoneequine/ 

Today’s guest is Bruce Anderson of Natural Humanship. I could argue that this book would not exist were it not for Bruce; I can say for sure what I learned working with him deeply shaped not only the book, but my mindset. Specifically, I’m talking about how I’ve come to view pressure, mistakes, perfection, fear and more. 

Mindset is much more than simply how I view things. It’s about operating with what Bruce calls the Four Missing Pieces. In the work I’ve done with horses in the round pen, Bruce has helped me begin to learn these four missing pieces. And I really do mean BEGIN to learn, because while the pieces may seem simple on the surface, learning to reach for them takes a lifetime to master. 

The good news is this: every situation I used to dread, especially the ones full of pressure, fear and uncertainty, are the very situations that help me gain clarity towards who I really am on the inside, not the conditioned version of me. It’s the moments where things don’t go according to my plan that are the accelerators of my personal growth. That’s the exact opposite of what we have been taught. Modern life teaches us that things not going to plan means that something is wrong with us. 

I can say without a doubt that Bruce’s methods works, because I went from being fully charged with adrenaline at the slightest unexpected move on the back of a horse to being so calm and present, no matter how the horse moves. And that includes a couple of unexpected episodes of bucking. 

This conversation shares some of our journey together, as I was trying to decide whether to ever get on another horse. The biggest bonus in this episode is that Bruce shares the Four Missing Pieces. The biggest bonus in his method is that it has helped me handle pressure, fear and uncertainty in every domain in my life.  

 The journey was both difficult and fulfilling at the same time. Many, many people helped me along the way. For this podcast series, I am talking to the people who help out a hand to show me my own strength. 

This week’s podcast kicks thing off with me giving some of the back story of the book, and some of the essential principles I learned and honed along the way.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: ManeelyConsulting.com 

Email: Jennifer@maneelyconsulting.com 

1: Discern Signal from Noise

2: Focus on what You Want

3: Take Nothing Personally

4: Master Your Stories

5: Develop A Sense of Inquiry

And boy, did we dive in today on that. My daughter and I actually had a couple of daughter and mommy moments or mommy daughter moments, however you want to put that, where we discovered where some of our patterns come from, and what patterns have to do with asking questions. 

So, we went into everything from how to ask a good question, how to not interrogate somebody, how to recognize when you're feeling vulnerable, and more.  I hope you enjoy this podcast and I hope you enjoyed this series as well with Jen Maneely.

We had SO many stories about making up stories. All too often, we think we know what the other person is thinking or why they said something. More often than not, we are missing the full picture. In fact, I would dare say we never have the full picture, because we can’t truly get inside someone else’s head.  

The problem with making up stories is when we act on them as if they are true. I’ve done this myself way too many times to count, often with hilarious results. We tell a couple of those types of stories. But we also talked about situations where our stories caused us grief. 

 Making up stories about why something is happening or why someone is doing something is completely natural. Getting invested in those stories as if they are true – rather than treating them like the theories that they are – is at the root of many of our breakdowns.  

Assuming positive intent is the best move I know to interrupt the cycle. It’s a simple move – but as my book explains, certainly not easy. We get very real in this episode about the challenges of moving from believing our stories to testing our stories.  

I would love to hear what you like about this conversation. All you have to do is go to the podcast page on my website at www.lynncarnes.com and click the “send a voicemail button” on the right-hand side of the page. Super easy to do and it helps me know what to bring you in future episodes.  

Of course, also share this episode with your colleagues and friends. I hope you enjoy this episode. 

Additional Topics

• We are always going to tell a story, can we not be invested in the story?
• Being invested in the story means we can’t change it
• Context matters in the creation of our stories.
• Instead of making up a story about a situation, when we get an opportunity, we can go ask questions to see what is really going on.
• A lot of our stories come from fear.
• Mastering our stories is a journey and overriding our natural instinct is part of the journey, certainly not the easiest part of the journey.
• What you accuse people of is what you do. Which is a hard pill to swallow.
• A great question is “How is this useful, what does this lead to?”
• Language is generative, “What am I generating?” 
• The Story I’m Making up is…
• How do we master and rewrite our stories?

Additional Links

Water Logic: Edward De Bono

The Elegant Pivot Book 

The Elegant Pivot Workbook 

Guest Contact Info:

Website: ManeelyConsulting.com 

Email: Jennifer@maneelyconsulting.com 

I invited Robyn on the podcast because there is always more to success than meets the eye – whether we are talking about her performance in the arena, or in the business that she and Warwick run together. Robyn is the behind-the-scenes force that get things done in their business.  Soon, she will also be offering her wisdom alongside Warwick at a clinic they are doing in Australia titled Resolving Anxiety in Horses and Humans Masterclass. She previewed some of what she will be teaching in this podcast, especially about how our survival brain can get activated and what we can do about that.  

One of the themes of this conversation was making the unseen visible to others. The magic is often in understanding that behind the slick surface, there is always more than meets the eye. Our conversation ranged among many topics, dancing between horses and humans and especially what we have in common and what we can learn from each other.  

There is so much wisdom in this podcast – especially at the end – and if you come away with nothing else, you will learn how it’s the little things that add up to the big things.

Guest contact information: warwickschiller.com

Our conversation covered a lot of territory. One of the main themes of Geoff’s book and clearly, in his work with clients, is conviction. He has a point of view on the value of understanding and believing in the companies in which his clients invest. More importantly, he believes in going slow to go fast. His back to basics approach is both unusual and refreshing.  

Geoff Saab is a wealth manager who has held various positions in tax, estate planning, and insurance, and now serves clients as a portfolio manager within an investment counsel firm. He spent over a decade working in a single family office, advocating directly on behalf of his clients. With his unique experience of working as both a wealth management industry insider and outsider, he has gained a deep understanding of how the industry works (and doesn’t work) for clients.  

Disclaimer: This podcast is for information and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to form the basis for any offer for any investment product. There are risks involved in any investment product. 

Additional Topics:

·       So you sold your business, now what? Where do you invest your money?

·       Entrepreneurs are living so much in risk, it’s hard for them to know anything different. 

·       Investment doesn’t have to be risky 

·       What do you do with huge blocks of time that you didn’t have before?

·       Prestigious, Exclusive Investments aren’t always what you bargained for

·       “Cool” investments aren’t always about you making money as much as it’s just something               cool to be a part of.

·       Concept of conviction 

·       When the whole world is going crazy, do you believe in what you own?

·       Build your portfolio through concept of conviction

·       Changing the mindset of your portfolio looking at it as a safety net. 

·       Basic fundamentals are the core of what makes the little things the big things

·       What you keep out is as important as what you let in

Contact: https://geoffsaab.com/

If we had tried to have this conversation a few years ago, it would have been like navigating a minefield. We would have tried to avoid each other’s hot buttons and not hurt the other’s feelings. Not so in this podcast. Instead, this conversation is full of productive tips on what to do in place of taking things personally, like pocket questions.

I love pocket questions. A pocket question is a premeditated question to ask instead of the reaction you typically have. They are a way to interrupt predicable patterns and open the door to something new. We go over several examples in this conversation, as well as some scenarios that show you ways to assume positive intent – even in circumstances where the it’s clear the other person might not have positive intent.

 This week, Jen Maneely joins me again to share our stories on our successes and failures in applying this principle in real life. We never know where one of these conversations is going to take us. We both had a number of insights as we worked through several of our own situations, especially one we debriefed at the end of this podcast. 

If you have been trying to assume positive intent and found it more difficult than you expected, listening to this conversation will be worth your time. Not only will you give yourself a break – because it’s harder than it looks – you will come away with a few tactics that make it just a little easier to get curious instead of defensive.  

Additional Links 

The Elegant Pivot Book 

The Elegant Pivot Workbook 

Guest Contact Info:

Website: ManeelyConsulting.com 

Email: Jennifer@maneelyconsulting.com 

Nahshon’s book is a series of essays and poems and this conversation has that same feeling to it. I intentionally gave him a lot of space to riff on many topics, which created a necklace full of pearls of wisdom. I will listen and relisten to this conversation, because I learn something new every time.  

Topics:

• Nahshon’s Book: Being with Horses: Meditation 
• The breath helps us find the courage to own our own suffering 
• Breath can be a bridge to helping us heal and be free of our trauma 
• Trauma is the residue of the hurt that happened to you that you hold on to 
• The only thing beyond freedom is equality 
• There is nothing as powerful as a changed mind 
• Mistakes: We can’t get to where we are going unless we learn how to get there 
• We are all doing the best that we can do, but sometimes the best we can do at a moment may not be good enough for where we need to be, and we have to walk away.  
• It’s not what we ask others to do, it’s what they THINK we are going to ask them to do. 
• Awareness can be a powerful tool 
• How easy it is to be disconnected from the natural world from the modern world  
• Creating space in ourselves is important for connection.  
• Disconnecting from breath is creating survival mode 
• You can only give to someone else what you give to yourself 
• Greatest hurts come from own expectations 
• Relaxation can’t be forced. Telling someone to relax doesn’t make them relaxed. Them finding a place of relaxation is the real answer. 
• What are the steps to relaxing? 
• You can’t relax until you surrender and surrendering is vulnerability 
• Having the courage to change course 
• Fighting right and wrong, someone has to lose and if we don’t fight that war, no one has to lose. 
• We are running out of time 
• The radical ideas of giving a horse a voice 
• How do we get this timeless construct in a construct of time? Presence

Additional Links
Being with Horses: By Nahshon Cook 

Recently, I had a lot of noise while purchasing a new car. Well, isn’t the process usually full of noise? But this time, it wasn’t the pushy sales guy, or the endless back and forth, or the super-duper financing offer that created the noise.  

It was the chatter in my head, causing me several moments of surprising indecision.  

This week, my podcast series on the book The Elegant Pivot continues with the latest episode titled Discern Signal From Noise. Jen Maneely joins me again to have a deep conversation about the first principle in the book. In this conversation, we share many of our struggles – and victories – in learning to parse through the noise to find clarity. Principles only work if you can apply them in real life, and this episode offers many examples of how to recalibrate your internal guidance system to work for you instead of against you. 

Topics: 

• Discerning signal from noise 1st of the five principles 
• What is the monkey brain chatter vs. What is real 
• Assuming positive intent is really easy when we know that the other person has positive intent. 
• Conceptually, it’s easy to understand the difference. In the heat of the moment, it’s not always so clear.  
• Negative/Positive Pole learned from Bruce Anderson. 
• The charge of electricity between car batteries. 
• Signal: Jen describes what it is like for her, there is a physical sensation that happens 
• Alignment vs. Unalignment, congruent vs. Incongruent 
• Incongruence in corporate world  
• Owning fear can be a good thing when you are building trust and connection 
• Incongruence in relationships can create a lot of noise 
• FINE does not need to be in our vocabulary anymore.  
• Fine means I don’t have any problems I want to share at the moment.  
• The signal lets us know something is going on, noise is our interpretation of the signal that can come from our own insecurities, worries, made up stories, etc.  
• Lack of transparency in corporations, there are a lot of things that happen behind closed doors.  
• Noise comes in when people start worrying about their jobs. 
• How can corporations balance out the people’s concern with what they cannot talk openly yet? 

Additional Links 

The Elegant Pivot Book 

The Elegant Pivot Workbook 

The Unbreakable Boundaries Podcast 

Episode #16 Mentioned in Podcast: How a moment of vulnerability changed everything 

Contact Information:

ManeelyConsulting.com 

Email: Jennifer@maneelyconsulting.com 

Kendall is the co - author of the book Change the Way You Change 5 Roles of Leaders Who Accelerate Business Performance. We had a wide-ranging conversation on why change is so difficult and why leading change is even harder. Kendall has had a lifetime of experiences to inform his approach, and it’s clear in this conversation that he is someone who learns and re-learns from his experiences. He’s also quite gifted at sharing his perspectives, as you will hear in this conversation.

Kendall is the founder of The Highlands Group. —a consulting firm specializing in strategy, organizational change, and leadership development. Kendall has been blessed to consult with a wide array of organizations ranging from Fortune 500 to small and midsize firms. He has worked across diverse industries such as oil and gas, lodging, government, and manufacturing helping leaders around the world to navigate change, improve employee engagement, and transform culture.

There is so much more to Kendall than this short bio and I highly suggest you visit his website at www.highlandsgrp.com

Additional Topics:

• Mining for conflict in business leadership 
• The cost of changing: Emotional cycle of change 
• What is one thing you need to move forward? 
• Conflict happens whether you are participating or not, so we might as well find it and look at it.  
• Getting one “Get out of jail free” card: Overcome the unwillingness to not speak truth to power 
• Change happens inside out, or change happens inside in. 
• Corporate atmosphere: get on board or get out 
• WIIFM (What’s in it for me) 
• Dealing with the Me, We, and They issues 
• The rule of having to hear something 7-10 times, in different ways 
• In the absence of information, we have to assume the worst 
• People don’t need us to solve their problems, but they do need to be seen and heard 
• Do not take what is mine to give 
• Leadership: What you do versus what you own

Contact Information:

Website: http://highlandsgrp.com/
LinkedIn

Additional Links:
Change the Way you Change! 5 Roles of Leaders who Accelerate Business Performance

In this episode, we discuss the Ladder of Inference, which is the subject of Chapter Two of “The Elegant Pivot.” and how we jump up the ladder of inference going from our facts to our fears. This conversation is rich with stories of understanding that no matter what, we are going to make up stories…and they are going to be wrong. That is the point of needing to pivot. 

Here’s a little about Kira. Kira has been a leader of leaders since the early days of her career. She guides innovative thinking during strategy development, leaning heavily into principles of structural dynamics. As a certified Structural Consultant, Kira unlocks the ideas and vision of her clients to construct clear paths forward. 

I believe this conversation will help you in your path forward. Enjoy this conversation with Kira Higgs. 

Our conversation started with her role in working with Richard Branson, who has been in the news lately thanks to the Virgin Galactic space flight. She has in interesting take on what drives him to make space flight available.  

We had several themes in this conversation, which revolved around her passion for the planet. One theme was choice, and showing all of us how much choice we have. Another was around animals, and especially sea life. She has a clear affinity for dolphins, whales, and so forth. She also deeply understands what it takes to get behind the story on where the products that make modern life possible come from.  

Here’s what she has to say about herself:   

Diane Osgood is an authority on sustainable and ethical products. For over thirty years, she’s helped companies innovate to manufacture and sell sustainable stuff that’s better for the planet. She knows the tricks, tips, and strategies that can help shoppers align the contents of their shopping basket with what matters most to them.  

 https://dianeosgood.com/ 

We started with her history of going behind the iron curtain as a teenager to win two races in the Polish Olympics. Terri has continued to be an athlete through her life – and her “all things are possible” mindset helped carry her through the battles of her son Ryan’s 5 battles with cancer, including 3 occurrences of leukemia. 

When you listen to the conversation, you will quickly realize that this is a story of leadership at its very essence. Terri not only understands how to receive help, which is my definition of leadership, she also knows how to give it. And boy, does she know how to rally resources. Terri’s shares many of her philosophies in this conversation. Creating a team is number one. She also shares some of the finer points of delegation and how she manages to be optimistic and find the blessings in the most dire of circumstances. 

Her stories inspired me and I think you will be inspired as well. The book is a gift to anyone who has been handed more than they think they can handle – and it’s a gift to those who want to be better able to recognize their blessings. I will tell you this – Terri Tomoff is the kind of person you want on your team, and she’s allowed us the chance to experience her hope and inspiration through this book. And stay tuned, she is blogging regularly and writing another book about Manufacturing Sunshine.

In this podcast, Peter Barr tells of a harrowing adventure he had on a mountain in Nevada last December. In this case, we are not watching a movie. It’s real. The main character in the story is actually taking us through the adventure, so we know it ends up ok. Nonetheless, I found myself listening back to this story with a part of me wanting to tell him to turn back! Peter, wait another day!

There was another part of me that wanted to understand his choices. 

When Peter and his wife Allison decided to live a life of adventure from their RV last summer, they chose to test themselves on many fronts. Where it’s common in the modern world for us to avoid trouble and inconvenience, Peter and Allison have recognized that every challenge makes them a little better under pressure.

In our first podcast from last August, Peter talked about his dreams of making the most of his life and putting his love of getting up to high places front and center. I was thrilled to get a chance to hear how it’s going, and I think you will be too. This conversation is filled with lessons on how to use pressure as a catalyst for personal growth and the development of skills.  

Peter has captured his love of high places in his recently released book “Exploring North Carolina’s Lookout Towers”. It’s a beautiful book, full of magnificent pictures, compelling stories, and practical hiking information.

I think you are really going to enjoy this conversation.

Somehow Tyler and I started talking business and leadership and books that changed our lives.It was one of those moments where I wanted to capture the conversation – so we set the earliest date we could to record this podcast. 

This conversation gets going very quickly. Before we are five minutes into it, Tyler starts sharing some of his ideas on leadership and performance. He was deeply affected by Carol Dweck’s book Mindset and Annie Duke’s book Thinking in Bets. Both caused him to think differently – and act differently - and those themes are woven into this conversation. 

We also cover a lot of other ground on his thoughts on applying his life principles to investing and to sports.  

Of course, the conversation would not have been complete if we didn’t talk about the Master’s and some of the incredible stories from the event a few weeks ago. One thing I learned without a doubt: Tyler pours his heart into giving every athlete their moment in the limelight. I also learned how he has spent his whole life preparing to be behind the mic, whether in water skiing or announcing football. I was captivated by his stories about he learned to be so good on the microphone.   

Here’s what he has to say about himself. 

Tyler Boyd started water skiing as a child 30 years ago. His exceptional speaking skills gave him the motivation to become an announcer for water skiing events over ten years ago. For the last three years, he was the commentator for the Masters of Water Skiing. Tyler has also spent time announcing football events for Houston Baptist University. 

A licensed attorney, he brings exceptional speaking and negotiating skills to the table, along with a high level of focus, creativity, and value to every interaction. He stands out from the crowd by combining talent and passion in his professional pursuits. As a Houston attorney, he handles a wide range of legal issues in commercial, contract, business, and employment law. 

Tyler is a four-time USA National Water Ski Champion and remains active in the sport where he continues to compete. In his free time, Tyler enjoys traveling with his wife and three children, researching, skiing, diving, biking, and working out. 

Vernon Roberts started mastering virtual engagement before it was cool. He and I worked together in the 90’s, teaching accounting, banking, loan approvals and other dry topics. In that environment, Vernon brought life to the classroom. When he formed Evoke Virtual in 2003, he was ahead of his time.  

As it often does, this conversation took many interesting turns; not surprisingly, it was engaging start to finish. He has so many tips and tricks, from setting context, using open ended questions, understanding our own interests in a conversation, to hearing what really matters to those we are talking to.  

Vernon Roberts is an author, master instructor, coach and speaker. Vernon creates a positive learning environment and provides masterful coaching that allows participants to achieve rapid and permanent growth in their skills as communicators and presenters. Vernon coaches and consults face-to-face and virtually in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. 

Co-author of The Gift of Success and Happiness (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011), Vernon challenges readers to transform their lives by utilizing dynamic business process principles. He has also published in T+D magazine and client newsletters and delivered seminars on work-life balance to audiences in such institutions as the Wake Forest University Schools of Business. Vernon holds a B.A. in Economics/Business Administration from Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) and an M.B.A. from Loyola University’s Sellinger School of Business and Management in Baltimore, Maryland. 

From the title of the podcast, it’s probably no surprise to you that Michele Stowe is also a self-described comic book nerd. In our conversation, she tells us about how and why she decided to leverage a comic book tool in her coaching repertoire. It’s the kind of thing that makes you tap your forehead and ask “Why didn’t I think of that?” 

If you have ever been through a corporate downsizing, whether on the receiving or “giving” end of it, her story about an early experience will hit home. Memories of several of my experiences came flooding back as she described her role, which happened very early in her career. I could just picture 22-year-old Michele wearing her only business suit telling bankers twice her age the reason their badge failed to operate that morning. The story shaped her in very important and useful ways, as we hear in this conversation. 

This podcast is like a master class in leadership development and change management – and in taking risks. One of my favorite quotes was this: 

“I can…try some experiments, fail, learn and try again, I can emerge to be someone completely different, I can emerge to be that someone that I was meant to be, or at least that I was meant to be for now.” 

Michele has also learned a LOT about true motivation and purpose from working in Mercy Housing, led for many years by Sr. Lillian Murphy, one of my favorite people ever. You can hear Michele a talk titled “Annie Get Your Nun”.  

Here’s what Michele has to say about herself: 

 For over 20 years, Michele Stowe has been guiding individuals, teams, and leaders of a wide range of organizations to create authentic, equitable, and fulfilling change, producing real, sustainable proven results. 
 
Born in the US and raised in Germany, where she also lived and worked for many years, Michele graduated from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and earned her Master's Degree in Organizational Psychology at Columbia University. Following an executive career at Fortune 100 companies that spanned almost two decades, in industries ranging from real estate to pharmaceuticals, she executed a professional pivot into the nonprofit sector, and became Chief Operating Officer of Mercy Housing. 
 
A self-described "leadership development junkie," her diverse experience in the for-profit sector - opportunities to leverage her multinational background - helped stoke her professional philosophy, but it was her time at Mercy Housing where it caught fire. One of many achievements, Michele created a comprehensive talent management program for the company's leaders that structured everything from onboarding to succession planning, all wrapped around the organization's core values. 

Five years ago, Michele brought her vast array of knowledge and experience to bear and founded SkyRocket LLC, a coaching and consulting service that leads clients through a dynamic and thought-provoking process. Drawing from her own C-Suite experience and incorporating research-based approaches that foster creativity and self-discovery, Michele is able to tap into the client's own resourcefulness to help them align and clarify goals, elicit solutions, and hold them responsible and accountable. Certified by the International Coaching Federation, Michele is also a Hogan Assessment practitioner and a highly sought-after speaker, offering these services to any size audience or venue through SkyRocket. 

We started this conversation with me asking him how he connects pain as a gift – and after that, we were off and running. There’s no way I can do his words of wisdom justice. You will just have to listen for yourself.  

There’s no one I know who “thinks about thinking” more than Ann. She spends a lot of time working with senior teams as well as those in the “magic middle” of some of the largest companies in the world. The company founded by her father Ned Herrmann has provided HBDI Thinking Style Assessments for 97% of the Fortune 100. She has incredible insight into the inner workings of how decisions get made throughout these organizations – and it’s often different than it appears from the outside looking in.  

In this conversation, Ann walks us through the model, describing our four “selves” and how those aspects of our thinking can work together to create a better whole.  

Warwick is different. He’s really talking about listening, presence and being. He’s sharing his personal transformation. Moreover, he’s not just talking – he’s showing and embodying something invisible that creates a change.  

That’s what made me reach out to him for this conversation. Most of the conversations on this podcast are with people I know. Most of the people who invite Warwick on their podcast are people who make a living in the horse world. This conversation would be between two people from different worlds who don’t know each other.

The question going into the conversation was “where would we find the common ground?” and it did not take long. While a lot of people who listen to this podcast are in the horse world, I believe anyone who is on a journey of becoming a better version of themselves will find this conversation both deeply satisfying and perhaps challenging. 

You will notice throughout that Warwick challenges himself both during the conversation and in the stories he tells. And he is super skilled at weaving lessons and themes into a meaningful narrative. Perhaps his most powerful lesson was taught to him by the horse who showed him he did not know what he was doing. With a curious mind and a commitment to listening, he discovered what a horse could teach him about himself. 

In that way, this conversation is a master class in self-awareness.