Messy Action, Mental Health & My Real Story

Welcome to the very first episode of The Mind Performance Pod — the episode I’ve put off for way too long. I’m Lindsey Paoli, dual-licensed therapist and mental performance strategist, and today I’m sharing something I don’t normally do: my full story. If you’ve ever felt behind, overwhelmed, or like you’re meant for more but can’t get out of your own way, this one is for you. In this kickoff episode, I talk about: Why I hate traditional therapy (yep, I said it) What mental performance actually is and why it changes everything How growing up as a military kid shaped my mindset and my perfectionism My brother’s early ADHD & bipolar diagnoses — and how that shaped my view of mental health Leaving an ROTC scholarship after 9/11 and the fallout that came with it My suicide attempts at 18 and 29 — and why the mental health system failed me How I accidentally ended up in hospitality for 11 years Meeting the therapist/coach who finally changed everything Building a business during a pandemic, having two babies in grad school, and reinventing my career Why I created this podcast even though public speaking terrifies me The honest truth about “messy action” and why it’s the only way forward What you can expect from future episodes (spoiler: powerful conversations + simple mental performance tools you can use immediately) This podcast is for entrepreneurs, leaders, high performers — and honestly, anyone who’s sick of feeling stuck and wants to finally understand how their mind works. If you’ve ever wanted to hear the real origin story behind my work and the mental performance framework I teach, this is it.