The Missing Link Podcast

What do most leaders miss that's quietly limiting their teams? Former President and CEO Tracie Williams built a company of fewer than 50 people to nearly $300 million in peak revenue — and she'll tell you the real driver wasn't strategy. It was people. In this episode, Tracie breaks down what it actually takes to build accountability cultures, close the connectivity gap, and lead in a way that makes people want to show up and deliver — not because they have to, but because they understand why it matters.

AI is changing how teams work. But the resistance leaders are getting back isn't a change management problem — and treating it like one will make it worse. In this episode, Linda Perry breaks down what's actually happening when a team goes quiet on AI adoption, why the logical efficiency argument fails with certain teams, and how understanding your team's WHY.os changes the entire leadership approach. If something feels off in how your team is responding to AI, this episode is the diagnostic you need.

Most founders assume that what made them successful as solo operators will translate to leading a team. It doesn't. In this conversation, business growth coach and former CEO Rich Palarea gets honest about what it cost him to learn that the hard way — a 15-year company, a 27-year marriage, and a trust deficit he couldn't close no matter how many resources he threw at it. He now coaches leadership teams using the Bloom Growth operating system, and he brings the hard-won clarity of someone who has been on both sides of that table.

Trust is the structural foundation of every scaling company — and most leaders are operating with a false read on how much of it they actually have. In this episode, Linda draws on what she hears in her 1:1 conversations during WHY.os team diagnostics: the hesitation, the hedging, the things people don't say. She walks through the ten trust killers she sees most often in leadership — from shifting priorities and ignored feedback to the subtler signals like gossip, overriding without explanation, and treating management as one-size-fits-all. The WHY.os connection is central: you can't manage trust generically because people aren't generic. Someone driven by Contribute needs to know their work has larger meaning. Someone wired for Challenge needs to be pushed, not just protected. Someone whose WHY is Trust needs consistency above all else. Managing everyone the same way almost guarantees you're quietly breaking trust with most of your team — without knowing it. The episode closes with a practical challenge: identify one trust killer you recognize in yourself, name it to your team, and let that honesty become the first trust-building act.

Most leadership teams spend more time on hiring, marketing, and sales than they do on goals — and it shows. In this episode, Linda Perry breaks down why goals are one of the most powerful diagnostic tools she uses when working with founders, CEOs, and leadership teams. It's not about whether you're hitting them. It's about what the way you set them, own them, track them, and avoid them reveals about your company's real capacity to grow. Linda walks through why so many leaders go fuzzy around goals — the shame, the exposure, the defense mechanism of moving through them fast — and why that avoidance is itself the diagnostic. She then unpacks what she actually looks for: clarity, ownership, vision alignment, tracking discipline, what pulls goals off course, and critically, what gets left off the list entirely. She connects goal quality directly to hiring — because vague goals produce vague job profiles, and vague job profiles produce the wrong hires. And she reframes what good actually looks like: not perfect achievement, but the willingness to sit with a miss, learn from it, and set goals that are honest about what growth actually requires.

In this episode, Linda explores how the leader's personal operating system quietly becomes the operating system of the entire organization — and how that can be what stalls growth. She explains that leadership isn't just about strategy and management tactics; it's about mindset. Using the "Why Framework," Linda breaks down how different leadership drivers (challenge, trust, clarify) shape team culture, decision-making, and communication — often without the leader realizing it. She offers reflection questions to help leaders examine their own blind spots and closes with a look ahead at upcoming episodes featuring outside experts.

Why do the smartest leadership teams still struggle with communication? In this episode, Linda Perry explores how communication breakdowns aren't really about personality — they're about colliding operating systems. She explains how people interpret the same conversations through different lenses, why teams fall into the trap of labeling individuals as "difficult," and how her WHY framework reveals the deeper drivers behind behavior. Linda walks through common clashes between different WHY types (Right Way, Better Way, Clarify, Make Sense, Challenge, Mastery) and shows how understanding these wiring differences can transform team dynamics, rebuild trust, and get growth back on track.

This episode explores why motivation drops on teams and why leaders often misread the real cause. Rather than being an energy or effort problem, low motivation is usually a sign of misalignment — people working in ways that conflict with how they're naturally wired. The episode introduces the WHY Framework (created by Dr. Gary Sanchez of the WHY Institute), which identifies nine core drivers behind how people contribute and find meaning. Leaders learn how understanding these operating systems can help them design roles, communicate more effectively, and build environments where motivation happens naturally instead of being forced.

This episode of The Missing Link explores why accountability problems in organizations are usually not about effort or discipline — they're about goal design. Host Linda Perry explains that most companies achieve only about 40% of their goals, and that this isn't a people problem but a clarity problem rooted in how goals are set and tracked. She introduces her "Chain Framework," which starts with vision, moves to goal-setting, then tracking and mindset, before reaching execution. Linda also discusses the "Why Operating System" — the idea that each person is wired differently (mastery, contribute, clarify, challenge, simplify, etc.) and that aligning goals with how people are motivated makes accountability dramatically easier. She advocates for 12-week goal cycles over annual goals and emphasizes that strong accountability is about transparency and structure, not pressure.

In Episode 2 of The Missing Link, host Linda Perry explores the critical role of vision as the first link in the chain of business growth. She explains why most leaders mistake revenue targets, mission statements, or vague aspirations for a true vision — and how that confusion causes problems downstream in goals, tracking, motivation, and execution. Linda breaks down the difference between vision and goals, argues that personal and business vision must be aligned, and introduces her "Why Operating System" framework to explain why different leaders interpret and build vision differently. She outlines what a powerful vision looks like (specific, vivid, time-bound, present tense) and offers self-assessment questions to help leaders evaluate whether their vision is doing the heavy lifting it needs to.

Most leaders think they know what's wrong in their organization. Deadlines slip. Communication breaks down. Two leaders clash. Motivation drops. But those are rarely the real problem. In this first episode of The Missing Link, Linda Perry explains why most leadership teams diagnose problems at the surface level—and how the real issues are usually hidden upstream in the operating systems that drive how people think, decide, and work together. If you're a founder, CEO, COO, or leadership team member who feels like your company should be capable of more but something isn't clicking, this episode will help you start seeing the patterns behind the friction. Because the issue you're trying to fix might not be the issue at all.

Today is the last episode in the series focusing on helping you restore and overcome the limiting belief of feeling like you're broken. Today's episode is all about the art of Kintsugi - weaving threads of gold through your broken pieces to create something even more beautiful. I am going to talk about how really honoring this art from Japan can help you thread an entirely new picture of your life, one where you absolutely forgo the idea that you were broken in the first place - one where you see how special and beautiful you really are. Let's dive in.

Today's episode talks about how you can go from feeling broken and settling for less, to owning your self-worth and really taking your power back in life. This is an important episode because even if you haven't shifted your belief that you're broken, you can start to own your self worth, set boundaries and live a life you dream of. You can begin to have your needs met and begin to believe in yourself. Today we're going to talk about taking some of those steps and learning really how simple actions, both internal and external can help you feel more worthy as you begin to outgrow the belief of "I am broken, fix me!"

When you carry the feeling that you're broken, you can think that you will feel that way forever. Or at least that you will feel that way anytime anything bad happens to you. But the truth is that you can change your belief - in fact, you can change any limiting belief you hold about yourself or the world. No matter whether you've felt or believed you were broken for 10 minutes or several decades, today we're going to talk about the fact that you can begin to shift that belief by going within. And while this isn't an overnight process, it is one that can help you feel more confident, grounded and whole. So, I hope you'll find some inspiration in this episode and that it provides a foundation for you to turn inwards and do a little self-exploration.

We'd like to think that the thoughts in our head, stay in our head. That they don't have impact on our lives, actions, or outer world. But the old adage of what you are or what you experience is what you think - is 100% true. Your perspective colors what you see - so even if you never tell anyone that you hold beliefs like "I feel broken", chances are you are experiencing the impact of that belief in a multiple ways in your outer world. In this episode I want to help you understand the impact of believing your broken and how repeated buy-in to that belief is likely limiting your growth and your life. I also discuss how simply creating awareness around the way you think, can begin to change it. The reality is that "I'm broken" has likely been playing in the background of all your other thoughts and actions - like a puppet master directing the show. But, when you shine a light on it, it can begin to lose its power. So let's dive in.

Oh gosh, I'm so excited for you to join me. It's been a while since I recorded a podcast and this new series I'm kicking off is important. I can't tell you how many times a week I hear from individuals and clients who tell me they're broken. And while sometimes they may say it jokingly, this single - horribly destructive - belief is at the core of why so many of us are still suffering in life or at the very least, not getting what we really want. Too many of us are carrying a shame and pain around this feeling and as a result - I've decided to record a five series podcast about the topic of feeling broken - how it's actually impacting your life and business, how it was formed, ways you overcompensate, why you don't change and finally how to heal this feeling. Today we begin with the first in this series where we dive and talk about what it means to feel broken and how it might be impacting you more than you think.  

Although we've talked about storytelling before on the podcast, I keep coming back to it because the truth is that there is something deep about connecting to our own personal story - it can elevate you or bring you to your knees. So, we have to be careful what stories we tell ourselves and the world. The more I experience life I know this to be true. So, on today's podcast I wanted to bring Lindsay Hotmire on to share her take on storytelling - mostly because I enjoy reading her content and feel that she really seeks to understand her clients from the inside out. Lindsay herself has always felt like an old soul to me, but it turns out what makes her so good at brand storytelling has more to do with her own curiosity about herself, her values and her own mindset. I love how deeply Lindsay thinks about storytelling and really the way we show up in the world and I know you will too. I'm grateful she decided to join me for this special conversation.  

When it comes to growing your business, it's no secret that I believe mindset needs to come first, but it's not all about working on your mindset. You have to take action if you're going to move through life's plateaus and achieve next level growth. But not all action is equal. One thing I've learned is that as a quick start I can take action, but that doesn't mean it's always right action. Same goes for my counterparts who want to think through every single possible outcome before they take action - that may not always lead to right action either. Today on the podcast I sit down with Frenchie Ferenczi to talk about the tactical side of mindset. Frenchie is a business growth strategist who hasn't always bought into mindset because she says that sometimes you need to action your way out of a situation. But not all action is equal. On this episode we talk about the fine balance between mindset and action and how you can use both to really grow your business and get to where you want in life.

It can be hard when things don't go the way you've planned or if the business you've worked hard to build suddenly feels like it's sliding downward rather than growing and thriving. But how we handle these backslides, missteps, mistakes or even failures can indicate how we'll rebound and how we'll handle the next big challenge. I often think that backslides can be an invitation to grow bigger and to challenge what's really possible. But that's not always how I handled them and chances are it may not be how you're handling a backslide or bad situation in your life or business. This episode talks about how you can get better at handling adversity and really using it to reflect and grow.  

One of the things I don't often talk about on the podcast is my constant fascination and observation about the ways we run away from ourselves. We live in a society that glorifies numbing out as a way of dealing with discomfort and I see that more and more the business world seems to address stress, anxiety and crisis with substance. I know personally I have had those days where wine becomes the go-to as a way to destress, but in reality it makes things worse. I also have seen people abstain but still struggle with finding greater satisfaction. Today on the Mindset First Podcast I want to break through all this and redefine success through Soulbriety. Dr. Elisa Hallerman is the author of this incredible book that I recently listened to and read that has made a big impact on how I face the obstacles to success - whether it's in my personal or business life. I felt compelled to share her with you because every day I see so many of us dealing with trauma - and brush it aside as nothing. Today we talk about why it's so important to heal our trauma so we can return to our soul and that place where we get to experience true success. I'm beyond thrilled for you to listen.

As someone who grew up with a clear message to make myself indispensable in any situation, hustling and making things happen are almost second nature to me. But hustling can lead to a lot of frenetic business growth and personal overwhelm. I know because I have been there many times in my life. This hustle mentality is certainly encouraged by our culture with little isms like "the early bird gets the worm", "hustle brings the dollar" and others. And although many of us who are business owners started our own businesses to rebel against that kind of hustle culture - I've often found that business owners are horrible bosses to themselves and end up doing too much just for the sake of growing their business. In this episode, I explore the hustle mindset and share with you ways to become more intentional about your growth without always having to bump into new obstacles that thwart upward momentum.

There is nothing better than a good story to pull people in. I know I'm a sucker for a good story and love anyone who elevates storytelling to an art form. Yet most of us get stuck in the mindset that our story isn't good enough, important enough, different enough to garner attention or help us share who we are. So, instead we hide or remain uncomfortable sharing who we are. Because I often surround myself with marketers, lawyers, writers, interesting business owners and creatives, I am lucky to have learned some great techniques surrounding storytelling - but get that this is a place that too many business owners get stuck - so on today's podcast I wanted to share with you Amy Collins, story guide, email maverick and comedian. It's been fun to watch this last part of her story come out. Amy shares with all of us how to tap into that part of us that is interesting and how we can use it to create better connections with those we serve.

It's interesting, but the term manifestation and manifesting seems to be popping up everywhere lately. I think when we face turbulent times like a recession or economic downturns, manifestation comes back into vogue because we aren't really sure how we're going to make it through the rough times - so instead we double down on wishing for things we want and trusting that the universe will bring it to us. The problem with the way manifesting shows up in this online world is a little bit confusing at best and perverse at its worst. If you've listened to this podcast before, then you already know that I'm not a fan of sitting back and waiting for things to come your way - but I do believe that your thoughts and your actions do draw in exactly what you intend. So, it's important to align all your thoughts and actions into the right direction so it can result in the right action. This episode is dedicated to helping you use manifestation to help you get exactly what you want this year and beyond. I can't wait to see what comes true for you!

After my interview with Per Andreasen on why mindset strategies sometimes don't work with people who have ADHD (episode #111), I was flooded with comments from people who felt like they had been seen for the first time. People who have various challenges from anxiety to being on the spectrum - and how that impacts them in both business and in life. I personally have struggled with anxiety and panic attacks (it can literally feel like you have a gun to your head when no real danger exists). Remaining present can feel impossible when your brain can't seem to shut off - let alone do the things necessary to build momentum and create change. Add to that the fact that you don't feel very understood by the world, it can feel impossible to accomplish what you truly desire. On today's podcast, I brought on Gillian Jones to talk about what it means to live life as a female on the spectrum - in life, work and business. Gillian's honest portrayal of life as it was before her diagnosis and how she lives life now will hopefully help someone who might be struggling to manage life and not sure why. She shares how things like radical acceptance and meditation have helped her, but she's still figuring out what works - as we all are.

It's the end of the year and inevitably you've already started to think about what 2023 is going to look like. Maybe you've even planned out what you're going to be doing in this upcoming year and you have some big goals set up. But here's the thing - too many of us forget to look backward before we plan our businesses forward. Maybe it's because we don't want to face the reality of what we see - maybe it's too hard - maybe even for some we have shame. Or alternatively - we think we've done really well and we're just going to be doing the same thing. Only with more clients and perhaps higher pricing. But what inevitably happens when you plan only looking forward is that you end up repeating bad habits and patterns that may not elevate your business to the next level. So, today on the podcast I'm going to show you what it means to look back and reflect on this past year in order to create something better for 2023.

Time is one of the biggest struggles every single person faces - it doesn't matter if you're a business owner, an employee, a corporate executive, there isn't a single person I've met in the last year that hasn't at some point said they needed more time. But the truth is that many of us just can't make the rigid rules of time management work. And there's a good reason - I've often said that the problem with time begins with how we think about it, how we talk about it and how we focus on it. We come from time with a scarcity mindset and so, no matter what tools we apply - they just don't work. So, what can we do? On today's podcast episode, I sit down with holistic time coach (yes, even I didn't know one existed) and talk about a better way for us to think about time and manage our time. Becca shares her personal story of how burnout and overwhelm impacted her and propelled her to help others who struggle with time and well - no time. This is a great episode for pretty much everyone so we can adopt a more healthy and workable relationship with time in our life and business.

You know those people that you instantly connect with and know you'll get along with in ways you never thought? That was today's guest for me. Rachel Greiman and I met in a mastermind several years ago and what struck me was how open and honest she was, funny and that she had struggled with money in a bit of an untraditional way - you see Rachel had no problem setting up her business to make money. In fact, she still does. It's almost as if making money would be natural for her - but underneath it all, she struggles with making money, letting go of money and not seeing herself as bad for having money. She grew up in a very patriarchal society where she was taught that women had a very different role than the one she has taken on - and while she's moved on from that society, she has found that she struggled for some time with money mindset on a daily basis. Add to that she's an Enneagram 2 who needs everyone to like her, and boom - it's a recipe for head trash. Rachel agreed to come share her story because I think it's one that is echoed more than we think. I know you'll enjoy her honesty and powerful story.

A few months ago I had this epiphany. I realized that I had spent my life pushing open some really heavy doors. What do I mean by that? Well, if I wanted it and I didn't get it, I would work harder - more diligently to get it. But after years of pushing open heavy doors just to get what I want, I realized that maybe, just maybe, I have been doing it all wrong. On today's episode of The Mindset First Podcast, I want to help you think differently about what you can accomplish when you look not just for the easy door to push, but the open doors. The reality is that many of us take pride in pushing heavy doors open . . . but at what cost? For me that cost has been disappointment, exhaustion and definitely a loss of self-esteem. But realizing I don't have to keep pushing heavy doors has been an incredible awakening. I'm excited to share this insight with you and hope that by the end of this episode, you'll commit to stop pushing heavy doors!

I often talk about how there is an entrepreneurial ceiling that many business owners struggle to get past. They are able to get their business up and running, but inevitably hit a financial plateau and find themselves working too hard, not having the freedom they want and still unable to invest in the resources they need to grow bigger. It's often where business owners get stuck, start to resent their business and have to make a tough decision - do they continue on this path, or do they give up and go get a job. Today, on the podcast I sit down with Chris Orzechowski to talk about how to bust through that ceiling and the mindset it takes to become a 7 figure business.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all only had one limiting belief we had to tackle in order to move on and be great? Like if I only had my stupid belief to contend with I'd have been fine a long time ago. And if that belief didn't have tentacles and layers to it that drove my fears, my unconscious commitments and my actions - wouldn't life be grand? Well, yes. The truth is that we have more than just limiting beliefs that hold us back, We have fears, resistance and unconscious commitments and years of conditioning that can make change hard. In this episode, I want to explain how all of the various things going on in your brain are actually interacting and causing a tapestry of beliefs that can make change hard - but not impossible. So, if you're curious why you haven't been able to achieve all those goals - tune in.

Do mindset strategies work if you have conditions such as ADD or ADHD? The truth is that it absolutely can. But what's worse is that if you're someone who hasn't recognized that you have ADHD until adulthood, chances are you've been carrying around some stories about who you are - misbehaved, unorganized, unmotivated or undisciplined and that can impact how far you really go in business and in life. Today I sit down with my friend Per Andreasen who wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until this past year. He explains why it helped him unlock a lot of answers to his life and how he can now actually apply mindset strategies in a whole new way. This is a great episode for anyone who does struggle with ADHD or has struggled to implement mindset strategies - and what you can do first.

This is an episode I've been excited to share for some time. And as an extrovert this might seem like a bit of a funny one for me to deliver - actually I think I might categorize me more as an ambivert because I do love my alone recovery time as much as I love my energizing time out with people. But, here's something I've noticed. There are people out there who might be incorrectly diagnosing themselves as introverts - or actually might be feeling some things they ascribe to introversion that has nothing to do with being an introvert. Here's what I'm talking about today - there are a ton of you out there that are leaving networking events, small group interactions, 1 on 1 interactions - feeling exhausted. And you might say to yourself - oh, it's because I'm an introvert. But what if it's actually something else - something you can shift and feel like you can actually get energized by the interactions you have with others? Today on the podcast, I want to talk about the mistaken introvert and how you can begin to feel less exhausted from your interaction with others.

I wanted to invite my friend, Kira Hug back to the podcast because Kira is someone I have observed intentionally work on getting to know herself and the shifts I've seen in her as a leader. Kira has always been thoughtful, caring of others and very deep - but as she gets to know how the world actually impacts her and how she wants to show up, I've seen her get more intentional about how she serves those in her circle. Kira has graciously come back to talk about her own personal journey with how working on changing her habits and patterns - and getting to know herself better has helped her step into herself in a more powerful way. If you're someone who does feel impacted by the world and is trying to figure out how you want to show up - this episode is for you.

I sometimes hear from business owners who tell me that they don't dare put their vision for their business (or life) on paper because they don't want to be disappointed if they don't get it. They fear that if they put it on paper it means they won't get it - or alternatively, if they put it on paper and they do get it - that they then have to manage the dream. Both options can be scary, but the truth is that fear can cloud your ability to dream for your business or see what you even want for your business. Instead we end up consistently chasing some unknown goal that never feels complete or fulfilling. On this week's episode of The Mindset First Podcast I share how fear can cloud your clarity and how to move past fear to dream bigger. 

The last time I had Jude on my podcast, it turned out to be one of my favorite conversations and one of the reasons I wanted this season of the Mindset First Podcast to go deeper. Jude helps business owners leverage the power of storytelling to grow his business - but somehow we don't ever really get to that topic because this time I invited Jude back to talk about what it means to have relentless courage in business. Jude has worked with 7 figure businesses to grow their business using documentaries - but now he's in a bit of a transition that many might think is crazy. Or at the very least contrary to what most do in business. But that's who Jude is and how he has actually grown his life and self in ways that many of us don't even dare. I hope this episode inspires you to think about your own life and what it means to have relentless courage.

You've been told to stay away from politics in your business, right? Well, I know that as someone who does have some strong opinions - this one has been hard for me. I struggle with my own personal values, the fact that I spent most of my life as an advocate and then also respecting the idea that my business is a separate entity that may not carry some of the same opinions. This can be a mindset struggle for many because as a person you feel strongly about certain things, but unsure how to talk about it or if you even should. On today's episode, I bring on messaging strategist Peta O'Brien-Day to help me sort through where that line is. And how we can examine our mindset before we choose to share any political opinion. This is a juicy podcast for any business owner contemplating talking about anything that has the potential to piss off your audience.

So, if you've hung out with me and listened to this podcast before, you know that I love talking about fear. Not because I have some dark fixation around it - but really because I know how much fear can dictate choices and limit growth. I personally struggled with so many fears that held me back from really achieving my full potential for years and years - so, once I understood how to break free - it felt a bit like a miracle I had to keep sharing. Today on the podcast, I talk about how our first natural inclination with fear is to pivot or paralyze and how both can be detrimental to growth. I share why this happens and how you can start to shift from either position into intentional action that aligns with your vision and builds greater things. So, if you're someone in either of these two camps - or if you're not sure, but experience a lot of fear - this episode is for you.

Welcome to this week's episode of The Mindset First Podcast. I'm excited to share with you my friend Bryan, and Bryan and I have a great conversation in this episode about how to use existentialism to move your business forward. It really is about how do you use existentialism to make better choices... And Bryan got me thinking even how. I sometimes haven't stood in the power of my choice making. This is a great episode if you feel like you're somewhere where you're stuck or you struggle to make the choices you need and feel overwhelmed even by the choices you have in your business. Tune in. I'm excited to hear from you what you think about it.

Today's topic is one I wanted to tackle because it keeps coming up more and more in the groups I lead and the conversations I hold with clients - can childhood bullying impact your business growth. Sometimes it's hard to see the connections of our childhood pains to our current business predicaments, but this week on the podcast I wanted to address how deep wounds that result from childhood bullying can keep you from having everything you really want. This is important if you were picked on, bullied or even just felt different from others because it can be truly hard to implement the four key pillars of growth if you're still sitting in fear of others! I hope this opens up some ability to create space and growth for you this week.

So, when I was revamping my podcast to have more meaningful conversations about mindset and how we can truly become greater versions of ourselves, I immediately knew I wanted to have my friend, master coach and best-selling author Nancy Levin come back to the podcast. She has just released a new book called The Art of Change and I've invited Nancy back to talk a bit about what it really takes to create the change we want - but also, what does it really take to take the initial leap into what we most want. Nancy also walks us through her pillars of reinvention and shares some great insights on how you can begin to get to where you want to go.

After a month hiatus, the Mindset First podcast is back and it's being revamped to help you go deeper to uncover your mindset blocks, experience shifts and share the stories from others like you who have conquered their mindset challenges. On this episode, I talk about why I've decided to shift my focus a bit on the podcast and some of the things I've been experiencing that are driving me to have more real and meaningful conversations with you! Tune in and I hope that you walk away with a little bit more excitement about what this podcast can do for you - and what you can do for the audience you serve today!

Welcome to the 100th episode of the Mindset First podcast! I'm so excited to have reached this milestone and share with you this week someone I met a few years back when I was still doing marketing strategy and copywriting. Janet Davis is a retired chief of police from Three Rivers, California who helps executives further their career by focusing on authentic leadership. When Janet and I met a few years ago we instantly connected because we both grew up in male dominated professions - me as an attorney and Janet as a police officer and we talked in detail about what it meant to lead as a women in these kinds of fields. It can be confusing to know how to lead authentically when there is a temptation to fit in and be one of the guys. But, what I love so much about Janet is that she really tapped into what it means to lead authentically as a woman and shares her experiences and knowledge with us during this episode. I'm glad she gets to be my 100th guest as I think she offers both men and women something powerful to think about.

This past weekend I attended a conference in Orlando where I had the honor of delivering the keynote speech on redefining success and optimizing your business. But before I ever began the speech, I asked business owners what they most wanted for their business in the next year and what they thought got in the way. Overwhelmingly, people wanted a business that generated more money and flowed better - but the most stated reason they shared was that they didn't have the time or money to implement what they wanted. It's a common problem for business owners - but is that it? Is that the real reason why your goals get off track and your business doesn't look like you want it to? This week on the Mindset First Podcast I share the real reason you might be getting off track and how you can learn to commit better to your goals.

As a service provider who directly works with clients one-on-one, the time in exchange for money game can get tiring. But should you add digital products to help you create other means of revenue? The truth is that it feels like every service provider now also has a digital product to help create so-called passive revenue. But how do you know what's right for you? And how do you deal with some of the mindset traps that come from putting out a product? This week I invited Katie Hunt the founder of Proof to Product, to help us get the answer. She's a business strategist and mentor to product-based entrepreneurs. But this week - she's come to the Mindset First Podcast to help me answer the question of when is the right time to add a digital product - and what we should consider!  This brought a lot of clarity to me even for my own business and can't wait for you to listen to her sage advice.

On this week's episode of the Mindset First Podcast, I tackle an important topic - unconscious commitments. The reality is that many business owners will say they want next level growth in their business - but find themselves taking steps back, self-sabotaging and not taking action in important areas of their business. It can be a constant source of frustration for some - and pretty confusing because deep down in your soul you want more for your business and yourself - but you can't seem to make it happen. This episode answers the question why sometimes it can seem as if we're unable to create the growth we say we want and why we see a discrepancy in our businesses. This episode may answer all those questions for you and give you a tool to help you finally take action.

On this week's podcast episode, I dive into the topic of owning your voice in making an impact. I think these days as our personal lives and business lives blend more and more as entrepreneurs (especially service based online business owners), it can be extremely difficult to discern your own voice from others and how far to take your own voice. I won't lie - in the face of the Supreme Court decision this past week, I questioned how strong my voice needs to be because in my personal life I tend to be pretty strong. But does that serve my business? Does that alienate or include those who need the mindset work I do to have real conversations. This week I explore the idea of voice and the impact you want to make in your business. I hope this helps you draw the line for yourself. 

So, how do you succeed in business when no one else looks like you in your industry. That's the question my guest Samar Owais tackles on today - she is a self described brown, Hijabi wearing, non-native English speaking Muslim woman who has found some impressive growth in her field, but it hasn't always been easy. Today we talk about the unique challenges she's faced in business, her own head trash around it and some of the strategies she's used to get ahead. I've known Samar for a few years now and to watch her grow has been impressive - not naturally quiet or shy, watching her step into her own self - unapologetically has been something fun to witness. I think she was perhaps reserved taking the world in as we all sometimes do - but now, she boldly and proudly talks about who she is and what she brings to the table. Whether you're Muslim, brown, white or something entirely different - the biggest takeaway from this episode is how to really stand in who you are - no matter how different the world you live in might feel.

A few years ago, Carol Dweck introduced the idea of growth mindset versus fixed mindset in her appropriately named book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. She pointed out that when we have a fixed mindset it becomes harder to reach our goals and achieve the success we want. And while many of us would like to think we have a growth mindset or have achieved a more flexible growth mindset in our personal lives, when it comes to business - we tend to be fixed in ways that hold us back and keep us from cracking our own success code. In this episode, I talk about how a fixed mindset might be holding you back from taking your business to the next level. 

One of the first things you'll hear from experts about scaling your business is that you need a team. But where do you start? Who do you hire first? And how do you find the money to make it all worthwhile? More than any other area of scaling - building a team can bring on head trash and a lot of hesitation because the truth is that who you hire can have a great impact on how you grow your business. On today's Mindset First Podcast episode, I invited Rachel Mazza who is a marketer and integrator who has helped grow her team from 3 to 23. She shares some of the ins and outs of growing a team and how you can avoid some of the mistakes people make when it comes to scaling this way. I love this conversation with Rachel because she's so real and shares both strategic and mindset tips to getting beyond your fears and growing a team that can take your business to the next level!

It's easy to push business strategies off to the side - especially when life and business get busy. You tell yourself you'll get to it later, only to push ideas off to the side repeatedly as your incompletions list grows. You tell yourself you wish you had more time, but nothing really changes. Later becomes never, and your business stalls. This is the time where satisfaction and joy starts to take a big dip for business owners. In this episode, I take a closer look at how the "I'll work on this later" is really costing your business and some simple things you can do to overcome procrastination and increase productivity and growth in your business.