Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais

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Trust That You're Good Enough | Dr. Trudy Goodman Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Trudy Goodman, the founding teacher of InsightLA and cofounder of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy.

Trudy has trained in mindfulness and Zen since 1973, holds a graduate degree in developmental psychology from Harvard, and is one of the senior Buddhist teachers in the U.S.

She has taught at universities and retreat centers worldwide for 25 years.

Trudy is widely known for her role as Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series "Midnight Gospel”.

She is a contributing author to the Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness, Compassion and Wisdom in Psychotherapy, and Mindfulness and Psychotherapy.

And she’s also married to Jack Kornfield, who we were fortunate to have on the podcast just a few weeks back!

Trudy is a truly, a special human being.

In this conversation we discuss so much… the importance of trusting yourself and why that ultimately starts with loving yourself, which can be a big hurdle for some of us.

We also touch on Trudy's spiritual framework, which focuses on the relationship between the mind and the heart.

It's about allowing herself to be informed by intuition (the wisdom of the heart) rather than solely her analytical, cerebral mind.

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The Psychology of Money | Morgan Housel Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Morgan Housel, a partner at The Collaborative Fund and a former columnist at The Motley Fool and The Wall Street Journal.

He is a two-time winner of the Best in Business Award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, winner of the New York Times Sidney Award, and a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism.

Morgan recently published a book titled, The Psychology of Money, and it’s the impetus for why I wanted to talk to him.

If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while, you know I live by this stance: having a philosophy for your life is imperative...

What I hope you take from this conversation is that the same can be said for how you think about money.

There isn’t simply one "right" way to manage your money, but it should align with the greater values you live by.

At one point in our conversation, Morgan shares that he doesn’t have a mortgage on his house, that he owns it outright.

I was a bit stumped at first because it would appear, especially in our current climate with how low interest rates are, that this is foolish.

Isn’t there a huge opportunity cost to that?

But Morgan is clear on his principles, what makes him feel secure, and what’s “enough” for him... not having to think about a mortgage is something that’s important to him.

So this conversation isn’t focused so much on what to do with your money, but the importance of having clarity on the reasons why you choose to do, what you do, with it.

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Adapting to Stress and Building Trust In Self | Dr. David Rabin Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Dr. David Rabin, MD, PhD, a neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist, health tech entrepreneur & inventor who has been studying the impact of chronic stress in humans for more than a decade.

David has always been fascinated by consciousness and our inherent ability to heal ourselves from injury and illness.

As such, he has specifically focused his research on the clinical translation of non-invasive therapies for patients with treatment-resistant illnesses like PTSD and substance use disorders.

David is the co-founder & chief innovation officer at Apollo Neuroscience, which has developed the first scientifically-validated wearable technology that actively improves energy, focus & relaxation, using a novel touch therapy that signals safety to the brain.

This is one of the reasons I’ve been so excited about our partnership with Apollo so I can’t wait for you to learn from David, he is an amazing human being.

In this conversation, we discuss how powerful the human mind is – why we’re uniquely suited to adapt to and overcome adversity and why it’s possible to rewire our brain’s to get a better handle on anxiety and other mental disorders.

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Creating Opportunities, Resiliency, and Confidence | WNBA MVP, Nneka Ogwumike Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Nneka Ogwumike the 2016 WNBA MVP, WNBA Champion, and 1st overall pick of the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2012 WNBA Draft.

Nneka is on a mission to inspire others to discover their greatness with an open heart, enthusiasm, integrity, courage, and compassion.

She is currently serving as President of the WNBA Players’ Association (WNBPA) and successfully led the group in its renegotiation of a groundbreaking WNBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

She is a six-time WNBA All-Star, three-time All-WNBA selection, three-time All-Defensive WNBA selection and was the 2012 WNBA Rookie of the Year.

A graduate of Stanford University with a BA in Psychology, Nneka led the school to four consecutive Final Four appearances.

Hailing from one of sport’s most dynamic families, Nneka is the oldest of four sisters who have played Division I basketball.

With her sister Chiney's selection as the 1st overall pick by the Connecticut Sun in the 2014 WNBA Draft, the family made history, joining Peyton and Eli Manning as the only siblings ever selected number one overall in a professional sports league.

Nneka and Chiney now play together on the LA Sparks.

In this conversation we discuss Nneka’s upbringing, what gave her the confidence to believe she could play professionally, which mental skills have been integral towards creating her resilient nature.

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The Factors That Make or Break a Business | Ankur Jain and Alex Fiance Feb 03, 2021

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Alex Fiance and Ankur Jain, the co-founder’s and co-CEO’s of Kairos.

Kairos is focused on solutions that can help solve the affordability crisis for the everyday consumer.

Alex has been leading Kairos since 2013, transforming the company from its roots as a student-run organization into its current focus on building a family of brands designed to make life more affordable.

Ankur launched Kairos in 2008 as a talent incubator and has been recognized for a variety of achievements including the Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2017.

You may remember Alex from the mini-series we did a few years ago called “The Process” where we learned about young entrepreneurs tackling some of the world’s biggest problems.

Considering how many people are struggling to get by right now, I thought this would be a timely moment to have Alex back on, along with Ankur.

I wanted them to catch us up to speed… What progress they have made? And how have they adjusted where they were wrong?

Alex was early on the journey when we first chatted and now he’s earning his stripes…

One of the companies we discussed during “The Process” called Rhino just announced they raised $95 million, valuing the company at just under $500 million…. a huge milestone for Kairos.

In this conversation, we discuss the affordability crisis, the factors that can make or break a business, and what role luck plays in all of this.

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Shift Your Perspective of What's Possible | Jimmy Chin Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Jimmy Chin, an Academy Award winning filmmaker, National Geographic photographer and professional mountain sports athlete.

He has led or participated in cutting edge expeditions around the world for over 20 years.

Jimmy has climbed and skied Mount Everest from the summit and made significant first ascents on all seven continents including the coveted first ascent of the Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru.

For those of you unfamiliar with Meru, it’s the sacred five-peaked mountain of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes.

Jimmy’s photographs have graced numerous covers of National Geographic Magazine and the New York Times Magazine.

He co-produces and co-directs with his wife Chai Vasarhelyi.

Their film Meru won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 and was on the 2016 Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Feature.

Their latest documentary Free Solo, featuring Alex Honnold, won a BAFTA, seven primetime Emmys and the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2019.

If you haven’t seen it, it’s the first thing you should watch after you’re done listening to this podcast.

Jimmy’s resume precedes itself… I’d been wanting to have this conversation for a long time and I can’t wait for you to learn from him.

We talk about his unorthodox path to becoming a photographer and filmmaker, chasing dreams, and managing risk.We also discuss why he almost turned down making “Free Solo” which I think you’ll find captivating…

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Overcoming Depression and Improving Mental Health | Olympic Runner, Alexi Pappas Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Alexi Pappas, an Olympic runner and an award-winning actor and writer.

A Greek-American, Alexi is the Greek national record holder in the 10,000 meters.

She graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College and also ran for the University of Oregon as a 5th year, leading the team to two NCAA victories.

Alexi has been profiled on the cover of the New York Times Sports Page, in Rolling Stone, on NPR's All Things Considered, and was also featured on the cover of Runner's World Magazine's 50th anniversary issu, named as one of the two faces of the "new boom" in running.

Her memoir-in-essays, "Bravey," with a foreword by Maya Rudolph was just released – and it’s the reason I wanted to have this conversation.

Now more than ever – mental health is at the forefront of what so many of us are dealing with.

My hope is that Alexi’s story – one of overcoming depression and seeing a grander version of what her future could look like can help you or a loved one get through any challenges of your own.

This is not an easy time... but maybe… this conversation inspires you, that you have more inside you, and reminds you that you’re not alone in this.

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Acceptance, Resiliency, and Gratitude | Artist, Henry Fraser Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Henry Fraser, a talented artist, who paints stunning landscapes, animals, portraits, and more.

There’s one caveat -- he draws using his mouth, as an accident years ago left him paralysed from the neck down.

So that would beg the question, how did he learn to paint?

He began by using a stylus on his iPad, which he held using his mouth to draw.

He then taught himself to use a pencil, and then paint, by fixing the utensils required a stick attached to his mouth.

Henry is also an author – he wrote The Little Big Things, which won Non Fiction Book Of The Year by WHSmith.

Losing your ability to move from the shoulders down at age 17 – that’s up there with the most difficult circumstances I can imagine someone having to deal with.

So with that context, I think you can get an idea of why I wanted to speak with Henry.

This conversation is about acceptance, resiliency, and gratitude.

It’s about making the best of a situation, no matter how bad things seem on the surface.

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The Art of Mindfulness | Dr. Jack Kornfield Jan 06, 2021

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Jack Kornfield, a PhD, who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology.

He has trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, and is a founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society, and the Spirit Rock Center.

Jack is one of the key teachers to introduce mindfulness practice to the west and has taught meditation internationally since 1974.

His 14 books include A Path with Heart; A Lamp in the Darkness; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry; The Wise Heart; and No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are.

I couldn’t think of better conversation to get us rolling in 2021.

We cover all things related to mindfulness — tools for getting better at quieting your mind, managing self-critique, vulnerability and so much more.

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The Evolution of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace | Microsoft CDO, Lindsay-Rae McIntyre Dec 30, 2020

Show notes

This week’s conversation is with Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, the Corporate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Microsoft.

From thought leadership, to operational execution, to employee engagement, Lindsay leads Microsoft’s strategic efforts on systemic solutions to advance diversity and inclusion guided by a commitment to be mission-driven, outcome-oriented, globally-informed, science-based, and culturally-competent.

She spearheaded the publication of Microsoft’s first Diversity & Inclusion Report and shaped the company’s recent action-oriented response to racial injustice.

Under her leadership, her global team of human resources and employee engagement strategists are driving the adoption of Microsoft’s Core Priority for Diversity & Inclusion, introducing new solutions to advance inclusive behaviors and habits including Microsoft’s Allyship Program and employee self-identification, and helping leaders embrace their inclusion learning journey.

You may have already heard a snippet of our conversation as part of the Decoding Disruptors: Race Forward special episode we published about a month ago but I wanted to release the full conversation here because there is so much more we touch on.

And if you haven’t had a chance to listen to Race Forward yet, I would be honored if you would give it a listen.

You can learn more about it and explore video clips of it at decodingdisruptors.com/race

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