Business

Heartbeat For Hire with Lyndsay Dowd

The Heartbeat for Hire Podcast was created to inspire leaders on how to get through the most difficult of circumstances. I feature CEOs, Olympians, Professional Athletes, Authors, Disruptors, Emmy Winning Journalists and more as they share their stories of resilience with my lens on leadership and culture. My guests share their vulnerability and lessons learned so those of you who have never had a good leader can see the possible in the way they lead. My goal is to transform leadership as we know it and this podcast features the best of the best in showing you the way.

Latest Episodes:

226: The Man Who Sold X.com to Elon Musk with Andrew Rosener Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

Andrew Rosener is a globally recognized authority in domain name investment and brokerage, widely regarded as the foremost dealmaker in digital real estate. As the Founder and CEO of MediaOptions, the world's leading domain brokerage firm, Andrew has facilitated over $800 million in domain sales, including high-profile transactions such as X.com to Elon Musk, Zoom.com to Zoom, Prime.com and Podcast.com to Amazon, Galaxy.com to Galaxy Digital as well as thousands of others. His expertise and assistance in domain name and digital asset acquisition has enabled Fortune 500 companies, startups, and investors to establish powerful online brands, optimize digital marketing strategies, and capture significant market share.

As a true innovator in the domain industry, Andrew developed the Rosener Equation, a widely adopted methodology for objectively valuing domain names based on data and key market factors, helping businesses and investors make informed digital asset decisions. His strategic foresight and deep understanding of domain valuation, acquisition, and negotiation have reshaped the domain investment landscape, positioning him as one of the preeminent thought leaders in the digital economy, from domain names to crypto and well beyond.

Connect with Andrew Rosener

X: x.com/andrewrosner
LinkedIn: Andrew Rosener
Company: mediaoptions.com

Episode Summary:

In this conversation with Lyndsay, Andrew shares how he left a mid-six-figure job in his mid-20s, moved abroad, and bet everything on a pile of domains most people thought were worthless. He explains why a domain name is really digital real estate, how he built an objective way to price something nobody knew how to value, and what it felt like to broker x.com. He closes with what inspires him, the one line he wants on his tombstone, and why he believes leaning into change always pays off.

Key Takeaways:

Know your natural strength.
Small goals beat big leaps.
A domain is the shortest path to someone's intent.
Exact-match .coms build instant trust.
Fix what's broken in a market.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 – Preview and What You'll Learn

00:46 – Welcome to Heartbeat for Hire

01:02 – Meet Andrew Rosener

01:53 – From College Software Startup to Seafood Sales

04:49 – Collecting Domains and Leaving a Six-Figure Job

08:29 – Sink or Swim: Moving to Panama

09:32 – The First Big Break: Selling Pizza.net

10:55 – Why Domains Are Digital Real Estate

14:44 – Becoming a Broker and Creating the Valuation Formula

19:00 – How He Brokered x.com

21:59 – Short Domains and Two-Letter .coms

22:53 – Thank You and Listener Perk

23:36 – What Inspires Andrew

25:11 – His Legacy: "He Always Did What He Said He Was Gonna Do"

25:49 – Where to Find Andrew

26:18 – What's Next

26:58 – Final Takeaway: Don't Be Afraid of Change

225: Boundaries Built Her a Billion with Lacey Newman Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

Lacey Newman is a founder, coach, and keynote speaker who has helped thousands of high-performing women build businesses and lives that are truly their own. Over two decades she scaled a real estate team to nearly $1B in volume, was the former host of the Emmy-nominated The American Dream, and grew her income from under $50K to seven figures — all while raising two kids on her own.

After failing out of real estate once (she was one of the 85% who do), Lacey came back with a different playbook — one built on boundaries, systems, and self-trust instead of hustle. Today she teaches women to stop over-functioning, untangle their identity from productivity, and reinvent their work from a place of clarity instead of burnout.

Connect with Lacey Newman:

website: laceynewman.com

Instagram: @heylaceynewman

Episode Summary:

Lacey Newman spent 20+ years in real estate, helped build a team that crossed $1 billion in sales volume, and hosted the Emmy-nominated show The American Dream. She also quit the industry for about two years, felt like a failure as a young mom, and went through a divorce in 2014 with two kids ages three and five.

When she came back to real estate, she threw out the rule book. She stopped being available 24/7, took control of her schedule, and was surprised to find that clients respected her more and her business grew. She went from earning under $70K a year to a multi-seven-figure business.

Key Takeaways:

Boundaries help your business.
Failure is only failure if you stop.
A pivot is not quitting.
Fire the bad client.
Take care of your body, mind, and spirit first.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Cold open: three things you'll learn

00:47 Welcome and meet Lacey Newman

01:44 Lacey's story: from new agent to quitting during the recession

03:07 Divorce and the comeback to real estate

04:20 From a billion-dollar team to coaching women

05:23 Turning failure around: throwing out the rule book

08:37 Boundaries for clients and why Lacey celebrates firing a client

10:25 Failure, playing big, and pivoting vs. quitting

11:47 Looking fine on the outside, struggling on the inside

15:53 Listener thank-you and Cozy Earth discount

16:58 What inspires Lacey: her kids, a favorite quote, and mom guilt

19:53 Lacey's legacy

20:58 What's next: a new podcast, a book, and going all in on AI

22:33 Where to find Lacey

23:01 Final message for listeners

23:49 Wrap-up and outro

224: The Woman Who Jumps Toward Fear with Jenny Cova Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

Jenny Cova is a professional skydiver, BASE jumper, adventure athlete, author, speaker, and entrepreneur who has spent much of her life learning what fear can teach us when we stop running from it.

With thousands of jumps and more than a decade spent in high pressure environments—from the sky to the mountains—Jenny has learned that courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the relationship we build with it, and who we become when we stop letting fear choose our lives.

She is the author of Why Am I Here and the founder of The She Who Rises, a growing movement rooted in the belief that when women rise, humanity rises. Through her writing, speaking, and work, Jenny explores self-leadership, our relationship with fear, and what it means to live with greater courage, presence, purpose, and joy.

Swiss-Italian and based in the Swiss Alps, Jenny is most at home somewhere between earth and sky—whether she's skydancing, BASE jumping, climbing mountains, skiing, or asking the

Connect With Jenny:

Website: www.jenny-cova.com

LinkedIn: Jenny Cova

Instagram: @jenjen.cova

Episode Summary:

Thousands of skydives and BASE jumps taught Jenny Cova something most people never learn: courage isn't about running through fear, it's about understanding it. In this conversation with Lindsay, Jenny shares how a childhood spent staring at clouds led her to wingsuit BASE jumping, why skydiving was the first sport she wasn't naturally good at, and how her perfectionism nearly pushed her out of the sport she loved.

Key Takeaways:

Courage isn't the absence of fear.
Fear has a reason.
Mistakes are how you learn.
Swap pressure for love.
Some fear is healthy.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Cold open: put love on yourself instead of pressure

00:25 What you'll learn + welcome to the show

00:58 Meet Jenny Cova

01:52 Jenny's story: Switzerland, adventure sports, and her relationship with fear

02:39 Childhood dreams of the sky and discovering wingsuit BASE jumping

03:59 From first skydive to serious jumper

06:28 Learning to dance in the sky and taking five years off

07:43 Why mistakes matter and how Jenny coaches others through them

08:17 Self-love, self-worth, and patience

09:16 Leadership lessons: it's okay not to know everything

10:35 Courage, fear, and the "adrenaline junkie" myth

11:21 Fear of imperfection and healing the younger self

12:17 BASE jumping, healthy fear, and Jenny's pre-jump routine

13:22 Coping tools, breathwork, and the next generation

14:24 Who Jenny works with and her "midlife awakening"

15:42 Listener thank-you and show perks

16:32 What inspires Jenny

17:44 Jenny's legacy

18:46 Where to find Jenny and her book Why Am I Here?

20:04 Final message: act in spite of fear, then understand it

21:04 Jenny's Sneaks skydive campaign

21:32 Wrap-up and goodbye

223: Bravery, Billions, and the Business of Protection with Bruce Cardenas Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Bruce E. Cardenas journey spans from the United States Marine Corps (disabled veteran) to the LAPD, where he was awarded the highest award, the Police Medal for bravery. He still serves as a level one reserve for the LA County Sheriff's Department serving the citizens of the county. Bruce then embarked on his entrepreneurial path by founding a high-level personal protection business. Protecting some of the biggest names in entertainment & business over the past 30 years. All while serving as a police officer. A serendipitous meeting with the founders of Quest Nutrition led Bruce to become an intrapreneur within the startup, ultimately rising to Chief Communications Officer. He played an instrumental role in the billion-dollar sale of Quest Nutrition.

Bruce's journey now continues with Legendary Foods, where he leverages his expertise and passion. Legendary is on track to be another billion dollar brand! And at Legendary, we spend millions of dollars a year, looking for answers in cancer, heart, disease, neuropathy, and other metabolic diseases, We started our own Bio Shift research foundation, 501(c)(3), nonprofit as we continue this battle

Connect with Bruce Cardenas

Website: brucecardenas.com (his book is available here)
Social media: Bruce E. Cardenas

Episode Summary:

Bruce Cardenas grew up in a small New Jersey town of about 1,000 people, was held back in school, and dreamed of joining the local five-man police department. That path led him through the Marine Corps, the LAPD, and a 30-year career as a personal bodyguard for some of the biggest names in entertainment.

Key Takeaways:

Bring value with no strings attached.
Relationships and professionalism build a business.
Think like an intrapreneur.
Be obsessed with customers, not competitors.
Keep it simple and consistent.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Cold Open: Three Things You'll Learn Today

00:45 Welcome and Introducing Bruce Cardenas

01:54 Growing Up in High Bridge, NJ, and Joining the Marine Corps

05:01 From Camp Pendleton to the LAPD

06:08 Starting a Bodyguard Business While Working as a Cop

09:26 Meeting the Founders of Quest Nutrition

12:22 Becoming an Intrapreneur and Chief Communications Officer

13:44 The Billion-Dollar Cash Sale and Being Obsessed with Customers

14:45 What Is Legendary Foods?

16:10 Costly Mistakes at Quest and Why Consistency Wins

17:15 Leadership Lessons from Founder Ron Pena

18:16 The 85% Blockage That Changed Everything

19:41 $20 Million into Cancer and Heart Disease Research

21:32 Ron's Vision and Showing Up with Value

22:58 What Inspires Bruce: Money as a Facilitator

24:09 Legacy and Why He Wrote His Book

24:56 What's Next for Bruce and Legendary

26:05 Where to Find Bruce

26:19 Final Advice: Start Today

27:53 Closing Thoughts

222: How Sports Deals Actually Get Done with Roger Duthie Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

Roger Duthie brings over 19 years of experience in senior management at one of the world's most recognizable brands, Emirates Airline. During his tenure, he successfully negotiated and managed high-profile contracts with some of the biggest sporting teams and organizations globally, overseeing a budget exceeding $300 million. His extensive international network spans across brands, teams, leagues, and athletes, making his connections in the world of sports unparalleled.

With a deep passion for sports and a vast business acumen, Roger's expertise spans football, golf, tennis, and baseball. His close ties to the DP World Tour (formerly the PGA European Tour), The Ryder Cup, the PGA Tour, the Asian Tour, and numerous high-profile players have strengthened his reputation as a leader in sports sponsorship.

Connect with Roger Duthie:

Website: bearfishsportsmarketing.com

Dubai Little League: dubailittleleague.com

LinkedIn: Roger Duthie

Episode Summary:

Lyndsay Dowd sits down with Roger Duthie, who spent 19 years building Emirates Airline's global sponsorship program — negotiating deals with Real Madrid, Arsenal, PSG, the NFL, F1, and FIFA on a $300 million budget — before launching his own sports marketing firm, Barefish Marketing. Roger shares how he broke into elite global sponsorships as an outsider representing Dubai, why never burning a bridge became the backbone of his career, and how "old school in values, modern in tools" shapes his leadership style today. The conversation also dives into his 20+ years volunteering with Dubai Little League, where he's helped grow baseball from a small expat pastime into a thriving multinational youth program that's sent players to college scholarships and national teams. Roger closes with a candid take on AI in the workplace — encouraging young professionals to build real, human relationships instead of leaning on ChatGPT for everything.

Key Takeaways:

- Never burn a bridge.

- Sponsorship money is spent to make money.

- Face-to-face still wins.

- Big deals open doors for bigger deals.

- Behind the glamour is grinding.

- Passion projects can leave a real legacy.

- Use AI as a tool, not a replacement.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 — Cold open: "Don't go to ChatGPT to write your email"

00:56 — Intro to Heartbeat for Hire and today's guest

01:23 — Meet Roger Duthie

01:39 — Roger's path: Bahamas to Dubai, 28 years in the UAE

02:56 — Landing at Emirates Airline and building the sponsorship department

03:56 — Leaving a 19-year career at Emirates to start his own company

04:12 — Leadership philosophy: never burn a bridge

05:49 — Has relationship-building changed for the next generation?

06:56 — Breaking into FIFA, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and PSG

08:39 — Managing a $300 million sponsorship budget and staying accountable

13:08 — The biggest misconception about sponsorship work

14:09 — Leadership lessons: ROI, ROO, and building real business value

14:35 — Barefish Marketing: what Roger does today

14:49 — Explaining baseball's value to non-American markets

17:52 — What inspires Roger to keep going

19:36 — Roger's hoped-for legacy: his kids, and Dubai Little League

20:43 — Where to find Roger and Barefish Marketing

21:12 — What's next for Roger

21:38 — Closing thoughts: AI, human relationships, and advice for young people

24:47 — Wrap-up

221: He Led Soldiers Before He Coached Champions with Andy Riise Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Andy Riise is a Mental Performance & Leadership Coach, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, keynote speaker, podcast host, and best-selling co-author. A West Point graduate and former Army football player, he spent over 20 years leading Soldiers in high-stakes combat environments. His post-military career in athletics spans MLB, NFL, and collegiate athletics, including the Colorado Rockies, Cincinnati Reds, and, most recently, the Chicago Bears. He's also worked in business, healthcare, higher education, and emergency services. Today, Andy's mission is to equip athletes, leaders, and teams with battle-tested systems to perform under pressure and lead with clarity. He and his wife, Katie, have been married for over 23 years and are raising four active teenagers and young adults in Houston, TX.

Connect with Andy:

Website: www.andyriise.com

Linkedin: @andyriise

Episode Summary:

Andy Riise spent over 20 years as a West Point graduate and retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel leading soldiers in combat. That experience — plus five years working alongside Green Berets and Special Forces units — became the foundation for a second career as a mental performance coach, working with the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Reds, and Colorado Rockies. In this episode, Andy joins Lyndsay Dowd to unpack the "4C Model" of mental toughness (confidence, control, commitment, and challenge), explain the difference between mental toughness and mental fitness, and share how the same training systems that help soldiers and elite athletes perform under pressure can help everyday leaders, teams, and families. He also opens up about the personal side of his mission — inspired by his wife, a special education teacher, and his own kids — and previews his upcoming book, Step Into The Arena.

Key Takeaways:

Mental toughness can be trained like a physical skill — it's not something you either have or don't.
Andy's "4C Model" breaks mental toughness into confidence, control, commitment, and challenge.
Confidence starts with self-talk: you're the author, publisher, and consumer of your own story.
Control is about emotional regulation — naming your emotions so they work for you, not against you.
People move along a bridge from survival, to resilience, to thriving — and everyone shifts along it daily.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 – Cold open & episode preview

01:25 – Meet Andy Riise: West Point grad, combat veteran, mental performance coach

02:00 – Andy's origin story: growing up in Oakdale, CA, and his path through West Point

03:52 – From the battlefield to the Army's resilience program

05:46 – Five years working with Green Berets and Special Forces

06:27 – The leap into pro sports: NFL, then the Colorado Rockies

07:51 – Mental fitness vs. mental toughness: the survival-resilience-thriving bridge

09:38 – Breaking down the 4C Model: confidence, control, commitment, challenge

11:19 – Why "soft skills" should be called "power skills"

12:04 – Coaching corporate leaders to train like athletes

14:59 – Andy's own podcast, Skull Sessions

16:43 – Sponsor break

18:47 – Defining legacy and the "ripple effect" of mastery

20:22 – What's next: his upcoming book, Step Into The Arena

21:12 – Andy's message to listeners: reach out, he's accessible

22:37 – Closing thoughts and sign-off

220: Trust Is a System, Not a Slogan with Pamela Mattsson Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Pamela is a seasoned executive coach with over two decades of experience. She is known for guiding leaders through complex transitions with clarity, confidence, and compassion. With deep expertise in human development, organizational change, and C-suite dynamics, she partners with CEOs, Boards, and executive teams to build cultures of trust, performance, and purpose.

Pamela has led transformative leadership programs across sectors nonprofits, foundations, startups, and global enterprises. At Amazon, she pioneered the company's first executive onboarding and development program for senior leaders worldwide, earning a Brandon Hall Gold Award. As SVP of People and Organizational Development at Outreach, she helped scale a values-driven culture through rapid growth.

Her work as a Culture Strategist and Executive Coach continues to shape leadership practices in high-growth environments. Whether aligning leadership teams, coaching through succession, or cultivating values-based cultures, Pamela brings a rare blend of rigor and heart, razor-sharp intelligence, perceptiveness, and a very helpful edginess to her work.

Episode Summary:

Lyndsay Dowd sits down with executive coach and organizational design expert Pamela Mattsson, who built Amazon's first executive onboarding program for senior leaders worldwide before founding her own practice. Pamela unpacks why culture isn't a poster on a wall but a diagnosable, rebuildable system, and walks through the three interconnected pillars of her work: culture strategy, top team development, and executive coaching. She shares why "customization" is really about respect, how honoring what's real (including the confidence dip every new executive faces) builds trust faster, and why leadership is never just a job — it's an expression of soul that shapes the "dinner table conversations" people have about their leaders. The conversation closes with reflections on legacy, what's next for Pamela's practice, and a simple, powerful test for leaders: if there were a one-way camera on you, would you be proud of the footage?

Connect with Pamela Mattsson:

LinkedIn: search Pamela Mattsson
Website: pamelamattsson.com

Key Takeaways:

- Culture isn't just values on a wall

- New executives experience a natural dip in confidence and competence when they change roles

- Real coaching work starts with discovery, not a fixed playbook

- Culture change has to start at the top

- A strong executive team is more than a group of strong functional leaders

Episode Chapters:

00:00 — Cold Open & Episode Preview

00:55 — Meet Pamela Mattsson

02:14 — Pamela's Origin Story: From Typing Psych Reports to Studying Resilience

03:23 — The Drive to Keep Learning

04:36 — From Building Amazon's Program to Independent Practice

06:41 — What Makes Her Coaching Approach Different: Partnership Over Playbook

09:34 — The Three Buckets of Her Work: Culture Strategy

11:48 — Top Team Development

13:25 — Executive Coaching, Tied Back to the Team

14:25 — Advice for Leaders Considering This Work

17:44 — Sponsor Break & Show Support (Cozy Earth discount code: LEADWITHHEART)

18:35 — What Inspires Pamela + The "One-Way Camera" Test

20:17 — Defining Legacy

21:22 — What's Next for Pamela

22:59 — The Book in Progress, and Where to Find Pamela

23:53 — Closing Thoughts & Sign-Off

219: The Swiss Army Captain Who Changed the Olympics with Victor Bergonzoli Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

Victor Bergonzoli is the CEO of SportsEdTV and a longtime entrepreneur in sports technology and education. He previously co-founded Dartfish, helping grow the company globally through sales, partnerships, and business development.

Known as a natural networker and dealmaker, Victor has spent more than 25 years connecting people, companies, and opportunities across sports, technology, media, and education.

A former Swiss national-level weightlifter and Swiss Army captain, he now leads SportsEdTV with a mission to make world-class sports knowledge accessible to everyone.

Connect with Victor Bergonzoli:

- LinkedIn: Victor Bergonzoli

- Email: victor@sportsedtv.com

- Website: sportsedtv.com

Episode Summary:

Victor Bergonzoli's path to the Olympics didn't start with a broadcast deal — it started with a bag of VHS tapes and the nerve to knock on an NBC trailer door. In this episode, Victor traces his journey from competitive weightlifting in Switzerland to co-founding Dartfish, the video technology behind the "simulcam" effect used in Olympic broadcasts and now used by 70% of Olympic medal winners. He shares how relentless listening — not flashy technology — built the trust that got him in front of NBC, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and coaches worldwide. Victor also opens up about why he left Dartfish to found SportsEdTV, a free platform built to bring high-quality sports coaching and education to every athlete, parent, and coach — not just the elite. The conversation closes on what really drives him: family, helping others, and the moments when the work changes someone's life.

Key Takeaways:

- Listen before you build.

- Relationships open doors.

- Honesty builds trust fast.

- Keep it simple.

- Quality beats quantity.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Cold open — three things you'll learn

00:33 Welcome to Heartbeat for Hire & guest introduction

01:41 Victor's origin story: Swiss weightlifting and an early love of sports

02:48 Discovering "simulcam" technology in India — the spark for Dartfish

04:02 Breaking into Olympic broadcasting: the NBC "Video Finish" trailer story

05:37 Partnering with the U.S. Olympic Committee and scaling through trust

06:31 Why listening — not selling — is the real skill

09:41 What Dartfish became: from broadcast tech to coaching tool to VAR

10:55 Why Victor left Dartfish to found SportsEdTV

12:04 The personal story behind SportsEdTV: his son, lacrosse, and bad YouTube content

13:01 Building a trusted brand: 800+ cinema-quality videos and 1,800 articles

15:41 Sponsor break (Cozy Earth)

16:22 What inspires Victor: family, travel, and helping people

17:29 Legacy: the Olympic gold medalist story that still gives him chills

19:05 What's next: Chicago Public Schools and the Shape America partnership

20:08 Where to find Victor: LinkedIn, email, and sportsedtv.com

20:42 Final thoughts for listeners

218: Stop Blaming Strategy It's Your Subconscious with Annie Yatch Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Annie Yatch is the Chief Transformation Officer at Northstar Leadership, helping high-achieving entrepreneurs and executives break through subconscious patterns that limit their leadership potential and financial success. With over 15 years of experience guiding leaders through transformative change, Annie combines elite performance strategies with deep neurological and emotional intelligence work to fast-track personal and professional breakthroughs.

Annie's unique methodology connects the dots between unresolved trauma, leadership performance, and business growth. By identifying blind spots in the subconscious and rewiring neural pathways, she helps clients achieve remarkable results in their businesses and lives.

Connect with Annie Yatch:

Website: reinventionxo.com

Instagram: @reinventionxo.annie

LinkedIn: Annie Yatch

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Lyndsay Dowd welcomes back Annie Yatch — a former Defense Intelligence Agency-affiliated counter-terrorism analyst turned subconscious pattern-breaking expert for high-achieving entrepreneurs. Annie shares her unconventional path from government intelligence work to leading anti-piracy operations alongside Navy SEALs, and finally to building a methodology that helps entrepreneurs identify and dissolve the subconscious blocks capping their income, leadership, and relationships.

The conversation dives deep into why willpower alone is an unreliable strategy for growth, how an unregulated nervous system silently limits revenue, and why a spouse or partner can become either an entrepreneur's greatest asset or their greatest liability. Annie also shares candid stories from her own 15-year marriage to a Navy SEAL, client success stories involving multi-million-dollar breakthroughs, and what she's building next — including her group coaching program, The Authority Shift, and an upcoming women's retreat in Croatia.

Key Takeaways:

- Willpower runs out.

- Your nervous system can cap your income.

- Home life impacts business.

- Instability comes from feeling unseen.

- Not everyone should be an entrepreneur.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 — Intro: Three things you'll learn in this episode

00:40 — Welcome to Heartbeat for Hire

00:55 — Introducing Annie Yatch

01:32 — Annie's origin story: from CIA rejection to finding her purpose

02:20 — What is the DIA? Life as a counter-terrorism liaison

03:14 — Leading anti-piracy missions with Navy SEALs (Jerry Bruckheimer & Disney)

04:02 — Annie's three companies: youth leadership, defensive fitness, and SEAL Team Leaders

04:56 — Starting over after divorce: building a 1:1 coaching practice

05:30 — Relationships as assets vs. liabilities

07:00 — When a partner becomes a liability

09:29 — Understanding willpower: why it's the wrong tool for lasting change

12:04 — How the nervous system quietly caps your income

14:16 — Annie's own story: calming her nervous system with her Navy SEAL ex-husband

15:46 — Are some people just not cut out to be entrepreneurs?

16:31 — Sponsor break: Cozy Earth (code LEADWITHHEART)

17:24 — What inspires Annie

17:53 — Annie's legacy: raising kids to be unapologetically themselves

18:40 — Where to find Annie (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, website)

19:10 — The Authority Shift group coaching program

20:16 — What's next: client visits and a 2027 women's retreat in Dubrovnik, Croatia

20:40 — Final message: self-awareness work isn't hard, it's fun

21:18 — Client success stories: a $20M deal and finding $750K in hidden business value

22:16 — Closing and thank-you

217: Two Careers, One Kitchen Table Truth with Carla Hall & Deborah Grayson Riegel Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

Carla Hall is a celebrated chef, TV personality, and author known for her appearances on Top Chef and The Chew. With her signature catchphrase "Hootie Hoo!" and infectious warmth, Carla has built a career on making cooking—and life—more joyful and accessible. She brings her culinary expertise and authentic personality to The MeMenu, transforming complex personal development concepts into digestible, actionable steps.

Deborah Grayson Riegel is a leadership communication expert, executive coach, and Wharton School faculty member. With a Master's degree in Applied Positive Psychology and decades of experience coaching executives, Deb brings research-backed methodologies and practical tools to The MeMenu. Her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Psychology Today.

Website: https://www.thememenu.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H6WPBR7D

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Lyndsay sits down with two powerhouse women: Carla Hall, Top Chef fan favorite and former co-host of The Chew, and Deborah Grayson Riegel (Deb), a Wharton professor, executive coach, and author. Together they've written The Me Menu, a book that uses a cooking analogy — recipes, flavors, and mise en place — to help women over 50 (and anyone ready to join them) put themselves first and lead their own next chapter with what they call "main dish energy." Carla and Deb share the story of how they connected, what's inside the book, what inspires them, and the legacy they each hope to leave.

Key Takeaways:

- Self-development doesn't need to feel like a chore.

- You don't need one big life overhaul.

- You are already enough.

- Staying connected doesn't take hours.

- Fun and rigor aren't opposites.

- Put yourself on the menu.

Episode Chapters:

0:00 Cold open: the cooking analogy behind The Me Menu

0:57 Welcome to Heartbeat for Hire

1:09 Meet Carla Hall & Deb Riegel

2:17 How Carla and Deb connected