Forging Mettle Podcast

So often we silence ourselves at work, at home or out in the world for one reason or another. Approval from others, lack of confidence in our ideas and convictions, or maybe we just misplaced the tools to simply speak out effectively in that meeting at work. That silence however can actually cause us physical, emotional and mental pain that manifests in a myriad of ways. Not to mention - creating missed and meaningful opportunities for us.

Rachel Druckenmiller shares her story of living a "muted life" only to be pushed to a place of desperately needing to change that. And so she did. She now spends her time and expertise helping others embrace how to trust their true voice and make that voice heard. This is not only how we influence, but also how we stay aligned with who we genuinely are. Finding and nurturing that alignment within ourselves can be a freeing feeling - leading to less stress, less anxiety, deeper connections, and a more fulfilled life.

Rachel is the Founder of UNMUTED and works with teams, leaders and individuals manage stress and anxiety in the workplace with trainings and coaching in unique ways that help with productivity, reconnection, care, resilience and hope within the workplace. All key elements for leaders going forward when it comes to increasing retention in today's workforce.

SHOW NOTES:

Work with Rachel: www.unmutedlife.com

Connect with Rachel:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelbdruckenmiller/

Book to read to help you find and use your voice:  "Steal the Show" by Michael Port   https://www.amazon.com/Steal-Show-Interviews-Deal-Closing-Performances/dp/1501222082

What does it mean to 'Forge an Unbeatable Mind'? Can we actually 'thrive' in a VUCA World (one of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity & Ambiguity)?  Retired Navy Seal Commander Mark Divine has practiced a lifetime of martial arts, EMDR and CBT therapy, military training, visualization and trauma healing (these are only the tip of the iceberg) and now through his teachings and training he is able to share and help others implement what he has learned for creating a 'better life' through controlling how we perceive our reality and handle stress and uncertainty.

He spent  years as a Navy Seal Commander and is the Creator of SealFit and Unbeatable Mind. Mark has been helping people transform their lives through his books and programs for decades.

Website and how to work with Mark Divine -  https://unbeatablemind.com/about-mark-divine/ 

Books:

Unbeatable Mind: Forge Resiliency and Mental Toughness to Succeed at an Elite Level  -  https://www.amazon.com/Unbeatable-Mind-Resiliency-Toughness-Succeed/dp/B00UNYMSR6/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=mark+divine&qid=1625845183&sr=8-2

The Way of the SEAL: Think like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed  -  https://www.amazon.com/The-Way-of-SEAL-audiobook/dp/B07DKJQN7D/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=mark+divine&qid=1625845183&sr=8-4

The divorce rate is rising in the United States as we start to surface from the pandemic. This week we speak with a career-woman that shares her thoughts on how important it is to your career...that you choose your partner (or next partner) wisely. Erika Armstrong has married and divorced, raised children of her own and climbed to the top of a successful career as an aviation pilot. Her thoughts on "having it all" might surprise you. She will tell you that it's not exactly possible to 'have it all', but she'll also give you a new way of seeing that idea that may be necessary for success. This is a great message for any man or woman who 'wants it all' but is concerned over what that might mean.

We also talk to Erika today about what it was like rising to the top of a male dominated industry, where the airline industry is headed today now that ppl are traveling again, and how to find work-life balance between family and career.

Show Notes:

Erika Armstrong - https://www.linkedin.com/in/achickinthecockpitb727/

Website - https://achickinthecockpit.com/

Her Book - "A Chick in the Cockpit" - In the high stakes, ego-driven world of aviation, this is an extraordinary best-selling true story of how a level-headed, self-deprecating woman with an aviation addiction finds herself in jail, her baby ripped from her arms, her piloting career taken away, and every feasible exit leading to a very dark place.

https://www.amazon.com/Chick-Cockpit-My-Life-Air/dp/B087C48N9B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35UHPE5EH7IZE&dchild=1&keywords=a+chick+in+the+cockpit&qid=1625026381&sprefix=a+chick+in+the+cock%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-1

When stress, challenges and uncertainty come into our lives, Rich Diviney believes our skills take a back stage and it is our attributes that shine (for better or worse). Perhaps attributes we never knew we had, perhaps ones we wish we didn't. What are attributes? How can we define them? Grow and develop them? Most importantly, how can we become self aware around how we're showing up in stressful situations? Author of the book: "The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance", Rich Diviney takes us on a journey of understanding the science behind how our daily challenges (from a global pandemic to a difficult conversation with someone) can show us a lot about who we are and who we can become.

Show Notes: 

Rich Diviney Website: https://theattributes.com/ 

Book - "The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance" by Rich Diviney - https://www.amazon.com/Attributes-Hidden-Drivers-Optimal-Performance/dp/B08BGBWHWG/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=rich+diviney&qid=1624418295&sr=8-

What's the meaning of everything that's happened in all of our lives this past year and half throughout the course of the pandemic? Some of us have thought about what we've gained during this time, but more often most of us have felt a lot more around what we've lost (understandably). We may not even use the word "loss" for what we're feeling but this discussion with 'loss and healing' expert, Melissa Douaire, will show that there is some real processing we all need to make space for if we want to flourish moving forward. This is not a conversation meant just for home life...Melissa actually focuses her work with leaders in the workplace and their new responsibilities going forward.

Show Notes:

Melissa Douaire - LinkedIn

Website: www.wholepersonconversations.com

This week we wrestle with the commonly held belief that reaching the top requires taking no prisoners and vanquishing foes on the journey upward. How important is good character to high performance? The data that Jim Loehr and his team have collected might surprise you. Do nice gals and guys really finish last? 

Show notes:

Dr. Loehr has worked with hundreds of world-class performers from the arenas of sport, business, medicine and law enforcement, including Fortune 100 executives, FBI Hostage Rescue Teams, and military Special Forces.

Corporate clients of the Institute represent hundreds of Fortune 500 companies, including Procter & Gamble, The Estée Lauder Companies, FBI, GlaxoSmithKline, PepsiCo, and Citigroup Smith Barney.

Dr. Loehr has worked with hundreds of elite sports clients including 17 number ones in the world in their respective sports, multiple clients from professional tennis, golf, basketball, football, hockey, boxing, race car driving and the Olympics. He has applied his methodology to both individuals and entire teams.

Jim Loehr website

"Open: An Autobiography" by Andre Agassi

"Power of Full Engagement" by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

"The New Toughness Training for Sports" by Jim Loehr

"Leading with Character" by Jim Loehr

What is it that world-class athletes tap into, or that the leading names in business are able to harness in order to reach excellence?  Are us everyday people, parents, managers and entrepreneurs able to do something similar...to tap into that type of excellence ourselves?  Or are the top 1% of successful people just born 'GREAT' and the rest of us have to settle for just being 'GOOD'?

What if we could ALL maximize our physical, mental and social potential using the same tools that the top 1% utilize.  Dr. Kumar Mehta takes us on a journey this week into the world of excellence and explains how he helps everyday people become the best of the best in their relative fields of interest.

Show Notes:

Website:  KumarMehta.com   Learn more about elite performance coaching and speaking opportunities.

Twitter: @MehtaKumar

Email: [email protected]

Books by Dr. Kumar Mehta: 

- The Exceptionals: How the best become the best and how you can too

- The Innovation Biome: A sustained business environment where innovation thrives

Find out why we all need mental toughness in our lives, how we can develop it and what exactly it is. With it we have more success, more fulfillment in life, less stress, anxiety and fear. Can we assess how mentally tough we are - we can. Do women or men score higher on these assessments - one of the genders does. Listen to find out and learn more as we dig in on the topic with expert Doug Strycharczyk.

Doug is the CEO of AQR and for AQR International – Founded in 1989, AQR is now recognized as one of the most innovative (and fast growing) test publishers in the world working in more than 80 countries.

AQR established its reputation initially as a leader in Team Building and leadership development. Doug’s work has been featured on BBC Television where Prof John Adair described the material as “highly effective.”

In recent years, Doug has worked with Professor Peter Clough to define mental toughness and to create the world’s leading measure of mental toughness. Doug is now recognized as a leading authority on the application of mental toughness to the worlds of work, education, sport as well as social applications. His expertise is focused on helping organizations develop performance, increase retention and employee engagement and more effectively dealing with issues such as bullying and the impact of change.

Doug has more than 30 years expertise in a variety of Line, HR & Consultancy roles with a number of blue chip businesses. Doug’s areas of expertise also include Organizational Development, Senior Management/Leadership Development and Top Team Assessment.

Show notes:

AQR International

"Mental Toughness and the Sexes" (Blog post)

"Developing Mental Toughness: Coaching Strategies to Improve Performance, Resilience and Wellbeing" (Book)

Our guest this week refused to allow childhood adversity turn her into a victim. She changed the story, and she now helps others do the same. She believes caring for others can move the needle in the right direction. Treating people with respect, empowering them, and letting them know they matter will make them "go to the N-th degree" to return the favor.

Show notes:

Heather R. Younger is an experienced keynote speaker, two-time author, and the CEO and Founder of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement, leadership development, and DEI consulting firm, where she is on a mission to help leaders understand the power they possess to ensure people feel valued at work.

Known as The Employee WhispererTM, Heather harnesses humor, warmth, and an instant relatability to engage and uplift audiences and inspire them into action.

Rooted in her belief that employees aren’t just numbers on the payroll but human beings with ideas that matter, Heather’s talks and workshops are dedicated to helping teams, leaders, and organizations shine by improving how they listen to, communicate with, and empower employees.

Heather's website

Get her book, "The Art of Caring Leadership: How Leading with Heart Uplifts Teams and Organizations"

TEDx Talk, "Transforming Adversity into Opportunity"

This week Ron & Tara talk about the topic that is EVERYWHERE right now.  "Burnout"

Stress, anxiety, exhaustion, productivity, motivation, purpose, rest.  These are all on the table today as each of them are experienced by each and everyone of us, regardless of how much we try to fight, ignore or push through them.  What we'll talk about today is that there are ways to manage each of them in order to thrive...rather than just survive.  Managing the factors that contribute to burnout just requires a set of tools.  Tools we can add to our Mental Toughness toolkit...and tools that anyone and everyone can learn.  We just need to be open to changing our go-to behaviors and build new ones that will serve us in more beneficial ways. Grab a pen and paper and an an open mind and see if you can snag one, just one, new habit to incorporate into your daily life when it comes to utilizing mental toughness to manage your burnout.  

Show Notes:

Work w/ Us - click here

Podcast #5 | John Fitch | Creating a rest ethic to match your work ethic

Book: Time Off by John Fitch

Podcast #19 | Patrick Sweeney | Changing the narrative about fear

Book: Fear is Fuel by Patrick Sweeney

Book: Your Time to Thrive by Arianna Huffington

Book: Own the Day, Own your Life by Aubrey Marcus

Book: Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, PhD

ForgingMettlePodcast.com

Forging Mettle Workshop on June 10th, 2021: Working w/ Stress, Anxiety & Fear for a Better Life