From facing jail time and bankruptcy to owning a stake in a professional sports team with an NBA championship ring, Joel Steele's journey proves that your lowest moments can become your greatest catalysts.

In this week's episode of Get Yourself Optimized, Joel shares the exact framework that took him from $500,000 in debt at age 24 to financial independence in under two years. His "Life Switch" methodology isn't about positive thinking—it's about tuning into the emotions most people suppress and using them as your personal roadmap.

Key insights you'll discover:

✅ Why your uncomfortable emotions are "gold" (and how to decode them)

✅ The two-step success formula Joel used to escape bankruptcy

✅ How to delete doubt the same way you skip a bad song

✅ The 3 P's that power transformation: Potential, Passion, Purpose

Joel didn't get lucky. He got intentional. And he's breaking down exactly how he did it.

The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/551.

What if the key to better decisions isn't just willpower—it's how we support our daily performance?

I just interviewed James Schmachtenberger, co-founder of Neurohacker Collective and creator of Qualia, who went from severe adrenal failure at 21 to pioneering a new approach to human optimization.

After a life-changing experimental IV therapy in Mexico transformed his brain function, James asked himself a powerful question: 'Could we make cutting-edge cognitive enhancement accessible to everyone—not just those who can afford $250K/year in precision medicine?'

The answer led to a complete reimagining of supplement science, using complex systems modeling rather than the standard "one problem, one pill" approach.

James found that when he started exploring nootropics during his burnout period, they helped give him the foundation to start making better choices in exercise, nutrition, and other areas of life—creating powerful compounding effects.

If you've ever felt like you're capable of more but can't consistently access that potential, this conversation will give you a completely new framework

The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/550.

The IRS has a new weapon: AI Audits that move at lightning speed

And most taxpayers have no idea it's coming.

Here's what's happening: The IRS is using artificial intelligence to match 1099s and other reported income against tax returns. When there's a mismatch, you get a letter—but here's the catch: you might have only 5 days left to respond by the time it reaches your mailbox.

Don't respond in time? They can freeze your bank account faster than you can say "tax audit."

I just released the Get Yourself Optimized episode with Diane Kennedy, a CPA who's been in the tax strategy game for decades. She's seeing the AI audit revolution firsthand—and she's here to help you navigate it (and save money in the process).

Diane's philosophy is simple: The same legal tax strategies available to billionaires should be available to everyone. The difference? Knowledge and implementation.

Financial stress blocks your potential. When you're constantly worried about money or caught off guard by tax problems, there's less bandwidth for personal growth, health optimization, and the things that actually matter.

This episode gives you concrete actions to reduce your tax burden legally, protect your assets, and free up money to invest in yourself.

The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/549.

What if you could give yourself an extra week every year?

That's exactly what my guest, Sam Richter, did by automating just ONE repetitive task in his business.

Sam, a keynote speaker and AI-powered sales intelligence pioneer, discovered that by creating a custom AI assistant for his presentation slides, he reduced his prep time from 25 minutes to 5 minutes per presentation. Across 100 presentations per year, that's 2,000 minutes saved—essentially a free 53rd week in his year.

In this Get Yourself Optimized episode, Sam breaks down:

✅ The GUIDE framework for writing prompts that reduce AI hallucinations

✅ Why treating AI like an intern gets better outcomes than treating it like a search engine

✅ How a retail company used AI to optimize staffing in under 5 minutes (a task that would have taken days manually)

✅ The difference between traditional AI and generative AI—and why it matters

✅ Custom GPTs, system prompts, and memory features that personalize your AI experience

This isn't about replacing humans—it's about amplifying what makes us human. What repetitive task in your business could you automate this week?

The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/548.

Ever feel like you're fighting battles that aren't truly yours?

You probably are.

Emunah Love just explained in Get Yourself Optimized that most of us carry cellular imprints from ancestors, past lives, and childhood trauma that create invisible ceilings—and we don't even know they're there.

Traditional therapy helps you manage these patterns. Emunah clears them at the root.

Her journey started with profound trauma. Father was killed by the police at age 8. Emotionally unavailable mother. A world that felt fundamentally unsafe. But she had this unwavering faith that kept her searching for "more."

During a trip to Israel, she met a stranger named Emunah (Hebrew for "faith"). Her body lit up like firecrackers. She instantly knew: That's my real name. That's who I am.

Fast forward 30 years of healing work, and she's now channeling high-vibration beings to help leaders transmute energetic blocks in single sessions. Her clients report shifts that years of traditional approaches couldn't touch.

She intentionally creates outcomes BEFORE they happen. Before traveling, she visualizes smooth flights, amazing conversations, and perfect timing. Before seeing family, she surrounds everyone in love and sees a joyful connection. Then she shows up fully present to experience what her intention created.

It works. Every. Single. Time.

If you're ready to see what's been running in the background and finally break free, this episode is essential. Listen now!

The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/547.

What if your best marketing decisions came from a place beyond data and analytics?

In this week's episode of Get Yourself Optimized, I sit down with Ava Carmichael, a digital marketing strategist who reveals how she combines intuition, data, and experience to create breakthrough marketing strategies for her clients.

Ava shares the turning point when she realized she was splitting her energy between fashion design and marketing, giving each only 50%. The moment she made a clear, committed decision to focus entirely on marketing, everything exploded: her career, her income, and her impact.

Here's what you'll discover:

→ The three-pronged approach to developing marketing intuition

→ Why quality content beats SEO technicalities every time

→ How to distinguish genuine intuitive guidance from fear-based thinking

→ The power of making a 100% committed decision in your career

→ Why video content is becoming non-negotiable for brands

If you've been hedging your bets or splitting your focus between multiple paths, this episode will give you the clarity and courage to go all-in on what truly lights you up!

The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/546.

In the "wisdom economy," ideas aren't the bottleneck. Engagement is.

In Get Yourself Optimized, I sit down with Matt Church (Sydney-based leadership thinker, creator of the Pink Sheet Process, author of Rise Up: An Evolution in Leadership) to unpack a practical framework for turning messy thinking into clear, high-impact communication.

A few highlights:

• "Someone's attention is the currency, not my ideas."

• Why the best leaders charge for experiences, not ideas

• How one Pink Sheet can become a book, short video, or social post—without starting from scratch

If you lead teams, sell expertise, or build a personal brand, this episode is a direct hit.

Listen to Episode 545 and then do one thing: try a Pink Sheet today.

The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/545.

The sources of your biggest pain are also your greatest teachers.

In this episode of Get Yourself Optimized, I sat down with Matt Diggity, a well-known SEO entrepreneur who's now on a profound journey of inner exploration.

We dive deep into why anxiety creeps up so gradually that you don't recognize it, how IFS therapy rewrites the emotional impact of past trauma, and the power of resonant breathing to release tension in real-time. Matt also shares an extraordinary experience where he and a friend shared the same psychedelic vision, and why going more analog matters in an increasingly digital world. Tune in!

The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/544.

The "success lie" nearly destroyed this award-winning entrepreneur's life—until a blackout on an airplane forced her to face the truth.

Janelle Bruland had it all: a thriving multi-state business, three daughters, and the appearance of having life "figured out." But when she lost time during a flight and underwent a brain scan, doctors discovered classic PTSD symptoms—her amygdala was "lit up like New York Times Square."

What she learned changed everything about how she leads, lives, and defines success.

In our latest episode, Janelle reveals why society's definition of success keeps us overwhelmed and exhausted, and how unresolved trauma shows up as invisible barriers to authentic leadership. She shares the framework she created to move from overwhelmed to inner peace, and explains why accepting the present moment "as if you had chosen it" is transformative.

One of the most powerful moments comes when she describes the divine message at a funeral that led her to spend her precious final years with her father, traveling together and creating memories that became priceless when he suddenly passed away from cancer.

This is one of the most vulnerable, powerful conversations about the intersection of success, trauma, and spiritual awakening. Tune in!

The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/543.

Most people don't realize they enter trance states multiple times every day.

Ever drive home and can't remember the journey? Get so absorbed in work that you don't hear someone calling your name? That's your subconscious mind taking over—and it's the same state hypnotherapists use to create lasting change.

In this Get Yourself Optimized episode, my wife, Orion Talmay, reveals how she helps clients access their subconscious to heal beliefs formed decades ago. These aren't beliefs you can just "think" your way out of—they're patterns wired into your neural connections through repeated experiences.

Orion explains:

→ How metaphors and symbols speak directly to your subconscious

→ Why healing one root memory creates a ripple effect across your entire life

→ The difference between stage hypnosis and therapeutic hypnosis

→ What makes someone ready for transformational change

She also shares her three top tips for living a stellar life: practicing gratitude to shift your state, grounding in nature to balance your energy, and cleaning house in your relationships.

If you're ready to understand why some patterns persist despite your best conscious efforts, this conversation will illuminate the path forward.

The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/542.