Dr. Laurel Mellin is a health psychologist who founded and developed emotional brain training (EBT). She is an associate clinical professor of family and community medicine and pediatrics at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Mellin has authored papers on the science and efficacy of EBT and is a New York Times bestselling author of four books on the method. 

Stress and trauma—especially from early childhood—can create survival circuits in the brain, which drive coping mechanisms such as overworking, emotional withdrawal, and unhealthy habits like overeating or excessive perfectionism. Most people, particularly those in their 40s and 50s, often feel emotionally drained and disconnected because of stress. Dr. Laurel describes five levels of stress in the brain, from a calm, connected state (Level 1) to a stressed-out state (Level 5), where the emotional brain takes over. EBT helps shift individuals from a higher stress level to a more positive, calm state, where they can make better decisions.

The emotional brain influences decision-making and relationships, and simply relying on logic and hard work isn't enough to address deep emotional needs. Emotional well-being requires addressing the emotional circuits that control our reactions and behaviors. The goal of EBT is to teach individuals how to rewire these circuits for better emotional regulation, so they can improve their mental health, have stronger relationships, and overall life satisfaction.

EBT, as Dr Mellin says, helps in weight reducing and her idea with integrative approach—featuring small groups, app support, and telephone coaching—sets it apart from traditional psychotherapy.

Let’s see what is in our brains so we can live happier lives!

Dr. Laurel Mellin is a health psychologist who founded and developed emotional brain training (EBT). She is an associate clinical professor of family and community medicine and pediatrics at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Mellin has authored papers on the science and efficacy of EBT and is a New York Times bestselling author of four books on the method. 

Stress and trauma—especially from early childhood—can create survival circuits in the brain, which drive coping mechanisms such as overworking, emotional withdrawal, and unhealthy habits like overeating or excessive perfectionism. Most people, particularly those in their 40s and 50s, often feel emotionally drained and disconnected because of stress. Dr. Laurel describes five levels of stress in the brain, from a calm, connected state (Level 1) to a stressed-out state (Level 5), where the emotional brain takes over. EBT helps shift individuals from a higher stress level to a more positive, calm state, where they can make better decisions.
The emotional brain influences decision-making and relationships, and simply relying on logic and hard work isn't enough to address deep emotional needs. Emotional well-being requires addressing the emotional circuits that control our reactions and behaviors. The goal of EBT is to teach individuals how to rewire these circuits for better emotional regulation, so they can improve their mental health, have stronger relationships, and overall life satisfaction.

EBT, as Dr Mellin says, helps in weight reducing and her idea with integrative approach—featuring small groups, app support, and telephone coaching—sets it apart from traditional psychotherapy.
Let’s see what is in our brains so we can live happier lives!

Links:

Brain Training: www.ebtconnect.net

Books: www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APE9YS/allbooks
Connect with Jennifer: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com

Retreats: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com/our-retreat

Join our Academy: www.jenniferdawnacademy.com

Burnout is preventable. It's within our control to take action and prioritize self-care.

Dr. Nekeshia Hammond is a leadership development coach, mental wellness expert, and keynote motivational speaker who helps high performers navigate burnout, exhaustion, and resiliency. In this episode, she dives deep into the importance of self-care for maintaining mental, physical, and emotional well-being. It is important to recognize burnout and find personal ways to reset, it with the help of support. Jen and Dr. Nakeshia challenge the outdated "go, go, go" mentality and encourage us to embrace a more balanced approach to life, where self-care is not just an option, but a priority.

Dr. Nekeshia explains that the ‘baby steps approach’ is the only way to get lasting results. Women must overcome any guilt tied to self-care. If you’re feeling burned out and overwhelmed, taking small, but intentional steps each day will lead to lasting change and help you rediscover your balance and well-being. All of which is crucial for business owners. 

🔥 Dr. Nekeshia teaches burnout prevention to many different organizations. 3:57
👣 Taking baby steps - 60 seconds a day: do what is sustainable so that action becomes a habit over time. 8:46
🧠 With baby steps you're creating a habit: your mind and body will start to crave that time. 10:59
🥰 A commitment to self-care can positively impact not just you, but the people around you.13:36
3️ The three questions that will help you improve your life. 15:46
🥇 Do what you can at the time: it's about celebrating the small wins. 18:24
🔋 Your physical and mental health needs to find a reset, a recharge. 23:13
🎯 You don't have to do this alone: it's ok to get the help of a mental health professional or a coach. 26:03
🌺 Importance of zo

Links:

Website: www.drnekeshiahammond.com

Connect: www.linkedin.com/in/drnekeshiahammond
Connect with Jennifer: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com

Retreats: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com/our-retreat

Join our Academy: www.jenniferdawnacademy.com

Businesses suffer when their owners do not prioritize their health.

Ellen Goldman, M.Ed., NBC-HWC, PCC, is a wellness coach, healthy lifestyle and weight loss coach, speaker, and author. She is passionate about serving others and helping them achieve their health and wellness goals.

Ellen explains that the real challenge lies in behavior change. Many people attempt to overhaul their lifestyles, but this approach often leads to burnout and failure. The key is mindset and motivation, which serve as the foundation for lasting change.

Ellen introduces her MAP framework—Mindset, Awareness, and Preparation—as the blueprint for sustainable health habits. The first step is shifting your mindset from "I don't have time for self-care" to "I make time for self-care."

Ellen also explains success in weight loss differently. It is a result of correcting overall lifestyle imbalances—such as stress, sleep, and exercise—rather than simply restricting food intake.

Start with small, manageable changes and embrace a mindset of long-term health; this will lead to both personal fulfillment and business success.

Show notes:

🤓 Ellen always knew she would end up working in health and wellness. 02:18

⚖️ Her mom's challenges with weight and how they affected her. 03:49

👩‍💼 Every business owner is the CEO - the Chief Everything Officer. 08:17

🧠 You have to start with a mindset: the first thing that has to change is your approach. 11:35

⚠️ You can have the best time management, but if you do not have the energy to execute, nothing will change. 13:51

🎯 Your motivator which will become the nonnegotiable, has to be connected with your values. 16:07

🕵️‍♀️ The awareness comes from watching your habits. 18:52

😇 Using your strengths to solve problems: what works for me may not work for everybody. 23:39

🌟 Create a business that fits into the lifestyle you want, so you can have more freedom. 26:48

🌸 Ellen's course is geared around weight loss: weight gain is the result of a lifestyle that's out of whack. 29:50

Links:
Website: www.EllenGCoaching.com    

Course:  https://www.ellengcoaching.com/migclass/

Coupon Code for $125 off — HAPPYPRODUCTIVE

Book: https://a.co/d/0iCtCird

Connect with Jennifer: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com

Retreats: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com/our-retreat

Join our Academy: www.jenniferdawnacademy.com 

 Achieving success in any area—health, career, or relationships—requires consistent, intentional actions over time.

Drewbie Wilson is the CEO of Call the Damn Leads, a bestselling author, podcaster, consultant and mentor. He inspires leaders to become the most elite version of themselves.

Drewbie shares his transformation story from weighing over 300 pounds to losing 100 pounds—not just once, but twice. "The truth will set you free, even if it hurts sometimes," explaining how tough love from his wife and friend helped him change his unhealthy habits. He found the inspiration for this drastic change in entrepreneurial communities and motivational resources. He also developed the "Four Sixes Strategy"—a concept for balanced success that divides each day’s 24 hours into four parts: six hours for sleep, six for family or relationships, six for business, and six for self-care.

Since time is the one resource you can't buy more of, Drewbie shares insights on how we lose available time, how to audit your schedule to grow your business effectively, and tips on making each business day more impactful.

You can live whatever life you want if you're willing to do the work and make it sustainable.

Notes:
🤓 Success is a perspective: Drewbie helps people figure out their version of a successful life. 2:52
💪 How Drewbie lost 100 pounds  - twice! 4:15
🎯 If it's not getting you the desired result, it's okay to stop and reassess where you are on your journey. 6:16
😍 How you receive it, is the difference between feedback and criticism. 9:38
4️⃣ x 6️⃣ The four sixes: sleep, family, business, and ourselves. 13:48
🤔 Time management: what's holding us back because we've prioritized the wrong things. 17:25
⏰ If you want to understand priorities and time management - do a time study, and do an audit. 19:10
🥅 Methods are many, principles are few; methods may vary, but principles never do. 24:03
😇 When you fire a bad client, two more good ones always find their way. 29:28

Links:

Website: www.drewbiewilson.com

Books: www.callthedamnleads.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorjEN6oM65MshahinNyHNek7LEjZToFgXe4HqVapgX2EQeBhaOx
Connect with Jennifer: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com

Retreats: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com/our-retreat

Join our Academy: www.jenniferdawnacademy.com 

 If you don’t have a way to receive honest feedback, you’re missing out on the opportunity to become the leader you could be.

Beate Cheleete is a podcast host, facilitator, author, business and growth strategist, and founder of "The Woman’s Code." She offers practical strategies, blueprints, and tools to enhance women’s leadership skills and amplify their impact. Beate simplifies complex processes into repeatable steps, helping women turn their talents into thriving businesses and seize career opportunities.

Beate shares her story, starting as a photographer in Germany and eventually selling her business for millions to Bill Gates. Now, she helps business owners develop systems and strategies to grow and scale their businesses. She explains what the Five-Star Success Blueprint is, why simplicity and clarity in business offers matter, and why business owners should adjust pricing, refine branding, and be flexible based on current market conditions.

All successful business owners often have a spiritual practice, which aligns with having a strong value system focused on service rather than material gains. Aligning spirituality with strategy always leads to strategic success. The strategy for each is to avoid hiring until you automate—setting up your processes, documents, and the entire system to ensure the work remains relevant and impactful.

Leadership is about showing up in the right way and letting others’ evaluations guide you.

Show notes:

📸 Beate is a growth specialist with a background in creative arts and photography. 01:43

🤯 In a conflicted mindset, there is a double-binding message: a screaming match in your head. 03:50

🎯 Every business owner needs a system to check if their actions are still relevant. 06:49

😇We can choose to know and stay open to receive the information: "If you did know, what would it be?" 10:56

📊 The data tells the story when the branding is misaligned. 15:08

🪬 Successful people always have a spiritual practice: it's the mindset, connectedness to energy, and to each other. 18:47

💻 The best way to build systems, automation and processes is through project management software. 24:50

👩🏻‍💼 Do not attempt a mini-me cloning! "I'm really good at so many things, I just need people who are like me." 27:26

⚠️ Who do I want to be as a leader? How you show up is measured by how others evaluate that. 30:44

🤓 Leading by example is true leadership. 32:24

Links:
Site: www.thewomenscode.com

Personal: www.beatechelette.com

Connect: www.linkedin.com/in/beatechelette 

Connect with Jennifer: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com

Retreats: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com/our-retreat

Join our Academy: www.jenniferdawnacademy.com 

Running the business with the end in mind improves its future saleability and also enhances how the business operates today.

Laurie Barkman, is the CEO of The Business Transition Sherpa, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, and podcast host. She is the former CEO of a $100 million revenue company that was sold to a Fortune 50. Her expertise in business transition, succession, entrepreneurship, marketing, and M&A has been spotlighted in various media like Newsweek, Forbes, Yahoo! Finance, WTAE/abc, and more.

After going through an acquisition herself, she recognized the importance of helping business owners with succession planning and building value proactively. Many business owners don’t consider exit planning early enough and that is a crucial step not only for later-stage companies. The usual scenario is selling when the company is in bad shape is the worst option. Lori offers examples of how business owners can make their business more attractive to buyers and some might be weird to most owners. But the process of preparing your business for sale allows you to leave on your terms, ensuring your legacy continues while you reap the rewards of your hard work.

Show notes:
👠 Laurie's career transition led her to doing transition work with business owners. 2:21
👩🏻‍💼 As a marketing leader for 25+ years, Laurie focused on three pillars: growth, innovation, and transition. 4:18
💲 When should you sell your business? Having a perspective of where you're headed. 7:07
⏰ Timing is everything: Ensure your business is ready to sell at any time. 13:05
⚠️ A business that's too dependent on its owner can't successfully transition to another owner. 17:43
🤓 Make your business an asset: the power of clear identification, documentation, and systems in place. 20:32
🎯 Transition planning: personal readiness, business assessment, and a financial perspective. 23:26
👉🏻 The differences between exit, contingency, and succession. 25:39
🍼 People create their identity around their business: "My business is my baby." 30:11

Links:

Website: www.thebusinesstransitionsherpa.com 

Free Book:  "The Business Transition Handbook”  https://bit.ly/business-transition-book

 Masterclass - get 10% discount at checkout with code: happy10

https://bit.ly/endgame-masterclass-promo
Connect with Jennifer: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com

Retreats: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com/our-retreat

Join our Academy: www.jenniferdawnacademy.com

It's not about fixing emotional eating—it's about loving yourself through it.

Marla Mervis Hartmann, is a coach, TedX speaker and creator of Love Your Body, Love Yourself. She shares her personal journey of struggling with restrictive dieting, over-exercising, and body dissatisfaction despite having a healthy physique. Women face societal pressures and diet culture that often lead to a cycle of criticism and control, particularly as the body changes through different life stages like menopause.

Marla says that all women should practice self-compassion and avoid being overly critical of our bodies. Healing involves slowing down, tuning into what the body truly needs, and addressing underlying fears of acceptance and authenticity. It is very important how we speak to ourselves, what we push into ourselves emotionally because that will reflect on the eating habits. 

Personal stories in this episode are heart-touching and "Death by chocolate," captures the emotional complexities tied to food. Marla shared tips for cultivating self-love and body acceptance. We are all in different shapes and sizes, but what matters is the peace and love you give to yourself. 

Show Notes:
🍇 Marla struggled with a lot of restricting dieting: she was orthorexic, and her food had to look absolutely perfect. 2:59
⚠️ For a lot of people, accepting your body feels like giving up, but acceptance means changing the whole game. 5:42
🤯 Diet culture pushes the narrative that something is wrong with us if we have extra fat. 11:06
🪞 We want to be in control of our bodies in a way that is loving: mirror fasting. 13:19
😇 It's powerful that we can love our bodies as they are: it's not okay to normalize being mean to ourselves. 19:10
👵 How Jennifer's grandma dealt with food. 22:32
🍫 Food helps us deal with our emotions, but it shouldn't be the only thing. 25:57
🍨 We want to change the pattern of jumping over the emotions to get to the food: the reasons we do it. 29:59
⚡ With her clients, Marla would slow down and find the root of the punishment. 34:37

Links:

Website: www.loveyourbodyloveyourself.com/

Free Course: www.goloveyourbodyloveyourself.com/emotionaleating
Connect with Jennifer: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com

Retreats: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com/our-retreat

Join our Academy: www.jenniferdawnacademy.com

We all intuitively feel like we should be doing better, bigger, serving in a greater capacity.

David Conway is the founder of Conway Consulting, a sales and mindset mentor and coach, and he teaches entrepreneurs how to achieve any result that they desire by developing their minds so that we can all live up to our life's full potential. Through leveling up their mindset, business, and results, Dave helps his clients with an action-oriented approach to mindset and sales mentorship.

Dave shares his very painful journey into personal development, which began when he attended a talk by Bob Proctor at the age of 18. However, despite being exposed to these ideas, Dave struggled for 15 years to convert his knowledge into success. Then in 2017 everything changed.

Dave shares how he transformed his life by applying these principles, transitioning from a carpenter earning $5,000 a month to running a successful consulting business making over $4 million annually. He shares his tips on what we can do in just two steps, to get clarity in our thoughts. For every entrepreneur, freedom is crucial, and Dave offers a different view on what freedom means for each business owner. So go get productive and work towards your freedom

Notes:
☹️ Seeing Bob Proctor at 18: intuition, manifestations, and universal laws that didn’t work for Dave. 01:39
🔀 Concept of being Top Heavy: Dave’s complete transformation in just one year. 03:27
👷‍♂️ Dave missed the memo on paradigm and self-image in his life: you can't outwork your belief system. 06:58
📈 Carpenter turned to speaker and coach: earning $400 vs. $20,000 per day. 08:20
🌌 The law of attraction is the binding force of the entire universe: the science behind the law of vibration. 10:32
🤯 The Law of Attraction got destroyed or mixed up by misunderstanding: examples of people using the law to their success. 14:01
⚠️ Playing the blame game:  if you don’t have it mentally—you don’t have it. 16:45
☯️ Changes in Dave’s life are huge: James Allen’s thoughts on changing the inside. 18:16
🧠 How to use the power of your mind in 2 steps: how do you want to live—write it down in 14 days to see patterns 19:38 
2️⃣ Two states we live in: inspiration means being in spirit and who do you inspire in one day? 23:15
⚡ Law of relativity and the law of attraction: levels of understanding and levels of operating of it. 25:29
👔 Processes of refinement in your business: all have their time of revealing. 27:09
😇 The pain of living 15 years without the courage: when all started collapsing. 28:27
👉 Building a successful life can take you out of your comfort zone: how do you know when you're in trouble? 32:11
🫂 The deceptions of an entrepreneur: what is the true freedom of entrepreneurs? 35:20

Links:

Connect with David: www.linkedin.com/in/davidjconway/? 

Website: www.conway.consulting/meet-dave

Instagram: www.instagram.com/conwayconsulting
Connect with Jennifer: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com

Retreats: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com/our-retreat

Join our Academy: www.jenniferdawnacademy.com

Transformation is the change, but we usually get stuck in how to do it.

Cindy Carrillo is the CEO of Finding Your Nxt, a business coach, and a rancher. She shares her journey from being an entrepreneur working with Fortune 500 companies to completely changing her lifestyle by buying a ranch in Colorado.

Cindy started her business, Work Options Group, in the 1980s to help employees balance work and personal life, offering caregiving services that became widely successful over 20 years. After realizing it was time to move on, she sold her company and decided to pursue a long-held dream of living in the country. Cindy found a 35-acre property in the "Little Switzerland of America," built a home from scratch, and developed the sustainable, animal-friendly lifestyle she dreamed of.

On her ranch, Cindy hosts retreats, and one-on-one business coaching sessions that are more effective since nature allows us to more easily connect to our awareness and our whys. Cindy found her dream and is living her values while she helps others find their alignments. 

Show notes:
👩‍💼 Cindy was in the caregiving network business in the 90s: working with big companies and helping people for 20 years. 01:48
👠 Selling the company and having a specific exit experience: from high heels to cowboy boots in the Rocky Mountains. 05:00
⚠️ How do I want to live - designing her lifestyle: sharing the ranch with guests and friends. 10:55
🌻 Coaching from the ranch is so much easier:  getting through the blockages and finding one’s path. 16:02
🌟 Jennifer’s retreats for business owners: it all starts from inside. 20:37
🎯 Transformation requires challenging the status quo and seeking outside help. 22:44
📗 Cindy’s book explains her journey of building a ranch and sharing lessons learned and insights gained. 24:17
▶️ Building businesses with intention: designing your business around your whys. 29:16
✨ Aligning is the head, the heart, and the gut: paying attention to alignments. 35:06

Links:

Website: www.findingyournxt.com 

Book: www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBTKZ2V4? 

Connect with Jennifer: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com

Retreats: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com/our-retreat

Join our Academy: www.jenniferdawnacademy.com

Overwhelm often comes from over-scheduling and bad planning. Katy Allen is the CEO of Artful Agenda & co-founder of Adulting App. She built her business based on her need for a better time management tool and her love for paper planners. 

Creatives and business owners manage a lot of things at once, and proper planning is crucial for productivity, but also for creativity. Katy and Jennifer share their experiences in creating business planners and which tips and tricks you can use to make the best out of your day, week, and year.  They also discuss why gentle structure in scheduling your day is important and allows creativity to flow naturally.

Every day, you must ask yourself what can move the needle in your business, and should be addressed with priority, what can be done later or by someone else? These are all critically important because over-scheduling can damage the business. Use time blocking as a tool to more realistically maintain daily goals and avoid over-commitment.

And don’t forget, if your current methods aren't working, try new ones! Jennifer’s Best Planner Ever is an amazing paper option, and Artful Agenda is an incredible digital option!  Both planners are there to help you tailor the planning system that will fit your unique needs and work style.  Never stop planning!

Notes:
📒 Katy created Artful Agenda in 2018: a planner for busy women. 01:17
💡 From idea to app: needing a cool planner herself, and creating an online paper-appealing planner.  02:03
🌸 How Jennifer created her Best Planner Ever: a paper planner with an amazing design. 05:12
🧁 Custom aesthetics and choosing your layout in the planner: all satisfaction elements Katy uses of task lists, master lists, and stickers. 08:03
😇 Pick a system: choices are numerous; start by using any system so you can get better productivity. 12:05
🌟 ‘Task A’ moves the needle: priority lists are important to get done first and achieve satisfaction in the work you do. 16:14
🤓 Tips for having better productivity during the day: how to make tasks visible for yourself. 18:21
🤹 The power of loose time blocking: having days full of tasks and how to deal with them.  21:58
🔠 Jennifer’s ‘gentle structure’ and ABCDEF system: why rigidity kills your fun and creativity. 24:05
✌️ Being overwhelmed is real: overscheduling and how to use a calendar to properly plan tasks ahead.  29:04

Links

Artful Agenda www.artfulagenda.com

Connect with Katy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artful-katy/
Connect with Jennifer: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com

Retreats: www.jenniferdawncoaching.com/our-retreat

Join our Academy: www.jenniferdawnacademy.com