I am Driven Podcast

We are joined by Anna David, a New York Times bestselling author and accomplished entrepreneur, who shares her powerful journey of transformation and growth. As a first-time mother at 53, Anna offers a unique perspective on navigating motherhood while simultaneously building a successful career. Her story is one of resilience, having overcome significant challenges, including trauma, addiction, and identity struggles, which she openly discusses with vulnerability and insight. Listeners will be captivated by Anna's candid reflections on healing, empathy, and the profound changes she experienced through therapy and self-discovery. Her journey is not only inspiring but also a compelling exploration of how life's challenges can lead to profound personal and professional evolution. Whether you're interested in the transformative power of therapy, the intricacies of relationships, or the balancing act of parenting and entrepreneurship, Anna's story offers invaluable lessons and inspiration.

Kara Macksoud, CEO of Money Habitudes, joins Dr. Doug Brackmann and co-host Rachel Lebowitz to explore the psychology behind our financial behaviors. Kara dives into the complex relationship between money, attitudes, and habits, revealing how our financial decisions are often driven by deeper needs for validation and recognition. She discusses the evolving dynamics of money relationships between men and women, highlighting how these have shifted as women gain more financial independence. Kara also emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s personal motivations around money, particularly in the context of entrepreneurship, where a clear grasp of financial motivations can be a critical factor for success. Kara also shares practical advice on teaching financial literacy to children, stressing the importance of setting boundaries and fostering a healthy relationship with money from an early age. She delves into the concept of financial inflection points—significant moments that shape our financial drive and motivation—and how these experiences can influence our overall approach to money. Through personal stories and expert insights, Kara underscores the value of earning money and the importance of prioritizing meaningful experiences and relationships over material wealth, ultimately encouraging listeners to redefine their understanding of success and financial security in a way that aligns with their personal values.

Justin Breen, highlighting their journey as a neurotypical and neurodiverse couple. It delves into the challenges, growth, and transformation experienced by Sarah as she navigates her role as a pediatrician and COO while being married to a driven entrepreneur. The conversation also touches on the impact of neurodiversity, the evolution of Sarah's confidence and purpose, and the importance of boundaries and presence in their relationship. The conversation explores the challenges faced by a driven couple in their relationship, focusing on the themes of spirituality, leadership, and communication. It delves into the struggle of balancing different worlds, the quest for harmony, and the importance of radical honesty and overcommunication. The dialogue also touches on the concept of leadership within a relationship and the need for mutual understanding and support.

Guest Bios:

Justin Breen is the Founder and CEO of BrEpic Communications LLC, a PR firm that works exclusively with visionaries and exceptional businesses around the world. He’s built an international network of extraordinary people, because he strongly believes in the power of introductions and the importance of creating relationships through networking. Justin is the author of Epic Business and Epic Life. He enjoys running, fishing, and watching baseball with his two sons and his wife, Sarah. Dr. Sarah Breen is a board certified pediatrician who’s been practicing general pediatrics in the north suburbs of Chicago since 2011. After being fully immersed in the entrepreneur world by her husband (co-founder, Justin Breen), Sarah fell in love with Epic F.I.T. Network and became its Chief Operating Officer in 2023. Sarah enjoys spending time with her two sons, exercising her three doodles, and traveling the world with her husband, Justin.

Tiffany Sauder shares her journey of navigating a driven marriage and finding the balance between personal dreams and family life. She emphasizes the importance of individual growth and taking responsibility for one's own happiness within a marriage. Tiffany and her husband worked through many layers to discover the beauty in their shared brokenness and the vulnerability that comes with being truly seen and understood. Tiffany also discusses the challenges of being a driven woman and the need for validation and support from her partner. Dr Doug Brackmann shares the importance of understanding the differences between men and women in relationships. He mentions the book 'The Queen's Code' by Alison Armstrong, which teaches women how to approach men and understand their needs. Rachel emphasizes the need for women to own their power and vulnerability, and to communicate their needs to their partners. Tiffany shares her experience of letting go of her ego and learning to communicate her needs to her husband. They discuss the importance of creating a safe and nurturing environment for both partners in a relationship.

In this episode, Rachel Lebowitz interviews Dean, an entrepreneur with a background in law enforcement and corporate America. Dean shares his journey from law enforcement to corporate America to becoming an entrepreneur. He discusses the importance of discipline, self-mastery, and understanding one's strengths and weaknesses. Dean also emphasizes the significance of building relationships and elevating the performance of team members, vendors, and employees. He shares his experiences in martial arts and how it taught him self-control and problem-solving skills. Overall, the conversation highlights the key themes of discipline, self-mastery, relationships, and personal growth. In this conversation, the guest discusses the importance of employee engagement and discipline in business success. He shares his experience of doubling the size of a mortgage bank by getting 10-15% more productivity from each employee. He emphasizes the need for alignment, simplicity, and foresight in business strategy. The guest also highlights the significance of forgiveness and self-reflection in maintaining discipline. He concludes by discussing the value of evaluating decisions and anticipating their impact.

Alyeria Faith is a high performance coach, somatic practitioner and spiritual advisor to fortune 1000 CEO’s, leaders and entrepreneurs. With over a decade of coaching driven individuals, as well as 15 years of healing expertise, she brings a wealth of wisdom to her work and life. She is also a mom, an avid dancer, and loves to snowboard. She believes life is for living, and squeezes the juice out of every moment possible. Her work is infused with this sense of playfulness, wonder, creativity and joy, while simultaneously allowing people to access and overcome their deepest trauma’s, fears, and limitations; giving them the power to live the life they know deep down is possible, and achieve their fullest potential.

Yael Simon is a philanthropic advisor and funding strategist. For over 20 years, she has worked with private family offices, UHNWI, and NGOs. Her vision is to set a gold standard in philanthropy by investing in world class projects and people who are set on transformative change driving meaningful impact in the world. She has raised tens of millions of dollars and has dedicated most of her career to research, field development, and creating global partnerships to support economic development in key regions throughout Europe and the Middle East. An entrepreneur and market strategist, a public speaker, and writer, Yael is also the founder of a start-up in AML/CTF, has spearheaded women’s networks, and mentors female entrepreneurs.

A member of the global Sandler network, Hamish Knox supports private organizations in Southern Alberta, creating and maintaining scalable, repeatable, consistent sales engines and an engaged, motivated team by holding them accountable to implementing the structures, systems, and processes shared in our sessions. Hamish worked in a variety of industries including media, communication services, software, and professional sports before joining the Sandler network, which melded his passions for sales and education. Hamish was named the 2020 David H. Sandler Award winner, Sandler’s highest honor, becoming the first Canadian trainer to receive that award. He was the first two-time author in the Sandler network, writing books on topics no one likes to talk about. His first book was on Accountability the Sandler Way and his second on Change the Sandler Way. Hamish is regularly invited by the Sandler Home Office to speak at Sandler’s train-the-trainer conferences and Sandler’s public Sales and Leadership Summit in Orlando. Committed to giving back so other entrepreneurs can enjoy the same opportunities he had when he launched his business, Hamish is an active mentor with Futurpreneur Canada is a Maple Leaf Club donor to Enactus Canada and is a volunteer judge for regional and national student entrepreneur competitions. Books: Accountability - https://www.hamish.sandler.com/resources/sandler-books/accountability Change - https://www.hamish.sandler.com/resources/sandler-books/change

Nicole Stott is an astronaut, aquanaut, engineer, artist, and author of Back to Earth: What Life In Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet – And Our Mission To Protect It; and most importantly a mom. She creatively combines the awe and wonder of her spaceflight experience with her artwork to inspire everyone’s appreciation of our role as crewmates here on Spaceship Earth. Nicole is a veteran NASA Astronaut with two spaceflights and 104 days in space as a crewmember on both the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle. Personal highlights of her time in space include being the 10th woman to perform a spacewalk, first person to operate the ISS robotic arm to capture a free-flying cargo vehicle, painting the first watercolor in space, working with her international crew for the benefit of all life on Earth, and of course the life-changing view of our planetary home. Nicole is also a NASA Aquanaut. In preparation for spaceflight, she was a crewmember on an 18-day saturation dive mission at the Aquarius undersea laboratory. Nicole believes that the international model of peaceful and successful cooperation we have experienced in the extreme environments of space and sea holds the key to the same kind of peaceful and successful cooperation for all of humanity here on Earth. On her post-NASA mission, she is a founding director of the Space for Art Foundation — uniting a planetary community of children through the awe and wonder of space exploration and the healing power of art. Full NASA Bio: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/stott-np.pdf Instagram: @astro_nicole // @spaceforartfoundation LinkedIn: Nicole Stott Artist~Astronaut~Earthling // Space for Art Foundation, Inc. Websites: www.nicolestott.com // www.spaceforartfoundation.org You can find more info about her book at: www.backtoearthbook.com For speaking and/or brand engagements, please contact Christina Korp at Purpose Entertainment: [email protected]

Benny Fisher, Founder and Visionary of The Big Fish Contracting Company, Co-Founder of The Arena Mastermind, Business Growth Leader for Contractor Dynamics, and host of The Big Fish Cares Podcast, leads with love and authenticity, masterfully transforming pain into purpose. His empathetic approach inspires others to consciously design their lives, a reflection of his own journey through adversity to success. As he nears the 100th episode of his impactful podcast and conducts transformative workshops, Benny's dedication to guiding individuals in reshaping challenges into growth opportunities cements him as a significant and inspirational figure in the business community, encouraging many to navigate their paths with heart and intentional action. Website links https://bennyfisher.com/ https://arenamastermind.co/ https://www.contractordynamics.com https://www.thebigfishco.com Social Media links LI: www.linkedin.com/in/fisherbenny FB: @fisherbenny IG: @bigfish.benny X: @fisherbenny Campsite: https://campsite.to/bennyfisher