We are in the midst of a devastating war unfolding in the Middle East following the recent bombardments of Iran by the U.S. and Israel and Iran’s retaliation across the region. In the first few days, I noticed a pattern in myself and many friends: because of the scale of this violence, our brains resisted accepting the reality of the war and instead tried to analyze and understand it.

But when our minds resist reality, we often lose access to the inner resources we need to care for ourselves and support others. So I decided to re-share a short practice from an earlier episode called “yes, and…”—a simple tool that helps loosen our mind’s resistance so we can respond more intentionally to what’s happening.

You’ll hear:

• What the "yes, and..." practice is.
• The cost of resisting to accept painful realities.
• How thinking of the possibility that we can navigate reality begins with accepting it
• Why the core idea of the "yes, and''" tool is useful no matter the scale of the painful reality we face.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WWW.Roxanaakhbari.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to access my other free coaching resources or to book a free consultation call to explore how we can work together.

If you find value in what you hear, the best way to support this podcast is to follow the show wherever you listen, leave a review, and share it with others. While it takes only a few seconds, it makes a big difference in helping others access this resource.

This show is all about skills to take control of what we can be in charge of as intuitive founders by practicing managing our own minds. In this episode, I'm talking with Seema Dhanoa about why the same practice is crucial in any leadership position and not just for founders who create something new.

Seema is a leadership coach and the author of The Path to Conscious leadership: 5 Steps to Better Decisions and Results.

You’ll hear:

• Why leadership is not limited to business or organizations.
• What Seema means by conscious leadership.
• Why Seema believes transforming organizations has to start from the leaders who are willing to do the work of transforming themselves.
• How she helps leaders resolve the dilemmas they face.
• The most common blindspot she sees in leaders.

You can find out all about Seema and reach out to her through her website at: ⁠https://www.seemadhanoa.com/⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WWW.Roxanaakhbari.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to access my other free coaching resources or to book a free consultation call to explore how we can work together.

If you find value in what you hear, the best way to support this podcast is to follow the show wherever you listen, leave a review, and share it with others. While it takes only a few seconds, it makes a big difference in helping others access this resource.

This is part two of my 2-part mini-series on practicing thought work in times of state-sanctioned terror. Last week, I unpacked the pattern of "reactive rigidity" or the urge to respond to disagreement within our communities with rigid binaries that reproduce harm, especially against the most vulnerable among us.

This week, I explore how some of us are already redirecting this reactive energy into practices that build sustainable capacity for transformation — in ourselves and our communities.

You’ll hear:

• Why reclaiming constructive power can be a supportive practice — whether you’ve felt unintentionally pulled toward using rigid binaries or targeted by them.

• How somatic power helps us notice and interrupt the fear-driven pull to echo the majority

• How intentional power frees us from intimidating binaries and external expectations.

• How relational power strengthens collective resilience through safe micro-spaces.

If you find value in what you hear, the best way to support this podcast is to follow the show wherever you listen, leave a review, and share it with others. While it takes only a few seconds, it makes a big difference in helping others access this resource.

You can also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WWW.Roxanaakhbari.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to access my other free coaching resources or to book a free consultation call to explore how we can work together.

This short episode is part one of a 2-part mini-series on what it means to practice thought work in times of state-sanctioned terror. As authoritarian regimes rise globally — and as Iran continues to face repression, executions, and silencing — many are asking: Is coaching even relevant right now?

In part one, I share why I believe thought work becomes more essential, not less, in extreme conditions. I introduce a pattern I’ve been noticing within our communities as we resist corrupt regimes. I call it "reactive rigidity" and I unpack how it can create unnecessary suffering, especially for the most vulnerable among us.

You’ll hear:

• Why coaching is not indulgent in times of crisis.

• What “reactive rigidity” is and why our nervous systems crave it right now.

• How reactive rigidity backfires by reproducing harm in our communities.

• A simple practice to invite you to pause & note where your thought patterns might reflect reactive rigidity.

If you find value in what you hear, the best way to support this podcast is to follow the show wherever you listen, leave a review, and share it with others. While it takes only a few seconds, it makes a big difference in helping others access this resource.

You can also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WWW.Roxanaakhbari.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to access my other free coaching resources or to book a free consultation call to explore how we can work together.

In this episode, I’m introducing a brand-new feature on the podcast: conversations with other intuitive founders. These interviews reflect how fellow purpose-driven creators work with similar thought work skills we explore on this show.

My first guest is the amazing Lynda Leonce, a conscious life and parenting coach and the author of Inside Out Creation: Lifestyle Alignment to Living from Your Truth. Together, we explore one of the core concepts in her work: the authentic self.

This conversation explores how reconnecting with your authentic self—your inner compass—can bring clarity, self-permission, and grounded decision-making in the midst of a noisy world.

You’ll hear:

• What Lynda means by the “authentic self” and how it relates to living from your truth.

• Signs that you are out of alignment with your authentic self.

• How you can support yourself in overcoming possible feelings of intimidation that comes with aligning yourself with your authentic self.

• How you can contact Lynda and learn more about her and her work through her website, at: https://www.livefromyourtruth.com/

You can find out all about Lynda and reach out to her through her website at: https://www.livefromyourtruth.com/

If you find value in what you hear, the best way to support this podcast is to follow the show wherever you listen, leave a review, and share it with others. While it takes only a few seconds, it makes a big difference in helping others access this resource.

You can also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WWW.Roxanaakhbari.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to access my other free coaching resources or to book a free consultation call to explore how we can work together.

In this episode, I'm re-sharing the 2nd and last part of an early series on creating emotional safety through self-trust. While part one focused on why our brains might avoid making decisions when the outcomes are not guaranteed and how it negatively impacts us, this episode turns toward how we can begin to change that experience from the inside out.

It offers a coaching-based practice for creating internal safety while making decisions—especially in times of ongoing global instability, social pressure, and emotional exhaustion. When we learn to relate to ourselves as a source of safety, decision-making becomes less about passing a test and more about staying aligned with who we are becoming.

You’ll hear:

• A review of how social conditioning and marginalization can intensify fear around making choices.

• What it actually means to become your own source of emotional safety.

• A four-step self-trust practice to use with real-life decisions that feel heavy or risky.

• Common doubts about self-trust (and how to work with them without self-judgment)

If you find value in what you hear, the best way to support this podcast is to follow the show wherever you listen, leave a review, and share it with others. While it takes only a few seconds, it makes a big difference in helping others access this resource.

You can also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WWW.Roxanaakhbari.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to access my other free coaching resources or to book a free consultation call to explore how we can work together.

In this episode, I’m re-sharing part one of a two-part series on creating emotional safety through self-trust that I originally released in the summer of 2025. This topic is especially relevant right now, as many of us are trying to stay grounded and keep making decisions in the midst of ongoing violence, political instability, and uncertainty around the world.

Rather than focusing on certainty or guaranteed outcomes, this episode explores how cultivating self-trust allows us to create a sense of internal safety—one that supports us in making decisions even when so much around us is changing. When we shift from trying to control results to building a trusting relationship with ourselves, we paradoxically increase our capacity to create the results we want.

You’ll hear:

• Why hope alone doesn’t always make decision-making feel safe—and what’s missing when we get stuck.

• What emotional safety actually is, and how it functions at both the brain and the social level.

• How self-trust is created as a felt experience shaped by our thoughts about ourselves.

• Why fear of the unknown drives us to seek certainty—and how that keeps us in indecision.

• How coaching supports emotional safety and self-trust differently than therapy.

• How building self-trust creates internal safety for making decisions in uncertain times.

If you find value in what you hear, the best way to support this podcast is to follow the show wherever you listen, leave a review, and share it with others. While it takes only a few seconds, it makes a big difference in helping others access this resource.

You can also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WWW.Roxanaakhbari.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to access my other free coaching resources or to book a free consultation call to explore how we can work together.

In this episode, I am sharing one of my early well-received episodes on hope as a choice. It is especially relevant these days as we witness - in awe and admiration - the uprising of Iranian people in millions against a regime that responds with brutal violence.

Rather than treating hope as something that happens to us or as optimism or wishful thinking, this episode explores hope as an intentional practice—one we can choose even in difficult moments like this. Let's dive in and practice embodying hope together!

You’ll hear:

• Why hopelessness isn't something that just happens to you.
• How hope commits us to the possibility of change for the better.
• Why hope is vital for intuitive or highly sensitive people.
• How hope is different from toxic positivity, entitlement, and wishful thinking.
• A fun practice to embody hope by modelling what is possible
• How you can join me in my upcoming virtual workshop

Register for the Beyond Fantasy workshop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.roxanaakhbari.com/beyond-fantasy⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you find value in what you hear, the best way to support this podcast is to follow the show wherever you listen, leave a review, and share it with others. While it takes only a few seconds, it makes a big difference in helping others access this resource.

You can also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WWW.Roxanaakhbari.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to access my other free coaching resources or to book a free consultation call to explore how we can work together.

In this episode, I’m closing my 4-part mini series on how to focus better as an intuitive founder by exploring how to build a reliable, balanced organizing system that supports your brain, your energy, and your values.

Rather than relying on hustle, this episode offers a practical framework for planning your work and life in a way that separates decision-making from execution—so your brain doesn’t have to renegotiate everything in the moment.

You’ll hear:

• Why structure supports focus when it’s designed around autonomy and rest—not control

• The difference between planning and execution, and why confusing the two leads to overwhelm

• A values-based framework for organizing your time across work, personal life, and rest

• How to turn life and work priorities into concrete projects and weekly plans your brain can trust

• How you can join me in my upcoming virtual workshop

Register for the Beyond Fantasy workshop: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.roxanaakhbari.com/beyond-fantasy⁠⁠⁠

If you find value in what you hear, the best way to support this podcast is to follow the show wherever you listen, leave a review, and share it with others. While it takes only a few seconds, it makes a big difference in helping others access this resource.

You can also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WWW.Roxanaakhbari.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to access my other free coaching resources or to book a free consultation call to explore how we can work together.

In this episode, I’m continuing my 4-part mini series on how to focus better as an intuitive founder — turning our attention to multitasking, why it’s so common, and how it quietly erodes our capacity for depth, presence, and meaningful work.

You’ll hear:

• How multitasking differs from over-responsibility and why it often shows up even when other focus blockers are resolved

• A clear explanation of multitasking from a brain science perspective — and why our brains are not designed for divided attention
• How hustle culture, productivity pressure, and the distraction economy train us to stay constantly available
• A 3-step practice to help you work with your brain instead of against it, to retrain your capacity for focus

• How you can join me in my upcoming virtual workshop

Register for the Beyond Fantasy workshop: ⁠⁠https://www.roxanaakhbari.com/beyond-fantasy⁠⁠

If you find value in what you hear, the best way to support this podcast is to follow the show wherever you listen, leave a review, and share it with others. While it takes only a few seconds, it makes a big difference in helping others access this resource.

You can also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WWW.Roxanaakhbari.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to access my other free coaching resources or to book a free consultation call to explore how we can work together.