Lets Have This Conversation

  A significant percentage of elite athletes areaffected by psychological factors, with studies finding rates of mental healthissues like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders ranging fromabout 19% to over 40%, depending on the specific population and mentalhealth category. Factors such as performance pressure, stress, burnout, andlife events can contribute to these psychological impacts, which are present inelite sports across various cultures and levels, according to the NationalInstitute of Health. 

Dr. Alex Auerbach, Ph.D., is a performance psychologistcurrently working as an executive in professional sports. He currently servesas a Performance psychologist for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with the best athletes in theworld in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and Olympians, as well as high-performers in otherdomains like elite military units, Fortune 5 companies, and venture-backedstart-ups. I am also a father to 2 wonderful daughters, husband to a greatwife, dog owner, enjoyer of sunshine, and a former high-level football coach.Currently serving clients throughout the Tucson, Arizona metropolitan area,including Oro Valley, Casas Adobes, and Catalina Foothills areas. “   I've seen first-hand what it takes tocompete consistently at the highest level. When your family and team depend onyou to deliver, you need high-performance mindset skills to be your best whenit matters most.
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I have worked for over a decade at the highest levels of sports, including inthe NBA and NFL.

Now, I'm leveraging the science-backed, field-tested strategies I have used tohelp pro athletes be their best to help founders and CXOs raise their game anddeliver consistently.

For more information: https://www.alexauerbach.com/

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Employee Engagement on the Brink In 2024, the globalpercentage of engaged employees fell from 23% to 21%. Engagement has only losttwice in the past 12 years, in 2020 and 2024. Last year's two-point drop inengagement was equal to the decline during the year of COVID-19 lockdowns andshelter-in-place orders.  According to the latest State of the GlobalWorkplace 2025 report, released by Gallup.

$9.6 trillion in productivity could be added to theeconomy if the global workforce were fully engaged.

That would represent a 9% increase in global GDP. But ifleaders seize the moment, a productivity opportunity awaits. In fact, someorganizations are already enjoying the benefits of a highly engaged workforce.Manager engagement is the key to reversing declining productivity, improvingemployee well-being, and unlocking trillions in economic potential.

As Founder of HEARTnomics, Hanna Bauer equips top teams with actionablestrategies to build cultures of resilience and clarity. She is among just 20global Faculty Members for Maxwell Leadership, travelling internationally totrain executive teams in leadership that connects people and performance.Hanna's career includes being a former CEO who led her company toGovernor-recognized success, as well as blazing a trail as the first woman to chairthe Board of Ser Familia.

Her work resonates with thousands of leaders andprofessionals online, but Hanna's approach remains incredibly genuine anddown-to-earth. Her speaking style is engaging, relatable, and deeply rooted inpersonal experience and decades of cross-industry leadership.

Implementation Excellence

It’s about having the solutions and knowing how tointegrate the right solutions successfully. Executed with love, you can learnhow excellence becomes vital for delivering quality services that fostercustomer retention and acquisition.

 She joined me thisweek to tell me more.

For more information: https://heartnomics.com/

Follow: @HannaBauer

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**Habitat for Humanity Canada/Leger Poll (August–September2024):** A recent poll found that 70% of Canadians believe that owning a homehas become impossible.

**Statistics Canada (August–September 2024):** The CanadianSocial Survey revealed that nearly half (45%) of Canadians are very concernedabout housing affordability due to rising costs. This concern is even moresignificant among young adults aged 20 to 35, with 59% expressing high levelsof worry.

Founded in 1985, Habitat for Humanity Canada is a nationalcharity made up of local Habitat organizations operating in every province andthe North. Through innovative home construction, repairs, financing, skillstraining, and advocacy, they unite people to build homes, communities, andhope. Habitat for Humanity Canada is a member of Habitat for HumanityInternational, a leading global non-profit organization working in over 70countries.

Pedro Barata is the President and CEO of Habitat forHumanity Canada. He is a passionate and values-driven leader with two decadesof experience in fostering multi-sector collaborations to create solutions forcommunities. Before joining Habitat in 2024, Pedro served as the executivedirector of the Future Skills Centre, where he led the establishment of anational research impact center and launched various multi-sector innovationpilots across Canada.

Barata  joined me thisweek to discuss how Habitat for Humanity Canada is addressing the homeowneraffordability crisis and working to provide more Canadians with safe, decent,and affordable places to call home.

For more information, visit:[habitat.ca/en](https://habitat.ca/en) 

Follow us on social media: @habitatcanada

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A significant majority of business owners and marketers seedigital marketing as a key growth driver, with studies showing over 60% (e.g.,61% in one report) finding improvements in effectiveness and ROI, citingbenefits like increased exposure (83%), traffic (73%), and leads (65%), withemail marketing and SEO often highlighted as top performers for driving revenueand qualified leads. Businesses with higher digital maturity are significantlymore likely to see strong sales growth, confirming digital marketing's impacton growth, reports Business.com

Garrett Hammonds is a partner at Hammonds Media andMarketing, where he leads digital marketing, sales, and business development.He’s managed ad budgets of over $16 million a year and helped businessesgenerate more than $100 million in revenue. With expertise in digital ads, SEO,and growth strategy, Garrett specializes in helping even the most nicheindustries scale through digital marketing.

Garrett Hammonds is not your typical marketer. He didn’tstart with a business degree or a plan to run an agency. In fact, his earlypath was toward teaching high school speech and debate after becoming anationally ranked college debater. Yet what began as “Garrett’s young, he cando social media” at his first job turned into a career helpingorganizations—from nonprofits to SaaS companies to Fortune 500 partners—growthrough digital marketing.

Under his leadership, HMM was the only Oklahoma agencyselected to attend Google’s first-ever Search Central Live conference in NewYork City in 2025, and the agency has also been recognized by Clutch as one ofthe top digital marketing agencies in Oklahoma.  He joined me this week to tell me more.

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For more information: https://www.hmm.agency/

Email: [email protected]

 LinkedIn: @GarrettHammonds

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96% Agree on its Importance:** A global study conducted byHarvard Business Review Analytic Services in 2024 found that 96% of respondentsbelieve creative ideas are essential for a company's long-term success. MostMarketers Emphasize Creative Quality:

 An August 2025 surveyby Marketing Week revealed that 80% of brand-side marketers consider creativequality to be a key factor in the overall effectiveness of a campaign. AmongSmall and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), which include many entrepreneurialbusinesses, two-thirds (65.4%) share this perspective.

Dennis Meador is the CEO and Founder of The Legal PodcastNetwork (LPN). He helps professional business owners and service providers,such as attorneys, doctors, consultants, and firm owners, establish theirmarket authority to attract their ideal clients. With 30 years of business andmarketing experience—two of which focus specifically on the legal andwhite-collar sectors—he simplifies the process for professionals to buildlasting authority through podcasting, content creation, and effective strategies.He joined me this week to share more insights.

For more information, visit: [The Legal PodcastNetwork](https://www.thelegalpodcastnetwork.com/)

Discover more: [DM onDemand](https://www.dmondemand.expert/)

Connect on LinkedIn: @@DennisMeador

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Public perception: A 2025 Gallup poll indicated that only35% of Americans are satisfied with the quality of K-12 education, marking arecord low. Additionally, one in five respondents believes that schools are"excellent" or "good" at preparing students for today’s jobmarket.

Student performance: According to a National Center forEducation Statistics (NCES) survey, it is estimated that 32% of public-schoolstudents were behind grade level in at least one academic subject during the2023–24 school year.

Jeff McCoy helps K-12 senior leaders and innovative solutionproviders transform educational systems and co-design better solutions forstudents through strategic research and development, thought leadership, andreal-world district partnerships. As the Chief Education Officer for theEducation Research & Development Institute (ERDI), he plays a vital role incollaborating with educational leaders and innovators.

ERDI is the premier provider of unique research anddevelopment opportunities for companies designing products and services tosupport pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade education. At ERDI, they strive tocreate a rich and meaningful forum for collaboration, allowing educationalleaders and innovators to discuss, design, and shape PK-12 products andservices. They are dedicated to ensuring that all students have access to thehighest quality learning experiences, preparing them to be productive stewardsof the future.

McCoy joined me this week to discuss how we can worktogether to improve the quality of education in America and how strategicresearch and development, along with thought leadership, can serve as acatalyst for these efforts.

LinkedIn: @JeffMcCoy

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Grief and gratitude can coexist, providing a powerfulfoundation for personal transformation and healing. By embracing gratitudeduring your grief journey, you can cultivate resilience, discover meaning andpurpose in your experiences, and ultimately achieve greater peace, acceptance,and growth. Over half of Americans will experience a major loss within threeyears, with grief affecting a vast number of people annually due to the highincidence of deaths and other losses. For instance, in a single year, 2.5million Americans die, leaving behind at least 12.5 million grieving lovedones. Additionally, a study indicated that about one in three Americansexperienced a serious illness, the death of a loved one, or the death of a petin the year before the survey, as reported by USATODAY.

Amanda Landes is a licensed psychologist with experience inboth private practice and forensic settings.

“I believe I offer a unique perspective based on my personaland professional experiences. I am dedicated to understanding human behaviorthrough hard work and empathy, viewing both aspects as essential to helpothers. I am humble, quirky, and don’t take myself too seriously, which manyfind makes me approachable and easy to converse with. I enjoy discussing humanbehavior in a lighthearted and relatable way, often using metaphors or TV showreferences to illustrate my points.

Recently, I published my first book, I'm Almost Okay. Thebook chronicles my experiences managing my father's cancer diagnosis andultimate death, as well as the other difficult co-occurring events in my lifeat that time. I combine personal and professional insights to offer guidance toreaders about coping with grief, gratitude, and interpersonal connection.”

Follow me on Instagram: @amandaelandes 

Get my book: [I'm Almost Okay: NavigatingMiscarriage](https://www.amazon.ca/Im-Almost-Okay-Navigating-Miscarriage/dp/B0FXDFTSWB) 

Email: [email protected]

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Inclusive acceptance is the practice of actively embracingand welcoming individuals from all backgrounds, ensuring they feel respected,valued, and a sense of belonging. It goes beyond mere tolerance, aiming toprovide equal opportunities for everyone to fully participate, regardless ofdifferences such as race, gender, disability, or other identities. Thiscommitment involves understanding diverse perspectives, removing barriers, andaccommodating various needs.

Scott Martin is an award-winning soccer coach, educator, andadvocate for the disability community. He holds an advanced national coachinglicense and has over 30 years of experience coaching at the select youth, highschool, and college levels. He has received the Coach of the Year honors fourtimes and has led multiple teams to state championships. His expertise hasconnected him with top coaches both in the U.S. and internationally.

Beyond the soccer field, Martin is a dedicated educator inWisconsin and the host of the "Life's a Road Trip" podcast, where heshares stories of resilience and disability advocacy. After surviving alife-threatening illness that resulted in the loss of his hands and feet, hehas become a powerful voice for amputee abilities and advancements inprosthetics. His contributions to research at the University of Washington andJohns Hopkins University have helped shape innovations in this field.

Recognized for his advocacy work, Martin serves as a GlobalAdvisor for Billion Strong, a worldwide disability organization. His inspiringjourney has been featured in "Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power ofPositive," and he is the author of "Play From Your Heart"(Library Tales Publishing), a memoir that chronicles his remarkable journey ofperseverance, reinvention, and the unwavering spirit that has guided himforward.

For more information, visit: https://librarytalespublishing.com/collections/scott-martin 

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According to the National Institutes of Health,approximately 61% of children with autism exhibit behavioral or conductproblems, based on a large study. However, the prevalence of these behavioralissues can vary significantly depending on the definitions used, with estimatesfor specific aggressive behaviors ranging from 8% to over 68%.

Jake Edgar is a Special Education Director and Advisor whohas dedicated his career to empowering children and adolescents withdisabilities and supporting the families who care for them. He has alwaysfollowed his passion for helping young people reach their full potential.Currently, he serves as the Director of Education at Springbrook AutismBehavioral Health, a residential program that provides specialized care forchildren and teens who are autistic and also face behavioral or emotionalchallenges.

Jake is also the founder of the Carolina Special EducationAdvocacy Group, where he works directly with parents and families to navigatethe Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. He helps them understandtheir rights, develop effective plans, and gain the confidence to advocate fortheir children’s educational needs. In addition, Jake hosts the All Abilities,No Filter podcast, which features real, unfiltered conversations aboutdisability, inclusion, and education. Each episode includes voices fromparents, professionals, and self-advocates, all working toward a common goal:building a more understanding and inclusive world.

His passion has always centered on helping children andadolescents with disabilities reach their fullest potential. Over the years,Jake has had the privilege of working across a wide range of educationalsettings—from self-contained classrooms to public school inclusionenvironments, and now in residential care. Each experience has deepened hisunderstanding of the diverse needs, strengths, and stories within the specialeducation community.

For more information, visit: [All Abilities, NoFilter](https://www.allabilitiesnofilter.com/) 

Discover more at: [Springbrook Autism BehavioralHealth](https://springbrookbehavioral.com/)

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As of February 2025, more than 68 million Americans arerecipients of Social Security benefits. Recognized as the largest anti-povertyinitiative in the nation, Social Security lifted 27.6 million individuals outof poverty in 2023, according to data from the Center on Budget and PolicyPriorities.

A 2024 survey conducted by the American PsychologicalAssociation indicated that most U.S. adults consider societal division to be asignificant source of stress.

Clarence H. Carter offers a unique perspective on issuesrelated to poverty, governmental innovation, and systemic transformation,drawing upon over three decades of leadership within major safety net agenciesacross the United States. His experience spans service under two presidents,four governors, and a mayor. As Commissioner of the Tennessee Department ofHuman Services, Carter oversees a $3 billion agency that serves vulnerablecommunities in all 95 counties. Notably, his expertise centers on re-evaluatingthe role of government assistance programs. He has implemented sustainablereforms such as transitioning Washington D.C.’s homeless shelter system towardpermanent housing solutions and administering the $16.5 billion federal TANFprogram.  Carter is also the founder ofthe Institute for the Improvement of the Human Condition and frequentlyprovides testimony before Congress. As a Fellow of the National Academy ofPublic Administration, he shares candid insights regarding effectivestrategies, identified challenges, and reasons traditional safety nets can beinsufficient.

Find out more:

https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/dhs-commissioner.html

Get the Book:

https://www.amazon.com/Our-Net-Holes-Clarence-Carter-ebook/dp/B0G2HRSZ3S/ref=sr_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0E41rhFzNxs-jZWFZTzp6QsK50wEmjjD_Vpn1O-ZsFwMY5YXBxddxmCcqkSG-NNEN3SwMMgg3BBf5lq-rE2Xe4xut4W3lQPECQCbTaqTbV2TLEzRBlxE8oNTfy2p9FIqH_BzULRE8WQ5-q5eO0h28pmvYCBqnd14U20bYejZW7qMIs2y6cMeQzSVrYK8KCjHnIveRemWhMtD9UvR4_1oVu48w7YCQ-xZtWPgFbUFRFk.azRz8QDbB001xaT_VYdzl8Vc-cmfb7Q5H7xhVNwyWzk&dib_tag=se&qid=1764450721&refinements=p_27%3AClarence+Carter&s=books&sr=1-3

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