People, particularly women, tend to apologize for things we have absolutely no reason to be sorry for. While saying you're sorry in little moments like needing to get past someone who's in your way in the grocery store doesn't seem like a big deal, it actually is. It creates a mind climate that is filled with unnecessary guilt and shame and that's the opposite of how I want you to feel.

I want you to make bold decisions for yourself, by yourself, without having to ask permission, and without feeling the need to apologize for any reason.

In this audio workshop, I'm discussing why you should only apologize when you're truly sorry, how apologizing when you have nothing to be sorry about is an act of devaluing and disempowering yourself, how you can begin to change this negative habit, and more!

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why this time of year is always an odd time for Ivy
• How saying you're sorry is getting in your way
• Examples of when not to apologize
• The three reasons people apologize unnecessarily
• Alternative phrases to use instead of apologizing
• A recent situation where Ivy found it difficult to not apologize

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Dr. Blake Brandes is a Tedx speaker, America's Got Talent performer, rapper, Top 40 music producer, and recipient of the Marshall Scholarship who has a Ph.D. in Hip Hop and Global Youth Cultures. Blake was also my co-host on the Motivational Millennial podcast and my business partner for four and a half years.

Together, Blake and I built a motivational speaking business in which we shared the messages of grit and the Growth Mindset with over 100,000 students, educators, and parents. Even though I recently sold my part of the business, Blake carries on this work today.

While we mostly provided our messages in an educational setting, we both found the Growth Mindset helped in our business and professional lives as well. It's this incredible power of the growth mindset that we're discussing in this episode today.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• What Blake loves about the work he does to help students, educators, and parents learn to be more resilient and live happier lives
• What research says about the Growth Mindset
• Blake's thoughts on how the Growth Mindset can positively impact your mind climate
• The power of "yet"
• Blake's tips for bringing the Growth Mindset into your life
• Success stories of what people have been able to accomplish after adopting the Growth Mindset
• Taking back power by choosing to be happy
• What Ivy invites you to think about and do as you go into the next week

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Frank Jay Porcaro is someone that I really admire because he has so much soul and tenacity.

While working in a retirement home at age 18, Frank Jay witnessed people on their death bed regretting their life. This experience opened his eyes to the consequences of the consistent unconscious decisions most people make throughout their life. As a result, he began to study psychology and human behavior.

Frank Jay is now a coach and speaker who has positively impacted tens of thousands of lives through his live events that have taken place in over 15 countries.

In this episode, Frank and I discuss the value of trusting in your heart and the universe.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Frank Jay's favorite thing about the work he does
• The four modalities of human connection
• How learning to experience trauma impacts our ability to trust our heart
• Why Frank Jay feels it's not safe to play it safe
• What trusting the universe means to Ivy
• Frank Jay's main tip for those looking to start the practice of trusting their heart and the universe
• The part fear plays when someone begins this practice and what we can learn from the Mayans about this topic
• The story of a powerful time when Frank Jay trusted his heart and the universe

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Last week, I had the startling realization that I had been letting my inner critic tell me I couldn't do certain things for several days. A few years ago, this wouldn't have been anything new. However, I've spent the past few years building my self-worth muscle and it's because of that work that I was able to eventually recognize the inner critic and set aside.

The goal of the work I'll be discussing in this week's audio workshop is not to get rid of the inner critic. The goal is to learn how to acknowledge and address the inner critic in a way that's compassionate and to set it aside so that you're making decisions from your inner wisdom.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• The recent experience with my inner critic that inspired this audio workshop
• Why the more you try to accomplish your goals and achieve your dreams, the more your inner critic is going to try and sabotage you
• The importance of cultivating a relationship with your inner mentor
• How I personally build up my emotional strength
• Suggestions for self-worth strength training exercises you can put into practice in your own life

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Lily Fontas is a certified personal trainer and health coach who is on a mission to help women get strong, healthy, and happy on their terms. She serves women from Boston to Tokyo with her virtual health coaching practice and has helps hundreds of women reach their goals without deprivation or negativity.

Lily is known for helping busy, professional women pledge to "never diet again" as they gain strength and confidence. She is anti-diet, body-positive, and believes that everyone deserves to feel confident and strong.

Her unique coaching approach and curriculum design expertise helps overwhelmed women create sustainable wellness routines that last a lifetime.

Lily is also a contributing writer for Scene Magazine and has a column where she explores the emotional and psychological sides of losing weight and creating a healthy lifestyle that you enjoy for life.

In this episode, Lily speaks with us specifically about daily exercise and movement and how it can impact our mind climate.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Lily's take on the work she does to help women never diet again
• Lily's favorite part about her work
• How Lily's approach to wellness aligns with having a positive mind climate
• How daily exercise and movement, or lack thereof, can impact your headspace
• Lily's suggestions for how to get in daily movement without going to the gym
• The main pitfall one might experience when starting the practice of incorporating daily activity into their life
• Lily's top tip for overcoming that pitfall
• The incredible success story of one of Lily's clients
• The importance of shifting your mindset on daily exercise from punishment to investment

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It's officially 2019 and I want to start the year off by talking about one of my favorite topics. The topic for our audio workshop this week is one of my favorites because it's inspiring and powering, but it can also be a little controversial.

Knowing that I always have a choice has helped me feel empowered in certain situations rather than feeling like a victim and the same can be true for you. Whether it's how you experience a negative situation, setting boundaries to protect your time and energy, saying yes to things just because you want to, or beginning to treat yourself better … you always have a choice.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• How knowing they have a choice about certain things helps school-aged children
• Understanding that you can always choose your attitude about your current situation
• How a situation I experienced at the airport is the perfect example of choosing my attitude about a situation that wasn't entirely under my control
• The importance of choosing how you spend your time and energy
• Why you should set boundaries and not do things out of obligation
• An example of how I set a boundary for an event I attended at the zoo
• Stopping the broken torture record by choosing to treat yourself better

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It's the day after Christmas and that means many of us have likely spent the past few weeks thinking about others, volunteering, and getting gifts to make the ones we love feel appreciated and joyful. However, the new year is approaching and that's a time when we tend to shift our focus back to our own goals. So, that makes this week the perfect time to introduce you to Sarah Marshank.

Sarah Marshank is founder of Selfistry; a company dedicated to educating, inspiring, and investigating human development. Selfistry refers to the artistry of the self, where authentic selfhood is treated as the foundation of a healthy community and being wisely selfish is the cornerstone of a whole and integrated self. It's the concept of being wisely selfish that I find intriguing as we move closer to 2019 and that Sarah and I will be discussing today.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Sarah's favorite thing about the work she's doing with Selfistry
• What it means to be wisely selfish and how it can impact our mind climate
• The importance of taking ownership of the word "selfish" and not applying feelings of shame to it
• How having a deeper understanding of yourself can help you gain or shift your perspective
• The main pitfall one might experience when they begin practicing being wisely selfish
• How being wisely selfish benefits those around you as well
• What Sarah believes is the greatest gift we can give to all of humanity right now

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With this time of year, and the many religious and spiritual holidays it encompasses, faith is a topic that gets discussed quite a bit. As a result, I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about how having faith can bring you peace of mind.

While faith can mean many different things, it's not always a religious faith in a higher power. So, in this episode, I talk about what I mean when I use the word faith and explain the multiple ways it can help you achieve a better mind climate.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Variations of the definition of the word "faith" and which one I like to use when speaking about it
• How having faith can improve your mind climate and help you achieve what you want
• Why "staying on the train" is a great metaphor for how faith keeps us moving forward
• The role faith played during certain childhood experiences of mine and how it helped define who I was at the time
• The connection between faith and wealth consciousness

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Lucia Pavone is an international instructor of sexuality and the art of sensual pleasure. Her journey of sexual emancipation began over fifteen years ago when she took her first sensuality course. A dedicated sensual researcher, she busts through the limitations put on a woman's orgasm having experienced over 6,000 hours of deliberate, full-bodied, extended orgasm. Lucia believes that by experiencing the universe through sensual gratification, pleasurable communication, and a woman's orgasm, life has infinite possibilities.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of connecting with our sensuality and allowing ourselves to experience pleasure in all aspects of our life.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Lucia's favorite thing about the work she does
• The difference between sexuality and sensuality
• How sensuality can impact our mind climate
• Why the traditional view of an orgasm is outdated
• What is an extended orgasm?
• Incorporating pleasure and orgasms into your self-care routine
• Ivy's invitation to bring more pleasure, of all types, into your life

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According to Tim Ferriss, your success is directly related to the number of uncomfortable conversations you have. Along those lines, a pretty popular quote is, "Everything you want is on the other side of fear." While that quote has been attributed to many people, I've put my own spin on it …

Growth is on the other side of fear.

In this audio workshop, I want to expand this concept to our mind climate. I discuss the cycle that can happen when we experience discomfort and why it's so important to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• The Motivational Millennial podcast guest who inspired this episode
• What is an "anxious mind" and how does it relate to the discomfort cycle?
• A breakdown of what happens during the discomfort cycle
• The results of the discomfort cycle and how they can have a ripple effect on your life
• What happens when you break the discomfort cycle
• How riding a roller coaster is a great metaphor for experiencing, and breaking, the discomfort cycle
• Examples of situations that can trigger the discomfort cycle
• Multiple examples of a times Ivy broke the discomfort cycle

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