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Would you say you’re a good listener? Be honest. 

Most of us think we're good listeners yet few will check to see whether it’s true or not.

And then there’s the different types and styles of listening accompanied by the depth to which you are able to listen in and of a moment. There’s a lot to this, isn’t there?

Give this a go: think of the last conversation where you know, not think, you weren't really listening. Write down why. What got in the way of your optimum conditions for listening?

Now flip it - remember the last time someone clearly wasn't listening to you. Didn't feel great, did it?

So, the question isn't whether you're a ‘good listener’ - it's whether you're building that skill alongside your own growth or not.

What's getting in the way of your best listening this week?

#Coaching #Listening #Leadership #Communication #SelfAwareness

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Many people think obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is about washing hands and organizing things. It's not. 

In this episode, I sit down with Merissa Little, founder and clinical director of OCD North, to unpack what OCD actually is, why it's so often misdiagnosed as anxiety, and how exposure and response prevention (ERP) helps people take their lives back. 

This is one of the most eye-opening conversations I've had on the show.

Perfect for: Anyone who's ever dismissed OCD as a personality quirk, parents supporting a child through it, or leaders and coaches who want a sharper lens on how fear quietly shapes behaviour.

Your transformation:

• Learn why OCD is a 'diagnosis of exclusion' and how it's distinguished from anxiety in just a few simple questions
• Understand egodystonic intrusive thoughts - why the scariest, most shame-inducing thoughts are often the clearest sign it's OCD, not character
• Discover why silence is the biggest barrier to recovery, and why reaching out is the hardest and most important exposure of all
• Hear where the line sits between healthy superstition and compulsion, and how to tell the difference in your own habits

What would it take for you to have an open conversation about the thoughts you're most afraid to say out loud?

You can see more from Merrisa here:

• Website: OCD North
• LinkedIn: Merrisa Little

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What does freedom mean to you?

And how free would you say you are in all areas of your life?

Not philosophically - in your job, your time, your health, your relationships, right now, today.

Many people never take the time to stop and consider this. Instead, the typical default is to live within whatever got built around them - some of it chosen, some imposed, and most of it drifted into.

I have to tell you that a lot of it isn't imposed on you. You signed up for pieces of it yourself, consciously or subconsciously.

Try this: pick one area of your life and write out how free you feel in it. Then follow the 5-step process I describe in the podcast

Let me know which area you'll audit first.

#Coaching #Freedom #SelfAwareness #Accountability #PersonalGrowth #Leadership

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Really, how easy are you to deal with?

Not how easy you think you are - how easy you actually are.

Most of us rarely check. We feel a vibe and move on, without asking what's actually behind it.

Ease is about how someone feels while and after they're dealing with you.

Pick someone you find hard to deal with. Write out exactly why - not in generalities - the real reasons.

This one takes some honesty. 

Then flip it: what would someone write about you?

#Coaching #Leadership #SelfAwareness #Communication #Feedback #GrowthMindset

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Some people walk into a room and everyone already likes them - before they've said a word.

Have you ever tried to figure out why?

We treat likability like it's fixed. You've either got it or you don't. So we either chase it (hello, people-pleasing) or write it off as fake and ignore it completely. Neither one's true.

It's not charm. It's not being nice. It's warmth and safety, built in tiny moments - not the big gestures.

Think about someone you naturally gravitate toward. What are they actually doing?
 Now think about an opportunity that didn't come your way. Was likability ever part of that story?

#Coaching #Likability #SelfAwareness #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #Influence

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We all need something to look forward to, don't we? 

When there's nothing on the horizon, life can start to feel flat, grey, and kinda mundane. 

In this video, I break down why that happens and what to do about it.

• Why 'autopilot' living leaves you without anything to anticipate
• The questions to ask yourself about what's actually in your future
• Why it doesn't need to be grandiose (or cost you a cent) to count
• Why planning something to look forward to isn't selfish - it's necessary
• The two types of anticipation - the kind you work for, and the kind you don't

If you've been grinding through the days without anything pulling you forward, this one's for you.

#Coaching #Motivation #Mindset #Anticipation #Wellbeing

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This kind of clarity doesn't happen by accident - it's a skill you can build. If you're ready to stop spinning and start moving, let's talk. Book a free 30-min call: garygillan.com

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We say we're meeting people where they are.

But are we? Or are we meeting them where we want them to be?

I just finished the book ‘When Breath Becomes Air’ by Paul Kalanithi about a man facing a terminal diagnosis, and it wasn't really about dying - it was about living on purpose.

It left me with some questions I’d like to pose to you: 

• When life stacks up against you, who are you? 
• Do you face it head on? 
• Do you shrink away? 
• Do you even know?

You've already got the evidence, so think about the last time things didn't go your way - were you the best version of yourself in that moment? And what were the impacts to your immediate network?

#Coaching #Values #SelfAwareness #Ownership #GrowthMindset

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This kind of clarity doesn't happen by accident - it's a skill you can build. If you're ready to stop spinning and start moving, let's talk. Book a free 30-min call: garygillan.com

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Do you know someone who menstruates? I do. Lots, actually.

I’ve been surrounded by incredible women my entire life and know next-to-nothing about period care. So, it stands to reason that I had no clue about period poverty that many women face today.

That’s why I was so excited to have this conversation. 

Linda co-founded Joni after living through period poverty herself. 

Six years, zero pay for four of them, and now Joni products sit on Walmart (and many other major retailers) shelves nationwide. 

This conversation traces the journey from a Vancouver food bank to a plant-based period care brand built on radical transparency. 

Truly, it's a masterclass in turning personal struggle into purpose-driven business.

Perfect for: Anyone who menstruates and has ever felt unseen by the period care industry, along with those who've experienced period poverty firsthand or want to better understand what it looks like.

Your transformation: Listeners will come away with a new language for dignity in period care, understanding why access to quality products (not just any product) matters

Key takeaways: 

• Why ‘period poverty’ is becoming more familiar, and what it actually looks like 
• The wild, unexpected history behind the term ‘feminine hygiene’ 
• How a $30,000 first year turned into national Walmart distribution 
• The investor conversations that revealed a deeper industry blind spot 
• Why dignity, not just donation, sits at the centre of Joni's give-back model

You can see more from Linda here:

• Website: GetJoni
• LinkedIn: Linda Biggs
• Newsletter: Linda Biggs 

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Habits don't fail because of laziness. They fail because identity hasn't caught up yet.

Through 20 years in product leadership, Connie uncovered the real pattern behind behaviour change.

She built a framework called Story Habits around a single idea: you can't change a habit until you name the story behind it.

Perfect for: Anyone who has started a habit with good intentions and eventually let it slide.

Your transformation: You'll learn what a genuinely compelling story sounds like as an anchor to habit formation and change. You'll also discover how confidence and motivation can predict whether a habit sticks, or not.

Key takeaways: 

• Why most people's stated reason for change isn't strong enough to survive longer-term 
• Identity, not logic, drives real change 
• The average smoker fails seven times before quitting, and what that number means for your own habit 
• Confidence and motivation matter more than willpower 
• Why starting too big guarantees relapse

What's a habit you've tried to stick with more than once, and what finally made it work (or not)?

You can see more from Connie here:

• Website: Story Habits
• LinkedIn: Connie Kwan
• Substack: Connie Kwan

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Think about the last setback that knocked you sideways - how long was it before you actually caught up with yourself?

Most of us run on autopilot - reacting first, thinking later. Underneath that autopilot is usually ego, fear, comfort, or habit - not the setback itself.

There's a gap between the setback and how you respond to it - between the stimulus and response - where the choice actually lives.

Widening it takes an honest look at yourself, which I know is no small task.

Think about your last difficult moment where you weren't at your best:

❓ What would you do differently with the benefit of hindsight?
❓ Who do you want to be the next time it happens?

#Coaching #Resilience #Mindset #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth

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This kind of clarity doesn't happen by accident - it's a skill you can build. If you're ready to stop spinning and start moving, let's talk. Book a free 30-min call: garygillan.com

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