The DASH Mindset Podcast

By Sheri ZevenbergenSociety & Culture Business Education Self-Improvement Relationships Careers

The DASH Mindset Podcast episodes

September 0968. A Wooden Leg Doesn’t Make You a Table
We all judge.
Other people. Situations. Ourselves.
Most of the time, we don't even realize we're doing it.
Our brains take the little bit of information we have and quickly decide what it means. And sometimes that judgment turns into certainty.
In this episode, I start with a ridiculously clever comeback from Alice Cooper involving long hair, a wooden leg, and an Australian interviewer who wasn't known for his tact.
Then we get into something we ALL do…make judgments based on very limited information.
I share the psychology behind the fundamental attribution error, why we're so much better at explaining our own behavior than someone else's, and what happens when “this is how I'm experiencing this person” becomes “this is who this person IS.”
Because having a judgment isn't really the problem.
Believing our first interpretation is the whole story can be.
And this applies to how we judge ourselves, too.
So rather than trying to become a completely nonjudgmental human…we'll talk about getting better at noticing the judgments we're already making and creating enough space to ask…What did I actually observe...and what did I add?
And maybe...What else could be true?
Also, my new small-group experience, Navigate Your DASH, begins at the end of September. If you're ready to better understand yourself, what you truly want, and some of the patterns driving your experience, check it out…
Learn more about Navigate Your Dash:
Navigate Your Dash...the details
Here’s where you can find me…
Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it!
If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.
On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”
On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”
Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.
18 min
August 1667. What Am I Missing?
When someone does something that makes absolutely no sense to us, it’s easy to jump straight to some version of...What is WRONG with you?
But what if we got curious instead?
In this episode, I share one simple question that can completely change how we respond to other people, ourselves, and the situations we don’t fully understand:
What am I missing?
We’re constantly filling in gaps with our own interpretations...what someone meant, why they behaved a certain way, what their actions say about them, or even what our own behavior says about us.
And then we respond to those interpretations as though they’re facts.
But what we can see is rarely the whole story.
I talk about how this creates unnecessary friction in our relationships and work, why we’re often halfway through fixing a problem before we actually understand it, and how asking better questions can give us access to information we might otherwise miss.
Because...
Curiosity gives us access to information that certainty does not.
And this applies to how we see ourselves, too.
Before deciding you need to be more disciplined, more consistent, or simply try harder...what might you be missing?
Sometimes the answer really IS to get off your butt and do the thing.
But sometimes there’s something underneath the behavior that’s worth understanding first.
In this episode, I also share more about Navigate Your Dash, my new small-group experience starting at the end of September. We’ll explore ourselves, the people around us, and the patterns shaping how we experience life and work...not so we can find more things to fix, but so we can better understand what’s actually happening and navigate it differently.
Learn more about Navigate Your Dash:
Navigate Your Dash...the details
ATD Hawkeye Chapter Conference on September 30th in my session, Teams from the Inside Out: Creating Shared Context for Greater Impact.
Learn more and register for the conference:
ATD Hawkeye Chapter Conference
The next time you find yourself thinking, What is wrong with you?...or What is wrong with me?...try interrupting that thought with a different question:
What am I missing?
That little bit of curiosity might just change what happens next.
Here’s where you can find me…
Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it!
If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.
On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”
On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”
Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.
16 min
July 2966. How to Support Someone Through Life's Hardest Moments with Laura Bratton
What do you do when someone you love is going through something that isn't going to be "fixed"?

When life changes permanently…through illness, loss, disability, divorce, grief, or another life-altering circumstance…we often want so badly to help. But sometimes the most loving support isn't what we instinctively think it is.

In this conversation with Laura Bratton, we move beyond Laura's incredible story of losing her sight as a teenager (discussed in Episode 62), and we explore what her family did that empowered her to build a meaningful, independent life...and what all of us can learn from their example.

Laura shares practical wisdom for anyone supporting a loved one through difficult circumstances, reminding us that while we can't always change someone's situation, we can help them remember who they are beyond it.

In this episode, we discuss:
Why your identity should never become your struggle.
How to remind people of who they still are…not just what they're going through.
The difference between empowering someone and enabling them.
Why giving people choices is one of the greatest gifts we can offer.
How Laura's parents balanced compassion with accountability.
Why supporting someone doesn't mean sacrificing your own well-being.
The importance of asking for help…and accepting it.
Letting go of other people's judgments when supporting those you love.
Why laughter can be one of the most healing tools we have.
The power of gratitude, even when life feels incredibly hard.
Why you don't always have to talk about the hard thing.
Practical ways to support someone without making assumptions about what they need.

One of my favorite reminders from Laura…"Empowerment is an act of love."

This conversation is filled with wisdom for parents, spouses, friends, caregivers, leaders, and anyone walking alongside someone facing a difficult season. Whether you're the one struggling or the one trying to help, I hope it reminds you that none of us has to navigate life's hardest moments alone.

If this episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who could use it. You never know who might need the reminder that they're more than what they're going through.
About Laura
At the age of nine, Laura was diagnosed with an eye disease and faced the difficult reality that she would become blind. Over the next ten years she experienced the traumatic transition of adjusting to life without sight. Laura adjusted to her new normal and was able to move forward in life as she graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in psychology. She then was the first blind student to receive her Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.

She is the author of the book, Harnessing Courage. Laura founded Ubi Global, which is an organization that provides speaking and coaching to empower all people to overcome challenges and obstacles with grit and gratitude.
Here’s where you can find Laura…
Website: https: laurabratton.com
Video Highlight Reel: Speaker Reel
And here’s where you can find me…
Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it!
If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.
On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”
On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”
Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.
1 hr 10 min
June 2565. Happiness vs Fulfillment
In our last episode, we talked about chasing happiness.
This week, I want to answer the question that naturally follows...
If happiness isn't the goal, what is?
As high-achievers, we often worry that if we become content, we'll stop growing.
That appreciating what we have somehow means settling for less.
But what if contentment and complacency aren't the same thing?
What if accepting where you are isn't about giving up...but about gaining the clarity to intentionally create what comes next?
In this episode, I explore the difference between happiness and fulfillment, why so many of us postpone gratitude until the next milestone, and how acceptance, contentment, and congruence work together to create a life that actually fits.
What We Explore
Happiness vs fulfillment...Why happiness is a feeling that comes and goes, while fulfillment has more staying power because it's rooted in meaning and alignment.
Contentment isn't complacency...Why appreciating where you are doesn't mean you've stopped growing…and why "this is enough right now" is very different from "this is enough forever."
Acceptance creates clarity...How acknowledging reality isn't settling. It's the starting point for intentional growth.
Congruence...Why fulfillment comes from creating a life that fits…one that's aligned with your values, priorities, strengths, and definition of success.
Questions to Consider
Are you chasing happiness...or creating fulfillment?
Where have you been postponing appreciation until the next milestone?
And perhaps the biggest question of all...
Does this fit?
Does this relationship fit?
Does this role fit?
Does this goal fit?
Does this version of success fit?
And here’s where you can find me…
Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it!
If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.
On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”
On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”
Your support helps more people better understand themselves and one another so they can create more meaningful, fulfilling lives and work together more effectively.
14 min
June 1664. Chasing Happiness
It's mid-June, and I've already declared it a long summer.
Our boys have been out of school for three weeks, and at this point, my parenting goal is for them to maintain literacy until school starts again in August.
I genuinely love having them home, and it's been a long summer.
Both can be true…And one of the biggest traps we fall into as humans is thinking they can’t be.
We're told to pursue happiness. We think we need to find it, choose it, and protect it...as if happiness is a destination to be reached.
But what if the expectation of being happy all the time is actually what keeps us unhappy?
In this episode, I explore why we struggle to hold two seemingly opposite truths at the same time.
That if we're grateful, we shouldn't feel annoyed.
If we're happy, we shouldn't feel sad.
If we love our kids, we shouldn't be frustrated by them.
But what if the problem isn't that we experience both?
What if the problem is that we expect ourselves not to?
What We Explore
The myth of permanent happiness…Why happiness isn't a destination and why expecting it to be can create unnecessary suffering.
The second layer of suffering…How we turn normal human emotions into problems by judging ourselves for experiencing them.
Package deals…Why the things we value most often come bundled with both rewards and challenges.
The power of "and"...How it can shift the way we think about gratitude, frustration, joy, sadness, and everything in between.
Being human…Why experiencing opposite emotions doesn't mean something is wrong. It means you're alive.
Questions to Consider
Where are you making yourself wrong for being human?
What emotion have you been resisting, judging, or trying to eliminate?
And what if it's not evidence that something is wrong?
What if it's simply part of the package?
Here’s where you can find me…
Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it!
If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.
On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”
On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”
Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.
10 min
May 2863. How Fascinating: Rethinking Failure, Resilience, & Growth with Tom Hicks
Failure tends to feel personal.

A missed opportunity.
A mistake at work.
A relationship ending.
A plan falling apart.

For a lot of us, failure doesn’t just feel like something that happened.
It feels like evidence about who we are.

In this episode, I’m with keynote and workshop speaker Tom Hicks to talk about what happened when a really difficult season of life unexpectedly led him to a set of juggling balls…and ultimately to a completely different relationship with failure.

Tom now teaches people and organizations how to juggle while helping them rethink perfectionism, growth, resilience, and what it actually means to fail.
We talked about:
Why so many high-achievers struggle with failure
The difference between understanding growth mindset intellectually vs. actually experiencing it
Why play matters more than we realize as adults
How curiosity changes our relationship with mistakes
The phrase “how fascinating” and why it’s more powerful than it sounds
Why many “failures” are actually redirections
The importance of kindness toward ourselves
One of my favorite parts of the conversation was this reminder…You already have the ability to navigate failure. You’ve been doing it your entire life. You may just need to reconnect with it.

Also… it feels important to mention that we had multiple technology issues and recording glitches during this episode…which made the entire “how fascinating” conversation even more fitting. 😂

About Tom
Tom Hicks is the founder and CJO (Chief Juggling Officer) of Throw & Catch Consulting based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He provides practical and fun leadership development experiences that blend storytelling, reflection, and active learning to create deeper connections while playing with a purpose for individuals, teams, and organizations.

Tom has worked at all levels in higher education for the past 20+ years and has coached thousands of students, staff, and executives on failure, growth, and resilience. When he’s not on campus or conducting workshops, Tom enjoys cycling and traveling with his wife Megan and cheering on their daughter Emily in all of her activities.
Here’s where you can find Tom…
Website: tom-hicks.com
LinkedIn: Tom Hicks

And here’s where you can find me…
Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it!
If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review. On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.” On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”

Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.
40 min
May 0862. Finding Your Way Through the Unexpected with Laura Bratton
What if the thing you never saw coming…became the very thing that shaped how you move forward?
Laura Bratton was diagnosed with a rare eye disease as a child and lost her sight as a teenager…several years earlier than anyone expected.
We talk about what it looked like to navigate that kind of change in real time…without a roadmap, without certainty, and without the option to pause life while she figured it out.
But this conversation isn’t about blindness.
It’s about what happens when life doesn’t go the way you thought it would…and how you keep going anyway.
We explore what actually helped her move forward, how she learned to stop fighting reality, and why “enough” might be the most powerful shift of all.
What We Explore
Grit and gratitude…together
Not as buzzwords…but as real, usable resources. Why it’s not one or the other, and how the balance of both is what actually helps you move forward.
Living in the moment (when everything feels overwhelming)
When the future feels too big, too uncertain, too much…what it looks like to narrow your focus to today, and why that’s not giving up. It’s survival.
Why “enough” matters more than you think
How redefining what counts as “enough” can shift everything, especially in seasons of change, grief, or uncertainty.
The stories we believe about strength
Why pushing through, ignoring emotions, and being “fine” can actually make things harder…and what happens when you stop fighting what you feel.
What real support actually looks like
Not pity. Not fixing. Not making things easier.
But people who believe in you…even when you don’t believe in yourself.
The pressure of uncertainty (and how to navigate it)
Why the uncertainty doesn’t go away…and what you can control instead.
Letting yourself feel what’s real
From anxiety to grief to anger…why turning toward your emotions (instead of pushing them down) changes everything.
About Laura
At the age of nine, Laura was diagnosed with an eye disease and faced the difficult reality that she would become blind. Over the next ten years she experienced the traumatic transition of adjusting to life without sight. Laura adjusted to her new normal and was able to move forward in life as she graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in psychology. She then was the first blind student to receive her Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.
She is the author of the book, Harnessing Courage. Laura founded Ubi Global, which is an organization that provides speaking and coaching to empower all people to overcome challenges and obstacles with grit and gratitude.
Here’s where you can find Laura…
Website: https: laurabratton.com
Video Highlight Reel: Speaker Reel
And here’s where you can find me…
Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it!
If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.
On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”
On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”
Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.
1 hr 6 min
April 25 61. Same Dandelion. Different Story.
Do you love dandelions…or hate them?
Because people tend to have very strong opinions about this.
In this episode, I share why I still love them…even knowing everything that comes with them… a really simple example of something we do all the time.
Two people can look at the exact same thing…and see something completely different.
Same situation.
Same conversation.
Same moment.
Completely different reactions.
And when that happens, we often assume the other person just doesn’t get it.
But what if it’s not that they don’t understand…
What if they’re just seeing something different?
We explore what’s actually driving those reactions, why it creates so much unnecessary friction, and how expanding your capacity for difference can make things feel a whole lot easier.
Because it’s usually not about the dandelion. 😉
What We Explore
Same thing, different experience
Why two people can look at the exact same situation and walk away with completely different interpretations…and why that’s more normal than we think.
It’s not just the moment
How past experiences, beliefs, preferences, and expectations shape how we see and respond to things (often without us even realizing it).
“They just don’t get it…”
Why we assume others are wrong or missing something…and what’s actually happening instead.
Capacity for difference
What it is, why it matters, and how expanding it reduces tension in conversations, relationships, and everyday interactions.
Letting go of the need to convince
Why there isn’t always a clear right or wrong…and how much easier things feel when we stop trying to force it.
A Question to Consider
Where are the “dandelions” showing up in your life right now?
What’s something you feel strongly about…that someone else sees completely differently?
And what might they be seeing that you’re not?
And here’s where you can find me…
Learn more about working together at The DASH Mindset.
Connect with me on LinkedIn…I’m pretty active there and always love hearing from you.
Have an idea for a future episode? I’d genuinely love to hear it…send it my way!
If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.
On Apple, scroll down and tap the stars (and write a review if you’re up for it).

On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”
Your support helps more people find the podcast…and ultimately helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a way that actually feels meaningful.
12 min
April 1060. What If You Don’t Have to Choose? with Kris Lehman
What if you’re not stuck…you just think you have to pick one lane and stay in it?
Kris Lehman is a full-time HR leader…who’s also leading international retreats, taking a group of women to Croatia, and buying a house in Costa Rica.
She made a choice and decided against the “pick one lane and stay there” route.
We talk about what shifted for her, how she moved from “either/or” to “and,” and why so many of us keep waiting to live instead of actually doing the things we want now.
What We Explore
From “or” to “and”
How letting go of the pressure to choose one identity or path opened up entirely new possibilities…and how “and” creates space instead of pressure.
Boundaries that actually feel good
Not just saying no…but building your life around what matters most so your “no” becomes clear, confident, and grounded.
Why we wait to live (and how to stop)
The trap of postponing joy for “someday”…and what it looks like to start living now…without blowing up your life in the process.
The stories we don’t realize we’re telling ourselves
From “I should clean my own house” to “I don’t deserve that”...We discuss how these unexamined beliefs quietly shape our choices.
Contemplative practice (without the woo-woo)
What it actually means to be more present in your life…and how it can be as simple as a few breaths, a walk, or noticing what’s happening in the moment.
Your mind is not you
One of the most powerful shifts: realizing you can observe your thoughts instead of automatically believing them.
About Kris
Kris Lehman, MBA, SHRM-SCP, is the founder of The Common Thread, an organization dedicated to cultivating inner wisdom, meaningful connection, and intentional living and leadership. Kris creates experiences that blend professional insight, contemplative practices, and community—helping people translate reflection into practical change.
With a background as an executive leader in higher education and nonprofit organizations, Kris has spent her career helping teams succeed by pairing business strategy with curiosity, compassion, and continuous learning.
Alongside her professional work, Kris has spent years exploring meditation, grounding practices, and restorative travel as pathways for insight and clarity. Through The Common Thread’s workshops, gatherings, and international retreats, she creates spaces where people can step out of daily life for a moment, to reconnect with what matters most.
Here’s where you can find Kris…
Website: www.thecommonthread.world
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecommonthreadconnections/
LinkedIn: Kris Lehman
And here’s where you can find me…
Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it!
If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.
On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”
On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”
Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.
1 hr 4 min
March 2659. Making Work Suck Less with TJ Bennett
What if work didn’t have to feel so…sucky?

TJ Bennett is on a mission to help people figure that out.

We talk about his DesuckifyWork® podcast, his path through advertising, the pressure we put on ourselves to have everything figured out (even though none of us do), and what actually makes work…and life…feel better.

A fun and honest conversation about how things actually unfold.

TJ didn’t have some perfectly mapped-out plan. He followed what was interesting, paid attention to what felt off, and made changes along the way. From randomly discovering advertising…to realizing later in his career that something had shifted…to leaving a successful career to try something new without knowing exactly how it would all work.

We also talk about how early experiences shape the way we see work and life, and how sometimes it takes something significant to make us pause and rethink what actually matters.

And throughout the conversation, this idea keeps coming up:

We think we need to know first…and then act.

But most of the time, it’s actually the opposite.

We try something.
We figure it out as we go.
We adjust.

That’s the process.

It’s simple. Not always easy. But much truer than the story most of us are carrying.
We Talk About:
The unexpected path that led TJ into advertising (and how one seemingly random moment can change everything)
Why not knowing how is usually the thing keeping us stuck
How a major health experience early in life shifted how he thinks about work and what actually matters
The moment “Desuckify” became a thing…and why he committed before he had it all figured out
Why “fine” can be dangerous
The pressure we all feel to have it figured out (and the fact that none of us actually do)
Why enjoyment might be one of the most underrated tools we have
About TJ Bennett
TJ is the founder, CEO and executive coach at The Pudding Factory, a work desuckifying consultancy.
He began his coaching career after 25 years as an advertising executive, creative director and writer for agencies big and small., including TBWA\Chiat\Day, Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy and Hill Holliday. He helped Fortune 500 clients like Verizon, Toyota, MetLife and Panasonic sift through the noise to solve big creative challenges. And he helped his teams do the same.

His mission is to DesuckifyWork®. And he hosts a popular podcast with the same name. His cat Carl offers this review: “less talking, more treats dude."

As an ICF-certified executive coach, TJ helps leaders and brands find calm in the chaos and grow what matters.

Ready to make sense of the muck? Talk to TJ.

Here’s where you can find TJ…
Website: https://www.thepuddingfactory.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teejaybee/
Substack: https://tjbennett.substack.com/
And here’s where you can find me…
Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it!
If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.
On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”
On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”
Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a way that truly matters.
1 hr 16 min

About The DASH Mindset Podcast

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Welcome to The DASH Mindset Podcast with Sheri Zevenbergen. A show that helps you live authentically & unlock your true potential in all aspects of your life.

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About The DASH Mindset Podcast