The Mindset and Self-Mastery Show

In this episode, Nick delves into the concept of creativity, exploring its presence in everyday life beyond traditional artistic expressions. He shares personal anecdotes about his journey with music and the creative process, emphasizing that creativity can manifest in problem-solving and interactions with others. Nick encourages listeners to embrace their creativity, trust themselves, and find innovative solutions in various aspects of life, even when faced with challenges.

What to listen for:

“Creativity isn’t just one medium. In fact, it’s not a medium at all.”

“If you find yourself saying, ‘I don’t feel like I can do this,’ that’s a great opportunity to be creative and ask why.”

About Nick McGowan

I’m Nick McGowan, entrepreneur, podcaster, and mental health advocate, and I’ve been on a 20+ year journey of personal development, learning to master my mindset, emotions, and the art of living with purpose.

As a Mindset and Self-Mastery Mentor, I work with ambitious men and women who want to live their most authentic and joyous life, by helping them master their mindset, emotional awareness, and authentic communication. My mission is to empower people to lead lives that feel aligned, grounded, and truly their own.

Throughout my career, I’ve built teams, streamlined systems, and improved client experiences across SaaS, media, marketing, and personal development spaces. Whether I’m leading cross-functional projects, optimizing SEO, Podcasting, designing strategies, or guiding clients through transformation, I bring a hands-on, solution-focused approach to everything I do.

I’m also the host of The Mindset and Self-Mastery Show, where my guests and I unpack the stories that shape us, challenge us, and ultimately guide us back to who we are at our core. On this show, we uncover the secret gems others have discovered through trial, error, and breakthroughs so you can fast-track your growth, and master your mindset on your pursuit toward self-mastery.

With years of podcasting and two decades of marketing experience, I’ve mastered the storytelling, interview flow, strategy, and technical production that elevate a podcast from “just content” to something truly impactful. Whether you’re a leader looking to amplify your message, or a seasoned speaker and podcast host looking to sharpen your edge or even a beginner who is wondering how to share their message, I mentor thought leaders through every step of having the conversation they’re here to have on this planet.

So, what message are you here to share?!

Resources:

Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/podcasting-services/

Thank you for listening!

Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089

Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/

Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA

Guest Inquiries right here: podcasts@infochooseyourcalling-com

Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show”

Nick McGowan (00:01.743)Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan, and today I want to talk about creativity. Now it’s been a little bit since I’ve done a solo episode and I was talking to some of you the other day and telling them that with a lot of the solo episodes I kind of just go along with what is driving me, kind of using my sacral in the sense like, oh, I want to talk about this or I want to talk about that. And I knew that I wanted to do some solo episodes. We’re traveling this summer.

So I want to do some more of them while we’re out traveling and be able to talk about different things that are going on, etc. But one of the main things that’s really been floating around in my head for probably my entire life, but a lot recently has been creativity and how creative we are or how creative we aren’t.

Nick McGowan (01:03.19)I’ve had different people on the show that have talked about creativity. There was an episode, I think episode number 20, with a friend of mine, friend at this point, Joe, who has been creative in so many different ways. And we talked about kind of that bone that everybody has of being creative.

There’s some people I’ve talked to in life that have told me, I’m not creative. Like I am the furthest thing from creative. And when I ask them, or we get even deeper into like, what do you think creativity is? It turns to some direction of art. Like they can’t sketch or paint. So therefore they think they’re not creative. But in the way that they handle problems, the way that they move through life, they are super creative. And that’s what I want to talk about. That creativity in which everything that we do

It has some sort of creative flair to it no matter what because it’s really our flair to it. I think if we look at something that has a very systematic process you do this thing then this happens and then that happens after that and then you get this result every single time like a factory in a sense. That’s not real creative however it took creativity to be able to actually get to that point. Somebody had to go wait a minute

This all sucks. All these bottles keep dropping off the floor or falling off this thing or whatever and we’re losing money and blah blah blah blah. Somebody had to be creative at that point. Even if it was somebody a hundred years ago that said, have an idea to be able to change this a bit. Like Henry Ford even. People go, I want to change this and how we do things. And then other people have taken that from there.

You can be creative in those sort of ways. You can be creative in really, really small ways, like in how you say something back to somebody, how you respond to a situation, how you’d react to some news and what you do with it from there. There’s creativity in that. Now we can call it different things, especially in those little sections of our lives. But when you think about being creative, I know for myself, I’ve stunted that at different times.

Nick McGowan (03:13.516)a lot. I have been working on music since I was probably, I don’t know, 12, 13, like really actually working on music. was banging on pots and pans and dancing around with the washer and dryer as a little kid and making up my own little music. So I’ve always had that creativity to it. But music for me is one of those outlets that I can…

get different feelings, emotions, can process things through, can even just literally put my head down and work on mapping out drum parts for hours.

and forget to eat, you know? I know there are tendencies with ADHD and things of that sort that we can look at with a flow state, but that is where that flow state comes into play for me. I don’t believe I have ADHD and I hold nothing against anybody that’s neurodivergent. I love having people on the show to talk about that because those are additional things to work with and work through. It’s like having different tools, resources, some things that can be limitations, but it’s creativity.

and how we use it and what we do with those things. So over the past, I’d say few years, I’ve been working on writing music. In 2020, I think when COVID hit, I really started to actually buckle back down because years before that, I was in different bands. played in front of thousands of people a week for the churches that I played in and…

different groups that I went out with to different bars and venues and studio sessions and all that. And I took a step aside from that to be able to go get married, start a business and do the thing that I think I needed to do, which was live a life, make money, kind of that white picket fence sort of dream in a sense that actually doesn’t actually make sense to me.

Nick McGowan (05:09.416)And it’s something that I thought I needed to do because this is how we live in this society. And I started to really push my creativity to the side. So 2020 came around. I got deeper into it. I had a f...

In this episode, Nick speaks with Carla Ondrasik, a former music publisher turned author and speaker. Carla shares her unique background, including her experience with the Department of Defense and her journey in the music industry. They dive into her philosophy of ‘Stop Trying,’ emphasizing the importance of mindset and the detrimental effects of the word ‘try.’

What to listen for:

• The philosophy of “Stop Trying” is solid, so give it a go

“If you can just get rid of that word, try, your brain knows the difference, and your actions become different.”

• The words we use actually send cues to our brain

“Trying is a half-hearted attempt or an effort.”

• When you “try,” you’re not fully in

About Carla Ondrasik

Carla is the creator of the No Try philosophy and author of Stop Trying! The Life-Transforming Power of Trying Less and Doing More. She has spent over two decades sharing her message through research, speaking engagements, mentoring, and writing. A former VP of Creative Writer Development at EMI Music, Carla placed hit songs with legends like Barbra Streisand, Cher, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, and many others, contributing to millions of records sold worldwide. She continues to mentor aspiring musicians while promoting her philosophy to businesses, women’s leadership groups, and schools. Carla has two adult children and lives in Southern California with her husband, John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting), and is an avid swimmer.

• https://carlaondrasik.com

Resources:

Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/podcasting-services/

Thank you for listening!

Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089

Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/

Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA

Guest Inquiries right here: [email protected]

Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show”

Nick McGowan (00:09.812)All right, three, two, hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show, we have Karla Androsik. Karla, how you doing today?

Carla Ondrasik (00:21.016)So great today. Happy to be home and loving life.

Nick McGowan (00:23.86)I bet you just told me you just got off the road and literally got back and where you said you were yesterday was probably what, 3,000 miles away from home? At least.

Carla Ondrasik (00:32.75)Yep, got home at midnight and I’m just settling back in and this is one of my favorite places to be, home, so I’m great.

Nick McGowan (00:42.3)Awesome. And thank you for not canceling on this. I know sometimes it’s like I’ve had a long week or weeks. It’s like, I just want to be home for a day. So I appreciate you jumping on. I think this will be a great conversation. So why don’t you get a start? Tell us what you do for a living and what’s one thing most people don’t know about you that’s maybe a little odd or bizarre.

Carla Ondrasik (01:01.578)So what I do for a living is still a little bit of my past integrated in with my current life. I was a music publisher for EMI Music Publishing for 20 plus years, and I still mentor young artists and songwriters, and I work with some contemporary people. But at the same time, I am an author. I have a book coming out for the first time. I’m a speaker and a motivator, and I just

love sharing my message. I’m back to work.

Nick McGowan (01:34.74)Perfect. And what’s that thing that most people don’t know about you that’s a little odd or bizarre?

Carla Ondrasik (01:40.25)I had a top secret security clearance. I worked for the Department of Defense. I was helicoptered into secret locations, saw all kinds of things that most people don’t get to see. And yeah, that’s kind of a strange thing. Not many people know about me.

Nick McGowan (01:59.198)So now I’m wondering, do I just stop recording and ask you all the questions about all the classified things or do we keep going? I guess we’ll keep going. I’m sure there’s not much you can really talk about that sort of stuff.

Carla Ondrasik (02:04.397)Ha ha ha!

Carla Ondrasik (02:11.936)I was debriefed, but it was a long time ago, but it was really intense. Like I was in classified documents and I mean, the people that I worked with were scientists and I they were basically building bombs. Okay. And yeah, and my job to get to work, I had to go through like five different doors just to get to my office and shred my bubble gum wrappers, you know, in case, you know, you had to shred everything and it got really intense.

Nick McGowan (02:14.964)OK.

Nick McGowan (02:20.947)Mm.

Nick McGowan (02:26.612)Fair enough.

Nick McGowan (02:39.848)Yeah. Huh.

Carla Ondrasik (02:41.888)I got out, but it was quite an experience. Amazing.

Nick McGowan (02:45.588)So did that make you paranoid about everything else in life for a little while? Okay, cool. Well, that’s good. Yeah, I mean with the shredding like bubblegum wrappers and stuff like that, I wondered if you went home and you’re like, my God, all the documents and God knows what sort of spy raccoons are in our trash can looking through all of our paperwork.

Carla Ondrasik (02:49.844)No, it me feel very safe actually.

Carla Ondrasik (03:07.285)Exactly. I know. Yeah, we have a shredder here, but I don’t use it.

Nick McGowan (03:11.856)Okay, fair enough. That is cool. I think a thing that is also really cool, at least from my perspective as a musician is you found your husband’s band. And you have, like, I want to know the story of that. Maybe I’m a little biased because as a musician and somebody who knows of your husband’s band, I’d like to hear that story. But also getting into the

the conversations that have been had between yourself as the business side of music and with the artist and the musician. I think that ties directly into the name of your book. You want to go ahead and name the book and tell us a bit about that as well?

Carla Ondrasik (03:50.69)Yeah, the book is called Stop Trying and it comes out September 23rd. it really is. It’s carried me through my whole life. can get into Why I Don’t Try, which is a whole could be another podcast, but it’ll be interesting to talk about. But yeah, it really affects your personal life, your business life, your creativity, your mental wellness, all of it. And so, yeah, I have applied the not trying philosophy.

for myself and then my children now and in my marriage and family and obviously my career. I had a great career for 20 plus years. My last title was Vice President of Creative Writer Development for EMI on the West Coast. And the quick story about John on Jurassic of five for fighting, there’s no five and there’s no fighting. But.

Nick McGowan (04:45.012)the

Carla Ondrasik (04:47.028)when he got his record deal, there were no John Mayers. It was the Wallflowers and there were band names. And the record company was like, John, we can’t like market John Androsik. So he’s a hockey freak. He’s a sports freak and he loves the Kings. And he was like, well, what about Five for Fighting? I think he had just saw Marty McSorley do some terrible fight, you know, definitely dating ourselves here. But the record company loved it.

Nick McGowan (04:53.694)Mm-hmm.

Carla Ondrasik (05:16.948)So it’s just one guy and he has stories for you. We’ll have to get him on your podcast because the two of you would have a great time. I mean, he was booked into these bars that, you know, they were expecting five for fighting heavy metal and there he is playing like Superman, you know. But, you know, you learn on your feet. And the way I discovered him was it’s the greatest story. So I was working for

Nick McGowan (05:22.952)Yeah, that’d cool.

Nick McGowan (05:32.936)Yeah.

Carla Ondrasik (05:45.12)a company called Zamba, which spe...

In this episode, Nick speaks with Scott Simon to explore the themes of courage, fear, and self-mastery. Scott shares his journey from being an introvert to founding the “Scare Your Soul” movement, which encourages people to confront their fears and embrace courage in their everyday lives.

What to listen for:

• Courage can be broken down into four levels: micro, daring, ethical, and legacy.

“When I get my head on straight and I know what my goal is for that day, chances are I’m gonna do that thing and chances are I’m also gonna do a lot of other things that end up coming my way that day.”

• Clarity in the morning sets the tone for momentum throughout the day

“If you start small and start now, a courage practice, which is what starts to arise is actually a shit ton of fun.”

• Starting small removes the pressure and opens the door to growth

About Scott Simon

Scott’s journey from a chronically shy, bullied child to becoming a global advocate for courage offers a powerful testament to the transformative power of small, brave acts.

As founder of the Scare Your Soul movement and author of the book “Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life” (Hachette), Scott has developed groundbreaking frameworks that make courage accessible and practical.

After a life-changing panic attack at 30,000 feet led to an epiphany about facing fears daily, Scott created methodologies that have revolutionized how individuals and organizations approach courage-building.

His SCARE framework and “1:1” practice combine cutting-edge behavioral science with actionable steps that have transformed cultures at organizations including Logitech, Ritz Carlton, Cleveland Clinic, Nestle, and the United Nations Global Compact.

A TEDx speaker and co-founder of a happiness incubator, Scott has dedicated his life to showing how small acts of courage can compound into extraordinary change. His unique combination of vulnerable storytelling, scientific insight, and practical application has made him a sought-after speaker for organizations seeking to build more courageous, innovative cultures.

• https://www.scareyoursoul.com/

Resources:

Check out other episodes about courage.

• Episode #18 w/ Liz Lopez

Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Send Nick an email or schedule a time to discuss your podcast today!

[email protected]

Thank you for listening!

Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089

Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA

Guest Inquiries right here: [email protected]

Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show”

Nick McGowan (00:05.518)Hello and welcome to the mindset and self mastery show. I’m your host Nick McGowan. Today on the show we have Scott Simon. Scott, how you doing man?

Scott (00:15.482)Nick, I’m doing great. How are you?

Nick McGowan (00:17.486)I’m good. I’m good. I always love the initial conversations before we hit record, even if it’s like troubleshooting or tech stuff or just literally shooting the shit, whatever. Like I always get to find out stuff and even one little nugget is always awesome to able to go into something. So we just hit on that. Uh, as two NBA fans, um, there’s a lot that we can talk about right now. I’m a Sixers fan. The people that listen to this know that I live and die Philly sports this year sucked.

I’d like to give Paul George back to, I don’t know, the Shanghai Sharks or something, just give him away. But you are from Cleveland. So I want to get into that, but why don’t you kick us off? Tell us what you do for a living and what’s one thing most people don’t know about you. It’s a little odd or bizarre. And then let’s get straight to the calves.

Scott (01:05.947)Okay, fair enough. I’m Scott Simon. I’m the founder of the Scare Your Soul global courage movement. So every single day, my job is to help people step into moments of fear and come out the other side. One thing that people don’t know about me is I’m a huge introvert. Standing in front of groups of people was never something that I could do. In fact, quite the opposite.

So the fact that my entire job now is stepping in front of large groups of people is, it’s insane. And when I tell people that I’m an introvert and that most of my life was spent pretty much in silence and kind of living an invisible life, they are shocked. So shout out to all the introverts out there who are just leading life and doing the thing. And it’s awesome.

Nick McGowan (02:01.88)Hmm. Being an introvert, think is a thing that a lot of people will push to one side, just like the extroverted people. It’s like they’re all pushed to those are the ones that come in and just yell and say, I’m here. Like the party has begun sort of thing. There are a lot of variations to that. So I thought that I was extroverted for a long time. And I think a lot of it actually tied back to trauma and trying to prove, you know, and all that sort of stuff.

Scott (02:19.165)yeah.

Scott (02:28.338)Yeah.

Nick McGowan (02:28.514)But I find that I do actually get more energy from just being by myself working through things and you get to bring it back. But was that a thing where, and I read through some of your history and all that, like being shy and being kind of bullied and we all go through stuff and we will all filter it, how we’ll filter it and then turn it into whatever we do. But that is still our fucking reality. Like that’s what you go through and what you’ve done.

But do you see that a lot of people actually kind of take that introvert extrovert and don’t see it as gray?

Scott (03:01.243)do. I think we’re we live in a society that loves labels. Like, you know what I mean? Like we love to just assign a label to something and then we can put it in its box and and move forward. You know, you have ADHD or you don’t or you’re shy or you’re introverted or you’re extroverted and you’re take this test and we’re going to tell you exactly who you are. And that’s a load of crap in my view. In fact, I think it’s all gray. Like we all are these

huge pots of stew where the potatoes and the meat are these experiences that we’ve had over our lives and the influences that we’ve had and the learning that we’ve had. So it’s all gray in my view. What I really see as a major problem is when people let those labels that somebody else gave them define them and they buy into it. That I think is where

work can be done and there’s a lot of work to be done.

Nick McGowan (04:06.03)What a loaded thing these just drop like there’s a lot of work to be done. Yeah I think there’s so many pieces to it that Like systems time into so many different things. We have our own little systems. We’re also part of major ecological systems psychological systems Governmental systems all these things, but then it all ties into what we want to believe it that

I was having a conversation with somebody of the day where they were getting to a point where it was just like, just don’t, I don’t care about this thing anymore. Like this is the end of my caring. I no longer care. So there, the options at that point were lessened for what they could do. And they’re, I’m not trying to get into context of the thing. So I’m trying to be a little bit ambiguous with it, but it was, it was like, well, once you reach that point where you’re no longer caring, you can either shift what you care about within that, or you can just say, well, I no longer do and I don’t.

Scott (04:32.316)Yeah.

Nick McGowan (05:01.688)We as people will accept that from people, especially in the formati...

In this episode, Nick speaks with executive coach Sabine Gedeon about her journey in personal development, the importance of subconscious programming, and the role of intuition and self-trust in achieving success. Sabine shares her unique nightly routine of listening to curated books, her focus on building intuition, and the significance of daily practices like journaling and gratitude.

What to listen for:

• Daily routines help in building self-trust and discipline

“If you’re three years out from having lost something… and you’re still feeling the emotions as strong… that means that you’re not feeling grief for that particular situation… that is grief that is underneath something.”

• Grief can sometimes mask deeper emotional wounds that haven’t been fully processed or uncovered yet.

“I have learned… that things [don’t] happen because I’m doing, I’m physically doing, or it’s the work that I’m doing. I understand that I am part of this larger universe and that I can actually get support.”

• Sometimes, stepping back and aligning energetically brings more results than over-efforting.

About Sabine Gedeon

Sabine Gedeon is the Founder of Transformed Leadership Institute and CEO of Gedeon Enterprises, with nearly 20 years of experience guiding leaders in startups and Fortune 500 companies. She combines human-centered principles with tech-enabled solutions to create customized leadership and talent development programs. As an author and Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Sabine is dedicated to empowering leaders at all levels, helping them tackle key challenges in growth and transformation.

• https://sabinegedeon.com

Resources:

Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Send Nick an email or schedule a time to discuss your podcast today! [email protected]

Thank you for listening!

Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089

Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA

Guest Inquiries right here: [email protected]

Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show”

Nick McGowan (00:06.783)Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self-Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show we have Sabin Gideon. Sabin, how you doing today?

Sabine Gedeon, PCC (00:17.624)Well, thank you, Nick. How are you?

Nick McGowan (00:19.669)I’m good. I’m looking forward to our conversation. I always enjoy when I get to shoot the shit and just talk to somebody beforehand and there are certain times where I look up and I’m like, man, it’s been like 15, 20 minutes. This could have been part of the episode. So why don’t you kick us off? Tell us what you do for a living and what’s one thing most people don’t know about you that’s maybe a little odd or bizarre.

Sabine Gedeon, PCC (00:40.002)Yeah, so I play a couple of different roles, primarily as an executive coach and a speaker, working with organizations, their leadership, just helping them be better humans.

As far as something that’s bizarre, I thinking about this, I think probably the most bizarre thing, and you’ll probably appreciate this, is every night I go, I listen to Audible, so I go to bed with a playlist of books that are curated each quarter, and so that is my way of helping me to program my subconscious mind. And I’ve actually been doing this, I didn’t realize that that’s what I was doing, probably in like 2000.

10 or 12 or something like I was like heavily into church and so I wanted to like learn the Bible and I was like I don’t want to sit there and read the Bible so I used to play the Bible app while I slept as a way to kind of like memorize help me to memorize the scriptures a little bit more it wasn’t until I got into personal development professional development the work that I do now that I learned that like I was literally programming my subconscious so to this day like I can pull Bible quotes

Nick McGowan (01:26.123)Hmm.

Sabine Gedeon, PCC (01:49.36)I can’t tell you where they are, but they will come to me like in conversation randomly.

Nick McGowan (01:56.705)I love that. So I think there’s kind of a two part pieces to that. I don’t know how to put that properly, but I think some of that is like a God situation where he’s like, hey, here’s this verse. And other parts of it is just straight up your subconscious mind that’s recalling things. Cause you were filtering that in constantly. Did you, do you remember, I think it was that Bible app, cause that’s the one that Craig Groeschel created like in the mid 2000s, like the Bible app.

think at one point Samuel L was one of the voices. Did you listen to his voice to help you go to sleep and just read the Bible to you? man. Yeah, just captivated the entire time. Keep going Samuel. Now I’m gonna read Samuel one and two with Samuel’s voice, total nerd. So that is cool. I do appreciate that. I think it’s interesting how we can tie different things into just our way of being.

Sabine Gedeon, PCC (02:26.05)Mm-hmm.

Sabine Gedeon, PCC (02:30.592)I would definitely, I would never fall asleep listening to Samuel L. Jackson.

Nick McGowan (02:53.781)just by the music we listen to, the shows that we watch, things that we do, et cetera, et cetera. But it’s also, it depends on what we wanna get out of it and who we are. Like I think about it like this, I watch a lot of Criminal Minds, like CSI and stuff like that. And I saw something recently that was like, you watch, what was it? If your thought of relaxing is watching three or four episodes of True Crime, you should probably talk to a therapist. And at first I thought, well, I pay at least three people monthly.

to help me with things and I have weekly sessions and I’d watch this every night. But I watch it from the aspect of watching people do incredibly tough things and really horrific situations and still keep their cool and they’re calm about it instead of going, well, how did somebody just member somebody like not fan of that, but like what did they do in the aftermath, et cetera. So with the books that you listen to and the things that you’re kind of putting in your mind, are you

you said it’s curated. are there things you’re like this quarter, I really want to work on these things and you do it consciously, as well as subconsciously. But what are those things?

Sabine Gedeon, PCC (04:00.46)Yeah, so funny enough with the true crime stuff, like I used to be a big like SUV, no, SBU fan, right? And

Nick McGowan (04:07.273)SvU here.

Sabine Gedeon, PCC (04:09.834)It was like, I was always mesmerized by like how they solved it. Cause I was always trying to figure out who the person was. It wasn’t until like I started going through my healing journey that like once I started going through my healing journey, I couldn’t watch those shows anymore because now I started getting triggered before it was about the cops and how they were going to solve it and everything. And then once I started to do my own work, I started relating to the victim.

Nick McGowan (04:24.481)Hmm.

Sabine Gedeon, PCC (04:35.694)in the situation and so like I had to stop that. So kudos to you for being in that space where you could still watch those shows. So for me, when it ...

In this episode, Nick speaks with energy healer Ofer Niv about his journey from serving in the Israeli military to becoming an energy healer. They explore themes of spirituality, human experience, and the impact of limiting beliefs on personal growth. Ofer shares insights on his Alchemical Flame method, emphasizing the importance of heart connection in healing and the idea that individuals are not broken but whole.

What to listen for:

• Energy healing can help individuals see their own truth

“Healing doesn’t start with the physical.”

Real healing begins by addressing emotional, mental, or spiritual wounds, not just physical symptomsOur physical state often mirrors deeper unresolved issuesThoughts and emotions play a huge role in how our bodies feel and functionLasting wellness involves caring for your whole self—mind, body, and spirit

“I like to teach people going into your heart and see yourself as this powerful being that is always connecting to something bigger than you.”

• We’re not meant to just survive; you’re deeply powerful and purposeful

About Ofer Niv:

Ofer Niv is a transformational healer, mentor, and guide who specializes in shamanic energy work that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual layers of being. With over a decade of experience, Ofer blends ancient wisdom, the mysticism of the Kabbalah, and shamanic practices, helping clients resolve deep-seated issues and transform their lives at the core.

Ofer began to explore alternative healing modalities after having been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2011. As he saw his symptoms dissipating, he began to study energy healing with several masters & eventually overcame his MS, Ofer now uses his personal experience & extensive training to guide others through profound healing.

• https://alchemicalflame.com/

Resources:

Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Send Nick an email or schedule a time to discuss your podcast today! [email protected]

Thank you for listening!

Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089

Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA

Guest Inquiries right here: [email protected]

Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show”

Nick McGowan (00:04.046)Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self-Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show we have Ofer Niv. How are you doing today?

Ofer Niv (00:15.288)I’m doing great. Thank you, Nick, for having me.

Nick McGowan (00:18.254)Absolutely. I’m hoping that I got the name right because we just talked about it But I appreciate you being on I’m looking forward to the conversation. All right. Perfect. Good good So why don’t you guess get us started? Tell us what you do for a living and what’s one thing most people don’t know about you That’s maybe a little odd or bizarre

Ofer Niv (00:25.548)You’ve done really good.

Ofer Niv (00:37.37)What I do is energy healing. I’ve been doing it for about nine years and it’s not what I’ve done most of my life and that’s something that I really love to do. one thing that, what was the second question?

Nick McGowan (00:56.866)What’s one thing most people don’t know about you that’s a little weird, little odd, a little bizarre?

Ofer Niv (01:02.062)I served in the Israeli military. I was a commander and I remember trying to get into a particular unit when I was 18. And they did that that was a fitness test. So we were running and I was really not fit. And I remember at some point me falling and getting up.

and falling, it was like a road and we were running and getting up. And in the end, I just woke up in like a hospital after a very, very weird experience where I was running up and down a ladder, feeling like stuck forever. And so I don’t know if you heard about near death experiences where everybody is saying, you know, I saw the light.

This is not what I saw if that was a near-death experience. I saw a pretty frustrating place, but I’m still trying to figure that one out. That was a weird experience.

Nick McGowan (02:12.044)That is weird. Yeah, it’s interesting that people have near death experiences and they claim they see different things. And I know that our brain can kind of trick us into seeing things that we want to see, just like how you can look into the clouds and think you see Jesus, let’s say, or whatever it is. Like people look at toast and they go, it’s Mother Mary or whatever, you We can associate to those things and try to assimilate what that would be. But

There are definitely situations that I’m sure are either supernatural or something that has just, it’s not normal. And I think it’s hard for our brains to actually wrap our head around that. So even in a situation where you’re like, I can’t really put my finger on it. I think we could probably just have an entire episode just about those sorts of things, you know?

Ofer Niv (03:00.598)Yeah, I know that I know that I had something that that happened that is for me to sort of remember not necessarily figure out. But but that maybe that was one of the earlier experience where I started to you know, there is something there that is something that I can’t explain, because I’m very left brain is in the way that I was brought up and you know, in the corporate world and all that.

And it’s just, it really threw me off. I mean, I had other weird experiences, but this one was like I’ll never forget it.

Nick McGowan (03:40.558)What a cool thing to think about that it’s not for you to actually figure out but for you to remember and that at some point maybe maybe that’ll pop back in your head at the exact moment when you needed to but it’s interesting because I’m sitting here thinking as you’re talking about what you’re what you’re saying the background who you are now the things that you do and actively where we’re at in this world what’s going on right now so for you that you were

in the Israel army, you are now an energy healer. And this is not a political podcast, but I can’t not have a conversation with you about this. So the things that have happened and are currently happening, and how do you feel about those things? But also, how does that tie into like we as people, and I’ll kind of caveat it with this, we as people are fucking dumb humans, like we’re just organisms that just hate on and kill each other. And

Outside of that and above all of that were really spiritual souls that are in these organisms, which is the energy side of it all. So I’m not exactly sure where to start with that besides you were in the Israel army. And there’s a lot of spiritual warfare and things that are going along with all of that, that people tie into energy. And there’s a lot of things that I think are.

outside of that that are just almost like looking down at ants and saying, well, they’re just ants and why are they running all over the place? So how does that tie in and what was that bridge to be able to have you go from that to where you’re at now? And it sounds like that moment was one of those moments that like shook you and shook your energy in a sense.

Ofer Niv (05:29.92)My goodness, you have opened so many rabbit holes. But I like what you said about the human experience. We feel as humans so dumb like chickens run around with their heads cut off. And then there is this, what I really like to work with is to remind everyone.

Nick McGowan (05:47.757)Yeah.

Ofer Niv (05:54.954)spark of divinity inside of us that allow us to see that there is something far different and bigger than what we see with our eyes or sense with our senses. so when I was studying shamanic energy healing, I remember I was so

so energized by for the first time understanding that we can actually move energy and at night I would instead of sleeping I would be in bed and just sending ways of healing to the Middle East and to solve the Middle East problems. I’ll tell you that since then I learned that the best way that I do my job is to really work with who is in front of me and who i...

In this episode, Nick speaks with Jason Yarusi, a successful real estate investor and entrepreneur. They discuss Jason’s journey from working in bars to managing multiple businesses, including a property management company and coaching. The conversation delves into the importance of prioritizing family, managing time effectively, and creating a productive morning routine. Jason shares insights on how to navigate the challenges of a busy life while maintaining a focus on personal growth and self-mastery.

What to listen for:

• We wanted to set a nature where we could spend time with family

“If everyone in the world took all their problems and put them into one big pile and then took that big pile and split it into even paths and everybody took their problems out from there, the majority of the world would be begging for their problems back.”

• Our struggles often seem overwhelming until we compare them to what others are dealing with.

“Usually there’s three things, maybe four things that you need to do each day that are gonna bring you into a better spot, personally, financially, physically, emotionally.”

• Prioritize the few tasks that truly impact your life and progress

About Jason Yarusi

Jason brings all of his hands-on experience to you. His personal story and extensive work has made him an inspirational force, captivating audiences as a dynamic motivational speaker. With an innate ability to ignite positive transformations, Jason empowers individuals to conquer challenges and embrace change with unwavering resilience. His electrifying talks instill a renewed sense of purpose, propelling audiences to reach new heights in both personal and professional spheres.

• http://www.jasonyarusi.com/

Resources:

Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Send Nick an email or schedule a time to discuss your podcast today!

[email protected]

Thank you for listening!

Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089

Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA

Guest Inquiries right here: [email protected]

Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show”

Nick McGowan (00:01.902)All right, three, two, hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show we have Jason Yarusi. Jason, how you doing today?

Jason Yarusi (00:12.27)Hey, I’m doing great. Good to be here.

Nick McGowan (00:14.094)Yeah, I’m glad you’re here, man. I’m excited for us to get in everything we’re gonna get into. We were just talking a little bit about where our stomping grounds are in a sense and how sort of different it was in certain ways. man, why don’t you kick us off? Tell us what you do for a living and what’s one thing most people don’t know about you that’s maybe little odd or bizarre.

Jason Yarusi (00:32.536)So I am down here just south of Nashville, Tennessee in a town called Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I invest in apartment buildings. I’ve brought a commercial real estate for over a decade now. I own about 3,300 units across the Southeast in seven different states. And so that’s our primary business. We have a property management business and two HVAC and plumbing businesses and a coaching business. So that pretty much wraps up from there. What’s odd, you know,

I met my wife in 2003, it took us over a decade to actually become a couple, but we worked in a bar together for over a decade before we actually became a couple. So that seems it. And she ends up being from Hawaii and I was from New Jersey, meeting in New York City and now we’re in Tennessee. So as random, we were the only New Jersey, Hawaii couple here in the state of Tennessee I’ve found.

Nick McGowan (01:24.173)That would be a little out of like, so where are you two from? Jersey, Hawaii, how the hell did you get to Tennessee?

Jason Yarusi (01:29.742)Pretty much every every conversation who asked that yes, yeah 100 %

Nick McGowan (01:34.143)And so I’ve never been to Hawaii. My partner lived in Hawaii for a little while. Her family lived in Hawaii for a while. And every time I hear about it, there are just different parts of like the different almost environments that there are on the different islands and how everything’s vastly different. And I’m like, but I’ve never been to any of them. So how is it that that your wife went from Hawaii to New York to Tennessee?

and how did you all get to Tennessee and why not Hawaii?

Jason Yarusi (02:06.69)Yeah, mean, so theater, right? So she moved to New York City for school through theater, right? And so theater, she did theater there and she moved to LA for a little bit. And as many happen in the arts, you you find your way into working into something else. And so she started working in bars, right? So she was working in a bar in New York City and I ended up, I was traveling around, I moved into New York City, just doing odd jobs. And I ended up coming to the bar she was working at, right? And so that’s how I ended up there.

Nick McGowan (02:10.038)Okay.

Jason Yarusi (02:36.268)And then at a certain point, she moved back to Hawaii and I was still working in New York City and her and I started connecting and we ended up meeting out in California and becoming a couple before moving back to New York City and then moved out to New Jersey to work and run the family construction business before moving into real estate. And one day we said, you know what, we should think about moving some places. And then on the cusp of that,

hurricane, or what’s called COVID came around, right? And in COVID, we had three little kids, they were in and out of school. It was just chaos. just like, it was just, nothing made sense. So we were like, well, this is a great time to decide to move. And we were thinking, not Hawaii, we were thinking Phoenix, Denver, or Nashville, right? And Phoenix, was just all desert. We’d like the kids outside, just for some reason, we ruled that out.

Nick McGowan (03:20.653)Hmm.

Jason Yarusi (03:27.47)Denver, we were out there a lot for all kinds of, know, speaking things for real estate. We just, for some reason, had had enough with Denver and lo and behold, we had a bunch of property down this way and we had a couple of friends who were in select cities around Nashville and we had just actually brought an apartment building in the city of Murfreesboro. So we said, let’s move down there. And I had been there, but Pee-wee, my wife, moved down here, basically sight unseen. With the premise, I was like, listen, let’s just go there. And if we like it, great. We ended up.

we did, right? But if we didn’t like it, no harm, no foul, we’ll move somewhere else. But moving back to Hawaii, she hadn’t been there almost in like 20 years now. Her whole family’s still there, but she hadn’t lived there. But it’s whole different world, right? It’s great to be there. We take the family out there. We’ll go once a year until we stay somewhere around 10 or 12 days. And then her family can come and visit out here. But it’s not the place we chose to live today, not to say that I ever said I would live in Tennessee. So tomorrow could be a whole different story.

Nick McGowan (04:24.556)Sure. Yeah, I’m sure it’s also a lot different. Just living on the islands, like the amount that things cost getting things to you. There was somebody I talked to recently where they were getting some new stuff for their podcasts, like getting them set up and we’re working through that stuff. She’s like, well, it takes like an extra two, three weeks to be able to get ...

In this episode, Nick speaks with KaRon Spriggs-Bethea to explore themes of self-expression, the impact of trauma on personal growth, and the importance of listening in therapeutic settings.

What to listen for:

• Self-expression can be tied to personal experiences and trauma

“Even if you can or cannot open that door, the choice to sometimes isn’t right”

• Just because a door is there doesn’t mean it’s the right time—or the right one—to walk through

“What am I feeling around that? Now that I look back at what was going on, what do I feel about that?”

• Looking back with curiosity—not judgment—helps reveal what truly mattered in past experiences.

About KaRon Spriggs-Bethea

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea is a licensed clinical social worker in Pennsylvania and social work professor at Herzing University. He recently received his Doctorate in Social Work from Capella University. In addition to teaching, KaRon provides therapy at his private practice, Let’s Talk Solutions, where he works with individuals from all walks of life.

• https://letstalksolutions.org/

Resources:

Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Send Nick an email or schedule a time to discuss your podcast today! [email protected]

Thank you for listening!

Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089

Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/

Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA

Guest Inquiries right here: [email protected]

Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show”

Nick McGowan (00:01.778)Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self-Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show we have Karan Spriggs-Bethea. Karan, how you doing?

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (00:04.956)I’m doing well. How are you?

Nick McGowan (00:15.025)I’m good. I’m good. I’m looking forward to this conversation. We were joking and laughing with each other a little bit before we hit record. So I think it’s gonna be a good one. And why don’t you get us kicked off? Tell us what you do for a living. And what’s one thing most people don’t know about you that’s maybe a little odd or bizarre.

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (00:17.612)Yes.

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (00:28.142)Maybe a little odd or bizarre. Yeah, so let’s see. So I’m a social worker. So I am a licensed clinical social worker in Ohio and Pennsylvania. I have my own private practice. And I also am a social work educator. So I teach at a university full time at this point. And yeah, I love it. And in thinking about.

What is something that most people don’t know that’s weird or bizarre? I’ve been thinking about this question ever since you brought it up and thinking, like I am a pretty open book. there’s not a lot of things that people don’t know about me. But let’s see, what?

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (01:18.19)I guess it’s not weird or bizarre, but I really like the art form of drag for the longest time. But when I first started, or for when I first moved to Pittsburgh, I should say, I wanted to actually go into drag and do drag. But I never, like that,

The spark never blossomed from that. Yeah. Yeah, like I said, it’s not weird or bizarre, I don’t think a lot of people know that I like drag, but I don’t think people know that I actually wanted to do drag.

Nick McGowan (01:50.894)okay

Nick McGowan (02:05.168)Well, this point, cat’s out of the bag, man. Like, you got to do it. You you’ve brought it up. This is the thing that sounds like it’s there. And, know, a part of the reason why I asked that question is to find out some things that, yeah, you might have like your immediate circle or the people that you talk to often. And then there’s also the people that don’t know you at all, that don’t know anything about you. So anything you say could potentially be out of bizarre. But there’s also, there’s also the things of like, what are the things that don’t typically come up?

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (02:06.678)Right.

Hahaha

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (02:23.566)Right?

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (02:28.718)True.

Nick McGowan (02:35.054)because I often see that those can be tied into our character. They can be tied into something that happened when we were younger. So even with that, like the fascination, the impression of things, the thought of it, the want, all of that, there’s something to it. And I think that probably ties into some of the work that you do. It certainly ties into who you are as a person. But then I also think there are certain things like,

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (02:36.374)Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Yeah

Nick McGowan (03:01.614)I’m not trying to call you out at all. But you’re like, Look, I thought about this thing. I haven’t done it yet. So we as the mental health side can then say, Well, what is that some of my timing, you know, like, well, I’m going to do it on Tuesday or something. But also just saying, Well, why do we hold ourselves back from things? Why is it that we want things that we hold ourselves back from? And how does that all tie into everything? So I appreciate that you brought that up. I think that’s a cool thing to be able to say where it’s like,

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (03:19.278)Why is it that we want things if we hold ourselves back from? And how does that all tie into everything? So I appreciate that you brought that up. think that’s a cool thing to be able to say.

Nick McGowan (03:29.55)would you just naturally bring it up? You know, unless somebody asked you that sort of question, we’re like, well, yeah, here’s this. But let’s actually get into that a little bit of like, there’s that fascination, the want to the excitement for, but still not moving with and then the work that you do within your social work that some of that stuff with those people, what they go through, abuse,

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (03:31.63)Right, Yeah.

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (03:40.595)Yeah

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (03:50.508)Yes.

Nick McGowan (03:54.97)different traumas, things of that sort that they’re like, I can’t, I don’t know what to do next. I don’t know how to do this. There’s similarities within that, aren’t there?

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (04:02.414)Absolutely, absolutely. And that’s, think that is what has drawn me to this work is that I saw myself not allowing myself to do the things that I wanted to do. Expressing myself in certain ways, being able to really sit with some of trauma or anything.

Really, even giving myself the space to be happy growing up, I did not allow myself to do it because there were thoughts of, should you be happy? Are you supposed to be happy? Or you deserved that to happen. So you have to stay in that space. And so thinking about when I’m working with my clients,

Nick McGowan (04:49.294)Damn.

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (04:57.282)That I will sometimes muster up some of those things that I’ve gone through. I don’t have to tell them that I’ve gone through it, but how can I help them recognize? It’s okay. It’s okay if you’re experiencing this, what can we do with that now? What were some of those things that came up that we can actually do with those now?

Nick McGowan (05:21.847)what heavy questions you know, it can be, I think about sometimes it can be a really safe and fun space for us to riff on these things, talk about them, talk about experiences, all of that, but we’re in a safe bubble right here. You know, you and I are and I’ve assumed the place that you’re in is safe. You know, we’re we’re in a safe spot to be able to talk about this. And we’re also not immediately triggered or in any danger, where we have to think differently or work through it. So it can be

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (05:27.406)Mm-hmm

Yeah, right

KaRon Spriggs-Bethea (05:46.86)Right, right.

Nick McGowan (05:51.832)kind of fun to like just work through the idea. But when people are really stuck in those thing...

In this episode, Nick speaks with Tannaz Hosseinpour to dive into the intricacies of the nervous system, the importance of discipline over motivation, and the concept of soft discipline.

What to listen for:

“You can’t shame people into changing.”

“Multiple realities can coexist.”

About Tannaz Hosseinpour

Tannaz’s journey began in dispute resolution law, where she often saw relationshipsat their breaking points. Realizing she wanted to support people on a proactivepath, she transitioned to relationship coaching and is now completing her trainingas a psychotherapist. Through her unique blend of therapeutic modalities,coaching, and somatic integration, Tannaz guides clients to regulate their nervoussystem, develop emotional resilience, and build fulfilling, balanced relationships.

Resources:

Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Send Nick an email or schedule a time to discuss your podcast today! [email protected]

Thank you for listening!

Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089

Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA

Guest Inquiries right here: [email protected]

Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show”

In this episode, Nick speaks with Adam Dorsay to explore the intricate relationship between emotions, authenticity, and personal growth. They discuss the pressures faced by individuals, particularly in the realm of sports, and how these pressures can lead to mental health challenges.

What to listen for:

“Judicious use of self-disclosure helps build relationships”

“We do not get better from self-adulating. Self-compassion is the way”

About Adam Dorsay

Adam is a licensed psychologist and host of the award-winning podcast SuperPsyched. He recently released his book Super Psyched: Unleash the Power of the 4 Types of Connection and Live the Life You Love.

Resources:

Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Send Nick an email or schedule a time to discuss your podcast today! [email protected]

Thank you for listening!

Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089

Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA

Guest Inquiries right here: [email protected]

Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show”