In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca speaks with Naomi Midanik, a cancer survivor and Founder at Bright Balance Psychotherapy. As a registered psychotherapist practicing in Ontario, Canada, Naomi brings a unique perspective, having spent 17 years in corporate marketing before transitioning to therapy. Her specialty focuses on professionals, entrepreneurs, and working moms navigating career challenges and workplace burnout.

The conversation explores the reality many face: being stuck in a job they hate without the immediate option to quit. Naomi introduces the concept of radical acceptance from dialectical behavior therapy, explaining how to validate your negative feelings about work while simultaneously focusing energy on what you can actually control. She shares practical strategies for making the best of difficult situations, from reframing your commute to managing difficult boss relationships.

Timestamps:

Connect with Naomi: 

Bright Balance Psychotherapy: https://www.brightbalancetherapy.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/naomimidanik

For more insights on turning hidden minutes into your greatest asset, connect with Rebecca and the Time Billionaires Podcast on LinkedIn!

And if you love the show, subscribe to follow it.

Shout-out to Graham Duncan from East Rock Capital for the "Time Billionaires" concept that inspired our show name - originally shared on The Tim Ferriss Show.

Have you ever walked away from a discussion—about work, politics, parenting, or even something small—wondering how two reasonable people could hear the same words and leave with completely different conclusions?

After years studying how people interpret ideas, first in public policy, then in marketing, and eventually in her own family, Rebecca noticed a pattern: it’s often not what we’re saying that derails conversations, but the invisible opposite our words quietly introduce.

Whether you’re trying to advocate for something you care about, explain a decision at work, or stay connected with people who see the world differently, this episode offers an easy mental shift that can keep the people you’re interacting with engaged, curious, and willing to keep talking.

What you'll learn:

For more insights on turning small moments into your greatest asset, follow Rebecca and the Time Billionaires Podcast on LinkedIn!

And if you love the show, subscribe to follow it.

In Part 2 of this Time Billionaires episode, Rebecca continues her conversation with Oren Shai, Co-Founder of Feeling School, exploring the deeper connections between nervous system regulation, success, and emotional well-being. Oren explains the difference between parasympathetic (rest and digest) and sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system states, offering practical techniques like elevating legs above the heart to quickly access parasympathetic responses.

The conversation takes a turn as they discuss how most people misunderstand success, operating from what Oren calls the "coffee and trauma" model, constantly medicating themselves with stimulants while chasing achievements that they believe will finally make them feel complete. Instead, he advocates for redefining success as living authentically, contributing meaningfully, and connecting with others. 

Timestamps:

If you'd like to connect with Oren, you can find Oren on LinkedIn and learn more about Feeling School here.

For more insights on turning hidden minutes into your greatest asset, connect with Rebecca and the Time Billionaires Podcast on LinkedIn!

And if you love the show, subscribe to follow it.

Shout-out to Graham Duncan from East Rock Capital for the "Time Billionaires" concept that inspired our show name - originally shared on The Tim Ferriss Show.

In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca speaks with Oren Shai, an organizational psychologist, neuroscience-based executive coach, and Co-Founder of Feeling School. Oren teaches his signature methodology to high-achieving leaders, integrating cutting-edge neuroscience with depth and humanity to help them step into their most connected, alive expression of leadership at work and in life.

The conversation explores why we fight our natural energy fluctuations instead of working with them. Oren introduces his concept of the "human wave",  the natural cycles of energy that everyone experiences throughout the day, week, and seasons. He explains how fighting these cycles creates tension and shame spirals, while recognizing and supporting ourselves through them leads to better performance and well-being. Oren also shares practical somatic tools for resetting during busy workdays, including visual system resets, pattern interrupting techniques, and the importance of giving our nervous systems intentional breaks from the constant vigilance required in urban environments.

Timestamps:

If you'd like to connect with Oren, you can find Oren on LinkedIn and learn more about Feeling School here.

For more insights on turning hidden minutes into your greatest asset, connect with Rebecca and the Time Billionaires Podcast on LinkedIn!

And if you love the show, subscribe to follow it.

Shout-out to Graham Duncan from East Rock Capital for the "Time Billionaires" concept that inspired our show name - originally shared on The Tim Ferriss Show.

In Part 2 of this Time Billionaires episode, Rebecca continues her conversation with Michael Barber, Chief Marketing Officer at StarTech, diving deeper into career decision-making and the courage required for growth. Michael introduces his powerful "mirror test" for decision-making, asking yourself whether your current choices reflect what you want to see in the mirror, both literally and metaphorically.

This framework helps him evaluate everything from daily priorities to major life decisions, ensuring his actions align with his desired outcomes. The conversation explores Michael's unconventional career path of spending only 2-4 years at each position, a strategy that was unusual before 2010 but has accelerated his growth through diverse experiences across different industries and teams.

He emphasizes that discomfort is the price of growth and encourages embracing uncomfortable decisions rather than avoiding them. Michael shares his personal framework for knowing when it's time to make a career change: when he stops sleeping well. He explains how physical and behavioral indicators can signal when you're not doing what you want to do or feel you're running out of time for what matters most.

Timestamps:

- The mirror test: Aligning decisions with desired outcomes – 0:35

- Opportunity costs in personal life and micro-moment decisions – 1:45

- Michael's unconventional career strategy of short sprints – 3:59

- Why being uncomfortable accelerates growth opportunities – 5:30

- How to know when it's time for a career change – 6:29

- Using sleep as a gut-check indicator for life decisions – 7:15

- The "best version of yourself" framework for relationships and jobs – 8:05

Connect with Michael Barber:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljamesbarber/

For more insights on turning hidden minutes into your greatest asset, connect with Rebecca and follow the podcast on LinkedIn!

Time Billionaires on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/time-billionaires-pod

Rebecca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccashaddix/

And if you love the show, subscribe to follow the show!

Shout-out to Graham Duncan from East Rock Capital for the "Time Billionaires" concept that inspired our show name - originally shared on The Tim Ferriss Show.

In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca speaks with Michael Barber, a Chief Marketing Officer with over 20 years of experience leading marketing teams. Michael's work has been featured in The New York Times and Forbes, and he's known for helping companies grow while ensuring their teams actually enjoy the process.

Michael introduces the powerful concept of "micro legacies", the idea that everyday humans can create meaningful impact through small, intentional daily actions rather than comparing themselves to celebrities and influencers. He argues that holding doors, asking genuine questions in meetings, and listening more than talking can collectively make the world a better place through accumulated positive interactions.

The conversation explores how time poverty affects our ability to be generous and patient with others, referencing a fascinating study about Good Samaritan volunteers who were three times less likely to help others when they felt rushed. Michael shares his proven "three D's" framework (Do it, Delegate it, or Drop it) that he's used for nearly 20 years to make quick decisions and avoid time debt in both professional and personal contexts.

Timestamps:

- Introduction to micro legacies vs. celebrity influence– 0:43

- Why everyday actions matter more than big achievements – 2:30

- How time poverty affects our generosity and patience – 4:45

- The three D's framework: Do it, delegate it, or drop it – 5:25

- Applying decision frameworks to emails and daily inputs – 5:58

- One-touch tasks and personal time management – 8:30

- Adapting the three D's for personal relationships – 9:15

Connect with Michael Barber:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljamesbarber/

For more insights on turning hidden minutes into your greatest asset, connect with Rebecca and follow the podcast on LinkedIn!

Time Billionaires on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/time-billionaires-pod

Rebecca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccashaddix/

And if you love the show, subscribe to follow the show!

Shout-out to Graham Duncan from East Rock Capital for the "Time Billionaires" concept that inspired our show name - originally shared on The Tim Ferriss Show.

We're taught that wanting more makes us selfish, that ambition and desire are at odds with being humble or grateful for what we already have. But what if wanting is actually what makes us human?

From childhood, many of us learn to shrink our desires, and be accommodating, humble, and not take up too much space. We confuse contentment with complacency and mistake humility for self-erasure. But research shows that this conditioning often leaves us chasing quick hits of pleasure instead of pursuing what truly fulfills us.

In this episode, Rebecca explores why we feel guilty for wanting things, diving into evolutionary psychology and happiness research to reveal the crucial difference between hedonic happiness (instant gratification) and eudaimonic happiness (lasting fulfillment). You'll discover how to balance both types while breaking free from the guilt that keeps you stuck in cycles of short-term comfort at the expense of long-term growth.

What you'll learn:

Quick Actions You Can Take Today:

This episode offers hope for anyone who's been taught to want less, do less, or be less. 

Because when you get honest about what actually makes you happy, you expand what's possible, not just for yourself, but for everyone around you.

Follow Time Billionaires wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

For more insights on turning hidden minutes into your greatest asset, connect with Rebecca and follow the podcast on LinkedIn!

Shout-out to Graham Duncan from East Rock Capital for coining the term "Time Billionaires" which inspired our show name—originally shared on The Tim Ferriss Show.

In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca continues her conversation with Jo Amato about creating sustainable approaches to managing work and life demands. Jo shares a powerful reframe on work-life balance: giving yourself permission to be "good" at work some weeks while being excellent in your personal life, and vice versa. She reveals why trying to be excellent at everything simultaneously is unsustainable for mental and physical health. The conversation explores practical communication strategies, including Jo's experience with a "red, yellow, green" system at work where team members briefly shared their energy levels at meeting starts, helping colleagues understand capacity and redistribute tasks appropriately.

A key insight emerges around shifting from self-critical questioning ("Why can't I get more done?") to curious, compassionate inquiry ("Why am I struggling with this? Oh, I'm doing a lot."). Jo emphasizes that when you name where you are and what you need, you create permission structures for yourself while allowing others to actively support you. This mindset shift impacts not only personal well-being but also how you manage teams and relationships. The episode concludes with Jo's daily check-in practice: asking "What was my biggest priority today? Am I on track? If not, why not?" from a place of curiosity rather than judgment.

Timestamps

Connect with Jo Amato: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joellenamato

For more insights on turning hidden minutes into your greatest asset, connect with Rebecca and follow the podcast on LinkedIn! 

Shout-out to Graham Duncan from East Rock Capital for the "Time Billionaires" concept that inspired our show name - originally shared on The Tim Ferriss Show.

In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca speaks with Jo Amato, a tech executive with 20 years of experience in senior leadership roles at Microsoft, Teradata, and Ernst & Young. Jo balances a demanding career with being present for her family and raising three teenagers. Jo shares how she's discovered practical ways to stay grounded and create time in a busy schedule through two key strategies: a daily ritual and smart AI use.

The conversation dives deep into Jo's innovative approach to using AI as a "reflection mirror" - moving beyond basic meeting summaries to having AI organize her scattered thoughts and hold up an objective mirror. This practice helps her identify which thoughts serve her goals and which don't, eliminating the internal debate that typically consumes mental energy. Jo explains how this creates a compounding effect similar to investing money: by investing a few minutes with AI upfront, she manufactures 10-15 minutes of time that she can redirect toward reflection or solving problems she previously didn't have time to address.

Timestamps

Connect with Jo Amato: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joellenamato

For more insights on turning hidden minutes into your greatest asset, connect with Rebecca and follow the podcast on LinkedIn! 

Shout-out to Graham Duncan from East Rock Capital for the "Time Billionaires" concept that inspired our show name - originally shared on The Tim Ferriss Show.

In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca speaks with Kevin Monroe, a gratitude consultant and recognized expert on cultivating hope and gratitude to transform workplace culture. Kevin shares a surprising discovery from his gratitude challenge launched six years ago: when people share gratitude in community rather than individually, the results are exponential, not linear. He explains how his gratitude encounters bring strangers together for just 8-9 minutes, with participants consistently reporting they "arrived as strangers, left as friends" - revealing how quickly people connect when they lower their guard and speak freely about gratitude.

The conversation explores the concept that "gratitude delayed is gratitude denied" - the tendency to save gratitude for major life events while missing thousands of everyday opportunities. Kevin challenges listeners to practice "micro-gratitude" for the smallest things, from salt's impact on flavor and health to the thousands of hands that touched items in your grocery store before you bought them. The episode concludes with Kevin's practical "Cheerleader Challenge" - a simple under-five-minute exercise where you text someone who cheers you on to express specific gratitude for their impact, creating a contagious ripple effect of appreciation.

Timestamps

Connect with Kevin Monroe: 

Website: https://www.kevindmonroe.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmonroe/

Twitter: https://x.com/kevin_monroe

Gratitude Encounters: https://www.kevindmonroe.com/live-gratitude-experiences/p/customized/encounter

For more insights on turning hidden minutes into your greatest asset, connect with Rebecca and follow the podcast on LinkedIn! 

Shout-out to Graham Duncan from East Rock Capital for the "Time Billionaires" concept that inspired our show name - originally shared on The Tim Ferriss Show.