WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST

Exciting news! You can listen to the audiobook version of What Am I Made For? Cultivate and Grow Big and Little Ideas. It is available on Audible, Spotify, LibriVox, Audiobooks.com, and library apps like Libby! You can hear “Chapter 1: Unexpectedness in Big and Little Ideas” in this podcast episode.

Talented Swedish author Fredrik Backman reached out to me after reading my book. Once I get his permission, I will share some snippets from our email correspondence—spoiler alert: it’s glowing! Mr. Backman is the brilliant mind behind beloved works like My Friends, A Man Called Ove, Beartown, Us Against You, The Winners, Anxious People, and others.

Chapter One begins in this way. “We often think of self-growth as being something we initiate, but what if unexpected experiences are what actually shape us? From those unexpected experiences, we extract the lessons for self-growth that reshape our lives.”

Our growth often comes wrapped in the cloak of inconvenience, appearing as grief, curiosity, or unexpected questions we never thought to ask. Let’s embrace the beautiful messiness of becoming and allow this audiobook to inspire and nurture your big and little ideas along the way.

So turn up the volume and enjoy my audiobook! You can start with chapter one by clicking on the podcast link. Happy listening!

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It’s Your Turn: Start with, “I appreciate what I heard from today’s Mentor, Nancy Meyer. I appreciate this week’s adventurous task because…”

 “Most of the problems in our lives and world are caused by relational dysfunction, a dysfunction in how we relate: as social groups, as individuals, to animals and the environment, and even to ourselves. Therefore, developing relational literacy—the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating—is essential for personal, social, and ecological transformation.” —Melanie Joy, Ph.D. Psychologist, Author, Theorist, Educator

When WeMentor… your life becomes more meaningful!!! Redefine how you lead while redesigning your business. Dual Innovation Leadership WORKS. 

Business and Life Mentor | Podcaster | Author | Mindfulness Yogi and Meditation Integrator

I integrate mindfulness yoga into everything because breathing, meditation, and movement are essential as you change your life and how you lead. 

I have a compassionate, collaborative approach that reinforces resilience and maintains accountable conversations supporting your evolution. Bottom Line: My top priority is your transformation and creating a meaningful life through business ownership. You will learn new skills, practice, evolve, innovate, expand marketing efforts, and prosper financially. We start with your desire to develop as a leader.

To give you more background, I founded WeMentor, inc. in 1992 to promote Dual Innovation Leadership, the ability to evolve how you lead as you redesign your business model. To grow our businesses, we must lead differently when our perspective shifts.

The thousands of brave leaders I have mentored succeeded by taking charge of how they evolved and learned how to respond to the unpredictable nature of business ownership by innovating on purpose (asserting self-leadership). 

When your perspective shifts, your intuition nudges you into a growth process so you can learn how to lead differently. As you practice new ways of leading, you notice ways to change your business. It is like remodeling. 

We start with a plan when we embark on a remodeling project. When we implement the plan, obstacles challenge us to adjust our mindset, gather further information, and brainstorm other options. Adapting the plan to fit our new reality is part of every remodeling project. Budgets always need adjusting, and we need to update our approach to complete the innovation. What I love about renovating our businesses is that new ideas emerge, and the project usually has an even better result. We feel changed through the process and have learned many details about remodeling that we can apply in our next project.

HEAR why I am doing this podcast and subscribe HERE. Get inspired with resources and tools to support your transformation. We post new conversations regularly! You can also binge and listen to prior podcast conversations.

Another thing to know about Dual Innovation Leadership is that you can rebound and recover from trauma, distractions, destructive habits, thoughtlessness, confusion, pointlessness, helplessness, overwork, stress, and suffering as you transform how you lead. Integrating our experiences is exhilarating as we evolve how we lead and redesign our lifework.

Take the opportunity to change. Assert the next phase of self-leadership development, contact me. 

Click to see all

The official launch of “What Am I Made For? Cultivate and Grow Big and Little Ideas” was April 10, 2026, at Open Book in Minneapolis. We also celebrated my 65th birthday with delicious food, including vegan entrees, an enormous red velvet cake (not-so-vegan), balloons, flowers, music, and an introduction from Matthew and Olivia. I read from my book, and enjoyed signing books all evening.

 The event was a huge success. Attendees commented on the high energy, the love, my accomplishment of a big goal, and the fact that people from all walks of life attended, including two high school classmates and their wives!! It was the kind of day you wish could last a month.

I am recording an audiobook that will be available on Audible in July!

Once my book was out, I started getting book praise and reviews. With anticipation, I received my first book review from Jim Cox, the Editor-in-Chief at Midwest Book Review. It is common in the publishing industry to pay editors to review your book. They review without bias, I am told. I paid $50.00 for this review.

Here is the email letter I received on May 7, 2026. I deleted what was unimportant at the end.

Dear Nancy Meyer:

I’m very pleased to announce that the May 2026 issue of our online book review magazine “Library Bookwatch” features a review of “What Am I Made For? Cultivate and Grow Big and Little Ideas.”

Synopsis: Each of us are born carrying ideas-quiet seeds of possibility that wait for courage, attention, and the rhythm of our lives to coax them awake. Our stories, our losses, our inheritance, and our small, ordinary moments of wonder shape what we create. We evolve each time we say yes to an idea that scares us, or stirs us, or calls us by name.

Growth is rarely convenient. It arrives disguised as grief, as curiosity, as a question we didn’t plan to ask. It asks us to listen to our emotions, intuition, relationships, and the wisdom that travels through our lineage.

“What Am I Made For? Cultivate and Grow Big and Little Ideas” by Nancy Meyer is a companion for those who are in the process of fully becoming themselves. It is a reminder that ideas are not separate from us; they are expressions of who we are becoming. To generate, incubate, experiment, and birth an idea is to take responsibility for our own unfolding.

The contention of “What Am I Made For? Cultivate and Grow Big and Little Ideas” is that you are here to create, not perfectly, but earnestly. To lead yourself with tenderness and truth. To shape a life that honors your worth and your peculiar talent.

And somewhere inside that unfolding, you will glimpse the answer to the question: What am I made for?

Critique: Original, exceptional, ‘real world’ practical, and inspirationally motivational, “What Am I Made For? Cultivate and Grow Big and Little Ideas” by Nancy Meyer is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Small Business Management and Entrepreneurial collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, self-employed entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of “What Am I Made For?: Cultivate and Grow Big and Little Ideas” from Manuscripts Press is also readily available in paperback (9798901020784, $19.98) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99 Amazon and eBook, $9.99 B&N).

Editorial Note: Nancy Meyer (https://wementor.com/34906) is an entrenovation mentor, author, podcaster, and founder of WeMentor, inc., where she has spent more than three decades guiding entrepreneurs and creative leaders in developing the self-leadership, clarity, and resilience required to bring meaningful ideas to life. Her work blends strategic thinking with mindful practice, helping clients evolve themselves as they redesign their businesses. A former entrepreneurship and small-business finance professor at two private universities, Nancy has shaped curricula and leadership programs that integrate research, innovation, and emotional intelligence. She is known for uniting practical business insight with relational literacy and a deep respect for the creative process.

You have complete permission to utilize the review in any manner you deem useful for marketing and promotion.

This review will also appear in the Gale Cengage (www.gale.com) online publication Gale General OneFile.

Additionally, this review will be archived on our Midwest Book Review website for the next five years at www.midwestbookreview.com under Library Bookwatch: May 2026: https://www.midwestbookreview.com/lbw/may_26.htm#business.

I look forward to your next title!”

James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575, USA

Other places you can find my book:

The Business Shelf

 What Am I Made For? Cultivate and Grow Big and Little Ideas
Nancy Meyer, MA
Manuscripts Press
https://manuscript.press
9798901020791, $32.99, HC, 298pp

 Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/What-Am-Made-Cultivate-Little/dp/B0GS78LP8V

Barnes & Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-am-i-made-for-nancy-meyer/1149626969

Thanks for tuning in. Five assessments in my book can help you advance with unexpected experiences and new ideas. Until next time… keep evolving.

 DOWNLOAD

 It’s your turn. Start with, “I appreciate what I heard from today’s Mentor, Nancy Meyer. I appreciate this week’s adventurous task because…”

“Most of the problems in our lives and world are caused by relational dysfunction, a dysfunction in how we relate: as social groups, as individuals, to animals and the environment, and even to ourselves. Therefore, developing relational literacy—the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating—is essential for personal, social, and ecological transformation.” —Melanie Joy, psychologist, author, theorist, educator.

When WeMentor… your life becomes more meaningful!!! Redefine how you lead as you redesign your business—Dual Innovation Leadership WORKS. 

Business and Life Mentor | Podcaster | Author | Mindfulness Yogi and Meditation Integrator

I integrate mindfulness yoga into everything because breathing, meditation, and movement are essential as you change your life and how you lead. 

I have a compassionate, collaborative approach that reinforces resilience and maintains accountable conversations supporting your evolution. Bottom Line: My top priority is your transformation and creating a meaningful life through business ownership. You will learn new skills, practice, evolve, innovate, expand marketing efforts, and prosper financially. We start with your desire to develop as a leader.

To give you more background, I founded WeMentor, inc. in 1992 to promote Dual Innovation Leadership, the ability to evolve how you lead as you redesign your business model. To grow our businesses, we must lead differently when our perspective shifts.

The thousands of brave leaders I have mentored succeeded by taking charge of how they evolved and learned how to respond to the unpredictable nature of business ownership by innovating on purpose (asserting self-leadership). 

When your perspective shifts, your intuition nudges you into a growth process so you can learn how to lead differently. As you practice new ways of leading, you notice ways to change your business. It is like remodeling. 

We start with a plan when we embark on a remodeling project. When we implement the plan, obstacles challenge us to adjust our mindset, gather further information, and brainstorm other options. Adapting the plan to fit our new reality is part of every remodeling project. Budgets always need adjusting, and we need to update our approach to complete the innovation. What I love about renovating our businesses is that new ideas emerge, and the project usually has an even better result. We feel changed through the process and have learned many details about remodeling that we can apply in our next project.

HEAR why I am doing this podcast and subscribe HERE. Get inspired with resources and tools to support your transformation. We post new conversations regularly! You can also binge and listen to prior podcast conversations.

Another thing to know about Dual Innovation Leadership is that you can rebound and recover from trauma, distractions, destructive habits, thoughtlessness, confusion, pointlessness, helplessness, overwork, stress, and suffering as you transform how you lead. Integrating our experiences is exhilarating as we evolve how we lead and redesign our lifework.

Take the opportunity to change. Assert the next phase of self-leadership development, contact me. 

Click to see all

First things first. The votes are in. Book cover #2 won and is the cover for this episode.

If you missed it, you can still listen to the introduction of “What Am I Made For? Incubate and Birth Big and Little Ideas.” It is today’s episode.

I have scheduled a book launch party for 2026. The room at Open Book is almost full (many of you have already signed up), so this is your last chance to join my book launch and birthday party.

The deadline is midnight TODAY!

When you register, you get stuff. You can register here.

You will get a signed copy of my book, an invite, and you can be named in the acknowledgement section as an early-bird supporter!! Lucky you. A great way to close out the year is to plan something fun for 2026.

Be brave. Support local ethnic small businesses. Hug a friend from Somalia and close out the year by celebrating all that is good in the world. We have each other.

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Your Turn. Start with, “I appreciate what I heard from today’s Mentor, Nancy Meyer. I appreciate this week’s adventurous task because…”

It’s your turn. Start with, “I appreciate what I heard from today’s Mentor, Nancy Meyer. I appreciate this week’s adventurous task because…”

 “Most of the problems in our lives and world are caused by relational dysfunction, a dysfunction in how we relate: as social groups, as individuals, to animals and the environment, and even to ourselves. Therefore, developing relational literacy—the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating—is essential for personal, social, and ecological transformation.” —Melanie Joy, psychologist, author, theorist, educator

When WeMentor… your life becomes more meaningful!!! Redefine how you lead while redesigning your business. Dual Innovation Leadership WORKS. 

Business and Life Mentor | Podcaster | Author | Mindfulness Yogi and Meditation Integrator

I integrate mindfulness yoga into everything because breathing, meditation, and movement are essential as you change your life and how you lead. 

I have a compassionate, collaborative approach that reinforces resilience and maintains accountable conversations supporting your evolution. Bottom Line: My top priority is your transformation and creating a meaningful life through business ownership. You will learn new skills, practice, evolve, innovate, expand marketing efforts, and prosper financially. We start with your desire to develop as a leader.

To give you more background, I founded WeMentor, inc. in 1992 to promote Dual Innovation Leadership, the ability to evolve how you lead as you redesign your business model. To grow our businesses, we must lead differently when our perspective shifts.

The thousands of brave leaders I have mentored succeeded by taking charge of how they evolved and learned how to respond to the unpredictable nature of business ownership by innovating on purpose (asserting self-leadership). 

When your perspective shifts, your intuition nudges you into a growth process so you can learn how to lead differently. As you practice new ways of leading, you notice ways to change your business. It is like remodeling. 

We start with a plan when we embark on a remodeling project. When we implement the plan, obstacles challenge us to adjust our mindset, gather further information, and brainstorm other options. Adapting the plan to fit our new reality is part of every remodeling project. Budgets always need adjusting, and we need to update our approach to complete the innovation. What I love about renovating our businesses is that new ideas emerge, and the project usually has an even better result. We feel changed through the process and have learned many details about remodeling that we can apply in our next project.

HEAR why I am doing this podcast and subscribe HERE. Get inspired with resources and tools to support your transformation. We post new conversations regularly! You can also binge and listen to prior podcast conversations.

Another thing to know about Dual Innovation Leadership is that you can rebound and recover from trauma, distractions, destructive habits, thoughtlessness, confusion, pointlessness, helplessness, overwork, stress, and suffering as you transform how you lead. Integrating our experiences is exhilarating as we evolve how we lead and redesign our lifework.

Take the opportunity to change. Assert the next phase of self-leadership development, contact me. 

Click to see all

I did it! I am excited to share with you the introduction to “What Am I Made For? Incubate and Birth Big and Little Ideas.” The book will be available in the first quarter of 2026.

My marketing team at Manuscripts.com is working on book covers. Which book cover above best matches the book title? You can respond to my post on LinkedIn.

Here is an excerpt of the introduction. You can listen to the whole introduction in this podcast episode.

“We all have ideas buzzing in our minds, like bees in a hive waiting to take flight. Most of those ideas remain in the hive and never get implemented, despite the best intentions. One of the biggest roadblocks is us. We often deviate from the natural flow of life and spend too much time in storms of chaos and rigidity without integrating our experiences.1 In other words, we sabotage our progress.

There are other ways ideas get tanked, which I will address later, but the most significant outlier is us. The first point of contact with an idea is in our mind. Once conceived, our actions, decisions, and behaviors are the primary factors that affect the outcome of our ideas, before external factors have a significant influence. Knowing we sabotage our progress begs me to ask a few questions.2 

What if you knew you were born to incubate and give birth to new ideas? Would you be more likely to implement your ideas and commit to self-growth? Would you spend less time on the banks of chaos and rigidity, struggling to swim upstream, and more time riding with the current in the flow of life, refining ideas that work? Would you be less likely to rain on someone else’s parade of ideas?

If you answer yes to all the questions, this book is for you. If your answers varied, this book is still for you. I want to help expand your capacity to incubate and bring to life a wide range of ideas, both big and small. With effort, you can become proficient in generating, refining, and implementing ideas.

If we work together and understand how to support each other during the birthing process, as midwives do, we not only enhance our sense of worthiness, well-being, and prosperity but also can significantly improve our troubled world. We need more of us to implement ideas from the inside out and the outside in.”

I would like you to listen to the complete introduction HERE.

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1. Take this risk or do this adventurous task:

Listen to the introduction to “What Am I Made For? Incubate and Birth Big and Little Ideas.”

2. Apply Self-Compassion:

Try this Metta Meditation exercise again from Frank Ostaseski. He suggests doing this meditation after you meet someone new.

Sit quietly. Take a moment to pause and tune into your feelings. Allow the person you just met to appear in your mind. Once you finish saying the meditation aloud, sit quietly and send loving kindness to this person. Then, observe how you feel after generating loving kindness.

“This person has a body, heart, and mind, just like me.

This person worries and gets frightened, just like me.

This person is trying their best to navigate life, just like me.

This person is a fellow human being, just like me.

Allow some benevolent wishes for well-being to arise:

May this person have the strength and support to face the difficulties in life.

May this person be free from suffering and its causes.

May this person be peaceful and happy.

May this person be loved.”

(2017, The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully, p. 168)

3. Welcome Appreciation:

“I appreciate you. Thank you in advance for listening to my book introduction. Writing is a true labor of love. I appreciate the team at Manuscripts Press. They are remarkably skilled editors, teachers, coaches, and marketers. I am grateful for this year-and-a-half-long process to get published. The hybrid route is more labor-intensive, but worth it to retain my creative rights. I am grateful to beta readers: Matthew, Olivia, Gordon, Jan, Deb, and Drew. Your insights made this book better. I appreciate every backer who has supported me thus far. Without this small village, I would not have reached the finish line. Your dreams are worth pursuing, and I can attest to the benefits of launching new ideas. I have never received this much support ever in my life. I appreciate how I have changed. My heart has expanded. I am grateful for this experience, and am eager to meet the readers of my book in 2026.”

It’s your turn. Start with, “I appreciate what I learned from today’s Mentor, Nancy Meyer. I appreciate this week’s adventurous task because…”

 “Most of the problems in our lives and world are caused by relational dysfunction, a dysfunction in how we relate: as social groups, as individuals, to animals and the environment, and even to ourselves. Therefore, developing relational literacy—the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating—is essential for personal, social, and ecological transformation.” —Melanie Joy, psychologist, author, theorist, educator

When WeMentor… your life becomes more meaningful!!! Redefine how you lead while redesigning your business. Dual Innovation Leadership WORKS. 

Business and Life Mentor | Podcaster | Author | Mindfulness Yogi and Meditation Integrator

I integrate mindfulness yoga into everything because breathing, meditation, and movement are essential as you change your life and how you lead. 

I have a compassionate, collaborative approach that reinforces resilience and maintains accountable conversations supporting your evolution. Bottom Line: My top priority is your transformation and creating a meaningful life through business ownership. You will learn new skills, practice, evolve, innovate, expand marketing efforts, and prosper financially. We start with your desire to develop as a leader.

To give you more background, I founded WeMentor, inc. in 1992 to promote Dual Innovation Leadership, the ability to evolve how you lead as you redesign your business model. To grow our businesses, we must lead differently when our perspective shifts.

The thousands of brave leaders I have mentored succeeded by taking charge of how they evolved and learned how to respond to the unpredictable nature of business ownership by innovating on purpose (asserting self-leadership). 

When your perspective shifts, your intuition nudges you into a growth process so you can learn how to lead differently. As you practice new ways of leading, you notice ways to change your business. It is like remodeling. 

We start with a plan when we embark on a remodeling project. When we implement the plan, obstacles challenge us to adjust our mindset, gather further information, and brainstorm other options. Adapting the plan to fit our new reality is part of every remodeling project. Budgets always need adjusting, and we need to update our approach to complete the innovation. What I love about renovating our businesses is that new ideas emerge, and the project usually has an even better result. We feel changed through the process and have learned many details about remodeling that we can apply in our next project.

HEAR why I am doing this podcast and subscribe HERE. Get inspired with resources and tools to support your transformation. We post new conversations regularly! You can also binge and listen to prior podcast conversations.

Another thing to know about Dual Innovation Leadership is that you can rebound and recover from trauma, distractions, destructive habits, thoughtlessness, confusion, pointlessness, helplessness, overwork, stress, and suffering as you transform how you lead. Integrating our experiences is exhilarating as we evolve how we lead and redesign our lifework.

Take the opportunity to change. Assert the next phase of self-leadership development, contact me. 

Click to see all

On a transformative day, two friends and fellow “entrenovators”—a term I coined for entrepreneurs who innovate—sparked an intriguing conversation by asking two questions that have the potential to shape our lives. The answers can either cultivate discernment and inner strength or lead to self-judgment and feelings of despair. Which path will they choose?

My lovely friend opened our dialogue with, “Is this my life?” This question serves as a compelling invitation to reflect deeply. It prompts us to consider where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we aspire to go. Will we respond with self-judgment, or will we embrace the strength of discernment?

Another cherished friend shared her struggles with the weight of emotions after a friendship she valued became strained. Feeling hurt and confused, she wondered whether her friend lacked compassion. Her question of whether it would be easier not to feel so deeply reveals the complexities of connection and vulnerability.

Both questions indicate an opening for self-growth—opportunities to nurture new ideas and reflect on our experiences. Perhaps a new chapter is beginning, allowing us to garner lessons from the past, release what no longer serves us, and forge a new path ahead.

These inquiries serve as tools to train our minds to think constructively about our lives and relationships. In this instance, one friend has embraced the path of discernment, practicing self-compassion and accepting her friend for who she is, while the other is caught in a cycle of self-judgment and despair, disappointed with her life choices.

My role is to support both friends, offering love, a bit of humor as the situation calls for it, and understanding without judgment, while incorporating Metta meditations at home, sending them loving kindness. This gives me something constructive to do after being present to their pain and discomfort.

Frank Ostaseski, a pioneer in end-of-life care and the founder of the Metta Institute, shares profound insights on the difference between judgment and discernment. He notes that judgment is like a barrier that stifles conversation, traps us in outdated patterns, and restricts our potential. In contrast, discernment opens up possibilities, granting us a broader perspective and allowing our true selves to flourish. It creates the space for wisdom to emerge and empowers us to make choices that lead to a more fulfilling future. This reflection can help us embrace life more fully, especially in the face of death. (2017, The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully, p. 139)

Discernment is our pathway to spiritual evolution and personal growth. If we’re questioning our capacity for compassion, it’s a signal that we need to reevaluate expectations and let go of unhealthy ways of relating.

We are in such odd times that we have to work to not only preserve what is natural and normal—human decency—but we also have to work harder to be discerning by differentiating between what is the truth and what is deceptive intent in a world overflowing with misinformation.

Feeling deeply enhances my ability to think, act, lead, and mentor more effectively. It enables me to embrace my acceptance and to inspire compassion in others, fostering a sense of interconnectedness that enriches my life and strengthens my relationships. I realized I couldn’t access discernment while trapped in a cycle of self-judgment, so I let go of it.

With discernment, I can bring my authentic self to every situation and welcome the lessons learned from all parts of my life. I become attuned to what I need to thrive, fostering connections and living a life of abundance.

The questions in my book, “What Am I Made For? Incubate and Birth Big and Little Ideas,” are crafted to cultivate discernment within you, empowering self-leadership and the birth of new ideas.

As my pre-sale campaign for the book enters its final week, I invite you to support me by clicking on the link to select a package. You can get a signed copy of my book, participate in assessments, help finalize the book cover, and even sign up for my 65th birthday and book launch party in April 2026. Dive into What Am I Made For? Incubate and Birth Big and Little Ideas.

I’m thrilled to celebrate this milestone on my bucket list with you. To enhance your journey, I encourage you to complete the three C.A.L.M. activities below, which include a heartfelt Metta Meditation. Let’s continue on this path of self-discovery and leadership evolution together!

DOWNLOAD

1. Take this risk or do this adventurous task:

Click the Presale Campaign Link to participate: What Am I Made For? Incubate and Birth Big and Little Ideas – Books – Manuscripts

2. Apply Self-Compassion:

Try this Metta Meditation exercise from Frank Ostaseski. He suggests doing this meditation after you meet someone new.

Sit quietly. Take a moment to pause and tune into your feelings. Allow the person you just met to appear in your mind. Once you finish saying the meditation aloud, sit quietly and send loving kindness to this person. Then, observe how you feel after generating loving kindness.

“This person has a body, heart, and mind, just like me.

This person worries and gets frightened, just like me.

This person is trying their best to navigate life, just like me.

This person is a fellow human being, just like me.

Allow some benevolent wishes for well-being to arise:

May this person have the strength and support to face the difficulties in life.

May this person be free from suffering and its causes.

May this person be peaceful and happy.

May this person be loved.”

(2017, The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully, p. 168)

3. Welcome Appreciation:

“I appreciate you. Thank you in advance for participating in my book launch. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to incubate this big idea for several decades. I am grateful for my husband, Matthew Foli, and our daughter, Olivia Foli. Without those two, this book would not be. I am grateful for the team of skilled and wise editors, marketers, and Manuscript Press publishers helping me achieve my dream to birth “What Am I Made For? Incubate and Birth Big and Little Ideas.” Your dreams are worth pursuing. Go after them!! I am grateful to Frank Ostaseski and all those who are bringing us ideas that better our lives.”

It’s your turn. Start with, “I appreciate what I heard from today’s Mentor, Nancy Meyer. I appreciate this week’s adventurous task because…”

 “Most of the problems in our lives and world are caused by relational dysfunction, a dysfunction in how we relate: as social groups, as individuals, to animals and the environment, and even to ourselves. Therefore, developing relational literacy—the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating—is essential for personal, social, and ecological transformation.” —Melanie Joy, psychologist, author, theorist, educator

When WeMentor… your life becomes more meaningful!!! Redefine how you lead while redesigning your business. Dual Innovation Leadership WORKS. 

Business and Life Mentor | Podcaster | Author | Mindfulness Yogi and Meditation Integrator

I integrate mindfulness yoga into everything because breathing, meditation, and movement are essential as you change your life and how you lead. 

I have a compassionate, collaborative approach that reinforces resilience and maintains accountable conversations supporting your evolution. Bottom Line: My top priority is your transformation and creating a meaningful life through business ownership. You will learn new skills, practice, evolve, innovate, expand marketing efforts, and prosper financially. We start with your desire to develop as a leader.

To give you more background, I founded WeMentor, inc. in 1992 to promote Dual Innovation Leadership, the ability to evolve how you lead as you redesign your business model. To grow our businesses, we must lead differently when our perspective shifts.

The thousands of brave leaders I have mentored succeeded by taking charge of how they evolved and learned how to respond to the unpredictable nature of business ownership by innovating on purpose (asserting self-leadership). 

When your perspective shifts, your intuition nudges you into a growth process so you can learn how to lead differently. As you practice new ways of leading, you notice ways to change your business. It is like remodeling. 

We start with a plan when we embark on a remodeling project. When we implement the plan, obstacles challenge us to adjust our mindset, gather further information, and brainstorm other options. Adapting the plan to fit our new reality is part of every remodeling project. Budgets always need adjusting, and we need to update our approach to complete the innovation. What I love about renovating our businesses is that new ideas emerge, and the project usually has an even better result. We feel changed through the process and have learned many details about remodeling that we can apply in our next project.

HEAR why I am doing this podcast and subscribe HERE. Get inspired with resources and tools to support your transformation. We post new conversations regularly! You can also binge and listen to prior podcast conversations.

Another thing to know about Dual Innovation Leadership is that you can rebound and recover from trauma, distractions, destructive habits, thoughtlessness, confusion, pointlessness, helplessness, overwork, stress, and suffering as you transform how you lead. Integrating our experiences is exhilarating as we evolve how we lead and redesign our lifework.

Take the opportunity to change. Assert the next phase of self-leadership development, contact me. 

Click to see all

I’m beyond excited to share some thrilling news—my manuscript is officially complete! My book, “What Am I Made For? Incubate and Birth Big and Little Ideas,” is set to hit the shelves in February 2026, and I can’t wait to take you on this journey with me!

So, what’s next? A whirlwind of editing, content refinement, and marketing lies ahead. However, before we delve into the presale campaign and its details, I would like to share the inspiration behind this book and what you can expect. Click Here to participate in the Presale Campaign.

The seeds of this book were sown in the rich soil of my dad’s entrepreneurial spirit. My dad, a true visionary, has a knack for finding creative solutions to everyday mechanical problems on our busy dairy farm. If you know me, you know our relationship has its ups and downs, but his entrepreneurial spirit has always captivated me. Growing up, I watched him dream up countless ideas, each illuminating a path to problem-solving.

One memorable moment was when he casually mentioned wanting to build a cabin in a secluded spot. He envisioned a private retreat for hunting and fishing at a nearby lake, but little did I know that this dream would take decades to materialize. Despite my doubts, the idea clung to him through the years. Finally, at the age of 80, he made it happen, purchasing a DIY kit to construct the very cabin he had envisioned so long ago. We celebrated his 90th birthday in April.

Timing of Ideas

Timing is everything, and the release of my book couldn’t be more timely. We are living in transformative times, faced with challenges that are reshaping our existence. From urgent health crises and escalating loneliness to the vital fight for gender equality, climate change, and the pervasive influence of surveillance and artificial intelligence, our world is in flux. Add in nutritional scarcity, poverty, and the testing of our democratic foundations, and the complexity of our lives multiplies. It’s clear: these are extraordinary times!

That’s where “What Am I Made For? Incubate and Birth Big and Little Ideas” enters the scene, inviting you to explore a fresh perspective on purpose. What if our calling is to nurture both grand and small ideas? The journey of discovery can propel our personal growth and offer solutions to the pressing challenges we face today.

Imagine a world where each of us embraces this calling, uncovering and cultivating our unique talents at every stage of life. What could our paths look like? What incredible changes could take root in our communities?

Now, more than ever, we must harness our creativity, amplify our voices, and take bold action. The complexities of today’s landscape call for more than just innovation; we must transform our ideas into thriving businesses, movements, or organizations that drive real change. Within the pages of my book, you’ll encounter thought-provoking questions, fresh insights, and the empowering notion of self-leadership.

Your ideas hold incredible potential! Some may blossom into personal growth projects or cherished hobbies. In contrast, others could evolve into something even larger—a family legacy, a groundbreaking business, or a new movement that strengthens our democracy. The world is hungry for your unique contributions, and my book will serve as your trusted guide as you bring your visions to life.

Let’s embark on this exciting journey together! Isn’t it time to discover the depths of what you’re made for?

Remember, we aren’t meant to consume more than we create. We are creative, spiritual beings designed to make meaning and evolve our world through our actions and insights. It’s time to step off the sidelines and engage more deeply in our lives. Knowing yourself is the first step toward transforming your ideas into reality, and that’s what my book is all about.

Discover the various ways you can support me in launching this book and perhaps grab a copy (or two!) for yourself and a friend. Click Here to participate in the Presale Campaign.

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1. Take this risk or do this adventurous task: Click the Presale Campaign Link to participate: What Am I Made For? Incubate and Birth Big and Little Ideas – Books – Manuscripts

2. Apply Self-Compassion: Take a moment to pause and tune into your feelings today—and every day. When stress creeps in, please don’t ignore it! Instead, acknowledge it and name it. Use that stress as a compass to guide your next move.

Recently, I found myself feeling anxious as I prepared for a podcast episode. I decided to share my anticipatory anxiety with a friend and realized I hadn’t laid out a plan. So, I took a step back, sat down, and methodically jotted down my next steps. It was amazing how my anxiety transformed into a tool for action, pushing me to complete the podcast. Once I embraced my feelings and let them serve their purpose, that weight of anxiety lifted from me.

So, remember, your feelings can be powerful motivators—recognize them and let them guide you!

3. Welcome Appreciation: “I appreciate you. Thank you in advance for participating in my book launch. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to incubate this big idea for several decades. I am grateful for my husband, Matthew Foli, and our daughter, Olivia Foli. Without those two, this book would not be. I am grateful for the team of skilled and wise editors, marketers, and Manuscript Press publishers helping me achieve my dream to birth “What Am I Made For? Incubate and Birth Big and Little Ideas.” Your dreams are worth pursuing. Go after them!! 

Your Turn. Start with, “I appreciate what I heard from today’s Mentor, Nancy Meyer. I appreciate this week’s adventurous task because…”

 “Most of the problems in our lives and world are caused by relational dysfunction, a dysfunction in how we relate: as social groups, as individuals, to animals and the environment, and even to ourselves. Therefore, developing relational literacy—the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating—is essential for personal, social, and ecological transformation.” —Melanie Joy, psychologist, author, theorist, educator

When WeMentor… your life becomes more meaningful!!! Redefine how you lead while redesigning your business. Dual Innovation Leadership WORKS. 

Business and Life Mentor | Podcaster | Author | Mindfulness Yogi and Meditation Integrator

I integrate mindfulness yoga into everything because breathing, meditation, and movement are essential as you change your life and how you lead. 

I have a compassionate, collaborative approach that reinforces resilience and maintains accountable conversations supporting your evolution. Bottom Line: My top priority is your transformation and creating a meaningful life through business ownership. You will learn new skills, practice, evolve, innovate, expand marketing efforts, and prosper financially. We start with your desire to develop as a leader.

To give you more background, I founded WeMentor, inc. in 1992 to promote Dual Innovation Leadership, the ability to evolve how you lead as you redesign your business model. To grow our businesses, we must lead differently when our perspective shifts.

The thousands of brave leaders I have mentored succeeded by taking charge of how they evolved and learned how to respond to the unpredictable nature of business ownership by innovating on purpose (asserting self-leadership). 

When your perspective shifts, your intuition nudges you into a growth process so you can learn how to lead differently. As you practice new ways of leading, you notice ways to change your business. It is like remodeling. 

We start with a plan when we embark on a remodeling project. When we implement the plan, obstacles challenge us to adjust our mindset, gather further information, and brainstorm other options. Adapting the plan to fit our new reality is part of every remodeling project. Budgets always need adjusting, and we need to update our approach to complete the innovation. What I love about renovating our businesses is that new ideas emerge, and the project usually has an even better result. We feel changed through the process and have learned many details about remodeling that we can apply in our next project.

HEAR why I am doing this podcast and subscribe HERE. Get inspired with resources and tools to support your transformation. We post new conversations regularly! You can also binge and listen to prior podcast conversations.

Another thing to know about Dual Innovation Leadership is that you can rebound and recover from trauma, distractions, destructive habits, thoughtlessness, confusion, pointlessness, helplessness, overwork, stress, and suffering as you transform how you lead. Integrating our experiences is exhilarating as we evolve how we lead and redesign our lifework.

Take the opportunity to change. Assert the next phase of self-leadership development, contact me. 

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Do you love the smell of freshly baked bread? Me too.

Welcome to our Halal-certified bakery, where we’re passionate about crafting bread that fulfills the Muslim definition of Halal! Our commitment goes beyond just meeting Islamic laws—we’re on a mission to create delicious, high-quality bread that everyone can enjoy.

Our artisan Halal breads taste like they are fresh from the oven, and the best part is this freshness lasts for up to 30 days!

Using only the finest all-natural ingredients, our bread is perfect for everyone, whether you’re a member of the Muslim community, follow a Kosher diet, or embrace a plant-based lifestyle.

We proudly avoid animal products like eggs and dairy, making our bread and hoagie roll offerings accessible to most everyone. Join us in celebrating the joy of Halal bread!

Great bread has no boundaries, and we believe it should be savored by everyone. You can find a location to bread buy our bread here. Let’s spread the love together!

At a Kamala Harris rally in Michigan over the weekend, Michelle Obama delivered a powerful message about abortion rights and warned male voters. She said, “If we don’t get this election right, your wife, your daughter, and your mother will become collateral damage to your rage.”

This striking statement sets the tone for a larger conversation that I had with Dr. Mark Levy, a respected forensic psychiatrist, who explored the psychological dimensions of Donald Trump’s behavior and his impact on our society.

We recorded our conversation right after the May 30th verdict in the New York vs. Donald Trump case, where he was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to an extramarital affair before the 2016 Presidential election. Rather than focusing purely on legalities, we delved into Trump’s behavior and his troubling attitude toward independent thinkers and the rule of law. With over 3,300 lawsuits and six bankruptcies, his track record raises many questions about accountability and integrity.

Dr. Levy categorizes Trump’s followers into three distinct groups, highlighting one particular group he finds most concerning. Yet, amidst the serious nature of our discussion, our conversation brought an unexpected sense of reassurance. Dr. Levy emphasized the importance of preserving our better selves during these trying times, echoing the sentiment that hope is still within our grasp.

With over four decades in the field, Dr. Levy isn’t just talking theory; he’s a seasoned clinical and forensic psychiatrist who has been an expert in over 500 civil lawsuits. He brings a unique perspective on how forensic psychiatry operates at the intersection of law and mental health. As he puts it, while the pathologist examines dead bodies, forensic psychiatrists like him analyze behaviors, cognitive capacity, and legal standards. Dr. Levy’s insights into Trump suggest a lifetime of reliance on others to bail him out, prompting us to think critically about leadership and accountability.

One of the most revealing terms Dr. Levy coined is “grievance contingency,” referring to a segment of Trump’s followers still clinging to outdated sentiments about the Civil War. This sparked a meaningful conversation about reparations and the ongoing efforts in Minnesota led by Governor Tim Walz. His commitment to partnering with the state’s 11 tribal nations is crucial to addressing historical injustices and achieving healing.

Tim Walz is the first governor in Minnesota to meet with the 11 tribal nation leaders in the state. It has led to a signed executive order to appoint tribal-state liaisons at state agencies and other empowering actions. 

Additionally, I’ve been actively writing grants for the Open Road Fund, which supports Black communities in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota with $50,000 in wealth-building gifts to 100 Black families each year. This initiative aims to foster pathways to liberation and prosperity, honoring the resilience of ancestors and redistributing resources to uplift present-day descendants of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Such efforts confront our painful history head-on, providing opportunities for collective healing and a vision for an abundant future to build upon for the next generation.

As we approach the November 5, 2024, Presidential election, protecting your mental well-being is vital. Listen closely to Dr. Mark Levy’s insights and concerns, and remember to exercise your right to vote. Our democracy relies on your independent thinking and active participation—now more than ever.

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1. Take this risk or do this adventurous task: What civic activities, in addition to voting, can you participate in right now to help our Democracy move forward?

2. Apply Self-Compassion: Acknowledge that the question above will take some research and curiosity as you explore your options. Maybe you become an election judge, decide to run for City Council, or support a local candidate by door-knocking. 

3. Welcome Appreciation: “I appreciate Dr. Mark Levy’s artful flair for psychotherapy and forensic psychiatry. It truly has shone through in his explanations and profound insights, making each of our four podcast conversations feel both validating and enlightening. Each time I listen, I learn a bit more about our Democracy. Thank you, Mark, for taking the time to help us understand the connections between forensic psychiatry, our behavior, and the law.”  

It’s your turn. Start with, “I appreciate what I heard from today’s Guest Mentor, Dr. Mark Levy. I appreciate this week’s adventurous task because….”

 “Most of the problems in our lives and world are caused by relational dysfunction, a dysfunction in how we relate: as social groups, as individuals, to animals and the environment, and even to ourselves. Therefore, developing relational literacy—the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating—is essential for personal, social, and ecological transformation.” —Melanie Joy, psychologist, author, theorist, educator

When WeMentor… your life becomes more meaningful!!! Redefine how you lead while redesigning your business. Dual Innovation Leadership WORKS. 

Dr. Mark Levy attended Durham University, U.K. (1965-66), and is a graduate of Columbia College (A.B. 1967), the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (M.D. 1971) in New York, and the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute (1984) in San Francisco. He currently practices clinical and forensic psychiatry and has been licensed as a Physician and Surgeon since 1972 by the State of California and since 2004 by the State of Hawaii.

He was certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry (1981) and Forensic Psychiatry (1999, recertified in 2009, 2019). In addition, he was certified by the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons in both Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry (2019).

He is currently an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, where he has been on the faculty since 1977 and has taught in the Law and Psychiatry Fellowship since 2000. He is also on the Faculty of the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. He is the Founder, former Chairman, and President of the San Francisco Foundation for Psychoanalysis, a community service outreach organization. He is now also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Since 1975, Dr. Levy has been in full-time private practice, originally in psychiatry and beginning in the 1980s in psychoanalysis and forensic psychiatry as well. He has been retained as a forensic psychiatric expert in more than 500 civil lawsuits and related matters. He has testified in State and Federal Court on 64 occasions. He has never been disqualified from testifying as an expert by any Court in any jurisdiction where he was retained.

As a result of his service and contribution to the profession, Dr. Levy was designated a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (“DLFAPA”) and has been an active member of numerous local, national, and international medical, psychoanalytic, psychiatric, and forensic psychiatric organizations, including The American Academy for Psychiatry and the Law. He has published numerous articles and presented countless talks, both in person and via webinars, to attorneys, physicians, and the general public on a wide range of forensic psychiatric topics. He has also been interviewed regularly as an expert by the print and broadcast media, discussing psychiatric and forensic psychiatric topics of general interest.

In January 2006, Dr. Levy established Forensic Psychiatric Associates Medical Corporation, of which he continues to serve as its medical director. In January 2020, together with his colleague, forensic psychiatrist Charles Saldanha, MD, Dr. Levy also established and serves as the medical director of Forensic Psychiatric Associates, L.P. (www.fpamed.com), a growing group of forensic psychiatrists and forensic psychologists that develop expert opinions for attorneys and Courts on behavioral issues within a broad range of civil and criminal matters. In addition, fpamed as a team specializes in assessing psychological injury claims from populations of litigants in mass tort and multi-plaintiff litigation. We have previously been retained in more than two dozen such cases.

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We lead by expanding an entrepreneurial leader’s capacity to lead. We mentor by collaborating with you to co-create a plan. We role model equality, inclusion, healthy relating, resiliency, wealth creation, and accountability. We value compassion, courage, and connection.

When WeMentor, you design an integrated life and an interdependent future:

     * As a Resilient Leader/Innovator,

     * As a Competent Business Owner/Practitioner,

     * As a Mentor/Role Model, and

     * As a Spiritual Being and Self-Leadership Master!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Dr. Mark Levy’s unwavering dedication to forensic psychiatry and the law is truly inspiring. After over 40 years in the field, his passion remains as strong as ever. What keeps him so engaged? It’s the intricate nuances of complex civil and criminal cases and building credibility through his unique team approach in the field.

This podcast conversation is relevant for every business owner. Since 1992, every business owner I’ve worked with has faced legal issues such as lease disputes, employee problems, partnership transitions, property damages, copyright infringements, embezzlement, economic downturns, natural disasters, and more. Business comes with its share of challenges, and the law is there to help us find solutions. The longer you’re in business, the more you realize that unexpected events can occur, and having the legal system to protect our interests and resolve disputes becomes essential.

Dr. Mark Levy provides relevant examples and answers each of the five questions below with prudent eloquence.

1. Dr. Mark Levy gave us a working definition of forensic psychiatry. When we think of forensics, Dr. Levy mentioned we think of dead bodies and autopsies, but forensics means the law and forensic psychiatry is the interface of law and psychiatry. This means you understand legal terminology and medical terms. He can prescribe medication, monitor its effects on the brain and body, and track and test human behavior and how one thinks.

What would you like to add to this definition? Dr. Levy says, “Like the Forensic Pathologist or coroner whose task is to determine the cause of death, time of death, and sometimes information about the perpetrator, we are Psychopathologists trying to make evidence-based, accurate diagnoses, addressing in civil matters issues of “causation” and “damages.” In criminal matters, we mostly address issues of “capacity,” e.g., competency to stand trial, or to be sentenced, or NGRI (not guilty by reason of insanity – which is a legal, not a medical term).”

2. Can someone be both a treating psychiatrist and an independent forensic psychiatric expert for the same person, like someone who is a patient and a plaintiff or criminal defendant in a legal matter? If not, why not?

3. What kinds of questions are forensic psychiatrists asked to address by the attorneys who retain you and your team to help them educate and persuade the trier of fact both in Civil and Criminal litigation?

4. What is “mass torts” or “multi-plaintiff” litigation? How do forensic psychiatrists assist litigators who are trying or defending civil cases involving numbers of plaintiffs with similar complaints of emotional damages, for example, in sexual abuse cases like former USA Gymnastics team medical doctor Larry Nassar and journalist, author, and advice columnist E. Jean Carroll?

5. You also work in employment law as a forensic psychiatric consultant. Please tell us how you address wrongful termination and discrimination based on age, race, gender, ethnicity, retaliation, and failure to accommodate.

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1. Take this risk or do this adventurous task: What is your ethical duty in your lifework? A forensic psychiatric expert has a duty to the jury or judge, not to the attorney retaining the expert. A discrepancy arises when they don’t know their role.

2. Apply Self-Compassion: Vulnerability and resiliency are factored in when assessing emotional damages in criminal cases. Dr. Mark Levy described how our upbringing plays a part in our ability to be resilient. If you grew up in an unconditionally loving home with strong emotional support, you may heal more quickly when you are harmed than others. You can measure your resiliency by clicking on this link.  How to Measure Resilience With These 8 Scales (+PDF)

3. Welcome Appreciation: “I appreciate Dr. Mark Levy’s artful flair for psychotherapy and forensic psychiatry. It truly has shone through in his explanations and profound insights, making each of our four podcast conversations feel both validating and enlightening. Each time I listen, I learn a bit more. Thank you, Mark, for taking the time to help us understand the connections between forensic psychiatry, our behavior, and the law.” 

It’s your turn. Start with, “I appreciate what I heard from today’s Guest Mentor, Dr. Mark Levy…” “I appreciate this week’s adventurous task because….”

 “Most of the problems in our lives and world are caused by relational dysfunction, a dysfunction in how we relate: as social groups, as individuals, to animals and the environment, and even to ourselves. Therefore, developing relational literacy—the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating—is essential for personal, social, and ecological transformation.” —Melanie Joy, psychologist, author, theorist, educator

When WeMentor… your life becomes more meaningful!!! Redefine how you lead while redesigning your business. Dual Innovation Leadership WORKS. 

Dr. Mark Levy attended Durham University, U.K. (1965-66), and is a graduate of Columbia College (A.B. 1967), the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (M.D. 1971) in New York, and the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute (1984) in San Francisco. He currently practices clinical and forensic psychiatry and has been licensed as a Physician and Surgeon since 1972 by the State of California and since 2004 by the State of Hawaii.

He was certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry (1981) and Forensic Psychiatry (1999, recertified in 2009, 2019). In addition, he was certified by the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons in both Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry (2019).

He is currently an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, where he has been on the faculty since 1977 and has taught in the Law and Psychiatry Fellowship since 2000. He is also on the Faculty of the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. He is the Founder, former Chairman, and President of the San Francisco Foundation for Psychoanalysis, a community service outreach organization. He is now also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Since 1975, Dr. Levy has been in full-time private practice, originally in psychiatry and beginning in the 1980s in psychoanalysis and forensic psychiatry as well. He has been retained as a forensic psychiatric expert in more than 500 civil lawsuits and related matters. He has testified in State and Federal Court on 64 occasions. He has never been disqualified from testifying as an expert by any Court in any jurisdiction where he was retained.

As a result of his service and contribution to the profession, Dr. Levy was designated a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (“DLFAPA”) and has been an active member of numerous local, national, and international medical, psychoanalytic, psychiatric, and forensic psychiatric organizations, including The American Academy for Psychiatry and the Law. He has published numerous articles and presented countless talks, both in person and via webinars, to attorneys, physicians, and the general public on a wide range of forensic psychiatric topics. He has also been interviewed regularly as an expert by the print and broadcast media, discussing psychiatric and forensic psychiatric topics of general interest.

In January 2006, Dr. Levy established Forensic Psychiatric Associates Medical Corporation, of which he continues to serve as its medical director. In January 2020, together with his colleague, forensic psychiatrist Charles Saldanha, MD, Dr. Levy also established and serves as the medical director of Forensic Psychiatric Associates, L.P. (www.fpamed.com), a growing group of forensic psychiatrists and forensic psychologists that develop expert opinions for attorneys and Courts on behavioral issues within a broad range of civil and criminal matters. In addition, fpamed as a team specializes in assessing psychological injury claims from populations of litigants in mass tort and multi-plaintiff litigation. We have previously been retained in more than two dozen such cases.

Click to see all

We lead by expanding an entrepreneurial leader’s capacity to lead. We mentor by collaborating with you to co-create a plan. We role model equality, inclusion, healthy relating, resiliency, wealth creation, and accountability. We value compassion, courage, and connection.

When WeMentor, you design an integrated life and an interdependent future:

     * As a Resilient Leader/Innovator,

     * As a Competent Business Owner/Practitioner,

     * As a Mentor/Role Model, and

     * As a Spiritual Being and Self-Leadership Master!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

I’m excited to share the incredible insights from Dr. Mark Levy, a seasoned clinical and forensic psychiatrist with over four decades of experience. In our podcast conversation, Dr. Levy delves into the fascinating intersection of human behavior and the law, covering topics ranging from seeking therapy to identifying red flags in treatment and addressing societal issues like incivility. It’s incredible how these topics tie into our everyday lives and the broader scope of our society!

Along with his team of 22 board-certified psychiatrists and 10 forensic neuropsychologists, Dr. Levy practices forensic psychiatry at Forensic Psychiatric Associates, L.P. (FPAMED). As a forensic psychiatric expert, he has been involved in over 500 civil lawsuits and related matters. Dr. Levy has also published numerous articles and presented talks on forensic psychiatric topics.

Dr. Levy’s expertise shines through as he discusses why incivility appeals to certain people and how it answers their anxiety and fear of uncertainty. He encourages us to look beyond the grief of incivility and ask ourselves important questions. Why is incivility appealing to certain people? What does it give those who accept a view of reality handed down to them that they accept uncritically?

Exploring our biases and distortions of reality can help us better understand ourselves and address our fears. Dr. Levy shares his experiences with biases and explains how they show up when we get defensive and struggle to be empathic. He also discusses how relationship struggles manifest in therapy and how an insightful therapist can address trust issues and boundaries.

One of the most valuable takeaways from our conversation is Dr. Levy’s guidance on finding an insightful therapist who respects client boundaries and possesses a deep understanding of human behavior. He emphasizes that the art of psychotherapy is a combination of experience, training, and self-knowledge. When seeking a therapist, Dr. Levy advises looking for someone with credentials, self-awareness, and a deep understanding of human behavior to ensure effective therapy.

His artful flair for psychotherapy and forensic psychiatry truly shines through in his explanations and profound insights, making each podcast conversation feel validating and enlightening. If you’re curious to learn more about Dr. Levy’s perspectives on therapy, the law, and human behavior, I highly recommend tuning in to our podcast conversation. DOWNLOAD

It’s your turn. Start with, “I appreciate what I heard from today’s Guest Mentor, Dr. Mark Levy…” “I appreciate this week’s adventurous task because….”

 “Most of the problems in our lives and world are caused by relational dysfunction, a dysfunction in how we relate: as social groups, as individuals, to animals and the environment, and even to ourselves. Therefore, developing relational literacy—the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating—is essential for personal, social, and ecological transformation.” —Melanie Joy, psychologist, author, theorist, educator

When WeMentor… your life becomes more meaningful!!! Redefine how you lead while redesigning your business. Dual Innovation Leadership WORKS. 

Dr. Mark Levy attended Durham University, U.K. (1965-66), and is a graduate of Columbia College (A.B. 1967), the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (M.D. 1971) in New York, and the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute (1984) in San Francisco. He currently practices clinical and forensic psychiatry and has been licensed as a Physician and Surgeon since 1972 by the State of California and since 2004 by the State of Hawaii.

He was certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry (1981) and Forensic Psychiatry (1999, recertified in 2009, 2019). In addition, he was certified by the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons in both Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry (2019).

He is currently an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, where he has been on the faculty since 1977 and has taught in the Law and Psychiatry Fellowship since 2000. He is also on the Faculty of the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. He is the Founder, former Chairman, and President of the San Francisco Foundation for Psychoanalysis, a community service outreach organization. He is now also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Since 1975, Dr. Levy has been in full-time private practice, originally in psychiatry and beginning in the 1980s in psychoanalysis and forensic psychiatry as well. He has been retained as a forensic psychiatric expert in more than 500 civil lawsuits and related matters. He has testified in State and Federal Court on 64 occasions. He has never been disqualified from testifying as an expert by any Court in any jurisdiction where he was retained.

As a result of his service and contribution to the profession, Dr. Levy was designated a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (“DLFAPA”) and has been an active member of numerous local, national, and international medical, psychoanalytic, psychiatric, and forensic psychiatric organizations, including The American Academy for Psychiatry and the Law. He has published numerous articles and presented countless talks, both in person and via webinars, to attorneys, physicians, and the general public on a wide range of forensic psychiatric topics. He has also been interviewed regularly as an expert by the print and broadcast media, discussing psychiatric and forensic psychiatric topics of general interest.

In January 2006, Dr. Levy established Forensic Psychiatric Associates Medical Corporation, of which he continues to serve as its medical director. In January 2020, together with his colleague, forensic psychiatrist Charles Saldanha, MD, Dr. Levy also established and serves as the medical director of Forensic Psychiatric Associates, L.P. (www.fpamed.com), a growing group of forensic psychiatrists and forensic psychologists that develop expert opinions for attorneys and Courts on behavioral issues within a broad range of civil and criminal matters. In addition, fpamed as a team specializes in assessing psychological injury claims from populations of litigants in mass tort and multi-plaintiff litigation. We have previously been retained in more than two dozen such cases.

Click to see all

We lead by expanding an entrepreneurial leader’s capacity to lead. We mentor by collaborating with you to co-create a plan. We role model equality, inclusion, healthy relating, resiliency, wealth creation, and accountability. We value compassion, courage, and connection.

When WeMentor, you design an integrated life and an interdependent future:

     * As a Resilient Leader/Innovator,

     * As a Competent Business Owner/Practitioner,

     * As a Mentor/Role Model, and

     * As a Spiritual Being and Self-Leadership Master!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Are you curious to learn how human behavior and the law interact? Dr. Mark Levy delves into the fascinating world of Forensic Psychiatry, shedding light on the intriguing dynamics at play. Join us as we explore the riveting cases of The People vs. O.J. Simpson and The State of New York vs. Donald Trump. It’s a fascinating discussion that will make you think!

Dr. Mark Levy is a licensed clinical and forensic psychiatrist with over four decades of experience. He has degrees from Columbia University and the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute. He is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Dr. Levy and his team of 22 board-certified psychiatrists and 10 forensic neuropsychologists practice forensic psychiatry at Forensic Psychiatric Associates, L.P. (FPAMED.com). Dr. Levy has been retained as a forensic psychiatric expert in more than 500 civil lawsuits and related matters. He has published numerous articles and presented countless talks on forensic psychiatric topics, such as “Mental Illness In the Workplace” and “Shrink in the Courtroom: Forensic Psychiatry and Law.”

I chose to discuss the O.J. Simpson and Donald Trump cases because they spontaneously came up in our conversation. Our legal system has loopholes that get exploited. In one case, someone is guilty but found innocent. In the other, the offender was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records that kept a sordid extramarital affair from the public before the 2016 presidential election. The men accused in both cases committed the crimes.

O.J. Simpson died earlier this year on the 30th anniversary of his yearslong 1994 criminal case, The People vs. O.J. Simpson. He was found not guilty by a Los Angeles jury of the gruesome murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. Just because he was found not guilty doesn’t mean he didn’t commit the crime. We discuss the role of the prosecuting attorney, the broader cultural context, and the impact of societal influences on legal cases, which can blur the facts and conceal the truth.

We taped this podcast conversation in the middle of The State of New York vs. Donald Trump trial. I asked Dr. Levy if he thinks Donald Trump is a psychopath. Dr. Levy explains the Gold Water Rule and the ethics of diagnosing people you haven’t examined. Dr. Levy gives insights into Donald Trump’s reactive and impulsive behavior and transactional focus in relationships regardless of norms or the law. Irrespective of the nation’s needs or individuals in the country, Donald Trump is focused on what is in Donald Trump’s best interest and projects onto others so whatever he accuses others of doing, it is really him who is doing it. If he calls President Joe Biden a criminal, flip it. He is talking about himself. That is what we can predict.

Two psychopath researchers give us insights into how psychopaths operate. Hervey Cleckley, in The Mask of Sanity, labels psychopaths as “grossly selfish, callous, irresponsible, impulsive, and unable to feel guilty or be able to learn from experience or punishment.” Robert Hare defines psychopaths as “social predators who charm, manipulate, and ruthlessly plow their way through life… violating social norms and expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or regret.” If we cannot learn from our experiences, we are stunted in our capacity to grow, heal, and change with new information.

We can stop being manipulated, shamed, and traumatized by electing leaders who have the capacity to grow, heal, and change. Authentic leaders, respect the rule of law, show compassion for themselves and others, stand up for the truth with courage, and have an overall desire to make our world a better place, not destroy it.

Other highlights in our conversation to understand human behavior and the law:

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 “Most of the problems in our lives and world are caused by relational dysfunction, a dysfunction in how we relate: as social groups, as individuals, to animals and the environment, and even to ourselves. Therefore, developing relational literacy—the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating—is essential for personal, social, and ecological transformation.” —Melanie Joy, psychologist, author, theorist, educator

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Dr. Mark Levy attended Durham University, U.K. (1965-66), and is a graduate of Columbia College (A.B. 1967), the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (M.D. 1971) in New York, and the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute (1984) in San Francisco. He currently practices clinical and forensic psychiatry and has been licensed as a Physician and Surgeon since 1972 by the State of California and since 2004 by the State of Hawaii.

He was certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry (1981) and Forensic Psychiatry (1999, recertified in 2009, 2019). In addition, he was certified by the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons in both Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry (2019).

He is currently an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, where he has been on the faculty since 1977 and has taught in the Law and Psychiatry Fellowship since 2000. He is also on the Faculty of the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. He is the Founder, former Chairman, and President of the San Francisco Foundation for Psychoanalysis, a community service outreach organization. He is now also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Since 1975, Dr. Levy has been in full-time private practice, originally in psychiatry and beginning in the 1980s in psychoanalysis and forensic psychiatry as well. He has been retained as a forensic psychiatric expert in more than 500 civil lawsuits and related matters. He has testified in State and Federal Court on 64 occasions. He has never been disqualified from testifying as an expert by any Court in any jurisdiction where he was retained.

As a result of his service and contribution to the profession, Dr. Levy was designated a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (“DLFAPA”) and has been an active member of numerous local, national, and international medical, psychoanalytic, psychiatric, and forensic psychiatric organizations, including The American Academy for Psychiatry and the Law. He has published numerous articles and presented countless talks, both in person and via webinars, to attorneys, physicians, and the general public on a wide range of forensic psychiatric topics. He has also been interviewed regularly as an expert by the print and broadcast media, discussing psychiatric and forensic psychiatric topics of general interest.

In January 2006, Dr. Levy established Forensic Psychiatric Associates Medical Corporation, of which he continues to serve as its medical director. In January 2020, together with his colleague, forensic psychiatrist Charles Saldanha, MD, Dr. Levy also established and serves as the medical director of Forensic Psychiatric Associates, L.P. (www.fpamed.com), a growing group of forensic psychiatrists and forensic psychologists that develop expert opinions for attorneys and Courts on behavioral issues within a broad range of civil and criminal matters. In addition, fpamed as a team specializes in assessing psychological injury claims from populations of litigants in mass tort and multi-plaintiff litigation. We have previously been retained in more than two dozen such cases.

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