EP. 131 Nobody wants your perfect, everyone just wants your human

This episode’s guest is no stranger to the Stay Grounded Podcast. Nataly Kogan was one of our very first guests when we launched back in 2017. Nataly’s ‘Happier’ message was powerful back then, but it feels even more potent now – thanks to the new normal we’re navigating ourselves through.

This current climate is bringing out the worst – and the best in us. Lockdown and all its associated uncertainties has pulled out the rug in so many areas of our lives. Trying to make sense of it all is tough and new emotions, fears, and experiences are constantly bubbling up.

Nataly’s message of self-compassion is vital under these pressures. With the stresses we face right now, mistakes are inevitable. We’re going to get triggered and frustrated and that’s OK because as Nataly reminds us we’re all human and perfection is inauthentic.

And amongst it all, self-compassion is the gateway to freedom, happiness, and joy.

Nataly Kogan is a refugee, mama, artist, and the founder of Happier – an organization [and Nataly’s life purpose] on a mission to help millions of people thrive in work and life by improving their emotional health with science-backed skills and practices.

Nataly believes happiness is a skill you can master as well as a feeling you experience. And because it’s a skill, that means you work at being happier.

In this episode, Nataly reveals some of her favorite practices and insights designed to help you feel more compassionate to yourself and others.  Tune in now to hear about:

1. How do you find happiness in turmoil?
2. Navigating the ‘valley of suffering’ through acceptance.
3. Why does the ego create suffering if its role is to protect us?
4. How self-compassion increases resilience and growth.
5. How to practice self-love when your mistakes hurt others.
6. The power packed question to ask when you start losing yourself in fear, guilt, and self-criticism.
7. Why perfection is a coping mechanism that keeps you from feeling a spectrum of emotions.
8. And more!

Nataly Kogan

EP. 129 There is a twelve step process to burnout. We start with excessive ambition and end with a total mental and physical collapse.

Have you noticed that burnout is a badge of honor? As a society, we place a high value on the hard work and the hustle – and if you’re burnt out, by definition you’re a hard worker!

But does burnout deliver the results you want? And is it even the best strategy to create success in business and in life? This episode’s guest says not. After burning out riddled with a collection of physical and emotional symptoms, John Wang realized there had to be a better route to success.

In this episode, John not only shares his story, but reveals the logic and story behind our willingness to burn out – so you can choose a more empowered path to your goals.

John Wang has been a speaker and an educator for the last 15 years. His passion is coaching high-achieving entrepreneurs and students to create productive, work-life balance systems that are focused on self compassion. In particular, John gets excited about creating tools and systems that empower people to live a balanced life.

John has traveled through over 50 countries and is also the founder of the OneKindness Challenge Movement – where he inspires people to change their life through an act of kindness each day.

In this beautiful episode, John and I talk about:

• What does burnout mean?
• Where does the stress that causes burnout come from?
• How to find the balance between impact and avoiding burn out.
• How to make hard work feel easy.
• How to infuse fulfilment into work you don’t really enjoy.
• John’s four questions for moving through procrastination.
• John’s definition of purpose.
• And more…

If your ego has a hustle tendency, but your heart wants more balance, do not miss this episode. When you understand the internal dialogue and stories that promote burnout, you’ll never want to choose that path again.

“When you subscribe to the Stay Grounded Podcast, you help new people discover the show. And it means the podcast will automatically show up in your app of choice every time a new episode is released on Mondays.”

John Wang

EP. 128 There is a cost to trying to be successful. There is a cost to trying to change the world. For many entrepreneurs and founders, it is destroying us and our companies.

Does success require burnout? Can you build a thriving business and live a calm life? As a society, we’ve been raised on a diet where hard work equals the path to success, but is that really true? What’s more, are the sacrifices involved with the high stress, high-success ethos actually contributing to the lifestyle and results we really want?

After finding himself on the floor of his dream home unable to move, Aaron Houghton realized there had to be a better way to live. An entrepreneur since the age of 17, Aaron launched more than ten tech startups – including one which he sold to a publicly traded company for $169 million before his 30th birthday.

He’d ‘made’ it! The money, the business, the awards… but after pushing himself to his limits, Aaron began to question if the panic attacks, debilitating anxiety, and chronic stress was a required sacrifice – or was there another way?

Over the past five years, Aaron has been on a mission to save entrepreneurs from themselves so they can change the world. He’s passionate about studying how entrepreneurs manage stress and uses his insights to build his own techniques that deliver high performance without compromising mental and physical health.

And in this must-hear podcast, Aaron shares insights and strategies to help you experience calm while you make an impact.

Here’s a taste of what we discuss:

1. How to differentiate between fears that are irrational and fears that keep you safe.
2. What does calm feel like?
3. The three resources we should be managing.
4. The bigger reason why Aaron reduced his alcohol intake.
5. Why entrepreneurs need to fall in love with the process and not the outcome.
6. How to navigate the sine wave of life.
7. A list of Aaron’s daily rituals that help him create calm.
8. How to release the need for external validation.
9. The simple litmus test that warns you it’s time to slow down.

If you’re ready to do the thing you’re here to do without losing yourself in the process, this episode is for you. Don’t miss it!

Aaron Houghton

EP. 127 Compassion, connection, and community are the world’s most valuable commodities right now.

This global pandemic is taking us on a rollercoaster of emotions. Just when we think we’ve found our groove and new normal, another layer slips away – leaving you dancing with a rush of new feelings. This extended time at home is contributing to the spectrum of emotions… tragedy to triumph and pain and joy. But amongst the chaos and turmoil is a chance to tune into yourself. To strip away what no longer serves. To surrender to the flow of what is.

And perhaps even remember what it means to be human.

In this beautiful episode, I riff about what it means to be human with my good friend Tim Palladino. It’s crazy that we need to learn how to be human beings, but thanks to a culture of doing and distractions, so many of us are stuck on the hamster wheel. Now we have a time to pause, reflect, and refresh our perspective – and fall in love with life at a whole new level.

Tim Palladino is a social entrepreneur who combines his love of business with serving his community. Tim’s efforts were recognized in 2016 when he was presented with the 40 Under 40 Shaker Award by the Hudson Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Tim is also the creator of the “Entrepreneurial Hierarchy of Needs” assessment – a tool that allows business owners to take an objective snapshot of where they rank in the categories of mental and physical health, personal wealth, their relationships, recreation, and their business.

In this deep-dive down the rabbit hole, Tim and I explore:

1. Why this is a time of refresh, NOT reset.
2. How to navigate the grieving process that coronavirus has created.
3. What happens when you go through the ‘storm’ and how it empowers you to go forward.
4. Why we have to remember that we are part of nature.
5. Why the duration of this crisis is something to feel grateful for.
6. The power of expressing your emotions.
7. Why it’s dangerous to compare how you’re feeling to anyone else.
8. What is self-esteem?
9. Why your ego is your property – and how to use it.
10. And more.

This conversation gave me a lot of comfort in this super tough time. I hope you extract something similar.

Tim Palladino

EP. 124 We are going through some chaotic times right now, but there is opportunity – as long as we’re willing to recognise it and also capitalize on it.

Globally this situation sucks. We’re experiencing massive changes across all areas of our lives. You can’t downplay or under-estimate the wave of destruction that’s currently making its way across the globe, but you can choose to dive into the fresh opportunities that are bubbling up.

Take working from home. With shelter-in-place recommendations popping up everywhere, people are being forced to work and live in alien ways. But with the right strategies and mindsets, you can choose to create more happiness and productivity out of this crazy situation.

And in this well-timed episode, Thanh Pham is here to reveal exactly how you can do that.

Thanh Pham is the founder of Asian Efficiency – a remote company that helps people become more productive at work and in life. Thanh is a thought leader in the productivity space and has been featured in many publications including Fast Company, Inc.com, Forbes, and The Globe & Mail.

In this episode, Thanh shares his favorite productivity principles and strategies to inspire you to make the most of this challenging situation – and create a life you love.

Here’s a taste of all the goodness Thanh and I discuss:

• The specific steps Thanh is taking to block out unnecessary online noise.
• How to get into a space where it’s possible to make proactive decisions.
• Why the right relationships accelerate your productivity.
• How Thanh was forced to get over himself so he could ask for the help he needed.
• The practices Thanh uses to create a grounded state in chaos.
• Thanh’s five-minute activity for optimizing your life for happiness.
• The three things to do NOW if your current situation doesn’t make you feel happy.
• Just because you’re staying at home, doesn’t mean you have to be less social.
• How do you transition to working from home productively?
• Why dressing up makes remote working more productive.
• Thanh’s four tips for productive home working.

Thanh Pham

EP. 123 Energy is 99% of our world, and yet we treat it as if it’s nonexistent.

I’ve been waiting a long time to have this conversation with Sheevaun. Call it divine timing, but as you’ll hear, this episode couldn’t be landing at a better moment. The world is full of unprecedented ‘weirdness’ right now, and things won’t be exactly the same again for a while [maybe never]. We’ve been forced to make rapid, far-reaching adjustments, which are affecting all areas of our lives. Fortunately, we’re not on this journey alone and when you look beyond the fear, you’ll discover opportunities to optimize your life for who you want to be.

And Sheevaun is here to help you do just that…

Sheevaun Moran is a business advisor, master coach, quantum energy thought leader and the founder of Energetic Solutions. She uses business principles with energetic techniques to help more than 25,000 entrepreneurs, CEOs and leaders bring instant focus and shifts so they can create clarity, purpose and profits.

In this episode, Sheevaun will help you navigate this ‘weirdness’ so you can build the new routines and rituals that empower you to create something extraordinary out of this coronavirus pandemic.

Whether you’re figuring out how to cope with being homebound, or you’re exploring how to reinvent your business during these times, this episode has something for you.

Tune in now and hear Sheevaun and me explore:

• Why movies DID make this global pandemic up.
• The energetic opportunity of staying at home.
• The importance of moving through the grieving process during this global pandemic.
• Why we should be talking about social conscientiousness, not social distancing.
• The power of an 11-minute anger container.
• Why this crisis is a perfect opportunity to deal with our own ‘stuff’.
• The shocking connection between taking care of your body and fixing your finances.
• Examples of how different people are navigating this pandemic.
• Why NOW is a great time to dive into new routines and rituals.
• How to reinvent your business.
• How to cope with the threat that loved ones may get sick.
• What to do if you feel guilty about feeling positive during this crisis.
• And more…

This episode is powerful because it will give you something powerful to focus on amongst all the chaos. Check it out now and discover some powerful ideas for optimizing your life.

Sheevaun Moran