
Advertise on podcast: Spirit of the Deal
Rating
5from
This podcast has
285 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Brandon Handley & GuestsExplicit
Yes
Date created
2020/06/14
Latest episode
2026/10/19
Average duration
33 min.
Release period
10 days
Description
Spirit of the Deal is where sales meets soul. Hosted by Brandon Handley, this podcast explores the deeper currents beneath high performance and success—what happens when spiritual alignment, intention, and purpose converge in business. While rooted in the Superhuman Selling framework, each episode goes beyond tactics, tapping into the inner work that unlocks outer results. We're not just closing deals—we're opening portals to our highest potential. Tune in for unfiltered conversations, practical tools, and transformative insights designed to help you sell with power, presence, and purpose.
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If I Would Have Overthought This, I'd Still Be in Germany | Dr. Christiane Schroeter
2026/10/19
Dr. Christiane Schroeterwalked into her Fulbright interview straight from work, zero prep, while everyone else recited statehood dates like scripture. She got the scholarship. Curiosity over credentials, presence over performance. That moment became her operating system.
A German academic turned Cal Poly professor, TEDx speaker, and creator of the Petite Practice Framework, she built a top-1% podcast (Happy Healthy Hustle) and a coaching business while teaching full-time. Not by grinding. By going small.
Her PhD mathematically proved what her life confirmed: tiny wellness steps shift body weight. Same math runs business. Same math runs transformation.
The breakthrough wasn't a lightning bolt. It was exhaustion. She caught herself in photos looking hollowed out, sleep-deprived, running on fumes. That's when the hustle lie cracked. She didn't need more discipline. She needed permission to celebrate.
So she took her birthday month. Pool days. No clocks. Dinner on the patio watching the ocean. Chocolate-chip moments sprinkled across the calendar: coffee with a friend, a walk through the botanical garden, a band on the beach. Not rewards. Fuel.
She calls it praising progress. The P in her STEP system:
Simplify the big hairy goal.
Tell someone your first microscopic step (sneakers by the door, 30 seconds).
Examine the data without judgment.
Praise the progress. Again. And again.
She reframes failure as FAIL: First Attempt In Learning. Then SAIL: Second Attempt In Learning. You fall. You study the fall. You adjust. You catch wind.
Telling your goal out loud rewires your brain. Neuroscience backs what mystics knew: speech creates pathway. Accountability locks it in.
This episode isn't about productivity porn. It's about surrendering the lie that worth equals output, and building a life that feels like yours, one petite, joyful, utterly doable step at a time.
Action Items (for the listener) 1. Shrink your next goal until the first step takes 30 seconds. Put the sneakers by the door. That's the whole game.
2. Tell one person your first microscopic step out loud today. Speech creates pathway, accountability locks it in.
3. Reframe your last failure using FAIL (First Attempt In Learning) and take the SAIL (Second Attempt In Learning).
4. Schedule three celebration moments this week like meetings on the calendar: coffee with a friend, a walk, something that's pure fuel.
5. Examine your progress data without judgment this Sunday. No inner critic, just the numbers and the next tiny step.
6. Audit the burnout: when did you last look at a photo of yourself and think 'who is that?' Use that as the signal to reset, not to grind harder.
Guest Bio Dr. Christiane Schroeter is a business and wellness coach, professor at Cal Poly, TEDx speaker, and creator of the Petite Practice Framework. She hosts Happy Healthy Hustle, a top 1% globally ranked podcast. She moved from Germany to the U.S. on a Fulbright scholarship and researches how tiny, joyful, fuel-based habits create big momentum without burnout.
Resources & Links · Happy Healthy Hustle Podcast (Dr. Schroeter's top 1% podcast): https://www.happyhealthyhustle.com/
· The Petite Practice Framework: https://www.happyhealthyhustle.com/
· Cal Poly Orfalea College of Business: https://business.calpoly.edu/
Paul Salter: It's Not a Swing Problem. It's a You Problem.
2026/10/05
Paul Salter is a high performance hypnotherapist. He works with CEOs, founders, executives, and ambitious people who are quietly stuck underperforming relative to who they know they can be. He has coached over 3,000 clients, he is a certified hypnotherapist who finished top of his class with a perfect score, and his road here runs through competitive bodybuilding, sports nutrition, and a serious run at professional poker.
His thesis is simple, and it is uncomfortable. It is not a swing problem. It is a you problem.
We open on the thread that ties bodybuilding, poker, hypnotherapy, and the boardroom together. Paul's answer: every one of those arenas is a mirror of your own personal development. There is not a different you who shows up in the meeting versus the version of you at home. Same beliefs, same fears, same behaviors. So if you want to get better at the craft, you eventually have to look inward. Not because you are broken, as we get into, but because there are dials on your dashboard that got turned up or down long ago and never revisited. Turn down the anger and the anxiety. Turn up the kindness, the empathy, the love.
From there Paul clears the ground on what hypnosis actually is. Not mind control, not brainwashing, not the stage show with the pocket watch and the chicken. It is a natural, safe state you already pass through multiple times a day. Meditation on steroids. The state you are in when you drift from sleeping to waking, when you fall into a book, when you find flow at work or on the course. In that state, we quiet the harsh inner critic and get access to the subconscious, where 95% of your daily behavior is actually being driven from.
That is where the reframe lands. Everything we call self-sabotage was learned. Learned means it can be unlearned. Paul walks through the Microsoft Word version of memory: pull the original document up, rewrite the script, remove the charge, put it back, and let the change ripple forward to today. He also names the thing most high performers hit and almost never name out loud, Gay Hendricks's upper limit problem. That invisible resistance, the moment you get close to a new income tier and start creatively, sneakily sabotaging yourself, because some part of you does not feel safe out there past the familiar.
The poker story is the spine of the episode. Paul went all in on the game he had loved since he was nine. First six months, he outworked and outstudied everybody, hired the coaches, treated it like a business, and still felt like he was lighting money on fire. He knew the game cold and still could not execute at the decision points, because emotion took the wheel. Sixty seconds later he would look back and think, I knew what to do. That gap between knowing and doing is the whole game. And poker, as he puts it, is a lonely freaking road, misunderstood and misjudged by people who assume you are gambling or crazy.
We also get into memory itself, and how much of what you are sure of was stitched together by a lens you built before you could drive. Paul's on the money about this. The point is not the perfect picture. The point is the pattern. Find the theme that keeps repeating, and you have found the door.
Paul closes with something you can use the second you need it. Sit in the emotion instead of outrunning it. Let it roll over you like a wave and wash back out. Thirty to ninety seconds, if you have the courage to stay in the chair for it. Emotion is just energy in motion.
If you run on proving-yourself energy, wear your work ethic like a badge, and keep hitting the same wall despite doing everything right, this one is for you.
Key takeaways
Not a swing problem, a you problem: the same beliefs, fears, and behaviors run your boardroom and your home. Fix the operator, and every arena gets better.
Self-sabotage is learned behavior, which means it can be unlearned at the origin, not managed with more willpower.
The upper limit problem: when you approach an income or success threshold, your nervous system deploys sneaky behaviors to drag you back to what feels familiar and safe.
Hustle is nitrous, not fuel: it will make you go fast for a short burst, and it is the wrong fuel for a legacy, a life well lived, and serving others.
Emotion is energy in motion: sit with it for 30 to 90 seconds and it moves through you. Outrun it and it moves into your decisions.
Paul Salter, CHt, is a high performance hypnotherapist and mindset coach. He finished top of his class in hypnotherapy certification with a perfect score, has coached over 3,000 clients across 17 years, and previously competed in bodybuilding, worked in sports nutrition, and played professional poker. He hosts The Unstuck High Performer Podcast (@thepaulsalter on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube).
The Debrief That Changed Everything: From FA-18 to $200M Exit
2026/09/21
Christian 'Boo' Bakusis walked into a recruiting office at nine years old. Walked in 104 more times before they finally said yes. That's not persistence. That's obsession. The kind that carves a groove in your soul so deep nothing else fits.
He got his wings. Flew FA-18s for the RAAF — one of only 400 fighter pilots minted in four decades. Then the body betrayed him. Autoimmune disease. Grounded. The identity he'd spent 17 years building evaporated in a medical discharge letter.
Here's where most men break. Boo didn't. He took the fighter pilot operating system — the debrief, the 1% improvement loop, the cold-eye separation of stimulus and response — and built a company from zero to $200 million in three and a half years. Now he runs Afterburner, teaching executives how to think like someone who makes life-or-death decisions at Mach 1.2.
This conversation is raw. We talk about the night he watched his lead pilot swallow a seagull on takeoff, engine flaming, fire light glowing red. How Odie didn't panic. Split the throttle. Checked instruments. Shut it down. Calm as a Sunday morning. The terror came later, in the crew room, over beer. That's the fighter pilot paradox: you box the fear to survive the moment, but you better open the box before it rots you from inside.
Boo found out he had ADHD at 51. Suddenly his report cards made sense. The kid who failed 12th grade twice, who couldn't memorize the atomic weight of carbon but could feel the air over the wings — he wasn't broken. He was built different. Built for the cockpit. Built for the chaos of entrepreneurship where resources are thin and the target moves daily.
We go deep on the debrief. Not the corporate post-mortem where everyone covers their ass. The real thing: look backward only long enough to find the one thing that'll make tomorrow better. Then do it. That's it. One thing. Not ten. The rest is noise.
Brandon and Boo trade stories about identity — the high school quarterback trap, the veteran who forgets to unpack the box, the founder who thinks the flight suit is the magic. It's not. The magic is the humility to say "I don't know" and the discipline to find out.
If you've ever felt like the misfit, the slow learner, the one who keeps showing up when everyone else went home — this episode is your debrief. Listen. Find your one thing. Fly tomorrow.
Key Takeaways · Obsession beats talent: 104 visits to a recruiting office from age 9 to 22 proves the only way you lose is when you quit.
· The debrief isn't about what went wrong — it's about finding the one thing you'll do differently tomorrow, then actually doing it.
· You box fear to execute in the moment, but you must open the box afterward or it poisons you. The crew room is where the real work happens.
· Your identity isn't the flight suit or the title — it's the operating system you built: awareness, humility, and the discipline to hit the target with limited resources.
· ADHD, failed grades, medical discharge — none of it disqualified him. The 'misfit' wiring was the exact circuitry needed for combat and entrepreneurship both.
www.afterburner.com
Why Trying Harder Might Be Sabotaging Your Success
2026/09/17
Why is it that the harder you try, the more challenging success becomes? In this episode, Brandon G Handley dives deep into the paradox of effort and performance, revealing how our attempts to push harder can often lead to anxiety and self-sabotage. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by your ambitions or frustrated by stagnation, this conversation is your roadmap to understanding and overcoming that struggle.
Brandon introduces listeners to the Yerkes-Dodson Law, a psychological principle that illustrates how optimal performance exists at a certain level of arousal and stress—but push past that point, and your efforts can backfire. He explains how our survival instincts can hijack our cognitive abilities, trapping us in a cycle of stress and worry that clouds our judgment and stifles our creativity. You'll discover how a shift in mindset can transform your approach to challenges, allowing you to channel your energy more effectively and achieve your goals without the unnecessary weight of anxiety.
You'll learn about the importance of visualization and goal-setting, as Brandon emphasizes that without a clear vision, even the most diligent efforts can lead to frustration. He shares insights on how to break free from the constraints of traditional productivity expectations and embrace a more holistic, identity-based approach to success. By redefining what it means to strive, you can unlock greater potential and find peace in the process.
If you've ever felt like you're pushing against a wall with no progress, this episode is a must-listen. Brandon's unique perspective and relatable anecdotes offer not just understanding but actionable strategies for reclaiming your mental space and focusing on what truly matters.
Perfect for anyone grappling with the pressures of achievement, this episode invites you to rethink your relationship with effort and success. Tune in for an enlightening discussion that promises to reshape your approach to life and work, helping you navigate the paradox of trying harder to achieve more.
Transcript:
Brandon G Handley (00:00.046)
Alright, let's have some fun here. First of all, if I told you that I was pulled over and parked in between a Chili's and an aspen dental in Pennsylvania, you'd be like, You could be just about anywhere, sir. You could be just about anywhere in the United States of America. I'm always telling the boys whenever we drive around, you know, just how much everything looks the same these days, isn't homogenized. But that's just me.
being me, sometimes having grown up in backwoods, Virginia and having been exposed to kind of what real country living can look like and, you know, other different areas of of the country. All right. That is not the reason for this podcast. It's it's funny. But you know, how long does it take to actually make a podcast? Like ten, fifteen minutes, right? How long does it take to do the podcast? I mean that's a whole nother thing in in it and of itself. I've been
Sitting on this one all week. And this one is one that I was going to bed the other night and I just wanted to put together like I had a question. I you know, it's like why literally I was like, why is it literally sometimes so hard? Right? Like, you know, the and why is it so hard, like the harder that you try? That was the question. The question was like, why is it why is it so hard the harder that you tried? And I was, you know, using Gemini and
it it popped up with you know this thing and first of all first and foremost if you've been here you've been hanging out you know that I know the harder that you try the harder that it is. That doesn't mean that sometimes you just don't find yourself in that same trap. Trying harder. That being said here's what it gave back to me and I thought it was pretty awesome because I'd never heard of it before. The psychological curve, the Yerkes Dodson law right basically it just says hey when you try harder
You increase your mental and physical stress up to a point this is helpful and sure. Yeah, it wakes you up, right? Focuses your attention and gets you into the growth zone. But once you pass that growth zone peak, your performance starts to plummet, right? And it starts to get you from challenged into this space of anxiety and panic, right? The extra effort actually works against you.
Brandon G Handley (02:27.894)
You become so stressed about the outcome that your cognitive bandwidth is consumed by worry rather than the task itself. And I was like, holy shit, man. I'd I had to pull over and and pull that up and and get it going. Now the rest I can give to you, right? and I said to it, said I was like, wow. I was like, this is very similar to one that I cite very often, which is
out of a book called Subliminal. And in that book, it ties basically everything that you do that's related to your income, to your your amygdala, right? your your survival mechanism. It says, hey, if I have to you know if if I have to make money doing this thing that's actually tied to my survival
And if it's tied to my survival, making that money is tied to my survival, it automatically just kind of it it takes it out of your prefrontal cortex and puts it down into demygula and applies like this stressor to it.
Right? And so it's like mind blowing. And the thing is, is like I said, it's not like you don't already a lot of us already know this and you listen to this podcast, you probably are already aware of this.
It doesn't stop it from happening. Why doesn't it stop it from happening? Because it's just normal for us now, right? That is our that our baseline is low-key hijacked stress, right? Our baseline is that there's always some level of ongoing stress running in the background.
Brandon G Handley (04:21.922)
That's our normal. And what do I mean by normal is simply that, hey, that's our that's our our baseline, right? That's our normal. And so we just don't even recognize that it's happening and going on.
Right? We are we are that eternal frog in a pot of boiling water.
And so every once in a while we can bring our awareness to it and or sometimes what needs to happen is our change in thinking. Okay? The change in thinking, where does that come from and how does that you know how does that impact what we do? And again, if you're listening to this podcast, you probably are familiar with people like Wayne Dyer, with people like Alan Watts, with
Abraham Hicks, yada yada. The list goes on. You are you are familiar with asking and receiving and all this other stuff. But what you don't understand and what you may not understand that this is really already happening in you know maybe corporate America and all these other tools that have always been provided only they've been provided to you as strictly under the
You are a productive unit. You are a cog in the machine. And so there's resistance when you see these tools like that. Visualization, for example, right? Visualization is not too different from having a goal in mind. Am I am I right? Right? Visualization is key to success, seeing yourself being successful in achieving a certain outcome.
Brandon G Handley (06:07.064)
Right. So seeing the the what is it? Seeing the end as the beginning, living from the end, right, as as Neville Goddard will talk about. but it's not too different from you know thinking backwards, right? Let's I let's where do we want this, you know, what's your desired end result? Put that image to your mind. And if you can't you know, or what is it that you most people don't know what they want. They don't know what they want, meaning that there's no image, there's no visualization, there's no goal.
If don't have a goal, you can't achieve shit. Right? You're not gonna get there because you got nowhere there to get to.
Right. And the flip side of it is if you keep focusing on where you are and all the ig to it, that's what you're you know, that's what you're gearing your mental algorithm to see.
So it makes sense that the harder you try to achieve something is like you trying to force the outcome. It was the other image that came to my mind is that way back in the day, was it the Gary Larson comic, The Far Side, where that kid is just like literally, you know, pushing up against a solid wall. That's us. Sometimes we're just pushing this wall and it couldn't possibly go anywhere under our own
Forces, right? We are like we're we're not getting anywhere with it. Okay. Not getting anywhere with it. And so it's interesting to see this paradox effect. And so when we go ahead and we start changing our our mindset and we start thinking about, like I already said, we think about like asking and receiving, visualization, applying these other two trust in the process, right? Becoming the architect of our own lives. We are now literally reprogramming ourselves and again.
Brandon G Handley (08:02.872)
These are all tools that I think that you have been exposed to in one way or other. The thing is, is like I already said, you've been exposed to it under the guise of you are a unit of production. This is how you must act in order to become productive, right? And sometimes that just so for me, right? For me, that was like f**k that.
Right, I am so much greater than this unit of production and you literally can feel it you as a person, you can feel that in your body when you think that way.
And so it's gonna get harder, as as this paradox effects is is is called out. and as also as we we relate it to our survival mechanism, right? If that thing that you're trying harder for is is related to the survival mechanism, you're you're gonna you're gonna feel like this stress. And you know, you're not really to blame for all of this. I mean, all of this comes and supersedes your whole life.
This comes from all the way back in caveman days, right? If you got thrown out, if you were disliked, right? If you could not participate and be accepted by so
Ketamine, Faith, and the Night He Stopped Breathing
2026/09/07
Chris Boick had the LinkedIn profile. The agency. The truck paid off. The house. The whole damn thing looked like a masterclass in the American Dream. Katie Boick had the condo, the career, the youth group background, and a vision of a white picket fence that felt like a promise. They found each other in their twenties, two people who thought they had the script memorized. Then 2020 hit. The world caught fire. Katie lost her job in March. Chris lost his in October. The wedding they'd planned for New Year's Eve became another weight on a foundation already cracking. And Chris — the guy who only knew how to be the provider, the fixer, the knight in the shining armor he'd read about in storybooks — didn't just bend. He shattered. The addiction he'd been outrunning since childhood, rooted in trauma nobody saw, came for him hard. Katie did what women like her do. She became the keeper of secrets. The manager of chaos. The one who holds it all together while disappearing inside herself. She moved them into her parents' garage apartment. She applied for unemployment. She networked. She tried to love him back to life while he was busy dying. The gray area isn't a metaphor. It's the hospital room where Chris stopped breathing on dialysis, unconscious, and Katie prayed in the machine noise: *Okay. I'm staying. Even with the trust shattered. Even with the terror. I'm staying.* It's the seventh day of rehab when Chris finally called, expecting *I wish you well*, and got unconditional love instead. He still gets goosebumps talking about it. So does she. The lines they were told to color inside — the perfect recovery narrative (rehab, steps, done), the traditional marriage roles (he provides, she nurtures), the image management that kept everyone fooled — they burned every one of them. What cracked the door open? For Katie, ketamine therapy. Six sessions. Four of them talking to God in a field, plucking petals off forgiveness like they were weeds. For Chris, faith. Not the inherited kind. Not the Easter-and-Christmas-Eve kind. The kind you find when everything else is stripped away and you're left with the undeniable truth of who you are. They wrote a book about it. *Coloring Outside the Lines*. It's not a recovery manual. It's a love story set in the wreckage. And if you've ever loved someone through hell — or been the one dragging them through it — this conversation is the mirror you didn't know you needed.
Key Takeaways · The 'perfect life' exterior often masks a private war — Chris's successful entrepreneur identity became a cage he couldn't escape when the provider role collapsed.
· Real recovery doesn't follow a straight line; the Boicks lived in the 'gray area' of relapses, broken trust, and daily recommitment long before anything looked like success.
· Unconditional love isn't a feeling — it's a decision made in hospital silence, on day seven of rehab, when every reason to leave exists and you stay anyway.
· Different doors open for different people: Katie found forgiveness through ketamine-assisted conversations with God; Chris found himself again through faith stripped of performance.
· The 'knight in shining armor' script destroys men — Chris had to learn his wife didn't need saving, she needed a partner willing to walk beside her in the dark.
https://www.lovethroughthegray.com/
Dawn Ledet: Why I Sold My Car to Stop Lying to Myself
2026/08/24
Dawn Ledet sold her car to force herself into normal hours. Two miles walking through New Orleans pre-dawn darkness, hotel exec life crushing her, and one question stopped her dead: *Why am I having to force myself to do this?* That's the entry wound. Twenty-plus years executive leadership, six thousand coaching hours, and she'll tell you straight — self-trust isn't a mindset. It's a strategic advantage. A choice. Not a label you earn.
We sit in the difference between *I can't* and *I won't*. Feel it in your chest. One shrinks you. The other hands you the keys. Dawn's 3E Method — Envision, Execute, Embody — flips traditional goal setting on its head. You don't follow through to build trust. You choose trust, then express it. The follow-through is just the receipt.
She calls the noise in your head the Lobby. All-or-nothing thinking, your mother's voice, that mentor's praise, your own doubts screaming over each other. Most of us try to drown it with podcasts, TV, audiobooks — anything to not sit in the silence. Dawn did a three-year consumption fast. Didn't mean to. Just... kept going. Three years. The Inner Room is where your actual intuition lives. Not the Lobby. You visit. You don't move in. Monks do that. You've got a business to run.
Comfort plans. Discomfort tolerance. The obstacles aren't roadblocks — they're the milestones proving you're on the path. And she rejects the whole self-sabotage industrial complex. No inner critic. No victim. No judge. Just you. Whole. Feeling angry when you want to. Owning it. Your internal sports agent negotiating the terms.
This isn't soft skills. This is the hard infrastructure underneath every decision you'll make tomorrow. Listen if you're tired of fighting yourself. Listen if the external validation well ran dry. Listen if you're ready to stop drowning the Lobby and start walking into the Room.
Key Insights The Lobby vs. The Inner Room Your mind's lobby is full of noise — all-or-nothing thinking, your mother's voice, that mentor's praise, your own doubts screaming over each other. The Inner Room is where your actual intuition lives. You visit it. You don't move in.
I Can't vs. I Won't One shrinks you. The other hands you the keys. 'Can't' is a disguise for fear; 'won't' is a declaration of boundary. Feel the difference in your chest.
The 3E Method: Envision, Execute, Embody Dawn flips traditional goal setting on its head. You don't follow through to build trust. You choose trust, then express it. The follow-through is just the receipt.
The Three-Year Consumption Fast Dawn did three years without podcasts, TV, audiobooks — anything to avoid sitting in silence. The Inner Room doesn't need drowning. It needs visiting.
Comfort Plans & Discomfort Tolerance Obstacles aren't roadblocks — they're the milestones proving you're on the path. Comfort plans let you navigate discomfort without abandoning your long-term desires.
No Self-Sabotage Industrial Complex Dawn rejects the whole framework. No inner critic. No victim. No judge. Just you. Whole. Feeling angry when you want to. Owning it. Your internal sports agent negotiating the terms.
Key Takeaways · Self-trust is a strategic choice you make in the moment — not a mindset you build over time.
· Procrastination and 'self-sabotage' are labels that strip agency; reframing them as choices ('I won't' vs 'I can't') restores power.
· The 'Lobby' (mental noise) doesn't need silencing — it needs relating to. The 'Inner Room' (intuition) is visited, not inhabited.
· Discomfort is inevitable; comfort plans let you navigate it without abandoning your long-term desires.
· A unified internal front — no critic, no victim, no judge — is the infrastructure beneath sustainable follow-through.
www.theselftrustcoach.com
The Infinity Within: Exploring Consciousness and AI with Kris Land
2026/08/10
About Chris Land Chris Land is a serial entrepreneur and a fragrance creator who bridges the gap between spreadsheets and spiritual sovereignty. He believes that success is not about achieving but about remembering. With a rich history rooted in both technology and spirituality, Chris brings a unique perspective to the table.
The Journey from Success to Spirituality Chris began his journey in North Dakota, where he was captivated by technology at a young age. By age 17, he had already sold a software company, achieving what many would consider success. However, instead of feeling fulfilled, Chris found himself in a deep depression. This experience prompted him to reassess what success truly means.
The Downside of Success Many people believe that achieving financial success will bring happiness, but Chris's experience reveals a different story. After selling his company, he felt an emptiness that left him questioning the purpose of his accomplishments.
Key Insight: Success without purpose leads to dissatisfaction. In Chris's case, the traditional markers of success—money and achievement—did not equate to happiness. Instead, he learned the importance of setting goals that are meaningful and aligned with one's true self.
The Role of Fragrance in Spiritual Experience During our conversation, Chris shared his insights on how fragrance can influence our emotions and consciousness. He discussed his research on scents, including frankincense and myrrh, which have been used for centuries in spiritual practices.
The Power of Scent Memory Enhancement: Certain scents like rosemary have been found to enhance memory and cognitive function.
Spiritual Connection: Scents can open channels to the soul and enhance spiritual experiences, a concept supported by historical practices in various cultures.
Chris believes that integrating these scents into our daily lives can help us reconnect with our spiritual selves and foster a deeper sense of awareness.
Reclaiming Your Power Through his experiences, Chris has developed a framework for reclaiming personal power and achieving fulfillment. He emphasizes the need to create goals that are not just about material success but are deeply connected to one's spiritual journey.
Three Goals to Guide Your Journey Self-Discovery: Engage in practices that help you understand your true self and desires.
Spiritual Connection: Incorporate practices like meditation or the use of fragrance to enhance your spiritual awareness.
Community Engagement: Participate in groups that foster spiritual growth and connection with like-minded individuals.
Key Takeaways Success is not merely achieving financial goals but finding fulfillment through spiritual alignment.
Fragrance can enhance memory and spiritual experiences, making it a powerful tool for personal growth.
Setting meaningful goals aligned with your true self can lead to a more fulfilling life.
Conclusion In this exploration of the intersection of sales and spirituality, Chris Land emphasizes that true success comes from within. By redefining our understanding of achievement and incorporating spiritual practices into our lives, we can find deeper fulfillment.
Are you ready to reclaim your power and redefine success? Start by exploring practices that resonate with your soul. For more insights and discussions, listen to the full conversation with Chris Land here.
Frequently Asked Questions What does it mean to be a soul architect? A soul architect is someone who focuses on aligning their life and work with their spiritual values, helping others to do the same.
How can fragrance impact my spirituality? Fragrance can enhance emotional well-being and spiritual experiences, allowing for a deeper connection to oneself and the universe.
What steps can I take to reclaim my power? Start by engaging in self-discovery, connecting spiritually, and setting meaningful goals that resonate with your true self.
https://krisland.com/about
The Three Friends of Winter: Narrative, Ritual, Purpose with Dr. Suzan Song
2026/07/27
Listen. Most of you are operating in a state of biological bankruptcy.
You've spent years mastering the art of compartmentalization. You've learned how to shut down your body, ignore the nausea in your gut, and "push through" the noise to hit your KPIs. You think that's strength. Here is the reality: that isn't resilience. It's just endurance.
Endurance is what happens when you've decided to white-knuckle the steering wheel of a car that's already on fire. You aren't thriving; you're just not dead yet. But your nervous system keeps a ledger, and eventually, the debt comes due.
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Suzanne Song—a Harvard and Stanford trained psychiatrist who has operated in actual conflict zones. She's seen the difference between people who are simply surviving and those who are actually anchored. She knows that a high-achiever who is disconnected from their own physiology is just a high-performance liability waiting for a crash.
Here is the promise: We are moving past the "mindset" fluff. We are talking about the actual mechanics of how to stop the sympathetic hijack and rebuild your agency from the inside out.
We dive deep into:
The Endurance Trap: Why the skills that got you to the C-suite are the same ones currently melting your gears. Somatic Tells: How to identify the physical "glitches" in your body before they manifest as a boardroom meltdown. The Three Friends of Winter: Using narrative, ritual, and purpose to create a biological anchor in a chaotic environment. Editing the Story: Why your brain filters trauma to protect you, and how to stop repeating the same destructive patterns. Anchored Leadership: How to operate with zero friction by aligning your values with your physiological state. Stop trying to "optimize" a dysregulated system. It doesn't work. Pay attention to the mechanics, or prepare for the collapse.
www.suzansong.com
Why Your Idea of Consistency Might Be Completely Wrong
2026/07/22
1. Consistency is Unpredictable
Consistency is not about performing the same way every day; it's about showing up in some capacity, regardless of the amount of effort.
Why it matters
Believing this allows professionals to sustain their efforts over time without the pressure of perfection, leading to long-term success.
In practice
Instead of feeling discouraged after a low-energy day, acknowledge that any small effort contributes to progress, like stacking bricks of varying heights each day rather than expecting uniformity.
2. The Cycle of Stopping
The tendency to stop completely after missing a day or two is a prevalent cycle that undermines progress.
Why it matters
Recognizing this cycle encourages individuals to pick up where they left off instead of starting over, preserving momentum.
In practice
Instead of abandoning a project after a missed deadline, professionals should focus on incremental returns to the task, mitigating the all-or-nothing mindset.
3. Energy is Finite, Efforts are Flexible
You can't give more than 100% of your energy, and that's okay; it's about the effort you can muster at any given time.
Why it matters
Accepting that energy levels fluctuate helps individuals prioritize their tasks without feeling guilty or overwhelmed.
In practice
On days when energy is low, professionals can still make progress by committing to smaller tasks that align with their capacity, like dedicating a few minutes to brainstorming rather than executing a full project.
4. Momentum is Frictionless in Space
In a frictionless environment, each small push adds to momentum rather than losing energy, akin to consistency in personal development.
Why it matters
This perspective emphasizes that even small efforts accumulate and propel growth, encouraging continuous action despite setbacks.
In practice
Think of progress as ionic propulsion, where each little achievement builds upon the last, allowing for exponential growth over time, rather than relying solely on big pushes.
The Garage of the Mind: How Emotional Clutter Blocks Success w/Cindy Kohler
2026/07/14
Learn how to declutter your mind and manifest your dreams with five actionable strategies from expert manifestation coach Cindy Kohler. Understand why emotional clarity matters for achieving lasting success in your life.
In today's fast-paced world, many people find themselves overwhelmed by emotional clutter—past experiences, limiting beliefs, and negative thoughts that inhibit their ability to manifest their desires. Have you ever felt stuck, unable to move forward despite knowing what you want? In this post, you'll learn how to clear that emotional clutter and set the stage for effective manifestation with insights from Cindy Kohler, one of Australia's leading manifestation coaches. With over 40 years of experience in education, business, and wellness, Cindy combines mindfulness, neuroscience, and identity transformation to help individuals unlock their potential.
Step 1: Recognize the Need for Clarity Why this matters: Emotional clutter stems from past experiences and beliefs that cloud our judgment and inhibit our progress. How to do it: Start by acknowledging your current emotional state. Reflect on what feelings or beliefs are holding you back. Example: Cindy emphasizes the importance of observing your thoughts without judgment. For instance, if you find yourself thinking, "I can't achieve my goals," take a moment to question that thought and its validity. Common mistake: Many people ignore their feelings, thinking they can just push through. However, ignoring emotional clutter only exacerbates the problem. Step 2: Practice Mindfulness Why this matters: Mindfulness helps you become aware of your thoughts and emotions, allowing you to address them rather than suppress them. How to do it: Incorporate daily mindfulness practices such as meditation or deep breathing exercises. Spend a few minutes each day focusing on your breath and observing your thoughts without judgment. Example: Cindy shares that her journey into mindfulness began at age 21, and it has been a cornerstone of her approach. This practice has helped her and her clients recognize emotional patterns. Common mistake: Skipping mindfulness practices when busy. Remember, even a few minutes can make a difference in your mental clarity. Step 3: Empty the Drawer Why this matters: Just like a cluttered drawer can't hold new items, emotional baggage can prevent you from manifesting your goals. How to do it: Identify and release negative beliefs and emotions. Use journaling as a tool to express and then let go of these feelings. Write down what no longer serves you and physically discard it. Example: Cindy advocates for this metaphorical 'emptying' as a crucial step before starting any new manifestation work. It's about making space for new opportunities. Common mistake: Holding onto old beliefs out of comfort or familiarity. Challenge yourself to let go of what doesn't serve your growth. Step 4: Reframe Your Thoughts Why this matters: Your beliefs shape your reality. By reframing negative thoughts, you can create a more empowering narrative. How to do it: When you catch yourself thinking negatively, ask, "Is this actually true?" and then create a more positive statement. For example, change "I can't do this" to "I am learning and growing every day." Example: Cindy often asks her clients, "Is that belief empowering you?" If not, it's time to let it go. This practice encourages a shift from limiting beliefs to empowering ones. Common mistake: Accepting negative thoughts as truth without questioning them. Step 5: Take Action Towards Change Why this matters: Awareness without action leads to stagnation. Taking steps toward change is essential for effective manifestation. How to do it: Set small, achievable goals that align with your new mindset. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small it may seem. Example: Cindy emphasizes that the discomfort of change is normal. By taking small steps and recognizing each achievement, you build momentum. Common mistake: Getting overwhelmed by the bigger picture. Focus on incremental changes instead. Conclusion Emotional clutter can significantly impact your ability to manifest your desires. By recognizing the need for clarity, practicing mindfulness, emptying your emotional drawer, reframing your thoughts, and taking actionable steps toward change, you can create a clearer path toward your goals. Remember, it's often the small changes that lead to significant transformations.
Want to dive deeper into manifestation techniques? Check out Cindy Kohler's upcoming book, "Manifest You: How to Step into the Future, You to Change Everything" for more insights and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions What is emotional clutter? Emotional clutter refers to the negative thoughts and beliefs that accumulate over time, hindering personal growth and manifestation.
How can mindfulness help with manifestation? Mindfulness allows individuals to become aware of their thoughts and emotions, enabling them to address and release what no longer serves them in their manifestation journey.
What does it mean to "empty the drawer" in a manifestation context? "Emptying the drawer" means releasing old beliefs and emotional baggage to create space for new opportunities and desires.
How can I reframe my negative thoughts? To reframe negative thoughts, question their validity and replace them with positive affirmations that empower you.
Why is taking action important in the manifestation process? Taking action reinforces new beliefs and propels you toward your goals, transforming awareness into tangible results.
resources
mindgarage.com.au - https://mindgarage.com.au
Cindy Kohler's Email - [email protected]
Follow Your Bliss (No, Not the Coke Kind) — Campbell, Cooking & Code
2026/07/06
In today's fast-paced world, the concept of "following your bliss" often gets misconstrued. Many people equate it with hedonism or a reckless pursuit of pleasure. However, as Brandon G Handley articulates in his recent reflection, following your bliss is about discovering what truly lights you up and immersing yourself in the process of creation. This blog post delves into the essence of following your bliss, how it can lead to personal growth, and why embracing your passions matters more than the societal pressures of productivity.
Understanding the True Meaning of Following Your Bliss Following your bliss, as suggested by Joseph Campbell, means pursuing what genuinely excites you and brings you joy. It's about connecting with your inner self and allowing your heart to guide you toward activities that inspire and fulfill you. Brandon shares a pivotal insight: this journey is not about immediate gratification or hedonistic pleasures, but about engaging in activities that resonate with your true self.
The Creative Process: A Path to Joy Engaging in creative activities, whether cooking, writing, or crafting, offers a unique avenue for self-expression. Brandon reflects on his experience of creating thyme sea salt inspired by a gift from his family. This journey of creation, from gathering ingredients to sharing the final product, exemplifies how following your bliss leads to joy and satisfaction. The act of creation can put you into a state of flow, where the process becomes as rewarding as the outcome.
The Importance of Feedback in Creative Pursuits Feedback plays a crucial role in honing your craft. Brandon shares his experience of creating horoscopes, emphasizing the iterative process of refining his work based on feedback. This openness to critique not only enhances the quality of the creation but also enriches the experience for both the creator and the audience. The key takeaway here is the importance of viewing feedback as a valuable tool for growth rather than a deterrent.
Beyond Productivity: The Emotional Rewards of Creation In a society that often measures success by productivity and financial gain, it's essential to remember the emotional rewards of following your bliss. Brandon highlights that the satisfaction derived from creating something meaningful can be just as important, if not more so, than monetary success. This perspective encourages readers to engage in creative activities for the joy they bring rather than the potential for financial gain.
Conclusion: What Will You Create? Following your bliss is a personal journey that invites you to explore your passions without the constraints of societal expectations. Whether you find joy in cooking, writing, or any other form of creative expression, the key is to immerse yourself in the process. As you engage with your passions, you may discover new aspects of yourself and cultivate a deeper sense of fulfillment.
Key Takeaways Follow Your Heart: Discover what genuinely brings you joy and pursue it. Embrace the Creative Process: Engage in activities that allow for self-expression and creativity. Welcome Feedback: Use constructive criticism to refine your work and grow. Value Emotional Rewards: Recognize the intrinsic value of creating for the sake of joy, not just productivity.
Noble Energy Maps: Validating Soul Psychology With Dr. Eleanor Haspel-Portner
2026/06/29
Dr. Eleanor Haspel-Portner doesn't do small talk. Fifty-one years in private practice. Forty-five thousand statistical cases. A PhD from Chicago that taught her the map is not the territory — especially when the territory is the human soul.
She sat across from me and told me about the voice. 1974. Transcendental Meditation. A voice in her head that said: Go to Osho's ashram. She laughed at it. Called it woo-woo. She'd already seen enough fake gurus in her Jungian training — professors waxing poetic about numinous experiences who'd never had a single one. "Have you ever had one?" she asked them. Silence. That told her everything.
But the voice persisted. She went to India. Alone. Single woman, 1978. A client handed her Osho's book at the gate — same birthday. Coincidence? She doesn't believe in them. She took sannyas. Got a new name: Madhava Asangaro. Divine inconsistency. Osho nailed her in one look.
Then she met Marvin. Sitting next to her at a lecture. Same neighborhood in Pacific Palisades. Same circle of healers. Never met. He'd walked away from a chief-of-medicine gig because he couldn't stomach herd medicine. She set a boundary at dinner — he played games with the check, she walked. He chased her. Forty-eight years later, still chasing.
Here's where it gets sharp. Ra Uru Hu, founder of Human Design, asked her to validate his system. She ran thirty thousand cases through the grinder. The result? "It's a faulty system. Incomplete. Erroneous. Disempowers people." Five types, not four. Projectors aren't here to wait for recognition — they're here to recognize themselves first. That's the difference between a cage and a compass.
She built Noble Energy Maps instead. Eight charts. Starts three months before birth. The only system that treats the prenatal window as sacred architecture. Four worlds — physical, emotional, mental, spiritual — mapped from Kabbalah, I Ching, astrology, and the Tree of Life. Psychology has no language for soul, she says. Dreams are symbolic. The waking mind is sensory. Soul speaks in questions with no visual cues: What do you know now? What do you want? When?
Her prescription is brutally simple: morning time with yourself. Gratitude journal with "because" statements — science backs it, cortisol drops, healing accelerates. If you won't give yourself time, why should anyone else?
This episode isn't about feel-good spirituality. It's about the architecture of a life that works. The woman who walked into darkness and found light. The psychologist who tested the map against the territory and built a better one. Listen if you're done with borrowed wisdom. Listen if you want the blueprint.
Learn more today:
https://nobleenergywellness.com/
Your Body Is the Subconscious — and Breathwork Is the Command Line
2026/06/25
I just got out of a breathwork session with about 20 people. Twenty different stories. Twenty identities they were dragging around. And nobody in that room needed me to argue with the story.
They needed a space in between who they think they are and who they're actually becoming.
That's what this episode is about.
We're talking about psychological safety — not the buzzword HR version, but the real shit. The kind of safety that lets your nervous system stop scanning for lions long enough to build something new. Because here's the thing: you can't rewire yourself from survival mode. You can't vision-board your way out while your body thinks the mortgage payment is a tiger.
I break down why high performers stay stuck with a thousand browser tabs open in their subconscious. Why your brain keeps running worst-case scenarios on autopilot. And how breathwork can shift you from "what if this fails" to "here's how this works" — using your body to change your mind, not the other way around.
We also touch the four-minute mile. Roger Bannister. And the guy who just ran a whole marathon at a four-minute-mile pace.
Because the impossible becomes regular the second somebody proves it's possible.
If you're ambitious, exhausted, and tired of your own mental loops — this one's for you.
Talk soon.
The Midnight Call: Why Katie Cluff Still Answers Her Phone
2026/06/14
Katie Cluff didn't plan to spend her life in recovery work. She planned to design interiors. She worked at Baskin-Robbins as a teenager, serving ice cream, dreaming of something different.
Then life happened.
Her father had 35 years of sobriety. She didn't. She fought the diagnosis for years — "I didn't want to be an alcoholic like my dad." But denial isn't a solution, and by her early twenties, Katie found herself in treatment. The first of many attempts.
"For the first several years, I think I was doing it for my dad and not for me."
That changed when she had a spiritual awakening during a family dynamics lecture. She saw herself — really saw herself — and for the first time, accepted that she was an alcoholic.
Today, Katie is employee #5 at Recovery Centers of America. She's been with the organization since the vision phase in 2014, before the first center opened in 2017. She was there for the first call. The first patient. The first miracle.
Now RCA has 12 inpatient treatment centers, and Katie is still answering her phone at midnight.
The Consciousness Scale: Brandon's Framework Meets Katie's Work During the conversation, Brandon introduces a "map of consciousness" developed by David Hawkins — a logarithmic scale running from 0 to 1,000 that maps human emotions from shame (20) up to enlightenment (700-1,000).
Courage sits at 200.
Below that threshold, people are trapped in fear, grief, and apathy. They can't see a way out. Change feels impossible.
But at 200 — courage — things open up. Possibility emerges. Someone in that state can finally pick up the phone.
"Once you have courage and you step into it, because it's scary, change is scary... it takes some courage to step into the unknown."
The problem: courage is fragile. Someone can be at 200 in the morning and back down to 100 by noon. Fear rushes back. Doubt creeps in.
Here's what Katie and the RCA team do to keep people in that state of courage long enough to actually take action:
How RCA Keeps Callers in a State of Courage When someone calls RCA, they're in a fragile state. They've maybe hit a bottom — a DUI, a relationship falling apart, a moment of raw honesty with themselves. But that moment can evaporate fast.
Here's how Katie and the RCA team hold the space:
Urgency without pressure — "We need to move fast, but we're not going to rush you." Compassionate tone — "I understand. I've been there." Non-judgment — "No matter how many times you've been before, I'm glad you're alive." Vulnerability — "I'll sometimes share my own experience. I tell them: I've lost everything too." Presence — Sometimes there are no words. Sometimes presence is the whole message. The Eagles Partnership: Breaking Stigma One Tailgate at a Time RCA partnered with the Philadelphia Eagles for a sober tailgate event — and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
"The majority of comments were really positive and really pumped. People were saying: this is great for the Eagles, this is great for recovery."
The goal isn't to convert people into recovery. It's to normalize it. To show that you can go to a sporting event, have fun, be part of the crowd — without drinking.
The alcohol industry has taken an $800 billion hit in recent years. Sober bars are opening. Mocktail culture is trending. The tide is turning.
But for people in active addiction, "Miller Time" still feels like the only option. RCA's job is to show them another way.
Staff Growth at RCA — From Housekeeper to Executive One of the things Katie is most proud of at RCA: watching staff members grow.
There's a man who started as a housekeeper, changing sheets and cleaning rooms. Today he's in a leadership role.
Another employee started slicing deli meat at the grocery store. Katie hired him as a recovery support specialist. He became an admissions coordinator.
Her nephew started answering phones. Today he's a vice president.
"It takes a special individual. It takes a special individual's heart to do this work."
RCA doesn't just hire for credentials. They hire for "why." Why do you want to do this work? If the answer isn't coming from a place of service, the job will break you.
The Nephew Story — Answering the Call That Was Meant for You Five years ago, Katie's nephew called her. His roommate had overdosed. Katie dropped everything, drove to the apartment, and sat with him.
She let him stay on her couch for four days. She didn't have the right words. Nobody does in those moments. But she didn't leave.
Today, her nephew has almost 10 years of sobriety.
"I was supposed to answer that phone call. I was supposed to. None of the meetings that day mattered anymore."
That's the work. Not dramatic. Not glamorous. Just showing up. Being present. Answering the call.
You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to be brave enough to call.
https://recoverycentersofamerica.com/
Meir Ezra: Stop Trying. Start Knowing.
2026/06/01
Listen. A former Israeli submarine commander walked into a boardroom at 31 with a hundred million dollar company behind him, and the first thing he told the room wasn't a strategy. It was this: "People who succeed don't try. They know."
Here's the reality. You're not burning out because the market is tough. You're not losing deals because the competition is sharp. You're white-knuckling the steering wheel of a car that's already on fire, and the fire isn't external. It's the friction between what you think you know and what's actually true.
Meir Ezra is the guy handing out gas masks in a chemical fire. Ex-Navy. Built a $100M empire by 31. Runs 24 companies across 27 countries. Coached over 10,000 people. And his message is the most dangerous one you'll hear this year: Your experience is your biggest enemy. Your mind is a hard drive of limitations. And the only competitive advantage left is learning how to delete it.
Pay attention. This isn't "mindset" content. This is biological mechanics for the high-performer who's been vibrating with low-level panic for a decade and calling it hustle. Regulation isn't self-care. It's the only competitive advantage you have left before your heart decides it's done with you. In this episode, you'll learn:
Why knowledge equals control equals income—and why you've been operating on bad knowledge your entire career The "fake reality" trap—the thing you're 100% sure is correct, but it isn't bringing the expected result How to actually learn—because if you didn't get 100% in what you learned, you got garbage The physics of the spirit vs. the mind—why energy work is still physical, and what "the mind" actually is Why cause lives in the future, not the past—and how that one inversion rewires your entire operating system The "virtuous loop" of pricing and value—why paying nothing creates a criminal, and paying too little creates stagnation The deal isn't closed by force. It's closed by the guy who isn't vibrating with low-level panic. And the panic? That's just nervous system debt. That's biological bankruptcy. That's your past running your future on a loop you never consented to.
Stop trying. Start knowing. Your solvency depends on it.
https://www.gprosperity.com/about
Podcast reviews
Read Spirit of the Deal podcast reviews
BurnTheMap 2026/01/09
Great host, thoughtful topics
I was lucky enough to be a guest on Spirit of the Deal. Brandon asks great questions and doesn’t shy away from complex topics. Check out this podcast ...
Skullkid1391 2023/04/20
Fun and Insightful Show
Love the passion and care that goes into these episodes. As a spaz white belt i really appreciated the recent episode on BJJ. 10/10
X108X 2022/03/28
Hip
I had a fun time being interviewed on this podcast by a fellow rocker and spiritualist. Brandon streamed poignant questions and we could have rapped ...
RyanM1618 2022/03/28
Antidote & Insight
This is exactly the kind of conversation the world needs: a no nonsense exploration and indulgence into meaningful and enriching aspects of life that ...
Mike Iamele 2022/03/28
I love the depth of topics Brandon pursues
I love this podcast so much! I had been a fan of the topics Brandon was bringing forward and was eventually a guest on the show. I’ve done lot of podc...
Ann Hince 2022/01/23
Excellent podcast host!
We had a really good interview. Brandon was professional, timely, and asked excellent questions. I really enjoyed our conversation. ✨
Rich at Silence Teaches 2021/08/27
Asks powerful questions!
Host asked powerful questions that made me seriously reflect on why I do what I do. This made the show very helpful for his community.
Althenicknamesaretakenwtf 2020/12/30
Love!
I love this podcast! The interviews are very free flowing a laid back so it feels like a conversation with friends, while at the same time they are so...
Hjggghhggghhb 2020/07/20
Thank you!!
This podcast really hit home on so many levels. I am lucky to have found it , and I am grateful the universe brought it to me!!
The Positive Side 2020/06/18
I needed this podcast
I can not believe I found this podcast. I have been looking for a podcast that is on a different level. This show gives me insight about life, dreams,...
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