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When we think about the next chapter of our career, most of us jump straight to answers. What should I do next?  What role makes sense?  What would I even change? But that’s not actually where to start. In product, we don’t begin with solutions.  We start with discovery. In this episode, I walk through what it looks like to apply that same thinking to your own life and career—starting with assumptions, not answers. Because the goal isn’t to figure everything out overnight. It’s to get a little more honest about what you think you want… and test whether it’s actually true. Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

For most of our careers, we’re taught how to climb the ladder. Work hard. Learn more. Get promoted. Take the next opportunity. But what happens after you’ve been climbing for twenty or thirty years? In this relaunch episode of Agile Self-Development, Helene Amster Kopel introduces a new direction for the podcast and a concept she calls the second chapter of work and life. Many professionals spend the first decades of their careers building experience, expertise, and credibility. But eventually the questions start to change. What kind of work do we want to do next?  What pace of life feels sustainable?  And what does “enough” really look like? This episode introduces the idea that the next phase of our careers doesn’t have to mean starting over. Instead, it can be about experimenting, learning, and intentionally designing what comes next. If you’ve spent years building a career and are starting to rethink what the next chapter might look like, this conversation is for you. Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

In this heart-centered episode of The Agile Self-Development Podcast, Helene returns a raja yoga class after a long time away — and is unexpectedly reintroduced to the powerful principle of ahimsa: the practice of non-harming. What begins as a quiet moment in a Raja yoga class becomes a soul-deep reflection on how we treat ourselves. This episode invites you to explore how subtle self-harm shows up in your life — and offers a set of grounding practices to reconnect with your wholeness through gentleness, awareness, and compassion. ⸻ 🔑 Key Takeaways: •Ahimsa means “non-harming” — and applies to how we treat ourselves as much as others. •Micro-harms like self-criticism, guilt-driven choices, and ignoring our needs wear us down over time. •Self-development is not about pushing harder, but about returning to yourself with love. •Alignment with ahimsa begins with daily, intentional, compassionate practices. Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

Artificial intelligence is showing up everywhere—from work emails to vacation planning—but did you know it can also support your personal growth? In this episode of Agile Self-Development, Helene explains how tools like ChatGPT can become your brainstorming buddy, personal coach, and idea generator—all without needing to be a “techy.” You’ll learn what prompt engineering really means (spoiler: it’s just asking better questions), how to craft prompts that get you the results you want, and simple ways to bring AI into your daily self-development practice. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How AI tools like ChatGPT can support your growth journeyWhat “prompt engineering” means in everyday languageA simple 3-step formula for writing better promptsReal-life examples you can try right awayReady-to-use sample prompts for journaling, habit-building, stress management, and moreThis starter kit gives you ready-to-use prompts you can copy, paste, and customize when using AI tools like ChatGPT. These prompts were created by ChatGPT, as a matter of fact! They're designed to support journaling, habit-building, stress management, and mindset shifts in your personal growth journey.  Journaling Prompts  • Give me five journaling prompts to help me reflect on my strengths at work.  • Suggest journaling prompts to uncover limiting beliefs holding me back.  • Provide five prompts to help me celebrate small daily wins.  Habit-Building Prompts  • Help me create a 30-day plan to drink more water and build a consistent habit.  • Give me simple strategies to stay consistent with exercising, even if I only have 20 minutes a day.  • Suggest ways to track and reward myself for sticking to a new habit.  Stress Management Prompts  • Give me three short, practical techniques I can use daily to manage stress as a working parent.  • Suggest five quick relaxation exercises I can do during a work break.  • Help me create a 10-minute evening routine to unwind before bed.  Mindset & Positivity Prompts  • Give me three positive reframes I can use when I feel like I’ve failed at something. • Suggest simple affirmations I can practice daily for more confidence.  • Provide strategies for shifting from negative to positive thinking when I’m overwhelmed.  Tip: For the best results, add your own context when using these prompts. For example, mention your schedule, personal challenges, or goals so the AI can tailor its response to your unique situation.  Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

It’s been awhile but I’m back with a new episode to share how to use an agile approach to break out of your funk.  Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

Listen in for the benefits of mental health days and how to plan to make the best of them! Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

Mental Fortitude is described as mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously. My guest on this episode is David Theriot, an ultrarunner and coach who understands that mental fortitude is pivotal to his success, very much akin to life's many other challenges. David Theriot is an ultrarunner and coach who started running later in life after ACL reconstruction surgery.  He's run 45 ultramarathons, 16 of them of 100 miles or more.  He finds great joy in helping others come to the realization that they can do hard things.  He's coached runners from all over the world to finish their first or furthest Ultramarathon.  He also hosts the Run the Riot Podcast where he interviews runners from all over the world accomplishing amazing feats. Lear more about David and how to work with him at http://info.runtheriot.run. Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

In today's episode, we delve into the fascinating topic of self-awareness and its importance in our lives. Self-awareness is the ability to introspect and understand one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. We'll discuss why self-awareness matters, how to cultivate it, and the benefits it can bring to our personal and professional lives. Visit http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com and click "Free Guide" in the top menu to start creating your own personal vision statement. Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

On this episode, you'll hear from Dr Robert Pepper, author of Some People Don’t Want What They Say They Want, and a therapist who’s been running groups for over twenty-five years and has a special gift in helping member’s resolve conflicts with relationships, both personal and professional. In group therapy, members learn to resolve obstacles to developing healthy relationships through interactions between members of the group. Listen now to learn more about what group therapy can do to support healthy relationships. Reach out to Rob at drpepperphd.com. Bonus thoughts from Dr. Pepper around the topic of using your friends to replace therapy: There are at least two reasons why friends and family can’t replace group therapy.  Frankly, I believe it's quite psychologically naive to think that group therapy is unnecessary if a person has good friends and family. Good friends and family complement group therapy; they don’t replace it. For one thing, good friends and relatives usually aren’t objective. They have their own biases and opinions about what is best for us. And as "Dear Abby" has so brilliantly observed: "Unsolicited advice is always self-serving". Group members in a secure group environment, are in a better position to see our needs and foibles more clearly.            Second, and to my mind more importantly, social relationships are not designed to absorb the full impact of our own, nor friends, family and a life partner’s feelings. In group therapy the directive to members is: "Say everything." That is clearly not a wise thing to do in non-therapy relationships. That is because there are some powerful, “dark” feelings that are better left unsaid in close, intense, personal relationships. They are better said in the safe context of a secure group. To share every thought and feeling with a loved one can be hurtful and damaging to the relationship. In group therapy it’s different. At the same time, our closest friends and relatives are there to provide TLC when we need it, while group members are there for us only weekly at a specific time and place. The restrictions prohibiting outside contact and physical contact in the group, plus the contract, ensure that there will be no real-life consequences to group interactions and that group is a safe place where members’ words can’t come back to haunt them in their personal or professional relationships.  Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

Have you found yourself feeling “exhausted” and to the point of feeling overwhelmed and depressed? Well you’re not alone. Business and Life coach Joey Drolshagen is back with us to share how exhaustion is leading to a skyrocketing number of people experiencing depression and ways we can avoid the pitfall. Joey Drolshagen is a master mindset coach, author and Professional Speaker; and founder of the Subconscious Mindset Training method. Named one of the top Coaches in America for three consecutive years, in The NYC Journal and Disruptors Magazine, Joey is known for helping countless individuals to transform their lives through retraining their subconscious conditioning! He’s been seen on FOX, NBC, CBS, and e’s spent decades traveling the country, helping people move past obstacles to overcome adversity and create a life they absolutely love. Connect with Joey at https://IFGTcoach.com Mention Agile Self-Development at https://coachwithjoseph.com for a free 30-minute consult coaching session with Joey Drolshagen! Go to https://dynamic.ifgtcoach.com to access the FREE Dynamic Vision Roadmap video Joey mentioned on this episode.    Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

On this episode, we talk to Dupe Witherick who says being alcohol free is a choice and does not need to happen only when you hit rock bottom and that even normal drinkers may question their relationship with alcohol, wondering if it’s really serving them. Dupe Witherick is an Accredited Alcohol Free Wellbeing and Transformational Coach who believes that being alcohol free is a super power and makes you brave, and getting rid of this one thing is just the start of what could be the most amazing life. On this episode, Dupe will share more about her story and how she helps women reach their full potential and live their best life alcohol free with her THRIVE AF process.  Learn more about Dupe and Thrive AF at www.thrivealcoholfree.com. Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

On this episode, I speak with Rachel Richter who says disconnection is the driving force of negative outcomes in our organizations and lives, and by increasing connection  we can unlock greater prosperity. Alignment is the catalyst needed to for increased connection. When people come to Rachel for answers, she often starts with this simple question “Where do you want to create greater alignment and thrive?” Rachel Richter is the Founder and Managing Partner of INLIGN, the premier alignment coaching and advisory practice for teams and organizations seeking to rectify misalignment and enable optimal functioning. Rachel describes alignment as “culture in action.” Out of further demand, she also founded Align & Thrive, the alignment coaching practice for individuals with the purpose of making thriving attainable personally and professionally. As hardships got in the way along her journey, Rachel created her own way to live a life worth living, never losing sight of everything she still had to be grateful for. While enduring a near fatal illness, being a patient of one of the most painful surgeries known to man and losing her mother to a rare disease, she simultaneously innovated and delivered billions of dollars in value for shareholders and the public for over 15 years in both publicly traded companies and federal agencies. She delivered where many thought innovation or even agreement was impossible by leveraging alignment along with compassion for herself and others. To learn more about how you can work with Rachel, visit https://www.getinlign.com/ or https://www.rachelrichter.com/. Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

On this epsode, I speak with Marni Goldman, author of True To Myself: Peace, Love, Marni." As the daughter of a drug-addicted mother, Marni survived a life of depression, ADHD, childhood PTSD, anxiety, and a leukemia diagnosis. In her book – part memoir and part inspiration – Marni takes readers on a journey from unimaginable pain to physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.  Today, Marni Goldman is the host of the Peace Love Podcast and works with people all over the world to help them transcend and heal emotional traumas. Connect with Marni through her website: https://peacelovemarni.com/ Get her book True To Myself: Peace, Love, Marni  https://www.amazon.com/True-Myself-Peace-Love-Marni/dp/1710056851/ "True To Myself: Peace, Love, Marni" is a book about Goldman terrible (and often surreal) childhood and young adult experiences - and how the road to hell ultimately lead to an oasis of peace. Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!