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The final Joy Rewire of the mini-season turns Monday's science into a practice you can start today. Rachel walks you through the Joy Stack, a three-layer habit (Anchor, Tiny Joy, Celebrate) that hooks joy onto something you already do every day. You'll build your own Joy Stack in real time, practice your first rep together, and leave with a simple seven-day challenge. In this episode: The "After I…, I will…" formula (BJ Fogg, Tiny Habits)Why tiny beats motivatedTaking in the good for 10 to 20 seconds (Rick Hanson)Why celebration helps wire a habit inWhat to do when you miss a day This week's challenge: Do your Joy Stack for seven days. Share your Joy Stack sentence on Instagram and tag @rachel_bents. Giveaway: One copy of Be With every day. Follow @rachel_bents to enter. Live drawing daily at 7:39pm CT. Sponsor: RK Design. rkdesignmn.com | @RKDesignMN Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this final long-form episode of the mini-season, Rachel answers the question she hears more than any other: "How do I make joy stick?" The answer is habit. She explains how your brain rewires itself through repetition (think sled tracks on a Minnesota hill), why your brain holds onto the bad more than the good, what the research really says about how long habits take to form, and why missing a day doesn't erase your progress. Plus an awe walk study you'll want to try this week, a shoutout to Gabby Bernstein, and the reason Be With is built on 39 habits. In this episode: Neuroplasticity and why "neurons that fire together, wire together"The negativity bias: Velcro for bad, Teflon for good (Rick Hanson)Why about 43% of your day runs on habit (Wendy Wood)The 21-day myth vs. the 66-day average (University College London)Broaden-and-build and upward spirals (Barbara Fredrickson)The UCSF awe walk studyFive ways to build a joy habit, including why celebration matters (BJ Fogg) Mentioned: Be With: 39 Habits for a Joy-Filled Life | Gabby Bernstein (The Universe Has Your Back, Super Attractor) | The Joy Macros™ | The ENJOY Method™ Giveaway: One copy of Be With every day. Follow @rachel_bents on Instagram to enter. Live drawing daily at 7:39pm CT. Sponsor: RK Design, heirloom-quality custom furniture from Eagan, MN. rkdesignmn.com | @RKDesignMN Season 2 sponsorships: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rachel sits down with Sandy Gerber, communication coach, emotional intelligence trainer, and best-selling author of Emotional Magnetism, winner of 24 international book awards. Years ago, Sandy looked like a success from nine to five while her personal life was falling apart, and that turning point sent her on a decade-long search for communication tools that actually work in real life. She shares her EQ Switch for calming your nervous system in the moment, the Honest Sandwich for having hard conversations without anyone getting defensive, and the four emotional magnets that explain why the people you love and lead make the choices they do. Along the way, Rachel and Sandy discover they are speaking the same language: Sandy's Aware, Express, Engage lines up beautifully with Rachel's Joy Macros™ of Notice, Allow, Share. In This EpisodeWhy most of us learn to communicate by failing at it, and the personal failure that set Sandy on her pathSandy's three stages of connected communication: Aware, Express, Engage (and how they mirror Notice, Allow, Share)The boardroom moment when a CFO cut Sandy off mid-presentation, and what she wishes she had known thenThe EQ Switch: Locate the feeling in your body, Name the emotion, and Breathe with the 7-second EQ breath (3 seconds in through the nose, 4 seconds out through the mouth)The research behind naming your emotions (affect labeling, from Dr. Matthew Lieberman at UCLA)How to build your feelings vocabulary by simply asking, "What am I feeling right now?"Rachel's perimenopause morning, and why "I can't put a word on it yet, let's take a break" is a winThe four words to never say again ("We need to talk") and what to say insteadThe Honest Sandwich: Feel, Need, ForwardWhy relationships don't just stop, they driftThe 1960s book that changed Sandy's life, and the first-date question that led to a 12-year marriageThe SAVE emotional magnets: Safety, Achievement, Value, ExperienceWhat brings Sandy joy: curiosity, her husband, her twin sister, and shifting from working to sell to working to serveGuest Sandy Gerber is a communication coach, emotional intelligence trainer, and best-selling author of Emotional Magnetism, which has won 24 international book awards. She was ranked #6 in the 2026 World Top 30 Communication Professionals by Global Gurus and named a 2025 Women of Influence Creative Innovator. Her mission is to help people have connected conversations by sharing simple, memorable emotional intelligence tools they can use right away at work and at home. She is also the host of the award-winning micro podcast Magnetic Communication, a TEDx speaker, and (by her own account) the proud winner of a limbo contest at age 14. Born in Montreal, Sandy now lives in Vancouver, where she spends her free time in a sea kayak. Website (free resources): sandygerber.comPodcast: Magnetic Communication, winner of 2026 Best Mindset and Mental Health PodcastBook: Emotional MagnetismNew book, available for pre-order: Connected Conversations at connectedconversationsbook.comMemorable Quote "That seven seconds is the gap where real leadership and connection happen." (Sandy Gerber) Tools to Try This Week The EQ Switch: Locate. Name. Breathe. The Honest Sandwich: Feel. Need. Forward. Example: "I felt frustrated when I was cut off in the meeting. I need to know my voice is valued. Going forward, can you ask for my input before we wrap up?" The SAVE Magnets: Safety, Achievement, Value, Experience. Which one drives you? Which one drives the people you love? Connect with Rachel Rachel Bents is the host of Joy Unfiltered, founder of The Joy Collective, and author of Be With: 39 Habits for a Joy-Filled Life, out now. Follow the show and share this episode with someone who could use a little more joy, or a little more connection, today. Instagram: @rachel_bentsWebsite: joycollectivehq.com This episode is proudly sponsored by RK Designs MN. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The practice piece to go with Episode 7's deep dive into the dopamine prediction accuracy framework. In under 15 minutes, Rachel walks through the Joy Macros, Notice, Allow, Share, live, using a real prediction listeners are already carrying into their week. No theory, just the rewire in action. In This EpisodeA 60 second recap of the dopamine prediction accuracy framework for anyone jumping in here firstA live walkthrough: pick one specific thing you're already predicting about this week, and notice what your body doesThe three moves, Notice, Allow, Share, applied to a real, current predictionWhy pre-deciding an honest alternative outcome before the thing happens helps rewire the patternWhy even a neutral outcome is a meaningful update if your old prediction was catastropheThis week's Joy Boost: turn "here we go again" into your cue to run the rewireSponsor This episode is brought to you by RK Design. Ryan Kuehn and his team create one of a kind, heirloom quality custom furniture, live edge dining tables, epoxy river tables, desks, conference tables, and statement pieces, out of their studio in Eagan, Minnesota, shipping nationwide. Built to be used. Built to be beautiful. Built to last. Website: rkdesignmn.comInstagram: @RKDesignMNMemorable Quote "Your brain doesn't care how big the change is. It only cares whether it's accurate." — Rachel Bents Connect with Rachel Rachel Bents is the host of Joy Unfiltered and founder of The Joy Collective. Follow the show wherever you listen, and share it with someone who could use a little more joy today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rachel goes deeper into the science behind "Why Joy," picking back up on the dopamine prediction accuracy framework from earlier in the mini-season. This episode unpacks the actual neuroscience: Wolfram Schultz's landmark dopamine research, the anterior cingulate cortex as your brain's built in mismatch alarm, the negativity bias that makes bad experiences stick and good ones slide right off, the basal ganglia and how automatic prediction loops get built, and the neuroplasticity that makes rewiring them possible. Rachel walks the ENJOY Method's Joy Macros (Notice, Allow, Share) back through this deeper science and shares a personal story of catching a prediction loop in real time, in her car, on the way to a keynote. In This EpisodeThe real discovery behind "dopamine is a prediction signal, not a pleasure signal," from Wolfram Schultz's research on reward prediction errorWhy the anterior cingulate cortex reacts the same way to unexpected good news as it does to bad news, and why good things can feel destabilizingThe negativity bias, "bad is stronger than good," and Rick Hanson's Velcro and Teflon metaphor for how the brain holds onto negative experiencesHow the basal ganglia compresses old predictions into automatic loops, and why willpower alone can't override themNeuroplasticity, long term potentiation, and why repetition, not a single insight, is what actually rewires a patternThe Joy Macros, Notice, Allow, Share, walked back through with the deeper science underneath each oneRachel's own story of catching a prediction loop in real time in the car on the way to a keynoteA shoutout to neuroscientist Emily McDonald (Emonthebrain), host of the Planet Em podcast, whose practical take on neuroscience helped inspire this episodeThis week's practice: pick one recurring "here we go again" prediction and run Notice, Allow, Share on it all weekSponsor This episode is brought to you by RK Design. Ryan Kuehn and his team create one of a kind, heirloom quality custom furniture, live edge dining tables, epoxy river tables, desks, conference tables, and statement pieces, out of their studio in Eagan, Minnesota, shipping nationwide. Built to be used. Built to be beautiful. Built to last. Website: rkdesignmn.comInstagram: @RKDesignMNMentioned in This Episode Emily McDonald (Emonthebrain), neuroscientist and host of the Planet Em podcast. Rachel is a big fan of how she makes real neuroscience practical and usable. Memorable Quote "The unfamiliar good can feel less safe, neurologically, than the familiar bad." — Rachel Bents Connect with Rachel Rachel Bents is the host of Joy Unfiltered and founder of The Joy Collective. Follow the show wherever you listen, and share it with someone who could use a little more joy today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is brought to you by RK Designs MN. Episode Summary Rachel sits down with TJ Baird, a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major with over 32 years of service in intelligence, special operations, and global missions, now a best-selling author, self-described "trophy husband," and founder of Warrior Dad Stories. TJ opens up about the moment his daughter told him he was "too scary" to be around, the turning point that started what he calls his reforging journey, and how writing, story, and vulnerability became the path back to himself. From haikus written on deployment to a children's book called The Adventures of Cool Bear, TJ shares how he turned three decades of service into a "reforged" life built on four simple principles, and why he tells every retiring leader to drop the anchor of their old titles before they can move forward. In This EpisodeTJ's path into the Army at 17, an accidental reroute from Panama to Fort Bragg, and the "failed four-year plan" that turned into a 33-year careerThe moment his daughter told him he was "too scary," and how that became the turning point of his reforging journeyWriting haikus and poems for his daughter during deployment, and how that grew into Warrior Dad Stories and the children's book The Adventures of Cool BearTen weeks at a polytrauma center in Tampa, and how writing became part of his recovery from traumatic brain injuryTJ's four life and leadership principles: smile and the world smiles with you, be disciplined in thought/word/deed, be fit in mind/body/spirit, and live life to its fullestHis advice for anyone approaching retirement or a career transition: drop the anchor of your old titles firstWhat brings TJ joy day to day: his dog, his daughter, and random conversations in the grocery store parking lotGuest TJ Baird is a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major with 32 years of service in intelligence, special operations, and global missions, and a recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star Medal among other honors. He is the founder of Warrior Dad Stories and author of an illustrated poetry collection written for his daughter. His purpose: to ignite greatness in others and leave a legacy of unstoppable leaders. Website: warriordadstories.comBook: Warrior Dad, available on AmazonMemorable Quote "I'm sharing my burden with you to make my burden lighter. And I'm now walking my path. And hopefully my experiences will inspire and encourage others to do the same." — TJ Baird Connect with Rachel Rachel Bents is the host of Joy Unfiltered and founder of The Joy Collective. Follow the show and share it with someone who could use a little more joy today. This episode is proudly sponsored by RK Designs MN. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's Joy Rewire builds directly on Monday's episode about pleasure vs. joy. Rachel breaks down the neuroscience of negativity bias and teaches a simple, research-backed savoring practice that takes less than thirty seconds and helps your brain actually hold onto the good moments instead of letting them slip past unclaimed. In this episode: Why good moments tend to evaporate before your brain registers themThe science of savoring and why 20-30 seconds is the effective doseA four-step savoring practice you can use todayToday's homework: catch three moments Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by RK Design - custom, heirloom-quality live edge furniture, handcrafted in Eagan, Minnesota, and shipped nationwide. Learn more at rkdesignmn.com or on Instagram @RKDesignMN. Also in this episode: Starting September 22, Rachel is giving away one copy of Be With every day. Follow @rachel_bents on Instagram to be entered - daily live drawing at 7:39pm Central.Season 2 launches October 2 - Rachel is currently looking for sponsors. Reach out at [email protected]. Connect with Rachel: Instagram: @rachel_bentsWebsite: enjoymyeveryday.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this deep dive, Rachel unpacks the actual science behind everything Joy Unfiltered is built on. Why pleasure and joy run on completely different chemical systems, why your brain rewards being right more than being happy, why your nervous system has to physically support joy for it to land, and what self-determination theory reveals about sustained wellbeing. This episode bridges directly back to "Joy Is." and sets up everything coming next in the season. In this episode: The difference between pleasure (dopamine) and joy (serotonin/oxytocin)Why your brain is a prediction machine, not a happiness machineNegativity bias, and why it's architecture, not a personality flawPositive prediction errors and how to use them to build new patternsThe nervous system's role: sympathetic vs. parasympathetic statesOxytocin, connection, and why it's a mechanism, not a nice-to-haveSelf-determination theory: autonomy, competence, and relatednessA personal story tying it all togetherThis week's reflection practice Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by RK Design - custom, heirloom-quality live edge furniture, handcrafted in Eagan, Minnesota, and shipped nationwide. Learn more at rkdesignmn.com or on Instagram @RKDesignMN. Also in this episode: Starting September 22, Rachel is giving away one copy of Be With every day. Follow @rachel_bents on Instagram to be entered - daily live drawing at 7:39pm Central. Season 2 launches October 2 - Rachel is currently looking for sponsors. Reach out at [email protected]. Connect with Rachel: Instagram: @rachel_bentsWebsite: enjoymyeveryday.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rachel sits down with Jill Cain, founder of Arch Empathy, a strategic consulting practice that helps unconventional businesses, artists, and creative teams build strategy that honors both people and profit. Jill shares how a laundry day and a metal band t-shirt led to the name Arch Empathy, why she finally gave herself permission to leave a stable career for an uncertain one, and how her five core values (delight, self-love, autonomy, embodiment, and creativity) show up in her actual calendar, not just on a sticky note above her monitor. In This EpisodeHow Jill's background in social science research and design, plus 20-plus years as a "tour wife" for a touring musician, shaped her approach to business strategyThe story behind the name Arch Empathy (it involves a laundry pile and a metal band t-shirt)The permission Jill had to give herself to leave a steady paycheck and build something of her ownA walk through Jill's five values: delight, self-love, autonomy, embodiment, and creativity, and what each one actually looks like in daily lifeHer practice of keeping a "s****y things I'm grateful for" list as an act of self-loveThe exercise Rachel and Jill both use: would someone be able to spot your values just by looking at your calendar or your bank account?What's bringing Jill joy right now, from family to bouldering to the clients she gets to work withDetails on Jill's in-person Solo Circuit Retreat for solopreneurs, happening Friday, December 11th in the Twin Cities Jill Cain is the founder of Arch Empathy, a strategic consulting service for unconventional businesses. She works at the intersection of emotion and operations, helping business owners and their teams strategize toward the future they want for both their people and their profit. Jill works with artist management and creative project teams, service, retail, and community spaces, and emerging entrepreneurs. She's based in Minnesota. Website: archempathy.comInstagram: @archempathyLinkedIn: Jill Cain Memorable Quote "When you feel joy and delight, don't question it. Just feel it. And no matter how short it is or long, it doesn't matter. You felt it, and that is awesome. Just honor that. Don't judge it. Don't question it. Give yourself permission." — Jill Cain Connect with Rachel Rachel Bents is the host of Joy Unfiltered and founder of The Joy Collective. Follow the show and share it with someone who could use a little more joy today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Joy Rewire: Why Your Brain Rewards Being Right, Not Being Happy Description: In this week's Joy Rewire, Rachel breaks down a piece of neuroscience that changes how you think about every negative thought loop you've ever had: your brain doesn't reward happiness, it rewards accurate prediction. Rachel walks through why this makes negative thinking so sticky, and teaches a simple, repeatable practice called the prediction interrupt that you can use the same day you hear it. In this episode: What the Joy Rewire is and how it's different from Monday's long-form episodesThe neuroscience of dopamine and prediction accuracyWhy negative thought loops are so hard to break, and why that's not a character flawThe four-step prediction interrupt practiceOne small piece of homework to try today Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by RK Design - custom, heirloom-quality live edge furniture, handcrafted in Eagan, Minnesota, and shipped nationwide. Learn more at rkdesignmn.com or on Instagram @RKDesignMN. Connect with Rachel: Instagram: @rachel_bentsWebsite: enjoymyeveryday.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the first long-form solo episode of the mini-season, Rachel unpacks the foundational idea behind everything on this podcast: joy is not happiness, and it's not something you wait for. It's alignment you build on purpose. Rachel walks through what that means, why the distinction matters especially for high-achieving women who look fine on paper but feel out of sync underneath, and leaves listeners with a reflection exercise to take into their week. In this episode: Why joy and happiness are not the same thingRachel's definition of joy as alignment between meaning and purposeWhy joy is a practice, not a passive feelingPersonal stories from seasons that looked good but felt misaligned, and seasons that looked small but felt trueA reflection exercise: naming what actually brings you joy right nowA preview of next week's episode on the neuroscience of joy Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by RK Design — custom, heirloom-quality live edge furniture, handcrafted in Eagan, Minnesota, and shipped nationwide. Learn more at rkdesignmn.com or on Instagram @RKDesignMN. Links & Resources: Learn more about Be With: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HHTSY3H1 Connect with Rachel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel_bentsWebsite: enjoymyeveryday.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Before Joy Unfiltered relaunches with a full ten-week Season 2 on October 5, Rachel is easing back in with a mini-season - four weeks of solo deep-dives, weekly Joy Rewire practices, and three guest conversations. In this preview episode, Rachel explains why the mini-season exists, previews what's coming in September, and shares a first look at Season 2's "Body & Presence" arc. In this episode: Why a mini-season instead of jumping straight into Season 2What to expect each week: Monday long-form solos, Wednesday Joy Rewires, Friday guest conversationsA preview of September's three guestsA first look at Season 2, launching October 5An open call for Season 2 sponsors Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by RK Design - custom, heirloom-quality live edge furniture, handcrafted in Eagan, Minnesota, and shipped nationwide. Learn more at rkdesignmn.com or on Instagram @RKDesignMN. Links & Resources: Learn more about Be With: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HHTSY3H1 Interested in sponsoring Season 2? Reach Rachel directly at [email protected] Connect with Rachel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel_bentsWebsite: enjoymyeveryday.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week Rachel sits down with Joe Wyrwas - leadership coach, tech executive, and licensed skydiver - for a conversation that moves from free-falling at 120 mph to the everyday practices that build trust on a team. Joe walks us through his path from being terrified of heights to becoming a licensed skydiver with 700 jumps, and what that journey has taught him about leadership. He shares the concept of "guardrails and guidelines" - a framework straight out of his skydiving training - and why naming the guardrails for your team actually builds trust instead of breaking it. He also talks about the harder skill underneath it all: letting go, and trusting your people to fly on their own even when they'd do it differently than you would. The conversation takes a fascinating turn into data when Joe explains why he tracked every single minute of his life for four years and what finally made him stop. It's not the tracking that changes anything, he says, it's the awareness, and eventually, the willingness to actually act on it. That leads into a discussion of performance versus clarity, and why so many teams right now - especially around AI adoption - are measuring the wrong things entirely. Rachel and Joe also get into what it looks like to lead without a title, starting with genuine curiosity about what other people care about and why they're in the room. Joe breaks down what "intentional feedback" really means, beyond just being direct with someone, and shares how he and his team at Anthem Engineering cultivate joy and fun at work on purpose - including a personalized gift tradition that shows people they're truly known. The episode closes with Joe's theme for the year, Joe's Joyful Journey, and his reminder that joy tends to show up in the small, ordinary moments rather than the big ones. Mentioned in this episode: Hobie Youth Leadership, the program Joe has volunteered with for 13 years; Succeed by Heidi Grant Halverson, his book recommendation on goal setting; Greg De Koker and his podcast Joy Squared, the source of the "laughter in the hallway" question; and Living with a SEAL by Jesse Itzler, Rachel's reference on time awareness. Connect with Joe on LinkedIn, where he posts leadership content several times a week - DM him the word "joy" to let him know you found him through this episode for a special surprise. Learn more about his work at Wiser with Joe. If this episode gave you a little more joy today, share it with someone who needs it — and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kurt Bush is a certified Internal Family Systems practitioner, trauma-informed coach, and co-founder of Brimstone Coaching Group. With a background spanning corporate leadership, pastoral ministry, and coaching, Kurt helps leaders break free from self-doubt, embrace authenticity, and lead with confidence. Having overcome his own struggles with imposter syndrome, he's passionate about guiding others through transformational growth into authentic leadership. Through Brimstone's E + R = T approach (Encounter + Reflection = Transformation), Kurt equips individuals and teams to move from exhaustion and frustration to clarity and wholeness. He's also co-host of the Brimstone Coaching Podcast and co-author of Live Fully, Lead Authentically. In This Episode: Why imposter syndrome almost always comes down to fear of a threat — one the nervous system still believes is real, even when it isn't Kurt's own "F-R-A" story: a third-grade spelling bee mishap that quietly wrote a lifelong rule — never look dumb in front of people — and still shows up at the conference table decades later How our bodies give us physical cues (hot ears, a quivering chin, a knotted stomach) before our minds catch up, and why noticing those cues is the first step to interrupting the pattern Why real-time noticing is hard at first — and why catching a reaction a day later is still meaningful growth, not failure The "prayer of examen," an early-church reflection practice Kurt and his partner draw on, adapted into simple, shame-free daily questions Brimstone's Encounter + Reflection = Transformation framework, and the exact questions to ask after a moment that surprised you: What happened? Who was there? What did I feel? What did I do? What would I do differently next time? The difference between imposter syndrome and the inner critic — and why the inner critic isn't always the enemy; sometimes it's pointing at a real growth edge The often-invisible link between performance and self-worth, and how culturally we default to "what do you do?" as a first question Naming your inner critic (Rachel's is "Gertrude") as a practical, IFS-aligned way to relate to that voice instead of being run by it Better opening questions than "what do you do?" — including "what do you do for fun?" and simply being present enough to actually listen to the answer The distinction between curiosity and wonder, and how asking "how" or "what" questions (instead of "why") can unlock more spacious thinking in coaching conversations Key Quotes: "Fear based on a threat that's not actually there — often, yes." "My nervous system doesn't know that. It's just trying to keep me safe. It's just doing what it does best." "Most of us have the agency and the empowerment then to say, I'm gonna take some steps to make that different." "There's a tendency, especially in the Midwest, to want to be tough and grind through on our own... you're not alone." Try This: The Encounter + Reflection Practice Brimstone's simple, shame-free framework for turning a hard moment into growth: Notice the encounter — any moment where you were shocked, lashed out, or showed up in a way that surprised or didn't align with how you wanted to Ask what happened — literally, pen and paper: who was there, what did you feel, what did you do (just the facts, no judgment) Look for threads — do the same people, feelings, or situations keep showing up? That's a clue to something deeper Decide what's next — ask what you'd do differently when the encounter happens again, because it will Resources & Links Mentioned: Book: Live Fully, Lead Authentically by Kurt Bush and Chris (Brimstone Coaching Group) Website: brimstonecoachinggroup.com (free, no-obligation conversations available) Podcast: The Brimstone Coaching Podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrew Brummer is the COO of Industry Technologies, founder of My Story Told, and co-founder of Veridae. Known by many as "the business polygraph," he has a gift for helping leaders see what's real before small issues become big risks. His work sits at the intersection of leadership, AI, operational discipline, and human truth — using technology to extend disciplined thinking, never to replace it. Andrew is the author of You Decide and Leading Magnanimously, and his career spans technology, finance, manufacturing, education, energy, and global business across Africa, Europe, the UK, and North America. Originally from South Africa, he brings a grounded, deeply human approach to leadership, helping people speak hard truths and build organizations that can grow without losing trust, culture, or soul. In This Episode: The guiding phrase behind Andrew's life and work: "Plant seeds that will grow trees you may never sit under" Why Andrew sees his role as helping people find and water their own "mustard seed" — not handing them someone else's How a curious, wandering career across banking, contracts, product development, HR, sales, and investing gave Andrew the pattern-recognition to become a trusted advisor Authentic networking: showing up with no agenda, listening without trying to sell, and why that's what actually grows a network (Andrew grew from 1,200 to 10,000+ LinkedIn connections in two years by living this out) What You Decide and Leading Magnanimously actually walk readers through — practical, hands-on operator guides rather than theory The 2024 pivot: how a near-collapse at his company forced Andrew to build a personal brand from scratch at 53, and why patience and self-grace were essential to that journey The "right foot first" morning ritual — how the first 30–40 seconds out of bed set the tone for the whole day, and why that's a choice separate from yesterday's pain Andrew's philosophy of small, compounding behavioral change (20 minutes today, 23 tomorrow, 24 the next day) rather than one grand transformation The heart of My Story Told: using AI — without hallucination or invention — to turn a person's own words, recordings, journals, and content into a real, told story, book, or course before it's lost Why everyone has "earned the right to tell their story" simply by having lived it, and what that means for legacy, grandchildren, and the stories we lose when someone passes Key Quotes: "Plant seeds that will grow trees you will never sit under." "Where your head is at and where you apply your energy tomorrow morning is completely in your hands." "It's not because of the scars. It's because of my choice of how I allow those scars and those challenges to influence the next 30 seconds of my morning." "Anybody who has already lived, they've already earned the right to tell their story." Try This: The Right-Foot-First Ritual Andrew's simple daily reset, in his own words: Choose before you rise — in the first 30–40 seconds after waking, decide what kind of day this will be, before the day decides for you Separate the story from the scars — acknowledge that yesterday's pain is real without letting it write today's script Start small — aim for just a few minutes of this mindset tomorrow, then a few more the next day; consistency compounds Be graceful with yourself — hold yourself accountable, but with the same kindness you'd offer your own kids or parents Resources & Links Mentioned: Book: You Decide Book: Leading Magnanimously Upcoming book: I Decided (Andrew's forthcoming account of his 2024 pivot) Website: andrewbrummer.com Service: My Story Told — mystorytold.ai Companies: Industry Technologies, Veridae Mentoring platform mentioned: pushfarnadp/list.org (pro bono global mentoring) Connect with Andrew: Website: andrewbrummer.com My Story Told: mystorytold.ai LinkedIn: Andrew Brummer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.