EP 134 I’m living a life that I absolutely love. I’m surrounded by a tribe of people that I absolutely love, just simply because I started with the, “What if?”

Rob was an abandoned child. As a baby, he was raised by his four-year-old sister until a white, Mormon family adopted them both. Raised by a loving family in a predominantly middle-class white community, Rob endured racial abuse. He was spat on, called names, and beat up. The feeling of not belonging would not go away. He eventually found an outlet for his anger and confusion in sport. On the court or field, race and color didn’t matter and after achieving a scholarship to play football at Utah, he thought his life would start working out. But despite being around black people for the first time, he still didn’t fit in.

Rob sunk into a dark depression and began fantasizing about how he’d end his life. He hit rock bottom in his mid-30s when everything fell apart. His marriage ended, his start-up failed, and he was done with the pain. But something told him to put down the gun…

Rob’s suicide attempt became a powerful catalyst that turned his life around. By deciding he wanted to live, Rob discovered the strength to embrace his blank canvas. At the time, he had no idea who he was, but he was committed to figuring it out.

Trauma makes your scope narrow; healing creates a new perspective that brings forth better opportunities and options. Free of dogma and the need to fulfil family traditions, Rob was able to define himself. In the process, he discovered his dream career, his purpose, and a sense of belonging. Now, Rob is an empowerment coach who works off feeling and intuition; truly identifying where his clients want to go and what they want to accomplish. He calls his work Warrior Work, which is all about identifying who you truly are.

Rob’s story is a powerful reminder that where you start doesn’t have to be where you end up. It’s a story of courage, commitment, and a passion to create an extraordinary life – even when everything is stacked against you. Rob’s story is an inspiration to me, and I’m sure it will be an inspiration to you too.

Tune in now to hear us discuss:

1. What it feels like to NOT belong.
2. The catalyst that inspired Rob to change his life.
3. How to balance radical self-responsibility with an appreciation of your life’s context.
4. Powerful options for letting go of negative energy.
5. The difference between flow and passion.
6. How Rob figured out who he really was.
7. Rage, the call for equality, and channelling collective anger at these times
8. Rob’s definition of purpose.
9. Tips for unlayering the need to belong.
10. And more…

Rob Sirstins

EP. 133 Nobody ever taught me how to be human. They taught me how to be a warrior, they taught me how to be a gladiator, they taught me how to not cry, they taught me how to hurt people. It taught me a lot of stuff in my life. Nobody ever taught me how to be human.

Like you, we’ve been moved and enraged by the racism and brutality experienced by our Black brothers and sisters. To show our support and solidarity with Black America, we’re committed to sharing their voices and stories with you. To kick-start this effort, we’re replaying one of our most popular interviews.

This conversation with Andre Norman first aired in 2019. It’s an incredible story of beating the odds and the system to create extraordinary impact.

The US has one of the largest prison populations in the world with around 1 in 100 Americans in jail. According to 2014 NAACP statistics, African Americans accounted for a disproportionate 34% of the total prison population. It’s a shocking fact that the Black community is incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of whites.

Andre Norman was one of those statistics.

Rewind two decades and not only was Andre serving a 100-year prison sentence, he also ran all the gang activity in the prison. You could say jail was his destiny. As a kid, he felt unwanted and with the system against him too, Andre never saw his potential. Seeing no other option, Andre followed a life fuelled by drugs, alcohol, depression, self-harming, and ultimately crime.

Prison is supposed to be a correctional facility, but most prisoners aren’t ‘corrected’. Prison rarely changes people at a core level. Instead, it compounds their anger, frustration, and trauma, which is what makes Andre’s story of transformation and learning how to be human so remarkable.

Andre was freed after serving 14 years inside and his life today couldn’t be more different. He’s now on a mission to teach individuals and corporations how to turn any situation around and his innovative strategies against gang activity have helped tackle inmate violence and improve correctional facilities across the U.S.

So tune in now and hear us talk about:

• The conditions that led to Andre’s incarceration
• How gratitude for rock bottom experiences helps you walk the extraordinary path through life
• The real definition of freedom – and why most people aren’t as free as they think
• Why you need to take small steps today to actualize the person you want to be in the future
• The insanely valuable lessons he’d teach his 26-year-old self
• Why Andre believes his curses allow him to help people
• The only way to fail
• Andre’s prison program and how it’s changing lives
• And more…

Andre overcame everything from poverty to drugs to prison. He’s now an international speaker and a Harvard Fellow – proof that the odds are always beatable.

Andre Norman

EP. 132 Confidence is simple. It’s not loud, it’s not anything that can be defined by a particular skill or personality type. It’s simply this: the willingness to experience negative emotion

How much of your vision for life is impacted by what others say or think about you? How often do you hold yourself back or talk yourself out of taking action because your confidence lets you down?

Who could you be, what could you have, and where would you go if you could create approval from within and create a story that showered you with positivity, freedom, and relentless joy?

This episode’s guest is the incredible Susie Moore – and she dances in this creative, curious space every day! Susie believes that joyful, loving, connected people are POWERFUL. It’s why she says that her only obligation is to have a joyful life – and in doing so, she serves as an example to others of what a joyful life looks and feels like.

If you’re ready to be more confident [and feel more joyful in the process], this episode is for you.

Susie is a Miami-based life coach and author of Stop Checking Your Likes: Shake Off the Need for Approval and Live an Incredible Life. Susie’s been featured on everything from the Today show, to Refinery29, Forbes, Oprah.com and more. She has an infectious personality and a beautiful sense of humor which inspires joy just by being near her. Susie comes with a powerful message that reality is an interpretation and the truth is up to all of us. With that in mind, why wouldn’t you do everything in your power to create a life full of freedom and joy? Discover how in this episode when Susie and I explore:

1. The dangers of confusing approval with worthiness.
2. Why inner steadiness and approval must come from within.
3. The danger of looking for fulfilment outside of yourself.
4. What is freedom [and why our false beliefs make success fleeting].
5. Why the cause and effect model doesn’t work.
6. How to access your confidence in 7 seconds.
7. Why joy is undervalued as a superpower – even though it’s your secret weapon
8. And more!

Susie Moore

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nataly Kogan

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this beautiful episode, John and I talk about:

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

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

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

John Wang

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s a taste of what we discuss:

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

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

Aaron Houghton