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What if the hardest moment of your life wasn’t the end… but the beginning of your transformation?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Shruti, a cancer survivor, author, and holistic health coach, to share her deeply personal journey through adversity, healing, and self-discovery. From growing up feeling misunderstood to navigating a high-pressure career and a painful divorce, Shruti opens up about the moments that shaped her long before a life-changing cancer diagnosis at just 34.

Together, Amanda and Shruti explore the powerful connection between mindset, emotional health, and physical well-being. Through honest storytelling and transformative insights, Shruti reveals how suppressed emotions, chronic stress, and low self-worth impacted her life and how choosing faith, gratitude, and intentional daily practices helped her shift from surviving to truly thriving. This conversation is a reminder that healing doesn’t just happen physically… it starts from within.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How mindset, stress, and emotional health can shape physical well-being
💔 The impact of suppressed emotions and low self-worth over time
⚡ How a cancer diagnosis became a turning point instead of an ending
🙏 The role of faith, gratitude, and discipline in the healing process
🌿 How yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness support recovery
🔥 The shift from surviving to thriving through adversity
🤝 Why community and support are essential during and after illness
📖 How Shruti turned her journey into a mission to help others heal

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[03:00] Growing up in a large family while feeling alone and misunderstood
[08:30] Ambition, leadership, and emotional suppression during childhood
[14:30] Transition into a fast paced fashion career and high-stress lifestyle
[20:30] Marriage struggles, separation, and hitting rock bottom
[24:30] Receiving a cancer diagnosis at 34 during a difficult life chapter
[30:30] Shifting perspective: from “why me?” to taking responsibility
[36:00] The role of gratitude, faith, and mindset during healing
[42:00] Discovering yoga, mindfulness, and holistic healing practices
[47:30] Life after cancer: helping others and building a healing community

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What if the struggles people face in their lives, whether in relationships, finances, or personal fulfillment aren’t due to a lack of effort, but instead deeply rooted subconscious programming?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Dr. Joseph, also known as Joey, a rapid growth specialist and creator of the SMT Method. With decades of experience studying human behavior and transformation, Dr. Joseph shares his journey from living in cycles of struggle, self-doubt, and people-pleasing to uncovering the profound role the subconscious mind plays in shaping reality.

Together, Amanda and Dr. Joseph explore how limiting beliefs are formed, why so many people feel stuck despite doing “all the right things,” and what it truly takes to create lasting change. Through personal stories, client breakthroughs, and deep insights, this conversation sheds light on how shifting subconscious programming... not just surface-level habits can unlock a completely different way of living.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How subconscious programming influences actions, decisions, and results
🎭 The “chameleon effect” and how people-pleasing disconnects from authenticity
⚡ Why traditional personal development often fails to create lasting change
🔍 The hidden belief of “not being enough” and how it shapes life outcomes
🌊 The difference between living by goals vs. living by vision
🧩 What the SMT (Subconscious Mindset Training) Method is and how it works
✨ How aligning conscious and subconscious thinking leads to rapid transformation
🧭 The role of intuition and why most people struggle to access it

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[6:40] The “chameleon effect” and how people-pleasing pulls people away from authenticity
[11:20] A childhood experience that revealed a different way life could feel
[17:05] Turning down a major opportunity because of feeling undeserving
[24:30] Years of searching for answers through books, counseling, and personal development
[32:45] Discovering the subconscious mind and realizing what truly drives results
[41:20] Breaking down the SMT Method and how subconscious programming can be shifted
[49:10] Why visions can be more powerful than goals

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

Connect with Dr. Joseph:

Website: https://www.josephadrolshagen.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifgtcoach/

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What if the patterns that have shaped someone’s entire life were never actually the problem but the solution waiting to be uncovered?

In this deeply honest episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with boundaries coach, speaker, and author Barb Nangel, whose life transformed at 52 through 12-step recovery after decades of therapy only scratched the surface. From growing up in a dysfunctional environment to years of addiction, codependency, and emotional struggle, Barb shares how hitting a breaking point became the doorway to real healing.

Throughout the conversation, Barb unpacks the powerful shifts that changed everything from recognizing codependency and victim mentality to learning how to build boundaries that create true internal safety. Together, Amanda and Barb explore the role of spirituality, the impact of unresolved trauma, and why lasting transformation requires more than just awareness, it requires action, community, and a willingness to look inward.

At its core, this episode is a reminder that it is never too late to change, heal, and reclaim personal power... No matter how long someone has felt stuck.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🔥 How 12-step recovery can create breakthroughs where therapy alone may fall short
🧠 The hidden signs of codependency and how it shows up in everyday life
💔 How unresolved trauma and family dysfunction shape behavior and relationships
💡 Why boundaries are the key to breaking people-pleasing patterns
⚡ The shift from victim mentality to personal responsibility
🪶 How spirituality and community support long-term healing
🎯 Why it is never too late to transform your life and rewrite your story

⏰ Timeline Summary

[6:40] Childhood, family dynamics, and the early behaviors that pointed to deeper struggles
[12:15] Addiction, compulsive overeating, and the patterns that followed her into adulthood
[18:40] A breaking point, discovering codependency, and the moment everything began to click
[25:10] Finding ACA, CoDA, and Overeaters Anonymous and why 12-step recovery changed everything
[32:45] Grief, family loss, and reconciling with her brother in a powerful new way
[38:20] How recovery led her to boundaries work
[49:10] The biggest mindset shift of all

Growth and healing are always possible and sometimes, one conversation can be the beginning of everything changing.

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Barb:

Schedule a Free 30 minute "Say No Without Guilt" call with Barb: http://barbchat.net/

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What if the voice that’s been held back… is the very thing meant to lead?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, Amanda Russo sits down with speaker, author, and soulful speaking coach Lauri Smith for a conversation about leadership, authenticity, and the journey from being the “good girl” to becoming an untamed, fully expressed voice.

Lauri shares a deeply personal story of growing up with unspoken pressure to be perfect, always composed, always doing the “right” thing. But beneath that identity was something more, an intuitive, powerful voice waiting to be expressed. Through theater, coaching, and life experience, that voice began to emerge, reshaping not only how leadership is defined, but how it is embodied.

At the heart of this episode is one transformative idea: leadership doesn’t have to be loud, controlling, or performative... it can be intuitive, creative, and deeply aligned.

This conversation explores how breath, intention, and presence influence communication, and how stepping into an “untamed” version of leadership allows for more impact, connection, and authenticity. From understanding the body’s role in communication to breaking free from templates and expectations, this episode offers a new way to think about voice, power, and purpose.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

✨ What it really means to be an “untamed leader”
🧠 How childhood roles shape identity and self-expression
🎭 Why theater unlocked authenticity and presence
🗣️ The difference between speaking to impress vs. speaking with purpose
🔥 How coaching revealed natural leadership abilities
⚖️ The difference between aggressive, passive, and assertive energy
🌬️ Why breath is the foundation of a powerful voice
💫 A simple framework: intend, align, invite
🚫 Why letting go of templates leads to true expression
❤️ How to speak from the soul, not from expectation

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:05] Redefining Leadership: Moving beyond outdated ideas and stepping into the “untamed leader” identity
[6:40] The Good Girl Identity: Growing up with pressure to be perfect and composed
[14:10] Finding Theater: A turning point that unlocked authenticity and creative expression
[24:00] Discovering Coaching: The moment natural leadership was recognized
[33:00] Assertiveness vs Aggression: Understanding the body’s role in communication
[41:20] Intent, Align, Invite: A simple yet powerful speaking framework

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

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What if the smallest moment… a compliment, a conversation, an email almost deleted… could change the entire course of a life?

In this deeply moving episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with motivational speaker, author, and “motivational firewood guy” Steve Gamlin for a conversation about mindset, awareness, resilience, love, and the unexpected moments that shape a life.

Steve shares how a childhood filled with curiosity and imagination eventually led him into radio, stand-up comedy, DJing, public speaking, and writing. But the journey wasn’t always smooth. Behind the scenes were moments of burnout, divorce, crushing debt, and self-doubt that forced him to rebuild his life from the ground up.

At the center of this conversation is one powerful theme: awareness.

Through simple acts of kindness, chance encounters, vision boards, and moments many people might overlook, Steve explains how life constantly offers lessons and opportunities if attention is paid closely enough. Sometimes the smallest ripple can create the biggest impact.

The conversation also explores the remarkable love story between Steve and his late wife, Tina. What began with a single unexpected email after 21 years apart grew into a deeply meaningful relationship Steve describes as a real-life fairytale. With honesty and vulnerability, he shares the joy they built together, the heartbreak of losing her, and the ways love continues to guide his life today.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

✨ Why childlike curiosity can transform everyday life
🌊 How small acts of kindness create ripple effects
🎙️ The childhood dreams that eventually shaped Steve’s career
🔥 How burnout, debt, and life setbacks became turning points
😂 Why stand-up comedy helped shape Steve’s speaking style
💛 Why connection matters more than applause
❤️ How visualization and vision boards helped shape life and relationships
🕊️ How grief and gratitude can coexist after loss
👀 Why awareness changes how life is experienced
🐾 The simple daily reminder to “wag yourself happy”

⏰ Timeline Summary

[02:10] Childlike Curiosity: Steve shares how living with wonder and noticing small moments creates positive ripples in everyday life.
[12:15] A Friend’s Encouragement: The moment a friend challenged Steve to pursue radio and follow the dream he once had.
[18:40] Burnout & Rock Bottom: Radio success, overworking, divorce, and financial struggles force a complete life reset.
[24:55] The Life Coach Question: One simple question sparks a journey into stand-up comedy, Toastmasters, and motivational speaking.
[30:20] Connection Over Applause: Why making a real connection with one person matters more than a standing ovation.
[34:10] The Tina Love Story: Reconnecting after 21 years and the email that unexpectedly changed everything.
[41:30] Loss, Grief & Gratitude: Steve shares the heartbreaking loss of Tina and the ways her presence continues to guide him.
[47:15] Vision Boards & Awareness: How visualization and paying attention to life’s moments can shape an intentional life.
[51:00] Wake Up & Wag Yourself Happy

Website
stevegamlinspeaker.com

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What if the hardest parts of someone’s past didn’t have to define their future?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with transformational speaker and Air Force veteran Logan, whose life story is a testament to resilience, personal responsibility, and the power of rewriting your own narrative. From growing up in a restrictive religious environment to serving in Iraq and navigating PTSD, divorce, and moments of suicidal ideation, Logan shares how he learned to take ownership of his healing and ultimately redefine the direction of his life.

Throughout the conversation, Logan opens up about the lessons that shaped him, including the importance of finding your “why,” seeking support when life feels overwhelming, and embracing the idea that no one is coming to save you — you must choose to save yourself. Together, Amanda and Logan explore discipline, identity shifts, mindset, and the courage it takes to evolve beyond the version of yourself shaped by past experiences.

At its core, this episode is a reminder that how you start in life does not determine how you finish. Growth, healing, and transformation are always possible for those willing to do the work.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🔥 Why your past does not have to determine your future
🧠 How identity shifts create lasting change in mindset and behavior
💔 The impact of trauma, war, and adversity on mental health
💡 How finding a deeper “why” can help someone push through their lowest moments
🪶 Why therapy, journaling, and self-reflection play a key role in healing
🎯 The importance of discipline, intention, and defining your personal North Star
✨ How choosing growth and responsibility can transform your life and legacy

⏰ Timeline Summary

[3:10] Logan’s childhood growing up in a restrictive religious environment
[11:45] Feeling different, being bullied, and struggling with identity as a young person
[18:30] Joining the Air Force as a way to escape and find freedom
[27:40] Life in the military and the emotional toll of serving in Iraq
[36:15] PTSD, divorce, and hitting rock bottom after returning home
[45:20] The realization that changed everything and helped Logan choose life
[54:00] The power of identity shifts and discipline in personal growth
[1:03:30] Creating a personal “North Star” and living life with intention

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Logan:

Website: https://www.theloganunlimited.com/

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What if the constant mental noise, overthinking, and self-doubt many people experience isn’t something they have to live with forever?

In this insightful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with NLP practitioner, hypnotherapist, and founder of Mindful Matters LLC, Nikki Gangemi. After pivoting from a career in acting to 15 years in teaching before becoming an entrepreneur, Nikki shares the personal journey that led her to help others break free from limiting patterns and reclaim control of their mindset.

Together, Amanda and Nikki explore the impact of negative thought patterns, the power of mindfulness, and the importance of learning how to calm the mind in moments of stress and uncertainty. Nikki also shares the story behind her CALM Method, a practical framework designed to help people manage emotions, quiet mental noise, and make empowered decisions. At its core, this conversation highlights how greater self-awareness, curiosity, and compassion can create lasting transformation.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How overthinking and self-doubt can shape everyday decisions
🌿 The role mindfulness plays in calming the nervous system
🔑 Nikki’s CALM Method for managing thoughts and emotions
💭 Why asking better questions can unlock deeper self-awareness
✨ How limiting beliefs form and how they can be reframed
🪶 The power of self-forgiveness in personal growth
🦅 The “eagle mindset” metaphor for rising above criticism and noise

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:30] Nikki’s childhood, creativity, and early struggles with overthinking
[9:40] Moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting and the mindset challenges that followed
[18:20] Fifteen years in teaching and the inner pull toward something more
[27:10] The creation of Mindful Matters and working with mindfulness in schools
[38:00] Discovering mindfulness, EFT tapping, and emotional healing
[48:40] The CALM Method: a simple framework to quiet mental noise
[58:15] The eagle metaphor and learning to rise above criticism

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Nikki:

Website: https://nikkigangemi.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmattersllc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindfulmattersliving

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What if hitting rock bottom wasn’t the end of the story…
but the beginning of rebuilding everything?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with entrepreneur and Uplift 360 founder Wes Towers to explore what happens when life completely falls apart and how those moments can become the catalyst for profound transformation.

After experiencing divorce, emotional breakdown, and sleeping under his office desk while trying to keep his business alive, Wes shares the mindset shifts, healing practices, and deep self-reflection that helped him rebuild his life from the inside out. From breathwork and nervous system regulation to questioning old belief systems and embracing authenticity, this conversation dives into what it really takes to move from survival mode to intentional living.

Together, Amanda and Wes explore the connection between mindset, healing, entrepreneurship, and authenticity in a world increasingly driven by noise, speed, and artificial connection.

Because sometimes rebuilding life doesn’t start with pushing harder…

It starts with slowing down enough to breathe again.

💡 In this episode, listeners will learn:

🔥 How hitting rock bottom can become the catalyst for personal transformation
🧠 Why rebuilding beliefs and questioning childhood programming can change everything
🌬️ How breathwork helped Wes regulate stress, reset emotionally, and rebuild his mindset
💼 The surprising connection between personal healing and business growth
🧊 How practices like cold plunges and breathwork support mental clarity and resilience
⚡ Why slowing down can actually accelerate rebuilding your life
🤝 The importance of real human connection in a world of digital noise and AI content
🌱 How small mindset shifts can create ripple effects across every area of life

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:10] Wes shares his upbringing and growing up in a highly restrictive religious environment
[7:20] Early creativity, designing his school logo, and discovering his path in graphic design
[12:40] Starting a business with no experience and learning entrepreneurship step by step
[20:30] Divorce, emotional collapse, and the moment life hit rock bottom
[27:45] Breathwork, therapy, and the healing practices that helped him rebuild mentally
[36:50] Why slowing down became the fastest way forward
[44:10] Authenticity in business and why AI-generated content is creating a trust gap

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Wes:

Website: https://uplift360.com.au/