In this episode of The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo, author, entrepreneur, and educator Cesar R. Espino shares his extraordinary journey from deep poverty in Mexico City to building a life rooted in purpose, resilience, and service. Born into a single parent household during a national financial crisis, Cesar spent his early years living in a 200 square foot home made of sheet metal and plywood, with no running water, no floor, and no insulation. Survival was not a mindset. It was a daily requirement.

When his mother migrated to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream, Cesar was forced to grow up fast, working at a young age to help put food on the table. Today, Cesar holds an MBA, has worked in corporate America, built businesses, invested in real estate, and authored You Can Overcome Anything! Even When the World Says No. His mission is clear. To empower others to rise beyond circumstance and create opportunity regardless of background or current situation.

Want to learn more about Cesar Espino?

www.cesarrespino.com

Want to learn more about Lisa Manzo?
https://lisamanzo.us

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https://thephoenixmind.com

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https://thephoenixmind.com/ei-certification

Have a story to share and think you would make a good guest on The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo?
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In this episode of The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo, Rob McCarthy shares the raw story behind the FCK the Standard movement and his breakout book FCK the Script. A lifelong blue-collar worker from New York, Rob built his message from lived experience, hard lessons, and a refusal to keep following a version of success that never made sense.

Rob’s wake-up call came in a hospital emergency room with chest pains, when his boss called to ask about work instead of his health. In that moment, he realized something sobering. Jobs move on. Families live with the loss. Rob chose to step away from a high-stress managerial role, return to blue-collar work, and rebuild a life centered on freedom, family, and meaning. Through his writing, podcast, and community, Rob challenges people to stop living by a script written by society and start building a life that actually feels like their own.

Want to learn more about Rob McCarthy?

Stan.store/fts25

Want to learn more about Lisa Manzo?
https://lisamanzo.us

Want to learn more about The Phoenix Mind?
https://thephoenixmind.com

Want to check out our free Emotional Intelligence certification?
https://thephoenixmind.com/ei-certification

Have a story to share and think you would make a good guest on The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo?
https://thephoenixmind.com/be-a-guest

In this episode of The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo, writer, educator, and global health professional Ted Neill shares how storytelling became the path that saved his life. With work spanning five continents, Ted has witnessed profound suffering and resilience through his humanitarian and health work. Yet his most important healing journey began when he confronted the childhood sexual abuse he had buried for decades.

For years, Ted poured himself into serving others, attempting to outrun his own pain. Eventually, the unspoken trauma caught up with him physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Writing became the turning point. Through books like Two Years of Wonder and Twenty Years of Unraveling, Ted reclaimed his voice and transformed pain into purpose. A recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Torch of Peace Award and author of the upcoming series My Name is Ted and I’m a Racist, he now helps others understand that healing is not linear and that telling the truth is often where wholeness begins.

Want to learn more about Ted Neill?https://tedneillauthor.com/

Want to learn more about Lisa Manzo?
https://lisamanzo.us

Want to learn more about The Phoenix Mind?
https://thephoenixmind.com

Want to check out our free Emotional Intelligence certification?
https://thephoenixmind.com/ei-certification

Have a story to share and think you would make a good guest on The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo?
https://thephoenixmind.com/be-a-guest

In this episode of The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo, serial entrepreneur Jerry Brazie shares his remarkable rise from the streets of Portland to building and selling more than 450 million dollars in companies. Raised in deep poverty as one of nine children and surrounded by violence, Jerry spent his youth surviving on grit alone. By 17 he was living in a flophouse and stealing food to get through the day.

At 28, with a newborn and pregnant wife, he launched his first business with no degree, no money, and no safety net. Through relentless work and sheer determination, he built multiple companies and eventually founded The Kronos Group, a mastermind that delivers real, practical business insight, not theory. Jerry also hosts The Jerry Brazie Podcast, where he shares raw lessons on leadership and personal accountability. This conversation is a powerful reminder that resilience, ownership, and grit can change everything.

Want to learn more about Jerry Brazie?

https://www.instagram.com/thekronosgroup_tkg/https://www.facebook.com/thekronosgroupconsultinghttps://www.youtube.com/@TheKronosGroup-TKGhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-kronos-group/

Want to learn more about Lisa Manzo?
https://lisamanzo.us

Want to learn more about The Phoenix Mind?
https://thephoenixmind.com

Want to check out our free Emotional Intelligence certification?
https://thephoenixmind.com/ei-certification

Have a story to share and think you would make a good guest on The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo?
https://thephoenixmind.com/be-a-guest

In this episode of The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo, mindset and embodiment guide Tanya Lleigh shares her journey from personal tragedy to becoming a powerful force in the coaching world. As an NLP Master Practitioner and Instructor, EFT Practitioner, Matrix Therapies Practitioner, Reiki Practitioner, and Life Coach, Tanya blends science, intuition, and energetic tools to help people unlock their potential and transform their lives.

Her path into coaching began with her own healing. After experiencing deep loss, a coach helped her rebuild her life, inspiring her to guide others through their own transformations. Later, Tanya realized that passion and skill were not enough. Coaches also need systems, structure, and support behind the scenes. This led to the creation of Coach Core, a holistic platform built by coaches for coaches, designed to simplify the business side of coaching and help leaders reach the people they are meant to serve.

Want to learn more about Tanya Lleigh?

www.coachcore.ca

Want to learn more about Lisa Manzo?
https://lisamanzo.us

Want to learn more about The Phoenix Mind?
https://thephoenixmind.com

Want to check out our free Emotional Intelligence certification?
https://thephoenixmind.com/ei-certification

Have a story to share and think you would make a good guest on The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo?
https://thephoenixmind.com/be-a-guest

In this episode of The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo, writer, podcast host, and narrative alchemist Kayla MacDonald shares how storytelling became both her survival tool and her path to transformation. After a childhood marked by emotional neglect, trauma, and bullying, Kayla found refuge in writing and creativity. Later in life, she navigated emotional eating, bulimia, perfectionism, and burnout before discovering a deeper truth. Healing is not about controlling the body. It is about reclaiming the story.

Through her ReWrite Me method and her podcast, Embodied Writing Warrior, Kayla helps high-achieving women turn their lived experiences into powerful narratives that restore worth, voice, and wildness. She blends creativity, emotional regulation, archetypal storytelling, and movement to help women rise from the ashes and create lives that feel like art. This conversation explores resilience, self-expression, and the courage to rewrite the stories that once defined us.

Want to learn more about Kayla MacDonald?

https://www.embodiedwritingwarrior.com/

Want to learn more about Lisa Manzo?
https://lisamanzo.us

Want to learn more about The Phoenix Mind?
https://thephoenixmind.com

Want to check out our free Emotional Intelligence certification?
https://thephoenixmind.com/ei-certification

Have a story to share and think you would make a good guest on The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo?
https://thephoenixmind.com/be-a-guest

In this episode of The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo, health coach and IBS recovery specialist Erin Maillo shares her journey of healing, motherhood, reinvention, and the bold decision to start over in Italy. As a mother, creative, and lifelong seeker, Erin has spent years moving between countries, careers, and identities while managing the weight of family addiction patterns and the pressure to be perfect.

After years of overworking and feeling crushed by expectations, Erin chose to pursue a life that resembles sanity. Now she helps women recover from IBS through a compassionate, holistic approach while navigating her own path as a writer, adventurer, and mother learning to slow down and listen inward. Her story is one of courage, curiosity, faith, and the willingness to create a life that feels like home.

Want to learn more about Erin Maillo?

www.healingheribs.com

Want to learn more about Lisa Manzo?
https://lisamanzo.us

Want to learn more about The Phoenix Mind?
https://thephoenixmind.com

Want to check out our free Emotional Intelligence certification?
https://thephoenixmind.com/ei-certification

Have a story to share and think you would make a good guest on The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo?
https://thephoenixmind.com/be-a-guest

In this episode of The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo, attorney and advocate Mark Astor shares the mission behind the first and only law firm in the United States dedicated solely to saving families whose loved ones are suffering from substance use, mental health disorders, and repeated failed attempts at recovery. Born and raised in the UK, Mark began his career as a Palm Beach County Assistant State Attorney, later serving as Chief of two County Court Divisions and working in a felony trial division handling thousands of cases.

In 2017, Mark co-founded Astor Simovitch Law with his wife, Audra, a firm designed to protect families in crisis and navigate the complex legal landscape around mental health and addiction. He also founded Baker Act Attorneys, where he tirelessly advocates for individuals wrongfully detained under Florida’s mental health system. Known for his relentless commitment, Mark has built a career on fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves. This conversation sheds light on advocacy, recovery, and the human stories behind the legal system.

Want to learn more about Mark Astor?

https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com

https://www.youtube.com/@astorsimovitchlaw

Want to learn more about Lisa Manzo?
https://lisamanzo.us

Want to learn more about The Phoenix Mind?
https://thephoenixmind.com

Want to check out our free Emotional Intelligence certification?
https://thephoenixmind.com/ei-certification

Have a story to share and think you would make a good guest on The Phoenix Mind with Lisa Manzo?
https://thephoenixmind.com/be-a-guest