How Childhood Trauma Secretly Fuels Your Success… and How to Turn It Into Real Power (with Michael Shaw)

Most high-achieving leaders are running on hidden trauma. It drives them to win — but it also burns them out, leaves them empty, and creates a "hero complex" that keeps them addicted to saving everyone.

In this raw episode, Michael Shaw (founder of Mastery Mindset Library) reveals how he survived a violent childhood and his father's suicide, then spent 30 years turning that pain into a repeatable system that top entrepreneurs and executives now use to build unbreakable emotional fitness.

You'll discover:
- Why "invincible leader" is the fastest path to burnout
- The 4-Pillar Framework: Awareness → Rewiring → Alignment → Activation
- How to know if your success is fear-based (most leaders have no idea)
- The "What story am I telling myself?" technique to reframe any crisis in seconds
- How to create "I Am Declarations" that permanently shift your leadership identity
- Why emotional fitness > revenue when it comes to sustainable success

If you've ever felt "successful on paper but broken inside," this conversation will change everything.

🎁 Michael's Free Gifts for Listeners:
→ Fear to Freedom Formula
→ 60-Minute Leadership Alignment Session (not a sales call)

Get them instantly: DM "FREEDOM" to @michaelshaw.mindset on Instagram
or go here → https://michaelshawmindset.com/mindset-master-coaching-challenge

Connect with Michael:
Instagram: @michaelshaw.mindset
Website: michaelshawmindset.com

The Self-Aware Leader Podcast – Turning your deepest wounds into your greatest leadership strength.

#Leadership #TraumaHealing #EmotionalFitness #ConsciousLeadership #HeroComplex #Mindset #Entrepreneurship #PersonalDevelopment

Most leaders think they're building wealth. Bay Street veteran Paul Musson says the system is quietly stealing it from them—and from future generations.

After managing over $15 billion for one of Canada's largest investment firms, Paul pulls back the curtain on how central banks, housing policy, and inflation create fake prosperity, immoral wealth transfers, and a rigged game for emerging leaders.

In this episode, we unpack the core ideas from his book "Capital Offence: Why Some Benefit at Your Expense" and translate them into practical leadership and investment wisdom you can use right now.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

• How to spot the difference between real capital creation and fake wealth effects

• Why central bank policies quietly transfer wealth from the young to the old

• The crucial distinction between money vs. capital every leader must grasp

• How housing bubbles destroy opportunity for emerging leaders and entrepreneurs

• Why inflation acts as a hidden tax on savers, builders, and business owners

• How "something for nothing" economic myths trap even well-intentioned policymakers

• Why today's monetary system fuels division, resentment, and social breakdown

• How to build antifragile leadership and business strategies in manipulated markets

About Paul Musson
Paul Musson spent three decades on Bay Street, managing more than $15B as head of the Ivy investment team and a former McKinsey Investments executive. His work focuses on exposing how modern economic policy creates artificial wealth, hidden transfers, and generational injustice.
👉 Book: Capital Offence: Why Some Benefit at Your Expense
👉 Website: paddingtoncapitalmgmt.com
👉 Weekly blog: "Paul Political Economy"

What if everything you've been told about sales and leadership is backwards?

In this conversation, Jason sits down with Luis Baez – a quiet Puerto Rican introvert from the Bronx who generated over $600 million in sales at Google, LinkedIn, Uber, and Tesla… not by being the loudest person in the room, but by doing the opposite of what most sales gurus teach.

Luis shares how he turned his "otherness" into a competitive advantage, built deep trust with clients by asking one simple question – "How badly does that hurt?" – and eventually designed a business that earns 7-figures while he works just four days a week.

You'll learn:

• Why introverts can outperform traditional "high-energy" sales styles

• The "whispering strategy" Luis uses to close complex deals

• How to turn discrimination and doubt into fuel for resilience

• The real mindset shift from employee to entrepreneur

• What "CEO Energy" looks like in your calendar, habits, and pricing

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a leader in a fast-paced company, or an introvert who secretly wonders if you're "not cut out" for sales, this episode will challenge how you think about influence, revenue, and leadership.

Connect with Luis Baez
Website: BookedBusyPaid.com

About Self Aware Leader
Self Aware Leader helps entrepreneurs and leaders master self-awareness using ancient wisdom for modern challenges. Follow the show for weekly conversations that help you lead with clarity, courage, and authentic confidence.