Next Door Neuro

Most of us start our day the same way:   Phone. Notifications. A quick scroll.   Within minutes, we’ve had dozens of tiny dopamine hits… And somehow, the rest of the morning feels flat.   Why?   In this Lab Notes episode, I break down the neuroscience of dopamine - and why not all dopamine is created equal.   There’s a critical difference between earned dopamine and unearned dopamine , and underst...

What if the reason so many of us feel off is because life has become too comfortable, too controlled, and too disconnected from what our brains actually need? In this episode of Next Door Neuro , I sit down with Richard Campbell, founder of 10Adventures, to explore why so many people are drawn to adventure, nature, and challenge - and why these experiences may be far more important for our mental...

Most of us have a constant voice in our head: questioning, criticizing, and second-guessing everything we do.   What if you could change your relationship with that voice, and see it for what it really is?   In this Lab Notes episode, I reflect on my conversation with Dawn Wecker (from the Dawnversations Podcast) and break down the neuroscience behind negative self-talk, rumination, and the identi...

We’re more connected than ever… so why does it feel like something’s missing?   We talk more than ever. We’re surrounded by people. We have endless ways to communicate.   And yet, so many of us don’t feel truly heard or connected.   In this episode of Next Door Neuro , I sit down with Dawn Wecker to explore why real connection feels harder than it should, and what’s actually getting in the way.  ...

We tend to think the problem is the behavior.   Drinking too much. Scrolling too often. Snacking late at night.   But what if those behaviors aren’t the problem. . . and are actually the solution?   In this Lab Notes episode, I reflect on my conversation with Erica Mallery and unpack a powerful mindset shift:   • These habits exist because they reduce discomfort • And your brain is wired to repeat...

Your relationship with alcohol isn’t just about drinking.   It’s about how you cope with stress, regulate your emotions, and navigate discomfort.   In this episode of Next Door Neuro , I’m joined by Erica Mallery, founder of ShameOver, to explore a more nuanced and compassionate approach to alcohol and behavior change.   Rather than framing alcohol as the problem, Erica offers a different perspect...

In this first Next Door Neuro Lab Notes episode, I take a deeper look at an idea that came up in my conversation with Marcy Stoudt: What if stress isn’t the problem? Instead, what if the way we think about stress is what actually shapes how it impacts our health, performance, and overall well-being? Most of us are taught to see stress as something to avoid. . . something harmful that wears us down...

Your brain shapes how you lead. It influences how you respond to stress, how you communicate, and the emotional tone you bring into every room. In this episode of Next Door Neuro, I’m joined by Marcy Stoudt, founder of REVEL, a leadership advisory firm focused on helping organizations grow without losing their identity. We explore a more human approach to leadership, one grounded in self-awareness...

Your brain fuels your life. It shapes how you focus at work, how you respond to stress, how patient you are with the people you love, and how effectively you make decisions. And yet, despite how central the brain is to everything we do, most of us rarely think intentionally about how to support it. Modern life quietly works against brain health. We spend more time indoors under artificial light, m...