Circle Up & Get REAL Podcast

I've had lots of opportunities to learn stuff over my lifetime, and also to take that learning to action. Or not. I always have the choice, and with that choice, comes consequences. I can be upset with the consequences. That's also a choice. And then, I have more choices. That's the beauty of learning. But the bottom line is, learning = change. If I haven't changed, have I really learned? One obse...

Today's guest is certified executive coach, TEDx speaker, award-winning author, and the co-founder of the RAYMA Team, Mandy Anderson.  Today Mandy and I talk about things you're not supposed to talk about in public, namely religion and politics, as well as the feminine perspective she brings to all her coaching clients, both male and female. Find out more about Mandy and her Unstoppable Retreat, s...

Wow ... we've had a week in America! Lots to unpack and then to decide what to put back in the suitcase and what to donate or get rid of altogether. Today I share a story from Dr. Seuss about the Star-Bellied Sneetches. I wonder what that has to do with anything? Listen and find out! Also I hint at my next book coming soon. It's called "Just Give a Sh*t." I also mention another project on the hori...

Today's episode is a stream-of-consciousness conversation with myself about a few topics: 1) The political landscape of America one week before the election 2) Restlessness and discontent that has us look for alternatives 3) Standing on the SHOULDers of Giants and what that gets us Excuse the tickle in my throat that has me cough, or recognize it for what it is: a roadblock in the way to speaking...

Today I unveil the ideas leading to my next book "Just Give A Sh*t" and explore what it means to BE what you desire before you actually BECOME that. I mention the Enlightened Leadership Lab (www.enlightenedleadershiplab.com) where we meet for an hour on Mondays to explore emergent conversations with the intention that each of us will leave with more ideas and action items because we were part of h...

Today's episode started with the Albert Einstein quote about whether or not God plays dice with the universe. Is the world a friendly place, neutral, or unfriendly? That perspective will influence the way each of us lives our lives. I share information about Loretta Ross and her TED talk as well as her book, "Calling In the Calling Out Culture." If we only ever fight against the situations and the...

Each of us humans is on a journey, whether we know it or acknowledge it or not. And today's guest, Jodie Harvala, shares steps along her journey, both physically and spiritually. In our conversation, Jodie very candidly shares her story of learning of her intuitive gifts, and how she has learned to own that gift, and turn it into a career, guiding others to trust their own intuition and living the...

Today's guest is Teri Bach, a former psychotherapist and current coach who guides women through intentional travel to move from feeling lost to clear and confident. Unlike typical travel focused on sightseeing, intentional travel is designed to improve your well-being, relationships, and professional life. In this episode, Teri and I talk about the trips she's got planned for Italy in 2025, and ho...

Today I'm reading from the children's book "What Do You Do With An Idea?" by Kobi Yamada. What would happen to the world if everyone who had an idea kept it to themselves? From the book's back cover: "What do ideas become? Big things, brave things, smart things, silly things, good things. Things like stories, artwork, journeys, inventions, communities, products, and cures. Everything you see aroun...

In today's episode I'm pondering not only dreaming big, but actually taking those dreams from theory to action. I'm thinking of my friend Jeff, who died a few years ago, but who always saw the best in me even if I couldn't see it for myself. With him, I created a platform called W.H.Y. Dream Big, where the WHY stood for We Help You. It was a fun dream, but it never really got going. Why do some of...

Today's guest is Jessie Torres, a Peak Performance Coach and Life Strategist, who has coached thousands of high performance people from all walks of life and various parts of the world. Jessie is fueled by a passionate love for humanity and burning desire to end suffering. In this episode we talk about how Jessie got to where she is today, and the fierce grace which helped to transform her own lif...

Today's guest is Scott Allan, author and entrepreneur dedicated to transforming human potential.  Scott is a former corporate business trainer in Japan for more than 20 years, and has invested more than 10,000 hours of practice and research in confidence development, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and mindset optimization. He is passionate about teaching, building life skills, and inspiring others...

Today my guest is Crystal Chambers, who I met at NLP Trainer Training in 2022. We talk about, among other things, our experience with NLP (Neuro Lingustic Programming) and how this modality helped her with her own neurodivergent challenges in visualizion techniques. Crystal's company, Sheepdog Therapeutics, revolutionizes emotional wellness and balance with transformative, scalable virtual reality...

In this episode I talk about how focused most people seem to be on what they don't want instead of knowing clearly what they do want. I share ideas from the book "Working With the Law" by Raymond Holliwell, where he addresses 11 Truth Principles for Successful Living including the Law of Thinking, the Law of Supply, the Law of Attraction, the Law of Receiving, the Law of Increase, the Law of Compe...

Every now and then I come across someone I hear about or notice online or through other contacts and I think "I need to know this person." That's how I felt about this week's guest Adrienne Ross. We share so many interests: leadership, speaking, we're both authors, we're both podcasters, we're both former journalists, we're both English majors, and, probably most importantly, we're both huge fans...

Today's episode is a result of pondering some of the conversations that I've been observing both in person and online. It seems there are so many opportunities people are choosing to be upset, and consequently choosing to cancel things and people these days. What kind of community is built when people choose to stay in their own silos and echo chambers? Compare that to opportunities to build true...

It's so easy to make a statement about how things are and then begin to believe that that's how things are. All the time. In every case.   And many times that initial statement isn't even one I made from my own thought process. It might be something I heard on TikTok or from my parent or teacher or someone who certainly knows better than I could.   What does it mean to keep it REAL? And how do any...

Call me crazy. Call me soft. Call me touchy-feely. Call me toxically positive. It's OK. I've been called all of those before. For me, leadership is (almost) all about character. The policies and the mission and the purpose for the organization is very separate (TO ME) from the character of the leadership. It's the distinction between what your organization DOES and who its leaders are BEING when t...

Wayne Dyer had a great quote I'll never forget: When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.  Today I'm pondering that thought while also applying some of what I'm learning from two clients who are investing in their people by having me facilitate dialogues without a guaranteed result. What?? Really?? I share information about my REAL Me: Intensive course which we're...

Today's episode was a blast! I had a conversation with LA Attorney, and former co-owner of the LA Sparks of the WNBA Carla Christofferson. Carla was born and raised in North Dakota, graduating from high school with 13 classmates in Tolna. She went on to UND Williston where she played basketball, and went on to UND. In the meantime, she was also crowned Miss North Dakota, and went on to Yale Law Sc...

Recently I've had some "random" thoughts that have led to some pretty incredible "chance" meetings and encounters. Are these just lucky meetings? Coincidences? Or is there something else going on? In today's episode I wonder about what happens when we actually pay attention. What are we just not noticing because we're stuck in the way we think things "should" be? I mention the books "Working With...

In today's stream-of-consciousness episode I refer to several books: The Soft Edge by Rich Karlgaard Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism by Tom Peters The Mystic Jesus by Marianne Williamson The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Dethmer, Chapman & Klemp Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill In Peters' book he says that "Hard (numbers/plans/org charts) is soft: Plans are often fantasties; organ...

Chloe Valdary, founder of the Theory of Enchantment, has accomplished a lot in her relatively short life. She created her platform as a response to her research into international conflicts, when she noticed there was no framework using love to address those types of situations. She wanted to learn how to teach people to love the human behind the persona, and studied pop culture to learn a way to...

Every Wednesday morning for the past five years I've gotten together - virtually - with this group of humans. We've shared laughs and tears; we've been through deaths and family challenges and lots of victories together. This group proves that trouble shared is trouble halved, and joy shared is joy multiplied. Listen in as Dody Kettler from Minneapolis, Theresa Halvorson from Fargo, Ed LeQuire fro...

Today's episode continues my exploration of the book "The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership." I explore the concept of commitment, and also share the Change Formula from this book: (V x D) + FS > R = C (Vision x Dissatisfaction) + First Steps > Resistance = Change If we aren't compelled enough to actually overcome our resistance to change, there's no reason to beat ourselves up about it. We m...