Healthy Mind, Healthy Life

In this gripping episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Sana sits down with Katinka Blackford Newman—best-selling author, investigative journalist, and founder of Antidepressantrisks.org. Together, they unpack the pharmaceutical myth of the “chemical imbalance” behind depression and explore how one pill nearly cost Katinka everything. From personal psychosis to global data gaps, Katinka sheds...

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik sits down with Lucas Navillos, co-founder of Atome Bakery — North America’s first French-inspired artisan online bakery. From personal cravings to a nationwide mission, Lucas shares how he and his partner Alice transformed a simple love for quality bread into a bold business venture. Discover the power of slow fermentation, why frozen ready-...

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik Chakraborty sits down with Karen Aucoin—a former ballerina, dance studio owner, and now visionary floral designer and founder of JoBelle and Studio 131. Karen’s story is one of resilience and reinvention. After losing her studio while pregnant and grieving the loss of her mother, Karen built a thriving design and event business that now host...

In this powerful episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik Chakraborty sits down with Stephanie Warlick, founder of 5FT View Consulting and author of Dark and Silent Office, to unpack the misunderstood link between ADHD, entrepreneurship, and transcendental meditation. Stephanie shares how discovering meditation transformed her leadership, calmed her overactive mind, and sparked a new level...

In this raw and revelatory episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik is joined by Bianca Thomas—licensed mental health counselor, co-founder of Evolve Ventures, and a leading voice in trauma recovery and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Bianca unpacks the silent epidemic of "performative confidence" and walks us through how trauma shapes beliefs like “I’m not good enough.” She shares how...

In this heart-centered episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik Chakraborty sits down with Jody Durand—author of Country Boy Soul—to explore how life's unexpected storms can lead us back to purpose. From losing his father at 20 and running a call center during 9/11, to discovering healing through vulnerability, mentorship, and authentic leadership in sales, Jody shares a raw, real-life blu...

In this raw and unfiltered episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, rapper, producer, and author Robert “B-CIDE” Cardillo II shares his powerful story of transformation. Once headlining underground rap shows, B-CIDE now lives with 24-hour care after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Yet he never stopped creating. From his memoir Myelin My Shoes to his evolving music and clothing brand, Robert...

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Sana sits down with Julian Treasure—acclaimed sound expert, five-time TED speaker, and author of How to Be Heard and Sound Business—to explore the critical skill we’ve forgotten: listening. Julian unpacks how our noisy, fast-paced world has led to a global erosion of our ability to truly hear each other and how that impacts our leadership, relati...

In this electrifying episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, Cauveé—known globally as the Inspiration Engineer—joins us to share his transformation from sleeping in a car to gracing TEDx stages and being featured in Forbes and HuffPost. Cauveé breaks down his proprietary RISE and SIP methodology and explores what it really takes to rise from rock bottom. He talks about hustle burnout, navigating cu...

In this deeply human and research-informed conversation, clinical research specialist Grace Ogren joins Avik Chakraborty to unpack the complexity of depression and how it's commonly misunderstood. From her personal experience with chronic suicidality and psychiatric treatment to her work with emerging therapies like ketamine, Grace speaks candidly about the real barriers to healing, the misconcept...

In this powerhouse episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, we sit down with Zach Friedensohn, founder of G&R Construction, one of the fastest-growing general contracting firms in the Southeast. Zach shares his journey from property management to launching a multi-million-dollar design-build firm, emphasizing the critical decisions, leadership pivots, and mindset practices that have fueled his s...

In this eye-opening episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, we explore how your home silently impacts your mind, memory, and emotional well-being. Our guest, Nicole Baxter—neuroaesthetic designer and creator of The Emotional Home—breaks down the science behind how sensory input from our environments shapes our brain’s chemistry and mental health. From the hidden anxiety caused by cluttered or misma...

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik sits down with Duff McDuffee, a coach, hypnotist, and master of the unconscious mind, to unravel why high performers often burn out despite their drive. Duff introduces the concept of the "punishment paradigm"—a fear-based approach to productivity—and offers a refreshing alternative: the "progress paradigm." Together, they explore practical...

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik Chakraborty sits down with Dr. Carrie Rose, best-selling author of The Completed Course, to explore the deeper purpose of online education. Beyond business growth and content creation, the conversation dives into how well-designed courses can become tools of personal transformation, mental clarity, and emotional empowerment. Dr. Rose breaks...

In this powerful episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, Dr. Laura Gabayan—physician, researcher, and author of Common Wisdom—joins us to explore how journaling transforms emotional overwhelm into grounded wisdom. Dr. Laura shares her personal journey navigating life-altering disability and loss, revealing how the simple act of writing helped her process grief, find clarity, and cultivate resilienc...

In this deeply moving episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik welcomes Christine Sadry, award-winning author of 13 Years Lost and former UN peacekeeper. Christine shares her harrowing yet inspiring journey—from escaping Communist Poland at age 9 to surviving years of abuse and isolation in America. She recounts her eventual rise to international service through the United Nations, redisco...

In this powerful episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik speaks with Thom Barrett—author, adventurer, former PwC partner, and terminal cancer survivor—on what it really means to live while dying. Thom shares how facing Stage 4 prostate cancer has deepened his purpose, strengthened his emotional clarity, and opened a path of profound vulnerability and meaning. From redefining masculinity t...

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik Chakraborty sits down with Deevo, known as The Brand Storyteller, for a no-fluff, high-clarity conversation on branding that resonates. Together, they unpack the myths around logos, color palettes, and surface-level marketing to get to the heart of real brand building: identity. Deevo shares how emotional alignment—not just visibility—builds...

In this deeply moving episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Sana sits down with Canadian author Mila Maxwell to explore the intersection of storytelling, family, and emotional healing. Mila shares how her debut novel Finding Lady Baltimore, inspired by growing up with a sister who has cerebral palsy, became more than just a work of fiction—it became her own path to healing. Together, they di...

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, we explore how franchising can offer a path to true freedom. James Hilovsky, a former minor league baseball player turned franchise expert, shares his personal journey from corporate burnout to helping others build businesses that fit their lifestyle. We discuss the mindset shifts required, the most common fears people face, and real client stories of...

In this soul-stirring episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik dives deep with Jasmina Sabi, author of Am I Thinking Correct?, into the raw terrain of heartbreak, emotional reprogramming, and spiritual clarity. Jasmina shares how a traumatic betrayal shattered her perception of love, leading her to question everything—her emotions, brain chemistry, and belief systems. Her journey weaves th...

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life/AiBiz, guest host Sana sits down with Mhamud Charania, an entrepreneur who transformed a small maize milling operation into a leading food manufacturer and expanded into multiple sectors across Africa. Mhamud shares his 26-year journey, starting from selling snacks as a teenager in Rwanda, to building companies in Mozambique, Kenya, and beyond. His ven...

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, Avik sits down with Dr. Jack Hinman, licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Engage Young Adult Transitions. They explore why today’s youth are facing rising levels of anxiety, disconnection, and stalled independence. Dr. Jack shares how the pandemic exposed—not created—this crisis, emphasizing the breakdown in real-world connections, lack of re...

In this powerful episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik Chakraborty sits down with Justin Dixon, founder of Hire Tomorrow, to explore the bold decision of leaving corporate stability just weeks before the global pandemic hit. Justin shares how he and his wife strategically planned for years, building passive income streams before he exited his corporate role in January 2020. Despite the...

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, Avik is joined by Melanie Gorman, founder and chief strategist of Crownsville Media. Melanie shares her powerful journey from being a therapist to becoming a digital strategist, helping coaches, therapists, and heart-led entrepreneurs grow their online presence authentically. They explore how AI, SEO, and storytelling work together to help purpose-dri...