It's an Inside Job

Jason Birkevold Liem
  • 4.9 (19)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Imagine responding to challenges with quiet strength and living with a clearer sense of direction. It's an Inside Job, hosted by Jason Birkevold Liem, guides you there. This podcast is for anyone who believes cultivating inner resources is the most powerful way to shape their outer reality. We explore practical approaches for fostering resilience, nurturing well-being, and embedding intentionality into your daily rhythm. On Mondays, we feature longer conversations with insightful individuals, uncovering practical wisdom on how your inner world serves as a compass for your outer experiences, shaping everything from your career to your relationships and personal fulfilment. On BiteSize Fridays, get concise, actionable guidance for managing stress, making thoughtful choices, and nurturing your growth. If you're ready to consciously build a more aligned and fulfilling life, tune in.  After all,  actual growth is an inside job!

  1. 17 HR AGO

    Self-Worth Over Wins: An Athlete’s Guide to Mental Health and Identity with Isaiah Neil

    Get in touch with us! We’d appreciate your feedback and comments. “Mental health often gets worse before it gets better—because you’re having hard conversations and making changes.” - Isaiah Neil How can accepting your vulnerability—and creating a safe space for others to do the same—be the most powerful play you ever make, both in sports and in life? Discover how former collegiate athlete and mental health advocate Isaiah Neil navigated crippling performance anxiety, injuries, and depression to find true self-worth, offering essential tools for young athletes to prioritise their mental well-being and create safe spaces for vulnerability. Key Takeaway Insights and Tools  Vulnerability as Strength: The importance of being truly vulnerable and transparent about mental health struggles, which is critical for creating a safe space for expression within sports. (Approx. 05:30:00)Identifying the Mind-Body Link: Understanding that athletic performance issues and injuries are often intertwined with and exacerbated by deeper mental health challenges like depression. (Approx. 15:45:00)Reclaiming Self-Worth: The crucial shift in perspective to realize that your identity and self-worth surpass transient experiences or performance metrics, such as winning or losing a game. (Approx. 30:10:00)Tool/Resource: The Blue Shoes Initiative: Learn about Isaiah's advocacy work through the Blue Shoes initiative, which is dedicated to empowering youth with tools to understand and navigate their mental health challenges. (Approx. 40:05:00)Leaning on Support Systems: Practical advice on identifying what supports you already have in place and leaning on those systems—like family, friends, or trusted coaches—during moments of crisis. (Approx. 57:23:70)Guest Bio Isaiah Neil A former collegiate defensive lineman and compelling mental health advocate, Isaiah is the driving force behind the organization Blue Shoes. He shares his deeply personal journey from the pressure cooker of competitive sports—battling anxiety, injuries, and depression—to becoming a leading voice for vulnerability and empowering young athletes with tools to manage their mental health. LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaiahneil/ Content Warning This episode discusses sensitive topics, including depression, anxiety, and performance pressure in sports. Listener discretion is advised. Subscribe to It's an Inside Job wherever you get your podcasts to continue the conversation on mental fitness and internal growth. Support the show Sign up for the weekly IT'S AN INSIDE JOB NEWSLETTER takes 5 seconds to fill out receive a fresh update every Wednesday

    1h 1m
  2. Seeing Sideways - The Dunning-Kruger Effect: Why We Think We Know More Than We Do

    3 DAYS AGO

    Seeing Sideways - The Dunning-Kruger Effect: Why We Think We Know More Than We Do

    Get in touch with us! We’d appreciate your feedback and comments. “Confidence can signal progress, but unchecked, it can also become a ceiling.” Have you ever felt overly confident about a skill, only to later realize how little you actually knew? Discover the Dunning-Kruger Effect—why the less we know, the more confident we often feel—and learn practical tools to balance confidence with humility, curiosity, and growth. This episode from Seeing Sideways explores how to build resilience and clarity by questioning what we think we already know. Key Takeaway Insights and Tools The Dunning-Kruger Effect explained — why novices often feel overconfident while experts underestimate themselves. (05:15)Everyday examples — from learning guitar to giving advice online, this bias shows up in work, relationships, and decision-making. (06:06–07:14)The evolutionary twist — overconfidence may once have protected survival but now often leads to mistakes. (07:52)The cost of overconfidence — risky decisions, stalled growth, and strained relationships. (08:12–09:24)The Contrarian Move — replace false certainty with intellectual humility, feedback-seeking, self-reflection, and a growth lens. (09:24–12:11)Clarity is resilience — the most resilient thinkers distinguish confidence from competence and keep updating their knowledge. (12:23–12:47)If today’s episode gave you a new perspective, share it with someone who could benefit. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll catch next week’s episode on the self-serving bias. Host Bio Jason White Birkevold Liem is a resilience coach, author of Seeing Sideways, and host of It’s an Inside Job. He helps leaders, coaches, and professionals strengthen resilience, improve communication, and build clarity from the inside out. Connect with Jason at www.mindtalk.no or follow him on LinkedIn. Support the show Sign up for the weekly IT'S AN INSIDE JOB NEWSLETTER takes 5 seconds to fill out receive a fresh update every Wednesday

    15 min

  3. 3 NOV

    Life After Sport: How Athletes Can Rebuild Identity, Mental Health and Resilience with Emily Huston

    Get in touch with us! We’d appreciate your feedback and comments. What happens when the role that has defined your identity disappears overnight—and how do you rebuild when the structure, community, and purpose are gone? “Retirement for an athlete isn’t stepping down—it often feels like falling off a cliff.” - Emily Huston Former pro volleyball player and HomeTeam founder Emily Huston joins me to discuss athlete identity loss, retirement, and mental health. Discover how community, connection, and support can help athletes—and anyone facing transition—rebuild resilience and well-being. Key Takeaway Insights and Tools Identity loss after sport is real and messy – Retirement or injury strips away structure, community, and purpose, often leading to grief and depression. (12:19)Community is the missing piece – What athletes need most isn’t just skills or structure but connection, belonging, and being understood. (43:07, 50:15)Mental health drives performance – Caring for mental health directly impacts athletic and life outcomes; neglecting it is a systemic failure. (33:00)The NIL era brings new pressures – Young athletes face sudden money, fame, and branding responsibilities without the life skills to manage them. (25:52)Check-ins save lives – A simple, genuine “How are you?” can break isolation, open conversation, and even prevent suicide. (48:51)Bio Emily Huston is the Founder & CEO of HomeTeam, the first platform centralizing athlete mental health and support services. A former USA pipeline and professional volleyball player in Europe, Emily turned her struggles with injury, depression, and identity loss into a mission to ensure no athlete faces those challenges alone. With a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology and extensive leadership experience, she combines grit, empathy, and vision in shaping the future of athlete care. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilymhuston/ Home Team: https://www.hometeamgo.com/ You can join Home Team here:  HomeTeam Community If this conversation resonated with you, share this episode with someone who may be facing a transition—and don’t forget to follow It’s an Inside Job so you never miss future conversations on resilience, leadership, and well-being. Support the show Sign up for the weekly IT'S AN INSIDE JOB NEWSLETTER takes 5 seconds to fill out receive a fresh update every Wednesday

    53 min
  4. Seeing Sideways - Spotting Patterns vs. Chasing Ghosts (Apophenia): A Guide to Clear Thinking

    31 OCT

    Seeing Sideways - Spotting Patterns vs. Chasing Ghosts (Apophenia): A Guide to Clear Thinking

    Get in touch with us! We’d appreciate your feedback and comments. “Clarity means letting insight be earned, not assumed.” Have you ever convinced yourself that “this always happens”—only to realise it might just be a coincidence? In this episode of Seeing Sideways, I explore how our brains connect the dots—even when there’s no real picture to see. We dig into pattern-seeking and apophenia, the bias that fuels superstition, flawed decisions, and false clarity—and I share tools to help you stay curious, grounded, and resilient in a chaotic world. Key Takeaways and Tools: What Pattern-Seeking & Apophenia Really Are My brain is built to find structure—even when none exists. From seeing faces in clouds to believing that “everything always goes wrong,” apophenia makes meaning out of random noise. [01:32]The Evolutionary Purpose Behind It It made sense to spot a predator that wasn’t there. The cost of false positives was low. But in modern life, these mental shortcuts often mislead us more than protect us. [03:00]The Hidden Costs Apophenia can drain my energy, warp my judgment, and feed everything from magical thinking to bad decision-making. I explore how this bias shows up at work and in relationships. [04:27]The Contrarian Move: Curiosity Before Certainty I’ve learned to pause when something “clicks” as a pattern. Just because it feels meaningful doesn’t mean it is. Introducing doubt gives space for clarity. [06:09]Apply the Rule of Three For a pattern to be worth trusting, I now look for three things: repetition, relevance, and reason. [06:13]Track, Don’t Assume If I sense a pattern forming, I don’t just believe it—I check it. A quick note, a tally, or a log helps me distinguish story from signal. [06:55]Mental Maturity Means Not Needing Every Dot to Connect Resilience doesn’t come from finding patterns everywhere. It comes from being okay when they don’t exist. [08:03]Resources & Practices I Shared: Pause Before Naming the Pattern When I catch myself saying, “this always happens,” I now ask: “Always—or just recently?”Apply the Rule of Three I run new “patterns” through a simple test:Is it repeating?Is it relevant?Does it stand up to reason?Track Instead of Assuming I log simple observations—like sleep, mood, or patterns in a colleague’s behavior—to separate fact from feeling.Thought Exercise I Left You With: Think of a pattern you’ve recently believed in—maybe something about how people treat you, how projects always unfold, or how luck seems to work. Now ask yourself: What’s the actual evidence?Where might I be filling in the blanks with story instead of observation?What shifts when I stop assuming and just start watching?What’s Coming Next: In the next Seeing Sideways episode, I’ll dive into part two of this theme: the stories we tell ourselves, and how narrative biases shape our decisions, identities, and relationships. If this episode gave you a fresh way to think about your thoughts, please pass it on to someone else. These mental habits aren’t flaws—they’re how our brains try to cope with complexity. But wit Support the show Sign up for the weekly IT'S AN INSIDE JOB NEWSLETTER takes 5 seconds to fill out receive a fresh update every Wednesday

    10 min
  5. The False Promise of DEI: When Diversity Divides Instead of Unites

    27 OCT

    The False Promise of DEI: When Diversity Divides Instead of Unites

    Get in touch with us! We’d appreciate your feedback and comments. “DEI isn’t a cure-all and it isn’t a poison. It’s a tool—and it depends how we use it.” Is DEI expanding opportunities—or unintentionally fueling resentment and division? In this solo episode of It’s an Inside Job, I unpack the promise and pitfalls of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). I explore where DEI policies strengthen resilience, where they backfire, and how leaders can rethink fairness, pipelines, and trust to create lasting impact. Key Takeaway Insights and Tools DEI’s true purpose is not quotas, but creating pipelines that prepare people for success. Without investing in preparation, resentment festers. [13:24]Fairness must be designed upfront, not improvised after the fact. When rules change midstream, trust and credibility collapse. [16:09]Old vs. new definitions of diversity: Counting boxes (race, gender, disability) vs. cultivating perspectives (background, education, class, experience). [18:08]Smarter DEI means transparency and contribution. Say what corrective measures are for, and value what people bring rather than just who they are. [21:31]Pendulum extremes don’t build resilience. DEI swung too far left into wokeism and cancellation culture, now far right with corporations scrapping programs. The balance lies in practical impact, not ideology. [23:43]Detailed Resources & Links Cases and Examples Mentioned: Harvard Admissions (2023 Supreme Court ruling) – Race-conscious admissions ruled unconstitutional.UC Berkeley / UCLA (1990s) – Affirmative action and Proposition 209 in California.Brazilian University Quotas – Large-scale affirmative action and its effects.Canada Indigenous Priorities – Scholarships and hiring carve-outs for Indigenous applicants.South Africa Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) – Post-apartheid redistribution and its controversies.Ricci v. DeStefano (2009, U.S.) – Firefighter promotion exam and reverse discrimination lawsuit.Subscribe to It’s an Inside Job on your favourite podcast platform, and join my weeklyIt's an Inside Job Podcast Newsletter for distilled takeaways and practical strategies on resilience, leadership, and well-being. Support the show Sign up for the weekly IT'S AN INSIDE JOB NEWSLETTER takes 5 seconds to fill out receive a fresh update every Wednesday

    27 min
  6. Seeing Sideways - “I Knew It” – The Lie Your Brain Loves to Tell (The Hindsight Bias)

    24 OCT

    Seeing Sideways - “I Knew It” – The Lie Your Brain Loves to Tell (The Hindsight Bias)

    Get in touch with us! We’d appreciate your feedback and comments. “Resilience isn’t built on perfect foresight. It’s built on honest hindsight.” In this episode of Seeing Sideways, I explore the Hindsight Bias—how the brain tricks us into thinking we “knew it all along.” I share tools to help you separate real insight from illusion, so you can reflect more clearly, lead more fairly, and build true resilience. Have you ever looked back at a decision and thought, “I should’ve seen it coming”—but did you really? Key Takeaways and Tools What Hindsight Bias Is—and Why It Feels So Convincing After something happens—especially something negative—my brain tries to convince me that I saw it coming. But that’s not insight. It’s a trick of memory. [01:01]Why the Brain Does This From an evolutionary point of view, rewriting the past helped us feel more in control. But in modern life, it often keeps us stuck or overly critical. [02:52]Reconstruct the Moment, Not the Myth I’ve learned to challenge hindsight bias by revisiting notes, emails, or journals to remember what I actually knew at the time—not what I think I knew. [04:46]Separate Outcome from Judgment A good decision can still lead to a bad result. That doesn’t mean I made the wrong call. I focus on whether I was thoughtful with what I had, not whether I turned out “right.” [06:00]Catching the “I Knew It” Reflex That inner voice saying “I saw this coming”—I now pause and ask, “Did I really know this before, or am I rewriting the story now?” [06:55]Resources & Practices I Shared: Revisit the Record: Go back to notes, messages, or conversations to remember what you actually knew at the time.Use Reflection Prompts: I asked, “What did I know? What was unclear? What did I do well, even if the result didn’t land?”Shift from Outcome to Process: Judging decisions by results alone distorts learning. I now reflect on my thinking, not just the ending.Normalize Uncertainty: I remind myself and my team that “not knowing” is part of the deal. Most meaningful choices live in the gray.Pause Before “I Knew It”: That little pause helps me stay honest—and grounded.7. A Thought Exercise I Left You With: Think of a moment that didn’t end well—where you’ve told yourself, “I should have seen it coming.” Now ask: What did I truly know at the time?What was unclear or incomplete?What assumptions did I make?What did I actually do well, even if the outcome disappointed me?Next week, I’ll explore how the brain’s love of pattern-seeking and apophenia can lead us to see meaning where none exists—when connecting the dots becomes creating illusions. If this episode gave you something to reflect on, share it with someone who might need it. These biases aren’t flaws—they’re part of how we make sense of the world. But the more aware we are, the more clearly we can think, choose, and lead. Because after all, it’s all an inside job. Support the show Sign up for the weekly IT'S AN INSIDE JOB NEWSLETTER takes 5 seconds to fill out receive a fresh update every Wednesday

    10 min

  7. 20 OCT

    Solving the Right Problem: Design Thinking for Leaders and Resilient Teams with Kat Mather

    Get in touch with us! We’d appreciate your feedback and comments. “Design thinking is conscious decision-making.” - Kat Mather In this episode, I discuss design thinking with Kat Mather from Design Linking, a design professional with over 25 years of experience. We explore how design thinking helps teams address root causes instead of surface-level issues, enhancing problem-solving. Kat shares her transition into facilitation and the importance of balancing divergent and convergent thinking.  We delve into the five phases of design thinking—empathy, defining the problem, ideation, prototyping, and testing—and the critical role of prototyping in fostering learning. The conversation highlights strategies for creating collaborative environments and emphasizes cultivating healthier organizational cultures through design thinking for lasting impact. Key Takeaway Insights and Tools: Design thinking = conscious decision-making: uncover the root problem, map system impacts, and keep humans at the centre. Use the five phases—flexibly: Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test; don’t rush discovery and don’t treat the method as rigid steps. Prototype to learn, not to impress: a sketch, a model, or role-play—share ideas early, get feedback fast, iterate. Balance divergent ↔ convergent thinking (Double Diamond): open wide to explore, then converge to decide—without letting the boss or loudest voice dominate. Mindset over mechanics: optimism, empathy, curiosity, growth, collaboration, risk tolerance; progress matters more than being “right.” Bio: Kat Mather is the founder of Design Linking, helping leaders and teams solve complex collaboration and communication challenges through creative problem-solving and facilitation. With nearly 30 years of experience spanning design, communication, and cross-departmental teamwork, Kat helps organizations unlock clarity, ownership, and action in even the most high-stakes environments. She designs and facilitates bespoke workshops that blend creativity with strategy, drawing on Design Sprints, design thinking, and systems mapping to spark innovation and drive change. Known for bringing structure to complexity while keeping things engaging, Kat shares insights through her Design Linking blog and speaking engagements—expect energy, fresh thinking, and a touch of maverick spirit as she explores how design helps teams thrive. Links: Website: https://www.designlinking.no/ Substack blog: https://designlinking.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designlinking/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katmather/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/design-linking Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579423581534 Support the show Sign up for the weekly IT'S AN INSIDE JOB NEWSLETTER takes 5 seconds to fill out receive a fresh update every Wednesday

    1 hr
  8. Seeing Sideways - Wired for Worry: How to Overcome Your Brain's Negativity Bias

    17 OCT

    Seeing Sideways - Wired for Worry: How to Overcome Your Brain's Negativity Bias

    Get in touch with us! We’d appreciate your feedback and comments. “The negativity bias doesn't just distort your mood—it reshapes your attention.” Why does your mind hold onto criticism more than compliments? In this episode of Seeing Sideways, Jason Birkevold Liem explores The Negativity Bias—your brain’s built-in tendency to focus on what’s wrong—and offers practical strategies to shift from survival-mode thinking to emotional clarity and resilience. Why does one small mistake outweigh a dozen wins—and how can you retrain your brain to see the full picture? Key Takeaway Insights and Tools (with Timestamps): Negativity Bias: Why the Brain Fixates on What's Wrong Our brains evolved to prioritize threats over rewards—making negative input stickier and more dominant than positive input. [01:02]The Cost: Shrinking Perspective and Chronic Self-Doubt This bias narrows attention, amplifies stress, and turns minor discomforts into perceived dangers—impacting work, relationships, and well-being. [03:36]The 5:1 Rule – Rebalance Emotional Weight Because one negative interaction outweighs five positive ones, use this ratio as a loose mental guide to help recalibrate your attention. [05:22]Expand the Frame – Ask “What Else Is True?” This simple reframing question prevents tunnel vision and allows for more nuanced, balanced thinking, even in difficult moments. [05:50]Celebrate Small Wins to Rewire Your Perspective By tracking small moments of progress, you help your nervous system register safety and strength—essential for building emotional resilience. [06:36]Tools & Practices Mentioned: The 5:1 Rule – Counteract negativity by intentionally registering more positive inputs“What Else Is True?” Reframe – Restore nuance during emotionally charged momentsDaily Reflection Practice – Name what worked, what you’re proud of, and small winsPaper Tiger Analogy – Notice when emotional responses are out of proportion to real threatBio: Jason Birkevold Liem is a leadership coach, resilience trainer, and the author of Seeing Sideways: The Hidden Patterns Behind How We Think, Choose, and React. Through his podcast It’s an Inside Job, Jason helps listeners build the mindset and emotional tools to lead with intention and respond to life’s challenges with clarity. Support the show Sign up for the weekly IT'S AN INSIDE JOB NEWSLETTER takes 5 seconds to fill out receive a fresh update every Wednesday

    9 min
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4.9
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About

Imagine responding to challenges with quiet strength and living with a clearer sense of direction. It's an Inside Job, hosted by Jason Birkevold Liem, guides you there. This podcast is for anyone who believes cultivating inner resources is the most powerful way to shape their outer reality. We explore practical approaches for fostering resilience, nurturing well-being, and embedding intentionality into your daily rhythm. On Mondays, we feature longer conversations with insightful individuals, uncovering practical wisdom on how your inner world serves as a compass for your outer experiences, shaping everything from your career to your relationships and personal fulfilment. On BiteSize Fridays, get concise, actionable guidance for managing stress, making thoughtful choices, and nurturing your growth. If you're ready to consciously build a more aligned and fulfilling life, tune in.  After all,  actual growth is an inside job!

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Birkevold Liem
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    268
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 © 2022 It's an Inside Job
  • Show Website
    It's an Inside Job