The Alignment Engine

Kaitlin Merchant

The Alignment Engine is where high-capacity humans tune their inner systems, align with what matters most, and move forward with clarity and power. Host Kaitlin Merchant blends soul, systems, and strategy into sharp insights and grounded conversations for founders, creatives, and leaders navigating their next evolution in business and life.

Episodes

  1. 12/12/2025

    The Spillover Effect: Why Small Wins Change Everything

    Small wins look tiny from the outside, but inside your system they light up like a switchboard. They activate movement, shift your internal state, and open channels that were previously shut. And one of the most reliable places to spark that shift is through a genuine, curiosity-led hobby. In this episode, Kaitlin explores how momentum spills over throughout your internal landscape, why identity shifts begin with tiny actions, and how the structure of a simple hobby can spark a full-body transformation. Through science, story, and lived experience, we look at how one small corner of your life can become the ignition point for renewal everywhere else. You’ll hear: How a single win starts a chain reaction inside the brain, including insights from the prefrontal cortex “tube study”Why hobbies create the perfect conditions for evidence, feedback, flow, and identity movementThe five elements that turn a hobby into a momentum engine: just for you, measurable, slightly challenging, low friction, and identity-expandingWhy physical movement (EMDR mechanics, walking, driving) opens space in the mind and dissolves stuck patternsHow the eight areas of life form your internal structure and why each one needs a bit of energy to keep the whole system rollingThe behavioral science behind fresh starts and why you can choose one anytime you wantA personal story about evidence, inner dialogue, and the moment a “bad day” revealed massive progress This is an invitation to pick something that feels like yours, follow the thread of interest, and create one intentional win. That’s the beginning of movement. Want more?Head to thealignmentengine.com to explore recalibration sessions, creative tools, and resources for high-capacity humans moving toward deeper clarity and alignment. Your Hobby Checklist is here: https://thealignmentengine.com/hobby

    29 min
  2. 08/10/2025

    Mirror, Mirror: How Your Mood Shapes the Room (Mirror Neurons, Emotional Contagion & Leadership)

    Your presence is contagious – science says so. The mirror is not just on the wall, it’s in the meeting, at the dinner table, and on every zoom call you join.  In this episode, Kaitlin pulls back the curtain on the neuroscience of connection, blending mirror neurons, emotional contagion, and limbic resonance with real-life stories from middle school revelations to corporate boardrooms. We talk about: How mirror neurons sync your brain (and mood) with the people around you and why the most grounded person in the room sets the tone.Why your emotional broadcast is contagious — in leadership, parenting, sales, and life.Why cultivating a growth mindset (à la Carol Dweck) changes not just your results, but the energy you send out and what comes back.How The Art of Possibility illustrates the ripple effect of joy, playfulness, and authentic presence in transforming group energy.What Satya Nadella’s leadership shift at Microsoft teaches us about changing a company’s emotional baseline.How psychological safety (as shown in Google’s Project Aristotle study) determines whether a team thrives or spirals toward the lowest emotional denominator.This is science-meets-practical-application, designed to help you anchor your state, choose your signal, and watch the room and your results shift. Want more? Head on over to thealignmentengine.com to explore more, book a 1:1 recalibration session, or to check out the creative tools, and resources for high-preforming humans ready to move in sync.

    22 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Alignment Engine is where high-capacity humans tune their inner systems, align with what matters most, and move forward with clarity and power. Host Kaitlin Merchant blends soul, systems, and strategy into sharp insights and grounded conversations for founders, creatives, and leaders navigating their next evolution in business and life.