The Mindset and Self-Mastery Show

Nick McGowan
  • 5.0 (35)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Biweekly

On The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show, Nick and his guests have real, honest conversations about understanding how life’s moments have shaped us, who we are at our core, and how we all uniquely process and heal along our self-mastery journey.

  1. Recognizing Anxiety Before Burnout With Melissa Coloton

    2d ago

    Recognizing Anxiety Before Burnout With Melissa Coloton

    “Honor your mind, body, and soul.” In this episode, Nick speaks with Melissa Coloton about her journey from farm life to corporate sales. They talk about high-pressure anxiety and burnout, as well as insights on self-awareness, purpose, and holistic well-being. What to listen for: Honoring yourself means recognizing and responding to your emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental needs. Self-awareness helps us catch patterns and make better decisions over time. Understanding that our mind, body, and soul are connected helps us to see life holistically and from various perspectives External influences and pressures can sometimes become ingrained in who we believe ourselves to be. “Support systems are vital for growth.” Growth is not entirely a solo mission; having the right support system can make a huge difference. Surrounding ourselves with the right people and right environments for us to thrive can take time to separate from the past, but it is always well worth the effort. Support systems can provide new perspectives and help you navigate challenges without burning yourself out. “We really focused on reconnecting with myself. It wasn’t like “you must stop having anxiety”. It was like “when you have anxiety, this is the connection point you have to have with yourself.” Managing anxiety is not about eliminating it, but about learning to navigate it. Self-awareness and self-connection are crucial for managing anxiety and other challenges. By focusing on connection and self-awareness, you can develop coping strategies that work for you. Embracing your emotions and experiences can help you build a stronger sense of self and increase your emotional intelligence. About Melissa Coloton Melissa is a Certified Life Coach and Sales Expert who helps businesses, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs create what she calls aligned success, where purpose, profit, and a fulfilling life all work together. With nearly 20 years of sales leadership experience spanning quota-carrying sales roles, strategy, and executive leadership, she has driven over $1 billion in new business and led high-performing teams to record-breaking growth, particularly in the life sciences sector. After facing burnout and health challenges at the height of her career, Melissa transitioned to a more sustainable model of success and now serves as a trusted strategic partner to people navigating growth, leadership pressure, and pivotal decisions. She is the creator of The Honor You Method, a framework that blends mindset, emotional capacity, and execution strategy to support high-level performance without sacrificing well-being, and the host of The Honor You Podcast, where she explores building success that truly feels as good as it looks. https://melissacoloton.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-coloton-coach/ https://www.instagram.com/melissa_coloton/ Resources: Check out other episodes about anxiety and burnout: Balancing Law And Spirit: Boundaries, Burnout, And Personal Growth With Cindy Rendon How To Handle And Successfully Navigate Career Burnout Easily Reduce Anxiety By Going Calm, Present And Connected Are you looking for ways to better manage your daily mindset, live a happier, more fulfilled life, and pursue the depths of your soul on your path to self-mastery? Schedule a free clarity session with Nick to see if mentoring is a good fit for you. Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Check out Nick’s website for more information: https://nickmcgowan.com/ Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Check out Nick’s website for more information: https://nickmcgowan.com/ Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089 Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/ Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA Guest Inquiries right here: podcasts@themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com Thank you for listening! Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show” Click Here To View The Episode Transcript Nick McGowan (00:01.462) Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show we have Melissa Coloton. Melissa, how you doing today? Melissa Coloton (00:11.678) I’m good, Nick. How are you? Nick McGowan (00:13.442) I’m good. I’m good. I’m glad you’re here. we were just shooting the breeze talking about things podcasting and life and all of that. So I want to kind of continue the conversation, but why don’t you get us started? Tell us what you do for a living and what’s one thing most people don’t know about you that’s maybe a little odd or bizarre. Melissa Coloton (00:15.767) Me too. Melissa Coloton (00:30.584) Sure. So what I do for a living is I’m a certified life coach and sales expert and I combine those two things by helping people find success that really means something to them by putting purpose and profit together because one without the other will always make you kinda want more out of life. So I try to not be Pollyanna about purpose without profit and I try not to be too focused on profit because, you know, then if we get too into the weeds about that, then that’s all that matters to us and we forget what our purpose is. So that’s what I do. And I spent about twenty years in corporate sales. So that’s my background and always wanted to be a life coach since my late twenties. So finally, finally, finally started doing the thing and combined those two very bizarre things and put them together. So actually they’re not bizarre things on their own, but putting them together is a little bit odd. Nick McGowan (01:18.776) Mm-hmm. Melissa Coloton (01:23.96) And something that people would find odd about me, which I don’t know if it’s too odd, but I do think people are surprised when I say this, is I’m I’m in my blood, I’m a farm girl. So I grew up on a farm, my dad was a farmer, his dad was a farmer. So and I think people are surprised about that because, you know, I’ve spent a lot of time in corporate. So being very corporate y and wearing the jackets and all the things. And so when I say like I grew up basically in the middle of a field and ate dirt for for the most of my childhood, people are like, wow, surprising. So yep. I I I would say that I present this, you know, very polished person, but I really do enjoy, you know, a good old backwood bonfire and grew up partying in fields. So yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Nick McGowan (02:16.556) Nice. I I I like how you slowly kind of got into that and you were like, Yeah, we party a lot in fields. Like that was how it is. Whole lot. Melissa Coloton (02:22.552) And we partied a lot. Like we had to party on state land because well there was nowhere really to go, right? Like we there was nowhere to go. So we just would all get together in State Land fields. That’s what we did. Yeah. Nick McGowan (02:31.715) Yeah. Nick McGowan (02:37.87) Yeah. That’s cool. I mean, we all have I think we all have situations growing up that some people were a little bit more partiers. I’m trying to be real mindful of how I put this. Some people like partied hard in their like high school years and others didn’t. And then they partied too hard in their early 20s when it was legal to go drink or whatever, and then they got out of it. Some like just never get out of it and like belly up to the bar at 65 years old and it’s the same bar they’ve been bellying up to. but I think there are there’s some like. Melissa Coloton (02:53.068) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Nick McGowan (03:10.606) Crazy moments that you can think back to, I’m sure. There definitely are for me that have to do with some of those parties that I can look back at now and go, holy shit. Like I saw how life could have changed drastically. And also I saw how I learned to kind of manage things in a sense. Like, how do you manage a whole group of 40 people around a bonfire out in the middle of nowhere? Or like the cops are coming. How do you let everybody know? Or whatever that looks like. Melissa Coloton (03:22.56) Mm. Melissa Coloton (03:39.754) Right. Yeah. Nick McGowan (03:41.4) But I I can appreciate coming from basically somewhere that’s not corporate at all, and then ending up in corporate. Cause I’ve seen that with people that I’ve worked with at times that were some of the best workers I’d ever worked with, and some of the almost like hard nosed people I’ve ever worked with. And I think that came from their background of being on their farm. Like you had chores that most city kids didn’t have and like tough things that you had to figure out and what do we do? So I’m sure that Melissa Coloton (04:03.776) Yeah. Nick McGowan (04:11.138) Did that help you, you think, when you got into not only corporate but sales? Melissa Coloton (04:15.306) Yeah. Yeah. I think it did a few things. Honestly, it definitely helped my work ethic. You know, I summers off were not a thing for me. I literally would hay it is what we called it, is basically get all the hay ready for the winter. And I remember me and my cousin, she was only a year older than me. We would fight about who would get the front of the wagon and who would get the back of the wagon. Because if you’re the back, you had to start throwing when eventually you’d had start throwing the bales of hay to the front for the person to put it on the elevator and go up and dump it into the hay mill. And we would fight about that like literally like one of us would try to like try to get to the back and or try to get to the front so they didn’t have to be the one throwing bales of hay. So I definitely feel like it helped my work ethic plus like seeing my dad work like that. You know, my dad he he had to do cho

    41 min
  2. Mindset, Self-Mastery, and Transformation with Nick McGowan

    Jun 18

    Mindset, Self-Mastery, and Transformation with Nick McGowan

    “Seek self-mastery in your own way.” In this episode, Nick reflects on The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show reaching 200 episodes. He shares personal growth, lessons learned, and insights on self-awareness, trauma, purpose, and authenticity. What to listen for: Self-awareness is the most important part of growth and healing Trauma from childhood influences adult life and success Aligning with your purpose leads to fulfillment Consistency and authenticity build a meaningful podcast Incremental steps lead to significant change “I felt like there was a conversation on my heart that needed to be had.” Our calling can sometimes start off as a soft whisper about a conversation you’re here to have When we feel like our lives are focusing on specific areas, we have an opportunity to share that with the world in the way that feels most aligned for us “Mindset, self-mastery, and transformation don’t really mean anything if you can’t see them, if you are not self-aware of them.” Without self-awareness, we’re not able to see that we even have a problem This challenges us to step back, look at ourselves, and look deeper at our experiences and the feelings and emotions that stem from them About Nick McGowan I’m Nick McGowan, an entrepreneur, podcaster, and mental health advocate, and I’ve been on a 20+ year journey of personal development, learning to master my mindset, emotions, and the art of living with purpose. As a Mindset and Self-Mastery Mentor, I work with ambitious men and women who want to live their most authentic and joyous lives by helping them master their mindset, emotional awareness, and authentic communication. My mission is to empower people to lead lives that feel aligned, grounded, and truly their own. Throughout my career, I’ve built teams, streamlined systems, and improved client experiences across SaaS, media, marketing, and personal development spaces. Whether I’m leading cross-functional projects, optimizing SEO, Podcasting, designing strategies, or guiding clients through transformation, I bring a hands-on, solution-focused approach to everything I do. I’m also the host of The Mindset and Self-Mastery Show, where my guests and I unpack the stories that shape us, challenge us, and ultimately guide us back to who we are at our core. On this show, we uncover the secret gems others have discovered through trial and error and breakthroughs, so you can fast-track your growth and master your mindset in your pursuit of self-mastery. Check out the latest episode here. With years of podcasting and two decades of marketing experience, I’ve mastered the storytelling, interview flow, strategy, and technical production that elevate a podcast from “just content” to something truly impactful. Whether you’re a leader looking to amplify your message, a seasoned speaker and podcast host looking to sharpen your edge, or even a beginner who is wondering how to share their message, I mentor thought leaders through every step of having the conversation they’re here to have on this planet. So, what message are you here to share?! https://nickmcgowan.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenickmcgowan/ Resources: Check out some of the episodes from the past 100 episodes of the podcast. Exploring The Hidden Links Between Shame, Sexuality, And Religion With Ann Russo Understanding The Five Simple Steps To Achieve Self-Mastery With Utkarsh Narang The Ripple Effect Of Courage: The Story Behind Scare Your Soul With Scott Simon Stop Trying: A New Approach To Success With Carla Ondrasik How To Begin Your Human Optimization Journey With Wei Houng Curiosity As A Tool For Better Relationships With Patrick Boylan And check out some of my favorite books for your journey toward self-mastery. Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Learn how I can help! Learn more about our host, Nick McGowan https://nickmcgowan.com/ Thank you for listening! Please subscribe to the show on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089 Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/ Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA Guest Inquiries right here: podcasts@themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show” https://youtu.be/MV1a2BTTtaE Click Here To View The Episode Transcript Nick McGowan (00:00) I’ve learned that self-awareness is the most important part of this. People ask me at times, what does mindset mean? What does self-mastery mean? What does transformation mean? Like, what are all those things mean to you? They don’t really mean anything if you can’t see them, if you are not self-aware of them. Nick McGowan (00:26) Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show, I’m going to talk about this being my 200th episode of the podcast. When I first started, I had no idea I would get, I don’t know, 40 episodes in, let alone 200. It’s kind of nuts what has happened over the past few years. I’ve had the show now as I record in June. I’ve had the show for four and a half years and I started to plan it maybe Nick McGowan (00:55) a little over five years ago, because it took me about, I don’t know, maybe six, seven months to actually get into this and do it all. But when I really think about it, it actually took me six years, like six whole years to do the podcast. I’d thought about starting a podcast back in probably 2013, 14, something like that. I had a social media marketing company with my ex-in-laws at the time and thought maybe this would be a cool thing to talk about social media. Nick McGowan (01:24) or something, I don’t know. I looked at it as a way of hopefully trying to bring in leads for the business that I had. I’m glad I didn’t start the podcast at that point because getting the leads isn’t what a podcast is all about. Really the whole point to a podcast in my mind and in my opinion is to be able to share the message that’s on your heart with the ideal people who want to hear it and who can benefit from it. People you can impact with the words you say. I think it’s really cool to put it in a nice and Nick McGowan (01:55) kind of silly way that I have anybody that listens to this show, that there’s anybody like you specifically, that you listen to this and you come back for my wit or my sarcasm. I hope that you really keep coming back and tuning in to be able to hear how these conversations go. Not only with my solo episodes, which there’s going to be more of those coming up, but also with the guests. Because what I understand and what I’ve really learned over the past two and a half years is that Nick McGowan (02:24) The people who listen to the show are leaders in what they do. You either own a business or you’re a leader in whatever job you work in, or you’re a leader at home. And maybe it’s all the above. And you know that you’ve done a lot of work, but there’s still more work to do. It’s not about grinding or hustling, but it’s about actually being healthy and aligned with what you’re all about. Over the past two and a half years of doing these past hundred episodes. Nick McGowan (02:54) There’s been so much growth personally. And I like doing these milestone episodes. It’s a little bit of a recap. If you go back and you listen to episode 100, I literally had clips from different episodes that I pulled in. There were a lot of great episodes over the first 100 that I’d done. I gotta be honest, last 100 I’ve done have been so much better than I thought they were going to be. There were only a couple episodes that were recorded or partially recorded that I bailed on or… Nick McGowan (03:22) for stuff that happens. And if you really want to know those stories, shoot me a message. I can share some of that stuff. Some of those things should never have been aired and I’m glad that they weren’t. But I’ve really gotten specific in the people that I bring onto the show because I understand that the core of the show, are three core topics that I talk about. It’s mindset, self mastery and transformation. When I first started the show, I thought mindset, self mastery were the main topics because I was having mental health problems and struggling. Nick McGowan (03:52) because I’d gone through a divorce right before that, before I started the show and was just trying to have these conversations. I felt like there was a conversation on my heart that needed to be had. And I wasn’t sure exactly how it needed to go about it, but it felt right for me to start a podcast. If you have a podcast of your own, you probably get it. If you don’t have a podcast and you’ve been kicking around the idea of it, then explore that. In fact, if you need help or you want some help or want some guidance, Nick McGowan (04:20) Reach out to me. I’ve been doing this for almost five years and have learned an immense amount. And heck, over the past two and a half years with the amount that I’ve learned from the podcast itself, just doing the mechanical podcasting thing, not only just having the conversations with people, the stuff that I learned about the podcasting has been critical in where I’m at now. I have a business where I actually help people who are thought leaders, mission driven and purpose driven business owners who have a mission and purpose on their heart. Nick McGowan (04:49) They’re trying to figure out how to best go about these things. But the podcast itself, I’m going to give you a bit of a behind the scenes in a sense. When I first started the show, I tried to do everything I could. All the social media, the website, the newsletters, like every single thing. And if you’ve been around since then, you know, you saw a

    31 min
  3. How To Be Fine Over Fifty With Von Decarlo

    Jun 4

    How To Be Fine Over Fifty With Von Decarlo

    In this episode, Nick speaks with Von Decarlo about the importance of authenticity, resilience through grief, and embracing aging with confidence.

    1 hr
  4. Mental Health Awareness: Uncovering Hidden Patterns with Nick McGowan

    May 21

    Mental Health Awareness: Uncovering Hidden Patterns with Nick McGowan

    “You’re not broken, you’re just stuck in a pattern.” In this episode, Nick emphasizes the importance of mental health awareness, especially during Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Nick shares personal insights, practical strategies, and encourages ongoing mindfulness and self-care to improve mental well-being through practical tips. What to listen for: You’re not broken; you’re just stuck in patterns Awareness is the first step to mental health improvement Breathing exercises can help regulate anxiety and panic Physical movement aids mental health and emotional processing Talking openly about mental health fosters connection and healing “We can be mentally disrupted, we can be hurt, we can be unsure of what’s going on, or really fighting with things that need to be fully processed.” Struggle is a universal human experience Unprocessed emotions become internal blocks we’re unaware of Processing our traumas and past experiences is vital for progress Healing requires engaging with, not avoiding, pain “Our mental health is critical to our overall well-being.” Mental health is foundational to overall well-being Finding the time to invest in our mental health is like making sure we’re breathing Proactive care is important; the same goes for rest and processing Prioritize your mental health and emotional intelligence to better handle life’s ups and downs About Nick McGowan I’m Nick McGowan, an entrepreneur, podcaster, and mental health advocate, and I’ve been on a 20+ year journey of personal development, learning to master my mindset, emotions, and the art of living with purpose. As a Mindset and Self-Mastery Mentor, I work with ambitious men and women who want to live their most authentic and joyous lives by helping them master their mindset, emotional awareness, and authentic communication. My mission is to empower people to lead lives that feel aligned, grounded, and truly their own. Throughout my career, I’ve built teams, streamlined systems, and improved client experiences across SaaS, media, marketing, and personal development spaces. Whether I’m leading cross-functional projects, optimizing SEO, Podcasting, designing strategies, or guiding clients through transformation, I bring a hands-on, solution-focused approach to everything I do. I’m also the host of The Mindset and Self-Mastery Show, where my guests and I unpack the stories that shape us, challenge us, and ultimately guide us back to who we are at our core. On this show, we uncover the secret gems others have discovered through trial and error and breakthroughs, so you can fast-track your growth and master your mindset in your pursuit of self-mastery. Check out the latest episode here. With years of podcasting and two decades of marketing experience, I’ve mastered the storytelling, interview flow, strategy, and technical production that elevate a podcast from “just content” to something truly impactful. Whether you’re a leader looking to amplify your message, a seasoned speaker and podcast host looking to sharpen your edge, or even a beginner who is wondering how to share their message, I mentor thought leaders through every step of having the conversation they’re here to have on this planet. So, what message are you here to share?! https://nickmcgowan.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenickmcgowan/ Resources: Check out other episodes about self-awareness and following our hearts The Energy Of Creativity And The Journey Toward Self-Awareness With Jeristotle Wells Making Major Life Decisions By Trusting Your Intuition With Nick McGowan If you or anyone you know is struggling with their mental health, resources are out there for you. Check out the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for local resources. Here’s the song Nick mentioned, “Weighless” by Marconi Union. This is the shortened version, but try it out the next time you feel overwhelmed a bit. Are you looking for ways to better manage your daily mindset, live a happier, more fulfilled life, and pursue the depths of your soul on your path to self-mastery? Schedule a free clarity session with Nick to see if mentoring is a good fit for you. Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Check out Nick’s website for more information: https://nickmcgowan.com/ Thank you for listening! Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089 Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/ Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA Guest Inquiries right here: podcasts@themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show” Click Here To View The Episode Transcript 00:00 People will look on social media and see that you have your family and your friends and your hobbies and your life and your car and your this and that, blah, blah, blah. None of that matters though. None of it at all. It doesn’t change the fact that sometimes inside of our heads, we’re just not doing well. Our mental health is critical to not only our lives, the lives of the people we live with and work with and the lives that we touch. 00:32 Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show, I wanna talk about mental health because May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Now I wish Mental Health Awareness Month was every single month, but in some ways it really is. Every single month, every single week, every single day, minute, an hour even, I think our mental health plays a major part and role of the work that we do in the world. 00:59 how we move throughout the world, the things that we do. And I want to touch on something that a lot of people will bring up at times, sometimes clients, sometimes even guests when we’re talking, be it on the show or after the fact, but people at times will think I’m broken. I’ve thought that before too. I felt that many, many times actually that I am just straight up broken. And what that really comes from is me just not knowing what is broken or off. 01:29 It’s not that I’m broken, it’s that there are things that just feel broken or don’t feel like they’re working really as well as I want them to. You may experience that and you may not. I assume most people that listen to this show probably experience a good chunk of the things that we talk about on the show, either just on the solo episodes or with guests. A lot of us go through the stuff where on the surface we look really great. It looks like we’re living life, we’re enjoying. 01:56 We’re successful in whatever we’re doing. We have our families, our friends, we have all the things that for the most part really go really well with social media. People will look on social media and see that you have your family and your friends and your hobbies and your life and your car and your this and that, blah, blah, blah. None of that matters though. Actually, none of it at all. mean, having some friends and some family and people that care about you, that absolutely matters. 02:26 having hobbies and things that are important to you, that absolutely matters. And what I mean by it doesn’t matter is that it doesn’t change the fact that sometimes inside of our heads, we’re just not doing well. And I’m really glad that May is the month for that. The reason why I say I’m glad for that is because May is sort of like the beginning of spring to me. Where I grew up in Pennsylvania, we saw all four seasons of the year. 02:55 And it was awesome. Literally three months for every single quarter was a new season. Obviously there were some overlap at times or whatever, but I pretty much always saw a season and could always expect that the new season was going to come. When I moved around the country, not as much in Oregon, but specifically in Florida and in New Mexico, don’t always see all of those seasons, especially in Florida. It’s basically like, 03:24 spring sometimes in the morning, sometimes it’s winter in the morning for an hour, and then it’s just summer pretty much the rest of the day, even when it’s a different season. But mentally, our season can last a lot longer. We can be mentally disrupted, we can be hurt, we can be unsure of what’s going on or really fighting with things that are still inside of us that are still processing. 03:52 or need to be fully processed from things that have happened from sometimes decades ago. So I bring up the fact that I have thought this and other people have, and you most likely have as well, that we are broken in some sort of way. I want to challenge that. What if you’re not broken? But what if you’re just patterned in such a way? Now our brains and specifically our subconscious is there to be able to protect us. 04:22 and to keep us safe and keep us moving and active. And for the most part, when we feel like we’re broken, that pattern that we’re looking for that will get us out of something is really hard when we’re stuck in a pattern. Just our overall way of thinking about things. You know, those people that are typically real, uh real s****y about something, or just seem to always be upset and pissed off. 04:51 I want to guarantee that that’s probably not their natural state. could give you an example with myself. There are times where you can absolutely tell if I’m irritated. And there are times where I don’t really understand that I’m irritated because there’s something that’s going on in the background. Now, I’ve done a lot of work with this. those triggers and things that come u

    30 min
  5. The Role of Interests in Life Choices with Cleous Young

    May 7

    The Role of Interests in Life Choices with Cleous Young

    “Giving up is not failure; it’s a strategic move.” In this episode, Nick speaks with Cleous Young about his journey of self-discovery, the importance of interests in life, and how giving up redundant pursuits can lead to greater fulfillment. They explore mindset shifts, the power of curiosity, and the role of legacy in personal growth. What to listen for: The role of interests in personal growth The concept of giving up and making space for new opportunities The importance of self-awareness and curiosity Legacy and the impact of life stories “Your life can be a legacy that inspires others.” Our lives are our own, yet we can serve as an example to others Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind, but HOW we leave things behind The way you lead your life may just be the reason why someone makes a change in their own life “I’ve been giving up things because in the back of my mind it’s like, hey, if you let it go, if it comes back, then it’s meant for you.” Most people think “giving up” is failure, but that’s not always the case When we let things go from our lives, they make way for new beginnings Changing our perspective on giving up can change the way we maneuver our lives About Cleous “GloWry” Young CleousYoung is an author, speaker, and advocate for personal growth, resilience, and ethical living. Through his unique philosophy and storytelling, he helps both adults and children navigate adversity, discover purpose, and cultivate values such as kindness, integrity, and nobility. Cleous shares practical life lessons and inspiring perspectives to empower people to live intentionally and make a positive impact in their communities. https://cleousyoung.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleous-glowry-young-a1856218b/ https://www.instagram.com/cleousyoung/ Resources: Are you looking for ways to better manage your daily mindset, live a happier, more fulfilled life, and pursue the depths of your soul on your path to self-mastery? Schedule a free clarity session with Nick to see if mentoring is a good fit for you. Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Check out Nick’s website for more information: https://nickmcgowan.com/ Learn more about our host, Nick McGowan. Thank you for listening! Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089 Listen to other episodes here: Click Here To View The Episode Transcript Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA Guest Inquiries right here: podcasts@themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show” Click Here To View The Episode Transcript Nick McGowan (00:02.126) Hello and welcome to the Mindset Self Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show we have Cleous Young. Cleous, how are you doing today? Cleous GloWry Young (00:12.487) Hey, I’m doing good, good, good. Very good today. Yeah. And you? Nick McGowan (00:17.198) Awesome. My man, I’m excited that you’re here. I’m good. I’m really good. You know, I maybe I can add a few more goods like you did. I appreciate when somebody gives a real answer or when they like, actually when they’re like, I’m good. I’m good. Yeah, I’m good. I’m good. Instead of somebody be like, how are you? I’m shit. This is awful. F**k. Why did I wake up this morning? That’s a totally different feeling. So Cleous GloWry Young (00:21.957) Okay. Cleous GloWry Young (00:38.447) Yeah. No, I had an event yesterday and it’s a little unique event and it went tremendously well. So it’s like the residual from yesterday is still hanging on today. So it’s like, yeah, woke up feeling good. But then I thought about the event and the outcome and it was like, hey, add some more goods to that. Yeah. Nick McGowan (00:52.632) Yeah. Nick McGowan (01:02.924) Yeah, cool. I love that riding on a high in a sense. That’s also part of what this show is about. We talk about mindset, self mastery and transformation and being able to understand that some days are gonna be great because you’re riding a high. Some days you might be grieving because of the thing that happened the day before. And there’s stuff to get into all of that. So why don’t you kick us off? Why don’t you tell us what you do for a living and what’s one thing most people don’t know about you that’s maybe a little odd or bizarre. Cleous GloWry Young (01:06.194) Yeah. Cleous GloWry Young (01:19.379) yeah. Cleous GloWry Young (01:29.371) So I work in the community. I have a nonprofit and one of the things that we actually particularly specialize in is helping people figuring out things. For me, that’s what I had to do for my own life. So even now I have this context, it’s called transfiguration, where it’s like saying trans, right? Moving from one place to another. And then figuration is that comp. concept of what you would say figure things out, right? So for me for the last say past eight years, I’ve been figuring out things for my own self, not what I’ve been taught, what I’ve been given. And for me, it’s like, hey, this is what I now find applicable that whatever I did for myself, I can also do for somebody else. Perfect example, I hosted an event around trauma and this Three generations of women came to that event, grandma, mom, and daughter, and it’s like they were treating themselves a certain way growing up, right? And it was until they came to the event and they started to figure out that, you know what? This has been a trauma pattern in our life, generation after generation. And it just allowed them to now systematically put different things in place and started to actually move forward. So for me, this is what I do on a day-to-day basis. The one weird thing about me that most people would never understand, like yesterday at the event, people will see me out here doing all these things, but they would never understand that there’s a saying that says never give up, right? I’m somebody who have given up so many times. And it’s interesting, and I didn’t give up because it’s hard. I gave up because it’s redundant. Like I get up every day, I’m seeing the same old thing over and over again. And it’s like, even when you look at self-master, right? So I used to teach. And when I was teaching, it’s like, hey, the students are doing well. And it’s like, when I look at my life, I’m like, whoa, I’m not doing well. They’re doing well. And what I end up doing, I just give up teaching. Like. Cleous GloWry Young (03:52.923) It wasn’t hard. The students are doing well. Like even one of those set of students that I taught, they got the highest score in the entire school in the math. The entire score on what is called the PSSA. Right? That means they’re doing well. Was teaching hard? No. But it just became redundant that I went to school every day doing the same thing over and over again. And I just got up and I just gave up. So continually, I keep giving up. Nick McGowan (04:18.99) Hmph. Cleous GloWry Young (04:23.141) I know the saying that says, don’t give up on your dreams. But for me, I just give things up. And know, you know what’s so funny? I’ve given up so many times and then something else just comes in my way to start a whole new journey. And it’s like, I guess you’re not supposed to finish right here because I’m thinking that, hey, I’m done. Nick McGowan (04:41.44) Yeah. Cleous GloWry Young (04:44.123) And I’m telling you, it’s not because it’s hard. None of the things that I’ve ever done has been hard. It’s just becomes redundant. It’s like you get up every day, you’re doing the same thing. And it’s like you’re looking at the results of the community and it’s like it’s not getting better. And people are putting on this facade that, things are better. No, look at the numbers, look at the killing, look at the violence. It’s like, so at one point I just gave up. And I remember the last time I gave up. Nick McGowan (04:58.318) Mm. Cleous GloWry Young (05:13.105) July 28, 2016. Like this time I just called my mom, Like I just finished school. Two months ago I graduated. Magna cum laude, right? And then two months after I was like, I called my mom and said to my mom, mom, I can’t do this anymore, man. And it was because of the stuff that I learned in school. Like when I tell you it was so redundant, we’re sitting out here trying to do these things, right? Nick McGowan (05:30.894) you Cleous GloWry Young (05:39.092) And it’s like somebody sitting in the background making it hard for us. So when I started to learn certain things about psychology, I was like, wow, I’m just out here wasting my time. So July 28, 2016, I called my mom and I said to my mom, hey, I’m done with this community work. And then I went into behavioral therapist. Funny enough, right? Nick McGowan (05:49.262) You Cleous GloWry Young (06:03.431) So I’m working with students now in the classroom, right? Helping them with their behavior problem. I’m like, hey, I’m done with the community. Let me just find a population that I know that I’m gonna work with on a day-to-day basis. So I’m in the school now and day by day I’m working with the students, right? And then I look around, I’m like, why is everything academic here? Like, don’t they have anything social context around here? And I kid you not, I sat down and I designed this. Look how funny it is. This is what I actually designed. You see that? It says, be the ant. And I was like, something like this need to be in a classroom where they come and they can see that life is more than just academic. Again, I was coming from a teacher, right? And when you told me as a student, you got an A, I’m not impressed. Because I know the ins and outs of getting

    37 min
  6. Finding Transformation In Mindset Shifts with Dre Baldwin

    Apr 23

    Finding Transformation In Mindset Shifts with Dre Baldwin

    “Presence is what remains when you strip away all the noise, all the excess.” In this episode, Nick speaks with Dre Baldwin about his journey from basketball to internet entrepreneurship, emphasizing mindset, self-awareness, and overcoming challenges. Listen in to discover how his experiences shaped his approach to self-mastery and success. What to listen for: Dre Baldwin’s basketball career and transition to entrepreneurship The importance of mindset and self-awareness in success Lessons learned from sports and their application to business The role of discipline and resilience in overcoming challenges Strategies for personal growth and self-mastery “You can have all the right skills, desire, motivation, and resources, but if you’re in the wrong vehicle, you will not get to where you want to get to.” Knowing where we want to go is incredibly important to continuing on the right path Sometimes our “right path” is only really just a leg of the journey, and discernment is important to keep on that path or not This also urges us to consider what we really want and to look at the “vehicle” we’re in, honestly and without bias or interpretation. “To get to the actual issue, you really have to find out who’s the person behind the issue. Who’s the person behind the problem?” Looking deeper than the surface at our “why” with our goals and pursuits is critical This speaks to ourselves as well as the people we interact with and work with Getting to know a person, or ourselves, deeper ties in wants, hopes, dreams, motivations, and understanding the person behind the problem helps us understand context. About Dre Baldwin Dre built Work On Your Game® to turn disciplined execution into dominance. A 4x TEDx speaker and 43-time author, Dre played pro basketball for 9 years. Today, he helps experts and entrepreneurs install mindset, systems, and strategy to scale from six to seven figures with presence and power. http://DreAllDay.com http://LinkedIn.com/in/DreAllDay http://Instagram.com/DreBaldwin https://www.workonyourgame.com/ Resources: Check out other similar episodes: The Greatness Inside Of You Like A Superstar Athlete With Darlene Santore How To Not Rush Through The Trauma Storm With David Kitchens Are you looking for ways to better manage your daily mindset, live a happier, more fulfilled life, and pursue the depths of your soul on your path to self-mastery? Schedule a free clarity session with Nick to see if mentoring is a good fit for you. Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Check out Nick’s website for more information: https://nickmcgowan.com/ Learn more about our host, Nick McGowan. Thank you for listening! Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089 Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/ Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA Guest Inquiries right here: podcasts@themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show” Click Here To View The Episode Transcript Nick McGowan (00:00.206) Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self-Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show, we have Dre Baldwin. Dre, what’s going on, man? How are you doing? Dre Baldwin (00:11.005) I’m doing great, Nick. How about yourself? Nick McGowan (00:13.004) I’m good. I’m good. I’m stoked that you’re here. I think it’s gonna be a really good conversation. I told you right up front, I missed the memo for the suit. I’m sorry. But I appreciate you showing up and looking how you are. One of the things that stood out to me when you were your team member reached out about you being on the show was your history in basketball. And being able to tie that into the work that you’re doing now, and how your pursuit of your own version of self mastery has really flexed through every single bit of this. So I know there’s a lot of stuff that we’re gonna get into, but that’s one of the main things that really stood out to me. So I’m excited that you’re here. I always like to get things started though with telling us what’s one thing that most people don’t know about you. It’s a little odd or bizarre and what do you do for a living? Dre Baldwin (00:59.369) One thing that’s a little out of bizarre. once went out on a date with a woman who turned out to be a man and What do I do for a living is I hope I get to give context to that. But anyway, what do I do for a living is We have high level professionals with structured execution if I put it in the one statement Nick McGowan (01:12.75) Yeah. Nick McGowan (01:20.218) Cool. I appreciate that. I’m still chuckling a little bit like who in their right mind wouldn’t give you the platform to like follow up on that? Because the first thing I want to make sure is that you’re not saying it in a really hateful way. I assume that’s not the case. And based on what I know of you, that doesn’t seem to be the case. But again, who in their right mind be like, Nope, we’re leaving that they’re just gonna f*****g cliffhanger. So go on, tell us the story. Dre Baldwin (01:27.622) You Dre Baldwin (01:46.739) So this is about, I was about 19, 18, 19 years of age. So we are both from the Philadelphia area. And every year in the summertime in Philadelphia, there’s this event called the Greek Picnic. I don’t know if you knew about it. So the Greek Picnic is all these fraternity and sorority organizations, usually the black fraternity sororities, they all have this big event down at, I think it’s the Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia. Then that’s during the day, the picnics during the day. Then at night, everybody goes to this place called South Street. Nick McGowan (02:10.392) Mm-hmm. Dre Baldwin (02:16.553) And South Street is a place in Philly where everybody just goes and walks. So was kind of like Times Square in Manhattan, the Strip in Vegas, Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. You have South Street in Philadelphia. So I did not pledge in college, but every year, even since I was in high school, we would always go to South Street and 90 degree picnic because everybody’s out there. It’s kind of like New Year’s Eve, Times Square. Everybody’s out there. It’s hard to drive, but there’s so many girls out there. You go out there just to talk to girls. So we go out there and talk to girls and I meet this girl. She was interested in me. I’m interested back. So we exchange phone numbers and all of that. And she lived all the way down there near South Street. I lived up in the upper Northwest part of the city. I go and see her. didn’t actually go on. It technically wasn’t a date. We didn’t go anywhere. I just went to her house. We were basically sitting on the steps talking, but we sat there and talked for an hour or two. She had a roommate. Her roommate came by. She went, goes into the house and another guy while I’m sitting there talking to her, another guy comes up. He goes in to see the roommate. So anyway, we have the conversation, whatever I leave. And a couple of days later, I’m talking to this girl on the phone and I think she noticed my naivete. And she said to me, Dre, I want to let you know something. She said, I’m a pre-op transsexual. I didn’t even quite know what that meant. And I was like, what does that mean? I did know, but I didn’t know. So I had her spell it out. And she said, no, I’m guy, I’m not as endowed as you, but I haven’t had the operation yet. And I just didn’t know. My vision was not. tuned enough to have noticed this when it was all happening. And then I was thinking, I was like, well, what about that guy who came by while we were sitting on your steps, who went in the house to see your roommate? Because a roommate was the same thing. Also preop transsexuals. said, well, yeah, he knew the deal. So I guess he thought I knew the deal. I didn’t know the deal. So this was my learning of finding out what the situation was. So that’s the story there. That was 19 years of age. I’m 44 now. Nick McGowan (04:04.396) Man. Yeah, how old are you? All right, cool, I’m 41. So back then, that you really had an opportunity to be a f*****g a*****e about it. There’s a lot of people, especially in the Philadelphia area, that would have been so pushed away from that, even gotten violent, and really become hateful with it. And a lot of it was normal back then. There was just hatred of other people and just… just b******t and especially with guys from the area, we would just be douchebags to each other. And then if something like that happened, like your boys could be after you because of it or whatever. So what a cool thing for you to not be a complete f*****g a*****e about it. Only for years later to understand like that is, that’s gotta be a big, big life transition for people and to not even think about it from their perspective. Like that’s awesome that she said, this is what’s going on. This is where I’m at. That took a lot of courage to even say that and a lot of courage to step out, you know. Dre Baldwin (05:10.899) Yeah. I guess so, because I think she could tell that I didn’t know. So I think most of the time back then, because we would go to South Street all the time and you would see these cross dressing men walking around. And what would happen is men would drive by in cars and I say those are men and laugh and joke and all that and just drive by. And but you could tell even from across the street, like that’s a man. She had it done well enough that I didn’t know. And I had a couple of my boys with me when I met the girl. None of them said anything. So Nick McGowan (05:25.464) Mm-hmm. Dre Baldwin (05:43.294) They didn’t know. And when I told them, they made jokes

    47 min
  7. How Confidence And Certainty Factor Into Personal Growth with Nick McGowan

    Apr 9

    How Confidence And Certainty Factor Into Personal Growth with Nick McGowan

    “Healing shapes how confident and certain we feel.” In this episode, Nick explores the concepts of confidence and certainty, their differences, and how they influence personal growth. He discusses practical insights on how understanding these can improve mindset, decision-making, and emotional resilience. What to listen for: Difference between confidence and certainty How confidence impacts decision-making The role of certainty in personal growth Practical ways to build confidence and certainty “If we don’t have confidence, we’re probably pretty uncertain about something.” There’s a reason for a lack of confidence; it doesn’t just appear Confidence and certainty can be tied together unconsciously Exploring our feelings and mindset heading into a situation can shape our confidence “Confidence in the work, certainty in the results.” Results can be hard to predict when external factors are involved Clarity in purpose can drastically change how confident we are going into any situation Trusting the process of your work can alleviate stress and keep you focused on the task that you know will result in the outcome you want About Nick McGowan I’m Nick McGowan, an entrepreneur, podcaster, and mental health advocate, and I’ve been on a 20+ year journey of personal development, learning to master my mindset, emotions, and the art of living with purpose. As a Mindset and Self-Mastery Mentor, I work with ambitious men and women who want to live their most authentic and joyous lives by helping them master their mindset, emotional awareness, and authentic communication. My mission is to empower people to lead lives that feel aligned, grounded, and truly their own. Throughout my career, I’ve built teams, streamlined systems, and improved client experiences across SaaS, media, marketing, and personal development spaces. Whether I’m leading cross-functional projects, optimizing SEO, Podcasting, designing strategies, or guiding clients through transformation, I bring a hands-on, solution-focused approach to everything I do. I’m also the host of The Mindset and Self-Mastery Show, where my guests and I unpack the stories that shape us, challenge us, and ultimately guide us back to who we are at our core. On this show, we uncover the secret gems others have discovered through trial and error and breakthroughs, so you can fast-track your growth and master your mindset in your pursuit of self-mastery. Check out the latest episode here. With years of podcasting and two decades of marketing experience, I’ve mastered the storytelling, interview flow, strategy, and technical production that elevate a podcast from “just content” to something truly impactful. Whether you’re a leader looking to amplify your message, a seasoned speaker and podcast host looking to sharpen your edge, or even a beginner who is wondering how to share their message, I mentor thought leaders through every step of having the conversation they’re here to have on this planet. So, what message are you here to share?! https://nickmcgowan.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenickmcgowan/ Resources: Check out other episodes about our confidence and clarity Finding Confidence Through Grief and Psychic Mediumship With Karen Romine Become A Person Of Value With Jeevan Matharu Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/podcasting-services/ Learn more about our host, Nick McGowan https://nickmcgowan.com/ Thank you for listening! Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089 Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/ Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA Guest Inquiries right here: podcasts@themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show” Click Here To View The Episode Transcript Nick McGowan 00:00 No matter what we’ve done in life or what we’re doing right now, whether that’s purpose work, working on past traumas and really trying to figure out how to manage our mindset on a daily, it comes down to us understanding from a confidence perspective that you may be confident in the thing that you’re doing. It’s not the exact same as being certain in how you’re going about it. Nick McGowan 00:28 Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self-Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show, I wanna talk about how confidence and certainty factor into personal growth. What is confidence, and what is certainty? Confidence is feeling like you’re able to actually get something done. It’s really the intent for the impact that you wanna have. You’re confident that you feel like you can get this thing done, whatever that thing is. Certainty is 100 % knowing that it’s going to happen. Nick McGowan 00:58 And there’s a small little bit of difference between those and really kind of a gray area where certainty and confidence can intersect, but they can also play at odds with each other. If you go into something certain that something’s going to happen, you’re going to lack confidence or maybe you’re going to have a bit more confidence. I think about it in the sense of if you know that you want to go in and have a really tough conversation with somebody you work with, that’s different. Nick McGowan 01:26 than a tough conversation with your partner or your spouse or somebody that you love. You may be certain going into that, that you have the facts, you have the things together, you need to be able to have the proper conversation. And you can feel confident knowing that you have those, but anything can happen at that point. Somebody could say something, somebody could bring something up that you’re unaware of, and that can knock down your confidence. That could absolutely destroy your certainty at that point. Nick McGowan 01:55 So if you think of confidence, just being confident in moving through the world, I’m sure you’ve seen different people that seem to be super confident, but have no idea what they’re doing in life. When you’re confident and you have this internal belief that what you’re doing, you’re going to give it your all and that you’re able to move into something without any hesitation, that’s vastly different than even having some confidence. Nick McGowan 02:21 Like if you kinda know I’m gonna move into this situation or this conversation and I feel good about what I’m doing, that’s vastly different than being able to move into something with full confidence. You’ve experienced that, we’ve all experienced that. No matter what we’ve done in life or what we’re doing right now, whether that’s purpose work or that’s working on past traumas and really trying to figure out how to manage our mindset on a daily, it comes down to us understanding from a confidence perspective. Nick McGowan 02:51 that you may be confident in the thing that you’re doing. It’s not the exact same as being certain in how you’re going about it. Makes me think of when people talk about practicing, practice makes perfect. I’ve also heard that if you practice the wrong things, of course you’re not gonna be perfect in what you’re trying to be perfect in, which makes sense. That’s kind of a duh situation. A lot of people will actually go through life working on things that they think they need to work on and being confident that they’re working Nick McGowan 03:19 on the things that they’re working on that actually tie to deeper core wounds and will make actual change in their life. They’re not certain about it. And finding certainty in what you’re doing can really take a level of confidence, but also a level of understanding and empathy and courageousness to be able to move through something with certainty. I feel like some of this may be a bit ambiguous and I’m somewhat trying to keep it that way because Nick McGowan 03:48 your situation in life and your context is different than mine. Even if they’re similar, there’s still nuances and differences and things that we go through that maybe affect us differently or affect the way that we handle situations differently or the way that we view life on the daily. When I think of confidence and I think of certainty tying into and really factoring into our personal growth, I think about being confident in myself being able to do the work. Nick McGowan 04:17 And even if I don’t always feel certain that the work will help me grow and change, I am confident in the patterns that I’ve seen over the course of time and how things work, which then ties back into my certainty. Let’s think about that. For confident in the things that we’re doing and we’re working on, certainty can come along with that as we see examples of how things work, like the work that we’re doing for ourself. Nick McGowan 04:43 As a prime example, if you’re going through therapy right now, maybe you’ve been in therapy for years and years and years. I am certain that therapy works, but I’m uncertain if what you’re doing right now is actually working for you. The modality may need to be changed up. If you’re doing talk therapy right now, maybe it’s EMDR or DBT or something that really gets deeper to your subconscious to be able to rewrite those stories and change those. I’m certain that Nick McGowan 05:12 Anything like that can ultimately help, but I’m uncertain of what’s exactly going to help you. If you’re confident and moving through and trying the different modalities, you can also be certain that health and happiness and growth will come from that. If we think about being able to tie the two together, if we don’t have confidence, we’re probably pretty uncertain about something. If we’re certain about som

    7 min
  8. Transforming Trauma Into Purpose and Identity with Amber Richbook

    Mar 26

    Transforming Trauma Into Purpose and Identity with Amber Richbook

    “If you heal yourself, you have the ability to heal generations before and after you.” In this episode, Nick speaks with Amber Richbook about her journey through identity, subconscious beliefs, and the impact of generational trauma. They explore the importance of awareness and the role of cultural identity in shaping our experiences and ultimately who we believe we are and what our “identity” means to us. What to listen for: We all have gifts and abilities that can be realized Coincidences are often signs that require investigation Generational trauma impacts our identities and experiences Healing is a personal journey that affects generations Self-mastery requires the willingness to change our identity as we grow Awareness is crucial for personal growth and healing Our identity is fluid “We all have different generational things running through our veins. What are we going to do with them? How are we going to reconcile? How are we going to bring the healing?” Healing is our responsibility, no matter what our parents passed to us genetically Understanding what our family history is can sometimes shed light on our current struggles Epigenetics research is increasingly validating that generational trauma not only exists but has real repercussions on future generations “You must be willing to change identities as many times and as often as you feel led to” What we believe our “identity” is, isn’t always accurate or remotely current The hesitance for change is normal, but being willing to adapt and evolve is critical for personal growth Changing identities isn’t about becoming someone else; it’s about uncovering more of who you are at your core About Amber Richbook Amber Richbook is a transformational speaker and identity-shift coach who helps people move from simply existing to fully living. Through keynotes, coaching, and her podcast Meaningful Conversations, she teaches individuals to break self-limiting beliefs and take practical steps toward authentic, purpose-driven lives. She is a TEDx speaker and has appeared on PBS and corporate leadership platforms. Her mission is to become the go-to voice for mindset and identity transformation for a new generation. https://www.arichbook.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/arichbook/ https://www.instagram.com/a.richbook/ Resources: Check out other episodes about identity: Processing Our Childhood Traumas With Jeremy Stegall Exploring The Role Of DEI In Healing And Growth With Corey Williams How To Embrace Your Identity And Inner Strength With Rich Vysion Love and Faith Beyond Identity and Labels With Carl King Exploring Human Design For Self-Mastery With Akary Busto Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/podcasting-services/ Learn more about our host, Nick McGowan: https://nickmcgowan.com Thank you for listening! Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089 Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/ Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA Guest Inquiries right here: podcasts@themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show” Click Here To View The Episode Transcript Nick McGowan (00:00.495) Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show we have Amber Richbook. Amber, how are doing today? Amber RichBook (00:22.403) Well, how are you Nick? Thank you for having me. Nick McGowan (00:25.679) Yeah, absolutely. We were just shooting the shit for like a solid half hour. And again, one of those situations like let’s just record. So I’m stoked for you to be here. I think this is gonna be cool. We’re gonna get into a lot to talk about identity, subconscious limiting beliefs and your story. And even talking about regional and generational trauma and some of the things I’ve talked about on different episodes. But I think identity is a big part of that. I always like to start episodes off with something that’s a little Amber RichBook (00:29.846) I know. Nick McGowan (00:54.319) odd or bizarre about you that most people don’t know. So what do you got for me? Amber RichBook (00:58.19) Okay, so one of my bizarre weird things that people don’t know about me is that I wrote about my life as a single mother of three daughters when I was in the first grade and my mom She kept like this big bag, like everywhere we moved to, this was like this big bag of childhood memorabilia from myself and my siblings of things we drew and wrote in kindergarten, pre-K, first grade, second grade, like the little macaroni art that’s like happy Mother’s Day. Here’s a flower with glue and there’s missing pieces on it. And so, you know, in first grade when they have the writing pads with the story and you draw the little ugly picture and you think like, Nick McGowan (01:32.655) Yeah, of course. Amber RichBook (01:44.014) And it’s like Miss A takes her three daughters and the names were like J, E, A, like they were all like names with those initials. And my daughter’s names now have the initials J, A, and E. To get ice cream and they love driving in their really big truck. and they love doing all these fun things together. They like dancing. like, there was no, was just this Miss A. and her three daughters. And I remember years ago when I, well, my mom was like, kind of like, all right, you guys are grown, take your shit. Like I saved all of it. Let me show you guys that I actually cared about you as children. Like do with it what you want. I’m like, okay, so let me go through my stuff. And I’m just sitting there and I’m reading it. And I was like, can I curse? I was like, okay. Nick McGowan (02:27.96) Yeah. Nick McGowan (02:40.958) yeah. Amber RichBook (02:42.86) I was like, Amber, what the f**k were you writing about in the f*****g first grade? Like you’re writing about being a mom. Now, fun fact, I was the child, the friend, even in high school that used to call kids creatures. I was like, ill, be a mom. That’s so disgusting. Motherhood. So now there’s a running joke. Like every mother’s day, my friends from high school and college are like, dude, how did you become a mom? Nick McGowan (02:45.443) Yeah. Amber RichBook (03:09.836) Like that’s the joke. Like you’re a mom, bro. None of them are mothers, but I’m a mom. Dude, how did that happen? So I think that’s interesting because one of my favorite books is The Alchemist. I talk about it in my, started my Ted talk with it and it was like, we really go on this journey of life and all you’re doing is getting back to the core of who you are. Nick McGowan (03:10.179) You Nick McGowan (03:14.423) Ugh. Nick McGowan (03:36.569) Yeah. Amber RichBook (03:36.992) and your inner child, like those youthful experience where your imagination is purely untamed, not realizing that many of us have these gifts. We all have these gifts and abilities, but where were they most active? How were they most active? and I’ll just layer it with this before I give it back to you. There was a thread that I saw recently that said, healers, spiritual people, did you have a near death experience that confirmed your abilities, et cetera, et cetera? And when I was born, Nick McGowan (04:10.863) Mm-hmm. Amber RichBook (04:13.942) I only had eight minutes to live. Eight is my favorite number. Eight is when I was eight years old. That was like my favorite age. Schoolhouse rock was like a thing when I was growing up. So it was like the figure eight song. I loved eight. When I was in school, I was always drawing eight. I was always like just fascinated with eight. And my birthday is on a 26. So two plus six equals eight. And so. Nick McGowan (04:26.704) yeah. Amber RichBook (04:43.118) start reflecting on these things and you’re like oh here are how all the dots connect in my life in my reality in my experience so yeah i’m a little woo woo Nick McGowan (04:56.431) I don’t think it’s as much woo woo as it’s looking for patterns of things. I’m similar in the sense where I look, like we were talking about even signs before we hit record, looking for signs. I think there’s a level of awareness. And if you’re aware of something, you can at least say, well, that’s something. I don’t particularly agree that there are like coincidences in the world. I think there are things that line up, but then there are also things that just don’t make sense. Like I remember saying, Amber RichBook (05:07.148) Yeah. Amber RichBook (05:19.534) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Nick McGowan (05:25.679) People saying to me like years and years and years ago like you might read something in a book or like the Bible or whatever and it doesn’t make any sense at all and then years later it punches you right in the mouth like there are times literally within the Bible or God’s like this thing today means the most thing to you and you’re like, whoa What what does that mean and you’ve read it 400 billion times? Or you’ve seen a situation or whatever. I think there’s a power of being aware to be able to see those things but then Amber RichBook (05:36.183) Yep. Nick McGowan (05:53.229) like you had even said before we hit record, and we probably should have just hit record way early, was that it’s our responsibility to do something with that. And it’s what we get to do with it from there that actually shapes the way that future generations and all of those sort of things. It’s interesting to me, like right off the bat when you said, I wrote that out in first grade and now I’m living it, because I remember people in grade school thinking or writing out like a five year, 10 year plan. Amber RichBook (05:56.942) you Amber RichBoo

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On The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show, Nick and his guests have real, honest conversations about understanding how life’s moments have shaped us, who we are at our core, and how we all uniquely process and heal along our self-mastery journey.

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  • Creator
    Nick McGowan
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    203
  • Rating
    Explicit
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    © Copyright 2026 The Mindset and Self-Mastery Show
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