The Better Mindset Podcast with Joseph Ari'el Towne

Joseph Ari'el Towne

What does it mean to do meaningful work without losing yourself in it? The Better Mindset Podcast features host Joseph Ari’el Towne—actor, performance coach, and author of The Better Mindset—in expansive conversations with leaders across art, sport, science, business, and culture. Together, they explore the mindset, habits, and practices that help people keep getting better while building a life that feels grounded and alive. For performers in every sense—and anyone called to rise to life’s defining moments.

  1. 4d ago

    Chasing Best Holds You Back—Choose Better Instead with David Reale & Steffi DiDomenicantonio

    What happens when the identity you’ve carried since childhood gets put on the line—and you have to rethink everything you’ve believed about who you are? For the first-ever live recording of The Better Mindset Podcast, I sat down in Toronto with two incredible artists and friends, David Reale and Steffi DiDomenicantonio, for a conversation about performance, identity, failure, vulnerability, and what it really means to get better. David is an actor known for roles in Mean Girls, Suits, The Boys, Doc, and more, as well as a teacher who works with the next generation of actors. Steffi got her start as a top-five finalist on Canadian Idol before going on to perform in Spring Awakening and more than 1,300 performances of Come From Away, along with extensive work on stage and screen. Both of them know what it means to build an identity around performance—and what can happen when that identity gets challenged. We talk about the people who believe in us before we can believe in ourselves, the hidden cost of tying our worth to achievement, and why chasing “best” can become a trap. We also get into the habits that sustain a creative career, learning to stay with uncomfortable emotions, keeping a performance fresh after hundreds of shows, and finding worth that exists independently of the opportunities other people give us. In this episode we explore: Your identity has to be bigger than what you do.Better is a direction; best is an outcome.Sustainable excellence requires something bigger than yourself. Connect with David: instagram.com/therealedavid Connect with Steffi: instagram.com/steffid5

    Chasing Best Holds You Back—Choose Better Instead with David Reale & Steffi DiDomenicantonio
  2. Sep 29

    The Poet’s Rebellion: Kate Harris on Finding Your Voice and Redefining Strength

    What if the thing that makes you the most alive is exactly the thing you’ve spent your whole life being told to quiet down? And what happens when you finally decide the world can misunderstand you, as long as you no longer misunderstand yourself? In this episode of The Better Mindset Podcast, I sit down with my dear friend and mentor, Kate Harris, managing partner of Istoria, author of The Poet’s Rebellion: A Willful Defiance of the Status Quo, and host of Rebel Poets Rising. Kate and her husband, Harris III, have worked together for more than twenty years, building Istoria and producing Story Gatherings. Kate also spends her days helping everyone from freelancers to Fortune 100 companies uncover the stories and language sitting just beneath the surface. This conversation is especially meaningful to me because we originally recorded it shortly after The Poet’s Rebellion came out (in April of 2025). In the time since, Kate has become even more woven into my own story. Through Istoria Studio, she helped spearhead the structure and flow of The Better Mindset until it became the book you’re about to hold. Together, we explore what happens when we stop building our lives around who the world expects us to be and start remembering who we’ve been all along. We talk about nålbinding, an ancient Viking stitching technique, and the powerful metaphor it offers for the stories we stitch into ourselves. We explore alchemy, vulnerability, being underestimated, stepping out of the shadows, generational healing, partnership, parenting, education, and what it means to build a life that is both fierce and gentle. This episode is also arriving during Story 2026—the same week The Better Mindset book launches—and I love that these stories are entering the world side by side. In this episode, we explore: Your power may not be something you need to find—it may be something you need to remember.  Vulnerability can be a form of strength. It isn’t too late to choose yourself. Connect with Kate: Istoria: istoria.com Story: istoria.com/story Instagram: instagram.com/katemharris Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rebel-poets-rising/id1800835227 Book: amazon.com/Poets-Rebellion-Willful-Defiance-Status-ebook/dp/B0G24J47KX

    The Poet’s Rebellion: Kate Harris on Finding Your Voice and Redefining Strength
  3. Sep 22

    Seeing Differently Changes Everything: Ken Black on Curiosity, Creativity & Building a Life That’s Yours

    What happens when someone tells you that you’re not cut out for the thing you feel called to do? And what might change if you stop trying to become the shape the world expects and start seeing yourself, your work, and your future differently? In this episode of the Better Mindset Podcast, I sit down with my friend Ken Black, a creative leader whose work has helped shape some of the most recognizable brands and cultural moments in sports. Ken spent years at Nike, where he served as a VP, worked alongside Tinker Hatfield on the Air Jordan 11, helped build Nike’s Advanced Concepts Team, and served as a global creative director across three Olympic Games. He co-founded Spark Training, helped rebuild the Denver Broncos’ identity, and served as Chief Creative and Innovation Officer at Omnicom’s Experiential Group. Today, he’s helping shape the comeback of the Pac-12 Conference, advising brands like Gatorade, and hosting The Designasty, a podcast about the origin story of Nike Team Sports. But this conversation isn’t really about a résumé. It’s about what happens when we learn to see differently. Ken shares the story of the professor who told him he wasn’t cut out for a career in art or design, the mentors who saw something different in him, and the curiosity and challenge that kept him moving forward. We explore the blinders we inherit from schools, companies, families, and culture—and why defining “better” for ourselves matters if we don’t want to spend our lives chasing someone else’s version of success. In this episode, we explore: How seeing differently changes everything. Why connection matters more than perfection. How vision gives me direction without locking me into a destination.

    Seeing Differently Changes Everything: Ken Black on Curiosity, Creativity & Building a Life That’s Yours
  4. Sep 15

    F the Fairy Tale: Damona Hoffman on Dating, Mindset, and Lasting Love

    What if the way we think about love has been shaped by stories that are no longer serving us? In this episode of the Better Mindset Podcast, I sit down with my longtime friend Damona Hoffman—relationship futurist, bestselling author of F the Fairy Tale, and relationship expert on The Drew Barrymore Show—to explore what happens when we stop waiting for love to magically happen and start becoming more intentional about how we create connection. Damona’s career has taken her from casting rooms to dating apps, television, coaching, podcasting, keynote stages, and boardrooms. Along the way, she discovered something fascinating: many of the principles that help us communicate who we are professionally also show up in dating and relationships. But finding connection requires more than presenting ourselves well. It requires clarity about our values, awareness of the stories we’re carrying, and responsibility for the energy we bring into a room. We talk about why instant chemistry isn’t necessarily connection, why “slow love” can give relationships space to develop, and why shared values and goals matter more than an impossible checklist. Our conversation also moves beyond dating. Damona and I explore visualization, improv, leadership, digital communication, generational differences, burnout, the cost of success, and what it means to remain a whole person while building a life with other people. In this episode, we explore: Why instant chemistry isn’t the same as genuine connection—and why trust, compatibility, and “slow love” need time to develop. The stories and expectations we inherit about love, from the idea of “the one” to impossible dating checklists, and how changing our mindset can change the way we show up in relationships. What makes relationships last, including shared values, listening, appreciation, personal responsibility, and learning to remain a whole person while building a life with someone else.

    F the Fairy Tale: Damona Hoffman on Dating, Mindset, and Lasting Love
  5. 01/13/2022

    Joe Towne with Rachel True on Honoring the Wise Voice Within

    Joe chats with actress, artist and author Rachel True about her time working alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest actors, directors and writers and her path to being a published author. They explore what growing up in New York’s East Village taught her about self-belief, the invitation to entertain ourselves while in isolation and the value in developing and honoring our intuition. Together they talk about her journey from standing in on the number one show on television to starring as iconic characters on screens big and small as well as going through the rigorous process of testing to be the lead in your own sitcom. Ultimately, they get real about the importance of seeing color, how the words we hear as children shape our sense of self and the wisdom of Gene Roddenberry & his vision for our future. Who is Rachel? Rachel True is an American actress and model who has appeared in numerous hit and cult films including: The Craft, Half Baked, CB4 and Greg Araki's Nowhere which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. On Television, she has appeared on: The Cosby Show, Getting By, Family Matters, 90210, Boston Common, Providence and Dawsons Creek. She’s recurred on some of the top shows of the last few decades:  Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Dream On, the Drew Carey Show, Once and Again, and Better Things. Rachel was also the lead on the TV show Half & Half, for which she was nominated for an NAACP award. As an author, she has written True Heart Tarot. She has co-hosted over 100 episodes of the podcast Quoting Gene Roddenberry. Most recently she can be seen in Shudder's HORROR NOIRE Anthology with Malcolm Barrett. And the upcoming horror drama Agnes. RACHEL TRUE: IMDB https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0874086/ RACHEL TRUE’s BOOK: True Heart Tarot https://truehearttarot.com/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/trueracheltrue TWITTER https://twitter.com/RachelTrue Show Notes: Horror Noire Ep.4 Fugue State https://www.shudder.com/movies/watch/horror-noire-a-history-of-black-horror/e650978256281a67 Agnes-Film https://www.roku.com/whats-on/movies/agnes?id=44530b40d0405e76843a860981e4cb9a RACHELS BOOK + TAROT DECK (True Heart Intuitive Guidebook) https://bookshop.org/books/true-heart-intuitive-tarot-guidebook-and-deck-with-book-s/9781328566263 ABOUT PAMELA COLEMAN-SMITH https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/10/13/opinion/nearly-forgotten-mystical-artist-who-still-foretells-fates/ PAMELA COLEMAN-SMITH BIOGRAPHY https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40113187-pamela-colman-smith TAROT/SPIRITUAL High Priestess Tarot card https://www.tarot.com/tarot/cards/the-high-priestess

    Joe Towne with Rachel True on Honoring the Wise Voice Within
  6. 01/06/2022

    Joe Towne with Andrew Bernstein on Finding Magic in the Frames

    Joe chats with Hall of Fame NBA Photographer, legendary sports podcaster, author, media producer and teacher Andrew Bernstein. They explore some of the most storied locker rooms (eleven times with Phil Jackson) team huddles (Pat Riley’s Showtime Lakers) and championship moments (MJ, Kobe, Dodgers and Kings) and how learning from greatness has impacted his own journey from lows to highs. Together they talk about protecting the light within, being mindful of who you put in charge of your own self-image and how our relationships may open doors to our future. Ultimately they speak about the essence of the Mamba Mentality, the secret ingredient to cultivating an edge and why life sometimes asks us to pivot to something greater than we’d imagined. Who is Andrew? Like many of the professional athletes he photographs, Andrew D. Bernstein is recognized as an all-star in sports photography. The unique personal rapport Bernstein has developed with athletes, coaches and teams over the years allows him exclusive access to special behind-the-scenes moments. A co-founder of NBA Photos, Bernstein is the key photographic contributor to NBA Entertainment’s global media platforms, which include NBA.com, all league publications and NBA licensed products. He has been the team photographer for twelve professional home teams which won championships in basketball (Lakers in 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020), baseball (Dodgers in 1988) and hockey (Kings in 2012 and 2014).​ Bernstein has covered 40 NBA Finals and 38 All-Star Games as the senior NBA photographer. In 2018, Bernstein collaborated with five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant on the worldwide bestselling book “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play,” a unique look at Bryant’s 20 year career through Bernstein’s lens. Previous books include “NBA Hoop Shots: Classic Moments From a Super Era” published in 1996 and “Journey To The Ring” co-authored with Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson in 2010. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame named Bernstein a 2018 Curt Gowdy award recipient, acknowledging his contributions to basketball media. This prestigious award is presented annually to members of the electronic and print media whose longtime efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of basketball. Bernstein is the second photographer to receive this honor. Bernstein is a co-founder of a new sports content platform called “Legends Of Sport”. His weekly podcast is distributed to all major platforms, with over 150 episodes released to date. Legends Of Sport can be followed on: Twitter @legends_ofsport, Instagram @legendsofsport, website www.legendsofsport.net, YouTube and TikTok at Legends Of Sport. Bernstein’s photography can be found at www.adbapi.com and Instagram @adbphotoinc. Show Notes: Iconic Photographs from Andrew https://www.nba.com/news/andrew-bernstein-legendary-nba-photos Bruce Springsteen-No Surrender https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxVu41Vsthg Mamba Mentality https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40230101-the-mamba-mentality Eleven Rings ​​https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16158522-eleven-rings Tim Grover https://timgrover.com/books/ Art Center http://www.artcenter.edu/

    Joe Towne with Andrew Bernstein on Finding Magic in the Frames
  7. 12/16/2021

    Joe Towne with Malcolm-Jamal Warner on Cultivating Intentionality and Purpose

    Joe chats with Emmy-nominated actor, seasoned director, Grammy Award winning spoken word artist and producer of TV and film, Malcolm-Jamal Warner. They explore what consistency can do for our happiness as well as taking the long view on our artistic journey towards cultivating and sustaining longevity in our career. Together they talk about the evolution of artistry, how it expresses through us and the influences we meet along the way both outside us and within us. Ultimately they speak about what it takes to have healthy self identity, the meditative power of hobbies and the power embedded within our names. Who is Malcolm-Jamal? Malcolm-Jamal Warner has become known in the entertainment business for his seasoned acting talents and his accomplishments in music, directing, and producing. As an Emmy-nominated actor and Grammy award winning poet, Warner has positioned himself as one of the most accomplished talents in the industry today. As a staple in television and film for nearly 30 years, Warner first rose to national prominence by starring on the celebrated and long-running classic television series “The Cosby Show.” His work on the show garnered him a Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and set the stage for him to have a long career in the public eye. Warner was most recently seen on ABC’s “Ten Days in the Valley” opposite Kyra Sedgwick, and in the critically acclaimed, award-winning FX series “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.” In 2011 Warner produced, directed, and starred in the BET original series “Reed Between the Lines” opposite Golden Globe Award winner Tracee Ellis Ross. In 2017, Warner released a powerful, spoken word short film entitled “You Can’t Hear Me”, which highlights some of America’s civil and social ills including systematic oppression, deportation and mass incarceration. Since 2018 Warner has starred in FOX’s hit medical drama “The Resident.” On stage Warner has starred in the off-Broadway plays “Three Ways Home,” “Cryin’ Shame,” (NAACP Theater Award for Best Supporting Actor), “Freefall” at the Victory Garden Theatre, and “A Midsummer Nights’ Dream,” at the La Jolla Playhouse. As a seasoned director Warner has worked on a host of television series, including being a regular director [and producer] on the comedy series “Malcolm & Eddie,” and directed several episodes of “The Cosby Show,” “All That,” “Keenan & Kel,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Sesame Street,” and the AIDS awareness video “Timeout: The Truth about HIV, AIDS, and YOU,” which earned Warner the NAACP Key of Life Image Award. When not acting and directing, Warner is a poet and a bass player. In 2015 Warner nabbed his first Grammy Award for “Best Traditional R&B Performance as a Featured Performer” on Robert Glasper's version of the Stevie Wonder classic "Jesus Children of America." Warner’s jazz-funk band Miles Long has performed in several major jazz festivals, including the Playboy Jazz Festival, and has opened for high profile artists including Earl Klugh and the late Luther Vandross. In 2015 Warner released his latest album, “Selfless,” which melds spoken word and soul music into once cohesive album. All of Warner’s independently distributed CD’s, “The Miles Long Mix Tape,” “Love and Other Social Issues,” and “Selfless” have become popular on the underground music scene, can now be purchased on iTunes and http://www.MalcolmJamalWarner.com. Instagram: @malcolmjamalwar Twitter: @malcolmjamalwar UPCOMING PROJECTS The Resident season 5 continues...

    Joe Towne with Malcolm-Jamal Warner on Cultivating Intentionality and Purpose
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About

What does it mean to do meaningful work without losing yourself in it? The Better Mindset Podcast features host Joseph Ari’el Towne—actor, performance coach, and author of The Better Mindset—in expansive conversations with leaders across art, sport, science, business, and culture. Together, they explore the mindset, habits, and practices that help people keep getting better while building a life that feels grounded and alive. For performers in every sense—and anyone called to rise to life’s defining moments.

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