The Blow Your Mind Podcast

Erika Sinner
  • 5.0 (55)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Who are you becoming? And do you actually trust yourself to get there? Erika Sinner grew up on food stamps, rewrote every story she was handed, and went on to build a multi-eight-figure company as a CEO, bestselling author, and philanthropist. This is where real conversations happen about identity, self-trust, and the decisions that separate who you've been from who you're deciding to be. Every episode brings a real story, a mind blown moment, and a challenge to prove something to yourself. If you're in the middle of figuring it out, you're exactly who this is for.

  1. 1d ago

    Who Are You When Nobody’s Watching?

    What happens to the people you love when the thing you are building starts requiring almost everything you have? In this episode, Erika is joined by her husband, Chris, for a conversation about protecting your relationships while chasing big dreams. They talk about the seasons when work requires more of you, why they treat those seasons as something they decided to take on together, and the small rituals that have helped them stay connected, from dinners at the table and traveling together to the Post-it notes Erika used to hide around the house before work trips. Chris shares why supporting Erika’s ambition has never meant needing a perfect separation between business and marriage, and Erika explains why having someone who genuinely listens to the details of her work gives her a place to decompress, get perspective, and move forward. Follow Erika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erika_sinner/Check out her website: https://erikasinner.org/Buy her book, Pets Are Family: https://erikasinner.org/bookCheck out TinySuperheroes: https://tinysuperheroes.com/01:00 – When ambition starts taking over your life02:16 – Building big dreams without losing your relationships04:20 – The seasons when work requires more from both of you06:23 – Remembering you are a human while building something big07:22 – Why they treat the hard seasons as a decision they made together08:23 – Creating small rituals that keep them connected11:30 – Why Chris started traveling with Erika more13:55 – The Post-it notes that kept them connected while Erika traveled17:22 – Why sharing the details of work can strengthen a relationship22:03 – The challenge: show someone you love that you still see them

  2. Oct 1

    Just Show Up: Laura Hettiger on Rejection, Belonging & Chasing What You Want

    Emmy-winning journalist and Great Day St. Louis anchor Laura Hettiger knows what it means to show up—literally. After a devastating knee injury ended the identity she had built around being an athlete, Laura found journalism. And when sending resumes across the country led nowhere, she got in her car, walked into 30 television stations in one week, and asked for a job. In this episode, Laura shares the mindset behind chasing what you want, why being told “no” isn’t actually scary, and the reminder that if you’ve been given the opportunity, you already belong in the room. She also takes us behind the scenes of a career in television, opens up about navigating a public life, shares why she finally decided to be fully herself on air, and explains how she uses her “megaphone” to advocate for kids across St. Louis. Plus, Laura shares the moment she turned the disappointment of being passed over for a promotion into the beginning of Laura’s Run for Kids and challenges all of us to stop waiting and simply show up.Follow Laura on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lkhettiger/ Follow Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-hettiger-79489997 Follow Erika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erika_sinner/ Check out her website: https://erikasinner.org/ Buy her book, Pets Are Family: https://erikasinner.org/book Check out TinySuperheroes: https://tinysuperheroes.com/00:00 – Meet Laura Hettiger04:30 – The injury that changed the direction of Laura’s life09:30 – Finding opportunity when life doesn’t go as planned11:30 – Showing up at 30 TV stations to chase her dream14:00 – Why being told “no” isn’t actually scary21:10 – How technology and AI are changing journalism24:40 – Growing up in public and navigating criticism29:20 – If you’re in the room, you already belong34:10 – Gratitude, perspective, and enjoying the life you have now41:00 – Turning rejection into Laura’s Run for Kids

  3. Sep 24

    How to Protect Your Relationships in Your Busiest Seasons

    What happens to the people you love when the thing you are building starts requiring almost everything you have? In this episode, Erika is joined by her husband, Chris, for a conversation about protecting your relationships while chasing big dreams. They talk about the seasons when work requires more of you, why they treat those seasons as something they decided to take on together, and the small rituals that have helped them stay connected, from dinners at the table and traveling together to the Post-it notes Erika used to hide around the house before work trips. Chris shares why supporting Erika’s ambition has never meant needing a perfect separation between business and marriage, and Erika explains why having someone who genuinely listens to the details of her work gives her a place to decompress, get perspective, and move forward.  Follow Erika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erika_sinner/ Check out her website: https://erikasinner.org/ Buy her book, Pets Are Family: https://erikasinner.org/book Check out TinySuperheroes: https://tinysuperheroes.com/ 01:00 – When ambition starts taking over your life 02:16 – Building big dreams without losing your relationships 04:20 – The seasons when work requires more from both of you 06:23 – Remembering you are a human while building something big 07:22 – Why they treat the hard seasons as a decision they made together 08:23 – Creating small rituals that keep them connected 11:30 – Why Chris started traveling with Erika more 13:55 – The Post-it notes that kept them connected while Erika traveled 17:22 – Why sharing the details of work can strengthen a relationship 22:03 – The challenge: show someone you love that you still see them

  4. Sep 17

    Why the Right Relationships Can Change Your Career with Courtney Spritzer

    What if the biggest thing standing between you and the life you want isn’t a lack of opportunity, but believing you’re stuck with the choices you’ve already made? In this episode of The Blow Your Mind Podcast, Erika sits down with Courtney Spritzer, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, author, and co-founder of Entreprenista, to talk about what it actually takes to bet on yourself and build a life bigger than the one that feels safe. Courtney shares why entrepreneurs do not have to build alone, how relationships become even more valuable in a world increasingly shaped by AI, and why preparation has been the foundation behind some of the biggest risks she has taken, including quitting a stable corporate job while carrying more than $100,000 in student debt. They talk about the loneliness and sacrifice behind entrepreneurship, getting better at celebrating the wins, putting yourself in rooms that expand what you believe is possible, and the evidence Courtney has built that she can survive even the worst-case scenario. She closes with a simple challenge to audit how and with whom you are spending your life, decide whether those choices align with where you want to go, and change one thing in the next seven days. Follow Courtney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyspritzer/ Check out Entreprenista: https://www.entreprenista.com/ Follow Erika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erika_sinner/ Check out her website: https://erikasinner.org/ Buy her book, Pets Are Family: https://erikasinner.org/book Check out TinySuperheroes: https://tinysuperheroes.com/ 01:00 – Meet Courtney Spritzer and the power of betting on yourself 02:30 – Why no entrepreneur has to build alone 05:38 – Building relationships that open doors you cannot see yet 07:35 – The human connection AI cannot replace 10:38 – Preparation, confidence, and taking big risks 14:48 – Finding the why that keeps you going when it gets hard 17:17 – Choosing positivity without ignoring reality 22:17 – Courtney’s why and giving herself permission to play big 25:42 – The loneliness, sacrifice, and reality behind entrepreneurship 35:42 – The challenge: audit your life and change one thing

  5. Sep 10

    What Bravery Actually Means

    Bravery doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. It means believing you can get through what’s in front of you. In this solo episode, Erika shares the work she is doing with TinySuperheroes and what meeting hundreds of children navigating serious medical journeys has taught her about what bravery actually means. She explains how a simple cape and a collection of patches can transform MRIs, chemo, surgeries, and other difficult experiences into superhero missions, giving kids a new language for talking about the things they have been through. She also opens up about the Angel Squad, the families who have changed her perspective on grief and making memories, and one tiny superhero who responded to a potentially embarrassing moment by simply saying, “That’s where I get my superpowers.” It is a story about the power of identity, play, and belonging, and how reminding someone that they are strong and brave can change the story they tell themselves about what they have survived.Follow Erika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erika_sinner/Check out her website: https://erikasinner.org/Buy her book, Pets Are Family: https://erikasinner.org/bookCheck out TinySuperheroes: https://tinysuperheroes.com/01:00 – What do you say to a child facing a difficult medical journey?02:18 – The moment a child becomes a TinySuperhero05:08 – How Erika first discovered TinySuperheroes06:07 – Capes, patches, monthly missions, and sidekicks07:18 – The Angel Squad and the hardest part of the mission08:18 – Bringing TinySuperheroes into hospitals10:38 – What Angel Squad families taught Erika about grief and making memories14:17 – How superhero culture changes difficult conversations16:56 – “That’s where I get my superpowers”21:50 – What bravery actually means

  6. Sep 3

    Don’t Be Embarrassed by Your Own Life: Victoria Hiegel on Identity and Taking the Risk

    Victoria Hiegel built a community of more than 800,000 people by sharing the job she was once embarrassed to have. In this episode, Erika sits down with the New York City-based creator to trace the path from studying music and working four jobs at once to becoming a full-time content creator and building a team of six. Victoria shares the conversation that made her decide she had to become successful, why doing any job well matters more than the title, how being a personal assistant taught her to surrender her ego and close the loop, and the strategy behind pivoting a social media brand without losing the audience that got you there. From her Tommy Hilfiger mind blown moment to the challenge of being honest with yourself, this episode is about trusting the path that doesn't look like the one you planned, building value before chasing the reward, and refusing to be embarrassed by your own life. Follow Victoria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriahiegel/ Follow Victoria on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@victoriahiegel  Follow Erika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erika_sinner/ Check out her website: https://erikasinner.org/ Buy her book, Pets Are Family: https://erikasinner.org/book Check out TinySuperheroes: https://tinysuperheroes.com/ 01:00 Meet Victoria Hegel 05:44 The pressure to have your life figured out 09:13 How being a PA taught Victoria to surrender her ego 11:10 Why she was embarrassed to be a personal assistant 17:58 What Victoria had to believe to put herself online 21:47 Where her willingness to take risks comes from 24:36 The system she still swears by: close the loop 26:14 Treating content creation like a real business 30:58 Victoria’s mind blown moments 37:43 This week’s challenge: be honest with yourself

  7. Aug 27

    Can Your Life Support That Decision?

    Some of the biggest decisions get made before anyone says them out loud. Erika Sinner sits down with her husband Chris to unpack how the two of them actually make the calls that reshape their life, and she makes the case that a decision only holds up if your life can support the consequence of it. They trace the display home tour they went on purely to daydream, the house they had no plans to buy, the 30 day move that somehow came together, the Instagram Live in Denver where two bear coat puppies jumped out of a van, and the choice to build a company instead of taking the comfortable consulting money. Chris explains why their disagreements rarely register as fights, and how every yes has matched the season of life they were in. Erika revisits the conversations behind choosing not to have kids, the moves they researched and passed on, and the annual habit of auditing whether they still want the life they are living. She closes with the reminder that a decision made together belongs to both people regardless of the outcome, and a challenge to name the one change in your life that deserves a real conversation. Follow Erika on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erika_sinner/⁠⁠⁠ Check out her website: ⁠⁠⁠https://erikasinner.org/⁠⁠⁠ Buy her book, Pets Are Family: ⁠⁠⁠https://erikasinner.org/book⁠⁠⁠ Check out TinySuperheroes: ⁠⁠⁠https://tinysuperheroes.com/⁠⁠ 00:00 The house tour that was never supposed to happen 03:07 The gasp, the deer, and two separate drives home 05:10 Both of them trying to convince the other of the same thing 06:41 Why their disagreements never turn into fights 08:23 How two dogs turned into five 09:55 The Instagram Live where Teddy showed up 14:02 "We always wanted a bear coat" 15:58 Making decisions your life can actually support 17:18 Kids, Boston, and auditing your life on purpose 20:19 Mind blown moment and the challenge

  8. Aug 20

    How Cindy Dodd Rebuilt a Business That Collapsed on Her Honeymoon

    Cindy Dodd was given a second chance at five years old, after chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, and she has spent every day since refusing to shrink. In this episode of The Blow Your Mind Podcast, the co-founder and COO of PEMA.io sits down with Erika to talk about the belief work underneath visibility, self worth as the foundation of everything that follows, and why so many capable people disqualify themselves from the rooms they want to be in. She opens up about the week her business quietly collapsed during her honeymoon, how she and her husband rebuilt it into an Inc. 5000 company by leaning into complementary strengths, and what it means to be the only Black woman in a male-dominated industry. Along the way she shares the daily habits that anchor her belief, the flow blocks that protect her sharpest hours, and a reframe that turns nerves into fuel. It is a conversation about resilience, self trust, and the quiet decision to bet on yourself before you feel ready. Cindy’s Website: www.cindydodd.com Follow Cindy on Instagram: @thecindydodd Follow Cindy on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cindymdodd Cindy’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/@thecindydodd Check out PEMA.io Follow Erika on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erika_sinner/⁠⁠⁠ Check out her website: ⁠⁠⁠https://erikasinner.org/⁠⁠⁠ Buy her book, Pets Are Family: ⁠⁠⁠https://erikasinner.org/book⁠⁠⁠ Check out TinySuperheroes: ⁠⁠⁠https://tinysuperheroes.com/⁠⁠ 00:20 Meet Cindy Dodd 02:18 The story we tell ourselves about why we do not belong 03:42 Relabeling nervousness as the feeling before something big 05:22 Why staying small online costs more than you think 07:19 A second chance at five: sickle cell, chemo, and a transplant 09:55 Self worth as the foundation of getting seen 13:07 The honeymoon that revealed a collapsing business 16:57 Believing it was figureoutable, and rebuilding together 19:36 Flow blocks and the corporate athlete 25:58 Mind Blown Moment: walking past NYU during Tech Week

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5
out of 5
55 Ratings

About

Who are you becoming? And do you actually trust yourself to get there? Erika Sinner grew up on food stamps, rewrote every story she was handed, and went on to build a multi-eight-figure company as a CEO, bestselling author, and philanthropist. This is where real conversations happen about identity, self-trust, and the decisions that separate who you've been from who you're deciding to be. Every episode brings a real story, a mind blown moment, and a challenge to prove something to yourself. If you're in the middle of figuring it out, you're exactly who this is for.

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