The Uncommon Minds Experience

Jonathan
  • 5.0 (20)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

The Uncommon Mind Experience is a podcast for people who refuse to accept broken systems. Each episode features founders, physicians, engineers, and innovators who sit at the intersection of technology, medicine, and entrepreneurial thinking unpacking how they identify problems others overlook and build solutions that actually work. This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

  1. 43m ago

    The Search Everywhere Pyramid: Why Your Buyers Decide Before They Ever Google You —/ Gert Mellak

    Gert Mellak is an SEO consultant and the founder of SEOLeverage and PlatformLeverage . He is a straight-shooting SEO and digital marketing pro known for simplifying complex strategies . Author of Fix Your Online Reputation and creator of the ERICA framework, Gert brings practical, battle-tested approaches to online visibility . He is fluent in English, Spanish, and German and has become the digital Swiss Army knife for businesses ranging from e-commerce giants to local shops across the world . With over 20 years in search and 500+ businesses helped, Gert's expertise spans SEO, marketing, tech, and website optimization . His mission is to demystify digital marketing, making it accessible and effective for all business sizes . --- What We Discussed in This Episode Is SEO dead? Or are we watching search evolve into something entirely different? In this episode, we explore: · How search has changed from Google rankings to AI recommendations · Why traditional SEO is still the foundation — but no longer enough · The concept of Search Everywhere Optimization and why most businesses are invisible in the places their customers search · Why your buyers already have a shortlist before they reach Google · How AI decides which brands to recommend — and what signals you can influence · Why content volume no longer matters as much as authority and trust · The human advantage in an age of AI-generated sameness · What local businesses and e-commerce brands need to know · How to use AI tools without destroying your brand's personality · The 5 biggest mistakes businesses make in AI search · What search will look like five years from now If you've ever wondered whether your business is prepared for the future of search — this conversation will give you a roadmap. --- 🔗 Connect with Gert Mellak Platform Link 🌐 Website https://gertmellak.com 🏢 SEOLeverage https://seoleverage.com 📧 Email info@seoleverage.com 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertmellak/ 📚 Search Engine Land Contributor https://searchengineland.com/author/gert-mellak 📕 Fix Your Online Reputation Available on Amazon

  2. 2h ago

    When Love Means Letting Go:The Hidden Emotional Cost of Caring for Aging Parents| Ingrid Hanson-Popp

    Today's conversation is about one of the hardest transitions many of us will eventually face: watching the people who raised us grow older and realizing that love sometimes means learning how to let go. Ingrid Hanson-Popp knows this journey personally. After walking alongside her mother through the final years of her life, Ingrid began hearing the same stories from other caregivers—overwhelm, family conflict, guilt, difficult decisions, exhaustion, grief, and the feeling that nobody really prepared them for this chapter of adulthood. Those conversations eventually led Ingrid to write Becoming an Orphan: A Caregiver's Guide to Lovingly Letting Our Parents Go. In this episode of The Uncommon Minds Experience, we go beyond the practical responsibilities of caregiving and explore what happens emotionally when the roles begin to change. What happens when the child becomes the caregiver? How do you help a parent who doesn't want help? Why can siblings struggle so much to agree on what should happen? How do you care for someone without losing yourself in the process? And perhaps the hardest question of all: How do you love someone deeply while preparing yourself for the day you have to let them go? Ingrid shares the lessons she learned caring for her own mother, the unexpected challenges of navigating caregiving for her in-laws, and why there may be no perfect way to navigate this season—only more compassionate ones. In this conversation, we explore: • The emotional reality of caring for aging parents • Why caregiving can create unexpected family conflict • When parents resist help—and how to respond • The pressure caregivers put on themselves to "do it right" • Guilt, exhaustion, grief, and the emotional weight of caregiving • The importance of asking for help and building a support system • Faith, spirituality, and finding meaning during difficult transitions • Anticipatory grief and grieving before someone is gone • What happens emotionally after a parent dies • Why letting go doesn't mean loving someone less • How caregivers can care for themselves without feeling selfish • The difficult process of deciding what to do with a parent's belongings • What Ingrid wishes more people understood about becoming an adult orphan This is a conversation about caregiving—but underneath that, it's really about love, identity, family, grief, responsibility, and learning to accept that some of life's most important transitions cannot be controlled. If you're caring for an aging parent, preparing for that season, or have already experienced the loss of a parent, this episode is for you. --- Meet Ingrid Hanson-Popp Ingrid Hanson-Popp is an author, speaker, caregiver advocate, and the author of Becoming an Orphan: A Caregiver's Guide to Lovingly Letting Our Parents Go. Her work grew out of her own experience caring for her mother and conversations with others navigating the complicated realities of aging parents, caregiving, grief, and loss. Her book combines personal stories, practical guidance, and perspectives from other people who have experienced the transition into life without a parent. Connect with Ingrid 🌐Website: https://www.droppedpencil.com/⁠ Book: https://www.droppedpencil.com/Becoming-an-orphan⁠ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ingridhansonpopp/⁠ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingrid-hanson-popp-5248665/⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCebmAA9KQDYGtDy6_YGFv8A⁠ #TheUncommonMindsExperience #IngridHansonPopp #Caregiving #AgingParents #CaregiverSupport #FamilyCaregiving #GriefAndLoss #ElderCare #CaregiverBurnout #MentalHealth #SelfCare #Family #PersonalGrowth #Hope #BecomingAnOrphan #ParentCare #AdultOrphan #CaregiverLife

  3. 2d ago

    The Woman Who Turned Divorce, Cancer, and Chaos Into a Standing Ovation — with Merit Kahn

    Merit Kahn is the powerhouse behind Optimistic Personality Disorder — as playwright, producer, and performer . Her one-woman show is part TED Talk, part stand-up, and part therapy (if therapy came with a side of tequila) . It's a hilarious, heart-splattered rollercoaster through childhood quirks, divorce drama, single parent dating, career chaos, and cancer — because when life piles it on, Merit finds the punchlines . When she's not lighting up the stage, Merit is a professional keynote speaker, conference emcee, CEO of SELLect Sales Development, Certified Emotional Intelligence expert, and author of Myth Shift: Challenging The Truths That Sabotage Success . She's a Certified Speaking Professional who has worked with sales teams and entrepreneurs since 1998, teaching them how to stop selling and start getting SELLected . Her message is clear: You can't change the past... but you can rewrite your past and rewire your future . --- What We Discussed in This Episode What happens when life hands you divorce, cancer, and chaos — and you decide to turn it all into a comedy show? In this episode, we explore: · What Optimistic Personality Disorder actually is (and why you might want to catch it) · Why Merit chose to tell her story as a one-woman comedy show instead of writing a book or giving a talk · How laughter can heal what therapy missed — and why tragedy plus time equals comedy · The difference between real optimism and "positive thinking" · Why so many women struggle to give themselves permission to reset or reinvent · How Merit rewrote the narrative of her past to create a better future · The moment during a show when she knew, "Yep... this is why I do this" · What audiences walk away with after seeing the show · The first tiny shift someone can make if they feel stuck in their story · Why emotional intelligence and humor are powerful tools for leadership and life As Merit says: "You can't change the past... but you can rewrite your past and rewire your future" . If you've ever felt stuck in your story — or wondered if it's possible to laugh your way to healing — this conversation will change how you see everything. 🔗 Connect with Merit Kahn Platform Link 🌐 Website https://meritkahn.com 🎭 Show Website https://OPDShow.com 📚 Free Download: The Open for Business Framework https://meritkahn.com/podcast/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/MeritKahn 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MeritKahn 🐦 Twitter/X https://twitter.com/MeritKahn 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/meritkahn/ 🎥 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@MeritKahn 🎬 Show Video https://vimeo.com/387576029

  4. 2d ago

    It's Not Willpower, It's Biology: Why the Weight Comes Back — with Dr. Delali Hevi

    Dr. Delali Hevi, MD, DABOM, is a double board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine, a Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and the founder of Zenith Health Institute in Sun City West, Arizona . He earned his medical degree from the University of Ghana Medical School and completed his residency at Huron Hospital through the Cleveland Clinic Health System . Before he helped thousands of people lose weight, Dr. Hevi walked that very path himself. He knows firsthand what it's like to struggle with weight and the emotional toll it can take. That personal journey fuels his passion and empathy—and it's why patients feel seen, heard, and truly supported in his care . Since 2001, Dr. Hevi has been guiding people toward lasting weight loss. In 2012, he made it his professional mission after earning certification from the American Board of Obesity Medicine . His approach goes beyond diets and scales—he helps patients uncover and address the root causes behind their weight challenges, whether it's hormonal imbalance, emotional eating, gut dysfunction, metabolic resistance, or a host of other factors that are often unrecognized as causes of weight loss resistance . He's not just a doctor—he's your coach, your guide, and your biggest supporter . --- What We Discussed in This Episode What if weight regain isn't a willpower problem—but a biology problem? In this episode, we explore: · Dr. Hevi's personal journey with obesity and yo-yo dieting · Why the body fights to regain lost weight · The set point theory and whether it can be changed · How the brain and hormones like leptin and ghrelin drive hunger · Why "just eat less" is incomplete advice · How aging and hormonal changes affect weight · The truth about GLP-1 medications—what they do and what they don't · The psychology of weight, shame, and stigma · Why healthcare bias against obese patients matters · The first practical step for someone who's been stuck in the cycle If you've ever lost weight only to gain it back—or wondered why your body seems to work against you—this conversation will change how you think about weight forever. 🔗 Connect with Dr. Delali Hevi Platform Link 🌐 Zenith Health Institute https://zenithhealthinstitute.com 📧 Email zenhealthinstitute@gmail.com 📍 Office 14510 W Shumway Dr Ste 201, Sun City West, AZ 85375 📞 Phone (623) 444-6463

  5. 3d ago

    From Engineer to $2.1 Billion in Real Estate: Wealth Rules Most People Never Learn w/ Lane Kawaoka

    Lane Kawaoka is a former civil engineer turned real estate powerhouse, bestselling author, and founder of The Wealth Elevator . After earning his BS in Industrial Engineering and MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington, Lane spent years managing over $250 million in capital construction projects before realizing the traditional path wasn't delivering the financial freedom he wanted . In 2019, he walked away from his W-2 engineering job to focus entirely on real estate investing . Today, he controls a portfolio exceeding $2.1 billion with over 10,000 rental units across apartments, mobile home parks, self-storage, hotels, and commercial real estate—benefiting passive investors with over $45 million in distributions . He's the author of two bestselling books: The Wealth Elevator and The Journey to Simple Passive Cashflow, both of which challenge conventional wisdom about 401(k)s, stock portfolios, and the traditional retirement model . His mission is personal: his parents were "screwed" by the 401(k) and stock market, and he's dedicated to helping regular people access the kind of investments once reserved for the wealthy. --- What We Discussed in This Episode What if the traditional path to wealth—work hard, save diligently, contribute to your 401(k), retire at 65—isn't actually designed to make you wealthy? In this episode, we explore: · Why Lane left engineering to pursue real estate full-time · The Wealth Elevator framework and why most people try to skip floors · Why single-family rentals won't scale (and what to do instead) · The truth about 401(k)s and why Lane calls it "401(k) Jail" · Legal tax strategies that can dramatically reduce what you owe · Infinite banking explained without the marketing hype · Why Main Street investments can be safer than Wall Street · The biggest mistakes first-time real estate investors make · Practical advice for building wealth at 25, 40, and 55 · Why "real wealth moves quietly"—and the systems behind that difference If you've ever felt like you're doing everything "right" financially but still not getting ahead—this conversation will challenge everything you've been told. Connect with Lane Kawaoka Platform Link 🌐 Website https://thewealthelevator.com 🎙️ Podcast Simple Passive Cashflow 📚 The Wealth Elevator Book Available on Amazon 📧 Email (General) team@thewealthelevator.com 📧 Email (Accredited Investors) lane@thewealthelevator.com 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanekawaoka/

  6. 3d ago

    What If You're Not Stuck — You've Just Outgrown Who You Became? — with Crystal Bean

    Crystal Bean is an international keynote speaker, breakthrough strategist, and bestselling author who helps high-achieving leaders, teams, and organizations break through burnout, self-doubt, and what's keeping them stuck . She is the creator of the proprietary U.N.L.E.A.S.H.E.D.™ Framework, a nine-step methodology designed to create breakthrough moments that lead to lasting change, confidence, clarity, and purpose . But before she ever stepped on a stage, Crystal spent over 25 years building a career most people never see. She worked in federal law enforcement and intelligence alongside the DEA and the United States Attorney's Office, investigating Anti-Money Laundering, Human Trafficking, and Terrorist Financing activity . She held one of the highest security clearances available to a civilian and became one of the youngest recognized experts in her field . On paper, she looked successful. Underneath, she was unraveling. After having her daughter, postpartum anxiety and panic attacks became her trigger point—the moment everything she thought she had together came apart . That's where her own breakthrough began, and it's the real reason her business exists . Today, Crystal delivers keynotes and workshops for corporate conferences, executive retreats, leadership development programs, women's conferences, nonprofits, and universities . Her sessions blend her law enforcement and Financial Crimes background with lived transformation experience to address what people and organizations are actually feeling—not the polished version, the real one . She has mentored 500+ individuals, helped launch 100+ businesses, and impacted over 1,000 lives globally over the past decade . --- What We Discussed in This Episode What if being stuck isn't always about a lack of confidence? What if sometimes you're stuck because the identity that got you here isn't the identity that's going to take you where you're going? In this episode, we explore: · Crystal's journey from federal law enforcement to transformational coach · The difference between being "successful but stuck" and genuinely living in alignment · How survival patterns become personality—and how to recognize them · Why emotional intelligence can become self-abandonment · The distinction between confidence and self-trust · How to distinguish wisdom from fear when they sound identical · The U.N.L.E.A.S.H.E.D.™ Framework and the problem it was designed to solve · Why success can become a trap that prevents change · How transformation isn't about becoming someone new—it's about uncovering who you've always been · The first uncomfortable question to ask when you know you're stuck · Why boundaries are essential to authentic living · What it means to stop abandoning yourself As Crystal says: "People don't stay stuck because they lack information—they stay stuck because they keep repeating the same pattern, expecting a different result" . If you've ever felt like you're living according to everyone else's expectations—or wondered who you'd be if you stopped performing—this conversation will change how you see yourself. 🔗 Connect with Crystal Bean Platform Link 🌐 Website https://crystalbean.com 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalbean 📚 Amazon Bestselling Author Available on Amazon 🎙️ The Crystal Bean Podcast Available on major platforms 📞 Phone 972-996-2959 📍 Location Dallas, Texas

  7. 4d ago

    Writing Through the Wounds: Dissociation, and the Journey Back to Yourself — with Carolyn Sherrow

    Carolyn Sherrow is an author, speaker, trauma survivor, and former physician assistant who practiced medicine for twenty-three years . After enduring ritual abuse and mind control in her early life, Carolyn experienced profound healing through God's relentless love, compassionate counseling, and divine guidance . Her journey through a dissociative disorder became the foundation for a powerful testimony of faith, healing, and redemption . Carolyn is the author of My Personal Holocaust: Triumphing Over the Devastation of Trauma-Based Mind Control, where she shares how yielding to God's gentle guidance led to profound transformation . Her writing has been featured in Pentecostal Evangel magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Bethany House anthologies . Through her ministry, Cords of Grace, Carolyn helps survivors, counselors, pastors, and church leaders better understand dissociation, emotional healing, identity, and the importance of compassionate, faith-centered support . Her healing journey began not with a memory, but with a symptom. After waking in the middle of the night unable to breathe, this physician assistant of 23 years found herself on an unexpected path that led through medical specialists, a speech therapist, and eventually a Christian counselor—one who recognized something in Carolyn that she hadn't yet seen in herself . What emerged over the following years was the gradual uncovering of childhood ritual abuse, suppressed so completely that Carolyn had no conscious awareness of it until her mid-40s . Carolyn's mission is to generate long-distance discipleship, helping wounded souls develop dependence on God rather than on people, while reminding others that with God, no wound is too deep to heal . --- What We Discussed in This Episode What happens when the experiences that shaped you are so painful that your own mind has to find a way to protect you from them? In this episode, we explore: · Carolyn's journey from physician assistant to trauma survivor to author and advocate · How her healing began with a physical symptom—waking in the night unable to breathe—rather than a memory · The role of dissociation as a protective mechanism the mind uses during overwhelming experiences · Understanding the spectrum of dissociation—from simple "tuning out" to Dissociative Identity Disorder · Why the question "What happened to me?" matters more than "What's wrong with me?" · How the identity of "victim" can become a false identity, and how Carolyn reclaimed her true identity · The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation · How faith and professional counseling work together in healing · Why healing often unfolds gradually, one layer at a time · The role of compassionate counseling, prayer, and safe community in recovery · How to support someone in pain without being afraid of their darkness · Why Carolyn turned her testimony into a memoir—and what she hopes readers take away As Carolyn says: "What you are about to read is my history, but no longer my identity" . If you've ever wondered whether a wound could be too deep, a history too complicated, or a mind too fractured for restoration—this conversation offers a resounding message of hope: darkness does not get the final word . 🔗 Connect with Carolyn Sherrow Platform Link 🌐 Website https://cordsofgrace.com 📚 My Personal Holocaust Book https://cordsofgrace.com/viewproduct/15 📖 Book on Amazon Available in book, e-book, and audiobook formats 📘 Facebook https://facebook.com/CordsOfGrace 📝 Blog https://cordsofgrace.com/blog

  8. 4d ago

    Self-Care Is Broken: Why We Were Never Meant to Heal Alone — with Dr. Maria Van Der Maaten

    Dr. Maria Van Der Maaten is a sociologist of food and agriculture and a community development expert. She is also a United Methodist layperson, clergy spouse, and mother of two, and currently serves as the coordinator for the Iowa chapter of MFSA (Methodists for Social Action) . Her work sits at the intersection of wellness, community, belonging, and collective empowerment. She has been involved with Sister Parish, Inc.—an international non-profit that partners communities of faith in the U.S. with communities in El Salvador and Guatemala—for over twenty years as a delegate, staff member, board member, and supporter . That experience deeply shaped her understanding of what it means to break bread with others and why genuine human connection matters. She is the author of the upcoming book Even Monks Meditate Together, which explores a provocative idea: maybe wellness isn't something we should be pursuing entirely on our own. --- What We Discussed in This Episode What if the answer to burnout, isolation, and declining well-being isn't better individual self-care—but stronger communities? In this episode, we explore: · Why we've turned a fundamentally human problem into an individual responsibility · How the self-care industry may be creating more isolation, not less · The difference between being socially connected and actually feeling known · Why even monks meditate together—and what that tells us about human beings · How burnout is often a systems problem, not a personal failure · Why it's so difficult to ask for help when you need it most · What separates a healthy community from a toxic one · How to belong without losing yourself · The surprising power of being needed by others · Practical steps to move from self-care to we-care As Maria says: "Maybe the most radical act of self-care isn't turning inward. It's reaching outward." If you've ever felt exhausted, lonely, or disconnected despite doing "all the right things"—this conversation will change how you think about wellness. 🔗 Connect with Dr. Maria Van Der Maaten Platform Link 🌐 Website [https://www.instagram.com/maria.vandermaaten?stkn=eDlocWJleXFqMnZy] 📚 Even Monks Meditate Together (Upcoming Book) [Timeline production not set] 💼 LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariavandermaaten?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_android] 📧 Email maria@mfsaiowa.org 🌐 MFSA Iowa Chapter https://www.mfsaiowa.org

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5
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About

The Uncommon Mind Experience is a podcast for people who refuse to accept broken systems. Each episode features founders, physicians, engineers, and innovators who sit at the intersection of technology, medicine, and entrepreneurial thinking unpacking how they identify problems others overlook and build solutions that actually work. This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

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