Travis Makes Friends Travis Chappell

Thais Gibson (@thepersonaldevelopmentschool) is an acclaimed personal development leader and counselor known for her pioneering work on the subconscious mind and attachment theory.
With over 38 million views across her platforms, Thais has helped thousands transform limiting beliefs and behaviors through her integrated attachment theory model. This expansion on traditional attachment theory empowers the healing of different life attachments to enable personal growth.
Thais founded The Personal Development School, offering acclaimed courses based on her academic training and in-depth client research. She is certified in over 13 modalities, including CBT and NLP, with a Ph.D. in the field.

What Travis and Thais discussed:

Going through hardship and pain can be extremely valuable. As Thais said, the hardest times of her life taught her the most important lessons. Embracing and learning from adversity makes us stronger.

Understanding the subconscious mind is key to personal growth. Our subconscious drives up to 95-97% of our behaviors, yet most people focus solely on the conscious mind. We must reprogram limiting subconscious beliefs that hold us back.

We are all wired for connection and suffer in its absence. Thais noticed that many of her affluent clients created unnecessary problems due to a lack of fulfillment. Seeking genuine bonds with others provides meaning.

Food and the environment affect mental health more than most realize. Poor nutrition and societal divisions breed widespread issues. Taking control of our health and thinking for ourselves is essential.

We must align conscious goals with subconscious needs to achieve them. Self-sabotage happens when conscious desires conflict with subconscious priorities. Identifying core needs and limiting beliefs allows us to remove inner resistance.

This thought-provoking discussion was about overcoming hardship, mastering the mind, the need for connection, societal issues, and achieving goals. To learn more insights from Thais Gibson and Travis Chappell, listen to this episode on the Travis Makes Friends podcast.

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Dr. Aditi Nerurkar (@draditinerurkar) is a physician and public health expert who specializes in stress management, resilience, burnout, and mental health. She currently serves as Co-Director of the Harvard Medical School Clerkship in Community Engagement and formerly was medical director of a Harvard integrative medicine program. Her research has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and she is a frequent medical commentator for MSNBC and NBC News.

Dr. Nerurkar has worked extensively in global public health, including on HIV/AIDS and refugee health projects in Africa. She is the author of The Five Resets, a book on rewiring your brain to manage stress. An internationally recognized speaker, she has given talks at major conferences and corporations on building resilience. Dr. Nerurkar aims to provide science-backed strategies to help people thrive in the face of modern stressors. She also co-hosts the Time Out podcast produced by iHeartmedia and Hello Sunshine. 

What Travis and Dr. Aditi discussed:


Stress is unavoidable, but we can rewire our brains to manage it in a healthy way. Dr. Nerurkar explains how techniques like mindfulness and neuroplasticity can strengthen neural pathways to activate the prefrontal cortex instead of the stress-response amygdala. This allows us to thrive rather than just survive.

Know yourself and walk your own path. Travis emphasizes the importance of self-discovery, following your intuition, and being true to yourself rather than conforming to others' expectations. This self-awareness and authenticity lead to fulfillment.

Small steps add up through neuroplasticity. By repeating simple practices like taking mindful walks, we cement new neural pathways over time. Consistency matters more than duration. Even reluctant patients find these lifestyle tweaks effective.

Combat negativity bias intentionally. We're bombarded with up to 10,000 marketing messages daily, predominantly negative. This can wire our brains to constant stress. Seeking positive inputs counteracts this, whether it's reading good books or avoiding toxic media. Our brains are shaped by what we expose them to.

Live a lifetime daily. Dr. Nerurkar recommends devoting bits of each day to the important elements of life - childhood play, work, family, vacation, and retirement. This provides balance and meaning. Details like phone calls to loved ones count.

Dr. Nerurkar offers science-based, actionable strategies to refocus our minds and lives. Tune into this episode of Travis Makes Friends to learn more about mastering stress, understanding neuroplasticity, and optimizing your well-being.

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Eric Skwarczynski (@eskwarczynski) is a versatile media professional with a passion for storytelling. Over the past 7 years, he has worked in various roles, including videographer, photographer, writer, and graphic designer, taking him to over 20 states and 13 countries. His mission is to shed light on the important issue of mental, physical, and sexual abuse within Independent Baptist Churches. He hosts the Preacher Boys podcast, which launched in January 2020 and has since amassed millions of downloads. Content from his podcast has been featured on Peacock and CBC, and on his accompanying YouTube channel. 

He has also launched a second YouTube channel, Film School’d, featuring directors, actors, writers, Academy Award-winning FX artists, and more film industry experts.

Today, Eric is promoting the new documentary "Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals" which premieres on Investigation Discovery on November 24th and 25th of 2023. The four-part docuseries exposes predatory behavior within Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches and gives voice to survivors seeking justice. Featuring first-hand accounts from survivors like Ruthy Heiler, Kathy Durbin, and Amanda Householder, Let Us Prey offers crucial insight into the troubling culture within the IFB. Eric's testimony is also featured in the documentary, continuing his mission to shed light on abuse within Independent Baptist Churches.

What Travis and Eric discussed:
Why Eric started the Preacher Boys podcast to expose abuse and corruption in the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) church community he grew up in. He felt someone needed to uncover the problems, even though he was no longer part of the church.

The upcoming documentary "Let Us Prey" on Investigation Discovery and HBO Max will shine a bigger spotlight on abuse in the IFB. Eric and others spent significant time being interviewed for it.

According to Eric, the IFB attracts and enables abuse because of its authoritarian power structure, purity culture, and lack of accountability for leaders. It sends the message that abuse will be tolerated.

Both Eric and Travis emphasize the importance of continual questioning and keeping an open mind, rather than sticking dogmatically to answers that can't be questioned. This prevents becoming trapped in harmful fundamentalist thinking.

They feel empathy for Christians saddened by their deconversions but ultimately had to be honest about their beliefs. Mutual love and conversation matter more than agreement.

This raw, revealing conversation exposed the rampant abuse and silencing in Christian fundamentalist circles, through Eric's courageous Preacher Boys podcast and the upcoming documentary "Let Us Prey." However, effecting real change requires questioning the system and speaking truth, with integrity and empathy. Travis and Eric model this by engaging kindly across deep divides. Listen to this entire inspiring episode if you want inspiration to fight injustice with compassion. By leading with moral courage, we can take away permission to abuse power, in churches or anywhere else. A better world is possible when we stand for truth empathetically.

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Stevie Hendrix (@stevie_hendrix) is a globally recognized digital creator who has spent almost a decade connecting with millions worldwide alongside his wife Sazan. Together, Stevie and Sazan invite their 'online fam' into their lives through social media, cultivating an engaged community centered around kindness.

As a true influencer, Stevie's impact stretches far beyond the digital space. He has partnered with globally-recognized brands like Target, Disney, AMEX, and Macy's as a brand ambassador and spokesperson. His infectious positivity and compassion have struck a chord with followers and brands alike.

Stevie and Sazan have been featured extensively in major publications, including Cosmopolitan, People, Forbes.com, and graced the covers of magazines like Austin Living and Magnify. At his core, Stevie aims to spread more love, joy and inspiration through his work - regardless of algorithms, platforms or ventures. He is dedicated to uplifting others and making a difference through the incredible reach of his digital profiles.

Their book A Real Good Life will help you be more intentional with each hour of your day, build deeper connections, establish sustainable rhythms, recognize the value of reflecting, focusing, gathering, and resting, and inspire you to cherish life's gift in each moment.


What Travis and Stevie Discussed:

Work hard when you're young to set yourself up for success later. In your 20s, you have energy and time on your side that you won't have later when you have more responsibilities. Use that time to grind, take risks, and build skills that set you up for bigger success down the road.

Have a vision for your work. Grinding just to grind accomplishes little. Understand the lifestyle you want in the future, and use the hustle of your younger years to build towards that vision. With a purpose behind it, hard work in your 20s pays off enormously later.

Struggle now or struggle later - the struggle is inevitable. It's better to purposefully take on hard things when you're young and able to control the circumstances more. Putting off struggle until later only makes it more difficult. Embrace the necessary struggle on your terms.

The hustle is about focused, quality work, not just quantity of hours. Work smarter by examining how you spend your time and cutting out unproductive activities. A few hours of deep focus outpaces unfocused work for 14+ hours. The hustle is about working intelligently.

Cultivate the garden you have. Your life circumstances may not be ideal or what you envisioned, but you can still cultivate goodness daily. Start with the garden you have rather than wishing for a different plot - make the most of the gifts and people around you now.

Stevie provides an inspiring perspective on making the most of your younger years and cultivating a life you love. For more insights, be sure to listen to the full conversation on the Travis Makes Friends podcast episode with Stevin and how his book "A Real Good Life expands on creating meaning through simple, daily moments.

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Ajit Nawalkha (@realcoachajit) is an accomplished author, podcaster, and entrepreneur focused on coaching and personal growth. As the co-founder of Evercoach by Mindvalley and the Global Grit Institute, Ajit has established himself as a leader in the coaching world.
He is the talented author behind such books as "Live Big" and "The Book of Coaching," sharing his insights to inspire others to live purposeful and fulfilled lives. Ajit also hosts the popular podcast "Master Coaching with Ajit," where he delves into coaching best practices.
With decades of experience founding, scaling, and optimizing businesses, Ajit brings a wealth of knowledge on topics like coaching, team building, systems, marketing, and more. 
He works closely with select companies to catalyze positive change, cultivating workplaces and leaders that prioritize wealth, fulfillment, and making a difference.

What Travis and Ajit discussed:

Achieve clarity on what you truly want. Ajit realized he wanted to be healthy and energetic as he aged so he could keep up with his future grandkids. Once he got clear on his desire, he was able to make the lifestyle changes needed.

Friendships require vulnerability and consistency over time. Ajit believes in developing deep, meaningful friendships built on trust rather than having many shallow connections. This requires being open and spending quality time together.

Entrepreneurship fosters personal growth. Ajit was drawn to business because whether you succeed or fail, you will transform in some way. It pushes you to improve, unlike a regular job.

Listen to your heart's desires, not society's. Don't let others dictate what you should want. Connect to your own inner wisdom about the life you wish to create.

Take bold action when you realize your truth. After Ajit's "come to Jesus" moment on New Year's Eve, he made many major changes in alignment with his soul's purpose.

Travis and Ajit dive deeper into many intriguing topics together, including friendship, entrepreneurship, coaching, and living a meaningful life. Tune in to gain more of Ajit's wisdom and insights from his fascinating personal journey. 

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Jen Gottlieb (@jen_gottlieb) joins Travis Chappell in this inspiring episode of Travis Makes Friends to discuss her journey as an entrepreneur, speaker, and author. From auditioning for Broadway roles to creating a personal training business to manifesting her dream partner, Jen shares the ups and downs that eventually led her to where she is today.

Before co-founding Super Connector Media, Jen Gottlieb was pursuing her dreams of becoming an actress in New York City. Her dedication led to landing a role in the Broadway National Tour of The Wedding Singer. But that was just the start of Jen's acting career. She went on to score a role on the hit VH1 TV series That Metal Show as "Miss Box of Junk", aka "The Vanna White of Rock and Roll". The only problem? Jen wasn't actually a fan of heavy metal music. After the show's cancellation and a breakup all in one week, Jen turned hardship into growth. She realized sometimes difficult times happen so transformation can too. Jen created the fulfillment, alignment, visibility and impact she dreamed of by fully stepping into the spotlight and letting the world see the real her. 

Jen currently is promoting her new book: BE SEEN. Her book is the ultimate roadmap that will show you how to live out the life that you know you were meant to live. Not only will it help you build the confidence necessary to make this happen, it will equip you with all the essential tools you need to find your unique voice, build your brand, and live out loud!

What Travis and Jen discussed:

Why you need to take action to manifest your goals. Jen manifested huge milestones like booking her dream role and meeting her husband by not just visualizing what she wanted but also taking steps to make it happen. Manifesting requires putting yourself in the right situations and opportunities.

How to turn rejection into fuel. Jen has faced rejection throughout her life, from losing out on acting roles to having book proposals turned down by publishers. But she used those rejections as motivation to keep taking action and work harder. Rejection is part of success.

The importance of being yourself. Jen got cast on a TV show by showcasing her true personality, not the persona she thought they wanted. She lost herself playing a character on TV for years. Your authentic self will connect best with your audience.

The reason behind never giving up. No matter how many setbacks Jen faced, she persisted in pursuing her goals. She knew what she wanted even as a child and never let anything stop her from achieving it. If you stay committed, you can create the life you envision.

The truth about finding purpose. Jen thought her purpose was acting, but it evolved into motivational speaking which feels more aligned. Sometimes your purpose is not what you expect. Stay open and it will reveal itself.

This conversation is perfect for any aspiring entrepreneur or creator. Be sure to listen to the full episode and feel inspired by Jen's story!

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