What do gym shoes, Olympic athletes, and getting your to-do list under control have in common?

According to Rona Lewis, quite a lot.

In this episode of Biz-Souls, Rona arrives fresh from yet another workout (seriously… does she ever sit down?) and shares the secret behind the productivity levels that have friends—and her long-suffering podcast partner Jeffrey Hansler—comparing her to the Ever-Ready Bunny. Jeffrey admits he gets tired just hearing about everything she’s accomplished before noon. By 10 a.m., Rona has exercised, written something, planned three projects, and possibly reorganized a small nation.

The culprit behind this superhuman output? An athlete’s mindset.

Working from an article in Fast Company, Rona explains how high performers use a “non-negotiable” mindset—turning important actions into automatic habits instead of daily debates. No internal arguments. No procrastination. No “maybe later.” Just decide once and do it.

In other words: stop negotiating with your to-do list like it’s a labor union.

Along the way, Rona and Jeffrey dive into:

• Why hesitation quietly kills productivity (and why “I’ll start tomorrow” is the most popular lie ever told)

• How athletes train their brains to focus and follow through

• Why habits beat motivation every time—because motivation likes to sleep in

• The surprising power of playfulness in getting things done

• And why Jeffrey believes Rona may secretly run on rechargeable batteries

They also wander into the Olympics, ADHD superpowers, cats that insist on being part of the podcast production team, and the universal truth that productivity always feels better after you start.

If you’ve ever spent more time thinking about your to-do list than actually doing it, this episode may give you the mindset shift you need.

Because productivity isn’t just about working harder.

It’s about training your brain like an athlete—and maybe laughing a little while you’re doing it.

Related Biz-Souls Episodes:

Episode 213 – Innovative Strategy with Melissa Dinwiddie

Why creativity and play aren’t luxuries in business—they’re strategic advantages.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Fh7tS6DkYJbXxBizSouls

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BizSoulsPodcast

Episode 212 – HR and AI: The Future of Work

What happens when artificial intelligence meets human resources—and whether the robots will eventually ask for PTO.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Fh7tS6DkYJbXxBizSouls

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BizSoulsPodcast

Episode 211 – Greg Schirmer: From Badge to Boardroom

A former police officer shares what de-escalation, negotiation, and leadership look like when the stakes are high.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Fh7tS6DkYJbXxBizSouls

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BizSoulsPodcast

Some people take the straight road to the corporate world. Melissa Dinwiddie did not.

Her journey zig-zagged through science, arts, creativity, and what most companies politely call “that messy innovation thing we keep trying to do but somehow never quite pull off.”

Now she helps leaders make innovation stick, which, as executives know, is about as easy as nailing Jell-O to a whiteboard.

Hosts Rona Lewis and Jeffrey Hansler sit down with Melissa to unpack the real mechanics of innovation by getting people energized, experimenting, and (brace yourself) actually changing how they work.

Melissa blends science, humor, and a healthy disrespect for boring corporate thinking to help organizations escape the innovation hamster wheel; where everyone talks about creativity, attends a workshop, and then goes right back to doing things the same old way.

Her approach? Make innovation playful, practical, and psychologically sticky so teams don’t just nod politely in the meeting, they actually try something new on Monday morning.

And judging by the reception of her newly released book, which is currently selling like water to travelers in the Gobi Desert, people are clearly thirsty for it.

Rona and Jeffrey do what they do best: ask sharp questions, poke a little fun at corporate buzzwords, and prove once again that business insight lands better when it comes with humor.

If your organization says it wants innovation, and only creates more meetings, this episode might be exactly the shake-up your thinking needs. Because sometimes the smartest strategy is simply giving people permission to think differently.

Related Biz-Souls episodes you will enjoy:

Episode 211 – Greg Schirmer: From Badge to Boardroom – The Art of De-Escalation

https://open.spotify.com/show/6pQ5KpK6l0BizSouls

https://www.youtube.com/@BizSoulsPodcast

Episode 210 – Leadership, Change, and the Occasional Verbal Boxing Match

https://open.spotify.com/show/6pQ5KpK6l0BizSouls

https://www.youtube.com/@BizSoulsPodcast

Episode 208 – Dr. Laura Janusik: Listening – The Most Misunderstood Leadership Skill

https://open.spotify.com/show/6pQ5KpK6l0BizSouls

https://www.youtube.com/@BizSoulsPodcast

And Like, Share, Follow, and Subscribe so you catch every episode of Biz-Souls.

Are you being manipulated right now?

Relax… the answer is probably yes, and the scary part is you might even be enjoying it.

Did you know a worm can turn a cricket into a suicidal zombie swimmer and we’re not even exaggerating.

In this wildly entertaining episode of Biz-Souls, hosts Rona Lewis and Jeffrey Hansler dive into the strange, fascinating, and hilarious world of manipulation and cover everything from parasites hijacking rat and cricket brains (yes, zombie crickets) to everyday psychological tricks used in business, sales, leadership, and even parenting.

They unpack how manipulation isn’t always evil—it can be the secret sauce behind great leadership, positive culture, and persuasive communication. Along the way, you’ll discover:

• How a parasite convinces a rat that cat pee smells irresistible

• Why a worm can turn a cricket into a suicidal swimmer

• Why people automatically trust uniforms, titles, and big offices

• How asking questions can make someone believe your idea was actually theirs

• Tricks used by salespeople, leaders, con artists, and politicians

Rona and Jeffrey also explore:

• Machiavelli’s surprisingly brutal leadership lessons

• Samurai shadow-mirroring techniques for calming classrooms

• How smiling, handshaking, and body language are ancient survival signals

And yes… there’s discussion about guilt, Jewish mothers, and Jeffrey’s hair, because every good conversation about manipulation needs a little humor.

By the end, you’ll see that the real question isn’t whether manipulation happens, it’s who benefits from it.

If you’re going to be manipulated… it might as well be marvelous.

Related Biz-Souls Episodes:

Episode 125: How to Retrain Your Brain

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Sl8zVZB6Jx5DMHg8lN9aH

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA4P9HvbKVI

Episode 127: Tickled About Piccles! A Unique Way of Connecting Communities

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1m0lrAjU0EoA0YpWqq9n9K

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQNREqXwV8k

Episode 139: Play for Better Living! Why Play Makes Every Life Better

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5EOyx44QYvEkrzE6Fg6fA8

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdUd8cU1JXg

Episode 137: Just Say No! Maybe…

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5O9pVnMLtrVRHfSrkE3dZn

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ffpbkA2n8

Episode 136: Mature Gnome with Ego

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SrTBRzWZ9MbhycJw5Nkwv

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl6sKzNUWTo

Subscribe & Join the Conversation

• Like the episode

• Subscribe to the channel

If you enjoy Biz-Souls Episode 212, you may also like:

• Simon Sinek on leadership and influence

• Adam Grant on workplace psychology

• Daniel Pink on motivation and persuasion

• Malcolm Gladwell on human behavior and decision-making

• Robert Cialdini on influence and persuasion

• Big Think conversations on psychology and neuroscience

Biz-Souls covers these same ideas with more humor, storytelling, and friendly banter between Rona and Jeffrey.