In this special, spontaneous episode of Chu on This!, recorded aboard the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas, Dr. Katie W. Chu sits down with leadership consultant Mandy Cansler following a full day team retreat with the Choo Crew.

Set against a backdrop of renewal, reflection, and intentional growth, this conversation explores emotional intelligence, vulnerability in leadership, and what it truly takes to build a sustainable legacy practice.

Mandy shares her perspective after watching Katie’s team move from uncertainty to meaningful engagement throughout the retreat. Through tools like the Merrill-Reid personality assessment and guided group discussions, the team explored communication styles, personality dynamics, emotional triggers, feedback culture, and personal growth.

A central theme of the episode is the distinction between IQ and EQ. While IQ may be relatively fixed, emotional intelligence is a choice. It can be strengthened through awareness, maturity, and a willingness to evolve. Mandy explains why long term success in today’s workplace depends less on technical skill alone and more on emotional regulation, accountability, and the ability to give and receive feedback with grace.

Katie reflects on how this retreat represents something much larger than a workshop. It is about sustainability. It is about creating a practice that will continue to serve the Rosemead and San Gabriel communities for the next thirty years. It is about legacy.

This episode offers a powerful look at leadership that prioritizes heart as much as skill, vulnerability as much as authority, and long term impact over short term performance.

Emotional intelligence is a choice, not a fixed trait IQ may remain stable, but EQ can be intentionally developed. Awareness, emotional maturity, feedback literacy, and trigger management are what elevate teams.

Leadership exists at every level Influence is not defined by title. Every team member shapes culture, patient experience, and community impact through how they show up each day.

Sustainable legacy requires vulnerability and alignment Building something that lasts decades demands more than technical excellence. It requires emotional growth, shared purpose, and alignment at every level of the organization.

“The technical skills that got you where you are may not be what secures you in a position for success.”

“IQ is a given. EQ is a choice.”

“That is a promise to my patients and to my community.”

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandycansler-comt/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mandycanslerclarity/ https://www.instagram.com/mandyhcansler/

Website https://www.mandycanslerconsulting.com/

In this spontaneous and deeply reflective episode of Chu on This!, Dr. Katie W. Chu sits down with Mandy Cansler for an honest, in the moment conversation recorded during a cruise retreat in Ensenada, Mexico. What begins as an unplanned podcast unfolds into a powerful dialogue about leadership, anxiety, rest, confidence, and the evolving nature of self belief.

Katie and Mandy explore how staying busy can quietly become a coping mechanism, especially for those navigating anxiety, and why slowing down often feels uncomfortable rather than restful. Both reflect on learning to regulate their nervous systems intentionally, redefining rest as a requirement rather than a reward, and recognizing when the body sends warning signs that cannot be ignored.

The conversation also dives into leadership growth and identity. Katie opens up about releasing the belief that she “couldn’t do hard things,” recognizing herself as a leader, and stepping into bold decisions that once felt intimidating, including investing in consulting support for her practice. Mandy shares her own journey of releasing guilt tied to past leadership choices, embracing growth without shame, and learning to lead herself with compassion.

Throughout the episode, themes of presence, confidence, celebration, and alignment emerge. From recognizing leadership in action to celebrating professional milestones, this episode reminds us that growth is not about perfection. It is about awareness, courage, and intentional choice.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that leadership is not only about what you do, but about how you care for yourself while doing it.

Rest is a requirement, not a reward Health scares, anxiety, and burnout become wake up calls that sustainable leadership requires rest. It is not something you earn after exhaustion.

Confidence grows when old beliefs are released Letting go of limiting beliefs opens the door to bold decisions, leadership confidence, and personal growth.

Leadership is often unnamed until you see it in action Many people lead long before they ever call themselves leaders. Leadership shows up through decisions, care for teams, and the courage to move forward even when you do not feel ready.

“Rest isn’t a reward. It’s a requirement.” “I had to let go of the belief that I couldn’t do hard things.” “I didn’t realize I was leading until I named it.”

Mandy Hampton Cansler is an Ophthalmic Organizational Consultant and Leadership Expert, keynote speaker, and author in progress with more than 25 years of experience in the eye care industry.

Starting her career as a technician and rising to Chief Clinical Officer, Mandy blends deep clinical expertise with strategic leadership insight to help ophthalmologists, optometrists, and administrators strengthen culture, streamline operations, and build high performing teams.

She holds COMT and COE credentials and is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, with a national reputation for guiding practices through organizational clarity, leadership development, and operational transformation. Mandy is known for her transparent, relatable approach and for bringing real world insight that helps leaders move out of overwhelm and into aligned, confident decision making.

Mandy is currently writing her memoir, Not Enough…Until I Was, which explores identity, adoption, overachievement, and the emotional cost of performing for worth. She shares her writing journey openly, using vulnerability and storytelling to connect with leaders navigating their own internal battles.

Her personal journey fuels the way she leads today, with courage, clarity, and deep respect for the human stories behind every role and title.

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandycansler-comt/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mandycanslerclarity/ https://www.instagram.com/mandyhcansler/

Website https://www.mandycanslerconsulting.com/

In this deeply personal episode of Chu on This!, Dr. Katie W. Chu sits down with her longtime friend Claudia Jimenez for an honest and reflective conversation about friendship, identity, confidence, and the quiet work of becoming who you were always meant to be.

Spanning more than two decades of shared history, Katie and Claudia reflect on meeting as young single mothers, raising daughters side by side, and supporting one another through career shifts, financial loss, divorce, and personal reinvention. Claudia shares her journey from working simply to survive to rediscovering her intelligence, worth, and voice through education, therapy, and courageously stepping outside her comfort zone.

The conversation explores unlearning limiting beliefs passed down through family, culture, and society, particularly around being a woman, self-confidence, and perceived capability. Claudia opens up about staying silent for years in a marriage that no longer aligned with who she was becoming, and how finding her voice ultimately changed the course of her life.

Katie reflects on her own journey of reclaiming confidence, leadership, and faith, including confronting long-held self-doubt around business and ability. Together, they discuss friendship that endures without guilt, the power of community, the importance of modeling growth for their daughters, and why healing often begins when we finally tell ourselves the truth.

This episode is a reminder that strength is often quiet, growth is rarely linear, and finding your voice can change everything.

Unlearning old beliefs is essential to growth. Katie and Claudia reflect on how beliefs formed in youth, about intelligence, capability, and worth, shaped their lives for years. True growth began when they questioned and released those narratives.

Finding your voice may come at a cost, but silence costs more. Claudia shares how staying silent for years affected her identity and relationships, and how reclaiming her voice ultimately led to difficult but necessary change.

Safe friendships allow growth without guilt. Their enduring friendship demonstrates that real connection does not require constant contact. Trust, understanding, and mutual support create space for growth without resentment.

“I stayed silent for ten years. Finding my voice changed everything.”

“I believed I wasn’t smart because that’s what I was told, and I carried that for years.”

“We are our biggest critics. Nobody else sees us the way we see ourselves.”