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What if pain wasn’t the enemy… but a messenger?

What if stress wasn’t just something to “push through”… but the root of nearly every ache, tension, and health challenge in the body?

In this deeply insightful episode, host Amanda Russo sits down with Njideka Olatunde, founder of Focus on Healing Wellness Institute, reflexology educator, and pioneer in medication-free pain relief… for a conversation that reframes everything listeners think they know about pain, stress, and healing.

Njideka shares how growing up with home remedies, herbal “concoctions,” and doctors who made house calls shaped her early vision of becoming a healer. After witnessing gaps in the medical system as a social worker, she followed a new path into naturopathy and reflexology, where she has now spent over 40 years helping thousands find relief without relying on pharmaceuticals.

At the heart of the episode is one core truth: pain and stress go hand in hand. Njideka explains why the body never betrays us, how stress internalized becomes physical pain, and why listening is the first and most powerful form of touch. She introduces the concept of multiple forms of touch, physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, and even financial and reveals how something as simple as a smile, gratitude, or holding space can begin the healing process.

The conversation also explores personal responsibility in healthcare, asking better questions, stepping “out of the box,” reconnecting with the inner child, and why healing requires participation... not passive prescriptions.

It’s a powerful reminder that the body is intelligent, healing is collaborative, and empowerment begins the moment we decide to take back control.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🖐️ Why pain and stress are inseparable
🧠 How internalized stress becomes physical symptoms
👂 Why listening is the first and most powerful form of touch
🌿 How reflexology activates the body’s natural pain relievers
💊 Why medication should be questioned, not blindly accepted
💰 How financial stress silently contributes to illness
🎈 Why reconnecting with your inner child relieves tension
🙏 Why gratitude is the foundation of healing
🔥 How taking responsibility transforms the healing journey

⏰ Timeline Summary

[3:12] Childhood home remedies and the early vision of becoming a healer
[8:45] The stress pain connection explained simply
[12:18] The “mechanic” analogy
[16:40] Listening as the first form of touch
[22:55] Reflexology explained through the nervous system
[31:07] Financial pain as a root cause of stress
[38:42] Creating a “silly day” to reconnect with your inner child
[47:10] Celebrating 40 years of impact in reflexology

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What does it really take to rise from rock bottom and build something meaningful?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Michael Leung for a raw and deeply human conversation about grief, identity, resilience, and rebuilding after adversity. From immigrating to Canada at six years old to losing his mother to cancer during his teenage years, Michael shares how that devastating loss unraveled him, leading to years of anger, rebellion, and self-destruction before ultimately becoming the foundation for purpose.

Together, Amanda and Michael explore toxic friendships, heartbreak after a 12-year relationship ended, navigating partial blindness, and the mindset shifts that transformed pain into impact. What began as survival eventually evolved into innovation, including the creation of an affordable hearing device now helping seniors and individuals with disabilities. This episode is an honest reflection on humility, ownership, and the courage to evolve when life forces change.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧳 How immigrating at a young age shaped resilience and identity
💔 The profound impact of losing a parent and how unprocessed grief can manifest as anger
🔥 Why destructive behaviors are often rooted in deeper emotional pain
🧠 How adversity can either harden someone or refine them
🍻 The turning point that led to sobriety and cutting toxic influences
🎧 How personal disability inspired the creation of an affordable hearing solution
📈 Why feedback, humility, and evolution are critical for growth
💡 The “aha” moment that redefined fulfillment and purpose

⏰ Timeline Summary

[5:45] Immigrating to Canada and adjusting to a new culture
[11:10] Losing his mother to cancer and the emotional shift that followed
[18:30] Falling into destructive patterns and feeling completely lost
[27:50] A major career setback that reignited feelings of injustice
[34:40] Being diagnosed with partial blindness and confronting uncertainty
[38:20] The creation of his hearing device and building a purpose-driven company

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Michael:

https://www.theinnerflo.com/

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What if the reason burnout keeps coming back… isn’t because there’s not enough time but because too much of that time is going to things that don’t actually matter to the life someone wants?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala, clinical psychologist, professor, and bestselling author for a grounded, eye-opening conversation about values, boundaries, and what it really takes to create change that lasts. Dr. Sauer-Zavala shares her journey from being a “messy, shy kid” to building a career in treatment research, and why redefining success became non-negotiable once motherhood, burnout, and real priorities entered the picture.

Together, Amanda and Dr. Sauer-Zavala unpack why burnout isn’t a productivity problem, how saying “no” can actually bring better opportunities, and why values aren’t just inspirational words, they’re behavioral instructions.

Expect a conversation that cuts through hustle culture, reframes what “success” is supposed to feel like, and brings everything back to one powerful question:

Does this move closer to your values… or farther away? 🧭

💡 In this episode, listeners will learn:

🧭 Why values are the missing link between wanting change and sustaining change
🔥 The 2 burnout mindset traps: treating burnout like an efficiency problem + normalizing exhaustion because “everyone is burnt out”
🚫 Why saying no can lead to more aligned opportunities (not fewer)
📩 The surprising downside of “Inbox Zero” and why it’s not a life goal
🧠 How CBT helps challenge fears like “If a boundary is set, everything will fall apart”
📉 Why aiming for 80% effort can reduce overwhelm without lowering performance
🧩 A new way of understanding borderline personality disorder as trait vulnerabilities
🧑‍⚕️ How to find the right therapist: what to ask when someone claims they “do CBT”

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[12:40] Grad school systems: planners, structure, and reducing overwhelm with organization
[16:40] Why treatment research matters: impact beyond one-on-one work and “moving the needle”
[21:10] Redefining success: stepping away from academic metrics and toward values-based living
[27:30] Boundaries and opportunity: why saying no created better-aligned yeses
[33:10] Introducing BPD Compass: the book, the framework, and the goal of accessible treatment
[38:45] The most hopeful truth about BPD:
[46:40] Burnout reality check: it’s not a planner problem, it’s a too-much problem

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala:

Website: https://personality-compass.com/

Shannon's Suggested search: “Values identification worksheet”

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What if the reason most bras don’t feel right… is because brands aren’t actually listening?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Kristen Anderson, co-founder of Iteration, to unpack what happens when product design is guided by real women, not guesswork.

From Kristen’s “Skirt Girl” origins and a wild childhood fashion story to her path through lingerie startups and Target swimwear, this conversation explores the mindset behind creating with intention, building community-driven products, and learning to move forward even when things feel uncertain. Expect laughs, founder truth, and a few unexpected questions, including the one law Kristen would make if she could.

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[06:10] Childhood dynamic, being the youngest, and a healthy co-parenting example after divorce
[11:35] The sewing-machine turning point and how “Skirt Girl” began
[18:40] The Barbie fashion incident that turned into a hospital visit (and a lifelong fashion obsession)
[39:20] Freelancing in the early internet era: uncertainty & learning curves
[45:30] Brutal commutes, startup culture, and developing a growth mindset
[58:05] The idea that lingered: early COVID, abandoning the book, and the start of Iteration

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Kristen/ Iteration:

https://iterationera.com/

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What if the healing you’ve been searching for doesn’t start in your thoughts… but in your body?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with trauma-informed healer and spiritual educator Heather Ann Ferri for a powerful, wide-ranging conversation on trauma, remembrance, and reclaiming inner sovereignty. Heather shares her extraordinary life journey from Broadway stages and creative success to profound dark nights of the soul and how those experiences shaped the healing work she offers today.

Together, Amanda and Heather explore how trauma lives in the nervous system, why the body remembers what the mind forgets, and what it truly takes to heal at the root. This episode moves fluidly between the mystical and the practical, touching on Breathwork, medical meditation, bloodline trauma, and the importance of respecting both the human body and Mother Earth. It’s an expansive, honest conversation that invites listeners to slow down, listen inward, and remember who they are beneath survival mode.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🌬️ How trauma is stored in the body and nervous system not just the mind
🧠 Why mindset work alone often falls short for deep healing
✨ What “medical meditation” is and how it supports brain and nervous system rewiring
🧬 How bloodline and generational trauma influence health and behavior
🌿 The role breath, sound, and movement play in releasing stored trauma
💧 Why clean water, environmental awareness, and embodiment matter for healing
👁️ What it means to reclaim sovereignty and remember one’s true self

⏰ Timeline Summary

[1:42] Heather’s early life, creativity, and surviving childhood trauma
[8:30] How the body holds trauma even when memories are fragmented
[16:55] Broadway, performance, and using art as survival and expression
[25:40] Why affirmations and mindset work didn’t heal trauma
[33:10] Medical meditation, Breathwork, and rewiring the nervous system
[45:28] Bloodline trauma, memory, and the body’s intelligence
[57:50] Clean water, Mother Earth, and practical responsibility in healing
[1:14:20] Sovereignty, legacy, and remembering who you truly are

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Heather:

Website: https://www.heatherannferri.com/

Subsrcibe to her Youtube Channel:

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

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What if one recorded conversation could become a living archive... something that speaks long after you’re gone and changes someone’s life in ways you’ll never witness?

In this deeply moving episode, host Amanda Russo sits down with Adam Torres, co-founder of Mission Matters, author, international speaker, and host of over 6,000 interviews... for a conversation that weaves together mindset, storytelling, grief, and legacy.

Adam shares his unconventional path from left-brained finance to storytelling at scale, including growing up in Detroit, choosing international relations simply to travel the world, and how writing one book set off an unexpected domino effect that led to publishing hundreds of authors and launching hundreds of podcasts. Along the way, he reflects on learning podcasting in public, imperfect audio, authentic beginnings, and the surprising kindness of podcast listeners who keep creators accountable through consistency.

At the heart of the episode is legacy. After losing his mother in a sudden tornado, Adam realized that the three interviews he had recorded with her were his most valuable possessions, living recordings that future generations can hear in her own voice. He opens up about the “small miracles” that followed, the healing power of documenting grief, and why inviting loved ones into your work now is something you’ll never regret.

The conversation also dives into the craft of podcasting itself: why “just start” matters more than perfection, how volume builds endurance, why creation beats critique, and how shifting from ego to service can turn a microphone into a tool for humanity.

It’s a powerful reminder that storytelling isn’t about attention, it’s about preservation, connection, and meaning.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🎙️ Why podcasting is simply recorded human connection
🌍 How a love of travel shaped Adam’s global mindset
📖 How writing one book unexpectedly launched a media empire
🧠 Why authenticity outperforms perfection when starting something new
⏱️ How consistency builds trust even when content isn’t “perfect”
🕊️ How grief reshaped Adam’s understanding of legacy
👩‍👦 Why recording loved ones can become priceless over time
📡 Why Adam believes we’re heading toward one billion podcasts
🔥 Why creating your own voice matters more than critiquing others

⏰ Timeline Summary

[3:02] Growing up in Detroit and developing an early work ethic
[7:02] Redefining intelligence, success, and nontraditional paths
[8:24] Choosing international relations purely to see the world
[13:48] Writing one book and the domino effect that followed
[17:03] Why podcasting is just recorded conversation
[21:38] Learning podcasting in public and embracing imperfection
[29:19] Why storytelling dissolves ego instead of feeding it
[37:16] Losing his mother and redefining legacy through recorded voice
[42:53] The healing power of documenting grief and “small miracles”
[50:49] Why inviting loved ones on your show matters

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Adam:

https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorre

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What if the “small changes” you keep putting off are actually the ones that would change everything?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with author and acupuncturist Elizabeth Bruckner, creator of The Homesteader Mindset, for a conversation that feels equal parts grounding, funny, and quietly life-altering. Elizabeth shares how a lifetime shaped by immigrant family history, chronic illness, and deep curiosity led her to the unexpected path of homesteading… starting in a Southern California suburb with a concrete backyard and a history of killing plants.

Together, Amanda and Elizabeth explore what integrity really means, why routines outperform willpower, and how “tiny increments” can pull someone out of survival mode and into self-trust. From habit chaining and gratitude practices to the power of frivolous joy, this episode is a reminder that healing and transformation don’t usually happen through massive overhauls… they happen through small, doable choices repeated with grace.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🌿 How chronic illness became the turning point that shifted Elizabeth’s relationship with self-care
🏡 What “homesteading” can look like even in a suburb with limited space
🧠 Why routines work better than willpower when building lasting habits
⏳ The “five-minute rule” that helps people restart habits without shame
💛 How gratitude can interrupt hopelessness and bring someone back to the present
✨ Why “frivolous joy” is not optional... it’s nervous system medicine
📝 What Elizabeth means by “badly done is better than well said” (and why it changes everything)

⏰ Timeline Summary

[0:49] Elizabeth’s core values: integrity and being a lifelong learner
[3:11] Family history, immigration trauma, and how early stories shaped her worldview
[10:52] Chronic illness in her 40s and the moment everything had to change
[13:09] Starting homesteading during COVID and building community through curiosity
[15:57] Learning languages during illness and why it helped her avoid identifying with being “sick”
[22:08] Why Elizabeth wrote The Homesteader Mindset and the power of tiny increments
[28:01] Willpower vs. routines and how habits live in the brain differently
[31:42] Practical tools for getting back into habits (five-minute rule + function stacking)
[35:30] Gratitude as a mindset shift, especially in hard seasons
[58:35] “Badly done is better than well said” and why action beats perfection

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Elizabeth Bruckner:
Website: https://createwellnessproject.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createwellnessproject/

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What if the reason “starting over” feels so hard… is because you’re trying to change habits before you’ve changed the way you see yourself?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with mindset and movement coach Christiaan Hoffman for a wide-ranging, thought-provoking conversation about identity, comfort zones, and why real transformation starts in the mind long before it shows up in the body. Christiaan shares how his life experiences—from growing up in the Netherlands to solo backpacking across Australia and training in martial arts—influenced the way he coaches people to close the gap between who they are and who they’re meant to be.

Together, Amanda and Christiaan unpack why “discipline” isn’t just about willpower, why most people burn out after a few months of trying to change, and how black-and-white thinking can quietly keep you stuck. Expect a conversation that challenges the typical fitness narrative, reframes emotions and identity, and brings everything back to one simple question:

What’s the outcome you actually want? 🎯

💡 In this episode, listeners will learn:

🧠 Why identity and belief systems shape results more than motivation
🔥 Christiaan’s “80/10/10” framework (psychology, diet, movement) and why it works
🏃‍♂️ How to rebuild confidence in your body using simple, effective movement
🥤 Why deprivation backfires and how small reductions create big change over time
🧩 The difference between self-conception vs. self-definition (and why it matters)
📖 How Christiaan spent 8 years building a psychological model and writing his book
⚖️ Why “no black-and-white thinking” could change everything from fitness to conflict
😮 His take on emotions, stability, and staying focused on outcomes
👟 The Dutch saying about “soft healers” and when a kick-in-the-butt is actually love

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:24] Growing up in the Netherlands as the “middle child fighter” and what that shaped in him
[4:46] The spontaneous decision to backpack Australia solo and why waiting until retirement doesn’t make sense
[11:15] Why desk jobs didn’t work for him and the importance of understanding how you function
[13:23] His philosophy on movement: simple, effective, and built for real life capability
[16:57] The “80% psychology” truth bomb and why most routines fail without support
[20:43] Why restriction backfires and how Amanda approached weight loss by adding “more good” instead of cutting everything out
[30:25] When diets become identity and why black-and-white thinking makes change harder
[40:09] How writing a book forced him to define concepts and led to his psychological model
[47:34] The Dutch saying: “soft healers make stinking wounds” 👣 and when people need a push
[51:15] “Emotions are overrated” 😮 his perspective on anxiety, reaction vs. response, and stability

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Christiaan:

Website: https://www.sportnaturel.com/

📘 His Book: To Meet Yourself, Think For Yourself