Episodes

Understanding the difference between cause and effect is important when evaluating arguments because it can make all the difference in the quality of the decisions you make. A fallacy is an argument that's based on false or illogical reasoning. When there's no evidence supporting the claim that one thing causes another, it can be argued that there's a relationship between the two, typically because they happened at the same time. This 'relationship' may seem like it provides proof that one thin...

“They don’t make them like they used to” is used so often that you probably had no idea that it is an excellent example of “Survivorship Bias.” Survivorship bias is the tendency for what we see to be influenced by what we don't see. When you see beautiful examples of classic cars or beautiful old homes, you only see those that have survived to the present day. Not the hundreds of thousands that were junked, destroyed, or torn down. You are not comparing them to ALL the cars or homes made in the...

Companies are beginning to rethink their position on virtual work. Our episode today is about deciding when to return to the office. It can be tough to know what is best for you, your company, and your employees. The question, though, is, when should YOU return to the office? What should you, as an employee, do? Although you may feel this isn’t your decision, we’d like to propose that your decision to return should not be made based on your convenience alone, but rather on whether you feel yo...

We all want to feel appreciated. It's one of the most powerful motivating forces behind human behavior. And it is a key factor in personal and team productivity. How do compliments affect our productivity? It's simple: when we feel appreciated, we tend to work harder and smarter. We go the extra mile and do more. Yet there are so many reasons why we are not shown the appreciation we may deserve, or given the compliments that would go so far to build our self-esteem. In this episode, we ...

Ever wonder why you’re always so stressed? Many things can cause stress. It could be a deadline, a meeting, a difficult conversation, something you feel you cannot control, or just the build-up of many different things. Stress is the composite result of all of this. In this episode, we explore this topic not only through some coping skills but, most importantly, by identifying the root cause of why we are feeling stressed to begin with. You’ll come away with six actionable and realistic steps ...

This episode is our third look at Change. We have discussed changes we want or need to make within ourselves, and we’ve discussed external changes that happen to us. This week we dig into a roadmap to influence Change in others. It is important to understand people’s unique motivations and what may hold them back from Change. Change can trigger grief-like reactions within people. Even though there’s nothing to necessarily grieve, keeping the five stages of grief in mind will allow you to disce...

It feels like an appropriate topic on the first day of spring to continue our theme around change by talking about the changes that happen TO us. Whether we notice it or not, this type of change is continuous and constant. Change can be a difficult thing to deal with. Why do we resist change? Is it fear of the unknown? Uncertainty of an uncharted path? The concern of potential loss or hardship? We often get stuck in our ways and don't want to shift from what we know. Perhaps you have been ...

Change is inevitable. It's a part of life, and it's a part of growth. The only way to grow and get better is by changing what doesn't work for you. It’s important to know how to embrace and manage it so that it can inspire you and not overwhelm you. This episode focuses on how you can manage change within yourself. To make meaningful change happen, there are 5 major points we discuss. 1. You have to want it. 2. Recognize what it will take to make it happen. 3. Design your calendar an...

Let’s have some fun with an age-old problem that plagues us all. Procrastination! Procrastination is a thing that we all do from time to time. It's rarely because you're lazy. Identifying WHY you procrastinate certain tasks is the key to overcoming it; Is it time-consuming, and you don't have the energy for it? Is it that glimmer of hope that someone else may take care of it? Maybe you're unsure how to do it or the best way to approach it? In this episode, we volley back and forth many rea...

What is the Eisenhower Matrix? It helps you prioritize your tasks. It's useful because it sorts tasks into categories based on urgency and importance. Dwight D. Eisenhower was America's 34th president from 1953 to 1961. Before leading the country as President, he served in the United States Army and rose to Supreme Commander of Allied Forces to win World War II. He also later became the first supreme commander of NATO. Having to make tough decisions regularly while juggling many competing ...

Have you felt stuck? In a rut, with no idea how to get out of it? Well, then this episode is for you! Discipline and consistency, combined with action. This “magic formula” causes opportunities you could have never dreamed of to present themselves. Few things are more satisfying than achieving a goal that you've been working towards for months or even years. With discipline, you’ll create a greater chance for your success. With consistency, you stay on the path that will lead you to that succ...

Self-confidence is not about how good you are, it's about how good you think you are. We are constantly bombarded with messages that tell us that we are not good enough. It's important to remind ourselves that these messages are not true. No matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from, you have the ability to learn new skills and also to make mistakes. Mistakes are part of life and of learning. So let's stop putting ourselves down and start building up our own self-confidence!

Our episode today is about crafting a complaint email that gets results. Cristina has a rant about her returns issue with the discount boutique Ruelala that is hilarious. Amazingly, a powerful email outline emerges that will work for you every time! There are few things more frustrating than receiving a product that doesn't match our expectations. Imagine Cristina's disappointment when she wanted to return those items, only to be told she exceeded her return allowance! The horror! That's when...

Have you ever sat through a meeting that could have been an email? Ever ended a meeting with no clarity around what is to happen next? Too often, meetings are called without true purpose and intent wasting our most valuable resource - time. A great meeting brings the right people together with an established intent and clear understanding of what success looks like. Meetings are a vital tool that establishes consensus, inspires innovation, and advances initiatives forward. When appropriately ...

Effective communication is about how you exchange information with others. It’s about understanding the emotion and intent of the message rather than just the content.

Trust refers to the belief that someone is fair, transparent, and honest, among other attributes. The most important thing about building trust is that it starts with you. You need to believe in what you are doing and what you are trying to accomplish. That sense of trust helps create a safe environment where your team members, friends, and family feel comfortable asking questions or sharing ideas. Trust in the workplace is a must-have, not a nice-to-have. You can create a workplace that a...

Ghosts in the Machine is not just an idea. The term "ghost" describes the insecurities, fears, memories, and attachments that haunt us. Our past experiences can impact how we approach present-day situations. These ghosts that we live with may create false assumptions about how other people see us and judge our actions.

As we begin this New Year, we thought this the perfect time to talk sales predictions for 2022 and beyond. Whether you are in the sales business or not, you are in the sales business! Don’t believe us? Have you looked for a new job? Have you tried promoting a great idea you have? Have you tried to buy something without getting ripped off? Well, guess what? You were, in fact, selling or a part of the sales process. Understanding sales is a skill you’ll want to cultivate to reach the potenti...

The Holidays are over with one notable exception: New Year’s Day. This is the day that many people make some sort of resolution. People have been making New Year’s Resolutions as far back as the 1600s. Perhaps even longer than that. Why are we so set on making resolutions when they often don’t last? What’s really happening is people do so much of what they shouldn’t in December. They then resolve to change all of that on New Year’s Day, just to fall back into their bad habits later in January!...

The Holiday’s are a special time of the year. We take time to gather with family and friends, time to appreciate what we have, splurge on gifts, and indulge in all of our favorite foods. What about your work, your job, or your business? How do you stay effective during the Holidays? How do you use this time when people are taking a pause to set yourself up for success in the new year? In this episode, we dive into the realities of business during these last weeks of the year. The slowing down,...

It’s easy to think of business challenges as separate and distinct from our personal challenges, yet the two so frequently go hand in hand. Running a business, large or small, consumes a large part of one’s day, and also a large part of one’s emotional capacity. Khris Reina, a father of 5, a successful commercial real estate investor, entrepreneur, and the owner of The Oakley Kitchen + Cocktails, a popular restaurant and bar in Nutley, NJ shares how the past two years challenged him in ways h...

Resilience is often learned and developed through early life experiences. As we continue this resilience series, we are joined by a very special guest known as Laura Graziano to most, but mom and wife to us. Not only is she the woman that keeps the heart of our family beating, she also has an inspiring story of resilience. Growing up with a mother afflicted with mental illness, Laura learned from an early age to accept what is, use writing as a creative outlet, and spend time outdoors. These ex...

This is the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day. We decided to step out of the resilience series to say thank you. We thank you, our listeners, and we express just how thankful we are for all that we have and how far we have come. Joining us this episode is Joe’s beautiful wife, and Cristina’s Mom, Laura. Laura has been with us every step of the way with this Podcast, so we brought her on to chat, and reminisce about some of the early podcast planning. Curious how we came up with the name? We’ll pla...

Life is unpredictable. This week we are joined by a very special friend, Sam Morovati. Sam is a customer experience leader in big tech, an avid car collector, father, husband, and SURVIVOR. This week’s episode tells the story of the accident that almost killed Sam Morovati on October 18, 2020. That accident is just the beginning of a long journey to recovery and resilience. Sam shares how the experience of fear, pain, and trauma has impacted his outlook on life for the better. You’ll hear about...