Women Worldwide with Deirdre Breakenridge

Most moms want to be great supportive moms, but how do you do that? My guest today, is an energy healer who believes that to give your kids the support they need, you need to come from a place of freedom. Laura Hackel uses crystal bowl healing sessions, ceramic vessels, and crystals to raise vibrations and assist with healing.

We talk about what all of this actually means and how to be a better mom using “mom GPS,” as Laura calls it. She shares her story of how she found this calling and explains how energy healing, vibrations, and trauma all tie together. This is a fascinating look into looking at life in a different way to benefit yourself and those around you. 

Show Notes:

  • [04:07] Laura majored in computer science, but quickly learned she liked talking to people. She got a job at a startup where she could talk to people. She worked in staffing and ran different departments, but as the company grew she knew she wanted something else.
  • [05:08] Her identity was tied in to who she was at work. She started taking yoga, was gifted a bowl, and started taking classes. She was also asked if she was a potter.
  • [05:43] She gave herself time to experiment. 
  • [06:32] She then met a healer. It was amazing to see what life had opened up. 
  • [07:13] She went to shaman school. 
  • [07:50] Her children challenge the status quo and she is a conflict avoider. 
  • [08:30] She then played the crystal bowls. They all have different tones. The vibration is high and energy that doesn't serve you has to rise up.
  • [09:28] When she plays the crystal bowls for a room of people different amazing things will happen for each person.
  • [09:43] There is high vibration and low vibration energy. If you are angry or ashamed those are low vibration energy switch will stick with you.
  • [10:21] Stuff that happens in our external energy field leads to illness in our bodies if we don't clear it.
  • [10:37] The vibrations will target what needs to leave and some of it will be really old and you don't even know what it is.
  • [11:04] The bowls can help you negotiate through difficult times.
  • [14:10] When you heal a belief you change how you feel about it.
  • [14:54] The whole idea of being a mindful mom is knowing that inside of you you know what your child needs.
  • [16:45] What you think something means causes you to suffer.
  • [18:07] To help other mom's be mindful, you have to be mindful.
  • [22:50] We travel with people whom we've traveled with before and whom we will travel with again. They are our soul family.
  • [25:07] Crystals get to sit in Mother Earth, and they come out with a high vibration. Find a crystal and see what calls to you. Laura keeps crystal in her water bottle.
  • [29:04] Different crystals support different needs. You can put them under your bed.
  • [32:23] Ceramic bowls have a higher vibration, but the ones that Laura makes have a high vibration. She has channeled her intention to heal. 
  • [34:22] Embracing more is a six month to a year process. 
  • [36:03] Trauma gets trapped within us, and we are never free of it until we process it. 
  • [37:16] Trauma can be from anything, even small things in a child's brain.
  • [38:34] When we experience something traumatic our beliefs get flipped on their head. It's easy to get stuck as a victim when something traumatic happens, so work needs to be done to get your power back.
  • [40:15] Our pain can be our gift.
  • [40:37] Do something outside of your comfort zone to get perspective.
  • [41:07] Write down what happens when you get angry about something. Then laugh at how not factual it was. 
  • [42:26] Find a crystal. Try things and see how it feels. Take 10 minutes a day to breath.  

Links and Resources:

Direct download: WW226.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

Jaime-Lee Fraser is a business growth expert who develops professional companies into market leading brands. She is also the co-founder of Kwired a branding and acquisition readiness firm. Jaime-Lee has coined the acronym CAUSE which stands for connection, authenticity, uniqueness, storytelling, and emotion to build brands that really stand out.

Jaime-Lee stands out with her own unique story. She was vacationing in Bali in 2002 when she ended up being surrounded by flames after the building that she was in was bombed. She used this as motivation to thrive as opposed to living in fear.

We talk about being your true self, building brands that get noticed, authentic storytelling, masterminds, personality types, and even using the Wim Hof method to sit in a bath of ice.

Show Notes:

  • [03:31] Jaime-Lee was in a bombing attack in Bali in 2002. She wasn't harmed physically. She was trapped in a burning building. It was remarkable how everyone wanted to help everyone else survive.
  • [04:50] She came out the other side being grateful for being alive. Although, the experience did take an emotional toll.
  • [05:05] The experience was traumatic and transformational.
  • [05:44] She tries to look at it as post-traumatic thriving.
  • [06:30] It was difficult moving away from the fight or flight mode. She did recognize that she needed to take time out to rest.
  • [07:32] She moved to London by herself.
  • [08:24] Performance is the core of what we do as humans. She started working with great mentors and she met her business partner Shawn Wells.
  • [11:14] CAUSE came about because these five concepts are important to grow a brand.
  • [13:13] A huge piece of standing out is being authentic. All of the pieces need to be taken into the storytelling to build a brand.
  • [15:47] She also uses NLP when working with clients.
  • [19:19] Jaime-Lee loves masterminds and the events that she attends. In person meetings are a game changer.
  • [21:51] Consistency is key for growth.
  • [23:24] Jaime-Lee is an ENFP in the Myers & Briggs personality test.
  • [25:04] To step out of her comfort zone Jaime-Lee seeks new experiences. She did an ice bath challenge.
  • [27:43] They used the Wim Hof Method.
  • [28:18] You have to bring yourself to a place of control. You have to master the breathing and connect your breath to a place of peace.
  • [30:40] Having routines in place helps Jaime-Lee deal with stress. Getting decisions in place is helpful. Using lists also helps with overwhelm.
  • [35:18] Asking too many questions means you are out of flow.
  • [39:28] We all need a reset and a break from technology.
  • [40:03] Look at CAUSE and what it means to you. Are you bringing it into your brand and relationships?

Links and Resources:

Direct download: WW225.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

Did you know that it’s not only possible to achieve your lifelong dreams, but the process of doing so will increase your success and competency in other areas of your life too? This is exactly what happened to today’s guest Karen Brown. Karen was successful, but she always felt she was missing out on a calling or purpose. She also was always drawn to Ironman races. One day, it finally hit her that her calling was to compete in an Ironman race.

She did this, and the challenge and discipline of preparing for the race improved her life in other areas. She was even able to take what she learned along the way and use it to focus on leadership coaching. This conversation with Karen is really inspirational. She shares knowledge based on science that we can all use to shift our mindset and use the power of our subconscious thoughts to create any habits we want. Karen is an expert in leadership and professional performance and the author of Unlimiting Your Beliefs: 7 Keys to Greater Success in Your Personal & Professional Life. She shares so much truth and knowledge in this episode that you won’t want to miss it.

Show Notes:

  • [03:32] Karen was climbing the corporate ladder as a leader for about 20 years. She had the outward trappings of success, but she felt like something was missing.
  • [04:01] She was feeling a lack of purpose. She was wondering what this was all really about.
  • [04:20] Whenever she watched the Ironman World Championships on TV, she felt these emotions.
  • [05:00] 1982 was a dramatic Ironman year for women.
  • [05:53] Watching the Ironman made Karen wonder if she had something inside her similar to that in which she hasn't tapped into yet.
  • [06:51] Karen truly believes that she was meant to do the Ironman World Championships because it was the toughest thing that she could fathom at the time.
  • [07:11] It forced her to stretch and expand her comfort zone. It became her personal growth and development vehicle of choice.
  • [07:53] She thought that professional capabilities and personal goals and dreams were completely separate, but they are actually inextricably linked.
  • [08:15] The doorway to being able to access her abilities came through achieving a lifelong dream.
  • [08:30] Once Karen stepped into the pursuit of her dream, she was able to elevate.
  • [09:14] All of us have a lifelong dream whether we admit it to ourselves or not.
  • [09:35] There are scientific reasons why we tend to back away. Yet this is the exact thing we need to do in order to transform.
  • [10:27] People limit themselves because they are scared. Our unconscious mind makes it a behavioral pattern kind of like a habit. The pattern of limiting beliefs repeats itself.
  • [11:47] Our default pattern is not to try something new.
  • [13:43] Women's typical limiting belief is some version of I'm not enough, while men feel like they have to do everything themselves and can't ask for help.
  • [15:23] Conscious thoughts are actually gateways into our unconscious mind. We also compare ourselves to other people who are already doing that big goal. This is called comparison bias.
  • [17:11] Our subconscious mind is the most simplistic yet powerful machine. It will believe and carry out anything we tell it.
  • [18:46] Conquering limited beliefs is a three-step technique.
  • [19:08] We also need to tap into our dreams and harness the power of our unconscious mind.
  • [20:16] We need to do whatever it takes. Have “No Discipline” or the ability to say no to the distractions and things that will get you off-track from achieving that lifelong dream.
  • [22:41] Feedback is always tainted with our own personal filters and values. Think of it as perspective.
  • [23:58] Change your company's feedback system to a prospective system. Other people's perspectives are the best way for us to see things in a different way. This is a gift that allows us to grow and change.
  • [25:17] Women will hold their thoughts back in the boardroom until they've thought out every option. Men just talk on the fly.
  • [26:34] Comparison bias. Our subconscious is also judging. Once we understand how our operating system works, we are really only in competition with ourselves.
  • [28:53] Once you know yourself better and know how unconscious behavior patterns are formed, it's so much easier to change them.
  • [30:32] It's common in our culture to look for a quick fix instead of looking inside of ourselves.
  • [31:19] We need to be present when we are talking to people and really listening.
  • [33:03] The younger generation immediately switches into the how. It gets in their way and stops them from harnessing the power of their unconscious minds and coming up with incredible solutions.
  • [35:33] During Karen's journey with Ironman, she learned how to manage distractions.
  • [38:31] Part of Karen's morning routine includes getting enough sleep. Then she wakes up early, works out, and has quiet time. She spends at least 30 to 45 minutes learning or whatever she feels like doing in the moment.
  • [40:55] Pay attention to whatever your lifelong dream is and put it front and center. It's the key to everything you're looking for.
  • [41:50] Our unconscious mind can carry out anything that we think up.

Links and Resources:

Direct download: WW224.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

I am so excited to have Dr. Erin Macdonald on the show today. She is an astrophysicist and aerospace engineer. She has managed to take her childhood love of science fiction and the X-Files and turn it into an exciting career. She is a teacher and lecturer who puts as much emphasis on her language and communications skills as she does on her scientific knowledge.

Erin makes science fun and inspirational for her students by explaining how science and movies intersect. She also consults for TV, movies, and video games and found a way to make math fun, because once you progress past a certain point it becomes like a new language that you can communicate in.

Erin is a role model and mentor for up and coming women and girls who are interested in getting involved in STEM careers. She is an extraordinary guest and you won’t want to miss this interview.

Show Notes:

  • [03:16] Kids love space and dinosaurs. Erin loved the X-files growing up. When she looked into things she found out that she could learn how the world works. She was inspired by studying astrophysics.
  • [04:47] She started teaching and got involved with aerospace engineering.
  • [05:41] Math is like a language. It will come together once you get into it. Erin came to a point where she could describe stuff using math.
  • [06:32] Stick with math, don't let poor teaching get you down.
  • [06:53] Being able to write and having the ability to communicate your ideas effectively will get you very far in the field.
  • [07:15] Being able to convey very complex ideas in a very succinct way will get you very far.
  • [08:06] Public speaking is important. When you’re in an academic environment you do have to go to conferences, you have to explain your research and answer people’s questions. So, being able to talk is very important, plus you have a lot of teaching that you need to do.
  • [10:04] Scientist need to have the ability to communicate and not make the other person feel dumb. This is crucial to society's perception of scientists.
  • [10:56] In the fields that Erin has been working in, there has been about one woman for every seven guys.
  • [11:45] Erin did have trouble finding other women mentors (other than Dana Scully from the X-files). The biggest surprise in her field was the lack of support from the older generation of women.
  • [13:01] It was kind of like she had to earn the right to be there.
  • [14:05] It would be wonderful if women would lift each other up and find and build a community. Even if you don't have mentors, you could have female peers to help and support each other.
  • [15:57] Erin feels lucky that she was able to craft her dream job. She always wanted to be behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.
  • [16:40] She started speaking at science fiction conventions, and she was able to share scientific information with a diverse group of people. She also started meeting actors, writers, and producers while she was there.
  • [18:21] She started making connections, and people started reaching out for advice about the science behind the shows that they were writing.
  • [19:16] She recently worked on a scripted live sci-fi show called Orbital Redux.
  • [21:33] Erin answer question #35 from Answers for Modern Communicators book - “Is it better to be a Type A or Type B personality?” Her Type A personality helps her with that, but diversity is important.
  • [24:29] If we aren't challenged, we aren't doing it right. Having to pitch herself is the most uncomfortable thing that Erin has to do. She has to convince them that she is different.
  • [27:42] Her tough skin has helped her become more confident with whatever she is doing.
  • [30:13] Erin had to give a speech to non-scientists. She started taking acting classes and getting out of her comfort zone.
  • [32:41] Talking about science fiction can be an anchor to teach real science.
  • [33:59] A day in Erin's life. Public speaking and science communication is a skill. She gets up early and works with the Air Force. Then she does doctor errand stuff at the end of the day. She also goes to the beach to decompress or takes breaks when she needs them.
  • [36:26] Burnout warning bells put you in a negative space and not wanting to do stuff. It's being tired and irritated. Physical anxiety. We know when we are pushed too far. The difficult thing is fixing it.
  • [38:33] I'll work better if I get the rest that I need. Self-care is so important.
  • [39:46] Relentlessly pursuing happiness is the way to find what work is for you. It's okay to walk away and think outside the box and pursue new things. Confidence is contagious.  

Links and Resources:

Direct download: WW223.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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