The Dream Catcher Podcast

[Interview] Bringing Your A-Game: How to Boost Personal Motivation & Succeed (feat. Brittany Wagner)

When it comes to pursuing our goals, mindset is everything. Whether we’re trying to find a new job, get fitter or develop healthier relationships – we need to think like a winner.

And that means stepping away from our excuses, developing practical strategies to grow, and overcoming obstacles that get in our way.

If that sounds like something you want to cultivate then you’re going to love what my guest, Brittany Wagner, shares on this episode.

Brittany Wagner is a nationally respected athletic academic counselor and motivational speaker best known for her role as the breakout star of the hit Netflix documentary series, “Last Chance U.” Brittany guided many young men to academic and professional success despite run-ins with the law, extreme poverty, abandonment, and often a complete lack of academic preparedness. Brittany has been featured in ABC’s Nightline, The Dan Patrick Show, GQ, The New York Times, The LA Times and Sports Illustrated — to name a few.

Brittany is going to motivate us with her experiential wisdom in everyday situations. She’ll offer tools, tips and strategies that will embolden us to pursue our goals and put in the work necessary to make our dreams come true.

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What is Karma and how it impacts your life

Karma can be interpreted in many ways, but it’s most commonly associated with cause and effect - what you put out into the world comes back to you. 

Over the years, karma has taken on other meanings beyond the law of causality and good or bad deeds. In some cases, it’s seen as a neutral force that we can work with.

Knowing the different perspectives on karma and how it applies to our lives will roll out various pathways to create the reality you desire and make ethical and kind choices.

5 Ways to Gain Momentum to Get Ahead in the New Year

The new year is a time when many of us experience the spirit of renewal and feel an urge to hit the reset button. No matter what’s going on in our life, new possibilities await us. 

Whether you want to start a new career, eat healthier, or spend more time with your loved ones, the energies of a new year can give you the push you need to get started.  

Use these five techniques to get a jumpstart in the new year so that when the clock strikes midnight, you’ll be ready to sprint ahead of the pack.

[Interview] How to Boost Your Happiness by Developing Healthy Mental Models (feat. Dr. Srikumar Rao)

Mental models are our perceptions of external reality and they determine our attitude and our choices in life. That’s why they’re critical to our success and wellbeing. 

My guest, Dr. Srikumar Rao, has been teaching people all over the world about how to develop healthy models for many years. 

Dr. Rao is a speaker, former business school professor, and head of The Rao Institute. He has taught at several leading business schools, including Columbia and the London Business School, and trained executives in top firms like Google, Microsoft and Merrill Lynch. He’s been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, and several others. 

During our conversation, Dr. Rao offers his insight into the mental models we habitually use and how we can become aware of them. He provides techniques and strategies to shift negative beliefs and cultivate healthier ones to experience more happiness and satisfaction. 

How to Recognize the Differences in Cultural Communication Styles

The ability to communicate between cultures can give you an edge in your professional life and make you a more empathetic communicator. 

Each culture has different ways of expressing themselves, both verbally and non-verbally. When you learn cross-cultural communication skills, you’ll be able to recognize similarities and differences among various groups that allow you to engage in a meaningful way.

These frameworks describe the traits you need to look out for to understand the customs, perceptual windows, verbal and non-verbal cues of your peers from other cultures. 

The Real Reasons Why It’s Hard to Stick to Things

The inability to stick to things before achieving the desired results prevents us from reaching success and undermines our confidence.

We all tend to fall off the bandwagon — life is unpredictable and human motivation is fickle and changeable. But we can prevent this from happening by knowing what drives us and how to use those drivers to roll up our sleeves and get things done.

In this episode, we’ll learn how to harness that and get rid of blocks that tend to get in the way.

 

[Interview] How to Cultivate a Sense of Unconditional Self-Worth (feat. Regina Louise)

We’re all on the journey of self-love. And some days it’s easier to do than others. 

According to my guest, Regina Louise, the key to radical self-acceptance and giving ourselves permission to live a life we love is by connecting with our core self. This helps us gain a deeper understanding of what we need to feel cared for and supported. 

Regina Louise is a speaker, teacher, coach, and author. Her writing and advocacy work has been recognized with numerous awards. The Lifetime movie “I Am Somebody’s Child” was based on her bestselling memoirs. Currently a Hoffman Process teacher, she leads workshops and speaks frequently throughout the United States. 

In this conversation, we discuss the main themes in Regina’s new book, “Permission Granted: Kickass Strategies to Bootstrap Your Way to Unconditional Self-Love.” She offers guidance on how we can move towards self-compassion, open-heartedness and live our life from a place of power and courage.

If you liked what you heard, please don’t forget to like, rate, share and subscribe to this podcast. Thank you!

Is Love Blind? How we Choose our Partners

Falling in love is one of the best experiences, but it can also blur our vision. A vital step in our search for loving and meaningful connections is understanding the forces that impact our choices.

Having a sense of who you’re attracted to and why will make it easier to recognize the right person out of all the hundreds and thousands of people that you’ll come across in your life.  

In this episode, I breakdown the different inner and outer factors that influence your decisions (some of which may surprise you!) so that you make choices that lead to happier relationships.

How to Cope When Reality Doesn‘t Meet Your Expectations

We all face times when our reality does not meet our expectations. This becomes painful when we’re unable to manage the gap between the two. 

The wider the gap, the more we suffer, especially if we resist and deny. 

While the events in our lives can feel out of our control, we have the power to cope with them by managing our internal worlds.

When we build awareness and take responsibility for the filters through which we see the world, we put ourselves in the driver’s seat and can manage how events impact us. 

[Interview] The Art of Tarot Cards: How to Use them as Tools for Personal Growth (feat. Chris-Anne Donnelly)

Since the 1800s tarot cards have been used as a source of spiritual guidance. And unlike common belief tarot does not predict the future – instead, they tell us stories about our lives and enable us to connect with our inner wisdom and gain a deeper understanding of a situation.

It’s an additional tool that we can consult to make better and more conscious decisions.

To give us more insight into this practice, I invited one of the most beloved tarot card artists: Chris-Anne Donnelly.

Chris Anne is a deck creator, artist, and magic-maker, as well as a marketing strategist and owner of Pixelbrand--a branding and graphic design company. She has successfully Kickstarted three independent card decks: The Sacred Creators Oracle, The Light Seer's Tarot, and The Muse Tarot and she offers unique courses for creators.

During our conversation, we’ll talk about the creative inspiration behind Chris-Anne’s designs. She’ll also explain how tarot works and how we can use them to develop insight and overcome blocks.

If you liked what you heard, please don’t forget to like, rate, share and subscribe to this podcast. Thank you!