Challenge Your Thinking With Dr. Linda Tucker

Elena Dunkle dealt with a serious eating disorder in the years after she was raped at age 13. She recounts her process of coming to terms with the pain she was left to deal with in her memoir Elena Vanishing and here with us in this episode. If you or anyone you know is dealing with an eating disorder we hope you will tune in today. Elena is transparent about her long road towards healing and health; and is an important voice and hopefully a beacon for those dealing with the an eating disorder, as well as for families and friends who don’t quite know what to do. Whether or not you have experienced an eating disorder yourself, or someone close to you has--I know you will be inspired by not only Elena’s resilience, but also the resilience of her family, who rallied around her during some very dark years. The numbers in this epidemic are staggering and it is more than likely you already know or love someone who may be suffering.  Elena's words will likely help.

Candace Lightner is the Founder of Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and We Save Lives.  She became an unintended advocate when her 13 year old daughter was killed by a drunk driver.  She later founded We Save Lives to further educate and influence the public about (the 3D's) Drunk, Drugged, and Distracted driving.  If you want to understand what it takes to overcome obstacles then Candace Lightner is the episode for you.    

Julian Treasure created one of the most popular Ted Talks entitled, "How To Speak So That People Will Listen."  Today, we have a conversation about Julian's idea of consciousness, awareness, mindfulness, and the idea of being present.  Our communication with one another can often be like ships passing in the night--we come and go without taking the time to truly understand what is really going on beneath the surface of the words we exchange, or the way we receive them. Julian has built a career around how words and sounds affect us. He has managed to “see” our words and sounds, and talks about them in a way that helps us to better hear one another...say what we actually mean... and mean what we say. In Julian Treasure’s 5 viral TED Talks and his book “Sound Business”, he encourages us to be  “conscious listeners”: infusing deeper intention into the words we speak. I hope you will "listen in" today.

Jessamyn Lovell had her identity stolen in a matter of minutes.  What is unique about her is that she managed to turn her experiences into a creative art project that not only brought her acclaim and publicity, but also lessons that have turned into wisdom that she is now sharing with others.  In 2010 Jessamyn turned her back on her wallet for a matter of moments.  Her life would ultimately change in ways she could not have foreseen or wanted to imagine.  What she would later come to realize and appreciate is that her life was also about to change in positive ways she could not have imagined.  We hope you will join us for the lessons learned and ultimately the creativity and wisdom gained for this life experience of hers.  Jessamyn's experiences show us how to find the silver lining in our own lives or at least consider the possibilities. 

Michael Stallard's journey and wisdom comes from realizing how important human connection is and how that translates not only to our intimate relationships but with our business ones, too.  Good and respectful collegial relationships make for happy employees and relationships in general.  Mike has become a leading authority on leadership, employee engagement, and organizational culture. He is the cofounder, president, and CEO of E Pluribus Partners, a consulting firm that specializes in helping leaders create connection cultures to form strong bonds within organizations. He is the author of Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Shared Identity, Empathy, and Understanding at Work and a book called Fired Up or Burned Out. He has also been a contributor to several other books and been featured in many publications worldwide, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Fortune magazine to name a few and now he is here with us.  

Lee Milteer believes that at some point in our lives we have to get clear of what our purpose is and why we are here.  Even if you have figured that much out you still might not feel you have found your sweet spot.  She is here to help do just that.  Her most recent book, “Reclaim the Magic” is a part of those answers.  If you want to “manifest” what you want in life then this is the episode for you.  She tells us about what may have held her back in life and how she refused to allow anyone or anything to do just that.  If you want to figure out a way to do the same or hear a really good talk I hope you will tune in.  Lee has plenty of helpful hints not only from this book but from some of her others that are sure to inspire you.

Ash Beckham is a speaker whose "speeches are dynamic, intrepid, highly relatable and intrinsically comical."  "She didn't set out to become a viral sensation with her Tedx talk Coming Out of Your Closet or her Boulder Ignite speech, I am SO GAY." "She was just a person with a lot on her mind and a story to share."  Nonetheless, "her willingness to strike a conversation about tough topics has inspired more than 8 million viewers." Her message is simple: "we aren't that different," and her goal is humble, "help others recognize the power of empathy, respect and conversation."  Ash is someone who will earn your respect.  She has mine.  

Peter Larson is a commercial paleontologist who uncovered the most complete specimen of Tyrannosaurus Rex to date.  He affectionately named this massive fossil "Sue" after the woman who initially found her.  He was eventually charged and taken to court by the US Government for illegally removing fossils off of Federal Land even though he had paid the landowner before he removed anything.  It would take him a long time to resolve this and more, and he ultimately served several years in prison as a result.  Peter is a man who believes that giving up is not an option for him.  He believes that fighting for what you believe, and keep on keeping on is the right path in life.  If you are facing any life circumstance where you are considering giving up or giving in we hope you will listen to this episode first.  Peter is currently hoping for a pardon from President Obama before he leaves office.  We wish him that and more and believe that you will too once you listen to his story.      

Jamie Cohan is the entrepreneur behind phenomenal Internet successes like Andromedia and Round1 who discusses not only how he got there but how you, too can a build career you can be proud of while keeping perspective amidst the twists and turns they often take.   The overnight successes of entrepreneurs are often fifteen years in the making and Jamie will be the first person to tell you that you need to keep going. You need to be detached from the outcome. He will tell you how he did it and more. One of the things he believes is that you have to stay nimble in the market.  He's had to twist it, turn it and adopt to it and change with the ever changing market. Let him show you how.

Marilyn Tam, PhD believes that happiness is something we choose.  She is the author of "The Happiness Choice" that features experts who discuss how to live a happy, healthy, successful and dynamically balanced life.  She is a speaker; author; consultant; board- certified executive, corporate, and leadership coach; and the founder and executive director of the Us Foundation. She is the former CEO of Aveda Corporation, president of Reebok Apparel and Retail Group, and vice president of Nike Inc., and a very successful entrepreneur, who has developed and successfully run four companies of her own. If you wonder what it means to be happy or what it takes... Marilyn Tam is here to discuss it in her words and with her life experience.  She is special.  Thank you for joining us.

John Lee Dumas is the founder and host of Entrepreneur On Fire, a top ranked iTunes business Podcast.  After chasing fame and fortune and coming up short each time he finally figured out that providing value is the key to success.  He is here to share his ah ha moments, thinking, and keys to success that have enabled him to amass a small fortune.  I hope you will join us.

Dorie Clark is an author (Stand Out, and Reinventing You), speaker, professor, award-winning journalist, and one of twenty-five professional networking experts chosen by Forbes Magazine to watch in 2015.  She discovered that "Standing Out" requires a three step process that she shares with us in this interview. For instance, the first step is to build your network. Next, build your audience, and third, build your community, and I’ll tell you what I mean by those things. The first step, building your network, is about connecting with a small group of trusted people around you. It’s essentially this important- but-often-overlooked step of building a personal board of directors, building your "kitchen" cabinet so that you have people whose opinions you trust who are willing and able to give you the kind of feedback you need in order to make your ideas better, people you know have your back and want to help you and support you. The second step is then the more public phase where you’re building your audience, and

Judy Robinett is an author, speaker, consultant, CEO, and pundit who is focused on strategic planning, financial and product development, marketing, and distribution for startups and established enterprises. She has taken some of these experiences and turned them into a five-star book entitled How to Be a Power Connector: The 5+50+100 Rule. Robinett is a business thought leader who is known as the woman with the titanium digital Rolodex. She has been profiled in Forbes, Inc., the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, and Bloomberg Businessweek as a sterling example of the new breed of super connectors who use their experience and networks to accelerate growth and enhance profitability. Judy’s work is about empowering individuals.  She encourages us to be strategic, to gather our courage and to engage in the networks that surround us.  Judy shares her heart with us in this interview telling us that if she can learn to do this anyone can.  She was painfully shy growing up

Alicia Watkins is a retired Air Force staff sergeant and survivor of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon who deployed to both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and now battles traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and post traumatic stress. Alicia was the principal guest on the twenty-fifth final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show in the episode “American War Heroes: Why Are These Women Homeless?” She now proudly serves as an ambassador for veterans, traveling the world to speak on behalf of the needs of wounded warriors, female veterans, and homeless veterans. She was nominated as L’Oreal’s 2013 Woman of Worth for her 9/11 empowerment drive foundation, which assists the survivors of 9/11 and wounded warriors as they recover from their injuries.  Her goal, is to prevent the financial loss and pay errors that occurred to her as warriors recover from their combat injuries. Alicia is currently a sophomore at Harvard University, with a goal to earn a doctorate in psychology and law. She is currently the re

Bonnie Bruckheimer began her cinematic career at Columbia Pictures and became known as one of Hollywood’s most successful producers. In 1985 she formed All Girl Productions, with partner Bette Midler, and made her debut as a film producer on Beaches. She is known for her work on Big Business, Hocus Pocus, Beaches, and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, to name a few. She has worked with some of the best in Hollywood and has been nominated for two Emmys. She is currently an adjunct professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she teaches. She has also been a long-time volunteer and grief counselor at Our House and is the mother two.  When I asked Bonnie if it took luck to succeed in show business this is only a part of what she believes it takes..."there is definitely a bit of being in the right place at the right time, but it’s much more about hard work and determination and deciding it’s something you want to do and nothing’s going to be able to stop you, and I tell my students now that if you a

Peter S. Cohan is a millionaire with poet’s heart.  He has very insightful ideas and is the kind of person who continues to question things.  For instance, he questions how money and the pursuit of money can be a futile kind of activity and that success may just be controlling how we spend our time.  In our interview Peter discusses what standing still will get you.  He says, “Don’t be afraid to act, because you’re not going to get it right the first time. Just make your best shot. Have enough confidence to accept the fact that your first try might not work. Your second try might not work. But also be intellectually curious enough to want to learn the lessons from what worked and what didn’t work and apply them and try again. And you’ll get closer and closer.”  Those insights and many more are a part of this interesting interview that will not only keep you thinking but encourage you to move forward.

Dr. Jill Suttie is a writer, researcher, and book review editor for the Greater Good Science Center.  She writes about research on psychological and social wellbeing--in particular, research on altruism, compassion, resilience, happiness, awe and empathy.  In this episode we discuss her articles about the latest findings by neuroscientists and researchers that are "discovering how music affects the brain, helping us to make sense of it's real emotional and social power." "Music impacts us in ways that other sounds don't, and for years now, scientists have been wondering why."  Please join us for those answers and an interesting discussion about how and why music makes us feel better and even heal. 

Joe Kowan believes that saving up "little pieces of advice" has helped him to not only help himself but many others.  He has learned that doing something unexpected with your life, staying off the beaten path or simply taking care of others have been only some of the nuggets worth saving.  Joe has some serious stage fright and still managed to complete a  TedTalk that has gone on to resonate with millions.  He has that innate ability to inspire others.  We hope you will tune in and see if Joe will inspire you to try something again that you may have otherwise given up on.  

William D. Cohan does not take anything at face value.  If you have ever wondered what happens behind the scenes on Wall Street or in major Universities then you will want to listen to his interview.  Heis a business writer with a solid pedigree, and a former high-level investment banker on Wall Street who has written four New York Times best-selling nonfiction narratives about Wall Street. They are: Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World, House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street, The Last Tycoons and The Price of Silence.  He doesn't shy away from scandal and isn't afraid to speak up. He is also a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and a columnist for the DealBook section of the New York Times. He writes for the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, the Atlantic, the Nation, and Fortune, to name a few. He also appears regularly on MSNBC, Bloomberg TV, CNN, and the BBC TV. He has been a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the NewsHour, The Charlie Rose Sh

Vanessa Van Edwards believes that the primary purpose of her business is to help people.  She runs an organization called the Science of People.  Their organization takes all of the latest research that has come out of academic institutions and peer-reviewed journals and turns it into applicable tips.  She calls it "science-based self-help."  Vanessa is the lead investigator at Science of People, a human-behavior research lab. She is a Huffington Post columnist and published author who wrote Human Lie Detection and Body Language 101.  Her innovative work has been featured on NPR, Business Week, and USA Today.  She has written for CNN, Fast Company, and Forbes.