Tommy Acierno Interviews Ana Melikian, Ph.D.

“Life is two days, and the first we spend waking up.”

Ana Melikian, Ph.D.

In this rebroadcasted episode, Tommy and I have a conversation about how our mindsets influence our relationships, career, and success. We note that to create real, sustainable, and lasting change, it’s up to us to align our mindsets with a sound strategy and take actions to implement it.

We note a line from a Portuguese song, discussing what it means to wake up, why we have multiple “wake-ups” in our life, and what to do about it.

“The process of networking means doing the work of connecting with people. Whether you’re introverted or extroverted, you like connecting with people.”

Joe Apfelbaum

Joe joins me to talk about his book and how to overcome the fear of networking. He tells the story of his first failed experience with networking and shares what it taught him about the real meaning of networking. He explains why networking doesn’t have anything to do with being introverted or extroverted, and he notes that there are many shades of mindset between fixed and growth.

He issues a call to stop making excuses, and he shares the three facets that make up a mindset. He notes the power of consistency, explains why being in business for the money doesn’t work, and notes the importance of self-knowledge and doing what brings you joy.

He also gives an overview of what you’ll find in his book, “High Energy Networking: get anything you want in life while building meaningful relationships that last a lifetime.”

Don Hutcheson interviews Ana Melikian, Ph.D.

“We have to learn to be forgiving [towards ourselves]–that is part of the process. And by persisting, mainly in the beginning…that is what allows us to transform and then create a new habit.”

Ana Melikian

In this episode, we are rebroadcasting a conversation where Don Hutcheson interviews Ana Melikian, Ph.D., the host of the Mindset Zone podcast. We talk about how to change our mindsets, what mindset is, Carol Dweck’s work, and glasses as a mindset metaphor.

We note that the capacity to change is especially important when circumstances demand more flexibility, resilience, and innovative solutions. I also share advice on what to do when you’re finding it hard to change your mindset, emphasizing that, though it is difficult, it’s worth it.

Vered Kogan interviews Ana Melikian, Ph.D.

“Try not run to fix it. Listen. Ask questions. Be more coach like.”

Ana Melikian

In this episode, we are rebroadcasting a conversation where Vered Kogan interviews Ana Melikian, Ph.D., the host of the Mindset Zone podcast. Vered starts by asking Ana about her professional background and hobbies, and then they quickly dive into the mindset topic that both are passionate about. Ana starts by explaining how she defines mindsets. She goes on to explain her conceptual model that sees mindsets as one side of a triangle, that is complemented by the other two sides, strategy, and implementation. They explore how mindsets can help us to be more flexible and resilient.

“It's your life. Make it sing.”

Lowry Olfson

Lowry joins me on the podcast to talk about his definition of mindset. He talks about the importance of being aware of your mindset and we discuss what makes a good mindset. We talk about managing your energy to avoid burnout. He explains what PowerSongs are, sharing the story of how he stumbled onto them and explaining why they have the power to transform a mindset. He tells the stories of different people he’s worked with to create their own PowerSongs, and he shares how you can reach out to write one with him yourself.

Josh Patrick interviews Ana Melikian, Ph.D.

“There are times when action needs to lead mindset.”

Josh Patrick

In this interview previously aired on Josh’s podcast, we ask the question: which comes first, action or mindset? We define mindset and discuss the difference between worldview and mindset. We discuss the glasses analogy and talk about Carol Dweck’s distinction between growth mindset and fixed mindset. We share how to tell when to improve your strengths and when to improve your weaknesses, and we discuss the importance of a capacity to learn. Josh notes the need to be honest with yourself when assessing your strengths and weaknesses, and we talk about what it means to live your values while running your business.

“Listen to the still quiet voice in our mind.”

Katie Peuvrelle

Katie Peuvrelle joins me to talk about what it means to leap. She discusses mindset as a belief system and explains why she believes “growth mindset” is a dichotomy. She talks about her book and shares the numerous reasons that skating is an apt analogy to taking a leap in life. She defines multi-dimensional leadership and notes the physical aspect of intuition.

“In a very bizarre way, I was lucky to experience the racism because, to me, it made me a whole person.”

CB Bowman

CB Bowman joins me to share her story, noting the power of a mindset of undefeatability. She discusses how this mindset brought her through everything from her experiences with extreme racism to the time she took an unplanned, seemingly unrealistic trip to Panama to visit her father unannounced. We discuss the flexibility of mindset, and she notes the difference between diversity and inclusion. We also discuss the importance of bringing distinctive perspectives to the conversation.

In a previous episode, I spoke about “mindset limitations” as some of the beliefs, conscious or unconscious, that constrain the way we see, think, and feel the world around us. I explore some of my own mindset blind spots around the pursuing happiness fallacy.  Here, I want to focus on the other side of mindset limitations.

The term “mindset” in itself has become very popular. If we google the word, we get more than 150 million results. In Amazon’s books, more than 50 thousand results for “mindset” come up – 20 thousand in book titles. On ListenNotes.com, a great podcast search engine reveals 2,432 with “mindset” in the show title. And I’m thrilled to inform you that at the time of this recording, our very own Mindset Zone, is number two on that list.

When we hear the words “mindset limitations” we often think about our beliefs, conscious or unconscious, that constrain the way we see, think, and feel the world around us. These beliefs affect our present reality and also impact what we can envision for the future and the possibilities we chose to explore.

Often, we are not aware of these limitations. They are mindset blind spots and as such, they are hidden. Sometimes, others can see them, but we don't. It often takes many painful life circumstances to expose them and give us the impetus to change.

Visual blind spots are great metaphors for our mindset limitations.