“We have to develop that capacity of pressing the pause button.”

– Ana Melikian

I had the delight of being interviewed by Jen Du Plessis for the Success to Significance podcast. Jen asks me about my journey to helping others prevent burnout and how my own experiences led to how I live life today. 

We discuss: 

• Navigating external stressors and releasing what we can't control
• Why sometimes you need to change your method to get results
• Practical tips for preventing burnout (and what works for me)

“90 plus percent of the women leaving are not leaving for the family reasons; they are being pushed out of the workforce.”

– D. Sangeeta

I had the delight of speaking with D. Sangeeta, founder of Gotara, author of two books, holder of 26 patents, and winner of several prestigious awards, including the Nielsen CEO award and the National Women of Color Technology Award.

Sangeeta provides career advice to women in STEM, drawing on her extensive experience in industries like Aviation, Energy, and Tech.

“I have my highs and my lows, but my highs are higher. My lows are higher. And I have a pretty good sense of what I did to go from there to here.”

— Brian Johnson

I had the pleasure of speaking with Brian Johnson, the Founder & CEO of Heroic Public Benefit Corporation and the author of Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential. He’s 50% Philosopher + 50% CEO, and 101% committed to helping create a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by 2051.

We discuss: 

• The core of Areté and why reading ideas is not enough
• Using social technology as a positive force
• Recognizing the discomfort of longing for our best selves

“If you are already searching for burnout solutions, the chances that you need prevention techniques are minimal. You likely need recovery techniques.”

— Cait Donovan

I had the delight of speaking with Cait Donovan, an International Keynote Speaker, host of “Fried – The Burnout Podcast,” author of the book The Bouncebackability Factor, and holder of a master’s degree in Chinese medicine.

Cait is a burnout expert who emphasizes the importance of recovery methods for individuals already experiencing burnout. She advocates for a holistic approach to healing and restoring optimal functioning while providing valuable insights and tips for effective burnout recovery.

”The micro-actions are the smallest possible actions that you will actually take. If you are feeling frozen, then your micro-action is not small enough.”

— Bevin Farrand

I had the pleasure of speaking with Bevin Farrand, speaker, coach, and the author of Your DAMN Manifesto: Discover the Keys to Personal Transformation and Bringing Your Biggest Dreams to Life.

Her DAMN framework has inspired thousands to connect with the people they love, do the “crazy thing” that makes all the difference and, when given a choice, to take the damn chance.

We discuss:

• How Bevin started the Take the DAMN chance movement
• The four parts of the DAMN framework
• Deciding and declaring what you want to achieve

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

– Anonymous

I have been using the above quote in my talks for many years, and recently, I decided to delve into its origins and unpack its meaning. 

For years, I believed the quote was from one of my heroes, Viktor Frankl. Only recently have I discovered that was not the case, which left me asking, “If not him, who?”

I discuss: 

• The origins of one of my favorite quotes
• Exploration of the gap between stimulus and response
• The three types of pauses: macro, scheduled, and micro pauses

“We can achieve much more. We can contribute to society, make an impact, and make a difference out there. If we are refreshed, re-energized. In our full power.”

– Ana Melikian

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Dr. Zippy, a visionary leader with a deep-rooted passion for human development and growth. We tackle the ever-present issue of burnout. What is it, and how do we navigate it? Or even better—how do we avoid it? 

We discuss: 

• The three dimensions of burnout
• Taking our health into our own hands
• Striking the balance between achieving meaningful results and prioritizing our well-being 

“We answer an email, and then we go back to the project, and then another email notification pops in, and then you go back to the project, then you have to see where you were. All that uses a lot of time, and makes for very ineffective multitasking.”

– Ana Melikian

The idea of multitasking has been long-debated and often rebuked as an impossibility at worst and ineffective at best. Is that true, or is there an effective way of multitasking?

I discuss: 

• How Nir Eyal and his book Indistractable inspired this topic
• An experiential exercise that demonstrates the inefficiency of multitasking
• The possibility of effective multitasking

“The opposite of distraction is traction.”

– Nir Eyal

I had the chance to speak with Nir Eyal, an expert in the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. He's also the author of two best-selling books, How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable. 

We discuss: 

• Uncovering a deeper reason for distraction that Plato also explored in his time
• The mindset around distraction and the importance of believing in our agency
• The responsibility to control our emotions and reactions

“Envision a world where business doesn't take up more space than it really should.”

– Mark Silver

I had the pleasure of speaking with Mark Silver, a pioneer in integrating genuine spirituality with the nitty-gritty of small business and founder of Heart of Business, Inc. 

A designated Master Teacher within his Sufi lineage, he has worked with heart-centered entrepreneurs to help them realize that every act of business can be an act of love since 1999. 

Now, he’s written Heart Centered Business: Healing from Toxic Business Culture so Your Small Business Can Thrive to share the wisdom he’s gained from his business.

We discuss: 

• Shifting from serving business to business serving us
• Effective business functioning while expressing caring and love
• Creating a wider perspective of business success