Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

Episod

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  Integrated Coach: IDK 25.09.2026 12min

  Sometimes the wisest response is a deep question. Sometimes it is encouragement. Sometimes it is silence. And sometimes, for goodness’ sake, we just need to send the email.Growth does not always mean going deeper. Sometimes growth means knowing what this particular moment actually requires.We do not outgrow the simple things as we develop. We learnto use them differently. We become less interested in proving how much we know and more interested in paying attention to the person standing in front of us.That might be one of the most beautiful shifts we can makein any relationship. Instead of asking, “What should I say?” Instead of wondering, “How can I fix this?” Instead of searching for the perfect question, advice, solution, or profound insight, perhaps we can quietly ask ourselves: Whatdoes this person need from me right now?Sometimes the answer will surprise us. And sometimes theanswer will be beautifully, wonderfully [email protected] Reflection QuestionsHow freely can I move between structure, relationship,skill, and deeper exploration based on what the person in front of me needs?Do I ever make helping someone more complex or deeper than the moment actually requires?How well do I distinguish between the different thingssomeone might mean when they say “I don’t know”?What capacity do I have available that would best serve thisparticular person in this particular moment?Before I decide what to say or ask next, can I quietly askmyself, “What does this person need from me right now?”
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  Transformational Coach: IDK 24.09.2026 12min

  Sometimes the thing we are trying to change makes perfectsense when we understand what is underneath it. Maybe you keep saying yes because somewhere along the way, being capable became connected to doing everything. Maybe you struggle to create boundaries because disappointingsomeone feels like evidence that you have failed. Maybe you keep pushing yourself because slowing down raises a much bigger question:Who am I if I am not constantly proving myself?That is where things can get interesting. Real transformation does not require drama. Sometimes it is simply a quiet shift inawareness that allows us to see ourselves, our choices, and our possibilities differently. And once we see differently, we can choose differently. Maybe being capable does not mean doing everything. Maybe being a great leader meansmodeling the boundaries you encourage others to have. Maybe doing less does not make you less.Sometimes the most powerful change begins when we discover that the belief underneath our behavior is no longer one we want to [email protected] QuestionsWhat behavior in my life am I currently trying to changewithout exploring the belief underneath it?What belief, assumption, or expectation might make mycurrent behavior make perfect sense?Where have I connected my identity or worth to what I canaccomplish, handle, or do for others?Who might I become if I no longer needed to prove myself inthe ways I have in the past?What new choices might become possible if I allowed myselfto see this part of my life differently?
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  Skilled Coach: IDK 23.09.2026 11min

  Sometimes the problem we are trying to solve is not actuallythe problem. Someone says they are overwhelmed, so we help them manage their time.They keep saying yes, so we help them organize theircalendar. They have too much to do, so we help them prioritize. All useful things. Unless the real problem has nothing to do with time.Maybe underneath all that busyness is a fear ofdisappointing someone. Maybe saying no feels like admitting they are not capable. Maybe there is a pattern that keeps recreating the same problem, no matter how many planners, goals, calendars, or systems we throw at it.Sometimes growth comes from becoming curious enough tonotice what is underneath what we can easily see.The pause. The change in energy. The contradiction. The sentence we keep repeating. The thing we almost say and then quickly move away from. We do not always need more answers. Sometimes we need to notice [email protected] QuestionsWhat do I notice when a person says “I don’t know” beyondthe words themselves?How intentionally do I choose how to respond based on whatthis person needs right now?What patterns, contradictions, shifts in energy, or repeatedwords might I be missing?When might I be doing more helping than the moment actually requires?Am I helping someone create their own awareness, or am Isubtly steering them toward what I think I see?
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  Relational Coach: IDK 22.09.2026 9min

  There is a difference between making someone feel safe andmaking sure they never feel uncomfortable. That distinction matters.When someone we care about is struggling, our instinct maybe to rescue them. We reassure. We soften. We fill the silence. We try to make the uncomfortable feeling disappear.But sometimes discomfort is doing important work.Maybe the person already knows they need to say no. Maybethey know a boundary needs to be created. Maybe they are afraid of disappointing someone. Maybe they have spent so much of their life being the person everyone can count on that they are not quite sure who they would be without that role.Those realizations can be uncomfortable. They can also beincredibly important.Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give another personis enough safety to sit with what is uncomfortable without rushing to take it away. Sometimes we do not need to rescue. Sometimes we simply need to [email protected] QuestionsHow do I communicate safety when another person doesn’timmediately have an answer?How comfortable am I allowing someone to experiencediscomfort without rescuing them?When might my desire to make someone else comfortableactually interrupt their growth?How well do I allow silence to do some of the work in animportant conversation?What could become possible if I trusted the relationshipenough to give an answer time to emerge?
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  Structured Coach: IDK 21.09.2026 14min

  What happens inside you when someone responds to athoughtful question with three little words: “I don’t know”?Sometimes our instinct is to jump in. Ask another question.Offer some choices. Explain what we meant. Rescue the conversation. Anything to fill that slightly uncomfortable space.But what if “I don’t know” isn’t a problem to solve?Sometimes it means, “I’ve never thought about this before.”Sometimes it means, “I know, but I’m not ready to say it.” Sometimes it means, “I’m afraid of what my answer might require of me.” And sometimes, the person simply needs a little more time to think.There is tremendous value in having tools, processes, andstructures to help other people grow. But eventually, we have to learn when to stop reaching for the next tool and simply pay attention to the human being in front of us.Maybe “I don’t know” is not the end of the conversation.Maybe it is where the interesting part [email protected] QuestionsWhat happens inside you when someone responds to you with “I don’t know”?How quickly do you tend to fill silence when another personis thinking?When someone does not have an immediate answer, do you tend to ask another question, explain yourself, offer options, or try to help them find the answer?Where in your own life might “I don’t know” actually meanthat you need more time, safety, courage, or space to discover what you really think?What might change in your relationships if you became morecomfortable trusting another person’s process instead of trying to move it along?
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  What Do They Need From Me Right Now? 18.09.2026 13min

  After a whole week of learning different ways to helppeople, we arrive at Level Five of the Five Levels of Coaching and the wonderfully frustrating answer: it depends! Sometimes people need a question, sometimes connection, sometimes a challenge, and sometimes they need us tolovingly hush and sit beside them. Real mastery isn’t having one perfect way to help. It’s having a whole toolbox and enough humility, trust, and awareness to ask, “What does this person need from me right now?”[email protected] to become more intentional and effective in helpingother people grow? The Grow By 1 Coaching Academy is designed to help you learn, practice, reflect, receive feedback, and integrate these skills into your life. Learn more at ca.growby1.comReflection QuestionsWhen someone comes to me struggling, how do I decide what they need?Which of these five approaches feels most natural to me?Which approaches make me uncomfortable?How attached am I to seeing the people I help achieve theoutcome I think is best?Who am I becoming as someone other people trust with theirstruggles?
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  Maybe It's Not About Doing Anything 17.09.2026 11min

  What if the challenge in front of you isn’t only asking youto do something different, but to become someone different? In this episode, we explore Level Four of the Five Levels of Coaching and the move from awareness into transformation. Because the job, the relationship, the conflict, or even that dreaded algebra class might be about something much bigger than solving today’s problem. Sometimes life is quietly asking, “Who are you becoming through this?”[email protected] to go beyond good questions and develop the skills tocreate meaningful transformation? Join us in the Grow By 1 Coaching Academy at ca.growby1.comReflection QuestionsWhen I help someone, am I focused primarily on solving theimmediate problem?What might this challenge be inviting this person todevelop?Can I support someone’s growth without deciding who theyshould become?What changes when I ask, “Who are you becoming?” instead of only, “What are you going to do?”What challenge in my own life might be developing something in me right now?
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  What If The Problem Isn't The Problem? 16.09.2026 12min

  What if the thing you keep trying to fix isn’t actually theproblem? Plot twist! In this episode, we explore Level Three of the Five Levels of Coaching and the power of getting curious about the patterns underneath our problems. Instead of rushing toward an answer, what might happen if we askedbetter questions, noticed what keeps repeating, and allowed awareness to reveal something we couldn’t see [email protected] to become more skilled at helping people createmeaningful change? Join us in the Grow By 1 Coaching Academy at ca.growby1.comReflection QuestionsWhen someone repeatedly experiences the same problem, do I focus only on the current situation or consider the larger pattern?What recurring patterns do I notice in the people I help?Can I notice a pattern without deciding what it means forsomeone else?What questions help people become curious rather thandefensive?Where might I benefit from asking myself, “What keepshappening here?”
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  What If They Don't Need A Solution? 15.09.2026 10min

  What if the person you’re trying so hard to help doesn’tactually need your solution? Ouch. Sometimes people don’t need us to fix the problem, make the discomfort disappear, or share the brilliant story about how we handled something similar. Sometimes they simply need a safe place to tellthe truth. In this episode, we explore Level Two of the Five Levels of Coaching and the power of helping someone feel seen, heard, valued, and understood.Want to become more intentional in the way you coach,communicate, and connect with others? Join us in the Grow By 1 Coaching Academy at ca.growby1.comReflection QuestionsHow comfortable am I simply listening when someone I love isstruggling?Do I mistake helping for making someone’s discomfortdisappear?What do I tend to do when someone becomes emotional?Who in my life right now might need to feel heard more thanthey need my advice?What would change if I became more curious about someone’s experience before trying to change it?
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  When You Want To Fix It 14.09.2026 9min

  Ever have someone share a problem and your brain immediately jumps in with, “Oh! I know what you should do!” Welcome to being human. In this episode, we explore Level One of the Five Levels of Coaching and what can happen when we resist the urge to fix and instead ask a question that helps someone think for themselves. Sometimes the best help isn’t having the answer. It’s helping someone discover their [email protected] to become more intentional in the way you coach,communicate, and help others grow? The Grow By 1 Coaching Academy begins September 20. Learn more at ca.growby1.comReflection QuestionsWhen someone I care about struggles, how quickly do I moveinto fixing?Do I sometimes take more responsibility for someone’sproblem than they do?What happens inside me when I give advice and the otherperson doesn’t follow it?What question could I ask instead of immediately giving mysolution?Where in my life could I help someone createtheir own next step this week?
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  Your Dream Needs Fuel 11.09.2026 11min

  Big dreams need more than passion. They need fuel. In thisepisode, Michelle shares the dream underneath so much of her work: helping 10,000 education coaches reach transformational levels of coaching and creating a ripple effect throughout education that cannot be undone. She also gets very real about something we sometimes hesitate to say out loud: meaningful missions need money, people, systems, and resources to grow. Your relationship with money may have more to do with your purpose than you think.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected] to help fuel the mission? Whether you join a Grow By 1program, purchase a resource, share this podcast, connect us with someone who needs our work, or simply tell someone about what we’re building, you become part of the ripple. Explore the ways you can learn, grow, and get involved atGrowBy1.com.Reflection QuestionsWhat is the big dream, mission, or purpose that you know youare here to pursue?What resources will your dream actually require if it isgoing to grow to the size you envision?How does your current relationship with money support orlimit the mission you want to accomplish?Where might making more money allow you to serve morepeople, create greater impact, or accelerate something that matters deeply to you?If you became crystal clear about the dream you are fueling,what would you begin doing differently right now?
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  Sometimes, Life Is Hard 10.09.2026 9min

  Sometimes life gets hard, and sometimes growth meansrealizing that not everyone is meant to travel every part of the journey with us. In this episode, Michelle shares a meaningful conversation with longtime mentor John Maxwell about the people we gain, the people we release, and the loneliness that can sometimes accompany change. Life may have seasons that feel lonely, but we don’t have to navigate them alone. Sometimes we simply need to find the people who are ready to have the bigger conversations with us.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected] for your people? Whether you’re building a business,growing as a coach, developing personally, or expanding your work as a trainer, consultant, or facilitator, we may have a community for you. Email me at [email protected] and let’s talk about what might be the right fit.And if this episode made you think of someone, share it withthem. It might just open the door to a conversation you’ve both been needing.Reflection QuestionsWhere are you experiencing a season of gaining some peoplewhile releasing others?What relationship have you been holding onto because you are afraid of the loneliness that might exist on the other side?Who in your life gives you space to have the biggerconversations you truly want to have?How might you honor feelings of grief or loss withoutallowing yourself to remain stuck there?What kind of people and community would you like tointentionally invite into the next season of your life?
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  No More Hope 09.09.2026 11min

  What if we stopped hoping things would work and startedbuilding processes designed to make them work? In this episode, Michelle continues her takeaways from the Maxwell International Certification event and explores the difference between inspiration and intentionality. Whether we arespeaking, coaching, parenting, building a business, or simply trying to grow, there are principles, systems, and practices that can move us beyond crossing our fingers and toward creating results. Hope has its place, but when it comesto doing the work, Michelle is ready to deal in guarantees.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected] to build a membership group using proven principleswithout needing tons of time, money, or fancy technology? Maximize with a Membership Group begins September 14. Join us at GrowBy1.com/Maximize.If you are a speaker, trainer, consultant, or coach whowants to learn how offering CEUs can help grow your business, join our complimentary webinar September 17 at GrowBy1.com/GrowYourBusiness. Can’t attend live? Sign up anyway and we’ll send you the recording.Reflection QuestionsWhere in your life are you relying on hope when you couldcreate a more intentional process?What is something you already know how to do consistentlywell because you have developed a system or practice around it?Where could beginning with the end in mind change the wayyou approach something you are currently building?What principles, tools, or processes might help you createmore predictable results in an area that currently feels uncertain?What is one place in your life where you are ready to movefrom “I hope this works” to “I know what I need to do”?
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  You Are Never Alone 08.09.2026 10min

  Even when we feel lonely, we are never truly alone. In thisepisode, Michelle shares another takeaway from her Maxwell International Certification experience: the helpers really are everywhere. From friends offering hugs and encouragement, to family cheering from home, to a team serving people while she was away, she was reminded that support oftensurrounds us long before we remember to look for it. Maybe the invitation isn’t to become better at doing everything ourselves. Maybe it’s to notice, receive, and trust the helpers who are already here.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected] a business and tired of trying to figure everythingout alone? Scrappy Business Builders is a supportive community of business owners who meet weekly to learn, problem solve, encourage one another, and grow together. Membership is just $50 a month. Email me at [email protected] and I’ll send you the information to join us.Reflection QuestionsWhere in your life are you feeling alone right now, eventhough support may actually be closer than you realize?Who are the helpers already surrounding you that you mayhave forgotten to notice or appreciate?How comfortable are you receiving help without feeling likeyou have to earn it, repay it, or do everything yourself first?Where could asking for support make something in your lifeor work feel lighter?What might change if you began each day expecting thehelpers to show up?
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  I Told You I Was Good! 07.09.2026 13min

  There is something wonderfully satisfying about finallygetting the opportunity to show people what you have been telling them all along: “I told you I was good!” In this episode, Michelle shares a takeaway from the Maxwell International Certification event about stepping onto the stage, owning her craft, adjusting in the moment, and trusting years of practice. It’s not really about proving yourself. It’s about knowing what you do well, being ready when opportunity arrives, and perhaps even moving from hoping for results to creating experiences designed to produce them.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected] to turn your knowledge, experience, or passion into amembership group that increases your income, impact, and influence? Maximize with a Membership Group begins September 14. Learn more at GrowBy1.com/Maximize.If you are a trainer who wants to grow your business throughstronger facilitation and the opportunity to offer CEUs, join us for our complimentary webinar on September 17 at GrowBy1.com/GrowYourBusiness.Reflection QuestionsWhere in your life have you been quietly saying, “I told youI was good,” even if others have not fully seen it yet?What skill or strength have you developed over time that youmay be underestimating because it comes naturally to you now?When have you had to adjust your plan in the moment whilestill staying focused on the outcome you wanted to create?Where are you currently relying on hope when a strongerstrategy, system, or practice could create greater confidence in the result?What opportunity would you be ready to step into today ifsomeone finally opened the door and said, “Show me what you can do”?
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  Spiritual Companion 21.08.2026 10min

  What if one of the greatest gifts we could offer anotherperson is not advice, answers, fixing, or even a really impressive motivational speech, but simply the willingness to listen deeply? In this episode, Michelle explores the idea of a spiritual companion, someone who pays attention not onlyto the words we say, but to the subtle movements of the divine within and around our lives. Through the beautiful image of “grace with meat on the bones,” she considers what it means to have someone sit with us in the messy,mysterious, beautiful, and sometimes horrific experience of being human without trying to make it all better. Maybe we all need someone who can listen beneath the problem of the day and notice something sacred happening there. And perhapsbefore we go searching too far for that person, we can begin by learning to listen that deeply to ourselves and then offering that same kind of presence to someone we love.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected] the podcast? Help us reach more people by liking,commenting, following, subscribing, or sharing the podcast with someone who might enjoy these conversations too.Reflection QuestionsWhat would it mean for you to have someone listen deeply toyou without trying to fix, solve, advise, or change anything?Who in your life has offered you “grace with meat on thebones” by simply being present with you when life was difficult?Where have you noticed subtle patterns, nudges, mysteries,or movements of the divine within your own life lately?How well are you listening to yourself beneath theresponsibilities, assignments, errands, and demands of everyday life?Who in your life might need you to become a spiritualcompanion for a moment and simply listen more deeply?
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  Seeking External Nourishment 20.08.2026 12min

  There is nothing wrong with wanting to be liked,appreciated, successful, or occasionally greeted with a heart instead of a thumbs up. The trouble starts when we need the outside world to continually feed us proof that we are enough. In this episode, Michelle explores what happens when our hunger for validation, recognition, stuff, status, money, or other people’s approval becomes a substitute for actually knowing ourselves. It is an exhausting buffet because somehow we keep eating and never feel full. Thealternative is simpler, although not necessarily easier: know who you are, release some of the shoulds, choose quality over quantity, practice real humility, and get curious about what actually nourishes you. Because the less energy you spend managing what everyone else thinks about you, the more energy you have available to simply be you.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected] the podcast? Help us reach more people by liking,commenting, following, subscribing, or sharing the podcast with someone who might enjoy these conversations too.Reflection QuestionsWhere in your life are you currently looking to other peoplefor validation, recognition, approval, or reassurance?How much energy do you spend thinking about how other people see you, and what might become possible if you redirected some of that energy toward simply knowing yourself?What are you currently wanting that you believe will finallymake you feel satisfied, successful, worthy, or enough?When you consider your work, possessions, relationships, andcommitments, what genuinely nourishes you and what are you maintaining because you think you should?What could become simpler in your life if you trusted whoyou are and stopped needing the outside world to continually confirm it?
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  Emotional Hygiene 19.08.2026 12min

  You probably would not skip showering for a week, work inthe garden and cook dinner without washing your hands, or voluntarily roll around in a dumpster and then wonder why you feel a little gross. So why do we sometimes do the emotional equivalent? In this episode, Michelle exploresemotional hygiene and the surprisingly powerful practice of simply stopping the things we already know make us feel bad. From saying yes when we desperately want to say no, to overworking, overgiving, overcaregiving, absorbing everyoneelse’s emotions, and repeatedly putting ourselves into situations that leave us feeling like Pig Pen walking around in a cloud of emotional dust, sometimes prevention really is the best medicine. A bubble bath, candle, favorite show,or night with friends cannot continually clean up what our choices keep creating. Sometimes the healthiest emotional hygiene practice is wonderfully simple: Stop it.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected] the podcast? Help us reach more people by liking,commenting, following, subscribing, or sharing the podcast with someone who might benefit from these conversations too.Reflection QuestionsIf you put a Post it note on your bathroom mirror that said,“Don’t ______,” what would you put in the blank?What are you currently doing that regularly leaves youfeeling emotionally drained, stressed, resentful, or overwhelmed?Where are you saying yes because you are trying to managesomeone else’s emotions rather than honoring what you actually need?Where might you be overgiving, overworking, orovercaregiving in a way that leaves you with less energy for yourself and the people who truly need you?What is one thing you could stop doing today that would helpthe world get a healthier, more peaceful, and more fully present version of you?
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  Originality Is Challenging 18.08.2026 11min

  Being yourself sounds wonderfully inspirational until yourealize there is no instruction manual for being you. In this episode, Michelle explores why originality can feel so challenging when copying, comparing, fitting in, or following someone else’s proven path would be so much easier.From building a business that does not fit neatly into a box to protecting the original purpose of this very podcast, she shares what it looks like to keep choosing authenticity even when you are building the road while walking on it.Because yes, being original can leave you wondering, “Am I doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time?” But becoming one of the Pod People just to make life easier probably is not the answer either. Originality requires discernment, discipline, a willingness to be uncomfortable, and enough courage to be your wonderfully weird, messy, genuine self. Because being original is challenging, but not being you is so much worse.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected] the podcast? Help us reach more wonderfullyoriginal humans by liking, commenting, following, subscribing, or sharing the podcast with someone who might enjoy these conversations too.Reflection QuestionsWhere in your life are you tempted to copy, compare, or fitin rather than trust your own way of doing things?What part of yourself have you been toning down because itdoes not look like what everyone else is doing?Where are you creating something new without a clear example to follow, and how could you become more comfortable with not knowing exactly how it will unfold?When you look at someone else’s life or success withlonging, what might that feeling be revealing about something you want to create for yourself?What would it look like today to be a little more authentically, genuinely, wonderfully you?
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  Growth = Tension 17.08.2026 11min

  Growth is beautiful, inspiring, and occasionally incrediblyannoying because it almost always comes with tension. In this episode, Michelle explores why that uncomfortable feeling may not be a sign that something is wrong, but a signal that something is ready to change. Whether you are facing adifficult decision, navigating loss, rebuilding after a major life change, or simply trying to figure out your next step, tension can carry wisdom if you are willing to listen. Sometimes it is telling you to rest. Sometimes it is telling you to accept what is. And sometimes it is practically standing behind you witha megaphone yelling, “Hey, it’s time to move!” The goal is not to eliminate every uncomfortable feeling, but to learn the difference between tension that is overwhelming you and tension that is inviting you forward.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected] the podcast? Help us reach more people by liking,commenting, following, subscribing, or sharing an episode with someone who might enjoy these conversations too.Reflection QuestionsWhere are you currently experiencing tension in your life,and what might that tension be trying to tell you?Is there a situation you have been resisting or arguing withrather than facing and accepting as it is?How can you tell the difference between healthy tension thatis encouraging growth and overwhelming tension that is asking you to slow down or rest?What decision or next step might become clearer if youstopped trying to eliminate the discomfort and instead became curious about the wisdom within it?Where might getting more comfortable with beinguncomfortable help you move toward the person, relationship, work, or life you want to create?