The Essential Coaching Skills Podcast

Episódios

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  Sacred Listening: 50 Years With Native American Healers 08.08.2026 1h 2min

  Bob Vetter is a cultural anthropologist who has spent the past five decades sitting with Native American elders, medicine people, and traditional healers, learning what they can teach us about healing, resilience, and living a meaningful life. Today he combines those insights with narrative medicine and transformational practices to help people become wiser healers, coaches, and mentors through his teaching, writing, and retreats. For more information visit his website www.bobvetter.com 0:00 What is sacred listening? 1:35 The sage ritual — and why it's just anchoring 5:20 The red bandana story — a dying healer transforms 19:00 Platika — the ancient heart-to-heart talk 27:00 Healing shrapnel — why stories heal the listener 32:00 The medicine man who slammed the door 44:30 How to use sacred listening as a coach today 53:00 Soul medicine — Bob's 12-week program ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH! JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  The Trauma Healing Technique Your Therapist Hasn't Told You About | Dr. Steve Ruden 01.08.2026 1h 2min

  Learn the origins of Havening Techniques with Dr. Steve Rudin. Discover how this approach supports mental well-being and emotional regulation. In this episode, Doug O'Brien hosts a conversation with Dr. Steve Rudin, one of the co-creators of the Havening Techniques.Dr. Rudin shares his unique perspective, drawing from his background as a surgical dentist to explain how these specific methods function in practice.This discussion is designed for anyone interested in psychological wellness, coaching frameworks, and practical tools for managing emotional states. The conversation highlights the development of these techniques and offers insights into why they are used by professionals today. Whether you are a practitioner or simply curious about the science behind stress relief methods, this episode provides a clear overview of the concepts Dr. Rudin developed. You will gain a better understanding of how these tools fit into modern coaching skills and therapeutic applications. Subscribe for weekly Essential Coaching Skills breakdowns, and comment below with your questions about the Havening Techniques. 0:00 Why behavior is an expression of biology — not the problem itself 4:45 Participation and relationship — the two foundations of human life 9:00 How your biology filters reality — the four people in the forest 14:30 Why telling yourself to stop something never works 18:00 The nail-biting story — tracing behavior to its biological root 23:00 Fear of heights, a childhood slide, and what changed everything 29:00 Presence — why nothing happens in a session without it 34:00 Curiosity, listening and reflection — the coaching tools that work biologically 43:00 Touch, breathing and movement — accessing the body to create change 52:00 Future planning — why buying a new car changes what you see on the road 57:00 Wonder and biologic safety — how all communication becomes effortless ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  Your Brain Has an Inner Dictator — And It's Running Your Life | Owen Fitzpatrick 18.07.2026 37min

  Have you ever noticed that your inner voice sounds completely certain — even when it's completely wrong? That inner voice telling you there's no hope, no way out, no point in trying — Owen Fitzpatrick calls it something more accurate: inner propaganda. Owen is a social psychologist, author, and keynote speaker who has spent decades studying how the inner voice forms beliefs, why those beliefs resist change, and what it actually takes to shift them. He has conducted field research in North Korea, Rwanda, and Afghanistan — studying the inner voice and belief in places where it gets weaponized. He has worked with Google, LinkedIn, and Pfizer. And his new book Inner Propaganda makes the case that the most dangerous inner voice isn't the one other people plant in you. It's the one you've been running on yourself. In this conversation with NLP Master Trainer Doug O'Brien, Owen breaks down exactly how your inner voice decides what feels true, why your inner voice is addicted to certainty, and what coaches, therapists, and practitioners need to understand before they ever try to change someone's beliefs. 0:00 Why your inner voice might be lying to you 4:45 How your inner voice forms beliefs — feel right, fit in, make sense 10:20 Why your inner voice can't be changed with logic 16:00 When your inner voice is just a membership fee to belong 22:30 Field research in North Korea, Rwanda and Afghanistan 29:00 How to retrain your inner voice and believe better Whether you're a coach, NLP practitioner, therapist, or someone whose inner voice has been holding them back — this episode will change how you understand the voice in your head. 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🌐 Inner Propaganda book + free masterclass: https://innerpropaganda.com 🌐 Owen Fitzpatrick: https://owenfitzpatrick.com 📘 The User's Guide to Storytelling: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/users-guide-to-storytelling 🎓 Essential Coaching Skills Membership: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 🌐 Website: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com 📧 Newsletter: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter 🎙️ ABOUT DOUG O'BRIEN Doug O'Brien is an NLP Master Trainer, Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, and coach with over 35 years of experience. Certified by Tony Robbins and endorsed by Richard Bandler and Robert Dilts. He teaches coaches, therapists, and practitioners how to create lasting behavior change through NLP, Ericksonian hypnosis, storytelling, and nervous system-aligned coaching. 🎙️ ABOUT OWEN FITZPATRICK Owen Fitzpatrick is a social psychologist, author of nine books published in 21 languages, and one of the youngest NLP Master Trainers ever certified. He conducted field research in North Korea, Rwanda, and Afghanistan and has worked with Google, LinkedIn, and Pfizer. His new book Inner Propaganda is out August 4th, 2026. ---------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  Can You Understand Someone Who Hates You? A Conflict Mediator Explains 03.07.2026 48min

  Can you actually talk to your enemies? Learn conflict resolution strategies from Larry Rosen, the founder of The Enemies Project. In this episode, we sit down with Larry Rosen to discuss his work mediating between people who view each other as political or personal enemies. After two decades of practice, he shares how to move from heated argument to genuine understanding. This conversation is for anyone who feels stuck in gridlock with family, friends, or colleagues and wants to learn how to keep the dialogue moving forward. We explore the practical side of how to mediate intense disagreements and navigate difficult conversations without escalating the tension. You will hear how Larry applies these techniques to bridge divides, helping people actually listen to one another rather than just waiting for their turn to speak. By examining the methodology behind The Enemies Project, you can apply these communication tools to your own life when faced with deep ideological conflict. FIND OUT MORE at https://www.enemiesproject.org/ Subscribe to this podcast for weekly breakdowns on navigating human connection, and let me know in the comments: what is the hardest conversation you have ever had to facilitate? ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  Never feel POWERLESS again➡️ Step Into Your Circle of Excellence in 4 Steps 12.06.2026 9min

  If you're a coach, NLP practitioner, or anyone who wants to access confidence, calm, or focus on demand — this short episode teaches you the Circle of Excellence, one of NLP's most practical and enduring tools for state control. JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter In this episode you'll learn: What the Circle of Excellence is and why it's been a core NLP tool since the beginning Why spatial anchoring works differently from a physical touch anchor — and when to use each The 4-step process to anchor any emotional state to a circle you can take anywhere How to choose the right color for the state you want How to test whether the anchor has set before you need it How to use it before presentations, coaching sessions, difficult conversations, or any situation where you want to show up at your best Why you can borrow confidence from one area of your life and bring it into another 0:00 Some days you're on — and some days you're not 0:39 What the Circle of Excellence is and why it works 1:50 How Doug used it on stage with his rock band in the 80s 3:36 Red circle for anger, blue circle for love — switching states mid-concert 4:36 Step 1: Choose the state you want 5:02 Step 2: Find a time you felt it before 5:54 Step 3: Pick a color and step in 6:47 Step 4: Test it — let the circle do the work 8:01 How to take your circle anywhere you go 8:47 Using it before presentations, coaching sessions, or any high-stakes moment ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/ --------------------- 🎙️ ABOUT DOUG O'BRIEN Doug O'Brien is an NLP Master Trainer, Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, and coach with over 35 years of experience. Certified by Tony Robbins and endorsed by Richard Bandler and Robert Dilts. He teaches coaches, therapists, and practitioners how to create lasting behavior change through NLP, Ericksonian hypnosis, storytelling, and nervous system-aligned coaching.
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  Create a Confidence Anchor in Under 1 Minute — NLP Technique To Stop Being Triggered 06.06.2026 16min

  📩 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter Your phone buzzes and your hand moves before your brain does.You hear a song from ten years ago and something hits you in the chest before you've even named the feeling.You walk into your childhood home and suddenly you're twelve again.None of that is random. None of it is weakness. Your nervous system is doing exactly what it learned to do — linking experiences together so fast you never see it coming. The technical term is anchoring. But what it means is this: you are being triggered, constantly, by things you didn't choose, wired in by experiences you may not even remember. 0:00 You're already being anchored — without realizing it 0:37 What NLP anchoring actually is 1:36 Music, smells, voices — triggers are everywhere3:03 Nobody can make you feel anything without your permission 4:03 Pavlov's dogs — and why you're no different 5:28 Your phone is doing it to you right now 6:24 Advertisers use this on you every day 7:22 How to create your own anchor — step by step 9:18 The exercise: anchor a feeling of confidence right now 11:01 Carol Burnett and why some of you just felt something 13:24 Smells, sounds, touch — every sense can carry an anchor 14:24 The insulin study: anchoring that worked inside the body ----------------------------------- 🔗BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH! JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE.https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership 🔗BECOME A MASTER AT STORYTELLING: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/users-guide-to-storytelling 🔗JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter 🔗NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coachingCONNECT ON 🔗LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  That's the POINT! How a 30-Year Corporate Veteran Systemized His Coaching Business 01.06.2026 1h 1min

  Most coaches who struggle to get clients aren't bad at coaching. They're just running their practice as if being good at coaching is enough. It isn't. Michael Beale is a CEO coach, NLP trainer, and Marshall Goldsmith-certified coach who spent 30 years in corporate before building a coaching practice from scratch. He's put more systematic thought into what actually makes a coaching business work than almost anyone Doug has spoken with. 🎙️ ABOUT MICHAEL BEALE Director, Global Specialist in 1:1 NLP Training and Marshall Goldsmith Leadership Coaching. Business NLP Ltd 120 Porthcawl Green, Milton Keynes MK4 3AL, United Kingdom * * michael@nlp-training.org +44 (0)1908 506563 Office +44 (0) 7944 388621 Mobile Michael's LinkedIn profile; https://www.linkedin.com/in/beale/ Michael's Zoom link is: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/7845595607?pwd=RHdzK3djUDZPQVhZbW5rZklxaWNBdz09 And his most important insight might be the one that surprises you most: the biggest factor in your coaching success isn't your skills. It's who you choose to work with. 0:00 Good coach ≠ good business 1:22 Michael's background 3:47 Corporate teaches you the wrong things 6:14 Starting a business is a hero's journey 9:11 The three things every coaching business needs 13:25 Marshall Goldsmith: choose the right clients 14:19 What a bad client really costs you 19:41 Michael's 4 client criteria 22:49 Why 3 taster sessions beats 1 25:00 Hunting, attraction, nurturing, paid 34:14 "Everyone" is a marketing disaster 43:57 The feedforward exercise ----------------------------------- 🎙️ ABOUT DOUG O'BRIEN Doug O'Brien is an NLP Master Trainer, Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, and coach with over 35 years of experience. Certified by Tony Robbins and endorsed by Richard Bandler and Robert Dilts. He teaches coaches, therapists, and practitioners how to create lasting behavior change through NLP, Ericksonian hypnosis, storytelling, and nervous system-aligned coaching. BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  Living With Parkinson's: He built a 10-session Hypnosis Program To Manage Symptoms and Stress 15.05.2026 33min

  What do you do when you receive a diagnosis that has no cure? Dr. Harlan Kilstein — NLP practitioner, coach, and longtime student of Dave Dobson — was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. And instead of stopping, he did something remarkable. He built a 10-session hypnosis program — the Friday Harbor Method — to help himself and others living with Parkinson's manage symptoms, reduce stress, and reconnect with the body's own deep capacity for stillness and healing. Parkinson's has no cure. But stress makes symptoms significantly worse. And the body still knows things — how to relax, how to be still, how to sleep — that hypnosis can help it remember. In this episode, Doug O'Brien sits down with Harlan for an honest, moving, and often funny conversation about the diagnosis, the program, and what it means to apply everything you've learned when you need it most. 0:00 Dr. Harlan Kilstein and the Friday Harbor Method 1:37 The diagnosis: what Parkinson's actually feels like to live with 3:45 Michael J. Fox: 'The gift that keeps on taking' 5:13 What would Dave do? How Dave Dobson's teachings pointed the way 7:08 Why Harlan used AI to recreate his own voice for the recordings 9:10 A tour of the 10 sessions: beach, lake, master control room and more 18:55 The River of Light: gold, green, red, blue, and purple 19:55 The bonus tracks: Quiet Hands, sleep sessions, and the Spare Tire 22:49 How the 6-week program works — and how to use it out of order 25:09 Warning: the Parkinson's scam industry (what to watch out for) 28:33 Where to find the Friday Harbor Method The page for this project is https://fridayharbormethod.com/ ----------------------------------- ➡️ BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE.https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership 📩 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter 📕Want to MASTER Storytelling? Get the book, USER'S GUIDE TO STORYTELLING on Amazon https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/users-guide-to-storytelling ➡️ NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/➡️
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  Fix Your Inner Voice in 5 Minutes - NLP Modal Operators Explained 02.05.2026 19min

  Do you talk to yourself in ways that keep you stuck? Most people do. 'I should do that.' 'I can't.' 'I'll get to it someday.' These aren't just words — they're instructions to your unconscious mind. And your unconscious mind does exactly what it's told. In this solo episode, NLP Master Trainer and Ericksonian coach Doug O'Brien breaks down one of the most practical and underused tools in NLP: modal operators of necessity and possibility. These are the small words and phrases that silently run your motivation — and once you know which ones work for you, you can use them on purpose. 'I should do that.' 'I will do that.' 'I have to do that.' 'I'm doing that.' 'It's done.' Each one hits differently. One lights a fire. Another puts something on a to-do list it never leaves. Doug walks you through how to find the word that actually moves YOU — because it's different for everyone. 0:00 Why the way you talk to yourself changes everything 0:33 What NLP calls modal operators — and why they matter 1:33 Doug's own story: from 'I should' to 'I'm doing it' 3:34 The natural sequence: should → will → have to → doing it → done 5:00 You are the greatest hypnotist in the world — for yourself 6:00 The exercise: picture your goal and test each modal operator 8:32 We're in trances all the time — the question is which one 11:20 Dave Dobson: the unconscious mind is purposeful, not rational 13:13 Tony Robbins' string: if I can't, I must — if I must, I will 15:42 Words, tonality, and physiology — why 7% matters more than you think ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  Time Doesn't Exist — But Deadlines Do. Here's How to Use Them. 18.04.2026 32min

  Time is the one thing none of us have enough of — and yet it doesn't technically exist. So how do you use it well? In this episode, NLP Master Trainer and Ericksonian coach Doug O'Brien explores the fascinating psychology of time — from astronauts orbiting the moon to a coal miner with a watch that changed everything — and lands on one of the most practical productivity insights he's ever shared: there is nothing as inspirational as a deadline. You'll hear the story of the day a young Doug O'Brien sat in the front row of a composers' conference and asked Aaron Copland what inspired Appalachian Spring. The answer had nothing to do with nature walks or artistic reverie — and everything to do with Martha Graham, 200 dollars, and next Thursday. You'll also go inside Henrik Ibsen's writing room in Oslo — with its grandfather clock, its mahogany desk, and a six-foot portrait of his mortal enemy hanging on the wall — and discover how one of history's greatest playwrights used resentment, routine, and a very deliberate stopping point to produce masterwork after masterwork. 0:00 It's about time we talked about time0:36 Why time seems to speed up as we age 1:06 Einstein, Erickson, and the relativity of a minute 1:36 Death as an advisor — Carlos Castaneda and Don Juan 2:32 What the Artemis astronauts taught us about time 3:02 Time is a measurement of change 3:31 Sundials, sand timers, and how we invented the clock 5:41 The coal mine story: time perception and survival 6:48 How time zones were invented by a random clerk in St. Louis 10:43 Using time wisely — the real goal 11:13 Aaron Copland and the phone call that changed everything 13:07 The question I asked Copland in the front row 14:37 "Nothing is as inspirational as a deadline" 15:51 Tax day and the scramble it creates every year 16:49 The kitchen timer: Doug's simplest productivity tool 18:47 How a student with 10 minutes invented a system 19:46 Setting the timer: one task, no distractions 21:12 Moving toward vs. moving away — what motivates you? 22:12 The propulsion system: using both at once 22:41 Henrik Ibsen's writing room in Oslo 24:00 Why Ibsen kept a portrait of his enemy at his desk 25:29 Ibsen's daily routine: 9am sharp, pen down at 11:30 26:38 Stopping mid-sentence — the trick that kept him going 27:09 Hemingway's bridge to the writing room 28:20 Where the EASE Method comes from ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  AI Can't Do This Yet: Why Poetry, Trance & Human Voice Still Matter - w/ Julie Flanders 11.04.2026 53min

  What if poetry and hypnosis are the same thing? That's the question that opens this conversation — and the answer from Julie Flanders, award-winning lyricist and co-founder of the internationally acclaimed band October Project, might surprise you. Julie is also a transformational coach, poet, and producer whose work has reached millions worldwide. She's written three Amazon #1 bestselling poetry books, created the October Project International Poetry Contest (now in its 8th year), and built virtual choirs during COVID that drew singers from every continent. And she has a fascinating take on what makes human creativity — especially in the age of AI — so irreplaceable. 0:00 Is poetry the same as hypnosis? A lyricist's answer 1:47 Contemplation, the inner temple — and how language enters trance 3:44 Why algorithms don't write good poetry (yet) 4:44 Julie's influences: T.S. Eliot, Mary Oliver, Rumi — and why accessibility wins 8:32 Writing lyrics vs. writing poems: the surprising difference 10:02 October Project's Book of Rounds: 400 children and a mantra that loops 14:54 The COVID virtual choir: joy, bad singing, and hand-drawn missing faces 20:27 Make Music New York: 1,000 people walking and singing on the solstice 22:44 October Project Poetry Contest: how to enter (first poem is free) 31:21 From psychic to executive recruiter to coach — Julie's real origin story 35:07 Why change has to enter the body — not just the mind 43:48 The mythology of coaching (and music): what nobody tells you before you start Julie Flanders is an award-winning poet, lyricist, and producer, and the co-founder of the internationally acclaimed band October Project and the emergent new project Elle Dit Music. Her work has received Anthem, Telly, and ACDA honors, and reaches millions of listeners worldwide. Her 3 poetry books have been #1 bestsellers on Amazon. She is also the creator of the October Project International Poetry Contest, now in its eighth year, engaging poets from all over the world to celebrate April is Poetry Month by writing and submitting their own work for recognition. October Project - Return To Me - Worldwide Choir - GOLD TELLY & AMERICAN PRIZE WINNER 2023 https://youtu.be/wv9fbUHq6ks?si=qhTG1ZB4brOs9huI October Project - Virtual Choir of Joy - ANTHEM AWARD 2022, TELLY AWARD 2021 https://youtu.be/ODFsQ45yVnI?si=0Nhnzfq6WJFRrdoG October Project - Book of Rounds - Lyric Videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEI3F1h2TKvadz2PVQ8G86PklJ92sqs5I http://www.octoberprojectmusic.com http://www.Elleditmusic.com www.julieflanders.com ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  What REALLY Creates Change in Coaching? (TEMENOS Principle EXPLAINED) 08.04.2026 16min

  Have you finished your NLP training, your coaching certification, your hypnotherapy course... and now you're staring at an empty calendar wondering when you became someone who actually does this for a living? In this episode, NLP Master Trainer and Ericksonian coach Doug O'Brien explores the real psychology of making that leap. He opens with a concept from Carl Jung — Temenos — a protected vessel for transformation. And he makes the case that great coaching is not a technique applied in a single session. It's a space created over time. 🎙️ ABOUT DOUG O'BRIEN Doug O'Brien is an NLP Master Trainer, Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, and coach with over 35 years of experience. Certified by Tony Robbins and endorsed by Richard Bandler and Robert Dilts. He teaches coaches, therapists, and practitioners how to create lasting behavior change through NLP, Ericksonian hypnosis, storytelling, and nervous system-aligned coaching. 0:00 The Jungian idea of Temenos — a protected space for transformation 0:29 Why coaching is an ongoing conversation, not a one-and-done event 0:58 The disservice of 'one session fixes everything' (NLP & hypnosis culture) 1:23 The moment spring training ends and real clients begin 1:52 The office, the debt, the Zoom room — and the terror that follows 2:48 Your first real client: they have a problem and they think you can fix it 3:16 A brief history: NLP came from therapy (Perls, Satir, Erickson) 4:16 The 'watch the watch' problem and the one-session my 6:16 Thomas Leonard: coaching is a conversation 6:45 Doug's minimum: four sessions. Here's why. 7:13 The ecological ripple effects of change (quit smoking example) 7:42 The doctor/therapist model vs. a pair of equals 8:40 If you're going to coach, you should be coached 11:07 Solution-oriented coaching: listen, then actually do something 12:04 Doug's personal story: he needed it too (musician turned coach) 13:04 Stop taking more trainings. You're ready. Just start. 13:34 Temenos revisited: Jung, alchemy, and the pressure cooker of change 15:00 Why time limits create therapeutic pressure — and make sessions better ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH! JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  The Power of Questions 14.03.2026 30min

  The questions you ask determine what your mind focuses on—and that focus shapes your emotional state, your decisions, and ultimately your life. In this episode of the Essential Coaching Skills Podcast, Doug O’Brien explores the power of questions in coaching and personal transformation. Drawing from NLP, Tony Robbins’ work, and practical coaching experience, Doug explains how intentional questions can shift emotional states, improve problem solving, and help clients move from reactivity to empowerment. You’ll also learn Tony Robbins’ Morning Questions and Problem-Solving Questions, simple tools that can dramatically change how you approach challenges and opportunities. 00:01 – Introduction: The Power of Questions 00:29 – Questions in Coaching and NLP 01:28 – The “Imperative Question” Concept Leslie Cameron Bandler’s idea that each person carries a core question that influences their choices and behavior. 03:54 – Focus Determines State Why the questions we ask control our focus—and how focus directly affects our emotional state. 05:22 – Tony Robbins’ Morning Questions Doug introduces Tony Robbins’ structured morning questions for shaping mindset and emotional state. 07:14 – Why Questions Work Better Than Affirmations 08:50 – The Three-Step Happiness Question 18:11 – Better Questions for Difficult Situations 19:32 – The Five Problem-Solving Questions 24:09 – A Marathon Training Story 26:59 – Coaching Story: Shifting Depression with Questions A coaching story illustrating how powerful questions can shift emotional state quickly. ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  All about State Management 07.03.2026 23min

  Have you ever walked into a situation completely 'on' — clear, connected, in control — and wondered why you can't access that every time? You can. And it's simpler than you think. In this episode, NLP Master Trainer and Ericksonian coach Doug O'Brien teaches one of the most essential and practical NLP tools in existence: the Circle of Excellence. It's a body-mind anchoring technique that lets you choose your emotional state — and access it on demand — for any situation. Because you are not at the mercy of your circumstances. That person who "makes you mad" doesn't make you anything. You do. And once you understand that, you can change everything. 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 📚 The User's Guide to Storytelling (book + bonus class): https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/users-guide-to-storytelling 🎓 Essential Coaching Skills Membership: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 🌐 Website: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com 📧 Newsletter: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter 🎙️ ABOUT DOUG O'BRIEN Doug O'Brien is an NLP Master Trainer, Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, and coach with over 35 years of experience. Certified by Tony Robbins and endorsed by Richard Bandler and Robert Dilts. He teaches coaches, therapists, and practitioners how to create lasting behavior change through NLP, Ericksonian hypnosis, storytelling, and nervous system-aligned coaching. 0:00 Why your state determines everything you do 0:34 The body-mind connection: we are one organism 1:04 Why circumstances don't control your emotions — you do 2:04 The traveling salesman and the fake lottery win 4:52 What Tony Robbins got right (and what to watch out for) 5:21 Peak state isn't always firewalk state 6:18 The Circle of Excellence: what it is and how it works 7:46 Body posture exercise: stand like you're depressed (then don't) 9:38 Motion equals emotion — the Tony Robbins principle 10:06 The Botox study: why you can't feel what your face can't mirror 12:24 How to anchor a state using color and memory 13:20 Real example: anchoring anger for punk rock, love for ballads 14:18 How to pick the right color and emotion for your circle 16:36 Step-by-step: entering, feeling, and breaking the state 17:06 Live demo: anchoring the coaching state (open and connected) 20:08 How to fire the anchor instantly without thinking 20:38 Choosing the right state for the right situation 21:37 You are in charge of your state 22:08 Closing: take control, stop letting circumstances lead ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  Copy This Exercise: This Is The Smarter Way to Build Habits That Stick 28.02.2026 26min

  You're not broken. You're not lazy. You're probably using the wrong structure. In this episode, NLP Master Trainer and Ericksonian coach Doug O'Brien shares the EASE Method — a four-level system for building habits that actually stick without willpower, burnout, or shame spirals. EASE stands for: Easy → Acceptable → Stretch → Extraordinary You'll hear the story of a college violinist whose teacher gave him one simple instruction that changed everything: "If you can't practice, just take the violin out of its case and sit with it on your lap for five minutes."That's it. And it works — not just for music, but for fitness, writing, business-building, and any long-term goal that keeps falling apart. 0:00 Why massive action burns people out 0:21 Introducing the EASE Method 0:49 The pattern: start strong, then collapse 1:17 You're not broken — it's the structure 1:45 The story of the brilliant violinist 3:13 The teacher's secret: just 5 minutes 4:11 Newton's First Law and why you stay on the couch 5:10 Newton's Second Law: a body in motion 6:09 How to get a couch potato off the couch 6:39 The one-to-one ratio: practice and progress 8:20 What Tony Robbins taught Doug — and what was missing 9:18 Why firewalk motivation doesn't last at home 11:10 EASE explained: Easy, Acceptable, Stretch, Extraordinary 12:07 Real client example: the gym-door strategy 13:37 The extraordinary goal as your carrot 14:28 Doug's marathon story: running to Boston 17:50 The acceptable level: what to do on hard days 19:19 Meeting Stu Mittleman: the 1,000-mile world record holder 21:26 How daily action shifts your identity 22:23 When EASE is NOT the right tool 23:21 Taxes, deadlines, and when to light a fire 23:50 Closing: design change vs. forcing change 25:16 How to work with Doug ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/
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  Using Stories in Coaching - the #1 Skill 23.02.2026 17min

  Storytelling is not a performance skill. It is a transformation skill. If you coach, practice NLP, hypnosis, or therapeutic conversation, this episode will deepen your craft. 00:01 – Storytelling Is Not a Soft Skill 00:54 – We Learn from Experience 02:48 – Common Human Struggles How universal themes make stories relatable and powerful. 03:17 – Isomorphic Metaphor Explained 04:46 – Identity-Level Coaching 06:12 – Changing the Inner Hero 06:40 – One Story, Many Meanings 08:02 – Coaching Without Templates 08:57 – The Harry Murphy Story 11:24 – Discovery Over Directive 12:51 – The Realization Pattern 15:32 – Storytelling as an Essential Coaching Skill Why this belongs at the center of coaching mastery. ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH! JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching -----------------------------------
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  The hidden cost of will-power based change 12.02.2026 18min

   Most people try to change by trying harder. They use willpower, discipline, and effort to push themselves toward the life they want. It works for a while. Then something starts to resist. In this episode, I talk about why sustainable change rarely comes from effort, and why it works much better when your life is designed so you don’t have to fight yourself. Get coached by Doug: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching **00:01 – Sustainable change vs. effort-based change** Why lasting change is a design issue, not a discipline issue. **00:18 – What willpower-based change looks like** New Year’s resolutions, late-night habits, and short-lived control. **00:48 – Why effort feels like progress** How culture rewards pushing harder while people quietly burn out. **01:15 – Peak states and short-term success** Firewalks, motivation spikes, and why intensity doesn’t scale. **01:44 – The problem with relying on peak performance** Why success usually takes longer than a burst of motivation. **02:13 – Why you need better design, not more drive** How systems reduce friction and remove the need for force. **02:42 – Willpower is a finite resource** Why suppression and self-monitoring aren’t sustainable strategies. **03:11 – The system eventually rebels** Burnout, self-criticism, and fatigue disguised as laziness. **03:41 – Dan Millman’s three selves** The basic self, conscious self, and higher self explained. **04:10 – The seven-year-old inside you** Why parts of us don’t understand delayed gratification. **04:38 – What happens when suppression fails** Tantrums, binges, and biological rebellion. **05:07 – The real cost of willpower** Loss of trust, joy, creativity, and nervous system safety. **05:41 – Designing systems that remove friction** Why consistency should feel easier, not harder. **06:09 – Life as a night owl musician** A personal story about rhythm, identity, and transition. **07:07 – Becoming a morning runner** Why change was hard until the system changed. **08:03 – Nighttime guy vs. morning guy** Internal conflict and how Doug resolved it. **08:32 – Removing decision-making entirely** Laying out running gear as a behavioral system. **09:02 – The firehouse metaphor** Why systems must run without thinking. **09:32 – The E-Myth explained simply** Entrepreneurs vs. overworked technicians. **10:52 – Joe’s Garage and system failure** Why talent alone creates exhaustion without structure. **11:20 – What real entrepreneurship actually is** Designing repeatable systems that work without willpower. **12:49 – McDonald’s as a systems model** Why consistency beats motivation. **13:03 – Why systems replace willpower** How ease creates momentum. **13:31 – Identity replaces discipline** “I’m a runner” vs. “I should run.” **13:59 – Easy, acceptable, and extraordinary** A compassionate framework for consistency. **14:57 – Showing up counts** Why even 100 yards reinforces identity. **15:27 – Who you are determines what you do** Behavior follows identity, not effort. **15:56 – The invitation to reflect** Where are you forcing what could be redesigned? **16:25 – Willpower as wisdom** Why needing willpower is a signal, not a failure. **17:05 – Sustainable change requires alignment** Doug’s core coaching philosophy in practice. **17:35 – Closing and invitation** Why better design makes life easier. Get coached by Doug: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching
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  Ensure your nervous system is aligned with your plans for success. 31.01.2026 17min

  Your nervous system is always checking to make sure things are safe. It's number one job is to keep you alive. Sometimes new patterns that are needed for success can feel scary or unsafe. You may find that subconscious sabotage takes place. A good coach is able to deal with this and find a remedy. Here I give you some options. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching **00:07 – Why good plans still fail** Great roadmaps break down when energy and follow-through disappear. **01:03 – Dopamine and the planning trap** Why planning feels rewarding and execution feels like a slog. **01:33 – The marathon metaphor** Why long-term goals lose momentum without emotional reward. **02:32 – Why coaching matters** Coaching helps people stay plugged in when motivation fades. **02:45 – The nervous system always votes** Safety determines whether action continues or stops. **03:01 – Why change triggers avoidance** New goals feel unsafe to the body, even when they feel exciting mentally. **04:58 – Regulation through physical practice** Running, movement, and daily routines as nervous system regulation. **05:56 – Meditation, hypnosis, and self-regulation** Daily practices that stabilize emotional and mental state. **06:21 – Entering coach state intentionally** Why Doug prepares his nervous system before every session. **07:20 – Hypnosis and performance anxiety** Early exposure to hypnosis through music performance training. **08:18 – Gradual exposure and safety training** How visualization retrains the nervous system step by step. **09:37 – Safety as the foundation of success** Why the body must feel safe before progress can happen. **10:35 – NLP and the Circle of Excellence** Using anchoring to access optimal emotional states. **11:59 – Choosing the right peak state** Peak calm can be more powerful than peak intensity. **12:27 – The Cloud Technique** Releasing emotional overwhelm and choosing a better state. **13:53 – Plans without state alignment fail** Why cognition alone cannot sustain change. **14:52 – Accessing internal resources** Coaching helps clients reconnect with what they already have. **15:22 – Beliefs, meaning, and emotional response** How reframing meaning restores safety and confidence. **16:19 – Benjamin Franklin’s virtue practice** A weekly method for living values consistently. **17:07 – Integration and closing thoughts** Congruence creates momentum across all systems. If you want to deepen your coaching skills and learn how to work with state, nervous system alignment, NLP, and hypnosis in real conversations, explore Doug’s training programs at: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching
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  Why Smart People still get Stuck 28.01.2026 25min

     Essential Coaching Skills Podcast   👉 Explore Doug’s coaching and training programs - https://www.essentialcoachingskills.c... 👉 Or work with Doug directly to get unstuck and move forward - https://www.essentialcoachingskills.c... 00:00 — Why smart people get stuck Doug explains why capable and intelligent people still struggle to take action. *01:01* — The perfection trap Many people wait until they feel “ready” or “expert” before starting. *01:52* — Being stuck is not a motivation problem Being stuck is not laziness, not lack of discipline, and not lack of intelligence. *02:21* — Insight does not equal change Understanding something does not mean you can do it. *03:13* — The three requirements for real change Cognitive understanding. Behavioral capacity. Emotional readiness. *04:11* — Why willpower fails Willpower works for short bursts. It does not create lasting change. *04:40* — The Chuck Close story How a paralyzed artist kept painting by changing the system instead of relying on inspiration. *09:30* — “Inspiration is for amateurs” Professionals design systems that make action automatic. *10:13* — How to remove thinking from action Doug shares how he made running automatic by laying out his clothes. *11:07* — The firehouse principle When systems are right, action happens without debate. *12:04* — Why knowledge becomes avoidance Some people collect books, seminars, and information instead of taking action. *13:32* — Practice rewires behavior Understanding without practice does nothing. *14:01* — Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation External accountability can help until habits become automatic. *15:02* — The habit myth It does not take 21 days. It often takes much longer. *15:59* — How habits really form Repetition removes resistance. *16:28* — The flossing example What starts as effort becomes identity. *16:59* — Why accountability works Deadlines and reporting create action. *17:58* — Emotional safety and the nervous system If change does not feel safe, the system resists. *18:28* — NLP and integrating conflicting parts Change happens when inner conflicts are resolved. *19:44* — Old patterns are not broken They exist to protect you. *20:13* — Why willpower collapses Willpower cannot create identity change. *20:43* — Identity is the real goal You become a runner. You become a writer. You become a coach. *21:13* — The EASE process Small wins create momentum. *22:10* — Why “all or nothing” keeps people stuck Tiny actions build real change. *23:38* — There is no failure There is only feedback. *24:03* — Why coaching accelerates change Coaching removes blocks and creates alignment. *24:32* — Doug’s invitation Get coached. Help others get unstuck. If this episode describes you, you do not need more information. Doug works with coaches and individuals to: Remove internal blocks Rewire habits Align identity with action Make change feel natural 👉 Learn more at https://www.essentialcoachingskills.c... 👉 Explore Doug’s coaching and training programs - https://www.essentialcoachingskills.c... 👉 Or work with Doug directly to get unstuck and move forward - https://www.essentialcoachingskills.c...        
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  How it FEELS to be Well Coached 17.01.2026 17min

  How do you know if coaching is actually working? What should a good coaching session feel like? And how can you tell the difference between helpful coaching and coaching that just creates pressure, hype, or dependence? In this episode, Doug O’Brien explains what good coaching really feels like from the client’s side. This is not about techniques, certifications, or motivation. It is about the lived experience of being well-coached. 00:00 – Introduction Doug explains why this episode is about the experience of coaching, not techniques or credentials. 01:30 – What coaching is not Why people confuse coaching with therapy, advice, or motivation. 02:50 – Why most people don’t know what good coaching feels like How the field began and why expectations are often wrong. 03:45 – The core feeling of good coaching Why good coaching feels safe, calm, and unrushed. 04:30 – “You feel met, not managed” Why great coaching feels like being on the same team. 05:00 – Bad coaching vs good coaching (basketball story) The difference between pressure, fear, and real support. 05:50 – Your nervous system should relax in coaching Why good coaching does not feel performative or stressful. 06:00 – How a good coach understands you before you understand yourself Why clarity emerges naturally in great sessions. 06:40 – The running coach story How great coaches adapt to different personalities. 07:50 – What real support feels like Why good coaching gives you what you need, not what’s scripted. 08:20 – Pressure vs healthy structure The difference between stress and supportive accountability. 09:20 – The EASE approach to progress Why success should feel sustainable, not punishing. 10:20 – One quiet benefit of good coaching: less self-judgment How compassion replaces criticism. 11:00 – You should leave coaching with more energy Why good coaching feels light and organizing. 11:40 – Flow state and effortless progress Why coaching should feel natural, not forced. 12:45 – Coaching should increase agency, not dependence Why you should not become reliant on your coach. 14:00 – The real goal of coaching Why eventually, you should not need your coach anymore. 15:20 – How to know if coaching is working for you What to notice in your own experience. 16:00 – Final invitation Why good coaching creates conditions where change feels natural. Good coaching does not push you forward. It creates the conditions where moving forward feels natural. Learn more about Doug’s work at EssentialCoachingSkills.com