Manders Mindset

Feedback on the show? Send us a message!

What if the biggest thing standing between you and the life you want… is the resistance to change?

In this deeply insightful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Harvard-trained psychotherapist, mindset expert, executive coach, and bestselling author Madeline Weiss for a powerful conversation about identity, self-worth, reinvention, and the hidden psychology behind personal transformation.

From losing her father unexpectedly at 15 years old to rebuilding her confidence through learning, growth, and self-discovery, Madeline shares the experiences that shaped her understanding of mindset, resilience, and human behavior. Together, Amanda and Madeline explore why people often stay stuck in familiar discomfort, how quieting the mind can help uncover purpose, and why real self-esteem comes from witnessing yourself show up in ways you admire.

Throughout the conversation, Madeline breaks down the five-step framework from her book Getting to Great, explains why the brain naturally resists change, and shares how unconscious patterns quietly shape the direction of life, relationships, health, and career decisions.

This episode is filled with honest reflections, practical wisdom, and meaningful mindset shifts about courage, personal responsibility, identity, and becoming the version of yourself you were always capable of being.

💡 In this episode, listeners will learn:

🧠 Why the brain naturally resists change and prefers familiarity
 🌱 How identity shifts create lasting transformation
 💭 The importance of quieting the mind to hear inner guidance
 ✨ What true self-esteem actually comes from
 📖 How grief and life experiences can shape self-perception
 🔥 Why “what you want more” ultimately wins
 💪 The role discomfort plays in growth and evolution
 🌍 How kindness toward both others and yourself can transform life

05:00 – Losing her father at 15 years old
08:15 – Grief, moving, and struggling in school
17:40 – Quieting the mind & polyvagal breathing
26:00 – The GREAT framework explained
31:15 – Why resistance to change is the real work
35:45 – Why people stay stuck in familiar discomfort
39:20 – “What you want more wins”
42:00 – Amanda’s weight loss & identity shift story
46:10 – Manifestation vs becoming the future version of yourself
52:00 – “Just do good work”

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Madeline Weiss:
Website: 

Feedback on the show? Send us a message!

What if the shame carried for years wasn’t proof that something was wrong… but proof that healing had never truly been given space to begin?

In this deeply vulnerable episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Dr. Zoe Shaw, licensed psychotherapist, relationship coach, author, and podcast host for a powerful conversation about shame, secrecy, identity, and emotional healing. Dr. Zoe opens up about growing up in a strict religious environment, navigating racial identity shame, becoming pregnant as a teenager, and carrying the burden of secrecy for decades after placing her daughter for adoption.

Together, Amanda and Dr. Zoe explore the emotional weight of people-pleasing, perfectionism, trauma, and the ways shame quietly shapes relationships, self-worth, and the ability to show up authentically in the world. Dr. Zoe also breaks down the difference between guilt, simple shame, toxic shame, and what she calls “complex shame”, a deeper form of shame built over years of painful experiences and hidden wounds.

This conversation is an honest and hopeful reminder that healing doesn’t begin through hiding…

It begins through vulnerability, self-forgiveness, and finally allowing the truth to be seen.

⏰ Timeline Summary

[5:40] – Growing up with racial identity shame and strict religious expectations                                                                                                                    [9:15] – Becoming pregnant at 15 and carrying the burden of secrecy                  [14:30] – Using achievement, success, and perfectionism to hide shame [19:05] – The moment she revealed her secret to her children and family [23:45] – The difference between guilt, simple shame, complex shame, and toxic shame                                                                                                            [31:40] – Practical ways to begin untangling shame and finding forgiveness 

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 The difference between guilt, simple shame, toxic shame, and complex shame
💔 How secrecy and people-pleasing can quietly shape identity and relationships
 ✨ The emotional impact of carrying shame from childhood into adulthood
 📖 Dr. Zoe’s personal journey through teen pregnancy, adoption, and self-forgiveness
🪞 How perfectionism and achievement can become coping mechanisms for hidden pain

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Zoe: 

 📖 Get Dr. Zoe's Book Stronger in the Difficult Places: https://a.co/d/bWNSd4G

Get Dr. Zoe's Must Have Resources to untangle Shame: 

https://dr-zoe-shaw-enterprises.kit.com/7247f0bc86 

Feedback on the show? Send us a message!

What if rebuilding your life after trauma wasn’t about becoming who you once were… but learning how to embrace who you are now?

In this deeply moving episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with author, speaker, and trauma survivor Shannon Michelle for a powerful conversation about resilience, identity, healing, and the life changing power of staying present. After surviving a near-fatal motorcycle accident that left her in a coma for two months, Shannon shares what it was like to relearn how to walk, read, speak, and rebuild her life from the ground up.

Together, Amanda and Shannon explore the emotional journey of letting go of old identities, learning to accept life’s hardest moments, and finding beauty even in the middle of pain and uncertainty. Shannon opens up about surviving childhood abuse, building a successful interior design career, navigating physical and emotional recovery after her accident, and eventually transforming her experiences into a book designed to inspire others through trauma and healing.

This conversation is a reminder that healing isn’t always about returning to who you once were… 

Sometimes it’s about discovering a completely new version of yourself.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 What it was like for Shannon to relearn how to read, walk, and navigate life after a traumatic brain injury
 🌿 Why staying present became one of the biggest lessons of her recovery
 💔 The emotional process of letting go of old identities and expectations
 ✨ How childhood trauma shaped Shannon’s drive, resilience, and independence
 📖 The unexpected journey that led her to writing and publishing her book
 🛁 Why relearning simple daily tasks became some of her biggest victories
 💫 How acceptance, grace, and small moments of joy helped her rebuild her life

⏰ Timeline Summary

[2:10] Shannon reflects on how her accident transformed her identity and perspective on life
[7:50] Growing up in a chaotic and abusive household while learning independence young
[15:40] Starting her first business at 22 and unexpectedly entering interior design
[28:15] The motorcycle accident that changed everything and surviving a two-month coma
[39:20] Relearning how to walk, read, and navigate life after traumatic brain injury
[47:30] Letting go of her old life and learning to embrace “Shannon Michelle 2.0”
[53:50] Writing her book, rebuilding purpose, and helping others through trauma
[58:40] Staying present, acceptance, and finding abundance through life’s hardest moments

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Shannon:

Website: https://stepintoyourmiracle.com/

Feedback on the show? Send us a message!

What happens when you’ve spent most of your life believing your voice doesn’t matter… and then you decide to use it anyway?

In this milestone Episode 200 of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with podcast host and sustainability advocate Amy Bolduc for one of the most raw and honest conversations yet. From navigating a challenging childhood and years of self-doubt to building a podcast and showing up consistently despite insecurity, Amy shares what it really looks like to grow through the mess... not after it.

Together, Amanda and Amy unpack the reality of doing things before you feel ready, learning to trust yourself after life-altering decisions, and the quiet but powerful realization that… people actually care. This episode is a reminder that your voice matters, even if you’re still learning how to believe that.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How childhood experiences can shape self-worth and identity
 💭 What it feels like to live with deep-rooted insecurity and still move forward
 🎙️ The reality of starting a podcast (and hitting record) before feeling ready
 🔥 Why “do it anyway” can be the most life-changing mindset shift
 🌱 How growth often comes from uncomfortable, unexpected life transitions
 💔 Navigating big life changes like divorce, relocation, and starting over
 🧭 The powerful realization that your voice matters more than you think

⏱️ Timeline Summary:

[1:30] Celebrating Episode 200 & how Amanda and Amy connected
 [6:00] Amy’s childhood, family dynamics, and early instability
 [14:30] School struggles, insecurity, and not following a traditional path
 [24:00] Early adulthood, relationships, and career journey beginnings
 [34:30] Job transitions, COVID struggles, and emotional burnout
 [43:00] Starting her podcast despite fear and self-doubt
 [52:00] The mindset shift: “do it anyway” & finding her voice
 [1:00:00] Realizing people care & reflections on growth and self-worth

TAKE THE SURVEY TO WIN A $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD & A MANDERS MINDSET TEE: https://form.jotform.com/mandersmindset/200-episodes-of-manders-mindset

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Amy:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groundedinmainepodcast_/

Listen to Grounded in Maine Podcast: https://www.groundedinmaine.com/

Feedback on the show? Send us a message!

What happens when life pulls you so far away from who you once were… that finding your way back feels almost impossible?

In this deeply personal episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with Dr. Crystal Harrell, Yale-trained public health researcher, bestselling author, and CEO to explore her journey of losing and rediscovering herself. From growing up in public housing as one of ten children to experiencing the devastating loss of her father at just 11 years old, Crystal shares how that pivotal moment reshaped her sense of safety, identity, and connection to the world around her.

Together, Amanda and Crystal unpack how grief, constant change, and emotional survival led to years of feeling disconnected and lost… and what it truly took to begin the journey back home. Through reflection, resilience, and a deep commitment to self-discovery, Crystal reveals how she’s been reclaiming the joyful, fearless version of herself she once knew and what that process looks like in real life.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🧠 How early life experiences shape identity and emotional patterns
 💔 The impact of losing a parent at a young age and how it shifts everything
 🏠 What it’s like growing up in public housing as part of a large family
 🔄 How constant change and instability can lead to feeling lost
 🌱 The journey of reconnecting with your younger, authentic self
 🔥 Why healing isn’t about becoming someone new but returning to who you were
 🧭 What it really takes to come back home to yourself after years of disconnection

⏰ Timeline Summary:

[2:10] Growing up as one of ten children in public housing
 [6:45] Losing her father at 11 and the emotional impact that followed
 [11:30] How her mother changed through grief and survival
 [18:20] The beginning of feeling unsafe, isolated, and disconnected
 [26:40] Navigating mental health struggles and identity loss
 [35:15] The turning point toward self-discovery and healing
 [44:50] Reconnecting with her younger self and finding joy again

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!