Why do smart, capable people find ourselves overthinking, getting defensive, or stuck in the same communication patterns at work and at home? In this episode, I sit down with leadership coach and communication strategist Amy Wong to explore what’s really happening beneath conflict, power struggles, and the need to be right. Together, we unpack how unconscious focus and nervous system hijacking quietly derail connection, why accountability is actually the gateway to freedom (not self-blame), and how a simple shift in attention can restore clarity, alignment, and trust. This conversation is for leaders, partners, and humans who are tired of knowing better—but still reacting anyway—and who are ready for a more grounded, sane way to lead and relate.

We’ve been taught that effort equals worth. That staying busy means we’re doing life right. During a 14-day water fast, something unexpected happened. I created from calm instead of pressure — and the result was better, faster, and far more joyful than anything I’ve ever forced. In this episode, I share a simple but profound lesson about high achiever burnout, why overworking yourself doesn’t lead to fulfillment, and what becomes possible when you stop proving and start listening. If you’re successful on paper but quietly exhausted, this conversation is for you.

Self sabotage isn’t about willpower or discipline. It’s the quiet, almost automatic way we get in our own way — usually without realizing it. In this Monday Muse, I share a moment from a 14-day water fast that made a familiar pattern suddenly impossible to ignore. Not because it was dramatic, but because it was subtle and completely ordinary. This episode is an exploration of awareness — how unconscious habits run beneath insight, good intentions, and even a lot of self-knowledge. When things finally slow down, we can see what’s actually happening, and that changes everything. If you’ve ever felt like you’re repeating patterns you know better than, this one’s for you.

Most of us don’t realize how identified we are with the voice in our heads — until we start paying attention. In this episode of The Intuition Incubator, I sit down with Rob Schmidt and Stuart Goodnick, longtime Fourth Way practitioners and co-founders of the Tai-Yu Meditation Center, to talk about what it actually means to wake up from automatic living. We explore self-observation, presence, and the subtle ways the mind keeps us reacting instead of choosing. This conversation moves into how projection shapes our relationships, why real listening is rare, and how conversation itself can become a spiritual practice. Rob and Stuart share decades of lived experience from the Fourth Way tradition of Gurdjieff, offering insight into intuition, executive presence, and what becomes possible when we stop believing every thought we have.

On day 19 of an extended water fast, I explore how letting go of proving and listening to intuition reveals what I truly wanted. This Monday Muse reflects on what’s behind the goals we set and how extended fasting for clarity and spirituality created space to see the difference between ego and intuition. I share insights on personal transformation, nervous system regulation, mindfulness, self-inquiry, and awakening consciousness. This episode is for anyone questioning their goals, success, or motivation, and wanting to live and lead with more presence, inner clarity, and meaning.

What if fasting created more control over your stress, your mood, and the noise in your mind? In this Monday Muse, I share what a 14-day water fast taught me about irritation, overthinking, intuition, and the mental stories we follow without question. By removing food, I saw how much of my reactivity came from my mind—not my hunger. A hangry moment in my own household showed me just how much power we give to habit, fear, and old beliefs. This episode explores what happens when you stop reacting automatically, trust yourself more deeply, and meet your day without believing every thought that appears. If you’re navigating stress, impatience, or the constant hum of overthinking, this conversation offers a quieter, wiser way forward.

Have you ever felt like your life is following a script you didn’t write? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jeremy Goldberg—writer, coach, TEDx speaker, and founder of Long Distance Love Bombs—to talk about the moment your heart changes its mind and the courage it takes to follow it. Jeremy shares how he walked away from a successful career as a behavior change scientist on the Great Barrier Reef to become a poet and help people rewrite the stories that keep them stuck. We dive into intuition, identity shifts, healing shame, and what it means to climb out of the holes our minds make. If you’ve ever hit rock bottom, questioned who you are, or whispered “there has to be more,” this conversation is your reminder that you’re allowed to choose a different ending.

What happens when a high-achiever stops eating, working, and proving her worth for 14 days? During my water fast, I met the version of myself that exists underneath achievement, productivity, and gold stars — and she surprised me. This episode explores: • Why high achievers can look awake but secretly be asleep at the wheel • How self-worth becomes a stock market we track all day long • The moment the mind loses its grip and wonder returns • What happens when we stop doing long enough to simply be If you’ve ever wondered whether you are enough without a single accomplishment to show for it… welcome home. Let’s walk through this one together.

I went 14 days with no food, no work, no screens—just stillness. In this episode, I share why I chose an extended water fast, what it revealed about fear, healing, and my own unconscious patterns, and how stepping away from every coping mechanism opened a deeper clarity. If you're curious about fasting, emotional healing, or waking up from “sophisticated sleepwalking™,” this one is for you.

At 32, Ian Bowen woke up from spinal cord surgery paralyzed from the chest down and was told he’d never run again. Thirteen years later, he ran a marathon. In this episode, Ian shares his spinal cord injury recovery story, the “watch me” mindset that carried him, and his RINSE framework for resilience, journaling, and intuition. If you’ve ever been told “you can’t,” this will remind you that you’re far more powerful than you think.

MIT engineer and Radical Product Thinking author Radhika Dutt joins me to unpack why goal-chasing, KPIs, and efficiency culture are breaking our creativity, intuition, and leadership. We talk about product vision, innovation, AI’s impact on humanity, burnout, and how curiosity and reflection create better teams, better products, and a more meaningful life.Radhika Dutt is the author of Radical Product Thinking: The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter which has been translated into Chinese and Japanese. The methodology she introduced in her first book is now used in over 40 countries. She is an entrepreneur, speaker, and product leader who has participated in five acquisitions, two of which were companies that she founded. She is currently Advisor on Product Thinking to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Singapore’s central bank and financial regulator), and does consulting and training for organizations ranging from high-tech startups to multinationals on building radical products that create a fundamental change. Radhika has built products in a wide range of industries including broadcast, media and entertainment, telecom, advertising technology, government, consumer apps, robotics, and even wine. She graduated from MIT with an SB and M.Eng in Electrical Engineering, and speaks nine languages.Radhika is now working on her second book – it’s about why goals and targets backfire and what actually works.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Engineering and Entrepreneurship03:40 The Challenges of Founder Mode06:31 The Importance of Vision Statements09:19 Radical Product Thinking and Authenticity11:47 Balancing Personal Vision and Survival13:44 The Toxic Drive of Being the Best16:22 Soul Surplus vs. Soul Debt19:10 Curiosity in Problem Solving28:59 Curiosity-Driven Problem Solving33:38 The Shift from Evaluation to Development38:35 Intuition vs. Intellect in Leadership44:04 The Dangers of AI and Commoditization of Labor47:12 Human Connection in a Tech-Driven World55:08 Reflection as a Tool for ChangeFind me on YouTube @abbyhavermann👉🏽 Inspire and transform your group by hiring me to speak: https://www.abbyhavermann.com/speaking👉 Get my free course: Stop Setting Boundaries (under an hour!): https://www.abbyhavermann.com/stop-setting-boundaries

Traver Boehm is the author of the books Today I Rise, Man Uncivilized and 28 Days In Darkness. He’s a two-time TEDx speaker, men’s coach, and the founder of the Uncivilized Men’s Movement. He’s helped men all over the world to become Uncivilized as they wake up to the power of their hearts, the brilliance of their bodies, and the wisdom of their souls so they can blaze their own path by uniquely blending both the primal and the divine within them.Most recently, Traver completed an extraordinary 49-day dark retreat and released his latest book chronicling his first such journey, 28 Days In Darkness.He is dedicated to doing his part to help end the suffering in men, and the suffering caused by men, by guiding them through their own journey into an actualized version of masculinity.In this powerful conversation, Traver Boehm, founder of Man Uncivilized and author of 28 Days in Darkness, joins me to explore the crisis and rebirth of modern masculinity. We talk about shadow work, men’s mental health, trauma healing, emotional intelligence, nervous-system regulation, and the midlife search for purpose.Traver shares what he learned from spending 49 days in total darkness—and why the greatest challenge a man can face isn’t an Ironman race or a business empire, but the courage to meet himself. Together, we unpack the confusion between men and women in the post-MeToo era, the cost of numbing through achievement, and how reconnecting to feeling, presence, and authenticity brings life back into full color.If you’ve ever wondered why success feels empty, why relationships feel like war zones, or why modern men feel lost, this episode is your invitation to return home to yourself.Chapters: 00:00 The State of Masculinity and Femininity07:07 The Impact of COVID and Social Movements13:03 Navigating Relationships in a Changing World18:51 Understanding Male Desire and Safety24:33 The Role of Men in Modern Society29:48 Lessons on Safety and Vulnerability32:38 Understanding Sexual Needs and Desires37:03 The Impact of Masculinity on Relationships41:15 The Call to Action for Men46:35 The Importance of Being Known53:06 Facing Fear and Embracing Darkness56:59 Reliving Trauma: The Somatic Experience58:09 The Dark Retreat: Confronting Inner Demons01:02:50 The Power of Darkness: Insights and Resilience01:08:20 The Journey Within: Discovering the Soul01:14:00 The Illusion of Significance: Embracing Insignificance01:18:13 Man Uncivilized: Building Community and ConnectionGuest Resources:https://www.manuncivilized.com/pressInstagram - traverboehmYoutube -  @TraverBoehm  The UNcivilized Podcast - https://www.manuncivilized.com/blog/Find me on YouTube @abbyhavermann👉🏽 Inspire and transform your group by hiring me to speak: https://www.abbyhavermann.com/speaking👉 Get my free course: Stop Setting Boundaries (under an hour!): https://www.abbyhavermann.com/stop-setting-boundaries

Katie Deming, MD, is an integrative oncologist, inventor, and TEDx speaker who is redefining cancer prevention, treatment, and healing. After two decades as a radiation oncologist and healthcare leader, Katie shifted to a holistic practice that helps clients detoxify and nourish their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies in order to activate their innate ability to heal. Her passion for bridging the power of science with holistic health has led clients to remarkable outcomes, including tumor shrinkage, remission of advanced cancers, and avoidance of invasive treatments.Dr. Katie's practice is centered on prolonged, supervised water fasting with metabolically appropriate refeeding protocols. She leads group fasting programs designed to foster community support, metabolic healing, and profound emotional and spiritual transformation. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Katie Deming, a former radiation oncologist who walked away from a long medical career after a shared death experience reshaped her understanding of illness, intuition, and the purpose of life. She now helps people heal holistically—emotionally, physically, and spiritually—through integrative oncology and prolonged water fasting.We talk about what true healing really means, how emotions like unworthiness and self-betrayal manifest in the body, and why so many people nearing the end of life regret not living authentically. Dr. Deming shares powerful stories of clients who’ve experienced radical remission and inner transformation by turning inward, slowing down, and reconnecting with their intuition.This conversation dives into the intersection of science and spirit, Western medicine and emotional truth. Whether you’ve faced illness yourself or are simply curious about the mind-body connection, this episode will open your eyes to a new understanding of healing, authenticity, and the intelligence within your own body.Chapters: 00:00 The Journey from Oncology to Integrative Healing05:53 Lessons from the Dying: Living Authentically10:38 Intuition and Cancer: A Radical Shift in Perspective15:05 Healing vs. Eradication: Understanding Illness as a Message19:36 The Role of Emotions in Cancer and Healing24:22 Reconnecting with Humanity in Medicine28:31 The Disconnect Between Doctors and Intuition30:48 Compassion for Medical Professionals33:20 The Flaws in the Medical System35:17 The Challenge of Acceptance37:19 The Crisis of Awareness39:23 The Role of Fasting in Healing47:11 Spiritual Awakening Through FastingFind me on YouTube @abbyhavermann👉🏽 Inspire and transform your group by hiring me to speak: https://www.abbyhavermann.com/speaking👉 Get my free course: Stop Setting Boundaries (under an hour!): https://www.abbyhavermann.com/stop-setting-boundaries

Jamie Sarche’s calling is helping people be less afraid of death. By arranging for families to provide their loved ones with a planned and funded funeral or memorial service, she creates a path for bereavement, long before it's needed. And by facing their mortality, her clients can live better, more meaningful lives.As a seasoned speaker, Jamie brings deep experience in death care to a broad range of audiences around the country, sharing insights and approaches on how to have those difficult conversations and how to address sensitive issues. Extending well beyond death and dying, Jamie’s message resonates across industries and individuals, bridging my passion to demystify death while enlightening communicators on overcoming challenging conversations.Most of us don’t want to talk about death. We stuff our grief down, we skip the rituals, and we pretend “time heals all wounds.” My guest, Jamie Sarche, believes the opposite: that facing death and grief is what actually helps us live more fully.In this conversation, Jamie and I dive into how to grieve in real life (not the tidy version we see in movies), the role of funeral planning as a gift to your family, and why traditions like sitting Shiva, green burial, or even just sitting with someone in pain matter so deeply. We also talk about death anxiety, what happens when we avoid grief, and how avoiding those conversations keeps us disconnected from our intuition and each other.This episode is raw, authentic, and—strangely—life-affirming. If you’ve ever wondered what to say to someone who’s grieving, how to talk about death with your kids, or how to honor loss without numbing, this one’s for you.Find me on YouTube @abbyhavermann👉🏽 Inspire and transform your group by hiring me to speak: 👉 Get my free course: Stop Setting Boundaries (under an hour!): https://www.abbyhavermann.com/stop-setting-boundaries

Decision making can be exhausting when it’s fueled by overthinking, endless pros and cons, or the fear of making the wrong choice. In this Monday Muse, I share how to move beyond decision paralysis by tapping into your intuition and making choices from a deeper, more authentic place.I talk about the difference between ego-driven decisions and intuitive ones, how to check in with your body instead of just your mind, and why aligned decision making creates confidence, clarity, and authentic leadership. I also share the story of leaving my family business—a terrifying but transformative choice that didn’t make sense on paper but changed everything.If you’re ready to stop second guessing yourself and start trusting your inner knowing, this episode will show you how.Chapters:00:00 Transforming Decision-Making: A New Approach04:54 Getting Clear On What You Want06:51 The Role of the Body in Decision-Making08:08 Practicality in Decision Making08:50 Balancing Practical Factors with Inner Knowing11:09 Taking Responsibility for Outcomes12:33 Making Decisions from Authentic PowerFind me on YouTube @abbyhavermann👉🏽 Inspire and transform your group by hiring me to speak: https://www.abbyhavermann.com/speaking 👉 Get my free course: Stop Setting Boundaries (under an hour!): https://www.abbyhavermann.com/stop-setting-boundaries

Authentic leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about vulnerability, emotional intelligence, and the courage to be real. For decades we’ve been taught that good leaders are unshakable, but that lie keeps us exhausted, disconnected, and stuck in performance mode.In this episode of the Monday Muse, I share why pretending confidence drains your energy, how ego-driven decisions create burnout, and why radical self honesty is the foundation of genuine leadership. You’ll learn how to shift from performing to living awake—building trust, resilience, and deeper connection with yourself and those around you.If you’re tired of performing strength and ready to lead with authenticity, this conversation is your reminder that the leaders people want to follow are the ones who show up as human first.Chapters: 00:00 The Lie That Keeps Us Stuck07:43 The Cost of Performance15:57 Awakening to Authenticity21:05 Surrendering to the ProcessHIRE ME TO SPEAK:👉🏽 Inspire and transform your group with a keynote speech or training: https://www.abbyhavermann.com/speaking​​👉 Get my free course: Stop Setting Boundaries (under an hour!): https://www.abbyhavermann.com/stop-setting-boundaries

Alexa Brascetta is a CFP® with more than 22 years of experience in the financial services world. As the founder of Aligned Wealth Strategies, she is on a mission to help people align their core values with their money goals and bring the values of partnership, honesty, education, fun, and empathy into her work. A graduate of Texas Woman’s University with a degree in finance, Alexa has obtained her CLU® (Chartered Life Underwriter designation) and her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.Alexa is a Colorado native, married to a first responder and is raising two daughters. She is a lifelong learner and an avid reader, and despite living in Colorado, the beach is her happy place. Grief, financial anxiety, and perfectionism don’t just happen in the background—they are the quiet engine driving our lives—unless we wake up. In this episode, I talk with Alexa Brascetta, CFP® and founder of Aligned Wealth Strategies, about how loss shaped her path, what it means to listen to the quiet tug of intuition, and why success without alignment still feels empty. We dive into post-traumatic growth, the shame cycle, and the pressure on breadwinning moms to hold it all together, even when it’s breaking them inside. This is a raw, honest look at how grief can shake you awake, how financial planning becomes powerful when it’s values-based, and how letting go of perfectionism creates the kind of clarity and peace we’re really after.Find me on YouTube @abbyhavermann👉🏽 Inspire and transform your group by hiring me to speak: https://www.abbyhavermann.com/speaking👉 Get my free course: Stop Setting Boundaries (under an hour!): https://www.abbyhavermann.com/stop-setting-boundaries

Amy Budden, known as the “loving neurohacker” where heart and mind combine, and creator of The Magic Nap™, empowers clients to reshape their minds for success. From Hollywood actors to Fortune 500 CEOs, and even royalty, she has guided thousands of  individuals to script their own narratives using visualization, hypnosis, and embedded frequency to hardwire desired outcomes. Amy's expertise lies in scientifically validated methodologies that unlock the latent potential of the brain and heart coherence, enabling individuals to rewrite limiting beliefs, activate health and healing and forge new pathways to joy, love, abundance. This signature technique facilitates a profound and effortless meditative state to recalibrate emotional equilibrium and health that are solidly rooted in the mind/body.In this episode, we dive into how guided meditation, hypnosis, and brainwave training can rewire the mind for healing, stress relief, and intuition.Amy shares the story of her daughter’s miraculous recovery, how the power of belief and subconscious reprogramming can transform health, and why heart coherence meditation is one of the most effective tools for resilience. We talk hypnotherapy for anxiety, fertility, and cancer care, plus the science behind Joe Dispenza meditations, brainwave states, and neuroplasticity.If you’ve ever wondered how to move from stress and fear into trust, love, and effortless healing — this conversation is for you.**Disclaimer: Do not listen to the full episode while driving as there is a meditation in the middle of it. Be in a safe place while listening!Find Amy’s app HERE: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/connect-the-mind/id6578415871Yearly Discount: WELCOME25OFFYRMonthly Discount: WELCOME25OFFMONFind me on YouTube @abbyhavermann👉🏽 Inspire and transform your group by hiring me to speak: https://www.abbyhavermann.com/speaking👉 Get my free course: Stop Setting Boundaries (under an hour!): https://www.abbyhavermann.com/stop-setting-boundaries

Why ‘Morality Divides’ Keeps You Stuck: Healing Hate & Finding Conscience. Our judgments—especially the righteous ones—keep us divided, drained, and disconnected from peace. I share the story of a podcast pitch that stopped me in my tracks, not because the writing wasn’t brilliant (it was), but because its final line revealed just how easily certainty turns into separation.This isn’t about politics or taking sides. It’s about something deeper: how hate—no matter how justified we think it is—remains hate. And when we fight hate with more hate, we become the very thing we despise. In this episode, I explore the difference between morality (which divides) and conscience (which unites), why our nervous systems push us toward judgment, and how leaders like Michael Singer and Gabor Maté model another way.At its core, this episode is about the choice each of us has: to keep fueling division, or to practice the harder, humbler path of presence, compassion, and conscience—even in the face of pain and injustice.Find me on YouTube @abbyhavermann👉🏽 Inspire and transform your group by hiring me to speak: https://www.abbyhavermann.com/speaking 👉 Get my free course: Stop Setting Boundaries (under an hour!): https://www.abbyhavermann.com/stop-setting-boundaries

The reason you’re exhausted may be hidden emotional energy drains. These sneaky mental vampires too—micro decision fatigue, emotional labor burnout, and perfectionism—are why you’re burnt out, even on easy days. The apps running in the background of your mind are bleeding you of focus, clarity, and drive. In this episode, I’ll show you how to spot these invisible drains, stop overthinking, and reclaim your life force so you can put your energy where it actually matters.I also created a little quiz for you to determine where you may be leaking energy, and some mindset shifts to help refuel your tank.  You can find the Energy Audit HERE: https://www.abbyhavermann.com/energyauditChapters:00:00 Understanding Exhaustion: The Real Causes01:30 The Three Hidden Energy Leaks04:58 Strategies to Plug Energy LeaksFind me on YouTube @abbyhavermann👉🏽 Inspire and transform your group by hiring me to speak: https://www.abbyhavermann.com/speaking​​👉 Get my free course: Stop Setting Boundaries (under an hour!): https://www.abbyhavermann.com/stop-setting-boundaries