EQ Gangster

#314: What's the Impact of Empathetic Leadership, Author Sophie Wade

Sophie is a work futurist, keynote speaker, and Workforce Innovation Specialist at Flexcel Network. Sophie’s advisory services and workshops help leaders adapt to attract, engage, and retain a multigenerational distributed workforce. Sophie’s new book is Empathy Works: The Key to Competitive Advantage in the New Era of Work. Sophie hosts the popular podcast “Transforming Work with Sophie Wade”. Over 500,000 people have taken her LinkedIn courses. She got her BA at Oxford and MBA at INSEAD.  ...

#313: A Boundaries Audit. The Rewarding Experience of Helping a Client Develop Boundaries

When is the last time you felt the emotion of “rewarding”?   What was it that made you feel the emotion of “rewarding”?   Helping one of my clients develop boundaries was extremely rewarding for me.   I helped her create, communicate & enforce her boundaries & it was such a powerful experience for me…as much as it was for her.   How are your boundaries?    When is the last time you’ve done a “boundaries audit”?    What % of your boundaries come from an emotionally hea...

#312: The EQ Journey of Author & Entrepreneur of Dude Derm, Drew Plotkin (EXPLICIT)

Drew is the author of Under My Skin book.  DREW PLOTKIN is an Emmy nominated producer and founder of the Launch DRTV agency. Created and directed award-winning TV broadcast commercials for major celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Serena Williams, Cindy Crawford, Ellen Pompeo, Dwayne Wade, Kristin Davis, Jane Seymour, Paris Hilton, Drew Brees and more.  Founder and CDO (Chief Dude Officer) of the skincare line Derm Dude which produces products specifically for men’s beards, balls, an...

#309: Last Year's Failures

Lima Charlie Network https://www.limacharlienetwork.com/   To get more information on homeschooling, visit our sponsor’s page at www.ClassicalConversations.com/gibbens

#311: Stress Exercise, Self-Awareness, Energy Management & Taking Care of Yourself From a Conversation With a Medical Professional

I walked a medical professional through the “Stress Plate” exercise.   Here are some good questions to ask yourself as well:    How self-aware are you?    How aware are you of your energy levels at any given time of the day or night?    How intentional are you at taking care of yourself?   How effective are you based on your energy levels?   How do you recharge?    If you’re ready to take your emotional growth to the next level, join the EQ Mafia at https://www.eq...

#310: 4 Steps to Dealing With People-Pleasing From Life Coach, Nick Pollard (EXPLICIT)

Nick shares his super unique story of how he started in the People-Pleasing space. He also shared very openly about a number of the challenges he’s overcome & how he worked through them. 3 bouts of alcoholism. 3 divorces. 1 trip to rehab. He explained how alcohol impacts / affects how we behave & how  view the world around us. He provided 4 practical exercises / steps to work through & overcome one’s people-pleasing behaviors. How to connect with & follow Nick:  https://stan.store/...

#308: How Do You Set Boundaries & Pull Away From Toxic Relationships, Life Coach Amy Fiedler.

Amy is one of my favorite guests on the EQ Gangster podcast. She was also my guest on Episode #183 discussing “Self-Awareness & Finding a Life Coach”.    She’s one of the most self-aware leaders & entrepreneurs I’ve ever met. Her connections & understanding of human emotions is literally mind boggling.    In this episode, discuss many pertinent topics. Some of which include:    The Family Genogram   Looking at your family dysfunction through the eyes of your 8 - 12 y/o self. ...

#307: What If You Were Told How Long You Had To Live? Giving & Receiving. Lessons From a Client.

In this episode, I share a client story w/some sobering news.   This story raises some really important questions to ask yourself & reflect on.   What emotions would you experience if you were told how much longer you had to live?    What would you do with that news?    My client said hearing that news was a gift for him because that’s when he started living.   How would you let that news affect / impact you?    How easy is it for you to ask others for help?    Wh...

#306: Intimidated & Doubtful To Empowered & Confident & A Panic Story. More BJJ Life Lessons.

Some more life & emotional lessons from my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) “therapy”.    2 Stories in this episode: 1 story of me feeling intimidated & doubtful rolling w/a younger more athletic dude and another story of rolling w/a young athletic lady that had me in a submission attempt that nearly “checkmated” me leading me to a near panic scenario.   How good are you at recognizing your victories – both big & small?    How good are you at recognizing your failures?    For me, ov...

#305: 10+ Questions For You To Do An Emotional Audit Of This Year. How Did You Do Emotionally This Year?

Schedule some time in your calendar to do an Emotional Audit of this year. Here are some questions to ask yourself to get you started:    How did you do this year emotionally?    How did you grow this year emotionally?    Where do you still need some more work in?    How did you do with boundaries    How did you do with conflict this year?    What did you learn through conflict this year?    How did you do with getting triggered this year?    How often were yo...

#304: How Do You Turn A Bad Day Into A Good Day? How Well Do You Manage Your Energy?

How productive & effective are you when you’re fatigued?    How aware are you of your energy levels?    How do your energy levels affect you?    What are ways you recharge?    How well do you sleep?    How can you improve your energy awareness & energy management?    How are you currently growing yourself, personally & professionally?    To get more information on homeschooling, visit our sponsor’s page at www.ClassicalConversations.com/gibbens

#303: How Aware Are You of How Your Emotions Are Impacting Your Decision Making Process? More Business Cult Consequences

EQG Ep. 303 How Aware Are You of How Your Emotions Are Impacting Your Decision Making Process? More Business Cult Consequences   How do you make difficult decisions?    How aware are you of how your emotions are impacting your decision making process?    Are you caught up in the “hustle & grind” culture at your job or in your business or in your military unit?    In the business cult, each level you hit was never enough; it was never high enough. You always had to go to the n...

#302: Celebrate Your Small Wins! My Ego Didn't Need To Win Today In My BJJ Class

I rolled with the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) “Jesus” tonight! lol He was half my size & more than half my age and was twice as experienced as me in BJJ.    On any given day, how emotionally present & mindful are you?   What are some things you can do to become more present throughout the day?    20 y/o Jesus tapped me w/my favorite submission & I’m super proud that my ego didn’t kick in & get frustrated & upset. That was a big win. It felt great!   What’s a recent emotional wi...

#301: How Much Value Do You Get Out Of Each Interaction You Have? How Much Value Do You Give?

How intentional are you about leadership? Really?    How intentional are you at growing yourself as a leader?    What type of preparation do you do as a leader?    How would it impact you if your leader was more intentional at leading you?    To get more information on homeschooling, visit our sponsor’s page at www.ClassicalConversations.com/gibbens

#300: More Imposter Syndrome Insights From My Corporate Client & My Recent Purple Belt Promotion

One of my corporate clients shared how he also felt some imposter syndrome after a recent promotion of his to a very high position in his company.   Have you ever struggled from imposter syndrome?    How frequently do you struggle w/imposter syndrome?    What have you learned about yourself from your imposter syndrome?   White to Blue Belt in my BJJ journey felt like going from an adolescent to a teen. Getting promoted to Purple Belt felt like my first “adult” belt. That thou...

#299: Woke Up At 1AM With These Heart Wrenching Questions & I'm Struggling

Am I enough?    Am I worthy?    Do I deserve anything good in life?   Do I have what it takes?   What’s the relationship between the spiritual & the emotional?    What questions keep you up at night?    Why am I struggling with these questions?    Where are these questions coming from?   To get more information on homeschooling, visit our sponsor’s page at www.ClassicalConversations.com/gibbens

#298: It's Ok To Not Be Ok. Your EQ Growth Journey Is Circular, Not Linear.

  Do you allow yourself to feel both pleasant & unpleasant emotions?    How curious are you about your emotions?    How judgmental are you about your emotions?    How often do you feel uncomfortable or unpleasant emotions?    How comfortable are you feeling uncomfortable emotions?    Leader Farming, book by Zach Thomas https://www.amazon.com/Leader-Farming-Growing-Leaders-Business-ebook/dp/B07PFM4G5Z   To get more information on homeschooling, visit our sponsor’s...

#297 Who Recharges You? Who Is Your Tribe?

Post-Bible Study reflections…   What kind of people make you feel comfortable & safe?    What type of people are you drawn to?    What do those above answers say about you?    Where do those attractions come from?    Who doesn’t make you feel comfortable?    Who doesn’t make you feel safe?    How intentional are you at spending time with or investing in those relationships that make you feel comfortable?    Who is in your tribe?    What tribe do you want t...

#296: How Our Energy Levels, Personality, Strengths & EQ Are All Connected.

My wife is much more self-aware than I am.    She shared some insights coming from her self-awareness that really helped me make some connections in my own life.   It’s an interesting episode on how our energy levels, personality, strengths & EQ are all interrelated.    StrengthsFinder2.0 book by Tom Rath https://www.amazon.com/StrengthsFinder-2-0-Tom-Rath-ebook/dp/B001CDZZI6/   To get more information on homeschooling, visit our sponsor’s page at www.ClassicalConversation...

#295: People Pleasing Triggered From Missing An Appointment & BJJ Control & Power

Man, the emotional floodgates opened when I missed a couple appointments.    My old people-pleasing addiction emotions came fast & furious into a valley.    I immediately responded w/old default unhealthy coping mechanisms.    Then, I went to my BJJ class & experienced 2 uncommon emotions for me that helped clear some of my emotional fog: control & power.   Becoming A King, book by Morgan Snyder https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-King-Path-Restoring-Heart-ebook/dp/B07T9XNSVZ/...

#294: The Unintended Emotional Consequences of Using My Weaknesses When Writing a Proposal

This episode goes into how writing a proposal for a company triggered some unpleasant (old) emotional consequences for me.    Whew…I wasn’t prepared for the emotional slam from writing this particular proposal.   To get more information on homeschooling, visit our sponsor’s page at www.ClassicalConversations.com/gibbens

#293: Grace & The Mental - Emotional Prisons We Put Ourselves In

Post-Bible Study reflection.   Lots of old emotions were triggered from this Bible study.   I was in a mental, emotional & spiritual prison for a few decades.   It was both comfortable & brutal at the same time.   It was almost self-righteous hatred, a “holy” hatred of self.   Imagine trying to do anything with your life with that underlying theme mentally, emotionally & spiritually.   What are the consequences of your own mental, emotional & spiritual prisons?    ...

#292: What Is The Relationship Between Conflict & EQ?

EQ Exercise: Do a “Conflict Audit”.    List your recent 5 - 10 conflicts you’ve had or been involved in.   Start evaluating each of those conflicts & extrapolate the different emotional & leadership lessons.   How self-aware were you in each conflict?    How aware were you of your own emotional state going into the conflict?   How aware were you of the other person’s emotional state going into the conflict?    How well did you validate & affirm the other person’s em...

#291: How Often Do You Feel Peace?

How often do you feel the emotion of peace?    In the past, what has contributed to you feeling peaceful?   What are the conditions that lead to your peacefulness?    Who makes you feel peaceful?   What is your ability to feel peaceful in chaos?    Do you need external peace to feel internal peace or is your internal peace strong enough that the external environment has no impact on your internal peace?    How does your emotional health impact your peace?    How d...

#290: How Trusting Are You? How Trustworthy Are You? How Are Your Emotions Affecting Your Ability To Trust?

How long does it take you to build trust in relationships?    What needs to happen for you to trust someone?    How does your personality impact how you develop & maintain trust?    How important is trust to you in relationships?    What erodes trust for you?   How long does it take you to re-build trust?    How trusting are you?   What has impacted your ability / desire to trust?    Make time for reflection on this critically important relationship / leadersh...

#289: How Patient Are You? How Self-Aware Are You?

Post Bible Study reflection on the concept of “patience”.    How would you define “patience”?    How patient are you?    What value does patience hold in your life?    What are the benefits of patience?    What is the cost of being patient?    Patience is long-suffering w/out complaining.    What are some action steps you could take to begin working on your patience?    To get more information on homeschooling, visit our sponsor’s page at www.ClassicalConversa...

#288: How To Discover Who You Are With Best Selling Author Michael Bungay Stanier

What an amazing, fun & insightful conversation w/one of the world’s greatest minds in leadership & coaching!    Michael Bungay Stanier (MBS) is the Author of The Coaching Habit (1 million+ sold), The Advice Trap & How to Begin. He’s a world renowned keynote speaker & thought leader in the area of Coaching.   These were some of things we discussed:    How did you become the “rockstar” you are today?    How did you develop your emotional intelligence?    The power of a ques...

#287: How My Pride, Ego & Fear Turned Into a Blast of Scary Aggression

Whew…this was some very nervous, scary, raw, transparent reflection after a brief moment of, what felt like, uncontrolled aggression.    Thankfully, it was very brief. And thankfully, I was actually controlled, but it definitely didn’t feel that way.   Another episode revealing how much more growth I need in my leadership & emotional growth journey.   How much control do you feel when you get emotional?    How in control are you actually…when you get emotional?    How can...

#286: More Insecurity & Self-Image Issues After Unexpected BJJ Purple Belt Promotion

Whew…why is it so difficult being vulnerable? This was a bit of a challenging episode because I got emotional a couple times & I wasn’t sure why I got emotional.    I got promoted to purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) the day before I recorded this episode. It was very hard for me to accept & receive my purple belt.    A lot of my self-image issues & insecurities & identity issues came rushing back like a flood. I wasn’t prepared or expecting the promotion and I definitely wasn...

#285 Addiction - What Are You Addicted To?

This episode was also recorded after the morning mens’ Bible study I attended.    Addiction was brought up a number of times in the Bible study. Many men struggle with porn addictions, alcohol or drug addictions, eating addictions, sex addictions, food addictions, social media addictions and even the very acceptable (& often-times lauded) work addictions.    Addiction is such a fascinating concept to me. It seems to me that so many of us struggle with or have struggled with addiction...

#284: Self-Confrontation - How Can You Get Better At It?

I had just left a men’s Bible study earlier that morning & the topic of self-confrontation came up. It’s actually the entire theme of the Bible study. Now, it was obviously brought up in the context of spiritual self-confrontation, but I also loved the thought of emotional self-confrontation.    The emotional affects & impacts the spiritual & vice versa.   How good are we at self-confrontation?    What does good healthy self-confrontation even look like?    Who do you know wh...

#283: From the Hood to Author & CEO, Lessons from the Valley, Army Veteran Ritchie Thomas

Ritchie Thomas, A Soldier's Coach, helps our transitioning military service members mentally transition from a Soldier's mindset to a business professional's mindset via speaking engagements, transition workshops, and coaching.   In this episode, Ritchie shares how he overcame homelessness after transitioning out of the military into a successful spreaker, author & entrepreneur.    Some of the things we discussed: The 5 biggest threats facing military veterans today   People ne...

#282: The 3 Biggest Challenges of a Social Entrepreneur with NI4SI CEO Jonathan Liebert

Jonathan Liebert is the founder & CEO of the National Institute for Social Impact (NI4SI) and also the CEO of the Better Business Bureau in Colorado Springs, CO.    Jonathan has worked with hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses & entrepreneurs over the past 20 years to help them become successful social entrepreneurs.   He shares some tremendous insights on how people can combine their purpose with making money by becoming a social entrepreneur & impacting the world in & through ...

#281:The Power of Passing Your Status & Giving Encouragement

In this episode I share a story of how my new Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym owner shared some of his “status” with me & how unexpected it was & how it made me feel.    This was shortly after listening to Michael Bungay Stanier’s podcast interview “2 Pages” with Will Storr on the concept & power of “Giving Away Status” to others & the “consequences” / benefits of doing so.    2 Pages podcast interview w/Michael Bungay Stanier & Will Storr:  https://pod.link/2Pages/episode/aa58ff4d47df94a0...

#280: Whose Approval Do You Seek Consciously or Subconsciously?

In this episode, I share a story about how subconsciously it seems that our teenage daughter seeks our approval, but I’m not sure how aware she is of that dynamic.    It made me reflect & ask myself whose approval I seek? And maybe an even more important question…why do I seek their approval?    What are the consequences of seeking someone else’s approval?    As a 30-40 year people-pleaser addict, the thought of seeking someone’s approval now is almost repulsive.    Ideally f...

#279: How a Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Used EQ to Deal With a Toxic Environment, Bill Proctor

Bill Proctor is a U.S. Air Force Security Forces (police) veteran, civilian Law Enforcement Officer (LEO), and Hostage Negotiator. He shares his story of how he used mindfulness exercises to cope with the incredibly challenging nature of being a Police Officer along with his growing Emotional Intelligence to deal with a toxic work environment.   Here are some of the things we discussed during the interview:  Mindfulness technique / coping mechanism - going to your happy place - visuali...

#278; How Do You Emotionally Connect With Someone Else? How Do You Know? How Does It Impact Your Leadership?

Bust out your pen & paper on this one!    We hit a lot of questions in this episode about this topic.    Here are some of them:   Do others feel emotionally connected to you?  How do you know?  Is it important? Why?  What’s the importance / value of emotional connection?  How do you know when you’ve connected emotionally?  How good are you at connecting emotionally with others?  Would others agree w/your assessment at your ability to connect emotionally?  What could...

#277: USAF Chief Master Sergeant, Resilience & The Inspired Leader, Joe Bogdan

#276: How Our Emotions Impact Our Relationships With Relationship Expert, Dr. Holly Battey

Dr. Holly helps conscious single men and women find the love of their dreams. With a doctorate in clinical psychology, she founded Find Love At Last in 2014 to empower you to find the love you've been dreaming of and has been a matchmaker, coach, and image consultant for over 9 years. Dr. Holly is a dating expert and inspiring speaker who empowers and advises on dating strategy, online dating, mindset, image, partner suitability, communication, and commitment.    Questions & topics we di...

#275: What Does An Emotionally Healthy Man Look Like, Therapist Logan Cohen

In this episode, Logan, an author & Licensed Family Therapist & Certified Trauma Professional, shares some very insightful comments and practical advice on how men can become the best & healthiest versions of ourselves, despite what society & culture is promoting.   Some questions we discussed: How his childhood impacted his emotional journey How to increase self-awareness The conflict of messaging men have to overcome Some of the obstacles men need to overcome Practical steps ...

#274: Hit With Another Dose of Imposter Syndrome & Self-Sabotage So I Went A.P.E.D. & Did My Emotional Exercises to Get Out of the Pit

Whew, I just got hit this week with a bunch of old emotional issues that I had already worked through quite a few times.    I share my process for how I handled it & my emotional “battle drills” of going “A.P.E.D.”.   What is your emotional agility like?    What are your favorite emotional tools to get through difficult or challenging emotions?    If you’re ready to take your emotional growth to the next level, join the EQ Mafia at https://www.eqgangster.com/.

#273: Dr. Brooks Gibbs, Emotional Resilience In Teens & Adults and Creating Unstoppable Humans

Dr. Brooks Gibbs is a social psychologist and award-winning resilience educator who teaches students how to regulate emotions and solve social problems. Over 2,500 schools have hired him to speak allowing him to reach 2 million students face-to-face. His viral videos have amassed more than 300 million views worldwide.   Some of the powerful points Dr. Gibbs made:  Turning pain into purpose.   Teaching students (& adults) how to be emotionally resilient.    Insights on curing ...

#272: 5 EQ Leadership Thoughts for Teens & Parents

This episode is sponsored by MyDenverTherapy.com. If you’re in the Denver area & need a great therapist, definitely connect w/them!   If you’re ready to take your emotional growth to the next level, join the EQ Mafia at https://www.eqgangster.com/.

#271: How Defensive Are You?

This episode is sponsored by MyDenverTherapy.com. If you’re in the Denver area & need a great therapist, definitely connect w/them!   If you’re ready to take your emotional growth to the next level, join the EQ Mafia at https://www.eqgangster.com/.

#270: How Safe Are You In Emotionally Charged Conversations

This episode is sponsored by MyDenverTherapy.com. If you’re in the Denver area & need a great therapist, definitely connect w/them!   If you’re ready to take your emotional growth to the next level, join the EQ Mafia at https://www.eqgangster.com/.

#269: Who Is Qualified To Teach EQ??

If you’re ready to take your emotional growth to the next level, join the EQ Mafia at https://www.eqgangster.com/.

#268: Who Is Your Story Meant To Help With Athlete, Entrepreneur & Podcast Host, Robert B. Foster

#267: Proof Of Growth With a $10B Company. No More Self-Sabotage

This episode is sponsored by MyDenverTherapy.com. If you’re in the Denver area & need a great therapist, definitely connect w/them!   If you’re ready to take your emotional growth to the next level, join the EQ Mafia at https://www.eqgangster.com/.

#266: How Are You Dealing With Your Trauma With Business Owner & Licensed Professional Counselor, Courtneyrose

This episode is sponsored by MyDenverTherapy.com. If you’re in the Denver area & need a great therapist, definitely look them up!   If you’re ready to take your emotional growth to the next level, join the EQ Mafia at https://www.eqgangster.com/.

#265: Got Choked Out In BJJ Unintentionally. Have We Normalized Our Own Dysfunction That We’re Not Even Aware Of It?

This episode is sponsored by MyDenverTherapy.com. If you’re in the Denver area & need a great therapist, definitely check them out!   I was almost completely choked out unconscious today while at my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) class because I have gotten so comfortable being uncomfortable that I didn’t tap when I should have.    Some great lessons & great questions came from that experience.    Thank you, Eric! You are the man! Thank you for the lessons today!   How much have y...