Episode 245 – Unstoppable Success Mindset Expert with Michele Gennoe

Unstoppable Mindset

Michele Gennoe grew up in Australia obtaining a degree in Marketing and then later an advanced degree. What makes her a bit unique is that after college she took positions with companies that allowed her to travel throughout the world where she had the opportunity to observe people and begin working to help them change their mindset about business and success.

For the past roughly twelve years Michele has operated her own business coaching and teaching executives and others all over the world to change their perceptions of success, happiness and life in general. As she told me during our conversation the most important characteristic someone should find and discover if they really wish to be successful is kindness. How true. Six years ago Michele published her book “Mindful Leadership” which is available on Amazon for all to purchase and read.

I really appreciated Michele’s insights including her idea that no matter what, people could take some time during their day to reflect and strategize for the day. Michele’s idea is that if at no other time, take time to think while taking a shower. What do you do in the shower anyway? It is for most people dead time that can be put to productive use.

I hope you enjoy Michele’s ideas and thoughts. I think you will find what she has to say to be interesting and useful.

About the Guest:

Michele Gennoe is widely considered one of the world’s foremost experts on “success mindset,” which is the art and science of transforming your mindset for success. She is the award-winning author of the book ‘Mindful Leadership’ which Andrew Griffiths described as, “This is a book for every leader on the planet”, and is widely quoted for her simple steps to success.

She has also been featured in tv, radio and podcasts such as Business Chat Podcast, Channel 31, SME TV, Ticker TV and many more. As host of ‘Mindset Michele TV’ she interviews experts on a wide range of topics to share this wisdom with wider audiences of how to build the habits for a successful mindset. Through her individual and organisational work as an executive transformation specialist, Michele has successfully led and coached over 30 organisations and 5,000 clients across the globe. In London, Chile, Los Angeles and India plus others across diverse industries including banking, charity, aged care, education, transport, finance and many more. Michele has invested the last 20 years into studying transformational principles across personal and professional development to bring together a synthesis of leading approaches into her own methodologies and approaches with clients. Michele helps high performing professionals overcome stress, overwhelm and procrastination so you can live the life you love while making a difference. Through her books, live events and signature programs like “Mindset Makeover- redesign your mind for success!” she has empowered millions of people achieve new heights of spiritual aliveness, wealth and authentic success.

Here’s what others are saying about Michele’s work: Michele Gennoe is a truly talented coach. Her sessions focus on building your new normal and reflecting on small changes to create a habit of positivity and gratitude. Michele has helped me learn to appreciate my successes. Claire Lerm, Digital Transformation Journey Lead, Head of Delivery What is my legacy? Do we ever truly regard this question with depth and reverence? Michele has a robust program that suits anyone who needs to remember that our true wellness is sometimes just hidden in our busy mind. She creates a space within us, to find ourselves again and empowers us to be more successful and thrive. Sia Kapeleris, Community Volunteer Michele is a highly innovative leader who shows you how to reach outcomes. She has enormous insights that are expressed through her communications, actions and the amount of support she provides for her clients to be successful. Marianne Kadunc, Founder & Director Mobile Marketing

Ways to connect with Michele: https://michelegennoe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelegennoe/ https://www.facebook.com/michele.gennoe/ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMDtH5Tvzrhlsu-Zgd84si2J6f5Q9ocNF&si=HrJM0vY3I8osE-N5 https://twitter.com/mgennoe https://www.instagram.com/mindsetmichele1/?hl=en

Mindful Leadership Book Links https://michelegennoe.com/mindful-leadership-book/ https://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Leadership-Steps-Transforming-Business/dp/0992599814/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.

Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children’s Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association’s 2012 Hero Dog Awards.

https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/

accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/

https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/

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Transcription Notes:

Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson ** 01:16 Well, hi once again, and welcome to unstoppable mindset. Thanks for joining us. I am your host, Michael hingson. Well, you can call me Mike as well, it's okay. But I really appreciate you being here to listen to our podcast today. Today, we have a guest, Michele Gennoe. And Michele is a mindset success expert. And she's written a book, which I think is really pretty cool. She wrote a book called mindful leadership. And I'm sure she's going to tell us about that as we go forward. And I think there's going to be a lot to learn about this. She has been an international expert and traveler and speaker on the successful mindset, which is cool. I am absolutely a fan of the concept of a successful mindset anyways, so let's get to it. Michele, thank you for being here with us. And thank you for for coming out on Unstoppable mindset. Thank Michele Gennoe ** 02:22 you, Michael. It's such an honor and a privilege to be here today with your show and to be speaking to our viewers and listeners and and sharing some of my insights. Michael Hingson ** 02:32 And Michele is down in Australia. So we didn't get her up too early this morning. But still. It's it's it's early enough. But But no, thank Michele Gennoe ** 02:43 you, Michael. I'm glad it wasn't quite in the middle of the night. Michael Hingson ** 02:47 Well, we do try to make it as convenient as we can. And as I tell everyone who's going to come on the podcast. It's all about you scheduling this for when it's convenient for you. So it works out pretty well. Well, would you start by telling us kind of about the the Earlier Michele growing up and some of that kind of stuff and sort of bring us up to date that way. Michele Gennoe ** 03:09 Well, thank you, Michael. I know Americans love a great migrant story. So mine is also a migrant story. Even though I sound Australian and I grew up here. My family migrated to Australia when I was very young. So I was very lucky in many different ways, I believe, because I've lived many elements of that migrant dream that families do for their children. I was the first in my family that we know of to go to university. We grew up in a pretty idyllic area. So it was kind of grow growing as a town and as an area as a child. But we still had a lot of bush around us. So we were able to go running out there in that bush. My early years were in a small place called Armidale in Western Australia, but I very soon grew up and had a bigger sense of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. So I moved to different cities, biggest cities in Australia and I've actually then lived and worked overseas for a number of years in London and South America and got to visit many many different beautiful places there in the US and loved Li and laughed in your walk can even loved you Orleans. And so those travels helped to expand what was part of my passion about understanding people and what motivates them, but also one of my other passions around technology and what was in those days, the synchronicities if you like between, we could talk to each other and like they're all across the world. But did we really understand each other because we had different cultures, different backgrounds and even sometimes different language. All of those different travels and experiences pretty much led to me starting my own business on purpose transformation. Sure, and then the book and then, you know, setting up the TV show and other things that we're doing today, around that mindset and success mindset coaching. Michael Hingson ** 05:08 Well, so, where did you go to university, I went to Michele Gennoe ** 05:13 university at a place called Curtin University in Western Australia, I was very lucky again, that I lived on the student campus or college Catholic, they call them colleges, they don't know where the students live on campus, in the States. So I lived on campus. And it gave me an absolutely fabulous experience of the university. And also made it much easier to get to classes when I was running late in the morning. Michael Hingson ** 05:44 I know the feeling I lived on campus, all the time I was at college for the first three years, I lived in one of the dormitories. And then because I had enough books in braille, that it took up a lot of space, they let me move into one of the on campus apartments for graduate students. So for my senior year, and then my graduate years, I lived in a two bedroom apartment, so shared the apartment with a couple of other people. But I still had enough room for Braille books, and it worked out pretty well. Michele Gennoe ** 06:18 Sounds fabulous. Michael Hingson ** 06:19 And I wouldn't trade living on campus for anything. And I appreciate that not everyone can necessarily do that. But there's value in being able to do it if you can, or at least participate in as many activities even if you don't live on campus. Participating in college life is really very important to do I think Michele Gennoe ** 06:40 it is I remember I, in my first few months went and did a music appreciation class with just as something unusual to do and coming from, you know, that small town and the quite limited environment that I'd grown up in suddenly experiencing mods and rockers and this and that, that was quite an eye opener. And one of the beauties of that experience of experiencing and seeing different people, you didn't necessarily need to agree with them or become what they were or what they followed, that I got to experience all of those different kinds of views on life again. Yeah. Michael Hingson ** 07:20 Which is really what it's about. It's about learning about different things that may be not typical for you. But that's okay. Michele Gennoe ** 07:29 Yeah, you know, everything from and this is might be a little bit controversial. But yes, there were communist kind of groups on the campus at the time. So I got to go and experience what that was at one extreme. And at the extreme, I went to the business students who are as a part of their events and was able to become involved in that group. Michael Hingson ** 07:51 What was it like going to some of those events, the communist groups and so on? What, what did they do? Or how was that different? Michele Gennoe ** 08:01 What was really interesting for me was they just had a different narrative. I mean, now the world's a bit more complex. So people understand that people may have a different narrative. But like I said, you know, I've only ever heard one view on the Vietnam War, one view on this one view on that. So I didn't believe or disbelieve what they were saying, I just understood that those people had a different view on life. And probably the main thing I connected with was their view at that time, around women equality. And I think the only thing I really got involved with out of that whole group was the, what they called the Reclaim midnight marches, where we will march and you're going to notice days to make it safer for women to go out at night. So it's interesting to reflect now, because people wouldn't necessarily even think of, you know, you need to march to be able to feel safe at night. But in those days, I think people were a little bit more active about their beliefs than perhaps today. Michael Hingson ** 09:02 Well, now today, of course, we at least hear and I suspect in other parts of the world as well, we tend to not even really want to converse or talk about things and be as open to learning as we used to it's, well, I know my way and I know what's right, and you don't, which is really unfortunate. We've lost the art of conversation, it seems to me to a large degree. Yeah, Michele Gennoe ** 09:29 I think, you know, I, one of the business students events, they actually had a sexist Bumble competition, which again, you know, at its time, and in its place was fairly innocent. But I still thought it was inappropriate, you know, fast forward a couple of years and of course, it's not appropriate. But at the time when I was kind of making that statement that I understood, they didn't realize that it wasn't appropriate etc. The men and women are I actually thought it reflected badly as a business student and on the association, but again, it was that for me, what I was excited about was that lens just like the business students didn't see that there was anything necessarily right or wrong. The the communist people that were really excited about that area didn't necessarily see anything right or wrong. And I was able to an ability that was I was able to go into these different worlds and make people with different views. And to keep expanding my view, I think, all of us when we're doing that stuff, we're kind of looking well, what am I Blois? What are my values? And what do I really think is going on here? And, and you're right, I think that that critical thought is something that perhaps we're not maybe able to share as much nowadays, because it can be a little bit more black and white, you're either in one area, the other. But yeah, I think it was very, it was a great time, because it was very formative for me to then understand. People have different ways of looking at things and different mindsets, then success can mean one thing for one person and something to somebody else. And nobody's right or wrong, it is just the views. Michael Hingson ** 11:15 That's the operative part about it. Nobody is necessarily right or wrong. And we should be open to accepting. Other people may have views that differ from our own. Yeah, Michele Gennoe ** 11:27 and you know, the trans discussion, you know, him her writing, all of these kinds of modern day discussions, if you like, are an evolution of understanding that people have a different view. And they come from a different kind of background. And then working out your values, I believe it's working out your values, and what's important to you, and whether you believe what they believe or not, but respecting that they do have a different lens to things to you. Yeah. Michael Hingson ** 11:59 Well, so what did you get your degree in? Michele Gennoe ** 12:03 So my degree was actually in marketing of all sales, because I've never actually been gone and worked in marketing. What funny, but I've met so many LinkedIn coaches that did degrees in biology or whatever now that I think the thing about marketing that I probably took away the most was how much psychology had to do with influencing people to buy and what they brought and how they brought it. So I think, understanding that perhaps, again, those influences, and how marketing and advertising, the whole aim was to tap into people's influences, and then have them buy those services and products. Michael Hingson ** 12:51 Yeah, which is what marketing is really all about. Michele Gennoe ** 12:56 It is it is it's convincing, you need something even if you don't necessarily need it. Selling ice to the Eskimos, as they always say, Michael Hingson ** 13:10 Well, you know, they need them. You kind of have refrigerators? Everybody knows, everybody knows that. Michele Gennoe ** 13:18 Well, and nowadays, it could be you know, Fer nice as opposed to normal life. Michael Hingson ** 13:24 Well, did you get advanced degrees? Or did you stop at bachelors or what? Michele Gennoe ** 13:30 No, I did. I wasn't quite as exciting because I was working. And so when you're working and studying, it's a little bit harder as people know, I did an advanced degree in International Management. And that in those days about that time, you know, I was looking at this concept of, you know, Isn't that fabulous? That can literally do business anywhere in the world now. But if you send them a fax, or an email, or whatever, will they understand what you're saying? Not just even if they can read and write English, but will they understand the nuances and the context. So I did some postgraduate, and that's what my thesis was about was the rise of globalization and localization. Funnily enough, all of the data and the technology and big companies have still been talking about that phenomenon. That's called different things now, but that same sort of AI and the growth of this and the growth of that, that that same concept, the main, you can use different technology, but people are still essentially people at the end of the day. They want to have children and will have good lives have a good job. So the human drive, if you like, is kind of this constant throughout the changes with technology and the ways that we work. So I did that. It took a couple of years and unfortunately, in my second year, my son ever passed away. So it was a pretty tough year. And I was very lucky. I had so long, great supports around me at the University at Curtin that actually helped me to kind of come back and then get through, essentially a year's worth in the last few, four months of union, so yeah, it was fairly intense. But I was very grateful and very lucky that I then had my postgraduate International Management and got to really understand this, at that time, new area called internationalization and globalization. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 15:38 I know how tough it can be. And I lost my father, when well, we had gotten married. So my was 34, had been through college and had had a couple jobs. But we lost him in 1984, and then my mom in 1987. And then it is tough. But even for me tougher than both of those was my wife of 40 years, passed away last year, in November. So we were married for two years. And she passed. As I tell people, the body just doesn't always keep up, she was in a wheelchair her whole life. And her body just finally said, I've had enough. And I tell people, it does just always keep up with the Spirit. And again, it is a challenge. But at the same time, I had enough of a warning, what was happening, to mentally start to prepare, but nothing can totally prepare you for something like that, other than you've got to make the decision to move forward. Michele Gennoe ** 16:39 Yeah, I am so sorry for your loss, especially your wife of 40 years. I think for me, one of the reasons my father passing was also quite dramatic was I was literally it was like out of the movies. And it felt like and maybe because I was sitting in a meeting at work. I was 27 years old. And somebody literally walked in the room and said you need to go to the hospital now. I went to the hospital when he died the next day. So I was very blissfully when my mum passed a few years ago, that I got to go and be with her and healthcare for for the last six months. So completely contrast. And I was very grateful that she was able to hold on and be with us so that it wasn't quite as quick a shock. Like with my father. Yeah, but I think you know, loved ones when they pass. You kind of you mourn the physical passing, but you know that they're always with you. And they love you wherever they're at a spirit might be. Michael Hingson ** 17:42 I love to tell people that having been married for two years, I've got 40 years of wonderful marriage memories. And I know whatever is going on, I have to be a good kid or I'm going to hear about it from her. So I I have to behave myself. You do you're watching? Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's okay. Like she she can watch and participate all she wants as far as I'm concerned. But you Michele Gennoe ** 18:12 know, you carry you carry them in the, you know, the funny ways that you smile, you look at people or you you interact with people, I think, because you especially in marriage, you become one person after 40 years. Michael Hingson ** 18:25 Yeah, very much so and a lot of ways. Well, what did you do after college? Um, Michele Gennoe ** 18:32 so, I think after I finished my postgraduate studies, which really, you know, changed changed the course of my life in quite a dramatic way. I'd pretty much been talking about traveling and seeing the world up until that point, but not really had the impetus. And then of course, with my father's passing, I then was thinking about going on seeing the world and then I had some memories that I suppressed up until him passing come back. And when those memories came up, it seemed even more appropriate and a right time to then leave what had been fabulous up until that point, but go and live in a different state called Victoria or Melbourne here in Australia. And at that time, I was able to use my university. I've been teaching and lecturing at Curtin by that point when I was doing postgraduate studies, so I was very lucky. I cut off soft landed into Melbourne and taught and worked at Melbourne University in Queensland and Monash. So I started even though I don't think I'd quite chose and I still started down a bit more of an academic path at that point, and then landed in a company it was called Wallmark back then, which gave me the opportunity to kind of grow, not just my career, but again, my understanding of how international business worked at that point, and how, and wool clothing and Walmart was one of the biggest brands in the world at the time, and how they had actually market. And so I was working in their international textiles area, and able to really see big companies, big budgets and big brands and promotion at work around the world. Michael Hingson ** 20:33 So when did all of that start? When did you go to work for them? Um, Michele Gennoe ** 20:37 this was in the late 90s. Okay, so one of the other things, I think that was interesting was that I'd grown up and especially my dad had been like a career railway man and UK where we came from, he worked in the railways and in Perth in Western Australia, who worked on the railways. And so he kind of was example of somebody that you get a job, and you stay in that industry or in that company, for all of your working career. So it was a bit of a shock for me, when I started working. And every single company I was working in was restructuring. And so there was no security and this is going from mid 90s onwards, there was no security, no this no that. So all of the constructs, if you like all the belief systems, the lens, like I was talking about earlier, that my dad had shot kind of showing me this is what it's like when you go into the workforce. But I then got into the workforce, it was nothing like that. And there was disruption after disruption. Now, disruption. And I think in my early days, when I first started working in the universities among in industry, like Wallmark, one of the things that shocked me was that people didn't have guaranteed jobs. And this is now I'm talking about like late 90s. So this, what we might think of as a new phenomenon, post COVID now has actually been around since I started working. Michael Hingson ** 22:15 You know, several people on our podcast have talked about these very same kinds of things. And I and I always ask, I'm very curious about why did things change? Why did we get to a new environment where people didn't stay in jobs, and things became so much less secure? Do you have any notion about that, I Michele Gennoe ** 22:38 actually have a few different thoughts on it, I think one of the main one being, that there was that, that sense of loyalty from the company to the employee and the employee to the company, that we don't have that. And again, it's not just a recent thing, where people have realized, Oh, I can't go any further in this company or in this job. So I need to leave to be able to further my career. I think that even back then companies, and especially in my view, working with so many different companies had such poor people and culture or HR experiences, that didn't really understand that there was a lot of lip service given to the importance of the employee, etc. And in marketing, taking it back to my very first, love and passion. What they talk about there is, you know, it takes $3 to get like a new customer, and $1 to keep them so that your investment in like an employee or somebody that's working for you should be that $1 a year. But I think even back then, companies didn't invest enough money. And so they were happier, investing $3 per employee to bring them on and all that recruitment, etc. You fast forward to today, and it's even worse. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 24:09 it's not following through. And, and she say investing in the same way. And then they wonder why people leave. It's it is interesting, and it's a mind. Well, a mindset that probably really needs to change, and it would be valuable if it did, but companies a lot of companies do what they do. But speaking of mindsets, how did you get into the whole subject of and become interested in the concept of mindset? Great Michele Gennoe ** 24:41 question. And I think what how people looked at life and trying to understand life was something that I had, like a natural curiosity from when I was quite young, and it was something that they didn't like when I was traveling or when I was studying or even at unit Let's see, as I described, I was still interested in why things were, the way they were or how people were the way they were. So I, I don't think was until probably about 10 or 15 years after my father passed. And I'd been working through this healing journey, that I really started to get into less than why things had happened when I was a child, and more into that whole compassion about him and my family. And I think it's very normal if you have dramatic and challenging childhoods, to be angry for a period of time. And then as you start to realize that this was just humans doing the best that they could do. And that compassion comes in one start to understand more about their motivations. So I had pretty much for about 1020 years, been spending quite a small fortune traveling around the world and doing a number of different courses, and training on a train, do Martinez jinbao, cine facilitator trades this track that I did a insight forecast, which is a month long leadership course they're in California, in LA. So I had spent and invested quite a small fortune. And then I came back to Australia to Sydney. And it was an interesting, I didn't want to say, midlife crisis, but it was kind of approaching that idea where I've been working in it. And I've been CIO, run my own company, and being CEOs or charity companies, etc. And I also had spent that same 20 years in this healing, Journey training, becoming a coach facilitator. And when I wrote my book on mindful leadership, what I realized was that the the crossover point, was something in this mindfulness space. But me being a very practical kind of person. It wasn't just about meditation, it was about implementing it and how people implemented it, no small things like if you're having a meeting, and it's going on for a period of time, you get everybody to stand up and shift chairs. And by shifting chairs, you rewire the brain, because people are looking at the language differently or talking to each other differently. So all these little tools and tips that I've been picking up along those years, and then decided ik, I wrote the book, mindfulness wasn't quite it. And then it was really in that cocoon period called COVID, where we had an opportunity to spend more time thinking about what were we really doing and why we're here that I realized I was actually here to support makeup, people more about empowering them to build a successful mindset. And as soon as I hit on that, everything put away, click, click, click around the experiences I've had in my own life, the trainings I've done. And what evolved from that was this real clarity for me that, you know, this is what I'm here to do, is to support people to feel empowered, that they too can create a successful mindset. Michael Hingson ** 28:23 So when did you actually publish the book, mindful leadership? Michele Gennoe ** 28:28 So I published a book about six years ago now, and we republished it about two years ago. And it's been, you know, what Awards, the time, and it's become such an integral part of the way that we work with people and we help them on their journey. It's, again, being an educator by this stage in my life. The book has award winning and leading business people like Gordon Cairns and heads of different areas here, Australia, might not be as well known overseas, but they have case studies in the book. But it also has these exercises. So people read the book of Egypt, chunk size pieces. This is the topic we're talking about. This is the case study. And then there's the exercises to help people to make sure they've learned the concepts that they've just learned. And so for me, it's a tool that I've used and been incredibly grateful for ever since we arrived at about six years ago. Well, you Michael Hingson ** 29:32 talk about in the book, the fact that the steps to be successful are not complicated or hard. What are some of the steps that you talk about? Michele Gennoe ** 29:45 So I haven't had a marketing background again, I describe it in terms of seven pays. But so this purpose, what I'll just talk about is purpose. I know people talk about the concept of why do we do things and purpose, etc, etc. And there's many different ways, you know, from using values to this to that. I now have a TV show and I asked people about what does success mean to them. And when they're answering one of the interesting things that comes up less often than I thought is this whole idea of the while the purpose, because again, in everyday life, you don't think about your purpose, you don't think about your wife, you think about the I've got to get the kids to school, I've got to this good or that. So when you bring it down to purpose and your why, for me, it's a much more practical thing. Yeah. What is it that gets people out of bed in the morning, when it's cold and dark, or when they've got to take care of the kids. And a large part of that a large part of the purpose of a why in that sense, is actually to do with more of your innate, what you feel like, like I was sharing for myself, you were here, and what you're on the planet to do. And I feel like many coaches and facilitators, when they're talking about purpose, it's still like a very big kind of thing. And it was for me for many years, I'm not exempt from this. But I feel like you have to the great philosophers of all use to sit with these kinds of concepts for many, many years. And even in Eastern religions, you would have mystics that would go off and sit in caves for many years or something, because they sat in that world with this concept of why am I here? And what am I doing? And I feel like for me, my book, and the way that it helps people to understand how they are as a mindful leader, helps them to connect in a deeper way. And in a very practical way, with what is their purpose, their the essence of why they feel like being here. And it may be to raise a family, it may be to support some loved ones older or younger. It could be all sorts of different things. But it comes back to who you think on that issue. Michael Hingson ** 32:18 How do you teach people to become a little bit more introspective and analytical to think about these things? Because most people say I just don't have time to really stop and do that sort of thing. Michele Gennoe ** 32:33 So it's a great question, because it's funny, I used the example earlier of a bundle of this $3. Because I think it's the same thing with people and what I call mental well being. So I'm not talking about mental health, and that's for professional, other kinds of professions. I'm talking about, well being and mental well being. So do you spend the $1, on your mental well being? Or do you wait until you're a bit wobbly and spin the $3. So we have a program called the mindset and makeover program. And in a similar way to what I was saying before, it's very, very practical. So we cover the three years of resilience, of purpose, and of influence. So these three foundational areas help people influence is the easiest one to talk about. It's very much with, when you're connecting with who you are, why you're here, you then project that in your social media, and you're this and that and your LinkedIn. So that you're presenting a congruent, and the key here is congruent image about who you are to the world. So you're not kind of different people to different things. And unfortunately, most people live like that. They live like, I'm a man over here, and I'm update over there and under this and all that. But they're not congruent, you know, I'm, I'm Michael, I'm Michelle, I'm Tom, I've missed I met the label of who they are, or what they do, more importantly, defined. So that's that's very much about, you know, the influence part. The resilience part is helping people to implement more and more of those or companies as well, because companies, companies to influence implement more and more like I shared about the HR policies, well, you want to spend $1 to keep somebody rather than $3 to lose them. Most people leave because they've got bad managers. So what kind of management leadership training do you have, especially in queue to help managers and then the purpose part I spoke about, we're helping people, you know, really to take the time we don't have obviously the time to go and sit in caves or to spend that kind of time going in depth But what you can. And what we do influence people with is taking time away from devices. I like to describe it as when you were a child, and you were playing out in the backyard or this or that, or whatever, you were in that kind of free flow, and that that time standing still space. So as an adult, what we want to do is recreate those play that that sensation, so that you actually had the opportunity on for your brain to kind of reset, and to allow that creativity become bold. Well, Michael Hingson ** 35:36 all too often, we just don't take any time during the day to think about what we did what we're doing, where we're not taught to be introspective or analytical. And I think that it's important that we work on doing some of that, so that we can really look at what happened today. And how did that all go? Why did it go the way it did? What do I learn from that? Because ultimately, I have to teach myself, whoever I am, what to do to go forward. And people can advise me all day long, but I still have to be the one to teach myself to do it. Michele Gennoe ** 36:17 You're so right. And I think one of the key areas within those three sections that we work with people on is this level of self talk. So it's not just throughout the day going, Oh, I could have done that better, or I should have done that better. It's actually throughout the day, picking yourself up when you're doing that. And going well, why did I think that? Why Why was I had in myself? Why did I expect differently, and helping people to be the funniest thing, but after all these years, and all the different things that I've done, the key to everything that I've found is actually kindness. And a lot of what we're doing even that's quite practical tools for the business for the individual. What I've found is that actually, we're teaching people at its essence to be kinder. And it's, it sounds quite terrible, but it's actually so true. Just be kind to do. So be kinder in your companies be kinder, if you're leading people, they are having a tough time, just like do and everybody needs to just be kind. It doesn't get much more complicated than that. It's just about kindness. Michael Hingson ** 37:34 Yeah, well, and kindness. If you if you become more kind, you also become more conscious of what it means to be more kind and, and you become more conscious of why it's important that we do things in a way that helps us be more kind more gentle, to quote George Bush Senior, but to be more of a person that is focused on improving rather than just criticizing or being negative, or it's got to be my way. That's the only way that works. If that makes sense. And I Michele Gennoe ** 38:21 use this example. All it does, because I use this example all the time. And it's a little bit of a cliche, but it's about when you're watching a child learn to walk and they follow the stand up, follow the stand up. You wait to see people around that child going stupid child, your terrible child, why don't you know how to walk yet, and you should know it, you've done it once, all of these kinds of negative self talk or negative reflections. So as adults, you know, bringing that same kind of support of, well, you've never done that before. And you do really, really well. In fact, Greg Norman and some of the other great sporting giants that I've studied over the years, one of the interesting things that they talk about, because if they play a game of golf, or whatever it is, and then they replay it, at the end, they actually look at all of the things that they did well first, so that they can replay in their mind so that I can hit that ball and play that basketball shot really well. And then they replay the things that they needed to improve. And so they identify it needed to do this differently. And then what they'll do is they'll actually go through in their mind because again, the mind doesn't matter if it's real. If it's if it's not real in the mind. They'll go through it and they'll actually go okay, I needed to turn a little bit more to get that hook or I need to do this one jump a little bit higher. And they'll do that in their mind and they'll rehearse the thing that they need to improve on. But they won't sit there And this is very human. And it's very sad that we do this, but actually have this negative self talk, I should have done that better, I should have a session about should have whatever. So even if we can, you know, the 1% of our day, catch us off with those kinds of thoughts and improve on them, then we can build, I think of them as like mental wellness muscles, we can build and improve on our mental wellness. Michael Hingson ** 40:27 Well, it is, it is all about establishing the mindset that you're talking about as well. And it is a muscle it is something that has to be developed, it is something that you have to practice to truly bring about. But when you do it, and you do it well, it makes such a difference in your own life much less than the lives of other people. Michele Gennoe ** 40:51 It does. And just as a comparison, again, going back to the you know, sitting in a cave and being able to get to this point, I remember I saw an interview with the Dalai Lama one time, where somebody asked him, you know, you've been exiled from your country or this, you know, that all of the terrible, terrible difficult things that have happened to him and to the Tibetan people. And they said, but you're still you know, such a happy, positive person, how do you do it, you know, there's the light of the country of the people, the listener of mine, honestly, mind, and he was saying he had to work at it, he would go and meditate every day. And if those negative kind of thoughts or self talk would come up, he would meditate on it to clear it, so that he could come back into his level of balance, and then being on net balance in the world. So like I said, and as people know, it's not necessarily an easy journey, and it can take some time. You don't necessarily need to go away and meditate for two hours, three hours, whatever it is, but taking that two seconds, 10 seconds, to think and go. What was that thought that I was just doing that was actually beating myself up or beating that other person up? Can I find some kindness? Can I find some compassion? And can me can I in that journey to finding it for myself more, essentially, also bring myself back into a form of balance. So that in that balance state, I can keep focusing on where I want to go with that successful mindset. Michael Hingson ** 42:38 Yeah, well, and the reality is that we all this, as far as I know, go to sleep at night. And it would be a simple task to take a few minutes. As we're preparing to fall asleep, once we're in bed to think about and meditate on things, it may very well be that you can't necessarily do it at other times during the day, although I think it's like anything else. If it is enough of a priority, you will find the time to do it. Michele Gennoe ** 43:10 I think so. And I did a course many years ago, and we have to practice something every day. And I thought, Oh, how am I going to make this part of my everyday routine. And ever since then, I have done this practice whilst I'm in the shower. Now, it might seem like a funny thing. But if you think about it, most people we get in the shower, you actually kind of an autopilot. Now, you've washed your hair the same way you wash your body the same way every day. So to actually be programming into your mind and into your brain while you're in the shower. I'm this on that whatever affirmation or whatever positive thought or positive self direction that you want. It can take a little practice, of course at first, but it's actually what I would think of as dead time. Because you do in a sense, mentally go to sleep because it's an automated response. Brush my teeth, Do this, do that. So if you can, because not everybody people when they're going to sleep at night there can be a little bit tired or distracted about something. But if you can think in the morning when you get up in that two seconds, 10 seconds and most people's showers are a bit longer than that. And if you can think in the morning, by okay, yes, I know that I've got to do this, that and whatever was the actual day, but this precious time that I have to myself, without the husband and the kids without the boss without the whatever. This precious time I have to myself. I'm going to say the things to myself. I'm going to be kind I'm going to be compassionate. I've got this I'm going to focus on the positive things today. And I'm going to be okay, whatever the affirmation and the words are for you. That will help you to keep building those muscles and then you know taking it from On outside of the shell, that every time you open a door as you open a door, or this is the opportunities, the new opportunity, this is the opening for new opportunities to come into my life as you open the door. There's lots of little tricks that you can use at work at home, wherever, to actually start to programming, that positive mindset. Yeah. Michael Hingson ** 45:24 And there's no magical, it has to be done this time, or at this time in this way. So I like to do a lot of meditating, when it's really quiet. And the shower, I can tune out the shower, but it's still not the same as when it's quieter. But that's me. And I think you raised a very good point, there is for whatever length of time you're in the shower, it is time that you are doing something very automatic. So you could let your mind you could teach your mind to look at other things while you're taking the shower. Exactly. Michele Gennoe ** 46:06 And in the same way as you're opening a door. So these are just different examples, because I know many people talk about before you go to sleep, have a gratitude journal have this habit that. And also human people say that they'd love to do that, but they forget. Yeah. Whereas in the morning, you can be a little bit more like or more focused on what you're going to be doing for the day. And also importantly, focused on how you want to be showing up for you during the day. Because you may be going, having a little bit of a tough time here. And I'm so busy, I've got no time for me, no time for all the things I need to do for me, I'm just there for the family, the job to this side, whether it's opening a door, doing it in the shower, find what works for you, as a simple, everyday prompt, that doesn't need you to do something extra on top of what you're already doing. Michael Hingson ** 47:07 Yeah, the reality is, if we really could analyze everything about our day, we could find time to do this. But it's a matter again, of making it a priority to do that. And Michele Gennoe ** 47:20 that's the key word the priority. And that's why I like to use that mark an example of you know, one dollars versus $3. Yeah, and people, you know, as you get older, you start to realize, well, actually, yeah, that $1 is me doing a bit more exercise a bit more this a bit more of that. And so you make more of an effort. But yeah, especially for younger viewers or longer younger listeners, recognize and discerning start those positive behaviors and look at the positive building positive mindset. You build those habits into your everyday life? Michael Hingson ** 47:58 Well, when did you start your own business and go strictly on your own? Michele Gennoe ** 48:04 So I've been doing on purpose transformation now for 12 years, I can't believe how quickly time flies. It's pretty amazing. And I was thinking about it when I was reflecting for the show. And you know, the journey that we it's kind of been on everything from the first business card, I think we're actually getting a website now. So it's been quite a journey over that time. Michael Hingson ** 48:35 Well, and and it's keeping you busy, and you've dealt with people all over the world, you had the experience to do that. And you've been able to consult for with people throughout the world and helping people learn this whole concept of successful mindset. And you also started a TV show, as I understand it. Michele Gennoe ** 48:59 Yes, yes. One of the interesting things to come out of COVID. So as the world as we all were shutting down and, and learning to live differently, much more in this online world, like here through this medium. One of the things that I was doing was running a lot of workshops to help friends and creating materials all the time to help with different tools to later I wasn't even successful that it was about getting out of the fear mindset that people out of fear that what was happening and into more of a stabilized. I'm gonna get through this mindset. And so we out of that came the mindset Michelle show, and it's been such a joy, interviewing people and technology now. Wow, what an opportunity, interviewing people from all over the world, spreading this vision of a saber show as a like a lighthouse in amongst social media. And there's so much negativity in the world and so much negativity being shared across the world, that the show is like this lighthouse of positivity and positive information. And everyday people and not so everyday people come on show share, about how they have created their successful mindset. And like we've talked about today, they share the tools and tips and suggestions, everything from sleeping better through to laughter, we've been very, very lucky. And I've been very surprised with sometimes the, like, I had a paraglider that came on the show and had her three step process for reading successful mindset. And so I've been blown away at the incredible people coming on the show, sharing their gifts, sharing experiences, and being part of this lighthouse of positivity, sharing how anybody I believe in the world can create and be empowered and create that positive mindset for themselves. What Michael Hingson ** 51:13 are some of the common themes that you hear from people who come on the show? Michele Gennoe ** 51:17 So interestingly, I never really heard, and I thought I'd like heard people talk about money, and then give a caveat, and then come back to money. But I guess one of the things that has been really interesting is people coming on the show. And the thing is, Pete main thing has been about that, again, in a strange way being about empowerment. So it's about having that freedom to choose when they're working on how they're working. So whether it's a CEO of a company, or a small business owner, the things that they keep talking about, and I think it's one of those things that's going to come up more as a societal trend. Is this focus on time? How much of my time can I control, and can I choose to do things in. So people are not necessarily saying that they don't want to go to work, or they don't want to work for this person or that person. But even the working from home phenomenon that has come through now, people that I interview, that are working on companies or running companies, that the theme keeps coming back the underlying parts that freedom around choosing how and what I do with my time, and when I do it. And I think that the second biggest thing is still about joy. So once people have talked about the freedom around choosing what they can do with their time, it's also about what brings them joy. And for some of the luckier people that I've had on the show, they obviously only now doing things that bring them joy in working with clients and working in organizations that bring them joy. But for most people, it's that journey towards that kind of utopian lifestyle that they're on. And for them, it's more about that transition, you know, whether it's children on work, or husband and wife are called family, aging parents and work juggling all of those different areas of life. And they talk about freedom, and then the joy that it brings to them. And so much less like you might have thought of around the money and kind of element. It's much more about, again, like I said at the beginning of the show, around those human drivers that seemed to be a constant no matter where we are in history and society. Michael Hingson ** 53:47 So what do you get out of doing the show? Why do you do it? Michele Gennoe ** 53:49 One of the things I love so much about doing the show is that I think I'm a little bit of a storyteller. I'm a storyteller. And so when I'm hearing other people tell me their stories, like we started when I was talking about the different lenses and my curiosity, when I'm hearing people talking, and I hear the story, and I really get the journal. And there was another gentleman that came on that was a finance coach. And I thought I can get to hear about finance and some coaching etc. And he started talking about his children, and he had come close to having mental breakdowns etc. And he was sharing that his children in the show and their habits etc. The creating a successful mindset and he had observed and worked with them. And this fabric of him as a human being him being brave and sharing his story and coming on the show. This for me is you know, if my reason for being here is to help too. empower people to create that successful mindset, when I'm hearing how people have gone and done that on their own journey, because you don't always need a coach, but at different times, you may need a coach. But these people that are coming on the show that they're talking about their gyms in such a beautiful way, in sharing about how they have created their successful mindset. Michael Hingson ** 55:23 So for you, who are some of the people that you look up to that you regard is really successful? Or you'd like their mindset in the way they are? Michele Gennoe ** 55:33 I think that there's a few there like the Dalai Lama example I shared, I think there's a few people. And what I would say is what I think that they are as a shining example of being themselves being purveying warts and all. An older example might be somebody like belly cuddly, who was really good example of someone that's found his niche as a comedian, and has understood that he's got many a demon and lives with those demons. And it's an integrated part of the budget as Billy, come on, all the way through to modern times when you look at someone like Ed Sheeran, I mean, can you even begin to imagine what it would be like to stand at Wembley Stadium with just you and look at her, honestly, that that takes, it's not just the musical talent, the mental talent to go from as a kid standing in your lounge room playing the guitar through friends and families, who as a younger man, standing at Wembley, with just no orchestra nervous now that all of those different things that he did when I stood on up mentally, and I think these, for me are examples of where people are living true to who they are true to their nature, embracing the God given talents, and they are incredibly talented people, but they also work very, very hard. It's not like they got the talent and then didn't have to do anything, they work very hard. But they also have that roundness, that wholeness of the life of sharing who they are, as well. So they don't pretend that they are the best, this best, that best whatever, and that they don't have the same foibles. Everybody else. So these two great male examples, I think, and the female side, you know, there's a number Angular Merkel is probably a big girl crush on Angular Merkel, for exactly the same kinds of reasons her and her husband lived in a tiny flat in Berlin the whole time, she was chancellor of Germany. Now, she could have changed. She was a science teacher, and she could have changed and moved to a bigger house and the diversity that she was actually perfectly happy to England were living where she was living. And being with her husband, she didn't need it, all the scandals and all the other bits and pieces. So I think you can see a theme here where the people that I admire are the ones comfortable, it's an old expression, again, that comfortable in their own skin, successful at what they do, and they work very hard at it. And they don't angler again. Yeah, big girl crush. I didn't try and fit in with the other world leaders by going getting a big mansion. She stayed true to what was important to her. So she didn't feel the pressure from social media or, or any other medium to fit in. She felt comfortable in her own skin. Yeah. Michael Hingson ** 58:52 Which is really the best. You've got to if you can't, well, if you feel comfortable in your own skin, if you really are that way, then that's what real happiness is is all about. It isn't about lots of money or anything else. First and foremost, you have to be comfortable and like you like yourself, and do what you like to do and enjoy it no matter where it goes and how it goes. Exactly. Michele Gennoe ** 59:21 I interviewed somebody the other day that had some really good points about perhaps your job or your day job is not which what gives you sparkle joy or lifelong fulfillment. Because your habit or your What does give you joy. So if you like singing, but you're not a good singer, or many people play sport when they're younger and then realize that can't be an elite athlete when they grow up. And I think that the points that Gary Professor Gary Martin, were making were very true. Oh, reloading. I think that those points were very true because not everybody can be a Billy Connolly and Sharon or Angular Merkel. So being comfortable with your own skin, and also recognizing that what you're doing in life is all there to support them. Michael Hingson ** 1:00:19 Well, let me ask you one last question, then what's in the future for Michelle, and the TV show and all of that? Well, Michele Gennoe ** 1:00:27 we're coming to the end of our third year. And it's really, really exciting. And again, I'm so so incredibly grateful to all of the different people that has come through and been on the show, and we've got two more years to go. And then it's going to be so exciting, we'll all be coming out five days a week, for 50 weeks of the year. And being that lighthouse, you know, if people are having a good day, or bad, or whatever day, they will know that they can tune in and see an expert in whatever field talking about how they created their successful mindset. And for me, you know, this is a passion of love. It's something I'm very passionate about, about giving back and supporting people, empowering people. And I thank you so much for having me come on the show today, Michael, because the more that people hear about the show and connecting, we're also going to, of course, be looking for more guests. So people listening and want to come away, come on the show, then, you know, please reach out, we're always happy to have more people come on the show. And my passion. And my dream is that one day, anywhere in the world, if somebody goes, you know, I'm not having that crowded day, I need to have a bit of a lift, I need to, you know, reset and come back. I don't have a door handle or shower nearby. And it's not the end of the day, I can't meditate. I've got you know, five minutes on this bus and now tune into the show, and listen to somebody talking about how to had a tough time, but they use these tips on suggestions to create a successful mindset. That would be my vision for where we going next with the show. Well, Michael Hingson ** 1:02:17 I look forward to having the opportunity to be on it next weekend. Michele Gennoe ** 1:02:24 Yes, I'm talking to you and ask me similar kinds of questions of you, Michael? Michael Hingson ** 1:02:30 Well, I want to thank you very much for being here with us today. And spending all this time this has been fun. And I have enjoyed it. I hope people have been inspired. And will go find your book and read it and sit in and seek you out. How do they do that? If somebody wants to talk with you and maybe use your services? How do they do that. Michele Gennoe ** 1:02:53 So the best way to contact me is through LinkedIn. So Michele, Gennoe, it's Michele with one L for those people listening. And then Gennoe is G e n n o e is also my website is called Michelegennoe.com. So it's fairly easy. You can also get the book mindful leadership on Amazon. So it's available through that and wherever you are listening to this in the world. Michael Hingson ** 1:03:22 Cool. Well, thank you again for doing this. And I want to thank you for listening to us today. We really appreciate you being here. I hope that Michelle has given you some good things to think about. I appreciate you being here as well. If you'd like to reach out to me, I would love to hear from you hear your thoughts about the show hear your thoughts about anything else. And of course if you know anyone else who might be a good guest, Michele, same for you would love to hear from you. We're always looking for more guests on a stoppable mindset. You can reach me at Michael m i c h a e l h i at accessibe A c c e s s i b e.com. Or go to our podcast page www dot Michael hingson.com/podcast. And Michael Hingson is m i c h a e l h i n g s o n all one word. So love to hear from you. And wherever you're listening, please give us a five star rating. We value that very highly. We really appreciate all the inputs and all the things that people have to say. And we especially do of course do love five star rating. So I hope that you'll give us one as well as Michelle one more time. Thanks for being here and we're really looking forward to people's comments and seeing you again next weekend. Thank Michele Gennoe ** 1:04:40 you so much again, Michael has been an absolute honor is such a privilege to be on your show and to all your listeners and viewers. Thank you I really appreciate you saying God bless you and wish you all the best Michael Hingson ** 1:04:59 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.