Shows
Truth, Lies and WorkBBC Email Blunder, Amazon’s Culture Crisis, and the Battle for BooHoo. PLUS! Will Giangrande's Hot Take on Gen-ZWelcome to another episode of Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning psychology podcast on the HubSpot Podcast Network. Join hosts Leanne Elliott, chartered psychologist, and Al Elliott, business owner, as they break down the latest news and insights in the workplace, sharing practical advice to help you lead and work more effectively.In this week’s episode, we dive into shocking workplace blunders, corporate culture clashes, and leadership drama in the retail industry, followed by a Hot Take from Gen-Z thought leader Will Giangrande, who shares insights into what Gen-Z brings to today’s workplaces. And...
2024-10-2952 min
Communicast: A Communication Skills PodcastWill Giangrande: Treat Others How They Need to Be TreatedTreat others the way they need to be treated. An interesting twist on the Golden Rule and great advice from my guest this episode, Will Giangrande. Will is a certified facilitator for Take Flight Leaning where he helps his clients drive workplace culture improvements. In this episode we talk about how understanding personality styles can help you tailor your messages, the critical role preparation plays in effective communication, and how to navigate all various communication channels available to us today. Additional Resources:► Follow Communispond on LinkedIn for more communication skills tips: https://www.link...
2024-10-0835 min
19 Year Old ShrinkEpisode 1 to 100: Map a Blueprint for Your Ideal Life with James GiangrandeThis episode was definitely a bittersweet one to record. After interviewing my father for my first episode, I had the privilege of interviewing him for my last. Throughout this conversation, we talk about the insecurities that come with the adjustment of college to post grad. He discusses how there is the misconception that the fun ends after college, but mentions that our definitions of fun just change, it doesn't end altogether. Later on, I had the chance to ask him more personal questions about his own life and the memories that he has created, while being able to...
2023-07-1149 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Psychology Behind Acting with Peter Sullivan and Cole LombardiThis episode is about all things acting! I interviewed my friend Peter and acquaintance Cole to understand the psychology behind acting and everything that goes into portraying a certain character. From stories of Chex mix urges gone wrong to understanding how to reveal a certain emotion through acting, one can begin to understand all of the intricacies behind the industry. Both Peter and Cole gave such valuable insight into their own experience and skills, which was a pleasure to hear about. Tune in for more, link in bio!@19yearoldshrinkpodcast
2023-04-2639 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Psychology Behind Acting with Peter Sullivan and Cole LombardiThis episode is about all things acting! I interviewed my friend Peter and acquaintance Cole to understand the psychology behind acting and everything that goes into portraying a certain character. From stories of Chex mix urges gone wrong to understanding how to reveal a certain emotion through acting, one can begin to understand all of the intricacies behind the industry. Both Peter and Cole gave such valuable insight into their own experience and skills, which was a pleasure to hear about. Tune in for more, link in bio!@19yearoldshrinkpodcast
2023-04-2639 min19 Year Old ShrinkHow Structure Opens Up the Door to FreedomIn this episode I talk about how more structure in life can lead to having more freedom. I use an example of waiting until the last minute to do your homework to hangout with friends and then worrying the entire time that you’re with your friends to finish that assignment. The idea of anticipating instead of reacting is a topic brought up multiple times where someone takes the time out of their day to plan their schedule out so they can leave time for the things they enjoy. If you sometimes struggle with waiting until the las...
2023-04-1909 min19 Year Old ShrinkHow Self Reliance Builds Self ConfidenceIn this episode, I talk about learning how to become more self reliant and how this allows us to develop more confidence. After reading a valuable article from forbes, I began to learn more about why self reliance is so important. Some of the points it referenced were ones ability to think independently, know ones values, and to use our own references to help make decisions. I added some of my own experiences in addition to the ones in the article. One of these is understanding our own values and motives for life and using a "Filter" t...
2023-04-0513 min19 Year Old ShrinkBeing Helpful Without Giving AdviceIn this episode I talk about being helpful without giving advice. This is something I still to this day am learning to do but it can sometimes be difficult.Our friends come to us looking for comfort or to vent, and we always feel like we need to offer answers. This allows us to feel like we are giving them something in return for what they expected, but sometimes they don’t necessarily need advice.Maybe they are looking to have an objective opinion, actual advice, or even a shoulder to cry on. And having a c...
2023-03-2811 min19 Year Old ShrinkWhat are Defense Mechanisms?In this episode I talk about how we use defense mechanisms in our lives. Didn’t really know what defense mechanisms were until I took one of my classes this semester and realized how much we sometimes use them.Basically, defense mechanisms are used as a way to protect our ego and to lessen anxiety that we might experience in life. Some of the defense mechanisms are rationalization, projection, denial, which are all done as a way to keep the negativity off of us. One of the ones I think we see most often is rationalization.
2023-03-2212 min19 Year Old ShrinkFinding the Sweet Spot of AnxietyWe often have a negative bias towards anxiety. In this episode, I explain how we can view anxiety from a positive perspective. In my own life, I look at anxiety as having 3 tiers. Tier 1: A place where we aren't really acting too much and would have too little anxiety. An example of this would be knowing a test is coming up but not paying attention to the material or the deadline. Tier 2: This IS the sweet spot. This is where you have enough anxiety where you are alerted to act, but don't let that idea co...
2023-03-0807 min19 Year Old ShrinkBeing Open to Everything and Attached to NothingIn this episode, I talk about the Wayne Dyer Quote, “Be open to everything and attached to nothing.” I think it is such a valuable mentality to have in our lives and embracing all new experiences that come our way.I talk about the movie, “Yes Man” with Jim Carey, which is a perfect example of this. He starts out having a very glass half empty personality, always blowing his friends off to sit home and sulk. But, after being approached by a man who called him out for his negativity, he attended this convention called Yes.
2023-02-2108 min19 Year Old ShrinkUnderstanding the Different Influences on Our PersonalityThis episode breaks down how we develop our own unique personalities and what domains influence the different traits we develop. Topics of environment, upbringing, biology, and more help dive more deeply into this issue. Tune in for more!
2023-02-1407 min19 Year Old ShrinkAnalysis Paralysis: Overanalyzing Everything and Hurting Your Own FeelingsIn this episode I talk about overanalyzing situations and how it can lead to us hurting our own feelings. It can become easy to read too easily into other peoples actions and create a story around why they are acting a certain way.We begin reflecting back on every little detail that we said and start worrying whether we might have hurt their feelings. And this might not be everyone, maybe it’s just me. But after awhile, we find out that they were upset with something completely unrelated to us, and then we realize how much ti...
2023-02-0106 min19 Year Old ShrinkBuilding the Starbucks Brand with Former President Howard BeharIn this episode, Howard Behar talks about how he helped build the Starbucks Empire with Howard Shultz and Orin Smith. Throughout this talk, he alludes to servant leadership as the key to success in this business venture.Recognizing relationships and people as the ultimate factor in creating a successful business, I learned so much about the human factor of life. Howard wrote 2500 letters every month to employees for birthdays and company anniversaries as a way to foster recognition and community in the company.In addition, he coined the phrase, “the person that sweeps the floor sh...
2023-01-2429 min19 Year Old ShrinkWith Structure Comes Freedom: Budgeting with Summer LeeIn this episode I talk with my friend Summer who is currently a marketing data analyst at Deloitte. She breaks down why she began to budget and how she organizes her budgeting in her own life.She talks about the greater amount of freedom she has had because of the structure in her spending habits. Through this talk, I was able to see how much taking the time out of your day to budget can allow you to say yes to opportunities.As the episode continues, Summer talks more about how she has learned to...
2023-01-1840 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Obsession with Getting Ahead in Life And It's Negative ImpactsWith graduation looming, I talk about a feeling that a lot of people have probably experienced at one point in time. You may not have found a job yet or might not even know what to do, and it can be scary.And what we do in those situations is begin measuring ourselves against others, “They figured out in October, they are better than me.” “Why don’t I have as many interviews as this person? All of these thoughts trigger negativity and we begin attributing it to our identity.And this doesn’t need to be with...
2023-01-1114 min19 Year Old ShrinkChoosing to Delay Gratification to Build Self ConfidenceIn this episode, I talk about using delayed gratification as a means to build self confidence. Many times, it's easy to watch that extra episode of The Office, or eat that extra slice of pizza, or scroll on Instagram for another hour. We choose to do this instead of the more beneficial and long lasting solution for happiness. And from my own struggles with this, I have realized that it's because we have a better idea of what that pleasure feels like with things in the present moment. We are able to have a greater imagination of w...
2023-01-0312 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Underlying Message of ExcusesIn this episode, I talk about why we use excuses in so many areas of life. Sometimes we attribute being busy as a legitimate excuse. But when doing this, we need to contemplate whether that thing we are trying to avoid is that important to us. And if it is, then why are we getting consumed with less important things in our life? Those things that we truly value in life should supersede any other tasks on our daily agenda. As the episode continues, I talk about how our excuses can also give us insight into the t...
2022-12-2805 min19 Year Old ShrinkLearning Not to Keep Score in Your FriendshipsIn this episode I talk about our mindsets with our friendships at times. Sometimes we feel as though we are reaching out to some of our friends much more than they are to us. And we can get in our head about it and think we are bothering them when we are doing that.But, after a conversation with my dad, he taught me a very valuable lesson about never keeping score in friendships. When we feel discouraged and hesitant about reaching out to people that we have become really close with over the years, that in...
2022-12-2104 min19 Year Old ShrinkTrauma Bonding: Feeling Trapped in Relationships with OthersIn this episode, I talk about the presence of trauma bonding in our relationships. This type of bonding involves the emotional attachment that we feel to a relationship despite the trauma that we have experienced from it. And this can be with friends, family, romantic partners, etc.We’ve all seen people and maybe even ourselves keep going back to people that aren’t benefiting us in any way, shape, or form. But we keep doing it. And you might be confused as to why people keep going back to relationships that always cause trauma. But, that’s not...
2022-11-2912 min19 Year Old ShrinkHandling the Uncertainty of the FutureIn this episode I discuss why the future is such a consistent worry in society. Much of the time we spend worrying about the past and the future, which are uncontrollable as we are living in the present moment. We don't take the time out of our day to recognize and appreciate the here and now and use our present to create a desirable future. Some of the things for me that make me worried about the future is excessive watching of the news. There is so much uncertainty in the news and this spills over into m...
2022-11-1605 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Power of Self AffirmationsIn this episode, I talk about giving yourself credit through self affirmations. A lot of times, we prioritize the deadlines and assignments we have and put the self help things off to the side. But, these little things that we can do every day can pay huge dividends for our mental health down the road. Something as simple as putting post it notes with great qualities of yourself on the mirror to look at in the morning is one example. Especially using different color post it notes to emphasize the differing qualities that you have in yourself. O...
2022-11-0905 min19 Year Old ShrinkTips and Tricks to Pursuing MentorsIn this episode, I discuss the 5 different types of mentors that I learned about in my management class. These include: traditional, inspirational, step-ahead, peer, and family member mentor. Traditional recognizes one person who has more experience than another and is guiding them in their process of developing more skills in a specific area. Inspirational is someone who you might not see every single day but has such a profound impact on you and your life. This might be someone who wrote a book that you swear by, or have a podcast or show that has guided you d...
2022-10-2610 min19 Year Old ShrinkFactors That Affect Our Perceptions of RealityIn this episode, I talk about how perceptions influence our everyday life. It is amazing how two people can experience the same event and have two completely different emotional responses to that event! This is where perception comes into play. Through internal factors such as emotions, memories, and values as well as external factors involving media, societal norms, and culture, we see our perceptions influencing the lense at which we view life. Throughout the episode, I also discuss the different filters of perception including; stereotypes, selective perception, projection, expectations, and interests. Through these, we see the individualized i...
2022-10-1208 min19 Year Old ShrinkHow Our Values Change Over TimeIn this episode, I discuss the evolution of our values in the different stages of our life. We have all heard the cliche phrase, "Enjoy being young, because as soon as you know it you'll be old like me!" And whenever I used to hear this saying, I would become discouraged because I assumed that we would just become victims of our circumstances of being old. But, now I have realized that it's more about how our values will evolve as we become older. When we are young we are so adventurous, trying new things, and exploring w...
2022-10-0404 min19 Year Old ShrinkDo's and Don'ts to a Productive ConversationIn this episode, I bring up some tips and tricks about what I learned in my managing yourself class at LMU. When trying to have a meaningful and productive conversation, ensuring that we are focusing our attention on the present moment is vital. Multitasking is one way where we become knocked out of the present moment and keeps us from getting close to others. A couple other points brought up are not using our own experiences to try and make them feel more at ease. Sometimes, this is a successful method, but if we do it too m...
2022-09-2107 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Value of Quiet Leadership In this episode I talk about quiet leadership. A lot of times, we associate the word “leader” with someone who is outspoken and the loudest voice in the room.But, what many people don’t realize is how many leaders there are that are quiet. They guide others through the actions more so than their words. Or they might not speak often, but when they do, it always has meaning attached to it.If you are someone who might not think of yourself as a leader because of that stereotype, this is definitely a helpful listen...
2022-09-1704 min19 Year Old ShrinkWhy is Yawning Contagious?In this episode, I talk about something we all do; yawn! According to pbs.org, adults yawn on average 20 times a day! Throughout this talk, I not only discuss why we yawn and why it is contagious. I also mention the idea of empathy in yawning and how it is related to mirroring for other people in our life. For romantic interests or close friendships, often times we mirror what the other person is doing to establish rapport. And although yawning occurs on a more subconscious level, I can relate to it being a way to establish connection with r...
2022-09-0604 min19 Year Old ShrinkHow Our Decisions Are Subconsciously InfluencedIn this episode, I summarize Dan Ariely's Ted Talk about how our decisions are subconsciously influenced. He uses the table and rubik's cube example to paint the picture of how visually our mind plays tricks on us. Since visual representation is easier to pick up on than cognitive, he emphasizes that more mistakes are bound to be made when dealing with cognitive influences. Some of the examples he used were the differing percentages of donors across countries and how the phrasing of the DMV form in the corresponding countries led to those percentages. Also, we learn about t...
2022-08-3107 min19 Year Old ShrinkA New School Year: Starting Off On The Right FootIn this episode I discuss ways to start off the new school year on the right foot. Much of the advice came from Ed Mylett and his new book, “The Power of One More.” In this one, he talks about the idea of how many people approach life: as a marathon. They only check in with themselves once or twice a year around New Years to see how they’ve done with their goals and what they want to accomplish the next year.But he mentions how more success comes from constantly having checkpoints to monitor your succes...
2022-08-2406 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Best Medicine: Exploring the Importance of SleepIn this episode I talk about the importance of sleep and the different stages. We learn about how sleep slows down heart rate, breathing rate, lowers body temperature, etc. As we enter the fourth stage of REM sleep, our eye movement speeds up and heart rate increases. As the episode continues, I discuss why sleep is so important and different steps that we can take to make our sleeping our environment better for us. Tune in to learn more! Sources: sleepfoundation.org
2022-08-1708 min19 Year Old ShrinkUnderstanding Life as a Web of ConnectionsIn this episode, I discuss the idea of connecting all of our experiences in our life back to our past circumstances. By doing this, we are able to have a better appreciation for the good and bad moments because a silver lining reveals itself later on. I use the example of this summer as well as a struggle from years back with a close person to me to help illustrate the purpose of this episode.Not only can we use this understanding of everything being connected as a hindsight 20/20 idea, but to appreciate the bad moments when...
2022-08-1006 min19 Year Old ShrinkDiving Into Season ThreeIn this episode, I recap the interviews I had with the guests this season and what to take away from their talks. In addition, we look at season 3 and what to look forward to for this next year!
2022-08-0309 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Psychology Behind Why We Hurt OthersIn this episode, I discuss what causes frustration that leads to aggression in our lives. The episode starts with understanding Tony Robbins 6 human needs and how having those differing needs can be a root of frustration if we can't learn to accept each others differences. As the talk continues, I discuss topics from the book by Elliot Aronson called "Social Psychology." I explain the social impact of aggression on others through Bandura's Bobo doll experiment, and the presence of alcohol as a cause for more aggression. As this episode concludes, we explore ways to combat the frustration and urge t...
2022-07-2707 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Generational Gap that Exists Between Parents and KidsIn this episode, I discuss the generational gap present between parents and kids. Throughout this, you will hear real life examples of how parents sometimes use their experiences from when they were younger to help give advice to their kids now. In these scenarios, we can see how it can cause disconnect but also can provide useful advice towards helping future generations. Some of the examples include drinking culture, technology, dating, and more. If you are interested in learning more about the dynamic between parents and kids, tune in!
2022-07-2006 min19 Year Old ShrinkCreating a Captivating Future with Life Coach Hayden LeeIn this episode I interview executive life and leadership coach Hayden Lee. We discuss how he became passionate about life coaching while starting out with helping high schoolers with their schoolwork.As the interview progressed, Hayden breaks down the differences between being a life coach, therapist, consultant, and mentor. By doing this, we are able to understand how these different helping professions play out in a persons life.Later on, I ask him about the three levels of health which are creating health, being sick, and being non-sick. This was interesting because it shed light...
2022-07-1339 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Relationship Between our Dreams and RealityIn this episode, I talk about how our dreams that we have when sleeping are related to our experiences when we are awake. Sometimes, it's hard to believe that the crazy, far fetched events while we sleep can have importance in our life. But, they have a great impact on the way we handle different events and also reflect the type of emotions we have at a certain moment. After doing some research from a couple articles, it gave more scientific context to why this happens. A study conducted by Alessandro Fogli and his colleagues tested 24,000 dreams from a...
2022-07-0606 min19 Year Old ShrinkProsocial Behavior: Why We Act for OthersIn this episode, I discuss prosocial behavior and what influences us to act for other people. Social exchange and empathy altruism theory are a couple of many factors that come into play with helping others. In this one, I use the example of the Zegota found in the book "Social Psychology by Elliot Aronson to help illustrate the reasons behind helping. Tune in to learn more about why we help others!
2022-06-2805 min19 Year Old ShrinkAttachment Theory's Impact on Our RelationshipsIn this episode, I talk about the different attachment styles and how they present themselves in infants as well as adults. Through doing this we are able to see the connections between the two stages of life, but also the capability for people to evolve and for their attachment styles to change.Later on, I discuss some research done by Mary Ainsworth that puts these attachment styles into the context of relationships and how different styles would interact with each other. Throughout this episode, you will gain more awareness into your own attachment styles and understand how...
2022-06-2207 min19 Year Old ShrinkAsk Me Anything: Rapid Fire ReflectionThis episode is a different format! In this one, I take questions that listeners sent in to help fuel the different topics of this episode. Questions ranging from a variety of different topics regarding mental health, self development, and life come up. This episode is unique because it covers such a range of topics, so there is something for everybody. If you didn't submit a question, don't you worry, more episodes like these will be coming soon. Tune in to hear more!@19yearoldshrinkpodcast
2022-06-1519 min19 Year Old ShrinkOvercoming the Bystander EffectIn this episode I talk about how the Bystander effect is present in our lives and how we might not even realize it. Through the study by Latane and Darley as well as the case of the murder of Kitty Genovese, we can understand the unfortunate reality of the bystander effect. Through Latanes discussion of the five steps towards helping in an emergency and increasing the likelihood of bystanders intervening, we can bring this further into our own lives. Tune in for more info!@19yearoldshrinkpodcast@wjg23
2022-06-0804 min19 Year Old ShrinkLearning to Appreciate Your YouthIn this episode, I talk about lessons that I have learned from mentors about how to control having big aspirations for the future while allowing myself to still be a kid and enjoy time with friends. These talks provide context into the idea of anticipating regret and learning to envision how your future self would respond to the decisions you have to make in this present moment. We are faced with these feelings constantly throughout our life, and this episode will allow you to gain more clarity about opportunities you can take advantage of going forward. If you are...
2022-06-0106 min19 Year Old ShrinkTaking Away the Lessons From Everything Everywhere All At Once with Andrea YounesIn this episode, I talk with my friend Andrea about the newly released movie, "Everything Everywhere All At Once." After watching it for the first time, I definitely felt confused considering the amount of tiny details that you needed to pay attention to. But, after watching a second time, we both agreed that the true lessons of the movie came out. From conversation about intergenerational trauma displayed through the dynamic between Evelyn and Joy, we can understand this in the context of our own lives. Andrea also includes her favorite scene which involved the ending of the m...
2022-05-2524 min19 Year Old ShrinkMusic's Impact on EmotionsIn this episode I talk about the impact of music on our emotions. After doing some research, I learned that our Default mode network is activated much more when we listen to music. And when listening to music we enjoy, there is more frontal activity in the brain. This activity is linked to greater analytical and reflective thoughts in our life.If you have ever really enjoyed a song, it might have brought out a deep emotional influence for you that made you reflect. This is where that activity in the default mode network and frontal area...
2022-05-1808 min19 Year Old ShrinkSeparation Season:Starting Summer Off On a Good NoteIn this episode I talk about the concept by Ed Mylett, “Separation Season.” These are times where people normally are relaxing and taking it easy, which are opportunities for others to get ahead and gain momentum. Throughout this episode, I talk about different ways that I have learned to get ahead in the summer and how to build momentum!@19yearoldshrinkpodcast@wjg23
2022-05-1106 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Sunk Cost Fallacy: Why We Become DeceivedIn this episode I talk about the Sunk Cost Fallacy. This fallacy is when a person refuses to abandon something because they have invested so much into it already.Perfect examples of this are when you go to sports game and spend a ton of money on seats, and your favorite team is getting smoked, but you want to stay until the end because you payed good money. But, you already spent the money, nothing can change that, and what you don’t realize is you could do something more productive with that time.Another ex...
2022-05-0406 min19 Year Old ShrinkMissing Tile Syndrome: How to Fill the MosaicThis episode is a perfect metaphor for so many experiences in our life. We have so many times that are worth appreciating, “the little tiles” that make up the bigger mosaic. But sometimes there’s one thing that’s faulty, “the missing tile” that causes us to lose sight of all of the great things we have going for us. As a result, we have a negativity bias that is based on lack. In this episode, I discuss areas where I have fallen short with this and how we can overcome the Missing Tile Syndrome. Instagram:@19yearold...
2022-04-2707 min19 Year Old ShrinkOne Year Later: How to Stay Consistent with Your PassionIn this episode I talk about all of the learning experiences that have come with staying consistent over the last year with this podcast. Funny enough, I planned on quitting doing the podcast right before putting out the first episode a year ago Tuesday. Im laughing thinking about this but I was scared and worried people would judge me and call me a know it all because I was a 19 year old kid giving life advice.But if I did, I would’ve missed out on all of the amazing people that I have been able to ge...
2022-04-2008 min19 Year Old ShrinkBreaking Down the Methods of PersuasionIn this episode I talk about the importance of persuasion and what causes certain people to be more persuasive than others. The two key factors in this talk are about central route persuasion as well as peripheral route persuasion.Central route focuses on the actual argument that is being made, while peripheral focuses on surface level aspects of an argument. For example, central would be the words of the speech, whereas peripheral would be the attractiveness of the speaker or credibility as well.Another example of peripheral persuasion is commercials that focus so much on...
2022-04-1204 min19 Year Old ShrinkWhy Do People Lose Interest in Those That Show Too Much Interest?In this episode I talk about the idea of wanting what you don’t have. Specifically what I’ve seen with a lot of my friends and even myself is the idea of losing interest in people that show too much interest.Someone who you were initially interested in starts texting more often, getting to the point where they’re asking to hangout a lot more than you are. Or, maybe the situation is flipped. But, at face value, everything looks completely fine. Someone who you are interested in shows a lot of interest in you and you ha...
2022-04-0608 min19 Year Old ShrinkMapping Out a Creative Day: Giving Your Mind a BreakIn this episode, I talk about the importance of taking a creative day. This is something that I’ve done in the past that’s not always easy. We spend so much of our time trying to respond to emails, get groceries done, do schoolwork, and succeed in jobs. And taking a day off from all of that sometimes gives us the idea that we are taking a step back.But, what I’ve learned is that we’re actually taking a step “back” to take two steps forward. By having this free day, we are able to improve o...
2022-03-2907 min19 Year Old ShrinkDestigmatizing Mental Health on College Campuses with Will BrennanIn this episode I sit down with my friend Will. He is a sociology major here at LMU and is VP of Recruitment for Agape, a service org on campus. During our talk, we learn about his upbringing as a child and how that led to his passion for destigmatizing mental health.Stories of his father leaving and lack of acceptance for seeking outside help along with the great support from his mom fuel an in depth perspective of childhood impact on our lives.Will later goes into his experience with the state of mental...
2022-03-2256 min19 Year Old ShrinkDiscovering Your Ikigai: Finding Your PurposeIn this one I talk about where I and others struggle to find that balance towards our Ikigai and what questions we need to ask ourselves in order to discover it. Some of those questions include:What do you love?What are you good at?What does the world need from you?What can you get paid for?Many people might thrive in one specific area but are lacking in another, which causes doubt and insecurities to creep in. These doubts start to give us anxiety which makes us...
2022-03-1609 min19 Year Old ShrinkAiming High and Missing Vs. Aiming Low and HittingIn this episode I talk about aiming high and missing vs. aiming low and hitting. This is the idea of people including myself being afraid of having too high expectations and not reaching their goals.And most of the time, people don’t fail completely, they just succeed at something that requires lower expectations. In this one I’ll talk about where I’ve been a victim of this and how to be ok with aiming high and missing and using it as a vehicle towards success.
2022-03-0807 min19 Year Old ShrinkTraining Your Brain To Not Think Worst Case ScenarioIn this episode I talk about our natural inclination towards worst case scenario thinking. With my own life, I’ve seen that I’ve naturally resorted to that way of thinking because it gives off the illusion of being more prepared.We feel as though worrying about things has some sort of productive nature rather than allowing things to run their course and be at ease with it.Something that has been said is the idea that when you might be worried about something you said or did, chances are it won’t be worst case s...
2022-03-0105 min19 Year Old ShrinkHurting People's Feelings: Dealing with Cognitive DissonanceIn this episode I discuss the role that cognitive dissonance has when hurting other people. This state is the feeling of discomfort that we have when our actions or decisions aren’t in line with our beliefs and values. I experienced this recently this last week, and learned in class that there are three ways to reduce dissonance.The first way to reduce dissonance is to change the behavior, the second being changing the cognition, and the third is adding a new cognition. I use an example of smoking to help solidify this idea and then apply it...
2022-02-2204 min19 Year Old ShrinkFinding Ways to Stand out in a Competitive SocietyIn this one I talk about the reality of how our world is getting more competitive each and everyday. And finding ways to stand out is very important. One example I give is with handwriting letters. I used to laugh at my dad when he told me to do this, but now I realize how effective it was.When applying to jobs or building relationships, it’s easy to fall into the crowd. “They were a good interview” “They were a nice person” is fine, but this is something that will allow others to remember you. You no longer...
2022-02-1607 min19 Year Old ShrinkSoulpreneurship and Changing Your Life Story with Varun GandhiIn this episode, I interview Varun Gandhi, who is the host of “What’s your Story” show on YouTube and a successful soulpreneur that spends much of his time trying to help others reshape the stories they tell themselves. He originally was an environmental engineer who lacked direction in his life. This led to him feeling consistent pain in his solar plexus when he would wake up in the morning. He would continue to go back to the same job, but eventually listened to his body, and realized he needed to make a change in his...
2022-02-0856 min19 Year Old ShrinkHow to Get Out of a Creative SlumpIn this episode I talk about how to get out of a creative rut. And to start, some people think that they aren’t creative at all. They think that they have to be an artist, musician, etc. to have creative ability. But even when applying for job or writing a speech, you need to use your creativity to deliver the most unique message possible to others. One of the tools I use for when I’m lacking that creativity is staring off into space. Sometimes when we meditate, we put pressure on ourselves to re...
2022-02-0108 min19 Year Old ShrinkAppreciating the Temporary Nature of LifeIn this episode I talk about accepting some parts of life as temporary. And when you hear this, usually you would think of this as being negative, but it really isn’t. Sometimes we start off struggling, begin noticing we’re struggling, and then putting more weight on it to the point where it becomes a bigger problem that we think will last forever. On the flip side, when things are going really well, we take it for granted and don’t realize that this feeling won’t last forever. We don’t stay in the present...
2022-01-2508 min19 Year Old ShrinkPublic Speaking Blunders: Getting Over EmbarrassmentIn this episode, I talk about something that everyone has gone through at some point: public speaking blunders. Throughout this talk, I describe an experience I had last week with public speaking where I messed up a speech and felt really embarrassed. Sometimes we go into a speech with a specific vision, put in all the work we needed to, and it still doesn't go as well as planned. When this happens, we start overanalyzing what others are thinking about us and thinking in the context of worst case scenario. If you feel like you've ever been i...
2022-01-1916 min19 Year Old ShrinkWhy Keeping Lifelong Friendships is ImportantIn this episode I talk about the importance of keeping your friendships throughout the years.This became more relevant as I came to college, because being far away from home definitely presents its challenges. But, by keeping these friendships with people who we are close to, we are able to not only keep those good memories close to us but gain a new perspective on the tough ones.We naturally associate people in our lives with different times and feelings about those times. And when we stay in touch with those people who helped us beyond...
2022-01-1210 min19 Year Old ShrinkTexting Anxiety: Creating a World of MiscommunicationIn this episode I talk about the anxiety that comes with the age of texting. I’ve noticed from a lot of the conversations I’ve had with others and also my own experiences, good communication can be thrown out the window when texting.Without body language and tone of voice, it could sometimes be difficult to understand the true meaning of someone’s message. And from here, we sometimes make up these stories about why someone responded a certain way, and sometimes they can feel self inflicted. This just causes more anxiety and leads to us living...
2022-01-0408 min19 Year Old ShrinkFalling Into February: How To Keep New Years ResolutionsIn this episode, I discuss the reasons why so many people including myself don't follow through with their New Years Resolutions. Much of the struggle to keep them lies in not being specific with your goals and for focusing too much on the end result. An example that I give is "I want to eat better," but what does "Better" mean? Throughout this talk, I discuss focusing more on what feeling you want to get from the goal you have, because everything that we want in life is traced back to a feeling. From this point, you can...
2021-12-2808 min19 Year Old ShrinkHoliday Hack for Getting Back Your Good Habits This episode is definitely very relevant for our winter break right now. Although it was very exciting returning to in person classes and meetings, the adjustment was definitely challenging. For myself and some of my friends who I’ve talked to, quarantine allowed us to become regimented in our routine and build a lot of structure for ourselves when we didn’t naturally have it.With going back to in person classes, I felt like I lost a lot of those habits and routines, making this semester stressful at times. In this episode I’ll discuss some ways to...
2021-12-2118 min19 Year Old ShrinkImproving Learning Effectiveness with Michael WeinraubIn this episode, I talk with Michael Weinraub about his efforts in creating a more effective environment for learners to learn and teachers to teach.He describes his experiences starting out as a teacher in the LA Unified School district and how those extremely difficult first years allowed him to gain a lot of knowledge into helping students.He mentions the idea of being able to look at the entire class as a whole while also being able to understand each individual and their different learning styles as a way to adjust.If...
2021-12-1443 min19 Year Old ShrinkAmerican Christmas: Decorating New York City and Beyond with Fred Schwam In this episode, I interview Fred Schwam, former owner and CEO of American Christmas. This company is focused on commercial holiday decorating throughout New York City and around the world. Fred took over the company when he was just 21 years old and describes his 30+ years of experience building up the company to where it is today. He started off as the production person, bookkeeper, truck driver, decorator, and salesperson.For the first 9 years of his career, he hadn’t seen any huge results despite the amount of hard work and precision he had in the company’s proce...
2021-12-0755 min19 Year Old ShrinkOvercoming Imposter SyndromeThis episode focuses on overcoming Imposter Syndrome, which is feeling inept in a specific area of your life despite all of the experiences and accomplishments that you have.I was listening to Ed Mylett's interview with NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, which inspired this topic. Strahan mentioned how even with all of his accomplishments, whenever he’s preparing an interview, or speaking with another accomplished person, he still has those feelings of self doubt creep in, wondering if he belongs.He also discussed how his upbringing wasn’t a traditional route that people take to t...
2021-11-3012 min19 Year Old ShrinkAvoiding Advice From People Who Lack What You WantDuring this episode I discuss our ability to sometimes look for advice from people who shouldn't be giving us advice. In my own experience, sometimes I view them as being a great emotional support for me during a tough time, and I remember them giving great advice for one moment in my life.And from there, we assume that they will give great advice in every area of our life. But everyone has strengths and weaknesses in their life, and it’s important to decide who the best person to help you is regardless of past experiences.
2021-11-2310 min19 Year Old ShrinkBeing Okay With Not Having All the AnswersIn this episode I discuss something we’ve all experienced which is not having all the answers. Something that I’ve struggled to accept and especially up to this point in my life which can be toughAnd sometimes detaching yourself from a situation or being vulnerable can be really intimidating to start off, especially when you have so much running through your mind. Maybe you’ve never experienced these feelings before and you’re trying to push them away, or you really don’t know how to feel about yourself or practically anything in these moments.S...
2021-11-1713 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Entrepreneurial Mindset in Every Aspect of Your LifeIn this episode I talk about the lessons I learned during startup weekend at LMU, where we had 54 hours to build a prototype for a business idea.I start off talking about how much your initial plan for a business idea changes and how looking back on it five years down the line, you realize you took a completely different path. Our product, “The Dream Machine” was an app designed to help people journal about their dreams so that they can be able to track how they are feeling in a specific period of their life based on t...
2021-11-0908 min19 Year Old ShrinkStopping Three Feet From Gold: Quitting Before Seeing the RewardIn this episode I discuss the struggle that exists of people quitting right before they see the results. A lot of times we are putting in the effort day after day and we start expecting that this effort will immediately show results and when it doesn’t, we give up. And a lot of that comes from the perception of instant gratification that is portrayed on social media and other outlets.In our society today with the vast amount of opportunities and different industry’s developing, it can sometimes be more attractive to quit something because we alwa...
2021-11-0209 min19 Year Old ShrinkHumility in the Age of Over ExposureThis episode explores humility in the context of current society. We are inundated with visions of comparison and there is often this understanding that others might be getting more recognition than ourselves. And we begin to crave that feeling so much, that when we don’t get it, we begin talking about our accomplishments until we do.And in my opinion, this relates back to our past experience of receiving recognition. When we did something great, we were acknowledged. In my opinion we begin developing this idea that we should be getting that acknowledgement every time we do...
2021-10-2608 min19 Year Old ShrinkProject Memento: Exploring Mindfulness in Every Day Life with Josh NutsonIn this episode, my friend Josh Nutson joins to discuss his experience with mindfulness. Josh is a Management major and Psychology minor at Loyola Marymount and has spent much of the last year focusing not only on the benefits of mindfulness but the different ways an individual can experience it. For college students, Covid was definitely a time for self discovery, and in our conversation Josh reflects on him learning more about becoming more present and mindful of his experiences.We spend time talking about how to build the habit of meditating, what important tasks vs...
2021-10-1945 min19 Year Old ShrinkSeeking Other People's Approval: How to Change Your PerspectiveIn this episode, I discuss something we have all struggled with at one time or another; caring about what people think. And sometimes it's good to care about what people think, because they are doing it in your best interest. One example of this discussed in the episode involves cheating on a test, and your friend telling you it's not the right thing to do. Being open minded to your friends advice and realizing that habit needs to end is important. But, where we get into trouble is changing who we are in a negative way based on what...
2021-10-1210 min19 Year Old ShrinkFrom Wall Street to Recovery with Intervention Specialist Trevor ShevinTrevor Shevin, Intervention Specialist joins me to discuss his experience of addiction and how it led to him becoming an interventionist for those who struggled like he did.We start off hearing about his life on Wall Street where he was ultra focused on results and spent a lot of time trying to people please. We dive into his struggles with alcohol and drug abuse that led to him being intervened on by his friends.From here, Trevor mentions his process of intervening on someone and the Johnson approach that he uses. This involves love f...
2021-10-0559 min19 Year Old ShrinkApologizing To The People You Have HurtIn this episode, I talk about something that we’ve all dealt with in the past, which is hurting people close to you.And during this, I bring up a small metaphor from when I was a kid that holds a similar meaning to our experience of apologizing to others. Sometimes it’s difficult, and our ego gets in the way of fully admitting we’re wrong. We start coming up with little excuses and deflecting our mistakes on other people by creating a story where we aren’t in the wrong.And sometimes, over apologiz...
2021-09-2810 min19 Year Old ShrinkCBD: Breaking Down the Science and Benefits with Lea DuranteIn this episode I sit down with Lea Durante, nurse practitioner and outspoken educator on the importance of caring for the Endocannabinoid system. She helps others find relief from various physical and mental ailments using USDA organic hemp CBD. During our discussion, she mentions how the Endocannabinoid system affects every aspect of our health and CBD is used as a way to help regulate the system and much of our functions as human beings. We learn that being selective with the CBD brands you purchase is vital considering this industry is like the "Wild West" where certain...
2021-09-2146 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe 19th of 21 Children: The First to Graduate College with Paul Lamar HunterPaul Lamar Hunter joins me to discuss his experience growing up as the 19th of 21 children. He mentions the poverty and neglect he experienced as well as how the family and community reacted to his brother and fathers death when he was still a young kid.Paul discusses the emotionally taxing experience and affect losing his brother in a house fire had on him but how having the support of his large family helped him through it. In addition, we learn how his mother coped with losing her husband, especially when she became a single parent raising 21 k...
2021-09-1437 min19 Year Old ShrinkA Year and a Half Later: Returning to a College CampusThis week has definitely been an exciting one, finally being back at LMU and seeing people I haven’t seen for over a year. And college kids all across the country have been experiencing a similar type return over the last couple weeks. At LMU, Qdoba has hit different and a late night Iggys Diner run has been a hell of an upgrade from the Habit. But I've definitely been a little jealous of the freshman because I felt robbed of a year of college and still feel like we’re finishing up that year.In th...
2021-09-0711 min19 Year Old ShrinkMary's Meals: Feeding the World One Shirt at a Time with Gillian GiangrandeIn this episode, my sister Gillian joins me to discuss her experience as an intern with Mary’s Meals. The mission of the organization (marysmeals.org) is to provide a meal to a hungry child in their place of education with the hope that they not only meet the need of the hungry child, but they also encourage education. By following through on this, Mary’s Meals is breaking the cyclical experience of poverty that these nations experience. The influence has been able to spread to 19 different countries, even during the circumstances of the pandemic.
2021-08-3138 min19 Year Old ShrinkHard-Easy: The Mindset and Discipline for Financial Success with James GiangrandeIn this episode, I talk to my father James Giangrande, financial advisor and partner at Altium Wealth Management about everything surrounding finance. We first start out hearing about his beginning years in the industry and lessons that he learned starting out. Those lessons include building other peoples trust in someone like himself who was new to the business but was in charge of handling their money.Fast forwarding a bit, we walk through the process of him and his partners creating Altium Wealth, which specializes in each employee having their own unique ability and keeping the process c...
2021-08-2445 min19 Year Old ShrinkAt The Push of a Button: Finding People Who are Strong Where You are WeakThis episode is tied to a Henry Ford quote that realizes the importance of finding the people who have strengths where you have weaknesses. Many of us think that burning out is a sign of hard work, where we are responsible for 100% of the growth we experience as a person. And if we're not burning out, we think we are doing everything wrong. But, this Henry Ford quote proves this belief wrong, which is discussed in detail throughout the episode. We've all had those moments where we've spent countless hours on youtube or reading a book looking fo...
2021-08-1717 min19 Year Old ShrinkFrom Homeschool to a College Campus: Struggles to Strengths with Bonnie BaldwinIn this episode, I talk with Bonnie, rising Junior at University of Dallas about her experience being homeschooled and the transition to life on a college campus. She spent her first 15 years moving 30 times, which made homeschooling an easier option.Later on, we talk about the struggles in her transition to a college campus including her unfortunate experience of sexual abuse freshman year. And then, we will talk about her diagnosis of Bipolar 2 earlier this year and the effect it has had on her now. She’ll discuss how her faith led her through these times and how...
2021-08-1055 min19 Year Old ShrinkSitting in the Other Chair: A Therapist's Perspective with Doctor Eric SchleiferIn this episode, I have a conversation with Dr. Eric Schleifer, therapist in the Southern Connecticut area. We discuss his perspective as a therapist by breaking down the counseling process for patients.I ask him questions about the guidelines of taking on a new client, the reason so many people are opposed to therapy, his view on the diagnosis process, and how he handles his work life balance considering some of the conversations he has at work can be difficult.Also, we talk about how he approaches different types of people who come in, such a...
2021-08-0350 min19 Year Old ShrinkAn Essentialist: Deciding What’s Not EssentialIn this episode, I discuss a topic very prevalent to everyone of us that is often overlooked the most. And that is our unconscious decision to keep saying yes to every opportunity , even if it doesn't serve us. During this talk, I mention the Book Essentialism by George McKeown, and the examples of Warren Buffett and also Southwest Airlines that are provided to help shed light on how we can have more control over our choices. Certain ideas mentioned involve the importance of trade offs when becoming an essentialist, and what the different between an essentialist and non essentialist is...
2021-07-2717 min19 Year Old ShrinkGood Nutrition: The Gift that Keeps on Giving with Kristina HessIn this episode I sit down with Kristina Hess, licensed dietitian/ nutritionist and founder of Thrive Results Coaching, which is located in Darien CT.We discuss the root of bad nutrition and what makes unhealthy food so attractive to us. From here, Kristina gives advice on what to look out for that is causing these health issues, bad moods, and lack of energy.Later on in the interview, we talk about the program “Transformation 42” that she has for her clients which focuses on all of the areas that lead to building a healthy life. Good slee...
2021-07-2059 min19 Year Old ShrinkLoosening the Covid Restrictions: How to Be Normal AgainAs thing start opening up, there have definitely been some adjustments to daily life. Learning how to talk to people again, driving to work, and more. The awkward handshake and hug encounters are at an all time high during this period, and I explore not only the different norms we need to get used to again, but also how we have changed throughout this quarantining period. Some of those factors of change include being able to learn how to live with oneself and finding ways to make yourself happy even when the circumstances might not prompt it. In...
2021-07-1315 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Life of an Advocate from a First Gen American with Andrea YounesIn this episode, I sit down with my friend Andrea and talk about her experiences growing up a first generation American. We discuss the struggles and strengths that she’s developed being a first generation American and how it’s led to other passions in her life. Some struggles include being the first in her family to experience the American college experience and the different hurdles associated with the application process. In addition, having to be away from her home country of Lebanon and the close knit family she has there has presented struggles to find a similar...
2021-07-0646 min19 Year Old ShrinkChild Sex Abuse in the Music Industry with Tessa Torrence NeumannIn this episode, I sit down with Tessa Torrence Neumann, stepdaughter of Kurt Neumann, lead singer for the band BoDeans to discuss her suffering sexual abuse starting at the age of 9 and lasting for 6 years. Her perpetrator was her parents best friend, business partner, and bandmate who at the time was 40 years old. The negativity surrounding this abuse for Tessa carried over to other areas of her life where she became addicted to heroin at the age of 12.In this talk we not only learn about her experience with the grooming process, but discuss how other people...
2021-06-2950 min19 Year Old ShrinkThe Elusive Ego: Moving To New TerritoryThis episode discusses ego using Ed Mylett's teachings to help us understand how it plays a role in our lives. Not only does it show up when bragging about one's accomplishments, but also in less obvious areas. This includes not listening to other people, seeking revenge, surrounding yourself with people that always agree with you, constantly apologizing, and being worried about what others think about you. And you will hear real life examples of where you can fall short and learn techniques to prevent this from happening. By becoming less focused on our ego, we will be more focused...
2021-06-2216 min19 Year Old ShrinkDivorce From a Kid's Perspective with Catherine MurrayIn this episode, I sit down with my friend Catherine to discuss our experiences growing up in a divorced household. Catherine shares her struggles of navigating new and intimidating territories, and the responsibility of being the older sibling during divorce. She also shares insights into how kids respond to divorce in ways parents might not be aware of. Through this talk, we not only gain perspective from our experience with divorced parents, but share how it has benefited us and can benefit others in the future.
2021-06-1542 min19 Year Old ShrinkStarting with a Thought: The Power of MeditationWe've all heard at some point about those people that meditate, they must be crazy. I was saying that about my dad two years ago, and I became one of them. And I'm happy to say I did. This episode covers the benefits of meditation and explores the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza to help us become empowered to change limiting beliefs by using our thoughts as the driving force. Not only will we explore tactics for the practice of meditation, but how to translate that to every moment in life.
2021-06-0819 min19 Year Old ShrinkSuper Bowl Champ David Diehl: Beyond the Lombardi TrophyDavid Diehl joins the show to discuss his experiences of the New York Giants championship teams and what it took for them to come out on top. Originally from Chicago, David discusses his early childhood and the values his father instilled in him to help become the mentally strong individual he is to this day. He also builds off of these values and discusses how his mindset in the emotional games of his career helped translate into greater success in his life now and how we can use our mind as an asset in our own lives. This episode...
2021-06-011h 0419 Year Old ShrinkBreak Up The Perfect Game: Go Easier on YourselfThis episode has been the most prevalent to my experiences right now and is used to help others handle perfection. Every action that we take could be progressing us, but if our inner dialogue and language isn't in support of that action, we eventually burn out. Through this monologue, I share recent struggles with being too hard on myself and provide insight from a conversation with my dad to help others overcome the same struggles.
2021-05-2517 min19 Year Old ShrinkFlipping the Script: Psychology in Screenwriting with Will ZimmermanIn this episode, I sit down with my roommate Will from freshman year to discuss the psychology behind writing through different character dynamics and story plots. In Will's story, "S'mores," we gain a better understanding of how stories have a deeper meaning than they appear at surface level. Experiences and references of college during the pandemic are a major factor in our discussion, which will provide context into the different psychological concepts that can be used in writing.
2021-05-1858 min19 Year Old ShrinkHow To Transform Habitually Bad HabitsThis episode breaks down the root cause of our bad habits and explores the process of creating more beneficial ones in our lives. Those days of me eating nachos consisting of Tostitos with pepper jack cheese and banana peppers goes far beyond the urge of simply craving the food. And through this episode you will become familiar of your own habits and the role that the environment plays in facilitating them. And also, why we have trouble maintaining good habits in the first place. If you want to learn how to start making your habits work for you, this is...
2021-05-1116 min19 Year Old ShrinkTaming the Monkey Brain with Mark ManriquezMark joins the show to discuss his experience being a transformation coach and founder of the Authentic Ambitions Community. At some point in our lives we are faced with these reoccurring negative thoughts and beliefs about ourselves that come up subconsciously. Mark does an excellent job breaking down these negative beliefs and gives us the necessary tools to overcome them. I would be lying if I said that I was a master of meditation, manifestation, and clarity. But, through this conversation with Mark, we can take away some tactical advice to help us constantly improve every area of our l...
2021-05-0446 min19 Year Old ShrinkNobody Bears A Scar Like Chris DT GordonThis episode explores the inspirational story of Chris DT Gordon, who was diagnosed with Necrotizing Fasciitis in 2015. He discusses his experience in the hospital and the process it took to where he is now. His focus on the little things and having a positive mindset will provide context into how we can appreciate the little things especially during the pandemic.
2021-04-2740 min19 Year Old ShrinkNot Just An ATM: A Conversation with DadThis episode begins with the initial reactions to the pandemic from a college kids perspective. Through these reactions, we explore the different limitations we can experience on a daily basis ranging from a negative focus to a resistance to change. Later on, my father James Giangrande joins the show to discuss his own experience with self doubt and how to shift your focus to a new place. It was definitely fun for me because I learned a lot about my dad in this episode. This conversation is developed through experiences of college life, the business world, and navigating the n...
2021-04-1659 min