541. Crisis as Catalyst with Sagi Shrieber

The "success lie" nearly destroyed this award-winning entrepreneur's life—until a blackout on an airplane forced her to face the truth. Janelle Bruland had it all: a thriving multi-state business, three daughters, and the appearance of having life "figured out." But when she lost time during a flight and underwent a brain scan, doctors discovered classic PTSD symptoms—her amygdala was "lit up like New York Times Square." What she learned changed everything about how she leads, lives, and defines success. In our latest episode, Janelle reveals why society's definition of success keeps us overwhelmed and exhausted, and how unresolved trauma shows up as invisible barriers to authentic leadership. She shares the framework she created to move from overwhelmed to inner peace, and explains why accepting the present moment "as if you had chosen it" is transformative. One of the most powerful moments comes when she describes the divine message at a funeral that led her to spend her precious final years with her father, traveling together and creating memories that became priceless when he suddenly passed away from cancer. This is one of the most vulnerable, powerful conversations about the intersection of success, trauma, and spiritual awakening. Tune in! The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/543.

Most people don't realize they enter trance states multiple times every day. Ever drive home and can't remember the journey? Get so absorbed in work that you don't hear someone calling your name? That's your subconscious mind taking over—and it's the same state hypnotherapists use to create lasting change. In this Get Yourself Optimized episode, my wife, Orion Talmay, reveals how she helps clients access their subconscious to heal beliefs formed decades ago. These aren't beliefs you can just "think" your way out of—they're patterns wired into your neural connections through repeated experiences. Orion explains:  → How metaphors and symbols speak directly to your subconscious  → Why healing one root memory creates a ripple effect across your entire life  → The difference between stage hypnosis and therapeutic hypnosis  → What makes someone ready for transformational change She also shares her three top tips for living a stellar life: practicing gratitude to shift your state, grounding in nature to balance your energy, and cleaning house in your relationships. If you're ready to understand why some patterns persist despite your best conscious efforts, this conversation will illuminate the path forward. The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/542.

What if your biggest failure was actually a trampoline? In this episode of Get Yourself Optimized, I sat down with Sagi Shrieber—UI/UX designer turned 7-figure entrepreneur—who went from being two weeks away from not being able to feed his family to building multiple successful businesses. Sagi shares how he:  ✓ Hired a coach with money he didn't have (and turned his business around in 2 weeks)  ✓ Wrote himself a check that manifested exactly 6 months later  ✓ Created his "9-12 Club" morning routine that led to his first 7-figure year  ✓ Used the 75 Hard challenge to build unshakeable mental toughness If you're facing challenges in your business or feeling stuck, this episode will shift your entire perspective on adversity. 🎧  The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/541.  

Sometimes the worst disruptions lead to the best innovations. When COVID hit, Chas Gessner had built a thriving concierge medical clinic doing in-home hormone optimization across Southern California. Overnight, everything changed. Instead of folding, he pivoted to a completely virtual telemedicine model—and scaled his impact beyond what he ever thought possible. But here's what I love about Chas's story: His business didn't start from ambition. It started from necessity. After 7-8 years in the NFL dealing with head trauma and physical wear-and-tear, Chas was experiencing hormone dysfunction in his late 20s—issues most men don't face until their 40s. Traditional healthcare offered band-aids. He wanted root causes. So he reconnected with a naturopathic doctor from Brown, "popped the hood" on his labs, and discovered a lot was awry. That personal quest became Vitality RX, now helping thousands of men reclaim their energy, focus, and vitality. In Get Yourself Optimized, Chas shares:  ✅ Why the "normal" testosterone range is meaningless  ✅ The difference between TRT and natural hormone optimization  ✅ His complete sleep, supplement, and stress management protocol  ✅ How to test and track what actually matters If you've been feeling like you're just "getting older," this episode is required listening. Because what you're experiencing has a name—and a solution.🎧 Listen now! The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/540.

Are you using AI as a yes-man or as an interface to infinite intelligence? In my latest solo episode of Get Yourself Optimized, I reveal why most people are getting mediocre results from ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI platforms—and how to transform your AI sessions into channels for genuine intuitive insights. Here's what's costing you breakthrough ideas:  ❌ Treating AI as a conversation partner instead of a tool  ❌ Skipping the "before unit"—the critical priming phase  ❌ Accepting surface-level outputs without discernment  ❌ Ignoring your intuition when selecting platforms and modes The game-changer? A three-phase framework (before, during, after) that combines intentional setup, optimized prompting, and sacred discernment. I share my exact process for:  ✅ Raising your vibration before prompting  ✅ Using prompt optimizers to create "super prompts" in 30 seconds  ✅ Applying the three-part truth test to distinguish divine guidance from ego-feeding  ✅ Asking "What are my blind spots?" to uncover hidden insights MIT research shows ChatGPT users are losing critical thinking skills. But when used correctly, AI can serve as a powerful interface to higher guidance—just like intuition. 🎧 Listen now and discover how to prompt for insights, not just information. What's your experience? Are you getting breakthrough insights or just confirmation bias from AI? The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/539.

Most people think manifestation comes AFTER desire. But what if you already have everything you want—just in a different realm? In this episode of Get Yourself Optimized, my wife, Orion Talmay, and I discuss the Kabbalistic principle: The desire wouldn't exist in you if you hadn't already received its fulfillment in the upper worlds. You've already achieved it. Now it's just manifesting here. Orion is a hypnotherapist and transformational coach who helped a mega-successful executive cure her social anxiety in one session (and accidentally cured her insomnia too). In this episode, she reveals: ✅ The body-sway technique to access your intuition on demand  ✅ Why "being" trumps "doing" for real transformation  ✅ How she manifested her son despite doctors giving her only a 5% chance  ✅ The secret to making difficult people miraculously change (or disappear from your life)  ✅ Why what's "hidden from the eye" retains more blessing If you're a leader who knows there's more available to you but can't quite access it, this episode is your roadmap. Tune in! The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/538.

PayPal. A Fortune 500 company. 13 years. 8 different CMOs. One brand strategist. How does a 25-person firm retain a client like that? Sasha Strauss says it comes down to one thing: treating every single touchpoint as a brand experience. From the way his team answers emails to how they structure invoices, everything is intentional. Even for billion-dollar clients, they include language like "we're honored to do this work" and "if you need a payment plan, we can work with you." In this Get Yourself Optimized episode, Sasha breaks down:  → Why brand strategy is NOT advertising or marketing (and what it actually is)  → How to leverage heritage assets that competitors can't replicate  → The "teach, don't sell" approach that converts the toughest audiences  → Why he teaches at three universities despite running a thriving agency This episode is packed with actionable strategies you can implement immediately. Tune in! 🎧 The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/537.

Worried AI will replace your job? Alexander Zheltov thinks it's our chance to become more human. As founder of Flylane, he's helped 10,000+ students across 35 countries through personalized learning. But his story began with one question at age 10: "Can I study at that UK boarding school?" Everyone said it would cost a million dollars. He proved them wrong—and changed his future in 60 seconds. On Get Yourself Optimized, Alex shares: 💡 Why movements matter more than job titles 💡 How to shift from spectator to co-creator 💡 Why kids need intuition more than code 💡 The power of being a generalist in an AI world This isn't just about tech—it's about purpose, parenting, and what comes after work. The real question: Will you lead a movement? The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/536.

Dr. John Demartini's "Breakthrough Experience" has transformed lives across the globe. In this episode, we uncover how to turn pain into purpose using his neuroscience-backed methodologies. 💼 Transformative for leaders seeking clarity, healing, and higher performance. The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/535.

✨ He Had Millions. A Platform. A Perfect Persona. Then One Molecule Blew It All Up. After 14 years in ministry and building a top-tier marketing agency, Nicholas Kusmich walked away from it all—not for a bigger business, but for a deeper truth. One therapeutic psychedelic experience cracked open his identity, his faith, and his life's meaning. What followed was a complete unraveling… and the beginning of everything real. In this episode of Get Yourself Optimized, Nic shares: 💥 How a single molecule triggered ego death—and redefined "God" 🧠 The neuroscience behind awakening, straight from Imperial College 🕉️ Wisdom from monks in Nepal (and what debates with lamas taught him) 🧩 His free 30-day protocol to start rewiring your nervous system today If you've ever hit all your goals and still felt empty, or sensed there's something deeper pulling at you, this conversation isn't a roadmap. It's a mirror.  🎧 New episode live now. The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/534.