254: Unlocking Your Million Dollar Story

"Holding the door doesn't mean we're solving someone's pain. It doesn't mean that we're taking away everything that they have to face… But the biggest moment is when you make eye contact with someone and smile. It interrupts their invisibility." —Lisa Costa   Know your value; it's the exact thing keeping so many good leaders stuck. In this episode, Daniel sits down with Lisa Costa, founder of Shift76 and author of Serve: The Currency of Significance, for a conversation that moves from identity and self-worth straight into the practical mechanics of running a service-based business without burning out or giving your work away for free. Lisa unpacks the moment she stopped resisting the label "coach" and started building a career around servant leadership, then walks through the exact mindset shift that let her finally accept payment for her skills. Along the way, she and Daniel dig into affirmations (and the science behind why saying them out loud actually changes something in your body), the difference between serving people and serving yourself broke, and why sales, not a website, is the real engine of a healthy business. This episode is for coaches, entrepreneurs, and faith-driven leaders who undercharge, overgive, or quietly believe their gifts aren't worth paying for. If you've ever apologized for charging what you're worth, this one's for you. Key takeaways: • Undercharging and overgiving come from the same root: an identity that hasn't fully accepted its own value. • Speaking affirmations out loud, not just reading them silently, engages the vagus nerve, which is part of why declaring something aloud feels more powerful than writing it down. • Servant leadership isn't about solving someone's entire problem; small, consistent acts like holding a door or using someone's name interrupt what Lisa calls "invisibility." • It's possible to serve your way broke, and it's often driven by the same pride it claims to avoid, needing to be seen giving, rather than being called to give. • A pricing sheet and a servant's heart aren't in conflict; refusing to charge for your gift can quietly become its own form of pride. • No business survives without sales: you can't help someone who doesn't know what you actually offer. Listen to the full episode for Lisa's take on rebuilding your money story, plus the scripture that reshaped how she leads.    Be Inspired! with Daniel:  Website (Makings of a Millionaire Mindset) Website (Daniel Gomez Global) Facebook Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube Podcast   Episode Highlights: 01:00 Meet Lisa Costa: Servant Leadership Coach & Shift76 Founder 02:18 The Coaches Summit Moment That Changed Her Path 05:20 The Identity Shift: Learning to See Her Own Value 08:32 Why Affirmations Work (and the Vagus Nerve Science) 15:47 From Self-Pity to a Servant's Heart 19:18 The Smallest Deed Is Greater Than the Biggest Intention 23:17 Breaking Free From Invisibility 25:24 Can You Serve Your Way Broke? 31:30 It's Okay to Charge for Your Gift 37:31 Why Sales Matters More Than a Website 

"There has to be accountability for different actions or actions not taken, and we don't have to impart shame and blame. We can explore and problem-solve, and that calls people up. Shame and blame pushes them down; coaching calls them up, and that's our job as parents, and that's our job as leaders." —Natalie Lavelock   Most leadership advice ignores the one variable that actually determines whether your team listens to you: personality types in leadership. In this episode, Daniel Gomez sits down with registered nurse-turned–executive leadership coach Natalie Lavelock to unpack why so many leaders unconsciously speak their own personality "language" instead of their team's, and how that single habit quietly damages trust at work, in marriages, and with kids. Natalie brings 20+ years of leadership experience and the same root-cause thinking she used as a nurse to break down the four dominant personality colors, red, blue, green, and yellow, and how to identify them by pace, tone, and word choice. She also shares a raw, real-time story from a live event where her own red personality nearly cost her a business relationship, and how she repaired it. This episode is for managers, parents, coaches, and anyone tired of watching the same communication breakdown repeat itself on their team or in their home. • A great leader doesn't speak their own color; they learn to speak their team's color, the same way you'd change languages to be understood. • Replacing "you always do this" with "I've been experiencing this; help me understand" defuses conflict before it escalates. • Reds and blues tend to move and speak fast; yellows and greens slow down, ask questions, and need the plan before they commit. • Comparing siblings or team members ("why can't you be more like...") ignores that each person's personality is wired differently by design. • Life crises, illness, loss, and major stress can temporarily or permanently shift how a person's dominant personality shows up. • When your usual method of leading someone isn't working, the fix is rarely trying harder; it's choosing a different method entirely. Listen to the full conversation and hear Natalie's story of leaving a secure nursing career to build her coaching business on faith.   Be Inspired! with Daniel:  Website (Makings of a Millionaire Mindset) Website (Daniel Gomez Global) Facebook Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube Podcast   Episode Highlights: 00:53 Meet Natalie Lavelock: RN Turned Leadership Coach 02:37 The Real Leadership Crisis Facing Teams Today 04:11 How to Diffuse an "I Already Know" Mindset 07:33 Why the Word "You" Sparks Conflict in Leadership 12:37 The Four Personality Colors Every Leader Needs 17:18 Spotting Someone's Color by Pace and Language 21:50 Parenting and Leading Different Personality Types 31:03 Best Leadership Advice: Do the Next Right Thing 38:39 From Secure RN Job to a Leap of Faith 

"No. You hear that word 90% more than you hear yeses… The nos sometimes come from the people closest to you. For the last 20 years I've been told my dream is far-fetched, but the passion in me drives me… So when business people tell me no, [I say] my loved ones tell me no, and that hasn't stopped me. You're not gonna stop me either. I go knock on another door. One of them's gonna open, and they're gonna say yes." —Bert Lopez    Overcoming rejection is the thread that runs through this entire conversation with San Antonio filmmaker Bert Lopez, who built a directing career out of VHS tapes, borrowed favors, and an almost unbelievable number of closed doors. This episode is for anyone chasing a dream that keeps getting told "no", the entrepreneur, the aspiring author, the creative who's starting to wonder if the door will ever open. Bert walks through his origin story, from watching movies over the fence of a San Antonio drive-in theater as a kid, to filming his first project with his mom's VHS recorder in high school, to now producing faith-based films that stream on Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Tubi. He gets specific about the grind: for one scene in his upcoming film, 10 hotels turned him down before the 11th said yes. That kind of persistence, paired with a hard conversation about forgiveness, is what makes this episode land differently than the average "never give up" pep talk. Key takeaways: • Bert was rejected by 10 hotel locations before finding one willing to host a single scene; proof that the "no" is rarely the final answer. • Unforgiveness functions like a mental prison: it blocks creative output the same way writer's block does, according to Bert. • His breakout film ideas came from real pain, including a comedian friend's struggle with anxiety and depression, which became the basis for his upcoming film. • Passion projects, work done without pay, purely for the love of the craft, funded the bigger, paid productions that followed. • Bert's biggest personal takeaway from filmmaking wasn't a directing lesson; it was learning to release decades-old resentment before it could release him. • Streaming revenue from smaller films is what financed each subsequent, bigger production; a slow-build model, not an overnight one. Listen to the full episode for Bert's unfiltered take on chasing a God-given dream through years of rejection.  A story of courage, passion, and the strength to keep going is coming to the big screen. Anxious Mark: Life of Emet, written and directed by Bert Lopez and Rogelio Cirillo, premieres September 5, 2026. We're thrilled to share that our very own Daniel Gomez is part of this special film. So save the date, this one's worth the wait!   Be Inspired! with Daniel:  Website (Makings of a Millionaire Mindset) Website (Daniel Gomez Global) Facebook Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube Podcast   Episode Highlights: 01:50 Meet Bert Lopez: From VHS Tapes to Movie Director 03:04 The Drive-In Theater That Sparked His Filmmaking Dream 05:00 Shooting His First Film on a Borrowed VHS Recorder 08:30 Hearing "No" 90% of the Time in Film Production 09:59 10 Hotel Rejections Before Landing the Right Location 14:25 Passion Over Skill: Where Real Grit Comes From 16:40 Inside Anxious Mark: A Faith-Based Anthology Film 21:14 The Forgiveness Lesson Bert Learned While Writing 23:00 Why Unforgiveness Locks You in a Mental Prison 28:37 What to Expect at the Anxious Mark Red Carpet Premiere 

"Don't worry about it. It's all gonna work out. Everything is figure-outable." —Lisa Cruz   Most people don't need more money to invest in their business; they need to stop seeing that investment as a cost. That mindset shift is what former ER nurse turned auto shop co-owner Lisa Cruz brings to this episode of the Daniel Gomez Inspires Show. Lisa spent 25 years as a registered nurse before walking away to help run her husband Ricky's auto repair business, which, at the time, was operating out of shoeboxes with no bookkeeping, no filed taxes, and no system. She explains exactly how she brought structure to that chaos, why a $400 Chamber of Commerce membership terrified Ricky but changed their business, and how a $1,000 marketing spend turned into a $5,000 job. Along the way, she opens up about forgiving her son's father, letting go of resentment toward her own parents, and the surprising story of how their shop grew from a single cow-pasture location to a second site that sees 30,000 cars drive by every day. This episode is for any entrepreneur who feels stuck between wanting to grow and being afraid to spend, and for anyone still carrying resentment that's quietly holding their life or business back. Key takeaways: Ricky refused to buy clipboards for tracking repair orders, so Lisa bought them herself with her own money, a small decision that became the foundation of their record-keeping system. A $400 investment in a Chamber of Commerce membership generated years of revenue that far outweighed the initial fear of spending it. A $1,000 marketing investment returned a $5,000 job, proving that treating spending as an investment, not a cost, changes what a business can become. Lisa's father used to tell her she had a way of stepping into trouble and coming out "smelling like roses", a mindset she now credits for staying calm through business setbacks. Forgiving her son's absent father and letting go of childhood resentment toward her parents freed up energy she had been spending on bitterness instead of growth. A change in Texas inspection law cut a nearby shop's revenue in half overnight; Lisa and Ricky bought that "dying" business anyway and turned it into a second location on a road with 30,000 daily cars. Listen to the full conversation for the story behind Lisa's book, Keeping Up with the Cruzes, and how she turned a decade of unfiled taxes into a thriving two-location business. Be Inspired! with Daniel:  Website (Makings of a Millionaire Mindset) Website (Daniel Gomez Global) Facebook Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube Podcast   Episode Highlights: 01:27 Meet Lisa Cruz: From Registered Nurse to Shop Owner 02:26 Bringing Structure to a Chaotic Auto Repair Business 06:59 Why Business Owners Fear Investing in Growth 09:17 Overcoming the Fear of Spending On Your Business 13:21 What to Tell Yourself Before Paying a Big Invoice 17:40 The "Everything Is Figure-outable" Mindset 21:02 A $10,000 Answered Prayer During a Medical Crisis 22:01 Letting Go of Resentment to Overcome the BS 28:54 From Cows to 30,000 Cars: Spotting a Hidden Opportunity 34:42 Key Takeaways and Where to Find Lisa's Book   

"The very thing that you're most embarrassed to talk about at times, that may be the very story that you need to talk about." —Daniel Gomez Everyone has a million-dollar story hiding behind the parts of life they'd rather not mention, and this episode is about why those exact moments are the ones worth telling.  Daniel Gomez opens up about the season his wife's breast cancer diagnosis cracked his life open, and how that crisis became the unlikely start of his speaking career. He walks through the specific turning points that built his business: writing his first book, "You Were Born to Fly," which has generated over a quarter-million dollars in revenue; launching Sticker Shock Speaking Academy after pivoting hard during COVID; and writing "The Makings of a Millionaire Mind" to challenge the poverty mindset so many people are raised with. Then Daniel gets personal in a way most speakers won't, sharing the story of a suicide attempt at 18 and the scar he carried with shame for years, until he reframed it as a mark of grace instead of failure.  The throughline is simple and repeated on purpose: the story you're most embarrassed to tell is often the one that heals you and the one your audience needs most. This episode is a working framework for turning your hardest chapter into impact, income, and a message worth sharing.  Press play, take notes, and start writing down your own million-dollar story.    Be Inspired! with Daniel:  Website (Makings of a Millionaire Mindset) Website (Daniel Gomez Global) Facebook Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube Podcast   Episode Highlights: 01:24 What Is Your Million-Dollar Story?  09:07 From Book Royalties to Sticker Shock Speaking Academy 11:45 Rewriting Money Beliefs in The Makings of a Millionaire Mind 13:51 Measuring the Real Impact of Your Message 16:20 The Story Behind the Scar: Surviving a Suicide Attempt 18:36 Turning Shame Into Grace Through Forgiveness 23:35 Growing a Bilingual Audience and Staying Humble 25:40 Why Your Voice Matters 27:51 Turn the Page  

"You've got to befriend your own self, because your adversary lives within, it's not just on the outside. So, if we want to see peace in the world, be the peace that you seek to see in the freaking world." —Janie Terrazas   What if getting fired, divorced, or "losing everything" was actually your redirection, not your rejection? In this powerful episode, mindfulness coach and creator of PazMesa, Janie Terrazas, shares how she went from top-earning corporate telecom rep to LA TV host and actor, and eventually to a trauma-informed life and relationship coach helping people regulate their nervous systems, process grief, and return to inner peace. Janie doesn't speak from theory. She speaks from corporate burnout, industry darkness, divorce, spiritual awakening, and deep inner work. She breaks down how our unprocessed grief, unresolved trauma, and constant stress quietly run the show—until we finally decide to pause, go within, and heal. If you've ever felt like: • You're "successful on paper" but empty inside • A job loss, breakup, or betrayal wrecked your sense of worth • You're constantly performing, people-pleasing, and overachieving just to feel "enough", this conversation will shift how you see your story. In this episode, you'll learn: • How Janie walked away from a "cush," high-paying telecom career to follow a deeper calling • The surprising way corporate sales rejection prepared her for Hollywood and entrepreneurship • Why misogyny, microaggressions, and being underestimated became fuel for her growth • The real meaning of PazMesa ("peace within") and how it became her life's work • What mindfulness-based stress reduction actually looks like in everyday life • How trauma, grief, and nervous system dysregulation quietly shape our relationships • Why you can (and must) grieve things that didn't "die"—like careers, friendships, and versions of people • The difference between believing and knowing when it comes to faith and inner peace • How to start "powering up the peace within" when you feel lost, ashamed, or stuck   Key themes: Mindfulness, grief, trauma, spiritual awakening, nervous system regulation, authenticity, and turning pain into purpose. If you're in a season of loss, transition, or questioning everything, this episode will help you see your story through a new lens—and remind you that what feels like an ending might actually be your beginning.   Be Inspired! with Daniel:  Website (Makings of a Millionaire Mindset) Website (Daniel Gomez Global) Facebook Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube   Episode Highlights: 01:22 Meet Janie 05:27 Transitioning to Mindfulness Coaching 08:10 Challenges and Resilience in Corporate Sales   17:46 Spiritual Awakening and Personal Growth  22:56 The Role of Mindfulness on Personal and Professional Life 28:12 Dealing with Grief and Loss 35:18 The Power of Authenticity and Connection 40:04 Trust Your Voice   Resources:  🌐NEW BOOK by Daniel!! The Millionaire Mind Language: Words that Create Wealth  Accept the Upgrade: You Deserve It  The Brain Changer: Change Your Brain Change Your Results    🌐Course and Events Sign Up for The Makings of a Millionaire Mind Mastermind  Join the Live Bootcamp Join the Sticker Shock Speaking Academy with Daniel Gomez  Become a paid speaker, publish your book, or launch a podcast. We can help you! Give us a call: 210-663-5954     🌐Freebies Go to danielgomezglobal.com to get your FREE assessment of your business and set up your free 45-minute discovery session Get daily millionaire affirmations from Daniel Gomez.  Just text "MILLIONAIRE" to 210-942-5059

"When you realize who you are by knowing who God is, you show up differently." —Jessica Gabriel    Many leaders and business owners quietly live with constant anxiety, toxic self-talk, and spiritual exhaustion. This conversation dives into how God's Word can break those cycles, rewire the mind, and shift inner talk from shame and fear to authority and peace. It is raw, faith-filled, and rooted in real-life spiritual warfare over thoughts and words. Jessica Gabriel shares how a toxic relationship, depression, and meth addiction became the doorway to a radical encounter with God. Her story traces the journey from retail success at Neiman Marcus to launching Divine Women Institute and mentoring women into a "from empowerment to enthronement" mindset. Hit play to explore how God's truth can reset the inner conversation and reshape our daily lives, ministries, and businesses, including: Breaking toxic cycles of self-hate, shame, and negative inner talk Why words are "spirit" and how they design our future How Scripture and worship rewired Jessica's brain and habits Moving from corporate comfort to faith-led assignment Mirror neurons, metacognition, and Christ-centered self-awareness Two simple, practical steps to start surrender and Bible-based renewal   Be Inspired! with Daniel:  Website (Makings of a Millionaire Mindset) Website (Daniel Gomez Global) Facebook Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube   Episode Highlights: 01:31 Jessica on Helping Women Heal, Grow, and Step Into Their Power 06:26 Rewiring Your Mind: The Power of Scripture and Speech  10:39 How Your Thoughts Shape Your Life: Neuroscience & Mirror Neurons  16:25 From Broken to Abundant: Change Your Vocabulary, Change What You Attract  20:27 Metacognition and Spiritual Warfare: Taking Negative Thoughts Captive  24:33 The Power of Surrender and Feeding on God's Word Daily

"Don't do it alone, because that's the only way you can have resilience and never give up. Entrepreneurship is a lonely, one-man band, but only if you let it be that way. You have a choice. Choose to do it well with the help and support of the people around you, who can help you get there." —Sophie Zollmann    Burnout creeps in fast when revenue stalls, passion fades, and pressure keeps rising. Many entrepreneurs stay stuck in survival mode, clinging to old strategies while the market races ahead.  This episode dives into the hard pivots, bold bets, and quiet breakdowns behind a truly resilient entrepreneur mindset. Farm life, a collapsed family business, and years in underpaid online work shaped a powerful story of grit and reinvention. FMD Strategic Partners founder Sophie Zollmann's journey shows how alignment, faith, and hard choices rebuilt her work around what actually lights her up. Hit play to hear how real-world pivots create unshakable business resilience, then explore: Entrepreneur mindset shifts that keep a business from dying Lessons from farm life that power modern entrepreneurship When multiple income streams help and when they kill focus How alignment and passion rebuild a drained business The cost of a major pivot and starting again from almost zero Why strong support systems beat doing it alone Simple ways to stay in the light during dark seasons in business   Be Inspired! with Daniel:  Website (Makings of a Millionaire Mindset) Website (Daniel Gomez Global) Facebook Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube   Episode Highlights: 01:39 From Farm Girl to Founder  04:41 Farm Lessons: Work Ethic, Pivoting & Multiple Income Streams  08:21 The Truth About Multiple Revenue Streams  14:01 Full Alignment  18:24 Passion, Support Systems & Resilience Through Painful Business Pivots  21:41 Overcoming Challenges and Maintaining Resilience  31:29 Turn the Light On

"Culture is what people do when no one is around… when people don't feel safe to speak up, give feedback, they don't really believe in each other, then you can have a really toxic culture, which impacts everything. If you don't have culture in place, you have no ROI." —Kerri Burchill, PhD   Leaders everywhere are stretched, anxious, and stuck in scarcity, while cultures quietly turn toxic. We talk about the shift from control and "I" language to trust, active listening, and modern leadership that actually unlocks team capacity and profit. Leadership Consultant, Kerri Burchill, PHD, shares a journey from fast-tracked leadership in education to rebuilding culture in the Caribbean and then launching a consulting practice that helps organizations slow down to go fast. Hit play for a grounded conversation on modern leadership and culture today, including: How leadership language shapes trust, safety, and performance The "I" problem and what it reveals about control Humble inquiry and the real skill of active listening Moving from helicopter leadership to true empowerment Scarcity mindset, anxiety, and leadership burnout Why slowing down decision-making can speed up results Practical ways to give teams power without losing standards   Be Inspired! with Daniel:  Website (Makings of a Millionaire Mindset) Website (Daniel Gomez Global) Facebook Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube   Episode Highlights: 01:35 Meet Dr. Kerri: From Education to Leadership Consulting 02:24 How Structures Shape Behavior and Culture 07:21 The "I" Problem and Entitled Leadership 11:32 Holding Space and Creating Psychological Safety 16:11 Bottlenecks, Trust, and Profitability in Business 19:53 Leaving Comfort and Redefining Leadership Identity 23:54 Slow Down to Go Fast: New Leadership Mantra 26:09 Managing Scarcity and Mindset as an Entrepreneur 28:51 Transferable Leadership Wins 31:21 Practical Listening Shifts for Sales and Leadership

"You're always going to have blinders on you. You have to be open to sometimes things that go against what you originally believe, but yet are going to best support your business." —Chris Salem   Sales stalls fast when teams talk in features and scripts while buyers think in challenges, results, and personality-driven needs. Many of us pour money into ads and lead gen, then wonder why conversations drag, trust stays low, and deals take too many touchpoints. This episode gets honest about the real gap: misaligned sales communication and mixed signals within the business. Chris Salem, an expert in business communication, shares how years of work in emotional intelligence, business communication, and revenue growth led to a simple, practical way to align messaging with buyer personalities and company culture. His work with small firms and 600-person construction teams shows how inside-out communication shifts can move KPIs, retention, and profit. Hit play to learn, reflect, and upgrade how our businesses talk, decide, and sell, including: The real reason lead gen and SEO underperform How buyer personalities shape decisions and timelines Using simple "what, how, who, why" messaging in sales Turning internal communication into better KPIs and profit Moving from control and reactivity to systems and delegation Why coachability, humility, and vision repetition change results   Be Inspired! with Daniel:  Website (Makings of a Millionaire Mindset) Website (Daniel Gomez Global) Facebook Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube   Episode Highlights: 02:44 Why Your Marketing Fails: The Real Reason Lead Gen and SEO Don't Convert 05:03 The 4 Buying Personalities Explained 09:35 What, How, Who, Why: Aligning Your Sales Message to Personality Types 13:08 Selling Is Serving: Trust, Rapport, and the Inside-Out Growth Formula 18:37 Grow the People, Grow the Business 21:02 Top 3 Small Business Problems: Messaging, Roles, and Delegation 24:02 Letting Go of "This Is How We've Always Done It" in Leadership 29:41 Boundaries, Generosity, and the Law of Prosperity in Business