704: Feedback Without Fear

This episode explores how to receive feedback without letting it shake your confidence. Feedback is often hard to hear because we take it personally, treating it like a judgment rather than data. A key mindset shift is recognizing that feedback says more about the giver—their values, priorities, and perspective—than it does about you.   The feedback that stings most is usually the one that confirms our own hidden doubts. To move forward, Dr. Cindra introduces the Learn – Burn – Return strategy. The big takeaway: feedback is information, not identity. Protect your confidence by reframing criticism and choosing growth over guilt.   Power Phrase of the Week: “I choose growth over guilt when I receive feedback.”   Quote of the Week: “Feedback is a gift. But you decide what to unwrap, and what to return.” — Unknown   REQUEST A FREE MENTAL BREAKTHROUGH CALL WITH DR. CINDRA AND/OR HER TEAM: https://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTALLY STRONG INSTITUTE: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/

What you believe about yourself determines what you’re capable of becoming. In this episode, Dr. Cindra shares how high performers—from athletes to entrepreneurs—use the power of belief as a foundation for confidence and success. Drawing on the inspiring story of Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, Cindra shows how speaking your vision out loud and believing in your potential—even before there’s any proof—can fuel massive results. Blakely had no business background, faced constant rejection, and yet declared daily that she was going to help millions of women feel confident.  That belief pulled her forward and shaped her actions. Dr. Cindra offers practical tools to help you apply this mindset by using “I am” identity statements to rewire your thinking and align with your future self. Whether you're building a business, preparing for a big opportunity, or simply growing into your next level, it all starts with belief.   This Week’s Power Phrase: “I speak to myself like the person I’m becoming—because I’m already on my way.”   This Week’s Quote of the Week: “You are not what you think you are. But what you think—you are.” — Norman Vincent Peale   REQUEST A FREE MENTAL BREAKTHROUGH CALL WITH DR. CINDRA AND/OR HER TEAM: https://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTALLY STRONG INSTITUTE: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/

Craig Siegel is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, keynote speaker, and the founder of Cultivate Lasting Symphony. After leaving a thriving career on Wall Street, he dedicated his life to helping people reinvent themselves from the inside out. His energy, purpose, and belief in human potential have made him a sought-after coach and entrepreneur, guiding others to align with their vision and overcome self-doubt. In this episode, Craig shares the powerful mindset shift that transformed his life and how you can apply the same principles to your own journey. We talk about his leap from finance to purpose-driven work, the role of energy in leadership, and how to protect it as a high performer. He also unpacks practical lessons from his bestselling book The Reinvention Formula—a step-by-step playbook for creating clarity, moving past fear, and building a life that lights you up. In this conversation, you will learn: The mindset shift that sparked Craig’s reinvention How to move through fear and self-doubt with intention and belief Why energy management is critical for leaders and high performers Practical tools from The Reinvention Formula to create clarity and overcome obstacles Craig’s story proves that reinvention isn’t reserved for a few—it’s available to anyone ready to commit to growth, purpose, and possibility. Learn more about craig here: https://www.cultivatelastingsymphony.com/ Apply for the certification here: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/certification 

Drawing on powerful examples from Olympian Brenda Martinez and legendary coach Nick Saban, Dr. Cindra explains how shifting your attention from results to daily actions can boost performance, reduce anxiety, and help you show up more consistently under pressure.   Martinez’s story—recovering from a heartbreaking stumble to qualify for the Olympics just days later—illustrates the power of trusting your routine and staying present. And Saban’s “don’t look at the scoreboard” mindset reminds us that success is built by dominating the little things over time.   Dr. Cindra breaks down how to apply this mindset to your own life—whether you're chasing a championship, growing a business, or working on personal goals—by identifying controllable daily actions and committing to them with discipline.   This Week’s Power Phrase: “I trust my process, dominate the controllables, and let the results take care of themselves.”   This Week’s Quote of the Week: “You win a national championship by focusing on what it takes to get there, and not on getting there.” — Nick Saban   REQUEST A FREE MENTAL BREAKTHROUGH CALL WITH DR. CINDRA AND/OR HER TEAM: https://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/   TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTALLY STRONG INSTITUTE: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/

Dr. Jim Afremow is a high-performance consultant and the author of The Creative’s Mind: How Exceptional Artists Think, Make and Perform, along with several bestselling books on sport psychology and leadership. He has trained athletes, teams, coaches, and professionals across achievement domains to perform under pressure and sustain success. In this special 700th episode, Jim shares how the same mental frameworks used by elite athletes apply to creative professionals. He explains how grit, identity, and deliberate mental training fuel both artistry and performance. In this episode, you will learn: The 5 C’s of Mental Toughness for Creatives—courage, confidence, commitment, composure, and concentration The Two Voices that guide performance: Protection vs. Greatness Why confidence is a decision and how to strengthen it daily Mental tools like the 2-Minute Drill to beat procrastination and the Blow Out the Junk technique to calm nerves Why identity before goals creates consistency and resilience under pressure Jim shows that creativity isn’t about waiting for inspiration. It’s about training your mind like an athlete to step up when it matters most. HIGH PERFORMANCE MINDSET SHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE Learn more about Jim Afremow and his books Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call with Dr. Cindra and/or her team Learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute

In this insightful episode of the High Performance Mindset, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff explores why psychological safety is the foundation of high-performing teams. Drawing on Google’s groundbreaking Project Aristotle study, she explains that the best teams aren’t the ones that avoid mistakes—they’re the ones that embrace them as learning opportunities. Psychological safety means people can take risks, share ideas, and challenge the status quo without fear of judgment or punishment. Cindra outlines practical strategies for leaders to build this culture.  This Week’s Power Phrase: "I create a safe space for my team to take risks, make mistakes, and grow. We learn together, and we win together." This Week’s Quote of the Week: "Psychological safety is not just about being nice or lowering performance standards. It’s about creating an environment where failure is an opportunity to learn, not something to fear." — Dr. Amy Edmondson Tune in to discover how normalizing mistakes can unlock creativity, boost performance, and strengthen your team’s commitment to success.   REQUEST A FREE MENTAL BREAKTHROUGH CALL WITH DR. CINDRA AND/OR HER TEAM TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTALLY STRONG INSTITUTE Love the show? Rate and review the show for Cindra to mention you on the next episode.

Henna Pryor, CSP, is an award-winning keynote speaker, workplace performance expert, and the author of Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become the Bravest You. She’s been featured in major outlets like Forbes, Fast Company, and NBC, and her work helps leaders and teams reframe awkwardness as a superpower. She blends science, storytelling, and real-world strategies to help us step into the discomfort that fuels growth. In this episode, you will learn: How  “good” awkward moments—paired with deliberate discomfort and strategic micro stressors—can fuel growth, connection, and high performance. Henna shares insights from her Social Muscles research, revealing how avoiding awkwardness actually increases it, and why embracing it builds likability, trust, and resilience.  Henna offers practical ways to build your “social muscle,” reframe embarrassment, and turn cringe moments into leadership superpowers. You will also learn daily practices to adopt a “do it awkward—but do it anyway” mindset, along with lighthearted stories that show the power of leaning into discomfort. 🔹 HIGH PERFORMANCE MINDSET SHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE 🔹 Learn more about Henna Pryor and Her Study & Keynote Speaking🔹 Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call with Dr. Cindra and/or her team🔹 Learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute Love the show? Rate and review the podcast—and you might hear your name on the next episode!  

In this inspiring episode of the High Performance Mindset, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff explores how grit is the foundation for achieving your biggest goals and dreams.   She shares the powerful metaphor of the pearl—how something rare and valuable begins with irritation. Just like a pearl forms when an oyster transforms a piece of grit over time, our greatest achievements come from leaning into challenges and staying committed through discomfort.   You’ll also learn practical ways to strengthen your grit muscle, such as committing to one challenging action every day, surrounding yourself with people who push you, and focusing on deliberate—not just repetitive—practice.   This Week’s Power Phrase: “I am gritty. I do the things others won’t to achieve the things others can’t. I put in the hours necessary for success.”   Quote of the Week: “Grit is not just having resilience in the face of failure, but also having deep commitments that you remain loyal to over many years.” — Angela Duckworth   Tune in to discover how to develop the grit you need to create your own “pearl”—the legacy, dream, or goal you’re deeply committed to achieving.   REQUEST A FREE MENTAL BREAKTHROUGH CALL WITH DR. CINDRA AND/OR HER TEAM TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTALLY STRONG INSTITUTE Love the show? Rate and review the show for Cindra to mention you on the next episode.

In this fascinating and high-energy episode, I interview Traci Brown—ranked the #3 body language expert in the world and a go-to voice on lie detection, deception, and influence. A former elite cyclist turned deception detection expert, Traci brings a rare combination of athletic discipline and forensic insight to her work. Traci is a frequent television guest featured on CBS, NBC, and Nancy Grace, and is the author of How to Detect Lies, Fraud and Identity Theft. She works with businesses, financial groups, and law enforcement to prevent fraud, protect profits, and make better decisions under pressure. In this episode, Traci shares practical strategies to read people more accurately, ask better questions, and spot deception before it costs you. You’ll learn: Why detecting deception is a leadership skill—and how to sharpen it The body language differences between big and small lies How lie detection can accelerate business results and reduce losses Everyday signs of deception that are easy to miss—and how to catch them How to use body language to gain the truth from customers, coworkers, and clients Traci also discusses her new book and how her experience as a U.S. National Cycling Team member helped shape her ability to “read between the lines.” Whether you're hiring, selling, or simply trying to understand people better, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you lead and decide with clarity. 🔹HIGH PERFORMANCE MINDSET SHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE 🔹 Learn more about Traci Brown and her work🔹 Get your copy of How to Detect Lies, Fraud and Identity Theft🔹 Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call with Dr. Cindra and/or her team🔹 Learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute Love the show? Rate and review the podcast—and you might hear your name on the next episode!  

In this episode, we explore one of the most powerful mindset tools high performers use: reframing.   You’ll hear the inspiring story of Spanx founder Sara Blakely and how her father helped her see failure as a sign of courage and growth.   We break down how reframing allows you to reinterpret challenges with strength and optimism, turning setbacks into comebacks and adversity into fuel.   You’ll learn: What reframing really is and why it’s essential to high performance. Practical questions and tools to help you shift your perspective in real-time. Everyday examples—from tough conversations to public speaking—where reframing can give you an edge.   Whether you’re an athlete, coach, educator, or executive, this episode will help you see challenge through a new lens—and move forward with clarity and confidence.   Power Phrase: “I see challenge through the lens of growth. I flip the frame to fuel my strength and stride forward.” Quote of the Week: “When you change your story, you change your power.” – Brené Brown REQUEST A FREE MENTAL BREAKTHROUGH CALL WITH DR. CINDRA AND/OR HER TEAM TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTALLY STRONG INSTITUTE Love the show? Rate and review the show for Cindra to mention you on the next episode.