Avoiding conflict might be destroying your relationships and holding your career back.

The true secret to mental clarity isn't avoiding stress, but learning how to fight with care.

Today, I sit down with Ben Almond, author of Judo Thinking, to unpack how ancient martial arts principles can completely transform how you approach conflict, personal values, leadership, and personal growth.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why "conflict with care”, not conflict avoidance, is the key to building deep trust in teams.
  
• The "Value Square" framework to align your internal intentions with daily actions.
  
• Why pursuing imperfection is the ultimate gateway to discovering your full potential.
  
• How exceptional leaders inspire people to engage and motivate themselves.
  

Ben Almond is a leader, advisor, investor, coach and author of Judo Thinking (shortlisted for the Business Book Awards).

You can find Ben's book at major retailers and follow his work on leadership and organizational development online.

In this episode:

00:00 - Welcome

03:05 - The 3 Pillars: Values, Education & Community

04:04 - Ad break

05:38 - Importance of community

08:15 - What is "Judo Thinking"?

13:40 - Conflict with Care vs. Conflict Avoidance

19:20 - The Value Square Framework

24:30 - The Pursuit of Imperfection

38:10 - Building Trust & Psychological Safety

44:00 - The Leadership Wheel: Engage, Inspire, Motivate

53:00 - Empowerment vs. Responsibility

1:05:20 - Be Brave, Be Kind, Never Give Up

Take a screenshot right now, tag me and Ben on Instagram or LinkedIn, share your biggest takeaway, rate 5 stars, and hit subscribe to keep growing 1% SMARTA every day!

What if your sudden drop in focus, productivity, and happiness isn't laziness, but a silent mental health crisis born from a world that never lets you slow down?

In Episode 112, I sit down with Canadian youth mental health advocate Isaiah Neil to break the taboo around anxiety, high performance, and staying grounded during major life transitions.

What you will learn in this episode:

• How rising anxiety and declining attention spans are connected in today's digital world.
• How to navigate major career or academic transitions while staying true to your core identity.
• The 6 core pillars of well-being: consistency, sacrifice, gratitude, strategy, execution, and patience.
• Lessons from Isaiah’s transition from a high-stakes football career to mental health advocacy.
  

Isaiah Neil is a speaker, educator, and youth mental health leader. He serves on the Youth Council at the Mental Health Commission of Canada and has collaborated with major organizations including Bell Let's Talk, Jack.org, and the Canadian Mental Health Association. You can connect with Isaiah on social media and learn more via Jack.org.

In this episode:

00:00 - Welcome

02:44 - Youth Mental Health & The Taboo Around Anxiety

10:15 - From Football Athlete to Mental Health Advocate

22:30 - The 6 Pillars: Consistency, Gratitude & Execution

38:40 - Staying Grounded During Major Life Transitions

50:10 - Final Advice for Building the Life of Your Dreams

If you or a friend are struggling, please share this episode with them right now! Rate the podcast 5 stars, leave a comment below, and subscribe to keep growing 1% SMARTA every day!

Welcome to Part 2 of my talk with Henna Pryor!

I've got a free gift for you this week!Here's what you'll learn by the end of the 26 minutes:🔹 The danger of executive beige: why blending in with corporate jargon and over-polished communication is making leaders forgettable.

🔹 The leadership blind spot: why silence in a boardroom is not buy-in, and how leaders must structurally invite dissent to uncover real feedback.

🔹 Congruence as a superpower: how aligning your words, body language, and track record eliminates doubt and accelerates career growth.

Henna’s upcoming book, The Signal Gap: How to Boost Believability and Influence in the Age of Doubt is out November 10th, reveals the science behind why our communication breaks down and how to keep our signals aligned in a skeptical world.

Get chapter 1 for FREE, exclusively on The SMARTA Podcast, now ⁠www.thesignalgap.com/smarta⁠

What if failing publicly is the single fastest way to build the exact life you want?

Today, I am sitting down with 18-year-old entrepreneur and podcaster Kaia Tham. We are breaking down why getting comfortable with rejection early in life completely removes fear, how to build a massive personal brand on LinkedIn without being fake, and why you never need anyone’s permission to start.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why constantly seeing "no" in your inbox builds unshakeable resilience.
• The "Embarrassment Tax”; why cringey beginnings are mandatory tuition for success.
• How Kaia landed dream podcast guests using creative, human cold DMs.
• The "Jar Analogy" for organizing daily priorities without burning out.
  

Kaia Tham is an 18-year-old Australian entrepreneur, content creator, and host of The SEEN Podcast, currently based in Lisbon, Portugal. She highlights the raw, unfiltered stories of founders and builders. Connect with Kaia on LinkedIn and listen to The SEEN Podcast across all major platforms.

In this episode

00:00 - Welcome

03:00 - Kaia Tham: From Australia to Lisbon

04:15 - Writing a 400-Page Book at 12 & Facing Rejection

06:40 - The Origin & Vision of The SEEN Podcast

09:50 - How She Landed Dan Porter with a 6'7 Joke

12:15 - Common Threads in World-Class Founders

16:00 - Building a LinkedIn Brand: Overcoming Cringe

20:45 - The "Embarrassment Tax" & Authentic Storytelling

26:10 - The Jar Analogy: Prioritizing Rocks Over Sand

30:00 - Why You Don't Need Permission to Start

What if waiting for permission is the exact thing keeping you from the life you actually want?

Today, I am sitting down with the incredibly disciplined 20-year-old entrepreneur and copywriter, Jay Yang. At just 16, Jay realized that following the traditional path was leading him toward a life he did not want.

He stopped waiting for permission and started taking action. We talk about how his permissionless mindset helped him land opportunities with massive entrepreneurs like Noah Kagan, Alex Hormozi, and Tyler Denk before he even finished high school.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why beginners need to start "writing upwards" to attract high-level mentors.
• How to use a 19-page pitch deck to make your offers irresistible.
• The exact "Theory of Constraints" Alex and Leila Hormozi use to scale businesses.
• Why your daily habits should be obvious, not magical.
  

Jay Yang is a master copywriter, ghostwriter, and the author of You Can Just Do Things and the upcoming Work With the Best. Find him sharing brilliant career strategies on Instagram at @JayYangInspires, and support his newest book launch on Kickstarter.

In this episode:

00:00 - Welcome

03:00 - Messy, Intentional, and Fun: Jay’s Journey

05:14 - You Can Just Do Things: Stop Waiting for Permission

07:41 - The Beehiiv Internship & Cold Email Strategies

12:17 - The 19-Page Pitch Deck for Noah Kagan

17:38 - Building a Personal Brand to Shift Supply & Demand

24:08 - The Hormozi "Theory of Constraints"

26:13 - How to "Work With the Best" & Pitch Mentors

32:36 - Why Beginners Must "Write Upwards"

37:12 - Champions Do Things Differently: Daily Habits

Take a screenshot of this episode right now and share it to your Instagram Story!

Tag me and Jay, and tell us one "permissionless action" you are going to take today.

Subscribe to keep growing 1% smarter every day!

What if the four massive crises facing humanity right now are actually your greatest opportunity to completely reinvent your future, and you have way less time than you think to act?

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why the four biggest global trends are colliding simultaneously and how to survive them.
  
• Why treating your career as a straight vector is a massive mistake, and how to live your life in "chapters" instead.
  
• The power of "respectful curiosity" to solve complex problems and navigate diverse cultures.
  
• The crucial difference between blind optimism and true hope—and why hope requires agency.
  
• Why building a team requires surrounding yourself with people who excel at the things you hate doing.
  

Blair Sheppard is a globally recognized leadership expert, the former Dean of Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, and the former global head of strategy and leadership for PwC. He is the author of Ten Years to Midnight and his latest book, Reinventing the World. You can find his books online to help you navigate this massive era of global change.

In this episode:

00:00 - Welcome

03:20 - The "Great-Granddaughter" Test for Major Life Decisions

06:10 - Traditioned Innovation & Reinventing the World

07:44 - The 4 Tidal Waves: Climate, Demographics, Fracturing, & Tech

11:48 - The Right Way to Use AI as Your "Eccentric Best Friend"

16:17 - Fixing the Global System & Changing Outdated Assumptions

20:22 - Building Complementary Teams & Resolving Paradoxes

22:05 - The Asymmetry of Global Aging & The Future of Education

34:41 - Optimism vs. Hope: Why You Need Agency to Succeed

47:00 - Living Your Life in Chapters, Not a Straight Vector

56:52 - 3 Non-Negotiable Habits: Care, Curiosity, & Joy

58:46 - Final Advice: We Don't Have Time, Act Now

Take a screenshot of this episode right now and share it to your Instagram Story! Tag me and Blair, and tell us one "chapter" you are excited to start in your own life. Hit subscribe to keep growing 1% SMARTA every day!

What if the most prestigious college degree in the world is actually a quarter-million-dollar trap holding you back?

Today, we are tearing down the traditional paths to success with Dave Guttman, an executive mentor who literally ripped up his original Wharton MBA on a podcast to prove how little utility it actually holds. As I settle into my new life as a university student here in Dublin, Dave's brutal honesty about the education system, resilience, and what actually builds wealth is a massive, paradigm-shifting wake-up call.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why you are almost always the warden of your own ‘prison’, and how to use the key to let yourself out.
  
• How to enter the top 5% of any skill in the world with just 17 minutes a day.
  
• The three non-negotiable areas you must master today: 1. AI, 2. personal branding, and 3. networking.
  
• How to stop making emotional choices by forcing yourself into “Observer Mode”
  
• Why surviving a terminal cancer misdiagnosis at 24 completely redefined his holistic view of success.
  

David Guttman is a highly successful CEO, entrepreneur, and executive mentor who has operated across 45 different industries. A former Division 1 college wrestler, David guides leaders to build massive, nine-figure businesses by focusing on the lifetime value of customers, unshakeable integrity, and holistic health rather than just short-term profit.

In this episode:

00:00 - Welcome

03:25 - Resilience, Focus, & Community

05:48 - You Are the Warden of Your Own Prison

11:01 - Why He Ripped Up His Wharton MBA

13:37 - Why 80-90% of Businesses Fail from Poor Leadership

16:24 - Top 5% in the World: The 17-Minute Daily Rule

18:14 - The 3 Skills You Must Learn: AI, Brand, & Network

23:52 - Maximizing the Lifetime Value of Your Customers

25:05 - Surviving a Terminal Cancer Misdiagnosis at 24

27:37 - "Observer Mode" for Making Hard Business Decisions

32:24 - 3 Non-Negotiable Habits: Exercise, Sleep, & No Alcohol

35:17 - Final Advice: Stop Being in Such a Rush

If David’s perspective shifted your mindset today, take a screenshot right now and post it to your Instagram Story!

Tag me and David, and let us know which of the 3 pillars (AI, personal brand, or network) you are focusing on this week. Hit subscribe to keep growing 1% smarter every day!

What if everything you have been taught about finding the "perfect" career path is not entirely true?

Welcome back to The SMARTA Podcast! In Episode 106, we are flipping the script on uncertainty. I am sitting down with Steven D'Souza, the 2026 Business Book Awards winner for Leadership Book of the Year!

Steven teaches at institutions like Oxford and IE Business School, and he is here to prove that "not knowing" is actually your greatest competitive advantage.

What you will learn in this episode:

• How Steven sold 8,000 copies of a book he hadn't even written yet just by talking to strangers.
  
• Why the concept of "Shadows at Work”, the hidden parts of yourself running the show, is sabotaging your success.
  
• How to spot your shadow through repetitive patterns and disproportionate reactions.
  
• Why you need to stop rushing to figure your life out and build "negative capability" instead.
  

In this episode:

• 00:00 - Welcome
  
• 03:00 - The Power of Not Knowing, Service, & Social Capital
  
• 04:29 - How to Sell 8,000 Books Before You Even Write Them
  
• 12:50 - Why You Need to Start Talking to Strangers
  
• 18:51 - Shadows at Work: The "Me That I Don’t See"
  
• 23:40 - How to Spot Your Shadow: Triggers & Repetitive Patterns
  
• 30:07 - Why You Don't Need to Have It All Figured Out By 30
  
• 36:47 - The Path is Made by Walking
  
• 40:39 - The Life-Changing Habit of an Unplugged Morning Walk
  
• 47:46 - Negative Capability: Learning to Live with the Questions
  
• 52:33 - Life-Changing Books & Final Advice: Trust Yourself
  

AD get your free PR audit now at www.laurenstijssen.com/power-audit

If this episode helped you embrace the unknown, take a screenshot right now, post it to your Instagram Story, and tag me and Steven! Let us know what your next brave step is. Don't forget to hit subscribe to keep growing 1% smarter every day!