Optimized Geek | Reboot Your Life

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

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

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.

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" testostero

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

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,

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!

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:

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.

✨ 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:

What if your calendar could predict your mental health? Meet Chris Dancy – once dubbed “The World’s Most Connected Human” – who didn’t just track his steps and calories. He tracked his soul. From mood mapping and ambient data to organizing his apps by values instead of function, Chris built a system to actually understand himself. But here’s the twist: it’s not about more data. It’s about better data.

What if the key to breakthrough business growth isn't working harder, but finding the right mentors at the right time? Greg Merrilees went from a struggling t-shirt designer drowning in $100K debt to running a thriving AI-powered design agency - all because he learned to seek mentors and act on divine guidance. His bold move of creating a free logo for podcast hosts Ezra Firestone and James Schramko opened doors that transformed his entire business model. In our latest Get Yourself Optimized episode, Greg reveals how he uses AI to generate $60 photo shoots that outperform $1000+ professional sessions, restructured his services around the SCALE methodology for recurring revenue, and why being "impeccable with your word" literally changed his business relationships. Listen to Episode 532 to discover Greg's practical strategies for AI integration, mentor relationships, and conscious business growth! The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/532.

The entrepreneur who built a 9-year podcast interviewing spiritual luminaries started with ONE person in his living room. Amrit Sandhu's journey from struggling engineering student to interviewing guests like Marianne Williamson and being personally coached by Eckhart Tolle proves that authentic growth compounds exponentially. His secret? What he calls "sacred curiosities" - the genuine interests that emerge from your core values, not society's expectations. When you cultivate these consistently, opportunities start appearing that blow your mind. In our conversation, Amrit reveals: How he went from clinical depression to university valedictorian The MetaFlow Formula for discovering your soul's blueprint Why starting grassroots is more powerful than chasing big names How inner child work unlocks entrepreneurial creativity This isn't just another success story - it's a roadmap for building a life and business that actually serves your soul's purpose. Listen to learn how authentic alignment creates syn

The CEO, who learned to read at the age of seven and earned his GED at 21, has just shared the spiritual practice that changed everything in this week’s Get Yourself Optimized episode. Calvin Bagley's journey from educational isolation to healthcare entrepreneur (serving 60,000+ clients) reveals how becoming "the observer" of your thoughts—rather than fighting them—unlocks both personal transformation and business success. His approach combines practical wisdom from "The Power of Now" with deep spiritual principles, creating a framework that works whether you're overcoming imposter syndrome or scaling a company. Calvin's memoir "Hiding from the School Bus" chronicles how he transformed childhood trauma into entrepreneurial strength. The lessons apply whether you're healing from your past or building your future. Check out the full conversation now! The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/530.

Most entrepreneurs waste years trying to write "the perfect book." Derek Sivers, founder of CD Baby (sold for $22M), has a better approach. Instead of thinking book first, start with individual blog posts. One idea per post. After 50-80 posts, you've already written your book - just compile them. His "Hell Yeah or No" decision-making framework helped him build and sell one of the most successful independent music platforms. Now he's applying this same clarity to help others cut through decision paralysis. If an opportunity isn't a "hell yeah," it's automatically a no. This simple filter eliminates mediocrity and creates space for what truly matters. Listen to episode 529 of Get Yourself Optimized to discover how Derek's unconventional approaches to writing, decision-making, and life design can transform your business and personal growth. The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/529.

How do you write 2,000 words daily while managing 40 clients and a daily podcast?  Mary DeMuth's productivity system is deceptively simple but devastatingly effective. She treats writing "like a muscle"—consistency builds strength, breaks destroy momentum.  Her secret weapon: Self-imposed deadlines for a decade before getting published. When real deadlines arrived, she was already trained to deliver early.  Results: 52 published books, 6 million podcast downloads, and a literary agency that revolutionizes author-agent relationships through community building.  Discover Mary's complete creative productivity system in Episode 528 of Get Yourself Optimized. The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/528.

Most high-achievers are secretly running on empty, managing time and attention while missing the real success factor: energy management and spiritual connection. I just interviewed Ariya Lorenz, who bridges heaven and earth for leaders seeking their true purpose. Her unique expertise comes from profound personal loss—losing her first love, stepfather, grandfather, and mother by age 23—which opened extraordinary abilities to communicate with higher realms. Her game-changing insight: We're in an "energy economy" where your vibration determines what you attract, not just your thoughts. The Law of Vibration supersedes the Law of Attraction. Practical application: Guard your consciousness from low-vibration content and replenish through divine connection, treating your spiritual practice as your power station. Leaders who implement this report feel genuinely fulfilled for the first time, with sustainable energy and clear direction.

From watching her mother battle cancer to becoming a foundational medicine practitioner serving families for 30 years, Nichole Kuechle's story proves that our greatest challenges often become our greatest gifts. What started as frustration with the medical system's "two ships passing in the night" approach led Nichole to develop extraordinary muscle testing abilities that help families:  → Identify food sensitivities through breast milk  → Explore potential wellness approaches for health concerns → Release ancestral trauma patterns spanning generations  → Build at-home healthcare toolkits with simple, accessible remedies The ripple effect is profound: empowered mothers, healthier children, and healing that flows through entire family systems. Ready to learn how your body can become your most trusted advisor? Episode 524 of Get Yourself Optimized reveals the secrets. The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/524.