The Unbeatable Mind Podcast With Mark Divine

Mark sits down with Melanie Sliwka, Certified Unbeatable Mind Coach. For the past 12 years, Melanie has trained and worked with Navy SEALs, thought leaders, and top-performing executives. Join Mark and Melanie for a candid conversation about mental health, suicide, the unique mental health challenges of veterans, and how we can take our well-being into our own hands. Today, Commander Divine sits down with Melanie Sliwka, Certified Unbeatable Mind Coach, to discuss one of the most pressing issues of our time: mental health. This important episode covers a lot of ground, from the state of veterans’ mental health to the best techniques to take our well-being into our own hands. Key Takeaways: Always remember to PBTA. Due to childhood trauma and other traumatic life events, most of us are operating in a constant hyper aroused state. (And for veterans, combat stress can exacerbate underlying trauma that already existed.) The acronym Pause, Breathe, Think and Act can be a literal life-saver to bring the body out of

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Perianne Boring, founder and president of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, the world's largest trade association representing the blockchain industry. Perianne’s mission is to advocate and educate the public and lawmakers about the future of blockchain. In this episode, Perianne busts some of the biggest myths about the cryptocurrency space, including Russian sanctions, environmental impact, and more.  Key Takeaways: Myth #1: Bitcoin is bad for the environment. It currently takes 189 terawatts to mine Bitcoin.This is about .1% of the world's energy production. And, over 60% of the energy going to mine Bitcoin is coming from sustainable sources. (We’re also starting to see use cases where crypto mining can actually help stabilize the energy grid.) The energy used to mine Bitcoin is a small fraction of the emissions that are created to mine gold, power our financial sector and support our military sector. Myth #2: Russia is using crypto to evade sanctions. There's a current n

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Beena Sharma, international consultant and president of the Vertical Development Academy. Beena has worked for more than two decades in the area of whole-system, large-scale change. In this episode, Beena discusses polarity thinking, how language affects our reality, and the difference between horizontal and vertical development. Key Takeaways: We are entering the age of vertical development. Vertical development fosters essential growth of new perspectives and gives leaders a greater ability to handle the complex problems of our changing world. Fortunately, we can now measure how an individual grows through these stages of maturity thanks to assessments like the ones provided by the Vertical Development Academy. We need both horizontal and vertical development. While horizontal development gives you more knowledge, information, skills, credentials, and certificates, it doesn't fundamentally change any assumptions you have about yourself. It doesn't challenge any beliefs yo

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Gary John Bishop, humanist, podcaster and author of the new book, Love Unfu*ked. A hilarious Scotsman with a brilliant mind, Gary esposes a unique brand of no-nonsense urban philosophy. In this episode, Gary discusses the nature of relationships, how to just be as opposed to being a victim, and recognizing that you are your behavior rather than your thoughts. Key Takeaways: Our relationships are our best and most potent opportunity to gain self awareness. They grind to the surface everything we think we can get away with, including the shadow or “junk” parts of ourselves that we feel like we’ve already handled. Instead of defending your junk when it comes up in your relationship, see it as a lesson to understand and explore. Don’t try to “control” your anger. This only leads to a buildup of repressed emotions that will eventually explode. Instead, realize and accept that anger is a natural human expression, and find a way to express it in a healthy way that works for you. T

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Simon Drew, a multi-talented philosopher, poet, pianist, podcaster, and didgeridoo player. In his latest book, The Poet and the Sage, Simon digs deep into philosophy, mysticism, and metaphor. In this episode, Simon discusses his creative process, how philosophy and art are intertwined, and how to achieve enlightenment by playing the didgeridoo. Key Takeaways: Life is about asking better questions. Simon believes that life is a game with an objective, but it’s up to us to ask the right questions to know what that objective is and how to seek it out. It’s crucial to strengthen our questioning ability and face life with the degree of seriousness it deserves… and then being willing to hear the answers when we ask the questions. Not everybody is built as an artist. Simon says that inspiration typically hits him just a few minutes before he starts his writing routine, and it almost always comes to him easily and naturally. He says that the artistic experience is something that ma

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Chris Duffin, health and fitness entrepreneur, author of The Eagle & the Dragon, and founder of Kabuki Strength. In this episode, Chris shares about growing up homeless as a child, his philosophy on fitness, and how he hopes to help people build resilience across every area of their lives. Key Takeaways: Weightlifting teaches you about life. Weightlifting can teach so many applicable lessons, but we often miss the connection. For example, some high-powered businessmen may execute amazing deals and strategies in the office, but then start flailing when they get to the gym. All they have to do is apply their planning and management skills, set expectations, and follow through. The inverse applies for people who get amazing results in the gym, but lack discipline in their work and home lives. Strength training should be empowering. As a trainer, you should lead someone toward not needing you. The individual has the largest amount of power in overcoming pain and creating ch

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Jay Glazer, iconic NFL sports insider, mental health advocate, and founder of MVP (Merging Vets and Players). Jay’s mission is to change the narrative on anxiety, depression and self worth. In this episode, Jay shares his relentless mindset and gives us a look into his personal mental health journey that culminated in publishing his new book, Unbreakable: How I Turned My Depression and Anxiety into Motivation and You Can Too. Key Takeaways: Find your fight team. At 52, Jay spars every day because he loves the support of his fight team. Whether he wins or loses doesn’t matter; what matters is having that team around him for support. There are so many potential teams around us that can help lift us up and walk this walk together. Jay says you can develop a fight team anytime in your life (he didn’t develop his fighting mindset until he was in his 30s). Do more than the competition. The magic bullet in life is to find out who the best is in your field, and do more than the

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Brian Estes, CEO & CIO at Off the Chain Capital. Off the Chain is a cryptocurrency fund that finds value opportunities across the industry. In this episode, Brian discusses myths and truths about cryptocurrency, how it really works, and the future of blockchain technology. Key Takeaways: Our money experiment is no longer working. The dollar is going down, so it looks like commodities are going up in price. But in reality, what's happening is the dollar is losing all its value. For the last 51 years, the world's been an experiment. We’ve been experimenting with money that's only backed by the full faith and credit of the government that issues that money out. And that experiment is failing. Something has to give. Bitcoin is not as difficult to buy as you might think. While Coinbase is ubiquitous, it’s also really hard to use. Brian recommends buying Bitcoin on PayPal, Venmo, Square Cash App, or Robin Hood. Or, if you have a Fidelity or Schwab brokerage account, you can i

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Naveen Jain, entrepreneur, thought leader, and Founder and CEO of VIOME Life Sciences. In this episode, Naveen discusses the nature of human consciousness, the key to entrepreneurship, and the future of disease prevention and AI technology. Key Takeaways: We’ll soon have more control of our own health than ever. With emerging innovations like Naveen’s company VIOME, we can learn what causes us to have different diseases with a simple saliva and stool sample test – and then receive precision diet and supplement recommendations based on the results. We are slowly becoming trans-human. Right now, we’re connected to the Cloud. One day, the Cloud will become part of our bodies. Today it’s the watch, tomorrow it’ll be the chip, and then one day it’ll be part of our brains. Naveen imagines a world where we bypass speech and communicate through instant thought, and where we can subscribe to people’s thoughts like we do to a Twitter feed. What is human consciousness? Are we actually

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Max Lugavere, NYT best-selling author and health journalist. His latest book, Genius Kitchen, delivers nutritious recipes to help keep a sharp brain and strong body. In this episode, Max debunks common food myths, discusses the best diet for brain and metabolic health, how much protein you really need, and more. Key Takeaways: Meat is the most bioavailable protein found in nature. Animal proteins are building blocks that are ready to easily plug and play in our bodies. Omega-3s derived from plants, on the other hand (walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, etc.) have to undergo a complex biological transformation before they can be used in the body. The efficacy of those processes differ from person to person. Prevention is the cure. 60% of deaths worldwide occur due to noncommunicable, preventable conditions… and most of them start brewing well before the first symptoms occur. However, there is good research linked to certain diets (like the ketogenic diet) and their ability to p

Today, Commander Divine does a Q&A with his producer, Amy Jurkowitz. They discuss the future of leadership, the importance of cultivating a positive mindset amidst fear, how to handle stressful situations, and more. Key Takeaways: The future of leadership is world centric. The only way we can hope for a more peaceful world is to get all leaders to move beyond merely an egocentric view (“I matter”) or an ethnocentric view (“my tribe matters”) and into a world centric view (“everyone and everything matters”). Negative thinking = negative action. The reason we have such violence on this planet is the collective negative mindset that has accrued and been projected out into the world over thousands of years. If we can change that collective mindset to one that’s positive and inclusive, then we’ll start to see the outer environment change really quickly. Try pattern interrupts for more productive conversations. The next time someone you’re working with becomes reactive instead of constructive, try a pattern int

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Dylan Beynon, founder and CEO of Mindbloom, a new telemedicine company for clinician-prescribed psychedelic therapy. Dylan has been named a Top 25 Consumer Health Tech Executive, and is one of the top 100 Most Influential People in Psychedelics. Dylan shares his thoughts on the future of psychedelics, how his upbringing inspired him to found Mindbloom, the benefits of ketamine therapy vs. mainstream therapies, and more. Key Takeaways: Why psychedelic therapy? Mental healthcare is the #1 public health crisis in the United States. Yet when you dig into the clinical research around existing treatment options, they just aren’t good enough. SSRIs only work 40-47% of the time, and over 50% of people have severe side effects. Plus, it takes 6-8 weeks to work, if it works at all. At-home ketamine therapy gets immediate results 80% of the time, with less than 5% of clients having mild side effects like nausea. How does ketamine therapy work? Patients are sent a flavored ketamine tab

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Dre Baldwin, who helps entrepreneurs and athletes dominate their “game” from the inside out through his business and podcast, Work on Your Game. Dre shares his incredible journey from being benched on his high school basketball team to becoming a professional basketball player, plus his best advice on personal development, the power of discipline, and more.  Key Takeaways: Borrow your confidence. When you fake it til you make it, you allow your confidence to come and go. Think of someone whose confidence you admire, and assume their internal, emotional, energetic posture. You’ll eventually build up your own confidence based on what you’ve already done from that borrowed posture. Discipline is everything. Showing up every day can easily separate you from everyone else when skill level is equal. At the pro level, everyone has talent. It’s not a talent to show up every day; it’s a choice. Discipline gives you a leg-up. Don’t be a PIG. More and more people are becoming “PIGs” –

Today, Commander Divine speaks with James Clear, the best-selling author of Atomic Habits (which has sold over 5 million copies). James discusses his process for writing and content creation, the joys and pitfalls of notoriety, how to position yourself for success, and a behind-the-scenes look of how he’s built his audience of over 1 million subscribers. Key Takeaways: When you’re struggling creatively, don’t write more – read more. Writing is like driving a car; reading is like filling your car up with gas. You need both to get anywhere on your journey. Be careful who you follow. When you choose who to follow online, you’re choosing your future thoughts – choose wisely. Consistency is the most important practice for better writing. James prefers to not be dependent on a single circumstance to be able to write. As long as you’re doing the work, you don’t have to get hung up on having a specific routine. Ask yourself: How can you give people the highest value in the easiest way possible? When you apply this ph

Today, Commander Divine speaks with humanitarian, leadership expert, and best-selling author Robin Sharma. Robin’s father was a rotarian and brought his children up with strong values of humility and service to others. These core values have inspired Robin’s career. Today, he discusses his new book, The Everyday Hero Manifesto, and the practices he uses to gain perspective, process trauma, and live a life of courage and service to others. Key Takeaways: We are all capable of great success. We don’t need to be billionaires, politicians, poets, or spiritual leaders to lead meaningful, productive lives. However, we must determine what success means to us personally. Prayer is a powerful tool. Robin shares how we can pray, even if we are not religious. We all experience trauma, and we must all learn to uncover and process our trauma; only then can we be who we are meant to be. Robin is a big fan of journaling to explore and uncover hidden emotions and unpack trauma. There isn’t a linear path to winning at life. T

Mark speaks with Nate Zinsser about his career at West Point and work training elite athletes. Today, Commander Divine speaks with psychologist and human performance expert, Dr. Nate Zinsser. Dr. Zinsser has coached cadets at West Point for the past 30 years. He’s also worked with several high profile athletes, including professional football player Eli Manning. Dr. Zinsser shares how he became interested in the psychology of human performance in high school by noticing the connection between expectations and outcome in team sports. Today, he discusses his new book, The Confident Mind, and shares many different ways we can leverage our minds to increase performance in everything from business to athletics. "When you affirm something in the present tense. It just becomes more immediate.. It just becomes more palpable.” "Being able to say to yourself I am enough for this moment." "Our human nervous system in so many important ways does not distinguish between something that we actually experience and something

Today, Commander Divine is joined by his friend, Amy Jurkowitz, to answer questions from his followers on Facebook Live, as well as questions submitted prior to the livestream. Mark shares interesting insights on what it takes to be a great leader, how to cultivate compassion, how to start a mindfulness practice, and other suggestions on improving our mind, body, and spirit.  Key Takeaways: There were several questions about leadership including the following: @drpedre: What do you think it takes to really be a leader? What characteristics?  @pthompson34: What qualities and characteristics do you feel a strong leader obtains?  Mark broke down the top 4 characteristics needed in a great leader. Self-Awareness: Great leaders need to understand their strengths and weaknesses, as well as a general understanding of human nature and how we show up in the world. Self-Control: The next step after becoming aware is using that awareness to guide in self control. A great leader is able to show restraint and remain calm

Mark Divine speaks with Jimmy, Jake, and Jordan DeCicco, founders of Super Coffee. Today, Mark Divine speaks with Jimmy, Jake, and Jordan DeCicco, founders of the healthy coffee brand, Super Coffee. All under the age of 30, these young entrepreneurs began their business in a dorm room, and now lead a company valued at over $500 million. The DeCicco brothers share how their fiercely competitive upbringing instilled in them drive, passion, and grit that first helped them succeed in football and basketball, then carried over into the world of entrepreneurship. “The lessons learned as athletes empower us to do what we do on a daily basis in terms of overcoming obstacles.” Key Takeaways: Surround yourself with the best possible people who have experience and knowledge. The strength of a team is only as good as its people and the brothers never were shy about reaching out to the best of the best. They took this philosophy to finding the best mentors as well. Seth Goldman, the founder of Honest Tea, had a similar mi

Today, Mark Divine speaks with his friend Tom McCarthy and uncovers how Tom helps people overcome their perceived limits to push through to greatness. Tom shares his own transformation from an introverted, shy kid to a student of Tony Robbins, and eventually a masterful public speaker for audiences of thousands. Tom’s vision for the world is one of abundance, health, and prosperity. He believes empowered individuals can push all limits and do the impossible, even reverse pollution and restore the health of the entire planet. His new book, The Breakthrough Code: A Story About Living A Life Without Limits, comes out this month. Tom McCarthy is a father of two, husband of 30 years, CEO/Board Member of eight companies, early stage investor in 40+ companies and a worldwide philanthropist.  After a successful career on Wall Street, Tom found his true passion…helping people in business, athletics and life break through their limitations and step into their full potential. Tom has been the peak performance coach for

Today, Mark Divine speaks with endurance athlete and co-founder of Rewire Fitness, Sun Sachs, about overcoming childhood trauma through physical training in extreme sports, and the lessons he learned along the way that led him to co-founding Rewire Fitness. Rewire Fitness is a unique app that provides assessments and prescriptions for holistic resilience focusing on emotional and cognitive areas, as well as physical. Key Takeaways: Work smarter, and harder. Tough workouts can make you more resilient, but toughness is not the only thing that matters. Cultivating self-awareness allows you to be more in touch with what your body needs. Having a calm mind gives you an edge on the competition. Whether you are trying to win a race, or lead a seminar, having a calm mind allows you to enter a flow state and operate at a new level of peak performance. It’s important to assess your frustration levels. If you are edgy and easily frustrated, you are experiencing cognitive fatigue. When you identify this, use your favorit