“Comfort absolutely murders your passion for life.” 

Progress comes from earning results the hard way—through discipline, physical effort, and daily standards that do not bend when motivation fades. Comfort weakens execution, while controlled hardship sharpens judgment, energy, and resilience. Whether in business, health, or life, the ability to persist when things get hard determines who lasts and who fades out. 

Joe De Sena reflects on a life shaped by hustle, structure, and relentless effort—from early business lessons learned as a teenager to walking away from Wall Street in pursuit of something more alive. He shares how Spartan began as a failed idea, survived a decade of losses, nearly collapsed during the pandemic, and still grew into a global movement with a single mission: get people off the couch and back into ownership of their lives. 

Joe is the founder of Spartan Race, bestselling author of Spartan Tough, and a lifelong advocate for physical challenge as a gateway to mental strength. His work has influenced millions worldwide by blending endurance, mindset, and discipline into a framework that rewards action over comfort. 

Expert action steps: 

1. Win the morning – Wake up early, train first, and earn your day before distractions take over. 

1. Manufacture discomfort – Use cold exposure, physical challenge, and discipline to sharpen focus and resilience. 

1. Eliminate friction – Remove social media consumption and processed habits that dilute energy and execution. 

Learn more & connect: 

https://joedesena.com/ 

IG: @realjoedesena 

Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. 

“Authenticity is really the new currency in our world everywhere.” 

Join the audience on this special episode. I was given the opportunity to speak about the power of podcast guesting on the stage of Jack Canfield’s Transformational Leadership Council. I was invited to teh stage by my good friend, Raymond Aaron. I shared how many treat podcast appearances as a branding exercise but the real value comes from long-form conversations where you can demonstrate your authenticity, creating trust and meaningful connection. Podcast guesting allows people to be heard in context, not soundbites, and to communicate ideas without the noise and friction of traditional marketing. 

Build strong relationships with hosts while getting direct access to their engaged audiences, potentially high-income listeners, and decision-makers who already trust the host. It's a rare opportunity to build familiarity that short-form media can’t replicate. When done well, podcast guesting leads to inbound conversations, collaborations, and qualified business opportunities. 

Also in this episode: 

The Transformational Leadership Council is a caring community of transformational leaders who support each other in personal growth and contributions to the world. 

https://www.transformationalleadershipcouncil.com/ 

Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. 

“The deeper we meet ourselves, the deeper we can meet someone else.” 

True leadership begins with self-ownership. Growth is not about eliminating pain, conflict, or contradiction, but learning how to integrate them. When individuals stop chasing a one-sided version of positivity and instead understand polarity—challenge and support, strength and vulnerability—they gain clarity, resilience, and authenticity. Life stops happening to them and starts unfolding for them, revealing meaning even in the moments once labeled as failure or trauma. 

Donna Parker is a global coach and speaker who helps people see themselves—and their lives—more honestly. She challenges the idea that growth comes from staying positive or avoiding discomfort, and instead points to the value of owning both sides of who we are. In this conversation, Donna explores how judgment, blame, and victim stories quietly keep people stuck, and why the moments we resist most often become the ones that shape our purpose. Drawing from decades of real-world experience, she shows how values drive behavior, how relationships act as mirrors, and how taking responsibility can lead to deeper freedom, clarity, and connection. 

Learn more & connect: 

Website: https://www.donnaparker.com 

Social media: 

Facebook – Donna Andrews Parker 

Instagram – @global.coach.dparker 

Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. 

“I’ve worked really hard and success is really hard. But what I know is harder is being broke. And what I know is the hardest is living an unfulfilled life.” 

Building a global movement starts with clarity of purpose, disciplined execution, and the courage to act before conditions feel perfect. Sustainable growth is created by focusing on a clear mission, reverse-engineering goals into daily priorities, and eliminating distractions that drain time and energy. Success is less about perfection and more about consistent, intentional action taken in service of something larger than oneself. 

Sandra Yancey shares how she built a multimillion-dollar, global organization by designing systems that scale, cultivating values-driven culture, and leading with generosity. She explains why entrepreneurs must master time management, build repeatable processes, and create environments where people feel respected, supported, and empowered to perform at a high level. 

Sandra is the cofounder of eWomenNetwork, one of the world’s largest business communities for women entrepreneurs. With decades of experience advising Fortune 500 leaders and scaling membership-based organizations, she is widely recognized for her expertise in leadership, systems thinking, and movement-building. 

Expert action steps: 

1. Give generously without keeping score, and always remember who helped you along the way. 

1. Get clear on what you want, choose five goals, and break them down into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily actions. 

1. Take action before everything feels perfect—progress comes from moving, not waiting. 

1. Stay a student 

Learn more & connect: 

https://www.ewomennetwork.com/ 

Also in this episode: 

https://scribe.com/ 

https://asana.com/ 

Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. 

“Happy money is money that gives you joy when you receive it and also gets you excited when you pay.” 

Money carries energy, whether we notice it or not. When money is received with appreciation and released with gratitude, it circulates differently through life. Instead of being a source of stress, fear, or control, it becomes a tool for joy, generosity, and forward momentum. The relationship we form with money often mirrors our relationship with trust, self-worth, and contribution. When money is treated as something positive, supportive, and purposeful, it stops feeling heavy and starts feeling alive. 

Ken Honda introduces the idea that money can be “happy” or “unhappy” depending on how it is experienced emotionally. He explains that happy money flows from doing meaningful work, creating value, and making others smile. When people earn through alignment with what they love, money becomes a natural byproduct rather than a constant struggle. Ken also connects money to ikigai—one’s life purpose—and shows how passion, contribution, and income can coexist without conflict. 

Ken is a globally recognized author and teacher known for blending spirituality with practical financial wisdom. With millions of books sold worldwide, including Happy Money, he helps people shift their mindset around wealth, gratitude, and purpose. His work focuses on transforming money from a source of anxiety into a source of peace, joy, and service.  

Expert action steps: 

1. Practice gratitude every time money comes in and goes out—train yourself to emotionally appreciate both. 

1. Identify your ikigai by noticing what energizes you naturally, then explore how it might serve others. 

1. Build a small group of supporters who value your work; sustainable income grows through trust and community. 

Learn more & connect: 

https://kenhonda.com/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@kenhondaofficial 

IG: @happykenhonda 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/kenhondahappymoney/ 

Also in this episode: 

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Joyful Life 

https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2022/03/ikigai_japanese_secret_to_a_joyful_life.html 

Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. 

“When I retired, I figured I’m going into my second career and I’m going to be a filmmaker.” 

Big ideas don’t always start with big budgets. Sometimes they start during moments of disruption, when plans fall apart and creativity has to take the lead. This episode highlights how shifting direction during uncertain times can open the door to entirely new worlds—both creatively and personally. 

Doug MacDougall joins the conversation to share the story behind Twice Upon A Time, a bold sci-fi fantasy web series that blends mystery, psychology, and time travel. What began as a creative pivot during lockdown has evolved into an ambitious, multi-season project featuring remote actors, genre-bending storytelling, and a cliff-hanger designed to leave audiences wanting more. The series follows five residents in a near-future asylum whose treatment hides far darker intentions than they realize. 

Doug is an independent film producer who creates cinematic web series with actors located across North America. Working entirely remotely, he combines green-screen production, post-production creativity, and a passion for storytelling to bring large-scale ideas to life—proving that even in disruptive times, imagination can still take center stage. 

But this isn’t just a movie for the sake of a movie. The series is dedicated to the memory of Doug's sister, Cheryl MacDougall-Oddie. Inspired by her generous spirit, each year, the production aims to raise $2000 of donations for Food Banks Canada and Feeding America. Over the last 5 years, our webseries have raised over $10,000. 

We hope to again raise over $2,000 this Christmas season with the online première of Season 1 of TWICE UPON A TIME - a sci-fi/fantasy webseries, with 7 private screenings from Friday, December 12 to Saturday, December 27. Cheryl was always a great supporter of mine and an individual who gave whatever she had to those in need especially at Christmas! 

Set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future, TWICE UPON A TIME is a sci-fi/fantasy webseries about a group of residents who find themselves in a mental asylum with no memory of how they got there. We soon come to realize that they are test subjects in an unsettling experiment. They eventually escape and must engage the services of a world-renowned time traveller to embark on a journey of self-discovery to find the truth before time runs out and a diabolical plot comes to fruition. 

If you would like to attend one of the 4 remaining screenings, here is the link for more information.... 

https://resultsentertainment.com/twice-upon-a-time/ 

With the economic challenges families face these days and household food insecurity on the rise, CHRISTMAS is the ideal time for GIVING to those in need in our community at large!! 

So, if you cannot attend, but would still like to make a tax-deductible donation (suggested $20) for food banks during the holiday season, here are the links: 

FOODBANKS CANADA 

www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/twice-upon-a-time-private-film-screening-charity-f/ 

FEEDING AMERICA 

https://teamfeed.feedingamerica.org/participants/TwiceUponaTimeFilmScreening 

Hope you can join us for this worthwhile Christmas charity fundraiser screening event! 

Here is a link to our Season 1 official trailer 

https://youtu.be/by4l-EEsHHk 

Expert action steps: 

1. Start creating with what you have instead of waiting for ideal conditions. 

1. Use genre and format experimentation to keep audiences engaged. 

1. Design projects that combine creative impact with social contribution. 

Learn more & connect: 

Check out all of Doug’s YouTube content @dougmacdougall4338 

Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. 

“We were delivering five-star service to clients who couldn’t afford it.” 

Most businesses don’t struggle because they lack talent or work ethic. They struggle because they’re solving real problems for customers who can’t afford meaningful solutions. When clients are under-resourced, even great work becomes exhausting, unpredictable, and hard to scale. The same effort, applied to better-capitalized customers, creates stability, clarity, and room to think long term instead of constantly chasing the next invoice. 

Emad Rizkalla shares how his company worked with world-class brands yet still found itself financially strained. The issue wasn’t capability—it was deal size. By moving upstream into government, defense, and large-scale workforce development, everything changed. Larger contracts meant fewer distractions, longer runways, and the ability to plan years ahead instead of months. The work didn’t get easier, but the business finally made sense. 

Emad is the founder of Bluedrop, a Canadian technology company focused on workforce development, training systems, and simulation for government and aerospace clients. Over more than 30 years, he’s built and evolved organizations by pairing strong culture with the discipline to pursue opportunities that actually support long-term growth.  

Expert action steps: 

1. Build a strong, non-toxic company culture before trying to scale revenue. 

1. Stop tying your self-worth solely to outcomes you cannot fully control. 

1. Hire for values and character first, and train skills second. 

Learn more & connect: 

https://bluedrop.com/ 

Also in this episode: 

https://dreambuilder.org/ 

Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. 

“Most of our stress in life comes from all of the incompletions in our lives.” 

Becoming a better version of yourself starts with understanding the mechanics behind personal transformation. At its core, growth comes from developing integrity, building systems that eliminate overwhelm, and learning the discipline required to follow through on the commitments that shape your identity. When you treat your life as a designed creation—not an accidental series of reactions—you give yourself the structure needed to operate with clarity and confidence. 

Bruce Muzik shares powerful insight into how his years immersed in transformational work—particularly the discipline he learned under Werner Erhard—revealed that excellence begins with completion, honesty, and the willingness to confront what isn’t working. Bruce explains how procedures, integrity, and emotional responsibility become tools that not only elevate performance but also strengthen a person’s sense of aliveness.   

Bruce is a transformational educator and relationship expert who has helped tens of thousands of people strengthen their marriages and redesign how they live. Through his company, Love at First Fight, Bruce brings a systems-based and emotionally intelligent approach to helping people create lasting connection.  

Expert action steps: 

• Connect before you communicate. 

• No connection, no conversation. 

• Be honest, not armoured. 

• Vulnerability is simply telling the truth about what’s happening inside you. 

• Practice healthy interdependence. 

• Stay strong on your own while knowing when to lean on others. 

Learn more & connect: 

Bruce is known as the ‘Relationship Repair Expert’. Learn more at  https://www.brucemuzik.com/. 

Also in this episode: 

• loveatfirstfight.com 

• Sex, Power, and Transformation by Marsha Martin https://marciamartintransform.com/thebook 

• Landmark Worldwide https://www.landmarkworldwide.com/the-landmark-forum 

Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. 

“I just want to focus on what I love doing, what lights me up, what brings me joy.” 

Buying back your time begins with understanding the true value of your hours. When you separate high-value strategic work from low-value administrative tasks, it becomes clear how much freedom can be reclaimed by eliminating, automating, or delegating what weighs you down. The core principle is simple: focus on the activities that move the needle, and build systems for everything else so time becomes an asset—not a burden. 

George Rivera & Michael Santonato explore how real transformation happens when you stop being the hero of your business and start becoming its architect. George shows how documenting tasks, creating SOPs, and hiring smartly allows founders to spend more time in their genius. Michael shares how clearing administrative clutter elevates his ability to educate clients and close high-value opportunities. Together, they show that buying back your time is a mindset long before it becomes a system. 

George is an entrepreneur with over $400M in career sales who now teaches founders how to reclaim their hours and reconnect with what matters most. Michael is a financial advisor and thought leader who helps people become financially indestructible. Both bring decades of mastery into a practical conversation for entrepreneurs ready to level up their time, income, and lifestyle. 

Expert action steps: 

1. Eliminate 

Remove tasks that don’t genuinely matter. If a task doesn’t move the business forward or support your highest-value work, cut it completely. 

1. Automate 

Create systems or use tools that handle repetitive work for you. Anything predictable, rule-based, or formula-driven should run on autopilot instead of consuming your mental bandwidth. 

1. Delegate 

Hand off everything that someone else can do at a fraction of your value. Document the process, give clear instructions, and assign ownership so you never have to touch that task again. 

Learn more & connect: 

You can find more info about Geroge’s book Buy Back Time Formula at https://buybacktimeformula.com/. 

Learn more about Michael as a financial coach and educator at https://michaelsantonato.com/. 

Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. 

“Take some action, make a commitment to yourself.” 

Every meaningful business breakthrough starts with a simple truth: your time is your most valuable asset. When you choose to treat each moment like it matters, you naturally prioritize clarity, courage, and decisive action. That mindset—rooted in focus rather than fear—creates the space for stronger ideas, smarter systems, and the confidence to grow forward. 

Becky Amble brings that principle to life. After realizing how quickly everything can change, Becky committed to helping entrepreneurs direct their energy toward what matters, including learning tools that multiply their impact. Through education, storytelling, and hands-on strategy, Becky shows how AI becomes less intimidating and more empowering when approached with curiosity and consistency. 

Becky is an author, educator, and AI strategist who has invested more than 3,000 hours mastering ChatGPT and practical business applications of AI. She writes multiple books, teaches entrepreneurs globally, and shares weekly AI tips to help business owners leverage technology one simple step at a time. 

Expert action steps: 

1. Identify your growth priorities – Use her “four revenue streams” framework to clarify where your biggest opportunity is. 

1. Get foundational AI education – Learn the basics so fear and overwhelm disappear, and you can use AI with confidence. 

1. Start immediately – Pick one tool or one strategy and take action this week. 

Learn more & connect: 

• Becky’s latest book: Grow or Die: Mastering the Four Pillars of Profit https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FZ3CQR35?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_B9VHVFZ51FYS00DSSD4V_1&bestFormat=true 

• Mastering ChatGPT for Women 

• Check out Becky’s LinkedIn newsletter & weekly AI tips https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckyamble/ 

Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level.