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“Celebrating craft, celebrating what you're good at, is what I wanna spend my life's work on.”

-Adam McKee

In this episode, host Ana Melikian is joined by Adam McKee, a visionary small business owner and craftsman from Lincoln, Nebraska. Adam delves into the ethos of celebrating craft in both business and life, sharing his experiences from taking over Contemporary Woods, a custom cabinetry business specializing in high-end homes.

Ana and Adam discuss the intricate relationship between craftsmanship and mindset, emphasizing the importance of focusing on both the tangible and intangible aspects of one's work. Adam sheds light on his personal journey, detailing the highs and lows of entrepreneurship and the transformative power of continuous learning and community engagement.

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“You will find the critical points in your life where you defy expectations.”

-Ana Melikian

In this episode, host Ana Melikian delves into her personal and inspiring journey of defying expectations, both self-imposed and those set by society. Ana shares fascinating stories from her life, from her experience as a speaker with an accent in three languages, to more profound experiences like dealing with dyslexia and overcoming serious health challenges like inflammatory breast cancer.

Ana reflects on her upbringing during the Carnation Revolution in Portugal, her academic challenges and triumphs, and professional choices that led her to move across continents for love and pursue her passion in a new country. Each story highlights how she surpassed the expected limitations and societal norms to redefine success on her own terms.

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“Colors evoke emotions conditioned by personal associations, our culture, and historical context.”

-Ana Melikian

In this episode, our host, Ana Melikian, immerses herself in the vibrant world of hues as she unravels the significant role colors play in our lives. Like her cherished collection of scarves, Ana views colors as a means to transform our appearance, mood, and mindset.

She delves into how colors are a silent language influencing our emotions and shaping our actions, an awareness meticulously capitalized on by advertising and marketing industries. Ana highlights the strategic choice of colors by brands to evoke specific feelings—red communicates energy and urgency, while blue is synonymous with trust and calmness, to name a few.

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“We have to be able to see the space between the stimulus and the response.”

-Ana Melikian, Ph.D.

In this episode of Mindset Zone, Authors Unite founder Tyler Wagner interviews Ana Melikian, PhD, for a transformative discussion on the systemic approach to human potential and the management of burnout. Ana introduces the listeners to her profound PIE method, emphasizing the power of pause, increased self-awareness, and a mindset geared towards experimentation.

Tyler and Ana delve into practical strategies for fostering sustainable work environments, highlight the continuum between burnout and full engagement, and touch upon the indispensable role sleep plays in maintaining optimal functioning.

Ana candidly shares her personal journey from psychology to coaching, revealing how her battle with cancer triggered a paradigm shift that led her to work smarter, not harder, and profoundly maximize her impact.

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“You can find nature everywhere if you look. The the impetus for this tree hugging capitalism was, yes, protecting nature, but also valuing people.”

-Nicole Fende

In this episode, Ana Melikian is joined by Nicole Fende, a former CFO and investment banker turned business coach for creatives. Co-founder of Creatopia, Nicole, shares her refreshing perspective on “tree-hugging capitalism,” where making money goes hand in hand with caring for nature and championing social causes and creativity.

Nicole delves into how her background in hardcore numbers intertwined with her love for nature led her to reshape the concept of success in the business realm. The pair discuss fair trade practices, the undervalued importance of nurturing people and the planet, and the potentially transformative impact of these practices on the environment and on business values.