What if the biggest thing standing between you and your potential is your own belief system and you've never been taught how to change it? In this rich and wide-ranging episode, Richard is joined by Espree Devora, founder of the Women in Tech and We Are LA Tech podcasts, entrepreneur, and fierce champion of human potential. Espree shares the daily practices that have transformed how she operates, from breathwork and nervous system regulation to the two-minute task method and the radical power of boundaries.

This is a conversation about far more than tech or women in business. It's about what it takes to show up fully and what gets in the way. Espree opens up about years of burnout from self-sacrifice, her ongoing recovery, and how learning to be selfish in the right way is the key to being truly selfless.

Key Takeaways

Self-limiting beliefs are the primary barrier between people and their potential — seeing others succeed is one of the most powerful ways to expand what you believe is possible for yourself.

Regulating your nervous system through breathwork is not woo-woo - it is a practical, tactical tool used by elite military units and high performers worldwide.

The two-minute method removes the resistance to starting small consistent actions compound into significant progress.

Good, kind, generous people are often the worst at boundaries and mastering them is essential to avoid burnout and resentment.

You have to be selfish in order to be selfless - taking care of yourself first is what enables you to serve others well.

Episode Highlights

Espree's founding story - why she created Women in Tech after noticing the conversation was focused on what wasn't possible for women.

The four-minute mile analogy and how one person breaking a barrier unlocks it for thousands.

How breathwork, Reality Transurfing, and nervous system regulation form Espree's daily morning ritual.

Burnout, resentment, and the long road back, Espree's honest account of years of self-sacrifice and recovery.

Social media as drug addiction — and the two-phone system Espree uses to take back control of her attention.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction — Creating Women in Tech and We Are LA Tech

02:32 Self-limiting beliefs — the real barrier to achievement

03:56 Nervous system regulation and why Espree studies it daily

05:23 Breathwork — not woo-woo, used by the Navy SEALs

07:08 Reality Transurfing and daily rituals to rewire perspective

08:10 Daniel Kahneman — System One, System Two and breathwork

11:11 Why breathwork has been unfairly positioned as far out there

12:20 Binaural beats, undiagnosed ADHD and learning how your brain works

15:16 Human design, anger, and embracing emotions rather than fighting them

17:06 Emotions are information — what you do with them is the work

18:55 The 18-year-old founder Espree wants to champion

20:46 Boundaries — the master skill for kind and generous people

26:11 Burnout, resentment, and the long road back

31:11 Writing your own headline — your career doesn't have to look a certain way

34:43 Social media as addiction — and the two-phone system

38:52 Self-medicating with screens — and the clarity on the other side

42:40 The book — principles, sincerity, and a promise to publish

🔗 Connect with Espree Devora

Website: podcast.womenintechshow.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/espree

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_jI2v-PHf_/

Connect and Subscribe

Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid's work at www.richard-reid.com.

Download the first two chapters of Richard's "Charisma Unlocked", audio or PDF version for free and begin your transformation towards authentic charisma:

https://richard-reid.com/master-authentic-charisma/

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

Are you busy all day but not actually moving forward? In this episode, Richard is joined by Chris Adams, strategic growth advisor and founder of CJA Consulting, who works with professional services firms and business owners across the world to cut through overwhelm and build clear, focused growth strategies. Chris breaks down why the biggest block to business growth isn't technical skill — it's the mindset shift that nobody prepares you for when you make partner, go out on your own, or scale beyond yourself.

From the spray-and-pray trap of unfocused marketing to the uncomfortable truth that people buy you not your brand, this conversation is packed with practical insight. Chris shares why your referral network outperforms any social media campaign, how personal brand is non-negotiable in a crowded professional services market, and why even he struggles to take his own advice — and what he does about it.

Key Takeaways

Identifying your ideal client and referral network is the foundation of every growth strategy — without it, all activity is noise.

Personal brand is not optional in professional services; people buy people, not company names.

Your referral network will always outperform thought leadership or social media when it comes to driving new business.

Reflection time is not a luxury — without it, business owners make reactive decisions rather than strategic ones.

You must own your own growth; no advisor, marketer, or consultant can do that for you.

Episode Highlights

The mindset shift lawyers face overnight when they make partner — and why it derails so many high performers.

Chris's lightbulb moment at a personal branding workshop six months into his business.

Why 150 international law firms competing in Dubai is the perfect illustration of personal brand as differentiator.

The spray and pray trap — what happens when you market before you have a strategy.

How AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude can help business owners get unstuck when no external advisor is available.

The launch of Muhami — a legal knowledge platform built to connect people with legal answers in the Middle East.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction — Richard welcomes Chris Adams

00:39 What CJA Consulting does and who it serves

01:21 The mindset shift from lawyer to business owner

03:36 Overwhelm as the common thread — and how to cut through it

05:13 Chasing shiny objects and losing strategic focus

06:35 Why every business owner needs reflection time

08:01 Meetings — the silent killer of productive time

10:03 The hamster wheel of busyness and how to break it

11:10 Resistance to change — the lawyer who said it was all on Chris

13:07 Personal brand, charisma, and why you are the differentiator

15:32 Dubai's crowded legal market and the power of standing out

17:56 Why sales is not a dirty word in professional services

20:33 Strategy before marketing — stop spraying and praying

21:51 Why referral networks beat social media every time

24:04 LinkedIn thought leadership made simple and systematic

26:52 Getting out from behind the computer — networking that fits you

28:42 Final tips — make a plan, reflect, and use AI to get unstuck

31:28 CJA Consulting, Muhami platform and Muhami Matters podcast

🔗 Connect with Christopher Adams

Website: www.muhami.ae

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisadamsdxb/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muhami.ae/

⭐️ Connect and Subscribe

Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid's work at www.richard-reid.com.

Download the first two chapters of Richard's "Charisma Unlocked", audio or PDF version for free and begin your transformation towards authentic charisma:

https://richard-reid.com/master-authentic-charisma/

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

What if the thing that nearly killed you became the catalyst for changing thousands of lives? In this powerful episode, Richard is joined by Joyce Bender, founder of Bender Consulting Services and the Bender Leadership Academy, whose personal experience of epilepsy and a near-fatal seizure led her to transform how corporate America employs people with disabilities. Joyce pulls no punches: hiring people with disabilities is not charity — it is a smart business investment, and the data backs it up.

From winning the President's Award at the White House to placing 200 people per year with the National Security Agency, Joyce has spent three decades dismantling the stigma, fear, and ignorance that keep 70 percent of disabled people out of the workforce. She shares the story of her angel at the movie theatre, why people with epilepsy have firepower, and what it truly means when someone arrives at work on a stretcher rather than miss a single day.

Key Takeaways

Something bad can happen to you — what defines you is what you make of it.

Hiring people with disabilities is a business investment, not an act of charity, with exceptional retention and engagement.

Stigma, fear, and ignorance are the primary barriers keeping disabled talent out of the workforce.

Education changes everything — the iDisability software platform was built to tackle workplace stigma at scale.

People with disabilities who have been excluded value work in a way that consistently outperforms expectations.

Episode Highlights

Joyce's misdiagnosed seizures leading to a fractured skull, brain haemorrhage, and coma at a movie theatre in 1985.

The mysterious doctor who appeared out of nowhere, saved her life, and was never identified.

How she pivoted from IT executive search to launching Bender Consulting Services in 1995.

Placing 200 people per year with disabilities at the National Security Agency in STEM roles.

The employee who called an Uber to hospital after being hit by a cab — and was back at work the next day.

The iDisability software platform and the Slaughter Stigma Campaign with bestselling author Karin Slaughter.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction — Richard welcomes Joyce Bender

01:00 Growing up with undiagnosed epilepsy

05:30 Pivoting from IT executive search to disability employment

09:00 Why hiring people with disabilities is a business investment

11:00 Retention, engagement, and the 70% unemployment figure

14:00 The Bender Leadership Academy and anti-bullying work

18:00 Teaching confidence, initiative, and public speaking to students

20:00 500 students on Disability Mentoring Day

22:00 The iDisability software platform — 52 modules

25:00 The Slaughter Stigma Campaign with Karin Slaughter

27:00 The employee who went to work on a stretcher

31:00 New focus: employment for people with intellectual disabilities

32:00 University of Pittsburgh partnership and AI in healthcare 33:00 Final words — paychecks not pity

🔗 Connect with Joyce Bender

Website: www.benderconsult.com / www.benderleadership.org

LInkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyce-bender-b840081/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyce_a_bender/

⭐️ Connect and Subscribe

Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid's work at www.richard-reid.com.

Download the first two chapters of Richard's "Charisma Unlocked", audio or PDF version for free and begin your transformation towards authentic charisma:

https://richard-reid.com/master-authentic-charisma/

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/