Heartbeat For Hire with Lyndsay Dowd

James Laughlin is a 7-Time World Champion musician, #1 best-selling author of Habits of High Performers, and global keynote speaker.   As a renowned strategist in High Performance Leadership, James helps businesses and teams make high performance their new normal. From boardrooms in London to missions in Antarctica, he equips leaders to unlock elite results. A history-making team captain and trusted mental skills coach to professional athletes, James brings proven tools to the world's top performers. He also hosts the #1-ranked Habits of High Performers podcast, where he interviews prime ministers, Formula 1 teams, and best-selling authors to explore the habits behind world-class performance.   Connect with James: Website: https://www.jjlaughlin.com LinkedIn: James Laughlin Instagram:  @JamesLaughlinOfficial  Free Planner: https://www.jjlaughlin.com/planner   Episode Summary: What turns a world champion into a coach for prime ministers and pro athletes? In this episode, Lindsay sits down with James Laughlin, who grew up in Northern Ireland, won his first drumming world championship at 13, and went on to win seven. At 30, James walked away from drumming to be a present dad, earned a leadership degree, and rebuilt his career helping high performers in business, sport, and politics.   James explains why high performance is a set of learned habits, not a birthright, and why it takes years of consistent reps. He shares what the world's best leaders have in common (radical clarity about what they want), why you should stop stressing over "purpose" and follow your passions instead, and how teams can rewire their beliefs. He also walks through two simple mental tools for handling change and pressure, including the "WTOH" question. The conversation closes with James's definition of legacy, news of his second book, and a call to have the courage to be yourself.   Key Takeaways: High performance is a habit, not a talent. Greatness takes time. Get radically clear on what you want. Passion is for you. Purpose is for others. Choose a possibilitarian mindset.   Episode Chapters: 00:00 Episode preview and what you'll learn 00:49 Meet James Laughlin 01:41 From Northern Ireland to New Zealand 03:04 What does a world champion drummer do? 04:16 Walking away from drumming and finding a new path 06:35 Why high performance is a habit, not talent 08:13 What the world's top leaders have in common 09:50 Passion vs. purpose 10:59 Bringing high-performance habits to your team 13:26 Mental skills for change and pressure 14:19 Minuscularian vs. possibilitarian mindset and WTOH 15:45 Finding the friction 16:42 Listener thank-you and Lead with Heart discount 17:36 What inspires James 18:01 James's legacy 18:58 What's next: book number two 19:36 Where to find James 20:05 Final message: have the courage to be yourself 20:39 Closing

Andrew Rosener is a globally recognized authority in domain name investment and brokerage, widely regarded as the foremost dealmaker in digital real estate. As the Founder and CEO of MediaOptions, the world's leading domain brokerage firm, Andrew has facilitated over $800 million in domain sales, including high-profile transactions such as X.com to Elon Musk, Zoom.com to Zoom, Prime.com and Podcast.com to Amazon, Galaxy.com to Galaxy Digital as well as thousands of others. His expertise and assistance in domain name and digital asset acquisition has enabled Fortune 500 companies, startups, and investors to establish powerful online brands, optimize digital marketing strategies, and capture significant market share.   As a true innovator in the domain industry, Andrew developed the Rosener Equation, a widely adopted methodology for objectively valuing domain names based on data and key market factors, helping businesses and investors make informed digital asset decisions. His strategic foresight and deep understanding of domain valuation, acquisition, and negotiation have reshaped the domain investment landscape, positioning him as one of the preeminent thought leaders in the digital economy, from domain names to crypto and well beyond.   Connect with Andrew Rosener X: x.com/andrewrosner LinkedIn: Andrew Rosener Company: mediaoptions.com   Episode Summary: In this conversation with Lyndsay, Andrew shares how he left a mid-six-figure job in his mid-20s, moved abroad, and bet everything on a pile of domains most people thought were worthless. He explains why a domain name is really digital real estate, how he built an objective way to price something nobody knew how to value, and what it felt like to broker x.com. He closes with what inspires him, the one line he wants on his tombstone, and why he believes leaning into change always pays off.   Key Takeaways: Know your natural strength. Small goals beat big leaps. A domain is the shortest path to someone's intent. Exact-match .coms build instant trust. Fix what's broken in a market.   Episode Chapters: 00:00 – Preview and What You'll Learn 00:46 – Welcome to Heartbeat for Hire 01:02 – Meet Andrew Rosener 01:53 – From College Software Startup to Seafood Sales 04:49 – Collecting Domains and Leaving a Six-Figure Job 08:29 – Sink or Swim: Moving to Panama 09:32 – The First Big Break: Selling Pizza.net 10:55 – Why Domains Are Digital Real Estate 14:44 – Becoming a Broker and Creating the Valuation Formula 19:00 – How He Brokered x.com 21:59 – Short Domains and Two-Letter .coms 22:53 – Thank You and Listener Perk 23:36 – What Inspires Andrew 25:11 – His Legacy: "He Always Did What He Said He Was Gonna Do" 25:49 – Where to Find Andrew 26:18 – What's Next 26:58 – Final Takeaway: Don't Be Afraid of Change

Lacey Newman is a founder, coach, and keynote speaker who has helped thousands of high-performing women build businesses and lives that are truly their own. Over two decades she scaled a real estate team to nearly $1B in volume, was the former host of the Emmy-nominated The American Dream, and grew her income from under $50K to seven figures — all while raising two kids on her own.   After failing out of real estate once (she was one of the 85% who do), Lacey came back with a different playbook — one built on boundaries, systems, and self-trust instead of hustle. Today she teaches women to stop over-functioning, untangle their identity from productivity, and reinvent their work from a place of clarity instead of burnout.   Connect with Lacey Newman: website: laceynewman.com Instagram: @heylaceynewman   Episode Summary: Lacey Newman spent 20+ years in real estate, helped build a team that crossed $1 billion in sales volume, and hosted the Emmy-nominated show The American Dream. She also quit the industry for about two years, felt like a failure as a young mom, and went through a divorce in 2014 with two kids ages three and five.   When she came back to real estate, she threw out the rule book. She stopped being available 24/7, took control of her schedule, and was surprised to find that clients respected her more and her business grew. She went from earning under $70K a year to a multi-seven-figure business.   Key Takeaways: Boundaries help your business. Failure is only failure if you stop. A pivot is not quitting. Fire the bad client. Take care of your body, mind, and spirit first.   Episode Chapters: 00:00 Cold open: three things you'll learn 00:47 Welcome and meet Lacey Newman 01:44 Lacey's story: from new agent to quitting during the recession 03:07 Divorce and the comeback to real estate 04:20 From a billion-dollar team to coaching women 05:23 Turning failure around: throwing out the rule book 08:37 Boundaries for clients and why Lacey celebrates firing a client 10:25 Failure, playing big, and pivoting vs. quitting 11:47 Looking fine on the outside, struggling on the inside 15:53 Listener thank-you and Cozy Earth discount 16:58 What inspires Lacey: her kids, a favorite quote, and mom guilt 19:53 Lacey's legacy 20:58 What's next: a new podcast, a book, and going all in on AI 22:33 Where to find Lacey 23:01 Final message for listeners 23:49 Wrap-up and outro

Jenny Cova is a professional skydiver, BASE jumper, adventure athlete, author, speaker, and entrepreneur who has spent much of her life learning what fear can teach us when we stop running from it.   With thousands of jumps and more than a decade spent in high pressure environments—from the sky to the mountains—Jenny has learned that courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the relationship we build with it, and who we become when we stop letting fear choose our lives.   She is the author of Why Am I Here and the founder of The She Who Rises, a growing movement rooted in the belief that when women rise, humanity rises. Through her writing, speaking, and work, Jenny explores self-leadership, our relationship with fear, and what it means to live with greater courage, presence, purpose, and joy.   Swiss-Italian and based in the Swiss Alps, Jenny is most at home somewhere between earth and sky—whether she's skydancing, BASE jumping, climbing mountains, skiing, or asking the   Connect With Jenny: Website: www.jenny-cova.com LinkedIn: Jenny Cova Instagram: @jenjen.cova   Episode Summary: Thousands of skydives and BASE jumps taught Jenny Cova something most people never learn: courage isn't about running through fear, it's about understanding it. In this conversation with Lindsay, Jenny shares how a childhood spent staring at clouds led her to wingsuit BASE jumping, why skydiving was the first sport she wasn't naturally good at, and how her perfectionism nearly pushed her out of the sport she loved.   Key Takeaways: Courage isn't the absence of fear. Fear has a reason. Mistakes are how you learn. Swap pressure for love. Some fear is healthy.   Episode Chapters: 00:00 Cold open: put love on yourself instead of pressure 00:25 What you'll learn + welcome to the show 00:58 Meet Jenny Cova 01:52 Jenny's story: Switzerland, adventure sports, and her relationship with fear 02:39 Childhood dreams of the sky and discovering wingsuit BASE jumping 03:59 From first skydive to serious jumper 06:28 Learning to dance in the sky and taking five years off 07:43 Why mistakes matter and how Jenny coaches others through them 08:17 Self-love, self-worth, and patience 09:16 Leadership lessons: it's okay not to know everything 10:35 Courage, fear, and the "adrenaline junkie" myth 11:21 Fear of imperfection and healing the younger self 12:17 BASE jumping, healthy fear, and Jenny's pre-jump routine 13:22 Coping tools, breathwork, and the next generation 14:24 Who Jenny works with and her "midlife awakening" 15:42 Listener thank-you and show perks 16:32 What inspires Jenny 17:44 Jenny's legacy 18:46 Where to find Jenny and her book Why Am I Here? 20:04 Final message: act in spite of fear, then understand it 21:04 Jenny's Sneaks skydive campaign 21:32 Wrap-up and goodbye

Bruce E. Cardenas journey spans from the United States Marine Corps (disabled veteran) to the LAPD, where he was awarded the highest award, the Police Medal for bravery. He still serves as a level one reserve for the LA County Sheriff's Department serving the citizens of the county. Bruce then embarked on his entrepreneurial path by founding a high-level personal protection business. Protecting some of the biggest names in entertainment & business over the past 30 years. All while serving as a police officer. A serendipitous meeting with the founders of Quest Nutrition led Bruce to become an intrapreneur within the startup, ultimately rising to Chief Communications Officer. He played an instrumental role in the billion-dollar sale of Quest Nutrition.   Bruce's journey now continues with Legendary Foods, where he leverages his expertise and passion. Legendary is on track to be another billion dollar brand! And at Legendary, we spend millions of dollars a year, looking for answers in cancer, heart, disease, neuropathy, and other metabolic diseases, We started our own Bio Shift research foundation, 501(c)(3), nonprofit as we continue this battle   Connect with Bruce Cardenas Website: brucecardenas.com (his book is available here) Social media: Bruce E. Cardenas Episode Summary: Bruce Cardenas grew up in a small New Jersey town of about 1,000 people, was held back in school, and dreamed of joining the local five-man police department. That path led him through the Marine Corps, the LAPD, and a 30-year career as a personal bodyguard for some of the biggest names in entertainment.   Key Takeaways: Bring value with no strings attached. Relationships and professionalism build a business. Think like an intrapreneur. Be obsessed with customers, not competitors. Keep it simple and consistent.   Episode Chapters: 00:00 Cold Open: Three Things You'll Learn Today 00:45 Welcome and Introducing Bruce Cardenas 01:54 Growing Up in High Bridge, NJ, and Joining the Marine Corps 05:01 From Camp Pendleton to the LAPD 06:08 Starting a Bodyguard Business While Working as a Cop 09:26 Meeting the Founders of Quest Nutrition 12:22 Becoming an Intrapreneur and Chief Communications Officer 13:44 The Billion-Dollar Cash Sale and Being Obsessed with Customers 14:45 What Is Legendary Foods? 16:10 Costly Mistakes at Quest and Why Consistency Wins 17:15 Leadership Lessons from Founder Ron Pena 18:16 The 85% Blockage That Changed Everything 19:41 $20 Million into Cancer and Heart Disease Research 21:32 Ron's Vision and Showing Up with Value 22:58 What Inspires Bruce: Money as a Facilitator 24:09 Legacy and Why He Wrote His Book 24:56 What's Next for Bruce and Legendary 26:05 Where to Find Bruce 26:19 Final Advice: Start Today 27:53 Closing Thoughts