Happy Whole You

264. This isn't the vulnerability you think | Flipping the leadership paradigm with Cortney McDermott

In this conversation, Dr. Anna Marie, with Cortney, unpacks and reframes what vulnerability truly is—shifting it from oversharing, venting, or seeking validation to a deeper state of relaxation, safety, and authenticity in ourselves and with others. They explore how this redefinition transforms leadership, client work, and relationships, emphasizing that real vulnerability begins with being honest and gentle with ourselves. The discussion also offers practical ways to notice tension in the body, create inner safety, and use pause and non-reaction as powerful leadership tools. Key Points: * Vulnerability is deep relaxation and safety in the presence of others. * It is not gossip, oversharing, or "airing dirty laundry." * Many confuse vulnerability with venting and victimhood to get validation. * True vulnerability means sharing without needing validation or agreement. * In leadership, vulnerability is a calm, grounded presence in any context. * People are drawn to leaders who feel safe, relaxed, and steady. * Real vulnerability starts with being honest and gentle with yourself first. * Your body's tension or relaxation is a key signal of safety or misalignment. * You don't have to respond immediately—there is power in pause and silence. * "Don't give it oxygen": choosing not to fuel drama or reactivity is a core vulnerable leadership move. About Cortney McDermott: Cortney McDermott is an award-winning author and speaker and celebrity coach. Her work in self-development and business strategy has been featured in Inc., Women's Health, NBC, The Huffington Post, MindBodyGreen, and SUCCESS, and her talks on human potential have been shared on stages including TEDx, Mindvalley, Oxford Saïd Business School, and Richard Branson's private island, Necker. With a Master of Science from the London School of Economics, Cortney blends academic rigor with real-world experience to help individuals and organizations reach their highest potential. Her career highlights include executive roles at Vanity Fair Corporation, Vice President at Sustainability Partners Inc., and successfully running her own businesses, where she has worked with brands such as Universal Music Group, Nike, Kickstarter, and Google. Fluent in four languages, Cortney splits her time between Italy and the US. Connect with Cortney: Cort's Website [https://www.cortneymcdermott.com/] Cort's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cortneymcdermott/] Cort's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cortneymcdermott/] Connect with Anna: Email: annamarie@happywholeyou.com / info@HappyWholeYou.com Website: www.happywholeyou.com [http://www.happywholeyou.com/] / https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou [https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou] Personal Website: www.DrAnnaMarie.com [http://www.drannamarie.com/] Instagram: @happywholeyou [https://www.instagram.com/happywholeyou/] Personal Instagram: @Dr.Anna.Marie Facebook: Happy Whole You [https://www.facebook.com/happywholeyou] LinkedIn: Anna Marie Frank [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annamariefrankhappywholeyou/] Venmo: @happywholeyou [https://account.venmo.com/u/happywholeyou]

263. Healing Your Gut by Addressing the Root Cause with Dr. Sameer Islam

If you are tired of treating symptoms without real answers, this conversation challenges how you see modern medicine. You are invited to look beyond prescriptions and quick fixes and start asking why your body is reacting in the first place. Stress, lifestyle, and inflammation often sit at the center of gut issues like IBS, reflux, and chronic discomfort. You will hear why fiber, sleep, movement, and community matter more than most people realize. Rising gut disorders and colon cancer in younger adults make prevention and early awareness critical. Instead of labeling yourself by a diagnosis, you are encouraged to see symptoms as signals your body is asking for support. The focus turns to balance. You do not have to reject traditional care, but you can pair it with meditation, exercise, and simple nutrition habits that support long term digestive health. When you shift from fear to understanding, healing becomes more practical and personal. In this Episode, You'll Learn: * Differences in Healthcare and Root Causes * Connection Between Stress and Gut Issues * Balancing Medical and Non-Medical Treatments * Probiotics and Overall Health * Increasing Gut Issues and Cancer in Younger Individuals * Colon Cancer and Symptoms * Breaking Bad News to Patients * Approaching Health with a Different Perspective * Personal Health Practices * Simplifying Healthy Eating About Dr. Sameer Islam: Dr. Sameer Islam is a West Texas native, growing up in Odessa, TX. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas in Austin, graduating with honors. Dr. Islam completed both his medical degree (MD) and master's of Business association (MBA) at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Texas Tech Rawls School of Business, respectively. After completing his internal medicine training at Texas Tech University, he completed his fellowship in Gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. For his entire career, he's balanced a love of working with patients and an obsession with cutting-edge scientific developments that are changing the way we see digestive health, and medicine as a whole. As a functional gastroenterologist, he can provide patients with more treatment options than those offered by traditional Western Medicine. Connect with Anna: Email: annamarie@happywholeyou.com / info@HappyWholeYou.com Website: www.happywholeyou.com [http://www.happywholeyou.com/] / https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou [https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou] Personal Website: www.DrAnnaMarie.com [http://www.drannamarie.com/] Instagram: @happywholeyou [https://www.instagram.com/happywholeyou/] Personal Instagram: @Dr.Anna.Marie Facebook: Happy Whole You [https://www.facebook.com/happywholeyou] LinkedIn: Anna Marie Frank [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annamariefrankhappywholeyou/] Venmo: @happywholeyou [https://account.venmo.com/u/happywholeyou]

262. Why Most Leadership Models Are Broken And What Actually Works with Anthony Cudio

In this powerful, high-frequency conversation, Dr. Anna Marie welcomes back Anthony, a transformational coach who has spent nearly three decades helping people optimize their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Building on their earlier episode together ("Unlocking the Code of Human Potential" – Episode 229), they explore new paradigms of personal development that help leaders and individuals step into who they were truly designed to be. In this Episode, You'll Learn: * How your words, thoughts, and beliefs shape your health, finances, and relationships * Why inner work (healing, self-responsibility, self-love) must come before outer success * Simple daily practices: meditation, grounding, and movement to raise your energy * How to work with healing and abundance frequencies (528 Hz, 777 Hz, 963 Hz) * What it means to live as a soul-led leader instead of an ego-driven one About Anthony Cudio: Anthony Cudjo, known as "Coach Cudjo," is the Founder and Head Coach of Human Optimization 3.0 (H3O) and a leading expert in human performance and life optimization. With over 35 years of experience as a business consultant, executive coach, and performance specialist, he helps individuals elevate their health, mindset, and success. A former professional athlete and certified life coach, advanced NLP practitioner, nutritionist, and metabolic specialist, Anthony integrates mind, body, and spirit to unlock peak potential. Through his Human Optimization 3.0 method, he empowers individuals and leaders to achieve high performance and purposeful living. Connect with Anthony: Website: https://urh3o.com/ [https://urh3o.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humanoptimization3.0/ [https://www.facebook.com/humanoptimization3.0/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Humanoptimization3.0 [https://www.instagram.com/Humanoptimization3.0] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Humanoptimization3.0 [https://www.youtube.com/@Humanoptimization3.0]LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/urh3oanthonycudjo/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/urh3oanthonycudjo/]Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@humanoptimization3.0 [https://www.tiktok.com/@humanoptimization3.0] Connect with Anna: Email: annamarie@happywholeyou.com / info@HappyWholeYou.com Website: www.happywholeyou.com [http://www.happywholeyou.com/] / https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou [https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou] Personal Website: www.DrAnnaMarie.com [http://www.drannamarie.com/] Instagram: @happywholeyou [https://www.instagram.com/happywholeyou/] Personal Instagram: @Dr.Anna.Marie Facebook: Happy Whole You [https://www.facebook.com/happywholeyou] LinkedIn: Anna Marie Frank [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annamariefrankhappywholeyou/] Venmo: @happywholeyou [https://account.venmo.com/u/happywholeyou]

261. What Your Body Knows That Your Mind Has Been Ignoring with Jen Aks

In this episode of the Happy Whole You Podcast, Jen Aks shares her powerful journey from feeling "not smart enough" in a test-score-driven world to reclaiming her innate wisdom and creating a body-based practice that helps others do the same. She and the host explore multiple forms of intelligence—kinesthetic, emotional, and somatic—while challenging the old stories that keep us small. Jen also guides a simple, hands-on somatic exercise live on the show to demonstrate how we can listen to and love our bodies, calm our nervous systems, and reconnect with our authentic selves. Key Points * How a childhood story of "not being smart" shaped Jen's life—and how she rewrote it * Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences and why test scores are not the ultimate measure of intelligence * The power of kinesthetic, emotional, and somatic intelligence in real-life success and fulfillment * Why so many people (especially teens and young adults) feel like they don't belong in today's comparison-driven culture * The concept of "body set": using hands on heart and belly to pause, notice, and reconnect * Introduction to Jen's somatic practice and the Power of Gesture—using hand movements to embody and release emotions * A live guided exercise to ease lower-back tension using touch, breath, and loving attention * Why simply paying attention and pausing (without attaching meaning) is the first step to reconnecting with your body's wisdom * How emotional and body-based practices can support leaders, executives, students, and kids alike * Where to find Jen's work, including her book Your Body Is Speaking and her "Body Set to Reset" 5‑day email series About Jen Aks: Her journey into leadership and embodiment began as a self-conscious student who felt unseen by traditional education. Through decades as a dance educator, she rediscovered the body's wisdom and the power of kinesthetic and emotional intelligence. Today, she helps others reconnect with their inner intelligence, worthiness, and courage—guiding them toward embodied leadership and aligned, purposeful living. Connect with Anna: Email: annamarie@happywholeyou.com / info@HappyWholeYou.com Website: www.happywholeyou.com [http://www.happywholeyou.com/] / https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou [https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou] Personal Website: www.DrAnnaMarie.com [http://www.drannamarie.com/] Instagram: @happywholeyou [https://www.instagram.com/happywholeyou/] Personal Instagram: @Dr.Anna.Marie Facebook: Happy Whole You [https://www.facebook.com/happywholeyou] LinkedIn: Anna Marie Frank [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annamariefrankhappywholeyou/] Venmo: @happywholeyou [https://account.venmo.com/u/happywholeyou]

260. Can You Drink Wine and Still Lose Weight: The Science with Melanie Avalon

What if optimizing your health is less about guessing and more about testing? You explore the science behind diet and intermittent fasting while learning why food quality, timing, and even your wine choices matter more than most people think. The focus shifts toward intentional living—where data, not trends, guides your next move. You'll also look into practical biohacking tools you can actually use, from blue light blockers and red light therapy to continuous glucose monitors and cold exposure. The big idea is simple: when you measure what's happening inside your body, you make smarter decisions outside of it. Along the way, you're encouraged to take a more holistic path—one that blends modern tech, ancient longevity principles, and open-minded medical care. Because real performance and long-term health come from understanding your body, not just managing symptoms. About Melanie Avalon: Melanie Avalon, a top health influencer, captivates thousandsof listeners with millionsof downloads through her podcasts, The Melanie Avalon Biohacking Podcast and TheIntermittent Fasting Podcast. Her journey into health and wellness began as shesought resources toaddress her personal health issues. Melanie becamefascinated with optimizing her body for vitality and longevity, ultimately discovering the world of "biohacking." With a background as a SAG-AFTRA actress, Melanie became enamored with this new realm and yearned toshare her passion. Today, a fiercelyengaged audienceand community join her weekly as sheinterviews someof the most respected names in health and wellness. Melanie authored What When Wine:Lose Weightand Feel Great with Paleo-Style Meals, Intermittent Fasting,and Wine(W. W. Norton Countryman Press,2018), created thetop Appleapp Food Sense Guide, and launched thesuccessful supplement line, AvalonX. She has been featured in numerous publications, including USA Today, Forbes, Entrepreneur, CNBC MakeIt!,LA Weekly,and Fox News. Connect with Melanie: Instagram: @melanieavalon [https://www.instagram.com/melanieavalon?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==] Website: melanieavalon.com [http://melanieavalon.com/]Linktree: linktree [https://linktr.ee/melanieavalon?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=b69794cd-d64f-47f2-896c-12d38ce7c47a] Connect with Anna: Email: annamarie@happywholeyou.com / info@HappyWholeYou.com Website: www.happywholeyou.com [http://www.happywholeyou.com/] / https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou [https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou] Personal Website: www.DrAnnaMarie.com [http://www.drannamarie.com/] Instagram: @happywholeyou [https://www.instagram.com/happywholeyou/] Personal Instagram: @Dr.Anna.Marie Facebook: Happy Whole You [https://www.facebook.com/happywholeyou] LinkedIn: Anna Marie Frank [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annamariefrankhappywholeyou/] Venmo: @happywholeyou [https://account.venmo.com/u/happywholeyou] https://account.venmo.com/u/happywholeyou