The Positively Altered Podcast

Episode #86: From Four-Week Coma to the Stage: Dan McQueen's Story Will Make You Rethink Everything

47 min · 29. touko 2026
jakson Episode #86: From Four-Week Coma to the Stage: Dan McQueen's Story Will Make You Rethink Everything kansikuva

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Episode #86: From Four-Week Coma to the Stage: Dan McQueen's Story Will Make You Rethink Everything   Dan McQueen went in for headaches. He came out of a four-week coma unable to walk, talk, or smile. What happened next wasn't a dramatic overnight comeback; it was a game. Five minutes faster in the wheelchair. Then five more. His "aim small, miss small, ratchet" philosophy is deceptively simple and genuinely life-changing. Dr. Cindy calls this one the episode that brought her to tears. Fair warning: It might do the same to you.   In this episode, we cover:   * (4:00) How a headache drastically changed Dan’s life.  * (10:00) “This isn’t my life. I was healthy yesterday.”  * (17:00) Challenging the status quo and risking failure rather than sitting in mediocrity.  * (20:00) Motivation is about proving you wrong, proving you’re right, and serving. * (23:00) Forgiving yourself today to help move yourself forward tomorrow? * (26:00) How Dan views this life-altering circumstance as a gift.  * (30:00) If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  * (35:00) Control the controllable- It’s not about what happened to you, it’s about how you react.  * (39:00) Rapid-fire questions   Dr. Cindy’s Socials: https://linktr.ee/drcindyspeaks [https://linktr.ee/drcindyspeaks] Dr. Cindy’s Merch [https://merchloop.com/collections/dr-cindy]   Dr. Cindy’s Partners: Professional Health Products: http://www.phpltd.com [http://www.phpltd.com] Stopain Clinical: https://www.stopainclinical.com/ [https://www.stopainclinical.com/] Infinedi: https://infinedi.net/ [https://infinedi.net/]   About Dan Macqueen:   At 28, Dan was leading a healthy, active life. After an optometrist appointment to identify the cause of his persistent headaches was cut short, he was handed a sealed envelope and told to go directly to the hospital. What followed was emergency brain surgery. On June 21, 2014, Dan's reality was shattered by a devastating brain hemorrhage. With no map to guide him on the gruelling path to recovery, Dan had to rely on his grit, perseverance, and resilience to relearn everything he once knew: how to walk, talk, and even smile.   Dan has survived two emergency brain surgeries, weeks in a coma, and months in a rehab hospital. What he found out along the way might surprise you: there is nothing like a brain injury to refocus the mind! Driven by a positive mindset, Dan battled through excruciating rehab exercises to rebuild his life and return to a job he loved.    He’s grateful for the doctors who saved him and the friends and family who supported him. Now he wants to pay it forward. The tools Dan used to rebuild his life can be used by anyone facing challenges. He will reveal strategies to help you or your team be #BetterThanYesterday and achieve your goals, one step at a time. His action-oriented life hacks will help you tackle anything you face.   Through his talks, Dan has inspired groups at the @NHS London Wolfsen rehabilitation centre, @Headway - West London, a Brain injury association, @Hootsuite, a social media management company, and @Spendesk, a Fintech SaaS company based in London. His audiences were moved and uplifted by Dan's story and ready to use his practical approaches to triumph over adversity.    Follow Dan: Website [http://www.macqueendan.com] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvetrjnuZDZ66QRTiJtt6mw] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/macqueendan/] Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/macqueendan/]   Follow, rate, and review Dr. Cindy on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-positively-altered-podcast/id1773804535] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7429Yj7FlC3O6WhgmzAWas]! If you love Dr. Cindy's episodes, here's how to follow her so you never miss one!   1. For Apple, click the “Follow” button at the top of the page on the right.  2. For Spotify, click the “Follow” button below Dr. Cindy’s show tile.   Questions about her content? Please visit Dr. Cindy’s disclaimer at the bottom of the page. www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast [http://www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast]

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jakson Episode #86: From Four-Week Coma to the Stage: Dan McQueen's Story Will Make You Rethink Everything kansikuva

Episode #86: From Four-Week Coma to the Stage: Dan McQueen's Story Will Make You Rethink Everything

Episode #86: From Four-Week Coma to the Stage: Dan McQueen's Story Will Make You Rethink Everything   Dan McQueen went in for headaches. He came out of a four-week coma unable to walk, talk, or smile. What happened next wasn't a dramatic overnight comeback; it was a game. Five minutes faster in the wheelchair. Then five more. His "aim small, miss small, ratchet" philosophy is deceptively simple and genuinely life-changing. Dr. Cindy calls this one the episode that brought her to tears. Fair warning: It might do the same to you.   In this episode, we cover:   * (4:00) How a headache drastically changed Dan’s life.  * (10:00) “This isn’t my life. I was healthy yesterday.”  * (17:00) Challenging the status quo and risking failure rather than sitting in mediocrity.  * (20:00) Motivation is about proving you wrong, proving you’re right, and serving. * (23:00) Forgiving yourself today to help move yourself forward tomorrow? * (26:00) How Dan views this life-altering circumstance as a gift.  * (30:00) If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  * (35:00) Control the controllable- It’s not about what happened to you, it’s about how you react.  * (39:00) Rapid-fire questions   Dr. Cindy’s Socials: https://linktr.ee/drcindyspeaks [https://linktr.ee/drcindyspeaks] Dr. Cindy’s Merch [https://merchloop.com/collections/dr-cindy]   Dr. Cindy’s Partners: Professional Health Products: http://www.phpltd.com [http://www.phpltd.com] Stopain Clinical: https://www.stopainclinical.com/ [https://www.stopainclinical.com/] Infinedi: https://infinedi.net/ [https://infinedi.net/]   About Dan Macqueen:   At 28, Dan was leading a healthy, active life. After an optometrist appointment to identify the cause of his persistent headaches was cut short, he was handed a sealed envelope and told to go directly to the hospital. What followed was emergency brain surgery. On June 21, 2014, Dan's reality was shattered by a devastating brain hemorrhage. With no map to guide him on the gruelling path to recovery, Dan had to rely on his grit, perseverance, and resilience to relearn everything he once knew: how to walk, talk, and even smile.   Dan has survived two emergency brain surgeries, weeks in a coma, and months in a rehab hospital. What he found out along the way might surprise you: there is nothing like a brain injury to refocus the mind! Driven by a positive mindset, Dan battled through excruciating rehab exercises to rebuild his life and return to a job he loved.    He’s grateful for the doctors who saved him and the friends and family who supported him. Now he wants to pay it forward. The tools Dan used to rebuild his life can be used by anyone facing challenges. He will reveal strategies to help you or your team be #BetterThanYesterday and achieve your goals, one step at a time. His action-oriented life hacks will help you tackle anything you face.   Through his talks, Dan has inspired groups at the @NHS London Wolfsen rehabilitation centre, @Headway - West London, a Brain injury association, @Hootsuite, a social media management company, and @Spendesk, a Fintech SaaS company based in London. His audiences were moved and uplifted by Dan's story and ready to use his practical approaches to triumph over adversity.    Follow Dan: Website [http://www.macqueendan.com] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvetrjnuZDZ66QRTiJtt6mw] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/macqueendan/] Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/macqueendan/]   Follow, rate, and review Dr. Cindy on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-positively-altered-podcast/id1773804535] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7429Yj7FlC3O6WhgmzAWas]! If you love Dr. Cindy's episodes, here's how to follow her so you never miss one!   1. For Apple, click the “Follow” button at the top of the page on the right.  2. For Spotify, click the “Follow” button below Dr. Cindy’s show tile.   Questions about her content? Please visit Dr. Cindy’s disclaimer at the bottom of the page. www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast [http://www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast]

29. touko 202647 min
jakson Episode #85: Twenty Broken Bones, Eight Days in a Coma, and 364 Days to Race Again kansikuva

Episode #85: Twenty Broken Bones, Eight Days in a Coma, and 364 Days to Race Again

Episode #85: Twenty Broken Bones, Eight Days in a Coma, and 364 Days to Race Again   Jason Dennen hit a building at 30 miles an hour. His heart literally ended up on the wrong side of his chest. Eight days in a coma, 20 broken bones, and one very direct conversation with his mom later, he decided to race a triathlon in under a year. This episode isn't just a survival story. It's about finding a "why" big enough to get you through the worst pain of your life.   In this episode, we cover:   * (3:00) How Jason became a thrill seeker!  * (7:00) If you trust yourself to jump out of an airplane, you can trust yourself in life.  * (8:00) Jason’s skydiving story. * (15:00) The ups and downs of the healing process and how Jason found purpose from his accident.  * (16:00) Jason’s accidental poisoning in the hospital.  * (23:00) Using negativity to your advantage to prove people wrong.  * (37:00) Rapid-fire questions   Dr. Cindy’s Socials: https://linktr.ee/drcindyspeaks [https://linktr.ee/drcindyspeaks] Dr. Cindy’s Merch [https://merchloop.com/collections/dr-cindy]   Dr. Cindy’s Partners: Professional Health Products: http://www.phpltd.com [http://www.phpltd.com] Stopain Clinical: https://www.stopainclinical.com/ [https://www.stopainclinical.com/] Infinedi: https://infinedi.net/ [https://infinedi.net/]   About Jason Dennen: Jason Dennen is an inspirational speaker, author, skydiver, mountain climber, triathlete, explorer, and has spent over 25 years in financial services. He was born and raised in New Jersey but felt a pull to explore and test his limits in the wide-open expanses of the West.     After years of searching to find his limits, one day he ran into his greatest challenge.  A skydiving accident that nearly took his life.  The crash broke 20 bones, badly damaged 4 organs, and thrust his heart from the left side to the right side of his body.  He survived a coma that lasted 8 days.  Even his doctors couldn’t believe he survived the traumatic accident with the injuries he incurred.  He woke up from the coma with a badly broken body that required him to stay in the hospital for 3 and a half months, undergo 11 months of rehabilitation, and relearn to walk.  After his doctor told him that it was unlikely he would ever run again, he decided to sign up for a triathlon to test the doctor’s prognosis.  Less than 1 year after the accident, he completed a triathlon and proved the doctor wrong. And then he kept going and started climbing mountains again because doctors told him it would be impossible.   Jason had unknowingly spent his entire life training his body and mind for this moment.  Every philosophy and principle Jason lived by and every ounce of physical strength and mental resilience he had built over his lifetime of living on the edge proved to be exactly what saved his life.   Jason is on a mission to empower people and organizations to overcome challenges that were once considered impossible.  Jason not only inspires people and organizations, but Jason provides them with the tools and mindset to take on their greatest challenges and succeed.   Follow Jason: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jwdboulder/]  Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondennen/]    Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/jason.dennen.5]       Follow, rate, and review Dr. Cindy on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-positively-altered-podcast/id1773804535] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7429Yj7FlC3O6WhgmzAWas]! If you love Dr. Cindy's episodes, here's how to follow her so you never miss one!   1. For Apple, click the “Follow” button at the top of the page on the right.  2. For Spotify, click the “Follow” button below Dr. Cindy’s show tile.   Questions about her content? Please visit Dr. Cindy’s disclaimer at the bottom of the page. www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast [http://www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast]

22. touko 202646 min
jakson Episode #84: From $100K in Debt to C-Suite: Shira Miller on Reinventing Remarkable kansikuva

Episode #84: From $100K in Debt to C-Suite: Shira Miller on Reinventing Remarkable

Episode #84: From $100K in Debt to C-Suite: Shira Miller on Reinventing Remarkable   Shira Miller lost everything in the Great Recession: fancy office, six-figure debt, and her health. Then she stopped apologizing for it. Now she's a C-suite exec, keynote speaker, and author obsessed with one idea: the “remarkable” is already in you, buried under exhaustion and 80,000 daily thoughts (most of them negative). This episode is equal parts science, strategy, and donuts. Come for the comeback story; stay for the cognitive reframing.   In this episode, we cover:   * (3:00) Are you really having fun in life? * (9:00) A dirty little secret about Dunkin' Donuts.  * (12:00) Activate the remarkable! * (17:00) Why a reverse bucket list is more rewarding than a typical bucket list.  * (22:00) Finding the most resistance when searching for remarkability.  * (26:00) Reevaluating the connotation of the word failure.  * (30:00) What’s next for Shira? * (34:00) Rapid-fire questions   Dr. Cindy’s Socials: https://linktr.ee/drcindyspeaks [https://linktr.ee/drcindyspeaks] Dr. Cindy’s Merch [https://merchloop.com/collections/dr-cindy]   Dr. Cindy’s Partners: Professional Health Products: http://www.phpltd.com [http://www.phpltd.com] Stopain Clinical: https://www.stopainclinical.com/ [https://www.stopainclinical.com/] Infinedi: https://infinedi.net/ [https://infinedi.net/]   About Shira Miller:  Award-winning keynote speaker Shira Miller activates the remarkable in people, teams, and organizations, driving greater business success and personal fulfillment. A two-time TEDx speaker, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, and author of Free and Clear: Get Unstuck and Live the Life You Want, she currently works as the Chief Communications Officer of National DCP, the $3 billion supply chain company serving Dunkin’ franchisees.    Cultivating optimism is Miller’s superpower, helping her transform from financial ruin to prosperity, chronic health challenges to wellness, and an unfulfilling career to a purpose-driven life. She has helped thousands of leaders activate the remarkable in their professional and personal lives. Her speaking engagements have included the Women’s Foodservice Forum, Emory University, Canyon Ranch, Women’s Leadership Conference-Wisconsin, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and Public Relations Society of America.  She has been featured in Ariana Huffington’s Thrive Global, Shape, Health, First for Women, Authority Magazine, Quick & Simple, the Atlanta Journal–Constitution, and Emory Magazine.   Follow Shira: Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shira-miller-cpcc-a965ab/] Instagram [http://theshiramiller] Website [https://shiramiller.com/]   Follow, rate, and review Dr. Cindy on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-positively-altered-podcast/id1773804535] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7429Yj7FlC3O6WhgmzAWas]! If you love Dr. Cindy's episodes, here's how to follow her so you never miss one!   1. For Apple, click the “Follow” button at the top of the page on the right.  2. For Spotify, click the “Follow” button below Dr. Cindy’s show tile.   Questions about her content? Please visit Dr. Cindy’s disclaimer at the bottom of the page. www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast [http://www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast]

15. touko 202642 min
jakson Flashback Friday Episode #83: Transform Your Employee Interactions Into Lasting Connections with Bestselling Author Joey Coleman kansikuva

Flashback Friday Episode #83: Transform Your Employee Interactions Into Lasting Connections with Bestselling Author Joey Coleman

Flashback Friday Episode #83: Transform Your Employee Interactions Into Lasting Connections with Bestselling Author Joey Coleman   In this episode of the Positively Altered Podcast, Dr. Cindy chats with bestselling author and customer experience expert Joey Coleman. Joey shares actionable strategies to build meaningful relationships in both business and personal life. From fostering emotional connections to creating loyalty among employees and customers, Joey’s insights reveal the power of authentic engagement. Packed with humor, energy, and thought-provoking ideas, this conversation inspires listeners to transform their interactions into lasting connections. Don’t miss this dynamic episode that promises to leave you positively altered!   In this episode, we cover:   * (8:45) Do you really have personal and emotional connections with your team members? * (10:15) Get your employees to say, “You care about me for more than my work!” * (13:50) Is there anyone I need to fire? * (20:50) Human beings are dying for connections. * (24:22) I’m a human, you’re a human, let’s interact. * (40:36) Rapid-Fire Questions   Dr. Cindy’s Socials: LinkedIn >> https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcindyspeaks/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcindyspeaks/] Instagram >> https://www.instagram.com/dr.cindyspeaks/ [https://www.instagram.com/dr.cindyspeaks/] TikTok >> https://www.tiktok.com/@drcindyspeaks [https://www.tiktok.com/@drcindyspeaks] YouTube >>  https://www.facebook.com/drcindyspeaks [https://www.facebook.com/drcindyspeaks] Facebook >> https://www.facebook.com/drcindyspeaks [https://www.facebook.com/drcindyspeaks]   Dr. Cindy’s Resources:  Website [https://drcindyspeaks.com/] The Not-So Daily Dose newsletter [https://drcindyspeaks.com/lps/not-so-daily-dose/]  Practice [http://www.innovativehwc.com]: www.innovativehwc.com [http://www.innovativehwc.com]  Dr. Cindy’s Product Store [https://www.innovativehwc.com/recommendations]   Dr. Cindy’s Partners: Professional Health Products [http://www.phpltd.com] Stopain Clinical [https://www.stopainclinical.com/] Infinedi [https://infinedi.net/]   About Dr. Cindy: Dr. Cindy M. Howard is a speaker, author, and board-certified chiropractic internist and nutritionist in private practice.    Keynote Speaking - Call (708-692-7243) or email [hello@drcindyspeaks.com] Dr. Cindy’s team for her availability or visit her speaking page [http://www.drcindyspeaks.com/speak]. Dr. Cindy speaks on inspirational themes in her book and on a wide range of health topics.    Dr. Cindy’s Practice - If you’re in the Chicago area, she’s happy to schedule an appointment with you. Simply call (708-479-0020) or visit Dr. Cindy’s website [https://www.innovativehwc.com/patient-hub]. Dr. Cindy’s Book - Positively Altered: Finding Happiness in the Bottom of a Chemo Bag [https://drcindyspeaks.com/book/] tells the story of her walk through Hodgkin’s lymphoma and all that her journey revealed about who she is and how she chooses to overcome what life throws at her.    About Dr. Cindy’s Guests: Joey Coleman helps companies keep their customers and employees. As an award-winning speaker, he shares his First 100 Days® methodology for improving customer and employee retention with organizations around the world (e.g., Whirlpool, Volkswagen Australia, and Zappos).    His two books have received critical acclaim and both were instant Wall Street Journal best sellers. Never Lose a Customer Again shows how to turn any sale into a lifelong customer.  His newest book, Never Lose an Employee Again details a framework that companies around the world can use to reduce turnover and increase employee engagement.   Follow, rate, and review Dr. Cindy on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-positively-altered-podcast/id1773804535] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7429Yj7FlC3O6WhgmzAWas]! If you love Dr. Cindy's episodes, here's how to follow her so you never miss one!   1. For Apple, click the “Follow” button at the top of the page on the right.  2. For Spotify, click the “Follow” button below Dr. Cindy’s show tile.   Questions about her content? Please visit Dr. Cindy’s disclaimer at the bottom of the page. www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast [http://www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast]

8. touko 202646 min
jakson Episode #82: Ninety-six Percent of People Are Living on Autopilot: Are You One of Them? kansikuva

Episode #82: Ninety-six Percent of People Are Living on Autopilot: Are You One of Them?

Episode #82: Ninety-six Percent of People Are Living on Autopilot: Are You One of Them?   Ninety-six percent of people are living on autopilot. Yikes. Lynsey Mulder—former Wells Fargo SVP, entrepreneur, and mom of four boys—knows exactly how that happens. She also knows how to fix it. This week, Lynsey breaks down why your superpower might be sitting unopened in a box, why your "spark" has a season, and how your closest circle might be the one thing quietly dimming your light.   In this episode, we cover: * (4:00) Why do we lose our spark in the first place? * (7:00) Would I do this job if I didn’t get paid for it? * (10:00) Are we self-destructive when we recognize our superpower? * (13:00) Lynsey’s mission is to empower someone every day.  * (17:00) What are your non-negotiables? * (21:00) Manifesting a plan for Lynsey and Dr. Cindy. * (22:00) Learning how to define your values.  * (29:00) Rapid-fire questions   Dr. Cindy’s Socials: https://linktr.ee/drcindyspeaks [https://linktr.ee/drcindyspeaks] Dr. Cindy’s Merch [https://merchloop.com/collections/dr-cindy]   Dr. Cindy’s Partners: Professional Health Products: http://www.phpltd.com [http://www.phpltd.com] Stopain Clinical: https://www.stopainclinical.com/ [https://www.stopainclinical.com/] Infinedi: https://infinedi.net/ [https://infinedi.net/]   About Lynsey Mulder: Lynsey Mulder is a dynamic speaker, elite coach, and SparkLife Connoisseur renowned for her ability to empower individuals, teams, and organizations to unlock their full potential, ignite passion, and take decisive action. With a diverse background as a C-suite executive, entrepreneur, and non-profit founder, Lynsey's favorite role is being a mom to four amazing boys. Drawing from her extensive experience, she brings expertise and a passion for empowering others to achieve lasting change. Lynsey captivates audiences with engaging stories, practical tools, and energizing exercises. Her relatable and high-impact approach leaves listeners motivated to pursue intentional growth and achieve extraordinary results.   Follow Lynsey: Facebook  [https://www.facebook.com/lynseysmulder] Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynsey-mulder/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lynseymulder/] Website [https://lynseymulder.com/]   Follow, rate, and review Dr. Cindy on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-positively-altered-podcast/id1773804535] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7429Yj7FlC3O6WhgmzAWas]! If you love Dr. Cindy's episodes, here's how to follow her so you never miss one!   1. For Apple, click the “Follow” button at the top of the page on the right.  2. For Spotify, click the “Follow” button below Dr. Cindy’s show tile.   Questions about her content? Please visit Dr. Cindy’s disclaimer at the bottom of the page. www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast [http://www.drcindyspeaks.com/podcast]

1. touko 202637 min