There’s no easy way to talk about racism. It’s a learned behavior and hard to unlearn without a relaunch to thinking patterns.  I didn’t know anything different. But I actively worked to see how I was raised and change this.  And I'm still a work in progress. Today on the Launch Your Life Podcast, I’m talking about the racist history of my home town and Christmas, among other things What’s Discussed in This Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:40 Racism 07:32 Christmas in the House of Many Horrors 10:03 Baby Grow-A-Tooth 11:17 Unlearning childhood beliefs   Resources: Send me feedback and your thoughts: [email protected] Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.launchyourlifepodcast.com)  Connect with me on Instagram (@doctormichellegordon) Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drmgordon) Check out my LinkedIn posts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon) For more information, here’s the references used in this podcast: https://www.britannica.com/event/Executive-Order-8802 https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/executive-order-8802-1941-2/  https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/sundown-towns/ https://tumbleweird.org/the-tri-cities-is-a-sundown-town-again/ https://biblehub.com/galatians/3-28.htmhttps://depts.washington.edu/labhist/maps-race-tricities.shtml For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Launch Your Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.   Thank you for tuning in!If You Like It, Donate To My Venmo! Thanks!: https://account.venmo.com/u/drgordonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In my experience, sexualization caused extreme toxic shame.  Merriam-Webster has a descriptive definition: “A painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety, the susceptibility to such emotion, a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute.” On today’s episode of the Launch Your Life Podcast, I talk about shame, my mother’s secrets, generational trauma, discovering fundamental truths about myself and more. What’s Discussed in This Episode: 00:00 Intro 1:41 Sexualization and shame 2:13 Experiencing toxic shame 3:11 The steps of grooming 4:37 Overcoming toxic shame 5:06 Sex-ed 5:33 The result of my coping mechanism 6:03 Generational trauma 7:46 My mother’s secrets 8:48 The abuse in my father’s family 9:07 My father’s shocking response 9:40 Narcissistic parents 10:39 Fundamental truths (about me) 12:03 My entrepreneurial spirit started young   Resources: Send me feedback and your thoughts: [email protected] Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.launchyourlifepodcast.com)  Connect with me on Instagram (@doctormichellegordon) Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drmgordon) Check out my LinkedIn posts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon)   For more information, here’s the references used in this podcast: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-toxic-shame#:~:text=Toxic%20shame%20is%20a%20feeling,childhood%20or%20as%20a%20teen https://psychcentral.com/blog/psychology-self/2018/09/childhood-toxic-shame#1   https://www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Behaviors-of-Sexual-Predators-Grooming.pdf   https://www.health.com/condition/ptsd/generational-trauma For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Launch Your Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.   Thank you for tuning in!If You Like It, Donate To My Venmo! Thanks!: https://account.venmo.com/u/drgordonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode of The Launch Your Life Podcast, I continue with my childhood, reveal some alarming statistics, talk about the time I “woke up” in 5th grade, and more. What’s Discussed in This Episode:   00:00 Intro 02:29 Some alarming statistics 06:45 Disassociation 07:53 Waking up 08:32 Shame and guilt 09:16 The torture lost memory 10:35 The brain's elegance   Resources:   Send me feedback and your thoughts: [email protected] Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.launchyourlifepodcast.com)  Connect with me on Instagram (@doctormichellegordon) Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drmgordon) Check out my LinkedIn posts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon) Child Sexual Abuse Statistics (https://victimsofcrime.org/child-sexual-abuse-statistics)   For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Launch Your Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.   Thank you for tuning in!If You Like It, Donate To My Venmo! Thanks!: https://account.venmo.com/u/drgordonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growth work is change work. It’s not only uncovering beliefs from childhood, but all the beliefs stacked through life experiences and anything we think is “true.” On today’s episode of The Launch Your Life Podcast, I talk about the process of change and why it can be so hard as well as some anecdotes from childhood. What’s Discussed in This Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:54 True growth 04:30 Catholic school 11:44 Consequences of staying out too late 12:51 Complicated mother 13:29 Ballet 14:52 Life is a series of corrections 15:15 Frightening nights   Resources: Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.launchyourlifepodcast.com)  Connect with me on Instagram (@doctormichellegordon) Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drmgordon) Check out my LinkedIn posts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon)   For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Launch Your Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.   Thank you for tuning in!If You Like It, Donate To My Venmo! Thanks!: https://account.venmo.com/u/drgordonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode of the Launch Your Life Podcast, I share how I developed a deep love of travel, a childhood illness, more stories of the House of Many Horrors, a recurring night terror, and much more. True growth is uncovering the beliefs and stories you created as a child to make sense of perceived or real trauma. It can be tedious, painful, and meticulous work.    But bringing your rational, adult mind to the stories you create in your childhood is freeing.   What’s Discussed in This Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:55 Wanderlust as a child  03:12 Alcoholic mother 04:12 A new diagnosis 05:36 One of my fondest childhood memories 06:16 Getting my ears pierced  06:42 Medical trauma  08:10 Visiting my cousins  10:05 Using my adult brain to make sense of abuse  10:35 Night terror   Resources: Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.launchyourlifepodcast.com)  Connect with me on Instagram (@doctormichellegordon) Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drmgordon) Check out my LinkedIn posts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon)   For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Launch Your Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.   Thank you for tuning in!If You Like It, Donate To My Venmo! Thanks!: https://account.venmo.com/u/drgordonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Launch Your Life Podcast, I discuss childhood beliefs, competition, feeling heard, and much more. What’s Discussed in This Episode: 00:00 Intro 01:50 My first pivotal year  02:05 Deep self-sufficiency 03:55 Competition  06:16 Feeling heard 08:14 Why I’m a doctor    Resources: Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.launchyourlifepodcast.com)  Connect with me on Instagram (@doctormichellegordon) Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drmgordon) Check out my LinkedIn posts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon) For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Launch Your Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. Thank you for tuning in!If You Like It, Donate To My Venmo! Thanks!: https://account.venmo.com/u/drgordonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode of The Launch Your Life Podcast, I want to share my story to help you understand where I’ve come from and how I’ve relaunched my life over and over as I’ve dealt with trauma, adversity, setbacks, and surprises. Back in 2018, I wrote over 60,000 words of a memoir and I’ve just let it sit on my shelf all this time, but in this series, you get to hear it first. I hope you can find some inspiration as we go through this together. I’ve just entered my 4th year of podcasting and I want to let you know how much I appreciate you spending time with me every week. Today, I'll tell you about a surprising revelation that occurred when I was 5. In This Episode: 00:00 Intro 02:04 Hometown history 05:35 The house of many horrors 08:47  The surprising lesson I learned from my grandfather 11:11 The power of responses Resources: Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.launchyourlifepodcast.com)  Connect with me on Instagram (@doctormichellegordon) Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drmgordon) Join me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon) For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website (https://launchyourlifepodcast.com). If you like this episode subscribe to The Launch Your Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.  And share with your friends! Thanks for listening!If You Like It, Donate To My Venmo! Thanks!: https://account.venmo.com/u/drgordonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode of The Launch Your Life Podcast, I take you back to one of the first episodes I released on The Menopause Movement Podcast with Ryan Levesque, the CEO of The ASK Method® Company and one of the industry's highly-regarded personalities. Many women in midlife, like me, pivot and want to be their own boss. The natural question that can come up is “What type of business should I start?” But here’s what you should be asking: “What market am I going to focus on pursuing?” In today's episode of The Launch Your Life Podcast, I take you back to one of the first episodes I released on The Menopause Movement Podcast with Ryan Levesque, the CEO of The ASK Method® Company and one of the industry's highly-regarded personalities.  We talk about the four types of entrepreneurs and their shadow sides, what is a practice business and why you should consider starting one, reframing failure and much more! Who are you going to serve? Many women in midlife, like me, pivot and want to be their own boss. The natural question that can come up is “What type of business should I start?” But here’s what you should be asking: “What market am I going to focus on pursuing?” Because the business that you start is actually far less important than choosing the right market. During the podcast, we discussed the most important question to ask yourself before starting a business, what to think about before you get started PLUS: The four types of entrepreneurs and their shadow sides Ryan's life pyramid and the five Fs to life that he uses to continue to be a high achiever What is a practice business and why you should consider starting one Reframing failure The biggest obstacle people have to getting a business going How fear of giving up what we have now can keep us from greatness   Tune in today to find out what type of entrepreneur you are and what type of business you should start!   What’s Discussed in This Episode: 0:00 Introduction and Opportunity4:32 The most important question to ask yourself 7:03 First steps to get started with your business 9:05 Deciding what your non-negotiables are 9:25 The four types of entrepreneurs 17:22 Ryan’s analogy on starting a business 18:57 What is a shadow side 20:57 Looking at the life pyramid 21:32 The value of the ripple effect 23:16 Excelling in the five Fs of your life 25:05 Other aspects of the shadow side 28:16 How Ryan uncovered the different types of entrepreneurs 32:33 Why detaching yourself from the outcome and focusing on the process matters 33:32 Obstacles you face in the early stages of your career and overcoming it 34:39 Getting it going instead of aiming for perfection 37:53 It’s either you earn or learn 39:25 Getting a coach  40:30 Pioneers and settlers in business 43:20 Honoring and banking on your ideas 44:19 Recognizing imposters syndrome 48:42 Ryan’s growth, journey, and takeaways 52:50 Choosing progress rather than perfection   About the Guest: Ryan Levesque is an accomplished entrepreneur and best-selling author. He started his journey by establishing practice businesses and now has his own enterprise, The ASK Method® Company. Ryan was featured in different publications such as USA Today, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and Entrepreneur for his entrepreneurial work over the years. Currently, he has over 250,000 entrepreneur subscribers eager to read his business advice.     Resources: Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.drmichellegordon.com/podcasts/)  Connect with me on Instagram (@drmichellegordon) Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DrMichelleGordon) Check out my LinkedIn posts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon) Business Type to Start Quiz (https://choosequiz.com/quiz-6-2/)    Books mentioned in this episode: Choose: The Single Most Important Decision Before Starting Your Business by Ryan Levesque (Use this link: https://cu262.isrefer.com/go/choose/Shelfster/)   Ask: The Counterintuitive Online Formula to Discover Exactly What Your Customers Want to Buy...Create a Mass of Raving Fans...and Take Any Business to the Next Level by Ryan Levesque (Paid link: https://amzn.to/3psRlGR)    Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Paid link: https://amzn.to/3iUPGHI)  Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert (Paid link: https://amzn.to/2Yl2I7N)   Amazon pays me a small fee when you buy using these links.   For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Launch Your Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.   Thank you for tuning in!If You Like It, Donate To My Venmo! Thanks!: https://account.venmo.com/u/drgordonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everybody feels like an imposter at first until we decide to push through in order to get to the next side. It's really hard to grow if we’re always comfortable but we need to get out of our comfort zone to improve. Consistency wins the game for everything and I talk about that in today's episode of The Launch Your Life Podcast with Madonna Hanna who is a competitive sprinter in the 50 meter and 100 meter dash, motivational speaker, freelance writer, and actress. Tune in today and get motivation to get started on whatever your dream is. When I got back into exercise in 2014 I had to fight with myself to do it because I had this mindset that exercise was punishment. I don't know where that came from. But I had to change my mindset and it became something more along the lines of “What can I do with this body?” I had to get really curious about it in order to make myself do things. It's really hard to grow if we’re always comfortable. But we need to get out of our comfort zone to improve. I always like to tell people that the best exercise is one you'll do with consistency.  Because consistency wins the game for everything. In today’s episode of The Launch Your Life Podcast, I’m with Madonna Hanna who is a competitive sprinter in the 50 meter and 100 meter dash, motivational speaker, freelance writer, and actress. During the podcast, we talk about what it's like to be an athlete in midlife and how to get started PLUS:   How a download from the universe can change the trajectory of your life How coaching in anything closes the gap   Tune in today and get motivation to get started on whatever your dream is.   What’s Discussed in This Episode: 00:00 Intro03:36 How Madonna started as an athlete07:20 Madonna’s story of winning her team a bronze medal12:54 Madonna’s mindset shift that led her to become a world-class athlete19:45 How coaching closes the gap22:45 The biggest challenge for women33:40 Becoming a midlife athlete36:24 The best exercise to do40:02 How to get out of burnout41:45 Madonna’s record46:47 Moving forward with excellence Resources: Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.menopausemovement.com/podcast) Connect with me on Instagram (@drmichellegordon) Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drmichellegordon) Check out my LinkedIn posts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon) Madonna’s website: https://dropkickthedrama.com/   Books mentioned in this episode: A Beautiful Work In Progress by Mirna Valerio   Amazon pays me a small fee when you buy using these links. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Launch Your Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.   Thank you for tuning in!   About the Guest: Madonna Hanna had a successful career in the fashion industry at the corporate level. She retired as an award winning fashion marketing educator. Presently, she is a motivational speaker, freelance writer,  actress, amateur competitive athlete, and she writes a monthly article for the Senior Scene publication chronicling her journey to the 2022 National Senior Games in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Madonna was selected as the January 2020 National Senior Games Association Athlete of the Month.If You Like It, Donate To My Venmo! Thanks!: https://account.venmo.com/u/drgordonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every single limit is in our mind, but the reality is, we can do anything. We’re not born excellent at anything and so it's so important to just practice and give ourselves some grace. In today’s episode of The Launch Your Life Podcast, I’m with J.M. Phillips who is an author and retired Occupational Therapist. During the podcast, we talk about the mindset shifts J.M. had to make in order to overcome her personal obstacles, to writing a book and how you can start to take action toward your passion right now. I hadn't run since I was 18 until I hired a cycling coach who happened to be a triathlon coach. When I first started running, I did it for one minute at a time and my heart rate would go up to 180 so I had to walk for three minutes and then run and walk. Eventually I came in second in my age group in 5Ks. Then I did a seven mile run in 11 minutes per mile, which I thought was really good for me at 55. And then I did a 5k in under 30 minutes. Every single limit is in our mind, but the reality is, we can do anything. Have you ever felt like you wanted to reinvent your life and start over? If so, please tell me all about it. I really need your advice. To reward you for your time, I’m going to choose nine people to join me on a NO COST 1:1 Relaunch Call. This call is designed to help you get clear on your specific goals so you can get started now. To join in and be eligible for the Relaunch Call, go to https://discover.drgordon.me and answer all the questions. I look forward to reading your responses and talking to you soon! Remember, anything we're doing is worth sucking at it first. We’re not born excellent at anything. And so it's so important to just practice and give ourselves some grace. It's never too late and you can do anything when you put your mind to it. In today’s episode of The Launch Your Life Podcast, I’m with J.M. Phillips who is an author and retired Occupational Therapist. When she became motivated by the retelling of family stories, she wrote Lamlash Street which is a book about navigating family life in London. During the podcast, we talk about the mindset shifts J.M. had to make in order to overcome her personal obstacles, to writing a book and how you can start to take action toward your passion right now.   Tune in today!   What’s Discussed in This Episode:   00:00 Intro 04:57 The mindset shifts Jill took to take action towards her dream 09:10 The importance of accountability for behavior change 12:11 Making friends with the negative voice in our head 12:35 The first book that Jill wrote 16:11 Jill’s favorite Science Fiction books 20:44 Why misogyny exists 25:58 What are jellied eels 28:17 Going back to Science Fiction authors and books 30:32 Negotiating roadblocks 37:16 Reading memoirs 39:26 How to get started on big life goals   Resources: Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.menopausemovement.com/podcast) Connect with me on Instagram (@drmichellegordon) Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drmichellegordon) Check out my LinkedIn posts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon) J.M.’s website: https://jmphillipsauthor.com/ Books mentioned in this episode: The Alphabet Versus the Goddess by Leonard Shlain Lamlash Street by J.M. Phillips The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe   Amazon pays me a small fee when you buy using these links.   For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Launch Your Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.   Thank you for tuning in!   About the Guest: J.M. Phillips is an author and retired Occupational Therapist. Motivated by the retelling of family stories, she wrote Lamlash Street, which is about navigating family life in London after World War II. She is a storyteller with a passion to inspire families to connect through the telling of their past. Growing up in the UK, J.M. emigrated to Canada after working in a London solicitor's office for a few years. She spent 30 years working as an Occupational Therapist and Hospital manager before retiring. Rather than slowing down the pace of life as she neared retirement, J.M. refocused her efforts enjoying each day with a zest for life.If You Like It, Donate To My Venmo! Thanks!: https://account.venmo.com/u/drgordonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.