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- [00:01]
A
I'm Alex Honnl, professional rock climber and founder of the Honl Foundation. I wanted to let you know about a brand new season of the Planet Visionaries podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. This is the podcast exploring bold ideas and big solutions from the people leading the way in conservation. Join me in conversation with the likes of climate champion Mark Ruffalo, biologist and photographer Christina Mittermeier, and one of the most successful conservationists of our time, Chris Tompkins. Join us on Planet Visionaries wherever you get your podcasts. Here's something most people never talk about. Half of young people will face psychosexual challenges at some point. Mojo gives you a private, science backed way to work through them without shame and without awkward conversations. Mojo is the world's first AI sex and relationship therapist. It turns 50 plus years of sexology research into into short guided sessions you can do anytime. Women use it for pain during sex, low desire, or trouble reaching orgasm. Men use it for erection issues, performance anxiety, rapid ejaculation and low libido. These things are far more common than people admit. What I like is how simple it is. The AI therapist gives you small, practical steps that reduce anxiety, build confidence and help you communicate better. It is judgment free and easy to stick with and it already has more than 1 million members in over 150 countries. Head to MoJo so MCUnplugged for your 7 day free trial and start feeling the difference. What happens when ambition stops serving your purpose and starts draining your peace? And today on MYC Unplugged, I sit down with my really good friend Amina Altai, an executive coach, author of the Ambition Trap, and one of the leading voices on Purpose First Leadership. We unpack the mindset shift that you need to go from painful ambition to purposeful ambition. We talk about the toll of success that doesn't serve you. And at the end, in our quick five, we talk about her favorite brand of peanut butter. It might surprise you. Ladies and gentlemen, I present my good friend, Ms. Amina Altai. You're listening to Mick Unplugged, hosted by the one and only Mick Hunt. This is where purpose meets power and stories spark transformation. Mick takes you beyond the motivation and into meaning, helping you discover your because and becoming unstoppable. I'm Rudy Rush and trust me, you're in the right place. Let's get unplugged. Mina, how are you doing today dear?
- [02:38]
B
Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for having me. I need to bring you everywhere with me. That was just the ultimate Hype train. That was incredible.
- [02:46]
A
No, no, no, it's all true. It's all who you are. I mean, I've been a really big fan of yours. One of my favorite authors of all time. And we're going to talk about the books in a little bit. But I love starting the episode off by asking my guests what's their because that thing that's deeper than your why, that really keeps you going. So if I were to say today, Amina, what's your because?
- [03:08]
B
Yeah, I love that you asked that question because it's so beautiful. But my because is I have this belief that those of us that are called to purpose driven work are actually driving toward our version of Dr. King's beloved community. And so my because is I want to create my version of Dr. King's beloved community where we center justice, peace and equity, and everybody gets to live into the fullness of their experience because imagine what kind of world we'd live in if we all had that.
- [03:38]
A
I love it. And I mean, I was so excited to get to ask you that question. Right. Because a lot of my guests, a lot of my friends, a lot of my family, you know, our. Because centers around, like, our children or, you know, some of the things that we do, sometimes even our pets. But, Amina, you're. You're not the cat lady. You're the. You're the plant lady. Talk to us about your love of plants and all the really cool things that you do with your children.
- [04:05]
B
Oh, my gosh. Well, I have to tell you, kind of like a sad story. So oftentimes people will see this plant in the background of my recordings. His name is Herm. I've had him for nine years. He was a giant monstera. And when I first got him, I carried him home on the subway. That's how small he was. You could carry him in your arms. And then he grew to, like, 7ft tall. But over the course of the last year, he wasn't doing so well. So I thought, okay, let me replant him. He'd gotten so big, I thought, maybe he needs a bigger container. And I replanted him. Well, actually hired someone to replant him because he was too big for me to do it. And then after the person replants him, they're like, oh, I've never worked with this plant before. I hope it doesn't die. And I was like, what? What now? So fast forward. Basically, Herm doesn't do so well in the transplant, but now I'm propagating him. So I took nine cuttings and I'm actually propagating it into a new plant that I will put back together. But I do love my plant children and I just had a very, really hard experience. But I thought it was a metaphor. I was like, herm outgrew the pot and he got too big and he needed new roots. And I feel like that's such an important metaphor for all of us. There are times in our lives where we need new roots. So it feels like a burning down, but it's actually a rebuilding. So that's the metaphor. I'm running with this.
- [05:19]
A
I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it. I love learning different things about you. So it's kind of cool. Kind of cool. I want to talk a little bit about the Ambition Trap. Multiple time bestseller, right? And for those that haven't written books, let me explain it to you. Like, bestsellers are like the previous week's info, sales and data. So it's not like you write a book and it's a bestseller forever. So one, this is how dynamic the book is because it's a multi time bestseller, which is amazing, Amina, by the way. But let's talk about the reasoning and the logic behind wanting to put that book out. What was that? What was that concept like for you?
- [06:02]
B
Yes. So the book is called the Ambition Trap. And I'm somebody that has deeply studied ambition for basically my whole life. I am the child of immigrants and really watched my dad struggle to kind of find his place in the world. And you know, I picked up a lot of that programming too. I was told, like, keep your head down, work really hard, be the hardest working person in the room. First one in, last one out. And that worked for me until it didn't work for me. And I ended up getting very sick and getting two autoimmune diseases. But it happened in this really dramatic fashion where my doctor called and was literally like, if you don't change your ways, you're days away from multiple organ failure. You have to shift whatever you're doing. So I knew this was like six years into my marketing career at the time. I had to change my relationship to ambition and success. And eventually a few few years after that, I went on to become a coach. But I had this front row seat to other really ambitious people and most of my coaching practice are women and other historically excluded people. And so I noticed that we all had this really tenuous relationship with ambition because we're told to take up space, we're told to speak truth. To power. And then in the same breath, we're told not to. So there's this push, pull, double bind, right? This not good enough to taking up too much space. And I, I saw all of us really rumbling with that. And so I wanted to deeply study and explore ambition. And I came up with this framework where I think ambition is neutral and natural. It's just a desire for growth or a wish for more life. And that's inherent in every living thing on the planet, from our human babies to our plant babies. But we make it right for some people and wrong for others. And there's two orientations of ambition. It can be painful, which is driven by our core wounds. And that's when we have this insatiable desire to chase because we're coming from a place of pain. And then my invitation in the book is to pivot into purposeful ambition that's connected to our truth, that's coming from a place of wholeness. And so that was the impetus for the book and sort of the thesis of it.
- [07:54]
A
I love it and I want to go into that because you, you do talk about painful and purposeful ambition. And so for those that are watching, those that are listening, we have the expert here. Amina, how do you distinguish between painful ambition and purposeful ambition?
- [08:12]
B
Yeah, so painful is driven by the core wounds. So there's five core wounds, and a core wound is an initial injury of the psyche. It's sort of like an injury that happens in our formative years that shapes us. And so those wounds are rejection, abandonment, humiliation, betrayal, and injustice. And every single human has one. It's just a very human rite of passage. Even if you have the best parents on the planet, like, you'll just emerge with one either from the playground or vicariously. And as a result of the wounds, we wear a corresponding mask. So, for example, if you have a rejection wound, the mask you wears avoidance or withdrawal. If you have a betrayal wound, the mask you wears control, where you try to control everything. If you have an injustice wound, the mask you can wear is rigidity or perfectionism. And when we build our ambition upon that, it's a bit of a house of cards. And so painful ambition is driven by those core wounds. And it has a couple of signatures. So it can look at. Look like moving at unsustainable urgency, instrumentalizing our minds and bodies to get to the goal. This desire to win, no matter the cost. And no matter the cost being the key phrase there, because winning is lovely, right? But it's like when we're willing to hurt ourselves and others to get there. It can look like black and white either or thinking and then purposeful. Ambition, on the other hand, is it's more contentment based versus that win, no matter the cost. It's about being collaborative versus like hyper individualistic. It's about honoring our needs versus hurting our body. So sort of the opposite of the painful piece of.
- [09:34]
A
That's brilliant. Like truly brilliant. And it captivated me when I started reading the book. Obviously the title got me the Ambition Trap. And I said, wait a second, am I not supposed to be ambitious? Hold on. And then going into the book, you're like, no, but you need to understand the purpose behind the ambition. But then you also talk about and highlight the interconnection of body, mind and career. And, and it really, really stuck with me because, you know, as a serial entrepreneur, as I like to be, I drive hard, right? Like I drive really hard. I. My friends laugh because I know one speed and one speed only. And it's like I'm never going to slow down. But the book did make me pause and it said, okay, I may never change how hard I run or how fast I run, right? I may never do that. But I can talk about this interconnection that you brought up so brilliantly in the book. And so for those that are watching or listening, talk about that interconnection of body, mind and career. True or false? Incognito mode makes you invisible on the Internet. The answer is false. Most people have no idea. But your browsing history can still be monitored and even recorded. Unless you use ExpressVPN. Look, there are times when I'm researching guests, projects, companies, or digging into sensitive prep for the podcast. I don't need my Internet provider keeping tabs on what I'm looking up or. And that is why I actually use ExpressVPN. It protects me from all the third parties who can still see every website I visit, my ISP, my mobile network, even whoever controls the Wi Fi if I'm traveling. ExpressVPN reroutes 100% of your traffic through secure encrypted servers, so those third parties cannot see your browsing history. Plans start at just $3.49 a month. It hides your IP address. It works on all devices and. And it's unbelievably easy to use. I open the app, tap one button, and I'm protected. And this matters to me. I live online. I research online. I run businesses online. Privacy is non negotiable. ExpressVPN is the tool I trust Secure your online data today by visiting expressvpn.com mic that's E X P R E-S-S V P N.com mic to find out how you can get up to four extra months. Expressvpn.com MC AG1 is the daily health drink that combines your multivitamin, pre and probiotics, superfoods and antioxidants into one simple green scoop. It is one of the easiest things you can do to support your body every day. For me, AG1 became part of my morning routine fast. I make it right before I sit down to plan my day. One scoop cold water shake done. What I love is how easy it has made consistency. I'm on the road in the studio running events, managing teams. Routines get thrown off. This is the one thing I can keep steady. AG1 Next Gen has more vitamins and minerals than ever before and it is clinically shown to fill common nutrient gaps. The pre and probiotics help support gut health and digestion and and it supports a healthy immune system in a season where life gets busy and schedules get chaotic. I also like that AG1 gives me options. Original Berry, Tropical and my go to Citrus. And if you have been following me long enough, you know I do not recommend something unless I use it. This one is part of my day every day. AG1 has the best offer ever. And if you head to drinkag1.com Mick you will receive the welcome kit, a morning person hat, a bottle of vitamin D3K2, an AG1 flavor sampler and you will get to try their new sleep supplement AGZ for free which has been a game changer for my nightly routine that is drinkag1.com Mick for $126 in free gifts for for new subscribers.
- [13:46]
B
I don't think we can separate ourselves, right? I think so many of us are taught to, right? Where a lot of us live as if there's this invisible line, you know, below our neck connecting the mind and body. But they're one. And so the thoughts that we have impact our body, our nervous system impacts our thoughts, right? So all of these pieces are so intertwined and if we live our lives in a dominantly sympathetic or fight or flight state, we're going to have fight or flight thoughts. It's also going to express as disease, right? So when we're thinking about ambition in our careers and hard charging and all these things, we have to bring our minds and our nervous systems on the journey. And it's exactly what you said. It doesn't mean that we can't hard charge, but it means we need to work harmoniously with these things. Let me give you an example. You know, I think how we're taught about ambition is we think it's more for more sake all the time, right? More money, more power, more achievements. But I actually think it's cyclical, right. So I think it goes in cycles. So we have these seasons of growth where we, you know, I want to write a book, I want a promotion, I want to launch a new company, right? And you nurture your inner and outer environment. You have this beautiful peak moment, right, where if we're using the plant metaphor, it's like the petals come out, it's gorgeous. But then the seasons change and we wind down and we go back underground. And so I think it is perfectly fine to sprint in the growth periods, right. Like, I cannot look you in the face and say that writing a book did not require me to sprint because it absolutely required me to sprint. And then, you know, after the push of the book coming out, I went back underground and I kind of nurtured myself again before I decided to rise and take aim again. And I think allowing that cycle, allowing ourselves to be in right relationship with our bodies as we are ambitious is so important and really important for burnout prevention.
- [15:24]
A
I needed that in the book because it was coming at the right time for me when I first read it, as you know. Right. Speaking that you do writing a book, the appearances. And then, oh, by the way, you're also running businesses, right? You have clients here. You have to meet. Meet the demand of.
- [15:42]
B
That's the part like we run whole businesses while doing this too.
- [15:46]
A
Right. And I'm like, you know, Amina and I have so much in common that your book was right there for me. So how do you, as a coach, right, As a. As a leader of people, how do you guide your clients and your peers to build careers that feel as good as they look? Because again, you go through this burnout. I shouldn't say burnout. You go through the sprinting stage, right? And then everybody posts what they're doing on social media and it looks great, but it should also feel good to you as well too. So how do you coach people through that?
- [16:21]
B
Yeah, I love this question. Well, first of all, we have to redefine success for ourselves, right? Because I think a lot of us are conditioned to believe it's something else. And anytime we're like, success should look this way. If we're using the language of should, we're usually in somebody else's belief system. Right. It could be cultural, it could be familial. And I had all these ideas about what success should be based on my immigrant parents and then realized, actually I want something different for myself. Success for me includes my body being. Well, I think it should for all of us. Right. I don't. I think that should be each of our birthrights. But so first of all, we have to reclaim success for ourselves and redefine it for ourselves. And second of all, we really have to collaborate with our bodies and our nervous systems. You know, I, I just had a birthday last week and every year on my birthday. Thanks. I write myself a little note and I say, open it the next year on your birthday. And it's funny because I was reading last year's note that I wrote to myself and one of the things that was at the top of the list was, you know, I want ease for you. And when I thought about. And I was like, is has been on the top of my list for so long. And I thought about it and I was like, you know what? I think I actually have achieved it. I was just thinking about it a little differently. You know, in the past I thought about ease as like, oh, you know, there's so much spaciousness. And you know, I was thinking about it as a spaciousness, I think. And when I tuned into it this year, I was like, oh, at the level of the nervous system, I do have ease. Right. I'm still sprinting, I'm still putting out a book, I'm still running a business, all of these things. But the way that my nervous system experiences that is very different than the way that it used to. It's more rest and digest around it versus fight or flight. And I just had that moment about it recently. And so, you know, all of this is to say is we have to redefine success for ourselves and I think also finding that harmony at the level of the nervous system. And. But inside the book there's a five part framework. And basically I talk about how purposeful work and purposeful ambition hinges upon five things. And it needs to leverage our zone of genius. It needs to ensure that we're operating in a space that we're values aligned, that we're connected to the impact that we want to have, whether that's our family, community or the greater good, that our needs are met. And that's a big one. And that we're cultivating a sense of contentment. And so when we've checked the box on all five of those Things we're usually flowing.
- [18:33]
A
Wow. That's why I'm glad I'm talking to you now again, like, all the things that I had questions or that I would highlight in the book, like, you're coming back and talking through them again. Being a big. A big fan of yours, I heard or saw an interview where you were talking about that zone of genius and how you'll work with people that are rock stars, superstars, athletes, and they're like, yeah, but I don't think I really have that. That genius zone. Right. I just work hard, right? I'm going to work everybody and then this thing happens. But talk to us about just that phenomenon a little bit that you're able to untap into people to help them understand. No, everybody has some type of genius, and you help us get that out.
- [19:15]
B
I love when people ask me questions around the zone of genius, because it is work that makes me so happy to talk about. So the zone of genius is a term that was coined by Gay Hendricks, who wrote the book the Big Leap. I highly recommend it. It's one of my favorites. And so I built upon this concept, and I believe that all of us have a zone of genius. And I think a lot of us operate in spaces and work in organizations where we're usually in service to one person's genius. But that creates a lot of toxic dynamics. So in reality, everybody has a zone that they are off the charts brilliant at, where we don't have to push force or effort. It's just innate. Our gifts kind of flow in that space. And I always use the example of a child who's a musical virtuoso because they come to the planet with that gift kind of. Right? But they have to keep honing it and getting better at it to really, like, live into the genius. And that's available for all of us. But I cannot tell you. I think it must happen in virtually every coaching session. I cannot tell you how many people I've sat across from, and they are just incredible humans. And they will look at me and say, I do not have a zone of genius. And I'm literally, like, looking at the gold medals in the background or like, I see the 360 reviews that they get inside of their organization, and it's so, so clear to me. But, you know, the way that we've come to understand genius, I think is part of the problem, right? We think that it's only high IQ scores. We think that it's only stem. Right? And when I was researching for the book I traced the lineage of the word genius all the way back to ancient Rome. And it was often a hero and rarely a heroine. And there was a study that was done by 92nd Street Y& they found that girls as young as six think that genius is a male trait. And so, so many of us have to reclaim that word for us because we have these perceptions and ideas of what it looks like. But what I love about each of us having a zone of genius is that it democratizes it. Right? Then there's no above or below. There's no power over, because we each have a zone. And when we come together in it, that's where we shift things. So how magical is that? It's like no one's genius is better than anybody else's and we're all in service to each other. I just think that's like the best part of it.
- [21:16]
A
So what's Amina's genius?
- [21:20]
B
Okay, so I think that it is seeing other people's genius and that sometimes I think sounds like a cop out. But the reason I can see other people's genius is because of the way that I hold a container is something happens in the first session with all my clients where I look over and I'm like, oh my God. I love this person because I see them fully. Right? That's my gift is seeing other people fully. And then it's just so evident what their gift is from that place. But it's because I look through the, the lens of love.
- [21:45]
A
I think, okay, I, I won't count that as a cop out. I get, I, I pick up what you're putting down. I pick up great.
- [21:54]
B
I'm so glad. I do think it is a gift. Right. All of our zones of genius can be different. Like sometimes they are more power skills, sometimes they're more hard skills. It looks different for all of us. There's no right or wrong way to genius.
- [22:06]
A
Yeah, no, I agree.
- [22:08]
B
Can I ask what your zone of genius is?
- [22:10]
A
I think I have a unique ability to see the path forward, to make a result happen. So I'm so results oriented. And I think I'm not unique. I think there are a lot of results oriented people. What I think a zone of genius is for me is the path to make the result happen. I can usually identify really quickly.
- [22:34]
B
That's cool. There's like a level of clarity. And I really love this body of work called human design. And human design, they refer to it as the opportunist in the way that your brain can connect the dots faster than anybody else's to get to the path and it's like, oh, when people's brain works that way, I'm just like, that's amazing.
- [22:50]
A
Yeah, yeah. I'm able to quiet noise to see the path. So yeah, I think that's me.
- [22:57]
B
I also think you're an amazing listener.
- [22:59]
A
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- [26:04]
B
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- [26:26]
A
I'll take that. I'll take that. So one of your other zones of genius is helping organizations break through. I'm going to call it burnout culture. Right. And really putting the action behind it. Because I think a lot of times your your top. You're not your top A, but your Your Type A CEOs and C Suite leaders. Right. Again, it's that if I can do it, you can do it. If I'm willing to work 12 hours a day, then everybody on the team should be willing to work 12 hours a day. Well, in 2025, 2026, that's not what the modern employee actually looks for. And modern leaders shouldn't want that either. Talk to us about just that, getting rid of the burnout culture. Number one, why is it important? And then I think the most important thing for the viewers and listeners, what's like the first or maybe top two changes that leaders need to make to avoid burnout culture?
- [27:25]
B
You know, I think context is so important, right? Because like when those CEOs are like, I work 12 hour days, I work 70 hour weeks, we're not thinking about the context of their life, right. Oftentimes they are making seven figures, multiple seven figures. Oftentimes they have have vast support both at home and at work. Right. And then we're speaking to people that make, let's say, less than six figures and don't have that level of support. Right. So I think context is so important. And so I think it's, you know, really challenging to say to somebody that is in such a different and. And much more precarious situation than you to be, like, be the hardest working person in the room like me, because you're not the same. I think that's super important to say. And then your second question was, how can we get rid of burnout?
- [28:06]
A
Yeah. What are the. What are the top two things or action items that leaders can do to. To start to break that cycle of a burnout culture?
- [28:17]
B
One of the things I think we can do that I think is a really positive thing too, both for the individual and the organization, is focusing on the zone of genius. Right. Because if we are working in that space that we are off the charts brilliant at what we can contribute usually far outpaces what others can contribute in that space and what we can contribute in other zones. And so it just requires less energy and effort on the body. And that in and of itself can shift burnout and organizations like that. Right. Because we're not saying, like, hey, you know, shift to only working five hours a day or three days a week. We're saying, actually, this pivot into your zone of genius will serve the individual and will serve the organization. So I find that that's a really positive change and a great way to language it. The other one that I have that, you know, I think sometimes is a tougher pill to swallow is the urgency culture. So much of the time, we operate as if everything is urgent, and it's actually not true. Few things are urgent. Right. And it's important for us to prioritize and address those things. But if we operate as if everything is urgent and we're constantly sprinting, that has such an impact on the body. And so I think shifting urgency culture is another really big one.
- [29:22]
A
I agree with you. Which is why, again, we have so much in common. You know, I'm a huge believer in the Eisenhower matrix, Right? Like, you get tasks or you get things, and you have to quantify them. Is it. Is this thing urgent and important? Is it urgent but not important? Is it neither urgent nor important? Right. And so that's what we do. Because for me, I think the best way to achieve life is to work on things that are important but not urgent. Right. Like if we're constantly in a spot of putting out fires, then literally that's all we do. And then at some point, you start just looking for fires to put out, and that becomes who you are.
- [30:01]
B
Right.
- [30:02]
A
And so one of the things that. That I work with leaders on is how do you avoid that trap of the person who's really good at putting out fires at some point is just going to start fighting fires and then to everybody else, they're not really fires. And so I, I'm a huge fan of what you just said because I can relate in that sense for sure.
- [30:24]
B
That was so brilliantly said. And I think that, I think I used to be that person. Like when I think about my marketing career, I was so brain to put out fires, then I sought out the fires. Right? But then you become addicted to chaos and then you also can't access your higher level of thinking because you're just always in the chaos. So I love how you language that.
- [30:43]
A
I appreciate that. I appreciate that, you know, and, and I can't, I can't go a step further without also acknowledging something for you. Because what you don't know, Amina, is that my sister, one of my aunts, a couple of my female cousins really look up to you in the work that you do.
- [31:04]
B
Are you kidding me?
- [31:06]
A
You are such a barrier breaker. And you help women who are facing. And these are my words and my words only. So don't come at me with comments, but come at me because I'm a big boy and I can handle it. But you help people that are facing systemic issues or systemic expectations. I'd love for you to talk about that journey a little bit and that passion that you have because you really are so valuable. You were so needed. And I just wanted to say thank you.
- [31:44]
B
Thank you so much for saying that. None of it is lost on me. And especially the part about your cousins and sisters, all of it, it's just so meaningful to me. And this is what gets me up every single day, is I want to be in service and support of these people. And the reason that I do it is that I think just very early on I realized, like a lot of people realize, right, the starting line is not the same for everybody. And all of our experiences, particularly in the workplace, are really different. Right. It's not a meritocracy and we experience a lot of harm as a result of it. And you know, like, that's something that I really want to shift in my lifetime. Like how can we support a lot of these? So most of my clients are the first, the fews, the onlys. So they are the first woman in leadership, the first person of color, the first queer person, the first man of color. Right. And they experience so much headwinds as a result of that. Right. They have their Very own glass cliff experiences where maybe they make it through the glass ceiling, but then they get pushed off the proverbial cliff and they experience a lot of bias. And it just requires a very particular lens and level of care to support those folks. Right. Because they are navigating systems that weren't designed for them to thrive. And I think it's important that we have honest conversations about that. And you know, I think that we are making some headway, right? I don't. I don't think fast enough. We're making some headway though. And so it does give me hope. But we need more people that look like you, that look like me in these spaces, right. That are making decisions for the global majority. And so I just feel really impassioned about it. And you know, as a woman of color who has invisible disability, right. Who's had my own experiences like this, I just want things to feel different for folks because we spend more of our heartbeats at work than we do anywhere else. It should feel really good. And it just feels so broken for so many people.
- [33:30]
A
Again, can't thank you enough. Can't show you enough appreciation and adoration or for just who you are. So, so thank you, Amina.
- [33:40]
B
Oh my gosh, thank you. And thank you for all of the amazing work that you do in the world. I think that you are killing it. I look up to you so much and just so grateful that you would share your platform with me.
- [33:49]
A
Stop all that. It's all good. It's all good. So I'm going to get you out of here on what I call my quick five. So five rapid fire questions for me to get to know Amina a little bit. Ready? All right. Your favorite comfort food is.
- [34:06]
B
Oh, I just had peanut butter, so that's top of mind.
- [34:09]
A
Oh, all right. So this is going to be a real deal breaking question right here. What's your favorite brand of peanut butter then?
- [34:15]
B
Oh, I always get the whole foods organic one.
- [34:19]
A
This conversation has just ended. You did not say Jif peanut butter. The greatest.
- [34:22]
B
I don't want a chip, girl. I'm so sorry.
- [34:25]
A
I mean, our friendship just ended. What's your favorite vacation spot?
- [34:32]
B
Oh, I'm gonna say my grandparents house. They've passed on but like, I never felt more grounded at home than I did in their house.
- [34:38]
A
I love that. I love that. What's the biggest lesson that you've learned in the past year?
- [34:47]
B
That control is such an illusion and I learn it every year. I'm humbled by it every single time. I'm Surprised by it every single time. Even though I know that we can control maybe one thing. Right. But, yeah, I'm always humbled and surprised by that lesson.
- [35:00]
A
I gotcha. What has been a book or a phrase that has gotten you through the most?
- [35:10]
B
I really do love Gay Hendrick's book the Big Leap, especially about our zone of genius and our upper limits. It just changed the game for me. It changed how I understood myself so much. And then this is not a book or phrase, but I really love human design as a body of work as well, because it highlights everything that is right with you. Where I feel like so many bodies of work. Tell us what's quote unquote wrong with us.
- [35:31]
A
Okay, good stuff. Good stuff. All right. Get you out of here on this one. I know you do a lot of speaking. You've got to get really hyped up. Or even if it's going to the gym, you get really hyped up. What's playing in your ear? What's your hype song?
- [35:44]
B
Oh, my God. I feel like it's so trite, but I love that song. Brave by Sarah Barry Ellis.
- [35:50]
A
Yeah.
- [35:51]
B
Yeah. I feel like that's everybody's walkout song. So I need to come up with a new one. But. But that I'm a little basic and so that's. That's my answer today.
- [35:59]
A
Good stuff. I mean, I totally enjoy spending time with you. A couple of things. Where can people find and follow you?
- [36:05]
B
Thank you so much. You can find me on Instagram, an Altai. You can also find me on LinkedIn. Same name. And my website is minetaltai.com and I'm sure the spelling will be in the show notes. And then you can get the book. Everywhere books are sold. They might not have it in person, so you can ask them to order it, but everywhere books are sold. The Ambition Trap.
- [36:24]
A
I will have links to all of that. Totally. I want everyone to do me a favor. Make sure you're getting a copy of the book. And when you get a copy of the book, message her. Tell her a couple of things you love. Ask her questions like she's. I promise you, she's that engaging. So make sure that you show her the love that you should. They're just so glad I could spend time with you today.
- [36:49]
B
I'm so, so grateful you are such a real one. And thank you again for sharing your platform with me and for being endlessly inspiring and showing us all what is possible. Thank you.
- [36:58]
A
You got it. And for all the viewers and listeners, remember your. Because is your superpower. Go unleash it. That's another powerful conversation on Mick Unplugged. If this episode moved you, and I'm sure it did, follow the show wherever you listen. Share it with someone who needs that spark. And leave a review so more people can find there. Because I'm Rudy Rush. And until next time, stay driven, stay focused, and stay unplugged. And Doug, here we have the Limu.
- [37:38]
B
Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual.
- [37:46]
A
Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera.
- [37:54]
B
They see us. Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty.
- [37:58]
A
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B
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