The Difference Maker Revolution Podcast

Episode: Control the Controllables

Date: October 20, 2025

Overview

In this high-energy and thoughtful episode, the trio from The Difference Maker Revolution—Ronan Ryle, Jeanine McLeod, and Jonathan Ryle—dive into the concept of "Controlling the Controllables." The conversation centers on how photographers (and all entrepreneurs) can focus on what they can influence to maintain a positive mindset, manage their productivity, and protect their energy amid external chaos—whether media noise, social influences, or industry drama. The group shares real strategies, candid personal stories, and actionable advice for powering through distractions and negativity to create a thriving, purpose-driven business.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Challenge: Overwhelm from External Forces

• Why Focus Matters:
  The hosts discuss how easy it is to spiral into fear or anger based on media and social media, which thrive on drama and can make problems feel bigger than they are.
  • [00:00] Ronan: "It's really, really, really important that we don't get sucked into a spiral of fear or anger—based on what the media is feeding us."

2. Defining ‘Control the Controllables’

• Personal Agency:
  Jeanine emphasizes that while we can’t control others, the government, or social media, we can control our thoughts and actions:
  • [01:23] Jeanine: "You can control your own mind and your own thoughts and the actions that you take in each and every day."

3. Strategies for Staying on Track

• Setting Boundaries & Routines:
  Jeanine shares her daily approach:

  • Having a physical studio to create separation from home life
  • Listening to positive, business-focused podcasts on her commute
  • Preparing and prioritizing a daily task list the night before
  • Using social media schedulers to avoid time sinks
  • [04:41] Jeanine: "For me, when I walk through the door of the studio, it's studio. I am on task all day for work."

• Protecting Your Energy:

  • Prevent interruptions from dictating your agenda
  • Use technology (e.g., focus modes on your phone) to filter unnecessary notifications
  • [10:45] Jeanine: "You can set focus filters up... Even your phone knows that this needs to happen when you need to focus and be in control of your time."

4. Mindset: Responsibility and Problem-Solving

• Radical Responsibility:
  Jonathan highlights that ultimate responsibility for success lies with the individual—not external factors.

  • [07:53] Jonathan: "The only person responsible for your success is you. It's not the government…the only thing that impacts your success or failure is you, your attitude, the inputs that you put to get the outputs that you want."

• Problem-Solving Over Pity:

  • [14:17] Ronan: “What choice do you have but to pick yourself up and say, I need to go again? ... When something goes wrong, yes, you can feel sorry for yourself for 60 seconds, and then you gotta shake it off and say…what did I learn from this?”

• Balance Realism and Positivity:
  Jonathan warns against toxic positivity, stressing realism and the importance of turning negative situations into constructive action.

  • [12:47] Jonathan: "I'm not a believer in all this...everyone's so positive when, like, I don't know, your leg's falling off. Obviously not... But how you deal with something negative...is what's key."

5. Tools to Foster Healthy Mindsets

• Gratitude & Meditation:
  Both are cited as practices that can help maintain focus on the gain, not the gap.

  • [14:17] Ronan: "One of the things I found really, really useful is...gratitude and meditation...Being grateful for what you have and celebrating the gain, not the gap."

• Selective Consumption:
  Jeanine describes choosing not to watch scary movies or consume negative news:

  • [31:04] Jeanine: "You can control what you put in your mind...I control positive mindset podcasts. That's the type of books I read in order to feed that positivity.”

6. The Value of Open-Mindedness

• Avoiding Echo Chambers:
  The team explains the importance of considering differing perspectives—both in the photography industry and in life—without letting them hijack your energy.

  • [17:37] Jonathan: "If everyone around you is being negative and you close yourself into that negativity...you tend not to see the people who are doing well...Remind yourself to stay open-minded."
  • [26:54] Jeanine: "I don't agree with unfriending anyone who disagrees with me. Then you end up in a silo and you're surprised when other people believe opposite of you."

• Personal Story on Open-Mindedness:
  Jonathan shares how being closed to new coaching methods in tennis initially limited him—and open-mindedness propelled real progress:

  • [28:42] Jonathan: "It took me a long time to...eventually I said, right, let's do what he says and let's just try it and see what happens...He changed my game. If I'd stayed close-minded, I'd have been worse off."

7. Application to Photography Business

• Filtering Distractions to Get Real Work Done:
  • Ignoring drama-filled Facebook groups, managing leads, and focusing on client impact over industry opinions.
  • [21:47] Ronan: “My challenge to you: what can you do today with your work that actually makes a difference to your clients today?”

8. Human Programming & Media Influence

• Understand the Triggers:
  Jonathan references Blair Warren’s “one sentence persuasion” to highlight human tendencies to seek out those who confirm their worldview:
  • [24:18] Jonathan: “People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions, and help them throw rocks at their enemies.”

9. Closing Message: Control What You Consume

• Empowering Listeners:
  • [31:38] Ronan: “You can control what you consume. There’s a one liner that captures this whole 30 minute podcast.”
  • [31:04] Jeanine: “You can control what you put in your mind…”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ronan (00:00): “It’s really, really, really important that we don’t get sucked into a spiral of fear or anger—based on what the media is feeding us.”
• Jeanine (01:23): "You can control your own mind and your own thoughts and the actions that you take in each and every day."
• Jonathan (07:53): “The only person responsible for your success is you. It's not the government…It doesn't matter how many times Taylor Swift's gotten engaged. None of that impact your success."
• Jonathan (12:47): "Sometimes things get crap, like life sucks sometimes. That's just reality and you just gotta deal with it, right?"
• Ronan (14:17): "When something goes wrong… you can feel sorry for yourself for 60 seconds, and then you gotta shake it off and say, right, so what did I learn from this?"
• Jeanine (26:54): “I don't agree with unfriending anyone who disagrees with me...I always want to understand someone else’s point of view.”
• Jeanine (31:04): “You can control what you put in your mind...You can control what you consume.”

Key Timestamps

• [00:00] – Setting the scene: the power of media-driven drama and fear
• [04:41] – Jeanine’s daily routines and managing boundaries
• [07:53] – Jonathan on total responsibility for outcomes
• [10:45] – Filtering interruptions and protecting productivity
• [12:47] – Balancing realism and positive action
• [14:17] – Turning setbacks into learning (with story from Ronan)
• [17:37] – The importance of open-mindedness
• [24:18] – Jonathan explains "one sentence persuasion" and human programming
• [26:54] – Jeanine on avoiding echo chambers without cutting out contrary voices
• [28:42] – Jonathan’s real-life tennis story about the dangers of being closed-minded
• [31:04] – Feeding your mind with intention—controlling inputs
• [31:38] – Show recap: “You can control what you consume.”

Conclusion

This episode offers a compelling, practical look at reclaiming control in a noisy world—reminding photographers and creative entrepreneurs that mindset, daily habits, and selective consumption are not only their greatest shields against external chaos, but the building blocks of sustainable business growth and personal fulfillment. The discussion urges listeners to stop blaming externalities and instead focus on their choices, routines, and what they let into their mental space.

Actionable Takeaways

• Define and defend your task list and work routines.
• Use tech tools (focus modes, scheduling) to protect your focus.
• Consume media and social input intentionally—not reactively.
• Address problems directly, and avoid wallowing in self-pity.
• Feed your mind with content that uplifts and educates, not drains.
• Stay open to different perspectives, especially those that challenge your status quo.
• Remember: “You can control what you consume.”

For more real-world strategies and a positive, business-minded community, consider joining the Difference Maker Revolution inner circle.