Mindset

In another insightful episode, hosts Mike McKay and Jackie Zach focus on the critical role of mindset in personal and professional growth. They discuss how mindset shapes identity and influences everything from business decisions to team interactions. Mike emphasizes that mindset affects how we perceive challenges and opportunities, often reflected back at us through our experiences. Jackie shares her own journey of overcoming resistance to role-playing, highlighting how a shift in mindset—from discomfort to acceptance—opened up new possibilities and reduced stress. Both hosts agree that changing one’s mindset can lead to immediate, positive changes in both personal and business outcomes.

The conversation also touches on the concept of perturbation, a state of discomfort that signals the edge of one’s comfort zone. Mike explains that experiencing perturbation is essential for growth, as it pushes individuals to face challenges and develop new skills. He stresses that without discomfort, there’s no learning, and without learning, there’s no growth. Jackie echoes this sentiment, noting that changing her mindset allowed her to embrace discomfort and, in turn, experience significant personal and professional development. The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to examine and shift their own mindsets to unlock new opportunities and achieve their goals.

Want to focus more on mindset for you and your business? If yes, take advantage of a complimentary business strategy session to discover the opportunities in your business! https://actioncoachwi.com/podcast-ask-a-question-complimentary-session/

Check out this episode!

Podcast Transcript

Mike McKay: Welcome back to the Tough Love for Business podcast. My name is Mike McKay. I’m here with Jackie Zach, and today we’re going to talk about mindset. Good morning, Jackie.

Jackie Zach: Good morning. We’re going to talk about mindset. It’s one of those topics we don’t discuss often, but it’s incredibly important. Whether you’re running a business or being an executive, mindset is crucial—not only for yourself but also for setting an example for your team. That’s why it’s our focus today.

Mike: It’s funny that we don’t talk about it much on the podcast because it’s something we discuss all the time.

Jackie: That’s exactly where I got the idea—it’s funny!

Mike: So, what do you want to say about mindset?

Jackie: I think it’s really important to check where your mindset is. If you’re listening to this, take a moment to stop and think: What am I thinking? What am I feeling? What am I saying to myself? What am I saying about myself?

Mike: Right, your identity is what you say about yourself when you’re alone. We were actually talking about this while role-playing today, which is one of your favorite activities, right? Role-playing, networking scripting, and business diagnostic scripting. Your mindset can determine whether you see yourself as someone who enjoys role-playing or not. If you see yourself as someone who hates it, it becomes difficult. But if you shift your mindset to someone who loves role-playing because it helps you learn quickly, it suddenly becomes easier.

Jackie: Absolutely. And I think it’s actually pretty easy to change your mindset—you just have to choose to do it. Last time we talked about role-playing, and I resisted it as much as I could without walking out, which Mike is laughing about because he knows.

Mike: That’s what I did too when Brad first made me do it. It was physically difficult to participate.

Jackie: Exactly. Afterward, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I reacted and how unfair it all seemed, but it really wasn’t unfair. I just didn’t want to do it.

Mike: Unfair? What do you mean?

Jackie: Well, not actually unfair, but you know what I mean—all the excuses in my head because I was uncomfortable doing it.

Mike: You big meanie! But seriously, mindset affects everything—your sales, your business decisions, and how you perceive your team. It influences what you see through your reticular activating system and how you react based on your identity, values, beliefs, and skills. Life is like a mirror, reflecting back what you’re thinking and feeling. If your mindset is negative, it shows up in your life as challenges, which may just be the universe trying to tell you something.

Jackie: Exactly. To finish my earlier thought, I decided to change how I was looking at the situation. It didn’t make me less uncomfortable, but it did make me more accepting.

Mike: You’re visibly less uncomfortable now. Today, when I put you on the spot, you recovered almost instantly. In the past, you would have resisted for 15 minutes before getting back on track. Since our first role-playing session, you’ve seen a lot of positive changes.

Jackie: Definitely. It’s not just because of role-playing, though. It’s because I faced my belief and changed it.

Mike: Exactly. Even though it was uncomfortable, it was worth it. That change in mindset allowed for different results than what you experienced earlier in the year.

Jackie: The beginning of the year was rough. But the key takeaway is that mindset is incredibly powerful. Once I chose to change how I was thinking—not just about the situation but about myself—everything opened up. The second I started to let go of the “I can’t do it” mindset, opportunities started to appear. The point is, you can change your mindset in an instant, which can change everything.

Mike: And you might just be looking at something you don’t want and saying, “See, mindset doesn’t work.” 

Jackie: But I’m telling you, it does. From my experience, I’d say give it a try. Once you accept what’s happening, it becomes a lot less stressful. Once I accepted the discomfort, it was a lot less stressful.

Mike: That’s perturbation, and it’s not just feeling a little uncomfortable. It’s when something truly sucks, and you’re on the verge of making a decision. Decisions happen in an instant, but the lead-up can take forever. Once you make the decision, you might need to install new skills, but really, it’s about changing your mindset. The more you learn about coaching, the more you realize that you need to go through this discomfort to help others effectively.

Jackie: Right. If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or like things aren’t going your way, you can change your mindset and create something new instantly. You just have to choose to do it. That’s my lesson for the day, and I hope it will be yours too.

Mike: There’s a difference between saying and doing—the learning happens when you’re doing. If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not learning. Learning means facing things you don’t know how to manage. I’ve realized that when I’m not experiencing some level of discomfort, something’s wrong—I’m not growing. It’s fun to push others into it because it pushes me too.

If I don’t have the courage to go through it, who am I to guide my clients through? It’s one of the things that separates us—the perturbation it takes to become an owner versus a doer. You can stay in your business and run it forever, but the perturbation required to actually become the owner—not the person who has to be there every day—must be present. That’s what most business owners wanted when they started, and it’s hard work. If we’re not willing to go through perturbation in our own lives, we can’t effectively coach others through it. We lead from experience, embracing growth personally and in business.

Jackie: Exactly. Changing, growing, and stepping out of your comfort zone are all uncomfortable but necessary for getting to the next level as a business owner and helping your team do the same.

Mike: If you’re not growing as a person, your life isn’t growing either. So, mindset is key.

Jackie: Absolutely.

Mike: If you want to talk about mindset with Coach Jackie, click the button below to chat with her. Until then, we’ll see you next time.

Jackie: Excellent.