In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Joseph Cancilla, founder of Hana Events & Experiences, United States Marine Corps veteran, and experiential architect creating emotionally resonant events at scale. What begins as a shared Marine Corps bond evolves into a deep conversation about grief, empathy, nervous system regulation, and what it actually takes to lead with presence instead of pressure.

Joseph opens up about unlearning Marine Corps conditioning in civilian leadership, avoiding grief through busyness, and how meditation, breathwork, and embodiment reshaped both his leadership style and his business model.

Together, they explore why slowing down is not weakness, how emotional intelligence creates better outcomes, and why aligned leaders create experiences that move people—not just impress them.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership often requires unlearning before growth becomes possible

• Empathy can exist without lowering standards

• Grief avoided becomes friction; grief processed becomes wisdom

• Stillness and embodiment lead to clearer decisions

• Emotional resonance creates lasting leadership impact

Quotes

• “Every decision in the Marine Corps is framed as life or death—and that doesn’t translate cleanly to civilian leadership.” – Mycal Anders

• “Validation doesn’t mean agreement—it means honoring someone’s lived experience.” – Joseph Cancilla

• “Slowing down was the only way I could finally feel again.” – Joseph Cancilla

• “If nobody’s given you permission to be great, this is it.” – Mycal Anders

Connect with Joseph Cancilla

• 🌐 Website: https://www.hana.events

• 📸 Instagram: @hanaaroundtheworld

• 🔗 LinkedIn: Joseph Cancilla

Stay Connected & Take Action
✅ Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → https://nextlevelhq.co
✅ Ready to be the Fittest Leader Possible? → https://go.coachderz.com/blog
✅ Subscribe to the Next Level Substack → https://nextlevelalignment.substack.com/
✅ Subscribe to Progress Always on Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5DmNDDIPLiYIfO278S32hM?si=258af1623c974b00

Partners & Sponsors
@ThorneHealth → https://www.thorne.com/u/progressalways
@StrongCoffee → https://strongcoffeecompany.com — Code: NEXTLEVEL15

Alignment First. Progress Always!

#AlignmentFirst #ProgressAlways #VeteranLeadership #EmbodiedLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #MarineCorpsMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #EventExperience

In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Jessica Depatie—producer, podcaster, shadow work educator, and branding consultant—for a deep conversation on identity, harmonics, and why true alignment matters more than marketing tactics. We explore how inner coherence shapes outer expression and what it really means to lead, and brand, from integrity.

Key Takeaways

1. Niching down fails when your work operates at a principled, not professional, level

2. Alignment creates resonance; optimization creates burnout

3. Standing out feels dangerous only when identity lags behind expression

4. The most powerful brands are revealed, not manufactured

5. Leadership becomes art when coherence replaces performance

Quotes

• “The most powerful brand isn’t engineered, it’s revealed.” – Jessica Depatie

• “We’re not optimizing humans; we’re harmonizing them.” – Mycal Anders

• “Fear of being seen is often fear of our own judgment.” – Jessica Depatie

Connect with Jessica Depatie

• Website: https://shadowmedia.group

• Substack & Projects: Available via her website

___________________________________________________________________________________

Stay Connected & Take Action

✅ Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → NextLevelHQ.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

✅ Ready to be the Fittest Leader Possible? → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CoachDerz.com/blog

✅ Subscribe to the Next Level Substack → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nextlevelalignment.substack.com/

✅ Subscribe to Alignment First on Spotify → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5DmNDDIPLiYIfO278S32hM?si=258af1623c974b00

Partners & Sponsors

@ThorneHealth → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thorne.com/u/progressalways

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@StrongCoffee → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strongcoffeecompany.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Code: NEXTLEVEL15

Alignment First. Progress Always.

#AlignmentFirst#ProgressAlways#FittestLeader#LeadershipDevelopment#HighPerformanceHabits#ExecutiveAthlete#MindsetMastery#PersonalGrowthJourney#PeakPerformanceCoaching#NextLevelLeadership#Podcast

In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Christalyne Causey, former burned-out healthcare worker turned medspa owner and performance-focused health strategist. We unpack why burnout isn’t a motivation problem. It’s a hormone and nervous system problem. From stress chemistry and dopamine addiction to sleep deprivation and modern lifestyle design, this conversation delivers practical insight into restoring balance, performance, and human connection.

Key Takeaways

1) Burnout is often biological, not psychological: chronic stress suppresses key hormones like testosterone and serotonin

2) Dopamine overstimulation blocks deeper connection, fulfillment, and bonding hormones

3) Resistance training and daily movement are powerful tools for stress regulation and longevity

4) Whole foods support hormone production by reducing inflammation and nutrient depletion

5) Sleep is the foundation of recovery: chronic deprivation accelerates aging and burnout

Quotes

• “Burnout isn’t a character flaw. It’s your biology waving a red flag.” – Mycal Anders

• “Dopamine addiction is quietly destroying our ability to connect.” – Christalyne Causey

• “You don’t need optimization. You need restoration.” – Christalyne Causey

Connect with Christalyne Causey

Website: https://thebareeffect.com

Instagram: @thecauseyeffect

___________________________________________________________________________________

Stay Connected & Take Action

✅ Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → NextLevelHQ.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

✅ Ready to be the Fittest Leader Possible? → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CoachDerz.com/blog

✅ Subscribe to the Next Level Substack → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nextlevelalignment.substack.com/

✅ Subscribe to Alignment First on Spotify → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5DmNDDIPLiYIfO278S32hM?si=258af1623c974b00

Partners & Sponsors

@ThorneHealth → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thorne.com/u/progressalways

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@StrongCoffee → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strongcoffeecompany.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Code: NEXTLEVEL15

Alignment First. Progress Always.

#AlignmentFirst#ProgressAlways#FittestLeader#LeadershipDevelopment#HighPerformanceHabits#ExecutiveAthlete#MindsetMastery#PersonalGrowthJourney#PeakPerformanceCoaching#NextLevelLeadership#Podcast