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What if the reason your relationship feels stuck… isn’t because of them but because of what you’re carrying?

In this episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with marriage and mindset expert Larry Bilotta for a powerful conversation about emotional patterns, childhood programming, and why it only takes one person to begin healing a relationship. After spending 27 years in what he calls “a marriage made in hell,” Larry shares the internal shift that transformed everything, not by changing his wife, but by changing himself.

Together, Amanda and Larry unpack how unseen emotional “energy” shapes relationships, why fear quietly drives so many decisions, and how moving from fear to love can radically shift not just a marriage but every area of life. Expect bold analogies, deep self-reflection, and practical mindset tools that challenge the way you think about conflict, identity, and emotional responsibility.

Because sometimes the breakthrough isn’t fixing what’s wrong…
It’s choosing a different energy entirely.

💡 In this episode, listeners will learn:

🚂 Larry’s “Energy Train” concept and how emotions silently transfer between partners
💔 Why 27 years of struggle became the foundation for transformation
🧠 How childhood programming (“chaos kids”) impacts adult relationships
⚖️ The difference between soft-hearted vs. hard-natured personalities
📝 The 25 Fear Words vs. 25 Love Words exercise and how it rewires decision-making
🐀 The “Cruise Ship & Rat” analogy for the inner critic and unresolved pain
👨‍👩‍👧 Clear definitions of a “real” dad, mom, husband, and wife and why clarity matters
❤️ Why shifting from “What’s wrong?” to “How can I help?” changes everything

⏰ Timeline Summary

[4:30] Childhood roots
[10:40] “Stay married and miserable” the subconscious programming that kept them stuck
[16:40] The “Energy Train” explained: how mood, attitude, and emotion transfer between partners (even when hidden)
[27:30] Soft-hearted vs. hard-natured personalities & the “flag page” framework (fun/peace/control/perfect)
[34:50] The Fear vs. Love word list exercise... choosing a different emotional world to live in
[45:40] Real dad / real mom / real husband / real wife definitions

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

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What if the authority you’ve been taught to look for outside of yourself has actually been within you all along?

In this powerful episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo sits down with holistic doctor and former midwife Dr. Marissa Heisel for an expansive conversation on women’s health, pregnancy, midlife, and the radical act of self-trust. With more than 26 years of experience working with women and families, Marissa shares how her journey from conventional medical aspirations to holistic care reshaped her understanding of healing and why so many women feel disconnected from their own bodies.

Together, Amanda and Marissa explore the cultural conditioning that influences pregnancy and birth, the medicalization of menopause, rising childhood anxiety, and the hidden impact of modern screen culture. At the heart of it all is one core message: reclaiming inner authority isn’t just personal, it’s generational. When women trust themselves, everything shifts.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🌀 Why women’s health has become increasingly medicalized
👶 How disempowerment can begin during pregnancy and birth
🌿 What “radical self-trust” truly means in everyday life
🧠 The connection between stress, technology, and rising childhood anxiety
🔥 Why symptoms may be signals not problems to suppress
🪞 The difference between identity and inherent worth
🌎 How reclaiming inner authority creates ripple effects for future generations

⏰ Timeline Summary

[3:05] The childhood mohttps://www.instagram.com/elemental.healing_arts/ment that sparked a fascination with healing
[8:30] Walking away from conventional medicine
[15:10] Disempowerment in pregnancy and birth culture
[26:00] Your body as your best medicine
[34:40] Technology, anxiety, and modern childhood
[46:10] Trauma identity vs. true self-worth
[55:00] Final reflections on authority, trust, and generational change

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!

To Connect with Dr. Marissa:

Website: https://elementalhealingarts.life/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elemental.healing_arts/

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What if pain wasn’t the enemy… but a messenger?

What if stress wasn’t just something to “push through”… but the root of nearly every ache, tension, and health challenge in the body?

In this deeply insightful episode, host Amanda Russo sits down with Njideka Olatunde, founder of Focus on Healing Wellness Institute, reflexology educator, and pioneer in medication-free pain relief… for a conversation that reframes everything listeners think they know about pain, stress, and healing.

Njideka shares how growing up with home remedies, herbal “concoctions,” and doctors who made house calls shaped her early vision of becoming a healer. After witnessing gaps in the medical system as a social worker, she followed a new path into naturopathy and reflexology, where she has now spent over 40 years helping thousands find relief without relying on pharmaceuticals.

At the heart of the episode is one core truth: pain and stress go hand in hand. Njideka explains why the body never betrays us, how stress internalized becomes physical pain, and why listening is the first and most powerful form of touch. She introduces the concept of multiple forms of touch, physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, and even financial and reveals how something as simple as a smile, gratitude, or holding space can begin the healing process.

The conversation also explores personal responsibility in healthcare, asking better questions, stepping “out of the box,” reconnecting with the inner child, and why healing requires participation... not passive prescriptions.

It’s a powerful reminder that the body is intelligent, healing is collaborative, and empowerment begins the moment we decide to take back control.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🖐️ Why pain and stress are inseparable
🧠 How internalized stress becomes physical symptoms
👂 Why listening is the first and most powerful form of touch
🌿 How reflexology activates the body’s natural pain relievers
💊 Why medication should be questioned, not blindly accepted
💰 How financial stress silently contributes to illness
🎈 Why reconnecting with your inner child relieves tension
🙏 Why gratitude is the foundation of healing
🔥 How taking responsibility transforms the healing journey

⏰ Timeline Summary

[3:12] Childhood home remedies and the early vision of becoming a healer
[8:45] The stress pain connection explained simply
[12:18] The “mechanic” analogy
[16:40] Listening as the first form of touch
[22:55] Reflexology explained through the nervous system
[31:07] Financial pain as a root cause of stress
[38:42] Creating a “silly day” to reconnect with your inner child
[47:10] Celebrating 40 years of impact in reflexology

To Connect with Amanda:

Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Breathwork Session HERE

📸 Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess

Follow & Support the Podcast:

📱Instagram: @MandersMindset
👥 Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!