• Mindfulness, Boundaries, and Family Communication with Lindsay Miller
    Apr 1 2025

    About Lindsay Miller: Lindsay Miller is a kids' mindfulness coach, educator, and host of The Stress Nanny Podcast, where she helps children develop emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-awareness in fun and engaging ways. With over 20 years of experience in child development and mindfulness education, she specializes in teaching practical tools that help kids manage stress, navigate challenges, and build confidence. Known for her suitcase tricks and playful laugh, she brings creativity and warmth to her coaching, making deep breathing and mindfulness exciting for young learners. Her insights have been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms, and publications, leaving a lasting impact on families and educators alike.


    In this episode, Brian and Lindsay Miller discuss:

    • Managing stress while balancing family responsibilities
    • The emotional and physical toll of life transitions
    • Mindfulness and stress management strategies
    • The impact of family dynamics on personal well-being


    Key Takeaways:

    • Acknowledging stress is the first step to managing it, and writing down all the people and responsibilities relying on you can bring much-needed clarity while reducing feelings of guilt or self-blame.
    • Setting firm boundaries and prioritizing responsibilities allows for a better balance, making it easier to focus on urgent family needs without feeling constantly overwhelmed or stretched too thin.
    • Holding regular family meetings, such as a Sunday night check-in, creates space for open communication, ensuring that everyone has the chance to voice their concerns and feel supported.
    • Prioritizing self-care is not selfish but necessary, as taking care of personal well-being improves both physical and mental health, making it easier to support and care for others more effectively.


    "Giving yourself permission to feel what you’re feeling, giving yourself permission to access the help that you need is a crucial part of keeping yourself afloat." — Lindsay Miller


    Connect with Lindsay Miller:

    Website: https://www.thestressnanny.com/

    Show: The Stress Nanny with Lindsay Miller: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-stress-nanny-with-lindsay-miller/id1488383546

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-seil-miller-79a409149/

    Twitter: https://x.com/thestressnanny

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestressnanny

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestressnanny


    Host contact information: 

    • Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com

    

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    24 mins
  • Understanding and Supporting Children with Unique Needs with Michelle Choairy
    Mar 18 2025

    About Michelle Choairy: Michelle Choairy is a dedicated advocate, speaker, and mentor for parents of complex children. As the founder of Collective Wisdom for Complex Kids, she helps families navigate healthcare, education, and support systems using strategies she developed while advocating for her son with TBR1 genetic disorder. A bilingual keynote speaker, she has collaborated with Apraxia Kids, March of Dimes, and Special Olympics, raising awareness and funds for special needs children. Through her work, Michelle provides parents with guidance, community, and the tools to become their child’s best advocate.


    In this episode, Brian and Michelle Choairy discuss:

    • Challenges of raising a child with a complex condition
    • Navigating healthcare, education, and insurance as an advocate
    • Accessing state-funded programs and disability resources
    • Balancing family life and emotional well-being


    Key Takeaways:

    • Parents of children with developmental differences often endure years of uncertainty and misdiagnoses, making it essential to trust their instincts and persistently push for deeper medical evaluations that could reveal rare conditions.
    • Successfully advocating for a child with complex needs requires navigating confusing healthcare systems, fighting for the right educational accommodations, and learning how to work through insurance policies and state-funded assistance programs.
    • While a formal diagnosis may not change the daily challenges a child faces, it can be the key to unlocking vital long-term resources, disability benefits, and specialized support programs that ensure care well beyond childhood.
    • Many parents struggle with guilt over their child’s condition, but recognizing that genetic disorders and other complex diagnoses are beyond their control can help them shift their focus from self-blame to proactive advocacy and support.


    "I'm my best success story, and that is what I want every mom to say, because that's what—that's what I'm going to prepare them to be. They're going to be their own success story." — Michelle Choairy


    Connect with Michelle Choairy:

    Website: https://wisdom4complexkids.com/ & https://michellechoairy.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellechoairy

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wisdom4complexkids/ & https://www.facebook.com/Choairym

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelle.choairy/


    Host contact information: 

    • Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com

    

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    30 mins
  • Clarity or Chaos: Making the Ultimate Relationship Decision with Mike Fink
    Mar 4 2025

    About Mike Fink: Mike Fink is a clarity coach, author, and personal development expert with over two decades of experience and a Master of Science in Psychology from Yale University. He is the creator of The Decoding Grid™, a groundbreaking process that helps women struggling with the decision to divorce gain absolute clarity and confidence in just 30 days. Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, he guides clients through structured decision-making to overcome fear, guilt, and uncertainty. Since 2021, he has been on a mission to help women break free from indecision and move forward with peace of mind. He is also the author of Divorce Decision Decoded: The Revolutionary Process for Women to Make the Right Decision with Confidence.


    In this episode, Brian and Mike Fink discuss:

    • Decision-making in relationships and marriage
    • The emotional and psychological toll of indecision
    • Understanding and defining essential relationship values
    • The importance of external guidance in complex life decisions


    Key Takeaways:

    • Your primal brain resists change because it perceives maintaining the current situation as the safest option, even if that situation is making you miserable.
    • Clarity about essential values helps individuals make confident choices about whether to stay or leave a relationship.
    • People must distinguish between “essential” and “optional” needs in a partner to determine if their relationship is sustainable.
    • Many people, especially women, stay in relationships believing their partner will eventually change, but long-term fundamental change is rare and unrealistic.


    "The first step to get clarity is to gather all the pieces of the puzzle—because if you're trying to solve a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle with only 200, well... that ain't gonna happen. Most people think they're considering all the relevant elements in their relationship, but they aren't." — Mike Fink

    Connect with Mike Fink:

    Website: https://www.getabsoluteclarity.com/

    Book: Divorce Decision Decoded: https://www.amazon.com/Divorce-Decision-Decoded-Revolutionary-Certainty/dp/1738345726/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-fink-get-absolute-clarity

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MikeFinkGetAbsoluteClarity/


    Host contact information: 

    • Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com

    

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    30 mins
  • Mindset Reset: How to Stop Stress from Running Your Life with Madelaine Weiss
    Feb 18 2025

    About Madelaine Weiss: Madelaine Claire Weiss (LICSW, MBA, BCC) is a Harvard-trained licensed psychotherapist, mindset expert, and board-certified executive, career, and life coach. With a background in clinical psychology and business, she helps busy professionals master their minds to achieve success and fulfillment without burnout. A bestselling author, speaker, and consultant, Madelaine has been featured on NBC, Fox TV, and numerous media outlets, and has written for publications such as Thrive Global and Authority Magazine. She has spoken for organizations including Harvard Medical School, the American Bar Association, and AARP. Passionate about personal and professional growth, she empowers individuals to align meaning and purpose for a thriving life.


    In this episode, Brian and Madelaine Weiss discuss:

    • Understanding and managing burnout in high-stress environments
    • The challenges of parenting while caring for aging parents
    • Emotional regulation techniques for parents and children
    • How thought patterns and external influences shape our reality


    Key Takeaways:

    • Practicing three deep, diaphragmatic breaths through the nose, where the belly expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale, can instantly calm the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and improve decision-making by shifting the brain into a clearer, more focused state.
    • By teaching kids simple stress-management techniques like power breathing, parents can create a shared emotional language that not only helps children navigate their own feelings but also strengthens the parent-child connection through mutual understanding.
    • Since the human brain consciously registers just 50 bits of information out of six times 70 million zero bits available, our perception of reality is heavily filtered, meaning that many of our worries, biases, and stressors are shaped by an incomplete and often distorted mental narrative.
    • The people we interact with, the media we consume, the food we eat, and even the thoughts we allow to linger in our minds all contribute to our mental and emotional well-being, making it essential to be intentional about choosing high-quality influences that uplift rather than drain us.


    "Good company… includes the people you allow into your life—but it's not limited to that. It's the food you drink, the books you read, the music you listen to, and especially the thoughts you allow to remain in your head. The highest quality you can afford should be the good company of your life." — Madelaine Weiss


    Connect with Madelaine Weiss:

    Website: https://madelaineweiss.com/

    Book: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Madelaine-Claire-Weiss/author/B08VDWG5R1

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelaineweiss/


    Host contact information: 

    • Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com

    

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    26 mins
  • Goals, Self-Care, and Resilience for the Overwhelmed with Melanie Yates
    Feb 4 2025

    About Melanie Yates: Melanie Yates is a certified relationship coach, best-selling author, and founder of Happy Joyous & Free LLC, dedicated to helping individuals and couples build stronger connections and live fulfilling lives. With over a decade of coaching experience and 21 years in the healthcare field, Melanie specializes in emotional management, stress relief, and finding joy amidst life’s challenges. Known for her compassionate and multi-modal approach, she has successfully guided hundreds of clients through struggles like PTSD, addiction, depression, and anxiety toward self-fulfillment and freedom. Melanie’s work is grounded in a deep belief in love and positivity, which she radiates as a wife, mother, and mentor to those she inspires.


    In this episode, Brian and Melanie Yates discuss:

    • Managing the pressures of juggling family, work, and personal responsibilities
    • Setting clear goals and creating actionable plans to achieve them
    • Prioritizing self-care to reduce stress and prevent burnout
    • Seeking guidance and support when feeling stuck or overwhelmed


    Key Takeaways:

    • Writing goals down on paper and breaking them into manageable steps creates a roadmap that fosters clarity, accountability, and a sense of control over the chaos of daily life.
    • Preventing and recovering from burnout requires setting firm boundaries around work and personal commitments, prioritizing self-care, and intentionally dedicating time to restorative and enjoyable activities.
    • Acknowledging feelings of overwhelm and seeking external support, whether from a coach, therapist, or trusted confidant, can provide fresh perspectives, actionable strategies, and relief from trying to manage everything alone.
    • Building flexibility into your plans while maintaining a clear vision for your desired outcomes ensures you can navigate setbacks and adapt to life’s inevitable challenges without losing sight of your long-term goals.


    "We get so serious with all these responsibilities that we forget we need to have fun—the little girl or boy in us still needs to come out." — Melanie Yates

    Connect with Melanie Yates:

    Website: https://www.happyjoyousandfree.org/

    Email: married2bless@gmail.com

    Book: Happy, Joyous, and Free by Melanie Yates: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Joyous-Free-Love-matter/dp/173608741X

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-yates-dr-coach/


    Host contact information: 

    • Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com

    

    Sign up for your FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER at www.stuckinthemiddlenews.com

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    23 mins
  • Life's Fingerprint: Understanding Birth Order and Family Dynamics with Dr. Robert Hurst
    Jan 21 2025

    About Dr. Robert Hurst: Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst, originally from Hammond, Indiana, is a Harvard-educated orthodontist with over 50 years of experience. Practicing in Covington, Louisiana, he has used his office as a real-world laboratory to study the relationship between birth order and personality traits. This research led to his groundbreaking “Double Birth Order” theory, which uncovers individuals’ true birth order and explains their behaviors. A former instructor at Tufts and Louisiana State University, Dr. Hurst has published extensively and shares his findings in Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your Path Throughout Life.


    In this episode, Brian and Dr. Robert Hurst discuss:

    • The influence of birth order on personality and relationships.
    • Double birth orders and their unique effects on individuals.
    • Birth order’s role in managing family caregiving dynamics.
    • Practical applications of birth order in parenting and careers.


    Key Takeaways:

    • Birth order is a nuanced framework shaped by factors like sibling spacing, parental dynamics, and blended families, all of which significantly influence personality development and relational patterns.
    • Double birth orders emerge when siblings are spaced four or more years apart, creating traits that mimic only children or entirely new family hierarchies, which can magnify or alter original birth order traits.
    • Understanding birth order can resolve conflicts in caregiving scenarios, as dynamics like a "three-only" sibling rising to leadership often create friction with traditional family hierarchies.
    • Applying birth order insights helps improve parenting strategies, fosters better workplace collaboration, and even informs romantic compatibility by revealing the relational patterns people are drawn to.


    "If you understand birth order, it's not just 1-2-3; it can be 17 or 18 different types. But once you understand it, it is a Rosetta Stone for understanding everybody in your life, and it'll make things so much easier." — Dr. Robert Hurst


    Order Dr. Hurst's book today for a personalized autograph and insights into your true birth order: https://www.mybirthorder.com/


    Connect with Dr. Robert Hurst:

    Email: lifesfingerprint43@gmail.com

    Website: https://www.mybirthorder.com/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifesFingerprintYourBirthOrder

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rvvhurst/


    Host contact information: 

    • Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com

    

    Sign up for your FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER at www.stuckinthemiddlenews.com

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    34 mins
  • From Stress to Rest: Transforming Your Relationship with Sleep with Elizabeth Armstrong
    Jan 7 2025

    About Elizabeth Armstrong: Elizabeth Armstrong is a Certified Adult Sleep Coach with Sleep Solutions Unlimited, bringing a wealth of experience from her diverse professional background. As a registered nurse, Ph.D. in psychology, and holder of a Master of Divinity, she combines these disciplines to offer a holistic approach to adult sleep solutions. Inspired by her own sleep challenges and those of others, Elizabeth focuses on helping middle-aged and older adults improve their sleep quality through personalized, non-medicated strategies. She is passionate about empowering her clients to achieve longer, deeper, and more restorative sleep.


    In this episode, Brian and Elizabeth Armstrong discuss:

    • The importance of sleep for overall health and well-being
    • Common challenges and misconceptions about sleep issues
    • Strategies for improving sleep and overcoming insomnia
    • Personalized approaches to addressing sleep problems


    Key Takeaways:

    • Sleep apnea, a serious condition involving insufficient oxygen during sleep, can be managed with alternatives like the "Inspire" device, a small implant that stimulates breathing and avoids the discomfort of traditional CPAP masks.
    • Many people struggle with sleep because of their negative self-image as "bad sleepers," but adopting tools like personalized mantras and meditation can help reframe this mindset and improve sleep quality over time.
    • While medications and alcohol may seem like quick fixes for sleep, they disrupt natural sleep cycles, causing long-term harm to both physical and mental health, making lifestyle changes a better approach.
    • A truly effective sleep environment includes not only external factors like darkness, silence, and the right temperature but also avoiding non-sleep activities like watching TV in the bedroom to maintain a clear association with rest.


    "Everyone is a potentially good sleeper, regardless of the decade they’re in. Yes, things change—life situations, stress levels—they go up and down. But the self-concept of "I am, I can sleep, I have the potential to be a good sleeper" is critical to ingrain…we work a lot with that." — Elizabeth Armstrong

    Connect with Elizabeth Armstrong:

    Website: https://sleepsolutionsunlimited.com/

    Book A Complimentary Sleep Evaluation With Elizabeth:

    https://sleepsolutionsunlimitedelizabeth.as.me/


    Host contact information: 

    • Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com

    

    Sign up for your FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER at www.stuckinthemiddlenews.com

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    27 mins
  • Building the Perfect Sleep Sanctuary for Kids and Families with JoAnna Inks
    Dec 24 2024

    About JoAnna Inks: JoAnna Inks is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Coach and the CEO of Sleep Solutions Unlimited, specializing in helping families teach their babies and children to sleep independently and consistently. Certified by renowned sleep expert Dana Obleman, JoAnna has spent over 14 years transforming sleepless nights into restful ones for thousands of families. In addition to her sleep expertise, she is a Certified Lactation Consultant and Pediatric Feeding Coach, offering a holistic approach to addressing children’s sleep and feeding needs. JoAnna’s mission is to empower parents with customized solutions so the entire family can enjoy the rest they deserve.


    In this episode, Brian and JoAnna Inks discuss:

    • Managing children’s sleep routines and family balance
    • Teaching children independent sleep skills
    • Creating an optimal sleep environment
    • Debunking pediatric sleep training myths


    Key Takeaways:

    • Sleep pressure, the natural buildup of a child’s need for sleep, is crucial for falling asleep independently, and activities like feeding or rocking just before sleep can disrupt this process and lead to nighttime wakefulness.
    • A child’s sleep environment should be a "sleep sanctuary," featuring complete darkness, an ideal temperature range of 68-72°F, and the removal of toys or distractions to establish clear sleep associations.
    • Consistency is key, with routines that aim for 11-12 hours of uninterrupted nighttime sleep, which helps children manage emotions better and supports overall development.
    • Tailored sleep plans, designed with a family’s unique preferences and a child’s specific needs, often succeed where rigid methods or generic advice fail, making sleep training approachable and sustainable.


    "A well-rested child is much more flexible than an exhausted child. So, get the foundation, get that child well-rested, and then I feel like you can have flexibility. It doesn't have to be just one way." — JoAnna Inks


    Get your free copy of 3 Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Tonight!

    https://41a4-joanna.systeme.io/45c6cf65-f3b3e68d-3287c812


    Connect with JoAnna Inks:

    Website: https://sleepsolutionsunlimited.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannainks/


    Host contact information: 

    • Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com

    

    Sign up for your FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER at www.stuckinthemiddlenews.com

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    26 mins