Leading Through Crisis: Using Trance to Regain Grounded Authority

I'm hosting a free and open event next Wednesday — Cortisol Cleanse: A Respite for Resilient Leaders.

You may have noticed that I’m guiding you through a deeply relaxing trance during this session. If that had you wondering, "What exactly is a trance?" here is what it is:

Trance can be an altered state of mind, but it's actually NOT an extraordinary state. It's a regular, ordinary, everyday occurrence.

Here's how to know if you've already experienced a trance:

• Have you brushed your teeth without consciously thinking and willing yourself to go from upper right molar to the back side to lower left and all around?

• Have you ever gotten so absorbed in scrolling on your phone, that before you knew it, two hours had flown by and your neck hurt?

• Have you ever watched a movie that was so engrossing that for the duration of the film your mind somehow filtered out your surroundings, whether that was a dark theater downtown or your cozy living room?

If you recognized yourself in any of those, you’ve already experienced trance. We slip in and out of various trances everyday on our own.

And when someone — like yours truly — is guiding you through a trance, you never relinquish control or lose agency. Even those folks who volunteer to experience stage hypnosis are fully aware of everything; they can absolutely stop whenever they really want to.

Trance isn't something that's done TO you. It's something you do WITH another, with your full volition and awareness.

In my executive coaching practice, I blend no-nonsense communication frameworks with these tools to support my clients in changing behavior patterns that have gone unconscious. This combination has helped my clients:

• Advocate for themselves for the first time in their 15+ year career and ask for a promotion.

  • Receipt: "Through the coaching process, I gained a whole library of tools, which is incredible. I learned several different neuroplasticity tools and an internal wisdom model from Jamie." -- JT, Software Engineer

• Leave toxic jobs and start wildly successful consulting agencies.

  • Receipt: (Client podcast interview) From Minimum Wage to CEO with Grace Anniskett

• Bounce right back from getting laid off to negotiating a competitive job offer for a leadership position.

  • Receipt: (Client video interview) Succeeding as a Breadwinner with SJ Crawford

Trance is simply a naturally occurring brain state that deepens attention and helps you access the potential of your subconscious. It can help activate the human body's innate capacity to relax, restore, and redirect attention.

Next Wednesday, I'm going to demonstrate a content-free, deeply relaxing trance — that you can choose to participate in. There's no agenda. If you'd like to stick around after the trance to ask me questions related to leadership, entrepreneurship, or coaching, I'll be there to support you.

When the world aches because of hate, I think it's up to us to respond with love. This is my way of paying it forward.

Join Cortisol Cleanse: A Respite for the Resilient Leader

Wednesday, 2/4/26 at 1pm ET / 10am PT

See you there,

Jamie

P.S. If you'd also like to pay it forward or express your appreciation — please give to this fundraiser for families sheltering in place in St. Paul, Minnesota: Support Our St Paul Public Schools Community Drive.