In this solo episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, Kari Schneider reveals the five non-negotiable habits she commits to every single morning, no matter the time zone, weather, or environment. Whether she’s in a cabin by a frozen lake or traveling internationally, these core practices set the foundation for her mental clarity, physical energy, and laser-sharp focus.

Kari dives deep into how these morning habits from hydration to daylight exposure to brain-fueling nutrition, create a domino effect for peak performance. She also shares personal stories of sleep struggles, circadian rhythm mistakes, and how science-backed strategies have helped her and her clients build unshakable energy.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• How to ditch the alarm clock dread and wake up with natural energy
• Why early daylight is your secret weapon for mental clarity and better sleep
• The underestimated power of movement first thing in the morning
• What your brain is desperately craving before breakfast
• Supplements Kari swears by for cognitive performance and recovery

Take what works, leave what doesn’t but build a morning routine that’s so good, you’ll keep doing it on holidays.

📌 This one’s for you if you’re a: High performer, heart-led leader, or anyone craving calm, clarity, and confidence to lead the day.

Listen now and start creating your morning magic before 8am! 🌅

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/team-learn-more

👉 Ready to use AI to support your leadership? Grab our free guide “the 50 best AI prompts for executives” https://thehumanalgorithm.ai/free-ai-guide

In this solo episode, Kari unpacks the Motivational Triad - a powerful psychological model explaining why we avoid things we want to do. We’re wired to avoid pain, seek pleasure, and stay comfortable. But here's the twist: that wiring often sabotages our goals, habits, and even our identities.

Kari shares:

• How our brain’s default setting creates resistance—even to the things we love
• The effort paradox and why pleasure isn’t enough to motivate us
• What “activation energy” is and how to lower it to make change easier
• Why values and identity are the real keys to overriding your brain’s ancient programming
• Real-life strategies to set up “easy wins” and overcome resistance in your daily life

This episode is a must-listen for anyone feeling stuck, procrastinating on goals, or craving greater consistency in the areas that matter most.

Key takeaway: Your brain is doing what it's designed to do. But when you understand the Motivational Triad and lower the activation energy, you take the power back.

Subscribe and listen now!

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/team-learn-more

👉 Ready to use AI to support your leadership? Grab our free guide “the 50 best AI prompts for executives” https://thehumanalgorithm.ai/free-ai-guide

This week on The Empowered Team Podcast, Kari is joined by one of the most sought-after leadership experts in North America—Steven Gaffney, CEO of The Steven Gaffney Company and author of Unconditional Power.

With 30+ years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies and organizations ranked #1 in their industries, Steven reveals what it actually takes to build consistently high-achieving teams.

They dig deep into:

• Why emotional safety is the #1 leadership skill (and why most leaders miss it)
• The real problem with “honest communication” — it’s not what you think
• A 9-step formula to have difficult conversations that actually move the needle
• Why psychological safety isn’t enough — and what emotional safety looks like in action
• How leaders accidentally train people to lie to them (and how to reverse it)

Plus: why AI is not your enemy in leadership, how to rebuild team norms even after years of dysfunction, and the crossover lessons that can transform not just your team—but your marriage, too.

🎁 BONUS: Listen in to hear how to get a FREE digital copy of Steven’s book Just Be Honest and access his AI-powered leadership tool for building elite teams.

www.StevenGaffney.com

www.JustBeHonest.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevengaffneycompany/

https://www.instagram.com/stevengaffneydc/

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/team-learn-more

👉 Ready to use AI to support your leadership? Grab our free guide “the 50 best AI prompts for executives” https://thehumanalgorithm.ai/free-ai-guide