In this episode of The Business of Thinking podcast, host Richard Reid speaks with Hina Siddiqui, founder and CEO of Corporate Influence Media. Hina shares her journey from a chaotic childhood in India to becoming a published author and corporate coach, highlighting resilience, self-worth, and her “80% energy, 20% action” philosophy.

She discusses leaving a stable corporate career, enduring five years with no income, and turning her “mess into a message.” Hina also explains her “Let’s Make You Famous” strategy, positioning IT CEOs as industry celebrities to boost credibility, confidence, and business growth. Her core belief: treat work like a fun game you’re playing to win.

Key Takeaways

• Resilience builds success: Early hardship taught Hina to take bold risks.
• Self-worth drives income: Celebrity positioning increases confidence and pricing power.
• The game mindset: Set an exciting goal and pursue it with fun, not stress.
• Energy over effort: High-quality energy fuels better results than constant hustle.

Episode Highlights

• Childhood scarcity and its impact on mindset
• Leaving corporate life and surviving five years without income
• Hiring a coach and breaking the “do it all myself” pattern
• Turning IT leaders into industry celebrities through media and awards
• Shifting The Corporate Life Podcast toward cinematic life stories

Timestamps

00:00:20 Introduction

00:04:33 Leaving corporate life

00:09:07 Hiring a coach

00:14:11 Making IT CEOs famous

00:18:45 The “game” mindset

00:23:03 80% energy, 20% action

00:30:17 The Corporate Life Podcast

🔗 Connect with Hina Siddiqui

Website: TheHinaSiddiqui.com

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hinawithwings?igsh=MTUya3V1aG1mNGo0dg%3D%3D

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thehinasiddiqui?si=FZx-sc6n-Zigo9Qa

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Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

In this episode of The Business of Thinking podcast, host Richard Reid speaks with Penny Mallory, who shares her journey from a challenging childhood and homelessness to becoming a rally driver, boxer, and keynote speaker, highlighting the power of purpose in overcoming adversity and achieving high performance.

Penny reflects on how hitting rock bottom became the catalyst for change, leading her to a rally school that “changed the course of my life,” and shares how stubbornness, proving others wrong, and a relentless pursuit of excellence now drive her resilience and her latest challenge—rowing the Atlantic.

Key Takeaways

• Purpose as a driver: A clear mission or purpose changes everything, forming the foundation of mental toughness and something to lean on in difficult times.
• The foundation of excellence: True elite performance comes from the “drudgery” of repeating mundane tasks until they become natural—the hard yards often overlooked in an age of instant gratification.
• The Power of Reflection: Taking time to reflect on what truly matters—why you’re here and what you’ll hold onto when things get tough—helps define your purpose, often rooted in family and health.
• Reframing Failure: Reframe setbacks as opportunities to learn, not failure. Embrace a growth mindset, as Penny believes failure is a concept she’s "never really embraced."
• Resilience vs. Mental Toughness: Resilience is bouncing back because you have to, while mental toughness is bouncing back because you want to, viewing challenges as growth opportunities.

Episode Highlights

• Penny's formative years, including her family life with an alcoholic mother, and the impact of those experiences on her character.
• The surprising, deeply personal purpose that drove her to become a rally champion: the desire to make her father proud.
• Her terrifying, yet exhilarating, experience boxing and how she manages fear by coaching herself to use nerves for performance.
• Her current focus on conscious health and active living, including two hours of gym every day, driven by the purpose of seeing her new grandchild grow up.
• Details on her next huge challenge: training to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean with a team.

Timestamps

01:04 - Penny's formative years and challenging childhood.

04:47 - The power of purpose in overcoming adversity.

06:05 - Advice on how to find your own purpose.

08:07 - Life after rallying: boxing, climbing, and the adrenaline chase.

09:38 - Not being afraid to fail and having a growth mindset.

16:14 - The terrifying experience of stepping into the boxing ring.

18:01 - How to manage fear and use nerves for high performance.

21:03 - Defining resilience versus mental toughness.

24:00 - Training to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean at age 60.

🔗 Connect With Penny Mallory

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pennymallory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mallory.penny/

Facebook: facebook.com/PennyMalloryTalks

YouTube: youtube.com/@pennymallory

⭐️ Connect And Subscribe

Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

Welcome to The Business of Thinking, the podcast for high achievers seeking mastery over motivation, as Richard Reed is joined by author, leadership expert, and business coach, Dr. John Dentico. This episode delves into Dr. Dentico's background as a Naval Officer , and explores the pivotal role of trust in every organization and relationship. Dr. Dentico emphasizes that trust is not built through talk, but is a byproduct of action and engagement. Listen in as they discuss the power of mutual trust , the necessity of being proactive and transparent with bad news , and the importance of embracing doubt and ambiguity to kickstart genuine collaboration.

This conversation offers vital insights for leaders and teams, challenging the traditional view of leadership. Dr. Dentico proposes that "leadership is what people do together" and advocates for a shift from focusing on an individual leader's traits to fostering organizational values. The discussion also covers the critical need for meaning and values alignment in the post-COVID work world, citing Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning".

Key Takeaways

Trust is the vital fuel for all organizations and relationships and is created through action and mutual engagement, not conversation.

Leaders should proactively deliver both good and bad news with honesty to build trust and integrity.

Embracing doubt and ambiguity opens the door for genuine, necessary collaboration, moving past the "big hug" of fake consensus.

Meaning is the greatest motivational force; creating meaning and a sense of mattering for people is key to addressing engagement problems.

Leadership should be viewed as an implementable process done collaboratively, rather than a set of traits held by one individual.

Episode Highlights

01:10 Dr. John Dentico’s journey from New York City to Naval Officer.

03:57 The two core lessons learned in the Navy: the power of trust and taking care of your people.

04:34 Discussing trust, psychological safety, and the importance of being safe to speak up.

05:34 Trust as a byproduct of action and the concept of mutual trust.

07:33 Building trust through consistency, authenticity, and honesty in communication.

10:08 The shift: Why modern leaders must embrace doubt and ambiguity to foster true collaboration.

12:00 The "big hug" problem: Why fake collaboration fails to engage people.

14:34 The power of meaning as the greatest motivational force and its link to engagement.

17:26 The role of ego in leadership and the first rule of leadership: "It's not about you".

18:36 From servant leadership to collaborative leadership: "Leadership is what people do together".

23:47 The mismatch between leadership training and organizational culture/reward systems.

24:43 The need for culture to be empathetic, authentic, and support vulnerability.

31:09 Post-COVID realization: People are seeking values alignment over just a paycheck.

34:35 Reflecting on Victor Frankl’s three ways to derive meaning.

38:21 Dr. Dentico's current projects: A Udemy course on interviewing and fractional work in strategic thinking.

🔗 Connect With John Dentico

Website: www.throttleupleadership.com

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

⭐️ Connect And Subscribe

Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/