The Hidden Beliefs Blocking Your Success With Christina L. Woods

with Christina L. Woods

Apr 23, 2026 · 00:40:13

Hypnotherapy can be a very healing process. I mean, to get back your sense of self that aligns with the success you have in your world. Really, this whole mind, body, spirit is so important to have the inside feel like the outside. That's really important.

Christina, welcome to the Total Entrepreneur Mind Body Spirit Podcast. So great to have you here.

It's great to be here, John.

So we, before we dive into the specifics, I want to ask you a question about how an entrepreneur who's struggling with something maybe like imposter syndrome might benefit or use hypnotherapy effectively.

Well, when we figure out what is going on in our internal mind and our internal sense of self, when that doesn't match our external world, Then there's going to be hesitation. There's going to be a mismatch in our results in our life. So once we get that aligned and matched, then we're on our way to success and figuring out what's going on.

So what would that actually look like? I'm an entrepreneur and I'm like, I, I got some great ideas. I've got some experience. I got a little money. I got some contacts, but I just don't feel like I belong in the room. I don't think anybody would take me seriously. What would that actually look like, a session like that?

Well, it's actually just getting very, very quickly— we kind of bypass And get you into a state of mind where we find out what is going on with that hesitation. So, it might look like in someone's life, hesitation, lack of trust, you're maybe doubting your decisions, your morale is down, your performance is down, maybe profits, maybe it's really, you know, the bottom line is looking low. So, what instead we would look at, you might come and say, I'm complaining about those types of things. But, when the outer results are not matching, like I said, the inside, what I would do is I would just bypass and say, let's get to kind of the root of what's behind those things. And it's very, very simple. When our internal sense of self is not aligned with what's going on, usually we have a lot of success on the outside and we just literally need to upgrade what's going on on the inside. So our sense of self hasn't matched the great, great things we've done on the outside.

Yeah.

And that's the lens that we're, answering questions at work. That's the lens that we're managing our team with. That's the lens that we are going on stage and speaking with. That's the hesitation. That's the decisions we're making. That's when we leave that meeting and go, damn, why'd I say that? I know better, right? I have all the answers. Why did I— why do I feel like you said, the imposter coming out? Didn't— doesn't make sense. I've been doing this for 30 years type of thing.

Yeah, no, that actually makes sense. And I definitely understand that. So I want to talk a little bit about how this works, right? I mean, I think everybody has heard of hypnosis. I've been to like some stage, you know, hypnosis performers. It was super interesting and really amazing. But I was wondering, how does this work? Like, what are the underlying mechanisms that allow people to get into this state and make such changes?

Well, we get into a certain brainwave state. So similar, if you go into meditation or go into a slower brainwave state, and we are able to get there very quickly. We get there when we also are in a dream state or other state.

Is that a theta wave? Is that what you're going for? Okay.

Yeah. If you want to get technical, it's a theta brainwave state, but we just get there very quickly and intentionally. And the reason that we do that is because it's a very suggestible state. And obviously we want to be in a suggestible state because we want to give it good suggestions. And When we get in that brainwave state, we can say, all right, if you're struggling with imposter syndrome or anger or my team doesn't trust me or whatever that might be, we're able to find out, all right, let's get to the root of it, the underlying root of it, but let's give your brain some really good suggestions to make long-lasting changes instead of read a book or listen to something. And that may be a change that feels good for a few days, but it doesn't last. So, in that beta brainwave state, we're able to make the changes where your brain actually soaks up those changes like a sponge. And by repetition over and over, it literally will change it at the root, at that level where change actually lasts.

It's so fascinating to me that this could happen and it's possible. So do I have this right? A lot of it is just almost shifting your thoughts or your mindset about something, but at a level that you're not even really aware of, or am I off base there?

No, it's right on base. And I think that's what's so interesting because like you said, we see stage hypnosis, we see people acting silly, but all I ever do is work with high performers. And I think first and foremost, it's realizing that often what we want to work on is a blind spot. So we see how we show up and we know maybe we don't like that thing or we're uncomfortable or why do I hesitate? But to get to that area of our mind, it can feel like a blind spot. It can feel like I'm banging my head against a wall. Why can't I change the thing I don't like? I know what I want. I know I'm proficient in this area. Through hypnosis, or there's some other methods and modalities, but we access the part where change is made at that deep level. So it does align with your education, your experience, your wisdom, all the things in life that you've learned, because that's the filter in which we behave. So we're changing it at that behavioral level. Yeah.

So you get your patient or your client into a theta brainwave. And is there a certain part of the brain where these suggestions go or live or activate from? Because I'm just fascinated on the underlying neurological process here.

Yeah, there is. And it is important to know, first of all, that I think a lot of people wonder, can I do that? Or is it, is it going to work on me? So yes, definitely, there's that part of the brain that is really open to suggestions. And that's the part that we activate. And I think before we activate it, the part that I work on is, well, let's find out what are we trying to change. So different than just affirmations because we don't just say, you're amazing, you're incredible, you're smart. We have to find out, well, first of all, what is, what are the beliefs that are there? So it's just like gardening. Let's find out exactly what are the beliefs in that part of you, in your subconscious mind, that is driving the ship, that is really activating how you behave in meetings or at home, or when you snap and lose it, that's really making— you say, why did I say that? Or why did I do that? Let's really pull up the root of that thing that you say or do. And then we flip it and then we change it. Because if I just give you a recording or something to listen to that says, you know, you're really smart, you know what you're doing, underneath there is something else that's going on. So we want to pull up the root first.

Right. So it's not just a matter of changing your thoughts and doing affirmations, which is helpful, of course, but this is definitely not what you're talking about here. Okay. So are there certain behaviors that are easier to change as a result of hypnotherapy, or are they all kind of on an even footing and you just have to go through the process?

I find that the more open someone is, and I've worked with people who have everything from physical issues because they're tied to emotional issues, everything from hustle culture and the harder I work, you know, I'm going to make— to migraines, to irritable bowel syndrome, to imposter syndrome, to some of the things that a lot of entrepreneurs work with. You know, I need to fix everything, or unless I, you know, get really angry, nobody does anything that I say. So I haven't found anything to be more difficult. What I have found is that people believe this is the only way that I will be safe or be successful in life, or this is the only way that I know how. So it's more about how hard do they stick their heels in? How hard is it a belief that this is truly the only way that I survive in life? And so we can change, but very, very often, we're so powerful that once we really kind of find out with someone is, boy, how adamant are they about really wanting to stay firm in that belief? How much does it protect them in their life?

Mm-hmm.

How much has it really helped be successful in life because even the things we want to get rid of have helped us get to where we are.

Yeah, that makes sense too, right? Because the things we're doing, they do have a, I guess, an evolutionary purpose almost, if you will, right? They've gotten you to where you are, but maybe they're also getting in the way. Is that, is that the idea? Yeah. Okay.

Yeah.

So I want to back up a little bit to how you even came to this work in the first place. So I know you had a a very long, successful corporate career. And then at some point you just became a hypnotherapist, or how did that whole thing happen?

I was actually in the higher education space. So to do this was probably a shocker to everybody, but no, I was in corporate, very successful for over 30 years. And I got to the point where, like many people, there was a lot of burnout and to the point that it didn't quite feel as fulfilling. And I decided to go down the road of looking at what is this burnout and what is this all about? And I did get suggested to do hypnotherapy. And what I quickly found out were there were some beliefs about myself that once I discovered what those were, it gave me a lot of clarity and it gave me a lot of focus. And it was just through that, how quickly, like you've mentioned, how quickly you can change things, that I realized I wanted to help people move in that direction. So it was enough for me to literally leave a perfectly fine and successful career to say, gosh, there's a lot of beliefs or an internal sense or reference point that I had that I felt if people can change that reference point and align it with what's going on in their outer world, then not only can they be successful, have a higher income, but also have a greater sense of fulfillment too. Because I wasn't, it didn't really align. Why was I not feeling fulfilled if I had all the things lined up that were supposed to make me feel fulfilled?

Yeah, that's a question I hear all the time, right? It's, you know, hey, I've checked all the boxes. I've done all the things that society has taught me I should do that will make me happy and successful. Yet here I am, right? I don't feel it. So, you know, right.

Something must be wrong with me.

Yeah, right. Exactly. Why can't I be happy even with all of this? Right.

Yeah.

So what is the training, education, and credentialing process like to do the type of work you do?

Hypnotherapy school and lots of hours doing a lot of hypnosis sessions and practice hours, live training. And I actually started training right before COVID so a lot of it was, was on weekends and nights and then put off until we could do live training. But putting a lot of people in hypnosis and then being observed and clocking so many hours and making sure that people stay in hypnosis and having all the different scenarios being tested over and over and over, you know, all those things that you have to do to get lined up. And then I chose to be a clinical hypnotherapist, which is just so many more hours to do that.

Yeah. So if people are out there looking for a practitioner, what should they look for? Are there red flags in somebody's profile? So in other words, if they're looking for somebody who's qualified to do what they need to do, what do they need to look for?

Yeah. You know, I think credentials are really important. I think there's probably certification levels, there's practitioners, And there's people that are clinical hypnotherapists. And, you know, there are stage hypnotherapists. There are some that specialize and work in different areas. There are people that also work depending on what you're looking for. So I would definitely make sure that they have— I believe a clinical background is really important because they've had those hours, they've had the observations, they've had the feedback, they've had to go back and forth and make sure they know what they're doing. If you have a history of anxiety, if you have a history of, you know, depending on your nervous system, your trauma, the trauma training, those types of things, because not everybody shows up with the same background. And that's really important. Things can come up in hypnosis that are unexpected. And to be able to work through those in the middle of hypnosis is really important. We never know sometimes what can come up. So those are really important to be able to deal with those things. Yeah.

Are you intuitive by nature? Do you have that? Or is this not even a requirement to do the work you do? I'd imagine maybe you've got some intuition, but I just wanted to know.

Yeah, no, it's not required, but I definitely do. So that's the other part of my work. I'm a high performance coach, but I'm also, I do intuitive work too. And it does quite come in handy. And I was in sales most of my career and not really tuned into that was my gift. And it certainly did help in that business too. So intuition, sensing things, knowing things, being able to help me ask the right questions with clients, knowing exactly what they're feeling when they can't articulate what they're feeling is really important.

Mm-hmm.

And knowing when to push and when not to push and when to hold back and where, when to go a little bit deeper or when this is deep enough. That's really important. And being intuitive is also just a sense of what they need in that moment. And I think just holding space for people, you know, hypnotherapy can be a very healing process. I mean, to get back your sense of self that aligns with the success you have in your world, really this whole mind, body, spirit is so important to have the inside feel like the outside. That's really important.

Yeah, so what you just said is interesting, right? So having the inside feel like the outside. So in other words, maybe I have achieved a level of success, right? Anybody from the outside looking in would be like, hey, yeah, this, this person's successful. Yet I don't feel it for some reason. That's, that's the disconnect you're talking about.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. And in your experience working with high performers, is there a common theme that causes that, or is it just all over the place, or what results in a high performer not really seeing what the rest of the world sees?

I do see that a lot. What I see mostly is typically at an early age, some sense of need to seek the validation, sense of where that really served, and the continual path of seeking validation, where it served very, very well to be a good student, to have validation, to the praise, and so on. And where that hustle, that fixing things, always having the answer, it works. I mean, it works in our world very, very well. It works in school, it works in work, it works as you're climbing the ladder. And when you don't have a sense of, I'm good enough whether I do that or not, eventually you're left with, yeah, but what if I don't do that? Then you're just always constantly chasing the next thing to do. And at some point it's okay, I have all those things. What about me just as a person? So that is what I find 100%. I'm always working with Harvard doctors, lawyers. It doesn't matter what level I'm working with is this sense of that's always been the magic formula that has gotten me here. How come I'm still not feeling it? And so we're going back to the sense of self. I'm worthy no matter what.

Yeah, it always comes back to mistaken beliefs, right? Or at least it seems to be. So the, a lot of the CEOs that I know and work with and are friends with, we have this conversation a lot. It's like, you know, the drive that you have is one of the things that got you there, right? Like, you're just never satisfied. So you achieve a goal, and before you even pop the champagne cork to celebrate, you're on to the next one, right? So it's almost a matter of not really being objective and looking at what you have accomplished before, you know, just tackling the next thing. It seems like there's that constant motivation to keep going and growing and achieving that maybe gets in their way. at the end of the day.

Yeah, I had a client once who said he remembered when he graduated medical school, everybody threw up their hats to celebrate. And he said, what are you doing that for? We just move on.

It's like, hey, you know what, you know, why waste our time with that? But yeah, there is, there's something really important about ritual or celebration or something like that, right? It's like, it's a marker.

Yeah, a pause. And that it creates that lack of stability that if I'm not fixing or I'm not doing so, All it is at the end of the day, no matter what is the root of it, is just this mix mismatch between internal perspective and external perspective. So for everyone, it's different. It might not be worthiness for everyone. It might not be the I'm not enough, you know, mismatch. It might be something else, but it's just a mismatch. And so hypnotherapy or whatever we're doing to get the mismatch to match, to really upgrade the internal sense to match the external. That's all that is. So that there is a match because the internal blueprint needs to match that external. If there's friction, that's when we start to see either a mismatch in performance or hesitation, or we're doubting our decisions, or we're procrastinating, or we're getting frustrated, or we're again, the hustle, hustle, hustle. We're never happy with what we have. We can't sleep. Our sleep is starting to get— our health is starting to be affected. Our marriage is falling apart. Something's not working.

Yeah. So I want to go back to that because the idea is that you're not just planting a suggestion or an affirmation. You're actually getting to the root of something, right? Like somehow changing that or whatever. So as an example, like to work with like a case scenario, say, you know, I'm an entrepreneur and I've got an opportunity to bring on capital from an investor. This capital would be exactly what I need to execute my business plan, but I've got a weird feeling about this particular investor, right? And I just can't shake it. Like, I know I need the money to start the company, and from that perspective, it's the right move, but there's something in my gut that says maybe it's not this person. Is that a situation that hypnotherapy might be able to help with or get to the bottom of, or is that just not, not a problem you would Yeah, that would look like, one, what's the basis of you not trusting your intuition or your gut?

And maybe digging a little bit deeper into that. And then going back into what were the signs, what were the things that you heard and felt? So I think what's nice in hypnotherapy is that we quiet all the analytical things out of your mind, all the analysis, all the logic, we quiet, hush, hush, hush, all the things like that and just get To the hunches, that maybe the things that you heard, and quiet all the noise. And it just allows us to have a conversation where you start to tell me things and hunches and innuendos and those types of nuances. Or it might be something from your past that happened that is coming up, or another deal that went south that's resurfacing, or somewhere where you doubted yourself in the past. And now it's just resurfacing and we just need to wrap that up. And it's really nothing to do with now. Now you're just afraid of making another mistake that might cost the company or yourself a lot of money. So we can close that up and allow you to just move forward with this. And that actually happens quite often.

Yeah, I was going to get to that in a minute because it seems to me that whatever the event is that's causing the discord or the frustration, it's probably deeper than that, right? Or it's something related, like, you know, My wife and I always say, well, you know, you're never mad for the reason you think you are or for the reason you say you are. There's always something under the surface. So it sounds like that's similar here.

Exactly.

Yeah. So when you're working with somebody, is it— and I know you said it's, you know, it kind of depends on the person, but how long does it take a high-performing person to get into that suggestible state? Like, you know, where they're, they're in, you know, theta brainwaves and you can do the work you need to do. Is it, is it an hour? Is it 5 minutes? Like, how long does that take usually?

Oftentimes I'll have maybe, you know, a conversation or a session with someone for maybe 30, 40 minutes where we'll talk and I'll explain to them how it works. And that just sort of eases their nerves a little bit. But actually in a hypnosis session, within the first 15, 20 minutes, they're in hypnosis. So very quickly. And if there's anxiety, a lot of anxiety, what I'll have them do is listen to something for a few days or a week before the session. So they get used to my voice and it calms them down. And, you know, I can tell if someone's really high-strung or has anxiety, or they're certainly telling me, you know, I can't sleep more than 2 hours, I'm up every other night, then I know what nervous system I'm working with or we adapt. But typically it's pretty, pretty quick. And I think what's good to know, because I don't think, I certainly would never sign up for something that you're losing control. You don't lose control. You're getting control back because we want to be in control. We don't want a subconscious under a belief that's deep down that was rooted back in 3rd grade, something that a teacher that said something is still driving your decisions now. So we're getting back control. And that's really important to know. We still can hear the dog bark. We still can hear the doorbell ring. We're talking the entire time in a session. About 15, 20 minutes to get into that state. And a session is about 90 minutes to 2 hours long. So these are deep, long sessions and we get a lot accomplished. And from there, I make someone a custom audio recording that they listen to at least 21 days, but oftentimes 30 to 45, even longer. And it's through that repetition, really powerful words that subconscious deep changes are made. And that's when it really, really sticks.

Yeah. As you were talking, it kind of reminded me of something from my own life. I was a very late reader, so it took me a long time to— not that I couldn't learn, I just had no interest. I was like, why would I learn? Why would I spend my time learning how to do this when I should be out playing or something? Right?

Yeah.

I remember, I think I don't even think I learned to read until I was in second grade. And I remember being in second grade and the teacher was doing a reading lesson. She was writing on the chalkboard. She, I forget what words she put up there, but I remember I was like looking at it, squinting, trying to make sense of it. And this little girl in my class said, what are you looking at? You can't read anyway. And I remember as soon as she said that, I was like, whoa, wait, what? Whoa, I should be reading, right?

Yeah.

And I think that was the beginning of some of my, I'm not good enough, I'm not smart enough, whatever, right? So of course, when something like that happens, the rest of your life becomes a series of things to prove that you are good enough and you are smart enough and so on. Right. So yeah, I think that happens to a lot of us and we don't even realize it. Yeah.

Yeah, it really does. And in hypnosis, that's what I think is so fascinating is we've moved on. But that part of our brain, our mind doesn't know how old we are. And this is just what— here we are, the executive, the entrepreneur, we've done so many things. And we'll go back in hypnosis to moments where we're eating Cheerios in 1975, and, you know, or the teacher who makes a comment, and later they'll say, what does that have to do with anything? But these are feelings that contribute to how, you know, a lens, and we put these things together. So it's, it doesn't make logical sense. And that is the most frustrating for successful entrepreneurs, CEOs, executives now is This doesn't make sense or logical sense. It's this awareness of, okay, I know my parents' divorce might have affected me or the fact that my military father moved us around a lot and it was hard for me to meet people. I get it now. I'm fine. But that awareness doesn't change how we felt at that age. But we can change it now. This is how we change it. We change it at this level. And it's important to change it at this level. And this part of our mind is very suggestible and open to change. We just have to access it through theta brain— this theta brainwave state and knock on the door, access it. But we don't get to access it through just you and I talking at this level. That's an alpha-theta brainwave. And we don't access it that way. We have to access it through theta brainwaves. So let's access it where it's very suggestible. Give it the right suggestions, make the change, and then move on.

Yeah, it's fascinating. And I can imagine, you know, for, I mean, the CEOs I know and talk to, and myself included, when you're at the top of the org chart and you're like the captain of your industry or something, it's almost inconceivable to think that you can't control what's going on inside of you, right? That's leading to all of these outcomes that you don't want, you know? Yeah.

It is. It is.

It is.

But we also like things that work fast. We don't want things that take a long time. This is one of the reasons why I moved careers is that this works fast. And, you know, the woman that created the hypnotherapy that I use said, gone are the days that we have to do something that takes forever. We have AI, we have technology. And this is something that does. We can get to the root fast. It works fast. It might take 2, 3, 4 sessions. that's okay. It still works pretty fast.

Have you encountered clients that just are not suggestible? Like you tried and you're like, hey, you're just not a candidate?

You know, I have had a couple clients and it really wasn't that it couldn't work. It was their expectations around what this experience would be like. So for example, it would be, Christina, can you just do hypnotherapy and change this? And, you know, it might take 2 or 3 sessions or you might have to go into some deeper conversations and they might not be willing to go in those types of conversations.

Right. So instead of waving your wand with a spell, it was going to require a little bit of work or something. Yeah.

Because if you're nervous about the process, then let's have a few sessions before we do hypnotherapy to get you nice and comfortable before that. And that's fine.

And I almost feel like the stage hypnosis kind of works Or, maybe works against you because people see that and they're like, oh, yeah, within 20 minutes, I could be clucking like a chicken or hand my wallet over when somebody says a magic word or something like that, right?

Yeah. My kids were like, oh, my gosh, Mom, you're like the guy at the fair now. But, yeah, no, not at all. And also, who wants to give up control?

No, right, of course. Especially not high performers that you're working with probably. Yeah. Can you think of a really dramatic example of somebody who had a breakthrough or somebody who came to you with some that they really wanted or needed to change that, that actually worked out really well?

Oh yeah, many. So, um, I'm thinking of a, a very high— 2, 2 scenarios. So a very high-level executive coach, um, and she, uh, actually was very, very successful, about to launch a new program for herself, for her business, and very, very successful Chicago area, and actually traveled around the world doing this. And as she was about to launch it, she, well, she couldn't launch it because of this. She kept really having a lot of fear of launching this next level of her business. I was on her podcast actually. And she said, I don't know what's wrong. I cannot launch it. I've recorded all the videos. I've prepped what I need to roll out, but something's stopping me from rolling it out. I'm like, I'm ready to just take this business to the next level and I'm, I can't do it. But we went back in hypnosis. And her father was in the military. And if there was a fork out of place, you know, you were going to have that discussion if there was a hairbrush out of place in the house. So she had reached so many levels of success, but this was really making her a lot, a lot more visible in the industry she was in, in her business was really going to make it, you know, a lot more successful. And the perfectionism came out to such a degree, she had no idea. So once we worked on that, she actually needed a couple sessions because that perfectionism was just blocking her so much. So we worked on that. And she was able then to soar. Another one was that the belief was that he had to hustle and almost torture himself with hustle culture, that unless he really, really worked. I'm talking, you know, close to 20 hours a day, had really trained himself. I don't need sleep. Like a doctor type of energy. Like, I mean, I can sleep on the floor. I can sleep in the back of the hospital. I can, you know, do whatever. This is what has made me successful and realized that you can't— he can be successful without it, that, that was a real change because it was the formula that made him successful. So we went back to moments where he had to prove through hard work, like, to get into certain colleges and so on, had to go the extra mile, had to prove the extra, you know, had to prove himself so many times. So to not do that was, why would I give that up? But so we worked on that and I think it was like 2 sessions and now actually can enjoy his children. Whereas before it was put them to bed and go back to the office and work for another 6 hours. Now sleeps normal, doesn't work on the weekends, can enjoy his family. But that's a big deal to enjoy your children and rest like a normal person. Your health, his health, it's Pressure was high, to have balance in your life and still, he's still successful, very successful, but to have perspective. Yeah.

And you can make the argument that you helped him succeed even more because now that he's sleeping and enjoying relationships like he wasn't before, he's going to be better. He's going to be more creative, more innovative. He's going to lead better. He's going to see opportunities better. And by the way, When he's ready to retire, he's probably going to be healthier and happier and able to do that. I really like what you said about the hustle culture. And because a lot of people that I talk to, like, they, that's how they get through the early seasons of their entrepreneurial startup life cycle. And once you get through that, that's just what they know. So they revert back to that, even though their bodies are telling them, hey, this is really not sustainable.

Yeah. And And it took a while, to be honest, because I could obviously see it and it came up in hypnosis. But again, the belief was, no, that's— I know I'm secure. I have— and he had multiple businesses. So financially, he knew he was perfectly fine. But the awareness actually, he wasn't convinced even what was coming up in hypnosis. So it took a little bit of, oh, okay, I get it now. And I think that's what's so great in hypnosis is you, you're able to see something outside yourself. It's, to me, I use the example of once you find out Santa Claus isn't real, you go, oh, you don't need to go back to every moment you ever thought he was real. You just now know he's not real. And your whole perspective is just, okay, he's not real now. So once he could see it, I see now, okay, I see I can change, I get it. And it really allowed him to have that little click moment.

That's a great example. And with your permission, I'm going to steal that and use it for Santa Claus one. Yeah, because it's true. You don't have to go back to every single instance where you might've thought that. You just, you can just wipe it all off the board.

It's like a paradigm shift. You just, yeah.

Yeah, no, that's, yeah, that's really cool. I like that. What else do you notice in high performers in terms of whether it's mistaken beliefs or just roadblock, obstacle, whatever they're facing? What are some of the common themes in these people?

What we talked about in the beginning is, I don't understand why I don't feel fulfilled. And I have all of these things. So almost like I can't even say it out loud why I don't feel fulfilled, because I have everything. And so they'll come to me for help them with money, or sleep, or maybe they need— want to find love in their life or something. So they're very successful in all these areas, or my team hates me. to create more teamwork or morale is low. Can you help me with that? But they'll usually almost always will come out, why am I not happy? Or why do I not feel fulfilled when I've done all these things? But they really feel guilty even bringing it up because they know they're fortunate and they know that they have everything that most people want and desire. And I find that very interesting because Again, we're following the rulebook, right, of what everybody should have. So what I have found is that just a deep, honest connection with some sort of sense of it's okay to have all the things that, that you want in life and still feel like you don't have a sense of maybe center or self or feeling grounded. And they just lack a lot of deep connections with either self or people because they've been chasing some kind of exterior validation. So it's just one of the most common things, a sense of self.

And that makes sense, especially considering what we talked about, whether we're always reaching for the next goal, right? Instead of throwing our caps up at graduation, we're like, okay, what's next? Or whatever, wherever the next thing is, not really appreciating the things we have done. And I totally get The guilt you might feel of even complaining about that in the first place. Like, all right, I've reached all this success. It looks like success externally, doesn't feel like it internally. Now I'm going to actually complain and people are going to get out their smallest violins for me because most people would enjoy being where I am, but I can't enjoy it myself. So that does make sense. Yeah.

When I do business consulting or I work with executives, it really isn't what they want me to talk about out loud to everyone in the meeting, but it is the one thing they all ask me or will come up to me or call me about is, hey, I'm not happy. Hey, I don't have friends. I don't have any. I'm lonely. And so I find it necessary to bring up because it's out there.

And I think that's one of the things you sacrifice when you're grinding. So when you're working 20 hours a day for the company, yes, you're probably going to build a great company, but yes, your relationships are suffering. And we know relationships are key to happiness and happy people live 7 years longer and so on. Yeah, that you sacrifice some really important things when you're myopic on, on business only. Yeah.

If we spend a little bit of time on that, we might see those other things improve.

I've even noticed that in myself where I like, when you're growing your company and doing all the things you do, there's certain relationships that just wither because you don't have the time to nurture them. And all relationships take that. So that has been a focus of mine for the past few years is to make sure that I'm nurturing those relationships that, that were important to me and have been important to me because they're important. So you got to make time for them. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. It's easier once you get out of that early career phase, but still. Yeah.

That's interesting too, because when I talk to young entrepreneurs that I teach them, I advise them. And some of the feedback is, it's easy for you to say that from your perspective because you've done it, you're where I hope to be. But guess what? Somebody else is where I hope to be too. But I do understand that it's much easier to give advice after you've been there, but maybe that's why they're there in the first place. They want to hear from somebody who's been there, done that, right? Yeah, I believe that.

Yes.

So is the type of work you do, is clinical hypnotherapy, Is that usually a reimbursable procedure for people or is this just all out of pocket or how do people generally do that?

There are people that use their HSA, but not insurance. Okay.

So there's no code for it. You're not going to bill insurance.

Yeah.

Okay. Yeah. That's what my guess was, but I was just wondering if, yeah, cause you do go through training and it's clinical and that sort of thing, but yeah, I get it. Yeah.

Yeah.

What's the one thing You wish that high performers knew that would make the most dramatic change in their circumstances?

That you can change your internal blueprint. So their identity and that the external life that they're living. So the things that we see around us, our relationships, our work, and so on, we can change the lens in which we see. So how we feel about ourselves. So if there is some mismatch Just know that it might just need an upgrade, like your phone needs an upgrade. My laptop gets an upgrade. And oftentimes that internal identity or that blueprint might just need a little bit of an upgrade and it's more than feasible.

Yeah, I think that is the headline, right? It is feasible. It is doable. There are tools out there. There are professionals that can guide you. So I think that's really important.

Yeah.

Christina, if people are interested in learning more about you and your work and finding you, how do they do that?

My website is the easiest way, and I have a lot of free downloads. I have a free weekly hypnosis experience that I do actually that people could even try out. So christinalwoods.com.

Yeah, I was checking that out before we got on and yeah, it is pretty, it's stacked with a lot of good stuff.

Cool.

Thank you so much for being here. Really appreciate it. And I enjoyed this conversation.

Thank you so much, John.