The Optimized Mind

In this episode of The Optimized Mind, Dr. Kate is joined by her friend Gina Schaefer for this special episode of The Optimized Mind. Gina interviews Dr. Kate to celebrate the conclusion of the podcast’s three-year run and the launch of Dr. Kate’s new book, Step Away: The Keys to Resilient Parenting. The conversation reflects on key lessons from over 160 episodes, emphasizing that resilience is a uniquely personal journey shaped by context and experience. The episode explores the challenges of modern parenting, including screen time, mindsets, and navigating differing needs among children and co-parents, while sharing insights that extend beyond parenting into leadership and everyday life. Gina Schaefer is the Founder and Co-Owner of 13 hardware stores located in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD, and their suburbs. She and her team of 300 have helped millions of customers shop right where they live, in their urban communities, despite continuous pressure from bigger, stronger competitors.    Gina is a professional speaker and storyteller, engaging audiences on topics that include competing in a male dominated field, building a strong corporate culture, business succession planning, and all things small business. In her book, Recovery Hardware, Gina chronicles her experiences building a business while learning from non-traditional teachers like folks from the recovery community and returning citizens.  She serves as an advocate and spokesperson for causes directly related to raising wages, anti-monopoly legislation and small business development.    She draws her inspiration from fellow entrepreneurs who strive to be creative, think differently and help make a difference. People like Judy Wicks, founder of the White Dog Cafe in Philadelphia who inspired her to use her voice as a force for good; Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig, founders of gourmet food group Zingerman's Community of Businesses in Michigan, from whom Schaefer learned innovative business strategies and Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, who taught her that nonprofit organizations need to think beyond simple charity.   Gina’s guiding principle comes from a treasured quote “I always wondered when somebody would do something about that.  Then I realized I was somebody”.  She invites you to feel that way too.     To Learn More, visit: www.katelundspeaks.com Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/kate-lund

In this episode of The Optimized Mind, D. Kate sits down with the dynamic and endlessly creative Marley Majcher, also known as The Party Goddess and The Profit Goddess, for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, resilience, and personal growth. Marley shares her fascinating journey from a childhood spent selling Shrinky Dinks door-to-door, through restaurant ventures, to building a renowned event planning business catering to celebrity clients. The conversation covers pivotal career moments, mindset hacks for overcoming obstacles, and Marley's relentless drive to create, innovate, and never give up. Marley Majcher is the dynamic founder and CEO of The Party Goddess!—a nationally acclaimed full-service event planning and catering firm known for crafting everything from celebrity soirées to corporate galas. (The Party Goddess!) With a degree in marketing and entrepreneurship from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, she blends high-end aesthetic finesse with strategic business acumen—an approach she distilled in her business guide, But Are You Making Any Money?. (Amazon) Marley is a sought-after speaker and media contributor, appearing on platforms such as Fox Business, Entertainment Tonight and MSNBC, where she shares her insights on design, entrepreneurship, and event innovation. (The Party Goddess!) Outside of work, she’s known for a playful ritual of planning an elaborate annual “blowout” party—proof that she not only designs celebrations for others, she lives the spirit of celebration herself. (The Party Goddess!) To Learn More, visit: www.katelundspeaks.com Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/kate-lund

In this episode of The Optimized Mind, Dr. Kate is joined by the founder of Wild Heart Society, Mackenzie Dunham. The discussion focuses on the challenges transgender kids and their families face, the power of parental support, and the tools Mackenzie uses to promote resilience and connection. The episode wraps with practical advice for all of us: lead with curiosity, challenge misinformation, and always accept and affirm kids for who they are. Founded in 2019 by Mackenzie Dunham, Wild Heart Society has grown to include over 25 compassionate professionals who are dedicated to providing therapy that is grounded in trust and connection. Our expertise includes LGBTQ+ care, family therapy, and child-centered approaches. We’re here to help you find the therapist (and therapy style) that fits you best.  Inspired by Brene Brown’s powerful work, Wild Heart Society is a collective of licensed therapists, interns, and support staff who center their work around creativity, courage, and connection. Wild Heart Society specializes in counseling for youth, families, and individuals of all ages and identities. We help you navigate challenges, affirm your identities, and build stronger, more meaningful relationships—both with yourself and the people you love.  To Learn More, visit: www.katelundspeaks.com Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/kate-lund

In this episode of The Optimized Mind, Dr. Kate is joined by Martina Faulker, a cross-genre author whose work focuses primarily on what it means to be human. Through this powerful episode, Dr. Kate and Martina deep dive into the heart of Martina’s writing process, the themes that underpin the Understanding Series, and the powerful insights she’s gathered along the way. This episode is a masterclass in getting back to basics, building self-connection, and using practical self-help tools to recalibrate and reset your life. Martina E. Faulkner is a cross-genre author whose work focuses primarily on exploring what it means to be human—both the unique and the universal. She holds a trifecta in the mental health/healing world as a therapist, certified life coach, and Reiki Master Teacher. This distinctive background allows her to draw on her professional and personal experience in her writing, whether fiction, nonfiction, children’s, or poetry. A self-proclaimed Anglophile, Martina drinks tea daily, loves walks in nature, and enjoys looking at beautiful images from the British Isles while dreaming up her next book. You can read her regular column (‘Unique and Universal’) on Substack, follow her on Instagram and Facebook @martinaefaulkner, or visit martinaefaulkner.com to learn more. To Learn More, visit: www.katelundspeaks.com Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/kate-lund

In this episode of The Optimized Mind, Dr. Kate is joined by elite executive coach Carla Fowler, MD, Ph.D. For the last decade, she has been a secret weapon for scores of CEOs, entrepreneurs, and other senior leaders. Dr. Fowler's unique approach combines the latest research from performance science with timeless best practices to help top performers level up and achieve their goals. Carla Fowler, MD PhD founded THAXA out of a passion for performance science, where the fields of strategy, productivity, and psychology intersect. Since its inception in 2013, THAXA’s scientific approach to individualized coaching has attracted a devoted client base of dozens of executives at firms ranging from Fortune 500 technology companies to venture-backed startups to innovative nonprofits. Carla’s coaching methods draw upon the multidisciplinary field of performance science to generate the best ideas surrounding strategy, execution, and mindset to assist leaders in their endeavors. Over the past 10 years, she has distilled the key principles of performance into understandable concepts and a method that helps leaders incorporate these ideas into their day-to-day performance, helping them go faster and improving their results. Outside of her coaching, Carla truly enjoys sharing her key performance principles with audiences while engaging in thought-provoking conversations surrounding her passion for performance science. Carla graduated from Brown University magna cum laude, earned her MD and PhD at the University of Washington, and completed her internship in general surgery at Stanford University. To learn more about Carla, please visit: www.thaxa.com linkedin.com/in/carla-fowler x.com/DrCarlaFowler To Learn More, visit: www.katelundspeaks.com Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/kate-lund