How To Share Your Best Self

When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or the life of another.” – Helen Keller

My 86-year-old mother recently bought an Apple watch along with the latest generation phone. She doesn’t like upgrading her technology but problems with her old phone made it necessary.

My mom is very smart but her strengths are in music and languages. As with so many of the people that I train in my job as a technology consultant, she’d rather focus her energy on what she likes doing and not have to bother with the rest. However, she is extremely independent.

She doesn’t often ask for help from me because it seems her conscientiousness about getting things done outweighs her frustration with technology. At least that’s my guess because I’m fascinated by how our mental makeup determines how we operate.

So I love this episode of the How To Share podcast with psychologist, talent agent, educator and author Dr. Albert Bramante because he speaks with Vicki Atkinson and me about some of the factors that contribute to how we approach life. He’s written a book called Rise Above the Script to help actors and performers break free of self-limiting patterns.

 His book reads like a toolkit for self-evaluation: taking a look at self-esteem, self-efficacy, and the big five personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness).

Albert points out the many ways we self-sabotage. As he says in the podcast clip below, once we see our patterns, it’s much easier to address them.

Albert says his book (and this episode) is for “anyone feeling the friction between their ambition and their achievement.” It is a fascinating dive into the ways we can bring our best selves to our work and to the world. We know you’ll love it.

Takeaways:

  • Collaboration is key in personal and professional growth.
  • Self-evaluation is essential for breaking self-limiting patterns.
  • Lifelong learning is crucial for personal development and confidence.
  • Self-care practices significantly impact mental health and overall well-being.
  • Understanding one’s relationship with money can improve financial stability.
  • Acknowledging achievements helps combat self-doubt and insecurity.
  • The importance of developing business acumen in creative fields.
  • Taking responsibility for one’s actions is the first step to overcoming challenges.

Here’s a clip of Albert describing the power of self-awareness:

Here are some ways you can listen and watch this fantastic episode:

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

Brand Strategy for Humans with Nancy Martira The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon talks with brand strategist Nancy Martira of Clew Strategy about how to market yourself, promote your work, and build a personal brand without losing your humanity.Nancy helps expert-led businesses, authors, job seekers, and knowledge-based professionals find what makes them impossible to ignore. Together, Wynne and Nancy explore the difference between brand and reputation, the “say-do gap” between what we claim and how people experience us, and why authentic personal branding begins with believing you have something of real value to offer.This conversation is especially helpful for writers, creators, entrepreneurs, and professionals who feel uncomfortable with self-promotion. Nancy offers a practical and compassionate reframe: instead of trying to be everywhere or shouting into every algorithm, go where you’re wanted. Find the people who are already looking for what you have to give.Wynne and Nancy also talk about finding your unique value proposition, identifying your “iconic space,” using storytelling in book marketing and job searches, and navigating AI tools without sacrificing your voice, ethics, or originality. Nancy’s approach to brand strategy is deeply human, clear, and encouraging — perfect for anyone trying to become more visible while staying true to themselves.If you’ve ever wondered how to market a book, promote your business, refresh your LinkedIn profile, stand out in a crowded job market, or build a personal brand that feels authentic, this episode will help you think more clearly about reputation, positioning, storytelling, and the courage to be seen.Key Takeaways• Marketing works better when you go where you’re wanted. Instead of trying to be everywhere, focus on the audiences already looking for what you offer—readers, clients, employers, or communities who are most likely to value your work.• Find your iconic space. The goal isn’t just to list credentials or follow a formula. It’s to discover the unique value, story, and perspective that only you can bring.• Use AI as a tool, not a substitute for voice. Technology can help with SEO, titles, and tactics, but the strategy, values, and humanity behind your work need to come from you.🌐 Nancy Martira at Clew Strategy: https://www.clewstrategy.com/ Show notes and more inspiration: https://wynneleon.com🔔 Subscribe to The Life of Try for more conversations on: personal growth, creativity, reinvention, resilience, writing, and mindset.📌 Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel & Stay Updated: ABOUT MEHi, I’m Wynne Leon — host of The Life of Try, a personal growth and self-improvement podcast exploring resilience, reinvention, uncertainty, and the courage to keep trying.Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real-life stories, I share insights to help you navigate change, get unstuck, and move forward with more intention.🌍 Website: https://wynneleon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎥 Watch NextIdentity Before Strategy: How to Break Through Invisible Ceilings with Kevin YoderThe Power of Looking At Your Life Through a New LensHow to Tell Relatable Stories
  1. Brand Strategy for Humans with Nancy Martira
  2. Identity Before Strategy: How To Break Through Invisible Ceilings with Kevin Yoder
  3. The Power of Looking At Your Life Through a New Lens
  4. How To Tell Relatable Stories About Life
  5. Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure

Links for this episode:

⁠Albert Bramante⁠ website

⁠Rise Above the Script: Confronting Self-Doubt and Mastering Self Sabotage for Performing Artists ⁠on Amazon

How to Share Your Best Self transcript

From the hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: ⁠Surviving Sue⁠; Blog: ⁠https://victoriaponders.com/⁠

My book about my beloved father: ⁠Finding My Father’s Faith⁠

40 thoughts on “How To Share Your Best Self

  1. I agree with so many points in this post Wynne.
    We must get out of our own way , and as I said in another post, we must TRY!
    No one puts the self-doubt in our minds except us.
    Okay we might get a rubbish review on a book.
    One person’s review does not mean we failed.
    BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

    Liked by 3 people

  2. oh, boy, do I need to listen to this whole conversation. especially when you were giving the example of your mom and her relationship with new technology.) just one great example of surrendering to our own self doubt demons.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Wow, “friction between…ambition and… achievement” is so powerful! I just had a conversation with a colleague earlier and he explained the “mamba mindset” which is an idea from the late basketball star, Kobe Bryant. Basically, we should all aspire to be all-star players and aim to win at all costs. If we define “winning” as taking responsibility for our actions, I suspect there is a lot of overlap. Definitely will be checking this one out!! Thanks, Wynne.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. From what I gathered, the mamba is a fast-moving, highly venomous snake. So my guess the analogy means to set an aim and strike fast. I am totally ignorant about sports LOL but it was a really interesting discussion.

        Like

  4. I wasn’t sure how far in I would listen as its been a busy day, but Albert Bramonte was so interesting, all of a sudden it was over, haha. I love “How can you understand your own personality, your own childhood to help you understand why you do the things you do?” Unlocking that would be fascinating to me, Wynne and Vicki. Also, your conversations about sleep and also recognizing what you have accomplished vs. discounting your achievements. So good! More, please. Thanks so much for an enlightening podcast. 😊

    Liked by 2 people

    1. You’ve made my day, Melanie! What a compliment to hear this was worth sticking with in the midst of a busy day. I love the topics you highlighted – wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to unlock why we do the things we do? Thank you so much for tuning in and for the great comment!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Great and inspiring conversation, Wynne and Vicki. What a fascinating mix of backgrounds as psychology and talent management – and I can imagine the two roles complementing and augmenting each other very well.

    The Sally Jessy Raphael callout was a blast from the past. Those 90s talk shows were something else. All I could of think was Sally in my work meeting this afternoon looking at my colleague with red glasses!

    Self sabotage can be so destructive and insidious but I can see how it’s common the creative types. Love all the tips you shared to identify patterns and overcome these self destructive tendencies, especially around self care and the importance of sleep.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Oh, I’m laughing about the colleague with the red glasses. Yes, a blast from the past!

      Identifying patterns and overcoming self-destructive tendencies. What a world this would be if we all could do that! Thank you so much for tuning in, my friend!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I enjoyed learning about your mom. She sounds very inspiring and a quote from Keller always adds to the day. And this: “fascinated by how our mental makeup determines how we operate” 👍🏻 Thanks, Wynne.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. This is such a great podcast episode! The points of constant growth, learning what our patterns are, self-sabotage, our inner conditioning, our blindness to how we keep hurting ourselves… these are so important. I love how Dr. Albert has seen so many life truths in performers, and by extrapolation, all of our psyches. Excellent messages to share! It comes down to each of us needing to do the inner work, for no one can pour the knowledge into us, it is definitely self-applied and self-practiced so we can make it all a part of ourselves!

    Liked by 1 person

  8. yes, I understand mum’s frustration: my strength is in writing not technology: fortunately my kids help me with that ; as for that monster in the closet I am addressing that; found the podcast useful: taking responsibility —

    Liked by 1 person

  9. I love the phrase “friction between ambition and achievement.” It’s such a positive spin on being unable to do something you want to, so naturally, that appeals to the optimist in me.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. This is an important topic for personal growth. I’m intrigued by his book. I always watch podcasts before, and I admire those who do this. It’s a nice discussion.

    Liked by 1 person

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