For Jeanne Stevens, it didn't take long to see herself in her Enneagram type. But it took the experience of facing three deep losses in a short period of time to finally learn how to process—and ultimately let go—of grief, freeing her up to truly live in the present.  In today's episode, Jeanne shares how a childhood experience led her to believe a narrative about her life that no longer serves her.  She also shares the ways she's learned to live in the present through noticing and naming what's happening around her, asking and answering the all-important question: "What's Here Now?"   Jeanne Stevens is the founding and co-lead pastor of Soul City Church in Chicago, one of America's fastest growing urban churches. Prior to starting Soul City Church, Stevens was on the pastoral staff at Willow Creek Community Church and North Point Community Church. A sought-after speaker, leader, and writer, Jeanne's passion is to help people wake up to their purpose as they pursue a life of wholehearted freedom. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Jarrett, and their two children.

Living in the Present with Jeanne Stevens (Type 8) [S06-006]

Known for exuding energy, joy, and laughter, former Miss Kentucky and three-time contestant of The Amazing Race, Mallory Ervin reveals her fear of being average and how her hunger to achieve publicly resulted in a big wake-up call.  In today’s episode, we explore her personal story of overcoming the unhealthy and damaging patterns in her life, the turning point that made her go to treatment, and how her time in recovery helped unmask and reveal her true self, allowing her to “live fully.”   Mallory Ervin is a Kentucky-grown, Nashville-living dreamer who had a roundabout way of arriving at today. From her time in the Miss America pageant to being a three-time contestant on The Amazing Race, Mallory turned her passion for sharing her love of fashion, beauty, and life into a platform for impact. Today she runs a global lifestyle brand she founded in 2016, hosts the Living Fully podcast where she encourages and inspires her dedicated following to seek joy and live fully, and appears across platforms ranging from Instagram to YouTube sharing her life and message of living fully.

Mallory Ervin Shares the Blessing of Her Crash (Type 3) [S06-005]

What is the life that you want to live? The final step of S.O.A.R. is to rewrite your old story and write a new one that is fulfilling and true to who you are.  The goal is to challenge the old, taken for granted, broken beliefs of your old story and lean into what the future looks like.  So how do you do that?  In today’s episode, I’ll walk you through a few proactive approaches you can take for lasting transformation.  For more exercises, reflection prompts, and guided questions, pick up a copy of  The Story of You Workbook.

Identify Your Origin Story with S.O.A.R. (Step 4: Rewrite) [S06-004]

This week, we’re talking about Step 3 of S.O.A.R. and what it means to awaken. We’ll explore mindfulness practice, why all of us need to develop this muscle, and we will share a few more tips for rewriting your story.    This is just the sort of work I lead you through in my new The Story of You Workbook.  Get your copy  here.   

Identify Your Origin Story with S.O.A.R. (Step 3: Awaken) [S06-003]

What has your broken narrative cost you? This week, we're moving on to step 2 of the acronym S.O.A.R. from The Story of You, which is to 'own' your story. I explain what it means to 'own' your story and why this step is essential on your journey toward transformation.  For more exercises, reflection prompts, and guided questions that can help you make lasting changes, pick up a copy of The Story of You Workbook.

Identify Your Origin Story with S.O.A.R. (Step 2: Own) [S06-002)

For the next four weeks, I’m going to walk you through each step of the acronym S.O.A.R. to help you identify and rewrite your origin story. The S.O.A.R. acronym is four simple steps you can begin to journey through in order to relax your grip on the old story and craft a new one.   In this episode, I explain the first step of S.O.A.R. which is to ‘see’ how you became who you are today. In order to narrate a new story, we must first explore and accept our history.  I share a few questions to get you started on this journey.   For more exercises, reflection prompts, and guided questions that can help you transform your life, check out  The Story of You Workbook (available now for pre-order).

Identify Your Origin Story with S.O.A.R. (Step 1: See) [S06-001]

When growing in self-awareness, it’s important to be able to recognize, or identify, what your triggers are. If you’re a regular listener, you’ve heard me talk about how critical meditation and journaling are to strengthen your ability to respond to life rather than react. But, how we treat our bodies is also important.    When I notice I feel anxious, envious, or irritable, I like to pause and notice how I’m feeling physically.  I ask myself, “how did I sleep last night?”, “do I need to go for a walk?” or “what have I eaten today?”  At times, simply drinking some water or having a good, healthy meal helps me process what I’m truly feeling.    How you eat not only fuels your body but also fuels your mind.  It allows you to pause and reflect, and make intentional decisions.   In today’s episode, health and science journalist, Max Lugavere joins me for a conversation about the connection between food and cognitive health. Tune into this interesting discussion on how to feed your brain to live a more full life…no matter your Enneagram type.  Max Lugavere is a filmmaker, health and science journalist and the author of the New York Times bestseller Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life.  He’s also the host of the #1 iTunes health podcast, The Genius Life and regularly appears on the Dr. Oz Show, The Rachael Ray Show, and The Doctors. For more on Max, visit https://geniuskitchenbook.com

Feeding Your Brain to Become Your Best Self, feat. Max Lugavere, Type 3 [S05-049]

After reading  Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses, I was delighted to have the opportunity to sit down and discuss the book with author Sarah Fay. In this exploration of the ways we pathologize our human experiences, Sarah opens the door to a new conversation about mental health. In this episode, Sarah shares:   How and why do we categorize ourselves to make everyday life easier How any diagnosis can turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy Her recommendations for when you are handed a diagnoses Why recognizing signals in your body can help you learn how to process feelings and emotions    Sarah Fay (Ph.D., Iowa MFA) is an award-winning author and mental health advocate working to improve how we think and talk about mental health by moving the conversation away from simplistic diagnoses and toward a deeper understanding of our mental and emotional lives. Her personal experience of being diagnosed with six different mental health disorders and finding no relief led her to investigate the diagnoses we receive and to write her journalistic memoir, Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses which Apple Books chose as one of the Best Books in March. Sarah has shared her story on NPR, Salon, and more.  I hope you find this conversation as fascinating as I did.  Be sure to share the episode with your friends and family.

Pathological: More than a Diagnosis, feat. Sarah Fay (Type 5) [05-048]

This week we’re continuing our series on feeding the brain.  There’s an ample amount of research about the importance of tapping into the mind-body connection, or tuning into our emotional and mental states, to rewire our neuropathways and relieve anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts. Dr. Caroline Leaf joins me for a fascinating conversation about “cleaning up the mental mess” and taking back control over your thoughts and life.  In today’s episode, Dr. Leaf:  explains the difference between the “mind” and the “brain” discusses how to use the conscious mind to connect with your nonconscious mind walks us through her neurocycle program to detox and rebuild the brain

The Resilience of the Mind, feat. Dr. Caroline Leaf [S05-047]

Your brain is a fascinating place that makes you who you are. It is also an endless source of information about how all of humanity not only organizes information but how we make meaning in the world every day. Using the latest advances in neuroscience and the wisdom of the Enneagram, Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson join me for a deep conversation about using neuroscience to unveil our inner wholeness.  They provide specific practices we can all use to awaken to our true selves. To learn more about Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson, visit https://rickhanson.net and 

Unveiling Wholeness through Neuroscience and the Enneagram, feat. Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson (S05-046)

Today, our longtime friends, Michael and Julianne Cusick, join us as special co-hosts to interview Anne and me about how the Enneagram has strengthened our marriage of 33 years. We explore the low sides of our types and how they've negatively impacted our marriage and how we’ve overcome that, discuss the ways our types have helped us each grow, and highlight the important role of self-compassion. Tune in to this very special episode on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.     Cheers,    Ian  P.S. We’re offering the full episode exclusively to our Typology Institute Members. So, to hear the rest of our interview, become a member today at https://typologyinstitute.com/membership.

Couples' Insights from Ian and Anne Cron

Expressing our emotions is vulnerable, and vulnerability is the secret sauce of relationships. So how do an Enneagram Two and an Enneagram 5, who approach emotions from very different angles, maintain a strong marriage? In today’s episode, I revisit my conversation with Jon and Tristen Collins, authors of Why Emotions Matter, to explore what they’ve learned about each other and how they meet in the middle to build a more intimate relationship.

Couples Insights from Ian w/Jon and Tristen Collins [S05-044]

This week we continue our focus on couples and the Enneagram by taking another look at my conversation with Abner and Amanda Ramirez (better known as Johnnyswim). I break down a few sections I found that exemplify the ways their types complement each other as well as where they might struggle.   If you’d like to know more about how you and your partner can better relate to each other, get a copy of your couples report here.  (Use the code COUPLES to get 10% off).   P.S. Abner and Amanda have a new album out titled, Johnnsywim.  Check it out.

Couples Insights from Ian w/Abner and Amanda Ramirez (Johnnyswim) [S05-043]

Taking an Enneagram assessment is a great first step in learning about yourself and how you relate to others and the world. So, how do you use that information to explore who you are in relationship to your life partner? On Typology, we talk a lot about the role the Enneagram plays in how we relate to others. Over the next four weeks, we’re going to focus on partnerships by reflecting on past interviews with couples on the show. These won’t be straight replays. Instead, I’m going to stop at certain points and provide some commentary on how you can improve the quality of your important relationships through the Enneagram. For Annie and me, the Enneagram was probably the single most important revelation in our relationship.  It has illuminated so much for us over the years. But we would have saved a ton of time and heartache if we had a tool that explained how our specific types work against and complement each other. That’s why I’m thrilled to share the new Enneagram Couples Assessment from Integrative Enneagram Solutions.  It does just that.  This new report provides a window into how you and your partner’s specific Enneagram types interact, highlights the strengths each of you brings to the relationship, and identifies potential pitfalls to look out for.  Now, let’s kick things off with a fresh look at my interview with Kim and Penn Holderness.  Tune in for some valuable insights into what makes their marriage work.    P.S. Get your Couple’s Report now. Use discount code COUPLES to receive 10% off your assessment.

Couples Insights from Ian w/Kim and Penn Holderness [S05-042]

Life doesn't always go as we plan.  As we grow up, we develop certain expectations about who we are and what we'll become.  But sometimes those dreams don't come true. So, what do you do when the dreams die? Artist, Artist, and Enneagram 4, Scott Erickson joins me for a discussion about life beyond the death of those dreams.  We explore the importance of grieving past expectations and he illustrates the freedom that comes from saying yes to new opportunities and finding your true self in the gifts of life.  

Saying Yes to the Truth About Yourself (Enneagram 4) [S05-041]

Enneagram Threes tether their identity and self-worth to how others see them and strive for validation through their accomplishments. So, how does the Achiever see their own value without the esteem and approval of others? Today, we go under the hood of Enneagram 3, Pat Flynn. He shares how the insights he’s gleaned from the Enneagram have deepened his relationship with his wife and opens up about his struggle to find self-worth apart from the love and praise of others,  Tune in to this transparent conversation on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.

Finding Self-Worth as an Enneagram 3 with Pat Flynn [S05-040]

As most of you know, I have long been an evangelist for a daily meditative practice if for no other reason than to help people on their journey of self-discovery. There’s power in the silence.  It trains us to be present, to hear our own voice, and to acknowledge who we truly are. In today’s episode, Rick Hamlin joins me for a rich conversation about how meditation leads to greater compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance.  We explore how silence helps us develop the muscle of attention that gives us the capacity to stand back and observe ourselves so we can recognize our repeating thought patterns. We cover the benefits of meditation and then offer a few recommendations on how to begin your meditation journey.

Quiet the Mind, Awaken the Soul, feat. Rick Hamlin (Enneagram 2) [S05-039]

What does it mean to be “masculine.” Unfortunately, there are a lot of conflicting ideas and messages about what a “real man” is (and is not). In today’s episode, author, nationally syndicated radio show host, and Enneagram Five, Brant Hansen challenges us to redefine masculinity and paints a refreshing picture of what it looks like at its absolute best.   We have an insightful conversation about the:  importance of expressing feelings and affection value of protecting others from a place of kindness and love, rather than control and anger core task men need to take responsibility for, and Six decisions that set men apart from others    Brant’s vulnerability and openness will genuinely move you.    Brant Hansen is an author, radio host, and advocate for healing children with correctible disabilities through CURE International. He's won multiple awards for "Personality of the Year" for his radio show, which airs on more than 200 stations nationwide. His podcast with his friend and radio producer, The Brant and Sherri Oddcast, has been downloaded more than 10 million times. The author of The Truth About Us, Unoffendable, and Blessed Are the Misfits. Hansen has written for CNN.com, the Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Relevant, and numerous other outlets on matters as varied as public policy, culture, sports, Asperger's syndrome, and faith. He and his wife, Carolyn, live in South Florida.

Redefining Masculinity with Enneagram 5, Brant Hansen [S05-E38]

When was the last time someone asked you a question that set you back on your heels? I've always been more interested in questions than answers. So, I keep a notebook of powerful questions that upend me, subvert my assumptions, and stop me in my tracks.  Most of us already have the answer to life's questions; it's just that we're waiting for someone to come along with the key to open the door to answers we already have in our hearts, souls, and minds. The key to that is great questions. Probably more than any other single piece of input in my life, what has driven change in me has been great questions.   And today, I'm giving you a peek into my notebook of outstanding questions that force you to go inside and wrestle with ideas and feelings that can change the direction of your life.  I'll also be posting a question on social media every day for the next week, and I'd love for you to engage with me. Perhaps you'll resonate with a few of mine or share your gems I can add to my notebook. I'm always jotting down new ones as I come across them. For example, I added a new one from a Typology Institute member this past Tuesday.  So, listen to or watch this episode, then share your thoughts with me on Instagram or Facebook.

7 Courageous Questions from Ian Cron [S05-037]

Trauma impacts not just our mental state, but also our emotional and physical health. So, in a world that teaches us to just “try harder” and keep pretending “we’re fine,” how do we make space to process our stories and truly work through trauma? Today, therapist Aundi Kolber explains what trauma is, identifies how it operates in the body, and walks us through the importance of aligning our minds and bodies to build resilience and self-compassion.   She also offers up a few tips for practicing self-compassion in deep and truly meaningful ways that will begin the process of healing. Aundi Kolber is a Licensed Professional Counselor (MA LPC), writer, and speaker in Castle Rock, Colorado. She specializes in trauma- and body-centered therapies and is passionate about the integration of faith and psychology. As a survivor of trauma, Aundi brings hard-won knowledge around the work of change, the power of redemption, and the beauty of experiencing God with us in our pain.   Looking for more conversations on trauma?  Listen to our past interviews with  Chris Cook,  Dan Allender, or  Amy Downs.  You can also watch them on YouTube: Chris Cook, Dan Allender or Amy Downs.

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