Manders Mindset
Are you feeling stuck or stagnant in your life? Do you envision yourself living differently but have no idea how to start? The answer might lie in a shift in your mindset.
Hosted by Amanda Russo, The Breathing Goddess, who is a Breathwork Detox Facilitator, Transformative Mindset Coach, and Divorce Paralegal.
Amanda's journey into mindset and empowerment began by working with children in group homes and daycares. She later transitioned to family law, helping people navigate the challenging emotions of divorce. During this time, Amanda also overcame her own weight and health challenges through strength training, meditation, yoga, reiki, and plant medicine.
Amanda interviews guests from diverse backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, and wellness experts, who share their incredible journeys of conquering fears and limiting beliefs to achieve remarkable success. Hear real people tell how shifting their mindsets—and often their words—has dramatically changed their lives.
Amanda also shares her personal journey, detailing how she transformed obstacles into opportunities by adopting a healthier, holistic lifestyle.
Discover practical strategies and inspiring stories that will empower you to break free from limitations and cultivate a mindset geared towards growth and positivity.
Tune in for a fun, friendly, and empowering experience that will help you become the best version of yourself.
Manders Mindset
Reading the Room: How One Cafe Intervention Changed Everything
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Have you ever felt that unmistakable pull in your gut telling you to speak up, even when it's uncomfortable?
That moment when your intuition screams so loudly you can't ignore it? In this episode, I share a powerful, real-life story from a quiet morning at my local cafe that reminded me what it means to trust that inner voice.
This wasn’t about being polished or perfect—it was about presence, compassion, and interrupting energy that needed to be redirected. I talk about what it means to speak up with clarity and conviction, and why sometimes fire is exactly what cuts through the noise. If you've ever wondered whether your voice matters, this one’s for you.
Timeline Summary:
[0:00] - Why I’m dropping back-to-back episodes before heading to Bali.
[1:49] - A moment that reminded me to trust my gut.
[2:53] - A tense cafe encounter and choosing to speak up.
[6:25] - The power of compassion and presence.
[8:17] - Reading the room and shifting energy.
[11:03] - A surprising apology and the energy shift that followed.
[11:59] - A reminder to use your voice—even when it shakes.
Listen to Ep. 69: There Are No Rules HERE
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a five-star rating, write a review, and share it with someone who needs the reminder that their voice matters. You're only one mindset shift away from changing your life. Thank you for tuning into Manders Mindset!
Hey guys, welcome to Mander's Mindset. Before we dive in, I wanted to let you know I will be releasing a handful of episodes back to back before I head off to Bali. These conversations are just too good for me to sit on and, honestly, like my friend Sean once said on this podcast here, episode 69, there are no rules. There are no rules that say I have to wait or space things out a certain way, or that I can only release episodes on Mondays. I'm not about to hold on to something powerful just because life is shifting. So I'm clearing space, releasing what's ready to be released and letting you tune into whatever resonates to you. I'm not waiting, and maybe this is your permission not to wait either. Now let's get into the show.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Manders Mindset Podcast. Here you'll find both monologue and interviews of entrepreneurs, coaches, healers and a variety of other people where your host, Amanda Russo, will discuss her own mindset and perspective and her guest's mindset and perspective on the world around us. Manders and her guests will help explain to you how shifting your mindset will shift your life.
Speaker 1:Hello beautiful souls, Welcome to Manders Mindset, where we explore the power of shifting your mindset to shift your life.
Speaker 3:I'm your host, Amanda Russo, and.
Speaker 1:I will be releasing a few episodes back to back before I leave for Bali Because, like my friend Sean Rivers once said, there are no rules, and this one, this moment, it reminded me what it means to trust your gut, read the room and speak up, even when it's uncomfortable. Now let's get into it. So there's this man at my local cafe that I go to pretty regularly. We're going to call him Luke. He's loud, he's constantly talking, he complains a lot and he's intimidating to a lot of women because he will comment on their appearance, their looks, their outfits all the time. He used to hit on me. He stopped now. But, honestly, that's not what this story is about.
Speaker 1:One morning recently I was at the cafe pretty early before 7 am. It was a Thursday. At that time, from 6 to seven, there's only one barista on shift and that day we'll call her Valerie. The more nervous, the more anxious barista. She's a sweetheart, and Luke was there being Luke, and he was frustrated. He was waiting for his teabag making comments getting louder and then he started slamming his hands on the table and he made a remark, something about Valerie not listening. I saw her face drop. She was trying to hold it together, but it clearly bothered her. I could feel it. I felt it in my body, the tension, the shift in energy, and I couldn't just sit there.
Speaker 1:So I got down off the counter and I walked over to Luke's table. He was sitting there, him and two other guys. His feet were up on a chair and there were no empty chairs. I looked at him and said can I sit here? He smoked and said on my lap or the chair? I said the fucking chair. He moved his feet. I sat down and I said does that make you sleep better at night, making Valerie feel bad? He replied I'd sleep better at night with you next to me. I ignored the comment and I said I asked you a question Does your head sleep better on the pillow at night by making Valerie feel this bad? Her face is bright, red as a beet and I got a little closer and I whispered and I said If you look at her, her face looks like a tomato. He said I like riling people up. I said okay, there are billions of people in the world. Why does it have to be valerie or shelly, shelly and the other woman who comes in at seven? And these two are there all the time and they exceptional. He shrugged and said it again I like to rile people up. And then I told him you come into this cafe at least five days a week. Valerie and Shelly are phenomenal baristas. They do a damn good job at everything, everything. But you've got to read the room. It is 6.38 in the morning. There is one person cooking. The owners aren't here, the regular, normal chef isn't here. The second barista has not arrived yet. It's only Valerie running the fuck around holding it down. Does it make you feel better fucking riling her up? And he just looked at me. Then I told him I come here every day.
Speaker 1:I love my flavored iced coffees and there was only one time that I came here. Valerie made it and I didn't like it. But I did not want to make Valerie feel bad. Then he said to me so you just drank the shitty coffee? And I said no, I didn't the shitty coffee. And I said no, I didn't.
Speaker 1:Shelly saw my face when I took a sip of it and she could tell I didn't love it. She looked at me, asked me if it was okay and I made a face. She took my iced coffee, dumped it out and brought me a new one and she whispered and said Shh, there was one other time. My coffee wasn't as sweet as I wanted it to be. However, I am not trying to make Valerie feel bad. She's a sweetheart and does an amazing job and, honestly, life is hard enough. Then I told him how this happened to me one other time, when it was only Valerie here and I waited until Shelly arrived. I whispered to Shelly. She made me a new one. She didn't even charge me, which I would have paid for, but it was the principal. Why am I going to go out of my way to make Valerie feel worse? Life is hard enough. That's what compassion is about. We are all human.
Speaker 1:Then I told luke, even today I didn't come in yelling good morning like I sometimes do when it's busy and it's later in the morning. Why? Because I could tell it's quiet, it's not even 7 am, it's early, valerie is solo. I adjusted my energy. You've got to read the damn fucking room, luke.
Speaker 1:Luke was also sitting with this guy, ryan, who makes different complaints as well, and Ryan mentioned how he hates going there on Thursdays because the cook on Thursdays makes such small sandwiches. And then I said you don't like the sandwiches the chef makes on Thursdays? Fine, get a muffin, get some eggs. Adjust your energy, adjust your intentions. Here's the thing if you are looking for a complaint, you will always find one, but don't take it out on the people who show up here and do their job well.
Speaker 1:And I want to be really clear I wasn't yelling. I did raise my voice when he raised his, I matched his energy, not to overpower it or him, but to interrupt it. And, yeah, I threw in a few F-bombs, not to be aggressive but to make it. And yeah, I threw in a few F-bombs, not to be aggressive but to make it clear. Because, let's be honest, I'm a small, short, petite woman and people don't expect that kind of fire to come out of me. But sometimes fire is what cuts through the noise.
Speaker 1:I didn't swear for drama. I swore because the moment called for it, because some people only listen when they realize they can't intimidate you. And that's the thing. Speaking up doesn't always sound polished, it doesn't always look pretty, but it can still come from a place of love, from presence, from grounded clarity. I was not there to fix him or to change him. I was not trying to psychoanalyze why he likes riling people up. That's not my business, that's far beyond my pay grade. But I was there to say not here, not like that. And eventually he quieted down.
Speaker 1:I went back to my seat at the counter and it was so funny because I sat next to Tiffany and she was shocked that I was sitting with him and I told her what had happened. She told me she didn't think I was going to get through to him. Happened. She told me she didn't think I was going to get through to him and I said honestly, tiffany, it doesn't matter, I needed to say what needed to be said. The energy in the whole place was adjusted and as I was sitting there at the counter talking to Tiffany, luke walked up and he actually apologized to Valerie. I don't know everything he said because I purposely did not listen and shut my ears off so I could give him that privacy. But I overheard him saying he shouldn't have raised his voice and I felt such a sigh of relief. A sigh of relief.
Speaker 1:So if you ever feel that pull in your gut, that energy that says say something, even if your voice shakes, even if your hands are sweaty, this is your reminder to speak up. Anyway, you have no idea the impact it might make. You have no idea the impact it might make. If you are listening to me right now on Mander's Mindset, you are here to help people shift their mindset as well, and I believe that, because you're not listening to me, if you're not looking to shift and change the world in some aspect, I truly believe that. So, that being said, if your heart, mind and soul tells you at some point in time to speak up, to say something, to do something, do it, do it. Don't look back and say I coulda, shoulda, woulda, do it.
Speaker 3:In case no one told you today, I'm proud of you, I'm booting for you and you got this, as always. If you enjoyed the show. I would really appreciate it if you would leave me a five-star rating, leave a review and share it with anyone you think would benefit from this of you, and share it with anyone you think would benefit from this. And don't forget you are only one mindset. Shift away from shifting your life. Thanks guys, Until next time.
