What if your greatest power wasn’t hustle or grit, but attention?

00:00 The Discipline of Mindfulness

03:21 Understanding Thoughts and Emotions

09:18 Changing Relationships with Emotions

11:59 The Power of Observation

19:45 Mindfulness Techniques and Tools

24:02 Mindfulness in the Modern World

27:06 The Role of Gratitude

31:29 The GLAD Practice

36:13 Attention as a Superpower

39:08 Getting Started with Mindfulness

Today’s guest, Donald Altman, is a former monk, psychotherapist, and award-winning author who’s spent decades teaching people how to use mindfulness to reshape their lives from the inside out. In a world built to hijack your focus, Donald offers a quiet rebellion: the power to step back, observe, and choose.

In this episode, we dive into the myths of mindfulness, the neuroscience of emotion, and why tiny moments of awareness might just be the key to real resilience. Whether you’re a bartender, a manager, or anyone trying to stay sane in the modern world, this conversation is packed with insights (and practical tools) to help you get out of your head and into your life.”

Expect to Learn:

• How mindfulness rewires the brain
• The difference between thoughts and facts
• Why attention is a superpower
• How to step back from negative emotions
• Practical breathing techniques for stress
• The STOP method for emotional regulation
• The five types of gratitude
• How to build a daily GLAD practice
• The science behind naming emotions
• Mindfulness as mental training not relaxation
• How modern technology hijacks focus
• The role of selective attention in happiness
• How to shift identity away from negative thoughts
• How small awareness practices lead to big changes

Links mentioned in the show:

Donald's Website

Service starts now.

I talk mostly to people in and around the service industry space. I'm looking to hear from the people I wish I could have talked to when I was coming up in restaurants. Said another way: I am trying to make sense of this wild, beautiful mess of a life, and help others that are feeling similarly confused and/or lost. You can find more of my work at ⁠⁠my blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and all my social links are at the bottom of that page.

Classic Episodes You May Like:

-#3:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My 1st and Most Powerful Conversation with Shane Alexander⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-#10:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nat Harry, cocktail expert!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-#14:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Dr. Shalini Bahl, mindful marketing⁠⁠⁠⁠

As always, I’m just here taking notes, trying to figure out what it all means.

Cheers

00:00 Introduction to DYNE and Its Mission

02:43 The Role of Technology in Restaurants

05:53 AI and Marketing Automation for Restaurants

09:03 Demand Forecasting and Inventory Management

11:50 Personalization and Customer Experience

14:47 The Future of Restaurants and AI

18:09 Challenges and Opportunities in the Restaurant Industry

20:44 Conclusion and Future Outlook

“Most restaurant owners are bleeding money, and they don’t even know it. In today’s episode, I sit down with Parsa Riahi, the CTO of DYNE, to talk about the AI tool that’s quietly revolutionizing restaurants across North America. We’re talking automated marketing, demand forecasting, and competitor analysis…things that used to take a full-time team, now handled by what he calls your ‘digital employee.’ If you’ve ever scribbled prep notes on a grease-stained legal pad and thought, ‘There has to be a better way’ then this episode is for you.”

Expect to Learn:

• Why most restaurants are overspending on tech that doesn’t deliver
• How AI is quietly reshaping restaurant marketing and operations
• The real reason mom-and-pops are losing to chains—and how to flip the script
• What happens when you give a small restaurant big-league forecasting tools
• How to turn slow Tuesday mornings into Friday night rushes using demand trends
• Why “every hour is a happy hour” might be more than just a slogan

Links:

Dyne.app

Service starts now.

I talk mostly to people in and around the service industry space. I'm looking to hear from the people I wish I could have talked to when I was coming up in restaurants. Said another way: I am trying to make sense of this wild, beautiful mess of a life, and help others that are feeling similarly confused and/or lost. You can find more of my work at ⁠my blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and all my social links are at the bottom of that page.

Classic Episodes You May Like:

-#3:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My 1st and Most Powerful Conversation with Shane Alexander⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-#10:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nat Harry, cocktail expert!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-#14:⁠ ⁠⁠Dr. Shalini Bahl, mindful marketing⁠⁠⁠

As always, I’m just here taking notes, trying to figure out what it all means.

Cheers

What if everything you’ve ever heard about booze was wrong?

This episode isn’t just about spirits: it’s about truth, myth, and the fight to preserve real history in a world flooded with marketing fluff.

Today, I’m joined by Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller, two of the most prolific drink historians alive. Between them, they’ve authored nearly 40 books, deciphered 17th-century distilling manuals written in code, advised the world’s top bars, and even uncovered bottles worth half a million dollars!

But more than that, they’ve dedicated their lives to one mission: cutting through the noise and rewriting the story of alcohol, one verified fact at a time.

We talk about everything from the real origins of gin and Cuban rum to Julia Child’s martini habits, to why most bartending history is based on drunk people telling stories to drunk journalists.

Whether you’re in the service industry, obsessed with cocktails, or just fascinated by the hidden truths behind everyday culture—this episode will change how you think about what’s in your glass.

This is the real story behind the drinks. Let’s get into it.

Links to find out more about Jared Brown & Anistatia Miller

Mixellany (Check out the free library at the top too!)

00:00 Introduction to Cocktail Historians · 00:55 Legacy and Truth in Cocktail History · 04:56 Researching Spirits and Cocktails · 10:01 The Journey into Cocktail Writing · 14:57 The Role of Education in Cocktail Culture · 19:59 Favorite and Least Favorite Spirits · 24:52 Vermouth and Martini Making · 30:00 Books and Resources for Cocktail Enthusiasts · 34:50 The Importance of Historical Accuracy in Cocktails

Service starts now.

I talk mostly to people in and around the service industry space. I'm looking to hear from the people I wish I could have talked to when I was coming up in restaurants. Said another way: I am trying to make sense of this wild, beautiful mess of a life, and help others that are feeling similarly confused and/or lost. You can find more of my work at my blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and all my social links are at the bottom of that page.

Classic Episodes You May Like:

-#3:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My 1st and Most Powerful Conversation with Shane Alexander⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-#10:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nat Harry, cocktail expert!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-#14: ⁠⁠Dr. Shalini Bahl, mindful marketing⁠⁠

As always, I’m just here taking notes, trying to figure out what it all means.

Cheers