S11 | 02 – Hope Through Emotional Intelligence with Alex Malebranche

Lindsay Recknell Hope, Podcast Leave a Comment

It can be hard to talk about our feelings. Many grow up in environments where being emotionally vulnerable just isn’t a priority, and as such never really acquire the skills needed to navigate intense feelings later on in life. Yet, emotionally intelligent adults will experience more professional success and improved relationships.

What if this became a priority for future generations?

Today I’m joined by Alex Malebranche to discuss the importance of normalizing our feelings and teaching our children emotional intelligence and awareness. Alex shares personal stories from throughout his life, from his own childhood to raising his daughter, and highlights specific examples of how we can better equip future generations to navigate rough emotions.

Tune in to learn more about emotional intelligence and how we can open the door to these conversations.

About Alex Malebranche:

Alex Malebranche is currently a tech and mental health entrepreneur out of Houston, TX. A seasoned tech veteran at companies like Amazon, AWS, and smart WiFi company, Plume, Alex Malebranche left what was comfortable and started a tech company in 2021. Throughout his journey in both tech and entrepreneurship, mental health continued to play a key role in who he was and how he handled situations. A former Army veteran as well, he has begun to lean into mental health work for veterans, entrepreneurs, and techies alike.

To learn more you can follow Alex on Instagram and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Transcription:

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

people, conversation, feel, year, hope, thought, tattoos, talk, starting, mom, externalize, mental health advocacy, listening, loud, podcast, kids, alex, share, guests, write

SPEAKERS

Alex Malebranche, Lindsay Recknell

Lindsay Recknell  00:03

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Hope Motivates Action podcast. I am your host, Lindsay Recknell – a workplace mental health professional, a speaker, a podcaster and an expert in hope. I consider myself so lucky to share a microphone with the guests I have on this podcast – they show up with such heart, and courage, compassion and authenticity, sharing their stories of transformation or how they’ve helped others through transformation. With a foundation in the science of positive psychology, and a focus on hope, action and creating a future better than today, I’d love to inspire you towards your own transformation whether that’s in your career, in your life or even just starting with how you think and show up in the world. Whether it’s through this podcast, my Dream Catalyst coaching program or my many webinars and workshops, I have the best job in the universe because I get to bring you these episodes, with these guests and this message of hope! But enough from me, let’s get on with the show!

Lindsay Recknell  00:58

Really excited to introduce you to this week’s guest Alex Malebranche. Alex is currently a tech startup founder and mental health advocate out of Houston, TX. A seasoned tech veteran at companies like Amazon, AWS, and smart WiFi company, Plume, Alex Malebranche left what was comfortable and started a tech company in 2021. Throughout his journey in both tech and entrepreneurship, mental health continued to play a key role in who he was and how he handled situations. A former Army veteran as well, he has begun to lean into mental health work for veterans, entrepreneurs, and techies alike. Alex and I connected on so many levels in this interview, and I think you’re really going to love his message. Enjoy. Hello, Alex, welcome to the show.

Alex Malebranche  01:41

Hey, thanks for having me. Super excited to be here.

Lindsay Recknell  01:43

Oh, I’m so excited for you to be here as well. You have a very cool, both professional and personal story. And I know that mental health and hope is very key to who you are and how you operate in the world. And so maybe we’ll just jump into your story. Could you share a little bit with us about how you use hope to motivate action in your life?

Alex Malebranche  02:04

Sure, yeah. So going probably a little bit earlier than I need to start. I was born in and grew up in and around Chicago area to a single mom, so single mom to four kids. So really seeing her hustle and grind to make sure that we had, you know the house and just the bare minimum that we needed, kind of rooted in me as far as kind of where we’re actually get strength and hope from to be able to do the things that you want to do with your family. And then I took that and started right after high school in the army. So I spent about six years in the military, trying to make that kind of weigh in path for myself. And then after going to school, I’ve worked in tech. So you know, I’ve worked for Amazon, around the world, worked for a few other tech companies here before kind of starting my own tech company about 18 months ago. So yeah, that’s kind of the quick rundown on on me.

Lindsay Recknell  03:01

Amazing. Well, thank you very much for sharing your mom sounds like a very incredible person. And I believe that she’s a bit of a, she’s a she’s a role model in your life, not only the greatest of all time, but also a role model in your life. How does she model hopeful behavior,

Alex Malebranche  03:16

man, just by getting up every single day with the same attitude, which is a good one. You know, I can I can list a bunch of stories, but I think this one says it all. Like I said, I grew up in Chicago. And for anyone not familiar Chicago, winters look about five degrees, but feels like negative 30. And for a number of years in order to make sure that you know, the bills were paid and we still had a house etc. She would sleep in her car outside of the building that she worked so that she could pick up extra hours for other people. So you know, she would work eight to 20 hours and instead of losing an hour back and forth from where she was working to the house, she would sleep in her car and shower at a Lifetime Fitness. So when I see someone like that continuing to be at 64 One of the hardest working people I know still to this day, that gives me hope that anything that I’m I’m trying to work through right now can be accomplished and can be accomplished with a good attitude.

Lindsay Recknell  04:16

Oh, that is what an incredible human I mean the sacrifices that she made for her family. I imagine it must have had an impact on her and her mental health though did it?

Alex Malebranche  04:29

You know what I am sure that it did but my mom is the Terminator. So she she does not show it if it does that is both a good thing and a bad thing. But yeah, she she does not if it affects her she does not let it show to the point where where it would concern or worry other people. So though there is a there’s a modicum of strength in that. I think there’s also a lesson than that. There there’s an opportunity to let other people in without kind of giving people the impression that you’re not strong. So I think actually, I didn’t learn that lesson until I was in my early 20s, struggling through depression and things. And I thought to myself, my mom didn’t show this. So how can I or why can I show this? And, you know, I was going through I think I was living in Boston at this time going into therapy. And my therapist asked, Have you shared that you had struggled through depression with your mom? And I said, No, why would why on earth would I do that know what she’s been through? He said, Well, you need to tell you or you should write a letter, and you should tell her. And when I told my mom, you know, two weeks later, she she happened to be coming up to visit me in Boston. And we were sitting next to the Charles River on a bench. And when I told her she was speechless, and the encounter with my mom, I think, forever in my life, the relationship with me and my mom changed in that moment, because she showed me a side to her that I didn’t even know existed. And that, that level of compassion and understanding for what I was working through, because like I said, She’s the Terminator. She’s been, she immigrated to this country from Haiti when she was like, 16, or 17. No, she’s taken care of all of us, you know, with no help. And just to see something that was more of a compassionate side, which was pretty amazing. And I think that moment, from that moment, it bonded me and my mom forever in a way that probably my other siblings might be a little jealous of maybe.

Lindsay Recknell  06:30

I hope they’re listening. But what an incredible like, it almost gives me shivers to even picture what that must have been like, because I mean, is there a more authentic point in your relationship? I suspect not.

Alex Malebranche  06:48

No, no, absolutely not. Yeah, it’s hard to even elaborate on because like, I can so vividly see it, picture it feel that moment. And without, without really rambling, I can’t really bring the words to mind exactly how that felt without kind of searching, searching through that out loud. And like through a bank of questions or words, I don’t know. But it definitely was pivotal in our relationship. And I mean, I think you probably would consider me a mama’s boy before that, and more. So now. She’s like I said, the GOAT.

Lindsay Recknell  07:25

Amazing. And how are you taking that experience now to your own family? Because I know you have kids? How are you modeling? What maybe she taught you at that time with your family?

Alex Malebranche  07:38

Man? That’s a really good question. I’ve tried to be very intentional about the things or the sides that my kids do see. They’re still very young. I’ve got a four year old and a one year old. So the one year old, no, isn’t really privy to most of the things that she sees come across my face emotionally. But my four year old definitely Is she my four year old very much like my wife, like the heart, the biggest heart of all time, compassion, like, if she if my daughter sees me, like, break a frown of any kind, she’ll come over, and she’ll grab my cheeks. And she’ll go, daddy, he’s sad. Like, I’m pretty sad baby. And she’s like, can I give you a hug? So for me, like, some of the things that I’ve tried to do is express more freely to my daughter, the four year old, that even though Daddy can be sad, sometimes that’s okay. And like, know, the way that she responds to me, it’s okay to show concern, but also, it’s okay for her to it’s okay to know that I’m working something working through something naturally. And just because I look sad doesn’t mean that I am sad, if that makes any sense. Because some people can show their emotions in a lot of different ways. And so I think, you know, we’ll see how it turns out when she’s an adult, right, every parent thinks they’re doing a really good job. But I think for a four year old, her emotional intelligence is off the charts. And I will not take credit for that. That is all my wife but I think I think my wife helping me do that as well as what is what I’ve I’ve contributed to that. But just trying to normalize feelings and what that looks like and how people express that is something that I’m trying to do because I did not receive that when I grew up. But again, when when I had that moment with my mom, that is something that we shared and it bonded me with her even deeper than I ever thought.

Lindsay Recknell  09:41

Very insightful. What you said there about how our emotions, how our feelings show up, doesn’t necessarily describe how we’re feeling. The language of mental health is so so important. It’s something that I believe so strongly in Helping people to get the words out to explain what it is that they’re feeling, however many words they need to use to get to that place, you know, and it’s so cool that you’re teaching your daughter that because these are not skills that I learned at age 43. These are not skills, I knew, the generation above us definitely weren’t taught these kinds of skills. And so I think it’s very, very cool that you’re being intentional to teach this to your kids. And I hope more people are as well.

Alex Malebranche  10:29

Absolutely, yeah, I mean, I think it’s, though I’m receiving that like that positive reinforcement. Like, I think it’s just necessary. Like, I think we’re at a point in our society and life right now, that if we’re not doing this for our kids, our friends, whomever, we’re doing them a disservice, because the as they get older, they’re going to be caught in positions where they’re, they’re going to be lagging behind in a lot of meaningful ways, whether it be in their career trying to kind of connect, connect with people that they’re trying to do business with, or whether it be in their friendships or potential marriages. So I think it’s just a requirement for me as a parent, to say, hey, like this is even though I’m not good at it, and my wife is crushing it, and that I need to be able to, to lean into that. So I can make sure that I’m doing my best to give my daughters the best tools so they can succeed succeed in their life. And, as you said, what parents thought about as those best tools 510 years ago, are not the same tools that we’re talking about right now. So it’s really exciting for me to be a part of the generation that is teaching how important it is, because I’ve lived, I lived in the kind of way in which I was struggling through it and didn’t feel comfortable expressing it.

Lindsay Recknell  11:50

That feels so hopeful to me, and so opportunistic about the potential of the future.

Alex Malebranche  11:57

Yes. Well, listen, our future is in really good hands. Some my kids, and my kids, friends who are now my four year old actually hangs out with like seven and eight year olds, these kids are so smart, and so empathetic and like, Man are our leadership and the next 30 years is going to be out of this world out of this world.

Lindsay Recknell  12:20

Why is this so important to you? I know that mental health advocacy is something really super near and dear to your heart, it’s the beginning of a journey for you. Why? Why does this matter so much to you?

Alex Malebranche  12:32

It matters so much because there times where I’ve thought about the things that I would not have been able to see or accomplish, had, I had been successful, all the times that I tried not to be here. There was a time where if I were successful, I would not have one of my kids. Well, I wouldn’t have had both of my kids. But there was a time where I would not have had the first and then the second. There’s a time where I would not have been able to start my own company and see the pride on my mom’s face. When I told her I started my own company and got my first investment check. There’s a time I would not have met, let alone married, my amazing wife, all of those things would not have been existent. And at the time where I was thinking about not being here, it was because I felt so lost and unseen and unloved. And all of those things that I just mentioned, are times in places where I’ve been seen, loved and, and acknowledged. And so it just gives me it gives me the urge to try and get in front of people that might have felt and candidly, I have felt this way as recently as eight months ago. So it is an ever it is an ever changing, ever growing, always evolving process for you to have this conversation with yourself. But all the things that I thought I was lacking in those moments, those things have come after I have felt that way. So it really just takes patience, and a lot of fortitude to get through those times and recognizing how small a piece of that in that of how small of a piece that moment is in the long scheme of your life. So it’s really important to me to start this work, because I wouldn’t be anywhere without my wife, my two kids. Some of the things that I’m I’m proud of to talk about right now. And there are other people that are going to miss out on those things if they don’t hear this conversation.

Lindsay Recknell  14:49

So beautifully said thank you for sharing that. That very vulnerable part of you. Yeah. I’m I’m thinking about young men, particularly young black men who are listening to this conversation, thinking, I cannot have these conversations. I am way too tough, I will get beat up, I will get chastised. What do you say to those people, because I imagine that you were once that guy.

Alex Malebranche  15:20

Dude, I’m still that guy. That honestly, it takes every morsel of my being, to even start this journey. Because I do not like to be on, I don’t like to be the center of anybody’s attention. I really struggle with social media, this whole this whole thing about putting my face in front of a camera just to I can’t, you know, so I’m still in a lot of ways that person, but I’m starting to recognize the opportunity that I have to talk to people that look like me and not like me, but as you said, for men, and then black men, especially, this is something that not only is it not in our face, but we push it away. The fact that I the fact that I go to therapy is something that we don’t talk about as a community. And so it’s important for me to have this conversation, because I think more advocates need to look like the people that are struggling the most in that. And so what do I say to them is that even if you’re not ready to express this out loud, start to express it to yourself, right? Because when you when you start to recognize, hey, there’s, there’s an opportunity for me to improve in this way, or my mind needs some improving, or I need some help, or whatever that conversation looks like, whenever you start to have that with yourself. You can start to gain the confidence, you need to look for it elsewhere. But it starts inside. So even if you’re not willing to have that, talk with your friends, your mom, your sister, your whatever. If you have the conversation with yourself first, slowly but surely you’ll you’ll get the confidence needed to do what’s necessary.

Lindsay Recknell  17:07

And how do we learn though that skill? What if we don’t know what to say, even to ourselves? Like, where did you learn to start talking out loud?

Alex Malebranche  17:16

I learned in therapy. But to those who are not ready to go to that point, right? It’s like, when I say I learned I really didn’t learn someone just told me and I had to internalize it. what that what that really looks like is if you’re in a room by yourself, what does it hurt? If you say out loud, what you’re feeling? What does it hurt? So okay, like, I feel pissed today. Well, why, like, did something happen? Like is there? You know, I’m actually surprised nowadays. And this just happened yesterday, while I was talking with my wife, I’m actually surprised that the level of depth that I can explain an issue just by starting with that one feeling word. And that one feeling word of feeling frustrated, will then start to snowball into. Okay, I felt frustrated because of that. Actually, I was not even frustrated because of that at all. It was really because of this thing three days ago. And but you don’t start to realize those things until you verbalize it out loud. For some people, it’s one of those things where like, they learn better by writing things down. It’s like once you externalize it, like it’s much easier for some reason to grasp these concepts and these feelings. And so whether it’s talking it out loud, or writing it down, like in the form of a journal, or sticky note, or whatever it is, right, like just externalizing it makes it real. And so I think just starting starting to externalize it in whatever way is comfortable for you, some people that make a lot of money right now start with externalizing that stuff through songs. So just externalize it in some way. And that will start somehow, right? You don’t know what the the next step is going to be. But somehow if you take that first step, the second step will then start to reveal itself over time.

Lindsay Recknell  19:12

Oh, I love that I fears are louder in the dark. When we don’t talk out loud, they are stuck in our head, we get into that rumination cycle. And especially for folks that are conceptual thinkers who, you know, seem to be all over the place and then you know, add some some mental health struggles on top of that. It’s really hard to be clear on what you’re thinking and what you’re feeling when it’s all up in your head. So I love that advice of talk out loud in a room by yourself like go in the shower, get in your car, whatever you need to do to get it out of your head, and then you can start to feel competent in having conversations with other people or writing them down. One of the activities that I do like you mentioned journaling is called the morning pages. I don’t know if you’ve heard of this, but it’s a thing Um, that somebody created. It’s literally where you sit down. And I mean, the the exercise is to habitual eyes it. So to do it every morning and you write three form three pages worth of stuff, whether you write it with pen and paper, whether you write it on a computer, whatever that looks like, but it’s freeform. And to paper, don’t lift it up until the three pages are, are done. And I’m not cannot tell you the most random crap that comes out of my head. At the end of those three pages, like you said, what you started at the first sentence is definitely not what it looks like at the end of those three pages. It’s transformational. Truly,

Alex Malebranche  20:38

it is, well, three pages is a lot to put it out there. But three pages don’t even pick up your pencil. That’s a lot, I would be a little bit afraid of what my three pages would start to look like. So maybe that’s worth me taking a shot at doing that gland might uncover some things that I thought were way gone.

Lindsay Recknell  20:59

I will honestly I bet you will. Because it’s all that unconscious. I don’t know, I don’t know if this resonates with you. But I find when I’m speaking or when I’m writing like a blog post or even a journal post where I’ve given myself permission to pause and sort of censor what it is I’m going to say it’s a whole lot different. And that and maybe less of the unconscious than doing something like this freeform writing for X amount of time. You know, you’re you’re almost forcing yourself to get out actually, every single last piece when you have to write for that long without stopping. It’s It’s fascinating and really, really cool. I like to say that some of my best stuff comes from those moments because it was all unconscious that I hadn’t brought to the surface yet.

Alex Malebranche  21:48

So that’s really interesting. So I’m actually going to take that and the last conversation and put them together in a in a way. So this freeform writing that you’re doing right, it uncovers a whole lot of things of what you’re thinking feeling. And the previous question or thing that we talked about is we’re talking about young black men, but really, this statement could be for anybody. But one of the ways that when I started to externalize it like I wasn’t super comfortable talking necessarily all the way. And so what I started to do was all of my tattoos on my body are actually about my depression. And so I free in a way like you freeform, like every morning you would write down all these things that come to mind, when I would think about things that came to mind whether they affected me positively or negatively, I decided I want to put them on my body. Because one, I just still didn’t feel like talking about it. But I would this is a way of acknowledging it. And so I can see it as a reminder all the time. But also now especially because I’m comfortable talking about it, when people see one of my tattoos, now we can start a conversation about what that can mean. And like I’m, I like I said, I’m not I don’t like to be the center of attention. So I don’t necessarily tell my story to just anybody out there. But I’m more than happy to talk about it if someone is interested. And so like, depending on what age you are, right, if that’s the way that you want to do it, right, that’s, that is something that I’ve also found super helpful. Just creating meaningful art. And putting that art on my body is what I decided to do that also helps my ability to work through it, have conversation about it, acknowledge it.

Lindsay Recknell  23:39

So freakin cool. For two big reasons there. Three, actually, one, you found something that worked for you. And I think that that’s something that gets lost. Sometimes when we hear people say you have to do this, you need to do this, you should be doing this, or you get to choose, you get to figure out what works best for you, and then do that thing. And then once it stops working, do something else. So I think that’s that’s point number one that I think is really, really key. Number two creative expression. And getting our emotions and stressors out through creative expression works positively in the brain, there is so much brain science to support the power of that. I mean, adult coloring books are a thing because of creative expression, right and getting using it and the power of our mind to to bring those stress chemicals down in our body. So that is awesome. And three, the other thing that came to mind was as a door opener, because like you say these conversations can be awkward and hard and scary sometimes. And so you’ve given people an opportunity to ask curious questions about your tattoos, which gives you a door opener to have a conversation similar to someone who’s written a song and you know, and a journalist or podcaster says, Hey, tell me the story, the origin story of that song. It just makes it a bit easier to have those conversations and so if people can look for opportunities He’s like that, I think that would be super helpful.

Alex Malebranche  25:03

I also want to state this might be controversial might be be even be edited out, we’ll see. But another another thing that I found really useful about getting my tattoos is that in moments where, whether I, whether it’s rational or not, I felt like I wanted to have pain or be in pain, because of how I was feeling, as opposed to doing something. As opposed to doing something possibly detrimental. I just sat in a tattoo chair for five hours and got poked for five hours, right. And so I’ve had conversations with others that cut, for instance, you know, instead of getting that sensation from that, this could be another opportunity to get that same feeling that you’re trying to accomplish without doing something that could be harmful to you. So yeah, there’s food for thought as well.

Lindsay Recknell  26:01

I’m not going to cut it out, because I think it is something that we think about often, honestly, like, the my mental health counselor says to me, there’s things that are tolerable. And there’s things that are intolerable, that there are sort of good, good coping mechanisms and bad coping mechanisms, and you just need to figure out what works best for you. You know, some people go to the gym, and they bust their butt, and they get that good pain in their muscles and in their body. You know, there’s Ultra marathoners out there that do very similar things for very similar reasons. I think we all get to find what works for us. And I am absolutely never going to judge anyone for trying to figure out that path for them. I mean, go see your mental health counselor and get the professionals involved to make sure that their guide, you know that you’re making choices that are going to be good long term for you. But 100% I’m never I love that you said that. Because people think those things, other people are having the same experiences. And that’s what this show is all about modeling behavior out loud. So someone else can take inspiration and and figure out what they could try next to to feel better for themselves. That’s awesome.

Alex Malebranche  27:14

Thanks for sharing that I can’t even add to that.

Lindsay Recknell  27:20

The keeps coming back to language for me again. Because so often we don’t feel confident in saying what we want to say. So for those that are listening, is there. Is there a way to open the door to these conversations? So let’s say you’ve you’ve written on the paper, you’ve written the story, and now you’re prepared to tell somebody else? Do you have some thoughts about what words to use to open the door to those conversations?

Alex Malebranche  27:52

Can I ask you a question that?

Lindsay Recknell  27:54

Yes, of course.

Alex Malebranche  27:55

The the conversations you’re asking about opening like is that you’re asking from the perspective of me talking to somebody that doesn’t know me? Or maybe could you clarify like what what conversation you’re you’re wanting to open?

Lindsay Recknell  28:11

I’m actually thinking of the fine folks who might be listening to us talk who may be struggling with their own stuff. And on the cusp of wanting to share, but just not quite there yet. Is there some words of encouragement that you could give them on how they could open the door to that conversation with somebody else to get the help that they might need?

Alex Malebranche  28:34

Okay, yeah, it’s good question. I would start by this is not going to work for everybody, right? depends on kind of who you have in your circle who you trust. But one of the one of the ways that I was able to start having more regular conversation about is because one of my best friends who’s like, one of the most emotionally intelligent people I’ve ever known, shout out Kim. I was able to have conversations around like, more surface level feelings, like I’m upset. I’m frustrated. And because of her awareness, to who I am and what I go through on a daily basis, she was able to ask the questions that I really wanted to talk about, without making me feel uncomfortable for bringing them up. And so if you have someone in your life that just that almost kind of knows you more than you know yourself, right, you can start to talk to him about Yeah, I had a really stressful day week at work. And they can kind of take it from there and kind of help you get to the point where you can kind of share what you really want to share. The other way I would say kind of opening that conversation is maybe to the same person or a different person. You can ask if if you’ve ever felt this way Hey, have you ever felt, have you ever felt like groggy when you wake up like you don’t want to go to work? And like maybe that conversation can start as a surface level. Yeah, I mean, I, there are times where I do not want to go to work because I was out last night way too long. My body does not feel good. My mind is not ready to go through the workday. But I think that that toes the line enough to where like you can kind of assess how you feel about that conversation. And because I remember, when I would not really be comfortable about wanting to talk, I would feel this anxiety in me just talking about surface level conversations like, Hey, have you ever gotten upset before? My someone would ask me Hey, have you? Were you upset about this in that time? And I’m like, I don’t really want to talk about this. Let’s, let’s change the subject. Yeah, I guess whatever. That kind of helps assess, like where you are like, are you closer to wanting to talk about it than not, because the way you don’t want to do is get get yourself in a conversation that you’re not prepared to have. Because when you get to that point, at least from my from my perspective, those those anxious feelings only multiply, like when you feel like someone is asking you like very heavy questions that you are just not prepared to talk about. You get in your head, you get self conscious, you get very nervous all of these things right, and just becomes a spiral downhill. Because again, those things are happening in your mind, you’re not going to verbalize them, you walk away from that person that conversation and go into a worse place. So just starting off with a surface level conversation, just to see how your body reacts is a good way. And then, of course, like, there are so many jobs right now that are giving mental health services as a part of as a benefit. Just go using one of those resources, whether it be like a, an employee assistance program, or EAP, where they give you free counseling. There’s apps out there Modern Health, in San telehealth, and all these other ones where you can just see what someone else says or if you’re, there’s another one, sorry, cope notes. If you’re wanting just like, you don’t talk to them, but they will send you texts of encouragement, right. And you don’t have to really express anything, you just sign up. And then they will send you encouragement, like start there. There’s a lot of resources out there. And thankfully, we’re using really smart the really there’s really smart people using their really smart minds to put in there put in the work to further mental health advocacy as the same people are for tech and other things.

Lindsay Recknell  32:38

No, I love it. Johnny Crowder of Cope Notes is going to be a guest on the show coming up.

Alex Malebranche  32:46

Shout out Johnny. You’re the man. Yeah, Johnny. Yep.

Lindsay Recknell  32:49

So he’s gonna come on the show. So I’m very, very excited to learn more from him. Absolutely. Alex, what gives you hope?

Alex Malebranche  32:57

And well, you know, I actually ruin this a little bit earlier, because the thing that gives me hope is my kids. The the honest to God, truth is, it’s mind numbing to me to listen to my four year old, and she is more emotionally intelligent and more emotionally aware than I am today, at almost 30 years old, incredible. The fact that we have not just my kids, but the kids that I’ve seen through her Montessori school that I know that my friends have my friends, kids, just the amount of intelligence in care that those kids show, give me hope that one, we’re doing a good job as whatever the generation is above, making sure to impress upon them the importance of it, and they are getting that. And they’re like taking it moving it forward, which is amazing. But also that no matter at what time you get on this journey, if you will, like it only takes a little bit of effort to start the progress that is needed to make a major change. And like for me, for 26 years, I wasn’t really comfortable talking about this. I probably would not been on this show even 18 months ago. But it just takes a little bit of time and effort to really say no, what is it that I can do and when the position that I’m in to further this even a little bit because it’s that important for us to talk about. And so to see that young kids are doing that gives me hope that even at this age, I can figure it out.

Lindsay Recknell  34:43

No, I love it. Well, I am very, very grateful that I got to have you on the show to hear your story to have you share your story. You are a very inspirational human who is doing who his heart is in the right place trying to do the good things. And I know that people listening will be You can be inspired to take some action in their own life as well. So thank you so much for joining us, Alex, it has been such a pleasure.

Alex Malebranche  35:06

You know, it’s been amazing to be here. I’m hopeful that just as you said, somebody if not just anybody one person, find, find some something helpful about what I talked about today, because that’s all that matters is if one person starts to get better, they can impact a lot more people. So thank you so much for giving me a platform to talk about it.

Lindsay Recknell  35:27

Couldn’t agree more. I looking forward to our next conversation, my friend, thank you. Take care.

Lindsay Recknell  35:31

Thank you so much for listening to another episode of the Hope Motivates Action podcast. The science of hope and positive psychology has had such a huge impact on me and my work so I also love that I get to share knowledge, research and stories from this evidence-based science as well. It is my sincere wish that you hear something that resonates with you in these episodes, that you feel the contagious power of hope and you are motivated to take action over what you can control, all towards creating a future better than today. I have such a passion for this work and I love connecting with you my listeners, my clients and with the guests on this show to help create transformation.  Hope is contagious so thank you for listening, for sharing the podcast with your friends and family and engaging with me through my programs, my workshops and my speaking. As one of this season’s guests mentioned to me off air, if everyone listening could give the podcast a five-star rating on Apple podcasts, imagine the hopeful content Apple could start curating in their podcast algorithm! it’s conversations like these that spread more hope and joy into the world. Looking forward to keeping the conversation going so reach out anytime. As always, here when you need me.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Lindsay Recknell | Expert in Hope | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

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