Invisible Distortions: Why We Misunderstand Each Other (and How to Stop)

Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking, “How did that go so wrong?” You were clear. They were clear. And yet somehow, you both walked away feeling misunderstood, hurt, or even resentful.

Erin and Evan call these hidden forces “distortions.” They’re like funhouse mirrors in our relationships—subtle patterns, beliefs, or unspoken feelings that bend what we say and hear. Left unchecked, distortions quietly erode connection, fuel resentment, and create conflict that seems impossible to solve.

In this episode of Richer Soul, we explore how to see distortions, name them, and clear them—so that relationships (at home, in business, and even with money) flow with more peace and ease.

👉 If you’d like to go deeper into Erin’s personal story and her work on rapid transformation, revisit her earlier episode here: Ep 362: Rapid Transformation – How to Unlock Your Potential with Erin Pheil

Key Insights from This Conversation: 

1. Distortions Are Invisible Until You Name Them. Much like money scripts, distortions are unconscious patterns—beliefs, judgments, or emotions that warp how we interpret others. Once named, they lose their hidden power.
2. Resentment Traps & Behaffing. Erin and Evan share examples like “resentment traps” (when someone offers something they don’t actually want, creating hidden tension) and “behaffing” (acting on someone’s behalf without checking if it’s what they want). These patterns often feel kind, but secretly create disconnection.
3. The Link Between Distortions and Money Mindset. Just like growing up with the belief that “rich people are evil” can sabotage wealth, unspoken beliefs and judgments in relationships create friction. Both are distortions that quietly drive our choices.
4. Level Two Conversations Build Connection. Most of us stay in surface-level chats. True healing comes when we share our real experience—“I felt sadness when X happened”—without accusation. This opens space for empathy, clarity, and connection.
5. Clearing Distortions is Liberating. The moment distortions are brought into the open, assumptions dissolve and laughter often replaces resentment. As Erin says, “We get to clear it in real time, and suddenly everything feels lighter.”

Money Learning:

Evan grew up with the story that money was hard to earn—yet inside he held a contrarian belief that it had to be easier. This push-and-pull mirrors how distortions show up: subconscious scripts we don’t question, but which silently shape our decisions about money, work, and worth.

Key Takeaway:

Distortions thrive in silence. The moment we slow down, notice what we’re truly feeling, and share it without accusation, connection becomes possible again.

About Erin & Evan:

Erin Pheil
Before entering the world of mindset and transformation, Erin founded and scaled an award-winning web agency for 17 years. In 2018, she launched The MindFix Group, where she has since helped high-performing entrepreneurs and leaders across the world overcome their stuckness, frustrations, relationship challenges, inner limitations, and mental roadblocks. Today, Erin facilitates private coaching and world-class retreats that create profound breakthroughs for her clients.

Evan Walton
Evan co-founded and scaled an Amazon business in his early 20s before discovering his true passion—helping people heal. He now works with entrepreneurs and their families to release difficult traumas, reconnect with themselves, and rebuild confidence when they don’t know where else to turn. His work focuses on creating wholeness, clarity, and ease in both personal and professional lives.

Links:

Social: @evan.l.walton and @erinpheil

Facebook: www.facebook.com/erinpheil

Email: evan.l.walton@gmail.com and erin@mindfixgroup.com

Where in your life do you feel unseen or misunderstood? Could a distortion be at play?

Have you noticed yourself offering something you don’t actually want to give (a resentment trap)?

What would shift if you spoke your experience instead of your judgment?

#RicherSoul #EmotionalHealing #RelationshipWisdom #InnerGrowth #ClearTheDistortions #SelfAwareness #CommunicationSkills #MindsetShift #PersonalGrowthJourney #HealingRelationships

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richersoul

Richer Soul Life Beyond Money. You got rich, now what? Let’s talk about your journey to more a purposeful, intentional, amazing life. Where are you going to go and how are you going to get there? Let’s figure that out together. At the core is the financial well-being to be able to do what you want, when you want, how you want. It’s about personal freedom!

From Drug Runner to $60M Exit: A Redemption Story

Most of us never stop to think how much our past — the pain, the wounds, the survival patterns — shape our future. For Jason Sisneros, that past meant delivering drugs at age 12, becoming a violent debt collector at 16, and nearly losing his life in a knife fight. But his story didn’t end there. He rebuilt himself, learned directly from legends like Tony Robbins and Keith Cunningham, and eventually achieved a $60 million exit.

In this episode of Richer Soul, Jason shares the hard-won wisdom he’s gathered along the way — wisdom that goes far beyond business. It’s about redemption, freedom, and creating a custom-tailored life.

Key Insights & Reflections:

1. Your past doesn’t define your future. Jason’s childhood trauma and early involvement in crime could have set his destiny. Instead, he chose to break the cycle for his son. Reflection: What generational patterns are you committed to ending
2. Entrepreneurship is a self-development journey. Businesses reflect their owners. If you bring unhealed wounds into your company, they will magnify. If you do the inner work, your business becomes a vessel for growth. Reflection: What does your business mirror back to you about yourself
3. Everybody exits — how matters. Jason explains the three types of exits: involuntary, dictated, and custom-tailored. Only the last one creates freedom. Reflection: What would a “custom-tailored exit” look like for your life or business?
4. Profit is a tool for freedom, not vanity. Living for cars, jets, and hype marketing leaves you trapped. Redirecting profits toward a “freedom account” creates choices that last. Reflection: Are your financial decisions moving you toward freedom — or away from it?
5. Wisdom outlasts trends. Fads come and go, but principles endure. Jason believes true success is rooted in servant leadership, ethical business, and responsibility. Reflection: What timeless principle can you anchor your decisions in today?
6. Redefine gratification, don’t delay it. True satisfaction comes not from consumption, but from aligning your life with what matters most. Reflection: What would it mean to redefine what “gratification” looks like for you?

Jason’s Money Lessons:

Jason grew up believing money belonged only to the rich — and that breaking the law was a valid way to get it. That belief led him into crime until a near-death experience forced him to change. Over time, he learned that money is simply a tool — one that either enslaves or frees, depending on the choices you make.

Key Takeaway:

Success isn’t about the number on your exit. It’s about who you become along the way, and whether your business serves as a path to freedom, integrity, and impact.

About Jason Sisneros:

Jason Sisneros is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and advocate for business owners. From his early struggles and near-death experience, he rebuilt his life, became a top speaker for Tony Robbins, and went on to build and exit multiple companies — including a $60 million exit. Today, through his platform Built to Exit, he helps business owners design custom-tailored strategies that create both wealth and freedom.

Links:

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BuiltToExit

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jason.sisneros.1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejasonsisneros

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-sisneros/

X: https://twitter.com/thejsisneros?lang=en

B2X Website: https://builttoexit.biz/about/

#RicherSoul #JasonSisneros #RedemptionStory #EntrepreneurJourney #CustomTailoredLife #BusinessExit #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #ProfitFirst #FreedomOverFortune #MindsetShift #TraumaToTriumph #LifeOnPurpose #ServantLeadership #LegacyBuilding

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richersoul

Richer Soul Life Beyond Money. You got rich, now what? Let’s talk about your journey to more a purposeful, intentional, amazing life. Where are you going to go and how are you going to get there? Let’s figure that out together. At the core is the financial well-being to be able to do what you want, when you want, how you want. It’s about personal freedom!

Breaking Free from Hidden Patterns and Rewiring Your Brain for Success

Rewire Your Brain: Adele Spraggon on Breaking Free from Hidden Patterns

Like many of you, I’ve seen firsthand how money stories and old habits can run our lives without us even realizing it. I work with business owners every day who want more profit, more freedom, but they’re trapped in repeating cycles—just like I’ve been in my own journey.

Our guest today, Adele Spraggon, is an award-winning author, international speaker, and behavioral change expert. In her book Shift: 4 Steps to Personal Empowerment, Adele reveals how the brain runs on hidden patterns that keep us stuck—and more importantly, how to rewire them for freedom and success.

This isn’t about willpower or positive thinking. It’s about giving your brain the tools to let go of what no longer serves you, and allowing new patterns to emerge that fit the life you actually want.

5 Key Insights from Adele Spraggon:

1. We Live by Patterns, Not Choices. Most of what we call “decisions” are actually neural pathways our brain built in the past. We’re on autopilot more than we realize. Reflection: Which area of your life feels stuck on repeat
2. Change Happens by Subtraction, Not Addition. Instead of piling on more strategies, affirmations, or tools, Adele teaches that true freedom comes by removing unhelpful patterns. Reflection: What would shift if you stopped adding solutions and simply let go of the root problem?
3. The Body Holds the Truth. While the mind replays the past and projects the future, the body is always in the present. By tuning into sensations and emotions, we discover the real issues beneath the surface. Reflection: What is your body telling you about the problems you keep circling?
4. Surrender is Not Weakness. Letting go isn’t giving up—it’s becoming a witness to what’s actually happening inside. From that space, old patterns naturally dissolve. Reflection: Where in your life are you resisting instead of surrendering?
5. Identity is Fluid, Not Fixed. We’re not one static self. We’re shape-shifters, capable of adopting new identities as we rewire our brains. Change is easier than we think—once we know how. Reflection: Who could you become if you stopped clinging to outdated labels?

Money Learnings:

Adele grew up in a home where money was either abundant or scarce, with nothing in between. That volatility shaped her early patterns around spending and saving—habits that drained her account as quickly as money came in. Her story is a reminder: your financial results often mirror the unconscious money patterns you inherited. Until you rewire them, the cycle continues.

Key Takeaway:

True empowerment doesn’t come from forcing yourself to be different. It comes from recognizing the brain patterns that no longer serve you and giving yourself permission to let them go.

About Adele Spraggon:

Adele Spraggon is an award-winning author, international speaker, and trainer recognized for her expertise in behavioral change. She has been awarded the 2020 Woman of Inspiration Award and is the author of Shift: 4 Steps to Personal Empowerment. With a master’s degree in humanities, a lifetime of teaching, and a deep study of neuroscience and psychology, Adele helps people across the globe break free from hidden mental patterns and step into lives of freedom, peace, and purpose.

Through her work, Adele has empowered thousands to rewrite their inner programming, overcome self-sabotage, and unlock the adaptability that makes change not only possible, but natural.

Links:

Website: https://adelespraggon.com/  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adelespraggon/  

Twitter/X: https://x.com/AdeleSpraggon  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdeleSpraggonRepatternist/  

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/adelespraggon  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdeleSpraggon

What’s one pattern you’re ready to let go of today—and who might you become once you do?

#RicherSoul #AdeleSpraggon #BrainPatterns #MindsetShift #PersonalGrowth #InnerWork #Neuroplasticity #SelfImprovement #ChangeYourLife #Habits #RewireYourBrain #Empowerment #ConsciousLiving 

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richersoul

Richer Soul Life Beyond Money. You got rich, now what? Let’s talk about your journey to more a purposeful, intentional, amazing life. Where are you going to go and how are you going to get there? Let’s figure that out together. At the core is the financial well-being to be able to do what you want, when you want, how you want. It’s about personal freedom!

Radiant Longevity: A Physician’s Guide to Living Longer, Stronger, and Happier

What if aging didn’t have to mean decline? What if living longer also meant living stronger, healthier, and with more joy?

That’s the message Dr. Julianna Lindsey brings in this powerful conversation. Drawing on her background in internal medicine, functional and integrative care, and her own family roots in holistic living, she shows us why longevity isn’t about a magic pill—but about the intentional choices we make every day.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

1. Money Mindset: Dr. Lindsey shares how she was shaped by her financial mentor, Pete Mahurin, and why she chose to raise her children with transparency around money, teaching them that wealth is a tool, not a crutch.
2. The Healthcare Myth: Why our system is designed to manage disease, not cure it—and how we can take back responsibility for prevention and healing.
3. Diet and Exercise as Cornerstones: Forget the fad diets and extreme regimens—longevity comes from sustainable, natural ways of eating and moving.
4. Time as the True Currency: Money can be regained, but time is the one resource you never get back.
5. The Role of Trauma: How unprocessed trauma lives in the body, fueling chronic illness, and why releasing it is essential to long-term health.
6. Sleep, Breathwork, and Stress: The often-overlooked pillars of longevity that influence everything from mood to metabolism.
7. Practical Longevity Practices: From growing some of your own food to breathwork that calms the nervous system in minutes, Dr. Lindsey offers simple, science-backed tools for extending healthspan.

Money Learning:

Julianna’s money story began with the absence of financial education in school—and the gift of a mentor who stepped in. Her financial mentor, Pete Mahurin, helped her understand banking, debt, and savings, shaping how she and her husband would later teach their own children.

Unlike many physician families who unintentionally raise entitled kids, Julianna and her husband chose a different path. They were transparent about money—how it comes in, how debt decisions are made, and what it means to live within your means.

Her perspective is clear:

1. Mentorship matters. Seek out people who understand money better than you and learn from them.
2. Transparency matters. Children thrive when money isn’t taboo but part of their education.
3. Intentionality matters. Wealth is not about throwing money at problems but about aligning time, values, and choices.

Key Discussion Point:

Longevity isn’t about finding the next magic supplement or drug. It’s about aligning your lifestyle—food, movement, rest, relationships, mindset—with what truly nourishes you. Every small, intentional choice compounds over time, creating not just more years in your life, but more life in your years.

About Dr. Julianna Lindsey:

Dr. Julianna Lindsey’s new book, Radiant Longevity: A Physician’s Protocol for Living Your Best Life, is available wherever books are sold. You can also explore her work at RadiantLongevity.com

Links:

Website: Radiantlongevity.com  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannalindseymd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliannalindseymd/

Facebook: Facebook.com/Julianna.lindsey   

Where in your life are you settling for “managing” instead of healing?

Are your daily choices aligned with the long-term health you want?

What one small habit could you adopt today that would compound into greater vitality over time?

Your life is built one choice at a time. Start today—choose a healthier meal, take a walk, breathe deeply, or let go of an old burden. Longevity begins in the smallest of moments.

#RadiantLongevity #Longevity #Healthspan #AntiAging #FunctionalMedicine #HolisticHealth #HealthyLiving #MindsetShift #PurposeOverProfit #RicherSoul

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richersoul

Richer Soul Life Beyond Money. You got rich, now what? Let’s talk about your journey to more a purposeful, intentional, amazing life. Where are you going to go and how are you going to get there? Let’s figure that out together. At the core is the financial well-being to be able to do what you want, when you want, how you want. It’s about personal freedom!

From Scarcity to Radical Abundance: Guide to Living Fully

What if your early life experiences—and even the beliefs of your parents and grandparents—were quietly shaping your relationship with time and money?

Dr. Sharon Spano has spent decades helping high-impact leaders uncover those hidden influences and rewrite the patterns that hold them back. With a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems, Sharon blends science, personal growth tools, and deep human insight to guide CEOs, entrepreneurs, and consultants toward sustainable success and radical fulfillment.

In this episode of Richer Soul, Sharon reveals why so many high achievers end up with financial success but still feel empty—and how to break free from scarcity thinking to create a life where time and money work together in harmony.

Key Insights:

1. Your Money Story Starts Early. Childhood experiences and family beliefs—spoken or unspoken—often define how you view earning, spending, and saving for decades.
2. Scarcity vs. Abundance Is a Spectrum. It’s not all-or-nothing. Moderate scarcity and moderate abundance both exist, but the difference is whether decisions are driven by fear or by creativity and possibility.
3. The 12 Stages of Human Development Shape Success. Your stage of development affects whether you chase time and money or use them to serve a bigger purpose.
4. The Emptiness of Success Is Real. Many leaders reach their goals and still feel unfulfilled—often because they’ve ignored deeper needs for connection, meaning, and self-understanding.
5. Generational Patterns Run Deep. Unexamined beliefs from parents and grandparents can quietly influence your financial decisions and your definition of “enough.”
6. Radical Abundance Means Contentment in Any Season. It’s about being fully present and fulfilled—whether you have more money, more time, less of both, or somewhere in between.
7. Time and Money Decisions Affect Relationships. The way you use these two resources sends powerful messages to your children, partners, and teams—whether you realize it or not.

Money Learnings:

Sharon Spano grew up surrounded by scarcity messages about money. Cultural and religious teachings reinforced the belief that wealth was connected to greed, while her family’s mixed attitudes left her with a conflicted view of success. Over time, her marriage created balance—her natural frugality and worry met her husband’s abundance mindset and faith that resources could be created when needed. Raising a disabled son further deepened her understanding of financial responsibility, planning, and the uncertainty that life brings.

Through her work, Sharon discovered that many people struggle with an imbalance of time and money—some have one but not the other. She also emphasizes that our money habits are often generational, passed down unconsciously from parents and grandparents. Ultimately, she teaches that true abundance isn’t about accumulation, but about contentment, purpose, and alignment with what matters most.

Key Discussion Points: 

1. How early life experiences shape money habits.
2. Scarcity vs. abundance—and the hidden “middle ground.”
3. The 12 stages of human development and their impact on time and money.
4. Why high achievers often feel the “emptiness of success.”
5. Breaking inherited money patterns and creating new beliefs.
6. The idea of radical abundance: fulfillment regardless of circumstance.
7. How time and money choices affect children and relationships.
8. Healing systemic patterns through constellation work.
9. Success only matters if it blesses others.

About Dr. Sharon Spano:

Dr. Sharon Spano helps high-impact leaders break through what’s holding them back to become better leaders—for themselves, their families, and their businesses. With a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems, Sharon combines science and personal development tools to help CEOs, consultants, and entrepreneurs achieve sustainable growth and radical fulfillment.

Sharon specializes in addressing the “emptiness of success” often experienced by high achievers. These leaders may turn to masterminds, therapy, or courses, yet still feel stuck. Through her transformational work, Sharon guides them to uncover hidden barriers, including generational trauma, so that they can step into their full potential.

She is the host of The Other Side of Potential, a podcast exploring the intersection of leadership, success, and personal growth. Sharon is also the author of The Pursuit of Time & Money. Her mission is to inspire leaders to move beyond pressure-driven success to a life of true abundance.

Links:

https://sharonspano.com/richersoul

Website: https://sharonspano.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonspano/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharon.spano.902 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/drsharonspano/ 

Blog:  https://sharonspano.com  

Podcast: The Other Side Of Potential - Podcast - Apple Podcasts

#RicherSoul #MoneyMindset #AbundanceMindset #ScarcityToAbundance #LifeOnPurpose #PersonalGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #TimeAndMoney #RadicalAbundance #SoulSuccess #HighAchievers #MindsetShift #PurposeDrivenLife #GenerationalWealth #InnerGrowth 

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richersoul

Richer Soul Life Beyond Money. You got rich, now what? Let’s talk about your journey to more a purposeful, intentional, amazing life. Where are you going to go and how are you going to get there? Let’s figure that out together. At the core is the financial well-being to be able to do what you want, when you want, how you want. It’s about personal freedom!