Kristiana Corona
Hey there, friend, and welcome to the Worthy to Lead podcast. I am your host, Kristiana Corona, and I am so glad to have you with me today. This is a special edition episode from the cabin. It's up north in Grand Marais, Minnesota, so shout out to anyone who is from Grand Marais or has been to Grand Marais. It is absolutely beautiful right now. I'm so thrilled to be here.
I'm so excited for today's episode where I get to interview someone that I have had the joy of collaborating with for years. And we are really gonna go into some interesting topics that I think are often limiters for leaders. They're things like anxiety and doubt and really questioning your self worth. and how that feels in your body and then also how you project that to your teams.
Eric really leans into a leadership style that is kind, positive, and authentic. And I think you're going to love hearing from him. So for those of you who don't know Eric, I will just give you a quick synopsis of the amazing human that he is.
First of all, Eric is a seasoned product management expert with 18 plus years of experience, mostly focused on e-commerce, but he's also had some stints in healthcare and online advertising. And he's led product teams, product leaders, and a lot of that has been around fostering an environment that is collaborative and innovative. Eric's leadership philosophy centers on presence and kindness and transparency.
They're cornerstone for him to be an effective manager, but I think they're also really fundamental in building great teams. So throughout his career, Eric has developed a deep understanding and proficiency for product management and for leadership. And he's really focused on motivating teams, helping them be productive and really tapping into their creative abilities. So he has this great mix of both, you know, the business side, the product side, and he really is a creative as well. He has some very cool art if you haven't seen it before.
Outside of his professional achievements, he has recently launched a YouTube channel, which we will be talking about more today. And this is focused on self -worth, positive mindset training, and authentic presence. Like I mentioned, he also creates digital illustrations. And he's a proud dog dad to two dogs, Bella and Berkley. All right, with that, let's dive in and meet Eric.
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Kristiana Corona
Hey Eric, thank you for coming on the show today. I'm so glad to have you here.
Eric Montag
Hey, Kristiana, it's great to be here. Thanks for having me, by the way.
Kristiana Corona
Absolutely. So I have kind of given my listeners a little brief overview of who you are. But I would love it if you could share a little bit more about your journey and what really got you to where you are today.
Eric Montag
Yeah. so yeah, I appreciate the intro by the way. but yeah, like based, based on what you had mentioned, yeah, it's spent, roughly like 18 years within product management. So, my career has been generally focused on like business. and we can take it all the way back to college. Like when I grew up, when I, I've always been interested in people, right? I've always been interested in people, how people interact with each other, different emotions, all that kind of stuff. And so I was naturally gravitating towards psychology and trying to figure out, okay, well, why do we behave the way we behave? But then, I don't know, life sort of has its, it's just random stuff happens, right? So then I found myself actually kind of veering into a business career.
So moving into retail after college, and then after retail, moving into product management, because I had a lot of friends who were software engineers. And they're like, Hey, Eric, there's this like new thing called product management. This is again, 18 years ago. So just aging myself. it was, it's sort of, it's sort of a career that I know like falling into, but aligned with a lot of my passions aligned with the passions that I have for people aligned with passions I had for technology and just solving problems.
So that's sort of where, and naturally, so then it's sort of like the people aspect started to shine through. And that's where kind of, it led me into people, you know, people leadership. So like leading teams or leading leaders. And that's where I found myself at the sort of like current moment, I'm on a sabbatical right now. But that led me to the point where I was leading a group of leaders within product management.
Kristiana Corona
It's so interesting how career paths just have that sort of organic way of getting us to where we need to go, right? Like you probably never in a million years thought that this would be like the 18 years that you would spend in your life would be focused on product, right? But how amazing that those skills and those passions that you had started to develop in college actually were extremely useful in that field.
Eric Montag
Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting just how that sort of like works. It's almost like the universe is like figuring things out for you and you just have to like, a lot of it is like trust. And I feel like that's, you know, just kind of even thinking about like, your podcast about like worthy to lead. And this is why I'm excited to be on your podcast is that even through that journey, like going through college and like, you know, finding myself in a career in product management and leading people, there's still a journey of like self worthiness and finding the value, that true value that you have inherently.
I feel very like grateful for the experiences that I've had, like all the people that I've met and learned from throughout my career has been amazing. The products that I got to work on have been amazing, but at the same time, there has been sort of this kind of an evolution. Like we all grow, but like through actually figuring out how to, how to see myself as having worth like inherently. That's why I think like, and we can all relate to that.
As leaders, a lot of us can relate to that. It's like, sometimes we find ourselves in a position where we're, you know, we're expected to be an expert. We put a lot of expectations on ourselves. And then we start to question like, how did I get here? You know what I mean? Like, it's like, well, how did I get to product management? It just seemed to happen. So it's been, it's been quite the journey, but one that's been really fruitful and one that's been eye opening. It's been up and down, you know, there's been challenges, there's been good stuff, but all of it, I think is good. I mean, all of it, when you look at it kind of back, and kind of replay things. Everything is for kind of internal growth or for growth basically is the way I see it.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah, I really hear that shining through in some of the content that you put out there, just the wisdom of being able to really look back and say, it's not just the good things I'm thankful for, it's also the challenges, the stumbles, the times where I didn't feel worthy. So that through that process, now you know what that feels like. Now you know the difference and you can help guide other people, which I think is so cool.
Eric Montag
Right. Yeah.
Kristiana Corona
So you and I met, I was trying to calculate like how many years ago it was. I think maybe 10 years ago, which seems wild. So we were both working together on products. So I was in design, you were in product. We collaborated quite a bit on bringing digital experiences to life. And, you know, it was exhilarating. It was fun. We did a lot of fast paced work, but it was also very stressful. And I remember about you, which I think is so interesting that no matter what the situation was, you always showed up with kindness and you know, with a smile for people and somehow a sense of calm amidst all of that chaos. You know, not everyone can handle those really difficult situations that way with grace or really help others through that and treat other people as human beings when we're in this place of intensity or this place of stress. So I'm curious, you know, what helped you to show up with that level of calm and kindness for others, even when things did feel like completely chaotic.
Eric Montag
Yeah. yeah, I think it was 10 years ago. I think, I think I just remember back in the day, like we were sitting really close to each other and, I got the same sense from you by the way, Kristiana. Here's the thing, like there's a part of me that is like, I hear that I'm like, kind of reject it. You know, it's like, I'm like, nope, you don't know what was going on inside. I find, I found that I've learned a lot of us, I think are, like, this is why we get into, like, leadership is because there's an empathic part of us. There's a part of us that likes to see others succeed and wants to help them succeed and gets gratification on seeing, like, others grow. Like, there's something just beautiful about that. And, like, when I would show up at work, a lot of it is through, like, if you're a sensitive person or if you're empathetic, a lot of it is just understanding, like, the energy that's around you. And I always want to work in a harmonious environment. Like, that is ideal for me.
Like I want to work where I feel like there's harmony, at least, you know, to sort of like, it's not going to be perfect. Of course, like it's not going to be like a utopia. That's just the way life is. But if I, if I can at least help and be a part of that and make sure everyone feels calm, make sure everyone feels like they're self-assured, make sure that I listen too, I think that was the other thing is like, I just, this is what I kind of learned through like applied psychology as well. It's just like how to ask the right questions and how to actually, how to listen, like how to just like shut up and like, listen.
And so those are some of the things I would always bring with at work to try to create that environment where people felt like they could just, hey, no matter what happens, we got it. Now what goes on in the inside is it was obviously sometimes it's a little bit different. Like there are moments where I felt very calm and confident, but then things do get challenging and things get chaotic. And there were times inside where I felt myself not feeling like I was worthy or not feeling like I feeling feeling anxious, you know, feeling very anxious about like what could happen. And a lot of what I would do too, and there's a fine line to this, I think as well as this is people please. I wanted people to be happy, right? Like I wanted to, if I want a harmonious environment, that means I want people to be happy. But then that would also like reflect as like, I want people to be happy with me too.
And so you kind of, kind of can see where that like line gets drawn, right? Like there's like, yeah, we can do that. We can, we want to make an environment that is, that is authentic and authentically sort of where everyone's present. But at the same time, I had to learn quite a few lessons about like how to actually naturally, exude that and then not turn that inward and not say like, well, because this thing didn't work out perfectly harmoniously, now it's my fault. Now I did something wrong. It's like, no, I need to stop. It's like, stop doing that stuff. And then also not projecting, you know, like I would end up projecting some of my insecurities onto situations or onto people too. So it's interesting. There's always two sides to the same coin. It's like, yeah, I like, I like working in an environment that's harmonious, but at the same time, there's still, you know, this internal thing, you know, like outwardly it looks great, but then internally, sometimes it's not, you know.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah. It's kind of like the duck on the water that looks perfectly calm on the surface and underneath the water, the feet are paddling.
Eric Montag
Yeah, it's like fluttering. Yeah, exactly. That's a perfect analogy.
Kristiana Corona
But there's something powerful to being able to slow other people down too. Being able to just think things through. And like you said, listen, because I think being a partner with people in product and I want to pause and like make sure we actually explain what product is because I know there's probably some people who don't exactly know what product management is. They're not in tech and so I'd love for you to like give an overview of kind of what that day to day looks like and how that feels because I think for a lot of people they externalize that stress. You know, they take what they're feeling inside and just it's everywhere and everyone gets it.
Eric Montag
Sure.
Kristiana Corona
That doesn't always lead to great decision-making. That doesn't always lead to the right kinds of collaboration. And so I think there's something really interesting. It's like that stress is going to be there. We know it's going to be there. It happens to all of us. But what do you do with that? Right? So we'll get back to that, but I want you just to take a moment, please, and explain what product management is. You've done it for 18 years. You've seen a lot, my friend.
Eric Montag
Perfect. Yeah. That sounds good. Yeah. We can definitely put a pin in that, but, you definitely hit the nail on the head on like how to, how to build environments where we like respond versus react. Like that was a big thing. Product management... So for those who don't know, like what product management is, product management is sort of this role where you're an individual contributor, generally speaking, and you're responsible for essentially the success of a product. When we are talking about product management, we're talking about technology products. So as an example, I used to work on carton checkout. So if you check out on an e-commerce site, maybe carton checkout is considered a product that could be considered a product. And it's a product manager's responsibility to.
Number one, be super collaborative. So there's like a product team. So there's teams that are building these products, designers, engineers. So these are creative problem solvers, you name it, experts in their fields, highly skilled. And as a product manager, same thing, problem solver, creative, skilled. But the product manager's role is to make sure that we're making good decisions and that we're partnering with the right people we need to partner with to make sure that that product, when it's out in front of a consumer that it's successful or that we're learning from it or that we're delivering value to the end consumer and that we're making good decisions.
All of that through though, others, like a lot of it is like working through others, taking into consideration what people are saying. There's a lot of opinions, there's a lot of facts, using all that information and then helping to guide the product. And then also at the same time, communicating outward. So not only are you responsible for the product, but it's really important for you to talk to leadership, like make sure that they know where the product's headed and then get feedback to leadership outwardly, your peers and then down to so anyone who's maybe, you know, perhaps supporting your product operationally or whatever. That's, that's sort of the idea. And that's why I think the role itself is like any role. There's a lot of interesting stresses that come with it. This, there's a lot of stresses around like, yeah, you're never going to make anyone happy.
And so that's why, you know, when we talk about like people pleasing, like my thing, it's like, you have to be able to be comfortable saying things how they are. And if something's not good, we need to be able to articulate that clearly so we can respond to that in a way that's mature. Is there anything that you think would be good to add?
Kristiana Corona
Yes, I think that's amazing. I would just add it's interesting how you describe your role because it sounds a lot like both a leadership role but also a facilitator. And when you talk about I'm not the one making the thing, right? Like the engineers are making the thing, designers are making things, and we're all kind of working together to make those things come to life. It requires so much more fluency with people, right? Because when you're not the one controlling all of that. A lot of this is out of your control. So there are certain decisions that you make, but then there's things that other people do and then you have to influence them to get things done and to say, like, is this the right way to go? Do we want to try something else? Should we experiment with something else? What's the risk? And so you're weighing all of these decisions while also not having the full breadth of control over how it actually gets made, which is a really unique position to be in.
Like certain people, that can be really stressful for them, but I love kind of your approach and how you've thought about that because I think you do think about the whole. So it's not just you and your role and what makes you look good or how do you get successful, but you're thinking on behalf of the team.
Eric Montag
Yeah, you have to, I mean, that's, I think that sort of defines difference between sort of what a good product manager is and a great product manager is one that there's, there's that people, the people aspect to it. That's super important. And then, and that's where they're like, and you, you touch on, you're touching on this right now too, is this idea of empowerment. It's sort of like, I feel like there's certain things that are in my control and certain things that are out of my control.
When in essence, we just have to be, we just have to exist in the moment instead of thinking about what I can and can't control, like looking for that sense of empowerment within and then, and then working with what you have. It's like a product manager obviously needs to evangelize the product, but then to a certain degree it's like, okay, well, what do I have to work with? And how do I think creatively within these, you know, cause everything needs to be constricted in some ways that that's how creativity works. It's like you create some bounds and then you try to work within that or figure out how to you know, go outside of those bounds, you know? So it's a fun, it is a really fun job, but you're right. It could be high stress for sure, for sure. And everything ebbs and flows. Like there are moments where it's stressful and there are moments where it's not stressful. It's just the natural way of things, I guess.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah, yeah, I love that. And I think there were a lot of things that you saw throughout that period of time, right? That, you know, there were some specific concerns that you had called out, like things, behaviors or paths that were leading people to burnout or stress or certain things that were characteristic of that role. And so I'm curious, like, you sort of went down this path of self discovery and trying to figure out what is your methodology, right? How are you combating those things that are very common in that type of a role? So can you talk a little bit about your journey and what did you discover there?
Eric Montag
Yeah. I mean, I experienced burnout pretty severely within the job. And to be fair, this is all sort of like an internal journey too, right? Like when you think about burnout, there's what is it that I could have done differently and like through self-reflection to help, you know, that too. So that way, like, I don't like, yes, I experienced it, but then.
Maybe others don't need to experience it just as profoundly, but a lot of it had to do with sort of expectations that I think I put on myself. So this is probably like three years ago where I was working on a high, really a very important initiative. High pressure, right? Like, and that's what you'll find no matter where you go, technology companies, wherever you're going to, you're going to have high pressure, you know, things that you're working on, of course.
But I found myself like, that really grappling with like, seeing things sort of like not go like the way I wanted them to go. Right? Like I was hoping things would go smoothly and said, okay, well, darn, we're finding, you know, some issues. Like we didn't have certain teams lined up to help out, or maybe we were too late with our communication or we missed a particular piece of functionality. We just missed it in the requirements.
So there are certain things that were happening that you know, it felt almost like it was like a domino effect. It's like, well, one thing happened and another thing happened. And then of course, yeah, you start, you know, people start to question trust like, man, like if this doesn't happen, what if it was going to happen next? You know, so you start those human emotions start showing up too. Where it got to the point where I was, you know, I was anxious every morning. You know, I wake up every morning. I, there were nights where I went to sleep and of course I wouldn't wish that on anybody. but I had to take time for myself.
So I ended up taking a few weeks off of work just to give myself that reset moment. And then got back to work after six weeks and was lucky enough to move to a different product. But what I also found is like when I moved to a different product, I was still bringing some of those like mental things with me, right?
Kristiana Corona
You are who you are no matter what role you're in. Yeah.
Eric Montag
So naturally, right, exactly. So it's like, right, I'm like, here I am, like starting to get anxious again. And I was like, well, there has to be a different way. And there has to be something that's more than meets the eye. You know, that's the way sort of I was starting to think about it. I was like, like, is going on here? Like, I feel like there is sometimes this happens, you know, in corporate or different settings where there's sometimes a lot of suffering and you see suffering in others, you see people are really hard on themselves or hard on others. And I just don't think it has to be like that. I mean, it really doesn't. And a lot of it came down to exactly what this podcast is about, Kristiana, about self-worth.
Kristiana Corona
Mm -hmm.
Eric Montag
And like really understanding what that means. Like you could say self-worth and like say it to yourself, but then like experiencing it and understanding sort of like, well, what are some of that? Like for me, I started literally like I was talking to friends. So like the network was really important. And then they were starting to point me at different things. Like, Hey, Eric, have you read so-and-so? Have you thought about meditating? You know, there are certain things that they were pointing me towards where I hadn't considered. And I was just like, can I just be open to what other people are saying?
As I'm asking for help, which is also something that I wasn't good at. I wasn't good at asking for help because that would mean that I wasn't doing a good job. Right.
Kristiana Corona
That's hard. That's hard to admit. Yeah. Yeah.
Eric Montag
Yeah, it is. huh. So then, but then basically what I had to, I had to like work on myself first, right? Like I can't, I have to heal sort of some of these things that I think are internal traumas to like, you know, we grew up in a world where we feel like we're conditioned to think that we don't have value or like we have our value is associated based on X, Y, and Z or what I own or what I do. And of course those things are fine. Like that's, I'm not saying that those things aren't fine. Like we should, yeah, if you want to be a VP or if you want to own a nice car or whatever, that's totally cool.
But doing it in a way that that's coming from a sense of wholeness, I think is obviously the point here is, is like seeing yourself as like, I can actually handle any sort of situation that is presented to me. I can take time to relax. Like you said, slow down, respond and start building that practice. So for me, it was about practicing that too. So there's a lot of practice involved in learning to take a breath, learning to give yourself the benefit of the doubt, letting go of the past. That's another thing too. It's like realizing that you're not your past. Like you are just the person you are right now and what you choose. You have a choice in the moment, every single moment. And you can make the choice that you feel is the most loving. You can make the choice that you feel is the most kind, the most wise. I mean, so you're in a position of empowerment right now, even though you might not know it.
And so then that's sort of the path of the journey, very high level. I mean, I could go into like a lot of different things that I tried and have done, but then I wanted to try to like show up that way for my team. You know, that was the other thing too. It's like, well, now I get to be this way for my team and share that with them. So yeah.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah. I love that. So as you were kind of experimenting with these things, there was, I'm sure there were things that felt like you felt a difference on the inside and, you know, they calmed your nerves on the inside and, you know, started to calm that down. But how did you start seeing it manifest on the outside? Like, what were some of the things your team started to notice about you as you changed?
Eric Montag
Well, it was interesting because I think when I used to communicate, a lot of times I would want to be really positive. I still am positive, right? Like I think that's important. Like what you put out in the world will come back. Like, so put out positivity because generally speaking, it's going to come back. But I had some team members talk to me and I've never heard this before. Cause a lot of my feedback was like, Eric, you're really nice. But I started to get feedback from team members saying, Eric, you're shooting from the hip in a way that's not a bad thing. Like you're being transparent, like you're being honest, but not in a way that's like, it's, and it doesn't, you can be honest and transparent and provide feedback, but doing it, doing it in a loving way and an understanding way in a way that you listen. So that was sort of an art, you know, it's like, I can help develop this team. There might be things that might be hard for someone else to hear and that's fine. It's not going to end up in disaster, you know, when I deliver this feedback to them, like this is.
Kristiana Corona
Right? Yeah, like even if they're not happy in that moment and they may not like to hear it, there's something good in it for them.
Eric Montag
Right. Exactly. Yes. So like standing in that and then realizing that it's not the end of the world. And so then I was getting feedback like, Eric, you're, you know, I appreciate how transparent you're being. I was like, okay, well, this is good. I'm getting some, some good signs. and then I think too, just like with like leadership as well, like I was, I stopped trying to sugar coat things. Like I was like, well, the leadership needs to know exactly where we're at. So this is what's on the road map. This is what's not working. You know, this is from a product's perspective, right? Like, so for the, again, for those who don't know about product management.
Kristiana Corona
Yes.
Eric Montag
This is one thing that you'd want to do is like make sure people know the state of the roadmap. Like this is, this is releasing in a month or this is going to be, we're going to be working on next year, or this is delayed because of X, Y, and Z. And that way, so, and then I would get feedback from leadership like, thank you, because now you're giving us stuff to work with. You know, it's like, okay, I see how this works now. I don't have to sugar coat everything. I don't have to make everyone feel happy all the time. I can stand in my truth, so to speak, you know, be who I am authentically and the results kind of just come, right? Like that's the thing. It's like not even about the outcomes anymore, even though I get it, like outcomes are important clearly, but it's more about the journey and then the outcomes are sort of like the icing on the cake. I mean, it's weird how it works like that, but it does tend to, tend to work like maybe not all the time, but like most of the time it does.
Kristiana Corona
I think that is so important. Just the idea of we are so hyper focused on the outcomes, aren't we? Like just, like especially a product, like what is, what are the numbers? How are we proving our value? What does success look like? It's all about those outcomes. And what you're saying is kind of the opposite of that. Like if we focus on who we are, how we show up, how we do our best work, the outcomes come because we're developing ourselves and we're developing that pathway and that way of working that is actually more effective than if we're just so hyper-focused on the outcomes.
Eric Montag
100%. Yeah, exactly. That's the thing. That's the thing. It's not even saying that outcomes don't like, yes, of course we have them and we should talk about them. But then if we, if we are constantly focusing on the outcomes too, sometimes what manifests as a fear state, you start to get fearful that you're not going to hit those numbers and then no one, I mean, you know, this is working as a creative. I think you can't be your most creative when you're fearful or stressed out. Like it's literally impossible. It's like a blocker. Like living in fear is a blocker to creativity.
Kristiana Corona
Exactly.
Eric Montag
And you want everyone to be able to exist within that creative state. So it's like, yeah, we maybe we're not hitting this goal. Let's talk about it. Let's be honest about it, but let's exist in a state of presence, not fear, and figure out how we might be able to hit the goal. Or maybe, maybe we have to focus on something else. Maybe we need to change something, but it's, it's that, I mean, that's exactly it. It's like focusing on who we are as individuals.
And then especially as a leader, I think it's really important to like, especially in this day and age of AI where AI is taking care of like different types of tasks, the importance of a leader, maybe, and I don't know if it changes, but it definitely focuses more on that. What we're talking about is like being present, eliminating fear, helping our teams be the most creative that they can be, helping them kind of figure out what their strengths are. You know what I mean? There's, there's, and this is the beautiful like thing about it too, about leadership is that in some ways, that's like the ideal state of being a leader. You're there in the moment with your team. That is ideal.
Kristiana Corona
Yes. And I think there's something nice about the idea of, you know, part of your ethos there of that ability to work in this new way was that there's this inherent belief that you're capable to figure it out, right? Like if you weren't capable to figure it out, then you'd be constantly living in fear that the team wasn't going to get what they said done. And, you know, no, what are we going to tell leaders? But like when you can put all that down and focus on...No, we can figure this out and we have what we need. And starting from that belief, right? And that belief about yourself as a leader, I just, I love that because then you choose different things. You take different paths. You take different risks. You say the truth without sugarcoating it because it's the truth and it is what it is and we'll figure it out, right?
Eric Montag
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I like that. I mean, you're spot on too. Like you do end up taking different paths. Like you might consider things that you normally wouldn't have considered if you, cause if you're, if you're assisting from a fear state, you're probably going to choose the less risky option. and maybe that ends up with milk toast. You know, it's like, well, that's oatmeal. You know, you mean the results are oatmeal. It's bland. You know, it's like, but no, I mean, you, you want to be able to like, be able to like think, think in terms of like, well, what are the, there's like almost an infinite amount of options. You would want to be in a state where you can actually think about those things in a way that's like wise and like you're leveraging your experience and thinking about, you know, what's best for your team. so yeah, I mean, a hundred percent, agree with you same wavelength.
Kristiana Corona
Awesome. So you share some great life coaching videos on your YouTube channel and we'll definitely get to those in a moment. But first I want to dive a little bit deeper into a couple of areas of focus that I know that my listeners are going to be interested in. And the first area is how you've really been able to shift your relationship with performance anxiety and how that shows up in the workplace. So, you know, that feeling that we get when we have a big meeting or a presentation that we really have to lead with confidence. Maybe there's a tough conversation that we need to have and really share that honest, tough truth. Or perhaps we're going into an interview and we just have that nervous, jittery energy that's flowing through us and we want to try and figure out how to handle that. You have some really interesting tips on this day-to-day anxiety management, which I think are really effective.
And then the second area I want to dive into is really around self-worth as a leader, which we were touching on a little bit earlier. On a deeper level, you've worked through not feeling like you're enough, always having to perform at that higher level and to be more, to do more, to doubt if you have what it takes to truly lead. Because I think we've all gone through those things, but you have some really amazing perspectives on this one that I definitely want you to share. So let's start out with the first one, the anxiety in the workplace.
Eric Montag
Yeah.
Kristiana Corona
Being a leader at a product company, you mentioned in the past that you are faced with the Sunday scaries. So like looking ahead to your week, looking at all the meetings you have to lead, all of those things that are coming up and just, you know, feeling that sense of doubt or anxiety. So what really helped you to start feeling differently about the job to be done for the week?
Eric Montag
Yeah. a lot of it has to do with sort of like your inner monologue. like, so the way that you talk to yourself, here's the way I look at it. Like sometimes I think the mind can be a little mean, you know, it's like saying stuff about yourself. That's not true. It's like, and then you also have to think about like sometimes like whatever the mind says, it's like, would you, if a person actually said that to you or a friend said that to you, would you, would you really keep that person around highly doubtful? And so it's like being aware of like, when you're talking negatively about yourself, like, I don't think I can handle this. Like, the week is looking terrible. There's too many meetings. I can't handle it. Like even just like becoming aware of when we're limiting ourselves, like these self-limiting thoughts, whether it's about a situation. Like I can't handle it or we think like something is happening to us. Like, this keeps happening to me. I keep getting eight meetings on Friday afternoon. You know what I mean? Like, so trying to, trying to get, trying to become more aware of how we talk about ourselves. And then after you've like, after I started becoming aware of like, okay, well, this is how I'm talking to myself. Like trying to slowly shift that, like it's not, it doesn't happen overnight, but it's like, can I just at least compliment myself?
Kristiana Corona
Mm -hmm.
Eric Montag
once in a while, you know, like, or everything's going to be okay, right? Like, that's the other thing is the next thing would be projecting positivity or projecting things working out, like visualizing that actually the week's going to be just fine. And, and, and seeing myself at the end of the week, it's like seeing your future self where you are right now. I'm just being like, I made it through. It's fine. Like it wasn't that big of a deal. and generally speaking, when you do reflect, it's generally it's that's the case, you know, it's like, actually everything ended up pretty okay. Maybe the week was nuts here and there, or maybe there's something that I didn't expect popped up, but at the same time, it's all about sort of that mental frame of mind, that mental frame of reference.
Kristiana Corona
I love that, starting with that positive outlook on, you know, your, again, your ability to handle things. I love that. So just focusing that positive energy, visualizing it forward and saying, actually, I'm going to interpret this situation differently. Like, I'm just going to tell my brain. So how do you, I guess, how do you get yourself to believe yourself?
Eric Montag
Yeah, I know that's interesting too. It's all through experience. That's really the only way to do it. It's sort of just like checking in with yourself. It's like, when I think about like a performance anxiety, you know, and I'm maybe nervous about making a speech or talking in front of leaders or something like that. And you talked about this. Yeah, there's some, some really kind of quick tips that we can use to help get ourselves in a state where we're more present. But a lot of it is sort of like just reflecting and saying, well, when this happened, did catastrophe strike?
And generally speaking, because that's at least where my mind would go is it would sort of swirl into that cycle. If this happens, then this person's going to think this and then I'm going to say this and it's not going to make any sense. Sort of like it ends up in this like weird thought spiral. So the idea is to like acknowledge when those things happen and then to provide evidence, like as you see it's like, and write it down, like, actually I had a really good week this week. Here's what happened. I actually had it. I was fine. and even if it didn't turn, let's assume it doesn't turn out fine. Let's assume maybe something screwed up.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah.
Eric Montag
The other thing to notice is that no one else is perfect either. Like, yeah, I stutter sometimes when I talk or I say the wrong word or whatever, and then I get super, you know, hypersensitive about it. But if I could just like realize that 99% of everybody else does that too, and then acknowledge when that actually happens, then I can see that I am in an imperfect world. I am an imperfect being. These sort of expectations that I make for myself are kind of silly, you know, like, why am I doing this to myself? And so you start asking yourself, you get yourself in sort of that perpetual sort of self-reflection cycle. and that's sort of how you have to kind of convince yourself. You have to sort of like see that actually is okay. and then keep practicing too. Like that's the other thing too.
I've never found that things happen like, yes, step of a finger and everything's fine. You know, everything's happy, you know, no, it does seem to take time. Like you do have to sort of put in a certain level of effort, especially, you know, the introspection part is really important because I don't think we get taught how to do that really, like how to be introspective and reflect, you know.
Kristiana Corona
No, like even when people say, hey, we should all do journaling, we should all do mindfulness, like a lot of people are like, well, what should I write? Like, what do I even put down on the page? What's gonna be helpful later?
Eric Montag
Yeah, when I sit and meditate, I can't stop thinking. So please help me meditate, because I can't meditate. You know what I mean? Yeah.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah. So like for you, you mentioned a couple of things, but when you do that introspection, you do that reflection exercise, like what are some of the specific things that you write down or think about that are useful? Like that you can go back later and say, I can check in on that. That was what I expected or that wasn't what I expected.
Eric Montag
Yeah. Well, what I would do is I would write how I'm feeling before. Let's assume like I go to like, I've been getting ready for like a meeting and I would write down like, here's how I'm feeling. Very, very simple. It doesn't have to be like, I just have random scrap of paper just so that way at least I put it on paper. And that, that allows you to do is obviously you can start looking at those things neutrally. So like the idea is to like, how can I neutralize this thought in the moment? And so I would write those down.
Okay. I mean, this is going to be terrible. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then you actually look at it and you're like, okay, well, this is, I mean, kind of a silly thought, you know, maybe we'll judge it, you know, whatever. But then, and then, then I would also then write down, well, what happened afterward? And so then I was like, okay, well, actually everything went fine. There were some really good questions. There was some engagement. Maybe I messed up here or there, but that doesn't matter. It's actually, everything was fine. So I could compare how I was feeling prior to the event and how I was feeling after the event. And so.
And that's the thing too, like I don't even like, like I'll journal sometimes, but it's not like I have this like journal that's like thick. I just literally use a piece of paper and write stuff down. That just works for me. I mean, maybe for, for someone else, maybe not, that's fine.
Kristiana Corona
But it's nice because it's flexible. So it sounds like it's not a really rigid practice for you. Like, I always journal at seven o 'clock, you know, and it's four pages long. But you just take in the moment, the usefulness of that exercise and capture, here's how I'm feeling and put it down. So you can put, so literally you can put it down and not have it be in your brain.
Eric Montag
Right.
Eric Montag
Yeah, brilliant. Exactly. Correct. Yeah. I mean, there are some other things I would do to like the whole gratitude that gratitude exercises I think are important. I mean, because it's important to understand sort of like living from a sense of gratitude. Like when you live from a sense of gratitude, then you're start to look at every single moment as like for you, like actually this event where I'm public speaking is a way for me to learn. Like it's a way for me to talk about what my team is doing. It's a way for me to spread joy, I could spread some happiness. Maybe there's an opportunity there. Maybe there's no moment to be honest and people need to hear, this isn't going well. So I need to tell you. And so like looking at those things differently too, like that's the other thing. It's like, how can I like shift my mindset? You know, it's like this like, it's subtle, but it's also very like not subtle.
Kristiana Corona
Very powerful indeed. Yeah. And I know that you also have some specific scenario, ways that you handle scenarios where, you know, you're going into this, you know, high pressure or high intensity thing and your body just feels a certain way, right? Like maybe you can get your thoughts out on paper, but maybe your body is still very stimulated and you're not feeling calm and present and like in the right mindset. And you have some interesting ways or interesting tips of biohacking our nervous system. I hadn't heard all of these before. So I would love if you could maybe just share your five biohacking tips for also helping besides the mind calm down the body.
Eric Montag
Yeah. So, I mean, you're, it's such a good point to Kristiana like, yeah, there's the mind, but then the body does react. I mean, there is the manifestation of anxiety in the body and that's it's just as important to look at and think about and just being like aware of. Then it is, it's just as important as your thoughts. so yeah, you mentioned this, I have a video on my YouTube channel about like biohacking or your, your, yourself, especially when, and I do want to say to, obviously this is not medical advice. These are just very simple, like hacks that you could try.
It might work for you. Some might not. That's fine. but these are things that I would do before like a meeting and they generally would help. So if you are having a problem, like getting out of your own head, one thing I would do is I would take a cold pack and I would take a cold pack and put it across my, around my neck. And I just have one stored in the freezer. So if I was ever at a point where I was feeling so anxious that I needed to sort of like jolt myself, especially if you have a highly sensitive nervous, if you're someone who is like,
Like a has a turbo engine on your nervous system and there are a lot of people like that. They are like they rev up fast And that's a thing. So like take taking an ice pack and putting on your neck It's a good way to sort of jolt yourself out of that And get you know, and you'll start the apps in about one second. You'll think about cold the cold on your neck and then you well about yeah It's sort of it's sort of yeah, exactly.
Kristiana Corona
You're going to be like, what am I doing to myself? Yeah.
Eric Montag
It's like how to short circuit your nervous system. That's one way to do it another thing I would always do is eat citrus fruit because like aromatherapy. So there's like something about citrus fruit that it has a calming effect on some people for me, it's always been calming. So it always had a grapefruit before, like, it's not like I'm eating grapefruits all day long, but I would eat grapefruit a lot, at work.
Kristiana Corona
So good and it's delicious. Win -win.
Eric Montag
It is good. And it's delicious. Everyone should eat more fruit, you know, win/win. Exactly. Yeah. so that's another thing I would do.
Another thing is like breath work. So like breathing, like breathing deep. And then quickly expelling. So like seeing yourself as sort of expelling or releasing the anxiety. So breathe in and then breathing out very, very quickly is one way to do it too. And I know a lot of people practice breath work. And so there's a lot of different like things that you can do there.
Another thing that I like to do is they're called mudras or basically just like how you're like, watch how you're positioning your hands. So like, I mean, if you see like, if you watch like maybe CEOs or executives, a lot of times they keep their hands together when they're talking. And a lot of that is to facilitate presence, because there's something about putting your hands together, putting your fingers together that kind of keeps you present in the moment. Yeah.
Kristiana Corona
I'm trying it right now.
Eric Montag
So sometimes you see this, try it right now. Right. To see what happens. You may look silly. It's like, okay, you're the mastermind here, you know, with your hands together. But it's yeah, exactly. But it certainly does work. And it might help you just like being aware of sort of what you're doing with your body. Outside of the anxiety, like, okay, can I put my hands together and keep my hands together and see if that facilitates presence?
And the last thing I would do, this is just me, I'm kind of cheesy, but I like to listen to happy music. And this is music that is like at a major scale. So like specifically should be happy music, something that's upbeat, something that has, again, like good beats per minute, you know, nothing sad.
Kristiana Corona
What's a good level of beats per minute, for example? 120. Okay. So music in a 120 with an upbeat that is in a major scale. Okay. I'll use that as my Spotify search.
Eric Montag
I like a 120 is pretty good. 120 is, which I think is, I don't know where that butt lands. Right. Up a major scale. Yeah, there you go. Perfect. There you go. Exactly. Yes. See how that works. See what kind of songs we have. I'd be curious to see.
Kristiana Corona
I love it. I love it. That's awesome. And I know you have like a ton more tips and I would highly encourage people to go check out the YouTube channel just to see like you talk about this topic a lot. I think it's really important for people and being able to connect their mind and their body and really think about both of those things in a connected state.
I also wanted to talk about beyond that sort of moment momentary anxiety, there's deeper levels of anxiety that a lot of people feel and that doubt that really holds us back and limits the kind of risks that we're willing to take. And thinking about in your career, do you go for that more challenging role? Do you go for a job that is a level above what you've done before? Do you put your big idea out there? And what is it that's actually holding you back?
And like you mentioned, the Worthy to Lead podcast is really about helping us identify the things that are holding us back, that are keeping us stuck and unlocking our ability as leaders to show up with a sense of worthiness. So I'm curious kind of what your top strategies would be as leaders for ways that we can reduce that deeper level of anxiety or doubt so that we can start operating directly from that place of self-worth.
Eric Montag
Yeah. So the word I would use, and this can be taken maybe different ways, but like, is, is kind of surrendering to the moment. And what I mean by surrendering to the moment is there's two sides of this coin. There's like a, you're a, what you're attached to and then what you're resisting. And so like you think about like, I have this big idea, right? Like I actually had, I feel like this is like a really cool idea for product or whatever.
But there could be something that is getting in your way. So there's either an attachment to some sort of like distorted view that you have of yourself. So it's like, well, why am I not like, why am I not going forward on this? Am I attaching myself to sort of like, I'm not good enough? Am I resisting? There's also the other aspect of that is just resisting. So it's like the resistance of this is why like procrastination is a thing. You know, it's like, I want to be perfect. So I resist even trying because what if I fail? You know, it's like this, these what ifs.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah.
Eric Montag
And so the other thing is just realizing how futile some, sometimes, yeah, I get that we need to ask like, what if like if we're planning and stuff like that, there's good like strategy in that. But when it comes to us personally, understanding that like at every single second of the moment, you are making choices. You literally are making a choice every single second of the day. Like there's no way around it. Like you're always making a choice. And so that's where you could, that's where it's like understanding that, okay, well, there is a sense of empowerment that comes with that.
And if I'm a leader, I have the ability to say, I can look at myself and say, okay, am I attaching myself to some of these things that are distortions? Like am I a distorted view of myself? It's that imposter syndrome. Like, man, people are gonna find out, I don't know what I'm doing. Who is the imposter? Like you have to ask yourself, like who is actually creating the imposter, you know, in this situation? Like who is actually the one who's making the choice to create the imposter?
That's actually me. Okay. So here's, so I mean, and then you start pulling back the layers, you know what I mean? It's not like they pull back a layer, like, okay, well, that's me doing that. I'm not an imposter. Like everyone here has the same, and then also like seeing each other in some ways, you start to see each other as the same, like if I'm whole everyone else is. And so there's nothing to be afraid of. And so I can go after that idea or I can help this person or I can speak up, especially if I feel like something needs to be said.
Eric Montag
Because ultimately, if we're all coming from the same place of self -worthiness, you're just as worthy as I am. There's no hierarchy of worthiness. So then you start operating from that perspective. And then that's how you kind of exist within a state of like that. I mean, you think about a team that thrives, you know, like you have experience building teams that thrive. And I guarantee you, it has everything to do with your presence. And that's really it. And so it's like, how can you unlock that state of presence?
Kristiana Corona
Yeah.
Eric Montag
And then reduce this sort of attachment that we have to sort of these ideas that we're not good enough or resisting things within our experience that might actually be there for us to help us. You know, it's like, I don't want to do this speech. I don't want to do this presentation about an idea. Hold on. That might actually be a good thing for you. You know.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah. man. When you think about it that way, like what is for me, not just what is happening to me, but what is happening for me. I love that concept. You're really talking about kind of seeing things from a completely different perspective and detaching yourself in some regards from the way that you've always done it, which is really hard, right? Like you maybe have these thought patterns your whole life or you maybe grew up or were conditioned to think certain things about yourself. So it's like a lot of deep digging, right? Like a lot of excavating and kind of getting out of our own way with these beliefs that are really tightly held. So as you think about trying to do that more, like what are some of the tips that you have for people on just, you know, making progress in that area? I'm sure it can feel really hard because the first few times you're like, whatever, I don't believe it. Like, am I really capable? I don't know.
Eric Montag
Mm -hmm. Yeah. Mm -hmm. Yeah, right.
Kristiana Corona
And then, you know, like, okay, here I am. We're on this podcast. We're doing video, right? Like, how do I know that I'm capable to do this? I don't know, you know, but we're taking a risk and we're trying something new. And I'm just curious about your perspective on like what really has worked for you or what advice do you give others around like the practice or developing that habit? And then when do you start to really see that progress emerge?
Eric Montag
Yeah. one thing that I like to do, especially as it relates to sort of like self-limiting beliefs is to like, and this is, again, if this works for people, great. If it doesn't, like the whole point is for me, it's just like, okay, well, how do you practically apply some of this stuff? Like one thing you could do is like literally pick one thing, like, and it could be any sort of label that you have on yourself. It doesn't even have to be work related. The label I would put on myself would be like,
I'm a dog dad, right? Like I'm a dog dad. I have two dogs. but then I have to ask myself, am I, is that really who I am? You know what I mean? Like, is that, is that just something I do? And I have, and I love my dogs. Of course. It's not to say that there's, there's nothing, I'm not sawell i'm not that badying that's wrong. You think of yourself as a dog dad, but then like questioning these sort of things, like I've labeled myself as this, or I've labeled myself as I'm only good at, data.
I'm not good at thinking things, you know, thinking about things outside of data or I'm not good with data. Numbers scare me. So it's like, so can you just take one thing literally and take, and that's it. Just focus on that and just like, give yourself an opportunity to say, I'm actually, I'm fine with numbers or I'm going to give myself an opportunity to learn how to become comfortable with data. and so part of that is just like cracking yourself open. It's like, if you can crack yourself open just a little bit.
And like, it's like letting a light shine through, you know, it's, you've got to let the light shine out and that inevitably, and then, and then it's sort of just a process that you have to hold yourself accountable to. Like a lot of this is about self accountability. So, and learning how to be accountable to yourself and to be accountable for how you react and respond to the moment. So when, when you're doing these things where it's like, yeah, I'm not good at data. Okay, hold on. Now I'm going to actually just focus on learning a little bit about data and I'm going to prove to myself that I'm fine with it. It might take a couple of weeks.
And then like, and then it's those tiny little success moments. Like this is something that a previous mentor and a boss of mine, she taught, taught me it was about like just defining small little success moments are okay. Because that gives you sort of like a little bit of grip, you know, it's like you want to grip cause that's what your saying, like you're like, well, how do I actually make progress? but sometimes it's just those little tiny, small little things.
And then it is, it is a lot of it is sort of your network too, like this. Asking for feedback or hey, how am I showing up? Am I doing a good job? Like literally and genuinely wanting to grow. And that in and of itself too can give you an opportunity to sort of look at yourself in a neutral light as well. So someone's like, I feel like I did a really bad job here. Well, this person's telling you like, that is completely false. I saw you speak in front of this crowd and you were awesome. Stop thinking about that. And then I could be like, I'm going to think that. Like give yourself an opportunity to integrate what some of the other people are saying about you too.
Kristiana Corona
And it is fascinating, right? Like when you look at yourself through someone else's eyes, what they see. And so many times what they're seeing is not all those self-critical things that we're saying to ourselves. Like, I just totally messed that up. That was terrible. I did such a horrible job. And they're like, you misspoke on one word. You know, who cares? Yeah. Yeah.
Eric Montag
Right. Whoop-de-ding. Yeah, big deal. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, big deal.
Kristiana Corona
I love that idea of just the continuous practice though. And I remember I was having this conversation recently with a colleague about like who is saying I'm not good at finance and getting over that hurdle of saying I'm not good at finance took, you know, reading a lot of books and listening to a lot of podcasts and then trying a budget and then, you know, like talking to a financial advisor and figuring out if they agree with the financial advisor. And then, you know, working through that pathway of steps.
It really starts to change that fundamental belief over time. Like you may not believe it at the beginning, but then after you've read X number of books and then you've practiced and you've talked to experts and then you've tried it and then you've learned from it, you know, like at what point, you know, you just, you get to that point where you can start saying, okay, well, I'm not that bad, you know, and maybe you're 10% better, maybe you're 20% better, but you're not that bad. And then you can take not bad to like, I'm a little bit better than that, you know.
Eric Montag
Yeah, that's perfect too. That's exactly perfect. I remember like I was so hard on myself. I don't know if you can relate Kristiana. Like even when I was like younger in college, like if I didn't get something right away, I was so angry with myself. I remember going skiing once with my friends for the first time. And then I wanted to go down and I went down a black diamond my first time skiing. And of course I was like, I was like literally on my butt the whole time, like scooting down. I was like this, I don't know what I was thinking.
But then of course I was upset with myself. I was like, what am I thinking? This isn't, you know, this doesn't work. I'm no good at skiing. It's not in my genes. you know, something silly like that. But it's like, it's not like that. Like things don't work like that. They take time. And so you just have to understand and like reflect and like think about those things and not get so caught up in sort of like all of these things that are out in front of you. It's like, okay, well here I am in the moment. I'm just a little bit better. This is totally different from where I was before. And by the way, I'm totally toppling this limiting belief that I have about myself. I'm proving myself wrong. So what else am I wrong about?
Kristiana Corona
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, exactly. You know what's so funny about your example is I literally had the exact same example in sixth grade. I went down a black diamond hill, didn't know what I was doing, and I ended up like hitting a tree and my ski went down the hill. And so then it takes a while for you to come back for that and say, OK, I'm going to try again. And this time I'm just going to focus on standing up. I'm just going to go on the bunny hill and I'm going to stand up.
Eric Montag
Yeah, right. I'm just going to do, yeah. Pizza. Yeah, exactly. Pizza slice or whatever it's called. Like going down the hill at the bunny hill. Exactly. I'm going to stay on the bunny hill this time. Yeah. It's so funny.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah. And then eventually you're like, I can, I can do this. I can at least stand up on skis. Like that's a win.
Eric Montag
Right. It's like, come on. Yeah. So we're hard on ourselves. That's the other thing too. It's like just recognizing when we're so hard on ourselves and it's okay to be gentle with yourself too. Like we have all these things where it's just like, I want to, you know, even, even when talking about this stuff too, it's like learning how to be gentle with yourself is also another thing. Like that is sometimes hard to do. So, but if we can just be gentle and be okay with this, like slow progress, and then we naturally extend that, that, you know, generosity and that gracefulness, the grace to other people too.
Because I don't think we would ever be as hard on other people as we are. It's so weird, like we're so hard on ourselves, but it's like, we would never be hard on somebody who didn't get skiing the first time they went skiing. I mean, come on. I mean, that's just, it's funny.
Kristiana Corona
Absolutely. Absolutely. I know the expectations that we have for ourselves sometimes are just outrageous. So when you talk about being gentle with yourself, what does that mean to you?
Eric Montag
Yeah, I mean a lot of it is like around sort of like negative, just like negative thought patterns and like understanding when those kind of crop up. And that's one aspect. But I think another aspect is a little bit about what you said earlier on in our conversation is about like slowing down a little bit. Because we're in, so like being graceful with yourself and gentle with yourself is just about like letting yourself...
It's not like a flower just like immediately sprouts up and then all of a sudden there's its petals towards the sun. Like there's a process where it's just like gently sort of like growing and then eventually in the springtime you see the petals. Like this is all we are. We're just like kind of growing gracefully. And a lot of that is just like seeing that things are, they take time and giving yourself that opportunity to take a little bit of break. Take five seconds before you respond to something. That's being gentle with yourself.
Cause you don't have to react in the moment all the time. You can actually respond. And so when you get to that point that you're responding, that's how you start building out confidence. And you see how some of these things start to like layer on top of each other. And then also the other thing about being graceful is that, you know, I'm doing this because everything works in waves. You know, it's like two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward, one step back.
You're not going to have 20 steps in it. Maybe you will. Maybe you're lucky and you get 20 steps forward and no steps back, but it's like not looking at the step back as being you're off the, I'm off the track. That's like literally part of the track is the one step back. So like, like seeing that, like for what it is, you know, it's like, that's literally how it works. Get it. Let's just, let's go with it.
Cause then you learn from that one step and you integrate and then you keep moving. You know what I mean? Like, that's how you sort of like get over this, like, also like just thinking that you're a failure. It's like, once one thing happened, that's wrong. I failed. Impossible. Impossible.
Kristiana Corona
That is beautiful. Just like setting the expectation for yourself that the path isn't going to go only forward. There's backward movement that's normal, that is expected. Everyone goes through it, like just normalizing the regression where you're not always pushing ahead or to the next level or to the next height, but that there's some...
Eric Montag
Yeah, yeah, just
Kristiana Corona
you know, circuitous paths in there. And there's times where you're going to feel like you're moving backwards. And I, I, I really think you're right about like, we don't, we don't allow ourselves that grace. Like we don't expect that. And then we, we just doubt ourselves when it happens, instead of saying like, no, this is actually how the path is. That's exactly what the path is.
Eric Montag
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's so funny. Like the word doubt, I was thinking about that earlier today too, because it's like just the things that can get in our way, especially in leadership, like doubt, fear, regrets, you know, like thinking about the past a lot, like those sorts of feelings that kind of crop up and the gracefulness is just not being harder on ourselves when we feel those things. It's just recognizing, like it's learning to recognize those feelings when they pop up. Like that's sort of like the whole kind of like learning process. It's like, okay, I'm feeling a little bit doubtful. Why am I feeling doubtful? Okay, let me take a look at this, you know.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah, or I'm sitting in regret. I keep coming back to regret about this thing. Like, what does that mean? Or how is that useful for me now? Like, is it serving me? Is it for me? Let's move forward.
Eric Montag
Right. Totally. Yeah. Is it serving? Yeah, that's exactly it. That's a, that's a great way of thinking about it. Like, is it serving me or does it not? That's totally it. Yep.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah. Well, Eric, this has been so amazing. I feel like I could just talk to you all day about this topic. So maybe we'll have to do a regroup sometime in the future. This is awesome. But I want to talk just a moment about your YouTube channel because I think a lot of the things that we talked about today plus so much more goodness and positivity and very, very helpful advice is out there. Can you tell us a little bit more about your YouTube channel and maybe any of the other things that you offer around this topic that might be interesting to my listeners?
Eric Montag
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, sounds good. So yeah, I've started a YouTube channel around two and a half months ago and have built up a decent amount of videos thus far, but the videos are all about like kind of about these types of topics. So it's sort of reflecting on self-worth. And so it's like this idea that you're always worthy and so how to recognize that. So that's one aspect. Practical application.
It's one thing to say that you have self-worth, but how do I actually feel it? And how do I sort of like nurture that feeling of self-worth? Anxiety, like thinking about like, am I thinking too much about the future? I also like to talk about stuff like science and consciousness and like, okay, well, awareness, like, what does it mean to be in presence? Like, what does it actually feel like? So in some ways it runs a little bit of a gamut, but if you're interested in like, I just want to live a happier life. Like, how do I actually do that? Or I want to be a better leader. Or I want to...
Maybe I'm stuck. I feel like I'm stuck in life. So those are, that's the types of videos that I'm making just about like awareness about like forgiveness, forgiving yourself, you know, like realizing that you're not your past or always hold on the moment. and then like you're saying too, yeah, the, the services that I'm offering and, getting into life coaching. So if like, if you're a person who is thinking about life or maybe you want a different direction in life or like wondering what's going on. Cause I think sometimes we'd look outside of ourselves and we see a chaotic world, for sure. Like that's, you know, it depends on the day, I'm not putting it lightly.
And I think we need each other and we need to figure out like, how do we bring the light back into the world? How do we work together? Cause I think a lot of this stuff is going to be from the ground up. I think we're going to have to ground up, figure out how to help heal some of these traumas that we have collectively, or figure out how to like just have more abundant, peaceful lives. So if you're interested, if anyone out there that's listening is interested, that's the service that I offer is life coaching.
Kristiana Corona
Perfect, and I can just imagine the benefit of having someone as positive as yourself kind of come alongside, add some accountability, help you really lift your thoughts and think about yourself in a different way. And so I just love that. I love that you're extending it into something that people can actually reach out to you and have that one-on-one connection if they want.
Eric Montag
Yeah, yeah, it's a good point. Yeah, mindset. It's all about the mindset. Yeah.
Kristiana Corona
Yeah. So what's the name of your YouTube channel?
Eric Montag
Sure, it's my first and last name, Eric Montag, at Eric Montag on YouTube.
Kristiana Corona
Perfect, and that's M-O -N -T -A -G. Yes, yes, awesome.
Eric Montag
You got it, M-O-N -T -A -G, yes, that's right.
Kristiana Corona
Well, this has been a fantastic conversation. Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate you. Thanks for coming on.
Eric Montag
I appreciate you too, Kristiana.
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Kristiana Corona
So I think it is so awesome interviewing people like Eric. He just has this natural energy that comes out and as you're having a conversation, like you sincerely feel the things that he talks about that he truly believes them. And I just love how, you know, he started as an anxious person. Like he's always dealt with these feelings of worthiness, trying to figure out how to find his place as a product leader and yet...
You know, a lot of that work has really led him to become the person that he is today. In many ways, a very confident leader, self-assured leader, one that is able to help calm others, that is able to help bring them to a place that is more positive and open to creative ideas. And I can tell you from personal experience working with Eric, he just has a fantastic way of relating to people. And so the tips that he shared today, they actually work.
They're really, really effective. And I wish that a lot more people could take that technique and just apply it to themselves during their leadership journey. So we talked about the idea behind figuring out your week and how to set your week up for success. So no more Sunday scaries.
We talked about bio-hacking and how you start connecting some of those more positive thoughts with also things that can disrupt the nervous system jitters that you might be having, helping you feel more comfortable, helping you center your body in the same way that you are centering your mind. And then finally, we really dug into what are those things that are holding us back on a deeper level and being able to offer yourself more grace and forgive yourself and allow yourself to make mistakes and know that that's part of the process.
And I just love that flow of the conversation because I think as with all of us, as we're learning something new, we're always judging ourselves. We're really putting a lot of pressure on ourselves to get it perfect, to get it right the very first time, which is not how it works. And so, you know, transparently I'm doing my first video podcast. And so this is me putting myself out there and trying something new and I don't expect it to be perfect. It won't be perfect the first time. And that's okay.
I think Eric brings a fantastic mindset to this and if you are interested definitely go check out his YouTube channel. So again, that is Eric Montag on YouTube for some really positive and uplifting videos and some more useful hacks and tips that you can use to help bring more joy back to your leadership.
And also if you need any life coaching, Eric, I think would be an amazing accountability partner there. So for this episode and for the show notes and everything that you need, go to worthytoleadpodcast.com/6. So worthytoleadpodcast.com/6. All right, with that, I'm going to say goodbye from the cabin.
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If you're enjoying this podcast, don't forget to subscribe so that you can get all the new episodes as I release them. You can go to worthytoleadpodcast.com/subscribe. And I would really appreciate it if you would share this with your friends and the other leaders in your life who need to hear this. And with that, I wish you a wonderful day and best wishes on your journey to being the worthy leaders that I know you are. Bye for now.
