In this episode, the Dr. Anna Marie with Jodi Wellman, founder of 4000 Mondays, about using the reality of our mortality as a powerful motivator to actually live. Drawing from her personal story of losing her mother, her work in positive psychology, and the concept of "memento mori," Jodi explains how acknowledging death can wake us up from autopilot, help us savor ordinary moments, and push us to avoid "pre-grets"—the regrets we're on track to have if we don't course-correct now. They explore savoring past, present, and future, living both wider (more fun, vitality) and deeper (more meaning, purpose), and taking small but bold actions to get off the sidelines of our own lives.

Key Points

• Using the Grim Reaper / memento mori as motivation to truly live
• Waking up from autopilot and choosing a "squander‑free" life
• Jodi's mom's unfulfilled dreams as a powerful wake‑up call
• Leaving a comfortable corporate job for more meaningful work
• Creating 4000 Mondays and using "mortality math" to spark urgency
• Savoring past, present, and future moments to feel more alive
• Balancing life wider (fun, vitality) and deeper (meaning, purpose)
• Noticing that disappointment and fear keep us from big dreams
• Understanding regrets of omission (what we never try) hurt the most
• Taking one small, concrete action now as a vote for being fully alive

Connect with Jodi Wellman:

Jodi Wellman is a leading authority on living lives worth living. As a TEDx speaker, researcher, and author, she helps people live squander-free lives while they're lucky enough to still be above ground—starting with the "big end" in mind. She named her business Four Thousand Mondays to shine a light on the finite number of weeks we have to truly live with intention.

She holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she serves as an Assistant Instructor in the master's program and a trainer in the world-renowned Penn Resilience Program. Through her research, she developed a model that teaches the interplay between living wider (with vitality) and deeper (with meaning), empowering people to experience life more fully.

A certified coach with 25 years of corporate leadership experience, she has coached hundreds of companies, teams, leaders, and individuals over thousands of hours to "carpe diem" at a highly advanced level. She regularly speaks on this topic, including her TEDx talk with over 1.3 million views, How Death Can Bring You Back to Life, and her book, You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets.

Connect with Jodi:

Email: jodi@fourthousandmondays.com

Website: https://fourthousandmondays.com/

Connect with Anna:

Email: annamarie@happywholeyou.com / info@HappyWholeYou.com

Website: www.happywholeyou.com / https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou

Personal Website: www.DrAnnaMarie.com

Instagram: @happywholeyou

Personal Instagram: @Dr.Anna.Marie

Facebook: Happy Whole You

LinkedIn: Anna Marie Frank

Venmo: @happywholeyou

In this conversation, Dr. Anna Marie, with Cortney, unpacks and reframes what vulnerability truly is—shifting it from oversharing, venting, or seeking validation to a deeper state of relaxation, safety, and authenticity in ourselves and with others. They explore how this redefinition transforms leadership, client work, and relationships, emphasizing that real vulnerability begins with being honest and gentle with ourselves. The discussion also offers practical ways to notice tension in the body, create inner safety, and use pause and non-reaction as powerful leadership tools.

Key Points:

• Vulnerability is deep relaxation and safety in the presence of others.
• It is not gossip, oversharing, or "airing dirty laundry."
• Many confuse vulnerability with venting and victimhood to get validation.
• True vulnerability means sharing without needing validation or agreement.
• In leadership, vulnerability is a calm, grounded presence in any context.
• People are drawn to leaders who feel safe, relaxed, and steady.
• Real vulnerability starts with being honest and gentle with yourself first.
• Your body's tension or relaxation is a key signal of safety or misalignment.
• You don't have to respond immediately—there is power in pause and silence.
• "Don't give it oxygen": choosing not to fuel drama or reactivity is a core vulnerable leadership move.

About Cortney McDermott:

Cortney McDermott is an award-winning author and speaker and celebrity coach. Her work in self-development and business strategy has been featured in Inc., Women's Health, NBC, The Huffington Post, MindBodyGreen, and SUCCESS, and her talks on human potential have been shared on stages including TEDx, Mindvalley, Oxford Saïd Business School, and Richard Branson's private island, Necker.

With a Master of Science from the London School of Economics, Cortney blends academic rigor with real-world experience to help individuals and organizations reach their highest potential. Her career highlights include executive roles at Vanity Fair Corporation, Vice President at Sustainability Partners Inc., and successfully running her own businesses, where she has worked with brands such as Universal Music Group, Nike, Kickstarter, and Google.

Fluent in four languages, Cortney splits her time between Italy and the US.

Connect with Cortney:

Cort's Website

Cort's LinkedIn

Cort's Instagram

Connect with Anna:

Email: annamarie@happywholeyou.com / info@HappyWholeYou.com

Website: www.happywholeyou.com / https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou

Personal Website: www.DrAnnaMarie.com

Instagram: @happywholeyou

Personal Instagram: @Dr.Anna.Marie

Facebook: Happy Whole You

LinkedIn: Anna Marie Frank

Venmo: @happywholeyou

If you are tired of treating symptoms without real answers, this conversation challenges how you see modern medicine. You are invited to look beyond prescriptions and quick fixes and start asking why your body is reacting in the first place. Stress, lifestyle, and inflammation often sit at the center of gut issues like IBS, reflux, and chronic discomfort.

You will hear why fiber, sleep, movement, and community matter more than most people realize. Rising gut disorders and colon cancer in younger adults make prevention and early awareness critical. Instead of labeling yourself by a diagnosis, you are encouraged to see symptoms as signals your body is asking for support.

The focus turns to balance. You do not have to reject traditional care, but you can pair it with meditation, exercise, and simple nutrition habits that support long term digestive health. When you shift from fear to understanding, healing becomes more practical and personal.

In this Episode, You'll Learn:

• Differences in Healthcare and Root Causes
• Connection Between Stress and Gut Issues
• Balancing Medical and Non-Medical Treatments
• Probiotics and Overall Health
• Increasing Gut Issues and Cancer in Younger Individuals
• Colon Cancer and Symptoms
• Breaking Bad News to Patients
• Approaching Health with a Different Perspective
• Personal Health Practices
• Simplifying Healthy Eating

About Dr. Sameer Islam:

Dr. Sameer Islam is a West Texas native, growing up in Odessa, TX. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas in Austin, graduating with honors. Dr. Islam completed both his medical degree (MD) and master's of Business association (MBA) at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Texas Tech Rawls School of Business, respectively. After completing his internal medicine training at Texas Tech University, he completed his fellowship in Gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. For his entire career, he's balanced a love of working with patients and an obsession with cutting-edge scientific developments that are changing the way we see digestive health, and medicine as a whole.

As a functional gastroenterologist, he can provide patients with more treatment options than those offered by traditional Western Medicine.

Connect with Anna:

Email: annamarie@happywholeyou.com / info@HappyWholeYou.com

Website: www.happywholeyou.com / https://linktr.ee/happywholeyou

Personal Website: www.DrAnnaMarie.com

Instagram: @happywholeyou

Personal Instagram: @Dr.Anna.Marie

Facebook: Happy Whole You

LinkedIn: Anna Marie Frank

Venmo: @happywholeyou