Latest / Daily Influence / 656. From Science to Hope: How Brain Health, Choice, and Lifelong Learning Shape Our Influence

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656. From Science to Hope: How Brain Health, Choice, and Lifelong Learning Shape Our Influence · Daily Influence

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Daily Influence, your daily dose of positive influence.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Brian Smith founder of IA Business Advisors and co-author of the Iain team series.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Each day we share stories and insights to help you find be and build your influence in a positive and responsible way.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm Greg Clino, partner at IE Business Advisors, and co-host of Daily Influence.
• 0:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Be sure to follow, subscribe, and share Daily Influence with someone who could use a little extra positivity today.
• 0:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: And make us part of your Daily routine, whether it's during your commute, on a walk, or an quiet moment just for you, because you're influenced matters.
• 0:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to Daily Influence.
• 0:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm your host, Greg Julino.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Today, I'm excited to welcome someone who is devoted more than two decades to improving cognitive and mental health across the country.
• 0:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Erica Lett is the CEO of a mine for all seasons, a nationally recognized speaker and consultant and a widely respected expert in brain health and dementia care.
• 1:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Eric is delivered Keynote Talks in 39 states, teaches at the College of Western Idaho, and is taught at Boise State University.
• 1:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's also the creator of the caregiver minute, a daily email and video series with more than 1300 episodes offering inspiration, education, and support to caregivers and lifelong learners.
• 1:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: His weekly newsletter, the Mindful Brain,
• 1:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: brings research tools and hope to thousands.
• 1:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Eric's approach blends science, compassion, leadership, and lifelong learning, all with the goal of helping people optimize cognitive health and live with greater clarity and purpose.
• 1:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Eric, welcome to Daily Influence.
• 1:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks, Greg, great to be here.
• 2:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Eric, let's begin with your personal professional journey.
• 2:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can you start by sharing a bit about your background and what led you to where you are today from teaching and music to brain help, caregiving education and founding of nine for all seasons?
• 2:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: Sure, that's quite a story.
• 2:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'll try to be succinct here, but I sort of stumbled into a career in assisted living and ran assisted living in memory care communities for 16 years and toward the end of that,
• 2:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: I was getting asked to get on stages and train professionals how to do the kinds of things that I had figured out and I really enjoyed doing that so I took a flying leap in 2016 and started a mind for all seasons intending to be a solo per newer supporting family and professional caregivers around the country.
• 2:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: and within a year I met my business partner who became our chief medical officer.
• 2:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: He had done a lot of advanced training in neurodegenerative disease and how to treat it and how to help people with traumatic brain injuries and mental health challenges.
• 3:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: And
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  [SPEAKER_02]: He put me through a very intentional sort of crash course in the equivalent of med school in a lot of ways so that I could read labs and understand the science of it.
• 3:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: And together we built a process called the enhanced protocol that helps people with brain health problems improved those symptoms by dealing with root causes of of what's driving all of that.
• 3:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm so grateful for the things that I've learned along the way and for the lives that have changed.
• 3:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, congratulations on your upcoming 10-year anniversary.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's such an accomplishment.
• 3:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I love that you get to root cause.
• 3:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's so important to figure out what the root cause is versus just by putting band aids on a situation.
• 3:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I agree.
• 3:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: and your path reflects a deep commitment to service and learning.
• 3:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: And in the Iron Team series, we talk about the influence of identity, choice, and responsibility.
• 3:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: What experiences or values help shape the way you show up as a leader, educator, and advocate for cognitive health?
• 4:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's always interesting to look back on 50 years of life and say, hey, what shaped all of that.
• 4:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: But I think one of the most important things for me was that from the time I was a child,
• 4:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: um, it was just sort of baked into me that I love to go to a class, whether it was school or or some other opportunity, cup scouts or whatever.
• 4:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: I would go learn something and I was highly motivated to come share it with someone else.
• 4:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: And usually it was my mom.
• 4:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: Usually I was running home from school and I'd first in the door and say, Mom, guess what?
• 4:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: And to her eternal credit, she would sit there and just listen patiently and let me
• 4:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: retouch the things that I had learned.
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: And through that process, I think I intuitively came to understand that when I learned something and then I share it with others, two things happen.
• 4:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: Number one, I solidify what I just learned.
• 4:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so I'm much more likely to hang on to it.
• 5:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: And number two, and probably more importantly, it brings me joy.
• 5:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it really doesn't matter to me what I'm teaching.
• 5:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: I've been teaching a music history class for 25 years.
• 5:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I do it because I have a background in music and I enjoy it.
• 5:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: But it's just because it brings me joy and brings other people joy.
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: So whether I'm teaching brain science or I'm teaching dementia care techniques or I'm teaching music, it doesn't matter sharing with other people makes me happy and I want to live a life filled with joy.
• 5:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: on your work touches people deeply, often at vulnerable moments.
• 5:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: You've created more than 1,300 caregiver-minute videos and consultant with thousands of families.
• 5:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can you tell us about a moment when you felt you made a meaningful, positive impact on someone's life?
• 5:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: A moment that reminded you why this work matters?
• 5:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so many moments, so many people.
• 5:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think of a client who
• 5:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease and his late 50s.
• 6:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it was devastating.
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  [SPEAKER_02]: He lost his job.
• 6:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: He went to neurologist to give him the diagnosis.
• 6:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that wasn't enough so he went kind of second opinion.
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  [SPEAKER_02]: And ultimately got a third opinion from a third neurologist.
• 6:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: And with that third doctor, he said, what am I supposed to do with this?
• 6:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: And the doctor said, well, I suggest you get yourself a really good attorney because in the next few years, your wife is going to need to take over things.
• 6:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: You might not know who she is.
• 6:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that was crushing to him and he was angry and a family member referred him to a mind for all seasons.
• 6:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: We did a baseline cognitive test and without going through a whole bunch of different scores, I'll do zero in on his memory scores.
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: His overall memory score was in the eighth percentile.
• 6:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: Instead of just sitting back and saying, well, I'm sorry, there's nothing that we could do.
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  [SPEAKER_02]: We did a broad panel of labs.
• 6:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: We looked at nutrients and hormones and genetics and inflammatory markers and metabolic parameters.
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  [SPEAKER_02]: And my business partner wrote a very extensive, personalized precise treatment summary that said, here are the things that are affecting your brain right now that are modifiable.
• 7:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: And here's exactly what we recommend that you do about these things.
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  [SPEAKER_02]: He implemented that and within four and a half months, he scored in a 92nd percentile in his memory test.
• 7:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: And his goal with his wife was to go on a mission trip for their church.
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: He was a few years older than she was.
• 7:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: She was teaching school and the plan was he would retire first.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: She'd retire a few years later and they'd go on this mission trip.
• 7:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, she accelerated her plans a little bit.
• 7:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: She retired a bit early, but because he was so much more functional than he had been, they were able to go on their mission trip.
• 7:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: And the fact that he's already gone and come back home and he's still stable all these years later,
• 7:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: is so gratifying and reflective of many different cases that I've seen that just make me so happy.
• 8:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm grateful that I get to do that with people.
• 8:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: What a beautiful story Eric.
• 8:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for sharing it.
• 8:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: If one of our listeners is hearing this story and is thinking they have a loved one or themselves maybe in this situation, what do you recommend that they do?
• 8:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's a great question.
• 8:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: There's there's two big things that I would say, two broad categories that we help people pay attention to.
• 8:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: One is lifestyle factors and the other biomarkers things that are measurable in a blood test, but they're generally not checked in primary care.
• 8:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: Things like we check for this guy, nutrients, hormones, inflammatory markers, et cetera.
• 8:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: So number one is get your blood work done with someone that knows really how to look at that and how to make some recommendations.
• 8:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: But as far as lifestyle factors, physical activity improves brain health.
• 8:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: eating a diet filled with real food and not stuff made by a chemist.
• 8:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: I joke with people if your food is made by a chemist instead of a cook, it probably doesn't belong in your body.
• 9:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: So eat real food and whatever you do, you've got to control sugars because elevated blood sugar will destroy you.
• 9:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: and make sure that you have really good dental health because that affects your brain health and dramatic ways and we really don't have time to get into the nuances, but that's often overlooked for people.
• 9:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: Make sure that you're optimizing sleep because that's when the brain takes the garbage out, all the stuff that forms the plaques and the Alzheimer's brain, that's flushed out at night, and if you're not getting good sleep, you're in trouble.
• 9:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: Make sure that you're proactively counterbalancing stress because elevated stress chronically will also affect your brain in pretty dramatic ways and then make sure that you're having new cognitive experiences regularly.
• 9:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: whether it's traveling and refusing to use your GPS and trying to form new mental maps or brushing your teeth or eating with your non-dominant hand or learning a new language, things that stimulate your brain to be better will make a difference.
• 10:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: And if you're paying attention to those lifestyle factors and your understanding things that are measurable in a blood test, you can make a dramatic difference in how you feel today and the trajectory that you're on for tomorrow.
• 10:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: that's amazing.
• 10:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: And now your practice doing the biomarker testing.
• 10:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Do you see people outside of Idaho?
• 10:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: The majority of our clients don't live in Idaho.
• 10:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: We work with people all over the United States and we're working to expand to other countries right now.
• 10:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's amazing.
• 10:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we'll get all your information and put it in the show notes for our listeners.
• 10:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, a mine for all seasons
• 10:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: emphasizes lifelong learning in proactive brain health.
• 10:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: How do you help people take ownership of the habits, the mindsets, the daily choices, and the long-term brain health, especially when they feel overwhelmed or unsure where to begin?
• 10:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's a great question because as humans were pretty complex.
• 10:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think overall, I'd summarize what I've found that works as you have to treat every single situation as a unique one.
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  [SPEAKER_02]: There's no one-size-fits-all approach.
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  [SPEAKER_02]: And when we understand people and what's driving them and we give them tools to make better decisions, I think it makes a difference.
• 11:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: And often that involves some counterintuitive kinds of strategies.
• 11:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: For example, when it comes to,
• 11:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: not eating something.
• 11:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: Some of the worst advice that people get is, well, just make the decision, you can't eat that, you're not going to eat that.
• 11:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so people try to whitenuckle their way through things.
• 11:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: Darren Hardy once said will will power fails 100% of the time over time.
• 11:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think that's probably true.
• 11:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: So instead of saying, Oh, no, I can't eat that.
• 11:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: I shouldn't eat that.
• 11:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: I won't eat that which just puts you in a constant struggle and it's driven by emotion.
• 11:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: If we can shift things over and use the thinking part of our brain instead of the feeling part of our brain.
• 12:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: It works a little bit better.
• 12:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: So often people that look at something that might not serve their goals and their interest dietarily, if they look at it and say, well, I could eat that.
• 12:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's different and saying, no, you can't, you can't.
• 12:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: But as soon as you say, yes, I could, well, it makes it a choice.
• 12:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then your thinking brain takes over and starts saying, is that what I want?
• 12:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: I understand the consequences of that.
• 12:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: What have I hired this food to do for me?
• 12:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's fuel, ultimately, how am I trying to run the engine?
• 12:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: And those little tweaks that shift the conversation internally often make the difference for people.
• 12:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's really helpful.
• 12:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: And your work spans leadership science and human connection and you're known for blending fields, like neuroscience and leadership caregiving music and education.
• 12:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: How do you stay aligned and intentional in the way you influence diverse audiences and what does responsible influence look like in your world?
• 12:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think responsible influence really is about helping people make choices.
• 13:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think a lot of individuals ask the question, well, how do I get this person to do what they need to do?
• 13:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I don't think that's nearly as good a question as saying, how could I create the conditions where this person is more likely to choose to do?
• 13:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: What would be helpful?
• 13:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think most of us interact with others on the basis of what we think is deserved or justified.
• 13:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it's an entirely different thing to interact on the basis of what would be helpful in the situation.
• 13:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I think that's some framing that helps regardless of the context that we're in.
• 13:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: People hate to be told what to do.
• 13:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: They want to choose.
• 13:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: And when we educate people,
• 13:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: and then we allow them to choose, often they govern themselves quite well, but people need to learn and they need to see things.
• 13:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And for our listeners who want to make a difference in their own way, what message or words have encouraged me?
• 13:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Would you share with those who aspire to have a positive influence in the world, especially those who make feel small and seen, or I'm sure where they fit?
• 14:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think Greg that sometimes people try to make influence
• 14:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: The most impactful experiences that I've had in my life, personally, that have really affected me are actually pretty quiet ones.
• 14:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're not blasted all over social media.
• 14:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're not the glitzy things.
• 14:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're things where someone genuinely saw me and wanted to be there and helped me.
• 14:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I would say that if your listeners can,
• 14:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: except the idea of never underestimating the importance of taking the next right step.
• 14:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: But that's a good place to start.
• 14:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: If you ask yourself in every moment, what's the next right step here?
• 14:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: For yourself and for the relationships that you're in and the interactions that you're having, I think that always moves things in the right direction.
• 15:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's great advice, Eric.
• 15:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for sharing your insight, your work, and your passion for improving lives through brain health, education, and responsible leadership.
• 15:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: your dedication to life-long learning and your ability to turn science into hope is a powerful reminder that influenced us and just come from what we know it comes from how we use it to serve others.
• 15:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: If our listeners want to get in touch with you and learn more about a mind for all seasons, what is the best way to do so?
• 15:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: I would just direct people to our website,
• 15:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: And there's links to some of the things that you've mentioned, whether it's the caregiver minute or the mindful brain newsletter or other services.
• 15:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm on all the major social media platforms as well.
• 15:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: So feel free to reach out.
• 15:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Great Eric.
• 15:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for joining us and sharing your story and advice.
• 15:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm so grateful to have you on daily influence.
• 16:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks for the privilege of being here.
• 16:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: I've enjoyed it.
• 16:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to Daily Influence.
• 16:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hope today's conversation brought you insight and inspiration.
• 16:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: If it's spoke to you, share it with someone who could use a little positivity today.
• 16:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Remember, small actions create big impact.
• 16:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Keep showing up, leading, and growing one day to time.
• 16:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Until next time, stay inspired and keep having a positive response to the influence.
• 16:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bye-bye.