Change your mindset, change your life

Ange Dove (00:01)
Okay, welcome to The Boss Podcast Show. Today I have a very special guest with me — Eric Woodard. Eric, welcome to the show.

Eric Woodard (00:11)
Hey Ange, it’s so great to be here. I just want to acknowledge you for doing this podcast. I can only imagine the value your listeners get all the time — it’s very inspiring.

Ange Dove (00:23)
Thank you, thank you. It’s such a pleasure to have you on. We had a brilliant meeting before this to map out what we’re going to talk about, and I was so excited to get back on and do this live.
So Eric, tell us a little bit about yourself — who are you and what do you do?

Eric Woodard (00:45)
Yeah, I could give you the short, medium, or long version! I’m a high-performance career and leadership coach based in Washington, D.C., and I’ve been coaching for about six years.

I grew up in Southeast Asia — in Bangkok — then moved to the U.S. at 18. I transferred colleges seven times… I was a bit of a lost soul. At one point, I became a scuba instructor in Guam.

Then I thought, “What’s the most prestigious job I could have?” I figured — the White House. So I wrote a letter to the President saying, “You should hire me.”

About a month later, I got a letter from the White House — an internship application. I didn’t even know what an internship was, but I filled it out anyway. I never heard back… but it inspired me.

Eventually, I moved to D.C., and one day while running past the White House, I thought — “They never even got back to me.” So I found a payphone, called them… and they said, “You’re supposed to start Monday.”

So I bought a suit and ended up working for Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Clinton administration, then the U.S. Senate, then the State Department, and eventually became Director of Fellowships and Internships at the Smithsonian.

About six years ago, I told my wife, “I’m starting my own business.” She asked, “Will our kids starve?”
They haven’t yet — so here
we are!

Ange Dove (02:57)
You’re doing something right! So what made you take that leap into coaching?

Eric Woodard (03:07)
It was really a leap of faith. I’d always had that voice saying, “Do your own thing.” I tried before — like an eBay business — but didn’t know what I was doing.

Eventually, that voice got so loud I couldn’t ignore it anymore. It became inevitable. Not always comfortable — but one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Ange Dove (03:49)
So what was that transition like?

Eric Woodard (03:57)
It reminded me of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade — that leap of faith scene. Sometimes the only way to prove to yourself that something isn’t as scary as you think… is to jump.

There’s no other way.

Ange Dove (04:52)
Yeah — it’s sink or swim. And often, the worst-case scenario is just in your head.

Eric Woodard (05:18)
Exactly. That’s evolution — the amygdala, our survival brain. Its job isn’t to make us happy — it’s to keep us alive.

Ange Dove (05:40)
So how do people overcome that?

Eric Woodard (06:12)
A lot of it is about creating safety — through relationships, rest, movement, environment.

But more importantly — the issue isn’t the issue. It’s how we relate to it.

Two people can experience the same situation completely differently. One sees fear — the other sees opportunity.

Ange Dove (07:43)
That’s so true — especially in business. It’s never a straight line. You’ve got to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Eric Woodard (08:27)
Yes — and there’s power in neutrality. If your validation comes from external wins, the lows will hit hard.
But if it comes from within — you stay grounded.

Ange Dove (09:34)
So how do people build that internal validation?

Eric Woodard (09:39)
Let me ask you — how much are you worth?

Ange Dove (09:50)
That’s a hard question!

Eric Woodard (09:55)
You’re priceless. There’s not enough money in the world to pay you what you’re worth.

So the real question is — who do you give the “coupon” to, and for how much?

Ange Dove (10:46)
That’s such a powerful mindset shift.

Eric Woodard (11:14)
When setting prices, I talk about two lines:

• The resentment line

• The puke line

You want to price somewhere in between.

Ange Dove (12:10)
Yes — otherwise you resent the work or undervalue yourself.

Eric Woodard (12:25)
Exactly. And that affects how you serve clients.

Ange Dove (13:05)
I had a client once say I was three times more expensive — then signed anyway five minutes later.

Eric Woodard (13:35)
Not surprising. Confidence creates safety. Leadership creates safety.

Ange Dove (15:25)
And experience helps you spot red flags too — knowing who you should and shouldn’t work with.

Eric Woodard (16:06)
Yes — and staying curious instead of judgmental.
“Knowing” limits you. Curiosity expands possibility.

Ange Dove (17:17)
So for someone just starting — how do they push through fear?

Eric Woodard (17:47)
For me — it was faith. And eventually, I got tired of just thinking about it. I was more committed to action than to staying safe.

Ange Dove (18:37)
That resonates. I didn’t know what I didn’t know — so I just went for it.

Eric Woodard (20:30)
Growth happens in discomfort — what psychologists call the “zone of proximal development.”

Ange Dove (22:42)
Exactly. You don’t realise how far you’ve come until you look back.

Eric Woodard (23:34)
That’s “The Gap vs The Gain.” People focus on how far they have to go — instead of how far they’ve come.

Ange Dove (26:10)
So Eric, where can people find you?

Eric Woodard (26:26)
At winatwork.io — especially if you’re navigating career transitions or mindset challenges.

Ange Dove (27:21)
Amazing. And I think the key takeaway here — it’s never as scary as you think.

Eric Woodard (28:05)
Exactly. We regret the chances we don’t take — not the ones we do.

Ange Dove (29:06)
Absolutely. Eric, thank you so much for being here.

Eric Woodard (29:28)
Thank you, Ange. It’s been a pleasure.

Ange Dove (29:31)
You’re welcome.