Transforming Stress Into Fuel, featuring Dr. Rebecca Heiss

Stress is not the enemy, and trying to calm down may be making things worse. Dr. Rebecca Heiss joins Michelle Johnston to unpack the science behind stress, why uncertainty pushes leaders toward control, and how reframing fear can improve performance. Their conversation moves from boardrooms to classrooms to basketball courts, showing how stress can become useful energy instead of a barrier. Rebecca shares practical tools for public speaking, leadership, and self-talk, including her “coach voice,” emotional distancing, and curiosity as an antidote to fear. The result is a fresh, hopeful framework for using pressure as momentum. This episode is a strong reminder that meaningful work often comes with elevated stress, and that pressure does not have to mean panic. It can be reframed as purpose, momentum, and forward motion. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome and meeting Dr. Rebecca Heiss 00:26 What a stress physiologist actually does 02:13 Stress, uncertainty, and the shift in leadership 04:59 Why controlling leaders create more disconnection 05:21 Invite the tiger in for tea 07:09 Act as if it is an adventure 08:18 Why “just calm down” does not work 10:08 Service to others as a stress intervention 10:48 Public speaking fear and performance anxiety 11:46 Stress as proof that something matters 13:23 Self-talk, storytelling, and presentation confidence 15:24 Coaching yourself in the third person 17:30 Why acting as if can change physiology 19:19 What students can do before presenting 20:29 Meet the inner critic and coach voice 21:56 Stress lessons from basketball 23:04 What leaders can do before a tough meeting 25:27 Rebecca’s new book, *Springboard* 27:48 Who the book is for 29:07 Using stress in service to others 30:33 Closing reflections and thanks Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season! Track Title: My Heart's On Fire Follow Michelle for more inspiring content: Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSeismicShiftwithMichelle  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michelle-johnston-0264b5b Instagram: instagram.com/michellekjohnston  Website: https://michellekjohnston.com/