Most people I work with are highly driven, committed, and hold themselves to high standards.

They’re also tired.

But our energy shapes how we think, decide, and lead, and how we show up for the people around us.

That’s the perspective behind my work.
I focus on creating high-energy lives - at work and beyond.

If that angle resonates, you’re in the right place.

We all deserve better energy.
Not one-day-off energy.
Not “recover-on-vacation” energy.
But steady, sustainable energy that supports clear thinking, good decisions, and a life you actually enjoy.

That belief led me to create Rising Yellow - a wellbeing brand built on a simple idea: life is too short to stay in a bad state, and we can choose to shift it every day.

For over 15 years, I worked in global organizations, leading People & Culture and transformation initiatives. I was capable, driven, and always “on.” For a long time, I ignored the signals my body kept sending, until I couldn’t.

That moment didn’t break me.
It redirected me.

Today, I work at the intersection of wellbeing, leadership, and People & Culture. I help companies and leaders protect and reclaim energy, especially during growth, pressure, and change.

My work is grounded in:

• Functional Medicine principles
• Positive psychology and behavior science
• Hands-on experience in corporate transformation

I focus on closing the gap between what people know is good for them and what they actually do on busy workdays.

How I help people and organizations:

For individuals:

• Daily insights on LinkedIn
• The Weekly Energy Shift Newsletter
• The Energy Shift Journal
• Private community: Yellowers (Energy Shifters)

For organizations:

• Workshops for leaders and teams
• Keynotes on energy, resilience, and performance
• People & Culture consulting

If you believe performance and health don’t have to compete, and that better energy changes everything, we’re already aligned.

📩 Open to corporate collaborations, trainings, workshops, and keynotes
More here: https://risingyellow.com/

Contact: gozde.imamoglu@risingyellow.com 💛

Gözde İmamoğlu

Last year, I learned more than I had in my entire career.

It was a deliberate decision to leave my corporate job and push myself to step out of my comfort zone.

Turns out, when nobody’s watching, you find out who you really are.
There’s no such thing as “I don’t know.”
There’s only “go figure it out.” 

But you don’t need to take a huge leap to grow.
You just need to refuse to stand still.

Here’s how to make sure you’re not in the same place next January:

1️⃣ Pick one new skill and commit 15 minutes a day
 → Not a massive course that overwhelms you
 → Something you can practice immediately

2️⃣ Say yes to one thing that makes you nervous
 → The presentation you’d normally pass on
 → The cross-department project
 → The conversation you’ve been avoiding

3️⃣ Ask someone you trust: “What’s my biggest blind spot?”
 → Your manager about growth areas
 → A peer about how you collaborate
 → A client about where you could add more value

4️⃣ Track something that proves forward movement
 → Problems you’ve solved
 → Connections that opened doors
 → Skills that changed how you work

Where were you last January?
If today feels exactly the same, that’s not stability.
That’s stagnation.

The good news?
You can change direction starting this week.

P.S. Future you is watching 👀
Will you make one small move this week?
Yes 💪 / I’ll think about it 🤔

👋 New here? Hi, I’m Gözde Imamoglu. I help people build energy-rich lives through small, sustainable habits.
💌 Join my newsletter for more: https://lnkd.in/di3iSKmx

Gözde Imamoglu

Follow me for career, well-being, and personal growth strategies | 15+ years driving change for people & workplaces | Get the energy to match your success | Board-certified functional medicine health coach

The most successful people I know subtract more than they add.

They understand something most don't: 
Your capacity has a ceiling.

Think of your life like a business budget.
Fixed resources. Infinite options.

Every hour you spend here is an hour you can't spend there.
Every "yes" to something mediocre is a "no" to something exceptional.

I stayed at my recent corporate job for more than a decade because it felt safe. Decent salary. Manageable work. Good colleagues.

What I wasn't calculating: opportunity cost.

While I was comfortable, I wasn't available for:

→ The role that would have doubled my impact
→ Projects that matched my actual strengths  
→ Networks that could have accelerated everything
→ Skills I never developed because I didn't need to

Most people ask: "Is this bad enough to leave?"

Better question: "What am I NOT doing because I'm here?"

3 signs it's time for strategic subtraction:

1️⃣ You're maintaining instead of building
Your energy goes to keeping things stable, not growing them.

2️⃣ Better opportunities feel "impossible." 
You can't even imagine them because you're at capacity.

3️⃣ Your growth has plateaued
You're the same person you were 6 months ago.

The highest-value opportunities come when you have space to see them.

Strategic subtraction isn't about running from problems.
It's about running toward potential.

P.S. What might you need to subtract to multiply what matters?👇 

🔄 Repost to inspire others. 
👋 Follow me Gözde Imamoglu for more on building energy-rich, strategically designed careers.

For years, I told myself “next month." Waiting didn’t make me more prepared. 

It made me wish I’d started sooner.

Thank you to my friend Dr. Heather Maietta - Coach for Career Coaches  inspiring me to share this. Make sure to follow her. 

Most people never feel 100% ready. 

Confidence isn’t a prerequisite.

It’s a byproduct of action.

You gain it by trying, messing up, and figuring it out.

Even the awkward, uncertain steps move you forward. 

Each one teaches you something.

The gap between you and your goals won’t shrink with more planning, more money, more time.

At some point, you have to quit strategizing.

And start moving.

Waiting for perfect alignment is how dreams expire.

Momentum is built by choosing to begin. 

Every week, we get a chance to start anew.

How will you spend this gift? ⬇️ 

🎁Your dreams need your best energy! Get my free guide with 100 micro habits across 10 life areas to build it.  https://lnkd.in/dhR3AyCt

🔄 Repost to help your network. 
➕ Follow me Gözde Imamoglu for more.

7 quiet signs your culture actually respects people:

(without perks or pay raises)

1/ Meetings end early when the work is done
↳ No one feels obligated to fill the full hour just because it was scheduled

2/ People disagree openly without fallout
↳ Conflict stays focused on ideas, not personalities, and relationships stay intact

3/ Leaders say "I don't know" without losing credibility
↳ Curiosity gets rewarded more than having all the answers

4/ Sick days mean you're actually resting
↳ No guilt, no check-ins, no expectation to prove you're "sick enough"

5/ Bad news travels up as fast as good news
↳ Problems surface early because people trust they won't get shot for being the messenger

6/ People leave on time without explanation
↳ Boundaries are respected, not questioned, and overtime isn't a performance metric

7/ Success is shared, failure is owned
↳ Teams get credit for wins while leaders take responsibility when things go wrong

I can't repeat enough that culture isn't built in everyday moments.
How you handle the person who speaks up.
Whether asking for help feels safe.
If people can be human without penalty.

Companies with healthy cultures don't just keep talent.
They become magnets for it.

🔄 Repost if you believe culture is your strongest competitive advantage.
➕ Follow Gözde Imamoglu for more.

I watched a leader kill psychological safety in 8 seconds.

He had no idea.

A team member asked a question. His response? "We literally just talked about that."

Everyone went quiet.

Not because they had nothing to say. Because they learned it's safer not to.

Here's what I mean: Psychological safety doesn't live in your company values. It lives in how you react when someone opens their mouth.

And most leaders destroy it without even knowing.

You sigh when someone asks a question. 
You check your phone while they're talking. 
You say "that won't work" before they finish.

Small moments. But your team is always watching.

So what actually builds safety?

Pause before you answer. Even if the question feels obvious.

Don't jump to why an idea won't work. Ask what would need to be true for it to work.

When someone pushes back, thank them. Out loud. In front of the room.

Put your phone down. Look at them. Let the silence breathe before you fill it.

None of this is complicated.

But it signals everything.

Because trust breaks in seconds and takes months to rebuild.

Next time you're in a meeting, ask yourself: Am I making it easier or harder for the next person to speak?

That's where real culture starts.

What's one thing you'll do differently in your next meeting?

🔄 Repost if this resonated.
➕ Follow me Gözde Imamoglu for more on leadership, culture, and building teams where honesty doesn't feel risky.

Image Credit: Justin Wright

Careers can be rebuilt.

Health is harder to negotiate with.

Think about the extra hours you’re putting in at work right now.
Late evenings. “Just one more thing.” Weekends half on, half off. 

Now stretch that over a year.
Then over many years.

Often, it’s for a bonus.
A title.
A promotion that might come.

But the cost is very real.
Your body feels it.
Your focus drops.
Your nervous system stays on edge.

So here’s the shift I made:

I started betting on myself.

That means protecting:
 • my time
 • my focus
 • my energy
 • my relationships

Not someday. Now.

If overworking is your default, try one of these today:

1. Pick a clear end to your workday
Choose a real stop time. 
Close the laptop. Step outside. Change rooms. Signal the end.

2. Schedule recovery like it matters 
A walk. A short rest. Reading for pleasure.
Put it in your calendar. Treat it like a meeting with yourself.

3. Pause before saying yes
Ask: Is this worth my energy right now?
If not, delegate, delay, or decline.

Nothing dramatic.
Just small choices that protect yourself.

Because overworking at the cost of your health is not worth it. 💛

P.S. If you protected one thing more this year, what would it be? Time • Energy • Focus • Health or all of it? 

♻️ Repost if someone in your network needs this reminder.
➕ Follow Gözde Imamoglu for more.

One bad day can turn into a bad week.

Unless you interrupt it in the first hour.

You know I’m all for protecting your energy at work and in life.

Anything that drains it should deserve your attention.

We all know these moments:
• The message you overthink all afternoon
• The meeting where your tone didn’t land
• The comment that sits with you longer than it should

Before you realise it, you’re four days deep in a low-energy spiral that started with something small.

Last week, I walked out of a conversation feeling unheard in a way that touched my core values.

My chest was tight, I kept replaying it, and I carried that tension into the evening.

By the next morning, I remembered that we always have a choice. The choice to shift our state, protect our energy, and reset our direction.

Here’s what actually helps break the cycle:

1️⃣ Name it out loud
 "I'm having a bad day, not a bad life."
 It separates the feeling from the story.

2️⃣ Protect your sleep
Bad days spread fastest when you're tired.
Sleep brings your energy back online.

3️⃣ One small kind act
For yourself or someone else.
A tiny gesture interrupts the spiral.

4️⃣ Choose your circle
Telling the story to five people keeps you stuck.
One grounded conversation helps you move forward.

5️⃣ Give tomorrow one bright point
Something simple to look forward to: morning coffee, breakfast, a short walk.

Remember: 
Your state is yours.
Treat it like gold. 

P.S. What do you do first to shift your energy?

📒I’ve been building my biggest product that will help you shift your energy in unexpectedly simple ways. 

If you want to be the first to know, you can sign up here: https://lnkd.in/di3iSKmx 💛 Coming very soon!!!

Back-to-back meetings are energy vampires.

You walk into meeting number five feeling like a ghost of your former self.

But here's what I share with my clients all the time: 
You can reset your entire state in under 2 minutes.

Here are 9 science-backed micro habits you can do between meetings:

1️⃣ Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8.
A single round activates your parasympathetic nervous system and reduces cortisol levels instantly.

2️⃣ Cold water on your wrists
Your pulse points are cooling stations for your entire body. Cold water triggers an alertness response that lasts hours.

3️⃣ Look at something 6 metres away
After staring at screens, your eye muscles lock in “near focus.” Distance gazing relaxes them. 

4️⃣ Stand and reach for the ceiling
Sitting compresses your diaphragm. One big stretch opens your ribcage, increases oxygen flow, and signals energy to your brain.

5️⃣ Drink a glass of water (250ml) mindfully
Dehydration drops cognitive performance. It creates a mental pause that resets your nervous system.

6️⃣ Roll your shoulders 5 times backward
Forward head posture reduces lung capacity and creates tension. This realigns your spine and opens your chest.

7️⃣ Step outside or near a window
Natural light regulates cortisol and boosts serotonin. Even 60 seconds of daylight shifts your internal state.

8️⃣ Name 3 things you can see, 2 you can hear, 1 you can touch This grounding technique pulls you out of mental overwhelm.

9️⃣ Set an intention for the next meeting
Instead of rushing in reactive mode, take 30 seconds to choose how you want to show up.

Small shifts compound into massive energy changes.

I've been testing these with my clients for months. The difference is immediate.

And honestly? I use number 7 between every single call myself. (It’s been a childhood habit of mine.)

Tomorrow I’m sharing my complete guide:
“100 science-inspired micro habits across 10 key life areas” in my newsletter. You don't want to miss it. 

Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/di3iSKmx 

Which habit resonates most with you? Drop a number below 👇

🔄 Repost to help someone feel a little less stressed today.
➕ Follow me Gözde Imamoglu for more energy management insights 💛

5 daily invisible leadership mistakes:

And each one can be fixed in under 15 minutes.

1️⃣ Mistake: Leaving people guessing

When priorities aren’t clear:
 → Every decision becomes a guessing game
 → That constant weight of “Am I doing this right?”

The fix:
 → Monday morning priority email

2️⃣ Mistake: Meeting addiction

Every unnecessary meeting fragments focus:
 → 30 minutes to get back in the zone
 → Constant mental task-switching

The fix:
 → Friday calendar cleanup
 → Replace meetings with async updates

3️⃣ Mistake: Missing the warning signs

Early signals are easy to miss:
 → Missing small deadlines
 → No longer volunteering for projects

The fix:
 → Weekly energy check-ins
 → Adjust workload based on what you hear

4️⃣ Mistake: Priority whiplash

If there’s an “urgent” project every week, it creates:
 → Learned helplessness
 → Fear of committing to anything

The fix:
 → Monthly priority protection meeting
 → Choose 3 priorities that won’t change

 5️⃣ Mistake: Only seeing problems

Great performance goes unnoticed. Only fires get attention.

Over time, this kills:
 → Motivation to excel
 → Connection to the mission

The fix:

 → Friday wins email
 → Highlight 3 specific contributions

When you fix these 5 mistakes:
 → Your team stops second-guessing
 → Focus returns naturally
 → People feel seen for their strengths
 → Energy comes back without burnout

P.S. No judgment zone: Which number are we unlearning together? 

🔄 Repost if someone in your network needs this reminder
➕ Follow Gözde Imamoglu for more on building teams that thrive.

5 leadership blind spots quietly draining your team

Stop sacrificing your health for success.

The healthier you get, the more wealth you can create.

And you have more control over this than you think.

Because 80–90% of chronic conditions are lifestyle-driven not genetics. 

That’s biology responding to inputs.

And listening to the signals and partnering with your body can be the most important skill you will ever learn. 

So here’s a more useful way to think about it:

1. Sleep
If you wake up already tired, your body didn’t finish its repair work. That’s information.

2. Movement
If a full day passes without your heart rate changing, your system stays in “idle mode.”

3. Food
If meals leave you foggy or hungry again fast, your body didn’t get what it needed. That’s feedback.

4. Breathing
If your jaw is tight or shoulders are lifted, your nervous system is asking for a pause. A few slow breaths can change the signal.

5. Connection
If you feel drained after social time, something felt unsafe or rushed. If you feel calmer, that’s regulation.

Quick honesty moment 👀
Is your body whispering 🤫… or shouting 🚨 already?

🎁 If this resonated, download my free guide with 100 micro habits for better energy across 10 key areas of life: https://lnkd.in/dhR3AyCt

➕ Follow me Gözde Imamoglu for more on career, growth, and high-energy work life habits.

A company reached out and asked for a proposal to present to their leadership team.

I had all the content ready.
Except the deck that speaks their language.

They wanted me to offer my workshop to help their teams build energy-rich routines.
Great opportunity.
Short timeline.

I had to turn everything I already had on my already existing presentation into a clear, credible pitch deck - fast.

Because decision-makers need the problem framed in their world and a structured solution with a clear timeline showing:
• what happens,
• for whom,
• in what format,
• and when.

Here’s how it works:
You create one base deck with placeholders.
Then you remix it by adding the client’s specific details.

Gamma instantly generates a customized version for that exact audience.

Instead of rebuilding slides, I remixed my base deck in minutes, then stayed in the same flow to:

• adjust the tone for decision-makers
• tighten the structure
• refine visuals without starting over
• make it feel boardroom-ready

And once it was done, I reused and remixed it again for:
• follow-up conversations
• the workshop itself
• future client pitches

Your time and energy are valuable.

Use it for:
• real conversations
• building trust
• impressing business partners
• closing the right opportunities

Not fixing fonts at midnight.

👉 Try NanoBanana in Gamma https://lnkd.in/evaBDUk7 and spend your energy where it actually matters.

🎥 Watch the short example video to see how you can do the same.

P.S. What usually takes more of your energy?
🧭 Turning your work into a clear story
🎨 Font-size therapy at midnight
(Be honest 😅)

#gammapartner

Jonathan Z. Cohen

Follow for posts on mindset, fitness, & personal growth | JD/MBA

I’m Jonathan, 

👉 Follow me for actionable posts on mindset, fitness, and personal growth. 
👉 Listen to my podcast here: insidetheinspired.com

✅ Every week, you'll get new episodes featuring high performers and insights on how to build personal growth.
✅ You'll get my reading list, training plan, and ‘How To Find Purpose’ module from The Inspired Action System (for free). 
_______

I help you unlock your full potential to elevate:

- personal growth
- career opportunities
- physical and mental wellness

I've read hundreds of books, trained for over a decade, coached hundreds of professionals, and interviewed hundreds high performers so you don't make the same mistakes.
 
My experience includes:

5 years of public service in 2 countries
Rocking over 1,000 pushups in 1 hour
Running 9x marathons/ultramarathons
Performing over 1,000 pullups in 4 hours
Raising collectively $50,000+ for multiple charities
Building the Inside The Inspired podcast community
Training 1000+ lawyers and professionals on stress management and resilience

I share my experience to help you design your advantage.

Ready to unlock your potential?

Get started with Inside The Inspired here: insidetheinspired.com/podcast-1

Podcast Host

5 rules of mental toughness:
 
1. It’s about speed to recovery
Everyone gets knocked off center.
Mental toughness is how quickly you regain control.
 
2. Mental toughness is a practice
Not a trait you’re born with.
Something you train daily, imperfectly, intentionally.
 
3. It’s not about not breaking
It’s about becoming anti-fragile
Using stress, pressure, and failure to get stronger.
 
4. Emotional awareness  
It’s not thick skin
It’s self-compassion without hating on yourself.
Being honest without being cruel.
 
5. Processing 
Assess the situation.
Separate facts from emotion.
Develop an opinion.
Act accordingly.
 
Mental toughness is about learning:

How to regulate when you feel off
Practicing resilience when you're not in the mood
Being reliable (to yourself) when you feel the pressure

Mental toughness isn't about avoiding the fall.
It's about how fast you bounce back once you do.

Which one resonates with you?

Follow Jonathan Z. Cohen for posts on mindset, fitness, and personal growth.

When life gets hard here’s a few things to try:


Move your body
Reflect on your days
Write to clear your mind
Spend time with people you love
Rise and wind down with sunlight

Little things go a long way.

Follow Jonathan Z. Cohen for posts on mindset, fitness, and personal growth.

Most people try to eliminate anxiety before speaking.
But, the best speakers...

Redirect it.

In the latest episode of Inside the Inspired, I sat down with performance coach and attorney Paul Marchegiani to unpack how to build presence even when you feel the pressure.

Paul trains executives and high performing attorneys around the country on how to build their presence to command the room. 

We talked about:

- How to leverage nerves as energy
- Build AI-Proof public speaking skills 
- Why persuasion is about rhythm (and how to find it)

If you’ve ever felt your message get lost because your nerves took over…

This conversation is for you.

Link in the comments.

Follow Jonathan Z. Cohen for posts on mindset, fitness, and personal growth.

Saturday is an underrated day to build self-belief.
Here’s 3 ways you can start:


1. Name The Standard
What’s the minimum standard that earns credibility with yourself today?
Define it clearly enough that you don’t negotiate with it later.

2. Keep Your Word
Do the thing you said you would.
Self-trust is built through follow-through.

3. Stack Proof
Self-belief is trained.
Build a mountain of evidence that makes it unreasonable for you to NOT believe in yourself.
It's just a game of reps.

Who would you become? 

Better yet... 

What would you create, design, or build if you believed in yourself that little bit more?

Follow Jonathan Z. Cohen for posts on mindset, fitness, and personal growth.

Snowy Sunday is a perfect time to check in with yourself.
2 questions worth thinking about:


1. What am I avoiding right now (and what would change if I faced it this week)?

2. What went well this week that I didn’t acknowledge?

Reflection is a life hack cause it leads to increased awareness.

Awareness drives progress.
Progress leads to growth.

Which one resonates with you?

Follow Jonathan Z. Cohen for posts on mindset, fitness, and personal growth.

I believe reflection is a life hack.
This weekend try this:


List 3 wins
List 3 losses
List 3 areas you could have improved
List 3 actions you’ll take next week

You build capacity and confidence with awareness into your life.

As in:

“What’s going well?”
“What could go better?”
“How can I get there?”

Thing is you have to be intentional about it.

If you float through life, then life happens to you.

Instead of you happening to life.

Follow Jonathan Z. Cohen for posts on mindset, fitness, and personal growth.

No alternative text description for this image

In an interview recently I was asked what I think about failure. It got me thinking.
Here’s my take:


If you aren’t failing you aren’t trying hard enough.

If you aren’t failing, then you aren’t playing big enough.

If you aren’t failing, you’re leaving opportunity to find your capacity on the table.

How you lose determines the kind of winner you become.

Failure itself isn’t the issue.
How you respond to failure is.

Do you analyze what you could’ve done better or shift the blame somewhere else?

Do you own the outcome and take responsibility for improving?

This year is just getting started.

In 2026, don’t let fear of failure stop you from aiming a bit higher, falling a bit further, and then getting right back up to pick up where you left off.

Failure isn’t the opposite of success.
It’s the stepping stone towards the vision.

Has failure helped you get closer to where you’re trying to go?

Follow Jonathan Z. Cohen for posts on mindset, fitness, and personal growth,

"I don't play to win or lose. I play to learn." Kobe Bryant
When the goal is learning:

You stay calm in losses
Grounded when you win
And focused on what’s next

Learning keeps your curiosity going.
Learning makes performance sustainable.
Learning is how you stay overcome the plateau.

The real edge is about having a commitment to getting a little better every time you show up.

Where are you still playing to prove you belong instead of playing to learn?

Follow Jonathan Z. Cohen for posts on mindset, fitness, and personal growth.

Living for the moment feels good until the bill comes due.
There’s a difference between being present and avoiding the future.

This week's newsletter is about understanding the tool to help reduce the hidden risk most people don’t see until it’s too late.

Check it out and subscribe to Inside the Inspired for posts on mindset, fitness, and personal growth.

I used to live for the moment. I believed that presence meant squeezing everything out of now, maximizing the experience, saying yes, and, trusting th

Open article: The Risk of Living For The Moment by Jonathan Z. Cohen • 2 min read

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Jonathan Z. Cohen

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The Battle

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