The Aligned Leadher

Hosted by Michele Kostos

Business Entrepreneurship Education

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196

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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July 7, 202620 min

How to Stay Motivated- Find Your Right Now Why and Deep Why

In this episode, Michele Kostos breaks down why motivation and willpower are not enough to create lasting consistency in business, health, or life. She shares the power of identifying two kinds of “why”: Your right now why — the short-term reason driving you over the next 60–90 days Your deep why — the bigger, long-term purpose that pulls you through hard seasons Michele also shares personal examples from her weight loss journey, motherhood, and business goals to show how clarity around your why creates self-trust, momentum, and follow-through. She talks about why many people lose motivation, how to avoid relying on white-knuckling your way through goals, and why visualizing the outcome matters. If you’re setting goals for the new year, growing a direct sales business, or simply wanting more consistency, this episode will help you reconnect to the purpose behind your actions. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why motivation fades and what to focus on instead The difference between a right now why and a deep why How to stay consistent when life gets hard Why your goals should be tied to feelings, not just money or numbers How Michele uses her own why to stay committed to business and personal growth Mentioned in this episode: Peaceful and Profitable Collective Driven Mastermind Call to action: Take time to write out your own right now why and deep why, and share it with Michele on Instagram or Facebook. Click here to to connect with Michele: https://linktr.ee/michelekostos

June 30, 202615 min

Shift Your Identity to Shift Your Results

In this episode, Michele Kostos dives into one of the most important pillars of personal and business growth: identity. If you’ve been taking a lot of action but not seeing the results you want — or you’ve created success before and struggled to maintain it — this conversation will help you understand why. Michele explains how your thoughts, self-talk, and beliefs about who you are can either keep you stuck or help you create lasting change. She shares how misalignment between your identity and your goals can lead to burnout, inconsistency, and self-sabotage — and how shifting your identity can create breakthrough results in your business, finances, and life. She also shares real examples from her own journey and from clients she coaches, including: how identity affects your ability to create and maintain income why “hustling” can sometimes be a sign of misalignment how to shift from a scarcity mindset into a debt-free lifestyle what it looks like to step into the identity of a peaceful and profitable leader how to use your future self as a guide for your current decisions If you’re ready to stop playing small and start creating results with more ease, this episode will show you how to begin. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why identity is a key factor in creating consistent results How your brain reinforces the stories you tell yourself Why action alone isn’t enough without aligned thinking How to shift self-talk to support your goals What it means to live from the identity of your future self How to get into alignment with the woman you’re becoming Click here to connect with Michele: https://linktr.ee/michelekostos

June 23, 202614 min

Letting go of shame around debt to be Peaceful and Profitable

This week Michele shares how our mindset around business debt can cause us to work to lose versus work to win. This can affect our peace and our profit. Click here to connect with Michele: https://linktr.ee/michelekostos

June 16, 202620 min

Lead With Relationships, Not Just Sales

What if the key to growing your business wasn’t better sales tactics—but deeper relationships? In this episode, Michele Kostos shares why the most successful women in business don’t lead with pressure, scripts, or “perfect” strategy. They lead with service, trust, and impact. Michele explains the difference between entrepreneur brain and leader brain, and why focusing on who you help and how you help them creates more peace, more profit, and more sustainable growth. You’ll learn: Why relationships are the real foundation of long-term business success The difference between “turn and burn” selling and aligned leadership Why cold leads can become warm quickly when you add value How to shift from chasing sales to creating transformation Why your business grows more organically when you lead with service If you’re a direct seller, coach, or entrepreneurial woman who wants to grow without burnout, this episode will help you re-center on what truly matters. Listen now to learn how to build a peaceful and profitable business by putting people first. Click here to join the waitlist: https://linktr.ee/michelekostos

June 9, 202610 min

Feeling Safe to Win: Why Self-Trust Creates Peace and Profit

In this episode, Michele Kostos explores the idea of feeling safe to win—and why so many ambitious people unconsciously hold themselves back from bigger goals. She explains how success isn’t just about strategy or action, but about creating emotional safety, processing fear, and building self-trust. You’ll learn: Why your subconscious may resist success How fear of failure can create hidden sabotage The two key parts of self-trust: track record and self-talk Why beating yourself up drains motivation and blocks growth How peace with yourself leads to more grounded action, alignment, and profitability Michele also shares why becoming peaceful and profitable starts with how you relate to yourself, not just what you achieve. Click to book a call with Michele: https://linktr.ee/michelekostos

June 2, 202621 min

Why Support Changes Everything in Business Growth

In this episode, Michele shares the story behind her new Peaceful and Profitable Collective and why support has been the missing piece in so many entrepreneurial journeys. From real estate to direct sales, she breaks down how mentorship, coaching, and mindset work helped her move past self-sabotage, build consistency, and grow a six-figure business. Michele also explains who the membership is for, what members will learn, and how it’s different from her Driven Mastermind. If you’re in direct sales and want more confidence in selling, recruiting, and creating a business that feels peaceful and profitable, this episode is for you. In this episode, you’ll hear about: Why support is essential for business growth Michele’s journey through entrepreneurship The difference between the Peaceful and Profitable Collective and the Driven Mastermind How mindset and skill-building work together What members get inside the new community Learn more and join: michelekostos.com

May 26, 202614 min

Create 10K Today: The Daily Mindset Shift That Transforms Your Direct Sales Business

Michele reveals the game-changing mindset shift that separates top earners from struggling sellers in direct sales. Instead of setting monthly goals and hoping results appear, learn how to create predictable revenue by focusing on what you can control today. Discover why treating every day like month-end transforms your business and income. Key Takeaways: Results are created in the day, not the month How to shift from scarcity hustling to intentional abundance Why monthly goal-setting fails (and what works instead) The "10K today" framework for predictable income How top direct sellers think about daily actions vs. monthly targets Topics Covered: Direct sales mindset coaching Revenue creation strategies Sales goal-setting techniques Team building and recruitment Avoiding burnout in network marketing Creating duplicatable business systems Resources Mentioned: The Peaceful and Profitable Collective membership (launching June 1st) $57/month for first 20 members, then $97/month Monthly live training calls on sales, recruiting, and lead generation Private Facebook community for members Perfect For: Direct sales professionals, network marketers, entrepreneurs, women in MLM, sales coaches, business builders Connect with Michele here: https://linktr.ee/michelekostos

May 19, 202612 min

Letting Go of Hustle: Focus on Your Essentials to Hit Your Goals Faster

Michele discusses why entrepreneurs—especially female entrepreneurs in direct sales—fall into the trap of over-actioning when pursuing big goals. She reveals that the problem isn't doing enough, but doing the right actions. Learn how to identify your essentials, create simple systems, and maximize results without burnout. Key Takeaways Over-actioning trap: Your brain wants you to do everything at once, but this leads to burnout and inconsistent results The real solution: Get intentional with actions you're already taking, not adding more Define your essentials: Identify the 3 things that created your last 3 sales/recruits Simple systems work: Duplicatable processes beat complicated shortcuts Quality over quantity: You may need to work less, not more, to hit your goals Topics Covered Why entrepreneurs over-action when setting big goals How to identify your business essentials Creating simple, duplicatable processes Maximizing sales and recruiting averages Building confidence and control in your business Work-life balance while hitting income goals Resources Mentioned Peaceful and Profitable Collective (membership launching end of month) Website: michelekostos.com Join the waitlist for upcoming offers Follow on Instagram for announcements Perfect For Direct sales professionals, entrepreneurs, coaches, business owners, women in sales, network marketers The Over-Actioning Trap @ 6:35 Get Intentional With Current Actions @ 7:48 Identify Your Business Essentials @ 14:21

May 12, 202615 min

From Convincing to Connecting: The Secret to Recruiting Naturally

Episode 189 | The Align Leader Podcast with Michele Kostos Learn how to recruit naturally and grow your direct sales team without feeling pushy. Michele shares the mindset shifts that transform recruiting from stalled to unstoppable. Topics Covered: Why direct sales leaders get stuck in sales-only mode How to shift from convincing to connecting with prospects The role of belief in authentic selling and recruiting Leading emotionally vs. transactionally Why "why now" matters in closing recruits Selling from service: the secret to organic growth Vision-casting and storytelling over facts and figures Key Insight: People can feel your belief. When you focus on serving others and getting them what they want, you inevitably get what you want. Keywords: direct sales recruiting, team building, sales mindset, network marketing, coaching business growth, authentic selling, sales strategy Ready to grow? Book a consult call with Michele: https://linktr.ee/michelekostos

May 5, 202616 min

Your Emotions Are Contagious: Why Personal Growth Precedes Professional Success

Your emotions directly impact your business results. Michele explores why "faking it till you make it" doesn't work, how emotional contagion affects your team, and why processing feelings is the foundation for sustainable growth. Key Takeaways: Emotions are contagious—your energy influences your team, clients, and family Only 6% of communication is words Unprocessed emotions create invisible barriers to action and sales Personal development always precedes professional growth Clean brain work beats external fixes (systems, automation, appearance) Topics Covered: Emotional mirroring in leadership Why your nervous system sabotages your business goals The "spot it, you got it" principle in team dynamics Building a grounded, peaceful leadership approach The value of coaching, therapy, and masterminds for sustainable success Click here to connect with Michele: https://linktr.ee/michelekostos