It’s wild how many successful entrepreneurs were shaped by something hard early in life, and how that pain quietly fuels their drive to build big things. In this episode, we’re unpacking that with Gemma Stone, a former Psychologist turned Entrepreneur Coach, who’s helped visionaries turn their inner battles into real breakthroughs. We talk about what happens when your past becomes your power and your pressure, and how to tell the difference.

Gemma breaks down how your mind actually works, from your conscious choices to the deeper stuff running in the background, and why getting those pieces in sync changes everything. She opens up about burnout, fear-based hustle, and the emotional patterns most of us never slow down long enough to question. It’s real, it’s practical, and it’ll have you reflecting on how your own story is shaping your business.

We also get into the hard stuff, like building a team when you’d rather do it all yourself, and how Gemma ended up partnering with her ex-husband (yep, really) to grow a thriving business. She shares grounded, do-it-today advice for anyone feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or just craving more meaning in the work they do.

Key Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Inside Speakeasy Podcast

[00:04:01] The unique psychology of entrepreneurs.

[00:05:41] Early childhood challenges in entrepreneurs.

[00:06:25] Trauma transformed into success.

[00:11:03] Conscious life design retreats.

[00:12:43] Signs there’s a gap that needs to be filled.

[00:15:14] Creating through constructed self vs. core identity.

[00:20:33] The art of delegation.

[00:24:28] Building an unconventional family and business.

[00:27:28] Freedom from professional constraints.

[00:31:01] Subconscious mind's influence on behavior.

Memorable Quotes:

"The recipe for happiness is not building a life according to our conditioning, but building a life according to our core, what's really essential to who we are as a human." [00:11:29] – Gemma Stone

"The subconscious mind, if it wants to go left, if the elephant wants to go left and the rider is like yanking on it to go right, it doesn't matter how strong the rider is, the elephant is always going to win the battle." [00:33:15] – Gemma Stone

Connect with Gemma Stone:

Website: https://gemmastone.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gemma_stone/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GemmaStone3

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemma-stone/

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Gemma_Stone

Connect with Eric Berman:

Website: https://speakeasymastermind.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakeasymastermind/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakeasymastermind/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericberman/

Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com