In this episode of the Daily Mastermind, George Wright III sits down with Nicole Kernohan, a high-performance coach and the COO of an international coaching company, to discuss the power of mindset, setting intentions, and repetition in personal and business transformation. Nicole shares her inspiring journey of overcoming a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis through unwavering belief and positive action, highlighting the significant role that mindset, nutrition, and fitness played in her recovery. She emphasizes the importance of morning routines, controlling the first thoughts of the day, focusing on solutions, and consistently repeating positive, empowering messages. Nicole's story exemplifies how facing challenges with a proactive and positive approach can lead to success in health, business, and life. You don't want to miss this incredible story that is also packed with value, strategies and tactics.
Welcome back to The Daily Mastermind. George Wright III here with your daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education. If this is your first time listening, you’re in for a treat. We’ve got an amazing guest here today. I don’t do a ton of interviews, but we’re going to roll out some more, and this one is really special.
I’ve handpicked someone who I feel will bring incredible value to you today. Our podcast is all about masterminding—bringing together people who think alike, people who want to evolve and take their lives to the next level. Nicole, who I’m about to introduce, is the perfect example of that. Let me give her a quick introduction before we dive in.
Nicole Kernohan is a high-performance coach and the Chief Operating Officer of a rather large coaching company. I chose her to come on the podcast today because she trains and empowers entrepreneurs to scale their lives, create breakthroughs, and drive transformation. Not only that, but she also understands the systems and processes needed to make it happen.
We’re going to dig into a lot of her background and strategies today. Nicole Kernohan, how are you? Welcome to the show.
Thank you so much for having me. I’m great.
Yeah, it took a little coordination to get this done, but here we are—two planets aligning! Let’s dig in. I just gave listeners a quick snapshot of what you do, but I’d love for you to share your story. Not just what you do, but how you got here. It’s an important and inspiring story. I think people will appreciate understanding the foundation for why you entered the space of personal development, transformation, and business growth.
Absolutely. I actually started with a degree in business and entered the corporate world in strategy and operations. However, my health experience 21 years ago really shifted my trajectory.
I had an episode where I became paralyzed on the right side of my body—my right arm and leg. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). It completely knocked me off track. I was young, and it came out of nowhere.
The interesting thing about that moment, which ties into why I do what I do today, is that I heard the doctor say, “You may or may not regain functionality. You may remain paralyzed; we hope you won’t, but we can’t guarantee it.” They explained that MS is typically degenerative.
But here’s the thing: I heard the diagnosis, but I did not accept the prognosis. The prognosis was their expectation of my potential outcome with this disease. My family thought I was naive. They assumed I didn’t understand the doctor or that I was in denial.
But I asked myself, “What even is false hope?” Anyone who has experienced miracles or achieved significant accomplishments had hope. It wasn’t false. My family cared about me, of course, and they didn’t want me to get my hopes up just to be disappointed.
But because I refused to accept their prognosis, I did whatever it took. I sought advice from nutritionists, naturopaths, and medical practitioners. I never hit a point where I thought, “I’ve done everything; nothing is going to work.”
Long story short, I healed. MS doesn’t have a cure, so I still have lesions on my brain scans, but I’ve been symptom-free for 20 years. That experience deeply shaped me. It made me want to help people on a deeper level—not just with their health, but in other areas like business and life transformation.
That’s a huge story. I want to highlight something for our listeners. Everyone faces major obstacles—maybe not as significant as an MS diagnosis, but obstacles nonetheless. What really stands out to me is that it’s not about the obstacle itself; it’s about how you respond to it.
Stephen Covey talks about the space between stimulus and response, where we can choose how to act. You chose to be proactive. You didn’t listen to the naysayers. You chose to find solutions—through fitness, nutrition, and whatever else it took. But I’m curious, were you always a naturally positive person, or was there something in your upbringing or environment that shaped that mindset?
A little bit of both, I’d say. I’ve always been generally optimistic and positive, but I also credit my upbringing. My parents were optimistic, and that definitely influenced me.
But, you know what else? I realized something just now. I also did martial arts for ten years before my MS diagnosis. That training created a mental toughness and a “mind-over-body” mindset. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but those years of programming prepared me for challenges like this.
Wow, that’s an incredible insight. Martial arts gave you that mental toughness early on. A lot of people don’t realize the foundational things they’ve done in their lives that prepare them for the bigger obstacles ahead.
Exactly. It’s funny because we’re all creating our foundation, whether we realize it or not. Rituals, training, surrounding yourself with the right people—those things build resilience. And the best part? They’re all within your control.
You mentioned martial arts, your positive mindset, and finding solutions. Those elements clearly shaped your response to MS. But your health journey eventually transitioned into entrepreneurship. Take us through that pivot—how did you go from focusing on health and nutrition to running a business?
Yes, absolutely. After my health journey, I believed my purpose was to help others with health and nutrition. I had a business background, and my parents owned retail franchises, so entrepreneurship wasn’t foreign to me. My first step into entrepreneurship was opening a health-focused retail business.
I wanted to transform people’s health, just like I had transformed mine. At the time, I thought it was my life’s purpose. But what I realized fairly quickly—and ignored for a while, maybe out of persistence or stubbornness—was that I could give people all the tools they needed, but many wouldn’t follow through.
You mentioned that to me before, and it stuck with me. People know what to do, but there’s a gap between knowing and doing. Why do you think that is?
It’s the “knowing-doing gap,” and it’s very real. People know what to do, but they don’t do it. That’s because their deeper, subconscious programming holds them back. At the time, I didn’t know how to address that gap, but it became clear that nutrition and fitness weren’t enough.
That’s fascinating because I think so many people can relate to that struggle—knowing what to do but not doing it. So, what helped you bridge that gap for yourself and others?
It happened by chance. I stumbled into positive psychology through a three-day seminar with Bob Proctor. That seminar was life-changing.
It felt like I had been living in the dark, and someone turned on the lights. I thought, “How did I not know this? Why didn’t I learn this in school?” I realized most people don’t know it either. Positive psychology helped me connect the dots. I could finally understand how my subconscious beliefs, self-image, and habits had contributed to my healing.
It also gave me tools to help others address the deeper issues—the limiting beliefs, fears, and hesitations that were holding them back. Positive psychology became the missing link between knowing and doing.
That’s such a critical point. You’ve hit on something that I believe is the foundation for all success: mindset. Like T. Harv Eker says, “People want the fruits, but they don’t realize it’s the roots that create the fruits.” Your inner world creates your outer world. Your thoughts create your life. Most people don’t realize that, or they don’t know how to tap into it.
So, what do you think holds people back the most? Why don’t they create the change they say they want?
It all comes down to subconscious programming. Studies show that 93–97% of our actions are driven by the subconscious mind, not the conscious mind.
People might consciously say, “I want to grow my business” or “I want to break this habit.” But if their subconscious programming tells them, “You’re not good enough,” “You’ll never succeed,” or “This isn’t who you are,” then they’ll sabotage themselves.
Their autopilot is set to keep them stuck. And most of that programming happens early in life, through childhood experiences and societal conditioning. That’s why so many people struggle—they’re trying to consciously change something, but their subconscious mind is working against them.
That’s such an important insight. And I think a lot of people listening might feel overwhelmed by the idea of reprogramming their subconscious mind. But I know you have practical strategies and tips for getting started. Can you share a few?
Absolutely. Here are a couple of powerful strategies:
I love those tips. Morning routines and repetition are powerful tools. They’re simple but incredibly effective for creating lasting change. Nicole, thank you so much for sharing your story and your wisdom. I know our listeners will benefit from this. Where can they connect with you and learn more?
Thank you, George. Listeners can find me at nicolekernohan.com. I also have a free resource for your audience—a 30-day Abundance Journal.
The journal is designed to help people shift their mindset around financial abundance, but it applies to all areas of life—time, health, relationships. It’s available for free on my website.
Perfect. I’ll include the link in the show notes so everyone can access the journal and connect with you. Nicole, it’s been a pleasure having you on the show. Thank you for sharing your insights and inspiration. I’m sure we’ll talk again soon.
Thank you, George. It’s been an honor to be here.
Alright, listeners, if you found value in this episode, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Remember, life is about growth and transformation. It’s never too late to start living the life you were meant to live. Until next time, this is George Wright III on The Daily Mastermind. Have a great day!