Get to know Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) advocate Dr. Melissa Horne
Discover why her education focused on Black History.
Learn why she has become a DEI advocate.
Find out about about the company Dialectic
Learn about her podcast Just One Q

Dr. Melissa Horne, relatable and inspiring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) advocate, is passionate about combining science and activism to drive change within organizations. The Director of Client Experience at Dialectic, she is an innovator working at the convergence of science, smart design and technology to change behaviour and transform company culture. As the host of Just One Q, a podcast focused on DEI in the workplace, she and her guests offer specific action items to drive listeners from awareness to action. 

Dr. Horne is well versed in the history of race and social justice and has worked in both Canada and the U.S. on employment equity and LGBTQ2S+ rights. Engaging and authentic, she not only offers audiences new perspectives, but outlines concrete ways to take part in creating workplaces built for the new age. Her deep expertise in critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving is grounded by a Ph.D. in Black History from Rutgers University.

<ul>
<li>Get to know Diversity, Equity &amp; Inclusion (DEI) advocate Dr. Melissa Horne</li>
<li>Discover why her education focused on Black History.</li>
<li>Learn why she has become a DEI advocate.</li>
<li>Find out about about the company Dialectic</li>
<li>Learn about her podcast Just One Q</li>
</ul>
Dr. Melissa Horne, relatable and inspiring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) advocate, is passionate about combining science and activism to drive change within organizations. The Director of Client Experience at Dialectic, she is an innovator working at the convergence of science, smart design and technology to change behaviour and transform company culture. As the host of Just One Q, a podcast focused on DEI in the workplace, she and her guests offer specific action items to drive listeners from awareness to action. Dr. Horne is well versed in the history of race and social justice and has worked in both Canada and the U.S. on employment equity and LGBTQ2S+ rights. Engaging and authentic, she not only offers audiences new perspectives, but outlines concrete ways to take part in creating workplaces built for the new age. Her deep expertise in critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving is grounded by a Ph.D. in Black History from Rutgers University.

It's Your Life with Dr. James JC Cooley a motivational speaker here to equip you to strive for greatness and overcome adversity. Life is a series of circles and cycles, phases, and stages. These are the experiences that teach you the lessons of life. You can either ignore them or EMBRACE them. Dr. Cooley offers motivation and inspiration for life's challenges.

Catch up on the podcast and listen to It's Your Life on The Answer in Dallas or San Diego, on Salem Radio Networks.

For more about James Cooley and how you can support the show or become a guest visit www.CooleyFoundation.org.

It's Your Life with Dr. James JC Cooley a motivational speaker here to equip you to strive for greatness and overcome adversity. Life is a series of circles and cycles, phases, and stages. These are the experiences that teach you the lessons of life. You can either ignore them or EMBRACE them. Dr. Cooley offers motivation and inspiration for life's challenges.
Catch up on the podcast and listen to It's Your Life on The Answer in Dallas or San Diego, on Salem Radio Networks.
For more about James Cooley and how you can support the show or become a guest visit <a href="http://www.cooleyfoundation.org/">www.CooleyFoundation.org</a>.

It's Your Life Podcast

It's Your Life

Dr. Melissa Horne – An Advocate For Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Show Highlights

·       A sit-down conversation with Dr. Michael Mantell-  renowned and esteemed mental health architect and prolific author

·       How we disturb and upset ourselves

·       The key thoughts we use to sweat the small stuff

·       Self-rating is harmful

·       Stress… its negative impact on our lives

 SUMMARY:

We often disturb and upset ourselves not because of events themselves, but because of the way we think about them. When we “sweat the small stuff,” it is usually driven by key thoughts such as demanding perfection, assuming minor problems are catastrophic, or believing that mistakes define our worth. This leads to harmful self-rating, where we judge our entire value as a person based on single outcomes or flaws rather than viewing ourselves as complex and constantly developing individuals. These patterns of thinking fuel stress, which can negatively impact our mental focus, emotional well-being, relationships, and even physical health. By recognizing and challenging these unhelpful thoughts, we can reduce unnecessary stress and respond to life’s challenges in a healthier, more balanced way.

Biography

Dr. Michael Mantell, a renowned and esteemed mental health architect, earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976 and his MS in Clinical Psychology in 1972 from Hahnemann Medical College. He guides clients to disturb themselves less, by identifying, challenging, and restructuring irrational beliefs, helping them build a reliable foundation of rational, flexible thinking, and adopt healthier behaviors and attitudes. His expertise bridges the art and science of mental health, empowering clients to disturb themselves less and construct a mindset that enables them to respond to life’s challenges with resilience, acceptance, and self-compassion.

Throughout his career, Dr. Mantell has held various prestigious positions, including Chief Psychologist for Children's Hospital of San Diego, Chief Psychologist of the San Diego Police Department, and Chief Behavior Science Consultant for the American Council on Exercise. He was a co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Plus Size Certified, Inc. and is a member of the Science Advisory Council of the International Council on Active Aging. In addition, he served as Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSD Medical School, where he taught the Doctor-Patient Relationship course. He brings a specialty focus on physician wellbeing, physician burnout and elevating the patient experience. He has lectured at Pt. Loma Nazarene University and has provided a yearly 3-day Physician Wellness Studio for the American Society of Hematology. He is an invited guest instructor at Harvard University.

Dr. Mantell is a prolific author with four books to his name, including his recent work, "The Link is What You Think," "Ticking Bombs: Defusing Violence in the Workplace," and his iconic 1988 original "Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff PS: It’s All Small Stuff" and its 25th Anniversary Edition. Dr Mantell has been a member of SAG-AFTRA since 1981, Chair of its Election Committee and Vice-Chair of the Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee. He was elected to the Board of SAG-AFTRA San Diego in September, 2025. He’s been bringing psychology to the broadcast media for decades including regular appearances on Good Morning, America, Oprah Winfrey and weekly spots on local and nationwide news.

You can follow his free daily “MantellPoints2Ponder” on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Show Highlights
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A sit-down conversation with Dr. Michael Mantell-&nbsp;&nbsp;renowned and esteemed mental health architect and prolific author
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;How we disturb and upset ourselves
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The key thoughts we use to sweat the small stuff
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Self-rating is harmful
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stress&hellip; its negative impact on our lives
&nbsp;SUMMARY:
We often disturb and upset ourselves not because of events themselves, but because of the way we think about them. When we &ldquo;sweat the small stuff,&rdquo; it is usually driven by key thoughts such as demanding perfection, assuming minor problems are catastrophic, or believing that mistakes define our worth. This leads to harmful self-rating, where we judge our entire value as a person based on single outcomes or flaws rather than viewing ourselves as complex and constantly developing individuals. These patterns of thinking fuel stress, which can negatively impact our mental focus, emotional well-being, relationships, and even physical health. By recognizing and challenging these unhelpful thoughts, we can reduce unnecessary stress and respond to life&rsquo;s challenges in a healthier, more balanced way.
Biography
Dr. Michael Mantell, a renowned and esteemed mental health architect, earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976 and his MS in Clinical Psychology in 1972 from Hahnemann Medical College. He guides clients to disturb themselves less, by identifying, challenging, and restructuring irrational beliefs, helping them build a reliable foundation of rational, flexible thinking, and adopt healthier behaviors and attitudes. His expertise bridges the art and science of mental health, empowering clients to disturb themselves less and construct a mindset that enables them to respond to life&rsquo;s challenges with resilience, acceptance, and self-compassion.
Throughout his career, Dr. Mantell has held various prestigious positions, including Chief Psychologist for Children's Hospital of San Diego, Chief Psychologist of the San Diego Police Department, and Chief Behavior Science Consultant for the American Council on Exercise. He was a co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Plus Size Certified, Inc. and is a member of the Science Advisory Council of the International Council on Active Aging. In addition, he served as Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSD Medical School, where he taught the Doctor-Patient Relationship course. He brings a specialty focus on physician wellbeing, physician burnout and elevating the patient experience. He has lectured at Pt. Loma Nazarene University and has provided a yearly 3-day Physician Wellness Studio for the American Society of Hematology. He is an invited guest instructor at Harvard University.
Dr. Mantell is a prolific author with four books to his name, including his recent work, "The Link is What You Think," "Ticking Bombs: Defusing Violence in the Workplace," and his iconic 1988 original "Don&rsquo;t Sweat the Small Stuff PS: It&rsquo;s All Small Stuff" and its 25th Anniversary Edition. Dr Mantell has been a member of SAG-AFTRA since 1981, Chair of its Election Committee and Vice-Chair of the Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee. He was elected to the Board of SAG-AFTRA San Diego in September, 2025. He&rsquo;s been bringing psychology to the broadcast media for decades including regular appearances on Good Morning, America, Oprah Winfrey and weekly spots on local and nationwide news.
You can follow his free daily &ldquo;MantellPoints2Ponder&rdquo; on LinkedIn and Facebook.

The Link Is What You Think

Show Highlights

·       Dr. James JC Cooley along with Co-Host Dr. Michael Mantell-  renowned and esteemed mental health architect and prolific author have a sit-down conversation with Lee Jordan, MS, NBC-HWC, SHRM-SCP- Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology & Integrative Wellness, Nationally Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, ACE Subject-Matter-Expert, author, speaker and consultant.

Fears – “Will I (HWC’s) be replaced?

Historical examples where skilled workers felt threatened by emerging tech but were actually elevated. One example is the emergence of calculators in the 70’s – instead of declining the mathematician profession, it took away tedious tasks and created time for conceptual thinking – automation of routine tasks raised the value of complex thinking and judgement. Another example more directly connected to health and wellness, when telemedicine rapidly expanded during and post pandemic there was concern in-person traditional practice might take a hit $ and erode. Instead, telemedicine expanded access and increased efficiency.

Primary Difference – “AI can hear but it can’t listen.” AI is very good at behavior tracking, personalizing engine for lifestyle data, admin and content tasks. A health coaches’ value is our ability to “be with someone” to be fully present, People crave acceptance and connection – they want to be valued NOT for what they can DO, but simply for who they are. AI can imitate but it can’t replicate the human experience. Listening is the True Superpower to facilitating the change people seek. This type of listening means we are listening to people’s words, emotions and expressions. We hear and notice not only what is being said, but what is not being said. The experience being delivered is that I have time for you… not just time to address your problem… time with and for you.  

The Link is What you Think - What HC’s chose to think about AI and their future as HC’s and how it impacts the people, they are called to serve will significantly shape their experience in the field.

Word on the street – Daniela Amodei, cofounder and president of Anthropic, an AI company (Claude) that raised $30 billion in Series G funding valuing their company at $380 billion, says, “The things that make us human will become much more important instead of much less important… “And what I mean by that is when we look to hire people at Anthropic today, we look for people who are great communicators, who have excellent EQ and people skills, who are kind and compassionate and curious and want to help other people.

 

Lee Jordan, MS, NBC-HWC, SHRM-SCP

Biography

Lee Jordan lives out his purpose to "show up for people in meaningful and transformative ways" through his work as an Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology & Integrative Wellness, Nationally Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, ACE Subject-Matter-Expert, author, speaker and consultant.

Lee helps people throughout the United States live a full life through his physician-endorsed behavior change program, 30 Seconds to Victory™. In his role as a consultant he has helped shape and deliver corporate health and wellness coaching programs and works with digital health companies creating apps engineered with evidence-based health behavior constructs. Lee speaks on health and wellness coaching and other wellness-related topics at conferences such as the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) and the IDEA Nutrition & Behavior Change Summit. Lee is dedicated to equipping a legion of passionate wellness professionals with the practical competencies needed to transform lives.

Social Media:

www.linkedin.com/in/leejordanhealth

Show Highlights
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. James JC Cooley along with Co-Host Dr. Michael Mantell-&nbsp;&nbsp;renowned and esteemed mental health architect and prolific author have a sit-down conversation with Lee Jordan, MS, NBC-HWC, SHRM-SCP- Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology &amp; Integrative Wellness, Nationally Board-Certified Health &amp; Wellness Coach, ACE Subject-Matter-Expert, author, speaker and consultant.
Fears &ndash; &ldquo;Will I (HWC&rsquo;s) be replaced?
Historical examples where skilled workers felt threatened by emerging tech but were actually elevated. One example is the emergence of calculators in the 70&rsquo;s &ndash; instead of declining the mathematician profession, it took away tedious tasks and created time for conceptual thinking &ndash; automation of routine tasks raised the value of complex thinking and judgement. Another example more directly connected to health and wellness, when telemedicine rapidly expanded during and post pandemic there was concern in-person traditional practice might take a hit $ and erode. Instead, telemedicine expanded access and increased efficiency.
Primary Difference &ndash; &ldquo;AI can hear but it can&rsquo;t listen.&rdquo;&nbsp;AI is very good at behavior tracking, personalizing engine for lifestyle data, admin and content tasks. A health coaches&rsquo; value is our ability to &ldquo;be with someone&rdquo; to be fully present, People crave acceptance and connection &ndash; they want to be valued NOT for what they can DO, but simply for who they are. AI can imitate but it can&rsquo;t replicate the human experience. Listening is the True Superpower to facilitating the change people seek. This type of listening means we are listening to people&rsquo;s words, emotions and expressions. We hear and notice not only what is being said, but what is not being said. The experience being delivered is that I have time for you&hellip; not just time to address your problem&hellip; time with and for you.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The Link is What you Think&nbsp;- What HC&rsquo;s chose to think about AI and their future as HC&rsquo;s and how it impacts the people, they are called to serve will significantly shape their experience in the field.
Word on the street &ndash;&nbsp;Daniela Amodei, cofounder and president of Anthropic, an AI company (Claude) that raised $30 billion in Series G funding valuing their company at $380 billion, says,&nbsp;&ldquo;The things that make us human will become much more important instead of much less important&hellip; &ldquo;And what I mean by that is when we look to hire people at Anthropic today, we look for people who are great communicators, who have excellent EQ and people skills, who are kind and compassionate and curious and want to help other people.
&nbsp;
Lee Jordan, MS, NBC-HWC, SHRM-SCP
Biography
Lee Jordan lives out his purpose to "show up for people in meaningful and transformative ways" through his work as an Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology &amp; Integrative Wellness, Nationally Board-Certified Health &amp; Wellness Coach, ACE Subject-Matter-Expert, author, speaker and consultant.
Lee helps people throughout the United States live a full life through his physician-endorsed behavior change program, 30 Seconds to Victory&trade;.&nbsp;In his role as a consultant he has helped shape and deliver corporate health and wellness coaching programs and works with digital health companies creating apps engineered with evidence-based health behavior constructs.&nbsp;Lee speaks on health and wellness coaching and other wellness-related topics at conferences such as the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) and the IDEA Nutrition &amp; Behavior Change Summit. Lee is dedicated to equipping a legion of passionate wellness professionals with the practical competencies needed to transform lives.
Social Media:
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/leejordanhealth" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">www.linkedin.com/in/leejordanhealth</a>

360° Health: AI and Health and Wellness Coaching

Dr. James JC Cooley along with Co-Host Dr. Michael Mantel - renowned and esteemed mental health architect and prolific author have a sit-down conversation with Linda Roszak Burton –NBC-HWC, ACC, BBC, BS, is President of DRW Coaching. Linda is an executive and board-certified health and well-being coach, academic researcher, author and public speaker
Summary:

Harnessing the Science of Gratitude: Blending positive psychology, neuroscience and gratitude research to elevate individuals, teams, organizations and communities. 

1)Individual Well-Being - purpose, values and strengths, personal GPS and fuel system.

2)Teams - stronger collaboration, psychological safety, moral cognition, more prosocial behaviors (IHB)

3)Leaders – presence - starts at the top, enhanced engagement, virtuous cycle

4)Community - enhanced social bonds and a greater sense of community

 

Biography

Linda Roszak Burton, NBC-HWC, ACC, BBC, BS, is President of DRW Coaching. Linda is an executive and board-certified health and well-being coach, academic researcher, author and public speaker. As a coach, Linda champions humanism in healthcare. She is committed to bringing well-being and strength-based coaching methodologies to her clients—methodologies informed by cutting-edge research and evidence-based practices in neuroscience, positive psychology, gratitude and positive organization behaviors (POB).

 

As an academic researcher, she supports initiatives in leadership development, employee engagement, and the fostering of a healthy, positive work environment. Her international studies include gratitude interventions to support stress management, mental health of nurses, managers and support staff and employee engagement and meaningfulness of work.

 

Linda is a credentialed executive coach through the International Coach Federation, a National Board Certified Health and Well-being Coach (NBC-HWC), a certified Brain-Based Coach through the NeuroLeadership Institute, a certified Positive Psychology-Based Health and Well-Being Coach through the College of Executive Coaching, and a Charter Member of A Loving Organization. A member of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School Affiliate, she holds a B.S. in Health Education from Virginia Tech and has completed coursework pursuing an M.S. in Conflict Management at the University of Baltimore.

Linda is the author of Gratitude Heals®- A Journal for Inspiration and Guidance (Available on Amazon). Additionally, her Great Mills TEDx Talk on Gratitude- The Power to Heal the World was released in December 2022. Linda has been a regular contributor to the Wharton Healthcare Quarterly on the science of gratitude since 2017.

 

Website www.drwcoaching.com

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

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

Dr. James JC Cooley along with Co-Host Dr. Michael Mantel - renowned and esteemed mental health architect and prolific author have a sit-down conversation with Linda&nbsp;Roszak Burton&nbsp;&ndash;NBC-HWC,&nbsp;ACC,&nbsp;BBC,&nbsp;BS,&nbsp;is&nbsp;President&nbsp;of DRW Coaching.&nbsp;Linda is an executive and board-certified health and well-being coach, academic researcher, author and public speaker Summary:
Harnessing&nbsp;the Science of Gratitude: Blending positive psychology, neuroscience and gratitude research to&nbsp;elevate&nbsp;individuals, teams, organizations and communities.&nbsp;
1)Individual Well-Being - purpose, values and strengths, personal GPS and fuel system.
2)Teams - stronger collaboration, psychological safety, moral cognition, more prosocial behaviors (IHB)
3)Leaders &ndash; presence - starts at the top, enhanced engagement, virtuous cycle
4)Community - enhanced social bonds and a greater sense of community
&nbsp;
Biography
Linda&nbsp;Roszak&nbsp;Burton, NBC-HWC,&nbsp;ACC,&nbsp;BBC,&nbsp;BS,&nbsp;is&nbsp;President&nbsp;of DRW Coaching.&nbsp;Linda is an executive and board-certified health and well-being coach, academic researcher, author and public speaker.&nbsp;As a coach,&nbsp;Linda champions&nbsp;humanism in healthcare. She is committed to bringing well-being and strength-based coaching methodologies to her clients&mdash;methodologies informed by cutting-edge research and evidence-based practices in neuroscience, positive psychology, gratitude and positive organization behaviors (POB).
&nbsp;
As an academic researcher, she supports initiatives in leadership development, employee engagement, and the fostering of a healthy, positive work environment. Her international studies include gratitude interventions to support stress management, mental health of nurses, managers and support staff and employee engagement and meaningfulness of work.
&nbsp;
Linda is a credentialed executive coach through the International Coach Federation, a National Board Certified Health and Well-being Coach (NBC-HWC), a certified Brain-Based Coach through the NeuroLeadership Institute, a certified Positive Psychology-Based Health and Well-Being Coach through the College of Executive Coaching, and a Charter Member of A Loving Organization. A member of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School Affiliate, she holds a B.S. in Health Education from Virginia Tech and has completed coursework&nbsp;pursuing&nbsp;an&nbsp;M.S.&nbsp;in&nbsp;Conflict&nbsp;Management&nbsp;at the University of Baltimore.
Linda is the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Heals-Journal-Inspiration-Guidance/dp/0578481529" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Gratitude Heals</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Heals-Journal-Inspiration-Guidance/dp/0578481529" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">&reg;</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Heals-Journal-Inspiration-Guidance/dp/0578481529" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">- A Journal for Inspiration and Guidance (Available on Amazon)</a>.&nbsp;Additionally, her Great Mills&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paXMGo8cHSo" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">TEDx Talk&nbsp;</a>on&nbsp;Gratitude- The Power to Heal the World&nbsp;was released in December 2022.&nbsp;Linda has been a regular contributor to the Wharton Healthcare Quarterly on the science of gratitude since 2017.
&nbsp;
Website&nbsp;<a href="http://www.drwcoaching.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">www.drwcoaching.com</a>
LinkedIn&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindaroszakburton/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5">https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindaroszakburton/</a>
Instagram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/_lroszakburton/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="6">https://www.instagram.com/_lroszakburton/</a>

Dr. Melissa Horne – An Advocate For Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

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