What if 95% of your life is being run by programs you didn’t choose?
In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid Ahmed sits down with Irina Alexander, professional mental trainer and founder of the Academy of Motive, Action. With 20 years in neuroscience, entrepreneurship, and global wisdom traditions, Irina has helped hundreds of high-stress professionals step out of autopilot, dismantle hustle culture, and rebuild a life that actually feels like their own.
Irina shares the moment she broke down on the highway, called her mother, and realised the successful life she’d built… wasn’t actually hers. From selling a thriving business to redefining success as soul-aligned living, she walks us through the inner rewiring required to move from obligation, burnout, and busyness into clarity, courage, and conscious choice. If you feel like you’re doing “all the right things” yet still feel empty, this conversation is a wake-up call.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How your subconscious is programmed before age seven—and why it’s not too late to change it
- The single most powerful parenting shift Irina made to raise conscious, connected kids
- The breaking point moment where she realised her “successful” life was silently burning her out
- Why motivation is never enough—and the “choice, change, action” framework she uses with clients
- How to start saying yes to yourself, your soul, and your curiosity without burning your life down
Timestamps
00:00 The Setup: Why Your Life Might Be Running on Default Settings Junaid opens the episode and introduces Irina’s work on subconscious programming, burnout, and mental mastery.
02:11 How Your Childhood Wires Your Adult Life (And What That Means for Your Kids) Irina explains how subconscious programs are installed before age seven—and why awareness still gives you power as a parent.
04:58 “You Can’t Parent Your Kids, Only Yourself” – Radical Parenting Reframe Irina shares her philosophy on modelling over lecturing, quality over quantity, and the monthly “dates” she takes with her daughters.
07:46 The Breakdown on the Highway: When Success Stops Feeling Like Success Irina recounts calling her mother, walking away from 60–80 hour weeks, and realising she was living for obligation, not desire.
10:06 What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid? The terrifying questions Irina asked herself before deciding to sell her company and rewrite her life.
12:15 Choice. Change. Action. The Framework for Rewiring Your Life How Irina blends neuroscience and soul work into a simple, brutally honest process for real transformation.
13:10 Saying Yes to Life Again: Curiosity, Self-Investment & Letting Go of Judgment From personal development training to reconnecting with friends, Irina shares how she rebuilt her life from the inside out.
Key Takeaways
- We live 95–97% of our lives on autopilot, driven by subconscious and unconscious programming formed in early childhood.
- Your kids don’t do what you say, they do what you do—the most powerful parenting is self-parenting and self-awareness.
- Burnout often hides behind “success”: external achievement can mask deep misalignment, exhaustion, and a lost sense of self.
- Motivation fades—discipline and aligned action don’t. Irina’s “choice, change, action” model turns awareness into transformation.
- Curiosity without judgment is a superpower: giving yourself permission to explore, question, and invest in yourself is where rewiring truly begins.
Guest Links Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/irina.alexander.7 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/your_favorite_russian_/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaalexander/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@Life-By-Choice Website – https://motivaction.academy/ TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@motivaction.academy
Junaid Ahmed is a multi-passionate creator, storyteller, and home studio architect who believes your voice can change your world. As the host of Hacks and Hobbies, he dives deep into the journeys of people turning passion into purpose — from garage inventors to global entrepreneurs.
The podcast began as a simple idea: record honest conversations about side projects, creativity, and the hustle behind the scenes. Years later, it’s become a movement — showcasing the real, raw, and inspiring stories of everyday innovators.
Whether he’s building pro-level studios or geeking out over podcast gear, Junaid’s mission is clear: help people show up with confidence, clarity, and character.
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