In this six‑question, seven‑minute interview, Professor Pete Alexander talks with Dennis Berry, a life‑mastery coach who works in addiction recovery, love and relationships, health and wellness, and with business leaders. Berry shares why he finds it amusing that clients often only grasp advice months later, and he emphasizes that the most effective leaders lead laterally—standing beside their teams and treating them eye‑to‑eye. He expands this into a broader business philosophy: mutual respect, gratitude, and service are more powerful than generic advice to work harder. Berry stresses that perspective shapes experience; viewing work as a blessing and practicing gratitude can transform mindset and productivity. He recounts his first job as a teenage telemarketer for a Chamber of Commerce, describing how handling rejection taught him persistence, the value of continual effort, and the importance of staying present. The conversation closes with Berry promoting his book, the Funky Brain Podcast, Life Mastery School, and free coaching sessions, all available at dennisberry.com, and he recommends fellow coach David Essel as a future guest.
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This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
I am Dennis Berry and I am a life mastery coach and I focus mostly in the addiction recovery recovery and love and relationship space, but also work with, uh, business people and a lot of health and wellness stuff too.
Well, Dennis, it's an absolute pleasure to have you on the show. Question number 2: What is something that makes you smile and/or laugh about working in your industry?
The best thing, you know, it's really funny, is that we get stuff when we get it. You know, we understand things in life when we understand them, and not a moment before. But what's funny, and I've had this experience too with myself in my life, is like I'll tell something to my clients and then like 6 months or a year later they're like, hey, you know what? Like I had one client, he's like, you know, Dennis, I think I really should start having my morning routine and meditate a lot more. And I was like, yeah, I told you that a year ago, you know? So we get stuff when we get it and not a minute before.
Absolutely. And I can totally appreciate that because I've had that experience as well. Question number 3. I have a fictitious book with all the answers for business. What chapter would you think most companies should read?
I think that, um, let's see, I, I think the best thing to know is that the best businesses and the best leaders lead laterally. I, I think when they, they stand beside their employees and not above them, you know, they're working the trenches with them. And I think it's so important to lead eye to eye rather than from above. I think they respect you more and they are more productive.
Yeah, and it's, it's interesting that you say that because, uh, not only do they respect you because— but then you have more of an appreciation for what that person is doing as their actual work. Am I right?
Absolutely, yeah. I, I just think it works both ways. You— there's more mutual respect, which leads to, uh, happier employees, which leads to more productivity. And a happier bottom line.
Absolutely. Great. Question number 4: Other than the generic work harder, have a great attitude, and care for customers, what advice or insight would you give to other business leaders?
Um, well, I, I think it was similar to, to what I was just talking about. I think it's have mutual respect for each other. I think it's enjoy what you're doing and don't think of it as a chore, but rather than a blessing that you, you have a job. It's really perspective. Everything in life is perspective. If I focus on, oh, I have to go to work, I have to do this, I have to do this, do that, then that's kind of the way your day goes. But if you're like, I'm grateful I have a job, that I'm healthy enough to do this job, I love the people that are around me most of the time, and, uh, um, then you enjoy it more. Your life is just happier.
You know, that is so insightful, uh, especially the gratitude that you're talking about. Um, so many people, they look at the negative side of their job, for example. And I know that one of the things that I would do when I wasn't necessarily happy in a particular position is I would write a gratitude list of what I was grateful to about the job. So it might not be anything that I'm enjoying about the job, but hey, you know, it pays the bills, it gives me health insurance, etc., etc. So then that changes your mindset. And is that, that what you're getting at as well?
Yeah, gratitude and service are really— it's really my mantra nowadays. I really focus on those two things more than anything else. And I think having a grateful spirit, appreciating what's in front of you and enjoying the ride is way more important than the end goal. And I think if you focus on that and live a life of service and helping other people, getting out of your closed small little world and focusing on the bigger picture is, is just a, it's a better way to live.
Absolutely. Great, great insight. Question number 5: What other business leader like yourself would you like to acknowledge and invite to be on the podcast?
You know, I was thinking about this a little bit, and I think I have a great one, and it would be my coach, and his name is David Essel, and he's a, like, a 14-time bestselling author and Um, he, he's done quite a number of things, hosted a radio show for 40 years, and he's a great guy. I think you would really enjoy him and get a lot of— you and your listeners would get a lot of insight from him.
Oh, it sounds like it. I really look forward to reaching out to him. Thank you for that referral. And our final question, question number 6: please tell me about your first job.
My very first job, besides working with my grandfather and father and at their company, when I was a young kid was I was 13 or 14, I can't remember because I'm creeping up on 50 here. But my first job was I was doing telemarketing for a Chamber of Commerce. And I remember my speech and everything. Hi, this is Dennis calling from the Maplewood Chamber of Commerce. I'm calling in hopes that you'd be kind enough to please leave a $30 donation for— And you know, we would just go down the phone book because we have phone books back then. And just start dialing, dialing, dialing. And I learned about a lot about people and about myself, you know. I learned to not take the rejection so personally. And, and God, you know, every once in a while, because I had a lot of hang-ups, but every once in a while you get a sale. And, you know, the, the uplifting spirit you get when you get a sale is just— there's nothing like it. So, you know, it kind of brought me into my business mind in the world that I live in today. And I'm grateful I had that job. It didn't last long. If I remember, I don't think it lasted more than a couple months, but at the most, but it really, it stuck in my brain that, you know, just keep dialing, keep dialing, keep trying, don't give up. You know, before the episode we were talking, it's like, how are things going? You know, I had a medical procedure last week and it's been cloudy all week. And you know, when you get like that, your spirits get a little down. And it's important to remember, it's like the tough times don't last and neither do the good times. Like everything changes and it's focus on the good. Next week's going to be a better week. Today is going to be a better day than it was yesterday. So I learned a lot from that job and, um, I think I carry those lessons into today.
And that's great. You learned that there at a 13, 14-year-old. And, uh, you know, as you describe it, that great story and stuff, it, you know, and not getting too high and not getting too low about what's going on. It's just focus on the present, live in the present. Is that, you know, I think that that's so important because, you know, what happened in the past is in the past, and when it happens in the future, we don't know yet, and it's not guaranteed. So why, you know, take advantage of what's going on right now?
I love that. Yeah, staying in the present is really such an integral piece of, you know, any type of inner peace and success that you're looking for. All the guilt and shame and remorse and sadness and hurt or whatever can't change one minute of the past. And we might not be here tomorrow. So it's really like, enjoy the present. And it's just that, it's a gift, it's a present. Just like stay where you, I had an old-timer once tell me years ago when I was growing up in my mind, over the last 20 years. And he said, Dennis, stay where your feet are. My feet are here right now. This is what I can control right now. Let's focus on where I am right now and what I can do right now in my little bubble.
That's a great, great way to sum that up. I love that. Thank you. And Dennis, thank you so much for being on the show. How can people find you?
Best way for buy my book or listen to my podcast, the Funky Brain Podcast, everything from DennisBerry.com. You can also schedule a free coaching session with me and we'll just chat for a little while. See if you enjoy that. But from there, there's everything, you know, the blogs, the books, the podcasts, and a little extra information. And of course, I launched Life Mastery School too, which is a series of free videos similar to Life Masterclass where I'm doing a bunch of videos on, um, and it's all free— addiction recovery, love and relationships, health and wellness. Please come check it out at the website at dennisbarry.com.
Perfect. This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast. Get hundreds of amazing business insights from previous guest episodes on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening.
