How to Reprogram Your Subconscious Mind for Peak Performance
"All behavior and all change is subconscious. If change was a conscious process, everybody would have what they want."
In this episode of The Axel Axe Show, we sit down with world-renowned hypnotherapist and stage hypnotist Glenn Rottmann. We explore the deep-seated "identity traps" that keep high-performers, artists, and entrepreneurs from reaching their full potential.
Glenn breaks down how our minds are programmed before the age of eight and how those early patterns—whether about money, love, or self-worth—continue to run our lives in the background like outdated software. If you've ever felt like you're "one check away from the poor house" or that you aren't "built" for success, this episode is a manual for your mind.
Your Brain is an Old Operating System: How to Update Your Subconscious for Peak Performance
We all know the feeling of a "stalled" project. You have the best gear, a multi-camera 8K setup, and a clear vision—but something internally just won’t click. In my recent conversation with Glenn Rottmann, a world-renowned hypnotherapist, I realized that the "block" isn't in our schedules or our gear. It’s in our software.
Glenn’s core message is simple but chilling: "All behavior and all change is subconscious. If change was a conscious process, everybody would already have what they want."
Here are the four "mindset updates" from our episode that will change the way you look at your goals and your identity.
The 8-Year-Old Filter
Most of us believe we are making logical, adult decisions. Glenn argues otherwise. He explains that until about the age of eight, we lack a "critical filter." We are essentially sponges, soaking up every belief our parents and caregivers have about money, love, and failure.
If your mother told you, "We are one check away from the poor house," that phrase might still be running in the background of your mind today, even if your bank account is full. You aren’t acting on current reality; you’re acting on an 8-year-old’s interpretation of fear.
2. The Humility Trap
During our interview, Glenn caught me in a "micro-moment." I dismissed a compliment about my work with a humble shrug. He immediately pointed it out: "That movement was you dismissing your own talent."
For many of us, especially those raised to "stay humble," we confuse confidence with arrogance. Glenn suggests that true confidence is just certainty. When you have a vision, the more certain you are, the more people will want to join you on that ride. Dismissing your own greatness isn't humble—it’s a limitation that prevents others from believing in your vision.
3. Creating from Vision, Not Circumstances
The biggest trap creators fall into is making decisions based on "Today’s Circumstances."
“I can’t buy that lens because I don’t have the client yet.”
“I can’t call myself a director because I don’t have an award on the wall.”
Glenn’s fix? Flip the GPS. If you wait for the award to feel like a director, you’ll never do the work required to win it. You must create from the vision of the finished product. Your subconscious needs to believe the Emmy is already on the shelf so that your actions align with that reality today.
Write down exactly what a "Beautiful Life" looks like for you.
"Not a perfect life—a beautiful one. Read it back the next day. If you don't believe it's possible for you, that’s where your work begins."
4. The "Deep Rest" of Hypnosis
We often think of hypnosis as a stage trick, but Glenn uses it as a "meditative hack" to reach the Alpha brainwave state—the place where the mind is hyper-suggestible and ready for change.
In a powerful moment during the show, Glenn led me through a visualization where I saw my "creative screen" expanding until it had no edges. That feeling of "nothing needs to be done" is where the best art is born. It’s the difference between "fighting" for a result and "allowing" it to happen.
Watch the full episode with Glenn Rottmann on YouTube to experience the guided visualization for yourself and learn how to break the "Victim Mentality" installed by the world around you.
