Episode Details

Thank you The Bathrobe Guy (Robes) 👘, Mother Hood, Outtamydamnmind, Brandon Ellrich, Hillary Marek, Outtamydamnmind, and many others for tuning into my live video with Kate @ Sorted State! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Kate Vanness-Kandoth is the creator of Sorted State. This home-and-life organization platform blends professional productivity tools with real-world family life to help overwhelmed parents reclaim their time and energy. Drawing on a background in scientific and analytical work, she translates workplace methods like LEAN and 5S into practical, compassionate systems that make homes easier to run and daily routines less stressful.

Through her Substack publication, podcast, and video content, Kate offers step-by-step action plans, mindset shifts, and simple experiments that support sustainable organization without perfectionism.​

Scarcity Mindset - Let’s Get Real

The Zero-Sum Game. You know what drives me crazy? After 38 years in the Army Corps, I’ve watched too many leaders act like there’s only one promotion, one win, one piece of pie left. They genuinely believe that if someone else succeeds, they lose. It’s like watching grown adults fight over the last MRE when there’s literally a supply truck pulling up behind them.

Fear-Based Decision Making: These folks hoard everything: information, opportunities, and credit. They won’t teach their people anything useful because God forbid someone might actually get good at their job. I’ve seen entire units rot from the inside because the commander couldn’t stomach anyone else getting a pat on the back.

The Bunker Mentality. They’re constantly playing defense. Every conversation is about protecting their little kingdom. Have you ever been in a meeting where everyone’s just protecting their turf instead of solving the actual problem? It’s like being stuck on guard duty forever with no relief, exhausting and pointless.

Abundant Mindset - Now We’re Talking

Rising Tides Lift All Boats. Here’s the thing: when you lead engineers through impossible projects, you figure out fast that everyone winning means you win bigger. Share what you know. Build your people up. Celebrate when they nail it. Your success doesn’t shrink because theirs grows.

Strategic Resource Deployment: Think of it this way, you’re not giving stuff away, you’re investing. Every person you help, every opportunity you create, you’re building something bigger, like infrastructure projects; the whole community benefits, including you.

Energy Leadership in Action. This connects directly to that energy work I talk about. When you operate from abundance, you can literally feel the shift in the room. People lean in. They engage. They bring their best. And before someone rolls their eyes - this isn’t touchy-feely nonsense. You can measure it in performance metrics, retention rates, and project success.

The Practical Shift Here’s your homework: Stop asking “What’s in it for me?” Start asking “How do we all win?” That’s not being soft - that’s the thinking that wins wars, builds bridges, and creates leaders people actually want to follow.

The Essentials Books

Clear, J