Elena Cardone Says Understanding the Mind Was Key to Building Her Empire

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a recent appearance on the Define Success - The Vlad Experience podcast, Elena Cardone described the internal struggles behind building a global business empire. She explained how understanding the source of her reactions changed how she approached challenges and the decisions that shaped her life and business.

"I had to let go of self-doubt, fear and self-sabotage. I became more stable and calm, which shifted how I show up every day," Cardone said.

Cardone's experience reflects a broader challenge among entrepreneurs. A Startup Snapshot report found that 72% of founders reported an impact on their mental health, while 81% said they weren't really open about their stress, fears and challenges.

For Cardone, transformation wasn't about avoiding the challenges of building an empire. It was about changing how she responded to them.

"The people who actually build something have a threshold for pain," Cardone said. "They don't let the pain stop them. They fight through it, and that's what separates the ones who make it."

Cardone points to the resource behind her turnaround: Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard.

"That's why I recommend reading Dianetics," she said. "No one teaches us anything about the mind, but this book actually does."

Since its publication in 1950, Dianetics has offered readers a framework for understanding the mind and the reactions that influence behavior. The book describes two distinct aspects of the mind: the analytical mind, which reasons and makes decisions, and the reactive mind, where painful experiences can be stored and later influence emotions and behavior.

Understanding that distinction was a turning point for Cardone in learning to respond to setbacks rather than react to them.

"Your mindset will make you, or it will break you," she said.

For Cardone, understanding her mind isn't something she considers finished. It remains a foundation she continues to build on and why she keeps pointing people back to Dianetics—the book that changed how she responds to life.

Established in 1981, Bridge Publications, Inc., located in Los Angeles, California, is the publisher of the nonfiction works of international best-selling author L. Ron Hubbard. Bridge Publications' award-winning state-of-the-art facility serves geographic regions including North and Latin America, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

For more information, visit dianetics.org.

Sara Lucatero
Bridge Publications, Inc.
sdinges@bridgepub.com

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Elena Cardone

New data shows most founders say entrepreneurship takes a toll on mental health. Elena Cardone credits Dianetics with transforming her approach to success.