There have been a few pivotal moments that helped shape Nick Santonastasso’s life. The first was surviving his birth and the way his parents handled that time in their lives. 

You see, Santonastasso was born with Hanhart syndrome. In fact, his was only the 12th case of the condition diagnosed in the world. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, the syndrome is “characterized by a short, incompletely developed tongue; absent or partially missing fingers and/or toes; malformed arms and/or legs; and an extremely small jaw (micrognathia).” 

His parents found out about his syndrome when his mom was in her third trimester. His father was told that eight people out of the 11 previous cases of Hanhart syndrome had died.  

“I’ve never met anyone with [Hanhart syndrome],’’ Santonastasso told “Today” in 2014. “Sometimes I wish I was normal, to be honest. Then I look at what I’m doing and how many people I’m inspiring, and I am pleased with what I’m doing.”

The second pivotal moment in Santonastasso’s life was when he went to his first Mastermind Group meeting. 

“I was exposed to a new career opportunity,” he says. “And meeting my business partner/brother from another mother led us to seven years touring the world impacting over 1 million people live from the stage.”

The third pivotal moment came when his brother passed away from a drug overdose. 

“That pushed me to master psychology and human behavior to help those who are suffering like my brother did,” he says. 

Transforming the audience

Santonastasso will be a keynote speaker at IMEX America 2023, Oct. 17-19 in Las Vegas. The audience can expect a session that is based on transformation, not just information. 

“I’ve designed three breakthrough exercises that are designed to show the audience patterns that are unconscious—that are limiting them—so they can strip power away from the behaviors that don’t serve them,” Santonastasso says. “They will also experience some amazing stories that will take them on an emotional roller coaster of self-discovery.”

Santonastasso is an author, entrepreneur and philanthropist who is certified in hypnosis, neuro-linguistic programming and Time Line Therapy®. He is also an expert on neuroplasticity and has spent the last five years studying human behavior and psychology. 

His goals during his talks are to help professionals be better leaders and to perform at an optimal level by getting rid of excuses. He shares step-by-step approaches to that help audience members gain more confidence, improve their health and find their true purpose in order to live a fulfilling life. 

Santonastasso’s keynote sessions are often uplifting, optimistic and full of positivity. This creates some transformative experiences for him while speaking to audiences.

“One experience I had was a 65-year-old woman who stated she feels inadequate or not enough,” he says. “I was able to redirect her focus to all the evidence that she was adequate and enough. She had a breakthrough in front of the whole room, which cheered and loved on her, solidifying the belief that she was more than enough.”

 These days, being optimistic and positive is a challenge for some people. Santonastasso, though, offers some habits he follows that can help you achieve a more optimistic and positive lifestyle.  

For one, he focuses on what he has and on the things he can control. He only gives energy to desirable outcomes and reflects backwards on all that he’s achieved and accomplished.  

“[I’m also] nurturing my body with exercise and healthy food,” he says. “[And] feeding my mind with empowering content.” 

Confidence and self-esteem

Santonastasso says the one human behavior that surprises him the most, even though it’s not surprising considering how our brains work, is our inability to create and focus on desirable outcomes.

“The brain is designed to keep you safe, so most humans are always expecting things to fail,” he says. “They focus on what they don’t have more than focusing on what they do have, and they struggle with a few other focus patterns [that] we are covering in the session live.” 

“[Be] conscious of the things you say and think about yourself. Would you date the person that lives inside your head?”

One reason people expect things to fail is because they lack confidence in their abilities or have low self-esteem. Santonastasso offers a few strategies for anyone struggling with these issues. 

He suggests following through on the promises you make with yourself. This gives your brain evidence that you do what you say, and you don’t negotiate with your goals. Also, distancing yourself from negative people, including negative family or friends, is a massive step to self-love and esteem. 

Santonastasso says you should also commit to learning more about yourself and identifying/healing traumas from your past.

“[Be] conscious of the things you say and think about yourself,” he says. “Would you date the person that lives inside your head?”