The Art of Authenticity

An Authentic Goodbye, A Soulful Hello Apr 20, 2023

Come say hello to Laura on her new show, Soul School. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soul-school/id1680423580 In this final episode of Art of Authenticity, Laura Coe is interviewed by friend, Kevin Kaiser. Laura reflects on 236 episodes and 7 years of stories. Listen as Laura reflects and revels over the beautiful conversations she will be sad to say goodbye to. Excitingly, listeners can look to future hellos. Laura and Kevin are proud to introduce a new podcast, Soul School. Come check it out as Laura begins a new journey diving deeper into authenticity.

Danielle LaPorte: How to be Loving Feb 11, 2023

In this episode, Danielle LaPorte, best-selling author, joins us again to talk about; what love is, her path to mysticism, and balancing the experience of being genuinely happy alongside the fear and emotions of the world. In our conversation, everything comes back to love.

Danielle LaPorte is the creator of the Heart-Centered Membership and the Heart Centered Leadership Program with 400+ leaders in 30 countries hosting conversation circles, retreats, and workshops in all kinds of communities and businesses.

This most recent book, How To Be Loving…when your heart is breaking open and the world is waking up, is also an Audiobook + ebook, with a companion Journal. Danielle is also the author of The Fire Starter Sessions, White Hot Truth, and The Desire Map, and producer of dozens of meditation kits and online programs for spiritual support.

Rupert Spira: You Are the Happiness You Seek Oct 02, 2022

In this episode, Rupert Spira, teacher, spiritual leader, and writer, teaches us about the nature of reality and the source of lasting peace and happiness. He explains the direct path and non-dual philosophy. As well as, elaborating on his latest book, You Are The Happiness You Seek.

After spending twenty years immersed in the teachings of classical Advaita Vedanta, he met his teacher, Francis Lucille, who introduced him to the Direct Path approach whereby one may recognise the source of peace and happiness in oneself.

Rupert has written several books and holds regular meetings and retreats online, as well as in Europe and the United States. He is also a noted potter, trained in the British Studio Pottery school, with work in public and private collections. www.rupertspira.com

Josh Trent: Discover Physical & Emotional Intelligence To Thrive In Our Modern World Aug 30, 2022

Josh Trent is the Founder of Wellness Force Media and host of the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast. Josh has spent the past 19+ years as a trainer, researcher, and facilitator discovering the physical and emotional intelligence for humans to thrive in our modern world. The Wellness Force Media Mission is to help humans heal mental, emotional and physical health through podcasts, programs, and a global community that believe in optimizing our potential to live life well. After publishing over 400 high-level interviews with some of the most respected minds in the health, wellness, and self-help industries, Josh has been spotlighted in major wellness media outlets such as Onnit, Spartan, SEALFIT, and Paleo f(x). Josh holds a C.E.S certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and is the creator of the BREATHE | Breath & Wellness Program.

Cal Callahan: Unlearning Our Cultural Programming May 31, 2022

On the show today is Cal Callahan, a retired trader, who also hosts The Great Unlearn podcast and runs Unlearn Ventures — an investment fund and incubator for forward-thinking projects. Through The Great Unlearn Podcast, Cal shares conversations with some of the world’s leading experts & performers to help men and women unlearn their way into a new way of being. You can find him at www.thegreatunlearn.com

Annemarie Chereso: Discovering Your Truth with Conscious Parenting May 17, 2022

In this episode, Annmarie Chereso comes on the show to talk about taking out the fear in conscious parenting. For almost two decades Annmarie has taught and spoken at schools and universities, facilitated workshops and trainings for teachers and coached adults and young people. In 2015, she co-hosted Chicago’s first Conscious Parenting Summit featuring international speaker Dr. Shefali Tsabary and Conscious Leadership Group co-founder Jim Dethmer. In 2019, Annmarie published her first children’s book and is currently working on her newest book. You can find her at annmariechereso.me

Kevin Kaiser: Unlock Your Purpose May 03, 2022

Kevin Kaiser—a good friend—joins us on the show to talk about how to unlock, discover, and uncover your purpose. For 25 years, Kevin's worked with some of the world's top-leading perfomers—from New York Times bestselling authors to Grammy award winning musicians—and yet, despite their external success, he realized they all struggle internally. Now, using a blend of psychology, somatic practices, and rites of passage, he helps people deepen their relationship to themselves, and live their truest, most soul-infused lives. You can find him at kevinkaiser.co

Laura Coe: On Love, On Spirituality, and On Finding Deeper Purpose Mar 25, 2022

Laura Coe is interviewed (yup that's me) on her story over the last 4 years on love, her new book series, and her latest passion, the Akashic Records. She shares her story through a reverse interview with good friend, Kevin Keiser, on how she discovered a deep connection to spirituality, more authenticity, and more of what she loves!

Kute Blackson: The Magic of Surrender May 10, 2021

Kute joins us to discuss his newest book, The Magic of Surrender. Learn why surrendering brings more into your life, not less. Why surrendering can open doors, not close them. And how surrendering can bring about a life that you could never have believed possible. It is a topic that I love, practice, and have found essential to my growth!

Bryan Reeves: Choose Her Every Day or (Leave Her) Apr 23, 2021

Bryan Reeves, relationship ninja, with 30 Million Readers has released his second book, Choose Her Every Day or (Leave Her), comes on the show to talk about relationships. We go over a few of the essays in his new book, which includes 7 years of articles from his experiences, to help you learn how to improve your relationships.

In 2010, at age 36, while going through yet another agonizing breakup, Bryan had an epiphany: He knew nothing useful about how to do intimate relationship well. In that moment of painful realization he vowed to never suck at intimacy again. Thus began an extraordinary journey into the realms of love, sex, relationship. In summer 2015, with already legions of readers all over the world following his adventures, his essay “Choose Her Every Day (Or Leave Her)” went viral, exploding to over a million readers daily. This book (which includes that essay) is Bryan’s anthology of stories, insights, practical tools, and secrets (that should never be secrets!) to help guide you on your own journey to thriving in love and intimacy.

His Mission: To Serve the World one Awakened Man, one Illuminated Woman, one Thriving Relationship at a Time.

Marci Shimoff: Love and Happiness for No Reason Dec 10, 2020

Marci Shimoff is a #1 NY Times bestselling author, a world-renowned transformational teacher, and an expert on happiness, success and unconditional love. Her NY Times bestselling books Happy for No Reason, Love for No Reason and six titles in the Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul series have sold more than 16 million copies and are translated in 33 languages. She’s also a featured teacher in The Secret and narrator of the award-winning movie, Happy. She currently co-leads a global online program called Your Year of Miracles to help people live more miraculous lives.

B. Jeffery Madoff: Creative Careers: How to Make a Living with Your Ideas Oct 18, 2020

B. Jeffrey Madoff is a director, photographer, writer, and professor in New York City. He joins us to talk about his new book Creative Careers, How to Make Living with Your Ideas.

He is the founder and CEO of Madoff Productions, a film production company that creates award-winning branded content. Madoff is a sought after speaker and has lectured at NYU Steinhardt, F.I.T., Google Next, Wharton School, NC State & SXSW in Brazil, Verizon and Barclay’s RISE. In addition to his film and public speaking engagements, Madoff's articles are widely distributed and have appeared online in Huffington Post and other major publications. He has written and is the Executive Producer of a play about Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Legend Lloyd Price which premiers in May of 2021 at People’s Light Theater.

Madoff has been a featured speaker at Wharton School, NYU Steinhardt, North Carolina State, SXSW Brazil, Vision Summit, Rise: Barclay's Bank Accelerator, XRB Labs, Mastermind Group, Google Next and many others.

Dr. Margaret Paul, PhD: Empower Yourself To Heal Within Aug 12, 2020

DR. MARGARET PAUL is a bestselling author, popular MindBodyGreen writer and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® self-healing process, and the related SelfQuest® self-healing online program - recommended by author Marci Shimoff, actress Lindsay Wagner and singer Alanis Morissette. Margaret has worked with thousands of people to help them heal through her inner bonding system, and she has even appeared on Oprah. I have practiced the inner bonding system and found it to be a game-changer in my life. If you struggle with quieting those internal dialogs, repeating patterns that don't result in the life you wish for, or find you have a lot of anxieties or depression that therapy and other modalities haven't solved then check out this episode.

On The Nature of Love Jul 13, 2020

Love is a state. It is an offering of the self at the highest level. We ask back from love and we are disappointed. We love. We give our love. Love comes back because someone loves and gives love. The desire to take love back and get love creates tension.

Give love. And receive it when it is offered. Separate the gift of love from the offering of love. Give love as much as you can. It doesn’t run dry. Receive love when it is offered.

You offer your love. Someone doesn’t use it or value it or care for it. It is no longer yours when you give it to someone else. It is now theirs. The love is exhaled into the world and new love is always returned. Whoever inhaled the love you released is now the owner of that love, but it is like counting molecules in the air and claiming which ones belong to you and which ones belong to another. They all belong to the divine. Air is infinite, and so is love. They may not treat the love they received with joy or value, but that reflects their own relationship to love. It is not a reflection of the love you offered to them, just a reflection on how they experience love. If they love themselves a little, they will accept the love you offer a little. If they don’t love themselves at all, well then, they will throw away “your love,” but know it is not yours. Love belongs to the universe. It is within us; it is us; and it will always be. It is not my love and your love; it is simply love.

Discover How to Systematically Listen to Your Truth Jul 08, 2020

All of us have a guided intuition. It comes in the sense of “I need to call a friend” or “I need to make a change”—and really, we can just feel it. But most of us, most of the time, are disconnected from that sense. It’s there, it’s inside us, and it’s always been inside us—but sometimes, it’s hard to stay connected to it, because life is busy, we aren’t paying attention, and even when we do listen, it’s elusive. And most of the time, it can be hard to know what the next steps are—and how, exactly, we can live a deeply authentic life. But for those of us that are committed to living an authentic life (meaning—a life that’s filled with joy, a life that’s lived from our truths, and a life that aligns with who we are), I’ve been really lucky to discover something. And that discovery, simply, is the Akashic Records—a way to systematically listen to your truth.

Best of 2019 Jacqueline Sinclair: Art, Personal Balance, and Jazz Jan 09, 2020

In this episode of the Art of Authenticity, we are joined by the wonderful Jacqueline Sinclair! Jacqueline is the Artist Director at Joel Hall Dancers in Chicago and has pursued a life in dance as long as she can remember. We chat all about her journey to this point and the decisions she made along the way that have defined her. We also talk about finding the passion for dance in high school and her early and instinctual attraction to jazz.

Jacqueline repeatedly says that from that age she ‘just knew’ that dance is what she wanted to do and had to find a way to make this a reality. This ‘knowing’ that she refers to is difficult to pinpoint but is also something ever-present in her life. She does identify the intuitive feeling and the influence that the act of dancing had on this intuition and she had serious epiphanies while actually dancing, accessing trance-like states and what she calls her sweaty realizations. For a tremendously inspiring conversation, be sure to join us!

Best of 2019 Paul Jarvis: Company of One Jan 07, 2020

In this episode of the Art of Authenticity, we are joined by Paul Jarvis, the author of the new book, Company of One. Paul has worked for himself and by himself for the last twenty years and is a strong believer that smaller businesses are the way of the future.

His writing has been talked about by everyone from Ashton Kutcher to Arianna Huffington. He’s worked with clients, such as Microsoft, Danielle LaPorte, Mercedes-Benz, Marie Forleo and Warner Music. His ideas and words have been featured in WIRED, Fast Company, Vice, USA Today and more.

Best of 2019: Silvy Khoucasain: Love with Integrity Jan 07, 2020

Today we have a really special show in store for you! We welcome relationship coach Silvy Khoucasian to share her expertise and personal work with relationships. Silvy has her masters degree in psychology and is particularly interested and specializes in attachment and boundaries and how codependency arises in relationships. She helps clients to show up and stay authentic with their partners, a balance that most people will find to be a constant challenge, even with the best intentions.

Best of 2019 Neil Pasricha: Happiness Equation Jan 02, 2020

Leadership Keynote Speaker, Bestselling Author, Positive Psychology Researcher. Neil Pasricha helps people live happy lives.

He is a top-rated leadership keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and positive psychology researcher focused on the relationship between happiness and leadership in business.

His work has been featured in hundreds of outlets including CNN, BBC, The Today Show, The Early Show, The Oprah Winfrey Network, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Fortune, and Forbes

Dominick Quartuccio: Helping High Performers with Burnout Nov 06, 2019

On today’s podcast, we welcome international speaker, author and executive coach, Dominick Quartuccio. He exchanged his 15-year corporate career in financial services for his passion, which is helping people to design futures that they can be excited about! In this episode, Dominick gets candid about his past struggles with sexual addiction, describing how repressed emotions as a young boy eventually created a fracture in his identity, causing conflict between his public and private life. He talks about the terrifying experience of vulnerability when someone sees beyond that which is protected to the outside world and the role that genuine acceptance has played in helping him to remain authentic. We pivot to a discussion about the dangers of drifting, how to recognize when you are stuck in this state and what to do to get yourself back in alignment with your authentic self and living the life of your conscious choosing. For more on all these facets of self-development, check out his podcast Man Amongst Men and be sure to join us for this conversation!

Silvy Khoucasian: Love with Integrity Jul 29, 2019

Today we have a really special show in store for you! We welcome relationship coach Silvy Khoucasian to share her expertise and personal work with relationships. Silvy has her masters degree in psychology and is particularly interested and specializes in attachment and boundaries and how codependency arises in relationships. She helps clients to show up and stay authentic with their partners, a balance that most people will find to be a constant challenge, even with the best intentions.

Hamilton Souther: Explore Consciousness with a Master Shaman Jun 15, 2019

Hamilton has spent the better part of the last twenty years traveling inward and outward, exploring the Amazon and his and the greater consciousness and spirit. His tour company, Blue Morpho, offers spiritual journeys by way of plant medicines and is situated deep in the jungles of Peru. In our conversation, we cover all things shamanic, mystic and spiritual and Hamilton deftly articulates the sensitive and particular components of these concepts and his work. From assisting with addiction and depression to communicating with guides and energies, we cover it all!

Michelle Tillis Lederman: The Connector's Advantage May 13, 2019

Michelle Lederman has just released her new book The Connector’s Advantage: 7 Mindsets to Grow Your Influence and Impact. Named by Forbes as one of the 25 networking experts to watch. She’s a former NYU professor who has since made her mark as an accomplished speaker, trainer, coach and, of course, esteemed author. Her passion is really to help individuals and organizations build better relationships and achieve greater results through her company, Executive Essentials. Michelle has worked with an array of big-name organizations of all kinds, has been featured in The New York Times, and she’s here today to advise us on implementing the most important networking skills that she has learned over the years. Michelle shares with us what it means to be a connector, the different type of connectors, how we are to approach our networks and the mindsets that are required to become better at relationships on all levels. This thought-provoking conversation is guaranteed to pique your interest, so don’t miss out on this one!

Cal Callahan: Wall Street to Spiritual Warrior Apr 22, 2019

Today we are so lucky and happy to have an old friend on the show, Cal Callahan! Cal is here to talk about his authentic life and the journey that he has been on. He has worked on Wall Street, coached and owned an athletic team, and left it all to explore spirituality. Cal will be the first to admit that he has been through trials and tribulations on his life’s path, but wouldn’t have it any other way. We speak a lot about following your truth and intuition and becoming a spiritual warrior in the fight for authenticity. He has such a beautiful story and his honesty and openness will simply blow you away.

Mastery of Self Apr 01, 2019

In this episode, we are tackling the subject of self mastery and this means we are talking about getting down to knowing the authentic you, under all the guises and personas we have in society. Knowing your authentic self means understanding your self worth and knowing your truth and this in turn can lead to mastery of the things that you authentically want and need. What are you currently mastering in your internal dialogue? You could be mastering the hero and the victim, or fear. Are you mastering the art of feeling like an imposter? All too many of us are on a journey where we are mastering things that are not in alignment with our truth, success, and fulfillment. We need to get to a point where we can see under the mask to the ever present force within us, only then will we be able to make decisions and take actions that serve this real part of each of us. For this and more thoughts on the matter, tune in!

Dr. Frankie Bashan: How to Find Authentic Love Mar 14, 2019

On the show today we are joined by Dr. Frankie Bashan, psychologist, matchmaker and relationship guru! She has over 20 years of experience working with couples and individuals and has managed to find her calling and passion in a life devoted to helping others to find love. Her company, Little Gay Book, serves the lesbian and bisexual community but you better believe that the ideas she shares on the show are applicable to everyone! Dr. Frankie is so honest and hilarious as she tells us about her early pull towards matchmaking and how she found her father a new partner when she was just 14-years-old! In our conversation we dive into online dating, setting up her business, balance, vulnerability and she offers a strong message about the powers of hope and love. For this beautiful and inspiring chat, be sure to join us!

Jacqueline Sinclair: Art, Personal Balance, Spirituality and Jazz Feb 13, 2019

In this episode of the Art of Authenticity we are joined by the wonderful Jacqueline Sinclair! Jacqueline is the Artist Director at Joel Hall Dancers in Chicago and has pursued a life in dance as long as she can remember. We chat all about her journey to this point and the decisions she made along the way that have defined her. We also talk about finding the passion for dance in high school and her early and instinctual attraction to jazz.

Jacqueline repeatedly says that from that age she ‘just knew’ that dance is what she wanted to do and had to find a way to make this a reality. This ‘knowing’ that she refers to is difficult to pinpoint but is also something ever present in her life. She does identify the intuitive feeling and the influence that the act of dancing had on this intuition and she had serious epiphanies while actually dancing, accessing trance-like states and what she calls her sweaty realizations. For a tremendously inspiring conversation, be sure to join us!

Neil Pasricha: The Happiness Equation Jan 20, 2019

Leadership Keynote Speaker, Bestselling Author, Positive Psychology Researcher. Neil Pasricha helps people live happy lives.

He is a top-rated leadership keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and positive psychology researcher focused on the relationship between happiness and leadership in business.

His work has been featured in hundreds of outlets including CNN, BBC, The Today Show, The Early Show, The Oprah Winfrey Network, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Fortune, and Forbes

Paul Jarvis: Company of One Jan 10, 2019

In this episode of the Art of Authenticity, we are joined by Paul Jarvis, the author of the new book, Company of One. Paul has worked for himself and by himself for the last twenty years and is a strong believer that smaller businesses are the way of the future.

His writing has been talked about by everyone from Ashton Kutcher to Arianna Huffington. He’s worked with clients, such as Microsoft, Danielle LaPorte, Mercedes-Benz, Marie Forleo and Warner Music. His ideas and words have been featured in WIRED, Fast Company, Vice, USA Today and more.

2019 Kick of the New Year Authentically Jan 01, 2019

Join me in an experiment to find your authentic truth and begin the New Year more honestly, more aligned with your deeper desires, and on the path towards a life that is both successful and authentic!

The Other Side To Finding Peace May 15, 2018

Today on the show we are joined by Nadja Pinnavaia, founder of Euphebe Healthcare. She is here to talk to us about how we can really change our lives by the way we eat. Prior to founding Euphebe, Nadja was an undergraduate student in Chemistry from King’s London College. She gained her Ph.D in Quantum Chemistry from Saint Catherine’s College in Cambridge, and then went on to become managing director at Goldman Sachs. Nadja has certainly got the education, the background, and a ton of amazing accomplishments under her belt. However, because of a personal experience dealing with cancer in her family, Nadja decided to switch her focus to food; why it matters, why it can really change your life, and how it impacts our health and wellness.

Kate Swoboda: The Courage Habit May 01, 2018

On today’s show, we have Kate Swoboda joining us. In this episode, we are going to talk about courage, how to accept your fears, release the past, and live your most courageous life. A lot of people want to step forward and live a more authentic life, and Kate shares with us how courage plays a very large role in that experience. She lays it out in incredible detail, with a four-part process that she believes will help you step into the life that feels right for you. Kate has been featured in MindBodyGreen, Entrepreneur, USA Today, Forbes, and many other publications.

Mike Bundrant: A Model To Live More Authentically Mar 29, 2018

Most of us want to live an authentic life. But while the idea feels appealing, the realities of finding such a life can be quite elusive. Tune in to hear Mike Bundrant discuss the VAK model and how it can help you practice living more authentically.

Amy Owen: How You Can Change Your Life Just By Changing Your Breath Mar 06, 2018

In a few minutes a day, you can dramatically change you life. Learn how from one of Chicago's premier yoga teachers.

Amy Owen: Why We Need To Listen To Our Heart Brain Feb 28, 2018

Amy is a mother of three, a birth doula, a retreat leader, a yoga instructor at Yoga View in Chicago City, and has been practicing meditation since the ripe year of 1986. In this episode we discuss what meditation is, the benefits of meditation and what exactly happens to our mind when we do it. Amy explains the difference between the head brain and the heart brain and how meditation aims to strengthen the heart brain, which is growing progressively weaker with the demands of busy western life. Amy also shares one of her favorite mantra’s and invites us to try out one of her favorite simple meditations that you can start doing today.

The Science of Happiness Feb 20, 2018

Shawn Achor, positive psychologist and author of, The Happiness Advantage, researched the science behind happiness. Why are some people happier? Today, I breakdown the top misconceptions on how to feel happier. With this understanding, you can start to approach happiness from a different angle and find the contentment and joy you desire.

Bryan Reeves: On Communication in Relationship, Avoid The Death Gap Feb 13, 2018

Do you feel that communication breaks down in your relationships and you aren't certain why? Perhaps you have falled into the Death Gap. Listen in to hear how to close the gap, improve communication, and get back to enjoying the one you love.

Feel Empowered in Every Moment Jan 30, 2018

Learn about my favorite word, surrender. I battled it out with this word for years. I thought it meant I was giving up, letting go of my goals, even being weak. Nothing could be further from the truth. Check out this eposide to learn more about surrender and how it actually can be the most empowering word in your life!

Power Of Now: Acceptance and Inner Peace in the New Year Jan 23, 2018

Everyone wants to feel more happy, but the ways in which we seek happiness are the reason we never find it. Tune in to learn a simple shift in perspective and have that inner calm you seek.

2018 Sneak Preview: New Year. New Season. Jan 17, 2018

Welcome Back! 2018. After some time off, we have re-imagined the podcast in reply to comments from you. This year will be all about taking authentic living to the next level. More expert advice - all about how to make the changes you seek in your daily lives! tune in to hear more...

Dr. Sharad Paul: Hacking Our Genetic Codes To Become The Best Version Of Ourselves Nov 14, 2017

Today on the show, we welcome Dr. Sharad Paul. Dr. Paul is a world-renowned geneticist and thought leader on the topic of genetics. Dr. Paul has discovered how to tap into genes to figure out who we really are, what makes us tick and how we can hack our own genetic codes to become the best version of ourselves. He is also the author of The Genetics Of Health, a book he wrote to help us take charge of our health by understanding the connection between our evolutionary past and our future wellbeing.

Jake Eagle: Authentic Relationships, How to Have One Nov 07, 2017

Today on the show we are joined by Jake Eagle. Jake is actually a licensed Psychotherapist for 25 years and now he coaches and mentors individuals and couples. He and his wife, Hannah, have created books, online courses, retreats, and programs. Hannah practiced classical Homeopathy for twenty years in New Mexico and now she provides alternative health consultations. Jake and Hannah have been happily married since 1993 and both love how easy their relationship has become. This is all due to the communication and relating skills they use on a day-to-day basis from the practice of Live Conscious.

Eckhart Tolle Live in the Present Moment Nov 02, 2017

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Art of Authenticity, Thank you once again for tuning in. All right guys, I dove back in. I haven’t done it in a long time, but for those of you who are fans of Eckhart Tolle, I know you know what I’m talking about. He’s one of those books that it’s so worth reading but it’s a little tough to get through, it’s really heavy, it’s really filled with great ideas, page over page.

Michelle Tillis Lederman: 11 Laws of Likability Oct 31, 2017

Today we welcome Michelle Tillis Lederman. She is named one of Forbes top 25 networking experts, is the author of three books including The 11 Laws Of Likability and her latest, Nail The Interview, Land The Job. Michelle is the CEO of Executive Essentials, which provides custom communication leadership training and coaching programs. She has appeared on NBC, CBS, FOX, Skill King, PR, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Working Mother, US News and World Report and US Today, just to name just a few! In this episode, we walk through two of the 11 Laws Of Likability and believe it or not, the very first law is all around authenticity. If you are struggling to make authentic connections or getting people to respond well to you or build the likability that you are looking for in your life, Michelle has very clear practical ways of thinking about authenticity in terms of likability. Today we touch on self-reflection, giving without expectation, and reframing what you feel you “have” to do.

How to Calm those Looping Thoughts Oct 26, 2017

Today we’re going to talk about something that comes up with my clients over and over, and over. I know every single person out there listening has had this experience. You have a conversation with somebody, it doesn’t go well. You’re working in an office setting and there’s internal politics or there’s a disagreement about what to do, you’re out about in the world and somebody does something that annoys you and boom.

It clicks off that narrative. You know, that conversation you had, the one that’s like — it’s going back and forth as you continue to drive to work as you’re in the commute when you’re in the shower. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, that conversation, that discussion about what just transpired is ping-ponging in your head for the rest of the day. You’re going through all the arguments you want to make, what that other person said, you’re getting yourself all pissed off, worked up over a conversation that isn’t happening. Right?

Marcus Aurelius Anderson: Gift of Adversity Oct 24, 2017

On today’s show we welcome Marcus Aurelius Anderson, Coach, Speaker and Author of The Gift of Adversity. While preparing to deploy with the U.S. Army, Marcus suffered a severe spinal injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down. His life was turned upside down, and after dying twice on the operating table, he was told he would never be able to walk or use his hands again. Days quickly turned into months, and he was forced into life changing soul searching. He discovered he was left with two choices, he could either be a victim, or he change his mindset. Having no other option, he began looking for any lessons to be learned from his injury, and soon discovered that his Adversity was a gift.

Ready to Move from Winning to Life Purpose? Oct 19, 2017

If you’ve been checking out the Riff’s lately, you may have noticed that Mike Bondurant has been joining me a bunch of times. He is from the INLP center where I’ve decided to take a bunch of classes in neurolinguistics programming, which is a type of coaching psychology that’s been around for quite a while. I think it’s super cool, you could check it out, check out his school there.

But one of the things that has come to my attention in doing this program is this really cool conversation that I think belongs right at the heart of my coaching, about authenticity and I just wanted to chat with you about that today. Many people who have come on the show, many people who have come talk to me about coaching have a very specific conversation and I’ve talked about it in terms of a nagging sensation. Something isn’t right in their life. They don’t know what it is, they can’t put their finger on it. They know that they want something more but they don’t know what that is.

In the midst of taking this school, it came to my attention that there’s a very simple way of talking about it and neurolinguistics programming does just that. In the development in our life there are six stages and in those six stages, we move through them one after the next. We of course, at the beginning are basically dealing with food and shelter and clothing, right? Making sure that we have the basic necessities of life.

Kute Blackson: Step into Your Authentic Self with Joy and Self Love Oct 17, 2017

On today’s show we welcome Kute Blackson, Transformational Life Coach and author of the book You Are The One. This guy just brings it. I really encourage you to check out this episode if you're looking for a spiritual guided message, deeply engaged in this idea of authenticity. We discussed everything from why it is that multimillionaires, billionaires don’t feel happy, the wounds that need to heal before you can find what you love, what you need to be to be loved and what gets in the way. I mean, we just hit on all sorts of amazing topics and Kute speaks to each and every one of them, from a heartfelt, vulnerable and deeply passionate place. Keep listening!

Being Authentic is Your Duty, not a Privilege Oct 12, 2017

Today I wanted to take a moment to reply to a guy named Jim Howard who reached out, he listens to the show. Hey Jim, if you’re out there, thank you very much for not only reaching out but for following up and giving me the opportunity to speak about your comments in this show.

I had done an episode, if you guys didn’t check it out, it was about whether or not authenticity, finding your true self can be seen as being self-absorbed, right? Am I just being selfish and self- absorbed and asking all these questions about myself and who I am and what I want? A lot of my clients struggle with that. They ask themselves that question, they sometimes feel as if it’s too much to ask or something like that.

So Jim wrote me in reply to that and his thoughts were so beautiful and thought-provoking that I wanted to share a few of them with you and reply to them. So here we go.

Daniel Jordi: Dreams Manifest Through Having Trust in Yourself Oct 10, 2017

Today on the show we welcome Daniel Jordi. Daniel is the Managing Director of leadersbridge.org, which is a company that connects leaders, CEO’s, entrepreneurs organizations and partners to come together so that they can build and create new things. It took Daniel many years to realize that he was much more than a networker – that he was a connector. Based on trust, intuition and leading an authentic life – Daniel has developed a unique and creative business model that builds meaningful relationships. In today’s episode, Daniel shares, in the most honest way possible, his personal journey.

Confession - I'm not talented at Anything Oct 05, 2017

We have been throwing around different ideas of what to chat about and the topic that came to mind was something that I think so many of us struggle with. I know I have and some of my clients talk to me about this. Mike, I'm sure you've seen this many, many times, but this question of talents and being talented, bringing those talents out into the world. The question is when I am a talented person who is higher functioning in a bunch of areas but I have no interest in doing it, I have a kind of I don't care mentality or you get into an existential, like what does it mean, who cares, forget it. That mindset kicks in and years go by, sometimes a lifetime goes by and you don't want to jump in and many people talk about it in terms of fear. You don't want to fear failure. You're afraid of following your passions. I thought we could break it down a little further today.

Tara Mohr: Playing Big Oct 03, 2017

Today on the show we have Tara Mohr joining us. Tara is an expert on women’s leadership and well-being. She is the author of the very successful book, Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create and Lead, which was named the best book of the year by Apple’s iBooks. Her book is packed solid with legitimate, practical advice that you can apply today. Her work featured on The Today Show, the New York Times, Goop, and the Harvard Business Review.

In this episode, we walked through many insightful and hands-on things you can do to play big. We also touch on how to speak up and find out more about why don’t we lead and speak up from a big place within ourselves. Tara definitely brought it today, I know you’re going to enjoy today’s show. From Stanford to Yale, Tara has had quite an education but brings it right down to your everyday life to think about how to lead big, particularly for the women out there. For coaches, therapists and managers who want to grow and have personal growth in your life, tune in to hear what Tara has to say.

Find Out What Your Criteria For Satisfaction Are Sep 28, 2017

This month, you’ll notice there will be somebody joining me for my Riffs. It’s Mike Bondurant. He is the head of the INLP center, Neurolinguistics Programming. It’s a school of thought that I’m deeply involved in and I think it is just tremendous in helping clients, helping myself, getting results quickly on really tough conflicts or questions or getting the things that you want in your life. I just find it practical and awesome and it’s just endlessly effective.

So Mike and I jumped on the mic, we went through a couple of different podcasts, he’s come on twice as an interview. I really think you’re going to like it but send me your comments and thoughts. As always, it’s really appreciated and it really helps us think about the show.

This week, I want to talk to you about a technique that I actually learned because I’ve been going through the school. I’ve gotten my certification on the practitioner level, I’ve been working on the master’s program and I just think this is the coolest thing ever. I’ve been doing it with my clients and I wanted to share it with you. It’s the easiest option to figuring out what is your criteria for satisfaction.

Mark Aramli: Shark Tank Fail to Success Sep 26, 2017

On today’s episode, we welcome Mark Aramli. Mark is the CEO and the founder of BedJet, a climate control device he engineered for beds. Have you heard of Shark Tank? If you are not familiar with it, Shark Tank is a popular TV show where entrepreneurs are invited to pitch their products or services to multi-millionaires and an audience of over seven million viewers. No pressure right?

After months of preparation, Mark walks us through his experience going on the show and being one of the biggest failures that Shark Tank has ever seen and despite the absolutely brutal reply from the billionaires, despite all the negative feedback, Mark got up, mortgaged his house (twice) and still made it happen. Today BedJet is the #1 customer rated product in the mattress category on Amazon and has received hundreds of, almost all, five-star reviews. Take a listen to this great story about how to turn failure into success and how to not fall prey to the talk and approvals of others. An inspiring story, take a listen!

How parents inadvertently Create People Pleasers Sep 21, 2017

The thing we're going to focus on really came out of this idea from the beginning of the book. If you haven't read it, he starts off with this idea that we’re all part of this collective dream that has been handed down, and this idea that when we were born each and every one of us one has been indoctrinated into this dream through what he calls the domestication of humans. Like a horse, you get a horse. What do you have to do? You have to break the horse over time to domesticate the horse so you can ride it.

He's kind of comparing us and saying when you have a baby, to get the child to behave you have to domesticate the child, and how do we do that? We do it by taking love and approvals and telling a child over and over and over, “Good job, bad job, I love you, I don't love you,” until the child does what we need them to do. That the promise of today's conversation, and I think it's such a powerful one because if you really stop and think about what it means to have love taken back and forth until you basically are broken like a horse and you do what you need to do, it's very informative about your life and your future.

Karen Rinaldi: The End of Men Sep 19, 2017

Today we welcome publisher, writer, editor and author, Karen Rinaldi. Karen is the publisher of Harper Wave, an imprint she founded in 2012, and a senior vice president at Harper Collins Publishers. Harper Wave publishes broad based nonfictions from health and wellness, to lifestyle, to inspiration. While Karen has worked in the publishing industry for over two decades, this is her first time in the role of novelist. Her latest book, The End of Men, is something she worked on for over four years and inspired the story for the 2016 commercial film, Maggie’s Plan.

Karen is one of those women who might appear to “have it all“ but is not afraid to tell you when she sucks at something. In fact, she encourages sucking at something. So much so, that The New York Times even published her article on why sucking at something is so great. Today we talk about Karen’s journey – learning to surf at 40, what it means to “have it all,“ the role of men, authenticity, agency and the liberation of what we have come to know today, as failure. Take a listen!

Shared Riff Why we Disconnect and How to Reconnect Sep 14, 2017

Mike Bundrant, Master NLP trainer and psychologist, joins me on this riff to talk about how to reconnect to our core self, why we disconnect and help shed light on what this vague world is all about!

Elizabeth DiAlto: Wild Soul Movement Sep 12, 2017

On the show today we welcome Elizabeth DiAlto. Known for her raw and honest approach to body love and self-acceptance, Liz is a speaker, writer, coach and the creator of Wild Soul Movement, a sensual practice in self-discovery that combines movement, mantra, and meditation. Her mission is to get women out of their heads and into their bodies to connect with and balance their powerful energy and trust their intuition. Liz works with large groups of women virtually through her 16-week Wild Soul Movement experience, and more intimately through one-on-one coaching, live training intensives, and retreats. She also runs the 3500+ strong Soul Movement Salon, a private Facebook group for professional women, moms, entrepreneurs, and singles to reclaim and redefine womanhood.

In today’s episode, Elizabeth delivers the same level of real grounded, honest, raw, connected advice and thoughts about her own experiences and what she understands about how to un-tame yourself, how to bring yourself forward and really lead from that deeper self. We also hear all about her book, Untame Yourself. Keep listening to hear more!

Are you afraid that you will be Self-Absorbed if you Are True to Yourself? Sep 07, 2017

Today, I thought I would hit you up with a topic that obviously the show is completely centered around: Authenticity. Why authenticity, why this topic, why am I obsessed with it, what’s the deal?

To be totally honest with you, I don’t even know. When I left my job, when I decided to make a massive change, walk away from an executive pay, a $4 billion business, stock options, the whole thing. I had one word in mind. I just wanted to find something more authentic. In that moment what that meant to me, was something that felt as if the part of me internally.

The part of me that feels most myself was being manifest into the world and that I felt one and the same with what I was doing. I was successful in what I was doing but it didn’t feel like it was “me”, right? Like there was a way in which it felt distant. I didn’t feel connected to it. After spending a lot of time with this word, I started looking it up.

Teju Owoye: A Serial Entrepreneur Shares All Sep 05, 2017

On today’s show we are joined by Andrew Taggart. Andrew is a practical philosopher and entrepreneur who I happened to discover in an article in Quartz Magazine. Andrew teaches executives, leaders, artists and entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley, and around the world, to bring philosophy to business and to their lives. Andrew teaches individuals and organizations how to inquire into the things that matter most: like how to live life and how to find that deeper sense of fulfillment and purpose?

In this episode we learn more about the unique approach Andrew has cultivated into what he calls practical philosophy. With a PhD in philosophy Andrew is able to bring all sorts of different philosophical schools of thought to the table but most of all, he’s just really interested in helping people live the greatest life that they can. What is a good life, how do you cultivate that, what does it mean to have a life with inquiry, what does that mean for each and every person? These are the questions of questions and if you’re interested to know how we can incorporate philosophy into our modern, every day lives, take a listen!

Can we really live in the present? Aug 31, 2017

Most of us, if we’ve spent any time, anywhere, in any modern city have heard about the idea of ‘mindfulness.’

About the idea of being present, about the idea of how important it is to live our life in the moment. To not miss the moments. To not be distracted by your iPad, your iTouch, your Android, the news, the endless news cycle, the stimulation that is everywhere. That we need to take time out to be in our thoughts when we’re having a conversation with our friends.

We want to be present in that moment. We even talk about mindfulness and presence and eating and walking and sleeping. But the reality is that most of us are not achieving that goal. Most of us are anxious, most of us are medicating.

Andrew Taggart: A Fellow Philosopher Bringing Wisdom to Every Day Life Aug 29, 2017

On today’s show we are joined by Andrew Taggart. Andrew is a practical philosopher and entrepreneur who I happened to discover in an article in Quartz Magazine. Andrew teaches executives, leaders, artists and entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley, and around the world, to bring philosophy to business and to their lives. Andrew teaches individuals and organizations how to inquire into the things that matter most: like how to live life and how to find that deeper sense of fulfillment and purpose?

In this episode we learn more about the unique approach Andrew has cultivated into what he calls practical philosophy. With a PhD in philosophy Andrew is able to bring all sorts of different philosophical schools of thought to the table but most of all, he’s just really interested in helping people live the greatest life that they can. What is a good life, how do you cultivate that, what does it mean to have a life with inquiry, what does that mean for each and every person? These are the questions of questions and if you’re interested to know how we can incorporate philosophy into our modern, every day lives, take a listen!

Ready to improve communication with anyone? Aug 24, 2017

Today, we’re going to chat about perception. Here’s something that I have been thinking about for a really long time and I wanted to share with you guys. I am just completely fixated on this question of perception.

Of what it is that I’m experiencing, what you're experiencing in any given moment and how can there be any truth when my experience and your experience don’t line up? This is what’s been on my mind. Has it really ever fully dawned on you guys? Because it’s really on my mind lately that when I’m in a discussion with somebody about politics, about in a relationship with somebody who we don’t agree – if you’ve been in a marriage for a long time, there’s certainly a lot of times when you just see things really differently?

Has it really dawned on you? Because it’s starting to dawn on me that the person who you're speaking to has a 100% as much interest in what they’re saying as you have about what you’re saying. Meaning, if I am right now focused on articulating a point to you, right now, I am 100% focused on trying to get this idea out to everybody listening.

Mark Lukach: My lovely Wife in the Psych Ward Aug 22, 2017

Today on the show we have Mark Lunkach. Mark is the author of international bestseller, My Lovely Wife in the Psyche Ward: a vulnerable personal story inspired by his wife Julia. Mark and Julia fell madly in love at 18, they got married and started living their dream in San Francisco. But some years later, Julia unexpectedly had a psychotic break, which landed her in a psyche ward for nearly a month and over the next few years, they both struggled with what was bipolar, depression, suicide and a lot of uncertainty and difficulty in their life and in their marriage.

Mark managed his feelings by writing this book, My Lovely Wife in the Psyche Ward and above all, it is a conversation about loyalty, love, commitment and how to handle the challenges of mental illness, which many people struggle to talk about. In today’s episode mark shares his authentic story; delving deep into the gift of vulnerability, the resentments of caregiving, and ultimately the perseverance of love. Take a listen to this compelling conversation.

Pema Chodron: On how to Drop Negative Thoughts Aug 17, 2017

We’ve been highlighting some of the guests and small riffs that has been most enjoyed by you guys. We wanted to replay them because we just think they’re just that good.

I guess you do too because the downloads have been amazing. Thank you again for all your support, it’s because of everybody out there who has continued to listen that this show can continue on. If I could ask you a quick question, favor, from me to you. If you could hop over to iTunes, leave a review. Every little bit counts, this is free, the only way that this continues is people like you supporting the show.

If you don’t mind, hop over to iTunes, quickly write a little review, it really helps the ratings of the show and gets us out to more people. Thank you again and on with the show.

JP Sears: How to Be Ultra Spiritual Aug 15, 2017

On today’s episode we have the ultra-spiritual, JP Sears. JP is an emotional healing coach, a viral YouTuber, author, international teacher and speaker, and is releasing a book called How To Be Ultra-Spiritual: 12 ½ Steps to a Spiritual Superiority. JP uses humor and satire, to poke fun at “being spiritual” in the modern world.

The Awaken With JP YouTube channel has accumulated over a hundred million views and as I’m sure you can imagine JP is fun, hilarious, and full of jokes. But don’t be too quick to judge his flowery exterior. JP is extremely thoughtful, perceptive, has a sincere depth of understanding about these topics and wants to help people lead their most fulfilling life. On today’s show, we talk about fear, failure, embracing shame, and ultimately living a more authentic spiritual life. Take a listen! (It really is ultra-spiritual).

The One Thing You're Doing That Will Guarantee Rejection (Rebroadcast) Aug 10, 2017

Are you afraid of being rejected? When you’re talking with someone, do you appease to their every whim? Do people think you’re nice? Maybe a little too nice? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we’ve got a problem. On this rebroadcast, we talk about it.

Best Guests: Gretchen Rubin on Why You Can't Stop Playing Candy Crush and Other Bad Habits (Rebroadcast) Aug 08, 2017

Gretchen Rubin is the author of Better Than Before, and has written about almost everything - from JFK to Happiness. But, she’s been obsessed with the question of our time: Why do we do the things we don’t want to do? Why are we unhappy? Essentially: why can’t we stop playing Candy Crush? The journey she took, as well as the answers, will surprise you.

What If You Weren't Taking Action From Your Truth? (Rebroadcast) Aug 03, 2017

For years, I did the wrong thing. Everyday, I worked, worked, and worked some more, but something was off. On this rebroadcast, I talk about why what I was doing was wrong, and how connecting to your truth and your actions, is a more surprising process than you think.

Best Guests: Mike Bundrant on The Mystery of Your Achilles Eel (Rebroadcast) Aug 01, 2017

Mike Bundrant is an NLP Practitioner and the author of the book, Your Achilles Eel. From a master practitioner of NLP, we went deep into the secrets of what makes the mind tick, and why we’re so good at self-sabotage. On this rebroadcast, get ready to dive deep.

Hate Your Job? Here's What To Do (Rebroadcast) Jul 27, 2017

On this rebroadcast, I go over an interesting question I received. It’s about a man who wants to be himself but doesn’t feel like he’s living his best life at his job. That’s to say: he hates his job. On this rebroadcast, we talk about how to deal with it.

Best Guests: Ryan Holiday on the Hidden Flaw of Being Ambitious (Rebroadcast) Jul 25, 2017

Ryan Holiday is a bestselling author, media strategist, and author of Ego is The Enemy. But, there was a moment when he realized he didn’t want to be like the people around him. And this was his turning point. On today’s rebroadcast, we talk about the hidden flaw that everyone has, and - more importantly - what to do about it.

Pema Chodron: Why You Never Really Change, and How That's a Good Thing (Rebroadcast) Jul 20, 2017

When I first read Pema Chodron, I couldn’t get past the first few chapters. Later, I realized: I was missing out on a genius. On this rebroadcast, I talk about Pema Chodron’s work, why you never really change, the nature of thoughts, and the life-changing insight that revolutionized my life (hint: it has something to do with the sky).

Best Guests: Danielle LaPorte - The Hidden Side of Betrayal and Authenticity (Rebroadcast) Jul 18, 2017

Danielle LaPorte is the bestselling author of The Fire Starter Sessions and White Hot Truth. And one day, Danielle started a branding company. Then, Oprah called. And then, she was fired. In this rebroadcast, find out what happened, and - in the process - unravel the hidden side of betrayal and authenticity.

Olivia Goldhill: Existentialism and Authenticity Jul 11, 2017

Today on the podcast we have Olivia Goldhill joining us. Olivia is a weekend writer for Quartz, with a focus on philosophy and psychology. Quartz is a digitally native news outlet, for business people in the new global economy. Quartz’s founding team includes veterans of some of the world’s highest-quality news organizations who have reported in 115 countries and speak 19 languages. Quartz publishes bracingly creative and intelligent journalism with a broad worldview, creating a really well rounded new site. It’s not just your average story and from there, I discovered Olivia.

Olivia is a Harvard educated philosophy student and is interested in several subjects but one of them is authenticity, which is exactly what this podcast is all about. Olivia previously worked at The Daily Telegraph in the UK, first as part of their graduate scheme — which sent her to Media Wales and Press Association — then as a business reporter, and finally as a features writer. She reached out to me to come onto the show and we did more of a deep dive into authenticity from a philosophy as essentialism and what it means. Hope you like today’s show.

Can A Single Act of Compassion Make a Difference? The Answer is Yes Jul 06, 2017

Do you ever hear about this idea that each one of us matters in our everyday life, that each one of us is like a droplet in the ocean, a part of a wave and there's a universal energy? I think about these things and it sounds so nice and so abstract, but in the real world you wonder how is that possible. Can my actions actually impact others? Is there a ripple effect or do my actions make very little difference?

Jason Silva, host of Brain Games, explains how our brains respond to a single act of compassion when we are angry and desire revenge.

Jaimal Yogis: All Our Waves Are Water Jul 04, 2017

Today on the show we have Jaimal Yogis. Jaimal is an outdoorsman, award-winning writer, and frequent teacher. He is the author of Saltwater Buddha, a humorous coming-of-age memoir about running away to Hawaii at sixteen to surf, nearly becoming a Zen monk, and eventually winding up at Columbia Journalism School. The book was named a Best Summer Read by E! and turned into a feature documentary film. Jaimal’s follow-up to that book, All Our Waves Are Water, comes out this July from Harper Collins and it’s about the risks we’re willing to take in our journey to get there. Jaimal’s writing has also appeared in The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Men’s Health, ESPN Magazine, The Surfers Journal, The Daily Beast, and many others. His journalism has won a Maggie Award for Best Feature and he is also the author of The Fear Project,

In today’s episode, he shares with us his story, how this new book is really a memoir, how it is based on his journey, a very compelling story with lots of life lessons that we go through in this just really deep, interesting and personal conversation.

Replace Highs and Lows of Life with More Joy Jun 29, 2017

Today I wanted to chat with you about a conversation I was having with a client. He was telling me that he was feeling really good. He's said, "I'm just feeling really good." And I said, "Great! Why?" And I was excited to hear the news, and he said, "Well, I'm not suffering anymore. I don't know what to tell you." And I was sort of like, "Hmm? I'm not sure that that's what I was hoping to hear. I was hoping to hear about maybe a breakthrough or just that his week had gone well.

He began to describe that by letting go of pain and pleasure, he was able to start to even out, lose the highs and lows of life and live a lot more in a space of contentment. With that change, he felt his suffering diminished. But he found himself feeling at odds with this sense of calm because it wasn't the norm.

Re-establishing a baseline of contentment as the norm is work when you've live in a state of overwhelm or chasing pleasure, running from pain and seeking approvals.

Emily Ann Peterson on Bravery Jun 27, 2017

On today’s show, we welcome singer/songwriter, teaching artist, creative entrepreneur, host of the podcast Bare Naked Bravery, and cellist, Emily Ann Peterson. At the age of 17, Emily was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological hand tremor, the very thing she needed to continue doing what she loved. When this happened, Emily decided to focus on what does it take to overcome these insurmountable obstacles in the face of something that keeps you from doing what you are really passionate about. She talks about the idea of bravery.

So tune in today to find out about this other side of the conversation that we rarely talk about. What happens if you follow your dream and something real happens that gets in the way, like a hand tremor when you are playing the cello, right? It does not get more real than that. So how do you overcome a topic like that? Emily turned this obstacle into an amazing transformation of character, and in-depth discussion about bravery. She shares with us about the three layers that she believes helps a person move from insurmountable difficulties to finding meaning in your life in a whole new way.

Feeling Behind? Wonderwoman May Have the Answer Jun 22, 2017

Have you seen the Movie Wonderwoman? In the movie, Wonderwoman has lived on an island without any clocks, watches, or even the use of time. When introduced to the concept, she finds it funny that we bound ourselves to this concept so tightly.

Most of us feel behind. This was a great opportunity to visit the idea of time, what our relationship to time looks like and how we can get a better handle on it!

Thank you for listening.

Akshay Nanavati: Fearvana Jun 20, 2017

Today we have Akshay Nanavati joining us. He is a marine corp veteran, he is also an adventurer and an entrepreneur. This guy has a story. I mean, he had overcome drug addiction, he went overseas and was in the Iraqi war, suffered from PTSD and had a serious battle with alcohol and drug abuse, which left him at the brink of suicide. In today’s episode, Akshay shares this, his story, and how he reversed these things going on in his life into his latest work.

Akshay also has a new book coming out called Fearvana: The revolutionary science on how to turn fear into health, wealth, and happiness. He has been researching and studying how to overcome things for his own life and in that effort, he turns that around into a book. I got a chance to read an early copy of the book and it really was just well written, filled with great bits of advice, and a great story that is really worth checking out.

Are you Racing Through Life Without Experiencing Stillness? Jun 15, 2017

What is it for you? You wake up, you brush your teeth quickly, maybe unconsciously, grab some coffee. If you have children, you're dealing with the 5,000 things it takes to get them out of the house, fed, clothed, grabbing their backpacks, their shoes. If you live in a cold environment, getting coats, and hats, and gloves. If you have a high-pressure job, it's just about getting out of the house on time, getting to work early enough to get what you need to get done.

Most of us are so busy in our lives that we just move from thing to thing and we just try to cope with each thing as it's happening as best as we can. Have you ever thought about the moments in between all the busyness? So, what I mean by that is, between actions. Between running from your bed, the alarm clock going off, to brushing your teeth, to whatever the routine is in your morning. Between the conversations that you have with your loved ones, getting out of the house, jumping in your car, or getting to the train, or whatever form of transportation you take to commute. What is going on between those moment? Do you notice the silence? The pause? The stillness?

Zach Benson: An Artist's Life Jun 13, 2017

Today we have a completely different show for you. We’ve got Zach Benson joining us. He is a TEDx speaker, full-time entrepreneur, and dancer and he has been a round four finalist on the hit show, So You Think You Can Dance.

What’s so cool about today’s show is that I’m always talking to people who have a certain level of success in their life, they hit a turning point, they recognize, “I have to think about what success means, what does it mean on my terms?” We’ve talked about all this ideas, we have had incredible people on, but here is somebody who out of the gate just went for it. Zach followed his dreams, hit a lot of road blocks, didn’t give up and kept persevering. It is really fun to listen to someone who had the courage, managed the fear, dealt with the rejection, and just kept going. Really interesting conversation, so I hope you enjoy it

Miguel Ruiz: Mastery of Love Jun 08, 2017

What is it that you are working to master? Is there something in your life that you are currently, actively, in the pursuit of mastering? Are you trying to run a marathon? Are you working really on in an instrument? Are you asking your child to try to master anything; sports, music, math? Are you trying to become a great leader? Are you working on priorities, project management? Are you trying to rethink how you keep things organized in your life? What is it that you're currently really fixated on? Really organized towards mastering? Is it your relationship, in your relationship dynamics?

I’ve have been totally preoccupied with this book, The Mastery of Love, by Miguel Ruiz. And I quote, “To become masters of love, we have to practice love. The art of relationship is also a whole mastery and the only way to reach mastery is with practice.” Practice Love? Tune in to hear more!

Joe Wilner: Find Your Calling Jun 06, 2017

Today we have Joseph Wilner joining us. Joseph is a licensed therapist and a life coach who also happens to be a drummer. When he turned 30 years old, Joe decided to honor a life-long passion of mine and commit to becoming a professional drummer.Although this may seem like an unorthodox career transition, he has decided that despite all the time and effort he put into going to school and following the path and making money and setting up a private practice, he needed to listen to that deep intuition and calling he felt within him to honor his dream of being a drummer, so he join the band, Yes You Are.

Joe shares amazing advice for those of you who are trying to get yourself to a new place, figure out what your dreams are, follow up on those dreams, and do what it is that you feel is deep in your heart and meaningful to you. If you just want to hear an awesome story of somebody who took the leap, I know you are going to enjoy today’s show.

Conquer Fear, Fear, and More Fear, a personal story Jun 01, 2017

I ask them a question; what is the biggest challenge that you're having in your life right now? I asked my list of subscribers and I was really surprised, the number one answer by far was fear, fear of failure, fear of not being good enough, fear of getting started, fear of not finishing, fear of approvals, fear, fear, fear, fear, fear, fear of every single sort.

It made me think, here I am in a very personal moment, I’m starting my next project, and that next project is going to be my second book. I'm facing those fears. Most of you have jobs. Most of you do things with your lives that are outside of this self-development, self-help. This is all that I do, right? I write and blog and podcast and coach people on this concept all the time. The idea might be that I'm at a point where those things don't get in my way.

Trust me, those voices came up, “Why is this happening? This is what I do. Shouldn’t I be above this, pass this, on the other side of it?” That's why I wanted to talk to you today about this.

What's so cool is that the noise, the voice, the conversation in my head, it didn't have the impact. I didn't listen. I know that that's part of the game now. It's like an expectation that that voice comes and I'm ready to face this voice and look him right in the eye, not care, not think because I'm having a thought that it needs to mean something, that I let that thought ramble around in my head all day until I'm destroyed. Just notice it, let it go. Notice it, let it go. Notice it, let it go.

Deepak Ramola: Life Lessons Applied to Daily Life May 30, 2017

Today on the show we have Deepak Ramola joining us. Deepak is the Founder and Artistic Director of Project FUEL, which is started when he was only 14 years old. At FUEL, life lessons are continuously collected, documented, thought about deeply, and then turned into interactive and performance activities. This ensures that you don't just hear someone's lesson in words, but that you actually get to experience it tangibly, and apply it practically in your own life.

Deepak is an eternal optimist and believes in enriching the human experience by helping people meet their highest potential. I don’t know where he gets this from, but it was like I was talking to the oldest soul I have ever met. I had goosebumps multiple times during the episode, and I know it will have a big impact on you as well. So tune in for just a wonderful spirit, a wonderful human being, and listen as Deepak shares with us this beautiful story, and all that he has achieved at the young age of only 25.

An Empowered Decision Process May 25, 2017

Have a decision to make? Are you weighing out your pro and cons? Are you visualizing what you want, but don't know if you should? Are you feeling that something is off, but you can't make a change?

Decisions can be paralyzing. But if we learn how to use all the resources we have available to us, we can feel better about our decisions, see the right choice in front of us, and you can figure out what to ultimately makes sense. Tune in to learn a new way to process your next decision. It works for me and I bet you will find out how to make it work better for you!

Thank you for listening!

Damian Mark Smyth: Do Nothing and Find Peace May 23, 2017

Today we have Damian Mark Smyth joining us all the way from the UK. Damian and I had an awesome conversation about a topic that I feel so strongly about. It’s one of those people that you meet where your philosophies are so aligned. We talked about this inside out approach, that so many of us are looking to be happier, we look for more things on the outside world to make us feel better; chasing money, chasing success, and all of that.

On top of it all, there are the thoughts in your head, the things that you think are also what are causing your unhappiness because you believe them to be true. Once Damian recognized this in his own life, he was able to make so many changes. He is the author of the book, Do Nothing, which is all about this idea that you do not have to do anything with those thoughts. What matters is what is going on within you. Everything you need, all the happiness you need, all the answers you need, they are already there.

Pema Chodron: On Finding Your Authentic Self May 18, 2017

Pema Chodron talks about how, and I'll just quote her here, "We already have everything we need. There is no need for self-improvement." Which is kind of interesting, right? Because you're listening to this podcast, I do this work because I believe in self-improvement, so why is she saying that?

She goes on to say, "All these trips that we lay on ourselves, the heavy-duty, fearing that we're bad, and hoping that we're good. The identities that we so dearly cling to, the rage, the jealousy, the addictions of all kinds never touch our basic wealth." So here's the key point that I want you to hear; she goes on to say, "They are like clouds that temporarily block the sun, but all the time our warmth and brilliance are right here. This is who we are. We are one blink of an eye away from being fully awake."

Joseph Sanok: Build a Private Practice that You Love May 16, 2017

Today on the Art of Authenticity we have Joe Sanok joining us. Joe is the founder of the Practice of the Practice, where he helps counselors create thriving practices that build their businesses by 50 to 500%, taking their income, influence, and impact on the world up to the next level. If you’re interested in learning how to take a small practice and build it or a larger practice and get through those growing pains, Joe has developed a coaching counseling practice to help you do just that.

Today, we jumped into the conversation and we heard about some of the things that Joe would suggest for those starting a practice, plus why he decided to spend his time this way. He also shares about what decision happened in his life that led him down this path. Joe had a very difficult time in 2012 facing multiple family emergencies, medical issues, and it got him thinking about his life, the meaning, and what truly mattered to him. Tune in for today’s story, and lots of amazing tips along the way.

Change Your Thoughts: Psychology and Philosophy Agree on How May 11, 2017

Sharing the platform again with Mike Bundrant. He is the head of the INLP center, coaching if you are looking to take your coaching to the next level, if you are thinking about becoming a coach, check it out.

How do Philsophy and Psychology intersect on the question of where truth exists and how do we know if we have experienced it?

Join me and Mike in this discussion!

Suzanne Falter: A Heroic Story of Bravery and Faith May 09, 2017

Today on the podcast we have Suzanne Falter joining us. On this show, we have done a lot of episodes about people who have had success and have found a purpose in their life. That is really the main topic of the show. However, today we are going way over to the other extreme. This is a story of somebody who had a ton of success but found herself in one of those life crisis moments that we all deeply fear. After losing a relationship that she had been in for years, and recognizing her true sexuality, Suzanne made the choice to completely change her career. If all of that wasn’t enough for a single person to handle, in 2012 Suzanne also suffered the loss of her daughter, Teal.

Although this sounds like a conversation that will be sad and overwhelming, this is really a story of inspiration and joy. Suzanne goes there in this interview as she takes us to the day her daughter died. She shares the whole story with so much recognition of what she has and how she took this difficult moment and turned it into a life-changing event. She completely turned her life in a different direction and for Suzanne, this became a deeply spiritual moment of connecting with her daughter.

So tune in, and stay open. Suzanne is someone who I deeply respect and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to hear her story and to share it with all of you.

How Being a People Pleaser Leads to Rejection May 04, 2017

Have you ever thought that in the very act of trying to please to avoid rejection, you have already experienced the rejection you fear? It is a paradox. I don't want to be rejected so I try to please. But in the very act, I experience the feeling of rejection. tune in to hear more.

Khe Hy: Why Fear Doesn't Matter When Making A Change May 02, 2017

Today we have Khe Hy joining us. Khe is one of those people who came out of the gate quickly, went to a top university, ended up at a hedge fund, and made partner at a very young age. Khe had all the money and success that people look for; the stature and the finances. He was truly “in the game”, as they say. Yet with all of this, he decided to walk away. His friends literally thought he was so crazy, sending him daily messages to ask if there was something really wrong with him.

Khe left to start blogging and writing about investment and making change. He now has a weekly newsletter of over 15,000 people, writes for Quartz as their Entrepreneur in Residence and he writes about productivity, self-discovery, and all sorts of different topics. He is a really great guy, and has a lot to say on the topic of productivity and change. Khe hosts monthly meetups in New York and they are now moving over to San Francisco. He has also been at a TEDx Talk, created RadReads, and accomplished all of this in a very short period of time.

Perfection in the Midst of Chaos Apr 27, 2017

I’m going to take another question from someone who wrote in. I have an email here from Dave. Dave writes in and talks about how he is working really hard to live in his truth. Awesome Dave, very happy for you on that. He goes on to say that while he’s living in his truth, he is more aware of how much he dislikes his job. This awareness is driving him crazy and he would like to not feel this way, any advice?

When you live in your truth, when you start to get the awareness of how you really feel, what’s really happening in your life, with that comes this level of clarity but that clarity doesn’t always tell us the things that we want to hear. Unfortunately, sometimes it just gets us more clear that we don’t like our job, more clear that the relationship we’re in is not working for us. More clear that we don’t like our apartment or the city we’re in or whatever it is, we start to get clear.

Because normally, we have discomfort and we ignore it, we justify it, we have come up with great rationalizations, right? “I’m paid really well, my boss is super cool, the team is interesting, I’m doing impactful work.” Nonetheless, if all of those things are true, I still hate my job but I’m going to give myself all these reasons to deny my truth.

In doing so, we think there’s something wrong with us. We say, “I just don’t know what my problem is, I’m not happy, I don’t feel so great, I’m just discontent in my life. Maybe I’m just somebody who is never going to be happy?” The good news is, is when you move it over and you get truthful and it starts to show up in the actual areas of your life that are a problem, it comes off of you and that inner dialogue that there’s just something randomly wrong with you starts to ease up. But it gets switched over to the actual problem in your life.

Here's how to handle it.

Caroline Webb: How To Have a Good Day Apr 25, 2017

Today on the podcast we have Caroline Webb joining us. Caroline is the CEO of Sevenshift, a firm that shows people how to use insights from behavioral science to improve their working life. Previously, Caroline worked for 12 years in management consulting for McKinsey and Company where she became a partner and co-founded McKinsey’s leadership practice. Prior to that, Caroline worked in public policy as an economist at the Bank of England, working on global economic forecasting and institution building in post-communist eastern Europe.

In this episode, we had an incredibly cool, detailed conversation. I honestly did not even know where to start with this amazing human being, who is absolutely filled with information on the latest science on how you can use what is being said into your personal life.

Caroline also has a new book called How to Have a Good Day, which has been hailed as one of the “top must-read business books of 2016” by both Inc. and Forbes.

We had a great conversation filled with so much amazing knowledge that she shared with us. So check out the interview and go buy her book. You will definitely get a lot of incredible value

How to Never Diminish Yourself for Approvals Apr 20, 2017

The moment you decide to allow anybody, even family, dictate your truth, dictate what you will say or not say, you have diminished your self- worth. In the vein of not causing harm, but just living your life. If somebody is trying to take that from you, through punishment, abandonment, withdraw, then as much as that is harmful and is a pain in and of itself, you have to ask yourself ultimately a single question: "Is the pain of not living life as who I am, better or worse than letting go of somebody who is loving an image of me, not my true self?" For me it's an easy answer; parents, friends, anybody who wants me to diminish myself so they can love me, is showing me what I already know - that is not love.

Bonus: Life Force Apr 18, 2017

Back by popular demand, today we review what I believe to be the most important and basic step in a day: to breathe. We do it all day. We need to breathe to survive. Yet so few of us are aware of our breath.

Try replacing that shallow breath with a handful of full breaths one time today. It will change your mood, your interactions, and may even impact your choices. Give it a try!

Authentic Rituals - Find Systems That Work For You Apr 13, 2017

Do you listen to other podcasts that suggest regiments? Do you read blog posts? Do you study the behavioral habits of anybody that you admire and try to figure out what they do? Have you read books on how to hack life and get the edge?

If you’ve done any of these things, then you’ve probably got a list of things that are on your "should" list. What I mean by that is “I should get up at 5 AM and go jogging because I read that jogging in the morning is really effective to start your day." "I should have a healthy breakfast to start my day and have a kale smoothie." "I should read more books, I should read at least four books a month and the book should be a certain quality." "I should go to bed at a certain time, sleep a certain amount of hours, I should drink amount of water per day. I should have a healthy diet."

The issue to me isn’t that one can’t take an interest in the various things in the world and all of their benefits. The problem is that when we look at a bunch of people or different sources and we start to cherry pick them, put them together into one really long laundry list of should’s. Things we should do that we read or seen that we believe will help us because we want to feel better in our lives and we’ve decided that these things are going to get us there.

We also want success and we believe that these people who have had success, who are telling us that these are the things they’ve done in their lives, it’s really a good idea to just imitate a lot of what they do to get there.

Danielle LaPorte: White Hot Truth: Clarity for Keeping it Real on Your Spiritual Path from One Seeker to Another Apr 11, 2017

Today we have Daniel LaPorte joining us. Danielle is the author of the Fire Starter Sessions, The Desire Map, and now her latest book, White Hot Truth: Clarity for keeping it real on your spiritual path, from one seeker to another.

Danielle was invited to be a member of Opera Winfrey’s inaugural Super Soul 100 and she has a website that has had over five million visitors every single month for her #truthbombs, which are daily little inspirational concepts from Danielle that come to your inbox. Danielle has also been named one of the top 100 websites for women by Forbes and called the best place online for “kick ass spirituality”. She runs a multimillion dollar company made up of women and one guy, and Danielle is all about keeping it real and this episode was as real as it gets.

We dove into her background, how she ended up getting fired from her own company, how she picked herself up from that place, how she went from 60 subscribers on her email list to a multimillion dollar business, as well as the inspiration for her latest book, White Hot Truth. I know you’re going to love today’s show, so let’s jump in and get started.

4 Step Breathing Technique to Do Anywhere Apr 06, 2017

Yoga teacher and friend, Amy Owen, joined me to record a 4 part breathing technique that you can do anywhere in less than one minute. Stress? Overwhelm? Big decisions? Take a moment to practice this technique to find calm, space, and freedom whenever you desire.

Amy Owen: Feel Better in Minutes Apr 04, 2017

Many of you have written in and talked about stress, a sense of overwhelm, and a feeling that life has just got a lot going on and you’re trying to handle it all. I got to talking to my friend Amy Owen who teaches yoga here in Chicago at Yoga View Studio. Amy is somebody who I met in my yoga teacher training program, a dear friend of mine for about a decade now. She is somebody who has been meditating for 30 years now and she fell in love with yoga in 1994.

Amy signed up for a meditation retreat in 1986 after learning that the Beatles had been touting its benefits a generation earlier. In 1994 she found herself on a meditation retreat in Nepal, where she discovered and fell for yoga. Since then, Amy has studied a variety of yoga forms around the world including Ashtanga, Iyengar and Vinyasa flow. Her individual teaching style combines these with a focus on breath awareness and alignment.

On the podcast today, she is bringing in small things that you can do right now, in your car, in your bed before you fall asleep at night, or when you wake up. All little techniques that you can do quickly on the floor.

If you are looking for a quick fix, stress relief today that you can apply to help take that edge off, feel a little bit better, feel a little more connected to get that process, today is your show. Plus, we hear the story of how Amy went from being a fashion model since the age of 13, before she decided to leave to have her three children and then later went into becoming a yoga teacher. Stay tuned to hear Amy’s real, and practical advice.

Reclaim Your Success, Kick Out the Imposter Voice Mar 30, 2017

Today I wanted to talk about the dreaded imposter syndrome. If there’s anything that I think causes people to feel that inner sense of discomfort and then shame, it’s that imposter voice. Imposter voice is the voice within you that tells you that no matter how much success you are having, you’re secretively not enough. I have clients that are so successful. If you saw what they have done on paper, you would say, “That person’s got to feel amazing!” But they don't feel they are enough, despite the evidence.

Just because we succeed, we have success, we have all the boxes checked, just because things look a certain way doesn’t mean they’ll feel as good? So we go after that next award, we go after that bestselling book, we try to get the promotion at work, we launch a business, we work so hard, we see a future where we feel better.

We may even have an image of ourselves walking around relaxed in the future, maybe we think we’re at retirement, that’s when we’re going to feel good.

Any way in which you are putting off feeling good today for the future, that sense, that feeling that “when I get there, when I check these boxes, when I get these things done I will feel good” you've bought into your impostor voice. You are accepting you are not enough today. I bought into this. I literary think it’s an epidemic, but what if it’s not true?

Daniel Gefen: On How to Never Give Up Mar 28, 2017

Today, we have Daniel Gefen joining us. Daniel is the co-founder of a company called Get Featured, which helps people who want to get on a podcast and promote something. Get Featured aims to help brands go from obscurity to celebrity. Daniel is also an entrepreneur that grew multiple companies from scratch. These include Jet Answering Service, Jet Virtual services, and Jet Offices.

This is a guy who, in the face of adversity, is all about getting up, making it happen, and making it real. If you’re an entrepreneur out there struggling along, not sure if you have something, not sure of what to do, this is a great story for you. This guy kept it real, kept it going in the face of massive adversity, turned it around, and made it happen.

I totally loved chatting with him. He is also the podcast host of Can I Pick Your Brain? I got to come on his show, and if you are interested, you can check it out. His podcast is all about finding people who have had some success in their life, sharing their stories, and asking questions specifically about how they made it happen.

Trailer: Month Dedicated to Feeling Better Mar 27, 2017

Just a little sneak peak on the short podcasts by me. The next few will all be about how to feel better. From techniques to philosophical ideas that support what we are all looking for - that sense of calm, contentment, and peace.

Stay Grounded in Difficult Times Mar 23, 2017

We can't control what life throws our way, but we can control how we respond to it. How do you accept "what is?" How do you accept the reality you find yourself in and still feel ok, not happy, but ok? Most of us hit a road bump and find ourselves looping in the negative moment. We tell our friends. We repeat it to our self. We question how life could result in this outcome. What if you have a bad moment and you find yourself still feeling fine. Wouldn't that be great?

Jared Angaza: Bring the Soul into Your Brand Mar 21, 2017

Today on the podcast we have Jared Angaza joining us. Jared and I was introduced a few weeks ago and since then, I have to say, he is somebody I would consider a friend. We just hit it off right off the bat and I think when you hear this episode you’ll know why.

Jared is a strategist and a philanthropist, and has created strategies, brands, and campaigns and events for 20 years. The thing that is super cool about Jared is that he really believes in creating brands with soul. He feels strongly that there should be something called “conscious philanthropy” and “brand alchemy” present within every brand. He definitely takes this idea of brand and how to imagine the possibilities of identity and experience to a totally different level.

Jared is also the coauthor of the book, Wisdom Meets Passion, that he wrote with his father and bestselling author, Dan Miller. Overall, Jared is super creative, he is a very interesting guy, who has traveled the world and I just loved talking to him. We have a mutual passion for authenticity, so we had a great discussion. Definitely have a listen, and let me know what you think.

The Still Point Mar 16, 2017

Today, I hope you'll indulge me. I don't know if any of you have heard this before, but I wanted to read a short section of a poem that has inspired my work greatly and perfectly explains that place we're looking for. That place we strive to find, that sense of calm and stillness and motion. When you hear it, you'll understand it.

Gretchen Rubin: Habits, Tendencies, and How to Be Yourself Mar 14, 2017

Today we have Gretchen Rubin joining us. Most of you have heard of Gretchen Rubin for her very popular book, The Happiness Project. She also has several other New York Times bestsellers. Her latest book, Better Than Before and Happier at Home. She also has a top podcast called Happier with Gretchen Rubin. It is a podcast where she discusses good habits and happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft.

I had so much fun on this podcast because Gretchen came in and laid out some incredible habits. I have had such an issue with this in the past. People ask me all the time how I structure my day or how I stay organized. I do think there are a couple of things to do that are simple and easy, but as far as wake up in the morning at five AM, going for a jog, and then meditate, I just don’t ever feel like there is a one size fits all answer.

Gretchen comes in and she just crushes this question. Essentially, the answer is that you have got to do it in a way that works for you and let go of this prescriptive model that there is a one size fits all way of setting up habits in your life. Most of us are failing because we are not being honest about what works for us. Gretchen lays this out and I’m telling you, really worth tuning in.

Join Me In A One Week Cleanse Mar 09, 2017

Today, I have a little call to action. I am wondering if all of you will join me in a one week cleanse. We’ve talked about the five steps of what it takes to get to a more authentic life, we’ve talked about authenticity, talked to 60, 70 people on what authenticity means, we’ve heard all of these great stories.

But what’s in the way of exactly what is holding you back? What is keeping you from taking that next step? What is most difficult for you? What is the biggest obstacle?

It could be the inner critic. It could be fear of failure. The impostor voices in your head are just loud and giving you a hard time. It could just be an overwhelming sense of frustration and irritation and anger is just driving you crazy. Resentments. A need to be right or wrong.

This is why I'm suggesting a one week cleanse.

Beth Richie: Gender, Violence and the Criminal System Mar 07, 2017

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Art of Authenticity. Today is a really special day for me because I have one of my dear friends, Dr. Beth Richie, joining us. She is the Director of the Institute of Research on Race and Public Policy and a professor of African American study’s criminology, sociology, gender and women studies and criminal law and justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She’s also a senior advisor for the NFL on gender violence.

Beth is somebody who, if you met her, you would love her as much as I do. She’s just this warm, amazing, charismatic human being. She is also somebody who has been an activist for her entire career and shares with us stories from early days in New York where she was one of the original six women who started the idea of women shelters, how that experience shaped her career and her focus in trying to bridge the gap between the women who were underprivileged, experiencing domestic violence, and domestic violence as a whole for privileged white culture.

Beth has been instrumental in moving this conversation forward but she is also honest, candid, open, and shares with us many ways in which she feels the system is still struggling today, as most of us are aware, with the movements like Black Lives Matter. Tune in, listen to this show.

She’s just got so much insight and I feel like every point she made, I could have dove into for an hour. She’s got such depth of experience and knowledge, so I hope you enjoy today’s show.

What is Authenticity NOT? Mar 02, 2017

After the 5-part series I did earlier this year, I was thinking, “What is it that I really want to talk about next?” and it hit me. I’ve talked to over 65 people about what authenticity means to them right? At the end of every podcast, I ask them this question, what does an authentic life mean to them? If you've listened, you know there is definitely a pattern. People say similar things.

But I've never asked them about what authenticity is not. What isn’t it? Everybody’s talking about what it is, what their definition of it is. What it looks like in life, what it looks like over a career or over decades, how it changes? How you could get more in touch with it...but what is it NOT?

Jeff Brown: Read to Lead Feb 28, 2017

Today we have Jeff Brown on the podcast. Jeff is a podcaster, mentor, and speaker. He has shared his insights with people around the world on leadership, professional development, productivity, entrepreneurship, and many more things. Jeff is actually a 26 year veteran in the radio industry and even co-hosted an award-winning nationally syndicated morning show from 2002 to 2008.

Jeff is the podcast host of the very successful podcast, Read to Lead, where he has interviewed so many amazing authors, dove into their book ideas, and broken them down step by step. On his show, you can hear firsthand from those authors what they were thinking and get the cliff notes version of the books with the actual author explaining it, taking you through their book and the journey as a major added bonus.

Jeff was also a consultant, and he talks to people about how to create a podcast. He helped me early on and he is just a really great guy. Jeff has recently launched a new Read to Lead group membership where they read books and they meet to talk about the books and set goals to actually implement all the advice that the books suggest, to see the results in their own lives.

Why Living Your Truth Takes Daily Practice Feb 23, 2017

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Art of Authenticity. This is part five of a five-part series. If you’re still with me, thank you for sticking it out through to the end. I hope you like it. Send me a note, laura@lauracoe.com. Let me know your thoughts.

Hopefully this was helpful, inspirational, and everything that I intended it to be. Because these steps are what have freed me from my path to my truth, and hopefully it has helped you along your way. As always, you can also reach out if you’re interested in getting private coaching to help you in your journey towards finding a life that you feel is meant for you.

So here we are, day five, Practice Your Truth. We went through awareness, taking responsibility, making choices, and taking action from your truth. Why is step five, practicing your truth, so important?

Tony Wrighton: Travel, Zen, and Productivity Feb 21, 2017

Today on the podcast we have Tony Wrighton joining us. Tony is the host of the popular podcast, Zestology: Live with energy, vitality, and motivation. On his podcast, he interviews a wide range of experts in the field of health and personal development. Obviously, we have a lot in common given that the Art of Authenticity is all about how to live life with meaning and his passion is talking about energy, vitality, and motivation.

Tony is a personal development author and presenter. He has published three books in 12 different languages and is one of the country's foremost experts on Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and if that wasn’t enough, Tony is also a popular presenter on Sky Sports in the UK, hosting several different sports including football, golf, basketball, hockey, and many more.

In today’s chat with Tony, he shared with me an incredible trip he took, where he went to three or four different countries. On this trip, he stopped in at a place called 40 Years Zen, where he had the opportunity to attach probes to his mind and engage in meditation done on a scientific level. This gives you the benefits in a ramped up, incredible way inside a very short window. It sounds amazing and is really expensive, but Tony shares with us his experience and all the updates of his life.

We dive into a lot of secret tips on vitality and energy, why Tony keeps a tracking log of all the things he does, how to increase energy and feel better, and how he manages to get a significant amount of work done in a day. There are a lot of incredible suggest of wisdom in this episode, so I hope you enjoy it! Be sure to also check out my interview and feature on Tony’s podcast, Zestology.

How to Live Your Truth Feb 16, 2017

Today, we are on step number four of our five-part series to living an authentic life. We have been doing a series of how to make a life, how to build a life that is meant for you. Every life is different. We’re not trying to build lives that are for our friends, our neighbors, some collective group of people. We want to build a life that is meaningful and purposeful for ourselves, but how do you do that? We have gone through awareness.

We have talked about taking radical responsibility. Last time we talked about making choices and how to ditch the victim mindset, get rid of blame. Today we’re going to talk about the actual action of taking action from your truth, your truth.

Joshua Spodek: Becoming The Person Others Follow Feb 14, 2017

Today, we have our very first repeat guest. We have Joshua Spodek joining us. He is a professor at NYU and a columnist for Inc, he holds – are you ready — five Ivy League degrees. If you’re having a complex at the moment, join me, because I am as well.

He has a PHD in Astrophysics, and an MBA from Columbia, where he studied under a Nobel Laureate, he has done a lot of different things with his life, and at the moment, he is working on helping people in leadership, an executive coach for Columbia’s business school, and he’s just worked really hard on this idea of how to teach people how to lead.

He believes very strongly that leading happens from experiencing it yourself. He’s written a book, Leadership Step by Step: Become the Person Others Follow. It’s all about creating positive change, but how to do it, specifically, with actual guidance step-by-step, with exercises that he has used in his teachings and he is sharing with you.

I am confident that Joshua has a ton to offer. Go check out his book, you can buy it right now on Amazon. If you’re looking to find out more about Joshua, you can find him at joshuaspodek.com, and I know that I haven’t had anybody on twice before, but I thought his book and his approach is particularly cool, and I thought you guys might be interested. So enjoy the show!

How to Make Choices That Matter Feb 09, 2017

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Art of Authenticity. This is the third part of a five-part series that we’ve been working on over here. I hope that you’re still tuning in. It’s all about how to make decisions to build a life that you love. We talked about the idea of awareness and how to think about awareness in a redefined way.

If you haven’t checked out that episode, you can go back and listen. Without awareness, we cannot even start the process.Then we talked about taking radical responsibility. You have to get rid of the blame, completely. No matter has happened in your life that gotten you to this moment, this moment is completely all about you and what you decide to do with it.

Mike Bundrant: Overcome the Hidden Cause of Self-Sabotage Feb 07, 2017

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Art of Authenticity. I’m Laura Coe, your host, and thanks for joining me. Today, I’ve got Mike Bundrant joining us. He is the founder of iNLP Center. He is a Master NLP Practitioner. NLP is Neuro Linguistic Programming. It is a specific type of coaching that I love. It’s really effective, and if you’re a coach it is something you should definitely check out.

He’s also a retired psychotherapist. He no longer focuses on the psychotherapy approach, he mainly focuses on NLP. I understand why, it’s Tony Robbins, a lot of people have popularized it, it’s a really, incredibly powerful tool to get change in your life.

Mike and I had a chat before the podcast, and we agreed to a very different format for the show. You’re in for a real treat, hopefully you like it. I read his book, Your Achille’s Eel: Discover and Overcome the Hidden cause of Negative Emotions, Bad Decisions and Self-Sabotage. It’s a really short 30-page document. I felt like we could really get through this thing in the hour, and every single page that I read, I felt like he had outlined perfectly the process that happens when we move from our truth to an inauthentic life.

Authentic Affirmations Can Change Your Life Feb 02, 2017

Today's episode comes from a reader, Abby. It's all about authentic affirmations. About practicing personal affirmations and how to connect the affirmation process to living a more authentic life. Do I think affirmations are effective at guiding us to our goals? If so, is there a best place to start? Find out in this episode.

Jennifer Brown: Diversity and Authenticity Jan 31, 2017

Jennifer Brown is the Founder, President, and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, which a strategic leadership consulting firm on diversity that coaches business leaders worldwide on the critical issues of talent and workplace strategy. She is really passionate, and she advocates for social equality to people in the LGBT community, people of color, women, and millennials.

Radical Responsibility Jan 26, 2017

Today, we’re going to talk about step two on how to build a life of purpose. As I thought about this more and more and more, it started to become clear to me interviewing 50 different people in authenticity, spending several years thinking about authenticity, reading all the greats; Plato, Aristotle, everybody on authenticity. What makes a life with meaning? What makes a life with purpose? What is this all about? It’s actually so complicated. The more I dove into it, the more complicated I realized it was. But then I started to realize, “Maybe it’s not that complicated, it’s just complicated to take it from concept into action.”

Ryan Holiday: How Your Ego Can Block Authenticity Jan 24, 2017

At his core, Ryan Holiday is a writer and a media strategist. He dropped out of college to apprentice with Robert Greene (who authored The 48 Laws of Power). He then ran marketing for American Apparel and has since gone on to author five books, one of which is Ego is the Enemy, his latest.

Awareness Re-Defined Jan 19, 2017

We've talked about the broader idea of purpose, but now I want to break down the critical parts of finding your authentic voice and bringing it into the world.

This episode is about awareness - you kind of hate it because everything in self-help has to do with awareness. But give me a few minutes...you won't regret it.

Ali Shapiro: Truce with Food Jan 17, 2017

Ali Shapiro is a health coach pioneering a new way to approach food, health and weight loss. She combined her background in functional medicine and holistic nutrition, to create an innovative health coaching method, Truce with Food ™, while at the University of Pennsylvania earning her Masters degree in Organizational Dynamics, with a concentration in coaching and change management.

Her work is also informed by her own 18 year weight struggle and teenage cancer diagnosis. This is one interview that you don't want to miss — I learned so much talking with Ali and I know you will too.

How Do We Define a Happy Life? Jan 12, 2017

Today I wanted to kick off a new series all about the idea of authenticity. I mean, that's what this show is all about and I figured I haven't exactly spoken to it. I asked my guests about it, but I wanted to dive into it and unpack it over a handful of episodes. So to kick this week off, I wanted to talk about authenticity on the broadest level because this idea, this idea of following a path in your life where you have a life of your making is very, very complicated idea. One that when I set out to do it way back 10-15 years ago I thought would be really simple, figure it out, get there, be happy, and what I found is that this is the most difficult but most important process of my life.

Terri Cole: The Real Love Revolution Jan 10, 2017

Terri combines practical psychology, eastern mindfulness, plus the power of intention to create positive behavioral change in true transformation. We got on the phone today, and I’ve got to tell you, I was literally at the edge of my seat listening to each and every word. If you’re in a relationship and you’re having those same old fights, you’ve been at it for a long time, you don’t want to go to a therapist and sit on a couch for 20 years just to discuss everything to the ground, then Terri is the right person for you.

From Awareness to Action Jan 05, 2017

If you're out there right now and you have a concern that something isn't where you want it to be, you might ask yourself, "What do I want?"

And when you ask that simple question, you immediately start getting this horrible, stressful, anxious feeling. "I don't know what I want." Or, "I try different things, but I can't quite figure it out." Or, "I know what I want, but I'm just so stressed out with the finances, or time, or fear that I can't take action."

In this episode, we're talking about how to take the first steps in getting rid of those three obstacles and building a life that's really from your truth. One that's choice after choice designed for you and a life that you love.

Alexi Panos & Preston Smiles: Your Epic Life in Five Steps Jan 03, 2017

As founders of the groundbreaking Bridge Method (which includes their live workshops, and various online training programs), they have created a movement of transformation that has taken humanity by storm through their unique and passion-filled approach to sharing age old wisdom.

Using social media as a main source of connection and distribution of their lively educational videos, they’ve built an incredible tribe of loyal fans around the globe who aren’t just inspired by their work, but are empowered by

Contribution and Cultivating Your Talents Dec 29, 2016

What we contribute to the world has to do with the talents that we cultivate. But too often we pay attention to what others are good at and not enough time at what we're good at. When we're contributing at the highest level possible...that's where the magic starts to happen.

Matt Aaron: Money, Pressure, and Passion Dec 27, 2016

Matt Aaron is a food entrepreneur, cofounding Andes Fruits in Colombia. They ship exotic Colombian fruits to the United States. He's also the creator of the Food Startups Podcast, a show dedicated to demystifying the confusing food business.

But he wanted to talk about something else today - money, pressure, and passion. More importantly, how do you balance these three forces in your life in a way that's truly authentic to you? It's not easy, and Matt's not claiming to have all of the answers, but he certainly has some interesting insight that I think you'll enjoy.

Your Personal Dream Can Become A Reality Dec 21, 2016

So this episode is really dedicated to Jeff Goins. He’s a writer. If you haven’t checked out his website, millions of people have gone over there, gotten benefit. He is one of the people who influenced me early on when I was stepping out into writing, blogging, and this whole space, somebody who really inspired me.

Jeff and I jumped on the call to record the episode that came out this summer, I think in August and he really struck a chord. Because do you ever look around in your life and think, “Life isn’t bad. I really shouldn’t complain. I have more than most people do, right? I am fine.”

But even as you’re thinking those thoughts, there’s an itch underneath the surface, a craving for life filled with more meaning and happiness. But when you try to scratch that itch, it causes so much anxiety and overwhelm to figure out what it is that you just ignore it and you go back into shoving it into the recesses of your mind because the truth is, as much as you might have read, as much education as you may have, as much success as you may have had in your life, you just can’t figure out what the problem is.

So Jeff came on the show and he talked about how he in fact was in that very position. He was the director of marketing. Nothing was particularly wrong with his life. But he came on to explain that even though nothing was really wrong, he had this nagging feeling that he had to address and this lead to a life he loved.

Follow that itch and make your personal dream a reality

Henna Inam: Wired for Authenticity Dec 20, 2016

Henna Inam is a sought after speaker, successful author, and CEO of Transformational Leadership Inc. Her unique workshops, tools, and online community help managers create innovative, engaged teams that drive measurable results.

Henna and her global partner team work with Fortune 500 companies to deliver executive coaching, leadership development, and team workshops. Clients include Coca-Cola, Google, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, CNN, and Bank of America. Prior to starting her company, Henna worked for 20 years at Procter & Gamble and Novartis. She has lived or worked across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

How to Break Through To Your Truth Dec 15, 2016

Today, I’m responding to an email I received from Liana, I hope I didn’t butcher the name too much, Liana. She wrote in and said she was a fan of the show — thank you so much — and that she was wondering if I would share my experience in helping and guiding others to shape their authentic life. “What is it been like for you and what is challenging and rewarding?”

I love this question because really at the heart of this question is a much deeper conversation about what gets in our way when we are thinking about what we want, when our life isn’t exactly where we want it to be often, our life as you know from all the people I interviewed on the podcast, it’s really more of a journey and as much as you find something that makes you happy six months from now, six years from now, you may wake up and realize you need to make some more changes.

So my clients often come to me in that place. They don’t know what’s off or they recognize that they want to change their career but they can’t figure out why it’s so difficult to answer a simple question of what they want, what they want to see different, where they want to go, what’s the next steps? Getting real of themselves, determining what’s going on, it somehow gets all muddled and they get stuck, right? We start to feel stuck.

Marie Wiese: Mastering Old School Marketing in a Digital Era Dec 13, 2016

Marie is a fascinating figure in marketing, blending the "old" with the new. But the truth is, there's not a huge difference between the old and the new. Marie is an extremely clarifying figure in the marketing world, especially if you're just coming into the online scene.

A Story: The Value of Daily Celebration Dec 08, 2016

Today's episode is all about celebration. That feeling we expect to have once we're "done" with something. That sense of accomplishment. This story is from a coaching call that I had last week. While I talked with my client, I realized that this conversation needed to be shared on the podcast...because we ALL experience the same issues that she was bringing up.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this podcast, and please reach out to me if you've felt the same way!

Jason Yue Shen: When to Push Through and When to Quit Dec 06, 2016

Jason is a product manager at Etsy and a partner of a online side project bootcamp called Ship Your Side Project. He is the creator of the Asian American Man Study, which has been cited by NBC’s Asian America and The Atlantic. He served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow under President Obama and co-founded a Y Combinator startup called Ridejoy, which built a nationwide city-to-city ridesharing network.

Best Guests: Kute Blackson, Authentic and Transformational Leadership Dec 03, 2016

Note: This is the final episode in our best of series, featuring the best 5 guests to come on The Art of Authenticity this year. I hope you've enjoyed this series!

Today we have Kute Blackson joining us, I am so honored to have him on the show as the author of the bestselling novel, You. Are. The. One. He is also a transformational leader, he offers a different approach that he created, a process that liberates the individual and the true self at the core and then pushes those gifts outward into the universe.

He realized that the “outside-in approach” doesn’t work for personal development and replaced it with an “inside-out approach”. This helps the individual get in touch with who they really are, the process of breaking free so they can live, give and share their truest expression of self. This is what Kute calls liberated living.

Today, we talked about authenticity, Kute uses some of the same terminology that I feel strongly, peeling back the layers of self, how we’re just energetic, beautiful beings from birth and what happens, how those layers get added on, how you can remove them, how to get back, step up and rise up into the life that you were meant to live. I hope you enjoy today’s show, I loved chatting with him and I know that you’re going to be as inspired as I was.

Thank you so much for listening.

Best Guests: Bryan Reeves, Tell The Truth and Let The Peace Fall Where It May Dec 02, 2016

Note: We continue with best of week with the best 5 guests to come on The Art of Authenticity this year. Enjoy!

A former US Air Force Captain turned Author / Coach / Speaker, Bryan Reeves has triumphed through multiple dark nights of the soul after hurling himself into the transformational fires of intimate relationship over and over again.

Best Guests: Jeff Goins, The Art of Work Dec 01, 2016

Note: The best of series continues with the best 5 guests to come on The Art of Authenticity this year. Enjoy!

Best selling author of the Art of Work, blogger, and host of the podcast Portfolio Life. Ever had that gnawing sense that there is something else out there for you, but you just can't put your finger on it? Jeff was in marketing, making a good living, but he had an "itch" that he couldn't ignore. He followed his heart and made a play as a writer and it has paid off personally and financially.

Best Guests: Dr. Shefali, Conscious Parenting Nov 30, 2016

Note: The best of series continues with the 5 best guests to appear on The Art of Authenticity this year. Enjoy!

Dr. Shefali - best-selling author featured on Oprah, clinical psychologist and international speaker - talks about Conscious Parenting: learn to be an enlightened parent, find higher success for your children while giving them a deeper sense of self.

Best Guests: Laura Berman, The New Way to Better Relationships Nov 29, 2016

Note: The best episodes week continues with the 5 best guests to come on Art of Authenticity!

Quantum Physics? Quantum Love?!? NYT best-selling author, relationship expert, and host of In The Bedroom on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), Dr. Laura Berman reveals how science can be used to have a better love life. Sound like a dream? It’s not. All this and more in this episode!

Do I Offer Coaching? Nov 28, 2016

Several emails have recently come in asking if I offer coaching and the answer is, yes I do. Want help figuring out what success means to you? Or is answering the question, "what do I want?" really frustrating. Or do you have momentum, but the stress is kicking in and you need help with priorities, balance, or list management? That's what I help with. How to build a life that is successful and meaningful without all the stress!

And the first call is free... hop over to lauracoe.com and contact me for a free session or click on the button at the bottom of the homepage and schedule a time. Here's that link http://www.meetme.so/LauraCoe

This week will be best of interviews and next week we will resume our normal schedule with new content. Thanks for listening

Best Of: Freedom Begins In Your Mind Nov 26, 2016