Good Life Project || Inspiration | Motivation | Happiness | Meaning | Success

Growing up in Nashville, Top Chef star, Carla Hall, was surrounded by soul food, especially dishes cooked by her beloved grandma. She loved eating it, but she had no interest in cooking it. In fact, she headed into the world of business, building a career in accounting when, in a moment of awakening, she took a hard left turn that took her through runway modeling in Europe, cooking and catering, and eventually onto Bravo’s Top Chef where he amazing, joyful energy and sense of possibility captures the hearts of viewers. That launched her into the world of not just food and restaurants, but media, books, with her latest cookbook, Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration, and TV, with many appearances all over and a run co-hosting The Chew, and now podcasting with her hit show, Say Yes! with Carla Hall : https://pod.link/1530065734Carla is also very active with a number of foundations that reflect her passion for causes close to her heart, Like Helen Keller International, and she’s the Culinary Ambassado

Today, we’re sharing part 2 of our special series, The Hug. Last week, we aired part 1 of the Hug, with six beautiful stories. Today is part 2 next, think of it as the other arm in our audio hug, wrapping us all in the arms of stories that remind us of our shared humanity at a time we need it most. So, sit back and enjoy these stories in part 2 of The Hug. If you haven’t yet listened to Part 1 of The Hug (https://tinyurl.com/y2f5y2eh), be sure to download it and listen now. And if these stories have warmed you up, or reconnected you with a sense of shared humanity and possibility, even just a bit, maybe you know someone else who might need to hear them, too. Right now. Especially now. If there were ever episodes we’d love you to share with friends and family, it’s these Hug episodes. We all need stories that remind us of the good side of human beings, more than ever. And, if the stories have moved you and you’d love us to do more episodes like this, let us know on instagram, email or in a review on your

Earning his living in a past life as a fashion model, Light Watkins, began yoga and meditation in-between casting calls in New York City during the late nineties. Something he never saw coming happened. It opened him to a different worldview and set of practices that would change not only the trajectory of his career, but also his path in life. Deepening his practice, traveling and spending time in India and then apprenticing with his Vedic Meditation teacher, Light became, well, Light. He actually changed his name to better reflect his emerging identity. He then became a full-time Vedic Meditation teacher in 2007. Light now travels the world, albeit virtually these days, speaking on happiness, mindfulness, inspiration, and meditation. His most recent book, Bliss More: How to Succeed in Meditation Without Really Trying (https://amzn.to/2qvpXvj) invites people into meditation in a very accessible way. In Before Times, he also produced a global pop-up inspirational variety show called The Shine, with a mission

Elizabeth Gilbert is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Magic and Eat, Pray, Love, City of Girls and other awesome books. She’s also just a straight-up genuine, wise, deeply-feeling human with a lens on life that is incredibly kind and real. Since her last appearance on the podcast, Liz’s life has been turned upside-down and back again. She has navigated profound awakening, unbelievable love, loss, transition, reclamation and, along the way, continues the practice of finding her way back into the light. That’s a skillset and a lens we could all use right now. We explore all of this, in detail, in today’s deeply honest and powerful conversation. So excited to share this Best Of conversation.You can find Elizabeth Gilbert at:Website : https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_gilbert_writer/-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://www.goodlifeproject.com/sparketypes/)

Today, we’re doing something we’ve never done before. We’re about to head into a week like never before in the US and, well, around the world. And we kinda wanted to wrap it, and you, with one big, beautiful, audio hug that reminds us all, people are good, they can be kind, even to total strangers, in ways we never imagined.So, we’ve created a two-part series for you we’re calling The Hug, where we’re sharing a bunch of heartwarming stories, told by friends of the pod and some past guests who, now that I think about it, are friends now, too. Each story shares a moment or experience where a little bit of kindness, a little bit of sweetness and, just maybe, a little bit of lightness and laughter, touched their lives, and reminded them how good people can be. I feel like we all need a little of that right now. So, today is part one of The Hug, the first 6 stories for you. We’ll air part 2 next week, right after the election with the intention of wrapping us all in the arms of stories that remind us of our s

Rebekah Taussig is a Kansas City writer and teacher with her doctorate in Creative Nonfiction and Disability Studies. For the last five years, she’s grown a global community on Instagram, where she crafts these “mini-memoirs” that take you into her world, experiences and identity, a part of which includes her near lifelong relationship with physical disability and the wheelchair that has given her freedom and mobility and much more. Rebekah’s memoir in essays, Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body (https://amzn.to/3mgFNEw) takes you into her life, creating an eye-opening, funny, and insightful portrait of a body that looks and moves differently than most. In today’s conversation, we dive into all of this. I learned so much not just about Rebekah, her family, life and mindset, but also her passion for writing and creativity and people. You can find Rebekah Taussig at:Website : https://rebekahtaussig.com/-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet?&n

My guest today is former, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, mayor of San Antonio, Texas and presidential candidate, Julián Castro. Today’s conversation is personal. Growing up in San Antonio, his love of the city, example of his grandmother’s devotion to family and hard work and his mom’s commitment to social justice and activism instilled a deep reverence for public service. He’d eventually head to college and then law school with his twin brother, Joaquin, before returning to San Antonio to immerse himself in the pursuit of making the city he loved the best, most equitable and inclusive place possible. He eventually became the youngest mayor of a Top 50 American city at the time, before rising up in the world of politics, But, for him, it wasn’t about politics, it was about service, about honoring the examples of his mom and nana to help others. Much if this story is shared in Secretary Castro’s memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream. He currently hosts Lemonada Media's

My guest on today’s Best Of conversation, Cleo Wade, is a community builder, artist, activist, and the author of the books, Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life (https://amzn.to/2Ltivce) and Where to Begin: A small about book your power to create big change in our crazy world. She has been called the poet of her generation by Time Magazine and one of the 100 most creative people in business by Fast Company. Cleo sits on the board of The Lower East Side Girls Club, the National Black Theatre in Harlem, the Women’s Prison Association. Her art ranges from short, hand-written posts to collaborations with major brands and large-scale public art installations, including a 25-foot love poem in the skyline of the New Orleans French Quarter titled “Respect.”In today’s conversation, we explore her younger years, growing up as a biracial kid in the famed New Orleans French Quarter with two fiercely-creative parents influenced, how Hurricane Katrina changed everything, what led her to New York for many years, how

In 2010, folk-singer and songwriter Zoe Boekbinder (http://zoeboekbinder.com/) visited New Folsom Prison for the first time. What they thought would be one interesting day turned into a decade-long collaborative project. Boekbinder visited the prison often over the next five years; performing and teaching music workshops quickly turned into the beginnings of collaborations with writers and musicians who were incarcerated within New Folsom's walls. Boekbinder collaborated on the first of these songs with Alex Batriz, and following that, was approached by many more writers about collaborations. This was the seed for the Prison Music Project and the culminating album, Long Time Gone, produced by Ani DiFranco. Out now on Righteous Babe Records, the album features work by nine incarcerated (and formerly incarcerated) writers.The profits of Long Time Gone (https://amzn.to/31Y5phb) sales will benefit communities impacted by mass incarceration and the funds will be administered by the So

Question - how do you talk to friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances about things that matter - hard things - in a way that leads to each person being seen, heard, acknowledged, and treated with dignity? How do you get to a resolution, and sidestep the hurt, the wounding, the rage, and reactivity? How do you have conversations, in work and life, that lead to genuine understanding and change, and leave you feeling respected and at-peace, even when you still disagree? That's where we're going in today's conversation with Alexandra Jamieson & Bob Gower, partners in business and life and co-authors of Radical Alignment: How to Have Game-Changing Conversations That Will Transform Your Business and Your Life (https://getradicalalignment.com/book). Alexandra Jamieson is the bestselling author of five books, and co-creator / co-star of the Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me. She is a highly-sought-after success mentor and motivational guide for thousands and has made it her mission to emp

Andrea Gibson is one of the most stirring and influential spoken word artists of our time. Best known for their live performances, in which they regularly sell out large capacity rock clubs and concert halls, Gibson has changed the landscape of what it means to attend a “poetry show” altogether. Gibson’s poems center around LGBTQ issues, gender, feminism, and mental health, as well as gun reform and the dismantling of oppressive social systems. Their live shows, in which they are often accompanied by musicians, have become these loving and supportive ecosystems for audiences to feel seen, heard, and held through Gibson’s art.Gibson is the author of six books, including Lord of the Butterflies (https://amzn.to/33CzaGc), which won the Independent Publisher’s Award in 2019 as well as a Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist. Take Me With You, an illustrated collection of Gibson’s most memorable quotes, was also a Goodreads Finalist. In 2019, they co-authored their first-ever non-fiction book, How Poetry Can Change You

In many circles, Angela Duckworth’s name has become synonymous with the word grit, this elusive trait that fuels the sustained action-taking in the face of relentless adversity that leads to big achievements. Her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, and Duckworth is founder and C.E.O. of Character Lab, a nonprofit that uses psychological science to help children thrive. She is also the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, faculty co-director of the Penn-Wharton Behavior Change for Good Initiative, and faculty co-director of Wharton People Analytics. A 2013 MacArthur Fellow, Angela has advised the White House, the World Bank, NBA and NFL teams, and Fortune 500 C.E.O.’s, and her TED talk is among the most-viewed of all time. And, she now also co-hosts the new podcast 'No Stupid Questions' with Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics.You can find Angela Duckworth at:Website : https://angeladuckworth.com/No St

Ashley C. Ford lives in Brooklyn by way of Indiana, and she has a lot of jobs. She’s currently writing her memoir, Somebody's Daughter (https://amzn.to/36dFO7M), hosts The Chronicles of Now podcast, and is the former host of seasons one & three of Mastercard’s Fortune Favors The Bold, as well as PROFILE by BuzzFeed News, and Brooklyn-based news & culture TV show, 112BK. Ford has written or guest-edited for The Guardian, ELLE, BuzzFeed, OUT, Slate, New York Magazine, Allure, Marie Claire, The New York Times and tons of other places. She's taught creative nonfiction writing at The New School and Catapult.Co, and had her work listed among Longform & Longread's Best of. While working as an executive for Matter Studios, Ashley developed a web series and documentaries. She was also the host of the first season of Audible.Com's literary interview series, Authorized. was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Media, Brooklyn Magazine's Brooklyn 100, and Variety’s New Power of New York (2019). Simpl

The Most Reverend Michael Curry is the first African American individual to serve as Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church, Chief Pastor, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Chair of the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church.Born in Chicago, in the 50s, with a father who was an Episcopal priest, his mom died at a young age and he, along with his sister, was raised by his father and his grandmother. Early in life, he was introduced to social activism through his father’s leadership and his own dedication to righting a broken world. Eventually ordained himself in 1978, Bishop Curry grew increasingly active on issues of social justice, reconciliation, immigration, and marriage equality, often taking positions that were counter to broader tradition, and never shying away from opportunities to invite people to challenge convention in the name of creating a more inclusive community that welcomed all with love and dignity.In May of 2018, Bishop Curry delivered a moving sermon on the redempt

As a kid, all David Fajgenbaum could think about was football. It consumed his life, being the quarterback on a top college team was his singular mission. And, he accomplished that, landing a spot on Georgetown’s team. But, fate would soon step in, when the loss of his mom to aggressive brain cancer would change his focus and inspire a new devotion, to help find a cure and support families moving through loss. But his dance with illness was just beginning. In the blink of an eye, Fajgenbaum went from being a beast-like college quarterback to receiving his last rites while in medical school and nearly dying four more times battling a rare disease, with no known cure, that ravaged his body with a cytokine storm that essentially set his immune system up to attack every other system in his body. To try to save his own life, and realizing nobody was coming to save him but him, David spearheaded an innovative approach to researching his own cure, launching the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN) and

Elizabeth Lesser wants to set the record straight. The one that started all the way back with Adam and Eve. The origin story that positioned man as firstborn and favored and women as second-born and scorned. The mythology that seems to exist in nearly every faith, tradition, culture and history about the “place” of women in relationships, family, society, business, power and the world. Lesser decided it was time to do some myth-busting, some reconciliation and some reimagining about what this world, on every level, might look like if truth found its way into the narrative and power were more evenly distributed.As the co-founder of the iconic Omega Institute, recognized internationally for its workshops and conferences in wellness, spirituality, creativity, social change and women’s leadership, Elizabeth has been gathering people from all walks of life to explore the intersection between gender, power, equity and impact for more than 40 years. She has presented at TED, was named to Oprah’s Super Soul 100, and

Bryan and Shannon Miles fell in love when they were young, got married, started a family and each started building their own successful careers. But a series of unexpected experiences led them to re-evaluate what they wanted out of their lives, and the way they wanted to contribute. So they pretty much blew everything up and went out on their own, starting a new venture together with the goal of creating freedom, by building a company that helped others create freedom. Not a bad vision, right?Their passion is all about empowering small business owners and entrepreneurs to be more efficient as they achieve success in business (and in life). Having now generated more than $100M in revenue as the Co-CEO's of BELAY SOLUTIONS, a virtual staffing company, they graduated to Co-Chairs where they are stepping into a more educational role, sharing the Own Not Run philosophy that led them to build their own company. I was fascinated by their approach, since it’s always been a large part of my aspiration, too. To build s

Bruce Feiler is the author of six consecutive New York Times bestsellers, including Walking the Bible and Council of Dads, the presenter of two primetime series on PBS, and the inspiration for the COUNCIL OF DADS series on NBC. He describes himself as an experiencer and explainer. Growing up in Savannah, Georgia, for as long as he can remember, he’s loved going out into the world, creating powerful experiences, then sharing what he’s discovered, first in letters home, then eventually in books, talks, and TV. But his latest set of experiences were ones he neither sought out nor saw coming. Collectively, they dropped him to his knees, and nearly took his life. Still, fueled by a relentless curiosity, Bruce became fascinated with moments of profound transition, "lifequakes" as he calls them, where life after looks very different than life before. So he spent years traveling the country investigating this phenomenon, gathering and coding stories, and that’s led to the groundbreaking new book, Life is in the

Today is a special conversation, featuring two guests. Dr. Yusef Salaam was just fifteen years old when his life was upended after being wrongly convicted with four other boys in the “Central Park jogger” case. In 2002, after the young men spent years of their lives behind bars, their sentences were overturned. Now known as the Exonerated Five, their story has been documented in the award-winning film The Central Park Five by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon and in Ava DuVernay’s acclaimed series When They See Us. Yusef is now a poet, activist, and inspirational speaker. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama, among other honors. Ibi Zoboi is a novelist and editor, born in Haiti, and raised in Brooklyn, she found a love of writing, and poetry and eventually pursued an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts, before launching a career in journalism and then fiction. Her novel American Street was a National Book Award finalist and a New York Times Notable Boo

Kate DiCamillo writes books for kids and young adults that also just happen to break open grownup’s hearts. Moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire her to write Because of Winn-Dixie(https://amzn.to/39I3Vee), her first published novel, which became a runaway bestseller and earned her a Newbery Honor. Since then, Kate’s written for a wide range of ages, earning a devoted audience and heaps of accolades.Her #1 New York Times bestseller The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was a deeply moving reflection o life, meaning and legacy, through the eyes of a toy china rabbit. The Tale of Despereaux, her Newbery Medal-winning novel, later inspired an animated adventure from Universal Pictures and Kate was named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014–2015.She’s fiercely honest, always tells the truth, but also always leads you to a place of awakening and hope, especially in circumstances that seem destined for the opposite. And right n