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

Mia Birdsong is a pathfinder, community curator, and storyteller who engages the leadership and wisdom of people experiencing injustice to chart new visions of American life. She has a gift for making visible and leveraging the brilliance of everyday people so that our collective gifts reach larger spheres of influence, cultural and political change, and create wellbeing for everyone. In her book How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community, (https://amzn.to/30WJWX9) Birdsong examines community life, reimagines family and chosen family, and points us toward the promise of our collective vitality. Previously, as founding Co-Director of Family Story, Mia lifted up a new national story about what makes a good family. As Vice President of the Family Independence Initiative, she leveraged the power of data and stories to illuminate and accelerate the initiative low-income families take to improve their lives. Her public conversations, like the New America series centering Black women as agents

Dan Heath is the co-author, along with his brother, Chip, of four New York Times bestselling books: Made to Stick, Switch, Decisive, and The Power of Moments. The Heath Brothers’ books have sold over three million copies worldwide and been translated into 33 languages. But, interesting, separated by 10 years, the two weren't super close until they began to collaborate later in life. Their work has transformed not only the lives of millions of readers, but along the way, two brothers as well. Dan’s new book - his first solo release - Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen (https://amzn.to/3hmfMC7) debuted in March 2020 and was an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller. Dan is a Senior Fellow at Duke University’s CASE center, which supports entrepreneurs who are fighting for social good. He lives in Durham, North Carolina.You can find Dan Heath at:Website : https://heathbrothers.com/books/upstream/-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessme

Iconic artist, designer, and New York Magazine cofounder, Milton Glaser's (http://www.miltonglaser.com/) work has been seen everywhere from the halls of global industry to, social movements to local pubs, the Museum of Modern Art and the Georges Pompidou Center. He was the visionary behind the legendary I ♥ NY logo, designed and given for free as an offering to the city he loved when it teetered on the brink of bankruptcy in the 70s. The generation-defining, rainbow-haired Bob Dylan poster? Glaser, too. And, thousands of other works that have moved millions of people and defined moments, industries, and generations. Over our 8-year history, Glaser has become the single most-referenced and, arguably, most revered guest. His work changed us, and so did our time with him.Milton Glaser passed away on Friday, June 26th at the age of 91. On his birthday. So, we wanted to share this “Best Of” conversation from our 2013 archives in honor of his life and impact, and as a powerful prompt to nurture the creative impulse

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Ann Patchett is the multi-award-winning and New York Times Bestselling author of eight novels, including The Patron Saint of Liars, Bel Canto, Run, Commonwealth. and The Dutch House, along with nonfiction works, including Truth & Beauty, about her friendship with the writer Lucy Grealy, What Now? an expansion of her graduation address at Sarah Lawrence College, and This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a collection of essays examining the theme of commitment. In 2019, she published her first children’s book, Lambslide, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Patchett's work has been translated into more than thirty languages. In November 2011, yearning to stem the flow of great bookstores from Nashville, Tennessee where she lives, Patchett opened Parnassus Books with her business partner Karen Hayes. She has since become a spokesperson for independent booksellers, championing books and bookstores. In 2012 she

Elaine Welteroth is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist and a producer and judge on the new Project Runway. She is known for her groundbreaking work at the helm of Teen Vogue, where she was appointed the youngest ever Editor-in-Chief at a Conde Nast publication in 2017, transforming the magazine into a platform for advocacy and social activism. She's now a leading expert and advocate for the next generation of change-makers. Welteroth was recently appointed Cultural Ambassador for Michelle Obama's When We All Vote initiative. Her writing appears in The New York Times, British Vogue, and The Hollywood Reporter. She has written for the hit show Grown-ish and has appeared on-camera for a range of media outlets including ABC News and Netflix. Welteroth released her first book More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are No Matter What They Say (https://amzn.to/30nh8q7) in June 2019. Her debut literary work became an immediate New York Times bestseller and was the recipie

 James McBride is an accomplished musician and author whose books have been translated into 19 languages and sold millions of copies around the world. He's toured with jazz legends, written songs for everyone from Anita Baker to Grover Washington, Jr. McBride also penned the National Book Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling The Good Lord Bird, which Showtime is turning into a television series, authored bestselling American classic The Color of Water, along with Miracle at St. Anna, which was adapted into a film by Spike Lee. Awarded a National Humanities Medal by President Obama “for humanizing the complexities of discussing race in America,” McBride is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University. His newest novel, Deacon King Kong, (https://books.apple.com/us/book/deacon-king-kong/id1469783511) drops you into Brooklyn, circa 1969, with a fierce interplay between social commentary, immersive storytelling, and wild humor that ultimately lands in the form of awakening, redemption,

Growing up outside Newark, NJ, Judge Victoria Pratt found herself in the role of translator, advocate, and champion at a very young age. That deep desire to serve at the sweet-spot between justice and humanity never left her. Rising up through government and educational institutions, she eventually became Chief Judge in Newark Municipal Court in Newark, NJ. But she was not your ordinary judge. For her, it was all about serving the broader humanity and needs of both those who appeared in her courtroom, as well as those who were affected in the community. Judge Pratt gained acclaim as a champion for criminal justice reform and restorative justice in her Newark courtroom, worked with jurisdictions across the US, and as far as Dubai, Ukraine, Mexico, and England. Her TED Talk, How Judges Can Show Respect, went viral. Now a leading voice in criminal justice reform and restorative justice through her consulting firm Pratt Lucien Consultants, Judge Pratt speaks to corporate and organizational leaders about restoring

In 1987, John O’Leary was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, he created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live. John not only survived but, with the support of an incredible family, friends and community, found a way to reclaim a sense of wonder, joy and service that has led to a stunning career inspiring millions, writing books, while marrying the love of his life and raising four kids together. His #1 National Bestselling book ON FIRE recounts much of this story, and his popular Live Inspired Podcast takes you deeper into lessons learned. John's new book, IN AWE, (https://amzn.to/3dQ1dUO) explores the key elements that allow you to live from a place of awe, no matter what the world throws at you.We recorded a Good Life Project conversation with John in 2016, which you can listen to here: https://www.goodlifeproject.com/podcast/john-oleary-2/You can find John O'Leary at:Website : http://johnolearyinspires.c

Graduating Oberline, Alix Spiegel landed in Chicago and stumbled upon a help-wanted ad that would lead to an internship with soon-to-be-legendary radio producer, Ira Glass. A year later, Spiegel became one of the founding producers of This American Life, where she, Ira, and a small, devoted team would change the face of public radio, storytelling, journalism, and, eventually podcasting. She eventually left to work on NPR's Science Desk for a decade and build more of a life outside radio. Then, January 2015, Spiegel joined forces with journalist Lulu Miller to co-host Invisibilia, a series from NPR about the unseen forces that control human behavior — our ideas, beliefs, assumptions, and thoughts. Invisibilia interweaves personal stories with fascinating psychological and brain science, in a way that ultimately makes you see your own life differently. Her work on human behavior has also appeared in The New Yorker magazine and The New York Times.You can find Alix Spiegel at: Invisibilia : https://www.npr.o

Lance Allred was born legally deaf in a polygamist commune in rural Montana. When he was 13, his family escaped and eventually came out of hiding in Utah, where for the first time, he had to step into a world that he had no experience navigating. Lance had always loved writing, but at nearly 6’4” in middle school, and looking for a new way to belong, his height caught the eye of the basketball coach. The game became his life and he'd eventually become a star athlete that led to college, then years playing all over the world in the pros, including a stint in the NBA. But, underneath it all, Lance never left his love of writing, and he began to share his inner life in print, authoring a number of books and eventually leaving the game to speak to and train leaders. In his newest book, The New Alpha Male, (https://amzn.to/2Ub4d6W) Lance turns his deeply reflective, insightful, and honest lens on the role of masculinity, how his experience of it has changed dramatically since becoming a dad and what he leads

Austin Channing Brown is a writer, speaker and media producer providing inspired leadership on racial justice. She is the author of I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness (https://amzn.to/2X8qyEc) and the Executive Producer of The Next Question: A Web Series Imagining How Expansive Racial Justice Can Be (https://www.tnqshow.com/). Austin started her career in the nonprofit world, focusing on homelessness and housing, youth engagement, and church operations before blazing her own path in speaking, consulting, media and writing. As a leader, educator, and producer, Channing Brown creates programming that centers the experiences of Black women, dismantling the foundations of white supremacy, while interweaving a way forward for all who will listen. Her nationally-celebrated first season of The Next Question included a slate of incredible contributors. Alongside her co- creators, Chi Chi Okwu and Jenny Booth Potter, the hosts examine complex topics affecting social justice while simultan

James Nestor has written for Outside, Scientific American, The Atlantic, Dwell, The New York Times, and more. His book Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves was a finalist for the 2015 PEN/ESPN Award For Literary Sports Writing, an Amazon Best Science Book of 2014, and more. Nestor has appeared on dozens of national television shows, including ABC's Nightline and CBS Morning News, and on NPR. He lives and breathes, surfs and writes in San Francisco. Nestor's new book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art (https://amzn.to/3ekUIJS) is a myth-busting and paradigm-shifting look at how we breathe, what it does to us and how to harness breathing to transform our health and lives.You can find James Nestor at:Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mrjamesnestor/Website : http://mrjamesnestor.com/-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complet

Jameela Jamil an actor, writer, podcaster, and activist. Leaving behind a high-profile life as a host and DJ on two of the UK's most iconic TV and radio shows, a health scare led her to make a radical change that delivered her into a new life in Los Angeles with the intention of shifting into writing. But, fate had a different plan. Never having acted before, she auditioned for and landed a starring role as Tahani on NBC's The Good Place, opposite Ted Danson and Kristen Bell. Seeking to leverage her growing influence to become a voice for change and equality, she launched activism platform, I Weigh. This rapidly became a global movement to mobilize activism, around issues of mental health, climate change, equality for marginalized groups, and what she calls "radical inclusivity." In April, Jamil launched the ‘I WEIGH podcast, where she hosts thought-leaders, performers, activists, influencers, and friends, exploring how they are working through their past shames to find where their value truly lies.You c

Dani Shapiro is a New York Times bestselling author and gifted examiner of life, especially her own. Her latest book, Inheritance, (https://amzn.to/2WOiVT6) drops you into a surprise revelation about who her dad was or, more accurately, wasn’t and the familial earthquake this discovery led to. When the book published, Dani learned something else. She wasn't the only one with big family secrets. That realization became the inciting incident Dani's podcast called Family Secrets (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/family-secrets/id1441824608). And, she’s now launched a second daily podcast, The Way We Live Now (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-way-we-live-now/id1506782444), that introduces you to the individual stories of people moving through this current global moment together. And, through all of it, Dani would also find herself hurdled into her husband’s - the love of her life’s - cancer diagnosis and treatment, moving through the surreal experience of celebrating, speaking and traveling, then re

Stephanie Danler is a novelist, memoirist, and screenwriter. She is the author of the international bestseller, Sweetbitter, and the creator and executive producer of the Sweetbitter TV series on Starz. The book and series were based on her own experience being swept up by the intoxication of the New York City restaurant scene in her twenties. Danler's work has appeared in the Sewanee Review, Vogue, The New York Times, and The Paris Review. Her new memoir, Stray, (https://amzn.to/361FOpf) is a powerful reflection on the relationships, addictions, moments of awakening, revelation, and connection that defined her earlier life and shaped the person, the partner, the mother, and the writer she would become.You can find Stephanie Danler at:Website : http://www.stephaniedanler.com/Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/smdanler/-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a

Simultaneously parenting her daughter while caring for a mom who was vanishing into dementia, Maya Shanbhag Lang, found herself reexamining nearly every part of her life, and reimagining how she wanted to tell her own story to her daughter. May's writing has been featured in The Washington Post, In Style, The Millions, and The Rumpus, among others. Her book, The Sixteenth of June was long-listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, was an Audie Award Finalist for Best Audio Book. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. A passionate teacher, she loves working with aspiring writers. Her new memoir is What We Carry.  (https://amzn.to/3fqyo2Q)You can find Maya Shanbhag Lang at:Website : http://www.mayalang.com/Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mayaslang/-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open your eyes in a

John Caglione, Jr. is an Academy Award and Emmy Award-Winning Makeup Artist. Obsessed with monster movies as a kid, he began studying makeup and special effects. A not-so-chance meeting with makeup legend, Dick Smith, turned him from a fan into a devotee of the craft. Graduating high-school, Smith then recommended John to the NBC Makeup Program where he ended up working with the original cast of "Saturday Night Live" for six years, before going out on his own. Having now built a decades-long career in film and TV, John's work includes "Quest For Fire", "Zelig", "Cotton Club", "Heat", "Dick Tracy" (for which he won the Oscar and British Academy Award). John also designed and applied Heath Ledger's 'Joker' character makeup in "The Dark Knight," and he's been Personal Makeup Artist to Al Pacino for 30 years. John's most current work with Al Pacino was "The Irishman" and "Hunters".You can find John Caglione, Jr. at:Website: https://www.johncaglionejr.net/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnny_cags/

Jacqueline Novogratz co-founded Rwanda’s first microfinance institution, Duterimbere, before launching the groundbreaking impact-investment and activist platform, Acumen. Nineteen years in, Acumen has helped build more than 128 social enterprises across Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the United States, bringing affordable education, health care, clean water, and energy to more than 300 million people. Novogratz sits on the Advisory Councils of the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative, the Oxford Said Global Leadership Council, the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, and UNICEF. Her best-selling memoir The Blue Sweater chronicles her quest to understand poverty and challenges readers to grant dignity to the poor and to rethink their engagement with the world. Jacqueline's new book, Manifesto for a Moral Revolution (https://amzn.to/3c84n65) offers a revolutionary lens on leadership, activism, social responsibility, investing, and calls us to play a more active role in reshapi

Acclaimed comic, Adam Cayton-Holland, has appeared on Conan, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Comedy Central Presents, @midnight, and was named one of Esquire’s “25 Comics to Watch,” as well as one of “10 Comics to Watch” by Variety. Along with his cohorts in The Grawlix, he created, wrote and starred in “Those Who Can’t,” which aired for three seasons on truTV. His albums, “I Don’t Know If I Happy,” “Backyards,” and “Adam Cayton-Holland Performs His Signature Bits,” (voted one of Vulture’s Top Ten Albums of 2018) are all available on iTunes, and his writing has appeared in Village Voice, Spin, The A.V. Club, The New York Times, Esquire and The Atlantic. His first book, Tragedy Plus Time, (https://amzn.to/2VFJXdp) shares the moving story of his ascension into the world of comedy as his sister descended into mental illness and how he moved through that devastating moment of life.You can find Adam Cayton-Holland at: Website: http://www.adamcaytonholland.com/ |Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caytonholl

Macy Gray's unmistakable rasp, soul, and powerful spirit established as a 21st-century music icon with her triple-platinum album On How Life Is in 1999, featuring the generation-defining song "I Try." She's sold over 25 million albums, winning a GRAMMY, two BRITs, and collaborating with everyone from Ariana Grande to Galactic, and sold out venues in nearly every corner of the globe. Macy’s talents resound beyond music as well. She starred in Tyler Perry’s Black Reel Award-winning For Colored Girls and graced the screen everywhere from Brotherly Love and Cardboard Boxer to NETFLIX’s hit Fuller House, and made a legendary appearance in Training Day alongside Academy Award winner Denzel Washington. Now, her tenth full-length album, RUBY (https://amzn.to/3d0T2Vg), reaffirms and reasserts that signature rarity millions continue to treasure. Channeling the spirit of the R&B and jazz closest to her heart, Gray made a leap forward by looking back to formative insp