Behind the Brilliance

Lisa summarizes Season 14, Defying the Odds, with reflections on the strategies shared and helpful recaps. 240 – Dr. Andrew Newberg 241 – Cin Fabre 242 – Tyler Denk 243 – Jim Fielding 244 – Dr. Valerie Daniels-Carter 245 – Simone Stolzoff 246 – Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg 247 – Andrew Barnes 248 – Jamila Souffrant 249 – Kevin Kelly   Subscribe to CUE at BehindtheBrilliance.com to be the first to know when the new season streams.

THE SHOW Kevin Kelly is a modern creative pioneer. He was a polymath before it was cool. His career as a writer, founder, photographer, and editor extends across industries and continents. A world traveler and lifelong learner, Kevin's ideas such as 1000 True Fans have inspired a generation of builders and artists to exercise full agency over their creative pursuits. Kevin was on a short list of dream guests I've long held for Behind the Brilliance, and our conversation did not disappoint. He was candid and thoughtful as we covered a wide range of topics including career and life design, religion, decision making, unpopular opinions, and much more. This is an excellent listen for the dreamers, doers, and builders who want to hear the embodiment of integrating passion, purpose, and profit with thoughtful optimism.  Behind His Brilliance: Luck + Not caring what others think Say hi to Kevin on X (Twitter): @kevin2kelly   THE GUEST KEVIN KELLY | AUTHOR + CO-FOUNDER, WIRED ​​ Kevin Kelly is Senior Maverick at Wired magazine. He co-founded Wired in 1993, and served as its Executive Editor for its first seven years. His newest book is Excellent Advice for Living, a book of 450 modern proverbs for good living. He is co-chair of The Long Now Foundation, a membership organization that champions long-term thinking and acting as a good ancestor to future generations. And he is founder of the popular Cool Tools website, which has been reviewing tools daily for 20 years. From 1984-1990 Kelly was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, a subscriber-supported journal of unorthodox conceptual news. He co-founded the ongoing Hackers' Conference, and was involved with the launch of the WELL, a pioneering online service started in 1985. Other books by Kelly include 1) The Inevitable, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, 2) Out of Control, his 1994 classic book on decentralized emergent systems, 3) The Silver Cord, a graphic novel about robots and angels, 4) What Technology Wants, a robust theory of technology, and 5) Vanishing Asia, his 50-year project to photograph the disappearing cultures of Asia.  He is best known for his radical optimism about the future.   TOPICS COVERED -the decision making framework Kevin developed over 5 decades of his career -the inception and growth of WIRED -why pursuing a range of interests can be more valuable than specializations (with important caveats) -Kevin's religious conversion and how it changed his life -important reflections on leveraging and time management -how a trip to Asia changed Kevin's life And much more!

THE SHOW Jamila Souffrant's expertise in personal finance is informed by her own experience turning financial uncertainty into financial freedom. She and her husband saved $169,000 in 2 years and redefined their future with smart money decisions. Now she's guiding people from diverse backgrounds to more fulfilled lives through her personal finance podcast, Journey to Launch, and her new book, Your Journey to Financial Freedom. ​​Jamila's work has been featured in Money Magazine, CNBC, and more. The Journey To Launch Podcast was listed by the NYTimes as a podcast to help you get better with your money.   We covered a wide range of topics at the intersection of lifestyle and personal finance including creating financial independence, decoupling time and money, how to approaching spending vs saving vs earning, the specific mindset work that's critical to the personal finance journey and much more. We touched on FIRE which stands for Financial Independence Retire Early which is a movement that targets building a nest egg and retiring to do what you'd prefer to do with your time whether that's work that earns less, more time with family, or something else. This episode is penultimate installment of our season long discussions around integrating work and life. Money is obviously a hufge part of that so this conversation helps to frame up our motivations for how much we work, what we work on, and what we do with our earnings.   THE GUEST JAMILA SOUFFRANT | PERSONAL FINANCE EXPERT + AUTHOR ​​Jamila Souffrant is the author of Your Journey To Financial Freedom: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Wealth and Happiness ((Hanover Square Press December 5, 2023) shares  and the host of the Journey To Launch podcast. She is a go-to thought leader in the personal finance field and her work has been featured in BuzzFeed, ESSENCE, Refinery 29, Money Magazine, CNBC, CBS, Business Insider and more. The Journey To Launch Podcast has over 4+ million total downloads and was listed by the NYTimes as a podcast to help you get better with your money.  Jamila and her husband saved $169,000 in two years. They live in Brooklyn, NY with their three children.   TOPICS COVERED -the difference between financial independence and financial freedom and why it matters -redefining luxury in non-monetary terms -the necessity of simplicity on the journey to financial freedom -age, regret, and keeping the journey in context -how to create an effective spending plan -Jamila's hardest money lesson learned -finding the balance between productivity and punishment And much more!

A dynamic and growing group of companies and organizations are moving to a 4 day work week. Andrew Barnes is the pioneer behind this movement. It all started with an experiment to see what would happen if his team worked 4 days instead of 5. The results were so breathtaking that he never looked back. Now there's an entire organization - including research, a book, and tools - dedicated to making the work world more efficient.   Through his company – New Zealand's largest corporate trustee company, Perpetual Guardian – Andrew announced a 4 day week trial, with staff receiving an extra day off work, on full pay, each week. The trial was an undeniable success, sparking widespread international interest and winning a number of global awards. Today, Barnes is considered the pioneer and architect of the global 4 day week movement. As co-founder of 4 Day Week Global with his partner, Charlotte Lockhart, they are conducting the largest ever trials, currently taking place across the UK, US, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. More than 250 companies around the world with over 100,000 staff are taking part in the trials to change their workplaces combined with a global research programme involving academics from leading universities. Continuing our season long thread on creating work/life integration, this conversation is an excellent primer for both employers and employees on creating a 4 Day Work Week. Andrew is the literal pioneer of this movement so I invited him to BTB to discuss how it was born, the concerns many leaders have, why the movement has picked up steam, and how you – whether you're a leader or a team member – can use these ideas to create a more sustainable and effective approach to work. We spent a lot of time at the top of this conversation exploring Andrew's background because I think that context is important once he starts discussing the 4 Day Work Week. That said, if you want to skip to the topical portion, it begins around minute 25. Behind His Brilliance:  Finding opportunity anywhere Say hi to Andrew on X/Twitter @andrewhbarnes   TOPICS COVERED -how Andrew built a career as an international entrepreneur -Andrew's reflections on betting on himself (and why you should too) -the keys to navigating organizational change -how and why the 4 Day Work Week became a thing -the art and science of designing down time -the counterintuitive ways less work powers more efficiency -how to save your company from meeting culture -how to trial a 4 day week in your organization -addressing employee concerns about the 4 day week -the 4 day week's impact on wage expectations (spoiler: workers value their time!) -the legislative activity around a 4 day work week And much more!

Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg is the author of ‘What's Your Problem?' which was released by Harvard Business Press. He is also the co-author (with Paddy Miller) of Innovation as Usual, a Harvard Business Review Press book on the art of driving innovation in regular organizations. Thomas has worked with managers in nearly all parts of the globe, including China, India, Russia, Singapore, Britain, France and his native country, Denmark. His research has been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Economist, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, BBC Radio, Bloomberg Businessweek and the Financial Times. His work on innovation led HR Magazine to recognize him as a “Top 20 International Thinker”. This conversation is a continuation of a string of conversations about work and creating more effective life/work integration. I'm leaning in on this topic because most of us have experienced periods of persistent angst around work, frustration with recurring work problems, and difficulty managing work relationships. This series of episodes delivers practical advice that you can use right away to be more effective and derive more satisfaction from work. This episode deep dives on problem solving which in my opinion is a universally useful skill to develop. As Thomas points out, most of us aren't thinking about problems the right way – something he calls framing – which prevents us from being able to effectively talk about and solve problems. This is a winding conversation filled with useful insight on professional and personal problem solving so It's worth taking notes. Behind His Brilliance: Curiosity and seeking the odd things Say hi to Thomas on X/Twitter @thomaswedell

THE SHOW Simone Stolzoff is a designer, and workplace expert who is the former design lead at the global innovation firm IDEO. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and many other publications. He's the author of The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work. This conversation is, in my opinion, among the most important in the history of the show. It's not particularly dramatic, but it's hard for me to overstate the importance of the ideas and practical applications we discussed around life design, work, the relationship between to work and identity, and why carefully curating these things instead of letting them happen is an absolute must if you want to create more meaning and satisfaction at the intersection of your work and life. We covered a wide range of things including the Western tendency toward work as a status symbol, how to make a career pivot, questions to consider when reflecting on the context of your career in your life, how to recover from an achievement hangover, the joys and perils of being self-employed, and much more. No matter what your career or employment status is, there's something for you in this conversation. It's especially timely as we all start thinking about a new year and what we might want to change where our careers are concerned. Behind His Brilliance: Amazing people who share their stories Say hi to Simone on X/Twitter @simonestolzoff   THE GUEST SIMONE STOLZOFF | AUTHOR, THE GOOD ENOUGH JOB Simone Stolzoff is a designer, and workplace expert who is the former design lead at the global innovation firm IDEO. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and many other publications. He's the author of The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work.     TOPICS COVERED The problem with tying personal identity to work How to diversify your identity outside of work How to stop chasing status at work (and what to do instead) Rethinking designing life around work How to avoid achievement hangovers Simone's advice on pivoting and taking risks The gift and challenge of being self-employed How to create structural protection against overwork And much more!

THE SHOW Dr. Valerie Daniels-Carter is founder and president of V&J Holdings, the largest female-owned franchise organization in the United States. As one of the best known fast-food operators in the United States with more than 130 units across multiple brands, Valerie has partnered with influential leaders like NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal to expand her operations. She sits on the board of the Green Bay Packers and is a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. As a seasoned leader, Valerie has learned what it takes to create and sustain success when you don't have a head start. Valerie was candid about her challenges and how she persisted to create a life and career that aligns with her values. We covered a wide range of topics from how she landed her first franchise location to how she identifies great partners along with more personal topics like grief and her reflections on the role of family and faith in her life.  Behind Her Brilliance: Faith, Family, Friends, Passion   THE GUEST VALERIE DANIELS-CARTER | PRESIDENT, V&J HOLDING COMPANIES Dr. Valerie Daniels-Carter is one of the most preeminent business owners in the United States. In addition to auspiciously commandeering several restaurants branded operations in the United States, she has been widely recognized for her adroit business ingenuity.  She is the President and CEO of V&J Foods, Holding Companies, Inc. (V&J Holdings), a multi-brand/multi-state operation. It is recognized as the largest female owned franchise organization in the country.  Dr. Daniels-Carter's quick-service restaurant empire operations are comprised of Auntie Anne's Soft Pretzels, Burger King, Coffee Beanery, Nino's Southern Sides, MyYoMy Frozen Yogurt, Pizza Hut and Captain D's Seafood along with numerous Real Estate ventures. Prior to establishing V&J Holding Companies, Inc., she worked in banking and finance.    TOPICS COVERED How Valerie landed her first franchise location Valerie's secret to scaling to 100+ locations How Valerie creates partnerships with other leaders The role of faith in Valerie's life and business Valerie's work in sports and philanthropy Valerie's reflections on grief and hard lessons How Valerie thinks about work/life integration And much more!

THE SHOW Jim Fielding is casting the kind of light we all need to free us from the anxiety of being enough and doing enough. Throughout his illustrious career as an executive as the world's most recognizable companies, he found that authenticity and kindness were the secrets to achieving the kind of success he most craved. But these realizations didn't come easy. After struggling with coming out, building international teams, and climbing corporate ladders, Jim left it all behind to lean into a new chapter where he brings his whole self to his work. This conversation is a must listen for anyone who wants to design a more meaningful professional life that delivers fulfillment and stability without sacrificing authenticity. Behind His Brilliance: Family Say hi to Jim on Instagram @allpridenoego THE GUEST JIM FIELDING | EXECUTIVE + AUTHOR, ALL PRIDE, NO EGO Jim Fielding is a partner at Archer Gray, and president of its Co-Lab Division. A retail and media industry veteran, Jim served as president of Disney Stores Worldwide, and led global consumer experiences at DreamWorks and Twentieth Century Fox. His early career experience included top global brands, from The Gap to Lands' End. Jim later served as CEO of Claire's Stores, Inc. He is author of ALL PRIDE, NO EGO: A Queer Executive's Journey to Living and Leading Authentically (Wiley, August 15, 2023). Jim's expertise combines storytelling, product innovation, merchandising, and consumer experiences. He is an active community leader and philanthropist, a founder of the Queer Philanthropy Circle, and serves on the board of directors for the Indiana University Foundation. Jim has served as an executive-in-residence for IU's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and a board member for GLSEN, Make-A-Wish International, and American Red Cross. He is based in Atlanta, GA and Northport, MI.  TOPICS COVERED Jim's path into retail and how he found success How authenticity accelerated Jim's elevation as an executive How Jim navigates high pressure situations Jim's advice on designing effective teams and collaborative cultures Jim's advice to professionals weighing their options A fresh perspective on failure – and how to fail up Why Jim stopped chasing the next promotion and title The ah ha moment that healed years of trauma And much more!

Tyler Denk is making a name for himself as a CEO who building a modern company that brings fresh energy to an old space: e-mail. He's powering the world's most beloved newsletters through Beehiiv, the company he founded in 2021. beehiiv is an all-in-one product suite for newsletter.  Tyler joined Morning Brew as the second employee, leading product and engineering, and helped them scale up until the acquisition by Business Insider in 2020. He then had a stint at Google as a Product Lead on the YouTube Music team, before ultimately leaving to start beehiiv in 2021, where he is currently the CEO. Tyler's story is an inspiring journey in strartups and aligning personal values with business vision. Behind His Brilliance: Family Say hi Tyler on X/Twitter: @denk_tweets

Cin Fabré is the personification of grit. We hear that word used in personal and professional development circles, but her story, her mindset, and her confidence truly reflects it. Growing up, Cin Fabré didn't know anything about the stock market. But she learned how to hustle from her immigrant parents. Through a tip from a friend, Cin pushed her way into brokerage firm VTR Capital―an offshoot of Stratton Oakmont, the company where the Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort, had reigned. She instantly felt the pull of profit and knew she would do whatever she had to do to be successful. Pulling back the curtain on the inequities she and so many others faced, Cin's memoir Wolf Hustle reveals how Cin worked grueling hours, ascending from cold caller to stockbroker, becoming the only Black woman to do so at her firm. She also reveals the excesses she took part in on 1990s Wall Street―the strip clubs, the Hamptons parties, the Gucci shopping sprees―while reveling in the thrill of making money. From landing clients worth hundreds of millions to gaining, losing, then gaining back fortunes in seconds, Cin examines her years spent trading frantically and hustling successfully, grappling with what it takes to build a rich life, and, ultimately, beating Wall Street at its own game. After a multistudio bidding war, Apple won the rights to the book and will be adapting it into a film.  We covered a lot in this conversation – how she landed on Wall Street so young, how she navigated everything from politics to dick pics, her financial literacy journey, her reflections on grief and mental health, and her leap from Wall Street Hustler to author. Behind Her Brilliance: Confidence and a commitment to enjoying life Cin Fabré Wolf Hustle (Cin's memoir) Jacqueline Woodson (Cin's reading pick) John Grisham (Cin's reading pick)

Dr. Andrew Newberg is the world's leading thinker on neurotheology. His work has been published in over 250 peer reviewed articles and chapters on brain function and the study of religious and mystical experiences. He has published 14 books including How God Changes Your Brain and Neurotheology: How Science Can Enlighten Us About Spirituality. In this broad conversation, Lisa and Dr. Newberg explore the connections between spirituality and the brain. Dr. Newberg offers enlightening perspective on modern spirituality and its role in living well.   THE GUEST DR. ANDREW NEWBERG | Neurotheologist + Author Dr. Andrew Newberg is the director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health and a physician at Jefferson University Hospital. He is board certified in internal medicine and nuclear medicine. Dr. Newberg is a neuroscientist who studies the relationship between brain function and various mental states. He is a pioneer in the neurological study of religious and spiritual experiences, a field known as “neurotheology.” His research includes taking brain scans of people in prayer, meditation, rituals, and trance states, in an attempt to better understand the nature of religious and spiritual practices and attitudes. He has published over 250 peer reviewed articles and chapters on brain function, brain imaging, and the study of religious and mystical experiences. He has published 14 books, which have been translated into 17 different languages. His work has been featured in Newsweek, Time, National Geographic, New York Times, Forbes, and many more.   TOPICS COVERED Religion vs Spirituality and why the distinction matters The connection between psychedelics and spiritual experiences The science of great spiritual retreats and how to choose one for yourself The spiritual value of communal gathering outside of traditionally religious settings Designing an optimal morning routine Best practices for meditation Grief and spirituality And much more! See the Show Notes at BehindtheBrilliance.com

Lisa discusses how and why achievement hangovers happen and what to do about them.

Lisa unpacks why we all need emotional first aid kits and how to customize them.

Lisa shares a time and money audit approach to align values and actions.

Lisa offers a spin on the vision board concept and a new perspective on celebrating wins and creating personal success patterns. 

Lisa explores the psychological aspects of modern risk and better ways to calculate real risk versus perceived risk.

In  this solo episode, Lisa recaps Season 12's episode line up and how the theme, Uncharted Territory, tracked throughout the episodes.

This episode is one of the most important in the history of the show. We're talking about grief. It's one of those unsexy topics that doesn't get discussed enough, but it's something none of us can escape. Because of that, I invited grief expert David Kessler to the show. David is a six time author - among his books are On Death and Dying and On Grief and Grieving which are seminal works on death and grieving co-authored with Elizabeth Kubler Ross. You may have heard of the five stages of grief - those were originated by Elizabeth and David so he has an intimate understanding of grief. In addition to his formal training, David has experienced loss of his own which informs the sympathy and compassion he brings to helping people find peace and a path forward when looking ahead feels impossible. This conversation is both a balm and a beacon for anyone who's experienced loss of any kind. Behind his brilliance: A thousand mistakes people don't see   Say hi to David on Twitter: @IAmDavidKessler

Alua Arthur has one of the world's most important jobs: she helps people die with dignity. After getting a law degree and starting a career in social work, she became a death doula. She helps individuals and families navigate end of life transitions. As a result, she has profound wisdom on how eventual death can inspire us to live more purposefully. In this conversation, she shares gem after gem about life, grief, work, and evolution.  Behind her brilliance: Leading with her heart  Say hi to Alua on Instagram at @luvaloveslife

T.A. McCann got the entrepreneurial bug as a teenager and never stopped building. His career has been a mix of corporate and startup ventures that have shaped his perspective on marketing and leadership. Now he's the managing director of Pioneer Square Labs, a startup studio and venture capital fund. He draws on the experience of raising millions of dollars during his career to share what he's learned about selling, fundraising, and shipping new projects. He also opens up about how he regained his confidence after a failure and why you should always have a side project. Behind His Brilliance: Great advice and being given opportunities  Say hi to T.A. on Twitter: @tamccann  

In  this solo episode, Lisa describes the why, what and how of living eulogies - inspiring personal tributes offered to people who are still alive.  Going beyond special occasions and milestones, Lisa inspires you to start creating living eulogies for the special people in your life. 

Chris Hutchins has lived many lives in his short time on earth. His adventures have been fueled by curiousity and acceptance of uncertainty. From startup experiments to traveling the world for 8 months to using hacks to optimize his life, Chris' open mind and willingness to learn has taken him to fascinating places. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on the twists and turns of the journey, the hardest won lessons, and his perspective on creating more personal satisfaction in work and life. Behind His Brilliance: Being comfortable learning in real time Say hi to Chris on Twitter: @hutchins

Nina Westbrook is a trained marriage and family therapist and the founder of Bene, a digital platform offering wellness workshops and inspiration to help you embrace self-care, personal growth, and learning. Nina is also a mom of 3 and the wife of NBA all star Russell Westbrook. This conversation unpacks how Nina navigates change, her perspective on modern self-care, and her best advice for sustaining mental health.  Behind Her Brilliance: Her Parents Say hi to Nina on Twitter: @ninawestbrook Follow Bene on Instagram: @benexnina Check Out Nina's Teachable Workshop: benebynina.teachable.com/

What would inspire you to reach the peak in your career then decide to scale a different mountain? Burnout. Justin Welsh went from making it rain at tech startups to going out on his own as a consultant. With the future unknown, he wrote his way to a 7 figure personal brand that allows him to spend his time on things he cares about and have an impact on thousands of professionals. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on a journey littered with setbacks and shares how he turned each failure into a launching pad for his next success.  Behind His Brilliance: A big stroke of luck Say hi to Justin on Twitter: @justinSaaS

This is the ultimate reinvention story of a dynamic creative letting her passion guide her from the safety of her executive office to early mornings perfecting her craft as a screenwriter.  After climbing the ranks as an executive in Hollywood, Kelly left it behind to return to her passion of writing. Now she has a producing deal with HBO and decades of hard won wisdom guiding her creative pursuits. During this conversation, Kelly opened up about the highs and lows of her journey as a creative and a woman reinventing herself. Her reflections and strategies are an inspiration no matter your industry or ambitions. Behind Her Brilliance: Listening  Say hi to Kelly on Twitter: @kellyedwards

Lisa offers frameworks and questions for conducting pre-mortems and post-mortems for personal and professional projects. Find the list of questions at BehindtheBrilliance.com/225preandpostmortems

Ryan Allis is the founder and former CEO of iContact, the email marketing company that sold for $169 million. After a short-lived stint as an angel investor, Ryan started a social enterprise and then became the Managing Partner of HeartRithm, an algorithmic trading fund that's turning money into good. During this conversation, Ryan opens up about the peaks and valleys of his journey as an entrepreneur, what it means to be a heart-centered leader, and why he's bullish on crypto. Behind His Brilliance: Loving and supportive parents Say hi to Ryan on Twitter: @ryanallis

Jessie Inchauspé brings clarity and levity to the wellness space as a biochemist, researcher, and author. Her Instagram account, @GlucoseGoddess, exploded when she started sharing what she learned about glucose monitoring and managment. Her book, Glucose Revolution, has been called the best practical guide for managing glucose to maximize health and longevity. Even if you don't think you have a glucose "problem," you're almost certainly in the group of people who could stand to improve their overall well-being by taking a more thoughtful approach to nutrition. In this conversation, Jessie offers simple sustainable changes that can have a significant impact on an array of health markers from sleep to energy levels to preventing disease. This is a must listen if you want to be well.  Behind Her Brilliance: Curiosity and a willingness to fail and be wrong Say hi to Jessie on Instagram: @glucosegoddess

In this solo episode, Lisa outlines two mental models and discusses how they fit together to make decision making easier and more effective. 

Jonah Berger is an internationally recognized expert in persuasion and change. In addition to being a professor at Wharton, he's written three books that help leaders and innovators create change in their organizations and lives. In this conversation, we discuss Jonah's best advice and the surprising tips that work for being more influential and effective personally and professionally. Whether you're leading a group at work or trying to persuade family members at home, this conversation has proven advice to improve your outcomes.  Behind His Brilliance: Curiosity Say hi to Jonah on Twitter: @j1berger

Steve White went from humble beginnings in the midwest to the C suite of Comcast's West Division. The journey was littered with hard won lessons on leadership and the habits required to create massive success. After driving revenue of nearly $18 billion, he's learned what it takes to achieve organizational success and personal significance. He unveils how he achieved his vision and how you can too. Behind His Brilliance: Effort and Attitude  Say hi to Steve on Twitter: @stevewhiteinc

BTB listener Michelle asked Lisa's thoughts and personal journey to creating and sustaining healthy friendships. Lisa opens up about how and why she struggled in this area, what she learned, and the way she created new friendships. She offers thought exercises for evaluating friendships and offers wise reminders.

Dr. Erin C. Westgate holds a Ph.D. in social psychology and uses it as a researcher and assistant professor. Her work explores boredom, inner lives, and thoughts. In this conversation, we turn boring research studies into insight with interesting stories and useful advice.  Plus, we explore productive procrastination, the profound thing Erin's changed her mind about recently, and why we should all be pursuing psychological richness over happiness.  Behind Her Brilliance: a family that embraced curiosity Say hi to Erin on Twitter: @erinwestgate

Sam Jennings is an accomplished artist and creative director whose credits include megastars like Prince and Pearl Jam. But he's so much more than his collaborations. His thoughtful approach to his work and his artistic integrity is what's led him on creative adventures that pushed boundaries and made waves. In this conversation, he connects the dots and shares the secrets of working with teams of all kinds, staying true to self as an artist, and making a living as a modern creative professional.  Behind His Brilliance: Being Inspired by Other Artists  Say hi to Sam on Twitter: @samjennings

Katrina Adams has gone from the west side of Chicago to the pinnacles of the tennis world as an athlete, executive, and commentator. Alongside her long list of accomplishments is a long list of lessons learned including how to recover from setbacks, how to perform under pressure, and why it's essential to be self-directed. In this conversation, she shares the gems that have allowed her to go from the the tennis court to the board room successfully. Behind Her Brilliance: Being Herself Say hi to Katrina on Twitter: @katadams68

Katy Milkman turns dense research into usable tactics for daily life. From saving more money to losing weight, Katy's findings and summaries in her bestselling book, How to Change, are woven into this conversation. We explore what to do when motivation wanes, when to create fresh starts for greatest effect, the best approach to building new habits, and more.  Behind Her Brilliance: Luck  Say hi to Katy on Twitter: @katy_milkman

Lisa welcomes listeners to Season 12 of the show and offers a peek at what's to come. 

Lisa recaps the episodes of Season 11 and shares key takeaways. 

Mike Maser found himself way up the corporate ladder that was leaning against the wrong wall. He knew he couldn't keep coasting so he took the leap into entrepreneurship. The journey wasn't a smooth one, but it led him to running Big Sky Health, a company using technology to build thoughtful wellness apps. During this conversation, we talked about the good, bad, and harrowing of Mike's journey. He shares hard won wisdom and perspective on re-imaging your life and work to reflect your values.  Say hi to Mike on Twitter or Instagram: @mmaser

THE SHOW Dr. Emily Anhalt is a clinical psychologist, emotional fitness expert, author, and the co-founder of Coa, a a "gym for the mind." On this episode, she talks with Lisa about the strategies and tactics for creating and sustaining mental wellness, how to find a great therapist, the importance of developing sound habits, and much more.  Behind Her Brilliance: A supportive community, hard work in therapy, and a deep belief that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have.  Say hi to Emily on Twitter or Instagram: @DrEmilyAnhalt -- SPONSORED BY ON DECK The On Deck Writer Fellowship is an eight-week paid program for internet writers who want to hone their craft, meet other writers, and grow an audience. The program combines weekly small-group writing workshops, tactical sessions and guest lectures, and an incredible peer community. We're hosting Drafted, a free, day-long writing & learning event, on March 22, 2021. Drafted will feature: Amazing speakers discussing developing a sustainable writing practice, finding your personal niche, growing a newsletter to thousands of subscribers, and more Interactive workshops on crafting great titles, putting together a compelling blurb for yourself, and more Plus virtual socials to meet other awesome internet writers Learn more and register at draftedworkshop.com

THE SHOW New York Times bestselling author, cartoonist, and entrepreneur Nick Seluk shares how he turned a creative passion into a thriving enterprise. From time management and personal discipline to leadership and creative choices, Nick opens up about how he built an international audience of adoring fans (including Lisa!).  Behind His Brilliance: A willingness to work to have his definition of freedom Say hi to Nick on Twitter or Instagram: @TheAwkwardYeti SPONSORED BY: On Deck Performative Speaking is an eight-week remote program for ambitious professionals who want to become powerful public speakers. The curriculum combines storytelling frameworks, pop culture and an incredible community to help you become the speaker of your dreams. Whether you’re a founder aiming to paint a compelling vision for investors, an operator looking to take on a leadership role, a creator building their audience or an executive trying to make that next step into the C-suite, ODPS will help you define your personal narrative and use it to communicate your story to the world.  Visit BeOnDeck.com to apply.

Kirk Moore is back to discuss his journey as a writer, his reflections on diversity in entertainment, what he’s learned and how he’s applied it, the importance of community for writers, why self-care is not negotiable for artists, and much more.  Say hi to Kirk on Twitter and Instagram @KirkWrites79

The author and multihyphenate sits down to recount her professional journey, what she's learned, and how mutlihyphenates can tell better stories about their work. If you've ever struggled with answering, "Tell me about yourself," you'll love this episode. Holley's candor and clarity provide a useful framework for designing a fulfilling career and telling the right story about it.  Behind Her Brilliance: God + her ancestors + her curiosity Say hi to Holley on Twitter @HolleyMurchison and Instagram @holleymmurchison

Financial advisor and real estate investor Ayesha Selden joins Lisa to unpack her journey from humble beginnings in Philadelphia to financial independence. Ayesha brings candor and humor to this conversation that's filled with timeless wisdom and hard won insight.  Behind Her Brilliance: Persistence and discipline  Say hi to Ayesha on Twitter and Instagram: @AyeshaSelden

Lisa shares why internal scorecards are important and how to design them. This is a short, inspiring blueprint on keeping yourself accountable and consistently leveling up.

This episode is a deep dive into mental health and how we can find greater peace and purpose, even as we face a complicated new normal during and after the global pandemic. The founder and CEO of Mental Happy, Tamar Blue, drops in to share her journey as a founder and offer perspective on cultivating mental well-being in every season.  Behind Her Brilliance: Her intuitive nature  Say hi to Tamar on Twitter: @TuhmarBlue

This episode charts Kendra Barnes' journey from dissatisfied government employee to successful real estate investor. There were no quantum leaps or magic tricks - just education and hard work. Kendra lays out the practical approach she took to achieving financial independence and why freedom is about more than money.  Behind Her Brilliance: Her upbringing and faith Say hi to Kendra on Instagram: @TheKeyResource

This episode blends the theory of wellness with the practical application to provide inspiring perspective on enhancing your physical health. Nutrition specialist and behavior coach Esosa Edosomwan (aka The Raw Girl) deep dives into the design of modern wellness and health habits that work. Behind Her Brilliance: A commitment to using all of her talents Say hi to Esosa on Instagram and Twitter: @TheRawGirl

Lisa discusses thoughts and questions on life design for 2021 amidst the chaos and uncertainty of the pandemic.

Mac Conwell is an entrepreneur turned venture capitalist investing in early stage startups. After a roller coaster journey through entrepreneurship, he is an accidental venture capitalist. During this conversation, he shares what he's learned about hustle, networking, confidence, and much more.  Behind His Brilliance: His Parents Say hi to Mac on Twitter: @macconwell

Founder and President of multimillion dollar functional beverage company LIFEAID opens up about his journey, hard won lessons, and the keys to sustaining an 8 figure business during a pandemic. Aaron was remarkably candid about his dark days, the lessons he learned, and how he is finding ways to thrive, even during uncertain times. Behind His Brilliance: Knowing His Blind Spots  Say hi to Aaron on Twitter and Instagram: @aaronhinde