“Where you stand, be the soul of that place.” This Rumi quote always reminds me of Manish Chandra. He’s not only the soul of every place he’s in. He illuminates the soul of every person he meets, as a father, friend, and the founder of Poshmark. Manish is an incredible teacher who I’m honored to call my friend. I was thankful to explore the spirit he embodies in today’s episode — One of love and connection, gratitude and perspective. I’ve returned to his words on adaptability over the last few months… “Adaptability is, given a set of situations, instead of resisting it, you embrace and surrender to it. Then, figure out: How do you succeed in that situation? How do you adapt? There's always a winning strategy. If you approach it with that possibility, first of all, it’s hopeful, right? It's optimism. It means that you can succeed. Second, by not resisting the circumstances, you take the time to understand the circumstances. Third, life is a series of these episodes. So, you can apply your learnings to different circumstances and grow in various ways. All of these things are amazing byproducts of first accepting the circumstance, then adapting, then succeeding.” I’m thankful to close our Inspiring Hope series with Manish’s wisdom. In illuminating our agency, he reminds us that hope is always possible.

“My faith lies in the belief that when I help people I live a happier life.” Rebecca Minkoff became an emblem of these words early in our friendship. The more I watched her create change, the more I admired her. I’d soon learn that her optimism isn’t just a mindset. It’s an active commitment to be a force for good. Our conversation is a collection of stories that illustrate this; From being one of the first designers to feature a model breastfeeding at Fashion Week to advancing thousands of women entrepreneurs at The Female Founder Collective and building a community that fosters true relationships. Each story traces back to an intention that drives her. In exploring her perspective on purpose, service, and success, she invites us to reflect on our own.

When Justine Lucas was 22 she got Love & Rage tattooed on her forearm. It symbolizes the way her late friend, Eric, signed his letters. What began as a way to honor him went on to shape her perspective in an enduring way. “I often glance at it and reflect on the evolution of its meaning,” she says. “I give myself permission to let in and give out all of the love. But, I also recognize that there is a time and place for rage. My love for humanity is what drives me, but also my rage at injustice.” It’s this love that makes justice, as she describes, the throughline of her values, work, and how she spends her free time. Our conversation is an exploration of the experiences that shaped her activism; Beginning with the AIDS ride that taught her that justice is a fight through becoming a pioneer in the climate justice and resilience movements as Executive Director of The Clara Lionel Foundation. Justine illuminates the courage we discover when love meets purpose, and invites us to turn hope into action.

The morning I watched Pati Jinich’s documentary on the US-Mexico border coincided with a jarring decision being made in our country. It’s the reason that I remained hopeful amidst the news. La Frontera is a manifestation of Pati’s mission to share the souls of people and places and the food that brings us together. That morning, it was also a lesson on the hope we inspire when we focus on the best in who we are. As a revered chef, cookbook author, and TV host, Pati illustrates how each of our journeys contributes to our collective vitality. These stories, told over 11 seasons of Pati’s Mexican Table, offer a glimpse into our shared humanity. Our conversation is a rich exploration of the gifts of her journey, from cultivating compassion to expanding our sense of belonging and accepting that “what we have is what we have right now.”

How can I make this person feel seen, heard, and valued in the most authentic way possible?  Girls Who Code CEO Dr. Tarika Barrett asks this question before every conversation. Her exuberance sharing it became an anchoring insight in our Inspiring Hope series…  “These are vital acts — Be it with your children, colleagues, family, or friends…We don’t give joy its due; By being agents of joy, we can enact change. We think about every problem around us, as opposed to recognizing that these small and big acts of joy have tremendous power.”  In our conversation, we explore her wisdom as an invitation. When we measure our impact by magnitude, change feels out of reach. When we measure it by the difference we can make in one life, we awaken to a deeper sense of purpose.  As we embark on this series, I invite you to join me in adopting her ritual over the next five weeks. Prior to every interaction, consider asking: How can I make this person feel seen, heard, and valued in the most authentic way possible?  Imagine the collective hope we’ll inspire when we do. 

“The word health originates in a word for wholeness,” says renowned physician, author, and speaker Dr. Gabor Maté. “Whether one looks at it from a medical or spiritual point of view: To be healthy is to be whole. As I pondered what I saw with my patients and in my own journey, I realized that the fundamental issue is not: How do we become whole? But, how do we lose the wholeness that is our birthright and our nature? Then, how do we come back to it?” Our conversation about his urgent new book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture, explores how our experiences shape that path; Beginning from early childhood through inevitable trauma and healing. The indispensable role connection plays is among my greatest lessons from his esteemed work: It is life-giving to see and affirm each other’s wholeness. Whereas society often focuses on the negative aspects of our nature, Dr. Maté invites us to be the best in it.

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” — Mother Teresa  Today, we’re beginning a new mini-series, Inspiring Hope: A collection of five conversations with admired chefs, activists, and leaders about how they design lives of meaning and impact.  Each episode will explore a question that helps us do so. Through answering them, our guests awaken us to the hope that thrives within and between us.  Here’s who we're fortunate to hear from... Dr. Tarika Barrett, CEO of Girls Who Code  Pati Jinich, Chef, Cookbook Author, and TV Host  Justine Lucas, Executive Director of The Clara Lionel Foundation   Rebecca Minkoff, Founder of her namesake brand and Co-founder of The Female Founder Collective  Manish Chandra, CEO and Founder of Poshmark  We’re kicking off with a perspective from each guest on how we can grow closer to ourselves and each other. I hope they deepen your relationships as they have mine. 

“If there is one thing that has made a difference in my life, it is the courage to turn and face what wants to change within me.” Elizabeth Lesser’s gift is putting words to the feelings and longings that shape our human experience. She’s helped over a million people realize them through her life’s work co-founding the Omega Institute. Still, what I admire most about her is her courage opening to the whole human experience. As you’ll find in our conversation, Elizabeth is at once deeply wise and laugh out loud funny. We explore why “real fearlessness is the product of tenderness,” how to stay open during difficult times and experience the dignity of true relationships. Her stories of love and loss illuminate the aliveness we discover when we connect deeper with ourselves and each other.

 “We’ve really become something quite special. I think at the time of my death, I will remember you.”  My eyes filled with tears when The Dalai Lama said this to Archbishop Desmond Tutu during their last conversations captured in Mission: Joy.  They center on the concept of Ubuntu that the Archbishop describes — “We can only be human together.” — and awaken us to our belonging to the human family. Ubuntu not only reflects how we contribute to each other’s vitality. It illuminates how caring for each other elevates our own.  This week, we have the gift of meeting Peggy Callahan, producer and co-director of Mission: Joy: the documentary that invites us to the Holy brothers’ table. As a human rights activist, whose teams at Voices4Freedom and Free the Slaves have helped free over 15,000 people, she embodies the values they discuss.  Peggy’s stories about people overcoming unimaginable trauma and dedicating their lives to helping others reflect our innate nature to support each other in achieving our shared human freedoms and desires. Her’s is driven by an unreasonable love.  “Unreasonable love is that force that compels you, sustains you, and inspires you to keep moving when the journey ahead feels too hard,” she says. “We all have something we really care about, want to change, create, or learn.” 

“Have you ever had that sense of: ‘I’ve got to go back!’? If you ever hear ‘Turn around’ inside, do it! That’s the universe telling you: You missed something good back there.”  Acclaimed illustrator Wendy MacNaughton heeded that call when she passed a boot making workshop on a road trip. In sharing the unforgettable friendship that transpired, she invites us to pause and truly see each other.