I’ve been a fan of Jessi Hempel’s writing and amazing podcast, Hello Monday, for years now, but it was her deeply insightful six-part series on re-opening the world of work that led us into the virtual studio space to jam. Jessi is a senior editor at large at LinkedIn and host of the award-winning podcast Hello Monday. For the past 18 years, she has been writing and editing features and cover stories about the most important people and companies in technology. Most recently, she was the head of editorial for Backchannel and a senior writer at Wired, where she profiled Dr. Fei-Fei Li and covered Uber’s attempted comeback. Earlier in her career, she was a senior writer for Fortune, where she co-chaired Fortune’s Aspen tech conference. Before that, Jessi wrote for BusinessWeek, and TIME Asia. She has appeared on CNN, PBS, MSNBC, Fox, and CNBC, addressing the culture and business of technology. But, it was her deeper impulse to get to the heart of things and her love of storytelling that really drew me to her work. In today’s conversation, we learn how those threads have woven through her life, landing her most recently in the world of audio with a focus on work and all the emotions and questions it brings.You can find Jessi at: LinkedIn | Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel podcastIf you LOVED this episode:You’ll also love the conversations we had with Dave Evans about designing your life.My new book is available for pre-order:Order Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive and get your book bonuses!-------------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 big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Valarie Kaur is an activist, documentary filmmaker, lawyer, educator, and faith leader. She rose to global acclaim in late 2016 when her Watch Night Service address asked the question, “Is this the darkness of the tomb – or the darkness of the womb?” The video went viral with 40 million views worldwide, and her question reframed the political moment and became a mantra for people fighting for change. The daughter of farmers in California’s heartland brought up in the Sikh Faith, Valarie earned degrees at Stanford University, Harvard Divinity School, and Yale Law School. But, it was 9-11 that launched her down the now two-decades-long path of activism and advocacy, when those in her family and community became the targets of hatred and violence.Over the last two decades, Valarie’s work has led to policy change in everything from hate crimes, racial profiling, and immigration detention, to solitary confinement, Internet freedom, and more. She founded Groundswell Movement, Faithful Internet, and the Yale Visual Law Project to inspire and equip advocates at the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and justice. More recently, she heads up the Revolutionary Love Project, which is both a movement and a powerful learning hub designed to help learn about loving others, opponents, and ourselves. Her debut book, See No Stranger, is both a memoir and a manifesto, calling us all into our better, more expansive and conscious selves. This conversation opened my eyes in so many ways. You can find Valarie at: Instagram | Understanding America: 20 Years LaterIf you LOVED this episode:You’ll also love the conversations we had with Rev. angel Kyodo williams about the intersection between race, love, and liberation.My new book is available for pre-order:Order Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive and get your book bonuses!-------------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 big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After years in the entertainment world, Justin Baldoni, found that classic breakout moment as an actor in the role of Rafael Solano on the hit show Jane the Virgin. But, underneath what seemed to be an extraordinary mainstream success, a certain discontent and vision of what the industry and life could be was brewing. In no small part, fueled by a deep devotion to his Baháʼí Faith, which stresses unity, universal dignity and the elimination of barriers to oneness. He began to question everything from the way stories were told to the fundamental underpinning of the entertainment machine, and even his own place in it. That led him into a deeper exploration of identity, relationships, and eventually to questioning of modern concepts of masculinity, which led him to write his first book, Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity.It also led Justin to reimagine how he would create this next season of work and life. He co-founded Wayfarer Studios, an independent financial and production engine pioneering purpose-driven, multi-platform film and television productions that elevate and speak to the human spirit. He’s on a bit of a mission to disrupt the typical studio model by producing stories that serve as true agents for social change. Justin also founded and serves as chairman of The Wayfarer Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the way communities see and respond to the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Each year, the foundation puts on one of Los Angeles’ largest volunteer events, the Skid Row Carnival of Love, which provides connection, services, and resources to people who are experiencing homelessness in LA’s Skid Row community. Over the past few years, over 6,000 volunteers have served over 15,000 guests, providing them access to over 100 service partners.You can find Justin at: Instagram | Man Enough PodcastIf you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Matthew McConaughey about meaning, creativity and life.Check out our offerings & partners: My New Book Sparked | My New Podcast SPARKEDVisit Our Sponsor Page For a Complete List of Vanity URLs & Discount Codes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friends make life better. We’ve all experienced that. But, could a very specific kind of friendship - Radical Friendship - lead not only to lasting bonds, love and joy, but also to systemic social change, liberation, and equality? That’s what we’re talking about today. Weaving in Buddhism, Western spiritual culture, dance, and social justice with my guest, Kate Johnson. Kate teaches classes and retreats integrating Buddhist meditation, somatics, social justice, and creativity at leading meditation centers, universities and cultural institutions around the country. She also works as a culture change consultant, partnering with organizations to help them achieve greater diversity and sustainability. She's a graduate of Spirit Rock Meditation Center's four-year teacher training and she has also earned a BFA in Dance from The Alvin Ailey School/Fordham University and an MA in Performance Studies from NYU.Her moving new book, Radical Friendship, makes a case for friendship - grounded in Buddha’s teaching - as a radical practice of love, courage, and trust, offering seven strategies that pave the way for profound social change. She invites us to consider how wise relationships make it possible to transform the barriers created by societal injustice. Radical Friendship offers a path of depth and hope and shows us the importance of working toward collective wellbeing, one relationship at a time.You can find Kate Johnson at: Instagram | WebsiteIf you LOVED this episode:You’ll also love the conversations we had with Ruth King about equality and social justice in the workplace and beyond.My new book is available for pre-order:Order Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive and get your book bonuses!-------------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 big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rev. angel Kyodo williams has been bridging the worlds of liberation, love, and justice her entire adult life. Her critically acclaimed book, Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace was hailed as “an act of love” by Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker, and "a classic" by Buddhist pioneer Jack Kornfield. And, her book, Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love & Liberation, has been inviting communities to have the grounded, real, hard conversations necessary to become more awake and aware of what hinders liberation of self and society. Known for her willingness to sit with and speak uncomfortable truths with love. Rev. angel notes, "Love and Justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters.” And right now, we are in a moment where we need change, on every level, personal, interpersonal, cultural, and societal. Rev. angel was my guest on the show a number of years ago, and that led to a friendship that has been a true gift in my life. I wanted to invite her back both to explore her personal experience and evolution of thought around identity over the last few years, and also learn from her deeply wise, insightful and, for many, surprising lens on what it takes to step into this moment equipped for the quest for collective liberation.You can find Rev. angel Kyodo williams at: Instagram | Website | Rev. angel's Belonging audio programIf you LOVED this episode:You’ll also love the conversations we had with Bishop Michael Curry about the healing power of love, even now.My new book is available for pre-order:Order Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive and get your book bonuses!-------------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 big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today, Jameela Jamil, was a household name in the UK for years. Hosting shows on T4 and BBC Radio 1 before launching into the spotlight in the US, playing Tahani on the acclaimed TV show, The Good Place, and then hosting TBS late-night game show That Misery Index judging voguing reality competition show Legendary. And along the way, she has been incredibly intentional about leveraging her notoriety for social good launching the advocacy platform I Weigh and the podcast of the same name and she's on a quest to really bring together and amplify the voices of change-makers and promote equity and dignity. And for her, it's also personal. Growing up the daughter of Indian and Pakistani parents, she was often bullied, an experience made tougher after being diagnosed with a condition that affects her body's connective tissue and often causes chronic pain. And through her teens, she endured even more trauma. Became anorexic, and then at a car accident that caused a spinal injury that would profoundly change her relationship with her body. And finding her way eventually into the world of TV and radio in the UK, she headed to the US at first to write, but found herself in front of the camera, performing on a set with her childhood heroes on network TV. But it was her decision to speak truth to power and become an advocate for equality, inclusivity, and self-determination that has really become the center of who Jameela is and how she shows up in the world, a place she describes as being post shame. So excited to share this best of conversation with you.You can find Jameela Jamil at: Instagram | I Weigh PodcastMy new book is available for pre-order:Order Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive and get your book bonuses!-------------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 big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today, Tara Brach, has been one of my teachers for years, though she never knew it. Back in the early days of podcasting, I stumbled upon her weekly dharma talks or Buddhist teachings and meditations that she’d offer at her Insight Meditation Center in DC, record, then air as podcasts, and the blend of her gentle presence, her deep wisdom that was clearly not just studied, but also lived, her humility, real-world sensibility, and humor drew me in. Tara’s teachings blend Western psychology, she’s also a clinical psychologist, along with Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a full, compassionate engagement with our world. The result is a distinctive voice in Western Buddhism, one that offers a wise and caring approach to freeing ourselves and society from suffering.She is kindness and insight embodied, and I’ve learned so much from both her offerings and also the way she seems to move through life over the years. Which is why I was so excited to be able to spend some time going deep into not just certain pivotal moments in Tara’s path, but also the powerful tools and practices she’s developed in the name of allowing us to breathe more easily into whatever comes our way, at the core of which is something Tara shorthands with the acronym RAIN, which is transformational and we explore how it can move into our lives, especially in the context of compassion, acceptance, and what’s been going on in society these days. So excited to share this Best Of conversation with you. You can find Tara Brach at: Website | InstagramMy new book is available for pre-order:Order Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive and get your book bonuses!-------------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 big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We tend to think we’re smart, rational beings, making good choices based on clear information. In truth, we’re anything but. We are pretty much walking, talking bundles of delusion and bias, much of it utterly hidden from our consciousness, by no one other than our subconscious. How do we get past this, how do we learn to see more clearly, not just what’s going on around us, but also within us? To help answer this question, today I’m sitting down with Julia Galef, author, podcaster, and speaker with a passion for good reasoning, and host of Rationally Speaking, a biweekly podcast featuring interviews with scientists and other thinkers, about everything from “Should the United States have open borders?” to “Has scientific progress slowed down?” to “What have you changed your mind about?” She’s also the author of an eye-opening new book, The Scout Mindset, which is a deep dive into the learnable skill of looking at things honestly and objectively — why that’s so valuable, why it doesn’t come naturally to humans, and how we can get better at it.You can find Julia at: Website | Twitter | Rationally Speaking podcastIf you LOVED this episode:You’ll also love the conversations we had with Susan David about the role of emotions in how we think, feel and live.My new book is available for pre-order:Order Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive and get your book bonuses!-------------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 big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever want to change something that really matters to you, but struggle to make it stick, let alone wonder how to ever get started? You’re not alone. There is so much misinformation in the world of behavior change, which is why I wanted to sit down with Katy Milkman to see if we could all get closer to the truth. And, find out, once and for all, what really works, and what’s just distraction. Katy is an award-winning behavioral scientist and a professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She hosts Charles Schwab’s popular behavioral economics podcast Choiceology, and is the co-founder and co-director of The Behavior Change for Good Initiative, a research center with the mission of advancing the science of lasting behavior change whose work is being chronicled by Freakonomics Radio. She has worked with or advised dozens of organizations on how to spur positive change, including Google, the U.S. Department of Defense, the American Red Cross, 24 Hour Fitness, Walmart and Morningstar. Her research is regularly featured in major media outlets such as The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and NPR. She is the bestselling author of How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. You can find Katy at: Website | Choiceology podcastIf you LOVED this episode:You’ll also love the conversations we had with Dan Ariely about the irrational ways we behave and how to see more clearly what’s really going on.-------------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 big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible.My new book, Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive is now available for order at https://sparketype.com/book/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When James Victore was told by a professor, in his design program during college, that he wasn’t cut out for the famed institution he’d been attending, instead of arguing, he left. Then, promptly launched and built his own successful design consultancy. Years later, an accomplished illustrator, designer, and provocateur of the status quo, he returned to that very school, but this team, to teach is own perpetually-packed class. James has been described as part Darth Vader, part Yoda, prolific storyteller, designer, provocateur, artist, activist and teacher. A designer and creative thought leader who people look to find clarity and purpose in their life and work. He’s widely known for his impassioned views about design and its place in the world. At the helm of his independently run design studio, James makes work that takes a strong position and often toes the line between sacred and the profane. And, the world has taken notice. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, in the permanent collections of the Louvre and the Library of Congress and his client list includes countless industry leaders. His book, “Feck Perfuction“ is sort of his manifesto on living a creative, full-contact and alive life.More recently, he’s been facilitating a Live Mentoring Program he calls ‘The Creative Warrior,' which is the culmination of decades of teaching, mentoring, sharing and, as he describes it, “just me having fun with brave souls.” So excited to share this Best Of conversation with you. You can find James at: Website | InstagramIf you LOVED this episode:You’ll also love the conversations we had with Seth Godin about the importance of honoring your inner voice and developing a practice of personal innovation.-------------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 big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.