
Good Life Project
What does it mean to live a good life? Is it about happiness, health, friendship, love, or meaning? What about work, wealth, purpose, service, or something else? Can you live a good life even when things are hard? These are the questions and topics we explore every week in conversation with leading voices from health, science, art, industry, mindset, and culture, like Brené Brown, Matthew McConaughey, Mel Robbins, Alex, Elle, Adam Grant, Elizabeth Gilbert, Yung Pueblo, Maya Shankar, Mitch Albom, Glennon Doyle & hundreds more. The New York Times says, "the show’s holistic approach to fulfillment is bound to resonate." Listen now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Jun 18, 2020 • 48min
James McBride | A Life of Music, Words & Love
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, and love.You can find James McBride at:Website : https://www.jamesmcbride.com/Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/jamesmcbrideauthor/Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 15, 2020 • 1h 8min
Judge Victoria Pratt | On Restorative Justice [Best Of]
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 respect to their processes. At the heart of it all is a call-to-action to elevate the humanity and dignity of all people and focus more on restoration and rehabilitation than punishment. We're so excited to share this Best Of conversation with you today.You can find Judge Victoria Pratt at: Website : https://judgevictoriapratt.com/Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/judgevpratt1/-------------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.

Jun 11, 2020 • 1h 9min
John O'Leary | Choosing Awe
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.com/Instagram : http://instagram.com/johnoleary.inspires/Check out our offerings & partners: My New Book SparkedMy 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.

Jun 9, 2020 • 1h 4min
Alix Spiegel | Telling Revelatory Stories
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.org/podcasts/510307/invisibilia-------------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.

Jun 5, 2020 • 1h 12min
Lance Allred | Masculinity Reimagined
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 with now. In today’s conversation, we explore all of this, including a really beautiful moment where the truer, deeper reason for this book, and who it’s really written for, comes out. You can find Lance Allred at:Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/lanceallred41/Website : http://lanceallred41.com/Check out our offerings & partners: My New Book SparkedMy 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.

Jun 3, 2020 • 1h 9min
Austin Channing Brown | I'm Still Here
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 simultaneously celebrating the stories, personalities, and humanity of their guests.An added note before we dive into this powerful conversation. Our podcast episodes are often recorded weeks or months in advance, as was the case with this conversation. In the intervening time, we’ve all been horrified and devastated by the deaths of Ahmuad Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Because of the gap between recording and air-dates, they are conspicuously absent from our conversation in a way that, I’m sure, would have different and been a part of the discourse had this conversation occurred at a later date. As I’ve shared elsewhere, silence and complacency are not options. Everything we explore in this conversation is as important and relevant as it’s ever been. We're excited to share it with you.You can find Austin Channing Brown at:Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/austinchanning/Website : http://austinchanning.com/-------------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.

May 28, 2020 • 1h 5min
James Nestor | The Power of Water and Breath
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/ Check out our offerings & partners: My New Book SparkedMy New Podcast SPARKED. To submit your “moment & question” for consideration to be on the show go to sparketype.com/submit. Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 26, 2020 • 57min
Jameela Jamil | On Adversity, Celebrity and Activism
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 can find Jameela Jamil at:Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/jameelajamilofficial/Jameela's Podcast : https://www.earwolf.com/show/i-weigh-with-jameela-jamil/-------------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.

May 21, 2020 • 1h 8min
Dani Shapiro | A Year of Secrets, Savoring and Sacrifice
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 returning to be with her husband. We explore all in today's conversation.You can find Dani Shapiro at:Website : https://danishapiro.com/Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/daniwriter/-------------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.

May 19, 2020 • 59min
Stephanie Danler | The Road to Stray
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 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.