The Light Watkins Show

The approach of middle age tends to inspire dread. For too long, we have been told that our “best years” are behind us once we reach midlif and that all we have to look forward to is the slow decline of our bodies and minds. But, for many of us, it’s actually the first time that we begin to make sense of life. This realization led performance coach, Greg Scheinman, to create a community where men who have been around long enough to own their mistakes and celebrate their successes could gather to maximize the second half of their lives. He calls it the Midlife Male Movement, devoted to the proposition that the middle is the sweet spot, not the end! In this episode, Greg shares his story with humor and vulnerability, offering us some insight into the life decisions that led him to where he is today. Listening in, you’ll learn how Greg is taking all of the experiences that he’s had and everything he has learned along the way and applying it to the next phase of his life. You’ll also hear some practical tips for how to stop seeing midlife as a crisis and start seeing it as an opportunity. Tune in today for a no-BS guide to living a longer, happier, healthier, and wealthier life (and having more fun) in your 40s, 50s, and beyond!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

LaRayia Gaston might be the definition of inspiring. She is the heart behind Lunch on Me and LaRayia's Bodega, as well as the author of Love Without Reason. In today's episode, we are rerunning an amazing conversation with LaRayia from one of the earliest and most powerful episodes of the podcast! Tuning in, listeners will hear about all the most critical steps in LaRayia's journey, from her challenging childhood to her burgeoning and diverse career, and how she took her gifts and decided to dedicate her life to giving back to those less fortunate than herself. It was during her time in LA, around the age of 20, that LaRayia found the place to pour her desire to help the community. Always a hard worker and a generous giver, LaRayia began finding ways to provide food for the unhoused on Skid Row, and it was out of these efforts that Lunch on Me was born. Our guest talks about the influence that different family members had on her, how she funded this work at various points, and what has kept her going. We also get some insight into why LaRayia spent 43 days on Skid Row herself, her meditation practice, and her spiritual beliefs, so make sure to listen in to hear it all.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

All of us are constantly faced with many choices and possibilities, and it is the decisions that we make that shape our lives. On the show today to talk about the path she has carved out for herself and her family is the supercharged Jessica Janzen, author of the book Bring the Joy! Jessica has such an amazing story and we are able to go deep with her, from her early days on a family farm in Canada to the twists and turns she has encountered in the different parts of her life. She tells us about the instinctual choice she made to help a family with two children struggling with spinal muscular atrophy, and the ripple effect this has had on the rest of her life. We then spend some time exploring Jessica's marriage, the birth of her own children, and the loss of her second child, Lewiston. Jessica is so open and honest about the ups and downs, and the lessons she has learned, delivering messages about showing up out of love, how acts of service can fill us up, and the hard work that goes into making magic happen! To hear it all from this wonderful guest, please join us!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today on the show, we are joined by the 'Sprout Guy', Doug Evans, to talk about his mission to bring this amazing group of superfoods into kitchens and common usage. Doug gives us such a great overview of his amazing journey and the different chapters of his life; we talk about his early days as a graffiti artist in New York City, joining the military, working in the world of design, and then starting his own businesses. We spend a good portion of time exploring the very important relationship that Doug developed with Paul Rand and the lasting influence that Doug garnered from the time he spent with him. One of the major themes of Doug's story is that of persistence, and how his commitment to his different projects was ultimately what allowed him to be successful. We also talk about his penchant for trouble, the impetus to get into the health sector, and the moment that Doug realized his excitement about sprouts. So if you want to learn more about this magical part of the natural world, and hear an inspiring story along the way, join us for this great episode of the Light Watkins Show!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

In the increasingly digital world that we live in, finding ways to authentically connect and communicate with each other remains a vital part of a meaningful life. This concept lies at the foundation of the work of today's guest, Kalina Silverman.Kalina is the mind and heart behind the amazing Big Talk project, which started out as a series of viral videos in which Kalina asked her subjects existential questions, like 'What do you want to do before you die?' The success of the videos led to a TEDx Talk, further speaking engagements, and the transformation of Big Talk into a broader and more international initiative. For Kalina, Big Talk and the ideas that ground it are a way to get past the barriers of social conventions and a means to connect in a way that we all crave and relish! In today’s conversation with Kalina, we get to hear the story behind her first video and all the important moments that informed her decisions. So, if you are ready for a fresh dose of inspiration and an insider's look at how this amazing dream became a reality, make sure to listen in with us!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

For Light Watkins, it is an honor to be able to spread inspiration through conversations with exceptional people. However, making a podcast is an arduous task, requiring hard work, dedication, and a lot of time. But once you are consistent and when you get it right, it can be one of life’s most rewarding experiences.Today, our host Light Watkins is riding solo once again, this time to dive deeper into the origins of this podcast. After giving us a taste of the incredible sounds of Mexico City, Light tells us what it’s like to record a podcast with a minimal setup while reiterating the importance of not giving up on your podcasting dreams. Light takes us on a journey back to the early days of the podcast, sharing some of the mistakes that he has made along the way. In this captivating episode, you’ll be inspired by how our host overcame many initial obstacles to get this podcast to where it is today. We talk about three big interviews that Light was very nervous about and how they, ultimately, led to him overcoming fear, insecurity, and imposter syndrome. You’ll learn how to be more efficient when doing deep research, how our host engages with his guest’s personal stories and philosophies, the importance of recording podcasts in advance, what the common thread is between all of Light’s guests, and why you should always only do that which is aligned with the mission and purpose of your podcast. Be sure to tune in to hear it all.      Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Our guest today, Tara Stiles, first discovered yoga in New York while training to be a dancer. In our conversation, Tara shares how that first yoga class ignited her curiosity, and how she gradually made the transition from hustling in New York and being an aspiring dancer, to starting her own yoga studio, called Stråla, with her husband, Mike. We spend some time talking about the yoga scene at the time (including the pushback she received for diverging from established methods of teaching), and why she was determined to make yoga accessible to anyone eager to learn. Tuning in you’ll hear how Tara went from teaching yoga in Central Park to starting her studio and flying around the world for a dizzying array of opportunities. She reveals feeling overwhelmed at this time, the effect it had on her marriage, and how she ultimately realized that she needed to slow down. We also discussed Tara’s book Clean Mind, Clean Body: A 28-Day Plan for Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Self-Care, and what it was like writing it. As we wrap up, Tara shares the most important things she’s learned about life, entrepreneurship, and marriage over the course of her life and career. Life is rarely simple (or straightforward), and no matter how much you plan, it never seems to go quite as expected. Tune in to learn about Tara’s fascinating life journey and what she has learned from it!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today on the show we sit down with Kimberly Snyder, author of several best-selling books, including Radical Beauty: How to Transform Yourself from the Inside Out, which she co-authored with Deepak Chopra. She is also the founder of Solluna, a lifestyle brand focused on progress, not perfection. In our conversation, Kimberly shares how her experiences growing up in New England as the daughter of a Filipino immigrant shaped her identity. She unpacks how constantly feeling like an outsider caused her to fixate on hard numbers, like achieving excellent SAT scores and restricting the number of calories she consumed, in an effort to help her feel more grounded.We discuss how traveling through challenging areas within Asia and Africa helped her develop her intuition and how she learned to let go of her fixation with perfection. Kimberly also gives a detailed account of her yogic journey, how her career developed, and the events that led her to become an author. You’ll also learn about Kimberly’s latest book You Are More Than You Think You Are: Practical Enlightenment for Everyday Life, and why she felt it was important to make a modern, accessible work on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. Kimberly has faced profoundly difficult challenges and choices in her life, but it has always been a spirit of fearlessness that has guided her in pursuing unknown paths and living an extraordinary life. Join us today as we delve into the power of yoga and meditation, and why looking inward is the truest source of inspiration!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today’s guest came into my life through his book, The War of Art, which is all about overcoming resistance. Steven Pressfield has since become a friend and mentor, having visited the Podcast once before to speak about his novel, A Man at Arms. Join us today to hear where Steven first encountered the idea of the Muse, drawing on Greek mythology alongside his own experience. Steven believes that there is an underground river of creativity running through all of us and that Resistance blocks its flow. We talk about overcoming Resistance as a path toward our destiny, and Steven shares his story of turning to write in a moment of despair. We talk about his latest book, Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be, what motivated him to choose that title, and explore the process of self-publishing. You’ll hear about our guest’s relationship with envy, why he describes himself as learning alongside his readers, and more. Thanks for tuning in. Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

We welcome Ben Nemtin back to the show to talk about his most recent project, The Bucket List Journal, and how it continues the line of curiosity and drive that we discussed back in Episode 3 of this very podcast! Ben is now one of the most in-demand keynote speakers in the world and has presented extensively on his favorite subjects of mental health and following your dreams. This work as a motivational speaker led Ben to wanting his message to be even more accessible, and hence the journal. In our chat, we hear about this process of discovery and publishing, and along the way, we get to hear many inspiring reflections from Ben about purpose, passion, permission, death, and so much more. Ben underlines why action is often the best plan, how asking for help can be great for accountability, and why setting bigger, more challenging goals might make them more accomplishable! Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!