Behind the Brilliance

THE SHOW Lisa Feldman Barrett is the author of 'How Emotions Are Made' and a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University with an appointment at Harvard Medical School. In this conversation, we talk about Lisa's book and what she's learned about how emotions are made, how we can be happier and healthier by understanding how our emotions work, and the myths about the mind and emotions. Behind Her Brilliance: Tenacity + The People in Her Life Say hi to Lisa on Twitter TOPICS COVERED Lisa’s path from a working poor family to academic researcher How Lisa overcame failure and setbacks (including 8 failed experiments and a failed dissertation proposal) How emotions are constructed What emotional granularity is and why you should develop it How emotions and the perceptions associated of emotional expression tie into healthcare, education, and the legal system How “bitches” become leaders The practical uses of emotional intelligence Myths about the way our brains and emotions work How to turn the dial down on intense emotions Distinguishing between discomfort and distress (and why it matters) The simple things you can do to develop more emotional control And more!   SHOW NOTES: http://bit.ly/BTB161    

THE SHOW Benjamin Spall is the founder of MyMorningRoutine.com and the co-author of the book, My Morning Routine, which was chosen as one of Amazon’s best business books of 2018, one of the Financial Times books of the month, and one of Business Insider’s best business books to read this summer. In our conversation, we dissect morning routines, productivity hacks, and other perspectives on starting the day off right.  Behind His Brilliance: Side Projects  Say hi to Benjamin on Twitter   TOPICS COVERED How and why Benjamin cofounded MyMorningRoutine.com How Benjamin developed a mediation practice (and his favorite app for it) Why what you do after meditation is important The best observations from the dozens of people interviewed in My Morning Routine How self-care fits into a well-crafted morning routine Why journaling might be the missing piece to your morning routine How and why you should create an evening routine to wind down Ben’s take on monotasking and productivity How side hustles lead to serendipity And more!   SHOW NOTES: http://bit.ly/BTB160

THE SHOW This solo episode features answers to 2 listener questions: one is about defining success and the other is about separating a personal brand from a business brand.  This episode also includes the announcement of a new partner, ABLE! Check out livefashionable.com and stay tuned this season to hear my interview with the founder and CEO.  For now, get 20% off your first order at livefashionable.com with code BEHINDTHEBRILLIANCE.   SHOW NOTES: http://bit.ly/BTBQA159

THE SHOW Jennifer Romolini is the former Chief Content Officer for Shondaland.com and the author of Weird in a World That's Not which is a fresh, honest take on traditional career advice. In our conversation, Jennifer gives hope and high fives to the misfits and outsiders with her vulnerable and candid straight talk on how she's found success in her personal and professional life. Behind Her Brilliance: Grit Say hi to Jennifer on Twitter  TOPICS COVERED -Jennifer’s path into magazine publishing, writing, and how she’s landed her high profile jobs -Her leap into the startup world and what she learned there -What Jennifer learned about herself through her marriage and how she and her husband designed a plan that supported their respective careers -What she learned during the process of writing her book, Weird in a World That’s Not -Jennifer’s perspective on networking and why business is personal -What Jennifer has learned about leadership throughout her career -and much, much more   SHOW NOTES: http://bit.ly/BTB158

THE SHOW Dhonielle Clayton is the New York Times bestselling author of The Belles in addition to being the co-founder of Cake Literary and the COO of the non-profit, We Need Diverse Books. She's a brilliant creative force who is constantly expanding her sense of what's possible. In this episode, we discuss her career path, her artistic sensibilities, and much more.  Behind Her Brilliance: Her Parents Say hi to Dhonielle on Twitter + Instagram: @brownbookworm  TOPICS COVERED Dhonielle's early days as a budding book worm Dhonielle's perspective on the American education system as a former librarian and teacher How Dhonielle fell in love with travel and how it changed her  Dhonielle's devotion to craft and what she's learned fighting through delays and hard times Dhonielle's take on having it all and how she designs her life  -and more Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB157

THE SHOW Paula Pant is the founder of AffordAnything.com, an award-winning personal finance website. In this conversation, we talk about how we went from struggling as a journalist to traveling the world to building a portfolio of 8 properties to reach financial independence.  Behind Her Brilliance: Restlessness TOPICS COVERED Passive income, financial independence, and how Paula discovered them How Paula built a real estate portfolio that created financial freedom for her Paula’s early days and how she developed an appetite for travel Paula’s morning routine What Paula knows about money that most people don’t Paula’s perspective on time management How Paula and her husband make their marriage and working relationship fit together -and more   Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB156

THE SHOW Dr. David Burns is the author of Feeling Good, a seminal work on cognitive behavioral therapy that has sold more than 5 million copies. We talk about the difficulties he faced getting the book published, his advice to listeners interested in therapy, and how he approaches perfectionism, depression, and anxiety with patients.  Behind His Brilliance: Critical Thinking TOPICS COVERED -David's path into the mental health field -The rejection David faced trying to get his bestselling book, Feeling Good, published (a dramatic and inspiring story!) -Rarely shared advice on how to find a good therapist and how to measure success in therapy  -David's advice for dealing with perfectionism, depression, and anxiety  -David's reflection on a life free from the need to be special  -and much more! Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB155  

THE SHOW This episode is one of my favorites. Eli is the first social psychologist who's been on the show, and I thoroughly enjoyed our chat.  Eli Finkel is a social psychology professor who studies interpersonal attraction, marriage, conflict resolution, and how our social relationships influence our goal achievement. Our conversation centers on his brilliant book, The All or Nothing Marriage, and what he's learned about modern marriages and how we can connect with the right partner and thrive in our relationships. Behind His Brilliance: Proactively avoiding boredom TOPICS COVERED -Eli's path into social research and relationship psychology -Eli's findings on what makes modern marriages successful -highlights from Eli's book, The All or Nothing Marriage -happiness as an appropriate (or inappropriate) goal for marriage -managing expectations in relationships and marriage -how self-actualization plays into healthy marriages -destiny belief vs growth belief in relationships -Eli's "love hacks" birthed from research findings -and much more! Say hi to Eli on Twitter: @elijfinkel Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB154

THE SHOW This is a bonus solo episode with the (sometimes) annual birthday  recap of what I learned from the past year and what lit me up. TOPICS COVERED -books and TV Lisa loved -a random unprompted rave about cauliflower rice -6 lessons from the past year on saying no, killing ego, productive patience, sexy pajamas, friendship, and more Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB153 STUFF MENTIONED BoJack Horseman Catastrophe The World's Most Extraordinary Homes Cauliflower rice Cauliflower pizza crust Hell yeah or no (video) How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss Unbought and Unbossed by Shirley Chisholm Principles by Ray Dalio Night Shift (iOS) Flux Butter & Nectar pillowcases Dr. Breus (The Sleep Doctor) on Behind the Brilliance  Essential oil for sleep Good Night Sleep Improving LED light bulbs   

The Show This is a breathtaking underdog and reinvention story. Perhaps the most remarkable I've heard on Behind the Brilliance. Deesha shares her journey from boarding school to dropping out of college because she ran out of money to becoming a White House intern at 30 years old to becoming the Social Secretary under the Obama Administration. She opens up about the imposter syndrome, setbacks, and insecurities she faced, and how she conquered them all.  The Guest Deesha Dyer is a speaker, writer, Creative Event and Strategy consultant, and most notably known as the former Obama Administration Social Secretary. The Philadelphia native became a White House intern at the age of 30 and completed a seven-year tenure there that honed her expertise in event coordination, logistics, protocol, and statecraft.  Her storied career is unconventional at best, with themes of reinvention, drive, and a commitment to community service integrated throughout. In this episode, we cover:  -how Deesha bounced back from setbacks to finish college in her early 30s -how Deesha went from community activist in Philly to White House Social Secretary (it's an epic tale) -Deesha's favorite travel memory from traveling the world with the President -Deesha's secrets for throwing a great party -how Deesha conquered Imposter Syndrome -the nonprofit Deesha started, Be Girl World -and much more! Say hi to Deesha on Twitter: @deeshadyer Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB152