Behind the Brilliance

To close out the year, Lisa shares the six things she learned and recaps her year. If you're feeling anxiety about 2017, this episode will be a reminder of the good to come. If you're excited about 2017, this will sprinkle more hype on your optimism. Have a safe and happy New Year!

This week's episode delivers a hearty buffet of topics. From selling to sensory deprivation tanks to setting boundaries, we covered a lot. Tamara Floyd is the founder of Natural Hair Rules, a blog that has become a mainstay among natural hair enthusiasts. In this conversation, we chat about: -Tamara's journey from passion project to passionate 6 figure business -What Tamara learned about the importance of confidence -How Tamra thinks about hiring and leadership -Tamara's approach to lifestyle design -How Tamara discovered she was depressed and what she decided to do about it -Tamara's first experience in a sensory deprivation tank -and much more Say hi Tamara on Instagram and Twitter: @NaturalHairRule Tell me what you thought about this episode: @LisaNicoleBell Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB111

This is a solo Q+A episode featuring 2 questions from listeners. This episode is long but meaty. I lay out my process for getting out of a funk, how I keep my mental state elevated on a daily basis, and more. Question 1: As I was on the train this morning and listening to the Kirk Moore episode, I reflected on a meetup I had last night with an established entrepreneur/digital nomad. I rarely vent, especially about things I'd categorize as negative, but I did mention to her that every now and then I feel discouraged. I try not to, but it's sometimes inevitable to compare yourself to someone else. I don't think it's always a bad thing and I usually label it as something to aspire to be/do rather than be jealous. That word makes me cringe. It was crazy that as soon as I figured I'd inquire about that, Kirk began to speak on this topic. Usually I'll get myself together and remind myself why I'm doing what I'm doing, why my journey is unique, and why I can still succeed. I live by the saying "what's for me is for me." Last night my new friend is the one who got me together and gave me all types of encouragement and inspiration. Do you ever become discouraged? If not anymore, when this did happen to you, how did you usually get back on track? Affirmations? Journaling? Question 2: Do you ever go through funks? If yes, do you have a plan or some type of routine/process you do to help you get out of it? How long did it take you to formulate that process and make it something habitual, rather than just knowing about what you should do, but taking the actual action to do it? Take a listen and let me know what you thought of this episode! Twitter, Facbeook, Instagram: @LisaNicoleBell Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTBep110

Have you ever felt like you were too old (or too something) to go after a dream? This week's guest is the talented, smart, and gorgeous Jamila Daniel. After a career in entertainment journalism and a stint working for the Rachel Maddow show, Jamila decided to start all over as an intern (yes, really) to get the job of her dreams: staff writer on a television show. In this episode, Jamila lets me in on her path to pursuing her passion. We talk about the hard times she had moving to LA (she didn't even know how to drive when she got to the city) and how she had to humble herself to get experience, even when it meant working under people much younger than her. We also cover a lot of other great topics including dealing with setbacks and dark days, dating in LA, Jamila's approach to her craft, and much more. It's never too late to pursue your biggest, most passion-inducing dream. Jamila is living proof. Say hi to Jamila on Twitter and tell her what you thought of this episode: @jamiladaniel Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB109 Lisa Likes: Moonlight LNB on Twitter: @LisaNicoleBell

Season 6 is here! We've got a lot of catching up to do. If you want to skip all the hugs, kisses, and housekeeping, jump ahead to about the 20 minute mark to begin this amazing conversation. What would you do if you came into millions of dollars as a result of something you made or built? My guest in this episode, Eric Bahn, tells me the story of starting and growing his scrappy startup (including amazing advice on getting things popping when you have no money) and went on to sell it. He and his wife decided to travel the world, but things got dicey after that. You might wonder how somebody who's deemed "rich" could have any issues with work, but Eric opens up about how he ended up taking a job that turned him into a grumpy guy. There's a lot of other great advice tucked away in this conversation. We cover: -the important lessons Eric learned during and after the time he sold his company -"finding time" to work on passion projects AND be with family and friends -why Eric quit his job at Facebook to work on a startup -what Eric looks for in founders and startups he invests in (the answer will surprise you) This episode is among my top 10 because my guest was open and offered tons of excellent advice. Say hi to Eric on Twitter and tell him what you thought of this episode: @ericbahn This episode's hashtag is #BTB108 Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB108 LNB on Twitter: @LisaNicoleBell

I'm closing out this amazing season with my recap of the season's highlight, the three things you should check out during the show's hiatus, and what I'm currently working on. Recapped episodes: 83 - Colin Wright 88 - The Strangest Secret 93 - Bea Arthur 94 - Christina Jones 96 - Gunnar Lovelace 102 - Kirk Moore 100 - Joyful Ambition   Q+A episodes: 91, 97, 103 || Birthday Episode: 87 As always, thanks for listening. Season 6 drops December 1! In the meantime, subscribe to the show on iTunes and/or sign up for my monthly mashup of funny and inspiring musings at LisaNicoleBell.com.  

This week's guest is writer/producer Ben Watkins who is the creator of the Amazon show, Hand of God. This is one of my favorite episodes ever. Ben was amazingly transparent about his journey and offered up excellent advice on life, work, and creativity. In this conversation, we cover: -How Ben got his start in Hollywood -Ben's thoughts on leadership, creativity, and dealing with tough days -Ben's leaps from actor to writer to showrunner -How Ben learned to keep his ego in check -and much more This conversation was in depth, meaty, and full of hard won wisdom. Say hi to Ben and tell him what you think of the episode: @_Benipedia_ Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB106

The talented, gorgeous, and inspiring actress Simone Missick joins me to talk about her path from struggle to success as a star on Marvel's Luke Cage series on Netflix. This conversation is full of inspiring stories, wisdom, and much more. We cover: -Simone's leap from waiting tables to pursuing her dream -How Simone kept herself going during the dark times in her career -Simone's approach to daily motivation and focus -How Simone got cast in Luke Cage (this story will restore your faith in possibilities) -Simone's most important life lessons -and much more! Say hi to Simone and tell her what you thought on Instagram or Twitter: @simonemissick Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB105

This week's guest is Monique Woodard, a venture partner at 500 Startups and one of the few black female VCs. During this chat, we talk about her early days, her career in the music business, her path to starting her first company, her dating experiences as a powerful woman, and much more. Monique also serves up excellent advice for current and aspiring founders. Hit Monique up and say hi! @moniquewoodard Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB104

This week's episode is a Q+A answering questions about how to find new friends once you've overhauled your life and what to do when you feel stuck. In the first answer, I share my approach to building new personal friendships (and how badly I used to suck at it), how I approach "networking", why values are a pre-req for having great relationships and more. In the second answer, I share ways I've gotten myself unstuck, the best questions to ask yourself to get to the next level, and why patience is supremely important. Share your feedback and thoughts with me @LisaNicoleBell