The Hoffman Podcast

“If the age of AI is anything, it’s the age of relationship.” Nichol Bradford Nichol Bradford shares her love’s everyday radius with us – the arc of how the deep work she’s done throughout her life now informs the impactful work she’s doing in the world. At the forefront of human potential and AI, Nichol’s work is accelerating human transformation through technology investments, research, and global thought leadership. In this conversation with Drew, she weaves together technology, AI, and the Hoffman Process. Nichol has done a great deal of transformational work. The Hoffman Process was one of her chosen healing modalities. Nichol is passionate about her quest to advance human potential through ethical and empowering AI. In this conversation, she calls us forth to the inner work necessary so we can each be part of a movement to create technology that supports the thriving of humanity and the greater world. “…where we’re going is that work is going to be about human beings creating things together. That’s what jobs will be. That’s where we’ll be. And in that place, like, you know, the way to be irreplaceable is it’s really all about, are you adaptable? Can you adapt? Can you change? … it has everything to do with who you are being and who you’re being stands right on top of the types of things that Hoffman gets right at, as well as other deep work.” This aligns with the impetus behind Love’s Everyday Radius. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to attend Hoffman have experienced profound personal change. That change now ripples out into the world through how we share our gifts with others. And it will ripple out in how we create the future together. We hope you enjoy this inspiring conversation with Nichol and Drew. More about Nichol Bradford: Nichol Bradford stands at the forefront of human potential and AI, accelerating human transformation through technology investments, research, and global thought leadership. Currently, Nichol serves as Executive-in-Residence for AI + HI at The Society for Human Resource Management, shaping global thinking on human-AI collaboration. She is also Co-Founder and Partner of Niremia Collective, an early-stage venture fund focused on human potential technologies, and she co-founded TransformativeTech.org, the largest global ecosystem of founders, investors, and innovators building tech for human flourishing. Previously, as a senior interactive entertainment executive, Nichol held strategy, operations, marketing, and production roles at major brands including Epic Games, Activision-Blizzard, Vivendi Games, and Disney. She led operations for World of Warcraft China and Blizzard properties in China, played a key role on the Vivendi team responsible for the landmark $18B Activision-Blizzard merger deal, and helped produce record-breaking events in the metaverse at Epic Games. Nichol has an MBA from The Wharton School, is on the Faculty at Singularity University, a Trustee at CIIS, and has been a Lecturer and Adjunct Professor at Stanford University. Moving forward, Nichol is focused on advancing human potential through ethical and empowering AI — catalyzing a global ecosystem of innovators to create technology for human thriving. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify As mentioned in this episode: Human tech is the evolution of transformative tech: Human + Tech Week – Where Human Potential and AI Innovation Converge. •   Human Tech Week 2026:  April 27 – May 2, San Francisco  – How do we help humans heal, grow, and thrive? Six focus areas: 1. Vital – Preventive health and wellness, “because you can’t separate the mind of the body.” 2. Mesh – Mental, emotional, and social health. 3. Peak – Individual and organizational performance. 4. Sync – Collective intelligence, collaborative collaboration at scale, digital well-being, “How can we make sure that we can be well with all of these tools that we have?” 5. Soul – Purpose, meaning, and consciousness, both from a scientific, neuroscience standpoint, and from a spiritual standpoint. “(Spiritual defined as a better relationship to self, other, and the environment).” 6. City – The built environment, both physically and metaphorically. “How can we leverage technology in the spaces around us to enable and empower all of the areas that I described before?” Other mentions in this episode: The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) “We build our cities, and then our cities build us.” Mike Frost “To whom much is given, much is expected.” Proverb from Luke 12:48 in the New Testament. A Brief History of Aluminum. Human Microbiome: “The human microbiome, often called the ‘forgotten organ.’ Snow Leopard: “What are the trends and happenings going on right now that may turn out to be more significant than they seem to us at this moment? The Atlantic Council, an American Think Tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., has coined the term “Snow Leopards” to classify these phenomena that may have world-changing impact, but seem ordinary to us now.” Read more… Utopia and Dystopia Pattie Maes, MIT Your Brain on ChatGPT study at MIT Khan Academy‘s Khanamigo The Socratic Method Self-optimization The Art of Accomplishment with Joe Hudson Conscious Leadership Group •   CLG Coaching Training Diana Chapman – Listen to Diana on the Hoffman Podcast: Experiencing More Heaven on Earth Myanmar (formerly Burma) Mahasi Sayadaw Dr. Dan (Daniel) Brown, Western Tibetan Bön teacher Hunger Games or Star Trek

“I can’t say that in 34 years I have enjoyed my life in the way that I do now. That is the shift. That’s the shift post-Hoffman. It’s the shift of doing this work. It’s the shift of my life.” Six months before Madison Utendahl arrived at the Hoffman Process, she closed her business. The immediate question that came to her in the wake of closing it was, Who am I without this job? She’d realized that her company and her work had become part of her identity. Feeling a complete disconnect from herself without this company she’d worked so hard to build, Madison realized she needed to do something different. Therapy, something she’d done a lot of, wasn’t going to cut it. She needed a serious change. She turned to Hoffman. In this engaging and spirited conversation, Madison leads us through the before, during, and after periods of her Hoffman Process experience. As we listen in, we’re able to glimpse not only her journey, but some of the Process journey itself as seen through Madison’s eyes. One of the significant negative patterns that Madison transformed was “control,” one that plagues so many of us. In her brilliant words, she shares the big Aha! she had behind the transformation of this pattern, wisdom that’s true for many patterns. Madison explains, “I learned at Hoffman that control was a survival instinct. If it was a survival instinct that meant I could unlearn it. … I learned that young Madison, to no fault of her own, developed control to deal with her childhood.”  A major takeaway from Madison’s Process transformation is the realization that the Universe, or whatever you want to call it, has your back. As she says, “the unlock for me, post-Hoffman, is like realizing that God, the universe, whomever, has your back.” So, go enjoy your life! More about Madison Utendahl: Madison Utendahl is a multi-hyphenate: founder, CCO, writer, and creative director who, above all, is tired of faking fine. She’s the Founder of Utendahl Creative, a Brooklyn-based creative agency that has built brands for a lot of cool people. She’s also the creator of BURNT, her popular Substack where she writes about burnout with equal parts humor and truth-telling. Madison is a two-time Webby Award winner, AdWeek 100, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and has been on the founding teams of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Refinery29’s 29Rooms, and Museum of Ice Cream. These days, she’s less about chasing accolades and more about dismantling hustle culture’s nonsense, one candid essay, brand, or conversation at a time. She lives in New York City with her husband, two dogs, and a cat who runs the household. Follow Madison on Instagram. Read her writing at Burnt on Substack. Find out more at madisonutendahl.com. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify As mentioned in this episode: Madison’s IG post about the closing of Utendahl Creative. April McDaniel – Listen to April on the Hoffman Podcast: Being Real With Yourself Hoffman Retreat Site in Connecticut – Guest House Hoffman Faculty: •   Claus Radlberger •   Marc Kaplan Ketamine Therapy Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Somatic Therapy Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) The Quadrinity… …is a simple yet powerful model for understanding ourselves and our behavior, encompassing all four aspects of self: body, emotions, intellect, and spiritual self. The Quadrinity is our whole, integrated, balanced self, embodying all four aspects. Madison mentions the “Hoffman Questionnaire.” This is the pre-Process assignment, required homework for attending Process. Our pre-Process assignment is due three weeks before the start of your scheduled Process. The assignment materials take approximately 10 hours to complete. Listen to Blake Mycoskie, Toms Founder, on the Hoffman Podcast: A Deep Surrender to Spirit Quad Check: A practice to support you in checking in with all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and Body. To practice Quad Checks with others, join our virtual Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. We also hold an Appreciation and Gratitude practice daily at 6:00 pm on Instagram. Ricola cough drops are available to students during the Process. Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Hotel Tonight Integration Weekend It’s highly suggested that each graduate take two days after their Process to integrate the deep work they’ve done. As Madison shares, it is an important time before re-entering their lives. Gabor Mate  – Addiction Expert, Speaker, Bestselling Author •   “No Two Children Have the Same Parents” – YouTube short video “I see you and I love you.” – the Hoffman Process

Award-winning and celebrated filmmaker Jeff Orlowski-Yang is a masterful storyteller who documents the profound stories of our time. Founder and Creative Director of Exposure Labs, Jeff came to the Hoffman Process after hearing about it through many friends. One of Jeff’s friends knew a woman who was offering to pay for anyone ready to step into parenthood to attend the Process. Jeff was curious about and deeply moved by the nature of her offer. He felt there must be something important about the Process he’d heard so much about. A key theme in this conversation is the power and nature of the stories we tell. The ones we carry on our backs, feeling like we cannot let them go, even knowing they are weighing us down. The ones we tell in hopes of changing hearts and minds. And the ones we create anew in our hopes for a different future. As a documentarian, Jeff knows both how to tell a great story and to listen to others telling their story. At his Process, he was able to listen deeply to the stories being shared around the classroom by his classmates. This helped him realize the nature of the story he has carried within. In recounting his Process experience, Jeff weaves in the wisdom he’s gained from his work. He highlights the difference between communication and connection, a distinction that became clear to him while directing The Social Dilemma. And he speaks to the nature of change and how powerful stories can be great catalysts of change, both personally and collectively. We hope you enjoy this illuminating conversation with Jeff and Drew. More about Jeff Orlowski-Yang: Photo by Larissa Rhodes Jeff Orlowski-Yang is the Founder and Creative Director of Exposure Labs, a film and impact production studio that uses stories to change the world. Most recently, he directed Chasing Time (2024), a 40-minute short documentary currently screening at festivals around the world. Previously, he directed one of the most-watched documentaries on Netflix, The Social Dilemma (2020), which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, and was nominated for seven primetime Emmy awards, winning two. He was the director, producer, and cinematographer of the award-winning feature documentaries Chasing Coral (2017) and Chasing Ice (2012), both of which screened at Congress and the United Nations and have garnered awards and accolades worldwide. Jeff has several directorial projects currently in development and continues to support other filmmakers from concept to impact campaign as an executive producer and mentor. Orlowski-Yang won the 2017 Champion of the Earth Award, the UN’s highest environmental honor, and serves on the boards of Green 2.0 and Netflix’s Sustainability Advisory Group. He has traveled on tour representing the Sundance Institute, President Obama’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts, among many other speaking and press engagements. Jeff lives in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about or get in touch with him at JeffOrlowski-Yang.com. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify As mentioned in this episode: eTown Studios •   Take a video tour of eTown Studios. Staten Island, New York National Geographic Magazine James Balog, National Geographic Photographer Guinness World Record •   Greenland – Largest calving event ever filmed: “CHASING ICE” Official Video Coral bleaching in Australia – Coral turns white due to heat The Adventure of Jason and the Argonauts from the Argonautica Chasing Ice Trailer at Sundance •   Nominated for an Academy Award Existential Crisis Tristan Harris – Tech ethicist and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology (CHT). Thoreau quote, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately…” Sundance Film Festival is moving from Sundance, Utah, to Boulder, Colorado. The Unpredictable Award and Dopamine Addiction. •   Article: Hooked: The Psychology of Variable Rewards •   Article: Online Marketers Take Note Of Brains Wired For Rewards Instagram Lives: Each day, we host two Instagram Lives. Join our virtual community Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. A Quad Check is a practice to support you in integrating and honoring all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and your Body. Join our daily Appreciation and Gratitude practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram. You’ll find the Appreciation and Gratitude practice to be a beautiful way to reflect on your day. This practice will support your Spiritual Self’s natural desire to appreciate and give thanks for all that life brings you.  

“We understand each other, and we are saying we share the same humanity.“ In this episode, Drew sits down just outside Shanghai with Rao Rao,  Hoffman China teacher trainee, co-founder and CEO of the Hoffman China Center, and seasoned business leader. In June of 2024, life pushed Rao Rao in the direction of Hoffman. She’d been doing healing work after a series of events that caused her to turn inward. Already immersed in the world of Vipassana meditation when she came to the Process, she was determined to end her suffering and felt that would happen if she could get to the ego-less state. But at her Process, her teacher told her she needed to be messier. That she needed to let herself grow, to speak up for herself, to do what she wants rather than what she thinks she should do. This was the beginning of her big internal transformation. Listen in to hear the beautiful, embodied stories of this transformational shift, including a moment with a hawk while seated on Guardian Rock at the Petaluma retreat site. This is exciting news about the establishment of the first Hoffman Process center in China. Rao Rao describes why there is a great need for Hoffman in China at this time. She shares that we are all the same in our capacity to feel and be present in our hearts. You can discover more about China Hoffman in this article: Hoffman Process, First Launch in China: For those who are serious about change or 活满历程，中国首发 —— 为了决心改变的你 More about Rao Rao: Rao Rao holds an M.Sc. in Management Research from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. She also holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University. She is the co-founder and CEO of the Hoffman China Center and a Hoffman teacher trainee. She is a seasoned business leader with nearly two decades of experience in consulting, marketing, strategy, and operations across industries such as consumer goods, TMT, and internet ventures. Driven by her passion for human consciousness and organizational transformation, she transitioned from corporate leadership in 2022 to pursue this mission. Since April 2024, she has served as a consultant for Evolve Foundation Fund and has spearheaded the launch of the Hoffman Process in China. Rao Rao resides in Shanghai with her husband, Yuekui, their two daughters, Yaoyao and Nannan, and their golden hamster, Xiaobai. Listen on Apple Podcasts As mentioned in this episode: About Bo Shao: Bo Shao is a successful serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist. In 2018, he stepped away from all commercial activities to devote himself entirely to philanthropy. Bo invested his own money to start the Evolve Foundation. Evolve aims to increase the happiness of the entire society and raise the consciousness level of humanity. Hoffman teachers: Raz Ingrasci – Listen to Raz on the Hoffman Podcast: Husband, Father, Son Volker Krohn – Listen to Volker on the Hoffman Podcast: Re-Initiated Into the Family of Humanity Caroline Guan – General Manager for Evolve Institute in China More on the research done on the Hoffman Process Vipassana meditation and retreat Ego death “The way out is through.” (From the Hoffman Process Integration Manual) Guardian Rock, photo by Drew Horning Guardian Rock Hoffman Process Retreat Center, Petaluma, California Guardian Rock can be accessed by following a hiking trail up one of the hills on the site. It overlooks a stunning valley. Petaluma’s name originates from the Miwok village of Péta Lúuma, located on the banks of the Petaluma River. read more… Eagles in Petaluma, California – Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles.    

“The goal is freedom. The goal is your own happiness. The goal is joy, and it’s hard to have as much joy and lightness as you can if you’re holding onto old resentments.” Simbi Hall, Storyteller, Screenwriter, Director, and Producer, sits down with Hoffman Podcast host Sadie Hannah to share her life journey of healing. While Simbi completed the Process in 2022, her journey of self-reflection began at the age of seven, when she had her own subscription to Psychology Today. From a young age, she tried to analyze things in her head and figure things out. Somewhere within her, she felt there was something she needed to address. For Simbi, one of the main transformations at the Process was the shift in her relationship with her father. Raised by her mom, her nana (technically her step-great-grandmother), and a dog “who helped raise” her, her father was absent. Simbi felt abandoned by him. She could count on her hands the number of times she’s seen him in her life. As Simbi says, you idealize what you don’t have. She grew to resent him and what she could never have. It’s been “the homework of her life” to attempt to resolve the pain of her childhood. Her birthday is always right around Father’s Day. Each year, this has been a big trigger for Simbi. This past year, just a few years after doing the Process, Simbi had a very different birthday experience. She discovered that she had let go of her deep resentment toward her father. Listen in as Simbi shares wisdom learned from doing the homework of a lifetime. Be sure to listen for Simbi’s mic-drop moment at the end. More about Simbi Hall: Simbiat Hall is an award-winning Nigerian-American filmmaker who divides her time between LA and NYC. Born in Chicago and raised in Virginia, Simbi graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a double major in film and dramatic writing. She is also a graduate of AFI’s “Directing Workshop for Women” and the Bill Cosby-sponsored “Guy Hanks/Marvin Miller Screenwriting Fellowship at USC. Simbi is well-known for Long Story Short (2004), Bring It! Vegas Dreams and Disney Parks’ Magical Christmas Celebration (2016). Follow Simbi on Instagram at @simbihall. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify As mentioned in this episode: Daily Buddhist Practice Buddha-nature Buddha-nature in Hoffman terms: The Spiritual Self, or the Light that’s within you. This is the foundation from which growth can evolve. The Divine Mother Positive Legacy: While much of the work of the Hoffman Process involves disconnecting from negative parental patterns, we also receive a positive legacy from our parents. This is also addressed during the 7-day retreat. Black woman tropes/stereotypes – What is Transference? A couple of great quotes from Simbi: “If you’re open and seeking, you can get guidance from a stop sign.” “If you don’t do the work, life adds Miracle-Gro to the belief systems.”    

Shirin Oreizy, engineer and coach, found herself hindered by a pattern of perfectionism as she embarked on a career transition. She’d known about the Hoffman Process for five years, but she didn’t think she needed it. When she saw the effects of this pattern of perfectionism and how it was blocking her from creating her dream and vision, she knew it was time. Concurrently, over these five years, Shirin and her husband had been on a long, painful IVF journey. At the time of her Process, Shirin was beginning to recover from the trauma of this journey and the grief of loss from four miscarriages. She was in the process of accepting that she and her husband would never be parents. Namaki During her Process, everyone knew Shirin as Namaki, which was her childhood name. Since no one in her Process knew her given name, her classmates and teachers called her Namaki. As her week at the Process unfolded, Shirin found that rekindling her relationship with Namaki was the path back to her true self and self-love. As she tells Drew: “I think what I really love about Hoffman specifically was that there’s this imprint. There’s this somatic, felt, body-sense imprint of love in me. That it will never go away; and you know, the patterns come … and I forget myself, but I have access to come back to this deep imprint of self-love.” At the Process, Shirin worked with Namaki’s moments when she felt deeply unsafe. Through this, Shirin was able to experience a “falling back into trust with my place in the world.” She realized there’s a larger arc to her life story than she had been holding onto through control. Content Warning: Before you begin, please know that this conversation contains descriptions of “reproductive trauma, loss, and grief.” Please use your discretion. More about Shirin Oreizy: My journey began as an engineer at Nvidia, where I learned the art of solving complex problems. Later, I founded and led a behavior design agency, partnering with both scrappy startups and Fortune 500 giants for two decades. Along the way, I became fascinated by how people truly transform. How real change happens within both teams and individuals. Today, I focus on coaching and speaking because I know how pivotal life’s transitions can be. My work draws on a lifelong passion for understanding what drives us as humans, shaped by years of hands-on experience with leaders, teams, and individuals. I weave together insights from a range of disciplines: Personality Profiling: Enneagram & Big Five (self-understanding and connection) Hoffman Process (healing old patterns, renewing a sense of “enough”) Neuroscience (building resilience and hope) Positive Psychology (cultivating optimism and curiosity) Behavioral Science (creating sustainable habits and agency) Conscious Leadership Group (leading with awareness and presence) Outside of coaching, I’ve shared my work on human behavior with audiences at TechCrunch Disrupt (Audience Choice Award), as a guest lecturer at NYU, Columbia, and Stanford, and as a keynote speaker at major industry events. I live in San Francisco with my husband—also a Hoffman grad—and our dog, Pickles, a Hoffman grad in spirit (he’s mastered the art of welcoming love, especially when treats are involved). We love exploring stunning landscapes around the world that challenge us physically and mentally. Since Hoffman, we’ve launched a passion project, Life of Adventure and Change, where we’re mapping out a decade of travel adventures to share with friends. Our goal is to build a community of conscious travelers who inspire each other to embrace new adventures and experiences. Learn more about Shirin at her personal website. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify As mentioned in this episode: Conscious Leadership Group •   Diana Chapman, Co-Founder •   Listen to Diana Chapman on The Hoffman Podcast: Experiencing More Heaven on Earth The Enneagram •   Enneagram type 3: “Threes try to deny their shame, and are potentially the most out of touch with underlying feelings of inadequacy. Threes learn to cope with shame by trying to become what they believe a valuable, successful person is like.” Read more about the Enneagram 3 and other types. Core shame messages •   Read more about how students work with shame at the Hoffman Process. Experts on shame on the Hoffman Podcast •   Chris Germer on the Hoffman Podcast: The Antidote to Shame •   David Bedrick on the Hoffman Podcast: Unshaming Your Shame Farsi, or the Persian language In vitro fertilization (IVF) •   Thaw, the documentary on egg freezing that Shirin participated in. Positive psychology Neuroscience The Hero’s Journey Denali National Park, Alaska •   Maintaining the Character of the Denali Park Road Beyond Mile 15 Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt quote from his Citizenship in a Republic speech given on April 23, 1910: •   The quote is from this passage called “The Man in the Arena.“ “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds;…” Read more… Shirin, her grandfather, and family:

Welcome to the podcast, Dr. Kash Trivedi, gastroenterologist, father, and Hoffman Process grad.  Kash arrived for his week at the Hoffman Process at age 50. What brought him to Hoffman was the experience of “a deep state of constant disconnectedness and anxiety.” Kash didn’t really like himself. He felt disconnected from his inner child, and nothing he did seemed to touch the pain of that. In conversation with Sadie, Kash explores his Process experiences that led to a profound healing of his relationship with his inner child. As a father to a young son, Kash’s work with his inner child led to a transformation of his relationship with his own son. Kash came to the Process for personal healing, but since graduating, he has found that much of what he learned has now flowed into his professional work. As a gastroenterologist, Kash can make the connection between holding our emotions in and a physical manifestation of that. When we heal our ability to feel, our mental health, and physical health can begin to heal. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Kash and Sadie. Thank you for listening to The Hoffman Podcast. More about Dr. Kash Trivedi: Dr. Kash Trivedi is a gastroenterologist in private practice. His interest is in the intricate relationship between the gut and the brain—how that connection contributes not only to physical symptoms but also to overall well-being. Kash completed his medical degree at the University of California, San Diego. He went on to do his fellowship training at the University of California, Irvine. With over a decade of experience in clinical medicine, he often sees how stress, trauma, and emotional health may influence gastrointestinal disease. Outside of medicine, Dr. Trivedi has long been drawn to personal growth and self-inquiry, an interest that began in his teenage years. In January 2025, he completed the Hoffman Process, which he describes as the most transformational experience of his life. Kash lives in Southern California with his wife of over 20 years and their 10-year-old son. He continues to explore how emotional and psychological insight can enrich both his personal life and professional practice. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify As mentioned in this episode: Different kinds of therapy: •   Somatic Therapy •   CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) •   EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Trauma or Stress Responses: •   Flight, Fight, Freeze, or Fawn Vipassana Meditation Retreats Jo Mattoon, Hoffman teacher and coach Listen to Jo on the Hoffman Podcast – “I Am the Driver of My Life” Shaman/Shamanism

Welcome to Season 11 of The Hoffman Podcast. We begin our new season with Suleika Jaouad, an extraordinary writer, artist, and author – and deeply soulful human. Suleika is not a graduate of the Hoffman Process, but many in her circle have attended, and her work deeply reflects its spirit. Suleika Jaouad :: Photo by Nadia Albano Suleika speaks and writes about creative alchemy. Her recent bestselling memoir is The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life. An alchemical life is one where we learn to take the more challenging lead weights (events and experiences) of our lives and work with them. We alchemize them into something new, as the alchemists of old called them, the gold. Suleika has been doing exactly this since she was diagnosed with leukemia at 22. She spent the next year of her life shuttling between her childhood bedroom and chemo rooms instead of embarking on a traditional adult life. As she worked with what she was facing and brought it closer to her, her relationship with it and with herself transformed, alchemized. As Suleika shares in this conversation with Drew, “that’s maybe our collective, forever work, what we do when things fall apart. For me, reconceiving of survival as a creative act of taking those moments where things fall apart and re-fastening them into something has been my way of finding my way.” We hope you enjoy this soulful, inspiring conversation with Suleika and Drew. It’s a beautiful beginning to our new season. More about Suleika Jaouad: Suleika Jaouad is a writer, artist, and author of the New York Times bestselling memoirs The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life and Between Two Kingdoms, which has been translated into over twenty languages. She writes the #1 Literature newsletter on Substack, the Isolation Journals, home to a creative community of over 230,000 readers from around the world. A three-time cancer survivor, she launched her career from her hospital bed at age 22 with the New York Times column and Emmy Award-winning video series “Life, Interrupted.” Her essays and reporting have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and Vogue, among others. A sought-after speaker, her TED Talk, “What Almost Dying Taught Me About Living,” has more than five million views. Along with husband Jon Batiste, Jaouad is the subject of the Oscar-nominated and Grammy Award-winning documentary American Symphony, produced by the Obamas—a portrait of two artists during a year of extreme highs and lows. When her leukemia returned in 2022 and treatment complications temporarily compromised her vision, she turned to painting to transcribe her fever dreams and medication-induced hallucinations. This vibrant, visceral record of grief and desire has since expanded to include large-scale watercolors, exhibited in The Alchemy of Blood, a joint show with Jaouad’s mother, the artist Anne Francey, at ArtYard. Most recently, she was commissioned to paint a grand piano for the 2024 Super Bowl in New Orleans, now on display at the New Orleans Museum of Art. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and trio of rescue dogs. Find out more about Suleika at suleikajaouad.com. Follow Suleika on Instagram and the Isolation Journals Newsletter on Substack. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify As mentioned in this episode: Matt Heineman, Director of American Symphony and Hoffman grad. Jon Batiste •   Winner of 7 Grammy Awards •   Bandleader and musical director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from 2015 to 2022. Eudora Welty quote: “I don’t think we often see life resolving itself, not in any sort of perfect way, but I like the fiction writer’s feeling of being able to confront an experience and resolve it as art, however imperfectly and briefly—to give it a form and try to embody it—to hold it and express it in a story’s terms.” Eudora Welty Terry Tempest Williams Review of Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted, read by Suleika: “I want to describe Suleika Jaouad with words like ‘courageous,’ ‘resilient,’ ‘vulnerable,’ and ‘inspiring’—but I understand that, for cancer survivors, these words can feel like empty clichés. The problem is, these words are true. Suleika Jaouad is courageous, resilient, vulnerable, and inspiring. And her memoir about her cancer journey is a work of breathtaking creativity and heart-stopping humanity. Jaouad’s story goes where you never expect it to go—not only into the depths of her own pain and lost years, but into the spirits of countless strangers (sick and well) she meets along the highway of own her life and illuminates with rare generosity and grace. This is a deeply moving and passionate work of art, quite unlike anything I’ve ever read. I will remember these stories for years to come, because Suleika Jaouad has imprinted them on my heart.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love We Can Do Hard Things, the Podcast Richard Rohr      

We’re thrilled to host Diana Chapman for our final episode of Season 10. A highly sought-after and trusted advisor, in her own words, Diana is an environmentalist at heart.  Diana came to the Hoffman Process in July 2024 with one desire. She’d already done a lot of personal growth work. She’d even sent many people to Hoffman. But it wasn’t until this one desire became clear to her that she decided to go through the Process. Diana realized just how much creative energy she was spending each day on judging her body. Although she’d already made peace with her parents, Diana knew her judgment came from her parents’ patterns. She wondered if the Hoffman Process could help, and it did. Diana shares that she often uses light-heartedness to work with her patterns. While that has worked well for her for some time, in the end, Diana has found that heartbreak is often necessary to transform some patterns. She shares that she’s found liberation in a broken heart. In the work Diana does with teams and individuals, she leads them to work with the intelligence of the body and heart. She speaks of the sensuality of the body and how she wants to experience more heaven on earth, and guides others to experience this, too. We hope you enjoy this episode with Diana and Drew. Thank you for tuning in to season 10 of Love’s Everyday Radius. We’ll be back in August for season 11. More about Diana Chapman: Diana is a highly sought-after and trusted advisor, celebrated for her ability to deliver swift, impactful results while driving sustainable change. She has guided over a thousand CEOs and hundreds of executive teams. Renowned clients—from Genentech to Asana—praise her unique blend of clarity, compassion, boldness, and playfulness. As a facilitator for the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Diana works with forums and chapters worldwide. Diana is a co-founder of The Conscious Leadership Group and co-author of the widely acclaimed book The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership. She’s helped ignite a movement redefining what leadership looks like when it’s rooted in awareness, integrity, and deep presence. Be on the lookout for Diana’s new book, No Drama Teams, in 2027. She teaches at Stanford and with the Kauffman Fellows, and has been a featured speaker on stages such as TEDx, Wisdom 2.0, and Conscious Company Media. When she’s not guiding top leaders, Diana’s living the good life on her ranch in Aptos, California. Find out more about Diana here and follow her on LinkedIn. As mentioned in this episode: Tim Ferriss’ podcast with Diana Chapman Gay and Katie Hendrix •   The Hendrix Institute Byron Katie and the Four Liberating Questions The Drama Triangle by Karpman The Enneagram: •   Type 8, The Challenger •   Type 1, The Reformer Ken Wilber

Meet today’s guest, Helen Valleau, beloved Hoffman teacher and coach. Helen completed the Hoffman Process in March 1992 and began teaching the Process in November 1995. Now, three decades later, Helen sits down with Drew for a beautiful conversation about how the Process changed both her and the trajectory of her life. Growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, Helen’s childhood was very different from the other kids she knew. Her parents were corporate bush pilots who flew in the Arctic. Helen’s mother loved to fly, daring to dream and follow her passion. She was the first woman inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame and was a recipient of the Amelia Earhart award. When Helen was 13, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and started on a long healing journey. Eventually, Helen lost her mother when Helen was nearing her 20th birthday.  She shares what an incredible experience it was to witness her mother’s fierce determination and strength, but also how hard it was to miss out on a softer, warmer experience of her mother. Her mother’s imprinting left her with a lot of pain and confusion, as well as the determination to emulate her mother. But as we know from doing the Process, that doesn’t work. When Helen came to the Process at 32, she was “ready to lay it all out and be done with it.” She knew she was messing up her life because of her patterns. At the Process, Helen realized she had “this Essence of eternal love and grace and wisdom and peace within her.” She knew, beyond a doubt, that the trajectory of her life had changed. Helen is a light-filled force of nature full of inspiration, positivity, and profound wisdom. We hope you enjoy this rich, vibrant, and tender conversation with Helen and Drew. More about Helen Valleau: As a certified HeartMath facilitator and long-standing Supervising Teacher with the Hoffman Institute, Helen helps others shed old stories, heal emotional wounds, and awaken to a more vibrant, heart-aligned life. Her inspirational books, A Year of Possibilities and 100 Minutes of Inspiration, offer daily nourishment for the soul—reminders that every stage of life holds the potential for joy, creativity, and reinvention. Her forthcoming work, Inner Power Aging, promises to deepen this journey, guiding readers to discover the strength, freedom, and fulfillment that come with embracing age as a sacred evolution. Rooted in Toronto, Helen shares her voice through writing, teaching, and social media—inviting others to walk boldly into each new chapter with passion, purpose, and self-love. Her work is a call to live fully, love deeply, and age elegantly—from the inside out. Follow Helen on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: Edmonton, Alberta Corporate Pilots/Bush Pilots Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame Tim Laurence, Hoffman UK founder and teacher •   Listen to Tim on the Hoffman Podcast Emerson Theological Institute Quantum Physics Hoffman Expression Work Hoffman Process – Compassion Homeopathy Science of Mind, or Religious Science •   New Thought •   Center for Spiritual Living Affirmative Prayer HeartMath Training