The Hoffman Podcast

April McDaniel, Founder of woman-owned and minority-led, Crown + Conquer, came to the Process to do the deep work she knew she was ready for. In this conversation with Drew, April speaks candidly about needing to be honest with herself. She touches on this many times. What brought April to the Process? April shares that she saw she had a pattern of being cold when relating with others. She felt closed off and wanted to do something that would help to open her up again. Being ‘cold’ with others is often a pattern learned in childhood that helps us feel safe and secure. In the Process, April learned a lot about trauma and witnessed how each everyone has work to do to heal. As a result of her work there, the Process helped her find empathy for herself and for others. April chose to be more vulnerable at work as a way to integrate her Process experience. She shares that showing vulnerability, especially in the Black community, is viewed as weak. April showed her strength by being vulnerable and says it was well-received. More About April McDaniel: April McDaniel is the owner and founder of Crown + Conquer, a trailblazing agency partner to global brands with a current client roster that includes Spotify, Amazon Studios, and Google. Woman-owned and minority-led, Crown + Conquer has quickly and quietly made a name for itself, scaling rapidly in just five short years to 32 employees plus numerous freelancers. April’s team at Crown + Conquer is unapologetically authentic. They push brands outside their comfort zone, connecting brand truths with human truths to bring them to life and forge real connections with consumers. April began her career at Strategic Group. While there, she worked directly for Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg as they built the company into one of the most powerful brands in hospitality. With an innate ability to find the through-line that resonates with audiences, April drove event strategy for clients including Nike, Coca Cola, and Sprite; executed pioneering brand collaborations including Hennessy Artistry and Heineken Red Star; and played a key role in the grand openings of Las Vegas Tao, Tao Beach, LAVO, and Marquee Nightclub & Day Club at the Cosmopolitan. Subsequently, she led the nationwide expansion of Game Seven as Director of Operations. April also served as point person for influencer and experiential strategy on the Beats by Dre account. April is fiercely private and passionate about giving back. Recently, she launched the Chase the Crown Business Summit. Through the summit, small businesses and innovative brands have the opportunity to win seed money and gain unparalleled exposure. April lives in Southern California with her two sons. She earned her BA from Temple University. Find out more about April on Instagram. Learn more about Crown and Conquer here and on Instagram. Hoffman Process Terminology: Awareness Hell: In awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns and the things we do we wish we didn’t do, but we are still unable to change. We understand but feel stuck in this place of hell even though our awareness keeps expanding.  To get out of awareness hell, our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change to take place. These three steps are Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation. As Mentioned in This Episode: Trauma: In the Process, you learn about trauma as you do the work to heal the pain of the past. If you’d like to hear more, listen to this in-depth podcast episode with Cynthia Merchant on Trauma and the Process of Healing. Cynthia was a Hoffman teacher for twenty years.    

Coach and consultant, Natalie Vanderpump, is our guest today. Natalie’s process of getting to the Process was a journey in and of itself. She registered in February of 2020 for the May Process, which was postponed after the outbreak of COVID-19. Determined to begin her work, Natalie signed up for the first Hoffman Essentials virtual course. When the Hoffman Institute resumed offering the Process in person the following September, Natalie was there to begin the Process. Life had other plans as our beloved retreat site, White Sulphur Springs burned and Natalie’s group was evacuated. She had to return home to wait, again. Natalie completed her Process in person as part of the first graduating class at Hoffman’s new retreat site in Petaluma. What kept Natalie so motivated? When she completed the initial homework early that Spring, she felt a jolt to her Being. Through the months of waiting, Natalie had a heightened awareness of her patterns and how they had affected her life up to that point. Once she arrived in Petaluma, she was truly ready to do the deeply impactful work of healing the pain of her past. Natalie came to the Process because she felt like she’d done everything she was ‘supposed to do’ to be happy, but she wasn’t. For twenty-five years, she’d been on a journey to find a place of peace in herself that she knew was possible but didn’t know how to find on her own. Doing the Process helped support Natalie in finding the peace she was looking for, as well as much more. More About Natalie Vanderpump: Natalie was born in the West Indies on the island of Jamaica. As a child she lived in many places, finally settling in Miami, Florida for college. After seventeen years, a failed marriage, two engineering degrees, and an MBA, she moved to the Pacific Northwest with her son. In addition to her corporate career in Fortune 100 companies, Natalie has a passion for supporting people in organizing their time, finances, and physical space. Today, Natalie is a Holistic Wellness Coach and a KonMari-certified organizational consultant. As a coach and consultant, she helps people manage the stuff that impacts our ability to thrive. This includes what we put in our bodies, allow into our hearts and minds, and accumulate in our homes. Everyone’s path to wellness has twists and turns. Natalie loves helping others progress on their unique journey while continuing on her own. You can learn more about Natalie and her work here. Follow Natalie on Instagram and LinkedIn. As Mentioned in This Episode Hoffman Essentials 2-Day Virtual program: Through experiential activities, individual assignments, engaging discussions, and connection with a community of learners, you will have the experience of bringing more love and aliveness to yourself and your life while increasing your awareness of, and ability to dismantle, the barriers that stand in the way of living your best life. Practices & Tools: Quad Check: Join our virtual Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. The Quad Check is a practice to support you in checking in with all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and your Body. Appreciation & Gratitude: Join our virtual Appreciation & Gratitude practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram. The Appreciation and Gratitude practice supports you in dropping into your heart. From here, you can see and realize what you are truly grateful for and what you appreciate in and about your life. This practice deepens your connection to your body and your Spiritual Self. Recycling Recycling is a powerful tool that’s part of the Cycle of Transformation. It’s used to recycle a negative pattern that you’ve identified, traced, and disconnected from and into a new way of being. This new way is in alignment with your Spiritual Self. Vicious Cycle A collection of negative patterns that keep you in a cycle of negativity. They work in a cyclical manner and feed upon themselves. They are profoundly negative to your life and relationships.    

Tim Laurence, Hoffman teacher and author, did the Process in 1989 with Bob Hoffman as his teacher. Tim’s journey to finding and completing the Hoffman Process is a fascinating story. As a child, Tim was very curious. As a young adult, he traveled the world looking to learn from both the East and the West. The burning questions within him were, “How does this system work? How are we as human or spiritual beings meant to look at it? Am I missing something?” Eventually, after years of travel and inquiry, life led Tim to the Hoffman Process. “It wasn’t just a vale of tears, it was also a hill of laughter.” is one way Tim describes his time during the Process, reflecting the profound rage of human emotions we get to experience through the Process. Six years later, after being trained by Bob to be a Hoffman teacher himself, Tim co-founded Hoffman Institute UK. Tim shares stories about what Bob was like, and how the whole of who he was shines a light on how we are as human beings. He tells stories about the earlier times of the Hoffman Process when Bob still played an active role in ‘bringing peace to the world one person at a time.’ And, Tim offers insights into the different ways people from around the world approach doing the Process, including a difference he sees between people from the U.S. and Britain. More About Tim Laurence: Tim Laurence is the Founder of Hoffman Institute UK and former Chairman of Hoffman International. Tim is also the author of The Hoffman Process: The World-Famous Technique That Empowers You to Forgive Your Past, Heal Your Present, and Transform Your Future. Photo of Bob by Tim As Mentioned in This Episode: Bob Hoffman Tim shares about the time he traveled to Wales with Bob after they finished teaching a Process. This was when the Hoffman Process was still called the Quadrinity Process. Listen in to hear what Bob considered calling the Process instead.    

Arielle D’Angelo, LGBTQ+ Self-Love and Empowerment Coach and Founder of WeTheRainbow, serves up wisdom, kindness, and helpful guidance for the coming out journey. Arielle was fighting the idea that she was queer. She came to the Hoffman Process in 2016, hoping to find a way not to be gay. In a pivotal moment of her Process, Arielle remembers standing under the redwood trees at White Sulphur Springs, on the bridge looking out at the water, and feeling, for the first time in her life, full acceptance for all that she is. She left the Process with complete self-acceptance and self-love for all of who she is. Arielle’s message is for all of us. As Sharon, Arielle’s host for this conversation, offers, this message can be helpful for anyone. So many of us are on a journey to complete self-acceptance and self-love. This is a process of coming out to ourselves first and then to others. More About Arielle D’Angelo Arielle is an LGBTQ+ Self-Love and Empowerment Coach, Multi-Media Creator, and Founder of WeTheRainbow, an LGBTQ+ Personal Development Organization. Her mission is to help LGBTQ+ humans live empowered and liberated lives rooted in radical self-love and authenticity. After graduating from Tulane University in 2017, Arielle was certified as a Master Practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Clinical Hypnotherapy, EFT & Time Techniques. Additionally, she is a Trauma-Informed Practitioner, a Certified Reiki Practitioner, and a Certified Holistic Health Coach. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Arielle is passionate about guiding others to speak, live, and embody their truth. Furthermore, she believes everyone deserves to live a joyful life where they can live and love authentically. Arielle founded WeTheRainbow to bring connection and healing to the LGBTQ+ community through transformational events, coaching, and community. Through the wide range of her work, Arielle inspires queer humans to live with more compassion, acceptance, and love, while embracing every aspect of their LGBTQ+ identity. Find out more about Arielle on Instagram and TikTok. Learn more about WeTheRainbow on Instagram. As Mentioned in This Episode: LGBTQ, LBGTQ+, and Queer – Arielle mentions both in this conversation. Read more about these and their meanings here at ok2beme.ca. Coming Out – “Coming out is a lifelong process that has both intrapersonal and interpersonal components, although most people have an initial phase where they are first coming out to themselves.” – https://lgbtq.unc.edu/  

Chris Pan has already led a full life. When asked about his fascinating journey from a young boy in Taiwan who moved to the US without knowing English, to Harvard Business School, and to working as an early employee of Facebook, he references the game, Zelda. Chris explains that life is a journey in which you pick up a tool with each chapter you live. Eventually, all the tools support you in the ultimate purpose you are here to live. Chris now joyfully engages in his life purpose. As a result, he uses the tools he found along the way, in service to the joyful, powerful work he does in the world. Chris attended the Hoffman Process in 2013 after a difficult relationship breakup.  A friend told him about the Process and that it can provide deep healing, quickly. Wanting to be out of the pain he was feeling, Chris registered right away. Post-Process, Chris started this new life of spreading joy and healing. This episode of Love’s Everyday Radius is full of delights. Chris’ engaging life story, his commitment to bringing more joy and play into the world, and his generous singing and guitar playing (you’ll hear him sing two songs), are examples of how the change that happens within each of us as a result of doing the Process can ripple out into the everyday radius of our lives. More About Chris Pan: What’s Your WORD? Chris Pan is the founder of MyIntent.org. He has helped millions of people find their intentions, including Beyonce, Elon, and Melania.  VOMO (VOICE MOVEMENT), Chris’ new project, makes group singing fun, uplifting, and cathartic.  His vision is to have the world sing together and live with intent. Chris has an MBA from Harvard. He started his career as a senior consultant at McKinsey, marketing director at PepsiCo, and an early employee at Facebook.  He attended the Hoffman Process in 2013 and realized how emotionally constipated and spiritually disconnected he was.  After graduating, he set the intention to help others become more emotionally and spiritually connected.  Find out more about Chris on Instagram and Linkedin. Find out more about VOMO on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: The quote Chris refers to: “In many shamanic societies, if you came to a shaman or medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions. When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop being enchanted by stories? When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence? Where we have stopped dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories, or finding comfort in silence is where we have experienced the loss of soul. Dancing, singing, storytelling, and silence are the four universal healing salves.”― Gabrielle Roth Healing Rain: One of the songs Chris sings comes from a popular song by Prince. Chris changed the title and lyrics to reflect the healing during the Process and in his work. International School of Beijing    

Trecey Chittenden, Hoffman grad and the previous Facilities Director at Earthrise Retreat Center, now Hoffman Process Retreat Center, shares a bounty of stories about the land and history of our new retreat site. Trecey discovered the Process while working at Earthrise long before it became Hoffman’s new home. Three years later, she was struggling and decided to do the Process. It had a profound effect on her. Two eventful years ago, Trecey reached out to the Hoffman Institute to share that Earthrise was available for the Process after White Sulphur Springs was lost in the Glass fire. Listen as Trecey shares the amazing connection and synchronicity between the Hoffman Process, Astronaut Edgar Mitchell (a Hoffman grad), and Earthrise/IONS. Thank you, Trecey, for your help in bringing Hoffman to Earthrise. Something amazing to witness is how Hoffman students transform over the week during the Process. Trecey shares with Liz the joy she experienced witnessing their transformation. When new students would arrive, Trecey would help to get them settled into their rooms for the week ahead.  As she says, often during the first two days, people can look sort of stiff and unsure. By day three, students begin to relax and find their footing. And by day seven, it’s hard to recognize them they’ve changed so much. Trecey wonders if all the different kinds of work and the energy of the land both play a role in students’ transformation.  More about Trecey Chittenden: Born in Los Angeles in 1969, Trecey moved with her family to Hawaii when she was six months old. At eight, Trecey moved to New Hampshire where she lived until she was eighteen. She attended Waldorf schools from pre-K through 12th grade, which set the stage for her to be a more creative and imaginative person. After graduating High School, Trecey traveled around Europe and the Caribbean for the next few years before moving to San Francisco for work. Three years later, she moved to Stinson Beach, a small town outside of San Francisco, to raise her son. She came to work in the kitchen at EarthRise IONS through her work in restaurants. Trecey worked for IONS on the retreat center side for fourteen years as the Executive Chef for nine years, then as the retreat center Assistant Director, then as Facilities Director. This is how she came to hear about the Hoffman Process. You won’t see Trecey at the Hoffman retreat site in the future. She’s moved to Maine to be closer to family. As mentioned in this episode: White Sulphur Springs and the Glass Fire Astronaut, Edgar Mitchell: A crewmember of Apollo 14, Edgar Mitchell was the 6th man to walk on the moon. On his return to Earth during the Apollo 14 flight, it is said that Mitchell had a powerful savikalpa samādhi experience. Mitchell did the Hoffman Process in 1987. IONS: Institute of Noetic Sciences Waldorf Education A three-day residential, or virtual, retreat to continue the deep transformational work you did at the Process. Norse Mythology The legacy labyrinth at Hoffman’s retreat site is one of six labyrinths worldwide to be named a legacy labyrinth. Trecey mentions the beautiful oak trees at our Hoffman Retreat Center, sharing that they have amazing personalities, are full of wisdom, and are great partners in healing.    

Wait till you hear this conversation with Drew and Elle Newlands, actor, voice-over artist, musician, and Hoffman graduate. This is both a deep and delightful episode. Elle offers a vulnerability that is a gift to all who hear her story. Elle’s past trauma made it difficult to surrender to the Process. She was anxious in the beginning so her teacher worked with her to do specific exercises to release what was in the way. The Process is like this. Student and teacher work together to ensure that as the week progresses, the student’s Process holds the best outcome for their transformation. Elle and her Process mates experienced a flood during their Process. They were asked to evacuate by the fire department and did so, ending up at a hotel. If you’ve done the Process, you can imagine how disruptive this was, considering the very open state students are experiencing during the Process. With skillful organization and care, the students continued their Process work at the hotel. When Elle did the Q2 – the graduate intensive weekend, there was a wildfire close to White Sulphur Springs. The winds were so strong that the area needed to be evacuated, so Elle and everyone left to go home early. After returning home to the Los Angeles area after her Q2, she was evacuated again. There was a wildfire in that area, too. Listen in to hear how Elle, after realizing what life was showing her, was able to listen and learn from these experiences. More about Elle Newlands: Elle Newlands is a hybrid, which makes her complicated, but she is okay with that. An actress, photographer, and writer, she spends her days juggling characters, words, and pictures. Originally from Scotland, she is currently enjoying the sunshine of California. In her new home, she hikes with her dog, rides her horse in the mountains, and talks to nature. Elle moved from Scotland to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music and acting. She began her voice career as a classically trained vocalist, before moving into the voiceover booth. In addition to working in commercials, animation, performance capture, narration, and audiobooks, Elle has voiced various roles in video games. She is currently the voice of Horizon in the award-winning battle royale game Apex Legends and has multiple characters in World of Warcraft, DOOM Eternal, Hearthstone, and Skylanders. Other game titles include Star Wars, The Old Republic, Lego Star Wars, Halo 4, Assassins Creed, Skyrim, Call of Duty, Asgard’s Wrath, Counterstrike – Global Offensive, Bioshock, and Darksiders 2 and 3. Animated shows include Looney Tunes, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Lego Friends, Curious George, Hot Streets, and The Adventures of Puss in Boots. In addition to acting, Elle is also going through certification to become an equine-assisted life coach.  “Notes from the Ether,” her soon-to-be-released podcast, connects to the many ways in which the universe sends clear messages that we are all connected. Elle enjoys learning and speaking about the various paths to healing. You’ll find more about Elle on TikTok,Instagram, and Twitter. As mentioned in this episode: Edinburgh, Scotland Video Gaming Voice-over Casting Equine Coaching

Beloved Hoffman Process teacher and coach, Maria Cámara, is our guest this week. A pivotal moment in Maria’s Process was when she realized that whatever she had never gotten from her Mom and Dad, she would never get. A moment of true acceptance like this can be life-changing. Maria shares how liberating this moment was. The Process helped her realize that her life is her own and that she is the one responsible for it. Maria became interested in and a practitioner of Buddhism at the age of fifteen after meeting a Tibetan Buddhist lama for the first time when she was seven. She says Buddhism is “a medicine for today’s crazy world.” Being a Buddhist practitioner has supported Maria in many ways. One way has been her practice to contemplate death and to be able to be with those who are dying. Listen in as Maria shares a tender story of a loved one’s passing. More about Maria Cámara: Maria holds a Ph.D. in Family and Health Psychology from the University of Deusto, Spain. She also has a Master’s in Health Psychology from the University of Middlesex, UK, and a B.A. in Psychology from UPV, Spain. Maria is a Certified Gestalt Psychotherapist. Additionally, Maria has trained in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Emotion-focused Therapy. Maria is co-director of Hoffman International and co-director of the Hoffman Institute in Spain. She is also a Supervising Teacher of the Hoffman Process. A founding member of Bodhi Salud, a health and meditation retreat in Valencia, Spain, Maria is in private practice both in-person and virtually. As part of her spiritual path, Maria has studied extensively with renowned Buddhist meditation masters for more than 20 years in Europe, North America, and India, She has a personal daily practice on that path. As mentioned in this episode: Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Lama: Lama is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru. Maraṇasati: Contemplating Death as a Buddhist practice  

Beloved Hoffman teacher, Barbara Comstock, has been teaching the Hoffman Process for 34 years. Teaching an average of ten Processes per year means Barbara has taught well over 300 Processes. Two and a half years ago, Barbara’s husband, Jimmy, died, just three months after his diagnosis. Her journey has been rough. And yet, as you’ll hear in this conversation, Barbara’s depth of presence and ability to let go into life continue to support her through this journey of both life and death. Barbara shares that “teaching the Hoffman Process is a practice of love.” Barbara shares what this practice is to her and how it guides her both personally and professionally. As you’ll hear at the end, Drew and Barbara will meet up again for part two of this conversation. Watch for it in Season Four. If you have any questions you’d like Drew to ask Barbara when they next sit down together to record, let us know at podcasts@hoffmaninstitute.org! More about Barbara Comstock: Barbara holds a B.A. in East Asian Studies, an M.S. in Textile Arts, and an MFA in Sculpture & Textiles. She is a Hoffman teacher and supervisor, a life coach, an art teacher, an author, and a dancer. Barbara believes, “The act of teaching the Process is a practice of love and presence. I love working with individuals in this environment. Human beings are fascinating and I am lucky to be able to support individuals to grow, to know themselves, and forgive and love themselves.” When Barbara did the Process, she found radical self-acceptance and acceptance of life and others. “I like myself and I can acknowledge mistakes (sometimes).” Barbara lives in Ashland, Oregon. As mentioned in this episode: Barbara’s Sister and fellow Hoffman teacher, Kani Comstock. City of Hope Cancer Treatment Center Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act Self-compassion break (from Kristin Neff): This is a moment of suffering. All human beings suffer. May I be kind to myself.  

Through her company, LSTN, Bridget Hilton has helped over 50,000 people hear for the first time! Listen in to hear how following what you naturally love can serve the world in amazing ways. In this illuminating episode, Bridget and Liz converse about the power of listening, the dance between music and Spirit, and healing the pain of the past through the Hoffman Process. From childhood, two things have captivated Bridget Hilton: music and the idea of starting her own company. Amazingly, these two things have guided her life of social entrepreneurship. Music is central to Bridget’s experience in many ways. One of her pivotal moments at the Process was during the exercise where the song, In the Living Years, is played. In hearing those lyrics, everything broke open for Bridget. More about Bridget Hilton: Bridget Hilton is a social entrepreneur who creates purpose-driven brands. In 2012, she started LSTN as the world’s first social-good electronics company. Since its inception, LSTN has sold millions of eco-friendly headphones and speakers. Through their partnership with Starkey Hearing Foundation, LSTN has helped over 50,000 people hear for the first time. Working on the ground in places such as Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Peru, Sri Lanka, Mexico, China, Indonesia, and the U.S. Access to hearing aids has improved the lives of these individuals, their families, and communities. This, in turn, has since created a positive ripple effect with millions of people around the world. Bridget is the author of Experiential Billionaire: Build a Life Rich in Experiences and Die With No Regrets. She has received both Forbes and Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 awards. Bridget has been interviewed on the Today Show, Good Morning America, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and more. She sits on advisory boards at UCLA and UCSB. Bridget grew up in Flint, MI. She now lives in Malibu, CA, and is an avid reader, home chef, and adventure junkie. Bridget and a Goldendoodle named Taco are best friends. You can find out more about Bridget here and on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: Hoffman Essentials: The Hoffman Essentials is a 2-day virtual intensive, experiential program where students are immersed in the essential concepts of the Hoffman Process. Conscious Capitalism: Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey and marketing professor and speaker Raj Sisodia conceived of and popularized the concept of conscious capitalism in their book, Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business. The nonprofit organization, Conscious Capitalism, has chapters in more than two dozen U.S. cities and 10 other countries. Social Enterprise: “A social enterprise or social business is defined as a business with specific social objectives that serve its primary purpose.” – definition from Investopedia.   Sloan Churman hears herself for the first time. In the Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics