Julio Alvarez is a first-generation Latin American from the suburbs of New York. At age thirty-three, the Hoffman Process changed the course of Julio’s life. Julio came out as gay in high school and was ultimately kicked out of the house by his father. The President of the local Rotary Club took Julio into his home. In this episode, Julio shares his Process story with the kind of compassion and understanding that comes from doing deep transformational work. He shares with us his story of forgiveness. In doing so, we come to see the beautiful gifts that forgiveness has to offer. Julio didn’t speak to his father for more than ten years. Now he and his father are in a new and healthy relationship. Listen in as Julio shares beautiful wisdom like: “Life is always speaking to us so pay attention to the whispers.” He has learned how to shift his inner dialogue back to self-worthiness and self-love. This is the change that the Hoffman Process makes possible. More about Julio G. Alvarez: Julio earned a full scholarship to NYU. He has now spent more than a decade helping tech brands share their story, bringing products to life like Google Drive, Airbnb Plus, and Lyft Self-Driving cars. This year, Julio’s family members fell ill due to the anxieties and realities of COVID. In response, Julio turned to his Hoffman process work and tools to gain a deeper understanding of himself and what matters most in life. Follow Julio on Instagram to learn more about his journey.  

  Eboni K. Williams talks about the spirit of disruption in this week’s episode. Her work disrupts long and deeply-seated cultural norms and expectations. She shares with us how rewarding her work is as disruption is an essential part of change and change is constant. And yet, she also speaks of how heavy her work can be. “…people, we, don’t like change and aren’t comfortable around disruption.” Eboni came to the Process because, as she says, “I wanted family more than I was afraid of doing the work that it would take to get there.” She shares about her own Process and how her teacher, Regina Louise, was able to help her break through the resistance that showed up at the very first assignment on the first day of her Process. As Hoffman grads, we know change is vital to personal transformation. The Process itself is disruptive. The Process takes us out of our comfort zone and disrupts patterns. It opens us to the pain of our past so we can heal that same pain. Eboni is unapologetically driven to give voice to the voiceless through her platform – a tapestry of television, law, social justice, and entertainment. She knows her presence is power in the rooms where she has often been the first and only Black person. Positioned for disruption, Eboni enters these opportunities representing Black excellence intent on demonstrating and inspiring what is possible for Black people in America. Eboni is the newest and first Black cast member on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York. She’s also excited about her new iHeart Media podcast on the intersection of law and pop culture,  Holding Court with Eboni K. Williams. Uppity Productions, Eboni’s production company, produces the podcast. More about Eboni K. Williams: Williams educates and inspires audiences through the lens of a legal scholar. She exposes institutional racism, breaks down controversial issues such as judicial discretion, and expertly analyzes culturally relevant topics. She has served as the Host & Executive Producer of REVOLT Black News, which airs on REVOLT TV founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs. Eboni has also co-hosted REVOLT’S hip-hop talk show State of the Culture. Eboni is the best-selling author of her memoir, Pretty Powerful: Appearance, Substance, and Success. She holds a B.A. in Communications and African-American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also holds a J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Eboni clerked for the Louisiana Secretary of State and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. She later specialized in family law and civil litigation. Eboni then transitioned into practicing as a public defender and a private defense lawyer in North Carolina, and throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. Eboni also serves on the Board of Directors for Safe Horizon, which is the nation’s leading victims’ assistance organization. Find out more about Eboni here. Follow Eboni on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: Tulsa/Greenwood Massacre Naomi Osaka speaking out Hand on Heart: A Hoffman Process practice of placing your hand on your heart center to bring you into presence and connection with yourself. Ally or Co-conspirator “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” Jack Kornfield    

We are fortunate to have Serena Gordon on Love’s Everyday Radius. Serena has dedicated herself to bringing the powerful healing work of the Hoffman Process to the world since 1995. A friend of Bob Hoffman, the Hoffman UK Managing Director and Co-Founder, and a Process Teacher, Serena offers us some profound insights about the Process. At the young age of five, Serena lost trust in her parents. “I used to carry my own little suitcase with an A-Z map of London in case I got lost and I could find my own way home.” She tells us that she “fought for that little girl” during her own Process. Serena shares that the Process allows for you to “bring all the boxes of your past out into the open and have people around you as you open the boxes. And sort through the treasures that you love and will hold onto until you are an old person or the ones that actually fill you with sadness or loss or anger or frustration – whatever it is – and allow the Process tools to help you let go of those.” The power and simplicity of the Process can reach people from many different cultures. Teachers from Hoffman UK have taught the Process in Ireland, South Africa, and the Middle East with great success. Serena shares this is a testament to the power and simplicity of the Process itself. MORE ABOUT SERENA GORDON Serena Gordon formally trained as an actress at the UK’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After graduating, she enjoyed a successful career as a stage and screen actress. You might recognize her from her role in the James Bond film, Goldeneye. Along with her ex-husband, Hoffman teacher Tim Laurence, Serena brought Hoffman to the UK from California in 1995. At the time, the British attitude towards therapy and personal development was a lot less accepting than it is today. Hoffman UK is now recognized as one of the UK’s leading personal development providers. In her personal time, Serena enjoys time with family and friends. She loves to ground in nature in the English countryside in her downtime.    

Hilton Nathanson, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, is our guest this week. While not a graduate of the Process, Hilton’s life, and life pursuits have been deeply touched by the everyday radius of many Hoffman graduates’ love. It’s amazing to see just how wide a radius our graduates’ love and healing travels. The ripple effect of the Hoffman Process worked through Hilton in a wonder-filled, tangible way. In this episode, Hilton shares the effect of witnessing the profound change the Hoffman Process engendered in people close to him. The changes he saw in those he loved inspired this film which took seven years to complete. CHASING WONDERS In 2020 Hilton’s production company, Hianlo Films premiered this feature film called Chasing Wonders at the Adelaide Film Festival. Hoffman Institute’s research inspired Hilton’s original idea for the film. The foundational underpinnings of the Process shine through the film’s storyline. Chasing Wonders is the heart-warming story of a young boy who is encouraged by his grandfather to take off on the adventure of a lifetime, leading him to the heart of the human condition – understanding our parents’ past but not being defined by it. Hilton speaks to this in today’s episode – how important it is for us to share with our children when they are ready, stories about our lives before they were born. Chasing Wonders premieres in the United States on June 4th, 2021, on Amazon, VUDU, and Google TV. The Hoffman Institute’s scholarship fund will receive a portion of the proceeds from the film as part of the US release, bringing Love’s Everyday Radius full circle. MORE ABOUT HILTON NATHANSON Originally from Perth, Australia, Hilton arrived in London in 1992. There, he spent his first years working in financial markets before embarking on a career in asset management. Subsequently, he founded Marble Bar Asset Management. He’s been Chairman since 2013. Throughout his career, Hilton has taken an active interest in the psychology of decision-making. This prompted him to pursue an Executive Master’s Degree in Consulting and Coaching for Change from Insead Business School in 2015. In 2004, Hilton founded the Rosemarie Nathanson Charitable Trust. The trust supports organizations that advance the welfare and education of young people. Hilton lives in London with his wife and children and is an avid cricket fan, a keen sailor, and a ferocious reader.  

Regina Louise, a beloved Hoffman Process teacher, is our guest this week on Love’s Everyday Radius. Listen in as Regina shares with us about her time at the Process and how she wanted so badly to leave…but stayed. As a child, Regina lived in over 30 foster homes, group homes, and psychiatric facilities before age 18. She never had the chance to emotionally process the traumas she faced. The Process gave her this opportunity and so much more. One of the most powerful insights Regina shares with us is with regard to hope. She says, “We can’t tell people to have hope. We have to tell people the truth of who they are – to BE hope.” Rather than a passive sense of waiting for good to happen, Regina invites us to BE  hope in the form of real action in the world, being Spirit not just talking about Spirit. More About Regina Louise Regina speaks about and coaches organizations and individuals on trauma and personal development. She is also a foster care abolitionist and an author. Regina Louise’s real-life story is the subject of the Lifetime movie, I Am Somebody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story. She is the author of three books: Somebody’s Someone, Someone Has Led This Child to Believe, and her new book to be released June 8th, Permission Granted. Find out more about Regina here. You can also follow her on Instagram.  

We begin season 3 with Wilma Mae Basta, entrepreneur and founder of DRK Beauty. Listen in as Wilma Mae shares how profound both the Process and her healing journey have been. Originally from Philadelphia, Wilma Mae did her Process in the UK where she lived and worked at the time. When she arrived at the Process, she knew she was at the point where she couldn’t think her way “out of a paper bag.” She made the conscious decision to “allow Hoffman to catch” her. Wilma Mae had been told that as a strong Black woman, she needed to stay strong and figure things out on her own. When she faced severe depression, however, none of that worked for her. She realized that what she needed to do was ask for and receive the help she needed. The Process helped Wilma Mae heal her patterns and discover her superpowers. DRK BEAUTY: A UNIQUE WELL-BEING JOURNEY Wilma Mae’s experience of finding it difficult to locate the right kind of help to support her as a woman of color led to searching for and testing different modalities. Ultimately, these discoveries helped her build her own unique mental health and wellness journey that transformed her life. As a result of this experience, Wilma Mae moved back to the States in 2017 to create DRK Beauty, her well-being and mental health digital platform. Wilma Mae’s everyday radius now ripples out to “help womxn of color discover and craft their own unique well-being journey.” Wilma Mae Basta is the mother of two adult children and the daughter of a civil rights leader. In the early 90s, she built a career in film, TV, consumer, and consumer tech PR in the UK. She then launched and built the successful luxury vintage fashion brand, The Gathering Goddess. Known for its high-end collectibles, The Gathering Goddess’ collectible garments could often be seen on the red carpet. Follow Wilma Mae and DRK Beauty on Instagram.  

  Matt Brannagan, Hoffman teacher and coach, is our guest today in this delightful finale for season two. Matt shares about his time in the Process and in the military and speaks to what it is he loves about both. He also shares with us what it was like to help lead the Institute through the rough waters of 2020, which included the pandemic and the fire at White Sulphur Springs. Matt has found support and connection through many communities of meaning. Matt was twenty-five years old when he did the Process. He’d been in the military but was in a kind of funk, looking for a sense of purpose. So, Matt came to the Process to get a better sense of his life’s vision. One of the most valuable things for Matt in his Process was the recognition of how much time and energy he was wasting being stuck in patterns. “I was aware of them and trying to think my way out of them, which was both frustrating and self-defeating. The Process helped me shift my approach and my point of emphasis. I feel more efficient with my energy and as a result, more present throughout my day.” One year after completing the Process, and just after 9/11, Matt was deployed to Kuwait. While serving in that region, Matt learned how to not hold back as a leader out of fear. It was a high-stakes environment and he rose to leadership because people were counting on him. It was there that he began to integrate the work he’d done at the Process. More about Matt Branagan: Matt Brannagan also serves as Vice-President and COO for the Hoffman Institute. It is exactly Matt’s dynamic leadership presence that has helped support Hoffman’s powerful pivot through this past year. As a core part of Hoffman’s leadership team, he has helped guide the Institute to create a bundle of new virtual offerings, find and settle into Hoffman’s new permanent home at Earthrise, and support other new creations, including this podcast. Matt holds a B.A. in sociology from Sacramento State University; and an M.A. in transpersonal psychology from Naropa University. He is a retired U.S. Army veteran, a Professional Certified Coach, a psychology professor, and formerly a Master Resilience Trainer for the Army. “I love when the process really clicks for the students, and they begin to take on the tools and practices themselves. It is great to see that what we provide really works. Students often offer such great insights. I really get to take on learning even as I am teaching.” Matt lives in Los Angeles with his wife Nicole and dog Wilver.

Jo Mattoon, beloved Hoffman Process Teacher and Coach, supports people in developing their whole selves. In her transformational work, both with Hoffman and as an executive coach, Jo sees just how hungry we are to reclaim our whole personhood. At her own Process seventeen years ago, Jo reclaimed her whole personhood. About that week she says, “I actually felt like for the first time in my life I was the driver of my life.” More about Jo Mattoon In addition to her work at Hoffman, Jo Mattoon is Principal of Jo Mattoon Associates. She is masterful at guiding individual transformation as an executive coach. For twenty years, Jo provided organizational leadership as a human resources executive for three companies. Known for her strategic leadership, exceptional interpersonal skills, and analytical ability, Jo also has a wonderful sense of humor. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in the Humanities from the University of Colorado and a Master’s in Public Administration from Syracuse University. Jo is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation. A fourth-generation Coloradoan, Jo loves the outdoors, travel, good food, coyotes, tattoos, and the arts.

Get to know Nita Gage, a beloved Hoffman Process Teacher, and Coach. Before becoming a Hoffman teacher at 63, Nita had a long and distinguished career as a psychoanalyst and transformational retreat leader. Listen in as Nita shares about growing up on Native land and the many gifts of that time. She learned so much from her friend’s Grandmother, Grandma Wilson. Nita also speaks of how we must all stand up against the status quo and speak the truth. We can be part of a courageous ripple that brings good and necessary change to our world. One thing Nita shares is how she first came to the Hoffman Process, “kicking and screaming,” so to speak. She laughs as she shares that she understands how it feels to be a student on the first day of the Process and experience great resistance. More about Nita Gage Nita trained in psychoanalysis with R.D. Laing in London from 1970 to 1980. Upon returning to the United States, she pursued graduate degrees in clinical psychology and a doctorate in shamanic psychology. Nita has been leading transformational healing retreats for over 25 years, most recently with the Hoffman Institute. Before Hoffman, she founded the NeuroImaginal Institute and Healer Within Retreats, primarily working with physicians. She was the Executive Director of the American Board of Holistic Medicine. She also served clinical and executive positions in hospitals and treatment centers over the 40 years of her career. Growing up on a reservation in Arizona gave Nita a unique understanding of diversity. For many years, she worked in rural Arizona and Hawaii with diverse populations in addictions and mental health, initiating many innovation programs to address underserved populations. Nita has authored two books: Soul Whispering: The Art of Awakening Shamanic Consciousness and Women in Storage: How to Reimagine Your Life. Hoffman hosted our first-ever virtual conference, Embodying the Spirit of Change, on April 1-3, 2021. Nita was the panel moderator for the Indigenous Voices: Answering the Call to Mend Our World panel. If you’d like to know more about this panel, listen to the Indigenous Voices Hoffman Podcast episode with Tim Harjo, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, and Anita Sanchez, Ph.D.

Karen DeGannes came to the Process when she realized she was not showing up for her life. She discovered just how capable she is of showing up after taking the Process when she faced serious life health challenges. Karen discovered a quiet, gentle, persistent life force within herself that when surrendered, supported her to meet her most difficult life moments. Karen’s story is one of learning to take responsibility for one’s life with a gentle and persistent resilience. Prior to the Process, she had lost touch with religion and spirituality. During the Process, Karen was reunited with her Spiritual Self. She realized that Spirit had never left her; instead, she had turned away from her Spiritual Self. More about Karen Degannes Karen is most passionate about resilient and adaptive infrastructure business models that center communities while sustaining and regenerating ecological and just socioeconomic systems. She works as a natural resource and environmental scientist; an organizational sociologist; an energy, climate, and environmental justice expert; a strategist, innovator, and trusted advisor to corporations, communities, and governments; and an entrepreneur. Karen treasures her deepening self-awareness and understanding of what it means to be alive as a human being. After surviving a grave illness, and in this age of the Covid-19 pandemic and social, economic, and ecological crises, she prizes her new-found courage to show up authentically and to have a voice in socially difficult spaces. Karen is passionate about creating concrete, innovative, implementable, and scalable solutions to our most exciting challenges. To do so, she says we must develop operational solutions that jointly center people, communities, and ecosystems. An aspiring meditator, Karen loves to read and write poetry. She’s a connoisseur of art and long walks in nature. She is now reacquainting with her love of photography, dance, and laughter.