The Hoffman Podcast

Enjoy this lively episode with Tamar Geller, Hoffman Process graduate, dog trainer, and New York Times bestselling author, and our new co-host, Sharon Mor, Hoffman teacher. Listen in as Tamar shares about living from Spirit and training dogs in a whole new way.  Tamar developed the “The Loved Dog” method of dog training. It’s an innovative method based on the intersection of brain science, personal development, and a deep understanding of dogs’ behavior. Tamar’s work is popular with clients such as Oprah, Lady Gaga, the Kardashians, Tony Robbins, Reese Witherspoon, and many others. More about Tamar Geller: After serving as an intelligence officer working with the Israeli Special Forces, Tamar spent time observing wolves in the wild. She studied the role of the leader as a parent and protector of his pack. By using similar techniques, she created a method to train dogs that doesn’t involve aggression, dominance, or choke chains. In her training, Tamar goes beyond positive reinforcement. She emphasizes building a solid relationship with the dog by understanding the dog as an individual. She coaches them through games and fun to become the best version of themselves. Tamar helps PAWrents build a relationship with their dogs based on mutual devotion and love. She founded the first cage-free doggy boarding and daycare center in Southern California, called The Loved Dog. Her first book of the same name teaches dog owners how to train their dogs in a nonaggressive way. Tamar works closely with the animal rights organizations Humane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and various rescue organizations. She conducts programs for rescue organizations and offers lectures in dog behavior. She has appeared on a variety of television programs and media outlets, including The Today Show, Oprah, Ellen, and Animal Planet. Find out more about Tamar and her method of training puppies and dogs here, as well as on Instagram.

Welcome to Season Two! We are thrilled to open with Stan Stefancic, retired Hoffman teacher and former Director of Special Projects for the Institute. Stan shares his stories of the Process (including working with Bob Hoffman), as well as his life’s work in helping to create a more socially just and caring world. For Stan, “…the Hoffman Process was a life-changing experience. I made many profound discoveries. I also encountered my Spiritual Self, and my own intrinsic worth and value. This meant that I could enjoy what I was doing for its own sake rather than proving through achievement that I was lovable.” Stan initially studied Civil Engineering while working as a bricklayer/stonemason apprentice. Upon completing his apprenticeship, he changed direction, earning a BA in English and American Literature. Stan became active in politics and social change in college. He then earned an M.Div. degree at Harvard Divinity School. While studying for a Ph.D., he began working with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King inspired Stan to leave his graduate study and become a Unitarian Universalist Minister. He became deeply involved with the Civil Rights Movement and participated in meaningful social and political change. A minister for more than 40 years, Stan has served churches in six states. He served on many nonprofit Boards, including Common Cause, ACLU, and Planned Parenthood. Stan has also served as a citizen lobbyist focusing on Campaign Finance Reform and ethics and conflict of interest legislation. Stan was honored as Citizen Activist of the Year in 1998 for his contributions to the passage of a Citizen’s Initiative resulting in Arizona being one of four states to pass Public Funding of all elected State Officials. Bob Hoffman & Stan Stefancic in 1986 A Major Life-Turning Point A major turning point in Stan’s life occurred when he participated in the Hoffman Process. He had recently resigned his position as Senior Minister after five tumultuous years and was trying to determine what to do next. Then a friend introduced him to Bob Hoffman, who invited him to experience the first 8-day residential Process and become Vice-president of the Institute. Immediately after completing the Process, Stan also began training as a Teacher. After teaching and training teachers for six years in the USA, Europe, and Australia, Stan left the Institute for a time to pursue other interests. He was a business consultant and did “crisis interventions” with churches where he was able to heal the wounds, repair the organizations, and stimulate growth. “I could not have been successful in those crisis situations had I not done the Process and learned how to stay present, authentic, focused, and deal with transference and projections.” Stan rejoined the Institute in 2000 as Director of Special Projects and Process teacher. He retired in 2011. Presently, he is writing a Memoir. Stan and his wife Marianne, who is a psychotherapist, live in San Rafael, CA.  

In our finale episode of season one, Raz Ingrasci shares stories from many parts of his life. He offers some deeply moving stories about his own life as a husband, father, and son. Raz also shares an early history of, and fascinating wisdom about, the Hoffman Process. He speaks of his relationship with Bob Hoffman and the early days when the roots of the Process were first taking hold. You won’t want to miss this one! Listen in to find out why the Process is so effective in facilitating the change and transformation in people so needed in our world today. Raz shares about the Negative Love Syndrome and how doing the work in the Process, and in our new Hoffman Essentials, heals. Our times call for us to embody love and us to share it in our ‘everyday radius‘. Raz began his spiritual journey as a new graduate of UC Berkeley. He founded the Hoffman Institute Foundation in 1998 and has been an executive, consultant, and facilitator within the “Human Potential Movement” since 1972. Raz is also a Hoffman teacher of many years and Chairman of Hoffman International. Season two will begin in mid-October. In the meantime, make sure to catch up on all of our season one episodes.

Jake Tarr had a profound spiritual experience during his Process. When he turned the light of forgiveness toward himself, something incredible occurred. As Jake says, what happened isn’t ‘on the menu’ of the Process, but spiritual experiences and profound awakenings can and do happen at the Process. Listen in as Jake shares with us what happened and how it unfolded. Since his Process, this experience has deepened within him and has transformed his life and his relationships. Jake is a Managing Director at Kinetic Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. He received his BA from Roanoke College and his MBA from Harvard Business School. Jake serves on the Hoffman Institute’s Board of Directors. He is the former Board Chair of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, one of the largest meditation communities in the country. Jake and his wife, Carrington, both Hoffman graduates, live with their three children in Washington, DC. They both have several siblings and friends who have also done the Process.

Lindsay is a 2-time entrepreneur, former venture capital analyst, ex-biotechie, and a 2017 TIME Person of the Year. Listen in as Lindsay shares with us some of the profound realizations that occurred for her during her Process, including the life-changing messages she received through dialoguing with her birth parents. Linsday shares real-life examples of how when one is serious about change and does the work, deep change can happen. Since her Process in December 2019, she has witnessed changes in her thinking, her behavior, and in her choices. Others have noticed the changes in her and have wondered if they are a result of Hoffman. Lindsay tells them, Yes. Lindsay is originally from Minneapolis by way of adoption from South Korea. She has spent the last 12 years living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lindsay is an alum of the University of Notre Dame, a doting dog mother, an enthusiastic home chef, and an urban floral forager. You can find out more about Lindsay here.

In this episode, Renda Baird shares stories of her Process and her life in Minneapolis during a time of great unrest. She also shares stories of her magical childhood growing up on a farm. Renda speaks of the many patterns she took on as a child that kept her from knowing who she is and what her true purpose is. In Renda’s words, post-Process, “I’ve finally put ‘My Who’ and ‘My Do’ together. I’m not carrying shame around who I really am, what I stand for, and why it matters.” Renda shares her experience of mothering her beautiful adopted son and what it’s like living as a family in Minneapolis during this time of protest and grief. Before the Process, Renda had a hard time acknowledging her feelings, let alone grief. Now, she can be present with all that is happening in her town for herself and her son so she can speak up for what she values and what matters to her. Renda wants to share with graduates that “shining our light is what we are here to do.”

Marc Cooper shares both the story of his Process and what followed after – a healing of the negative love patterns with both his biological and adoptive mothers.  Healing doesn’t stop at the end of the Process – it continues after we return home. Our healing work radiates love out into our lives and in our relationships with those we love. An entrepreneur, investor, and inventor, Marc is President of The Fiber Resource Group, Inc. Mark is passionate about the paper industry and finding innovative and effective solutions to business problems. Find out more about Marc here. Marc lives in the Northeastern United States and has two daughters and a son. He is dedicated to health and wellness and enjoys skiing, trail running, paddle boarding, cycling, and writing. Marc is currently working on completing his Integrative Positional Therapy (IPT) Certification. He’s a supporter of many local and Jewish Community organizations on North Shore and in Israel.  

Raj Kapoor is the Chief Strategy Officer for Lyft, as well as the Head of Business for Lyft’s self-driving division. He joins Drew to talk about the inspiration and new purpose he found from his experience contracting and surviving COVID-19. Once recovered, Raj created his new brainchild, World Without COVID, to empower others – COVID-positive or -negative – to come forward for testing and participating in clinical trials. He found there’s a stigma around having COVID-19. Now we all have an opportunity to fight this pandemic, together, by using World Without COVID. Raj also shares his insights on the impact COVID-19 has had on him personally as well as for Lyft as a company. During these tumultuous times, he has witnessed how Spirit-led ideas and actions have sparked real change through these times. Raj also serves as a board advisor for ClassPass and is a Venture Advisor at Mayfield Fund. Prior to Lyft, he was a co-founder and CEO of both Snapfish (acquired by HP in 2005) and Fitmob (acquired by ClassPass in 2015), as well as a managing director at Mayfield Fund. Raj holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Erol Senel is a purposeful father of two, a creative professional, and the host of the Success Shorts podcast. He’s also a Director of Planning & Product Integration at Fidelity Investments. In this episode, Erol shares some of the mistakes he made in the months following his Process. Erol found his life after the Process challenging. He actively used everything he learned during his Process to navigate these challenges. By doing so, Erol discovered a lot about himself, how he now wishes to be in the world, and what he wants for his life. What followed was a new, proactive use of Hoffman’s tools to re-write the story of his future. Success Shorts offers quick and impactful episodes focusing on successful individuals speaking to an intangible trait that has aided their success. Each episode presents actionable takeaways for the listener.

“It takes a lot of skill to be a human being.” Debby Irving is a racial justice educator and the author of Waking Up White. In this episode, Debby shares the power of the Hoffman Process and how it can change the trajectory of your life. Halfway through the Process, Debby had a recurring vision in which she saw how much love she has in her heart for others and how this love was meant to be shared with the world. After leaving the Process, Debby’s vision began to guide her life. She started graduate school and enrolled in a Racial and Cultural Identities course. With all of the ‘big-hearted-ness’ she’d found at the Process, she opened to a new understanding of white identity, oppression, and racial injustice. Her heart grew heavy with this understanding. Upon leaving school, Debby knew she must heal the heaviness in her heart. In response, she dove into the work of anti-racism and activism. Debby travels the country, leading workshops and presentations. She explores the impact white skin can have on perception. And, she guides people on how to help themselves and others change misconceptions and attitudes. Debby shares her journey of seeing the world through her own white-skewed belief system. She then shares how she questioned the racial disparities she could see and feel. Discover more about Debby and her work here.