Good Life Project || Inspiration | Motivation | Happiness | Meaning | Success

Ever wonder if it’s possible to build a flourishing career and global brand, without going to college?Growing up in San Diego and Tampa, Rebecca Minkoff (http://www.rebeccaminkoff.com/) learned at a young age, if she wanted something, she’d have to work for it, or make it herself. That work ethic led her to begin making her own clothes in her early teens, then designing and creating costumes for theater in high-school.Desperate to leave Tampa behind as soon as she could, but not feeling college, she headed to New York at 18 years old and began to work in the world of fashion and design, learning everything from design to all aspects of business. She began making her own designs and, working tirelessly, created a single t-shirt that would seed the launch of a business that would grow to produce an iconic line of handbags, apparel, accessories, footwear, jewelry and build a global brand.And, more recently, she’s headed into entirely new territory with the launch of her own podcast, Superwomen (https://www.rebec

Mark Nepo (http://marknepo.com/) has been immersed in a path of spiritual inquiry for more than forty years. He is the author of twenty books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Awakening and his newest book, More Together Than Alone (https://amzn.to/2AFBGgm).His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. In 2014, Mark traveled the country with Oprah Winfrey on her sold-out The Life You Want Tour and has appeared several times on her Super Soul Sunday program.In this conversation we catch up with Mark (he's been a guest twice before) and dive into his decades-long inquiry around how we are wired to live in community, what happens when the bonds that connect us fail and how to rediscover community at a time when we seem more divided than ever.Want more of Mark Nepo? You can listen here to our 2015 conversation (https://www.goodlifeproject.com/podcast/mark-nepo/) and our 2016 conversation (https://www.goodlifeproject.com/podcast/mark-nepo-2/).---------Have you disc

Jennifer Marshall's (https://www.jennifermarshall.me/) life was going exactly as planned. Then, she turned 26 and everything changed.Marshall found herself unable to control her thoughts, spinning and struggling with reality. She was hospitalized and sent home to take some time and get some sleep. But, it would take yet a second hospitalization shortly after to reveal the fact that this was not about being overtired. It was about mental illness and how it would redefine Marshall's world in a profound way, from that moment forward.She was soon after diagnosed with bipolar. It was a lot for her and her family to take in, but instead of burying the conversation, she embraced it and even began to share her experiences publicly, first anonymously, then under her own name at Jennifermarshall.me (http://jennifermarshall.me/), and then widely on the front page of The Washington Post, Oprah Magazine, national TV and from the TEDx stage.Realizing the power of sharing her story, she co-founded and is now&

Seth Godin is the author of 18 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. He’s also the founder of the altMBA and The Marketing Seminar, online workshops that have transformed the work of thousands of people.He writes about (https://www.sethgodin.com/) the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most of all, changing everything. You might be familiar with his books Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip and Purple Cow. His latest book is This Is Marketing (https://amzn.to/2JzNkMD).In addition to his writing and speaking, Seth has founded several companies, including Yoyodyne and Squidoo. His blog is one of the most popular in the world and in 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame.Beyond all of this, Seth is just a straight up good human with wise things to share about everything from education, work, meaning and craft to chocolate, creativity, curiosity and so much more. In this wide-ranging conv

Farnoosh Torabi (http://www.farnoosh.tv/) has been fascinated by how people relate to money, including herself, for as long as she can remember.Her first book, You’re So Money, was a nationally acclaimed tell-all for people searching for financial independence. That led to regular appearances on the Today Show and Good Morning America, writing for magazines like Glamour, Marie Claire and O Magazine, features on the reality series Bank of Mom and Dad, TLC’s REAL SIMPLE. REAL LIFE and a personal finance series, Financially Fit on Yahoo! Torabi’s award-winning podcast, So Money, (https://goo.gl/dbj3hQ) made its debut in January 2015. Along the way, she got married, became a mom and also found herself the primary breadwinner in her family. That made her curious about what happens when women in relationships earn more than men. This question became not only a very personal one, as it affected her relationship with her husband and friends, but it also became the focus of her last book, When She Makes More (htt

How does a kid obsessed with making it in music end up becoming an internationally renowned, best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster and...and yes, musician? That's what we explore in today's wide-ranging conversation with Mitch Albom (https://www.mitchalbom.com/).Albom is the author of numerous #1 New York Times bestsellers. Tuesdays with Morrie, which spent four straight years atop the New York Times list, is now the bestselling memoir of all time. Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day and Have a Little Faith have been made into award-winning television movies. His books have collectively sold nearly 40-million copies worldwide. Albom's latest book is The Next Person You Meet in Heaven (https://amzn.to/2po61tC).  Along the way, Mitch has followed his curiosity into journalism, sports-radio broadcasting, and continues to perform as a member of a band with a crew of other well-known authors. He founded nine cha

Question for you...“How do you figure out what kind of work will fill you with a sense of purpose and meaning, let you fully express yourself, your gifts, passions and skills, and drop you into that transcendent state of flow where you just know, deep down, you’re doing the work you were put on the planet to do?”Here’s what I’ve come to believe…We’re all born with a certain “imprint” for work that makes us come alive. Work that lets us wake up in the morning and know, deep down, we’re doing what we’re here to do. Work that sets us ablaze with purpose and, fully-expressed in a healthy way, becomes a mainline to meaning, a pathway to that transcendent state of flow, and a gateway to connection and joy. Put another way, work that “sparks” us.You may find thousands of satisfying outward expressions of this deeper imprint. I believe this is much of what people talk about when they use the word passion, and why any one person can have many equally satisfying outlets for this deeper driver.But, much to my amazement,

Rebel hospitality entrepreneur (http://www.chipconley.com/) and New York Times bestselling author, Chip Conley, founded and grew Joie de Vivre into the second largest boutique hotel brand in America.Twenty-four years in, he sold the company, leaving him to figure out what to do with the rest of his life, and the wisdom he'd accumulated. He was approached by the founders of Airbnb to help transform the company into the world’s leading hospitality brand as Airbnb’s Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy and now Strategic Advisor for Hospitality and Leadership.Along the way, he's immersed himself in global festival culture, launched the Modern Elder Academy (https://chipconley.com/modern-elder-academy) and written five books, including his new book, WISDOM@WORK: The Making of a Modern Elder (https://chipconley.com/wisdom-at-work). In today's conversation, we dive deep into this journey.------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FR

Zainab Salbi (http://zainabsalbi.com/) is a humanitarian, author, and global change-maker. At the age of 23, Salbi founded Women for Women International, a grassroots humanitarian and development organization dedicated to serving women survivors of wars by offering support, tools, and access to life-changing skills to move from crisis and poverty to stability and economic self-sufficiency.Under her leadership as the organization’s CEO (1993-2011), the organization grew from helping 30 women upon its inception to more than 400,000 women in 8 conflict areas. It also distributed more than $100 million in direct aid and micro credit loans that impacted more than 1.7 million family members.But, the whole time, she was living with a huge, dark secret. In her new book, Freedom is an Inside Job, (https://amzn.to/2pnnPou) she shares how owning our darkness along with out light is the unlock key for self-healing and global transformation. And, in today's conversation she shares how this realization awake

Social anxiety. #ugh! It's that constant voice of judgment and inadequacy that leaves you terrified of being "found out," and stops you from sharing the real you. Guess what? You're not alone.DR. ELLEN HENDRIKSEN (http://ellenhendriksen.com/)is a clinical psychologist who helps millions calm their social anxiety and be their authentic selves. How? Through her award-winning podcast, Savvy Psychologist (https://goo.gl/uKh7U7), in the clinic at Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD). And, now through her groundbreaking book, HOW TO BE YOURSELF (https://amzn.to/2OqLUJ7).Hendriksen earned her Ph.D. at UCLA and completed her training at Harvard Medical School. Her scientifically-based, zero-judgment approach has been featured in New York Magazine, The Observer, The Verge, Vice, Vox, Psychology Today, Scientific American, Susan Cain's Quiet Revolution, and many other media outlets. SavvyToday, we dive into her personal journey with social anxiety, how an aspiring architect found her

Scott Harrison was living a life that was as close to pure hedonism as you could come. He was on top of the world, getting paid to party and living utterly (and destructively) in the moment...in the worst wayEventually, falling apart physically and emotionally, Harrison found himself wondering, "what is the exact opposite of the life I'm now living?" And, then, remarkably, he set about living that alternative path. Paying to serve on a floating hospital ship off the coast of Liberia, he reconnected with a deeper mission to help others, with water as his focus.Scott then founded and is the CEO of charity: water, (https://www.charitywater.org/thirst) one of the fast-growing non-profits in history, that has mobilized over one million donors around the world to fund over 28,000 water projects in 26 countries that will serve more than 8.2 million people. This journey is detailed in his powerful new book, THIRST: A Story of Redemption, Compassion and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World (https://amzn.to/2poK

By the age of 25, Michael Ventura had founded and built one of the "hottest" shops in the interactive design world. From the outside-looking-in, he was flying high. But, from the inside looking out, he was riddled with stress and falling apart.His body eventually gave in, leaving him with three ruptured discs and the prospect of fusion surgery and arthritic pain for the rest of his life. At the same time, the economy crashed, decimating his business.He saw this as a wake-up call, both personal and professional. Ventura began to explore an alternative path to healing that led him not only back to full recovery without surgery, but on his path to becoming a practitioner of eastern and indigenous medicine, working through his private practice, Corvus Medicine as a healer.At the same time, he rallied the tiny group of remaining employees to redefine what their company was about and stand in a place of radical honesty and vulnerability with their clients. Relaunching in 2009, as Sub Rosa (http://wearesubrosa.

Radha Agrawal (http://radhaagrawal.com/) is the co-Founder, CEO and Chief Community Architect of Daybreaker (http://daybreaker.com/), the early morning, sober dance celebration. This global gathering happens in 25 cities and more than a dozen college campuses, with a global community of more than 500,000 people. Agrawal is also a successful serial social-entrepreneur, author, DJ, inventor, investor and gifted experience-designer named by MTV as “one of 8 women who will change the world.”But, none of this would have happened had she stuck to her original plan to build a career as a New York City investment banker. In today’s conversation, we dive deep into her journey and explore critical moments of awakening and change, along with ideas from her new book BELONG: Find Your People, Create Community & Live A More Connected Life (https://amzn.to/2NyYJxj). We also explore answers to the question, "how do I find my people?" and "How do I create large and meaningful communities in the real world?"----------

Ben Nemtin (http://www.bennemtin.com/) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Do You Want To Do Before You Die? and the star of the MTV show, The Buried Life.As the co-founder of The Buried Life movement, Ben’s message of radical possibility has been featured by major media outlets including The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, Inc., ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC News. Oprah called Ben’s life work “truly inspiring.”In a pit of depression, Ben and his three best friends decided to create the world’s greatest bucket list to make them feel alive. They bought a rickety old bus and crisscrossed North America, achieving the unthinkable. And most importantly, every time they accomplished a dream, they helped a complete stranger cross something off their bucket list.From playing basketball with President Obama to streaking a professional soccer field, from raising over $400,000 for charity to placing a record-breaking $250,000 bet on roulette—Ben’s bucket list quest has inspired

Born in a small town in upstate New York, pop-music phenom, Andy Grammer (http://andygrammer.com/)earned his place in music the hard way. He spent years busking on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, honing is voice and skills as a singer, songwriter and also learning what draws attention and makes people feel good.He’s since become the first male pop star in a decade to reach the Top 10 at Adult Pop Radio with “Keep Your Head Up” and “Fine By Me,” from his 2011 self-titled debut. His second album, Magazines or Novels, featured the triple-platinum smash “Honey, I’m Good,” which was one of the best-selling songs of 2015, and the certified gold anthem “Good to be Alive (Hallelujah).”Now, with mega-hits and a successful career, he’s thinking a lot about how to speak his own truth. The concept of honesty—what it means and how to attain it—offers both inspiration and challenge to one of the most successful pop artists to emerge in recent years.You can see this reflected in his recent album, “The Good Parts,”

Brene Brown (http://brenebrown.com/) and I met a few years back while speaking at an event. We clicked immediately, grabbed lunch and laughed a lot. I asked her to come and share a bit of her journey with our Good Life Project community. The conversation that unfolded left me changed.Brown’s fascination with what she calls wholehearted living eventually led her to explore how we dance with shame and vulnerability, and how we navigate criticism, and awaken to our own power and potential. How we become brave, awake and alive. She's since written numerous books, including, Daring Greatly (http://brenebrown.com/books/), Rising Strong (https://amzn.to/2vvqvnE) and Braving the Wilderness (https://amzn.to/2M2YWfQ).I asked her to join me on Good Life Project in October 2012 and the conversation that unfolded moved us both to tears at various points. Brene was so beautifully real, raw, candid and wise. Every part of that conversation is as relevant today, maybe more so given the current climate, th

Dave Gilboa is the co-founder/CEO of Warby Parker (http://warbyparker.com/).Growing up in San Diego, the son of two doctors, Gilboa was sure he'd become a doctor, too. But, a random moment where he lost his glasses on a plane set in motion a series of awakenings that would change the course of his life.Starting with a simple idea that pretty much everyone said was impossible, Dave, his co-founder and team have now built a socially-conscious global brand valued at over $1-billion that offers designer eyewear at a human price, while giving millions of pairs of glasses to people and families in need.Dave has worked extensively with non-profit organizations and serves as a founding member of the Entrepreneur Board of Venture for America, an organization dedicated to mobilizing graduates as entrepreneurs in low-cost cities. He is a member of the Aspen Institute’s 2014 Henry Crown Fellowship class and the Aspen Global Leadership Network, has received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, and was rec

Growing up in South Central, LA in the '60s and '70s, Ruth King (https://ruthking.net/) was taught to bury her emotions, to hide her heart and do what was necessary to survive. Feeling was not a good thing, getting home safe was. But, eventually, a call to reconnect with her big heart deep empathy came in the form of open-heart surgery in her 20s.Returning to school, King pursued her Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology, managed training and organizational development divisions at Levi Strauss and Intel, where she designed diversity awareness programs and consulted to leaders on cultural change initiatives. Over time, her interests expanded to include the study of insight meditation and Tibetan Buddhism. King is now an insight meditation teacher and emotional wisdom author, mentored by Jack Kornfield in the Theravada tradition.King’s work has been influenced by many cultures, and is often described as “ceremony.” Her intuitive methods, knowledge, and skills weave the fields of Western psychology, Buddhi

Raised on an island in South Carolina, singer/songwriter Trevor Hall realized at a young age that music was more than just a passion - it was his life’s art. So, he moved to California to pursue a degree in music, began performing live shows and was quickly signed to his dream deal at a major label. His trajectory seemed meteoric, then everything came tumbling down. His albums never made it out of production, he found himself out of money, abandoned by his label and on his own to figure out how to move forward.During this same time, he was also introduced to yoga and meditation and found himself traveling to a local ashram to practice and eventually find housing and sustenance. In his time of greatest need, he found himself living in the ashram, then traveling to India and rediscovering who he really was and how he wanted to bring his music and voice to the world. From there, he began to rebuild not only his living as a musician, but also his life.Hall’s music, a blend of roots and folk music w

Growing up, Grace Bonney, was all about culture and music, with a strong connection with jam bands that landed her on the business side of music and media in New York City. Along the way, she launched a side project blog called Design Sponge, to share insights about growing passion for accessible home design.The blog exploded and, eventually, she left her full-time job to build Design Sponge into a full-blown media company of her own with a massive, global audience, a book, travel and an increasingly public profile. But, along the way, Grace’s interests evolved, creating a gap between what she was creating, what she genuinely cared about and how she wanted to live.That all came to a head about 5 years ago when pretty much every part of her life, her marriage, her health and work-life were profoundly disrupted, setting in motion an awakening to a new direction in all three domains. Grace was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, her marriage ended, she came out, fell in love with her now wife, Julia, wrote a new boo