Jump Start Your Joy

Marla Cilley, also know as the Flylady,  is back for a second episode! In this edition, Marla dives into how to do the Flylady method of zone cleaning your home, and how to work through the days of the week to stay organized. We got to talk about a lot of fun and easy ideas to keep your home and life organized. Plus, Marla shares about the inspiration for her next book near the end of the episode, and I got goosebumps when she told me about her visit to the National Shrine of Saint Therese. It's an inspiring and amazing story, and one that you will NOT want to miss :) If you have not yet listened to the first episode, you can find it here. I'm so excited to share this second hour with Marla for today's episode as part of the "Loving your 2016" series. I'm really honored that she shared about her upcoming book, and just blown away by her lovely story around her time in the chapel. In this episode, we talk about: - how she breaks out the zones to cleaning your home - the theme for each day of the week, when usi

Marla Cilley, founder of Flylady.net, is a true inspiration. I found her site over ten years ago, as I was going through a divorce and knew I needed to find a way to take care of myself and my home.  I had started the search, thinking that I simply needed to find ways to clean and declutter, and to get my life back on track. What I found was Marla's loving wisdom, her "Flying lessons," her support, a lot of humor, a fun community, and a renewed sense of who I was. For this, I'm grateful. I'm so honored to have Marla as a guest for today's episode as part of the "Loving your 2016" series. It was a true joy to speak with her, and to spend time soaking up her love and joy-filled philosophy. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the state of your home, or you've made organizing your life a priority for this year, I encourage you to listen, and to visit Flylady.net for more resources. She offers all of this for free - and you are in for such a treat. In this episode, we talk about: - how Marla arrived at her current z

Brooke-Sidney Jackson is the founder and CEO of "Bella and The Babe," a website that has resources and support for authentic mothering. She is the author of the brand new "Mama Love Planner" and offers Joy and Empowerment sessions for mothers, and women hoping to become mothers. In the past, Brooke-Sidney has been a lawyer, a journalist, and she now works full time for herself, encouraging, guiding, and offering support to other women. I sensed right away that Brooke-Sidney and I had so much in common. We met a few years ago, when we were both leading (in)courage groups and discovered we lived only 30 minutes from each other. It has been a complete joy to catch up with her on this podcast episode. I think you will love her wisdom around so many hot mama topics, and her very loving and sensible approach to how to listen to what YOU want as a mother, instead of listening to what others think is right for you and your child, and your family. I walked away feeling more empowered, more focused, and ready to be mor

In this episode, I walk you through setting heart centered goals using my own "Ten in Three" method. In short, you check in with your heart, listening for what you want to do over the next few years, and then you narrow down what you hear to ten things you want to do over the next three years. If you're feeling like you want to tackle some new things in the coming year, I encourage you to try this Heart Centered Goals method. The benefit of this method is that you aren't going to be tackling an enormous list of "resolutions," instead you'll be focused on working towards just three big things. It feels more like a choice, and less like a compromise. And, for that reason, I think you'll find that your heart centered goals stick in a way that resolutions never do. About 18 months ago, I was looking to make a lot of changes in my life. I had just signed up for a program to become certified as a life coach, and there was something about that decision that made me feel like it was time to "put my house in order."  

Alison Arngrim played Nellie Oleson for seven years on the hit show, Little House on the Prairie. She is often described as the "acid tongued hellcat" of the show, the small villain with golden ringlets and lovely clothing, and the arch-enemy of Laura Ingalls. Alison and I jumped on the phone for a little over an hour, and all I can say is that it was one of the most fast paced, hilarious, and engaging hours I've ever experienced. Alison shared a good deal about her book, "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch," and we spent time chatting about her childhood and landing the fabled role of Nellie Oleson. What really stood out in our time together is Alison's true appreciation and gratitude for the role that Nellie eventually played in her own life. As a shy child, a child that was being sexually and physically abused at home, playing Nellie instantly pushed Alison into a role that changed her, and made her more courageous. Since then, the role has given her a platform, allowed her to help charities that assist abused

Rachael Maddox is the recent author of the book "Secret Bad Girl" in which shares her own journey. Subtitled "How I broke my long-standing sexual trauma spell and grew vibrant, vital & free. A provocative memoir & wildly wise resolution guide," her book relays her story, and offers insights on how anyone under the trauma spell can reach full recovery. Rachael is a coach, a singer and songwriter, and a teacher, plus she's funny, real, and so genuine. While it's a tough topic, we both laugh plenty and share how joy really IS possible, even after living through a traumatic event (Rachael's past trauma being sexual trauma, mine being PTSD related to childbirth). In this episode, Rachael outlines some of her findings in researching how to resolve sexual trauma. She shares that trauma is something stored in the body, the result of a person's fight, flight, or freeze response not being fully resolved after the initial trauma incident. In her work, which involves extensive coaching, training, and research, sh

Tabitha Marie is the amazing and loving founder of "Random Acts of Luvmail," a family run organization that provides mail and goodie bags to children who are in the hospital or need to be uplifted for any reason. Tabitha started the organization in 2007 and it has moved from New Orleans to San Antonio, Texas, where she and her sister and daughter work together to create, package, and send Luvmail to three hospitals and across the country via mail. I really loved speaking with Tabitha - her inspiring story and loving way of spreading encouragement and positivity are so welcoming. I know that you will feel rejuvenated just from hearing her explain her outlook and passion for Luvmail and the children she serves. What I love about Tabitha's work is that it is truly heart centered, and it is simple. She provides Luvmail to children going though difficult times because she wants to encourage them, and their parents, and let them know that someone out there cares about them. She and her sister and daughter intention

Today's episode is about Joy, Transformation and Self Acceptance, and it's my first "Solocast!" I've really loved getting to know so many of you through this blog, and the journey of the past few months has been completely uplifting. As I've mentioned in passing on other episodes, I've had a list of people that I wanted to interview for years ... and finding a home to interview them here, in a podcast format, has been just amazing. Joy is the platform here, but there's so much more behind joy ... and I think that's why I love talking about it every week. I firmly believe that every person hits a stage in their life where they are challenged, either by physical, mental, emotional, monetary, creative challenges, each that have the potential to shake you to your core. In those hard times, you have a choice. You can choose to become engulfed in your circumstances, or you can choose to fight for joy, for love, for something that matters to you. To get there, you've got to accept yourself, right where you are. It t

Amber and Brady Black are a married couple currently living in Beirut, Lebanon, and they are a true inspiration. Having grown up and met, in the United States, they decided to move to the Middle East to teach. The first five years abroad were not easy, and Amber found herself fighting depression, which she courageously shares about in our interview. After some discussion, they decided that they needed to leave the gulf region. In a series of synchronous events, a friend of a friend  mentioned that there was an opening at "Home Of Hope" in Beirut, which is a home for abandoned and abused children in Lebanon. Amber and Brady went for a visit, and knew in their hearts that they had to teach there. Brady had been interested in art in his younger years, and returned to it when things had gotten hard; in drawing whimsical art for a friend who wanted note cards to put in her children's lunches, something magical was born. Brady realized he had an outlet for his creativity, and it tapped into the imagination of the c

In this episode I had the pleasure of talking to Molly Larkin about meeting addiction with loving kindness. Molly is a dear. I remember meeting her for the first time in January and being impressed with her presence. Strong, comforting, welcoming. She's the kind of person who makes you feel at ease and OK in your own skin. Learning that Molly is a registered nurse and a certified life coach, makes sense, she is so undoubtedly in her element in the work that she does. What I find remarkable about this interview is the way she dives right in and we talk about "hard stuff" - addiction, eating disorders, ego, and self worth. In the same instance, Molly exudes humor, love, and acceptance. I truly enjoyed our conversation, and I'm so glad that we have crossed paths. In this episode, Molly and I talk about: - Her experience with addiction and an eating disorder - How "maitri" (loving kindness) has been a key to her unlocking painful thoughts - "The Work" of Byron Katie - The ego's role in painful thoughts - How to r

Franny Burkey is a baker, shop co-owner, and pastry maker at the dreamy "Franny's Cup and Saucer" in Point Arena, California. She whips up gorgeous cakes, delicious donuts, some amazing gluten free treats, all while working with her mom (and co-owner), Barbara. The shop itself feels like the embodiment of joy, with it's sweet gifts, tasty treats, and loving atmosphere. When I started creating my list of who I wanted to interview for Jump Start Your Joy, Franny Burkey was definitely one of the first names I wrote down. And, Franny herself is really one of the most joyous and endearing folks I've ever met, and so it was a real treat to get to chat with her for a bit about her childhood, her outlook on life (and business), and what she loves about her work. In this interview, you'll hear about: - Franny's childhood, growing up in Northern California, and having two parents in the food industry - How Franny comes up with flavors for her delicious Friday donuts

In today's episode, I interview Earl Rivard, a musician, songwriter, and retreat leader. Earl has released three CDs, and is currently studying to be an operatic singer. In addition to his work in music, he leads retreats, and he and I have worked together for the past decade. Earl loves stories, loves the places where the sacred and story and life come together. He is a troubadour in the classic sense, with the roots of his his art in his mother's native Argentina, while singing around campfires, with friends and family, always with community. It was fun interviewing someone I know so well, and I learned a ton about Earl's background and his interests. Thank you, Earl, for your friendship, your inspiration, your music, and for joining me on Jump Start Your Joy. In this episode, you'll learn about: - how being blind has formed his personality and shaped him - how a trip to South America during high school introduced him to the joy of music - Earl's advice on recording your own album, and what his secret weapo

Jann Cather Weaver is an associate professor emerita of worship and theology and the arts at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. She's an ordained minister, and has served parishes in Wisconsin and Missouri. A published author, and a former Yale Divinity School professor, Jann and I met at Yale, where she taught one of the most memorable courses I took in my master's program, "The Theology of Art and Film." This interview was a true delight, for so many reasons. Jann's ministry has been a beautiful dance of art, of exploring the human condition, and of looking for divine communication through many lenses, and many art forms, including photography, music, and film. She is a welcoming presence, and at the same time, a powerful force, truly comfortable in her own person, and yet pushing out toward the radical edge of theological education. It's a joy to witness how she's followed her own heart in pursuing theology and the arts, "not because Ithought there was a career there, but because it was (for l

In this episode, I speak with Dave Asprey, creator of Bulletproof Coffee, is the best selling author, tech industry veteran, bio-hacker, podcaster, and the CEO of Bulletproof Nutrition. His company recently received 9 million dollars in funding, and he's just opened his first brick and mortar Bulletproof Coffee shop in Santa Moncia, along with launching a line of products that are in Whole Foods. I'm grateful for the opportunity to sit down with Dave, to chat about life. We were classmates at UC Santa Barbara, where we both lived in the San Rafael dorms during our sophomore year of college. We take an interesting (if not somewhat hilarious) trip down memory lane, revisiting our time in the dining commons, and talking about what's gotten Dave to where he is today. In this episode, we chat about: - what Dave was like in college - how Dave created spoof flyers for our dorm regarding the famed UCSB Halloween celebration - what he thinks of dorm food - why fear and loathing was a motivator for his bio-hacking - hi

For episode 3, I'm super excited to share this interview with Matthew Wood, who is the voice of General Grievous in the Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith and The Clone Wars. When he's not doing voice work, he is also a supervising sound editor at Skywalker Sound, a job he's had for 25 years. Matt has worked on a ton of amazing movies, and been nominated for two Oscars for his work on "Wall*E" and "There Will Be Blood". On the personal side, Matt and I went to grade school, middle school, and high school together, and it was so fun catching up with him. (my son thinks it's hilarious that his mommy went to school with General Grievous.) Matt and I were five  years old when Star Wars: A New Hope originally came out, and we both have fond memories of the Kenner toys, and the truly epic feel of the movie itself. And, he makes reference to the fact that he's working on the sound for the next film, The Force Awakens, which comes out on December 18, 2015. I have to give him a huge shout out and thank you ... when we got

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is the founder of the Egg Freezing Party, and goes by the nickname "The Egg Whisperer." She's an fertility specialist in Northern California, and she works with women and couples to help them realize their dream of having a child. Recently, she has introduced the concept of an "Egg Freezing Party" to the Bay Area; the idea being that women take the proactive step of having eggs harvested and frozen during their prime reproductive years so that they have more options around having children in the future. In the last year, both Apple and Facebook have announced that they will cover the costs of the related procedures for egg freezing for their employees. Dr. Aimee has a wonderful outlook and an inspiring, no nonsense way about her. She's leading the charge to talk about some traditionally taboo topics around women's reproductive options, and she's doing so with grace, open-ness, and love. It's important that women know their options, and understand how egg health impacts their abilities to

It's my greatest pleasure to kick off the Jump Start Your Joy podcast with an interview with Kathleen Davies, where we talk about "More Light," Love, and Acceptance. Kathleen and I met at Yale Divinity School where we became fast friends and room mates. Highlights of those days include our working together in the admissions office and later living in the servant's quarters above the garage of one of the master's homes from Yale College. Truly, it was a strange and magical time, and Yale was an interesting place. Kathleen is ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and currently a Pastor at Community of the Servant-Savior Church in Houston, Texas. In this episode we talk about: - her early sparks of joy listening to her Mother and Aunts tell stories, and how that ties to her current work as a preaching pastor - what moved her to be more involved with social justice, after initially not feeling like she wanted to be propelled into the spotlight - how same sex marriage ceremonies are a sacrament, not a spectacle, an