Take a peek at Mel Wells’ Instagram feed and you’ll see instantly why I love talking with her and following her amazing journey of self-love. As an actress at 18 on a UK soap opera, Mel was exposed early on to the pressures of the performing arts world and keeping a “thin” figure. This pressure eventually led to eating disorder behavior and she remained in that self-described black hole for seven years.
Shortly after that time, she left that world, rediscovered her self-worth and rewrote her mindset. She now helps other women get out of the diet culture and change their relationship with food and their bodies. Because as Mel describes, by healing our relationships with food we can also change our relationships with our souls.
As a person who’s struggled with my relationship with food and my body, I related on all fronts of Mel’s messages. There really is a parallel between healing that relationship and using that same knowledge in all areas of your life. It ultimately comes down to loving yourself and giving yourself freedom. This was such a heartfelt conversation and I can’t wait to hear what you resonated with the most.
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Question Highlights:
In This Episode We Talk about:
Quotes
“When you’re able to trust your body’s natural intuition it helps you tune in with your soul’s intuition.”
“If we want to feel free, then freedom is what we have to choose.”
“Choosing more control won’t get you more freedom.”
“The more I love myself, the more I’m able to lift other women up and genuinely mean it from the heart.”
“Be willing to take the masks off and just be completely comfortable with who you are and where you’re at.”
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Mel Wells is a Certified Health Coach, Eating Psychology Coach, International Speaker and Bestselling Author of widely acclaimed, ‘The Goddess Revolution: Make Peace With Food, Love Your Body and Reclaim Your Life’, hailed by OK! magazine, 'the new body bible for women'.
She is Hay House’s youngest author and is a leading women’s expert in her field. Mel dedicates her time to helping women worldwide ditch dieting for good, make peace with food and love their healthy bodies. Mel coaches’ women through her popular online Academy, and luxury Goddess Retreats held in Bali, Thailand and the UK.
Mel empowers women to stop fad diets and challenges their entire belief system around food and their bodies, by working on the relationship they have with themselves.
Mel has been featured in Forbes Under 30, Women's Health, Cosmopolitan, The Independent and has been voted No. 1 Young Female Entrepreneur to Watch in the UK by About Time Magazine. She made her TEDx debut in Switzerland last December.
Her next book, “Hungry For More,” encourages women to nourish their soul cravings, feed their dreams and live truly fulfilled lives. “Hungry For More”, published by Hay House is due for release Summer 2018.
Resources:
IG: @iammelwells
Check out my website at loriharder.com. Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.
As I said before, I’m sharing excerpts from A Tribe Called Bliss up until the release of it and today I’m reading a section called, “There’s Got to Be More.” And it’s all about confronting the thing(s) that are in the way of living in your purpose. It was a perfect part to call out as I practiced exactly what I talked about, and I experienced a new level of clarity as a result.
“The things we need to confront will not stop eating at us until we confront them or live in our purpose.”
From the start of publishing my book, I knew I had a responsibility to share/address some things with my family before it came out in regard to my feelings. So I set an intention to have a conversation with my mom and come from the most loving, compassionate place and do my best not to hurt her or any other family member in the process.
Great news – the call was a success and we were able to clear the energy and open up opportunities for something deeper. Why do I share this? Because I’m on a path to share what’s helping me in the moment – and today was one of those moments. It’s not always easy, but that’s what you get from my quickies – real, raw and vulnerable. All in the hopes that it helps you and helps you step into your purpose.
Cannot wait to see you on the book tour or in our book club!
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In This Episode Lori talks about:
Resources:
Go to ATribeCalledBliss.com to find out the latest on Lori’s book tour.
First stop: May 15 • Los Angeles at Wanderlust Hollywood
A Tribe Called Bliss by Lori Harder
Now available for pre-order at loriharder.com/amazon
Join me on the A Tribe Called Bliss Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1571018952966750/
Check out my website at loriharder.com. Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.
A few months ago, I had the honor of being a guest on Cathy Heller’s podcast, Don’t Keep Your Day Job, and I am thrilled that I get to have her on mine. Not only could I talk to her for hours and hours, but she has an incredible story that I know so many of you will resonate with.
From early on, Cathy knew she was meant for more and sought to find her purpose in the world (she admits there were multiple attempts). She changed her major to World Religions to truly find out if there was “more,” and ended up taking a life-changing three-year trip to Jerusalem. After returning, Cathy moved to L.A. to see if she could make a career out of her love for singing and music. It took a lot of work, but she eventually landed a record deal. Unfortunately, her record label dropped her before it even had a chance to release. Feeling defeated at first, she bailed on the music and landed herself other “practical” jobs ranging from real estate and casting to floral and interior design. None of these fulfilled her though and she set out determined to find other ways to make money singing and songwriting – and help others at the same time.
Fast-forward to today and you’ve likely heard Cathy’s songs on your favorite TV shows, ads and more. She cracked the code to making money while fulfilling her purpose and now helps others do the same. In the past year, Cathy has taken it to another level as well by creating her podcast, which takes her knowledge and easily parallels it to anyone else’s passion project.
Cathy keeps it real and is the first to say that no one wants to see perfect – they want authenticity. Once you listen, I know you’ll agree. Tune in to hear all the goodness Cathy shares with us. I know that you’ll wrap up your listening session feeling just a little lighter and like you’re one small step closer to stepping into your purpose.
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Question Highlights:
In This Episode We Talk about:
Quotes
“The mind likes to suffer, but I don’t need to.”
“The opposite of depression is purpose.”
“Success without meaning or fulfillment is an ultimate failing.”
“What makes any business works is radical empathy.”
“Vulnerability is the most powerful tool anyone has.”
“Wherever you are, there’s something you have that you can help somebody with.”
“We are all in beta – no one has it together.”
“Be willing to be a mess and do it anyway.”
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Cathy Heller is a fire hose of inspiration. She’s the host of the popular podcast, Don’t Keep Your Day Job, and was recently given the No. 1 spot on iTunes show recommendation list for the New Year. Each week, Cathy encourages thousands and thousands of listeners to find more purpose in their life and get paid to do what they love full time. She started out as a singer/songwriter and found success licensing her music to TV, film and ads. Quickly she became a stand-out in her field and was featured in magazines like Billboard, Variety and the LA Weekly. She started teaching online courses to artists which were quite successful and she’s been asked to speak at Podcast Movement, Social Media Worldwide, UCLA, Berklee School of Music, The Grammy Museum and the Billboard Film/TV Conference.
Since starting her podcast, Cathy’s show has been mentioned in the NY Times and Inc. Magazine’s “Top 9 podcasts.” She’s been featured several times by Apple and her fans are resonating with how genuine she is. Throughout the show, she has interviewed creative entrepreneurs like designer Jonathan Adler, make-up artist Bobbi Brown, dancer Mandy Moore, fashionista Tamara Mellon, novelist Emily Giffin and Gretchen Rubin to name a few. Cathy’s girl-next-door approach and out-of-the-box hustling style is helping so many people feel hopeful and excited about what lies ahead. Cathy often says “purpose is the opposite of depression,” and she truly helps lift people to be the happiest version of themselves.
Resources:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/cathyhellerbiz/
IG: @cathy.heller
Don’t Keep Your Day Job Podcast
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dont-keep-your-day-job/id1191831035?mt=2
The Creative Workroom Three-Month Course
Thecreativeworkroom.com
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Check out my website at loriharder.com. Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.
My husband, Chris, and I were talking the other day and we thought it would be fun to share a short excerpt of A Tribe Called Bliss in the weeks leading up to the release date. So today I’m going to share a part from the beginning of the book, called “Tribal Fail,” which talks about what it looked like when I started to build my tribe.
You’ll discover that finding your tribe at first is awkward as hell, but it’s invaluable once you’re able to break through the surface with other women and form deeper connections. Because here’s the thing… we ALL need a tribe. Seriously, it’s proven (more details on that in the book) that the most successful, healthy and happy people have a group of people who always support them and have their back. And this is exactly why I wrote A Tribe Called Bliss and encourage you to build your tribe and work through the book together.
Again, it’s not always a straight road to find these people, and if you’re not quite ready to dive in with others, I encourage you to read the book through alone first. It will definitely get you into the right frame of mind to start your tribe when you’re ready.
This is just another reason why I’m so excited about my upcoming book tour. I cannot wait to connect people to their tribes! You never know who you’ll meet and form a lifelong relationship with.
Thank you so much again for helping me get this book and my message out into the world. Hope to see you at a book tour stop near you!
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In This Episode Lori talks about:
Resources:
Go to ATribeCalledBliss.com to find out the latest on Lori’s book tour.
First stop: May 15 • Los Angeles at Wanderlust Hollywood
A Tribe Called Bliss by Lori Harder
Now available for pre-order at loriharder.com/amazon
Join me on the A Tribe Called Bliss Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1571018952966750/
Check out my website at loriharder.com. Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.
As some of you know, my husband and I are huge fans of ballroom dancing, so it’s only natural that we’re huge fans of Dancing with the Stars’ Val Chmerkovskiy. After spending time with him earlier this year in Guatemala with Pencils of Promise, I just knew I needed to have him on the show to share more about his story and why making an impact is so important.
Born in Ukraine, at age 8, he and his family immigrated to Brooklyn, NY. As you can imagine it was a challenging transition but his parents inspired him to meet challenges by never backing away from theirs. To help occupy him and his brother’s time, they were enrolled in both violin and later on ballroom dancing. This soon became a passion for the whole family. In addition to Val and his brother Maks’ successful dance careers, they have since opened 14 other dance studios.
I cannot wait for you to hear Val’s inspiring story. Not only is he so passionate about his own life and what he does, he also hopes to inspire others to do the same. Tune in to hear how’s he connecting with others to do just that and how he’s making an impact in the world today.
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Question Highlights:
In This Episode We Talk about:
Quotes
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Valentin “Val” Chmerkovskiy was born in Odessa, Ukraine to an engineer mother and marine merchant father. At 8 years old, Val’s family immigrated to Brooklyn, NY as refugees seeking asylum from the corrupt ex-communist nation. It was in a small Eastern European community in South Brooklyn where Val first picked up ballroom dancing as an after school activity that his parents hoped would keep him out of trouble. Soon after, Val found another passion in playing the violin, further easing the nerves of his parents as the arts kept their curious son off the South Brooklyn streets.
Although he resisted the temptation of Hollywood for a few years, in 2011 Val eventually joined his brother Maks as a member of the cast of professional dancers on Dancing with the Stars for its 13th installment. The 14-time US National Champion and two-time World Dance Champion quickly rose to stardom, becoming a fan-favorite for his impeccable performances and unique demeanor. Val won his first Dancing with the Stars Mirrorball Trophy with partner Rumer Willis during the ten-year anniversary season of the show. He later took home his second title in 2016 while partnered with Olympic Gold Medalist Laurie Hernandez. Most recently, Val was partnered with Paralympic swimmer Victoria Arlen, making it all the way to the semi-finals for which he choreographed a dance that brought a wheelchair into the world famous DWTS Ballroom for the first time.
Val is the first and only American to ever win the IDSF Junior and Youth World Championship, along with the prestigious British “Blackpool” Open, the German Open and the Asian Championships in Shenzhen, China. After overseeing the biggest youth ballroom dance program in the US, the Rising Stars Dance Academy, Val co-founded Dance With Me, one of the nation’s leading social dance studios, where he also lends his expertise as Art Director. Longing to continue his work with kids, Val implemented the Dance With Me Juniors program with the mission of keeping kids active, healthy, and creative.
Val supports numerous educational organizations and children’s charities, including the Children’s Hospital of LA and Pencils of Promise, for which he helped build two schools in Ghana using the funds he raised for the organization. He also spent the last two years mentoring kids at the KIPP Scholar Academy in South Los Angeles and brought his most improved mentees along to live tapings of Dancing with the Stars to inspire them to continue working hard.
As a classically trained violinist, Val has performed at Carnegie Hall and at Lincoln Center as a concertmaster for the ISO Youth Orchestra. He is fluent in English and Russian.
Val recently finished writing his first memoir titled “I’ll Never Change my Name,” set to be released in March 2018.
Resources:
FB: facebook.com/ValChmerkovskiy
IG: @iamvalc
I'll Never Change My Name: An Immigrant's American Dream from Ukraine to the USA to Dancing with the Stars
by Valentin Chmerkovskiy
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Check out my website at loriharder.com. Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.
I’ll be honest…With my book releasing in a matter of weeks, it’s been really easy to become overwhelmed with all the tactical stuff and let my thoughts be led by fear. As a result, I’ve been literally praying for a reset. And, today wouldn’t you know, my prayers were answered.
I’ve had back-to-back podcasts scheduled this week and I was resisting my interview with Sarah Centrella… not because I didn’t want to talk with her, but because I had so many others things going on. I pushed through this resistance though and wow, am I glad I did. It was smack-dab in the middle of our conversation when I realized that this was the exact message and conversation about manifestation that I needed to help me reset and connect back to my why. It is always a mixture of work + magic, miracles, fear, leaning in etc.
So now I’m back on my path and fully committed to blazing trails for all those right now who need the support of like-minded women with the help of my book, A Tribe Called Bliss. We need to remember to always circle back to make sure we’re connected to our why, and if we’re not we must use the tools that will get us there.
“Support your soul and that will support everything in your life.”
Remember, you are not in this alone and when you’re struggling don’t forget to use your tools or reach out to someone who you know will help you reset your energy back into strength and love.
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In This Episode We Talk about:
Resources:
Go to ATribeCalledBliss.com to find out the latest on Lori’s book tour.
First stop: May 15 • Los Angeles at Wanderlust Hollywood
A Tribe Called Bliss by Lori Harder
Now available for pre-order at loriharder.com/amazon
Join me on the A Tribe Called Bliss Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1571018952966750/
Check out my website at loriharder.com. Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.
I’m so happy to have the amazing Candice Kumai on the show today! A former model turned culinary chef and celebrity, she has now tapped back into who she truly feels called to be and that’s as a writer. Today, we’re talking about her new book, Kintsugi Wellness, and her journey and Japanese heritage that called her to write it.
Kintsugi is the beautiful Japanese practice of taking a broken item and sealing or mending the cracks with golden repair. Candice uses this as an analogy in everyone’s life as she feels that our struggles or challenges are what make us more beautiful. We are all imperfect and she whole-heartedly hopes we all can see the goodness in our flaws and celebrate them in ourselves – and in others.
There are so many fascinating components to both Candice and her new book – particularly the deep dive into her heritage’s practices and philosophies – and I can’t wait to read it in its entirety. Be sure to pick up your copy, too and let me know what you think!
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Question Highlights:
In This Episode We Talk about:
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Candice Kumai is known as “the golden girl of the wellness world” (Elle Magazine) and one of the “top 20 new role models” (Arianna Huffington). She is a classically trained chef, wellness writer, and author of five books. She contributes to lifestyle outlets such as Cosmopolitan, Yoga Journal, Elle, Shape, Bob Appétit, Byrdie, Girlboss, and Well + Good (where she also sits on their Wellness Council). Candice is a former judge on Iron Chef America and Beat Bobby Flay, she is a regular contributor on Dr. Oz. and E! News.
Resources:
IG: @candicekumai
Twitter: @candicekumai
Kintsugi Wellness by Candice Kumai
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Check out my website at loriharder.com. Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.
Today I’m talking about being a living, breathing, walking paradox. As we all grow and evolve, there’s likely been at least a handful of times where you’ve felt this way. You’ve thought you were on the right path, but suddenly something just doesn’t feel right to you. It’s like your favorite jacket. You wear it all the time, but suddenly you just don’t like it anymore. You need a change so you try a new jacket on for size.
“If you’re growing and evolving, change is a part of you.”
When resistance like this rears up, you have a choice – either keep resisting and take zero action for it, or lean in to discover what part of your authentic truth comes out. It is so freeing!
During this episode, I read a short excerpt from A Tribe Called Bliss, about my own paradoxical truths that I’ve discovered and allowed to free me. We are all multi-faceted people. We don’t need to be ONE thing. One of my paradox examples is being humble yet powerful and confident.
It feels super awkward at first and trust me, it took (and still takes) a lot of work to let these contradictions show though. But you’re only stifling your true authentic self. Share your opinions and in turn share your value with others.
What’s a paradox in your life that you can step into, own and celebrate? Even the smallest things count as big ones.
“Contradict your way to clarity.”
You will feel the most you you’ve ever felt and invite more amazing people into your life who are doing the same.
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In This Episode We Talk about:
Resources:
Go to ATribeCalledBliss.com to find out the latest on Lori’s book tour.
First stop: May 15 • Los Angeles at Wanderlust Hollywood
A Tribe Called Bliss by Lori Harder
Now available for pre-order at loriharder.com/amazon
Join me on the A Tribe Called Bliss Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1571018952966750/
Check out my website at loriharder.com. Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.
I’m so thankful that I stumbled across life coach, Chris Lee, on Lewis Howes’ podcast awhile back and that I since have had the honor of talking to him in person and now on Earn Your Happy! With over 27 years of experience in the arena of mindfulness and emotional intelligence, I had a feeling our conversation would be epic – and I know you won’t be disappointed.
With a childhood spent in Puerto Rico as a Jewish American, Chris’ life was not picture perfect. He was bullied and made fun of for his religion but his strong mother helped him to realize that he was able to look beyond the current situation and see how he could support his own life and make the situation better. He thought that if he could make the best out of this situation, that he could also help teach other people to do the same.
What I love about Chris’ work is that he only teaches the tools that he has experience with (you can find those 10 principles in his book noted in Resources). Furthermore, he is admittedly still a work in progress and still uses these tools to keep him living his best, most fulfilling and authentic life. I know you’re going to identify so much with Chris and the stories he’s shared. And it’s my hope that it will help you step into your own super-star authentic self as well.
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Question Highlights:
In This Episode We Talk about:
Quotes:
“I don’t need to make it happen, I can attract it to happen.”
“The power within has the power to really move things in a way you never thought possible.”
“When I honor my purpose, I’m happier.”
“Create a bulletproof belief about yourself based on who you authentically are.”
“The why is the fuel.”
“True freedom is the ability to interpret.”
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Chris Lee is a transformational facilitator, coach, and TV personality. For 27 years, Lee has traveled the world teaching and empowering people, including world business leaders and Hollywood celebrities, to live an extraordinary life.
Resources:
FB: facebook.com/chrisleemotivador.lee
IG: @chrismotivador
Transform Your Life: 10 Principles of Abundance and Prosperity
http://a.co/gBzcAAK
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Check out my website at loriharder.com. Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.