Good Life Project

Some people talk about doing big stuff. Mitch Joel does it... Ever see the scene in Almost Famous, you know, the one on the bus where they all start singing Tiny Dancer? Pure Magic. One of my fave scenes in any movie ever. Well, that kid on the bus, that was Mitch Joel. Not the actor. But the real-life character. Even though it was supposedly written about Cameron Crowe. Mitch was living that same life. Through a crazy blend of chutzpa and luck, he found himself writing for a major music magazine and interviewing huge bands, when he was in his teens. He shares the wild story in our conversation. Building on that, he started publishing his own successful music magazine. Which then led him through a wild ride in the music biz. Until he finally he found his way into the world of digital media, where some 13 years ago, he co-founded legendary creative agency, TwistImage, became an author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, connector and mentor to many. In his newest book, Ctrl Alt Delete, Joel lays out a compelling vision of a future in need of a radical shift in gears. One where what got you here ain't gonna get you there. starting with business, then life. In this week's powerhouse episode, we explore Mitch's amazing journey as a creator, an entrepreneur, a husband and a dad. We shred some (okay, a lot of ) myths. I particularly love his unusual take on the non-existence of work-life balance, and why it's a total fabrication for those who actually love what they do. We talk about embracing a new paradigm in entrepreneurship built around the intersection between speed, technology, connectivity and humanity. Join us for this revealing conversation. And be sure to share it with friends, sign up for email updates and instant access to our mp3 vault or check out the almost new Good Life Project podcast on iTunes. With gratitude, Jonathan P.S. - Hey Boulder, CO people  - we'll be in town filming episodes next week and the fab gang at Copyblogger Media is throwing us a meetup on June 10th. Come say hi, if you're around. Details here.      

Samantha Hahn was born into a world of color and texture and light. Now a well-known NYC illustrator and author of the forthcoming book, Well Read Women, Hahn's story is very different from the "counter-industry" stories, like Ann Rea and Lisa Congdon, we've featured on past episodes of Good Life Project. Those stories shared how to create a vibrant career in the arts by largely working outside the system. By creating radically different paths to success, often initiated later in life. Hahn, however, took a different approach. Drawn to the arts as a child, she went to school, got her degree, spent time as a "fine artist" and then teaching. But at some point, the system she was working wasn't working for her any more. Rather that stepping outside, though, she decided to lean into it. Leveraging the system, but bending it to accomodate the way she felt called to build her craft and her career. We dive into some really interesting ground in this conversation, including how she broke into the brutally hard to enter world of commercial illustration, publishing and fashion. We talk about the intersection of business and art, why pushing the business side hard and being insanely vision-oriented is one key to success. We explored how becoming a mom has changed the way she works and creates and lives. And we talk about her forthcoming book, what it's all about, what inspired her to write and illustrate it...and he she ended up writing a book in the first place. Join the conversation. Subscribe by email for instant access to the audio-vault and, coming soon, instant access to full show transcripts and more (only available to our email subscribers). If you’re inspired, click on the links above to share it with friends on facebook, twitter or google+! And, hey, if you haven’t checked it out yet, subscribe to the new GLP podcast and share a review. (NOTE: We’re still uploading shows, should be all caught up with the current episodes in June). With gratitude, Jonathan P.S. – For our awesome email subscribers – you’ll not only get access to the mp3 download vault, we’ll be releasing show transcripts for your eyes only in June, plus some other “tribe-only” perks.

What if you had your dream ripped away in a moment of anguish? That's the challenge All American athlete and arena football star, Lewis Howes, faced when an injury destroyed his career. Until that moment, every ounce of energy was focused on the game, and making the leap to the NFL. But in an instant it was over. Laid up on his sister's couch, recovering from surgery, he had to make a decision. Wallow in loss, or apply the same champion's mindset that had fueled his life to rebuilding a new life and career. He chose the latter, and what happened next was pure magic. Lewis rapidly mastered social technology, starting with LinkedIn, then built a hugely-successful educational company in less than two years. He's since expanded into other fields, become a media entrepreneur, speaker and producer of the School of Greatness podcast. Still Jonesing to be a world-class athlete, Lewis then earned a spot on the United States team handball team, with an eye toward becoming an Olympian. And, if you ask him, he'll tell you he's just getting going! In this week's episode, we dive deep into Lewis' journey. We explore how his childhood deeply influenced his approach to adversity.  We dive into his beliefs about mindset and success and how a voracious desire to understand and leverage what he calls the champion's mind has shaped every part of his life. In this wide-ranging conversation, we go places Lewis normally doesn't go in interviews. And he gets very real. Join us. If you're inspired (and if you're not, you may wanna take your pulse), share it with friends! And, hey, if you haven't checked it out yet, subscribe to the new GLP podcast and share a review. (NOTE: We're still uploading shows, should be all caught up with the current episodes in June). With gratitude, Jonathan P.S. - For our awesome email subscribers - you'll not only get access to the mp3 download vault, we'll be releasing show transcripts for your eyes only in June, plus some other "tribe-only" perks.    

Coming off his role in the cast of MTV's mid-90's reality hit, Road Rules, Jake Bronstein, was in a quandary. What should he do with his life? The traditional route–college, 9-5, suits and commutes–wasn't in the cards. So he began to carve his own path. Starting as an assistant in the publishing world, he talked himself into a high-level editor position at a newly-launching magazine, an experience that set in motion a fascination with how people connect with brands, media and themselves. His experience in the magazine business kicked-off a wild ride that sent him into global manufacturing, digital-media, and eventually, his latest quest to singlehandedly rebuild the American "cut and sew" industry with his newest venture, Flint and Tinder. True to Jake's out-of-the-box style, though, he launched Flint and Tinder with a series of groundbreaking Kickstarter projects, including the recently completed 10 Year Hoodie project...that raised more than $1 million dollars in pre-sold hoodie sweatshirts. In this week's episode, you get to not only ride along on Jake's remarkable journey, but learn from his questions, insights and unique lens on the world, people, behavior and curiosity. And at the end, Jake does something that's never happened before on GLP. You'll have to watch or listen to find out what... As always, if you love the show, share it around. Then, subscribe below to instantly download the mp3 and, starting in June, get full transcripts of the shows (including all the archived ones), and more very cool subscriber-only goodies! With gratitude, Jonathan P.S. - For those who missed it, we've just launched an audio podcast version of the show on iTunes this week and...it's kicking serious butt. #1 in business and top 20 overall on iTunes! The first 20 episodes are live and we'll be adding more to catch up to the live show quickly over the next few weeks. So, go ahead and sign up for the podcast if you prefer the ease of iTunes. (But stay subscribed to email if you also want transcripts and insider-only goodies, even after we're all caught up). And, of course, we'll still keep posting the mp3s in the audio vault for subscribers who'd rather not use iTunes..

If your doctor believes you won't recover, does that make you less likely to live? Can a sham knee surgery yield results that rival a those of a legendary orthopedic surgeon? What if your mind could heal your body? Without drugs or other mainstream interventions? What if that coiled-up organ between your ears possessed the ability to heal everything from cancer to joint-disease and chronic pain to heart-disease? It all sounds absurd, right? Out there, nutso, woowoo, metaphysics silliness. But, what if it's not? This episode is about to shatter your beliefs! What if there was a mountain of hard-science to back up all these wild claims? Medical literature that's been written off as "outliers," when in fact, that same research holds the key to the next generation of medicine. One that's far less reliant on drugs, surgeries and procedures and more reliant on cultivating the ability to "self-heal." And, what if the leading voice in this new "mind over medicine" movement was not an "alternative healer," but rather a highly-respected, traditionally-trained physician who, after getting fed up with how poorly traditional medicine was serving her patients, started down a path that would change not only her patients' lives, but her own? That person is Lissa Rankin, M.D., author of a revolutionary new book, Mind Over Medicine. In this week's episode, Lissa and I go deep into her personal journey. One that led her into medicine at the age of...7 (no lie, you'll hear the story). Led her to graduate at the top of her class, build a career as a top OB/GYN, before abandoning her practice in favor of a radically different approach. You'll discover how Rankin refused to be pigeonholed, embracing not just her "inner healer" but her "inner artist," building a reputation as a painter and artist, author and speaker. Most important, You'll be won over by the depth of research and hard-science she's uncovered around your ability to self-heal and how that led her to found the Whole Health Medicine Institute in a quest to offer physicians an alternative approach to creating extraordinary outcomes for their patients. If you know anyone who's not getting the results they'd like from traditional medicine, please share this powerful conversation with them. And, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. When you do, you'll also get instant access to the mp3 vault where you can download and listen to all episodes on the go. With gratitude, Jonathan  

Christian Howes was a child violin prodigy. On track to do great things in the world of classical music. Until a bad decision landed him in a maximum security prison, serving 6-25 years for drugs. That time was horrifying in many ways. Growing up in a middle-class, tight-knit, educated community in Ohio, he'd never had contact with the type of people he'd meet in prison. He described it as being an arena of violence, sharing... "Violence is emptiness where you'd otherwise expect to have humanity." It was terrifying. But, it also served as a source of deep transformation. One that would change the course of his career and life in a way he never imagined. It introduced him to a world of people and music he'd never known and a part of himself that had laid dormant. Emerging from prison after 4 years for good behavior, Christian, knew he'd have to rebuild. Rising like a phoenix, he stepped into the challenge. But with a new mission. To become one of the best jazz violinists in the world. Now, nearly two decades later, he's just come off a weeklong run at New York's famed Lincoln Center. And he's widely acclaimed as one of the world's top jazz violinists, educators and music entrepreneurs. In this week's episode, we go deep into this extraordinary journey. Christian is lays bare his life, with honesty and transparency, especially about his youth around music and drugs and the bad decision that led him to prison. He shares how his time-served changed him and how, when he emerged, he was a man with a very different plan. And we talk about how he methodically rebuilt his career and life and reconnected with his family and community. How he leveraged the business lessons from his dad and applied them to music. And how other young performing artists can and should embrace the business side of their art to create opportunity. Few fave take-aways - On rallying back - "Your most powerful resources are often right at the tip of your nose." On fear of self-promotion - "You have to chase opportunity, whether you're an artist or an entrepreneur" On reframing selling - "Ask people - 'Will you give me the opportunity to serve you?' If you do that a lot, you will succeed." On money and art - "You can serve a financial need and a human need and get paid...and it's still art." If you're inspired by this week's episode, please feel free to email it to friends and share it online. And be sure to subscribe to GLP by email so you never miss a future episode and get instant access to the mp3 vault, where you can download the audio for all shows and take them on the road! With gratitude, Jonathan

Patricia Moreno has been a leading voice in the fitness industry going on three decades. But for 20 of those years, she harbored a dark secret... On the surface and in front of the camera, she was vibrant, confident, alive and super-fit. But behind the camera, a lifelong battle with weight and self-esteem led to years of emotional angst, bulimia and a constant struggle to connect with something deeper than "just fitness" and have an impact on an entirely different level. Until one day, she let it all out. She came clean to the world, to her students. To everyone. That triggered a series of awakenings and a complete evolution in the way she approached her career and life. And it led to the creation of an entirely new blended personal-development fitness paradigm called intenSati™ and SatiLife.com. In this week's heartfelt episode, Patricia and I go deep. Really deep. We learn about growing up in a Mexican American household with 10 kids, a family in the restaurant business and a struggle with weight that began in elementary school and tee'd up a lifelong battle to belong. We explore Moreno's dance between wanting to entertain and inspire people, but being told she had to fit a certain mold. We talk about how this led her into the dark side, living a double life of outward success, yet inner-pain. And we follow along as she moves into a place of grace and power, sheds her hidden feelings of hypocrisy and reclaims her ability to be who she is and teach others to do the same. If you enjoy this episode, please feel free to share it with friends. And, if you're not already subscribed, go ahead and subscribe now below. Join the Good Life movement and get insider info, instant access to our show mp3 vault and you'll never miss an episode. With gratitude, Jonathan

A first-generation American child of Liberian parents, Wokie Nwabueze, was brought up in a culture of quiet. She learned to model the gentle, quite nature of her parents. To be seen, but not really heard. In the face of confrontation or the need to stand in her power, she'd often back down or keep her thoughts, needs and desires to herself. Until she reached a point where the pain of keeping it all inside and watching so many other women do the same compelled her to rediscover her voice and her power. That evolution fueled an extraordinary journey through law, mediation and now her role working as a communications strategist with women from all walks of life, from high-powered professionals to stay-at-home moms. Helping them reclaim their voices and stand into their own power in all parts of life. In today's episode we explore Wokie's extraordinary journey from "shy" powerless kid to confident powerful woman. We discover how the community and culture she grew up in shaped her, how becoming a lawyer, wife and mother introduced a whole new layer of challenge and how she learned to lean into it and develop the desire and ability to help other women do the same. If you enjoy this episode, please feel free to share it with friends, especially women struggling to find their voices and reclaim their power. And, as always, don't forget to subscribe for weekly updates, insider news and instant access to mp3 download vault for the show. With gratitude, Jonathan

What would it take to book yourself solid...with people you LOVE to work with? That's the question today's guest answered in compelling fashion with his New York Times bestselling book, Book Yourself Solid and the newly released Book Yourself Solid Illustrated. Michael Port has followed anything but a conventional path to business success. At a young age, he became obsessed with the question - How do you make any environment better because you're there? That led him into the world of acting, where he landed roles on Sex In the City, Third Watch, All My Children, Law & Order and more. Frustrated by the feast or famine nature of the business, though, he walked away and talked his way into a management position at a health club. There, his fascination with human nature and theater led him to begin deconstructing how people engage with those they seek to serve. And, in turn, how certain people build fast and powerful client-bases and brands, while others languish. Port increasingly felt he wasn't in control of his own future, so after a short stint back in the entertainment industry, he made the leap into the world of entrepreneurship, coaching, writing and speaking. And he began with the topic that fascinated him most—personal branding and his observations around the way people attract and the right clients, customers and followers into their zone of influence. This led to the publication of Book Yourself Solid, followed by four other books, mentoring programs, including the new Book Yourself Solid Illustrated, a global speaking career and the ability to serve others in a powerful, personal and relevant way. And interestingly, Port accomplished all of this while being strongly dyslexic and learning how to turn what most people view as a challenge into an asset that fueled a different, more collaborative approach to growth and success. Today's conversation dives into Michael's very human journey, the personal awakenings, struggles, triumphs and growth that's put him in a position to build an extraordinary living and life. One built around helping others flourish by focusing less on changing the outside world and more on evolving you. If you enjoy this episode, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any future shows. You'll also get instant access to download the mp3 for this and all past episodes. And, if you know friends who might enjoy and benefit from the conversation, feel free to share it around! With gratitude, Jonathan

When Austrailian-born entrepreneur and restaurateur, Peter Lawrence, got the idea to open a super-stylish boutique hotel in Brooklyn, a lot of people thought he was crazy. Are people really going to come to Brooklyn to stay? And in a neighborhood that seems kind of out of the way? Lawrence partnered with two others to buy the building they hoped would become the Wythe Hotel, then quickly found himself in the midst of a crashing economy that put everything on hold. This launched an odyssey that led Peter and his team to question nearly everything. But along the way, the delay gave them the time needed to learn the industry from the ground up, get incredibly clear on what mattered to them, what they wanted to build, how and why. It affected the culture they would build, the design ethic, the sense of purpose and focus they'd bring to the quest, and nearly every decision that would end up making the Wythe Hotel was it is today. In this week's episode, we explore Peter's incredible journey to take a crazy idea and turn it into a legendary boutique hotel in the heart of what he calls the "4th largest city" in America. We dive into how he learned an industry, how a strong sense of purpose and vision kept the project alive through it's long hiatus, how he weaves being a dad and husband into a massive act of professional creation. If Peter's story resonates, feel free to share it with friends. And be sure to subscribe to receive email updates below and get instant access to the mp3 vault. With gratitude, Jonathan

On her way to becoming an OB/GYN, Alisa Vitti's body had different plans... Weighing 200 pounds with her face and back covered with cystic acne, exhausted, depressed, no longer-menstruating and a body and self-image in pain, she was diagnosed with PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome, told to load up on a basket of meds and accept the fact that this would be her fate for life. Alisa said no. Instead, she mounted a quest. One that led her to not only discover highly-effective, drug-free alternative treatments, but eventually led her away from traditional medicine and into the world of functional medicine and nutrition. She's since built a powerhouse private practice helping women reclaim control over their bodies and lives, become the founder and CEO of FLO Living, an online wellness center for women and written the new book, WomanCode: Perfect Your Cycle, Amplify Your Fertility, Supercharge Your Sex Drive, and Become a Power Source In this week's episode, we dive into Alisa's journey, her personal, health and career transformation. We also explore how how she's grown what began as a local private practice into a venture-capital backed virtual wellness center for women. And we'll learn what her bigger vision is, both for herself and for women's health. If you enjoy this episode, feel free to share it with friends. Especially women who may be struggling with their bodies and health and looking for answers that don't seem to be coming via traditional channels. And, as always, when you subscribe by entering your email below, you'll get our weekly dispatch delivered to your inbox AND get instant access to the show's mp3 vault, so you can take every episode on the road. With gratitude, Jonathan

When most people think of DJs, they envision someone in a soundproof booth at a radio station or or someone who "backs" another act on stage. But, over the last few years, an elite crew of DJs have honed their craft on a level that's propelled them to become their own leading acts. Appearing on stage not only behind, but side-by-side with major performers or even as solo-performers. Whipping massive crowds of thousands of people into a sea of transcendent, grooving humanity. Enter DJ phenom, Jasmine Solano. By her mid-teens, Solano knew music would be a huge part of her life. But not in the ordinary way. Most people thinking about a career in music look at playing an instrument. Solano was drawn to a different outlet. Two turntables and a microphone. Starting as a music activist at 17, she began DJing and organizing events that leveraged music as both a rally cry and a way to connect people. From there, she began to study the art and craft of DJing, deconstructing the greatest "turntablists" and becoming what she calls a "music anthropologist." Solano wanted to know not only the craft side of DJing, but also how to move large numbers of people, to be able to create transcendent experiences and also express her fierce creativity. And how to build a real, powerful business that allowed her to travel the world, work with amazing people and be in control of her own destiny. In this in-depth conversation, Jasmine and I go deep into her journey, her motivations and inspiration, her connection with values, insanely hard work and craft and her absolute love of music and creativity. And, as a special treat, in the last 5 minutes, we head over to the turntables and she shows us how the technology has evolved to include computers and "visual DJing," while playing a bit of old-school 80s house music (which made this old 80s DJ happy, lol). If you enjoy the episode, feel free to share it around using the social media buttons above. And if you'd love to take it on the road and get access to the entire GLP mp3 vault, go ahead and subscribe now. With gratitude, Jonathan

It's the Holy Grail for nearly every mission-driven individual. To create something so cool, provocative, surprising, valuable that the world rallies behind it, word of mouth explodes and you, your business, product, service, body of work or movement burst into the public consciousness. For years, people have been trying to reverse engineer how to make things "go viral." Large companies and marketing agencies have spent hundreds of millions on the quest. But, still, they've found it near impossible to derive a scientifically-validated formula that fuels near contagious word-of-mouth. Enter Wharton/University of Pennsylvania professor and author the hot new book, Contagious: Why Things Catch On, Jonah Berger. Berger has spent the last 10 years researching key pieces of the accelerated word-of-mouth puzzle. Looking at everything from what makes certain consumer products pop to what makes an article top the New York Times most-emailed list, Berger has come up with some answers. In this fast-paced, fun and highly-actionable episode, Jonah and I dive deep into his 6-step framework. He reveals the key elements that drive wide-scale, contagious word-of-mouth and shows how you can bake each element into nearly any product, business, campaign or movement, even the driest products and businesses. And he shares not only the detailed framework, but a ton a great stories, hard-data and examples that'll have you re-examining whatever you're working on and looking for ways to build in more elements of contagious word of mouth. If you enjoy this episode, feel free to share it using the facebook, twitter or google+ buttons above. And if you'd like to take the episode on the road, go ahead and sign up for weekly updates and get instant access to our mp3 show vault. With gratitude, Jonathan

Ever go to that place where you become so utterly absorbed in your work that nothing else exists? Visiting that place can be a powerful experience. When you work there on a sustained basis, it can fuel extraordinary outcomes, revolutionary art, businesses and movements. But when you lose the ability to come back from that place equally often and engage with the people and activities outside your pursuit that allow you to be your best self, then you've got a problem. Some might even call it an addiction. To the process of creation. In this week's GLP Jam Session, I take a look at Creative Addiction and life balance (like that really exists) and then offer two specific techniques designed to break the creative-addictive cycle and pull you back into all the other wonderful things in life. If you enjoy this episode, please feel free to share it around on Facebook, twitter or Google+. And if you'd love access to our mp3 vault and insider updates, go ahead and subscribe by entering your email in the form below. You'll get instant access to our mp3 vault so you can take this and all future episodes on the road. With gratitude, Jonathan

What would happen if you ate only McDonalds for a month? That's the question Alex Jamieson and her then boyfriend, Morgan Spurlock, had a decade ago. One they answered in the form of a movie - Super Size Me - that exploded into the public's consciousness in 2004, garnering an Oscar nomination. Alex not only helped create the concept, but co-starred in the movie, launching her into the public's eye and landing her not only on the big screen, but on Oprah and hundreds of other TV shows. Now almost 10 years later, I sit down with Alex to explore her remarkable journey. In this week's episode, we reveal the story behind the story. We dive into the personal crisis that led her to become a healthy chef, educator and wellness evangelist. We explore how the spotlight changed her path and the role it's played in her career, relationships and life. We talk about her passion for helping others through the vehicle of food. In yet another Good Life Project™ first, we bake! Amazingly delicious vegan, gluten-free orange hazelnut scones with raisins, almond and coconut flour. The recipe is here. And, in the middle, Alex, who's been known for the last decade as a proponent of vegan living, reveals a major shift in both her thinking and the way she fuels her own body and shares what fueled what many might perceive as a pretty significant break in paths. Most, importantly, Alex shares her wonderful, kind and compassionate approach to life, to being a mom and to honoring each moment and adapting on the fly. If you've enjoyed this week's episode, please feel free to share it with friends. And, don't forget to subscribe for weekly updates and access to the mp3 show vault. With gratitude, Jonathan