Carlos Mendiola

Danielle LaPorte: White Hot Truth: Clarity for Keeping it Real on Your Spiritual Path from One Seeker to Another

In this episode of Art of Authenticity, I had a thoughtful conversation with Danielle La Porte, author of the new book, White Hot Truth: Clarity for Keeping It Real on Your Spiritual Path from One Seeker to Another 

Today, we have Daniel LaPorte joining us. Danielle is the author of the Fire Starter Sessions, The Desire Map, and now her latest book is available for pre-order, White Hot Truth: Clarity for keeping it real on your spiritual path, from one seeker to another.

Danielle was invited to be a member of Opera Winfrey’s inaugural Super Soul 100 and she has a website that has had over five million visitors every single month for her #truthbombs, which are daily little inspirational concepts from Danielle that come to your inbox. Danielle has also been named one of the top 100 websites for women by Forbes and called the best place online for “kick ass spirituality”. She runs a multimillion dollar company made up of women and one guy, and Danielle is all about keeping it real and this episode was as real as it gets.

We dove into her background, how she ended up getting fired from her own company, how she picked herself up from that place, how she went from 60 subscribers on her email list to a multimillion dollar business, as well as the inspiration for her latest book, White Hot Truth.

She's offering all sorts of freebies, including a free chapter of her book. Check out the links below!

Thanks for Listening

Again, thank you so much for your support! Please subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already!

Show Notes

  • Hear Danielle’s story of how she got fired from the company that she founded in the first place. [4:07]

  • Learn how to overcome that inner voice that tries to silence you from speaking out. [9:30]

  • Discover how Danielle started over with only 60 subscribers and launched her Fire Starter Sessions. [14:26]

  • Hear the “unglamorous” reality of signing a book deal, pulling back the myths of what it is really like. [18:37]

  • Find out why Danielle’s primary goal is to give as much light to as many people as possible. [22:44]

  • Understand how Danielle is able to blend her artist side with her strategic side to build her brand. [27:39]

  • Discover Danielle’s motivation and inspiration for her new book, White Hot Truth. [30:05]

  • Hear the story of the Dalai Lama’s perception of self-hatred and why it is not part of the human condition. [32:32]

  • Learn about Danielle’s perspective on suffering, and how it comes down to the journey of your soul. [35:19]

  • Danielle shares what success means to her, and why freedom is her main driver for living an authentic life. [39:37]

More About Danielle

And Even More

  • Sneak peek of one of the Chapters! Listen to and download the full written and audio Chapter about forgiveness here. (it's totally free, no opt-in required)

  • Pre-order here

Episode Resources

by Carlos Mendiola

4 Step Breathing Technique to Do Anywhere

Yoga teacher and friend, Amy Owen, joined me to record a 4 part breathing technique that you can do anywhere in less than one minute. Stress? Overwhelm? Big decisions? Take a moment to practice this technique to find calm, space, and freedom whenever you desire.

by Carlos Mendiola

Amy Owen: Feel Better in Minutes

In this episode of Art of Authenticity I had a thoughtful conversation with Amy Owen, Yoga teacher, dula, fashion model, and good friend.Many of you have written in and talked about stress, a sense of overwhelm, and a feeling that life has just got a lot going on and you’re trying to handle it all. I got to talking to my friend Amy Owen who teaches yoga here in Chicago at Yoga View Studio. Amy is somebody who I met in my yoga teacher training program, a dear friend of mine for about a decade now. She is somebody who has been meditating for 30 years now and she fell in love with yoga in 1994.Amy signed up for a meditation retreat in 1986 after learning that the Beatles had been touting its benefits a generation earlier. In 1994 she found herself on a meditation retreat in Nepal, where she discovered and fell for yoga. Since then, Amy has studied a variety of yoga forms around the world including Ashtanga, Iyengar and Vinyasa flow. Her individual teaching style combines these with a focus on breath awareness and alignment.On the podcast today, she is bringing in small things that you can do right now, in your car, in your bed before you fall asleep at night, or when you wake up. All little techniques that you can do quickly on the floor.If you are looking for a quick fix, stress relief today that you can apply to help take that edge off, feel a little bit better, feel a little more connected to get that process, today is your show. Plus, we hear the story of how Amy went from being a fashion model since the age of 13, before she decided to leave to have her three children and then later went into becoming a yoga teacher. Stay tuned to hear Amy’s real, and practical advice.

Thanks for Listening

Again, thank you so much for your support! Please subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already!

Show Notes

  • Hear how Amy started her career in modeling as a hand model at age 13. [4:06]

  • Amy shares about the detrimental impact that her unusually long modeling career had on her self-esteem. [7:50]

  • When Amy first started meditating and discovered eastern philosophy and Buddhism. [11:08]

  • Discover how meditation had always been a subtext of Amy’s life. [13:54]

  • Understand why being a model was never something Amy truly identified with, and how she has discovered her authentic self in yoga. [15:01]

  • Learn why Amy’s approach to a new thing is to start small in order to truly be successful. [18:28]

  • Find out why focusing on your breath truly makes you happy and how you can shift how you feel by shifting your breathing. [31:35]

  • Hear Amy’s breathing technique for centering yourself and being truly present. [35:02]

  • Discover what an authentic life means to Amy and how it starts from the inside out. [46:20]

More About Amy

Episode Resources

by Carlos Mendiola

Reclaim Your Success, Kick out the Impostor Voice

Today I wanted to talk about the dreaded imposter syndrome. If there’s anything that I think causes people to feel that inner sense of discomfort and then shame, it’s that imposter voice. Imposter voice is the voice within you that tells you that no matter how much success you are having, you’re secretively not enough. I have clients that are so successful. If you saw what they have done on paper, you would say, “That person’s got to feel amazing!” But they don't feel they are enough, despite the evidence.Just because we succeed, we have success, we have all the boxes checked, just because things look a certain way doesn’t mean they’ll feel as good? So we go after that next award, we go after that bestselling book, we try to get the promotion at work, we launch a business, we work so hard, we see a future where we feel better.We may even have an image of ourselves walking around relaxed in the future, maybe we think we’re at retirement, that’s when we’re going to feel good.Any way in which you are putting off feeling good today for the future, that sense, that feeling that “when I get there, when I check these boxes, when I get these things done I will feel good” you've bought into your impostor voice. You are accepting you are not enough today.  I bought into this. I literary think it’s an epidemic, but what if it’s not true?

by Carlos Mendiola

Daniel Gefen: On How to Never Give Up

https://soundcloud.com/artofauthenticity/daniel-gefen-on-how-to-neverIn this episode of Art of Authenticity I had a conversation with Daniel Gefen, entrepreneur and host of the podcast Can I Pick Your Brain. 

Today, we have Daniel Gefen joining us. Daniel is the co-founder of a company called, Get Featured, which helps people who want to get featured on podcasts. Get Featured aims to help brands go from obscurity to celebrity. Daniel is also an entrepreneur that grew multiple companies from scratch. These include Jet Answering Service, Jet Virtual services, and Jet Offices.

This is a guy who, in the face of adversity, is all about getting up, making it happen, and making it real. If you’re an entrepreneur out there struggling along, not sure if you have something, not sure of what to do, this is a great story for you. This guy kept it real, kept it going in the face of massive adversity, turned it around, and made it happen.

I totally loved chatting with him. He is also the podcast host of Can I Pick Your Brain? I got to come on his show, and if you are interested, you can check it out. His podcast is all about finding people who have had some success in their life, sharing their stories, and asking questions specifically about how they made it happen.

Thanks for Listening

Again, thank you so much for your support! Please subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already!

Show Notes

  • Hear Daniel’s story and how he negotiated himself a six-figure salary without a degree. [3:03]
  • Find out how Daniel handled the downturn of 2008, and how he somehow landed in mortgage sales during it all. [6:36]
  • How Daniel and his family ended up being evicted from their Spanish townhouse in California. [9:14]
  • Find out how Daniel went from working in a high rise to selling milk and eggs. [13:17]
  • Hear Daniel’s definitely of an entrepreneur and why he believes it is simply impossible for them to work for someone else. [16:05]
  • Understand why when starting your business you have to wear all the different hats in the beginning. [16:29]
  • Discover how Daniel learned that in business you cannot take things personally. [17:44]
  • Find out how Daniel saved his business by outsourcing it all to one of his competitors. [26:00]
  • Hear as Daniel shares his story about running his whole business from a hotel lobby, café, or sometimes poolside. [29:22]
  • Find out what an authentic life means to Daniel and why what others think of him is none of his business. [36:23]
  • Discover Daniel’s practices, habits, and daily rituals that keep him on track and persevere through discouragements. [37:46]

More About Daniel

Episode Resources

by Carlos Mendiola

Stay Grounded In Difficult Times

We can't control what life throws our way, but we can control how we respond to it. How do you accept "what is?" How do you accept the reality you find yourself in and still feel ok, not happy, but ok? Most of us hit a road bump and find ourselves looping in the negative moment. We tell our friends. We repeat it to our self. We question how life could result in this outcome. What if you have a bad moment and you find yourself still feeling fine. Wouldn't that be great?

by Carlos Mendiola

Jared Angaza: Bring the Soul into Your Brand

In this episode of Art of Authenticity I had a conversation with Jared Angaza, Strategist, Philanthropist, and creator of brands. 

Today on the podcast we have Jared Angaza joining us. Jared and I was introduced a few weeks ago and since then, I have to say, he is somebody I would consider a friend. We just hit it off right off the bat and I think when you hear this episode you’ll know why.

Jared is a strategist and a philanthropist, and has created strategies, brands, and campaigns and events for 20 years. The thing that is super cool about Jared is that he really believes in creating brands with soul. He feels strongly that there should be something called “conscious philanthropy” and “brand alchemy” present within every brand. He definitely takes this idea of brand and how to imagine the possibilities of identity and experience to a totally different level.

Jared is also the coauthor of the book, Wisdom Meets Passion, that he wrote with his father and bestselling author, Dan Miller. Overall, Jared is super creative, he is a very interesting guy, who has traveled the world and I just loved talking to him. We have a mutual passion for authenticity, so we had a great discussion. Definitely have a listen, and let me know what you think.

Thanks for Listening

Again, thank you so much for your support! Please subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already!

Show Notes

  • Discover what is different about Jared’s approach to creating strategies and brand for companies. [2:40]

  • Hear as Jared shares practical examples of the tough questions you need to answer when it comes to branding. [4:21]

  • Learn how Jared helps his clients work through the process of starting with their “why”. [6:06]

  • Find out how Jared responds to and guides someone who is superficially engaged with their brand. [7:59]

  • Understand what the term “conscious philanthropy” is and how it can help elevate the quality of life for people. [9:38]

  • Learn how to factor in the psychological and emotional elements of communication. [16:51]

  • Discover what it means to tap into what makes other feel that you care and that you are truly listening to them. [19:00]

  • Find out what it means to have patience and respond deliberately to discover your authentic self. [21:18]

  • Hear about Jared’s path, and how his authentic life started at a very early age. [26:35]

  • Jared shares about his new podcast, Inipi Radio and the concept of embracing our interconnectedness. [29:52]

More About Jared

Episode Resources

by Carlos Mendiola

The Still Point

Today, I hope you'll indulge me. I don't know if any of you have heard this before, but I wanted to read a short section of a poem that has inspired my work greatly and perfectly explains that place we're looking for. That place we strive to find, that sense of calm and stillness and motion. When you hear it, you'll understand it.

Thanks for ListeningAgain, thank you so much for your support! Please subscribe to the podcast on iTunes if you haven't already!Episode Resources

by Carlos Mendiola

Gretchen Rubin: Habits, Tendencies and How to Be Yourself

In this episode of Art of Authenticity I had a thoughtful conversation with Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project and other NYT bestselling books.Gretchen Rubin is the author of several books, including the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home. She has an enormous readership, both in print and online, and her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide, in more than thirty languages.She also has a top podcast called Happier with Gretchen Rubin. It is a podcast where she discusses good habits and happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft.I had so much fun on this podcast because Gretchen came in and laid out some incredible habits. Such as, how to structure you day or how to stay organized. I do think there are a couple of things to do that are simple and easy, but as far as wake up in the morning at five AM, going for a jog, and then meditate, I just don’t ever feel like there is a one size fits all answer.Gretchen comes in and she just crushes this point. Essentially, the answer is that you have got to do it in a way that works for you and let go of this prescriptive model that there is a one size fits all way of setting up habits in your life. Most of us are failing because we are not being honest about what works for us. We don't know how we operate, so we don't know how to make the changes we desire. Gretchen lays this out and I’m telling you, really worth tuning in.

Thanks for Listening

Again, thank you so much for your support! Please subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already!

Show Notes

  • How Gretchen went from being a supreme court justice to becoming a writer. [4:11]

  • The importance of wanting to “talk shop” and following your passion. [5:19]

  • What inspired Gretchen’s first book, Power, Money, Fame, Sex: The users guide. [6:25]

  • Why Gretchen decide that she would rather fail as a writer than be successful as a lawyer. [8:10]

  • How The Happiness Project started out as just a person project for Gretchen in her own life. [10:13]

  • Why incorporating social media and branding is unique to each style of writer. [13:25]

  • What it means to shine a light on the ideas of others and how it can benefit you as an authority in the space. [14:58]

  • Why habit formation has no one-size-fits-all guide, and no one way is right or wrong. [18:25]

  • How to better implement habits and change your lifestyle by identifying the root problem. [26:04]

  • Gretchen shares in detail the tendencies she describes in her new book, The Four Tendencies. [29:06]

  • Learn why it is important not to get in other people’s way, but instead help them find what works best for them. [37:34]

  • Why identifying who we envy can help us to learn more about who we are ourselves. [46:06]

  • Hear Gretchen’s view on whether or not you can be happy when you live an inauthentic life. [48:46]

More About Gretchen

Episode Resources

by Carlos Mendiola

Join Me In A One Week Cleanse

Today, I have a little call to action. I am wondering if all of you will join me in a one week cleanse. We’ve talked about the five steps of what it takes to get to a more authentic life, we’ve talked about authenticity, talked to 60, 70 people on what authenticity means, we’ve heard all of these great stories.But what’s in the way of exactly what is holding you back? What is keeping you from taking that next step? What is most difficult for you? What is the biggest obstacle?It could be the inner critic. It could be fear of failure. The impostor voices in your head are just loud and giving you a hard time. It could just be an overwhelming sense of frustration and irritation and anger is just driving you crazy. Resentments. A need to be right or wrong.This is why I'm suggesting a one week cleanse.Thanks for ListeningAgain, thank you so much for your support! Please subscribe to the podcast on iTunes if you haven't already!Episode Resources

by Carlos Mendiola