Behind The Brilliance

In  this solo episode, Lisa describes the why, what and how of living eulogies - inspiring personal tributes offered to people who are still alive.  Going beyond special occasions and milestones, Lisa inspires you to start creating living eulogies for the special people in your life. 

Chris Hutchins has lived many lives in his short time on earth. His adventures have been fueled by curiousity and acceptance of uncertainty. From startup experiments to traveling the world for 8 months to using hacks to optimize his life, Chris’ open mind and willingness to learn has taken him to fascinating places. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on the twists and turns of the journey, the hardest won lessons, and his perspective on creating more personal satisfaction in work and life. Behind His Brilliance: Being comfortable learning in real time Say hi to Chris on Twitter: @hutchins

Nina Westbrook is a trained marriage and family therapist and the founder of Bene, a digital platform offering wellness workshops and inspiration to help you embrace self-care, personal growth, and learning. Nina is also a mom of 3 and the wife of NBA all star Russell Westbrook. This conversation unpacks how Nina navigates change, her perspective on modern self-care, and her best advice for sustaining mental health.  Behind Her Brilliance: Her Parents Say hi to Nina on Twitter: @ninawestbrook Follow Bene on Instagram: @benexnina Check Out Nina's Teachable Workshop: benebynina.teachable.com/

What would inspire you to reach the peak in your career then decide to scale a different mountain? Burnout. Justin Welsh went from making it rain at tech startups to going out on his own as a consultant. With the future unknown, he wrote his way to a 7 figure personal brand that allows him to spend his time on things he cares about and have an impact on thousands of professionals. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on a journey littered with setbacks and shares how he turned each failure into a launching pad for his next success.  Behind His Brilliance: A big stroke of luck Say hi to Justin on Twitter: @justinSaaS

This is the ultimate reinvention story of a dynamic creative letting her passion guide her from the safety of her executive office to early mornings perfecting her craft as a screenwriter.  After climbing the ranks as an executive in Hollywood, Kelly left it behind to return to her passion of writing. Now she has a producing deal with HBO and decades of hard won wisdom guiding her creative pursuits. During this conversation, Kelly opened up about the highs and lows of her journey as a creative and a woman reinventing herself. Her reflections and strategies are an inspiration no matter your industry or ambitions. Behind Her Brilliance: Listening  Say hi to Kelly on Twitter: @kellyedwards

Lisa offers frameworks and questions for conducting pre-mortems and post-mortems for personal and professional projects. Find the list of questions at BehindtheBrilliance.com/225preandpostmortems

Ryan Allis is the founder and former CEO of iContact, the email marketing company that sold for $169 million. After a short-lived stint as an angel investor, Ryan started a social enterprise and then became the Managing Partner of HeartRithm, an algorithmic trading fund that’s turning money into good. During this conversation, Ryan opens up about the peaks and valleys of his journey as an entrepreneur, what it means to be a heart-centered leader, and why he’s bullish on crypto. Behind His Brilliance: Loving and supportive parents Say hi to Ryan on Twitter: @ryanallis

Jessie Inchauspé brings clarity and levity to the wellness space as a biochemist, researcher, and author. Her Instagram account, @GlucoseGoddess, exploded when she started sharing what she learned about glucose monitoring and managment. Her book, Glucose Revolution, has been called the best practical guide for managing glucose to maximize health and longevity. Even if you don't think you have a glucose "problem," you're almost certainly in the group of people who could stand to improve their overall well-being by taking a more thoughtful approach to nutrition. In this conversation, Jessie offers simple sustainable changes that can have a significant impact on an array of health markers from sleep to energy levels to preventing disease. This is a must listen if you want to be well.  Behind Her Brilliance: Curiosity and a willingness to fail and be wrong Say hi to Jessie on Instagram: @glucosegoddess

In this solo episode, Lisa outlines two mental models and discusses how they fit together to make decision making easier and more effective. 

Jonah Berger is an internationally recognized expert in persuasion and change. In addition to being a professor at Wharton, he's written three books that help leaders and innovators create change in their organizations and lives. In this conversation, we discuss Jonah's best advice and the surprising tips that work for being more influential and effective personally and professionally. Whether you're leading a group at work or trying to persuade family members at home, this conversation has proven advice to improve your outcomes.  Behind His Brilliance: Curiosity Say hi to Jonah on Twitter: @j1berger

Steve White went from humble beginnings in the midwest to the C suite of Comcast’s West Division. The journey was littered with hard won lessons on leadership and the habits required to create massive success. After driving revenue of nearly $18 billion, he’s learned what it takes to achieve organizational success and personal significance. He unveils how he achieved his vision and how you can too. Behind His Brilliance: Effort and Attitude  Say hi to Steve on Twitter: @stevewhiteinc

BTB listener Michelle asked Lisa’s thoughts and personal journey to creating and sustaining healthy friendships. Lisa opens up about how and why she struggled in this area, what she learned, and the way she created new friendships. She offers thought exercises for evaluating friendships and offers wise reminders.

Dr. Erin C. Westgate holds a Ph.D. in social psychology and uses it as a researcher and assistant professor. Her work explores boredom, inner lives, and thoughts. In this conversation, we turn boring research studies into insight with interesting stories and useful advice.  Plus, we explore productive procrastination, the profound thing Erin's changed her mind about recently, and why we should all be pursuing psychological richness over happiness.  Behind Her Brilliance: a family that embraced curiosity Say hi to Erin on Twitter: @erinwestgate

Sam Jennings is an accomplished artist and creative director whose credits include megastars like Prince and Pearl Jam. But he's so much more than his collaborations. His thoughtful approach to his work and his artistic integrity is what's led him on creative adventures that pushed boundaries and made waves. In this conversation, he connects the dots and shares the secrets of working with teams of all kinds, staying true to self as an artist, and making a living as a modern creative professional.  Behind His Brilliance: Being Inspired by Other Artists  Say hi to Sam on Twitter: @samjennings

Katrina Adams has gone from the west side of Chicago to the pinnacles of the tennis world as an athlete, executive, and commentator. Alongside her long list of accomplishments is a long list of lessons learned including how to recover from setbacks, how to perform under pressure, and why it's essential to be self-directed. In this conversation, she shares the gems that have allowed her to go from the the tennis court to the board room successfully. Behind Her Brilliance: Being Herself Say hi to Katrina on Twitter: @katadams68

Katy Milkman turns dense research into usable tactics for daily life. From saving more money to losing weight, Katy's findings and summaries in her bestselling book, How to Change, are woven into this conversation. We explore what to do when motivation wanes, when to create fresh starts for greatest effect, the best approach to building new habits, and more.  Behind Her Brilliance: Luck  Say hi to Katy on Twitter: @katy_milkman

Lisa welcomes listeners to Season 12 of the show and offers a peek at what's to come. 

Lisa recaps the episodes of Season 11 and shares key takeaways. 

Mike Maser found himself way up the corporate ladder that was leaning against the wrong wall. He knew he couldn't keep coasting so he took the leap into entrepreneurship. The journey wasn't a smooth one, but it led him to running Big Sky Health, a company using technology to build thoughtful wellness apps. During this conversation, we talked about the good, bad, and harrowing of Mike's journey. He shares hard won wisdom and perspective on re-imaging your life and work to reflect your values.  Say hi to Mike on Twitter or Instagram: @mmaser

THE SHOW Dr. Emily Anhalt is a clinical psychologist, emotional fitness expert, author, and the co-founder of Coa, a a "gym for the mind." On this episode, she talks with Lisa about the strategies and tactics for creating and sustaining mental wellness, how to find a great therapist, the importance of developing sound habits, and much more.  Behind Her Brilliance: A supportive community, hard work in therapy, and a deep belief that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have.  Say hi to Emily on Twitter or Instagram: @DrEmilyAnhalt -- SPONSORED BY ON DECK The On Deck Writer Fellowship is an eight-week paid program for internet writers who want to hone their craft, meet other writers, and grow an audience. The program combines weekly small-group writing workshops, tactical sessions and guest lectures, and an incredible peer community. We're hosting Drafted, a free, day-long writing & learning event, on March 22, 2021. Drafted will feature: Amazing speakers discussing developing a sustainable w