impact

Episode #73: Harnessing Your Creative Magic and Creating a Life with Purpose with Jade Simmons

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What do the most superlative brands , the world’s most renowned stages , and the most prestigious conferences have in common? They’ re bringing in the one and only Jade Simmons! Jade spent the first few years of her career performing as a classical concert pianist. Following an artistic epiphany, she pivoted from playing the piano to impress audiences , to using the piano as the vehicle by which to provide the inspiration, information and entertainment that profoundly moves them instead. The result s have been, well...darn impressive!

No stranger to pushing boundaries to see bold results , this concert pianist turned world changer is brought in by the likes of corporations like Mass Mutual, Royal Bank of Canada, DOW, Raytheon, the Hershey Company, Genentech, Valic , Pfizer and Nationwide to redefine purpose, inspire seismic shifts in mindset and activate audiences to go out and instantly start living more consequential lives of impact.

The one-of-a-kind artist has built a one-of-a-kind career garnering diverse recognition from unlikely places. She’s played renowned halls , including the hallowed ones of the White House and the US Supreme Court and her genre-bending concert adventures that span Rachmaninoff to Rap attract diverse audiences of all ages and backgrounds . For her work on and away from the stage, Essence magazine featured Jade alongside former First Lady Michelle Obama as a part of their Style & Substance List. As one of the rare classical artists invited to perform at the taste-making South by Southwest Festival, her show was ultimately branded one of the "Best of SXSW 2014". She’s star red in a Broadway-style musical called Lillette’ s Rhythm Club and she can be heard portraying Nina Simone’s classical years in the Oscar -nominated documentary What Happened Miss Simone?

In her inimitable career as a concert pianist and as a media host, Jade has remained committed to expanding the boundaries of Classical music and is the new host of shows for both American Public Media and NYC’ s top rated station WQXR, airing in 2019.

Things we talk about on todays episode:

  • Her journey from classical pianist to successful entrepreneur and keynote speaker

  • Why she feels as if she grew up with black privilege

  • What it means to be an artist

  • How to figure out WTF your purpose is

  • Creating a deep impact in the world with the work you do and who you are

  • Our differing perspectives on the mess, imperfections and beyond

  • Becoming the maverick of your own life


LINKS MENTIONED

Live Your F*ck Yes Life Membership — Use code LYFYL for 10%

GET ON THE I CHOPPED OFF YOUR TITS VIP BOOK LIST

Jade’s Instagram | Website

The Hate U Give

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Episode #47: Using Joy as a Vehicle for Change with Melanie C. Klein and Marc Cordon

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EPISODE SNEAK PEEK


“ We need to tend to the internalized oppression. We need to tend to all of the garbage that we’ve absorbed since the time we were born. We need to tend to our inner life and we need to bring in whether it’s joy, love, connection and to feel full to do this. Otherwise, how can we be effective instruments?”


This conversation is one of my absolute favorites. As someone who is constantly looking for ways to cultivate more joy AND more social change, these two are fostering a community that fosters a space to breed just that in a FUN and INTENTIONAL way. And I can’t wait to introduce you to this badass duo who are making waves.

Melanie C. Klein, M.A., is an empowerment coach, thought leader and influencer in the areas of body confidence, authentic empowerment, and visibility. She is also a successful writer, speaker, and professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies. Her areas of interest and specialty include media literacy education, body image, and the intersectional analysis of systems of power and privilege. She is the co-editor of Yoga and Body Image: 25 Personal Stories About Beauty, Bravery + Loving Your Body (Llewellyn, 2014) with Anna Guest-Jelley, a contributor in 21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics and Practice (Horton & Harvey, 2012), is featured in Conversations with Modern Yogis (Shroff, 2014), a featured writer in Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Mindful Living (Llewellyn, 2016), co-editor of Yoga, the Body and Embodied Social Change: An Intersectional Feminist Analysis with Dr. Beth Berila and Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts (Rowman and Littlefield, 2016) as well as the editor of the new anthology, Yoga Rising: 30 Empowering Stories from Yoga Renegades for Every Body. She co-founded the Yoga and Body Image Coalition in 2014. She has been practicing yoga and meditation since 1996 and currently lives in Santa Monica, CA.

Marc Cordon, MPH, is a positive psychology coach, professional speaker, and author of the book "Beyond Resilient: The Coach's Guide to Ecstatic Growth." He has received coaching accolades from the Institute for Professional and Excellence in Coaching including an Energy Leadership Index - Master Practitioner, Certified Professional Coach, and specialties in transitions, leadership, performance, and wellbeing. Before co-founding the Joy Revolution, Marc served as the Associate Directors of the Office of Health Promotion and the Office of Multicultural Programs & Services at Emory University where he developed programs and curriculum on social justice, positive psychology and community engagement. He also received a BS in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology and a Masters in Public Health in Policy & Management. For over two decades, he has assisted countless people in self-development through speaking engagements, retreats, mini-courses, and 1-on-1 advising and mentoring.   

Things we discuss in today’s episode:

  • Shiny penny syndrome

  • The importance of practicing what we preach

  • Simple tangible ways of experiencing true joy

  • Hedonic happiness

  • What the Joy Revolution is all about

  • Using personal narrative as a form of empowerment

  • Legacy in today’s day and age being all about our own agenda and far removed from true social movement

  • Fostering a collective for joy & change

  • Self care as an act of political warfare

  • Using social media for social good

  • Positive psychology, intersectional feminism, legacy and beyond

  • And…a shit ton of poop references…’cause would you expect anything BUT that?


LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:

Melanie’s Instagram | Website | Yoga and Body Image Coalition

Marc’s Facebook | Website

Slut walk

The Joy Revolution

90 Day Fiance

Email Marc for his positive psychology book: marc@marccordon.com

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