Behind The Brilliance

This week's Q+A episode deals with the topic of creating an "ideal life" and escaping a 9-5. I put ideal life in quotations because I don't believe in absolutes when it comes to figuring your life out. It's heavy lifting, it's hard, and it takes time (and I sure as heck am not a guru). Still, I do have a lot (I mean, a LOT, no seriously look at how insanely long this episode is...yeah, a lot) of thoughts, observations, and experiences related to the topic so I answered. Leissan asked: "In your opinion, what is the most graceful way to make that transition? From a 9-5 desk job to doing things that are completely nontraditional. I know everyone has their own path, but hearing your transition and how you took the steps to make your ideal life possible would help me construct mine. I'm at the point would require taking some risks and running into trouble with that as well. How do you gracefully take the risk to make your goals happen?" My answer covers many topics including managing time, managing money, rethinki

What does it look like when your perfect career finds you instead of you stressing out about finding it? My conversation in this episode answers that question. Alyse Killeen is a venture capitalist, founder of City Fellows and Women in Venture, and a smart (and let's be honest, woke) woman who roots for outsiders and underdogs. In this conversation, Alyse opens up about her path from academia to grad school to venture capital. We discuss her philosophies on investing, inclusion, bro culture, and much more. My favorite part is near the end when she shares the best advice she's ever received. Lean in when you hear that come up. Say hi to Alyse and tell her what you thought of this episode: @alysekilleen Show Notes: bit.ly/BTB113

To close out the year, Lisa shares the six things she learned and recaps her year. If you're feeling anxiety about 2017, this episode will be a reminder of the good to come. If you're excited about 2017, this will sprinkle more hype on your optimism. Have a safe and happy New Year!

This week's episode delivers a hearty buffet of topics. From selling to sensory deprivation tanks to setting boundaries, we covered a lot. Tamara Floyd is the founder of Natural Hair Rules, a blog that has become a mainstay among natural hair enthusiasts. In this conversation, we chat about: -Tamara's journey from passion project to passionate 6 figure business -What Tamara learned about the importance of confidence -How Tamra thinks about hiring and leadership -Tamara's approach to lifestyle design -How Tamara discovered she was depressed and what she decided to do about it -Tamara's first experience in a sensory deprivation tank -and much more Say hi Tamara on Instagram and Twitter: @NaturalHairRule Tell me what you thought about this episode: @LisaNicoleBell Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB111

This is a solo Q+A episode featuring 2 questions from listeners. This episode is long but meaty. I lay out my process for getting out of a funk, how I keep my mental state elevated on a daily basis, and more. Question 1: As I was on the train this morning and listening to the Kirk Moore episode, I reflected on a meetup I had last night with an established entrepreneur/digital nomad. I rarely vent, especially about things I'd categorize as negative, but I did mention to her that every now and then I feel discouraged. I try not to, but it's sometimes inevitable to compare yourself to someone else. I don't think it's always a bad thing and I usually label it as something to aspire to be/do rather than be jealous. That word makes me cringe. It was crazy that as soon as I figured I'd inquire about that, Kirk began to speak on this topic. Usually I'll get myself together and remind myself why I'm doing what I'm doing, why my journey is unique, and why I can still succeed. I live by the saying "what's for me is for

Have you ever felt like you were too old (or too something) to go after a dream? This week's guest is the talented, smart, and gorgeous Jamila Daniel. After a career in entertainment journalism and a stint working for the Rachel Maddow show, Jamila decided to start all over as an intern (yes, really) to get the job of her dreams: staff writer on a television show. In this episode, Jamila lets me in on her path to pursuing her passion. We talk about the hard times she had moving to LA (she didn't even know how to drive when she got to the city) and how she had to humble herself to get experience, even when it meant working under people much younger than her. We also cover a lot of other great topics including dealing with setbacks and dark days, dating in LA, Jamila's approach to her craft, and much more. It's never too late to pursue your biggest, most passion-inducing dream. Jamila is living proof. Say hi to Jamila on Twitter and tell her what you thought of this episode: @jamiladaniel Show Notes: http://bit

Season 6 is here! We've got a lot of catching up to do. If you want to skip all the hugs, kisses, and housekeeping, jump ahead to about the 20 minute mark to begin this amazing conversation. What would you do if you came into millions of dollars as a result of something you made or built? My guest in this episode, Eric Bahn, tells me the story of starting and growing his scrappy startup (including amazing advice on getting things popping when you have no money) and went on to sell it. He and his wife decided to travel the world, but things got dicey after that. You might wonder how somebody who's deemed "rich" could have any issues with work, but Eric opens up about how he ended up taking a job that turned him into a grumpy guy. There's a lot of other great advice tucked away in this conversation. We cover: -the important lessons Eric learned during and after the time he sold his company -"finding time" to work on passion projects AND be with family and friends -why Eric quit his job at Facebook to work on a

I'm closing out this amazing season with my recap of the season's highlight, the three things you should check out during the show's hiatus, and what I'm currently working on. Recapped episodes: 83 - Colin Wright 88 - The Strangest Secret 93 - Bea Arthur 94 - Christina Jones 96 - Gunnar Lovelace 102 - Kirk Moore 100 - Joyful Ambition   Q+A episodes: 91, 97, 103 || Birthday Episode: 87 As always, thanks for listening. Season 6 drops December 1! In the meantime, subscribe to the show on iTunes and/or sign up for my monthly mashup of funny and inspiring musings at LisaNicoleBell.com.  

This week's guest is writer/producer Ben Watkins who is the creator of the Amazon show, Hand of God. This is one of my favorite episodes ever. Ben was amazingly transparent about his journey and offered up excellent advice on life, work, and creativity. In this conversation, we cover: -How Ben got his start in Hollywood -Ben's thoughts on leadership, creativity, and dealing with tough days -Ben's leaps from actor to writer to showrunner -How Ben learned to keep his ego in check -and much more This conversation was in depth, meaty, and full of hard won wisdom. Say hi to Ben and tell him what you think of the episode: @_Benipedia_ Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB106

The talented, gorgeous, and inspiring actress Simone Missick joins me to talk about her path from struggle to success as a star on Marvel's Luke Cage series on Netflix. This conversation is full of inspiring stories, wisdom, and much more. We cover: -Simone's leap from waiting tables to pursuing her dream -How Simone kept herself going during the dark times in her career -Simone's approach to daily motivation and focus -How Simone got cast in Luke Cage (this story will restore your faith in possibilities) -Simone's most important life lessons -and much more! Say hi to Simone and tell her what you thought on Instagram or Twitter: @simonemissick Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB105

This week's guest is Monique Woodard, a venture partner at 500 Startups and one of the few black female VCs. During this chat, we talk about her early days, her career in the music business, her path to starting her first company, her dating experiences as a powerful woman, and much more. Monique also serves up excellent advice for current and aspiring founders. Hit Monique up and say hi! @moniquewoodard Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB104

This week's episode is a Q+A answering questions about how to find new friends once you've overhauled your life and what to do when you feel stuck. In the first answer, I share my approach to building new personal friendships (and how badly I used to suck at it), how I approach "networking", why values are a pre-req for having great relationships and more. In the second answer, I share ways I've gotten myself unstuck, the best questions to ask yourself to get to the next level, and why patience is supremely important. Share your feedback and thoughts with me @LisaNicoleBell  

Super talented writer Kirk Moore stops by to chat with me about his journey from broke to breakthrough as an artist. We talk about his beginnings in Houston, how he honed his craft, and his path to professional writing. This episode is a must-listen if you've ever questioned whether you were pursuing the right thing, if you find yourself feeling stuck or disappointed by how your path is unfolding or if you plain ol feel like a failure who will never get it together. Kirk was very transparent and shared the story of how he persevered through setback after setback while sleeping on a friend's couch and eventually found himself working with Academy Award winner John Ridley on ABC's hit show, American Crime. This is probably one of my top 5 favorite episodes out of the 100+ I've done. Again, if you're building anything of your own (a career, an artistic path, a business, whatever), you'll find lots of gems and wisdom in this conversation. This episode is really long but really good. Like episode 85 with Willie Ja

Cross Culture Ventures founder Marlon Nichols joins me to chat about his path from corporate consultant to passionate venture capitalist. We also talk about the traits great founders share, how Marlon thinks about new opportunities, and his advice on pitching. Say hi to Marlon on Twitter: @marloncnichols Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB101

This solo episode deals with how to pursue big ambitions with sanity and joy. I cover a lot of stuff: borrowing from the future, defining success, goals vs milestones, popularity vs purpose, and much more. It's a dose of real talk, inspiration, and my usual shenanigans sprinkled throughout. Let me know what you think on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram: @LisaNicoleBell Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB100

This week’s guest is Doreen Bloch, founder and CEO of Poshly, a data company focused on beauty. Besides being one of my favorite people, Doreen is whip smart, super talented, and very passionate. During this chat, we covered a lot: -Doreen’s experience growing up in Silicon Valley -Doreen’s thoughts on the American education system -Tips and wisdom for pitching to investors -Where the idea for Poshly came from -How she handles tough times -and much more! Say hi to Doreen on Twitter and tell her what you thought of the show: @DoreenBloch Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB099

This week's guest is Tiffany Smith-Anoa'i, EVP of Diversity, Inclusion & Communications at CBS Television. After making a role for herself at Nike, she went on to do PR for comedian Sinbad before landing at CBS and rising through the ranks. Tiffany is brilliant at advocating for herself and translating her passion into tangible vehicles to get what she wants. We talk about that and much more in this conversation. TOPICS COVERED (partial list) -Tiffany's journey from sports journalism intern to EVP at one of the world's largest entertainment companies -How Tiffany created a role for herself at Nike -Tiffany's approach to going after she wants and negotiating to get it -Tiffany's advice to her younger self -and much more! Say hi to Tiffany on Twitter: @TSmithAnoai SHOW NOTES: http://bit.ly/BTB98

This week's episode is a Q+A answering questions on how I created my values-based filters that I use to make key decisions and why time is more important than money. There's one more Q+A episode coming up this season so if you have a question, email me at btb@lisanicolebell.com Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB097

This week's guest is the smart and heart-centered Gunnar Lovelace. He's the co-founder and co-CEO of Thrive Market, an online market offering top-selling healthy brands delivered to your doorstep for wholesale prices. I'm a huge fan of the company and this conversation made me a fan of Gunnar. If you've ever considered starting a company based on a passion or if you're a current or aspiring leader of any kind, this episode is a must listen. I pull back the curtain on Gunnar's journey as an entrepreneur and big thinker. We covered a LOT including: -Gunnar's journey from growing up on a communal farm to running a $100M+ company -how Gunnar thinks about failure -how Gunnar chose his cofounders (great advice here if you ever want to start something with another person) -work/life harmony -why Gunnar kept pushing after being rejected by 50 venture capital firms (their most recent round was $100M so...yeah) -and much more! Let me know what you think of this episode: @LisaNicoleBell Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB96

The brilliant life strategist Rosetta Thurman joins me again to catch up on life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. As the founder of Happy Black Woman, Rosetta leads a thriving community of women aspiring to be, do, and have the best.   In this chat, we cover a lot... -how Rosetta thinks about lifestyle design (and why she decided to move to Hawaii) -Rosetta's approach to romantic relationships as a successful woman -why Rosetta loves therapy and what she gains from it -Rosetta's advice to anyone feeling stuck or struggling to make a big transition in life -the time management habits that keep Rosetta relaxed and productive -why assistants, housekeepers, and other "fancy" services aren't unrealistic -the importance of being committed yet flexible with your goals -And much more! Let me + Rosetta know what you thought of this episode on Twitter: I'm @LisaNicoleBell and she's @HappyBlackWoman Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB095