The Hoffman Podcast

Arielle D’Angelo, LGBTQ+ Self-Love and Empowerment Coach and Founder of WeTheRainbow, serves up wisdom, kindness, and helpful guidance for the coming out journey. Arielle was fighting the idea that she was queer. She came to the Hoffman Process in 2016, hoping to find a way not to be gay. In a pivotal moment of her Process, Arielle remembers standing under the redwood trees at White Sulphur Springs, on the bridge looking out at the water, and feeling, for the first time in her life, full acceptance for all that she is. She left the Process with complete self-acceptance and self-love for all of who she is. Arielle’s message is for all of us. As Sharon, Arielle’s host for this conversation, offers, this message can be helpful for anyone. So many of us are on a journey to complete self-acceptance and self-love. This is a process of coming out to ourselves first and then to others. More About Arielle D’Angelo Arielle is an LGBTQ+ Self-Love and Empowerment Coach, Multi-Media Creator, and Founder of WeTheRainbow, an LGBTQ+ Personal Development Organization. Her mission is to help LGBTQ+ humans live empowered and liberated lives rooted in radical self-love and authenticity. After graduating from Tulane University in 2017, Arielle was certified as a Master Practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Clinical Hypnotherapy, EFT & Time Techniques. Additionally, she is a Trauma-Informed Practitioner, a Certified Reiki Practitioner, and a Certified Holistic Health Coach. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Arielle is passionate about guiding others to speak, live, and embody their truth. Furthermore, she believes everyone deserves to live a joyful life where they can live and love authentically. Arielle founded WeTheRainbow to bring connection and healing to the LGBTQ+ community through transformational events, coaching, and community. Through the wide range of her work, Arielle inspires queer humans to live with more compassion, acceptance, and love, while embracing every aspect of their LGBTQ+ identity. Find out more about Arielle on Instagram and TikTok. Learn more about WeTheRainbow on Instagram. As Mentioned in This Episode: LGBTQ, LBGTQ+, and Queer – Arielle mentions both in this conversation. Read more about these and their meanings here at ok2beme.ca. Coming Out – “Coming out is a lifelong process that has both intrapersonal and interpersonal components, although most people have an initial phase where they are first coming out to themselves.” – https://lgbtq.unc.edu/  

Chris Pan has already led a full life. When asked about his fascinating journey from a young boy in Taiwan who moved to the US without knowing English, to Harvard Business School, and to working as an early employee of Facebook, he references the game, Zelda. Chris explains that life is a journey in which you pick up a tool with each chapter you live. Eventually, all the tools support you in the ultimate purpose you are here to live. Chris now joyfully engages in his life purpose. As a result, he uses the tools he found along the way, in service to the joyful, powerful work he does in the world. Chris attended the Hoffman Process in 2013 after a difficult relationship breakup. A friend told him about the Process and that it can provide deep healing, quickly. Wanting to be out of the pain he was feeling, Chris registered right away. Post-Process, Chris started this new life of spreading joy and healing. This episode of Love’s Everyday Radius is full of delights. Chris’ engaging life story, his commitment to bringing more joy and play into the world, and his generous singing and guitar playing (you’ll hear him sing two songs), are examples of how the change that happens within each of us as a result of doing the Process can ripple out into the everyday radius of our lives. More About Chris Pan: What’s Your WORD? Chris Pan is the founder of MyIntent.org. He has helped millions of people find their intentions, including Beyonce, Elon, and Melania. VOMO (VOICE MOVEMENT), Chris’ new project, makes group singing fun, uplifting, and cathartic. His vision is to have the world sing together and live with intent. Chris has an MBA from Harvard. He started his career as a senior consultant at McKinsey, marketing director at PepsiCo, and an early employee at Facebook. He attended the Hoffman Process in 2013 and realized how emotionally constipated and spiritually disconnected he was. After graduating, he set the intention to help others become more emotionally and spiritually connected. Find out more about Chris on Instagram and Linkedin. Find out more about VOMO on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: The quote Chris refers to: “In many shamanic societies, if you came to a shaman or medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions. When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop being enchanted by stories? When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence? Where we have stopped dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories, or finding comfort in silence is where we have experienced the loss of soul. Dancing, singing, storytelling, and silence are the four universal healing salves.”― Gabrielle Roth Healing Rain: One of the songs Chris sings comes from a popular song by Prince. Chris changed the title and lyrics to reflect the healing during the Process and in his work. International School of Beijing    

Trecey Chittenden, Hoffman grad and the previous Facilities Director at Earthrise Retreat Center, now Hoffman Process Retreat Center, shares a bounty of stories about the land and history of our new retreat site. Trecey discovered the Process while working at Earthrise long before it became Hoffman’s new home. Three years later, she was struggling and decided to do the Process. It had a profound effect on her. Two eventful years ago, Trecey reached out to the Hoffman Institute to share that Earthrise was available for the Process after White Sulphur Springs was lost in the Glass fire. Listen as Trecey shares the amazing connection and synchronicity between the Hoffman Process, Astronaut Edgar Mitchell (a Hoffman grad), and Earthrise/IONS. Thank you, Trecey, for your help in bringing Hoffman to Earthrise. Something amazing to witness is how Hoffman students transform over the week during the Process. Trecey shares with Liz the joy she experienced witnessing their transformation. When new students would arrive, Trecey would help to get them settled into their rooms for the week ahead. As she says, often during the first two days, people can look sort of stiff and unsure. By day three, students begin to relax and find their footing. And by day seven, it’s hard to recognize them they’ve changed so much. Trecey wonders if all the different kinds of work and the energy of the land both play a role in students’ transformation. More about Trecey Chittenden: Born in Los Angeles in 1969, Trecey moved with her family to Hawaii when she was six months old. At eight, Trecey moved to New Hampshire where she lived until she was eighteen. She attended Waldorf schools from pre-K through 12th grade, which set the stage for her to be a more creative and imaginative person. After graduating High School, Trecey traveled around Europe and the Caribbean for the next few years before moving to San Francisco for work. Three years later, she moved to Stinson Beach, a small town outside of San Francisco, to raise her son. She came to work in the kitchen at EarthRise IONS through her work in restaurants. Trecey worked for IONS on the retreat center side for fourteen years as the Executive Chef for nine years, then as the retreat center Assistant Director, then as Facilities Director. This is how she came to hear about the Hoffman Process. You won’t see Trecey at the Hoffman retreat site in the future. She’s moved to Maine to be closer to family. As mentioned in this episode: White Sulphur Springs and the Glass Fire Astronaut, Edgar Mitchell: A crewmember of Apollo 14, Edgar Mitchell was the 6th man to walk on the moon. On his return to Earth during the Apollo 14 flight, it is said that Mitchell had a powerful savikalpa samādhi experience. Mitchell did the Hoffman Process in 1987. IONS: Institute of Noetic Sciences Waldorf Education A three-day residential, or virtual, retreat to continue the deep transformational work you did at the Process. Norse Mythology The legacy labyrinth at Hoffman’s retreat site is one of six labyrinths worldwide to be named a legacy labyrinth. Trecey mentions the beautiful oak trees at our Hoffman Retreat Center, sharing that they have amazing personalities, are full of wisdom, and are great partners in healing.    

Wait till you hear this conversation with Drew and Elle Newlands, actor, voice-over artist, musician, and Hoffman graduate. This is both a deep and delightful episode. Elle offers a vulnerability that is a gift to all who hear her story. Elle’s past trauma made it difficult to surrender to the Process. She was anxious in the beginning so her teacher worked with her to do specific exercises to release what was in the way. The Process is like this. Student and teacher work together to ensure that as the week progresses, the student’s Process holds the best outcome for their transformation. Elle and her Process mates experienced a flood during their Process. They were asked to evacuate by the fire department and did so, ending up at a hotel. If you’ve done the Process, you can imagine how disruptive this was, considering the very open state students are experiencing during the Process. With skillful organization and care, the students continued their Process work at the hotel. When Elle did the Q2 – the graduate intensive weekend, there was a wildfire close to White Sulphur Springs. The winds were so strong that the area needed to be evacuated, so Elle and everyone left to go home early. After returning home to the Los Angeles area after her Q2, she was evacuated again. There was a wildfire in that area, too. Listen in to hear how Elle, after realizing what life was showing her, was able to listen and learn from these experiences. More about Elle Newlands: Elle Newlands is a hybrid, which makes her complicated, but she is okay with that. An actress, photographer, and writer, she spends her days juggling characters, words, and pictures. Originally from Scotland, she is currently enjoying the sunshine of California. In her new home, she hikes with her dog, rides her horse in the mountains, and talks to nature. Elle moved from Scotland to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music and acting. She began her voice career as a classically trained vocalist, before moving into the voiceover booth. In addition to working in commercials, animation, performance capture, narration, and audiobooks, Elle has voiced various roles in video games. She is currently the voice of Horizon in the award-winning battle royale game Apex Legends and has multiple characters in World of Warcraft, DOOM Eternal, Hearthstone, and Skylanders. Other game titles include Star Wars, The Old Republic, Lego Star Wars, Halo 4, Assassins Creed, Skyrim, Call of Duty, Asgard’s Wrath, Counterstrike – Global Offensive, Bioshock, and Darksiders 2 and 3. Animated shows include Looney Tunes, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Lego Friends, Curious George, Hot Streets, and The Adventures of Puss in Boots. In addition to acting, Elle is also going through certification to become an equine-assisted life coach. “Notes from the Ether,” her soon-to-be-released podcast, connects to the many ways in which the universe sends clear messages that we are all connected. Elle enjoys learning and speaking about the various paths to healing. You’ll find more about Elle on TikTok,Instagram, and Twitter. As mentioned in this episode: Edinburgh, Scotland Video Gaming Voice-over Casting Equine Coaching

Beloved Hoffman Process teacher and coach, Maria Cámara, is our guest this week. A pivotal moment in Maria’s Process was when she realized that whatever she had never gotten from her Mom and Dad, she would never get. A moment of true acceptance like this can be life-changing. Maria shares how liberating this moment was. The Process helped her realize that her life is her own and that she is the one responsible for it. Maria became interested in and a practitioner of Buddhism at the age of fifteen after meeting a Tibetan Buddhist lama for the first time when she was seven. She says Buddhism is “a medicine for today’s crazy world.” Being a Buddhist practitioner has supported Maria in many ways. One way has been her practice to contemplate death and to be able to be with those who are dying. Listen in as Maria shares a tender story of a loved one’s passing. More about Maria Cámara: Maria holds a Ph.D. in Family and Health Psychology from the University of Deusto, Spain. She also has a Master’s in Health Psychology from the University of Middlesex, UK, and a B.A. in Psychology from UPV, Spain. Maria is a Certified Gestalt Psychotherapist. Additionally, Maria has trained in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Emotion-focused Therapy. Maria is co-director of Hoffman International and co-director of the Hoffman Institute in Spain. She is also a Supervising Teacher of the Hoffman Process. A founding member of Bodhi Salud, a health and meditation retreat in Valencia, Spain, Maria is in private practice both in-person and virtually. As part of her spiritual path, Maria has studied extensively with renowned Buddhist meditation masters for more than 20 years in Europe, North America, and India, She has a personal daily practice on that path. As mentioned in this episode: Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Lama: Lama is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru. Maraṇasati: Contemplating Death as a Buddhist practice  

Beloved Hoffman teacher, Barbara Comstock, has been teaching the Hoffman Process for 34 years. Teaching an average of ten Processes per year means Barbara has taught well over 300 Processes. Two and a half years ago, Barbara’s husband, Jimmy, died, just three months after his diagnosis. Her journey has been rough. And yet, as you’ll hear in this conversation, Barbara’s depth of presence and ability to let go into life continue to support her through this journey of both life and death. Barbara shares that “teaching the Hoffman Process is a practice of love.” Barbara shares what this practice is to her and how it guides her both personally and professionally. As you’ll hear at the end, Drew and Barbara will meet up again for part two of this conversation. Watch for it in Season Four. If you have any questions you’d like Drew to ask Barbara when they next sit down together to record, let us know at [email protected]! More about Barbara Comstock: Barbara holds a B.A. in East Asian Studies, an M.S. in Textile Arts, and an MFA in Sculpture & Textiles. She is a Hoffman teacher and supervisor, a life coach, an art teacher, an author, and a dancer. Barbara believes, “The act of teaching the Process is a practice of love and presence. I love working with individuals in this environment. Human beings are fascinating and I am lucky to be able to support individuals to grow, to know themselves, and forgive and love themselves.” When Barbara did the Process, she found radical self-acceptance and acceptance of life and others. “I like myself and I can acknowledge mistakes (sometimes).” Barbara lives in Ashland, Oregon. As mentioned in this episode: Barbara’s Sister and fellow Hoffman teacher, Kani Comstock. City of Hope Cancer Treatment Center Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act Self-compassion break (from Kristin Neff): This is a moment of suffering. All human beings suffer. May I be kind to myself.  

Through her company, LSTN, Bridget Hilton has helped over 50,000 people hear for the first time! Listen in to hear how following what you naturally love can serve the world in amazing ways. In this illuminating episode, Bridget and Liz converse about the power of listening, the dance between music and Spirit, and healing the pain of the past through the Hoffman Process. From childhood, two things have captivated Bridget Hilton: music and the idea of starting her own company. Amazingly, these two things have guided her life of social entrepreneurship. Music is central to Bridget’s experience in many ways. One of her pivotal moments at the Process was during the exercise where the song, In the Living Years, is played. In hearing those lyrics, everything broke open for Bridget. More about Bridget Hilton: Bridget Hilton is a social entrepreneur who creates purpose-driven brands. In 2012, she started LSTN as the world’s first social-good electronics company. Since its inception, LSTN has sold millions of eco-friendly headphones and speakers. Through their partnership with Starkey Hearing Foundation, LSTN has helped over 50,000 people hear for the first time. Working on the ground in places such as Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Peru, Sri Lanka, Mexico, China, Indonesia, and the U.S. Access to hearing aids has improved the lives of these individuals, their families, and communities. This, in turn, has since created a positive ripple effect with millions of people around the world. Bridget is the author of Experiential Billionaire: Build a Life Rich in Experiences and Die With No Regrets. She has received both Forbes and Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 awards. Bridget has been interviewed on the Today Show, Good Morning America, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and more. She sits on advisory boards at UCLA and UCSB. Bridget grew up in Flint, MI. She now lives in Malibu, CA, and is an avid reader, home chef, and adventure junkie. Bridget and a Goldendoodle named Taco are best friends. You can find out more about Bridget here and on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: Hoffman Essentials: The Hoffman Essentials is a 2-day virtual intensive, experiential program where students are immersed in the essential concepts of the Hoffman Process. Conscious Capitalism: Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey and marketing professor and speaker Raj Sisodia conceived of and popularized the concept of conscious capitalism in their book, Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business. The nonprofit organization, Conscious Capitalism, has chapters in more than two dozen U.S. cities and 10 other countries. Social Enterprise: “A social enterprise or social business is defined as a business with specific social objectives that serve its primary purpose.” – definition from Investopedia.   Sloan Churman hears herself for the first time. In the Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics    

Andy Tennant, screenwriter, actor, and film and television director, experienced a profound rebirth during his week at the Hoffman Process. Listen in as Andy speaks with Drew about his Process and working in Hollywood as a director and writer. Everyone who does the Process works with their relationship with their parents. From the start of his Process, it was clear that a part of Andy’s Process would also be to work with his relationship with his sister. Andy calls his week at the Process “revelatory.” He shares with us the power of the expressive, cathartic work of the Process. For Andy, the opportunity to express what had long been stored in his body was a great gift. He felt so much relief from releasing the grief, shame, anger, and more. Andy was able to forgive his father – something he never thought he would be able to do. Andy offers that the Process is like “going back into the womb.” He shares that his healing wasn’t like a lightning bolt but rather more like a soufflé in its lightness. As Andy talks about his life post-Process, he says he is more open to embracing his mortality and feels lucky and lighter. More about Andy Tennant: A native of Chicago, Andy studied theatre at USC. His first job in the business was as a dancer named Artie in the blockbuster musical, “Grease.” He followed that by directing hit television shows, “The Wonder Years” and “Sliders.” Andy has directed some of the most successful romantic comedies of all time. These include “Hitch,” starring Will Smith and Kevin James; “Sweet Home Alabama,” starring Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas. Prior to that, he co-wrote and directed the romantic fable “Ever After,” with Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston. He then directed the epic drama “Anna and the King,” starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat. Andy’s last two action comedies, “Fool’s Gold,” starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, which he co-wrote, and “The Bounty Hunter,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, brought his total worldwide box office to over a billion dollars. His latest feature, ‘The Secret,’ based on Rhonda Byrne’s international best-seller, starring Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas, began streaming on Amazon Prime in July 2020. For the last three years, Tennant has been directing and producing Chuck Lorre’s hit Netflix comedy, ‘The Kominsky Method,’ starring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. Andy lives in Los Angeles with his wife and four children, three of whom are triplets. As mentioned in this episode: The Uses of Enchantment: Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, by Bruno Bettelheim Preston Sturges: American playwright, screenwriter, and film director who wrote Sullivan’s Travels and other Great Depression Comedies. Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey The Berlin Film Festival & Hitch Daily Gratitude and Appreciation Practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram The death of Andy’s friend, Bob Saget  

Jess Rona, dog groomer extraordinaire, star of Haute Dog on HBOMax, comedienne, and new Process graduate talks with Drew about self-compassion, vindictiveness toward self, and something Jess calls the Hoffman Flip. When Jess first came to the Process, she heard only whispers from her Spiritual Self. Now, her Dark Side is only a whisper while her Spiritual Self guides her life. Jess calls this flip between the Spiritual Self and the Dark Side, The Hoffman Flip. One of the most valuable things Jess took away from the Process is her ability to be compassionate with herself. Jess shares with Drew how she softened into her own humanity. When she came to understand where her patterns came from, she realized that of course, she’s like this. This realization opened the door even wider to deep self-compassion. Enjoy this vulnerable, engaging, and funny conversation with Drew and Jess. More about Jess Rona: Jess Rona is the most influential dog groomer today. She’s built a devoted following on social media with her signature musical slow-mo blowout videos and impressive celebrity pet clientele. A skilled groomer, content creator, and comedian Jess has created a multi-dimensional grooming empire. After releasing her digital grooming courses, she has solidified her position as a leader and expert in the grooming industry. Jess is the executive producer and star of the most adorable competition series of all time: Haute Dog on HBOMax inspired by her life and brand. When she’s not creating poodle content you, can find her at her unique flagship brick-and-mortar in Larchmont Village in Los Angeles. Or you might find her snuggling with her husband, actor Eric Edelstein, and their rescue mutts, Meemu and Chupie. You’ll find more about Jess and her products and services here and on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. As mentioned in this episode: Kristen Neff: The three steps of self-compassion. Listen to Kristen Neff on the Hoffman Podcast. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor & 90 seconds: When we feel and witness the physiological sensations in our body without reacting, the emotion dissipates within 90 seconds. If we continue to feel it after 90 seconds, we’re choosing to ruminate on and stay connected to the thoughts. Listen to Dr. Taylor on the Hoffman Podcast. Hoffman Process Terminology: Awareness Hell: In awareness hell, we are aware of our patterns and the things we wish we didn’t do, but we are still unable to change. We understand but feel stuck in this place of hell even though our awareness keeps expanding. Our work must include three additional steps: Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation. Right Road, Left Road & the awkward feeling of your new path: Those first steps onto the right road can feel awkward like learning to ride a bike. Even so, we have to keep stepping forward onto the Right Road as we navigate this new unfamiliar place of connecting and living from our Spiritual Self. Too often we stay on the Left Road, hanging onto the known familiarity of it despite its cost in our lives. Be. Do. Have.: We live in a world that puts the BE at the end. Our parent’s patterns and the patterns and messages we get from society tell us that we must always be doing something. Generally, that means working: working to make money or working on ourselves. “Don’t just sit there, do something!” Then, if we DO those things, we will HAVE the right job, enough money, the right relationship, the right group of friends, live in the right neighborhood, etc. When those first two are in place we will BE happy and content. Well, that messaging is a pattern. And it’s not the truth. We have to put BE first and focus and feed our being. We need to engage in the tools and practices that support our being. When we are not in our patterns and are more connected to our Spiritual Selves with an integrated Quadrinity, the action of DO comes much more naturally and authentically. Doing from a grounded place of being will yield far better results. Then, as a final step, the HAVE – the intimate partnership, the house, the community, the job – will fall into place naturally through the first two steps. BE DO HAVE is the way to go!    

There are so many possible titles for this amazing conversation with best-selling author and internationally-known thought leader, Ken Druck. Grief Literacy; The Harm in Superficial Positive Thinking; Hope Loves Company. Ken ties all of this brilliant wisdom he shares with us into, “Leaving a Legacy of Love.” The Hoffman Process heals us so that love can flow and flourish within us and through us. Healing such as this is possible in the Process when we surrender to the Process. Listen in as Ken shares a pivotal moment from his Process when he deeply surrendered. That moment was a point of transformation for Ken and is a profoundly moving experience to witness. A Hoffman grad of many years and a member of Hoffman’s Advisory Council, Ken’s life and his work of service in the world are a testament to how one’s challenges can alchemize into a blossoming legacy of love. More about Ken Druck: Dr. Ken Druck is a best-selling author, Executive Coach/Consultant, and internationally known thought leader. He has helped countless individuals, families, organizations, and communities turn their greatest losses and challenges into opportunities for becoming the best version of themselves. Ken has inspired and guided his clients, readers, audiences, and the general public for over 45 years. This inspiring work with people all over has earned him the prestigious Distinguished Contribution to Psychology and Visionary Leadership award. His work in healing after loss, parenting, civility, relationships, and aging has helped shape our worldviews. Ken’s groundbreaking books and CDs are The Real Rules of Life, Secrets Men Keep, Healing Your Life After the Loss of a Loved One, Courageous Aging, Raising an Aging Parent, and The Self-Care Handbook. Ken founded the Jenna Druck Center in 1996 to honor his daughter, Jenna. The Center’s award-winning Families Helping Families program provided free grief support services to those who lost loved ones at 9-11, Sandy Hook, and Columbine, to name a few. Ken speaks and conducts training and classes for distinguished audiences worldwide. These include The United Nations, Harvard School of Public Health, Young Presidents Organization, and the University of California, San Diego, Medical School. His work is featured regularly on CNN, PBS specials, top newspapers, and social media sites. Ken lives, is a community leader, and maintains a coaching/consulting practice in San Diego, California. You can find out more about Ken and his many programs here. Also, listen in on a conversation with Ken on YouTube where he speaks of leaving a legacy of love rather than a legacy of chaos. As mentioned in this episode: How we go on after a loss: The Six Honorings    

Today’s episode with Barbara Arrowsmith-Young and Drew will open your mind to new possibilities in how to change your brain. Barbara is an innovator and author in the field of neuroeducation. Used worldwide, her work utilizing the principles of neuroplasticity to enhance cognitive functioning was begun in 1978. Barbara’s vision is to put the brain into the education equation. She is passionate about enhancing “the learner’s ability to engage with what is out there in the external world.” To support herself in bringing this gift she’d created into the world, Barbara came to the Hoffman Process in 1996. In other words, she had a vision but needed to clear the negative behaviors, moods, and ways of thinking standing in her way. As a result, Barbara has made and continues to make her vision a reality. Looking forward, she sees promise in her work to help addicts rewire their brains, as well as helping those with the cognitive impact of long-haul COVID-19. Through fierce dedication, Barbara has transformed the considerable challenges she was born with into the gift she now shares with the world. She says she won’t ever retire; and that she’ll continue to work in this area until she is “no longer here.“ More about Barbara Arrowsmith-Young: As the Director of the Arrowsmith Program, others have recognized Barbara’s work as one of the first examples of the practical application of neuroplasticity to address learning difficulties. Barbara continues to engage in research to understand how we can drive neuroplastic change in the brain to benefit learners worldwide. Born with severe learning disabilities, Barbara received the diagnosis of having a mental block in grade one. Another way of saying this in today’s world would be multiple learning disabilities. Barbara read and wrote everything backward. In addition, processing concepts in language was difficult for her, she continuously got lost and was physically uncoordinated. Through heroic effort, Barbara eventually learned to read and write from left to right and mask a number of the symptoms of her learning disabilities. Relying on her formidable memory and iron will, she attended graduate school. There she chanced upon research that inspired her to invent cognitive exercises to “fix” her own brain. Barbara’s book, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain, interweaves her own tale with riveting case histories from her more than thirty years of working with both children and adults. You can learn more about Barbara here and at the links below. Links to learn more about Barbara Arrowsmith-Young:   TEDx talk: The Woman Who Changed Her Brain: Barbara Arrowsmith-Young at TEDxToronto   Presentation: Changing Brains, Exploring a New Reality: Neuroplasticity and Learning. Research Overview (downloadable PDF) Free Webinar Series: Shaping Our Brain: How Neuroplasticity Can Enrich Our Lives Free Book Downloads: The Brain Pioneer, by Howard Eaton (a children’s book) Brain School, by Howard Eaton As mentioned in this episode: Barbara Burke, beloved Hoffman Process teacher, and coach. Alexander Romanovich Luria: Neuropsychologist, often said to be the father of modern neuropsychology. It was Luria’s book, The Man with the Shattered World, that changed Barbara’s world. Mark Richard Rosenzweig: Research psychologist at Berkeley.    

Katie and Liz engage in this insightful conversation about the intersection of sobriety and the Hoffman Process. How can the Process support the journey of sobriety? And, how can the journey of sobriety deepen one’s engagement in the Process itself and one’s post-Process experience? After getting sober in 2014, Katie did the Process in the Spring of 2016. After completing the Process, Katie found a way to integrate her Hoffman work into her program of sobriety. Katie came to the Process to help heal her relationship with her mother whom Katie was caring for. Her mother was facing end-stage liver failure due to alcoholism. As an alcoholic herself, Katie was deeply compassionate toward others who were working a program of sobriety. But, it was different with her mother. She resented her drinking and other behaviors. Through the Process, Katie was able to heal her relationship with her mother as well as her resentment toward her mother’s drinking by exploring what her mother’s life was like before Katie being born. This helped Katie see her mother as a person whole unto herself and see her mother’s pain separate from her own. One of the big things Katie gained from the Process is a sense of neutrality – that people aren’t doing things to her and she doesn’t have to assume bad intent. Katie calls herself a liberal atheist, and as such, she found the ‘God concept’ hard. During the Process, it wasn’t hard for her to tap into her Spiritual Self. She realizes now that her Spiritual Self brought her to that first Twelve Step meeting, guided her to ask for a sponsor, and ultimately brought her to the Process. On a happy note, Katie’s mother’s health is much better. More about Katie: Katie is a Jane of all trades who embodies self-awareness and conscientiousness in everything she does. Her background in art led her to a career in the design tech space where she gets to combine her hunger for business and creativity in San Francisco. As an ex-gymnast, the Hoffman Process helped her separate her perfectionism from her innate love for movement. As a result, she now does acrobatics at a local circus gym. When she’s not working or doing backflips, Katie is working on her latest woodworking project, training her deaf dog Ruby, cooking up her favorite vegetarian dishes, and enjoying the city’s best coffee. As mentioned in this episode: The Twelve Steps and A.A. The Dark Side: Katie and Liz talk about the Dark Side (the aggregate of one’s negative patterns). Katie had related her alcoholism to something like the Dark Side, but when she learned about the Dark Side at the Process and was no longer drinking, she came to see that the Dark Side wasn’t just her alcoholism. It was also her anxiety and all the ways she tries to soothe herself in moments when life gets difficult. H.A.L.T.: is an acronym used within the recovery community. Am I hungry, angry, lonely, or tired? As Katie says, it’s like a mini-quad check.    

We begin Season four with a powerful conversation with Liz Severin, Hoffman teacher and coach, and our newest podcast co-host. Welcome to the Show, Liz! Liz completed the Hoffman Process about five years ago. Living in a small town in Texas, she’d never heard of the Process but found it through a Google search. Feeling a deep sense of loss of Self and hearing a question inside, “Who am I?” that she didn’t know how to answer, she enrolled. Liz says she truly had no idea what she was getting into. Liz shares how working with our Negative Love patterns helps us know ourselves better. She specifically mentions a pattern of being fiercely independent and feeling like she had to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. After doing the Process, she now sees that fierce independence is a quality of her Spiritual Self. Liz honors her resilience and openness, chooses independence, and knows when to ask for help. She explains this as the difference between being pattern-led and Spirit-led. The Process can heal so much within us if we are committed to doing the work. Liz shares a very tender experience highlighting how deep the healing can go. As a Hoffman teacher, Liz has dedicated her life to helping others navigate the darkness within in service of finding themselves and their inner light. Liz often says, “I don’t know how we’re going to get through this, but I know we’re going to get through this.” More about Liz Severin: With a master’s degree in Communication Disorders, Liz works as a hospital-based speech-language pathologist supporting neurological patients to recover their cognitive and language skills and swallowing abilities after various traumas. As a Hoffman teacher, her loving presence guides students to rediscover their own inner-knowing, cultivate self-love, and rediscover their purpose. Born in Norway, Liz lived all over the world before moving to the US for high school. Growing up overseas opened Liz’s eyes to a diversity of languages and cultures. It also gave her a deep sense of curiosity about life and people. When she is not teaching the Process, seeing patients, or hosting guests on the podcast, Liz leads a busy life. She runs a small embroidery business, moonlights at a venture capital firm, coaches clients, explores outside, and loves chatting up strangers. Liz enjoys the cold beaches and quiet foggy mornings of her home away from home, the San Francisco Bay Area. As mentioned in this episode: Spirit-led: Liz describes her sense of being spirit-led as surrender to life – “tapping into the deepest layers of my inner being, and trusting and allowing that to take form.” Patterns: Negative Love patterns form the Dark Side and keep us from living our lives in a place of love. Dark Side: The collection of all of our Negative Love Patterns.  

We wrap up our abundant season three with A Taste of 2021! Our co-hosts, Sharon Mor and Drew Horning, came together to reflect on season three of The Hoffman Process. They listened to many rich moments sprinkled throughout this season and shared with each other the moments that particularly touched them in some way. Drew Horning and Sharon Mor In A Taste of 2021, Sharon and Drew weave these memories together with the experiences they’ve had and the wisdom they’ve gleaned from both hosting this podcast, as well as teaching the Hoffman Process. Each episode of The Hoffman Podcast is filled with heartwarming stories of how Hoffman Process graduates’ lives and the lives of those around them are changed as a result of their work in the Process. These stories offer a glimpse of how change ripples out into the world through the everyday radius of our lives. People come to The Hoffman Process when they are serious about change. The Process has supported changes in the lives of over 100,000 graduates, as well as the lives that each graduate touches. The Hoffman Podcast will be on hiatus until mid-February, 2022. We look forward to creating a new season full of stories with you that tell tales of love’s everyday radius. INTRIGUED by the ‘A TASTE OF 2021’ SHORT CLIPS? If you are intrigued by what you’ve heard, take a listen to the full episode of each Hoffman graduate highlighted. Meander through this list to discover more about the Process and how taking it can bring change to you, your life, and the lives of those you love. These are a sampling of season three’s 32 episodes. You’ll find all of the episodes from all three seasons of our podcast offer a beautiful window into the experience of being human. As mentioned in this episode: Hope Edelman: More Vulnerable, More Fierce Julio Alvarez: The Gifts of Forgiveness Wilma Mae Basta: From Patterns to SuperPowers Marlene McNab: Healing Intergenerational Trauma Indigenous Wisdom: Anita Sanchez, Elizabeth Lindsey, Tim Harjo Hilary Illick: Accepting Our Imperfection Cynthia Merchant: Trauma and the Process of Healing Dan Sterling: I Live in Massive Forgiveness Eboni Williams: Spirit of Disruption Jason-Aeric Huenecke: A Joy For Living Paula and Tim Floyd: Living the Process, Together Busy Philipps: A Beautiful Space for Peace and Freedom to Exist   SEE YOU IN 2022!    

Canadian Hoffman teacher and visual artist, Jamie MacRae, is our guest this week. Jamie has been teaching the Hoffman Process for 30 years. He taught middle and high school for 42 years, while also heading an art department. He knows about creativity as a way of life. Jamie did the Process in 1990 in Ontario. It was only the second Process to be held in Canada, Just two years later, he trained to become a Hoffman teacher, becoming the first Canadian Hoffman-certified teacher. The gifts of the Process were many for Jamie. In doing the deep work that week, he found his truths. He also found the tools and practices he has used to live a life of authenticity, a life lived on his own terms. In this conversation with Drew, Jamie shares many wise words of experience about creativity he’s learned from both teaching and making art. Listen in as Jamie shares what every child (and adult) needs. Knowing this one thing can fundamentally shift our human relationships. MORE ABOUT JAMIE MACRAE: My City 84 24x 48 Mixed Media on Wooden Panel with Resin For 41 years, Jamie was an Art Educator and Head of Visual and Media Art. Immersed in an environment implementing technology in the various teaching formats available to students, he became interested in digital photography and the ability to transform his images in a digital darkroom instead of a traditional darkroom. My City: Impressions 103 Jamie originally trained in printmaking. Therefore, keeping his design background within the framework of his pieces is important. Now retired from teaching, he is following his artistic path. Jamie’s artwork attempts to make a connection between the vibrant urban energy of Toronto and its iconic symbols and locations. The images play with the juxtaposition of abstraction and urbanity, with a realistic undertone. Starting with the Process 30 years ago, Jamie’s journey has led him to where he finds himself today. In the trio of awareness, will, and action, Jamie finds action to be the most important step to take. Taking action truly has fostered his growth in the area of his creativity and personal life. Discover Jamie MacRae’s art and his cityscapes of Toronto. Learn more about his artist’s journey. Finally, discover more about Jamie MacRae’s journey through the Process and beyond as a Process teacher. AS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: Jane Jacobs Jane Jacobs moved from the US to Toronto in 1968, bringing her vision and many skills as an urban planner to Toronto. Her work helped shape the city in numerous ways Hoffman Tools and Practices Use Hoffman Process tools, practices, and audio tools to deepen your connection to your Quadrinity. Jamie offers a distinction between Hoffman Process tools and practices. He finds tools useful in fixing something that isn’t working. Alternately, he shares that, “Practices are things I do on a daily basis that keep me connected to my authentic Spiritual Self.”  

Beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, Lisa Wenger, is our guest this week. Lisa has been a part of the Hoffman world since 1989 when she did the Process in Austria. What brought Lisa to the Process? Her brother had taken the Process and afterward, Lisa saw the sparkle in his eyes. Lisa realized that she wanted that same sparkle back. After her Process, she knew her sparkle had returned because she could feel it in her Being. While in the middle of her Process, Lisa realized she wanted to start a Hoffman center in Italy. Once she completed that, Lisa realized she wanted to teach the Process. She feels very fortunate to have trained directly with Bob Hoffman. Listen in as she shares stories of the early days of the Hoffman Process in Europe. MORE ABOUT LISA WENGER Born as the middle child between two brothers, Lisa grew up in an intellectually active family where the psychoanalyst C.G.Jung was like an “invisible” presence. Psychology was often a topic of conversation. She rebelled (silently…) and went off to live in Italy to work in fashion. Lisa took the Hoffman Process in 1989. Immediately during her Process, she felt driven to make it available in Italy. With the support of Bob Hoffman, she created the Italian Hoffman Institute and staged the first process in August 1990 where Bob was teaching. She then trained to become a Hoffman Teacher. She trained partly with Bob Hoffman, and also attended processes in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France. Lisa spent ten years serving as the Director. She left the Italian Institute in the good hands of her brother and sister-in-law to dedicate herself to teaching and supervising more internationally – in the aforementioned countries as well as the UK, Ireland, Canada, and the US. Since 2003, Lisa has been a part of the US Institute’s faculty. Recently, she stopped teaching the 7-day in-person Process. She wants to be more available to her family and her work handling the Estate of her artist aunt Méret Oppenheim (see below). You can still find Lisa teaching virtually and coaching. Lisa lives with her husband Douglas in a small village above Lake Lugano in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. HOFFMAN HISTORY IN PICTURES August ’90: 1st Process in Italy. L to R: Michael Wenger, Bob Hoffman, Lisa, Béatrice Wenger Haab Vienna, Aug ’90, 1st Intl. Hoffman Congress. Lisa (far L), Bob (front 4th from L), Raz (top far R), Kani Comstock, Barbara Comstock, Michael Wenger, Béatrice Haab. AS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Lisa now handles the Estate of her artist aunt, Méret Oppenheim. Méret was a Swiss Surrealist artist and photographer. She has been recognized as a figure of the women’s movement. In 1982, Méret Oppenheim won the Berlin Art Prize. In 2019, the city of Basel inaugurated a plaza, road, fountain, and a high-rise apartment building in the city center, all named after her. The large fountain features her sculpture Spirale (der Gang der Natur). Recently in 2018, Oppenheim was the subject of a short documentary, Gloria’s Call. Photo at right: Méret wearing a paper coat she made. Photo: Claude LeAnh Méret’s works have been exhibited in Switzerland at Kunst Museum Bern and at the MOMA in New York City.

Busy Philipps, New York Times Best-Selling author, actor, activist, and mother, is our guest today on the Hoffman Podcast. Listen in as Busy speaks with Drew about her time at the Process. Busy tells us that through the Process she found her way out of awareness hell, something we learn about during the Process. (Listen in to learn about awareness hell.) She also gained Process tools and practices she now uses each day. Busy now experiences a beautiful space where peace and freedom exist. Passionate and articulate, Busy also shares her activism around reproductive justice. We are grateful for this conversation. MORE ABOUT BUSY PHILIPPS Busy currently stars in the comedy series GIRLS5EVA, produced by Tina Fey, now streaming on Peacock. The series centers on a one-hit-wonder girl group from the ’90s who try for another chance at pop stardom. In 2020, Philipps launched her podcast Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best. The show features conversations between Philipps and her creative partner, Caissie St. Onge, and their guests, who reflect on times in their lives when a setback led to better opportunities. From 2018 to 2019, Philipps was the host of the late-night talk show BUSY TONIGHT. Philipps served as executive producer on the show, alongside Tina Fey. In 2018, Philipps released a collection of humorous autobiographical essays in her book THIS WILL ONLY HURT A LITTLE that was immediately a New York Times Best Seller the first week. The book offers unfiltered and candid stories and was published by Simon and Schuster’s Touchstone division. Philipps has also used her voice as an advocate and activist. In 2019, she joined the Advisory Board of SeeHer, testified before Congress on reproductive rights after publicly discussing her own abortion, and launched the #youknowme campaign on social media. On the big screen, Philipps was in the STX romantic comedy, I FEEL PRETTY, opposite Amy Schumer and Michelle Williams. She also appeared in Joel Edgerton’s thriller THE GIFT, alongside Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall. On television, Philipps was seen in HBO’s VICE PRINCIPALS, an 18-episode comedy from the creators Danny McBride and Jody Hill. She also starred opposite Courteney Cox on the popular TBS comedy COUGAR TOWN where she played ‘Laurie Keller.’ AS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Bashing: Bashing is a form of cathartic release. It’s a powerful and pivotal experience in the Process week. This kind of release supports us in acknowledging, expressing, and transforming strong emotions which may have previously been denied. Expressing emotions like anger or disappointment in this way, we release them from the body. We use the body and our voice to express what we no longer want to hold within us. The more deeply we move into expression, the more space we clear. This creates room to experience forgiveness and compassion. Release work also allows us to feel calm and be able to deal with situations in a manner. It can stop us from taking our ‘stuff’ out on others, too! In so doing, we claim our power and freedom. (See more at HoffmanUK) https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/s/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Busy_Phillipps_Podcast_Take_2.mp3 Podcast: Download (Duration: 48:42 — 44.6MB)  

Deep in a career in technology, Kevin Eyres, now beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, realized he wanted to grow “beyond the intellect.” As a result, he took the Hoffman Process. Taking the Process supported him in journeying beyond his intellect to a deeper embodiment of his whole Quadrinity – body, emotional self, intellect, and Spiritual Self. Kevin loves to grow through new experiences. Even with this innate love, Kevin’s path to becoming a Hoffman teacher was, in his words, “a rocky road.” With a beautiful heart, Kevin shares how he came up against plenty of negative patterns within himself around status, title, and identity as he followed his desire to become a teacher. One thing Kevin knows from a career in tech and entrepreneurship is that failure is more a state of mind than a static single event. Listen in as Kevin shares a powerful way to reframe failure. If you haven’t yet heard, the Hoffman Institute has an app. Kevin was the project lead and shares with Drew the process of designing and creating the app. The entire project was and continues to be community-minded. More about Kevin Eyres: With an agile heart, Kevin Eyres helps executive leaders be fearlessly human. He helps them discover that the real challenge often lies in limiting beliefs and the lack of emotional connection within. He combines his deep business leadership experience with spirituality, mindfulness, and psychology. This supports him to amplify love and self-kindness, which ultimately results in leading with courage, agency, and purpose. Previously, Kevin has led the international hyper-growth strategy and operations as the Managing Director of LinkedIn Europe as well as MD for AltaVista International and SideStep/Kayak. He has been a long-time member of YPO and is a top-rated Forum facilitator and trainer. Kevin’s work has a deep common thread of helping others realize the best in themselves. He expresses his talent at guiding others through his work as a teacher at the Hoffman Institute, an executive coach, as well as through his service on corporate and non-profit boards. Kevin loves being a husband and dad most of all. Extra fun activities are ice hockey, singing, cycling, meditation, and geeking out on all things tech and design. As mentioned in this episode: The Hoffman App Your journey to discover your authentic self does not end after the completion of a Hoffman course. Rather, it is just the beginning. The Hoffman App is here to support you as you continue this journey, today and far into the future. The app is full of guidance, practices, and visualizations to inspire and help you achieve your personal goals. We like to think of this app as, “Hoffman in your pocket.” It’s available at the App Store.  

Ward Ashman and Raz Ingrasci are our guests today. In this conversation with Drew, they share a little history and some deep understanding of these two living traditions – the Hoffman Process and the Enneagram. The Hoffman Process and the Enneagram share a common root. Together, Ward and Raz explore the nature of transformational work through both the Hoffman Process and the Enneagram. Ward shares with us the work he does with the Nine Doors of the Enneagram in corporate settings. He sees the nine Enneagram points as doors rather than types. Through this new understanding, Ward has guided many in the corporate world to a greater understanding of themselves, those they love, and those they work with. Raz tells the story of how the Hoffman Process came to be with the support of Claudio Naranjo. Naranjo was one of the early pioneers of the Enneagram in the United States. Claudio also worked with Bob Hoffman to refashion the early Process done with individuals into the group setting that it is today. MORE ABOUT WARD ASHMAN: As the founder of Trimergence LLC, a San Francisco Bay Area consulting firm, Ward leverages a lifetime of broad, deep, and unusual life experiences. Ward invented and patented the Trimergence® Turbo Evolution Platform which combines a tightly coordinated matrix of self-awareness and interpersonal tools to address all aspects of human relationships. Trimergence enables leaders, teams, and entire organizations to build collaborative, innovative, creative partnerships based on the required bedrock of mutually evolving trust. The hallmark of the Trimergence system is to enable people to develop sophisticated, precise, and in-depth awareness of themselves and others as a required navigational map to fulfill maximum interpersonal effectiveness and collaboration. Ward finished college, majoring in psychology at the University of Colorado – Boulder, in the late ’60s. Inspired by the intrinsic spirit of cross-cultural adventure and seeking his life purpose, he traveled much of the world for six years. As a result, he had a wide variety of life experiences ranging from performing as a rock star in Prophecy, a band well-known throughout Indonesia and Southeast Asia, to being a yogic monk in India. Once home, Ward pursued his love of psychology, completing a master’s in Marriage and Family Counseling at the University of Santa Clara in 1978. He immediately launched his Ph.D. studies in Clinical Psychology at Temple University, graduating in 1983. His internship at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Center at the University of Pennsylvania gave him an extraordinary background in family systems theory and therapy. These serve as the fundamentals of his work in business and organizations. Ward is a member of the Hoffman Institute’s Advisory Council. He has three children and is married to his wife Diane. Ward loves living in Mountain View, CA, the epicenter of Silicon Valley. MORE ABOUT RAZ INGRASCI: Raz is a UC Berkeley graduate. He’s been an executive, consultant, and facilitator within the “Human Potential Movement” since 1972. He founded the Hoffman Institute Foundation in 1998. Raz is a Hoffman teacher, a member of Hoffman’s Board of Directors, and Chairman of Hoffman International. Raz’s passion for teaching the Hoffman Process is both professional and personal. The Process brings him into the depths of human experience where he learns at least as much as he teaches. Raz took the Process in July of 1989. From that experience, he had three major takeaways: “I knew my marriage would last; I could be a great dad to my young children; and that I’d found work worthy of devoting my life.” Raz lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Liza. Listen to a solo conversation with Raz on the podcast. AS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: The Enneagram: Merriam-Webster defines the Enneagram as a system of classifying personality types. This system is based on a nine-pointed starlike figure inscribed within a circle. Each of the nine points represents a personality type and its psychological motivations influencing a person’s emotions, attitudes, and behavior. Ward’s Nine Doors Enneagram work sees the nine points as powerful doors into understanding and transformation rather than static types. Claudio Naranjo Fritz Perls Esalen    

Today’s episode is a dynamic conversation with Anita Sanchez, Ph.D., Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, and Tim Harjo about Indigenous Wisdom. Our guests initially came together as a panel to speak about the Hoffman Process during our first-ever virtual Hoffman Conference in April 2021. Their panel discussion titled, Indigenous Voices: Answering the Call to Mend Our World, offered profound wisdom for all of us to heed in these times. Each has been a solo guest on our podcast (links below). Now, we’ve invited them back to share this wisdom with you. A beautiful part of this conversation is how the Hoffman Process overlaps with Native culture. All three of our guests find the Process to be aligned, and even the same, as elements of their culture. What they share is truly beautiful about what it means to do the inner work in order to realize who we really are. Tim, Elizabeth, and Anita – these Indigenous Voices – share these core beliefs: separation is an illusion, we are never alone, we must remember who we are, and our modern lives are in need of indigenous wisdom. As Anita suggests, we invite you to “listen with soft ears and expanded heart.” More About These Indigenous Voices Tim Harjo Timothy Harjo Tim is a member of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe. As a child, he was a student at an Indian Boarding school, as were other members of his family. He did his Process as part of Hoffman Institute’s Leadership Path while a student at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. As the General Manager of KNMQ Television in Albuquerque, NM, his vision is to amplify Native voices into the mainstream conversation around how we live with each other and with Mother Earth. Tim earned a B.S. degree in Management from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. He then earned his Juris Doctorate from Arizona State University. Tim received his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge. Hear more of Tim’s story on the Hoffman Podcast. Dr. Elizabeth Kapuʻuwailani Lindsey Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey Elizabeth is the first Polynesian Explorer and female Fellow in the history of the National Geographic Society. Growing up on a remote part of the north shore of Oahu, Elizabeth spent a great deal of time with her indigenous elders. She learned a love for the land early on and shares stories from this time. A cultural anthropologist and award-winning filmmaker, Elizabeth travels to the world’s most remote regions as a conservationist of indigenous wisdom and an advocate for social, environmental, and cultural justice. Her keen insights and first-hand accounts from the world’s most fragile regions are reshaping Western perspectives on global leadership. Hear more of Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey’s story on the Hoffman Podcast. Anita Sanchez Ph.D. Anita Sanchez, Ph.D. Aztec and Latina, Anita is devoted to bridging Indigenous wisdom and modern times. An author, trainer, and speaker, she works with Fortune 500 corporations, businesses, educators, and non-profit organizations. Her work focuses on cultural transformation, diversity and inclusion, and the empowerment of women. She also focuses on bridging indigenous wisdom and science for business and societal renewal. Anita’s international award-winning book, The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times, is published by Simon & Schuster. Hear more of Anita Sanchez’s story on the Hoffman Podcast.    

Beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, Hilary Illick, is our guest this week. On the first night of her Process in 2000, Hilary experienced a life-changing moment as she first put her bat to the pillow. In those first few moments of bashing, she found permission to feel her emotions and use her voice and body to release in a way she’d longed to. She felt euphoric when done. The Process gave her the permission she’d been waiting for her whole life to no longer constrain her vibrant, vital Spirit. The next morning, Hilary realized she wanted to become a Hoffman Process teacher. Eight years later, her vision became a reality. The main thread throughout this conversation is how healing brings us the ability and opportunity to accept our imperfections. It’s a vitally important point. The Process doesn’t fix. The Process heals. As Hilary says, “We come to be healed and in that healing, we accept that we’re imperfect, and then we’re less defensive about our imperfections.” Hilary feels deeply that healing work must be available to all. She raises an important question: “Who gets to do this expensive healing work?” She acknowledges that it is a privilege to be able to take time off of work and go away to heal oneself. It’s something that she would love to see available to all. More About Hilary Illick Hilary completed the Hoffman Process in 2000. She then became a Hoffman graduate group facilitator in 2001. In 2008, her vision became reality when she was certified as a Hoffman Process teacher. Over her years as a Hoffman teacher, Hilary has contributed to the development of many Hoffman programs, including being a member of the Rejuvenation Team in 2013. She is currently a Supervising teacher of the Hoffman Process. Hilary is the mother of four young adults and a new grandmother to twin boys. She and her partner Pierre Valette are dual citizens of the U.S. and France. They raised their children in the international school system. Hilary is deeply proud of and moved by her children’s paths of contribution, as they pursue careers in social work, social justice, and sustainability initiatives. Her home base is in the Boston area. She has a private practice as a life coach, executive coach, and personal transformation facilitator. Hilary received her BA in Philosophy from Stanford University. Her MFA in creative writing is from San Francisco State University (SFSU). Hilary trained as a life coach through Coaches Training Institute (CTI). She is certified through the International Coach Federation (ICF). As Mentioned in the Episode The off-broadway play Hilary co-wrote: Venus De Minivan -> EVE-olution From Hilary’s site: “This two-woman play was originally entitled Venus De Minivan, starring the authors themselves, Illick and Krier, in Cambridge, MA. Performed for sold-out audiences, Venus De Minivan was 100% autobiographical. Published by DPS as “EVE-olution,” the play appeared off-Broadway at The Cherry Lane Theater. Illick and Krier made an appearance on NBC’s Today Show airing of ‘Come Back Moms.’” You can purchase the published play in paperback here. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Listen in to this deep conversation with Cynthia Merchant and Drew about the Hoffman Process, trauma and trauma-healing, Somatic Experiencing®, and the basic goodness that underlies all things. Cynthia’s vast knowledge and many decades of experience in working with people to heal trauma have helped her realize that the essential self is “ever-intending toward wholeness.” Cynthia is a Marriage Family Therapist and Somatic Experiencing® practitioner. She first completed the Hoffman Process when it was still in the three-month format. A few years later, she was asked to teach the Process. For seventeen years, she taught and supervised the teaching of the Hoffman Quadrinity Process in the US and abroad. Cynthia was fortunate to work and teach closely with Bob Hoffman for many years. Cynthia has an eclectic, embodied, soulful approach to healing and change. She has over thirty years of international experience facilitating psycho-educational, transformational groups. More about Cynthia Merchant Since 1988, Cynthia has trained directly with Dr. Peter Levine, the developer of the trauma resolution approach, Somatic Experiencing ® (SE™.) She has collaborated with him in many professional, master-level trainings. Cynthia has also taught the Enneagram, as well as trauma-informed somatic approaches to professionals. She facilitates experiential groups throughout the US, Europe, South America, Asia, and Canada. L-R: Cynthia, Reza Leah Landman, Bob Hoffman, Dr. Claudio Naranjo From 1989 until his death in 2019, Cynthia has been a dedicated student, collaborator, and friend of consciousness, Enneagram, and Hoffman Process pioneer of Dr. Claudio Naranjo and his Seekers After Truth (SAT) programs. She is the Executive Director of SAT Institute — USA, an educational non-profit, delivering the Naranjo Seeker After Truth programs in the US. In her private practice, Cynthia works with individuals, couples, children, & families to facilitate the resolution of accumulated, traumatic, and/or developmental stress and nervous system dis-regulation, resolve limiting attachment conditioning, and catalyze and stabilize resilience. Cynthia approaches the human transformational adventure with kindness & gusto. She encourages attitudes of self-acceptance, compassion, and love in her clients and students as they cultivate more robust, satisfying lives. Listen to this powerful episode with Cynthia and Drew: As mentioned in this episode Peter Levine, Ph.D.: As Cynthia recounts, Dr. Levine developed Somatic Experiencing ® (SE™.) Over the years since, he “taught it to anyone who would listen and mentored thousands of therapists and healers worldwide.” Dr. Claudio Naranjo: Claudio Naranjo, M.D., was trained as a medical doctor. He came to the US from Chile, being one of the very first people to bring the Enneagram to the world. He also supported Bob Hoffman in bringing the work Bob was doing one-on-one with people into the group setting which became the Hoffman Process. Claudio was also the author of several books. The Enneagram or Enneagram of Personality: is a model of the human psyche largely taught as a designation of nine interconnected personality types. Reza Leah Landman: Reza Leah was an early Hoffman Process teacher, a therapist, and founder of The Institute for the Telling of Teaching Tales, Berkeley, CA. She was a master storyteller and was actively involved with spiritually-inspired actions the world over. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, MD: The author of The New York Times bestseller, The Body Keeps the Score. Dr. van der Kolk is a psychiatrist, author, researcher, and educator. Since the 1970s, his research has been in the area of post-traumatic stress. Orienting Exercise: At minutes 51:33 – 54:47, Cynthia offers an exercise in orienting oneself back to the here and now, especially re-orienting after an inner-world experience. Try it out below!  

Linda and Charlie Bloom each did the Hoffman Process thirty years ago. The powerful transformations they experienced at the Process continue to be alive in them today. Charlie tells us how he learned of the freedom and joy in taking responsibility for his own life. Linda shares about grieving the image of ‘parents charming,’ the perfect parents she didn’t get so that she could come to accept and honor the parents she did have. Listen in as Linda and Charlie offer decades of learning, experience, and insight around partnership as a laboratory. In their work, they guide clients to see relationships as a way to learn how to be in and grow into partnership, as well as a path to wellness. The Blooms originally became psychotherapists because they came from difficult families and wanted to understand what functional families look like. With that understanding, they could create a better family for their children. Along the same lines, they started working with couples after going through a rocky time themselves in their marriage. More about the Blooms Married since 1972, Linda and Charlie Bloom have been working with groups, individuals, couples, and organizations since 1975. Their work is to support clients in enhancing the quality of their relationships and communication skills. Linda and Charlie both have Master’s degrees in Clinical Social Work. They’ve lectured, led seminars, and provided consultation at universities and learning institutes nationally and internationally. The Blooms’ organization, Bloomwork, is dedicated to promoting healthy, fulfilling, and successful relationships for individuals, couples, and organizations. Linda and Charlie have served as psychotherapists, marriage counselors, consultants, and seminar leaders since 1975. In addition to their academic and professional training, the Blooms’ expertise in the field of relationships stems from experience in the crucible of their own committed partnership of over 52 years. The Blooms have written and published four books: Happily Ever After…and 39 Other Myths about Love: Breaking Through to the Relationship of Your Dreams, 101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married: Simple Lessons to Make Love Last, Secrets of Great Marriages: Real Stories from Real Couples about Lasting Love, and That Which Doesn’t Kill Us: How One Couple Became Stronger in the Broken Places. Linda and Charlie offer many complimentary e-books as well as great content on YouTube. You can find out more about them at Bloomwork, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. As mentioned in this episode Enlightened Self-Interest You don’t have to choose between your needs and your partner’s needs or the relationship’s needs. Everything you put into your relationship will come back to you. John Gottman of the Gottman Institute     https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_the_Blooms_Podcast_Take_3.mp3

Eleanor Cyrce offers a profound conversation about the nature and benefits of innate play and the journey she undertook to learn to play again. Initially trained as a computer scientist, Eleanor now devotes her life and work to play. This shift wasn’t something she was looking for. She wasn’t even comfortable playing. But her Spiritual Self found a way to guide Eleanor through this huge life change. Eleanor was deeply harmed at school by bullying and cliques. She has always wanted to put an end to people harming each other. She realized she could begin to work with kids to understand how to support them to stay “pure and connected to life.” When Eleanor made herself available to them, they asked her to play. She had to be willing to let go of any limitation on her part that got in the way. It wasn’t an easy journey. She made a deep commitment to learning and changing. This led to Eleanor discovering that “Play that doesn’t harm is actually the giving and receiving of love.” Eleanor’s life story is one of deep transformation. When life wants us to transform, we find a way to make the ‘serious’ change feel compelled to make. The Hoffman Process has been a part of the large amount of healing work Eleanor has done to heal her past trauma and transform her life. By doing this, she has broadened the arc of her love’s everyday radius. Eleanor Cyrce in Her own words: I was born and raised in the South. As a result of a history of trauma, post-traumatic stress creates limitations that I work continually to surmount so that I can fulfill my dreams. I remember deciding when I was a pre-teen that my goal in life was to never harm anyone, especially a child or a woman. The healing work I do with children is supported by The Foundation for Compassionate Connection, a non-profit I created years ago. I really want to know what these young people need to feel happy, connected, and whole. I want to make sure they get it. Over the years, I donated my time working with the children of Haitian women who were dying from AIDS. I’ve also worked with homeless, parentless children on the streets and with children in schools. These included Magnolia School, Esalen’s Gazebo School, and Full Flower Education Center. I‘m trained in CranioSacral therapy for people and horses. I’ve also trained in lymphatics, Nonviolent Communication, various types of trauma release, and watsu (Japanese water therapy). Every day, I am nurtured by the time I spend in nature. I love swimming long distances in the warm waters of Florida. I love, especially, spending time near wild horses and manatees. Learn more about Eleanor and her work at InnatePlay.org. The Foundation for Compassionate Connection welcomes donations to help with our work with innate play with children. If you are moved to do so, you can donate here. As mentioned in this episode: Innate Play “It is well established now that when we are born, we interact and relate to our world through a “state of being” that is safe, loving, kind, spontaneous, non-competitive, and non-judgmental. In this state, children feel totally loved and secure and have a sense of belonging to the world. Interacting to others in this state through play is the safest, kindest way of being in the world and what can be called innate play. Unfortunately, at a very young age, children are taught “cultural play” and are deprived of innate play that keeps them whole, healthy, and cooperative. …” Read more at InnatePlay.org    

Aimee Song, fashion icon, designer, and influencer, is our guest this week. She shares a powerful story of how she moved from what she calls ‘fake’ confidence to real confidence. When she was younger, she found that wearing clothes of style made her feel better about herself and helped her feel more confident. Eventually, Aimee began to see that this confidence wasn’t sustainable because it wasn’t authentic. She realized she had to go within to find the genuine confidence she now knows. The Hoffman Process was pivotal in her journey. Aimee shares a story about one of her patterns, one she discovered at the Process. She found herself envying the transformations she witnessed others having. Deep in her own week at the Hoffman Process, she noticed that everyone else seemed to be having big breakthroughs – except her. Her realization helped her name and let go of the pattern. Aimee realized how different she was post-Process while doing her forgiveness walk. She realized she had indeed transformed. She tells Drew it was “so beautiful” to be present in a way she’d never been before. More About Aimee Song: Aimee Song — pronounced [Ah-Meeh] like Mommy, not Amy — is a social media influencer** and an interior architect by trade. She runs one of the largest fashion and lifestyle sites worldwide, Song of Style. Aimee has amassed a huge audience on social media and has become an influencer with an audience of over six million followers on Instagram. Based in her hometown of Los Angeles, Aimee’s content ranges from what she wears and where she travels, to design inspiration and personal topics. Aimee has worked with countless venerable companies, including Dior, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., SKII, Giorgio Armani, and Volvo. In addition, she has served as the first digital ambassador for global beauty brand Laura Mercier. Named one of Forbes 30 Under 30, Aimee has been included in the Business of Fashion’s prestigious BOF 500. This is a professional index of influencers who shape the global fashion industry. In 2016, she released her first book Capture Your Style, now a New York Times bestseller. Her second book, World of Style, followed in October 2018. Aimee has focused increasingly on sharing her philanthropic work and more personal aspects of her life with her audience, including her experience starting therapy and doing the Hoffman Process. Most recently, she launched the long-awaited apparel brand, Song of Style Collection, with immense success. Find out more about Aimee at Song of Style, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Amazon. As mentioned in this episode: “World peace, one person at a time.” Bob Hoffman **Influencer – “A social media influencer is someone who has established credibility in a specific industry, has access to a huge audience, and can persuade others to act based on their recommendations.” Jen Atkin on the Hoffman Podcast The Forgiveness Walk: This is a Hoffman Process ritual done on the weekend after the Process to help complete the deep transformation that happens during the Process. It is a self-love and self-forgiveness experience reflecting the heart work done at the Process. During the Process, students do the deep work to find forgiveness for their parents. The Forgiveness Walk deepens forgiveness and love of oneself. Accountability Buddies: At the end of your Process, you choose a few other graduates with whom you wish to be buddies. As you re-enter your everyday life and find challenges, you have a buddy to reach out to. Your buddies were there with you in all the beautiful and challenging moments of transformation. A buddy is someone you’ve developed trust and rapport with and someone who understands.  

Walt Hubis is a man who wears many hats. But more than this, Walt is someone who always considers how the work he does can be part of the solution to mend our world. One hat Walt wears is that of Sound Engineer for the Hoffman Podcast. It’s because of Walt’s generosity and engineering skills that our podcast sounds great. He donates his time to support Love’s Everyday Radius. By trade, Walt is an engineer and an artist. He is the father of two daughters, a grandfather, and the husband of Hoffman teacher and coach, Jo Mattoon. At the suggestion of his therapist at the time, Walt completed a vision quest first, prior to doing the Hoffman Process. He shares that the vision quest first helped him to really free up his intellect so he could get more out of the Process. Walt started out in photography at nine years old when he discovered his grandfather’s photography equipment. He’s always had this ‘yin and yang’ of art and engineering playing out in him. We all benefit from his joy of both with his work on our podcast. Walt is responsible for the amazing sound quality of our podcast, as well as the intro music that he composes to complement each guest’s conversation. Walt gives us some insight into what it’s like to be married to a Hoffman teacher. Together, both Walt and Jo want to work to create a better world as a couple – extending their love’s everyday radius. Walt holds down the home while Jo travels to lead the Hoffman Process. This way they both feel they are tending to the betterment of our world. More About Walt Hubis Walt and Jo live in the Denver Colorado area. He is a father to two daughters. Walt works for Micron Technology as a computer storage security architect. He enjoys producing electronic music and provides audio recording and editing services for the Hoffman Institute, including engineering for this Hoffman podcast. Walt has worked as a professional photographer, earning his Electrical Engineering degree while working as a photographer for Colorado State University. His work includes travel photography of Europe and the US Southwest. Most recently he has been working on completing a photo essay of the prairie and the Sandhills of western Nebraska. Learn more about Walt’s photography, and his creativity and technology work. As mentioned in this episode Hoffman Couple’s Retreat Las Animas Institute   https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_Walt_Hubis_Podcast_Take_2.mp3

Paula and Tim Floyd are both graduates of the Hoffman Process. What’s it like to be a couple who’ve both done the Process? Listen in as Paula and Tim Floyd share their experiences of the Process, and of life together, post-Process. Paula was first to attend the Process about three years ago. When she returned home, Tim saw an immediate shift in Paula’s presence and vulnerability. Six months later, Tim did his Process. Now, a few years post-Process, Paula shares that she had no idea that life could be so beautiful. Tim shares how he now connects with his Spiritual Self on a daily basis, a relationship he used to long for when he saw it in others. While their childhood stories are different in many ways, their Process experiences of forgiveness share a similar theme. To experience true forgiveness for their mothers, both Paula and Tim needed to acknowledge and feel the anger they held inside. Once acknowledged, fully felt, and released, the anger became a doorway into deep and abiding forgiveness. Paula and Tim recently moved to Bend Oregon. They live there with daughter Sally, daughter-in-law Mackenzie, and puppy Bean. MORE ABOUT PAULA & TIM FLOYD After her extensive career in the beauty industry, Paula realized she had the formula that would benefit so many companies. She founded Headkount, an outsourced national field organization for beauty brands, inspired by her mentors, employees, colleagues, recruiters, customers, and even her competitors. Headkount is a consumer-driven, cost-effective, and fast way to improve brand awareness, increase brick-and-mortar sales, and grow at scale. As Headkount CEO, Paula’s favorite part of working in beauty is being in the field, hands-on with her sales team and customers. Paula is bringing her spirituality and influence to the beauty industry. Found out more about Paula here. Tim grew up middle-class in Belmont CA. When his parents divorced when he was eight, he lived back and forth between his Mom’s house and his Dad’s house with little supervision. Tim played sports through grade school and high school. Then, realizing he didn’t have the discipline to continue college/ sports at a higher level, he joined the Navy at nineteen. Looking back, he sees the Military as the best thing that could have happened to him. It gave him the structure he was lacking at home. Tim excelled in training and his job as an aircraft mechanic and Naval Flight Engineer. He received multiple awards for carrying out combat missions during the gulf war and other conflicts. Tim and Paula met while Tim was on deployment. Soon after, he began his career in the mortgage business. Tim recently opened a mortgage branch in his new home in Central Oregon for his company. His goals are to help as many people as possible become homeowners. He also returned to civilian flight school and now has his pilot’s license. Follow Tim on Instagram. Mentioned in this Episode: Coping With a Parent’s Suicide Left Road/Right Road Visualization The Hoffman App!   https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_The_Floyds_Podcast.mp3

Virgil Roberson came to the Hoffman Process just one month before he was to be married. One month later, Virgil broke into a spontaneous song while saying his wedding vows. The Process was profoundly transformative for Virgil. There, he released his song, and also found his joy, laughter, and generously compassionate presence. Listen in as Virgil shares his childhood story of trauma with vulnerability and an open heart. Virgil was adopted at three weeks old. In his adoptive family, he experienced the family disease of alcoholism, which also included infidelity and keeping secrets. The Process supported him in not holding back from finally releasing the pain of his childhood. Now, Virgil says he is able to truly be present with his clients in a way he was not able to be prior to the Process. How did this happen? While at the Process, he was finally able to be truly present with himself. In a moment of this episode, Virgil recounts what it feels like to connect with an open heart full of love to people you have only just met. It’s the feeling of “I see you and I love you.” You don’t want to miss the power of this moment. More about Virgil Roberson Virgil Roberson, M.Div., L.P., and NCPsyA Executive Director, is a New York state-licensed and certified Psychoanalyst, Psychotherapist, Couples Counselor, and Group Psychotherapist. He holds a Master of Divinity in Psychiatry and Religion from Union Theological Seminary. He also trained at the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis. Virgil has been in private practice for over 30 years. In his practice, he works with individuals, couples, and groups to resolve complex life circumstances. Virgil has expertise in working with addiction, relationship and marital problems, and divorce. He also treats people struggling with anxiety and depression, adoption issues, and difficulties in the workplace. Virgil helps people gain clarity about and diminish the obstacles in their lives that may be impeding growth and fulfillment. In his work, Virgil’s awareness, guidance, and compassion allow people to transform and heal. As mentioned in this episode Open vs Closed Adoptions Keeping Secrets The Lion King: The Circle of Life On the Street Where You Live https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Virgil_Roberson_Podcast_Take_2.mp3

Marlene McNab is our guest this week. Many years before Marlene came to the Process, she found sobriety. She came to see, though, that her underlying intergenerational trauma still needed to be healed. Her work at the Hoffman Process profoundly supported this healing. After the Process, Marlene felt she had “mended a broken link in her family chain.” A Nêhiýawak (Plains Cree) member of the George Gordon First Nation, Marlene learned about the Hoffman Process from a health store magazine. She saw the Hoffman Quadrinity symbol and became curious about it. It appealed to her because of her Indigenous background and how they use the Medicine Wheel. Subsequently, she found it easier to relate to the Process work through this similarity. Marlene attended an Indian Residential School, as did her mother and grandmother. With deep compassion, Marlene shares the painful truth about the horrors of these institutions and the pain they have caused for generations of Indigenous peoples. One of the most profound processes she had to heal was learning how to grieve because “this grief is real.” Marlene adds, “It’s a living energy I need to consistently release.” Photo by David Stobbe / StobbePhoto.ca More About Marelene McNab: Marlene McNab teaches Indigenous Social Work at the First Nations University of Canada in Regina, Saskatchewan. Her personal and professional paths have culminated in a desire to share what she has experienced in her healing process and in the reclaiming and remembering of her Nêhiýawak (Plains Cree) identity. Currently, a Ph.D. candidate at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, Marlene’s research focuses on studying the recovery process from intergenerational trauma and addictions. She’s also developing a recovery-oriented framework for substance use interventions. In her 30-year career as a community-based trauma therapist and professor of Indigenous social work, Marlene has witnessed first-hand the impacts of historical trauma in Canada’s Indigenous communities. As a result, she has been steadfast in helping others break intergenerational cycles, create awareness, and heal trauma responses. As mentioned in this episode The Medicine Wheel and The Four Directions Canadian Residential Schools History of the Nêhiýawak (Plains Cree) First Nations University of Canada in Regina, Saskatchewan  

Jason-Aeric Huenecke is our guest this week. He did the Hoffman Process in July of 2005 and tells us the remarkable, profound, and lasting effect on him. He shares that through his work as a Homeopathic Practitioner and Spiritual Director, the effect of the Process has ‘cascaded like nectar‘ to the world around him and continues to ‘nourish’ the people he works with. As a result of doing the Process, Jason-Aeric now has a joy for living and the courage to be himself. This wasn’t always the case. Jason-Aeric shares that he was not a typical child but was misunderstood and feared by his peers. He was verbally and physically assaulted at school. As he grew older, he began to try to understand why these things were happening to him, why he was caught in this cycle. He explored this through the lens of his religious upbringing as well as Tibetan Buddhism. Eventually, someone told him about the Hoffman Process. Jason-Aeric shares that in his work as the co-founder of his Classical Homeopathy training program, he and his fellow co-founder say, “The first remedy is love.” MORE ABOUT JASON-AERIC HUENECKE Jason-Aeric is a thriving Classical Homeopathic Practitioner and Astrologer who works with a sense of curiosity, wonder, and gratitude for the cosmos. His mastery of two different and profound healing arts was possible because he began studying at a very early age. Mystically inclined as a child, he loved nature, art, and creative play. He read everything he could find regarding mythology, world religions, and a variety of spiritual traditions. The concept of the Field, the Vital Force of the cosmos, and the interconnectivity of all beings and the cosmos absolutely thrilled him. In March 2021, Jason-Aeric co-founded the Prometheus Homeopathic Institute, a Classical Homeopathy training program. He is the Lead Faculty for their training program based on the Spiral Learning Theory, Growth Mindset, and the healing power of the Life Force. In addition, Jason-Aeric is also the Principal Investigator in The Field Provings. He works with an international team researching substances that are prepared as homeopathic medicines to heal the sick. Jason-Aeric is a Hoffman Institute Graduate Group leader for the Twin Cities in Minnesota. He lives and works in Stillwater, Minnesota. As mentioned in this episode Homeopathy Tibetan Buddhism Stillwater Lift Bridge Hoffman Graduate Group Leader If you’d like more information about becoming a Hoffman graduate community leader, please contact us at 415-485-5220 (or 800-506-5253) or email [email protected].   https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Jason_Aeric_Podcast.mp3

Tim Harjo, General Manager of KNMQ Television in Albuquerque, NM, is our guest today. Tim’s vision is to amplify Native voices into the mainstream conversation around how we live with each other and with Mother Earth. He sees Native voices as a voice for how to live more sustainably and beneficially with our Earth. Tim did his Process as part of Hoffman Institute’s Leadership Path while a student at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. The Institute worked with the Kennedy School to support graduate students from around the world to deepen their leadership capacities. Tim found the Process to be life-changing. He says, “as great as an experience Harvard was for me personally, it was even better because of Hoffman.” Tim is a member of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe. As a child, he was a student at an Indian Boarding school, as were other members of his family. The Process helped him heal the pain of his past. The tools Tim discovered at the Process have helped him stay on track toward the positive outcomes he set for his life. Tim works with Raz Ingrasci, Hoffman teacher and founder, to help broadcast the powerful benefits of the Process to other Native Americans. More About Tim Harjo Tim earned a B.S. degree in Management from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. His Juris Doctorate is from Arizona State University. Tim received his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge. Before his current role at KNMQ, Tim was the Director of the Central New Mexico Community College as the Small Business Development Center. Tim also served as the Chairman of Prairie Band LLC, a tribally-owned economic development company of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. For several years, Tim was an Adjunct Professor in the College of Business and Economics Marketing Department, at California State University, Northridge. Tim has served on various government and non-profit boards, commissions, and working groups. These include the National Race and Ethnicity Advisory Committee for the US Census Bureau Department of Commerce from 2012 to 2016. These groups and organizations all serve American Indian and Alaska Native economic development, education, and healthcare issues. As Mentioned in This Episode KNMQ Television Fort Sill Apache Tribe Native American Boarding Schools: Native American History & Culture: Boarding Schools Unspoken: America’s Native American Boarding Schools US to review Native American boarding schools’ dark history Hoffman’s Leadership Program at Harvard Harvard Kennedy School of Government    

Oliveyah Fisch, Health and Life Coach, is our guest this week. Listen in as she shares how the Hoffman Process brought her the serious change she was longing for. Before the Process, Oliveyah (also known as Liv) tells us she didn’t know how to take responsibility for how her life was going to unfold. She was waiting for someone else to fix things and she would often blame others rather than step up herself. Through the work of the Process, Oliveyah learned how to listen to her Spirit and lean into her courage. One of Oliveyah’s big AHAs at the Process revolved around exercise. Oliveyah grew up in a martial arts studio that her father owned. She tells us she learned how to make a proper fist to punch before she learned her ABCs. Oliveyah’s career was in fitness before she attended the Process. When she was told she could not exercise while there, she agreed to follow the rules. Very quickly she realized she’d been using exercise to solve nearly every problem in her life. This was a huge breakthrough for her and it now informs how she coaches her clients. After launching her fitness career in 2005, she now runs one of the most successful health and coaching businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. MORE ABOUT OLIVEYAH FISCH Oliveyah has a Master’s in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from the University of California. She is an accredited performance enhancement specialist and certified personal trainer through NASM. A certified yoga instructor through the Yoga Alliance Association, she is also certified in health and life coaching through both the CHEK Institute and Health Coach Institute. Oliveyah has helped hundreds of people transform their lives and achieve lasting change through healthy habits and fostering joy. She works with many corporate partners, including Forager Project, YouTube, SalesForce, Allbirds, and Google. She also holds small group and 1:1 coaching year-round inspiring people to amplify their life and LIV Empowered. In 2020, she received the achievement and service award from Kaboom Coaching. Discover more about Oliveyah. Follow Oliveyah on Instagram.   https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_Oliveyah_Fisch_Podcast.mp3

This is a beautiful episode with Ethan Sawyer, a nationally recognized college essay expert. Ethan is able to articulate things that are often hard to put into words. It makes sense he would be an expert at helping students to do just that. People come to the Hoffman Process for many different reasons. Ethan didn’t have a thing he was particularly struggling with and didn’t feel particularly blocked. He came because he “was ready.” Ethan was really excited to dig deep into himself. He came wanting to learn about himself and as he shares, he “certainly did.” As he tells Sharon, Ethan finds the students he works with also often wish to dig deeper into the question of who they really are. At the time of the Process, Ethan and his wife had a new six-month-old baby. Ethan shares that he had been making his living as more of an artist in the past, but had just begun his new journey of entrepreneurship. As you listen to Ethan, you’ll hear how the artist in him is a big part of his successful company. As is true with so many of our guests, Ethan’s story shows how the thread of one’s Spiritual Self runs through our lives in ways we can often only see in hindsight. MORE ABOUT ETHAN SAWYER Ethan Sawyer is the author of the Amazon bestsellers College Essay Essentials and College Admission Essentials. Each year he and his team reach more than one million students and counselors through the College Essay Guy blog, online pay-what-you-can courses, workshops, books, and one-on-one work. When you peruse The College Essay Guy website, you find resources (many free) for students, parents, and counselors. Much of what Ethan and his team offer are on a pay-what-you-can basis. As he explains to Sharon, a goal of his work is to not only make a living but to also expand his reach so that more students (and parents) get the help they need during such an important right of passage in their lives. Raised in Spain, Ecuador, and Colombia, Ethan has studied at seventeen different schools and has worked as a teacher, curriculum writer, voice actor, community organizer, and truck driver. A graduate of Northwestern University, Ethan holds an MFA from UC Irvine and lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife and their amazing daughter. AS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Writing a Personal Statement Performance Studies Degree Cornerstone Theater Company   https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_Ethan_Sawyer_Podcast_Take_2.mp3

Hope Edelman, a 2015 graduate, credits the Hoffman Process with changing the course of her life. She’s traversed much heartache and loss in her life and she’s been a guiding light to many others who have traversed the same. As Hope shares the tale of her life journey, you can’t help but see the throughline of her life. When Hope was seventeen her mother passed away. After that day, Hope had always sensed that part of her was stuck back at that point. During a transformational moment at the Process, she took the hand of her seventeen-year-old self and walked her into the future so she could be an integrated adult. One of the beautiful statements Hope makes about her life is her shift from wanting to be exceptional to wanting to be helpful. In guiding others through the landscape of loss, Hope has greatly expanded the reach of her love’s everyday radius. As Hope shares what she’s up to now, she shares with us the power of the liminal* space. When we are between what has ended and what has yet to begin, between what we knew and what we are yet to know, we are more our essential selves than at any other time. Rather than fear these times, we can come to see how alive and vital we are in them. MORE ABOUT HOPE EDELMAN Hope Edelman has been writing, speaking, and leading retreats and workshops in the bereavement field for more than 25 years. She was 17 when she lost her mother to breast cancer and 40 when her father died, an event that inspired her to offer grief education and support to those who need it now and especially those who did not receive it in the past. Hope’s first book, Motherless Daughters, became a #1 New York Times Bestseller. Her newest book, The AfterGrief, offers an innovative new way to talk about the long arc of loss. She has written six additional books, including Motherless Mothers and the memoir, The Possibility of Everything. Hope holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a graduate degree in nonfiction writing from The University of Iowa. She is a certified Martha Beck Life Coach who helps clients revisit and revise their life stories. As mentioned in this episode *Liminal/Liminality   https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_Hope_Edelman_Podcast_Take_3.mp3

Taylor Gardner is a passionate person with a big heart who feels deeply. In this episode, she vulnerably shares how she navigated the Process with so much passion. Taylor describes herself as a driven, compassionate, and goal-oriented entrepreneur. The focus of her work in the world changed when she found herself frustrated with the lack of resources and limited opportunities for her sister Lindsay and Lindsay’s peers. Lindsay has Downs Syndrome. As a young adult just out of school, there were few opportunities awaiting Lindsay. Taylor decided to do something about it. In April of 2017, she planted the seeds of The Garden Foundation – a non-profit that serves those with disabilities. The story of Taylor’s Process is also one of deep grief. During the Process, Taylor was able to fully grieve her father’s death. Through her deep work there, she found a sense of peace for the first time since her father’s passing. She allowed herself to ‘go to that place’ we both fear and long for because we know we will find healing there. More about Taylor Gardner: Taylor is the Founder and CEO of both The Garden Foundation and Tribe Inclusive. The Garden Foundation supports and enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing a place of education, inspiration, independence, and inclusion. Tribe Inclusive is a national online learning platform. Taylor has served on boards for the Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada and the Young Professional Board for Opportunity Village. She’s also served as the Inclusion Officer for Local for All. Taylor also managed the Las Vegas Learning Program for the Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada, a supplemental educational program for children with Down Syndrome. Taylor, through The Garden Foundation LV, founded World Inclusion Day on October 10th. She continues to provide a place of inspiration, education, independence, and inclusion* for those with different abilities and their families. The National Association of Women Business Owners in Southern Nevada recognized Taylor as a ‘Woman of Distinction.’ She currently serves on the Nevada Governor’s Council for Developmental Disabilities. As mentioned in this episode: What is Down’s Syndrome? If you’re wondering how to relate to kids/people with special needs or disabilities: How to Help Your Child Relate to Kids With Special Needs Just Say Hi: Communicating Effectively with People Who Have Disabilities Video: How to not be awkward when interacting with those with disabilities. Symptoms & Stages of Grief * Inclusion: “Inclusion is bigger than just disabilities. It’s accepting and celebrating differences of cultures, backgrounds, races, sexes, religions, and differences in perspectives.”

Ed McClune, beloved Hoffman Process teacher and coach since, the ’80s, is our guest today. As Ed and Drew share at the end, this conversation is a good Hoffman geek-out.* Even though they geek out over all things Hoffman, Ed’s whole Quadrinity* shows up in this one. His love shines through as he speaks about the Process, and about how those who come to do this deeply transformational work are courageous heroes. Ed also shares a bit about how the Process now appears in his everyday life. He speaks to the reason he feels we come to this life – to enjoy life in a human body. Ed calls this the sensuality of spirituality. An entire swath of experience has been denied to us because of our patterns; the Process opens us back up to a truly luscious embodied life. More about Ed McClune: Ed & Bob Hoffman Ed holds a Master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of San Francisco and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. What Ed likes about teaching the Process is: “Over and over again, through the years of teaching the Hoffman Process, I get to be present as people come into a greater experience of the Light that has always lived ‘far inside’ them.” “The summation of all the gifts of the Process comes down to self-love and self-compassion. I don’t need to be different, more refined, or successful to be lovable. The Light is the Light, and Ed is Ed. Falling down isn’t evidence that there’s something wrong with me, only evidence that I’m still alive.” Ed is the father of two sons and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. More about the show: * Geek out: to become excited or enthusiastic about a favored subject or activity. First known use of geek out: circa 1990 * Quadrinity: “I coined the word Quadrinity to represent the four aspects of a human being: the Emotional, Intellectual, Physical and Spiritual. The unique capacities and functions of each aspect can be considered separately, but it is the balance of all aspects working together harmoniously that fulfills us as human beings.” – Bob Hoffman Check out The Hoffman Connection, Hoffman’s radio show (2012) with Ed and Raz on Voice America.    

Dan Sterling and his story will open your heart in untold ways. A warm, vulnerable, caring man, Dan grew up in a very conservative family in Alberta, Canada where discipline and life were harsh. Two months before Dan came to the Process, he knew he “had a big problem.” In his job as a Canadian police officer, Dan was investigating a case that caused him stress. He realized he was having a breakdown – a silent, stoic one. He came to realize he couldn’t cry in spite of feeling great distress. At the start of the Process, Dan says he, “…almost felt like a pit-bull rescue.” Note: Dan speaks about the suicide of his friend and the attempted suicide of others. Please call the US National Suicide Prevention Program at 800-273-8255 if you need someone to speak with. Dan’s Story: Dan’s family was directly affected by the 1980s National Energy Program when the Canadian Government (Liberal) nationalized energy resources, causing great harm to the Alberta economy. His father’s service station was not able to stay open. His family was plunged into poverty in a region with few opportunities. Kids picked on Dan in school because they were visibly poor. As a result, he learned to cope by fighting and hanging out with other poor kids. Often reminded by his parents that Liberals did this to his family, Dan grew up with disdain for anyone who looked well off because they had a secure public sector job. By the time Dan finished high school, his parents had healed and clawed their way back to some semblance of prosperity. But Dan remained bitter, blaming his parents, treating them poorly, and talking down to them. One day, Dan’s father offered him an “olive branch with dollars on it,” meaning that the gift was valuable beyond words. Dan couldn’t accept it; but, after the Process, he found “massive forgiveness.” While at university, Dan joined the army reserve. After completing his degree and while waiting to become a police officer, he went into the army full-time. Dan left the military in 2006 and in 2007, started his career as a police officer in the north. After twelve years of busy police work as a frontline investigator, he now serves as a plainclothes investigator, starting three months after attending the Process in August 2019. As mentioned in this episode: Canadian Government 1980s National Energy Program Tim McGraw: Humble and Kind Tim McGraw: Live Like You Were Dying “…And I loved deeper, And I spoke sweeter, And I gave forgiveness I’d been denying” If you or anyone you know is dealing with issues of suicide, please reach out to the US National Suicide Prevention Program at 800-273-8255.  

Hoffman grad, Julie Faupel, the founder of REALM, a technology platform in luxury real estate, is delightful, warm, and open. Julie came to the Hoffman Process to heal her fear that there was something terribly wrong with her. As a member of YPO, she discovered many other YPO members had also completed the Process so she thought she’d give it a try. But, Julie really wasn’t sure what she was getting into. Her biggest fear was that she’d have to share her feelings and deepest secret with everyone else – her fear of unlovability. Once at the Process, Julie experienced a huge revelation. She shares: “I have wasted so much time dying for people to love me and they don’t even know me.” The grief of this made her feel physically sick. She realized that all the things she was doing to keep herself safe were really only keeping her small. The healing of this very human fear of unlovability is one of the profound outcomes of the Hoffman Process. After both Julie and her husband completed the Process, they hosted a reunion to bring their two Process classes together. Years later, they are still hosting this reunion. It has grown to include many other Process graduates who want the Hoffman connection. For someone who never felt she belonged, Julie now celebrates the “incredible fraternity of people” she calls her Hoffman family. More about Julie Faupel: Realm helps elite real estate professionals connect through a virtual community with properties throughout the world. She’s also the co-founder of Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates, the largest Real Estate Company in the Teton Region. Julie is a two-time recipient of the coveted Christie’s International Real Estate Global Affiliate of the Year award. Before founding Realm, Julie enjoyed a twenty-plus-year career in the luxury space working in operations at 5-star luxury hotels. As a result of her unique insight into what shapes consumer psychology in luxury buying, Julie is a frequent media expert and has been interviewed by: Wall Street Journal, Forbes, New York Times, Luxury Daily, and Leaders. Julie is a dedicated philanthropist. She serves on several boards, and along with her husband is an avid supporter of entrepreneurship. She participates in various organizations including the Jackson Hole Community Foundation Board, Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce Board, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Julie enjoys Jackson’s active lifestyle with her husband and their dogs Irving and George. She loves to ski, hike, bike, and paddleboard. Follow Julie on Instagram.

Meet Jon Hurry. Jon’s story is moving. His story of recovery and healing is captivating. His willingness to be vulnerable is inspiring. Jon’s story is one of loss and heartache, but also perseverance and resiliency. He admits he has had a lot of loss but he also reminds us that his life is a normal one, too – a different normal. Jon’s desired outcome from the Process was to trust in his wife’s love for him. During his Process, Jon came to see he is, indeed, loveable, and in seeing this he finally felt trust in his wife’s love for him. Jon had already done a great deal of work to heal the pain of his past and the habits he’d acquired to deal with that pain when he arrived at the Hoffman Process. After the Process, he now says, “Rehab was a necessity. EMDR was phenomenal. Hoffman’s [Process] is definitely the cherry on top. It really helped me to build up my confidence and see the good that I’ve done and the good things in my life.” Both Jon and his wife have done the Process. A few months after Jon’s Process, they participated in the Hoffman Couple’s Retreat. More about Jon Hurry: Jon Hurry is a father, husband, son, brother, and friend to many. He’s the founder of Propitious Technologies, BizBoxes, and Vice-President of Strategic Partnerships at Linear Labs. Jon has spent twenty-five years as a strategic thinker and problem solver primarily in the automotive field. Jon is currently focused on building global relationships within the automotive industry. He’s helping to bring disruptive electric motor/generator/actuator technologies to the market to reduce the carbon footprint. As mentioned in this episode: HeartMath  

Julio Alvarez is a first-generation Latin American from the suburbs of New York. At age thirty-three, the Hoffman Process changed the course of Julio’s life. Julio came out as gay in high school and was ultimately kicked out of the house by his father. The President of the local Rotary Club took Julio into his home. In this episode, Julio shares his Process story with the kind of compassion and understanding that comes from doing deep transformational work. He shares with us his story of forgiveness. In doing so, we come to see the beautiful gifts that forgiveness has to offer. Julio didn’t speak to his father for more than ten years. Now he and his father are in a new and healthy relationship. Listen in as Julio shares beautiful wisdom like: “Life is always speaking to us so pay attention to the whispers.” He has learned how to shift his inner dialogue back to self-worthiness and self-love. This is the change that the Hoffman Process makes possible. More about Julio G. Alvarez: Julio earned a full scholarship to NYU. He has now spent more than a decade helping tech brands share their story, bringing products to life like Google Drive, Airbnb Plus, and Lyft Self-Driving cars. This year, Julio’s family members fell ill due to the anxieties and realities of COVID. In response, Julio turned to his Hoffman process work and tools to gain a deeper understanding of himself and what matters most in life. Follow Julio on Instagram to learn more about his journey.  

  Eboni K. Williams talks about the spirit of disruption in this week’s episode. Her work disrupts long and deeply-seated cultural norms and expectations. She shares with us how rewarding her work is as disruption is an essential part of change and change is constant. And yet, she also speaks of how heavy her work can be. “…people, we, don’t like change and aren’t comfortable around disruption.” Eboni came to the Process because, as she says, “I wanted family more than I was afraid of doing the work that it would take to get there.” She shares about her own Process and how her teacher, Regina Louise, was able to help her break through the resistance that showed up at the very first assignment on the first day of her Process. As Hoffman grads, we know change is vital to personal transformation. The Process itself is disruptive. The Process takes us out of our comfort zone and disrupts patterns. It opens us to the pain of our past so we can heal that same pain. Eboni is unapologetically driven to give voice to the voiceless through her platform – a tapestry of television, law, social justice, and entertainment. She knows her presence is power in the rooms where she has often been the first and only Black person. Positioned for disruption, Eboni enters these opportunities representing Black excellence intent on demonstrating and inspiring what is possible for Black people in America. Eboni is the newest and first Black cast member on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York. She’s also excited about her new iHeart Media podcast on the intersection of law and pop culture, Holding Court with Eboni K. Williams. Uppity Productions, Eboni’s production company, produces the podcast. More about Eboni K. Williams: Williams educates and inspires audiences through the lens of a legal scholar. She exposes institutional racism, breaks down controversial issues such as judicial discretion, and expertly analyzes culturally relevant topics. She has served as the Host & Executive Producer of REVOLT Black News, which airs on REVOLT TV founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs. Eboni has also co-hosted REVOLT’S hip-hop talk show State of the Culture. Eboni is the best-selling author of her memoir, Pretty Powerful: Appearance, Substance, and Success. She holds a B.A. in Communications and African-American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also holds a J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Eboni clerked for the Louisiana Secretary of State and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. She later specialized in family law and civil litigation. Eboni then transitioned into practicing as a public defender and a private defense lawyer in North Carolina, and throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. Eboni also serves on the Board of Directors for Safe Horizon, which is the nation’s leading victims’ assistance organization. Find out more about Eboni here. Follow Eboni on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: Tulsa/Greenwood Massacre Naomi Osaka speaking out Hand on Heart: A Hoffman Process practice of placing your hand on your heart center to bring you into presence and connection with yourself. Ally or Co-conspirator “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” Jack Kornfield    

We are fortunate to have Serena Gordon on Love’s Everyday Radius. Serena has dedicated herself to bringing the powerful healing work of the Hoffman Process to the world since 1995. A friend of Bob Hoffman, the Hoffman UK Managing Director and Co-Founder, and a Process Teacher, Serena offers us some profound insights about the Process. At the young age of five, Serena lost trust in her parents. “I used to carry my own little suitcase with an A-Z map of London in case I got lost and I could find my own way home.” She tells us that she “fought for that little girl” during her own Process. Serena shares that the Process allows for you to “bring all the boxes of your past out into the open and have people around you as you open the boxes. And sort through the treasures that you love and will hold onto until you are an old person or the ones that actually fill you with sadness or loss or anger or frustration – whatever it is – and allow the Process tools to help you let go of those.” The power and simplicity of the Process can reach people from many different cultures. Teachers from Hoffman UK have taught the Process in Ireland, South Africa, and the Middle East with great success. Serena shares this is a testament to the power and simplicity of the Process itself. MORE ABOUT SERENA GORDON Serena Gordon formally trained as an actress at the UK’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After graduating, she enjoyed a successful career as a stage and screen actress. You might recognize her from her role in the James Bond film, Goldeneye. Along with her ex-husband, Hoffman teacher Tim Laurence, Serena brought Hoffman to the UK from California in 1995. At the time, the British attitude towards therapy and personal development was a lot less accepting than it is today. Hoffman UK is now recognized as one of the UK’s leading personal development providers. In her personal time, Serena enjoys time with family and friends. She loves to ground in nature in the English countryside in her downtime.    

Hilton Nathanson, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, is our guest this week. While not a graduate of the Process, Hilton’s life, and life pursuits have been deeply touched by the everyday radius of many Hoffman graduates’ love. It’s amazing to see just how wide a radius our graduates’ love and healing travels. The ripple effect of the Hoffman Process worked through Hilton in a wonder-filled, tangible way. In this episode, Hilton shares the effect of witnessing the profound change the Hoffman Process engendered in people close to him. The changes he saw in those he loved inspired this film which took seven years to complete. CHASING WONDERS In 2020 Hilton’s production company, Hianlo Films premiered this feature film called Chasing Wonders at the Adelaide Film Festival. Hoffman Institute’s research inspired Hilton’s original idea for the film. The foundational underpinnings of the Process shine through the film’s storyline. Chasing Wonders is the heart-warming story of a young boy who is encouraged by his grandfather to take off on the adventure of a lifetime, leading him to the heart of the human condition – understanding our parents’ past but not being defined by it. Hilton speaks to this in today’s episode – how important it is for us to share with our children when they are ready, stories about our lives before they were born. Chasing Wonders premieres in the United States on June 4th, 2021, on Amazon, VUDU, and Google TV. The Hoffman Institute’s scholarship fund will receive a portion of the proceeds from the film as part of the US release, bringing Love’s Everyday Radius full circle. MORE ABOUT HILTON NATHANSON Originally from Perth, Australia, Hilton arrived in London in 1992. There, he spent his first years working in financial markets before embarking on a career in asset management. Subsequently, he founded Marble Bar Asset Management. He’s been Chairman since 2013. Throughout his career, Hilton has taken an active interest in the psychology of decision-making. This prompted him to pursue an Executive Master’s Degree in Consulting and Coaching for Change from Insead Business School in 2015. In 2004, Hilton founded the Rosemarie Nathanson Charitable Trust. The trust supports organizations that advance the welfare and education of young people. Hilton lives in London with his wife and children and is an avid cricket fan, a keen sailor, and a ferocious reader.  

Regina Louise, a beloved Hoffman Process teacher, is our guest this week on Love’s Everyday Radius. Listen in as Regina shares with us about her time at the Process and how she wanted so badly to leave…but stayed. As a child, Regina lived in over 30 foster homes, group homes, and psychiatric facilities before age 18. She never had the chance to emotionally process the traumas she faced. The Process gave her this opportunity and so much more. One of the most powerful insights Regina shares with us is with regard to hope. She says, “We can’t tell people to have hope. We have to tell people the truth of who they are – to BE hope.” Rather than a passive sense of waiting for good to happen, Regina invites us to BE hope in the form of real action in the world, being Spirit not just talking about Spirit. More About Regina Louise Regina speaks about and coaches organizations and individuals on trauma and personal development. She is also a foster care abolitionist and an author. Regina Louise’s real-life story is the subject of the Lifetime movie, I Am Somebody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story. She is the author of three books: Somebody’s Someone, Someone Has Led This Child to Believe, and her new book to be released June 8th, Permission Granted. Find out more about Regina here. You can also follow her on Instagram.  

We begin season 3 with Wilma Mae Basta, entrepreneur and founder of DRK Beauty. Listen in as Wilma Mae shares how profound both the Process and her healing journey have been. Originally from Philadelphia, Wilma Mae did her Process in the UK where she lived and worked at the time. When she arrived at the Process, she knew she was at the point where she couldn’t think her way “out of a paper bag.” She made the conscious decision to “allow Hoffman to catch” her. Wilma Mae had been told that as a strong Black woman, she needed to stay strong and figure things out on her own. When she faced severe depression, however, none of that worked for her. She realized that what she needed to do was ask for and receive the help she needed. The Process helped Wilma Mae heal her patterns and discover her superpowers. DRK BEAUTY: A UNIQUE WELL-BEING JOURNEY Wilma Mae’s experience of finding it difficult to locate the right kind of help to support her as a woman of color led to searching for and testing different modalities. Ultimately, these discoveries helped her build her own unique mental health and wellness journey that transformed her life. As a result of this experience, Wilma Mae moved back to the States in 2017 to create DRK Beauty, her well-being and mental health digital platform. Wilma Mae’s everyday radius now ripples out to “help womxn of color discover and craft their own unique well-being journey.” Wilma Mae Basta is the mother of two adult children and the daughter of a civil rights leader. In the early 90s, she built a career in film, TV, consumer, and consumer tech PR in the UK. She then launched and built the successful luxury vintage fashion brand, The Gathering Goddess. Known for its high-end collectibles, The Gathering Goddess’ collectible garments could often be seen on the red carpet. Follow Wilma Mae and DRK Beauty on Instagram.  

  Matt Brannagan, Hoffman teacher and coach, is our guest today in this delightful finale for season two. Matt shares about his time in the Process and in the military and speaks to what it is he loves about both. He also shares with us what it was like to help lead the Institute through the rough waters of 2020, which included the pandemic and the fire at White Sulphur Springs. Matt has found support and connection through many communities of meaning. Matt was twenty-five years old when he did the Process. He’d been in the military but was in a kind of funk, looking for a sense of purpose. So, Matt came to the Process to get a better sense of his life’s vision. One of the most valuable things for Matt in his Process was the recognition of how much time and energy he was wasting being stuck in patterns. “I was aware of them and trying to think my way out of them, which was both frustrating and self-defeating. The Process helped me shift my approach and my point of emphasis. I feel more efficient with my energy and as a result, more present throughout my day.” One year after completing the Process, and just after 9/11, Matt was deployed to Kuwait. While serving in that region, Matt learned how to not hold back as a leader out of fear. It was a high-stakes environment and he rose to leadership because people were counting on him. It was there that he began to integrate the work he’d done at the Process. More about Matt Branagan: Matt Brannagan also serves as Vice-President and COO for the Hoffman Institute. It is exactly Matt’s dynamic leadership presence that has helped support Hoffman’s powerful pivot through this past year. As a core part of Hoffman’s leadership team, he has helped guide the Institute to create a bundle of new virtual offerings, find and settle into Hoffman’s new permanent home at Earthrise, and support other new creations, including this podcast. Matt holds a B.A. in sociology from Sacramento State University; and an M.A. in transpersonal psychology from Naropa University. He is a retired U.S. Army veteran, a Professional Certified Coach, a psychology professor, and formerly a Master Resilience Trainer for the Army. “I love when the process really clicks for the students, and they begin to take on the tools and practices themselves. It is great to see that what we provide really works. Students often offer such great insights. I really get to take on learning even as I am teaching.” Matt lives in Los Angeles with his wife Nicole and dog Wilver.

Jo Mattoon, beloved Hoffman Process Teacher and Coach, supports people in developing their whole selves. In her transformational work, both with Hoffman and as an executive coach, Jo sees just how hungry we are to reclaim our whole personhood. At her own Process seventeen years ago, Jo reclaimed her whole personhood. About that week she says, “I actually felt like for the first time in my life I was the driver of my life.” More about Jo Mattoon In addition to her work at Hoffman, Jo Mattoon is Principal of Jo Mattoon Associates. She is masterful at guiding individual transformation as an executive coach. For twenty years, Jo provided organizational leadership as a human resources executive for three companies. Known for her strategic leadership, exceptional interpersonal skills, and analytical ability, Jo also has a wonderful sense of humor. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in the Humanities from the University of Colorado and a Master’s in Public Administration from Syracuse University. Jo is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation. A fourth-generation Coloradoan, Jo loves the outdoors, travel, good food, coyotes, tattoos, and the arts.

Get to know Nita Gage, a beloved Hoffman Process Teacher, and Coach. Before becoming a Hoffman teacher at 63, Nita had a long and distinguished career as a psychoanalyst and transformational retreat leader. Listen in as Nita shares about growing up on Native land and the many gifts of that time. She learned so much from her friend’s Grandmother, Grandma Wilson. Nita also speaks of how we must all stand up against the status quo and speak the truth. We can be part of a courageous ripple that brings good and necessary change to our world. One thing Nita shares is how she first came to the Hoffman Process, “kicking and screaming,” so to speak. She laughs as she shares that she understands how it feels to be a student on the first day of the Process and experience great resistance. More about Nita Gage Nita trained in psychoanalysis with R.D. Laing in London from 1970 to 1980. Upon returning to the United States, she pursued graduate degrees in clinical psychology and a doctorate in shamanic psychology. Nita has been leading transformational healing retreats for over 25 years, most recently with the Hoffman Institute. Before Hoffman, she founded the NeuroImaginal Institute and Healer Within Retreats, primarily working with physicians. She was the Executive Director of the American Board of Holistic Medicine. She also served clinical and executive positions in hospitals and treatment centers over the 40 years of her career. Growing up on a reservation in Arizona gave Nita a unique understanding of diversity. For many years, she worked in rural Arizona and Hawaii with diverse populations in addictions and mental health, initiating many innovation programs to address underserved populations. Nita has authored two books: Soul Whispering: The Art of Awakening Shamanic Consciousness and Women in Storage: How to Reimagine Your Life. Hoffman hosted our first-ever virtual conference, Embodying the Spirit of Change, on April 1-3, 2021. Nita was the panel moderator for the Indigenous Voices: Answering the Call to Mend Our World panel. If you’d like to know more about this panel, listen to the Indigenous Voices Hoffman Podcast episode with Tim Harjo, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, and Anita Sanchez, Ph.D.

Karen DeGannes came to the Process when she realized she was not showing up for her life. She discovered just how capable she is of showing up after taking the Process when she faced serious life health challenges. Karen discovered a quiet, gentle, persistent life force within herself that when surrendered, supported her to meet her most difficult life moments. Karen’s story is one of learning to take responsibility for one’s life with a gentle and persistent resilience. Prior to the Process, she had lost touch with religion and spirituality. During the Process, Karen was reunited with her Spiritual Self. She realized that Spirit had never left her; instead, she had turned away from her Spiritual Self. More about Karen Degannes Karen is most passionate about resilient and adaptive infrastructure business models that center communities while sustaining and regenerating ecological and just socioeconomic systems. She works as a natural resource and environmental scientist; an organizational sociologist; an energy, climate, and environmental justice expert; a strategist, innovator, and trusted advisor to corporations, communities, and governments; and an entrepreneur. Karen treasures her deepening self-awareness and understanding of what it means to be alive as a human being. After surviving a grave illness, and in this age of the Covid-19 pandemic and social, economic, and ecological crises, she prizes her new-found courage to show up authentically and to have a voice in socially difficult spaces. Karen is passionate about creating concrete, innovative, implementable, and scalable solutions to our most exciting challenges. To do so, she says we must develop operational solutions that jointly center people, communities, and ecosystems. An aspiring meditator, Karen loves to read and write poetry. She’s a connoisseur of art and long walks in nature. She is now reacquainting with her love of photography, dance, and laughter.

Billy Bush is our guest today. Billy came to the Process four years ago when his life instantly plummeted into chaos. Listen in as Billy shares with us about his time at the Process and his life since. In his heartwarming and candid style, Billy tells his stories with vulnerability, humor, and a kind of confidence that comes when you’ve found your way back from being down. As Billy says, “There’s a lot of value in knowing what it feels like to be down when you’re talking to people because everybody is going to be down. I don’t care who you are; if calamity has not struck yet, it will.” Billy’s time at Hoffman proved to be a turning point. He survived it all by digging deep into himself, owning his flaws, and identifying the patterns in his life. There was a moment at the Process when he wanted to leave. But, he found by staying with himself long enough, he realized that the Process was indeed doing exactly what he came for. In Billy’s words, “It was a successful reboot.” Billy Bush has had a long and successful career in radio and television. He currently is the host of Extra. Before that, he was the host of the Today Show’s 3rd hour and the host of Access Hollywood. He is the father of three girls aged 16, 20, and 22 which means “his hands are full.” Subscribe on Apple/iTunes https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Billy_Bush_Podcast.mp3