author. speaker. motivator.
Affectionately known as "America's #1 Success Coach," Jack Canfield is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a leading authority in the areas of self-esteem, achievement motivation, and peak performance. [www.jackcanfield.com]
political powerhouse. media mogul. author.
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post and the author of twelve books. [www.huffingtonpost.com]
author. speaker. linchpin.
Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]
yogi. philanthropist. dynamic teacher.
Krishna Kaur is the founder of YOGA for Youth, a program that takes yoga, meditation, and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. [www.yogaforyouth.org]
producer. philanthropist. tv legend.
Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film. He is also a political and social activist and philanthropist. [www.normanlear.com]
race car driver. activist. carbon free girl.
Leilani Münter is a professional race car driver and an environmental activist who uses her voice in the number one spectator sport in America as a catalyst for change. [www.leilanimunter.com]
Freedom Fighter. Philanthropist. Game Changer.
By going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders, Kevin Bales exposed modern slavery’s penetration into the global economy. He co-founded Free the Slaves, which has helped to liberate thousands of slaves. [www.freetheslaves.net]
mom. TED-talker. no-bullsh**er.
Sophie Chiche, founder of lifebyme.com, is the single mom of an amazing 16-year-old, Leah, and wicked step-mom of 22-year-old, Sarah. They all live in LA. You can find them boxing, cooking, collaging, hosting brunches, laughing their head off or bickering over who’s washing and who’s drying the dishes.
Writer. Entrepreneur. Daily Lover.
Entrepreneur and writer Mastin Kipp founded TheDailyLove.com, which merges pop culture with inspiration, and co-founded The Love Yourself Company, an apparel company that has started a global self-esteem movement. [www.TheDailyLove.com]
singer. musician. crier.
Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]
archbishop. author. peaceful leader.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is Chairman of The Elders, a group of world leaders who address some of the world's most pressing problems. He works energetically for human-rights and in his ministry. [www.tutu.org]
author. ceo. humanitarian.
Zainab Salbi is the founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a group dedicated to helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. [www.womenforwomen.org]
speaker. psychotherapist. life embracer.
Despite his physical challenges, Sean Stephenson has taken a stand for a quality of life that has inspired millions of people around the world. He’s a professional speaker, psychotherapist, and author. [www.timetostand.com]
yogi. meditator. teacher.
Kia Miller teaches Yoga at Yoga Works in Los Angeles, leads teacher trainings, and runs retreats and workshops on meditation, chakras, pranayam, and mantras, and other practices. [www.kiamiller.com]
creator. writer. idea geek.
Simon Mainwaring is an ex-Nike/Wieden creative, former Worldwide Creative Director at Motorola/Ogilvy, branding/advertising writer, author/speaker/blogger, Australian, idea geek. [www.simonmainwaring.com]
Strategist. Writer. Life Coach.
Shannon Bindler is a style editor, life coach, and the co-founder of Get Up Girl, an empowerment company that inspires women to shine. [www.getupgirl.com]
Designer. Art Director. Passionate Creator.
Grammy-nominated art director/designer/photographer Mathieu Bitton has designed over 450 CDs and movie posters. He’s a renowned collector of and authority on black films and their soundtracks. [www.candytangerine.com]
Agent. Producer. Photography Enthusiast.
Opus Reps founder and agent-producer Jorge Perez travels the world producing photo shoots with great photographers and celebrities. He's also very involved with Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles. www.opusreps.com
activism
Mandy Ingber
fitness and wellness advisor. yoga instructor. body lover.
Mandy Ingber is a fitness and wellness advisor, celebrity yoga instructor, author, and DVD star who motivates people with her light-hearted approach and unique teaching style. [www.mandyingber.com]
What I look for, in myself, in my teaching, and in my learning, is integrity – the integration of all the parts of myself. In the spiritual world, the focus is often on positivity, but it can sometimes be hard to integrate our shadow sides and to understand why painful things happen to us.
It’s important to be self-expressed, to come onto the planet and be whoever we are, even with all our conflicts. My whole life has been an incredible combination of painful loss and manifested dreams. My mother was born in a displaced persons camp in Germany. Her parents survived the Holocaust then came to the U.S. I wanted to become an actress, so I studied and ended up in a Tony Award-winning Neil Simon play on Broadway when I was 15. My father taught me yoga, but he was also verbally abusive. I had a lot of pain because of him, but he also gave me so much. I’ve always tried to understand how I can love someone who hurt me so much.
It’s important to acknowledge the struggles inside myself, in part because then I can accept more of what’s happening outside myself. For instance, if there’s a war somewhere, I can understand it better if I can relate it to the war going on inside me. I can remind myself that there are parts of me that rise up and overthrow other parts of me that are very restrictive. I can relate the world to myself and try to work with it – inside and out – as peacefully as possible. In this way, I’m an internal activist.
How can I integrate the conflicting feelings and experiences within myself? How can I make the highs and lows make sense with each other? What’s the lesson here? How can something intense and tragic actually be a blessing? How can I use this experience as a mirror to see myself better? How can I be grateful? By exploring in these ways, I don’t necessarily get rid of the pain, but I learn to embrace it.
Whenever something apparently bad happens to me – a breakup, a loss, a death – I try to get on my knees and thank the universe, right away, before I even understand it, rather than running away. A saying came to me once: “Pain is God’s hand in my heart.” Sometimes I imagine that hand reaching into the center of my chest. If it’s God’s hand, then the pain is OK. It’s trying to help me.
- Mandy Ingber
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grounded artist. soulful voice. nana’s girl.
Entertainment Tonight called singer/songwriter Alisha Zalkin "uplifting and inspiring.” Her debut EP, March to a Different Beat, features soulful, piano-driven narratives combining her big-voiced inspirations and her multicultural family musical history. [www.alishazmusic.com]
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musician. dad. digital renaissance man.
Mike Meeker is a father, musician, yogi, surfer, and digital renaissance man. His mission is to inspire his audience as he finds creative ways to affect the quality of the day. [www.mikemeeker.com]
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teacher. author. world traveler.
Award-winning teacher Sue Sommer developed and teaches the English Honors and Creative Writing course for Marin School of the Arts at Novato High School. She also leads summer educational tours to Europe. [www.newworldlibrary.com]
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yogi. philanthropist. dynamic teacher.
Krishna Kaur is the founder of YOGA for Youth, a program that takes yoga, meditation, and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. [www.yogaforyouth.org]
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community stretcher. flexible mama. simple doer.
Liz Eustace is a total yoga dawg who’s savored hundreds of yoga classes throughout North America. She’s a certified yoga teacher and the CEO and founder of an online community connecting people to yoga. [www.alignyo.com]
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motivational speaker. businessman. philanthropist.
James Malinchak has delivered over 2,200 motivational presentations, owns three businesses, has written eight books, and is a Contributing Author and Associate Editor for the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. [www.malinchak.com]
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mother. author. dog lover.
Peggy Drexler, Ph.D., is a research psychologist, assistant professor of psychology at Cornell, and author of two books about gender and family. She’s currently working on a book about the impact of wealth on childrearing. [www.peggydrexler.com]
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coach. adventurer. that confidence guy.
Rich Litvin is an expert in developing deep, inner, natural confidence. He founded The Confident Woman's Salon. [www.richlitvin.com]
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