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. big dreamer. lady in red.
Sophie Chiche, lifebyme.com founder and curator, enjoys asking deep questions and living a life of meaning. Today she's launching Shape House, an urban sweat lodge, a place to melt away fears and fat. [www.shapehousela.com]
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
aligned body
Alisa Vitti
holistic health counselor. transformational speaker. natural life changer.
Holistic Health Counselor Alisa Vitti specializes in reproductive and hormonal health and helping women connect to and express their feminine energy. She founded the FLO Living Center. [www.floliving.com]
I’ve derived my life’s purpose and joy, my understanding of myself, connections and collaborations with others, and magical serendipitous opportunities from aligning with what’s uniquely female about my body.
It took getting slapped around by health issues to recognize my body’s magic. When I was 19, my body broke down completely, from a hormonal standpoint. I weighed 200 pounds, was covered in acne, was severely depressed, and got my period twice a year, if I was lucky. At the time, I was studying at Johns Hopkins to become an OB/GYN. One night, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore and spent the night in the medical library. I finally found a tiny article and a likely diagnosis – polycystic ovarian syndrome, which turned out to be confirmed by testing. My body had given me a clear, meaningful direction and I’d followed it.
I asked my doctor, “Now what do we do?” Her answer was, basically, nothing. I’d be medicated and get used to dealing with things like diabetes, infertility, heart disease, and increased likelihood of cancer. But the cells of my body screamed a big NO at me. I said, “Thank you. I’m going to take my expensively trained mind and go figure this out.” She chuckled and said, “Okay, well, when you need the meds, let me know.”
Over the next years, I explored alternative therapies and apprenticed myself with naturopaths, acupuncturists, applied kinesiologists, underwater basket weavers … you name it. I tried every supplement and therapy I could to get my endocrine system back online. Nothing worked. Then my body gave me another hint – to study food. So I started researching. I was my first guinea pig. Within a year of putting together a protocol from my research findings, I’d healed myself.
My body, in its elegantly complex, miraculous ability to restore itself, showed me what true power is. It was life-changing to witness that. Also, although I’d been told I had an incurable condition, I found that not to be the case. That was eye-opening and myth-busting.
I keep coming back to the body, which has given me my direction in life. Culturally, women have divorced ourselves from our bodies, but we can’t take it for granted that our bodies will be able to handle and adapt to our modern lifestyles, so we have to learn and become aligned with and be in pleasurable, powerful, partnership with our bodies.
Our feminine bodies are how we engage with the world. We can’t make the magic without them.
– Alisa Vitti
Explore More Meaning
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psychotherapist. author. life balancer.
Abby Seixas is a psychotherapist, author, speaker, mother, calligrapher, gardener, life-long spiritual seeker, and work-in-progress. [www.deepriverwithin.com]
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cartoonist. creator. funny guy.
Cartoonist Dave Kellett previously worked as a writer and toy designer at Mattel Toys. He founded Sheldon Comics and is the creator of Sheldon cartoons. [www.sheldoncomics.com]
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innovative designer. fashion trendy. in-flight companion.
Shareen Mitchell founded Shareen Vintage in 2004 out of a small booth at the Fairfax Flea Market. She has since launched Shareen, Inc., with vintage locations in Downtown Los Angeles and New York City. [www.shareen.com]
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publisher. contributor. FOUNDer.
Davy Rothbart, creator of Found Magazine, is an author, frequent contributor to the radio program This American Life, and the subject of a documentary released in 2011. [www.foundmagazine.com]
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designer. conscious brand manager. wild redhead.
Drai is a priestess, song keeper, mother, wife, and artist. As founder of Wild Redhead Design, she loves to partner with folks who are making a difference. [www.myspace.com/wildredheaddesign/blog]
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story pirate. avid learner. people person.
Benjamin Salka is the co-founder and CEO of Story Pirates, which celebrates the words, ideas, and stories of children, encouraging and empowering young people to invent big ideas for a new generation. [www.storypirates.org]
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creative problem solver. writer. questioneer.
Writer, photographer, and creative problem solver April Larson founded The Questioneers, an organization providing children throughout the world with opportunities to participate in meaningful communication. [www.thequestioneers.com]
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personal relationship developer. life transformer. corporate wunderkind.
Keith Ferrazzi is an author, speaker, activist, and entrepreneur whose expertise in professional relationship development has transformed careers and lives worldwide. [www.keithferrazzi.com]
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