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
legacy
Alisha Zalkin
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]
Sometimes, another’s tragedy can become the inspiration for one’s own destiny. After my grandmother passed away, my father found a scrapbook of her life as a performer. Until then, I’d known her as someone who sang songs in Yiddish at Jewish charitable events and similar functions. That scrapbook opened my eyes to a story I’d never fully appreciated.
At 16, my grandmother, Bella Peisach Zalkin, was the youngest person to be admitted to the Vienna Conservatory of Music to study opera. Unfortunately, because of the Holocaust, she was denied her dream and had to flee Europe. What the scrapbook revealed was her tireless dedication to finding a way to express herself as an artist despite the hardships she faced just to survive.
Although I’d always admired my grandmother’s musicianship and had emulated her as a singer, it was only after I spent time with her life as revealed in her scrapbook that I felt the power music can have to change and even save people’s lives. Until that moment, I had defined myself by what other people thought of me and what I should be. The images of my grandmother’s story ignited a fire in me to take charge of my own destiny. If she could pursue a semblance of her dream despite the hardships she faced, I could have the strength and determination to pursue the entirety of my dreams.
Music is the universal language capable of producing a harmonious world. My mission is to further my grandmother’s legacy by creating music that empowers others to find inner peace, full self-expression, and the courage to live a life worth living.
No matter what has led you to this moment, you’re here for a reason. We each have a purpose. Instinctively, we know what that purpose is. All you have to do is trust yourself, no matter what obstacles life puts before you.
Thank you, Nana.
– Alisha Zalkin
Explore More Meaning
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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]
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publishing pioneer. novelist. dot aficionado.
William Gladstone is a bestselling novelist, a literary agent for exceptional authors, and a publishing pioneer. He contributed to the creation of the first print-on-demand book publishing company and the first eBook publishing company. [http://12thebook.com]
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lifestyle and relationship expert. author. coffey talker.
As a lifestyle and relationship expert, Lissa Coffey combines her two passions spirituality and media. She writes bestselling books and articles that inspire, educate, and entertain. [www.coffeytalk.com]
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spiritual teacher. modern mystic. ever-evolver.
Howard Falco is an international author, speaker, and spiritual teacher specializing in the power of the mind. His book on self-awareness and empowerment is titled, I AM: The Power of Discovering Who You Really Are. [www.howardfalco.com]
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life coach. motivational speaker. glass half-fullist.
Gabrielle Bernstein is a motivational speaker, life coach, and author. In 2008, she launched the social networking site HerFuture.com to help young women find mentors. [http://gabbyb.tv]
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street dancer. teenager inspirer. brave decider.
Always the consummate student, Melvin Roberts is committed to the quest for knowledge and human uplift. He's making his dreams come true with the debut of his one-man show in Hollywood. [www.plays411.com/secondact]
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incredible woman. hard work welcomer. long shot pursuer.
Bestselling author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and has published pieces on entrepreneurs in conflict and post-conflict regions. [www.gaylelemmon.com]
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self-correcter. thought changer. inner explorer.
Garret Kramer is the author of Stillpower and the upcoming The Path of No Resistance. His inside-out paradigm for performance excellence has been featured in various magazines, newspapers, and television programs. [www.garretkramer.com]
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