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
redhead
Zara Larsen
leadership consultant. business coach. proud redhead.
Dr. Zara Larsen is a change leadership consultant and business coach. Her weekly radio show encourages us to create our own path by walking on it. [www.thelarsengroup.com]
My favorite children’s book is Elmer, by David McKee. Elmer is a brightly colored patchwork elephant known amongst the grey herd for his animated antics. His ideas are the source of the herd’s games, jokes, and happiness. One day, Elmer awakes unhappy and decides he’s tired of being so different, tired of being patchwork. In his quest to become ordinary, Elmer rolls in elephant-colored berries. He returns to the herd incognito, only to discover how still, silent, and sullen his family and friends have become without him. When a sudden thunderstorm reveals Elmer’s true colors, the herd responds gleefully to what they think was another of Elmer’s jokes. They laugh and laugh. An old elephant says, “Oh, Elmer, what would we do without you?”
In so many ways, we’re pushed and pulled to be the same as others, to live up to others’ definitions of success. I believe real joy and lifelong fulfillment come from going beyond allowing ourselves to be different and on to celebrating our uniqueness and helping others celebrate theirs.
An obvious way I’m different is that I’m a tall, lanky redhead. But I’m different in other ways, too. From early on, my parents cheered me on to be and do whatever I wanted to be and do. For me, that meant pioneering, maximizing my talents, always being on the lookout for a new challenge, and taking and learning from risks. Not until later in life did it strike me that fitting in is so expected of us and there are penalties for standing out. Though staying below the radar screen and following the pack bring some form of acceptance and comfort, they don’t help us as individuals or collectively.
My husband gave me the Elmer book when I was in the midst of guiding a cross-company merger ripe with business benefits yet troubled by a clash of cultures. As I read about Elmer I realized again that what equipped me most to guide the merger was being different and knowing that others counted on me to be different. Being different also allowed me to heal afterwards in my own best way and to press on to the next chapter in my career.
As Elmer’s story reveals, those around us – family, friends, colleagues, and the greater world – really do need us to be more of who we are, not less. So, whether you’re redheaded or patchwork or anything else that’s different, take pride in standing out in your own way.
– Zara Larsen
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innovator. fire starter. napper.
Danielle LaPorte is an inspirational speaker, former think tank exec and business strategist. Over a million visitors have visited her site for her straight-up advice on spirituality. [www.daniellelaporte.com]
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Author. Relationship Expert. Upper Limit Eliminator.
Gay Hendricks has served for more than 30 years as one of the major contributors to the fields of relationship transformation and body-mind therapies. [www.hendricks.com]
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joyous author. inspiring speaker. dream accomplisher.
Dr. Jin Robertson has been a factory laborer, an immigrant housemaid, a battered wife, and a U.S. army major. Jin received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. She is an international inspirational speaker and bestselling author. [www.drjinrobertson.com]
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Songwriter. Painter. Dreamer.
Songwriter, novelist, and painter Pol Serge Kakon was born in Mogador (now Essaouira). He founded The Drunken Boat, in Paris, which became a mecca for poetry and song. [www.polsergekakon.com]
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runner. country crosser. first stepper.
Katie Visco created Pave Your Lane, a campaign to enliven our world through connection to ourselves and each other. The second-youngest person and the 13th woman to run across America, Katie is now running her message across all 50 states. [www.paveyourlane.com]
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omnibuilder. nomad. inspirationalist.
Bassam Tarazi is the Director of Operations of Omnibuild and a co-founder of Nomading Film Festival. He has recently launched Colipera, which focuses on collective inspiration and personal accountability. [www.colipera.com]
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lover. performer. card shark.
Tiffany Michelle broke records at the World Series of Poker for largest field ever conquered by a female in live tournament history. She also competed as part of the only female team on the fifteenth season of The Amazing Race. [www.tiffanymichelle.com]
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Feng Shui Expert. Writer. Alchemist of Possibility.
Ariel Joseph Towne is the author of Serene Makeover: Inner Edition (Feng shui your life from the inside out), which empowers us to address our "inner house" and make changes that can affect all levels of our lives. [www.thefengshuiguy.com/serene-makeover-inner-edition]
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