Behind The Brilliance

A listener from Twitter asked whether I felt a responsibility to use my platform good. I answered. In detail. Black women are centered and I share my thoughts on protests, converting points of view, economic empowerment, and much more.  

Idil Ahmed has amassed a following of more than 1 million people on Twitter (@idillionaire), Instagram, and Facebook by delivering inspiring and illuminating content. An author, entrepreneur, speaker, and science enthusiast, Idil has made it her life's work to help as many people as possible operate from a place of power and clarity. In this conversation, we talk about her journey, the practical aspects of spirituality, how she turned a growing Twitter account into a 7 figure following, and much more.  We cover:  -how Idil turned her passion into a profitable pursuit -Idil's early days and how she started her first business -Idil's thoughts on reconciling science and spirituality  -how the Idillionaire brand came to be and how she grew it  -the inspiration for Idil's book, Get Out of Your Own Way  -Idil's wisdom on forgiving yourself, navigating change, and finding your way forward -the importance of avoiding comparison  -and much more! Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB144  

Dr. Michael Breus is the leading authority on sleep in the United States. He is a clinical psychologist and one of 163 psychologists in the world with his credentials and distinctions related to sleep disorders. In this fast paced conversation, I bombard him with my burning questions about sleep, coffee, alcohol, travel, beauty and all of the other random things we all need to understand about sleep and how it affects our bodies.  Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB143

Roderick Cox is just one of a handful of African-American conductors in the world. He is currently the associate conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra and has gained national attention for his outstanding talent. During this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on his process, his dedication to his craft, the hard lessons he's learned about excellence, and much more. We cover:  -how Roderick got his start in music  -the mental and emotional aspects of performance excellence -Roderick's thoughts on the sacrifices and commitment necessary to thrive at a craft -how Roderick manages his insecurities  -Roderick's lessons learned on discipline  -Roderick's daily routine  -advice to classical music newbies -and much more!  

Kelly Hoey is an author, speaker, and angel investor. Her book, Build Your Dream Network, is a guide for making modern career connections that power a career you love. Whether you're an indie artist or a high powered C level exec, Kelly's advice is useful.  In this conversation, we cover:  -Why Kelly decided to start going after equity instead of paychecks (and you should too)  -How the New York Times engagement announcements became part of Kelly's networking strategy  -Why you should never ask anyone to mentor you  -Kelly's networking advice for introverts  -How Kelly made the leap from corporate attorney to author, speaker and investor -Why curiosity and side projects are essential to a great career -and much more!

A'Lelia Bundles is a four time author, public speaker, journalist, and television producer. Her Madam CJ Walker biography On Her Own Ground is being produced for TV by Octavia Spencer and LeBron James. We talk about A'Lelia's dynamic career, her approach to decision making, and the lessons she learned from the first self-made American woman millionaire - her great-great-grandmother, Madam CJ Walker.  Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB140

Angela Nissel is the bestselling author of The Broke Diaries, a television writer, and all around dope and funny woman. We talk about her varied and fascinating career, the best lessons she's learned, and why she'd rather have money than fame.  We cover a lot of topics including:  -Angela's experience co-founding Okay Player with Questlove (and the funny story of how they met) -Angela's book, The Broke Diaries, and how her relationship with money has changed since then -the value of surrender in life and work -the illusions of "success" and why Angela prefers money to fame -the valuable lesson Angela learned after her appearance on Oprah's talk show  -finding your way to "work/life balance" as a creative  -and much more! Say hi to Angela on Twitter + Instagram: @angelanissel

This episode is a short and sweet compilation of questions. They'll challenge you, inspire you, and make you think. Journal about them, discuss them with friends, or just think on them. They're the perfect way to prepare for 2018.  PLUS! I share deets on the first digital download, Higher Concerns. It's available now at HigherConcerns.com or BehindtheBrilliance.com. Use the code "BTB" to get $5 off.  Let me know what you thought about these questions - I'm @LisaNicoleBell on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

Rachel Hill is a former corporate superstar turned wanderlust warrior. She left a 6 figure salary at a Fortune 50 company to backpack through Asia. She's been traveling ever since. Now she runs RachelTravels.com, a travel blog and business that delivers useful and inspiring advice on traveling the world...or your own backyard. Topics Covered:  -how Rachel discovered she was depressed and what she did about it -how and why Rachel took off for Southeast Asia with a backpack and a dream -how Rachel turned her passion into a profitable pursuit -Rachel's thoughts on travel bucket lists, her favorite countries, and her advice to newbie travelers -Rachel's secrets to traveling in style without breaking the bank -what Rachel has learned about business and her approach to the gamification of marketing -how Rachel fails forward -and much more! Say hi to Rachel on Twitter or Instagram Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB137

Duane Spires is a serial entrepreneur who brings passion and enthusiasm to everything he does. We covered a LOT in this episode including the details of his journey to building multiple $1M+ businesses, his take on dealing with setbacks, how he handled friends who didn't support his wins, and much more.  This conversation covers:  -how Duane turned a $5 loan from his mom into an empire (and later hired her full time to be on his team) -how Duane changed his relationship with money after blowing it on ballerific nonsense -Duane's thoughts on choosing the right spouse when you have big goals  -how Duane's relationships changed after he became successful (and what he did about it)  -Duane's habits that resulted in him creating a $1 million side hustle  -and much more!

Influencer, actress, and entrepreneur Africa Miranda stops by to chat about her journey from a girl with New York City dreams in Alabama to star of Bravo's "The New Atlanta" to dynamic woman birthing a luxury beauty brand.  During this talk, Africa opens about the best and worst parts of her path and shares the secrets to her resilience. We cover a lot of topics including:  -Africa's approach to making big decisions (you'll love her framework and want to steal it for yourself) -Africa's secrets for creating enviable brand identity (luxury radiates from her new brand) -The beauty secrets that yield glowing skin and slaytastic hair -How Africa actively designs a life she loves (with advice you can actually use) -Africa's reflections on life after reality TV -Africa's leap from Alabama to New York City and why the move was so important -and much more! Say hi to Africa on Instagram and Twitter : @africamiranda  Rate the show on iTunes and share it with somebody who can use a shot of funny inspiration. Get show no

Nitasha Tiku is a senior technology writer for WIRED. Her past work includes writing for Gawker, BuzzFeed, Inc, and The Verge. During this chat, we cover a lot of topics including:  -How Nitasha broke into journalism (and her advice for people who want to break into any creative field)  -Nitasha's observations about founders who do well -How Nitasha dealt with intense criticism and scrutiny (useful advice included) -Orgasmic meditation (yes, really)  -Nitasha's advice for slaying the green-eyes jealousy dragon  -and much more!  Say hi to Nitasha on Twitter or Instagram: @nitashatiku  Get show notes at www.behindthebrilliance.com

It's the Season 7 kickoff of Behind the Brilliance!  The cynics say the advice about waking up early, meditating, and all of the other usual stuff is overblown and doesn't account for the role of LUCK in being successful. I agree with them so I decided to devote an episode to ways we can make our own luck.  Some stuff is legitimately beyond our control (like dicks/vaginas, skin color, etc) but there's a lot we can do that makes a difference.  This entire season will be devoted to making luck and hacking happiness. I can't wait for you to hear the conversations.  In the mean time, give this episode a listen. It covers:  -a twist on the conventional advice to "work hard"  -how to find your Prosper Point -why "hobbies and interests" matter -a different way of thinking about big goals  -and much more Let me know if you're making your own luck and what you thought of this episode: Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @lisanicolebell 

Season 6 was a solid collection of conversations from an eclectic array of folks including writers, entrepreneurs, actors, and artists. I'm grateful to the amazing guests who generously shared their time and opened up about their experiences and lessons learned. I'm also grateful to you, the listener, for joining me in this special little community of people who want to be, do, and have more as we celebrate what we've got. I've recapped 7 episodes from Season 6: 108 - Eric Bahn : entrepreneur + investor at 500 Startups 109 - Jamila Daniel : television writer, Star on FOX 111 - Tamara Floyd : blogger turned entrepreneur 115 - Tina Lifford : star on OWN's hit television show Queen Sugar 117 - Damon Young : writer + founder, Very Smart Brothas 121 - Dr. Andrew Newberg : neuroscientist + author of How God Changes Your Brain 128 - Tiffany Dufu : Author of Drop the Ball + Chief Leadership Officer at Levo Drop a line and let me know what you thought about Season 6! @LisaNicoleBell on Twitter, Facebook + Instagram Se

My nickname for this show is the Creativity Meets Commerce. Jessica has designed systems and processes for her work and offers frameworks for other artists. Her work deals with the hard stuff: staying out of your own way, thinking about the bigger picture of your goals, managing limited time, deciding to charge for your creative work. During this conversation, we covered a lot of ground on how to get art done even as the artist struggles through the process. Jessica is practical (which I love), and she offers clear, accessible ways of solving common problems for people who want to make things. Say hi to Jessica and let her know what you thought about our chat: @jccabel We covered a lot including:  -melding creativity and commerce -what idea debt is and how to eliminate it -time management advice that works for creative types -redefining "marketing" for people who hate salesy stuff -art as a service -overcoming dark times in the middle of a project   Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB131

Felecia Hatcher is a White House Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Globally Sought after Speaker and Author who works to rid communities of innovation deserts and creates cool books, products and courses to help Start-Ups, Creatives and Broke Entrepreneurs follow their most epic dreams.  In this conversation, we talk about her journey from C student to award-winning entrepreneur. We talk about the $1 million grant she recently received for her latest venture, Code Fever.  We covered a lot including:  -time management hacks -delegating (Felecia's war stories and advice)  -working with her spouse (and the effect it had on her marriage, spoiler alert: they didn't kill each other)  -the hardest lesson she's learned -why she advises taking it slow with investors  -and much more Say hi to Felecia on Twitter and let her know what you thought: @feleciahatcher Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB130    

In the last solo episode of Season 6, I share some thoughts on weaving minimalism into our lives in practical ways. Of course, shenanigans are sprinkled throughout for our mutual amusement.  This episode covers:  -the Fleeing Suitcase exercise  -delaying purchases (aka the Amazon cart for life) -curating + auditing what we own (and why we should do it regularly) -the importance of gratitude and celebration  -and more  Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB129

My nickname for this episode is the Sanity Show. It's full of fresh ideas and perspective on getting things done with grace, staying sane when you're ambitious, and learning how to leverage relationships to fulfill your personal and professional potential. Tiffany Dufu is the author of the new book, Drop the Ball. We covered a lot of topics including time management, renegotiating relationships, comparative advantage (and how to use it to your benefit at work and at home), and much more.  Say hi to Tiffany and let her know what you thought about our chat: @tdufu TOPICS COVERED (partial list) -how to "find your purpose" and connect it to your daily work -lessons on delegating effectively -the importance of renegotiating relationships -how to apply comparative advantage at home  -how to have critical conversations when you need support -redefining what it means to be "good" at any given role in your life  -and much more Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB128

In the last Q+A episode of Season 6, I answer a question about how I discovered and implemented my system of values and a question about choosing between a lifestyle business and a scalable business.  Topics covered in this episode:  -Why I decided to clarify my values  -The process of choosing and implementing a new values system -How to troubleshoot faulty values -How to choose between a lifestyle business and a scalable business -Why no one is really their "own boss" and why it doesn't matter anyway -Much more!  Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB127

Kristi and I had such a good conversation that lasted about 2 hours. We talked about her essay "Enjoli - read it at http://bit.ly/KristiEnjoli,why you're never too old to start over, and much more.  Kristi is a writer and soon-to-be author who penned the (popular and somewhat controversial) essay "Enjoli" on Medium last summer. The response opened a floodgate of reactions from people discussing alcohol consumption, being sober, and how the choice plays into other aspects of life.  After reading the essay earlier this year, I was struck by both Kristi's writing style and her observations about alcohol and what it's done to us culturally.  Even if you don't "think" you have an alcohol problem, this episode is a good reflection on anything we consider to be a detriment or vice to well-being. I've thought deeply about it as it applies to a variety of areas of my life. Maybe you will too.  Say hi to Kristi and let her know what you thought about our chat: @kristiccoulter  Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB126