Nora McInerny Purmort, at the age of 31, lost her husband and father to cancer – and had a miscarriage – all within two months time. We talk about how she dealt with a change that she did not ask for by starting her non profit, Still Kickin' and writing her memoir – It's Okay to Laugh, Crying is Cool Too.

Features:

Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness by Dave Preston

Let it Be by The Beatles

The Chapter Be Podcast is back for SEASON 3! This first episode features an introduction to the new season as well as an interview with Dave Preston - the composer of Chapter Be's NEW theme song, Happiness. 

Just as seasons change – so do people, and Season 3 of the podcast has an overall theme of CHANGE. Sometimes change is what happens to us, sometimes it is a choice we make, sometimes we know it is inevitable – and even though we know it is coming, we have to brace for what that all means.

Season 2 Finale! 

As Season 2 of the Chapter Be Podcast comes to a close, I find myself really wanting to take some time to reflect - more specifically, reflect on the importance of reflection! We rarely take the time to look back at what we have accomplished and use those learnings as a way to drive our next steps. Good teaching always allows space for the learner to reflect on the information they have just consumed, and it is equally important that we do this with our own lives...

Features an excerpt from an Oscar interview with Brie Larson AND Things Will Never Be the Same Again by JJ

Judy Joo is the Chef Patron of Jinjuu restaurant in London and Hong Kong. She worked as an institutional fixed income derivatives saleswoman for Goldman Sachs and then Morgan Stanley, when she decided that she needed a change and wanted to be doing something that she was more passionate about. So, she left the trading floor to pursue her interest in being a chef - enrolling in The French Culinary Institute in New York City. Her career in the culinary arts would take her to working on the media side of the culinary industry which eventually led her to being the first female Iron Chef in the UK and the host of her own cooking show, Korean Food Made Simple. In this episode, we discuss what skills she took with her from the finance world to restaurant kitchens, the importance of being kind to everyone you meet - no matter who they are, and how you find time to just be when you have a packed schedule and two restaurants to run! 

Features Be Good to Yourself by Journey

Bridgette Di Ferdinando was an organizational psychologist and change management consultant who decided to make a change by focusing her energies on food advocacy and nutrition. She is one of the co-founders of the Bondi Food Collective in Sydney, Australia and is currently working on her BA in nutritional medicine with her ultimate goal being to become a nutritionist and dietician. She set out to get her degree at the same time she became a new mother and a year before her 40th birthday. In today's episode we talk about her decision to leave the corporate world, how she has dealt with the people who have not understood her life decisions and what it is like to go back to school later in life in order to move further down the path she has built for herself. 

Featuring "Be Thankful for What You've Got" by Massive Attack

Michelle Lee Weldon is the founder and creator of Vibrant Medicine - a business that encourages you to "let a vibrant life be your medicine." It offers services that provide mindfulness and meditation coaching, yoga therapy, Neurosculpting meditation coaching and body centered psychotherapy. Michelle always new that she wanted to meld science and spirituality, but she allowed her various life experiences to direct the path that she has built for herself. She began as a school psychologist, but came to discover that it was limiting and not inclusive enough for her whole being - so she focused on opening her own practice. We talk about the lessons learned along the way, what Neurosculpting is and the importance of infusing a daily meditation practice into your life if you are hoping to make any sort of change. 

Features Neil Diamond's Be from his Jonathan Livingston Seagull album. 

Haneen Badri is Chapter Be's guest blogger for the month of February. Haneen is a senior in high school in Denver, CO, who, after experiencing a major act of discrimination in middle school, found herself questioning her identity and very being. With the help of some mentors and caring adults, as well as her own determination, she overcame this self-hate. She is now an outspoken advocate for being yourself and embracing your differences. Outside of school, she leads the Colorado Muslim Society Girls Youth Group and is the youth representative for Young Sudanese. 

Features Be Somebody by Kings of Leon

Today's episode is a short feature - focusing on the correlation between the scientific method, the creative process and the entrepreneurial experience. Features excerpts from past Chapter Be interviewees Danny Harris, Kathy Lee and Ian Trask. 

Featuring Weird Science by Oingo Boingo 

Danny Harris is the founder and creator of People's District, a website that shares the stories of Washington, D.C.'s residents, and StorySocial, a creative design firm that helps tell better stories and create stronger communities. Danny is also the co-founder of Feastly, a startup that connects diners with chefs by offering unique food experiences, and is currently working as the Program Director for the Knight Foundation in San Jose, CA. Danny worked in the policy world before venturing out as an entrepreneur and storyteller. His intention was not to make a career change when he created People's District, but instead was looking for a way that he could personally connect with the people in his city and have a better understanding of his community. We discuss the personal transformation that launched this new life venture, the work of taking an idea to action and the importance in connection with those in your community who might not be just like you. 

Features Aretha Franklin's cover of Let it Be

Douglas Tsoi is Chapter Be's guest blogger for the month of January and the founder of Portland Underground Grad School. Douglas was laid off from his job - a job he very much enjoyed - a little over a year ago. After this happened he eventually made the decision to take the next year off - focusing on all of the ideas he had been holding on to for years - giving himself, and his ideas, the time and space to try them out. It was going to be a year of doing and experimenting - seeing what worked and what didn't work. We talk about some of his experiments, the lessons learned along the way and how the year of experimentation has changed him as a person. 

Features Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered by Ella Fitzgerald