Soulful Ambition

Get your free audition meditation and stay in the loop with Analisa and A Balancing Act HERE.

Episode Highlights:

• Aligning with the seasons to enhance the creative process
• Identifying your primary element (earth, air, water, or fire) to provide insights into your creative process
• The importance of playing the long game as a Creative Being
• The Ultimate Game: maintaining passion + desire while remaining detached from specific outcomes
• Breaking the paradigm of 'if/then' thinking

Analisa is joined by guest Joshua Townsend, an expert in creative development and story coaching. They discuss the importance of understanding the elements and how they relate to the creative process. They delve into the characteristics and challenges of each element (earth, air, water, and fire) and provide practical tips for working with each element in a creative context. In this conversation, Joshua Townshend and Analisa Leaming discuss various aspects of the creative process and personal growth. They explore the importance of understanding characters and how they present themselves versus who they truly are. They also delve into the concept of the short game versus the long game, emphasizing the need for patience and authenticity in pursuing creative endeavors. The conversation then shifts to the ultimate game, which involves maintaining passion and desire while remaining detached from specific outcomes. They discuss the path of mastery and the importance of breaking the paradigm of 'if-then' thinking. Finally, they touch on the power of breathing and the skills that artists develop throughout their journey.

Learn more about Joshua Townshend here.

Take Joshua's creative element quiz here.

A Balancing Act is hosted by Analisa Leaming, Broadway actor + soulful coach for creatives. This season is designed to inspire performers and creatives to journey towards their dreams with more soul and less attachment to outcomes and society's definitions of success.

Get your free audition meditation and stay in the loop with Analisa and A Balancing Act HERE.

In this short + sweet solo episode Analisa explores two ways of managing energy while you await your audition.

It's easy to be swept up and deeply affected by frenetic energy and most performers are sensitives/empaths.

These kinds of practices are imperative so that we can stay in our own alignment. Listen and give them a try today!

Also, we know this, but these practices serve FAR beyond Ripley and Pearl. May it serve!

Take this quiz before next week's episode!

A Balancing Act is hosted by Analisa Leaming, Broadway actor + soulful coach for creatives. This season is designed to inspire performers and creatives to journey towards their dreams with more soul and less attachment to outcomes and society's definitions of success.

Get your free audition meditation and stay in the loop with Analisa + A Balancing Act HERE. Episode Highlights:

• Patrick's story: dressing actors on Broadway while also auditioning!!!
• Patrick's hot-take on audition season
• What makes an actor stand out in the audition room
• Goal setting
• Detaching from audacious dreams
• The power of creating on your own terms
• "Skipping the first 10 times" Practice

This conversation explores the journey of Patrick O'Neill, a director and choreographer, and his insights on navigating the performing arts industry. Analisa and Patrick cover topics such as his accidental journey in the arts, identity shifts, audition season, cultivating creativity, qualities that make an actor stand out, the importance of daily practices, and embracing the journey and setting goals. In this conversation, Patrick O'Neill and Analisa Leaming discuss setting achievable goals, detaching from audacious dreams, the power of making things, finding answers within, embracing vulnerability, and belonging on stage. They emphasize the importance of taking practical steps towards goals and not being overwhelmed by the end result. They also discuss the practice of detaching from outcomes and finding satisfaction in the creative process. Patrick shares the importance of making things and how it gives a sense of pride and authority. They also explore the practice of finding answers within oneself and the vulnerability that comes with pursuing big dreams. They conclude by discussing the idea of belonging on stage and the importance of skipping the first 10 attempts to find success. Soul Nourishment in this episode: Connect with Patrick here and here. Michael Hyatt Planner A Balancing Act is hosted by Analisa Leaming, Broadway actor + soulful coach for creatives. This season is designed to inspire performers and creatives to journey towards their dreams with more soul and less attachment to outcomes and society's definitions of success.

Get your free audition meditation and stay in the loop with Analisa and A Balancing Act HERE.

Learn more about 1:1 Soulful Coaching w/ Analisa Leaming HERE.

Inside this episode:

• Analisa's way of activating her Indestructible Core
• How to practice not taking things personally
• How the fear of humiliation points to an addiction to pride
• The antidote to fear of humiliation (the opinion of others)
• An exploration of True Humility

This episode is a follow up to Eleri Ward's powerful conversation last week. Analisa goes deeper into two main themes: the indestructible core and the power of not taking anything personally. She then explores the fear of humiliation and how it's holding so many artists back. Analisa shares that she, too, is very much a student of this topic and goes into her favorite teachings on humiliation, pride, perfectionism and true humility. Anyone struggling with perfectionism, taking up space, and being their full self will find gems and actionable steps within this episode!

Soul Nourishment in this episode:

Xavier Dagba

Caroline Myss Entering the Castle

Jason Mraz Making it Up

A Balancing Act is hosted by Analisa Leaming, Broadway actor + soulful coach for creatives. This season is designed to inspire performers and creatives to journey towards their dreams with more soul and less attachment to outcomes and society's definitions of success.

Get your free audition meditation and stay in the loop with Analisa and A Balancing Act HERE.

Learn more about 1:1 Soulful Coaching w/ Analisa Leaming HERE.

In this episode with Eleri Ward:

✨ Eleri's journey from musical theatre showcase to critically acclaimed recording artist + finding HER voice

✨ Having "Healthy Delusion" in the entertainment + theatre industry

✨ Cultivating an indestructible core

✨ The power of not taking anything personally

✨ Reframing being told "You Don't Fit/We don't understand you"

Analisa stumbled across this reel of Eleri's on Instagram and was blown away by her story and her talent. She was thrilled to sit down with her and learn about her journey from her musical theatre showcase at Boston Conservatory where she didn't receive an offer from an agent to recording and producing her full length indie-folk Sondheim album, "A Perfect Little Death," in her closet.

After gaining a viral TikTok following, it was released by Ghostlight Records and has been hailed as "a harmonious marriage of musical theater and indie folk music, with hauntingly beautiful arrangements" by Forbes and "an incandescent new record, something genuinely new" from American Theater Magazine.

Eleri speaks to the mindset that allows her to show up fully and unapologetically. She shares the pitfalls she sees in the musical theatre industry where it's easy to give up your power and self-belief and the necessity to build and maintain and indestructible core. This episode is a jampacked with motivation, inspiration and encouragement for owning your unique voice and path and believing in yourself no matter what. It's a perfect episode to have bookmarked before auditions or in a time when you need a reminder of claiming your own greatness. Follow Eleri

Listen + Watch Eleri

A Balancing Act is hosted by Analisa Leaming, Broadway actor + soulful coach. This season is designed to inspire performers and creatives to journey towards their dreams with more soul and less attachment to outcomes and society's definitions of success.

Get your free audition meditation and stay in the loop with Analisa + A Balancing Act HERE.

Analisa has been podcasting since 2016 and this is the first time she's shared her own unique path to Broadway and beyond. She shares her early influences, experiences in college, auditions, and survival jobs in New York City. Analisa discusses the heartbreak and soul-searching moments in her career and the pivotal decision to consider a different path. Tune in for a very special behind-the-scenes episode!!

Highlights from Analisa's Story:

• Everyone's path is different!
• From Opera to Musical Theatre
• Analisa's journey from Tennessee to NYC
• Analisa's "survival jobs"
• Audition stories
• Heartbreaks along the way
• Considering another path before making it to Broadway
• The thing she thinks about most when reflecting on her career

Tune into Episode 37 to hear the journey from NYC to Colorado!

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Intention 02:41 Growing Up and Early Influences 08:05 College 12:17 Professional Opportunities and Decision-Making 19:25 Moving to New York and Survival Jobs 27:09 Regional Theater and Broadway Dreams 35:27 Heartbreak and Soul-Searching 39:05 Meeting Steve Lutvak and Gentleman's Guide 45:15 Considering a Different Path 46:14 Hope and Booking On the 20th Century 47:36 Broadway Debut 48:25 On the 20th Century 49:24 Taking Kathy's Spot 49:54 The Music Man 50:50 Relationships and Offstage Moments 51:55 Career Reflections 52:24 Sound of Music and Mary Poppins 53:23 Auditioning for The King and I 53:49 Standing By at Lincoln Center 54:44 Booking Hello Dolly 55:08 Becoming a Lead and Touring 56:03 Booking School of Rock 56:28 Touring with Hello Dolly 57:29 Transitioning to Coaching 58:23 Moving to Colorado 59:15 Upcoming Gig with Tulsa Ballet A Balancing Act is hosted by Analisa Leaming, Broadway actor + soulful coach for creatives. This season is designed to inspire performers and creatives to journey towards their dreams with more soul and less attachment to outcomes and society's definitions of success.

Get your free audition meditation and stay in the loop with Analisa and A Balancing Act HERE.

Episode Highlights:

• All the tangible practices + tools for managing your hopes and dreams in the biz and beyond
• Vulnerable stories + shares from Broadway and Hollywood

• Establishing a practice to manage challenges + setbacks without letting it derail or defeat you

• Making peace with where you are

• The power of shifting from a mindset of "should" to "could"

• How to identity the voice of your intuition + developing a playbook for your best self

Episode Summary:

In this episode Analisa interviews Wendy Braun, an accomplished actress and breakthrough coach of Actor Inspiration. Wendy talks about the importance of developing a practice to navigate disappointment and setbacks in the industry without letting it derail or define you. Wendy and Analisa share stories from their careers of discovering the balance between finding peace with where they are and excitement for where they want to be. Wendy reveals her process for helping lead her students to creative breakthroughs. Listen to this episode to learn tools and insights for connecting to your highest self and navigating your career from a fully aligned place.

Time Stamps:

0:00 Intro to Podcast and Wendy Braun

3:00 Speaking with authority through mastering disappointment

5:23 Finding the good where you are

12:12 Reaching the highest level doesn't cure the insecurities

21:54 Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable

24:09 Journaling from your highest self

26:38 Daily practice for expanding into your highest self

32:00 How to identify your intuition / inner voice

34:59 Shifting shoulds to clouds

38:54 4 questions to ask yourself to create a breakthrough

43:10 A best self playbook

50:00 Working through the emotions we don't like

53:08 A practice for artists and wild dreamers to start the new year with

59:45 Finding community to help you do the work

About Wendy: Accomplished actress Wendy Braun has enjoyed a dynamic career, recently appearing on four seasons of the celebrated Netflix series, Atypical, as well as guest appearances on This Is Us, Grey's Anatomy, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Criminal Minds to name a few. With over 80 TV + Film credits, over 100 commercials and thousands of voiceovers, Wendy has also combined decades of invaluable professional experience with her passion for inspiring others.

She is also a Breakthrough Coach and the CEO + founder of ActorInspiration.com, and was recently featured in Forbes for her game-changing Success Breakthrough Workshop online course (now in over 25 countries) and powerful guided meditations that have helped thousands of creatives overcome obstacles and create new levels of success, joy and fulfillment. Known as a powerhouse global speaker and the guiding light behind many success stories, Authority Magazine declared Wendy one of their "Inspirational Women In Hollywood."

Her clients include Series Regulars, Broadway performers and Award-Winning stage and screen actors, as well as directors, producers, writers and entrepreneurs.

🎉YOU'RE INVITED! Join Wendy for an impactful + empowering Success Breakthrough Experience, a Free 5 Day Virtual Event, designed to help you release blocks, re-imagine what's possible and learn the exact steps to making this your best year yet.

➡️ Join the party here: Actorinspiration.com/bestyearyet

🎁 FREE GIFT: Enjoy a free guided meditation to help you create success while you sleep and wake up each morning feeling renewed, refreshed and confident.

➡️ Download "Creating Success While You Sleep" here: ActorInspiration.com/sleep

A Balancing Act is hosted by Analisa Leaming, Broadway actor + soulful coach. This season is designed to inspire performers and creatives to journey towards their dreams with more soul and less attachment to outcomes and society's definitions of success.

Reserve your Seat:

Harvest Wisdom/Plant Dreams: A Soulful Approach to Year-End Reflections and Intention on Dec 29th

Embrace the spirit of self-discovery and artistic growth as we bid farewell to the year and set our sights on new beginnings.

Join as we revisit a cherished discussion with Jack Plotnick, whose wisdom on overcoming mental barriers in acting remains evergreen as we step into the new year. Jack shared his concept of the ego as your vulture, which is a game-changer for actors looking to shed their limitations. He also highlights the emotional rollercoaster that comes with the pursuit of acting, from the search for validation to the exhilaration of creative freedom.

This episode brilliantly outlines how actors can navigate their mental labyrinths and emerge with a renewed sense of purpose and creative liberation.

Episode Highlights :

• Your "vulture" and how it can help actors overcome mental barriers

• Authenticity in auditions and the role of spontaneity in performances

• Unpacking Want VS. Need

• Focusing on outcomes to enjoy the process of acting and auditioning

• Leveraging social media and online platforms to gain visibility and opportunities

• High stakes in characters' desires to enhance comedic and dramatic acting

• Dedication and resilience required to thrive in the acting industry

Get your free audition meditation and stay in the loop with Analisa + A Balancing Act HERE

Download Jack's Ebook New Thoughts For Actors

A Balancing Act is hosted by Analisa Leaming, Broadway actor + soulful coach for creatives. This season is designed to inspire performers and creatives to journey towards their dreams with more soul and less attachment to outcomes and society's definitions of success.

New Year Workshop: Harvesting Dreams/Planting Wisdom Dec. 29th Reserve your spot here.

Get your free audition meditation and stay in the loop with Analisa + A Balancing Act HERE.

Episode Highlights:

• The power of rituals in seasons of transition

• A journal prompt: "If I were heading back to New York City, what would I do?"

• Dissecting the "Old Way" of working and birthing the "New Way"

• Having self-compassion and really loving on our insecurities ("I see you!")

• The push/pull of under- and over-compensating, playing too big and too small

• Getting lit up by your Why—awakening the energetic body

• Following Soul Breadcrumbs

• Feeling full OF yourself!

• Being congruent, bringing fullness to every area of a "big, rich, beautiful life"

In this week's solo episode, Analisa pulls back the curtain a bit during this season of transition, bringing us along as she journals on the prompt: "If I were heading back to New York City, what would I do?" Analisa explores what her Old Way of approaching this might look like, and then digs deep and dreams big—what could be the New Way? How can we feel fierce self-compassion for our fears and insecurities, and then hold space for even bigger and fuller dreams? Analisa follows "soul breadcrumbs" that come up in her journaling, and walks us through getting to her "Why"--listen as it awakens her energetic body and lights her up in real time!

Analisa also shares exciting news about her upcoming two-hour workshop, "Harvesting Wisdom and Planting Dreams": it'll be a perfect container to build on these ideas, explore, and get curious–what is it that wants to be created through you in the New Year? Grab your journal, give this a good listen, and get ready to go deep!

A Balancing Act is hosted by Analisa Leaming, Broadway actor + soulful coach for creatives. This season is designed to inspire performers and creatives to journey towards their dreams with more soul and less attachment to outcomes and society's definitions of success.

New Year Workshop: Harvesting Dreams/Planting Wisdom Dec. 29th Reserve your spot here.

Get your free audition meditation and stay in the loop with Analisa + A Balancing Act HERE.

Episode Highlights:

• Finding the gifts in disappointment

• Learning that "you are not what you do"

• Broadway stories from Rebecca, The Little Mermaid, Phantom, & Hello, Dolly!

• Uncovering our true purpose

• Honoring our deep desires

• Building community and nurturing Soul

• Becoming a Leading Lady

• Sierra's mantra: You Are Enough!

In this episode, Analisa re-airs her first interview with Broadway star and soulful human Sierra Boggess! Join them in the Rosalie dressing room at School of Rock for a fun and vulnerable conversation about "doing the work" and finding our true purpose in what we do—and bringing that alignment into every aspect of our lives. Sierra and Analisa open up about their shared experience with the cancellation of Broadway's Rebecca, and discuss how they have learned to embrace frequent disappointment in this business and not "go into the dark."

How can we get to the bottom of what really motivates us to do what we do? How do we trust, in the low moments, that there is something else there for us? How do we build support networks and handle jealousy and competition, especially in the age of social media? Analisa and Sierra share many beautiful stories and wonderful resources as they talk "getting clear on the core of what we're doing"—all in pursuit of becoming expansive human beings! Originally Aired May 18, 2018

Time Stamps

0:00 Intro, New Year Workshop + Welcome to Sierra back to the Rosalie dressing room

6:01 The saga of Rebecca and gifts from a disappointing year

13:56 Trusting that the "universe is conspiring in your favor"

16:21 Processing crummy feelings: "While I'm down here, what am I supposed to learn from this?" (and doing it "sober")

29:46 Sierra's network of support (and intro to The Paradox Process!)

41:36 Getting back into alignment, allowing creative opportunities to flow into your life

46:35 Same desires, shifting priorities – going from "What job am I doing next?" to "Why am I here?"

48:15 Sierra's low point and the 5 questions to discovering your purpose

55:00 Sierra's transition away from "living unconsciously" and learning to lead a company (The Little Mermaid)

1:05 Two sides of the coin: "I'm jealous" AND "Oh, I can dream bigger!"

1:11 Social media and "being ruthlessly onto ourselves"

Soul Nourishment mentioned in this episode:

SierraBoggess.com

Wayne Dyer: "The Power of Intention"

Diana Nyad: "Find A Way"

Thomas Jones, The Paradox Process

Adam Leipzig's TED Talk: "How to know your life purpose in five minutes"

Gabby Bernstein: "Judgment Detox"

A Balancing Act is hosted by Analisa Leaming, Broadway actor + soulful coach for creatives. This season is designed to inspire performers and creatives to journey towards their dreams with more soul and less attachment to outcomes and society's definitions of success.