Where do we find happiness? Is it nature or nurture? Adoptee Charlotte came through some very tricky times in her adoptive family including her mother's suicide. What's she learned along the way? How has she become who she is? How has focusing on others has helped her be happy. Listen in for a very empowering episode.

Dr. Charlotte Laws is an author, columnist, and public speaker. She was the star of the NBC show, “The Filter” (4 years), a political pundit on BBC television (6 years), and a southern California politician (councilmember and city commissioner - 8 years). She has had over 30 different jobs, some quite unusual: lecturer at the FBI Academy in Quantico, private eye, director of a legal corporation, cab driver, actress, chip chatter, fashion designer, nurse, backup singer for an Elvis imitator, bodyguard, magazine cover girl, Realtor, stand-up comic, et al. She was an Atlanta debutante. She has never had a glass of alcohol, a cigarette, or tried an illegal drug. Laws was born in a car and adopted at birth. Her adoptive brother was killed at 16, her adoptive father was abusive, and her adoptive mom committed suicide. As an adult, Charlotte tracked down her natural family (mother, father, and two siblings) and enjoys a loving relationship with them to this day. Laws’ natural grandfather—a lawyer who planned to run for U.S. Senate—was murdered by a devil worshipper in the 1940s. She wrote the nonfiction novel, Devil in the Basement, about his life and death. 

Laws is listed as the fourth most notorious party crasher in the world, beating Bill Murray, Queen Elizabeth, Serena Williams, and Lady Gaga. Party crashing began as a hobby for Laws in her teens, but later became a creative way to snag facetime with business leaders, politicians, and A-list celebrities in order to lobby for legislation, attain business partners, get exclusive interviews, and recruit charity volunteers. Laws has crashed the Secret Service four times. Laws was voted “one of the 30 fiercest women in the world” by Buzzfeed and is the recipient of the Los Angeles Animal Humanitarian Award. She is a vegan and animal advocate. Her hen, Mae Poulet, was a write-in candidate in the 2012 presidential election and is the only chicken in the world who has run for political office. Laws authored the 2016 California ballot initiative, the “Intolerant Jackass Act,” to support LGBTQ+ rights and worked for Aids Project Los Angeles during the 1980s. 

Laws has a doctorate from USC (2000), two Masters Degrees from USC (1997 and 1986), and two BA degrees (1996 and 1985). She completed Post-Graduate Study at Oxford University, England (2003). Laws authored the following books: Meet the Stars, Rebel in High Heels, Armed for Ideological Warfare, Devil in the Basement, and Undercover Debutante. She contributed chapters to the following academic works: Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of Mother Earth, A Call to Compassion, Uncaged, and Animals and the Environment: Advocacy, activism and the quest for common ground. As a columnist, Laws’ articles (on news and current events) have appeared in the Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the NY Daily News, the Washington Post, Newsweek, Special Report, E the Environmental Magazine, the L.A. Daily News, Gawker, the Daily Caller, Publisher’s Weekly, Jezebel, the Oakland Tribune, Salon, et al. 

Laws has appeared as a guest on dozens of television shows and networks, including “Larry King Live,” “Oprah,” MSNBC, CNN, “The Late Show,” BBC, TMZ, Fox News, “AM Los Angeles,” “Nightline,” “Dr. Drew,” and “Good Day L.A,” among others. After a topless photo of Laws’ daughter was hacked and posted on a revenge porn website, Laws worked tirelessly for two years to bring the website owner to justice. He eventually went to prison. Laws is known throughout the world as the “Erin Brockovich of revenge porn.” To date, she has helped over 500 victims of nonconsensual pornography, sextortion, and morphed porn. She has also assisted legislators in getting anti-revenge porn laws passed throughout the U.S. and hopes a federal law will be in place soon.

Laws lives in Los Angeles with her husband, her two rescue dogs, and her seven rescue hens. She loves tennis, dead philosophers, collecting vintage clothes, nature, and animals. She tries to live her life in accordance with ahimsa: non-injury to all living beings. She believes persistence is the key to success and “othercentrism” (helping others) is the key to happiness.

Check out her memoir at

http://rebelinhighheels.com/

https://twitter.com/CharlotteLaws

https://www.instagram.com/drcharlottelaws

http://undercoverdebutante.com/

https://charlottelaws.com/

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.