Elaine Pagels is a preeminent figure in the theological community. She is a religious historian at Princeton and the author of several books including her recent memoir, Why Religion? During this conversation, Elaine opens up about her winding journey with faith, the lessons she's learned about grief, and how she's remained optimistic through i ...…

Vanessa K. De Luca is a brilliant and dynamic journalistic force who was the lauded Editor in Chief at ESSENCE magazine...and then she wasn't. With grace and resilience, she's charted a new path for her career and is creating a blueprint for other professionals who want to create lives that are rich with meaning and relevance. Behind Her Brilli ...…

Mandela SH Dixon is the founder and CEO of Founder Gym, an online training center for underrepresented founders. During our conversation, we talked about how flipped a talent for teaching into a dynamic career in Silicon Valley. Behind Her Brilliance: Nature and Nurture Say hi to Mandela on Instagram @mandelash and Twitter @mandelash TOPICS COV ...…

Lisa tees up the final block of Season 9 with a discussion on reinvention, a recurring theme in the forthcoming episodes. Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB182

Lisa talks with longtime BTB listener Brandy Lucas about BTB's early days, her religious journey, her fitness regimen, and how her relationship with money has changed over time. Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB181

Laura Vanderkam is a prolific author whose TED talk, "How to Gain Control of Your Free Time" has been viewed more than 5 million times. Her books center on productivity and helping readers spend more time on the things they love and less time on the things they don't. During this conversation, she shares what she's learned in researching multip ...…

Lisa answers a listener question about taming impulse buys and staying on budget. Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTBQA179

Jamila Souffrant is one of the few Black women blazing a trail for herself toward financial independence and documenting the journey along the way. We talked about the nut and bolts of her stacking more than $150,000, rethinking how she designed her life, and setting herself up for the long game. Behind Her Brilliance: Daring to do what she wan ...…

This solo episode is the gateway for the next block in Season 9: Going Deeper + Leveling Up. Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB177

Jonathan Jackson is a brilliant thinker. He moves through life with an intentional and authentic nature that makes you curious about how his mind works. He sat with me for this epic 2+ hour conversation to share his reflections on his career, how he makes difficult decisions, what he's learned about love and relationships, and much much more. B ...…

Jonathan Jackson is a brilliant thinker. He moves through life with an intentional and authentic nature that makes you curious about how his mind works. He sat with me for this epic 2+ hour conversation to share his reflections on his career, how he makes difficult decisions, what he's learned about love and relationships, and much much more. B ...…

Paul Jarvis is back to talk with me about his new book, Company of One, what he's been up to since his last BTB appearance, and other topics like lifestyle design, money, and much more. Say hi to Paul on Twitter: @pjrvs Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB174

Andrea Barrica is the founder of O School, a nonjudgmental resource on all things dating and sex. We talked about how she found herself working in tech, her experience coming out to her Catholic family, and why she started O School. We also talk about the Orgasm Gap (like the pay gap, except for orgasms) and much more. Show Notes: http://bit.ly ...…

This solo episode offers fresh perspective on crafting a life and career that works for multidisciplinary folks. Topics Covered: -Thoughts on envy and what to do with it -How to choose what to work on -The path to profitability as a polymath -Defining success personally And more Show Notes: http://bit.ly/PolymathPath…

Behind the Brilliance is back! Season 9 kicks off on Thursday, January 24. Listen to this sneak peek of what's to come.

In this solo episode, Lisa summarizes the highlights and outstanding conversations from Season 8. Show Notes: http://bit.ly/Season8Recap

THE SHOW Carla Hall is a revelation. I saved my favorite episode of the season for last because her personality is like the last piece of cake that you want to save and savor at the perfect time. In our winding chat, Carla talks about the serendipitous way she came to the culinary world, how she landed on TV, how she cultivated a strong sense o ...…

In this solo episode, Lisa shares her reflections on friendship, a friend's recent passing, and the essay, On the Shortness of Life.

Designer, author, and podcaster Debbie Millman details how she overcame personal adversity to create a career and life that reflects her values. During this winding conversation, we cover pain, process, P. Diddy, and much more. Behind Her Brilliance: Longing Say hi to Debbie on Twitter: @debbiemillman Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTBDebbieMillman…

In this solo episode, Lisa answers a listener question about setting boundaries with friends and family. Say hi to Lisa or ask questions on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook: @LisaNicoleBell Get tickets for XX here: http://bit.ly/XXcomedy Episode Sponsor: Visit LiveFashionable.com and enter code BEHINDTHEBRILLIANCE for 20% off your first order. ht ...…

THE SHOW Jewel Burks was the founder and CEO of Partpic, a company she sold to Amazon in 2016. During our chat, we talk about what she learned, how she grew, and why winning requires laser focus. Behind Her Brilliance: God and Her Mom Say hi to Jewel on Twitter: @jewelmelanie Get tickets for XX here THE GUEST JEWEL BURKS |Jewel Burks is an advo ...…

Lisa shares 6 thoughts on failing forward, defining success, and staying sane as you level up. Topics Covered: The functionality of failure Defining success in clear, personal terms Being kind to yourself when you fail Success as a numbers game And more This episode is sponsored by ABLE. Visit livefashionable.com and enter code BEHINDTHEBRILLIA ...…

THE SHOW Barrett Ward is the founder and CEO of ABLE, a lifestyle brand focused on ending generational poverty by working with women who have often overcome extraordinary circumstances. We manufacture directly in the communities we wish to impact, both locally and globally, creating jobs and ending the cycle of charity dependency. Behind His Br ...…

THE SHOW Joi Chaney is the executive director and campaign manager for Equal Pay Today, an organization that works in coalition to close the gender wage gap across the United States. In this conversation, Joi reflects on her storied career and offers sage advice on pay parity, productivity, advocacy, and much more. Behind Her Brilliance: Her Mo ...…

THE SHOW Rainbow Barris is the real life inspiration for the fictional character "Rainbow" on the hit ABC comedy, Blackish. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about her reflections on medicine, marriage, motherhood, and making the most of life at every stage. Behind Her Brilliance: Self-Awareness Say hi to Rainbow on Instagram TOPICS CO ...…

THE SHOW Lisa Feldman Barrett is the author of 'How Emotions Are Made' and a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University with an appointment at Harvard Medical School. In this conversation, we talk about Lisa's book and what she's learned about how emotions are made, how we can be happier and healthier by underst ...…

THE SHOW Benjamin Spall is the founder of MyMorningRoutine.com and the co-author of the book, My Morning Routine, which was chosen as one of Amazon’s best business books of 2018, one of the Financial Times books of the month, and one of Business Insider’s best business books to read this summer. In our conversation, we dissect morning routines, ...…

THE SHOW This solo episode features answers to 2 listener questions: one is about defining success and the other is about separating a personal brand from a business brand. This episode also includes the announcement of a new partner, ABLE! Check out livefashionable.com and stay tuned this season to hear my interview with the founder and CEO. F ...…

THE SHOW Jennifer Romolini is the former Chief Content Officer for Shondaland.com and the author of Weird in a World That's Not which is a fresh, honest take on traditional career advice. In our conversation, Jennifer gives hope and high fives to the misfits and outsiders with her vulnerable and candid straight talk on how she's found success i ...…

THE SHOW Dhonielle Clayton is the New York Times bestselling author of The Belles in addition to being the co-founder of Cake Literary and the COO of the non-profit, We Need Diverse Books. She's a brilliant creative force who is constantly expanding her sense of what's possible. In this episode, we discuss her career path, her artistic sensibil ...…

THE SHOW Paula Pant is the founder of AffordAnything.com, an award-winning personal finance website. In this conversation, we talk about how we went from struggling as a journalist to traveling the world to building a portfolio of 8 properties to reach financial independence. Behind Her Brilliance: Restlessness TOPICS COVERED Passive income, fi ...…

THE SHOW Dr. David Burns is the author of Feeling Good, a seminal work on cognitive behavioral therapy that has sold more than 5 million copies. We talk about the difficulties he faced getting the book published, his advice to listeners interested in therapy, and how he approaches perfectionism, depression, and anxiety with patients. Behind His ...…

THE SHOW This episode is one of my favorites. Eli is the first social psychologist who's been on the show, and I thoroughly enjoyed our chat. Eli Finkel is a social psychology professor who studies interpersonal attraction, marriage, conflict resolution, and how our social relationships influence our goal achievement. Our conversation centers o ...…

THE SHOW This is a bonus solo episode with the (sometimes) annual birthday recap of what I learned from the past year and what lit me up. TOPICS COVERED -books and TV Lisa loved -a random unprompted rave about cauliflower rice -6 lessons from the past year on saying no, killing ego, productive patience, sexy pajamas, friendship, and more Show N ...…

The Show This is a breathtaking underdog and reinvention story. Perhaps the most remarkable I've heard on Behind the Brilliance. Deesha shares her journey from boarding school to dropping out of college because she ran out of money to becoming a White House intern at 30 years old to becoming the Social Secretary under the Obama Administration. ...…

Amy Morin was a vibrant twenty-something with a bright future ahead of her when tragedy struck not once, but twice: she lost her mother and her husband in a span of three short years. Refusing to feel sorry for herself, Amy used what she'd learned as a psychotherapist to develop the mental toughness necessary to find peace and push forward to b ...…

This episode is a recap of Season 7 highlights. The episode features snippets of 7 episodes, some reflections on making your own luck, a little housekeeping, and a freestyle. You're welcome. Episodes Covered: 135 - AFRICA MIRANDA @africamiranda 136 - DUANE SPIRES @duanespires 141 - KELLY HOEY @jkhoey 142 - RODERICK COX @rcoxmaestro 146 - LUCHIN ...…

Lisa Congdon's brilliance in her courage, dedication, and willingness to take calculated risks. After leaving her elementary school and nonprofit careers at 40, she become a self-taught artist. Now she manages an empire of passive and active income that spans e-commerce, books, teaching, and more. In this conversation, she pulls back the curtai ...…

Tonya Rapley is a leading financial educator and the founder of My Fab Finance. She's a dynamic woman who brings a smart and balanced perspective to money matters. Our chat spans way beyond money to include spirituality, starting over, hustle, ego, and much more. We covered: -how Tonya found her way from music to money as a career -money storie ...…

This is a solo episode with 8 musings for 2018. They cover things like celebrating wins, clearing clutter, and other important stuff. As always, my shenanigans are sprinkled throughout. Let me know what you thought of this episode! @LisaNicoleBell Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB147

Luchina Fisher is an award-winning writer, director, and producer. Her latest film, Birthright, challenges the war on reproductive rights in America. As an accomplished artist and dynamic woman, Luchina shares hard-won wisdom and reflections on a wide range of topics including: -her early days as a writer -how she ended up living with Gladys Kn ...…

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 co ...…

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 o ...…

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 e ...…

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 ...…

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 mil ...…

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 t ...…

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 Beh ...…

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: - ...…