Behind The Brilliance

The talented, gorgeous, and inspiring actress Simone Missick joins me to talk about her path from struggle to success as a star on Marvel's Luke Cage series on Netflix. This conversation is full of inspiring stories, wisdom, and much more. We cover: -Simone's leap from waiting tables to pursuing her dream -How Simone kept herself going during the dark times in her career -Simone's approach to daily motivation and focus -How Simone got cast in Luke Cage (this story will restore your faith in possibilities) -Simone's most important life lessons -and much more! Say hi to Simone and tell her what you thought on Instagram or Twitter: @simonemissick Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB105

This week's guest is Monique Woodard, a venture partner at 500 Startups and one of the few black female VCs. During this chat, we talk about her early days, her career in the music business, her path to starting her first company, her dating experiences as a powerful woman, and much more. Monique also serves up excellent advice for current and aspiring founders. Hit Monique up and say hi! @moniquewoodard Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB104

This week's episode is a Q+A answering questions about how to find new friends once you've overhauled your life and what to do when you feel stuck. In the first answer, I share my approach to building new personal friendships (and how badly I used to suck at it), how I approach "networking", why values are a pre-req for having great relationships and more. In the second answer, I share ways I've gotten myself unstuck, the best questions to ask yourself to get to the next level, and why patience is supremely important. Share your feedback and thoughts with me @LisaNicoleBell  

Super talented writer Kirk Moore stops by to chat with me about his journey from broke to breakthrough as an artist. We talk about his beginnings in Houston, how he honed his craft, and his path to professional writing. This episode is a must-listen if you've ever questioned whether you were pursuing the right thing, if you find yourself feeling stuck or disappointed by how your path is unfolding or if you plain ol feel like a failure who will never get it together. Kirk was very transparent and shared the story of how he persevered through setback after setback while sleeping on a friend's couch and eventually found himself working with Academy Award winner John Ridley on ABC's hit show, American Crime. This is probably one of my top 5 favorite episodes out of the 100+ I've done. Again, if you're building anything of your own (a career, an artistic path, a business, whatever), you'll find lots of gems and wisdom in this conversation. This episode is really long but really good. Like episode 85 with Willie Ja

Cross Culture Ventures founder Marlon Nichols joins me to chat about his path from corporate consultant to passionate venture capitalist. We also talk about the traits great founders share, how Marlon thinks about new opportunities, and his advice on pitching. Say hi to Marlon on Twitter: @marloncnichols Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB101

This solo episode deals with how to pursue big ambitions with sanity and joy. I cover a lot of stuff: borrowing from the future, defining success, goals vs milestones, popularity vs purpose, and much more. It's a dose of real talk, inspiration, and my usual shenanigans sprinkled throughout. Let me know what you think on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram: @LisaNicoleBell Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB100

This week’s guest is Doreen Bloch, founder and CEO of Poshly, a data company focused on beauty. Besides being one of my favorite people, Doreen is whip smart, super talented, and very passionate. During this chat, we covered a lot: -Doreen’s experience growing up in Silicon Valley -Doreen’s thoughts on the American education system -Tips and wisdom for pitching to investors -Where the idea for Poshly came from -How she handles tough times -and much more! Say hi to Doreen on Twitter and tell her what you thought of the show: @DoreenBloch Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB099

This week's guest is Tiffany Smith-Anoa'i, EVP of Diversity, Inclusion & Communications at CBS Television. After making a role for herself at Nike, she went on to do PR for comedian Sinbad before landing at CBS and rising through the ranks. Tiffany is brilliant at advocating for herself and translating her passion into tangible vehicles to get what she wants. We talk about that and much more in this conversation. TOPICS COVERED (partial list) -Tiffany's journey from sports journalism intern to EVP at one of the world's largest entertainment companies -How Tiffany created a role for herself at Nike -Tiffany's approach to going after she wants and negotiating to get it -Tiffany's advice to her younger self -and much more! Say hi to Tiffany on Twitter: @TSmithAnoai SHOW NOTES: http://bit.ly/BTB98

This week's episode is a Q+A answering questions on how I created my values-based filters that I use to make key decisions and why time is more important than money. There's one more Q+A episode coming up this season so if you have a question, email me at btb@lisanicolebell.com Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB097

This week's guest is the smart and heart-centered Gunnar Lovelace. He's the co-founder and co-CEO of Thrive Market, an online market offering top-selling healthy brands delivered to your doorstep for wholesale prices. I'm a huge fan of the company and this conversation made me a fan of Gunnar. If you've ever considered starting a company based on a passion or if you're a current or aspiring leader of any kind, this episode is a must listen. I pull back the curtain on Gunnar's journey as an entrepreneur and big thinker. We covered a LOT including: -Gunnar's journey from growing up on a communal farm to running a $100M+ company -how Gunnar thinks about failure -how Gunnar chose his cofounders (great advice here if you ever want to start something with another person) -work/life harmony -why Gunnar kept pushing after being rejected by 50 venture capital firms (their most recent round was $100M so...yeah) -and much more! Let me know what you think of this episode: @LisaNicoleBell Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB96

The brilliant life strategist Rosetta Thurman joins me again to catch up on life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. As the founder of Happy Black Woman, Rosetta leads a thriving community of women aspiring to be, do, and have the best.   In this chat, we cover a lot... -how Rosetta thinks about lifestyle design (and why she decided to move to Hawaii) -Rosetta's approach to romantic relationships as a successful woman -why Rosetta loves therapy and what she gains from it -Rosetta's advice to anyone feeling stuck or struggling to make a big transition in life -the time management habits that keep Rosetta relaxed and productive -why assistants, housekeepers, and other "fancy" services aren't unrealistic -the importance of being committed yet flexible with your goals -And much more! Let me + Rosetta know what you thought of this episode on Twitter: I'm @LisaNicoleBell and she's @HappyBlackWoman Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB095

This week's guest is the talented Christina Jones. She made the leap from graphic designer to full time writer without a publisher, agent, or a ton of time (she's a mom and wife). In this convo, we cover a lot of ground: -how Christina got her start as a writer -making the leap from amateur to pro at a creative craft -earning a living as a full time writer -managing time and energy as a creative -the calculated risk involved in putting your work out to the public -being present and authentic as an artist -marketing considerations for writers and creatives -and much, much more! Say hi to Christina on Twitter: @beingmrsjones Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTBChristinaJones

This week's guest is therapist turned entrepreneur Bea Arthur. The self-proclaimed Beyonce of tech joins me on my virtual couch to talk about a cocktail of topics including: -Bea's journey as the daughter of Ghanian immigrants -How Bea found her way as a startup founder -Being ripped apart on Shark Tank (and how she bounced back) -Bea's advice to folks who want to do the startup thing -Why Bea decided to freeze her eggs (I'm curious, she's open, it works) -Bea's advice to folks dealing with anxiety and depression -How Bea sees failure -Why burritos are better than salads sometimes -And much more! Get into this episode and let us know what you think! Bea's Twitter: @BeaArthurLMHC Lisa's Twitter: @LisaNicoleBell Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB93

This episode is a conversation with the smart, heavily tattooed, and awesome Paul Jarvis. Paul started his career as a freelance web designer and then started writing advice for people who wanted to figure out how to balance the business aspects of their creative work. Now he's created software and is continuing to push the boundaries of his work. In this conversation, we cover: -How Paul got his start -How Paul designed his life to reflect what he enjoys most -Why Paul has pet rats (I know, but stay with us) -How to differentiate yourself from competition in crowded fields -How Paul handles critics -And much more! Hit Paul up on Twitter @pjrvs to let him know what you think! Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTBPaulJarvis

In this solo episode, I answer two listener questions: 1 about my journaling process and another about how to deal with unsupportive family members.   I share a lot of thoughts: -Why I journal and reasons I think journaling is helpful for everyone no matter what you do professionally -How I approach journaling (time, location, frequency, etc) -Benefits of journaling -Why other people not supporting you is not about you -The most important part of feeling "supported" -And more!   Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTB091

This week's guest is attorney-turned-entrepreneur Rachel Rodgers. After realizing she didn't want to take a traditional path after law school, Rachel launched a virtual office and went on to make a business out of sharing what she knows. In this conversation, we cover a lot of ground including: -Why traditional careers don't have to be boring -How Rachel managed being the breadwinner in her home as an entrepreneur -How Rachel deals with critics -Rachel's advice for anyone trying to find their path -How Rachel bounced back from her darkest time -And much more! SHOW NOTES: http://bit.ly/BTB90 Follow Rachel: Twitter/Instagram - @RachRodgersEsq

This week's episode is a conversation with founder and superconnector Darrah Brustein. Darrah is the cofounder and CEO of Equitable Payments, and she is the founder of the fast-growing national networking event series, Network Under 40. In this episode, we talk about Darrah's journey to starting her business, her best advice for networking, and why she doesn't believe in ever being "too busy." Topics covered: Why Darrah studied Religion and Italian in college Why you should travel the world How Darrah found her path as an entrepreneur The hard truth about book publishing Darrah's networking advice (she runs the largest networking event in ATL) Darrah's approach to time management And more! Show Notes: http://bit.ly/DarrahB89

This week's episode features one of my favorite recordings - The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale. The recording lays out some compelling ideas about personal development and success. It's an older recording so some of the references are dated, but the core message is timeless. As something I listen to often, I decided it was time for me to share it with you. This week, Lisa Likes wardrobe capsules. Sometimes my schedule gets stacked and I need to reserve my cognitive space for important decisions. A wardrobe capsule helps me get up and out the door quickly without fussing over what I'll wear. I highly recommend it for busy people looking for extra time. Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTBSecret  

This week's episode is the annual birthday episode where I share what I've learned (and remembered) in the past year.   Show Notes: http://bit.ly/BTBbirthday

This week, Lisa Likes Night Shift, the Apple feature that automatically changes the color of your display to the warmer end of the color spectrum after dark with the intention of helping you get a better night's sleep. This week's guest is Elisa Camahort Page, cofounder of BlogHer and current executive of SheKnows Media. Elisa shares her journey as a founder and offers her perspective on taking risks, building teams, and much more. In this conversation, we cover: -How and why Elisa decided to forgo a steady paycheck to start BlogHer (she went 2 years without a salary!) -How Elisa approaches risk (and why she believes you should always take them) -The key lessons Elisa has learned about leadership and creating teams -Elisa's perspective on the current state of tech for women founders -Elisa's habits for success -More Show notes are available at http://bit.ly/elisacpage