Heroine

There are a lot of things wrong with the way we live our lives. While the average American spends 90 percent of their day indoors, we continue to feel completely disconnected from our food sources, and are lonelier than ever, especially in light of this pandemic. My guest Becca Piastrelli, author of a new book Root & Ritual, believes we can offset some of this modern angst by “rewilding” and reclaiming the natural part of ourselves. Becca is a friend, writer, speaker, ancestral folk medicine keeper, and women’s group facilitator. I’m thrilled to share her journey and work with you!In this episode, Becca describes how she grew up with an ache of unbelonging, and an inner knowledge that there had to be more to life than what she was taught by her family and the patriarchal, convenience-driven society within which she was raised. Acknowledging that change is very difficult, she shares her thoughts on connecting with our ancestry, navigating the pandemic, and handling grief. Her book Root & Ritual which I highly recommend offers practical wisdom, processes, and recipes for reconnecting with land, lineage, and community. Tune in today to learn more about her work that embracing old ways can make our modern lives feel significantly better.• Becca shares the anxiety she experienced growing up, and why she developed impostor syndrome at a young age.• The four parts which make up Becca’s book, Root and Ritual.• How Becca’s relationship with nature has evolved over time.• Different meanings that rewilding can hold.• Obstacles to rewilding that exist in our society. • The value that Becca believes lies in embracing ancestral ways of living. • Everyday experiences which highlight how disconnected we are from nature.• What Becca’s life currently looks like, and how she plans to change it.• The importance of human connection, which we are losing.• Becca shares her thoughts on navigating different opinions about the COVID-19 vaccine. • Our “great severing” from our ancestors.• A process Becca went through to rebuild lost ties to her ancestry.• Personal challenges that Becca has gone through, and her method of dealing with them.• Becca’s relationship with shame.• The long journey that is rewilding.• What Becca is currently reclaiming. ReferencesBecca Piastrelli - https://beccapiastrelli.com/Root and Ritual - https://beccapiastrelli.com/book/Break the Good Girl Myth - https://majomolfino.com/bookHEROINE (Podcast) - https://majomolfino.com/podcast

How do you relate to the country of your birth, if it’s a place you’ve never visited? And when does nostalgia go from being something beautiful to an illness that keeps you from living in the present moment? Our guest today, Safia Elhillo is a Sudanese American poet whose strikingly beautiful debut novel Home Is Not a Country is deeply informed by these questions of belonging, nostalgia, and identity. Her book is written entirely in poetic verse and follows the story of Nima, a 15-year-old girl who longs to escape the racism and bullying she experiences daily in America and become someone else. Safia shares how she was first drawn to poetry because of the sense of community she saw amongst poets at open mic night and how she steadily honed her craft. We discuss the challenges immigrant parents face in imparting their culture to their children and how nostalgia can deprive you of appreciating the richness of your present circumstances. Join us today for an insightful and meaningful conversation on what it means to straddle two worlds and the power of community.• Introducing today’s guest Safia Elhillo• Safia shares what she was like as a child and how she discovered her talent for poetry. • Safia’s experiences moving around a lot as a child and insights into her cultural background. • How Safia was first drawn to the sense of community among the poets she saw.• Hear about Home Is Not a Country’s main character Nima and how Safia created her.• How nostalgia and its effects inform the topic of Safia’s book.• How Nima is driven by a desire to return to the country her parents came from.• Nima’s experiences of racism, rejection, and loneliness in the US.• The extent to which Home Is Not a Country is autobiographical.• How Home Is Not a Country explores the confusion of growing up in America while straddling two cultures.• Safia shares her experiences of belonging and how her perspective has changed.• The significance of a chosen community.• Safia explains the concept of nostalgia as an illness.• The challenges that immigrant parents face in raising their children to care about a culture they are not immersed in.• The use of magical realism and Islamic mythology in Home Is Not a Country.• The logistical challenges Safia faced in using time travel in her novel.• How Safia chose to write the entire novel in poetic verse.• Why it’s important to allow yourself to write a bad first draft.• The value of community and outside input for revising your work.ReferencesSafia Elhillo on Twitter - https://twitter.com/mafiasafiaSafia Elhillo on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/safiamafia/Home Is Not a Country - https://www.amazon.com/Home-Not-Country-Safia-Elhillo/dp/0593177053Break the Good Girl Myth - https://majomolfino.com/bookMajo Molfino - https://majomolfino.com/HEROINE (Podcast) - https://majomolfino.com/podcast

The conversation around identity has evolved greatly in recent years, and this progress has been so important for many people. However there is still a long way to go to a more inclusive and accepting world, and we are joined today by someone who is adding a beautiful and complex voice to the discussion! Meredith Talusan is a transgendered woman, born with albinism in the Philippines, and who later immigrated to the US. Her relationship to acceptance and belonging has always been a complex one, a relationship she explores in her book, Fairest, and in today's episode! We get to dive deep into her journey, talking about external perceptions and inner realities, her writing for many prominent publications, and her current role as contributing editor at Them, Conde Nast's LGBTQ online platform. We look closely at her move to the US and time at Harvard, and how this influenced her life's trajectory and her professional and personal decisions. Meredith also talks about the art and literature that played a huge role for her, and how she tries to avoid too many comparisons and stark binaries. This is a beautiful and nuanced conversation from someone with an amazing story and the ability to unpack it honestly and insightfully, so make sure to join us!• Meredith's curious early years, growing up in the cultural melting pot of the Philippines. • How being born with albinism impacted Meredith's feeling of never fully belonging.• Meredith's work on a sitcom and soap opera, and the dynamic this created with her mother. • Feelings around being treated a certain way due to appearance; Meredith's mixed emotions.• Meredith's experiences and reflections on leaving the Philippines as a teenager. • The constant process of learning and growing; navigating life with fewer examples to follow. • Literature and stories that impacted Meredith and how these aided her on her journey.• The evolution of the academic approach to 'minority literature' over the last few decades.• How Meredith came to terms with and appreciated her particular experiences. • The influence that Meredith's life story had on her success and publication as a writer.• Uncertainty and complexity within the transgender experience; adding nuance to the discourse. • Meredith's gender identity and her hope for a different world. • Considering the possibility of a space beyond identity and Meredith's perspectives on spirituality.ReferencesIgnite Leadership Program - https://majo-molfino.mykajabi.com/igniteMeredith Talusan - http://mtalusan.com/Fairest - https://www.amazon.com/Fairest-Memoir-Meredith-Talusan/dp/0525561307Meredith Talusan on Twitter - https://twitter.com/1demerithThem - https://www.them.us/Jane Austen - https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jane-AustenGeorge Eliot - https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-EliotVirginia Woolf - https://www.britannica.com/biography/Virginia-WoolfJames Baldwin - https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-BaldwinLangston Hughes - https://poets.org/poet/langston-hughesJennifer Finney Boylan - https://www.nytimes.com/column/jennifer-finney-boylanSophia Amoruso - https://www.girlboss.com/Break the Good Girl Myth - https://majomolfino.com/book

Alongside raising three children, working as an editor, and practicing as a spiritual psychologist, Anita Kopacz spent seven years creating the magnificent work of art that is Shallow Waters, her debut novel. Part historical fiction and part parable, Shallow Waters deals with deep ancestral trauma through ritual storytelling. The heroine of the book is a Black mermaid, Yemaya, and you’ll hear Anita’s reasoning for centering her story around this mythical deity, and what she thinks is the most valuable lesson that readers can learn from her. In today’s episode, we cover how Anita heals her own generational wounds by writing this story, a gift which she hopes it will also give to others. • Anita shares the quirks that make her describe her younger self as strange.• Where Anita’s family is from.• A description of the deity, Yemaya, that is the protagonist of Anita’s book, Shallow Waters, andwhat the story is about.• The connection that Anita feels to Yemaya. • How the process of writing Shallow Waters was healing for Anita.• Unexpected feedback that Anita has received from readers of her book.• Why Anita chose to write a work of fiction. • A novel that Anita read in high school which had a profound impact on her.• How the Yemaya in Anita’s book differs from the mythical deity that she is based on.• Reasons that Anita decided not to include any sexual trauma in the book.• The target audience that the book was originally intended for, and why that changed.• An important lesson that readers can learn from Yemaya.• Anita’s love for ritual storytelling and her plans for the future in this realm.• Advice from Anita on transitioning from non-fiction to fiction writing.• Fears that Anita has managed to overcome.• The process Anita went through to get Shallow Waters out into the world.• A valuable lesson Anita learned about how to deal with writer’s block.• Anita’s request to buy the book from independent outlets. ReferencesAnita Kopacz on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anitakopacz/?hl=enShallow Waters - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/56180285-shallow-watersHEROINE (Podcast) - https://majomolfino.com/podcast

In her new book, Comparisonitis, Melissa Ambrosini talks to Majo about the very commondisease of comparisonitis and offers actionable tips and strategies to heal yourself from it. • What Melissa was like as a little girl; she was outgoing, bubbly, and confident. • Melissa’s experience of being 12, losing her self-assurance, and comparing herself to other girls. • Why Melissa loved competitive dancing and the freedom it gave her. • How being involved in dance fed into Melissa’s self-doubt and “inner mean girl.” • The story of how Melissa emerged from her substance abuse and an eating disorder. • The catalytic moment in Melissa’s life that caused her to re-evaluate everything. • Where comparison stems from, according to Melissa. • Distinguishing between healthy comparison and toxic comparison. • Why it is so important that we heal our relationship with comparison now. • The difference between the way men and women compare themselves. • How our childhoods and caregivers shape the way we view ourselves. • Melissa’s ACES technique that you can use if you are in a comparison spiral. • Dealing with the powerful emotion of envy and how we can transform it into inspiration. • Melissa’s relationship with social media and how time blocking helps her.• You have to find what works for you when it comes to developing a healthy relationship with social media. • The amount of time the average person will spend on their phone and social media. • Strategies Melissa shares in her book to help you rethink your relationship with social media and your phone. • The value of having physical boundaries around where to use your phone.• You have to remember that social media is just showing the best aspects of everyone’s life. • Why Melissa is reclaiming presence for herself. ReferencesMelissa Ambrosini - https://melissaambrosini.com/Melissa Ambrosini - https://www.instagram.com/melissaambrosini/?hl=enMelissa Ambrosini on YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoUydVMx0tYz4NU5bx8ifXQMelissa Ambrosini on Twitter - https://twitter.com/mel_ambrosini?lang=enThe Melissa Ambrosini Show - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-melissa-ambrosini-show/id1196106699Comparisonitis - https://www.amazon.com/Comparisonitis-Comparing-Yourself-Others-Genuinely/dp/1950665860Ignite - https://majo-molfino.mykajabi.com/igniteTony Robbins - https://www.tonyrobbins.com/The Social Dilemma - https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224Tristan Harris - https://www.tristanharris.com/Gretchen Rubin - https://gretchenrubin.com/Break the Good Girl Myth - https://majomolfino.com/bookMajo Molfino - https://majomolfino.com/HEROINE (Podcast) - https://majomolfino.com/podcast

Majo joins Scout & Mady from the OkaySis Podcast to talk about how to break out of the good girl myths and design our purpose. Order the book at goodgirlmyth.com

This week I’m thrilled to speak with a woman whose work I’ve followed for years.Martha Beck, PhD, is a New York Times bestselling author, life coach, speaker, and holds three degrees from Harvard University. Oprah calls her “one of the smartest women I know.” Martha walked away from the religious Mormon community she was raised in, exposed her father, and wrote about the dark secrets and hypocrisy of the Mormon church in her book Leaving the Saints. She received backlash from the church, but in the process, found her true, whole self.In this episode, Martha and I discuss why the intellect is important, but a deeper connection to nature and with our own souls is what the world truly needs. You’ll learn how breaking away from cultural rules brings us into alignment with our true selves, and we become whole, healthy, connected individuals full of integrity. This is a beautiful conversation heroine, one of the top interviews in all my years of doing the show. Show Notes- Martha on being raised as Mormon royalty due to his father’s “scholarly” work.- Discovering the hypocrisy surrounding certain religious people, including her father.- The intense experience of leaving the church and, with that, her family, friends, and culture.- How she got the courage to confront the deep religious conditioning she grew up in.- The crossroads experience of her pregnancy with her Down’s syndrome boy, Adam.- Hear why Martha felt like she needed to unlearn everything that she was taught at Harvard.- Why caring for a fragile life is the most-needed skill in the world right now.- The restrictive good girl archetype as a socially constructed self for many women.- Distinguishing between the essential self that is natural and the social self that is cultural.- The split that happens when people believe things that are contrary to their essential self.- Understanding that finding and claiming your true nature does not come without opposition.- Withstanding backlash, the role of shame, and grieving the loss of cultural connection.- Why, for Martha, life coaching is such a powerful, necessary tool for society.- What the flip side of the Drama Triangle means for persecutors, victims, and rescuers.- How wayfinding can help us discover our deeper purpose and navigate through the chaos.- Find out how existing in alignment with your true nature brings you closer to the supernatural. - The magic of the written word when we write from a powerful connection to truth.ReferencesMartha Beck - https://marthabeck.com/Martha Beck on Twitter - https://twitter.com/marthabeck/Diana, Herself: An Allegory of Awakening - https://www.amazon.com/Diana-Herself-Awakening-Bewilderment-Chronicles/dp/1944264000Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith USA Today - https://www.amazon.com/Leaving-Saints-Mormons-Found-Faith/dp/0307335992NPR - https://www.npr.org/Oprah - http://www.oprah.com/index.htmlEsther Perel - https://www.estherperel.com/David Emerald - https://powerofted.com/about-david/Stanford University - https://www.stanford.edu/Harvard University - https://www.harvard.edu/J.K. Rowling - https://www.jkrowling.com/

In the world of productivity hacking and self-help, Gretchen Rubin needs little introduction. She’s a nationally acclaimed author who writes popular books about habit change and happiness. In fact, her books have sold millions and have been on the New York Times best seller list numerous times.Gretchen draws from cutting edge research, tried and true wisdom and her own life experience, but she also isn’t afraid to admit that she herself is not an expert. She’s not a scientist, but she writes about topics that have a scientific edge. She has become one of the country’s top thinkers on happiness and human nature. We cover a lot of ground in this interview, and talk discuss her framework The Four Tendencies because of how much it impacted me. It’s about how people respond to expectations. In this episode, you’ll learn why self-knowledge is the key to a better life, and how knowing your tendency can revolutionize the way you work and live.You’ll love this episode, heroine, it’s a great one.

On this week’s episode, I talk with fellow recovering good girl, Monica Padman. Monica, an actress and podcast producer, hustled her way into acting and co-leading one of the most downloaded podcasts today, Armchair Expert. She double majored in theatre and PR at the University of Georgia and then moved to LA to pursue her dreams of acting. She’s appeared in several TV shows, such as The Good Place, and Drop Dead Diva, and performed a role specifically written for her in the 2017 movie, CHIPS. Armchair Expert, the podcast she co-hosts with Dax Shepard, started off as something they did for fun, and has now exploded into one of the most downloaded podcasts. The duo have interviewed musicians, entertainers, writers, doctors, and psychologists including Alicia Keys, Brené Brown, Monica Lewinsky, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Emilia Clarke.In this episode, Monica shares how she met Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell. She talks about the familial relationship she’s built with them, and how that relationship influenced her path. You’ll also hear about the parts of herself she kept hidden in order to fit in as a good girl, which are now the parts she’s reclaiming for herself. Monica’s story shows that you can do whatever it takes to create your dreams, while staying authentic.Show Notes- Monica’s childhood as a careful, shy, rule follower- The early influences that fueled her love for acting- Her experience with being a good girl and her need to fit in during school- Monica’s relationship to her Indian culture growing up in the South- How she dealt with the uncertainty of making the leap into a full-time acting career- The importance of community and relationship- Ensuring she built out other areas of her life so that acting wasn’t the only focus for her- How she built a close, family type relationship with Kristin Bell and Dax Shepard- The inspiration for the Armchair Expert podcast- The role Monica plays with Armchair Expert, and how she feels about itReferencesMonica Padman on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mlpadmanArmchair Expert podcast - https://armchairexpertpod.com/Armchair Expert on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/armchairexppod/The Best Little Boy in the World - https://www.amazon.com/Best-Little-Boy-World-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B0042JSNYUSerial podcast - https://serialpodcast.org/CHIPS - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493405/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_smMaking Sense podcast - https://samharris.org/podcast/

What is your relationship to failure?My guest this week, Sophia Amoruso, believes that, as long as you’re learning from your experiences, there’s no such thing as failure. The founder of Girlboss Media and author of #GIRLBOSS, Sophia watched her first business, online fashion retailer Nasty Gal, go bankrupt after a successful run. Rather than hide or quit when the challenges came, she chose instead to learn from the experience her first business gave her.Sophia started her new venture, Girlboss Media, in 2017, with a fresh perspective on what success really means and a healthy relationship to failure. In this interview, you’ll hear how Sophia emerged from the challenges of losing her first business and the way these trials shaped who she is today. Even when the darkest days come and life puts obstacles in your path, there’s always something you can be grateful for.Show Notes- Growing up a troublemaker who had a distaste for authority and convention.- Hear about Sophia’s high school years with ADHD and mental health struggles.- A few compelling reasons why the traditional education system fails many people.- Leaving home at 17 to live in the city in a purple “closet” with a bunch of musicians.- How Sophia's teenage anti-establishment phase spilled over into her mischievous life in Portland.- Find out why Sophia describes her time as a stripper as a positive experience.- How privilege and special treatment made her feel entitled to indulge in delinquent behavior.- The lessons in social engineering and acting that help Sophia to combat imposter syndrome.- Learn about Sophia's journey to starting Nasty Gal and its exponential growth.- 2016: the year her husband left her, her company went bankrupt, and Trump was elected.- Breaking free from the binary concepts of success and failure.- Seeing the good things in life amid the difficulty and embracing the mystery of our existence.- The wonderful hindsight that comes with being a second-time entrepreneur.ReferencesSophia Amoruso on Twitter - https://twitter.com/sophiaamorusoSophia Amoruso on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sophiaamorusoGirlboss - https://www.girlboss.comGirlboss on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/girlboss#GIRLBOSS - https://www.amazon.com/GIRLBOSS-Sophia-Amoruso/dp/039916927XNasty Gal - https://www.nastygal.comIsabel Allende - https://www.isabelallende.comMajo Molfino - https://majomolfino.comHEROINE (Podcast) - https://majomolfino.com/podcast

Majo celebrates the official publication and release of her new book, Break the Good Girl Myth, available wherever books, ebooks, and audiobooks are sold. Join her as she freaks out. And order the book at http://goodgirlmyth.com –!

Do you find yourself thinking that you want to have and do it all in life: a career, relationship, kids, fitness, money, home? Randi Zuckerberg, my guest this week, certainly does it all — she’s an entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, tech media personality, and occasional Broadway performer. Behind that impressive resumé is a woman who understands that you can do it all — but not all in one day or even one season of life. She believes you can do everything you want to do, but over a long period of time. After Harvard rejected her for the music program, Randi set aside her love of music to pursue a degree in psychology, followed by a career in technology, which ultimately led to her role as Director of Market Development at Facebook. Years after she thought she’d left music behind, Broadway came calling, and Randi lived her lifelong dream of performing.In this interview, Randi shares the philosophy behind “Pick Three,” and how she’s incorporated this idea when choosing what to focus on in her life. We discuss how to adopt a beginner’s mindset when trying new things, and not giving up on your dreams, even if the path to get there seems hidden.Show Notes- Growing up with a girls-can-do-anything mentality and oblivious to the glass ceiling.- Her early exposure to technology and how it impacts the work she does with girls today.- Why Randi ended up studying psychology despite her passion for music and performance.- The sobering shift from working in an ad agency with women in leadership to Silicon Valley.- The observations in Silicon Valley that made Randi aware of the glass ceiling at age 22.- Reaching out to female peers outside of the tech industry to create a network of support.- Giving her brother free digital marketing advice before being recruited by Facebook.- The dangers of online anonymity and why Randi feels so strongly about protecting kids.- How Randi’s music dream circled back to her when she got a call from a Broadway producer.- Bridging the worlds of arts, entertainment, and tech, and why it’s becoming increasingly important.- The pros and cons of having such a large spectrum of focus areas under Zuckerberg Media. - A willingness to learn and other strategies for becoming a fearless leader.- A brilliant—yet realistic—perspective on achieving a work-life balance in the long run.ReferencesRandi Zuckerberg on Twitter - https://twitter.com/randizuckerbergRandi Zuckerberg on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/randizuckerbergZuckerberg Media - https://www.zuckerbergmedia.comHarvard University - https://www.harvard.eduTina Turner - https://www.biography.com/musician/tina-turnerOgilvy - https://www.ogilvy.comPick Three - https://www.amazon.com/Pick-Three-Have-Just-Every/dp/006284282XBreak the Good Girl Myth - https://www.amazon.com/Break-Good-Girl-Myth-Purposeful-ebook/dp/B081NH1KJCMajo Molfino - http://majomolfino.comHEROINE (Podcast) - https://majomolfino.com/podcast

When’s the last time you expressed vulnerability through your creativity? For Brit Morin, my guest on this week’s episode, it’s part of her every day life. Brit founded her lifestyle and online learning platform, Brit + Co, to help women connect with and express their creative spirit. With an engaged community of 125+ million women and over 200,000 online class enrollments, Brit + Co is the leading destination for learning and discovery among female millennials. She launched her business at the age of 25, and learned how to balance motherhood alongside her career as a creative entrepreneur.In this episode, Brit discusses how to empower and equip your employees by letting go of control, and how she brings her authentic self into her brand. She shares the power of believing in yourself and your creativity, even in the face of criticism. Trying new, creative things feels vulnerable and scary, because we’re afraid to fail. Brit shows us that, while we may fail and everything won’t be perfect, we can learn how to be resilient and keep creating anyway. Show Notes- How Brit saw her inner creativity evolve through childhood and adolescence.- Why she decided to leave her job at Google to launch Brit + Co at 25.- What it was like for Brit meeting her husband at 19.- Brit’s highs and lows with Brit + Co.- What is was like to have to lay off members of her team after Facebook algorithm changes. - Having a decentralized team means Brit + Co hasn’t taken a hit during quarantine.- Letting go of control and finding balance as an entrepreneur.- Brit’s ‘North Star’ when her motivation is low.- How creativity can equate to courage.- Ways that Brit pushed through some of her own insecurities.- The Private/Public Divide and how Brit decides where the boundaries are.- Dealing with criticism and juggling motherhood and career.- How Brit has managed to lessen some of the demand that she puts on herself.- What Brit is reclaiming for herself in her journey of personal growth.ReferencesBrit + Co - https://www.brit.coBrit Morin on Twitter - https://twitter.com/britBrit Morin on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/britBrit + Co on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/BritandCoTeach Me Something New with Brit Morin - https://www.brit.co/teach-me-something-new-podcast