The Love Launch

"Celebrating Africa is celebrating humanity."

So says South African rapper, dancer, author, teacher, and activist Emile Jansen.

Emile's story highlights the power of reaching high and creating an impact by staying grounded in yourself, your vision, your people, and the strings that run between all of us - even across countries and generations.

You can pre-order his book "Reconnect the String" here.

Emile YX? started b-boying (breakdancing) in 1982 & thus seen as a pioneer of South African Hip Hop. He founded Black Noise Hip Hop Group in 1988 and Heal the Hood Project in 1998, which won the Best Hip Hop Organization in 2010. As a qualified school teacher, he brought education into South African Hip Hop while also creating events like African Hip Hop Indaba, Battle of the Year South Africa, Shut Up Just Dance, African Battle Cry, Cape Flats Uprising, Surf Day, Up The Rock, Black Noise Anniversary and Freestyle Session. Emile was part of the 1997 South African break-dance team that won 3rd at the World Champs, Battle Of The Year. He has helped raise funds for more than 200 artists to travel to international events. He has recorded and released 13 albums with Black Noise, 12 solo Emile YX? Albums, 1 Afrikaaps soundtrack, featured on 9 compilation albums, 7 Heal the Hood compilation albums, and helped 6 local artists release their solo albums. He has written and performed in award winning plays like Afrikaaps, Ons Bou, Mixing It Up, Break & Stompie. He created South Africa’s first Hip Hop magazine “Da Juice” and wrote 14 books. He recently co-edited Neva Again with UCLA Professor H.Samy Alim & South African Professors Dr. Adam Haupt & Dr. Quentin Williams. He also initiated 3 books for Rhymes, Articles, Poetry, Short Stories and Sketches called R.A.P.S.S. He has taught & spoken at UCLA, Stanford, Harvard, University of San Francisco, Duke, NYC, Washington State University, Sacramento Teachers College, Trinity University, Gothenberg University, University of Cape Town & University of the Western Cape.  

Emile was recently inducted into the South African Hip Hop Museums Hall Of Fame. He also won an Honorary Award & Ubuntu Award from the South African Hip Hop Awards. He also won the Lifetime Achievement Award from Iconic Urban Dance Awards, LeadSA Award, ETV South African Heroes Award, Mandela Monday Award, Arts & Culture Award for contributions to Literature & selected as the face of Moshito Music Conference. In 2020 he attained his International Breakdance Teachers Certificate. 

Links:

• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Emile-YX-48042893547
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmileYX
• Instagram: emile.yx
• Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/user/emileyx
• Reverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/emileyx
• Discography: http://www.discogs.com/artist/967489-Emile-YX 

Today I talk with three people I met on Clubhouse. We are all regular members of a room I run called "What's your purpose and how can we help you move it forward?" In this episode, we talk about the power of community and overcoming our fears. To me, this absolutely shows that purpose is a team sport and the more we talk about our purposes, the more we can help each other.

Nita Barnard is a licensed esthetician and entrepreneur outside Boise, ID. She is most proud of fostering community and business collaboration in her small town. After work, Nita enjoys kayaking and camping with her husband and kids.

• https://linktr.ee/revelskintherapy

Renee Greer, MA LPC-S is a psychotherapist and PH.D. candidate from Huston, Tx. Renee has always had a desire to encourage and inspire people. She has an innate ability to help people feel comfortable in her presence and she is highly intuitive which helps her uncover the hidden issues that most clients are not aware of. She is happily married for over 23 years and she has a 25-year-old daughter. During her free time, she enjoys riding her motorcycle, reading, and painting.

• https://www.creneegreer.com
• Instagram

Wykeisha Howe is a mother, wife, community activist from Atlanta, GA. She helps families build communities that everyone is proud to call home.

• www.parentavenger.com
• Instagram

To continue the conversation, please join us in the "What's Your Purpose?" Facebook group.

Systems are one of the most effective tools for overcoming the fears that get in our way and for making the most of our purposes. A good system provides a framework for moving forward and deepening your understanding of your purpose. Moreover, if done well, they make it easier to share your purpose.

Since normalizing talking about purpose is one of the goals of this podcast, I was excited to talk with Tasha Hart as she has one of the most well-developed and approachable systems that I have seen.

Tasha Hart is frequently called “The Puzzle Lady” for her ability to bring connections to your purpose and goals through her auditing process. She is the author of five books, award-winning speech evaluator, competent communicator, and your advocate for all things purpose!

Links:

• www.puzzled2purpose.com
• @puzzled2purpose - IG
• @puzzled2purpose - FB

Welcome back to the "What's Your Purpose Podcast".

This season is about overcoming fear. Knowing your purpose is one thing, but getting past the fears that naturally come up and hinder our ability to move forward.

I'm talking with leaders, business owners, and other rabble-rousers about their purpose, the fears they face, and how they get/got past them.

My goal is to create a safe space and a community where we can share our purposes and ask for the help we need to keep moving forward. The podcasts will foster conversations, and I hope to continue them in the "What's Your Purpose" Community."

Thank you for listening, and I hope to see you there.

If you would like a copy of the tool I use (the Purpose Scorecard) to help me and clients keep our purpose moving forward, you can download it here.

Had a great talk with Ali Abouzalam about the importance and challenge of living a life that is aligned with who you are and what you are about.

Ali Abouzalam is a cannabis industry entrepreneur, speaker and influencer who specializes in vaporizers and smokable marijuana and hemp products. Ali has leveraged his networks to normalize cannabis as CEO of two companies, founder of Northern Colorado Cannabis Community (NCCC), 2018 BizWest 40 Under 40 winner and District 26 Toastmasters Division Director overseeing 30+ clubs.

Ali's most developed skill sets include e-commerce, dynamic leadership and communication with an innate ability to create strategic connections and effectively influence team members to perform at their best.

Ali's is trilingual speaking Spanish and Arabic and his robust culture has enabled him to fluidly navigate networks and environments of all kinds while pushing culture and minority advocacy in the cannabis space. His special interests include mixed martial arts, spreading gratitude, public speaking, life coaching and building high quality relationships.

Links:

• https://www.theonpurposepodcast.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/abouzalam/
• https://www.instagram.com/aliabouzalam/?hl=en

Great talk with Sean Woulfe and his desire to empower college graduates to find jobs and careers that fulfill them.

In college I started Biz Talks, an annual event that hosts 6 business speakers in front of hundreds of students. Originally I planned to pass it on after graduating but I discovered my purpose, to empower young professionals, and Biz Talks was the perfect platform. I turned the event into a company while I started my career. I went into ecommerce to work for DesignByHumans, a large clothing brand. I rose from the bottom to 2nd in command. Eventually the company was acquired, the dynamic changed and I became burnout/unhappy. I left and took a sabbatical. Now I’m expanding Biz Talks by launching a podcast and an online conference soon to come.

Links

• biztalks.co
• www.linkedin.com/in/seanwoulfe
• https://www.instagram.com/sean_woulfe
• https://www.instagram.com/biztalks
• https://apple.co/3c0nDlC

I love this conversation with Trista Polo as we talk about winning and winning not just in the traditional sense, but what it means to each person.

Trista Polo has over 13 years working with and coaching Entrepreneurs and Business Owners. Her clients are CEOs, Solo-Preneurs and Network Marketing Business Owners. Some of them have gone on to author books, guest host television shows, create million dollar businesses and create ongoing residual income that replaced their linear income. 

Trista hosts a podcast called Trista’s PL8STORY Podcast where she interviews people about the story behind their vanity plate. It’s available wherever you listen to podcasts as well as on YouTube.

Links:

Website 

• IWokeUpAwesome.com
• F @iwokeupawesome @pl8story
• I @tristapolo @pl8story
• Y @tristapolo

I had a great talk with Jordan who has long term commitment to help the homeless is trying to "put a pillow under every homeless person's head."

Jordan is a Northwestern and Kellogg School of Management graduate, a startup founder, a 2x TEDx speaker, and a #1 best-selling author. His new book, The Journey to Cloud Nine, provides a new approach to the personal development world by using fictional storytelling to reveal some of life's most meaningful principles. Jordan has been blazing new trails for people around the world, and he cannot wait to share this with all of you!

Links:

• https://www.journeytocloudnine.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordangross9/
• Medium: https://medium.com/@jordan.c.gross2016 

Teacher and Purpose Coach Clay Smeltzer joins me to talk about love, faith and family. I love his passion, energy and commitment to growth.

Clay Smeltzer is a man who owns himself, loves his story, and lives with purpose. He does this as a Man, husband, father, teacher, baseball coach, author, speaker, and with his company Purpose Infused Coaching. Clay has lived a pretty normal life nothing fancy and nothing too out of the ordinary. He followed what he was supposed to follow, did what he was supposed to do but at the age of 35 sat on a couch next to his wife having a panic attack over a TV show. With everything going great around him he still felt lost, floating, ashamed, and not where he expected himself to be in life at 35. There were two roads derived in the woods and he chose the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference. Through Purpose Infused Coaching Clay now helps men reveal their purpose and create clarity in all aspects of their lives. So that they can step into their story and step up to lead as a man and in their families, careers, and communities.

Links

• www.purposeinfusedcoaching.com 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purposeinfusedcoaching/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/clay_smeltzer?igshid=1rqgtb5mp70x4
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-smeltzer-056035156

I have a really interesting talk with Adam Mender - CEO, speaker, author and podcast host. He talks about leadership involves being willing to look at yourself and the commitment serve others.

Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries: Beverly Hills Chairs, a leading office furniture e-tailer; Custom Tobacco, a one-of-a-kind cigar customization e-commerce platform; and Veloz Solutions, a technology consulting and software development practice. Adam remains active in each portfolio company, providing strategic guidance and support. Adam also provides business thought leadership as a speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations; as the host of the leadership and personal / professional development podcast Thirty Minute Mentors; as an expert regularly cited in national media outlets; and as an advisor, consultant, coach and board member.

Links:

• www.adammendler.com
• @adammendler on Instagram and Twitter
• Adam Mendler on LinkedIn and Facebook