Meant For It With Polina Rubin, Yelena Mugin & Amber Greene

In this life deeply soulful conversation we speak with  Nicole Avant to discuss her  tribute to her mom in her new book  "Think You'll Be Happy." We explore themes from Nicole’s book including living a life centered around  love of family, community, the arts, gratitude and serving others.
Nicole's mindset is an example of the power of  positive energy and the importance of being a blessing to others, no matter the circumstances. Nicole talks about her upbringing in a household filled with love, wisdom, and how she learned from so many wonderful people that were friends with her parents. Nicole’s parents, Clarence Avant and Jacqueline Avant were both extraordinary leaders in the music industry and in their communities. The Avant  home was a meeting place for some of America’s greatest artists and leaders such as Ella Fitzgerald, Maya Angelou, the Clintons and the Obamas. Despite her glamorous and successful life, Nicole remains humble and grounded, attributes she credits to her mother's teachings.
We discuss how Nicole intentionally turned a tragedy into a source of inspiration, the importance of traditional values and the impact of small acts of kindness. 
We know you will not forget the lessons Nicole shares on being good, spreading good, supporting people who are grieving and choosing to  be the blessing every day of your life. 
Nicole Avant https://thinkyoullbehappy.com
Nicole's father Clarence Avant
Clarence Avant, Mighty Engine Behind Black Superstars, Dies at 92 Please stop by and say hello on Instagram @meantforit. visit our website at www.meantforit.com, and sign up for our newsletter here on substack. or email us directly at contact@meantforit.com.
Zoom in:
(00:00) Nicole Avant's new book is about love and gratitude
(05:22) The book is focused on grit, grace, and gratitude
(09:10) How your mother taught you to be the blessing
(16:20) This book really made me want to be a better friend
(22:13) You left your ambassadorship in the Bahamas to support your family
(27:08) In your book, you talk about bullying among children in today's society
(34:00) Your mom taught you to always be grateful. What are some of your favorite life lessons
(38:26) You talk a lot about energy and intuition in the book
(42:27) You talk about learning from your ancestors, and your father had incredible life story
(46:11) Investment in the arts
(51:35) Lessons from Nicole’s mom
(55:25) Paying it forward
(59:47) Lead with generosity that really is the message out of this book
 

Are you tired of the constant stream of bad news? Angus Hervey shares his story of being a depressed news junkie overwhelmed by negativity to a source of hope through his good news site,  Fix the News. Angus discusses the negativity bias in the media and how it skews our perception of the world. He explains that while the news often focuses on what's wrong, there's a wealth of positive progress happening globally that goes unreported.
Angus's Ted Talk
We discuss the importance of  shifting the narrative from problems to solutions, particularly in areas like climate change, where positive developments are often overlooked. Angus explains how a deliberate pursuit of good news changed his outlook on the world, improved his mental well-being and his approach to parenting. Teachers and parents are using his newsletter to have more balanced and hopeful conversations with children. Angus' work is filing overwhelming gap in mass media. Since most people don’t have the time to search for good news, buy subscribing to Fix the News newsletter, you can also have a more accurate picture of the world. When you balance the negative with the positive it is more likely to inspire action since the world doesn’t seem so hopeless. 
Subscribe to Fix the News here
Memorable Quotes
"Optimism isn't a reaction to the world around me. It's a choice by which you can navigate the world around you."
"For every story of death, disaster, and destruction, I can very easily tell a story of kindness, connection, and hope."
"The future is going to be messy and unpredictable and chaotic, but I don't think that we're all doomed."
"We need to shift our focus now and start talking about the solutions as a way to get more action."
 
(00:00) Introduction and the concept of Fix the News
(05:20) The negativity bias in media
(10:45) Finding good news: sources and strategies
(15:30) Personal transformation through positive news
(20:15) Impact of positive news on society
(25:50) Challenges of running a good news media outlet
(30:10) The role of good news in education and parenting
(35:00) Angus' early influences and personal background
(40:15) Final thoughts and future goals for Fix the News
Find us on Instagram @meantforit. You can also visit our website at www.meantforit.com, and sign up for our newsletter here or email us at contact@meantforit.com.
 

Sophia Khalifa, an engineer, working on AI at Amazon AWS, has a story we need to hear. Sophia is a muslim Bedouin Arab,  born and raised in Israel. In Sophia's culture and community,  girls traditionally do not receive an education, but Israeli policies mandating schooling for all children, changed her entire life. Sophia graduated from Tel Aviv University with a BS in Electrical Engineering, moved to the US, worked as an engineer for Intel, received her MBA from Stanford, and started working at Amazon leading trust and safety for generative AI. SInce October 7, Sophia’s life changed again when she added activism to areas where she excels.  
Sophia says, “ ​​if ​Israel ​was ​not ​established, ​I ​probably ​would ​be, ​ ​illiterate, ​married ​to ​my ​cousin ​and ​herding ​sheep, ​somewhere ​in ​Galilee. ​Because ​that ​was ​ ​generation ​after ​generation. ​That's ​the ​culture ​that ​we ​had ​but ​Israel ​actually ​up ​leveled ​the ​field ​for ​the ​Arabs. ​And ​if ​you ​look ​at ​the ​number ​of ​like ​20% ​of ​the ​population ​of ​citizens ​and ​the ​population ​in ​Israel ​are ​Arabs. ​Most ​of ​them ​are ​Muslims. ​ And ​in ​universities ​today, ​the ​percent ​of ​Arabs ​pursuing ​bachelor ​degree ​is ​20%, ​same ​as ​their ​percent ​of ​the ​population.”
As a muslim Arab who grew up in Israel straddling two cultures, Sophia speaks from first hand experience about the  cultural divisions in Israel. In our conversation, Sophia dispels the damaging lies against Israel as an apartheid state guilty of genocide and oppressing Arabs. Sophia breaks down how each of these lies is absurdly false and how the repulsive jew hatred that is poisoning our society and hijacking the social justice movement should concern all of us. Sophia tells us that the real problem is not Israel vs Hamas, it is the western world vs. radical Islam. 
Sophia emphasizes the importance of identifying Islamist anti semitism, and the need for honest conversation about this global threat. 
When we talked about those who try to attack Sophia’s honesty  because her experience doesn’t match up with the story they believe about Israel, Sophia had wise words, “first ​they ​try ​to ​spread ​lies. ​ ​And ​then ​when ​you're ​able ​to ​fight ​against ​it ​because ​you're ​sharing ​the ​facts, ​the ​truth, ​then ​they ​try ​to ​discredit ​you.”
 
Must Read Quotes from this episode:
“​​And ​then ​I ​think ​that ​as ​long ​as ​you're ​using ​this ​social ​justice ​language, ​you ​are ​kind ​of ​like ​protected, ​you ​are ​righteous,  ​and ​then ​that ​gives ​you ​the ​legitimacy ​to ​say ​anything. ​But ​no ​one ​comes ​and ​tries ​to ​question ​what ​you're ​saying. And ​what ​is ​happening ​is ​that ​we ​have ​the ​islamist, ​anti ​Semitism. ​And ​I'm ​not ​saying ​Muslim. ​I'm ​saying ​islamist, ​extreme ​Islam, ​antisemitism ​that ​is ​exploiting ​that ​language ​and ​using ​that.”
“​They ​try ​to ​be ​for ​the ​oppressed, ​for ​women's ​rights, ​for ​LGBTQ ​rights ​and ​all ​that they're ​trying ​to ​be ​on ​the ​right ​side ​of ​history. So ​they ​hear ​that ​social ​justice ​lingo ​about ​like, ​ah, ​genocide, ​colonialism, ​white ​supremacy  Which ​is ​like, ​if ​you ​went ​to ​Israel, ​you ​would ​laugh ​to ​think ​that ​this ​is ​like ​white ​supremacy. ​You ​cannot ​tell ​the ​difference ​between ​a ​Jew ​and ​Arab ​in ​Israel.”
“But ​all ​of ​a ​sudden, ​your ​teacher, ​someone ​tha

In this episode,  Susan Griffin-Black, co-founder of EO Products, shares her story.  Susan tells us about her path from her early days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to becoming a pioneer in the natural products industry. Raised by a father who was an early feminist and advocate for women's economic empowerment, Susan's entrepreneurial spirit was nurtured from a young age. She recounts her experiences in the fashion industry, opening her first retail store in San Francisco, and eventually co-founding EO Products.
In 1995, Susan founded EO Essential Oils, starting with a few essential oil blends. Her vision was to create a company that she would want to work for, one that prioritized sustainability, community, and holistic well-being. Over the years, EO has grown significantly, becoming a trusted name in the natural products industry.
Susan's story is one of intentional living. Susan's dedication to holistic, sustainable practices has been unwavering. "Our premise was we wanted to create a company that we would want to work for. And so what does that look like?” Susan’s Buddhist spiritual practice has also been a guiding force, helping her navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Susan has always believed in meeting people not for what they can do for you, but to understand their journey and learn from their experiences.
As EO Essential Oils approaches its 30th anniversary, Susan is optimistic about the future. She plans to continue growing the business while staying true to its core values. New products are in the pipeline, and there are exciting plans to celebrate this milestone with the community.
Susan Griffin's journey is a reminder and model  that success is not just about financial achievements but about values based living.  We hope Susan’s story inspires you to stay committed to your dreams.  We also discuss the months when it was a struggle for Susan to make payroll and a living wage. It was not easy, but the alignment of values, purpose, great products and smart business decisions led to EO’s success. Susan says, “You just have to collectively aim for the highest good for the most amount of people. Always, always, always."
Memorable Quotes
"I've had a Buddhist spiritual practice for 30 years. This is, I don't care what all of the external voices are saying, but if I go down this path, it's just not aligned with my values."
"Our premise was we wanted to create a company that we would want to work for. And so what does that look like? 
"Essential oils are like very, very distilled flowers and plants and bark and, you know, all sorts of plant material, but they have so much vitality."
“You just have to collectively aim for the highest good for the most amount of people. Always, always, always."
EO Products
 

Steve Leder, Head Rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, is one of the country’s most influential rabbis and the author of 5 life changing books. Rabbi Leder joins us for second podcast to discuss topics such as the foundations of Jewish faith, fascinating historical anecdotes, the problems within DEI, the role of education in Judaism, mental health and addiction,
 Did you know that the founding fathers of the United States considered adopting Hebrew as the official language? Or that Napoleon played a pivotal role in the emancipation of European Jews? 
Whether you're deeply religious, spiritually curious, or simply a lover of history, there will be something for you in this discussion. 
Topics Discssed
(01:01) Differences between Judaism and Christianity, The Jewish emphasis on ethical behavior
(09:00) The idea that Jews are white eastern european colonizers is absurd
(18:23) The problem with diversity, equality and inclusion
(31:14) Hate of Jews subordinates the rest of their entire identity
(36:32) The democratic party no longer represents the working class
(38:40) As it relates to God and religion, how much do you think our country has veered
(56:13) I was not capable of balancing it, which is why I'm stepping aside
(01:04:41) Painkiller addiction and how it changed your life
(01:16:45) Spirituality is the sanctification of the ordinary
Connect with us on Instagram @meantforit and share your thoughts via email at contact@meantforit.com. Visit www.meantforit.com for more episodes that offer guidance, light and community.
 

Join us as Joan Barnes, the founder of Gymboree, she shares  her journey from a young woman seeking community into a powerhouse businesswoman. Gymboree started as a mommy and me play center in Marin County, California that eventually Joan led to a successful franchise business and chain of international children’s clothing stores. At the time of Gymboree’s blockbuster IPO in 1993, the company had annual revenue of $86.3M. In 2010, Bain Capital acquired the company for $1.8 billion!  In this truthful conversation, Joan shares her  unorthodox approach to business, motherhood, domestic life, her struggles with bulimia, and the personal sacrifices she made when putting her work first. 
Joan's insights on the challenges of balancing professional ambition with personal happiness are as relevant today as they were during her time with Gymboree. This episode and Joan’s book, Pay it Forward,  will be fascinating for entrepreneurs who like to hear behind the scenes stories about companies that made it to  the exhilarating  day of a successful IPO.  Joan shares the challenges of accepting VC funding and balancing a family life with a growing franchise This is not the story about having it all, partially because Joan knew she didn’t want it all, and also because a complete focus on her business, resulted in sacrificing her marriage and spiraling deeper into bulimia.


Today, Joan has found peace with her family, friends and knowing that  she made bold choices and stayed true to herself. So, sit down or take this podcast for a walk as we have a real conversation with a woman who despite the odds, always knew she was meant to be a trailblazer. 
 
Notable Quotes from Joan Barnes:
"Professional friendships are not the same when you don't have that job anymore."
"I'm a cheerleader, not a caretaker."
"We all know what to do. It sometimes takes us a while to, you know, uncover it all."
"I wouldn't do anything differently because you kind of are who you are."
 
Topics Discussed:
(00:00) Joan's early life and her path to entrepreneurship
 (09:29) The societal pressures and personal challenges of motherhood
 (13:40) The inception and global success of Gymboree
 (25:20) Joan's battle with bulimia and her road to recovery
 (44:00) Life after Gymboree: Embracing spirituality and letting go
 (49:33) The importance of listening to your heart and making conscious choices
Find us on Instagram @meantforit. You can also visit our website at www.meantforit.com, and sign up for our newsletter here or email us contact@meantforit.com
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