Shame Shuts Shit Down!

My coach said this to me on a recent call and I gasped. Shiitttt…..

Here’s the thing… we all experience shame. If you’re a human living on this planet - you experience shame. 

But nothing useful is ever created from it.

We think that by shaming ourselves it’ll motivate us to do better. But the opposite is true. It shuts us down.

So how do we change it?

Not by ignoring it, not by avoiding any situations that might make us feel it… but by shining a light on it and answering it with compassion and self love.

Here’s one little tip that I found useful for myself:

Notice the 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙨 in your thoughts.

Every time I hear myself saying “I should….” that is a red flag that shame is about to rear its ugly head.

Catch those shoulds and just pause. Question and challenge the thought… and then turn it around to something more useful.

If you want to increase your impact in the world through your work - it starts with changing your relationship with yourself and turning those shame causing shoulds around.

I’ve often heard that the opposite of depression isn’t happiness - it’s purpose and meaning.

This couldn’t be more true for me.

For a long time my purpose was wrapped up solely in my career in the music industry and the success of my artist clients. The impact they made was how I measured the impact that I made.

And while that was one aspect of my purpose - it wasn’t quite enough. I had to find it for myself. I had to discover what I cared about, what issues were important to me and how I could make the most direct impact through my own efforts.

Getting involved with Jewish National Fund-USA was a huge part of this discovery process.

I joined their young professionals division almost 9 years ago and can honestly say my life has been forever changed. I care so deeply about the work they do in Israel and being involved in the organization gave me a unique opportunity to develop my leadership skills and take on roles that I never before thought I was capable of.

Since then, I’ve taken on many roles with other organizations working on causes and issues that I care about - but JNF has remained at the forefront of my activism and advocacy. It’s been incredible to have a voice and seat at the table - really making an impact on the daily lives of ALL Israelis (Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Druze, Bedouin etc.) and strengthening the connection to Israel for Jews around the country.

Today, one of my greatest roles is to serve as the founder & chair of JNF’s Arts & Entertainment Taskforce - working to bring arts, music, entertainment, theatre and culture to the frontiers of Israel… making it accessible to all people from all backgrounds.

This is just one of the ways that I have carved out my own purpose. And it has changed my life in so many positive ways.

I truly believe that when we find the things that bring meaning and purpose to our lives, what we’re able to create is endless.

That’s what I love to help my clients do- to discover their purpose, and then know what to do with it in order to have their greatest impact.

Last week, the music biz was abuzz with the news that Winston Marshall, the Mumford & Sons banjoist, quit the band after controversy over a tweet from March.

The tweet was in praise of a book that was critical of the far-left. The mob went crazy, accusing him of being a fascist (he doesn’t come close) and it ultimately blew back on the band.

So, Win made the decision to step away so that he could continue to speak freely. 

When I heard this, my heart sank.

Not just ‘cus I love the band- but because of what this says about the society we’re living in as a whole and the music industry in particular.

Our world has become so divided. People have fallen victim to binary, all or nothing thinking.

What does it say when we leave no room for different opinions?

What does it say when someone who says something people don’t agree with is forced into making a heartbreaking decision and walking away from something that he loves?

That doesn’t sound like liberalism to me. 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion needs to also include diversity of thought. 

We don’t live in a binary world. We live in a world with so many different lived experiences and people with complex identities and makeups. 

There’s no way for us all to think the same way about everything!

When we immediately “cancel” someone for thinking differently - we close off our own thinking and our own ability to be inclusive and learn from others. Even when we don’t agree.

One of the reasons I’ve loved working in the music industry is because I believe so deeply in the power of music and of artists to challenge us to open our minds and open us up to each other's experiences.

We can’t do that if we’re not willing to hear anything different.

We can’t do that if we deny people their right to speak their minds and share their voices.

I applaud Winston for prioritizing his need to share his thoughts with the world and not conform. But I hate that, for him, that meant stepping away.

In my work, I am committed to helping artists show up authentically as themselves WHILE doing the work that they love and sharing it with the world so that they can make their greatest impact.

If this is something you’re struggling with, I would love to support you.

Send me a note and let’s chat…

I had another post planned for today. But yesterday morning I received some heartbreaking news that has me thinking and reflecting on the impact that just one person can make.

One of my oldest childhood friends has left this world. 

We grew up more like family than friends as our families are very close. In fact, he spent so much time at my house with my brothers and I, that both of our families started to call him by our last name instead of his. And of course, as brothers do, they would tease us quietly that we would get married one day.

Though we hadn’t been in touch very often for many years, I watched from afar how he lit the world up with his art and with his smile. If one person can have an impact on so many just by being completely himself, Hesh was that person.

He was always such a kind and sweet soul… even as little kids. He was the one that was always there to help, always looking out for the people around him.

In more recent years he became known as the artist that chalked hearts all over New York City. And that’s just so typical. He had the biggest heart and he just had to share it.

I would always see posts on my social media feeds from people that I had no idea were connected to him - from random friends & acquaintances to musicians & celebrities- posting photos with him and photos of his hearts. He just drew people in.

I think I’m still processing that he’s gone. Perhaps that’s why I felt compelled to write and share this. 

But more than anything, he was just such a beautiful example of how one person can have such a big impact by being so authentically themselves. And that’s worth sharing.

He embodied love, he embodied the power of art to connect, and he embodied kindness.

Heshy, you touched more hearts than you could ever draw.

We will carry you in ours always.

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍

This is my father 30 some years ago at one of his many visits to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, considered the most influential Rabbi in modern history. Today is the 27th anniversary of his passing.

Most people who have met me in my adult life are often surprised to learn of my background.

I don’t exactly look, talk, practice or think like what many associate with orthodox judaism, let along chassidim.

But it is such a big part of who I am, that anyone who gets to know me soon learns where I come from.

The teachings of the Rebbe and of Chabad (the chassidic movement that he led) have so significantly shaped who I am and how I see the world.

My father did not grow up religious at all. He was aware and proud of his Jewish heritage and identity, but he had little to no relationship with the religious aspects of Judaism. He was quite the political and social activist from his early years - fighting hard for civil rights and even calling for “revolution.” (I guess activism runs in my blood!)

My mother grew up in a more traditional Jewish home and I like to think when she met my father in grad school she was going through a bit of a “rebellious” phase.

Shortly after they were married, my father encountered Chabad, and being who he was, he recognized its inherent beauty and through it, his own relationship with G-d. 

My brothers and I were raised in a home with this foundation. We would travel from Philadelphia to Brooklyn on Sundays to receive a blessing from the Rebbe and a dollar to give to charity. Being in his presence was something that felt incredibly holy, even at a very young age.

So how does a progressive, liberal, feminist music-industry vet emerge from this background?

It’s simple really.

The Rebbe taught us to be ourselves, to find our uniqueness and use it to make the world a better place. He taught us to lead with love for all of humanity, and to inspire others to discover their own inner G-dliness.

So while I may no longer practice my Judaism in the same way that I was brought up, I am living by its principles in the most authentic way for me. It will forever be a part of me and continue to guide me in every aspect in my life.

We all have a history that has shaped who we are. How we use it is up to us. It doesn’t have to define you or confine you - it can be the launching pad to create your own unique and amazing life.

P.S. I'm a life & impact coach for mission-driven people in the music industry. I can help you take your own unique story and use it to show up authentically as yourself to increase your impact in the world. 

Send me a message to set up a free call and let's chat!

Growing up in an Orthodox Jewish home, every morning at the start of our prayers we would say “I accept upon myself the commandment to love my neighbor as myself”. 

The cardinal rule.

Love yourself… and then that love emanates from you and extends to everyone around you.

I was thinking this past weekend about what Pride Month means to me.

As a straight woman, what does it mean to be a true ally for the LGBTQ+ community, and really what does it mean to be an ally of any community that I’m not directly a part of?

It all comes back to this cardinal rule.

It’s not (just) posting a supportive post once a year.

It’s not (just) marching in a parade.

It’s not (just) making a donation to an organization that helps that community.

It’s all of those things and so much more.

Being an ally is not just WHAT you do (though those are all important things)…

It’s WHO you are that drives you to do those things.

It’s who you are in the way that you show up to the world- for yourself and for those around you.

Equality, empathy, respect, authenticity and love are all part of my core values. They are part of who I am and what I believe we need to lead with to make true change and true impact in the world.

And that also means showing up for what I believe, even when I feel others don’t show up for me.

To me, that’s true allyship… and that’s how I want to show up not just this month, but every month and every day.

P.S. I’m a life and impact coach for mission-driven people in the music industry. How are you using your talent, your work, your experience to show up as the strongest ally you can be? Let’s get on a call and chat about it…

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year. 

In some ways it feels like so much more, in some ways so much less.

And yes, Black lives still matter. They matter deeply.

In the last year there has been an awakening like we’ve never seen before. People have started to come to terms with how much racism and white supremacy have contributed to the building of this country and how so much of that ideology may be have been internalized - no matter who you are or what race or ethnicity you are.

And we still have a long way to go.

I am grateful for this awakening. It has played a huge role in pushing me to become a life and impact coach - to help people question the messages they’ve received and internalized and decide intentionally who they are, what they believe, and how they want to show up and contribute to this world.

It is so important to support and become a part of the movements that align with our values and push for change.

But even with those movements, we need to continue to question. We need to continue to evaluate the messages we’re receiving and decide if they’re aligned with our values.

Is the message here one that pushes towards equality, unity, and progress?

Or is it one that puts one group down in order to elevate another?

What I’ve witnessed over the past 2+ weeks has reaffirmed this belief that I’ve held for a long time.

We are all complex, multi-layered beings with intersectional identities.

While we may align with one part of an organization or movement, it doesn’t mean we have to follow blindly.

The same internalized white supremacy that contributes to complicity in racism, applies to antisemitism and every other form of hate. And unfortunately, even the people and movements dedicated to progress and change can be complicit in other forms of hate.

One can be part of one marginalized group and still contribute to the marginalization of another.

The awakening that was ignited a year ago (Giana, yes your Daddy changed the world!) needs to continue and needs to happen across the board.

I am proud of who I am. I am proud of my Jewish identity. I am proud to be someone who stands up for progressive causes and against all hate.

Be proud of who you are and stand for what you believe in.

P.S. I’m a life and impact coach for mission-driven people in the music biz. I will help you show up authentically as yourself to increase your impact in the world. Contact me for a free call.

This has been one of the hardest weeks.

I was in tears as I spoke with family and friends in Israel as they hid in bomb shelters and could hear the sirens and explosions in the background.

These aren’t foreign sounds to me. I’ve experienced them myself.

It’s terrifying.

What has made this week so much harder than just the barrage of rockets, is the barrage of lies, misinformation, and outright antisemitism spreading on social media that has only incited more violence- both in the middle east and even here in the US and in Europe.

The infographics and headlines being shared have borrowed on antisemitic tropes that have been used for centuries. What’s out there now is no different than the propaganda that Hitler relied on.

It’s beyond heartbreaking to see artists, influencers, and organizations that I otherwise align with fall victim to propaganda from a terrorist organization and to black & white thinking that leaves no room for context or the  complexity of this conflict.

At its core, this conflict is the result of different narratives of different peoples with ancestral, religious and cultural ties to the same land. Saying one narrative is true and the other is false does nothing to lead to peace and coexistence. There has to be room for both.

I had to take a break from my normal activity this week.

Part of me felt hopeless.

Part of me thought- how could I possibly promote my services and business at a time like this?

Then I remembered why I do what I do.

I am an impact coach exactly for these reasons and for times like this. I work with people in the music industry exactly because of this.

We see how dangerous misinformation can spread by people with large audiences. We see how powerful the arts & entertainment industries are for mobilizing movements. 

We need to make sure it’s the movements that actually work towards positive impact and social change. NOT that perpetuate more hate, division and violence.

We need the people who are leading the charge to be in integrity with themselves and their core values, and not get burnt out by all of the hate.

That’s where so much of my work comes in. And that’s why I can’t let hate keep me from it.

Hi there. Allow me to (re)introduce myself.

I’m Civia.

I’m a life & impact coach for mission-driven people in the music industry.

What is a life & impact coach? And what does it have to do with the music industry?

I’m glad you asked 😉

Think of the most elite athletes. They have teams of coaches, personal trainers, physical therapists, nutritionists…. why? Because to compete at their level they know they can’t do it on their own.

They have the raw talent, they have the drive, they have to do the work - but they need someone (or someones) to guide them along the way, to see their blind spots and point out the things they need to work on.

That’s what a life coach does for your mind.

A coach helps you create more awareness, recognize the things that are holding you back and TRANSFORM your already great life into something so much greater.

I believe that we all have a purpose and a significant impact that we’re meant to make in this world. And the impact you make is a direct result of the relationship you have with yourself. It always needs to start there.

I also believe that the arts, and music in particular, have the power to create incredible change in the world.

That’s why I spent 17 years of my career in the music business, helping to nurture talent and get their art out into the world.

So many artists struggle to get their music released, to get it into the hands of the people that NEED to hear it. 

Or maybe they have a good audience and a good following, but they’re struggling to connect their message or grow even bigger.

So many industry professionals (including myself at one time) - managers, agents, publicist, marketers - get so consumed by the work they do for their artists that they lose sight of their own purpose, their own passions, and the impact that they want to make.

This is where coaching can literally change your life. It can help you take your life, your relationships, your career, and your business to the next level and amplify the impact that you make in the world.

It did for me.

And I’m here to help make it happen for you.

If any of this sounds like you…. send me an email to book a free discovery call and make the first step to unleash your impact.

This is Mt. Meron in the upper Galilee region of Israel, close to the city of Safed, one of Judaism’s 4 holy cities and one of my favorite places on earth.

The north of Israel, in general, is one of my favorite places…. lush, green and beautiful with mountains, valleys and streams, where all kinds of people- Jews, Arabs, Christians, Muslims - live in relative peace.

Every year on the 18th of the Hebrew month of Iyar, known as Lag B’Omer, Jews from all over the country and the world gather to celebrate on Mt. Meron, the burial site of the holy 2nd century sage and mystic, R’ Shimon Bar Yochai, who passed away on this day. He wanted the anniversary of his death be a celebration of love, life, and the teachings of the Torah and Kabbalah.

Yesterday’s celebration turned into horror and tragedy when a stampede killed upwards of 45 people.

My heart is aching…

This tragedy hits so close to home. 

And seeing some of the media coverage “subtly” spewing their hatred while reporting this tragedy just hurts even more.

I’ve seen reporting that call the people who were there “settlers” - an outright lie and malicious attempt at maligning the victims of tragedy.

I’ve seen other reports hint at issues in the ultra-orthodox community that have nothing to do with this event, but are again an attempt to malign an already targeted community around the world.

And worse yet, I’ve seen tweets and reports of Jew-haters celebrating the death of so many human beings.

Today, I can just allow the pain and the hurt to co-exist with the celebration and beauty of the meaning of the day, and focus on my own purpose.

I will continue to do all I can to spread light in this world in honor of all of the lives lost.

May their memories be a blessing. 🕯

I have a confession.

I watch a lot of TV 📺 

Not as much as I used to…. but more than I’d like to.

It’s my “go-to” when I just feel like turning my brain off, avoiding thinking or doing things that I’m procrastinating on for one reason or another.

It’s not that I think watching TV is necessarily a bad thing - but when I’m using it to avoid something or overdoing it - I know there’s some work to be done there.

What makes it more problematic is when I watch things that have no real value in my life. Things that end up making me feel shitty about myself, about the state of the world, or about other people.

So, I made a commitment to myself to fill my TV time with things that make me feel good… or that at least don’t make me feel quite so shitty.

Recently, I’ve been watching this Canadian show on Netflix called “Heartland.” 

It’s about a multi-generational family living on a horse ranch.

It’s one of those sweet, feel good shows that always has a lesson. Sometimes it’s cliche and cheesy… but it always hits the spot and makes me feel good.

(It’s also made me fall in love all over again with horses 💕🐎 … they’re just magical, intuitive, beautiful creatures that we can learn so much about ourselves from.)

We all have different things we use to “escape”. For some it’s TV, for others it might be food, alcohol, drugs, video games, social media… you name it. 

It doesn’t mean that thing is inherently bad and you have to cut it out completely from your life… that rarely works. 

But how can you use it with more intention in a way that serves you?

I’m a life and impact coach in the music biz and I KNOW that working to re-frame the things we use as escapes in our lives will help us change the world… and I can help you do that. 

Email me or click the link on the contact page to book a discovery call and find out more.

I spent all weekend and yesterday in bed.

I was knocked out from getting my 2nd vax (Thank Gd!).

While I was lying in bed, feeling awful, I was beating myself up for not being “productive.”

I have a story that I should be able to find a way to be productive even when I’m feeling awful. That people who are really successful and productive don’t let little things like being sick or feeling crappy get in their way.

Problem is, I have a lot of things going on in my body that can make me feel pretty awful sometimes.

I deal with some chronic pain and fatigue.

My body also happens to be highly sensitive… to foods, to medications, to my environment, to a whole host of things. When my body doesn’t like something, it lets me know. 

So guess what? I don’t always feel great.

I used to see this as a weakness. I felt like I couldn’t trust my body and that it didn’t support me in doing the things I want to do.

I used to feel this way about my emotional sensitivity as well. 

I used to think being an empath made me emotionally weak.

Over the years, I started to learn how I could use it to my advantage and learned tools to protect myself along the way.

It became, what I believe to be, one of my greatest strengths.

The same can be true for my body.

I’ve had to learn how to take care of my body, to listen to it, to give it what it needs and to allow myself to REST when I need to. And this allows my body to support me in the best way.

I’ve realized that pushing through the pain doesn't make me more productive in the long run. Adding judgment on top of the physical pain only makes it worse.

Whether you deal with any kind of chronic issues or not, learning to rest and take care of yourself is essential for your productivity and for creating the results you want in your life.

So now, I take care of my body, without judgement (most of the time 😉). 

It’s a radical act of self-love that I know helps me show up as my best self to help change the world.

I’m a life & impact coach and I help mission-driven people in the music industry show up as their best selves to make their impact.

Email me to schedule a free discovery call to learn how I can help YOU take care of YOU.

Growth is a constant process.

There is no point in life when you get to say "ok, I've reached my potential, I'm done growing."

If you're not growing... you're not living.

I love this definition of growth because it is constant change and constant evolution.

It's questioning things you've thought and believed your whole life and re-committing to them or being willing to change them.

And it's not always comfortable or pretty. 

In fact, it rarely is.

But it is ALWAYS worth it.

This has been a big week of growth for me. 

There have been a few situations and conversations that have required me to dig deep, to examine my thoughts and ideas and decide how I wanted to think and feel about them.

And most importantly, I had to be willing to FEEL my way through all of the uncomfortable emotions that came up.

On the other side of all of that is GROWTH. 

With growth comes the power to do incredible things and make impact in the world.

And that feels amazing...

I’m a life and impact coach from the music industry and I work with mission-driven people to help them through their own growth so that they can make the impact they're meant to make in this world.

Book a free discovery call today.

The Jewish people have two memorial days. 

Yom HaZikaron (the day we honor Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror) to remind us the cost of having Israel.

Yom HaShoah (the day we remember the 6 million Jews lost in the Holocaust) to remind us the cost of not.

~~~~

Every year I see this and every year it packs a more powerful punch.

In some of the circles I’m in, Zionism has become a dirty word. It’s equated with white European colonialism and oppression. And it breaks my heart because nothing could be further from the truth. That idea in and of itself is rooted in (perhaps unconscious) antisemitism and hatred that goes back thousands of years.

Israel, like any modern state, is wrought with issues and politics. And as a Zionist and a Jew I can and do criticize problematic policies and want to see change.

But the singling out of the only Jewish state in the world, holding it to standards that no other nation is held to, is rooted in antisemitism.

Here’s what I want people to understand about Zionism and why I’m a proud Jew and a proud Zionist.

(I thank Zioness Movement for some of this language)

✡️ Zionism is the belief in self determination for the Jewish people in our ancestral, indigenous homeland. It is the rebirth of the Jewish homeland giving renewed life, meaning, and substance to the cultures, beliefs, and practices that united the Jewish people in the diaspora during their exile from the land of Israel for thousands of years.

✡️ Zionism is the progressive movement of collective liberation self-determination for one of the world’s most enduring persecuted minority communities, the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland.

✡️ Zionism is the movement for recognition of Jewish peoplehood, as distinct from Judaism as a religion, and the fundamental right of the Jews as a people - irrespective of Jewish religious observance- to collective liberation, sovereignty and self-determination in our indigenous homeland.

✡️ Zionism is a declaration of the Jewish story which revolves around Zion (referring to Mount Zion in Jerusalem). We chant “Next Year in Jerusalem” at all major holidays and life events as we have for thousands of years which unites us in our everlasting longing for and connection to Zion.

The attack on Zionism is an erasure of Jewish peoplehood and flattening of Jewish identity. It is an attempt to deny and invalidate Jewish peoplehood, Jewish (and world) history, Jewish indigeneity to the land of Israel and the intrinsic and inseparable Jewish connection to Zion. It says that Jews are not entitled to collective liberation and should be forces to assimilate in the countries to which they’ve been exiled.

The attack on Zionism is a desire to return the Jews to a state of total systemic powerlessness, vulnerable to the whims of social and political movements that have, throughout history and in every society, exhibited their contempt for Jewish life.

I believe in the right to liberation for every individual and the right to liberation and self-determination for every people, including my own.

That is why I’m a proud Zionist.

That is why I believe in fighting for social justice, equality, inclusion and respect for all people.

That is why I believe there has to be space for co-existence of mutliple narratives and histories.

That is why I’m an impact coach. 

What’s your why?

Send me an email for a free call to learn how I can help you discover it.

When I was growing up, my favorite flowers were the Forsythia bushes that bloomed in the beginning of Spring.

Not just because they’re so beautiful (which they are) but because in my family we called them For-Civia bushes. Whenever they started to bloom, it felt like they were just for me and my whole family would get excited.

To this day, even my nieces and nephews call them For-Civia bushes.

The first year I lived in LA, my mother sent me a branch of a For-Civia bush pressed between wax paper so I wouldn’t miss out on their first bloom. I still have it pinned to my bulletin board above my desk.

These bushes are in my brother’s backyard where I just spent a couple weeks with my family over Passover… my mother insisted on getting this picture before I left.

A little reminder to take with me that there’s always at least a little piece of the Universe that’s just for me.

P.S. I’m an impact coach for artists, music industry professionals, and all mission-driven folks here to help you make your most authentic impact… and discover your unique part of the Universe. If you’re ready for this kind of growth, message me for a free call today.

Yizkor. Remember. Never Forget. Never Again.

All things we say when we talk about the unspeakable horror that killed 6 million of my people, as well as millions more human beings from other marginalized groups.

Yet, often it feels like the world is forgetting. 

Today is Yom HaShoah, the day the Jewish community has set to remember the Holocaust. It is not the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz (which the world commemorates on International Holocaust Remembrance Day).  It falls on the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nissan, the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising- to memorialize Jewish acts of resistance. 

The Jewish community chose this day to remember that we are strong, to remember the heroism, bravery and resilience that has kept us alive and thriving for thousands of years despite constant persecution.

This says so much about what we, as a Jewish people, choose to remember and choose to focus on.

What can we learn?

How can we grow?

How can we make the world better?

How can we make ourselves better?

How can we stand strong and be proud of who we are?

How can we empower others to be proud of who they are?

These are the questions we must always ask ourselves.

It’s why I do what I do.

“You can't change what happened, you can't change what you did or what was done to you. But you can choose how you live now.”
-Dr. Edith Eva Eger - Psychologist, Author, Holocaust Survivor, Jewish Woman

In honor of Women’s History Month I’ve been sharing quotes from some incredible impact-making women and I’m closing out the month with one of my favorites.

Stacey Abrams is a gift that keeps on giving. She came into the spotlight as a candidate for Georgia’s governor, inspiring women and people of color everywhere. Though she lost that election, she never stopped fighting for the causes she believes in. 

She didn’t let that loss set her back.

As a voting rights activist, community organizer, speaker and author, she continues to inspire and engage young activists all over the country.

Whether you like her politics or not, everyone can benefit from taking this to heart.

There will always be setbacks and failures along your way to success. But they never have to set you back.

Each setback and each fail, is only another step you need to take to move forward.

The only thing that can set you back… is what you make those fails mean.

So make them mean something that serves you!

P.S. I’m a life and impact coach for artists, music industry professionals, and all mission-driven peeps helping you take control and make your authentic impact. Book a discovery call today.⁠

As we head into the weekend, Jewish people all over the world will be celebrating the As we head into the weekend, Jewish people all over the world will be celebrating the start of Passover, the Festival of Freedom.

We commemorate and celebrate the emancipation of the Jewish people from our slavery in Egypt and tell the story of our history, our connection to the Land of Israel, and the universal desire for freedom and liberation.

Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Ouziel, the first Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel, said that freedom from oppression is the most fundamental freedom, but it’s only partial. True freedom requires inner cultivation. (Source: American Sephardi Federation)

Today, we continue to fight for our own liberation and for that of so many marginalized peoples. 

So many of us create our own versions of prison by being “slaves” to our surroundings. People from historically marginalized groups suffer even another layer of oppression from society - which often informs the limitations we create for ourselves.

We desire to fit-in, to assimilate, to be accepted by the society we live in.

Growing up in Jewish day school, we were taught that one of the reasons G-d freed us from slavery was because we held on so strongly to our Jewish identity in Egypt- we didn’t change our names, our language, or our beliefs. 

True freedom requires us to STAND OUT. It requires us to embrace our unique identities, from the communities we belong to and from our own individuality. It means to love and accept your beautiful uniqueness and to understand where you come from- your history, your culture, your faith, your language - and how all of that contributes to making you YOU.

The answer to oppression is not to try to diminish or erase your identity and blend in. The answer to oppression is to amplify your identity, amplify your uniqueness, and demand respect, equity, and inclusion BECAUSE of the unique value that you bring to the world.

Freedom is a feeling that begins in our minds.

What thoughts make  you feel most free?

I’m a life and impact coach for artists, music industry professionals, and all mission-driven peeps here to helping you embrace your unique identity, experience true freedom, and make your most authentic impact. Book a discovery call today.⁠

In honor of Women’s History Month I am sharing quotes from some incredible impact-making women.⁠⁠

⁠This quote from poet and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou, is at the core of my coaching.⁠⁠

Events and circumstances in our lives may be out of our control, but we are always in control of what we make them mean and how we let them affect how we feel and show up. ⁠⁠

P.S. I’m a life and impact coach for artists, music industry professionals, and all mission-driven peeps helping you take control and make your authentic impact. Book a discovery call today.⁠

Life is about PROGRESS, not PERFECTION

Perfectionist thinking is one of the biggest obstacles to progress. 

I see so many artists struggle in their careers because they’re holding off on that “right” mix, that “right” vocal take and never actually releasing music. 

I see so many smart, intelligent people who are motivated to making change in the world hold back on speaking their truth because they’re afraid they’re not going to say the “right” thing. So they say nothing and miss out on the opportunity to inspire others and to grow in their own lives.

It’s never going to be the “right” time.

It’s never going to be the “perfect” message.

It’s never going to be the “perfect” mix.

What makes it right and what makes it perfect is that it’s authentic, it comes from your heart and it’s put out into the world.

That’s how you make progress.

That’s how you grow. 

That’s how you get better and better.

Are you making the progress you want to make?

I’m a life and impact coach for artists, music industry professionals, and all mission-driven peeps helping you progress in your life, in your career, in your activism and make your authentic impact in the world.

If you’re ready for the next step forward, email me to book a consult and learn how I can help.