Change Your Thoughts

 

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Meet Megan Davis, Hollywood Actress and Producer

Credit: Actress Megan Davis

Megan, Welcome! Your history traces back to acting from the early age of three years old working on commercials. How were you introduced to such opportunities at a young age? What was the experience like for yourself and your family?

I always wanted to act. I was obsessed with the character of Cosette in Les Miserables and used to clean our own kitchen floors by hand while I sang Castle on a Cloud. My uncle was directing TV commercials at the time and asked if I wanted to be in one, which, of course, I did! And then one led to two...

As an actress and producer, you've studied at the BFA Acting/Musical Theater program at The University of Arizona. Did you host any preconceptions of what you would learn in this program to fulfill your academic and professional goals? What did you learn about self-development from completing this rewarding program? Is there anything you could have done differently?

Not really. To be completely honest, I only went to school instead of going straight to LA because I felt like it was super clear that I could get out of rehab earlier if I stayed in Tucson. And then I just completely fell in love with the BFA program and the professors and the other students and now, of course, I am so grateful that it happened that way because what an exceptional school to have been trained at. The producing kind of happened by accident. Scott Stuber, who is now the head of film at Netflix, was a University of Arizona graduate and I asked if I could intern with him over the summer of my senior year to learn the other side of film-making. He was awesome. In terms of self-development, I would say I have learned more about that here in LA, because when I was in school, there was still a projected course of action to follow which makes everything so much easier. Once there is no piece of paper telling you what to do next, then you really learn a lot about yourself. And he was kind enough to not only let me, but to teach me so much. There are always things you can do differently or "better" in hindsight, but I wouldn't change a thing.

You've also studied at Second City, an improvisational comedy enterprise based out of Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and Los Angeles.

What are a few prerequisites (qualities or skill sets) that can benefit actors in performing improvisational comedy?

Was there any aspect of this craft that you found challenging yet mastered over time?

What professional advice can you offer to candidates seeking an opportunity to study at Second City?

What was your greatest achievement during your time invested at Second City?

Is there any comedian you admire? 

The best thing you can take in with you when studying comedy is to completely lose the word "no" from your mental vocabulary. Sometimes the things that feel the most ludicrous in the moment work the best, and you will never know if you close yourself off. Also, comedy is a group sport, especially improv, so you want to keep an attitude of always being open so you can build with the other person. There is hopefully a true place of communion you can get to in comedy in the same way you can get to in drama. Well, I found it very challenging at first. In fact, the reason that I went in the first place was because comedy scared the shit out of me and I thought well I better throw myself into the hardest and best comedy I know of then and get over it. And then I found out I was actually really good at it. Improv isn't really my jam in the sense that I don't enjoy it as much as scripted comedy but improv is so important to all aspects of acting. So many shows and plays I have done - the best moments came out of improv, and therefore out of all of the artists on set behind the camera and in front of the camera having that attitude of not shutting off to their preconceived notions - of being open to let the muse come to them. I love Kate McKinnon. I could just watch her all day. Her timing is impeccable. 

Megan, as a professional actress, you stress the importance of physical dexterity and athleticism in your craft.

As an equestrian that can also sing, play the piano and dance, are there any new physical challenges that you're entertaining?

How can novice actors develop different forms of dexterity to grant them a competitive advantage in their acting roles?

Have you played a body double for another actor due to your wide range of athleticism and range?

Are there any action roles that you've opted to perform yourself instead of delegating it to a body double?

Hmm, I think for me it is more just about overall wellness and keeping up with your training in every area. Just like I think actors should always be in class (I'm actually answering these while my Shakespeare class is on break) I also think you should always be training your body. Your body is obviously a huge part of your craft and I think it should always be in a state of readiness to transform or of feeling at your best, whatever that means for you individually. Also, I do think that the more you can learn, the more you can experience, the more you have to work from. I am a bit of a thrill seeker so I enjoy sky-diving and bungee jumping and cliff jumping. I enjoy training in hand to hand combat and broadsword and rapier/dagger. I think your body is such a huge part of acting that any movement you can study is wonderful. Any art form you can study that contributes to the mind and body being as in sync as possible. I have not but I have had multiple people play my body double. I would almost always prefer to do it myself, but sometimes the production just isn't comfortable allowing you to do the stunts.

Your work references Katharine Hepburn as a form of inspiration. What was it about Ms. Hepburn that influenced you in how you approach and represent the art of acting?

I don't know that my admiration for her is even just about her acting, but really who she is as a person. She is unapologetically herself. She is just such an inspiring human being. She always found a way to make it happen even when people were telling her no. I fell in love with her when I saw this movie Love Affair, which was essentially a re-make of An Affair to Remember. I think that was the first role I ever saw her in. And I remember thinking she was so strong and so vulnerable somehow at the same time.

Among a few entertainment genres, your work also includes drama and comedy. Did you find one genre more difficult to connect with than the other? Are there any common threads among those two styles of storytelling that audiences overlook?

Oh, I think they are so similar. Underneath both of them is the most important thing in storytelling - truth. Comedy is funny because it's grounded in truth. Drama is compelling because it's rooted in truth. They are just different ways of approaching the truth - they appeal to our different senses and defense mechanisms as human beings. I don't think I find one harder than the other - there are definitely huge traps in both - but both are so incredible.

Credit: IMDB

Some of your works include the American Horror Story, Bones, 2 Broke Girls and For Nothing. What have you learned about receiving direction from Directors and improvising at your discretion?

Well, this is a tricky question. I always believe in being open to improv. But there are times when it wouldn't be appropriate for the character or the moment. But I think in all of those projects you listed that we were all very open to collaboration and improv. In Bones, the director and I decided to do something in that scene and not tell David Boreanez that we were going to do it so that they could just catch his reaction when the cameras were rolling. In American Horror Story, Sarah Paulson asked if we could just play in the scene at one part, which, of course, I loved. To get to work with excellent actors and get to play in the moment with them, that's it. That's the best. 

You've also produced projects such as American Street Kid (2018) and Famous (2019). What was your experience working on American Street Kid which focuses on the youth homelessness epidemic? Were there any new professional epiphanies acquired behind the scenes while working on this project?

Obviously this was incredibly rewarding and challenging. I felt so very grateful to get to be a small part of telling that story. Those kids are so courageous and so strong. And it is an issue that we don't talk about, in my opinion, enough in this country. There is no reason that we have children living on the street. And one of the things that I think the director did so beautifully was address the common misconceptions that people have about why these children ended up living on the street.   

Credit: Famous

Famous was a story that challenged the protagonist to learn the price of fame.

From your personal experiences, how do you define fame? Do you believe fame comes at a price?

...ooo fame is hard to define. There's different levels, there are different ways in which someone can be famous or renowned. That specific project was loosely based on the stories of Corey Feldman and Corey Haim and River Phoenix. And it wasn't just about fame, it was also about children being taken advantage of by the mechanism of fame all those that stood to benefit from their fame. And I think we have seen so many examples of that in every part of life, sadly. I think of course it comes with a price, and in a weird way, I think we are seeing a piece of that from the phenomenon that is social media and the way it has affected and continues to affect people. We are all starting to see how detrimental it can be to live publicly and to have anyone be able to comment anything they want on anything you do or say. It's a dangerous place mentally. And I am hopeful it will lead to a wider conversation about self-worth.      

Megan, you were also nominated for the Best Actress Award by the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival for portraying the prescription-pill addict in Adverse Effects. How did you prepare to play the role of Samantha?

Well, in this specific circumstance I have had a lot of experience with addiction and how devastating it can be. I was really lucky to have Spencer as a director on this and to have Aaron on set with me, because they both allowed me to go through being crazy and being broken and all of the things I went through with her while we were filming. 

How do you know you're satisfied with your performance?  Is there a certain validation you receive from the outside world, or is there an inner knowing you've done justice to the role you're trusted to honor?

Oh man, I am never satisfied with my performance. I always think that there is more that can be found, more that can be explored, more that can be done, I think outside validation is always great and anyone who says it isn't is totally lying, but I think most artists really crave that internal feeling when they hit that sweet spot of the truth and know it, even if only for 30 seconds. I could ride that high the rest of my life. I think something that I always love is when someone tells me that they saw themselves in the role, because it then feels like you've at least touched the truth. When Corey Feldman first saw Famous he said that I was exactly like an ex-girlfriend of his at that time, which I loved because it meant that someone who lived that story recognized the work I had done as true to the story. I liked that.

Your latest project is The Christmas Family Reunion projected for a 2021 holiday release. What was the experience like working with the cast and what can audiences expect from this project? 

This was a weird one because it was my first time working with all of the new COVID protocols. So there were a lot of things that had to be done or not done in order to ensure that everyone was safe. I think the most notable to me was that it meant less time hanging out together before and between filming - which I love that time because, for me, it helps me to experience a certain level of comfortability. But Jake Helgren is an excellent director and he is so fun so he really helped us through all of that and still created a fun and safe environment. This is the second film I have done with Ninth House and both Jake Helgren and Autumn Federici are incredible and I felt very safe throughout the whole process. And with all of their projects, I think the audience can expect an excellent holiday film. I honestly felt so lucky to be working with them after they had just done "Dashing in December" - an important holiday film that told the story of two men falling in love in such a beautiful way. I found myself thinking while I was watching it, "Why haven't I seen this story before?" And so to be working with a company and with artists that are on the forefront of telling new stories -  that is such an honor. 

Are there any shows that you love watching in reruns or those that are in active production?

I am so ridiculous about this, I watch so many shows and movies over and over and over again. I've probably seen Friends all the way through maybe 20 times. I've watched the series Playing Shakespeare at least 5 times. Once something inspires you, I think you crave that feeling over and over. But, I have to remind myself to stop looking for feelings I have felt before and allow myself to experience new things that might have similar or even greater results.   

Is there a book that you're reading at the moment? Is there a book that you recommend to audiences?

As I look at the ground next to my bed, there are four books I am reading now, which is weird because I normally only read one at a time. I am re-reading Glennon Doyle's "Untamed" which my friend Brooke recommended and it is so excellent. My mom and I are both reading it and then talking about it together. So much respect for Gelnnon Doyle. I am also super into self development and spiritual books. Just speaking to my own profession, I think you have to always be growing and learning and working on yourself and the more you grow and learn as a person the more you learn and grow in terms of your characters. And, who doesn't want to be better every day? I am also reading The Sociopath Next Door and A Visit From the Goon Squad and The Worthy Project. I am super into audio books too. I love to drive around at night - when everything is quiet and still in LA - and put on a good audio book and gaze at the lights.   

Megan, please share how audiences can support your work.

Well, it would be great if they want to watch it and like it! You can go to IMDB and find anything I have worked on.  Also find me on Instagram @meggydavis and I will usually post about projects. 

Credit: Megan Davis, Actress and Producer

Social Innovation Connects Humanity

 Featured Guests Authors & Entrepreneurs Alexis and Justin Black

Credit: Redefining Normal

Meet Alexis and Justin Black, both are foster care alumni, recent graduates, serial entrepreneurs, and authors. Each of their businesses are for social impact and they are working to help others heal from their pasts to build a life worth living. They recently published a book called Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat The Odds and Discovered Healing, Happiness and Love that was named a #1 Amazon bestseller in three categories. In this, they reference their personal stories to share how they've overcome and how others can too. They discuss topics from overcoming, building a healthy marriage from little to no examples, their time in foster care, being entrepreneurs, and living their best life. Visit Redefining Normal to learn more.

Everyone Communicates Few Connect

#BookReads

#communication #society #goals #connection #understanding

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Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently

By John C. Maxwell

About the Author

John C. Maxwell is an internationally respected leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold more than 19 million books. He is the founder of EQUIP, a non-profit organization that has trained more than five million leaders in 126 countries. Read his blog at JohnMaxwellOnLeadership.com. Credit: mp3 Edition

#ComingSoon Meet Authors Alexis & Justin Black

 

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Both Alexis and Justin are proud foster care alumni as well as recent graduates, authors, and business owners. Together, they've created ROSE (Rising Over Societal Expectations) Empowerment Group, a company structured to close the information gap for young adults as well as The Scholarship Expert where they support students to graduate debt-free while obtaining the skills needed to be successful. Now, they are releasing Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat The Odds and Discovered Healing, Happiness and Love to share their story of how they've had to redefine what love and healthy relationships look like. (Credit: Excerpt, Re-Defining Normal ; Amazon)

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Julie Coraccio Explores Your Clutter

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Julie Coraccio is an award-winning professional life organizer, author, and certified life coach. Since 2009 she has supported thousands of people in clearing their clutter. She hosts the popular self-help podcast, Clear Your Clutter Inside & Out. She is the author of multiple books that assist individuals in developing better relationships with themselves and their personal space. 

A native West Virginian, she is passionate about supporting people in clearing clutter in all areas of their lives, end of life planning, and learning how to be more mindful and aware so they can create the life they choose, deserve and desire. Julie is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College. She enjoys hiking, cooking and baking, alternative medicine and healing, supporting environmental and animal causes, and enjoying her woman cave--a bubble bath. (Credit: Julie Coraccio)

#Foodies Storytelling Through Photography

Chef Keith Hoffert provides a wonderful preview of upcoming cuisines.

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Support Chef Hoffert and his projects below.

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 Keith Hoffert | Facebook | Instagram FoodieLife | Instagram Pensacola Business

Foodie Life YT | You Say Tomato YT | Business Radio X YT | Grub On TV YT | EightFifty: Media

#Kreatives Peace of Mind Starts Here

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New Kreatives Share Their Stories

 Business | Life | Sports | Media | Lifestyle | Arts | Speakers

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#Books "Hunt, Gather, Parent"

 "Hunt, Gather, Parent" by Michaeleen Doucleff

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International Women's Day

 Celebrating Women Worldwide from All Walks of Life 

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Heaven in Business Series

Author Spotlight

Andy Mason comes from New Zealand and has 15+ years of experience helping individuals and organizations discover and align with purpose, then develop practical steps to make dreams a reality. He has worked for a national consultancy firm and a leading financial institution and has invested in international community development. Andy is the founder and director of Heaven in Business, a movement to connect and catalyze believers in the marketplace to partner with God in their realm of influence. This has led to the development of curriculum in Bethel's School of Supernatural Ministry, workshops and conferences, an online learning platform, and a growing community of men and women in the marketplace who are distinguished from their colleagues by the tangible Presence of God. Andy is the author of Finding Hope in Crazy Times and God With You at Work, available in multiple formats. Together with his wife, Janine, Andy also leads Dream Culture, catalyzing people to discover and live their dreams. (Credit: Andy Mason, Excerpt from Amazon Author)

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Empowering Female Creators

Empowering Women Everyday in Every Way Possible

Credit: Danielle Chiel

The Artisan Nation exists to empower female creators from developing nations. Since you attended an all-girls school in your youth; as well as your mother worked as a pharmacist, what did you learn about female empowerment while growing up?

I learnt that women could do anything. I learnt that if you wanted to know something, go and find the answer.  This was role modeled by all those around me. I was constantly asked questions such as: what is it that you would like? What is stopping you? Why aren’t you doing anything about it? Who is it that you need to ask? Speaking up is in my DNA. My mother was a pioneer in her own right in so many ways.  

What realities do you believe are overlooked within developing nations pertaining to the female population? How did India result being the main focal point for your entrepreneurial endeavors?

If women in rural Indian villages don't comply with something that someone else tells them to do, especially a man, they often face detrimental physical consequences that can leave them with lifelong psychological conditions. They could be beaten or hit, screamed at, and many times this could be amplified even more if they have a father or patriarchal figure in their life who abuses substances such as alcohol, as well. With my endeavors being focused on these women, you know, when they come to work with us it can be the first time that they've ever been taught - not told - what or how to think. Doing so helps them foster and nurture their identity outside of what the forces around them growing up told them it was. They are more than just their family or their job or their upbringing. These aspects of recognizing your identity are common in people in the Western world, but these women in rural villages and developing countries don't often have that balance. So it's my mission to ensure that these women don't stay invisible, to ensure that they have a voice, and to ensure that people know about them.

How can developed nations do a better job contributing their resources and talents to nurture the mental, emotional and physical well-being of these women as valuable members of society? 

Well, the first thing we can do is acknowledge that these people are valued members of society. Their role is not just to be subservient; their role is to contribute to the betterment of the world, the same as it is your role and mine. In order for the developed world to contribute to that role, we can support businesses that employ and offer products made by women in these under served areas. We can also ensure that these ladies are offered full-time employment so that when they come to work, we know that they are compensated well enough to send their children to school and to nurture their own emotional and physical well being, which trickles down to their children and family to offer them opportunities these women may not have had in their youth. We can also offer programs where anybody from the West can meet these women and talk to them about their lives so that we can connect with them and show the world that they're real people with real value. If developed nations don't want to have hands-on emotional or physical support for these ladies, they can still offer their support through avenues like fundraising donations.

Women are educated and guided to take better care of themselves through The Artisan Nation as they become self-sufficient working professionals. This includes the engagement of dietitians, psychologists, physical movement leaders, and advisors that provide financial literacy. 

What was the biggest challenge for your team when executing this specific business plan in the field? 

The biggest challenge really was knowing where to stop. Many of these women have never been given regular work. If they've eaten a predominantly rice-based diet for all their lives, which most of them have, they can come to us malnourished. Those of us in the West know that if we're lacking in vitamin B, vitamin C, or magnesium, that has consequences on how we feel physically and mentally, and can impact our output. If you could imagine some of these ladies feeling this way all the time, they don't know that they’re missing out on a healthy and balanced lifestyle, so it was simply a brainstorming session with a group of people around our table to work out how we could most support these ladies, more than just financially. So, in order to lead a very fulfilling life, we just made a whole list of everything that humans need to flourish like love and a non-toxic support system. They need a roof over their head. They need regular meals and a balanced diet, so the biggest challenge here was actually working out how to connect the separate professionals who can provide all these needs with these women. That's why the Artisan Nation was born because, in reality, we act as a bridge to connect skilled professionals with women living in developing countries.

How do these Indian women transition from being compliant, subservient women into self-thinking respectable beings in society? Do they face any hesitation in embracing these valuable discoveries through learning about self-worth and self-love?

Most of these women absolutely face hesitation in embracing self-worth and self-love, because they were never able to embrace those values in their daily lives. They are told since childhood that whatever they say or do or think is of little value compared to what the men around them think, say, and do. Breaking that cycle of what these women perceive as “normal” is difficult and should never be done alone. That’s part of why Artisan Nation strives to connect these women with the skilled professionals who can help them unlearn their old mentality, instill newer and healthier values of self-worth and self-love, and help them understand those values are not only good to have, but they need to have them in order to live fulfilling lives and help others around them.

Presently there are two villages participating in The Artisan Nation program. What variables were used to determine which villages would initially participate in the program? How do you forecast the future participation of additional villages joining this worthy cause over the span between now and mid-2022? 

We don't discriminate between any of the villages that engage in the program. It's simply a matter of finding people in developing countries to support them. The more people in developing countries we can support, then the more villages come across our board. The only probable variable in determining which initial villages we wanted to participate with was the location because it's really hard to support one village in the north of India and one village down in the South of India with the same programs at the same time with the size we are now. We're starting by supporting all the villages within one geographical area, because that way the professionals we work with to help the women in our program, such as dietitians, can travel from one village to another close by instead of having to travel all over India.

What are some entrepreneurial challenges you faced when setting up KOCO's presence in the first 90 days in India? Were there any new challenges you embraced when implementing the mission of The Artisan Nation during the Covid pandemic? 

Implementing the Artisan Nation was a no-brainer because I knew these women needed help. Having the artisan nation as a bridge to link the skilled professionals and corporations with these women was the easy part. As far as challenges go, it's finding the right corporations and the people within them who believe that giving these women a voice is an important part of their company’s core values, but even properly communicating to corporations the many ways they can help us can be challenging. 

The biggest challenge is to actually find any size company, whether they have 10 staff, or 1000 staff to come on board and take an interest. They just need to actually contact us to find out more about what's going on, even without a commitment up-front. Getting involved is how businesses begin to impact the future, and most customers today are becoming more conscious about whether or not the people and companies they do business with care about other people, even people and communities they aren’t directly involved with. I’m sure there are millions and millions of women around the world that would resonate with our mission and support us within the blink of an eye; all we need to do is find them, to find those people who believe in our mission as being worthwhile. I believe if more people and companies have beliefs similar to ours and truly want to connect with women in these developing countries, the world would be a much more colorful, interesting, and grounded place as a result.

The Covid pandemic disfranchised about 16 million workers within the fashion industry in India. On a global level, what are a few realities about the fashion industry that are misunderstood regardless of the economic climate? 

The fashion industry has the potential to have a significant influence on women and specifically on women in developing countries.  Most of these women are highly skilled and earn their living using their hands.  Artisan products are highly valued and these women have a very strong drive to send their children to school (an opportunity that they themselves didn’t have). I have a very strong background in connecting with others, especially women from developing countries and areas, and helping them to achieve their goals. I believe that, if the fashion industry got behind women from under served and developing areas having a voice and helping them to achieve their goals, even something as simple as a woman being able to send her children to a safe school in order to obtain a proper education, the fashion industry would have the potential to change the world enormously.

The fashion industry, regardless of economics, still has a lot of catching up to do as far as sustainability and human rights. It’s doing better than it was even 5 or 10 years ago, but improvements can still be made for the good of the industry, employees, and customers. I wouldn’t say the barriers to entry for entrepreneurs in India or anywhere else are necessarily high, but climbing over or breaking through those barriers still takes a lot of work, especially for women entrepreneurs in traditionally patriarchal communities. It’s not something anyone should take lightly, but they can be overcome through dedication and passion towards a mission greater than yourself..

Danielle, you uplift and inspire women around the world, who are the women whose wisdom has contributed to your strength?

The women that I work with are my greatest role model. They are resilient, highly intelligent and it is an equal two-way exchange of skills.  

Working in the field and partnering with different personalities demands time and energy. How do you nurture your self-care and emotional growth when not actively working on KOCO and The Artisan Nation?

Besides supporting the women that I work with I swim and make artisan chocolates.  Both enable me to totally switch off.  I also have 2 grown sons that I love to cook for. 

What is the best entrepreneurial advice you've received from another female entrepreneur? 

It’s from Emma Isaacs who runs a large women’s networking group here in Australia. It was, “always say yes and work out how later”.  If my memory serves me correctly, she got this from Richard Branson.

When in doubt, who or what do you turn to that allows you to melt these doubts away?

I have always had mentors around me, so I either turn to my sons, my mentor or the swimming pool. 

You're also an author. Danielle, do you have any favorite books that you enjoy reading? 

The most recent book I read was Powered by Change by Jonathan McDonald.  It has a subtitle of, How to design your business for perpetual success.  I’d highly recommend it. It’s a fantastic basis for thinking and structure.

If you were to reincarnate and return to earth a 100 years later, what changes would you like to see in society?

That all women are empowered and independent and the relationship between people are of mutual respect. 

Please share with audiences how they can support your work.

Learn how the inception of KOCO & The Artisan Nation is driving positive change in India through empowerment of women.

"You Are Worthy" - Brad Yates

Life and EFT Insights by Brad Yates

Credit: Brad Yates

Brad, Welcome to Kreative Circle! At what point in your life were you introduced to Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)? What were your initial thoughts of EFT?

After moving to Northern California in 2000, having shifted from a career in acting to a practice as a clinical hypnotherapist, I was introduced to the field of Energy Psychology, and was encouraged to attend a conference where I could learn EFT from it’s founder, Gary Craig. While many people are put off at first by the, shall we say, strangeness of tapping on one’s face, it wasn’t that weird for me, given that I had attended Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. I found it interesting. When we tapped on chocolate cravings, and my desire for a piece of chocolate went from an 8 out of 10 to a zero in a matter of minutes, I knew there was something to this technique.

Is there such a thing as emotional freedom since humans are constantly swimming within their emotions?

I suppose that the most practiced Zen master might approach a level of total emotional freedom, but the rest of us are on a spectrum from total freedom to no freedom at all. It is certainly possible to move up that scale to greater levels of freedom than most people experience. Emotional freedom is the freedom to make better choices, so the more we are able to break free from the control emotions may have had over us in the past, the more we can improve our lives.

You're an EFT professional whose career history anchors back to acting. What acting skills have transferred into your EFT career?

Where I’ve had my greatest success is with my videos on YouTube. My time as an actor definitely prepared me for this platform, as I’m very comfortable performing in front of the camera. My years of stage performing also made it much easier to present in front of a live audience. People find this work much more accessible when it is entertaining.

What are the top three reasons why people seek EFT healing services? 

There’s an expression in EFT: “Try it on everything!” People around the world are using EFT to facilitate change in numerous areas of life – personal, professional, financial, physical. Based on which of my videos are getting the most views, the number one issue that people turn to EFT for is anxiety. The next would be other emotional pain, such as dealing with a break-up or other upsetting circumstances. The other subject that is always somewhere at the top of the list is clearing the blocks to having more money, and greater success in general. At its most basic, tapping reduces stress, which either causes or at least worsens most if not all of the issues that trouble us. Tapping through the stress allows us to feel better, which allows us to do better, which allows us to live better.

Brad, often in your videos you touch upon the words 'resistance', 'healing', and 'acceptance'. How do you define these words?

Resistance – Resistance is that force that stops us from making the positive choices and taking the positive actions that we know would lead to the circumstances we desire. It’s self-sabotage, but it comes from a loving intention to protect us from something we have been led to believe would be harmful to us in some way, even though that may seem illogical. This programming is most often based on misunderstandings – ours or someone else’s – but the longer we’ve bought into it, the stronger the resistance is likely to be. For example, if we’ve been taught that “money is the root of all evil,” our subconscious mind will resist opportunities to make more money, because it is protecting us from being evil. We will sabotage possible relationships if we’ve learned that people tend to hurt us, and we understandably want to resist that.

Healing – This is the process of letting go what no longer serves us so that we experience greater freedom and well-being, physically as well as emotionally. It is a return to who we really are – this unique expression of light and love.

Acceptance – Many people find acceptance a challenging concept, because we often mistake it for approval. Acceptance isn’t saying that things which cause us pain in our life are okay. But rather an acknowledgment that they are there. Too often we fight the idea of what is there, which makes it difficult if not impossible to resolve issues. If your dog poops on your carpet, you need to accept the truth that it is there in order to clean it up.

How has EFT nurtured your self-development? What aspect of your emotional & physical growth has EFT had a monumental effect?

Even though I was an actor, and it seems illogical, I believe I had a big fear of being seen – at least at a certain level. So I stopped myself from doing things that could have led to greater success, because that felt dangerous. I wasn’t consciously aware of this fear – I was sure I wanted to be wildly successful. But my actions – or more often lack of action – would contradict that. As I’ve tapped over the years, I’ve cleared away more and more of this fear, and allowed myself greater levels of success. I’ve also become much more comfortable in my skin, and experience much more self-love, which allows me to be more loving towards others.

What inspires you to create EFT scripts to nurture your YouTube channel that hosts at least 172,000 subscribers?

I get my inspiration from all kinds of places. Sometimes it’s from hearing what people are going through. Sometimes it’s from listening to a podcast, reading a book or hearing an inspirational presentation, and having the thought, “That concept would make a great tapping round! People could benefit from this idea, and tapping will help them have the freedom to hear it more profoundly!” And a lot of my videos come from things I know I could benefit from tapping on.

While EFT is inspired by Chinese therapies, can EFT modalities be applied on pets?

There are a number of practitioners who actually specialize in working with pets. It can be a little trickier doing the tapping on animals – and many do it in a surrogate way. But there are plenty of people who swear by energy work with their pets.

Healing is a unique process for each individual. What is the common time frame for people to start experiencing shifts in their reality?

While big shifts can often occur quickly with EFT, it is hard to predict specific outcomes. It would be like asking what is the common time frame for people to reach their goal weight. It depends on a number of factors, including where they are starting from. But we generally see at least some reduction in distress pretty quickly with tapping – a certain amount of relaxation that happens after even a short round.

What is the most valuable lesson EFT has taught you in your life?

I’ve learned how amazing people are. I’ve always loved the work of Michelangelo – especially the David. Michelangelo said that the statues were already there, perfectly whole and complete, and he just needed to chip away what didn’t belong in order to reveal the masterpiece inside. I’ve found that’s the case with humans – and we are just tapping away what no longer belongs.

You're also an author who has written The Wizard's Wish and The Key to Success. What inspired you to write The Wizard's Wish?

When I was being filmed for the documentary “The Tapping Solution,” the conversation turned to children, and I spoke of how there’s greatness in each child, and if we could use EFT with them to clear misunderstandings and upsets early on they would have greater freedom to live better lives. Nearly all of the blocks my clients are facing stem from some childhood incident. So I wanted to find a fun storybook way to introduce EFT to kids. A friend had called me “the EFT Wizard,” and I love wizard things – I have a collection of Harry Potter wands. It seemed a perfect way to share this idea with kids and the adults who love them.

Brad, when you're not educating and healing other people, how do you entertain and nourish your inner child?

Actually, tapping with people is what most nourishes me, and it’s where I have the most fun. But I also love movies, traveling, and playing the saxophone. (Not well, mind you, but well enough to garner some enjoyment from it.)

What life curiosity are you trying to decipher in the recent years? Is there anything that keeps you up at night?

How to make a tapping video go viral…! I know how amazingly valuable this work can be, but there’s still a lot of resistance to it out there. I’m always hoping I’ll be struck with an idea that will make this work even more accessible, such that it spreads like wildfire.

Please share with audiences where they can support your work.

The best place to start is at www.tapwithbrad.com. There they will find more information about EFT/Tapping as well as links to the various resources I have to offer.

Spirituality & Benefits of Theta Healing

 Meet Chelsea Henderson, Entrepreneur and Theta Healing Practitioner

Credit: Chelsea Henderson

When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up at he age of five, Chelsea’s response was “A Healer”. Since childhood she was an Empath and highly intuitive. Always picking up on the energy and emotions of others was simply a lot of stimuli, and overwhelming at times. As she grew into her teenage years she realized this was not a curse, but a gift. She then learned to use these gifts to motivate, empower, emotionally heal, and intuitively offer words and advice that would provide solutions to other’s problems in life. After studying psychology, pre-med, and realizing neither fields were what she aligned with at the core of her being she began a normal corporate job. It wasn’t until she realized it was not the effort, education, intellectual abilities, or any of that alone bringing her the results she wanted. It was a state of being that she was tapped into at all times, sometimes referred to as the state of “Flow”. After much research on everything from science to spirituality to behaviors and qualities of “The Greats” in history, she discovered a multitude of healing modalities. Now Chelsea practices these techniques to heal, enhance performance in, and mentor other. Chelsea lives with the mission of raising human consciousness and expanding awareness of the true human potential that lives within us all. Credit: Chelsea Henderson's Site

Meet Chelsea Henderson, Healing Practitioner

Credit: Chelsea Henderson

Welcome Chelsea! As a spiritual entrepreneur, how were you initially introduced to spirituality and what role does it play in your life?

I wouldn’t say I was even “spiritual” when introduced to spirituality. I was  too young to understand the concept. I’ve been an Intuitive and Empath  since I was about 5 years-old, and was very energetically sensitive. I picked  up on the energies of those around me in an almost debilitating way. As a  child I was a mute; wouldn’t speak a word to anyone but my mother and  father. My siblings, extended family, school teachers, etc. couldn’t pay me  to speak. Always picking up on the energy and emotions of others was a lot of stimuli, and just overwhelmed me. Crowded places like grocery stores and shopping malls made for a rough trip. It was before I was able to discern between my own emotions and vibrational frequency to what I was picking up on from others. it’d just come in as one heaping pile of discordant information. Since our energy fields are etheric in nature, I think these experiences were my introduction to spirituality and the higher realms we express ourselves in non physically.

Spirituality now plays an integral role in my life, my work, and how I co-create my human experience. As an intuitive healer, life coach, spiritual teacher, and Channeler, my work can’t be done without this collaborative, co-creative effort between spirit and our 3D physical reality. The higher vibrational frequencies of the realms giving me the information must be tapped into from where I stand physically focused into form. It’s all co-creative. 

How would you describe spirituality to someone who perceives it to be a foreign concept?

**We would ask them what their definition of “foreign” is. If they agreed with the general concept that something “foreign” is of an unfamiliar form, different of one’s own- we would say spirituality can never be a foreign concept. It has never been. The essence of who you are, at the core of your being, after every part of your physical structure is stripped away is spirit. Thought forms don’t need a physical structure to exist, that’s just how they enter our physical brain from a universal conscious network. Thoughts are then spiritual. Pure Unconditional love is not only the strongest unifying force on the planet, it’s the frequency of the creator of all that is. God is literally love, both of which are spiritual in nature. Anything that exists but is non physically focused is considered spirituality. Quantum physics, metaphysics, energy, consciousness- it’s all spirituality. **

** = Spiritually channeled response hence the 'we' pronoun referencing Spirit.

​

Chelsea, your work focuses on Theta Healing. What is theta healing and how does it differ from other healing modalities that encompass energy and distance?

The ThetaHealing® technique is a meditation technique and spiritual philosophy – not specific to one religion but accepting them all – with the purpose of getting closer to the Creator. It is a training method for your mind, body, and spirit that allows you to clear limiting beliefs and live life with positive thoughts, developing virtues in all that we do. Through meditation and prayer, the ThetaHealing® Technique creates a positive lifestyle.

The ThetaHealing® technique is always taught to be used in conjunction with conventional medicine. It teaches how to put to use one’s own natural intuition, relying upon unconditional love of the Creator Of All That Is to do the actual “work.” We believe by changing your brain wave cycle to include the “Theta” state, you can actually watch the Creator Of All That Is create instantaneous physical and emotional well-being. We have learned that through the ThetaHealing® Technique intuitive abilities can be used to bring about spontaneous physical and emotional well-being.

I was attracted to Thetahealing® because the modality combines energy healing, intuitive medicine, and science into one practice. At age 5 I knew I wanted to be a healer and I had to take a lot of wrong paths before finding out what being a healer meant for me. I studied pre-med, but it was too spiritually restricting. I studied psychology which felt better, but still wasn’t the best form of expression for my intuitive abilities. When I found Thetahealing® I felt like I found somewhere I could fit. It was a happy marriage between science and spirituality, which makes for a very effective holistic method of healing. Thus it was the first modality I became certified to practice. Over time it has opened me up to abilities and gifts I never knew I had, and do things I never thought to be humanly possible. 

What forms of healing have been effective in your personal and spiritual growth?

Belief work. Sometimes the only thing holding us back from healing or living the life of our dreams are our negative and limiting beliefs. It’s the old programs we’ve been running, some since childhood, that are no longer serving us to hold onto. If you hold on long enough they will manifest as physical illnesses as well. Clearing limited beliefs, old programs, and patterns was the hardest part for me but the most beneficial. It’s something I practice on myself and my clients in healing sessions. 

If you had a magic wand, what would you like to change (or improve) pertaining the modes of healing that exist within the earth realm?

**If we had a magic wand and could change anything right here right now, we would get rid of old broken systems and create new conscious systems. I.e. educational systems, entertainment and music industries, financial and political systems, institutions etc. We would wave the wand and transform everyone working in these systems into heart centered and conscious beings, serving the highest good of everyone involved in and affected by their actions. 

You didn’t say how many changes, so we would also transform earth and those who inhabit into a symbiotic species and planet. It would be a planet of beings denoting a mutually beneficial relationship between different people, groups, systems and species’ throughout all levels of existence on earth. Thus throughout all levels of existence universally, because as you ascend so does the rest of existence. Ideally everyone would work together to ensure survival, well being, and further evolution on a collective level. There’s no I in team. The more people wake up from the illusion of separation, realizing that we are all connected as one, they will come to realize that this is the key to ensuring their survival, their neighbors, and the world’s.**

** = Spiritually channeled response hence the 'we' pronoun referencing Spirit.

As a healing practitioner and life coach, what have you learned about human beings and their quest for goal actualization? Are there any common themes present among the clients you serve?

Goals…… I’ve never been a fan of them. The common theme present when I’d use systems to track where me or my clients were in relationship to our goals, was that we all left feeling like failures when we didn’t achieve them. I practice the same methods I give my clients so I’ve experienced the repeated feeling of defeat and unworthiness as well. I don’t care how outrageous/unrealistic the goals may have been. Walking away having not achieved them just re-enforced the feeling and re-ran the program that we weren’t good enough. So we stopped working on goals and started working on Alchemy. 

As a Pisces and someone that's studied psychology, metaphysics, mysticism and the like in depth, I’m a combination of a “magician” energy as known by tarot, and a master manifester. I love it, and it’s what I enjoy doing in my own life and teaching to others. I teach (what I think is) a simple method to create something from nothing instead of chasing and reaching from a state of misalignment from where you prefer to be. The first thing I think when I hear “goal” is the fact that I haven’t reached where I’m trying to go. You can’t get there from a state of lack or limitation, which is where you always start when you set a goal. 

Chelsea, you also host workshops where you channel messages. Can you please share how channeling works? Are there any messages you've received that have surprised you during these live experiences?

Channeling kind of works like a radio. My guides will broadcast information on a certain “radio station” and my brain works as the receiver. So when I tune my brainwave state and vibrational frequency to theirs and they tune their frequency to mine- a moment happens where we meet in the middle and link. My brain, the receiver, can then receive the information they’re sending out in the form of downloads. The downloads go through the language center of my brain and convert the information into our human language, in the way that’s best representative of the concepts. That’s how my guides have explained it to me. 

I can choose my active level of involvement in the process. If I want to completely take the back seat and let them drive, I can. I don’t have to actively listen to what they’re saying. My consciousness could be in a far away corner taking a nap, and when I come back the interaction is over. On the other end I could be fully involved, listen, participate and speak on behalf of my guides. I just want everyone to clearly understand my level of free will, because channeling is never forced or imposed upon me. I invoke it. The strangest thing that’s happened when channeling was just in front of a few people, but I received information in a different language and had to Google it. Thankfully it didn’t hurt my credibility because the message made complete sense. It just opened my mind up to a moment of “Okay, so that’s something that can happen. Good to know.” 

As an avid advocate of the arts, you also write and produce music. What genre of music do you enjoy listening to?

No one ever likes my response to this question, but I actually don’t listen to much music. As a highly creative person I have to be careful of what I feed my mind, so as not to recreate it in my music or reality. That’s the bigness of the innate capability we all have. So I try to limit my exposure to external influences that don’t resonate with me on a soul level. By feeding my soul instead of my mind I found that the music I’d write and produce was always unique, and an authentic expression of who I am. I create the music of my soul, and when I find other people that forge their own path in that way I enjoy listening to their music too. 

What genre of music do you produce to support your creative and spiritual calling?

This kind of relates to my previous response. I’ve been writing music since I was 9. In my teen years of writing for other people I would just write lyrics to fit the form they wanted it to fit. A lot of it was rap and hip hop focused. As a teenager I found it cool and fun to express a gritty aspect of myself through the artists. As I evolved spirituality I found it harder and increasingly less satisfying to write things that weren’t in alignment with who I was. The more you live your truth and stand in your own power, the more uncomfortable it gets to wear a mask. I started producing because it gave me complete creative freedom. 

I spent 10 hours a day for 3 days in my friends studio learning how to make music. I played every sound from scratch, no samples, exactly the way I heard it in my mind. I had never played instruments before, but when my hands hit the synthesizer keyboard I knew what to do. I just closed my eyes and played. Being freed from the creative constraints of staying in a certain lane allowed me to channel my music, and tap into my creative abilities as a producer and songwriter.

I’ve made my own meditation music recently that supports both callings. I’ve also written some songs that just felt good to write. I don't know what I’ll do with them right now which is fine. I wrote them simply for the joy it brought me to do so. It supports my creative and spiritual calling by keeping me in alignment with my highest self. I do have an affinity for certain sounds and instruments. I’ve also noticed an etheric quality that’s pretty consistent throughout my music. I’m drawn to the violin, piano, harp, cello, acoustic guitar, and symphonic sounds.

Is there a ritual or process you emulate to write your music? When do you know you've completed writing an entire piece of music?

I’ve changed the way I initiate writing songs. I used to make the decision to start writing the song based on when I felt I had to have it done by. I would find myself unable to find words or establish a flow. It left me to reach for the material and extract the words from my brain, instead of allowing them to flow from my soul. It was very counter intuitive. Now I start with managing the state I’m in. If I’m properly aligned I’ll just start hearing lyrics in my head and have to rush to my phone or grab a pen and paper. Sometimes I’ll get them in a dream and write them when I wake up. The song doesn’t go away until it’s written though. I usually find myself free writing it in one sitting. Then I’ll structure and rewrite it in another. That’s basically the extent of the process. 

What is the secret to writing music that will be entertained by the media, music, TV and healing industry?

The secret is to not. When you write or create something that’s an authentic expression of you and your truth, the right people will find resonance with it. Just don’t lose sight of what you’re doing it for, and let go of attachment to any particular outcome. Don’t pay attention to the 100 people that don’t find resonance, focus on the 5 that do. Those are your people, you woke them up, they’ll wake up others, and what’s entertained by those industries will change. 

Chelsea, you represent a few roles in your life from a spiritual practitioner to an entrepreneur. Which role among many (healing practitioner, entrepreneur, writer, musician; etc.) came first?

Writing definitely came first. I started writing music lyrics and poetry when I was nine years-old. I barely spoke so that’s how I was able to express myself. I wrote my first children’s book in 4th grade (around the same age), my dad illustrated it, and my teacher published it. At that age nothing is really a role though, it’s a skill or hobby.

What is the best advice you've received as a healing practitioner?

I was usually rejected by a lot of the people I would ask for advice. Which was good because it was my journey to experience and my path to pave. The answers to my questions were revealed to me in the form of lessons and life experiences. Life has always been my best teacher. 

What is the most useful advice you'd offer to a spiritual practitioner in training?

Work from the inside out. Align within first, then act in the world. That way you’ll encounter the path of least resistance and your inner guidance will be loud and clear. 

When producing healing music, what are the essential variables which permit the music to have a healing effect on listeners?

There are healing frequencies that when synchronized with your brainwaves, they create a destress response within the body. For example 963 Hz, 852 Hz, or 741 Hz. There’s also sound healing instruments like crystal singing bowls. A soft, rhythmic, soothing tone of voice of any mantras or vocals also helps. 

Chelsea, one of your aspirations including directing a TV series. What type of artistic genre would you like to direct? Do you also have any desire to act in these TV series?

Sci-Fi, Drama, Fiction, Adventure, Mystery, Fantasy- I’m open to creating anything I’m inspired by. I don’t have a desire to act in them, but that’s not to say I’ll always feel that way. Who knows?

If you could have directed a TV series that existed in the past decade, do you have a favorite show where you'd love to see your name in the credits?

I feel like the best is yet to be created. 

As an artist and healer, you are also writing a book. What is one important thing you would like all future readers to know about you through your writings?

It is my passion, pleasure, and purpose to bring through the information that I do. Me and my guides appreciate the opportunity to share our perspective with them.

You are a talented professional representing a wide array of the creative arts. By any chance, do you tell or know any good jokes? :)

Relationships are like toots. If you have to force it, it’s probably poop. :)

Please share with audiences how they can support your work.

Chelsea @ Theta Healing Here
Chelsea Henderson @ Squarespace Here