The Selfish Gift - Go public with your purpose

With Donald Trump set to return to the White House for season 2 of his dystopian presidential freak show, Democrats and liberals like me are bracing for a potentially major blow to the democratic institutions and processes of the United States. Based on the past actions Trump has taken to expand and hold onto power, and also on promises he has made to further consolidate power and weaken or elimin...

Amy Low was a recently divorced mom with two teenage kids when she received some of the worst news a person can hear. She had stage four metastatic colon cancer and a large tumor on her liver with a very low chance of long-term survival. Against the odds, Amy has lived five years with her diagnosis, and the experience has changed her. Incredibly, Amy used this time to write her memoir, a beautiful...

Writing success comes to those who stick with it, and Diana Raab has stuck with writing for more than sixty years. Over that time she published fourteen books, ranging from poetry to self-help to memoir. How does she do it? Simple: She finds bliss in the act of writing! In fact, 'Writing From Bliss' is the name of one of her most beloved books. In today's episode, Diana shares wisdo...

Two books published in one season? That's the kind of summer writer and illustrator Swan Huntley is having. Her novel I Want You More is a sapphic thriller and a rip-roaring beach read that I could not put down. Her other new release, You're Grounded: An Anti Self-Help Book to Calm You the Fuck Down, features her whimsical illustrations and some simple yet sagely guidance to help you cul...

Every writer experiences doubt—in our abilities, in the worthiness of our creativity, and more. But it doesn't have to stop us in our tracks, according to Amy L. Bernstein, a novelist, award-winning journalist, blogger, and certified book coach. Her forthcoming book Wrangling the Doubt Monster is set to publish in January 2025, and she explores the topic of creative self-doubt in her Substack...

Melissa Urban is a truly inspirational human who has dedicated her life to helping people boost their health and happiness. She is the co-founder and CEO of Whole30, a 30-day food elimination and reintroduction program that helps identify hidden food sensitivities and restore a healthy relationship with food and the body. The original Whole30 book (just one of Melissa's seven New York Times b...

"If you can read, you can write." - Terri Trespicio, author of Unfollow Your Passion We don't just have one major passion in life or a single road to success, and fixating on finding yours could be making you miserable and keeping you stuck.  That's the core message in Terri Trespicio's book, Unfollow Your Passion. It's also the topic of her TEDx Talk, which has been...

It's famously difficult for a first-time, unknown author to get a memoir traditionally published, much less to have traditional publishers get into a bidding war over it. Laura Cathcart Robbins defied all the odds when she burst onto the "quit lit" scene with her brilliant, brave recovery memoir, Stash: My Life in Hiding (Atria/Simon and Schuster, 2023).  Stash is the candid account...

cw: Sexually explicit material Rena Martine is a former deputy DA turned intimacy coach who helps women discover and express their authentic desires, inside and outside of the bedroom. This week on The Selfish Gift podcast, Rena offers heartfelt guidance on how to safely and courageously explore the outer limits of your sexuality and relationships. From sex parties to ethical non-monogamy to same-...

Time management is not the secret to a productive and rewarding life. Instead, we should be managing our energy, says Simon Alexander Ong, life coach, speaker, and author of Energize: Make the Most of Every Moment. In this episode, Simon explains that energy is the life force that determines how we show up each day and emphasizes the need to prioritize activities based on our energy levels. He als...

One in four Americans is familiar with the term "sober curious", and author Ruby Warrington is the reason why. In this episode of The Selfish Gift, Ruby and host Maggie Langrick discuss the book that sparked the Sober Curious movement, as well as Ruby's new book, Women Without Kids. A common theme tying Ruby's books together is the importance of knowing oneself and being fully...

Anyone who's ever tried to create something beautiful or important must at times withdraw from everyday life to get the work done, whether that means getting up an hour early every day to write or going on a solo retreat. But how far would you go in pursuit of your art? Whatever your answer, today's guest is about to blow your mind and inspire you to go further than you ever thought poss...

CW: drug use, abuse, and assault So many of us are moved to write books or create other works of art because of a traumatic life experience that we've suffered through. But when those experiences also carry a stigma, it can be tough to navigate the feelings of shame, self-protection, and privacy issues that come up. How do you free yourself to share your story when you're worried that it...

This episode is a no-holds-barred, myth-busting conversation with an incredibly smart and successful publishing professional. Richelle Fredson is a book coach, a publishing consultant, and the host of the Bound + Determined podcast. She's been in the industry for close to 20 years, formerly the director of publicity and book marketing for Hay House, and then part of their book acquisitions te...

This episode is a JUICY one—and not just because we're talking about sex! If you want a deeper, more intimate connection with your partner, you should listen to it. If you've been concerned about the rise of anti-feminist spokesmen like Andrew Tate, you should listen to it. And if you want to write a non-fiction book that heals something in our culture—particularly if you're a thera...

If you are struggling with your to-do list and wondering how you'll ever reach the big goals that matter most to you, whether that's writing a book or starting a business, you are going to love learning from today's guest. Tina Wells is a powerhouse who has been featured everywhere from Fast Company to O, the Oprah Magazine . An entrepreneur since the age of 16, she is now a busines...

If you yearn to do something big with your life, but you're feeling held back by your circumstances or your background, this episode is for you. Guess what? You are not defined by your struggles or your trauma, and your career path doesn't need to be defined by those things, either. Your inner child is already whispering the desires of your heart. You just need the motivation to pursue t...

If you feel called to do good in the world but you aren't sure what that "good" should look like, or if you yearn for a career that aligns with your purpose but struggle with the idea of pairing business with matters of the soul, you're going to want to listen to this week's legendary guest—one of the leading lights of the spirituality and human potential movement, as well...

If you are drawn to creative writing as a way to process the events of your life, this episode is for you. Today's guest is the founder of an incredible community called Narrative Healing, a writing program that seeks to release our stories in a way that's both accessible and empowering.  After beginning her career in book publishing, Lisa Weinert eventually became a certified yoga instr...

So many of us feel drawn to writing a memoir as a way to process through a difficult event. Writing is one of the most powerful ways to examine and reshape our internal narratives, and it can be a path to healing, as well as an act of service to others. Today's guest wrote her memoir for just those very reasons.  Ann Batchelder is an ordinary mom with a career in arts administration and commu...

If you love to sleep until noon and you're allergic to the word initiative , but you still want to live a big, rich life full of fame, fortune and fun, this episode is for you. Laura Belgray may be the world's unlikeliest success story. A self-proclaimed "lazy person," she's a bonafide digital business superstar as the founder of Talking Shrimp, where she makes millions of...

If you dream of creating work that leaves a massive mark on our culture and is embraced by millions of people, you're going to love listening to today’s guest. Stephanie Savage is a screenwriter, television producer, and co-creator of some of the most iconic TV shows of our time, most famously the smash hit teen drama Gossip Girl , as well as The O.C. , the Dynasty reboot, Marvel's Runaw...

It seems like everyone has a podcast these days—except you! If you've ever thought about starting one, or even if you're just interested in learning how to build a community around something you love, you'll want to listen to this episode for expert advice on creating impactful content, leveraging personal stories, and networking effectively to grow your audience and connect with li...

This episode is for all the therapists, clinicians, and professors out there who hope to write a popular book for the general public about your field of expertise. How do you make the leap from clinic or classroom to the bestseller lists? And do you have to become a social media influencer in order to pull it off? How do you know if you have anything really new to say, and what if your peers criti...

If you have difficulty deciding what to write about or make content about, you might be having a creative identity crisis. In this special solo episode, host Maggie Langrick shares her insights on how to find "your thing"— not what you think other people would want, but what truly lights up that creative spark in you. It's the key to offering your most authentic, powerful gift to th...