Corinne Bowen, woman of many talents

4. What would you say is the biggest reward in pursuing two different career paths simultaneously?

I couldn’t narrow it down to one thing, but here is what comes to my mind right away: Creating fulfilling and soul-nourishing relationships with a diverse group of creative spirits, waking up each morning feeling amazed that this is my life, believing whole-heartedly that anything is possible and the future is rich with possibilities I can’t even imagine, being a part of two networks of people that enrich my life, and learning from a vast array of people and experiences that hold unique knowledge in different fields.

5. The biggest challenge?

I think that when you’re pursuing something you love, dreams can become bigger than yourself. Staying centered and grounded is a daily practice. Lately, rather than saying “I should exercise,” I should eat better,” “I should work harder,” I try to figure out what makes me happy. It seems as though happiness leads to all of those “good” things effortlessly, but it’s a lot more of a challenge to love yourself and put your happiness first than to go on a fad diet or work until your head hits the keyboard.

6. What do you consider your biggest accomplishment(s) to date?

Creating a life that is filled with positive and supportive people and following my bliss. In more concrete terms: Completing my first novel and signing with my dream agent while working for Kris Carr. All of these things I never would have thought to be possible three years ago.

Just a few of the inspiring images that greet you on Corinne's homepage

7. How do you get it all done? Do you have any time management/motivation tricks to share?

When you do what you love, it’s not as difficult to get things done. You can’t help but get them done. I think the greater challenge is slowing down before you burn out and figuring out how to fuel your body, mind, and muse along the way. A couple weeks ago, I wasn’t feeling that spark in my heart when I booted up my computer and it was getting me down. Rather than try to ride out the blues, I sought out inspiration. I looked for music, art, and inspirational talks and it worked! If you are willing to listen to the voice inside you that is asking for help, whether it’s spiritual, mental, physical, or work-related, I think you’ll be okay!

8. Anything else you’d like us to know?

I live my life by this quote:

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” (Joseph Campbell)

Try it!

If you’d like to follow me, here’s where I live on the web:

Blog: http://corinnebowen.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Corinne_Bowen

Special thanks to my girl Tina for suggesting I contact Corinne for this series–what a great idea! If anyone else has recommendations, I’d love to hear them. I’m having so much fun with these interviews, I hope to keep it up. What career path do you want to learn more about?

Corinne Bowen, Renaissance Woman

In TOEFL, students are often asked to give 45 second responses to questions such as, “Who is your hero?” or “Who do you admire most?” When they ask about my heroes, Kris Carr is the first person who comes to mind. We don’t have Kris Carr here for us today, but I can do you one better: the brilliant, beautiful, wise Corinne Bowen, who happens to be Kris’s right-hand woman. For Corinne’s interview, I struggled with what to “label” her, and finally decided Renaissance Woman was the most accurate description. In addition to helping run Kris’s wellness hub, Crazy Sexy Life, Corinne is a budding novelist and certified yoga instructor. Oh, and in her spare time? She does super-cool things like record vocals for the Freeminer Birds‘ latest album, Fill the Shelters. (That’s her super talented hubby’s band.) Enough from me; go read about Corinne in her own words.

1. Can you give us an overview of your different jobs/roles?

Four days a week, I work for Kris Carr at Crazy Sexy Wellness. We’ve always struggled to pin down my job title because I do everything from corresponding with Kris’ fans, to managing our website, to developing future programs with Kris and her husband/business partner, Brian. It’s a fulfilling and inspiring job, since I have the opportunity to create and build Crazy Sexy Life with two of the most creative and kind people I know. One of my favorite things to do is brainstorm with my bosses! What could be better?

I am also a writer. This has grown into a career over the past four years. I have experience as a grant-writer and a columnist, but my passion is fiction. Earlier this year, I signed with an agent after working on my first (completed) novel for about fifteen months. Rebecca Strauss at McIntosh & Otis is a dream and I am happy beyond measure with her as my literary agent. Writing is my bliss, so I am grateful each day to be on the path to publication.

2. How did you find yourself pursuing two careers simultaneously? Was it a deliberate choice, or was it more organic? Do you prefer working on two paths to working on one?

It was organic. After graduating with a Master of Public Administration, I realized that I wasn’t happy working in my field or in a traditional office setting. Only a year later, I quit my job, moved to an ashram for a month and became a certified yoga teacher. It was more of a compulsion than a decision since my inner compass was so strong that I couldn’t ignore this new path. During the following year, I was a yoga instructor and freelance writer, but something was still missing. Then, I saw Kris Carr’s documentary, Crazy Sexy Cancer. As the credits rolled, I told my husband that I was destined to work with Kris and the rest is history. Along the way, I started working on my current novel and the dream of becoming a published author became stronger each day until I knew that I needed to pursue this path with the same passion I had used to achieve my goal of working for Crazy Sexy Wellness. Being a part of both worlds is a challenge, but they compliment and enrich each other. All I know is that I am happy in this moment and until that changes, I’ll remain on this course.

[Editor's Note: Go check out Corinne's write-up about the vision board she put together with Kris at the center. Talk about manifesting your dreams!]

3. How do you manage to balance your different roles? Do you feel it is balanced?

It’s not easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m learning more about balance each day. Most of my imbalance and stress is self-created—either I’m being too hard on myself or I’m taking myself too seriously. At first, I wasn’t able to step away from my computer, whether it was because I was working on my novel or for Crazy Sexy Wellness. During that time, my family and home suffered, but luckily I have an amazing husband who rode out this tough time and cheered me on.

Following your dreams isn’t easy. I’m lucky to be surrounded by people who care about my health and will call me out when I’m pushing too hard. Long nights are necessary when you’re blazing your own trail (in my opinion) but once you’ve left your training wheels behind, I think you have more head space to realize that you need to be rested, happy and healthy to keep things going for the long haul.

Gala Darling, the woman behind Love & Sequins

Here are a few things I do to balance work and life:

• I do not check my work email in the evening and on weekends. Sounds simple, but this “rule” has changed my life for the better.
• I set goals. If I have a major project or novel revisions due, I create a daily word count goal or a task checklist.
• I have a life coaching session every other week to discuss any work/life imbalances and create a game plan for overcoming any challenges.
• I make sleep (7-8 hours/night) and healthy eating (vegan, veggie juice, NO fast food) a priority.
• I exercise. Lately, I’ve been running 3 times per week with my husband (nurturing my body and my marriage!).
• I read and listen to inspiring books and podcasts. I’m obsessed with Gala Darling’s Love & Sequins podcasts right now!
• I spend time outside. Working from home can be very isolating, so I make an effort to take long walks outside, especially with my husband.
• I have fun! Movies, dinner with friends and family, exploring Baltimore, and bookstore browsing are just a few of the things I do to unwind.

Check back tomorrow for Part II of Corinne’s awesome insight.

Carol's Gluten-Free Cupcakes, made with Carol's Amazing All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

Carol is a food writer, cookbook author and television chef who celebrates the abundance of a gluten-free life through her popular website Simply…Gluten-free, gluten-free cooking segments on the nationally syndicated morning show Daytime and is the author of the bookSimply…Gluten-free Desserts which will be published by Thomas Dunne Books (Macmillan Press) sometime in 2010.

Yesterday I shared Part I of Carol Kicinski’s fabulous interview as part of the Careers in Holistic Health series. Read on for more great advice.

6. Would this career work well as a part time gig?

Yes, food writing can totally be a part time gig.  Even at my busiest I do other things.  I recently started a company selling a gluten-free flour product I developed.  So I do both.

7. In your opinion, is this a good career for a working mother?

It is not easy to make money being a food writer especially at first so if you need steady income fast then no.  However if you are passionate about food being a food writer fits in perfectly for a mother.

I work at home most of the time, when I want and around the needs of my family.  Sometimes I even work in my PJs!

8. Generally speaking, how is the earning potential?

This is so hard to answer.  I make money from food writing in various ways; through my blog, by freelancing and as a cookbook author.  I am still new to the “making money” part of this job but, like anything if you are willing to work and approach this as a business with professionalism, then you can make money.

9. Any words of wisdom for someone interested in following this path?

Do it because you love it not because you think it is a good way to make money.  The money will come but it is the passion that will get you to that point.

And as I mentioned earlier, be professional!  Think of food writing as a business even if you are not making moiney right off the bat.

Carol Working her Magic

10. Anything else you’d like us to know?

Starting my blog has opened doors for me I never dreamed of – I do regular gluten-free cooking segments on Daytime (a nationally sydicated morning show), I got my cookbook deal beacuse an editor saw my blog, I started producing my flour product (Carol’s Amazing All Purpose Gluten Free Flour) as a result of being unable to find a gluten free flour refined enough for the deeserts I was creating for my cookbook, I write for various publications and do speaking engagements.

As you can see, one thing sort of lead to another.  Be willing to take the journey.  While I do set goals for myself I also allow for the unexpected – sometimes the greatest opportunites come in a different form than one expected so be willing to look at all opportunities.

It also helps a lot to be kind and helpful to people.  You never know when someone you were kind and helpful to may just come up to you and say “I never forgot how nice you were, I want to give you this opportunity first…”

Ask questions and be willing to intern if applicable.  Most people are more than happy to share words of wisdom and advice on how todo what they do.  Ask, the worst that can happen is nothing.

Finally if you really want to be a food writer (or anything else for that matter) then just start doing it!  Start a blog, write for online information sites such as Devine Caroline ar Examiner.com.  If you are doing what you love then you will always be able to find a way to profit from it.  You may not be able to support yourself with your passion in the beginning but if you pursure what interets you, you will be happy and open to new things.  Keep your day job but work at your passion.

1. If you’re heading out for fewer than 10 miles, almost none of you bring water. (I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this, but when it comes to long runs, I think  you folks know better than I!)
2. You guys friggin’ love Lady GaGa to keep you going on your run.
3. No one seems very excited about ab workouts, but almost everyone wants to be.

Lady GaGa

Based on this feedback, I’m sharing my new (untested; need to borrow a cord for my iPod) running playlist. It’s 70 songs lasting 4.5 hours, and stretches across a pretty broad range of genres. You might like some, you might hate some, but I hope it brings at least a touch of inspiration.

Running Mix, Part 1

Running Mix, Part 2

I’m also passing along the best ab workouts I could find. Some are goofy. Some are miserably intense–but that means you finish quickly. Some are just different. If you give them a try, or have anything to add, please go ahead and share your knowledge.

Averie and her AWEsome abs

Averie, of Love Veggies and Yoga, is one amazing woman. If you don’t follow her blog yet, you should. That is, if you want to hear how a loving mom of a 3-year-old/500 hour certified yoga teacher/fitness model/aspiring fitness competition contestant/vegan raw foodist pulls it all together with tremendous grace. (And seriously–look at those abs. She has a three-year-old!) I have to admit, I don’t even dream of abs like hers, but somewhere between what she has and what I have would be lovely. To help me get there, I check out her ABS FAQ post for added inspiration. She lays it out clearly and honestly, which I think is all any of us could hope for.

Standing Abs with Jennifer Gilardi

Once you’re done drooling reading her advice, head over to FitSugar and read the All Abs Workout column. It has illustrations and detailed instructions for nine intense exercises, including a few for those pesky lower abs. And if that’s not enough for you, take the Holistic Health Junkie‘s advice and pop on over to ExerciseTV and check out their videos. I have to say, when it comes to things I hate doing (um, abs!), I greatly benefit from having someone firmly directing me. When I lived in Philly, I made occasional (though too-rare) visits to one of the greatest trainers on the planet, Mr. Nate Mcintyre. [For those of you in Philly--hire him now. For those of you not in Philly, at least become Facebook friends so you can see his hardcore video posts.] Anyhoo–now that I’m halfway across the world, I’m taking Jen’s advice and downloaded a slew of hilariously-awkward-yet-intense videos from ExerciseTV, including Standing Abs, Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred, and a slew of freebies.

Edit: Tasha, aka The Voracious Vegan (who loves ab workouts–what?!) just suggested this awesome link to Angela’s blog over at Oh She Glows for more ab work. If you haven’t visited either of their sites yet, now’s the time.

I hope these links and lists help you get closer to your goals. If you have anything to add–you know what to do!

I have to ask just one more question for those of you who use RSS feeds to follow this blog. Mel’s been helping me iron out a few kinks; if you followed The View from There in an RSS feed, and it recently switched over to Green Junkie Living automatically, could you let me know? Trying to figure out if that worked.

[This is a picture of my sister's childhood friend (black shirt), who is now an awesome yoga instructor in Burlington, VT, with one of her friends and co-teachers.]

But what I really wanted to talk about today is motivation and encouragement, and the awesomeness that can happen when we open ourselves up. We’ve talked about this before, and even had a guest post on the issue, but I think it bears revisiting. As I enter this new phase of engaging my body (that would be the kick serious butt phase, for anyone wondering), I find myself gobbling up support and inspiration every chance I get. When I see a friend’s comment on my dailymile.com account, it gets me excited to lace up my sneaks again. When I read Angela’s training log over at Oh She Glows, I start dreaming of triathlons in my future.

Here’s the awesome thing, though: all this motivation feeds itself. Jen said she went for an “Olivia inspired run” when she headed out even though she had a sore knee. And that sort of tenacity helped me know I had to head to the river for a long walk yesterday even though I felt lousy.

So, folks, I’m giving you homework. (Sorry–I teach. Homework is what I do.)

1. Think of a goal you’ve wanted to achieve (cook a healthy meal, slash your sugar intake, head out for a hike), and find the motivation you need to make it happen. Read cookbooks, talk to a friend, scour some blogs.
2. Share what you’ve accomplished. You don’t have to brag (though you should feel free to do so in the comments!), but spread the word. Open yourself up to the possibility of motivating others. Blog it, tweet it, email it, dish it. Just get it out there.

I don’t know about you, but I have a heckuvalot of trouble being my best if I try to operate in a vacuum. If I open myself up to what I can offer to and accept from others, magic happens. So give it a shot: add yourself to the motivation loop.

At this point, I think I’ve got the diet part pretty much down (though I do still have to test my sensitivity to soy and corn when I reintroduce those after the program ends). No surprises here, but: fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs and whole grains are all a-ok for me and my digestive system. I also realized with new understanding just how damaging sugar (Mom’s been telling me for at least a decade) and dairy are for me, and I don’t digest meat well, either. Gluten, as we well know, is my kryptonite, and you couldn’t pay me to ingest it at this point.

I think it’s important to not feel the need to be 100% perfect 100% of the time, though. Even Dr. Lipman says so! Seriously–it was one of the daily pulses: ease up. So, taking that advice, when we had our monthly TED talks evening over the weekend and a friend showed up with a delicious looking bottle of Montepulciano, I decided that I was going to give myself the OK to have a glass. Just one. And what happened as soon as I gave myself permission to do that? It lost the allure. I realized I cared more about feeling healthy than I did about sipping that robust 2007. Towards the end of the evening, I asked myself how much that glass of wine would have improved my experience if I’d had it earlier on. Would I still be enjoying the taste? Would I have been driven nuts by the fact that I couldn’t have a second? Would I have had a second or third? I realized that even if I enjoyed it while I was drinking it, the pleasure would soon be over.

Don’t get me wrong–I’m a big supporter of pleasure! Big time! But lately, feeling healthy and energetic is the real pleasure. Now that my tastebuds aren’t numbed by sugar and freaky oils and additives, fresh salad tastes really good. Long walks with friends leave me smiling for hours. The deep breaths and releases from yoga send me buzzing.

Which brings me to the part I really need to be working on. The food part, I get it. It’s the activity I need to work on. My darling man has been encouraging me to be more active since we met. And I really enjoy lots of physical activity. Hiking, kayaking, yoga, biking–all wonderful. I’ve definitely been better about physical activity since starting this program, but it’s going to be a while before I really make it a habit. I know the benefits, I have loads of inspiration, it’s just a matter of making time and getting off my butt.

And then there are days like yesterday and today when you just have to give in and accept defeat. I’m sick, my body aches and tummy’s funny and I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. I’ve been spending a lot of quality time with my pajamas, tall glasses of water, and wonderful fella. I figure my body’s actually in a position to kick this bug quickly if I can keep giving it what it needs, so I’m trying to take it easy so I can get better. The universe must have heard my whining about having to go work this afternoon (truth be told, everyone must have. I pouted for at least an hour.), and just as I put on my coat, I got a message that my afternoon student wasn’t coming today! Oh hurrah! I stripped down and climbed back into my PJs in record time, grateful for this extra down time before my evening classes.

As I mentioned in part i, Michael and I fell in love over bacon (among other things), so I count myself extra lucky that he’s been such an enthusiastic partner in all this. Our first step is to phase animal products out of our house. We no longer add chicken to our curry dishes, and we recently stocked up on soy milk (I have my own concerns about soy products, but we live in Korea, so our options are limited) in lieu of cow’s milk. Bacon is no longer added to everything, and I’ve been relying on popcorn and kale chips—which I will post about soon—instead of salami-wrapped-cheese when snack time rolls around. Again, I’m in transition, so I have consumed at least some small amount of animal product for most of the last fourteen days, but I’ve had some full-on vegan days, too.

What’s exciting is that I’m already feeling the benefits, which I have been promising LC, of Let Them Eat Lentils, I would blog about. Here are some highlights:

• My digestive system works better. I won’t go into details, but this is a very welcome change in my life.
• I have more energy. A big part of this is, I believe, due to my daily green smoothie, but it’s become more noticeable as I eat less animal product.
• My energy is more stable. This is largely due to the fact that I eat less sugar—to be honest, the vast majority of the sugar I consume comes in the form of wine—but eating a healthier diet is only reinforced by this latest shift.
• I’m cooking a wider variety of foods. When I found out I could no longer eat gluten, I was not inspired to create gluten-free versions of most foods, but I am really enjoying tweaking recipes to be vegan. We’ve been exploring new produce, like stonecrop (awesome!) and burdock (I wasn’t wowed, but it did serve as a nice base for vegan spring rolls).
• We’re saving money. Michael and I have shown a distinct talent for blowing wads of cash at Costco as we stock up on imported meats and cheeses (and wine). All these produce-based meals have helped pad the wallet.
• It feels good to know I’m doing something to help future generations. I still make a lot of selfish eco-choices, like buying new clothes and living an international life (which requires flights), but I absolutely believe consuming fewer animal products helps ensure my niece and future children will have a planet to enjoy.

All that said, there are some benefits I am still waiting on, but I suspect I will have to be much further along this path to experience them. Most notably, my hormones still feel a little whacky (which, I know, could be due to any number of factors) and I really struggle to stay in a weight range that feels healthy for me.

When I get frustrated by what’s not happening, or by not being full on free of animal products, I have to remind myself that this is a process. I’m not a saint, I screw up a lot, and will probably never meet my incredibly high standards for a healthy life. But at least I’m a trying. Yoga sometimes is better than yoga never, and a seafood risotto is better than bacon-wrapped-pork.

How do you stay motivated as you try to make healthy changes? What goals or standards have you set up for yourself?

TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with the annual TED Conference in Long Beach, California, and the TEDGlobal conference in Oxford UK, TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Program, the new TEDx community program, this year’s TEDIndia Conference and the annual TED Prize.

For each get together, a theme is selected along with four 18 minute videos (we rotate who chooses the theme and videos). Friends from all different backgrounds pile into our teeny apartment, and we watch, eat, drink, and discuss. This has been an invaluable outlet for me; it is inspiring and stimulating to be in a space focused on the exchange and dissection of ideas with a group of people who find the act of thinking exciting.

I particularly enjoy these discussions with the group that has evolved. With seven people in attendance, we had a wonderfully diverse group, with a wide range of ethinicities, ages, sexual identities, and religious beliefs. It pushes me to think about things in a new way, and constantly re-evaluate what I thought I knew. These evenings have also helped me get to know people on a new level; it sets a very different tone than that at work or a bar, so I see different sides to my friends. It’s also important to note that open-mindedness and respect for others’ opinions is essential. People often disagree, but it’s not about convincing others to com around to your point of view.

We started in December with a theme of passion and creativity. If you’re interested, we watched the following videos:

• Larry Lessig on laws that choke creativity (Good, but not stellar.)
• Amy Tan digs deep into the creative process, looking for hints about how hers evolved (Pretty awesome.)
• Isabel Allende tells tales of passion (Hilarious and inspiring.)
• Sir Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity (A must watch!)

For January, we turned the selection over to our friends Amanda and Paloma. They picked the topic of Ethics and the Human Condition. Here are the videos they chose:

• Rebecca Saxe studies how we think about other people’s thoughts. At the Saxelab at MIT, she uses fMRI to identify what happens in our brains when we consider the motives, passions and beliefs. (Extremely cool.)
• Oxford philosopher and transhumanist Nick Bostrom examines the future of humankind and asks whether we might alter the fundamental nature of humanity to solve our most intrinsic problems. (Lame. Don’t bother.)
• Author Robert Wright explains “non-zero-sumness” — the network of linked fortunes and cooperation that has guided our evolution to this point — and how we can use it to help save humanity today. (Absolutely the highlight of the evening.)
• Michael Sandel teaches political philosophy at Harvard. His new book, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?, explores some of the most hotly contested moral and political issues of our time. (Watched the first 20 minutes. Brings up some interesting ideas, but I didn’t find this particularly useful. The discussion that resulted, however, was.)

They also kicked things up a notch and prepared all sorts of delicious vegetarian Mexican eats. I am now thinking about adding an international food theme to the monthly evening. Because what’s better than a group of friends getting together to trade ideas than a group of friends getting together to trade ideas while eating delicious, healthy, vegetarian cuisine?

I tried to appease my mat not by doing my practice, but by reading articles about home yoga practices and my friend Mel’s recent undertaking. Her dedication was nothing if not inspiring. But I still didn’t get off the couch. Then I had a chat with Mel’s beau, and my good friend, Misha. In a lovely little loop, Mel inspired me to undertake this project, and then Misha decided to embark on a 21-day commitment to 40 sun salutations every day after reading this blog. Oh how happy it made me! But not enough for me to do my little practice. It wasn’t until I came home from work and saw that Eve had left me a comment that she’s adding 5 surya namaskars to her morning routine, as well.

Third time was the charm; the combination of everyone’s support and encouragement was just what I needed. I unfurled my mat, turned on my lovely yoga mix, and set my intention: Health. Once I finally got started, the practice was pure bliss. It was the best I’ve felt all day, and gave me a boost on every level. I think this experience will make it easier to be more enthusiastic about starting my practice tomorrow.

Eve posed a great question, though. Which brings us to that asterisk* in the title. What is this little project called? A commitment? A challenge? A devotion? A goal? I haven’t decided yet. “Project” and “challenge” sound too…sterile and harsh for this. I like “devotion” but it strikes me as a bit too religious for how I feel about this. For now, “commitment” seems like the best option, but I’d love to hear your input. So, what say you? Do you have a recommendation better than “commitment”? And if you have or plan to undertake a commitment like this, I’d love to hear about it.