#BrilliantBabe: Entrepreneur Marie Forleo

Everything is “figureoutable.”

No matter what it is—a problem in your life, a situation you’re stuck with, or a dream that remains tantalizingly out of reach—you can figure it out. There is a way. It may not be obvious, and it may take some work, but don’t lose faith.

That’s the philosophy of entrepreneur and B-School girlboss Marie Forleo, our very first #BrilliantBabe.

And she’s certainly figured her own life out.

She’s linked arms with Oprah, who named her a thought leader for the next generation. She’s the star of her very own award-winning online show, MarieTV. She rolls with luminaries like Tony Robbins and Richard Branson. She’s even married to a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!

(Okay, her hubbie is really the actor who played Raphael in the 1990 movie, Josh Pais.)

And she’s done it all while giving back.

As she explained in one interview, “I made myself a sacred promise very young that when I grew up, I was going to make so much money that I would have enough to take care of people’s pain.” [1]

So how can we steal her secrets?

Or, at the very least, the secret to her bouncy, glossy hair?

Luckily, Marie isn’t the type to hold back. Ready for some of her nuggets of wisdom?

People have such a strong reaction to the words ‘selling your soul.’ But whether you are an entrepreneur or someone wanting to do meaningful work in the world, now more than ever you have to sell your soul—to pour what you truly believe in into your life’s work.  Everyone thinks that selling your soul is the worst thing in the world you could do, but I think the exact opposite. Why would you want to sell anything else?” [2]

You can operate your life in one of two ways. You can either be complaining that everything sucks, nothing is going your way, there too much traffic or things are too expensive, and that would be your lens on the world. That’s basically training yourself for mediocrity…. The other way is if you just treat life like the party is always where you’re at. If you find yourself stuck in traffic and you’re driving your car, crank up some music and dance. I always call it ‘car dancing.’ Put on your favorite tunes and rock it out.” [3]

Confidence is overrated. If you wait until you feel confident to transform an aspect of your life, you’ll be waiting a long time.” [4]

Clarity comes from engagement, not thought. You have to stop thinking yourself to death. You have to stop second guessing and wondering … you just have to do it.” [5]

Everything is figureoutable. No matter how big your dream is, or how challenging things get, if you stay focused and trust there is a way, you’ll find it.” [6]

Was Marie born this cool? 😉

Not at all. A self-described “Jersey girl,” she admits she didn’t have this clarity back in her early twenties. After college she experimented with the corporate world, working in magazines and on the New York Stock Exchange, before she realized that her true passion was coaching.

She took an online course in life coaching while teaching dance and fitness classes on the side. She self-published her first book (advice on dating and relationships, naturally!) and moved into business coaching.

Today, her online business school for women, B-School, is waitlist-only. Graduates rave about the support they get from a woman who knows how much elbow grease it takes to make your dreams come true.

What can we learn from Marie about how to shine our most brilliant light?

Here are 4 Marie-inspired lessons about becoming the #BrilliantBabe you were born to be.

Brilliance Tip #1:

You get to where you want to go faster if you help people along the way.

Brilliance Tip #2:

You can be goofy and still taken seriously.

Brilliance Tip #3:

Instead of resisting the things you don’t like about your life, embrace the fact that you chose—on some level or another—everything in your life right now. If you don’t like it, choose something else.

Brilliance Tip #4:

You should have fun doing what you love. If you’ve got to slog uphill, you might as well bust a few moves along the way.

Marie and Me

I was lucky enough to interview Marie back in the day for an obscure audio course called “Make Every Man Want You More!” Check it out.

Stay Tuned for More #BrilliantBabe Profiles

Here at Your Brilliance, we believe the best way to figure out how bright you’re able to shine is to look up to other woman who are doing what you’ve always wanted to do.

The women you see featured in glossy magazines, climbing sheer rock cliffs and heading Fortune 500 businesses and crafting unique Etsy art from the comfort of their own homes, got there on guts and faith.

They didn’t know if they’d be able to succeed at their dream. But each and every one made the decision to take the first step. And the second. And the third.

We hope these profiles of brilliant women inspire you to reach for your dreams.

[1] http://luckybitch.com/marie-forleo-interview/

[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2013/06/17/what-marie-forleo-taught-me-about-selling-my-soul/#4dd3b4c320d6

[3] http://finance.youngmoney.com/entrepreneur/marie-forleo/

[4] https://experiencelife.com/article/marie-forleo-the-life-you-want/

[5] https://suebzimmerman.com/blog/my-first-interview-with-marie-forleo/

[6] http://www.claudiachan.com/interviews/marie-forleo/