Life in the And

Erin Baker

1 Creator

AND. It’s one of the smallest words in the English language. And it’s one of the most powerful. It connects opposites, builds bridges, and brings ideas and people together. When individuals embrace AND, they are more authentic, creative, and free. When organizations and communities embrace AND, they are more innovative, inclusive, and loving. Life in the AND is a podcast about how we all can embrace AND create more authenticity, inclusion, and love in our lives, businesses, and the world. Dr. Erin Baker, a transformational coach, and social psychologist, shares some of the most powerful ANDs she embraces in her life, and has inspiring conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs, authors, and creatives to unearth their answer to the question, “What AND do YOU stand for?”

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Top 10 Life in the And Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Life in the And episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Life in the And for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Life in the And episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Encore: Shelley Paxton (Episode 8)

Life in the And

12/08/20 • 42 min

Shelley Paxton is internationally recognized as The Burnout Fighter and Fire Re-igniter. She is the Chicago-based author of Soulbbatical: A Corporate Rebel’s Guide to Finding Your Best Life, a book where she shares her journey from working in Corporate America as the CMO of Harley-Davidson to becoming the Chief Soul Officer of her life and career. Shelley has spent over 25 years in the corporate world as a highly regarded marketing and advertising executive with some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Visa, McDonald’s, and AOL. Her work has been recognized and featured in multiple media publications including Thrive Global, Forbes, PBS, and CBS. Since taking her Soulbbatical in 2016 and launching her company, Shelley has been on a mission to liberate a billion souls by inspiring them to embrace their greatest truth, purpose, and possibility.

Shelley joins me today to share all of the “Ands” in her life and career. She discusses her ballsy move to liberate a billion souls by creating a title wave of change in people’s lives and organizations. She discusses the magic that can happen when you trust AND surrender to your soul’s process instead of the corporate process or the process of others. She discusses how you can trust, surrender, and follow your soul’s desires while working in the corporate environment and why the first step to reconnecting to your soul is to get reacquainted with yourself and your personal values. She also explains the difference between rebelling for something versus rebelling against something and why she believes, deep down, everyone has a rebel soul.

“You have to know where you’re heading, and you first have to know yourself because getting reconnected with your soul really is getting reconnected with your GPS system.” - Shelley Paxton

This week on Life in the AND:

Shelley’s big, audacious goal of liberating a billion souls - one soul at a time
How Shelley stays grounded in holding onto her big, overarching goal while liberating one individual soul at a time
The magic that happens when you trust AND surrender to your soul’s process
Bridging the gap between working in the corporate world while following your soul’s desires
Getting reacquainted with yourself and your values and why it’s the first step to reconnecting to your soul
Choosing to believe that crisis always comes as a gift to teach us a lesson
Why Shelley believes everyone has a rebel soul
How your ‘ands’ are the lego pieces of your life
Using fear as fuel to get to where you want to go
Why Shelley believes trusting and surrendering to your soul’s desires is the “And” everyone should stand for

Resources Mentioned:

The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Connect with Shelley Paxton:

Embrace Life in the AND

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Life in the AND, the podcast helping you embrace the AND in your life to cultivate more authenticity, creativity, inclusiveness, and love in every area of the world around you. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and leave a review.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and share your favorite episodes across social media. And for more great content and information, be sure to visit our website.

012 | The ANDs We Need for True Inclusion with Niiamah Ashong

Life in the And

07/28/20 • 37 min

Niiamah Ashong is a pioneer and outlier on a mission to create a world of true inclusion and empowerment. He is the founder and leader of the World of Joy Movement where he brings his vision of true inclusivity and diversity into life by helping leaders and organizations leverage their uniqueness and strength. Before embarking on leading this movement, Niiamah worked with AppNexus as a People Experience Consultant and a Senior Consultant for management services firm Deloitte Consulting. Today, Niiamah is a dear friend and kindred spirit who continues to inspire me on my mission.

Niiamah joins me today to discuss the Ands we need to create a world of true inclusion. He shares his vision of an inclusive world and explains how he was inspired to make this vision a reality. He explores the paradox of inclusion and exclusion and illustrates how we can become inclusive while maintaining our differences. He also emphasizes the role of outliers, trailblazers, and mavericks in a divisive and uncertain world, and explores the possibility of being fearful and still being authentic.

“ True inclusion is about being celebrated and valued for the things that make you different.” - Niiamah Ashong

This week on Life in the AND:

What inclusion means for Niiamah and why it’s more about difference than sameness
Creating a world of true inclusion and what it looks like in 2045
How innovation comes when people who are different from each other work together
The “Yes And” game and why And is a skill set that could be honed
Where Niiamah’s mission of creating an inclusive world started and how he came to realize it
How inclusion and exclusion go hand in hand, and how we can create a space of diversity that accepts outliers and trailblazers
The characteristics that make trailblazers, outliers, and mavericks, and what makes them important in a world of uncertainty
Self-identifying as an outlier and how we are alone and belonging at the same time
The difference between belonging versus fitting-in
The costs of owning authenticity and uniqueness and why trailblazing isn’t safe
Handling both sides of fear and what it means to be fearful and fearless at the same time

Connect with Niiamah Ashong:

Embrace Life in the AND

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and share your favorite episodes across social media. And for more great content and information, be sure to visit my website.

009 | The Secret to Liberating A Billion Souls: Trust AND Surrender with Shelley Paxton

Life in the And

07/14/20 • 42 min

Shelley has spent over 25 years in the corporate world as a highly regarded marketing and advertising executive with some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Visa, McDonald’s, and AOL. Her work has been recognized and featured in multiple media publications including Thrive Global, Forbes, PBS, and CBS. Since taking her Soulbbatical in 2016 and launching her company, Shelley has been on a mission to liberate a billion souls by inspiring them to embrace their greatest truth, purpose, and possibility.

“You have to know where you’re heading, and you first have to know yourself because getting reconnected with your soul really is getting reconnected with your GPS system.” - Shelley Paxton

This week on Life in the AND:

Shelley’s big, audacious goal of liberating a billion souls - one soul at a time
How Shelley stays grounded in holding onto her big, overarching goal while liberating one individual soul at a time
The magic that happens when you trust AND surrender to your soul’s process
Bridging the gap between working in the corporate world while following your soul’s desires
Getting reacquainted with yourself and your values and why it’s the first step to reconnecting to your soul
Choosing to believe that crisis always comes as a gift to teach us a lesson
Why Shelley believes everyone has a rebel soul
How your ‘ands’ are the lego pieces of your life
Using fear as fuel to get to where you want to go
Why Shelley believes trusting and surrendering to your soul’s desires is the “And” everyone should stand for

Resources Mentioned:

The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Connect with Shelley Paxton:

Embrace Life in the AND

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and share your favorite episodes across social media. And for more great content and information, be sure to visit my website.

007 | I Control My Destiny AND So Does "The Universe"

Life in the And

07/14/20 • 12 min

Does “The Universe” control your destiny...or do you? That is a question pondering the minds of many people from all walks of life. I don’t know about you, but if I sat on my laurels and chose to let "The Universe" take the reigns over my life and business - nothing would happen. However, If I took complete and total responsibility and accountability over my destiny - I also know that leaves me fully accountable for all of my failures. It means I would probably beat myself up over things that I truly had no control over.

So how do you walk the fine line between gaining control of your life and letting things be? How do you balance controlling your destiny and letting “The Universe" do the heavy lifting?

In today’s episode, I discuss how you can control your own destiny while still trusting that “The Universe” will provide. I discuss the impact of leaning too heavily on "The Universe" to fulfill your destiny and explain the Locus of Control concept in psychology. I discuss how taking too much control and accountability over your life can lead to negative effects, like stress and anxiety. I also share strategies to help you strike a balance between trusting in "The Universe" to provide what you need to succeed while also taking control of your destiny.

“The Universe IS the wave. We don’t know where The Universe is going - but we DO have control of how we surf it.” - Erin Baker

This week on Life in the AND:

The Locus of Control concept and the impact of having a high internal Locus of Control
The difference between people with high Internal Locus of Control versus high External Locus of Control
The pros and cons of Internal and External Locus’ of Control
Finding a balance between letting "The Universe" control your destiny while taking control of your life and business trajectory
Balancing high intentions with low attachments to the final outcomes
Getting clear on what you’re truly responsible for
Why frequently trying to prepare for the worst is a mistake many high-performing leaders make

Resources Mentioned:

The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection by Michael A. Singer

Embrace Life in the AND

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and share your favorite episodes across social media. And for more great content and information, be sure to visit my website.

004 | The ANDs of Being Biracial and Growing up an American in Liberia with Hassan Hodges

Life in the And

07/14/20 • 37 min

Hassan Hodges’s journey into living in the And originally began as a young biracial boy growing up as an American while attending a British school in Liberia. Like many, his childhood experiences helped shape his views of privilege, power, and oppression as well as how Americans can tackle social injustices, racism, and inequality. Hassan is also an entrepreneur and professional photographer. In addition to his social activism efforts and running his photography business, Hassan is also in the process of launching a mindfulness app as well as writing two memoirs.

Hassan joins me today to share what it’s like to be a biracial boy growing up as an American in Liberia. He explains how he perceives race, privilege, and oppression differently, despite growing up in a racially diverse culture. He shares the challenges he experienced with trying to understand his racial identity after moving from Liberia to the United States and why ‘color blindness’ regarding race is destructive and ineffective. He describes why he believes racism in America is a systematic issue instead of an individual problem and what he believes we can do to end racism. Hassan also shares the story of how his daughter was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), his own diagnosis with Adjustment Disorder, and how these diagnoses inspired him to build a mindfulness app.

“To fight racism, we need to identify it as a system problem, not as an individual problem.” - Hassan Hodges

This week on Life in the AND:

Hassan’s experiences as a biracial boy growing up as an American in Liberia
How Hassan sees the world differently, despite growing up in a racially diverse culture
Hassan’s struggles with understanding his racial identity when transitioning from Liberian culture to American culture
The difference between racism and colorism and the oppression he has seen within black communities
Why ‘color blindness’ about race is ineffective and destructive
Why Hassan believes racism is a systematic problem, not an individual problem
What Hassan believes we can do to fight racism
Hassan’s daughter’s diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and why he decided to develop a mindfulness app
How Hassan pulls out the ‘ands’ in the people he photographs
The ‘ands’ Hassan believes everyone can benefit from

Resources Mentioned:

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Connect with Hassan Hodges:

Embrace Life in the AND

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and share your favorite episodes across social media. And for more great content and information, be sure to visit our website.

030 | Life in the AND is RebrANDing and ExpANDing

Life in the And

12/01/20 • 11 min

As 2020 draws to a close, and winter is upon us, I start my final episode of the year. Life in the AND is about to rebrAND and expAND. I’m non-binary and non-conventional, I want to bring more of me to the podcast and I’m committed to it not being run of the mill.

In this episode, I reflect on the journey this podcast has taken me on, and the clarity it has given me to move forward as I think about what 2021 holds. I explore what rebranding and expanding means for me, explain what it means to be committed and unattached. I also speak about some of the inspirational guests who have contributed to my podcast so far; Shelly Paxton, Sean Smith, Bex Taylor-Klaus and Niiamah Ashong.

“‘AND’ is this powerful, expansive word that creates possibility” – Erin Baker

This week on Life in the AND:

A reflection on my podcast journey
Is winter a time to slow down or speed up?
Why it’s time to rebrand and expand
Being committed and unattached
The power of ‘AND’
Highlights from some of my favorite guests

Connect with my former guests who are in encore in December:

Embrace Life in the AND

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and share your favorite episodes across social media. And for more great content and information, be sure to visit my website.

Quiet Your Inner Critic AND Let it Get Loud

Life in the And

09/01/20 • 15 min

Everybody has that voice in their head telling them that they’re not smart enough or not capable enough. It’s the inner critic telling you that you will never achieve anything good, so it’s better to just stay in comfortable, safe places. Since our experience with the inner critic is typically negative, the first thing we often want to do is to drown it out. But the inner critic brings with it an opportunity for an And to flourish: let it talk and let it quiet down.

In this episode, I explore the role our inner critics play in our lives and how they can help us go to the places where we can grow. I share my experiences with my own inner critic and consider the sources of the inner voices in our heads that discourage us. I discuss some of the questions you can ask yourself to get to know your inner critic better and the steps you can take to manage fear. I also explain why you shouldn’t totally eradicate your inner critic or your imposter syndrome and discuss how you can use them as a compass towards growth and development.

“Whenever our inner critic gets loud, it means we’re moving meaningful things to us and the things that can help us grow.” - Erin Baker

This week on Life in the AND:

Where our inner critic and impostor syndrome come from
How the inner critic is trying to protect us from negative emotions
Why I believe you shouldn’t completely eradicate your inner critic or your impostor syndrome
Using your inner critic as a compass to a place of growth and development
Recognizing the other side of fear and moving beyond our inner critic
Externalizing our focus to overcome the inner critic
Finding the deeper voice of purpose and meaning
Questions that can help evaluate the fears the inner critic is protecting you from
The reason you need to understand the source of your inner critic

We Are All Walking Contradictions with Hayden Lee

Life in the And

01/05/21 • 0 min

016 | Creating Magic Through Fully Being in your ANDs with Matt Chavlovich

Life in the And

08/25/20 • 31 min

Matt Chavlovich is a speaker, advisor, and coach who supports athletes and artists in creating impact. Matt is the Founder of The Chavlovich Group, the Principal owner of Today I Begin, and a former professional soccer player. Driven by his purpose of helping individuals and organizations master what truly matters to them, Matt created Today I Begin, through which he works with people to help them get to where they aspire to be.

In this episode, Matt and I explore the innate magic and potential within us and his mission of fostering that in people. We discuss the role of rest in growth and development and illustrate how we all have limitless possibilities. We dive into the fear high-achievers have around taking days off and the fear of not having enough time to make an impact in the world. We also discuss how everything is possible, even in things that are contradictory, and how by showing your ANDs, you can create opportunity and authentic leadership.

“Everybody has magic inside of them. They just need the right people around to pull it out.” - Matt Chavlovich

This week on Life in the AND:

How muscles grow and why rest days should be part of athletic training
The importance of giving ourselves permission to recover
The secrets of human performance and how we all have limitless potential
The value of learning from more experienced people
How Matt helps athletes tap into their potential
What fuels Matt’s desire to help people succeed
The beginnings of Matt’s passion for helping children find families and homes
Heart leadership and why Matt focuses on helping younger adults
How Matt stays focused on his goals despite everyday life
The fear of regret and how it helped Matt transition from the corporate world to answer life’s calling
Dancing with your demons and how the willingness to share vulnerabilities forge deeper connections
Showing your humanity and what it means to be a strong leader

Episode 25: Be a Disaster AND a Master with Mahrukh Imtiaz

Life in the And

12/16/20 • 37 min

If you are the product of the five people you spend the most time with, then I am a product of Mahrukh Imtiaz. Mahrukh is part of my chosen family and, together with two others, we formed a group called Wednesday Wonders. By day, Mahrukh is the Project Manager for EY’s US Talent Specialist Team and a cricketer for the Canadian Women’s Cricket Team. But by night, she is a prolific content creator on TikTok. Mahrukh is dedicated to creating inspirational content that helps other people be the best version of themselves and the champions they want to be.

Mahrukh joins me today to describe the power of being a master and giving yourself permission to be a disaster. She shares what inspired her to start her journey as a content creator and explains why she chose to focus on TikTok over other social media platforms. She discusses what it means to NOT judge for your audience and highlights how she trains her brain to reframe anxiety into excitement. She also emphasizes the role of action in clarifying your life’s purpose and underscores the importance of sharing your story.

“Be a disaster AND a master at the same time. Having that mindset permits you to produce content without judging yourself.” - Mahrukh Imtiaz

This week on Life in the AND:

Taking control of your life and being open for what’s to come
Our tendency to expect results right away
Mahrukh’s TikTok journey and the importance of attention
What makes TikTok different from other social media platforms
The power of shifting your mindset towards allowing yourself to be imperfect
The impact of allowing yourself to become a master AND a disaster
How to be patient with the macro and hustle in the micro
My 90-day live journey and how you won’t know your message until you speak it
How imperfection can make you more relatable to people
The value of not judging for your audience
Training your brain to reframe anxiety into excitement and how they’re physiologically the same thing
The importance of sharing your perspective and story
How getting into action creates clarity and confidence in your life’s work
Beating worries over doing the wrong thing through having high intentions and low attachment to outcomes

FAQ

How many episodes does Life in the And have?

Life in the And currently has 38 episodes available.

What topics does Life in the And cover?

The podcast is about Entrepreneurship, Podcasts, Business and Careers.

What is the most popular episode on Life in the And?

The episode title '015 | AND It's Easy with Mike Harris' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Life in the And?

The average episode length on Life in the And is 30 minutes.

How often are episodes of Life in the And released?

Episodes of Life in the And are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Life in the And?

The first episode of Life in the And was released on Jul 2, 2020.

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Life in the And

Erin Baker

Top 10 Life in the And Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Life in the And have?

What topics does Life in the And cover?

What is the most popular episode on Life in the And?

What is the average episode length on Life in the And?

How often are episodes of Life in the And released?

When was the first episode of Life in the And?

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