On Becoming with Zeva Bellel

#31: Are Families An Art Form? (Solo Episode)

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 13:33:47 GMT

Hi, it’s Zeva—host of On Becoming and a native New Yorker turned Paris-based career coach for women navigating change and reinvention.

For this solo episode, I’m coming to you from upstate New York, where I’m wrapping up a month-long, multi-stop summer adventure that’s taken me from the sumptuous beaches of Hawaii to the buzzy freeways of LA, and finally into the quiet, meditative woods of the Catskills.

This extended pause has given me rare space and time to reflect on everything this season of On Becoming has offered so far. And in this solo episode, I’m doing what I love best: trying to unpack and connect the dots between the layers of wisdom shared by my brilliant guests and the conversations I’ve been having lately around midlife creativity.

This show was recorded without notes, without a script—and without any walls, actually. Just me, my mic, and my reflections from a screened-in porch in the woods.

What’s mentioned in this episode:

The unexpected link between family life and creativity that this long vacation revealed to me
A reflection on Dr. Galit Atlas and emotional inheritance and how what we unconsciously carry shapes our daily lives
Revisiting Robinne Lee and the workshop I led with one of my besties, sex therapist Dr. Rachel Mark, about fantasy, desire, and how we unintentionally police both
Liz Kimball on why creativity is not a project but a relationship you nurture—and how midlife might be the best time to do it
Ana Tajder on the creative chapters of a woman’s life, and why staying in touch with your curiosity matters
Mai Hua on emotional fluency as a form of connection and creative power

If any of these threads resonate, I’d love to hear from you. And if you’re catching up on the season, consider this your perfect summer reminder.

Connect with Me:

• Book a discovery call: www.zevabellel.com

• Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

• Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

• Leave a voice message: Speakpipe

Credits:

Artwork by Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing by Matthew Jordan

Music © Fabrice Fortin

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#30: Dr. Galit Atlas on the Creativity Hidden Inside Our Emotional Inheritance

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 07:59:06 GMT

There are things we inherit that are easy to name—eye color, recipes, family traditions. And then there are the things we inherit that no one talks about. The grief. The silence. The secrets. The patterns that show up in our relationships, our parenting, our choices, and our creativity, all without us fully understanding why. This is what Dr. Galit Atlas calls emotional inheritance: the unconscious transmission of trauma, desire, and unspoken narratives across generations.

About Dr Galit Atlas:

Dr. Atlas is a clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst, and faculty member at NYU’s Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times and academic journals around the world. Emotional Inheritance has been translated into 27 languages and become an international bestseller—for good reason. It helps people name what they’ve never had language for.

I’ve been wanting to talk to her for years, but I reached out now because I’ve been sitting with this question in my own life and in the lives of the women I work with:

What’s the connection between emotional excavation and creativity? Especially at midlife, when we feel a pull to become more ourselves—but often bump up against everything that’s unfinished, unspoken, or inherited. Galit helped me name something I hadn’t fully seen before: that creativity isn’t about making something new out of nothing. It’s about making new connections. It’s the act of looking at our own story—especially the fragmented or incomplete parts—and asking: What else might be true?

In this episode, we explore:

Why what we don’t know about our family may shape us more than what we do
What makes a secret a secret—and why that distinction matters
Why therapy mirrors creativity, and how both restore the capacity to connect
Why midlife is a powerful portal for this kind of transformation
And how breaking unconscious emotional contracts can unlock new agency, clarity, and aliveness

We also talk about Galit’s beautiful The Emotional Inheritance Workbook, a structured, compassionate, and profound tool for doing this work—alone or in partnership. I can’t recommend it enough! And Galit also give a sneak-preview of her next book, coming in 2027, which explores childhood wounds and adult love.

Connect with Me:

•Book a discovery call at www.zevabellel.com

•Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

•Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

•Leave me a voice message on Speakpipe

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#29: Ana Tajder on the Lessons Our Mothers Never Said Out Loud and How They Find Us at Midlife

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 10:52:40 GMT

Full disclosure: This episode almost didn’t make it to you. After our conversation, I got one of those dreaded error messages—my guest’s audio was supposedly damaged beyond repair. Which meant I had to do the unthinkable: ask her to re-record the whole thing. And not only was that a professional bummer, it felt like a crime. Because the conversation you’re about to hear was full of spontaneous, goosebump-inducing moments—those rare, honest sparks when something deeper comes through.

So yes, we did a backup recording (thank you, Ana, for your grace). But right before I sent the files off to my editor… I discovered the original audio—the one you’re about to hear—was perfectly intact. Don’t ask. Just thank the podcast gods.

Now, about my guest: Ana Tajder is a Croatian-born journalist, author, and host of the award-winning podcast Thank You, Mama, where she’s interviewed over 170 women from 80 countries about the lessons they learned from their mothers. She’s also the daughter of renowned Yugoslav actress and artist Jagoda Kaloper, a university lecturer in Vienna, and a two-time author whose work explores storytelling, sociology, and the cultural legacies passed down through the motherline.

I invited Ana on because—whether she knows it or not—she’s been quietly building what I’d call a doctorate in mother-daughter wisdom. I wanted to know: after all these conversations, what has she learned not just about our mothers, but about us? What resurfaces in women’s lives at midlife? What gets inherited, and what gets rewritten?

Ana’s story is extraordinary. She grew up with a fiercely independent, creative mother—and carries the legacy of a Croatian island ruled by “white widows,” badass women who held down entire communities while the men were gone. That matriarchal strength runs through this entire episode.

We talk about:

What actually gets passed down from mother to daughter—and what’s left unsaid
Why so many women were never taught to understand or care for their bodies
The shadow side of over-functioning and emotional self-sacrifice
The creative awakening that often begins at midlife
How women mother each other through storytelling, friendship, and witnessing
And Ana’s powerful realization that women across cultures are living out a kind of universal, archetypal life story—one with distinct phases we’re only just beginning to name

Connect with Me:

•Book a discovery call at www.zevabellel.com

•Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

•Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

•Leave me a voice message on Speakpipe

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin; Mai's photo bt Lyloutte Studio

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#28: Making the Most of the Creative Power of Intimacy in Midlife with Mai Hua

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 09:08:52 GMT

Mai Hua is a filmmaker, writer, color designer, and one of the most emotionally honest storytellers I know. Her work doesn’t just explore intimacy, it practices it.

Born in Paris to Vietnamese immigrant parents, Mai was raised to be pleasant, high-achieving, and accommodating. But one deceptively simple question from her then-boyfriend, now husband—“Tell me who you are”—pierced the surface. It cracked open everything she thought she was supposed to be. Her willingness to even try answering it became, in her words, "an act of love."

Mai has been on a creative and spiritual journey toward what she calls l’intime—“the inside of the inside.” Her groundbreaking documentary Les Rivières traced the hidden emotional inheritance of the women in her family. Her second film, Make Me a Man, co-created with her husband, the British psychotherapist, Jerry Hyde, brings viewers into men’s therapy groups where emotional truth is the only currency. Her upcoming project, May Day, follows a 12-day group therapy circle, continuing her exploration of what it means to live and love honestly. And on her top-rated Substack Tell Me Who You Are, she asks and explores the hard questions, in public, with vulnerability, laughter and grace.

In this conversation, we talk about:

Why l’intime is more powerful than identity
How telling someone who you are can be the ultimate act of love
The quiet safety that lives inside emotional truth
Why midlife is fertile ground for creative and spiritual freedom
How courage begins with speaking from the heart

Mai’s work invites us to find the courage to speak as close to the heart as your consciousness allows. After this conversation, I felt empowered to have some overdue conversations of my own. I hope it opens something for you too.

💫 Want to take this work deeper? Join me this June in Paris for Creative Camp—a five-day immersive designed to reignite your creative spark. Learn more at zevabellel.com/creative-camp

Connect with Me:

•Book a discovery call at www.zevabellel.com

•Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

•Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

•Leave me a voice message on Speakpipe

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin; Mai's photo bt Lyloutte Studio

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#27: Your Creativity: A Love Story with Liz Kimball

Thu, 29 May 2025 07:21:10 GMT

We tend to talk about creativity as something we have to do. Write that proposal. Complete that project. Perfect that performance. But what if we're completely missing the point of engaging with creativity? What if creativity isn’t something to manipulate and master, but more like a living, breathing relationship that just wants some genuine TLC? Like any of the meaningful relationships we check in on regularly. (e.g. Hey, what’s up? How are you? What’s going on? What do you need? Can I give you a hug?)

And what if our creativity in midlife—more than at any other stage in life, perhaps—is especially about dropping our incessant desire to control the outcome? And instead, just about showing up. With no expectations. Just a willingness to be curious, to listen, and to see what's cooking.

That creative reframe is at the core of my conversation today with Liz Kimball—a creative catalyst, transformational coach, and visionary thinker whose work lives at the intersection of imagination, embodiment, and identity. Liz doesn’t just coach women to “get things done.” She helps them reimagine the creative process as a living relationship with their voice, their purpose, and their future self.

About Liz:

Liz grew up in a deeply artistic home and began dancing seriously at a very young age. Ballet became her creative container. A space where she poured years of discipline and devotion into the pursuit of excellence. Everything seemed mapped out for a professional career in performance, until one day, in a moment of radical clarity (which she shares in her TEDx talk), she walked away. That choice unraveled everything and sparked something entirely new. Today, Liz is the founder of The Creative 15 and The Expansion Project. Her work has been featured on Oprah.com, The Guggenheim, and more. With an MFA and a CPC certification, she helps women birth the great work of their lives, not just the external projects, but the truest version of themselves.

In this episode we explore:

When goals become cages instead of containers
The myths that block women from creative freedom
The difference between creative output and creative intimacy
Why “too much time” is exactly what women need to fully express themselves
Practical tools to nurture a creative practice that feels alive.

💫 Want to take this work deeper? Join me this June in Paris for Creative Camp—a five-day immersive designed to reignite your creative spark. Learn more at zevabellel.com/creative-camp

Connect with Me:

•Book a discovery call at www.zevabellel.com

•Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

•Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

•Leave me a voice message on Speakpipe

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#26: Where Are You on the Midlife Spectrum? (Solo Episode)

Thu, 15 May 2025 12:04:22 GMT

I was originally going to publish a conversation this week. It was all recorded and ready to go but I had so many dots that needed connecting that I had to grab the mic and record a solo episode to try to make sense of things. What’s been bubbling up for me as I rip open and explore this season’s theme—creativity at midlife—is whether this phase of life is truly age-specific… or something more nuanced. Something broader. Like a spectrum.

There have been moments in my life—applying to colleges, being pregnant, first moving to Paris—that felt so immersive and all-consuming, I couldn’t take in anything else. Surprisingly, midlife feels the same, and I want to understand why.

In this episode, I explore that question through a few key touchpoints:

Why Gen X’s midlife feels so saturated with analog nostalgia—and what that means for our creative urges now.
Whether these questions of reinvention and identity are universal, or uniquely tied to a particular cohort of women.
Annie Ernaux, obsession, and the idea of turning your life into a “work of art” and what that says about this moment.
Glennon Doyle’s controversial departure from Substack and why it feels like a midlife flex.
The real voice of intuition and why it doesn't come with an elaborate bullet point list of explanations, even though we'd love it to.
And why being a creative beginner at midlife isn’t just about picking up new hobbies and crafts—it’s also about being novices at things that are hard to explore and do (eg. setting boundaries, claiming desires, having conversations we'd like to avoid.)

I also share something I’ve been building quietly behind the scenes: Creative Camp—a new series of in-person events in Paris to help you reignite your creative energy, reconnect with parts of yourself that have gone quiet, and say yes to being bad at something new. It very much ties it with a new term I learned from Chip Conley called "type 2 fun"—the kind that feels awkward or uncertain in the moment but leaves you changed, glowing, and deeply alive in hindsight.

So here’s the question I’ll leave you with today:

Where are you on the midlife spectrum?
And more importantly—what’s quietly calling to you from the next place?

Spots at Creative Camp are limited, and they’re already filling, so come get yours!

Connect with Me:

•Book a discovery call at www.zevabellel.com

•Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

•Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

•Leave me a voice message on Speakpipe

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#25: Robinne Lee on Erotic Intelligence, Artistic Risk & the Creative Heat of Midlife

Thu, 01 May 2025 11:20:29 GMT

This season we’re exploring creativity in midlife. That electric, unpredictable, often inconvenient force that resurfaces just as everything else in your life is demanding your attention. For many women, this chapter brings a hunger to express, create, and feel deeply… even while navigating brain fog, hot flashes, insomnia, or a sneaky sense that time is running out. What happens when your creativity doesn’t quiet down, but starts to boil up? Enter my guest today, Robinne Lee.

About Robinne Lee:

Robinne is a Jamaican-Chinese writer, actress, and producer, a graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School. She’s spent the past three decades building an impressive career in film and television, with standout roles in Hitch, Seven Pounds, 13 Going on 30, Being Mary Jane, and the Fifty Shades franchise. But she’s perhaps best known today as the author of the breakout novel The Idea of You—an international bestseller, translated into over a dozen languages, and adapted into an Amazon Studios movie starring Anne Hathaway. She’s currently working on her anxiously awaited second novel, due out in 2026.

If you don’t already know the book, here’s the premise: a nearly 40-year-old single mom and art gallerist unexpectedly falls into a passionate relationship with the 20-year-old lead singer of the world’s biggest boy band. Yes, it’s erotically delicious. But it’s also a daring, tender, and deeply honest exploration of what it means to feel alive, desirous, and sexually empowered at midlife—a time when society often expects women to shrink and fade.

In our conversation, we dive into:

How Paris—with its beauty, history, and seasonal sensuality—awakens her curiosity and creativity.
Why fantasy isn’t just escapism, but a portal to our hidden, electric selves
How Robinne developed a deep understanding of intimacy and seduction, long before living it out
How writing about the complexity of women’s lives is a quiet act of rebellion
And how midlife sharpens our hunger to live fully, unapologetically, right now

We also get into the audiobook version of The Idea of You (which Robinne narrates herself). It’s masterful—she inhabits the characters of Solène and Hayes so completely, it’s like being inside the story with them. Honestly, if you’re tempted to skip the book and just watch the movie… don’t. Listen to the audiobook. Trust me.

And if today’s subject stirs something in you—if you’re feeling your own creative fire asking for space—just remember: this is the work I support my clients with through my coaching practice.

Connect with Me:

•Book a discovery call at www.zevabellel.com

•Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

•Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

•Leave me a voice message on Speakpipe

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#24 How the Female Brain Rewires at Midlife with Dr. Sarah McKay

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 10:49:24 GMT

This season, we’re diving into something deeply personal, often misunderstood, and wildly powerful: creativity for women in midlife. The theme is inspired by my own observations and the voices of so many women I've worked with as a women's empowerment coach. There’s a narrative tension in this chapter of life: a deep, almost primal hunger to make, express, and reinvent… right alongside physical symptoms like brain fog, emotional reactivity, night sweats, anxious insomnia, and a creeping sense that you’re not as fired up as you used to be. You wonder: What the heck is going on inside of me? What do I need to express—and why is it so hard to get it out? Add in the cultural messaging that a woman’s midlife brain is in decline, and you’ve got a potent mix of doubt, confusion, and disconnection from your power.

So I wanted to begin this season with something grounding. Not just inspiration—but the science. The “under the hood” truth of how our brains evolve as we do. To help us, I’m joined by Dr. Sarah McKay, a neuroscientist, author, speaker, and unapologetic brain nerd, who’s spent the last decade unpacking the wildly misunderstood world of women’s brain health.

About Dr. Sarah McKay:

Dr. McKay is an Oxford-educated neuroscientist who lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, where she writes, teaches and translates brain science into real-world tools for clinicians, coaches, and curious minds. Her books include:The Women’s Brain Book (2018) second edition due September 2025); Baby Brain (2023), on how pregnancy and motherhood rewire the brain for the better; Brain Health For Dummies (2025). And she also gave a TEDx talk on the power of naps—a woman after my own heart.

Sarah’s journey began with a viral blog post on “baby brain.” Instead of brushing off the stereotype, she got curious. That spark turned into a decade-long exploration of how the female brain transforms across life stages—from matrescence to menopause. When she started researching menopause and the brain, it was niche—barely a blip in mainstream science. Now? It’s everywhere. And Sarah helped lead the way.What makes her work powerful is how she breaks the science down—dissecting, decoding, and making it useful. She shines light on what’s long been hidden, creating a hunger for understanding, agency, and more.

In this conversation:

We explore what really happens to the brain during hormonal transitions—not the myths, but the messy, magical, science-backed truth.
We talk matrescence, connection, sleep, and why midlife might be your most creatively fertile season yet.
Why midlife isn’t a crisis but a creative recalibration
The truth about hormones
The neurological shift of motherhood
Sleep as a creative superpower
Social connection as brain medicine
How purpose and play keep the brain alive

So, whether you’re foggy, fired up, or somewhere in between, this episode will reframe how you see your midlife mind—not as decline, but creative rebirth.

Connect with Me:

•Book a discovery call at www.zevabellel.com

•Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

•Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

•Leave me a voice message on Speakpipe

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#23 Why Midlife Might Be Your Most Creative Chapter Yet: A Manifest-Sode to Kick Off Season 4

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 12:17:30 GMT

Hey there, it’s Zeva Bellel—career and leadership coach for women—and I’m thrilled to welcome you to Season 4 of On Becoming.

This season, we’re diving headfirst into a topic that’s been stirring in my heart, in my coaching work, and in nearly every honest conversation I’ve had with women lately:

Midlife and the Creative Reckoning.

If Season 3 was about how women lead, Season 4 is about what fuels that leadership—and for many of us, it’s creativity.

But I’m not talking about creativity in the narrow, elite, paint-in-a-studio sense. I’m talking about creativity as life force. As inner knowing. As rebellion. As a return to the wildest, most vital parts of who we are.

In this season, I’m exploring what happens when women at midlife feel the creative urge rising, and how many of us have lost the map to our own expression.

Here’s what you can expect this season:

Intimate conversations with extraordinary women—artists, coaches, storytellers, culture-makers—who are reimagining what it means to live, lead, and create in midlife.
Juicy solo episodes where I’ll dig into topics like creative shame, desire, fantasy, self-trust, and the cultural conditioning that keeps women small.
A peek behind the curtain of my own creative reckoning—and what I’ve learned from coaching women through theirs.

We’ll wrestle with questions like:

🎨 What happens when we stop expressing ourselves creatively?

🌀 Why do so many women feel a quiet ache for “more”—but have no idea where to start?

🔥 How do we move through the fear, shame, and perfectionism that block our creative power?

🌿 What’s the link between creativity, vitality, and personal agency in midlife?

And we’ll hold tight to this truth from Clarissa Pinkola Estés:

“A woman’s creative ability is her most valuable asset, for it gives outwardly and it feeds her inwardly at every level—psychic, spiritual, mental, emotive, and economic.”

If you’ve ever felt the hum of something inside you asking to be heard, expressed, made real—this season is for you.

Midlife isn’t a dead end. It’s your next masterpiece in motion.

So subscribe, follow the show, and share this episode with someone who needs a creative jolt. You’ll want to be part of what’s coming: powerful conversations, creative experiments (yes, a creative camp is happening!), and a collective reclaiming of the parts of ourselves we’re finally ready to honor.

—

Connect with Me:

•Book a discovery call at www.zevabellel.com

•Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

•Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

•Leave me a voice message on Speakpipe

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#22: Grab 'em by the power: Reflections on a season of fierce feminine leadership (solo episode)

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:18:48 GMT

This is a solo episode—a personal reflection on the biggest insights, toughest truths, and most electrifying moments from this season on fierce female leadership. When I started this season, I wanted to peel back the curtain on women’s power—to understand the unique ways we lead, the gifts we bring, and the impact we make when we show up fully. The moment felt hopeful. Kamala Harris had a real shot at sitting in the most powerful seat on the planet. But now, just a few months later, the backlash against women in leadership is intensifying and the exhaustion is real.

So, as this season comes to a close, I want to pause and reflect—not just on what we learned, but on the one question I keep coming back to:

How do we nurture and grow our unique power—and use it for the collective good—when the world seems dead set on stopping us?

I connect the dots between my guests’ powerful stories and this cultural reckoning:

Rha Goddess on why women are wired for collective power—and why that threatens traditional leadership models.
Ida Tin on redefining leadership by centering women’s health and creating systemic change.
Cindy Gallop on rejecting the male gaze, reimagining power, and breaking outdated systems.
Colleen Curtis on emotional intelligence as a strategic advantage, not a liability.
Jessi Klein on expanding our definition of power—because sometimes, the strongest thing we can do is simply endure.
Anna Polonsky on leading with authenticity, and why embracing softness can be an act of radical strength.

And I dig into the core themes that emerged this season:

•The ways women are wired for collective power—and why that threatens outdated leadership structures

•Why emotional intelligence is not a soft skill but a strategic advantage

•The tension between ambition and backlash—and how we redefine success on our terms

•The hard truth about women hurting other women in leadership—and why that’s not the full story

•The power of embodied intelligence—how women’s lived experiences shape innovation, leadership, and creativity.

Connect with Me:

•Book a discovery call at www.zevabellel.com

•Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

•Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

•Leave me a voice message on Speakpipe

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#21 Ida Tin: The Mother of Femtech on Why Healing Women Means Healing the World

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 13:09:03 GMT

What does feminine energy look like in tech, one of the most masculine sectors in the world? This week on On Becoming, I’m joined by Ida Tin, the visionary Danish entrepreneur demonstrating what leadership and innovation looks like with feminine intelligence at its center. Ida is the co-founder and former CEO of Clue, the groundbreaking menstrual health app used by millions, and the creator of the term “femtech,” a $28 billion industry transforming women’s health and lives globally. Since leaving her post as CEO of Clue, Ida’s written a book about her entrepreneurial journey and has recently launched Femtech Assembly, a think tank that explores the link between Femtech, economy and planetary health.

Ida’s story is as bold and unconventional as the solutions she’s built. Growing up on motorcycles, traveling the world with her family, she witnessed firsthand how childbirth and childcare profoundly shaped women’s futures. These experiences sparked a question that would guide her life’s work: What if we created tools that truly supported women—on their terms?

In a tech world dominated by linear, competitive, masculine energy, Ida offers a radical counterpoint. Her approach is cyclical, relational, and deeply intuitive, drawing on the intelligence that comes from living in a woman’s body. Ida challenges the cultural blindness toward women’s needs and shows us what’s possible when we innovate from a place of connection, care, and inclusion.

In this episode, we explore:

•The profound connection between women’s health and planetary health—and why empowering women could save the global economy $1 trillion every year.

•How Ida’s global travels shaped her mission to build Clue and pioneer the femtech movement.

•What feminine leadership looks like in action—grounded in cycles, intuition, and emotional intelligence—and why the world needs it now more than ever.

•How to move past fear and radically reimagine systems that include and serve everyone.

Ida’s story is not just inspiring; it’s urgent. She reminds us that breaking the silence around women’s health is revolutionary work—that it’s not just about individual empowerment but about transforming systems, economies, and ecosystems.

Ida’s story will leave you inspired to think differently about leadership, bold enough to tap into your own unique wisdom, and hopeful about what’s possible when we center women’s voices and needs in our world.

Links and mentions:

Connect with Me:

•Book a discovery call at www.zevabellel.com

•Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

•Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

•Leave me a voice message on Speakpipe

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#20 Colleen Curtis: The Art of Leading When You’re Breaking Inside

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 10:06:11 GMT

What does it take to lead with heart—even when it's shattered into smithereens? In this episode of On Becoming, I sit down with Colleen Curtis, a powerhouse in community leadership and a woman who’s redefined what it means to lead with a strong back, and soft heart.

Colleen was my boss for four years at Yelp, and she’s the one who had to let me go during a massive company-wide layoff back in 2016. But here’s the thing: I don’t just respect her—I absolutely adore her. Because the way she handled that impossible moment taught me what true leadership looks like: thoughtful, human, and deeply invested in the people she serves.

Over her impressive career—from rising to VP at Yelp to leading community at The Mom Project, Miro, and now Reddit—Colleen has championed the idea that community isn’t just a buzzword. It’s about creating spaces where people can connect around a common interest or cause and "become the best versions of themselves." Whether it’s writing LinkedIn testimonials for laid-off team members or rallying her network with “Let’s Get People Hired” campaigns, Colleen has never stopped building bridges and empowering others to step into their full potential.

What We’ll Explore:

How to balance empathy and decisiveness when faced with the hardest leadership moments.
The messy middle of career pivots, and how falling flat can lead to a better path.
What truly separates a community from an audience.
The power of women’s natural inclination for care and connection as a leadership strength.
Learning the liberating power of saying no as a lifelong people pleaser.

Questions to Consider:

•What does leadership with heart and humanity look like in your life?

•How do you create community in a way that fosters true connection and belonging?

•What role does self-realization play in your professional and personal growth, and who's supporting you on that journey?

Colleen’s story will inspire you to think differently about leadership—how you show up when things get messy, how you balance strength with softness, and how you create spaces that lift others up. If you’ve ever wondered how to turn tough moments into transformative growth—for yourself and the people around you—this is the episode for you.

Connect with Me:

•Book a discovery call at www.zevabellel.com

•Subscribe to my Substack: On Becoming

•Email me: zeva@zevabellel.com

•Leave me a voice message on Speakpipe

P.S. If you love this episode, share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review, or drop me a line. I love hearing from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#19: The Power of Women Isn’t the Problem—Our Fear of It Is (Solo Episode)

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 09:39:01 GMT

What happens when empowerment is only half the equation? In this season dedicated to the feminine edge of leadership, a sobering reality hit me post-election: empowering women is vital, but what about the work needed to address the fears that keep men (and women!) from embracing strong female leaders? In this solo episode of On Becoming, I’m diving into the silent fears, old narratives, and cultural barriers that keep true gender equality at bay. We’ll explore how stories—whether in advertising, literature, or personal relationships—can shape a culture where power isn’t a zero-sum game but something we all benefit from sharing. Along the way, I’ll unpack lessons from coaching, insights from historians, and even a viral ad that flips gender stereotypes on their head.

What We’ll Explore:

What I accidentally unearthed as the #1 fear holding women back from expressing themselves & their power fully.
Why equality often feels threatening to men—and how we can address those fears without judgment.
How storytelling, from midlife feminist memoirs to ad campaigns, can challenge deeply held beliefs about power and gender.

Questions to Consider:

What unconscious fears or beliefs have shaped how you think about power and equality?
What kind of stories do we need to create a world where equality doesn’t feel like a threat, but an opportunity?

Links and Mentions:

Connect with me:

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin; Photo: Virginie Faucher

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#18: Jessi Klein: On Motherhood, Midlife, and Why You’re Not the Only One Losing It

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 14:11:49 GMT

What happens when life doesn’t call for a hero, but a sense of humor? In this episode of On Becoming, I’m joined by Jessi Klein—Emmy-winning writer, comedian, and one of the funniest people I know—to remind us that sometimes, survival isn’t about grand heroics but finding humor in the middle of motherhood, midlife, and all the “what in the actual f*ck” moments we never saw coming. In a time when women’s rights and bodies are still up for debate (and sometimes outright denial), Jessi shows us how laughter can be our greatest tool for resilience, connection, and yes, even protest.

About Jessi Klein:

Jessi Klein is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning writer, comedian, and producer known for her work on Inside Amy Schumer, Big Mouth, and Dead to Me. She’s also the author of two bestselling books, You’ll Grow Out of It and I’ll Show Myself Out, where she brings the unvarnished, laugh-out-loud truths about womanhood to the page.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

•The quiet courage it takes to stay present through motherhood’s hardest moments, and why Jessi calls it the “ultimate hero’s journey.”

•How Jessi uses humor to confront the emotional shifts of midlife and keep herself grounded (or at least laughing) through it.

•Why unfiltered storytelling about womanhood—complete with underwear sandwiches and other intimate details—helps us connect over experiences we rarely share.

•Her journey to realizing that comedy is more than just jokes—it’s a powerful way to make people feel less alone.

As you listen, consider these questions:

•How might laughter help you face the big, messy challenges in your own life?

•What would it mean to see your own struggles as a hero’s journey, where the courage lies in just showing up, day after day?

•How can humor help us feel less alone in the experiences we usually keep quiet about?

Links and Mentions:

•You’ll Grow Out of It, I’ll Show Myself Out

•Jessi's IG

Connect with me:

•Book a discovery call

•Subscribe to my Substack

•Leave a message on Speakpipe

•Follow me on Instagram

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin; Photo: Virginie Faucher

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#17: Cindy Gallop: Why the World Needs a Female Rewrite on Sex, Power and Payment Systems.

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 13:15:40 GMT

What happens when you stop playing by the world’s rules and start living unapologetically on your own terms? For my next guest on On Becoming, it’s not about “breaking the rules”—it’s about smashing the outdated systems that were never built for us in the first place. Whether she’s rethinking how we view sex, reshaping power dynamics, or fighting to overhaul outdated payment systems, Cindy is rewriting the world through a female lens. In this episode, Cindy opens up about her radical journey from the male-dominated world of advertising to becoming a pioneering voice in sextech, and why she believes the world will be a better place when it’s 50-50 equally led, managed, and designed by women.

About Cindy Gallop:

Cindy Gallop is a British-Chinese entrepreneur, advertising veteran, and fearless leader in the fight for sex positivity and gender equality. After founding the U.S. office of ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) in 1998, she went on to win Advertising Woman of the Year in 2003. Her career took a major pivot after a TED Talk in 2009 that went viral, launching her groundbreaking platform MakeLoveNotPorn, which promotes real, consensual sex as a counter-narrative to mainstream porn. But MakeLoveNotPorn is just the start. Cindy’s ecosystem has grown to include MakeLoveNotPorn Academy for sex education, a FinTech solution to ensure fair payment systems for sextech businesses, and an ad tech platform for ethical advertising. She’s even working on an AI tool to visualize and model real consent—something the world desperately needs!

In this episode, we’ll explore:

•The birth of MakeLoveNotPorn and how dating younger men casually opened Cindy’s eyes to the real impact of porn as sex education.

•Why she’s pushing for a 50-50 world where women lead, manage, and design systems of power.

•The roadblocks Cindy faces trying to fund MakeLoveNotPorn and how she’s tackling systemic barriers with radical solutions.

•Why Cindy believes that open, honest conversations about sex can change everything from relationships to power dynamics in the workplace.

• Why Cindy’s recipe for self-care will make every married mom weep with envy. :)

This conversation is not just about sex or power—it’s about flipping the system, breaking down barriers, and living unapologetically in a world designed through a female lens.

Links and mentions:

•Cindy’s Instagram

•MakeLoveNotPorn

•WeFundHer

Connect with me:

•Book a discovery call

•Subscribe to my Substack

•Leave a message on Speakpipe

•Follow me on Instagram

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin; Photo: Virginie Faucher

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#16: Solo Episode: Is Your Environment Nurturing or Neglecting Your Growth?

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 09:43:22 GMT

In this special solo episode of On Becoming, I dive into a topic that’s been on my mind lately: the environments we choose to live, work, and grow in. Are they nurturing us, helping us thrive and evolve? Or are they neglecting our growth, keeping us stuck in places we’ve outgrown?

After a transformative retreat in the South of France, I began reflecting on how the spaces we surround ourselves with—from our homes to our workplaces to our broader communities—play a crucial role in shaping our development. I share stories from my own journey, from Vassar College in upstate New York to my life in Paris, and how each environment either nurtured my voice or constrained it.

In this episode, I explore:

•How the environments you choose impact your personal and professional growth

•The difference between nurturing and neglecting spaces

•How to identify when your space no longer supports your evolution

•Practical tips to start shifting your environment, one small step at a time

Why listen:

•If you feel like your environment no longer supports your growth

•If you want to learn how small shifts in your space can lead to big changes in your life

•If you’re curious about how environments impact leadership, creativity, and personal evolution

•If you want to hear personal stories of transformation with actionable insights to create change

Listen now and explore how the spaces you choose can unlock your potential.

Links and mentions:

Madame de la Maison's The Good Life Retreat

Vassar College

Episode #15 with Rha Goddess

My Vision Board Workshops

Connect with me:

Book a discovery call
Subscribe to my substack
Leave a message: speakpipe.com/onbecoming
Follow me on Instagram

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin; Photo: Virginie Faucher

PS: Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode far and wide!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#15: Rha Goddess: Leading with Joy and Empowering Women’s Strengths in Leadership

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:37:26 GMT

What does it take to finally start listening to yourself? For some of my clients, their wake-up calls have come via the creeping signs of burnout, increasingly frequent panic attacks on their daily commutes to the office, or even and cracked rib from a slip down the stairwell during a rare vacation break! But for my next guest on On Becoming, it took something far more sudden and terrifying: a near-death experience that erased any room for doubt. In this episode, Rha Goddess opens up about what that terrifying moment taught her about trusting her inner voice, leaning into joy as power, and embracing women’s hidden strengths.

About Rha Goddess:

Rha Goddess is a soul coach, speaker, author, and CEO/Founder of Move The Crowd, a leadership collective that guides entrepreneurs, cultural creatives, and change-makers to find their purpose, make money, and do good. She’s coached some of today’s most influential figures—Gabby Bernstein, Reshma Saujani, and even Halla Tómasdóttir, the new President of Iceland. She’s the author of the bestselling book The Calling: 3 Fundamental Shifts to Stay True, Get Paid, and Do Good and has delivered a TED Talk titled “4 Ways to Redefine Power at Work to Include Women of Color." She’s currently working on her next book, The Great Renegotiation, which explores how we’re all redefining our relationship with work in a post-pandemic world.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

Rha’s near-death experience: How it completely transformed her ability to trust herself and the universe.
Women’s hidden strengths: Rha reveals why compassion, intuition, and community—traits often labeled “soft”—are the very skills the world needs right now.
Joy as a source of power: Rha explains how choosing joy can revolutionize the way we lead and live.
Move The Crowd: Learn how her community helps individuals align their work with their purpose to create real impact.
Vassar days: We take a nostalgic trip back to our shared time at Vassar College, reflecting on how it shaped our journeys of self-discovery.

This episode is about listening, trusting, and leaning into the joy that makes us whole and ties beautifully into this season's theme of peering into the blueprints of successful women leaders to understand how they do power differently.

Links:

Connect with me:

Book a discovery call
Subscribe to my substack
Leave a message: speakpipe.com/onbecoming
Follow me on Instagram

PS: Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode far and wide!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#14 Anna Polonsky: Building Iconic Brands Through Relationships and Creative Collaboration

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 09:22:57 GMT

Ever wonder what it looks like to lead with intuition and softness while revolutionizing an entire industry—all by age 36?

In this episode, I chat with the remarkable Anna Polonsky, the French founder of the NYC-based branding and design agency, Polonsky & Friends. Anna and I first met in Paris in 2010, when I tried to recruit her to build Yelp’s Paris community. She politely declined, as she was about to embark on her next big adventure: launching Le Fooding in the USA. This project would go on to redefine how we experience food, blending it with art, culture, and community in ways that had never been done before.

Since then, Anna’s career has skyrocketed. She co-founded MP Shift, where she pioneered the concept of 360-degree hospitality branding, helping to create some of the most iconic restaurant brands. Her work earned her a coveted James Beard Award for restaurant design and a spot on Forbes’ prestigious 30 Under 30 list. Now, with her latest venture Polonsky & Friends, Anna and her growing team focus on mission-driven projects, collaborating with some of the world’s most innovative chefs and food brands.

In this episode, Anna opens up about breaking away from conventional paths, her gift for turning restaurants into brands, and how she leads with intuition and softness. It’s a masterclass in trusting your gut, knowing when to pivot, and leading with heart.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

Why Anna followed her heart to New York instead of the traditional post-grandes écoles path.
How living abroad turbocharged her entrepreneurial ambitions.
The cultural differences of doing business in America vs. France.
The rise of restaurant branding and how Anna pioneered this trend.
Her journey from MP Shift to Polonsky & Friends, and why she felt the need to pivot.
How intuition, relationships, and collaboration are at the core of her leadership style.
Why softness and creativity have been key to her success in transforming the industry.

This conversation ties beautifully into our show’s theme of peering into the blueprints of successful women leaders to understand how they do power differently—how they lead with softness, intuition, curiosity, and a focus on collective success.

Links and mentions:

•Polonsky & Friends

•Le Fooding

•Deligram Newsletter

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin

Want to get in touch?

Book a free discovery call or leave me a message speak pipe.com/onbecoming.

You can also sign-up to my Substack and follow me on Instagram @zevabellel

Don’t forget to subscribe and share the podcast, and leave a 5-star review.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Becoming Season Three (Trailer)

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 09:03:23 GMT

Hey there, it’s Zeva Bellel, career and leadership coach for women, and I’m excited to welcome you to Season 3 of On Becoming!

This season, we’re diving into something that comes up again and again in my coaching sessions: the unique ways women lead—reshaping power, influence, and leadership both professionally and personally. With a woman in the race for the White House, there’s no better time to dig into this!

In Season 3, we’re peeling back the layers of how accomplished women, from a multitude of sectors, lead in their own revolutionary ways, far beyond the old-school models.

Get ready to hear from a spectacular lineup of guests: trailblazers in social activism, neuroscience, design, femtech, entertainment, and even… wait for it… pornography! Yep, we’re leaving no stone unturned. These women are rewriting the rules and shattering ceilings in the most refreshing and bold ways.

Here’s what you can expect this season:

Real conversations with women who lead differently—embracing intuition, empathy, and curiosity.
Stories from across the globe—we’re talking multicultural experiences that redefine what leadership looks like in today’s world.
Practical takeaways on how to step into your own authentic leadership style.

We’ll explore juicy questions like:

How to navigate professional ambition without losing personal fulfilment?
How to overcome insecurity, fear and doubt while maintaining your course?
How and when to trust your gut, even when it means giving up a good thing?
What strategies work best for building inclusive and empowering spaces for others?

If you’ve ever wondered how successful women lead with authenticity, empathy, intuition, and a healthy dose of rebellion, this season will leave you inspired, motivated, and hungry for more.

Season 3 kicks off on September 12th, so mark your calendars, tell your friends, and get ready to plug in those earbuds for some seriously game-changing conversations.

Make sure to subscribe, follow the show, and don’t miss a single episode. Trust me, you’ll want to be part of this one! 💥

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#13: Melissa Unger: Embracing Life’s Messy, Ugly and In-Between Moments

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 12:21:06 GMT

Every day I hear from women who feel stuck. As a coach, my job is to help them release what’s holding them back, and get them moving forward. This conversation altered my perspective on "stuck." A word that our culture patholgizes. “Quick, let’s fix the problem!" This conversation reframes growth, suggesting there’s a lot to celebrate in the fallow, neutral space of a woman’s life, when a metamorphosis is happening out of view. And yet this liminal, in-between phase can be terrifying, especially if we’re prone to overachieving the heck out of life, tackling one ambitious goal after another, like the guest of my program did for most of her 56-years.

About Melissa Unger:

Melissa Unger is a Brooklyn-based, Franco-American author, artist and creative director. In 2011, she founded Seymour Projects, a collaborative initiative devoted to nurturing human consciousness in a world increasingly dominated by technology. Over the course of her 30+ year career, she’s worked with many renowned organizations including Tribeca Productions, The Ad Council, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, artnet, and the Creative Growth Art Center. Early in her career she was also the personal assistant to Robert De Niro and Daniel Day Lewis! Melissa and her projects have been featured in The Huffington Post, Die Zeit, ELLE Magazine, Le Monde, El Pais, and New York Magazine. Her visual art has been exhibited in various art spaces, as well as featured on a variety of products. She’s a member of the Intentional Spaces/NeuroArts, Kinnernet and DLD communities and a participant in evolutionary behavioral scientist Tamás Dávid-Barrett’s discussion group Human Beast.

Highlights of of conversation include:

Why our society pathologizes inertia
Why the in-bewteen feels so icky when you’re in it
Moving from mind over to body driven intentions
How capiltalism perpetuates the feeling of “not enough”
Identity shifts after moving home after a decade in France
Why fallow is a fertile phase of invisible growth
Embracing all emotions, like a full color palette
How art and creativity impact personal growth
The power of intentional spaces and neuroaesthetics
The importance of feeling heard and understood when you’re wired differently

Links:

Melissa's IG

Website

Gag

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin

Want to get in touch with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call or leave me a message speak pipe.com/onbecoming.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#12: Lili Barbery-Coulon: Walking with Our Wounds

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 11:59:05 GMT

Today's guest is Lili Barbery-Coulon, one of the most influential and prolific voices in wellbeing and personal development in France today. She's a published author, yoga & meditation teacher, podcaster, blogger and soon-to-be novelist. She's kind of the Oprah of France (but don't tell her I said so).

Lili and I met back in the early 2000s when she was a PR at the Paris concept store, Colette, and I was a beauty journalist. Our friendship was born over beauty samples and press releases, but has matured into a collaborative camaraderie and mutual cheerleading squad. Beyond our friendship, I know her through my coaching clients who admire her voice and talent, but who have a glorified vision of her journey. The price? Their comparison syndrome limits their own ambitions. My aim here is to complete Lili's portrait—not just showcasing the inspiring and luminous aspects, but the challenging and uncomfortable facets that she rarely explores publicly.

About Lili:

Lili began her career in PR before becoming a journalist for Vogue France and later M magazine at Le Monde. In 2010, she launched, Ma Récréation (which later became Lilibarbery.com), where she writes delicious essays to an audience of tens of thousands. In 2018, she published, Pimp My Breakfast; in 2019, La Réconciliation; and in 2021, she collaborated with her artist husband, Bastien Coulon, on "L’Oracle des Mantras," published in French and English. During the COVID quarantine, she gave live meditations on Instagram and her popularity shot through the roof, leading to her own yoga and meditation channel, Lilibarbery.TV and the Lili Barbery podcast.

Tune in to to hear about:

Lili's early years as an avid writer and "blogger" before her time.
The self-doubt she faced when launching her blog in 2010.
How she handles criticism and the fear of being judged.
How she deals with persistent "Am I good enough?" insecurities as a yoga teacher.
Identifying when she's creating from a fear of lack, rather than joy.
Finding balance between vulnerability and self-protection on social media.
The impact of intergenerational trauma.
Learning to accept, rather than trying to fix, old wounds.

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin

Want to get in touch with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call or leave me a message speak pipe.com/onbecoming.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#11: Cyrielle Thomas: Bringing French Terroir to Japanese Tea Tourism

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 08:55:31 GMT

My guest today is someone who's weathered the storm of change right alongside me. Back in 2016, Cyrielle Thomas and I got laid off (with 200 other colleagues) from our beloved jobs at Yelp. As her hiring manager, I was honestly concerned for her future. I knew she'd get snatched up in a second (which she did, by UberEats and later Airbnb), but I feared she'd never find a position that lit her up as much, as her community manager role did with Yelp.

Well, boy was I wrong! Not only did she find her footing, she used all of her local-loving, community-building, connection-making wisdom to brew up a whole new tourism genre, one that, quite literally, fits her to a "T." (sorry for the puns, I can't help myself)

About Cyrielle Thomas:

Born in France and raised in Africa, Cyrielle Thomas moved back to France at 18 but felt like a stranger in her home country. After experimenting briefly with medical studies she moved to Bordeaux to get her marketing masters at INSEEC. In 2013, she joined Yelp to oversee all local community and marketing efforts in Bordeaux. After Yelp closed its international marketing division, she launched UberEats, and then Airbnb "Experiences" in Bordeaux. In 2017, she discovered the world of Japanese tea but was frustrated by how difficult it was to find and connect with the best tea and producers and businesses. Inspired by wine tourism in France, she came up with the idea for Dokocha, the first tea tourism platform in Japan, making her the first female foreign entrepreneur in the tea tourism industry in Japan. In 2020 she moved to Fukuoka, Japan (Bordeaux's twin city), where she oversees a team of ten to grow Dokocha and its sister company, Digitomenu.

In our delicious conversation we cover:

Cyrielle's upbringing in Cameroon and how that shaped her outlook.
Why coming back to France was a shock to her system.
How she manifested landing her dream job at Yelp.
What was holding her back from succeeding at Yelp.
How our "special 1:1 time" together freed her to embrace risk.
What her experiences at Yelp, Airbnb and Uber taught her about entrepreneurialism.
How she fell in love with Japanese tea.
How she came up with the idea for her tea tourism company.
What she did after every single French bank rejected her.
Why she decided to relocate to Japan to build her business.
Facing gender bias and overcoming stereotypes as a female founder.

Links and mentions:

https://www.dokocha.com/

https://digitomenu.com/en/

Bossypants (the book I gave her that she keeps on her desk)

To leave Zeva a voice message with feedback/questions:

Speak Pipe

Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Music © Fabrice Fortin

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#10: Caroline Wachsmuth: Finding Stability And Wellness Amid Impermanence

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:30:52 GMT

The illusion of permanence can be blinding as we shift and grow. In our search for long-lasting security, we overlook our very human need to evolve, experiment and explore the unknown. What I've discovered is that fostering inner security—the sense of an "inner home"—is the key to navigating life's unpredictable twists with resilience, curiosity and grace. `

To navigate the tension between stability and adventure, control and exploration, I invited globetrotting wellness pioneer, Caroline Wachsmuth, to share how she broke free from the claustrophobic conformity of her Swiss upbringing to create a multi-passionate, multi-cultural, multi-continental life. Her journey explores the fundamental truth that "home" is less a geographic place, but a feeling cultivated deep within oneself.

About Caroline:

Born and raised in Switzerland, Caroline's fascination with botanicals and aromatherapy started at an early age. After beginning her career as a journalist, she studied beauty design at the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis before launching Doux Me, the very first certified-organic skincare line in France, in 2002. Despite Doux Me's success, in 2012 she sold her brand. Today, Caroline has carved a niche for herself as a multifaceted entrepreneur – a personal trainer, yoga instructor, reiki practitioner, advisor to beauty brands, and author. A holistic beauty expert with thousands of self-tested recipes, she just launched the third edition of her book, "Seasons," a captivating blend of art and DIY recipes. Next year, her first memoire will hit the bookshelves. Having lived and worked on three continents and in fifteen cities, Caroline currently lives in San Francisco, California, but she's always keeping her heart open for new destinations to lay her yoga mat, and strengthen her practice.

Mentions:

https://www.caroline-w.com/

Seasons

Doux Me

To leave Zeva a voice message with feedback/questions:

Speak Pipe

Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Music © Fabrice Fortin

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#9: Zeva Bellel’s Story: A Personal Journey of Transformation and Hard Choices

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:37:22 GMT

Are we wired for the paths we choose? Or does each micro decision we make inform our future experiences?

These questions drive every episode in this podcast. And this unexpected solo show is no exception!

With her mic set up. The house empty and quiet. On Becoming host, Zeva Bellel, found herself guest-less after a last minute cancellation.

Instead of packing up her equipment and calling it a day. She look a deep breath, and decided to share her personal becoming story, starting with her early life in Brooklyn, her exposure to French language and culture, her first visits to Paris, and her subsequent decision to move and live there indefinitely.

From New York to France, she explores the essence of destiny and autonomy that shapes our experiences, including:

• How music plays a role in language affinity

• The dilemma of choosing the right path when you don't want to hurt the ones you love

• The familiar tug-and-pull between fate and free-will

• How venturing into unfamiliar territories, be it places or experiences, can make you feel more yourself

The overall episode digs into the themes of intuition, longing, loss, and the daunting feeling of limitless freedom.

Links:

wwww.zevabellel.com

https://www.learner.org/series/french-in-action/

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/schools/K239

To leave Zeva a voice message with feedback/questions:

Speak Pipe

Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#8: Marije Vogelzang: Pioneering Food Design Through Intuitive Culinary Art

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 11:49:37 GMT

It's hard to trust your gut—intuitive whispers get gobbled up quickly by the shouting of the world around us. But when a woman deliberately sharpens her intuitive skills, her choices, creations and words can reshape the world. On the latest episode of On Becoming, I'm joined by Dutch eating designer, Marije Vogelzang, who literally created a new design genre by following her gut.

From Marije's journey as a doubt-filled design student to leading a new generation of boundary-bending creatives, this conversation covers sensorial experiences, risk taking, self love, and why we should all start speaking to our bad-ass future selves. Listen to expand your perspectives and discover new possibilities for your work, and life!

About Marije Volgenzang.

Marije Vogelzang designs experiences using food as her medium, a genre she pioneered as a student at the Design Academy Eindhoven. After graduating in 2000, she founded Proef, a (now defunct) design workshop and experimental restaurant in the Netherlands. In 2008, she published her first book, "EAT LOVE," chronicling the initial decade of her career, and in 2022, "Lick It," an edible exercise book with 32 food challenges designed to transform our relationship with food. Her work has been exhibited worldwide, from Tokyo to New York, and featured in renowned publications like the New York Times, Wallpaper magazine and ICON magazine. She was one of Fast Company’s Top 100 most creative people in business and a finalist of the World Technology Awards in the design section. In 2014 she became the head of the FOOD NON FOOD department at the Design Academy Eindhoven, and in 2016 she launched the Dutch Institute of Food and Design global platform for designers working with food and eating.

Links:

https://www.marijevogelzang.nl/

https://www.designacademy.nl/

https://thedifd.com/

To leave Zeva a voice message with feedback/questions:

Speak Pipe

Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#7: Maryanne Moodie: Reviving Textile Art with Emotion-Driven Weaving

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:03:00 GMT

Busy hands can assist the mind in processing overwhelming experiences and emotions. That's why during times of transition, growth, or change, many people intuitively turn to handicrafts, like ceramics, kitting, woodworking or weaving. Beyond the pleasure of creating, the repetitive movements allow previously hidden insights and connections to sharpen and surface.

Few people understand the emotional wisdom of weaving as intimately as the internationally-renowned Australian textile artist, Maryanne Moodie. In this uplifting conversation Maryanne shares how her journey has shaped her craft, and her craft, her journey.

About Maryanne Moodie:

Maryanne fell into weaving after finding a loom in an arts supply closet before heading off on maternity leave over a decade ago. But what began as pastime quickly evolved into a wildly successful artistic career at the core of a textile renaissance.Today, Maryanne travels the world leading fully-booked weaving workshops and is the accomplished author of two bestsellers: "On the Loom, A Modern Weaver's Guide" (2016) and "Maryanne Moodie's Modern Weaver: Where Color Meets Loom" (2022). Her designs, which are influenced by vintage textiles, modern art, and the natural world, have graced the pages of prestigious publications such as New York Magazine, Milk Decoration, Anthology, O Magazine, and Grazia. You can explore her creations in her Etsy store or request a special commission.

What we discuss:

How her weaving pastime became a full-fledged profession.
The emotional benefits of hands-on activities during life transitions.
How living abroad can intensify and expedite the process of self-discovery.
How technique, storytelling and emotion intersect on Maryanne's loom.
How Maryanne's past careers and skills are woven into her artistic vision and business.
Why losing touch with our hands also disconnects us from our communities.
The importance of creating future heirlooms that are light on the earth.
How the transformative experience of menopause is influencing Maryanne's artwork.
Maryanne's intuitive tools to find creative flow in her work.

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/maryannemoodie/

https://www.etsy.com/market/maryanne_moodie

To leave Zeva a voice message with feedback/questions:

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Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#6: Clara Moley: Wealth, Financial Feminism, and Women’s Freedom

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 10:37:15 GMT

La Bonne Élève, or the "model student." Women know the part by heart. It’s when you stick to the rules. Wait to be called on. Do what's expected of you. Consider others before yourself. The role provides a safe and steady path towards praise, but the real world operates differently. Those who stand up (especially when they're not called on) to assert themselves and advocate for their interests, often have more influence, and ultimately, more freedom. But how do you shed the "model student" mindset when you've been taught all your life to play it safe? And what's really at stake for women who never break out of that mold?

Join me in an episode about the changing rules of the game for women at work (and beyond!), with my guest, the gender equality author and activist, Clara Moley.

About Clara Moley:

Born and raised in France, Clara embarked on a transformative journey when she spent five years working in Brazil's male-dominated commodities trading world. As the sole woman in her circle, Clara realized that her gender was an obstacle, as well as an opportunity to reshape the rules she's always lived by. This eye-opening experience led to the launch of 'Les Règles du Jeu,' a podcast series in 2019 that offers tangible tips to empower women in the workplace. In 2020, the podcast was translated into english and expanded into a memoire/self-development book by the same name. In 2022, Clara expanded her mission by launching 'Starter Pack,' a podcast series focused on financial literacy for women, furthering her commitment to helping women gain financial freedom and power.

In this episode, we dive into the following topics:

How to pursue your convictions, even when the path ahead is uncertain.
The power of self-awareness in confronting harsh realities.
Why actions speak louder than words in dismantling gendered roles at home.
Clara's upbringing and its profound impact on her activism and passion for gender equality.
Recognizing and addressing internalized sexism in the workplace.
Leveraging micro-empowerments as fail-safe tactics for progress at work.
Breaking the taboo surrounding women and money.
Why women are better at savers than investers?
Why financial feminism is the next frontier in women's liberation.

Links:

Clara's website

To leave Zeva a voice message with feedback/questions:

Speak Pipe

Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Becoming Season Two (Trailer)

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 13:56:35 GMT

Hosted by Zeva Bellel, a NYC-raised, Paris-based, certified career coach, On Becoming tells the true transformation stories of inspiring women entrepreneurs, creatives and innovators. Instead of merely focusing on where they are now, we peel back the onion and take a lovingly honest look at their becoming journey. We’ll hear about how they made difficult decisions in the pursuit of deep self-expression and fulfilment, especially when they wandered off course and deviated from the classic path. Listen to find out how their hidden journeys can help unlock your own potential.

Subscribe now to listen to the season two, which launches on October 5th.

To leave Zeva a voice message with feedback/questions:

Speak Pipe

Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#5: Preeti Gill: Discovering the Sacred in Everyday Life through Food and Travel

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 10:26:06 GMT

Some people can see meaning in the details that most of us gloss over. They're able to extract poetry from a pin. And use their sharpened senses to guide them to the next right thing. But how did they get that way? Was their lens fixed like that all along? Or were there external shifts that sharpened their focus and accelerated their awareness?

To discuss this riveting subject I'm thrilled to welcome food and travel storyteller, Preeti Gill, to the show. I know you're going to fall in love with Preeti's becoming journey and how it shaped her ability to see depth and beauty in the facets of life that most people never notice.

In this discussions we cover:

How Preeti's Indian culture sprung to life in California
The difference between transactional vs intentional eating
How Preeti's food fascination bloomed at the Cordon Bleu
What happened when she realized that the stories behind the food were more interesting than the food itself
How to let your curiosity lead you to your passion
Why Preeti launched Little Life Table and how small became a metaphor for life
How to listen to the subtle signs when making big shifts
How mortality and temporality can be a soothing source

About Preeti:

Preeti Gill grew up in the Punjab region of India and moved to northern California when she was ten. Even though food was always in the background of her life, it was only when she settled in Paris years later that she learned about the seasonality, rituals, technique and artistry of food, and a real passion was sparked! In 2013 she created the food and travel platform Little Life Table, as a way to document her favorite food establishments and travel adventures. The success of that project led to HarupiMedia, a digital creation company that designs content for food and travel brands that are looking to connect to customers through the soul and values of their specialities and stories. Preeti is also the new proud mama of the podcast, Life on Time.

Mentioned in this episode

https://www.instagram.com/preetigills/

Little Life Table

Harupi Media

Ajiri Aki

To leave me a voice message with feedback or questions about this show:

Speak Pipe

Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#4: Jessie Kanelos Weiner: Healing through Art and Comedy

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 12:13:51 GMT

How do you find your place professionally when you feel like a square peg in a world of perfect circles? When you've always had big feelings and boundless creativity but no clear way to channel them? Add to that the challenge of making a career for yourself overseas, in another language, and with a different code of conduct? Such is the imaginative and inspiring becoming story of my guest, the illustrator and comedian, Jessie Kanelos Weiner.

In this conversation Jessie and I discuss:

What childhood was like growing up with youth pastor parents in Chicago.
Why her first crack at Paris was a miserable flop.
How a chance encounter put Paris back on the map.
How she used her creativity to find work in Paris.
How her "bad" photos put her on the watercolor path.
How her experience as a food stylist impacted her creative eye.
How she was able to process the grief from her miscarriage through her art.
Why watercolor is a perfect medium for self-expression and self-healing.
Why she decided to become a stand-up comedian after watching Jimmy Kimmel.
How to feel confident in the process of becoming a more full-version of yourself.

About Jessie Kanelos Weiner:

Jessie Kanelos Weiner is a bilingual illustrator, author and paper cut animator based in Paris. She has five publications under her belt, including the two bestselling travel guides, "Paris in Stride: An Insider's Walking Guide" and “New York in Stride: An Insider's Walking Guide” and she’s currently working on a new book with Rizzoli. Her work has been featured in such storied publications as Vogue, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal. She posts humorous critiques on her illustrated blog, the Francofly. Jessie also teaches art at The Paris College of Art. She did the original art for this very here podcast (!!) and you can catch her stand-up routines each week in Paris.

Mentioned in this episode:

https://jessiekanelosweiner.net/

Francofly

https://www.instagram.com/jessiekanelosweiner/

Blast off Comedy

To leave me a voice message with feedback or questions about this show:

Speak Pipe

Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#3: Ajiri Aki: Finding Joy in Rest, Connection, and Using the Good China

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 08:43:15 GMT

Nigerian-born, Texas-raised Ajiri Aki thought joy was for the privileged few. And that she would never be smart, rich, famous, or beautiful enough to attain it. That was until she moved to Paris and learned that every day joy was all around her, in the design, the food, the flowers, the markets, the conversations, the architecture, the parks—even at the kebab stands during the strikes! In this intimate interview Ajiri gets vulnerable and shares her becoming journey, from believing joy was out of bounds, to learning how to experience joie de vivre, every day.

In this conversation we discuss:

Ajiri's Nigerian-American upbringing and why she left Texas.
What she was ashamed about revealing in the blog post she wrote during the pandemic
How her vulnerability lead to the idea for her book, Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good Life
What the metaphor “using the good china,” is really about.
How you can experience joy, even in the midst of unhappiness
Why connection is the undercurrent for joy.
Why the table is an ideal place for stories and souls to collide.
How Ajiri’s lifestyle is her “total work of art.”
What prompted Ajiri to shave her head, and what that act taught her.
What it means to be a Black woman representing rest, beauty and joy today.
Healing generational trauma through rest and joy.

About Ajiri:

Ajiri Aki's mom loved to collect vintage dishes and glassware and trained young Ajiri's eye to spot delicate designs and expert craftsmanship. But these fine treasures were hidden in a wooden cupboard and never used. Every day moments just weren't special enough. Ajiri lost her mom sadly to cancer when she was just twelve. With that loss, a chance to use the good china together. After earning her masters in decorative arts and pivoting many times professionally, Ajiri moved from the USA to Paris where, in 2018, she channelled her childhood loss into a mission with her French lifestyle brand, Madame de la Maison, an online boutique filled with treasures to gather stories and souls with joy and beauty every day. In April 2023 she published her second book, Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good Life.

Mentioned in this episode:

Madame de la Maison

A Case for the Good China

Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good Life.

To leave me a voice message with feedback or questions about this show:

Speak Pipe

Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#2: Lindsey Tramuta: Sensitivity as a Superpower in Culture and Travel Writing

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 07:49:58 GMT

It’s easy to compare yourself to an ideal and feel discouraged and demoralized. Like you’re falling behind, flawed, or missing something essential to fit it and succeed.

But the curated version of reality never tells the full story. Be it the story of someone’s career, a celebrated industry, or even the archetypes of a city.

Some people work to free themselves from the claws of comparison, and some people work to free others. This episode's guest, travel and culture journalist, Lindsey Tramuta, does both.

In this raw and honest conversation Lindsey and I discuss:

How she found herself in Paris 15 years ago and how her move impacted her mental health.
Where her mission to dispel misleading stereotypes and create more accurate and inclusive narratives stems from.
How her previously perceived weaknesses have become the source of her strength and unique voice.
The difference between an expat and an immigrant and why we often mistake the two terms.
The limiting beliefs she fights against in the pursuit of creative self-expression and fulfilment.
Why she got so triggered when French President Emmanuel Macron tried to console Kylian Mbappé after France’s World Cup defeat.
The next book project she’s working on.

About Lindsey:

Lindsey Tramuta is a Philadelphia native who moved to Paris over fifteen years ago. She writes regularly for publications like the The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Fortune Magazine, and Vogue, and she’s the bestselling author of two gorgeous and fascinating books on modern-day Paris. Her first title, The New Paris explores the people and places redefining the paris culinary scene, and her most recent release, The New Parisienne, is an empowering book that pokes holes into the idealized, unrealistic image of La Parisienne and instead recasts the Parisian woman as they truly are, in all their complexity and diversity. Lindsey also hosts the fantastic podcast, The New Paris.

Mentioned in this episode:

Lindsey Tramuta's website

The New Paris Podcast

Episode 107: On Macron and the World Cup Final

The New Parisienne: The Women & Ideas Shaping Paris

The New Paris: The People, Places & Ideas Fueling a Movement

Living Abroad Helped Me Cope With My Tourette Syndrome

To leave me a voice message with feedback or questions about this show:

Speak Pipe

Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#1: Jessica Menéndez: Exploring Identity and Creativity Through Kim Novak’s Untold Story

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:21:12 GMT

What part of ourselves are we hoping to understand better, or express more fully, when we choose a particular career or project?

That's what this conversation with documentary filmmaker and editor Jessica Menéndez explores.

Jessica was born and raised in Guatemala, moved to America when she was ten, and then made her way to Paris permanently to study film shortly after graduating from Vassar College (where we went to school together). Despite identifying her dream career ages ago, life hasn't unfolded in a straight-forward path. After two decades working as an editor, Jessica finally released her first solo documentary through the French-German production company, Arte. Titled, Kim Novak, l'âme rebelle d'Hollywood, the film tells the story of Hollywood actress for the first time through the prism of the post #metoo era. In this interview we talk about the relationship between identity, language and place, how courage and sacrifice play out in the pursuit of ambitious dreams, and what it means to finally have more women’s voices and stories emerging in cinema.

Mentioned in this episode:

Kim Novak, l'âme rebelle d'Hollywood

Vertigo

Kim Novak

To leave me a voice message with feedback or questions about this show:

Speak Pipe

Credits:

Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Editing Matthew Jordan

Interested in career coaching with Zeva, the host of On Becoming?

Book a free discovery call here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to On Becoming (Trailer)

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 09:54:55 GMT

On Becoming tells the true transformation stories of inspiring women entrepreneurs, creatives and innovators. Instead of merely focusing on where they are now, we’ll peel back the onion and take a lovingly honest look at their becoming journey. We’ll hear about how they made difficult decisions in the pursuit of deep self-expression and fulfilment, especially when they wandered off course and deviated from the classic path. Listen to find out how their hidden journeys can help unlock your own potential.

Subscribe now to listen to the first season, which launches on June 15h.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.