Episode 18: Melanie Smith: On Love, Loss, Growth & “Shrinkage”

“I approach life as though I don’t know anything, and so let’s start learning something” Melanie Smith

This episode was recorded at Melanie’s NYC apartment. Please enjoy the ambient sound of the Big Apple.

Melanie Smith is one of my dearest friends and this episode begins with us sharing how we remember first meeting. It was at Kripalu during our yearlong studies in Positive Psychology with Tal Ben-Shahar Ph.D. Of course,  we both have different memories, and this led perfectly into a conversation around the power of stories.

Melanie has a rich and fantastic past, and we touch on just a few of her careers. From being a Playboy Bunny to playing Jerry’s girlfriend on Seinfeld, to opening her world renowned yoga studio in New Hope, PA – Yogaphoria. Throughout the interview, Melanie shares all the different hats that she tried on before landing the work and career that was the perfect fit.

I find Melanie one of the smartest and soulful people I know. We talk about how our surroundings will influence our trajectory in life and how sometimes when we look back, it seems like just one small choice after another, shifts and shapes our life. We talk about being fearless, having tenacity, and developing courage so that we can create a life that we are proud of.
Melanie shares the crazy and surreal group of strange coincidences that took her from Scranton to Stardom and gives us the backstory of how she landed the role of Emily in As The World Turns #ATWT. She also shares how she was cast in the role of Jerry’s Girlfriend on Seinfeld, and how this episode helped her opening of her Yoga studio, Yogaphoria.

Melanie believes that everyone is heartbroken and she shares how the loss of her mother to cancer and the sudden death of her sister created the gateway for her transition into a coach who specializes in grief, loss, and recovery.

Towards the end of our conversation, Melanie dives into the power of stories and shares how she decides what is true and what is a story. She encourages us all to change, re-script and re-frame our negative stories to allow the magic that is waiting for all of us to appear.

Connect With Melanie Online and In Social Media

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More About Melanie

Melanie Smith is a nationally renowned teacher and coach, award winning actress and spiritual entrepreneur. She has not only spent many years coaching, speaking and presenting to thousands, but she has also graduated well over 1,000 teachers from her educational programs.

She works with mission driven, inspired people on a daily basis; Helping them to transform their lives and businesses, moving them into the most realized and abundant experience of life.

Melanie is trained in many forms of coaching, entrepreneurship, health and wellness, the Chakra system and Bio-energetics, Archetypes, behavioral finance, grief and loss recovery.  She was a founding fellow of Harvard University’s institute of coaching and is an ICF Professional Certified Coach and an ICA Master Coach.

Melanie was the founder and director of one of the countries most respected yoga and wellness centers and has been the face of many international wellness brands. She has written for several national magazines and has been at the center of some of Television’s most memorable and funniest moments.

She is also the proud mom of her greatest acheivement…her son Gideon Moses and one of my best friends.

 

 

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