EP119: Martha Beck on On Life Coaching, Dreams, and Integrity

I’m pretty comfortable saying this is the most fun interview I’ve ever done. Martha Beck is a wild woman to the core and her intense brilliance is undeniable. We run the gamut from psychic senses, technology and integrity to what we can learn from animals, processing grief and being honest with the people in your life about everything. We talk about life coaching, and she even analyses a few of my dreams. This conversation is an absolute blast ripe with a ton of insight. Enjoy!

About Martha Beck:

Dr. Martha Beck is a life coach and the New York Times best-selling author of these popular resources for finding your life purpose: Finding Your Own North Star, Steering by Starlight, Finding Your Way in a Wild New World, The Joy Diet, and more. She’s also the author of the bestselling memoirs Expecting Adam and Leaving the Saints. Beck’s latest book, Diana, Herself: An Allegory of Awakening, is her first foray into fiction and is the first installment of her Bewilderment Chronicles series.

Martha Beck has been called “one of the best-known life coaches in America” by NPR and USA Today. She has appeared on The Oprah Show and Good Morning America, as well as many regional news programs. She has delivered seminars and workshops globally and has implemented her life coaching strategies into corporate settings ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 firms.
Since 2001, Dr. Beck has been a columnist for O, The Oprah Magazine. She has also written for many other publications, such as The New York Times Book Review, Good Housekeeping, Parenting Magazine, Reader’s Digest, and Chicken Soup for the Parent’s Soul. Dr. Beck holds three Harvard degrees: a B.A. in East Asian Studies, and a Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Sociology. While at Harvard, she taught courses in social science and visual studies, and received a Danforth Award as one of the university’s top teaching fellows. She also taught business and career development at the American Graduate School of International Management, before becoming a writer and life coach.

When not writing or coaching, Martha enjoys painting; tracking bears, mountain lions, and turkeys on her ranch; and covering herself with birdseed while meditating in her garden. She lives with her family on California’s Central Coast.

Further information on Martha Beck, her live events, writing, and life coach training program can be found at marthabeck.com.

In this episode, Martha shares:

1. What happened when Martha realized she’d been doing Byron Katie’s The Work “wrong” for 15 years
2. How technology is creating a new way of everything
3. What going on an Integrity Cleanse looks like and the HUGE benefits
4. Having a low tolerance for suffering

What You’ll Hear:

5:45 How Martha started living life with intention + having psychic experiences
15:07 Martha’s epiphany around the work of Byron Katie + an integrity cleanse
27:25 On being wild regardless of culture
32:04 Not being attached to the magic
35:56 How to analyze your dreams
47:58 Martha’s daily ritual + the reward of meditation