Rupi Kaur on Writing as Spiritual Practice, Fear, Burnout & the Courage to Tell the Truth

In this deeply intimate and honest conversation, Leonora sits down with Rupi Kaur — poet, performer, and one of the most influential literary voices of our time — to explore what really lives behind the success, the stage, and the millions of readers around the world.

Recorded after meeting at a transformative festival in the Faroe Islands, this episode is less about achievement and more about truth: how creativity becomes a spiritual practice, how fear appears after success, and why nourishing the inner child is essential for any woman who leads, creates, and gives so much of herself.

Rupi opens up about burnout, taking a full sabbatical from the “machine,” and returning to writing not from pressure — but from love. Together, Leonora and Rupi reflect on the purity of creation when we have nothing to lose, the danger of competing with our past selves, and how reconnecting with presence can bring us back to our deepest power.

This conversation is a gentle pause — a reminder that you are not alone, that doubt is part of the journey, and that creativity can be a pathway home to yourself.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why poetry and writing are spiritual practices — not productivity tools

• What happens when success disconnects us from our inner truth

• Burnout, fear, and the pressure to “repeat” past achievements

• Nourishing the inner child while living in a demanding world

• How presence matters more than destination

• Writing as a healing tool for busy women and leaders

• Letting go of outcomes and returning to purity of expression

• The power of human connection and shared vulnerability

This episode is especially for women who are:

• Holding big responsibilities

• Questioning themselves despite their success

• Craving softness, truth, and creative freedom

• Ready to reconnect with their inner voice

Press play. Take a breath. Let this conversation meet you exactly where you are.

https://rupikaur.com/Join the Now Be You community on Substack for more conscious conversations www.nowbeyouglobal.substack.com

What does it really mean to be a “dangerous woman” in today’s world? In this intimate conversation, media icon, author and global women’s leadership advocate Pat Mitchell joins Leonora Be You to talk about courage, purpose, and redefining power on our own terms.

From leaving an abusive marriage and pivoting careers, to becoming the first woman president of PBS and co-founding the women-led climate movement Project Dandelion, Pat shares how “falling on your face is still forward movement” – and why these times call for women who are fearless, not feared.

Together, Pat and Leonora explore how feminine and feminist values, elemental energies (earth, water, fire, air), and deep purpose can guide women leaders to create change without burning out.

In this episode, we explore:

• What “becoming a dangerous woman” actually means (and why it’s not about being scary, but being fearless and outspoken).

• Pat’s personal story: leaving an abusive marriage, changing careers, and rising in a male-dominated media world.

• How to turn failure, loss and “falling on your face” into forward movement.

• The birth of Project Dandelion and why women are leading the way in climate and nature solutions.

• Feminine vs. masculine power: how women (and men) can reclaim balance, empathy, and justice-driven leadership.

• Elemental energy types (fire, water, earth, air) and how understanding your dominant energy can change the way you lead.

• Why curiosity and purpose are Pat’s antidotes to aging, apathy, and discouragement.

About Pat Mitchell

Pat Mitchell is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer and media executive, the first woman president of PBS and of CNN Productions, and the author of Becoming a Dangerous Woman: Embracing Risk to Change the World. She is co-founder and curator of TEDWomen and a co-founder of Project Dandelion, a global women-led campaign for climate justice.

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🔥 Take the Elemental Energy quiz and discover your unique signature: https://bit.ly/elemental-energy-signature

📚 Learn more about Pat Mitchell & Becoming a Dangerous Woman: https://www.patmitchellmedia.com/

🌱 Explore Project Dandelion and women-led climate solutions: https://www.projectdandelion.com/

Join us on for a powerful women gathering in Ibiza April 2026 to nurture our strength. Learn more here: https://tr.ee/e7M902kE1C

In this episode of Now Be You, Leonora is joined by breathwork pioneer and SOMA Breath founder Niraj Naik to explore how breath, the body and ancient wisdom can awaken leadership, creativity and deep healing — especially for women navigating purpose, business and personal transformation.

Niraj shares how a life-threatening autoimmune disease and a moment of desperation shifted him from pharmacist to breathwork pioneer. What began as his own healing journey became a global movement combining pranayama, music and modern science. As he says, “I didn’t choose this. It chose me.”

Together, they explore how suppressed creative and sexual energy, chronic stress and living disconnected from our true nature lead to burnout and disease — and how rhythmic breathing, breath holds and intermittent hypoxia can reset the nervous system, activate stem cells, support hormonal balance and even help with depression.

They dive into feminine leadership, the importance of honoring women’s cycles, sleep and creativity, and how women leaders can step out of masculine overdrive and back into their natural rhythm through breath, movement and self-awareness.

This episode is for women leaders and visionaries who want to shift from control to embodiment, from stress to flow, and from force to purpose — through the power of breath and body.

Listen and let this conversation be your reminder:

Your body knows.

Your breath heals.

And your purpose doesn’t need to be forced — it chooses you.

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to our Substack (nowbeyouglobal.substack.com) and join our global community of female leaders ready to bring awakened business into the world.

Learn more about SOMA Breath: www.somabreath.com

Learn more about Leonora Be You: www.leonorabeyou.com

There’s a moment—quiet but undeniable—when a woman realises she’s outgrown the old models of success.

The constant doing. The burnout masked as achievement. The power that doesn’t quite feel like hers.

In this episode, Leonora sits down with cultural force and founder of The Stack World, Sharmadean Reid, to explore what happens when we decide to lead from a different centre—one rooted in softness, sovereignty, and deep, collective change.

From beauty to tech, Sharmadean has built, burned out, and rebuilt—each time more attuned to what truly serves. This isn’t a story about hustle. It’s about listening. About shifting. About choosing wholeness over performance.

Together, Sharmadean and Leonora explore:

• What feminine ambition really looks like

• The toll of staying in rooms where you're not fully seen

• Why building with women—not just for them—is the future

• How community, economics, and identity are intertwined

• And what it means to reclaim softness as a strategy—not a sacrifice
  

This is an invitation to step off the linear path. To unhook from proving. To start building what doesn’t yet exist, but always should have.

“It’s not about balance. It’s about resonance. And we get there by trusting ourselves.”

If you’ve been hearing the whisper to do it differently—this episode will meet you there.

Learn more about Sharmadean's New Methods for Women: https://www.newmethodsforwomen.com/book/

Join us on Substack for further episode integrations: https://nowbeyouglobal.substack.com/

What if business wasn’t just about growth, but about giving?

In this episode, Leonora sits down with Masami Sato — visionary entrepreneur and founder of B1G1 — to explore a new kind of business paradigm: one rooted in generosity, play, and authentic purpose.

Masami shares her journey from a young backpacker navigating the world without language, to becoming the heart behind a global giving movement. She reflects on the moments that shaped her — the chaos that became clarity, the vulnerability that revealed connection, and the surrender that unlocked her true path.

Together, Leonora and Masami dive into:

• The power of letting go — and what opens when we do

• A metaphor that changes everything: life and business as a game

• How to make giving part of your everyday work (no matter how small you start)

• Why business can (and must) be a vehicle for joy, kindness, and collective good
  

This episode is a gentle yet galvanising reminder: you don’t need to have it all figured out to make an impact. You just need to begin — with one small, intentional act.

Join us on Substack for further episode integrations: https://nowbeyouglobal.substack.com/

Learn more about Masami’s work: https://www.b1g1.com

What does it mean to live fully by learning how to die well?

In this profound episode, Leonora sits down with Sierra Campbell—a death doula, cancer survivor, and founder of the caregiving platform Nurture—to explore how the end-of-life journey can teach us how to be more present, more compassionate, and more alive.

Sierra shares how her grandmother's approach to caregiving shaped her early comfort with death, and how a near-death cancer experience deepened her understanding of presence, grief, and transformation. From Buddhist teachings to hospice care to parenting while grieving, Sierra brings a wealth of insight into how we can honour loss as a natural part of life.

This episode invites us to reimagine death not as an endpoint but as a companion to living. Whether you’re caregiving, grieving, or simply curious about your own legacy, Sierra’s wisdom reminds us that death work is really life work.

We explore:

• What it means to die every day and why it matters

• How to build emotional resilience through grief

• The three daily practices of conscious dying

• Why women leaders must learn to ask for support

• How to bring death and rebirth rituals into daily family life

This conversation is not about morbidity—it’s about vitality. About reclaiming the sacredness of endings and discovering the joy that comes when we honour every cycle.

Sierra offers tools, presence, and poetry for the journey home—to yourself, to your truth, and to a good death well-earned.

Learn more about Sierra's work: https://www.choosenurture.com/

Join our community on Substack for further episode integrations: www.nowbeyouglobal.substack.com

In this illuminating episode, Leonora sits down with Dr. Tatiana (Kazakova) Tarnowski—a visionary leader, strategist, and co-founder of the global platform Leaders on Purpose. Tatiana is helping reshape the global business landscape by infusing it with purpose, equity, and regenerative thinking.

From her early discomfort with the systems around her to her bold decision to study mathematics in pursuit of deeper understanding, Tatiana's journey is one of intellect, intuition, and soul-led leadership. Her path has taken her from advanced system theory to strategy consulting, to co-creating one of the world’s most dynamic communities for purpose-driven CEOs.

She speaks candidly about the origins of Leaders on Purpose, a movement now spanning over 500 CEOs and engaging institutions like the World Bank and IMF. But beyond credentials, Tatiana's story is about learning to lead with inner alignment. She shares powerful insights about trusting your essence, expanding through challenge, and rejecting outdated paradigms that say we can’t have it all.

Together, Leonora and Tatiana explore:

• How childhood intuition shaped her life’s mission

• The evolution of modern leadership and purpose economies

• Navigating burnout, boundaries, and aligned decision-making

• What it means to lead from clarity without compromising self

Tatiana's wisdom reminds us that change doesn’t have to be perfect to be profound. We can design systems that nourish rather than deplete—but only if we dare to begin.

If you've ever felt out of place in the world as it is, this conversation will speak to the part of you that's here to reimagine it.

More on Leaders on Purpose: https://www.leadersonpurpose.com/

Join us on Substack for podcast integrations: https://nowbeyouglobal.substack.com/

What if you stopped chasing legacy… and started living it?

In Episode 01 of the Now Be You Podcast, purpose-driven business pioneer Paul Dunn shares a profound shift: meaning isn’t something we find—it’s something we create. From joyful giving to redefining success, this conversation is a blueprint for living with impact, presence, and heart.

Paul Dunn is a pioneering entrepreneur, four-time TEDx speaker, and co-founder of B1G1 with Masami Sato. For decades, Paul has inspired countless leaders to reimagine success through purpose and impact. His work empowers businesses of all sizes to embed meaningful giving into their daily operations, proving that even the smallest actions can create extraordinary change.

Become part of giving community here: www.b1g1.com

Join our Substack community for practical episode integrations: https://nowbeyouglobal.substack.com/