If you’ve ever wondered how to turn an unconventional path into a thriving creative career, you’re going to love this session. In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Valerie Weiss, a true powerhouse of TV and film directing, for a candid and inspiring behind-the-scenes conversation.

We talk about everything from Valerie’s fascinating leap from scientist (yep, Harvard Medical School PhD!) to filmmaker, to her latest shows gracing your favorite streaming platforms. Valerie opens up about her beginnings—foregoing film school, building skills diy-style, and learning to trust her instincts while finding her way through a rapidly evolving industry. We reminisce about our early days, the connections and creative energy that kept us going, and how sometimes, the most unconventional detour ends up being your superpower.

But more than Valerie’s (many) impressive credits, this episode is full of gold on what it really takes to break into Hollywood—and actually keep going when the road gets tough. Valerie shares the realities of rejection, tenacity, and why the creative journey never really gets “easy,” even after 40+ TV credits. If you’ve been feeling daunted by a changing industry or stalled by self-doubt, her advice on loving the process, staying grounded, and building your skills no matter who’s watching—or who isn’t—is worth its weight in gold.

We get practical, too: Valerie breaks down the real differences between film and TV directing and the importance of networking, authenticity, and serving the vision of the work (and the team) you’re part of. She also reveals the magic of pivoting, following your authentic voice, and why new opportunities often arrive from the most unexpected places—like landing Star Trek with no previous fandom, but all the right preparation.

Pull up a chair and dive in.

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If you’ve been feeling the energy shift as we close out the year, you are not alone - and the good news is we are on the cusp of a new cycle of life.

In this session, I dive into the magic of honoring endings and beginnings - not just the end of 2024 and the start of 2025, but the completion of a nine-year cycle (thank you, numerology!) and the launch of an entirely new era. It’s the kind of turning point that calls for something more than New Year’s resolutions. This is an opportunity to pause, reflect, and harvest the real, earned lessons from the past chapter.

I open up about my own rollercoaster nine years, beginning as a newly minted mother of two, uprooting my life from LA to Denver, journeying across oceans for Spain, and even hitting those hard moments that made me question everything - from my finances to my habits, my creative identity to the meaning of “home.” (Plot twist: it turns out you really ARE always walking back toward yourself.)

If you’ve felt yourself drifting from your creative spark, feeling blocked around money, or just wondering what season of life you’re living in, I share how I moved through all those transitions. Sometimes it looked like buying “the dream house” only to realize it wasn’t the dream after all. Sometimes it meant leaving behind my first love - filmmaking - only to circle back with even more heart and clarity.

But more than anything, this episode is a gentle invitation for you to join me in reflection. We explore how true abundance isn’t just about chasing “more,” and why our happiness has much less to do with what we have and much more to do with how we tune into the present moment. I talk about why making bold mistakes (sometimes on a whole other continent!) is not just okay, but necessary- and how letting go of old beliefs opens the door to new possibilities, as long as you remember to keep one foot on your solid ground.

I also share details of my free live workshop “A New Era,” designed for anyone who craves depth in their reflections and wants to consciously build not just a new year, but a new nine-year journey. Whether you’re navigating transformation, searching for creative revival, or simply ready to close out a chapter with gratitude, I welcome you to come along.

This episode is for those of us dreaming bigger than just “goal-setting.” It’s about soul evolution - the kind that changes your art, your business, your relationships, and your experience in the world. I’d love to hear what resonates, what lessons you’re harvesting, and invite you to share your own story with me, so after you listen, please screenshot this episode & share it on Instagram with your biggest takeaways.

Here’s to walking each other home, to new cycles shaped by presence and vision, and to the heart-opening magic of beginning again, together.

If you want to sign up for a free live experience A NEW ERA Click here: www.dianebell.com/newera

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The end of every year is the opportunity to close a chapter and start a new one - but this year, it's even bigger.

We’re not just stepping into a new year, but closing out a powerful nine-year cycle and starting a new one.

If you’ve ever heard me talk about pre-planning before, you know how much I believe in intentionally shaping your path - not waiting for January 1st to decide who you want to be, but using this transition as a springboard for true transformation and the fulfillment of your big dreams.

In this episode, we explore what it means to look back - not with regret, but with gratitude and clarity. I share how my own past nine year era was marked by motherhood, business-building, new homes, and some wild pivots in creative passion.

There were years where I lost my spark for filmmaking, only to reunite with it in the most unexpected ways. (Including a return to directing documentaries and hammering out new scripts with a kind of creative fire I hadn’t felt in ages!)

But most of all, this session is designed to remind you that you’re not alone in feeling big shifts. So many of us are moving through huge changes, both personally and collectively, and I truly believe there’s magic in coming together to mark these moments. In this session, we touch on numerology, seasons of life, and why harnessing the lessons of the past sets you up to create a vision for the future that’s expansive, intentional, and uniquely yours.

This about so much more than bullet journaling your goals at the beginning of a new year. It’s about evolution. It’s about creating the life, the art, the business, and the impact that only you can bring into the world.

I also share details of my upcoming (totally free!) three-day live event, especially designed to walk you through closing out your own nine-year chapter and consciously launching the next one.

I invite you to listen in, reflect, and join me - whether you’re ready for a new beginning or just curious about what the next nine years could look like if you claimed them intentionally.

Here’s to a new era: one created from the heart, shaped by vision, and shared in community.

To sign up for the FREE LIVE 3 DAY EVENT: CLICK HERE

MORE RESOURCES

To connect on Instagram for daily inspiration --> CLICK HERE

Join The Shoot From the Heart Society (free Facebook group with exclusive classes) --> CLICK HERE

For current course offerings --> CLICK HERE

To learn more about THE NETWORK --> CLICK HERE