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 the host of On Becoming?

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

This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, Acast and all of your favorite podcast players.