The Power of Joy: Finding Light Through Adversity with Shari Alyse

with Shari Alyse

Dec 18, 2025 · 00:47:33

Welcome back to the Total Entrepreneur Mind Body Spirit Podcast. Today's guest is Sherry Elise, otherwise known as America's Joy Magnet, host of the TV show Good Morning Joy, and also host of the Joy Drive set to release this December 2025. We have an incredible conversation about joy, how to find it, how to express it, the difference between joy and happiness. She even gets very vulnerable and talks about her childhood trauma and how she overcame it, and just. her views on the world and sending out positive ripples. It's a really fun, uplifting conversation. I think you're gonna enjoy it. If you do enjoy it, don't forget to leave a like, a comment, and more importantly, subscribe to the podcast. Welcome to The Total Entrepreneur Mind, Body, Spirit, where we turn cutting-edge science into practical strategies for entrepreneurs. I'm your host, Dr. John Torrance. Entrepreneur Inc. 5000 honoree and professor of entrepreneurial practice at Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management. Each episode, we dive into mental, physical, and spiritual health with expert guests offering actionable insights to help you thrive and perform at your highest level. Let's get started. Geri, welcome to the podcast. So happy to have you here. Thank you.

Thank you for asking me. I'm excited to be here with you.

One of the reasons I was excited to have you here is because I do think that joy is underrated and we could use more of it in the world. So why don't we just have you start by talking about America's Joy Magnet, what that means, how you came to that?

Well, first I'll say, uh, yes, I agree with you. Joy is more needed in the world, and so will a lot of people around the US. I just came back a month ago from working on my new project, Joy Drive, which is an 8-part docuseries. And literally, as I went 8,000 miles across the country, every single person that I spoke to said these same words, we could use more joy. So as you just said that, I'm like, we're right on target. So joy for me is, it's definitely underrated and it's also very misunderstood. I've spent a lot of time in this space just from my own stumbling upon it. You know, I, back in childhood, without taking us all the way back there and boring everybody, you know, I faced challenges like a lot of people do, and mine happened to be very traumatic. And I spent many years pushing it aside, but somehow everybody would always talk about how happy I was. Like, you're so happy. And I just kind of always blew it off. And then in my 20s, as it happens, and you're soul searching and doing all the stuff, someone actually said it to me. Actually, it was my 30s, I'm sorry. Did a lot of soul searching, but I was in my 30s and someone said it to me. And for the first time I stepped back and I was like, huh, am I happy? Like, I looked around at my life and all of the things, the relationships and the circumstances around my life did not reflect what I thought was happiness. And shortly after, I found myself after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, going there to volunteer. And that is where I discovered joy, which is very different than happiness. And it was an interesting place to discover that considering they had complete devastation. But that started the journey literally to joy.

Talk us through a little bit more of that. Yeah, it's, it's an interesting juxtaposition where in the chaos and devastation of a storm like that, you found joy. How did that happen?

Ooh, this was, it was life-changing for me. So I went there. I, it was interesting how that showed up. You know, I saw And on the news, it happening like everybody else. And there was a moment I'd never done mission work or volunteer work at all like this. And there was something inside that said, "You need to help." And about a week later, I literally was booked with a volunteer group. And in about two weeks, I was on an airplane there. And on the way there, like everybody else, you think you're going there to help them. I was like, "Oh, we're bringing supplies and all the things." But for me, you know, I always carry this. I always had optimism. There was always optimism in me. And so I just carried this idea that what I was gonna do was gonna help them and I'm gonna give them hugs and I'm just gonna, you know, shower them with love. And when I arrived, it was everything that you would imagine that it would be. There was devastation. There was, it was awful. The kids on the side of the street scooping up, you know, dirty water with, like, I went into, we were rebuilding an orphanage. And when I got in, You know, everything was damaged and there were kids in stretchers and it was all this. But what I discovered behind the orphanage gates were smiles and laughter and singing. And it was like I had gone into this portal. It sounds crazy, but like, I remember looking around and literally thinking, how is this possible?

How?

'Cause here we're taught in the Western world, right? Like that you need to have all of these things in order to have joy or happiness, as some call it. And there I was looking at people who didn't have any of that, and yet there was this palpable thing. And that is really what set me off to understand it more. Like, what is this joy? Who, what, who gets it? Like, how do we, you know, experience more of it? And, and that's where the journey began.

So you got there on the ground and you expected to see something very diff— well, you saw what you would expect in terms of devastation, but it sounds like it bit of an epiphany when you actually met the people.

100%. First, you know, there was— it's just funny, like, I just, I have images still of the children running up to me, you know, and like kids, of course, I'm well aware that, you know, for them, they may not have the same weight because they're kids, like, of the devastation, everything that's happened around them. But there was also the adults there, and everybody had this sense of togetherness and community, and we're there for each other. And I remember we arrived on a Friday, and then that Sunday they were holding church service under this big tree. And like I said, kids were in wooden stretchers, there were ones without limbs, there was, you know, children without parents, obviously, but parents there that had lost their kid. And yet everybody was there singing and hugging each other. And There was coloring and drawing. It was just like unlike anything. You would never know by looking at it on the outside that anything had happened besides what you could physically see with the buildings.

I guess it's just a matter of being in the moment and appreciating what you have in that moment, right? Even though they may have lost everything, what they had there was valuable and brought them joy. Could that— could it be as simple as that?

Uh, yes. So I have, uh, You know, I have over time since then, and it sounds too easy, right? Like life can't be this easy, but it really is. What I have found in my decades now of time in this space is that there are pillars, what I call your 5 pillars of joy, and they're all about connection. And one of them is exactly what I experienced there, which is connection to each other, to community. And often when you see, I'll say, third world countries, You know, I remember in college watching, you know, the commercials and it was like, donate to whatever fund. And you just see these children with these huge smiles and you see people with big smiles. And it was always like, how are— again, how are they so happy? And what I feel and know, I'm not a doctor or anything like that, but is that when you don't have the distractions, when you don't have all the things to focus on and you only have what's in front of you, everything seems to have more meaning and there's more natural connection there. And I think that's what happens.

I agree. And even just reflecting on times where I felt more joy, it's usually because you're not distracted, right? You're, you're just focused on what's in front of you. You mentioned your 5 pillars of joy. What are those?

Yes. So as I said, they're all about connection because it's all about presence, as you just said, and being right there with those. So it's connection first to ourselves. This is when I— so self-awareness, right? Understanding yourself, being present with yourself, whether it's taking care of yourself mentally, spiritually, physically. So when you are connected within, joy lives there. There's connection to each other, to community. There is connection to nature, to creativity, and to purpose. And so when you are connected to each one of those, those I like to think of them as portals or doorways. They are your access to joy. And I found that with every person, even that I spoke to around the country in this docuseries, is that the people who were the most joyful really thrived in one of those areas or multiple areas of their lives.

Yeah, I, I feel like for me, the, the creative part and being in nature really resonates. So what about for you? Do you have one or two that you go to more often or that you tend to lean on more?

Yeah, nature for sure, 100%. I start every day there, taking hikes, sunrise hikes. I would first of all start with like, I'm an overachiever. So I make sure like, it's almost my daily 5. I make sure I hit all 5 of those every day. But I think, and this hit me when I was just doing this project, is that purpose. Purpose is a big one because when I am not doing this work, something does not feel right. I do not feel connected to my truth. But I've gone through phases with it, you know, Finding joy, because I don't think we ever lose it. I think it's who we are and it's really about the connection to it, but started with self, you know, a whole inner healing first. And in that, with clearing out all of the stuff and really being present within that, that's when I first experienced joy. So I've gone through phases. It started with self and now we're really in purpose.

And I agree with you that it is our natural state, right? Our, our birthright is to be joyous, I think. But why do you think it is that so many people feel like they have to find it, or that joy is external, and they're just looking for it and hoping they find it?

Well, I mean, honestly, the Declaration of Independence says, you know, the pursuit of happiness, right? Like, it's, it's kind of like, life is gonna be okay, and everything, and you're gonna have everything you've ever wanted. It's this bill of goods that we're sold, that I think has these unrealistic expectations. And so, yes, there's nothing wrong with vacations. And there's nothing wrong with checking off boxes and all of the external things. And those will make you happy for a moment until when is that next thing? But joy, joy is eternal. Joy is constant. It is what lives within. It's what we experience as kids. It's why we can look at kids and we're like, oh my God, they're so happy all the time. Like, we think it's happy, but it's true joy. And what I believe happens is that over time with life, that joy gets covered up. People tell us we disconnect from ourselves. People tell us to fall in line, to act a different way, to not be too— and we learn To always be something else than who we are. And once we return back to that truth of who we are, we return back to our natural state of joy.

So it's really not something you have to find that's external. It's there. You just have to clear the fog or the noise, I guess, to realize it.

100%. Yeah. I say it's not something you find, it's something you unleash. Hmm.

So break down the difference between happiness and joy again. I know you kind of alluded to it, but for people who are listening and they, they need to understand specifically the difference between happiness and joy, how would you say that?

Yeah, I would simply say happiness is external. It's always based on something else that is outside of you. And joy is always about that connection within. Even, you know, they talk about our nervous systems, and they say that joy and happiness affect our nervous systems different. So it's, it's definitely, there definitely is a difference between the two. And you'll find, like I said, someone once asked me, What makes you so happy? Or why are you so happy? And it was like this idea of like, I'm not. And what I was basing that I'm not happy on were all things outside of me. Because happiness, you know, it just comes and goes and it'll— And when I realized about joy, I was like, oh, that's always just there. It just depends on how much I want to connect to it, allow it to express itself. So it's really about external and internal. It's my long way of saying that.

Right. So it's the pursuit of happiness, something you have to pursue versus just the unleashing and allowing of joy. That makes total sense.

It's right there, ready for us to tap into it.

Yeah. And, and I hear that from people, young entrepreneurs that I work with all the time. You know, they just think, hey, if I, once I get this, then I'll be happy. Or once I get that, I'm gonna be happy. Once I get this next deal or I get this hire or my MVP goes live or whatever it is, I'll be happy. But then you realize, well, I'm still not happy. I gotta go for the next thing, right? So yes, it's clear that it doesn't actually come from outside. Yeah.

You see it all the time. Like, I'll just like give an example, even with say celebrities, right? They, they have all of this fame, they have all of the external things that we want. And then you'll often hear about how their lives are empty. And it's not until they start, say, being of service in a different way, that comes to being connected to other people, being connected to purpose, that then their life changes. And again, that's back to being internal. So there's— we just have been misguided as to what it is and how to find it or discover it.

And we have a study, and I forget who did it, but they gave 2 different groups of people each $100, right? And they had them go away, and one group had to go find somebody to give it away to. And the other group just got to use it, spend it, whatever. And the group that got the $100 just to use and spend, they, they felt happy about it. But the dramatic increase in happiness came from the people who had to go give it away. And that kind of reminds me of your experience in Haiti where you were, you were there giving, right? You weren't receiving, you weren't accepting, you were giving. And that was part of what was bringing joy there. Yeah.

That was it. It was. And in the giving, I received so much more. And I mean, they even say like there is the, the biological Like, I mean, your, your, your hormones, you know, the happy hormones are released when you give. So there is the science behind it as well. They call it the helper's high. So I think people who live in that space of consistently giving are also receiving so much joy.

Yeah, that's a great point. So tell us a little bit about your TV show. I love, I love the idea that it's a, it's a news-style show that talks about good stuff, right? You have the Joy Report, you have people on there with cool messages. So how did you even come up with this idea? And more importantly, how did you even get this greenlit? Because it's not bleeding, it's not leading, it's not, you know, it's not stressing people out. So how on earth did anybody say, hey, this is a great idea?

A lot of bribery. Um, no, so honestly, I've had this dream for decades. I've always thought like, there needs to be, like, there's just, anytime you turned on the news, you know, and you heard about something, I mean, and, and now of course, more than ever. But nobody bought into it years ago. It honestly wasn't until COVID when everything got quieter for everybody that people were really realizing things about themselves and what they wanted more of. And that good news stuff was really helping people. And I would say from a professional standpoint, you know, I was poo-pooed for a long time before that. You know, nobody's gonna buy into this. And it's still a journey. Don't get me wrong. There are people that are just like, oh, this is, you know, too, too fluffy for me. It's, you know, all of that. So there's still a journey to be on it, but I always knew that I just wanted to share good. And good doesn't mean that you're living with rose-colored glasses. Like, I will always share the journey that people are on and the one that I've gone through, the one that was pain, the one that experienced trauma. But how do you walk through it? How do you come out the other side? Who are the good people that are doing the good things? Let's go talk to them. Because this is what we need more of. You know, if every time we reported, the media reported about, you know, when a flight landed safely, we would have a whole different view of flying or whatever it is, you know. But I, I knew there was a, a, a, a, a non-balance, an unbalance in what the media was presenting.

Yeah. And just the, the messages you, you give us in your show, like, you know, the, the boy who lost his Lego or the tree in Hawaii and the guest you have. Yeah. These are the things you actually want to listen to, or at least the things I want to listen to and watch. But our menu is so limited to the sensational and disastrous and the things that I guess keep us tuning in because we're so stressed and we want to see when it's going to end. Is that your sense?

Oh, 100%. And it's so, again, like it is misguided. Like I understand, like it helps people to tune out in some way, to disconnect or to make them feel like maybe their life is not so bad. I mean, it's always sold. It will always sell. the drama, the conflict. But that's why I think during COVID time, when, you know, everybody had to slow down, like, you really saw what was important. And I think that we ended up just— we revert and we go back because it's a lot easier to—

I don't—

to be honest, I'm not even going to fake it. Like, I don't understand the psychology behind, like, why people are obsessed with drama and conflict. But I just know that I just keep showing up and doing what I do because I know that it is needed. And I know there's one person— I've watched it in my lives from all the different professions that I've had, where what I have done and how I have shown up have gone from simple things as just making someone's day to saving someone's life.

Tell us about your professional journey. You said you've had a lot of different professions. What, what have they been?

Yeah, so this particular one where I talk about saving a life, like, I spent a lot of years in the restaurant industry. I studied theater. I was pursuing acting. I was an actress. And along with being an actress came waiting tables, you know, as I pursued the dream. And I have always, like, high achiever, I said overachiever, you know, I grew my way in the restaurant business into training and traveling and all of that as, you know, a server, a corporate trainer. So that direction really, I believe, led me to understand people so much more, to understand how to connect with them. And I remember always just really seeing people, and it was never about the job. It was never about showing up in a city and teaching them, you know, what our different steak cuts are or how to greet a table. Like, those were the details, but it really was about showing up in people's lives and inspiring who was right in front of me in some way. And I was in this one city, And we spent about 6 weeks there. And every day I just greeted everybody the way that I do, you know, big smile and just really caring about people, honestly. And on the last day, one of the servers asked to talk to me outside. And he went on to tell me how the week before training started, that his friend had committed suicide. And he had thought about taking his life that week before he started training. And he didn't know what made him follow through and show up for that first day. He said, but the first day, the smile that I looked at him with, that I greeted him with, he said something went to his core and that made him show up the next day and the next day and the next day. And he said over the 6 weeks I was there that his heart was healed and he just wanted to thank me for that. And I feel like I didn't do anything except Be kind, smile, do that. And so that has made me realize how much we need each other and how simple it is.

And that reminds me of just the idea of sending out positive ripples, right? Because you say you didn't do anything, and maybe to you, you didn't do anything different, right? But you clearly did. You sent some sort of energetic ripple out that had a massive impact on this person. And then you could, you could imagine the ripples that he sent out after that, right? And instead of taking his own life and sending those ripples out. He didn't, and he sent different ripples. So he's now affecting other people because of the way you've affected him. And I think that's a beautiful thing. And that's, that's how it works.

Thank you for saying that 100%. And like, I remember there was, and it's, there was a Mother Teresa quote that I read many, many years ago. And it was, and not, no, and I do not compare myself to Mother Teresa. I just have to say that, not close. But she did say, you know, let nobody ever come to you without leaving better or happier. And that has always— and then my mom, of course, like, I grew up with the Golden Rule in our house. And so it's always just been a part of who I am. And that part of me has what has led me in the different businesses. I was a wellness co-founder of a wellness company, and that, again, you know, I was the people person there. And it was just about always connecting with people and really listening and being there and understanding and caring. And it's like such I think a simple thing to do that we're too busy these days to do. And the connection part, when people ask me, why are you— do you think you're so joyful? And I said, well, it's because I connect. I connect to life, I connect to somebody, I connect to nature, I connect to my, you know, my pillars. And that's it.

And that's what everybody wants, right? We're seeking connection. And the irony is that while we're seeking that, we're getting more disconnected. Right. And I've read, I think happy people or joyful people live 7 times longer than people who don't experience that. So there's a lot of really great just physiological benefits to experiencing that. Right.

Yeah. I remember someone said to me years ago, they were like, why do you, you know, there's so much, there's so much whatever in the world, like negativity and all of these things. Like, you know, your viewpoint basically is just the whole rose-colored glasses thing. And I was like, all I know is that I have 2 choices. And one is I can look at the world in a negative way, and one, I can look at it in a positive. And I know which one feels better. It feels better in my heart. It feels better in my body. It feels better. Like there's better people around me. You know, everything is better. So why wouldn't I choose that? So if I am living in with rose color, like, let me, allow me. I'm loving it over here.

Right? Why not? And that, that's kind of my mantra too, is to always reach for the feeling that feels a little bit better or reach for the thought that feels a little bit better because Then that becomes your reality. But you have, you have an entire range or menu of thoughts that are accessible to you. Why would you choose the one that makes you feel bad?

Right, right. And, and let me be clear though. I wanna be clear cuz it's very important in my messaging and what I do is that I am human like everybody else is, man. And like, I experience pain and loss. I lost my dad in January. It's part of what of the work that I just did with the project? Like, I experienced grief like everybody else. But part of what joy is to me, or what joy to me is, the full expression of ourselves. It is the connection to ourselves and the full expression of that. And so grief can simultaneously live with joy. And so I allow myself to feel every single feeling. And what I feel is that joy has become— because I know it is who I am, it's almost like my flotation device. It holds me up during the hard times. And so it's not like I deny them, but it— I just have become more resilient because of it.

Resilience is key, right? And, and even though you're reaching for the thought that feels better, it doesn't mean you're denying or repressing any kind of grief or anything, right? And if we carry that example of you losing your dad, you could have wallowed in the grief and just said, woe is me, I'm never going to see him again, and on. Or you could have chose a different thought, like, hey, you know, I had amazing, great years with my dad. He taught me these things. He was an amazing person. He's left a legacy. So even though the fact was that he had passed on, you could have— you could sort of spin it a different way, or not spin it, but just choose a different thought about the situation.

Which I 100%— and what— which is what I did. I used it as a catalyst to create this new project that I just finished because I was like, this dad would have wanted this. Like, this was, you know, what I was inspired by. He supported— he— yeah. And did— does it mean I didn't feel grief? Of course I do, you know, of course I do. But I do not in anything allow it to keep me down because I have seen way too many times in my life I always turn the corner. We always come out the other side. Winter always turns to spring. And so I learned one of my greatest lessons for myself is that I stopped waiting for hindsight to trust that things are gonna be okay. So when a challenge comes knocking at my door, I may not understand it. It may be really hard. I may be like, I don't understand why you're here, but I trust, I trust that I'm going to become a better version of myself because of it. And that allows the journey through it to be just a little easier.

That is a really good insight. I love that. And it's not, it's not about what they call toxic positivity or happiness, right? You don't just always have to pretend to be happy. happy, happy, because, you know, that's not life, right? But that's right, you're just trying to tap into it because it's already there. The joy is there. You've just got to unleash it and find it. Yeah.

Yeah. And I think if you know that, if you know that what you're armed with, like, you become a lot more confident in life and in showing up in situations. Like, I don't live in fear anymore that if something really bad happens, that I'm not going to be okay. And that kind of security and safety, especially for someone like myself who comes from a childhood where there was traumatic abuse and things like that. Safety is everything for me, and I've created myself— I created that for myself with my, my joy.

It's nothing that I remember hearing about 20 years ago, or is it? People just didn't talk about it, right? So are you comfortable talking about how you dealt with that and how you kind of got through it and, you know, came to where you are now?

It's, it's funny that you said, like, no one talked about it 20 years ago. They didn't in 1981 either, when it happened to me. And so for me, I didn't understand why at that young age I decided to share the truth of what had happened. But I did. And I ended up in a courtroom on the witness stand prosecuting my abuser at 7 years old. And I would— they would never do that today, I'm certain, with a 7-year-old. So that— I always tell people, I said that experience itself was more traumatic than the trauma, than the, you know, the abuse itself that happened. But what I learned, and of course I didn't know it at the time, but looking back and all of that, is that my voice, my speaking up, helped save other young girls. They found out that this man had done this to other girls. So, you know, at the time I was told, told I was a hero for speaking up. And of course, as a 7-year-old, I was just a scared girl. Like, there was nothing that felt like heroic to me. But through the years, I've realized that I need to continue speaking up. And so I always say, like, I was the MeToo movement before there was a real MeToo movement. And I think that connection to my truth and to who I am is what has guided me and led me to continually showing up even when things are hard and to continually speak my truth. And speaking our truth, as I said, being fully expressed is where the joy lies. So when I didn't know that what people saw in me, what they thought was happiness, was actually joy, it was just because I had pure connection to my truth.

Was there an element of forgiveness for you that helped you get there? Or because I've heard and I've read that forgiveness is a big part of it. And I'm not suggesting that anything that he did was okay. But I'm interested in that idea of forgiveness.

Yeah, it's— so I will never be able to explain it to this day. But I knew with every part of me at that young age, that this person was in pain. I knew that, I knew that I didn't do anything wrong. There was just this innate knowing. And I think in having that compassion, It didn't work forever because there was a point where it was like, well, I think I need— I think I get the entitlement to be upset and angry and the things that this happened like, and not put myself on the back burner. But for a long time, I've— and I still do fully understand why that had happened. So when you use the words forgiveness, I think I forgave him right away just because I knew there was something wrong with him.

And that's powerful, right? It had nothing to do with you.

And, you know, to be honest, the courtroom and how it goes and and attorneys and everything, and being questioned as a young girl as to why I didn't do— they tried to make me at fault. And that's why I said that whole experience was more traumatic than, you know, the experience itself. But yeah, I, I was just a 7-year-old girl that, you know, just trusted people, as I should. And that person failed me.

Over your journey, like, that must have kept coming up, or— I mean, I can't even imagine dealing with that as you got older. So what were your strategies, or how did you How did you process it? How did you become what you are now?

Yeah, America's Joy Magnet. It's quite the journey, I know. But it really did become, like I said, I spent many years. I knew right off the bat, I'll say Oprah, by the way, it's the reason why I am a talk show host because I was 12 years old and I remember sitting on the living room floor watching the television and Oprah talked about her abuse for the first time. And I wasn't talking to anybody In those years about this, I was just holding it in. And I remember thinking for the first time, like I suddenly didn't feel like there was something wrong with me because as much as I didn't blame myself, there still felt like something dirty or you know, like I just I can't explain what it was. I was just like an outsider than all the rest of my friends, and she made me feel for the first time like that I was okay. And also. that there was a path for me, that there was hope that I could still be successful. Like, I just— so it, you know, it sparked something within me. And it did take many years though of— because what I realized then is that I did not want to be a victim. And I was not. I made a choice that I was not going to live my life as a victim. And so I never faced it. And so I just went through life, I'm going to be strong. I'm going to be this courageous hero that they told me that I was in the courtroom. And that backfires because We can only hold in so much for so long. And so my 20s and 30s were really spent realizing that I was in a lot of unhealthy relationships, both with men and with myself, my body, all of it. You know, I was pushing down all these emotions and I really came to a point where just like a young girl, like I knew there was this light, I call it light inside of me. I knew there was something more for me. I always knew it. I did not know the path to it. Like, I didn't— I didn't know what it looked like to get there. I just knew it was there. And I remember one night, like, after hanging out with my guy friend, he was my best friend, and we had had some drinks. And I was again being like, I don't understand why these guys don't respect me. And I don't understand, you know, like all of the things. And he looked at me straight in the eye and he said, Sherri, what kind of woman do you see yourself as? And I just never been asked that. And I just listed off like, well, she's confident and she shows up and she does all of these things. She wouldn't, you know, allow these people. And so he just looked at me and he goes, so be her. And at that moment, I was also an actress and I knew what that could look like. And I remember just starting, and these are just the beginning steps and how it changed my life. So I remember just the guy that I was kind of seeing, although I would say I was seeing him, he didn't think I was seeing him. But like the first time he texted, I said to myself, what would that Sherri do right now? And the answer was simple. She wouldn't text him back. And so I didn't. And then before I knew it, it had been a month. And what would that Sherri do? And so I just made all of these small incremental changes to be with the vision of the person that I wanted to be. And then And with time, what ended up happening is that when things came into my life that were toxic or negative, it actually felt toxic and poison in my body. For the first time, I could recognize the difference between what feeling really good and with integrity and positivity felt like and what that didn't. And that began my journey to healing and to finding joy.

Wow. Yeah. So, so it's the idea, you know, you see it before you be it, right? Like you, you were like, what would that Sheri do? What would she say? That, that is powerful. I love that.

That was it. And they were, like I said, small, small little things because everybody gets, you know, if you're in a space, people get overwhelmed by like this idea of how much they have to change and, oh, it's going to be so hard. And, you know, we hear it with everything, with building a business too. Like, just take small steps. Do that one thing. Write that email, you know, buy the domain, whatever that is. Do the thing. And that's what I did for myself. I did the thing each day.

Yeah, you took one step further and yeah, like you said, it's the same with starting a business, right? I mean, completely different vibe, of course, but yeah, you've got to, you've got to do something. You've got to do something working toward it, whether it's just changing your outlook or finding joy or starting a company. So yeah, I definitely understand that.

Yeah. And I took what I loved speaking up and like what I was learning and I couldn't— the joy and becoming where I am in the space now, I remember it was my space days. And I know I just dated myself, but like they had the bulletin boards and you could actually like inspire people. And so I was going through all of this personal healing and everything I was learning because I'd been a sharer, an oversharer from a young age. I always just wanted to share what I was learning. And so I started doing that and that ripple of helping others and then getting that back, that receiving, it was like just this beautiful thing. And then suddenly I can make videos and I could talk to people in 2006 on YouTube before other people were making vlogs. You know, like I was doing the thing now, of course, it's like nothing. Like I put my, I remember putting my phone on my dashboard and calling it Dashboard Confessions in like 2008. And it was like this, you know, oh my God, she's driving with a phone and you know, all of the things. And, but that was me following this, this internal thing that I had no idea where it was gonna go. I just knew that I had something to share, a purpose that I was connected to, and I just kept connecting to it and showing up for it.

So would you mind sharing some of your favorite moments from your most recent project?

Oh goodness. I am lit up by that cuz I just got back a month ago. Yeah. So I'll, I'm always honest. I had this dream of this RV showing up, going around the country in an RV, meeting people, spreading joy, you know, sharing the stories. But I had it in 2006, so I was in my 30s. And so let's just say that at 51 years old, sitting in an RV for all of those hours around the country is not as romantic and fun as one would think that it would be. at first. So, one of my favorite things that came out of it was actually my crew that I was with. And I haven't said this before, but, you know, the first few days, like, I don't know these guys. They're guys in their 20s. I, you know, got connected to this production company. You know, we would meet on Zoom and stuff. And I lived the first 3 days in, like, fight or flight. Like, I was in full-on anxiety mode. Like, here I am, this super clean person, and here are 2 guys in their 20s who, like, take bread to make a sandwich and slap it on the counter without, like, a plate. And I'm like, my eyes are bulging out of my head. And I'm like, how am I going to do this? I don't know how they drive. We don't know what we're doing. We just got to get to 8 cities to interview people around the country. And I kept thinking the first few days, what did I get myself into? What are you doing? Like, can you quit? Like, what would happen? Like, you have all these people to interview. Like, all of that happened. And by the end of the trip, they were my family. And that is what connection is. And that is what presence is. And that is what I found all over the US with every person that I met with. Even if I was anxious the moment before, as soon as I sat and talked to them and we spoke, we were eye to eye and in person. There was so much joy and light and goodness from people all over. I stopped in Chicago. We screamed. There's something called a scream club. We screamed our emotions out on Lake Michigan. There's like 200 people that show up for this. I went ATV riding. I met with someone that has ALS, but is still living with so much life and zest. You know, I was at a senior center. I mean, there was just moments that really lit me up and has just given me more and more fuel to continue this joy drive.

Joy Drive. And the, the, the product of that is the— is it gonna get produced and shown somewhere? Or like, what is the— what is the end result of all of that?

Yeah. So, uh, right now we just finished our trailer, which I'll be releasing soon. Um, it's gonna be, like I said, an 8-episode docuseries. I am currently shopping it around right now. Like, I can get it easily— not easily, but like, where at my past— it's a spinoff, so it's basically Good Morning Joy season 4. So it's the spinoff where we leave, like you saw me going around LA and talking to people on the street. So we leave the studio in LA to go on the Joy Drive. So ultimately, I see this as future seasons. I see it going international. And so my goal with this right now is, is it the pilot for that bigger— is there a Netflix? Is there a Peacock or Hulu? Is there a somebody that is ready to— develop this with me because it is powerful, um, what it was created and what is needed right now.

I agree that it is definitely needed right now. And yeah, hopefully you're, you're feeling that from your audience and viewers and listeners that, yeah, yeah, there's a, there's a market for this. People want something that's going to help them feel good or see positive.

Yeah. And seeing the, like, what is possible. And those were the stories that I was highlighting as the people that have been in the dark or are still currently in it, or the challenges, and how did they find their way out? And it's also simultaneously my own story of, you know, being America's joy magnet and then losing my dad in January and needing my own spark. You know, being in midlife right now as a woman, uh, where, you know, with the hormones and everything and life just getting, you know, blah. So it's like, what do I do as the person that's supposed to have all this joy and be connected to it that needs my own little revving up? And so there's multiple stories happening in it. And I really think that everybody will be able to connect to one of the stories, if not mine.

One of the stories for us, like give us a quick little thumbnail.

Yeah. Who, who should I share? Well, yeah, let me, I'll share Deanna. So Deanna is the one who is living with ALS. And so she is facing a terminal diagnosis, and yet she still shows up and she goes to get her tattoos. We— I shouldn't be giving this away, but, you know, we might have done something together.

Aww.

Like, she has a whole sleeve of tattoos and she still goes out and she gets her hair colored and she still— like, the simple things, she still chooses life. Whereas if Some people, if given a terminal diagnosis, may just be like, well, what is the point? And hers is like, I got all these little moments that are still like these pockets of sunshine, and I still want to live as fully as I can. And so I can't think of anybody more inspiring that can show us that joy is possible, even in the face of death.

Thank you for sharing that. Yeah, I can't wait to check that out myself. Yeah.

Yeah. And my dad passed from ALS, so that is how her and I got connected. So it's been—

oh, okay. That's a very personal connection then. Yeah.

Yeah.

So you shared your 5 pillars and that the fact that you're an overachiever, so you try to hit all 5 every day.

Mm-hmm.

Um, but can you share some of your, just maybe some of the more boring practices or the, the things you do day in, day out that help you along that journey?

Yeah. Well, I check in with myself often and, and what I mean by that is I make sure that what I'm working on currently, something that I'm doing, that it actually feels feels good. Because I have spent many years doing things that didn't and staying attached to them because I'm like, oh, you need to make money, or this is the right path. And, you know, I have an upcoming book called Joy Unleashed that's being in December, and I've invited contributors to it. And one of the authors in it talks about like a joy job, you know, and being aligned with what it is that you love and that you get to have both. And so for me, it's like I wanna make sure that whatever it is that I'm giving my energy to, that it is giving it right back to me. So that's a daily practice for me, whether that looks like setting an alarm on my phone that just has me stop what I'm doing, hand on heart. I'm a big hand on heart person. And how are you? You okay? Like, even just for that quick moment. So that's a daily practice for me. Also, it's cliché, but gratitude. Gratitude every day, every day. It's why I do my nature walks. Like, it's why I get up at 4:30 in the morning and get my butt out there and walk with the sunrise, because I feel like just being in that moment reminds me how lucky and blessed I am to be given a new day and a new opportunity. And that rewires and refocuses and reframes everything for me. And then Being kind to myself. That's a big one because I feel like we thrive, we thrive so much more when we are living in kind with ourselves.

I agree with that. Yeah, 100%. I was just talking to somebody and it's a, it's a quote I've heard before, but you know, if, if a friend of yours talked to you the way you talk to you, you would never be their friend.

Right?

Yeah.

And that was a whole part of my healing journey too. Yeah. Was realizing when I weeded all those people out that I said like that I did, what I was left with was me. And I realized how I was still talking to myself. So I was still victimizing myself. And so then it learned, then it was about changing that relationship with myself. And I say to everybody that what saved me was self-love and self-compassion. And when I was able to do that, everything opened up for me.

And that was the main motivation for doing this podcast, right? Because I wanted young entrepreneurs to understand that being a healthy human mentally, physically, and spiritually is going to make it more possible for them to have a healthy company.

Yeah, that, that's it. Like, they're not separate. They are not separate because like who you show up with, who you show up as home is the same person you're going to show up at work and in your business. And if you are balanced and aligned and connected to yourself and to your joy, you will do everything different in your business. There's no way not to.

So if, if there's one thing that you hope people take away from this conversation, what would it be?

I would say to— and this might be against what entrepreneurs do because you hear the words and I can hear it right now— slow down. Slow down. And I've never said that before in an interview, but it's— it might be because I'm feeling that at this moment. But I know that we are missing out on so much of life by having our heads buried. And there is so much available to us when we do slow down, things that we don't even notice because we're like this and the scrolling and all of the stuff. And if we just got still and actually enjoyed and appreciated what was around us, we would meet the right people, the doors would open, we would show up better, all of it would change.

I say that to my students sometimes is, you know, you gotta slow down to go fast, or at least to go fast well, right? Yeah.

Yeah. Million percent.

Well, Sherry, thank you so much for spending this time with me. If people are interested in learning more about you and your work, where do they find you?

They can go to my website, sherryelise.com. It's not super updated, but all my socials are there. But Instagram is a, a great place to connect with me there. I, and that is @sherryelise, and I'm posting all of the clips coming up of Joy Drive. Um, so you can keep up.

Great. And, and when will that be released, do you think?

Uh, we are looking at December, next month.

Oh, wow. A month. Yeah. Literally like 3 weeks from now. Wow.

Good.

Yeah.

Probably mid, like, so we have a little flexibility on that. Like I said, I am really looking for some bigger opportunities, so that might change, but the goal is December.

Amazing. Well, I can't wait to check that out. And thank you so much, Sherri. This was a really fun conversation for me, and I hope everybody else enjoys it too.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for listening to the Total Entrepreneur Mind Body Spirit Podcast. If you liked what you heard or heard something interesting today, please give us a like, share a comment, or better yet, subscribe to the podcast. Thank you.