Making Radical Choices in Marriage with Michael Ventura

In this podcast, Alexandra speaks to entrepreneur, former CEO, author of Applied Empathy, and thought leader Michael Ventura.

For over two decades, Michael Ventura has worked as a leader, facilitator, and educator. Concepts and tools from his first book, Applied Empathy (Simon & Schuster, 2018) have been embraced by influential, respected organizations from the ACLU, Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Nike to The United Nations and the Obama Administration. His work focuses on helping leaders and their teams to practice empathy as a means to deepen connection and catalyze change.

In private practice, he works with individuals seeking acceptance and transformation through the Indigenous healing tradition of the Nahua Peoples and the Traditional Chinese Medicine practice of qigong. He’s led countless workshops, retreats, and seminars sharing the lessons of these modalities as a means to deeper self-knowledge and well-being. 

His work is widely regarded for its ability to guide others toward feeling, thinking, and acting with greater curiosity, and a willingness to better understand one’s inner and outer worlds. His practice draws from philosophical and ancestral wisdom while also incorporating thought-provoking psychological and personal development techniques that offer real, adoptable skills and behaviors.

Michael shares his work by advising a variety of public and private organizations, as well as teaching at institutions such as Princeton University, The University of Pennsylvania, The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. His work has been featured in media outlets such as Business Insider, Fast Company, Forbes, PBS News Hour, and countless others. As a speaker and facilitator, Michael has shared his work with audiences at conferences including Adobe’s 99U, SxSW, The TED Conference, and events the world over.

Michael's methods have been heralded as a touchstone in a new era of leadership development. Whether working individually, with teams, or societally, he is a committed steward to the positive, transformative power of empathy.

In this podcast, you’ll discover:

• What set Michael on his own healing path and spiritual journey.
• How Michael decided what spiritual practices were right for him.
• His shares around what it’s like to be in a relationship with a teacher offline, in the world, where you show up with utter respect and devotion.
• Alexandra’s shares about her journey meeting Michael when he was a CEO of creative agency SubRosa in NYC where Alexandra came to Michael for shamanic energy work and healing.
• Michael’s generous shares about his 15-year marriage: how he has made that work, his views on whether or not both partners need to be on the same spiritual path, what to do when things feel stagnant or sticky, and making radical choices in your marriage that perhaps your friends or family don’t understand.

Discover Michael's Empathy Practice Tools here.

Subscribe to Michael's Substack here.

Follow Michael on IG here.

Check out Michael's alternative medicine services and ceremonies here.

Join our Radical Awakenings virtual mentorship program here.