True Strength Arises From Loving Yourself

— "These days, I can't even be Nadia's hero. I can't rescue her from life's tragedies. I can only support her with an open heart. The only person for whom I can be ultimately responsible is the nine-year-old girl inside of me."

Valeria Teles interviews Laila Tarraf — the author of "Strong Like Water: How I Found the Courage to Lead with Love in Business and in Life."

Laila Tarraf is a senior human resource executive with over 25 years of professional experience. After graduating with her MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, she became one of the founding team members at Walmart.com. She then served as Chief People Officer at Peet's Coffee and Tea, an iconic Bay Area premium coffee company. Currently, Laila is the Head of People and Employee Experience for AllBirds, is a trusted advisor to entrepreneurs and investors, and is a regular guest lecturer at Berkeley Law School.

Laila Tarraf was the Chief People Officer for Peet's Coffee and Tea, the iconic Berkeley coffee roaster that launched the craft coffee movement in America, but she had a secret: she was failing in the most important relationships in her life. Yes, she was a strong and effective business leader, the successful daughter of immigrants, and the mother of a toddler, but she was disconnected from her own feelings ­and had little patience for the feelings of others.

All that changed when life handed her a trifecta of losses: her husband died of an accidental drug overdose, and her parents' deaths followed in quick succession. Laila had spent her life leading from the head, convinced that any display of vulnerability would make her soft. And it did, but soft turned out to be strong. As she reconnected to her heart, one painful step at a time, something remarkable happened: she became a better leader, a better mother, and a better person. Her heart turned out to be the true source of her power, at home and at work.

This is a book about healing, about waking up, about learning who you are -- who you really, truly are at the core -- and reclaiming and embracing all the pieces of yourself you had long abandoned in the name of survival. For women longing for balance, this is a path to opening our hearts and infusing our leadership and relationships with love, compassion, and authenticity.

To learn more about Laila Tarraf and her works please visit: https://www.lailatarraf.com/

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life to the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.