130: Why You Should Embrace Handwritten Notes: Tomer Alpert on Building Deeper Connections
Release Date: 12/02/2024
What's Your Shine?
In this powerful episode of What’s Your Shine? The Happy Podcast, Dr. Shine welcomes Courtney Johnson—a powerhouse speaker, advocate, and the founder of Change Course. With a heart for restorative justice and an eye for systemic change, Courtney has dedicated her life to rewriting the story for women in crisis. Courtney’s journey from trauma to transformation isn’t just inspiring—it’s galvanizing. In this conversation, she opens up about her own story of redemption and how it fuels her work to break cycles of incarceration, addiction, and generational poverty. Her nonprofit, Change...
info_outlineWhat's Your Shine?
Join us for an insightful episode of What’s Your Shine? The Happy Podcast as Dr. Shine sits down with Chief Graves of the Grapevine Police Department to explore what it means to lead with heart, humility, and hope in modern law enforcement. With decades of experience, Chief Graves brings wisdom, warmth, and clarity to a profession often misunderstood. “When someone calls 911, they’re not calling to complain—they’re calling because they need help,” she shares. “Our job is to show up ready to serve, with empathy and excellence.” This episode goes beyond policies and procedures...
info_outlineWhat's Your Shine?
Join Dr. Shine on What’s Your Shine? The Happy Podcast for a captivating conversation with Brad Holley—visionary outdoor designer, creative mind behind Undesign, and winner of the prestigious Million Dollar Pool Design Challenge. In this episode, Brad shares the heart behind his award-winning outdoor environments, which are far more than luxury backyards—they’re places where people gather, celebrate, and grow. He also opens up about navigating imposter syndrome, learning the power of mentorship, and how design can shape behavior and build community. But that’s not all—Brad dives...
info_outlineWhat's Your Shine?
Join Dr. Shine on What’s Your Shine? The Happy Podcast for a powerful and practical conversation with content creator and former educator Ashlynn McKay, as she explores the crisis facing our kids: a silent decline in creativity, connection, and mental health. In this episode, Ashlynn draws from her experience as both a teacher and digital storyteller to unpack what we’re losing in an increasingly screen-centered world—and what we can reclaim. From the pressure cooker of modern childhood in North Texas to the classroom policies that unintentionally squash imagination, Ashlynn shares...
info_outlineWhat's Your Shine?
Join Dr. Shine for an inspiring and deeply personal conversation with Klint Guerry—seasoned executive, author, leadership coach, and the creative mind behind A Guide to Self-Disruption and The Guerry Notebook. As one of the featured contributors to House of Shine’s journaling exhibit, Klint shares how a simple blank notebook—and a desire to rewrite his story—changed the trajectory of his life forever. In this episode, Klint opens up about his journey from a chaotic, unstable childhood to becoming a purpose-driven leader overseeing thousands. He credits journaling as the single most...
info_outlineWhat's Your Shine?
Join Dr. Shine on What’s Your Shine? The Happy Podcast for a heartfelt, eye-opening conversation with Mimi Loftus, House of Shine’s go-to youth expert and self-proclaimed “teen whisperer.” In this deeply relatable episode, Mimi shares powerful insights from real teens about what they wish their parents knew—and how adults can better connect with the young people in their lives. Based on anonymous feedback Mimi gathered directly from adolescents, this episode breaks down three core themes that keep showing up: teens want to be understood, not “fixed”; they need their interests...
info_outlineWhat's Your Shine?
Join Dr. Shine on this week’s episode of What’s Your Shine? The Happy Podcast for a heartfelt, wanderlust-filled conversation with Tien Tran—global citizen, intentional traveler, and one of the featured journalers in our GROW: Journaling Through the Seasons exhibit at House of Shine. Inspired by The Diary of Anne Frank at age 11, Tien picked up his first journal—a Harry Potter notebook—just weeks before returning to Vietnam for the first time since childhood. That moment sparked a journaling journey that now spans 43 journals, 10 countries, and six continents. In this episode, Tien...
info_outlineWhat's Your Shine?
Join Dr. Shine on What’s Your Shine? The Happy Podcast for an inspiring and deeply personal conversation with Peggy Sue Robinson—longtime friend of the House of Shine, resident creative, and passionate junk journaler. In this joyful episode, Peggy Sue shares her journey from “lurker” on the original House of Shine blog to creative contributor whose influence can be felt throughout our museum space. Together, they explore the evolution of journaling as a practice—not just as a place to write thoughts, but as a powerful form of self-expression. Peggy Sue introduces us to the art of...
info_outlineWhat's Your Shine?
Join us for a very special solo episode of What’s Your Shine? The Happy Podcast as Dr. Claudia Beeny—aka Dr. Shine—invites listeners into her personal journaling practice and the origin story behind House of Shine’s newest exhibit, Grow: Journaling Through the Seasons. In this candid, insightful, and often hilarious episode, Dr. Shine opens her journals and her heart, revealing how 18 years of spontaneous journaling turned into a powerful manifestation practice that helped bring the House of Shine to life. From blog posts written during preschool pickup to early sketches of programs...
info_outlineWhat's Your Shine?
Join Dr. Shine on What’s Your Shine? The Happy Podcast for a heartfelt conversation with Dr. Kim Lozada, retired educator, cancer survivor, and author of The COVID Chronicles: A Journey of Faith and Hope. In this powerful episode, Dr. Lozada shares how a spontaneous journaling habit during the early days of the pandemic evolved into a published book—one that serves as both a personal memoir and a collective time capsule for a moment in history we’ll never forget. As the world slowed down, Kim picked up her pen. What began as a tool for reflection quickly became a record of everyday...
info_outlineIn the second part of this captivating series, Dr. Shine continues her conversation with Tomer Alpert, the visionary founder of Felt, diving deep into his transformative Shark Tank journey. This episode is all about risk-taking, self-trust, and the magic that happens when you align your decisions with your intuition.
Tomer shares behind-the-scenes stories of his Shark Tank experience—from crafting an unforgettable pitch involving a wedding dress to making a bold decision to trust his gut and rewrite the rules of negotiation. Along the way, he reflects on how his journey as an entrepreneur taught him the value of listening to his inner voice, even in high-stakes situations.
This episode is packed with lessons on resilience, creativity, and the importance of staying true to your authentic self. Whether you’re chasing your dreams, navigating a career pivot, or simply looking for inspiration, Tomer’s story will encourage you to take bold steps toward your goals.
Key Topics:
- The creative process behind Tomer’s unforgettable Shark Tank pitch
- Why trusting your intuition is key to making high-stakes decisions
- Lessons in resilience and self-discovery from Tomer’s entrepreneurial journey
- How staying authentic can transform personal and professional success
- The magic of aligning your actions with your values
Don’t miss this episode, packed with actionable insights and inspiring stories that will leave you motivated to trust yourself and embrace the unknown.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out Part 1 of this series, where Tomer and Dr. Shine explore the power of handwritten notes and building deeper connections.