Leah Marville's Guide to Self-Discovery Amidst the Beauty of Barbados

The marvelous Leah Marville shares her story of resilience and determination. Leah's journey is not just a narrative of personal success but a testament to the power of passion and perseverance that resonates deeply with anyone striving to overcome life's obstacles.

Feel the warmth of the island and the vibrancy of its culture as Leah recounts a childhood filled with dance, play, and family ties. We talk about the transformative impact of healing, as Leah openly shares her journey from trauma to triumph, embracing change to become a person of depth and courage. Her experiences offer a guide to self-discovery and growth.

Visit Leah's website and get your hands on the Be2Become Journal, make sure to give her Podcast a listen, follow her on Instagram, and subscribe to her YouTube channel

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The Island Awakening Luxury Retreat is a retreat like no other and a unique way for you to dedicate some time to yourself in the company of like-minded people. Don't hesitate because space is limited. Visit the website to secure your spot.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 2:05

You know what I love about this podcast. I love that I get to sit down and talk with people whom I admire, caribbean people who are making a difference, who are putting themselves out there and who are not afraid to make an impact and inspire others. My guest today is another one of those phenomenal individuals, and I know that you can tell as well that so far I've had many, many really phenomenal individuals on this podcast, and I'm lucky that way. But Lea Marville said yes to being on my podcast, and to me that means the world. She's someone I admire deeply and I'm totally fan-girling here, I know, so bear with me. But before we go into the super interesting conversation I had with her, I want to thank you for being here.

Speaker 1: 2:54

Of all the podcasts you could have listened to, of all the podcasts you could have chosen to listen to, you chose Paradise Perspectives, and for that I am immensely grateful, thank you.

Speaker 1: 3:05

So today's episode is a little different than what you have come to expect from Paradise Perspectives and, although we go and touch on deeper subjects than what I normally do, at the core of it it is still about a Caribbean, and in this case about a Caribbean person. But let me not leave you wondering, so get comfortable and take a listen. Okay, so we are back with another episode of Paradise Perspectives, and this one promises to be so amazing because in the online studio with me right now, I have the beautiful, the amazing, the multi-talented, the marvelous Leah Marvell. Thank you so much for being here, and I just said it in the beginning, before we started recording I'm a little bit nervous, I'm a little bit starstruck, I'm a little bit you know, when you have such an admiration for someone and then that person is live in front of you and it's like, oh, what am I going to say?

Speaker 2: 4:08

Oh, my God, thank you. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for having me. It's an honor, it's a pleasure to meet you.

Speaker 1: 4:16

I am honored. I am so happy that you were able to make the time because, girlfriend, you do so much. You're a fashion icon, you're a fashion model, you're a speaker on TV, you have your podcast, you're an attorney at law I mean, where do you get the time? And then all of the accolades of course, you've been crowned. I think it was Ms Barbada, you were a let me see, I have it all written down here. So it's like you are the continental beauty queen of the Caribbean as well. It's like, how do you get the time?

Speaker 2: 4:53

I mean, I think you know they're all. They all happen at different seasons of my life, so they're all aren't happening all at once. There was a time where a lot more was happening all at once and I think when your heart is invested in something somewhere along the way, you just I don't know like a portal of extra time just opens up and you just find a way to fit all of it in. But I now I don't fully practice as an attorney because I'm not in the Caribbean at present. I live in the US, so I'm mostly focused on my wellness company, my wellness education company, my planner, my podcast and I don't know. Like I said, once your heart is invested in something, you find a way to create the space and the time for it, and I think now I do that in my life more sensibly. When I was younger, I would just be like yes to this and yes to that, let's do it, which is great and that served me well. But now it's about streamlining, building that kind of thing.

Speaker 1: 5:54

Where do you get that strength from actually to go after what you believe in? Because you know, for a lot of women, and especially as it is a lot in the Caribbean, we tend to keep ourselves hidden a lot. We don't want to take that big step into anything because we're mostly afraid of how people are going to treat us or what they're going to say. That is still one of those impactful things in the Caribbean. As a Caribbean woman, you know this. So where do you get the strength to actually step out of the comfort zone?

Speaker 2: 6:27

You know, I think it comes from a mix of things. That's a great question. It comes from a mix of things. My mom would say it was always a part of my personality. You know where I was very like bold as a kid and very like strong willed is what she would say. But I would add that a lot of my strength came from not so glorious circumstances. You know, a lot of it came from survival mode. So I lost my dad at 11 years old and it has been such a I talk about it all the time because it was the change in my life, that change.

Speaker 2: 7:04

I became an adult at 11 years old and I felt, as an 11 year old, like it was my responsibility to take care of myself and my mom, because you know, when something tragic like that happens as a child, you take on the responsibility. You know like, you tell yourself, like one, you don't want to add any more pain or discomfort to try. You get very slim and small but at the same time you take on the responsibility. And so for me, I started working at 14 years old and at that time I wasn't worried about having confidence. I just knew I was trying to make ends meet. Like I had a goal. I was trying to get through, you know, one goal at a time and I just kept showing up.

Speaker 2: 7:46

And and then, you know, when I became 19 years old, I was looking for opportunity in any place that I could get it, because I was trying to make my life better. I was trying to make a better life from both myself and my mom. And so when I got the opportunity to go audition for Barbados Fashion Week, I was like okay. And then when I got the opportunity to enter Miss Barbados, I was a little resistant to that, to be very honest, but ultimately I said okay and I started just saying okay and yes to things because I was trying to, you know, actively make a better life for myself. And I think through doing things you build confidence, you know, or at least you build the muscle to keep showing up, because I can't say that I was always confident throughout the entire journey, Like there are times where I know, for example, I can remember one very specific time I was hosting a concert, I was emceeing a concert of over 3000 people. I was not okay, I was not okay with that.

Speaker 2: 8:51

I was terrified. I had never done an audience that big. It was in a country that I was in, Trinidad and Tobago, and from Barbados, so these people did not know me like that and it was the first time. But I had built up this muscle of just constantly showing up and just doing it. You know that the confidence came after. So, yeah, I think through doing you get the confidence and you know somewhere you just you carry yourself through it. You just have to keep showing up. Yes, exactly.

Speaker 1: 11:04

Wow, that's just amazing. It's just. You know, we were talking a little bit about this before we started recording about change, so, and I explained to you what my big change was, that's kind of like catapulted me into a complete different direction. In your case, you know, the passing of your dad is such an early age. But before we go into that, because I listened to that episode, you know, the embrace change episode, which is phenomenal, so resonated so deeply with me and I guess with others as well. So if you have not listened to any of the podcast episodes of Miss Lea Marfil, you need to go to her website or you need to go, I think it's. There's a link on your website, but your podcast is on my website or my Instagram.

Speaker 1: 11:48

Okay, right, and your podcast is called B2 Become. Yeah, b2 Become TV. Yeah, okay, b2 Become TV.

Speaker 2: 11:56

It's actually you can find, or you do?

Speaker 1: 11:59

Yeah, perfect, perfect, you need to. You need to listen up. I'm going to leave, of course, a link in the show notes, so go there at the end of the show so you do not want to miss out what Miss Marfil has to tell us. And these are all really, really good things. I was listening also, before we started today, I was listening to your interview with Kenny Fabulous, which I thought was amazing. I haven't finished it. I need to go back after this and finish that one. I thought that was very good as well, but yeah, so before we dive into all of that, and, of course, your planner B2 Become planner, which I cannot wait to get my hands on, personally, I want to go back to a little bit of you know little Leah in Barbados. What was that like? I mean before you know the big change that you went through, what was it like growing up in Barbados? What were some of your favorite things? What do you look back now, with you know, such an admiration? Tell us a little bit about what was it like back then.

Speaker 2: 13:01

My childhood in Barbados was so lovely. It was very rich, a very rich childhood. So you know Barbados is 66 square miles and it's just surrounded by beach, you know, in the Caribbean, and so the beach was a very common part of life. You know it's very used to go every Sunday with my family. My dad's family would go to beach on Sundays, Like we had different rituals that we did. My mom's family was very active To my mom has a really big family and I had a bunch of uncles. I was the only girl of like five male cousins, so you know what that's like.

Speaker 1: 13:42

Yeah, that's a lot of fun.

Speaker 2: 13:44

Fighting for your life, yeah.

Speaker 1: 13:46

Fighting for your life, but so much fun at the same time.

Speaker 2: 13:51

So much fun oh my gosh, it's supposed to be to so many things. Like my family, they took me fishing. They, you know. They had a farm, so I learned how to like raise animals, chickens, pigs. They had a sugar cane field surrounding the property. I learned how to like drive a tractor, prepare food, like it was. It was very colorful.

Speaker 2: 14:17

And then a large part of my childhood was dance. So I became a dancer. At four years old I joined this dance group called Dance in Africa and it was the biggest dance group on the island, most active, and we were involved in every festival, everything like constantly. So I would say four out of four out of five days a week, or even maybe five days a week. I was at dance rehearsal to like midnight. So I used to go to school then go to dance, and it was a community. I was a part of that community from I was four years old to I was probably like 17 or 18. And it was such an integral part of my life so I was always dancing, always expressing, always performing, just moving. It was a really, really colorful childhood.

Speaker 1: 15:12

Wow, that is so beautiful and always, probably probably you were like me always barefoot.

Speaker 2: 15:18

Yeah, I was always a tomboy. I used to dress like very tomboy.

Speaker 1: 15:23

Well, you were. You were hanging out with your male cousins. You had to yeah, yeah, yeah, and they were oh my gosh, yes, oh God, yes, I can imagine. I can imagine climbing trees, falling out of trees. Yeah, all of that was part of growing up in the Caribbean.

Speaker 2: 15:42

Okay.

Speaker 1: 15:43

So you visit still often, right, you visit Barbados all the time. It's like, of course, there are major changes, major shifts in your life. You no longer live there full time. Is your mom still there? Yeah, my mom lives there. Yeah, okay, beautiful so.

Speaker 2: 16:02

I thought how close you guys are.

Speaker 1: 16:04

I think it was that last post that you did on Instagram. Yeah, so beautiful. Yeah, kind of like a homage to her. Yeah, that was gorgeous. But I, you know, I want to talk a little bit about Barbados today. It's like what are some of the things that you think? Since you know, after all, paradise Perspectives is a travel show, I tend to dive a little deeper into the person that we are talking about. That we're talking, that I'm talking to, but it is after all, you know, the topic at hand is travel. So somebody who has never been, like myself, for instance, I was about, I had my ticket in hand, hotel was booked, everything was booked, and then I got really sick, so I didn't make it to Barbados. Yet what would you tell me? That are some of the things that I absolutely must experience when I'm there.

Speaker 2: 16:55

Well, I would say to you, barbados is a 360 sensory experience. So it's you know, eyes, ears, touch, it's everything, everything. So Barbados is a beautiful place. You know it's in the Caribbean, we have beautiful places in the Caribbean, but Barbados is so unique and rich in its own topography right, it's a very flat island. There are beaches around the entire, beautiful beaches all around, and you get different energies in different parts of the country. So on the West Coast you have this very recently has become very to loom style, like lifestyle where you have beach bars and restaurants with amazing food.

Speaker 2: 17:38

And the South Coast is also similar, but the South Coast gives you more of a local kind of lifestyle, so you get very integrated with with the locals there and it's such a beautiful, just scenic, peaceful, calming place to be. That's like the beaches and stuff like that. But beyond that, Barbados is has such rich history. So you go to Barbados and you are steeped in history. You can't be there and not see history right in front of you. A lot of people don't know this, but Barbados has a really amazing archival registry. We have, I think, the second largest archives of slave records in the world next to Britain.

Speaker 2: 18:21

Yeah, we have records that even Ghana doesn't have, you know.

Speaker 1: 18:26

So there's a lot.

Speaker 2: 18:27

There's a lot of history there. Our museum is very thorough on our history. It's such a rich place. So I think when you come to Barbados of course you have to, you know do this the sun, sun and sea thing. With the jet skis and we have catamarans, you can go out in the ocean and really relax and just experience sea life. You know, you can go swimming with the turtles and that kind of thing, which is beautiful and amazing, and I recommend that you do that. There's the jet skis. Men will be there too to give you a little bit of adventure if you want to do that. But I would say, try the local spaces, like oil things where you get, or authentic fish and vegetables, or macaroni pie, that kind of thing. Try our restaurants.

Speaker 1: 19:11

You can go from local to high end.

Speaker 2: 19:13

Yeah, you can go from local to high end. We have very beautiful scenic places almost like Instagrammable places as well, that you can go see. But I would suggest do something a little different. Go into our town and look at our history. We have a lot of monuments that have gone up. We have our museum, which is around the garrison. Our garrison is itself, is monumental, is historical. So I those are the little things I would suggest to sprinkle with a little bit of wellness, a little bit of calm, but a little bit of history.

Speaker 1: 19:45

Yeah, well, now that you're mentioning wellness, what are some of your wellness activities that you like to do when you visit?

Speaker 2: 19:54

Well, barbados is home for me, so when I go home, I immerse in a different type of wellness at home. There are some places that I'm actually now about to go try. There's a new wellness retreat spot in Barbados that I'm about to try next month. When I do travel, but when I do go home, it's yoga, it's simply just meditating on the beach. I do that a lot. I journal on the beach a lot. It's my safe space. So those would be the two things. But for me, when I go to Barbados, I'm immersing in home, so I like to be around family. That's a part of wellness for me. Culture is a part of wellness for me as well, so I like to immerse in culture. I have to always take a drive to the East Coast because there's so much nature and greenery and just you were just reminded of God's glory there and also hiking, so we have some beautiful hiking trails that take you to some of the most scenic places along our East Coast as well, and you can just look at the whole view of the island.

Speaker 2: 21:02

It's there's so much to do.

Speaker 1: 21:04

Yeah, you just got to go and experience it all Well, it's just beautiful how I see your face light up when you're talking about Barbados and going home, and I know a lot of people tend to ask me that question too whenever, because I'm originally from Curacao, so whenever I go to visit, by whoever it is, when my parents are oh, you have been.

Speaker 2: 21:25

I have been, which doesn't happen a lot. I saw the dolphins. I saw them. Oh, you did.

Speaker 1: 21:30

Well, yeah, let's not talk about that, or poor dolphins or captivity, it breaks my heart, but yes, the dolphins are very well.

Speaker 1: 21:39

They do. Oh, ok, yeah, because they do. They do take them out, they take them out and they get exercise. So I'm very happy that they do that and I think that is one of the only places that does that. But every time I go it's like everybody wants to know more about Curacao. I haven't lived there for a while for over 20 years so for me it's very, very it's gorgeous, but for me it's very difficult to then tell you where you need to stay, because when I visit, I stay with family. I spend time with family. I don't even know what's new. You know it's, so it's very, very hard. So I get that, and here I am asking you the exact same thing. You know, what do you do when you get home? Probably just spend it with family. That's what we do.

Speaker 2: 22:24

But I see, even though Barbados is home for me and it's very much family, I also see Barbados with new eyes each time, because when you live away for such a long time and you live in a completely different culture. When you go back home and almost are can be a tourist sometimes, or at least you see through a tourist's eyes, so I'm still able to find the kind of sparkle that you know a tourist would find. Yeah, about Barbados. Yeah, yes.

Speaker 1: 22:53

I think it's from what I you know when I was doing my research to visit. It is such a rich place, like you said, and it's also so beautiful and it's got beautiful scenery. The local scene is what attracted me so, so much about it. But you know now that you live abroad how long have you been living abroad, by the way?

Speaker 2: 23:12

I left Barbados when I was 19. So I've traveled. I've lived in multiple different countries. I've lived in South Africa, jamaica, trinidad, briefly in New York and now I live in Los Angeles for the last seven years. This month will make seven years.

Speaker 1: 23:27

Yes, wow, la. Yeah, I'm coming your way. By the way, it's like it's LA is on my list for this year. So, yes, I'm definitely going to LA this year. Yeah, I've already put it in my journal. I am speaking it into existence. It's happening. But what is one of the things, that from Barbados, that keeps you grounded? As a local Caribbean woman? What are some of the things, some of the lessons that you take with you on this big journey, being away from your home for so long? What are some of the things that keep you grounded?

Speaker 2: 24:03

You know, I think Barbadians are a very principled group of people and I think a lot of our principles is what takes me through life. So I find myself to be very grounded. I'm not easily taken away with. I live in Hollywood so I'm not easily I don't float away with the bright lights and all of those things and the personalities. I maintain that kind of groundedness and I really attribute that to coming from Barbados.

Speaker 2: 24:37

And we're about substance, we're people of substance. So what is it that? You? How do you show up in the world? What is your education? What is it? Not that you have to be educated, but what is your substance? What is your essence? What are you bringing? And not that we don't go out into the world and just say things because we can, we come with, we show up, we back it by substance. So I think having that, those principles, something as simple as being mannerly, like that, is something that never leaves me. And greeting, greeting people and seeing people as people, so acknowledging the presence of a person in a room by saying good morning or how are you or I like your shoes, or that kind of thing.

Speaker 2: 25:26

I get from home, I would say, a large part of my principles, my integrity as well. I think a lot of that just comes from my upbringing as a Barbadian, my desire to be excellent in everything that I do. I also get that from Barbados. We're very proud people, but we're also. Excellence is a very important part of education, is a cornerstone of the society as well. We hold education as a value as a people, and I think for me, I do the same, and so I try with my education, with my presence, with my word, with everything that I do, to show up in excellence, and I think a lot of that comes from being a Barbadian.

Speaker 1: 26:09

Wow, okay, yes, that's beautifully well said.

Speaker 1: 26:12

Well said yes, especially the part of education which was, in my case also was such a big thing. It's like my dad always, you know education first for everything. I want to talk a little bit about your podcast. That's a find. It's so, so interesting.

Speaker 1: 26:27

Like I said, I'm a huge fan, but you know there's one episode that we mentioned at the beginning of this episode here of Paradise Perspectives, and that is the episode that you did on embracing change. So, first of all, when did you start this podcast and what made you actually? I want to talk a little bit about what made that shift, because you, here you are, you did all the beauty contests, you became queen of this and you know fashion queen of that, but then you slowly started going more into wellness. What was there and something that happened that made you go more into? You know you're deeper into yourself and then now you know having the podcast and the journal, is that? Did something happen for you to actually make the transition, or was it just something that slowly started changing in your life? That's a good question.

Speaker 2: 27:24

It was an unfolding and I think an unfolding that was always happening.

Speaker 2: 27:32

But you know, I was, I was, I did, Miss Barbados, I ran the franchise and during that I was running the franchise from Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaker 2: 27:39

I was in law school at the same time and when I completed law school I moved back to New York briefly and then I moved back to Trinidad after I decided I didn't want to live in New York and I was in Trinidad, I started practicing law and I built my life there and it was living there that kind of started the unfolding in a much in a rapid way, right Coming down to the end of my time living in Trinidad. Well, I would say this I was always involved in television, so I was always, you know, the camera was a part of my life and I continued that while living in Trinidad and I always had an interest in people you know as, just as a lawyer, you become very invested in people's lives and as a TV host as well, I was always, like you know, asking questions, interviewing, that kind of thing. But I did have a series, go through a series of events. So it started with me being robbed at gunpoint, which is probably the second time I'm saying this.

Speaker 2: 28:44

I never really spoke about it before, because I only just told my mom about it.

Speaker 2: 28:51

It was just another thing, but yeah, it was something that happened. I mean, even as it happened I didn't it ended up in the newspaper because I was robbed with two other people and they were of note. I was with Kes and my boyfriend at the time and it ended up in Trinidad newspaper, but I kept my name out of it just because I didn't want it to reach back to my country, so I never really spoke about it. But that changed my life and after that I became when you've never experienced violence before, which was my story, and having experienced it, you live life through different lengths, like you now see the world very differently, and so that really affected me.

Speaker 2: 29:34

I think I started to go through a lot of PTSD, which I didn't know I had, and I started shifting my life. So I quit my job, I moved out of my apartment you know that kind of thing and I knew that I was ready to for something more. I knew I was ready to change my life, but I didn't know how, I didn't know what, and so I kind of then had to confront all of the demons that I was carrying, and it was from that place that I was introduced to this incredible therapy I would say chorus that I went through because it was intense. I was actually based in LA. So in 20, I think it was a friend of mine, jenna, she had gone through it. She was from Trinidad. She came to me in Trinidad, she sat me down and she was like you have to do this, leah, you're going through something. I can see it, I can feel it. You have to do this therapy thing. Come with me. So I did that in 2016, came to LA for an intense session.

Speaker 2: 30:33

I mean, it was like probably a month long broken up and it was like 12 hour days of just confronting all of my that is really intense, all of everything, yeah, and then I came out of that.

Speaker 2: 30:50

I mean, that changed my life. I was able to then deal with the things I had always been carrying, which is my father passing, who I had to become as a child, becoming an adult, and then at 18, I had also lost my best friend, and so that was compounding what the loss was compounding the loss. And so I dealt with a lot of that and I think through in that therapy session, in that therapy course, I decided that I wanted to live in LA. I had always wanted to, but I never did it, and so I made that decision and in moving to LA, that then became another unfolding. So I got here as an immigrant on a work visa, working as a model, and things did not go as planned.

Speaker 1: 31:33

Things did not go as planned, of course, like life usually does.

Speaker 2: 31:38

It did not go as planned. It was hard, and I think that led to just a deepening of what I had already started to kind of feel bad the layers of, and it was in that I came in 2018, and over a year I came in a relationship and that relationship didn't work out, and it was over that year of healing that I started telling my story. So previously I used to keep everything inside. Like I said, I never mentioned the robbery or whatnot, and I just came to a point in my healing where I needed to talk. I needed to talk, and the more that I spoke to people privately, the more I realized that we're all sharing similar, you know stories, right, but we and there's a lot of healing that we can do collectively but we just don't know because we don't open up and talk about it. Nobody's walking around with their wounds on their shoulders oh my gosh. But, especially as a Caribbean, person.

Speaker 1: 32:31

you know that it's a big no-no. You do not air your dirty laundry. That is the one big thing that our mothers have always taught us. I don't know if your mother did, but mine certainly did. Oh yeah, so yeah.

Speaker 2: 32:43

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 32:44

Wow, okay.

Speaker 2: 32:46

So that's what led to the start of the podcast in 2019. But I think it was always in me. I had started another TV show years before that, in turn of that, call Maverick, where I was interviewing people. So I think it's something that lives inside of you, and then events just bring you closer to actually connecting the dots and making it happen.

Speaker 1: 33:07

Right, wow, it's an intense story, an intense journey, but we are all grateful for you having to have gone through what you did in order to now be able to share all of that knowledge with everyone. Thank you for sharing that. That must have been also wow, thank you.

Speaker 2: 33:27

Thank you for giving me the speech.

Speaker 1: 33:29

Yes, so now you have the podcast. I was like, well, you have the TV show and the podcast and you do a YouTube channel, you're sharing all of this and you're having interviews and so on. So let's talk about my favorite episode to date, which is embracing change. I feel like that is one of those things that keep us back, that we are so afraid of change. Change is actually the reason why I started doing podcasting myself. I've always done radio before and I've always had a love for it, but I was so afraid of doing it because English is not my first language, and then I was always afraid of actually doing it.

Speaker 2: 34:09

You never know that. Yeah, it's not.

Speaker 1: 34:11

Popumentum is what I normally speak, and if you hear me speak before, I was always struggling over my words because it was always too much of my head, and so change has always been like that one thing that we struggle against and we try for it never to happen. But it is necessary, and I think it was your podcast episode that made me see it from a completely different light. Although I've already been, having gone through a separation my husband recently and all of that I've already had to deal with big changes and accepting those. But I want you to take us on that. What you spoke about in that episode of yours where you broke down change and what you need to do in order to kind of accept it.

Speaker 2: 34:59

Yeah, yeah, I don't remember specifically what I said, but I know that the process of change. I can tell you what the process of change is right. I think the first step in embracing change is a level of acceptance, Like you have to look at what is happening or what is required, the change that life is asking you of, and just simply accept it, Because I think what makes it hard for people to change is that they keep resisting the thing that is being asked of them, the change right. So, whether we like it or not, there's a point where we have to say, yes, it's here, this is what is happening, right. And then I think you have to make peace with that. You may have to make peace with. I have to change and this is what the change is requiring of me.

Speaker 2: 35:51

I think a lot of quiet time is necessary for change to happen, to understand who you are in the process of the change and what is asking of you and what is where your pain points. You know what is it that feels painful about this thing and why. Why is it painful? Right, Because I think that's a lot of where your pain is is what will limit you, it's what you struggle with. It's where your beliefs come from, and a lot of, a lot of change brings up or rears up, you know, our lack of belief within ourselves, whatever story it is that we've told ourselves for a very long time. Having to change just amplifies that right. We're more convinced than ever that we can't do things because you know whatever story we've told ourselves. So we need to find out what the story is and get to the root of that.

Speaker 2: 36:38

And then also, I think you know, embracing change is also about looking at what the beauty that life is asking to, it's inviting you into, because change will bring. Change will bring prosperity. I say this a lot change brings prosperity. So what is waiting on the other side of you? What lessons will you have to learn? What beauty are you being invited into? Are you being invited into learning a new skill, Going into a new job? Are you, are you becoming a new person? Do you have to live in a new place? Like what are those kinds of things? And I think to embrace and change is also about taking your time. So making making a plan, taking these steps, reflecting, reflecting on those steps as you go through them and just holding your hand every step of the way as you go through it.

Speaker 2: 37:32

But the major part of going through change is really accepting that the change is here, it's here now. It's happening. Let's go with it and surrender. I would say your peace and change will come with surrender, and for me, my surrender comes through my faith, and I think everybody should find what their grounding point is, whether it's your faith, what you know, whichever God you serve, or whatever it is that you believe in. My faith is in Jesus, and so I find my faith there, like in understanding you know the word of God and what God has in store for me, and just in general, finding my grounding there and understanding that life has always taken care of me and so it will also take care of me through this and I don't have to be afraid, and that, even if I had, even if I'm afraid, I don't have to be paralyzed, I can walk through it. I walk in faith. So so, yeah, that's a nutshell of what I would say Beautiful.

Speaker 1: 38:30

Well said, there is something that I want to try to see how you would interpret this or how you would advise somebody, because I believe that you know we get this a lot and I you probably get it in a different way.

Speaker 1: 38:45

I, as a travel expert for the Caribbean, I get a lot of this. You know, I wish I could travel like you, or I wish I could move to St Martin like you did. I wish I could move to the Caribbean, and I really don't like that when people tell me that, because you are keeping yourself back. Whenever you tell me that you wish you could do this, it's like, just like I did it, you can do it too, but you're going to have to embrace some changes in order to get there. Like, what would we tell? Since this is a travel show and we're talking about the Caribbean, and we always talk about the Caribbean what would you recommend somebody like that? Like, how would you coach them into the things that will need to change and how would you make it a little bit more attractive to do those changes and accept those changes in order to achieve what it is that they want to achieve, which, in this case, is to finally travel or to live in the Caribbean.

Speaker 2: 39:45

Well, I think a lot of people struggle with decision, and so my number one thing was you have to decide. You have to decide what life it is you want to live. So you have to decide that I want to travel to Barbados, and in that decision, once that decision is made because this is the thing people will say I want to but never decide, and those things are too very different. To wish to do something or to desire to do something and to decide to do it come from two very different places. There are two very different energies. There are two very different approaches. To wish is to constantly like muse about it. You know, you envision it or whatnot, but you take no action. To decide is to come to a conclusion within yourself, within your spirit, and when you come to that conclusion within your spirit, then you start to act upon the decision. So I would say really, look at what it is that you wish and that you desire, and if you're not bringing it into fruition, you have to ask yourself do I actually wish or desire this Right? And then, if you do make the decision, after you make the decision, then you can think about the how you have to decide first, and then you think about the how and the how.

Speaker 2: 41:01

I think people, when, when people think about the things that they desire, sometimes they seem so big and far away, like you know, and they can't hold onto it or they feel like they can't touch it. But that's because you, that's because you've just been musing about it. You actually haven't taken the time to write it down and simplify it. Nothing is beyond reach. I think everything possibility is, is a value of mine because I believe in possibility. Right, I've done it so many times. I've lived in all these different countries. I didn't have the money or the silver spoon or whatnot. But I think, once you decide, simplify the how into steps.

Speaker 2: 41:40

So, if it is that I want to travel to Barbados, okay, this is what my job is, this is what my salary is. To go to Barbados costs X amount of money. Right, where I want to stay will be here, look at all those things, explore all of it as if it's happening, right? So I'm going to stay here, I'm going to eat here, I'm going to fly this airline and when you find out the cost of that, work your way back. So, okay, it might need, I might need 2000 us to travel to Barbados. I think you can go to Barbados for less, but no, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 42:11

I've done crazier things.

Speaker 2: 42:12

I've traveled on no budget. But you know, let's say, for argument's sake, it takes 2000 hours to go to Barbados. Okay, I am, it's February now. My salary is X amount. Maybe it will take me if I save I don't know $300 a month. It will take me 300 by. You know, let's say eight months. I'm not doing the math right now, but it will take me eight months to be able to raise $2,000 to be able to go to Barbados. So now you have it. You have a plan.

Speaker 2: 42:46

In eight months you're going to Barbados because you would have saved it, and I think you just have to take the big vision, decide on it, write it down and simplify it into very manageable steps for you, and that is literally how you walk through the doors. So anything that feels too overwhelming or scary for you and you know a trip to Barbados might simplify a change for somebody you know, like, change isn't always that simple, like having to, like you said, you know, maybe going through a separation, change is not always as simple as just deciding on your money goals and break it down into smaller steps. But I do think that once you look at the change of what life is asking for you through the scenario, whether it's a separation, a loss. You know a travel plan. Once you write that down, look at what life is asking for you and decide on the way forward and simplify that into as small steps as possible that you can break down into the little daily to-dos. That is how you walk yourself through change.

Speaker 1: 43:52

That's amazing that you mentioned that because that's exactly what I just was talking to somebody about that you need to make it into bite-sized pieces. You cannot just look at the. You know I want to go to Barbados. You need to break it down and achieve little steps every day in order to be able to do that. Yeah, that's a great way of putting it, lea. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 44:19

Now, of course, the next thing on my list here that I want to discuss with you is, of course, the VDU Become Planner, because that is what actually attracted me, or got me, got you in my radar, on my radar to begin with. That is where I actually got introduced to who you are. And then, you know, of course now, having you on the show, I was so, so interested. I thought it was so, so interesting. When I saw it I think it was through Caribbean Collective, they posted something on it, and then that's how I found out about your planner. And, of course, you know, first thing I want to do is, of course, because planners usually are very hot topic at the beginning of the year, at the end of one year, beginning of another. Your planner let's talk about it a little bit. What makes it different than other planners that are available out there?

Speaker 2: 45:17

Well, you know, my planner was designed by me, it was authored by me and so I bring and I say that any most humble way, but what I say? That to say that I have brought my entire life's experience into creating this planner my knowledge as a coach, a transformational coach, a certified coach, but also my knowledge as a lawyer and understanding of people and understanding of change and living in different countries, understanding of habit as well. I'm a generally disciplined person, but there are areas where I am entirely resistant to doing things and I have observed myself and brought myself through the changing of habits in those ways. And that is kind of how I build this book and I wanted something. I wanted to create something that a personal development tool that would be available to people in an accessible way. So all of us may not have the money to afford a therapist or to afford a life coach or any kind of coaching, but you have the ability to afford this planner and that's what this planner is meant to be. So it's a coach in a planner. It's a planner that coaches you through your life. So the beginning of the planner I actually put an exercise in it that I would do with my clients if they were sitting face to face with me and I kind of walk you through. How do you understand where you are presently in your life, helping you create the vision for your year ahead and then breaking that down into action steps, understanding what your purpose are, what your needs, your non-negotiables, all these different things, and I bring that entire experience into an exercise so that by the end of that, you would have asked yourself questions that you've never asked yourself before. You would have gone through a process that you probably would not have taken yourself and found answers that were lying dormant within you, the unlived life that is inside of you. I will bring it out of you through this planner, and then the weekly layout of the planner is designed in a way to contemplate the full you. So it is dated and it is time for productivity purposes, so to help you with your manager time throughout your day. But then there are also things like affirmations. There are vital quotes in there, because I think that for us as humans, relying on ourselves and relying on our minds is what limits us. When you place your faith in something greater than you, it gives you the motivation where you end, where your motivation ends, that faith begins, and so a lot of that is grounded within this planner to just continue to give you boosts of motivation throughout your days and your weeks. And then the layout contemplates everything.

Speaker 2: 48:05

Contemplates your wellness plans, your habits. So do you wanna exercise? Did you take your vitamins? Did you meditate? And this year we put an extra role for habits that you want to cultivate yourself. You can write your habits in and track them. So you have habit trackers, you have productivity tips, you have wellness, you have spirituality. It's all throughout the book. And then each quarter we go through a performance review, like a quarter, the review of, just to check in and see where you are.

Speaker 2: 48:35

Each month we give you a stretch exercise that allows you to connect with something more conscious in your life, to be a more conscious person, to be a more conscious member of society. So each month we give you something different to do and that just kind of slowly expands you and makes you into a new person. And then this whole planner. We have coloring pages. It's a whole bunch of stuff. There are a lot of Easter eggs in here. I could talk about this for like an hour, but in this planner there's also a QR code that leads you to a digital portal and in that digital portal, you can get access to the podcast, you can get access to coaching. You can also get access to the weekly newsletter, and the weekly newsletter is the living and breathing part of this book, because every Wednesday, I send you a newsletter that keeps you on task, keeps you present with yourself, to present with your planner throughout the entire year.

Speaker 1: 49:34

I was actually gonna say, as you were explaining this, it sounds like a lot like this book is actually gonna be your accountability partner. It has ways of actually keeping you accountable of what all you need to do, but then you add on the QR code with the weekly newsletter and that's exactly what you're doing right there. It's a way of keeping people accountable for what they're supposed to do when they're supposed to do it. It's a brilliant way of actually doing this. Yes, it's so, so different than other planners, for sure. And now this one is the third one, right?

Speaker 2: 50:08

Yeah, it's the third one. It's the third one and every year it improves. Every year, like I gain new knowledge and I put it inside there Because I get it, like I get that being disciplined and having habits consistently throughout the year. It's hard, I get it, I understand, and so my weekly newsletter is for people who desire to be great but need their hands held along the way, and so, yeah, that's why I designed it that way.

Speaker 1: 50:38

It's because I wanna help you.

Speaker 2: 50:39

I want people to actually get results. Yeah, you know, I don't wanna give it to you and then leave you to your own devices.

Speaker 1: 50:46

Exactly, exactly. So how can anyone how can you get your hands on the video? Become planner?

Speaker 2: 50:56

It's available on my website, leomarvalcom. You can find me on Instagram. You can find me on YouTube. It's all linked there back to my website. You can order it. We have a few left.

Speaker 1: 51:10

We actually have a Valentine's Day sale on right now and I don't know when this is going to air this is actually airing after, but I will definitely put this on Instagram before so people know that to take advantage of the V Day special. But yeah, unfortunately this is going to air after, but yeah, so you still have some available.

Speaker 2: 51:34

Yeah, we have a few left and people can purchase that. I think they will remain on sale because I have just a little bit of stock left, so I'll let them go. But also, I'm launching my community very soon, so if you're part of my newsletter family, you will get information about that, and this community is going to be life changing. It's my first time ever bringing all my expertise and everything into one place and it's going to be an exclusive cohort where I literally hold people's hands for three months and create change in their life, and it's only a small group of people that I'm starting with.

Speaker 1: 52:13

This is something very much like what you yourself did in LA before you moved there, which was that intense ride, and now you're pretty much hosting something similar yourself.

Speaker 2: 52:26

Yeah, Okay, I'm getting it back, yeah.

Speaker 1: 52:30

Beautiful. I am definitely going to be. I want to be. I don't want to say I want to be. I am going to be one of the people that is going to be doing this, because I've actually been looking for something like this. So this kind of like fits exactly with what I've been looking for. So thank you for that again. But what happens? Because right now we're in February now as we're recording this. But what happens later on in the year? Somebody then has this bright moment when they're like you know, I want that planner. I feel like that planner is going to help me with a big change. I'm about to go into my life or whatnot, and that, whatever you learn in that planner, can it still be, can it still be adaptable to, so you don't need to start it at the beginning of the year.

Speaker 2: 53:20

Yeah, I think so. People always ask me this question because I think they're nervous about like, if you don't start in January and I just didn't use that here about that, I think last week, where we have this belief that the year only starts on January 1st yeah, the year as a person uniquely starts when you start and this planner is an ever living book. It's a coach. It's designed to coach you. So the beginning part of the book, whenever you start, will be the beginning of your journey. It's designed to coach you to starting now, to starting your life. It's not just about starting your year, which is January 1st to December 31st. It's about starting your unique journey. And so you can buy this book in the middle of June, do the personal assessment at the beginning of the planner and then start your year from June, and that's when you would have started.

Speaker 2: 54:14

And I think people have to remember it's important to remember that your life is not a calendar year. Your life is not linear. Your life is also not everybody else's life. So if life is asking you to begin in a different season, you have to honor that. Honor that season, but don't put off your starting point because it's the middle of the year or the last quarter of the year, your starting point is your starting point. So it's whenever you begin, and the longer you wait to start, you keep moving the goalpost in your own life. So yeah, if it is it, you know, if it happens on December 1st of 2024, that's when you start We'll have a new planner by then.

Speaker 1: 54:57

Yes, exactly.

Speaker 2: 55:00

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 55:00

All right, so we've already talked about you know where to get the planner, etc. You mentioned that you only have a few in stock at the moment. What happens when those finish? That will be it. We're gonna have to wait until you bring out the new one.

Speaker 2: 55:15

Yeah, until 2020, the end of 2024. Yeah, yeah, but you still have time. Yeah, yeah, you have time to get like a few of them. Okay good.

Speaker 1: 55:27

So, my friend, you heard it you and I need to get our butt moving. We first need to go to Liam Arville's website and then we need to place an order and we need to get our hands on this planner. I definitely am going to sign up for the newsletter because I want to know all about this three month thing that you are planning, and I am going to be part of it. It sounds like exactly what I've been looking for. So, yeah, I am so excited. All of a sudden, I feel like, oh, yes, that you know I would encourage that.

Speaker 2: 56:04

I need it, I would encourage anybody, I would encourage anybody that's still silent to newsletter, even if you don't buy a planner, because there's so much knowledge that is just shared there. Just a little bit of a little sprinkle of motivation in your week, beautiful.

Speaker 1: 56:19

Beautiful. Thank you so, so much for the time. Thank you for being here on the show. Thank you for talking to us about Barbados and getting us all you know all excited about visiting Barbados as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you I don't know what else to say, I'm speechless. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2: 56:38

Thank you for having me and I look forward to seeing more from you. Yeah, absolutely you will.

Speaker 1: 56:45

You will have more of your audience. Oh, for sure, for sure. I have a feeling that this episode is going to be such a juicy one that people are going to have to they're going to have to sign up for your newsletter and, hopefully, join me in wherever it is that you're doing this three month retreat, so yeah, Thank you very much.

Speaker 1: 57:08

I told you this episode was going to be different, didn't I? Different, but so inspiring. I hope you got out of this conversation as much as I did and that you are now not only ready to visit Barbados, but also to sign up for Leia's newsletter, buy the beat to become journal and work on becoming the person you were meant to be. I mean, that is so, so important and it, you know, whatever we spoke about today kind of really resonated with me, and I hope it did with you too. Now, don't forget to head to the show notes for the link to Leia's website and podcast. I'm back next week with another fabulously fearless female, sarah Gavardon from Jet Set. Sarah will be in the virtual studio with me. Don't miss it. I'm Grisel, the traveling island girl signing off. See you soon in the islands.