Today, I sit down with Alana Had who I think the world of she is a woman so full of authenticity, a alive ness love. You name it. She's got it. She shares all about her journey to and from the Hoffman process. She even opens up about how a very relatable little habit of hers, radically changed post process. And how that little change inspired her own mother to attend the process. I hope you enjoy this fun and inspiring conversation with Alana as much as I. Welcome to Loves everyday radius.
A podcast brought to you by the Hoffman Institute. My name is Liz Sever and on this podcast. We engage in conversation and learn from Hoffman graduates. Will dive deep into their journeys of self discovery and explore how the process transformed their internal at external worlds. They share how their spirit and light now burn brighter in all directions of their lives. Their loves everyday radius. Welcome everybody today, I am so excited as I am joined with Alana Had.
Hi. We are so excited to have you On alana and I am hoping that you can give the listeners just a little bit of an insight into who you are, and what you do your story? Sure. As Liz said, my name is Alana Had indeed. I live in Los Angeles, and I own a clothing company. I'm a bit of an influencer, and I'm a hoffman grad. I love that And 1 thing about your clothing brand is you have done a partnership with Hoffman. Is that correct? I have... Oh, yes. I have. It's actually a super exciting
thing for me. I was something that came to me on, my graduation day, and everyone had kind of wanted something to take with them to remember their time at Hoffman, and I suggested doing some merch. So I made that dream come true right away after we came back and, I make the Hoffman merch now. So it's very exciting for me. Actually, it was kind of a hoffman process dream come true. Yeah. I love it. I loved seeing you know, the the merch goes up on that final day, and I love just seeing
everybody in there. Right now, it's mainly sweatshirt shirts and t shirts but I love seeing everybody in it because it's pretty awesome gear. So it's a fun little... Oh, it's a honest. Thank you. Yeah. I know. It's so cool for me. I haven't, you know, obviously gotten to see anyone wearing it yet. But so it feels good knowing that something that I'm doing is part of people's process since, you know, I miss my process so much. And I know how great those last few
days are bitter sweet and amazing. So I think it's such a an awesome kind of honor for me to be a part of other people's process. And for something that I make to be a reminder of their process for them as, you know, kind of other really the full circle for me, and I love it. What a beautiful? Yeah. What a beautiful thing I didn't even think about it, like that. That is so incredible to have that be... 1 of their, you know, they're binder and 1 of the takeaways is, is that. So,
yeah, How beautiful. I will snap some pictures for you next time. I am there. Oh, please. Oh, that would make me so happy. Please do. Totally. I'm just, so curious about so many things, but I'd... Since we're talking about your clothing brand, tell us a little bit more about about it and kind of the creative process behind it. Sure. I started with my business partner who is also 1 of my best friends, Emily believe. And we started in 2017. It's like a California,
luxury, laid back. Ready to wear a line. Everything is made in downtown Los Angeles. It's been kind of a passion project for me for for many years and it's kind of a an amazing opportunity to have a business that, you know, I'm just getting to create every day and and makes things that I love, and again, also, you know, see people wearing my
creations. It's it's been kind of AAA surreal life choice and and also, like, really an amazing way to to watch people walking around in your, you know, your creative process. I can only imagine. So what is the name of the brand? The brand is called Lot trust. It means to... Actually, it means to be in distress. But it's a little play on word because our clothes are are kind of distressed, hand distressed. So it's a little tongue in cheek. It's French for our distressed, so... And you said 2016
17? 17, 2017. We started off as just denim jackets.
And we made some sweats for a pop up that we did in in Miami in 2018, and people went crazy for them, so we kind of pivoted into sweats, and we were kind of in the right place at the right time for Covid lockdown because we were making sweats, and everyone wanted to be in sweats for, you know, 2 years, so that was really amazing to be there in that space and be able to kind of have created really comfy cool clothes for people to wear while they couldn't leave their homes.
So we grew you know, about 900 percent 20 20 and 20 21, and we became a much larger company and now we're a full ready to wear align, So it's been kind of an an interesting couple years for us. How incredible well, and I... I'd love to hear a little bit about. The process and how that's impacted your creative process, but I suppose first, we should just even just hear a little bit about your journey to the process.
Well, it was an interesting journey, a good friend of mine, Tall luna had gone to her process, and I think her process was about 8 years ago. So I would have been, I guess, at the old location, and she talked about it very fondly, but never, you know, saying you need to go, but always kind of... I think this would be an interesting thing for you to do. You know, kind of a a sweet nudge in the right direction.
And eventually, I reached out via Instagram, and I received an email back, to email this person, they'll talk to you. And so I sent an email out. I got an immediate response, and I scheduled a phone call. You know, I had a phone call with this amazing woman. We talked for about 2 hours. We scheduled another phone call for a couple weeks later. And we did another maybe hour and a half phone call just talking about life. It was really amazing.
And I was meant to come And then there was a horrific California fire and your old location burned down. So I stayed in touch. I had never quite scheduled, but also, it took me about 3 phone calls to realize.
That I was speaking to Liza, who was the the amazing Ceo of the company I always thought you know, looking back now, I realize why it's such an amazing organization, Why people trust it so much that, you know, I spent hours and hours and hours just spilling my heart out to someone who I just thought was someone who worked at the process, maybe an instructor. And the whole time I was speaking to the Ceo. She never once
indicated that. She never asked me, you know, when do you wanna go, she just listened and, and, eventually, after many more phone calls, and I think it was about a year and a half of speaking to her before I actually pulled the trigger to to sign up for my process that was in November of last year. So, you know, I have a I have an interesting story. I think I don't think most people go through that sub process. Before they go to their process.
And I thought it was amazing to be able to, speak to her and also, have no idea that I was speaking to her and in that way. Yeah. She's she's is pretty incredible as is, you know, everyone on the enrollment team there. That's that's... What they love to do is just, you know, talk to students or potential students and just say, like, what's, you know, what's up in life? What's how can we help you? So I love to hear that that was your
experience as well? It was amazing. I mean, I felt like I had... Been in therapy for years, and speaking to Liza was an opportune. I know. I... I felt like she was she heard me in a different way and was really just listening and not dissect me and just saying, like, you know, I think this would be great for you, but whenever you feel like coming. That's your time. And so that was a really amazing feeling knowing that I didn't feel pressured. I never once felt pressured
to go. I always felt like, you know, when I feel like going. And then I do think I I came to my process in the exact right time for me. What was the shift there? Like, when was the moment where you're like, okay. You know? I've been talking about this or feeling this out for a few years and I really gotta
get there now. I was having some troubles in a relationship I was in, and I kind of felt like, ironically, the the relationship was pretty toxic, but I felt like I needed to work on myself to figure out where what it was that was bringing me to relationships like this or what it was about me that needed to change. So I kind of pulled the trigger just thinking, like, I need to do some self work here, and figure out what what the problem is what what the pattern is, I guess, that,
you know, I time. I didn't have the v vernacular for that, but I needed to know what my pattern was that was bringing me to these types of relationships, and the I just said, I I really need to go. I need to do something, and I I felt like Hoffman was the thing I really needed to do. And I was 100 percent right, once I got to the day of my process, I, we had broken... Had been broken up for a
couple months. So I am actually pretty happy that I went in that place, because I I actually think that I I got more out of it. But I mean, obviously, I know a million people who have gone in chips just for me. I needed to be out of that relationship in order to do
it, I think. But what was born out of a bad relationship and that's my process happened when I was single, and and I think ready to receive a lot of information about what had been going on with me and bringing me to places where I was Dating not such great guys. I, think it's a true. The process, like, the process finds you. You know, And it finds you everyone at the right time for them. And wherever they are in their journey, and it allows them so much, to unfold
during the process? Like, you know, I see it time and time again. But walk me through how was it kind of first day arriving there process. What was Oh, I was so nervous. I mean, I was... I I flew into S, and I took an Uber. There. And I think on the way, you know, I was, like, I had, like, palm sweaty. I was listening to a lot of, like, meditation music. I... You know, you you really have no idea what you're getting ourself into, And
truthfully looking back. I'm so happy that, no 1 had told me everything I was going to do, which is why I won't be doing that here as well. But I... I'm so happy and I, you know, I... I've had several friends go since. And I wouldn't tell them a thing. And afterwards, they all thank me for that. So I'm also so thankful that I had a a good friend who didn't spill the beans. And I was super nervous.
You know, I I did... I really didn't know what I was doing, driving up, though, the the Petal campus is like Na, and I was... I started feeling, like, where am I? And what am I doing? And what's gonna happen here? But immediately, I I think pretty soon as soon as I kind of checked in and... And got there. I I started to feel a lot more calm because I realized that everyone that was there was nervous. You know, I kind of saw a look on people's faces, and I was like, okay, everyone
feels exactly the way I do. Like, first day of school, first day of camp, feeling, and I was like, this is kind of cool that we're all in the same boat. So I calmed down a little bit after that. And and then the rest was you know, magical, crazy experience, but the first day it was definitely an interesting 1. So true, Like, yeah, We can always see it on everyone's faces, and I, you know, I think it is comforting converting to know that you're not alone in that
initial kind of what. If I... You, I've... I've entered the the gates of Hoffman because we have that nice gate comforting at the front, but I like that... I like the reference? That's perfect. But what do you think it was about, because I hear this time time again about, man, it was so incredible to not know what was coming. I was so thankful that Nolan, you know, as you said, spilled the beans. What was it about that particularly that allowed you to kinda drop deeper in? Or what
did you appreciate? Why did you appreciate it so much? What I always say to people is if I told you what what you did, it wouldn't explain what you got out of it. So I I think, like, if I knew exactly what I was gonna do every day. 1, I think I would had would have had a minimal amount of pushback, and, you know, that doesn't sound like it's gonna help me. Like, I don't need to do that. That's
crazy. Or, you know, I mean, just that, you know, I probably would have gotten very deep into my head, psycho analyzing everything. And the reality is the surprise of things is part of the process, I think, but not knowing, and the not being able to control things at least for me, controlling situations or going into situations where I know I can have a minimal amount of control is a pattern for me. So I think putting myself in that place where
I didn't have control. I wasn't allowed to know, I wouldn't know what I was doing, you know, every day or every hour was very freeing. Out actually. And it is is quite child like, you know, you go you go to school as a child, and you don't have any control over what your day is like or what you're gonna do hour to hour. So I do think that it kind of dropped me back into being a kid again a little bit. I
yeah. I love that. Just the the the practice of being present, not knowing not knowing what's coming up, letting go of control incredible. Yes. And also not trying to study before the exam, You know, Like, I think that if I had known what it was, I would have maybe tried to perfect it, and that's not really what the process is about. So, yeah. I I think that was... It
was super important. I do think the not knowing is maybe 1 of the bigger things that at least 1 of the things I I suggest to everyone that I've pushed in the direction of the process. When I suggested, I always say, don't Google
it, don't look it up, just go. If you if you really are committed to, you know, wanting to get to a a higher plane of understanding yourself and compassion for yourself and others like, just go, and and, you know, don't do the the research you're just gonna everyone that I know who knew something when they went in, felt like, oh, I wish I hadn't. I wish I hadn't known. So Yeah. I I mean, I take people's word for it.
Yeah. What's 1 of the the biggest insights about yourself that you discovered during the week Oh, wow. I mean, I 1 of the day. I I think I I discovered so many things on myself. I I mean I think I discovered that there were things that I thought that I had dealt with in my life that were still very much locked within myself that I had not released. Again, I love therapy. I'm still in therapy. I think therapy is amazing.
I think that what the process gives you is an ability to unlock things that are locked in you, that maybe you don't know are still there. And then the tools to deal with those things at the process and after, and I don't know that for me, you know, I talked about these things And then I was like, okay. I've spoken about them, and now they're gone. But, oh, no. I realized they were not. And I definitely got to release them there. So I think that was... That was a big thing
for me for sure. What aspect or what do you think helped you kind of get to that point of release because I hear that often. Right? I I I've talked about this? Or am I gonna keep talking about this, you know, what was it for you that allowed that released to to happen? I have to say, you know, obviously, everyone always loves their instructors. This their instructor and their instructor, like, team and thinks they're the best because that was theirs. I obviously
think that I had the best team. But also my instructor Marissa, who I just think is the most... 1 of the most amazing women ever, I was very forthright on my my pre process work. I also think that's super important. The more honest you can be... And and intros perspective. You can be on your pre process work. I think the more you'll get out of it because you're giving the information to your instructor to help you. So I was super super forthright.
And I think Marisa really kind of read between the lines and she suggested things to me throughout the process that helped me really get down deep into things that maybe I I had mentioned, but I hadn't given enough credence. You know, I think that definitely helped me get there for sure. So just kinda having the someone to just what Red were kind of be in it walk alongside of you was helpful. Yes.
And also, you know, there were definitely parts of of the process that were unconventional, and I think definitely had a a layer to them that I would have never gotten out of traditional therapy, like physical expression, and and things like that. I think we're we're super necessary to unlock things in me that I wouldn't have gotten just from talking about it. Yeah... I mean, and I hear that from
a lot of people. Right? That said the the physical impression is a piece that is missing for most or not understanding the importance of it or how to do it. Is that... Is is that something you still kind of carrying into your life? Now is finding physical expression? Yes. A hundred percent. I mean, it's funny because I... You know, when I'm having conversations, and I'm super close with my Hoffman group, and we are all kind of incredibly close friends
and speak. I'd probably speak to someone from Hoffman every day. When we have conversations about things we're going through, I always tend to remind everyone that the 1 thing, at least there's a million things that you do it at Ag processing wouldn't do anywhere else, but the 1 thing that I think was kind of a key at least for me. Was physical expression because it's not not something that I had ever done anywhere else. Truly.
I always say continuing that into my, you know, to my post process work in my toolbox is my physical expression and, you know, 5 minutes of physical expression for me can, like, mean a week of feeling a lot better or month even? Yeah. I love hearing when when graduates make that part up, you know. It's so it's a crucial practice. And so if I'm... I love that you're rep it to your group and beyond of trying to make encouragement. Great.
Oh, yeah. Big time. Well, in terms of, you know, the process, how do you feel... I mean, we can bring it back now to Do you feel like it's impacted your creative process at all it shaped your your business venture. Because I'm interested you had your business, your creative business before? And then the process, and I'm interested to hear if it's if it's shifted anything for you. Oh, I, yeah. A hundred percent. I trust myself more in my creative process.
I feel like I'm closer to my authentic self, and I think I can kind of hear my thoughts, my creative thoughts or you know, any of my other thoughts, they're not behind a bunch of negative feelings, negative self talk. I I can hear my creative process. Much more clearly. I trust what's coming out of my head now because I know that it's coming from an authentic place and and a true reflection and of myself. So,
yeah. A hundred percent it has definitely made me feel like, I'm much closer to me, and and that spills over into my work for sure and creative 100 percent. It is totally, A a major shift in my brain and how my brain works and how I understand myself. So Yeah. I think I I create better for sure after my process. And what are some practices that you... That keep you in touch? With with you, your spiritual self for that authentic self. Quad checks for sure. Although, you know, I don't do them.
Every single day, I quad check a fair amount, and I think Quad checks are amazing, and amazing. Quick way for you to, you know, get back in touch with yourself and also to, kind of reconnect you to your process and reaffirm some of the things that you did during your process, and I always find that to be a really good grounding experience and and did to get back in touch with kind of my authentic self. And I think
visualization is also really amazing. I I'd use that all the time, kind I like to try to to do recycling as much as I can, but, you know, I think visualization, quad checks. And then, you know, maybe once or twice a month, I I definitely try to do physical expression. Look at you just the star graduate. Wrapping all the tools and practices. Yeah. Teacher's pet, Marissa, you heard that. I'll let her know for sure.
1, you know, initially bringing you what brought you into the process was just struggling with relationships and insights? How have your relationships, whether it's with family or friends or whatnot, how have those shifted? Oh, enormously. I have... I think such a better relationship with everyone around me. I mean, you know, people had noted as soon as I came back that I was just much more calm. I think I was a little bit of a test person before.
And I think it was calming for others as well to see me come back and and feel less. Frantic or less sensitive about a lot of things because I just felt calmer and more centered. As well. I am in a relationship, and it's a much less chaotic relationship, and I don't think that I would've been in the place to be in that kind of relationship if I hadn't, done the work that I did at the process.
I I mean, at a base level, I just have compassion for myself and for other people, and that helps me, you know, stay in such a leveled place wherever I am, as well. My mom is a is a hoffman. Grad now. She went right after I did. It's a kind of a funny story because I had, like, pretty high levels of road rage before I left. And people used still laugh about it, you know, I wasn't like, you know, falling people home because of my road rage, but I was definitely screaming in the car.
So when I came back, I caught myself at 1 point, and I I didn't even really kind of reel clock it for a couple days, and then I I realized I was getting cut off by people and, you know, driving an La traffic. And I was, like, smiling and, like, waving people on and just, like, you know, just looking around and enjoying myself and I was like, oh my god.
I... Truthfully, I never thought I would be in a place where I could just let someone cut me off or let someone in or, you know, just be waving it off and driving along, smiling and you know, in bumper to bumper traffic, and it was truly that shift that made my mom wanna go. She was like, I, cannot believe it. I can't believe that you don't have Road. I need... There's
some... Something is different, and then as you know, we we spoke more and talk where she realized that it was, like, at such a, you know, a deep level, but it was really my lack of road rage. I got my mom to go to the that's probably make 1 of the best things I've heard. True change. Right? True change of a parent is like, hey. Your road rage is different. I'm I'm gonna go to this. This must really work. Speaks volumes, I guess, purely to your road rage before, but also to to
just the changes you've made. But that's an intra really incredible fortunate to have a parent, you know, you go to the process and then have parent go. But I'm also interested of, what was that like? Because I... As for those of you that are listening or don't already know, we look at things through kind of the we call it the negative love syndrome, but really looking at how we took on patterns beliefs, you know, ways of being from our
parents or our, you know, family system. So How was that knowing that she was gonna go through that? I was excited for it, and then she started doing her pre process work, you know, which is a lot of no incredibly in... Questions about your childhood and you as a person and your parents as people and how that affected you realizing that she was gonna have to do
that. And then at some point, I I would assumed that she would have to internalize the fact that I had done that for her as well, that made me a little nervous and Ironically, she was having a little trouble with it, and her instructor suggested maybe I help her do her pre process work. So I had and in doing that, you know, she was asking me? Well, did you say I did that? Well, did you did you did I was I did I
do that? So it was very interesting and And I think I wouldn't have felt as calm about it if I hadn't known that, you know, within a few weeks, she was gonna be at her process, and she would totally understand. So if I had had to answer those questions without a process happening afterwards, I think I would have been much more uncomfortable but knowing... So that she was about to go have that amazing transformative experience and also come out with a beautiful
amount of compassion. I wasn't... I wasn't worried that she was gonna be mad at me for for being so forthright and honest about what she was like as as my mom. That's... I mean. It's incredible. Was there... Was there any... But she was an amazing mom. She was an amazing mom. I'm just gonna say that. She wasn't an amazing mom, but amazing mothers still do things that shame you shame you oh. Shape you as a as a as a child, and and then an adult.
So regardless, the 1 thing that I kept having to say to her was, like, this isn't a a blame game there's no blame in this. Like, you're not blaming your parents and I wasn't blaming you. That's just the reality of childhood and and parenting. So that's the 1 thing that I think. Some people had had issues with She had
some issues with him. I don't think I ever really did, but I never really felt like it was, you know, there was being blame being put on on my parents, but I'd I'd know that she was very protective of hers. What we always say is everyone's guilty. I no one's to blame. Right? Because it is it's the human condition, But I I think that I I appreciate your honesty with that because that is that is a concern of some of of, you know, well, I don't feel like I have my parents
weren't bad or mean or whatnot. But I love, like, what you said. Well, it doesn't mean that things didn't still happen or internalized beliefs or that sort of thing took place. A hundred percent. And also, you know, I think 1 of the important things that I also imparted to her beforehand was I have really good friends that I made at the process, but I don't know any of their deep dark secrets unless they told them to
me. And I think that was something that she was a little worried about, and it was nice to be able to to let her know that without... You know, I don't think I... That gives anything away necessarily, but, you know, knowing that I wasn't standing in front of a group of people and having to tell my deepest darkest secrets unless I felt like I wanted to, also, I think made her feel much more comfortable that she didn't feel like she needed to, you know, no 1 needs to necessarily know what you
were going through? You're gonna work through that on your own. I think was really helpful. And what's the biggest shift you've seen in your relationship with your mom since both of you have done the process. I'm curious. Well, I think it's it's very connected. Now we have this kind of Hoffman process language that we get to talk about together, But I think it's much calmer not to say that we had a very kind of open and honest relationship always,
but it just feels calmer. I think because we're both in such a good place in our lives and and how we handle stress. I think we kind of leaned on each other a lot. There was a little c dependency there. And now we're, you know, we're able to work through our every day and issues on our own, and so we don't really have to bring that. We don't really need to bring about... Those
things to each other now. We can kind of save our time for, you know, like, happiness and and, you know, Joy instead of having to lean on each other with issues all the time. What I hear in that is just a sense of responsibility you each kinda do work and and clean up whatever you need to so that when you're together, it's actually just the purest of, you know, connection and love, and this is what this dynamic in relationship is all about. It's beautiful.
Exactly. Thank you. Yeah. It is really beautiful. Yeah. It's... I think that is just such an incredible... I mean, just speaks speaks volumes too on it to just... How how deeply you are doing your process and working the work that even your mom was, like, what would change? You know, I I want some of that too. So inspiring. Yep. And it's been really amazing. I think now I have... I think I've sent 4 or 5 people?
Oh, including my mother, and, you know, it's been really amazing that my process has affected people enough in that way that they they also wanna go, but also, it's been really amazing to kind of see the shift in my friendships with people and my relationships with people who've gone because we have this, kind of unspoken process connection and Hoffman connection that, you know, you can kind of, like, look at someone in a different way knowing that they have done this kind of work as well. I
hear that for hear that often. Right? Just that knowing of, like, you did that? I did that. You know? This just about, yeah, that knowing look. I'm interested other than your road rage. What, which I just I do. I love that. And I'm ensure that the roads of La. Thank you. But in terms of, as the podcast is titled loves everyday radius, right? Connecting to how...
Your love ripples out into the world. What do you think has changed at the deepest level of you post process that you feel is now just showing up differently in the world or rip out into the world from you. That's a good question. I I think that the big thing is compassion for me. I think that the way that that shows up for me is being able to have compassion for other people. I look at the world in totally a
different place. I have an understanding for, you know, the person next to me, whether I know them or not that they have probably gone through something in their life, and I can be a little bit more compassionate to what they're doing, how they're acting, and I try to take that into my everyday life whether it's not being upset with the person who cut me off because they might be having a bad day or it's, you know, in work with my employees or people I'm working with or
being calm and able to do more just means that I can give more back that I haven't more of myself to give to others, and I think having to spend less time worrying being bad to myself, being negative with myself just means that I can be, you know, good for other people good for the people that are around me, and I have more of myself to give thing to the world. Well, thank you so much for, spending some time with us on this community today, Alana I... So appreciate it. Thank you, Liz.
Thank you for listening to our podcast. My name is Liza and Rossi. I'm the Ceo and President of Hoffman Institute Foundation. And I'm Ras Rossi. I'll and teacher and founder of the Happiness institute foundation. Our mission is to provide people greater access to the wisdom and power of love. In themselves in each other and in the world. To find out more, please go to hop institute dot org.