Lisa Rueff is the CEO/Founder of YogaVentures, a humanitarian company that provides participants the opportunity to embark on meaningful yoga volunteer retreats worldwide. She’s raised over a million dollars for global causes, focusing on sustainable solutions for women and children. She loves creating ways to inspire and empower people to live with passion and purpose. She talks to Stellar Woman Magazine on how she she found her purpose and passion.
Who is Lisa Rueff?
I am a heart centered leader on a mission to spread love globally.
What is your mission on earth?
I love empowering people to discover self-love, living a legacy of life of their dreams and contribution to the world.
You’re a multi –faceted entreprenuer – Founder of Collective Hearts, Sparked, Founder of YogaVentures and Jacmel Children Center. How do you do it all?
I have a lot of passion. I live with love. I live from my heart. I want to make a big difference in the world. I also have a passion filled purposeful life. For instances I created the Sparked game because I wanted more inspiration and connection in the world as I felt that people are way more connected to their phones and not connecting in real time. So, the game brings people together for meaningful heartfelt conversations. We all have the ability to uplift each other and to enrich each other. The Collective Hearts jewellery was about bringing more visible love in the world. There’s a lot of division and negative things happening in the news and I thought well there’s need for more visible love.
Right now, I am pursuing my coaching business and I am incredibly passionate about that. I love bringing people together and I love empowering people and reminding people that we’re all here for divine purpose and we all have ways to contribute. There’s no body like you. We’re all unique and that the more we celebrate ourselves, the more we can contribute.
How balance it all is that I prioritise what’s most important. All my businesses are important to me so I spend time focusing on each one and I know that each one has the ability to help people and inspire and bring people joy. I have set up a system for instance the jewellery, I don’t send it out myself anymore. It is sent out through a fulfillment centre.
Are all these businesses aligned? If not, how do you ensure that you’re at the center of it all?
I ensure that everything is heart centered and that work is a kind place. I love waking people up to the joys of self-love. I love empowering people to discover self-love, their life purpose and become a living legacy of the life of their dreams and contributions they want to make in the world.
How did you get into entreprenuership?
I have my degree in journalism and public relations, advertising and public relations and have worked before in other jobs. I had many chapters in my life. I taught English in Japan. I did production work in television, I worked in HBO, MTV and in public relations. I first became a yoga teacher for many years. I was teaching 17 yoga classes a week. In 2006 I found YogaVentures which offers global adventures for yoga practitioners to explore the planet and embark upon new experiences while contributing responsibly in each destination. Each traveler is provided with plenty of opportunities to give back in tangible heartfelt ways.
In 2010, the earthquake struck in Haiti and I felt compelled to go down and make a difference. I was there for three and half weeks. A whole world opened up for me because I was able to volunteer and with my entire volunteer group, we could all make a tangible difference with our hands and our hearts. And so, I felt compelled to bring my yoga. I ended up building a 12,000 square foot children’s home and school for earthquake victims’ children in Haiti. I have done 22 trips to Haiti so far. I’ve brought over 500 people to Haiti. And then I also lead trips all around the world, where we’ve done volunteer work. These are yoga volunteer trips. So, a big wellbeing component. We give to ourselves and we give back to others.
Then I ended up working with Richard Branson. I got to lead some trips with him and then from there I got to run a nonprofit organisation called Do It For Love Foundation founded by musician Michael Franti and ER nurse, Sara Agah Franti. Do It For Love Foundation provides people with life threatening illnesses, and children with challenges, the opportunity to go to concerts, and meet and greet their favourite artists.
In 2015, I ended up creating the board game called Sparked- A game that uplifts, empowers and inspires. Then I created the necklaces called Collective Hearts. This was because from one of the questions in the game “What do you believe is the most uplifting thing happening in the world today?” I realised there needed to be more love. And then from there, although I still have my company, I started coaching. I have led a lot of programmes. I do yoga, meditation, group coaching, group sessions where I do offerings. I create really beautiful ritualistic retreats, they’re self-love retreats, and they’re all about bringing people together. I also work one on one and I get people to fully wholeheartedly love themselves, and transform their lives as a result.
Love seems to be key in what you do. Is there a particular reason?
I learned early that, we’re all connected with love and by love and all that matters is love. When everything else is stripped away, what matters most is love. The more we can come home to love within our hearts for ourselves and for each other, the more we can level everything in our lives,
Leadership from the heart? I have heard this from other top leaders like Simon Sineak. How is leading from the heart different from leading from the mind?
Our mind is based on logic with work when people are just utilising their mind, they can be very heavy in terms of spreadsheets, quantitative numbers, qualitative numbers, results and strategy. We forget that there are humans involved and desires and dreams and aspirations. So, a heart centred leader is coming from a very nourishing and compassionate, loving place where we want what’s best for everyone. We want everyone to thrive. It’s not about what it’s going to look like on a spreadsheet or how much money is made. It’s really about how many we impact.
It is about enriching people’s lives versus making money. Often and not all the time but when I sometimes go into a business meeting, I find that it is just about the strategy. It is all based on profit and financial goals and not based on people and the planet.
Entreprenuership isn’t easy. What has made you successful?
Believing in myself, creating really heartfelt collaboration connections are invaluable, leading with love, wanting everyone to thrive, seeing the big picture.
Some women believe that they cannot have it all but there’re others who stand firmly to the notion that they can have it all. What is your view about this?
Yeah, it’s all about finding balance and prioritising. I love the Miracle Morning. I love, as well something that I have created called Self Love Mastery. Starting your day with meditation, affirmation, scribing a toolkit, exercise, reading, and prioritising YOU. So mastery is Meditation, Affirmation, Scribing, aToolkit, Exercising, Reading the Word, YOU as a you. Prioritising you all day long. So, when we can focus on what we want to bring into our lives and have work life balance and prioritise relationships, prioritise our wellbeing, prioritise our families, I think we can have it all. I mean, it’s our birthright.
You have contributed to many causes. How did you come to co- found Jacmel Children centre in Haiti?
I went down to Haiti after the earthquake and the place that I volunteered the most was a centre that a woman named Bonite Affriany had created. It was a time right after the earthquake. She was feeding 300 children. She was also providing senior citizens with meals, doing rice distribution and so many different things. So, I volunteered with her. She was getting so much done in one day, it was unbelievable to witness. I was so inspired by her that I volunteered with her. She already had a property, all the people, she had a tenancy that people were staying on this land that she owned. It was her vision one day to have a children’s home. She however didn’t have enough money to do it. So, once I saw how hardworking and trustworthy and honest, and giving she was, I felt compelled to help her raise the money to build the children’s home. So, I went back to America and I did a lot of fundraising, and I continue to fundraise to be able to support this really beautiful children’s home.. There’s 23 Children living there now between the ages of 5 and 15 and are thriving.
You have also served as a consultant for Virgin Unite and worked with Sir Richard Bransons and Her majesty the Queen Noor of Jordan? How was it working with such high-profile people?
Yeah, I got to lead trips with them I got to lead a trip with Queen Noor to Georgia, and bring people there. I also got to work on two different trips with Sir Richard Branson and bring people to his two centres in South Africa. He has Ulusaba which is a safari lodge, and then Branson centre of entrepreneurship in Johannesburg. They have an amazing programme which entrepreneurs go through and learn basically how to create businesses. I got two different trips to South Africa where we got to bring people from all over the world to his centre of entrepreneurship. And then to his party and we did some amazing, remarkable work with all the entrepreneurs. We did not only enjoy the safari but we got to do a lot of volunteer work there as well. As a leader Richard Branson always has a notepad with him, he’s always taking notes. He is an incredible listener, he’s very attuned in any moment, he’s very present, and he is a very open and curious. He’s very engaging in conversation. He’s humble. He is often portrayed as someone resolutely outlandish, but he’s not. He’s, much more a listener than a talker. He is one of the most remarkable leaders I’ve ever met.
I led a trip to Georgia with Her Majesty the Queen. I had met her elsewhere. I had met her on Sir Richard Branson’s Island. And just when I was sharing with her about working with Richard Branson and taking people on trips. She said well, let’s do a trip to Georgia. She was such a gracious, beautiful, thoughtful host. She was doing this remarkable work. She has the Queen Noor foundation that is about empowering women entrepreneurs throughout Georgia to have successful businesses. They were also doing a lot of great work in schools, with one school that we went to and the kids were all doing this STEM programme which is very innovative and revolutionary. The kids were brilliant. They were about empowering women and children in Georgia.
You’re due to work with John Assaraf and Jack Canfield. How did this come about? How does it make you feel?
Okay, so I started moderating on a miracle morning on club house, and someone heard me on the Miracle Morning. They told me that they were friends with John. They work with John and that John just got on the clubhouse and needed a moderator. The friend suggested to John that I was really an engaging moderator, and he thought that I would be a great fit for John. John is very neuroscience based and I am heart based so he thought it would just be a really beautiful marriage of the two. So, we have a 10 week series. Jack Canfield was asked if he would be one of the guest speakers. Jack did not know how to work club house and we jumped onto a private zoom call and I was just so excited to connect with him as he has sold more books than anyone else in the world which is pretty amazing.
It was an honour and a delight to have him on our show. He’s one of the most remarkable leaders of our time. He’s so thoughtful. His books are so successful. They changed my life and I know a lot of people’s lives. All the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, you know. He is someone that exemplifies leadership, perseverance, priorities, inspiration, motivation, dedication and determination. He’s one of the kindest people I have ever meant and John is wonderful and incredible. It’s been a pleasure to work with him.
He is very engaging, funny, very inclusive and wants to bring out the best in everyone and empower people. So, I find that of all the leaders that I have worked with the outstanding ones like John, Jack and Richard are all incredible listeners. They want the best for everyone, they’re inclusive and they’re all about making the world a better place by their contributions.
As a manifestation coach, please tell the Stellar Woman readers what manifestation is about and some key principles.
In every moment of our lives. we are manifesting. We’re creating our future. I’m also learning this part, that every moment that we are creating we’re manifesting with our words, our thoughts and our actions. So, like, in this moment right now, I have a choice where I’m driving to. I can turn the car around. I can choose the words that are going to come out of my mouth. I like to think about life as your hands on a light switch. You place your hands or make a choice, and at any given moment we’re given the option to choose and leverage to fear or love. And when we choose love, we are turning the light switch higher. We’re turning the knob so that we feel more uplifted, inspired, energised, excited, and when we turn on fear, maybe that’s a limiting belief, or eating something that you know it’s not right for you, or doing a habit that you know it’s not going to serve your greater good. That is a negative, that’s a fear-based choice, and it takes you on a lower dip of life and takes you on a downward spiral. Whereas when you are positive, when you choose love, you’re going on an upward spiral, your energy, your thoughts and your vibration. When we’re in every given moment, we’re present yet we’re also manifesting our future. When I say to myself, I’m not smart enough, I’m not good enough. I go down a limiting belief route which is a downward spiral and I am making choices that are not going to serve me. We are always creating our future, because our thoughts become our words and our words become our actions, our actions, our experiences in our lives. Our thoughts become a thing. So when I am thinking about the future, if my finances are not where I would like them to be I can imagine as if they’re already where I want them to be. So, I can say I am grateful in the present tense for making $500,000 a month, serving clients, having robust coaching clientele and travelling all over the world, leading retreats that I am grateful for. And even though that’s not my current reality, when you say in the present tense, I am grateful that as if it is already happening, you’re manifesting your future, and it’s almost like you’re imagining it as if it’s already happening. So that’s very powerful and imagining as if something is already come to fruition and manifesting is doing just that. It is creating in real time your future by your positive statements. So, affirmation statements that create a new reality for yourself, that is future based. So, I don’t have right now the relationship of my dreams, yet I can say it as if it’s happening and I can feel as if it’s happening. I am grateful that I have the relationship with my, my boyfriend is beyond my wildest expectations, he is so thoughtful. I’m so excited for our upcoming day. However, when I’m imagining the vibe so universe starts to believe it to be true. And suddenly, this man is going to come into my life, like doors start to open it’s like, you know the door that led to Richard Branson, the door that led John Assaraf. It was me just vibrating at a high level, speaking to my heart, leading with love, with no expectations, just knowing that, I’m doing the best I can, I’m showing enough of leading with love, and I’m sharing kindness, and contributing anything and everything is possible. So manifesting is also just, like when I manifest, it goes back to the self-love mastery I was talking about. It is meditating, saying affirmations and journaling and scribing as if it is.. It is creating your reality, in the present moment, and making choices, every single day.
Any thing you have manifested that you would like to share?
I have manifested my life, I’ve manifested a beautiful business, incredible community. I’ve been able to enrich a lot of people’s lives. The game that I created Sparked on Monday May 6 Dallas Airlines is going to be bringing 10 families together, reuniting them after the pandemic, and they are all going to be playing my board game Sparked So, what I love is that a lot of the things I’ve done, they’ve got lives of their own. For instance, I co-created a necklace with the co- founder of Black Lives Matter, Patrice, right at the height of George Floyd. She and I co-designed BlackLivesMatter necklace on June 1 and then the month of June alone, we, last year we raised $22,000 for Black Lives Matter, and Michelle Obama has one of the Black Lives Matter necklaces. Kamala Harris has one too. I got a handwritten, or a personalised letter from Michelle Obama speaking about how beautiful the jewellery is, how heartfelt it is. I was able to get handwritten letters to not only Michelle Obama with the necklaces I was able to get them to her entire family and Barrack Obama. They already have heartfelt letters from me. There’s so much that’s been manifested just with the jewellery alone. Literally when I go out every single time, I get asked about the jewellery because it’s so unique, it’s these big heart necklaces that you wear front centre and they always lead to the most hearts that are nourishing, uplifting conversations. Women are wearing these heart necklaces around the world. It’s really amazing, and some other things I’ve manifested, I’m coaching someone right now, in Sauda Arabia, I’m coaching someone in Somalia. I just started a clubhouse and I just recently started opening this coaching business and I’ve never advertised that I’m a coach. I’ve never done a public announced like a public post about it. By sharing about the work that I’m doing, I have all these amazing clients so I’m just really grateful on a daily basis to be able to touch people’s lives and enrich people’s hearts, through the work that I do, and the different companies.
Your work at Collective Hearts is focused on ensuring that people incorporate self love into their busy lives. What does self-love mean to you?
Self-love is loving yourself wholeheartedly. Feeling and unconditional love for yourself. Where you just see, you treasure, you cherish, you value and appreciate everything about you.
How do you incorporate self love into your life?
I do rituals throughout the day. I start my day with meditation, affirmations, with my self love mastery kit. I infuse it throughout the day.
Are there women that have inpired you in life? Can you name them?
Heart-centered women who lead with love inspire me. My Mother, Marsha Janice Rueff has been my greatest source of inspiration and role model. She embodies grace, wisdom and comes from a place of pure unconditional love. She is devoted, trustworthy, eloquent, kind-hearted and leads with love in everything she does.
What attributes would you give to your ideal stellar woman?
Ideal stellar women attributes are thoughtful, trustworthy, kind-hearted, loving, caring, generous, graceful, empowering, inspiring, uplifting, insightful and playful.
What would you love to add to your life to make feel more Stellar?
I would like to have the financial means to be more philanthropic and able to contribute to more global causes that are near and dear to my heart.
What advise would you give to any woman who aspires to be a Stellar woman?
Advice for women. Mornings are the foundation of our day. When you first wake up, embrace silence. Take time to listen to your heart and honour the gentle tugging of your heart strings and deep desires. There is nobody like you on the planet with your unique gifts, talents and skills. You are meant to shine and the more you embrace your unique talents and gifts and honour how exceptional you are, the more you will thrive in all facets of your life.