Presence Over Perfection: Danielle LaPorte on Real Growth

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In this deeply honest and spiritually potent episode, Scott Schwenk sits down with bestselling author and thought leader Danielle LaPorte to explore what it really means to grow. Together, they unpack radical compassion, heart-centered living, and the surprising cost of hustle culture. Danielle shares her journey through burnout, ego death, spiritual surrender, and how she found her way back to peace—not by fixing herself, but by loving every fragment. This is an episode to feel, not just hear.

Danielle LaPorte is a member of Oprah’s Super Soul 100, a group who, in Oprah Winfrey’s words, “is uniquely connecting the world together with a spiritual energy that matters.”

She’s the former executive director of a future studies think tank director in Washington, DC. where she managed 20+ futurists, creating scenario plans for the likes of The Pentagon and The World Bank, analyzing how global trends might converge, or in some cases, collide.

She now speaks about the intelligence of the heart. Danielle is the creator of the Heart Centered Collective and the Heart Centered Leadership Program and with 400+ leaders doing Heart Centered conversation circles and workshops in over 30 countries. This leadership group is bringing Heart Centered innovation concepts to entrepreneurs, families, guidance counseling, incarcerated women, yoga classes, and global consultancies.

She’s the author of How To Be Loving, White Hot Truth, The Desire Map––which over 300,000 people accessed, and The Fire Starter Sessions. Her podcast, WITH LOVE, DANIELLE has ranked in iTunes’ Top 10 for wellness with almost 2 million downloads. Named one of the “Top 100 Websites for Women” by Forbes, millions of people a month visit DanielleLaPorte.com.

Marianne Williamson refers to Danielle “as a bright light,” Award-winning playwright, Eve Ensler, calls her “a force field of energy, wonder, humour, and love.”

Her charity of choice is Ally Global: helping survivors of human trafficking to rebuild their lives. She lives in Vancouver, BC. You can find her most places on social media @daniellelaporte.

Scott Schwenk’s teachings, courses and private mentoring guide leaders, seekers and creatives to explore their deepest selves in service of thriving on all levels of being, both individually and relationally.

Host and creator of the podcast The Choice To Grow, Scott is known for his hugely popular courses and workshops with OneCommune.com, Younity.com, Wanderlust Festivals, and Unplug Meditation, Scott has been catalyzing the inner evolution of others for decades: helping them to grow, transform obstacles into opportunities, and find Love within.

Scott spent several years living and studying in a meditation monastery which introduced him to the core body of Tantric meditation traditions which continue to flow through each of his teachings. Scott continues to study and teach from two key Tantric lineage streams.

Apprenticeships in leadership development, meditation and philosophy training, shadow work/shadow resolution and spiritual awakening are all part of Scott’s development into the thought-leader that he is today. He continues to refine his offerings studying and practicing with key innovators at the leading edges of human development.

Scott’s teachings support the entire person to not only progressively recognize, stabilize and embody our inextricable oneness with the source of creation (Waking Up), but also to resolve the wounds of the past (Cleaning Up), continually expand our capacities for wider and more inclusive perspectives on any moment (Growing Up) and creatively and joyfully participate and collaborate with all of life as a loving thriving human being (Showing Up).