interview with author and life coach joe nunziata

By: Roanna Weiss
I am a writer, translator, mother, artist's wife and American expat in Italy. I came to yoga several years ago and then to meditation while pregnant. I do my best to apply the lessons and ...
Edited date: November 6, 2022Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

interview life coach joe nunziata spirituality

Joe Nunziata, best-selling author, life and business coach, is often referred to as “The Spiritual Dr. Oz”. Strongly believing that we need to face our emotional life, he has developed a transformational process which helps people create new beliefs leading them to growth in many areas of life. Proving that you must start with yourself, he worked on himself without even thinking of becoming a coach. When people noticed he was “different”, he began sharing his message. That was over 20 years ago and among the books he’s written are Karma Buster, Finding Your Purpose and No More 9 to 5.

In his work, Joe blends spirituality, psychology, philosophy and people’s own internal energy, and this multi-faceted approach has permitted him to easily work with top executives to stay-at-home moms and artists to help them let go of the beliefs and emotions, which stand between them and their dreams. Yogi Times had the pleasure to interview Joe Nunziata to get a more intimate view of his own personal path and how he came to help other people in theirs.

YT: What do you consider to be your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness?

Joe Nunziata: My friend’s father always said, “Your strength is your weakness”. It took me a while to really understand what he meant. I am creative which is great, but it also tends to take me off task and not finish what I start at times. Good in one area, not so good in another.

YT: What has been the most challenging aspect of your personal journey, and how has that strengthened you?

Joe Nunziata: I faced many disappointments along the way. There were many occasions where I had a great opportunity and they always seemed to fall through. These failures forced me go deeper and truly understand the root cause of my issues. These experiences have been an invaluable teaching tool as I help people create their own breakthroughs.

YT: Who is the pivotal person who opened you to your current path?

Joe Nunziata: My last teacher, Susan Kerr. She is an enlightened master, which I was not aware of when we met. I found her book on Amazon one evening and loved it. I had some personal issues and went back to it a year later only to find that she lived 15 minutes from me. The universe is always at work.

YT: How do you define success both for yourself and for your clients?

Joe Nunziata: Ultimately, for me it is about becoming more peaceful and understanding. It is such an amazing place to live. No material success can compare.

YT: Once you embarked on your path, what made you decide to start sharing your teachings with others?

Joe Nunziata: It was an organic process. People started asking me why I was different and I started to share what I was doing. It was not my original intention, as I was doing the work to help my career. Over time, it evolved and become my mission.

YT: Is there anything that you would want every client or reader of your books to learn from your teaching, what would it be?

Joe Nunziata: To allow yourself to honor and feel your emotions without judgment. This is the key to clearing your energy and elevating your vibration.

YT: What part of your work brings you the most joy?

Joe Nunziata: Seeing the changes in others and then watching them help friends and family. It is like a chain of positive energy and healing.

YT: What is your advice for people to be happier, healthier and more full of love?

Joe Nunziata: You have to follow your feelings and instincts and do what works best for you. This sounds good but following this path brings up a lot of emotion, especially when you break patterns. People are used to seeing you act in a certain way. When you shift, it sends a ripple out to the world. There is an adjustment period and in some cases conflict and loss.

YT: You suggest people spend more time on their emotions and less time trying to control situations. What advice do you have for people to help them face difficult emotions?

Joe Nunziata: It is important to stop and not move into your usual behaviour. Under duress, we all have a go-to stress reliever. This could be alcohol, drugs, food, work or exercise, to name a few. The key is stopping and allowing yourself to process what you are really feeling. You have to be willing to go into these dark places to truly heal.

YT: And specifically regarding paralysing fear, could you explain a little about how it leads to bad decision-making and how a person can break this cycle?

Joe Nunziata: Fear gets a bad rap, but some fear is good. It stops us from moving into danger. You have to ask yourself, what am I actually afraid of here? I teach people how to present in front of an audience, which is the number one fear. In this case, it is fear of the unknown and doing something new.

I teach people to accept and embrace the fear, as it is their true feeling at that moment. The minute I tell them to embrace the fear, it begins to dissolve. We have removed the tension and resistance at this point. Once again, we are being true to what we feel.

YT: How about bad habits. In western culture, we often turn to ways to numb our feelings by escaping them through emotional eating, or other abusive behaviours. Any words of advice on how someone can break bad habits for good?

Joe Nunziata: One of my strategies is what I call “Opposite Action.” Select one thing you want to change, like doing more exercise for example. I had one of my clients start taking walks in the evening instead of just sitting front of the television after work. We set a time of 10 minutes per walk, three times a week. This created a new intention and habit. Definitive changes are always better for your brain to comprehend. Be clear about the changes and set up clear objectives.  

YT: A last word of wisdom that you would like to add for our international readers?

Joe Nunziata: In the end, my favorite message is consistency. You can have all the information in the world, but without consistent application and practice, it does not mean a thing. I meditate every day, but there are days when I only have a few minutes instead of my usual 30 plus. It is better to do the five minutes than not at all. Be consistent in your practice. 

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