A Conversation With the Author of Holistic Wealth, Keisha Blair
A Conversation With the Author of Holistic Wealth, Keisha Blair
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Keisha Blair, an award-winning, bestselling author of Holistic Wealth: 32 Life Lessons to Help You Find Purpose, Prosperity and Happiness and the Holistic Wealth Personal Workbook. Keisha is regarded as the “Mother of Holistic Wealth” and founder of the Holistic Wealth Movement. She is also the founder of the Institute on Holistic Wealth and has been profiled by the New York Times, Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, Essence magazine and other publications.
Her book Holistic Wealth has been well received by highly influential TV audiences such as the producers of Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk, the producers of the Mel Robbins Show (formerly of Oprah’s Favorite Things), as well as Yahoo Finance’s the Final Round. She is the host of the Holistic Wealth segment on the award-winning, internationally syndicated Daily Flash TV Show, and hosts the Holistic Wealth podcast. You can visit her website at www.keishablair.com
Getting To Know Keisha Blair
Was this the career you always knew you wanted? Did you ever envision yourself writing a book?
My journey has been unreal. I grew up with a mother who was an author so I saw lots of books around me along with the process of writing, editing and publishing. I even visited bookstores with her to see the books on shelves. I always had an intense passion for books, but I didn’t know that my path and journey would unfold quite the way they did.
I wrote an article for Thrive Global which took off – My Husband Died At Age 34. Here Are 40 Life Lessons I Learned From It. When more than 50 million people globally connected with it, I didn’t know what was next. An editor suggested that I turn that into a book, and even though I didn’t know where that would lead, I took the chance and Holistic Wealth was born. I didn’t realize at the time that this would be more than a book, that I would give birth to the Holistic Wealth movement. Over 500 women from countries all over the world, including Canada, the U.S., U.K., Australia, Dubai, South Africa and Saudi Arabia, signed up for the Holistic Wealth Challenge in a matter of five days, during the book launch, right before COVID-19 hit.
It was then I knew we were on to something in terms of the Holistic Wealth movement. The “old normal” was never working for women. We were seeing a whole new generation of women (I founded the hashtag #Holisticwealthgeneration) rise up, and they wanted more control over their time and money – to engage in more meaningful experiences, like sabbaticals, and live “a life well-lived.”
As the “Mother of Holistic Wealth” and founder of the Holistic Wealth movement message, my journey of tragedy and overcoming life-altering setbacks has more meaning than ever. I am grateful for this journey and for this message.
Keisha’s Book Habits
How many books do you read in a year?
I read two books per month plus I try to read books that are related to my podcast episodes and the guests I feature (some are also authors) on the Holistic Wealth Podcast.
What’s on your bookshelf?
I have some amazing books on my bookshelf. All of them have some connection to my personal story somehow and all are by amazing female authors. My former husband died of an extremely rare disease; so rare that most doctors will never see it in their lifetime, only in textbooks. One book that stands out is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot because I am very interested in the science of rare illnesses, and the deaths of both my former husband and Henrietta Lacks have spurred scientific research, helping to advance our understanding of certain illnesses.
Other books on my shelf include:
- Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander
- The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
- Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Imbue
Do you prefer paperback or e-reader?
I prefer paperback every time. There’s nothing like holding a book in your hand and making notes in the corner and carrying it with you everywhere.
Let’s Talk Food
What’s your go-to meal or recipe?
This recipe is one of my personal recipes which will be in the Holistic Wealth Cookbook by Keisha Blair (coming soon).
Jamaican Rum Chicken
Ingredients:
4 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup Caribbean rum
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 lime, cut into wedges
Directions:
- Combine brown sugar, lime juice, rum, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, pepper and parsley, and mix well. Place chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag, add brown sugar marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Turn chicken over occasionally while marinating. Remove chicken and discard marinade.
- Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot. Add chicken and cook 5-6 minutes on each side until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Squeeze lime juice over chicken and serve with salsa (optional).
What is your ideal comfort food?
Italian Tiramisu
The recipe below is also from the Holistic Wealth cookbook by Keisha Blair. It’s my original recipe from my sabbatical.
Italian Tiramisu
Ingredients:
6 egg yolks
¾ cup white sugar
⅔ cup whole milk
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lbs. mascarpone cheese
¼ cup brewed coffee cooled to room temperature
2 tablespoons rum
2 [3-4] oz. packages ladyfinger cookies
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until blended. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil gently for one minute, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for one hour.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form. Whisk mascarpone into yolk mixture until smooth.
- In a small bowl, combine coffee and rum. Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise and drizzle with coffee mixture.
- Arrange half of the soaked ladyfingers in the bottom of a square baking dish. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, then half of the whipped cream over that. Repeat layers and sprinkle with cocoa. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, until set.
What is your dream brunch date? Where and with whom?
My dream brunch would be with Oprah Winfrey, and it could be anywhere tropical. Somewhere with lush gardens and the ocean nearby. In Holistic Wealth, there’s an entire chapter built around Oprah Winfrey. It has some amazing lessons for building a platform and using your platform to get your message out and create an impact with your message.
Life Advice
What helps you get in your flow/zone?
Music gets me into that zone and flow, as well as meditation and my intuition. Holistic Wealth speaks to the benefits of really tuning into your intuition and trusting your instincts to make the right decisions.
My eldest son Matthew writes music as a hobby (he’s a talented teenager) and he inspires me so much in terms of his creativity and drive.
How do you handle setbacks?
The Holistic Wealth Framework is a framework for overcoming life-altering setbacks. It’s one of the reasons it’s so pertinent to our current time, living through COVID-19. The dominant messages in the media during this entire pandemic have been the same messages in Holistic Wealth, including resilience and the intersection between our physical health, mental health, financial wealth and stability and the ability to renew ourselves on a day-to-day basis.
The Holistic Wealth Mindset and Method that I developed and outlined in Holistic Wealth is critical to overcoming life-altering setbacks. It’s also about embracing and shifting to a mindset that’s empowering and moving away from blame and victimhood. The Holistic Wealth Personal Workbook outlines this in a very helpful way for readers.
In real life, face-to-face interactions are on the decline, especially over the last year a bit with COVID-19. What are some ways you connect with your friends/family/community? What do you do to ensure you’re having authentic interactions regularly?
I actually started a family Zoom night with my entire extended family across four different countries when COVID-19 started. My husband’s family started it first and I participated in their Zoom meetings and started it with my family too. We meet once a week and we have also started doing major charity work, providing food for the poor, and sending care packages to seniors in rural communities. Now we are working on a massive project with international donors to construct and roll out a series of alternative learning centres all across Jamaica. I’m excited for this journey and grateful to impact humanity in my own way. This project, in particular, is very dear to me, and readers of Holistic Wealth will see, my sabbatical in Jamaica was at the very core of my story.
When you’re writing – where do you write? What is the setting?
Like many writers, I tend to write very early in the mornings and I finish at around the same time (basically by noon). This is mostly on weekends because when I wrote Holistic Wealth I had my day job, and I worked on some very high-profile projects that didn’t allow for that full focus on just writing this book. Some of those projects are mentioned in the introduction to the book, and I am immensely grateful for my professional experience and the way it has shaped the person I am today. I can’t write after a certain time, so I really need to maximize the time when I feel that flow and get into that zone.
What’s in the Works for Keisha Blair
What exciting projects do you have coming up?
There are many projects on the go. As I mentioned above, the Holistic Wealth Cookbook is on the horizon, as well as the full series.
During COVID-19, I started the Holistic Wealth Podcast with Keisha Blair. So far, I’ve interviewed so many amazing guests, like iconic actress Kelly Rutherford – star of Gossip Girl, Dynasty and Melrose Place as well as many other amazing guests like Loren Ridinger, CEO of Shop.com.
I also founded the Institute on Holistic Wealth, and readers came forward asking me to write a certification program based on the book. So, I developed the Certified Holistic WealthTM Consultant Program. This was 100 percent reader-driven and has been a highly successful program, so I am honoured to have my readers continue to drive the movement forward in so many meaningful ways. We are currently building an army of Certified Holistic WealthTM Consultants from all over the world to educate women and help them become fully empowered.
Now we have Certified Holistic WealthTM Consultants (and Honorary Consultants) with a combined platform reaching over five million women across the world, and they also deliver workshops and training to women and teens, along with significant charity work to impact the lives of others.
I also developed the Personal Financial Identities Framework to help people identify their personal financial identities. Everyone can take the free quiz; it’s quick and fun and takes only a couple of minutes. It’s also a fun activity to do with friends, families, and for couples.
Final Thoughts
Which authors inspire your work the most?
Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Maya Angelou
Are you interested in further unpacking what holistic wealth means, why it’s important and how to achieve it? If so, join us for a conversation with Keisha Blair on July 22nd from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m EST. Grab your tickets here.
Favourite book: Purple, Green & Yellow by Robert Munsch
Favourite brunch item: waffles, fresh berries, maple syrup and, if she’s getting extra fancy, a little bit of coconut whipped cream to top it off
