Positive Voices

L-R: Barbara Fredrickson and James Pawelski. Photo courtesy of the author.

L-R: Barbara Fredrickson and James Pawelski. Photo courtesy of the author.

Have you heard the good news? Or perhaps I should say, have you heard the positive voices? If not, get ready for something big and exciting! Donna Hemmert, Danny Southwick, Shannon Thompson, and Katy Sine recently launched a new business venture called Positive Voices to spread positive psychology to general audiences. Positive Voices was created to take leading research in positive psychology and present it in a practical, actionable way that appeals to anyone interested in personal development. Their tagline says it best: from science to practice. Personal development. Right from the voices of the experts.

The Psychology of Flourishing Online Program

Positive Voices offers online training and coaching to help people pursue their best life. To start, the Positive Voices team created an online video program called The Psychology of Flourishing that spans the topics of hopelessness, happiness, and hope. The program contains more than four-and-a-half hours of content and training from leading experts like Marty Seligman, Barbara Fredrickson, Gabriele Oettingen, Angela Duckworth, James Pawelski, and Suzie Pileggi Pawelski (they weren't kidding when they said, "voices of the experts!").

To complement and reinforce key learnings in the Psychology of Flourishing program, Positive Voices provides a workbook called The Best Life Blueprint that helps individuals take what they've learned and put it into practice. Participants are guided to move from the video to the workbook and then from practice to reflection. The entire process is designed to help people experience (rather than just learn about) the difference that positive psychology can make in their lives.

The Psychology of Flourishing program is set to launch in November, which will provide anyone excited and interested in positive psychology the opportunity to learn from many leading researchers. As an added benefit to those associated with the University of Pennsylvania, graduates from Penn’s Master of Applied Positive Program (MAPP) don’t have to wait (or pay!) to view the program. Positive Voices will be sharing more information about the program at our annual MAPP Fete Alumni event.

Positive Voices and the Positive Psychology Community

Danny and Donna co-founded Positive Voices as a Benefit Corporation whose social mission is to help improve global wellbeing through practical, science-based advice offered by experts in the field of positive psychology. In addition to sharing their own content, Positive Voices is also committed to help fund projects that increase global wellbeing via grants and partnerships.

Positive Voices also seeks to be a platform encouraging University of Pennsylvania MAPPsters and positive psychology researchers to share their voice with the world and make an impact. They plan to do this in several ways. First, they will promote blogs, podcasts, and content from the MAPP community to their large (120K and growing) online following. Second, they are launching a coaching program that matches their existing customers with positive psychology coaches, reaching directly into the MAPP community. Third, Positive Voices will partner with MAPPsters who are interested in being promotional partners of The Psychology of Flourishing program, and will share revenue on all referred customers.

This is just the beginning for Positive Voices. Be sure to follow their Facebook page (https:// www.facebook.com/positivefaces/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/positivevoices/), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/pos_voices) to stay up to date on their developments and receive daily content. You can also stay connected through their website (www.positivevoices.com). Here, you can sign up for their newsletter, read their insightful and motivating blog posts, and refer to their curated list of helpful TED talks and videos. And while you're at it, be sure to sign up for the Psychology of Flourishing program**, share it with a friend, and add your voice to the resonance of positive voices all around!

** Remember: the program’s free to MAPPSters AND you get early access! All you have to do is email to support@positivevoices.com, and provide your name and MAPP year, and they will email you access to the program for free.