Author Jessie Kanzer on Her New Book "Don't Just Sit There, DO NOTHING" on Using the Tao Te Ching to Perfect the Art of Doing Nothing and How it Can Offer Wisdom, Healing, and Grounding Artwork

Life. On Purpose

Brandi Eilert is the creator and host of Life. On Purpose — a podcast dedicated to the stories that awaken us, shape us, and remind us why we’re here. With a gift for deep listening and genuine connection, Brandi guides conversations that explore resilience, faith, healing, and the pursuit of meaning in a world that often values achievement over authenticity.

A lifelong seeker and storyteller, Brandi’s own path has been one of transformation — moving through challenge, loss, and reinvention to find a deeper sense of purpose. Through her interviews with athletes, advocates, thinkers, and everyday visionaries, she creates space for the kind of truth that heals and inspires.

Grounded, empathetic, and unafraid to ask the big questions, Brandi’s mission is simple: to help others live more consciously, love more deeply, and align their lives with what truly matters.

When she’s not behind the mic, you’ll find her immersed in family life, college basketball games supporting her husband, creative projects, or somewhere quiet (usually home - her sanctuary) — reflecting, reading, writing, and practicing what she preaches: living on purpose.

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Life. On Purpose

Author Jessie Kanzer on Her New Book "Don't Just Sit There, DO NOTHING" on Using the Tao Te Ching to Perfect the Art of Doing Nothing and How it Can Offer Wisdom, Healing, and Grounding

March 14, 2022 • Brandi Eilert • Episode 41

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For years, Kanzer felt like a failure, unable to hustle hard enough to “make it,” either as an actress or in the rat race. Her childhood as a Russian immigrant in post-Cold War America heightened her insecurity and threatened her identity, desperate as she was to fit into a culture that was alien at best and hostile at worst. This loss and eventual reclamation of her sense of self sent her on a spiritual journey during which she discovered the Tao Te Ching, which changed everything for her. The Tao taught her that there was power in stillness, and that all struggles come bearing gifts if you know how to recognize them. Her message will connect with listeners desperate to find grounding as we move into a new year with filled with trepidation and no guarantees of a return to normalcy.

During our interview, we discuss:

·. Redefining your definition of success

·. How to say no without guilt

·. How to trust their intuition and inner voice whenever doubts creep in

·. How losing sight of your true identity can be a gift (as long as you find it again)

·. How the Tao can cure you of perfectionism and people-pleasing tendencies

·. Why it’s important to continue to embrace stillness, even amidst a push to return to “normal” following the pandemic

For more on Jessie and her book:

web: jessiekanzer.com

fb: jessiekanzer

insta: @jessiekanzer

twitter: @JessieKanzer