Elise Loehnen's ON OUR BEST BEHAVIOR was one of our bestsellers last year, after we were lucky enough to celebrate its release at the Commodore Perry with our community. Now, First Light is thrilled to welcome Elise and Lauren Smith Ford for the release of the complementary workbook, CHOOSING WHOLENESS OVER GOODNESS. Elise and her co-author, Courtney Smith, will participate in a panel discussion moderated by Lauren, followed by leading a workshop for guests using the tools of their new book.

The event will begin with an author reception from 6–6:30 p.m. Tickets include a copy of the book and a reserved seat. Unreserved seats are available on a first come, first served basis. Free RSVPs are also encouraged.

About the book

A provocative interactive workbook that leads us to reclaim our true selves so we can find the peace and well-being we deserve

With the publication of her electrifying New York Times bestseller ON OUR BEST BEHAVIOR, Elise Loehnen—often deemed “our culture’s therapist”—offered a groundbreaking exploration of the rules women unwittingly follow in order to be considered good. She illuminated the centuries-old code of conduct that keeps us disempowered, exhausted, anxious, and disconnected—even from ourselves.

In CHOOSING WHOLENESS OVER GOODNESS, Loehnen partners with Courtney Smith, a renowned Enneagram expert and coach, to share tools they have learned from the visionary healers, thinkers, and therapists that prompt readers to dig into the stories they tell themselves. These tools guide us to peel back the layers of cultural programming that prevent us from expressing our full potential. The paradigm-shifting process Loehnen and Smith teach on the pages of this workbook reveals the answers to the questions that tug at our souls: Who am I? What do I want? What’s standing in my way?

About the authors

Elise Loehnen is the host of Pulling the Thread, the author of the New York Times bestseller On Our Best Behavior, and co-author of True and False Magic: A Tools Workbook with Phil Stutz. She has co-written twelve books, five of which were New York Times bestsellers. She was the chief content officer of goop, and co-hosted The goop Podcast and The goop Lab on Netflix. Previously, she was the editorial projects director of Condé Nast Traveler. Elise lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

Courtney Smith worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. after earning a JD from Yale Law School. She now offers coaching, facilitating, and consulting services informed by practices she encountered in her own journey of self-development. Hallmarks of her approach include a warm and direct communication style; an awake mind and strong analytical skills; attentive and empathetic listening; grounding in the body; pragmatic tools; and a masterful understanding of the Enneagram.

Lauren Smith Ford is a writer based in Austin. She was the senior content and creative director at the Brené Brown Education and Research Group. Prior to joining BBEARG, she was a senior editor at Texas Monthly, where she edited a special edition of the magazine called Spaces. Her adventures at the National Magazine Award–winning magazine took her to every corner of the state, chasing stories on creatives and the inspiring spaces where they live and work. She was also the editor in chief of Austin’s leading arts and culture magazine, Tribeza, for eight years. She has written for Elle, Southern Living, Teen Vogue, and Glamour, among others. She was a finalist for an Austin Under 40 Award. When she isn’t spending time with her three daughters, she can be found on the pickleball court.