September 16, 2024 • 34 mins
Julianne Hough is a dancer, actor, Emmy Award-winner — and now she’s adding author to her impressive resume. She’s out with a brand new book titled “Everything We Never Knew,” a fictional book based on her real life experiences. She shares about her healing journey, her new “factional” book, and the moment she reconnected with her body again. Plus, the new season of “Dancing with the Stars” premieres tomorrow, and Julianne shares the secret to success on the show.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello Sunshine, Hey fam Today on the bright Side, we're
joined by dancer, actor, Emmy Award winner, and now author
Julianne Huff. She's out with the brand new book, y'all,
and she is getting real about her healing journey and
the moment she reconnected with her body again. Trust me,
this is a story you have to hear. Plus, the
new season of Dancing with the Stars premieres tomorrow and
(00:26):
Julianne is sharing the secret to success on the show.
It's Monday, September sixteenth. I'm Simone Boyce.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I'm Danielle Robe and this is the bright Side from
Hello Sunshine, a daily show where we come together to
share women's stories, laugh, learn and brighten your day.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
On My Mind Monday is brought to you by missus
Myers Clean Day, inspired by the goodness of the garden.
Simone Happy On my Mind Monday.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
This is always our opportunity to start the week with
something that motivates us, inspires curiosity, or provides a fresh perspective.
So I want to know what's on your mind, girl.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Okay, I can't stop thinking about this experiment that I
came across in this British newspaper or The Sunday Times,
and it's about a group of kids that went on
this month long smartphone detox and the results are wild.
So the writer for the piece, Decca Ekenhead, decided to
ban her sons from their smartphones for four weeks and
(01:24):
then she sent them on an unsupervised camping trip with
their friends who had also been detoxing from technology. And
you know, Danielle, she came up with this idea after
interviewing social psychologists and author of The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Height,
who we've talked about a lot on our show, and
in this book hepe points to the increasing rates of
teenage depressions, self harm, and anxiety, and he says that
(01:47):
smartphones and social media are to blame. He's also always
been this staunch advocate of more free play, independence, and
unsupervised time for kids. So sounds like this writer really
took Height's words to heart.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, definitely. Well, this sounds like a really interesting experiment.
I'm curious to hear more. You said the kids were
unsupervised in the woods. What happened?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Yes, So they're in the woods, no phones, they haven't
had phones for several weeks, and they struggled at the beginning, Danielle,
but one fourteen year old said that he started to
see that whatever's going on on his smartphone doesn't really matter.
He said, quote you'll never say on your deathbed, I
wish I'd spent more time on my phone. And several
kids had similar reactions. They said they felt less tired
(02:30):
after the experiment. They also learned that screen times went
down even after they came home for some of the participants.
And then another fourteen year old said he felt more
focused and efficient and even younger, like he was able
to embrace his inner child again. That's cool.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
So the only comparison I can make to this in
my own life is that I went to overnight camp
every summer when I was growing up and there were
no phones allowed, and it is still to this day
one of the best memories of my life. Like all
of our camp friends feel the exact same way, and
(03:06):
part of it is that you are just so present
with the people there.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
It just seems so much harder to do today than
when I was a kid. You know, we're just so
like kids are so attached to their iPads and stuff.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
It's tough. Yeah, I think it can start small, though,
I think that actually everyone is craving connection without screens.
And so if you're the first to say, Hey, I'm
gonna I'm gonna have my friends over tonight for dinner,
but we're gonna drop our cell phones in a bucket
when we walk in the door, I actually think, even
though it sounds intimidating, I think people would be so
(03:41):
receptive to it. And it's like the kids in this experiment.
They were resistant to it at first, they struggled at first,
but by the end they felt totally transformed by it.
You know, I went on that retreat a few months
ago and there were no cell phones. It was jarring
at first, but the people that I met on that
trip are probably probably the closest friends that I have
(04:02):
right now in my life. And I don't think that
we would have formed such deep lasting bonds if we
had been on our phones the whole time. One last
thing I want to say about this experiment is that
every single team said that they would have hated doing
this experiment alone. Well, yeah, it would be like torture
to be in the woods without any connection to anyone
for you know, an extended period of time. But this
(04:24):
really proves another one of Jonathan Height's points that collective
action instead of just individual family rules, is the most
effective pathway for change. And this is something that I've
thought about, you know, as I look to the future
and how I'm going to handle smartphones in my own home.
I really want to align with like minded parents and
see if we can form some kind of like clan.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, I like this for you, very very cool. How
would you describe your relationship with your phone and social
media now?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
I think I need to build in social media and
smartphone detoxes into my life every three months because I'm
totally addicted to my phone. I find myself trying to
escape from the daily stress of life, and sometimes that
just looks like mindless scrolling when I know deep down
in my heart that is not what I want to
be doing. But it's such an impulse at this point
(05:17):
that it's kind of hard to control. How about you, Danielle.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Well, I find it hard to not be online because
of our job, so it's like important to know what's
going on, what the trends are, what people are talking about.
So I almost feel like I bake it in almost
like an hour a day is like part of my work.
But other than that, I don't feel so connected to
(05:41):
my phone, Like I've always been a person who's happier
not on devices.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I wish I could put my phone away, Like I
don't subscribe to this belief that you have to text
or email everyone back instantly. I think that's how our
society is now. I agree, but I think that that's
too much to an expectation to put on people. Like
I feel like I'm partly attached to my phone because
of the expectation that other people have from me to
(06:08):
respond quickly. Glennon Doyle talks about this all the time. Really, okay,
what does she say about it. I haven't heard her
talk about it.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
She just made this hard and fast rule or boundary
for herself because she was like, I can't be beholden
to my text messages. I actually heard Ashton Kutcher say
one time that your email is somebody else's to do
list for you, which really resonated with me. It's true.
Everybody emailing you really is asking for stuff, and when
you're emailing, you're asking for stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
This is a topic that we don't really talk about publicly,
Like I don't really even talk about this with my friends, Danielle.
So it's interesting that we're talking about this and what
I've learned today from this experiment and just from our
conversation is there's a different way to do things, like
we get to choose our own journey with this stuff,
and we can make our own rules.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
I love how you put that, making your own rules.
I agree. And that brings me to our guest today
because she has an inspiring story of her own, one
of making her own rules and owning her healing journey.
Julianne Huff is a dancer, actor, singer, entrepreneur, and now
she's adding author to her resume with her new book
(07:21):
titled Everything We Never Knew. It's what she calls a
factional book, but she's inventing this genre. It's a fictional
story based on her real life experiences.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Yeah, we're going to ask her all about that and
the new season of Dancing with the Stars. This will
be the thirty third season of the competition show and
Julienne made her debut on season four in two thousand
and seven when she was just eighteen. Gosh, I feel
old now. I remember that like it was yesterday. Can't
wait to chat with Julienne, and she's joining us right
after the break.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Thanks to our partners at missus Myers, you can learn
a lot about a person by their dish soap. Missus
Meyers's collection of household products are inspired by the garden
and pack up punch against dirt and grime. Visit missus
Meyers dot com.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
We'll be right back, y'all. Julianne Huff, Welcome to the
bright Side.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Thank you very much. I love the bright side.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
You say everything with a smile. You are the.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Bright side, you know. Actually, somebody said that to me
the other day. They're like, even when you're talking about
like heavy things, you still say it with a smile.
And I was like, I do. And then I looked back.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I was like, oh, I do, I do the same thing.
I think it's maybe like a trauma respond. Yeah, I
smile the whole time to get through it.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Hey, I'd rather be smiling, right, Yeah, I don't know,
I think so.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Julianne, this is a big year for you. You're releasing
your book Everything We Never Knew. I can't wait to
get into this book a bit more with you. In
addition to the release of your novel, what Are You
celebrating in your life right now?
Speaker 3 (09:00):
My goodness, that's a really good question. I think I'm
celebrating the fact that I feel really I know this
sounds so broad, but I feel really whole. I feel like,
you know, the last few years, I've really unraveled a lot,
which is part of what this book is about. And
I really feel so content, which is a word that
used to scare the crap out of me. Yeah, and
(09:22):
I love that word now and I feel so content
and happy and very like consistent and stable in my life.
And I could not have said that a few years ago.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
That's huge.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Yeah, it feels really good.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
What do you think was the key to unlocking that contentment?
Because that's it's so much easier said than done.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
It is. And by the way, I am a high
achiever and I'm very ambitious, so those two things with
content usually is not a formula.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I feel like I'm looking in a mirror right now.
I feel personally attacked.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Right yes, But I think, honestly, it was a lot
of healing and like a lot of just like owning,
because I think when you own and accept your wounds
and all that kind of stuff that gives you so
much power, whereas if you avoid it and move away
from it, then you're just on survival mode and just going, going, going,
And then you're like, wait, it's been fifteen years and
(10:17):
I missed my whole life, you know. So I think
like finding that content and just reframing what that means
is like, oh no, I'm really content and happy with
my life and I get to do all.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
These things such a flex.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Well, we started this interview off with celebration, so I
want to talk about another celebration, which is the premiere
of the new season of Dancing with the Stars. So
you're back as co host along with Alfonso Robera. You
were a dancer obviously, nana judge, now a co host.
I think you have probably the most unique perspective on
(10:50):
this whole competition.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
The show has been a visual representation of my journey too,
because it's like you're on that show and you're just
trying to survive and be the best and win, win, win,
you know, and then you're an expert on the show
as a judge, and you're like, but it's still a performance,
you know, like, are you kidding me? You're still like engaged, right,
and it's still what you have to say. As a host,
(11:14):
it's like, how can I hold the space for all
of these people to shine? And like I'll talk to
them beforehand and watch the rehearsals on Monday, and I'll
see things because I'm like, ooh, when you're dancing, Like
they're really struggling with this moment, and I can see
why because I've been the dancer. And then as a judge,
(11:35):
I'm like, ooh, they're probably gonna pick up on this.
So I'll talk to them and be like, hey, what's
going on with the dance, Like how are you feeling?
What was your week? Like I'll talk to them before
and I'll kind of get an understanding, and then I'll
be like, what do you want to say in the
skybox with me? Because this is your thirty seconds to
share your heart, like sell yourself so people vote for you,
(11:57):
like what do you want to say?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Right?
Speaker 3 (11:59):
And so so that for me is like I hope
that they trust that I'm on your side and this
is about you. And so that's the journey for me
for the show has been like it's been myself and
then it's been like, you know, I need to be
an expert and have great things to say, and this
one yeah, and then this time it's like, how can
(12:21):
I pull the space enough so that people feel safe
enough to be themselves? And like I always say, Dancing
the Stars is Yes, it's a dance competition show, but
it's a transformation show. And like the reason why it's
been on the air I think for so many years
is because people see themselves in these contestants, that they
are watching them grow. And so the more authentic people
can be on that show and share all of their
(12:44):
ups and downs and in betweens, that's what people root for.
And that's just a big metaphor for life. Ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
They're so lucky to have you as a host, because
I don't think every host is as invested as you are.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
So too, I need to give him credit. We talked
about it a lot before last season, and we're like,
this show is not about us, This show is about
the show. This show is special, and like we want
to give it the life that it deserves to have
and so it can continue on. I was just at
their house last night for dinner, and like, we're so
(13:17):
in love with each other in the obviously most platonic way.
We just care and like I think because we've gone
through so many things and dancing has meant so much
to us and it's given us such an amazing like life.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Literally, I literally gave him a whole other career completely. Yeah,
And that's the thing.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
It's like that show has been really special for so
many people, and I'm so grateful to be a part
of the show.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
You have always had just the factor, whatever that is.
And so I'm wondering, as you're hosting or even judging,
are you able to tell who's going to win, because
it's really like who has that intangible thing.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Yeah, I mean you can definitely feel it. I mean
we all can hand you know, like you can just
feel it, you can see it. It's about the journey.
Though sometimes the best dancer doesn't win because they're not captivating.
I remember I was told this as a young girl competing.
It's like the person that is the full package that
like is dedicated to it, works really hard, has the
(14:17):
gratitude and the appreciation for it, you know, and like
also like a little fiery sassiness to him too, you know,
like it's about the wholeness of it all.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
I'm excited to see my guy, Steven Nedoshek a horse guy. Honestly,
he's competing.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
He is.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Yeah, and by the way, like what a babe, like
just like the sweetest human on the planet. Like already
people are like, Okay, I know who I'm voting for.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
He's going in with like a few extra points already.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Yeah, for sure, I'm excited to see what happens.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Well, I heard you say in another interview that you
thought your energy was your superpower and then you realize
it was your anxiety. What do you feel like is
your su power now?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I think by superpower and I don't know if it's
just mine or I think it's within everybody, but I
think it's being a reflection in a mirror for others
to see themselves. I think like sometimes yeah, when you
just are you, and you feel like you've been able
(15:22):
to delayer all the like protective mechanisms and you can
just be and like people can then feel themselves and
like what's possible for them? And so recently, I mean
recently and not recently. When I was like twelve, people
would come up to me and I would never give
them advice, but they would always ask for it. But
(15:42):
somehow I would just keep conversations going and then they
would come up with the answer. And so, like, I
think that's kind of my superpower is I can kind
of just be a presence for people to also like
trust their own intuition.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, I don't know how to explain it fully, but
I've experience that through my life where I see it
with my family and my friends. They call me doctor Huff.
I got doctor huffed. But they'll come in and then
I just won't really say anything. They'll just talk and
then they'll figure it out.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
You know, really are like a therapist. Then, Yeah, that's
exactly right, because that's what the best therapists do. They
don't they create a container. And I think a lot
of times we have this impulse to try to fix
and solve, you know, and that's not exactly what people
want to hear in that moment.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Yeah, or what they need to do. And I think
I'll also I'm pretty good at being very open and
sharing after I figured it out. I'm not as good
at like being vulnerable in the moment. I'm working on that,
but sometimes I'll share my experiences and then people will
be able to feel the universal theme that's thread through it.
And so that's why with the book, I wanted to
(16:48):
go fiction because I was like, I want people to
see themselves in this book. I don't want them to
read my story and just see my story.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Well, when you were talking about wanting to be a
mirror that people could see themselves in, it made me
think of this quote that's been circulating recently and I
don't know who it's attributed to, but we become the
person that we needed the most when we were children. Yeah,
and it kind of feels like you're doing this, actually
doing it through this book.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
I actually I wrote my dedication to my younger self
because I was like, you did what you needed to
do to survive and go girl basically. Yeah, And also like,
you know, I'm going to get real woo woo here
time and space doesn't exist and we go through healing.
So I am showing up for my younger self right now.
And because I am creating safety for her, it is
(17:35):
becoming a ripple effect energetically in my life. And that's
why I feel so safe now.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
There is the power and nobility in that right that
feels very good. But there's also the element of that
that feels very raw and vulnerable and exposed. And I
know that recently, as a part of this press story,
you've shared a lot of really very personal events that
have happened to you. And how are you feeling on
(18:02):
the other side of that, because that is like, that's
a big turning point to be really open about it.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
It is, and you know, I've been talking to my
mom and my friends and people about it, my therapist,
and I was like, headlines are going to pick up
whatever they're going to pick up, and I have to
remember that and remember the people that are actually listening
to the full interview or the context, they're going to
receive it, how they're going to receive it. But it
is quite vulnerable because I didn't share the abuse because
(18:30):
I was like, this is what happened. I'm ready to
express myself of this is what happened to me. I
was sharing it based off of Because of what happened
and how it was taken care of, there was a
lot of pivoting versus dealing, and so that created a
pattern within me to pivot and not deal. And so
(18:53):
as I'm going through my healing journey, I am learning
how to move through things instead of pivot, and by
sharing it, it was obviously like for anybody who needed
to hear that to feel seen. Obviously that is an
amazing intention to have, but it was really to show
that we are a product of what happens to us,
(19:16):
and we create belief systems and conditions to protect us
which actually get us further away from who we are.
And it's not to blame anybody. It's really to show
the growth of the journey. And so as that happened,
I'm so glad I got to share that and have
these conversations which I've had multiple times with my family,
(19:38):
and every time you have there there's a new opening
and a new layer discovered. But I will say I'm
in my most vulnerable state. As I said, I feel
very whole. I was talking to Jamie kern Lima about
this and she was talking about the butterfly and when
you go into the cocoon and you literally liquefy into
absolute nothing. That was my death whole pit of shit era.
(20:00):
I never quite heard it described that.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
I like it.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
It's a clinical term. I'm going to trademark that that's
book too, But yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
I see future under that name. I mean too.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
No, I'm serious, that's book too. But but you know,
like the butterfly is the most vulnerable when they first
you know, come out, when their whole, when they're beautiful,
when they've gone through the transformation, but their wings are
still wet, they don't know if they have the ability.
So through all this transformation, I feel like I've got
to that place. But I do feel very raw and
(20:37):
exposed and vulnerable, but in a good way, like finally
my heart's open. I'm not protecting it in a way.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
But congratulations.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Yeah, I mean trust me, I'm like weaving. I'm like, okay,
keep it open, keep it on, you know. But but yeah,
it's it's exciting and different.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
I imagine you've also used work as a way to
kind of protect yourself.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Absolutely, And you know, distractions are distractions, whether they're healthy
or unhealthy. And fortunately I've had healthy distractions, but they've
also just been distractions too, So you know, finding that
time and space to actually just be still is something
that I hadn't really work for.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
We mentioned your book, yes, but I want to officially
yeah about the thing we never knew. Like you mentioned,
it's fiction, but it's based on storylines from your life.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
So I've heard you call it factional.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Yeah, we love that totally. Yeah, Lexi, our main character,
she has these supernatural experiences that start happening where her
senses are activated, and you know, she starts seeing things
and tasting things and hearing things. And as that's starting
to happen, she's like, what is happening to me? And
if you look at it, like, you know, life is
(21:53):
like this. You you live in this box where everything's good,
everything's perfect, and then you start expanding. You're like, whoa,
this is amazing and all the light and all this
magic is starting to happen. And then all of a
sudden you're like, wait, it has to expand this way too.
So you know, that's what happened to me. It was
like this activation that like opened up for me. And
so I was like, I want to tell this story,
(22:14):
but I want to heighten the experiences so people can
have more permission to dive into a world that might
feel a little intimidating with self discovery and healing, and
heighten those senses so that people can really, like I
don't know, just relax into.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
It, yeah and get lost in the story.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
So I'm so curious where does Julian end and your
main character Alexis begin.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
I mean, I called my mom the other day because
she was like, man, this mom is really you. You
wrote me really mean. I was like, Mom, this mom
is not you, This mom is not you.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
This is why I didn't make it a memoir exactly.
Now I know the real reason. It's smart.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
I know. I was like, it's a combination of this person.
This person's a very So I will say that for
anybody who's followed my personal life, which I definitely put
on display for you know, many years, will be able
to see a through line, but there's definite things that
are not in there. I pulled real estate as her
job because my sister's a real estate agent, and I
(23:16):
can see parallels of that. A type personality. I'm a
type personality, but in a completely different industry. I made
Shane Lexi's husband a structural engineer because that is very
grounded and rooted in like analytics, and like my ex
husband was very analytical and grounded, which was like a
beautiful foundation for me to be up here. So there's
(23:39):
little themes like that. Obviously, I don't want to give
too much of the book away but Lexi. It says
it in like the first page, Lexi has a miscarriage.
And I didn't personally experience something like that, similar but
not like that. But I did lose my dogs and
that feeling of loss and grief was something I've never
(24:01):
experienced before. So there's like little pieces, but it's not
direct from my life.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I have another podcast that I do and it's very booky. Yeah,
and the first person I ever interviewed it was for
a book it was called The Likability Trap, and she said,
I'm so glad this book found you, because I think
books always find people when they need them most. And
so my question for you is whose hands are you
(24:29):
hoping this book gets into, well.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
First of all, full chills, because that's the whole point
of this book is like for this to find whoever
is going to resonate with it. And I mean my sister,
I think, was the first person that read it. And
she looked at me and she's like, did you write
this about me? And I was like, yes, I did.
(24:55):
I was like no, but I'm so glad that you
feel that way. And I've been getting the same, you know,
messages and dms from people being like WHOA, I feel
so like this is what I'm going through right now.
Even though it's not like my personal experiences, I feel
seen in this. So it's that whoever it does fall
in the hands to is what it should be. In
(25:17):
the past, I've always like wanted my music or Beyondiancing
the Star is to like represent how hard I worked,
and like this book for some reason, like I'm cool
if it gets on a best seller's list, which it did,
that's awesome, you know, But I only want that best
seller's list so that more eyes can see it, so
that more people can experience it and read it and
(25:38):
feel connected to it.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
So I think that's how you know you're on your
soul path.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Yeah, well, just see what happens. But I feel like
it has a long life and whether it hits now
or later or somebody can read this twenty years from
now and it will still resonate, Like that's really cool.
That's really cool.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Cool. That's the coolest thing about books is the outlive Yeah, eternal. Yeah,
we have to take another short break, but we'll be
right back with more from Julienne Huff.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Stick with us. We're back with Julianne huff.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
As a dancer, you're so connected to your body, and
I've heard you talk about the obsession with it. Even
you said you're a creative, but you're also an athlete.
Dancers are athletes, and so you're sitting in front of
the mirror and like picking your body apart, and it
becomes this obsession. I feel like, through the ether of
(26:37):
following your career, I've felt pieces of your healing journey
with your body, but I actually don't know the story.
Where are you with it now?
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Oh my gosh, I've never felt better. It's interesting. Even
though I was a dancer, I actually wasn't as connected
to my body as I thought I was until I
started going in and like doing the work and realizing, wow,
I dissociated from my body a lot because my body
was the thing that just went and like I was
(27:07):
burning my adrenals like it was a lot. And so
when I actually started paying attention to my body, I
had to rest and like the inflammation that came up
and like all sorts of things, and that was hard
because I was like whoa super inflamed. And then and
then I started getting more consistent and like I did
(27:29):
Carnivore for like three months.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
So you were like pounding beef flivver and tallow and
you're kind of diet rotein that's even more dream.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
I'm pretty stream. I was doing like just beef and
butter and like I did that for a couple of months.
I hadn't I know, right, So I just I needed
that also for my mental clarity because I was I
was protein deficient all sorts of things. I had a
marker for an autoimmune and I was just like, hang on,
I'm anything that I do I'd like really commit to.
(27:59):
So I was like, I'm just going to do this
for a couple of months. Yeah, and then I'll ease
back in. And after I did that, like my life
force energy came back because I realized my brain fog
and my clarity and my mood was just like all
over the place. Yeah, the help me.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Thoughts really help with that. Okay, now I'm actually really curious.
I might need to get on this front of our
right well offline about it. I don't know what you're done.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Yeah, And by the way, like I that's basically my
diet now I just add other things to it.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
But yeah, do you remember the moment when the disassociation
ended and you felt like reconnected to your body again.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
I don't know if there was like actually I lie,
I totally remember when it was wow wow, Okay, so
we love it on lot, Yes, I love it. It
was it was all during this time. So it was
like early twenty eighteen. I started going and taking Tai
Chi and Chi goong, and like, I knew the body
was going to be my form of expression. So as
(28:59):
I was going through this, I met this person who
was doing he called them fire sessions, and I'm so
connected to the elements that just like hit me. I
was like, oh, I want to go take this class.
And I remember we did this class and there was
like twenty of us in there and it's all visualization
through the elements. And as we were like visualizing like
(29:22):
this fire coming through our body and then connecting to
the water, it was like it was kind of like
a Kundalini awakening. It was like all of a sudden,
I was like whoa, Like I was like touching my body.
I was like, oh my gosh, like I like I
feel my oh and I was like this is incredible
(29:42):
and like I just felt my body. It wasn't just
this thing that like made myself perform, and it was
an athlete. It was like whoa, like I feel and
all of this energy rushing through my body. And I
was like, literally for like seven hours, this is this
is this is BTMI and watch this big clickbait. Here's
(30:04):
the clickbait for everybody who's ready. I went to dinner
with my mom. I stepped out of my brother after
this session and it ha'd been like seven hours. I
was like, I feel like, like not quite a climax yet,
and I was just like I can. I was like,
(30:25):
what is happening? It was like fully, you know, like
melting in the chair. And I remember I took a
picture of the fountains behind me, yeah, and I sent
it to the person who did this session. I was like, Yo,
this is how I'm feeling inside of my body with
the fountains like exploding, you know, and I was like,
what the hell? He's like, Well, just you know, just
(30:47):
realize that you've been so shut off and dissociated to
your body. Just imagine like first person ever on Earth
discovering their body, like you're feeling that right now, Just
that permission to feel pleasure, not from someone else, but
just within my own body. I'm like buzzing right now.
You guys, Okay, here's the best part.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
You're at dinner with your family, So explain how this.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
Goes like this, I'm like, what is happening? Like, guys,
I gotta go home, and they're like looking at me,
like what is going on.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
I'm picturing all the Midwestern moms and dads who are
visiting LA for the first time, and they say, Julia
at dinner, that's such a good story, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Eighteen Yeah, twenty eighteen.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Chef probably thought it was his sushi. But there we go. Now,
there you go, Julianne, We've had such a wide ranging conversation,
I feel like I have to ask you a wide
ranging question to just wrap it all up. So I'm
going to ask you, what crossroads are you at right now?
Speaker 3 (31:50):
What crossroads? You know? I think, how do I explain
this what I was saying about the butterfly of like,
I'm in this new whole feeling, but I'm quite vulnerable.
I get to intentionally create my life because everything that
(32:11):
I had created to that point it all came undone,
and so I kind of have a clean slate and
even wrapping this book up, and like a lot of
projects that I've had kind of surfacing. They've kind of
like finished a cycle. And I'm open right now, and
so I won't really have a plan. I just know
(32:34):
I love what I do. I'm really happy with where
I'm at in my personal life. And I think the
only thing I would say is I probably want to
be a little bit more rooted. I've been going back
and forth between New York and LA and I can
get a little exhausting, and I just want to be
in one place and like create more of a routine.
So that is so basic, but like I mean, I
(32:57):
just crave routine. Yeah, yeah, thank you, Thanks so much
for having me. This is such a fun conversation.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
You're so wonderful. Thanks for coming here and for coming
in person.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Yeah. I love people.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Thank you, doctor Huff, the doctors in the Doctor's out.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
You guys are awesome.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Thank you so fun.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Juliet Huff is the author of Everything We Never Knew,
and she's hosting Season thirty three of Dancing with the Stars,
premiering tomorrow night.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
That's it for today's show. Tomorrow, we have a very
special guest, d One, the only Ev e. The iconic
Grammy Award winning rapper Eve, joins us to talk about
our new memoir, Who's That Girl.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Listen and follow The bright Side on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join the
conversation using hashtag the bright Side and connect with us
on social media at Hello Sunshine on Instagram and at
the bright Side Pod on TikTok, and feel free to
tag us at Simone Boys and at Danielle Robe.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
We'll see you tomorrow. Keep looking on the bright side.
Hello Sunshine, Hey fam Today on the bright Side, we're
joined by dancer, actor, Emmy Award winner, and now author
Julianne Huff. She's out with the brand new book, y'all,
and she is getting real about her healing journey and
the moment she reconnected with her body again. Trust me,
this is a story you have to hear. Plus, the
new season of Dancing with the Stars premieres tomorrow and
(00:26):
Julianne is sharing the secret to success on the show.
It's Monday, September sixteenth. I'm Simone Boyce.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I'm Danielle Robe and this is the bright Side from
Hello Sunshine, a daily show where we come together to
share women's stories, laugh, learn and brighten your day.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
On My Mind Monday is brought to you by missus
Myers Clean Day, inspired by the goodness of the garden.
Simone Happy On my Mind Monday.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
This is always our opportunity to start the week with
something that motivates us, inspires curiosity, or provides a fresh perspective.
So I want to know what's on your mind, girl.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Okay, I can't stop thinking about this experiment that I
came across in this British newspaper or The Sunday Times,
and it's about a group of kids that went on
this month long smartphone detox and the results are wild.
So the writer for the piece, Decca Ekenhead, decided to
ban her sons from their smartphones for four weeks and
(01:24):
then she sent them on an unsupervised camping trip with
their friends who had also been detoxing from technology. And
you know, Danielle, she came up with this idea after
interviewing social psychologists and author of The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Height,
who we've talked about a lot on our show, and
in this book hepe points to the increasing rates of
teenage depressions, self harm, and anxiety, and he says that
(01:47):
smartphones and social media are to blame. He's also always
been this staunch advocate of more free play, independence, and
unsupervised time for kids. So sounds like this writer really
took Height's words to heart.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, definitely. Well, this sounds like a really interesting experiment.
I'm curious to hear more. You said the kids were
unsupervised in the woods. What happened?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Yes, So they're in the woods, no phones, they haven't
had phones for several weeks, and they struggled at the beginning, Danielle,
but one fourteen year old said that he started to
see that whatever's going on on his smartphone doesn't really matter.
He said, quote you'll never say on your deathbed, I
wish I'd spent more time on my phone. And several
kids had similar reactions. They said they felt less tired
(02:30):
after the experiment. They also learned that screen times went
down even after they came home for some of the participants.
And then another fourteen year old said he felt more
focused and efficient and even younger, like he was able
to embrace his inner child again. That's cool.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
So the only comparison I can make to this in
my own life is that I went to overnight camp
every summer when I was growing up and there were
no phones allowed, and it is still to this day
one of the best memories of my life. Like all
of our camp friends feel the exact same way, and
(03:06):
part of it is that you are just so present
with the people there.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
It just seems so much harder to do today than
when I was a kid. You know, we're just so
like kids are so attached to their iPads and stuff.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
It's tough. Yeah, I think it can start small, though,
I think that actually everyone is craving connection without screens.
And so if you're the first to say, Hey, I'm
gonna I'm gonna have my friends over tonight for dinner,
but we're gonna drop our cell phones in a bucket
when we walk in the door, I actually think, even
though it sounds intimidating, I think people would be so
(03:41):
receptive to it. And it's like the kids in this experiment.
They were resistant to it at first, they struggled at first,
but by the end they felt totally transformed by it.
You know, I went on that retreat a few months
ago and there were no cell phones. It was jarring
at first, but the people that I met on that
trip are probably probably the closest friends that I have
(04:02):
right now in my life. And I don't think that
we would have formed such deep lasting bonds if we
had been on our phones the whole time. One last
thing I want to say about this experiment is that
every single team said that they would have hated doing
this experiment alone. Well, yeah, it would be like torture
to be in the woods without any connection to anyone
for you know, an extended period of time. But this
(04:24):
really proves another one of Jonathan Height's points that collective
action instead of just individual family rules, is the most
effective pathway for change. And this is something that I've
thought about, you know, as I look to the future
and how I'm going to handle smartphones in my own home.
I really want to align with like minded parents and
see if we can form some kind of like clan.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, I like this for you, very very cool. How
would you describe your relationship with your phone and social
media now?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
I think I need to build in social media and
smartphone detoxes into my life every three months because I'm
totally addicted to my phone. I find myself trying to
escape from the daily stress of life, and sometimes that
just looks like mindless scrolling when I know deep down
in my heart that is not what I want to
be doing. But it's such an impulse at this point
(05:17):
that it's kind of hard to control. How about you, Danielle.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Well, I find it hard to not be online because
of our job, so it's like important to know what's
going on, what the trends are, what people are talking about.
So I almost feel like I bake it in almost
like an hour a day is like part of my work.
But other than that, I don't feel so connected to
(05:41):
my phone, Like I've always been a person who's happier
not on devices.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I wish I could put my phone away, Like I
don't subscribe to this belief that you have to text
or email everyone back instantly. I think that's how our
society is now. I agree, but I think that that's
too much to an expectation to put on people. Like
I feel like I'm partly attached to my phone because
of the expectation that other people have from me to
(06:08):
respond quickly. Glennon Doyle talks about this all the time. Really, okay,
what does she say about it. I haven't heard her
talk about it.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
She just made this hard and fast rule or boundary
for herself because she was like, I can't be beholden
to my text messages. I actually heard Ashton Kutcher say
one time that your email is somebody else's to do
list for you, which really resonated with me. It's true.
Everybody emailing you really is asking for stuff, and when
you're emailing, you're asking for stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
This is a topic that we don't really talk about publicly,
Like I don't really even talk about this with my friends, Danielle.
So it's interesting that we're talking about this and what
I've learned today from this experiment and just from our
conversation is there's a different way to do things, like
we get to choose our own journey with this stuff,
and we can make our own rules.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
I love how you put that, making your own rules.
I agree. And that brings me to our guest today
because she has an inspiring story of her own, one
of making her own rules and owning her healing journey.
Julianne Huff is a dancer, actor, singer, entrepreneur, and now
she's adding author to her resume with her new book
(07:21):
titled Everything We Never Knew. It's what she calls a
factional book, but she's inventing this genre. It's a fictional
story based on her real life experiences.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Yeah, we're going to ask her all about that and
the new season of Dancing with the Stars. This will
be the thirty third season of the competition show and
Julienne made her debut on season four in two thousand
and seven when she was just eighteen. Gosh, I feel
old now. I remember that like it was yesterday. Can't
wait to chat with Julienne, and she's joining us right
after the break.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Thanks to our partners at missus Myers, you can learn
a lot about a person by their dish soap. Missus
Meyers's collection of household products are inspired by the garden
and pack up punch against dirt and grime. Visit missus
Meyers dot com.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
We'll be right back, y'all. Julianne Huff, Welcome to the
bright Side.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Thank you very much. I love the bright side.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
You say everything with a smile. You are the.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Bright side, you know. Actually, somebody said that to me
the other day. They're like, even when you're talking about
like heavy things, you still say it with a smile.
And I was like, I do. And then I looked back.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I was like, oh, I do, I do the same thing.
I think it's maybe like a trauma respond. Yeah, I
smile the whole time to get through it.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Hey, I'd rather be smiling, right, Yeah, I don't know,
I think so.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Julianne, this is a big year for you. You're releasing
your book Everything We Never Knew. I can't wait to
get into this book a bit more with you. In
addition to the release of your novel, what Are You
celebrating in your life right now?
Speaker 3 (09:00):
My goodness, that's a really good question. I think I'm
celebrating the fact that I feel really I know this
sounds so broad, but I feel really whole. I feel like,
you know, the last few years, I've really unraveled a lot,
which is part of what this book is about. And
I really feel so content, which is a word that
used to scare the crap out of me. Yeah, and
(09:22):
I love that word now and I feel so content
and happy and very like consistent and stable in my life.
And I could not have said that a few years ago.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
That's huge.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Yeah, it feels really good.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
What do you think was the key to unlocking that contentment?
Because that's it's so much easier said than done.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
It is. And by the way, I am a high
achiever and I'm very ambitious, so those two things with
content usually is not a formula.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I feel like I'm looking in a mirror right now.
I feel personally attacked.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Right yes, But I think, honestly, it was a lot
of healing and like a lot of just like owning,
because I think when you own and accept your wounds
and all that kind of stuff that gives you so
much power, whereas if you avoid it and move away
from it, then you're just on survival mode and just going, going, going,
And then you're like, wait, it's been fifteen years and
(10:17):
I missed my whole life, you know. So I think
like finding that content and just reframing what that means
is like, oh no, I'm really content and happy with
my life and I get to do all.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
These things such a flex.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Well, we started this interview off with celebration, so I
want to talk about another celebration, which is the premiere
of the new season of Dancing with the Stars. So
you're back as co host along with Alfonso Robera. You
were a dancer obviously, nana judge, now a co host.
I think you have probably the most unique perspective on
(10:50):
this whole competition.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
The show has been a visual representation of my journey too,
because it's like you're on that show and you're just
trying to survive and be the best and win, win, win,
you know, and then you're an expert on the show
as a judge, and you're like, but it's still a performance,
you know, like, are you kidding me? You're still like engaged, right,
and it's still what you have to say. As a host,
(11:14):
it's like, how can I hold the space for all
of these people to shine? And like I'll talk to
them beforehand and watch the rehearsals on Monday, and I'll
see things because I'm like, ooh, when you're dancing, Like
they're really struggling with this moment, and I can see
why because I've been the dancer. And then as a judge,
(11:35):
I'm like, ooh, they're probably gonna pick up on this.
So I'll talk to them and be like, hey, what's
going on with the dance, Like how are you feeling?
What was your week? Like I'll talk to them before
and I'll kind of get an understanding, and then I'll
be like, what do you want to say in the
skybox with me? Because this is your thirty seconds to
share your heart, like sell yourself so people vote for you,
(11:57):
like what do you want to say?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Right?
Speaker 3 (11:59):
And so so that for me is like I hope
that they trust that I'm on your side and this
is about you. And so that's the journey for me
for the show has been like it's been myself and
then it's been like, you know, I need to be
an expert and have great things to say, and this
one yeah, and then this time it's like, how can
(12:21):
I pull the space enough so that people feel safe
enough to be themselves? And like I always say, Dancing
the Stars is Yes, it's a dance competition show, but
it's a transformation show. And like the reason why it's
been on the air I think for so many years
is because people see themselves in these contestants, that they
are watching them grow. And so the more authentic people
can be on that show and share all of their
(12:44):
ups and downs and in betweens, that's what people root for.
And that's just a big metaphor for life. Ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
They're so lucky to have you as a host, because
I don't think every host is as invested as you are.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
So too, I need to give him credit. We talked
about it a lot before last season, and we're like,
this show is not about us, This show is about
the show. This show is special, and like we want
to give it the life that it deserves to have
and so it can continue on. I was just at
their house last night for dinner, and like, we're so
(13:17):
in love with each other in the obviously most platonic way.
We just care and like I think because we've gone
through so many things and dancing has meant so much
to us and it's given us such an amazing like life.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Literally, I literally gave him a whole other career completely. Yeah,
And that's the thing.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
It's like that show has been really special for so
many people, and I'm so grateful to be a part
of the show.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
You have always had just the factor, whatever that is.
And so I'm wondering, as you're hosting or even judging,
are you able to tell who's going to win, because
it's really like who has that intangible thing.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Yeah, I mean you can definitely feel it. I mean
we all can hand you know, like you can just
feel it, you can see it. It's about the journey.
Though sometimes the best dancer doesn't win because they're not captivating.
I remember I was told this as a young girl competing.
It's like the person that is the full package that
like is dedicated to it, works really hard, has the
(14:17):
gratitude and the appreciation for it, you know, and like
also like a little fiery sassiness to him too, you know,
like it's about the wholeness of it all.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
I'm excited to see my guy, Steven Nedoshek a horse guy. Honestly,
he's competing.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
He is.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Yeah, and by the way, like what a babe, like
just like the sweetest human on the planet. Like already
people are like, Okay, I know who I'm voting for.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
He's going in with like a few extra points already.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Yeah, for sure, I'm excited to see what happens.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Well, I heard you say in another interview that you
thought your energy was your superpower and then you realize
it was your anxiety. What do you feel like is
your su power now?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I think by superpower and I don't know if it's
just mine or I think it's within everybody, but I
think it's being a reflection in a mirror for others
to see themselves. I think like sometimes yeah, when you
just are you, and you feel like you've been able
(15:22):
to delayer all the like protective mechanisms and you can
just be and like people can then feel themselves and
like what's possible for them? And so recently, I mean
recently and not recently. When I was like twelve, people
would come up to me and I would never give
them advice, but they would always ask for it. But
(15:42):
somehow I would just keep conversations going and then they
would come up with the answer. And so, like, I
think that's kind of my superpower is I can kind
of just be a presence for people to also like
trust their own intuition.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, I don't know how to explain it fully, but
I've experience that through my life where I see it
with my family and my friends. They call me doctor Huff.
I got doctor huffed. But they'll come in and then
I just won't really say anything. They'll just talk and
then they'll figure it out.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
You know, really are like a therapist. Then, Yeah, that's
exactly right, because that's what the best therapists do. They
don't they create a container. And I think a lot
of times we have this impulse to try to fix
and solve, you know, and that's not exactly what people
want to hear in that moment.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Yeah, or what they need to do. And I think
I'll also I'm pretty good at being very open and
sharing after I figured it out. I'm not as good
at like being vulnerable in the moment. I'm working on that,
but sometimes I'll share my experiences and then people will
be able to feel the universal theme that's thread through it.
And so that's why with the book, I wanted to
(16:48):
go fiction because I was like, I want people to
see themselves in this book. I don't want them to
read my story and just see my story.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Well, when you were talking about wanting to be a
mirror that people could see themselves in, it made me
think of this quote that's been circulating recently and I
don't know who it's attributed to, but we become the
person that we needed the most when we were children. Yeah,
and it kind of feels like you're doing this, actually
doing it through this book.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
I actually I wrote my dedication to my younger self
because I was like, you did what you needed to
do to survive and go girl basically. Yeah, And also like,
you know, I'm going to get real woo woo here
time and space doesn't exist and we go through healing.
So I am showing up for my younger self right now.
And because I am creating safety for her, it is
(17:35):
becoming a ripple effect energetically in my life. And that's
why I feel so safe now.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
There is the power and nobility in that right that
feels very good. But there's also the element of that
that feels very raw and vulnerable and exposed. And I
know that recently, as a part of this press story,
you've shared a lot of really very personal events that
have happened to you. And how are you feeling on
(18:02):
the other side of that, because that is like, that's
a big turning point to be really open about it.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
It is, and you know, I've been talking to my
mom and my friends and people about it, my therapist,
and I was like, headlines are going to pick up
whatever they're going to pick up, and I have to
remember that and remember the people that are actually listening
to the full interview or the context, they're going to
receive it, how they're going to receive it. But it
is quite vulnerable because I didn't share the abuse because
(18:30):
I was like, this is what happened. I'm ready to
express myself of this is what happened to me. I
was sharing it based off of Because of what happened
and how it was taken care of, there was a
lot of pivoting versus dealing, and so that created a
pattern within me to pivot and not deal. And so
(18:53):
as I'm going through my healing journey, I am learning
how to move through things instead of pivot, and by
sharing it, it was obviously like for anybody who needed
to hear that to feel seen. Obviously that is an
amazing intention to have, but it was really to show
that we are a product of what happens to us,
(19:16):
and we create belief systems and conditions to protect us
which actually get us further away from who we are.
And it's not to blame anybody. It's really to show
the growth of the journey. And so as that happened,
I'm so glad I got to share that and have
these conversations which I've had multiple times with my family,
(19:38):
and every time you have there there's a new opening
and a new layer discovered. But I will say I'm
in my most vulnerable state. As I said, I feel
very whole. I was talking to Jamie kern Lima about
this and she was talking about the butterfly and when
you go into the cocoon and you literally liquefy into
absolute nothing. That was my death whole pit of shit era.
(20:00):
I never quite heard it described that.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
I like it.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
It's a clinical term. I'm going to trademark that that's
book too, But yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
I see future under that name. I mean too.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
No, I'm serious, that's book too. But but you know,
like the butterfly is the most vulnerable when they first
you know, come out, when their whole, when they're beautiful,
when they've gone through the transformation, but their wings are
still wet, they don't know if they have the ability.
So through all this transformation, I feel like I've got
to that place. But I do feel very raw and
(20:37):
exposed and vulnerable, but in a good way, like finally
my heart's open. I'm not protecting it in a way.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
But congratulations.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Yeah, I mean trust me, I'm like weaving. I'm like, okay,
keep it open, keep it on, you know. But but yeah,
it's it's exciting and different.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
I imagine you've also used work as a way to
kind of protect yourself.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Absolutely, And you know, distractions are distractions, whether they're healthy
or unhealthy. And fortunately I've had healthy distractions, but they've
also just been distractions too, So you know, finding that
time and space to actually just be still is something
that I hadn't really work for.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
We mentioned your book, yes, but I want to officially
yeah about the thing we never knew. Like you mentioned,
it's fiction, but it's based on storylines from your life.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
So I've heard you call it factional.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Yeah, we love that totally. Yeah, Lexi, our main character,
she has these supernatural experiences that start happening where her
senses are activated, and you know, she starts seeing things
and tasting things and hearing things. And as that's starting
to happen, she's like, what is happening to me? And
if you look at it, like, you know, life is
(21:53):
like this. You you live in this box where everything's good,
everything's perfect, and then you start expanding. You're like, whoa,
this is amazing and all the light and all this
magic is starting to happen. And then all of a
sudden you're like, wait, it has to expand this way too.
So you know, that's what happened to me. It was
like this activation that like opened up for me. And
so I was like, I want to tell this story,
(22:14):
but I want to heighten the experiences so people can
have more permission to dive into a world that might
feel a little intimidating with self discovery and healing, and
heighten those senses so that people can really, like I
don't know, just relax into.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
It, yeah and get lost in the story.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
So I'm so curious where does Julian end and your
main character Alexis begin.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
I mean, I called my mom the other day because
she was like, man, this mom is really you. You
wrote me really mean. I was like, Mom, this mom
is not you, This mom is not you.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
This is why I didn't make it a memoir exactly.
Now I know the real reason. It's smart.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
I know. I was like, it's a combination of this person.
This person's a very So I will say that for
anybody who's followed my personal life, which I definitely put
on display for you know, many years, will be able
to see a through line, but there's definite things that
are not in there. I pulled real estate as her
job because my sister's a real estate agent, and I
(23:16):
can see parallels of that. A type personality. I'm a
type personality, but in a completely different industry. I made
Shane Lexi's husband a structural engineer because that is very
grounded and rooted in like analytics, and like my ex
husband was very analytical and grounded, which was like a
beautiful foundation for me to be up here. So there's
(23:39):
little themes like that. Obviously, I don't want to give
too much of the book away but Lexi. It says
it in like the first page, Lexi has a miscarriage.
And I didn't personally experience something like that, similar but
not like that. But I did lose my dogs and
that feeling of loss and grief was something I've never
(24:01):
experienced before. So there's like little pieces, but it's not
direct from my life.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I have another podcast that I do and it's very booky. Yeah,
and the first person I ever interviewed it was for
a book it was called The Likability Trap, and she said,
I'm so glad this book found you, because I think
books always find people when they need them most. And
so my question for you is whose hands are you
(24:29):
hoping this book gets into, well.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
First of all, full chills, because that's the whole point
of this book is like for this to find whoever
is going to resonate with it. And I mean my sister,
I think, was the first person that read it. And
she looked at me and she's like, did you write
this about me? And I was like, yes, I did.
(24:55):
I was like no, but I'm so glad that you
feel that way. And I've been getting the same, you know,
messages and dms from people being like WHOA, I feel
so like this is what I'm going through right now.
Even though it's not like my personal experiences, I feel
seen in this. So it's that whoever it does fall
in the hands to is what it should be. In
(25:17):
the past, I've always like wanted my music or Beyondiancing
the Star is to like represent how hard I worked,
and like this book for some reason, like I'm cool
if it gets on a best seller's list, which it did,
that's awesome, you know, But I only want that best
seller's list so that more eyes can see it, so
that more people can experience it and read it and
(25:38):
feel connected to it.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
So I think that's how you know you're on your
soul path.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Yeah, well, just see what happens. But I feel like
it has a long life and whether it hits now
or later or somebody can read this twenty years from
now and it will still resonate, Like that's really cool.
That's really cool.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Cool. That's the coolest thing about books is the outlive Yeah, eternal. Yeah,
we have to take another short break, but we'll be
right back with more from Julienne Huff.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Stick with us. We're back with Julianne huff.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
As a dancer, you're so connected to your body, and
I've heard you talk about the obsession with it. Even
you said you're a creative, but you're also an athlete.
Dancers are athletes, and so you're sitting in front of
the mirror and like picking your body apart, and it
becomes this obsession. I feel like, through the ether of
(26:37):
following your career, I've felt pieces of your healing journey
with your body, but I actually don't know the story.
Where are you with it now?
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Oh my gosh, I've never felt better. It's interesting. Even
though I was a dancer, I actually wasn't as connected
to my body as I thought I was until I
started going in and like doing the work and realizing, wow,
I dissociated from my body a lot because my body
was the thing that just went and like I was
(27:07):
burning my adrenals like it was a lot. And so
when I actually started paying attention to my body, I
had to rest and like the inflammation that came up
and like all sorts of things, and that was hard
because I was like whoa super inflamed. And then and
then I started getting more consistent and like I did
(27:29):
Carnivore for like three months.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
So you were like pounding beef flivver and tallow and
you're kind of diet rotein that's even more dream.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
I'm pretty stream. I was doing like just beef and
butter and like I did that for a couple of months.
I hadn't I know, right, So I just I needed
that also for my mental clarity because I was I
was protein deficient all sorts of things. I had a
marker for an autoimmune and I was just like, hang on,
I'm anything that I do I'd like really commit to.
(27:59):
So I was like, I'm just going to do this
for a couple of months. Yeah, and then I'll ease
back in. And after I did that, like my life
force energy came back because I realized my brain fog
and my clarity and my mood was just like all
over the place. Yeah, the help me.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Thoughts really help with that. Okay, now I'm actually really curious.
I might need to get on this front of our
right well offline about it. I don't know what you're done.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Yeah, And by the way, like I that's basically my
diet now I just add other things to it.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
But yeah, do you remember the moment when the disassociation
ended and you felt like reconnected to your body again.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
I don't know if there was like actually I lie,
I totally remember when it was wow wow, Okay, so
we love it on lot, Yes, I love it. It
was it was all during this time. So it was
like early twenty eighteen. I started going and taking Tai
Chi and Chi goong, and like, I knew the body
was going to be my form of expression. So as
(28:59):
I was going through this, I met this person who
was doing he called them fire sessions, and I'm so
connected to the elements that just like hit me. I
was like, oh, I want to go take this class.
And I remember we did this class and there was
like twenty of us in there and it's all visualization
through the elements. And as we were like visualizing like
(29:22):
this fire coming through our body and then connecting to
the water, it was like it was kind of like
a Kundalini awakening. It was like all of a sudden,
I was like whoa, Like I was like touching my body.
I was like, oh my gosh, like I like I
feel my oh and I was like this is incredible
(29:42):
and like I just felt my body. It wasn't just
this thing that like made myself perform, and it was
an athlete. It was like whoa, like I feel and
all of this energy rushing through my body. And I
was like, literally for like seven hours, this is this
is this is BTMI and watch this big clickbait. Here's
(30:04):
the clickbait for everybody who's ready. I went to dinner
with my mom. I stepped out of my brother after
this session and it ha'd been like seven hours. I
was like, I feel like, like not quite a climax yet,
and I was just like I can. I was like,
(30:25):
what is happening? It was like fully, you know, like
melting in the chair. And I remember I took a
picture of the fountains behind me, yeah, and I sent
it to the person who did this session. I was like, Yo,
this is how I'm feeling inside of my body with
the fountains like exploding, you know, and I was like,
what the hell? He's like, Well, just you know, just
(30:47):
realize that you've been so shut off and dissociated to
your body. Just imagine like first person ever on Earth
discovering their body, like you're feeling that right now, Just
that permission to feel pleasure, not from someone else, but
just within my own body. I'm like buzzing right now.
You guys, Okay, here's the best part.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
You're at dinner with your family, So explain how this.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
Goes like this, I'm like, what is happening? Like, guys,
I gotta go home, and they're like looking at me,
like what is going on.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
I'm picturing all the Midwestern moms and dads who are
visiting LA for the first time, and they say, Julia
at dinner, that's such a good story, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Eighteen Yeah, twenty eighteen.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Chef probably thought it was his sushi. But there we go. Now,
there you go, Julianne, We've had such a wide ranging conversation,
I feel like I have to ask you a wide
ranging question to just wrap it all up. So I'm
going to ask you, what crossroads are you at right now?
Speaker 3 (31:50):
What crossroads? You know? I think, how do I explain
this what I was saying about the butterfly of like,
I'm in this new whole feeling, but I'm quite vulnerable.
I get to intentionally create my life because everything that
(32:11):
I had created to that point it all came undone,
and so I kind of have a clean slate and
even wrapping this book up, and like a lot of
projects that I've had kind of surfacing. They've kind of
like finished a cycle. And I'm open right now, and
so I won't really have a plan. I just know
(32:34):
I love what I do. I'm really happy with where
I'm at in my personal life. And I think the
only thing I would say is I probably want to
be a little bit more rooted. I've been going back
and forth between New York and LA and I can
get a little exhausting, and I just want to be
in one place and like create more of a routine.
So that is so basic, but like I mean, I
(32:57):
just crave routine. Yeah, yeah, thank you, Thanks so much
for having me. This is such a fun conversation.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
You're so wonderful. Thanks for coming here and for coming
in person.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Yeah. I love people.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Thank you, doctor Huff, the doctors in the Doctor's out.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
You guys are awesome.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Thank you so fun.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Juliet Huff is the author of Everything We Never Knew,
and she's hosting Season thirty three of Dancing with the Stars,
premiering tomorrow night.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
That's it for today's show. Tomorrow, we have a very
special guest, d One, the only Ev e. The iconic
Grammy Award winning rapper Eve, joins us to talk about
our new memoir, Who's That Girl.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Listen and follow The bright Side on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join the
conversation using hashtag the bright Side and connect with us
on social media at Hello Sunshine on Instagram and at
the bright Side Pod on TikTok, and feel free to
tag us at Simone Boys and at Danielle Robe.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
We'll see you tomorrow. Keep looking on the bright side.
Hosts And Creators
Simone Boyce
Danielle Robay
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