Biography: Reese Leyva

Reese Leyva is an accountant, writer, and Polynesian dancer whose greatest goal in life is simply to be the creator of her own happiness. She started out as a drag-racing, trouble-making, fist-fighting teenaged girl working in accounting until one night in jail, just after her eighteenth birthday, left her with a choice between her two distinct and diverging lives. Fortunately, she left behind the life of violence and vehemence for a life of small business sanity. Unfortunately, she became a convicted felon in the process. Many years and a fully-fledged accounting career later, she went out on her own to start an accounting firm to support her fellow entrepreneurs. Next came a film and theatre production company where she wrote and co-wrote several short films, and wrote and produced live theatre - her favorite of which was entitled Inconceivable: The Journey of Two Sperm from Ejaculation to Conception. It was a light-hearted, romantic, Shakespearean farce. She also spent time working as an actress, writing poetry, and performing at spoken word events. When her love of Hawaiian hula turned professional, she started a booking and production company for her troupe of Polynesian dancers, belly dancers, fire performers and musicians. For most of her adult life she's made a living doing only what she loves, and she loves sharing those experiences with others. Reese holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, works as an accountant for a local Tibetan Buddhist monastery, and volunteers as a mentor for first-time entrepreneurs. She serves on the Board of GoInspireGo.com, a website using social media to affect social change, and she's the co-founder and CFO of EarthHalfFull.com, a marketplace of mindful living. Most recently, she founded the Shine Your Light Speaking Circles & Classes, a path to conscious communication and heart-centered connection for public speakers, presenters, or anyone who wants to communicate more effectively and resonate with others more deeply. Her most notable achievements include serving on the planning committee for His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s teaching on October 12, 2010, finally getting her felony expunged (all too many years later), and making a living in a grass skirt and coconut bra. To contact Reese, visit www.reeseleyva.com