What Do Happy People From Each U.S. State Have in Common? | Michelle Wax, The American Happiness Project

In this episode we spoke with Michelle Wax, Founder of the American Happiness Project. In 2019, entrepreneur Michelle Wax left Boston and crossed the country in her Jeep, visiting all 50 states and talking to more than 500 people in the (literal) pursuit of happiness. She chronicled her journey in American Happiness, an independent documentary film.

We talked with Michelle about what she learned from her interviews with people from across the U.S. Michelle shared some of the things that surprised her as well as common themes that emerged from talking with a diverse array of "Happy People."

Michelle also shared some best practices and habits on how to rewire our brains from the negativity bias we're born with to being able to notice and appreciate the positive aspects of our day to day lives.

Michelle Wax is the founder of American Happiness Project, a movement across 50 states focused on creating more joy, energy, and connection in the everyday. Wax works with top companies, organizations, and schools across the USA to help teams move beyond burnout, create more calm and focus, and build positive mindsets through workshops + accountability programs. In 2019, she produced the 50 state American Happiness documentary, and leads the American Happiness CONNECTION community. Prior to founding American Happiness Project — Wax founded two companies in the food industry, which she sold in 2019. She has been praised to be "incredibly knowledgeable, relate-able, and approachable" and she "brings great energy that very few are able to bring to the online world".