Motivational Author Lands Book Deal and Radio Show

“I believe that you get what you focus on,” says Portlander Jenny Gallagher, life coach, yoga teacher and author. For those of us obsessed with our lame jobs or unsatisfying relationships, that’s not a happy thought. But Gallagher believes that by changing focus, you get immediate results.

Gallagher self-published her first book, Four Steps to a Better Life, in 2007. But her upcoming book will be put out by Price World Publishing. Yen Path will draw from Gallagher’s experience as a life coach and yoga teacher, and her research in quantum mechanics. In yoga texts, she says the mind is likened to an untrained horse. When trained, it can become your best friend. Is it easy to retrain the mind? “It’s like learning to play an instrument or a sport,” Gallagher says. “Practice, practice, practice.” Her new book will offer many exercises for self discovery.

Since the book is not due out until next summer, Gallagher is offering a free 52-week challenge for people who want to improve their lives. They can sign up on the Yen Path website to receive weekly motivational emails.

Gallagher is busy with her husband, two cats and two Chihuahuas, but she recently added radio host to her list of titles. The Jenny Gallagher Show: Your Wellness Coach is broadcast on WKSC, a station in South Carolina, and on the Internet. Hosting a live show is a new challenge, but she is enthusiastic about the opportunity to interview health and wellness experts.

While she diplomatically says that whichever guest she’s talking to is her favorite, some are especially entertaining. “I’d say the one guy that had me laughing the most — and joy’s a big part of all of this stuff for me — was Cornel Chin.” Personal trainer to such stars as Leonardo di Caprio, Chin wrote Celebrity Bodies on a Budget. Gallagher enjoys radio so much that she’s currently helping the station owner expand programming into a full health channel. The plan is to have it up and running by September.

Gallagher is a big proponent of life coaching. “If you’re looking to bring about positive change,” she says, “look into coaching.” She wrote her first book, Four Steps to a Better Life, because coaching is too expensive for many people to afford. Four Steps is packed with coaching tools and costs $9.95 through her website. But if that’s still too much, Gallagher urges people to listen to her radio show Tuesday through Thursday. “Free advice,” she says. “Information and motivation.” The important thing is to change bad mental habits that lead to constant cycles of suffering. “Don’t put it off,” says coach Gallagher. “Get started now.”

Click here to listen to an interview with Jenny Gallagher.