Hi <<First Name>>,

I recently interviewed Fredrik Eklund, power broker and co-star of Bravo's Million Dollar Listing New York, for the Observer in advance of the release of the paperback version of Fredrik's book and the fifth season of the reality show (see the Observer story here). We covered his first real estate deal, stopping his nail-biting habit and which MDLNY co-star he likes better. We also talked about his meditation practice, but there wasn't enough room in the paper to include all of the questions. So, I shared that part of the interview (with Fredrik's permission) on my blog. Here's the beginning of the post.

You quit drinking Diet Coke. How did you do that?
I actually did have one. We were in Turks and Caicos two weekends ago. It was Saturday and I was by the swimming pool at the Aman Resort, if you've ever been there, it's heaven. I actually had a glass and the ice was crackling and the sun was shining.

That sounds like it was a special occasion. How much were you drinking at your high point?
I was like one can a day. It wasn't really anything crazy. [The ceasing of drinking] Diet Coke started when I started meditating, which I'm still trying to be better at. If you're in a meditative, healthy mindset, I would say, you're not drawn to soda.

You're a Vedic meditator, as am I.
I'm a beginner, I guess you could say, and I am realizing how much I have in front of me. At the same time, I feel like it's incredible what it can do to us if we just keep on doing it.

When did you learn to meditate?
In October 2014. [Théo Burkhard] came here to New York and we did one hour every night together, in our apartment, me, [husband] Derek [Kaplan] and Théo, for like four or five nights in a row. So then, Christmas that year, we were in Hawaii for holiday and there I had a breakthrough. Because there, by myself, you know you're in Hawaii and it's green paradise, I did meditate a lot. Like, a lot.

To continue reading the interview with Fredrik, click here.

You are a certified professional coach. How did that develop?

I derive a lot of meaning in my life as a mentor and I wanted to find a way to bridge my love of interviewing with my passion for helping others. Journalism is all about asking the right questions to get the richest story possible. As a coach, I do the same thing to help clients uncover the stories of their lives so they have the power to write new ones.

What kind of coach are you?

I am a life and career coach, specializing in life purpose, with Connect the Dots Coaching. Essentially I help people find fulfilling careers and jobs. So I often work with professionals who are tired of their boring and mundane jobs/careers and want meaningful and purpose-led careers. In addition, I coach entrepreneurs who are striving to live more while enjoying doing their dream job.