Space To Exhale

Feeling like you just need a minute? A moment to rest, to breathe, to be?

Space to Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life is your invitation to pause. To release the grind. To reclaim your peace.

Written by Anthem Award-winning activist and Reiki Master Lisa Hurley, Space to Exhale is for:

💚 Anyone exhausted by hustle culture — this book offers gentle guidance for embracing rest.
💚 Anyone craving quiet and reflection — you’ll find meditations, breathwork, affirmations, and soulful tools to center yourself.
💚 Black women who are tired of doing it all — here, you are seen, supported, and validated.
💚 Black women ready to retire the “Strong Black Woman” trope — this is your soft era.
💚 Anyone dealing with post-election fatigue or burnout — this is your reminder to choose you.

Space to Exhale is about creating ease—bit by bit, step by step, breath by breath.

If you’re ready to live a softer life , this book is your blueprint.

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and all major booksellers
Learn more at spacetoexhalebook.com

Author

Space To Exhale: The Podcast

Host & Executive Producer

The Great Exhale

The Great Exhale is an award-winning private membership community where Black women can relax, lay their burdens down…and exhale. It is a virtual space that prioritizes mental wellness, soft living, and psychological safety. 

If you’re a Black woman who is ready to take your cape off, take a breath, and rest, The Great Exhale is for you. Join the sisterhood today. www.thegreatexhale.com

The Great Exhale is also a strategic partner to companies who are ready to improve their hiring and retention as relates to Black women. If you’re a company that is ready to:

✅ Increase employee engagement
✅ Enhance the onboarding experience
✅ Reduce attrition and turnover
✅ Promote workplace wellness
✅ Diversify your talent pipeline

then let’s talk. Email us at hello@thegreatexhale.com, or learn more at www.itsthegreatexhale.com

Founder & CEO

Wiley

Space To Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life.  

Say no to hustle culture, and yes to a life of ease. Lisa Hurley, Anthem Award-winning activist and Founder of The Great Exhale, provides you with an inspiring and practical guide to help you beat burnout, embrace rest, and live a soft, fulfilling life.

Part memoir, part manifesto, part meditation manual, Space To Exhale is a self-help handbook that empowers you to remove your superhero cape, put your mask on first, and create lasting life-work balance. 

Lisa draws on her experience as a Reiki Master, community builder, and burnout survivor, sharing anecdotes about her trials and triumphs, as well as the tools that have helped her transform. 

Through healing modalities like affirmations, meditations, and breathwork, as well as her powerful Exhalation Point™ framework, Lisa guides you on a life-changing journey to help you:
 
 
* Know Yourself: Remember who you are, align with your values, and celebrate your strengths.

* Love Yourself: Practice positive self-talk, select your close circle, and prioritize rest.

* Be Yourself: Show up authentically, protect your energy, and live a soft, centered, serene life.

This valuable resource, filled with soft-life strategies and written with Lisa's warmth, wit, and well-earned wisdom, invites you to curate a life filled with joy, peace, and glimmers of delight. 

By sharing her belief that "Rest Is The New Success," she encourages us all to get off the treadmill of constant busyness: avoiding overdrive, and instead welcoming underdrive.

Space To Exhale is a balm for the spirit. It is "woosah" in the form of a book. It earns a well-deserved spot on the bookshelves of anyone seeking to take a breath, redefine success, and curate a life filled with love, alignment, and peace—so you can move from merely surviving to vibrantly thriving.


Out now! Get your copy: https://www.spacetoexhalebook.com/

Lisa Hurley Official 

Founder

For The Culture And The Coins®

Yuvoice

Yuvoice is the online townsquare for superheroes. We are a pro-democracy, community engagement platform and an alternative to toxic social media. We gamify doing good and doing well.

We educate, inspire, and reward superheroes for creating international micro and macro movements. Using a secret, AI-powered algorithm and strong online community building, we aim to hit 1 billion users in a decade.

Our full platform launches publicly in 2025, invite only. You can sign up to follow along and to read honest, on-the-ground stories from our global editorial team.

Advisory Board Member

The Anthem Awards

Presented by IADAS and founded by The Webby Awards in partnership with GLAAD, NAACP, Feeding America, NRDC, WWF and Born This Way Foundation, the Anthem Awards honors the organizations, brands and people creating a world where purpose & mission-driven work becomes the status quo for all business across society.

Juror 

The Book Academy

Led by New York Times bestselling author Luvvie Ajayi Jones, The Book Academy is a comprehensive course designed to guide students from the initial idea to the final reality of a published book. Luvvie's journey as an author has been both remarkable and inspiring, with four New York Times bestsellers to her name in just eight years. Her books have not only changed her life but have touched the lives of countless readers, empowering her to retire her mother, achieve financial success, and gain access to new opportunities.

Founding Member

International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences

With a network of 2000+ intellectually diverse members, IADAS is an international organization that was founded in 1998 to help drive the creative, technical & professional progress of the Internet. 

Presented by the Academy, The Webby Awards, The Lovie Awards and The Anthem Awards recognizes excellence in digital creativity, European Internet, and purpose-driven work respectively, establishing best practices on a yearly basis, and thus pushing the standards of the work continually higher.

Executive Member

Founder, The Great Exhale™ | Award-Winning Activist | Entrepreneur & Speaker | Top 10 LinkedIn Creator in Inclusion & Diversity | Judge, The Anthem Awards | Forbes Featured | #ActuallyAutistic | INFJ | 🇧🇧🇯🇲🇹🇹🇺🇸

Lisa Hurley is a three-time Anthem Award-winning activist, second-generation Reiki Master, author, podcaster, and rest advocate. Her work centers Black women, and converges at the nexus of self care, community care, joy, and rest. Through her writing, speaking, and community-building, Lisa champions soft living for Black women. 

Hurley is the author of Space To Exhale, a transformational book created to help people beat burnout, embrace rest, and curate a soft life. Part memoir, part manifesto, part meditation guide, Space To Exhale is a self-help book that inspires readers to practice the pause and take time to exhale.

As a champion of rest for Black women, Lisa is the founder of The Great Exhale, a global virtual community dedicated to sisterhood, serenity, and soft living. TGE offers curated rituals, inspiring affirmations, and healing conversations for those ready to say no to hustle culture and yes to a life of ease. It is a healing hub where Black women can relax, lay their burdens down—and exhale.

An Executive Member IADAS, Lisa is also a board member of Yuvoice, and a Juror for the Anthem Awards. A respected figure, she has been honored as one of the Top 20 Entrepreneurs to follow on LinkedIn, voted as one of LinkedIn’s Top 50 Black Creators, and recognized as one of the Top 10 Anti-Discrimination Activists in the world. In addition, Lisa has been honored by Hush Loudly as an Introvert to Watch, and as one of pocstock's Future of Black America Top 50 Leaders. As a result of her activism, her thought leadership has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Adweek, and more. 

With a passion for speaking out that belies her natural introversion, Lisa is a prolific podcaster. In addition to being the Host and Executive producer of Space To Exhale: The Podcast, a five star-rated show that focuses on self care for Black women, she is also the Co-Founder & Co-Host of The Introvert Sisters Podcast, and a former Co-Host of The Tea on Tap podcast. 

With a strong belief in good vibes, Lisa is known for her inspiring affirmations on TikTok. In her free time, she enjoys bonding with her family, reading a good book, and expressing her creativity through fashion.

Of Caribbean heritage (Barbados, Trinidad, and Jamaica), Lisa is a world traveler with an understandable preference for warmer climes. Her love languages are sunshine, laughter, and naps.

Ready to exhale?
📚 Learn more, and order Space To Exhale: www.spacetoexhalebook.com
🎙️ Listen to Space To Exhale: The Podcast: bit.ly/STEPodcastOnSpotify
🔗 Stay connected: https://linktr.ee/lisahurley

Lisa Hurley

It’s the season finale of Space To Exhale: The Podcast!! 🎉🎉 Tomorrow, on Tuesday  November 25, I’ll be joined by my good sis (and my actual sis!) Sharon Hurley Hall (she/her) for the 30th and final episode of Season 1. 

For this very special show Sharon and I will share a rich and restorative conversation about gratitude as a tool for elevation. 🙏🏾🙏🏾 This Thanksgiving week, we invite you into a reflective space to pause, soften, and rediscover gratitude as a transformative force.
 
As second-generation Reiki Masters, we bring a spiritual lens to this dialogue, connecting gratitude with energy, embodiment, and ease. In this episode, you will get insights on:

🙏🏾 The link between gratitude and grace
🙏🏾 Staying centered during challenging times
🙏🏾 Making appreciation part of your daily rhythm
🙏🏾 Mindfulness and meditation tools to help you exhale
🙏🏾 How Black women can reclaim softness as a form of care

This 30th episode marks a powerful close to the first season. Join us, breathe deeply, and allow yourself to receive the gift of gratitude. 

Join us TOMORROW on Tuesday, November 25 at 12 PM ET. Click here to tap in 👉🏾 https://lnkd.in/eYq-cJKB

Click “Attend,” and we'll see you then! This is your time to exhale.

P.S. Remember to add the event to your calendar so you don’t miss the show!
P.P.S. Invite or tag someone who you know would enjoy this convo. 

#SpaceToExhale #Thanksgiving #HappyThanksgiving #Grateful #Gratitude #TheGreatExhale #SharonHurleyHall #SARN #TheSpaceToExhaleShow #TheIntrovertSisters

Promotional image for Space to Exhale: The Podcast, hosted by Lisa Hurley. The design features a soft mint-green background with smooth fabric-like folds. The title “space to exhale: the podcast” appears at the top in modern sans-serif type, alongside a teal heart noting the air date: “Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 12:00 noon EST.” A banner reads “weekly inspiration for self care & soft living.” Below are two circular portraits: on the left, host Lisa Hurley, smiling in a white blazer, labeled “Host: Lisa Hurley – Author, Space To Exhale & Founder, The Great Exhale.” On the right, guest Sharon Hurley Hall, in a teal top and necklace, labeled “Guest: Sharon Hurley Hall – Author, I’m Tired of Racism & Founder, Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter.” A pink banner reads “Episode 30 | The Gift of Gratitude: Appreciation as Alchemy.” Footer text includes “spacetoexhalebook.com | #spacetoexhale.” The image evokes calm, softness, and community.

Joyful Liberation Collective

• Partner with Executive Director on strategic planning and fundraising efforts.
• Drive expansion strategy by establishing board systems and procedures.
• Steer board search and establish procedures for advisory board and consultants.
• Streamline processes, contributing to nonprofit buildout and sustainability.
• Complete and submit annual corporate documents to federal and state agencies.

CEO & Board Lead

UPchieve

• Advise Executive Director on strategic planning and financial decision-making.
• Support fundraising efforts to secure resources and drive growth.

Board Member

The Legal Aid Society of NYC

Partner with C-Suite to define and execute strategic program development in alignment with organizational goals, mission, and values. Lead collaborative and high-impact Training Team, while mobilizing additional staff and community partners to implement special projects. Develop cutting-edge training programs for 700+ staff and 100+ supervisors. Experience managing budgets.
  
Key Impacts
• Transformed training department and impressively increased reach and engagement by 63% in 1 year.
• Pivoted programming from in-person to online learning in response to pandemic.
• Introduced systems that streamlined logistics, enabling large capacity trainings.
• Selected to lead hiring project for new advocates, decreasing hiring lifecycle from 4 mos. to 2 weeks.
• Created pipeline of future advocates and promoted brand awareness by directing legal intern program.
• Launched Professional Development Series to deliver ongoing learning opportunities.
• Selected to join city-wide coalition with Housing Justice Leadership Institute.

Director of Training & Professional Development

Sanctuary for Families

Represented survivors of Intimate Partner Violence in complex litigation, managing sensitive caseload. Submitted client narratives in compliance with grant reporting requirements. Supervised attorneys, paralegals, legal interns, and pro bono volunteers.

Key Impacts
• Retrieved and united children from Ohio, Togo, and Nicaragua with custodial parents in NY.
• Promoted client-centered approach to advocacy, teaching staff how to respectfully engage with clients.

Senior Staff Attorney

The Children's Law Center

Advocated on behalf of children in family court proceedings. Collaborated with social work and paralegal teams. Provided trainings on legal updates and DEIB topics.

Key Impacts
• Managed 100+ complex cases annually from inception to trial.
• Developed reputation for favorably settling difficult cases.
• Created professional development opportunities and trainings for legal interns and volunteers.

Staff Attorney

MCDONNELL & ADELS, P.L.L.C.

• Managed and litigated high-volume insurance defense caseload.
• Reviewed health records to draft motions.
• Represented major insurance companies against fraudulently incorporated medical corporations in Civil Court. 
• Conducted examinations under oath and submitted written reports with legal analysis and recommendations to insurance companies.

Legal Associate

U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York

Judicial Intern to The Hon. Randolph Treece

Center for Constitutional Rights

Legal Intern

Albany Law School

Law Intern

Legal Aid Society 

Very much an equity agent. Always and forever will be a systemic oppression hater.

Equity-driven nonprofit leader, powerful community advocate, and dynamic innovator—I am a social justice visionary with a strong executive presence and an entrepreneurial mindset. Fearlessly committed to reshaping our social justice systems, I ask the hard-hitting questions that spark honest conversation, honor diversity of thought, and affect real, systemic change. With over 15 years of experience, I have dedicated myself to enhancing access to justice and providing holistic, culturally responsive services to underinvested communities.

My career journey has shaped me into a compassionate advocate and a catalyst for social progress. By merging my legal expertise with my nonprofit leadership experience, I have developed a comprehensive understanding of how to drive systemic change. I have utilized my legal skills to navigate complex systems, advocate for marginalized communities, and challenge unjust practices. I am passionate about marrying the power of law and the values of social justice to create transformative impact.

Career Highlights
• Serve as CEO & Board Lead for GaneshSpace, a community of mindful changemakers
• Retrieved and united children from Ohio, Togo, and Nicaragua with custodial parents in NY
• Selected to join city-wide coalition with Housing Justice Leadership Institute
• Guest Speaker for Albany Law School, "Leading and Managing with an Equity Lens"
• Transformed training department by innovating content and expanding offerings for multifaceted nonprofit

Specialties
Strategic planning | Program design | Program management | Consulting | Organizational growth | Change management | Process and system optimization | Coaching | Mentoring | Community engagement | Youth representation | Legal advocacy | DEIA | Equity framework | Training and development | Leadership development | Project management | Team management | Corporate partnerships | Fundraising | Resource allocation | Hiring | Onboarding

taplio

The Battle

Lisa Hurley

Kerri-Ann Wright, Esq.

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreLisa Hurley's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Lisa Hurley

Kerri-Ann Wright, Esq.

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Lisa Hurley's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreLisa Hurley's LinkedIn Performance