Luvvie Ajayi Jones
Luvvie Ajayi Jones is a Nigerian-American speaker, author, podcaster, and self-described 'professional troublemaker.' She started as a blogger in 2003 with AwesomelyLuvvie.com and built a career around a single idea: that speaking the truth — especially when it's uncomfortable — is an act of courage that changes things. Her TED talk 'Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable' has over 9 million views and ranks in the top 1% of all TED Talks. Oprah named her to the inaugural SuperSoul100 list.
luvvie.org/Luvvie Ajayi Jones on courage, truth, and making good trouble
Luvvie Ajayi Jones doesn't do soft motivation. She does direct, funny, truth-telling that makes you laugh while you're confronting something real. These videos collect her TED talks, her conversation with Marie Forleo, and her best interviews on what it means to speak up.
The TED talks that launched a movement
Start here for the talks that made Luvvie a global voice: 'Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable' (9M+ views) and the follow-up 'How to Be a Professional Troublemaker.'
Conversations on fear, boundaries, and speaking truth
These longer conversations go deeper into the practice of courage — what it costs, what it changes, and why it's worth it.
Your silence will not protect you. Speak up anyway.
The Woman Who Made Courage Contagious
Ifeoluwa “Luvvie” Ajayi was born in Nigeria on January 5, 1985 and moved to Chicago at age nine. She attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School — the same school that produced Michelle Obama — and earned her psychology degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her career began in marketing and digital strategy, but in 2003 she started a blog called AwesomelyLuvvie.com, where her sharp, hilarious commentary on pop culture, social media, race, and relationships built a devoted following. Over the next decade, a side-hustle blog became a full-blown media brand.
In 2016 she published I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual — a book born from a real incident where a journalist plagiarized her work and pleaded ignorance. It debuted at #5 on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2017, she took the TED stage for the first time and delivered “Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable” — a talk that has now surpassed 9 million views, ranks in the top 1% of all TED Talks globally, and has been translated into 23 languages. She followed with Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual (2021), another instant NYT bestseller, and expanded the franchise to YA with Rising Troublemaker and children’s books featuring Little Troublemaker.
Today Luvvie co-hosts the podcast Jesus and Jollof with actress Yvonne Orji, hosts Professional Troublemaker, founded The Book Academy to coach aspiring authors, and has spoken at Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Spotify, and SXSW. Oprah Winfrey named her to the inaugural SuperSoul100 list of people who “elevate humanity.” Her signature idea — the domino effect of courage — is simple and powerful: when one person speaks truth, it gives the next person permission. And the next. And the next.
Where to Go From Here
Pair Luvvie Ajayi Jones with Brene Brown for the vulnerability-and-courage research, Michelle Obama for the “becoming who you are” path, and Lisa Nichols for the voice-and-transformation dimension. Browse the full Creative Excellence library.
Self Growth Videos curates the world’s best self-improvement content into guided paths. Explore Female Voices or the full teacher library.
Key Ideas from Luvvie Ajayi Jones
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
Luvvie's signature idea: the only way to grow is to do the thing that scares you. Not because it's easy — because it's necessary.
The domino effect of courage
When one person speaks truth, it gives permission to the next person — and the next. Courage is contagious.
Be a professional troublemaker
Not troublemaking for chaos — troublemaking for change. The kind that sees something wrong and refuses to stay silent.
Books by Luvvie Ajayi Jones
I'm Judging You
Luvvie's debut: sharp, hilarious, and unflinching cultural criticism that makes you want to do better.
Professional Troublemaker
The courage playbook: how to stop shrinking and start making 'good trouble.'
Rising Troublemaker
The YA version — giving the next generation the tools to speak up.
Luvvie Ajayi Jones resources
Start with her official site and TED talk, then go deeper with her books.
Luvvie Ajayi Jones FAQ
Quick answers for readers discovering Luvvie Ajayi Jones through Self Growth Videos.
What is Luvvie Ajayi Jones best known for?
She is best known for her TED talk 'Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable' (over 9 million views, top 1% of all TED Talks) and her New York Times bestselling books I'm Judging You and Professional Troublemaker.
What does 'Professional Troublemaker' mean?
It's Luvvie's term for people who speak truth and make 'good trouble' — the kind of disruption that changes systems, challenges the status quo, and makes space for others. She distinguishes it from troublemaking for chaos or attention.
What book should I start with?
Start with Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual. It's her courage playbook and the best entry point to her philosophy. Then I'm Judging You for her cultural criticism and humor.
