How do you move from being the chief executive officer of a large advertising Health Network in New York, with 100 people under your command, to being a medicine woman, a galactic Queen, and a channel of light and love? It sounds like an extreme case of juxtaposition, but the two actually existed side by side for quite some time in June’s life.
It was only when homeward bound after COVID hit in New York, and spending time on her spiritual retreat in Topi Topi in country New South Wales, that June realised that her desire for the latter had overtaken the former, and that it was time to step fully into her next chapter, and use the gifts that had been bestowed upon her.
This is a story of change of doubt, of fear, but more importantly, of trust, and how to really connect to and follow your heart so that you can step fully into the future that is calling you.
Show Notes
- Challenges are a gift. We need to be buffeted and tested since we are here to grow
- Find your people, your tribe, the ones you can learn from- no one is meant to grow alone
- Perhaps you need to BE, instead of doing…
- The more I let go, the more the Universe delivers – its currency is trust
- Don’t try and fit yourself into an existing mode, a straitjacket. Trust your instincts and desires.
About the speaker
I'm June Laffey and I’m an Intuitive Mentor & Channel of Light and Love. I live and work at Topi Topi Retreat, a beautiful powerful and idyllic haven, just three hours north of Sydney. It has not always been this way. I only made the decision to commit to this work and follow my spiritual path in February 2021.
I work with the energy of this sacred land, whilst calling on my many spiritual gifts, including channelled light language and song. I am a kundalini reiki master also. This spiritual work is grounded by many years of international, creative leadership experience.
Throughout my significant corporate career, I recognised, shaped and championed both people and ideas. I worked in healthcare advertising, choosing to move to health in 2000 as I wanted to make a difference. I worked for a major network for the past decade, moving up from Executive Creative Director of the Sydney office, to Chief Creative Officer in their flagship office in New York. I have won many, many prestigious awards and have headed up pretty much all the major international health advertising award shows, including Cannes Lions pharma jury chair in 2017.
I’ve now chosen a fresh path, embracing my own truth by bringing clarity and empowerment to a whole new level. Quite simply I can help people find their power within, get out of their head and into their heart and move from jaded to joy.
My superpower is uniting other’s inner knowing with trust and action. By channelling my guides and tapping into others’ innate intuition, I can help remove blocks and make energetic shifts. People experience different things – from peace, serenity and certainty to energy, vibrancy, and growth. Results could be simple sudden clarity where people suddenly know how to make changes that have previously eluded them. Or a complete shift in their perception of life and what’s most important.
Whilst at Topi Topi, I channelled The Academy of Light handbook, with activations to help reunite people with their inner knowing and purpose.
Nicky lane had ticked all the boxes that she had been told with the essence of a good life qualifications a good job marriage motherhood. So why at 33 did she find herself disillusioned and disappointed? Living what she described as a mediocre life and feeling guilty about how she felt?
Nicky decided to ask herself different questions, questions that led her to tapping into not just logical choices, but heart led feelings and desires. And that's where she found her why that became the catalyst for her brave and expansive change journey in business and life.
I'm sure you'll find this conversation about personal evolution and possibilities, both inspiring and enjoyable.
Show Notes
- Your life may not be “bad” – you’re not homeless, so you “should” be happy – that’s not a universal truth. The actual truth is that you don’t have to accept mediocrity.
- Give yourself permission to not accept the status quo, to be brave, to back yourself and create your own path
- Conduct a Head and Heart exercise – my head wanted me to focus on the logical challenges of change, the negatives, how I should stay in my comfort zone, but my heart, my heart told me the truth about how I felt, and how I would always feel if life continued in the same way.
- One of the easiest and most revealing paths to self-awareness is the simple act of journaling
- The next step in the journey is the willingness to change
- In my own journey, I realised that my spirituality has been pushed right down, but it’s such a part of me, so inbuilt, it only needed to be rediscovered and set free. I know when you believe in a higher purpose, a richer, more purposeful life is available to you
- I wrote The Change Journey Book in flow – it wasn’t easy coasting, but the work felt light and enjoyable
- The book and the accompanying deck of cards are a handbook and guidance for life, stepping you through the 10 stages of building self-awareness. The characters and their floral counterparts are character traits that will be of service depending on where you are in your own journey.
- The core principle characters are Grateful Great, Optimistic Olivia, Zealous Zelda, Confident Carol, Empowered Emma and Joyful Jill
- All you need is to start with small changes to tap into happiness – that energy is life-changing
About the speaker
In 2005 Nikki Lane left her marriage for no other reason than she wasn’t happy. She wasn’t being abused, they didn’t fight, and they didn’t hate each other. She just looked at her life one day and wondered, ‘How on earth did I end up here?’ This wasn’t the life she wanted to live and neither was her husband the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
She decided that living a mediocre life wasn’t enough for her, and so she left.
Turns out, it was the best decision she ever made and since that time, Nikki has travelled on a Change Journey of self-awareness. A journey that has led her to discover who she is and what she wants from life, which has brought joy and happiness into her world, more than she could have ever imagined.
Nikki now shares her experiences and teaches her Change Journey learnings to women from all around the world so that they too can gain self-awareness and choose to live a life they love. These teachings are available via The Change journey book, a set of oracle cards and personalised coaching programs.
It was one day in 2012 when Fiona Redding really woke up. She was 37, at home with two tiny kids, drinking every day, overweight, unfit and unhealthy. She had financial issues, could not find employment and felt deeply disconnected and very, very alone staring down the barrel of a future life that she could just not imagine living. She sat with one burning question that she could no longer escape – “How has this become my life?”.
Something really needed to change.
It’s now seven years after the day when she started the journey to become the person she wanted to be. Fiona decided to get out of her own way and her life has completely transformed in every single area. Through the Happiness Hunter, she is now focused on helping you get out of yours, as she teaches and shares everything that she's learned. I had the chance to speak with Fiona to hear about that journey and I'm delighted be able to share her insights with you.
Show Notes
- You start with a decision – my life is no longer acceptable to me. I need to change. It can be years in the making, but a moment HITS you and it begins.
- It’s about life integration not balance, taking personal responsibility and focusing on contribution, reciprocity and community
- Take a DATA perspective not a drama perspective!
- I’ve found that overcoming obstacles and challenges is what can lead to happiness and definitely develops resilience, such an essential character trait. The gift IS in the struggle.
- If you can learn to change your mind about things then you can literally change your world.
- The three pillars are 1/ Enhancing your mindset, 2/ prioritising wellness and 3/ creating connection/building community
- Action trumps everything
About the speaker
Fiona Redding is the founder of The Happiness Hunter, a mindset coach, facilitator and speaker, creator of The Steps for Change and Good Morning Sunshine programs, producer & host of The Happiness Hunter Podcast, co-host of the Business Addicts podcast, author of The Happiness Hunter's Guide to Meditation and the soon to be published It Is Possible: Radical Transformation Through the Power of Belief.
She lives by the beach in Melbourne, Australia, with her two children Ariston and Vivi.
Her mission in life is to share everything she has learned – and is continuing to learn – about turning her own life around and to really help us understand that happiness is to be found in the overcoming of obstacles and challenges in our lives, and not in the absence of them.
By her own admission, Fiona's journey into business has been an interesting road. It would have made much more sense logically to just go and get a "real job" at many points.
Yet it was an unshakable faith and trust in the path she had chosen that kept her metaphorically and literally putting one foot in front of the other.
Fiona's belief in her mission and purpose continues to be rewarded. With The Happiness Hunter community and walks, coaching, speaking and healing business helping other people change their lives. Fiona also runs programs, retreats and workshops catering to clients locally and internationally.
Sophie Andrews had created an award winning highly successful bookkeeping business. Her background of fashion and gemstones in the UK led itself brilliantly to her focusing on the needs of people in creative fields, and the business flourished.
But after 15 years of dedication, the demands began to take their toll, physically and emotionally. Sophie's priorities had shifted. She was becoming bored, the desire for the work was no longer there. And to be honest, she knew that burnout was waiting just around the corner. It was time for significant change, and as many of us realise, letting go of the known to step into the unknown can be hard. But we can do hard things! In this conversation Sophie and I talk about reframing our thoughts, letting go of old stories that keep us stuck, and choosing to swap striving for space so new ideas can make themselves heard.
Show Notes
- The bookkeeping business was never my passion, but as a divorced, single Mum, control over my future was paramount, and I knew I could build a strong business in this area
- I did actually begin another side business, the SOHO Agency (small office, home office agency) but the bookkeeping business demand exploded and I had to leave that one on the shelf
- I realised the value of niching – I was the first bookkeeper who niched into a certain area, in my case, creative businesses, and it really paid off
- I began to feel trapped. I had a big office, staff and all the responsibilities that went along with it
- It was a meditation retreat, a new experience, that opened my mind to the fact that change was a non-negotiable. Once I had made my choice, I found a buyer within 3 months
- Self-doubt still kicked in and I felt like I had failed in some way, had been so held back for 15 years. I had to reframe my attitude from resentment to gratitude, gratitude for all the business had delivered to me
- I took time out, 4 months overseas to completely switch off and find my next idea. But it wasn’t long enough and another year followed. I realised I couldn’t strive to come up with a new idea from my logicalmind
- It was during another meditation retreat in the Gold Coast hinterland where I found myself in complete flow and the answers just popped into my brain during meditation
- Meditation had helped me to recover from burnout. My own experience with this and creating a beautiful spot I my home in which I practiced became the inspiration for my new business, the Meditation Hunter
- If you are contemplating change, we very aware of the stories we tell ourselves and remember our decisions are a choice
About the speaker
Sophie Andrews is a multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur, with close to 30 years’ experience in small business.
After a decade long career in the fashion and gemstone industries, she launched and then spent 15 years growing a successful and high-profile business that was not her passion. Lack of passion led to the majority of those years being spent in an ever-increasing cycle of burnout and in 2019 she sold the firm and spent several months overseas before launching her current business, The Meditation Hunter.
The Meditation Hunter is both an online store as well as having a retail space in Sydney. Sophie has personally put together a wonderful collection of ever evolving unique pieces, both antique and artisan, to help you create a space to inspire meditation and elevate your practice. She also passes on ancient teachings & wisdom through open soul meditation, powerful breathwork and Kriya Yoga to provide clients with the tools needed to breathe life back into their lives.
www.themeditationhunter.com.au
Deb Vawdrey knew she had given her all in her marriage. Her realisation that she needed to move on after almost 30 years was not a snap decision. Although she was filled with fear, she was absolutely clear - it was time to step into a new chapter. And when Deb released herself from the paradigm she had known for so long, she absolutely blossomed. In this conversation, Deb shares her experiences, the role that spiritual connection and community played in her growth, her ability to listen to her inner voice, and how these all combined to transform her the multi-dimensional Yogi and businesswoman that she is today. I hope you find this episode as encouraging and energising as I did.
Show Notes
- I gave myself permission to pursue what most called me
- I’ve not had an immediate aha moment – my change arc has been, and still is, a slow burn which is fine as I don’t have a use-by date!
- I know the emotional exhaustion of being the only person making the effort in a relationship, feeling like it’s an uphill battle to connect, living parallel lives. There is no joy in that.
- I restarted my own bookkeeping business with my own clients – taking that step – no salary, no guarantees was scary
- Immersion in yoga helped me to get through. I’m a Yoga Teacher now and that has helped me to connect to my own true work.
- I’m living where I am now, not where I want to be be. That’s the definition of presence to me.
- I sit with questions, really tune into my body and get curious about how potential options feel, asking myself “what’s asking to be seen?”. With the right intention, you’ll always be ok
- I believe you can choose your identity – I have new powers of adaptability now!
- The book I most recommend is Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.
About the speaker
The youngest of 6 to two working parents I learned at a young age that I had to make my own way and carve my own path. Leaving home at 16 and jumping into full time work at the same time I have never taken a back step or expected others to clear the way. From working in legal, computational and admin roles then to hospitality while my 2 beautiful kids were young I then took the leap to start my own financial services business which I still run today.
As my kids grew and started to carve out their futures I realised my marriage was well and truly over and my next chapter was about to begin, this included becoming a qualified yoga teacher and also now a health coach. Blessed to have lived most of my life on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria Australia in 2015 I moved to what many call “god’s country” the beautiful rural region of Gippsland Victoria to be with my new partner. Grateful for all the lessons, experiences and people that have been part of my journey and shaped who I am today…courageous, compassionate and connected – serving others personally through yoga and health coaching and professionally through my financial services. You can contact me at connect@youryay.com.au
In 2005, Tamara Agnew was working as an executive assistant in a law firm in Edinburgh. It was a good job, but she knew that there was more waiting for her. She had a young daughter and a strong yearning to be a great role model, to show her daughter it was possible to choose and change to create your path the life that you want. And so Tamara went back to university as a mature age student and discovered the benefits of having lived before she chose to study. In this conversation, Tamara and I discuss her experiences and her choices for future study beyond her undergraduate degree, and the paths and opportunities this has opened up for her. We hope you enjoy this conversation.
Show Notes
- My Mum worked in my Dad’s business, she could not contribute to my world. I have no judgment around that, I just know I wanted something different for my kids
- I was carrying a hangover from school, of feeling not good enough
- My husband became my “Belief Buddy”, he encouraged me to just do it and balanced me with the knowledge that if I didn’t like it, if it wasn’t working out, I could always choose to leave, so I enrolled
- I realised all of the skills I had created over the years helped, that nothing we learn or experience is ever wasted
- The life confidence I had allowed me to hold court in tutorials and be a catalyst for others
- My thinking has been opened up – going back to University has been enlightening, I’ve learned so much about myself
- I started a Podcast - Podcast – careersessions.com – designed to help others find their place
- My next chapter is setting up a consultancy with my PhD Supervisor
About the speaker
When Tamara Agnew finished school, she had no idea what she wanted to do. Riddled with angst and self-doubt, but full of energy and wanting to live my life to the full. Tamara did not want to go to university, did not want to enter into any more learning contracts. So she lived and worked in Sydney where she met her future husband, and they moved to Scotland. Tamara was working as an executive assistant in a law firm in Edinburgh, but was so unhappy. When her first daughter was born, she wanted a change, and this was driven by a strong yearning to be a strong female role model to her. Tamara knew she didn’t want to be in the same place 5 years later, unhappy, bored with her job. So, she decided, at the age of 34, to go to university. Little did she know that this was the start of a long, and extremely rewarding academic journey! She now knows – it is never too late to make a big change in your life.
Business – http://www.aluialtumconsultants.com.au/
Show Notes
- When our son left home I became an empty nester and wondered, who am I now? I was feeling disconnected from my life and told myself I had no right to feel that way – after all, I had a great home, son, husband and career
- I began to ask myself the hard questions, starting with “why am I feeling this way?”
- I knew I needed a significant lifestyle change– my background of all or nothing thinking was simply not sustainable
- I replaced mindless social media scrolling with a mindset upgrade and decided to prioritise me
- I needed replace the automatic stories in my head that “I couldn’t change”, and that focusing on my own fitness and health “was self-absorbed”. I also needed to change my relationship with food which was very black and white – there is good food and bad food and very little in between
- I bought an apple watch, a bike, joined a gym, enrolled in a program that focused on mindset and gradually things began to change
- As my positivity and confidence reappeared, I began to question my career too – my identity was so tied to my 30-year employment, but perhaps there was something different for me now
- I sat and reflected on who I was, my skills, my strengths, what engaged me and I realised I wanted to be more purposeful, I wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives. That’s where my new business came from, this desire.
- I’ve always had self-doubt, but I don’t fight it, I go with it, one step at a time
About the speaker
In 2020, Tania worked on changing her life through getting her health and fitness on track. Through this process, she was able to rebuild her confidence, motivation and ask herself THE important questions about who she really wanted to be during the next chapter of her life.
After a 30-year career in higher education, Tania left the sector and has spent 2021 reinventing her professional life by adding coaching certifications to her leadership qualifications and 10+ years as a senior leader.
Tania has real passion for people and her greatest satisfaction comes from helping others clarify their purpose, values and goals so they can unlock their full potential.
Through her business, Advantage Coaching and Consulting, she works with leaders to help them discover their strengths and provide the tools, skills and strategies to embed sustained change so they can confidently manage challenges and lead themselves and their team their way. The result is a more confident, approachable and influential leader who creates real change.
For more information about her work and to schedule a discovery call, head on over to www.advantagecoaching.com.au
It was the contrast between weekdays and weekends that made such an impact on Gary and Lisa. During the week they ran a family daycare service where they took care of small children who were dearly loved, wanted and cherished. But on the weekends when they were crisis carers in the foster system, they saw a very different reality. They also saw how babies and small children were easy to find placements for, but for teenagers, happy endings were far rarer as adolescents were shifted from placement to placement, with no stable family influences. Their outcomes were bleak. Although Lisa and Gary felt overwhelmed by the size of the systematic problem, they couldn't walk away from it. And an early 2020 they began to put their plan into action step by step. Today they've established and run a foster farm home for teenagers in rural New South Wales, alongside a charity “Give them a chance”. Their young charges are flourishing in an environment of acceptance, love, and clear boundaries. This is a beautiful story of next chapters that will fill you with warmth and hope.
About the speakers
Gary and Lisa Rayner are the founders of Give Them A Chance Inc. They owned a successful child care business in Sydney's Northern Beaches, spending their weekdays with very loved pre-schoolers with dedicated parents. On the weekends, they were Foster Crisis Carers for The Department of Community Services. The disparity between the weekday children's lives and the weekend children's trajectories was heartbreaking. Lisa and Gary have fostered more than 40 children and dreamed of doing more to help foster children. They decided to live out their passion of helping as many disadvantaged children as possible by relocating to the north coast of New South Wales to open "Treehouse Farm".
They have collected many pertinent, encouraging supporters along their way, and the community has grown. Supporters include school principals, psychologists, social workers, other child advocates and major supporter, Wesley Mission.
Show Notes
- We felt overwhelmed when we looked at the size of the challenge but we’re committed. We’re making a difference. We’re turning lives around.
- We’d talked about the idea for 2 years, lockdown spurred us on.
- Once you follow your path, it opens up for you
- We followed the signs, our hearts and our passion and like-minded people kept appearing to help
- We wanted to look after the kids who really needed our love
- The alternative for too many teens are group homes with often really negative outcomes – they don’t have the chance to develop emotional connections because they are always being moved on
- Tree House Farm is a foster farm home for these teenagers who don’t have a permanent placement. We provide discipline, boundaries, love and attention. We give them self-efficacy and empowerment. They become a part of our village.
They’ve had pretty awful role models in the past – now they have the chance to learn to trust with grandparents and mentors from the community - this gives our volunteers a strong sense of purpose too - We’re a test model for the Foster Care system – the government are watching us to see how it works. Our vision is for more Farm homes around the state and eventually, across the country, we just need more Mum’s and Dad’s to choose this
- How did we start? We just did! Time is the most valuable asset you have – how will you use it? How long do you wait before you live the life you really want to?
- We had plenty of doubt, plenty of “those days” when it just didn’t feel like it was going to work. Just persevere. Understands there will be ups and downs, but stay connected to your vision, your why and then change direction, try a new angle, there is always a way through
- Don’t listen to the negative people, don’t let them distract you from your dream
- Just be kind. Be loving. You never know what someone has gone through.
Jennifer Gwyn Jones knows what it feels like to keep pushing down a yearning for change. She knows how easy it is to become constrained by what you can do what you think you should do. How you can become easily stuck in “it's okay, it's going okay” land. But now Jan also knows what it feels like to break free, to be bold and brave and leave a 17-year career to strike out in a new direction that just kept on calling. If you've ever wanted to stop what you're doing now and begin something new, especially if you're currently in a corporate role, or other profession, you will get so much inspiration from this conversation. We talk about the vital role that self-compassion plays when you step out of your comfort zone, how to tap into your own internal wisdom, how to design a rich fulfilling business and life and so much more in this mini guide to courageous change.
Show Notes
- When you ignore the thing that’s calling you, that you’re yearning for, eventually your health suffers
- If you journal, revisit what you’ve written in the past and you will see the same cycles repeat themselves
- Even if “it’s” good, it might not be good for you
- I realised there was such a close interweaving of my identity and my work performance and that want healthy
- I’d spent too much time looking for external validation from people who had different agendas to my own
- I was living from the head up; my body was just there to walk my head around!
- Burnout gave me the space to consider “I could be a business owner – what might that look like?”
- My identify started to shift and I became open to the potential of being something other than the corporate employee
- Self-compassion did not come easily to me – I liked the idea intellectually, but was unsure of how to actually practice it. I’ve now come to understand that it’s a comfort when things don’t go as you planned
- Ask yourself in this moment, what’s most important to me?
- There are so many choices and options available to us, but there are unique “hot tracks” that show up for each of us – get curious, tune into how things feel for you
- With practice, even if fear does come up, you’ll still be able to feel the sweetness
About the speaker
As a Life Coach, speaker and writer, Jen has helped women all over the world break free from their “shoulds” and find ways to say YES to their yearning.
Jen helps women feeling stuck or confused in their professional or work routine find their true path and tap into the magic of life in practical and meaningful ways. She came to Life Coaching through studies with the Martha Beck Institute and also training in Acceptance Commitment Training (ACT). Jen’s focus on helping professionals find their magic is informed by her 17-year career in the Australian civil service and extensive studies including Bachelor degrees in Microbiology and Anthropology and a Masters in International Affairs from the Australian National University.
https://www.jengwynnjones.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JenGwynnJonesCoaching/
https://www.instagram.com/jen_gwynn_jones/
At the end of 2020 I was all tapped out creatively. I’d finally set my book free in the world, meeting a huge personal goal and I needed to allow myself time and space to just be for a while. I did have to battle a little with an inner critic who, in her inimitable judgmental way, assured me I’d disappear into obscurity if I dared to put my pen down awhile. I chose not to listen, allowed myself space to regroup and this new 10 part interview series all about change is the result several months later. It also coincides with a fresh chapter for me – a new online home that reflects my equal focus on strategy and self-worth.
Show Notes
- Business change comes in evolutions.
- Buckling under and following the “rules” to continually crank out content and stay visible is just not sustainable. Taking a creative break is often the best thing you can do, so give yourself permission to step back if you need too, especially in the weird world that COVID 19 has thrust upon us
- Belief buddies are vital - they can help hold you to your own promises but also provide the spark of inspiration that gets you moving again. And when you recognise that spark, that thread, follow it…
- So often a book can be a catalyst for growth and change, as you transform in private” – that was the case for me when I read “I thought it was just me, but it isn’t by Brene Brown in 2007.
- Sometimes life takes you off on a detour, but eventually you find your way back and focus once again, on becoming the person you’ve always been meant to be
- When the desire for change emerged again, this time to close my marketing agency, it took almost 12 months of wrangling with my inner critic to reach the point where I felt solidly anchored in both my desire to change and my sense of self-worth
- Sometimes the market is not ready for your message… and you might need to be patient, to evolve slowly. But the real call, the real you, will bide its time.
- Don’t try and convince and convert an audience that isn’t right for you and don’t try and contort yourself into a more agreeable shape.
- That thing you’re considering changing to, turning towards, bringing to life – is it awesome? Does it help? Those are the only two boxes you need to tick
Show Notes
Seeing something through the lens of experience and realising you have the desire to contribute is life-changing
- If you can help just one person with the contribution you decide to make, it really is worthwhile
- How we choose to treat ourselves reflects our capacity for holding our own power
- Take good care of yourself – I dedicated Tuesdays to Charlotte – Shabbat!
- We all have losses in life - you can deal with the good and the bad, even the horrifying and still find grace
- We can out so much pressure in ourselves – choose kindness
- You can live your way into a new reality
- Your inner critic will become more vocal when you’re on the right path – she says “you’re too old, you don’t have the experience, people won’t listen to you…”. You need to recognise her, and gently out her in her place”.
- All we ever need to be in is this one moment
- There will be an after
Show Notes
- Our planet is a terrarium. It is the earth that sustains us, not the Universe
- A daily interaction with our environment leads to an understanding of our reciprocal relationship
- We all have hunter gatherer ancestors who lived off the land – it’s time to honour the ancient ways of those who loved successfully in harmony with the environment
- Living in cities has led to our sense of disconnection from the land, and often a sense of overwhelm that can lead to emotional paralysis. When we take time to pause, to regenerate, hope and purpose rise again
- Ethical, conscious purchasing habits can make a big difference on an individual level. It’s also important to pause and consider intergenerational wellbeing – where will your purchase go when you are no longer here?
- Wayapa Wuurk is an embodiment practise with a story heart, anchored in the Creator, sun, moon, earth, lightning, rain, wind, tree, air, land animal, water, hunter, gatherer and child (the future creator) and gratitude for all that sustains us
- My own journey out of addiction and the disconnection that results was a journey into acceptance, total personal responsibility and love
- I can now go out and share this understanding with the world
About Sara
Sara Jones wants to live in a world where Indigenous Knowledge is rightfully respected. She is the co-founder of Wayapa Wuurrk®.
Having worked within the Indigenous Community for over 15 years, Sara believes life could be so much better, if only we listened to the wisdom of the world’s oldest living culture. Bringing a deep respect for Aboriginal culture, Sara combines her business experience within Community, with her passion for Energy Healing, Metaphysics and any natural wellness practices. She has experienced the deep healing and wellbeing effects of Wayapa® personally so is dedicated to sharing it with others for a better world.
Together with her partner Jamie Marloo Thomas, Sara is passionate about challenging thinking and restoring connection within and between people, the Earth and Spirit.
Show Notes
- 70-80 years of life – it’s such a tiny period of time, really
- When my Mum began to become unwell, it made me question – would I ever make my own dreams come true? When she got well, I felt I needed to make the change more than ever – I was compelled
- When my husband and I travelled for a year I felt more fluid and more purposeful than I ever had. I needed the freedom to think
- We stumbled across so many artisans and from an initial seed of an idea, an entire business eventually grew
- I could not slot back into “normal life” again - I used to be happy in a creative marketing role, but over the years it changed into a more traditional corporate role and it just didn’t fit me anymore. I felt trapped by commitment
- As I looked back, I could see the Universe was showing me signs – “this is what you love, this is what’s for you”
- I worked through self-doubt and imposter syndrome, again and again, it’s an ongoing thing
- I had so much to learn – when you work for a business, it’s all done for you, when you have to do it all for yourself, it’s hard
- I got a mentor to help me shape my ideas and a community for encouragement and support
- I have to pinch myself now, when I see how far I have come!
- It’s so good to have purpose, to be doing the things that lights me up
Harjit Sohotey-Khan
A wanderlust seeker, changemaker and curator of ethical fashion and homewares, Harjit empowers artisans and stylish women through conscious style at Jewelled Buddha, her online boutique specialising in unique, fair trade jewellery & accessories sourced from social good around the world.
Show Notes
- You need to try, you need to know you gave IT a shot
- Trust your gut, you’re the only one who knows what’s right for you
- Let go of the opinions of others – that’s tremendously freeing!
- Get a Mentor to help with emotional mastery
- I now know to make decisions in business and life that are based on my values – Truth, Service and more recently, Sovereignty
- The most important thing you can do in business is build relationships
- My philosophy is to become financially independent and time rich
Maria Doyle
Maria Doyle helps passionate professionals create quality learning experiences that engage, inspire and motivate their clients to create real change. It’s her life mission to take the lack-lustre courses, workshops and presentations of this world – both virtual and live – and transform them into ‘it-changed-my-life’ experiences.
Her qualifications include an MEd (TESOL), Cert IV TAA, Cert IV TESOL, CELTA, BA (Modern Languages). Maria has extensive international experience, teaching, developing and managing courses in Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the UAE, the UK, Hong Kong and Kiribati. Her areas of expertise include curriculum development, teacher training, project management, assessment and evaluation, and also language and communication skills.
Show Notes
- I fell into this work really. I saw wildlife hurt on the road and when I went to a country show and came across a wildlife group who rescue, rehabilitate, and release. I signed up for an orientation course on the spot.
- Within 3 months I was juggling my daytime work and caring for wildlife. It delivered a fair bit of stress but I loved it.
- It feels like a privilege to care for animals, you need to adopt a stillness no matter what is happening around you. You detach from the frantic spinning of the human world and experience a connection with a little being.
- The intense connection with the wildlife is beautiful, but there was no conversation about the demands and the personal impact of the work, a consuming and emotional experience.
- It took a number of years for me to be able to recognise and articulate what the problem was. It was my personal experience with my father’s mental instability, the fragility of the mind, that finally allowed me to decide to take action.
- Two Green Threads is a national registered charity that offers wildlife carers understanding and acknowledgment along with a respectful and neutral shared language. It encompasses podcasts, webinars, PDF downloads, and will soon have courses rolling out.
- Even though I could see and feel and had experienced the need, I still felt like an imposter when I addressed it. I was asking myself “is this what I am supposed to be doing? Is it simply grief distraction?”.
- I bought myself a set of bracelets that had the inscription “but what if I fly?”, a powerful statement to bring me back, to anchor myself if I ever felt doubt.
Suzy Nethercott-Watson
Suzy is an experienced Non-Executive Director with a strong reputation for insight, strategy and value adding and the Founder of charity, Two Green Threads. She has a vision to make a positive difference in the lives of wildlife carers at a critical point in time for wildlife conservation and natural ecosystems.
www.twogreenthreads.org
Show Notes
- The Louise Hay program, where I became a You Can Heal Your Life trainer was a turning point for me. I knew my Mum (who had terminal cancer and passed away whilst I was in training) regretted never having had the chance to achieve what was possible for her, so I answered my own call and quit my job
- This was my first experience of trust in the universe – evidence that you will be looked after
- I see myself as a Trailblazer – there was no one who had walked the path I was on to show me the way. That was hugely challenging, but ultimately deeply rewarding.
- I rely on my lived experience to guide me – I am the expert on me
- Letting go of other people’s opinions is liberating!
- My diagnosis with Hashimotos, an auto-immune disease saw me physically and cognitively disabled, and my Dr told me I just had to accept this and adapt to my new normal
- Instead, I doubled down in helping myself, research, research, research… I changed everything, my diet, my experience of stress, my mindset. Our bodies do heal – that’s what they are designed for.
- Chronic illness does involve a great deal of grief – the present I had and the future I thought I would have were gone, and this is just one of the reasons why emotional support and resilience are absolutely vital
- I was initially afraid of being vulnerable, but when I am, my people, the ones I am here to help, know they are seen, heard and understood
- We can tell ourselves scary stories about what might happen in business and life – it can actually be attractive to spend time in the dark places, and even kick ourselves when we are down, but we can equally choose to talk to ourselves about the good things that can happen too
- Everything I have committed to in the past readied me for my next challenge
Kerry Jeffery
Kerry is a clinical hypnotherapist, counsellor and life coach who works exclusively online helping people around the world to resolve the complex emotional issues that come from being diagnosed with and living with chronic illness.
Kerry knows exactly how this feels as she lives with 4 chronic autoimmune disease myself that affect her life every day.
Show Notes
- Starting my business was terrifying! It was easier traveling through Iraq then it was taking on this challenge.
- I experienced a whole lot of “I can’t do this” and then the penny dropped after about 2-3 years in business
- Marketing was a little scattergun at first and then I realised there is no magic, and that consistency is the key
- Resilience, tenacity and a commitment to your why are all vital
- At 48 I had a strong story, a sense of well-being, all the angst of my younger years was gone… and THEN anxiety and a sense of grief hit. I felt as though I had achieved nothing at all
- I went searching for answers and realised I was in perimenopause – my memory got so bad I could plan my own surprise party!
- I regrouped and started my next chapter because age is not a barrier to starting something new, learning something new, starting a business… whatever calls you!
- Continue to have purpose – don’t just mark time
- I’m a Great Dame, and I’m on my way to being a Grand Dame
Marnie Downer
Marnie is a naturopath, clinic nutritionist, herbalist and educator with a passion for supporting women as they transition through menopause. This was not always the case though! It wasn’t until she ran headlong into ‘the change’ herself that she realised that this period of life was often misunderstood, neglected or downright denied. It was at the point she decided to set about changing the way we view this process.
She is committed to helping women achieve greatness by unlocking their true potential through acts of self-care and nourishment.
Marnie believes that if you change the relationship with self, you will change the world.
https://marniedowner.com.au/
Show Notes
- The external measurements of success we’re subjected too can be the biggest catalysts for doubt and a sense of unworthiness – let them go!
- Asking yourself, “how much is enough for you” and designing your activities around that truth sets you free
- No censoring of yourself, don’t hold back, your business will be sustainable when you are you
- A closed first can’t grasp a gift, so stay open to learning, growing and receiving
- If the work you are doing is not giving you a sense of purpose and meaning, remember that you get to choose the playing field where you play and it’s moveable!
- Don’t mistake contribution with a need for expertise, instead, just commit to showing up and serving
- Doubt is part of the creative process, life is the art of letting go and trusting
- Have you fallen prey to the idea that you need a “big following”? I don’t and I have a great business with client relationships that I am deeply committed too.
Karly Nimmo
Karly Nimmo is a No. 1 iTunes podcaster, with five hit shows over the past 5 years; Karlosophies, Keeping Good Company and Make Some Noise (both now wrapped), Humans Resourced and Rock Your Mic Right. She’s a serial entrepreneur, mad creator, born communicator and connector with a crazy knack for getting you to connect to your truth and see life from a different perspective.
Through her podcasts, retreats, events, coaching and Frequency podcasters mastermind, Karly acts as a guide to connect you back to the truth of who you really are... so that you can stop playing the role of who you think you need to be, and express who you REALLY are out into the world - even better, if that’s in the form of a podcast. Her podcasting school Radcasters has worked with over 250 podcasters since 2015.
Over the past decade Karly has dedicated herself to getting to know, like and trust herself. She has been a faithful student of the human spirit - her own, and those around her... and can help you find and live on your frequency.
Show Notes
My book notes journal says 2018, and yet I only just finished by manuscript in September 2020. Sometimes our goals and plans are waylaid by circumstance, but if it’s important enough to you, you’ll always return and manage to hit the mark.
Imposter Syndrome and the Comparison Trap, two tools of the trade that your Inner Critic engages to keep you safe and small in your Familiar Zone, were challenges that almost prevented me from writing at all. I had to face these head on, many times to keep moving forward.
What helped?
The idea that I am a contributor, not the expert. I buy loads of books on the same subject, learn something new each time, and appreciate the different perspectives. My own book will be no different.
I had a huge brain dump session with a colleague who had written a book before – we got all my ideas out of my head and onto a whiteboard. I could then appreciate that perhaps I did have enough content and experience to write a book! It also helped enormously to have a visual model – The Next Chapter Change Model, my own IP, that I could base the book around.
If you have a BIG endeavour you’re working towards, I highly recommend adopting the principles I followed - setting trifecta, smart and HEART goals to focus your progress.
HEART stands for harmonious, engaging, aspirational, refreshing, and transformative. The idea is to blend your goals so they address both sides of the achievement coin, and to ensure that you create an environment that supports the likelihood of achieving these goals. I used a blend of SMART and HEART trifecta goals to write this book, to help to create and manage my own ‘expectation environment’.
SMART trifecta goal: To write a 35,000-word (acceptable), 40,000-word (stretch) or 50,000-word (unicorn) book that is ready for release by the end of 2020.
HEART goal: To write a book that provides inspiration and encouragement to women and to enjoy the process by working with an author coach who can encourage, inspire and assist you to write the best book I can; creating a working environment that makes me feel good whenever I sit down to write; and recognising and appreciating both my progress as a writer and the progress of the book by rewarding myself when I reach each chapter milestone.
I did not travel alone in this uncharted territory – I hired a coach. My author coach, Candice Davis
has been an amazing and consistent source of support, stretching my writing and helping me navigate doubt and comparison to writers whose work I admire so much… she kept reminding this is book #1 and that no book begins brilliantly – editing is the key.
I set up a routine – 6am up, short meditation, then free writing which I then read aloud, recording in the fab app Otter.ai which was then transcribed and I turned into the foundation for my chapters.
I took myself away on a personal retreat to edit the book once the first draft was complete. I knew I was unlikely to manage this feat when I was immersed I my everyday commitments. The focus and flow I experienced when I was ensconced in the wee air b&b cottage I hired was fabulous.
I accepted imperfect action and handed it over to my Book Production Manager, Bev Ryan to take the project reins and moved into marketing mode.
And now? I’m allowing myself to get a wee bit excited and adding this achievement to my own Fabulous File!
And now what? Please pop over to the Book pre-order page and share your details and we’ll send you a link to purchase a physical or kindle version just as soon as it’s available!
It’s a relief to chat with Leanne, a health and wellbeing coach for women who is based in Melbourne and encourages women to redefine wellness, what it actually means for you to be a Well Woman. This is a conversation that will get you thinking, moving and eating!
Show Notes
- It’s time to design your own Wellness Map – a set of ideas that fit you personally instead of you generically.
- What ways of moving bring you joy? Do that. What feels nourishing to eat for you? Eat that. What role will fun play in your life? Enjoy that!
- How you can lean into trusting yourself and your instincts and choices? By listening to your body and doing what it tells you! It does speak to you, regularly, it’s just that we’ve been programmed not to listen to what it has to say
- Try not to label yourself as a “stress eater” or a “comfort eater” – you might find yourself living up to the label
- Check in with your someone to help find your blind spots (mine was how the “go hard or go home” value I’d inherited was leading to significant self-sabotage in the health arena)
- Spring clean those beliefs! Ask yourself, is it true? Is it mine? Where did it come from?
- A core of self-worth is important for you to prioritise self-care
Leanne Vandeligt
Leanne Vandeligt is not your everyday personal trainer or coach, with 30 years of experience helping women to feel better, to like how the feel and look. One thing she knows is that women are amazing, strong capable, but they don’t always feel like that.
She knows and understands the struggles women have around mindset and teaches women to feel happy first, so they are more likely to eat well, move their body be more motivated to take care of themselves.
Over the years Sam invested so much time and energy checking, testing, showing different pieces of herself to different groups to fit in and be seen in the way she felt she needed to be. It was exhausting. And when this is your focus, you begin to lose track of who you really are. But Sam has now interrupted this cycle. She chose to shift her gaze, to weave all the pieces of her into a whole. She began to approve of herself and appreciating where she’d come from, so she would never need to fit in anywhere again.
She has proactively created a new stage for her life, one where confidence and charisma intersect. She truly belongs and it’s extraordinary.
Show Notes
You can break free of the conditioning of your past and chose a new path forward
Firmly reject the “don’t be too big for your boots” judgments that might be levelled at you. Choose to shine.
Confidence is not ego. It’s about how you feel within yourself.
Charisma is about your ability to influence and there are 4 types – Kindness (Dalai Lama), Visionary (Steve Jobs) Focused (Oprah) and Authority (Churchill)
How do you tap into Charisma when you’re just not feeling it? Mindfulness, deep breathing, visualisation and a clear focus on those you want to help be the best they can be. Imagine yourself pulling on your coat of charisma!
Perfectionism can paralyse you – perfect is the enemy of good. Let it go and embrace spontaneity (this was a core understanding that came from Sam’s “365 Days of Facebook Live when she had to quieten her internal dialogue, put aside the spreadsheet of carefully planned content went out the window and replace it with authenticity).
Have the courage to discover that all you need in inside of you – you just need to take a small risk, unlock yourself for that confidence to begin to flow…because what you focus on grows
Samantha Leith
Samantha Leith is a Woman on A Mission. A successful performer, entrepreneur and single mum. She is an inspiring business owner, having taken her business from nada to major in only a few years, as a Business Strategist, Lifestyle Enthusiast, Coach and Speaker. Samantha started her working life as a professional singer, then got side tracked down the ‘safer more practical’ business roads. She’s gone from Sales Manager, to Financial Controller, to owning her own online retail store, to hand holding business coach, musical theatre Producer and her true love - a blend of speaking and coaching.
Samantha shares her message on how everyone can have the business (or job) and life of their dreams.
Most of the people she works with are already achieving in business and life and are now ready to go to Unleash their Extraordinary. They connect well because she brings a balance of creativity and practicality along with the ability to hold people accountable and get stuff done.
Conference organisers book her to speak as Samantha guarantees to Entertain, Educate and Empower every time she takes to the stage by being expressive, emotionally intelligent, energetic, generous and inspiring.
Some of the areas she speaks, coaches and run workshops include:
• Creativity and use of music to connect and engage
• Business Growth Coaching for Entrepreneurs
• Presentation Skills for Executives
• Goal setting, achievement and accountability
• Communicating with Confidence and Charisma
• Finding your X Factor
https://samanthaleith.com/
Kellie O’Brien and I got together to chat about the emerging trends were seeing in the market and with our own clients and would like to share our observations to add to yours.
Show Notes
- Many businesses adapted their way of being, identifying new opportunities, pivoting to online – are there changes you’ll be making?
- Some business owners (like me) have, on reflection, found they were previously “addicted to busy” and are now deciding on a new approach
- Consistent strategy and captivating storytelling are still in style, and always will be
- The most important action you can take is to listen to your clients and what they’ve been experiencing – focus on being interested, not interesting
Develop full cycle relationship marketing – clearly considered and value adding steps from first connection to your offer of service
- Trends we are seeing include personalisation, blended working arrangements, and increased acceptance and comfortability with online delivery
Kellie O’Brien
Kellie O’Brien is a Wollongong author, speaker and consultant who specialises in online marketing and social media for consultants, service professionals and small business owners who feel they're simply throwing darts at a marketing map.
Kellie empowers business owners to purposefully use storytelling, strategy and systems to build online marketing pathways that consistently move your ideal clients from discovering who you are online through to investing with you.
With 16 years as a journalist, 5 years owning a PR agency and now as an online marketing consultant, Kellie lives and breathes story and strategy.
This episode unpacks this approach more for you.
Show Notes
The SHU Factor is enhanced by:
- Narrowing your focus to deepen your impact – when you focus on a particular slice of the market, you are better equipped to meet them where they are at, developing a deeper understanding of what they are experiencing
- Practicing active listening and deep questions – listen more than you talk, reflect and check for understanding
- Revisit your why – reconnect with the who and why you are doing what you do
- Check the copy and messaging on your website, ensuring you avoid the “Three Little Pigs” syndrome of it’s all about “me, me, me”. Swap this out for inclusive, inviting and empathetic messaging instead.
- Seek deeper, leisurely conversations with people in your audience - coffee dates, as I call them. Explore “what would be most useful for you”?. Take notes, check understanding, utilise their language in your copy.
All great change begins when you’re thinking is challenged – COVID 19 is a great unknown, it’s provided a non-optional pause for great slices of the world and for many of us this space has allowed contemplation – what might change as we move forward again?
My own musing was significantly expanded when I was introduced to an essay by Charles Eisenstein, a graduate of Yale University with degrees in economics and philosophy (a most unusual combination, so it’s perhaps not surprising that his writing is both ground-breaking and thought-provoking in many ways).
You can read The Coronation Essay here ( https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/the-coronation/) .
Charles is also a social philosopher focusing on themes of human cultural evolution, economics and consciousness, and the author of many books including Climate a new story and Sacred Economics, The More Beautiful world our hearts know is possible.
My good friend, author and Purpose Proponent, Carolyn Tate, was also an enthusiast reader and when we were comparing notes, we knew there was a deeper conversation to be had.
And so here it is… we hope it inspires you to have a conversation about what changes are now waiting for you in Your Next Chapter too.
“You’re an active creator”, Angela Philp tells us. “You can take the circumstances facing you and shape them for yourself”. Self-Leadership is the key – what’s the seemingly impossible you want to make possible?
A dynamo of energy, fierce focus and commitment, Angela has found her passion and focus in life – “I believe that women need to make have 50% of the decision making capacity in this world”. To further that vison, Angela supports and challenges high achieving women with similarly big visions to take action on their dreams.
She is remarkable. And our conversation will energise and inspire you into your own new possible.
Show Notes
- Remember who you are – not the conditioned self, not the should and rights and wrongs
- There is always an inkling of an idea inside of you – be still and search for it
- I’ve found my soapbox – gender equality and equal leadership – what’s yours?
- Women are not a niche!
- I tempered my voice in the past – “Maybe I might not be liked” quietened me. Not anymore. The cost of keeping quiet is too high.
- Use your mistakes as springboards
- I cannot separate my work from who I am – each fuels the other
- When we’re focused on what we might lose from taking action, we miss what we may gain
- Follow your joy
- When you’re on a growth edge when you’re heart led, that’s when fear shows up. And that’s when you can choose to can meet it with courage.
- Say YES to your gifts and put them at the centre of your life and work. Your life’s work.
- Take a stand for something I your life that’s bigger than you, that you’d like to defend. Imagine, if I lived my life standing for that, how would my life be different?
- To change one’s life is a decision