Episodes
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Today on the Podcast, Time to Clean House.
With Summer just around the bend, and before all those mid-year reflections start rolling in, this week is an ideal time to talk about how to 'Spring Clean' your business and your relationships. Declutter any victim mindset, rethink your approach, and engage with your projects (and your people) more intentionally.
So that you can look at what's working, what's not, and give yourself the space you need to go about doing things differently. Doing things, better, Dreamcatcher.
Whether that's stopping procrastination, 10x-ing your productivity, getting back to the goals you'd set at the beginning of the year, giving up emotional eating, or learning to become a better boss — the invitation is to work "on" your business rather than "in" and to be "with" folks rather than "at" folks.
And to trust that there's more than enough time to get it all done, EVEN IF you take a break. And that, sometimes, the best thing we can do is getaway for an in-person, immersive, planning retreat or VIP coaching day. And allow someone else's eyes and ears and hands to laser focus on what we need most: perspective, direction, and bandwidth.
In this Episode We Talk About:
The guilt-free vacation I cannot WAIT to take, Why it's time to get honest with yourself (radically honest), When it's a good idea to walk away and change your environment, How to give and receive constructive, collaborative feedback, The reason it's so, so important to stay Agile with your projects & tasks, Where you might want to rethink your workflow and refine your systems, What's a BIG bottleneck in my own podcasting creative process, How to command more respect, attention, as a leader or a team member, Why CYA corporate culture is old paradigm and how to lean in, The times I completely embarrassed myself in my 20's, Why rushing (even if you pull things off) always loses in the end, Where you can connect with me (online & offline) during our Spring Cleaning hiatus,Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
Follow & Message Me: Instagram Events Mentioned: Dreamcatchers District Summer Solstice Soiree, June 2018, in LA (Get on the List to be the first to grab Early Bird seats. This will sell out!) Past Episodes: Ep 036: The 5 Things I'd Tell My 19-year-old Self , Ep 026: How to Dance with Doubt (3 Types) Look For Upcoming Episode Topics: Should You Start a Podcast?, My Biggest Mistakes in Business, Should You Join a Mastermind or Hire a Coach? The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO SUMMER SOLSTICE SOIREE 2018 in LAThis is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama! Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed? Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com . -
Today on the Podcast, Lessons Learned + Our Future Selves.
Hard to believe but it was exactly 19 years ago (this month) that I moved from small town NH (grew up in a tiny town of just 10,000 people) to big city La La Land. Wilder still? Those 19 years ago? I was exactly 19 years old. And, I gotta tell you, there’s something kind of full circle about that.
Given so many of our recent episodes have been about how to get mentors, how to pitch influencers, how to find your tribe, and how to know when the whole transformation / personal growth process will happen (cuz DANG is change hard!) — I thought this week a perfect time to walk down memory lane.
In thinking about what I'd tell my 19-year-old self (having since worked as an actress, a photographer, a filmmaker, speaker and coach; weathering my fare share of failures and embarrassments, heartbreaks and betrayals; trauma and injustices) I can't help but think what my future self might ALSO want to tell me, now, sharing with you.
So if anything feels full circle, in your own life, use this conversation less as peek into my world and more as an opportunity to gaze into your own. What doors need to be closed? What windows want to be opened? Time to get curious and compassionate about it all.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Why podcasting actually feels so, so weird (+ How you can help), Our upcoming Summer Solstice 2018 Live Event in LA, The 5 Things I'd Tell My 19-year-old self, When "quick studies" & innately talented folks are the most challenged, Why doubt can be as addictive as any drug, When talent, looks, smarts, humor, money, contacts have nothing to do with it, The #1 lesson I had to learn over and over and over again, Who you need to forgive right now, no matter what, The question(s) to ask yourself this week and every week.Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
Follow Me: Instagram Events Mentioned: Dreamcatchers District Summer Solstice Soiree, June 2018, in LA (Get on the List to be the first to grab Early Bird seats. This will sell out!) Past Episodes: Ep 035 "Pitch Influencers, Find Your Tribe, Surrender with Nitika Chopra" , Ep 033 "Why is Change so Hard? (4 Phases of Transformation)" , Ep 032 "Tips to Find Mentors, Market Authentically, Meditate Easier with Ben Decker" Look For Upcoming Episode Topics: How to Secure Brand Partners, My Biggest Mistakes in Business, Should You Join a Mastermind or Hire a Coach? The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO SUMMER SOLSTICE SOIREE 2018 in LAThis is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama! Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed? Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com . -
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Today on the Podcast, The Knocking on Your Heart.
You know when you're at one of those huge conferences and you're meeting all kinds of creative entrepreneurial folks from all kinds of places?
You're chatting quickly here and there between speakers. Passing by briefly between bathroom breaks.
Wishing you could chat with influencers but find yourself seated with the friends you came with cuz there's barely time to eat and pee — let alone introduce yourself in a non crazy-person way.
You feel a weird mix of excitement and dread.
There are specific names you want to "connect" with and certain folks you want to avoid. So you're racking and stacking who to prioritize. Maybe you practice your elevator speech on the plane, in the taxi, at your hotel. No doubt you dress to impress and ya come camera ready, costs be damned!
If this is you, know this is also about 99.9% of every conference goer on the planet. Even the ones you most look up to have that same twinge of "conference crazy" as I call it. One part nerves, one part thrill, one part pressure. You've put a lot of time, money, and energy into going. It makes sense why you might be thinking, "This HAS to WORK." But oye is that a slippery slope!
And then suddenly the weekend's over?! You're flying home, bombarded with a billion BIG ideas, already starting to feel the high coming down and thinking ...
"Wait, it's over? I met sooooo many people; why do I feel like I barely talked to anyone." You're looking through your phone and it's all detail shots and flatlays and boomerangs and photo booth groupies. You think, "It looks like I had a great time. Why did I feel so lonely? So spastic? So desperate?" And you're wondering, "How the heck do I make this count?"
So, you skim through your pages of notes ...
Sift through your stack of acquired business cards, try to put conversations to faces and all those new instagram handles but, honestly, ya kinda got nothin. You're thinking, "Wait, which brand strategist was she?" or "Dannnng, how did they get to lunch with her!?!?" or "Gawwd, I look awful in that shot. Why did they have to tag me?" Before you know it — it's Tuesday morning and you're too tired to reach out like you said you would. But it's OK. You'll do it tomorrow. Gotta update the website first anyway. Then it's 3 weeks later. Website's still wonky. Haven't reached out. But it's OK. You'll sign up for that 8 week course and reconnect in the private FB group. Now you're in the FB group but there's thousands of members and it's a whole lot of white noise, TBH. So you bounce because, after all, it's a giant time suck (and, truthfully, it made you feel pretty anxious. Pretty behind. Pretty not good enough. Pretty exhausted). Ya think, "I gotta get offline. Go somewhere! No one even knows I exist online." Only, you just went somewhere offline. So you say, "No. You can't afford it. That was thousands of dollars. And you're still paying off your Nordstrom's card." So back to DIY marketing hacks you go. Thinking, "Well, if I could just beat the Instagram algorhythm. Maybe I should spend the money on Ads." You do. But still, nothin. Like hitting your head against a brick wall. The doubt seeps in. "Maybe I just need to go get a J-O-B." Then the shame seeps in.Sound familiar? It's a vicious cycle. One every entrepreneur has been on at one time or another. Know you're not alone. You're in the exact right place.
Build your business "small but mighty; slow and steady."
Now more than ever, when so many women are launching offerings from their laptop (juxtaposed by registering for 1000+ person swaggy conferences with tracked themes or enrolling in monthly online memberships for hundreds of folks at all different stages of business and seasons of life), you need to remember that the BEST businesses — the ones that thrive creatively, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically AND financially — are the ones built on real life, genuine, intimate relationship circles. They are the brain trusts. The collectives. The masterminds. Not only sustainable in business but in life. Because ...
Quickie conference chit-chat like, "Oh, hey! So, what'd you think of the panel?" is great but not enough.
Loop giveaway partners are smart but not enough.
Instagram Lives are fun but not enough.
Private Facebook Groups are 24/7 but not enough.
What is? Truly investing in others (& they'll invest in you).
Giving more than taking. Sharing more than competing. Learning more than preaching. Not with hundreds. Not with thousands. But with a precious few, we hold on.
When life hands you a storm you didn't see coming. When success doesn't look how you thought it would. When hustle no longer works and burnout hits ya hard. When pivoting feels essential but starting seems impossible.It's the people you've supported, the ones you've truly gotten to know and serve, who will get you through. Not the room you tried to "work" nor the list you promo-blasted last week.
Better yet? They're the ones who'll remind you who you are, what you want, why you started.
They're the ones who'll look you, dead in the eyes, call the elephant out in the room, and say, "Sister-friend, what's up? I see you're struggling. What do you need?" They're the ones who roll up their sleeves, offer their resources, and introduce you to the right people, at the right time, in the right way.
And that, friends, is how authentic marketing and genuine sales funnels are made. One slow, sincere, surrendered conversation at a time. We draw the circle wide. So come sit by us.
Enter my conversation with Nitika Chopra ...
Nitika Chopra is a certified life coach, wellness entrepreneur, go-to resource for young women around the globe, and a motivational lifestyle guru.
On a mission to inspire radical self-love, she began her entrepreneurial journey as the founder of the popular online magazine Bella Life in 2010. The host of the talk show Naturally Beautiful on Z Living, which focuses on a holistic approach to beauty from the inside out, her passion for beauty and self-love recently landed her a job with a luxury skin care brand as their on-air beauty expert for QVC.
While she is a passionate, colorful, and inspirational voice supporting people in their journey to access more self-love by creating a lifestyle reflective of it — she's also as real as they come.
She's a woman I'm grateful to have deep-dived with and look forward to hosting again soon. Listen in, share this episode, and let's give Nitika a giant Dreamcatchers hug.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Why self-love begins with rage The truth about what it takes to manage chronic illness What sitting on Gabrielle Bernstein's floor gave her How to find your tribe (and why you gotta treat it like a job) The right and wrong ways to pitch yourself to influencers How she approached her goals 10 years ago versus today Why you must "faith it til you make it" (and believe unapologetically) The surprising truth about introverts who look like extroverts How to keep asking questions about the knocking on your heart When it's smart to quit and why to take a step back (your adrenals will thank you!) How creating for creating's sake and "showing up" builds immense opportunity When Nitika finally made peace with deciding not to have children Plus: why we've both built our businesses on relationshipsGet Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
Follow Nitika: Instagram , Website People Mentioned: Sarah Jenks, The Resistance Revival Chorus, Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith and Agape International Past Episodes: Ep 033 "Why is Change so Hard? (4 Phases of Transformation)" , Ep 032 "Tips to Find Mentors, Market Authentically, Meditate Easier with Ben Decker" Look For Upcoming Episode Topics: How to Secure Brand Partners, My Biggest Mistakes in Business, Should You Join a Mastermind or Hire a Coach? The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO SUMMER SOLSTICE SOIREE 2018 in LAThis is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama! Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed? Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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Today on the Podcast, Face off with Yourself and Fly.
There's that saying, "wherever you go, there you are." And if you've ever thrown your hands up in the air and spontaneously moved across country, quit a job, ended a relationship or swan dived into a last minute Bali Yoga Retreat (ha! I get it!) — you may have learned just how true that statement really is.
Turns out? Almost as soon as we get "there" we realize we're still "here." Like trying to shake your own shadow, you may soon realize you're the same person with the same thoughts, feelings, and actions ... only now you're in a new surrounding, or novel experience, which will (of course) soon become normalized again. Maybe even boring. And then what? Do you leave, again?
Variety is a Human Need. So is Certainty.
Don't get me wrong. Getting away is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. In fact, unique environments with opportunities to make fresh relationships is one of the absolute best catalysts for change!!!
Think about why camp was so great as a child or why so many of us prioritize attending personal/professional development workshops and conferences. We love them because why? They're full of surprise and variety! More than that? They're just the catalyst, the spark, we need to get fired up again.
But how many feel that hangover let down come Monday? When all the new faces have flown back home and you're back, alone, behind your desk. Day after day after day. All the clarity and conviction, all the certainty, from the weekend quickly begins to wane and you're (again) sitting in doubt; in overwhelm. Alone.
Change your Mindset and your Skillset.
See, it's not UNTIL we learn to change both how we think about things AND how we act on things that we FULLY shift the core thing that made us want to suddenly flee in the first place. Only then do we really feel momentum. Only then do all those seeds of ideas start to blossom into real world realities.
And the KEY? To have intimate, deep, genuine accountability partners and frameworks to keep you motivated and focused even when the going gets tough. Even when you can't hop the next flight to Costa Rica. That's where mentorship, coaching, masterminds and membership communities make all the difference in the world. Taking you from ignition, to insight, to implementation. That type of ongoing support is what keeps stoking the fire and keeps helping you recreate those fun, memorable, connections and inspiration at home.
Enter my conversation with Jeannette Ceja ...
Jeannette Ceja is a bilingual travel journalist and a travel host with over five years of experience on the red carpet. She has interviewed countless of celebrities, athletes, politicians and travel experts including: Anthony Bourdain, Samantha Brown, Pauline Frommer, Rick Steves, Mira Sorvino, Chris O'Donnell, Jim Carey — to name only a few. Having adventured alone to over 20 countries, and traveled to more than 50, Jeannette is a proud Global Ambassador for Synergy of Empowered Women, Kind Traveler, the Free Wheelchair Mission and an International Public Speaker.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Why late bloomers have an advantage when success finally comes The truth about what it takes to "make it" in Hollywood (or any industry) What empaths need to look out for to avoid toxic relationships The single tactic that will 10x your results (forget hacking algorhithms) Why fame and fortune are the anthesis of intrinsic motivation When comfort zones and financial security almost killed her 19 yr dream Why traveling for speaking gigs isn't as glamorous as you think How to book cheaper flights, get upgrades, manage jet lag, travel safe Who is and isn't a good candidate to travel with (retreat hosts, listen up!) How to become a Global Brand Ambassador (it's easier than you think) What selling out her first workshop taught her about her own value Plus: The #1 Best Place to Travel in 2018 (I've been and it's INCREDIBLE!)Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
Follow Jeannette: Instagram People Mentioned: Jim Rohn , Simon Sineck, Abraham Hicks , Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith and Agape International Past Episodes: Ep 033 "Why is Change so Hard? (4 Phases of Transformation)" , Ep 032 "Tips to Find Mentors, Market Authentically, Meditate Easier with Ben Decker" , Ep 025 "Side Hustles with Intrapreneur & Driven Yogi Founder Keisha Courtney" Look For Upcoming Episode Topics: How to Launch a Podcast, The 8 Triggers of Flow, Should You Join a Mastermind or Hire a Coach? The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCESThis is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama! Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed? Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com . -
Today on the Podcast, Discover Which Phase of Transformation You're In.
One of the things I hear so often from coaching clients, workshop attendees, even colleagues and friends is how much they "love" surprises. That, in fact, they actually crave MORE of them.
Turns out? The day-to-day banal operations, the 24-7 hustle, and the pressure of working behind a screen has got them bored to pieces. They'll say, "it's so redundant" or "it's so lonely" and that they're absolutely desperate for ...
New projects, New adventures, New relationships, New opportunities, New memories + new environments to shake them out of their stupor!Funny, enough? Those are the very reasons they chose to launch their own business (versus work for someone else) in the first place. To feel that sense of wonder, excitement, and variety.
And, yet, those experiences of newness and surprise are (often) the very things that elude them. It all just seems so dang predictable. And there's nothing fun about that.
Where they thought they'd get to be spontaneous, they now find themselves stuck in a rut.
Especially when the fantasy of what they "thought" something (or someone) would be doesn't match the reality of what it (or she / he) actually is. And when that happens? We start to feel real restless, which makes us crave novel experiences and new people even more.
Cuz, truth? Freedom is (typically) the #1 reason why so many of us take the risk to launch our own creative endeavors.
The freedom to shift gears. The freedom to come and go as we please. The freedom to set our own rates and choose our clients.YET, often, freedom's the furthest thing from what we've carved out for ourselves — especially if you've unknowingly built your career castle without the necessary foundational supports and systems to have the space to take a step back, regroup, and redesign as you go.
So, if this is you, huddle up. Cuz there's this one tiny, tiny blindspot (we all have), which I want you to look out for the next time you say, "I'm over this! I want more surprise! More spontaneity! More freedom to make sudden shifts and do what I want!" And that's this ...
We love surprises (as long as we're in CONTROL of them).
Adorable, right? See, the truth is, you probably didn't go into business by yourself ONLY because you're a freedom seeker and a spontaneity junkie. Nope. My bet? You, like me, like so many creative entrepreneurs — mayyyyyy also be a wee bit of a creative control freak.
You love surprises, yes. That's true. Give ya all the swag bags and snail mail, right? What's also true? You (probably) really like the surprises you kinda-already-know-about and can plan around. The ones that feel a little less surprise-y. Inconvenient, ain't it?
Cuz surprises that don't end the way we want them to, that don't leave us feeling all warm and fuzzy? Those? Those we call change.
And as much as we lifelong learners and seekers and artists may love the idea of growing, of expanding, of becoming our best selves and reaching our fullest potential and healing our past hurts — I've yet to meet a-one-of-us who ENJOYS actually doing things differently or having things not go our way.
But here's the truth about change ...
We can't expect everything (everyone) to transform AND ALSO expect everything (everyone) to stay exactly the same. We've gotta get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Fact is: if you want to play a bigger game, you've got to be willing to shuffle the deck. Deal a new hand. Play another round. And even know when it's time to toss in. You know? That whole "know when to fold em" bit. (Kenny Rogers, anyone?)
And the best way to do that? Surround yourself with A-players, learn which phase you're in, and remember: the only thing constant is change.
In this Episode We Talk About:
How to Identify the 4 phases of Transformation, Discover which phase of the Change Cycle you're in (today), Why some people get ahead and move through these phases more quickly, The chain reaction you must learn to have creative control over, Which phase you want to capitalize on quickly so that you don't lose confidence, When you might be focused on the wrong things at the wrong time, How each of us may be dancing between multiple phases simultaneously, Which phase you want to stay in the longest AND which phase you don't, Where Imposter Syndrome lives in the Change Cycle, Why you may be catching yourself isolating, procrastinating, and unable to take action, The link between language, following through on our goals, and physical pain, What we ALL need to look out for as we age so that we don't become THISGet Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
Follow Me: Instagram Past Episodes: Ep 018 "Getting to the Root with Naturopathic Doctor Emily FitzGerald" Look For Upcoming Episode Topics: How to Launch a Podcast, The 8 Triggers of Flow, Should You Join a Mastermind or Hire a Coach? The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCESThis is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama! Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed? Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com . -
Today on the Podcast, Finding Your Path.
If you find yourself feeling disconnected, replaying past events, dress rehearsing worst case scenarios or routinely questioning, "What is my purpose?" — this is the episode for you.
If you have a love / hate relationship with marketing, with sales, with pitching yourself or launching your offerings — this is the episode for you.
If you want to find a mentor but you've got absolutely no idea how it works or where to start or if it's paid — this is the episode for you.
And why? Because we've all been there.
At those crossroads in life (and in business) where we just don't know which way to go; what to share along our journey; or who to travel with.
For some? That's our cue to ask for directions. For others? It's when we seek out new experiences. Getting lost, exploring and seeing where things lead. For risk takers? We might put the cart before the horse; riding off on a wing and prayer. But for many? These fork- in-the-road decisions can create paralyzing standstills in our lives; turning momentary uncertainty into chronic inaction and self-doubt.What if you could learn to trust the path you're on?
What if instead of only seeking guidance from someone else, or only wanderlusting, or only hustling, or only waiting — you learned how to:
Find mentors, Keep a beginner's mind, Act on faith to take a chance on yourself, And ... slow down to speed upBecause if you've found yourself planted at the intersection of No Longer and Not Yet, feeling aimless and alone or racing and rushed, there's a better way.
But here's the thing, the journey is the destination:
And the road back home is not outside of yourself. That purpose you seek? It's not to be found but to be remembered. And that type of Creative Direction, both inner and outer, doesn't just spontaneously happen. It's revealed little by little and step by step.
It's the reward of study, of discipline, of quietude. Of consciously doing whatever it takes to put yourself in empowering environments, surrounded by mindful and motivated people, and practicing the Art of Being along with the Science of Success so that you know when to take in the view and when to hit the gas; when to ask for assistance and when to call upon your own inner guidance.
Enter today's conversation with ...
Friend, Ben Decker. A man who is both our instructor and our peer; blending mindfulness with social activism and entrepreneurship into all that we do.
A meditation teacher — who follows a cross disciplinary approach — Ben is the author of Practical Meditation for Beginners, which introduces ten meditation techniques over a ten-day program.
As a political activist, Ben has hosted fundraisers for progressive candidates including Senator Bernie Sanders during his 2016 Presidential Campaign, Congressman Tim Ryan, and Congressional Candidate Marianne Williamson, with whom he worked closely throughout her Los Angeles Congressional campaign.
And once praised by Forbes as a "legendary PR maven," and "a shining example of the talent the philanthropic community needs to attract," Decker left a prolific career in Hollywood to dedicate his professional life to conscious activism where he is passionate about peace, social justice, and reading rare books on ancient wisdom, spirituality, politics, and comparative religion.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Where Ben first learned to value learning & to look for role models, What it was really like growing up in a Mormon home, How he readied himself for when his teachers would come, The right (and wrong ways) to find (and keep) a mentor, What to do if your work, life, or relationships don't feel resonant, How Ben left a prolific career in celebrity PR and pivoted his career, When an unexpected tragedy hit & how he processed his grief, The reasons you want to practice "Giving Consciousness" right now, Why the most successful, most creative, most athletic folks meditate, When you want a "Wisdom Council of Support" or Mastermind, How to make marketing feel sincere versus manipulative, When online learning can still create really valuable community, Why you won't always get it right (HINT: No one ever does), The biggest myth about quieting the mind + the #1 thing meditation needs of you, How meditation really has roots in every spiritual tradition and diverse culture, Plus ... how mentor Marianne Williamson has impacted his life and careerGet Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
Follow Ben: Website People: Ora Nadrich , Marianne Williamson , David Kessler's Books & Trainings on Grief Past Episodes: Ep 028 "The Simplest (Hardest) Practice to Attracting More Abundance" Look For Upcoming Episode Topics: How to Launch a Podcast, The 8 Triggers of Flow, Should You Join a Mastermind or Hire a Coach? The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCESThis is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama! Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed? Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com . -
Today on the Podcast, Why Women Need Women to Check In.
Radical honesty hour: When's the last time you asked a woman how she was doing ... AND really asked?
You know, as if you truly cared. As if you weren't trying merely to be polite. But as if you truly wanted to know?
Not so that you could fix her but so that you could witness:
The hurt. The overwhelm. The exhaustion. The pressure.Feelings that, frankly, TOO MANY WOMEN are secretly shouldering day in and day out.
And, more importantly, so that you could celebrate:
Her business. Her ideas. Her strengths. Her wins every time she's overcome!Was it last week? Last month? Last ________????
And how many of those asks have been solely in the online world?
A quickie text you forget to go back and check? A passive DM while you multi-tasked 10 other screens? A lightening-fast comment as you promoted your post?On a scale of 1 -10, how genuinely present were you? How sincerely interested?
Better yet, when's the last time YOU (yourself) really answered honestly. And really shared openly?
You know, as if you wouldn't be judged. As if you trusted it would matter. As if you could be wildly raw.
Not so that you could wallow but so that you could be seen. And stop forcing yourself to try to look:
"Upbeat" "Busy" "Perfect"Enter today's conversation with ...
Dear new friend, Hafsa of HappilyHafsa.com. A woman whose courage to speak out and speak up, to turn her pain into her purpose, reminds us we're not alone. AND we need each other. Now more than ever.
Hafsa is a mompreneur, photographer and blogger at Happily Hafsa. Her goal is to inspire and motivate fellow moms and help them unlock time through productivity strategies so they can achieve their goals. She loves adventure walks with her kids, catching reruns of The Office and solo trips to Target and Sephora.
In this Episode We Talk About:
How to change the conversation about women + their bodies The power of Instagram Stories for building an audience as a micro-influencer How Hafsa garnered over 1800 views + 350 DM's with her first IG LIVE Why vulnerability, transparency, and shared experiences go viral What to do when family members cross your boundaries Why we're more disconnected now despite being more "connected" How to be a good neighbor online and offline; remembering life is short Why grit without THIS will kill your creative stamina and momentum How to know when to give up versus when to take a step back The #1 question to ask yourself before taking on a new creative venture Why some creative entrepreneurs focus + follow through but others don't Hafsa's best advice if you're trying to choose what to do and where to go One sneaky habit to look out for when you feel like you've reached your capacity Plus ... Why we're more alike than we are different + the hope that's all aroundGet Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
Follow Hafsa: Website , Instagram Past Episodes: Ep 030 "How Committed Are You? (Test Your Grit in 8 Reflections) Look For Upcoming Episode Topics: How to Launch a Podcast, The 8 Triggers of Flow, Should You Join a Mastermind or Hire a Coach? The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCESThis is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama! Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed? Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com . -
Today on the Podcast, How Badly Do You Want It?
You know what I'm talking about. That big dream you've been fantasizing about for weeks, months, (dare I say) years?
That lifelong vision, which now keeps you up at night but at one time (not so long ago) had you bursting outta-your-body excited and ready to do whatever it took?
Yeah, that SCARY goal. The one with more soul, more heart, more truth than anything else — that one!
How committed are you? ... REALLY?
When you hit an upper limit?
When your desire isn't enough?
When you don't feel motivated?
When the daily grind has you trudging through the mud?
How gritty are you then? How self-aware? How compassionate? How focused?
Cuz, while there's huge value in imagining our desires, in designing our ideal business, in identifying our innate strengths, and in staying in our lane (80% of the time) so that we can experience more ease; more fun; more freedom — we will feel brutally mislead if we don't ALSO love, honor, and accept the harder demands of creative entrepreneurship.
That there will ABSOLUTELY be moments when you want to:
Throw in the towel.
Blame everyone around you.
See everything that's NOT working.
Convince yourself it's too late, it's too hard, it's too unfair.
But here's the thing. Those moments (Side note: I share one of my most recent meltdowns in this episode) are the moments to remember: YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK. And my bet? You're a lot closer, too.
Enter today's Pop Quiz borrowed from National Geographic:
As usual, grab a pen + paper and test your mental toughness. Dive in with me as we (each) rate our true grit; answering the 8 reflections that are science backed.
After the episode (once you've got your score)
Reach out to me and let me know how ya did. Share a little bit about where you are, where you want to be, and what you think keeps getting in the way.
I'll send my own grit test score to anyone who opens up over email. You might be surprised, this grit muscle is one we all gotta flex. Day in and day out.
While it does get easier, it's a practice like anything else. Let's do it together.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Confession: my most recent upper limit + the ugly cry that followed How to discern between feeling out of your element + heeding your intuition Why knowing your "desire" isn't enough + How to not be a Toddler with your goals When your own "emotional drivers" subconsciously impact everything you do Why focusing on what everyone else is chasing will leave you unmotivated The #1 thing I'm most proud of right now (even if it still isn't matching my vision) When long format + short format creative projects require different things of us Why some of the most innately talented people are often the least committed And 8 Reflections to TEST how gritty you really are (What's your score? Message me!)Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
Message Me Your Grit Test Score: Instagram Listen to Why I'm Not a Content Creator: Ep 245 Catching Dreams and Fully Living Your Life with Karen Christensen on Truth Telling with Elizabeth DiAlto Past Episodes: Ep: 026 How to Dance with Doubt (3 Types + Practices), Ep 024: Feeling Lonely & Distracted? Answer these Questions , The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCESThis is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama! Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed? Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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Today on the Podcast, Does your life no longer fit?
One of the things I see over and over again? When smart, talented, high performing, creative women in their 30's suddenly realize: "Oh, no. I built the wrong castle."
Despite having done everything "right," they're left feeling like everything's wrong.
And while no one would ever know it — because, heck, they've made the 6 figures and they've built a beautiful brand and they look great online — they're secretly feeling embarrassed and exhausted; wondering ...
Where did my energy go? Where did my enthusiasm go? Where did my self-esteem go? Shouldn't I be happy?
On the outside everything looks impressive. On the inside? Everything feels off.
And even though they've overcome odds before, they've faced failure many times, and they've been no stranger to achievement — this time feels more tender.
They're scared. They're worried. And they're afraid to share. After all ...
What would people think? Wouldn't that hurt my reputation? Who could I turn to, confidentially?
Because the stakes seem far higher at this stage of business, at this season of life, than they ever did when they were first launching. By now, they "should" feel satisfied with what they've accomplished. They "should" feel proud of what they've created.
Mostly, they "shouldn't" knock a good thing when they're simultaneously trying to balance marriage, home ownership, and maybe even starting a family. They "should" just stay put.
Problem is? They can't help but notice that their relationships, their business — maybe even their jeans — all (suddenly) feel 3 sizes too small. And that "what got them here, won't get them there," as the saying goes. And even if they were to hang on with iron hands to what they've got, their heart wouldn't be in it. Eventually, they'd be found out.
SO, What do you do when you've outgrown it all? But you're scared to start over?
You ask for help. You don't go it alone. You surround yourself with other ambitious, resourceful, genuine, empathetic women going through those same growing pains.
And you hold the vision for one another with the guidance and creative direction of a mentor coach and mastermind framework. You don't keep secrets. You don't isolate. You don't "fake it til you make it."
You learn new ways of being, new systems, new strategies, new steps. Ones that feel custom tailored to you and your needs, values, desires.
Now, more than ever, you dig deep and you slow down to speed up. You take a bird's eye view, you synthesize, and then you redesign and retool. What we call Rebranding From The Inside Out.
Enter my Conversation with friend, Kay Fabella.
Kay Fabella is a storyteller and business strategist, who crafts words for entrepreneurs to pivot their business efficiently and connect with the people they were meant to serve. She's a world-recognized speaker, author and trainer who's been featured in international media like the Huffington Post and El País. She also co-founded a bilingual brand + website agency in 2016, Brand in a Bottle.
A Los Angeles native based in Spain, she creates communication strategies to connect brands with their buyers and believers. When Kay's not making brand story magic, you can find her with her Spanish husband and their cat, eating her way through Europe, or jet-setting between LA and Spain (which will land her at a future Dreamcatchers District live event, no doubt, and certainly as a Mentor Masterclass teacher virtually).
In this Episode We Talk About:
How the tools designed to bring us closer are actually driving us further apart, What to do if you built the wrong business, outgrown your brand, or feel like your life no longer fits, The problem with online courses & copycat offerings, Why potential clients aren't interested in what you're selling, The #1 thing to do BEFORE building a new website or designing a new logo, Why ideal customer avatars and target markets aren't enough, How your unique lens, through which you see the world, doesn't match a one size fits all online business, When to use your story to speak to another person's journey, What is was like growing up a second generation Filipino American, Why you may be attracting the wrong client, the wrong audience, and the wrong relationships in your life, When to make a case for boredom, for day dreaming, for un-consuming and unplugging, How to know which stories to share (when it's not your first rodeo and you're in your 30's and 40's), What Kay does to combat loneliness, feeling behind or overwhelmed by business (especially as an expat), How investing in mentors and coaching communities connects you to upgraded people in your life, Where she still feels doubt and the super power that guides her homeGet Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
Follow Kay: Instagram , Website Links Mentioned: The Couragecast Podcast Past Episodes: Ep #003 "Why Integrity, Identity & Instagram Matter with Tyler J. McCall" , Ep #023 "Truth Telling, Business & Boundaries with Wild Soul Elizabeth DiAlto" , Ep #008 "How to Take Nothing Personally & Live For Today with Alex Albrecht" The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCESThis is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama! Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed? Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com . -
Today on the Podcast, Are You Blocking Miracles?
If you've been catching yourself feeling judgmental, frustrated, resentful, dissatisfied — like nothing is going right, nothing feels easy, and no one is helping — than this is the episode for you.
WARNING: it may be the exact opposite of what you want to hear.
It may sound so simple-stupid that you'll want to dismiss it.
(I know I've definitely had those moments before; robbing myself of the power of the practice). Here's the invitation: challenge yourself to reallllllly, actually, practice the challenge exercise at the end of the recording.
Cuz truth? Every last one of us can use this reminder, now and again. And ESPECIALLY when the ego mind would have us agitated, impatient, and thinking, "That won't help."
Fact is: It won't help if you don't do it. Nothing will.
Turns out, sometimes, the answers in life aren't complex. They're not heady; not even new. And as much as we'd love to think they are (rationalizing that we need to research something better or learn something more intricate) the reality is, sometimes, we really just need to PRACTICE them. Over and over and over again. Even when they're the last thing on the planet we WANT to do. (Especially then).
SO, as you listen (before, during, and after) g'head and notice if you're monkey brain has you eye rolling; has you dismissing; has you running rampant with restless annoyance; saying things like:
Yeah, but ...
I know this already.
That won't work for me.
Easy for you to say. You don't know my situation.
That, my friends, is the EXACT reason to tune into this very conversation. Because it's THOSE thoughts that keep you stuck, leave you un-coachable, AND make you (+ everyone around you) miserable.
Worse? It's what steals away the "one wild and precious life" that YOU are meant to live. And for what? So you can hold onto being "right" or playing small or maintaining the status quo — #NotWorthIt .
The good news? We've all been there. The better news? You don't have to STAY there. And the fastest way to get back to feeling good? To inspiring others to want to help you? To attracting more abundance into your health, wealth, relationships and business?
Well, that's the simplest-hardest practice of all. Morning, noon, and night. SO listen up and let's get started.
In this Episode We Talk About:
• Why some creative entrepreneurs burnout & others stay resilient
• The reason you've thought you had to push, hustle, control, strive
• How to inspire others to help you, to pay top dollar, to go the extra mile
• The truth about how people will remember you (over-achievers: this is SOBERING)
• What the Art of Relationship Building truly requires (now more than ever)
• How to stand out from the crowd & have more meaning in your life
• The connection between your health, your vitality, your decisions & THIS
• Why some partners get closer over the years and some become more distant
• The single trait that makes people more magnetic in business & life
• When judgement, dissatisfaction, and envy are blocking abundance
• The top way to release resentment, fear, doubt, regret (even low grade anxiety and depression)
• The #1 thing to do when you want to gripe, groan, cry, scream, complain & give up
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Me: Instagram
• Links Mentioned: The Gottman Institute
• Past Episodes: Ep 027 "Reframe Your Story & Find the Funny in Fear with Writer Suzanne Keilly"
• The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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Today on the Podcast, Memo to Your Future Self!
We've all heard that saying, "The best time to start was yesterday. The next best time is today." But you know who reallllly feels the weight of that quote? Our future selves.
The version of you (and me) who will wake up one year from now; wishing that the YOU of today had ...
Just gotten started
Just asked for help
Just pushed through the fear of "looking dumb" or "doing it wrong" or "missing the boat" because "it's all been done already" and "what would people think?"
Your future self who wishes the you of today would have traded all those excuses for resources; all those fears for laughs. And focused more on what you wanted versus what you didn't.
Because looking back, we see how capable and deserving we always were. We see how much more time, money, & energy was lost trying to avoid fear than had we simply learned to face it.
Fact is? Your future self, just like mine, will have no choice but to look back and realize ...
The time passed, anyway.
The fear persisted, anyway.
The desire lingered, anyway.
The money got spent, anyway.
SO, as scary as it is, we might as well go for it. Perfectly imperfect, as we are, letting ourselves be compelled forward by what's becoming versus what's ending.
Not by magical thinking or rescue fantasies. Not by re-writing history or skipping over the tough moments or tying life up with a neat little bow. But by choosing to dance with doubt (like we talked about in last week's episode), supporting ourselves with systems and structures that set even the biggest setbacks up for success, and by learning how to reframe our story. So that ...
Even when a circumstance cannot change, we can.
Consider this week's episode your invitation to regroup. And to start again; becoming more and more of who you really are.
Not who you THINK you are.
Not what others EXPECT you are.
But who YOU really and truly are.
For even on your worst day, when all feels lost, you are enough. Always have been; always will be. Let there be nothing scary about that.
Enter my conversation with dear friend, writer, Suzanne Keilly
Having written for the television series “Ash vs Evil Dead” on the Starz network, the upcoming YouTube Red series “Dallas and Robo” starring John Cena and Kat Dennings, and two movies for the SYFY Channel “Killer High” which will premiere in October, and the next installment of the “Leprechaun” series, “Leprechaun Returns”, currently in production — Suzanne Keilly is known for her distinct voice; blending comedy with horror. No stranger to fear, loss, perfectionism — Suzanne is living proof that doing the work and surrounding yourself with funny folk can turn even the scariest moments into strength.
In this Episode We Talk About:
• Why the pressures you're putting on yourself don't matter
• How to reconcile when humor is helping you vs hurting you
• When you're being motivated by the wrong things (or people)
• Why creatives and entrepreneurs are most at risk for suffering
• What writing, goals, and being flexible all have in common
• Where you might be conflating two entirely different things
• The surprising liberation that comes with loss, transition & crisis
• How to start every new creative project & the mindset you need
• Why empaths really need to stop trying to make others comfortable
• And the reason this won't be the last time you're crying on the floor (+ why that's GOOD!)
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Suzanne: Twitter , Website
• Classes Mentioned: Malcom Gladwell's Masterclass
• Past Episodes: Ep #002 "How to Love Yourself & Go Pro with Heather Stewart," Ep #008 "How to Take Nothing Personally & Live for Today with Alex Albrecht," Ep #025 "Side Hustles with Intrapreneur & Driven Yogi founder Keisha Courtney," Ep #026 "How to Dance with Doubt (3 Types + Practices)
• Books: Malcom Gladwell's Outliers , David & Goliath , Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird
• The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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Today on the Podcast, When Doubt is Helping or Hurting You.
This week we’re talking how to dance with doubt SO THAT you can feel the feelings, love honor and accept where you are, and still turn all that distraction around before self-sabatage sets in and derails your best laid plans.
Better yet? We're helping you discern which category of doubt (I believe there are 3) you may be facing off with at any given time. This way you can practice specific responses for each varying type as well as recognize if the hesitation you're feeling is warranting your slowing down OR the monkey brain trying to take you out.
Turns out there's a significant difference between when our intuition is nudging, guiding, or leading us in one direction and when our doubt is holding on with iron hands to another direction, fighting for the status quo; desperate to keep us small, sidelined and "safe."
And if you’re a fellow women in your 20s, 30s, or 40s ...
Struggling to Wonder Woman your way through life as a multi-passionate creative, boss, wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, leader in your community, influencer online, expert in your field — than you, absolutely, know just what I’m talking about. Call it a quarter life crisis, 30s crisis, or midlife crisis — it’s a crisis not only of self-doubt but of the spirit and of skepticism in general.
Time to take the lead, learn to dance with doubt, and stop spinning round n' round; waiting in the wings.
If you've been catching yourself asking …
:: Am I good enough?
:: Am I on the right path?
:: Am I being true to who I really am?
:: Am I trusting this?
:: Am I trusting you?
Than this is DEFINITELY the episode for you.
In this Episode We Talk About:
• How to discern which doubt you're dealing with
• Why you need to have more conviction for your hopes than your fears
• When doubt can actually be a really good thing
• What is the major difference between "sincerity" and "seriousness"
• Why simple Pros & Cons lists are keeping you stuck
• 3 Categories of Doubts + Practices for dancing with each
• PLUS my own confessions around when and where I still feel doubt
If you've attended a live Dreamcatchers District event in LA, coached with me privately, been invited to one of our secret virtual masterclasses, or applied for an immersive planning retreat weekend and mastermind — then you already know how much dancing with doubt is a major practice to breakthrough blocks in our beliefs, body and business.
We don’t go it alone and we won’t let you “struggle solo” either.
SO — if you’ve built the wrong business (or if you’re determined NOT to) then The Rebrand was designed specifically for you. Hop on the list below and be the first to know when virtual (and live in LA) doors open.
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Karen: Instagram , Website
• Past Episodes: "Ep #024 Feeling Lonely & Distracted? Answer these questions" and "Ep #007 When Mindset, Rituals & Design Really Count with Emmanuel Belliveau"
• The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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Today on the Podcast, Embracing the Process.
If you're anything like most highly ambitious and multi-passionate Creative Entrepreneurial women then you, too, likely want to be "the best" on day one (or at least the top 10)! And if everything could happen, yesterday, you'd be OK with that as well. Don't lie. (I know you AND I got you! Heck, I AM you. So, HELLO, sister-friend.)
Cuz all you're life you've known you were meant for something more.
Chomping at the bit, you're hungry with drive and determination. Always have been; always will be. But doors, too often, have been closed.
And because of that, maybe a lot of things (in a lot of different areas) have been hard won.
Maybe it's taken a whole lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get where you are; to overcome what you've had to overcome. Maybe life's dealt some pretty brutal blows. But despite it all, you're still here. Passionate. Purposeful. And PERSEVERING!
Because history has taught you, "I AM more than this."
And so, whether out of self-preservation and necessity or your own creative hustle, you're a self-starter, a risk-taker, a soul made of gumption and grit. But grace? But patience? Maybe not so much. Until now.
Enter my Conversation with Intrapreneur, Keisha Courtney ...
A self-proclaimed Type A and Yoga Skeptic, Keisha now finds balance on and off the mat as a lifelong learning student, teacher, and human rights advocate.
Having volunteered to end trafficking in India, at a shelter for children in Kenya, and with a human rights organization in Cambodia — Keisha’s trauma informed training (as well as her celebration of women’s sensuality and body positivity) is one that resonates deeply with my own background as both a survivor and an agent of change. And I cannot wait for you all to meet her, here in LA, at a future workshop or retreat.
But balance, grace, and a love for the process hadn't always come easily even to this Emmy winning, former, TV News reporter whose always preferred to have her "ducks in a row." Through launching her own side hustle, The Driven Yogi, and being awarded the Pole Sport Organization Goldengate Level 2 Champion — she found it: the permission to breathe and embrace the process.
In this Episode We Talk About:
• Why women must champion each other (even when going after the same dreams)
• What to do when you've outgrown your friends and career
• How to cultivate new community with people who are driven
• The Creative Direction that comes with serving others
• Why the life of a TV News Reporter is not as glamorous as it seems
• How to watch out for "either or" thinking and the value of blending disciplines
• What to do when things don't go your way + How to motivate yourself
• Why taking a break won't make you fall behind but will increase your creativity
• What's problematic about making choices simply by convenience
• The 3 reasons you need a shared experience with an in-person group
• How to be resourceful no matter what you're circumstance or circle
• When she first learned the lesson of "closed mouths don't get fed"
• The #1 thing that gave her confidence to launch The Driven Yogi
• Talking about Self-Care + How to teach with trauma informed leadership
• Why Intrapreneurs are 33% less likely to fail when they launch their business full time
• Navigating ignorant stigmas & when she decided to share ALL of herself
• The #1 best piece of advice her mentor ever gave her for life on & off the mat
If you've attended a live Dreamcatchers District event in LA, coached with me privately, been invited to one of our secret virtual masterclasses, or applied for an immersive planning retreat weekend and mastermind — then you already know how much allowing yourself to start, to be an awkward beginner, to outgrow your current circumstance or circle all plays into our practices for inner and outer Creative Direction.
These are core components of Energy Leadership, Creative Direction, and Mastermind Mentorship.
And they are KEY for becoming who you really are.
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Keisha: Website , Instagram
• Quotes: "Closed mouths don't get fed."
• Past Episodes: EP #017 "How Successful Creative Entrepreneurs Plan for Failure"
• The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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Today on the Podcast, When Your Inner Critic is Loudest
This week, we’re talking about a fairly unpopular topic; one I would say is the dirty little secret of online business.
And that is … loneliness … the single emotional state killing your beliefs, body, and business.
Especially for those of you who are Creative Entrepreneurs (like me) working predominantly from home, leading small virtual teams, maybe only in the field with clients on occasion and working mostly over Skype — feeling lonely is no small thing. And it can wreck havoc on your hormones, your focus, your relationships, your time and your money.
So if you’re feeling like a Lone Wolf …
Even more, now, the bigger a “success” you become — it makes sense. Know that you’re not alone no matter how alienated or overwhelmed you might feel. But let’s not sugar coat this universal experience nor accept it as the status quo. There’s always a better way. And that better way starts when we’re smart enough to …
Get honest, ask tough questions, and do things differently …
Truth? You’re shouldering greater responsibilities as a boss, as an influencer, as someone holding the space of support for everybody else (particularly if you’re a fellow speaker, teacher, coach, content creator). And that takes a tremendous amount of stamina, self-discipline, confidence and vision. (This goes for those of you, too, in your first 1-2 years of business; juggling a zillion different hats). Now, more than ever, those pangs of loneliness and distraction may have you …
Looking around and wondering …
:: Who can I talk to where I don’t have to be “on?”
:: Where can I go where I don’t have to be the expert? Where I can be the student?
:: Where won’t I risk my reputation by telling the truth and admitting what’s not working?
:: Where can I be one of many, just like everybody else, and learn in a confidential container?
:: Where can I get out of my everyday life and still have virtual support when I get home?
:: Where can I find an intimate, immersive, incubator and not get lost in a huge group?
In this Episode We Talk About:
The reasons you maybe can’t remember a dang thing you did today Why starting, launching, systemizing & scaling the right biz is harder now that ever The #1 default pattern I, myself, have to look out for and practice again and again Where to not throw the baby out with the bath water when it comes to learning How the brain retains information best and what it discards first (SHOCKER alert) Why (sometimes) the things you want are not the things you needIf you've attended a live Dreamcatchers District event in LA, coached with me privately, been invited to one of our secret virtual masterclasses, or applied for an immersive planning retreat weekend and mastermind — then you already know how much we foster warm, smart, funny, generous and genuine women who are as driven as they are reflective.
We don’t go it alone and we won’t let you “struggle solo” either.
SO — if you’ve built the wrong business (or if you’re determined NOT to) then The Rebrand was designed specifically for you. Hop on the list below and be the first to know when virtual (and live in LA) doors open.
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Karen: Instagram , Website
• Past Episodes: "Ep 004: Money, Marriage and Business Models with Mamapreneur Bari Tessler" , “Ep 023: Truth Telling, Boundaries & Business with Wild Soul Elizabeth DiAlto,” and “Ep 013: Digital Detoxing & 5 Best Practices”
• The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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Today on the Podcast, Building Trust in Life & Biz
You know those women who just tell it like it is? The ones who command attention and respect simply by walking in the room; without ever having to say a word? That's today's guest.
As funny as she is fierce, Elizabeth is my favorite kinda woman. Like so many of our Dreamcatchers, this gal is the full expression of what it is to be an integrated right and left brain; masculine and feminine energy; Creative and Entrepreneur; student and teacher. Better yet? She's wildly, unapologetically, so.
But that confidence doesn't happen over night ...
Not for you. Not for me. Not even for those women whom we so admire and adore. Yes, each of us — in our own time and in our own way — must learn to tell the truth of who we are, what we want, why we started.
And to do that? We've got to start by unlearning and un-shaming all that we are not.
This is our moral imperative: to remember to remember. And ... to defy doubt. To get out of our own way. To breakthrough blocks. And to do the work. EVEN when nobody's watching; when nobody's supporting; when nothing's going right. Even then.
Not merely for ourselves, our own needs and our own desires, but for those whose voice (all too often) goes unheard. So that we can, as Zainab Salbi writes, "help move women from Victims to Survivors to Agents of Change." This is our call to action. And it requires boundaries and trust.
Enter my Conversation with fellow Podcaster, Speaker, and Leader Elizabeth DiAlto ...
Known for her raw, honest and grounded approach to self-help and spirituality, Elizabeth DiAlto is the founder of Wild Soul Movement, author of Untame Yourself, and host of the popular Truth Telling with Elizabeth DiAlto podcast (formerly the Untame The Wild Soul Woman podcast).
She's been a teacher, leader, speaker, coach and trainer to groups and individuals for more than 15 years, in three different industries, consulting for organizations ranging from start-ups to large corporations such as Dove UK.
While I've been blessed to know many a silly and sincere sister-friend, whose found success and satisfaction doing what she loves, I feel lucky to call Elizabeth one more.
In this Episode We Talk About:
• How to learn to trust yourself to be more confident and consistent
• When boundaries are easy to set but hard to enforce
• Why it’s critical we recognize the jobs and tasks we’d NEVER be hired for
• How to celebrate yourself as a Content Creator or an Artist (hint: they’re different)
• Why having a mission or a message is not the same thing as having a business
• The #1 Trend Forecast for 2018 within the online marketing space
• When it’s crucial to depersonalize rejection (especially with Sales)
• How her brand is evolving and the kind of women she's attracting
• What she did to heal her own blind spots in work and relationships
• How she’s grown as a leader, found her pace, set up systems - all for more spontaneity
• Why co-dependency and emotional abuse is like second hand smoke
• How she answers her own question: What do you love about being a woman?
If you've attended a live Dreamcatchers District event in LA, coached with me privately, been invited to one of our secret virtual masterclasses, or applied for an immersive planning retreat weekend and mastermind — then you already know how much building trust and setting boundaries plays into our practices for inner and outer Creative Direction.
It's a core component of Energy Leadership and key for focusing and following through.
Simply another reason why Elizabeth's work is so complimentary yet so distinct. And I cannot wait to host her, and you, at an upcoming live or virtual experience.
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Elizabeth: Website , Truth Telling with Elizabeth Dialto Podcast , Instagram
• People & Things Mentioned: Brene Brown , Kate Northrup , Michelle Warner , Jill Coleman , Tara Gentile , Terri Cole , Human Design
• Past Episodes: "Ep 014 Styling Life and Business with Marie Forleo's Stylist Elsa Isaac" , "Ep 004: Money, Marriage and Business Models with Mamapreneur Bari Tessler" , and "Ep 020: 5 Steps to Beat Overwhelm & Prioritize Goals"
• The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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Today on the Podcast, The Messy Middle
We've all been there. At that intersection of Not Yet and No Longer — where everything feels a bit off, a bit clunky, and you're fighting to make things "fit."
When you know your strengths, you've got a bazillion BIG ideas, no shortage of passion or causes — but you just don't know how to make it all come together — what then?
Know You're in the Creative Cocoon ...
For some? It can be one of the most stressful, disorienting, and lonely places to be. Not knowing who they are, what they want, why they started, where they're going or how they'll get there — they just want the experience OVER.
For others? These chrysalis moments (as we talk about in coaching) can actually feel nurturing, honoring, restorative and life-giving.
But, for most? It's both.
The KEY is to Remember ...
What's on the other side: TRANSFORMATION.
• Experiences that feel more liberating, more surprising, and more exciting than anything you've done in a lonnnnng, long time.
• Finding enough grace with yourself (and patience with the unknown) to embrace "what is" AND explore "what could be."
• Trusting everything memorable is just outside your comfort zone. So don't shrink; stretch.
Enter my Conversation with fellow Podcaster, Christopher Swan ...
Based out of Sonoma, Christopher's on an adventure and discovery all his own. Since creating the My Big Story podcast, in 2016, he's been interviewing a diverse mix of people, uncovering unique stories, and now literally hopping planes, trains, and automobiles to share voices that aren’t being heard. But what I appreciate most about Christopher’s show? Our shared value for inclusivity and an all-embracing interest in people from various walks of life. His transparency and behind-the-scenes reveals make this a must listen for anyone struggling to figure out their next bold move.
In this Episode We Talk About:
• How to navigate not knowing what's next
• Why it's easy to start a podcast but hard to be good
• Where listening, staying in the moment, and surprise meet
• The #1 thing your audience picks up on
• When it's not a Fear of Failure it might be this fear
• The problem with striving for happiness
• One thing all his podcast guests have in common
• When he knew he had to take a step back
• What he's done to make his bigger vision his new reality
• How to redefine "Me Time" and "Balance"
• The link between faith, self-trust, pride and momentum
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Christopher: Website, My Big Story Podcast, Instagram
• People Mentioned: Elizabeth Gilbert on Super Soul Sunday
• Past Episodes: "Ep 017: How Successful Creative Entrepreneurs Plan for Failure," "Ep 003: Why Integrity, Identity & Instagram Matter with Tyler J. McCall"
• Quotes: "Community over Competition" ~ Rising Tide Society
• The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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Today on the Podcast, Rebranding: Inside & Out!
If you're an ambitious, creative, woman (or feminist bloke) in your 30's — whose done everything "right" only to discover you've built the wrong castle — than this is the episode for you.
Maybe this is you ...
You're an overachiever whose climbed the corporate ladder in Advertising, Entertainment, or Tech. (Maybe you still are ... and you're questioning why).
And you HAD IT with ...
Working too many hours, with too many on-call days, too many pressures, and too many jerk-o's. Why? Cuz YOU'RE DONE never actually being able to ENJOY any of those swanky salaries, or sweet company perks, because you're forever chasing inbox zero (let alone meet someone, take maternity/paternity leave, or kick that coffee/sugar/carb addiction that's got you fighting headaches, brain fog, weight gain, anxiety and exhaustion on the daily).
And maybe, because of all that, a few years ago you made the tough call to leave that "golden cage" and you started your own creative business. (If so, cheers to you. That's no small thing! If not, but that's your goal, keep reading.)
Maybe you put EVERYTHING you had into ...
Nursing your creative baby. Hustling, pushing, and doing ALL THE THINGS so you could "make it happen" before 40. And, likely, you've done really well. Better than most, even. Maybe you're the envy of all your friends. Maybe you look realllllly good online. Maybe no one would ever guess how much website shame or business resentment you actually have. But you DO.
Truth? Behind-the-scenes you're working nights, weekends, and your life is spent 24-7 on screens — just to maintain what you've built: a business that hasn't created you freedom; a brand that doesn't feel like YOU.
You're tirrrred. Scared. And despite the money, the likes, the clients — you're feelin' pretty broke. Still, something in you says, "I'm not broken. And this is MY YEAR to turn it around." Sound familiar?
Enter my conversation with Brand Stylist, Designer and dear friend, Kristen Poissant.
If you can relate to any of the following, or if you're WISHING you COULD relate to the following but you're not quite there yet, get your buns on the waitlist (below) for the secret goodness that's cooking up for 2018.
Tell me, does this sound familiar? Or do you wish it did?
• Clients are rolling in easier now but they're not the right clients.
◦ (Heck, maybe you don't even want clients anymore)
• There's finally good cashflow now
◦ (But you're not sure where to focus first or which investment will yield the best ROI)
• You're proud of what you've accomplished AND you're hungry for better
◦ (Because you know your current model's definitely not sustainable or satisfying)
• The business and brand felt like you a few years ago
◦ (But you've outgrown it and it's not where you see yourself in 5 years)
• People "know" what you do (kinda) but not quite
◦ (And you're tired of always having to explain yourself or "sell" yourself)
• You're ready to up-level your beliefs, body, business, and brand in 2018
◦ (The stakes are high and it's now or never)
• Going it alone, DIY'ing things, free self-study & self-coaching is no longer for you
◦ (The fancy big conferences, social clubs, & online courses are great - but you want an intimate incubator, a mastermind, a brain trust to rebrand you and your biz from the inside out!)
SIDE NOTE: If you're still working internally somewhere, dreaming of launching your own creative business, this is ALSO the episode for you! Don't wait until you're flying solo; listen to us folks further down the path and let us shed light on what's just around the bend. Cuz creatives who do? Learn "How to Plan for Failure" (Episode 017) and set themselves up for more and more entrepreneurial success.
In this Episode We Talk About:
• Why having a corporate background is a huge advantage
• The power of building relationships (offline & online)
• Why everyone needs to learn how to ask for help
• When networking is a total waste of time & setting better intentions
• The #1 question that helps us discover how we want to be "known"
• How investing in community gives your business serious leverage
• When skills, talents, & DIY won't get the project done
• The realities of Launch Day and why success requires grit
• What still doesn't come easily and how Kristen balances working from home
• The #1 thing investing in your business (and yourself) gives you
• Why we need to identify the shadow sides of our individual strengths
• How to embody inner and outer creative direction to feel authentic
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Kristen: Instagram
• People Mentioned: Tiffany Pratt on the Creative Mornings Podcast Gabby Bernstein
• Past Episodes: "Ep 020: 5 Steps to Beat Overwhelm & Prioritize Goals" (Self-Coaching exercise)
• Events: Create & Cultivate, The Wing, ALT Summit, Rising Tide Society
• The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to [email protected] .
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Today on the Podcast, Giving Your Goals Mental Whitespace + Vision:
Today I’m so grateful to be back, coming off our our extended holiday break where we took a hiatus from the poddy-pod and all its corresponding social media rabbit holes. And I cannot TELL YOU how sweet it feels to feel rested! Refocused and ready to roll!
Not gonna lie ... I feel like a million bucks.
(More on how I spent my hiatus and my own personal goal, which I'm proudly 4 weeks into achieving, in an upcoming episode).But if hearing me share about feeling rested or proud is leaving anyone uncomfortable, sad, or feeling frustrated — because it's the end of January and you’ve not stuck with your goal or you didn’t even set a goal — I'm here to tell you: we've ALL been there.
In fact, you’re in very good company as some 95% of folks don’t follow through on their resolutions. Even more? Never even set one. While there’s a whole slew of reasons (inner blocks, outer influences, emotional drivers, and the 10 Follow Through predictors), today's episode is designed to help you start where you are so you can begin to see some of those blocks and move through them.
Because, let’s face it. Goals (and the whole "New Year, New You" push that comes with this season) can cough up a lot of emotions and behaviors.
Sometimes that’s excitement and laser focus. And sometimes that’s overwhelm and inaction. Not a single one of us hasn't experienced that, or even re-experienced that, in one area of our life or another.
But wherever you are today, now a month into 2018 at the time of this recording, know you’re in the exact right place at the exact right time. No one's behind. No one's alone. And no one's lost. Especially not you, Boo.
Since this is a podcast, and not a small group or private immersive setting, we’ll just be scratching the surface but, my hope, is to help you gain some clarity and discern, for yourself, what actually matters most. To you. So that you can start to declutter your brain, unburden your spirit, and begin to create some space for what's wanting to emerge.
I'll be prompting us through a powerful self-coaching exercise where we'll be taking a bird’s eye view at what's creating overwhelm in your life and business.
So grab a pen and paper and let's start working through all those big ideas, projects, and tasks that feel unfinished or un-started or just plain uninspired and unnecessary.
Because, truth? When we begin to understand what goals are, what they aren’t, how they motivate us and how they don’t — we begin to see how quickly they can become either tremendously compelling or tremendously deterring.
And while there are varying degrees of stress and celebration associated with every stage of outlining, strategizing and achieving Goals, Projects, Tasks (like — did you know those three things are different?) we must first begin by quieting the noise and stopping the overwhelm. Without that, nothing else matters.
In this Episode We Talk About:
• Why the rat race of obsessive online marketing is killing your biz (and life)
• Where your time, money, & energy is better spent
• How to create continuity with FREE content
• Spontaneous Shoutouts to podcast listeners
• When acknowledgement + validation actually hurt you
• 5 Steps to making more mental white space for yourself
• The truth about what's holding you back (Self-Coaching Exercise)
• My favorite science-backed morning + evening peak performance prompt
• What to do when visioning & imagining your future self doesn't work
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Me: Instagram
• People: Brene Brown
• Future Episodes: Featuring Elizabeth Dialto of Wild Soul Movement + the Truth Telling podcast, as well as brand stylist Kristen Poissant
• Past Episodes: "Ep 019: 2017 Reflections + Guided Meditation with Karen Christensen"
• The Dreamcatchers District Creative Direction: For Your Beliefs and Business, Ask Me How
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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Today on the Podcast, Rest and Reflection:
As we close out 2017, before taking several weeks off for holidays, I thought I'd share one of my favorite morning rituals. It's a mantra meditation for you to use, on demand, whenever you find yourself feeling a little behind, a little alone, a little lost, a little scarce or a whole-lotta "not good enough." Cuz we've all been there!
In fact, given where we were about this time last year (and ALL that's transpired since), I can't imagine anyone not needing a little extra dose of inner encouragement these days. It's been a sobering, horrifying, unfathomable series of events (and tweets). And, yet, these are not new issues. Only out in the open like never before. Which brings new opportunity and greater responsibility. For you, for me, for WE.
The good news? Love isn't a fragile, polite, thing. She stands up to hate and says, "Not today." Fierce, she is as firm as she is kind. So, let's put our energy toward the solution. Slow down to speed up. And be agents of change. Together.
Until 2018, Peace & Blessings!
xoxoIn this Episode We Talk About:
• Why positive affirmations induce stress
• How to talk to your inner critic
• 4 things we ALL must get better with
• Guided Mantra Mudra Meditation
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Me: Instagram
• People: Van Jones on NPR , Elizabeth Gilbert on Super Soul Sunday
• Past Episodes: "EP 018 Getting to the Root with Naturopathic Dr. Emily FitzGerald" and "EP 015 How to Deal with Awkward Career Advice this Holiday"
• The Dreamcatchers District Creative Direction: For Your Beliefs and Business, Ask Me How
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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Today on the Podcast, Getting to the Root:
My mama likes to joke that of all her three children, I was the one who couldn't stop asking questions. She'd answer one and I'd roll right in with another ... and another ... and another. "But, why? What then? How come? Who, mama? Where? When?" On and on it would go. Gotta love kids!
Turns out that curiosity would serve me well later on in life, although my husband would tell you our first date (thanks to Match.com, believe it or not) was like an inquisition. So, there's that. Every strength has its weakness, but, I digress ...
Keep Asking Questions:
If you're anything like me and you're also hungry to understand why, to see the big picture, to discover how it's all interconnected than you, too, may hit up against some real edges sitting in an overworked hospital where (too often, not always) the focus is on numbing the symptoms versus treating the cause and you're out the door in 15minutes flat.
Which is why I've relished the times I've gotten to connect with wellness practitioners whose working environment, business model, and wholistic education allow for more time to slow down and truly hear their patients' histories, current circumstances, and intuition. To take an approach that integrates Mind, Body, Spirit.
Hearing Inner Wisdom:
Speaking with new friend, Dr. Emily FitzGerald, is no different. Emily is a Naturopathic Doctor based out of Toronto who brings a lightness and a confidence to her patients, despite them feeling burned out or overwhelmed. And while we have very different specialities, totally different educational backgrounds, what I loved about our conversation was just how much overlap there was between our approach and our clients.
If you've ever struggled with the roller coaster of dieting, the devastation of infertility, the day-to-day decision fatigue of running a business or the pressures of always feeling "on" even when you're not — than this is the episode for you. Emily brings an empathy and an enthusiasm that is as comforting as it is contagious.
In this Episode We Talk About:
• Why women are running on empty now more than ever
• Discovering who you are and considering motherhood
• 3 Pillars more important than any diet, trend, or fertility fix
• How to push past procrastination
• Chinese Medicine and what keeps you up at night
• The key between listening and leadership
• What nurtures her relationship and fuels her creativity
• The art of real listening and feminine leadership
• How to elevate the conversation surrounding Self-Care
• What she'd tell her younger, more rigid self
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Emily: Website , Instagram
• People: Simon Sinek on Tom Bilyeu's "Impact Theory," Brene Brown on the #1 Question to Ask Yourself Over and Over , Mel Robbins' "5 Second Rule"
• Other Podcast: Positively Creative with Dorothy Collier
• Festivals: Awesomeness Fest or "A-Fest"
• Past Episode: "EP 007: When Mindset, Rituals & Design Really Count with Emmanuel Belliveau"
• The Dreamcatchers District Creative Direction: For Your Beliefs and Business, Ask Me How
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
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