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The Couragemakers Podcast | Encouragement, Inspiration & Rebel Rousing for Mission Driven Doers, Makers & Shakers |

Couragemakers is the weekly podcast for creative and multi-passionate women. Because building the life you want and putting stuff in the world takes a boatload of courage, but you don’t have to do it alone. Couragemakers is designed to encourage and rebel-rouse mission-driven doers, makers and world-shakers to spark a movement of women who are choosing themselves. Meg chats to unconventional couragemakers all over the world who share their stories, their advice and their dreams as we have honest conversations about everyday courage, living a wholehearted life and dream chasing. We’ve figured out what we don’t want in life, now we’re figuring out what we do want. And we talk about the things that make us feel on fire as well as the monsters that hide under our beds. Couragemakers is brought to you by Meg Kissack of The Rebel Rousers. Because everything changes when you believe you matter. Let’s shake things up together. Warning: This podcast contains courage, vulnerability and a desire to leave the world a brighter place than how we found it.
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The Couragemakers Podcast | Encouragement, Inspiration & Rebel Rousing for Mission Driven Doers, Makers & Shakers |
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Now displaying: January, 2018
Jan 29, 2018

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 77 of The Couragemakers Podcast!

I want to begin this episode with a trigger warning. In this episode, we discuss childhood sexual abuse and very briefly suicide. The most important thing is for you to take care of you, so if you need to skip this episode, please do.

This week, I had the absolute privilege of interviewing Hazel Katherine Larkin.

Hazel Katherine Larkin is a mother, writer, teacher, activist, actor, and academic. Her daughters are 13 & 15, of mixed Irish and Indian heritage, and inspire her to be the best version of herself. Hazel has written for stage, screen and publication in Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai, and her memoir Gullible Travels was published at the end of 2015. She has designed and delivered workshops for women and children in a variety of disciplines including personal development, language arts, mental wellness and recovery, and sexuality and consent. She has also devised the first series of workshops ever available in Ireland for midwives and birthworkers around the provision of trauma-informed support for women who have survived sexual abuse. Hazel is a survivor of child sexual abuse, and she writes and speaks about this, and has devised a series of lectures for medical students around the long-term effects of child sexual abuse. Her first loves - Story-telling and Theatre – inform the production and performance all her work. Hazel is currently a PhD candidate researching transgenerational trauma, with particular regard to sexual abuse. Hazel also works with an agency for single parents in Ireland, influencing opinion and policy, and is also a founding member of MAM – Mothers Artists Makers

In this episode we really dive into Hazel’s story. Hazel shares the realities and the struggles of being a truthteller, her experiences of recovery and therapy and how she learned there is no overnight magical transformation, but instead there are lots of small magical steps.

Hazel shares how being a truthteller has been imperative in sharing her own experiences of surviving childhood sexual abuse, great wisdom about telling the truth in stages and the importance of empirical truth.

We dive into the nuances of the #MeToo movement: how we have the choice whether we disclose and to who, how it is enough to draw strength from nodding your head with other people coming forward and the importance of believing yourself when it’s hard.

As Hazel says, one of the most isolating things about sexual abuse is feeling like you’re the only one. This episode is a reminder that you are not alone. Hazel shares advice on what to do if you’ve never disclosed or talked about your experiences and want to start dealing with them, fantastic advice on choosing a counsellor/therapist who works for you and some book suggestions which I’ve added at the end of this episode.

Hazel is a true gift to the world and I am so happy this conversation exists in the world. Hazel says in this episode that her job as a human being is to be the most useful human being she can be and this episode is testament to that.

 

About Hazel:

Hazel Katherine Larkin is a mother, writer, teacher, activist, actor, and academic. Her daughters are 13 & 15, of mixed Irish and Indian heritage, and inspire her to be the best version of herself. Hazel has written for stage, screen and publication in Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai, and her memoir Gullible Travels was published at the end of 2015. She has designed and delivered workshops for women and children in a variety of disciplines including personal development, language arts, mental wellness and recovery, and sexuality and consent. She has also devised the first series of workshops ever available in Ireland for midwives and birthworkers around the provision of trauma-informed support for women who have survived sexual abuse. Hazel is a survivor of child sexual abuse, and she writes and speaks about this, and has devised a series of lectures for medical students around the long-term effects of child sexual abuse. Her first loves - Story-telling and Theatre – inform the production and performance all her work. Hazel is currently a PhD candidate researching transgenerational trauma, with particular regard to sexual abuse. Hazel also works with an agency for single parents in Ireland, influencing opinion and policy, and is also a founding member of MAM – Mothers Artists Makers

Blog | Twitter | Memoir

 

Things We Talked About:

  • Being a truthteller and being honest and authentic at all times
  • How living on hope is like living the smell of bread when you’re starving
  • How it’s enough to draw strength from other people coming forward, nodding your head
  • Empirical truth vs perception

Resources Mentioned:

 

About Meg & That Hummingbird Life

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate.

I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum.

When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers (join the party here!) or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

 

Jan 15, 2018

Hello Couragemakers, and welcome to episode 76 of The Couragemakers Podcast!

This week I’m chatting to Maggie Minor. Maggie is multi-passionate entrepreneur, sculptor, print-maker, room designer, blogger and author….and it’s all tied together into one vision: Maggie wants to help people make their spaces align with how they want to feel and their future goals.  Maggie grew up in North Carolina as the daughter of a woman contractor (one of two in the entire state) constantly dreaming about designing homes and traveling the world. In college she spent a life-changing semester in England, which lead to working at the New Yorker magazine and attending graduate school in Australia. This in turn led to 12 years as a Peace Corps volunteer and humanitarian worker. Maggie loves to travel, meet other multi-passionate entrepreneurs, be near water, and being creative.

In this episode, we really dive into the power of women’s stories and women’s art, the stories we tell ourselves and the importance of what we surround ourselves with and what messages they send to us.

We explore how as women we’re taught not to be whole on purpose, what happens when you realise your stories are important, and Maggie’s life as a story collector.

We also have a great conversation about how to get through hard periods in your life where it feels like you’re wading through mud, and the things you learn along the way.

There is so much I love about this episode - from Maggie’s ‘Do You Give A Shit Test’ to the way Maggie is so open about what she admires about herself and how interesting her own story is.

I know you’re going to love this episode as much as I loved our conversation!

Enjoy the show!

 

About Maggie:

Maggie is multi-passionate entrepreneur, sculptor, print-maker, room designer, blogger and author….but it’s all tied together into one vision. Maggie wants to help people make their spaces align with how they want to feel and their future goals.  I grew up in North Carolina as the daughter of a woman contractor (one of two in the entire state) constantly dreaming about designing homes and traveling the world. In college she spent a life-changing semester in England, which lead to working at the New Yorker magazine and attending graduate school in Australia. This in turn led to 12 years as a Peace Corps volunteer and humanitarian worker. Maggie loves to travel, meet other multi-passionate entrepreneurs, be near water, and being creative.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

 

Things We Talked About:

  • Maggie’s ‘Do you give a shit?’ test
  • Sharing your story and realising that your story is interesting
  • Exploring our dark places - that’s often where we find the truest things about ourselves
  • Retro feminism and the importance of women’s art
  • Viewing your home as a 3D vision board

 

Resources Mentioned:

Bethany Webster - The Mother Wound 

The Desire Map - Danielle La Porte

Marie Diamond

Martha Beck - How to design your home for maximum happiness

The Power of Unpopular - Erika Napoletano

 

About Meg & That Hummingbird Life

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate.

I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum.

 

When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers (join the party here!) or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

 

Jan 8, 2018

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 75 of The Couragemakers Podcast!

This week I’m delighted to be joined by Andrea Owen. Andrea is an author, mentor, and certified life coach who helps high-achieving women let go of perfectionism, control, and isolation and choose courage and confidence instead. She has helped thousands of women manage their inner-critic to create loving connections and live their most kick-ass life. She is the proud author of 52 Ways to Live a Kick-Ass Life and How To Stop Feeling Like Shit and the host of Your Kick Ass Life Podcast. When she’s not juggling her full coaching practice or hosting retreats, Andrea is busy competing in triathlons, chasing her 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter or making out with her husband, Jason. She is also a retired roller derby player having skated under the name “Veronica Vain”.

In this episode, we’re really challenging the myth that everyone has their shit together. Andrea shares her journey to reaching rock bottom and working her way back out, as well as her family origin story and how you explore your own.

We dive into listening to your intuition, the importance defining our values has in our lives, and we challenge the zero fucks mentality and faux positive Pinterest quotes.

We also have great conversations about how we get in our own way and what we can do it about it - from people pleasing and numbing out, to isolation and perfectionism.

Andrea and I had so much fun during our conversation, and it’s just so refreshing to talk about embracing what makes us human and really debunking the fact that no one has their shit together, and we’re all paddling like hell underneath!

Enjoy the show!

 

About Andrea

Andrea Owen is an author, mentor, and certified life coach who helps high-achieving women let go of perfectionism, control, and isolation and choosing courage and confidence instead. She has helped thousands of women manage their inner-critic to create loving connections and live their most kick-ass life. She is the proud author of 52 Ways to Live a Kick-Ass Life and How To Stop Feeling Like Shit and the host of Your Kick Ass Life Podcast. When she’s not juggling her full coaching practice or hosting retreats, Andrea is busy competing in triathlons, chasing her 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter or making out with her husband, Jason. She is also a retired roller derby player having skated under the name “Veronica Vain”.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Youtube |

 

Things We Talked About

  • Showing your human side and that you no one has their shit together
  • You don’t have to share everything with everyone
  • Bearing the weight and the pain of your own story
  • The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” Alice Walker

 

Resources Mentioned:

 

About Meg & That Hummingbird Life

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate.

I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum.

When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers (join the party here!) or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

 

Jan 2, 2018

We’re back! Happy New Year Couragemakers, I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back!

If you’ve been listening for a while, you might have noticed that Couragemakers has been on hiatus since October. The end of last year was a hard one, I lost one of Grandmothers and had a health scare (luckily everything is okay). Taking a break felt incredibly scary - but it was a great reminder that the world doesn’t end when you need to take time for yourself and there’s no shame in needing time for yourself!

So, as I mentioned, Couragemakers is back to its usual Monday schedule! I have fantastic interviews lined up which I know you’re going to love, and I couldn’t be happier to start the new year off with this wonderful conversation with Amy Parker!

Amy is an in-house copywriter and general creative who loves making a mess, enjoys documenting her life (but not necessarily publishing it!), decorating things with washi and stickers, and generally finding little ways to make the world more joyful. She is the woman behind HappyPostBox and shares memory-keeping and planner-related posts on Instagram  and sells printable planner stickers in her Easy shop. For the last year she’s been living by her first ever ‘word of the year’ - ‘joy' - and would absolutely encourage anyone else to give it a try, too.

In this episode, Amy shares all about choosing her word for the year, what she has learned during the year and some really helpful practical tips to set your own intentions for your year

We’re really dive into starting your year without pressure, how to use your creativity to  record life without getting lost in the act of recording your life, perfectionism and liberating our inner people pleaser and treating your future self as a different person.

One of the things I love the most about this episode, apart from the fact that both of our cheeks were aching from laughing and smiling during our conversation, is Amy’s flexible approach to using a word to guide your year. I love how she sees it as a lens rather than something which you can use to create a rigid plan. I really admire Amy’s honesty in sharing the bumps in the road of her Year Of Joy are it’s really refreshing to see that her journey wasn’t linear, and that you don’t have to do it right, or in a certain way.

I hope this episode helps take the pressure off and helps you to add more joy to your own life.

Here’s to a Hopeful, Inspired and Creative New Year!

And remember, if you’re listening to this episode further along the year, you can start your own Word of The Year journey any time!

Now, onto the show!

 

 

About Amy

Amy is an in-house copywriter and general creative, who enjoys documenting her life (but not necessarily publishing it!), decorating things with washi and stickers, and generally finding little ways to make the world more joyful. She shares memory-keeping and planner-related posts on Instagram at @happypostbox and sells printable planner stickers in an Etsy shop of the same name (which started a couple of years ago when she couldn’t find any stickers for her planner of choice, the Passion Planner). For the last year she’s been living by her first ever ‘word of the year’ - ‘joy' - and would absolutely encourage anyone else to give it a try, too.

Etsy | Instagram

 

 

Things We Talked About:

  • Getting honest with yourself and choosing your word of the year based on what you need instead of what you feel you should be doing
  • The little things that bring Amy joy
  • Capturing real life versus what makes us look good
  • What Amy’s year of joy taught her
  • Treating your future self as a different person

 

 

Resources Mentioned:

 

About Meg & That Hummingbird Life

 

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate.

I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum.

When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

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