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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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Now displaying: 2019
Dec 22, 2019

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

Today I’m chatting with Jolene Wolfe. Joelene - apart from having the world’s best name - is the founder of Happiness Depends. After years of working in the corporate world and following someone else's dream, she took the big leap to finally follow her own. Since Joelene was three her big dream was to be an actor, and at age 40, she took the big leap to start pursuing that dream. Joelene believes Happiness depends on so many things, but it always starts with an idea, a feeling, and a first step. She now enjoys helping others conquer their inner obstacles to take the first step toward their dreams through her writing, coaching and online courses.

In today’s episode, we’re diving into Joelene’s story, from working in corporate America to being laid off and pursuing her lifelong dream of actor.

We’re talking all about facing your fears, taking back your life and the importance of finding your own definition of happiness that is unique to you!

We dive into how fear is just a feeling, how to deal with the vulnerability of telling others about your big dreams, maintaining your momentum on the dream-chasing journey and the importance of giving yourself space to explore dreams.

There are so many nuggets of wisdom in here and if you need a boost of inspiration and a sign to keep chasing your own dreams, this is it!

So, Enjoy the show!

 

About Joelene

Jolene Wolfe. Joelene is the founder of Happiness Depends. After years of working in the corporate world and following someone else's dream, she took the big leap to finally follow her own. Joelene believes Happiness depends on so many things, but it always starts with an idea, a feeling, and a first step. She now enjoys helping others conquer their inner obstacles to take the first step toward their dreams through her writing, coaching and online courses.

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Things We Talked About:

  • Joelene’s story, from working in corporate America to being laid off and pursuing her lifelong dream of actor.
  • How fear is just a feeling
  • getting vulnerable and telling people about your dreams
  • maintaining momentum when chasing your dreams
  • the importance of giving yourself space to dream
  • Tackling a scarcity mindset and allowing yourself to shine
  • Well intentioned dreamshitters

 

About Meg & That Hummingbird Life

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday Pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

 

Dec 16, 2019

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to another fabulous episode! This week I’m chatting with the amazing storyteller who is Divya Kohli.

Divya is a London-based, Indian-born senior Yoga and Meditation teacher. She embraces both the scientific and spiritual aspects of yoga and meditation, and the eastern and western parts of her heritage.

After studying Literature at Cambridge University, Divya won a place on The Guardian’s news trainee scheme. While working as a freelance journalist she discovered yoga, more than 20 years’ ago, seemingly by accident, when she stumbled into a class in a room above her local pub. Since that pivotal day in her life she committed to the practice and began investigating the theory of how it worked. This has led her to spend periods of time with teachers in India, while also learning from western schools of psychology, philosophy and neuroscience. She is a professionally trained Mindfulness Facilitator through the mental health charity MIND.

She has grown a community through her teaching, connecting with people across the city of London, the UK and beyond.  Her aim is to share accessible ways the practices she has found to be life-changing and can help all of us who are susceptible to the stresses of modern times.

Alongside yoga and meditation, Divya is also passionate about writing, creativity and trance music!

In this week’s episode we’re really diving into the importance of nuance and owning the ups and downs of our own stories.

Divya shares her journey so far, from growing up feeling like an outsider, the many different career paths she has taken and how following her curiosity is what has led her to what she’s doing today.

We dive into how Divya gives herself permission to follow her curiosities, her practical advice for dealing with fear and uncertainty and her great motto of ‘do your time but make your time.’

If you wonder whether you’re on the right path, this is absolutely the episode for you!

I love how refreshing it was to hear all about the twists and the turns on Divya’s path and I know you’re going to get lost in her storytelling!

Enjoy the show!

 

About Divya:

Divya is a London-based, Indian-born senior Yoga and Meditation teacher. She embraces both the scientific and spiritual aspects of yoga and meditation, and the eastern and western parts of her heritage.

After studying Literature at Cambridge University, Divya won a place on The Guardian’s news trainee scheme. While working as a freelance journalist she discovered yoga, more than 20 years’ ago, seemingly by accident, when she stumbled into a class in a room above her local pub. Since that pivotal day in her life she committed to the practice and began investigating the theory of how it worked. This has led her to spend periods of time with teachers in India, while also learning from western schools of psychology, philosophy and neuroscience. She is a professionally trained Mindfulness Facilitator through the mental health charity MIND.

She has grown a community through her teaching, connecting with people across the city of London, the UK and beyond.  Her aim is to share accessible ways the practices she has found to be life-changing and can help all of us who are susceptible to the stresses of modern times.

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Things We Talked About:

  • The many different career paths she has taken
  • Following your curiosity - finding things you could never have predicted
  • Leaning into following the things that make you curious
  • How Divya gives herself permission to follow her curiosities
  • Being in discomfort
  • Do your time but make your time
  • Dealing with the question is this enough
  • Divya’s practical advice for dealing with fear and uncertainty

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 a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday Pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

Dec 10, 2019

Hello Couragemakers and welcome back to The Couragemakers Podcast!

Couragemakers is back after an unexpected break - I have missed you all! Behind the scenes I’m working on a very exciting podcast project to coincide with Couragemakers’ 4th birthday next year, diving deep into how to build a wholehearted life with coaching clients and most recently, attempting to stop Merlin from eating our Christmas tree!

How is life with you? Go message me over on Instagram - I’d love to hear how your 2019 has been and how you’re doing!

Now, onto today’s show!

For today’s episode, I am absolutely over the moon to introduce you Hope Alexander. It is a real joy and a privilege when I get to have my favourite people on the show and I can’t wait for you to meet my brilliant friend, Hope. 

Hope is the founder of Solace & Company, a gift service and empowerment platform for bereaved people. She's also a freelancer in the design industry, campaign and events manager for two children's charities, soon-to-be-podcaster, prolific volunteer and devoted mum to her cats and two pygmy goats.

She's currently working hard on the latest edition of Solace Boxes which will be released in January, and planning the first of what will hopefully be many non-profit summer camps for young bereaved people in September of next year - for more details on that, sign up to the mailing list on the Solace & Company website. A grief-inspired podcast about life and death and everything in between is also in the works, so make sure to give her a follow on something social if you like what she has to say!

In this episode, Hope shares her journey of building a multi-passionate career and how she has worked to find her purpose and a way to contribute and add meaning to the world.

During our conversation we dive into everything from managing multiple projects, Hope’s motto to live by: this too shall pass, imposter syndrome and looking after yourself while making the world a brighter place.

We have a really deep conversation about bereavement, the need to start having real conversations about dying and the work Hope is doing to make that happen. We discuss how taboo talking about death is, how much having those conversations would change the world, and Hope has so much brilliant advice on what to say and do to really help people who are grieving. 

If you need a reminder that you can change the world, proof that you can build a multi-passionate career or need to hear a really healing conversation about death and bereavement, this is the perfect episode for you 

Needless to say, I adore Hope and I’m in absolute awe of all the things she does, how big her heart is, and how much hope she inspires. She is quite literally Hope by name, Hope by nature. 

I know you’re going to love Hope, love this episode and enjoy watching her story unfold.

Enjoy the show!

About Hope

Hope is the founder of Solace & Company, a gift service and empowerment platform for bereaved people. She's also a freelancer in the design industry, campaign and events manager for two children's charities, soon-to-be-podcaster, prolific volunteer and devoted mum to her cats and two pygmy goats.

She's currently working hard on the latest edition of Solace Boxes which will be released in January, and planning the first of what will hopefully be many non-profit summer camps for young bereaved people in September of next year - for more details on that, sign up to the mailing list on the Solace & Company website. A grief-inspired podcast about life and death and everything in between is also in the works, so make sure to give her a follow on something social if you like what she has to say!

Website | Instagram | Twitter

Things We Talked About

Hope is the founder of Solace & Company, a gift service and empowerment platform for bereaved people. She's also a freelancer in the design industry, campaign and events manager for two children's charities, soon-to-be-podcaster, prolific volunteer and devoted mum to her cats and two pygmy goats.

She's currently working hard on the latest edition of Solace Boxes which will be released in January, and planning the first of what will hopefully be many non-profit summer camps for young bereaved people in September of next year - for more details on that, sign up to the mailing list on the Solace & Company website. A grief-inspired podcast about life and death and everything in between is also in the works, so make sure to give her a follow on something social if you like what she has to say!

Website | Instagram | Twitter

Resources

About Meg & That Hummingbird Life

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday Pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

Oct 31, 2019

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

This week I had the absolute delight of talking with Indrani Goradia!

Indrani is a philanthropist and advocate for women’s health and empowerment. She is the founder of Indrani’s Light Foundation, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to improving the level of care for domestic violence survivors by training and supporting front-line domestic violence caregivers in reducing compassion fatigue and burnout.

An author, speaker and certified life coach, Indrani has delivered keynote addresses at conferences and leads workshops around the world, including World Women’s Health and Development Forum at the United Nations, the Nexus Conference in Jamaica, the UBS’s “It’s a Girl” conference in Switzerland, Global India Fund’s Girl Rising Screening and panel in D.C, Women Moving Millions, at the 2016 Women Deliver Conference in Copenhagen. She did a Tedx Talk titled “Love Expressed as Violence is a Lie” at TEDx Port of Spain 2015 .

Indrani completed her formal education in New York City, attending Queens College and Kent State University. She is currently preparing to begin a certification in Social Impact Strategy at UPenn and an executive leadership program at THNK in Amsterdam for 2019.  She is also tri-athlete and marathoner in her spare time.

During our conversation, Indrani shares how she realised her life mission, what inspired her mission and how she sustains herself along the way.

We dive into SO many great things during this episode including a very practical way of saying no, dealing with toxic people, why recovery time is so important and how Indrani reparents herself.

This episode is a great reminder of how what people say says more about them, that we need to put ourselves on the top of our list and why selfish is such a fantastic word!

Indiani’s spirit is absolutely contagious. If you need some courage to deal with toxic people in your life, a permission slip to look after yourself as well as the people around you, and some extra sass in your life, this is the episode for you!

Enjoy the show!

Oct 21, 2019

This week I’m speaking to Heather Adams. Heather the founder and CEO of Choice Media & Communications, a boutique media and communications business. A self-proclaimed pop-culture junkie, Heather leads Choice’s impressive team of women as they serve preeminent voices in publishing, government, lifestyle, entertainment, business, and faith-based arenas. Heather has played an instrumental role in helping more than 100 authors land spots on The New York Times Best Sellers list. A passionate mentor to women in the communications field and beyond, Heather is tearing down old barriers with the ever-present hope that in the future, women professionals and entrepreneurs will face far fewer obstacles. Heather is a big believer in nurturing the next generation of women. She walks that women-lifting-up-other-women-walk through developing the all-women Choice team she’s built, the college women she mentors, the clients and projects she selects, and so much more.Heather lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, Matthew, and their two young sons, Dixon and Thackston.

In this episode we’re really diving into mentorship and women lifting other women up. Heather shares so much practical advice on how to find a mentor - even when it feels scary, how to get the most out of a mentor relationship as well as being a good mentee and mentor.

Heather shares her love and passion for books from an early age and her journey from working in the book publishing industry to starting her own boutique communications organisation.

And we also dive into keeping your work and life sustainable, from how Heather sees self-care as critical for being the best version of her she can be, prioritising for the season of life you’re in, and Heather shares what keeps the fire in her belly burning.

I can’t tell you how excited to share this episode with you! Heather is the antithesis of the old saying that women should be seen and not heard. Heather’s passion for stories and the desire to make people feel heard, seen and known shines through everything she says and I love how she is working to create a culture that lifts women up.

 

About Heather

 

Heather Adams is the founder and CEO of Choice Media &Communications, a boutique media and

communications business. A self-proclaimed pop-culture junkie, Heather leads Choice’s impressive team of women as they serve preeminent voices in publishing, government, lifestyle, entertainment, business, and faith-based arenas. Heather has played an instrumental role in helping more than 100 authors land spots on The New York Times Best

Sellers list. A passionate mentor to women in the communications field and beyond, Heather is tearing down old barriers with the ever-present hope that in the future, women professionals and entrepreneurs will face far fewer obstacles. Heather is a big believer in nurturing the next generation of women. She walks that women-lifting-up-other-women-walk through developing the all-women Choice team she’s built, the college women she mentors, the clients and projects she selects, and so much more.Heather lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, Matthew, and their two young sons, Dixon and Thackston.

Website | Twitter |  Instagram | LinkedIn

 

Things We Talked About:

  • Heather’s experiences of being mentored and her advice for finding a mentor and getting the most out of that relationship
  • Heather’s idea of having a Board of Investors: people who pour into us and support us
  • How Heather sees self-care as critical for being the best version of her she can be
  • Prioritising for the season of life you’re in

 

About Meg & That Hummingbird Life

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday Pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

Oct 15, 2019

This week I’m talking to the fabulous and my now-friend Katie Vaz. Katie is an illustrator, author, and graphic designer living in Upstate New York with her husband, Joby, a puppy named Tater, and a cat named KittenFace. She is the author of the adult coloring book Don’t Worry, Eat Cake (which was featured on Canada's Biggest Bestseller List at Chapters Indigo), the book Make Yourself Cozy: A Guide for Practicing Self-Care, and more recently The Escape Manual For Introverts, which was just published on August 6, 2019 (all three by Andrews McMeel Publishing). She also designs her own line of greeting cards, prints and other stationery products, which are sold both online on Etsy and in brick and mortar shops across North America. She also works as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer with a variety of clients on branding, packaging design, and illustration projects. Katie’s work has been featured on sites like BuzzFeed, Woman’s Day, POPSUGAR, Real Simple, and HuffPost. When she’s not working, Katie likes to spend her time cooking and baking, tending to her plants, reading fiction - Harry Potter is her favourite), learning embroidery, and walking her puppy Tater.

Today’s episode is just a really refreshingly honest conversation about the struggles that so often accompany being a creative woman, from self doubt and comparison to owning the things that make you different and dealing with expectations and disappointments.

We have great discussions about making space for the unexpected, focusing on your own work and not comparing your work to others, external versus internal motivation and the power of recognising and exploring your fears.

We also dive deep into owning your experience as an introvert and highly sensitive person and finding like minded people.

If you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall of a really intimate and vulnerable conversation between two creative women who are just laying it all out there, this is the perfect episode for you!

And if you struggle with people pleasing, anxiety and imposter syndrome, let this episode serve as a reminder that you are never alone.

I am sure that you will, as I have, fall in love with Katie and really enjoy this episode!

So enjoy the show!

 

About Katie

Katie is an illustrator, author, and graphic designer living in Upstate New York with her husband, Joby, a puppy named Tater, and a cat named KittenFace. She is the author of the adult coloring book Don’t Worry, Eat Cake (which was featured on Canada's Biggest Bestseller List at Chapters Indigo), the book Make Yourself Cozy: A Guide for Practicing Self-Care, and more recently The Escape Manual For Introverts, which was just published on August 6, 2019 (all three by Andrews McMeel Publishing). She also designs her own line of greeting cards, prints and other stationery products, which are sold both online on Etsy and in brick and mortar shops across North America. She also works as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer with a variety of clients on branding, packaging design, and illustration projects. Katie’s work has been featured on sites like BuzzFeed, Woman’s Day, POPSUGAR, Real Simple, and HuffPost.

Website | Etsy Shop | Instagram | Facebook

 

Things We Talked About:

  • making space for the unexpected
  • putting your blinkers on and focusing on your own work
  • comparison and social media
  • external versus internal motivation
  • expectations we put on ourselves
  • reframing fear as fuel
  • the power of recognising and exploring your fears
  • keeping a list of scary things you’ve done
  • imposter syndrome
  • experiencing life as a highly sensitive person
  • Katie’s advice on people wanting to create something but it feels too big and too scary
  • find beauty in the mundane
  • meeting like minded people

 

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!

 

Oct 7, 2019

Hello Couragemakers!

This week I’m chatting to Lucy Elliott - THE most colourful and fun chocolate bars I have ever seen.

Lucy is the creative director and founder of Creighton's Chocolaterie.  She is a product designer, chocolatier and lover of all things colourful  (especially if food is involved!). From a young age, Lucy's dream was to have a career doing something she loved. At school, she came up various fun and colourful ‘products’ that she'd sell to friends and family, including a self-published cake cookbook, a range of greetings cards, band merch, jewellery… the list was endless but had one thing in common: everything was created & designed by her. Lucy lives in Leighton Buzzard with her husband, daughter and dog

In today’s episode, Lucy is diving into her story, from how she has been running creative endeavour of one kind of another since being a child to how she founded Creighton’s Chocolaterie.

We have so many great discussions about creativity in this episode. We dive into the power of creating the things you want to see in the world and creating with blinkers on, the need to have other and completely separate creative outlets when you put a lot of your work out there, the surprising relationship between impatience and perfectionism and how Lucy keeps her creative fires burning.

This is a perfect episode for you if yo’ve ever struggled with the idea of creativity and business coinciding together, if you struggle with self doubt and you need a massive shot of inspiration.

There are so many wisdoms of nuggets in here and I know you’re going to take so much from this episode!

Enjoy the show!

 

About Lucy

Lucy is the creative director and founder of Creighton's Chocolaterie.  She is a product designer, chocolatier and lover of all things colourful  (especially if food is involved!). From a young age, Lucy's dream was to have a career doing something she loved. At school, she came up various fun and colourful ‘products’ that she'd sell to friends and family, including a self-published cake cookbook, a range of greetings cards, band merch, jewellery… the list was endless but had one thing in common: everything was created & designed by her. Lucy lives in Leighton Buzzard with her husband, daughter and dog

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

 

Things We Talked About:

 

  • Lucy’s journey from being a creative entrepreneurial child to founding Creighton’s Chocolaterie
  • The surprising relationship between impatience and perfectionism
  • Lucy’s advice to any creative struggling with self belief
  • The power of creating the things you want to see in the world
  • How Lucy has stopped doing things in her spare time that she doesn’t want to do
  • Separating work and home life
  • Being a triple threat creative: being able to create, being able to do your accounts, and running a business
  • The importance of doing things completely unrelated to your business

 

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 a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday Pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

Oct 1, 2019

Hello Couragemakers!

I couldn’t be happier to be sharing the conversation I had with today’s guest. This week I’m talking with wonderful human who is Eli Trier.

Eli is a community builder for Quiet Revolutionaries. She helps introverts with big dreams to get connected and build thriving, engaged communities around their businesses, so that they can make a massive impact, find their dream clients, and make their corner of the world a better place. She specialises in creating powerful, strategic online community projects and loves every minute of her work (even the boring bits). Eli lives in the wonderful city of Copenhagen, Denmark and when she's not working you can find her curled up with a book, painting, or hanging out with her husband Lars. Eli’s runs the group program love>numbers group programme which is all about getting connected and building a network of your right people. Applications are currently open - you can find out more by visiting https://elitriercommunities.com/lovenumbers

In this week’s episode, we’re talking all about Eli’s journey to showing up fully in all her, what she calls Wibbly-Wobbly, Wonky Glory.

Eli shares her journey from struggling with crippling anxiety to helping people build authentic communities, her story of being diagnosed wth autism in her thirties, and her decision she made two years ago to only talk to herself with compassion and like her own best friend.

We have a great conversation about boundaries and how having such firm boundaries around her time and energy are what allows her to show up fully, how self compassion and self-kindness are Eli’s superpowers and how to find your people.

I’ve been thinking a lot over the past couple of years, about the sustainability piece when it comes to creating a life you love and Eli’s wisdom and practical examples around her own boundaries is seriously inspiring and helpful.

If you’re someone who wants to show up more as your imperfect self, wants to find your people and wants to find a way to show yourself more compassion and kindness instead of being your own biggest dreamshitter, this is the episode for you!

Eli is an absolute powerhouse, I love her enthusiasm, her values and her energy. She is simply contagious.

Here’s to showing up in full in all our wibbly-wobbly, wonky glory and making the world a brighter place!

Enjoy the show!

 

About Eli

Eli Trier lives in the wonderful city of Copenhagen, Denmark and is a community builder for Quiet Revolutionaries. She helps introverts with big dreams to get connected and build thriving, engaged communities around their businesses, so that they can make a massive impact, find their dream clients, and make their corner of the world a better place. A long-time business owner, Eli knows first-hand the power of human connection to build a business, and her unique approach got her featured in The FT Guide to Business Networking. She specialises in creating powerful, strategic online community projects and loves every minute of her work (even the boring bits). When she's not working you can find her curled up with a book, painting, or hanging out with her husband Lars.

Details of her love>numbers group programme (which is currently open for applications) all about getting connected and building a network of your right people can be found here.

Website | Instagram | Love over numbers

 

Things We Talked About:

  • Eli’s journey from struggling with crippling anxiety to helping people build authentic communities
  • Eli’s rich internal life
  • Learning to apologise properly
  • Putting firm boundaries around your energy and time so you can show up fully
  • How Eli decided to commit to talking to herself like her own best friend
  • How to find your people

 

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 a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday Pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

Sep 15, 2019

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to another episode and a Couragemakers first, because today I’m interviewing two wonderful women! And we’re diving into everything related to money, and if you’re anything like me, it might surprise you to find that you can have a hell of a lot of fun talking about money!

This week I’m chatting with Martha Lawton and Alex Lemon, hosts of the podcast Squanderlust: part self-help, part comedy, part confessional, Squanderlust is a very different kind of personal finance podcast and talks about the emotional side of money, why our actions aren’t always as good as our intentions and what we can do about it.

Martha Lawton is a former financial advisor is turned freelancer who helps organisations improve support for vulnerable people with money issues. She has facilitated hundreds of workshops about budgeting, borrowing and saving and helped thousands of people think more clearly about their finances. Martha loves learning recipes from around the world, spending time with her husband, her friends and her sister and crocheting.

Alex Lemon is a former chartered accountant turned freelance editor. She works in content and communications for charity campaigns, marketing, web services, data visualization, digital policy and, lately, books. which makes sense when you know she was a journalist before she was ever an accountant. Alex enjoys swing dancing, learning Korean, reading and thinking about Life, and how to get better at it.

We chat about so many juicy things in this episode, from why money is such a complicated topic for women, the history of women having their own money and the shame we often feel, to the joy of money and how to get really playful with it.

We have so many great conversations about the rarely spoken about emotional and psychological sides of money, and Martha and Alex have so much great advice on what to do if you find talking about money simply plain scary.

It is so refreshing to talk about money in a playful and joyful way, especially as I think it’s fair to say we have a somewhat complicated relationship with money as creative and multi-passionate women. As someone who tends to find talking about money pretty scary, it was amazing to find that there are ways of talking about it that actually feel good!

Martha and Alex are so generous with their experiences, so brilliant at uncovering the shame that comes with money and I guarantee that this episode is going to make you curious about how you can reframe your relationship with money!


I know you’re going to love this one, so enjoy the show!

 

About Martha, Alex & The Squanderlust Podcast

Martha Lawton is a former financial advisor is turned freelancer who helps organisations improve support for vulnerable people with money issues. She has facilitated hundreds of workshops about budgeting, borrowing and saving and helped thousands of people think more clearly about their finances. Martha loves learning recipes from around the world, spending time with her husband, her friends and her sister and crocheting.

Alex Lemon is a former chartered accountant turned freelance editor. She works in content and communications for charity campaigns, marketing, web services, data visualization, digital policy and, lately, books. which makes sense when you know she was a journalist before she was ever an accountant. Alex enjoys swing dancing, learning Korean, reading and thinking about Life, and how to get better at it.

Martha and Alex are hosts of the podcast Squanderlust: a podcast about the emotional side of money, why our actions aren’t always as good as our intentions and what we can do about it. Part self-help, part comedy, part confessional, Squanderlust is a very different kind of personal finance podcast!

Podcast | Website | Twitter

 

Things We Talked About

  • Demystifying money
  • Why money is a complicated topic for women
  • The history of women and money
  • The taboo of speaking about the emotional and psychological sides of money
  • The courage of letting people in not just pushing them out
  • The joy of money and how to get playful with money
  • Martha and Alex’s practical advice on what to do if you find it scary talking about money

 

Resources

Martha and Alex have been really kind and put together a Resources page for Couragemaker listeners! You can check it out here!

 

About your host, Meg Kissack + That Hummingbird Life 

 

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

Sep 9, 2019

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to another fabulous episode of The Couragemakers Podcast! The week I’m so excited to chat with Mai-kee Tsang. Mai-kee is a Launch Strategist, Copywriter, Podcast Host & Coach who helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs to build their authority in business, and discover their Brand DNA so that they can thrive when they launch their signature courses. Outside of her 1-1 client work, she hosts The Quiet Rebels Podcast which is a dedicated space to help her listeners to create the courage to own their voice, message, and worth in both life and business - without having to be the loudest person in the room.

And when she’s not in work, you can find her trying to solve the Rubik's cube and resisting the call of her freezer to dig into Salted Caramel Ice cream.

In this week’s episode we’re really diving into the world of people-pleasing, shrugging off what other people expect of us and finding your intuition.

Mai-kee shares her the journey of from struggling with what she wanted to be when she grew up to starting her own business, how she learned to listen to her intuition, and how she became friends with fear.

We have a great conversation about the difference between internal and external validation and how imagination can be wielded as a source of good and how Mai-kee’s life changed when she stopped people pleasing.

This is such a practical episode and I love how Mai-kee shares a wonderful exercise on how to use your intuition to make decisions and the advice she has to give if you’ve ever been rejected by your community.

Before we begin, I want to let you know that this episode contains a very brief reference to sexual assault, so look after you and do what you need to do.

If you struggle with people pleasing, putting boundaries in place, letting go of other people’s expectations of you or you struggle to connect with intuition, this is the perfect episode for you!

Enjoy today’s show!

 

About Mai Kee

Mai-kee Tsang is a Launch Strategist, Copywriter, Podcast Host & Coach who helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs to build their authority in business, and discover their Brand DNA so that they can thrive when they launch their signature courses.

As a Launch Strategist, she’s at the front lines during course launches from start to finish. And with 5 years of coaching under her belt, she’s able to dig deep to understand their true desires and fears of her clients’ customers - to turn it into empowering copy.

Outside of her 1-1 client work, she hosts The Quiet Rebels Podcast which is a dedicated space to help her listeners to create the courage to own their voice, message, and worth in both life and business - without having to be the loudest person in the room.

When Mai-kee is off work you can find her trying to solve the Rubik's cube and resisting the siren call of my freezer to dig into the Salted Caramel Ice cream. Happiness for Mai-kee is working towards a life free of regrets in my relationships with family, friends, partner, work and health.

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Free Launch Guide

 

Things We Talked About

  • Mei-kee shares how her life changed when she stopped people pleasing and how she became friends with fear.
  • Using your skills for what you want to do versus what other people expect you to do
  • A practical exercise for using your intuition to make decisions
  • How imagination wielded as a source for good

 

About your host, Meg Kissack + That Hummingbird Life 

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

 

Sep 2, 2019

Hello Couragemakers!

This week I’m speaking with the delightful Nikki Newbauer and this week is all about hope: a topic that I think is more important than ever in a world that sometimes feels like it’s falling apart.

Nikki is a hopeful humanitarian and founder of Little Hope Notes: an initiative that is spreading kindness, one note at a time. Nikki is passionate about loving others and spreading hope to strangers through her writing. She lives with her husband and uniquely wonderful five year old daughter in Virginia and can be often found hiking in Shenandoah National Park, coffee shop hopping, and looking for nearby creeks to play in, and are always on the lookout for tacos!

In today’s episode, Nikki is sharing the story behind little hope notes, her mental health journey and how writing has made a profound difference in her life.


We dive into how Nikki keeps her hope alive, how random acts of kindness have made a huge difference in Nikki’s life, perfectionism and how social media can be used for good.

We have a great conversation about the power of comforting yourself, hitting rock bottom and Nikki shares the four things she does to look after herself and a hope note for everyone listening.

This episode is a great reminder that we already have all the tools we need inside ourselves and that courage doesn’t always feel like courage and the power of comforting yourself.

Just a head’s up before we begin that this episode does mention suicide, so look after you.

This is such a hopeful episode and my hope is that it fills your heart and fans your flame of hope as much as it has mine! Nikki is building such a wonderful community and I’m so inspired by how she  is creating, to borrow Nikki’s words, a tidal wave of kindness.

Enjoy the show!

 

About Nikki

 

Nikki is a hopeful humanitarian and founder of Little Hope Notes: an initiative that is spreading kindness, one note at a time. Nikki is passionate about loving others and spreading hope to strangers through her writing. She lives with her husband and uniquely wonderful five year old daughter in Virginia and can be often found hiking in Shenandoah National Park, coffee shop hopping, and looking for nearby creeks to play in, and are always on the lookout for tacos!

Website | Instagram | Pinterest

 

Things We Talked About

 

  • The story behind Little Hope Notes
  • How random acts of kindness have made a huge difference in Nikki’s life and how it inspired Little Hope Notes
  • Nikki’s mental health journey
  • What getting to rock bottom has taught Nikki
  • The power of comforting yourself

 

About your host, Meg Kissack + That Hummingbird Life 

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

 

Aug 26, 2019

Hello hello my Courgemaker family!

I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to share with you today’s episode - it seriously gives me LIFE!

This week I’m talking with Wellbotics founder Dr. Pam Davis. Wellbotics delivers pop up makerspaces to cancer care communities and other safe spaces, using instructional robots to leverage Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, and Mindfulness to increase problem-solving skills, communication, and cooperation amongst children facing family trauma. Since her first seizure at ten years old Pam has spent a lifetime thinking “with and about [her] brain.” That interest expanded to include interests in Mindfulness, Neuroscience, and Artificial Intelligence. With a passion for academic research Pam earned her doctorate degree in Instructional Media and Technology from Columbia University and in 2016 Pam combined her interests, passion and profound gratitude to those who helped her in her own battle with breast cancer by developing and offering Wellbotics to children and families dealing with the troubling times that often accompany a family cancer diagnosis. Pam loves kids and building robot so her time is spent using one to help another. Pam resides in New York City area as a workshop leader, public speaker and a STEM Educator. 

In this week’s episode, Pam shares her experiences of growing up as a child with epilepsy, being diagnosed with cancer at 47 and the story behind Wellbotics. She shares how Wellbotics was a response to Pam’s battle with breast cancer and how it changed her life and the lives of others in some unexpectedly positive ways.

There are so many wonderful moments in this episode that I don’t even know where to begin! We have a great conversation about reframing bitterness and Pam’s passion for sustainable positivity, confidence, the parallels between robotics and life - which is fascinating - and Pam’s notion which I love, of ‘once-upon-a-time strangers’.

Pam’s passion is utterly contagious and my heart felt so full after this conversation and I am couldn’t be more excited to be sharing it with you today.

If you need a boost, if you’re wondering if it’s possible to combine your interests into a fulfilling career or if you simply want to spend time in the company of one hell of an inspiring woman, you are going to love this conversation.

Enjoy the show, and as Pam says, Be Well.

 

About Dr. Pam Davis

Dr. Pam Davis is the Founder of Wellbotics. Wellbotics delivers pop up makerspaces to cancer care communities and other safe spaces, using instructional robots to leverage Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, and Mindfulness to increase problem-solving skills, communication, and cooperation amongst children facing family trauma. Since her first seizure at ten years old Dr. Pam has spent a lifetime thinking “with and about [her] brain.” That interest expanded to include interests in Mindfulness, Neuroscience, and Artificial Intelligence. With a passion for academic research Pam earned her doctorate degree in Instructional Media and Technology from Columbia University and in 2016 Pam combined her interests, passion and profound gratitude to those who helped her in her own battle with breast cancer by developing and offering Wellbotics to children and families dealing with the troubling times that often accompany a family cancer diagnosis. Pam resides in New York City area as a workshop leader, public speaker and a STEM Educator. 

Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

 

Things We Talked About

  • Pam’s journey from growing up as a child with epilsepsy, being diagnosed with breast cancer as an adult
  • Pam’s framework for a meaningful life: combining her interests, passions and gratitude
  • How Pam sustains her positivity
  • Taking a day by day or hour by hour or minute by minute approach to life
  • The power of accountability partners
  • The parallels between robotics and life

 

About your host, Meg Kissack + That Hummingbird Life 

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

 

Aug 19, 2019

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

This week I’m absolutely delighted to be chatting with Elise. Elise Rorick is the creative magic behind Lusicovi Creative. Elise is an Enchantment Artist, Book Designer + Photographer (including underwater photography) Writer, Philosopher, and Creator of The Starlight Journal, and the upcoming Starlight Collective and Create Journal. Capturing wonder and creating enchantment are her specialties and she is a giant nerd, fascinated by stories, the sea, the stars, and exploring questions like “why are we here?” and “where did we come from?” 

Elise’s artwork is always literary inspired with a bohemian feel, and is usually a combination of painting, photography, and historical research. She believes that both fantasy art and fantasy writing are incredibly important, because they allow us to explore very real problems in a safe space. Above all, she believes in the value of art to inspire and challenge us, children and adults alike. She hopes that her art, by exploring these big ideas about who we are as humans, and what amazing magical things we are capable of, will inspire others to re-examine what they think and know about the world and about themselves. She believes in spreading magic, beauty, love, and light, so that together we can inspire and empower the world. Books, art, nature, and connections with other creative and soulful humans are what makes her happy.  Elise is also a huge supporter of Couragemakers and is a wonderful member of the Couragemakers Patreon community!

In today’s episode, Elise is sharing her journey, from being a photographer since the age of 12 to running her own business and bringing loves of art, creativity, nature and wellbeing under one roof.

Elise really shares the behind the scenes of her business and it’s fascinating to hear the behind the scenes development of her Starlight Journal and the organic evolution of her business. Elise shares how she resisted picking a niche and also how she came to find out what holds everything in her business together.

We also dive into how fear and creativity walk hand in hand, the power of everyday magic  and synronicity, how courage is a form of rebellion and also the story behind Elise’s Harry Potter tattoo.

If you’re struggling to see how all the bits of your life fit together, you’re curious about the creative process, if you find it hard to ask for help and ask for feedback or if you ever wonder what will become of your unfinished creative projects, this episode is for you!

This episode is so inspiring and I’m so excited to share it with you! Enjoy the show!

 

About Elise

Elise Rorick is the creative magic behind Lusicovi Creative. Enchantment Artist, Book Designer + Photographer, Writer, Philosopher, and Creator of The Starlight Journal, and the upcoming Starlight Collective and Create Journal, capturing wonder and creating enchantment are her specialties. She is a giant nerd and is fascinated by stories, the sea, the stars, and exploring questions like “why are we here?” and “where did we come from?” 

Her artwork is always literary inspired with a bohemian feel, and is usually a combination of painting, photography, and historical research. She believes that both fantasy art and fantasy writing are incredibly important, because they allow us to explore very real problems in a safe space.

Above all, she believes in the value of art to inspire and challenge us, children and adults alike. She hopes that her art, by exploring these big ideas about who we are as humans, and what amazing magical things we are capable of, will inspire others to re-examine what they think and know about the world and about themselves. She believes in spreading magic, beauty, love, and light, so that together we can inspire and empower the world. Lusicovi Creative comes from Elise’s Armenian heritage. “Lus” means “light” in Armenian, and “covi” means “sea.”

In addition to fine art prints and products in her shop, she offers custom book cover design, unique fantasy portraits, and styled product and book photography to other storytellers and creatives around the world. The Starlight Journal is her first major publication. In the fall of 2020 she is releasing the Create Journal, launching the Starlight Collective, and re-publishing her senior thesis work on the myth of Pandora.

 

Website | Patreon | Shop | Starlight Journal | Starlight Collective | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

 

Things We Talked About

  • How artists should be taught marketing
  • How Else resisted picking a niche
  • The creative process behind The Starlight Journal
  • Everyday magic and synchronicity
  • The evolution of Elise’s business
  • Elise’s advice for anyone who finds it hard to ask for help or feedback
  • How fear and creativity can walk hand in hand
  • Finding your north star and Elise’s north star

 

Resources

 

About your host, Meg Kissack + That Hummingbird Life 

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

Aug 12, 2019

Hello Couragemakers! I am officially back, every single Monday, and I couldn't be happier with the conversation I’m returning with!

This week I’m chatting to the warm, the lovely, the fabulous storyteller and the woman I wish lived across the street from me, Deborah Fingerlow.

Deborah is a writer/weaver/artist, smitten with conversation and connections. At heart a beagle-whisperer, she works with soul-centered folks to help share their stories in a unique partnership built on mutual respect.

You can catch up with her on the street, beagle at her side, strolling through farmers’ markets, constantly on the lookout for new adventures and conversations. You can perhaps find her more easily at deborahfingerlow.com, or stop by and say hello on Instagram @deborahfingerlow.

In this week’s episode, Deborah shares her journey from being a quiet and shy person to a person who loves going out and being in the world and connecting with strangers.

She shares how the experience of having a son with life threatening allergies forced her to come out of her shell and her journey of connecting with people and finding her people.

During our conversation, Deborah shares some life lessons I won’t be forgetting anytime soon, from giving people the opportunity to rise to expectations rather than assume they’re going to disappoint us, how everyone wants to help and everyone wants to be a hero and how you can’t be everything to everybody.

There is so much practical wisdom in this episode, and if you want to go out into the world and find more in-person connections, Deborah shares a treasure trove of ideas and ways you can start doing that today.

If you feel the pressure to do all the things and be all the things (like we all do!) this episode is a huge dollop of permission to slow down, to remember to enjoy your life and to build a sweeter life. And if you worry what other people think of you, this episode is the perfect antidote! I know my life is so much sweeter for Deborah being in it, and I know you’re going to feel the same way too!

Enjoy today’s show!

 

About Deborah

Deborah Fingerlow is a writer/weaver/artist, smitten with conversation and connections. At heart a beagle-whisperer, she works with soul-centered folks to help share their stories in a unique partnership built on mutual respect.

You can catch up with her on the street, beagle at her side, strolling through farmers’ markets, constantly on the lookout for new adventures and conversations. You can perhaps find her more easily at deborahfingerlow.com, or stop by and say hello on Instagram @deborahfingerlow.

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Riding The Dime | Dog Lovers On Vespas

 

Things We Talked About

  • Giving people the opportunity to rise to expectations rather than assume they’re going to disappoint us
  • How everyone wants to help and everyone wants to be a hero
  • how having a son with life threatening allergies forced Deborah into showing up and moving from being a quiet and shy person
  • What fills Deborah’s cup
  • Deborah’s advice for people who want to go out into the world more and have more in-person connections

 

About your host, Meg Kissack + That Hummingbird Life 

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m a coach for creative and multipassionate women, a writer and INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

 

Jul 15, 2019

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 121 of The Couragemakers Podcast!

This week I’m so excited to share with you my conversation with Allison Colin-Thome. Allison heads up Career Off Script, where she helps young professionals find their ideal work, so they can stop waking up for just a paycheck and instead have a career that means something to them. She cuts through their confusion by helping them figure out their strengths, motivators and true needs so they can find careers they love and finally take their next steps with confidence. After a bumpy journey of her own, Allison left her career in Corporate Recruitment to pursue the work she loved. She started her business while spending time in Colombia learning Spanish and can either be found sipping Earl Grey in a midtown Toronto cafe or online at www.careeroffscript.com.

In this episode we’re really diving into what it means to live a life off script and building a meaningful life. Allison shares her journey of why she started Career Off Script and really takes us behind the scenes.

We cover so much ground in this episode, from going against what is expected of you and being transparent about your circumstances to being real on social media and finding your why.

The main theme of this episode is what it takes to build a life you love, and I love how Allison says you need to start off by believing it is possible. She shares so much fantastic practical advice on building a business alongside a 9-5 and the lessons she’s been learning along the way.

Whether you’re someone who’s trying to build a business on the side, you’re trying to add more meaning to your life or you’re curious about what path to take, this is the perfect episode for you. 

Enjoy the show!

About Allison 

Allison Colin-Thome heads up Career Off Script, where she helps young professionals find their ideal work, so they can stop waking up for just a paycheck and instead have a career that means something to them. She cuts through their confusion by helping them figure out their strengths, motivators and true needs so they can find careers they love and finally take their next steps with confidence. After a bumpy journey of her own, Allison left her career in Corporate Recruitment to pursue the work she loved. She started her business while spending time in Colombia learning Spanish and can either be found sipping Earl Grey in a midtown Toronto cafe or online at www.careeroffscript.com.

Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

 

Things We Talked About 

  • What meaningful life means to Allison

  •  Going against what is expected of you

  • Being transparent about your circumstances

  • Being real on social media

  • Building a business on the side

  • The most helpful things Allison has learned about building a business on the side

  • Finding business role models

     

Resources

 

About your host, Meg Kissack + 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 multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

Jul 1, 2019

Hello wonderful Couragemakers and welcome to episode 120 of The Couragemakers Podcast!

This week it’s just me and you as I have a solo mid year review special for you today.

 For today’s episode I thought it would be a great opportunity to just stop, pause and reflect for  a minute. We’re approaching the halfway through the year mark, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to take stock, see what’s working for you, what could be improved and imagine what you would like the rest of the year to be like.

So grab a notepad and pen, get ready to get honest and compassionate with yourself and let’s reflect on the year so far and put some plans into place to make the next six months really work for you!

 

About your host, Meg Kissack + 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 multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

 

Jun 26, 2019

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to another fabulous episode of The Couragemakers episode!

This week I am talking to multi-passionate extraordinaire Anna Packer. Anna is as a prodigal musician, accidental psychotherapist and red-headed speed talker from a Midwestern farm town. She describes herself as endlessly curious, a professional psychology nerd by day, bootstrapping garage band tinkerer by night and kind of a scientist: living life mostly by experiment and regular infusions of hair dye and b vitamins. Alongside her day job as a psychotherapist, Anna is co-host of The Doing Scary Things Podcast and half of singer-songwriter duo Jasper + Jade with past guest Katie Snyder and runs an Ebay empire from her garage, alongside many other very cool projects, like writing a musical with her sister.

In this episode Anna shares her journey of accepting herself as a multi-passionate and how to get stuff done as creative and multi-passionate person.

We talk about how to give yourself permission to pursue creative projects, sustaining creative projects, how Anna manages her time and schedule to make time for her many creative pursuits.

We also talk about how you can’t hack your way to self compassion, Anna’s motto of treating yourself AS well as you treat others and how Anna gave herself permission to go back to her dream of making music.

I can’t begin to tell you how inspired I am by Anna’s story and the way she puts self-expression at the heart of her life. If you’re looking for a huge dollop of enthusiasm, encouragement and permission to go chase your dreams and creative pursuits, this episode is everything. And if you’re looking for even more permission and encouragement to do scary things, check out the Doing Scary Things podcast, hosted by Anna and past guest Katie Snyder, who are wonderful patrons of The Couragemakers podcast!

This episode makes me want to go and start all of the creative things I’ve been putting off for years and I know it’s going to do the same for you! Enjoy today’s episode and all the inspiration it brings!

 

About Anna 

Anna is as a prodigal musician, accidental psychotherapist and red-headed speed talker from a Midwestern farm town. She describes herself as endlessly curious, a professional psychology nerd by day, bootstrapping garage band tinkerer by night and kind of a scientist: living life mostly by experiment and regular infusions of hair dye and b vitamins. Alongside her day job as a psychotherapist, Anna is co-host of The Doing Scary Things Podcast and half of singer-songwriter duo Jasper + Jade with past guest Katie Snyder and runs an Ebay empire from her garage, alongside many other very cool projects, like writing a musical with her sister.

Instagram | The Doing Scary Things Podcast | Jasper + Jade |

 

About your host, Meg Kissack + 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 multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

 

Jun 18, 2019

 

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to another episode of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week’s episode is a solo show, so it’s just me and you. I thoroughly enjoy solo shows, so much so that I’ve toyed with the idea of having a separate mini daily rebel-rousing/pep talk podcast, so we’ll see!

For today’s solo show, I thought we’d do things  a bit differently!

If you’ve been around That Hummingbird Life a while, you’ll know that for the past four and a half years, I send a pep talk to the wonderful Couragemakers email community every Sunday. So for this week, I was feeling a good old fashioned pep talk for the podcast!

And the topic?  It’s something that comes up time and time again. In my life, in the lives of every one of my coaching clients, in my friend’s lives and it’s an epidemic that really does shit on the lives of all of us creative and multi-passionate women.

And that’s our own internal dreamshitter.

 

Resources

Sunday Pep Talks!

 

About Couragemakers & Your host

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

 

Jun 3, 2019

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 117 of The Couragemakers Podcast!

This week I’m chatting with Sarah Brassard.

In a nutshell, Sarah helps people re-establish peace inside. For the last twenty-five years, Sarah has been guiding women from a place of struggle in life to one of grace, peace, and ease through sacred self-care. She is the author of Inside: A Guide to the Resources Within published in 2018: a book that details the self-care practices that sparked Sarah’s healing journey and inspired her work in helping women move from trauma to transformation..

Sarah lives in New Hampshire and loves helping people heal through trauma with spiritual practices. What makes her most happy is being around people that have said YES to living authentically and finding the peaceful path.

In this week’s episode we’re really diving into everything self care and living a life in tune with who we are deep down.

Sarah shares her journey and takes us behind the scenes of her own healing journey. We talk about being a highly sensitive person and how important safety is, building a self care practice, how Sarah learned to take her mask off and how self care is non negotiable.

We have a great conversation about the ripple effect of being compassionate on ourselves, the emotional, mental and spiritual sides of self care and Sarah shares her wonderful definition of audacious self care.

Sarah has so many reframes and ideas that I love, including the idea of having a spiritual bank account that you deposit and withdraw from.

This episode is a great reminder of how veering off the path can lead to some of the most important lessons we can learn, and why self care is never selfish. If you’re interested in building a self care practice and starting or continuing your own healing journey, this episode is for you!

Enjoy today’s show!

About Sarah

Sarah Brassard helps people re-establish peace inside. Once a safe inner environment has been secured people return to themselves with a willingness to observe the experiences that have kept them stuck. Before long, with this new viewpoint – that of loving kindness, their awareness begins to change.

She is the author of r">Inside: A Guide to the Resources Within published in 2018. The book details the self-care practices that sparked Sarah’s healing journey and inspired her work in helping women move from trauma to transformation..

Sarah lives in New Hampshire and loves helping people heal through trauma with spiritual practices. What makes her most happy is being around people that have said YES to living authentically and finding the peaceful path.

Website | Book | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube |

 

Things We Talked About

 

  • How Sarah initially dealt with loss and trauma by putting on a mask and what started her own healing journey
  • Feelings of safety as highly sensitive people

  • Taking ownership of your life

  • Building a self care practice

  • The ripple effect of being compassionate to ourselves

  • Why self care is non negotiable

  • Sarah’s definition of audacious self care

  • How veering off the path can lead to some of the most important lessons we learn

  • The idea of a spiritual savings account

 

Resources

 

About Couragemakers and your host 

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

May 27, 2019

Hello Couragemakers!

May is Mental Health month and this week I couldn’t be happier to be chatting to Lauren Bersaglio. Lauren Bersaglio is the founder and editor of Libero, a nonprofit peer support community and magazine championing mental health and she is someone I’ve been wanting to interview for Couragemakers for quite some time!

In this episode, Lauren shares her journey of sharing her own mental health story and how that inspired the birth of Libero Network and we dive into how we can break free from the internal lies we tell ourselves.

We have a great conversation about liberating yourself, how sharing your story is like a yawn, how feeding truth into your mind is the most powerful antidote to the lies and the shame surrounding success.


This is such a practical episode and Lauren shares so much wisdom, from finding your own supportive community, looking after yourself while you work to make the world a brighter place, a 360 gratitude practice which I love and advice on finding a therapist.

Lauren has such a refreshing attitude to mental health and as someone who struggles with anxiety, depression and OCD, and having spent the past week really feeling like depression is sucking my spirit, this episode is truly like a breath of fresh air.

There are so many ways to get involved in Libero and I’ve put links in the show notes to the Share Your Story Project, the Free From Challenge as well as their current It Gets Better campaign and fundraiser.

I love Lauren’s perspective that while it takes dedicated work to build a life you love, it take more work hating your life and I know you’re going to get so much out of today’s episode.

Enjoy today’s show!

 

About Lauren

Lauren Bersaglio is the Founder and Editor of Libero, a nonprofit peer support community and magazine championing mental health. She started Libero in April 2010, when she first shared her story online and sought help for an eating disorder and depression that she'd lived with for years. Today, Lauren uses her writing and videos to advocate mental health and self-love. In her spare time, she enjoys playing strategy board games, baking, and going for runs with her Goldendoodle, Zoey.

Website | Libero Instagram | Personal Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | It Gets Better Campaign


Resources

 

About Couragemakers and your host 

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

May 13, 2019

After a short hiatus (I explain all in this episode!), I am BACK! This week's solo show is for anyone who needs a bit of encouragement and rebel-rousing to keep going!

If you're looking for connection, community and hope, come join the Couragemakers community over on Instagram.


Show Notes

About Couragemakers and your host 

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with clients, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

Feb 18, 2019

Hello Couragemakers!

This week on The Couragemakers Podcast, I’m thrilled to be chatting to previous guest Jessie Harrold!

Jessie is an author, women’s mentor, coach and doula.  She does what she likes to call “women’s work,” which means she helps women bring their babies earthside, creates community and holds brave spaces for women to find themselves in, helps women reconnect with their bodies and the earth, and offers up a dose of word medicine wherever she can.  The thread that weaves all of this work together is Jessie’s unwavering commitment to helping women and mothers unearth and reclaim their connection to themselves, their power, and their sovereignty.  Jessie lives in an oceanside cottage with her little family, and is currently celebrating the release of her first book, Project Body Love: my quest to love my body and the surprising truth I found instead.

It would be easier to share with you what we didn’t talk about during our conversation, as we covered so much ground.

We dive into changing identities and rites of passage and the grief that can often accompany it, finding spaces online and offline to support you, why group wisdom is so important, the importance and scarcity of deep listening and building communities. Jessie shares the story behind her book and her own creative process and Jessie’s answer to the one thing she would share with the world sends a shiver down my spine.

I love Jessie’s philosophy and I have so much admiration for the work she does. If you’re in the mood for honest talk, creative inspiration and want a big reminder that you’re doing just fine, I know you’re going to love this episode!

So settle in and enjoy the show!

 

About Jessie

Jessie Harrold is an author, women’s mentor, coach and doula.  She does what she likes to call “women’s work,” which means she helps women bring their babies earthside, creates community and holds brave spaces for women to find themselves in, helps women reconnect with their bodies and the earth, and offers up a dose of word medicine wherever she can.  The thread that weaves all of this work together is Jessie’s unwavering commitment to helping women and mothers unearth and reclaim their connection to themselves, their power, and their sovereignty.  Jessie lives in an oceanside cottage with her little family, and is currently celebrating the release of her first book, Project Body Love: my quest to love my body and the surprising truth I found instead.

Website | Facebook | Instagram |

 

Things We Talked About

 

  • Rites of passage

  • The grief that comes with changes in our identity

  • Finding spaces online

  • Being open about the complexities of life

  • Writing the truth and Jessie’s experience of writing her book

  • Group wisdom vs expert mentality

 

Resources

 

About Meg + That Hummingbird Life

 

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 multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint and getting really excited about my soon-to-come-home cockapoo Merlin.

Feb 11, 2019

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 113 of The Couragemakers Podcast!

Today I am SO excited to share with you my conversation with Roanna van Voorst. I’ve been buzzing ever since we had our conversation and let me tell you, you are in for a treat.

Roanne van Voorst is an internationally published writer, a social scientist, a podcaster and public speaker. She has conducted research all around the world on courage and successful personal leadership and now teaches people through her online trainings how to overcome fears and become more courageous, and how to create your best work and be’ productive – without stress or overwhelm. Roanne is also the host of the Writers Mastermind, through which she helps writers write and publish their books in 1 year. She is currently working on her new book: Once we ate animals.

During our conversation, Roanne shares her journey, from training as a journalist, to re-training as an anthropologist and living in some of the most dangerous parts of the world with some of the bravest people in the world.

Roanne has been researching fear and courage for over a decade, and she shares a really refreshing view that courage is something we can actually learn. She shares three ridiculously practical, gentle and compassionate strategies to help deal with your fears and really debunks the myth that some people are simply born brave and others aren’t.

We dive into the links between procrastination and fear, how as a society we’re addicted to being busy and how that can really limit us as creative people, developing a relationship with our creativity, and why it’s absolutely essential when you work with your brain to find time to rest and find inspiration.

This is the perfect episode if you’re struggling to make time for creativity, if you ever find yourself paralysed by fear, if you’ve ever thought that people are either born courageous or not, or if you’re someone who loves to use their creativity and would love to put more creative stuff in the world.

I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am to be sharing this episode with you. I could honestly listen to everything Roanne says on repeat. Roanne shares so many much-needed reminders for creatives, and she shares so many compassionate strategies which you can start using straight away.


I know you’re going to absolutely love this episode, so enjoy the show!

About Roanne

Roanne van Voorst (Ph.D.) is an internationally published writer, a social scientist, a podcaster and public speaker. She has conducted research all around the world on courage and successful personal leadership and now teaches people through her online trainings how to overcome fears and become more courageous, and how to create your best work and be friggin’ productive – without stress or overwhelm. Roanne is also the host of the Writers Mastermind, through which she helps writers write and publish their books in 1 year. She is currently working on her new book: Once we ate animals.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Monthly Letters | The Focus Collective Facebook Group |

Things We Talked About

  • Roanne’s journey from training as journalist, re-training as an anthropologist and her deep research

  • Debunking the myth of naturally courageous people

  • How courage is something you can learn

  • 3 practical strategies to become more courageous and deal with fear

  • The link between procrastination and fear

  • The importance of having time to rest and refill your creative cup when creativity is your job

  • The importance of energy over hours

Resources

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 multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with coaching clients, I'm usually covered in paint and getting really excited about my soon-to-come-home cockapoo Merlin.

Jan 22, 2019

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 112 of The Couragemakers Podcast!

This week I’m speaking to Connie Pollock. Connie describes herself as an unapologetic wild soul adventuring across the globe to figure out what this shit is all about. Last August Connie moved to New Zealand, alone at 18, to begin adventuring our beautiful planet in all is glory and has not had time to look back since. Now 19, with a few grazed limbs and a brain full of lessons, she endeavours to document her exploration in its rawest, realest most brutal and blissful form. When Connie isn’t adventuring or trying to make a meal out of half a microwaveable rice packet, she spends her time working on the 60000 ideas and dreams she has for this life and is probably photographing something awesome, Skyping her dog or designing your soon to be favourite sustainable cloth.

In this week’s episode, Connie shares all about her decision to move to New Zealand, the importance of finding your people when you’re blazing your own trail and taking a different path than society lays down for us and what has got her through some really hard times. She shares the shares about the not so glamorous side of travelling, and we have a great discussion about not sacrificing your path for other people and the importance of having people around you who not only accept you but appreciate you for who you are and lift you up. We also dive into how Connie keeps her own light lit and what Connie describes as a yellow state of mind.

This episode is the perfect reminder to keep shining bright, to not dull your shine for anyone, and that it’s okay to break away from the people in your life who make you feel shitty for who you are. And it’s also a breath of fresh air for those of us who have ever been described as too much or intimidating because we dare to shine bright and be ourselves.

I love Connie’s honesty and her open-ness in sharing all of the highs and lows of her adventure, and her bright, vibrant adventurous spirit is simply contagious.

I just want to give you a heads up that we do discuss sexual assault in this episode, so look after you and if you feel you need to skip this episode right now, please do.

Look after you, keep shining bright and enjoy today’s show.

 

About Connie

Connie Pollock describes herself as an unapologetic wild soul adventuring across the globe to figure out what this shit is all about. Last August Connie moved to New Zealand, alone at 18, to begin adventuring our beautiful planet in all is glory and has not had time to look back since. Now 19, with a few grazed limbs and a brain full of lessons, she endeavours to document her exploration in its rawest, realest most brutal and blissful form. When Connie isn’t adventuring or trying to make a meal out of half a microwaveable rice packet, she spends her time working on the 60000 ideas and dreams she has for this life and is probably photographing something awesome, Skyping her dog or designing your soon to be favourite sustainable cloth.

Things We Talked About

  • Connie’s decision to move to New Zealand

  • Connie’s journey in becoming unapologetic and her journey to getting there

  • The not so glamorous and hard side of travelling

  • The importance of finding your people when you’re blazing your own trail and taking a different path than society lays down for us 

  •  Not sacrificing your path for other people

  • How Connie keeps her own light lit and what Connie describes as a yellow state of mind.

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 multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with clients, I'm usually covered in paint and getting really excited about my soon-to-come-home cockapoo Merlin.

Jan 14, 2019

 

Hello Couragemakers, and welcome to the first interview of 2019!

This week I’m speaking with the fabulous Sarah Bater and we’re chatting all things word of the year related. Whether you’ve chosen your word, you’re still deciding like me or you have  no idea what I’m on about, this episode is for you!

This is how Sarah describes herself:

I’m a typical Gemini with a penchant for worrying needlessly but also having bursts of productivity that would have even the most efficient conveyer belt running for the hills. I have a whole ton of new ideas generating every day in my brain to ponder and worry over while I procrastinate with My favourite past times which include sniffing new books, nosing at houses for sale on the internet and most recently, pretending that I have my shit together. With a husband, two children, a full time job and a secret Netflix obsession, I am frantically striving to thrive whilst just about surviving. In amongst the madness is me. An ‘on the outside’ confident sometimes, ‘well put together’ working mum and loving wife but secretly, an introverted quickly approaching 40 year old with a thirst to find my true calling and a mad obsession to be a better wife and a less tired mother.

Sarah emailed me a while ago to tell me about her experience with choosing a word of the year. I related to so much of her journey and I just knew that she would make a brilliant guest for Couragemakers and I’m thrilled that she said yes when I asked her to be the first guest of 2019.

During our conversation, Sarah shares about her word of the year for 2018 and how much it has changed her life. She shares about her experience with anxiety and how her word of the year has helped her to breathe and be more present and how journalling and writing things down has made such a difference. This is such a practical episode and Sarah gives so much great advice on choosing a word of the year, how to get it to stick, what to do if you feel overwhelmed about your word of the year and the biggest things she learned in 2018.

If you’re looking for encouragement and inspiration, you are in the right place. I love how frank and honest Sarah is,  and how willing she is to let us all in to her behind-the-scenes to show just how much having a word of the year can change your life.

I am so excited to share this episode, and i know you are just going to LOVE Sarah!

Enjoy today’s show

 

Things We Talked About

 

  • How Sarah’s word of the year has helped her to look at things differently

  • Sarah’s experience of anxiety and how her word of the year has made a difference

  • Getting your word of the year to stick

  • The importance of journaling and writing things down 

  • Becoming more present and be able to breathe

  • The biggest things Sarah has learned from her word of the year

  • Advice if your word of the year feels overwhelming

  • How to pick your word of the year

About Couragemakers and your host

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multi-passionate 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 Sunday pep Talks to my wonderful Couragemakers community or working 1:1 with clients, I'm usually covered in paint and dreaming of owning a cockapoo.

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