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

Today I’m so excited and conversation with Emma Willmer! We cover all of my favourite topics and we do a deep dive into taking an unconventional path, and an unconventional approach to productivity, and bringing compassion into our lives. **Get your pickle answered for the new podcast, Creative Pickle, here!**   About Emma Willmer: Emma is a compassionate coach and positive psychologist, and is on a mission to empower empathetic women who are tired of feeling stuck, feel suffocated by societal expectations, and want to stop second guessing themselves and sacrificing their own wellbeing for the sake of others. Emma uses her voice to help advance the dialogue on the effects on women of inter-generational sexism, healthy relationships and living a joyful life.  Emma's Website | Instagram     About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast   I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life.   When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast | Letters of Rebellion | Rebel Creators

This week I’m so excited to share my conversation with Sam Isles who is all about helping people get out of your head and into their life! This is such a practical episode full of ways to overcome overthinking and practise everyday mindfulness!   **Get your pickle answered for the new podcast, Creative Pickle, here!** About Sam Isles: Sam is based in the UK, and is a friendly, practical, no nonsense life and mindfulness coach, and she is all about helping overthinkers manage their frustrations and move forward confidently. Sam has this saying that I absolutely love, and it's all about getting out of your head, and into your life. Sam is passionate about helping others. She's worked many jobs to find the right path - she's been on this path for a decade, fuelled from a desire to help overthinkers, and to continue learning and growing.   Sam's Website | Sam's Insight Timer     About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast   I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life.   When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast | Letters of Rebellion | Rebel Creators

Whew! It's been a while! On today's episode I'm talking about the future of Couragemakers and have an exciting new announcement!   **Get your creative pickle answered here!   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast! I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin. Website | Instagram | The Couragemakers Podcast | Letters of Rebellion | Rebel Creators

This week I'm joined by the wonderful Helen Jones! We chat about Helen's experiences as a bisexual disabled woman, retiring in her 20s, reconfiguring her life, and the influences behind the first ever Quiet Pride event.   **Check out the Rebel Creators Community! It's £12 per month and is full of community, fabulous resources and a private podcast!**   About Helen Jones:   Helen is a disabled, bisexual woman living in York, England. She's been called an encyclopedia of weirdness, in the nicest of ways! She's curious about the world, passionate about learning and a compassionate activist. She writes about nature, disability, sexuality and tarot, she is a perpetual student and describes herself as finding herself, and I am finding her way through a prickly, untrodden path.   Helen's Website | The Quiet Pride Manifesto      About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast   I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life.   When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast | Letters of Rebellion | Rebel Creators

This week I'm joined by one of our fabulous Rebel Creator Claire Frances Turner! Claire shares her journey of conscious transformation, and we discuss how hard it can be to move on from dreams, either through choice or circumstance. **Check out the Rebel Creators Community! It's £12 per month and is full of community, fabulous resources and a private podcast!**   About Claire Frances Turner:   Claire is a writer, spiritual philosopher, and a creative advocate for disabled young adults. Claire specialises in conscious self-transformation and is working on a project series called Illness my Teacher, beginning with Soul Evolution via Illness: awareness, identity, and formal and informal meditation. Alongside her writing and spiritual work, she is studying web development.   Claire's Website | Instagram | Claire's newsletter | 101 Spaces | Illness my Teacher |     About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast   I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life.   When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast | Letters of Rebellion | Rebel Creators

For the first episode of 2023, I'm chatting with the fabulous paper crafter, and community leader Rachel Warrillow. We dive into creativity, how hard it can be to let go of old dreams, and the path to stepping into our zone of genius. Enjoy!   *Sign up for my weekly Letters of Rebellion here!*     About Rachel Warrillow:   Rachel is the the founder of The Quirky Quillers, and is on a mission to mission to inspire and encourage others to enrich their lives with more creativity, and to find community and connection with other crafters.   Rachel lives in a beautiful spot in a village called Heptonstall, at the top of a hill in West Yorkshire, having returned to her home county after 21 years away and is at her happiest when she's making things, thinking about making things or talking about making things. Crafting is her passion, therapy, business, and a way to connect to the world. She adores pattern and colour, her rescue cats, books, being in her pyjamas and amazing vegan food.   The Quirky Quillers | The Quirky Quillers Collective (launching February 1st 2023!) | Instagram | Facebook | Rachel's Rebel Directory   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast   I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

For the last Couragemakers episode of 2022, I'm so excited to share my conversation with Consie Sindet! We chat all about keeping creative joy in our lives, finding a job that suits you and building a life you love. Enjoy! **Check out the Rebel Creators Community! It's £12 per month and is full of community, fabulous resources and a private podcast!**   About Consie Sindet:   Consie is from South Carolina and she has a day job as a bookkeeper, and runs a business as a creativity coach and teacher called Atop Serenity Hill. She uses mixed media art journaling to help herself and others play, have fun and find themselves through the process of creating. She loves hiking, kayaking, practicing yoga, reading and hanging with her husband.   Consie's Website | Instagram | Youtube | Rebel Directory     About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast   I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.  

Today I'm chatting to our wonderful Rebel Creator, Clare Sutton! We chat all about Clare's journey to discovering what she wants to do, and her process of finding and living by her values. **Check out the Rebel Creators Community! It's £12 per month and is full of community, useful resources and a private podcast!**   About Clare Sutton   Clare Sutton is a multi-passionate human, and always looking for ways she can grow, develop and generally make the most of life. Clare is fascinated by people, and strongly believes in the power of connection, community and creativity. This has been a common thread through her career in the arts and charity sectors and now into coaching. She is also a very proud and appreciative friend, sister, daughter and partner to the most amazing humans.   Clare's website and anti-newsletter| Instagram     About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast   I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

Today I am delighted to share my conversation with Tori Ames. We chat about Tori's process of rebuilding her life, changing our definition of success and holding onto our intangible wins. **Check out the Rebel Creators Community! | My fabulous group coaching program One Woman Band is now open! Click here to find out more!**   About Tori Ames   Tori is an artist and colour loving creative living in Norwhich, UK. Tori describes her life as an adventure so far and hopefully will always continue to be whether it be in her life or in her art. She is passionate about more things (well more experiences than things) than she could list but boiled down, they would probably all have a thread of connection, laughter, exploration, sunshine & creativity running through them. Tori has a never-ending thirst for variety, kaleidoscopes of changing sights, sounds, experiences and wonderful people in her life, which makes for a very busy life, but one that fuels rather than zaps energy from her.   Tori's Facebook | Tori's Instagram     About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast   I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin.

This week I'm chatting to the joyful and colourful Emily Richardson! We chat about over achieving, living in the messy middle, and this episode is SUCH a tonic! Check out the Rebel Creators Community! About Emily Richardson   Emily is a tiny and colourful polyglot and host of the Language Confidence Project podcast. During the pandemic, she lost her job, her home, and two very important people, but she also founded a business, learned Portuguese, and released a series of language journals. Two years later, she is on the way to rebuilding a more colourful, creative and intentional life to help people realise they can learn a language, and they can do it in a way that feels enjoyable and meaningful.   Tea With Emily | Emily's Instagram | The Language Confidence Project Podcast | Emily's links   Resources: The Language Confidence Project Podcast The Secret OWL Society Youtube Episode 37: Blowing up your life, Bewildered Podcast   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast   I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast| Letters of Rebellion | Rebel Creators

Hello Couragemakers! Today I'm sharing my conversation with April Showers, CEO of Afro Unicorn™. We chat bout April's journey and the inspiration behind Afro Unicorn™, her mission to inspire fellow small business owners and this episode is like a masterclass in confidence! About April Showers and Afro Unicorn™ April Showers is a multiple business owner, single mother of two, and in May 2019, she started a movement of likeminded, black unicorns through apparel and accessories. She is the founder and CEO of Afro Unicorn™, a brand designed to remind women and children of colour how unique, divine and magical they are. In May 2022, she launched in Walmart as the first black woman and first black licensed brand in party supplies for a major retailer. Her goal from the beginning was to help normalise black beauty, give black and brown girls a unicorn that represents them and encourages them to love the skin that they're in and embrace the crown on their heads. Afro Unicorn™ Instagram | April's Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter Resources: Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork, Dan Sullivan & Dr Benjamin Hardy Afro Unicorn™ in Walmart! April Showers on CBS Mornings with Gayle King About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast| Letters of Rebellion | Rebel Creators

This week I'm SO excited to share with you my conversation with Anna Mould! We dive into our inner wisdom, the joys and perils of social media and we get honest about friendship breakups Resources: Anna's first book, Green Pigs & Me, and her latest book When Green Pigs Fly: (and other musings) are available now! Lisa Pascoe Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist Jeneva Rose, One of Us is Dead 7 Types of Rest, TedX talk by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith  Get in touch with Anna! Anna's membership Anna's Instagram Anna's Rebel Creators Directory Find out more about the Rebel Creators community here! | Sign up for my weekly Letters of Rebellion here! About Meg & Couragemakers I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast| Letters of Rebellion | Rebel Creators

Couragemakers is back! And for real this time! In this short episode, I'm sharing what to expect from Couragemakers going forward, I'm catching you up to speed on what's going and what's been going on and, my goodness, it is good to be back! Sign up for my weekly Letters of Rebellion here! About Meg & Couragemakers I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast| Letters of Rebellion | Rebel Creators

I'm delighted to share with you my conversation with Austin Kleon! We dive into owning your weird, how to show up even when you don't feel like it and how to stay true to yourself no matter what. Sign up for my weekly Letters of Rebellion here! About Meg & Couragemakers I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin. Website | Instagram | The Rebel Rousers Podcast| Letters of Rebellion | Rebel Creators

Couragemakers is BACK! There are exciting new changes and I'm excited to be embracing imperfection and letting go of needing to know all the answers! Sign up for my weekly Letters of Rebellion here! About Meg & Couragemakers I’m Meg and I’m the host of The Daily Pep! and The Couragemakers Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. I’m a coach, writer and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women to do the things only they can do and build a wholehearted life. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free Letters of Rebellion to my wonderful Couragemakers community or hosting workshops/group programmes, I'm usually covered in paint or walking my wonderfully weird cockapoo Merlin. Website | Instagram | The Couragemakers Podcast | Letters of Rebellion |   

It's the final episode of the Big Magic book club! We're sharing our biggest and most favourite take-aways, and what's next! As usual, there's lots of laughter and lots of fabulous quotes! Find out more about our Women's Creativity Circle here! Email Meg | Email Katie About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

We're just popping in with a quick mini-episode ahead of our final episode next week! Find out more about our Women's Creativity Circle here! Email Meg | Email Katie About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

We're diving into all things following your curiosity, being multi-passionate, and getting seriously, seriously vulnerable in this episode about our own experiences of living a creative life and pushing beyond fear. We're on the trust chapter and we're diving into the idea of the struggling artist, leaning into enjoying our creativity and stubborn gladness! And of course, we go off on a lot of tangents! About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

We're on the trust chapter and we're diving into the idea of the struggling artist, leaning into enjoying our creativity and stubborn gladness! And of course, we go off on a lot of tangents! About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

We're diving into the second and final part of the Perseverance chapter and we are getting seriously practical. If you struggle with keeping on keeping on (like we all do!) this one's for you! About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

We are so excited to be diving into the next section of Big Magic: Perseverance. This is such a practical and fun episode and we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed recording it! About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

We're wrapping up the permission section, and it's fair to say, we get fired up in this episode! About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

We’re back! For this episode of the Big Magic book club, we’re diving into being self taught, art school, validation and more into giving yourself permission to live a creative life! On today's episode of the Big Magic Book Club, we're diving into the beginning of the Permission section, diving into our own creative histories and experiences and what it means to give yourself permission. About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

Just popping in to let you know it's reading week for The Big Magic Book Club! On today's episode of the Big Magic Book Club, we're diving into the beginning of the Permission section, diving into our own creative histories and experiences and what it means to give yourself permission. About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

On today's episode of the Big Magic Book Club, we're diving into the beginning of the Permission section, diving into our own creative histories and experiences and what it means to give yourself permission. About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

This week on the Big Magic podcast, we're diving into all things inspiration, creativity and how it all works, and doing a deep dive into the section on Enchantment! About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

This week on The Big Magic book club we're diving into one of our favourite topics, and also one of the most quotable sections of the book: fear! The first episode of The Big Magic Book Club is here! This week is the first of two episodes on courage and we're diving into creative living and debunking myths about what it means to be creative! About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

The first episode of The Big Magic Book Club is here! This week is the first of two episodes on courage and we're diving into creative living and debunking myths about what it means to be creative! Find out more about the Women's Creativity Circle group coaching program here!   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram

It's official! We're back with another book club! Tune in to find out which book we've chosen! Find out more about the Women's Creativity Circle group coaching program here Share on Instagram and tag us (@thekatiesnyder or @megkissack) to enter the giveaway! About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of The Rebel Rousers. Meg is 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. Website | Instagram | The Daily Pep! Podcast   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram  

It's the last episode of the book club! This week we're diving into the conclusion, the bigger picture of what playing big is all about and our own personal biggest takeaways and surprises! If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

We're back! This week we're discussing chapter 10: Let It Be Easy. We're diving into why wise planning, sustainable action and unrelenting self-compassion, and why self-discipline doesn't exist (and what we can do instead!) If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email Books mentioned in today's episode The Big Leap - Gay Hendricks Refuse To Choose - Barbara Sher About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

This week on The Playing Big Book Club we're diving into callings and this might just be my favourite chapter yet! We're diving into how to recognise your calling, common objections we have to our callings and why callings are so important to playing big. If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email Books mentioned in today's episode The Big Leap - Gay Hendricks Refuse To Choose - Barbara Sher About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

This week on the Playing Big book club, we're diving into how brilliant women unconsciously undermine ourselves with language and how we can change that! All the compassion for yourself when you're listening to this episode! If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email Books mentioned in today's episode The Big Leap - Gay Hendricks Refuse To Choose - Barbara Sher About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

This week we're diving into what Tara Mohr calls the antidote to hiding: leaping! This is a really practical episode, we share what constitutes a leap, and what you can do right now to start playing bigger! And we have a challenge for you! If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email Books mentioned in today's episode The Big Leap - Gay Hendricks Refuse To Choose - Barbara Sher About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

This week on the Playing Big Book Club, we're diving into the ways we hide from playing bigger: from overcomplicating and endless polishing to leaving out our own story and finding things we need to do first. This is such a juicy episode! If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

This week on the Playing Big Book Club, we're diving into chapter 5: how we've been raised to be good girls, people pleasers and perfectionists and we're also diving into why self promotion is so tricky for women! If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

This week on the Playing Big book club, we're diving into unhooking from praise and criticism and this might be our most vulnerable conversation yet! If you feel the weight of other people's opinions, this is absolutely the episode for you! If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

This week we're diving into two very old ways of looking at fear - and let me tell you: this is a game changer! We dive into our own fears, how we can deal with our fears and there's just SO much good stuff in this week's book club episode! If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

Last week was all about your inner critic and this week we're diving into your inner mentor! This concept is SUCH a game changer and such a wonderful antidote to your inner critic. If you want to tap into your inner wisdom, you'll love this episode! Inner Mentor Visualisation - Tara Mohr If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

This week we're diving into the inner critic, from where it comes from and why it exists, to how to deal with it and what to do when self-doubt shows up. If you've ever struggled with your inner critic, you are going to get SO much out of this episode! If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

This week on the Playing Big book club, we're diving into the Introduction which is packed full of SO much good stuff! If you've ever wanted to play bigger but felt held back, you're not alone and this one's for you!  If you want to join in the conversation, our details are below: Meg:  Instagram and Email Katie:  Instagram and Email   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

Welcome to the first ever Couragemaker's book club! Every Wednesday me and my fabulous co-host Katie Snyder are going to be diving into Playing Big by Tara Mohr, diving into fear, inner critics and more, chapter by chapter!   About Katie Katie Snyder is a life, business, & enneagram coach, as well as an author & podcast host. She writes and speaks about fear & creativity and believes that better understanding these two subjects are the keys to being brave enough to chase your dreams. Katie has a bachelor of science degree in research Psychology with a minor in Photography from Milligan College and received her life coach accredited certification from Transformation Academy. She has owned and operated her own wedding and portrait photography business since 2003, and was nominated for Best Management Company by the International Music and Entertainment Awards in 2018. Website | Free Do It NOW Guide | Instagram   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin.     

Hello lovely Couragemakers! I am so excited to share with you today’s episode with Sidonie Smith! Sidonie is a multi-pasionate powerhouse. She is a multilingual,, actress, composer, a classically trained violinist, and mindset coach for performers. She is an in demand international Broadway actress and has played the lead lady, in shows such as Jekyll & Hyde, Sister Act, and The Bodyguard. Sidonie is passionate about helping both experienced and aspiring artists, supporting them practically in their pursuits to become the strongest versions of themselves— mind, spirit and body. She helps guide artists to heal their hearts in order to create great art. Today’s episode is like one huge injection of courage. We dive into SO many things, from Sidonie’s journey of travelling to Berlin for a belting workshop and living there ever since, how following open doors has changed Sidonie’s life, including a fabulous career as a leading lady on Broadway, and the things she’s learned about herself through the different characters she’s played. Sidonie shares how to give yourself permission to walk through open doors, how she made the decision to choose herself and treats herself with compassion and the importance of being your own cheerleader. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed my conversation with Sidonie and how refreshing it is to hear a woman owning her gifts and brilliance, and encouraging others to do the same. If you need an injection of confidence, if you wonder if you have anything to give the world or if you want to start being your own cheerleader and owning your own brilliance, this is the perfect episode for you! Enjoy today’s show!   About Sidonie Sidonie is a multi-pasionate powerhouse. She is a multilingual,, actress, composer,  a classically trained violinist, and mindset coach for performers. She is an in demand international Broadway actress and has played the lead lady, in shows such as Jekyll & Hyde, Sister Act, and The Bodyguard. Sidonie is passionate about helping both experienced and aspiring artists, supporting them practically in their pursuits to become the strongest versions of themselves— mind, spirit and body. She helps guide artists to heal their hearts in order to create great art.  Website | Instagram    Things we talked about   Sidonie’s journey of moving to Berlin to How following open doors has changed Sidonie’s life How to give yourself permission to walk through open doors The power of owning your gifts and Sidonie’s journey to owning her own Choosing yourself and living with self- compassion The things Sidonie’s learned about herself through the different characters she’s played Being your own cheerleader   About Meg + The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

Hello Couragemakers! This week I’m so excited to be sharing with you my conversation with Susie Bell. Susie is a Self-Love and Body Confidence Coach for women and is passionate about self-compassion, authenticity and self care. She is on a mission to support and inspire women in their 40s and 50s who are feeling lost and also trapped by comparison with others and perfectionism, to help them reconnect with and accept themselves including their bodies so they can stand in their truth, be seen and fell alive again. Susie lives on the south coast on England in Hampshire with her husband and two teenage children, and her favourite quote is “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom” by Anaïs Nin, who Susie shares a birthday with!. In today’s episode Susie is sharing her experience of living in diet culture for 26 years and her journey of working to love her body. We dive into how as women our default is to believe we’re not enough, how it is exhausting always fighting yourself, and how we can go abut changing that and how there is another way. Among many other things, we dive into Diet culture 10, Susie shares 3 practical ways you can start connecting to your body today, how to get the courage to put yourself out there, intuitive eating and Susie’s journey to finding the work she was meant to do. If you’ve ever struggled with connecting to your body, feeling not enough or if you’re looking for a more compassionate way to treat yourself, this is absolutely the episode for you. Susie’s compassionate approach is contagious and this episode is the perfect reminder that, as Susie says, :”You are not broken. You don’t need fixing. You are magnificent.” Enjoy the show, I know you’re going to love this one!   About Susie Susie Bell is a Self-Love and Body Confidence Coach for women who is passionate about self-compassion, authenticity and self care. She is on a mission to support and inspire women in their 40s and 50s who are feeling lost and also trapped by comparison with others and perfectionism, to help them reconnect with and accept themselves including their bodies so they can stand in their truth, be seen and fell alive again. Susie lives on the south coast on England in Hampshire with her husband and two teenage children, and her favourite quote is “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom” by Anaïs  Nin, who Susie shares a birthday with!. Website | Free Guide: 10 Ways to Coming Home To Your Body | Instagram | Facebook Things We Talked About Susie’s experience of living in diet culture for 26 years and her journey of working to love her body Diet culture 101 3 practical ways you can start connecting to your body today Susie’s experience of finding the work she was meant to do The concept of intuitive eating How to get the courage to put yourself out there   Resources  Hay House Louise Hay   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

Hello Couragemakers! I am so excited to share with you this weeks episode with the absolutely fabulous Jen Louden! I’ve been a fan of Jens work for years and it was such an honour to sit down and have a good chat! Jennifer Louden is a personal growth pioneer who helped launch the concept of self-care with her first bestseller, The Woman’s Comfort Book in 1992. Since then, she’s written seven additional books on well-being and whole living, including The Woman’ s Retreat Bookand The Life Organizer, with close to a million copies of her books in print in nine languages. Jennifer has spoken around the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and has written a national magazine column for a Martha Stewart magazine. She’s been profiled or quoted in dozens of major magazines; two of Brené Brown’s books, Daring Greatly and Dare to Lead; and appeared on hundreds of TV, radio shows and podcasts, including Oprah. Her newest and most personal book, Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next was published on April 21, 2020. Alongside this, Jennifer has been teaching workshops and retreats since 1992 and creating vibrant online learning experiences since 1999. She writes weekly email newsletters, hosts an online writing community of and continues to inspire women all over the world. Jen lives in Boulder Colarodo, with her husband Bob and is obsessed with running trails in the moonlight, reading like a writer and helping people believe in themselves through taking action on their desires. During our conversation Jen shares her story and we dive into what inspired Jen’s latest book: How do you bother after heartbreak, after creative and career defeats, after loss, after sidelining your dreams to pay off debt, raise kids, or take care of aging parents? We have a great conversation about doing hard things imperfectly, uncovering and celebrating your desires as well as the courage it takes to be seen. Jen also shares her journaling process, her perspective on how self care has changed since it became mainstream and we debunk the bullshit that is positive vibes only. There is so much great stuff in this episode and I am beyond honoured to have Jen on the podcast and to share our conversation today! I know so many of you are already familiar with and are raving fans of Jen’s work and I know you’re going to love this episode! Enjoy the show!   About Jennifer []">Jennifer Loudenis a personal growth pioneer who helped launch the concept of self-care with her first bestseller, The Woman’s Comfort Book. Since then, she’s written seven additional books on well-being and whole living, including The Woman’ s Retreat Book and The Life Organizer, with close to a million copies of her books in print in nine languages. Jennifer has spoken around the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and has written a national magazine column for a Martha Stewart magazine. She’s been profiled or quoted in dozens of major magazines; two of Brené Brown’s books, Daring Greatly and Dare to Lead; and appeared on hundreds of TV, radio shows and podcasts—even on Oprah. Her newest and most personal book Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next was published on April 21, 2020. Jennifer has been teaching workshops and retreats since 1992 and creating vibrant online learning experiences since 1999. She writes weekly to her email list of 20,000 and hosts an online community of over 600 members. She lives in Boulder County, Colorado.   Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook   Things We Talked About How self help has changed since it has become mainstream Getting your bother on The courage to be seen Jen’s journaling process Doing hard things imperfectly Uncovering and celebrating your desires The problem with ‘positive vibes only’ About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

Hello Couragemakers! Today I’m chatting with Katie Sullivan, and I have to say, if you’ve ever felt like you could only have one path in life, this episode is for you. Katie is an opera singer turned entrepreneur who helps other creatives make a living online doing what they love.  After burning out pursuing a career in music, Katie teaches creatives how they can use their magic to make a living, so they can live connected, happy, and free. In today’s episode we’re really diving into Katie’s journey, from having a musical background and pursuing music as a career to burnout and starting on her entrepreneurial journey. We cover SO much ground during our conversation, from living a life that looks good on the outside but feels shitty on the inside to debunking the myth that you have to choose one path and stay the course. There is so much good stuff in this episode - if you’ve ever felt like a rebellious overachiever, if you wonder whether you’re on the right path, or if you wonder if there even is such a thing as the right path, this episode is for you! Enjoy the show! About Katie []">Katie Sullivan is an opera singer turned entrepreneur who helps other creatives make a living online doing what they love.  After burning out pursuing a career in music, Katie has developed a passion for online business and is ready to share what she has learned about turning a passion into a paycheck.   Website | Rise Through Strife Podcast | Passion Project Launch Lab | Instagram Things We Talked About Katie’s journey from opera singer to entrepreneur How there is no one true path Being an overachiever and a rule breaker How it’s rebellious people who change the world The courage to choose a new path Perfectionism, originality and other toxic combinations that hold creative people back Giving yourself permission to be your whole self Resources Now, every time I witness a strong person, I want to know: What darkness did you conquer in your story? Mountains do not rise without earthquakes. —Katherine MacKenett Real Artists Don’t Starve - Jeff Goins Steal Like An Artist - Austin Kleon About Meg + The Couragemakers Podcast Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

Hello Couragemakers! This week I'm chatting with actor Abbey Briscoe. Abbey Briscoe is an aspiring actress in the Midwestern part of the United States. As someone who struggles with depression, anxiety, and PTSD, Abbey was able to turn to performance art as a way to gain confidence and heal from childhood trauma. Over a 17 year span, she has performed on stage, film, and television, as well as earning a B.A. in Theatre in 2012. With the world on hold in times of uncertainty, Abbey is currently focusing on writing, as well as preparing to star in her first horror movie, "Born to Raise Hell" set to shoot in September. Abbey says her hope is to empower other women who are facing similar struggles to not give up because we all deserve to love the person that we are becoming.   In today's episode, we’re diving into Abbey’s journey and her advice on what to do when the road feels rocky. Abbey shares  her journey to becoming an actor including her goal to audition 20 times for 20 different companies during 2019 to combat negative thinking and to go out of her comfort zone. Abbey shares some great practical advice for anyone carving their own path and also considers themselves a jack of all trades. She shares her own self-help journey and the things that have helped her build up her confidence along the way. If you need permission to make mistakes, if you struggle to keep going on your path, if you need a boost of resilience and courage and some inspiration to keep showing up, this is the perfect episode for you. Abbey is such a wonderful storyteller and I know you're going to love today's show! A quick heads up that during this episode there are brief references to abuse, alcohol and suicide, so if you need to skip this episode to look after yourself, please do. About Abbey Abbey Briscoe is an aspiring actress in the Midwestern part of the United States. As someone who struggles with depression, anxiety, and PTSD, Abbey was able to turn to performance art as a way to gain confidence and heal from childhood trauma. Over a 17 year span, she has performed on stage, film, and television, as well as earning a B.A. in Theatre from K-State University in 2012. With the world on hold in times of uncertainty, Abbey is currently focusing on writing, as well as preparing to star in her first horror movie, "Born to Raise Hell" set to shoot in September.   Instagram | Facebook Things We Talked About Abbey’s journey to being an actor Abbey’s advice for keeping going when the road feels rocky How taking a break can really help Building confidence and fighting for yourself Overcoming people pleasing and standing up for yourself Giving yourself permission to make mistakes The importance of showing up Resources The Dip: A little book that teaches you when to quit and when to stick - Seth Godin Patti LuPone - A Memoir   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

This week I'm talking with Quinn Tempest and we're diving into all things creating your purpose. Quinn is a creative entrepreneur and speaker based in Phoenix, Arizona. She helps entrepreneurs and small business owners uncover their unique purpose and bring it to life in everything they do - both online and offline. In this week's episode, we're really diving into uncovering your purpose, burnout and wearing busy-ness as a badge of honour, the two questions Quinn asks anyone who is trying to create their purpose and we have a great discussion about the importance of experiments when it comes to building an intentional life that works for you. If you're feeling a bit wobbly about your path, if you struggle when it comes to your purpose or if you just need a boost of motivation, this is the episode for you! Enjoy the show!   About Quinn Quinn Tempest is a creative entrepreneur and speaker based in Phoenix, Arizona. She helps entrepreneurs and small business owners uncover their unique purpose and bring it to life in everything they do - both online and off. She is the founder of Create Your Purpose®, a philosophy, mindset, and community made up of like-minded purpose-driven entrepreneurs who are dedicated to living their lives and building their businesses ON purpose and WITH purpose. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook Things We Talked About Quinn’s journey to finding her purpose Spotting signs of burnout The problem with validation The importance of experiments How busy-ness is a badge of honour Building an intentional life About Meg & That Hummingbird Life Meg Kissack is a coach, writer, podcaster and all-round rebel-rouser for creative and multi-passionate women. As well as Couragemakers, Meg is the host of The Daily Pep! Podcast and founder of That Hummingbird Life. Meg is 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. Meg started Couragemakers because she 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 she's not recording episodes, Meg can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin. 

Hello Couragemakers! It's good to be back! This week I've got a special episode for you as I've teamed up with the mental health charity CALM and CALM ambassador Shareefa J to mark Mental Health Awareness Week. We're diving into all things mental health, self-kindness and how courage is courageous.  Shareefa J is a London based presenter and plus size model. She is at the forefront of promoting body/race diversity and mental health awareness within fashion and advertising. She’s an ambassador for the mental health charity CALM. Alongside this Shareefa runs a non profit organisation called @shine4diversity where she creates short documentaries and photographic campaigns to highlight the importance of racial inclusion within advertising. Her last campaign was featured in Marie Claire & Buzzfeed. If you struggle with your mental health, and find it hard to talk about, if you ever feel alone or like you’re a burden and if you simply need a dose of self-kindness, this is the episode for you. Heads up that in this episode we do briefly discuss suicide, so if you need to skip this episode, please do. Look after you first. About Shareefa J Shareefa J is a London based presenter and plus size model. She is at the forefront of promoting body/race diversity and mental health awareness within fashion and advertising. Shareefa is an ambassador for the mental health charity CALM and actively advocates for them by getting involved in fundraising and media projects.   Alongside this Shareefa runs a not- for- profit organisation called @shine4diversity in which she creates short documentaries and photographic campaigns to highlight the importance of racial inclusion within advertising Her last campaign was featured in Marie Claire & Buzzfeed. Shareefa recently graced the cover of Womens Running magazine for the annual London Marathon edition and she continues to promote a positive message for women within the fitness space. Instagram | CALM Things we talked about Shareefa’s experience with mental health How sharing your mental health struggles isn’t a sign of weakness What failure has taught Shareefa and what we can learn from it Being kinder to yourself and intentions instead of goals Shareefa’s work as a CALM ambassador Resources CALM Collectives CALM Webchat Contact CALM: 0800 58 58 58 About Meg & That Hummingbird Life The Daily Pep! Podcast 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, I can be found working 1:1 with my fabulous coaching clients and playing with my adorable but silly puppy Merlin.   

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to another fabulous episode of The Couragemakers Podcast!  This week I’m chatting to the wonderful Leona Thrift-ola. Leona is the founder of Indie Roller: a truth telling, secret sharing, myth busting community that empowers Indie Biz owners to play by their own rules.   We dive into SO many things, from Leona’s business journey, her experiences of being self-employed and building a community of likeminded people to how to lead with your values.   I am so excited to share my conversation with Leona! A couple of weeks ago, Leona interviewed me for her new - and amazing podcast - The Indie Roller Podcast and I think we could easily chat for hours about mindset, how to keep going and what it means to lead and live by your values If you want to find your people, if you want encouragement for your creative journey, or if you’re craving the real behind the scenes look at what it takes to run an indie biz, this is the episode for you!   So, enjoy the show!   About Leona Leona is the founder of Indie Roller: a truth telling, secret sharing, myth busting community that empowers Indie Biz owners to play by their own rules. She is the host of The Indie Roller Podcast and The Indie Roller and Indie Roller News, a quarterly trades newspaper for Indie Biz owners. Website | Podcast | Instagram Things We Talked About Leona's fascinating business journey Leona's  experiences of being self-employed and building a community of likeminded people How to lead with your values Leon'a fabulous advice if you're in our head a lot   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast 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.  

Today is a special episode to celebrate Couragemakers' 4th birthday! 🎉 Today we're diving into creating the things you wish to see in the world, and how to keep your dreamshitters at bay with the brand new short, snappy and sassy podcast, The Daily Pep! 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.  

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to another episode of The Couragemaker’s Podcast! Before we dive into today’s show, I have a very exciting announcement! On 29th February, I’m launching a brand new podcast, called The Daily Pep! (Don’t worry, Couragemakers isn’t going anywhere!) I’ve spent the past six years building a creative life and I’ve got to spend it in the company with the wisest and most creative and wonderful women. And even though we’ve been on different paths, there’s been one thing in common: it takes a shitload of courage, a shitload of perseverance and a fuck load of energy to keep going every day. I got to thinking about how we all need frequent encouragement and rebel-rousing to keep going, and going, and going. And reminders not to sacrifice yourself (or your values) along the way. And you know what they say about being the change you want to see, or building the thing you want to exist?! Well, The Daily Pep! Podcast was born. Every weekday, I’ll be sharing short and snappy insights, reminders and stories to help you build a wholehearted creative life that feels good, is sustainable and joyful AND leaves the world a brighter place. Each episode will be purposefully short and snappy, designed to fit in with your life and your routines. Listen with your morning coffee, while you walk the dog, on your commute, or while you’re trying to resist the snooze button. So if you’re exhausted by the need to be all the things, want regular reminders that you’re on the right path and you matter, or you’re sick of being your very own personal dreamshitter, this is the podcast for you! It’s launching on 29th February I’ll going to be sharing more about it later this week. Ahhh! Now, onto today’s show! This week I’m seriously excited to share my conversation with Ash Ambirge. I have been a fan of Ash’s for YEARS, after stumbling across her blog The Middle Finger Project when I was just getting started in 2014. Since then I’ve really enjoyed watching her journey Ash is an internet entrepreneur, creative writer, speaker, and advocate for women being brave and doing disobedient things with their careers and their lives. Her voice has been called, “the most memorable on the Internet,” “not safe for work at all,” and also, “really kinda sweary,” which is definitely her favorite description. She is the founder of The Middle Finger Project®, which is both the name of her hallmark lifestyle blog as well the title of her first book. It’s a call to action for “women who disobey” with the tools and mind-set to reject the world’s expectations of success and get on their own path to happiness, wealth, independence, and adventure. Ash splits her time between Philadelphia, PA, and traveling the world. We dive into SO many good things in this episode. We talk about the importance of failing and getting up again, why Ash doesn’t believe in the myth of the starving artists, the things hardship and loss show us, self promotion as women and a great reframe on how to see money. Ash shares her experience of writing her first book, how she felt pressing publish on her first ever blog post and the journey along the way. Ash has some fabulous advice about how to put yourself out there and becoming what she’s terms, unfuckwithable and I know you’re going to get SO much out of today’s show! I know so many of you are already familiar with Ash’s work and The Middle Finger Project and I’m so delighted to share today’s episode with you! If you’re working on or need to work on putting yourself out there, your mindset around money - especially around being a starving artist - or you’re looking to do your own thing, this is the perfect episode for you! Enjoy the show! About Ash Ash is an internet entrepreneur, creative writer, speaker, and advocate for women being brave and doing disobedient things with their careers and their lives. Her voice has been called, “the most memorable on the Internet,” “not safe for work at all,” and also, “really kinda sweary,” which is definitely her favorite description. She is the founder of The Middle Finger Project®, which is both the name of her hallmark lifestyle blog as well the title of her first book. It’s a call to action for “women who disobey” with the tools and mind-set to reject the world’s expectations of success and get on their own path to happiness, wealth, independence, and adventure. Ash splits her time between Philadelphia, PA, and traveling the world. The Middle Finger Project | The book! | Instagram | Twitter   Things we talked about The things loss and hardship bring Putting yourself out there Seeing money as an opportunity The importance of failing and getting up again Ash's experience of writing The Middle Finger Project 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.

Hello Couragemaker and welcome to a fabulous episode of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I’m delighted to be chatting to the wonderful Caroline Jestaz.     Caroline is a fiction writer, language teacher and writing mentor. She was born and raised in Paris and has been living in the UK since 2003. She first went to England at the age of seven and fell in love with the language, the culture and the country. By the time she was thirteen, she spoke fluent English and went on to study Russian and Italian, then English Literature at university. She has twenty years of teaching experience at university, in language schools and giving private tuition face-to-face and online. Her love of books has led her to run an independent publishing company and to work for two high-profile educational publishers.   Writing is her vocation. Caroline has four novels under her belt. She likes to weave in different narratives and viewpoints and explore themes such as grief, loss, projection, manipulation and deceit. She’s also created an online writing course, runs creative writing workshops in Cambridge and mentors aspiring writers.    Caroline has just launched The Creativity for All Podcast, a bi-monthly show which explores and celebrates the many unseen and unrecognised forms of day-to-day creativity, with the hope of inspiring listeners to tap into their creative potential. She’s passionate about all things creative and endlessly curious about the creative process.   During this episode, we dive into Caroline’s love of languages and linguistics, how her creativity was nurtured as a child and how this plays out in her life today.   Caroline shares her philosophy on writing which doubles up as beautiful advice on life, her life as a self-taught woman and her journey to writing.   We dive into dealing with the critic inside your head, protecting your creativity and putting boundaries around it and the importance of space and freedom in your creative work. We also chat about the myth of the muse and the idea of being too early for something as opposed to not being able to do it.   If you love deep conversations about creativity, if you struggle with your inner critic or you need some creative inspiration, this is the perfect episode for you! Enjoy today’s show!   About Caroline Caroline is a fiction writer, language teacher and writing mentor. She’s passionate about all things creative and endlessly curious about the creative process. Caroline was born and raised in Paris and has been living in the UK since 2003. She first went to England at the age of seven and fell in love with the language, the culture and the country. By the time she was thirteen, she spoke fluent English and went on to study Russian and Italian, then English Literature at university in France, Scotland and Ireland. She has twenty years of teaching experience at university, in language schools and giving private tuition face-to-face and online. Her love of books has led her to run an independent publishing company and to work for two high-profile educational publishers. Writing is her vocation. Caroline has four novels under her belt. Her stories are character-based and always include an element of mystery. She likes to weave in different narratives and viewpoints and explore themes such as grief, loss, projection, manipulation and deceit. She’s also created an online writing course, runs creative writing workshops in Cambridge and mentors aspiring writers. Caroline is passionate about her writing and teaching: ‘The reason I'm a teacher and writing mentor is that I love empowering my students with words and languages and give them the confidence they need to find their own voice.’ On January 27th 2020, she launched The Creativity for All Podcast, a bi-monthly show which explores and celebrates the many unseen and unrecognised forms of day-to-day creativity, with the hope of inspiring listeners to tap into their creative potential. Website | Creativity For All Podcast |  Facebook Page | Novel Writing Course Facebook Page | Instagram   Things We Talked About   Caroline’s love of languages and linguistics and how her creativity was nurtured as a child Life as a self-taught woman Caroline’s journey to writing Dealing with the critic inside your head Protecting your creativity and putting boundaries around it The importance of space and freedom in our creative life and work Creating conversations about creativity and overcoming the loneliness 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.

Hello Couragemakers! This week I’m so excited to share my conversation with Audrey Holst! Audrey Holst helps really smart people not fall apart by helping them heal and transform their burnout. She combines over a decade of experience teaching yoga and mindfulness with extensive training and work as a Certified Professional Coach. She is the author of an upcoming book that teaches readers that there is nothing wrong with them, that what they experience as burnout and disconnection makes sense, and that reconnecting to their body and healing their nervous system is the pathway to tap into their innate brilliance and their sense of self. Each month she leads the Standing Still Collective, a virtual gathering for people that want to achieve their goals in a body-centered and intuitive way with the backing of a community that nurtures their positive actions and changes. Audrey believes that everyone is deserving of a life that nourishes them and small and doable changes over time will eventually change the world.Audrey loves spending spending time with her husband and their adorable kitty Sweatpea as well as hiking,  hiking, dancing, yoga and movement in general. I also love curling up under a warm blanket with a book and a cup of tea, which is my personal idea of bliss In this week’s episode, we’re diving into everything burnout, connection and flow! Audrey shares about her passion for teaching people how to connect with themselves and shares SO much fabulous wisdom! She gives us a lesson in nervous system 101, shares her favourite practices to connect with yourselves as well as practices to help with chronic stress. We have great discussions about perfectionism as a survival tactic, building a relationship with discomfort and keeping our sanity as ambitious women. We also talk how you can’t  use the same tools to get out of burnout that got you there, and the problem with this idea of always living outside of your comfort zone If you’ve ever burnt out, if you struggle with perfectionism or you want to connect with your body more, this is the perfect episode for you! I loved learning more about our nervous systems and the things we can do to take back control and connect with ourselves today! I know you’re absolutely going to love Audrey - she has a contagious energy and we cover SO much ground in this episode! Enjoy today’s show! About Audrey Audrey Holst helps really smart people not fall apart by helping them heal and transform their burnout. She combines over a decade of experience teaching yoga and mindfulness with extensive training and work as a Certified Professional Coach. She is the author of an upcoming book that teaches readers that there is nothing wrong with them, that what they experience as burnout and disconnection makes sense, and that reconnecting to their body and healing their nervous system is the pathway to tap into their innate brilliance and their sense of self. Each month she leads the Standing Still Collective, a virtual gathering for people that want to achieve their goals in a body-centered and intuitive way with the backing of a community that nurtures their positive actions and changes. Audrey believes that everyone is deserving of a life that nourishes them and small and doable changes over time will eventually change the world.Audrey loves spending spending time with her husband and their adorable kitty Sweatpea as well as hiking, dancing, yoga and movement in general. She also love curling up under a warm blanket with a book and a cup of tea. Website | Instagram | Facebook Things we talked about building a relationship with discomfort nervous system 101 burnout Audrey’s favourite practices to connect with yourself stress loops practices to help with chronic stress perfectionism as a survival technique Resources Burnout: The secret to solving the stress cycle - Emily and Amelia Nagoski Illana Burk   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast 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.  

Hello Couragemakers! For this week’s episode, I had the real pleasure of chatting to Joanna Rawbone. Jo is a Flourishing Introvert with an international training & coaching business based in the UK.​Joanna has spent more than 24 years working with 000’s of international clients through her own training & coaching consultancy, Scintillo Ltd. During this time, and through her own earlier experiences, she has seen just how problematic the Extraversion bias in organisations is. Recognising that it was time for action, Joanna founded Flourishing Introverts to support those who want to fulfil their potential without pretending to be something they're not. educate and inform organisations about the true cost of overlooking their introverts promote positive action and balance the extraversion bias in 2019, Joanna delivered a TEDx talk on the subject called ‘Tackling Extraversion Bias to unlock the potential of Introverts’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD7GXMeH4yI Joanna has a real passion for helping her clients make the small but sustainable changes that really make a difference. Her weeks are spent working with clients, travelling, writing and just 'being'.The things that make her happy include her work with individuals and groups,  spending time on her own; necessary in order to replenish sufficiently and music, crafts and reading; all pastimes in which she can 'lose' myself During our conversation, Jo shares her journey of learning she was an introvert and the fabulous work she now does to advocate for fellow introverts. We have so many great discussions during this episode, from our shared value of integrity, how how exhausting it is pretending to be an extravert because we think we should be and expanding your comfort zone while staying true to who you are. We talk about the concept of heart-song work and how Jo found hers, and her brilliant advice for anyone searching for work that makes their heart sing. We dive into how flourishing is a choice, Jo’s experiences of being an introvert and the six different types of introverts. I learned SO much during this interview and I can’t wait for her podcast which is launching at the end of February. This is such a practical episode, I got so much out of it and I am just so excited to share it with you! Enjoy today’s show! About Jo  own training & coaching consultancy, Scintillo Ltd. During this time, and through her own earlier experiences, she has seen just how problematic the Extraversion bias in organisations is. It negatively impacts employee engagement, retention and productivity. It also impairs the physical and mental health & well-being of employees with the obvious consequences.  Recognising that it was time for action, Joanna founded Flourishing Introverts to support those who want to fulfil their potential without pretending to be something they're not. educate and inform organisations about the true cost of overlooking their introverts promote positive action and balance the extraversion bias in 2019, Joanna delivered a TEDx talk on the subject called ‘Tackling Extraversion Bias to unlock the potential of Introverts’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD7GXMeH4yI Joanna has a real passion for helping her clients make the small but sustainable changes that really make a difference.  Being a functioning introvert, her clients value her ability to listen to more than the words, understand things from their perspective and co-create robust, pragmatic solutions.  Things We Talked About Jo's journey of discovering she is an introvert How exhausting it is pretending to be an extravert because we think we should be Dealing with inauthenticity Tackling the introversion bias How flourishing is a choice Expanding your comfort zone while staying true to who you are The 6 different types of introverts How Jo found her 'heart-song' work and how you can find yours Resources Byron Katie - The Work (video containing the quote) Myers Briggs Ikigai - 4 circles model About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast 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.  

As we dive into a new decade, we're taking the pressure off and I'm sharing with you five pieces of advice to remember when it comes to starting new projects, habits and routines! I'm currently taking on new coaching clients! If you want to create a life you love and do your own thing with more sanity, flow and a shit-tonne of compassionate, book your free 30 minute discovery call here to see if we're a good fit! 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.  

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.  

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: Working with men 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.

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 The Dinner Party The One You Feed Podcast Griefcast Podcast 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.

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!

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.

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!  

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: The Congregation of Inspiration Cambridge Satchel Company Ollie & Nic   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.

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: Amy Schumer on body image  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.

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.

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.  

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.  

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.  

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 Why Starlight? Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert Magic Lessons Podcast - Elizabeth Gilbert   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.

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.  

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 Simon Sinek TED talk Tad Hargrave - Marketing For Hippies Rebecca Tracey   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.

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.  

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.  

  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.  

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 Elizabeth Gilbert Kundalini Yoga The Slow Simmer of Burnout - Sarah Brassard Yogi Bhajan Mister Rogers documentary   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.

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 Free From Project Share Your Story It Gets Better Campaign Ann Lammott   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.

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 Jo Casey's Messy Meaningful Business Project #ayearofcuriosity - Couragemakers community on Instagram 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.

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 The Art of Gathering - Priya Parker Health At Every Size Movement Kelly Diels Jac McNeil Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway - Susan Jeffers   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.

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 Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert The Beautiful Writer’s Podcast 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.

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.

  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.

This week’s episode is the final instalment in a solo three-part series looking at welcoming this new season in with courage. This week is all about hope: finding it, keeping it and protecting it. If you're looking for connection, community and hope, come join the Couragemakers community over on Instagram. Show Notes #ayearofcuriosity - Couragemakers community on Instagram (come say hi!)  The Sanctuary - Lisa Pascoe 56 Things To Do Instead of Watching The News   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 thinking of imaginative ways of hide my would-be dog from my landlord. 

This episode is part two of a three-part series of wrapping up this year Couragemakers style. We started part one talking all about fear and uncertainty, and this week we’re diving into looking back on the year with self-compassion. Show Notes Couragemakers Patreon Page Reflection exercise: Create the space and take the time to write yourself three letters:   Letter 1: imagine yourself a year ago and write a letter to your present self. Letter 2: write a letter to your past self.  Letter 3: from the perspective of your future self, write a letter to the past and present you. 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 thinking of imaginative ways of hide my would-be dog from my landlord.     

As we wrap up the year, I thought what a better way to end the year of Couragemaker episodes than with some snappy pep talks full of wisdom and practical things you can take into the next year. From taking action and moving forward, to self-forgiveness and self-preservation, for the next three episodes, I’m going to be sharing with you the three biggest ah-hah moments and nuggets of wisdom I’ve learned this year. And today we’re starting with taking risks, leaving your comfort zone and the danger of standing still. ** Interested in bringing your creative dreams to life? Click here to find out more about working with me!**  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 thinking of imaginative ways of hide my would-be dog from my landlord. 

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to another episode of the Couragemakers episode! For this week’s episode, I’m chatting with the inspiring Nomi from Piquetures. Nomi is a creative adventurer seeking to push the boundaries of the audio-visual experience! She is currently experimenting with creating videoscapes, playing tourist everywhere she goes with her camera, digitally illustrating, and producing music (her newest interest!). Growing up as an Asian American and taught to believe that there is a clear division between what is considered "science" and what can be called "arts," she graduated college with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and certified to teach high school level sciences feeling unfulfilled. After years of being torn between her multiple interests and "identities," Nomi is finally happily studying computer science at her 9-5 web developer job and reserves her evenings for her creative pursuits!  In this week’s episode, we’re really diving into claiming our identities and who we are, the importance of scheduling time for our art and practical things you can do to preserve, sustain and maintain your creative energy.   We dive into struggling to come to terms with your identity as an artist, why it’s okay for things to take time and Nomi’s advice for anyone who struggles to find what makes them unique. I absolutely love this episode. Nomi’s approach to her art is beyond refreshing and in an online world where we feel like we have to find a way to make a full time living from our art and we’re made to feel having a side hustle isn’t valid, it’s so good to have a real conversation about finding creative fulfilment in your life alongside having a 9-5, and why doing it that way can be so wonderful. If you love talking about all things creativity and sometimes struggle to describe yourself and what you do and make time for creativity in your life, this is the perfect episode for you! Enjoy the show!   About Nomi Nomi is a creative adventurer seeking to push the boundaries of the audio-visual experience! She is currently experimenting with creating videoscapes, playing tourist everywhere she goes with her camera, digitally illustrating, and producing music (her newest interest!). Growing up as an Asian American and taught to believe that there is a clear division between what is considered "science" and what can be called "arts," she graduated college with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and certified to teach high school level sciences feeling unfulfilled. After years of being torn between her multiple interests and "identities," Nomi is finally happily studying computer science at her 9-5 web developer job and reserves her evenings for her creative pursuits!  YouTube | Instagram |   Things We Talked About Nomi’s journey of becoming comfortable with identifying as an artist and a scientist Keeping your art living and breathing Choosing not to do art as your 9-5 Maintaining, preserving and sustaining your time for creative work Making art a priority in your life Disrupting this notion that we all have to monetize our art   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 thinking of imaginative ways of hide my would-be dog from my landlord. 

This week we're diving into everything enthusiasm related! Enthusiasm is a topic very close to my heart and today's episode is a very practical one and perfect for you if you're struggling with enthusiasm!   Things Mentioned in Today's Show! Tara Mohr's Playing Big  Tahr Mohr, Playing Big on Raise Your Hand. Say Yes with Tiffany Han Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic Magic Lessons Podcast with Elizabeth Gilbert Barbara Sher's Refuse to Choose Puttylike: Why you shouldn't finish what you start When you shouldn't quit How to stop feeling guilty about new interests A Pick Me Up box guide Fascination Advantage test  Strength Finder Test  The Good Life Project  The Lively Show Amber Thomas' guest post:  how consumption can influence our creativity   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 THINKING OF IMAGINATIVE WAYS OF HIDE MY WOULD-BE DOG FROM MY LANDLORD. 

Hello my lovely Couragemakers family and welcome to episode 105 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I’m chatting with Sandra Dawes and I just know you are going to LOVE how practical this episode is! Sandra is a recovering control freak and excuse maker who works with clients struggling with similar issues. She holds an Honors BA, an MBA and a certificate in Dispute Resolution. After the passing of her father and circumstances that followed, she suffered from bouts of depression and sought the help of psychotherapists. Unwilling to seek pharmaceutical assistance to deal with her chronic unhappiness, she was lead on a journey of self-awareness and forgiveness that changed her life in deep and meaningful ways. Sandra lives in Brampton, Ontario, Canada and enjoys spending time with friends and family, her partner Satnam and her dog Lulu and reading self-help books and watching superhero movies in her spare time. Sandra is the host of the Embrace Your Destiny Podcast and she was was added to the Wall of Role Models by the Diversity Advancement Network in 2016. In this week’s episode, Sandra shares how her experience of losing her father started a journey and how it was his biggest gift and the changes that happened which led her to doing the work that she does today. We’re getting seriously practical and chatting about all things people-pleasing, saying no and learning to not care what other people think. We have a great conversation about well-intentioned dreamshitters and being mindful about the people you share your dreams with, the lost art of patience as well as some really actionable tips Sandra has about putting boundaries in place and learning to stop people-pleasing. This episode is really getting behind the scenes and into the nitty gritty of HOW we can stop people pleasing, putting everyone before ourselves and choosing to live the life that only we can live. I loved how Sandra shared so much about her processes, and this episode is a great reminder that there are tangible things we can start doing today to change our lives for the better. This episode is one huge bundle of hope and I know you’re going to love this one! Enjoy the show! About Sandra Sandra Dawes is a recovering control freak and excuse maker who works with clients struggling with similar issues. She holds an Honors BA, an MBA and a certificate in Dispute Resolution. After the passing of her father and circumstances that followed, she suffered from bouts of depression and sought the help of psychotherapists. Unwilling to seek pharmaceutical assistance to deal with her chronic unhappiness, she was lead on a journey of self-awareness and forgiveness that changed her life in deep and meaningful ways. Sandra enjoys spending time with friends and family, her partner Satnam and her dog Lulu. She published her first book Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve in 2013.  Sandra was added to the Wall of Role Models by the Diversity Advancement Network in July 2016. Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   Things We Talked About How Sandra’s experience of losing her father started a journey and how it turned out to be his biggest gift Being mindful of who you share your dreams with How saying no as a full and complete sentence Well-intentioned dreamshitters Choosing not to be superwoman anymore The lost art of patience   Resources Ask and It is Given - Esther Hicks Wayne Dyer Deepak Choprah Louise Hay   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 thinking of imaginative ways of hide my would-be dog from my landlord.   

This week's episode is a solo special and I'm diving into the anatomy of fear, my rather bizarre fear analogy and some helpful things to help you find the courage to shine bright in the world!   Resources mentioned in today's episode:   Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert The Doing Scary Things Podcast Episode 8 with Anabel Roque Rodríguez Episode 43 with Elin Lööw     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 THINKING OF IMAGINATIVE WAYS OF HIDE MY WOULD-BE DOG FROM MY LANDLORD.   

Hello my lovely Couragemakers and welcome to Episode 103 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I couldn’t be happier to share this WONDERFUL heartwarming episode with the inspiring Rachel Flower. Rachel is a multi-passionate, full time lover of life, non-traditional wife, mum to two gorgeous girls, recovering former-suit-wearing lawyer, almost actress, singer, constantly curious question asker and loyal friend who lives in Yorkshire in the UK. She is a  disruptive entrepreneur, an ambassador for growth and greatness, recovering lawyer turned business coach helping women to grow and scale sustainable businesses. Rachel runs courses on  run courses on Happiness because we teach what we most need to learn and spends her time inspiring others to create lives of impact and independence. In this week’s episode, we explore what what it means to build resilience, the lessons we learn from really hard times and the courage it takes to show up and be yourself. We dive deep into so many aspects of Rachel’s story, from building her business, slowing down, and her and her daughter Bella’s journey of being diagnosed with leukaemia aged 2, and what Bella has taught her along the way. We dive deep into the courage it takes to raise the next generation, the sheer pressure we put on ourselves as women and the importance of having a community and feeling heard, understood and importance. Along the way we also talk about decluttering friendships, how we’re not a problem to be fixed, well intentioned dreamshitters and drag queens. This episode is one hell of a ride and my cheeks were aching from smiling and laughing by the end of this episode. Rachel’s vulnerability, resilience and positivity is awe-inspiring, and I know you’ll be thinking about this episode long after you listen to it. If you’re craving some soul food, you are in for a treat. Enjoy the show! About Rachel Rachel Flower is  a multi-passionate, full time lover of life, non-traditional wife, mum to two gorgeous girls, recovering former-suit-wearing lawyer, almost actress, singer, constantly curious question asker and loyal friend who lives in Yorkshire in the UK. She is a  disruptive entrepreneur, an ambassador for growth and greatness, recovering lawyer turned business coach helping women to grow and scale sustainable businesses. Rachel runs courses on  run courses on Happiness because we teach what we most need to learn and spends her time inspiring others to create lives of impact and independence.  Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   Things We Talked About the importance of community how Rachel builds her own resilience  the courage it takes to raise the next generation the pressures we face as women the importance of feel heard, feeling understood, feeling supported   Resources I mom so hard   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 thinking of imaginative ways of hide my would-be dog from my landlord. 

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 102 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I’m talking to the fabulous Justine Froelker. Justine is an advocate for speaking about shame and learning to thrive when life doesn't turn out how you hoped, dreamed, or even planned that it would. Full of grit and grace, Justine uses her fiery passion, the occasional curse word, and her witty humor to share her vulnerability and truth to light up the world. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator with over 19 years of experience (based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown), speaker, and Professional Network Marketer. She is the author of her best-selling books, Ever Upward and The Mother of Second Chances and recently gave two TEDx talks. Justine currently lives in Saint Louis with her husband, Chad, and their three dogs. She enjoys her childfull life by spending time with friends and family, practicing creative self-care, laughing (many times at herself) and building butterfly gardens on her acre of land, which has made her an accidental butterfly farmer. In this week’s episode, we dive into Justine’s story and why she believes we must stop describing our stories as hard. Justine shares her story, from spending two six months periods in a body cast, her surrogacy and infertility journey and what has led her to doing the work she does today. We dive into why Justine loathes the phrase never give up, the importance of grace-filled permission and compassion and how Justine pours into herself. We also chat about rumbling with shame, choosing to do the hard work and show up and stand in your own sacred truth every day and dropping the armour or perfectionism, people pleasing and care giving. This episode is full of so many practical takeaways and I could honestly listen to this episode on repeat. I loved asking Justine what she loves about herself and what living in raw authenticity means to her and hearing how she will never apologise for her a lot ness. If you’re struggling right now, if you struggle to prioritise yourself or you just need a new way to look at your own story, this is the perfect episode for you. Justine epitomises what it means to live unapologetically and I couldn’t be happier to be sharing her episode with you today. Enjoy the show!   About Justine Full of grit and grace, Justine Froelker uses her fiery passion, the occasional curse word, and her witty humor to share her vulnerability and truth to light up the world. Justine is an advocate for speaking about shame and learning to thrive when life doesn't turn out how you hoped, dreamed, or even planned that it would. Justine is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator with over 19 years of experience (based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown), speaker, and Professional Network Marketer. She is the author of her best-selling books, Ever Upward and The Mother of Second Chances and recently gave two TEDx talks. Justine currently lives in Saint Louis with her husband, Chad, and their three dogs. She enjoys her childfull life by spending time with friends and family, practicing creative self-care, laughing (many times at herself) and building butterfly gardens on her acre of land, which has made her an accidental butterfly farmer. Website | Facebook | Instagram   Things We Talked About   Why we must stop describing our stories as hard Why Justine loathes the phrase never give up Justine’s big stories and what they have taught her Why netflix, wine and ice cream won’t love you back Grace filled permission to struggle What living in raw authenticity means to Justine What Justine loves about herself   Resources    777 Happy Challenge How I changed my relationship with social media - Huffington Post The Gifts of Imperfection - Brené Brown 10 Ways To Calm the Fuck Down   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 THINKING OF IMAGINATIVE WAYS OF HIDE MY WOULD-BE DOG FROM MY LANDLORD. 

Hello Couragemakers! Welcome to episode 101! Today I couldn’t be happier to share with you my conversation with Lisa Pascoe. Lisa Pascoe is an inspirational Speaker, Intuitive Master NLP Practitioner, and Recovering Perfectionist who is passionate about empowering women to tap into their inner wisdom and intuition, so they can live more authentic lives. Lisa runs rewilding retreats, 1:1 coaching and soul-nourishing circles for sensitive women ready for change. She believes kindness is key and intuition and wellbeing reign supreme because we all know that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Lisa currently lives in Southsea with her partner Bekky and their wire-haired sausage dog Henry. She has a penchant for cake, oracle cards and walks in the woods. I don’t even know where to start when it comes to sharing what we talked about during today’s episode. To say we really went there is an understatement! Lisa shares her journey into working to create spaces for women to to drop out of their heads and get into their hearts, embracing the dark as well as the light (we also have a great conversation about the dangers of spiritual bypassing) and Lisa’s journey of living a life that feels aligned and true. We talk about not living on autopilot, the value of having a space where you are simply listened to, the difficulties that come with being an empath, and how important seasons, cycles and sanity are for women and how we can use them to live a life that is led by our intuition. And SO much more! If you need some fire in your feminist belly, if you’re looking for a way to tune into your intuition or you’re sick of this whole idea that there’s a  prescribed path or blueprint to how you should live your life, you are going to love this episode. This episode is a great dollop of permission to  own and change your story and to write your own chapters. Lisa and I first connected back in 2015 when I worked on her branding, and I am so happy our paths have crossed again. Her work is currently influencing me more than I can tell you and our conversation just filled my soul. Here’s to rising as women and changing the world!   About Lisa Lisa Pascoe is an inspirational Speaker, Intuitive Master NLP Practitioner, and Recovering Perfectionist who is passionate about empowering women to tap into their inner wisdom and intuition, so they can live more authentic lives. Lisa runs rewilding retreats, 1:1 coaching and soul-nourishing circles for sensitive women ready for change. She believes kindness is key and intuition and wellbeing reign supreme because we all know that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Lisa currently lives in Southsea with her partner Bekky and their wire-haired sausage dog Henry. She has a penchant for cake, oracle cards and walks in the woods.  Website | Facebook | Instagram Topics Connecting women with nature and a space for women to drop out of their heads and get into their hearts Women, money and self worth The problem with spiritual bypassing Giving yourself permission and validation How we all have the choice to be stuck in a story or change the story Resources Lisa Lister: Love Your Lady Landscape, Code Red Free Range Humans Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert Wild - Cheryl Strayed Tony Riddle   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 THINKING OF IMAGINATIVE WAYS OF HIDE MY WOULD-BE DOG FROM MY LANDLORD. 

This week we’re celebrating 100 episodes of Couragemakers! I’m sharing what Couragemakers means to my soul and what I’ve learned so far about courage, about women, and our stories along the way!   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

Hello, hello and welcome to episode 99 of The Couragemakers Podcast!  Can you believe next week is going to be episode 100? I’m still very much working out what to do to honour the occasion!   If you’ve got any ideas, come say hi and let me know over on Instagram I’ve just started a 100 day challenge to get over my fear of video by being on Instagram stories every day - I’m on day 6! - and I’d love to connect with you over there! So for today’s episode, I’m chatting with Bryn Bamber. Bryn is a Burnout and Intuitive Business Coach who works with other creative introverts to help them find a career that supports them.  Bryn came to this work after working in the non-profit world with marginalised youths and burning out herself. Now Bryn helps people find a career and a business that’s aligned with their purpose. The things that make Bryn the happiest are dancing, walking in the forest, chatting with clients, working on my memoir, relaxing with friends and listening to inspiring podcasts. In this week’s episode, Bryn shares her journey from working in a non-profit to starting her own business. We dive into the difference between heart vs logic decisions and how truly scary and risky it can be going after what you want.  We dive into how to find your intuition, Bryn’s great 10 year exercise to find out what your heart wants and being able to enjoy the phase you’re in. We also have a great conversation about the unique challenges we face as multi-passionates when it comes to burnout, the magic of being a multi-passionate and how much it adds to our lives and Bryn shares her advice for multi-passionates dealing with overwhelm and burnout. This is a perfect episode for you if you struggle with justifying heart-based decisions in a world where logic rules, if you’re a multi-passionate and you sometimes struggle to keep your own light lit, and if you’re thinking of a career change or doing something more in line with what your heart wants. Enjoy the show and here’s to finding joy in the phase you’re in right now!  About Bryn Bryn Bamber is a Burnout and Intuitive Business Coach who works with other creative introverts to help them find a career that supports them.  Bryn came to this work after working in the non-profit world with marginalised youths and burning out herself. Now Bryn helps people find a career and a business that’s aligned with their purpose. The things that make Bryn the happiest are dancing, walking in the forest, chatting with clients, working on my memoir, relaxing with friends and listening to inspiring podcasts. Website | Instagram | Twitter  | Facebook |  Free Checklist   Things We Talked About    Bryn's journey from working in a non-profit helping marginalized youths to starting her own business Bryn's 10 year exercise to help you find what your heart wants How risky and scary it can be to go after what your heart wants    Resources Mentioned Why dream-chasing and building the life you want is exhausting Karen Armstrong Martha Beck The Curse of Lovely - Jacqui Marson Gary Vaynerchuk   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!

Hello Couragemakers! Can you believe that we’re just one episode away from the 100th episode of Couragemakers?! I’m still thinking of a way to celebrate, so if you have any ideas of what you’d love to see, please do get in touch at meg@thathummingbirdlife.com! I absolutely love hearing from Couragemaker listeners and I do reply, so I’d love to hear your thoughts! For this week’s episode, I’m chatting with the wonderful Nadia Finer. Nadia is a powerhouse business coach, wickedly funny international speaker and author of Little Me Big Business and works to help people unleash their bigness in their business. All of her life Nadia has had a really little voice. Over the years, Nadia has learned to embrace her little voice rather than hide behind her insecurities, by turning it into her secret weapon and building a unique personal brand around it. Nadia lives in the UK and spends her time helping clients grow their businesses, hanging out with her fuzzy dog Bobby  and getting feisty in the boxing ring. In this episode Nadia shares her journey, from learning at fifteen she had a really small voice and making the decision to play small, to embracing her uniqueness and playing big. We talk all about playing bigger in your life, how keeping yourself small deprives the world of so many wonderful things and how fear is never as big as your head tries to convince you it is. We really dive into the power of doing something different in your life and your business, how the online business world can make you feel like you should be doing what everyone else is doing (and why we think that’s wrong!) and how you can step outside of this Stepford Wives type model of running your life and business and find things that actually work for you and align with you values.  Playing small is something we all struggle with. It can feel scary to take up space and it can feel terrifying to show up in the world as fully ourselves, but like the fantastic quote Nadia shares in this episode by Joseph Campbell, “the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek." Courage truly is contagious and my hope for this episode is that Nadia’s courage and her story will help you get courageous in your own life and take a tiny step towards entering your own cave you fear to enter. Nadia is a breath of fresh air and I can’t tell you how much I loved our conversation! I know you’re going to absolutely love this episode! So enjoy the show. About Nadia  Nadia is a powerhouse business coach, wickedly funny international speaker and author of Little Me Big Business and works to help people unleash their bigness in their business.  All of her life Nadia has had a really little voice. Over the years, Nadia has learned to embrace her little voice rather than hide behind her insecurities, by turning it into her secret weapon and building a unique personal brand around it.  Nadia lives in the UK and spends her time helping clients grow their businesses, hanging out with her fuzzy dog Bobby  and getting feisty in the boxing ring.  Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter  | YouTube | Free Chapter   Things We Talked About Nadia's experience of learning at fifteen she had a really small voice and making the decision to play small  How keeping yourself small deprives the world of so many wonderful things and how fear is never as big as your head tries to convince you it is. The power of doing something different in your life and your business, how the online business world can make you feel like you should be doing what everyone else is doing (and why we think that’s wrong!) and how you can step outside of this Stepford Wives type model of running your life and business and find things that actually work for you and align with you values.     Resources Mentioned Joseph Campbell quote - "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."     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!

Hello Couragemakers! It is so good to be back after a summer break! Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been having all sorts of wonderful conversations for Couragemakers and I can’t wait to share them with you! For this week’s episode, I’m chatting to the lovely Hannah Jane Thompson. Hannah is a personalised mindfulness meditation coach for professional, ambitious women at Breathe Like A Badass. She uses 100% personalised mindfulness meditation techniques to help professional women feel calm and confident; chill out more; appreciate the moment; get a clear direction of what they want, and how to achieve it - and enjoy life too. Hannah discovered mindfulness meditation over a decade ago, after years of struggling with anxiety, depression, lack of career direction and confidence, and even less self-compassion and she shares her story on today’s show. Now, as a certified life coach and a meditation student at the University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre, she is a true mindfulness geek, and totally passionate about speaking openly about the reality of life as an ambitious-yet-anxious, creative and joyful entrepreneur and human. She practices daily meditation and yoga; adores sunny countries and gin; eats too much chocolate and olive oil; is slightly obsessed with Instagram and podcasts; loves the colour fuschia; gets excited around terrier dogs; and lives in southwest London with her partner Oli. During our conversation, Hannah shares her journey from working as a trained journalist and restaurants writer to starting Breathe Like A Badass. We dive deep into the reality of what it means to build a life you love, relying on yourself for validation and the courage it takes to do things your own way.  We get really open and honest about the behind the scenes of what it takes to change career and how ultimately the only person who’s validation and permission you need to seek is your own. We also dive deep into the world of meditation and I loved asking Hannah all of my burning questions as someone who’s new to the world of meditation. If you’re dreaming of doing your own thing, if you’re feeling overwhelmed and intrigued about meditation and practical ways to bring it into your life, this is the perfect episode for you! I love how open and transparent Hannah I and I loved getting to catch up with her when we both lived in London last year and I can tell you she is as wonderful in real life as she is on the show! Enjoy the show! About Hannah Hannah Jane Thompson is a personalised mindfulness meditation coach for professional, ambitious women at Breathe Like A Badass. She uses 100% personalised mindfulness meditation techniques to help professional women feel calm and confident; chill out more; appreciate the moment; get a clear direction of what they want, and how to achieve it - and enjoy life too. Hannah discovered mindfulness meditation over a decade ago, after years of struggling with anxiety, depression, lack of career direction and confidence, and even less self-compassion. Now, as a certified life coach and a meditation student at the University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre, she is a true mindfulness geek, and totally passionate about speaking openly about the reality of life as an ambitious-yet-anxious, creative and joyful entrepreneur and human. She practices daily meditation and yoga; adores sunny countries and gin; eats too much chocolate and olive oil; is slightly obsessed with Instagram and podcasts; loves the colour fuschia; gets excited around terrier dogs; and lives in southwest London with her partner Oli. Website | Instagram Things We Talked About Hannah's journey from working as a trained journalist and restaurants writer to starting Breathe Like a Badass The myth that we’ve got everything sorted out The realities of working for yourself How meditation has changed Hannah's life and the practical ways we can begin meditating and fit it into our lives Resources/Mentioned Anais Nin quote - “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Marie Forleo Dan Harris - 10% Happier  Headspace App About Meg & That Hummingbird Life

  Hello Couragemakers! This week I’m so excited to share with you my conversation with Tamara Burgess!   Tamara calls herself a bit of a "digital doer". She owns a writing and marketing business based in the UK. Tamara started freelancing a few years ago after she left her corporate career to move to Japan and start travel writing – and things have progressed from there! Tamara love having bullshit-free discussions about controversial topics with an open heart and the four things she loves the most are being outside exploring something green, listening to people, idea sharing and laughing so much that she cries.   And a bullshit-free discussion definitely happens during this episode! We dive into so many thing during this episode from Tamara's journey from growing up and only seeing herself as a mathematician and not creative to leaving the corporate world and moving to Japan and starting a freelance career in writing and marketing, the myth that every has it all figured out and finding time in your time to do the things that bring you joy.   We have a great discussion about self awareness, prejudice and judgement, attitudes to money as a creative and the problems we both share with the minimalist movement.   This episode is really about giving yourself permission to be yourself, embracing the things that make you you and really getting to know yourself. Tamara’s ability to tell it as it is is so refreshing and she shares so much practical wisdom from her own journey about accepting yourself where you are right now. If you’re craving a a shitload of encouragement, a good laugh and really bullshit-free conversation about the reality of creating a life you love, this episode is for you.   Enjoy the show Couragemakers!   About Tamara Tamara calls herself a bit of a "digital doer". She owns a writing and marketing business based in the UK. Tamara started freelancing a few years ago after she left my corporate career to move to Japan and start travel writing – and things have progressed from there! Tamara love having bullshit-free discussions about controversial topics with an open heart and the four things she loves the most arebeing outside exploring something green, listening to people, idea sharing and laughing so much that she cries.  Website | Bio | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter Things We Talked About Tamara's journey from growing up and only seeing herself as a mathematician and not creative to leaving the corporate world and moving to Japan and starting a freelance career in writing and marketing The myth that we’ve got everything sorted out The realities of working for yourself The 'scattering' of things that bring Tamara joy and how she builds them into her daily life    Resources The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg Les Brown quote -“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry our their dream.” 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!

 Hello Couragemakers! This week I’m so excited to be chatting to the wonderful Gina Greenwood. This episode feels like it’s been a long time coming and I’m so excited to share it with you! Gina is a salon owner, hairstylist, leader, mentor, and self-confessed master of badassery. She has made it her mission to change the world one head at a time.  Not only is she doing that by giving people the added confidence that comes from looking and feeling their very best but also by encouraging anyone and everyone to live an intentional life.   In this week’s episode, we’re really diving into what it means to live an intentional life. Gina learned the power of intentional living when she was nearing her 39th birthday.  Gina’s Mother was tragically killed in an automobile accident at the young age of 39.  It was when Gina  began to near that age herself that she truly began to realise what a gift every moment of every day truly was.  She made the decision to live her life intentionally.   During our conversation, Gina shares how her life has changed now she brings intention into her daily life, how perspective is everything and the power of her ‘fuck it’ mentality. We also chat about holding parallel truths, having a growth mindset and about the imaginary rules we create for ourselves and how we can free ourselves. Gina also shares behind the scenes of what it looks like to own a fantastic hair salon, how her approach to leadership has changed as well as the one thing every single person does without fail at the end of an appointment. Gina’s approach to life is so refreshing I love her philosophy about perspective being everything. Her positivity is contagious and this episode is like taking a big sigh of relief. I know you’re going to love this one! So enjoy today’s show!   About Gina Gina Greenwood is a salon owner, hairstylist, leader, mentor, and master of badassery. She has made it her mission to change the world one head at a time.  Not only is she doing that by giving people the added confidence that comes from looking and feeling their very best but also by encouraging anyone and everyone to live an intentional life.  Website| Salon | Facebook| Twitter | Instagram | YouTube   Things We Talked About How Gina learned the power of intentional living when she was nearing her 39th birthday The importance of having a 'Fuck It' mentality Parallel truths and finding positivity Being intentional about who you surround yourself with and also taking responsibility   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast 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!  

Hello Couragemakers! I'm back this week with a solo show and I'm sharing the only analogy you'll ever need for the creative process! If you struggle with putting yourself out there and if you ever feel in a creative slump, this one is for you my friends. 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!   --

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 93 of The Couragemakers Podcast. This week I’m talking with the lovely Kimberly Myhill and I can honestly say this is one of the most refreshing conversations I’ve ever had about mental health. Kimberly Myhill is from Norwich, UK and has lived with depression for as long as she can remember and for a long time had no idea that was what was happening. Kimberly has had many ups and downs, more downs than ups over the years but now that has changed.  Kimberly works for Equal Lives, an opportunity she believes has changed her life. She works in development, and it gives her the chance to meet so many different people and carry out projects for people who like her, who really need support living with long-term health conditions.  Both in and out of work,  Kimberly advocates for talking about mental health as easily as talking about a headache. She believe in trusting your instincts to keep you centred and well, and that we can all support one another to reduce stigma, be open and honest and be the best version of ourselves we can be.  During today’s episode, Kimberly shares her story, from living with depression, reaching out to get help and a very vulnerable and behind-the-scenes look at what Kimberly’s repair work and recovery journey has looked like. We talk about how life-changing it can be to have a supportive employer, the importance of listening to your gut feeling and how Kimberly has been able to break things down and focus on her wellbeing. We dive into how life can change when we feel able to ask for help, how to talk to people in your life about your mental health and Kimberly’s fantastic advocacy brand and the work she is doing. As someone who has depression and anxiety, I can’t tell you how much I loved this episode and how in awe I am of Kimberly’s work and how she is able to communicate so many things I struggle to find the words for. I found our conversation incredibly healing and reassuring. Before we get into today’s episode, I want to let you know that attempted suicide is mentioned throughout this episode, so if you feel this episode might trigger you, please look after yourself and do what’s best for you which might mean skipping this episode right now. I started Couragemakers to have real conversations and really go behind the curtains and I couldn’t be happier to bring you this episode. I’d love to know what you think of today’s episode. Enjoy the show. About Kimberly Kimberly Myhill is from Norwich, UK and has lived with depression for as long as she can remember and for a long time had no idea that was what was happening. Kimberly has had many ups and downs, more downs than ups over the years but now that has changed.  Kimberly works for Equal Lives, an opportunity she believes has changed her life. She works in development, and it gives her the chance to meet so many different people and carry out projects for people who like her, who really need support living with long-term health conditions.  Both in and out of work,  Kimberly advocates for talking about mental health as easily as talking about a headache. She believe in trusting your instincts to keep you centred and well, and that we can all support one another to reduce stigma, be open and honest and be the best version of ourselves we can be.   Instagram |  Equal Lives Things We Talked About    Kimberly’s experience of living with depression since she can remember How Kimberly has learned to be comfortable with how you feel about something The importance of listening to your gut feeling how employers can have a massive impact on how you are able to manage your mental health Kimberly’s advocacy work – Hourglass Mental Health   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!    

Hello Couragemakers! I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this week’s episode with you!  ​ This week I’m talking with Nina Hart about all things creativity and I seriously could have chatted to Nina all day. Before our conversation Nina shared how finding kindred spirits is like finding a fellow lightening rod and I certainly feel like I’ve found a fellow lightening rod and I’m pretty sure you will too.  Nina is an Asheville, NC based writer, performer, and creativity coach trained in the Kaizen-Muse method and also a certified Gateless Method writing teacher. Her first collection of surreal short fictions called “Somewhere in a Town You Never Knew Existed Somewhere” was selected as a Short Stories (Adult Fiction) category finalist in Foreword Reviews’ prestigious 2014 IndieFab Book of the Year Awards. Nina was also an original member of the experimental dance troupe Contraband, in San Francisco and, playing a purple electric bass, has recorded and performed with numerous bands.  Nina spends her time as a right-brained, highly sensitive, creative entrepreneur. She is passionate about helping artists and writers find their voice and reclaim the hooligan kid spirit that most people have buried under an “adult” veneer. Nina considers herself to be an improvisational writer – she was a blocked writer until she rediscovered the curious part of herself who could play, experiment, and explore. Nina is the founder of a unique method of teaching writing called “Writing from the Top of your Head,” which combines group Creativity Coaching with creative writing. She offers online Writing from the Top of Your Head workshops, both live and self-study, as well intensive retreats and 1:1 coaching.   During our conversation, we dive into Nina’s story and how she always knew she was an artist, how safety plays a huge role in creativity and the art of throwing yourself back on yourself – Nina has a wonderful definition of how this works. We talk about real and not-shiny creativity, how vulnerability can be a strength and how life is so much richer when you say yes to your creativity. We also have a very vulnerable conversation about the loneliness that often comes with not fitting in and being an artist and how important it is that you keep going and give the world what only you have to give. The theme of this episode is really rediscovering and reclaiming your creativity rather than finding something that wasn’t there before and my hope with this episode is that it will help you reclaim and rediscover some things that really make you feel like yourself and make you feel alive. I found this episode seriously healing and it’s a great reminder that you’re not alone, and as creative, unconventional and multi-passionate women, we need to keep together and help keep each other’s fires lit. ​I know you’re going to absolutely love this episode, so settle in and prepare to be inspired.    About Nina   Nina Hart is an Asheville, NC based writer, performer, and creativity coach trained in the Kaizen-Muse method. She is also a certified Gateless Method writing teacher. Her first collection of surreal short fictions called “Somewhere in a Town You Never Knew Existed Somewhere” was selected as a Short Stories (Adult Fiction) category finalist in Foreword Reviews’ prestigious 2014 IndieFab Book of the Year Awards. Nina was also an original member of the experimental dance troupe Contraband, in San Francisco and, playing a purple electric bass, has recorded and performed with numerous bands. Nina spends her time as a right-brained, highly sensitive, creative entrepreneur. She is passionate about helping artists and writers find their voice and reclaim the hooligan kid spirit that most people have buried under an “adult” veneer. Nina considers herself to be an improvisational writer – she was a blocked writer until she rediscovered the curious part of herself who could play, experiment, and explore.Nina is the founder of a unique method of teaching writing called “Writing from the Top of your Head,” which combines group Creativity Coaching with creative writing. She offers online Writing from the Top of Your Head workshops, both live and self-study, as well intensive retreats and 1:1 coaching.  To sign up for a chat, or for more information visit www.writingfromthetopofyourhead.com Website | Facebook | Instagram |   Things We Talked About   How life is so much richer when you say yes to your creativity How we can feel connected to our aliveness Rediscovering and reclaiming your creativity rather than finding something that wasn’t there before The cult of criticism and the heartbroken artist The loneliness that can come with not fitting in   Resources Mentioned   Kaizen Muse  Theatre of the Oppressed   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 pep talks 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 multi-passionates 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!    

Hello wonderful Couragemakers and welcome to episode 91 of The Couragemakers Podcast!   This week it’s just me and you as I have a solo mid year review special for you today.   So we’re halfway through 2018. I don’t know about you but it simultaneously feels like it’s flown by and like we’ve been living in 2018 for about a century. It feels like 2017 was a lifetime ago, but at the same time, I can’t believe it’s June! 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! You can listen to today’s episode here!   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 weekly pep talks to fellow couragemakers (join the party here!) or working one to one with fellow creatives and multi-passionates, 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!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 90 of The Couragemakers Podcast! For this week’s episode, I’m talking with Lucy Brand. Lucy Brand is an Intuitive Business Coach & Speaker supporting women entrepreneurs to know they ARE enough and can fearlessly achieve their wildest dreams and desires in business and life. Lucy combines her digital marketing experience with energy work & Shamanic healing to address your inner game of mindset & energetic alignment with outta game business strategies. Lucy lives in Brighton in the UK  and is a massive Dungeons and Dragons fan, can be found attending moon circles, practising yoga with the hubby, cooking up a storm in the kitchen or visiting the sea.  In this episode, we dive into intuition and how it has played a huge role in Lucy’s life and her business, how life becomes so much more colourful when we are ready to and are able to show up as our entire selves and the journey Lucy has been on to get to that place. We also talk about how Lucy’s life has changed since she started asking for help, how some of the biggest lies we tell are the ones we tell ourselves and the transformative powers of forgiveness. A heads up that during this episode we talk about sexual assault, so if you feel this might trigger you, I suggest only listening up to the twenty minute mark. During the episode, Lucy shares a story she has only shared once before and I love how she really shares the behind-the-scenes aspect of what it takes to share your story and her advice for anyone who feels compelled to share their story. I love how happen Lucy is to get open in order to help other women tell their stories and know they are not alone and they are loved. I got so much out of this episode and I know you will too.  Enjoy the show!   About Guest:   Lucy Brand is an Intuitive Business Coach & Speaker supporting women entrepreneurs to know they ARE enough and can fearlessly achieve their wildest dreams and desires in business and life. Lucy combines her digital marketing experience with energy work & Shamanic healing to address your inner game of mindset & energetic alignment with outta game business strategies. Lucy lives in Brighton in the UK  and is a massive Dungeons and Dragons fan, can be found attending moon circles, practising yoga with the hubby, cooking up a storm in the kitchen or visiting the sea.    Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn     Things We Talked About:   Intuition and how it plays a part of Lucy’s life and business How being your authentic self is where the magic happens Lucy’s experience of sharing her story for the first time and her advice for sharing your story Home of the biggest lies are the ones we tell ourselves The importance of forgiveness and forgiving yourself for how you treat yourself How Lucy’s life has changed since she started asking for help   Resources Mentioned:   JK Rowling & Oprah Winfrey interview Oprah Winfrey and Tina Turner interview Tony Robbins Documentary Ho'oponopono Joe Vitale Youtube video   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!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to another episode of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I have the joy of talking with Sally Pewhairangi. Sally is a New Zealand librarian who helps other librarians be the best they can be, particularly with things digital. Sally share her 20+ years library experience and wants to share what she has learned help librarians improve their digital practice through her website TheLibraryBoss.com. The Library Boss takes a holistic approach to digital literacy; something that is often overlooked by many libraries, programmes, workshops and courses. Sally loves Watching international tv series with subtitles (mostly crime) and will always choose summer over winter. In this episode, Sally shares her journey of becoming an entrepreneurial librarian, her wonderful weekly experiments I think we could all learn a thing or two from and how enthusiasm, curiosity and strengths play a huge part of Sally’s life. We really dive into how under-rated excitement is, the idea of being the best you already are - which I love and we also debunk a myth or two about librarianship along the way! We also talk about risk taking and how subjective risk is, what helps Sally take action and trying things for the sake of trying new things and not worrying about failure. If you often find yourself over-thinking, struggle to take risks or you’re a multi-passionate who wants to find new ways of doing things, this episode is for you! I absolutely love Sally’s strengths-based approach to life, and I loved our conversation. This is the perfect episode if you’re experiencing the Self Doubt Wobbles and I know you’re going to get so much out of this episode. So enjoy the show!   About Sally Sally Pewhairangi doesn’t have any magic beans or secret sauce. But she does have 20+ years library experience and wants to share what she has learned to help librarians improve their digital practice through her website TheLibraryBoss.com. The Library Boss takes a holistic approach to digital literacy; something that is often overlooked by many libraries, programmes, workshops and courses. People get stuck on the tech skills and the shiny new things, and forget about the person who needs to learn those skills and use those shiny new things. You might think it sounds a bit woo-woo. But Sally’s not a woo-woo kind of person. She’s an optimistic, creative problem-solving kind of person who questions everything, and then gets on and does stuff to find out what works best. Website | Twitter | LinkedIn   Things We Talked About Breaking the stereotypes of librarianship Tying new things for the sake of trying things, not always worrying about failure The courage it takes to do something differently and the confidence to generate new ideas   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello, hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 88 of The Couragemakers Podcast! It is so nice to be back into the rhythm of things! Since we moved I’m really starting to realise how important habits and rhythms are to me and am loving going for daily walks and have got into a really natural rhythm with writing snarky posts on Medium every day as part of Elle Luna’s 100 Day Project. I wanted to share that with you because I know sometimes we know there’s something we could add to our lives that would change our day, and I just want to say if I can do it, you can do it to! So this might be something to have a think about as you listen to this week’s episode! For this week’s episode I’m talking to Nicole Liloia. Nicole is a former social worker turned accidental entrepreneur. After suffering severe burnout in the non-profit world and refusing to ever return to a 9-5, she took time to travel and volunteer in South America. She started her first business in 2013 and has been helping women stop wasting time and start making more money since then. Nicole provides strategy + mentorship to women entrepreneurs who want to scale their business and income through multiple income streams. Nicole loves spending time with her nephews, Apothic wine, and never misses a Taco Tuesday.  During our conversation, we’re diving into Nicole’s journey of leaving the world of therapy and social work and starting her own business. We really dive how women can support fellow women to leave the comfort zone, the problems with automatic thinking and going after things when you want them, not just when you need them. Nicole shares great tips on how to set goals, we dive into money stories and what happens when we give ourselves permission to go big. If you struggle with setting goals, are sick of comparing yourself to others or you know it’s time to play big and get out of your comfort zone but find the idea of it terrifying, this episode is for you! Have a wonderful day, Couragemakers, enjoy the show and remember: everything changes when you believe you matter.   About Nicole Nicole Liloia provides strategy + mentorship to women entrepreneurs who want to scale their business and income through multiple income streams. After suffering severe burnout in the non-profit world and refusing to ever return to a 9-5, she took time to travel and volunteer in South America. She started her first business in 2013 and has been helping women stop wasting time and start making more money since then. Nicole got her master’s in Social Work at Columbia University and has written for Forbes, Huffington Post, and MindBodyGreen. She’s obsessed with entrepreneurship, women becoming wealthy, Apothic wine, and never misses a Taco Tuesday.   Website | Instagram | Batch Like A Boss Cheat Sheet|  Twitter  | Facebook | LinkedIn   What We Talked About   How Nicole went from being a former therapist and social worker to a business strategist How women have it so much harder when it comes to working for ourselves Allowing yourself to set goals, and how to set goals   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers  or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!  

Hello Couragemakers! It is SO good to be back after an unplanned break! So much has changed since the last episode! I’m now living in Liverpool with Mr. Meg and we are loving building the life we want, spending more time in nature and I am obsessed with our new apartment. I also lost my wonderful Granddad who passed away at the beginning of May I’m looking forward to sharing about his life with you in future episodes - he has been a huge inspiration in my life. I’m think i’m going to start referring to him as the OM - the original multi-passionate! So, we’re back, Monday episodes are back for good and I’m looking forward to working on some solo series and fun stuff to! For today's episode, I’m chatting to the fantastic Heather Vickery. In this episode we’re really diving into what it means to give yourself permission, making more time for your creativity and choosing bravely, so if you need a good dollop of courage, this one’s for you! During our conversation Heather shares her journey of being an entrepreneur for 23 years, her drive and passion for social justice and her experience of coming out to herself, her then-spouse and her wider friends and family. We dive into what it means to live outside your comfort zone, the difference between goals and commitments and the work Heather has done about boundaries - and why they make her so giddy! I love the conversation we had and the work Heather does with creatives to create more time and permission for their creative work. As a self-confessed type A, I can completely relate to the struggles of resisting systems and processes but also knowing I need them in order to do my best work, and I love Heather’s work around this. This is a fantastically practical episode and if you struggle with giving yourself permission, staying stuck in your comfort zone or know that there’s a bit change you want to make, this episode is for you. I absolutely loved chatting with Heather and am so excited about her recently launched podcast The Brave Files! I’m looking forward to chatting with Heather again as I’m going to be a guest on The Brave Files, and I can’t wait to share another one of our conversations! You’re going to need a notepad and pen for this one! Enjoy the show! About Heather Heather Vickery is an award-winning entrepreneur, business owner, and transformational life and business coach and works with people to help build an authentic and meaningful life and design their own roadmap for balance and success.  A mother of four, Heather’s world turned upside down after a major life transformation and divorce, and suddenly, she had the freedom to be her most authentic self. She discovered that this same authenticity empowered her with the confidence she needed to repair, rebuild, and reach her life’s vision and goals. Today, Heather leverages her entrepreneurial skills and expertise to coach individuals towards greater personal and professional fulfillment.A strong believer in strengthening her community, Heather also serves as the school board president for The Children’s School and as Vice President on the Board of Directors for the About Face Theatre, Chicago’s premiere LGBTQ theatre. She is obsessed with Hamilton loves to travel.  Website | Instagram |  Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook | Podcast What We Talked About Heather shares her journey of being an entrepreneur for 23 years, her drive and passion for social justice and her experience of coming out to herself, her then-spouse and her wider friends and family. The opportunities that open when we leave our planned path How planning and systems can be helpful to creatives (despite how much we resist them!) and why multi-tasking is bullshit Working from pain points instead of expectations Links/Resources Heather shares her journey of being an entrepreneur for 23 years, her drive and passion for social justice and her experience of coming out to herself, her then-spouse and her wider friends and family. The opportunities that open when we leave our planned path How planning and systems can be helpful to creatives (despite how much we resist them!) and why multi-tasking is bullshit Working from pain points instead of expectations About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multi-passionates 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!    

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 86 of The Couragemakers Podcast! A quick update before we get into today’s show, there’s going to be no Couragemakers episode next week as it’s a bank holiday here in the UK and me and Mr. Meg are moving to Liverpool! Things have been more than slightly chaotic lately and I’m looking forward to getting back to weekly episodes every Monday! So, for today’s show, I’m chatting to Emily Ann Peterson. Emily is a is a singer-songwriter, creative consultant, and author of Bare Naked Bravery: How to Be Creatively Courageous and host of the Bare Naked Bravery Podcast. Emily writes for people who struggle to remember what hope feels like and sings to those who yearn for something secret. She speaks to those who are done being bored and crave all things beautiful, strong, sacred, and sensual. Her goal is to inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development. In this episode, Emily shares her story of being diagnosed with a degenerative neurological hand tremor, which forever altered her two-decade livelihood as a cellist/cello teacher. Emily shares how this shifted her identity and caused her to become really curious about what bravery is. We dive into the difference between actively processing and wallowing, how Emily has carved what she calls her ‘buffet of self employment’ and Emily’s 12 ingredients of bravery. We have a great conversation about the subjectivity of bravery and comparing our bravery to someone else’s bravery, the grieving process that encompasses a huge change in our identity and what has helped Emily in her journey. This is a fantastic episode for anyone going through a period of transition, re-thinking their identity and for anyone for needs a dose of bare naked bravery. I love how Emily describes her lifestyle of bravery, and I think this episode will get you thinking about how you can start to design your own!   Enjoy the show!   About Emily: Emily is a is a singer-songwriter, creative consultant, and author of Bare Naked Bravery: How to Be Creatively Courageous and host of the Bare Naked Bravery Podcast. Emily writes for people who struggle to remember what hope feels like and sings to those who yearn for something secret. She speaks to those who are done being bored and crave all things beautiful, strong, sacred, and sensual. Her goal is to inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.   Website | Instagram | Facebook | Podcast | Pinterest |   Things We Talked About:   Emily shares her story of being diagnosed with a degenerative neurological hand tremor, which forever altered her two-decade livelihood as a cellist/cello teacher.   The 12 ingredients of bravery   The difference between actively processing and wallowing     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!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 85 of The Couragemakers Podcast. This week I am so excited to have Anabel Roque Rodríguez back on the show! Anabel is an independent art historian, curator, and writer based currently in Switzerland. She has curated exhibitions in Ecuador, Munich, and Switzerland and works in art education formats at Art Karlsruhe or Art Basel, as well as in the institutional museum sector. Her writing around exhibitions and musings on the art world are published nationally and internationally. She is currently involved in a long-term project on "Art as Labour," in which she deals with the working conditions in the art world, the myth of the poor artist, success and development of the artist into a creative entrepreneur. If not somewhere in the art world, you will find her appreciating a big cup of coffee and hiking. Anabel appeared back on episode 8 of The Couragemakers Podcast two years ago, and since our conversation, we have become wonderful friends. Lately we’ve been talking a lot about about money as creatives, scarification and we thought it would be a great idea to record a conversation about just that! In this episode we dive into the notion of nourishing your ambition with self care, the connotations power and money have and how we can self-sabotage as creatives and talk about the importance of becoming your own best negotiator. We dive into creative work as labour, what Anabel has learned from a year and a half of conducting success in the arts interviews with women and the importance of empathy in our creative work. This is such a fantastic practical episode, and I love how much Anabel was willing to share her own process with us, from her practice of kindness and gentleness towards herself, the one question that has been really important to her lately and her fantastic reflection system she has built for herself. This conversation is a fantastic reminder that we’re all a work in process and that we all get to define success for ourselves. Anabel has evolved so much of my thinking around what it means to make a living as a creative and success as a creative and I know you’re going to get so much out of this episode! Enjoy the show! About Anabel Anabel Roque Rodríguez is an independent art historian, curator, and writer based currently in Switzerland. She has curated exhibitions in Ecuador, Munich, and Switzerland and works in art education formats at Art Karlsruhe or Art Basel, as well as in the institutional museum sector. Her writing around exhibitions and musings on the art world are published nationally and internationally. She is currently involved in a long-term project on “Art as Labour,” in which she deals with the working conditions in the art world, the myth of the poor artist, success and development of the artist into a creative entrepreneur. If not somewhere in the art world, you will find her appreciating a big cup of coffee and hiking (Anabel hiked 2200 Km in summer 2016!) Website | Blog| Success In The Arts Interviews | Newsletter | Twitter|Instagram Things We Talked About Nourishing your ambition with self care, The connotations power and money have and how we can self-sabotage as creatives  The importance of becoming your own best negotiator. Viewing creative work as labour What Anabel has learned from a year and a half of conducting success in the arts interviews with women  The importance of empathy in our creative work. Resources Mentioned   The Art of Asking – Amanda Palmer The Ten Year Big Picture – Debbie Millman Insight Timer Yoga with Adriene Radical Empathy in Museums Lisa Jacobs – Marketing Creativity Ash Ambirge   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!  

Hello Couragemakers and a very Happy International Women’s Day to you! Thank you so much for your birthday love last week and your wonderful support! We are now over HALF WAY to meeting the first goal on Patreon which is weekly solo shows! I’m blown away on a daily basis by this community, so thank you, thank you, thank you This week’s episode is coming to you late courtesy of a stomach bug, but I couldn’t be more thrilled to release this episode on International Women’s Day! This week I’m talking to the lovely Jessie Harold! Jessie is the creator and community catalyst behind Nalumana Women’s Wellness.  She has academic degrees in Neuroscience and Health Promotion, and is a certified life coach from the Centre for Applied Neuroscience, and a certified birth doula.  She works with women one-to-one, leads reWILD adventure retreats, seasonal women’s circles, and runs two online programs, all with the aim of supporting women to navigate life transitions in a way that brings them closer to who they are, what matters most, and what’s possible.  Also a writer, Jessie has had work published in Misadventures Magazine, International Doula Magazine, Huffington Post, and Inspired Coach Magazine.  She is the mother of two wee kids, and lives in a little oceanfront cottage on the east coast of Canada.During our conversation, we’re really diving into what it means to build a multi-passionate career and find the umbrella theme of your work, the authenticity behind the momentum of women rising and how isolating it can feel bucking society’s trends. Jessie shares her journey of finding a way of putting her passions under one roof, aligning her life with her values and the courage that comes with playing the long game. We have a great discussion about external expectations, not needing to achieve something to justify our existence and the glamorisation of big leaps and the tiny steps Jessie has taken along the way. This is a fantastic episode for all multi-passionate and creative women who are looking to find the theme behind their body of work, for any woman who is going through any life transition and a fantastic reminder to be uncompromising and have patience. Here’s to rising up as women, unapologetically, intentionally and unashamedly! Enjoy today’s show wonderful women!   About Jessie   Jessie Harrold is the creator and community catalyst behind Nalumana Women’s Wellness.  She has academic degrees in Neuroscience and Health Promotion, and is a certified life coach from the Centre for Applied Neuroscience, and a certified birth doula.  She works with women one-to-one, leads reWILD adventure retreats, seasonal women’s circles, and runs two online programs, all with the aim of supporting women to navigate life transitions in a way that brings them closer to who they are, what matters most, and what’s possible.  Also a writer, Jessie has had work published in Misadventures Magazine, International Doula Magazine, Huffington Post, and Inspired Coach Magazine.  She is the mother of two wee kids, and lives in a little oceanfront cottage on the east coast of Canada.   Website | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram   Things We Talked About:   being uncompromising and having patience the importance of addressing our privileges the courage of playing the long game rising up as women   Resources Mentioned:   Renaissance Business - Puttylike Emilie Wapnick - Puttylike Robert Keegan (stages of adult self) The Dance of the Dissident Daughter - Susan Monk Kidd Rise Sister Rise - Rebecca Campbell If Women Rose Rooted - Sharon Blackie Elizabeth Gilbert talk on not chasing your passions   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!

Couragemakers turns 2 today! And as a birthday special, past guest, the wonderful Katie Snyder is interviewing me! We talk struggles, money, creativity and some serious vulnerability! To listen to last year's birthday episode with Mr. Meg, click here! You can listen to Katie's episode here! And to find out all about Couragemaker's Patreon page, go here :) THANK YOU for being the most wonderful community I could ever ask for.  

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 82 of The Courgemakers Podcast! Before we dive into this week’s wonderful episode, I want to let you know that Couragemakers turns 2 this week and there is going to be a very special behind the scenes episode on Wednesday where past guest, the lovely Katie Snyder is interviewing me! I think you’re going to love the birthday special and I’m excited to share it with you! For this week’s episode, I’m talking with Kerstin Pressler. Kerstin is a fine artist, who lives between the borders of Germany and the Netherlands and has been living the creative life for nearly a decade. Through The Sparkling Creative, Kerstin is a mentor to visual creatives who strive to live their creative passion without suffering financially and seek to combine their creative passion with entrepreneurialism. You can usually find her in her studio, where she's creating new artworks daily.When she's not working on one of her artworks or taking care of her amazing creative clients, she's out and about exploring nature with her son and husband.What is making Kerstin extremely happy right now is having time to experiment with new pens and papers.  In this episode we’re diving into the myth of being a starving artist. We’re talking all about the intersection between creativity and making money, and have a really honest conversation about what that looks like. Kerstin shares her story, from choosing to go to art school and business school at the same time, what helps her stay focused and disciplined to get her work done as a creative and the behind the scenes of how she runs her business. We dive into figuring out what you want versus what you think you should want, some practical tips around vision boards and journalling and how looking after yourself is a key part of running a business. We talk about how Kerstin has fallen in love with the business side of her creative business, some books she recommends as well as how the myth of the starving artist is a choice and we have the ability to merge creativity and money without sacrificing our values. I think it’s fair to say that as creatives, talking about money can often feel weird and awkward, and this is a wonderful way to really start having that honest conversation with ourselves and remind ourselves that sustaining ourselves through our work isn’t selfish. As Kerstin says, we each have magic fairy dust as creatives that only we can give, and sharing that with the world is a great thing! This is going to be a great episode for the any one thinking about making money through their art, any one who runs a business and anyone who really wants a great behind the scenes glimpse at what it takes to run a creative business! Enjoy the show!   About Guest:   Kerstin Pressler is a fine artist, who lives between the borders of Germany and the Netherlands and has been living the creative life for nearly a decade. Through The Sparkling Creative, Kerstin is a mentor to visual creatives who strive to live their creative passion without suffering financially and seek to combine their creative passion with entrepreneurialism. You can usually find her in her studio, where she's creating new artworks daily.When she's not working on one of her artworks or taking care of her amazing creative clients, she's out and about exploring nature with her son and husband.What is making Kerstin extremely happy right now is having time to experiment with new pens and papers.    Website | The Sparkling Creative Podcast | The Sparkling Creative Community | Instagram   Things We Talked About:   Figuring out what you want versus what you think you should want The power of consistency Kerstin’s work debunking the myth of the starving artist   Resources Mentioned:   B School - Marie Forleo Emily Henderson Tiffany Pratt Inc Books Marie Forleo YouTube   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!  

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 79 of The Couragemakers Podcast! Before we dive into this week’s episode, I just want to remind you that Get Shit Done! Brigade starts this Thursday, 15th February and I would love for you to join us. Get Shit Done! Brigade is the Ultimate 30 Day Accountability Coaching & Encouragement Community. From encouragement parades and accountability buddies to check-in days and 1:1 coaching, it’s about an epic 30 days of action where we feel the fear and do it anyway. If you want to bring your projects into life, brainstorm ideas with a group of like-minded couragemakers and get a gentle kick up the bum to focus on the work that matters the most, then this might just be the thing for you! I Like I say on every episode of Couragemakers, 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. Join the brigade and allow yourself to receive the support and encouragement you so often reserve for other people and let’s get shit done together!  Now, onto today’s episode! This week I’m chatting to the lovely Jessica Brauer. Jessica is a brunch-loving, wine-drinking, introvert with a passion for storytelling, feeling all the feels, and big, crazy dreams. She is one of the three-part team behind Enkindle, a lifestyle company devoted to empowering women to live their authentic, unique life with their hearts on fire. By day she works closely with businesses and organizations on building partnerships, uplifting one another, and championing for success as a coach and manager for communications and outreach in Laramie, Wyoming. Whether putting pen to paper on the Enkindle blog or cheering for a struggling, local entrepreneur, she's a firm believer in the power of a like-minded tribe, starting before you're ready, and healing every bad day with tacos. In this episode we’re really diving into what it means to live a courageous life, own your story and get really honest about how things are for you. We have a great conversation about how we like to think we can handle everything ourselves, but how asking for help can be a sign of strength. We talk about the loneliness that comes with feeling like everything has to be perfect when we’re struggling alone and how we can start to dismantle that online. We really tear down some of the bullshit about instagram perfect lives, aspirational branding and believing everyone has their shit together and talk about what happens when you start to share your real life We also dive into the importance of celebrating your small wins, not needing to fit into boxes to make other people happy and the things we gain when we stop people pleasing and start saying no. Jessica is a breath of fresh air and she has some fantastic advice for when when the pressure to have a perfect life sinks in. If you ever struggle with endlessly scrolling online, comparing yourself to other people and wondering if you’re the only one who hasn’t got their shit together (spoiler alert: that’s definitely not the case!), you’re going to get so much out of this episode! Enjoy the show! About Jessica: Jessica is a brunch-loving, wine-drinking, introvert with a passion for storytelling, feeling all the feels, and big, crazy dreams. She is one of the three-part team behind Enkindle, a lifestyle company devoted to empowering women to live their authentic, unique life with their hearts on fire. By day she works closely with businesses and organizations on building partnerships, uplifting one another, and championing for success as a coach and manager for communications and outreach in Laramie, Wyoming. Whether putting pen to paper on the Enkindle blog or cheering for a struggling, local entrepreneur, she's a firm believer in the power of a like-minded tribe, starting before you're ready, and healing every bad day with tacos.  Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook   Things We Talked About:    the importance of being listened to  the loneliness that comes with feeling like everything has to be perfect and struggling alone not needing to fit yourself into a box to make other people happy getting really honest when someone asks you how you’re doing   Resources Mentioned: Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Brene Brown Female Lifestyle Empowerment Brand - Kelly Diels Why You Must Do What You Love - Barbara Sher   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!  

  On this episode of Couragemakers, to celebrate the launch of the Get Shit Done! Brigade, we're diving into 20 ways to Get Shit Done!   To get all of the links from today's show and to read the transcript on the blog, click here.   To find out more about Get Shit Done! Brigade, visit here!    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!  

On this week's first solo Couragemakers episode of 2018, I'm making an announcement and a commitment to you, my lovely Courage-making audience!   Keep your eyes peeled for the special 21 Ways To Get Shit Done! episode of Couragemakers coming out tomorrow, and if you want to find out more about the brigade, click here!

Before we begin this week's episode, I want to share something that will be right up your street if you crave a community with like-minded women, want accountability, and need some motivation and cheerleading. Get Shit Done! Brigade is the ultimate online community, coaching and accountability experience and kicks off on 15 February. The brigade is a 30-day online experience where we collectively seriously get shit done. Together we wade through the mud of creative resistance, encourage the shit out of each other and work on the things we’ve been putting off, for let’s face it, WAY too long. You can find out more about the brigade and sign up here.   For this week’s episode, I am speaking to the absolutely inspiring Christina Thatcher.   Christina is a writer, teacher and researcher who believes that reading transforms us, writing drives social change and doing both benefits the world. Christina grew up in America but has made a happy home in Wales with her husband, Rich, and cat, Miso. She is a part-time teacher and PhD student at Cardiff University where she studies how creative writing can impact the lives of people bereaved by addiction. Christina keeps busy off campus too as the Poetry Editor for The Cardiff Review and as a freelance workshop facilitator and festival coordinator. Christina was shortlisted for the Bare Fiction Debut Poetry Collection Competition in 2015 and was a winner in the Terry Hetherington Award for Young Writers in 2016.  Christina’s poetry and short stories have featured in a number of publications including The London Magazine, Planet Magazine, Acumen and The Interpreter’s House. Her first collection, More than you were, was published by Parthian Books in 2017.   In this week’s episode, we’re really diving deep into what it means to be a multi-passionate and Christina is sharing her story of having a multi-passionate career that really weaves her interests and her passions together. Christina shares her insatiable desire to learn and what she has learned about generosity and kindness through so many of the community projects she has done, and really putting your skills and strengths out there into the world.   We talk about Christina’s experience of writing her debut poetry collection which explores what it means to lose a father to addiction and live on, her experience of meeting people at her book tour and starting a conversation about grief and how sharing our own stories can make radical change in the world.   Christina also shares fantastic tips, advice and lessons on how to thrive when you are balancing lots of projects and roles (including a great musical metaphor) and the importance of restorative self care and the notion of rest weekends.   I am in awe of all of the work Christina does, how she shows up in the world and what an impact she makes. I love Christina’s honesty in sharing her journey, own struggles and lessons of finding a work life balance while being a pillar in her community and how much joy and enthusiasm she has for life. Christina’s attitude to life is contagious and I know you’re going to absolutely love this episode! So, enjoy today’s show!   About Guest: Christina Thatcher is a writer, teacher and researcher who believes that reading transforms us, writing drives social change and doing both benefits the world. Christina grew up in America but has made a happy home in Wales with her husband, Rich, and cat, Miso. She is a part-time teacher and PhD student at Cardiff University where she studies how creative writing can impact the lives of people bereaved by addiction. Christina keeps busy off campus too as the Poetry Editor for The Cardiff Review and as a freelance workshop facilitator and festival coordinator Christina was shortlisted for the Bare Fiction Debut Poetry Collection Competition in 2015 and was a winner in the Terry Hetherington Award for Young Writers in 2016.  Christina’s poetry and short stories have featured in a number of publications including The London Magazine, Planet Magazine, Acumen and The Interpreter’s House. Her first collection, More than you were, was published by Parthian Books in 2017.   Website | Book | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn   Things We Talked About: Christina’s thematically similar work and her experience of building a body of work and letting go of the need to have a linear narrative Christina’s experience of writing and publishing her debut experience, her book tour and experience of running death writing workshops The importance of planning rest weekends, restorative self care and a great metaphor for work/life balance   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!  

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 77 of The Couragemakers Podcast! I want to begin this episode with a trigger warning. In this episode, we discuss childhood sexual abuse and very briefly suicide. The most important thing is for you to take care of you, so if you need to skip this episode, please do. This week, I had the absolute privilege of interviewing Hazel Katherine Larkin. Hazel Katherine Larkin is a mother, writer, teacher, activist, actor, and academic. Her daughters are 13 & 15, of mixed Irish and Indian heritage, and inspire her to be the best version of herself. Hazel has written for stage, screen and publication in Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai, and her memoir Gullible Travels was published at the end of 2015. She has designed and delivered workshops for women and children in a variety of disciplines including personal development, language arts, mental wellness and recovery, and sexuality and consent. She has also devised the first series of workshops ever available in Ireland for midwives and birthworkers around the provision of trauma-informed support for women who have survived sexual abuse. Hazel is a survivor of child sexual abuse, and she writes and speaks about this, and has devised a series of lectures for medical students around the long-term effects of child sexual abuse. Her first loves - Story-telling and Theatre – inform the production and performance all her work. Hazel is currently a PhD candidate researching transgenerational trauma, with particular regard to sexual abuse. Hazel also works with an agency for single parents in Ireland, influencing opinion and policy, and is also a founding member of MAM – Mothers Artists Makers In this episode we really dive into Hazel’s story. Hazel shares the realities and the struggles of being a truthteller, her experiences of recovery and therapy and how she learned there is no overnight magical transformation, but instead there are lots of small magical steps. Hazel shares how being a truthteller has been imperative in sharing her own experiences of surviving childhood sexual abuse, great wisdom about telling the truth in stages and the importance of empirical truth. We dive into the nuances of the #MeToo movement: how we have the choice whether we disclose and to who, how it is enough to draw strength from nodding your head with other people coming forward and the importance of believing yourself when it’s hard. As Hazel says, one of the most isolating things about sexual abuse is feeling like you’re the only one. This episode is a reminder that you are not alone. Hazel shares advice on what to do if you’ve never disclosed or talked about your experiences and want to start dealing with them, fantastic advice on choosing a counsellor/therapist who works for you and some book suggestions which I’ve added at the end of this episode. Hazel is a true gift to the world and I am so happy this conversation exists in the world. Hazel says in this episode that her job as a human being is to be the most useful human being she can be and this episode is testament to that.   About Hazel: Hazel Katherine Larkin is a mother, writer, teacher, activist, actor, and academic. Her daughters are 13 & 15, of mixed Irish and Indian heritage, and inspire her to be the best version of herself. Hazel has written for stage, screen and publication in Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai, and her memoir Gullible Travels was published at the end of 2015. She has designed and delivered workshops for women and children in a variety of disciplines including personal development, language arts, mental wellness and recovery, and sexuality and consent. She has also devised the first series of workshops ever available in Ireland for midwives and birthworkers around the provision of trauma-informed support for women who have survived sexual abuse. Hazel is a survivor of child sexual abuse, and she writes and speaks about this, and has devised a series of lectures for medical students around the long-term effects of child sexual abuse. Her first loves - Story-telling and Theatre – inform the production and performance all her work. Hazel is currently a PhD candidate researching transgenerational trauma, with particular regard to sexual abuse. Hazel also works with an agency for single parents in Ireland, influencing opinion and policy, and is also a founding member of MAM – Mothers Artists Makers Blog | Twitter | Memoir   Things We Talked About: Being a truthteller and being honest and authentic at all times How living on hope is like living the smell of bread when you’re starving How it’s enough to draw strength from other people coming forward, nodding your head Empirical truth vs perception Resources Mentioned: ‘Needlework’ by Deirdre O’Sullivan 'The Body Keeps The Score' by Bessel Van Der Kolk 'A Child Inside: Understanding, healing and freedom following childhood abuse and trauma’ by Sharon Shaw 'Gullible Travels' by Hazel Katherine Larkin #CSAQT Survivor Twitter Chat 8pm Mondays BST National Helplines and Websites   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!  

Hello Couragemakers, and welcome to episode 76 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I’m chatting to Maggie Minor. Maggie is multi-passionate entrepreneur, sculptor, print-maker, room designer, blogger and author….and it’s all tied together into one vision: Maggie wants to help people make their spaces align with how they want to feel and their future goals.  Maggie grew up in North Carolina as the daughter of a woman contractor (one of two in the entire state) constantly dreaming about designing homes and traveling the world. In college she spent a life-changing semester in England, which lead to working at the New Yorker magazine and attending graduate school in Australia. This in turn led to 12 years as a Peace Corps volunteer and humanitarian worker. Maggie loves to travel, meet other multi-passionate entrepreneurs, be near water, and being creative. In this episode, we really dive into the power of women’s stories and women’s art, the stories we tell ourselves and the importance of what we surround ourselves with and what messages they send to us. We explore how as women we’re taught not to be whole on purpose, what happens when you realise your stories are important, and Maggie’s life as a story collector. We also have a great conversation about how to get through hard periods in your life where it feels like you’re wading through mud, and the things you learn along the way. There is so much I love about this episode - from Maggie’s ‘Do You Give A Shit Test’ to the way Maggie is so open about what she admires about herself and how interesting her own story is. I know you’re going to love this episode as much as I loved our conversation! Enjoy the show!   About Maggie: Maggie is multi-passionate entrepreneur, sculptor, print-maker, room designer, blogger and author….but it’s all tied together into one vision. Maggie wants to help people make their spaces align with how they want to feel and their future goals.  I grew up in North Carolina as the daughter of a woman contractor (one of two in the entire state) constantly dreaming about designing homes and traveling the world. In college she spent a life-changing semester in England, which lead to working at the New Yorker magazine and attending graduate school in Australia. This in turn led to 12 years as a Peace Corps volunteer and humanitarian worker. Maggie loves to travel, meet other multi-passionate entrepreneurs, be near water, and being creative.   Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest   Things We Talked About: Maggie’s ‘Do you give a shit?’ test Sharing your story and realising that your story is interesting Exploring our dark places - that’s often where we find the truest things about ourselves Retro feminism and the importance of women’s art Viewing your home as a 3D vision board   Resources Mentioned: Bethany Webster - The Mother Wound  The Desire Map - Danielle La Porte Marie Diamond Martha Beck - How to design your home for maximum happiness The Power of Unpopular - Erika Napoletano   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum.   When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers (join the party here!) or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!  

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 75 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I’m delighted to be joined by Andrea Owen. Andrea is an author, mentor, and certified life coach who helps high-achieving women let go of perfectionism, control, and isolation and choose courage and confidence instead. She has helped thousands of women manage their inner-critic to create loving connections and live their most kick-ass life. She is the proud author of 52 Ways to Live a Kick-Ass Life and How To Stop Feeling Like Shit and the host of Your Kick Ass Life Podcast. When she’s not juggling her full coaching practice or hosting retreats, Andrea is busy competing in triathlons, chasing her 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter or making out with her husband, Jason. She is also a retired roller derby player having skated under the name “Veronica Vain”. In this episode, we’re really challenging the myth that everyone has their shit together. Andrea shares her journey to reaching rock bottom and working her way back out, as well as her family origin story and how you explore your own. We dive into listening to your intuition, the importance defining our values has in our lives, and we challenge the zero fucks mentality and faux positive Pinterest quotes. We also have great conversations about how we get in our own way and what we can do it about it - from people pleasing and numbing out, to isolation and perfectionism. Andrea and I had so much fun during our conversation, and it’s just so refreshing to talk about embracing what makes us human and really debunking the fact that no one has their shit together, and we’re all paddling like hell underneath! Enjoy the show!   About Andrea Andrea Owen is an author, mentor, and certified life coach who helps high-achieving women let go of perfectionism, control, and isolation and choosing courage and confidence instead. She has helped thousands of women manage their inner-critic to create loving connections and live their most kick-ass life. She is the proud author of 52 Ways to Live a Kick-Ass Life and How To Stop Feeling Like Shit and the host of Your Kick Ass Life Podcast. When she’s not juggling her full coaching practice or hosting retreats, Andrea is busy competing in triathlons, chasing her 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter or making out with her husband, Jason. She is also a retired roller derby player having skated under the name “Veronica Vain”. Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Youtube |   Things We Talked About Showing your human side and that you no one has their shit together You don’t have to share everything with everyone Bearing the weight and the pain of your own story The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” Alice Walker   Resources Mentioned: How To Stop Feeling Like Shit - Andrea Owen Codependent No More - Melody Beattie How to find a great therapist and how to get the most out of therapy - Your Kick-Ass Life Podcast   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!  

We’re back! Happy New Year Couragemakers, I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back! If you’ve been listening for a while, you might have noticed that Couragemakers has been on hiatus since October. The end of last year was a hard one, I lost one of Grandmothers and had a health scare (luckily everything is okay). Taking a break felt incredibly scary - but it was a great reminder that the world doesn’t end when you need to take time for yourself and there’s no shame in needing time for yourself! So, as I mentioned, Couragemakers is back to its usual Monday schedule! I have fantastic interviews lined up which I know you’re going to love, and I couldn’t be happier to start the new year off with this wonderful conversation with Amy Parker! Amy is an in-house copywriter and general creative who loves making a mess, enjoys documenting her life (but not necessarily publishing it!), decorating things with washi and stickers, and generally finding little ways to make the world more joyful. She is the woman behind HappyPostBox and shares memory-keeping and planner-related posts on Instagram  and sells printable planner stickers in her Easy shop. For the last year she’s been living by her first ever ‘word of the year’ - ‘joy' - and would absolutely encourage anyone else to give it a try, too. In this episode, Amy shares all about choosing her word for the year, what she has learned during the year and some really helpful practical tips to set your own intentions for your year We’re really dive into starting your year without pressure, how to use your creativity to  record life without getting lost in the act of recording your life, perfectionism and liberating our inner people pleaser and treating your future self as a different person. One of the things I love the most about this episode, apart from the fact that both of our cheeks were aching from laughing and smiling during our conversation, is Amy’s flexible approach to using a word to guide your year. I love how she sees it as a lens rather than something which you can use to create a rigid plan. I really admire Amy’s honesty in sharing the bumps in the road of her Year Of Joy are it’s really refreshing to see that her journey wasn’t linear, and that you don’t have to do it right, or in a certain way. I hope this episode helps take the pressure off and helps you to add more joy to your own life. Here’s to a Hopeful, Inspired and Creative New Year! And remember, if you’re listening to this episode further along the year, you can start your own Word of The Year journey any time! Now, onto the show!     About Amy Amy is an in-house copywriter and general creative, who enjoys documenting her life (but not necessarily publishing it!), decorating things with washi and stickers, and generally finding little ways to make the world more joyful. She shares memory-keeping and planner-related posts on Instagram at @happypostbox and sells printable planner stickers in an Etsy shop of the same name (which started a couple of years ago when she couldn’t find any stickers for her planner of choice, the Passion Planner). For the last year she’s been living by her first ever ‘word of the year’ - ‘joy' - and would absolutely encourage anyone else to give it a try, too. Etsy | Instagram     Things We Talked About: Getting honest with yourself and choosing your word of the year based on what you need instead of what you feel you should be doing The little things that bring Amy joy Capturing real life versus what makes us look good What Amy’s year of joy taught her Treating your future self as a different person     Resources Mentioned: Oneword365 The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo magic of tidying up The Miracle Morning - Hal Elrod 1 Second Everyday Day App Gretchen Rubin Podcast - four tendencies The Curse of Lovely - Jacqui Marson The Passion Planner Planning Instagram Hashtags: #plannercommunity / #plannergirls   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

  Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 72 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I’m chatting to the wonderful mental health blogger Melissa Boyle. Melissa, or Mel as she likes to be known, is a social media executive, the blogger behind Geek Magnifique and the creator of Honey Bee cards - a card range specifically designed to give comfort and reassurance to people who struggle with their mental health.  Mel is based in Bournemouth UK and is an unstoppable cat-cuddler who is also partial to the occasional dog. Mel strongly believes that mental health needs to be an honest and open conversation. She is all about breaking down those walls and stamping out stigma, which is why Mel blogs about her own struggles and the experiences she’s had. Mel hope that by sharing her journey she can help others to feel less alone. In this episode, Mel and I really dive headfirst into our own mental health experiences. We have a really open discussion about what it’s like to struggle with OCD from a young age and Mel shares her journey of seeking support and how it has helped her. Mel shares fantastic advice about reaching out and asking for help, how to maintain friendships when you struggle with your mental health and how to share your struggles and your experiences with others. We talk about the importance of mental health online communities, sharing your good and your bad days honestly and authentically online and and how being a passive observe in supportive online communities can make you feel less alone. We also dive into the importance of looking after ourselves and re-fuelling, setting boundaries and how it only takes one person to open up and create a safe environment. One of the many things I love about this episode, is hearing all about how Mel started sharing about her mental health. The idea of sharing our experiences with others can feel terrifying and overwhelming and we really dive into how you don’t need to go from zero to a hundred, how you get to choose who you share with and who to walk away from, and how to make mental health part of the conversation. If you struggle with your mental health, I know you’re going to get so much out of this conversation. There aren’t enough really honest conversations about mental health and I love what Mel is doing to end the stigma and create an environment where we feel safe to share instead of ashamed and like we have to keep our experiences hidden. Here’s to doing things our own way, looking after ourselves and knowing that we’re not alone.  Enjoy the show!   About Mel   Melissa Boyle or Mel as she likes to be known, is a social media executive, the blogger behind Geek Magnifique and the creator of Honey Bee cards - a card range specifically designed to give comfort and reassurance to people who struggle with their mental health.  Mel is based in Bournemouth UK and is an unstoppable cat-cuddler who is also partial to the occasional dog. Mel strongly believes that mental health needs to be an honest and open conversation. She is all about breaking down those walls and stamping out stigma, which is why Mel blogs about her own struggles and the experiences she’s had. Mel hope that by sharing her journey she can help others to feel less alone. Blog | Twitter | Honey Bee Cards |    Things We Talked About   Our shared experience of struggling with OCD from a young age Sharing openly about mental health - going against the grain and being public about it Advice for people who struggle with their mental health and maintaining friendships Resources   Mental Health First Aid Samaritans    About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers  or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello Courgemakers and welcome to episode 71 of The Couragemakers Podcast. Before we dive into this week’s episode, I want to share with you something pretty epic I’ve been working on lately. So, as you might know from previous episodes where I’ve shared parts of my story, a big catalyst in my story has been burning out and leaving the nonprofit and activist world. Since leaving that world, I feel like I’ve been on a huge journey of finding work that sustains me, brings me joy and changes the world at the same time. While I’ve learned so much during that journey, the biggest [something] that I’ve come to believe is that we’re all capable of finding work we love, that aligns with our values and makes the world a brighter place. And the most important part of that lesson? We each have work that only we can do. In the past couple of years, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. My background is in community development work, activism, one to one client work and working to develop world-changing projects. And I absolutely loved the foundations of that work. I loved working on a grassroots level, I loved bringing projects to life and working with the people behind them, and I loved seeing dreams become reality. But somewhere along the line, the depth of my frustrations specifically with the sector and the internal structures completely blinded me to the parts I loved. And the strangest part was, that the work that I loved? It’s never stopped. Whether it’s the work I do here on Couragemakers to encourage and rebel-rouse you to do the work you love and find a life you love, the back and forth emails with lovely listeners who are trying to find a way to do the work only they can do, or the massive reams of blog posts, weekly newsletters and heart warming conversations I have - it’s become all too clear to see that that work never ended. And I don’t think the activist in me will ever go away, even if it is now different than marching on the front lines! So, there’s been a question floating around in my head. I wondered: is there a way of properly combining the parts of the work I loved and excelled at, with That Hummingbird Life and Couragemakers? But the base of my question was this: What is the work only I can do, that really sets me on fire? The answer came a couple of years ago, sat in a coffee shop. And it was a pretty bloody obvious answer: how about helping multi-passionate, creatives and fellow dreamers to do the work that only they can do? And that work only they can do? Well, that’s their epic shit. Since being in that coffee shop, sketching out the basics of what would become The Epic Shit Sessions, they’ve developed into a series of sessions designed to help you on every stage of your dream chasing journey. They are now four standalone mentoring/coaching sessions for multi-passionate doers, makers and world shakers who want to want to get their shit rolling, make it happen and generally just get shit done.  Basically, taking you from from Ahh I'm drowning under post-it notes, to holy shit I can do it They include a 90 minute brainstorming session to develop and refine your ideas and take you from overwhelmed to shut-the-front-door excitement (aptly named Get Shit Rolling) a 1:1 month long experience for turning your project into an action plan so you can walk away with your creative roadmap called Make Shit Happen and an email accountability service, which will give you the gentle kick up the arse you need to get your show on the road ,which helps you, as the name suggests, Get Shit Done! Oh, and also possibly my favouritely named one ‘Fuck This Shit’, a 90 minute session designed for creatives with no fucks left to give, to drag your enthusiasm back from its gap year and focus on what really matters and how you can do your work in a way that lights you up as well. Think part coaching, part mentoring and part cheerleading without the cheesy pom-poms, but with the music.  Behind the scenes I’ve been working with clients on these sessions since May and now I’m so excited to officially bring them out into the world! So, just wanted to let you know the latest in my mission to stop dreamshitters and get you doing the work that matters! You can find out more about the sessions by going to thathummingbirdlife.com/epicshit. Now onto today’s show! This week I’m thrilled to share with you my conversation with Lara Heacock. I was introduced to Lara by the lovely Jo Casey who’s been a previous guest on Couragemakers. I’ve long been a fan of Lara’s work over on the online magazine Kind Over Matter and it’s fair to say that we bonded not only over our aligned values but also our shared love of goats! Lara Heacock is an Executive Life Coach based in suburban Philadelphia and   She brings a 15 year background in recruiting and leadership, an MBA and a life coaching certification, as well as her experience running an online business. Lara is passionate about empowering professionals to feel more confident, achieve goals and enjoy the lives they work so hard to build. Lara is an INFJ Myers Briggs personality type and is a travel lover and self confessed total animal nut. In this episode we’re really diving into kindness, reclaiming the world selfish and the standards we hold ourselves and others to. Lara shares her journey to running online magazine Kind Over Matter and becoming an executive life coach, the year that changed everything for her and fantastic advice for saying no and setting boundaries. We have so many great conversations about holding our truths and other people’s truths simultaneously, how self kindness doesn’t always look like self kindness and also the power of making gutteral, intuitive decisions. This is such a wonderful, practical episode, and the And/Or method Lara mentions in this episode is seriously changing my life! In a world full of so much confrontation, angst and polite conversations over dinner with family avoiding politics, I know you’re really going to love what Lara has to say about parallel truths and being able to hear each other without denying your own truth. You might need a notepad and pen for this one! Enjoy the show!   About Lara   Things we talked about   Lara shares her journey to running online magazine Kind Over Matter and becoming an executive life coach, the year that changed everything for her and fantastic advice for saying no and setting boundaries. Looking after yourself not being selfish The power of making gutteral, intuitive decisions.   Mentioned Kate Swaboda The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle Women, Food & God – Geneen Roth Pemra Chodron The Gifts Of Imperfection – Brene Brown Byron Katie – Loving What Is The Desire Map – Danielle La Porte   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers  or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello and welcome to the last Couragemakers episode of September! I don’t know about you, but for me, September is a real back to school kind of month and I love planning and putting things in motion. Behind the scenes I’ve been working on The Epic Shit Sessions: a series of four stand alone coaching and mentoring sessions for creatives and multi-passionates. They’re designed to help you put the work only you can do in the world,  and to help you along every stage of the creative journey. I’ll be sharing more about them next week, but just wanted to share what I’ve been up to! What about you? What have you been working on this September? Email me: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com and let me know! Now, onto this week’s episode! This week, I’m chatting with the lovely Kaite Welsh. Kaite is an author, critic and journalist. Her work has appeared in various publications from The Times Literary Supplement to Cosmopolitan and she covers LGBT issues for the Daily Telegraph. She is also Books Editor of DIVA. Her short fiction, featuring roller derby, Greek myths and ghosts, has been published in several anthologies and she guest lectures on Creative Writing at universities around the UK.  Kaite lives in Edinburgh with her wife, three cats and a lot of books. Kaite is a a devoted aunt, would-be mother, amateur gardener and someone who is trying to define herself by things other than her job and her bylines. In this episode we’re diving into how Kaite created her own multi-strand multipassionate career, the process of writing her debut novel and lots and lots of practical things you can do right now to help make decisions, get organised and chase your dreams. We have great conversations about future tripping, the value of self reflection and the friction between who you want to be versus who you actually are. We also chat about spoon theory, mental health, the creative process and arranging your priorities when you have a multi-passionate career. This episode as Kaite would say, is the perfect combination of strategy and woo and I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to really get behind the scenes with someone who has intentionally designed a multi-passionate career that fulfils and sustains her. If you’re a multi-passionate person who dreams of finding a way to combine your loves to create a life you love, this is the perfect episode for you. Here’s to multi-strand careers, relieving the pressure of needing to be a shinier version of ourselves and getting clear on what success means to you!   About Kaite Kaite Welsh is an author, critic and journalist. Her work has appeared in various publications from The Times Literary Supplement to Cosmopolitan and she covers LGBT issues for the Daily Telegraph. She is also Books Editor of DIVA. Her short fiction, featuring roller derby, Greek myths and ghosts, has been published in several anthologies and she guest lectures on Creative Writing at universities around the UK.  Kaite lives in Edinburgh with her wife, three cats and a lot of books. Kaite is a a devoted aunt, would-be mother, amateur gardener and someone who is trying to define herself by things other than her job and her bylines.  Website | The Wages of Sin |  Twitter | | Facebook   Things We Talked About   Kaite’s multi-strand career of creativity, supporting other creatives and promoting other people’s art Not needing or feeling you need to be a shiny polished version of yourself Becoming aware of your work cycles and energy cycles   Mentioned    Passion Planner Heroine Training (Xandra Burns) – Passion Planner Tour  Sunday Reminders – That Hummingbird Life Get Bullish – Work Life Balance Jen Carrington – Living & Working In Seasons Morning Pages The Creative Introvert Podcast – Getting Shit Done When    About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 69 of The Couragemakers Podcast! It is so good to be back to our weekly rhythm, and I have so many wonderful episodes I can't wait to share with you! This week I’m delighted to share with you my wonderful conversation with Zoë Dearborn. Zoë is a creativity teacher, art coach, expressive arts therapist, writer, performer & artist. She holds a Master's in Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy and her life’s work is developing and teaching her Life As Art philosophy and methodology through her classroom laboratories, writing, songs, drawing, dance, video & design. She is deeply committed to helping humans awaken to their deepest potential and highest purpose and inspiring artists to make their most meaningful and authentic work. Brooklyn born and bred, she now lives off the grid in a homemade desert homestead in Baja, Mexico with her husband and 8 year old son. Zoë's greatest loves include: quirky art rock, dance of all varieties, comedy, improvisation, social practice art, fashion & graphic design, true deep stories, sad songs, mythology & Jungian psychology, children’s books, Fisher Price toys, tarot, embracing duality, inspiring documentaries, the open sky, wildflowers, hugs, creative collaborations and elegant theories that connect everything in the universe. In this week’s episode, Zoë is sharing her many stories, from growing up wanting to be an actress, starting a rock band, living off the grid and a really important Excel spreadsheet that brought everything full circle. We’re talking all about having grit and using rejection as fuel to keep going, how dream chasing happens in cycles and how our dreams grow, develop and change over time, and the importance of connecting to yourself. We’re also diving into the power of pursuing secret dreams, replacing passive habits with creative actions and the different phases of creativity. Zoë is a great storyteller, and her open-ness to talk about every stage of her journey is so refreshing and inspiring. This is a great episode to encourage you on your own dream chasing journey, to help you remember your own values and who you are, and to remind you that you get to define yourself as who you want and you don’t have to put yourself in a box that society dictates. Enjoy the show! About Zoë Zoë Dearborn is a creativity teacher, art coach, expressive arts therapist, writer, performer & artist. She holds a Master’s in Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy and her life’s work is developing and teaching her Life As Art philosophy and methodology through her classroom laboratories, writing, songs, drawing, dance, video & design. She is deeply committed to helping humans awaken to their deepest potential and highest purpose and inspiring artists to make their most meaningful and authentic work. Brooklyn born and bred, she now lives off the grid in a homemade desert homestead in Baja, Mexico with her husband and 8 year old son. Zoë’s greatest loves include: quirky art rock, dance of all varieties, comedy, improvisation, social practice art, fashion & graphic design, true deep stories, sad songs, mythology & Jungian psychology, children’s books, Fisher Price toys, tarot, embracing duality, inspiring documentaries, the open sky, wildflowers, hugs, creative collaborations and elegant theories that connect everything in the universe.  Website | Online Creative Intensive – October |  Instagram |  Twitter |   Things We Talked About Remembering our own values and who we are The tools of our arts is about communication of human expression Why we need to have an ego - a way of negotiating with the world Being all of ourselves and not cramming ourselves into one identity   Resources Mentioned   The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin Camping Video About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome back to The Couragemakers Podcast! It’s so good to be back after a summer break! If you’ve missed Couragemakers during the break, rest assured that the podcast is back and I’ll be bringing you ridiculously honest conversations with couragemakers all over the world every Monday. And if you’re new here – welcome! If you want a good dose of encouragement and rebel-rousing, real conversations with real people and you want to spend some time in the company of bullshit-free women and great storytelling, you’re in the right place! This week I’m so excited to be sharing my conversation with Lea Rice. Lea Rice is the siren-haired, stiletto-clad lady behind Lea Rice Communications. Based in London, Lea is a Digital Marketing Specialist dedicated to changing lives in big and small ways through digital media. Lea does this through working with organisations and individuals to unleash their offerings and find their voice online. Lea spends her time mostly working at her business but also planning how to make her way back into burlesque dancing, wandering around Hampstead in a daydream and watching endless episodes of only Fools and Horses. In this episode, we really getting into the nitty gritty of the hard choices we have to make when chasing our dreams and looking after ourselves and the importance of the stories we don’t hear about all the time. Lea shares her journey, from working in a youth charity, co-founding an online magazine and podcast, Unsorry, with an editorial team of thirty women, performing burlesque and starting her own digital marketing business. During our conversation, we’re really diving into the trenches and opening the discussion of workplace bullying, and the real behind the scenes of making really difficult decisions. We discuss the pain of having to make a leap in order to save your own life, learning to trust the process, and the importance of sharing the hard bits. We also dive into the importance of seemingly crazy ideas, we flip the normal self care narrative and how ultimately sometimes it takes the hardest days of your life to get to the best ones. When I first discovered podcasts, I was feeling really stuck. I listened on my way to work, and gradually by surrounding myself with people who were living life on their own terms, I came to see that there was more to life and I had options. In all honesty, I wish I’d had this episode when I was going through some shit, to see that you have more power than you know, and life can really change. This episode is going to be food for your soul if you’re stuck in a situation that is sucking the soul out of you and you want to know you’re not alone. Heads up that in this episode there is a passing reference to suicidal thoughts and assault, so look after yourself. My wish is that this episode gives you hope and helps you to start taking those seemingly batshit ideas  and pipe dreams seriously. Enjoy the show!   About Lea Lea is a Digital Marketing Specialist dedicated to changing lives in big and small ways through digital media. Lea does this through working with organisations and individuals to unleash their offerings and find their voice online. Lea spends her time mostly working at her business but also planning how to make her way back into burlesque dancing, wandering around Hampstead in a daydream and watching endless episodes of only Fools and Horses.  Website | Instagram |  Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook Things We Talked About   The long term impacts of being in a bad workplace environment We’re really diving into the trenches and opening the discussion of workplace bullying, and the real behind the scenes of making really difficult decisions. The importance of seemingly crazy ideas   Resources Mentioned The Blurt Foundation Sam Sparrow Unsorry Podcast Unsorry Magazine Get Rich Lucky Bitch – Denise Duffield Thomas The Freelancers Lifestyle Facebook Group Team Two Bees Learning Hive Emma Cossey – Freelance Lifestyle   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers  or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 67 of The Couragemakers Podcast! Before we dive into this week’s episode, I wanted to let you know that Couragemakers is going to be taking a short break over the summer. Couragemakers will be back on September 4th, and I’m already excited to share the amazing episodes that are lined up! There might be some spontaneous solo shows released over the summer, so keep your eyes peeled! Over the summer, I’ll taking a break, sorting out various health issues which have really been draining me and spending lots of time with Mr. Meg! Rest assured, that Couragemakers is absolutely going nowhere! Now, onto today’s show! This week, I’m happy to share my conversation with Lily Calfee. Lily describes herself as a foodie, health nut, and journal scribbler who lives in Denver, Colorado. Lily is a baker-turned-nutritionist, a control freak-turned-intuitive eater, and manages her own private practice coaching women who want to experience more freedom and ease with food and their bodies. In this episode, Lily shares her journey, from being a creative and going to art school to opening a bakery and later becoming a nutritionist and using creativity to redirect self criticism and as a way to help people with their health. We really dive into the relationship between creativity and self respect, setting intentions instead of goals and the importance of how we speak to ourselves in our head. We have a great conversation about the problem with the word deserving and really explore how our economy runs off of women believing they are not enough, so it is an act of radical bravery to claim your own worth AND want to make a bigger impact. Just to give a quick heads up that a very brief reference to sexual assault is mentioned during this episode around the six minute mark. I love how Lily blends art, creativity, food and health and I loved hearing her own creative journey and how it has led her to where she is today. Creativity can be such a tool for change and this conversation is a great reminder to explore ways to use your creativity to heal yourself. Enjoy the show and see you in September!   About Lily Lily is a creative health coach and describes herself as  a foodie, health nut, and journal scribbler who lives in Denver, Colorado. Lily is a baker-turned-nutritionist, a control freak-turned-intuitive eater, and manages her own private practice coaching women who want to experience more freedom and ease with food and their bodies.  Website | Instagram |  Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook   Things We Talked About   Lily’s journey, from being an artist to creative a bakery in rural Vermont, then finding nutrition and working as a women’s creative health coach The importance of how we speak to ourselves The problem with the word deserving How looking after yourself is radical   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!  

Hello lovely Couragemakers, and welcome to episode 66 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I’m excited to be sharing my conversation with Mary Ann Clements. Mary Ann is founder of Jijaze: a community supporting women to replenish and take care of themselves as they work to change the world. She is also the co-host of the Change Making Women podcast with Ziada Abeid; A Tanzanian broadcaster. Originally trained as an anthropologist she has many years experience in International Development as a leader and grant maker. She’s also a storyteller, podcaster, writer, connector, #nia teacher, action learning facilitator and shadow work coach. She co-founded both The Story Party and the Red Tent Directory. Her work is all about bringing women together to make big change happen in the world.  In this episode, Mary Ann shares her journey as a change making woman, from her background in the international development and women’s sector, to burning out and creating a community for change making women. We really dive into how self care and self replenishment needs to be sustainable, how working harder doesn’t mean working better, and how you can change the world without exhausting yourself, and how in fact, that’s counter-productive. We debunk a lot of myths win the episode, including taking your self worth out of your usefulness and productivity, giving yourself permission to spend your resources on yourself and flipping this narrative that self care has to be earned. We also have a great conversation about the change-making world, systemic inequality and patriarchy and how we don’t all have the same starting line. I love Mary Ann’s mission, and I find her views on making a difference and playing the long game so refreshing in a world that glorifies burnout and working to exhaustion as a badge of honour, and that success comes quickly. This episode is a great reminder that it’s okay to use some of your resources on you, in fact, the world would be a better place if you did. It’s also a much needed reminder that building things that have a very real impact and have a sustainable structure take time to build, and that’s okay. I know you’re going to love this one! Enjoy the show!   About Mary Ann is founder of Jijaze: a community supporting women to replenish and take care of themselves as they work to change the world and co-host of the Change Making Women podcast with Ziada Abeid a Tanzanian broadcaster. Originally trained as an anthropologist she has many years experience in International Development as a leader and grant maker. She’s also a storyteller, podcaster, writer, connector, #nia teacher, action learning facilitator and shadow work coach. She co-founded both The Story Party and the Red Tent Directory. Her work is all about bringing women together to make big change happen in the world.   Website | Podcast |  Twitter | | Facebook Group   Things We Talked About   What Mary Ann does to light herself up Taking your self worth out of your usefulness and productivity, and giving yourself permission to spend your resources on yourself  How sometimes we need more resilience and commitment to ourselves than we ever thought possible     About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!  

Hello Couragemakers! This week I’m chatting to the joy that is Rachel Shillcock. Rachel is an award-winning designer + photographer hailing from Manchester, UK. Rachel runs Rachilli, an online creative studio dedicated to helping creative entrepreneurs build more powerful brands + businesses, aligned with their values + purpose. Rachel is a fellow INFJ and a proud geek, obsessed with all things designy, patterns, and her two dogs, Storm and Jasper. In this episode, we’re really diving into the topic of stepping out as your authentic self. Rachel shares her journey from starting her own web design business to using her values to make decisions and create a life that works for her. We discuss the power of focusing on our strengths, how we can create our own self validation and our own ideas of success, as well as how we can stop comparing ourselves to others and own what makes us unique. Rachel shares how her life has changed since opening up about her chronic illness and taking her mask off, her definition of what changing the world means and how authenticity and excitement are huge parts of her journey. In this episode we really focus on living and working in accordance to your values. Rachel shares how she found her values, uses them as lens to make decisions, and fantastic advice on how to find your own values. This is such a fun, practical episode, and I love how Rachel shares her behind the scenes and her process of finding things that work for her. This is a great episode for anyone who is tempted to take their own mask off and needs a bit of courage, for anyone who struggles with self doubt and wants a new way of viewing their work, and for anyone who strives to be more authentic in all that they do. I had so much fun chatting to Rachel, we seriously got the giggles before the show, and I’m just really excited to share our conversation! Enjoy the sho About Rachel is an award-winning designer + photographer hailing from Manchester, UK. Rachel runs Rachilli, an online creative studio dedicated to helping creative entrepreneurs build more powerful brands + businesses, aligned with their values + purpose. She helps entrepreneurs find flow + consistency in their creative business, through visual branding, purposeful web design, and powerful brand strategy. Rachel is a fellow INFJ and a proud geek, obsessed with all things designy, patterns, and her two dogs, Storm and Jasper. Website | Twitter | Instagram  | Creative Market | Products Things We Talked About How Rachel’s life started to change when she started to be more open How Rachel integrates her values with her everyday life and uses them as a decision making tool Rachel’s experience of opening up about her chronic illness and taking off her mask Changing the world and the ripple effect Resources Calm app Macklemore – “Freedom is acknowledging the mask you have on and possessing the strength to take it off” Mary Ann Radmacher  – “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 64 of The Couragemakers Podcast! I am so excited about this week’s podcast episode and I’m so happy to share with you my conversation with Deb Dane. Deb is a New York City girl who married an English man and settled in Australia. Along with 14 house moves they have found their way to life with two teen daughters and two female rescue dogs.  After 20 years away from creative pursuits Deb started dipping her toes back in, and had a creative reawakening and reconnected to her creativity. Deb writes on her blog Inner Compass Designs about following your own path in life, taking care of your own needs and living an authentic life. She is passionate about helping women give themselves permission to follow their heart and intuition, know their own power and self-worth, and know that they are never alone. Her art, wall hangings and jewelry all bring these ideas to life so you have reminders of your story and your journey to where you want to go and who you want to be. In this episode, Deb shares her journey of reconnecting to her creativity after twenty years and many sliding door moments that have led her to where she is now. We dive into so many great topics in this episode. We debunk a lot of creative myths, from doing what gives you pleasure vs what you’re good at, the myth that anything you do has to have a return in financial investment, and this idea that we alone struggle with feeling like a fraud. Deb shares the really great community art challenges that brought her back to her creativity, why we should take care of ourselves first as opposed to doing it only if we have some extra time, and the psychological elements of owning a creative business. We have great conversations about future tripping, the links between creativity and expectations and how we probably all need to plan a little less! I am so happy to be sharing this conversation, because I think it touches on so many of the struggles so many of us face as creative women who want to leave their mark. I absolutely love Deb’s approach to creativity, her honesty in what behind the scenes often looks like for creatives and I love how her passion and compassion shines through all she does. I know you’re going to love this episode! Enjoy the show!   About Deb Dane is a New York City girl who married an English man and settled in Australia. Along with 14 house moves they have found their way to life with two teen daughters and two female rescue dogs. She writes on her blog Inner Compass Designs about following your own path in life, taking care of your own needs and living an authentic life. She is passionate about helping women give themselves permission to follow their heart and intuition, know their own power and self-worth, and know that they are never alone. Her art, wall hangings and jewelry all bring these ideas to life so you have reminders of your story and your journey to where you want to go and who you want to be,  Website | Instagram | Newsletter   Things We Talked About   Deb’s journey to reawaken her creativity after twenty years Creating for the sake of enjoyment and pleasure The time it takes to make a creative business profitable and taking the pressure off your art Giving yourself permission to walk your own path   Resources Mentioned   Elizabeth Gilbert Jessica Brogan’s International Card Deck Swap Index Card a Day Project (ICAD)   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 63 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week, I am so overjoyed to share with you my conversation with Zee Southcombe. Zee is a children’s author, illustrator & fine artist who approaches all her work with vigour and imagination. Zee works to promote other artists, especially young creatives, through collaboration, workshops, encouragement, and publishing opportunities. When not making stuff, Zee can be found with a cup of tea and a good book, planning her next creative adventure, or out for a walk in the beautiful forests of Aotearoa. In this episode, Zee shares her journey, from teaching, to making a huge personal decision to start writing and choose her creativity. We talk about the importance of giving yourself permission, how fear and self doubt affects every creative, even the ones you couldn't imagine struggling with self doubt, how creativity can help your mental health and the power of making your work deep and personal. We have great discussions about creativity and making a difference in the world, the importance of little big moments and taking a more strengths based approach to life. Zee shares how she takes the pressure off her work, how she's learned to deal with comparing herself to others, and the importance of boundaries when putting yourself out there. Zee has fantastic advice for anyone wanting to put themselves out there, and great practical wisdom for anyone who has creative dreams but feels held back by fear and self doubt. This episode is fantastic for all creatives, no matter where you are on your creative journey. I think there is such a need in the world for really honest discussions about putting yourself out there and overcoming self doubt, and I'm so happy to add this one to the mix! Enjoy the show!   About Zee  Zee is a children’s author, illustrator & fine artist who approaches all her work with vigour and imagination. Zee works to promote other artists, especially young creatives, through collaboration, workshops, encouragement, and publishing opportunities. When not making stuff, Zee can be found with a cup of tea and a good book, planning her next creative adventure, or out for a walk in the beautiful forests of Aotearoa.  Website | Instagram |  Twitter | Facebook | Shop   Things We Talked About   Zee’s decision to become a writer and be creative The importance of feeling like you’re making a difference How being open about her creativity has helped Zee’s mental health What gives Zee the courage to put herself out there Zee's advice for anyone who has creative dreams but feel held back by fear and self doubt.   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!    

Hello Couragemakers! It’s so good to be back after a week’s break, and I know you’re going to love this episode! This week I’m chatting with Nikki Sinay Torres. Nikki  is a certified Kaizen Muse Creativity Coach, US Army Master Resilience Trainer, Army wife and former FRG leader, mom of two teenage girls with Cystic Fibrosis, self-employed mural artist, and Main Muse at Serendipity Creative Coaching Services. Nikki describes herself as a blend of Lucille Ball, Frida Khalo, a Mermaid and Mr. Bean, which I think you’ll agree, is very accurate. Nikki runs creative resilience workshops and retreats, and The Unsinkable Creative Society Art Camp for teen girls in North Carolina, as well as working one to one online with creatives. During this episode, Nikki shares her journey from being the weird girl in school,  to the mother of two daughters with cystic fibrosis, a self employed mural artist and creative resilience coach. We really dive into how creativity has helped Nikki deal with everything life throws her, how she gives herself permission to react to situations and how creativity helps us to slow down and problem solve. We talk about how important it is to find your strengths and focus on them, dealing with the reality of things versus our expectations and how getting creative is one of the five scientifically proven things you can do to calm yourself. At the end of the episode, Nikki shares a fantastic exercise you can use to help build you creative resilience and I know it’s one I’m going to be using time and time again! This episode is a fantastic and much needed reminder for all of us creatives, that creativity is important, that it’s anything but frivolous and essential to both our wellbeing and the world. I know you’re going to love Nikky’s storytelling and sense of humour! Enjoy the show!   About Nikki Nikki Sinay Torres. is a certified Kaizen Muse Creativity Coach, US Army Master Resilience Trainer, Army wife and former FRG leader, mom of two teenage girls with Cystic Fibrosis, self-employed mural artist, and Main Muse at Serendipity Creative Coaching Services. Nikki runs creative resilience workshops and retreats, and The Unsinkable Creative Society Art Camp for teen girls in North Carolina, as well as working one to one online with creatives.  Nikki describes herself as a blend of Lucille Ball, Frida Khalo, a Mermaid and Mr. Bean, which I think you'll agree, is very accurate. Nikki has a very exclusive offer of a 30 minute coaching session for Couragemakers, for $25. To take advantage of her offer, you can find Nikki's email below:  Email | Facebook |   Things We Talked About   Nikki’s journey, from being the weird girl in school, to the mother of two daughters with cystic fibrosis, self employed mural artist and creative resilience coach The importance of art in the healing process How creativity can help us slow down and problem solve A fantastic exercise to help you build your creative resilience.   Resources Mentioned   The Nine Modern Day Muses and the Body Guard by Jill Badonsky Kaizen Muse   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello and welcome to episode 61 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I’m chatting to Michelle Madrid-Branch and we’re really diving into claiming our own identities and owning our stories. Michelle is an author, speaker, life wellness coach, and global advocate for women and children, living in Santa Barbara, CA, with her husband, children , three dogs and a bunny. Michelle advocates on behalf of women and children who are marginalized and left feeling isolated in our society. Michelle is happiest when using her life journey in an effort to serve others and help others rise up from their pain. She is currently in the process of writing her fourth book. In this episode, Michelle shares her journey, from being born in the UK and placed in the foster care system to being adopted by an American family and learning to untangle labels she had been given and finding her own identity. We really explore the power of owning your story, moving beyond past stories that keep us stuck and changing our lens so we can start to reclaim our lives. Michelle shares what inspires her to work with and advocate on behalf of children without families and the lessons she has learned along the way. She also shares how she has found that every one of us is uniquely qualified to bring something positive into the world, and invites listeners to explore their own unique strengths and gifts. We also have a great conversation about how forgiveness can free us and take us out of our own prisons and how sustainability is key when it comes to building a life you love. This episode is a great reminder that you do have the courage to find your own identity, and to own that identity because no one can give it to you. I loved hearing Michelle’s story and how openly she shares about how she found the courage to find the magic in the mess and be who she is. I know you’re going to love this episode. Enjoy the show!   About Michelle   Michelle is an author, speaker, life wellness coach, and global advocate for women and children. She is the author of Adoption Means Love: Triumph of the Heart, The Tummy Mummy, and Mascara Moments: Embracing the Woman in the Mirror.  Michelle lives in Santa Barbara, CA, with her husband, children , three dogs and a bunny. Michelle advocates on behalf of women and children who are marginalized and left feeling isolated in our society. Michelle is happiest when using her life journey in an effort to serve others and help others rise up from their pain. She is currently in the process of writing her fourth book. Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook   Things We Talked About   What Michelle has learned since she has realised her unique strengths and has started to bring them to the world How Michele found the courage to own who she is The beauty of imperfection and the miracles from the mess   Resources Mentioned   Tony Robbins   Mascara Moments   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to another wonderful episode of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I’m so happy to share with you my conversation with Rebecca Thering. Originally from Wisconsin, USA, Rebecca has lived in Spain, South Korea, and most recently France. She’s a fan of snail mailing, writing, taking wander walks, slow travel, creating, unplugging, minimalism, and enjoying everyday moments. Taking life a moment at a time, she’s following her personal compass and the light of Alexandra Franzen and Candace Rose Rardon to see where she ends up next! In this episode, Rebecca shares her story, from living abroad teaching english to her personal sabbatical and creating a personal compass. In this episode were really dive into what it means to live by your values, how to leave your mark and the importance of thanking people who have made an impact on you. We have great conversations about bringing more humanity to the internet, disconnecting and taking time to reflect as well as the power of following your curiosity. It’s also full of much needed reminders to all of us – to take the time to thank people who have made a difference to our lives, to catch the small moments and to remember that we will never know the full extent of the impact that we make or who we’re inspiring. I had so much fun chatting to Rebecca and I know you’re going to get so much out of this episode. Rebecca has so many stories and so much practical advice and I know her real life examples will help you add more intention and courage into your own life. Be sure to check out Rebecca’s free printable How To Make A Personal Compass zine to make your own personal compass! (Link is in the show notes) We’d love to see what’s on yours! Here’s to being messy, imperfect and complicated humans! Enjoy the show!   About Rebecca   Originally from Wisconsin, USA, Rebecca Thering has lived in Spain, South Korea, and most recently France. She’s a fan of snail mailing, writing, taking wander walks, slow travel, creating, unplugging, minimalism, and enjoying everyday moments. Taking life a moment at a time, she’s following her personal compass and the light of Alexandra Franzen and Candace Rose Rardon to see where she ends up next! Blog | Medium | Twitter   Things We Talked About   The importance of thanking people, and how being thanked can make a huge difference Disconnecting and giving yourself more head space Living with intention and capturing the small moments Rebecca’s take on changing the world and leaving your mark – it’s all in the small things!   Resources Mentioned   How To Make A Personal Compass  Moment Catcher Oh No She Madridn’t Personal Compass Rebecca’s Atheist coming out story  Alexandra Franzen HelpX Wwoof International   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life     I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello there and welcome to episode 59 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week, I’m excited to share my conversation with Eva Jannotta. Eva is a social media marketing entrepreneur in Washington, DC and founder of Simply Put Strategies. Her mission is to use social media to create and nurture relationships between brands and their fans by telling the brand story and featuring new products – with an emphasis on supporting sustainable clothing brands. Eva loves to read novels, listen to oldies music, cook, and organize stuff. She is an aspiring minimalist and zero-waste-er. In this episode, Eva shares her entrepreneurial journey, how she deals with uncertainty and the paradox of both striving for newness and adventure as well as a routine. We really dive into what it means to work online, how we sometimes wish we could be card-carrying adults and how we can start turning our shoulds into coulds. We have a great discussion about how we ‘perform’ work and the pressure we put on ourselves, how moving forwards and often feel like we’re moving backwards and how to turn down the noise online. This is a great episode if you struggle to deal with the busy-ness and noise of the online world, if you need a reminder that you have all the answers you need inside you and if you want to find a way to enjoy your work more. I love the theme of self compassion that runs through Eva’s work and her general approach to life. Eva has great advice for anyone starting to put themselves out there, and how intuition can pay a huge part in doing that. I know you’re going to love this one! Enjoy the show!   About Eva Eva Jannotta is a social media marketing entrepreneur in Washington, DC and founder of Simply Put Strategies. Her mission is to use social media to create and nurture relationships between brands and their fans by telling the brand story and featuring new products – with an emphasis on supporting sustainable clothing brands. Eva loves to read novels, listen to oldies music, cook, and organize stuff. She is an aspiring minimalist and zero-waste-er. Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Instagram   Things We Talked About   Listening to your intuition and the importance of having time to think The power of turning your shoulds instead of coulds How moving forwards can sometimes feeling like you’re moving backwards How we don’t need advice, we know what to do   Resources Mentioned   Sarah Dale   Brené Brown – The Power of Vulnerability   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 58 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I’m thrilled to share with you my wonderfully honest conversation with Jo Casey.  Jo Casey is a certified coach, speaker, trainer and coach mentor. In addition to being British, Jo is slightly nerdy and allergic to the marketing bullshit in the coaching industry.  Jo specializes in helping coaches do the self-development work needed to thrive in the online world, get more clients and build sustainable, honest businesses - all without resorting to the darks arts or sleazy marketing tactics. Jo’s patronus would be Lesley Knope and Maya Angelou, Stephen Fry, Trevor Noah, Caitlin Moran and Tina Fey are among the many guests Jo would invite to her fantasy dinner party. This episode is all about undoing the messy reality of being a woman and all the challenges that come with being visible and putting yourself out there.   Jo shares her journey from being the first in her family to go to university, burning out in the workplace, being a coach for the past 17 year and bringing politics and feminism into her business. We really dive into what it means to show up as a woman, and how we can break free from what Jo calls feminine conditioning - this notion that we have to keep ourselves small and play the part of the good woman. We have so many great discussions about digging your heels in and demanding better as women, the courage it takes to bring your big picture and politics into the work you do and how we are all creating ripples without even knowing it. We also talk about what it means to be genuinely authentic online and how sharing your struggles can be a source of inspiration. This episode is essential listening for every woman looking to stop apologising for the fact she exists, for every woman who wants to embrace the messier, complicated bits of life and for every woman who is sick of the bullshit. Jo is a huge source of inspiration to me - she has been a great mentor to me and it was so good to sit down and really put the world to rights.  Enjoy the show!   About Jo Jo Casey is a certified coach, speaker, trainer and coach mentor.  In addition to being British, slightly nerdy and allergic to the marketing bullsh*t in the coaching industry, she’s certain that succeeding as female entrepreneurs means violating every single message that’s been poured into us about what it means to be a ‘good’ woman. Jo specializes in helping coaches do that self-development and unlearning work, get more clients and build sustainable, honest businesses without resorting to the darks arts or sleazy marketing tactics. Jo’s patronus would be Lesley Knope and  Maya Angelou, Stephen Fry, Trevor Noah, Caitlin Moran and Tina Fey are among the many guests Jo would invite to her fantasy dinner party.  Website | Podcast |  Twitter |      Things We Talked About   Jo's journey of becoming a coach How we can all advocate for showing the messier sides of bit of human The 4 things you need for a sustainable business Bringing feminism and politics into your work and your message   Resources Mentioned   Your Kickass Life - Andrea Owen How To Be a Woman - Caitlin Moran Gary Vaynerchuk   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life  I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!  

Hello and welcome to Episode 57 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week, it is my pleasure to have a good chat with Emily Scott. Emily is a storyteller and artist. She writes paranormal fantasy fiction featuring rebellious protagonists dedicated to knocking down their boundaries. Like any good California girl, she loves the beach and believes she should have been born a mermaid. In this episode, Emily shares her creative process, from how she began writing as a child purely as a way to communicate and be understood, to how she writes, finding inspiration and plots her novel. We really dive into coming to terms with your own natural process, honouring the way you do things and turning down the noise of what everyone else thinks you should be doing. We have a great chat about the relationship between money and art, and how we can view art as something we need to support instead of expecting it to support us. We also dive into what Emily calls re-writing her realities -  examining different parts of your life and what you think you should be doing, compared to what would work for you and how important this is. Emily shares an excellent practical exercise for anyone who struggles with people pleasing and saying yes to themselves. This is a wonderfully honest and practical episode and essential listening for any creative struggling to give themselves permission to do it their own way, and for anyone who needs to say a huge yes to themselves for once. Emily is a joy to chat to and I’m so excited to share our conversation. Enjoy the show!   About Emily   Emily Scott is a storyteller and artist. She writes paranormal fantasy fiction featuring rebellious protagonists dedicated to knocking down their boundaries. Like any good California girl, she loves the beach and believes she should have been born a mermaid. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram   Things we talked about   Emily's journey of becoming an author The issue of passion vs money and being willing to support art instead of asking art to support you Saying yes to yourself and putting boundaries in place A great exercise to start seeing what saying yes to you would look like   Things mentioned during today's show Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello and welcome to episode 56 of The Couragemakers Podcast. I'm so happy to be back with another solo episode of Couragemakers! I'm in the process of planning how these episodes can become a regular thing alongside the regular interviews, so stay tuned! As for now, they're going to be pretty spontaneous and on the fly! This week, I'm diving into the myth of reinventing yourself. I'm sharing my own stories of falling into the trap and what I learned along the way. It can be so tempting, and it's so understandable to want at times to be a whole new version of you, but in this episode, I'm diving into why you're enough just the way you are.   Things Talked About During This Episode:   How I completely missed the irony of Mean Girls aged 13 Why you can't just take yourself out of your story The problem with chasing mythical versions of yourself   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I'm an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 55 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week, I couldn’t be more excited to share with you this episode with Monica Wisdom Tyson Monica is a St Louis woman and describes herself as an analog girl in a digital world. She is a Chief Storyteller and Visibility Strategist, teaching the elements of a great story and ways to amplify a story to communities and believes that your story is power. Generation X and a self confessed Trekkie, Monica loves live music, long conversations and travelling around the world meeting people where they are. During this episode, Monica really honestly shares her story, from dealing with a difficult childhood, struggling with depression, going on a spiritual journey, travelling the world and her various different careers including being a cosmetologist, interviewing celebrities and director of operations for several magazines. We really dive into the genius of imagination, being careful about what you feel your soul and how naps are seriously underrated. We talk about embracing the darkness as well as the light, being still and just how important our dreams are. This episode is great source of inspiration if you’re dealing with dreamshitters, if you’re struggling to engage in a positive way in a space of chaos and if you need the courage to own and share your story. It’s also a great episode if you need reminding of just how much power you do have. Monica is the living definition of what it means to really own your story and release yourself from shame and start living your life. There will be laughter and there will be tears, and I know you’re going to get so much from this beautiful episode. Enjoy the show! About Monica Monica is a St Louis woman and describes herself as an analog girl in a digital world. She is a Chief Storyteller and Visibility Strategist, teaching the elements of a great story and ways to amplify a story to communities and believes that your story is power. Monica believes storytelling is as essential to our lives as breathing. It is how we learn, grow and evolve. Stories have shaped every part of our growth whether it is a song, book or the wisdom of our elders. We are cultivated by stories through our listening and our learning.  Stories not only connect us with our audience but release the vulnerability within ourselves. Generation X and a self confessed Trekkie, Monica loves live music, long conversations and travelling around the world meeting people where they are.  Website | Instagram  | Periscope | Facebook   Things We Talked About  Monica’s story and how she has learned to accept and share her story The importance of being careful about how we feed our soul How we forget to dream because we are living other people’s versions of us and how we were told how to live our life What happened when Monica shared her story – even the parts she felt shame about –  with a close friend   Resources Mentioned   Thrive – Arianna Huffington    Dr. Caroline Fuqua   The Power Woman Success Society   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello and welcome to episode 54 of The Couragemakers Podcast. This week I'm so excited to be sharing with you the very first solo episode of The Couragemakers Podcast! I'm looking forward to releasing them on a regular basis but rest assured - the Monday interviews aren't going anywhere! On that note, Couragemakers is taking a very short break next week and will be back on 17th with a beautiful episode I know you're going to love! This week I'm diving into one of my favourite topics: creative resistance. I'm going to be sharing what obsessing over successful creative's routines taught me (spoiler alert - not a lot!) and how you already have so much of what you need inside you! I hope you enjoy this solo episode of Couragemakers! I'd love to know what you think of this format and any questions/topics you'd like me to cover! Let me know on Twitter or via email: meg [at] thathummingbirdlife.com Have a wonderfully creative and inspiring week and see you soon!   Questions Asked During Today's Show What time of the day do you feel more inspired? What do you feel the urge to do? It doesn’t have to make sense What motivates you? Why do you want to do the work/create what you want? Do you like typing or handwriting ideas? Do you work better with music? Does the environment make a difference to you? If so, what helps? What's one thing you can do this week to turn down the noise and do the work?   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I'm an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers  or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!  

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 53 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I'm so excited to share such a practical episode with the joy that is Melissa Steginus. Melissa is a self-care advocate and coach with a lifelong desire to promote self-empowerment. A woman of many curiosities, she's constantly seeking new ways to blend her background in social work with her interest in entrepreneurship and teaching.  She’s spent the past five years exploring roles in counseling, behavioural therapy, business operations, teaching yoga, network facilitation, magazine coordination, and more Melissa is working on her first book, Self-Care Action Plan: A Practical Guide to Personal Growth, and when she’s not at her keyboard, you can find Melissa hiking, climbing, daydreaming of dogs, and exploring her home on the Canadian west coast. In this episode, we're really getting down to the nitty gritty of self care - why we need it, how to make it consistent and how self care and courage overlap. Melissa shares how a question someone asked her while in South Africa changed everything, what she has learned about self care while travelling and how routines are the backbone to a life of intention. We have a really great discussion about how routines can be something that we want to turn away from and rebel against as multipassionates and creatives but ultimately how they help us really chase our dreams. We also talk about consuming content online, turning down the bullshit and focusing on action instead. This is such a fantastic, practical episode and I find Melissa's take on self care so refreshing. Self care can often be a pretty fluffy topic, leaving you with no idea how to start working on yourself, but this episode proves the opposite of that can definitely be true! You're going to want to take notes on this one! Enjoy the show!   About Melissa Melissa Steginus is a self-care advocate and coach with a lifelong desire to promote self-empowerment. A woman of many curiosities, she's constantly seeking new ways to blend her background in social work with her interest in entrepreneurship and teaching.  She’s spent the past five years exploring roles in counseling, behavioural therapy, business operations, teaching yoga, network facilitation, magazine coordination, and more! Throughout this constant ebb and flow, her purpose has remained the same: help others live fulfilling lives rooted in self-care and meaningful growth. She's thrilled to be working on her first book, Self-Care Action Plan: A Practical Guide to Personal Growth, which centers on breaking down buzzwords and cliches to create purposeful, long-lasting action. When she’s not at her keyboard, you can find Melissa hiking, climbing, daydreaming of dogs, and exploring her home on the Canadian west coast Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Things We Talked About Melissa's journey to becoming more creative and how self care came to be a huge part of her life The importance of taking action when you consume content online How important routines are for creatives and multipassionates, even though we like to resist them Taking the world off your shoulders and becoming human About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I'm an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello lovely Couragemakers and welcome to episode 52 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I have a fantastic episode for you, but before we get started, I just wanted to share a bit of Couragemakers news! Next week I'm going to be releasing the first ever Couragemakers solo episode. I've been wanting to do solo episodes for a while now, and I'm so excited to be bringing them to the world. They're going to be short and sweet 10-15 minute practical episodes that I know you're going to really love. If you have any topic ideas of questions you'd like me to answer, send me an email: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com and you may well see a solo show come out on that very thing very soon! Now, onto today's show. This week I'm interviewing the lovely Fran Day. Fran is a theoretical physicist at Oxford and a stand-up comedian. Her research involves using X-ray telescope observations to search for signals from new particles. Fran's comedy tackles topics ranging from science to feminism. She performs around the UK and last August took her solo show, Physics Fan Fiction, to the Edinburgh Fringe. Fran loves creativity and communication in all forms - from the lab to the stage. I mean, wow. In this episode, Fran shares her journey of combining science and comedy, how and why she started stand up comedy and the lessons she's learned along the way.  We really dive deep into how Fran has combined two seemingly polar opposite passions, the logistics of how she makes time for both and how to mange being a multi-passionate person. We have so many great conversations in this episode, from how Fran uses a pretty scientific approach to overcoming setbacks, how she has come to own all of the different aspects of herself and recognise how they fit together, to how Fran embraces uninstagrammable self care. Oh and we also talk about making money from passions as well! I know you're going to love this episode - Fran is so honest and practical and this is the perfect episode for multi-passionates who are wondering how on earth to make time for their passions, wondering how they can creatively combine them, and for anyone needing a reminder that life is pretty fucking exciting because you get to choose how you present yourself and do things only you can do.  I know you're going to love this one, so enjoy the show!   About Fran Fran Day is a theoretical physicist at Oxford and a stand-up comedian. Her research involves using X-ray telescope observations to search for signals from new particles. Fran's comedy tackles topics ranging from science to feminism. She performs around the UK and last August took her solo show, Physics Fan Fiction, to the Edinburgh Fringe. Fran loves creativity and communication in all forms - from the lab to the stage. Website | Twitter   Things We Talked About   How Fran made the decision to become a stand up comedian How you can make time for your passions, and how you can combine then The relationship between passions and money Fran's screen-free Sundays   Resources Giving What We Can Science Oxford PBH Free Fringe Edinburgh Fringe Festival  About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 51 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I am delighted to share with you my conversation with Katie Snyder. Katie is a unconventional creative who is based in Atlanta. She  oversees and runs her photography business she started at 18, while on the road, tour managing indie electronic band, Paper Lights. Katie is the owner of Wildfire Company, which was created to help musicians and other artists in a variety of facets, including management, booking, and social media. She enjoys teaching and mentoring about creativity and is currently working on her first book on this topic. In this episode, Katie shares her journey from starting her photography business at the age of 18 and how she decided to start over and pursue different passions as a thirty something. Katie gets really vulnerable about her creative adventures and how she keeps herself inspired, how lonely the experience of being a trailblazer can be, and taking creative leaps of faith. I absolutely loved hearing all about Katie's life, how she finds time to write her book on the road, and how much honesty she has in sharing her journey. I really enjoyed chatting about the non-glamorous side of things that sound very glamorous and how much guts it takes to go against the status quo even when no one around you gets it. If you often feel alone in creating your own path, if you want to feel really inspired to take your own risks and if you want to hear the very real adventures of a trailblazer, this is absolutely the episode for you! Enjoy the show!   About Katie Katie Snyder has owned & operated a photography business since she was 18 years old. During this time, she has been responsible for documenting hundreds of events and humanitarian projects around the world. She now oversees and runs this business from the road, while tour managing indie electronic band, Paper Lights. She also owns The Wildfire Company, which was created to help musicians and other artists in a variety of facets, including management, booking, and social media. She enjoys teaching and mentoring about creativity and is currently working on her first book on this topic. Follow her journey on the road in #RudolphtheRedAdventureVan  Email | Instagram |  Twitter  | Facebook   Things We Talked About How Katie started a photography business when she was 18 and how she made it her livelihood What Katie's life looks like out on the road, managing and touring with Paper Lights How Katie keeps herself inspired and keeps self doubt away Katie's beliefs about creativity   Resources Paper Lights: on Instagram   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello there and welcome to episode 50 of Couragemakers! This week I’m chatting to the lovely Nicki Rochead. Nicki is the founder of The Magpie Maker, is a a Blue Peter Girl, Craftaholic & Creative Magpie who lives just outside of Winchester in the UK. She believes that creativity is essential to living a whole-hearted, healthy life, but for many adults it’s a much-neglected and intimidating skill. The Magpie Maker provides craft activities for adults that generate confident creativity in easy and inspirational steps This week we’re really diving deep into creativity, which is one of my favourite topics and I know you’ll be itching to make something by the end of the show! In this episode, Nicki shares her creative journey, from working as a teacher to starting her own business; creating wonderful spaces for people to practice craft and learn new skills. Nicki shares how creativity has played such a huge role in helping her manage her depression and anxiety, the insecurities we often face when putting our work online and how to create a space in your life for creative daily practice. We really debunk the myth that creativity is only for certain people, dive into how our own self doubt plays a part in making us doubt our own creativity, and Nicki shares some great practical advice for anyone wanting to add more creativity into their life. I absolutely love what Nicki is doing, and how open she is about the links between creativity and mental health. Nicki shares some really practical stuff for anyone who also struggles with their mental health and wants to start making space for creativity to help them. This is a great episode if you’re creatively blocked or thinking about starting a creative project but can’t drum up the courage, if you’re also a maker and want a behind the scenes look at the life of a creative business owner, and is fantastic inspiration for just giving it a go and showing up. I know you’re going to love this episode just as much as I do! Enjoy the show!   About  Nicki believes that creativity is essential to living a whole-hearted, healthy life, but for many adults it’s a much-neglected and intimidating skill. The Magpie Maker provides craft activities for adults that generate confident creativity in easy and inspirational steps. Customers then take this approach and apply it to their own situations. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Things We Talked About The renaissance inspiration behind Magpie Maker Nicki’s journey from being a burnt out teacher to living a life of creativity How creativity has helped Nicki with her depression and anxiety Nicki’s advice for creating space for daily creativity Resources  The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine The Handmade Fair Brene Brown Paper Panda   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!  

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 49 of The Couragemakers Podcast! This week I'm talking to the wonderful, inspiring and hilarious Vana Feliciano. Vana Feliciano a pint size poet, painter, podcaster and planeteer. Deeply obsessed with alliteration and all things cerulean blue, she is the founder of The Quiet Brave, a lifestyle community for the consciously courageous and Quiet Brave Radio a podcast that explores the practice of being a conscious woman. Vana believes in community over criticism and that fumbles and fuck ups are essential to building a fairy tale life. In this episode, Vana shares pivotal moments in her journey which led her to creating a movement for conscious women making courageous journeys called The Quiet Brave. She shares how getting in a car crash led her to question how she wanted to live her life and do something more, and how her life changed as a result. We really dive into how the most powerful thing we have is this moment right now, the importance of slowing down and using your experiences not to lecture, but to give people an alternative. This is a fantastic episode for anyone wanting to make the world a brighter place, for creative business owners or aspiring creative business owners who want to find an alternative to hustling and appearing perfect, and for anyone who struggles with future tripping and wants to start living more in the moment. Vana is a fantastic storyteller and I know you won't help but get caught up in her life story and feel like you're right there with her. One thing in particular Vana said has stuck with me ever since we recorded this episode, which is: who do you show up as when no one is watching. I know you're going to feel seriously inspired by the end of this episode. Be sure to check out her podcast The Quiet Brave Radio which launches next week - her pre-launch episode already gives me the tingles! Enjoy the show! About Vana Vana Feliciano a pint size poet, painter, podcaster and planeteer. Deeply obsessed with alliteration and all things cerulean blue, she is the founder of The Quiet Brave, a lifestyle community for the consciously courageous and Quiet Brave Radio a podcast that explores the practice of being a conscious woman. She believes in community over criticism and that fumbles and fuck ups are essential to building a fairy tale life. Website | Podcast | Instagram Things we talked about Vana's multipassionate journey from ballerina, public relations, health coach and time management coach. How being in huge car crash changed everything for Vana in an instant How learning about climate change led to a huge shift in Vana's life Vana's advice for anyone wanting to live more in the moment Resources Texas Style Camp B School Quiet Brave Radio   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life ’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!

Hello Couragemakers! It is SO good to be back, I’ve missed you all! So much has happened in the last 3 weeks - That Hummingbird Life has been completely relaunched as the online home for creatives, multi-passionates and couragemakers who want to own, live and share their stories. I’m so excited with this direction - it’s something I’ve been feeling for the past couple of years but have only been able to really put into words since starting Couragemakers! Be sure to check out the new site - it’s full of bullshit-free resources, a really fun blog archive where I may or may not have got a bit carried away with gifs and just loads of really cool shit I think you’re going to love. But focusing now on this week’s episode. For the anniversary episode, I wanted to do something a bit different and go a bit more behind the scenes, so the tables have been turned and Mr. Meg is interviewing me for my own episode. So without further ado, I’m going to pass you over to Mr. Meg! Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of Couragemakers. I’m Mr Meg, aka Jack. This week things have been shaken up a bit, and the special guest is none other than Meg herself. During this episode I sit down with Meg and dive more into her story, the journey of Couragemakers and That Hummingbird Life so far and the reality of owning, sharing and living your story.   We discuss the importance of sharing your story, everyday courage, reclaiming the word selfish and much more. I also ask Meg who she’d like to play her in a documentary of her life!   As for me, I’ve learnt that it’s a lot more difficult to interview someone than you may think, especially when it’s your own bloody fiance. But on a more serious note, I remember when Meg pitched the idea of her podcast to me, with the idea of telling stories of everyday courage, I felt like she’d struck gold. The stories of people that may not yet have been told, that need to be heard was one that struck a chord with us. It’s bizarre and fantastic to be here a year on, in a strange meta situation, me interviewing her for her own podcast. I hope you enjoy the interview, and learn a lot more about Meg and the way that brain of hers thinks. Meg always likes to suggest you grab a tea or a hot chocolate, but I’m more of a coffee man myself, so go with whatever takes your fancy today, and enjoy the show!   Things we talked about during the show:   A behind the scenes look at Couragemakers so far and the inspiration behind the podcast The importance of sharing your story and practical advice on starting to share your story Why everyday courage is so important and resonates so much Reclaiming the word selfish and standing up for yourself as a woman Who Meg would like to play her in the documentary of her life   About Meg & The Couragemakers Podcast Meg is the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I'm an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum. When I'm not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday emails to fellow couragemakers or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multipassionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter

  Hello Couragemakers, and welcome to episode 47 of The Couragemakers Podcast! Before we begin this week, I just wanted to let you know that the podcast is going to be taking a 3 week hiatus, while I completely revamp That Hummingbird Life and get 2017’s episodes up and running! I am so excited for the guests that I have already booked for this year and we have some real corkers coming up! If you fancy yourself as a guest, you can apply online by visiting thathummingbirdlife.com/apply. Couragemakers will be back on the 27th February with a special first year anniversary episode which I’m still slightly shitting myself about! Roles are going to be reversed as Mr. Meg is going to be interviewing me for my own Couragemakers episode. I have absolutely no idea what he has planned but if you have any questions you’d like me to answer, please send an email to meg@thathummingbirdlife.com (and if you put Mr. Meg in the subject line, i promise not to look!) I might be putting some solo episodes out between now and then, but if not, now is a great opportunity to look through the past episodes and uncover some real gems and rediscover some old favourites! Whew. Now onto today’s show. This week I’m speaking to Heather Jabornik. Heather is an East Coast writer, hope-raiser, and dream chaser based in Southern California. Heather is the founder of Hiya Tootsie!, and fragrance line Candy Ass. Heather is a lover of spoken word  poetry, rock and roll, glitter, and gunmetal and a self confessed fangirl of Tom Waits. In this episode, Heather shares her journey, from working as a missionary in the porn industry to founding a website and perfume that inspires women to go after their dreams. She shares her journey from reaching complete burnout, to finding work that sustains her own wellbeing as well as other people’s. We dive into the vulnerability of putting yourself in the public eye, how we can sometimes hide behind our need to help others and how stepping into fear changes everything. This is a great episode if you’re looking to find work that breathes life into yourself, not just other people and if you have or are experiencing burnout and want to start building a different life to yourself. It’s also a great episode if you’re scared of putting yourself out there as a work in progress but want to do it anyway. Heather is really open about her own experiences of burnout and the boundaries she had to create to live a life that felt good to her. I loved hearing about the power of going back to our own creativity and how Heather is working to help other women follow their dreams too! Enjoy the show! About Heather   Heather Jabornik is an East Coast writer, hope-raiser, and dream chaser based in SoCal. She is the founder of Hiya Tootsie!, a platform for badass dream chasing broads, and Candy Ass, a fragrance line that reminds those badass dream chasers to GO KICK SOME ASS!   You can connect with Heather here: Website | Candy Ass | Facebook | Instagram |  Twitter |   Things we talked about during today's show   Heather’s journey from working as a missionary to founding Hiya Tootsie and creating Candy Ass   How we tend to keep our dreams smaller as women The fear of putting yourself into the world   Vulnerability and sharing your process in public view   Heather’s burnout journey   Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show Daring Greatly - Brené Brown   Rising Strong - Brené Brown   On Blogging: A Decade Later - Gala Darling Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free bullshit free reminders to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer.   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |

  Hello Couragemakers, and welcome to episode 46 of The Couragemakers Podcast! I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this episode! This week, I’m speaking to The Gratefulist founder, Wendy de Jong. Wendy is a recovering perfectionist from the Netherlands, and she’s on a mission to help fellow soul-connected yet stressed-out creatives embrace their perfectly imperfect selves. She’s a book-oholic, a homemade pizza aficionado, and driving around in her bright red convertible car is her latest guilty pleasure. In this episode, we’re diving really deep into the topic of perfectionism. Wendy shares her experiences, growing up a straight A student, struggling with being a people pleaser and how it led to her becoming stressed out and reaching rock bottom. And how learning to practice gratitude helped a whole new world open up and let Wendy take control of her life.   We talk about the stories we tell ourselves and how they often work to keep us small, the dangers of relying on outside validation and how your world really does start to change when you make the daily choice to start showing up in the world. Wendy has fantastic advice for anyone struggling with perfectionism, gives us a behind the scenes look at her own practices and is a real shero for anyone looking to work on their own perfectionism - no matter how comfortable or addictive it feels. I love the work Wendy is doing over on her website The Gratefulist and I loved hearing more about what inspired her to start it and how her own relationship with perfectionism has changed. If you struggle with people pleasing, being a perfectionist and if the negative voice in your head feels like it’s stuck on repeat, you’re going to get so much out of this episode. I love how open and vulnerably Wendy shares her journey so to help other people with their own journey, and this episode is a real act of courage. Enjoy the show! About Wendy   Wendy de Jong is a recovering perfectionist on a mission to help fellow soul-connected yet stressed-out creatives embrace their perfectly imperfect selves. She’s a book-oholic, a homemade pizza aficionado, and driving around in her bright red convertible car is her latest guilty pleasure. You can connect with Wendy here: Website | Online Community | Twitter | Instagram | The #perfectionismproblems series |   Things we talked about during today's show   Debunking myths that surround perfectionism and how perfectionism isn’t real   How practicing gratitude has changed Wendy’s life What inspired Wendy to start The Gratefulist   The dangers of relying on outside validation   Wendy’s advice for anyone struggling with perfectionism Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show Daring Greatly - Brené Brown   Quiet Revolution - Susan Cain   The #perfectionistproblems series Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free bullshit free reminders to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer.   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 45 of Couragemakers! This week I’m talking to the wonderfully honest Meaghan Gallant. Meaghan is a holistic health coach, freelance writer, and virtual assistant. She is the creator behind Invoking Joy, an anti-thesis to the diet industry because she believes feeling GREAT doesn't have to be hard and it certainly doesn't have anything to do with the number on the scale. When she's not in front of a screen you can find her on a yoga mat, scribbling in her planner or with her nose stuck in a book. In this episode, we’re talking really openly, honestly and vulnerably about depression and struggling with your mental health. Meaghan shares her journey of training to be a health coach while struggling with depression, how she manages her depression and the blame we put on ourselves when we try something new and it doesn’t work. We talk about how the online world is great at showing the good things, and the glittery part of self improving, but not so great at showing failure that doesn’t come with a happy ending, or the messy and complicated parts of working through your shit. We dive into how euphoric happiness isn't sustainable, how trusting her intuition has led Meaghan to a life with more possibilities that works for her and Meaghan shares fantastic advice for anyone listening to struggles with their mental health and finding their light. This episode is a great reminder that it’s not your obligation to shrink or fit into other people’s boxes, and that there really is hope even if you don’t feel it right now. I’ve been excited to put this episode out for a while now because it’s one of the most honest and hopeful discussions about depression that I have seen online. Meaghan’s honesty is really refreshing, and I don’t think there will be a dry eye in the house by the end of the episode. As someone who struggles with depression, I find this episode so hopeful, so healing and it’s a great reminder that you’re not alone and you can find your own light. ABOUT MEAGHAN Meaghan is a holistic health coach, freelance writer, and virtual assistant. She created Invoking Joy to be an anti-thesis to the diet industry because feeling GREAT doesn't have to be hard and it certainly doesn't have anything to do with the number on the scale. When she's not in front of a screen you can find her on a yoga mat, scribbling in her planner or with her nose stuck in a book. You can connect with Meaghan here: Invoking Joy | Website | Instagram | Twitter THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT DURING TODAY'S SHOW Meaghan's journey to becoming a health coach, and how she does things differently Meaghan's experience of struggling with depression  How we blame ourselves when easy solutions don’t work instead of looking at the cause  Meaghan’s advice for people listening who struggle with their mental health and finding the light BOOKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY'S SHOW Sarah Wilson - I Quit Sugar FIND OUT MORE AND DOWNLOAD THE COURAGEMAKERS MANIFESTO HERE If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com ABOUT MEG & THAT HUMMINGBIRD LIFE I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I've just come back from a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg and the future looks exciting!

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 44 of Couragemakers! This week I’m talking all things feminism, mental health and body acceptance with Rose Marie Gold. Rose is the the founder of Body Image Guru and is an activist for Fat Acceptance, Health At Every Size and Intersectional Body Image Education. She lives in Seattle, Washington and graduated with a bachelors in Marriage and Family Counselling, Psychology and Gender Studies from Central Washington. In this episode, Rose shares her journey from being told by people she loved and teachers that she would never pass high school, to graduating with a bachelors, and how she came to embrace her experiences and founded Body Image Guru. We get vulnerable about what it is to experience life as fat people, how we’re not always taken seriously as women, and what you can do to develop your own confidence and have a better relationship with your body. We dive into the topic of spoon theory and chronic pain, how Rose practices self care, and how her own relationship with her body has changed since starting Body Image Guru. Also, a quick heads up that this episode briefly mentions sexual assault and self harm. I really love the work Rose is doing, and it’s so necessary in the world. This episode really reminds me of the quote: In a society that profits from your self doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act’ and I think this episode and  Rose’s work   go a long way in starting that rebellion and reminding you that you’re not alone. About Rose   Rose Marie Gold, aka "The Body Image Guru", is the founder and creator of BodyImageGuru.com. She is an activist for Fat Acceptance, Health At Every Size & Intersectional Body Image Education. She graduated with her Bachelors in Marriage and Family Counseling, Psychology and Gender Studies from Central Washington and lives in Seattle, WA. Rose runs a ground breaking website dedicated to body image resources and articles she has been encouraging radical changes in body image for over half a decade.​ She has most recently been interviewed by Choose Life Warrior on her youtube series, Amrie Defrates of Defrates Nutrition and as a plus size model on reality show The Fashion Hero. You can connect with Rose here: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Things we talked about during today's show   How Rose came to start Body Image Guru and what she has learned working with women on their bodies   The reality of life as a fat woman   How communities can be instrumental in realising that we’re not alone and no matter what we’re experiencing, someone else has too.   Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show Bad Feminist - Rozane Gay Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer..   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to the first episode of 2017! So, I have a huge love hate relationship with the start of the new year. I love getting out new notebooks and writing down my dreams but I hate the bullshit around feeling like we have to change everything about who we are. And that s why I’m so excited to share my episode with Elin Lööw. Elin is a writer and artist who set out to face her creative fears in 2016 with her Fear Year project. A project I absolutely adore, and I know you’ll be inspired to do by the end of this episode. Elin now helps fellow creatives find the courage to go after their dreams too.  Elin is a self confessed twenty-something creative weirdo living and she lives Sweden with her boyfriend Petrus and our two cats Pysen and Alice. In this episode, we really dive into Elin’s creative journey - from being a freely creative child to losing track of her creativity when she felt she had to be the best and how she came to embrace her creativity again. We have a really honest conversation about many of the struggles creatives face, from self doubt and fear to joy and trust. Elin shares the inspiration behind her Fear Year project - a project to identify, challenge and work on her fears in 2016. She shares what her project looked like in practice and fantastic advice for anyone wanting to start their own Fear Year. We really explore how Elin’s way of measuring her creative successes has changed, how her creative process has evolved and how Elin’s Fear Year really explored the connection between creativity and bravery. We talk about how important identity is to our creativity, how important it is to bring what we want to the world, not just what other people want and just how lethal combination of pressure and perfectionism is to our creativity. This episode is perfect if you’re a creative and you’re looking to get more brave with your creativity in 2017, if you feel creatively blocked and are desperately in need of some inspiration, and if you’re intrigued about the idea of the Fear Year and want to start your own! Elin has so much practical advice for fellow creatives who feel scared to start or continue and really helpful and compassionate advice for anyone looking to get back to their creativity! Elin’s episode is the perfect start to 2017 and I hope you get as much out of our conversation as I did! Be sure to listen all the way to the end to hear an update on Elin’s Fear Year! You can read Elin's update on her blog here. Enjoy the show! About Elin Elin Lööw is a writer and artist who set out to face her creative fears in 2016. Now she helps fellow creatives find the courage to go after their dreams too! She is a  self confessed twenty-something creative weirdo living in Sweden with her boyfriend Petrus and our two cats Pysen and Alice. You can connect with Elin here: Website | Fear Year Project | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest Things we talked about during today's show   How perfectionism and pressure stopped Elin creating and how she learned to re-discover her creativity The good things that hide behind your fears Elin’s Fear Year - a year long project to tackle her creative fears Advice for if you want to get back to your own creativity and start your own Fear Yer,   Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show Linchpin - Seth Godin Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently on a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg but normally based in the UK.   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to the last episode of 2016! Next week we’re taking a short one week break for the holidays, and then we’re back on January 2nd with a corker on an episode to start the new year on a great foot! This week I have a fascinating interview for you, with forensic psychologist Julia Langley. Julia is from the UK and in her spare time, can be often found on her sofa watching YouTube videos to distract her from the impending doom of handing in her PhD thesis, doing the occasional yoga class, and writing In this episode, Julia shares her journey to becoming a forensic psychologist, by the way of studying drama, running workshops in a women’s prison and being a support worker for people who struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. We really get into how to look after yourself when you spend a lot of time supporting other people, tangible ways to avoid burnout and finding a lifestyle that makes you thrive and how tricky and scary it is redefining relationships in our personal lives to they work for us. We really dive deep into the topic of boundaries and creating honest and healthy relationships in our lives, the parallels between how we help other people and our own lives, and just how important it is to figure out what kind of a person we are. I loved chatting about the crossovers between mental health and the arts, how multipotentiality is changing the way we think about the future and practical ways we can top ourselves up after giving so much of ourselves to the world. This is a fantastic episode if a lot of your life is dedicated to helping people, if you have a tendency to put other people’s needs in front of your own and if you struggle with imposter syndrome. Julia shares great advice for establishing boundaries with the people in your life, and the scary issue of redefining relationships when they’re feeling toxic. I absolutely love this episode and how open and honest Julia is about her journey. I love how she shares her learning curves along the way and how she is so open about her own challenges when it comes to feeling responsibility over other people. Julie’s journey is really inspiring and it’s so great to hear how she’s balanced putting great shit into the world while looking after herself at the same time. I know this episode is a much needed one, so enjoy the show!   About Julia   Julia is currently training to be a forensic psychologist. In her spare time, she is often found on her sofa watching YouTube videos to distract her from the impending doom of handing in her PhD thesis, doing the occasional yoga class, and writing. Julia is very mindful of the balance between maintaining privacy due to her work, and voicing her opinions on subjects that she's passionate about.   You can connect with Julia here: Blog | Email | Instagram   Things we talked about during today's show   Burnout in the giving professions- and the balance between your responsibility for someone else and their responsibility for themselves The fear and vulnerability of creating boundaries Julia shares her journey to becoming a forensic psychologist, by the way of studying drama, running workshops in a women’s prison and being a support worker for people who struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. The importance of listening to yourself and using the support around you   Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show Six Pillars of Self Esteem - Nathaniel Brandon     Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently on a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg but normally based in the UK.   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Hello lovely Couragemakers! This week I’m speaking with the wonderful Simi Botic. Simi is  a corporate attorney-turned-health-coach and she helps women nourish and nurture their bodies and lives, so they can live FULLY. Simi is obsessed with coffee, beach vacations, and the 90s and is passionate about helping women get un-stuck! In this episode, Simi shares her journey, from being a corporate attorney believing she was made to be a box ticker, to finding work that lights her up and brings to much joy to her life. I loved getting to know more about the work Simi does, and chatting about how to give yourself validation and appreciation if you work for yourself. In today’s show, we really dive deep into choosing yourself and giving yourself permission to explore the things that make you happy.  We have so many great conversations about saying no, being brave and reevaluating where you’re at and following the things that you think might make you happy even if you have no idea where they’ll lead. We also explore importance of boredom, the glorification of busyness and how giving ourselves space to get to know ourselves is one of the most important things we can do. This episode is such a powerful reminder that we have so much to offer the world in terms of our ideas, our passions and our insights and our lives would change so much if we started saying yes to ourselves. This is a fantastic, practical episode and Simi has so much great advice for anyone struggling with how to say now and  people who struggle with being a people pleaser. I loved chatting to Simi and our conversation put a massive smile on my face. Simi is so honest and her story is so relatable and I know you’re going to get a lot from today’s episode. Enjoy the show! About Simi Simi Botic is obsessed with coffee, beach vacations, and the 90s. A corporate attorney-turned-health-coach, she helps women nourish and nurture their bodies and lives, so they can live FULLY! Simi is passionate about helping women get un-stuck, ditch diets, reconnect with their internal voice, and discover their powerful intuition — in both their body and life. You can connect with Simi here: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Free Breaking Up With Binges Video Series Things we talked about during today's show   Simi’s journey from being an attorney working in corporate healthcare to becoming a coach helping women live life to the full   How there’s no such thing as failure, only feedback   The importance of having hard conversations with yourself about the kind of life you want to live   The ripple effects of honouring yourself   Giving yourself permission to explore things for your own happiness   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer.  That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Happy Monday Couragemakers! I am so excited to share with you this week’s episode of Couragemakers! For this week’s episode, I’m speaking to the wonderful Jenipher Lyn. Jenipher a self-taught artist who is on a mission to save the world one doodle at a time. She who believes the more genuine encouragement in the world, the better and her goal in life is to inspire as many girls and women that they are not alone. Jenipher can be found drawing and eating cupcakes in the middle of Florida with husband and giant cat, Baby. I found Jenipher through her doodles and am so happy to get to know Jenipher as a person. In this episode, Jenipher shares the story behind her art, how being a writer or an artist isn’t how many people make it look online and how struggling with anxiety, depression and loneliness has influenced her life and her mission. Oh, and also what her ideal weird superpower would be. We really dive into the importance of imperfection, and how the online world sometimes deceives us, the struggles we often face as creative women and how we all need more mess, encouragement and cookies in our lives. Jenipher shares fantastic advice for anyone going through a hard time, gives a great insight into how her creative process has changed along the way and how she protects her own sanity as a highly sensitive person. Jenipher is wonderful and I absolutely loved every bit of our conversation. We had such a good laugh and her approach to life is simply contagious. This episode is full of so much hope, joy and truth and I know you’re going to love this episode! Enjoy the show!​​​​ About Jenipher Jenipher a self-taught artist who is on a mission to save the world one doodle at a time. She who believes the more genuine encouragement in the world, the better and her goal in life is to inspire as many girls and women that they are not alone! She does this with whimsical illustrations and vulnerably humorous articles. Jenipher can be found drawing and eating cupcakes in the middle of Florida with husband and giant cat, Baby. You can connect with Jenipher here: Website | Facebook | Instagram | New Book   Things we talked about during today's show   What Jenipher believes about herself now that she never thought possible   How Jenipher’s creative process has developed   How Jenipher deals with rejection   Jenipher’s advice for anyone going through a hard time   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently on a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg but normally based in the UK. That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Happy Monday Couragemakers! I am so excited to share with you this week’s episode of Couragemakers! For this week’s episode, I sat down and had a good natter with Sarah Steckler. Sarah is a Creative Self-Love Coach who helps women take control of their lives by taking care of themselves. As a writer, journal lover, and creatively obsessed sticker collector, she loves to spend her free time wandering through nature and forest bathing, cuddling up with her English Bulldog, and planning her next Netflix binge!   In this episode, Sarah shares her journey of how creativity helped her learn to love herself, how her life has changed now she has become more intentional about her creativity and self love and how struggling is part of the process.   We really dive into how showing up as yourself can be a struggle, how giving yourself permission to have bad days can make all the difference and how important it is to find something we love that isn’t for anyone but ourselves.   Sarah shares great advice for anyone looking to add more creativity and self love to their life, great practical self care for people doing their own thing and really helpful words of wisdom for creative women who struggle with their mental health.   This is also a great episode if you struggle with your mental health and want to use creativity as a way to help you, if you often find yourself thinking that doing things for yourself is selfish, and if you need the reminder that what you have to put in the world is pretty damn important.   I really loved my conversation with Sarah and finding out more about her journey and the work she’s putting in the world. As creative people, it can be so hard to remember that while our creativity gives so much to the world, it gives so much to ourselves as well, and I’m so glad Sarah reminded us of that today.   Enjoy the show!​​​​ About Sarah   Sarah is a Creative Self-Love Coach who helps women take control of their lives by taking care of themselves. While this seems simple enough, Sarah understands the barriers to change we all can face, including self-doubt, guilt, feeling emotionally overwhelmed, and anxiety that comes with transitions and change. As a writer, journal lover, and creatively obsessed sticker collector, she loves to spend her free time wandering through nature and forest bathing, cuddling up with her English Bulldog, and planning her next Netflix binge! She's also huge animal lover who dreams of one day opening up her own cow sanctuary and dreams of creating her own self-care journal for others. You can connect with Sarah here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Free Self Care Course   Things we talked about during today's show   The relationship between creativity and self love   What Sarah’s self - love journey looks like   The biggest things Sarah has learned in starting a business   Sarah’s advice for anyone looking to add more creativity and find self love in their life   Why women struggle with self love   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently on a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg but normally based in the UK.   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

I am so excited to share with you this week’s episode of Couragemakers. I think it’s fair to say that sometimes the world feels like a bit of a shitshow, especially now and I think this episode is a great beacon of hope. For this week’s episode, I had the absolute joy of speaking to Mary England, self-described merriment maker and founder of Uncustomary. Mary's passion is to make other people happy and teach them how to love and accept themselves. After struggling with mental illness for twenty years and working in and studying the field of psychology for five, she decided to start the business Uncustomary to share her personal and professional experience with mental health in a way that translates into self-love and positivity. You can find her twirling in front of murals and leaving a literal trail of glitter in Baltimore, Maryland.   In this episode, Mary shares her journey of becoming a self love advocate and how guerilla street art was a massive part of this journey. We dive into the difference between self confidence and self love and how adding the weird to someone’s day can make all the difference.   Mary shares how she uses her art to challenge social norms and how it has taught her that people are innately good and innately curious. She also shares fantastic advice for anyone wanting to make their life more colourful, glittery and sparkly which I know you’re going to love.   We really dive into how we can often feel like frauds when we’re working with other people to help them overcome and deal with issues we have and often do struggle with, but how ultimately we couldn’t be the better person for the job.   I’ve heard a lot of noise online lately about how we can use the platforms we have to make the world a better place, and the challenges you face when you bring your own beliefs and politics into your business or projects. This is the perfect episode if you’ve been thinking about it too, and if you’re wondering how you can bring about change and bring hope to the world when things feel very dark.   This is also a great episode if you work to make the world a brighter place and sometimes struggles to keep your own light lit, if you’re looking to become more active in your community and find ridiculously fun ways to do that and if you just need a great dollop of hope in your life right now.   I love Mary’s work, her message and what she’s putting in the world. The world is honestly a brighter, more honest and creative place for her being in it. I loved our conversation and keeping up to date with all the wonderful things she’s putting in the world. Enjoy the show!​​​​ About Mary   Mary England is a self described merriment maker. Mary's passion is to make other people happy and teach them how to love and accept themselves. After struggling with mental illness for twenty years and working in and studying the field of psychology for five, she decided to start the business Uncustomary to share her personal and professional experience with mental health in a way that translates into self-love and positivity. You can find her twirling in front of murals and leaving a literal trail of glitter in Baltimore, Maryland. You can connect with Mary here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Premium Package   Things we talked about during today's show   Mary’s journey of becoming a self love advocate and how guerilla street art and performances played a huge part in her journey How important it is to get out of our routines   Mixing business with politics: if you have a privilege that can help you be on a soapbox or activate change   The importance of recognising your own humanity and showing you struggle too   Mary’s advice for anyone wanting to make their life more colourful, glittery and sparkly   Things/Resources Mentioned in Today’s Show   Improv Everywhere   Keri Smith   Fred Rogers - “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”     Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently on a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg but normally based in the UK.   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Happy Monday!   I'm so happy to be back this week with another episode of Couragemakers. For those of you wondering why there wasn't an episode last week, I have just returned to the UK from my 3 month US road trip and my Granddad is seriously ill in hospital. ​​But the podcast is back this week and isn't going anywhere, I can assure you!   ​​Now I'm back, I'm going to be recording 2017's episodes and working on special episodes, and new Couragemakers will be back to normal with new episodes every Monday :)   I am so excited to share with you this week's episode. This week, I had the opportunity to sit down and have a good natter with singer-songwriter​​ Sarah Smith.   After years on the road fronting Canadian rock band The Joys, Sarah went solo in 2012 and in this episode shares what her life on the road looks and feels like, the leap of faith she took leaving the army to pursue life as a musician and the lessons she's learned along the way.   Sarah shares the truth about ​​what it looks like to get paid to do things you love, the difficulties we face as women not being taught to own our skills and learning to discover them and how the way of creativity is not for the faint of heart.   We really dive into what it means to pursue a creative life; the uncertainty that comes with being a full-time creative, how life is an ongoing practice and how Sarah learned to let go of the fear of the unknown and believe everything will work out.   I absolutely love this episode, and Sarah shares such great practical advice for creatives struggling to believe that things will work out and ​​​​how our validation needs to come from the inside.   Sarah's passion and enthusiasm for life and her work is contagious and I loved getting a behind the scenes glimpse of what life on the road looks like.   I'm really excited to be sharing this episode just days after Sarah launched her most recent album - 11 and I'm really happy I had the opportunity to speak to Sarah at such an exciting stage of her career!     About Sarah   After years on the road fronting Canadian rock band The Joys, Sarah went solo in 2012 Her songs  have won over audiences everywhere during Sarah’s relentless tours of North America and Europe and she continues to tour almost year-round. Sarah’s latest album, 11, has just been released - on 11th November 2016. Aside from her music, Sarah’s has the most fun eating food, being around friends and her dogs, and people watching. You can connect with Sarah here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube |   Things we talked about during today's show     Sarah’s journey of becoming a full time musician, from being raised on a farm and and having her first solo in a church choir aged 5 to leaving the army to follow her dream of becoming a musician.   The difficulties as women being taught not to own their skills and talents, and the long journey involved in rediscovering and owning them again   Sarah’s advice for creatives who need to trust themselves and need self validation   The uniqueness of living on the road, and the struggles with staying inspired and spending so much time with your thoughts.     Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently on a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg but normally based in the UK.   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Hi there and welcome to episode 36 of Couragemakers! This week I’m speaking to Christy Tennery-Spalding. Christy is a self-care mentor, healer, and climate justice activist. She supports people who want to change the world develop amazing self-care practices so they can do their work more effectively and with more joy. Christy lives in Oakland, California with her husband and their feral cats, Dorothy and Harriet. During this episode, Christy shares her journey of activism, working in the nonprofit world and starting her online business and how identifying her zone of genius has helped her work in a way that not only serves the world, but herself as well.  We really dive into how burnout and exhaustion can become a badge of honour when working to change the world, how working to slow things down instead of an emergency mindset ultimately changes our lives and our wellbeing and self care isn’t a reward, nor is it tied to your productivity, but rather something we all need regardless. We have a really honest conversation about what it means to want to change the world, the grief we often don’t acknowledge when working in a helping profession and how our ego, and our guilt often plays a role in how we show up in the world.  Christy shares great advice for anyone looking to find their own zone of genius, and some much needed reminders to all of us that self care is not selfish, but rather essential for a wholehearted life. This is a fantastic episode if you’re an activist, work or have worked in a helping profession, if you’ve ever or are struggling with burnout and if you seek to make the world a brighter place without diminishing your own light at the same time. I know this episode is going to resonate with so many people, because it touches on so many cornerstones of what this podcast is about. I absolutely loved talking to Christy and I love the work she is putting in the world.  Our stories overlap in so many ways and it was so good to have such a truthful and bullshit free conversation about burnout and how we can all change the world in our own unique way.  I know this episode is going to resonate with so many people, because it touches on so many cornerstones of what this podcast is about. Enjoy the show!

  Hello welcome to episode 35 of Couragemakers!   This week I’m speaking with Anung Vilay and I seriously can’t wait to share this episode with you. Anung is owner, photographer and designer of Courageous Creativity:the place for extroverts and homebodies to own their life and write their adventure. She lives in Minneapolis and is married with one fur baby and works part time at a book-store.   In this episode, we really get stuck into intersection between creativity and courage and how they play a huge part in our lives. Anung debunks the myth that you don’t have to completely overhaul your life and live in a cabin in the woods to be a creative, how courageous and ultimately liberating it is to put yourself out there as well as some great practical advice for anyone who wants to become more visible and own their story.   We have a really frank conversation about the courage it takes to cut toxic people from our lives, friendship break ups and how in this often crazy online world, it is okay to struggle alone and not put everything out there. And Anung shares the much needed reminders for all us doers, makers and world shakers that we can do things just for fun, and not everything we do needs to be productive or make us money.   If you have a tendency to overthink things (like me) and you want to hear an honest conversation about how to get back to yourself and own your story, you are going to love this episode. This is a conversation I could listen to again and again, and I know it’s going to make you feel a lot less alone and shine light into areas of your life that really need it.   I love what Anung is putting in the world and how she shows up as authentically herself, and I know you’re going to love her too!   Enjoy the show! About Anung   Anung Vilay is Owner, Photographer and Designer of Courageous Creativity LLC: the place for extroverts and homebodies to own their life and write their adventure. She lives in Minneapolis and is married with one fur baby and works part time at a book store.   You can connect with Anung here: Website | Instagram| Twitter | Pinterest   Things we talked about during today's show Anung’s advice for anyone wanting to own their story   Cutting toxic people from your life and friendship break ups   The courage it takes to put yourself out there   What Anung’s life would look like if she didn’t trust her instinct and make courageous choices Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently on a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg but normally based in the UK.   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |

Hi there and welcome to episode 34 of Couragemakers!   This week I had the joy of speaking to Sanah Jivani. Sanah is a honors college student and the founder of a non-profit organization called The Love Your Natural Self Foundation, which focuses on empowering individuals through events, movements and hands-on sessions. She started this organization after losing all of her hair to Alopecia in the seventh grade and struggling with wigs, bullying and low self-worth. Now, her non-profit organization hosts projects in 45 schools and 28 countries worldwide.   In this episode, Sanah shares her journey of building a movement from a personal experience she went through, how she is challenging thousands of people around the world to let go of the one thing that holds them back and the many lessons she has learned along the way.   We dive into the myths and reality of self love, how to look after yourself while putting good shit in the world and not feeling like it is your responsibility to fix everything and how Sanah’s own personal growth has transformed her organisation.   Sanah shares really great advice for anyone who is struggling on their own, and some great practical tips for anyone who wants to make a change in the world but doesn’t know where to start, or has an idea but feels apprehensive about starting.   Sanah is an absolute joy to speak to and I love how honest she is about the challenges she has faced, how her organisation has grown out of these challenges and how vulnerable she is about her own journey of self love. I have so much admiration for Sanah’s mission and what she’s putting in the world, and I’m so glad we get to really go behind the scenes and hear all about it!   Enjoy the show! About Sanah   Sanah Jivani is an honors college student double majoring in sociology and communications at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is the founder of a non-profit organization called The Love Your Natural Self Foundation, which focuses on empowering individuals through events, movements and hands-on sessions. She started this organization after losing all of her hair to Alopecia in the seventh grade and struggling with wigs, bullying and low self-worth. Now, her non-profit organization hosts projects in 45 schools and 28 countries worldwide. The biggest project hosted by her non-profit is the International Natural Day movement. She has reached over 10,000 students through speaking engagements and raised over $10,000 in fundraising.   Outside of her work with her non-profit, she is one of thirty We Are Family Foundation's Global Teen Leaders, a TEDx Speaker, a State Farm Youth Advisory Board Member, a DoSomething and College Board Youth Advisory Council Member, a 2016-2017 Character Counts Person of Character, the social media Intern at Gobie and an Editorial Intern at HelloFlo among other things. She hopes that this hard work and positive energy will someday change the world!   You can connect with Sanah here: Natural Day | Twitter Things we talked about during today's show Sanah’s journey of self love and how she built a movement helping other people to do the same   How to look after yourself while putting good things in the world and how you need to create boundaries to see your success   How important sharing your story and empowering others to share their story is   How self love is allowing yourself to be human and to have bad days Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently on a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg but normally based in the UK.   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

  Hi there and welcome to episode 33 of Couragemakers!   This week, I’m chatting with Christina Blok. Christina is the CEO & Creative Director of Muse Monthly, a subscription box for books and tea. She a 20-something year old lover of everything nerdy, including Doctor Who, Harry Potter, and Marvel. In addition to running Muse Monthly, she is also a freelance social media strategist and writer.   In this episode, Christina shares how she moved from working at a job which made her physically ill, to starting a business based on her passions and her two big loves.   We really dive into how our creativity and passions can lead us down the path less chosen, the effect an environment can have on your creativity when you feel unfulfilled and unappreciated and how important it is to find your people.   Christina shares wonderful advice for anyone who hasn’t yet found their people and for people stuck in a situation which makes them miserable, takes away their creativity and belittles their passions.   I absolutely love this episode and I think it really is essential listening for anyone who’s ever been told their passion is just a hobby, for anyone who doesn’t feel like they fit in anywhere and for anyone looking for proof that you don’t have to be stuck and you have lots of options.   This is a great episode for writers, readers, creatives, multi-passionates and anyone who ever dared to think they could use what they love to create a life they love.   Muse Monthly is a genius idea and I absolutely loved going behind the scenes. I love Christina’s passion and how honestly and openly she shares what she’s learned to help other Couragemakers. I guarantee you’ll be feeling inspired by the end of this episode!   Enjoy the show!   About Christina   Christina Blok is the CEO & Creative Director of Muse Monthly, a subscription box for books and tea. She a 20-something year old lover of everything nerdy, including Doctor Who, Harry Potter, and Marvel. In addition to running Muse Monthly, she is also a freelance social media strategist and writer.   You can connect with Christina here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Things we talked about during today's show Cristina's journey from being creatively unfulfilled and unvalued in her job to creating a job from things she loved that people told her were ‘just hobbies’   Christina’s biggest takeaway lesson from her first year of Muse Monthly   How important it is to find your people and Christina’s advice for people wanting to find their tribe   How it is possible to create your life exactly the way you want it to be   Resources/Recommendations from today’s show Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently on a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg but normally based in the UK.   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

  Hi there and welcome to episode 32 of Couragemakers!   This week, I’m chatting with Amy Smalarz. I met Amy through her podcast Living Intentionally with Amy Smalarz and she is a joy to spend time with. Amy is a mom, wife, business owner and teacher and  lives just outside of Boston. She is the creator of the proprietary framework Communicate To Be Heard™ as she believes that each of us has a voice that deserves to be heard. Amy works with clients to  helps them to discover and define their voice or their value message and then helps them to translate that to other people so you can Communicate To Be Heard™. She believes when that happens, you are truly able to live a life with greater intention. Helping others and bringing a smile to someone's face is what makes her happy.   In this episode, Amy shares her journey of deciding she needed to leave her job and setting up her own business in three weeks, how doing her own thing helped Amy to find her direction and mission and how Amy has learned that there is no such thing as work-life balance, and instead, how you have to balance what you have in front of you as life goes along.   We have a great discussion about the power of intention and living in the moment, and Amy shares some great practical tips for anyone wanting to live their life with intention. We talk about not giving so much power to negative emotions and how we can stop ourselves falling down the shame hole.   This is a great episode if you find yourself future tripping and getting caught up in the busyness of life and want to really enjoy the journey, if you find yourself learning the same lesson over and over again, and if life feels really complicated and you want to bring it back to simple.   I love the activist streak that has followed Amy through her work, and the practical activities she shares with listeners throughout the podcast! The work Amy does is so important and I’m so grateful she was so willing to share it with fellow Couragemakers.  I know you’re going to get so much out of this episode. And if you enjoy this episode, check out my interview on Amy’s podcast where I talk all about what living with intention means for me.   Enjoy the show! About Amy   Amy is the creator of the proprietary framework Communicate To Be HeardTM as she believes that each of us has a voice that deserves to be heard. When you are a client working with Amy, she helps you to discover and define that voice or that value message and then helps you to translate that to other people so you can Communicate To Be HeardTM. When that happens, you are truly able to live a life with greater intention.   You can connect with Amy here: Website | Podcast | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube Things we talked about during today's show     Living with intention and living in the moment   How attitudes to life are contagious and who we surround ourselves with is important   The power of asking why and finding meaning   The importance of doing your own internal work and sitting with the uncomfortable   The things that bring Amy joy and fulfilment Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Hi there and welcome to episode 31 of The Couragemakers Podcast! Today I'm sharing my interview with Diana Malerba and I've been excited for a long time to share our conversation. Diana is a certified Confidence Coach living in Switzerland. She helps women to go from self doubt to self confidence and fulfilment. She is a magnet for all things self confidence, courage and resilience. When she is not coaching, she is an advocate for women empowerment, gender equality and cupcakes.   In this episode, we dive deep into Diana's journey of experiencing burnout and depression and how reaching rock bottom made Diana realise she wasn't living her life. We talk about how starting to coach people gave Diana joy and energy and helped Diana to heal her own wounds and helped her to feel good enough and have compassion for herself.   We explore how convincing ourselves that we're coping keeps us stuck, how emotion is the birthplace of joy and life so it doesn't make sense to cut emotions from our lives and how if we are pretending to be someone that we're not, we also think who we are is not enough.   This is an episode I wish I could have heard when I was going through burnout a couple of years ago and listening to this episode brings tears to my eyes. If you've ever struggled with depression, this episode is going to really resonate with you, and help you in your own healing.   This is a great episode if you're struggling right now, if you're going through a big change which is causing a huge shift in your identity and if you need some words of truth and comfort.   I have so much admiration and respect for Diana and the work she does. I absolutely love her refreshing take on what confidence actually means and how it can show up for us in our own lives, and I love how much our values align.   You're in for a real treat with this episode.   Enjoy the show!   About Diana   Diana is a certified Confidence Coach. She helps women to go from self doubt to self confidence and fulfilment. She is a magnet for all things self confidence, courage and resilience. When she is not coaching, she is an advocate for women empowerment, gender equality and cupcakes. You can find her at The Brave Hearted and read her approach to overcome low self-confidence here.   You can connect with Diana here   Things we talked about during today's show     Diana’s journey from burnout and depression to confidence coach and realising that low self confidence was causing all of the problems in her life   How we have all the answers inside, it's just about making the space to listen to the answers   The moment when Diana realised she was asking too much of herself and dealing with unrealistic expectations   Diana's advice for anyone who wants to start doing their inner work Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Hello there! And welcome to episode 30 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm talking to Diana Chaplin. Diana is a freelance copywriter, content strategist, and brand developer for mission-driven creatives. She's also a nature-lover, mother of two, and writer at heart. Following her intuition has given her a joyful life and career, and she loves helping others do the same.   During our conversation, Diana shares her journey of deciding at a young age that she wanted to be an independent woman and how that came to be a prominent theme in her life.   In this episode we really dive deep into the topic of intuition: from how to know your intuition is telling you something, to Diana's really practical advice on things you can do to develop your intuition.   We have a great discussion about the courage it takes to do something even if the people around you don't get it, how lots of small acts of courage allow you to do bigger things and how happiness and love in themselves can be a measure of success.   This is such a great practical episode and I really loved the opportunity to really dive deep into the topic of intuition how we can use it to make the world a brighter place.  I absolutely love Diana's energy and I know you're going to take so much from her words of wisdom. Enjoy the show! About Diana   Diana Chaplin is a freelance copywriter, content strategist, and brand developer for mission-driven creatives. She's also a nature-lover, mother of two, and writer at heart. Following her intuition has given her a joyful life and career, and she loves helping others do the same.   You can connect with Diana here   Things we talked about during today's show     How Diana was an introvert from a young age and became interested in communication and human behaviour   How we have to change our existing models of behaviour and there's fear involved because you're stepping into the realm of unknown 3 things you can do to develop your intuion Resources/Things we mentioned during today’s how   Journeydance - Toni Bergins   Insight timer app   Being Boss Facebook Group Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

  Hello there and welcome to episode 29 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm chatting with Kayli Schattner.  Kayli is an Online Marketing + Content Strategist for creative entrepreneurs living in Phoenix, Arizona with her Corgi pup, Stabler. She encourages women to #OwnIt + life a life they love. When she's not blogging for her lifestyle site, Kayli Wanders, you can probably find her at happy hour with her girlfriends, doing yoga in the sunshine or cuddled-up with a good book and a glass of Rosé.   During this episode, we  really dive into how scheduling self care helps you to sustain a great life and do what you love, how Kayli works to be completely authentic in everything she does and the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people.   Kayli shares fantastic advice for anyone struggling to juggle a million plates at once, some great practical tips to help you get organised and generally how to pursue your dreams without the constant overwhelm.   I really love Kayli's life philosophy that it is possible to create a life you don’t feel you want a break from, and we had so much fun chatting! We have so much in common and I know you're going to take so many practical tips away from this episode!   Enjoy the show!   About Kayli   Kayli is an Online Marketing + Content Strategist for creative entrepreneurs living in the Phoenix area with her Corgi pup, Stabler. She encourages women to #OwnIt + life a life they love. When she's not blogging for her lifestyle site, Kayli Wanders, you can probably find her at happy hour with her girlfriends, doing yoga in the sunshine or cuddled-up with a good book and a glass of Rosé.   You can connect with Kayli here: Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook   Things we talked about during today's show     Kayli’s philosophy that it’s possible to make enough to sustain a great life, and do what you love.   The cosmic boomerang – when you put out good in the world and do what you love, you attract good karma   How there’s only so many courses and books you can do/read, eventually you have to buckle down and do the work   There’s only one you, no one can say what you have to say – so say it! Resources/Things we mentioned during today’s how   The Day Designer   Time Cube   Focus app Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

  Hi there and welcome to episode 28 of Couragemakers.   This week I’m talking with Kate Evans. Kate describers herself as an overly excitable creative introvert with a peanut butter problem. She works as a Communications Manager for a self advocacy organisation for adults who have a learning disability and she’s passionate about empowering people to live their best lives - whether that's her friends, readers of her personal blog, or the people she works with. Making things and writing keep Kate sane, and she can usually be found in front of a laptop or with yarn wrapped around her fingers.   In this episode we dive into Kate’s journey as an activist and how she dealt with burnout and found work that sustains her as well as serves other people, how finding work that fits your values is essential and how acts of everyday bravery need to be celebrated.   Kate shares how she has started to become really honest about her mental health online and great advice for anyone wanting to be more honest with those around them about their mental health. She also shares her unique approach to blogging;  how doing things for yourself can just be for yourself and the freedom that comes with doing big and unexpected things.   This is a great episode if you struggle with being someone who wants to help the world and look after yourself at the same time and if you want to become more vulnerable and open in your life but don’t know where to begin. I absolutely loved chatting to Kate, our stories align in a lot of ways and I have so much respect for her and how brave she is about her life on her blog.  I know you’re going to get so much hope from this episode.   Enjoy the show! About Kate   Kate is an overly excitable creative introvert with a peanut butter problem. She's passionate about empowering people to live their best lives - whether that's her friends, readers of her personal blog, or the adults with learning disabilities that she works with. Making things and writing keep Kate sane, and she can usually be found in front of a laptop or with yarn wrapped around her fingers.   You can connect with Kate here: Blog | Twitter | Instagram |   Things we talked about during today's show     Kate’s journey from being an activist,burning out and finding work that serves her as well as other people   The importance of balance – between a job that makes you feel like you’re contributing something positive to the  world, but also having time to switch off to avoid burn out.   Kate’s advice on what to do when you want to be more open and honest with those around you about your mental health Identifying what is and what isn’t important to you, and stop listening to what you think should be important to you   How Kate has found a way of making blogging work for her, and to help with self care Resources/Things we mentioned during today’s how   Oxfam and People and Planet   Nicole Antoinette   Kate’s blog post on depression Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

  Hi there and welcome to episode 27 of Couragemakers. This week, I had the joy of speaking to Sarah Starrs. Sarah is a writer, podcast host of The Girl Gang Conversations, and virtual assistant. She believes that our thoughts, choices, and actions create our lives, so she's dedicated herself to making choices, thinking thoughts, and taking actions that feel good. She recently closed down her coaching practice because it wasn't feeling good anymore. In her work as a Virtual Assistant Sarah helps heart-centered female entrepreneurs take the headache out of their business so that it all feels more awesome. By sharing her story and the stories of others through her work as a writer and podcast host, she wants to shine a spotlight on the imperfect mess of being human and in the process, help people see that they're not alone.   In this episode, we really focus in on self love and lifestyle design. Sarah shares her experience of depression since a young age, how she thought that an exciting life full of of travel, romance and interesting people were for other people, not for her, and the journey of how she became the person she always wanted to be.   During our conversation we dive into how existential philosophy changed Sarah’s life and how exploring radical responsibility opened up a new world for her,  the world of lifestyle design and how fear can become a lifestyle.   Sarah has so much practical advice for anyone struggling to make self love a tangible reality in their lives, and this conversation really dives deep into what it means to create a life you love and become the person you’ve always dreamt of being.   If you enjoy this episode, check out my episode on Sarah’s podcast where I get very honest about the truth behind lifestyle design and share about how discovering I was a multipotentialite or a multi-passionate person changed my life.   Sarah gives so many practical takeaways from this episode, and I know you’re going to love Sarah’s journey self love and how we can start believing in ourselves.   Enjoy the show!   About Sarah   Sarah Starrs is a writer, podcast host, and virtual assistant. She believes that our thoughts, choices, and actions create our lives, so she's dedicated herself to making choices, thinking thoughts, and taking actions that feel good. She recently closed down her coaching practice because it wasn't feeling good anymore. In her work as a Virtual Assistant Sarah helps heart-centered female entrepreneurs take the headache out of their business so that it all feels more awesome. By sharing her story and the stories of others through her work as a writer and podcast host, she wants to shine a spotlight on the imperfect mess of being human and in the process, help people see that they're not alone. You can find her writing at SarahStarrs.com or listen to her podcast, The Girl Gang Conversations on your favourite podcast app. You can connect with Sarah here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |   Things we talked about during today's show     How learning about radical responsibility and existentialism completely changed Sarah’s life   The difference between self love and self care   High sensitivity personality traits and the importance of recognizing and honouring that Resources/Things we mentioned during today’s how   My interview with Sarah’s on the truth behind lifestyle design and being a multipotentialite (The Girl Gang Conversations Podcast)   Lisa Lister   Jo and Lucy – higherselfie.co   Misfit to Maven   Sarah’s journalling blog post Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

  Hello there and welcome to episode 26 of Couragemakers! For this week's episode, I chatted to Superbands founder Jessica Villa. Jess started Superbands, a non profit Superbands, with the mission of  raise global awareness on mental illness in today's youth and empower those struggling through music. When she isn't working on Superbands, Jessica enjoys going to concerts, binge-watching various Netflix series, traveling, and  snuggling with her (adorable!) puppy, Jax.   In this episode, Jessica talks about her own struggles with depression and low self esteem, how music saved her life, and the story of how she has built an online community and movement bringing young people together through life's challenges by the power of music.   We really dive into how Jess has found self acceptance,  debunk the myth that you're not supposed to love your job and what role music has played in Jess' life. Jess shares fantastic advice for people wanting to start their own thing but not having the support around them, her tips on how to balance your 9-5 with your 5-9 and how she celebrates her small wins.   I absolutely love what Jess is putting into the world and how she has taken her struggles and turned them into something empowering for people going through similar things. Jess is so honest and vulnerable, and I know you're going to love this no holds barred interview.   A quick heads up before we begin,  I just want to give a trigger warning that this episode does involves a conversation about suicide/self harm and the role they have played in Jess' life.   Enjoy the show! About Jessica   Jessica Villa is the Founder and CEO of the growing non-profit organization, Superbands. The mission of this non-profit is to raise global awareness on mental illness in today's youth and empower those struggling through music. Through her own personal experience battling depression, Jessica is passionate about Superbands because she wants to create the online community of music lovers that she once longed for as a teen.   When she isn't working on Superbands, Jessica enjoys going to concerts, binge-watching various Netflix series, traveling, and of course, snuggling with her (adorable!) puppy, Jax. With so many big goals for her life, Jessica is all about following her intuition to create the life she has always dreamed about.   You can connect with Jessica here: Website | Facebook | Instagram |   Things we talked about during today's show     How Jessica struggled with depression and feeling alone and feeling that music was her only sense of comfort   How Jessica balances Superbands with her 9-5 job   Jessica's advice for people wanting to start their own thing but not having the support around them   Debunking the myth that you're not supposed to like your job Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Hello and welcome to episode 25 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm talking with Meghan Maydel. Meghan is a brand + biz strategist who helps creative badasses who've decided they're ready to stop playing small to get real with their biz, craft a brand + biz that doesn't suck, and grow a tribe of fans who can't get enough. When she isn’t typing away at her laptop you can find her co-hosting her podcast, Blazing Creative, with her awesome co-host Steph Schertz, planning her next Halloween craft, and/or having a good laugh with her hubby and 2 fur babies, Yadi & Guinness.   In this episode Meghan takes us on a whirlwind journey of her creative entrepreneurial journey so far (starting at age 12 making friendship bracelets, working for  one of the Ad Agency's “top 10 agencies to watch in the U.S, to starting her own thing and becoming her own boss.)   We really dive into how nearly having the rug pulled out from under her feet led her to start her  business, the growing pains that come with starting your own thing and the great and fascinating history of side hustles Meghan has had!   Meghan has great advice for dealing with dreamshitters, some fantastic advice on how to set boundaries so you can enjoy your life as well as getting your work done and is a great example of a multi-passionate who has found a way to combine her interests, skills and strengths to do work that fulfils her and sustains her.   Meghan is so interesting to talk to and this is a fantastic episode if you do your own thing or are thinking of starting your own business, and if you want to hear a really honest conversation about what it means to go out on your own and give the world what you've got.   I know you're going to love this episode!   Enjoy the show! About Meghan   Meghan is a brand + biz strategist who helps creative badasses who've decided they're ready to stop playing small to get real with their biz, craft a brand + biz that doesn't suck, and grow a tribe of fans who can't get enough.   She comes from a design and advertising background having worked for one of Ad Age’s “top 10 agencies to watch in the U.S.” where she worked on campaigns for Volvo, Trident, Converse, and more. She also has worked extensively in the in-house design field, helping companies discover their brand story and how to infuse it into everything they do. She broke out on her own in 2014 and launched what is currently Meghan Maydel in early 2015. When she isn’t typing away at her laptop you can find her co-hosting her podcast, Blazing Creative, with her awesome co-host Steph Schertz, planning her next Halloween craft, and/or having a good laugh with her hubby and 2 fur babies, Yadi & Guinness. You can connect with Meghan here: Website | Twitter | Facebook Group | Instagram | Snapchat | Badass Bosspreneur Association |   Things we talked about during today's show     Meghan’s whistle stop tour of how she became an entrepreneur   Meghan's advice for people dealing with dreamshitters and looking after yourself as an entrepreneur   How doing your own thing affects all of your personal relationships and how you start to grow exponentially faster as a person   Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show   Asana Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Hi there and welcome to episode 24 of Couragemakers! This week I'm talking to Victoria Klein, aka VK and I'm so excited to share this episode! VK is a former Virtual Assistant-turned-Online Business Manager + Burnout Busting Mentor for entrepreneurs who are ready to take their online business up 3 notches while also sleeping 8 hours a night. And when she’s not getting her ambitious clients out of their inboxes, you can find her indulging in adult coloring books, in-depth conversations, + dark chocolate anything. Me and VK got chatting a couple of months ago, and she's a fellow podcast host, and I loved chatting to her for her podcast Behind the Boss Mask. It was great to get behind the scenes and hear more about her journey and I know you're going take so many wisdom nuggets out of this episode. In this episode, VK shares the long journey of how she became an entrepreneur, and how her life has changed since she stopped doing what she felt she had to do and started to invent her own definition of success. We dive really deep into the various career paths VK has had so far and what ties them all together, how we can start to live life instead of allowing life to happen to us, and how remembering that everything is temporary is a great way to help you in any situation.   This is a fantastic episode for anyone who feels a stuck and needs a reminder to keep going and showing up in the world as your unique self. It's also a wonderful episode for anyone doing their own thing, who feels scared, stuck or isn't sure where their journey is going to take them. I love how honestly VK shares her life and her lessons, and she has  great tips for anyone struggling to deal with failure. If you need a pick me up and some real talk, you're in for a treat! Enjoy the show!   About VK   Victoria Klein (VK) is a former Virtual Assistant-turned-Online Business Manager + Burnout Busting Mentor for entrepreneurs who are ready to take their online business up 3 notches while also sleeping 8 hours a night. Through her no B.S. Behind the Boss Mask podcast, dedicated OBM support, + 1:1 mentoring, she’s here to show you how to organize + upgrade your business so you earn more + work less — while making it all feel like the world’s first calorie-free dessert. And when she’s not getting her ambitious clients out of their inboxes, you can find her indulging in adult coloring books, in-depth conversations, + dark chocolate anything. Meet your virtual business Yoda + get ready to book that vacation you damn well earned at VKtheVA.com. You can connect with VK here: Website | Behind The Boss Mask | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Things we talked about during today's show   VK’s long journey of being an entrepreneur by the way of being an actress, model, yoga teacher (alongside many other fascinating jobs)   How no matter how small your actions, you can have a difference on the world   The importance of celebrating everything all the steps along the way   VK’s advice to people dealing with failure   Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show   Burnout, Bold Action, + Round-the-World-Adventure with Meg Kissack (Behind the Boss Mask episode) Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

  Hello and welcome to episode 23 of Couragemakers! Today I'm speaking to the wonderful Angela Ford. Angela is a Digital Marketing Strategist, passionate about helping multi-passionate creatives spend more time doing work they love. She also is a fantasy author, entertaining young and old alike with fantasy adventures and non-stop action.   In this episode we really dive into how Angela wanted to do something fun and meaningful with her life and her desire to make a difference.  She shares her journey from writing novels from the age of 12 and being in a band with her sisters, to working as a digital marketing strategist and being a fantasy author.   We have some great conversations about dealing with realists while chasing down your dreams, how books and creativity help us develop as a person and how life isn't about fulfilling what other people think you should do.   This is a great episode if you worry about living life with regrets, if you want to hear great advice for getting over the paralysis that we sometimes feel when starting projects and some great practical tips for people struggling to find their values and what they want to do.     Angela is an incredible storyteller with a real sense of adventure and curiosity and I could have listened to Angela tell stories all day! I know you're going to love her story and get so much out of this episode!   About Angela   Angela J. Ford is a Digital Marketing Strategist, passionate about helping multi-passionate creatives spend more time doing work they love. She also is a fantasy author, entertaining young and old alike with fantasy adventures and non-stop action.   You can connect with Angela her: Website | Four Worlds Series | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Things we talked about during today's show   Angela’s journey from writing novels from the age of 12 and being in a band with her sisters, to working as a digital marketing strategist and being a fantasy author   How reading as a child gave Angela a broader view of life and different perspectives   Angela's advice for people starting a new project but feel paralysed in wondering about other people's reactions   Making time for creativity and Angela's journey to start working for herself   Dealing with realists when working towards your dreams Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show   The Four Worlds Series Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

  Hi there and welcome to episode 22 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm chatting to the lovely Cat Rose. I met Cat over Twitter and got the chance to catch up with her over a coffee in London a couple of months ago and I'm so excited to share this episode.   Cat  is on a mission to help other creatives get over their fears of self-promotion and get their work seen and shared. She is a coach and founded the League of Creative Introverts: a safe community for creatives to share their work openly, learn from others and get all the support they need on their creative journey.   During our conversation, Cat shares her journey from working as a graphic designer, going to Japan and starting the League of Creative Introverts, how she deals with rejection as a creative and how we as creatives can learn to talk about our work.   We really dive into the link between being a creative and being an introvert, the turmoil introverts face and Cat shares some great advice about how to set goals as a multi-passionate person.   This episode is great if you're a creative and a multi-passionate person and you struggle to tell the difference between resistance and fear, if you struggle to prioritise lots of projects you want to do and if you want practical advice on how to get your art out there and start talking about you work.   As a related aside, Cat is going to be holding a really fun one month long summer bootcamp for creative introverts starting in August, called Get Your Art Out! Each week will explore a different theme to help creatives to get their art out. I'm really happy to be featured as an expert camp counsellor during one of the modules, talking all about comparisonitis and how you can overcome your self doubt and put your work out in the world. If you're interested in the summer bootcamp, you can find the details over at thecreativeintrovert.com and Cat has been lovely enough to give Couragemaker listeners a 25% discount with the code MEG25.   This is a really great episode and if you're anything like me, you'll be making notes during this one!   Enjoy the show! About Cat   Cat Rose is on a mission to help other creatives get over their fears of self-promotion and get their work seen and shared.   She offers 1-to-1 coaching and founded the League of Creative Introverts: a safe community for creatives to share their work openly, learn from others and get all the support they need on their creative journey.   You can connect with her: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest Things we talked about during today's show   The turmoil creative introverts face   How Cat has found social media helps her connect to like minded people   Dealing with rejection as a creative   How being an introvert and a multi-passionate plays a part of Cat's business   Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show   Morning Pages   The Art of Asking - Amanda Palmer Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

  Hello and welcome to episode 21!   This week I had the absolutely privilege of sitting down with Spanish artist Maria Gil Ulldemolins who lives and works in Brussels. Maria's creative practice is a very process-oriented and heavily influenced by her experiences with meditation. Her work explores the themes of embracing mistakes, letting go, flow, compassion, control, variations and time.   In this episode we really dive into Maria's journey of studying the visual arts in Swaziland at a young age to owning her own studio, her belief that life is like google maps and it  finds a way of redirecting you to where you should be and how we all need to stop hating ourselves for hating ourselves when we're in a shitty place.   This is a great episode is you want to hear a really honest discussion about integrity, honesty and pity parties, if you want to hear a really frank conversation about the pressure to make six figures online and how it affects creatives, and if you want to feel really inspired like you have the world on your side.   I absolutely loved talking with Maria, she is such a breath of fresh air and I can't tell you how much of a laugh we had, both on air and off air. I know you're going to love Maria and this episode!   Enjoy the show! About Maria   Maria is a Spanish artist living and working in Brussels, Belgium. Maria’s creative practice is a very process-oriented and heavily influenced by her experiences with meditation. Broad themes explored include embracing mistakes, letting go, flow, compassion, control, variations and time.   Before committing to her painting practice, she worked in innovation. Maria is trained in Product Design, Art History and Art Theory.   You can connect with Maria here: Website | Instagram Things we talked about during today's show   Maria’s story of studying in Swaziland at a young age and how this helped her find herself as a person and as an artist   Debunking myths of easy six figure incomes online and how we’re all supposed to be grateful for any employment opportunities   How Maria is inspired by making accidents happen and her advice on how to take a similar approach with your creativity   How Maria doesn’t believe in faking it until you make it   How we all need to stop hating ourselves for hating ourselves.   Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show   Headspace Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

  Hi there and welcome to episode 20 of Couragemakers!   This week, I'm talking with the lovely Jennifer Seale. Jen is a certified Holistic Health Practitioner (health and wellness coach), licensed Spiritual Practitioner, blogger, truth-seeker, and lover of life.  She guides those who want to love themselves, heal their relationship between food and body, and live their best life possible!  She shares a passion of overall wellness through holistic health, food, creativity, mindfulness, spirituality, and most importantly…balance! Jen currently resides in sunny southern California with her partner Greg, and their sweet pup Charlie.   In this episode, Jen really vulnerably her journey of growing up feeling insecure and how she made the decision to start learning how to love herself.  Jen shares all about the doubt and guilt that comes with starting to love yourself, and how we can start to move beyond the grief of what could have been and embark on a journey of working to build yourself.   We really dive into how working to love yourself is always a work in progress, how healing and change can happen when you treat yourself with kindness and respect and Jen gets really vulnerable about what she believes about herself now that her younger self would be astounded to hear.     This is a wonderful episode if you want to learn more about what self love looks like in practice, if you struggle with your self esteem and if you find it hard to accept yourself where you are right now.   Also, Jen is queen of recommending books and TV programmes, so I've included all of the things she's mentioned in the show notes!   I'm really excited for you to listen to this episode - Jen is so honest, so funny and I really appreciate how vulnerable she gets  during this interview, to help all of us learn to love ourselves.   Enjoy the show! About Jen   Jennifer Seale is a certified Holistic Health Practitioner (health and wellness coach), licensed Spiritual Practitioner, blogger, truth-seeker, and lover of life.  She guides those who want to love themselves, heal their relationship between food and body, and live their best life possible!  She shares a passion of overall wellness through holistic health, food, creativity, mindfulness, spirituality, and most importantly…balance!   Jen recently launched an ongoing 21 Day Meditation Experience that is open to the public.   You can connect with Jen here: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram Things we talked about during today's show   How Jen's life fell apart in one week and Jen’s decision to start learning to love herself   How fear is good for you   How healing and change occurs when you treat yourself with kindness and respect   What keeps Jen inspired and her go to things when you're having a shitty time   Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show   The Office   House of Cards   Scandal   Orange is the New Black   The Royal Tenenbaums   It Was Me All Along  - Andy Mitchell   Gabrielle Bernstein   Mary Ann Williamson   Seven Thousand Ways to Listen - Mark Nepo The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz   Friday Five Favourites - The Happy Healthy Balance   Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Hi there and welcome to episode 19 of Couragemakers!   Today I'm talking with Maria Northcott. Maria is native New Englander, former schoolteacher, sought-after wedding officiant and   creator of community.Maria thrives on building relationships and making connections and in 2015, she quit her full-time job to free her heart and soul to do exactly that   During our conversation, Maria shares her journey into the world of creative business, her world beliefs including why she doesn't believe in competition and how we can all take the time to ask ourselves what feeds us, what feeds the world and how we want to spend our energy.   We dive into so many topics during this episode and talk about everything from why the idea of quitting your job today to follow your passions is bullshit, why reflection is so important and how creativity has such a wider definition than we're taught.   This is a wonderful episode if you want to explore how you would like your world to look and if you're struggling to see how things will all work out okay for you.   Maria is just such a big hearted, wonderful person and I think this conversation is the very definition of authentic.   Enjoy the show!   About Maria   Native New Englander. Former schoolteacher. Sought-after wedding officiant. Of all the labels that describe Maria Northcott, however, the one you’ll hear most often is “creator of community.” It’s not just weddings that are Maria’s passion — it’s the people at the heart of those weddings. Whether it’s couples planning their wedding or the professionals who serve them, Maria thrives on building relationships and making connections. In 2015, she quit her full-time job to free her heart and soul to do exactly that. Not only is Maria in demand as an officiant by couples across the country, but she's also the founder of the Maine Wedding Network, fostering a sense of collaboration and support among professional wedding vendors throughout Maine. Whether it’s by the woodstove in her midcoast Maine cottage or at one of the many weddings she officiates each year, Maria exudes a warmth that draws people in, makes them feel comfortable, and sends them back into the world with a brighter spark in their eye.   You can connect with Maria here: A Sweet Start | Maine Wedding Network | Twitter | Things we talked about during today's show   The sacrifices you have to make to follow your dreams   Uncovering the reality of the 'quit your job and do what you love myth'   How everything you do leads you to what you are meant to do   Why self reflection is so important and how you can use it to really grow get the answers you need to get to the next step   Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show   Quiet the Mind - Matthew Johnstone   Episode 1 of Couragemakers: Creating From The Margins with Amber Thomas   Rising Tide Society Facebook Group Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Hello there and welcome to episode 18 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm speaking to Amanda Sewell. Amanda is a wellness junkie, coach and rule breaker. She believes that everything in life comes down to radical self responsibility.   During the interview Amanda shares her own journey of self care, how tough experiences have built her resilience and her  practical advice for women who really struggle with self doubt.   In this episode, we really challenge this notion that self care is selfish, talk really honestly about the impossibility of meeting other people's and society's expectations and how boundaries are so important in order to live a life that works for you.   Hi there! This week I’m talking to Amanda Sewell. In this episode, we really challenge this notion that self care is selfish, talk honestly about meeting expectations & how boundaries are vital in order to live a life that works for you. This is a great episode for you if you want to hear from someone who really embraces being different, if you struggle with self doubt and setting goals, and if you believe there is  so much more to life than staying in your comfort zone.   I love how honest Amanda is and how a lot of what she says could be put on a t-shirt and I think you're going to love her refreshing attitude towards looking after yourself.   Enjoy the show! About Amanda   Amanda Sewell is a wellness junkie, coach and rule breaker. She believes that everything in life comes down to radical self responsibility. That we are more than our appearance, "trying to get skinny" or "be more consistent ".  We all have needs that at times go unmet and result in us trying to constantly regain control (ie diets, emotional eating, feeling like a victim). She loves working with women who want to move past always stressed about their weight and start living.   Free 45 minute In Recovery Session   You can connect with Amanda:  Blog | Instagram | Facebook | Things we talked about during today's show   How health  doesn't look the same for everybody. It's about looking for the unique clues your body gives you   How we let ourselves be treated and how we enforce that with people around us   How Amanda uses boundaries to maintain her self care in her business   Amanda's advice for anyone stuck in comparison paralysis Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Hello and welcome to episode 17 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm talking to the lovely Krista Rae. Krista is  a blog strategist and WordPress developer who helps female creatives  craft   strategic blogs to elevate their business and conversions.   In this episode, Krista shares how how she went from starting a craft blog and having a side hustle to being able to quit her job and focus on her business full time , She also shares how  she  found a supportive community online, and also the not so glamorous side of side hustles and working for yourself.   We have a great discussion about the links between mental health issues and becoming an entrepreneur, what happens when you take a bet on yourself and how the power of starting before you're ready.   This is a great episode if you have an online business or are thinking of starting one, if you struggle to give yourself permission to take feel afraid and make decision and if you want to hear about both the shit and the glitter of owning your own online business.   I had so much fun talking to Krista and I love how honest she is about every step of the journey. She has so much practical advice and I think everyone can learn something from her story.   Enjoy the show!   About Krista   Krista is a blog strategist and WordPress developer who helps female creatives elevate their business, increase conversions, and boost engagement through crafting strategic blogs. She uses personalized, goal-driven strategies to set her clients apart from the competition and highlight their unique offerings. Learn more over on her blog!  Krista is happiest spending time with her husband, family, and friends...especially if she can mix a little work in there too   You can contact Krista:  Website | Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin’ Things we talked about during today's show   Krista shares how how she went from starting a craft blog and having a side hustle to being able to quit her job and focus on her business full time The links between becoming an entrepreneur and mental health issues   The not so glamourous side of having a side hustle and working for yourself   The different ways we can handle fear Resources/Things We Mentioned During today's show   Kory Woodard - korywoodard.com   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

Hi there and welcome to episode 16 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm talking to Michelle Anneliese. Michelle is a writer, speaker, geek, mental health advocate, and self confessed overachiever. She's also a multi-passionate content creator and has dreams of owning her own media production company.   During our conversation we really dive into some great discussions about passions and how to sustain them, starting projects to get us through hard times and how to refill your creative cup.   Michelle shares her journey of how she started her  two blogs and sharing her life online, her dreams of owning a media production company and how choosing herself in tough situations has led her to where she is today.   We cover so much ground in this episode, from blogging misconceptions and friendship breakups  to being an introvert and what to do to get yourself through a bad.  I know this episode is going to be especially helpful for you if you're also a person with a wide range of passions and if you struggle to choose yourself. I find Michelle's honesty so inspiring and I know you're going to love this episode!   Enjoy the show!   About Michelle   Michelle is a writer, speaker, geek, mental health advocate, and overachiever at michelleanneliese.com. She currently runs two blogs: Look Through My Lens and A Geek Girl's Guide.   You can contact Michelle:| Twitter | Instagram | Medium Things we talked about during today's show   What keeps Michelle inspired and how she organises her creative content   What it’s like when the people you know in your real life find out about what you do online   What Michelle does to get her through a bad day and how blogging has helped her through hard times Michelle’s amazing decision making process based around resouces, time, inspiration, and energy Resources/Things We Mentioned During today's show   That Hummingbird Life & Couragemakers Feedback Form   What Not To Say To Someone With Anxiety - Michelle Anneliese   Why I Quit My Passion - Michelle Anneliese on Huffington Post   TED Talk: Try Something New For 30 Days - Matt Cutts   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest |  

    About Suzanne   Suzanne (who likes it when people call her Suz) is a recovering lawyer and the founder and chief creative copywriter of PepperJar, the place where small business owners and entrepreneurs go to escape the 'epidemic of generic' and stand out online with personality-infused words.   As much as she loves her work, she loves play too, and can often be found enjoying any of the following: snuggling on the sofa, wandering by the sea, thinking up witty tweets, sweating on the netball court, getting lost in a book, listening to Stevie Nicks, watching a cracking boxset, eating pretty much anything edible, relaxing in a bubble bath, dancing like a crazy fool in her lounge, and her favourite of all, laughing until she cries. You can contact: PepperJar | Facebook | Twitter | Things we talked about during today's show   Suz shares her unexpected journey of moving from being a miserable lawyer to owning her own copywriting business   We challenge the myth that work can't be fun   Suz’'s advice for people to give themselves permission to follow their own path   How trying new things and taking yourself out of your comfort zone can spark new ideas Resources/Things We Mentioned During today's show   The Middle Finger Project - Ash Ambirge Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert Being Boss Facebook Group Savvy Business Owners Facebook Group 60 Second Persuasion Facebook Group The Creative Rebels Facebook Group Violeta Nedkova   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere!   That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook

Hello and welcome to episode 14 of Couragemakers!   For this week's episode, I had the absolute joy of talking to Ashten Giardine.   Ashten is the founder of Just Go Left: a lifestyle blog and a love letter to living her best life. She founded Just Go Left, not just because she not-so-secretly wants to be Oprah, but because she believes through the ups and downs of life we are given the choice to "go left" when things don't go right and I'm so excited to share that journey with you today.   In this episode, we really dive into the idea of choosing joy in the everyday little things, how grief and hard times can profoundly affect us and how learning to ask for help can change your life.   This is a great episode to listen to if you're going through a hard time and want to hear advice and lessons from someone who made it through to the other side.   Big things have happened with Ashten since we recorded this episode back in February. Ashten made the huge decision to move from Atlanta back to California and she has been really honestly shared her journey and also some great decision making, packing, budgeting and moving tips on Just Go Left. So if you're in the process of making a big decision, or moving, I seriously recommend reading her series on the blog.   Ashten is such a warm and reassuring force of nature and has so much wisdom to share and I know you're going to get so much from this episode.   Enjoy the show!     About Ashten   Ashten is the founder of Just Go Left: a lifestyle blog and a love letter to living her best life.   She founded Just Go Left, not just because she not-so-secretly wants to be Oprah, but because she believes through the ups and downs of life we are given the choice to "go left" when things don't go right.   Ashten is an introverted extrovert with a penchant for sarcasm, and sass, who thinks most problems can be solved with a cup of coffee. Ashten lives in Southern California with her boyfriend Kyle and their dog, Gatsby.   Just Go Left | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin Things we talked about during today's show     Warner’s story - how Ashten’s life and outlook on life was completely transformed after her dog Warner was diagnosed with PLN (a genetic incurable disease) and how the experience completely changed her   Thriving in difficult situations   How we are entitled to come out of pain, grief and hardship however we want to   Ashten's practical tips for learning to ask for help and how it can change your life   Enjoying the chapter you’re on and finding joy in the everyday Resources/Things We Mentioned During today's show   What I Know for Sure - Oprah Winfrey   Brené Brown   Rachel Camfield   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook

Hi there and welcome to episode 13 of Couragemakers!   Producing this podcast and interviewing amazing women all over the world has already been such a great experience for me, and this episode is really special. It's not often you get the privilege  to interview one of your best friends.   This week I'm talking to the wonderful and hilarious Jenny Ambrose. Jenny is a creative director, anthropologist, writer, business owner, encouragement coach - along with many other things - and also the mother of 4 needy animals and the wife of an amazing man.   Me and Jenny met through the power of Twitter a couple of years ago, after we bonded over our love of hummingbirds, and she's definitely made my world a much brighter place to be. Jenny grew up in New Jersey, and via LA and New York now lives in Florida. I'm SO excited to meet Jenny and her lovely husband Jake in person for the first time when me and Mr. Meg embark on our three month road trip across the US in August!   During our conversation, Jenny gets really open and vulnerable about her own journey - of feeling like she doesn't fit in anywhere, difficult    family relationships, her experience of art school and ultimately getting to a place of self validation and acceptance.   Jenny really shares how her journey of  rooting for herself and finding joy in the world, and what it has looked like for her, and she has some great words of wisdom and comfort for anyone wanting to work on accepting themselves.   This is a great episode if you struggle with self acceptance, feel like you don't fit in a box and generally if you want to hear a really fascinating discussion about creativity and how it links to who we are as people.   Jenny is the sassiest person I know, a self confessed power house and I know you'll love her just as much as I do!   Enjoy the show   About Jenny   Jenny is a creative heavyweight and self confessed powerhouse. She her time running her business  Purée Fantastico, a one stop creative shop focusing on all manners of design, creative thought,  and strategic brainery, Jenny can be found tending to her four needy animals, goofing around with her husband and watching re-runs of RuPaul. You can connect with Jenny here: Website |  Twitter | Blog   Things we talked about during today's show     Jenny’s journey from growing up as a curious, creative child to running her own business and learning to accept herself   The links between not creating and emotional constipation   How Jenny structures her day to allow for spontaneity   How what you create evolves as you do and the link between creativity and silliness.   Things mentioned during today’s show   2001: A Space Odyssey   The Shining   Rosie Bitts   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook

Hello and welcome to episode 12 of Couragemakers, I’m so happy you’re here.   I got SO much out of listening to today’s episode back when editing it and I know you’re going to love this one.   For this week’s episode, I talked to the lovely Jennifer Sterling.  Jennifer Sterling is an Emotional Eating Coach. She helps women stop eating their feelings and release the physical, mental and emotional weight that’s keeping them from feeling their absolute best.   This is a really juicy conversation and we really dive deep into Jennifer’s own personal journey of taking her health into her own hands, the taboos that exist around how women look, and how we can learn to reconnect to our bodies and lean into the discomfort instead of do everything we can do avoid it.   We talked a lot about the power of slowing down, Jennifer’s advice for any woman who struggles with her body and why taking time for ourselves isn’t selfish.   This is a wonderful episode if you struggle with accepting your body, find it hard to deal with emotions and struggle with the idea that self compassion and self care is selfish.   Jennifer is such a grounded person and has so many insights into how we can learn to live in our bodies. I know this is a topic so many women struggle with, me include and I think you’re going to find our conversation just as healing as I did.   Enjoy the show!   About Jennifer   Jennifer Sterling is an Emotional Eating Coach. She helps women stop eating their feelings and release the physical, mental and emotional weight that’s keeping them from feeling their absolute best.   Outside of her business, Jennifer a mom who enjoys dancing and baking. She can often be found in her kitchen doing both simultaneously.   You can connect with Jennifer here: Website |  Twitter |   Things we talked about during today's show     How your body is always in a state of unconditional love and how to reconnect to your body   Leaning into discomfort and Jennifer’s advice on how to deal with discomfort   How compassion and working on yourself can change the world and how we behave towards each other   Why taking care of ourselves is really important not only for ourselves but for the people we look to serve Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook

Hello and welcome to episode 11 of Couragemakers! I’m so excited this week to share my conversation with the hilarious Mei Leong. Mei is a writer, artist and entrepreneur living in Lancaster in the UK, and is the woman behind Wonderfully Mei Designs.  In this episode, Mei shares how leaving a career in teaching allowed her to tap into her creativity and how going against the grain helped her to value herself a lot more. We talk a lot about listening to your gut instinct, keeping inspired and how Mei’s life has changed for the better since starting to carve a life for herself on her terms. During our conversation, we dive deep into quarter life crisis’, Mei’s undying love of Nicholas Cage and how creativity and courage can be combined to change the world. This is a great episode is you feel stuck in what you’re doing and if you want some practical tips to help you figure out what you love and how to  combine them to create a life you love. Mei is hilarious and she’s a real inspiration for anyone looking to change paths or uncover their own inspiration, and I know you’re going to love this episode. Enjoy the show!   About Mei Mei is a UK based writer, artist and entrepreneur behind Wonderfully Mei Designs.  Her work is fuelled on café lattes, inspirational quotes and self-motivation and her favourite things in the world are David Tennant, Shakespeare and iced lattes.  You can connect with Mei here: Website |  Twitter |   Things we talked about during today's show   How leaving a career in teaching helped Mei to lean into her untapped creativity How inspiration plays a massive part in Mei's life The boldness and gumption it took Mei to go against the grain and leave her teacher training programme Mei's inspiration wall  How creativity, courage and making the world a better place runs through Mei's life.  Books/Resources etc mentioned during today's show: Noughts & Crosses - Mallory Blackman Elizabeth Gilbert Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert Impractical Dreaming Facebook Group Being Boss Facebook Group    Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg & That Hummingbird Life I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook    

Hello and welcome to the tenth episode of Couragemakers! We’re officially in double digits!   I’m so happy this week to share my conversation with Raewyn Sangari. Raewyn is the founder of Be a Warrior Queen, a movement empowering women to embrace self-love which began in 2006 among Raewyn’s group of friends.   During this episode, we really dive into Raewyn’s own self love journey, the motivation behind starting the Warrior Queen Movement and how alternative parenting (punk parenting) has made a difference to her life. Raewyn shares her struggles with anxiety and has great advice for anyone who wants to start their own self love journey.   This is a great episode if you struggle with self care, choosing yourself and dealing with other people’s expectations and also their reactions when you choose yourself.   Raewyn is really flying the flag for subverting gender stereotypes, empowering women, and creating a space for women to learn to love themselves and I think you’re going to love this episode!   Enjoy the show!   About Raewyn Raewyn is the founder of Be a Warrior Queen, a movement empowering women to embrace self-love. She’s also a new wife and mother to a baby girl, learning to navigate these new waters while maintaining her sense of self. The Warrior Queen Movement began in 2006 among Raewyn’s group of friends. Always having a passion for writing and feminism, Raewyn’s posts empower and inspire.  You can connect with Raewyn here: Website | Free Self Love E-Course | Twitter | We Are Warrior Queens Facebook Group   Things we talked about during today's show   The inspiration and motivation behind the Be A Warrior Queen Movement Raewyn’s definition of self care Raewyn’s decision to move home from college Making an alternative magazine for friends in high school   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   About Meg Kissack & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook  

Hello and welcome to episode 9 of The Couragemakers Podcast! I’m so happy you’re here and I’m really excited to share with you another great episode today! I’m thrilled today to be talking to Joanna James-Lynn. Joanna is a virtual assistant, podcaster, blogger, and writer. We’ve been running in similar circles online for a couple of years, and I first heard of her when I stumbled upon the multipotentiality movement. A quick brief one liner on multipotentiality if you’ve never heard the term before, is a term for someone who has many different passions and we talk about this a lot in today’s show. I had a lot of fun getting to know Joanna when she interviewed me for her own brilliant podcast Introspectology and we had a lot of fun during this episode. Joanna is fascinated by personality, identity, and the individual’s experience - themes she explores in her own podcast, Introspectology, on her blog, and also in the books she writes. While she has . degrees in German, French, and Slovenian, and has lived in Germany, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and in a car, she now lives in Oxfordshire with her wife. During our conversation, Joanna shares her journey into the world of lifestyle design, her experience of having depression and how this has impacted many choices she made,   We really dig into the idea of doing things for fun’s sake and following your curiosities to see where you end up, giving yourself permission to follow your passions and getting to know yourself. This is a great episode if you struggle to know why you feel the urge to do something, if you  have many passions and feel pressured to pick just one (spoiler alert: you don’t), and if you get excited by the idea that you can design a lifestyle that suits you! Enjoy the show!   About Joanna Joanna James-Lynn is a virtual assistant, podcaster, blogger, and writer. She’s fascinated by personality, identity, and the individual’s experience - themes she explores in her podcast, Introspectology, on her blog, and in the books she writes. (She considers herself a multipotentialite and in a former life she was a linguist. She has degrees in German, French, and Slovenian, and has lived in Germany, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and in a car. She now lives in Oxfordshire with her wife.)  You can connect with Joanna here: Website | Introspectology Podcast | Twitter   Things we talked about during today's show   Joanna's journey into multipotentiality and how her experiences with depression have led her to design a life that suits her Learning to like yourself The art of following your interests and seeing what happens Giving yourself permission to follow your hobbies for fun’s sake   Books/Resources etc we mentioned during this episode    Tony Robbins The Art of Non-Conformity - Chris Guillebeau Puttylike 750 words World Domination Summit Emilie Wapnick - TED Talk Refuse to Choose - Barbara Sher Essentialism - Greg McKeowen The 1 Thing - Gary Keller and Jay Papasan Read Me Like a Book - Liz Kesler No Matter What - Sally Donavon     Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   About Meg Kissack & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook  

  Hello and welcome to the eighth episode of Couragemakers!   This week I had the joy of speaking with Anabel Roque Rodríguez. Anabel is a curator and art historian, and in this episode we really dive into the idea of everyday courage, how we all need to have our stories validated and how we can move beyond fear.   During our conversation Anabel shares her journey to becoming a freelance curator and art historian, The Comfort Zone list - a snail mail project she started with her friend to move beyond fear, how storytelling has to be a two way process and how Anabel has started to trust herself and honour her decisions, past and present.   This is a fantastic episode if you’re interested in the process of storytelling, and if you struggle with putting yourself out there for the world to see. Anabel has great advice for anyone who wants to make themselves more visible, and also some practical tips for anyone who wants to work on owning their story.   Anabel has such a unique and fascinating approach and experience of empowering people and we go to so many interesting places during our conversation. This episode made the hair on the back of my neck stand up on end, and I think you’re going to love Anabel!   About Anabel    Anabel Roque Rodríguez  is an independent curator and art historian. She works in the field of contemporary art with a focus on the relation of art and the social, the financial crisis in the Mediterranean, community based art practices and feminism.. She believes that the private is political and we can all make a change through our everyday choices. Her projects deal frequently with empowerment tools and how to create safe spaces where a dialogue can happen and we talk about that in today’s episode. You can connect with Anabel here: Website | Tinyletter | Twitter   Things we talked about during this episode:   The art of storytelling, and the challenges of listening to people's stories in an academic context   The Comfort Zone List - a weekly list writing practice Anabel shares with a friend to support each other to move beyond their comfort zone    Annabel's tips for anyone who wants to become more visible, and for anyone who wants to work on owning their own story.   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   About Meg Kissack & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook    

Hi there!   It’s the seventh episode of Couragemakers and I’m so happy you’re here. This week, I’m joined by Jessica Humphreys. Jessica is a self-described feminist and sex positivist based in Melbourne, Australia. Jessica owns a digital communications agency and a social commentator who enjoys debating over copious amounts of herbal tea. During our conversation Jessica shares her journey of entering the world of feminism and sexual politics and how she came to start her own business with several employees. We discuss how the thread of community, empowerment and education has shown up in every aspect of Jessica’s life, what it means to be a woman in the world of entrepreneurship and business ownership, and how having a Type A personality affects how you see other people and how you run your own business and This is a great episode if you identify as a Type A and struggle to relax, if you’re a fellow passionate soul and if you’ve had any big changes in your life which have changed what you thought your life would look like and where you would be by now. I absolutely loved talking with Jessica and I really admire her courage of conviction and the passion she has for empowering women, herself included. Just a heads up that towards the end of the episode around the 50 minute mark, we briefly touch on male rights activists and violence against women. If you find this triggering, skip forward a couple of minutes. Enjoy today’s show! About Jessica Jessica is a self-described feminist and sex positivist living in Melbourne, Australia.  Jessica owns a digital communications agency and a social commentator who enjoys debating over copious amounts of herbal tea. You can connect with Jessica here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram   Things We Talked About During This Episode Jessica’s journey of starting her own business The struggles that come with being Type A and learning to take time away from work How your perception of work changes when you work for yourself and do what you love. The importance of standing up for what you believe in, even if you’re the only one saying it Books/Resources etc we mentioned during this episode Soar Collective   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   About Meg Kissack & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook  

Hi there! And welcome to Episode 6 of Couragemakers! I’m so happy to share today’s episode with Torie Jochims.   Torie describes herself as the over-caffeinated wordsmith at the helm of Wild Spark Creative. She's also a hiker, a mountain climber, a runner, a makeup enthusiast and a lover of craft beer and good desserts. Ultimately, she is a believer in people. At heart, she’s a storyteller and I loved hearing how growing up with her grandparents influenced her ability to tell good stories and how this helped her develop as a person and confront her fears. In this episode we really dive into the power of storytelling, dealing with perfectionism and how important it is to work on your relationship with yourself. Torie shares really openly her journey from working in the service industry, advertising and co-creating a video production company to starting her own venture Wild Spark Creative. This is a great episode if you struggle with dealing with your inner critic, want to learn more about how to use storytelling and writing as a tool to deal with life and how to bounce back. Torie has great advice for anyone struggling with perfectionism or dealing with a toxic work situations and I know you’re going to love her. Torie her she has such a beautiful message for the world and I find her attitude so refreshing and I’m so excited to share our conversation! Enjoy the show!   About Torie Torie is the over-caffeinated wordsmith at the helm of Wild Spark Creative. She's passionate about helping small business owners and creative entrepreneurs create content that ignites their brand and authentically connects with their ideal audience. She's a believer in people. She's also a hiker, a mountain climber, a runner, a makeup enthusiast and a lover of craft beer and good desserts. You can connect with Torie here: Website | Facebook | Instagram   Things We Talked About During This Episode Using writing as a way of dealing with the shit life throws at you Torie’s journey from co-creating a video production company, to starting her own business Wild Spark Creative Learning to open up to people and working on your perfectionism Working on your relationship with yourself   Books/Resources etc we mentioned during this episode Gala Darling Yes Please - Amy Poehler Impractical Dreaming Harry Potter Tara Mohr   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg Kissack & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook  

I’m so happy to share with you today’s episode of Couragemakers with Fab Giovanetti. Fab describes herself as an Italian cheeky monkey who moved to the UK looking to fulfil her never-ending cravings for avocado. She is a Certified Health Coach and the founder of the Health Bloggers Community: platform, events, awards and magazine for people passionate about health and writing.  In this episode, we really go deep into the need for self compassion, reframing the stories we tell ourselves about what other people think of us and what we think of ourselves as well as how learning to ask for help. In this episode we talk about: Compassion and self awareness The lessons Fab learned from a really difficult 6 months The need to give ourselves time to feel shit The myth that we can go from zero to 100, or zero to Taylor Swift   This episode is great if you struggle with asking for help, recognising the stories you tell yourself and believing you are enough. I absolutely love Fab’s sense of humour, and included some our of pre-call chatter at the start so you get to join in with the mayhem!  I really love how Fab is really happy to share her ability to create communities how she’s willing to get really vulnerable in order to help people deal with hard times. Enjoy the show!   About Fab   Fab is an Italian cheeky lil monkey who moved to the UK looking to fulfil her never-ending cravings for avocado. Certified Health Coach, and business mentor with over five years of experience in PR, marketing and copywriting, she is the founder of the Health Bloggers Community: platform, events, awards and magazine for people passionate about health and writing.   You can connect with Fab here Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Podcast | Website   Things we talked about during today's show   Creating a safe space for communities to grow online Fab’s recent experience in the dating world and what it’s taught her about life Learning to strengthen the ‘asking for help’ muscle Recognising the stories we tell ourselves   Books/Resources etc we mentioned during this episode   Fuck It (Do What You Love) - John Parkin The Daily Love - Mastin Kipp Rising Strong by Brené Brown Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com   About Meg Kissack & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook  

I’m so excited to share with you today’s episode with Megan Reynolds, founder of Flawed Perfection Jewelry and Parks & Recreation Fan! During our conversation, we really dive into surrendering the need to have a detailed life plan, creating a bullshit filter and the lessons we can learn from heartbreak. This episode is great if you struggle with saying no, setting boundaries, and if you feel the need and pressure to plan every aspect of your life. Megan Reynolds is a 24 year-old entrepreneur who attempts to balance her jewelry business, Flawed Perfection Jewelry, with being a personal stylist and part-time nanny. She was born, raised, and currently resides in San Diego County, California. She is constantly inspired by her beautiful surroundings. When she's not making jewelry or being a clothing stylist, she's listening to podcasts, chatting with her online friends, watching plenty of good t.v. shows, or enjoying time with all her family that lives nearby. You can connect with Megan here: Website | Instagram |  Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook   Things we talked about during today's show  The link between bravery and honesty The opportunities that open when we leave our planned path Our shared experiences of dealing with OCD How you can embrace your flawed but perfect life Creating a bullshit filter and the importance of saying no    Books/Resources etc we mentioned during this episode   Freedom House New Mexico The Malala Fund #Girlboss - Sophie Amoruso The Purpose Economy -  Aaron Hurst Yes Please - Amy Poehler I am Malala - Malala Yousafzai “Sometimes the Universe takes away what you think you want to make room for what you actually deserve.” -- Charles J. Orlando via eHarmony Australia    Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com    About Meg Kissack & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook   Have a wonderful day!  

Think of this as the prequel to The Couragemakers Podcast. For this show, it's just me and you, and I'm taking you through the journey that's led up to Couragemakers and more information about what you can expect from the show!  If you prefer, skip straight to Episode 1 of the podcast, but you will miss out on some juicy bits!    Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here.   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com or send me a tweet!   About Meg Kissack & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook   Have a wonderful day!  

In this episode of Couragemakers, I'm talking to Violeta Nedkova, founder of the Creative Rebels Movement. This is a great episode if you struggle to own your weird, find your superpowers and connect to your voice. You're going to want a notepad and pen! Violeta Nedkova is a multipassionate writer, marketing coach, and solopreneur, who enjoys tweeting, writing to humans, and helping fellow creative rebels grow their businesses authentically. Her goal for 2016 is to create an entire library of fun guides for creative rebels. Wish her luck!   You can connect with Violeta here: Website | Creative Rebels Facebook Group |  Twitter | Free Guide!   Things we talked about during today's show   Starting from the core and not from the surface Going from someone who started many projects to concentrating on one project Building a business from your heart that fits your personality Advice she has for people struggling to choose themselves   Books/Resources etc we mentioned during this episode   Jen Carrington http://www.jencarrington.com/ Sian Richardson http://freshbysian.com/ Gary Vaynerchuk https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/ Elizabeth Gilbert: http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/ Now Discover Your Strengths: Strengthfinder Test http://www.amazon.com/Discover-Your-Strengths-Marcus-Buckingham/dp/0743518144 Choose Yourself by James Altucher TWITTER LISTS: Famous Creative Rebels: https://twitter.com/VioletaNedkova/lists/famous-cr Budding Creative Rebels: https://twitter.com/VioletaNedkova/lists/budding-cr   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here.   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com or send me a tweet!   About Meg Kissack & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life.  I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook   Have a wonderful day!

Today's Couragemaker is Jordan Gage: writer & co-founder of Impractical Dreaming. We're diving into how it feels to say no to things that no longer serve us, feeling like we have to have everything together and how a simple 'me too' can change the world.   Jordan is a twenty-something writer currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. When she’s not dreaming of writing and speaking truth to women across the world or new tattoos, she’s probably listening to Harry Potter audiobooks and co-leading Impractical Dreaming, an online community whose vision is to see every woman on the planet free from the bonds of shame, insecurity, and fear by having hard conversations in a space of unyielding empathy. Jordan loves discovering more about Jesus, and would appreciate knowing who allowed her to become an adult because she believes they made a terrible mistake.   You can connect with Jordan here: Blog | Impractical Dreaming Facebook Group | Twitter   Things we talked about during today's show     Showing your true self with the people around you, and sharing your struggles Falling apart underneath while on the surface everything looks great Building a facade around yourself and saying yes to yourself Books/Resources etc we mentioned during this episode   Emily Lorin Lifestyle The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield An Open Letter to My Tribe - Jordan Gage Rising Strong - Brené Brown Dear Girl Series - Jordan Gage You Deserve a Drink - Mamrie Hart Yes Please - Amy Poehler Bossypants - Tina Fey For the Love - Jen Hatmaker Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty Impractical Dreaming Facebook Group   Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com    About Meg Kissack & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook   Have a wonderful day!

Welcome to the first episode of Couragemakers! This week I'm joined by Amber Thomas, blogger, small business owner & an all round creator of things. If you're struggling with being creative or facing creative resistance, this is a great one for you!  Amber Thomas is an adventurer and homebody, a surprising misfit and devoted hopeful, a cocktail of colour and grace, born and raised in a small town laying happily under the Californian sun. Amber describes herself  as  more contradiction than constant; always seeking the space where life can bloom. When life fell apart, her art brought together the many jagged pieces in a beautiful array. Though she says her story is flawed, messy and all the brands of imperfect, art affords her the amazing opportunity to accentuate the greatness that is life.  You can connect with Amber here: Blog |Shop | Instagram |  Twitter | Pinterest   Things we talked about during today's show   Being trapped in a hamster wheel which is only a race with ourselves The Painful 10 minutes (a fantastic technique to get your creative work started) allowing for time for being creative with no pressure Shaking up your echo chamber Being honest with yourself about your intentions   Books/Resources etc we mentioned during this episode   Jody Steal (artist) Sia - This is Acting (album) "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." -- Pablo Picasso      Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here   If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com    About Meg Kissack & That Hummingbird Life   I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast 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 and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently based in London, and getting ready for my round the world adventure with Mr. Meg starting August 2016. Don't worry the podcast isn't going anywhere! That Hummingbird Life | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook   Have a wonderful day!