For the season 2 finale of Jump Start Your Joy Paula Jenkins hosts a round table discussion with Kate Courageous, Michelle Ward, Laura Simms, Deb Cooperman and Sarah Von Bargen all about joy, inspiration, and self care in difficult political times.

See all of the show notes at www.jumpstartyourjoy.com/episode101

Life coaches Julie Houghton, Liz Applegate, and Paula Jenkins take a heartfelt look at the challenges and growth of the first two years of being entrepreneurs and starting a coaching business.

This week, I’m honored to have Andi Fairbanks of the podcast Everyday Extraordinaries join me for episode 99 to share about her role as a Creative Communications Consultant. She’s a self described “idea champ,” and works with visionaries and local politicians on public campaigns. 

Andi Fairbanks is an entrepreneur, podcaster, and consultant, starting her own business just about a year ago. Her work focuses on the human connection, the thing that connects all of us, and she helps visionaries to craft messages that inspire and motivate clients and audiences. She works with politicians and entrepreneurs as a Creative Communications Consultant, leveraging communications and education to teach, reach, and inspire groups to positive action.

Host Paula Jenkins looks back at the lessons learned over two years of podcasting - from creating a plan, to following passion, to learning to trust yourself, she shares all about the lessons of following a creative dream. 

This week it’s my true pleasure to have Mandy Ford joining me for an interview, where she talks about following your inspiration, doodling, and becoming an illustrator. Mandy is a graphic designer, and she returned to drawing after many years after inspiration struck her in a writing class, and she found herself doodling. This led to her posting her art on Instagram, and landing a licensing deal with Home Goods only 4 months later. 

In this episode, Mandy and I talk about:
- her early love of collecting rocks, Lisa Frank stickers and Poochie
- how working at a Earlham College, a Quaker seminary has changed her life and shaped her drawing
- how taking a writing class brought her back to her love of drawing
- how she got a licensing deal with Home Goods just four months after she returned to drawing
- what her creative process looks like, now
- her work with Illustrated Faith, creating scrapbooking kits
- her tips for Instagram and finding a community there
- the work she's most proud of to date (spoiler: it's being a mom to her twin boys)
- what harmony looks like for Mandy
- her thoughts on jump starting your joy - taking time to look up and notice the world around you, being kind, and giving freely to people

Read all of the show notes at jumpstartyourjoy.com/episode97