This week on the show, I’m taking a look at how I grew my business while working a 9 to 5 job. I’ll walk you through the inspiration, intention, and actions I took, and share reflections on how you can use these same tips to start or grow your own business.

Resources
Do a Ten in Three.
The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

Kelly Denithorne is an educator, transgender advocate, and the blogger behind “Unordinary Style.” Kelly started her blog in 2010, and began it as a place to explore with her love of style while she was exploring women’s fashion. Born as a male, Kelly tried on several different titles for herself, from transvestite, to cross dresser, and then to transgender non-binary. In the last year, Kelly has begun teaching in her middle school as a woman, and has started the process of transitioning.

In this episode, Kelly Denithorne and I talk about:

• Her earliest sparks of joy, hanging out with her sister
• Her experience of growing up as a male, and the confusion that she experienced around having unidentified gender variance
• Being a teacher, and transitioning from dressing as a male to dressing female this school year
• Seeking therapy with someone who specializes in gender variance
• The reactions of her students and parents to her presenting as a woman
• Her path to discovering her true self
• The role being a fashion blogger played in her journey
• Her inspiration in starting to take on speaking opportunities
• How to jumpstart your joy: learn to accept who you are and how you work with it, sharing your story, and always be humble enough to learn

Resources
Kelly Denithorne’s blog: Unordinary Style
Kelly Denithorne’s Speakering Website
How to Create Cleavage, as found on Kelly’s blog
Kelly (as Nadine Spirit) on Instagram
Jessica Lynn’s website

Stasia Savasuk is an amazing style coach, has an outstanding Tedx Talk, and is the founder of Stasia’s Style School. She’s joining me on the show, and I’m delighted to share this interview. We giggled our way through our discussion, and had a hilarious time talking about style, what lights us up, how to find what kinds of styles fit YOU, and, all about Stasia’s inspiring story of becoming an entrepreneur.

In this episode, Stasia and I talk about:

• Her early entrepreneurial work as a child, collecting and selling worms
• How she broke up with style, and wore very bland clothing for many years
• That one size fits all is bullshit
• How to discover style that works for you and reflects who you really are
• How to get in touch with who you really are
• What it looks like to belong to yourself
• How her differently abled child has taught her so much about inside out congruency
• Her thoughts on how to jumpstart your joy: asking yourself how you want to show up, don’t participate in body shaming, and getting outside

Resources
Stasia Savasuk’s website
Stasia on Instagram 

This week, two big things hit me at once: the joy that comes naturally to children, and the Netflix special with Brene Brown, where she talks about the vulnerability that adults experience around joy, making it THE most vulnerable of emotions. What gives?

The quick synopsis? Over time, we're conditioned to be cautious with our emotions, and we build up self doubt. What does it look like when you are wrangling a slow build up of self doubt?

Eventually, this can lead to much of what many of us spend so long trying to unwind as you get into your adult life:

• Feeling like you are “too much” or “not enough”
• The impact of mean girls on your life
• Imposter syndrome, or, feeling like you’re a fraud and people are about to find out that you don’t know what you’re doing
• The “who am I to?” question that inner critics love so much
• Inner critics
• Resistance
• Feeling like you’re out of control
• Not trusting yourself to make decisions
• Confidence
• Self – image: how you dress and see yourself

The good news? Once you recognize that you are missing joy, you can find your way back to it.

• Choose joy, daily. Own that you want more joy in your life, and aim for joy, as a “wayfaring” emotion.
• When you feel yourself in that space of being excited and terrified about trying something new, lean in to that. It’s leading you back to a place that feels joyful to you. Don’t let the old conditioning of shying away from excitement or something new stop you.
• Schedule time for joy in your life. Look for places you’ve always wanted to visit, but haven’t. Return to places that have brought you joy. Make space in your schedule to do something joyful, for the sake of joy. Remember, if it’s not on your calendar, it’s not going to happen.
• Think back to what brought you joy as a child. So many guests on the show find that there is a strong tie to whatever they loved as a child in their present life.
• Some thoughts on the top things guests suggest to jump start joy in your life: hang out with animals, do something creative, get in touch with nature.
• Brene Brown found that people who have a gratitude practice, and who believe in a higher power in the universe, are often those who are more likely to be joyful. Try listing or noticing what you’re grateful for each day.
• Catch yourself if you hear yourself spreading “shoulds” or conditioning that is limiting how someone else experiences joy for themselves.
• Do something that surprises or delights someone else.
• Let joy be important to you.

Resources

Brene Brown: the call to courage on Netflix
Kennolyn Camps