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Jump Start Your Joy®

This vibrant show dives into the inspiration, intention, and actions that bring a positive outlook to life, even in challenging times. Lovingly curated as a retreat from the everyday, each episode invites you to step outside routine and engage with uplifting stories and fresh perspectives. Guided by Henri Nouwen’s reminder that “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day,” the show explores how resilience and purpose can turn ordinary moments into opportunities for joy.
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Now displaying: Category: entrepreneur
Aug 13, 2024

In this episode, Paula is joined by the remarkable Illana Burk, a coach and consultant with a passion for helping small businesses, entrepreneurs, and solopreneurs thrive. Illana shares her journey from being a dancer to becoming a successful business mentor, diving into her philosophy on building values-based businesses. The conversation is filled with practical advice, laughter, and a fresh perspective on modern entrepreneurship.

Key Points That We Discuss:

  • Illana Burk's background and journey from dancer to business mentor.
  • The concept of 'feral preneurs' and how it differs from traditional solopreneurship.
  • Practical advice on overcoming common 'stuck points' in solopreneurship and entrepreneurship.
  • The significance of aligning your business with personal values over following mainstream business advice.
  • How Illana successfully monetizes her podcast through live coaching sessions.
  • Insight into Illana's 'Go For the No' program, which encourages embracing rejection as part of the growth process.
  • The impact of moving to Portugal on Illana’s personal and professional life, highlighting the importance of life-work balance.

Additional Resources:

Others:

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Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Jump Start Your Joy
00:17 Meet Illana Burk: Coach and Consultant
01:09 Warm Welcome and Episode Overview
03:08 Illana's Earliest Sparks of Joy
05:25 Journey from Dancer to Business Mentor
08:55 Challenges and Realizations in Entrepreneurship
15:28 Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Business

Dec 7, 2021

I am delighted to be joined for a second time by Marsha Flowers, who is the owner of Five B and Co Candles, and the newly launched Little Bee Scents. In our conversation, she shares how she has listened to her heart to expand her business in new ways. After thinking about what she likes best about candle making (the creativity, creating scents, and community), she realized that she also wanted to help other candle makers (and soap makers too!) bring their dreams to life. In the spirit of mentoring and helping others in the field she loves so much, Little Bee Scents was born.

In this episode, Marsha and I talk about:

  • The launch of Little Bee Scents and becoming the candlemaker for Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City.
  • How she is helping people get creative and produce quality products by offering custom scents for them to use in their own business, without having to buy a large minimum order
  • Why Marsha wanted to change things up in her business
  • The process of crafting scents that match the smell of beer, hay, and the fresh smell of the earth after the rain
  • Why candles offer comfort to people and connect us to memories in a powerful way
  • How Marsha let her heart lead her to the place that made her feel good about her business
  • Mad, glad, sad, or ewwww: Marsha’s new way of identifying her emotion over things, and following her first impulse about them.
  • How to jump start your joy: through smiling and helping other people create things that they love

Resources

Marsha Flower's candle website: Five Blessings Candles

Marsha Flower's scent website: Little Bee Scents

5BandCo on Instagram

Marsha Flowers on JSYJ: Creating “Happiness in The Form of a Flicker”

Nov 30, 2021

Jacqualyn Jackson is the small business owner behind Investment Inspectors, LLC, who provides home inspections, home healings, and sound baths. Jacqualyn has embraced her multi-passionate personality by leaning into several of the things she loves to do: offering objective findings for people buying or selling a home, and in nourishing the more spiritual side of things in providing home healings and sound baths. I’m delighted to share how she’s woven these unique offerings into a single business that integrates with her personal values.

Between 11/26/21 and 12/06/21, Jacqualyn is offering a sale on all Home Healing Services (including Sound Baths!) for virtual services in 2022.

In this episode, Jacqualyn and I talk about:

  • Jacqualyn’s early passions and why dance sparked joy in her as a child 
  • What led her to home inspections as a career and why she became so fascinated by the art of spiritual energy protection for homes
  • How Jacqualyn clears negative energy from a home
  • What people may notice if they have bad vibes in a house and what can they do if they feel like it's energetically not right for them
  • Jacqualyn shares her interest in sound baths, what they are and how they work to help you ground yourself
  • The biggest problems that Jacqualyn sees with maintenance when she is inspecting a home 
  • Ways that people can create intentional comfort and peace for themselves, either in their home or for themself as an individual
  • Jacqualyn’s commitment to self-care as an essential aspect of her brand values and how she has set up her business to support her own and her clients’ comfort and joy
  • How to connect with Jacqualyn to hear more about home healing or home inspection 
  • The three ways Jacqualyn jumpstarts joy in her life, the world, and in other people's lives — including listening to others, expressing love and gratitude, and shining your light in the world

Resources

Investment Inspectors LLC 

Investment Inspectors LLC on Instagram

Email Jacqualyn at jacqualyn@investmentinspectorsllc.com

Buy Jump Start Your Joy: Heart-Centered Ways to Find Joy in The Messy Middle on Amazon (affiliate link)

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Nov 9, 2021

Amy started Mimi’s Little Loveys after disability and chronic illness forced her to stop teaching and working with young children. She followed her heart and her own curiosity to create a business that honors her values, and allows her to take care of herself. Amy joins the show to talk about how she's found intentional comfort, and built a life that supports her, and allows her to do the things she loves.

In this episode, Amy and I talk about:

 

  • The single thing that Amy brought with her after her marriage broke down and how it became the key to her new life
  • What brought Amy sparks of joy growing up in a large family
  • Amy shares how she came up with the business name and who her little loveys are
  • We reflect on why it’s often a more extended and quieter journey to finding our own comfort and joy and why it’s vital to understand the importance of taking care of ourselves 
  • How getting involved with the community during in-person events made Amy feel like part of another type of supportive family 
  • The shifts Amy and Dan have had to make in their business since the COVID-19 pandemic hit
  • Amy’s advice for artisan business owners on how to get their products into the hands of potential customers
  • The range of products that Mimi’s Little Loveys offers — including sweet winter themes, holiday bibs, and napkins — and how to find them online 
  • Three ways that Amy jumpstarts the joy in her life, in the world, and other people's lives

Resources

Mimi’s Little Loveys

Mimi’s Little Loveys on Instagram

Mimi’s Little Loveys on Facebook

 

uy Jump Start Your Joy: Heart-Centered Ways to Find Joy in The Messy Middle on Amazon (affiliate link)

Follow Jump Start Your Joy on Apple Podcasts

Follow Jump Start Your Joy on Spotify

Nov 26, 2020

This episode’s interview is with Marsha Flowers of Five Blessings Candles in Leavenworth, Kansas. She’s been an entrepreneur for years, making candles and creating “Happiness in a Flicker” with unique scents and joyful names. She has had both a brick and mortar version of her business, and she is now all online.

Marsha and I talk about:

  • Her earliest sparks of joy: playing as the candlemaker
  • How she and her sister started making candles and began their entrepreneurial 
  • Why Marsha left the business for a bit, and why she’s back
  • Going from brick and mortar to online sales (and why that’s great during COVID)
  • The magic that’s happened along the way to discovering the pieces that have made her business work
  • Ways to make the holidays feel a little merrier this year, even during COVID
  • Her favorite scents and how she makes and names them

Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website.

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Jul 23, 2020

Starting a business can feel overwhelming and scary, but if you embrace starting small, and following what lights you up - it doesn't have to be. Inspired by a listener's question, this episode tells you how to embrace your dreams.

Read the full show notes on the website.

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Mar 24, 2020

Tara McMullin joins Paula to talk about the many ways she's pivoted in her life and business in recent years. In this fun interview, we talk about "What Works" and how you can jump into authentic leadership as a business owner.

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-Running a small business
-Podcasting and how it’s a growing industry
-Our backgrounds, which are both in religious studies
-The What Works network, and how she engages with small businesses
-What happens when your personal values are misaligned with your business
-The importance of independent thinking and personal agency
-The What Works rule of “no advice,” and valuing experience over expertise
-What happens when we “live a Story”
-Being an Enneagram 3, and not chasing accomplishments
-Our similarities: softball, religious studies, podcasting
-How to Jump Start Your Joy: do what you say you will, question your assumptions, and expect success

Resources
The Art of Gathering by Pria Parker on Amazon
Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business by Paul Jarvis on Amazon
War of Art by Stephen Pressfield on Amazon
Enneagram Institute

Mar 10, 2020

Kayla Butler of Ivory Mix is joining me this week to talk about how she started her business, what it’s been like growing a stock photography site, and how community has been the center of her business from the beginning. In this episode, I'm delighted to be talking all about joy, creativity, and stock photography at 'Ivory Mix' with Kayla Butler.

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-Her early love of drawing Disney stories, and desire to be a Disney artist
-Going into interior design as a career
-Getting burnt out once she was in a director position and no longer creating designs regularly
-Choosing the name “Ivory Mix” as a blank canvas for her to try new things
-How creative people keep hitting up against the wall of possibly becoming more involved in running a business than doing the creative pieces, and how to juggle that
-How giving away quality, free, incentives can help build a strong community
-Growing a business while working a 9 to 5 job
-Creating a business that is niched, and different than a standard stock photo site
-Importance of building authority and how to do it
-Ways to jump start your joy: gratitude, random acts of kindness, and creating boundaries

Feb 25, 2020

This week on the podcast, I’m delighted to be talking about changing the narrative for small businesses and entrepreneurs in marketing with JinJa Birkenbeuel of Birk Creative and the Honest Field Guide podcast. JinJa and I had the pleasure of meeting at She Podcasts Live, and I truly enjoyed her sense of humor, realness, and her enthusiasm for podcasting. It’s a treat to have her on the show.

In this episode, JinJa and I talk about:

-Her early love of candy and the magic and freedom she felt going to the store to buy some each week with her friends
-How to help businesses keep up with the pace of change these days
-Coaching women and entrepreneurs in finding success in business
-How she is changing the the narrative for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs
-Using LinkedIn for networking, connecting, and growing your business (more than looking for a job)
-How it’s sometimes uncomfortable to own your own expertise, and your own narrative
-Taking a good look at what motivates you and how much you really need
-Focusing on the conversation that’s at the heart of marketing no matter what medium you’re working in
-Finding what fits for you in marketing, regardless of what everyone else is doing
-Owning your introversion / extroversion
-The reality of being a solo-preneur and juggling so many things. (Automation is great, but it’s still hard to keep up).

Resources

Birk Creative
Episode 14 of The Honest Field Guide Podcast: “I hate networking”
Honest Field Guide Podcast
Laura Li’s Quietly Bohemian Podcast
Forbes Article about Jinja this week “How Google-Sizing Her Mindset Propelled This Founder’s Career Forward”

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Feb 18, 2020

Having been a project manager in marketing and advertising for 20 years, it was a shock to me when I moved into marketing myself. If you have listened for awhile you’ll know that I started my podcast as the marketing arm for a life coaching practice. The podcast took off, and, I started learning a lot about what to know about being successful at marketing as an entrepreneur, and how to make it joyful. 

I’m sharing my thoughts with you here this week about how I have found my way to the Joy of marketing. 

Find the whole article and show notes on the website. Click here.

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Jan 14, 2020

I’m delighted to have Casey Jourdan joining me as our guest for this week. Casey is a business strategist extraordinaire. She works with entrepreneurs and solopreneurs as they navigate getting their businesses up and running, and helps them navigate the overwhelm that often comes with the first few years of business. It's a real treat to have a conversation with Casey on change, and the pursuit of evolution. The host of “Steady She Grows” podcast, Casey's done some really interesting work around the pursuit of evolution and how change is a part of everything that we do.

In this episode, Casey Jourdan and I talk about:
-Her early sparks of joy: teaching others
-Creating various iterations of her business as a multipassionate
-Evolution as a practice
-The difference between evolution and growth
-How her religious beliefs changed and shifted after coming home from the Iraq War
-Progress and baby steps living with PTSD
-Navigating the first few years of business and why so many businesses fail
-How to jump start joy in your life: be nice and kind to others, find out what fires you up and go try it, set and observe boundaries.

Resources:
Casey Jourdan’s Website
Steady She Grows Podcast
Casey on Instagram

Sign up to get on the newsletter and get lots of ideas on how to Plan Your Year and biz.

Sep 24, 2019

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

Sep 10, 2019

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 

Jul 30, 2019

Christy Tending is back for her sixth visit, and this time we’re talking about how our lives and businesses have recently evolved. It’s a living discussion, and one that started when we met to co-work at a cafe this summer and found ourselves diving into a conversation about how we’d recently had a very mindful and impactful experience of making decisions that have intrinsically changed who we are, and how we approach things.

 

In this episode, Christy Tending and I talk about:

  • How things can reach a point where it’s no longer possible for you to continue doing what once worked for you
  • How Christy quit drinking and the reasons why she chose to make that change
  • The intrinsic connection between making decisions as a consumer, capitalism, and politics
  • How I called bullshit on the idea that “the other shoe was about to drop” in my personal life and marriage
  • How nagging is a choice, and how to stop nagging (zen moment: just stop)
  • How you can create a business or an offering, or a podcast, by focusing on the things that seem easy to you
  • What’s easy for you is not necessarily easy for anyone else (and how that leads you to discount the power of what comes easily)
  • Why it’s important to talk about the role of racism, alcoholism, climate, and other pieces of our heritage that we don’t find acceptable with our children
  • Why and how stating what your business stands for, and how it has evolved helps you find your true audience (and why that’s OK)
  • How we evolve and become more comfortable with stating what words fit us (anarchist, Buddhist, etc)
  • The roles of studentship and conversely, being a “guru”
  • Studentship: What it looks like to be a student of your own process, and of learning new things as you go
  • The possible role of self doubt and the inner critic when you complicate things
  • The balance of really not knowing the outcome of any situation, and finding our way to be confident and share our expertise around something
  • The wisdom of leaning on others in your community for knowledge and leadership, instead of acting like one person knows everything (which they don’t)
  • The importance of having community in business
  • We all have access to the divine any time we want it, and we all have access to politics and power whenever we want it
  • That capitalism tells us that if we are good at something and it is lucrative: we’re supposed to do that thing until we drop

Resources
Christy Tending’s beautiful new website

Christy Tending’s podcast: Tending Your Life

Jul 23, 2019

Learn the 7 things to consider when you're looking to follow your joy, passion, or bliss in creating a business or coaching practice. You CAN build a business that feels easy, you just need to take some key things into consideration.

In this episode, I talk about:

  • How to embrace letting things be easy
  • Why you tend to add complexity to something
  • The change in vibe and acceptance when you keep things simple and focused on what comes naturally to you
  • How you can create a business or an offering, or a podcast, by focusing on the things that seem easy to you
  • What’s easy for you is not necessarily easy for anyone else (and how that leads you to discount the power of what comes easily)
  • Your zone of genius as explained by Gay Hendricks
  • Don’t shy away from doing whatever feels easy for you
  • The possible role of self doubt and the inner critic when you complicate things
  • How to jumpstart your joy: petting puppies, listening more than you talk, and “eat the ice cream”

Resources
Join me at "She Podcasts Live" in Atlanta, October 11-13
How to Be Everything: A Guide For Those Who (Still) Don't Know What They Want To Be When They Grow Up by Emilie Wapnick on Amazon
The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to The Next Level by Gay Hendricks on Amazon

May 14, 2019

Mallory Wisong is a virtual assistant, certified life coach, and I have the great pleasure of both working with her, and, having her join me on this week’s episode. With a background doing admin work in the financial industry, Mal brings with her a unique blend of a knack for process and details, along with intuition, heart, courage, and the ability to hold the highest vision for those she works with. I think you will love getting to know her on this episode, and getting a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes with the show.

In this interview, Mallory Wisong and I talk about:

  • Her earliest sparks of joy: reading books like “Dollhouse in the Attic”
  • Her journey from the financial industry, to life coach training, to becoming a VA
  • Taking responsibility for your life, and how that can be a life changing move
  • Following your curiosity in being an entrepreneur, and remaining open to “what’s next”
  • How to make room for magic in your work and life
  • The art of creating process that works for you in your business
  • Letting Values and Core Desired Feelings be a guide in running a business
  • Why being joyful seems to cause some people to question one’s credibility
  • Working environment, both from an internal / values perspective and an external environment (such as one’s office or workspace)
  • Synchronicity in working, and how leaving space for the unexpected can lead to amazing things
  • That the right people, for your business, are out there, and you just need the “crazy faith” that all will work out

Resources
Mallory Wisong’s blog and website
Mallory Wisong on Instagram
Tiffany Han’s “Crazy Faith” episode on Raise Your Hand Say Yes
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert on Amazon
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron on Amazon
The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul by Danielle LaPorte on Amazon
Courageous Life Coaching Certification Program

Mar 26, 2019

As an entrepreneur, setting boundaries and definitions around the work you do, and around your schedule and time are two of the kindest things you can do for yourself and your growing business. When you’re in charge of your own business and dependent on the income from that business, it becomes easy to get caught up in wanting to help “everyone,” and working all the time. I want to assure you that when you make it a point to define a niche of who you work with, and set some structure around when you work, you’ll find that it’s better for you, for your clients, and for your business.

Setting Boundaries is a Way of Being Kind to Yourself as An Entrepreneur
This week’s show is all about setting up the mindful steps to design a business you love, and the kind of business you dreamed about when you started out on your entrepreneurial journey. In Brene Brown’s book, Dare to Lead, she shares her thoughts about creating clarity as a leader.

“Over our years of researching and working together, we’ve learned something about clarity that has changed everything from the way we talk to each other to the way we negotiate with external partners. It’s simple but transformative: Clear is kind. Unclear is Unkind. I first heard this saying two decades ago in a 12-step meeting, but I was on slogan overload at the time and didn’t even think about it again until I saw the data about how most of us avoid clarity because we tell ourselves that we’re being kind, when what we’re actually doing is being unkind and unfair. Feeding people half-truths or bullshit to make them feel better (which is almost always about making ourselves feel more comfortable) is unkind. Not getting clear with colleagues about your expectations because it feels too hard, yet holding them accountable or blaming them for not delivering is unkind. Talking about about people instead of to them is unkind. This lesson has so wildly transformed my life that we live by it at home.”

What Dr. Brown says here about being a leader at work is one that you can layer onto your work as an entrepreneur, and it’s the departure point for this week’s show (which you can listen to above).
I’m asking the questions of:
How can you create clarity for your work, when you are your own boss?
How can you be kind to yourself?
How can you set up guidelines that are ultimately kind to you, and to your clients?

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown on Amazon
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron on Amazon
Time Tracking App: At Work for iPhone or Android
Fiverr for editing and other small entrepreneur support tasks
Episode 74: Helen McLaughlin on Curiosity as a Foundation for Living
Episode 112: Alexandra Franzen on Rejection, Defeat, and Terrible Bosses

Jan 29, 2019

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.

See all of the show notes on the website, here:

http://jumpstartyourjoy.com/2019/01/how-to-start-a-business-when-you-have-a-9-to-5-job

 

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

Jan 22, 2019

Even though we are a couple of weeks in to 2019, it’s a great time to take a few minutes and map out your plans. I’m a big fan of sitting down for an hour or so and getting my thoughts for the year out on paper. I started doing something I call the “Ten in Three” in 2014, and in looking back at that first list, it’s fascinating to see that I have completed all but one thing (getting PMP certified, #2).

Set the Intention for your Year
You might feel, like I know have in the past, like life is moving fast and you don’t have time to really stop and soak in what’s going on. You might feel like you’re on a trajectory with your career that now feels just OK, but you know you want something more than what you’re currently doing. Or, maybe you have not stopped to think about what it is that you want to do with your one “wild and precious life” since college, and feel a bit lost.

The beauty about taking an hour or so to get your thoughts in order about what you truly want to accomplish (instead of being in a reactive mode), is that it provides you with a little time to put some mindfulness and intention around your year.

Set a timer for 15 minutes and get out a blank pieces of paper or journal page and work through these questions to sort through your intentions - try to keep the answers in a list or bullet format so you can easily see the key ideas that start to emerge during this process.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you start this process:

  • What are the big things you want to create this year?
  • What are the big things you want to bring into your life, if you take away the current limitations you may feel are holding you back?
  • If you could map out anything you wanted for life, what would it look like? If nothing was off the table, what would you do, and who would you be?
  • What are some ideas that have been coming back to you, time after time, that you’ve pushed aside because they are not “practical,” or don’t fit in your life right now?

Choose the Things You’ll Focus On
The next step, after you’ve spent the time doing a highly productive brain dump, let’s get sorting through those thoughts.
Look over your list, and taking a moment with each item you’ve written, let the idea settle into your heart. There may be some of those items on your list that are “maybe some day” type items, and others that feel like they resonate with your soul.
Take a highlighter or colored pen, and mark the ideas that feel like the ones closest to the things you truly want to focus on.

Set Your Ten in Three
Once you’ve sorted through the ideas, it’s likely that there are a handful that are bubbling up as main ideas you want to bring to life. Take a look and see what you’ve got, and narrow this list down to the top ten that you want to bring into reality.

My process has been that I pick ten items that I want to complete, and spread them across three years. There’s a lot of pressure online to “do all the things,” and that leads to being totally overwhelmed. Once you’ve narrowed it down to three big goals for a year, you’ve limited the the things that will get your attention, and increased the likelihood each one will get completed. I’m also a big fan of this method over something like a Bucket List because it gives you focus, instead of being a big long list hanging out there that feels too long to ever finish.

You can download the fancy downloadable, printable sheet to remind you of your Ten in Three by clicking here.

Two notes on the Ten in Three: while the instructions here are simple, this process can be one that takes a couple of days. Allow yourself the time and space to do this in a way that feels right for you. Make the commitment to yourself to finish this once you’ve started.

The other note that I like to point out to people about the Ten in Three is to be kind to yourself if, say, midyear, you realize you don’t want to do one of the things you added. It’s OK to change your list, depending on what life throws at you. The only thing I haven’t finished on my list is #2, and it was an intentional decision for me to not pursue getting a PMP certificate. You can change your mind, too.

Resources:
Download your Free Printable Ten in Three sheet here
A Better Approach to A Bucket List, episode 117
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

 

Jan 16, 2019

Jess Ekstrom is the energetic CEO and founder of Headbands of Hope, and the developer of the Mic Drop Workshop. I had the pleasure of meeting Jess in Atlanta last year, and knew from the moment she shared the mission of her company (and it only further made me love her when she quoted Will Ferrell) that I wanted to talk to her more, and to have her on the show.

Jess’ story of creating Headbands of Hope is one that resonates on all three of the Inspiration, Intention, and Action tenets that have been a part of Season 4 on Jump Start Your Joy. In her time working with the Make a Wish Foundation, she noticed that children didn’t like to wear a wig after having gone through chemo, and that many of the little girls preferred to wear a headband instead. Inspired by seeing an unmet need (there was no central place offering headbands for kids), Jess created Headbands of Hope with a “buy one, donate one” business model similar to Toms Shoes, and created a simple and impactful business that’s brought hope to children in every children’s hospital in the US.

It was Jess’ intention to make an impact through a simple but powerful way - to brighten the day and provide a boost of confidence to children going through chemo. And it was her own action to bring this idea to life that now feeds back to the inspiration and support of others.

Jess Ekstrom and I talk about:

  • Her earliest sparks of joy: food, and going on a scavenger hunt for a new skateboard that had her name spray painted on it
  • How she started Headbands of Hope
  • The insights she learned working for Make a Wish, and having met the owner of Toms shoes as she was creating her company
  • Sometimes the things that are most earth shattering and game changing are the simplest
  • How to get to inspiration from frustration
  • Her Mic Drop workshop, and how it fills the need of having more women speakers at conferences and conventions
  • Why we both love Will Ferrell and how we feel that he creates connection with others through humor
  • What schools and parents can do to provide children with a more well rounded point of view and better life skills
  • Her upcoming book, which is due out in November 2019
  • How to jump start joy in your life: unplug: remove yourself from the screen, play more, and develop a writing habit

Resources
Jess Ekstrom’s Headbands of Hope website
Jess Ekstrom’s Mic Drop Workshop website

Dec 27, 2018

As entrepreneurs and solo-prenuers, let's look at a new definition of abundance that makes room for the lives we want to lead, the people we want to reach, and the we way want to show up in this world. Learn how on this final episode of 2108.

Jul 24, 2018

This week on the show, I’m excited to be talking about taking messy action with Christine Blubaugh. Christine is a copywriter from Ohio, who has had a very interesting path. She works with entrepreneurs to help other people in being objective about themselves, and craft copy that represents their offerings to the world.

Having been a health coach, and food blogger for many years (along with a personal chef), Christine had a realization that this was not her true calling. She was well established in her role, and found herself saying “this health and wellness thing isn’t a thing anymore. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself if I don’t do this.”

I find this so very relatable, and it probably is for many of you, as well. I have found that many clients spend a fair amount of time establishing themselves in a career, and after awhile they are tired of that industry. Or they find that a role they once loved doesn’t fit them as well as it once had. And here’s where I see the frustration or confusion arise: when your identity is wrapped up in that role, it’s hard to visualize yourself elsewhere, doing anything else.

In the face of feeling stuck, Christine made the decision to leave health coaching. Of that decision, she reflects “I had to just let go and practice just being.” And that is when she got her first client as a copywriter. A friend asked for input about some headlines, and over a text conversation, Christine shared some ideas. It lead to that person being her first client.

Joy comes from taking action, and being open to the unexpected
And that is what I love about this conversation. Christine didn’t know what was next when she left her role in health and wellness. She moved back to Ohio from the West Coast. She took a chance on it all working out, and it did. She opened herself up to the unexpected, and took what she calls “messy action” to figure out what was next. Instead of getting wrapped up in the notion that maybe she had to have “it all figured out” before taking a next step, she jumped in and started trying new things.

In this episode, Christine Blubaugh and I talk about:

  • Her shift from being a health and wellness coach and blogger to becoming a copywriter
  • Where people often get stuck in trying to write their own copy about themselves for a website
  • Finding your way when you are no longer as excited about doing a job as you were when you started out
  • How “messy action” brings results and helps get you to something new
  • That relationships are at the heart of business, and why we can’t rely on going it solo
  • How to get in touch with your authentic voice to make copywriting a conversation with your ideal client
  • How do deal with resistance
  • How to jump start your joy: Slow down, start the day doing something joyful, and taking time to move each day
Jul 24, 2018

This week on the show, I’m excited to be talking about taking messy action with Christine Blubaugh. Christine is a copywriter from Ohio, who has had a very interesting path. She works with entrepreneurs to help other people in being objective about themselves, and craft copy that represents their offerings to the world.

Having been a health coach, and food blogger for many years (along with a personal chef), Christine had a realization that this was not her true calling. She was well established in her role, and found herself saying “this health and wellness thing isn’t a thing anymore. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself if I don’t do this.”

I find this so very relatable, and it probably is for many of you, as well. I have found that many clients spend a fair amount of time establishing themselves in a career, and after awhile they are tired of that industry. Or they find that a role they once loved doesn’t fit them as well as it once had. And here’s where I see the frustration or confusion arise: when your identity is wrapped up in that role, it’s hard to visualize yourself elsewhere, doing anything else.

In the face of feeling stuck, Christine made the decision to leave health coaching. Of that decision, she reflects “I had to just let go and practice just being.” And that is when she got her first client as a copywriter. A friend asked for input about some headlines, and over a text conversation, Christine shared some ideas. It lead to that person being her first client.

Joy comes from taking action, and being open to the unexpected
And that is what I love about this conversation. Christine didn’t know what was next when she left her role in health and wellness. She moved back to Ohio from the West Coast. She took a chance on it all working out, and it did. She opened herself up to the unexpected, and took what she calls “messy action” to figure out what was next. Instead of getting wrapped up in the notion that maybe she had to have “it all figured out” before taking a next step, she jumped in and started trying new things.

In this episode, Christine Blubaugh and I talk about:

  • Her shift from being a health and wellness coach and blogger to becoming a copywriter
  • Where people often get stuck in trying to write their own copy about themselves for a website
  • Finding your way when you are no longer as excited about doing a job as you were when you started out
  • How “messy action” brings results and helps get you to something new
  • That relationships are at the heart of business, and why we can’t rely on going it solo
  • How to get in touch with your authentic voice to make copywriting a conversation with your ideal client
  • How do deal with resistance
  • How to jump start your joy: Slow down, start the day doing something joyful, and taking time to move each day
Jul 17, 2018

This week on the podcast, I’m sharing one of my favorite topics, 8 great reasons to start a podcast. While this episode is a solocast, I’ve shared this information in various other formats: webinars, as a guest instructor in other courses, and in my own podcasting class, Jump Start Your Podcast. And, I think it’s a great perspective for anyone who is considering starting your own show, especially if you are a a service provider of any type (coach, doctor, VA, or someone who works supporting others).

I’ve found that there are a handful of reasons that you should start a podcast if you are considering it. Here are the top eight reasons you should start a podcast.

1. It Helps You Get Super Clear on Your Niche
Laying the groundwork for the show goes hand in hand with defining the nature of the show, and the topic that you want to spend (a lot of) time with. In marketing speak, the topic needs to be “campaign-able,” meaning it should be something that is vast enough for you to spend time exploring, but narrow enough that the audience understands what the container is for it.

For you to start a show, you’ll want to spend time with that niche. What is it?
What do people interested in that niche want to hear more about?
How can you serve the population that is interested in that niche?
And, what is the crossover between your WORK and how you can provide service to that group of people?

2. Find and/or Develop Your Online Voice
For many, it is much easier to ease into their “voice” when they are actually speaking (as opposed to writing.) It’s a natural way of communicating, and it’s easy to use it. I find that many of us who are service providers are an excellent fit for being a podcast host because you and I are working in a field where interacting with others is part of what we are already comfortable doing.

A few other considerations around becoming a podcaster:
One thing I like to ask people when they are considering a podcast is “Are you an ‘external processor’?”.
(Do you like to work through things verbally, with another person? Do you “talk it out” as opposed to thinking it through on your own?)

Have you enjoyed doing drama or speaking in the past? (in some ways this is much easier as you don’t see your audience).

For me, I found my true voice and comfort with being on air several months in. I could feel myself easing in to my personality with guests, and then it extended in to my doing what I call solocasts. The interesting thing to me is that I also use that voice now in blogging, and in writing my weekly newsletter.

3. Become More Confident in Your Speaking & Presenting
Once you’ve edited yourself a couple of times, you’ll be very aware of your verbal tics and catch yourself doing them, You’ll hear the “ums” and “ahhhhs,” and notice your speech patterns. And once you notice those things, you’ll also start self-editing as you speak.

The other confidence building aspect of being a podcaster is that pitching and interviewing VIPs is life changing & a huge confidence booster. After having a big name person in whatever industry you’re in say yes, and then actually having a full conversation with them? Your confidence will increase in your art, and in what you do.

If you are in a field like coaching or consulting, you’ll notice that you are more in tune with how you say things and become a better active listener.

4. Up Your “Know, Trust, Like” Factor with Potential Clients
Podcasting offers a way for potential clients to “get to know you” by listening in on conversations and hearing your point of view on topics. I know many podcast listeners who say they feel that they know a podcaster. They listen to them in the car, while gardening, while cooking or doing other work around the home. These are spaces and places that are personal to the listener. And, there’s no other media that invites and allows a person (like you, the host), into a person’s routine the way that podcasting does, because podcasting is “portable.”

5. Marketing Stops Being “Icky”
Before I started a podcast, I will admit that I found marketing to be kind of “icky.” It didn’t feel natural, and it often felt forced.

Here’s the cool thing about podcasts. Once your show is live, it provides weekly inspiration of stories you’re excited to share across social media. You have something you want to talk about and share, and it comes from a place of authentic excitement. Add to it that similar to having guest posts on your blog or site, guests are excited to share their conversation with you.

All of that points to marketing, and reaching new potential clients, in a way that is organic and feels natural. It’s exciting when the ick factor is gone.

6. Expand Your Skillset As You Interview Experts
If you have an interview show, you will be lining up conversations with experts and learning more about the field they represent by:

  • Researching and reading their work
  • Getting answers directly from them based on the questions you create
  • Interacting with others about the material

This adds to your continuing education on a topic, and allows you to share what you learn with others. You’ll also find that when you expand your knowledge in your show, you’ll have new things to share with your client base.

7. You Have an Important Message to Share with the World
As a service based business owner or blogger, you’re likely already focused on a mission. You’ve discovered your “Why” and want to share it with the world, and make an impact. Podcasting offers you a platform to share this, and leave a mark, and find other like minded individuals that also share your point of view.

8. Naturally Grow Your Network
In addition to learning with each guest, you also make several kinds of connections:
Professional connections with other experts in your field (or your podcast’s area of focus) allows the following things to happen:

  • Listeners find you based on the topic you cover
  • You get to know other podcasters, either because you are next to them each week on the charts, or because you join a networking group with them
  • Make friends: I’ve become friends with guests, and other podcasters
  • Introduce you to people with whom you may want to create other collaborative projects with - such as classes, business ventures, or other things that fit your shared interests
  • Find new clients for your business

Already in the midst of creating a show? You’ll get a free month of hosting from Liberated Syndication (Libsyn), using my (affiliate) code: JOY.

Jun 26, 2018

Jill Stanton of Screw the 9 to 5 is my guest this week on the podcast. She’s a true force to be reckoned with in the online lifestyle entrepreneur space, and I’m really excited to be speaking with her about how she has created a lively, exciting brand and community that’s built from an authentic and interesting space. Having started in 2012 with an affiliate skincare site, and changed and shifted the focus and approach of her business, Jill and her now husband Josh, have grown their business into a full time gig with a team. And now, with their new son, Kai here, they are looking at how they shift their business again to include time and space for a child.

 

Jill and I have a very fun, fast paced discussion about how she has evolved her online business over the past 6 years. She started in the beauty and skincare business, and met her husband Josh who was using social media to support venues while he was a bartender. The two joined forces, and took their collective knowledge to create the business “Screw the 9 to 5,” which started as a dream on a beach in Thailand.

Jill has a lot to share about HOW to start an online business, and what helps move the needle.

In general, the mindset pieces she shares are:

  • Don’t overcomplicate it
  • Start imperfectly; you don’t need everything all in order to begin
  • Focus on making connections with people who are in the same area and niche as you are, and help each other
  • Notice the difference between the “employee” and the entrepreneur mindset
  • Don’t be afraid to do things your way
  • Learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable

Some of the more tactical steps she sites are

  • Grow your traffic by getting on other people’s platforms through interviews, guest posts, etc
  • Be active in Facebook groups about your area of expertise
  • You only need a very few things to start: a site, an email optin, and a social media profile
  • Create a runway for yourself by building up a business with 80% of your income
  • Build traffic and take visibility seriously

Jill also shares about how having a child changes things:

  • It means you prioritize the things that move the needle
  • She and her husband set aside Fridays for family time
  • You may hire people to cover roles
  • Don’t mess around with things in your business that are working and don’t need to be tweaked
  • Hire people offline to support your family, if you can a cleaner, nanny, order groceries, etc
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