Bare Naked Bravery: Post-Traumatic Courage for Entrepreneurs with Unfinished Business

This week aligned pretty perfectly. No surprise there. I had previously scheduled to talk about this subject so the fact that I woke up struggling with this really could not have been more perfect.

It is imperative that we call BS when we see it. In ourselves, in others, in our surroundings - if we see folks faking authenticity or trying to be a square peg in a round hole, we need to call it out.

So that's what we're talking about today.

PS - if any of this resonates with you, send me an email [email protected]

http://emilyannpeterson.comhttp://instagram.com/emilyannpete http://facebook.com/emilyannpeterson http://twitter.com/emilyapeterson

If you're diggin' the music in today's episode, that's because it's brought to you by my friends at Music Box Licensing, a premier creative music agency dedicated to finding and crafting unique soundtracks.

To find out more about all the artists, musicians, and other sponsors of the show, please visit barenakedbravery.com/sponsors

1. Leave a review on iTunes

We would LOVE it if you'd leave a podcast rating or review on iTunes.  

Simply click here to get started >>> http://bit.ly/bnbrr

1. Share this episode with a friend

If you have a friend who might really love/need to hear this episode, what are you waiting for?! Email, text, fb message, snail mail - all great options!

1. Become a Patron of Bare Naked Bravery

Every patron gets awesome goodies, super early advance links to Emily Ann's new songs & releases, and so much more!

$1 Monthly$3 Monthly$5 Monthly$10 Monthly$15 Monthly$25 Monthly$100 Monthly

I'm looking forward to being with you next week. We have some great things in store for you!

Until then I have one message for you. It's this:

Be yourself. Be vulnerable. Be brave. Because the world needs more of your Bare Naked Bravery.

If numbers and data kinda make your eye roll and blood boil, then today's episode is for you. I recognize not every person wants to dive headfirst into a spreadsheet, but sometimes numbers can be a really easy way to make decisions and plan for your future, especially if your future involves a season of bravery.

If you're one of our new community members and haven't heard the phrase "Season of Bravery" yet then allow me to illuminate this for you. A season of bravery can be anything from the year you get divorced, to the year a family has to go through chemo treatments or even promotions at work or seasons of profound creativity. It's a pretty broad definition for explaining that in the next several months, you'll need to be doing a lot of brave things.

For some of us (I'm mainly pointed a finger at myself), it seems like every season is a brave season. If you're a longtime listener of the show then you'll know that I routinely go through a Season of Bravery Ritual about every quarter or so. There's a workshop available on my website where I walk you through this ritual process step-by-step to map out goals, dreams, and action plans for these seasons of bravery for yourself. (You can get it by going to http://emilyannpeterson.com/workshops)

Now, why am I going on and on about all this??? because in that ritual workshop, I mention going through the previous years numbers. Bank account numbers, miles driven, goals attained, races won, races lost, articles written, anything that can measure the quantity or quality of the previous season of life. We then use some of these number to look forward into the next season of bravery to make plans, measurable plans and goals.

I asked Ashley Armstrong (a leading Amazon Seller Strategist who helps companies create amazing results on Amazon) to come talk about how she uses numbers to guide her people to the right choices. She has learned the science of reading numbers like a really good novel and uses that science to advise her clients precisely what products future customers are looking for. Her wisdom and drive is something I know we could all use a dose of from time to time. I'm so happy she's with us today!

In today's episode, she and I discuss all of these things and so much more. and I want to remind you that numbers tell stories. So if you're the type of person to roll your eyes at the thought of "reading data points" then I challenge you to stay engaged in this one. Trust me. Ashley and I bring these numbers straight into home base.

Beyond your free Bravery Bundle (which is always available at barenakedbravery.com) your Brave Take-Away from today's show is to identify which numbers you might be avoiding, plan the least stressful environment to view those numbers, and then schedule a time to take a gander at them. Sometimes you even need to schedule a time to schedule that time. Ha! I've been there.

If you do take that gander at the scary numbers, then I encourage you to pop into the Bare Naked Bravery facebook group to let us know how it went.

Otherwise, we always love to hear all about your favorite parts of today's Bare Naked Bravery. You can find Ashley Armstrong and myself on facebook, twitter, instagram, and more. Go ahead and tag us so we can cheer you on and see what you're up to.

www.amazauthority.comwww.facebook.com/amazonwithashley http://bit.ly/VirtualBundlerhttp://bit.ly/FreeCheat-Sheet http://bit.ly/3-day-challenge http://bit.ly/3MillionSalesReview http://bit.ly/AshleyYouTube

http://emilyannpeterson.comhttp://instagram.com/emilyannpete http://facebook.com/emilyannpeterson http://twitter.com/emilyapeterson

If you're diggin' the music in today's episode, that's because it's brought to you by my friends at Music Box Licensing, a premier creative music agency dedicated to finding and crafting unique soundtracks.

To find out more about all the artists, musicians, and other sponsors of the show, please visit barenakedbravery.com/sponsors

1. Leave a review on iTunes

We would LOVE it if you'd leave a podcast rating or review on iTunes.  

Simply click here to get started >>> http://bit.ly/bnbrr

1. Share this episode with a friend

If you have a friend who might really love/need to hear this episode, what are you waiting for?! Email, text, fb message, snail mail - all great options!

1. Become a Patron of Bare Naked Bravery

Every patron gets awesome goodies, super early advance links to Emily Ann's new songs & releases, and so much more!

$1 Monthly$3 Monthly$5 Monthly$10 Monthly$15 Monthly$25 Monthly$100 Monthly

I'm looking forward to being with you next week. We have some great things in store for you!

Until then I have one message for you. It's this:

Be yourself. Be vulnerable. Be brave. Because the world needs more of your Bare Naked Bravery.

This week we're chatting about how to prepare for your next season of bravery and how to use some forecasting skills to make that happen. Using all the information we have available can be powerful, especially as we make plans for the future - which is what I'm doing this month while finishing up this national book tour. Come out and say hi!

Oh and here's the other episode with Bailie Slevin I mentioned: https://www.barenakedbravery.com/podcast/069

http://emilyannpeterson.comhttp://instagram.com/emilyannpete http://facebook.com/emilyannpeterson http://twitter.com/emilyapeterson

If you're diggin' the music in today's episode, that's because it's brought to you by my friends at Music Box Licensing, a premier creative music agency dedicated to finding and crafting unique soundtracks.

To find out more about all the artists, musicians, and other sponsors of the show, please visit barenakedbravery.com/sponsors

1. Leave a review on iTunes

We would LOVE it if you'd leave a podcast rating or review on iTunes.  

Simply click here to get started >>> http://bit.ly/bnbrr

1. Share this episode with a friend

If you have a friend who might really love/need to hear this episode, what are you waiting for?! Email, text, fb message, snail mail - all great options!

1. Become a Patron of Bare Naked Bravery

Every patron gets awesome goodies, super early advance links to Emily Ann's new songs & releases, and so much more!

$1 Monthly$3 Monthly$5 Monthly$10 Monthly$15 Monthly$25 Monthly$100 Monthly

I'm looking forward to being with you next week. We have some great things in store for you!

Until then I have one message for you. It's this:

Be yourself. Be vulnerable. Be brave. Because the world needs more of your Bare Naked Bravery.

I'm really excited about today's featured conversation. Not only does it mark a pretty significant milestone for this little podcast, but it also is so refreshing to hear. At least, it was a conversation I personally needed to participate in.

Real quick though: registration is open for the upcoming free masterclass I'm teaching titled, "How to Find your Confidence Without Bullshitting Yourself." Like I said, the class is free, it's hosted online, and there will be a replay available for those of you who aren't in my timezone. Go register yourself by visiting http://emilyannpeterson.com/workshops

Everyone who registers for the class will get the class replay links and corresponding worksheets too! http://emilyannpeterson.com/workshops - I'll look forward to seeing you in class!

Okay, so at the time of recording this episode, about 18 months have passed since we spoke to our first ever podcast guest. Both she and I have learned big huge lessons about what it means to be brave as a musician and performing songwriter. So in celebration of the book Bare Naked Bravery being published earlier this month, I wanted to touch back to the beginnings of this show and catch up with Naomi Wachira.

If you haven't heard her story or that first episode, I encourage you to do so. However, today's conversation won't lose you because we're talking about the courage of choosing silence, which applies to anyone, anywhere.

Especially on the heels of a busy season of hustling, we need that rest and rejuvenation. Naomi and I spend today's conversation swimming through the waters of this silence. It's quite an appropriate conversation for me to have personally because while she's ramping down a busy season, I'm ramping UP my season of speaking up and showing up. Personally, I needed this reminder to intentionally build in the rest, the silence, and the deep nourishment that my soul needs to do its real work in the world. Naomi needed this too. Perfect timing, as always.

As with each of the guests on this podcast, Naomi is someone who inspires bravery in me personally. She was one of the first names I wrote down while brainstorming who I'd reach out to, to research this book, the book that is now published with the same name as this podcast, "Bare Naked Bravery: How to Be Creatively Courageous."

Side Note: If you haven't purchased it yet, go for it! All formats are available on Amazon right now: hardback, paperback, audiobook, and ebook. (http://a.co/6Iqkikw)

And if you've already read it --- what'd you think?! An honest Amazon review would be the perfect next step. Amazon reviews, like iTunes reviews, are how people will find this book. I know there are myriads of folks out there who need to 1) listen to what Naomi and I talk about today, but 2) who also need to hear the stories and bravery building knowledge held within those pages. So Amazon reviews are the answer to that, at least for today.

Today's conversation is a perfect example of the nakedness required for big bold actions. Sometimes being still, pausing your movement, and listening on a deeper level takes more bravery than keeping the hustle going.

So I'd like you to take a deep breath to make space for a new level of listening... I give you Naomi Wachira.

Your Brave Take-Away from today's show is to get silent. 5 minutes, 50 minutes - doesn't matter. Take a pause. Sit in the noise. Listen deeply. Sense your external surroundings, feel for your internal landscape. Soak in the silence and then write any observations that come up.

If you're in a sharing mood, pop into the Bare Naked Bravery Facebook group and let us know what you observed. If you're not yet a member of the Bare Naked Bravery Community, we'd love to have you. Your goodies are available by going to emilyannpeterson.com/join

You can find Naomi Wachira and myself on facebook, twitter, instagram, and more. Go ahead and tag us so we can cheer you on and see what you're up to.

http://emilyannpeterson.comhttp://instagram.com/emilyannpete http://facebook.com/emilyannpeterson http://twitter.com/emilyapeterson

If you're diggin' the music in today's episode, that's because it's brought to you by my friends at Music Box Licensing, a premier creative music agency dedicated to finding and crafting unique soundtracks.

To find out more about all the artists, musicians, and other sponsors of the show, please visit barenakedbravery.com/sponsors

1. Leave a review on iTunes

We would LOVE it if you'd leave a podcast rating or review on iTunes.  

Simply click here to get started >>> http://bit.ly/bnbrr

1. Share this episode with a friend

If you have a friend who might really love/need to hear this episode, what are you waiting for?! Email, text, fb message, snail mail - all great options!

1. Become a Patron of Bare Naked Bravery

Every patron gets awesome goodies, super early advance links to Emily Ann's new songs & releases, and so much more!

$1 Monthly$3 Monthly$5 Monthly$10 Monthly$15 Monthly$25 Monthly$100 Monthly

I'm looking forward to being with you next week. We have some great things in store for you!

Until then I have one message for you. It's this:

Be yourself. Be vulnerable. Be brave. Because the world needs more of your Bare Naked Bravery.

Before we get into today's show, if you are listening to this episode on the Tuesday that it first goes live, then there is still time to jump in on a last minute masterclass I'm teaching on the subject of How to Use Your Fear and Get What you Want. It's free, hosted online, and there will be a replay available for those who signed up on the class list. You can go to emilyannpeterson.com/workshops to get yourself on the list.

I'm launching The School of Advanced Bravery soon and this class is just a sampling of what is in store for all of you. Everyone who is on my email list and or who attends the class will get an exclusive invitation and information. but of course, we'll also spend loads of time diving into the process of how you can use your fear to get what you want. If you've ever found yourself with a death grip on resisting change, then this is the class for you.

If you are listening to this after the masterclass, then head on over to emilyannpeterson.com/join so you can join my email list and catch the next invitations for free masterclasses coming up.

Okay! Let's get on into it today, shall we?

Filmmaker and yoga teacher Ann Hedly Rousseau is with us today! She is a mother, wife, dancer, yoga student and instructor, gardener, and lover of life who happens to have alopecia.

Alopecia areata is an auto-immune disease that causes hair loss and currently has no cure (besides acceptance - that's a kind of cure!) Ann recently finished her film Mop Cap: An Alopecia Story which lays out her latest hair loss journey. It was so fascinating to hear Ann work through some of these questions about identity, ego, compensation, and image. I knew I had to have her on the Bare Naked Bravery podcast and I'm so glad it worked out.

Today we dive a little deeper into the audacious luxury of hair and being bald. We talk about the ways we show up in the world with or without our egos. We discussed the favoritism of ideal beauty and how the rest of us choose to compensate.

Ann holds a BFA in dance and choreography and had a career as a modern dancer in NYC before she moved to Appleton, Maine in 2001. Ann became an RYT in 2000 and has been teaching yoga for 19 years.  

Ann is fascinated by personal stories, this is partly what makes her such a  great fit for the Bare Naked Bravery community. I know that telling her own story through her documentary "Mop Cap: An Alopecia Story" has been enormously healing and I can't wait for you to hear all about it...

Brave Take-Aways Beyond your free Bravery Bundle (which is always available at barenakedbravery.com) your Brave Take-Away from today's show is to spend an entire week asking yourself the two questions Ann mentioned regarding her choice to wear a hat or not. Except you'll ask these questions every time you're getting dressed. "Am I choosing this outfit because of my comfort? or Am I choosing this outfit for the comfort of others?" Neither answer is inherently right or wrong, but I do think that extra layer of awareness will assist in your curious discovery of the concepts she and I discussed in today's episode.

We'd love to hear all about your favorite parts of today's Bare Naked Bravery. You can find Ann Rousseau and myself on facebook, twitter, instagram, and more. Go ahead and tag us so we can cheer you on and see what you're up to.

www.mopcapfilm.comwww.instagram.com/mopcapfilmwww.facebook.com/mopcapfilmwww.twitter.com/mopcapfilm

http://emilyannpeterson.comhttp://instagram.com/emilyannpete http://facebook.com/emilyannpeterson http://twitter.com/emilyapeterson

If you're diggin' the music in today's episode, that's because it's brought to you by my friends at Music Box Licensing, a premier creative music agency dedicated to finding and crafting unique soundtracks.

To find out more about all the artists, musicians, and other sponsors of the show, please visit barenakedbravery.com/sponsors

1. Leave a review on iTunes

We would LOVE it if you'd leave a podcast rating or review on iTunes.  

Simply click here to get started >>> http://bit.ly/bnbrr

1. Share this episode with a friend

If you have a friend who might really love/need to hear this episode, what are you waiting for?! Email, text, fb message, snail mail - all great options!

1. Become a Patron of Bare Naked Bravery

Every patron gets awesome goodies, super early advance links to Emily Ann's new songs & releases, and so much more!

$1 Monthly$3 Monthly$5 Monthly$10 Monthly$15 Monthly$25 Monthly$100 Monthly

I'm looking forward to being with you next week. We have some great things in store for you!

Until then I have one message for you. It's this:

Be yourself. Be vulnerable. Be brave. Because the world needs more of your Bare Naked Bravery.

Last week we released my book "Bare Naked Bravery: How to Be Creatively Courageous" into the world and it was a smashing success! Yay! However, last week turned my brain to absolute mush, which is normal for what happens to your body after you do something brave (like publishing a book, throwing a concert, appearing on television - all of which I did last week!)

Take a listen to hear all about it!

If you haven't yet, purchase your copy of the book here. 

Join the BNB Community here: http://emilyannpeterson.com/join

http://emilyannpeterson.comhttp://instagram.com/emilyannpete http://facebook.com/emilyannpeterson http://twitter.com/emilyapeterson

If you're diggin' the music in today's episode, that's because it's brought to you by my friends at Music Box Licensing, a premier creative music agency dedicated to finding and crafting unique soundtracks.

To find out more about all the artists, musicians, and other sponsors of the show, please visit barenakedbravery.com/sponsors

1. Leave a review on iTunes

We would LOVE it if you'd leave a podcast rating or review on iTunes.  

Simply click here to get started >>> http://bit.ly/bnbrr

1. Share this episode with a friend

If you have a friend who might really love/need to hear this episode, what are you waiting for?! Email, text, fb message, snail mail - all great options!

1. Become a Patron of Bare Naked Bravery

Every patron gets awesome goodies, super early advance links to Emily Ann's new songs & releases, and so much more!

$1 Monthly$3 Monthly$5 Monthly$10 Monthly$15 Monthly$25 Monthly$100 Monthly

I'm looking forward to being with you next week. We have some great things in store for you!

Until then I have one message for you. It's this:

Be yourself. Be vulnerable. Be brave. Because the world needs more of your Bare Naked Bravery.

This week we're joined by Gabby Keegan who is the voice behind the Moxie Podcast! She and I chatted for a bit a while back on her show and I wanted to bring her on and jam together about some of the bravery it takes to consider your day job a work of patronage, what does it mean to be an introvert in an extroverted job, how to find sanity in a crazy career world.

Your Brave Take Away from today's show is to go get yourself a copy of Bare Naked Bravery from Amazon! Truly, if you're listening to this episode on the week the book released then there are launch deals

We'd love to hear all about your favorite parts of today's Bare Naked Bravery. You can find Gabby Keegan and myself on facebook, twitter, instagram, and more. Go ahead and tag us so we can cheer you on and see what you're up to.

www.moxiesandiego.comwww.instagram.com/moxiesandiego https://www.facebook.com/moxiesandiego/

http://emilyannpeterson.comhttp://instagram.com/emilyannpete http://facebook.com/emilyannpeterson http://twitter.com/emilyapeterson

If you're diggin' the music in today's episode, that's because it's brought to you by my friends at Music Box Licensing, a premier creative music agency dedicated to finding and crafting unique soundtracks.

To find out more about all the artists, musicians, and other sponsors of the show, please visit barenakedbravery.com/sponsors

1. Leave a review on iTunes

We would LOVE it if you'd leave a podcast rating or review on iTunes.  

Simply click here to get started >>> http://bit.ly/bnbrr

1. Share this episode with a friend

If you have a friend who might really love/need to hear this episode, what are you waiting for?! Email, text, fb message, snail mail - all great options!

1. Become a Patron of Bare Naked Bravery

Every patron gets awesome goodies, super early advance links to Emily Ann's new songs & releases, and so much more!

$1 Monthly$3 Monthly$5 Monthly$10 Monthly$15 Monthly$25 Monthly$100 Monthly

I'm looking forward to being with you next week. We have some great things in store for you!

Until then I have one message for you. It's this:

Be yourself. Be vulnerable. Be brave. Because the world needs more of your Bare Naked Bravery.

We are so so so excited about this!

Go get your copy here: http://a.co/6Iqkikw More info here: http://emilyannpeterson.com/bnb-book

In reaction to how close the publishing date for my book was the other day someone asked me, "Are you just so proud of yourself?!"  The question caught me off guard because if I'm being honest I wasn't proud of myself. I wasn't proud because I hadn't taken time to feel that yet.

So after taking a couple days to continue with all the busy hubbub of all this book release excitement, I also took some time to feel the full effect of attaining a really huge milestone for myself.

Regardless of how this book turns out or is received in the world, I know that publishing a book is no small feat. That alone is worthy of feeling the pride and joy of accomplishment.

So that's what today's episode on the Bare Naked Bravery podcast is all about: How to Make Space for Powerful Moments. And just so you know, these suggestions apply to not only the mountain-top experiences but also the low, dark, scary moments too. So regardless of what kind of Season of Bravery you find yourself in, this episode is for you...

http://emilyannpeterson.comhttp://instagram.com/emilyannpete http://facebook.com/emilyannpeterson http://twitter.com/emilyapeterson

If you're diggin' the music in today's episode, that's because it's brought to you by my friends at Music Box Licensing, a premier creative music agency dedicated to finding and crafting unique soundtracks.

To find out more about all the artists, musicians, and other sponsors of the show, please visit barenakedbravery.com/sponsors

1. Leave a review on iTunes

We would LOVE it if you'd leave a podcast rating or review on iTunes.  

Simply click here to get started >>> http://bit.ly/bnbrr

1. Share this episode with a friend

If you have a friend who might really love/need to hear this episode, what are you waiting for?! Email, text, fb message, snail mail - all great options!

1. Become a Patron of Bare Naked Bravery

Every patron gets awesome goodies, super early advance links to Emily Ann's new songs & releases, and so much more!

$1 Monthly$3 Monthly$5 Monthly$10 Monthly$15 Monthly$25 Monthly$100 Monthly

I'm looking forward to being with you next week. We have some great things in store for you!

Until then I have one message for you. It's this:

Be yourself. Be vulnerable. Be brave. Because the world needs more of your Bare Naked Bravery.

Over this last year, in anticipation of my book publishing later this month, I've appeared on a lot of podcasts as a guest. One of my favorite interviews to be a part of was for the Courage & Clarity podcast, hosted by Steph Crowder. Love her.

Well, Steph also released another conversation with someone whose story exemplifies so much of what we talk about here on the show that as I was listening to it, I was thinking, "The Bare Naked Bravery folks need to hear this. Wouldn't it be so cool to get to talk with her?!" Well, fate would have it that I was driving at the time and forgot to write down "Contact Catherine Rains" on my to-do list.

But evidently, Catherine was thinking the same thing and contacted US! So you guys, this is gonna be a great story about growing up with a bi-polar parent, quitting your job for art, battling cancer, getting divorced, and then quitting your job again to go back into art full-time.

Catherine Rains is the artist behind @TheHotelArtist on Instagram - go check her out, because not only does she have a phenomenal story, but her work is wonderful too.

One of the things I love most about Catherine's story is how level-headed she is, which is really a testament to how not-chaotic bravery can sometimes be. I think it's easy to forget that even though you're accomplishing great and wonderful things, that you can still have your wits about you and not lose your sanity. So get ready to listen to a wildly sane and grounded story of being a visual artist with extra doses of hutzpah.

Beyond your free Bravery Bundle (which is always available at barenakedbravery.com) your Brave Take-Away from today's show is to go get yourself covered in color! Go paint, doodle, or draw something - anything. Especially if you're not an "artist type." Stretching yourself to operate in a different brain function is epically helpful.

And if you're feeling extra showy, everyone in the Bare Naked Bravery Community would love to see what you came up with, especially after listening to Catherine's story. You can find Catherine Rains and myself on facebook, twitter, instagram, and more. Go ahead and tag us so we can cheer you on and see what you're up to.

www.catherinerains.com https://www.instagram.com/thehotelartist/

http://emilyannpeterson.com http://instagram.com/emilyannpete http://facebook.com/emilyannpeterson http://twitter.com/emilyapeterson

So that's our show this week! Thank you for listening. Again, we've put all the links in the show notes for today's episode. Be sure to visit us online for all of that. Just visit barenakedbravery.com

And if you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it for you, please. Give us a review and rate the show in your iTunes desktop app or on your podcast app on your phone. Seriously, it helps us out a lot more than it is a hassle for you. All this bravery deserves to be spread as far and wide as possible. You're a part of all that!

If you're diggin' the music in today's episode, that's because it's brought to you by Lee Rosevere! To find out more about all the artists, musicians, and other sponsors of the show, please visit barenakedbravery.com/sponsors

I'm looking forward to being with you next week. We have some great things in store for you!

Until then I have one message for you. It's this: Be yourself. Be vulnerable. Be brave. Because the world needs more of your Bare Naked Bravery.

1. Leave a review on iTunes

We would LOVE it if you'd leave a podcast rating or review on iTunes.  

Simply click here to get started >>> http://bit.ly/bnbrr

1. Share this episode with a friend

If you have a friend who might really love/need to hear this episode, what are you waiting for?! Email, text, fb message, snail mail - all great options!

1. Become a Patron of Bare Naked Bravery

Every patron gets awesome goodies, super early advance links to Emily Ann's new songs & releases, and so much more!

$1 Monthly$3 Monthly$5 Monthly$10 Monthly$15 Monthly$25 Monthly$100 Monthly

I'm looking forward to being with you next week. We have some great things in store for you!

Until then I have one message for you. It's this:

Be yourself. Be vulnerable. Be brave. Because the world needs more of your Bare Naked Bravery.