By Karen Christensen
5
2727 ratings
The podcast currently has 37 episodes available.
Today on the Podcast, Time to Clean House.
With Summer just around the bend, and before all those mid-year reflections start rolling in, this week is an ideal time to talk about how to 'Spring Clean' your business and your relationships. Declutter any victim mindset, rethink your approach, and engage with your projects (and your people) more intentionally.
So that you can look at what's working, what's not, and give yourself the space you need to go about doing things differently. Doing things, better, Dreamcatcher.
Whether that's stopping procrastination, 10x-ing your productivity, getting back to the goals you'd set at the beginning of the year, giving up emotional eating, or learning to become a better boss — the invitation is to work "on" your business rather than "in" and to be "with" folks rather than "at" folks.
And to trust that there's more than enough time to get it all done, EVEN IF you take a break. And that, sometimes, the best thing we can do is getaway for an in-person, immersive, planning retreat or VIP coaching day. And allow someone else's eyes and ears and hands to laser focus on what we need most: perspective, direction, and bandwidth.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Today on the Podcast, Lessons Learned + Our Future Selves.
Hard to believe but it was exactly 19 years ago (this month) that I moved from small town NH (grew up in a tiny town of just 10,000 people) to big city La La Land. Wilder still? Those 19 years ago? I was exactly 19 years old. And, I gotta tell you, there’s something kind of full circle about that.
Given so many of our recent episodes have been about how to get mentors, how to pitch influencers, how to find your tribe, and how to know when the whole transformation / personal growth process will happen (cuz DANG is change hard!) — I thought this week a perfect time to walk down memory lane.
In thinking about what I'd tell my 19-year-old self (having since worked as an actress, a photographer, a filmmaker, speaker and coach; weathering my fare share of failures and embarrassments, heartbreaks and betrayals; trauma and injustices) I can't help but think what my future self might ALSO want to tell me, now, sharing with you.
So if anything feels full circle, in your own life, use this conversation less as peek into my world and more as an opportunity to gaze into your own. What doors need to be closed? What windows want to be opened? Time to get curious and compassionate about it all.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Today on the Podcast, The Knocking on Your Heart.
You know when you're at one of those huge conferences and you're meeting all kinds of creative entrepreneurial folks from all kinds of places?
You're chatting quickly here and there between speakers. Passing by briefly between bathroom breaks.
Wishing you could chat with influencers but find yourself seated with the friends you came with cuz there's barely time to eat and pee — let alone introduce yourself in a non crazy-person way.
You feel a weird mix of excitement and dread.
There are specific names you want to "connect" with and certain folks you want to avoid. So you're racking and stacking who to prioritize. Maybe you practice your elevator speech on the plane, in the taxi, at your hotel. No doubt you dress to impress and ya come camera ready, costs be damned!
If this is you, know this is also about 99.9% of every conference goer on the planet. Even the ones you most look up to have that same twinge of "conference crazy" as I call it. One part nerves, one part thrill, one part pressure. You've put a lot of time, money, and energy into going. It makes sense why you might be thinking, "This HAS to WORK." But oye is that a slippery slope!
And then suddenly the weekend's over?! You're flying home, bombarded with a billion BIG ideas, already starting to feel the high coming down and thinking ...
"Wait, it's over? I met sooooo many people; why do I feel like I barely talked to anyone." You're looking through your phone and it's all detail shots and flatlays and boomerangs and photo booth groupies. You think, "It looks like I had a great time. Why did I feel so lonely? So spastic? So desperate?" And you're wondering, "How the heck do I make this count?"
So, you skim through your pages of notes ...
Sound familiar? It's a vicious cycle. One every entrepreneur has been on at one time or another. Know you're not alone. You're in the exact right place.
Build your business "small but mighty; slow and steady."
Now more than ever, when so many women are launching offerings from their laptop (juxtaposed by registering for 1000+ person swaggy conferences with tracked themes or enrolling in monthly online memberships for hundreds of folks at all different stages of business and seasons of life), you need to remember that the BEST businesses — the ones that thrive creatively, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically AND financially — are the ones built on real life, genuine, intimate relationship circles. They are the brain trusts. The collectives. The masterminds. Not only sustainable in business but in life. Because ...
Quickie conference chit-chat like, "Oh, hey! So, what'd you think of the panel?" is great but not enough.
Loop giveaway partners are smart but not enough.
Instagram Lives are fun but not enough.
Private Facebook Groups are 24/7 but not enough.
What is? Truly investing in others (& they'll invest in you).
Giving more than taking. Sharing more than competing. Learning more than preaching. Not with hundreds. Not with thousands. But with a precious few, we hold on.
It's the people you've supported, the ones you've truly gotten to know and serve, who will get you through. Not the room you tried to "work" nor the list you promo-blasted last week.
Better yet? They're the ones who'll remind you who you are, what you want, why you started.
They're the ones who'll look you, dead in the eyes, call the elephant out in the room, and say, "Sister-friend, what's up? I see you're struggling. What do you need?" They're the ones who roll up their sleeves, offer their resources, and introduce you to the right people, at the right time, in the right way.
And that, friends, is how authentic marketing and genuine sales funnels are made. One slow, sincere, surrendered conversation at a time. We draw the circle wide. So come sit by us.
Enter my conversation with Nitika Chopra ...
Nitika Chopra is a certified life coach, wellness entrepreneur, go-to resource for young women around the globe, and a motivational lifestyle guru.
On a mission to inspire radical self-love, she began her entrepreneurial journey as the founder of the popular online magazine Bella Life in 2010. The host of the talk show Naturally Beautiful on Z Living, which focuses on a holistic approach to beauty from the inside out, her passion for beauty and self-love recently landed her a job with a luxury skin care brand as their on-air beauty expert for QVC.
While she is a passionate, colorful, and inspirational voice supporting people in their journey to access more self-love by creating a lifestyle reflective of it — she's also as real as they come.
She's a woman I'm grateful to have deep-dived with and look forward to hosting again soon. Listen in, share this episode, and let's give Nitika a giant Dreamcatchers hug.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Today on the Podcast, Face off with Yourself and Fly.
There's that saying, "wherever you go, there you are." And if you've ever thrown your hands up in the air and spontaneously moved across country, quit a job, ended a relationship or swan dived into a last minute Bali Yoga Retreat (ha! I get it!) — you may have learned just how true that statement really is.
Turns out? Almost as soon as we get "there" we realize we're still "here." Like trying to shake your own shadow, you may soon realize you're the same person with the same thoughts, feelings, and actions ... only now you're in a new surrounding, or novel experience, which will (of course) soon become normalized again. Maybe even boring. And then what? Do you leave, again?
Variety is a Human Need. So is Certainty.
Don't get me wrong. Getting away is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. In fact, unique environments with opportunities to make fresh relationships is one of the absolute best catalysts for change!!!
Think about why camp was so great as a child or why so many of us prioritize attending personal/professional development workshops and conferences. We love them because why? They're full of surprise and variety! More than that? They're just the catalyst, the spark, we need to get fired up again.
But how many feel that hangover let down come Monday? When all the new faces have flown back home and you're back, alone, behind your desk. Day after day after day. All the clarity and conviction, all the certainty, from the weekend quickly begins to wane and you're (again) sitting in doubt; in overwhelm. Alone.
Change your Mindset and your Skillset.
See, it's not UNTIL we learn to change both how we think about things AND how we act on things that we FULLY shift the core thing that made us want to suddenly flee in the first place. Only then do we really feel momentum. Only then do all those seeds of ideas start to blossom into real world realities.
And the KEY? To have intimate, deep, genuine accountability partners and frameworks to keep you motivated and focused even when the going gets tough. Even when you can't hop the next flight to Costa Rica. That's where mentorship, coaching, masterminds and membership communities make all the difference in the world. Taking you from ignition, to insight, to implementation. That type of ongoing support is what keeps stoking the fire and keeps helping you recreate those fun, memorable, connections and inspiration at home.
Enter my conversation with Jeannette Ceja ...
Jeannette Ceja is a bilingual travel journalist and a travel host with over five years of experience on the red carpet. She has interviewed countless of celebrities, athletes, politicians and travel experts including: Anthony Bourdain, Samantha Brown, Pauline Frommer, Rick Steves, Mira Sorvino, Chris O'Donnell, Jim Carey — to name only a few. Having adventured alone to over 20 countries, and traveled to more than 50, Jeannette is a proud Global Ambassador for Synergy of Empowered Women, Kind Traveler, the Free Wheelchair Mission and an International Public Speaker.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Today on the Podcast, Discover Which Phase of Transformation You're In.
One of the things I hear so often from coaching clients, workshop attendees, even colleagues and friends is how much they "love" surprises. That, in fact, they actually crave MORE of them.
Turns out? The day-to-day banal operations, the 24-7 hustle, and the pressure of working behind a screen has got them bored to pieces. They'll say, "it's so redundant" or "it's so lonely" and that they're absolutely desperate for ...
Funny, enough? Those are the very reasons they chose to launch their own business (versus work for someone else) in the first place. To feel that sense of wonder, excitement, and variety.
And, yet, those experiences of newness and surprise are (often) the very things that elude them. It all just seems so dang predictable. And there's nothing fun about that.
Where they thought they'd get to be spontaneous, they now find themselves stuck in a rut.
Especially when the fantasy of what they "thought" something (or someone) would be doesn't match the reality of what it (or she / he) actually is. And when that happens? We start to feel real restless, which makes us crave novel experiences and new people even more.
Cuz, truth? Freedom is (typically) the #1 reason why so many of us take the risk to launch our own creative endeavors.
YET, often, freedom's the furthest thing from what we've carved out for ourselves — especially if you've unknowingly built your career castle without the necessary foundational supports and systems to have the space to take a step back, regroup, and redesign as you go.
So, if this is you, huddle up. Cuz there's this one tiny, tiny blindspot (we all have), which I want you to look out for the next time you say, "I'm over this! I want more surprise! More spontaneity! More freedom to make sudden shifts and do what I want!" And that's this ...
We love surprises (as long as we're in CONTROL of them).
Adorable, right? See, the truth is, you probably didn't go into business by yourself ONLY because you're a freedom seeker and a spontaneity junkie. Nope. My bet? You, like me, like so many creative entrepreneurs — mayyyyyy also be a wee bit of a creative control freak.
You love surprises, yes. That's true. Give ya all the swag bags and snail mail, right? What's also true? You (probably) really like the surprises you kinda-already-know-about and can plan around. The ones that feel a little less surprise-y. Inconvenient, ain't it?
Cuz surprises that don't end the way we want them to, that don't leave us feeling all warm and fuzzy? Those? Those we call change.
And as much as we lifelong learners and seekers and artists may love the idea of growing, of expanding, of becoming our best selves and reaching our fullest potential and healing our past hurts — I've yet to meet a-one-of-us who ENJOYS actually doing things differently or having things not go our way.
But here's the truth about change ...
We can't expect everything (everyone) to transform AND ALSO expect everything (everyone) to stay exactly the same. We've gotta get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Fact is: if you want to play a bigger game, you've got to be willing to shuffle the deck. Deal a new hand. Play another round. And even know when it's time to toss in. You know? That whole "know when to fold em" bit. (Kenny Rogers, anyone?)
And the best way to do that? Surround yourself with A-players, learn which phase you're in, and remember: the only thing constant is change.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Today on the Podcast, Finding Your Path.
If you find yourself feeling disconnected, replaying past events, dress rehearsing worst case scenarios or routinely questioning, "What is my purpose?" — this is the episode for you.
If you have a love / hate relationship with marketing, with sales, with pitching yourself or launching your offerings — this is the episode for you.
If you want to find a mentor but you've got absolutely no idea how it works or where to start or if it's paid — this is the episode for you.
And why? Because we've all been there.
At those crossroads in life (and in business) where we just don't know which way to go; what to share along our journey; or who to travel with.
What if you could learn to trust the path you're on?
What if instead of only seeking guidance from someone else, or only wanderlusting, or only hustling, or only waiting — you learned how to:
Because if you've found yourself planted at the intersection of No Longer and Not Yet, feeling aimless and alone or racing and rushed, there's a better way.
But here's the thing, the journey is the destination:
And the road back home is not outside of yourself. That purpose you seek? It's not to be found but to be remembered. And that type of Creative Direction, both inner and outer, doesn't just spontaneously happen. It's revealed little by little and step by step.
It's the reward of study, of discipline, of quietude. Of consciously doing whatever it takes to put yourself in empowering environments, surrounded by mindful and motivated people, and practicing the Art of Being along with the Science of Success so that you know when to take in the view and when to hit the gas; when to ask for assistance and when to call upon your own inner guidance.
Enter today's conversation with ...
Friend, Ben Decker. A man who is both our instructor and our peer; blending mindfulness with social activism and entrepreneurship into all that we do.
A meditation teacher — who follows a cross disciplinary approach — Ben is the author of Practical Meditation for Beginners, which introduces ten meditation techniques over a ten-day program.
As a political activist, Ben has hosted fundraisers for progressive candidates including Senator Bernie Sanders during his 2016 Presidential Campaign, Congressman Tim Ryan, and Congressional Candidate Marianne Williamson, with whom he worked closely throughout her Los Angeles Congressional campaign.
And once praised by Forbes as a "legendary PR maven," and "a shining example of the talent the philanthropic community needs to attract," Decker left a prolific career in Hollywood to dedicate his professional life to conscious activism where he is passionate about peace, social justice, and reading rare books on ancient wisdom, spirituality, politics, and comparative religion.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Today on the Podcast, Why Women Need Women to Check In.
Radical honesty hour: When's the last time you asked a woman how she was doing ... AND really asked?
You know, as if you truly cared. As if you weren't trying merely to be polite. But as if you truly wanted to know?
Not so that you could fix her but so that you could witness:
Feelings that, frankly, TOO MANY WOMEN are secretly shouldering day in and day out.
And, more importantly, so that you could celebrate:
Was it last week? Last month? Last ________????
And how many of those asks have been solely in the online world?
On a scale of 1 -10, how genuinely present were you? How sincerely interested?
Better yet, when's the last time YOU (yourself) really answered honestly. And really shared openly?
You know, as if you wouldn't be judged. As if you trusted it would matter. As if you could be wildly raw.
Not so that you could wallow but so that you could be seen. And stop forcing yourself to try to look:
Enter today's conversation with ...
Dear new friend, Hafsa of HappilyHafsa.com. A woman whose courage to speak out and speak up, to turn her pain into her purpose, reminds us we're not alone. AND we need each other. Now more than ever.
Hafsa is a mompreneur, photographer and blogger at Happily Hafsa. Her goal is to inspire and motivate fellow moms and help them unlock time through productivity strategies so they can achieve their goals. She loves adventure walks with her kids, catching reruns of The Office and solo trips to Target and Sephora.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Today on the Podcast, How Badly Do You Want It?
You know what I'm talking about. That big dream you've been fantasizing about for weeks, months, (dare I say) years?
That lifelong vision, which now keeps you up at night but at one time (not so long ago) had you bursting outta-your-body excited and ready to do whatever it took?
Yeah, that SCARY goal. The one with more soul, more heart, more truth than anything else — that one!
How committed are you? ... REALLY?
When you hit an upper limit?
When your desire isn't enough?
When you don't feel motivated?
When the daily grind has you trudging through the mud?
How gritty are you then? How self-aware? How compassionate? How focused?
Cuz, while there's huge value in imagining our desires, in designing our ideal business, in identifying our innate strengths, and in staying in our lane (80% of the time) so that we can experience more ease; more fun; more freedom — we will feel brutally mislead if we don't ALSO love, honor, and accept the harder demands of creative entrepreneurship.
That there will ABSOLUTELY be moments when you want to:
Throw in the towel.
Blame everyone around you.
See everything that's NOT working.
Convince yourself it's too late, it's too hard, it's too unfair.
But here's the thing. Those moments (Side note: I share one of my most recent meltdowns in this episode) are the moments to remember: YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK. And my bet? You're a lot closer, too.
Enter today's Pop Quiz borrowed from National Geographic:
As usual, grab a pen + paper and test your mental toughness. Dive in with me as we (each) rate our true grit; answering the 8 reflections that are science backed.
After the episode (once you've got your score)
Reach out to me and let me know how ya did. Share a little bit about where you are, where you want to be, and what you think keeps getting in the way.
I'll send my own grit test score to anyone who opens up over email. You might be surprised, this grit muscle is one we all gotta flex. Day in and day out.
While it does get easier, it's a practice like anything else. Let's do it together.
In this Episode We Talk About:
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Today on the Podcast, Does your life no longer fit?
One of the things I see over and over again? When smart, talented, high performing, creative women in their 30's suddenly realize: "Oh, no. I built the wrong castle."
Despite having done everything "right," they're left feeling like everything's wrong.
And while no one would ever know it — because, heck, they've made the 6 figures and they've built a beautiful brand and they look great online — they're secretly feeling embarrassed and exhausted; wondering ...
Where did my energy go? Where did my enthusiasm go? Where did my self-esteem go? Shouldn't I be happy?
On the outside everything looks impressive. On the inside? Everything feels off.
And even though they've overcome odds before, they've faced failure many times, and they've been no stranger to achievement — this time feels more tender.
They're scared. They're worried. And they're afraid to share. After all ...
What would people think? Wouldn't that hurt my reputation? Who could I turn to, confidentially?
Because the stakes seem far higher at this stage of business, at this season of life, than they ever did when they were first launching. By now, they "should" feel satisfied with what they've accomplished. They "should" feel proud of what they've created.
Mostly, they "shouldn't" knock a good thing when they're simultaneously trying to balance marriage, home ownership, and maybe even starting a family. They "should" just stay put.
Problem is? They can't help but notice that their relationships, their business — maybe even their jeans — all (suddenly) feel 3 sizes too small. And that "what got them here, won't get them there," as the saying goes. And even if they were to hang on with iron hands to what they've got, their heart wouldn't be in it. Eventually, they'd be found out.
SO, What do you do when you've outgrown it all? But you're scared to start over?
You ask for help. You don't go it alone. You surround yourself with other ambitious, resourceful, genuine, empathetic women going through those same growing pains.
And you hold the vision for one another with the guidance and creative direction of a mentor coach and mastermind framework. You don't keep secrets. You don't isolate. You don't "fake it til you make it."
You learn new ways of being, new systems, new strategies, new steps. Ones that feel custom tailored to you and your needs, values, desires.
Now, more than ever, you dig deep and you slow down to speed up. You take a bird's eye view, you synthesize, and then you redesign and retool. What we call Rebranding From The Inside Out.
Enter my Conversation with friend, Kay Fabella.
Kay Fabella is a storyteller and business strategist, who crafts words for entrepreneurs to pivot their business efficiently and connect with the people they were meant to serve. She's a world-recognized speaker, author and trainer who's been featured in international media like the Huffington Post and El País. She also co-founded a bilingual brand + website agency in 2016, Brand in a Bottle.
A Los Angeles native based in Spain, she creates communication strategies to connect brands with their buyers and believers. When Kay's not making brand story magic, you can find her with her Spanish husband and their cat, eating her way through Europe, or jet-setting between LA and Spain (which will land her at a future Dreamcatchers District live event, no doubt, and certainly as a Mentor Masterclass teacher virtually).
In this Episode We Talk About:
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
Today on the Podcast, Are You Blocking Miracles?
If you've been catching yourself feeling judgmental, frustrated, resentful, dissatisfied — like nothing is going right, nothing feels easy, and no one is helping — than this is the episode for you.
WARNING: it may be the exact opposite of what you want to hear.
It may sound so simple-stupid that you'll want to dismiss it.
(I know I've definitely had those moments before; robbing myself of the power of the practice). Here's the invitation: challenge yourself to reallllllly, actually, practice the challenge exercise at the end of the recording.
Cuz truth? Every last one of us can use this reminder, now and again. And ESPECIALLY when the ego mind would have us agitated, impatient, and thinking, "That won't help."
Fact is: It won't help if you don't do it. Nothing will.
Turns out, sometimes, the answers in life aren't complex. They're not heady; not even new. And as much as we'd love to think they are (rationalizing that we need to research something better or learn something more intricate) the reality is, sometimes, we really just need to PRACTICE them. Over and over and over again. Even when they're the last thing on the planet we WANT to do. (Especially then).
SO, as you listen (before, during, and after) g'head and notice if you're monkey brain has you eye rolling; has you dismissing; has you running rampant with restless annoyance; saying things like:
Yeah, but ...
I know this already.
That won't work for me.
Easy for you to say. You don't know my situation.
That, my friends, is the EXACT reason to tune into this very conversation. Because it's THOSE thoughts that keep you stuck, leave you un-coachable, AND make you (+ everyone around you) miserable.
Worse? It's what steals away the "one wild and precious life" that YOU are meant to live. And for what? So you can hold onto being "right" or playing small or maintaining the status quo — #NotWorthIt .
The good news? We've all been there. The better news? You don't have to STAY there. And the fastest way to get back to feeling good? To inspiring others to want to help you? To attracting more abundance into your health, wealth, relationships and business?
Well, that's the simplest-hardest practice of all. Morning, noon, and night. SO listen up and let's get started.
In this Episode We Talk About:
• Why some creative entrepreneurs burnout & others stay resilient
• The reason you've thought you had to push, hustle, control, strive
• How to inspire others to help you, to pay top dollar, to go the extra mile
• The truth about how people will remember you (over-achievers: this is SOBERING)
• What the Art of Relationship Building truly requires (now more than ever)
• How to stand out from the crowd & have more meaning in your life
• The connection between your health, your vitality, your decisions & THIS
• Why some partners get closer over the years and some become more distant
• The single trait that makes people more magnetic in business & life
• When judgement, dissatisfaction, and envy are blocking abundance
• The top way to release resentment, fear, doubt, regret (even low grade anxiety and depression)
• The #1 thing to do when you want to gripe, groan, cry, scream, complain & give up
Get Ready to Hear All The Behind-The-Scenes Stories & Insights.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
• Follow Me: Instagram
• Links Mentioned: The Gottman Institute
• Past Episodes: Ep 027 "Reframe Your Story & Find the Funny in Fear with Writer Suzanne Keilly"
• The Dreamcatchers District: Creative Direction for Your Beliefs, Body, Biz & Brand GET INVITED TO LIVE LA + VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES
This is Not a Monologue, Chime In!
• Rate, Review and Subscribe. Share this with your friends. Listen with your team. Send it to yo mama!
• Got a question you want answered on the podcast? A guest you want interviewed?
• Email your biggest challenges, aha’s, and guest nominations to info @ DreamcatchersDistrict.com .
The podcast currently has 37 episodes available.