Find Your Magic

Feeling burnt out? If you're looking for more balance, this episode with my good friend Kate Kordsmeier is for you. Kate has done an INCREDIBLE job building a multi-six-figure business with blogging and passive income so she can open up time and space to be with her family. She now teaches other entrepreneurs how to do the same!

There are so many roles we fill every day; mother, daughter, employee, business owner, team leader, but all those roles can leave us feeling depleted if we don't balance it out with self-care. Kate walks the walk, she is unapologetic about wanting to be financially successful with her business, while also prioritizing her mental health.

One thing we really dig into is the myth of "work-life balance"...Work is a PART of life. It's only when you look at your life as a holistic picture that is constantly ebbing and flowing that you can surrender to the flow and build a life AND business that are fulfilling. A life you are happy to show up for every day. 

We also talk about mom guilt, and why some mothers are not starting their businesses because they feel guilty about taking time away from their family- something I really want to learn more about so I can support this community better (even though I don't yet have kids myself).

Kate is a writer, educator, and creative entrepreneur. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Matt, their two kiddos, Jackson and Gemma, and 3 fur babies, Scout, Boo, and Finch (yes, like the book!). Kate left her flourishing journalism career (her byline has appeared in over 125 magazines) to start a holistic wellness blog, Root + Revel, which became a multi-six-figure business! She took what she learned and now teaches other heart-centered online entrepreneurs to create a purposeful and profitable online business.

I hope you love listening to this episode as much as I loved having it!

Just a friendly reminder, SEO, blogging, writing, and creating passive incomes are all learnable skills, and my DMs and Kate’s DMs are open! Do not be afraid to create the content because you are scared of doing it “wrong”. As Kate said, action is the only way to get clarity! 

Connect with Kate:

Kate’s website: https://katekordsmeier.com/

Kate’s Podcast, “Success with Soul Podcast”: https://katekordsmeier.com/podcast/

21 Days to Impact Course:

https://programs.katekordsmeier.com/21daystoimpactwaitlist

Success with Soul with Kate Kordsmeier FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/196632034248831

Kate’s favorite Tools & Resources: https://programs.katekordsmeier.com/tools

Connect with Kelsey:

Kelsey’s Website: http://www.kelseyformost.com

Kelsey’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/keformost

Kelsey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey.writes/

Kelsey’s Courses: https://kelseyformost.com/courses

Original Themesong composed by Jules Grant https://www.instagram.com/j.u.l.e.s.g.r.a.n.t/

Produced by Hayleigh Hayhurst https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com/

Learn more about our sponsor Kajabi & get a 30 day free trial of their platform (the best deal you’ll find ANYwhere on the internet!) at http://www.kelseyformost.com/kajabi

Therapy curious after listening to this episode? Get 10% your first month of online therapy from Betterhelp.com with promo code FINDYOURMAGIC

http://www.betterhelp.com/findyourmagic

Cue the music, Magic Makers because 🎶 It's the most wonderful time of the year 🎶! It's HALLOWEEN SEASON - aka my absolute favorite holiday, and consequently, time of year.

First of all, I love autumn in general because things start to slow the eff down after all the hubub of summer. The weather cools and we start to spend more time inside with family, friends, loved ones, and with ourselves. And of course, autumn also contains my favorite holiday; Halloween! I actually spent some time unpacking WHY I gravitate towards Halloween so much (and have since childhood) and I think it's because Halloween gives us permission to lean into the darker, more mysterious and curious parts of ourselves without any fear of judgment or ridicule. It’s a time for fun and play and exploration and acceptance.

I purposefully saved this guest for the first Monday in October because there's no better human I know to ring in Spooky Season than my friend, Matt Woods. Matt is a visual artist and illustrator working and living in New York City who creates macabre and charming artwork that celebrates the strange and unusual year-round. Halloween is also *his* favorite day of the year and he tries to bring a bit of that spooky weirdness to everything he does.

I first met Matt through his wonderful husband many moons ago and since then we've connected on the front of magic, authenticity, activism, and celebrating what makes us all unique. We're covering a LOT of beautiful and inspiring ideas in this episode; the importance of honoring all the parts of ourselves, advice for people who want to make more time for creativity and play, and making room for the people and things that truly make us happy.

If I had to pick a theme for this episode it would be AUTHENTICITY, specifically, how choosing to be authentic pays off every single time. Because here's the biggest life secret of all: when you stop worrying about "fitting in", that's when the real magic happens and you start attracting amazing people and opportunities into your life that are aligned with who you are and what you value.

The best way to support Matt is to follow him on Instagram and follow along with (and even participate in) "Inktober"! Every day in October, he draws something that inspires him from an "Inktober" prompt, and shares it with the world. Observe it, support it, bid on a piece, or take it as a nudge to practice your own creativity; it's purely for fun! 

You can see more of Matt's work here:

Matt’s Website: matthewwoodsart.com

Matt’s Instagram: instagram.com/hallowwoods

Every day in October Matt will be auctioning 4x4 inch original illustrations on his Instagram @hallowwoods in conjunction with Inktober. https://inktober.com/

Connect with Kelsey:

Kelsey’s Website: http://www.kelseyformost.com

Kelsey’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/keformost

Kelsey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey.writes/

Kelsey’s Courses: https://kelseyformost.com/courses

Original Themesong composed by Jules Grant https://www.instagram.com/j.u.l.e.s.g.r.a.n.t/

Produced by Hayleigh Hayhurst https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com/ 

Learn more about our sponsor Kajabi & get a 30 day free trial of their platform (the best deal you’ll find ANYwhere on the internet!) at http://www.kelseyformost.com/kajabi

Therapy curious after listening to this episode? Get 10% your first month of online therapy from Betterhelp.com with promo code FINDYOURMAGIC

http://www.betterhelp.com/findyourmagic

If you aren’t sure if you’re ready to make your side hustle your full-time job, this episode is for you! Educator, founder, CEO, and podcaster Shannon Mattern and I talk about the journey, the mindset, and the path you need to take to confidently transition from side hustler to self-employed, WITHOUT taking a pay cut.

Shannon’s story might sound (a little too) familiar: one day she found herself sitting in her beige office under fluorescent lights when she realized she wasn't fulfilling her life’s purpose. So even though it took a lot of brave vulnerability to let go of her "stable" 9-5 job, she decided to take the leap and build the career she'd always dreamed of where she could be her own boss.

Cut to a handful of years later: Shannon has now taught thousands of entrepreneurs how to build their own businesses and DIY a professional website through her amazing programs. And here's the kicker: according to her monthly income reports (which she publishes on her blog & which I never miss!) she's on track to scale to half a million dollars this year.

In this episode, Shannon and I talk about why you need to think of self-education as investing in yourself and your business. Thoughtfully spent dollars on courses, mentorship, and employees are investments that you will make back and can pay off big time in the long run. 

Shannon's zone of genius is helping people identify marketable skills that bring them joy AND are actually going to make them money so they can feel safe leaving their day job/career/identity to go out on their own and invest in themselves. Because like it or not, at some point you have to invest in programs and people that are going to support your business to scale faster & more effectively. 

And hey, as Loreál says, YOU'RE WORTH IT!

Our Sponsors:

Learn more about our sponsor Kajabi, the #1 knowledge commerce platform, and get a 30 day free trial here (the best deal you’ll find ANYwhere on the internet!) at  http://www.kelseyformost.com/kajabi

Interested in improving your mental health? Get 10% off your first month of online therapy from Betterhelp.com with promo code FINDYOURMAGIC

http://www.betterhelp.com/findyourmagic

Connect with Shannon:

Shannon’s Podcast Pep Talk for Side Hustlers, featuring Kelsey Formost:  Copywriting Secrets with Kelsey Formost of Copy Class https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/copywriting-secrets-with-kelsey-formost-of-copy-class/id1367475819?i=1000504496432

Shannon’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wpbffshannon

Shannon’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonlmattern/

Shannon’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/shannonlmattern

Shannon’s Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shannonlmattern/

Shannon’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWsgds8giB5ilvCMD7sLMRQ

Shannon’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern/

Shannon’s Website: Shannon Mattern: https://shannonmattern.com

Connect with Kelsey:

Kelsey’s Website: http://www.kelseyformost.com

Kelsey’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/keformost

Kelsey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey.writes/

Kelsey’s Courses: https://kelseyformost.com/courses

Original Themesong composed by Jules Grant https://www.instagram.com/j.u.l.e.s.g.r.a.n.t/

Produced by Hayleigh Hayhurst http://www.espressopodcastproduction.com

Magic Makers. I. AM. SO. EXCITED to have this conversation today because it’s about one of the biggest game changers in my own life and business: THERAPY!

I looooove talking about therapy now, (shoutout to my therapist Melanie!), but it wasn’t always that way. I felt nervous I was gonna get judged or that it meant something was “wrong” with me- but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

For me, the biggest surprise about going to therapy was seeing how much that hour a week helped me explode and scale my business. Therapy isn’t just for support through trauma or big life events, it can be so helpful to those of us who just have a nagging feeling that things could be better...we just can’t put our finger on how.

And who better to come on the pod to talk about the benefits of therapy than an actual real life Psychologist?! Dr. Sheena Sikorski is a licensed psychologist and mindset coach who helps her clients with science-based strategies to overcome and move through mindset blocks so they can get to what they are meant to be doing and stop holding themselves back.

She focuses on helping female entrepreneurs heal from self-doubt and other mindset blocks so they can show up in their business with confidence and ease, and finally leave their 9-5 job. YES PLEASE.

In this episode Sheena and I talk about the pressure we feel to figure out our lives at a young age. And how even now into our 30’s, social media seems to make us feel like we’re never quite enough. Sound familiar?

This episode is kinda like getting a free therapy session yourself; we’re talking about how to bust procrastination, how to boost self confidence, thoughts on setting boundaries, and so much more. 

If you’re ready to break through your mindset blocks, smash that play button! And of course, be sure to hit “subscribe” so you never miss an episode.

Learn more about our sponsor Kajabi & get a 30 day free trial of their platform (the best deal you’ll find ANYwhere on the internet!) at http://www.kelseyformost.com/kajabi

Therapy curious after listening to this episode? Get 10% your first month of online therapy from Betterhelp.com with promo code FINDYOURMAGIC

http://www.betterhelp.com/findyourmagic

Connect with Dr. Sheena Sikorski:

Dr. Sheena’s Free Masterclass: https://sheenasikorski.lpages.co/webinar/

Dr. Sheena’s Website: https://drsheenasikorski.com/

Dr. Sheena’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsheenasikorski/

Connect with Kelsey:

Kelsey’s Website: http://www.kelseyformost.com

Kelsey’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/keformost

Kelsey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey.writes/

Kelsey’s Courses: https://kelseyformost.com/courses

Original Themesong composed by Jules Grant https://www.instagram.com/j.u.l.e.s.g.r.a.n.t/

Produced by Hayleigh Hayhurst http://www.espressopodcastproduction.com

This episode is basically the 'Find Your Magic' version of "Legally Blonde"; it involves feminism, believing in yourself after failure, glitter pens, understanding your personal brand, and setting yourself up for success in the workforce. Plus the musical improv "gives it a little something extra, don't you think?"

Come for the laughs, stay for the legal advice! If you're anything like me, you hear the word "legal" and your eyes glaze over. It can be scary and intimidating to get set up with everything you need to legally start and run a business (not just a hobby).

Lucky for you, my business bestie Nicole Swartz is here to talk us through the basics. She's the founder of Sprout Law - a law firm for women entrepreneurs, and Celestine Social - a consultancy that focuses on branding and social media strategy. From trademarks, to naming your brand, to terms and conditions, to contracts, to building a sustainable business that can scale- Nicole can help!

But don't estomp your lil last season Prada shoes at me hunny- it's not all legalese! We had a TON of fun in this episode- in fact I think it's safe to say I laughed more taping this one than any episode so far! And of course, no episode of Find Your Magic is complete without a chat about mental health. 

So if you're ready to laugh out loud, pick up some business tips, and like, totally have a better relationship with failure, then you better 'bend and snap' to it and hit that play button! (What, like it's hard?)

Connect with Nicole:
Freebie webinar to learn about trademarks (that doesn’t suck): https://www.sproutlaw.com/trademark-webinar
Nicole’s original episode of Find Your Magic on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fRXQfEaFEpA
Nicole’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sproutlaw/


Connect with Kelsey:
Kelsey’s Website: http://www.kelseyformost.com
Kelsey’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/keformost
Kelsey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey.writes/
Kelsey’s Courses: https://kelseyformost.com/courses

Original Themesong composed by Jules Grant https://www.instagram.com/j.u.l.e.s.g.r.a.n.t/
Produced by Hayleigh Hayhurst http://www.espressopodcastproduction.com

Hey Magic Makers! This episode starts with a few housekeeping updates:

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK.

Now to the GOOD STUFF: here’s what to expect from this incredible conversation with one of my best friends in the whole world, Gentry White.

Gentry is an amazingly talented LA-based actor; he currently stars in ‘Jett’ on HBOMax, ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ on Netflix, ‘Unreal’ on Hulu, ‘TURN Washington Spies’ on Netflix, and the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise.

We’re diving into how to approach your creative and entrepreneurial projects with a sense of play and childlike wonder. One of the ways to do that is to find a creative outlet that is JUST for joy; not putting pressure on making money on every single side project you do. Those passion projects pour into our cup and are just as important as the ones that brings us financial abundance.

Gentry does an amazing job balancing the creativity he brings to his work on set and making sure he has a creative outlet outside of work so he can continue to approach creative work with a sense of play.

During quarantine, Gentry decided to dive into the world of photography, specifically self-portrait photography. He began taking photos of himself and found that it helped with not only his artistic creativity but also his body dysmorphia. He wanted to express himself and his individuality, but having someone take photos of him terrified him. So, he just decided to do it himself. This boosted his confidence and made him realize that the way he saw himself in the mirror was so different than how the camera and others saw him.

Gentry and I also get very real about the vulnerability it takes to express yourself as an artist- not hiding behind a mask or a character but rather being brave enough to bring a deep truth to your work. When you’re open, you can foster lifelong connections and produce your best work because you’re being your most authentic self.

We also talk about Black representation in media and entertainment, a topic that truly needs to be addressed more frequently and with more accountability from the white community. Gentry was so generous to speak on the subject, sharing some of his eye-and-heart-opening stories about some roles he’s been offered in the past that didn’t align with the stories he wants to tell about the Black experience in America.

This episode is real, honest, raw, and positively dripping with MAGIC.

PS- Please take a moment to hit “subscribe” if you’re enjoying this content! It helps other people like you find this community. Deeply grateful for you!

CONNECT WITH GENTRY:
Gentry’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gentrywhite/
Gentry’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gentrywhite
Watch Unreal on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/unreal-dcd85133-0465-410f-8792-aeb94ebd5755
Watch Jett on HBO Max: https://www.hbomax.com/series/urn:hbo:series:GYNUd2AdaH5TCJwEAAAAK

Connect with Kelsey:

Kelsey’s Website: http://www.kelseyformost.com

Kelsey’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/keformost

Kelsey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey.writes/

Kelsey’s Courses: https://kelseyformost.com/courses

Original Themesong composed by Jules Grant https://www.instagram.com/j.u.l.e.s.g.r.a.n.t/

Produced by Hayleigh Hayhurst http://www.espressopodcastproduction.com

Calling all skeptics! If you’re unsure about how energy and mindset affects your bottom line, you NEED to listen to this episode with successful CEO Emily Thomas.

Emily is a multi-passionate entrepreneur; she’s a coach who takes business owners to 7 and 8 figures, the founder of the Live Your Light School, a course to build self-trust in business, and CEO of Sundari Swim, an eco-conscious, body-positive swimwear brand. Emily teaches a no-fluff approach to mindset, business energetics & entrepreneurship. Her courses offer tools to facilitate self-coaching with her BREATHE Mind Management method.

The reason I love talking to Emily about this hippie woo-woo alignment and energy stuff so much is she really grounds her spiritual teaching in PRACTICAL goals, helping us get out of our own way to consciously design the life we deserve. It’s about quieting the inner skeptic, understanding what we’re REALLY attracting with our energy and vibration (stay with me!) so we can do the work that we were put on this earth to do.

So what’s in this episode? A LOT of open, vulnerable talk about how to identify and change the stories we tell ourselves about what we think we deserve.

You’ll hear Emily ask me some deep, probing questions about my recent breakup and decision to launch this podcast.

You’ll hear some wild stories about un-ignorable signs from the universe (seriously, pay attention when I start talking about the movie ‘Soul’!).

You’ll get some practical tools and takeaways to start asking YOURSELF a few questions about why you might be holding yourself back from success in your business and your relationships.

This one is for brave, wholehearted, hippie woo-woo curious business bishes who have a hard time accepting how much spirituality affects our work.

I see you, I’m one of you, and...I want to hear from you! Have you ever gotten an un-ignorable sign from the universe? DM them to me on Instagram @kelsey.writes or email me at [email protected]!

...before you go, I have a vulnerable favor to ask you:

Would you take a sec and subscribe to ‘Find Your Magic’ wherever you listen to podcasts? It helps me keep the podcast free for you guys AND helps other people find us. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart- you, Magic Makers, are the reason I’m doing this.

WANT SOME FREE HELP? CONNECT WITH EMILY:
Go to http://www.emilykthomas.com for a free 15 min session. Mention the “Find Your Magic” podcast for 30% a full energetic coaching session with Emily
Connect with Emily on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/itsemilythomas

Connect with Kelsey:

Kelsey’s Website: http://www.kelseyformost.com

Kelsey’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/keformost

Kelsey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey.writes/

Kelsey’s Courses: https://kelseyformost.com/courses

Original Themesong composed by Jules Grant https://www.instagram.com/j.u.l.e.s.g.r.a.n.t/

Produced by Hayleigh Hayhurst http://www.espressopodcastproduction.com

Jacinta Gandy “had it all”... the corner office, the 6-figure salary, the agency title, the fancy corporate expense account - and yet, she wasn’t happy. Not even close. Today we’re talking about the vulnerability and bravery it takes to leave a stable 9-5 to follow your own dreams and start your own business. 

Today, Jacinta owns her own successful company, Social Circle; a full-service design studio that specialises in bold and beautiful branding consultations and web design based in Brooklyn, NY. Now she helps other women entrepreneurs build a profitable brand and web design/presence by...ahem...dare I say, finding their magic?

One of my favorite points from this episode is that time spent in corporate is NEVER wasted! It’s easy to feel guilty about not being happy despite getting everything you strived for. This episode is DEFINITELY for you if you feel shame about wanting to leave the stability provided by a traditional career path, especially one you’ve invested lots of time, money, or energy in pursuing.

You’re never too old and it’s never too late to find and pursue what lights you up. Glad you’re here, Magic Maker.

PS- Please take a moment to hit “subscribe” if you’re enjoying this content! It helps other people like you find this community. Deeply grateful for you!

Need help with your website or branding? Here’s Jacinta’s info:

Social Circle’s Website: socialcircleinc.com

Jacinta’s Instagram: instagram.com/jacinta.gandy

Kelsey's guest episode on Jacinta's podcast "Hustle With Purpose": https://socialcircleinc.com/write-words-sell/

Connect with Kelsey:

Original Themesong composed by Jules Grant https://www.instagram.com/j.u.l.e.s.g.r.a.n.t/

Produced by Hayleigh Hayhurst http://www.espressopodcastproduction.com

Feel intimidated and overwhelmed by Instagram but know it can help your business grow? Have a love-hate relationship with social media because of how it affects your mental health? You’re not alone!

In this episode of Find Your Magic I’m speaking with Mandy Emerson, a professional instagram coach who helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses using social media. But what I love about Mandy is that she focuses on helping women build their business using Instagram while also minimizing overwhelm and emphasizing authenticity.

Before we dig into Mandy’s tips for staying sane while building an Instagram presence, we start with a vulnerable conversation about what led her to starting her successful business - specifically, the difficult time period between the leaving of an old career/identity and the discovery and wholehearted pursuit of a new, more aligned path.

Mandy and I became instant friends when we bonded over leaving our successful careers in the entertainment business - her as a star cruise ship performer, me as a Hollywood actress (theater nerds, unite!). We’d spent so much time, energy and money learning to be professional performers only to find out over a long period of time that it wasn’t as fulfilling any more.

The truth is, finding your magic doesn’t happen overnight. There’s often a quite long period of time when you’re really struggling with the guilt of leaving an old dream behind and the anxiety of not knowing what’s next. We think, “shouldn’t I have this figured out by now? Am I too old or too late to make this change?”

I call these our lily pad moments; the times in life where we’ve left something behind and need a temporary safe place to land, a port in the storm to sort through our emotions before we decide what’s next.

Don’t worry - Mandy and I get into some Instagram and social media tips in the second half of the episode! She shares how to drive engagement and build community in a way that’s authentic and minimizes overwhelm. I HIGHLY recommend you check out her amazing free resources if social media is intimidating for you!

Thanks for sharing this vulnerable conversation with us! If you liked tuning in- and gee I really hope you did!- take a sec to subscribe & leave us a review on apple podcasts? It helps us SO MUCH and helps Apple’s algorithm serve our content to other listeners who would benefit from these conversations. THANK YOU SO MUCH OK BYEEEEE!

Connect with Mandy:

Connect with Kelsey:

Original Themesong composed by Jules Grant https://www.instagram.com/j.u.l.e.s.g.r.a.n.t/

Produced by Hayleigh Hayhurst http://www.espressopodcastproduction.com

Magic Makers, meet my friend Eddie. Eddie is very fancy and famous these days (I’m not kidding, he’s kind of the star of TWO freaking hit TV shows right now). Even though he’s had an incredible year and seems to have rocketed to stardom “out of nowhere”, this conversation is a reminder that there’s truly no such thing as overnight success.

It’s been an absolute honor to watch Eddie’s career blossom as his friend, knowing what a wonderful heart he has. In this episode, you’ll hear how Eddie and I met “in the trenches” as actors in Hollywood trying to catch a break, his history of coming “so close” to the roles he wanted so many times, his experience as an Asian American actor and his hopes for a more inclusive and peaceful future.

We talk about our struggles with scarcity mindset, overcoming perfectionism & procrastination as creative entrepreneurs, learning not to compare ourselves to others, and how we stay sane while we wait for the miracle.

More than anything, this conversation is about staying focused during difficult seasons - on your passions, your values, your work, and your mental health - so that you can be ready to excel when opportunity presents itself.

There’s no such thing as overnight success...success is the result of a series of small choices to turn towards the life you want to live. We have to find ways to be happy in the everyday process and difficult seasons, otherwise we’ll never be happy when we get what we asked for.

Please support Eddie by watching the first season of ‘Kung Fu’ on the CW - all episodes are now streaming on the (free!) CW app. (Also, it’s actually a REALLY good show and I’m not just saying that because he’s in it. I ended up bingeing the whole thing).

And hey, if you wanna support this podcast, leave us a nice review on apple podcasts, wouldja? It helps send a message to the nice folx at Apple that people like what we’re sharing and want to hear more! Thank you for real, for real!

Connect with Eddie:

Connect with Kelsey:

Original Themesong composed by Jules Grant https://www.instagram.com/j.u.l.e.s.g.r.a.n.t/

Produced by Hayleigh Hayhurst http://www.espressopodcastproduction.com