Find Your Magic

Hey Magic Makers!

It's never too late. It's never too late to create success, financial freedom, and lift up those around us. 

Today’s conversation is truly mind blowing. My guest today is Leslie Kuster. She is in her mid 60’s now, but at age 55 she took her clothing brand to 50K to mult. 7 figures. In the entrepreneurial world, there can be a toxic way we look at money, but this episode really shows that we should not play small.

Leslie took small actions towards a bigger goal, and changed the way she thought about herself and in just one year, grew her business to multiple 7 figures. 

What really struck me about his conversation is the conversation about age and death, and the feeling like it is “too late”, but also unpacking the “princess in the tower syndrome”

So if you have a yearning thought that life can be better, or should be better, just know that it is possible for you. You can reach everything that your heart desires. 

Connect with Leslie:

Website: https://www.lesliekuster.com

Order Leslie’s Book, 7 Keys To 7 Figures: https://www.lesliekuster.com/book/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesliekusterofficial/

Connect With Me:

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/

I am truly humbled and grateful that my friend Julie Hassett generously agreed to come on the podcast to talk about her recent ADHD diagnosis.

Julie is a union makeup artist based out of Los Angeles, with a background in Psychology. She and I met when she was Head Makeup Artist on the set of Netflix’s “Zac and Mia” (back in my actress days!) and we became immediate friends. Beyond her work in film and Television, Julie has been certified in energy healing practices and has been a practitioner of yoga and meditation for 16 years. She’s also a small business owner who vocally shares her struggles with anxiety, depression, ADHD and PTSD.

Today we’re focusing our conversation on ADHD, and particularly how ADHD manifests in women. (Heads up: if you consider yourself a creative entrepreneur, I’m betting a LOT of this will resonate with you- it sure resonated for me!). ADHD has traditionally remained underdiagnosed in women, and many confusing feelings can come up for those of us who receive an ADHD diagnosis later in life.

Julie wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until she was 35, but once she understood how many of her frustrations were due to the way her brain functioned, it was incredibly freeing! In this episode we get into a lot of fascinating ADHD symptoms like executive dysfunction, body doubling, hyperfixation, time blindness and ways that Julie has been able to cope with it.  

Disclaimer: Neither my guest Julie Hassett, nor myself, are licesnced mental health care providers. If anything resonates with you in this episode, we strongly urge you to speak with a mental health professional for support!

Connect with Julie:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliehasit/

Website: https://www.letsgoghpaintservices.com/

Connect With Me:

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/

HEADS UP: this conversation will make you question the way you use social media and your phone!

May is mental health awareness month, and to celebrate I wanted to take a deeper dive into everyday things we do that we can change to improve our mental health. This week is a topic that- full disclosure- I’ve been nervous to talk about! (Because if I’m honest, I could definitely have a healthier relationship with social media)...

Today I am speaking with comedian, writer, and digital wellness advocate Dan Max Fox about social media and phone addiction. Dan is not only one of the funniest people I know, but he also has an incredible appetite and curiosity for improving daily life. He mindfully takes time to observe things as they are, comment on them, and figure out ways to make them better. 

In this conversation, we talk about Dan’s work with a company called Light Phone, a minimalistic phone company, and his INCREDIBLE children's book, “Zoey! Put Down Your Phone” which teaches children how to get their heads out of the digital cloud, and back into real life connections 

This episode in some ways is tough because as a digital entrepreneur, social media is a tool but there is definitely a fine line between beneficial time, and numbed out wasted time. 

Connect with Dan:

Zoey! Put Down Your Phone: 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1889061813/hey-zoey-get-off-your-phone

Light Phone: https://www.thelightphone.com/

Dan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danmaxfox/

Connect With Me:

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/

Today we’re talking about the importance of PLAY! My guest today is counselor, play therapist, and drama therapist Katie Lear. She helps preteens deal with anxiety, OCD, depression and grief. Inspired at the start of the pandemic to reach more children, she expanded her 1:1 client work to include an online course, an activity book, and “Young Dragonslayers”, an online, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D)-based social skills club she co-founded with actor Zachery Byrd.

Katie and I talk about the power of storytelling for mental health, and how she uses D&D to help kids (and ourselves) explore identity, practice social skills, and form friendships.

We also go into Katie’s own struggle with perfectionism; when she finally embraced consistent, ok work over waiting for some mythical flash of brilliance, everything changed.

CONNECT WITH KATIE

You can learn more about Katie, her courses, and her upcoming book on childhood grief at katielear.com

Get on our waitlist for updates about new D&D groups via ‘Young Dragonslayers' website: www.youngdragonslayers.com

Connect with Young Dragonslayers’ co-founder Zachery Byrd at https://www.instagram.com/zabyrd/

BRENE BROWN INTRO REFERENCES:

“Gifts of Imperfection” Podcast Series: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3UrjBdrskRKfjh2UCK7UHu?si=RPflTqstThaLzscZ62GoMg

Order the 10th anniversary edition of “The Gifts of Imperfection” by Dr. Brene Brown (My Amazon affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3KBQFIU

QUOTE FROM ‘T.G.O.I’ PREFACE:

“Do” Column: Worthiness, rest, play, trust, faith, intuition, hope, authenticity, love, belonging joy, gratitude, joy, creativity

Don’t column: Perfection, numbing, certainty, exhaustion, self-sufficiency, being cool, fitting in, judgment, and scarcity.

Connect With Me:

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/

Did you know May is mental health awareness month, Magic Makers?? To celebrate, I wanted to dive deeper into a few areas of mental health that I didn't know very much about. I wanted to bring in amazing experts with first-hand experience on subjects that I know need more light shed on them, and that is how I met Amanda Nicholson!

Amanda is a special Education teacher-turned-copywriter and first-time mom! She’s incredibly passionate about making the world a more equitable place, and yet when it came time to take her first maternity leave she found herself faced with extreme burnout and unable to emotionally re-invest in her work.

We talk about how unexpected mental health challenges that came post-partum, like understanding “mom” as a role, vs. “mom” as an identity.

We also talk about how changing hormones affected her personally AND professionally- this is valuable stuff even if you’re not going through biological changes related to becoming a mother.

Amanda made the decision to leave her 9-5 and become an entrepreneur so she could spend more time with her daughter, and work on her personal creative clock, rather than having to adhere to a traditionally rigid “day job” schedule.

If you’re feeling burnt out or at all wondering if your hormones are affecting your mental health, you’ll find value in this conversation!

I also want to acknowledge that this one might be tough to listen to if you’re facing any issues trying to conceive or complicated feelings around becoming a mom. Just a heads up in case you need to sit this one out - I see you, I love you (I am you).

This Is Your Brain on Motherhood - The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/parenting/mommy-brain-science.html

Connect with Amanda:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alncopywriter/

Connect With Me:

 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/

Today’s guest is Cally Pedersen, the founder of The Sage Agency- We’re talk all about paid ads vs organic ads. If you’re interested in learning more about incorporating paid advertising into your business, this is the episode for you.

Paid advertising is kinda like having a virtual assistant working in the background 24 hours a day. This can take a ton of stress off your plate & do wonders for your mental health- that’s why Cally wants to help women-owned businesses scale with ads.

Cally provides 15 years of expert digital marketing knowledge with a focus on Google Advertising. But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses along the way! Cally went from hating her business and offering any service a client asked for to kindly "breaking up" with some clients and pivoting to only offer Google Ads. Once she did that, her profits tripled. (YUP, TRIPLED.)

She’s passionate about helping people build a thriving business by increasing sales and profitability through the unlimited potential of Google Ads. Also- Being a woman-owned business in a mostly male-dominated truly sets Cally’s agency apart! 

Connect with Cally:

Website: ​​https://thesageagency.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_sage_agency/

Connect With Me:

 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/

Alrighty, Magic Makers- welcome to the second episode in my solo series where I get into the nitty gritty of how to build the business of your dreams.

Solo Series Episode 1 (Find Your Magic ep. 30 published on 2/21/22) covered my 5 step process to naming a brand or business. Picking the right name can have a HUGE impact on your success later down the line (hello avoiding trademark infringement lawsuits!), so make sure you give that a listen.

Today’s episode takes a deep dive into how to structure your website (or how to re-structure it, even if you have one). We’re talking about SEO (search engine optimization), what pages you absolutely need, what bonus pages are smart to create, plus integrations like Google Analytics, Email platforms, and social media.

Here are links to the blog posts I reference in the episode on email marketing:

How to start & build an email list:

https://kelseyformost.com/blog/howtostartandbuildanemaillist/

Why I switched from Mailchimp to Kajabi to send emails:

https://kelseyformost.com/blog/why-i-switched-from-mailchimp-to-kajabi/

Also, here’s the “Freebies” page I created to improve my SEO so you can see an example:

https://kelseyformost.com/freebies

And my FAQ page so you can see an example:

https://kelseyformost.com/faq

And because I’m nice, here’s the list of necessary webpages you need to launch:

2nd Tier web pages that are super helpful but not essential for launch

Finally, here’s some basic tech that need to be connected on your website to set you up for success:

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Find Your Magic! If you have questions about how to build a website, please reach out to me at [email protected], I truly do reply to all my messages!

The most important thing to remember is: YOU’VE GOT THIS! Building a website takes time, patience, and in my experience, wine. I’m here to help!

Connect With Me:

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/

If you’ve ever worried about how to build an online business while still working a full time job, or wondered where to start when it comes to creating a digital course, this episode is for you! Melissa Guller is the founder of Wit & Wire, a business where she helps creators build profitable online businesses so they can scale their income and impact online.

And lookin’ at her resumé, it’s super clear Melissa knows what she’s talking about…Melissa was the Director of Marketing Engagement at Teachable, and she also managed Ramit Sethi's 8-figure online course launch team. To date, she’s taught thousands of students through her courses at General Assembly, on Skillshare, and through her own business Wit & Wire, and she’s on a mission to empower creators to earn money online doing work they love.

This conversation is not only full of practical tips on everything from podcasting to course creation, but it’s also about the toll that growing a business can have on our mental health. 

Try online course platform Kajabi free for 30 days (affiliate link & the platform I use!):

https://app.kajabi.com/r/QPNKzTye/t/hhejgcj4

Connect with Melissa:

Freebie: Online Course Toolkit, with all my favorite tools to record, build, and market your online course (at any budget) https://witandwire.com/coursetoolkit

Website: https://witandwire.com/

Youtube: witandwire.com/youtube

Tiktok: tiktok.com/@witandwire

Instagram: instagram.com/witandwire

Connect With Me:

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/

Hey Magic Maker!

I am here today to tell you that you are NOT crazy about having conversations with yourself.

In today’s episode, I am speaking with a firecracker of a human, Vasavi Kumar. Vasavi is a therapist + Former TV Host turned Visibility and Camera Confidence Coach, Through her Real Rich membership community and 8-week Camera Confident Accelerator program, she helps thought leaders and experts feel more confident on camera and clear in their creative process. She’s been featured in the Wall Street Journal, FOX, VH1, and was a regular on NBC’s Kansas City Live as the “Keepin’ It Real” guru. 

This conversation goes in so many different ways. We talk about some of our deepest darkest secrets, her journey to sobriety, but we laugh our butts off about acting along the way.

This episode is for you if you want to invite more fun into your life.  A lot of us lose the childlike curiosity that we lose on our “journey to success”.

The core of this conversation is true confidence. Confidence can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Confidence can be quiet. It can be a deep inner knowing that you are going to be okay and have your own back. Confidence can be willingness and excitement to find the different sides of yourself and invite it into the open.

We all have 3 parts of ourselves: the firefighter, the manager, and the exiled. 

Connect with Vasavi:

https://www.instagram.com/mynameisvasavi/

Voice Notes with Vasavi - https://www.vasavikumar.com/

Connect With Me:

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/

Are you ready to get a little sensual today? No, not necessarily in the bedroom- but rather sensual as in getting into all our SENSES!

I absolutely loved this conversation with “Sensual Chef” Kiele-Jael Stanton on how we can better nourish ourselves, body, and soul. 

Kiele is a certified Health-Supportive Chef, Wellness Culinary Coach, and the founder of Kiele Jael Wellness. Her approach takes a new spin on traditional food wisdom, where she combines her love of food education, cooking, wellness, self-care, and nutrition, into one delicious experience that teaches women how to take care of themselves through nourishment!

Kiele is well-versed in Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and other ancient food practices. She feels that food is meant to be experienced sensually — by connecting to ourselves through the four senses (sight, taste, touch & smell), nature (where it’s grown), energetically, and seen as the ultimate self-care practice.

Kiele came from a fast-paced, high-power fashion career where she was designing handbags in NYC. Her body began to tell her that she was no longer living in alignment with her purpose. When she discovered she had a severe allergic reaction to Nickel, she went on this path to better herself and find the path to physical wellness and health - but also pave her own path and create a career that supported the new lifestyle she knew she was missing.

We talk about the 5 flavors to heal your body and for balance - fire, earth, wood, water, and metal - you need all of these elements to create balance in your life.

Kelsey’s Avocado Chocolate Mousse Recipe!
3 ripe medium avocados
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup maple syrup
¼ tsp salt

Blend ingredients in a food processor or blender until thoroughly combined into a smooth, mousse consistency. Serve chilled. I like to add a sprinkle of Maldon salt and some fresh raspberries on top for texture and tartness!

Connect with Kiele:
Kiele’s Website: https://www.kielejael.com/
Kiele’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thesensualchef/
Kiele’s Courses: https://www.kielejael.com/courses-1
Use code “Magic” for 20% off!

Connect With Me:
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/