What if your next breakthrough isn't in a business plan or productivity hack, but in remembering you're the creative director of your own life?

In this deeply honest and energizing episode of What the Nell!?, Nell is joined by creative powerhouse Pia Mailhot-Leichter—author, entrepreneur, certified coach, and "recovering nomad"—to unpack what it really means to be creative. From globe-trotting stories and healing after divorce to redefining success and reconnecting with your inner spark, Pia shares how she shifted from survival mode into soul-led creation. Whether you're a creative entrepreneur or someone who feels disconnected from your spark, this conversation is packed with truth bombs, mindset reframes, and practical inspiration to help you reclaim your power and start directing your own life with intention.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:23 Pia's Nomadic Journey

04:21 Settling in Copenhagen

09:15 Defining Creativity

13:19 Rediscovering Creativity

18:47 Challenges of Creative Entrepreneurship

22:09 Defining Your Own Path to Success

23:04 The Importance of Stillness in Creativity

24:07 Understanding the Default Mode Network

25:58 The Emotional Journey of Creative Entrepreneurs

31:18 The Kollektiv Studio: Partnering with Visionaries

34:46 Embracing Freedom and Joy in Entrepreneurship

38:32 Rewriting Your Script for Success

40:32 Closing Thoughts

Connect with Pia:

Pia Leichter is a creative partner, published author, certified coach, and entrepreneur. Her path has been anything but ordinary: a recovering nomad, she’s reported as a journalist in Sri Lanka, graduated summa cum laude from NYU, and worked as an award-winning creative director for some of the biggest brands in the world. Now, as the founder of Kollektiv Studio, she’s uniquely positioned to co-create wild visions and ventures.

She recently published Welcome to the Creative Club, a book that challenges everything people thought they knew about creativity. Praised by Google's Global Head of Creative & Innovation as "life-changing" and by iconic fashion designer Betsey Johnson as "a wild ride," this part-memoir, part-guide invites readers to make life their biggest art project and reclaim their creative power.

Get a copy of her book:

On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Creative-Club-Biggest-Project/dp/B0DPJ8L4NM/ref=sr_1_1

On Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/welcome-to-the-creative-club-make-life-your-biggest-art-project-pia-mailhot-leichter/22087658

And the audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Welcome-to-the-Creative-Club-Audiobook/B0F6VZCWT4

Connect on social:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pialeichter/

https://www.instagram.com/pia.leichter/

https://substack.com/@pialeichter

More about her work: https://kollektiv.studio/

Book a chemistry call: https://calendly.com/kollektivstudio/coaching-exploration-call

Connect through weekly field notes: https://kollektiv.studio/newsletter

Connect with us:

What the Nell!? Podcast Website

Join the What the Nell!? Podcast Facebook group HERE!

Grab a copy of Nell's #1 Bestseller, Curvature of the Career, HERE!

Connect with Nell on Social Media:

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Produced by enTICEing Media, LLC