This is a special, intimate, informal storytelling episode. After a full season of sharing other peoples' stories of finding Joy First ways of working, I thought I would share mine - especially since as of tomorrow I am now officially celebrating 20 years in business!!

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I can't wait for you to meet today's guest. Jennifer Waters and I first connected nine years ago when she joined one of my very first online programs. She had a pet photography side-hustle, and she was desperate to escape a toxic marriage and build financial independence as a single mom

I knew I really liked Jennifer straight away. But what I couldn't have known, was the profound journey she was about to embark upon, that I would witness first-hand. Over the course of a decade, through high highs, and the lowest of lows, Jennifer transformed not just her business, but her entire life.

Jennifer's story isn't your typical entrepreneurial success tale. It's much deeper and more beautiful. Jennifer is here today to share what happens when life strips away everything you think you know and love, and forces you to discover (and build) something entirely new.

Spoiler Alert: She's not a pet photographer anymore, but she's just picked up the keys to her third location expansion in only 18 months for her current business, which is one she never intended to start.

How did she get here? One thing that makes this conversation really special, is our exploration of grief.... something none of us ever really want to talk about. Jennifer lost six dogs in three years. Six heart dogs. Her business, her brand, the book she was writing... her entire identity disappeared along with them.

What emerged from that grief will change how you think about business, creativity, and what's possible when you stop trying to force things to work and fully commit to what brings you joy.

Jennifer, who now runs her unexpected business from her dream house on Lake Superior (the same lake house she once believed was impossible for a single woman to afford), ships her products worldwide, has a 75% customer loyalty rate and still hasn't even written a business plan.

I love this story of joy first working, because it's so rare to talk to someone who has built something from a place of pure love and trust... which in our day and age of reason and cynicism, is the most radical strategy of all. But Joy First works. And Jennifer is living, smiling proof.

• How Jennifer navigated six devastating losses in three years without losing herself
• The moment she realized pre-grief was stealing her present joy
• Why her most successful business has no business plan (and never will)
• How she went from $24 in her bank account to a thriving company in just a few months
• The ancient principle that explains why clearing grief creates space for joy
• Why building from love instead of market research can work better

• Dogkind Candle Company website: dogkindcandles.com
• Jennifer's social media: @dogkindco (Instagram and Facebook)
• My book "Million Dollar Dog Brand" (referenced in our conversation)

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In this beautifully revealing, intimate conversation, Carrie Green opens up about the darkest period of her business journey. In this episode Carrie shares with us the most generous and honest reflection on entrepreneurial burnout that I've ever heard.

Having founded the Female Entrepreneur Association (FEA) in 2011 (which she grew into 7-figure business with a network of almost 1 million women) Carrie is an international bestselling author (She Means Business, Hay House) and an online business trailblazer. But today we're stepping back from the shiny stuff in her list of incredible achievements to talk burnout, motherhood, and the darker sides of business success.

"I'd be getting home from work every night saying to my husband, I don't think I can do this anymore," she reveals. "I felt so trapped by it all."

While Carrie's body was screaming at her to slow down... she pushed on through... until she physically, mentally and emotionally could not go on. But that's not the end of our story: we discover that Carrie's just closed out her best launch of all time, after slowly having found her way back to her health, wellbeing and magic.

In this episode we explore the complex reality of managing a team for a multi-million pound online business, the weight of avoiding difficult conversations, and how hiring full-time "experts" to solve your problems can backfire spectacularly. Carrie's brutal honesty about the real challenges she's faced as a leader and the emotional toll of getting some of it wrong, is so wildly refreshing.

If you've ever felt trapped by your success, questioned whether you're cut out for leadership, or wondered how to rebuild when everything feels broken, this conversation is for you!

• The physical warning signs Carrie ignored before her body forced her to pay attention
• Why hiring "experts" to solve your problems often creates more chaos than clarity
• How avoiding difficult conversations with team members nearly destroyed her business
• The specific work and practices that helped her rebuild
• How energy and frequency directly impact business results
• Why Carrie believes success should equal joy and what happens when it doesn't

• Carrie's Instagram: @IAmCarrieGreen
• Female Entrepreneur Association
• Patrick Lencioni's leadership books (especially "The Motive")
• Her podcast (recently hit #59 in Apple's business charts!)

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Today I'm sitting down with Ruth, the brilliantly creative mind who, when asked what her current job title is, replies with a laugh, "Today we're going with digital product strategist."

This sense of fun sets the tone for our entire conversation about what happens when you follow joy instead of rigid business rules.

Ruth's journey from corporate banking job to creative entrepreneur wasn't planned, it unfolded naturally as she simply shared what she loved making. Whether it was photographs, websites, online courses, or physical products like t-shirts and journals, Ruth's magnetic energy comes from a place most business coaches never talk about: genuine excitement.

"I'm not purposefully sharing to get a client," she reveals. "It's just this homepage has brought me joy. I can't keep it in. So I'm just going to share it." This approach has led to clients consistently finding her rather than the other way around something many of us dream about but struggle to achieve.

We also dive into the fascinating parallel between building a business and Ruth's two-year journey to achieving a challenging physical goal, where we learn about her philosophy on persistence. When most people try something once and declare "it doesn't work," where as Ruth has shown up Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for years.

I love Ruth's comfort in her own lane whether in business or at the gym. While many of us are constantly looking sideways, she's focused firmly on her own path, completely unbothered by how fast or slow others might be progressing.

This conversation isn't just about business or strategy, it's about finding joy in the process, sharing from a place of genuine excitement, and showing up consistently without comparing your journey to others.

If you've been feeling the pressure to niche down or follow conventional business wisdom, but something about it doesn't feel right, this episode might just give you the permission you've been waiting for.

• Why Ruth gets clients without actively seeking them and the mindset that makes this possible
• The truth about passion projects and why they don't always need to make money
• Ruth's approach to personal goals that mirror how she runs her business
• Why Ruth writes all her content herself (without ai)
• How she balances "joy projects" and "income projects" to keep her joy and business sustainable

• Ruth's website: RuthXO.com
• Liz Gilbert's book "Big Magic"
• Our Joy First Founders Circle community
• The Colour Joy

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Today I'm sharing what might be the most important conversation of this entire Joy First season. I had the incredible honor of sitting down with Rha Goddess – organizational soul coach, author, and one of the wisest voices I've encountered on the subject of intentional, purpose-driven work.

This conversation couldn't be more timely. As we navigate economic uncertainty, political chaos, and the ongoing aftermath of a pandemic that changed everything about how we view work, Rha's insights offer both a challenge and a permission slip.

The Great Resignation

What happens when 50 million people quit their jobs, and then another 50 million the following year? What are we all sensing and seeking in this massive reshuffling of priorities? And most importantly – how do we move forward when we know we're not going back?

Rha's new book "Intentional Ambition" explores exactly this territory, diving deep into what it means to renegotiate our relationship with work after the Great Resignation. But this isn't just about finding better work-life balance – it's about a fundamental shift in how we define success, ambition, and the role work plays in our lives.

One of my favorite quotes from Rha in this episode responded with: "If it ain't joyful, I ain't doing it." This speaks to my soulllll. Not just a cute boundary – this statement is a radical act of resistance in a world that has conditioned us to de-prioritize our joy and happiness.

We explore the fierce nature of love (which is not what you might think), why comfort and joy are not synonymous, and how to distinguish between what she calls "wounded ambition" versus "true ambition."

Whether you're considering a career pivot, feeling burned out in your current role, or simply questioning the traditional definitions of success that never quite fit, this conversation offers both profound wisdom and practical guidance for creating a new relationship with work... a relationship where joy leads.

• The three stages we go through when redefining our relationship with work
• Why choosing joy is both a form of resistance and surrender
• How to use your energy (not just your time) as your compass for decision-making
• A simple daily practice to identify what's draining you vs. what's energizing you
• The difference between "wounded ambition" and "true ambition"
• Which discomfort might actually be growth in disguise

• Rha Goddess's new book: "Intentional Ambition"
• Move The Crowd website
• Rha Goddess website
• @RhaGoddess on all platforms: LinkedIn Instagram

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Today I'm chatting with one of my business besties, Nicole, who embodies everything this season of Joy First is about. After spending 13 years as a zookeeper making just over $30K/year at the peak of her career, Nicole started a family which led into a pivot into entrepreneurship. Since those first nervous steps into life as a photographer, she's built a profitable, truly scalable business that now allows her the income and freedom to travel internationally dozens of times a year, live the horse life: competing at shows alongside her teenage daughter, and even run a non-profit that in its first year managed to raise over a quarter million dollars for wildlife conservation.

One thing I love and admire about Nicole is how she's consistently leaned into what brings her joy—never what conventional wisdom said would make the most money. From becoming a pet photographer when "pet photography wasn't even a thing" to launching international photography retreats in castles and villas across Europe, she's built success by following her curiosity and pursuing passion.

In this episode dive deep into her transition from struggling photography business to online education empire, and how she's structured her life to accommodate her "neuro-spicy" tendencies that make doing repetitive tasks nearly impossible. Her super power is systems and let me tell you, she's a genius at it (I think spreadsheets might be her actual love language 😂)

You'll hear about a few of her most powerful "light bulb moments" and she shares candidly about how she balances it all: motherhood, entrepreneurship, the horses, the travel and her latest obsession: sourdough.

I love Nicole's version o joy first living and working— and I know it will inspire you to find your own route to build more wealth and impact your way: with more joy and freedom at the front.

• How Nicole's passion for animals led her from zookeeper to building a 6-figure pet photography business
• The moment she realized she could make $20K from one simple digital product and how it changed everything
• What particular type of revenue stream can create more stability and freedom for your business
• How her mastermind experience sparked a nonprofit that's now raised over $250K for wildlife conservation
• The systems she uses to run multiple businesses while traveling internationally

• Hair of the Dog Academy - Nicole's pet photography education business - https://hairofthedogacademy.com/
• Hair of the Dog Conservation Fund - Nicole's nonprofit supporting wildlife conservation - https://www.hodconservationfund.org/
• Nicole's Instagram: @nicolebigleyofficial - https://www.instagram.com/nicolebegleyofficial
• Learn more about Commercial Pet Photography (our joint venture) - https://learn.hairofthedogacademy.com/commercial-registration
• Joy First Founders Circle - Join our private podcast to get bonus travel hacking content from Nicole (and lots more!) - https://go.joyfirstworld.com/JFFC

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I'm 100% committed to amplifying women's voices, but today I'm giving a shout-out to a few men who have shaped my approach to creating the freedom-filled, joy-centered business I run today. From the pioneer of psychology-driven marketing to the spiritual CEO who helped me finally escape my inbox, these "bros" are surprisingly solid. Each guy featured in this episode introduced me to frameworks and mindset shifts that transformed how I work—and how I create time for, sustain and expand my joy first ways of working.

In addition to naming names, I'm sharing the top strategies I've borrowed from their playbooks and adapted to create my joy-filled, profitable business model. You'll hear the highs & lows: the brick-and-mortar business that had me stuck, the time-for-money cycle that I feared I'd never escape, and how I created an online business that allowed me to live in Mallorca, Lake Como, and France - and travel all over the world exploring, while still serving my clients brilliantly.

I also reveal the unexpected encounter that led me to the 'bonus dude' (#6)—the billionaire who taught me the most profound lesson about joy and gifted me with a surprising lightbulb moment about the connection between play and productivity.

Whether you're curious about how to build a business model that supports the lifestyle you want, or you're looking for key strategic frameworks and tactics that work (without the typical toxic hustle culture), this episode bridges the gap between smart business tactics and joyful living.

Join me as I reveal which "marketing bro" advice I've kept, which I've modified, and how it all fits into creating a business that prioritizes joy without sacrificing results.

• The psychology framework that transformed my marketing (and how to use it ethically)
• The #1 secret ingredient that makes recurring revenue businesses actually retain members
• The big shift I made back in 2016 that is probably the most joyful business decision I've ever made
• The simple funnel filler that's bringing us 800-2,000 leads monthly
• The brand-related must-have that one bro (with 8 exits to his name) says is the #1, #2, and #3 most important factor in business success
• The unexpected secret to access bigger, clearer CEO thinking

• My Colour Brand Personality Quiz
• Book: "Launch"
• "The Membership Experience"
• Mind Your Business Podcast
• Book: "Ask Method"
• Book: "Viral Hero"
• Apply for our rebrand experiences: Brand in a Week, Super Bloom + Creator Club
• Founders' Circle - Our substack-style community
• Score App (formerly bucket.io)

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What if your body knows something your mind hasn't yet recognized?

In this episode of Joy First, we are diving deep with Human Design business strategist Jazze Jervis into a revolutionary approach to work and life that challenges everything you've been taught about productivity and success. What we discovered might explain why certain business strategies leave you drained while others feel energizing.

Together we explore the one-size-fits-all business advice—the kind that has you doubting your abilities when the real issue might be something entirely different. Because here's what most business coaches won't tell you: what works brilliantly for one person might be actively harmful for another.

In this episode Jazze introduces a framework for understanding your unique energy blueprint that goes beyond personality types or work preferences. This isn't about minor adjustments to your schedule—it's about fundamentally reimagining how you approach everything from decision-making to marketing.

There's a moment in our conversation where Jazze reveals why some people thrive with spontaneity while others need structure—and it has nothing to do with discipline or mindset. This insight alone might explain years of struggle you've experienced trying to follow systems that were never designed for your energy type.

What could become possible when you stop fighting against your natural rhythms? What opens up when you build a business aligned not only joy first decision-making, but also with how you're designed to create?

This conversation is for the entrepreneur who's done everything "right" but still feels misaligned. It's for anyone who's ever wondered why conventional wisdom about success feels like a path to burnout rather than fulfilment.

In a world that profits from your self-doubt, understanding your design becomes an act of defiance. It's permission to trust the wisdom your body has been trying to share all along.

This isn't just business theory. It's the ULTIMATE joy first way to work.

This is about creating work that doesn't just make freedom, it feels like freedom.

[ Join Founders' Circle to get instant access to the Bonus Content from this episode ]

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

Find your Human Design Energy Type: https://www.jazzejervis.com.au/generate-your-chart

Request her Design Guide: DM her 'Design Guide' on Instagram

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In this episode of Joy First, I sit down with Paige who challenges the frantic, scattered approach that leaves so many entrepreneurs exhausted. We deep dive into her #1 productivity hack (which isn't a hack at all) — and discuss the how's and why's of the freedom it's created for her.

During our conversation, Paige shares the moment she realized most business owners build their dreams on quicksand. She was doing it too—until a radical shift in her approach to both web design and decision-making changed everything.

What struck me most was Paige's counterintuitive approach to social media. While most business gurus push omnipresence across platforms, Paige does things differently. She explains why this conventional wisdom might be the very thing holding you back and shares her alternative: which feels like a quiet little rebellion that gives her permission to breathe.

Since we're both expats, of course we have to cover the topic of living in Europe—a choice that seems impractical on paper but has aligned perfectly for both of us and our her joy first living and working. When it comes to location independence; it's all about the courage and commitment it takes to to design your business around your life (instead of sacrificing your life for your business).

We explore what becomes possible when you stop diluting your energy and instead channel it where it matters most. Paige's approach to "charging what you're worth" isn't what you might expect—and it challenges the core of how many of us price our services.

In a world that profits from your divided attention, this conversation about Paige's way of joy first working is a cheerful little act of defiance. What might become possible in your business when you stop chasing every opportunity and start focusing on what truly brings you joy?

Listen on joyfirstworld.com >

Paige's Website: https://www.paigebrunton.com/

Paige's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PaigeBrunton

More about Paige's Free Bootcamp: https://jnicholesmith--paigebrunton.thrivecart.com/checkout/62de7e23c3706/

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Well Season 1 has come to an end - thanks for joining us! Season 2, 'Joy First ways of Working' will be back March 12th 🧡

Learn more about Founders Circle:

https://go.joyfirstworld.com/JFFC

Previous Episodes Mentioned:

• Joy vs. Evil
• Finding Winter Joy with Colour and Ayurveda
• 10 Joy Recipes for the New Year

Visit the Previous Podcast:

Joy Colour Impact & Dogs: (on iTunes) & (on spofity)

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