Jump Start Your Joy®

In this week's solocast, I'm sharing about the profound impact the book "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg Mckeown has had on my life. As a project manager and a life coach, I love that this book is both pragmatic on one level, and very philosophical and inspirational on the other. The two key areas that I focus on in this week's show are:

1. Doing less, but better - doing the essential few instead of the trivial many
2. Building in room for down time

I'm sharing about how I've been focusing on doing less, but better, and focusing on the essential few instead of the trivial many.

Resources

Purchase "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg Mckeown on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MkaQRy

Greg McKeown's speech at Google Talks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQKrt1-IDaE

Logan Nickleson in Episode 27 and "Creative Minimalism": http://jumpstartyourjoy.com/2016/03/episode-27-logan-nickleson-on-creating-music-for-makers/

Michelle Ward on the Friendpreneur Series in Episode on "Right Sizing the Effort": http://jumpstartyourjoy.com/2018/04/michelle-ward-ten-years-entrepreneur/

As the host of Mom is in Control, and the amazing "Dying to be a Good Mother" Tedtalk, I'm thrilled to have Heather Chauvin joining me this week to talk all about abundance, ambition, time management, and how she found her way to a career she loves after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Heather is a true inspiration, and I'm delighted to feature her as the last guest for Season 3.

In this episode, Heather and I talk about:

• Her path from working as a social worker to becoming a coach
• How researching mindfulness and meditation for her son impacted her life
• Living as an introvert disguised as an extrovert
• Working with parents who feel overwhelmed and without resources
• How to get in touch with your core desired feelings, and why you need to
• How to make a plan and take action on how you want to feel in your life
• Parenting from the green zone
• Being a flexible parent
• Her podcast, Mom is in Control
• How to jump start your joy: giving back and being in service to others, Asking what you want, what you crave, and what you desire

Resources

Heather Chauvin's podcast: Mom is in Control Heather's website Time Freedom Challenge – Heather's freebie mastery program The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines on Amazon Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert on Amazon

As someone who has always been drawn to a myriad of interests and passions, you probably already know that I self-identify as a "multi-passionate" or "multi-potentialite" - which simply means that I'm the kind of person who is drawn to a myriad of interests and have a hard time narrowing down my interests and my career into just one thing. It's a topic that comes up often on the show, and this week on the show I'm sharing all about the power of owning your expertise as a multi-potentialite.

The term multi-potentialite (or multipassionate, or scanner, or renaissance soul), is one that describes anyone who has more than one interest and has a hard time choosing to do "just one thing" with their life or career. Many creative entrepreneurs can relate to this trait - if you're curious about many things, if you enjoy dabbling in many disparate topics, and if you find yourself picking up a lot of new hobbies / interests and moving along from them after a short amount of time, you are likely a multi-potentialite.

It's a wonderful thing to be, really. It means you're a quick study. You synthesize the various disparate things you have spent time learning about in new ways. You often approach life and the world with a beginner's mind, seeing yourself as a life long learner, instead of someone who sees themselves as a narrowly defined expert. Things stay fresh and new to "multipods," and you probably see things in a very different way than those around you who are specialists.

What about being an expert? One of the key things that comes up for multipotentialites is that with all of the going from topic to topic, it can also be hard to see yourself as an expert. At least in today's society, experts are often labeled as such because of their long, linear path of study. Our schools teach us to be specialists, they're even set up to have a clear linear path from one topic to the next, which generally yields someone in the workforce who is a specialist in a single area.

Multipotentialites can also be experts, although the definition of your expertise might require that you look at what it means to be an expert in a slightly different way. If you look back at the many things you've dabbled in, whether that be in your career, or in your hobbies and interests, you'll likely start to see a pattern emerge. It might be that you are good with organizing people, or inventing things, or that you are an excellent project manager because you have the ability to be a quick study.

For multipotentialites, our expertise lies in the abilities we've developed to be interested in many things. While the interests might not seem to have a common thread, if you dig a bit deeper, I'm betting you will recognize it in your own work and interests.

Name your "human job description" In addition to knowing your multipotentialite super powers, it's also really important to be able to name your own human job description.

1. Create the "obvious" description for yourself: I'm a _____ who ______. What's your day job,or your current title? Example: I'm a project manager who leads projects in digital marketing.
2. Dig a little deeper. What does your multipotentialite skill set and super powers from the worksheet above say about you? Who is the true you? When I dig deeper, I'm a ________ who helps others to ______________. Example: I'm a joyful human connector who helps people see the parts of themselves they may have forgotten along the way.

Resources Past episodes with Emilie Wapnick Violeta Nedkova on Jump Start Your Joy

This week on the show, I'm excited to be talking about taking messy action with Christine Blubaugh. Christine is a copywriter from Ohio, who has had a very interesting path. She works with entrepreneurs to help other people in being objective about themselves, and craft copy that represents their offerings to the world.

Having been a health coach, and food blogger for many years (along with a personal chef), Christine had a realization that this was not her true calling. She was well established in her role, and found herself saying "this health and wellness thing isn't a thing anymore. I don't know what I'll do with myself if I don't do this."

I find this so very relatable, and it probably is for many of you, as well. I have found that many clients spend a fair amount of time establishing themselves in a career, and after awhile they are tired of that industry. Or they find that a role they once loved doesn't fit them as well as it once had. And here's where I see the frustration or confusion arise: when your identity is wrapped up in that role, it's hard to visualize yourself elsewhere, doing anything else.

In the face of feeling stuck, Christine made the decision to leave health coaching. Of that decision, she reflects "I had to just let go and practice just being." And that is when she got her first client as a copywriter. A friend asked for input about some headlines, and over a text conversation, Christine shared some ideas. It lead to that person being her first client.

Joy comes from taking action, and being open to the unexpected And that is what I love about this conversation. Christine didn't know what was next when she left her role in health and wellness. She moved back to Ohio from the West Coast. She took a chance on it all working out, and it did. She opened herself up to the unexpected, and took what she calls "messy action" to figure out what was next. Instead of getting wrapped up in the notion that maybe she had to have "it all figured out" before taking a next step, she jumped in and started trying new things.

In this episode, Christine Blubaugh and I talk about:

• Her shift from being a health and wellness coach and blogger to becoming a copywriter
• Where people often get stuck in trying to write their own copy about themselves for a website
• Finding your way when you are no longer as excited about doing a job as you were when you started out
• How "messy action" brings results and helps get you to something new
• That relationships are at the heart of business, and why we can't rely on going it solo
• How to get in touch with your authentic voice to make copywriting a conversation with your ideal client
• How do deal with resistance
• How to jump start your joy: Slow down, start the day doing something joyful, and taking time to move each day

This week on the show, I'm excited to be talking about taking messy action with Christine Blubaugh. Christine is a copywriter from Ohio, who has had a very interesting path. She works with entrepreneurs to help other people in being objective about themselves, and craft copy that represents their offerings to the world.

Having been a health coach, and food blogger for many years (along with a personal chef), Christine had a realization that this was not her true calling. She was well established in her role, and found herself saying "this health and wellness thing isn't a thing anymore. I don't know what I'll do with myself if I don't do this."

I find this so very relatable, and it probably is for many of you, as well. I have found that many clients spend a fair amount of time establishing themselves in a career, and after awhile they are tired of that industry. Or they find that a role they once loved doesn't fit them as well as it once had. And here's where I see the frustration or confusion arise: when your identity is wrapped up in that role, it's hard to visualize yourself elsewhere, doing anything else.

In the face of feeling stuck, Christine made the decision to leave health coaching. Of that decision, she reflects "I had to just let go and practice just being." And that is when she got her first client as a copywriter. A friend asked for input about some headlines, and over a text conversation, Christine shared some ideas. It lead to that person being her first client.

Joy comes from taking action, and being open to the unexpected And that is what I love about this conversation. Christine didn't know what was next when she left her role in health and wellness. She moved back to Ohio from the West Coast. She took a chance on it all working out, and it did. She opened herself up to the unexpected, and took what she calls "messy action" to figure out what was next. Instead of getting wrapped up in the notion that maybe she had to have "it all figured out" before taking a next step, she jumped in and started trying new things.

In this episode, Christine Blubaugh and I talk about:

• Her shift from being a health and wellness coach and blogger to becoming a copywriter
• Where people often get stuck in trying to write their own copy about themselves for a website
• Finding your way when you are no longer as excited about doing a job as you were when you started out
• How "messy action" brings results and helps get you to something new
• That relationships are at the heart of business, and why we can't rely on going it solo
• How to get in touch with your authentic voice to make copywriting a conversation with your ideal client
• How do deal with resistance
• How to jump start your joy: Slow down, start the day doing something joyful, and taking time to move each day

This week on the podcast, I'm sharing one of my favorite topics, 8 great reasons to start a podcast. While this episode is a solocast, I've shared this information in various other formats: webinars, as a guest instructor in other courses, and in my own podcasting class, Jump Start Your Podcast. And, I think it's a great perspective for anyone who is considering starting your own show, especially if you are a a service provider of any type (coach, doctor, VA, or someone who works supporting others).

I've found that there are a handful of reasons that you should start a podcast if you are considering it. Here are the top eight reasons you should start a podcast.

1. It Helps You Get Super Clear on Your Niche Laying the groundwork for the show goes hand in hand with defining the nature of the show, and the topic that you want to spend (a lot of) time with. In marketing speak, the topic needs to be "campaign-able," meaning it should be something that is vast enough for you to spend time exploring, but narrow enough that the audience understands what the container is for it.

For you to start a show, you'll want to spend time with that niche. What is it? What do people interested in that niche want to hear more about? How can you serve the population that is interested in that niche? And, what is the crossover between your WORK and how you can provide service to that group of people?

2. Find and/or Develop Your Online Voice For many, it is much easier to ease into their "voice" when they are actually speaking (as opposed to writing.) It's a natural way of communicating, and it's easy to use it. I find that many of us who are service providers are an excellent fit for being a podcast host because you and I are working in a field where interacting with others is part of what we are already comfortable doing.

A few other considerations around becoming a podcaster: One thing I like to ask people when they are considering a podcast is "Are you an 'external processor'?". (Do you like to work through things verbally, with another person? Do you "talk it out" as opposed to thinking it through on your own?)

Have you enjoyed doing drama or speaking in the past? (in some ways this is much easier as you don't see your audience).

For me, I found my true voice and comfort with being on air several months in. I could feel myself easing in to my personality with guests, and then it extended in to my doing what I call solocasts. The interesting thing to me is that I also use that voice now in blogging, and in writing my weekly newsletter.

3. Become More Confident in Your Speaking & Presenting Once you've edited yourself a couple of times, you'll be very aware of your verbal tics and catch yourself doing them, You'll hear the "ums" and "ahhhhs," and notice your speech patterns. And once you notice those things, you'll also start self-editing as you speak.

The other confidence building aspect of being a podcaster is that pitching and interviewing VIPs is life changing & a huge confidence booster. After having a big name person in whatever industry you're in say yes, and then actually having a full conversation with them? Your confidence will increase in your art, and in what you do.

If you are in a field like coaching or consulting, you'll notice that you are more in tune with how you say things and become a better active listener.

4. Up Your "Know, Trust, Like" Factor with Potential Clients Podcasting offers a way for potential clients to "get to know you" by listening in on conversations and hearing your point of view on topics. I know many podcast listeners who say they feel that they know a podcaster. They listen to them in the car, while gardening, while cooking or doing other work around the home. These are spaces and places that are personal to the listener. And, there's no other media that invites and allows a person (like you, the host), into a person's routine the way that podcasting does, because podcasting is "portable."

5. Marketing Stops Being "Icky" Before I started a podcast, I will admit that I found marketing to be kind of "icky." It didn't feel natural, and it often felt forced.

Here's the cool thing about podcasts. Once your show is live, it provides weekly inspiration of stories you're excited to share across social media. You have something you want to talk about and share, and it comes from a place of authentic excitement. Add to it that similar to having guest posts on your blog or site, guests are excited to share their conversation with you.

All of that points to marketing, and reaching new potential clients, in a way that is organic and feels natural. It's exciting when the ick factor is gone.

6. Expand Your Skillset As You Interview Experts If you have an interview show, you will be lining up conversations with experts and learning more about the field they represent by:

• Researching and reading their work
• Getting answers directly from them based on the questions you create
• Interacting with others about the material

This adds to your continuing education on a topic, and allows you to share what you learn with others. You'll also find that when you expand your knowledge in your show, you'll have new things to share with your client base.

7. You Have an Important Message to Share with the World As a service based business owner or blogger, you're likely already focused on a mission. You've discovered your "Why" and want to share it with the world, and make an impact. Podcasting offers you a platform to share this, and leave a mark, and find other like minded individuals that also share your point of view.

8. Naturally Grow Your Network In addition to learning with each guest, you also make several kinds of connections: Professional connections with other experts in your field (or your podcast's area of focus) allows the following things to happen:

• Listeners find you based on the topic you cover
• You get to know other podcasters, either because you are next to them each week on the charts, or because you join a networking group with them
• Make friends: I've become friends with guests, and other podcasters
• Introduce you to people with whom you may want to create other collaborative projects with - such as classes, business ventures, or other things that fit your shared interests
• Find new clients for your business

Already in the midst of creating a show? You'll get a free month of hosting from Liberated Syndication (Libsyn), using my (affiliate) code: JOY.

This week, I'm thrilled to be speaking to Violeta Nedkova on how to embrace the life of a creative rebel. Violeta is a coach and a creative rebel who believes you can stop following everyone else's rules, be your own boss, and do things your own way … and make a living doing it. She offers courses, coaching, and classes for creative rebels at her website, www.violetanedkova.com.

Living in Bulgaria, Violeta and I met during the 2018 Multipassionate Must-Haves, where we were both participants. I could tell by visiting her site that we'd get along famously, and I'm thrilled to have her on the show this week. I think you'll love her rebel attitude, and the fact that she truly embraces the ideology that there are no rules in building a business.

How it fits in to the tenets of joy: Action

Violeta and I talk a lot about what it means to be a creative multipassionate entrepreneur. Many of us get stuck as we try to narrow down what to focus on, and how to make that into a business. It's not easy, especially when you have so many interests, to narrow them down.

"If you're a multi-passionate," says Violeta about marketing, "How can you niche down? Go with an umbrella brand."

What she recommends is to see your business and your life as a puzzle, and approach both as if you are collecting the pieces. The key here is action. Look for the next piece of the puzzle, follow the nudges you have to find what interests you, and give yourself the space and permission to build the picture as you go. Our conversation takes a very interesting turn near the end, when we talk about how resistance and exploring the things that piss us off can both be a way to get in touch with the things that matter, and the things we want to change or work on in the world.

Violeta Nedkova and I talk about:

• Why most creative types resonate with rebellion
• How creativity is an act of rebellion itself
• Violeta's path to becoming a creative coach for rebels
• What it looks like to strive for "enough" for yourself, instead of making someone else's ideal your goal
• Creating a brand that encompasses all of your ideas as an entrepreneur
• Looking at life and your work as a puzzle, one that we are collecting the pieces of to discover our larger picture and purpose
• The role of resistance and discomfort, and how that can help create focus, or distract from, the creative process
• Her earliest sparks of joy: playing with fairies, making up games, and stories
• How to jump start your joy: gratitude, doing something just for you, and doing things her own way

Resources Violeta Nedkova's website Violeta Nedkova's podcast: Rebel Reset

This week's episode is a lookback lesson with Andrea Owen on "How to Stop Feeling Like Shit." This episode originally aired earlier this year, when her second book came out. Andrea Owen is an author, mentor, and certified life coach who helps high-achieving women let go of perfectionism, control, and isolation and choose courage and confidence instead. She has helped thousands of women manage their inner-critic to create loving connections and live their most kick-ass life.

I loved this episode because Andrea and I talk about people pleasing, perfecting, approving and performing, and our experience with all of them. What I love is that near the end of this interview, we talk about the myth of having to "be strong" as women, and how that can be both a habit and burden that is not necessarily serving us.

We also talk about:

• How to Stop Feeling Like Shit (her new book)
• Andrea studying with Brene Brown in 2014 and how that influenced her life and this book
• how the armor we build up works, until it doesn't, and what happens next
• boundaries and how to set them
• the cycle of pleasing, perfecting, approving, performing
• how women (and all people) avoid shame, and why we do it
• the 14 common behaviors that we all do when things get hard in life, and why they aren't serving us
• how feeling and acknowledging the pain in our lives opens us up to more joy
• Andrea's earliest memories of joy
• how she will be "stepping up and stepping forward" this year
• Andrea's thoughts on how to jumpstart your joy: make room for creativity

Resources: How to Stop Feeling Like Shit by Andrea Owen (on Amazon) 52 Ways to Live a KickAss Life by Andrea Owen (on Amazon) – her first book Your Kickass Life – Andrea's website The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks (on Amazon)

Jill Stanton of Screw the 9 to 5 is my guest this week on the podcast. She's a true force to be reckoned with in the online lifestyle entrepreneur space, and I'm really excited to be speaking with her about how she has created a lively, exciting brand and community that's built from an authentic and interesting space. Having started in 2012 with an affiliate skincare site, and changed and shifted the focus and approach of her business, Jill and her now husband Josh, have grown their business into a full time gig with a team. And now, with their new son, Kai here, they are looking at how they shift their business again to include time and space for a child.

Jill and I have a very fun, fast paced discussion about how she has evolved her online business over the past 6 years. She started in the beauty and skincare business, and met her husband Josh who was using social media to support venues while he was a bartender. The two joined forces, and took their collective knowledge to create the business "Screw the 9 to 5," which started as a dream on a beach in Thailand.

Jill has a lot to share about HOW to start an online business, and what helps move the needle.

In general, the mindset pieces she shares are:

• Don't overcomplicate it
• Start imperfectly; you don't need everything all in order to begin
• Focus on making connections with people who are in the same area and niche as you are, and help each other
• Notice the difference between the "employee" and the entrepreneur mindset
• Don't be afraid to do things your way
• Learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable

Some of the more tactical steps she sites are

• Grow your traffic by getting on other people's platforms through interviews, guest posts, etc
• Be active in Facebook groups about your area of expertise
• You only need a very few things to start: a site, an email optin, and a social media profile
• Create a runway for yourself by building up a business with 80% of your income
• Build traffic and take visibility seriously

Jill also shares about how having a child changes things:

• It means you prioritize the things that move the needle
• She and her husband set aside Fridays for family time
• You may hire people to cover roles
• Don't mess around with things in your business that are working and don't need to be tweaked
• Hire people offline to support your family, if you can a cleaner, nanny, order groceries, etc

This week on the podcast, I'm revisiting the conversation with singer and songwriter Morgan Bolender. Morgan is known for her song entitled Mary Oliver, which has gone viral on YouTube. She started her career as a 3rd grade special education teacher and then started on a journey to quite literally find her voice, and listen to her heart. We met at Danielle LaPorte's White Hot Truth event at Grace Cathedral, where Morgan opened the event for Danielle. I'm so thrilled she's here today to share about the amazing journey she's taken to find her voice.⠀

In this episode, Morgan and I talk about:

- How she was introspective and oddly serious as a child, with solitude bringing her joy

- Her song writing process with partner Scott

- What brings her joy: little joys, hugs, and setting intentional time

- Her journey from being a teacher to becoming a singer and song writer that started with her saying "Take me where I need to go"

- Living on an organic farm and hearing her own voice singing for the very first time

- Following your fears and growing

- How she pitched Danielle LaPorte and all about her singing in Grace Cathedral

- Her blog, The Unraveling

- What resistance has looked like for her: trying her very hardest in her creative pursuits, and breaking down the BS that comes with being self taught (and feeling like that is a badge of honor)

Resources:

Mary Oliver on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGCelKTH5I0

Morgan Bolender's Website: https://morganbolender.com/

Danielle LaPorte's White Hot Truth (on Amazon) http://amzn.to/2jxQCn1

Morgan Bolender's music: https://morganbolender.com/music

Morgan on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MorganBolender/

Morgan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganbolender/