Live Creatively with Megan Sjuts

How can we can identify our strengths as creatives and use them for good to serve others through our gifts?

In this episode of Live Creatively, I'm chatting with Brandi Voth. Brandi is an International Best-Selling Author, a top podcast host, and the Founder of The Power Hat Co., a social enterprise employing human trafficking survivors. She is passionate about inspiring women to lead purpose-filled lives and own their power. Her greatest joy in life is helping women realize who they were created to be.

I loved this conversation with Brandi so much and I can't think of a better way to conclude season one of the show than to spend it talking about purpose, impact, and using our gifts for good. Brandi and I discussed how we can identify our strengths as creatives and use them for good and to serve others through our gifts. What a thought to consider as we end the year and prepare to begin another!

Listen in as Brandi and I chat about:

• The role our sense of identity (and knowing what our identity is grounded in) plays in recognizing and understanding our strengths/giftings
• How to identify and understand what our unique gifts and strengths are
• Using our gifts and strengths for good and to serve others
• Common struggles in identifying our gifts and what holds us back from understanding our strengths

Make sure you listen until the end! Brandi shares so much valuable advice and encouragement for the creative who doesn't feel like they truly understand what their strengths are or where to even begin with trying to identify them. Maybe that's you – and that's okay! I know this episode will leave you feeling both encouraged and empowered.

If you're ready to understand your unique gifts and how to use your strengths for good, this episode is for you!

Connect with Brandi:

• The Power Hat Co.
• The Power Project
• The Power Project Book
• The Power Project Podcast
• Instagram

Find the Show Notes here.

Let's Live Creatively, friends!

Learn more: www.building07.com

Connect: [email protected]

Community for Creatives: www.facebook.com/groups/creativeincommunity

Coaching for Creatives: www.building07.com/coaching/

Want more? Subscribe to my "secret" podcast, 5-Minute Fridays. Exclusive convos for my closest creative friends: https://bit.ly/5minfri

How do we fight for the things that make us feel alive when life gets hard?

In this episode of Live Creatively, I'm chatting with Jo Hooper. By day, Jo is the Creative Director in the magazine publishing world but by night, weekend, and every other free moment, she is the director and founder of Reach North Texas, a non-profit based in Frisco that is Serving in Suburbia, restoring Hope and Humanity where it is needed most.

I loved this candid conversation with Jo. We dive deep into what it really looks (and feels) like to fight for the things that make us feel alive and inspired and find ways to be creative even when life gets hard or messy or just busy as we navigate different seasons of life and the rhythms of everyday routines.

Listen in as Jo and I chat about:

• The things that inspire Jo and help her connect with her creativity daily
• What it has looked like for her to "fight" for the things that make her feel alive
• How to find things that help you to feel alive, inspired, and creative even in the midst of a really difficult seasons
• What has helped Jo to be able to go about a daily rhythm or routine with creativity

If you're walking through a really difficult season and don't feel like you'll ever get that creative spark back or have the energy to be creative again, or maybe you just feel stuck and uninspired in the middle of everyday routines, I know this conversation encourage you.

If you are struggling to find things that make you feel alive and inspired, this episode is for you!

Connect with Jo:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Find the Show Notes here.

Let's Live Creatively, friends!

Learn more: www.building07.com

Connect: [email protected]

Community for Creatives: www.facebook.com/groups/creativeincommunity

Coaching for Creatives: www.building07.com/coaching/

Want more? Subscribe to my "secret" podcast, 5-Minute Fridays. Exclusive convos for my closest creative friends: https://bit.ly/5minfri

How can we be courageous and embrace creative risk taking while pursuing our dreams?

In this episode of Live Creatively, I'm chatting with Merritt Onsa. Merritt is a Dream Coach and podcast host who inspires Christian women to trade fear and imposter syndrome for the God-shaped dreams they were created to pursue.

For so many of us, even just speaking our dreams out loud can feel terrifying! So, how do we actually pursue our dreams courageously? The truth is, pursuing and taking real steps towards making our dreams a reality will involve taking risks and that can feel scary! In our candid conversation, Merritt shares so much encouragement and advice about how to step out in courage while pursuing our dreams and how creative risk taking is such a big and necessary part of taking real steps forward in the direction of our dreams.

Listen in as Merritt and I chat about:

• How to courageously pursue our dreams and what that has looked like for her
• What courageously pursuing our dreams will require of us
• How we be courageous when we face risk and push past the fears that come with unknowns
• Practical advice for taking real steps and making progress towards accomplishing our dreams

Do you have a dream tucked away in your heart? Maybe you're feeling paralyzed by all the fears and what-ifs that stand between where you are right now and where you need to go in order for your dream to become a reality. We've all felt this way creative friend, but be encouraged. It is possible to pursue your dream – one small, shaky step at a time.

If you are struggling to find the courage to step out and pursue your dream, this episode is for you!

Connect with Merritt:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook Group
• Devoted Dreamers Podcast
• 17 Quick-Win Actions to Get Your Dream Moving Forward

Find the Show Notes here.

Let's Live Creatively, friends!

Learn more: www.building07.com

Connect: [email protected]

Community for Creatives: www.facebook.com/groups/creativeincommunity

Coaching for Creatives: www.building07.com/coaching/

Want more? Subscribe to my "secret" podcast, 5-Minute Fridays. Exclusive convos for my closest creative friends: https://bit.ly/5minfri

How do we manage the mounting feelings of overwhelm while prioritizing what matters most in the midst of full lives?

In this episode of Live Creatively, I'm chatting with Hannah Pierrou. Hannah is a long-time lifestyle photographer, designer, and artist at Hannah Pierrou Photography, LLC. Farm to Film is her debut book as an author & illustrator.

Like many of us as creatives, Hannah wears a lot of hats! She's a wife, a homeschool momma, a photographer, a writer, an artist. She has a very full life and has certainly learned a thing or two over the years about how to manage feelings of overwhelm and prioritize what matters most in the midst of FULL schedules and REAL life. And we also discussed how to stay connected to our creativity with everything that is on our plates and competing for our attention.

Listen in as Hannah and I chat about:

• How to recognize the key indicators of overwhelm in your life
• What to do when you start to feel overwhelmed
• How overwhelm affects us and overflows into all areas of our lives
• The effects of overwhelm on our creativity
• What has helped Hannah manage and overcome feelings of overwhelm in her life

Hannah shares so much encouragement and relatable advice from her own life and journey as a creative.

If you are feeling completely overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize what matters most, this episode is for you!

Connect with Hannah:

• Website
• Instagram
• Children's Book

Find the Show Notes here.

Let's Live Creatively, friends!

Learn more: www.building07.com

Connect: [email protected]

Community for Creatives: www.facebook.com/groups/creativeincommunity

Coaching for Creatives: www.building07.com/coaching/

Want more? Subscribe to my "secret" podcast, 5-Minute Fridays. Exclusive convos for my closest creative friends: https://bit.ly/5minfri

Imposter syndrome is likely something we have all faced as creatives. So how do we overcome and not allow it to hold us back in our creative pursuits?

In this episode of Live Creatively, I'm chatting with Bree Grenier. Bree is a fellow designer and the owner of Marque Creative Studio. She helps creative entrepreneurs make their brands more memorable and more profitable through strategic brand and website design.

I love Bree's story because, as someone who also took an unconventional path to design, I can relate to so much of what she shares in this episode. She opens up about how she often felt less qualified than other creatives and wrestled with feelings of imposter syndrome along her way. I loved this candid conversation with Bree and the advice she shared from her own experiences about how to overcome imposter syndrome, which I think is something we have all faced as creatives at some point in our journeys. I know it's certainly something I have found myself struggling with as well, especially when I was just getting started as a graphic designer.

Listen in as Bree and I chat about:

• What imposter syndrome is and how it impacts us, and our work, as creatives
• How Bree struggled with imposter syndrome along her journey to design
• The connection between unhealthy comparison and imposter syndrome
• How we can disqualify ourselves from opportunities when we believe the lies of imposter syndrome
• What helped Bree overcome the feelings and symptoms of imposter syndrome that were holding her back
• So much valuable advice and encouragement for the creative struggling with imposter syndrome

If you want to know how to finally overcome those feelings of imposter syndrome that keep holding you back, this episode is for you!

Connect with Bree:

• Website
• Instagram

Find the Show Notes here.

Let's Live Creatively, friends!

Learn more: www.building07.com

Connect: [email protected]

Community for Creatives: www.facebook.com/groups/creativeincommunity

Coaching for Creatives: www.building07.com/coaching/

Want more? Subscribe to my "secret" podcast, 5-Minute Fridays. Exclusive convos for my closest creative friends: https://bit.ly/5minfri

As multi-passionate creatives, how do we stay focused and not get side-tracked while pursuing our paths?

In this episode of Live Creatively, I'm chatting with my friend and fellow designer, Jessica Henning. Jess love's helping small businesses build their brand to attract their ideal client through great design. She offers branding, website design and graphic design services to her clientele through her company, JH Creative. Jess is also the owner of The Purpose Planners and co-founder The Collective.

Jess shared so much helpful and practical advice about how to stay focused, even when we wear lots of different hats, and why that's so important as we intentionally pursue our own paths as creatives.

Listen in as Jess and I chat about:

• How she stays focused as a multi-passionate creative entrepreneur
• How to find your focus while also pursuing several different businesses and/or passions
• How Jess has struggled to stay focused and what helped her regain her focus
• How to identify distractions that disrupt your focus or pull you off your path
• The impact of distractions and how they can be detrimental to creatives
• How Jess has been able to block out or eliminate these kinds of distractions
• Advice and encouragement for the creative struggling to find their focus and keep their eyes fixed forward as they pursue their creative path

If you want to know how to stay focused, even if you wear lots of hats, while pursuing your creative path, this episode is for you!

Connect with Jess:

• Website
• Instagram
• The Collective - 30-Day FREE Trial

Find the Show Notes here.

Let's Live Creatively, friends!

Learn more: www.building07.com

Connect: [email protected]

Community for Creatives: www.facebook.com/groups/creativeincommunity

Coaching for Creatives: www.building07.com/coaching/

Want more? Subscribe to my "secret" podcast, 5-Minute Fridays. Exclusive convos for my closest creative friends: https://bit.ly/5minfri

How do we create online businesses that truly align with the lives we desire?

In this episode of Live Creatively, I'm chatting with my friend and creative peer, Karen Howell. Karen is an incredibly talented web developer who runs an eCommerce consultancy for modern luxury brands. She is also is the founder of a community for creative entrepreneurs.

Listen in as Karen and I chat about:

• How to build an online business that supports the life you desire
• Her own journey and struggles along the way to achieving this alignment
• What to do when your business does NOT feel aligned with the kind of life you want to be living
• Her biggest pieces of advice for someone who wants to start an online creative business
• Encouragement and practical advice for the creative who is just getting started or desires to create an online business

There is SO much that goes into creating, running, and growing an online business. My heart is always to share the things I wish I knew when I was just getting started, so I think this episode will be especially helpful to the creative who is at the beginning of their journey.

Karen is just such a joy to listen to! I know that you are going to be inspired, encouraged, and equipped to build a creative business that truly aligns with the life you desire to live.

If you want to know how to create an online business that aligns with the life you desire, this episode is for you!

Connect with Karen:

• Website
• Instagram
• The Creative CEO Community

Find the Show Notes here.

Let's Live Creatively, friends!

Learn more: www.building07.com

Connect: [email protected]

Community for Creatives: www.facebook.com/groups/creativeincommunity

Coaching for Creatives: www.building07.com/coaching/

Want more? Subscribe to my "secret" podcast, 5-Minute Fridays. Exclusive convos for my closest creative friends: https://bit.ly/5minfri

How do we seek out community and find mentorship along our creative journeys?

In this episode of Live Creatively, I'm chatting with my friend Kelsey Chapman, author of What They Taught Me: Recognizing the Mentors Who Will Take You from Dream to Done.

Kelsey and I chat about the importance of community to us as creatives, cultivating meaningful relationships with others, and how to navigate the tricky dynamics of finding a mentor.

Listen in as Kelsey and I chat about:

• The importance of community to us as creatives and how find it
• Cultivating meaningful relationships with others
• How to seek out mentorship and find a mentor
• The roles of both community and mentors in our lives
• Pushing past the discomfort of putting yourself out there to find meaningful connections
• Kelsey's book, What They Taught Me: Recognizing the Mentors Who Will Take You from Dream to Done
• Kelsey also shares so much valuable advice and encouragement for anyone who is struggling to find a mentor and/or community with other creatives.

If you want to know how to intentionally seek out community and find mentorship, this episode is for you!

Connect with Kelsey:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Find the Show Notes here.

Let's Live Creatively, friends!

Learn more: www.building07.com

Connect: [email protected]

Community for Creatives: www.facebook.com/groups/creativeincommunity

Coaching for Creatives: www.building07.com/coaching/

Want more? Subscribe to my "secret" podcast, 5-Minute Fridays. Exclusive convos for my closest creative friends: https://bit.ly/5minfri

How can we creatively integrate our faith and our work?

In this episode of Live Creatively, I'm chatting with Erin Baxter, Marketing and Communications Director for the Polished Network and the BOLDLY Conference.

Erin and I talk about how to integrate our faith and our work while also pursuing meaning and purpose in our everyday lives. Erin also shares some exciting details about the BOLDLY Conference coming up this October plus a special discount code just for Live Creatively listeners!

Listen in as Erin and I chat about:

• Practical ways to integrate faith and work
• Creative ways to share our faith authentically at work or in professional settings
• How to find balance or rhythm with faith, work, and our everyday lives
• How can we intentionally pursue meaning and purpose in all of these different aspects of our lives
• The biggest things women wrestle with in the workplace or professional settings
• What to expect at the BOLDLY Conference

If you want to be inspired to find creative ways to integrate your faith and your work, this episode is for you!

Connect with Erin and the BOLDLY Conference:

• The BOLDLY Conference
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Find the Show Notes here.

Let's Live Creatively, friends!

Learn more: www.building07.com

Connect: [email protected]

Community for Creatives: www.facebook.com/groups/creativeincommunity

Coaching for Creatives: www.building07.com/coaching/

Want more? Subscribe to my "secret" podcast, 5-Minute Fridays. Exclusive convos for my closest creative friends: https://bit.ly/5minfri

How can we leverage LinkedIn as creative professionals?

In this episode of Live Creatively, I'm chatting with Lindsay Mitrosilis, a LinkedIn mentor and business strategist for impact-driven entrepreneurs looking to leave a legacy that inspires others, about all things LinkedIn and how we can be leveraging this platform to the fullest potential as creative professionals.

Listen in as Lindsay and I chat about:

• Why LinkedIn is more than just a job board or online resume
• How to be intentional and strategic with the content you share on LinkedIn
• The different kinds of content we can create for LinkedIn
• How creatives can leverage LinkedIn to build their brand and their business (or career)
• Invaluable advice for creatives who either don't use LinkedIn or feel clueless about where to start
• How to repurpose your existing content for LinkedIn

If you want to learn how to leverage LinkedIn as a creative professional, this episode is for you!

Connect with Lindsay:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• FREE LinkedIn Content Playbook

Find the Show Notes here.

Let's Live Creatively, friends!

Learn more: www.building07.com

Connect: [email protected]

Community for Creatives: www.facebook.com/groups/creativeincommunity

Coaching for Creatives: www.building07.com/coaching/

Want more? Subscribe to my "secret" podcast, 5-Minute Fridays. Exclusive convos for my closest creative friends: https://bit.ly/5minfri