Selfish™

I love Josh’s story, because someone saw the potential in him long before he saw it himself. I can certainly relate to this, and you will too, as you hear all the amazing opportunities he is able to experience now because he took a chance.

Hey, my name is Josh Johnson and I am, quite by accident, The Kentucky Gent. This all came to be without me even realizing what I was getting myself into. I was doing a lot of traveling for my job at the time and often found myself being asked where I was from, and everyone seemed quite surprised that my answer was always Kentucky.

The Kentucky Gent started as a way for me to show that Southern boys have style too. Since the site’s inception it has expanded into a fully-fledged men’s life and style blog; consider it the worldwide web’s “Gateway to the South” where I share my passions for fashion, food, grooming, and travel.

I’m a southern boy at heart with a love for bourbon and beer, fashion and food, and sharing my stories and experiences with you, my incredible readers.

Once you hear Maizie’s story, you will realize she was always meant to be an entrepreneur, because she’s been practicing for this role since she was a child. I think you will find great inspiration from Maizie’s journey, because even she can’t believe some of the amazing things she already been able to accomplish.

Maizie Clarke provides gifts that delight both the giver and the receiver. The namesake of the business, Maizie Clarke, has spent years honing her craft through her arts education and practice. Starting as a side business illustrating whimsical, custom house portraits, Maizie has grown and expanded her portfolio to include boutiques, hotels, museums, golf courses and more! She still finds joy in creating custom gifts, but has brought to life colorful wholesale collections and custom wholesale solutions for many different types of clients.

Maizie Clarke is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, where Maizie lives with her four-legged good luck charm, Hattie. Originally hailing from Virginia, Maizie is a graduate of the Episcopal High School. Having always had a passion for design and all things beautiful, she went on to earn her Bachelor's Degree in Interior Design from Marymount University and then her Master in Exhibition Design from the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, D.C. Maizie genuinely loves her craft and the joy she sees it bring to her family, friends and clients!

Katie and Kari are living out my dreams to be a professional organizer, so I loved this conversation. However, I had no idea how emotional and physiological their job really is. I loved that their connection was instantaneous and they’ve been tidying up clients homes ever since.

Wanna know more about Katie & Kari?

We both have 1 daughter and 2 sons

We are both one of three sisters (oh the drama!)

We are both type A with a sense of humor (you have to laugh at yourself, right?!)

We both love coffee, yoga, wine, local restaurants, home renovations, design, styling and organizing (of course!)

We clearly have the same taste in clothing as we often show up to meetings and jobs dressed alike

Katie has a degree in Occupational Therapy and Kari has a degree in Social Work (both come in handy in this line of work!)

Between the two of us--we’ve gone through 6 moves and sold our homes immediately because of our love of beautiful things and attention to detail!

Neither of us grew up in Louisville! Katie is from Iowa and Kari from Central Kentucky

We started The Home Sanctuary because we believe everyone deserves the peace of mind and happiness that comes with an organized, functional home.

Jenna is an excellent example of “hard work prevails” - you may think she is an overnight success, but in our conversation she peels back the layers of the 16 years she has been working towards today and shares all the turns in her journey that went into getting her here.

Jenna Ahern is the Founder & CEO at Guardian Owl Digital – One of the fastest growing SEO agencies in the Midwest. The company is a Certified Google Partner and recently featured in BossBabe.com Inc, a global online community of over 850,000 women and 1 million-page views a month.

Jenna is an SEO veteran having gained experience under 3 Google Premier Partners & two of the largest automotive search engine’s in the world; Autotrader & KBB. Since pursuing Guardian Owl Digital full-time in 2016, the company has grown to over 100 clients, over a million dollars in revenue, and 6 full time Owl Members. Jenna currently serves as the Founding Member & Advisory Board for Louisville Women in Digital, the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer board, and active Kentucky NAWBO member.

Mannnn did I need to have this conversation with Stephanie. We decided our lives are very parallel and we are kindred spirits, yet I was blown away by her attitude about life and her tenacity to change the world. If anyone can do it, I believe in Stephanie.

Stephanie Feger is a passionate communicator who believes that a shift in perspective can help people live truly fulfilling lives. Her blog, Color Today Pretty, has inspired many to shift their mindsets and has spawned her latest accomplishment of authoring her new book Color Today Pretty: An Inspirational Guide to Living a Life in Perspective. Stephanie believes that every choice in life has meaning and she empowers others to choose to color their days pretty, to choose perspective each moment of their lives. As a professional speaker, author and blogger, communications and marketing consultant, and home décor business owner, she shares her stories of inspiration through creativity, authenticity, and vulnerability. Learn more at www.colortodaypretty.com and receive your regular dose of inspiration by following her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

I love the energy Kelsey & Lauren have - their journey to creating Seed & Harvest is so authentic and they truly want to help every woman out there following their dreams. The passion behind their cause is so evident and I can’t wait for you all to hear why they do what they do to cheer on their fellow entrepreneurs.

Kelsey is a quick-witted social media and business educator, with a background in photography. She is married to her better-looking business partner Matt, they live in Kentucky with their 4-year-old, curly-headed daughter Myla. She and Matt have been wedding and lifestyle photographers for a decade and have grown a brand that has helped set the industry standard.

Lauren is a free-spirited type 7 (hey, enneagram lovers!) who serves as the creative director for the business. She has a brand new squish of a baby, Boone Ford with her hubby, Nolan, and two golden doodles. On a scale of 1 to "woo woo", she's a solid 9, but she feels like she should say a solid 7 (give her all the essential oils + meditations + yoga + personal manifestations, please.) She loves creating in all forms and has spent years in the graphic design world.

Together Kelsey and Lauren, specialize in organic, small business growth and connection. Their goal is to teach female entrepreneurs how to grow and convert sales on social media, through courses and retreats.

I love the passion behind the work Tyler Lloyd does - he has so much knowledge about CBD - but also you can tell he has a heart for helping people and making them feel their best. I was so curious to find out more about CBD and if you are as interested as I was you will definitely enjoy what Tyler has to say.

Tyler is a self described nerd, environmentalist, and content creator. Originally from Kentucky, he currently calls Washington, DC home. Tyler enjoys exploring the city on his bike, drinking strong coffee, and telling stories through photography, video, podcasts, and the written word. Mr. Lloyd earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Louisville in 2010 and both a Masters of Public Affairs and Masters of Environmental Science from Indiana University in 2015. Additionally, Tyler Lloyd served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso from 2012 to 2014. Tyler is a founder of LOU CBD, a Louisville, KY based company specializing in organically grown hemp products that are THC-free but is still rich in desired phytocannabinoids. LOU CBD wants to help others achieve their greatest potential in life, which starts with a healthy body and mind.

Brianna Rooney is not nicknamed the Millionaire Recruiter just for fun, she is a super smart business woman and really cares about individuals finding their dream job and a career that fulfills them. I love the advice she gives to job seekers - surprising tips you wouldn’t expect to hear from a recruiter.

Brianna Rooney (aka The Millionaire Recruiter), is the founder and CEO of Techees. Brianna is 34-years-old, has three houses, a top 100 restaurant, Mouthful Eatery, an amazing Chef of a husband and two little kids.

Techees is the top tech recruiting firm that places highly sought-after software professionals with companies in the Bay Area that are high profile, VC backed, profitable, pre-IPO and/or public.

Brianna came out with a 3-hour eCourse that is interactive, professionally well done and trains you like she would if you were in her office. She guarantees you do well with resume help and an hour consultation with her or one of her success partners in crime.

I took what Dr. Amanda O’Bryan shared with us in this episode and put it into practice since we spoke. I have never had someone explain meditation so clearly and make it seem so obtainable. I know you will walk away with a new perspective on meditation and will want to give it a try if you haven’t yet.

Dr. Amanda O’Bryan, PhD enjoys the challenge of combining science and spirituality to create a new method of teaching, and a new perspective on meditation that is both modern and meaningful. Before becoming a full-time meditation teacher, she worked as a Psychology professor and brings that knowledge of human behavior and the brain to her meditation teachings. Amanda teaches workshops, creates online meditation courses and works one-on-one with individuals to deepen their practice, and bring mindfulness to all aspects of their lives. You can also find her doing live meditations on Instagram, on Insight Timer, or teaching donation-based classes for beginners and advanced practitioners at The Inner Warrior in Louisville.

“It’s not that your life has changed, it's not like the things that stress you out have disappeared, but the way you react to them changes.”

I have been doing the 21-Day Meditation Experience with Oprah and Deepak Chopra. I know, right? Two of the best to learn meditation from. It’s an app that encourages a daily practice of meditation to create a lifelong habit. Oprah opens each practice with insight on why this meditation will be important for your life. Day 7, entitled “Obstacles to Grace Melt Away,” she opens with this:

“When you feel struggle, pause, try to take a step back, give yourself a moment’s time to find your center. That struggle is a gift, a whisper, it is your graceful, true self, tapping you on the shoulder a little bit trying to remind you, ever so gently, to look again. Because you always get to choose, do you react to an obstacle as a negative or do you embrace it as an opportunity to respond with the open-hearted knowledge that all will be well?”

Deepak, I feel like it’s okay to call him by his first name just like we do Oprah, right? Then walks you through the meditation practice. On this particular day he explains:

“Once we start the practice of gratitude, our perspective opens up. We start to see how the universe generously supports us in countless ways. From this shift in perception optimism naturally emerges, because the ups and downs of daily existence, hale beside the infinite generosity of nature just as a candle fades in the noon day sun.”

I love that visual – our problems can be the candle, but if your sunlight, aka your gratitude for life, is shining so brightly, you won’t even be able to see the candle. But when your world is dim, sometimes all you can see is that flame. It’s funny how making a change in something as small as perspective can define how we view our entire life.

Finally, Oprah closes the episode by sharing: “There is a gift in every moment, good or bad. Allow the wisdom of difficulty to speak to you and lead you to where your life truly wants to go.”

When she puts it that way, to me those obstacles become freeing. When you allow those things to happen, it is just life/ the universe/ God correcting you where it wants you to go.

This reminds me of a quote I saw recently from musical composer Truman Fisher, he said, “The pause is as important as the note.”

I am so guilty of wanting to get to that next note, sometimes before I’ve even finished playing the current note. The notes are where I shine, the notes are what I am proud of, and the notes give me joy. But why can’t those pauses fill us in the same way? It is opposite of what our society preaches, being busy is glorified and rest is lazy. But think of how much goodness we miss, by not enjoying the pause, because we mistook it to be an obstacle.

I’m so excited for you to hear the experts I’ve interviewed for Season Four.

My interest in meditation grew after my conversation with Dr. Amanda O’Bryan and she shares mind-blowing meditation techniques with us. Stephanie Feger also preaches the importance of perspective as she encourages you to “color today pretty.”

Maybe you will find inspiration from the dynamic female duos in Kelsey & Lauren, harvesting seeds in women entrepreneurs or Katie & Kari teaching us all how to turn our homes into sanctuaries.

I went straight to the horse's mouth for my interview with Tyler Lloyd from LOU CBD. I wanted to find out all about the latest CBD craze. I also talked to Josh Johnson, aka The Kentucky Gent, about how he gets to travel the world, eat all the food, and call it work.

And I know you will love the stories of blood, sweat, and tears that will light you on fire for your dreams when you hear the bravery from Brianna Rooney, Jenna Ahern and Maizie Clarke. These ladies are doing big things, and I’m blown away and how they juggle all the hats they wear.

Whichever episode becomes your favorite, I hope we can all find a place in life that allow us to celebrate the notes AND the rests. That we can remember to take time to meditate, breath and