The Couragemakers Podcast | Encouragement, Inspiration & Rebel Rousing For Mission Driven Doers Makers & Shakers |

Hello there! And welcome to episode 30 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm talking to Diana Chaplin. Diana is a freelance copywriter, content strategist, and brand developer for mission-driven creatives. She's also a nature-lover, mother of two, and writer at heart. Following her intuition has given her a joyful life and career, and she loves helping others do the same.   During our conversation, Diana shares her journey of deciding at a young age that she wanted to be an independent woman and how that came to be a prominent theme in her life.   In this episode we really dive deep into the topic of intuition: from how to know your intuition is telling you something, to Diana's really practical advice on things you can do to develop your intuition.   We have a great discussion about the courage it takes to do something even if the people around you don't get it, how lots of small acts of courage allow you to do bigger things and how happiness and love in themselves can be a measure of success.   This is such a g

  Hello there and welcome to episode 29 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm chatting with Kayli Schattner.  Kayli is an Online Marketing + Content Strategist for creative entrepreneurs living in Phoenix, Arizona with her Corgi pup, Stabler. She encourages women to #OwnIt + life a life they love. When she's not blogging for her lifestyle site, Kayli Wanders, you can probably find her at happy hour with her girlfriends, doing yoga in the sunshine or cuddled-up with a good book and a glass of Rosé.   During this episode, we  really dive into how scheduling self care helps you to sustain a great life and do what you love, how Kayli works to be completely authentic in everything she does and the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people.   Kayli shares fantastic advice for anyone struggling to juggle a million plates at once, some great practical tips to help you get organised and generally how to pursue your dreams without the constant overwhelm.   I really love Kayli's life philosophy that it is po

  Hi there and welcome to episode 28 of Couragemakers.   This week I’m talking with Kate Evans. Kate describers herself as an overly excitable creative introvert with a peanut butter problem. She works as a Communications Manager for a self advocacy organisation for adults who have a learning disability and she’s passionate about empowering people to live their best lives - whether that's her friends, readers of her personal blog, or the people she works with. Making things and writing keep Kate sane, and she can usually be found in front of a laptop or with yarn wrapped around her fingers.   In this episode we dive into Kate’s journey as an activist and how she dealt with burnout and found work that sustains her as well as serves other people, how finding work that fits your values is essential and how acts of everyday bravery need to be celebrated.   Kate shares how she has started to become really honest about her mental health online and great advice for anyone wanting to be more honest with those around

  Hi there and welcome to episode 27 of Couragemakers. This week, I had the joy of speaking to Sarah Starrs. Sarah is a writer, podcast host of The Girl Gang Conversations, and virtual assistant. She believes that our thoughts, choices, and actions create our lives, so she's dedicated herself to making choices, thinking thoughts, and taking actions that feel good. She recently closed down her coaching practice because it wasn't feeling good anymore. In her work as a Virtual Assistant Sarah helps heart-centered female entrepreneurs take the headache out of their business so that it all feels more awesome. By sharing her story and the stories of others through her work as a writer and podcast host, she wants to shine a spotlight on the imperfect mess of being human and in the process, help people see that they're not alone.   In this episode, we really focus in on self love and lifestyle design. Sarah shares her experience of depression since a young age, how she thought that an exciting life full of of travel,

  Hello there and welcome to episode 26 of Couragemakers! For this week's episode, I chatted to Superbands founder Jessica Villa. Jess started Superbands, a non profit Superbands, with the mission of  raise global awareness on mental illness in today's youth and empower those struggling through music. When she isn't working on Superbands, Jessica enjoys going to concerts, binge-watching various Netflix series, traveling, and  snuggling with her (adorable!) puppy, Jax.   In this episode, Jessica talks about her own struggles with depression and low self esteem, how music saved her life, and the story of how she has built an online community and movement bringing young people together through life's challenges by the power of music.   We really dive into how Jess has found self acceptance,  debunk the myth that you're not supposed to love your job and what role music has played in Jess' life. Jess shares fantastic advice for people wanting to start their own thing but not having the support around them, her tip

Hello and welcome to episode 25 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm talking with Meghan Maydel. Meghan is a brand + biz strategist who helps creative badasses who've decided they're ready to stop playing small to get real with their biz, craft a brand + biz that doesn't suck, and grow a tribe of fans who can't get enough. When she isn’t typing away at her laptop you can find her co-hosting her podcast, Blazing Creative, with her awesome co-host Steph Schertz, planning her next Halloween craft, and/or having a good laugh with her hubby and 2 fur babies, Yadi & Guinness.   In this episode Meghan takes us on a whirlwind journey of her creative entrepreneurial journey so far (starting at age 12 making friendship bracelets, working for  one of the Ad Agency's “top 10 agencies to watch in the U.S, to starting her own thing and becoming her own boss.)   We really dive into how nearly having the rug pulled out from under her feet led her to start her  business, the growing pains that come with starting your own thi

Hi there and welcome to episode 24 of Couragemakers! This week I'm talking to Victoria Klein, aka VK and I'm so excited to share this episode! VK is a former Virtual Assistant-turned-Online Business Manager + Burnout Busting Mentor for entrepreneurs who are ready to take their online business up 3 notches while also sleeping 8 hours a night. And when she’s not getting her ambitious clients out of their inboxes, you can find her indulging in adult coloring books, in-depth conversations, + dark chocolate anything. Me and VK got chatting a couple of months ago, and she's a fellow podcast host, and I loved chatting to her for her podcast Behind the Boss Mask. It was great to get behind the scenes and hear more about her journey and I know you're going take so many wisdom nuggets out of this episode. In this episode, VK shares the long journey of how she became an entrepreneur, and how her life has changed since she stopped doing what she felt she had to do and started to invent her own definition of success. We d

  Hello and welcome to episode 23 of Couragemakers! Today I'm speaking to the wonderful Angela Ford. Angela is a Digital Marketing Strategist, passionate about helping multi-passionate creatives spend more time doing work they love. She also is a fantasy author, entertaining young and old alike with fantasy adventures and non-stop action.   In this episode we really dive into how Angela wanted to do something fun and meaningful with her life and her desire to make a difference.  She shares her journey from writing novels from the age of 12 and being in a band with her sisters, to working as a digital marketing strategist and being a fantasy author.   We have some great conversations about dealing with realists while chasing down your dreams, how books and creativity help us develop as a person and how life isn't about fulfilling what other people think you should do.   This is a great episode if you worry about living life with regrets, if you want to hear great advice for getting over the paralysis that we s

  Hi there and welcome to episode 22 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm chatting to the lovely Cat Rose. I met Cat over Twitter and got the chance to catch up with her over a coffee in London a couple of months ago and I'm so excited to share this episode.   Cat  is on a mission to help other creatives get over their fears of self-promotion and get their work seen and shared. She is a coach and founded the League of Creative Introverts: a safe community for creatives to share their work openly, learn from others and get all the support they need on their creative journey.   During our conversation, Cat shares her journey from working as a graphic designer, going to Japan and starting the League of Creative Introverts, how she deals with rejection as a creative and how we as creatives can learn to talk about our work.   We really dive into the link between being a creative and being an introvert, the turmoil introverts face and Cat shares some great advice about how to set goals as a multi-passionate person.  

  Hello and welcome to episode 21!   This week I had the absolutely privilege of sitting down with Spanish artist Maria Gil Ulldemolins who lives and works in Brussels. Maria's creative practice is a very process-oriented and heavily influenced by her experiences with meditation. Her work explores the themes of embracing mistakes, letting go, flow, compassion, control, variations and time.   In this episode we really dive into Maria's journey of studying the visual arts in Swaziland at a young age to owning her own studio, her belief that life is like google maps and it  finds a way of redirecting you to where you should be and how we all need to stop hating ourselves for hating ourselves when we're in a shitty place.   This is a great episode is you want to hear a really honest discussion about integrity, honesty and pity parties, if you want to hear a really frank conversation about the pressure to make six figures online and how it affects creatives, and if you want to feel really inspired like you have th

  Hi there and welcome to episode 20 of Couragemakers!   This week, I'm talking with the lovely Jennifer Seale. Jen is a certified Holistic Health Practitioner (health and wellness coach), licensed Spiritual Practitioner, blogger, truth-seeker, and lover of life.  She guides those who want to love themselves, heal their relationship between food and body, and live their best life possible!  She shares a passion of overall wellness through holistic health, food, creativity, mindfulness, spirituality, and most importantly…balance! Jen currently resides in sunny southern California with her partner Greg, and their sweet pup Charlie.   In this episode, Jen really vulnerably her journey of growing up feeling insecure and how she made the decision to start learning how to love herself.  Jen shares all about the doubt and guilt that comes with starting to love yourself, and how we can start to move beyond the grief of what could have been and embark on a journey of working to build yourself.   We really dive into ho

Hi there and welcome to episode 19 of Couragemakers!   Today I'm talking with Maria Northcott. Maria is native New Englander, former schoolteacher, sought-after wedding officiant and   creator of community.Maria thrives on building relationships and making connections and in 2015, she quit her full-time job to free her heart and soul to do exactly that   During our conversation, Maria shares her journey into the world of creative business, her world beliefs including why she doesn't believe in competition and how we can all take the time to ask ourselves what feeds us, what feeds the world and how we want to spend our energy.   We dive into so many topics during this episode and talk about everything from why the idea of quitting your job today to follow your passions is bullshit, why reflection is so important and how creativity has such a wider definition than we're taught.   This is a wonderful episode if you want to explore how you would like your world to look and if you're struggling to see how things w

Hello there and welcome to episode 18 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm speaking to Amanda Sewell. Amanda is a wellness junkie, coach and rule breaker. She believes that everything in life comes down to radical self responsibility.   During the interview Amanda shares her own journey of self care, how tough experiences have built her resilience and her  practical advice for women who really struggle with self doubt.   In this episode, we really challenge this notion that self care is selfish, talk really honestly about the impossibility of meeting other people's and society's expectations and how boundaries are so important in order to live a life that works for you.   Hi there! This week I’m talking to Amanda Sewell. In this episode, we really challenge this notion that self care is selfish, talk honestly about meeting expectations & how boundaries are vital in order to live a life that works for you. This is a great episode for you if you want to hear from someone who really embraces being different,

Hello and welcome to episode 17 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm talking to the lovely Krista Rae. Krista is  a blog strategist and WordPress developer who helps female creatives  craft   strategic blogs to elevate their business and conversions.   In this episode, Krista shares how how she went from starting a craft blog and having a side hustle to being able to quit her job and focus on her business full time , She also shares how  she  found a supportive community online, and also the not so glamorous side of side hustles and working for yourself.   We have a great discussion about the links between mental health issues and becoming an entrepreneur, what happens when you take a bet on yourself and how the power of starting before you're ready.   This is a great episode if you have an online business or are thinking of starting one, if you struggle to give yourself permission to take feel afraid and make decision and if you want to hear about both the shit and the glitter of owning your own online business

Hi there and welcome to episode 16 of Couragemakers!   This week I'm talking to Michelle Anneliese. Michelle is a writer, speaker, geek, mental health advocate, and self confessed overachiever. She's also a multi-passionate content creator and has dreams of owning her own media production company.   During our conversation we really dive into some great discussions about passions and how to sustain them, starting projects to get us through hard times and how to refill your creative cup.   Michelle shares her journey of how she started her  two blogs and sharing her life online, her dreams of owning a media production company and how choosing herself in tough situations has led her to where she is today.   We cover so much ground in this episode, from blogging misconceptions and friendship breakups  to being an introvert and what to do to get yourself through a bad.  I know this episode is going to be especially helpful for you if you're also a person with a wide range of passions and if you struggle to choose

    About Suzanne   Suzanne (who likes it when people call her Suz) is a recovering lawyer and the founder and chief creative copywriter of PepperJar, the place where small business owners and entrepreneurs go to escape the 'epidemic of generic' and stand out online with personality-infused words.   As much as she loves her work, she loves play too, and can often be found enjoying any of the following: snuggling on the sofa, wandering by the sea, thinking up witty tweets, sweating on the netball court, getting lost in a book, listening to Stevie Nicks, watching a cracking boxset, eating pretty much anything edible, relaxing in a bubble bath, dancing like a crazy fool in her lounge, and her favourite of all, laughing until she cries. You can contact: PepperJar | Facebook | Twitter | Things we talked about during today's show   Suz shares her unexpected journey of moving from being a miserable lawyer to owning her own copywriting business   We challenge the myth that work can't be fun   Suz’'s advice for

Hello and welcome to episode 14 of Couragemakers!   For this week's episode, I had the absolute joy of talking to Ashten Giardine.   Ashten is the founder of Just Go Left: a lifestyle blog and a love letter to living her best life. She founded Just Go Left, not just because she not-so-secretly wants to be Oprah, but because she believes through the ups and downs of life we are given the choice to "go left" when things don't go right and I'm so excited to share that journey with you today.   In this episode, we really dive into the idea of choosing joy in the everyday little things, how grief and hard times can profoundly affect us and how learning to ask for help can change your life.   This is a great episode to listen to if you're going through a hard time and want to hear advice and lessons from someone who made it through to the other side.   Big things have happened with Ashten since we recorded this episode back in February. Ashten made the huge decision to move from Atlanta back to California and she h

Hi there and welcome to episode 13 of Couragemakers!   Producing this podcast and interviewing amazing women all over the world has already been such a great experience for me, and this episode is really special. It's not often you get the privilege  to interview one of your best friends.   This week I'm talking to the wonderful and hilarious Jenny Ambrose. Jenny is a creative director, anthropologist, writer, business owner, encouragement coach - along with many other things - and also the mother of 4 needy animals and the wife of an amazing man.   Me and Jenny met through the power of Twitter a couple of years ago, after we bonded over our love of hummingbirds, and she's definitely made my world a much brighter place to be. Jenny grew up in New Jersey, and via LA and New York now lives in Florida. I'm SO excited to meet Jenny and her lovely husband Jake in person for the first time when me and Mr. Meg embark on our three month road trip across the US in August!   During our conversation, Jenny gets really o

Hello and welcome to episode 12 of Couragemakers, I’m so happy you’re here.   I got SO much out of listening to today’s episode back when editing it and I know you’re going to love this one.   For this week’s episode, I talked to the lovely Jennifer Sterling.  Jennifer Sterling is an Emotional Eating Coach. She helps women stop eating their feelings and release the physical, mental and emotional weight that’s keeping them from feeling their absolute best.   This is a really juicy conversation and we really dive deep into Jennifer’s own personal journey of taking her health into her own hands, the taboos that exist around how women look, and how we can learn to reconnect to our bodies and lean into the discomfort instead of do everything we can do avoid it.   We talked a lot about the power of slowing down, Jennifer’s advice for any woman who struggles with her body and why taking time for ourselves isn’t selfish.   This is a wonderful episode if you struggle with accepting your body, find it hard to deal with

Hello and welcome to episode 11 of Couragemakers! I’m so excited this week to share my conversation with the hilarious Mei Leong. Mei is a writer, artist and entrepreneur living in Lancaster in the UK, and is the woman behind Wonderfully Mei Designs.  In this episode, Mei shares how leaving a career in teaching allowed her to tap into her creativity and how going against the grain helped her to value herself a lot more. We talk a lot about listening to your gut instinct, keeping inspired and how Mei’s life has changed for the better since starting to carve a life for herself on her terms. During our conversation, we dive deep into quarter life crisis’, Mei’s undying love of Nicholas Cage and how creativity and courage can be combined to change the world. This is a great episode is you feel stuck in what you’re doing and if you want some practical tips to help you figure out what you love and how to  combine them to create a life you love. Mei is hilarious and she’s a real inspiration for anyone looking to cha