how i do it interviews – Rachel MacDonald

How I Do It: An Interview with SARK

6 March, 2014

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Radiant. Uplifting. Completely, utterly creative.

That’s SARK (aka Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) in a nutshell.

This is a woman who seriously oozes joy. I don’t think it would be wrong of me to say she’s the very definition, in fact. With passion and purpose colliding in one potent, powerhouse package, reading SARK’s, words you can’t help but be swept up in that wild-hearted energy that beams off the pages. She’s quite simply, divine.

It was in a second-hand bookstore about 7 years ago that I picked up my first SARK book, immediately taken by the colours and her signature handwritten scrawl, and like so many others, I’ve returned to them time and time again to feel their sacred heartbeat. They’re the perfect blend of art and cosy conversation – and go much deeper than first appearances suggest.

As well as a multitude of programs, products, and a gorgeous Tedx talk, SARK has written 16 best-selling books (yep, holy prolific!) including Succulent Wild Woman and Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper, both personal favourites. She writes about everything from fear to love, to money and sex, but I think the thing I take most from her writing is the way she articulates the intricacies of womanhood. Glorious and real.

I’m so honoured to be featuring her wise words here today as she peels back the curtains to share ‘how she does it’.

Introducing: Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy.

Let’s kick off with a biggie. Why do you do what you do?

The alternatives were so dreadful ;-)

After I had 250 jobs from ages 14 to 26, I declared that I would be an artist or writer – no matter what. I then opted out of the money system for 10 years and lived on barter and trade. I began to express and share my creativity in ways I had only dreamed of. I loved it and knew I had ENDLESS creative gifts to share. That’s when I began to embody and live my purpose; to be a transformer, uplifter and laser beam of love. I do this through my art, words and spirit.

What are three of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt over the years about life, creativity and running a business with soul?

1 // Study money as energy so you can receive it as well as spend it.

2 // “Never, never, never, under any circumstances, face facts.” Ruth Gordon (what she said).

3 // Invest in yourself and your business as a spiritual practice.

Describe your writing process. How do you do it?

It does me! My Inner Wise Self has wisdom to deliver and I create the conditions to let it be expressed. Creating the conditions consists of 3 significant transformational processes that I created:

1 // Inner Feelings care system

2 // Inner Critic care system

3 // Inner Wise Self; Activated and Empowered

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I know that there’s rarely a ‘typical’ day in the life of a writer/ entrepreneur/ creative goddess, but can you talk a bit about how you approach your work? What does a week in your life usually entail?

Being creatively alive in every area of my life.

Being present to what is.

Being willing to do my transformative practices and processes, with myself and others.

Being a “minister of love” as often and in as many ways as I can.

Living like a full cup of self love, sharing the overflow with the world.

When I feel half empty, which is every day, I fill myself back up from the inside – like a succulent plant does.

Routines and rituals for the soul: can you tell us about the little – or big – things that keep you feeling grounded, joyful, connected, inspired?

// Taking Miracle Walks – where you put your hands palms up and say “miracle find me now,” then tune your vision to see and experience miracles – tiny or large. Then share what you find and invite more!

// Allow and welcome spontaneous activities and events

// Be an adventure.

// Be intimate with the world and be surprised.

The not-so-hot days. We all have them. How do you combat overwhelm and self-doubt?

You don’t combat anything.* You acknowledge, honor and express all your feelings consistently so they can soften and change shape. You still have challenging emotions and experiences- you just don’t spend so much time there. You live in self love and exquisite self care, you transform overwhelm and self doubt with the help of your activated and empowered Inner Wise Self.

*[Rach: love this reframe so much!]

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RAPID FIRE Q’s

I feel empowered, electric, alive, the most ME when… I’m writing or creating.

I feel restricted when… I allow myself or others to block my energy from flowing naturally.

I’m inspired by… LIFE.

My current mantra/ affirmation is… ALLOW.

To wrap up, imagine you’re sitting in conversation with yourself in 10 years time. What are you doing? What does your life/ business look – and feel – like?

I’ll be at the brink of 70, with my beloved partner, laughing and living deeply, creatively, consciously and lovingly.

We’ll be teaching, creating, and continuing to illuminate our souls and others who resonate. Life is rich, full and ripe.

We live our adventures with this quote by me; “The opposite of old is not young. The opposite of old is new. As long as we continue to experience the new, we will gloriously inhabit all of the ages that we are.”

What a woman! Let’s hear some SARK lovin’ in the comments below!

(images from Planet SARK)

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How I Do It: An Interview with Gala Darling

1 November, 2013

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I stumbled across Gala Darling’s love-filled corner of the web way back in the early days of her blog, and from those first few clicks, I was enchanted. I’d discovered a pink-haired beacon of positivity – vibrant, bold, delightfully unapologetic – and as a newbie to blogs, I credit her with opening me up to a whole ‘nother world of wonder.

An afternoon spent trawling through Gala’s site was akin to falling down a rabbit hole. Her equal love of the smart, the inspired and the whimsical was addictive way back then, and the signature get-out-there-and-go-big-dammit! vibe of her work continues to empower thousands of women around the globe today.

I think what I love most about Gala though, is her unwavering commitment to celebration. She marvels over the ‘small stuff’ (in fact, that’s the premise of her mega-popular Things I Love Thursday column) – the magic in a swirl of cupcake icing, a funny phrase, the thrill of new experience. It’s a reminder to look at life, and most importantly, ourselves, through an appreciative, deeply loving lens. Which is, of course, what her Radical Self-Love message is all about.

Watching Gala’s evolution – along with her hair colour changes from pink to blue to pink to platinum to black – over the years has been a joy, and it seems like a sweet exclamation mark in my own journey, that tonight, I have the pleasure of speaking on stage about Radical Self-Love with this beauty.

Welcome, Gala Darling.

Let’s kick off with a biggie. Why do you do what you do?

I do it because I can’t stop myself. My career is what happens when an excitable, enthusiastic writer collides with the internet. God, just thinking about it sometimes gives me chills up my spine: there is no way I could have done this ten years ago.

This is such a unique time, when possibilities are chasm-like and available in multitudes. I know how blessed I am to be here, now, doing this.

You’ve been blogging at GalaDarling.com for six years now. What are three of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt since the early days?

They’re big-but-simple things (as some of the most important ideas tend to be). Always be true to yourself and pursue your own vision relentlessly; don’t take yourself too seriously; and the only thing holding you back is your own mind.

What’s been key for you in building your tribe?

It’s all about being real, I think. My babes are my babes because they know I don’t pull any punches. That’s one of my favourite things abut the internet: the true ease of finding likeminded people. I see this even vividly when I teach at The Blogcademy – every woman in the room really relates to me and my co-founders, and us to them!

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I know that there’s rarely a ‘typical’ day in the life of a blogger/ entrepreneur/ lady of the interwebs, but can you talk a bit about how you approach your work? What does a week in your life usually entail?

A week can be all over the place… Let’s talk about a day, instead! I wake up early and meditate before walking my dog. Then I crack straight into writing and go until around midday. After a lunch break, I do whatever either needs to be done or feels best. That can vary from meetings to dates with my husband or friends, errands to shopping, going for a walk etc. I work out at the end of the day — it forces me to stop working and it also keeps me happy! — and then my husband and I do whatever we feel like!

Describe your creative process. How do you write?

I just get into it! When I’m at home, I love to light candles and incense and put on great music. But the truth is that I travel so much that I write anywhere and everywhere, whenever I can snatch a snippet of time. For example, I am writing this on an airplane, with my headphones on. The map tells me we are somewhere over Arkansas. How do I write? I just do. And I love it so much. I actually get excited about being on a plane, because it gives me a me a massive stretch of time in which to get some uninterrupted writing done.

Routines and rituals for the soul: can you tell us about the little – or big – things that keep you feeling grounded, joyful, connected, inspired?

Meditation. Gratitude. EFT. Eating clean, good food and drinking plenty of water. Going to bed early and getting a solid 8 hours. Laughing as much as possible. And setting my life up so that I have the freedom to live whatever life I feel like living that day.

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I adore what you, Kat and Shauna are doing with The Blogcademy. Absolutely brilliant. Let’s pull back the curtain – how did the workshops come to form?

Whenever the three of us get together, we inevitably talk shop, i.e., blogging. All three of us have been to so many conferences and classes on blogging, but it’s a bloody rare occasion that any of us actually walk away from them feeling enlightened or any better off. So instead of complaining about that fact, we decided to do something about it!

We announced our first class in NYC and it sold out within a week. Our second class in London sold out in less than 24 hours. Since then, it has been an almost non-stop adventure. I’m on my way back from teaching in Texas, and next week we head out to Europe where we’re doing two classes in London back-to-back. (But not before celebrating my 30th birthday in the Greek Islands!* Woohoo!) * Check out some gorgeous pics here.

Launching a new venture is often thrilling and terrifying in equal measure. Have any fears, obstacles or unexpected surprises showed up along the way?

None of us really had any idea how much work it would be to put this whole endeavour together! That’s probably good, though… If we had known, we might have been a little more gun-shy! But we love it. A lot of running a live event is about dealing with things as they come up, so there have been some huge lessons learned in terms of going with the flow and trusting everything will work out! Even when we have disasters — like our LA venue cancelling on us a couple of weeks before the event — we’re always able to flip it and see a positive. In that example, we ended up using a space that was filled with turquoise mid-century furniture, and owned by the loveliest people. It was even better than our first venue!

Speaking of… The not-so-hot days. We all have them. How do you combat overwhelm and self-doubt?

It’s vital to have people on your team — whether friends, family or business partners – who you can speak freely with, and who encourage and support you no matter what. e are all wracked with self-doubt from time to time, but knowing you can speak to someone who understands and sees the best in you is such a blessing.

RAPID FIRE Q’s

I feel empowered, electric, alive, the most ME when… I am travelling, discovering new things, rolling with it, breaking routine.

I feel restricted when… Trying to repack a suitcase!

I’m inspired by… Everything! Life, love, music, stars, good black ink pens, brightly-coloured tattoos and the perfect motorcycle boot.

Radical Self-Love means… Knowing that it’s possible to believe what you want and do what you please.

My current mantra/ affirmation is… “She’ll be right!”

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To wrap up, imagine you’re sitting in conversation with yourself in 10 years time. What are you doing? What does your life look – and feel – like?

It’s almost more fun not to make predictions. I have goals but I love to be spontaneous and fly by the seat of my pants, to a large degree. I am pretty sure that in ten years time I will have written many books, spoken to thousands of people, and be living a fabulous life that makes me smile until my face aches.

What a babe, huh?!

Leave Gala some love in the comments below, and you can also check out her latest offerings:

// Radical Self-Love Letters

// Dare/ Dream/ Do

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How I Do It: An Interview with Sarah Von Bargen

4 October, 2013

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I sent Sarah Von Bargen the interview questions below and in the time it took me to reply to a couple of emails and check Facebook (once), her answers had already fluttered back into my inbox.

The girl can write. With mega-speed… and aplomb. Which is exceptionally handy, considering she is, in her words, a copywriter/blogger-for-hire/internet awesome-i-fier and prolific blogger at the successful lifestyle and travel blog Yes and Yes. Heads up: she sends brilliant newsletters with killer advice (I have a bunch tucked into a ‘Action this Rach!’ file).

Word wizardry aside, Sarah is very clearly in possession of that adventurous, wildly curious, world travellin,’ culture seeking spirit that you all know I adore. I had a chuckle when I saw the photos attached to her email reply – pics with names like ‘Sarah flying a plane’ ‘Sarah with bow’ and ‘Sarah on yacht’ (‘I’m on a boat!’).

Let’s meet this super talented lady. Welcome Sarah.

Let’s kick off with a biggie. Why do you do what you do?

In my former life (like, professionally – not metaphysically) I was a teacher. And 75% of my extended family are teachers. As such, I love helping people and teaching them about, well, anything: How to make their blog look better; How to throw awesome theme parties; How to travel on your own.

Teaching is my natural state.

What are three of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt since becoming an entrepreneur?

1. OMG, use the Pomodoro Method. You will be 100 time more productive when there’s a timer involved.

2. If you’re not sure you should work with someone – don’t. Just like most things in life, your intuition will rarely steer you wrong. If someone seems flakey or weird or overly emotional on that first consultation call – or if you just don’t think they’re a good fit – don’t work with them. It’ll never, ever be worth the headache.

3. Get 100% payment up front. Even if they’re super successful. Even if it really seems like they’ve got their act together. I’ve been shorted by a pastor and a really famous Hollywood trainer. Nobody’s immune to being a jerk.

What’s been key for you in building your tribe online?

Interacting with people! Leave comments on blogs, respond to tweets, link to content you like, respond to Facebook comments. No matter how ‘big’ you get – you should still do these things. Everyone likes to feel heard.

My time is split pretty evenly between working on my own blog and doing client work. Because I’m a dorky try-hard, I usually have blog posts scheduled a few weeks into the future while my client work is time-sensitive, so I often give priority to that and fit my blogging in around that.

I try to spend at least 20 minutes every day on ‘professional development’ (reading Problogger, Copyblogger, Mashable, listening to BlogcastFM) and 20 minutes a day ‘networking’ (responding to comments, leaving comments, talking to people on Twitter.) It doesn’t seem like much but 40 minutes a day really adds up!

Over the last year, I’ve gotten a lot better at work/life balance, so I usually stop working around 6 pm and I don’t answer work emails on the weekend. When the weather’s nice, I make an active effort to get out in the sun and do things that don’t involve a wifi connection.

sarahflyingaplane

Describe your creative process. How do you approach your work?

Because my blog is pretty much about things that I personally find interesting, I can write about anything. If I have an idea when I’m away from my computer, I make a note in my phone. If I’m at my computer, I start a draft. Then when I have time, I flesh it out, find a photo, and schedule it.

Routines and rituals for the soul: can you tell us about the little – or big – things that keep you feeling grounded, joyful, connected, inspired?

Travel. I travel three months out the year and every.single.time I leave Minnesota I’m instantly overwhelmed with new ideas and inspiration and motivation. I love meeting new people, trying weird things, eating different stuff. Travel makes me feel alive!

Seeing my friends. I have a slightly-out-of-control social life (last fall I wrangled 18 friend into attending a monster truck rally in thematic outfits – this is sort of par for the course for us) and I like it that way. I’ve cultivated a big group of smart, funny, inspiring people and I love spending time with them.

Water. But that’s true for everyone, right? I grew up on a lake in Minnesota and later moved to New Zealand and lived on a mountain overlooking the Wellington Harbor. Getting wet is actually one of the sure-fire ways that I combat the mopes!

The not-so-hot days. We all have them. How do you combat overwhelm and self-doubt?

I actually have a very specific four-step plan I use to feel better:

Step 1: Get sweaty for an hour. Run stairs. Have a one-person dance party. Weed the garden.

Step 2: Get wet. Water heals me. Take a long shower (and maybe have a good cry – crying doesn’t count in the shower!) Go swimming in a lake/pool/river/the ocean.

Step 3: Take a nap. Like, a proper one. Under the covers, no jeans, curtains closed.

Step 4: Drink some coffee. Life feels better and happier when I’m caffeinated.

sarah

RAPID FIRE Q’s

I feel empowered, electric, alive, the most ME when… I’m alone and anonymous in a new city.

I feel restricted when… I feel social/societal pressure to do something I don’t want to do.

I’m inspired by… everything ever.

My current mantra/ affirmation is… Do no harm, but take no sh*t.

sarahinireland

To wrap up, imagine you’re sitting in conversation with yourself in 10 years time. What are you doing? What does your life look – and feel – like?

Gosh, I would be pretty happy if my life maintained its current level of awesome! I think in 10 years, I could handle renting a little house with a yard (instead of my cute apartment), owning a dog (in addition to my cat) and maybe sharing said dog and rented house with a particularly awesome dude.

Otherwise, I’m pretty happy to maintain my current state of traveling, socializing and writing awesomery.

What was your biggest takeaway from Sarah’s interview? Let’s leave her some love in the comments below.

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How I Do It: An Interview with Susannah Conway (+ a Giveaway!)

30 August, 2013

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I remember curling up one Saturday morning with Susannah Conway’s (at the time) brand new book This I Know: Notes on Unraveling the Heart in my hands – and in what felt like a sneeze in time – I found myself on the final page, my soul soothed by her searing honesty and tender way of ‘getting to the heart of it all.’

Susannah has this way of drawing you in. If you’ve read her work before – and I hazard a guess you’ve probably discovered this radiant woman before now – you’ll find yourself nodding along in agreement when I say that she’s a nurturer. There’s this swirling, gracious, soul mama vibe about her that is both soft and fierce, and vulnerable yet potent (in fact, she’s my favourite kind of contradiction).

Susannah is a photographer, author and teacher (her classes enjoyed by thousands of people from over 40 countries around the world), and when you combine that signature ‘authentic ‘n’ thoughtful’ approach with her ethereal photos, you land in a place where sharing means healing, together, and creativity rules.

Find yourself in her words.

Introducing, Susannah Conway.

Let’s kick off with a biggie. Why do you do what you do?

I didn’t know I was going to do what I do – none of this was planned! The path I am on now began in 2005 when the man I loved died very suddenly — everything I thought I knew about life changed in that instant. Now I look back and see that my life has unfolded in two acts: in the first 32 years I was disconnected from myself and acting out so many patterns from the past. In the last eight years I’ve been on my own and truly healed my hurts and stepped into who I really am.

I found my way back to myself through my cameras and journals — in the second year of my bereavement I discovered blogging and it opened up this whole new creative world to me. Being able to share my thoughts and feelings online was incredibly empowering — it was my way of ‘getting back out there’ from the safety of my living room.

So now I share what I’ve learned with the world. I teach creative courses online to help others get in touch with who they really are. I’ve written a book sharing my story and path to wholeness (a continuous work in progress, obviously!). And I write my blog, sharing my heart the only way I know how – frankly :)

What are three of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt along the way?

1 // Don’t take anything personally, in business and in life.

2 // The importance of healing our own hurts so we don’t pass them on to anybody else. Being responsible for the energy we put out into the world.

3 // Love never dies.

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What’s been absolutely key for you in building your community?

Being honest. Often vulnerable. Just me. I see so much hyped up marketing online and it makes me cringe. I try to infuse integrity through everything I do and that’s especially important when it comes to letting people know about my work.

I know that there’s rarely a ‘typical’ day in the life of an entrepreneur/ lady of the interwebs, but can you talk a bit about how you approach your work? What does a week in your life usually entail?

I’d like to tell you I have a work schedule I stick to throughout the day but that just doesn’t work for me.

I wake up when I wake up (no alarm unless I have to be somewhere early – I actually try to avoid that as I’m a night owl) and lie in bed coming down from the morning’s dream.

Breakfast is usually scrambled eggs and smoked salmon and a decaf coffee made with freshly ground beans. I jump on the computer and deal with any urgent emails, check Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest (my fave) and then begin the struggle to stay focussed and get shit done. I am a terrible procrastinator but am starting to accept that this is just how my creative process works. There’s a lot of composting that has to happen – reading books, blogs, looking at art and photography, listening to music, journalling and fluffing around on Instagram. I always manage to get my essentials done – checking in with my course peeps if an ecourse is in session, making videos for Unravelling, dealing with the seemingly endless emails and answering Q&As like this one.

When I’m working on a big project I go deep into the creation cave, as Jonathan Fields likes to call it, and disappear off the radar for a while.

In the last few months I’ve started building a fitness habit, which is kind of amazing considering for the last 40 years I have loathed all forms of physical activity. So three times a week I either go to the gym to do a session with my trainer or work out at home.

I also have a weekly appointment with my psychotherapist – keeping my brain healthy is as important to me as working on my body. Interestingly both my personal trainer and therapist are also qualified life coaches, so I like to think I’m supported from every possible angle.

Being self-employed means I can fit in lunches and photo safaris with friends during the week and often work through the weekend instead. I try to get off the computer by 9pm but some days it’s later. If the muse is with me I run with it.

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Describe your creative process.

I blog when I feel inspired to share something – I very rarely schedule out my posts. If I don’t have anything to say I stay quiet – whenever I post something because I think I ‘should’ it always feels flat and forced. I don’t like to dial it in if I can help it.

When creating a new course I spend a few months composting the idea, as described above. There’s LOTS of research and note making – everything gets sketched out in various Moleskines. Once I have a handle on the topic I start to flesh out the content for each week of the course and begin to write in earnest. I have the first two weeks ready when we start but like to create the rest as we go. I know the way the content will develop but like to be able to respond to participants’ journeys through the material. To my mind this makes a more powerful course because it’s tested in real time rather than something written months ago that I hoped might work. Every time I run a course I tweak and develop it. To me they are living breathing entities.

Writing the book was an altogether more intense experience that lasted six months. I wrote about it over here.

Routines and rituals for the soul: can you tell us about the little – or big – things that keep you feeling grounded, joyful, connected, inspired?

My journal rarely leaves my side – I started journaling when I was 11, and the simple act of writing words into a notebook has saved my sanity so many times over the years. I’ve always felt compelled to record my world in words and images.

Pinterest and Instagram are my happy places to hang out virtually. I also adore Evernote and collect tons of inspiration to refer back to as and when I need it.

Checking in with my family and mates is another big one for me. I don’t need to see them every day as I’m an introvert who likes her space, but regular calls and emails keep us connected. I need regular check-ins with my sister, especially. And as much time with my nephew as I can get – he makes my world 1000 times better.

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The not-so-hot days. We all have them. How do you make peace with overwhelm and self-doubt?

Stupidly I usually try to power through and then wonder why I get nothing done. So when I’m on the verge of another day of the crazies I throw myself out the door to get AWAY from the computer and back into the real world. Working from home can be challenging and even after a decade of varying degrees of self-employment, I still fall into the overwhelm hole. So walking the streets of London helps me get out of my head – a date with my journal in a café helps too. I always return home feeling rebooted.

RAPID FIRE

I feel empowered, electric, alive, the most ME when… I’m some place new taking photographs

I feel restricted when… I’m drowning in hormones

I’m inspired by… the energy of my city

My current mantra/ affirmation is… I surrender

To wrap up, imagine you’re sitting in conversation with yourself in 10 years time. What are you doing? What does your life look – and feel – like?

First of all I will be FIFTY, which is quite a scary thought, so obviously I hope I will be fantastically fit and healthy :)

I’ll be living between the city and countryside, ideally with a flat in London and a rambling house in the Cotswolds. I’ll be married to the man I can’t stop kissing, there may be a mini-me running around, and a couple of dogs. I’ll be a well-established author with at least another six books under my belt. My days will consist of writing, canoodling, being a mum/aunt, inspiring people, figuring out life. I’ve no doubt my biz will have several full-time employees by then. If we’re going to really explode this dream, I’d love to see a home in NYC too – there’ll definitely be plenty of trips to the USA for work and to see my friends.

Life feels expansive, sensual, nourishing, fulfilling, challenging, calm, blessed, worth it.*

CREATIVE MAVENS: WE HAVE A GIVEAWAY FOR YOU!

Susannah has generously offered a spot for one lucky In Spaces Between reader in her 6-week Journal Your Life eCourse (kicking off Monday 2 Sept; winner will be randomly selected and announced on Sunday 1 Sept on Facebook).

All you need to do to be in the running is leave a comment below and then, why dontcha pop over to follow Susannah on Instagram or Twitter. Best of luck. x

* Ahh. I absolutely love this.

UPDATE: Huge congrats to Jacqueline – Upon Wild Stars! Your comment – number 27 – was randomly selected via random.org. Enjoy!

winner

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How I Do It: An Interview with Tali from AstroStyle

28 June, 2013

I had been an obsessive fan of the horoscopes on AstroStyle for quite some time before I booked in with Tali to get a reading early last year, and let me just say, her insights have been so spot on it’s… well… kinda ridiculous.

Warm, vibrant, full of energy and (hurrah!) a fellow Sagittarian, Tali is the type of person you feel instantly comfortable around. Her energy is magnetic, powerful…. and light. She’s a heap of fun. As real as they come. The thing I loved most about my experience with Tali is that the reading was part deep-dive-into-my-chart, part pragmatic advice and part loving life coaching sesh.

In a nutsell – it was everything you could want in 90 minutes with a super smart astrologer. (I’ve actually got another one coming up and can’t wait to see what the cosmos have in store for me!)

If you’re not yet familiar with Astro Style, head over to check out the brilliant free daily/ weekly/ monthly horoscopes that Tali creates with her identical twin sister Ophira, and keep reading for all the behind-the-scenes details.

Let’s kick off with a biggie. Why do you do what you do?

Being an astrologer is the “accidental career” that makes perfect sense. I didn’t intend to make this my career path, it just found me. (Of course there were early signs, like the grade school trip to Space Camp and the obsession with reading books about girls with psychic powers.) But I’ve always been fascinated by discovering what makes people tick — and I also love seeing people thrive, living the lives they love. The astrological chart is like the secret blueprint for people’s desires, ambitions, and ultimate happiness. I feel so honored to have “cracked the code” and learned how to interpret this for people. I often pinch myself that I’m able to make a living doing this.

What are three of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt along the way?

1 // Astrology is like wrapping a tough lesson in a sweet candy shell. For some reason you can say anything to people when talking about their star sign; it provides just enough distance for them to reflect and take it in.

2 // The North and South Nodes of the Moon (destiny point and past life point) are essential to understanding where you come from and where you’re supposed to go.

3 // People always come together for a reason, and you can see exactly why from their relationship’s chart!

What’s been absolutely key for you in building your tribe online?

Giving enough of the good stuff away for free. People have advised us to charge for the horoscopes on our website, AstroStyle.com, but we’ve always dismissed that advice. Generosity begets generosity and we have a loyal following because we provide enough content for people to come back and find more.

Actually, my life requires more planning and discipline than one would imagine from a “woo woo” astrologer (kidding). I have a pretty intense writing schedule: I handle the dailies and weeklies on our site, as well as a batch of dailies for Elle.com and a weekly column for TV Guide magazine and Refinery 29.

I also do a 90-minute reading every weekday. It’s a good thing I love what I do or I might go insane. But I move around from home to cafes to a cool coworking space so I can get my fix of people energy during the day. I do a lot of weekend workshops and reading to keep our horoscopes fresh. I like to constantly learn and stretch myself so that I can bring my best back to our readers.

Describe the process of writing the horoscopes for AstroStyle.

I definitely need to soak up a lot of news, self-development techniques and pop culture so every morning I do a little ritual of meditation and reading before I sit down to write. I use my ephemeris (a guide to the planets and what sign each is connecting with) to map out what I’ll write about. Then, I apply it to each sign and let my imagination take it from there. Writing is a meditative process, perhaps even a form of channeling. Once I sit down at my computer, the words just flow. I’m not even sure they’re coming from me… but I’m grateful for the chatty voice in my head that gives them to me!

Routines and rituals for the soul: can you tell us about the little – or big – things that keep you feeling grounded, joyful, connected, inspired?

As crunchy as it sounds, I step outside every morning for a breath of fresh air. If it’s cold, I’ll put on my big fluffy coat. Some days, I’ll even go for a 15 minute walk. Nature is so rejuvenating and reminds me of the abundance and regeneration that’s available to us all.

When I’m working at home, I like to cook a healthy meal for myself. I’ve had kale growing year round in my garden, so I’ll pick some and juice it or make a salad. That burst of live enzymes keeps me going.

I also call my twin sister (and fellow AstroTwin) Ophira about five times a day. We’ll check in and share little tidbits and thoughts. We always re-inspire each other, even if we start off venting.

The not-so-hot days. We all have them. How do you combat overwhelm and self-doubt?

When I start to feel overwhelmed or down on myself, it’s usually a sign that I need to get back into my body. I’ll either go to Bikram yoga or the boxing gym. Punching the bag is such a release. I often don’t realise how much energy I absorb from other people, especially through readings. I adore my clients and sometimes forget to let go after we end the session. Exercise helps.

I love to sing too. One of my favorite releases is to rent a private karaoke room and go belt out the jams. I’ll even go alone sometimes… and I admit, I’ve stayed for over 3 hours before singing with just me, myself and I.

RAPID FIRE:

I feel empowered, electric, alive, the most ME when… I’m singing, laughing, or wearing a crazy costume.

I feel restricted when… I can’t crack a joke.

I’m inspired by… Originality.

My current mantra/ affirmation is… I am a force of nature. Ta-da!

To wrap up, imagine you’re sitting in conversation with yourself in 10 years time. What are you doing? What does your life look – and feel – like?

I’d be happy if it looked like it does now. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by people I love, living in a progressive city, free to express my creativity and make money doing something I love.

Identical twin sisters Tali and Ophira Edut — known as The AstroTwins — are professional astrologers with over 15 years experience in astrology, publishing and coaching. Their columns and predictions reach millions every month.

The AstroTwins are the astrologers for Elle.com, TV Guide, and Lifetime. They have authored several books, including, The AstroTwins’ Love Zodiac, Shoestrology: Discover Your Birthday Shoe, and the forthcoming Momstrology. Tali and Ophira have read charts for celebrities including Beyonce, Stevie Wonder and Sting. Their astrological insight has been featured by MTV, The New York Times, The Style Network and E! News. They also appear as regular guests on SIRIUS/XM Radio, giving advice to callers.

The AstroTwins bring the stars down to earth with their unique, applied method of astrology and coaching. They are available for private astrology readings, events and appearances.

IN THE COMMENTS…

What sign are you… and do you feel “true” to your sign?

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How I Do It: An Interview with Michelle Ward

14 June, 2013

Today is a special day around here because I’m super stoked (!) to be launching a brand new interview series “How I Do It.”

This series has come about for two reasons:

One // I’m often asked by coaching clients and you, my readers, for insights into the way I do things – whether that’s running my business, tending to this blog, or moving through overwhelm or self-doubt.

The way us humans are wired (me included) is that we seek. We’re curious. We turn to each other for advice-from-the-trenches as a way of connecting and working the world out. We take the insights into how others do their thang, and why, keep the parts that sing to us, discard the rest and go and do it how we want to do it.

So, with ‘How I Do It’ we’re going to take that reasoning and peek behind the curtain a little to see how a range of inspiring sistas rock their thing.

Two // This feature has been created to celebrate brilliant women who are living their lives, on purpose. I’ll be introducing you to a stellar cast from around the globe, some who will be familiar and some who will (perhaps) be new to you.

You’ll meet soulful coaches, my favourite astrologer, best-selling authors, blogger babe extraordinaires, designers and plenty more entrepreneurial supernovas who are boldly, authentically and joyfully working and living from their zone of genius.

It’s going to be a heap of fun.

And speaking of fun, the first interviewee of the series is someone who undeniably, no question, abso-fricken-lutely epitomises the word.

I first came across Michelle Ward about 18 months ago and knew immediately that I needed to learn more about this effervescent soul who was so lovingly championed by two of my internet faves Alexandra Franzen and Tanya Geisler.

What I found when I scrolled and clicked my way through her site, was not only a vibrant, generous, fun-lovin’ woman on a mission to help creative peeps figure out what they want to be when they grow up, but a woman who’s been through some stuff. You know, some cancer stuff. But does it define her? Oh hell no.

Meet Michelle Ward, ukelele-playing creative career coach, super-rad human being.

Let’s kick off with a biggie. Why do you do what you do?

Because I’ve been there and done that and it stunk! In my late 20s I finally came to terms with the fact that I didn’t want to be a musical theater performer any longer (which was a 20 year old dream), and I couldn’t find anyone that I felt knew “get it”.

I went to a social worker who I was told worked on career change stuff for artists, but in our second session she told me to get a nose job! It was just such a punch in the gut after a real tumultuous time for me. It took me a while to come to terms with it, but I couldn’t deny that I was super passionate in thinking that I could be the creative career coach that I needed at that time.

What are three of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt since becoming an entrepreneur?

In no particular order:

1 // Don’t be afraid to wave your uniquity flag! It leads to clients/customers you love working with and a biz that energises you.

2 // You’re your own best business advisor. Do your best to stop the “shoulds” and “have tos” and instead listen to your wants and gut/heart instead.

3 // Delegate delegate delegate. I’ve worked with a Virtual Wizard at least 10 hours/week for almost 2 years and it’s changed things for the better. I’m looking at expanding her hours and/or bringing on at least 1 other freelancer so we can all keep focusing on the tasks/work we love.

What’s been key for you in building your tribe online?

When I started When I Grow Up Coach in 2008, I was working full-time as an Executive Assistant – so I was really restricted to whatever I could do promotionally in my cubicle.

I started a blog right away, got on Twitter (and took time to learn how to use it effectively!), and took the first incarnation of Holly Becker’s Blogging Your Way. Because I was so active with those platforms and that class, I made connections right away that directly led to clients and referrals and interview requests. Everything grew from there.

I know that there’s rarely a ‘typical’ day in the life of an entrepreneur/ blogger/ lady of the interwebs, but can you talk a bit about how you approach your work? What does a week in your life usually entail?

You’re right that there’s nothing “typical” about my time – it’s so dependent on the projects I have going on! But in general, I have about 30 client sessions/month plus work on 1-2 projects, as well as writing 1 blog post and newsletter each week and doing other Woman of the World stuff (finances, billing, social media, etc).

Right now we’re at the start of the big online Blog Lovin’ Tour for my book, so there’s lots of calls with Jess (my co-author) and our tour organiser, Abby, as well as lots of interviews to do (like this one!) and guest posts to write.

I’m finally re-adjusting my schedule to how I work best, and that’s in batches. I’ve been coaching Monday – Friday since forever, but starting next month I’ll only be coaching Tuesday -Thursday. I’m excited to have Mondays and Fridays for writing, planning, etc. without having it leak over to client days.

I think this’ll be great for my productivity and, um, sanity! (I’m not a big fan of head explosions).

Routines and rituals for the soul: can you tell us about the little – or big – things that keep you feeling grounded, joyful, connected, inspired?

Oh, sure! The things that pop into my head: the collaborations I’ve had and freelancers I work with (love them all!), Judge Judy (I DVR her every afternoon and watch her first thing every weekday morning!), my man (aw!), my Spotify playlists (movin’ and groovin’), dark chocolate (mmmmm….), meals or calls or visits with friends and family (I’m a big-time extrovert), Mondays with my Mom (she has off and I can take off – win-win!), seeing shows (Broadway, improv, comedy, musicals, concerts, etc), bubble baths (wine + She & Him + good book preferable), playing my uke (you can listen to my songs here), performing and singing (I really miss it), working with my clients (such a high!), making people laugh (no feeling like it!)… I’ll stop myself now :)

You’ve teamed up with Jessica Swift to create a gorgeous new offering, The Declaration of You. Let’s pull back the curtain – how did the book come to form?

Jess and I met through the Interwebs in 2009 and became quick friends. She became my client, we worked together on a collaborative project, we would email and talk regularly… and in 2010 she read my mind and emailed me to see if I’d wanna work with her on “some sort-of e-workbook… full of brilliant coach-y wisdom and colorful illustrations, and we can have stories and games and printable feel-good artwork and all kinds of good stuff!”

It was the biggest “duh” ever, and we knew we wanted to create a course or book that used silly, fun, creative, colorful exercises to help creative women discover their purpose. Finding what you love didn’t need to be a big-time scary and serious process! It could be full of color and play and laughter, and that was our mission.

Once we decided on the Big Topics we wanted to broach, we shared a Google Doc and gave each other complete permission to write whatever, whenever – and to change anything the other person wrote without it being taken personally. It was a wonderful give-and-take and gave us lots to work with. We make a really great team.

From there, it was obvious that Jess would do our branding and design work, while I’d pick up the writing and tech-y slack on the promotional side. Again, we’d work on drafts of things, run it by the other person, and incorporate comments into the final piece. No hard feelings, ever.

The Declaration of You: How to Uncover It, Own It & Shout It From the Rooftops debuted as an ecourse. We then put the exercises into an ebook for people to download and work through at any time, and ran the ecourse twice more.

By the time we were through, we heard about the abusive relationships they ended up leaving and the passionate projects they decided to start and the ways they began to recognize their own needs, values, and priorities.

And then, in October 2011, Jess got an email from a publisher asking if she’d ever want to write a book. Collaborators first, she responded, “I’d love to, and I have! Here’s the ebook I self-published with my friend.”

Tonia, the acquistions editor, loved it, pitched it, and bought it in January 2012. We’re still pinching ourselves about it!

The not-so-hot days. We all have them. How do you combat overwhelm and self-doubt?

To be honest, I’m all about powering through – so when I feel close to a head explosion or Everyone-Is-Better-Than-Me-itis, I keep my head down and do my work. But it does wonders for me to step away – take a walk, play my uke, go for a run, work at a coffee shop, etc – as does doing a brain dump to get everything out of my head.

I always try to remind myself that everything always gets done – and because of that, I rarely find myself working much past 8 or 9 pm. Having a non-insane quitting time helps a lot!

RAPID FIRE:

I feel empowered, electric, alive, the most ME when… I’m coaching!

I feel restricted when… someone tells me I “can’t” or “shouldn’t.” Blech!

I’m inspired by… watching my clients achieve their passionate career dreams!

My current mantra/ affirmation is… you’re only one person.

To wrap up, imagine you’re sitting in conversation with yourself in 10 years time. What are you doing? What does your life look – and feel – like?

Ooh, whadda nice daydream! I’m definitely with my husband and a kid, and we’re in a house somewhere close to NYC that has a sunroom I work in, a garage that Luke can make things, etc.

I have a handful of people working for me so that the only things I do are coach, speak, and write. I’ve had another book published and have helped thousands of creative women get out of their soul-sucking jobs and into work that feels like play.

We have a summer home and when I travel to speak or do workshops, my family comes with me. I’m also able to do theater and my husband is able to write comedy full-time. It feels so light and relaxing and invigorating all at once – amazeballs!

Michelle Ward, aka The When I Grow Up Coach, has coached hundreds of creative women to devise the career they think they can’t have – or discover it to begin with. She’s a Professional Certified Coach by the International Coach Federation, a musical theater actress with her BFA from NYU/Tisch, and a Corporate America escapee. Her first book (co-written with artist and designer Jessica Swift), The Declaration of You, will be published by North Light Craft Books this summer.

What do you think of the new series?

Did this interview with Michelle spark something for you? Share below, sweet pea!

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