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Episode 138: Starting a Social Impact Brand, Using Tragedy to INSPIRE and Why you NEED to Follow your GYPSY SOUL with Rachelle

Warning: This podcast may make you want to buy a plane ticket to exotic places and find your soul. Or, perhaps curl up on your couch with a cuddly dog (both of us prefer our goldendoodles) and drink a lavender latte while contemplating your soul’s purpose. 😉

Ok, let me back the train up. Today’s guest, Rachelle Tratt, is a living example of what it means to follow your heart, and you’re going to want to read on/listen to hear why.

In case you’ve never heard of this amazing lady, Rachelle is a Los Angeles-based yoga instructor, community leader, and soulful entrepreneur who created The Neshama Project, a yoga inspired, socially conscious jewelry company that gives back.

Many may not know this, but Rachelle’s company, The Neshama Project, was actually inspired by the sudden and traumatic loss of her mother when she was only 9 years old. While recognizing now that it was all meant to be part of her path so she could in turn help others, at the time she struggled with anxiety and depression – and just feeling different.

These feelings played out as a teenager as she hit a rebellious phase, which at the age of 18 ended in rehab. It wasn’t so much that she was addicted to alcohol or drugs, it was just that she didn’t know how to cope with things in a healthy way. Part of that rehab program was yoga… While always a self-professed tomboy, Rachelle laughed at the thought of the practice, but once she hit savasana, she was hooked. For the first time in a long time, she found peace.

Not long after rehab, Rachelle became a yoga teacher and eventually ended up taking a yoga training class in California. While living in Florida at time, she knew she needed to make the move permanently to California.

“It made no sense mentally, but my heart was telling me to go and I knew how to listen to that.”

And speaking of listening to her heart, Rachelle always knew that she would visit Israel (the country where her parents meant). Six years ago, she made the trip, stayed for a month and it was everything she hoped it would be. She felt connected to her mother and while there realized the connection she also felt with the Hamsa hand necklace she received from a yoga friend. Having always been a conversation starter for soulful exchanges, it had followed her after rehab, to California and now to Israel. She knew was meant to play a bigger role in her life.

Just like that, she started searching for stones in Israel (successfully). She wanted to create art and make connections – and she did. Rachelle didn’t have all the answers, but she just knew there was a great purpose for her.

“I believed in the power of a product with a meaning that stood for something greater and the mission behind it.”

Sure, there were a lot of nay-sayers. Having always been a little “different,” everyone thought it was just “one of those things” Rachelle was trying again. Rachelle had faith and trust though that things would work out because she was following her heart’s calling.

“It’s trusting that I am a unique individual and my path isn’t supposed to look like anyone else’s.”

And thank goodness for that! It’s not to say that there haven’t been growing pains – both personal and business. We’re all constant works in progress. But when something does pop up, whether in the form of darkness, stress or anxiety, she’s learned to acknowledge it and confront it head on.

“My anxiety is directly related to the levels of my self care and self love.”

Life happens and we have to find the little tools and/or rituals that calm our minds. Here are a few of Rachelle’s favorites:

  • Get your feet on the ground (feel the earth underneath your feet).
  • Breathing
  • Movement – all forms. Yoga is one of her favorites, but she can call just about anything yoga as long as it’s approached with intention.
  • Walking with her golden doodle Bailey (no phone, just being present).
  • One day of rest (kind of like the Jewish tradition of Shabat).

Another important factor (and this is super important) is finding a tribe/community/sisterhood that has your back. It can be tricky if you’re from a small area and don’t have as big of a pool as L.A. But she promises that,

“What you put out there is what you attract.”

So put yourself out there. Way outside of your comfort zone. Start by attending classes and introducing yourself to others. If you seem to click, schedule a time to have coffee… It’s all about using the network around you. And lastly, “dial, don’t file.” People don’t have the time for those who don’t follow through. Nurture your relationships. Does this mean you have to super close relationships with everyone? No! Find that smaller inner tribe who you know on a deeper level, that has your back and you can tell ANYTHING to.

And above all, follow your heart. Follow your soul. Follow your bliss.

*Stay tuned for a post in the hopefully very near future when our goldendoodles (and us) have a dog date.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

  • Jewelry
  • Entrepreneur
  • Finding rituals in your day to day
  • Finding your tribe
  • Success
  • Following your soul

Resources:

Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.

You can also see more at my website: LoriHarder.com

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Episode 136: Easiest Way to Create and Monetize a Blogging or Online Business, Take the Guesswork Out of Starting with Kat McKibbin!

Kate McKibbin is the self-professed very-tall, super nerdy founder of the blog, Secret Bloggers’ Business, and creator of several successful online blog courses and workshops.

Cutting her teeth in the magazine industry in 2007 (when online shopping was just starting to take off), Kate created one of Australia’s largest independent lifestyle blogs (Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily), and grew to a team of five with more than 500,000 visitors a month and several awards to show for her efforts.

Even though her much-loved blog was doing well, Kate still felt called to do more and help more people. In 2014, she created her second business, Secret Bloggers’ Business, to share everything she’d learned about how to create, grow and run a successful blogging business. She did so well that in 2015 she was awarded the Female Entrepreneur of the Year award for her contributions to women in technology. Today, Kate has made it her mission to help bloggers and creatives around the world turn their passions into something that’s profitable, too.

So perhaps you’re looking to get into blogging, but don’t know if you have what takes. Here’s a few things to keep in mind. While a lot of work goes on behind the scenes of a blog, you’re not going to get very far if you haven’t found your passion.

Keep in mind that while blogs used to only be about the person who wrote it (what they ate, what they watched etc.), today’s bloggers must understand that it’s not about THEM! People will follow you based on your point of view, your knowledge and expertise. But don’t worry!

“You don’t have to be the biggest expert in the world. You just have to be a few steps down the track from where your audience is at and help them.”

Also, content, content, content. Are you constantly creating and sharing your findings online?

If you can find a group of people who you know you would love to help – and you have the content, experiences and skills to back it up, go for it. You can’t go wrong if you’re going into it from a place of service.

So, where do you start? Kate suggests the following steps:

  1. Find your niche. Go “free range” for a bit if you have multiple ideas and can’t decide. What are you drawn to? Put some feelers out there (social media, existing contacts that you may have). What types of things get more engagement? Start putting some of your ideas/content out there and see what draws people in and what sticks.
  2. Brainstorm content. This is a biggie. Come up with as many ideas as possible (Kate suggests 100). What themes could you use (season, different times of the year etc.)? Just because you think it’s great doesn’t mean it’s going to resonate with your audience. Let your audience tell you what direction they want you to go.

If you do start a blog, be sure to have an extreme amount of PATIENCE. Allow 6-12 months to see any type of reward. For Kate, one of her biggest benefits was to have the freedom to do work that she loved. Give it your all, but also be cautiously optimistic.

“Set yourself up so you feel safe enough to take a scary leap.”

When you’re starting out, be super responsive to your audience and be CONSISTENT in your content. This doesn’t mean you have to put out things daily. It can be once a week or month. Just figure out what’s realistic for you and do that.

Keep in mind that nothing in life, especially a blog, has guarantees. And you can be certain that others are doing something similar to you. But here’s the thing…all audiences and bloggers are different in SO many ways.

“Don’t compare yourself to others in your space. Find what works for you, but still provides great value to your audience. Focus on you and what’s right for your audience.”

There will be bumps along the road, but stick to it and don’t give up!

“If you’ve got something to say, if you’ve got something to give, and you’ve got a burning fire that says you have to do it, and you feel that pull. There’s no way you’re going to let yourself fail.”

Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.

You can also see more at my website: LoriHarder.com

Episode 130: Achieve MORE While Doing LESS with Kate Northrup

As an entrepreneur, best-selling author, mother, and activist, Kate Northrup supports ambitious, motivated and successful women to light up the world without burning themselves out in the process. Committed to empowering women entrepreneurs to create their most successful businesses while navigating motherhood, Kate is the founder and CEO of Origin Collective, a monthly membership site where women all over the world gather to achieve more while doing less. Her first book, Money: A Love Story, has been published in 5 languages. Kate’s work has been featured by The Today Show, Yahoo! Finance, Women’s Health, Glamour, and The Huffington Post and she’s spoken to audiences of thousands with Hay House, Wanderlust, USANA Health Sciences, and more. Kate lives with her husband and business partner, Mike, and their daughter Penelope in Maine. Find out more and receive your free copy of Have More By Doing Less: 3 Simple Steps To Create Space For What Matters Most at katenorthrup.com

Growing up on the coast of Maine, Kate always possessed the ways of a natural entrepreneur.

“My very first business was at the age of 7 with my sister. We would sell jewelry and bouquets of fresh wildflowers.”

Fast forward some years and at the age of 18, Kate was making more income than the average teenager. After graduating from Brown University in 2001, her income for such a young age was enough to prevent her from going into the “after-college-crisis” of looking for a full-time job. But that quickly changed after she moved to NYC and rapidly got herself into more than $20K worth of debt.

“I had this idea that if I acted as if I already had the income that I wanted, that somehow I magically just would. I guess I missed the part that I actually had to do something about it.”

After indulging in some self-help/self-love books (listed below), Kate came to the realization that changing her mindset around her financial situation could potentially and positively get her out of this pickle.

“Perhaps if I approached my financial life with the perspective of taking care of myself in a loving way instead of a place of hard-core discipline, guilt and shame that maybe I could make some lasting changes.”

From that moment forward, she added “taking care of finances” to the list of other things that equal “taking care of thyself.”

“Keeping up with my bookkeeping was just as important as keeping up with my pedicures.”

It’s hard to pinpoint the one thing that hit home the most when talking to someone as creative and incredible as Kate, but her advice about growing no matter what stage of life or business you’re in now is something we can all learn from.

“Look at your life and your business as more of a cycle than a line. It’s like the moon that’s forever rotating or the seasons…There will always be spring after the winter.”

Finding work that you are passionate about and love is huge! It’s important to continually and consciously surround yourself with the people who see the most and the best in you. Where you spend your time the most will eventually become part of your outcome.

Kate’s life and business wisdom is like the perfect package that I get to gift you all today!

“You become a clearer channel of what needs to come through you when you take care of your vessel.”

In This Episode You Will Learn:

  • Business
  • Entrepreneur
  • Networking
  • Relationship building
  • Abundance
  • Mentality
  • Finances
  • Saving
  • Spending
  • Success
  • Changing
  • Growing
  • Fear
  • Happiness
  • Transformation

Resources:

Make a life, not just a living at katenorthrup.com

Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.