Nutrition and naturopathy are how my business began; the rest of the story is how it evolved.
To write this book, I had to step up and play bigger and say: I help women in their lives, but I also deeply help them in their business, creativity, work, path, purpose and passions (which, in turn, helps them in their lives).
I’d been doing this work for years, but as I’ve mentioned, it was a pivot from my original work. There were times I still felt like I had to justify this, even though—as you now know too—it’s your business, your work, your soul-based path, and your choice.
I had to stop thinking I could split the two: life alignment work and business alignment work.
I had to use all my gifts, blend all my passions, and stop trying to fit myself into a box built by … who?
Did you ever watch Captain Planet when you were little? By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!
For some (perfect) reason, the theme song to this children’s TV show popped into my head when I was thinking about this chapter. So my questions to you are:
Are you trying to segregate, split and compartmentalise your passions?
Are you constantly trying to fit into a box made by someone else?
Are you toning down what you do, or watering down the skills you have, because you’re worried they don’t all ‘fit perfectly’?
It’s when your passions and powers are combined that you are most powerful.
For so long, I tried to focus on one or the other, extinguishing part of my passions (and myself) in the process. Instead of using fire to heat the flow of my life, I watered it down, and what was left was lukewarm. This became exhausting and confusing, because if the deepest parts of ourselves speak up and we’re not listening, then after a while we stop listening to our dreams.
There was a period when I felt overwhelmed and confused, because of my multi-passionate career. I wondered if I was on the right path and if I should radically change my business, work and life path. Should I throw in the towel? Scrap everything I’d worked on? Rebrand? But other avenues felt muddy and confusing, and not in alignment with where I was. After some time, I realised why.
When I’m doing make-up (which I still do, from time to time), the clients who have no idea what they want are often the hardest to work with (I say that in a loving way). If you don’t know what you want, nothing makes you happy. They’ll say they think they kinda maybe sorta want a smoky eye; so you do a smoky eye and then they ask for a nude shadow. They’ll say they think they sorta maybe kinda want a bright lip; so you do a red lip and then they say they prefer a peach gloss. Do this, they want that. They say they’ll know what they like when they see it, but I think it’s the other way around. You have to know what you like to find it.
How can you radically change what you’ve already created, if you’re not sure what you want to create moving forward?
I decided that making a huge change when I was feeling stressed, ungrounded (and possibly slightly irrational) was not the smartest idea. And so I waited.
And that was when I realised I didn’t have to radically change anything on the outside; I had to change from within. I had to declare what I did fearlessly, and to myself first. I had to let myself believe that I was worthy and capable and that this work—the blending of all I do and all I love—was my soul work.
So I decided to let myself combine what I love in a way that works for me, and in a way that supports my passions, powers and purpose, ensuring I’m supporting my clients—and myself—as best I can. I decided to stop worrying about what everyone else was thinking, and claim what worked for me.
I started my entrepreneurial career as a hair and make-up artist. I worked my butt off, assisting top make-up artists (usually for free). I’d been told it usually took several years to get an agent, but in just over a year I had signed with an incredible hair and make-up agency. They managed my jobs and bookings, payments and clients. I couldn’t have been more excited.
Working as a freelancer meant no two days were ever the same. I didn’t have an office to go to, instead many different studios and outdoor locations across Sydney. Almost every day, I was working with new people who often became part of a crew of rotating photographers, hairdressers (if I wasn’t also booked to do the hair), stylists, creative directors, clients and models.
Meeting new people most days meant I had to be great at turning strangers into friends quickly, and balancing my introverted and extroverted self. This helped me make the ‘jump’ from make-up artist to nutritionist and naturopath, because I already knew how to find clients, work with new people, make people (and myself) feel comfortable in a new setting, and work in a freelance capacity.
As I’ve mentioned, I’d also been writing for most of my life. So one way I could combine my skills was by blending my writing, freelance make-up skills and entrepreneurial skills in my business.
All of that experience, all of those skills that I’ve honed and crafted over the years, continue to help me in my business and life today. If I’d tried to compartmentalise one skill, I’d have made things harder for myself. If I’d ignored one, or hidden one, I wouldn’t be here writing this book now.
Play with the notion of owning all your gifts and passions throughout life and work; stop compartmentalising, yielding, hiding, staying small or making excuses for what you do, why you do it, why you love it, and how it helps your heart.
Talk about how you can help people, and how you’re serving the world by blending all your gifts. Together, your resilience, gifts, strength and passion are greater than the sum of their parts.
You didn’t get here by accident or luck. We’re so used to looking ahead that we can forget to be grateful for—and proud of—every step that’s brought us here. To do that, we have to let ourselves acknowledge the courage that we have already developed to be able to stand here today.
And all the while, keep coming back to what you love the most; keep letting yourself adjust, evolve and course-correct as needed; and keep reminding yourself that you’ve got what it takes to create what you most desire (or something better).
Wild Oat is an ideal Bach flower essence to use here, as it supports you in finding your true path, even if it feels somewhat murky and confusing at first. It’ll help you to find the best direction to take, in relation to your ambitions and dreams.
You may also like to take Scleranthus essence to help you work with your intuition, especially if you need to feel clearer in your decision-making process (e.g. if you constantly swing between decision A or B).
I trust it’s safe and easy for me to blend all my gifts, skills and talents to step into my most powerful, aligned and grounded self.