The Z Hive Giving Guide

Welcome to the first ever Z Hive Giving Guide!

What's the Z Hive, you ask? It's the community of current and former clients I've had the immense pleasure of coaching. A vast sorority of 100+ women who have transformed their careers in one way or another during our coaching journey together.

There are so many extraordinarily talented women in this community that I've decided to create a holiday guide to highlight some of their unique work, while also helping you, << Test First Name >>, navigate the wild, tumultuous sport of end-of-year gift giving. 

So, without further ado, click over to grab The Z Hive Giving Guide to 2022.

And if you’d like to learn more about my coaching program, which gives you instant access to Z Hive, just book a discovery call here.

Celebrating International Women's Day 2021

Illustration by pikisuperstar

I spend most of my days in the presence of exceptional women I never would have met had I not become a coach.


Moments with them are like magic gold nuggets. It’s just the two of us. The focus is sharp. The exploration is deep. The energy is crispy, but warm.


Each session opens the trust vault just that much wider to identify and define deep aspirations and desires that haven’t been expressed before.


I often feel like cracking open the walls of the room (or the screen of the computer) so that the entire world can appreciate the gem of a person I have growing in front of me.

So, in honor of March 8th, International Women’s Day, I’m going to do just that—break open the screen so that my everyday heroes, my creative muses and inspiration can share their visions, their struggles and their brave transformation stories with you.


These are women who have completely revamped their professional identities in the time I’ve known them, shedding the safety and recognition of classic careers for deeply personal missions, leading many of them down the entrepreneurial path. Even though their journeys have (and continue to be) full of fear and doubt, their intuition tells them to persist. They are brave and inspiring and knowing them has made me not only a better coach, but a better person.


So without further ado, please say hello to the eight exceptional women I’ve chosen to honor on this International Women’s Day for 2021.

---

Anne Razafy

Fondatrice, Spirit Every Day

 “J'étais chargée de mission dans le contrôle de gestion dans une grande boîte française quand j’ai commencé mon coaching. Je ne pouvais plus me voir passer à côté d'une partie de ma vie, de ma vocation. Mon coeur m'enjoignais à transformer ma vie professionnelle mais ma tête, c'était une toute autre histoire. J’ai finalement décidé de quitter mon CDI pour créer une activité en accord avec ma vocation : guider, accompagner, et coacher en alliant spiritualité, mindset (pensée créatrice) et bientôt human design. Et mon petit plus, c'est que je suis médium. On peut vivre sa vie et passer à côté de l'essentiel, par peur, jusqu'à sa mort. La vie est faite pour être expérimentée, pour évoluer. La peur fige. Et par peur, on peut s'empêcher de vivre ses rêves, de se réaliser et d'apporter sa pierre à l'édifice. Ce qui m’apporte le plus de joie aujourd’hui, c’est de vivre tout simplement de ma passion et de ma vocation pour impacter le monde et aider les autres à prendre conscience d'à quel point, ils sont les créateurs de leur vie et bien plus.”

www.instagram.com/spirit_every_day_by_annerf/
podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/spirit-every-day/id1544529576

Laurence

Corteggiani,

Fondatrice, Atelier ikiwa

“J’ai travaillé pendant 20 ans comme directrice marketing et communication au sein de grands groupes du luxe, retail et tourisme en France et à l'étranger. Mon quotidien était devenu très éloigné de ce que j'aime faire et je réfléchissais à une autre voie professionnelle. Une discussion avec Zeva m’a fait prendre conscience que ce que je cherchais à devenir n’était pas quelqu’un d’autre. Je n’avais pas besoin de me réinventer, mais de redevenir moi, en phase avec mes aspirations et mes centres d’intérêts. La voie professionnelle qui était la mienne depuis plus de 20 ans était la bonne, il fallait juste l’exprimer différemment. J’ai donc décidé de créer Atelier ikiwa, une agence de conseil marketing & communication spécialisée dans l’artisanat. J’aide les marques issues de l’artisanat ou travaillant avec des artisans à structurer leur identité et développer leur notoriété. L’agence fonctionne aussi comme un écosystème pour faire connaître et valoriser en France l’artisanat et les artisans d’Asie. Ce qui m’apporte le plus de joie aujourd’hui c'est de créer une histoire, un concept, un visuel, une stratégie pour une marque dont je partage les valeurs, et voir l’étincelle d’excitation dans l’œil de la personne que j’accompagne sur le projet.”

www.atelierikiwa.com
www.instagram.com/atelier_ikiwa

Delphine Tordjman Lipszyc

Accompagnement au développement de projets à impact positif et Fondatrice de Momup

“J'étais directrice générale d'un Lab dans une agence Américaine leader de l'Entertainment. D'être poussé en permanence à la performance et à la compétition pour délivrer n'avait plus de sens. Je n'éprouvais plus ni joie, ni plaisir, alors que j'avais toujours été passionné par mon travail. J'ai voulu une activité plus centrée sur l'humain et sur mes valeurs : le partage, la générosité, la convivialité, l'ouverture sur le monde. Il m'a fallu du temps, un long voyage au bout du monde avant de me lancer dans l'entreprenariat. Aujourd’hui j’ai plusieurs casquettes. Je suis consultante, je collabore avec des entrepreneurs et des organisations pour co-créer des projets à impact positif. J'ai également fondé Momup pour offrir en tant que thérapeute, des services de soins holistiques aux familles (yoga, méditation, séance de relaxation sonore, retraite dans la nature...). J'interviens aussi auprès des entreprises sur ces sujets. Ce qui m’a beaucoup aidé sur mon chemin est d’apprendre à ralentir et dire "non" aux opportunités professionnelles prestigieuses qui n'étaient plus justes pour moi. Je dois beaucoup au yoga et à la méditation pour cela, c'est aussi la raison qui fait que je les enseigne. Ce qui m’apporte le plus de joie aujourd’hui est de voir les gens heureux quand ils sortent d'une expérience Momup ou d'une de mes interventions en entreprise. Les entendre me dire qu'ils se sentent vivants, apaisés, qu'ils ont mieux dormi, les voir rire avec leurs enfants. Et pour la partie conseil et création de projets, avoir des échanges riches, coopérer, découvrir de nouvelles formes de gouvernances pour créer un impact positif social ou environnemental.”
www.momup.fr
www.instagram.com/momupyoga 

Nathalie Fraser

Ecrivaine et coach d'indoor cycling

“Quand j'ai commencé mon travail avec Zeva, j'étais rédactrice en chef de deux magazines de mode. Je sentais depuis un moment que le cœur n'y était plus, mais j'avais du mal à prendre une décision concrète et soudain tout s'est mis en place! Aujourd'hui, si je continue à travailler dans ce milieu en tant que freelance, je suis également coach d'indoor cycling, et je travaille sur plusieurs projets d'écriture. Sur mon chemin je me suis rendu compte que j'étais capable d'oser: oser dire que j'arrêtais, oser tenter ma chance dans un univers qui n'était pas le mien. Donner des cours d'indoor cycling m'apporte une joie et une fierté incroyables: le fait de transmettre ce que j'aime aux autres, de leur faire découvrir mon univers, de leur montrer que si moi je suis capable de dépasser les idées reçues, alors ils le peuvent aussi. C'est d'autant plus frustrant en ce moment avec la fermeture des salles – mais si je trouvais un éditeur pour mon roman, je pourrais oublier ce contretemps.”

www.instagram.com/nathaliefraser/

Agathe Magné

Fondatrice, Take It Slow

“Hier, je m’occupais de diffuser les campagnes publicitaires de grandes corporations principalement sur le digital. J’ai décidé de changer de vie professionnelle pour retrouver mon plein potentiel en m’alignant avec mes valeurs profondes. Aujourd’hui j'accompagne les femmes entrepreneures qui peinent à parler de leur activité. Je les aide à mettre des mots sur leurs pensées et de l’ordre dans leurs idées, à explorer les fondations de leur projet et élaborer une communication qui leur ressemble. J’ai pris conscience que j’avais toutes les ressources en moi pour vivre en harmonie avec moi-même et les autres et ça m’a donné la confiance de me réinventer professionnellement. Ce que j’aime le plus dans mon travail est la liberté de construire un projet qui me ressemble et qui a pour vocation d’aider ceux portés par les mêmes valeurs à rayonner dans leur communication.”

www.instagram.com/__take__it__slow__/

Marine Cossé

Co-Fondatrice, Matriochka

“Avant de rencontrer Zeva, je sortais d'une carrière dans l'édition, où j'avais été éditrice salariée dans de grosses maisons puis avais monté ma propre maison avant de la revendre. J'ai décidé de changer de vie pro parce que je ne me reconnaissais plus dans les valeurs de mon domaine d'activité; j'avais envie d'être alignée à 1000% avec les valeurs de mon job, de m'investir dans un projet qui me fasse vibrer. Ce qui m’a aidé pour avancer sur mon chemin était d’arrêter de chercher trop loin ou trop compliqué: les opportunités étaient déjà là, en face de moi, et que j'avais juste à les saisir. En 2020, j'ai cofondé une startup d'accompagnement parental qui s'appelle Matriochka. Pour l'instant nous proposons des ateliers parentalité, sport et enfants en visio, mais le but est à terme de s'implanter physiquement dans le 15e, avec un café, un espace d'éveil pour les petits, et une salle d'activités. Ce que j’adore le plus dans mon activité aujourd'hui est d’apprendre tous les jours de nouvelles compétences, me sentir utile, travailler avec une de mes meilleures amies, rencontrer des gens passionnants, découvrir de nouveaux horizons; le tout dans le cadre de valeurs auxquelles je m'identifie complètement.”
www.matriochkaparis.fr
www.instagram.com/matriochkaparis/

Sylvie Chayette

Professeur de yoga et meditation

“J'ai été journaliste pendant 20 ans mais à un moment très compliqué de ma vie personnelle, j’ai été victime de harcèlement professionnel. Au-delà de ma douleur personnelle, j'ai été frappée par le manque d'empathie et la cruauté du cadre professionnel. Au même moment, j'ai emmené un proche, très dépressif, à un cours de yoga kundalini. La révélation a plutôt eu lieu pour moi ! J'ai suivi une formation d'enseignant, puis je me suis spécialisée pour enseigner ce yoga transformateur aux seniors et plus largement à tous ceux qui ressentent des limites physiques pour tenir 1h30 en tailleur sur un tapis – et ils sont nombreux. Je me suis également formée à un protocole fantastique de méditation destiné aux seniors, intitulé MBCAS. En méditation, je suis les enseignements hors normes d'un Anglais bouddhiste, Martin Aylward. Un véritable philosophe des temps modernes. Aujourd'hui, je transmets ces enseignements de méditation bouddhiste pour le studio Bloom, au cœur d'un training de 100 heures. Je devrais également rejoindre une plateforme en ligne pour pouvoir donner des cours de yoga en distanciel.”

www.instagram.com/sylvie_chayette/

Clémence Lejeune

Fondatrice, Sacrées Femmes

“Je travaille sur la création d'un espace de santé innovant et bienveillant dédié aux femmes. Avant de commencer mon coaching avec Zéva, j'avais pris la décision de quitter le monde de l'entreprise et mon poste de manager dans le secteur du e-commerce mais je n'arrivais pas à me lancer concrètement sur mon projet. Paralyser par la peur d'échouer et le regard des autres, je n'arrivais pas à sortir de cette phase de transition. Mais ce qui me permet d'avancer sur mon chemin aujourd'hui est le sentiment d'être alignée avec moi-même et avec ma mission de vie. Mettre mon énergie, mes compétences, mon temps au service de l'amélioration de la condition des femmes, est une cause qui me prend au tripes. Cela prendra le temps qu'il faudra mais mon instinct me guide vers l'accomplissement de cette mission. Plus que de la joie cela me procure apaisement et sérénité.”

www.instagram.com/sacrees__femmes/

Client Profile: Emilie Ghidalia goes from bookkeeper to biographer

“Have your clients really been able to shift gears and do something totally different with their lives? 

I frequently get asked this question during my discovery calls with potential clients and I absolutely love it because it oozes with equal parts fear, excitement and envy. 

“Oh, sweetie,” I think to myself, “Where do I begin?”

Should I talk about the fashion editor who became a fitness instructor? 

The global talent agency exec who became a wellness entrepreneur?

The marketing director who launched a sustainable retail communications agency?

The urban architect who became a weaver?

Or the civil servant who became a psychic healer?

Not all of my clients go all Lightning McQueen on me, slamming the brakes on their current career to twist the wheel in a completely different direction. 

But many of them do. And just for the record when they do veer it’s always a gradual transformation, never like waking up in the skin one morning of a completely different person.

There’s something about those transformation stories that’s miraculous and mesmerizing. Which is why I want to share the story of Emilie Ghidalia. 

Emilie came into my office several years ago excited to start coaching but was up front with me about her doubts. Deep down she was convinced that she was doomed to continue working as an accountant because she had no ideas about anything else she could do. Period. Nothing up there. No creativity. She was a worrier, a planner, not a dreamer.

In the rare moments when a baby idea did pop into her brain, a little pesky voice would snap to attention and leap 72 steps into the future. Telling her all of the reasons why her idea was disastrous, dangerous, risky. (She later named the voice N72, and drew him as a miniature concierge in a three-piece-suit and bow-tie). 

During our process examining and loosening the grip on those limiting beliefs and her relationship with N72, Emile waltzed into my office one day and announced that she had an idea and she knew it was the right one. 

She wanted to become a family biographer.

She has always loved to write, was fascinated by people’s stories and felt that everyone had the right to have their story told. 

So, in honor of sharing stories, please read this special interview with Emilie (en français) about her fascinating professional shift and her faithful (but less troublesome) side-kick N72.  

Interview with Emilie Ghidalia

Qu’est ce que tu fais comme métier et depuis combien de temps?

Aujourd’hui j’exerce deux professions. Mon « ancien » métier, Responsable Administratif et Financier dans une PME, mais que j’ai pimpé et mon nouveau métier. Je continue d’exercer cette profession, car actuellement c’est ce qui me permet de payer mon loyer, mais en free lance (vive la liberté !). En parallèle, depuis un peu plus d’un an, j’exerce le métier de biographe familiale. J’espère pouvoir basculer à temps plein vers ce travail d’écriture mais, pour le moment, cette double casquette me convient assez bien.

C’est quoi exactement une biographe familiale? 

Mon travail de biographe familiale consiste à recueillir la parole d’inconnus qui souhaitent laisser une trace de leur histoire. Pour eux-même. Pour leur famille. Parfois pour le public. Ensemble, nous co-écrivons l’histoire de leur vie.

C'est un virage assez radical de ton activité avant de commencer ton coaching? Quelles étapes clés t’ont amené vers ta nouvelle activité?

Le coaching tout entier a été l’étape clé ! Plus précisément, dans le coaching, ce qui m’a « débloquée » a été d’apprendre à croire qu’il y avait une solution (je pensais sincèrement que j’étais un cas désespéré, qu'il fallait que je me résigne à passer ma vie à exercer un métier qui ne me convenait plus) en laissant (autant que faire se peut) mes angoisses de côté, définir clairement les contours de mon métier « rêvé » en le dissociant de mon métier "fantasmé"  et comprendre qu’elles étaient mes compétences. J’avais une image différente de ce que je valais et de ce dont j’étais capable. 

Avant de commencer ton coaching est ce que tu connaissais déjà le métier du biographe? 

Je me suis rappelée après coup en avoir vaguement entendu parlé lors d’un micro reportage au JT, des années auparavant. L’info avait du rester dans un coin de ma tête.

Concrètement, comment cela se passes-t-il un projet de biographie? Quel est une journée type?

Le matin de préférence, je suis en entretien avec mes clients.tes. Les entretiens durent environ une heure, durant laquelle ils.elles me racontent un épisode de leur vie. Nous ajustons le texte au fur et à mesure aussi ce temps en face à face est complètement dédié à la parole.  Il est, je trouve, essentiel pour créer le lien avec celui.celle qui se confie. Ces moments sont toujours très intimes et touchants. On rit souvent et, à chaque fois, on peut sentir l’émotion du souvenir.  Ensuite, de retour chez moi, je mets en mots l’histoire que l’on vient de me confier. J’essaie d’être la plus fidèle possible au ton du narrateur, à son vocabulaire, à l’intention qu’il.elle met dans ce projet. Et j'ajoute ma patte. Quand le texte est, à mon sens, fini et avant la séance suivante, je l’envoie à mon.ma client.e afin qu’il soit relu et qu’on puisse y apporter les modifications nécessaires.

Si quelqu'un souhaite travailler avec toi sur son projet de biographie c’est quoi le budget et la durée ?

Le processus est assez simple. Je facture au temps réellement passé, 60 euros de l'heure, que ce soit le temps passé en entretien ou le temps passé en écriture, relecture, recherche, etc. Pour une heure d'entretien, il faut compter environ 2 à 3 heures d'écriture, en fonction de la quantité d'informations transmises pendant l'entretien. Ensuite le nombre d'entretiens varie en fonction de l'histoire à raconter mais je dirais qu'il faut environ une dizaine d'entretiens au total. Concernant la rédaction de contenus pour les marques, bien sûr c'est assez différent. Le tarif horaire est le même mais le volume change fortement. Je suis toujours ravie d'être contactée pour de nouveaux projets !

Qui sont tes clients.tes?

Mes clients.es ont finalement des profils assez différents. Je travaille bien sûr avec des personnes âgées qui veulent laisser une trace de leur histoire pour leurs enfants et leur petits enfants. Parfois, ce sont les enfants que me contactent, désireux de conserver l’histoire de leur parent. Je travaille également avec des personnes plus jeunes qui ont vécu un événement marquant dans leur vie et qui souhaite le poser sur papier. Pour elles-mêmes ou dans l’optique d’une publication. Enfin, je collabore parfois avec des entreprises que j’aide dans la rédaction de contenus relatifs à l’histoire de leur marque ou de leurs créations, pour leurs sites web notamment. 

Comment la vie d’une biographe est différente de ce que tu avais imaginé en commençant ton activité? 

Je pensais travailler exclusivement avec des personnes âgées. J’ai été très surprise d’être souvent contactée par des gens de mon âge. Egalement, j’avais complètement occulté la possibilité de travailler avec des entreprises.

Au début du coaching tu pensais que tu n'étais pas assez créative pour envisager un métier qui te faisait vibrer. Comment cette pensée a évolué depuis?

Je pense toujours manquer de créativité mais je laisse d’avantage de chance à mes idées avant de considérer qu’elles sont toutes nulles. Parfois même, je les trouve plutôt bonnes.

Quels sont tes plus grands objectifs pour la suite?

Mon objectif principal est de basculer à temps plein vers l’écriture, réussir à faire publier le beau projet de roman sur lequel je travaille avec une cliente et puis, peut-être qu’ensuite je me sentirai capable d’écrire pour moi-même.

De quoi as tu besoin pour avancer?

Un peu plus de clients et un peu plus de courage, pour basculer totalement vers le métier d’écriture, je ne sais pas dans quel ordre…

Tu as terminé ton coaching il y a déjà plus d'un ans. Avec du recul et du temps, qu'est ce que tu te retiens le plus maintenant de ton expérience?

Ce coaching a littéralement changé ma vie. Ce que j’en retiens c’est d’oser croire que les choses sont possibles et se faire accompagner lorsqu’on ne trouve pas la solution par soi-même.

Bonus question: comment va N72?

Hahahaha ! N72 va très bien. Maintenant qu’il n’est plus mon ennemi mais un allié dont je connais les défauts et les qualités, nous cohabitons assez bien (la plupart du temps). Finalement, ce coaching a aussi été une vraie thérapie de couple entre mon angoisse et moi-même :)

Pour contacter Emilie pour un projet de biographie visitez son site: https://emilieghidalia.com/

Et pour trouver le métier de votre rêve contacter moi ici:

Beware of the chairs

Chairs. They provide comfort. Security. A soft spot to land a tired tush at the end of the day. And if you work at a desk eight hours a day, they definitely know your butt better than you do. 

But they’re deceptive objects: they support us, but they also condition us. Leaving us a bit numb and indifferent to spontaneous opportunities and whims.

Did you know that the fewer chairs you have at a party the happier your guests will be?

I learned that at my previous job in marketing where we regularly hosted events for our community.

Events were the glue that kept our community close. Without them, the social seams that we worked so hard to build unraveled quickly. Needless to say, we became damn good at party-throwing.

As soon as we entered a venu we removed all chairs in sight. 

Stacking them up in closets, behind bars, under blankets, so that when the first guests arrived they they had no where to hide. (If you’re wondering, the second most important thing is to have the music playing by the time people show up. There’s nothing sadder than a music-less party, ami right?!).

Speaking of parties. I held my first little gathering for my coaching clients a few weeks ago. It’s been a dream of mine since before I became a coach to build a community of awesome, inspiring women.

Women who don’t know each other. Who come from different backgrounds. Who come with different expertise. Who come from different generations. From different cultures. Who have different projects and dreams. 

What would these fabulous women talk about? What common threads would they discover? How would they help each other? Get inspired? Partner or even create a project together? I just loved the idea that something could spring to life out of their unique and bizarre alchemy. 

So here I am. A “certified” event thrower hosting the most meaningful gathering of my coaching career, and I forgot the cardinal party rule. 

Busy welcoming people and setting up their pot-lock treats, ten minutes into the party I looked around and found a perfectly polite group of women seated shyly around a table. Hesitant to speak. Stiff and self-conscious. 

Why? Because I forgot to hide the chairs!!

I could have just left them there, of course. Hoping “the mayonnaise would take” as they say in French, that these disparate ingredients would somehow whip themselves up into a seamless blend. 

But I made an executive decision. I told everyone that at the count of three they all had to stand up and forget the chairs existed, kicking those social crutches to the curb for the evening. 

They indulged me (I am their coach, after all). And the energy shifted just like that. People started milling about. Conversations got louder. Little groups came together. Numbers were exchanged. Bonds were formed, and by the end of the evening they were clamoring for more opportunities to get together to share stories, learnings and challenges from their self discovery journeys.  

The mayonnaise did take. In large part thanks to the forbidden chairs.

So I ask you, what proverbial chairs could you move to side to loosen up your moves?

What’s supporting you just a little too much?
What crutches are you turning to that you likely don't need as much as you think?
What if those "chairs" weren’t there? 
What would you do? 
Who would you navigate towards? 
What muscles would you strengthen? 
And where would those muscles take you?


Let me know what comes up. 

PS. Speaking of chairs, I've got two seats left at my upcoming Vision Board workshop in Paris on June 21st. Head over here to reserve your spot. 

Taboo vaccines and fear inoculations

She looked down at the screaming woman’s face and instantly felt her stomaching tightening up into a tense little knot.  

The fierce and wild expression seemed out of place with all of the softer pictures and words in her collage.

Like someone else had stuck it there by accident, or worse, glued it there intentionally to make her sick.

Over the last few weeks I’ve done four vision board workshops and spoke with dozens of women about what they see in their collages.

Each collage is made up of cut-out images and words that my clients choose quickly and then edit and arrange on their boards with care.

When the collages are all done and everyone has started talking about the lovely things they see in their boards, I shift speed and throw out a doozy of a question. 

What part of the collage makes you feel uncomfortable?

That was the question I asked that led us to “the scream.”

The question hits hard, especially since all of the other questions are as sweet and cuddly as a basket full of puppies. 

It’s my favorite question. (And no, I’m not a sadist.)

So, why do I love that question so much?

What we recoil from and find irritating, repulsive or just flat out unacceptable (mostly in others) is the proverbial “pot of goal” of personal development. 

It helps us uncover a desire or need that seems totally off-limits to us. Unauthorized. Unorthodox. Taboo. 

Watching others nonchalantly behave in that taboo way feels like nails across a chalkboard. Just plain wrong! 

But, you want what, it’s not about them, it’s about you. 

The reason that image or behavior shocks us is because we need a little bit of it in our lives. Let me explain.

Like a vaccine shot to protect us from getting deathly ill, we need a little bit of what repulses us to balance out the rest. 

What we can’t stand in others is what we’re missing (to a certain degree) in ourselves. 

Here are some examples:

Repulsion: That “pretentious snob” of a co-worker who’s loud and outspoken in meetings even though his ideas are so basic and boring.

Vaccine: Accepting imperfection. 

Next steps Don’t kill your ideas before they’ve hatched. Share them even when you’re not 100% convinced others will appreciate them. 

Repulsion: That “selfish” and “insensitive” friend who always arrives late. Always. And never apologizes for it. 

Vaccine: Living in the present. 

Next steps: What’s most important to you right now? If there were no consequences to any of your decisions, what would you decide to do?

Repulsion: That “rigid” co-worker who’s “inflexibility” and “hesitation” keeps everything stuck in standstill.   

Vaccine: Slowing down the process. 

Next steps: What would happen if you slowed down the process and embraced the journey without racing to the destination? 

You see where I’m going with this?

Now let’s get back to that screaming face in the first sentence of this post. What did my client find so repulsive about it? 

As a new entrepreneur starting out in the wellness business, it was a reminder of how scared she is about speaking publicly about her new profession and how terrified she is that she’ll never get over her insecurities.

What she realized during the workshop was that the scream symbolizes brazenness, intensity, determination. The exact qualities, in vaccine-size-doses, that she needs to develop in order to live off of what she loves. 

It boils down to identifying (and accepting), rather than reacting to and recoiling from what makes us uncomfortable, like the dragons in this famous Rainer Maria Rilke quote:

“How could we forget those ancient myths that stand at the beginning of all races—the myths about dragons that at the last moment are transformed into princesses. Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.”

Where does this mean for you?

• Next time you have a strong reaction/repulsion to someone’s behavior, move beyond the “EEK” feeling and try and see what bothers you so much. 

• What has this person allowed themselves to do/be that offends you so much ?

• When you peel back the onion, what permission in its purest form is at the root of their behavior (honesty, spontaneity, self-love )?

• What vaccine-size-dose of that permission could you inject yourself with?

• What one thing could you try differently now that you’ve been inoculated?

Keep me posted on what you uncover, and if you want to go further and tackle some more of taboos, reach out and book a call with me.

---

Photo by Gabriel Matula on Unsplash

Anne-Sophie Roquette finds her "pelote de laine" at L'Atelier13

“Pelote de laine”

It means “ball of yarn” in French.

And it's crazy how often my clients use that expression in our sessions. 

Not because they’re knitters, or obsessed with sweaters, or particularly manual. 

But because unraveling their web of fears and desires feels a lot like untangling a jumbled ball of yarn. 

You know what I mean, right? When you're searching desperately for that little thread at the beginning of the spool so that those tight intersections can start opening up and letting loose?

And when your fingers finally it everything starts to settled down —your shoulders relax, your eyes soften, your breath calms down. The relief and satisfaction is huge. At last, you can start getting on with your stuff!

I'm fascinated by the “pelote de laine” stories of everyday women who figure out how to loosen up their tangled web of interests and doubts and confidently put their ideas into action. 

That's why I’d love to introduce you to Anne-Sophie Roquette, founder of the French fashion and accessories brand L’Atelier13, who found her career calling by listening to what her fingers were telling her as they worked through a real “pelote de laine.” 

Read my interview below with this super inspiring women who went from corporate life to entrepreneurialism while raising three small kids below.

*On Friday January 25, 2019, I’ll be giving vision board workshop at Anne-Sophie’s showroom as part of her Inspirants community events for her clients. Click here to reserve your spot.

Anne-Sophie Roquette at her L’Atelier 13 Showroom

What inspired you to start making your own accessories considering the amount of work you already had going on (career, kids, etc)?

It all started while I had my young daughters. Being stuck at home for long nap hours and early nights, I had to get busy with something, and I found out that manual activities were a great satisfaction to me. It gave me the happy feeling of using my time with something productive. 

How did you find the time to devote to that passion?

I really wonder now how I did find the time. I guess when something becomes your priority (for sanity or for pleasure), you always find the time! My days were really packed but I had that urge to make them even more, which, now that I think about it, and at the time where I try to take things and life slower, seems crazy to me. 

I believe that I was in this age where being productive and making the most of every minute was the most important to me. I would never sop. As soon as the kids were in bed, I would work on a project. At the park watching the kids ? In the subway ? I started knitting before I was even sitting. Conference calling with lawyers ? A knitting project in my hands. I was doing something all the time. That's hilarious when you think about it !

When did you know that it was the right time to switch full-time into your new career? 

It came as a conjonction of different moments. I never thought I would switch. I loved my job, and was fully aware of the ups and downs of launching a business, especially in the quite crowded fashion industry. So it took a while before I even envisioned it, at least a year. 

By then, that little project had been flourishing and meeting some success, and at the same time I wanted to have my third child and some time to take care of her, and on top of it, the company I was working for was growing too much, evolving into something that I no longer felt connected to. I had turned 37 and felt it was now or never. So I allowed myself a two year break to have that baby and cherish every moment of her first years, and concentrate on working on my project. It's been 4 years now, and I don't regret any of it!

What fears or doubts did you have to overcome? 

The main fear is that you leave something that you know and enjoy, for the unknown, the uncertainty, the unpredictability. That was my biggest concern. But once you realize that, if you want to go back to that job, two years from now, you'll still have that same back ground and experience, and be able to interview and find another job, everything seems much easier. I always decided to think that if things were going to turn bad, I would always be able to find a job. That's a great security.

Behind the clothes, the bags, the shoes — what does your brand represent to you?

My brand is really a concentration of what I like most in the way that I envision work. It embodies my values :

Work: Work with people that you are happy to work with, that you get to choose, whether they are interns or suppliers that you care for, that you help grow and help you grow. 

Perseverance: Being an entrepreneur is not an piece of cake. Some days are harder than others. But I strongly believe that if you keep your vision in mind, no matter what path your days are following, you will end up achieving your goals.

Fulfillment and Happiness: I think you do things much better when you're happy to do them, preferably under the least pressure possible.

Balance: My business could develop faster, probably, but my life is full of many things, and I choose to devote some time for them all: my kids and their projects, my yoga practice, my husband and our well being as a couple (which involves spending time together, but also cooking good food ;-))

What do you want you clients to feel or experience in your creations?

I want them to feel comfortable and sexy, different but with a sense of belonging. I want them to dress in the morning and accessorize with no headache and always feel good no matter where they are, at school with the kids, at work, at a cocktail that same night. 

What made you decide to launch the Inspirations series of workshops for your clients?

I noticed that most of my clients have the same aspirations and hopes as I do. Thinking about the way to balance our busy lives, find moments of joy and well-being, discover new things, in order to improve, become better moms, professionals, wives, friends... The community behind L'ATELIER 13 is eager to share and discover, know better, feel better, and I thought that a good way to serve that community was to bring that kind of value. I'm driven by what I feel like doing, and learning, and I really hope that it could interest more women, so I was very enthusiastic about bringing that value through my brand. 

What piece in your collection means the most to you?

Probably the first one, the Cosi Bag, as it really launched the project. I came up with the design as I was sewing a dress. The top of that dress made me think of a bag, and I decided to test it out and found out that it was a very convenient one, and yet stylish. That I could make it with the fabrics I wanted and therefore really design it to match my style. 

It was the bag that I could fold in my purse, and use when I stopped after work for grocery shopping. It was the bag that I could use to carry my kids stuff, no matter how many pieces there were to be carried (sweaters, scarves, gloves, hats, snacks...), that I could wash if necessary, in a word, my daily companion.

I started to make some for people who asked, and I believe I sew nearly a hundred, at night and on week-end, before I thought it could be smart to find a workshop that could help me out. This is how the venture started!

If you’d like to meet Anne-Sophie in person come join us on Friday, January 25th 2019 at her showroom where I’ll be giving a vision board workshop as part of her Inspirants evens series for her community . Click here to purchase your spot.

Introducing the wonderful world of Chez Cameil and the woman who built it

Following your gut. Listening to your dreams. Building your fantasy business. It’s wayyyy easier said than done.

You could be the most creative and focused person on the planet but when self-doubt, fear and insecurity pop up those dreams will scatter away to some safe little corner of your mind, or deep down on a to-do list that you’re sure to forget. 

That’s why I’m totally fascinated by people who find the clarity and confidence to follow through with their dreams, even when it scares the hell out of them…

Which is why I’d love to introduce to my friend Cameil Kaundart.

I met Cameil years ago while I was working for Yelp. She was running around the kitchen with a floral headscarf and a couple of trays of American cookies, testing recipes weeks before the launch of my friend Marc’s cafe, Bob’s Bake Shop. She greeted me with such an insanely warm vibe that I loved her immediately. 

Fast forward to today.

I’m officially the luckiest coach in Paris because I get to see Cameil (and her cookies) three days a week at the cozy new space she launched this Fall. Located in central Paris, Chez Cameil is a cheerful, colorful loft where people come for healthy food, yoga classes, lectures, events and other well-being services, like coaching and hypnosis. It’s where I see my clients three days a week and I absolutely love it!

But Chez Cameil was lodged in Cameil’s head for years as a “maybe-one-day-I’ll-finally-get-it-together-to-make-this-happen” kind of dream. 

I had Cameil on the phone this summer the day she had to tell the landlord whether she was going to take the space. It was not a light decision to make for loads of reasons that I’m sure you can relate to (self doubt, money, and the huge responsibility that come with following through) but on top of that she was also just separating from her French husband and reconstructing her identity as a single American on French soil. 

I so, so admire her for finding the clarity and courage to just go for it! So I’d thought I’d share her story with a little Q&A with her below about how she made it all happened. Hope you find Cameil as inspiring and fascinating as I do!

---

Q&A with Chez Cameil Founder Cameil Kaundart

What exactly is Chez Cameil for you and what do you want people to experience here?

Chez Cameil is a manifestation of my dream to create a community where all people feel welcome to take care of their well-being, practice yoga, celebrate healthy food, share their ideas, emotions and desires.

My goal is to create a family atmosphere, where people can gather and feel ‘at home’, where they can take the time to rest, refresh their minds and grow in an open and collaborative space.

Chez Cameil was a dream of yours for some time. How did you know that this was the right time to go for it? 

You know that feeling when something you want scares you, but you just know you have to go for it? It’s the moment you’ve been asking the universe for, putting all that hard work into mentally, spiritually and physically and now it’s right here in front of you. I had that moment and I took it.

I’d been working on the idea of Chez Cameil for a good five years, and it wasn’t until just last year that I finally narrowed it down to the version it is today, many thanks go to my good friend Gwen. She really helped me turn my idea from one giant cloud to a nice streamlined lighten bolt. 

I was working away on the business plan when my husband and I decided to separate. I was then not only looking for a space for Chez Cameil, but also looking for a new home. 

I’ve always been good at working, being focused on a goal and doing whatever it takes to get it done, but in that moment I realized my work was all I had. I had lost my couple and now only had myself and my work, so I went into extreme Cameil mode. Those of you who know me may be laughing, thinking she is always in crazy organized Cameil mode. Lol 

Knowing that I was on my own again after eight years of sharing my life with someone put me into survival mode and I spent all my time looking for a space and developing Chez Cameil as if my life depended on it.  Let's face it, life is easier when you are two and have the support of family or a partner. I live far from my family. 

So, in one month I started a crowdfunder with KissKissbankbank that eventually raised 10,000€. They kept telling me that no one ever raises that much money. I would not take no for an answer and insisted that I could do it, and did!  

I felt like life was testing me, so I decided to turn all the sadness, anger and confusion I had into fuel to finally do what I had been wanting to do for sometime.

It was my moment of rebirth and I am forever grateful for it. My now ex-husband has been a great support and we remain friends, but sadly it took us separating for me to be pushed into that moment of fear and then overcome it and turn it into something beautiful that I can now be proud of.

Many people struggle to find a professional path that brings them joy and is in total sync with who they are, their values and natural skills. How did you figure that out?

Through a mix of trials and gut feelings. 

I was an English major, working at a café as a Barista in Seattle where I would occasionally bake cute goodies.  The owner insisted that I go to culinary school and bought me all the tools and books I needed to sign up, so I kind of had to.

After signing up and dropping my English major, I decided I should at least work in a kitchen first before paying all that money on schooling. So I went around asking all the top restaurants in Seattle if I could work for free for a week to see if I liked this as a profession.

After a long list of rejections, a wonderful restaurant accepted my funny offer. I loved it, and them me. I stayed there for five years working my way up from the bottom cookie scooper to cake decorator to pastry chef. Thanks Dhalia Lounge! I’ve been cooking every sense. 

However, I am no longer a pastry chef.  I feel I tell a lot of people this but Ill tell you too: We need to be evolving constantly. “The only constant in life is change,” says Albert Einstein.

I am not the same chef I was 10 years ago nor the same person I was a year ago, so why should my job be the same? All the years of life experience I have created for myself have shaped me into this person I am now. I feel like I have been simply, by trial and error, taking what I like from each experience I have had in my life to create a synergy that aligns with my work.

I’m not saying it’s easy. It takes quitting jobs, taking big risks, self-confidence, and a good support system, being selfish at times and failing and trying again. 

I was once told I was like the film “Yes Man,” because you could offer me any job and I was always up for the challenge.  I was never scared to trust myself, I knew I could learn something from this experience and apply it to the next.  So over the past 10 years I have been doing just that. 

You talk a lot about listening to your intuition and knowing when something feels right. How do you connect with those sensations? 

I spent a lot of time building a better relationship with myself over the past years and asking myself the right questions. What scares me about being single again? Where do I want to be in a year? What’s important to me?  Asking these kinds of questions and really sitting with myself until I find the answers. Using meditation and journaling have been very helpful tools for me.  When I feel my intuition is clouded I often retreat to an Ashram or a quiet place to be alone for as long as I can be with my thoughts to work it out. 

Also, since I was a little girl, I’ve had very visual dreams and I’ve always looked to them for answers in my day-to-day life. 

Two dreams in particular have changed my life. 

In my early 20’s I died in a dream, but died really enjoying this weird bouncing bridge in the middle of a big beautiful lake surrounded by trees and woke up fearless and decided to leave Seattle and travel around South East Asia for four months. And it was not until four years ago that I realized the true meaning of the dream, but that’s a whole other story for another time. 

The second, a few short months later, it’s my first week of my trip in South East Asia and I get very sick in Bangkok. I had a dream that I was on a train in the middle of grey rainy French winter. There was no sign saying I was in France or flags, but I just new I was in France and I remember, in my dream, getting off the train in the crummy weather and feeling the happiest I had every felt. 

So the next morning I went to a travel agency and bought a ticket to Paris France.  I spent the next four months traveling all over South East Asia and planning what I would do in France as I did not speak French, then went to Seattle, sold all of my things, came to France where I worked on a farm for three months learning to make cheese, then hitch hiked around the south of France, moved into the oldest all women’s squat in Berlin, decided I wanted to stay longer in Europe, so started to look for work as a chef and ended up finding a job as a nanny in Marseille for a lovely family who I am still dear friends with now, moved to Paris with them, fell in love and the rest is history all thanks to literally following a couple dreams. 

They say the answers to all our questions are inside we just need to be quiet and listen. 

What do you do when you experience fear or doubt as you develop your dream business?

I use Mantra repetition or Japa as we call it in Yoga. This has saved me so many times. I also have a wonderful group of friends, that I who knows where I would be without their ears to listen to all my crazy ideas and fears, also I am a firm believer in long baths.

I remember very clearly on my last trip of the yachting season this September, taking a brake on the beach between services and having a small freak-out about all the things I needed to do to get Chez Cameil up and running. So I closed my eyes did a mini Savasana/Corpse pose (similar to mediation only lying down on the back) and started repeating a mantra. I honestly do not remember what I had chosen, it could have been something simple, like Intuition, relax or strength. I kept repeating it to myself then did a fifteen minute silent Savasana and after my thoughts were clear and I was able to prioritize the huge list of things I needed to do and felt ready to start tackling them and crossing them off one by one. 

Negative self-talk will kill you. I try to focus on the positive, make a plan, write it down and never be scared to ask for help.  

What’s on the horizon?

I am always working on a bunch of projects as I love creating things, bringing people together and sharing. We have lots of wonderful workshops, book clubs, cooking classes, Yoga retreats and weekends coming to Chez Cameil with all the new collaborators and myself. Then on the side, I am also helping two lovely young gentlemen from Marseille open a Vegan Burger restaurant, there is a possible cookbook in the future with my dear friend Marc and maybe even joining a rock band.  I am excited to watch the evolution of Chez Cameil and myself over the next year.  So much of has changed just in the past six months and I am feeling truly loved, blessed and ready for whatever comes next. 

---

I have the enormous honor of seeing my clients at Chez Cameil. If you’d like to learn more about my services click the button below.